Godzilla x Kong The New Empire

[00:00:00] What you want, when you want it, where you want it. This is The Mesh.

[00:00:10] What you want, when you want it, where you want it. This is The Mesh.

[00:00:18] Footcandle Films Film news and reviews from two guys who really like movies.

[00:00:26] This episode is brought to you by the Footcandle Film Society. For a schedule of upcoming screenings and membership information, visit the Society's website at www.footcandle.org

[00:00:40] Hello everyone and welcome to Footcandle Films here on The Mesh.tv Podcast Network. My name is Alan Jackson.

[00:00:50] With me is always Christopher Fry. We are with the Footcandle Film Society and the annual Footcandle Film Festival, but today we're here on Footcandle Films to talk about films.

[00:01:01] Chris, how you doing? I am doing well. Looking forward to see what interesting insight we can bring to our review today.

[00:01:09] Right. What he is alluding to and the reason why I mean, Chris, we should be able to bring any illuminating insight to any film we discuss.

[00:01:19] Is it a challenge to try to bring that illuminating insight to tonight's today's film? That is the question you're posing.

[00:01:25] That film being Godzilla Little X Kong, Colin the new empire. Yes it is the latest monsterverse. I don't know what they're calling this.

[00:01:37] I don't know Monarch first because I think Monarch is the name of the company that's managing these big things anyway.

[00:01:49] It's the latest Kong Godzilla movie. Not associated with the Godzilla minus one that we reviewed a few months ago. That was released. That is a separate Godzilla track. This is Indian American version of the storyline.

[00:02:05] We'll be discussing and reviewing that film directed by Adam Wingard and starring Rebecca Hall, Dan Stevens and Brian Tyree Henry. We'll be discussing that in just a moment. After that we do have a smorgasbork of trailers to share with the audience as well.

[00:02:22] We'll move trailers for some films that have either been recently announced or a trailer just came out to promote or in one case a film that's coming up very, very quickly here online that I definitely want to look at the trailer and talk about it with you.

[00:02:35] We'll be doing that Chris and then you do have a recommendation of a film you want to share. I do. Chris is going to share with us a film recommendation at the end of the episode of something that he is recommending one of Chris's patented recommendations.

[00:02:50] Never can go wrong with one of Chris's recommendations. I have to say it is recommendation you can put, you can bank on maybe not put tons of money on but a little bit of money on like you're least going to get something out of a film recommendation there.

[00:03:09] Will the same be said for our first review though? Let us jump into this and see Chris as we discuss the film Godzilla X Kong, the new empire.

[00:03:24] For most of human civilization, we believed that life could only exist on the surface of our planet.

[00:03:38] What else were we wrong about?

[00:03:52] Welcome to my world.

[00:03:56] We come to Godzilla X Kong, the new empire from magic. We come to this sequel to laugh, to cry, to care.

[00:04:10] Because we need that, all of us. That indescribable feeling we get when the lights begin to dim and we go somewhere we've been before, hollow earth.

[00:04:19] Not just entertained by the characters in the film's title, but others somehow reborn together. Dazzling images on a huge silver screen, the repeated sounds of beasts ruling that we can feel.

[00:04:31] Somehow does the heartbreak of expectations feel good in a place like this? Are heroes feel like the best part of us because of a story that feels perfect and powerful?

[00:04:43] Because with this film, they are? Godzilla X Kong, the new empire. Alan, did this film make the franchise better?

[00:04:53] So are you going to do the whole review as the co-kidmin or just okay? That'd be way too hard. I can't quite get her breathiness now with the hint of an axon.

[00:05:02] I know you're going with that. Kudos for the effort. Did you notice before we get into the review?

[00:05:10] Actually, that is the retro version now they've got a less fully short shorter with a new line.

[00:05:18] It ends differently. It's an a good kidman. Kind of looks at the camera and does like a different ending line. It cuts off like a good bit of it.

[00:05:27] I'm going to say it's better just because of the shorter.

[00:05:33] Okay, you're saying the AMC intro not specifically Kong Empire? No, no. I would like to get introduced all of our films with that voice.

[00:05:44] I got you. I got you.

[00:05:46] So what was your inquestion? The inquestion was...

[00:05:49] This is the film make the front like taking off of the you know AMC we make movies better. This was Alan did this film make the franchise better.

[00:05:56] Well, let's back up and just kind of review where we are in this franchise.

[00:06:00] Sure. I think it's important to understand the evolution.

[00:06:03] And as every time we've talked about either a Godzilla or Kong or Godzilla and Kong movie, we've always kind of let the audience know that I am an unabashed fan of giant...

[00:06:17] I guess they call them Kaiju, which I don't like that but whatever. That's the idea. These giant monsters that destroy cities and battle each other and all that.

[00:06:26] I like this type of movie. Fair enough.

[00:06:30] This whole series started with Gareth Edwards, Godzilla. I think 2009, if I remember somewhere in the name it.

[00:06:39] And I really liked it. You were mixed on it. You were a little less, less, a little more lukewarm on it but regardless, it was fairly well received, fairly pretty decent box office hit.

[00:06:50] Critics generally thought it was okay. Godzilla was in the movie like nine minutes.

[00:06:56] Okay, out of the hole thing. It really was all about people and really about drama and about all the stuff.

[00:07:03] Every movie that comes from Stan is kind of jeered a little bit to the mass entertainment standpoint.

[00:07:17] The creatures are on screen a lot more often every movie as you go along.

