Fingernails

[00:00:00] What you want, when you want it, where you want it, this is the mesh.

[00:00:11] Footcandal Films.

[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 which is the film review of the film, fingernails. Fingernails, another thing people have some issues with. I personally, we'll get into the review. I have some things to say about the actual physical element of the fingernail on a human body. But we are going to be reviewing this film.

[00:01:40] It is the latest film from Apple TV Productions and it is starring Jesse Buckley, Riz Ahmed, there's a whole and there's Maestro, there's the holdovers, all these movies that I look forward to seeing and talking about. So it's a good time. We're entering into a good season. I don't know about you, but the film screening packages have started arriving in mass. Yes. You and I, both members of the North Carolina Film Critics Association, which means that we get screen or copies of films to review.

[00:03:03] And they're a little late coming this year, seems like, but they are starting to pick

[00:03:07] up. bond of love stronger. I really want to work here. A lot of things people study there. Really? Like who? Ginger Spice. She's my favorite. I know. Director Karisto Sneaker has worked in the past with Jorgos Lanthymos.

[00:04:20] Lanthymos, who directed The Lobster, and that film touches on the themes of ripping people's fingernails out, which happens a fair amount of times in this film. Yeah. Is traumatic for me. But you get to put a wooden stick in your mouth while they do it to bear down on to get your teeth off. I'll just go ahead and preface this. No matter what I say about this film and whatever I give in the review, if you are like me and someone that has difficulty.

[00:05:42] Body hard is not your thing.

[00:05:43] Watching or just even visualizing

[00:05:46] because it's not really, really good actors that I'm big fans of all three of them. I like all three of them quite a bit was

[00:07:02] very excited when I knew all three of them would be in this one

[00:07:05] film together. And I think it's a just a look and even the texture of the film that it shot on. It's just a good looking film. And the concept, like I said, is interesting. This whole idea of they're in a society. We don't know if it's a, I mean, I wouldn't say it's a dystopian it. And really, at the end of the day, I'm just like, Chris, I can't figure out why you have this whole concept and this artifice of the test and all the absurdity they try to throw in.

[00:09:42] I can tell you why they're teaching.

[00:09:44] And then it's like at the end of the day,

[00:09:45] it's like, it didn't matter.

[00:09:46] There was no matter to it. people like to help coach them along the road of maybe being a good pair. They'd have this thing where they'd go underwater and just stare at each other. And they're like, they come up with all these like really weird, they go to karaoke and sing songs in French. And all of those moments were my favorite, most of the film, because at least the film was trying to have fun or do something interesting.

[00:11:01] But it never connected those moments and those things with the story that we're

[00:11:06] following.

[00:11:07] So they just, they felt like they were just arbitrarily throwing unsure whether he founded it or he was the manager. But that's the role he kind of plays. And I thought they used him, you know, just a little bit and it was good. There's also Annie, I think her name's Annie Murphy. Yeah. And she knew her from Schitt's Creek. And she was in this just a little bit. It was nice to see her. So yeah, there's definitely plenty of acting talent there.'t, is the English patient. Okay, yeah. And that film has, you know, kind of a love triangle going there and wanting to be with somebody else and all the, you know, and I just, that whole video was just irritated with the people because it made me not like them. Yeah. And in this movie, I like Anna,

[00:13:41] but then the more she's kind of wishy-wash,

[00:13:43] I'm just like so irritated with her.

[00:13:44] And I'm just like, why don't you just,

[00:13:46] it just, that kind of there were probably three or four instances like that that just to me were bewildering you know again it's a plot contrivance saying where Anna Jesse Buckley character early in the film takes a job at this love Institute but you know but she doesn't share that with her

[00:15:00] her husband the reasoning is pretty weak the whole justification for it but

[00:15:05] again if she needed that to happen again for the plot to continue the way it you may be some funny, maybe dark humor, I guess, but then instead, like you're saying, it's just so contrived, how they get from point A to point B to point C, you're just like, wow, this is a lot more normal than I would have thought. Well, I'll say, you could strip out the entire Love Institute fingernail testing, absurd love coaching moments.

[00:16:23] You can take all of them out of the film.

[00:16:24] Right.

[00:16:25] And the story doesn't change.

[00:16:28] True. That's disappointing. So in doing research for the movie that we're doing, I did look kind of notes about the

[00:17:43] film.

[00:17:44] Would this have changed?

