Mixed Nuts with Charles Rogers

[00:00:01] Hey folks because this episode is dropping on the 51st anniversary of Stonewall This week we want to tell you about the Marsha P. Johnson Institute We wouldn't be celebrating pride without Marsha P. Johnson or the Stonewall riots The Marsha P. Johnson Institute was founded as a black

[00:00:20] Trans-led organization that protects and defends the human rights of black transgender people They most recently created a national relief fund for black trans people impacted by COVID Please visit M-A-R-S-H-A-P.org to learn more and donate if you are in a position to do so

[00:00:40] You can find links in the episode description and on our social accounts at Blank Check Pod for more information Thank you and enjoy this very silly episode Blank Check with Griffin and David

[00:01:12] Just remember that in every podcast there is hope. Well you see I mean podcasts is spelled P-O-D-C-A-S-T So if you take the P and you add it to the H and the O and the E and rearrange the letters or

[00:01:25] Contrawise you remove the O and the T and the L you get hope so just remember in every podcast there is hope That's the old English spelling of podcast. Yeah, this is not true It's just fundamentally not true. It's funny. I thought it was funny

[00:01:38] Right, I can hear off in the distance people Rolling and laughter knees Ribs being tickled everyone remembers the line From mixed nuts mix nuts mix you got to mix them up, baby These nuts aren't organized like what line what do you mean? What are you talking about?

[00:01:57] I thought like I I thought we were talking about nuts, right? What? You saw we were talking about a bag of nuts Yeah, what do you I thought we were reviewing cashews and Brazil nuts and

[00:02:09] Why would we do that because this is a podcast about I just want to say that before we started recording I asked benefit team this movie and he said he had a bit. I Guess that was the bit Well, let me listen and

[00:02:26] Got a bit and I was like, okay That was my reaction to that and it's my reaction to this podcast is not about legumes. It's about femographies. What are those? Femographies no legumes the nuts adjacent. It's a larger categorization. Oh, okay

[00:02:43] Directors who have massive success early on in their careers and they're given a series of blank checks make whatever crazy passion products They want sometimes those checks clear and sometimes they commit suicide Not right of a thing that this movie it makes light of constant

[00:03:00] This is a major Steven Wright that is Steven a lot a lot of very interesting people popping up for one hundred percent It's a major is on the films in or a fron Mm-hmm. We're recording this episode first

[00:03:12] This one's a little early because of a specific guest our guests who can talk at any point that I felt I wasn't supposed to know you have really wanted to really need to but let's say this and I'm not gonna introduce you yet But let's just say this

[00:03:25] We're recording this on the last day. You're in New York. Yeah, I'm very hungover. I might throw up at any point during Gonna throw up into the mic anyway not introduced yet Sorry, I'll go back to no

[00:03:40] I want you to weigh in on this okay because this is the first one We're doing out of order in the nor a front filmography. Hmm always name a mini series after a Butchering of one of the the film titles

[00:03:53] Okay, that that person made David thinks this may series should be called You've got podcast hell. Yeah. I like that to me too. That's cute. Now. Here's my alternate pitch But you have to say it like you've got podcast

[00:04:05] This is the thing my God my pitch. I think only works with the line reading and it's a slight variation But this is what I think the major is what he's about to say by the way just to set this up is offensive and horrible ready

[00:04:18] I'm ready. I'm scared. Yeah The thing about shoes is no, okay the thing my mini series title suggestion is You've podcast. Oh, no, I don't like it. It's horrible Every chance I couldn't I set it up. I thought really beautifully with a lot of generosity Thank you

[00:04:44] It's funny to think of someone being like you've got podcast. Yeah, yeah One idea was wonderful and then the other idea was Sound kind of similar yeah, but when you just break up potting cast and don't put anything in between them

[00:05:00] I think it just sort of it's like a little too. I think graphically it would work But also you can't spell potholes up. They'd be beautiful. They would be beautiful to see Great Make your fan art Which was roundly rejected by everyone it was 10% I

[00:05:19] Literally are her my feelings when I looked at the 10% You know iTunes will it just has a little rotten tomatoes graphic for yet. Yeah, that's 10. I was like 10 Very low very low on the Wikipedia

[00:05:30] There is a quote from an Irish film critic who said it is truly one of the worst films ever Definitely not This movie has issues I don't think it's among the worst 10% of movies we've ever covered on this podcast

[00:05:48] I probably have to take a look but yeah, and I was expecting a bigger bounce. Well, okay So this movie I feel like was reviled and then has had almost no reputation since then yeah Seems like you would have like some sort of cold come back

[00:06:07] It was one of those things it was always on the video show Freakin video store like see Steve you see that right? Yeah It's a great my memory is major video store kid my entire family loves Steve Martin

[00:06:20] Right Steve Martin's like one of the only guys where if a Steve Martin movies rated are my parents go you can rent that because they love Steve Martin so much. Mm-hmm. It's a remake of a French movie Sure

[00:06:31] And I would see that video at the store and they go you're not renting Just because they'd seen it Okay, they hadn't even seen it I national pride. Yeah, she like couldn't believe they had remade it I remember her telling me how funny the French movie was

[00:06:46] No, I'm trying to I feel like my mother was generally dismissive of any time there was a remake of a French farce So then there you go Which we're gonna get into in a second

[00:06:55] But the fact that it was also a French for starring Steve Martin. Yeah our family guy. Yeah He was our Peter Griffin right and it was still like not even worth the time

[00:07:06] He's the only I don't know if we want to just jump in but like he's the only performance that I wasn't into in the whole movie He thought everybody else was like tap dancing so well in this movie

[00:07:16] I would agree with this. He's like reaching for moments all the way through think he's fundamentally miscast Yes, just cast and he I think has no idea what he's supposed to be doing I think it's a hard role to very hard role It's

[00:07:30] Exactly where you know exactly I gotta take I gotta take I'll get to it But do you remember Ben's bit should we go back to it sure pistachios? It's a whole experiential thing

[00:07:40] Well, you'd have to crack the nuts open and then you can lick the shell a little bit, you know you get some of the salt I like to do that sure the fucking I would probably put them in my top five They'd be my top five for sure

[00:07:53] It's either number one or Revile walnuts You know just like they're decorative. They're not for they're just supposed to be on magazines Oh

[00:08:29] We used to have a nutcracker with a bunch of nuts in our like living room and it was just sort of a good way to occupy yourself Like that was the only thing I liked about them. What's your argument?

[00:08:40] You're arguing for nutcrackers being a waste of space. Are you saying like We should just use a hammer your bear. No, we shouldn't be eating those nuts Shells too hard why even bother and it's not even that good sure

[00:08:55] I'll say this about walnuts. I don't know if the two of you at the three of you have this same perception I feel like very often I'm at a restaurant and like especially they'll be running down the special sometimes off menu item

[00:09:06] And they're describing a thing that sounds so good And then the last second they throw walnuts into the description and it kills my buzz I don't mind them in food. I'll take it. I'll tolerate it You're just not into but I'm always like perfect perfect

[00:09:20] They're like in a reduction with this sauce and then they throw in sliced walnuts or roasted all walnuts or whatever You see here put fruit and don't put nuts in my salad. Oh, I love I love both those

[00:09:33] Fine with it, but I don't love dried fruit in a salad I feel about Yeah, but like apples in a salad love so good love like an apple like feta go cheese

[00:09:49] Can we just point out I don't know if you folks watched all the way to the very end of this movie, but there are two Nine endings the second and final end credit song in this movie is an original diddy

[00:10:03] I did not recognize the name of the man who wrote it but is performed by dr. John Nolans Legend doctor John and it is a song called mix nuts in which the chorus is mostly him listing nut Give me some moments

[00:10:21] He's like I got it. No, let's give you the Like I'm hanging up guys But it also it feels like a song from Sesame Street where they're like, I don't know We need a second to teach these kids

[00:10:34] So that song is from the sound like the soundtrack of this movie. Yeah, I just loved it independently for years I had no idea today Yes, sorry Probably I would say up until this point the number one mix nuts fan That's probably true

[00:10:52] I'm curious to hear how it's aged for you Yeah But in the way that we saw David and I as perennials at the video store and went huh and never ever considered it Mm-hmm when I reached out to you I said we'd love to have a show

[00:11:03] I gave you a list of a bunch of movies We hadn't booked yet and you went weirdly mix nuts as a movie. I watched a lot as a child I was upset. It was my favorite movie

[00:11:13] At the same time the Jurassic Park was my favorite movie. It was like I wasn't I But you weren't saying I need to do mix nuts you were saying I'm just gonna throw out there Weirdly it was my favorite movie that I watched a lot as a child

[00:11:28] Yeah, if you have any strong feelings on mix nuts You are forced to be the guest It was this is a healing something about this is healing like watching it like the last I did it in pieces

[00:11:38] Like I didn't have time to like sit through the whole thing all at once An efflux here Which honestly it doesn't not feel like a pilot 100% now Like It would be about one of them and you are what I you know, it would be like a Netflix series

[00:11:56] It really does feel like yeah Can I make a prediction because this is a several months in advance episode reboot 10% chance There's an announced quibi reboot of mix nuts by the time this episode comes out. We're recording end of February

[00:12:08] There's a 10% chance produced by Griffin new man. They're doing swimming. Yeah, I'm pitching it tomorrow Yeah, they're doing like a fucking Swimming with sharks reboot. Hey man, and how to lose a guy in ten days The amount of weird things that are getting

[00:12:25] Quibi I'm like mix nuts could get rebooted In my work and I mean look nuts are kind of quick bites the original quick bites very Our kids watching quibi Still hasn't launched by the time this episode comes out. It will have either

[00:12:40] supplanted all other media right or shut down I think that's what's gonna happen. That's what I'm voting for planting. Yeah, it's gonna be the only thing It's gonna be the only thing it look maybe by the time this episode comes out We will be a quibi original. Oh

[00:12:55] And you'll be listening to this episode in 27 installments and you can tilt us We can lie down People are constantly complaining about the lack of tiltability on this Do you think anyone is gonna be watching quibi in a car crash?

[00:13:16] Our guests today just killed a joke that you two morons didn't even hear you're gonna when you really listen to this Episode when it comes out months from now, you're gonna It was a great joke. He is the creator co-creator co-show runner of search party

[00:13:33] Griffin Newman stars in Now it's being rebooted but it was back in the day you're in the original cast of search party I'm sure I do appreciate that three seasons later after my two episode guest spot. You still have me at the top of the call sheet

[00:13:51] It means a lot. Yeah, they call you every single week. They call me every day and go They're not gonna use you today. Yeah, yeah, but stay you're on hold You know just keep your

[00:14:05] I've had outside dates for four years now on search party ladies and gentlemen Charles Rogers here hi Now talk about things banked up for an advance We're recording this the day after

[00:14:17] The rat party for search party season four. Yeah season three has not come out yet. Yeah, that's crazy It is crazy. Life is crazy. Does that feel incredible or terrible to have two in the can okay No, it feels good to have two in the can

[00:14:31] Yeah, it feels weird to have made a four season when no one saw the third and not know what people wanted or like sure And we've been joking that it just feels like an office job that we're just like it's like somebody is just like paying for us

[00:14:43] Like we're like a rich kid. That's like parents are just like do your thing and like no one sees it Wait for season three four four Kids we're giving you a two season pickup You have to save them yet

[00:14:59] But have they given you dates for each season because I know you would like shot three and they were like we're still figuring out We're still figuring it out and then it became good news bad news

[00:15:08] Right, right, right. It got it got put on hold because of HBO Max And so they were like we're gonna release this the third season HBO Max So Three years that's crazy second and third season three release Show that does

[00:15:28] You get the fourth season. Yeah, yeah, yeah, and that's that's good Yeah, I wish I could really talk about it because it was so fun. I just had so much fun shooting the four season

[00:15:37] It was really usually stresses me the fuck out but this one was nice, you know You say that but I will say you and Sarah Viola friend of the show pass gas pass some future gas Have run

[00:15:56] Fortildon but I was in and the two episodes of search party I was in You two come across as the calmest Directors I've ever worked with without any air again. Yeah, that's nice Do you want people I know who are calmer are clearly not giving a shit?

