Dream Godzilla Scenario Minus One

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[00:00:13] Film news and reviews from two guys who really like movies.

[00:00:18] This episode is brought to you by the Footcandal Film Society.

[00:00:22] For a schedule of upcoming screenings and membership information, visit the society's discussing the latest film starring Mr. Nicholas Cage directed by Christopher Borgley is the film dream scenario. We'll be discussing that release. Then immediately afterwards Chris super excited I got you to do it. I did not know if I was gonna be able to pull this off or not but we are going to review Godzilla minus one which is a the latest Godzilla film but not from the

[00:01:44] American studios. We'll talk about that anticipated film, at least from my perspective as well. So, got a lot to get into. Are you ready to get started with our first review? Let's do it. All right, let's go into dream scenario.

[00:03:03] Why does the Zebra look the way it does? So embarrassing.

[00:03:03] Hey, focus.

[00:03:06] This is how it went.

[00:03:07] No, it, no, I'm all about the tic-tac-toe win here. Okay. Yeah, let's talk about this film. I really, really like this film a lot. And I, I'm not going to go out on a limb and say it's one of

[00:04:21] Nicholas Cage's best performances because every time I even think that to

[00:04:25] myself, I'm like, well, no, but it's a fascinating concept, a fascinating concept that I think has its own way throughout the story, and we can do this again, always without spelling anything, but it starts to speak a little bit more about, I mean, whether it's more of a group-think type of culture,

[00:05:40] or some cancel culture, elements to it,

[00:05:42] there are a lot of other bigger picture things.

[00:05:44] Social media commentary.

[00:05:46] Social media, Chris. It does this little genres, which I always think are funny, because the genre never quite exactly fits what the film is.

[00:07:01] This one's got two. It's got comedy and horror. Charlie Kaufman, which you know Nicholas Cage is collaborated with they did or he I don't know if the collaborate He was in a film he had adaptation with Charlie Kaufman That's what this film when you describe kind of the concept of what the film is gonna be about and how the film looked and how It was you know shot and everything all that stuff You could just say like do you like Charlie Kaufman?

[00:08:21] Do you like kind of his sensibilities?

[00:08:23] Okay, then you're gonna like dream scenario and all that was all that was true

[00:09:28] maybe this is a relatively new film that's come out. Something about the ending, and I liked the ending, but there is a point where, I'll just say there's a point where there's a break in the

[00:09:34] normal progression of the film and they do kind of a commercial. And I won't hear it. Not that I

[00:09:39] didn't like that. I did, and I like the style of it, way I can say it. And it did kind of jar me a little bit. And you're right, it didn't quite recover after that. It was a, I get what they were doing. And I understand the concept, I understand what they're trying to say with that. But it's like the tone involved in that. And I think too, like you're saying, the absurdity level kind of cranked up to 10.

[00:11:01] Yeah.

[00:11:02] And if there had been a little bit more of that throughout the film, then maybe it wouldn't

[00:11:04] have seemed as jarred.

[00:11:05] And I think it struck me as they're again, I'm like, yeah, if this happened, I totally could see that happening. Like people react in the way they do are and all that.

[00:12:22] It makes perfect sense.

[00:12:23] We get to that little commercial break area and it's like, all right.

[00:13:26] question about an element of the film. I'm not saying it's a criticism. I mean, I enjoyed the scene, the sequence, the setup. I'm still wrestling with its place in the story. And it has to do with a

[00:13:33] encounter he has with a young woman about midway through the film.

[00:13:38] Yes. And it's a really, it's a really the entire film, it's kind of about the need to be famous or want to be famous and online culture and things like that. And so basically, you know, not spoiling anything,

[00:15:01] but the first hat or a little bit of the film is he does play a very kind of

[00:15:06] background type character. Not a dummy like they think he's stupid, but they just kind of think like yeah, you're kind of a loser. You're kind of a schlub. You're not that important like kind of even challenged by his wife as standing up for himself or doing something rather than just kind of hanging out and so he has this time where he is a company which I want to get to

[00:17:42] He engages with this girl because a company reaches out to him getting back to, and it kind of leads up to this girl obviously is acting weird toward Nicholas Kei-Chi senses things. And then I think it's like a sense of frustration. The board meeting doesn't quite go the way they just want him to be a sprite salesman. Yeah, me too. It was just like hilarious. that we meet that we meet true that we meet you're right Because apparently this is happening like yeah I mean if if the if the concept is is that he is showing up in everybody's dreams

[00:19:01] But he's a very short term to figure out.

[00:20:20] I think it's just how they get to the him to shift into the second part of the film. Yeah, I don't know. I need a little more than that. So anyway, again, not criticism because I really like the scene. I really like the whole sequence. So I'm bored with it. That's the only one that didn't quite make sense. It's rationale

[00:21:41] for being in the film or what that contributed was rolling laughing. I mean, it when it hits the comedy right, it's very dark comedy, but when it hits it right, it's really, really, really sharp and good. Yeah, it's a funny film, but it is a lot of it is dark, dark comedy. Yeah. Other thing I mentioned, even though it happens during that whole commercial

[00:23:04] sequence that we talked about, which are a little celebrity, you're writing high. You say something and all of a sudden now you are ostracized and shift.