[00:07:23] The writing becomes less important every film that's gone along. The CGI battles have become much, much more CGI-ish every movie that goes along.

[00:07:35] And we've kind of hit that point now with this film where it's like all right, to me this film is unrecognizable when compared to Gareth Edwards.

[00:07:44] Godzilla film. I would agree with that.

[00:07:47] But the question is, is that a good or a bad thing? I'll always say, I don't like where these movies are going.

[00:07:53] I do not like this type of movie. I do not like the movies going here. I really wanted them to keep up with what they started with and every movie has gone along has been a little bit more of a let down in terms of what I want from this franchise.

[00:08:12] Fair enough. That being said, if you're in the market for a dumb movie, you can't do worse than this.

[00:08:21] It is dumb, it is playing to the cheap seats in every possible way you could imagine.

[00:08:32] Gracefully, I think minimizing the humans in this film was probably a good move because that was pretty painful when they were on screen.

[00:08:42] And look, am I going to say I didn't have at least some little bit of essence of fun watching this thing?

[00:08:50] Yeah, I'm watching it with a theater full of bunch 18 to 21 year old kids at 10 o'clock on a Saturday night watching this.

[00:09:00] Yeah, there was some dumb fun to be had. But is this a good movie? No, not at all. Is it dumb fun? Yeah. Okay, sure.

[00:09:10] I mean, look, Kong gets a robot arm. Godzilla sleeps in the Coliseum. Greece.

[00:09:21] You know, there's fun stuff. It's dumb, but it's fun. I'm giving this a very regretful pass to at least say that if you like where the last couple of movies have been in this franchise,

[00:09:37] you're probably going to get a kick out of this. If you don't like where this franchise is going and you are much more of a fan of obviously the Japanese version of the film storyline or even Garrett Edwards original one.

[00:09:50] Yeah, you're not, this is not for you, but going into that if you know that, I'm so be it.

[00:09:56] I've got more details to share, but Chris, I've gone along enough. Tell me your thoughts. I'm pretty much can predict it, but just tell me where I think I've kind of shown my hand.

[00:10:05] Yeah, as much. I mean, I understand, you know, not every movie needs to be a serious movie. You know, the point of these movies is to show monsters, you know, beating each other up or having fights.

[00:10:15] I get that. I guess just the lack of trying to do anything vaguely interesting when the monsters weren't stomping around on screen.

[00:10:26] Chris is what really, really dragged the movie down for me. You know, it is a way it is self-aware. I feel like that it is dumb fun. It's not trying to be serious fun.

[00:10:36] It's not trying to make it. But for me, it was just it ended up being just dumb. The one thing that was a little interesting at the start was I was not expecting the movie to open like a day in the life of Kong where he likes starts the day.

[00:10:51] He's hunting, he wrestles some bees. He gets dirty. He takes a shower then has to go to the dentist. That's not that's kind of like if they'd actually played like the Beatles a day in the life.

[00:11:02] That probably actually I would have been the best laugh I had out of the whole film because I was like, okay, that's dumb stupid, but it's trying to be funny.

[00:11:11] But it just and then that kind of went away and then they got into like the typical monster fighting. You referenced the people part in these films, which you know I think it would be interesting.

[00:11:21] I think you and I've actually talked about this before to have a monster movie where there is absolutely no dialogue. All it is is like monsters fighting because the human part a lot of times except for Godzilla minus one.

[00:11:33] That was an interesting thing. Well, I think it depends. I mean if you make the human parts interesting and a movie within themselves with Godzilla minus one and I'm going to say I thought Garrett Edwards.

[00:11:43] Yeah, they did as well. I'm okay with it being people focus because the people were interesting and storylines are interesting.

[00:11:51] Since that first movie though, none of these sequences with any humans and any of these movies has made as much as I've not wanted it just to be CGI animals watching the whole time fight.

[00:12:04] I'd rather have that than to watch the human parts that they try to weave in to try to give some semblance of a story or plot that we don't need.

[00:12:11] Right. And it's boring and it's repetitive and it's done making sense and all that.

[00:12:16] I don't, obviously. I don't fault the actors because Rebecca Hall, I like her a lot. This is kind of a weird, a weird fit for her because she's usually like I don't see her in like a blockbuster type movie but good for her.

[00:12:32] She got a paycheck. Well, she was in the last one. And so was Brian Tyree Henry which I remember him in the ocean. That's usually how memorable these films are for me.

[00:12:43] I kind of forget them. I didn't realize both. I knew I figured because the way his characters in this one, well that makes sense and little girls in the last one to you right.

[00:12:52] So I remember he was in it but like I guess I'm kind of tired of the whole nerd podcast.

[00:12:59] Oh yeah. Not that I take offensive make I mean yes we're podcasters but that's not it's just a trope now. I mean in the Ghostbusters, for as an empire there was a guy you know a kid named podcast.

[00:13:10] So it's like okay. You know that joke to me is just so easy and tired now that I don't find it entertaining or funny anymore.

[00:13:18] Well, you made the comment that you know they people the film seemed to be more in on the joke this time seemingly.

[00:13:26] I think most everybody did I do feel like Rebecca Hall might have gotten a different copy or prepping for the script than the other actors.

[00:13:35] Yeah, because because Dan Stevens honestly is trying to play this as a straight film that you know is in the vein of some of the more earlier original films.

[00:13:45] True. I don't think anybody else got that memo. I think everybody's like oh this is a movie where we're going to show how we're going to rip a tooth out of Kong's mouth and we're going to give Kong a robot arm and we're going to have these big fights.