[00:16:11] I think yeah, that's probably true. Well, I I'm getting better at I really like playing This is not about me this podcast But I really like playing with people and I really like

[00:16:21] Having fun and like being lovey to everybody and I haven't really it's not until the last two seasons I was able to really like look around and be like this crew. I want to play with the crew

[00:16:30] The first two seasons. I was so scared. Let's I'm like tunnel vision. Let's say it. You're a prankster I'm a prankster. You're a real big prankster. I'm an OP. Yeah I'm a practical joker

[00:16:41] But I mean my point is I mean as a compliment. I can't even imagine what you're like on set now that you're calm and Jokey, but for till then was a crazy movie to make for almost no money in no time. It was really hard

[00:16:53] It was traumatized right and search party was your like first time doing like a big thing like that And so I I've worked with you in like the two situations where you presumably should have been the most stressed out And you still you and Sarah violence

[00:17:08] Which is why I'm gonna die like in a couple weeks probably because you're suppressing at all Do you know this is kind of connected to this? Subject that the movie we're talking about today and that it's about phone calls

[00:17:20] Do you know that charles used to do a show at the magnet theater here in new york? Where uh people would hand him their cell phone And pick a contact on the phone. I think I do know about this stuff

[00:17:32] It was prank calls prank calls with charles rogers. I don't do it anymore. It was great I miss I miss it, but they would tell you and it would be like you can call this person

[00:17:40] Or I mean I would just like I would people would sign like slips at the beginning of the show Where they would like nominate people that they would want to prank and then I'd go through them on stage

[00:17:48] And they'd be like, okay who said this and then I would get their phone And sometimes I'd be calling from their phone or sometimes I'd use other people's phones It was fun But now I left every time feeling guilty because I would take something too far

[00:18:00] Like every time I would like offer someone 400 000 dollars and they'd be like that's evil You can't do that charles and I would just like, you know like stage nerves. I'd like just be like I'd be like, I don't know. The brilliance of it for me though was that

[00:18:16] And then the other thing that was really funny about it was it was in front of a live audience But the audience couldn't laugh because the phone was on speaker. It made people act weird

[00:18:25] So everyone was like calling them out. People were like squirmy. It was like a weird It was an interesting energy Everyone was freaking out silently But the brilliance of it was because like someone hand in a slip because charles would interview them on stage

[00:18:38] When he called them whether it was on that person's phone or another phone He would have enough specifics That the person would be less skeptical about the call. Yeah, so sometimes it was like I'm pretending that I not I'm pretend but charles would pretend like

[00:18:54] Uh that that person had lost their phone and he was calling on their phone to try to get in touch And I'd be like an old lady that they like take care of and they're like, oh, I didn't know that this person

[00:19:03] To care of an old lady on sundays or whatever Do you see like people's like acceptance of the bizarre reality would go further because they'd be like well, they know my first name

[00:19:11] And they know a person. I know and they know where I work. This is just nothing brings me more joy Just hearing you talk about we got to prank something by the end of the episode. Do you think I could me? Yeah for sure

[00:19:21] Yeah, all right good. We're gonna do that We're gonna do that someone in my life You can make sense as a prank Can you can you tell us about your relationship to this movie? Do you remember how you saw it for the first time?

[00:19:36] I don't know when I don't know when the first time was I feel like it wasn't in a theater But is a movie so we owe briefly in theaters. Yeah, yeah pulled do you feel like it was

[00:19:46] Do you feel like it was a rental or a cable thing? I think we owned the vhs And I watched it multiple multiple times were you a c martin fan or In so much as like any kid Yeah, no no no

[00:20:00] No, yeah for me it was madeline con Lea Schreiber's character like I think that there was some kind of like coming out thing with like the like whatever 90s portrait of He is supposed to be in the movie

[00:20:16] And it is funny that the movie is like we're not gonna ask questions No, I know right. I have to admit the arnold scene. I think is a hilarious genius scene. It is so

[00:20:27] Fucking funny. I think I watched it over and over and then I took a video of it yesterday Here's the thing with the lea schreiber character in this movie. It starts and you go This is gonna be fucking well. You're just like, oh, it's 94. This is not

[00:20:40] If you're david I watch it for the first time you're like Oh boy, and then there are moments that are handled so much better than you would expect Yes, totally and you can tell he

[00:20:49] He brought like in the same way that like robin williams and the bird like, you know Whenever people are like you can't play gay and then I'm like well, but robin williams like brought his soul to that

[00:20:57] So I don't know. I believed it. You know, I mean clearly does not think the character is stupid Yeah And I was also like what is it? It's like first performance. It's his single first film That's insane. I feel like they partly cast him because he's so tall

[00:21:14] This is insane stat. That's interesting. This is the second lea of schreiber plays trans in a comedy What's the other movie we've covered on this fucking podcast Taking woodstock the angliy

[00:21:27] Where it feels like both movies are doing the same bit, which is like well, this guy's got such a devoid He's so tall. He's so manly. I'm not even gonna dress And in both cases liev is like i'm playing this as a real person

[00:21:39] In both cases the movie is like get all out of this my man dressed as a woman Like the movie sort of thinks that's enough for you to be like well, I'm on the floor And especially for his first film ever

[00:21:53] He is clearly working really hard to be like his pain is real. Yes I mean that's like you don't fucking They're they're so nebulous about the identity Yeah of chris. Yes, sure. There's so many things that aren't decided wait. Who's chris? Is that the character's name? Yeah

[00:22:14] Because there's so long where I was waiting for like when are they gonna name the character is it going to be a female name or a male name? Right, right Right, right It the it's so good

[00:22:26] Like I think what I loved about it as a kid was that it was the first time I saw something that had Like wacky sketch tone that also was like Underneath like a seriousness that I was like, oh, this is adult

[00:22:40] I was like this is like what adult when adult meets funny. I thought it is very much a sketch comedy movie Yeah, every scene is a sketch the vibe. It's got the aesthetics and it's also sort of just

[00:22:51] Almost relying on like we can get away with this because it's a sketchy movie, right? Like so like it's okay that it doesn't hang together. We can just like do a new scene now

[00:22:59] Yeah, it's time for a new scene. But it is like that weird thing of I feel like there are very few Like especially 80s 90s 2000s Studio dark comedies that I don't at least begrudgingly respect right. Yeah, and I feel like they almost always

[00:23:18] Fail. Yeah, like anytime there's a major studio making a black comedy Even with big stars or big director It usually is like despised when it came out and like treated as a punchline It's like if you're gonna go dark, it's fake. It's like the tone is fake

[00:23:32] It's in these or whatever So I'd always sort of been curious about this movie because I was like it's a Steve Martin nor Efron comedy It features so many people I love in the supporting cast And also you're throwing a sand hat

[00:23:42] I didn't know the suicide thing here's what I knew of this movie. Yeah Well, do you want to finish your thought? No, I was just gonna say I was excited to watch this even though its reputation wasn't good

[00:23:52] But especially after hearing you liked it right because I was like this is kind of my thing where even if it doesn't work It's the sort of thing I like to see made. Yeah. Yeah, and then this is in such a weird way

[00:24:03] Not really a dark comedy as much it is is a like Very broad comedy that's just as you sort of said built on top of dark things, right? Yeah Right. Yeah She can't really do a dark comedy

[00:24:17] But she's like I should do a dark comedy and like that's a that's a good direction for me to go in I just made this very sweet move Sure And so like wouldn't it be good to make like a black comedy Yeah

[00:24:27] But that she her whole aesthetic just does not match with a black comedy. It's just not you just don't Nothing is at stake not that things need to be at stake, but it's just like I don't care

[00:24:39] But I don't care about your eviction. I don't care you killed somebody like who cares You're just like moving through the motions of a weird story But also I didn't rewatching it and I don't have a lot of objectivity because I feel like I was

[00:24:53] Revisiting it as a kid while we're watching it and I was like I actually do really like that Like there is something in the DNA of this movie that actually isn't fake like that was the weird thing

[00:25:02] Yes, it's not it's not so it like it's not soulless. You're right It's like working and not working 100% at the same time. She is good at loving her characters and she kind of loves these people Yeah, you can tell she's a good character It's also that thing

[00:25:17] I love the characters we're watching It's one of those things where she is like, you know A kind of inarguably masterful souffle filmmaker that thing we talked about we talked about a lot with Nancy Meyers Especially especially in terms of the public reputation of her movies

[00:25:33] Forgetting this is my life, which I feel like is sort of just in the middle Everything is either a huge hit or a total disaster. Now. This is a narrative thread I want to set up for this miniseries Okay

[00:25:41] You saying that you just feel like she doesn't have it in her to go this dark The thing that I find so fascinating about Nora Ephron and this is Unusual and really the first time we've covered a filmmaker like this

[00:25:51] If she has a whole fucking career before she becomes a director, she can write a dark movie That's the thing. She can't direct the dark. That's what's interesting about her is like like heartburn or silkwood or whatever

[00:26:01] Yes, in the hands of her career is like, you know, she's she's a writer. She's a humorist right? She's writing fiction She's writing journalism. She's writing short stories. She's writing personal essays

[00:26:12] She's wild widely known as sort of like, you know, not David Sideris, but that sort of level of She is Human in the 80s 100% right like she's like a blockbuster name within certain circles

[00:26:27] Then she starts writing screenplays and the screenplays start as being like semi-autobiographical things her adapting her own book You know things like that and those movies are darker her writing when she was writing, uh, you know fiction and And such

[00:26:43] Writing in print was sort of had more bite to it was darker And then Harry Metsally is like the bridge where it's like she writes the screenplay that is such a perfect encapsulation of this type Of sensibility that she really nailed

[00:26:56] And that sort of gives her the blank check to start making her own films And then she becomes this incredible souffle filmmaker and it feels like every one or two movies She's like

[00:27:05] Can I make a movie with as much sort of like bite as the stuff I used to write And those are the movies that flop, you know, like lucky numbers is her being like I should be able to make a dark comedy

[00:27:17] And then her only films that work are the ones that are just like really positive. Yeah, you know what though That's not what didn't work for me. I actually think the dark did work for in the movie Like I thought the screwball didn't work. That's the thing

[00:27:29] Ensemble I think the movie got really lost in trying to balance right. You're right It's more balanced like the dark is kind of funny, right? It all kind of worked. I was like these are some good lines

[00:27:40] There's a lot of really good laugh lines there then when it dials up into the french Oh, no, no, we are Which just all feels like from a french farce thing

[00:27:51] Yeah, and a lot of like pratfalls that it was like, well, why do you trip on that? Maybe I'm wrong I haven't seen um santa claus as a stinker The original I feel like that movie is probably

[00:28:04] Like the chris character is a little less human and is a little more like, you know, the movie's like Oh, haha, you know and like that the steve martin character isn't a pompous oaf

[00:28:16] Not like a sort of nice guy who's sort of difficult in person or whatever they're trying to do here But more just sort of like oh, well, I'm so smart, you know

[00:28:25] The steve martin character is in a weird middle ground between like the films trying to position him as the every man Right, but also he's kind of an asshole and he's bad at everything he does And he's so critical of everyone around him

[00:28:37] He's critical, but also everyone who talks to him is like you're really awful Like you're not good at the business side of this or the human side of this But also his main viewpoint is all of you are terrible. Everyone around me is fucking up all the time

[00:28:51] Island of misfit toys and the one he's so critical and judgmental And he's sort of I guess supposed to be the audience sir. I get I think it is all a part of this weird thing

[00:29:00] That is that the movie I was when I was watching I was like this movie like in a weird way reflects like This cultural thing that was like coming around that time of like the isolation of the oddball

[00:29:13] Like that kind of like if you're if you're a little bit eccentric, don't you feel lonely? Like that's kind of the like pain of the movie and I feel like that's like the mtv generation

[00:29:21] Yeah, I like that kind of and then like I feel like it like that became like twi or like it like it Ushered in like Amelie and Ghost World and Dude's movies that like you're right Is this the beginning of like that stuff?