[00:17:45] Do you think this would have about the high concept and maybe make the relationships between these three people just a

[00:19:00] little more in depth, go a little bit more into their backgrounds and what brought them together,

[00:20:04] What the messaging here is that's trying to be communicated because here's what I take away from it.

[00:20:05] Obviously, it's this idea that you're supposed to be, you take a test and this test tells

[00:20:10] you whether you're a match or whether you're a partial match or you're no match with another

[00:20:15] individual.

[00:20:16] Of course, the fact that they take it from the fingernails, and so everybody's got these

[00:20:20] bandages around their fingers where you know they've taken the test.

[00:20:23] Obviously, we're used to in our society.

[00:20:25] Those are the fingers you use on an app, on a phone.

[00:20:27] It's like you're tapping and you with it. Yeah, again, there is a lot there to mine and this just barely scratches the surface, I think of those ideas. There was only, I think there was only one moment in this film where I thought there was some spark and I thought I was gonna be engaged in this film and was kind of looking forward to it and then just nothing. It was the Lego

[00:21:44] reenactment of tests and things that. Disappointing. Yeah. There's a version of this film that could be awesome. There is potential but it just doesn't quite fall short. Pretty short. Yeah. I will give some credit out to you. I mean just kind of talking about some acting again because I do think acting was the strongest suit here. I really like

[00:23:03] there were two actors that played a couple that were kind of became like the pet main storyline at all. Like, like, okay, well, how did that affect Anna at all? How did seeing that effect or I don't know, it was just some baffling decisions on the story. And I just I don't understand what they were trying to pull off in this film. So I'll add to that too, that there's some revelations about Amir, Riz Ahmed's character. Yeah, and

[00:24:24] they don't. I feel like that could have been mined for some in that show, which is where a lot of people, that's where I know him from. In this, yeah, he's very kind of quiet, meek, doesn't really say a lot, just kind of, you know, yeah, so it's good to see him in a different type of role, but it's unfortunate that he didn't get to do more. Well, didn't get to do more or that his actions really had any bearing in the movie or story whatsoever.

[00:25:40] Right.

[00:25:41] So, you know, that's the disappointing part of it.

[00:25:42] Sure.

[00:25:43] Yeah, disappointing. I have had my soapbox moments in the past where I have expressed my concern about the Apple TV original films. Is it the same you have for Netflix original films or Hulu original films? No, specifically with Apple. Specifically with Apple. Have been very somewhat sanitized and somewhat safe.

[00:27:02] I mean, we talked about like,

[00:27:03] I remember the Tom Hanks movies that were made, you know.

[00:27:06] Killers of the Flower of Men.

[00:27:07] Well, okay, that's an exception.

[00:27:08] I won't get to they're really letting these films breathe and be more creative

[00:28:22] and more adventurous than they are.

[00:28:23] And this film kind of

[00:28:27] re-emphasizes that a little bit. wherever he wanted to go with his film and try to make people bid for it. I think Apple was pursued that one and brought it in, but probably with the understanding that they're not going to be able to adjust whatever Scorsese wants to do with his film. I don't think other directors have that kind of power, so I think, I don't know. I'll be interested to see what your take on Napoleon is, because that's another one that's

[00:29:45] coming out of something. Yeah. So, kind of doing two negatives and then a positive and that's okay. We're going to end on the positive. That's the way to work it. All right. We'll be right back with foot films nowadays than I think you are. That's accurate. I typically am able to give them a little bit more of a pass. Which I hope for the best with every superhero film that comes out. Which universe is this part of?

[00:32:21] DCU, MCU?

[00:32:23] Okay, so this is where it's confusing.

[00:32:25] So this is just part got the DC universe, which that's the world with Batman Superman Wonder Woman Flash. Aquaman. Aquaman 2. And that's the one that's gone through honestly has traditionally gone

[00:33:42] through the most turmoil where they cannot quite seem to get their rhythm pretty well so that's why there's now been a sequel to that one and there's been Morbius and there's been that hunter one that's gonna come out yet. Well that hasn't come out yet. it. So yes, those have been more successful. When directors are able to kind of just take their own own desires with the first energy I can feel thrown world out of it.

[00:36:21] And those seem to work a lot better when they're not feeling forced in a studio to fit into something

[00:36:26] or interconnect or lead into another film. with Marvel and allowed Marvel to make the actual Spider-Man proper movies. Got you. So the Tom Holland three Spider-Man movies that Marvel has helped make were in partnership with Sony. They're basically Sony's like borrowed or loaned Spider-Man to Marvel for whatever money for Marvel to make these movies.