[00:24:20] And it's like that's the kind of thing we're exploring here with this.

[00:24:23] And I think that's a, it's fascinating.

[00:24:25] So, um, yeah, no, I, I, I really,

[00:25:24] But I absolutely am recommending people checking out. Yeah, if you're a Nicholas Cage fan or Charlie Kaufman fan,

[00:25:29] then I would say, yeah, check this out.

[00:25:31] And if you don't mind dark humor, because yeah.

[00:25:33] It is dark.

[00:25:34] It is labeled as a comedy slash horror.

[00:25:37] And there are some elements of quote horror in it,

[00:25:40] but there's also a lot of comedy.

[00:25:42] I think dark comedy, very, very dark comedy.

[00:25:44] Good stuff.

[00:25:46] All right, that is dream scenario. Godzilla's exploits, including several rounds from the Hollywood movie factory with the most recent being 2021's Godzilla vs Kong. Alan, you're more of a connoisseur of these films than I am. So we'll get to my what I thought, but I want to know what did you make of this entry since you have more of an understanding of his over-understand the character of Godzilla. That's what you're

[00:27:03] trying to say, so I can get deeper into the mind of this creature. Now, I just I love

[00:28:01] of a lot of them? No.

[00:28:01] Okay, he's a, no, he has not done any.

[00:28:04] Okay, really?

[00:28:05] First one doing from what I'm aware of.

[00:28:09] But the studio itself has kind of,

[00:28:12] they do these Godzilla movies kind of in like phases.

[00:28:14] So this is like part of a little bit of a movement,

[00:28:17] kind of a different style of Godzilla movies

[00:28:20] in the last couple.

[00:28:21] There was one, a Shin Godzilla that came out

[00:28:23] a couple years ago.

[00:28:24] That was similar, more similar in tone and style like this. you know, that kind of is a little bit of a torment through him throughout the film. We're following him. The film is a lot more about the people than it is the Godzilla, which is a little bit of a shift from what we've been thrown at. I think the last few films we've seen on the American side. And so we're following his character and it just seems that the Godzilla creature

[00:29:40] is kind of along for the ride

[00:29:41] and showing up at different places

[00:29:43] and affecting his life and those around him. expected. It's just it is for somebody going to a theater to see a new Godzilla movie. It's just it's it's taking that to effect. I think I think the fact that they wove this into a pretty interesting story with some interesting characters and the creature itself, the Godzilla, was cool

[00:31:00] and I thought that the two or three big scenes that and how they built it out and how they portrayed the big G on screen. So he's a big G. He's good. So Chris, I'm really curious though, your thoughts on this film not being a connoisseur of the genre,

[00:32:24] so to speak. What were your thoughts on this experience? more than one movie of it. You're like, yeah, I get it. You just kind of want to watch the cut scenes and not the stuff in between. But to, I don't, and they're again, I'm not familiar with the Japanese versions that they've had of Godzilla, but to my knowledge, we've never done a Godzilla period piece. Not since. I mean, well, I mean, yeah, I mean, the original one took place in the 50s

[00:33:42] in that, but yeah. Right. So that's right. So, and I think the filmmakers did either, really. Right. But this one, because of how they kind of set it up and the main character that you called out, yeah, really bad with pronunciation, but Shikashima or whatever this is last name, who was the Kamikaze pilot, his story is interesting and that,

[00:35:01] it just worked better than some of the other

[00:35:03] kind of flimsy stories that they have

[00:35:04] in the American versions, it worked.

[00:35:06] Well, it was a personal be it Japanese or American version. Yes, read. And like, I'll say that if I try to think back on the endings of other God's Elephums, I can't really remember them. Yeah. But this one, because of how it staged and how they kind of weave some plot elements together and different people that have popped up in the film,

[00:36:20] I think I will remember it.

[00:36:22] I think, you know, so that to me,

[00:36:24] but it's like, okay, this is definitely a little bit

[00:36:26] of a notch up because of that. going to be okay. There's never you don't really ever have to worry because every everything's going to be okay. Don't don't worry. And I so I kind of took that like no it's not a weakness of the film. It's kind of like they were intentionally kind of letting you know like yes this big battle thing's gonna happen but everything's going to be okay. Literally everything's going to come out okay. So I thought that was an interesting day and maybe kind of like a flashback

[00:37:43] to an earlier style of filmmaking where you kind of the critical response and you say you're not as high as other critics. I agree. I'm not either.