[00:29:33] Especially because of the California setting where it's like it's Christmas, but it's hot outside Everything's weird right right and like you've got the Parker Posey John Stewart character It's like I get what that is that's yuppies and we don't like them. It's very rich snot

[00:29:47] I like that stuff I do too We're fucking your tree Which is very funny And like and so right and then you got right it's make their Everyone's everyone's got like everyone's got a thing Yeah, it's like Everyone's got a thing

[00:30:04] It's a very Jewish Christmas movie which I thought was kind of like as I was watching I was like this is a very Jewish like it feels very Jewish. There's like it's like Like so many like it's like Gary Shandling Rob Reiner

[00:30:15] Like it's just got a really Jewish sensibility Well, just also beyond that like Rita Wilson is one of those not Jews who you're like this lady's Jewish Right, that's like Anthony Napali is the same This guy's probably either Jewish or Italian. It's like no, he's Australian He's Italian

[00:30:32] Women who are not Jewish but seem Jewish. Are you describing everyone I've ever dated? There is this thing that I maybe shouldn't admit but almost every girlfriend I've ever had for like the first six weeks. I've been like, yeah, she's definitely Jewish

[00:30:44] And then at some point I realized they're not Because culturally we see on a similar wavelength You called it David, which is she can go to this zone as a writer, but she can't go there as a director

[00:31:00] Her instincts are sort of in this like I want things to be tight and I want them to be sort of frothy and fun and manic in a way that like It's interesting like even something like the cable guy

[00:31:14] Which I really love is an example of like a dark comedy studio comedy that was maligned at the time That I think has built a better reputation is like Ben Stiller who is also capable of going very broad in light

[00:31:23] Despite the fact that clearly his mind is dark, you know Right, uh and Davido is someone who like had a couple feels Davido this movie very but Davido and like stiller The author is the dot comedy Davido

[00:31:41] Sir Rubin who at this point will have been uh a guest on the podcast friend of the show Texted me out of nowhere the other night. I got a pitch for you Davido miniseries and then her follow-up text was little series for a little man

[00:31:54] I thought that was so funny. I love to do a little series. Yeah, what's it five movies six? Yeah, you should uh, but he's a weird example where he had like Throw mama from the train comedies And war the roses were

[00:32:12] Huge hits and both they're both very good and they're both dark Very very dark like really dark off a biopic, right, which I've never seen but is reviled classic blank check though Yes, it is 100% and then it's Matilda, which is like

[00:32:26] Matilda is good. It's great. We watched Willy Wonka too Um on peyote. It was literally genius I was I really saw the comedy in Willy Wonka and then it's death to smoochie which I love Death to smoochy is an example of one that I will defend

[00:32:41] I love that. I haven't seen it since I was little but I loved it But I think Davido is a guy who had that sense of like control over the dial Duplex duplex duplex duplex is not great. I saw in theaters

[00:32:51] Uh, but uh, he had a good control of the dial and had the right sort of he was really good at Finding the visual sensibility The visual look of a dark comedy to make it still look like a comedy

[00:33:06] But before boating enough right he had really strong use of like shadows and like extreme angles and things like that Especially wherever the roses. It's yeah And then what's weird about this film is like this movie looks like fluffier than sleepless in seattle

[00:33:22] Yes, like this movie is so brightly lit. Yeah, so kind of like sitcom living room. Yeah, it is. It looks like a multi-cam It's crazy. Yeah, that like if you leaned on the set

[00:33:32] It would just yeah, right that even if as a writer she wants to go there and the dark jokes are actually dark It's like in terms of even right joke is one of those jokes. You're like is there gonna be another beat that

[00:33:43] Right is less dark. Yeah. Nope. I didn't like maybe even a pause to be like that was for real And then they're like anyway, okay. Jesus. You're like her script is dark She's directing the performances to be significantly less dark than the script

[00:33:58] And visually the film is even brighter than the performance It is it is a little bit of a mess and it's also The the beats of like physical comedy and like punchlines are so over pronounced

[00:34:10] You just want to get out if there's moments in golden girls that are like that where they'll just like hold on d arthur for like Four seconds and you're like you've got to get out of that shot like you're ruining this moment, right?

[00:34:21] Well, that's like the stuff that really sticks out with the chris character Is that like lia shriver is trying his hardest to make like the pain in this character very real and honest and earned And then it keeps on cutting to

[00:34:33] five second reaction shots of steven martin looking horrified And you know their first scene I mean, I now forgive like one sort of him going like oh, I don't know You know like for sure but they do too many of those. Yeah, just a little

[00:34:48] And even when he gets into it at the end though, but that's what that's what I liked It's he becomes kind of lovely But then they'll still like undercut it like the dance is so sweet and then they'll throw in another two seconds of him going like

[00:35:01] Right, right. It does feel like the french farce But then I liked it like There are weird choices that did work for me too though like and then like and later like uh, lia shriver's still dancing like in the background

[00:35:16] I was like that's funny. Like he's just still dancing There's like little moments that like don't work at all and then the next thing I'm like, that's kind of brilliant that you did The sandler shriver thing is kind of like a fascinating it is and it

[00:35:30] I was expecting because I remembered it as a kid I was expecting it not to work and I was like I kind of like it Sandler's fine. He's good. It's weird how much he's doing full sandler. That's the thing I think that was like his first two

[00:35:44] And I think that's what's going on there with their lives No one's ever seen you do this in a movie. So just do your thing. Yeah, right and he's like great

[00:35:51] It is weird though that like after this he's like I I have to be half normal person half same character And this one it's only sandler sketch like we can update character. He's like full mentally ill like It's never addressed

[00:36:05] This poor person that's like no one's taking care of them Right, but you you could tell they want him to be like a simple guy He pushes it into like is he rain man?

[00:36:16] Here's their text. It's like Steve Martin. He's a little pompous like Rita Wilson. She's a whole like sad She's a little bit of a sad sack right Madeline conch. She's kind of mean Um, Juliette Lewis. She's got an attitude Anthony LaPalia. He's homicidal. Yeah

[00:36:30] Adam Sandler, he's a child He's like a child in a grown body And like it sort of escalates weirdly and that's also a problem that I have is the Like Steve Martin's like she's looking us a bunch of mix nuts and I'm like I guess so

[00:36:49] You just seem a little annoyed Can I read an insane thing? I was watching this on amazon accompaniment on a lot of terrible things Uh, where they have the x-ray so you can see the trivia facts pop up while the movie's playing, right?

[00:37:02] This is clearly a user submitted trivia fact That barely tracks and I want to assume that this is someone's own analysis of the movie that they presented as empirical fact, okay All of the characters reflect Christmas icons

[00:37:17] Felix Anthony LaPalia is Santa Claus. Sure. Well in the sense that he wears But he doesn't act like Santa Claus, okay He's like Santa We're about to really run out of Christmas icons

[00:37:28] Let's get ready get ready for what they do here. Gracie Juliet Lewis the Virgin Mary. Well, yes, of course she's dressed like her She has the baby the end of the manger whatever

[00:37:36] Philip Steve Martin is an elf. Is he I guess in any way? I don't know explain to me how that okay Catherine Rita Wilson is an angel. I guess she's the nicest person in the movie

[00:37:50] I just want to bring up it's Santa wasn't present for the birth of crates You can't just mix the Virgin Mary Get ready for get ready for how how versatile they are with the title Christmas icon. Okay, okay The Easter Bunny. Mrs. Mushnick Madeline Kahn is the Grinch

[00:38:09] Mr. Lobel Robert Klein is Scrooge Louie Adam Sandler is the little drummer boy Chris Lee of Schreiber is Rudolph. Why? I don't disagree I think I agree with all those first things Because Chris gets hit in the nose with a door and the nose becomes red

[00:38:29] Wow a lot of people get concussions in those movies And and ready this one's really subtle. Is it Gary Shandling? Stanley Gary Shandling is The Christmas tree. What well, well they do tie-hands so this trivia entry Presupposes that these seven icons of Christmas

[00:38:49] I just love the same way Christmas. We all know the Virgin Mary Christmas icon. I'm like, what about Jesus? No, no, no, no Santa and the Grinch were there Virgin Mary The Grinch Scrooge little Dirtbummer Boy Rudolph and a Christmas tree

[00:39:07] It's a framework that really kind of stops there. It's not applicable in any way Some of them are visual and then what do you do with that? And you're like the two mean characters are both I don't know the mean characters who hate Christmas in different stories

[00:39:21] What the fuck are you talking about? Fuck each other That is true. I mean the Grinch and Scrooge do fuck Do you think there is like a lot of Grinch Scrooge slash fic out there if we search? There probably is honestly

[00:39:35] They just hate fuck each other on Christmas Eve Good I wonder if there's any mixed nuts porn out there The weird thing is This ain't mixed nuts and xx parody I don't want to search for it Mix xx I mean there's a lot of anyway

[00:39:53] Robert Klein, I'm sorry. I just have to bring this up. He's third build in the film Well, do you know what I realized is it it's alphabetical other than martin Other martin it's martin and then k k Your origin is in this movie too

[00:40:06] It is yeah my forkie spotted him. Oh boy And I had one of his first appearances one of ems and was first Victor garber is a voice from another room in this movie. I don't know why

[00:40:18] I mean he's insolubeless in seattle. Maybe it's just like hey Victor you want to do a voice? I think Norr's the voice of the LA Times Right and there are a couple other weird Little jolly fisher pops in right right you got um

[00:40:31] But some of the I think Mary gross from as for now is one of the voices Yes, Caroline Aaron and Mary gross are two of the hotline callers Oh, and then you also have uh first film appearance of john stewart. I know

[00:40:45] You would never know never know parker posi they're constantly in motion What a great guy recognized when I saw Her voices Roller skates is parker posi I did not know until the credit tell us like oh that was on

[00:41:01] I didn't know that I was there and I had to like go back and I'm like you almost it's almost offensive to him That you don't see like it cuts around him in a way It's true

[00:41:12] Well, it's like he has this and then the following year the year after that he What's supposed to be his movie breakout? He gets hired to play Goldie hawn's boyfriend and first wives club and they cut all of his

[00:41:24] He's fully removed. He doesn't really have a proper role until the faculty Yeah, and by then it's already like you're like an art teacher and half big But that's like one scene right but Harvey Weinstein a great man announced in the late 90s

[00:41:41] I'm sorry, harvey Weinstein terrific guy Harvey Weinstein in the 90s like pre daily show post mtv run Announces like I've signed john stewart to a four movie I don't know well this is he's cut out of all these films or has nothing parts