[00:13:58] Everybody else is like okay I got it. I know that I know the job. Dan Stevens especially I think it's like you know what what movie is he in what movie is Dan Stevens.

[00:14:08] Like and I like him but it's like he's doing Eurovision when movie he was a villain and with Will Ferrell. It's like he's doing that character in a film.

[00:14:17] And he's like okay. No, it's not a show to a fun screen. I'm like okay I totally I get where Dan is going with this he knows what type of movie this is going to end up being and he's just going to have fun with it.

[00:14:30] And that is one thing I was saying. He has a lot of fun. I was going to say I think Dan Stevens is having a fun time playing a very surface level character that is only in the film to basically be the guy that dude who just knows how to do everything and kind of fix things.

[00:14:46] And make things happen but also be really cool in doing it. And we're like Magnum P.I. type shirts.

[00:14:53] And Brian Tyree Henry also knows what he part he's playing. He also plays it all as ridiculous and over the top and it's a big dumb comedy, a big dumb movie.

[00:15:05] Rebecca Hall is the thing is that yeah it's a Mitch match. She's honestly trying to play this all straight and that's that was probably the more painful part

[00:15:15] and not because I mean I like her she's really good. She plays her part really well. It's just her part did not work for this film.

[00:15:22] Well, and what was painful was because Tyree Henry yes comedic relief obviously Dan Stevens in addition to being able to handle like monsters and kind of be in the know also comedic relief.

[00:15:34] Yeah, where is Rebecca Hall not so much that I mean yes she was like in a different film but the thing that was so painful which is not cool because I like her as an actress.

[00:15:42] Every time she started talking all she was there for was exposition and moving it for me like I like it was so I rolling it's like oh no here we go.

[00:15:52] We're going to hear like two or three minutes of these things are happening so now we need to go do this and I was like just so I rolling there's an example which like how anyone in the theater could not have gotten where this was going.

[00:16:05] Where they like show these sound waves and then they show her her daughter like in a class you see all these weird flashing like yeah clearly and then of course they cut and what is she done but draw on those sound waves you're like okay everybody at that point immediately knows what and then it takes.

[00:16:20] Rebecca Hall and she has these moments where she's got to like figure like really you didn't already know like you know just you shouldn't be able to let the entire audience already know because it's boring.

[00:16:31] It's boring it's like yeah hurry up and figure this out we've we already know this get there you know she has a real thankless job with her.

[00:16:38] Yeah just completely.

[00:16:39] I mean one of the first lines in the movie like she's being interviewed on a TV network and it's like yeah she's like well you know as long as we can keep Kong and Godzilla separate from each other.

[00:16:50] We're fine right everything's okay it's like all right so yeah I get it I know now now we got this movie has to go.

[00:16:58] And instead of being dumb fun it's just frustrating for me it was just frustrating so.

[00:17:03] I look I kind of I was thinking the same way with you the whole opening sequence where it's just Kong for I don't know you know several minutes and I think there was a song that kind of started it out.

[00:17:16] Not Dan the life but yeah it was like kind of a pop song or a song that we know that kind of matched the tone of what they're doing.

[00:17:22] And I'm like yeah you know what an hour and a half of watching Kong do this his thing and have an adventure and Godzilla shows up somehow and they.

[00:17:32] Okay I you know what it'd be is still been making theoretical sense at all but it's all going to be just CGI fast on screen for an hour and a half but I'd be okay with that if that's the film they wanted to make.

[00:17:44] But yeah once it cut to the human stuff it was like all right just just get with it you know I don't really need this much plot exposition this film does not deserve this much plot exposition as a try to give some e times.

[00:17:56] A weakness for me which you know there was some story plot mechanics but they're just they're again just so weak was I don't know what the it's I mean he's in the trailer I just call him Diddy Kong because I don't know what else to call the baby looking younger.

[00:18:12] Ape that Kong comes in contact with and plays kind of a story that to me was just also as I rolling as what Rebecca Hall's character had to do I was just like okay you know I just.

[00:18:23] Well I will give him credit it went at slightly different route with that story then I thought it was going to but still pretty much into the very big.

[00:18:34] Okay I will say it did spread me look kind of like with the intro of Kong in the movie I was like no it's day in life of Kong that was interesting and then that went away and I was bored.

[00:18:42] I knew because the trailer that Diddy Kong was going to make an appearance he did and it the video is like oh okay but they know it just got lazy.

[00:18:53] Right now I exactly yeah which was disappointing well and all right I'm gonna get really we'll get really specific here.

[00:19:01] I thought I thought the quote villain was lame lame not really one that I felt like justified these two Titans teaming up and fighting it just in making sense it just really when it kind of got around to showing that this is now the threat that they're facing.

[00:19:20] This is why they have to set up to say really it's like you know they're fighting a giant robot Godzilla in the last movie in the streets of you know I don't remember what city.

[00:19:30] And it's like that made sense this one not so much don't really see the need for a whole movie on this guy but um well you know.

[00:19:40] I think you knew too with frozen empire ghost busters that maybe was targeted towards kids but also nostalgia for the old movie I feel like this movie was just like it was supposed to be dumb fun and not necessarily targeting like adults

[00:19:56] and I say that because this next point I'm gonna make the point of having Kong have a robotic arm dumb and Godzilla have a pink mohawk like yeah now granted in the trailer you're like okay Godzilla has a robotic arm you got it whatever you see Godzilla who even with the limited knowledge that I have I know that it's supposed to be blue not pink like I'm like why is he but then I'm like oh okay and then they have this excellent I'm like but like if that's your if that's your hook to get me to watch this movie.