[00:39:00] And I think if I, I think if they we got to try to figure out how to help Elmo get whatever before he destroys us all Right and then over the over the several movies. Yes. He has become a little more heroic

[00:40:20] Sure where people actually need him to where a stranger things girl was like bonding with them right? Yeah, exactly

[00:41:26] a much smaller version at first. So I guess the idea that he's growing. Right. And but then we can study into the film. He's big. Oh, he's full size. Yeah. Okay. Well, he's full size now.

[00:41:31] And he's still bad. And we still have to get rid of him. And that was it. I'm like, I like the

[00:41:36] simplicity of that don't don't need to add any more layers that don't need to be there. Let's just

[00:41:40] let's just have a fun, good Godzilla film. And I'm with you on the ending. I thought the whole

[00:41:44] build up the fact that it takes place in a whole different setting, not in a city, you know, the Japanese perspective on World War II and war itself. And you know, not that it's surprising, but there's there. It's not had done heavy handedly, but they just kind of like, yeah, war makes no sense. It's just bad. Everybody loses. There's lots of death. And it's like, let's, let's join together to try to like live our lives, not to try to in laws.

[00:43:03] And so it was just, you know, kind of these statements that were made that I didn't think we're heavy handed, but it was.

[00:44:09] it was a good experience. So I did like Godzilla minus one compared to what I think the last several films out of the American studio have been like this. This is definitely much much more up my alley

[00:44:15] and worked for me a lot better. Not perfect. And I do think there was some some issues I think

[00:44:20] time I think a little overuse of drama with some of the acting and some of the performances.

[00:45:22] people can kind of hear in their heads probably already. And they just played it really, really loud

[00:45:25] over loud speakers and recorded that.

[00:45:27] And that's what they used for the war.

[00:45:29] So it was like, that was a week,

[00:45:30] because I thought it did sound different

[00:45:32] than like American versions,

[00:45:34] but you could tell it was still like the Godzilla roar,

[00:45:36] but so I thought that was an interesting way

[00:45:38] of like having it be the same, but different.

[00:45:41] So yeah, I feel like that was the sound.

[00:45:44] I thought really made it effective

[00:45:46] to watch on the big of something that we've kind of just seen as an element in these films that has been so throwaway and just so overused. And it's like, no, this is like, this is important in this film. And the characters know it's important. So we need to figure out what we're going to do about this. I thought it was well handled there. So good stuff. Well, that is Godzilla minus one sounds like we were both fans of

[00:47:03] the film. Yeah, maybe not to the level like some of our colleagues are. that off. I think that, but I knew that before going in. So maybe if that had come as a surprise to that could have helped generate extra excitement. But yeah, it's a good entry. Yeah, good. All right. Well, that is Godzilla minus one playing in theaters and actually doing pretty decent business at the box office here in America. So maybe around for a little while,

[00:48:20] I don't know. But anyway, we are recommending if you're at all a fan of the genre at all,

[00:49:22] Godzilla movie. We talked about a good Godzilla movie. Right.

[00:49:23] And look, I've been defending the American studio versions for a while.

[00:49:28] I at least argue for a decent time that I have with them.

[00:49:31] I did like the gear that words Godzilla.

[00:49:34] Thought that was really good, really well done.

[00:49:36] I did not care for King of Monsters, which was the second one that came out

[00:49:40] for whatever reason. I just felt it was just didn't work.

[00:49:43] I had a fun time with the Godzilla versus Kong, although I will freely admit,

[00:50:43] Ah, so that's the whole rage. You gotta have a subtitle.

[00:50:44] Right.

[00:50:45] Can you do, can you whatever's gotta be a subtitle to it now?

[00:50:48] Gotcha.

[00:50:49] So here we are.

[00:50:49] This is Godzilla X Kong, the new empire.

[00:50:56] Oh.

[00:50:56] Oh.

[00:52:02] this doesn't look good. Well, there's just a lot of questions and problems

[00:52:04] with what I saw there.

[00:52:05] So, hey, I don't, I'm not at all into this whole

[00:52:11] secret world, weird world.

[00:52:13] It seems like there's like people in this world

[00:52:15] and they're like worshiping things.

[00:52:16] There's like a whole different society.

[00:52:18] That is getting way off track of what these movies ought to be.

[00:52:22] Got you.

[00:52:23] To Minnecon.

[00:52:25] Minnecon,. Right, right. Adam Wingard is the director who I believe he did the last Godzilla Kong movie as well. Okay. And so yeah. That is that. Okay, Chris, well, that's what we have to look forward to in April. Okay. We will see how it turns out.

[00:53:41] Until then we have Godzilla minus one to at least enjoy and watch.

[00:53:44] There you go.

[00:53:45] All right, Chris.

[00:53:46] Well, if anybody's got any thoughts or feedback dark. Watch films in the underground, we won't let anyone know where you are. The films that don't make it too calm, like and along. For ones that were famous when grandpa would watch films,

[00:55:03] out of the reverence of the heritage of an art.