[00:42:00] Then Weinstein is like I think this guy's a leading man The first thing he puts him in is the faculty which is probably just like I want to start putting you in movies

[00:42:08] Yeah, and he's in playing by playing for playing for playing by heart. Okay playing by heart It was like a big mirror max movie of the 90s with angeline and jolly and jillian anderson and it was like they were like Yes

[00:42:24] It's like eight different romantic plot lines. I guess it's like a proto love actually but not tied around christmas Just get released. It was like one of the no, no, no, this is like 90s it's early angelina um

[00:42:38] It is angeline is not with johnny lee miller. It's with someone that's hackers I know and I know they were married in real life, but it's someone kind of like that I don't know i'm seeing anthony edwards. I'm seeing jay more

[00:42:49] Dennis quaid or maybe maybe fucking john stewart ends up with angeline and jolly in that movie I don't fucking know anyway eventually Weinstein drops his contract and doesn't fulfill it interesting. Yeah Ryan philippine. Yes. Thank you. Okay, right. He's kind of the punk guy

[00:43:04] Yeah, anyway, but you know and he's john source with jillian anderson Yeah, there you go As it should be big daddy and then death this movie and he's essentially after that is like I guess I shouldn't be in movies anymore

[00:43:15] And just regularly makes fun of his movie career for the rest of the run of the daily show I like him in movies. I do too. It's nice to see him Gene show stewart Yeah, he brings he raises the scene

[00:43:24] But I feel like before the daily show it was more like who's that sort of like landly charming guy like Just had no presence. Yeah, he didn't we didn't know the wise the wise guy. It's yeah it's also fascinating to watch

[00:43:36] Larry sander show which I rewatched in its entirety recently and he's got like a two season arc as the j. Leno To larry sander And the studio is clearly grooming him the networks grooming him and he keeps on coming around with his leather jack

[00:43:51] But it's also a joke about john stewart's career in the 90s when he was that guy Right, he kept they kept being like well, he could be

[00:43:57] Everyone kept trying to make him happen. They were sort of prepackaging him as like this guy's charming and he's handsome shouldn't he be a star Uh, it's very bizarre

[00:44:05] Well, it's also just bizarre that he eventually did get a job and he was like I have a whole philosophy of how a talk show Should work. Yeah, which is because I feel like everyone else is just like they just he's just a suit

[00:44:14] They want to plug in like a charming guy, right and he was like no, no, no I have like a whole concept. Like this is like a thing. I'm gonna do yeah fair Yeah, and then he made a movie about water. Yeah

[00:44:22] I was gonna ask what like what happened not bad. It's not bad. I haven't seen it rose water. It's also not good But it's not bad. I kind of liked it. I love how rose water smells. That's the Torturer or rose water

[00:44:40] And now he has another movie coming out that's kind of like what I fuck our median ran for president I don't know. Oh, Steve Carell. Oh Is that what that is? What a regular guy ran for president

[00:44:53] For government. Yeah, I don't know. I whatever. Yeah, I'm running for government I think the title of the movie is running for government I what do you guys like this movie? I kind of do

[00:45:09] You can be honest with me. No, no, I do I do kind of I will say I always assumed it was Unwatchable. Yeah, then in preparing for this may series and hearing that you loved it

[00:45:17] I always had to have this perverse like is there a chance it's secretly my kind of thing So then I started watching it not with unrealistic expectations, but going like there's a chance

[00:45:26] I might love this. Yeah, and instead the entire time I felt kind of confused because it's so confused It's like in every single scene in every moment. There is simultaneously something I really like and something

[00:45:37] It's both at the same time. There's something very rich about its confusing nature Kind of yeah, it's kind of like really worth watching to be like, huh the whole way through Here's my experience at next notes and get ready. Oh boy

[00:45:51] So my experience of this movie is I never saw it, but congrats in the united kingdom This is why I told you get ready. Okay. You're just gonna give me some objective historical fact about what happened when this film was in the united kingdom

[00:46:03] I assume it was probably a great at PG-13 here, but it was rated 12 in the united kingdom Why would that affect you? Yeah, I wouldn't wait. Why are they do that? I grew up rating system in Britain

[00:46:11] What? Oh, it's amazing. They pretend to know to not know that but they know that Well, it's never come up on the front

[00:46:17] I really know it's a really shaped your point of view over the years. It did and but so when that's why I would think he would bring it up more often The rating system is more restrictive and it's like if you're under 12

[00:46:28] You can't see him when you're at a 12 and then there's 15 18 like that's how every age Run off of NC 17. I thought it was like a size It's NC 17 roles where it doesn't matter whether or not you have a guardian

[00:46:43] Yeah, okay. Um and so this was rated 12 and when I was like 12 year old I was always there was not a lot of movies rated 12 usually So I'd be like, oh, this is like slightly more growing. I could watch this

[00:46:56] And I still never watched this movie, but I would always see on the shelf. I'm like, maybe this is the time for mix nuts Never did watch this movie was like you the whole time kind of like

[00:47:05] This isn't working, but then some joke would make me laugh or like some performance and then at the last 20 minutes I was like, I'm basically into this. You kind of have to respect it for what it is

[00:47:15] And like when they were just like they shoot Gary Shandling to death and he's dead and they're gonna take it outside And I'm like, is this just the end of the movie? Yeah And then there's the sort of actual end of the movie

[00:47:26] When it finally like all comes together. Yeah, and I was like, yeah, I know The movie falls in love with itself at the end And I guess that's partly the sort of Nora Ephron like pixie dust sort of thing where she is pretty good at getting you on

[00:47:41] Description and it did kind of it did make me be like, yeah, Christmas is magic And like you are lonely on Christmas. I like all the things I was like, yeah, and I'm so hungover. I almost cried

[00:47:54] The other thing I like I think in the end is that more people start to be to the steep mountain character Like you are bringing nothing to the table and I'm like, I'm glad everyone's calling him out on me

[00:48:03] Not that it's a binary, but but can I just throw out my take right here the thing because I love Steve Martin Even in bad movies. I tend to love Steve Martin and I want to talk about Steve minds 90s

[00:48:15] I want to talk about how mad his 90s were in a second. Okay I'm watching it. I was like, why is he so wrong for this? And then I realized so much of 90s Steve Martin when he moves out of being like weird hippie square guy

[00:48:27] You know like being the idiot in the 90s he becomes I'm sorry 90s 80s and 70s he is weird hippie doofus, right? In the 90s he becomes like square like super wasp

[00:48:39] His father's a bright character that becomes like the template. It's like he's not great. He reflects the demise of america He really does. Yeah, he's like a fucking clinton voter, right? Yeah, and and so much of it is that he is

[00:48:53] He has this coiled anger this coiled frustration I mean it's it's what planes trains and automobiles perfects and then he carries with him for most of the 90s Which is not the right fit for this movie because it's a movie that's one who works for a suicide hotline

[00:49:09] And that Steve Martin 90s persona is mostly everyone around me is stupid And I'm seething with content and I'm getting now griffin why you wanted to go through this because looking at his 90s Save for father of the bride, which is like pretty charming Father bride to

[00:49:23] L.A's story which is flawed but interesting And bow finger, which is right at the end there are bow finger all of these movies are terrible like calamitous Most of them are not only bad, but bad choices for him like no sergeant bilko Sergeant bilko is terrible

[00:49:39] I mean I haven't seen this I remember liking it So that movie came out and everyone was like we hate this. Yeah, it was nobody Also insane, but you're like

[00:49:51] One of the most respected comedy series of all time right the phil silver show where like critics always fucking cream themselves for that thing Where they're like, do you know that's actually the best sitcom of all time?

[00:50:00] Then they make it as a movie with like every beloved like sort of like venerable funny man phil hartman Like the cast on that thing is insane Chris everyone's fucking in it and every it came out and everyone was just like we're just gonna pretend this never

[00:50:16] Yeah, yeah, yeah, I remember like I did not get it. There's a few things in comedy where I'm like I every like I I don't get caddy shack. I don't get animal house. I'm just like there's a few things that I'm like

[00:50:26] I don't get it like maybe it's like boy. I don't like I don't give Those are both very fratty movies. Yeah I'm just like where's the joke though? Like it's just about the spirit of the movie

[00:50:35] I don't know. Yeah, but like that's at has like a three and three stooge is I don't get like all of those All of those movies and things are sergeant bilko to me

[00:50:43] Yeah, the sergeant bilko movie is just I remember my mom going to see it and I was so eager to see it I was like steve marn in the army sounds funny

[00:50:50] Like I was like, oh, it's gonna be steve marn stripes or whatever right and she was like I refuse to let you see it just because of how bad it is. Yeah. It's not even that

[00:50:59] Right, you gotta do this and she was like there is literally not a single funny moment in the entire But all right, so here's his 90s Uh-huh. Okay. My blue heaven with written by norah f Written by norah f

[00:51:08] Which is like comedy goodfellas it's the sequel to goodfellas It's henry hill in witness protection, which is crazy Um, I've never seen that movie. How is it? I kind of like it not a big hit right LA story Yeah, good movie starts really strong. Yeah father the bride

[00:51:24] This is the same here and also he's in grand canyon, which is like 1991 crash the lorrance castin move right then we got house sitter Which I saw that's golden gentlemen sex frank os a perfectly functional cable movie

[00:51:36] Then we got leap of faith, which I've never seen i've seen leap of faith I liked it. I kind of like it's probably like a mix nuts like what when you watch it It's better than mix nuts

[00:51:45] I would say and they did a Broadway musical of it that was pretty well regarded But was unsuccessful because who wants to see a fucking leap of faith musical Yeah, of course But it was such a big bomb that there's like an infinite s and l clip

[00:51:59] Where david spades doing hollywood minute on weekend update and they show the poster for leap of faith and they go Look kids a falling star And then steve marne walks in behind him and rags on david spade for like five minutes

[00:52:13] Then in the same year as mix nuts he made a simple twist of fate his monad adaptation It's like what if a curmudgeonly guy got a kid on his hand I had to adopt a kid and it's so Tricly and very safe and cute and not funny

[00:52:33] Yeah, not a comedy really like my mom showed me that movie when I was a kid because she was like This will not offend anything any sensibility. It's like steve marne doing stepmom

[00:52:41] Is there a way to look at his imdb and then sort of pinpoint when he bought art? It's just like that uh, okay We talk about it. He'd be like i'll do the movies that pay me the most money Because I like buying art

[00:53:00] Then fathered by part two which is better than fathered Is it a good movie? Who knows? It's hard. There's something like evil about those movies Especially in that one because he's like my life is fucking miserable. I own a factory

[00:53:14] Like everyone around me is so gorgeous. I have to sell my giant house. Yeah, what the hell is going on? And we're all like, ah steve i'm right there with you. This sucks That movie in jumanji were movies where you could just own like tennis shoe factories

[00:53:28] In towns and it was and you were like normal It's like he's literally talking to the camera walking through his shoe factory being like look I'm just a regular guy It's like do you own nike in the summer? I don't understand like there's no comp

[00:53:43] That movie also just has the weird thing of he and dianne keaton getting pregnant. He fucks her, you know Through the wall and she gets pregnant. She's like 48 and then the two babies are born at the same time

[00:53:54] Yes, that is the premise sexuality is so icky really there's something it's like they're both gorgeous people I mean to whatever but like it's just like why am I why do I not want to see them fuck?