[00:20:25] I think I'm happy to get me to watch this film is just to figure out why instead of blue fire it's pink fire I'm like that is that is reaching but they're good I think I'm tapping into the Barbie but little and little kid young maybe little kid younger kids like I can say like oh cool I want to see the new one where Kong has a robot like I get it this movie wasn't really made for me well and again as I was surrounded by more of the target audience for the film in my screening I get it I mean there we were having a good time with it.

[00:20:54] I mean it was a you know it was yes like 14 year old me would have really dug this and had a good time with it okay because it is just easy to comprehend dumb fun and it's got the cool fan moments in it that you know they're just playing again playing to the cheap seats like yes let's show how awesome it is that we're going to drop this robot arm on Kong's arm

[00:21:22] and it's just gonna magically work and oh is he gonna you like it or not and then he gives a giant fist bump he showed that he does I'm like yeah that is about the corneus thing I've ever seen but I get it I get what they're doing

[00:21:37] and the crowd around me was loving it I'm like okay yeah that's the thing it is playing to a whole different audience and again the shame of it for me the reason I'm disappointed with in general where these films have gone

[00:21:51] is the use had such interesting start points in these films interesting ideas to discover interesting characters to explore and then it's just okay well we didn't make quite enough money with it going that route

[00:22:06] so let's try to dumb it down even more and let's just make it all about the monsters and all about the fighting and yeah unfortunately now yes they're making a lot more money from that

[00:22:17] so that just means this is going to continue this is it yeah what something that was also you know I did start this review off positively

[00:22:27] but they were surprised by the very beginning how did the day and the life of Kong but something else and I'll dance around it

[00:22:32] because I was not aware of this before going into the movie and I would consider this spoiler so I'm not gonna but there was a moment where basically a character from a previous film is comes back

[00:22:45] and I was like okay from an earlier Godzilla movie this character yeah it's basically assumed dead it's like sacrifices its life to kind of well anyways

[00:23:00] when they showed back up and it's like wait no grand I not that I have studied these films and I watched them over and over and over again but my recollection was that

[00:23:09] yeah that shouldn't have been allowed to happen and when it was I was just kind of like it just to me seemed like any any originality or something that happened with the other film where this character was

[00:23:22] and like the kind of aha moment or the moments of discovery for the crowd was like okay it was felt all earned and important like a cool thing

[00:23:29] and this movie again it just seemed like something like oh yeah they like that that many movies ago let's bring that back because they're gonna like it again I'm like no no I would have preferred something a little original

[00:23:40] so you can just help throughout this entire film the creative quote creative choices being made or all about this will be cool

[00:23:50] and a lot of audiences especially younger audiences will like this so let's do this without really thinking about should they do it

[00:24:00] so that was just a lot of the choices in the film I mean you know what the stakes in the film are gonna be for the giant piece are they really

[00:24:07] are they really gonna kill calm and Godzilla well we know the answer to the way Chris but something else that there you know the stakes in the film for some human drama

[00:24:17] that was going on between Rebecca Hall and her daughter like no we know we know how that's gonna end and any kind of playing that for emotional

[00:24:26] stakes towards the end of the film like no nobody in this audience thinks this is gonna go any other way than how it goes

[00:24:33] and the rest of the audience is bored even with the two minutes they gave to that plot line at the end of the film

[00:24:39] unfortunately I mean that's the thing is it yes it was you know say I think you're right any human non CGI

[00:24:46] created character in this film their role is is thankless yeah it's just is thankless you know that's it we just you know again and I'll say

[00:24:57] when they wrote Dan Stevens character they knew that like look this guy there's not gonna be any development of this

[00:25:04] character we're not gonna learn anything really interesting about him you get your 30 seconds of exposition

[00:25:10] when he he first meets up with the Rebecca Hall character you get your little bit of backstory not even enough to really even still

[00:25:16] justify his role in this film as serious as Rebecca Hall's character is about this whole storyline it's still pretty

[00:25:24] flippant for her to just bring on board to on this death defying mission that they're going on that's extremely dangerous

[00:25:32] going into a whole another subterranean world underneath the surface and she's like oh yeah bring the little kid

[00:25:39] bring the doctor the dentist right to see guy who pulled Kong's tooth oh and this podcaster guy that you know I owe a favor to

[00:25:46] yeah everybody pile on it let's go do this is like at that moment it's like all right the movie is is cash in all

[00:25:55] of its chips it knows this is all about we would just want again interesting little group of characters that can

[00:26:00] just respond to things and and and basically they spend the last half of their the film I think on the same CGI

[00:26:08] ledge of this mountain just commenting on things that are happening in the rest of the play by play yeah it's like I

[00:26:15] think that's like I don't think they actually move from that spot during the entire ending of the film it's like they're

[00:26:21] just there on the CG our green screen mountain basically just standing there and like occasionally everyone

[00:26:28] swall will cut to them for them to like make some comment about what they just all and then we go back to the action

[00:26:33] and fighting so it's like yeah this look I get it I get why the movies made I get why they're doing this you

[00:26:42] know it is a money making in a machine for them to do it this way it obviously has gotten a little better

[00:26:49] return since they've kind of dumped it down more so I get it but I don't like where this film series is