[00:37:40] But the deal is that Sony has the rights to do movies on everybody else in the Spider-Man

[00:37:46] universe, which is his villains and his boarding cast. preview for the Craven the Hunter a few months ago. Yeah. And I was very clear, it did not look good. No. I'm very concerned about it. We could be surprised. It could be awesome. No, I definitely don't want to say that it's a bad movie. I don't know. The trailer did not look engaging. It did not look like it was something I'd be interested in.

[00:39:00] And it looks like they're just taking a character from

[00:39:03] Spider-Man's villain, Villains Rogue and just Rogue's versus Acme is allowed to shop their movie around to see if somebody else wants to buy it. Brothers is basically giving the creators a pass and allowance to go and shop it, which is going to be weird to have another studio release of film that's based off of Looney Tunes Warner Brothers. Yeah, right. It's a little weird, but hey, if it means people get to see it, cool.

[00:40:20] Right.

[00:40:21] I just, movie's ought to be seen.

[00:40:22] And will it be interesting if it is like a huge hit?

[00:40:25] You'd be like, ha ha. comic book character. Is she a lady of the evening and Uncle Ben frequents her establishment? No. No, that would be interesting. Okay. In the comics, Madam Webb, at least in her first iteration, was like a young woman who's basically clairvoyant who can see the future, who can see things.

[00:41:42] That is an old deal. Very old different person. Oh, wow. Anyway. It's kind of crazy. And then there's a villain in this film that I could go off on a simple ex-alexial. Okay, so you haven't even showed me the trailer yet. However, let me just say,

[00:43:04] that sounds bizarre enough and weird enough that I don't understand what's happening. I've been having visions. I knew he was gonna die. I think I'm seeing the future. Oh dear. So that is the trailer for Madam Web.

[00:44:24] Your thoughts on the trailer? Another movie, Flatliners with Keep Her Self in Everything where the people are dreams and stuff, because they die for a little bit. This actually gave me a very flatliners mid 80s vibe of a movie that kind of would have worked then. And I think trying to revive that kind of thriller, like what's going on here with somebody that, yeah, it seems like that kind of thing would work.

[00:45:44] But then actually, if different character in the comics. It's just, you know what? I wanna give every movie a fighting chance. I never like trying to beat a movie now. Was this looks better than Craven? It does look better than Craven. And again, even Craven, I won't give it a shot. If I'm being giving a shot, doesn't me, I'm gonna run to the theater opening night and see it. But at least wanna hear, you know, is it okay?

[00:48:21] Is it at least okay?

[00:48:22] And if it's at least okay, I will see it.

[00:48:24] If I hear it's trash from day one,

[00:48:26] like is what I heard about Moribius,

[00:48:27] then I will not see it. She did had a lot of success with the Fifty Shades of Grey movies, and she was in something else that she received a claim for that I can't remember right now. Was it Cha Cha Real Smooth? Yeah, yeah. She did. Yeah, you did. Kind of an odd name to be able to pull off. Yeah. She was in that, and she's been so like, but for her to go, you know, I guess, I don't

[00:49:43] know what everybody does.

[00:49:44] So I mean, just to kind of, I didn't want to make it this a news item, but you know, Thunderebault Ross from the comics. Quite the name. Who is Betty Brant's father. Okay. Or Betty Ross. Sure. That would make sense. Betty Brant's from Spider-Man. Betty Ross is the Hulk. Hulk first. Gotcha. In that whole series. Sure. Her father is a big general and played by William Hurt in some of the Avengers movies

[00:51:00] that we saw and even in and there was no buzz. Right. Now the buzz is picked back up again and the person that supposedly has been offered the role and is considering. Do we have the whole cast or just the? We're close. Okay. We're close. From what if I read the tea leaves on the is that so a fake internet posting where they were like they gave a cast of

[00:52:20] the fantastic and it was actually pretty funny.

[00:52:21] I can't remember like.

[00:52:23] Yeah.

[00:52:23] They like gender switched some role and like they were I mean, it was clearly just a

[00:52:26] joke.

[00:53:27] thing. Then you've got the guy who played in Stranger Things, who played the rock and roller eddy as the human torch. Okay. Which I've actually seen photos of him like not in Megadeth

[00:53:37] garb and all that. And yeah, he could pull it off.