[00:54:03] Like I just don't want to in this movie. Yeah, god and then you've got sergeant bilka Which I think is that's when people are like can you stop? Yeah, also you don't need to make the spinny movies

[00:54:13] Stop it. And then he does the spanish prisoner, which is sort of cool Like, you know, it's not not another example where he says I did that

[00:54:20] I went to the premiere audience that started laughing when I showed up and I said I guess I can never do a drama ever again And he doesn't do it again until billy linn

[00:54:28] That's right. And then 99 he has bow finger. He also has the I love bro finger It's good. We like it It's funny because I like to actually It's bad but post bow finger. He should be it should be like, hey

[00:54:44] This is your energy like right at and then he goes back to To buy the dimes down the house But that's 9 11 like we just couldn't we we lost ourselves like we we were like on a roll with like

[00:54:57] Getting zany and then we just like fell off also all five of those movies. We just named off big hit Yeah, he went back to being a top comedy box office cheaper by the dozen is the worst movie ever made

[00:55:10] It's so bad and like the whole premise is he has 12 kids. Yeah And he's like isn't that nuts and I'm like, why the fuck do you have 12 kids? He's like no the premise is I've done setup like that's it Baker's dozen. Um, it was a title first probably

[00:55:23] It's a remake it is a guys it is a lot of It's a lot of kids I was that age me and my friend my best friend nolly, I guess I was like 16 We wrote a parody script called cheaper cousin

[00:55:38] I can't believe I've never talked about this on air about how he now has to have he has 4 000 cousins And the whole premise is like they're just like destroying everything I'm like 30 pay we wrote like 30 pages of cheaper

[00:55:53] My family is are like the gremlins taking over the town and tearing buildings Cousins is a good idea. Yeah, really good. It's a concept. We need to dig into too many cousins Yeah, but that right you're like his only passion project in

[00:56:08] The 2000s a shop girl. Yeah, right and then that's when the tortoise shell glasses came out Yeah Girls he's like it's just weird for me to fuck a younger woman and we're like, yeah, it is weird By the way, have you met my wife?

[00:56:23] Everyone's like, oh that's shop girl. Novocaine too. That was like No, he's that era forgotten. I've never seen that. Is it good? Um, it didn't work for me when I was like 15 I didn't get it and I was so on board with it

[00:56:36] And I know it felt like it should be what I wanted but he needs to figure it out He is not I mean like, I don't know. He's just good at his Kennedy centers. I think He loves doing the touring show

[00:56:47] Yeah, yeah, right. I mean he's essentially doing stand-up for the first time in like 40 years. That's special he did with My short. Yeah, that's really good. They're still touring. Oh, I would like to see them. Okay, such a hottie

[00:57:00] He's one of the most handsome stand-ups to ever exist It's also one of those weird things where like If you see him when he was like a writer on the smothers brothers when he did the dating game It's the last window of when he had dark hair. Yeah

[00:57:14] And he was really hot with dark hair and a beard Then he started going salt and pepper and you're like really handsome distinguish Then he was especially with his like doc brown hair. I was all like messed up in the 70s

[00:57:25] Right, and then he goes like full white tight cut owns the wasp thing and you're like That's kind of how we all want to age And then in the last like 15 years he started like doing too much work

[00:57:37] Yeah, yeah, but he's also got like a david letterman thing going on where it's like you're you're dress and cute It's just you shouldn't keep filling your face up. Yeah, just let men age well

[00:57:50] I mean letterman figured out where he's like your right letterman is the dream. Yes That's exactly what you want healing it. Yeah. Oh my god. Usually Couldn't be better. That's what you want. Yeah

[00:57:59] Well, never that that anecdote he has about trying to buy shoelaces. Do you know what I'm talking about? I'm gonna try I'm gonna find it. It's like post You know

[00:58:11] Retirement where he talks about how like he literally had forgotten how to live his life because he was a host of a late night Trying everything was for him. So he was like, I needed a pair of shoelaces

[00:58:21] Where do you get shoelaces and someone's like go to designer shoe warehouse? And he says so I go there. It's a building the size of the pinnacle It's enormous

[00:58:33] If you like if you took someone from a country that doesn't have this like I'd blindfolded them and put them in there They would be like you people are insane. Who needs this many shoes? It's sinful

[00:58:42] It's one of those places where there's no employees and now and then there's just like a pile of shoebox So I go to the counter I'm nosing around the counter and there's shoelaces. This is after about an hour

[00:58:53] So I'm waiting in line and the woman checking people out says in a big voice May I help our next shoe lover please? Oh my god And I just started to tremble I just it's the greatest little short story in the world just trying to buy shoelaces

[00:59:10] Here's my take now that we've given that steve where he's at his career the persona I also think a thing I find very fascinating about steve martin even with the amount of flops in the 90s and everything

[00:59:21] Is that he is a guy who like three or four times In a way that was subtle but actually was quietly pretty radical changed what his comic persona was You know that that most comedians age out of oh the comic persona

[00:59:38] I had only worked at this period of time culturally age Steve martin like kept on every 10 years going like I move laterally because you go it starts with him being like absurdist I'm a bad like vaudeville performer. Yeah, I'm kind of like counterculture adjacent

[00:59:53] You know then it becomes just sort of like he just like he invented like anti-comedy and like 60s or whatever and he did that for a while and he was like I'm gonna do something else

[01:00:01] Then it becomes like goofy befuddled guy and it's like all of me and the man with two brains And it's sort of like this shit's happening to me I'm no longer playing the moron who doesn't get it

[01:00:11] But I'm playing the person who's overwhelmed and then the 90s he becomes like waspy asshole angry contented everybody And then in 2000s he's like I sold out. Yeah, he might as well just like it's nothing Bags of money with his character

[01:00:24] But so much beauty is in the 2000s he simultaneously his movies stop having any identity to them But when he's doing tv appearances when he's hosting s&l when he's hosting the Oscars

[01:00:34] He is fully now owning more so than I think anyone else has ever succeeded doing this My bit is I'm so arrogant so rich and so successful And everyone else when they do that you're like this is too close to the truth. I can't laugh at it

[01:00:48] Yeah, yeah, like Ellen It's like doesn't really work The Ellen thing where you're like you have to pretend like you're one of us Right, right If you start acknowledging that you think you're better than us

[01:00:56] And the whole thing falls apart. He's the only guy who's pulled that off That's true His opening monologue for the 2000 for the his second Oscars monologue is perfect Joke for joke perfect and it's all that it's all about like him getting lunch

[01:01:10] Doing that he needs to really like do something that's like that The Martin Short Tours like that if you watch the Netflix special, it's great But but here's my take in one on one hand

[01:01:20] I think having someone who's that big of a star in this character actually throws off the balance of the movie Because it is such an ensemble thing. It's all these people entering and exiting everyone else is in this is a new star

[01:01:32] Like your julia louis is your adam sandals Or my con is like you're taking someone back right She's never had a heart this big before How old are all of they so like how old are they?

[01:01:43] Is the same age as rita wilson, but she's like mrs. Old munch So weird like I don't know like they're on then like julia louis is younger. I suppose like I don't know You have like shanling kline

[01:01:55] Uh con right? Yeah who are like it's comedy comedy luminaries, right? Yeah Then you have like sandler juliet louis lia tribe and i would say rita wilson who are like these are new people Lansing lapali right right?

[01:02:10] Rita wilson's performance is great. She is she does so much with so little it's like you really love this Not only if she's the best performance this way. I think it's the best she's ever been

[01:02:19] I agree. I totally agree. It's weird. It isn't bummer and I only know her as the best friend I was gonna say You know why? Nancy Meyers movie. She really she really is looking for a reason to show that she's hurt

[01:02:31] I know that's like in life. And then I think this movie she was like I get to finally like show people that I'm hurt Yes stylist And like it's like she just became like you know runaway bride, uh, you know, she becomes wine friend

[01:02:45] Exactly. She becomes you don't need him. You're better without. Yes, exactly. Yeah But it's like I guess ostensibly what she was in volunteers Yes, she was in volunteers There were a couple like thankless like

[01:02:58] I think it's where tom hanks met her. Yes at the beginning of her career and then this is like, you know some tv's Appearances but this is like the one time I think I've ever seen her be in a comedy where she gets to play the funny person

[01:03:12] And has dramatic weight to carry And she's the one person who's totally on the wavelength of the tone this movie should be. I agree She's balancing it perfectly. She is although sometimes

[01:03:23] I feel like the movie sort of stops to deal with her character and then like moves out and I'm like, well Let's just stick with her. She should maybe be the lead. I know she is sort of the lead

[01:03:31] Her panic attack is really good. It's really good when she's like I'm so close like Jesus cover her up I'm feeling it. I know but but you're like, right if they're Not that someone could have given a better performance than this because I think Rita Wilson's pretty perfect

[01:03:45] But you're like if you're gonna hire one really big movie star to be the person above the title in this film It should be whoever's playing that character. Right, right, right, you know, and it's like the The steampart character

[01:03:58] By putting someone that big in the role you're asking the audience to see everything through his eyes, which is kind of the least Yeah, it's a pleasant set of eyes to view at there. There's also just a weird arc to him where the movie begins

[01:04:08] There's the the rollerbladers the trees crashing to the right. There's the big accident He's immediately angry at everyone. He's like come on guys like it's Christmas Can't we all be like, you know friends and I'm like, oh, so he's like a nice guy and then immediately

[01:04:21] I'm like, no he's a jerk. Yeah, and then I work like doing a charitable Charity I'm like, oh, so he's a nice guy And I seem to hate it and then like there's like the early Steven Wright joke

[01:04:32] Which I do think is so funny where Steven right calls and I'm gonna kill myself I've got and then you hear a gunshot and then it goes dead And Steve Barnes like if they're really upset they call back which I think is so funny

[01:04:45] It's really good. They know whatever they know just so I'm like, okay So I'm not supposed to take them seriously a suicide prevention right? No, and also it's like it's it's a weird like it's like the company is a joke

[01:04:58] So like it's confusing like I'm confused at the emotional reality of working at this company that is a joke Exactly. So it's just three sad people who are shitty at this It's like and people are calling lifesavers or and it's only saved like 1400 people or something

[01:05:14] It's like well, wait, how long is this going on? Steve Martin's whole bit is just some hana-gram joke. Like that's how he talks people off the fucking ledge

[01:05:21] And then and read it read it Wilson sort of nice and sweet. Yeah meddling con is nasty. Yeah, she's the grand She's she's in pain her dead husband Uh, but meddling con is incredible one of my 10 favorite actors

[01:05:34] Oh my gosh, she's my second favorite actress of all time. She's my second favorite Catherine's Zeta If you would just look me in the eyes and then She's your favorite actress of all time

[01:05:59] I'm Jenna Rowlands, and then madeline con madeline comes my second favorite actress of all time But yes in my top 10 in history. She she's always shining. She's shining as much as she signs in every

[01:06:07] I mean, I think she actually shines more in clue than she does in this movie. No question I mean, but it's really great So fucking and the melbrokes money. She's transcending Absolutely

[01:06:16] Where you're like here is someone in it. I think clue is funny, but I do think that clue is Mediocre like, you know, like this clue I have the same relationship with clue where I'm like, I don't even know if it's good or not

[01:06:27] So in my DNA, I don't know just kind of bad and that every performer is good And is just doing everything they can and that the script wanted to be bad Yeah It was like an homage to bad and you're like, okay

[01:06:37] And flames on the side of my face is something that she ad libs Like it's not in the script and when you learn that you're like I see right She says in this movie too. She's like when she's like, don't you know Catherine loves you?