[00:26:56] going I'm much more eagerly now wanting to see some a new Japanese version of the story to see what they do

[00:27:03] after Godzilla minus one but I'll also say at once I turn my brain off and just realize what I was in store for

[00:27:10] how dumb this movie was gonna be I could do worse for an hour and a half a brainless entertainment I mean look I turn on the TV

[00:27:22] and there's a ton to brainless entertainment cherry hour of the day all right this is right up there with it

[00:27:29] there's a couple fun little fight moments there's a couple cool little scenes that I chuckled I don't know if I was

[00:27:36] supposed to I think it was unintentional juggling but I did so you know it is what it is and I guess from what you were telling me before the show off my I guess there's going to be another

[00:27:51] one because this thing this thing performed second biggest box office opening weekend outside of the

[00:27:58] 80 million dollars I think it may be the opening weekend which was much higher than expectations and that's domestic it makes a lot more money overseas sure I can see the international markets huge for these

[00:28:11] yeah it look even the previous one that opened up during pandemic times and actually premiered on HBO Max

[00:28:21] right right right actually was considered a financial success even despite all that so yeah they're gonna keep

[00:28:29] crazy I think the thing to say the previous film was the first time Godzilla and Kong met in this universe this new

[00:28:37] story and I actually I think I was a little more sympathetic to that because like well you know it was entertaining I liked it

[00:28:44] okay and I think the goodwill from that like oh now they're together and it is like yes it's contrived but it worked enough

[00:28:52] and I think that goodwill had worn off for this film for me it was just all it was like okay yeah like you said the opening thing like as long as we keep them separated I'm like okay

[00:29:02] so yeah although I do think I will have to say I think there was a there was one moment this film that I

[00:29:11] honestly thought was generally funny okay in the dumbest way just because it does not belong in this this movie

[00:29:19] but it just is example of how how kind of ridiculous this film gets so you know I'm not I don't care about spoiling

[00:29:28] they realize or Kong realizes because you know from the trailer they team up they're gonna work together eventually yes Kong somehow realizes or

[00:29:39] thinks to himself that I need Godzilla okay that's his call right like it's not like the humans brought them together

[00:29:47] humans are trying to keep them apart right no Kong is the one who's like when he goes running off they're like where's he going

[00:29:53] and then somebody's like oh we must be going to get help oh no because the girl tells them we need help

[00:29:58] for a girl yeah so he goes to get Godzilla which I think is hilarious that that kind of worked out that way plot wise can I ask you just

[00:30:05] just I'm just get something I've been meaning to question okay so this girl she came from the tribe that Kong was like you know bond with

[00:30:15] whatever so in the other film the film that came before this one Godzilla Kong she we knew that she was like linked to Kong is that true

[00:30:24] okay okay Millie Bobby Brown who was in Godzilla King of Monsters and everything she was also in the last

[00:30:32] that Godzilla in Kong okay she was okay and she has like a link with Godzilla right I don't know about

[00:30:39] that not quite the same way I think yeah I think that like she had a kinship with good Godzilla but not like any kind of mental okay

[00:30:49] focus focus connection thing okay and her character just isn't in this movie her character wanted more money than to be in

[00:30:58] this video

[00:31:00] no she's not in it Kyle Chandler was in the last couple movies he was in King of Monsters and he was in Godzilla Kong

[00:31:09] he's not in this movie Rebecca Hall and Brian Tyree Henry are the only two that like what in the girl

[00:31:16] the little girl all the loads of carry those three carry it over so this and I guess I will say that the human

[00:31:23] characters are paired down in this movie which more than they've been in the previous ones I will say the

[00:31:28] previous movies are like so many human characters so many boring human characters and here they're just

[00:31:35] down to four or five boring human characters says it's a little or two human care well one human

[00:31:41] character that's somewhat interesting but it's just like in a totally different movie that being Dan Stevens

[00:31:45] but makes this watch point all right coming back to my plot yes sorry I was just confused

[00:31:50] but I don't know if it is not that Kong decides he's going to go find Godzilla it's he shows up on our

[00:31:55] surface world whatever in Egypt in Egypt and Godzilla somehow knows he's going to be there so you know

[00:32:02] Godzilla shows up there sure and Godzilla hates Kong right but Kong normally hates

[00:32:08] Godzilla but he's like I need him right now so when Kong shows up Kong's looking angry at first

[00:32:15] like looking menacing and Godzilla shows up and he's looking menacing and they're about to fight each

[00:32:20] other but there's a brief moment for Kong kind of does a hey whoa whoa whoa whoa hold on wait a minute

[00:32:27] like I'm here to like get your help it's like a brief little moment where you can't get this idea that he's

[00:32:32] trying to be like it's very a very human thing of oh hold on hold on huh I don't want to fight but then he

[00:32:38] gets punched anyway and they fight I'm like that was hilarious to me it's like they've they've added so much

[00:32:44] human personality to Kong which is ridiculous but again Godzilla and Kong both became much more

[00:32:55] cartoons than they've ever been got these movies and that's the part of it I don't like these films

[00:33:02] but or what these films are becoming but I get why they're doing it and so be it

[00:33:09] it's not for me but I try to find a little bit of enjoyment in a few little moments that made me laugh from it the best I could

[00:33:16] well sound yeah it sounds like you had a better time than I slightly better time and believe don't don't I am not going out

[00:33:23] and buying the criterion addition a version of this film I am not planning on showing it to friends and family