[00:53:40] Okay. And that was a fan favorite on gender changes, ethnicity changes or anything. Pedro Pascal, I'm not the person I would think of as Reed Richards, but I'm okay with that because I think it could make it interesting and you might bring a different personality to it. I was thinking for a second that it would be confusing for me because him and Sue were supposed to be

[00:55:01] brother and sister, but that's the human torch

[00:55:04] and the invisible girl, are they supposed to be like

[00:55:06] brother and sister?

[00:55:07] The invisible girl and the human torch did Shang-Chi. Okay. Shang-Chi. Oh yeah, the Kretan or whatever. Yeah. Dustin Kretan. It's three three names again. Yeah. He is no longer doing that film. So that's obviously got people also thinking, okay, yeah, they're gonna dump Jonathan Majors and Kang. They're gonna change it up and do something different. I don't know. A lot of a lot of interesting things going on

[00:57:23] rumored really have it in parentheses, but that's where they are.

[00:57:25] Okay, did I I nerd it out enough?

[00:57:26] I think that's here.

[00:57:27] Is that fine?

[00:57:28] Yeah. So madam web, we'll see.

[00:57:31] Sure.

[00:57:31] I hope they're not high, but give every film.

[00:57:33] I hear them craving.

[00:57:34] I'll give every film a chance.

[00:57:36] Every film gets a chance.

[00:57:37] All right, Chris, let's let's move to something positive or something that we

[00:57:41] do know for a fact, or at least you are able to tell us for a fact is good.

[00:57:45] And that is your recommendation. that brings us into Richards complicated in a world. The film unspools the icon's life story with all its switchbacks and contradictions. Now I was as a child of the 80s and so I knew who little Richard was. I remember him seeing make appearances on Pee Wee's Playhouse or on MTV or saying things like you know I

[00:59:02] created rock and roll and it was and it was and he had this outsized opening for Little Richard. We were basically a cover band. We hadn't written much. I would be by the side of the stage every night to watch him. Richard would work the audience, get them up out of their seats, swaying, shouting, waving their arms, calling and responding stuff, 30 dates. So I saw Little Richard 30 times. And I'm like, yeah, that would have

[01:00:20] been amazing to say, because you see performance, you're like, you know, I created everything. I'm the godfather of rock and roll. And you'd be like, okay, this guy's just, he's a loose cannon. He's just, you know, and he would actually do it kind of jokingly sometimes. But I mean, the guy had a point. He's got some, there's some basis behind that. Yeah. So I was just really surprised at how well the documentary was put together and just how

[01:01:42] much I feel like I learned about Little Richard., how's this compare? I mean, thinking about it from, you know, you're talking a very celebrity status figure. Yeah, both of those are of this year. So both of them could be. That's true. Still was actually earlier this year. Yeah. Yeah. I like both of them a lot. I think the advantage that I would say of still would be the fact that they could still talk to Michael J. Fox and that whole aspect of it

[01:04:04] really get a concept of like, yeah, David Bowie being, you know,

[01:04:07] kind of saying positive things, but you're like, okay, yeah, this,

[01:04:10] this dude. And the thing is what's, I guess, all into here. But the thing that's disappointing to me too, is that I feel like,

[01:04:14] I think if I'm not mistaken, I think he passed away in 2020.

[01:04:18] I think that's when the documentary told me that he passed away.

[01:04:21] I don't remember people lamenting him quite as much as I remember,

[01:04:26] like, you know, we lost so. Very much. That will definitely be a weekend watch for me now. Okay. Okay. Well, good. You ended the show on a positive quiz. So I felt like we kind of wallowed in pessimism or negativity or disappointment. I'm going to say it's not going to say negativity. Just disappointment and trepidation about some projects we were seeing. Now we're kind of ending on something positive and I appreciate that.

[01:05:42] So the reminder to everybody, fingernails is available on Apple TV+. Facebook, foot candle film society, Instagram threads, we're just simply foot candle film. And I try to track what we're watching on Letterbox and sometimes leave quick reviews. Give us a favor. If you like the show, write a review, share with friends, give a star rating on whatever service that you get your favorite podcast on. It'll help us reach new listeners. We'd appreciate it.

[01:07:00] All right.

[01:07:01] Well, that will do it for foot candle films today.

[01:07:04] We will look forward to talking to everybody next week with our next review.