[01:06:48] She has smoldering lust and it's like that is all mrs. White right now But if you're like this smoldering smothering like she loves these things Then like improvise song she does when she's stuck in the elevator feels very much like That's her

[01:07:05] I think she's as good as any comedic performer that's ever existed and I think she's not talked about in those terms Because she was kind of egoless because she was so much and she's so tied to Brooks and some people

[01:07:20] But also she was a supporting actress like she almost never was the lead How many movies do you think she did? Apart from my little pony in the america, but how many live performances do you think she did between this and clue

[01:07:32] Between this and clue three one like she just never did movies Well, she did in 70s through no, I know but in the 80s when she should be doing this every year essentially Cosby show But like, you know like clue 85 and then she did something called Betsy's wedding 1990

[01:07:52] Also, and And then this in 94 like I guess she just was sort of like She would be doing something Be doing something she'd have an oscar by now

[01:08:05] No, I think she was just nominated. She was on it twice for paper moon and for blazing saddles, which is one of the coolest nominations Isn't that so cool? We're like Jesus christ you fucking like gave that respect

[01:08:17] The pony I think for something her background was an opera singer. Yeah. Yeah I've never seen her seeing the frogs. She's so funny. It's so great. I mean, it's it's problematic But it's amazing. There was a sesame street VHS

[01:08:31] I had that I watched on endless lube as like a very young child where it had the two bits that she didn't sesame street They would recycle in episodes that were her with grover. I would say in the late 80s

[01:08:42] And it's uh, I think I've seen it her singing the echo song With grover and then there's one where I think she's playing her own identical twin But the one with grover it's like a very young child aside from the fact that she has perfect comic timing

[01:08:57] That she has a beautiful singing voice right that she is big in a way that never feels Uh cartoonish like she's someone who is able to go expressionistic with her comedy acting without it feeling superficial

[01:09:09] Uh, she more so than anyone else I've ever seen as a child watching her interact with a muppet. I was like This is like it feels like when a kind adult talks to me as a child

[01:09:21] Like there's a level of consideration and care and respect with how she talks To like as opposed to when like robin williams comes on and he's doing bits with like tally monster And you're like but you're just being robin williams. You're trying to do your routine

[01:09:34] You know not that it's not funny And madeline con was like really like holding groper's hand and looking him in the eyes And it meant so much to me that when she died

[01:09:42] And it played at the oscar in memoriam that year not that clip, but when whatever clip they chose Played at the oscar in memoriam that year. It's the only time I full on broke down crying at the oscar in memoriam

[01:09:53] And it totally caught me unawares. I I always just get kind of like oh, right. That's me watching Of course Like it's just me being surprised that people died And then like you know, it'll be like Jim Jim

[01:10:12] This is what I do I do a lot of this I do we need editors And then it's always like Barry richman publicist and producer No, my sound during a memoriam is usually Like it's like that kind of like

[01:10:31] But that madeline con was the first one where like she pops up and I'm just like oh tears are coming out of my eyes Yeah, we got like we were lucky, you know

[01:10:39] God sent us an angel. It really does feel like angel is read read wilson and she's the grinch I just think it's one of those things it's one of those reasons I think she's not viewed of in the same way

[01:10:51] Is that even though she was in all these big movies and she was part of stock companies and all these sorts of things Like she never was like well, I want to be the romantic lead

[01:10:58] She never had her movies. It seems like she found the value in yeah, she did. I want to be the eighth character Because I can do whatever I want She was more of a leading woman, but yeah, and that was that was more than enough

[01:11:12] She was incredibly attractive You know, she's a real hot We did a mix on this ranking She would be the hottest top two at the worst Adam sandler and madeline con The hottest He's like full pete davidson hormones in this like he's just like oozing young tea hormones

[01:11:38] This is kind of a hot You know martin might be dead last just because the hair is off the hair's so weird and it also You wonder what their calculation was

[01:11:48] That like smoking jacket later because that's what now for you put she put she just dresses all of them She brought an insane amount of clothes that's at all of them. But like la paulia, you know, I think he's the worst part of this movie

[01:12:01] I like her name totally agree just fine, but pretty cute Yeah, he's he's a hobby too. Also half santa is a hot look very you know just suspenders in the pants And then like a white beater. He's sort of like

[01:12:13] Dude, the guy who tried to assassinate richard nixon Wear a santa claus suit Wasn't he like a department store santa or something because in in in assassins the son time show Which I've always wanted to see never had

[01:12:27] Never had the chance to my favorite musical or tide really i'm sure it's on Your career as a sassans His decision he was gonna hijack an airline or crash into the white house right

[01:12:44] It was just that he had once dressed in a santa claus suit for like at some other protest and that's why son time puts him in a Gotcha It just watching la paulia in this where he's wearing a suit. He looks

[01:12:57] And he's got a gun at all times Yeah Is pretty much how that character looked in the 2003 revival of assassins and freaked me out It's true that performance was the one that just didn't feel good to me like ever

[01:13:09] Yeah, and samler like I weirdly at first when he comes in he's like But by the end it was like actually I believe it Really helps contextualize him. It also helps that he is so kind Yes, he's innocent. He's so innocent

[01:13:28] The phone I do want to say that they're every phone call. I think it's very funny The obscene caller is always funny. Yeah, it's always funny one. That's always funny. Yes

[01:13:38] Like the one who's like in line for and she's like she's like I was standing in the 10 items Or last night and I realized I might be standing in the 10 items or less line for the rest of my life

[01:13:47] That's like no full norah. That's like yeah, right? That's norah fran new yorker short story Right just perfect little like tossed off line that stuff works really well I mean it's one of these things we were texting last night about this but it's bizarre

[01:14:01] How many times they've tried to do the like beloved french farce As american remake and so often as we realized as we were going through it was really a 90s thing most of all

[01:14:12] Yeah, right. I think birdcage is the only time it works for me. That's what we were saying Even then there are some moments where it's a little bit It's the best one and it's the only one that you could argue was both well regarded and a hit

[01:14:23] Yeah, right the thing that kickstart is three minutes a baby. Yes, right Which I forgot was based on a and it's so fucking huge even if that's not as good as the birdcage

[01:14:31] How is the french three minute a baby never seen it? I feel like it was also thought of It was thought of kind of as tree three men in a cradle And there's actually no baby and it's just about three guys to get a cradle. They just rocket

[01:14:45] It's all in a wall Is this one guy Who eight separate films that either wrote or directed got remade between 1980 and 2010 That must be weird for you. Yes I didn't know this but apparently the man would run in one minute the man with one red shoe

[01:15:03] French first movie that's a remake of birdcage the toy. Remember that right? What's the toy Richard prior and Jackie glee said Richard prior for his son a movie that's not about slavery Father's Day A disaster huge flop wasn't chucky

[01:15:20] Originally a french child's play. Is that the joke you're making? These movies are based in a sort of french thing of like isn't this weird this way this man behaves This is not correct. Yeah, it's very man child

[01:15:31] and something like dinner for schmucks, which is based on the dinner game is similarly to this like Dinner for schmucks is not good but opens it up The dinner game is two guys in an apartment for 90 percent of the running time

[01:15:45] And this is also one of those things where like this was a play that was a huge hit in paris Was developed by a comedy troupe ran for years got turned to a french film then remade into a movie

[01:15:54] And it's like still restaged to this day and the movie just by design cannot stop feeling like a play Even when they go to a different location because every scene is based on the energy of people like entering and exit

[01:16:06] It is and so noises off and when you see a great farce on stage To see the timing It never translates into a movie Like yes, um because the noises off movie doesn't work either and noise is off is perfect

[01:16:20] Right noises off is perfect. I do love the movie, but yes, I agree Yeah, it makes no there was another line. You wrote another line

[01:16:25] Yeah, I wrote down lines and I love that we have schreiber when he's like trying to he's like trying to tell a story about Meeting Henry Kissinger and he's like he's like I can't remember who I was there with when you're confused your past is blurred

[01:16:37] It's such a good line. It's like a good line. He's kind of great He's kind of great and he's also like weirdly stunning He looks really good in drag like that He's always good looking. Yes, you're right. He yeah, maybe that's why they cast him

[01:16:52] Like that he actually just had the look so down It is yeah His only credit before this was a tv movie that aired the week this came out This is his first film role of any size right and it's putting so much on him Yeah

[01:17:06] He had been like a weird feta guy Yeah, he was like he's like a new yorker He's like an actor, actor His parents were hippies. Yeah, he went to Hampshire college and he went to Yale drama Okay, so yeah, right

[01:17:17] I think this movie is like I think what I liked about it so much as a kid is that it just has such a strong feeling Like it is it's like it doesn't work for the majority of the movie

[01:17:28] It's kind of annoying at times and like there's a lot of like needlessness all the time But the vibe like just rewatching it was like there is like a weird Magic like aughtoury magic in this movie that like It being in california

[01:17:42] Yeah, it just immediately sets up a vibe and the visual juxtaposition between the christmas time And like five seconds of songs that just like it's like literally a second of every song plays and it does like

[01:17:52] Trans you into like this christmas place and that they'll rework like instrumental versions of christmas standards With different like audio elements to reflect what's going on the scene So there's the one that's done all in barks when they're going to the vet's office

[01:18:07] Like the score isn't one musical style. It's standards done in different styles reflecting where they are in the block Just oh tannin bomb. She just sings oh tannin bomb on the tree. It's just those words Right because his name is tannin bomb

[01:18:21] And then like a second later like mr tannin bomb it's like what? There's a confidence to it and she does have that whatever it is that like pixie dust She does have that sort of just like technical skill

[01:18:32] She's only made two la movies and the other one is bewitched. It's not a good zone for her She does not seem to like la no She's been up where sadly are you guys gonna do bewitched? We're doing them all

[01:18:43] Oh, we're doing them all okay. We're doing them all hear that I forgot all about it It's so insane. I mean it is it is the the movie that is like Most resistant to following Occam's razor. I have ever seen

[01:18:58] Right right it is going so far out of its way to come up with the most complicated Conceivable angle for every single scene, but that's that we'll talk about it But right they're like we should revive bewitched and everyone's like don't do that. Yeah, right not needed

[01:19:12] And they're like okay, but what if it's so fucking complicated this convoluted high concept It's actually she's actually a witchford. They're doing a reboot of rewitch right bewitch No, no, we already said no

[01:19:23] We don't want any version right holy moly that is what it's about. That's what it's about What if you did a revival of bewitch and it was in LA studio, but of course she actually is a witch

[01:19:32] Right right and the reviving bewitch but the actress actually a whole meta drama about the fact that bewitched Bewitch replaced the lead actor In the middle of its run and no one ever really talks about that so Fucking And cold bears in it and see correll's on it

[01:19:58] We're gonna do every fucking daily show person on this podcast in this mini series. No, but that's kind of true A correll plays paul linden it. Yeah. Yeah, he's like well, I think

[01:20:09] Kind of a perfect impression. It's a perfect impression. Holy shit. I gotta see this. Yeah, I'm excited You are forced to see it for this one you actually didn't see and you just what looked at a bag of nuts

[01:20:20] Yeah, I looked up nuts. Let me just make some nuts and I ate nuts I do think just to I want I want to get the thesis out this take I have It is weird that they died steve barn's hair Yeah, yeah

[01:20:34] Because everyone had accepted him as being a white haired guy for so long. There's no reasons character needs It's not like he's playing substantially younger and you're like it You wonder if it was because it doesn't feel like there's any

[01:20:47] I think the only I think the creative thing is like this guy is kind of full of shit That's about as good as I can give you it is so it's like yeah, you all know steve martin has gray hair

[01:20:56] So this guy's full of shit. He doesn't have you know, he's dying his hair It is funny that most leading men are like pressured into dying their hair Because they will be seen as less sort of like vital if they've gone gray