[00:33:29] you know I I try to find the good where I can got you and I at least found a few moments of of enjoyment in a two hour movie

[00:33:41] got you had a horrible but yes I I know you dumb is the word that we're kind of tossing around

[00:33:49] it seems to be the way that we're going with this yeah you had you had some dumb fun unfortunately you just had you

[00:33:54] just had dumb it's not as dumb well I again we're more alike than we're not alike sure for sure Godzilla X Kong the new

[00:34:03] empire to recommend anybody see it again if you really stands of the gods what if you loved the last one

[00:34:13] Godzilla versus Kong this one is even dumber and even more mass entertainment

[00:34:22] but if you like the last one you'll probably find enough to like out of this yeah I think this will be look at it

[00:34:28] but if you are don't like where these movies are heading now you're not you're not going to have a good time with it you're not going

[00:34:34] to enjoy it so okay that is that still playing in theaters all over the place yes Chris let's take a quick break

[00:34:41] and when we come back we've got some trailers to share and then we'll end the show with your recommendation

[00:34:46] so stay tuned you're listening to foot candle films here on the mesh dot TV we'll be right back

[00:34:52] this podcast is sponsored by Jackson Creative a custom communication agency located in downtown Hickory North Carolina

[00:35:00] specializing in online content creation to learn more visit the Jackson Creative dot com Jackson Creative

[00:35:09] we tell your story welcome back to foot candle films here on the mesh dot TV podcast network

[00:35:15] we had our our review and our thoughtful in depth discussion of Godzilla X Kong the new empire

[00:35:23] at the first of the show but now let's move on to talking about some trailers maybe trailers we love them and we hate them

[00:35:32] but for these three we want to bring up I think they're all justified that we watch them and that we're trying to get a sense of what these films are going to be like

[00:35:41] we're not looking at them to possibly spoil the film for us we're looking at them to give us they got to do what a trailer is supposed to do

[00:35:48] to give us a little insight as to what to expect if we were to come pluck down our heart and money to come see a ticket get a ticket for this film

[00:35:55] so Chris you brought up a couple and I've got one to share as well let's talk about these three trailers four films coming up first up

[00:36:03] of course you know Chris brought to our attention as he's up to do it is an A24 film but luckily all day 24 films not going to happen

[00:36:13] really good and this year shaping up to have some good releases from them as well so we do have one that is coming up

[00:36:20] this film I don't look at July 2024 is the release date it is the film Sing Sing anything we want to say about this before we watch the trailer

[00:36:31] just want to jump into the trailer here's the trailer for Sing Sing this stars Coleman Domingo

[00:36:38] and let's from studio 824 let's give it a watch to die to sleep to dream this is a clemency hearing for your conviction 25 to life

[00:36:58] since you've been in custody you've been involved in the theater program

[00:37:03] gentlemen let's go it's been a program that was established to help people who more in touch with their feelings

[00:37:11] and it fully gets some rehabilitation

[00:37:13] I am glad to hear the live I am snore to come

[00:37:17] I'm Prince Hamlet who did more and it's turned into something you know wonderful

[00:37:25] what part do you play from time to time I do act like we all do so are you acting at all during this interview

[00:37:35] so somebody that just released into the trailer you don't know they're in this film but I'd forgotten because I'd seen the trailer Paul Racy who is in sound of metal

[00:37:51] yes so he's in it which you know I had that's another person that seeing them in a film I'm like okay you know they're capable of great things like Coleman Domingo

[00:38:00] so how early is it to start filling out Oscar balance to me is that because I feel like or guess yeah yeah show me look this is this has got all the elements that make up based on a true story

[00:38:13] it's a true story inspiring it's you know it's uh it has something to do with kind of the show a little bit of show business a little bit of behind

[00:38:21] theater is healing yeah yeah theater and art is crap as healing it's got all the right it knows what it's doing here it's uh like I'm sure this looks like it's going to be good

[00:38:33] I think sir looks like a good film I just uh yeah but I'm kind of putting a concern out there it is interesting to me

[00:38:43] and I actually it gives me a little hope if this trailer had just come out and we didn't see you mentioned reference several times

[00:38:52] it's a 24 production and let's say they were not involved with it and this trailer come out but oh looks good I'm a little concerned

[00:39:00] it looks like your you know kind of Oscar were you just going for the Oscars kind of stereotypical based on true story

[00:39:08] you can can guess the story arc and everything revealed maybe too much to the trailer like I'd be a lot more

[00:39:14] trepidatious but the fact that it's a 24 I think no not that the heartstrings won't be pulled but I think that they'll

[00:39:23] they'll learn it I guess is what I'm saying I'm giving I think I will admit that I give it a little bit more benefit of the

[00:39:30] doubt that I'm not going to feel overly manipulated so I'm interested to see it I think it coming to mingo

[00:39:36] I you know I think you've so good and he got nominated for Rustin last year but I thought he was better in color purple so yeah well hopefully

[00:39:46] yeah he'll continue to be in the spotlight for something like that is sing-sing that is coming out in July

[00:39:52] in theaters director Greg Quinn Darryl I'm not familiar with I'm not familiar with him anything

[00:39:59] Colman Domingo and Paul Raysy like you mentioned so all right interesting now looks good I had not I was not familiar

[00:40:07] with that one another trailer I'm not familiar with and you brought to my attention that a film is tall you'll

[00:40:15] Kuku anything you want to set up on this one a reason why did you bring this trailer to our attention?