[01:21:09] And steve martin in this one movie where he needs not to be vital Right has died hair and the poster is a hat covering his hair I had he never wears these hair for so long

[01:21:19] I did not know and they just put on his head. I think to be like fyi. This is a christmas But it also feels like to be like people are having a negative reaction to him with brown hair

[01:21:27] We're covering the hair up the hair is not doing well in testing. That was it. Um, if you're gonna cast A 90s a list comedy guy in this movie Someone at your who would do it? Steve martin adjacency and I

[01:21:41] On the record are saying I think it's probably better if you pick someone who can fall into the ensemble a little more Right, but of the two guys What this movie needs is more of a bill Murray than a steve martin. That's true because bill Murray is

[01:21:54] Ineatly sad enough that even when he's being an asshole Yes, right. He's perfect Right because steve martin's a dick, but he's playing so high status that you're like in a movie about odd balls It just feels like he's bullying them, right? Yeah, he's not right

[01:22:10] I'm trying to think like yeah, what I'm like robin williams would be too much If you go into modeling tim robbins, yeah, he might be a little more the steve But no, but that's an example. He might be good. Yeah. Yeah. He's yeah

[01:22:22] He's a good actor, especially this and in like 90s comedy mode Yeah, it should probably be someone like that who is like a leading man But is not such an established comedy brand that the movie has to play with the expectations of being a steve martin movie

[01:22:35] If it's going to be someone's movie like that, this is more parallel to what Murray's doing in groundhog day Right, right. He could pull that off. Yeah, it's there's moments where you're watching his performance and he's like

[01:22:49] His eyes are landing on things too intently. Yes because he doesn't know what else to be doing He's just like playing it so straight that it's just like his like he's his gaze is like deliberate because he's just like

[01:23:01] What am I supposed to be looking at like right now? He's doing like gary marshal dog reaction shots Where he's like the joke is me going like Yeah, yeah, there's something which is a problem in the christen. Yes big problem

[01:23:15] It's also the the father of the brightness of it too is kind of unsettling Like there's a feeling of him being that character in this and like that character feels so enabling of bad

[01:23:28] Bad american and things, you know, I don't know. It's just like what is your sad? Like whatever that big chill like we're all like in our 30s And that's something to be sad about thing was is like such white It's the boomer thing. Yeah

[01:23:42] Do you think cast him and father of the bride because they're like like spencer tracy? You're wearing that gray hair great, baby. You know, I think that's part of it It's just like you look older than you are and it's working like you're a good

[01:23:55] Becoming a comedy grouch in the spencer tracy way and exactly he was the kind of grouch Where somehow he wasn't off-putting and then this movie is like a rare example

[01:24:04] Even with the films that are not good that he's in this is one of the few ones where I'm like This guy's an asshole. I don't want to watch him. Right. Yeah. Yeah, but everyone else in the cast kind of

[01:24:13] Really good right in general that there's that 90s energy to so many of those comedies which is the sort of appealing to the boomers who are now in their 30s

[01:24:21] Of like Jesus this all there is like all I have is my beautiful family and my job and my money And that's like bringing down the house is the worst example of that It's like Bringing down the house is that malaise tied to racism

[01:24:36] Yeah, well, but then or in father but in all these movies there will be the yes, there's a black character There's a gay character. Yeah, and they're there to be like I'm here to offer the perspective of an outsider And it's so like oh great

[01:24:50] It goes like I'm thrilled Do you know that rosy Perez was supposed to play the juliette louis role? She'd be great and I did not recognize the name, but it was an actor of color who's supposed to play the polio role

[01:25:06] And I don't know what happened. There was also the worst written. I'm db trivia fact I have ever seen for this film. It is very quick. Let me just read it very quickly for you

[01:25:16] Uh, because it is just I mean rosy Perez would just be perfect because she is so you know, she's got such good chaos energy Like yeah, definitely Although I think juliette louis is good exactly what she needed to do

[01:25:29] And she also was one of those actresses who especially in the 90s when she shows up you're like Yeah, this person isn't gonna be calm like she was always She very fragile nests that I think rosy might not have rosy would have been like a tough

[01:25:42] Yeah, they would have been both but that would have rosy would have fit the movie. Well could deem hard as them That's who was supposed to play apparently the philx role

[01:25:49] Here's the worst written trivia fact I've ever seen he needed he's on it was from a different world He's playing on a different world. Yeah, um that makes it The poly is the one where like especially it probably makes more sense

[01:26:00] Different 100 but just like what he like what's his character? He's a tough guy. Like he just doesn't make sense This is such and I don't mean this It's gonna don't know it is kind of a criticism

[01:26:10] It's this particular kind of thing that only works in like fucking french farts stuff And when they ever they remake it and put it in here where like what is this where it's like Why is this guy?

[01:26:20] Swallowing the dog tranquilizer. There was no reason for him to get off the table There was no justification whatsoever. I know we didn't even need to be watching him right He just keeps on watching him in the hospital

[01:26:31] He keeps on doing shit without any internal logic just to create more conflict. Yeah, as if he is a baby You know as if he's like a wild animal. Um, this is the the wording uh, chris farley accepted the role of chris But turned it down

[01:26:47] No backup sources on that but also The first half of that sentence negates the second half of that sentence So just we've come much better with liev who like plays it like an actor rather than farley where would have been the gap girl

[01:27:01] We've covered all the elements of this movie. Sure. I have only one question Is it funnier if they actually just murdered shambling and his only crime was being annoying Or is it funnier to have that button of like he was the murderer

[01:27:15] That's been vaguely discussed throughout the movie the seaside stranglers So weird Well the moment where julia luis, this is another french farce thing She's like you have to empty the gun and so she just fires a revolver wildly into a door in five different directions

[01:27:31] She caught a couple in the ceiling a couple at the door and then the joke then you hear a buzzing and shambling was outside And he got you know, I think it needs it I think it needs it because it's you know, it's weird that this farce

[01:27:41] It's a farce and that's the only setup payoff in the whole totally right It's the only thing that comes full circle and makes you feel like this movie had a point It's it is so funny though that the cops are like not only are you not guilty

[01:27:53] And you're gonna get a reward They look through his bag and they go rope and then somebody like walkie's another guy and they're like congrats It's confirmed like on the spot. It feels like charlie passing the final test in willy wonka

[01:28:09] Where they're like faking her out and going like your sentence to Hero Also, it's the energy of this like I just as I said before like when he has the gun

[01:28:18] I'm like no one's getting hurt. Yeah, right and then when someone gets hurt. I'm like this doesn't matter Because you're like they can't be this flipping about it there has to be some reason this is funny Yeah, yeah

[01:28:31] Why does she get the money like shouldn't they have all split the money? Why does she get $250,000 and gives $5,000 and that's the end of that story What a weird joke too where he goes like you can give us that money

[01:28:42] I made me laugh when he's like we only need five grand. She's like five grand. All right Shouldn't they have all split it like that's the point of the movie, right?

[01:28:50] Is that they're all in it together at the end of the night? It's weird that like one random character Just because she has a baby It's also a thing where it's like You know her inner life is I want a better life for my child

[01:29:05] This guy might be kind of like a scumbag That baby will die when he holds it. This baby will die and then the movie is like no the solution is if she's rich Everything's good. Yeah, everyone's happy. Everything's perfect. Yeah, very 90s. Yeah, it is very 90s

[01:29:21] Can we play the box up? We can play the box off-scam. Did this movie open outside of the top 10? Yes 12 crazy So this movie opened on Christmas December 23rd technically 1994 Okay And it opened at number 12 and it made two million dollars and

[01:29:37] In totality no grow a total gross six. Yeah, well wait how much was it made for 20 million dollars? It was a bomb even though it wasn't that expensive but big bomb So it just came out at Christmas. It's a Christmas movie and audiences were like, no, thank you

[01:29:51] Absolutely return to sender. It's the only Christmas movie that doesn't get replayed. There's so many bad Bad Christmas movies. No obscure cable channel has been so many bad ones. Nobody watches the do so Number one at the box office is a huge comedy smash hit

[01:30:07] In its second week. I had no idea this was a Christmas No 94 94 It's a comedy comedy. It's not one of the whole long It's not themed around Christmas at all. I don't I guess it has does it have Christmas in it?

[01:30:21] I guess it's not really. Is it a family comedy? No, no, it's like a it's like a gross out comedy Dumb and Dumber Yeah, yeah huge Christmas hit. Yeah. Yeah, it's aspen Yeah, right, no That's got powder, baby. Um

[01:30:40] Yeah, I've seen dumb and Dumber. I was when I was a kid. I was the biggest Jim Carrey fan. Obviously. I was a kid He was perfect for me and that was the one I've only seen like twice for some reason. What? Yeah, that was like my

[01:30:53] Mask liar liar kid for some reason the mask is Truly odd It's like scary. Yeah as a kid it didn't scare me at all, but like it is scary and it's so zootsooty

[01:31:07] It's just like what's going on like right like a co-book of Anna. What is this? Who's this for? Uh, dumb and Dumber has that fairly magic They had three movies in a row where they just were in a perfect zone

[01:31:17] And then they never ever get it back again Yeah, you're right the early ones are silly and then me myself and Irene is the is the cross I would like he has a diagnosable disorder I don't think this is a work game or

[01:31:29] Right, and then they're like fine fine. We're pivoting shallow howl They want to do this like have our cake and eat a tooth thing And I think they simultaneously become like meaner and more modlin Yeah Like shallow howl has like the burn worse

[01:31:43] I think it was part of them being like well, we need some of the modlin stuff because that's always worked for us It's like no you can't just like wedge it in there There's a crazy amount of restraint in the execution both as directors and as an actor

[01:31:56] Of the I'm sick and tired of being sick and tired seen in Dumber and Dumber Which is the whole reason that movie works. Yeah, where it's like these guys are just dumb in an abstract way

[01:32:04] But also there's a scene we're putting in here. That's like they have actual feelings They have wants and dreams and desires you can root for them And the movies got some like pretty sophisticated visual comedy in it They used to be like pretty good visual

[01:32:18] Stylish. Yeah, they're it's a great movie and then they just get sloppy and sloppy But those first three are awesome. The last movie that peter farrelly directed was the winner of best picture. Oh, right I forgot. I'm sorry. I was wrong of Roamuck Wait, what?