[00:40:21] I will say the reason I brought to our attention which I don't this is a true teaser in all of our

[00:40:26] so you don't it's really just kind of presenting a mood in a sense and not really telling you a lot of what's going on

[00:40:31] but from what I understand one Mr. Dan Stevens is in this film

[00:40:37] you're not playing a giant ape dentist though I don't believe so yeah and this actually

[00:40:43] kind of returns to more of a film where he and I first became aware of him my film you and I watched

[00:40:49] a couple of years ago also directed by Adam Wingard called the guest and that was kind of a thriller type movie

[00:40:55] this movie is I liked right yeah I did too so this he's playing much more of like kind of a return

[00:41:02] I think kind of to the original role he plays in so anyway we'll watch this quick teaser for the film Kuku

[00:41:19] giving you the chance to be a great use in our quest for preservation

[00:41:25] the adolescent needs to be trained

[00:41:41] all right so that was the teaser truly a teaser be sure very sure for the film Kuku

[00:41:47] the plot line on this is a 17 year old girl is forced to move with her family to a resort where things are not what they seem

[00:41:55] so yes Chris so Hunter Schaeffer I think plays the younger person and then apparently at this resort there's a doctor or psychiatrist

[00:42:06] or something and is a creepy type individual that's the person that I think is played by Dan Stevens

[00:42:12] so yeah it's the plate creepy again yeah yeah so all right well I'm not there's a jump scare

[00:42:22] yeah jump scared unlike the creepy face that was shown up yeah this is not my thing so I'll wait to hear more about this

[00:42:30] to see if this is something that warrants attention this film Kuku is directed by Tillman Singer

[00:42:38] and also stars Jessica Hinwick as well as Hunter Schaeffer and Dan Stevens so coming up May 3rd

[00:42:46] coming up pretty soon yeah that is Kuku all right then let's change the tone a little bit Chris

[00:42:54] okay on this one we talked about this film in the news section a while back

[00:43:00] it is the film unfrosted and the reason we brought it up is this because it is directed by a Mr Jerry Seinfeld

[00:43:11] now Jerry Seinfeld has been in a couple of movies I think just animated voices has he actually been an actor in a live action actor in a film

[00:43:21] not that I recall not that I can think of either but he actually is a star in this film as well as the director

[00:43:28] okay so unfrosted is the story about the creation of Kellogg's pop tarts directed and co-written by Mr Seinfeld

[00:43:38] okay it kind of covers the Kellogg's company is competing against post to try to come up with a beloved breakfast pastry

[00:43:48] now anybody who's a big fan of Seinfeld TV show knows it breakfast is kind of his thing cereals breakfast cereals breakfast foods he loves

[00:43:58] so this is kind of obviously a passion project for him to get into

[00:44:04] let's watch the trailer for this this film has a lot of people in it Jerry Seinfeld Melissa McCarthy Jim Gaffigan Hugh Grant

[00:44:12] Amy Schumer are all in this film and let's take a look at it you could probably tell by the people involved

[00:44:20] it is going for a comedy here yeah I would have seen so okay even a little broader comedy than I expected it is comedy for sure

[00:44:28] though let's let's take a look at unfrosted coming to Netflix in May

[00:44:58] now yeah boy it's host they did it I'm about to find uncrushed a big red cave that never stops glaring at me

[00:45:10] well it's like I said broader comedy than well me I guess what was I expecting but yes it's uh what do you think Chris

[00:45:22] you know I don't know what to think the fact that it's based on a true story but is obviously like being so silly

[00:45:30] and out there um yeah I don't I don't know um I guess I might have felt a little more short about it

[00:45:38] it Jerry Seinfeld wasn't in it because you know you write you direct and then putting yourself in there as

[00:45:45] what it appears to be one of the lead people you're like ah maybe you know I don't know but yet it did make

[00:45:51] me laugh a couple of times in the trailer well look it obviously it's it's absolutely not taking

[00:45:57] itself seriously it is going for broad laughs is going for kind of it definitely had a little more of

[00:46:04] a airplane naked gun type of vibe to it yeah just over the top humor just ridiculous zany humor

[00:46:12] which again I'm all for we've haven't really had a good comedy of that nature that can think

[00:46:18] of in a really long time and I wonder if who I cannot imagine I mean Jerry Seinfeld cares a lot of

[00:46:23] weight obviously and has money how they got the rights Kellogg okay I get but post yeah and using

[00:46:32] their logo and I yeah I mean I but I guess money talks and they figure like oh you want to make

[00:46:37] I wonder too if if you remember referencing another film that we reviewed here on the show weird

[00:46:44] that was the weirdo Yanke thing biopic with air quotes yeah that was like it worked for me and I

[00:46:50] really liked it and I wonder if this is going to kind of take a little bit the same slain words like

[00:46:54] okay obviously there is something called a pop tart yeah but as far as a lot of the other stuff

[00:47:00] I think it's definitely going to be an exaggerated story line obviously a big exaggerated story

[00:47:04] right I think I think weird was probably the last one I can think of that was in that zany comedy

[00:47:11] brand that I honestly can't think of another just over the top ridiculous comedy

[00:47:18] since then right I mean I'm probably missing some but not any that really caught on or a lot

[00:47:23] of people saw sure so I'm I'm looking forward to it it's gonna be on Netflix and it's PG 13 so it's

[00:47:31] like he's targeting you know it's like honey but yet you can still watch it with you know kids and