[01:32:34] I can't ever keep that in my head. Yes I know that's why I just had to remind you guys I wrote my head one best picture and in fact Green Book beat it Number two is number two at the box office

[01:32:45] He's actually growing in its seventh week. Wow. It's like another christmas movie more the classic like for release of Thanksgiving The santa claus exactly. Yeah

[01:32:54] Big yeah another movie I saw in theaters. What a time for like this is like peak 90s studio comedy and mix nuts is just like Getting suplexed outside of the top town. Right and also like but like

[01:33:06] Jim carrey tim allen like it's peak like America just has a fucking smorgasbord of white guy comedy I know we've talked about this before but it always bears repeating 94 is ace ventura the mask and dumb and dumb

[01:33:19] All crazy, right? It's like it's like february july december or whatever. Yeah, it's the thing where like right like ace ventura He gets paid like it's like 100 grand 10 million 20 5 million dumb and dumber is 10 The mask is like one and ace ventura is like

[01:33:37] 200,000 or something. Wow and it's his salary goes up within that year as each film gets bigger and bigger. Wow. Yeah Number wait for that to happen to me. You're gonna fucking When you get that 10 charles 10 number three at the box office. Yeah, it's new this week

[01:33:54] Okay, completely wild that they released this film at christmas I saw it in theaters. It's pretty good. I mean it rules. Honestly, I was so excited. Yeah It was not well received. No It's sort of a kids film

[01:34:10] But it's an action movie. Yeah, it's a kids action movie But like not like in a three ninjas way Well, that was gonna be my guess. Yeah. Yeah, it's grown-ups doing kids. This is for 12 year old boys

[01:34:21] Like it's not it's not like this is a it's just crazy that they thought like christmas That's the time for that. It is weird like the time for this movie is like February or whatever you know, adult it's four 12 year old boys Star's a major action star

[01:34:35] It's not Arnold. Nope. Think worse. It's not Stallone think worse. It's not a van dam. No, it is It is a van dam comedy. No, it's not comedy. It is funny. It is funny I don't know like which one would this be? It's like

[01:34:55] It's like my kind of movie put it this way John Faw van dam was from the country of Belgium. Is it Street Fighter? It's a christmas release Oh, no, I mean that's infamously a screenplay written in 18 hours, I think

[01:35:11] Steven DeSouser writer of diehers like I wrote that in 18 hours And it's like if if you look at it if you give me more cook good done in 12

[01:35:21] I think then Hernandez when he was on the show was the one who said it like if you view it through the prism of an 18 hour script It's pretty strong like it shows you how good the storytelling bones are

[01:35:31] It's just so funny that they're like let's make a video game. We agreed agreed. We should what about the one with no plot That's just guys who are ethnic stereotypes And they're like great. Okay, so let's start casting first ass next era type american. Let's get van dam

[01:35:46] That's their first decision God, it was like we got this guy. He's like a tie dictator I'm feeling ral julia at the end of his life He's dying during that film. Yeah, he's really good in it. He's really like into it

[01:35:59] He's really good in it and he's like dying during production. He's dead by the time the film comes out He said he felt too weak to do it

[01:36:07] And his son saw the script on the table and they were like dad. We love street fighter and he was like I gotta do it for the boys It's the saddest This monologue where he's like for you when I visited your country

[01:36:20] When I visited your town it was the greatest day of your entire life because he's like and for me It was a Tuesday and it's so brilliant. He's so good. Even though the movie is dog. I think he's good though I think he might have

[01:36:32] Possibly won the Saturn award for best supporting act there. I mean he's a legend Um, but also I think that's one of those movies where they were like we have a 30 million dollar budget

[01:36:42] And then someone at the studio was like we can get van dam. He'll cost 15 and they were like great We have a 50 million dollar. It was like the happy birthday sign By Mulay and they were like they're a big age

[01:36:53] They're like this movie is going to be great and then they hire a royal juliet like I don't have any money anymore Wait, what do we need to do?

[01:36:58] 50% of the budget is those two actors and everyone else in the movie is like a monster in a tech warehouse That he couldn't afford any of it. Yeah, there was something that was like hold WWE and see if anyone's like injured right now

[01:37:11] Like it just wants to wear a jumpsuit She best colored fur we can buy Just shot in a hospice. Oh, yeah In number four at the box office. Yes is just It's the greatest kind of movie for Christmas, which is all of these are either

[01:37:29] Actually good christmas movies are actually the worst christmas Nothing in between christmas who doesn't want to see a film about sexual power dynamics in the office and virtual disclosure What the fuck is christmas 94? Someone walks into a studio

[01:37:47] Michael Crichton I guess and is like we all know about sexual harassment But what if a man was harassed by a woman and they're like And that they have to use like a computer Yeah, have you seen disclosure? No, there's in in the movie

[01:38:08] The office has a virtual reality filing system and so you like put on goggles to like go into it And so but you'll see Of like a person just sliding with like demi more space who's just like

[01:38:23] Yeah, it's the weird the harassment happens within it right they have to replay No, the harassment is just her being like hey, I want to fuck you. I don't know I have seen that movie here it is Oh my god, I love it

[01:38:39] Oh, you know what I have seen this image and not knowing what it's from And like Dennis Miller is also in it, but he's just there to be like that's the mean one. She's hot It's also very weird after like a decade run of

[01:38:53] Um, uh, Michael Douglass killing it as the scummiest guy in the world to be like now. He's a victim Right Right You know like all these movies like fatal attraction where it's like root for this piece of shit

[01:39:07] You know and then this one it's like he's only been done wrong He's a saint Yeah, there's the the poster one of that one of the inverse. Oh wow, that's a good poster It's a very leavenson movie. That's right. She's an interesting power

[01:39:25] It's a big leavenson michael creighton gender flipped sexual harassment Christmas with vr With vr Number five at the box office is another film that I saw in theaters. It is a comedy. It is four children. It is Starring a child Is it a mac

[01:39:48] Is it it's not the hum alone two rich rich? Bango And the funniest thing about it is that it was styled that like the seas were like a little sandy But that's really funny because like sense are not They're not So many pennies

[01:40:06] The only things I remember about rich are is that his father has created some sort of mount rushmore of the family And there's a laser. Yeah, right the movie ends like north Richard And then he has a mcdonald's in his It's the number one detail that everyone

[01:40:23] That I remember I will remember the day I die. Wait, he's this rich? I didn't tell me this guy's got trillions, but he's got a fucking mcdonk The staff is just there waiting for him to show up once a day. He's fucked up because he offers the doors

[01:40:37] She's insane. There are four registers And there's someone at each register. They're just there all day The best one in that movie is uh the singing when they're like, well you ain't well, we ain't gotta bear love my needs

[01:40:48] You remember that they're like they have to like sing for their life at the end The family it's really good. Like john larkin's gonna kill them and they all sing Oh, oh, yes, I do remember that

[01:41:00] Here's some other movies he had little women the 94 little women that's a You have a movie called speechless with michael keaton and jr. Davis. It's about political speech writers. There you go

[01:41:12] Okay, uh, you've got the uh, Wesley snipes, um, us marshal drama drop zone, which I have never seen Uh, you've got now Yeah, jody fosters speaking babble language And you got a little movie called mixed nuts

[01:41:29] This might be one of the best tri-star box office games we've ever played. These are good ones. These are good Are weird Yeah, it's just always so weird because now it's like what's coming out of christmas a couple family movies a couple franchise movies

[01:41:40] You know, right like some cartoons back then The choices that were made at christmas are so strange Right like disclosure you're like, I guess we need a movie for childless adults Yeah, I just gotta go with the theater and get so mad at it to me more

[01:41:54] Richie riches. I guess mccauley caulkin is the will smith of christmas now Like he's killed it a couple times at christmas. He got to release his movies then Santa Claus has been off the longest. It's a thanksgiving release that's just doing well

[01:42:08] I mean dum and dummer makes no sense as a christmas movie. Mixed nuts is like the worst christmas movie You also have junior which was a bomb right has only been out for a month

[01:42:18] It really was it was it was in the video store like it had done well It was always because in that movie it was made for video, right? Right Got a big tommy. Yeah, and danjivito's right there to be like it's a baby Like he's listening

[01:42:33] Also like two for two with comedies at that point two rightman comedies that were huge And they're like here we go closing out the trilogy in this one Arnold Schwarzenegger is a scientist and an every man

[01:42:45] And people were like, okay already the male pregnancy thing is going to be a lot But I do love this Look, I am just a handpicked scientist It's so my work life balance is out of whack. My name is like john laser

[01:42:59] Because the first two rightman comedies are totally playing off the fact that you want to go get a salad The first two rightman Schwarzenegger like he's a big guy And then rightman's like i'm telling you I think this guy's got a light comedic touch

[01:43:16] But in that one's high concept. It's like he's pregnant. Okay, arnie's pregnant. He's a man. Man don't man Don't get pregnant. Yeah jingle all the way is like he's a dad who needs to buy an action figure. That's it

[01:43:26] That's where it really just does become like he's a dad, you know, it's tough to be a dad. Imagine imagine that father There's a pitch on jr. There's a pitch on jr. That is an arnold Schwarzenegger type gets pregnant

[01:43:39] He's the first man to get pregnant and the movie does not acknowledge that he's an arnold Schwarzenegger type is where No, the movie is written as like Hugh Grant gets pregnant

[01:43:46] Exactly. Yeah, and then they slot in arnold Schwarzenegger and he was like Emma Thompson. I'm very nervous on our first date You're very much my type Charles thank you so much. Thank you guys. Thank you so much. I love you guys so much

[01:44:00] You don't have release dates that you can announce for no, but it is like all gonna come out 2020 There's some 2020 there might be some longer than that. Okay, but there is some 2020 How many episodes do you have in the can now 20? Yeah, 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20

[01:44:18] Well, if we can we'll add release dates on the description That would be great. I think that that will probably make sense and the first two seasons will live on hpl max

[01:44:30] Right, it's all moving hpl max from launch and the third season will come out a little later But this is a world where things change all the time. So who knows?

[01:44:39] Uh, it's a great series and I've said this before but it is my favorite performance that I've ever given I agree That was a real gift And I think I said this in stirrra violet was on the show

[01:44:50] But uh, you two are the only people in my entire life who said oh if this happens We're gonna write a part for you and did it that's nice because like 10 people have probably at some point after either not hiring me

[01:45:03] Or firing me or having worked on a previous thing I got something for you Shut the fuck up and go away. You did it and it was uh, such a good part. Oh, yeah

[01:45:13] And it was so much fun to do you're you're amazing. You're amazing in it seriously In everything but it's only in this No, that's the only one that matters But it was and and part of it is that the two of you are really kind people That's nice

[01:45:26] Who run a really nice set and treat everyone with a lot of respect and give everyone a lot of creative freedom And it's uh, it's one of the best working experiences that I've ever had. That's nice. Thank you Yeah, you're a real man Charles with you two

[01:45:37] One day so that everything is fine Yeah, the future. Yeah, sounds great. Thank you for being here. Sorry for being hung over Sorry to you for being I apologize that you are hung over. It's been real rough. I'm gonna admit it You made it through

[01:45:52] I needed you didn't even throw up. I've got some nasty sweats happening that nobody knows about them. You're uh bright green But uh have fun sleeping it off. Uh one thing. Yeah, it's okay to be sad And if you're feeling depressed

[01:46:09] Call and talk to somebody that's true. They won't treat you like the characters in this movie Exactly and the number is 1 800 273 talk Is that true? Is that the talk space number? No, it's the national Prevention lifeline. Sure. Yes. Just one of the throw out natural

[01:46:24] Now you can actually call and no one will treat you like Steve Martin treats every character in this movie Yes, they'll treat you with compassion and empathy more likely to call if I got lifesavers on the line to be honest Madeline con rewillson 100% Um, thank you for that

[01:46:40] Post note then. Yeah, um and thank you all for listening and please remember to rate review subscribe Thanks, and for good for our social media lane monkeying for a theme song pat randall's joe bone for artwork tune in next week for Uh, I think it's michael

[01:46:56] I don't know. I think it's the movie michael. Oh fun John Travolta has an angel. Keep vamping. I'll find out. I'm vamping, but I think that's the next week

[01:47:04] That's a good one. Uh follow us on social media at blank check pod on instagram and twitter to keep up to date with the things that we're doing Some of which are hopefully happening by the time this episode comes out

[01:47:15] But I can't name them directly because they are not Locked in yet. What's cool is michael is in fact our next episode. Can I say the guest? Uh, let's not in case something goes wrong boom, but I think

[01:47:28] An old favorite's coming back from right now. We'll find out we'll find out um, and uh as always uh, Santa Claus is a little stinker That's the french title the movie Yeah, which is weird. That's very weird very weird