[00:47:35] stuff yeah no it's it's look I think I'm on board plus Hugh Grant's playing the guy who's Tony the

[00:47:41] tiger's voice seriously yeah okay he's playing an actual person a real character I read about this

[00:47:47] that is the person who did the voice for Tony the tiger so that is who he is playing in the movie

[00:47:53] and nice I'm like yeah Hugh Grant man Hugh Grant's getting all the eclectic interesting role

[00:47:58] you got to be an oopalupa to be a new blooper I guess to be Tony the tiger nice it's good

[00:48:04] all right that is unfrosted it is coming to Netflix and it looks like it's going to be May 3rd if

[00:48:09] I yep May 3rd for Netflix unfrosted hey look it's you got Netflix I do it's basically a free move

[00:48:17] so what do you worry about so what happens so got you so that is our trailers we've got sing-sing

[00:48:22] coming to theaters in July we've got kuku coming I don't know where I don't really care

[00:48:31] in May and we got unfrosted coming to Netflix in May as well so okay Chris that sounds interesting

[00:48:39] some good trailers so check out you just wait till years in and kuku will be like your number one

[00:48:44] film I don't really I can't believe I slept on this movie this is so good Chris we come to the point

[00:48:50] the show we've all expected it we're all here I mean I dare say there's probably a lot of people who

[00:48:56] don't even listen they skip ahead to this part of the show or like they look for the time code you're

[00:49:02] like where do I need to skip to to get past Alan Blathering about whatever he's talking about

[00:49:10] I want to hear I want to hear the recommendation I want to hear Chris's film recommendation

[00:49:13] for the episode we have come to that point everybody skipping ahead can now stop their playing and

[00:49:18] play at normal speed and so Chris you have a recommendation of a film that we may want to check out

[00:49:25] what what do you have to share with us today so I did take a break in my bong jim ho like marathon

[00:49:33] that I've been doing to kind of ease the pain of micky 17 not coming out this year I recommend

[00:49:41] barking dogs bite or remember the exact title that one because it's a little odd especially in translation

[00:49:47] but I really like that film is what I'd never seen before so I'm going to recommend another bong jim ho

[00:49:53] film this one from 2009 and it's called mother I'll give you a brief plot description here

[00:50:00] a mother lives quietly with her son one day a girl is brutally killed and the boy is charged with

[00:50:06] the murder now it's his mother's mission to prove him innocent so yeah this film is dark noir

[00:50:16] and in kind of the plot machinations I think I referenced the other one kind of being like a

[00:50:21] Tarantino-esque with like all these different things going on in characters I'm like I know it's

[00:50:26] very different type of film this one is much more like hitchcockin in the way like certain things

[00:50:31] happen you're trying to figure out what happened with this murder and the people involved and it's

[00:50:36] just very stylistic great cinematography but it is it's dark I will warn everyone it's a it's dark

[00:50:46] and the most impressive probably I would say personally plays the mother is Kim Hyja and she

[00:50:55] is just man she's really really really really really good and I'm not familiar with I don't think

[00:50:59] I've ever seen her anything else but she was just really good the guy you play her son

[00:51:04] woman is also he's good there are a lot of good performances but man obviously the movie's titled

[00:51:11] mother so yeah there's a lot to kind of pay attention to but she and the opening there is kind of

[00:51:17] like a book ins nature in a way of her doing like I maybe kind of a traditional kind of dance out

[00:51:25] in this field like I you know like I don't know maybe it's almost Tai Chi or something but it is

[00:51:30] and she's kind of looking at the camera but kind of not and that's how the film kind of opens

[00:51:34] and there's a call back to it later and it's just I know it's just something so unusual

[00:51:40] and mesmerizing that wow yeah so it's available for rental in a lot of different places

[00:51:46] I saw it on the service that I often talk about hoopla um but I think this movie has been in my

[00:51:53] watch list for a really long time so yeah I just the premise and the style of the film that from

[00:51:59] my can pick up on sounds like it's something I could dig so I was I've been looking forward to it

[00:52:05] and it's the whole thing too where you think you know where it's going and they hint at certain things

[00:52:10] and they kind of flip it and yeah so it's it's twist in turns it's it's good I will say be careful

[00:52:15] because there's another film that was like a straight-up horror film that came out that was called

[00:52:19] maybe it was mama instead of mother but this is oh no mama's the one with Octavia Spencer

[00:52:25] okay so yeah this is 2009 mother and not mother with an exclamation. There's another one yeah

[00:52:32] oh Darren Aeronoski's film yeah which I've forgotten not that either. Not a mom of mother related

[00:52:37] films right yeah yeah this is just mother correct Bong Joon Ho 2009 subtitles if you get that

[00:52:45] far you've got the right film okay so good deal good thank you for the recommendation that's great

[00:52:50] just a reassurance to me that I need to catch up on my watch list and that one is on there for sure

[00:52:56] okay Chris well I think we have come to the end of the road for this episode we have

[00:53:01] done our battle on Godzilla X Kong the new empire yes both of us coming out a little bloodied

[00:53:09] by the effort but then we showed our trailers and we talked about the

[00:53:14] films coming out sing-sing kuku and unfrosted all coming out in the next few months

[00:53:21] and then we had our recommendation from Chris of mother Bong Joon Ho's mother as a something to

[00:53:27] check out so Chris we do we are getting into this wind springtime we got one more season to get

[00:53:34] through before we get to our season which will be the fall for our film festivals tell us tell

[00:53:40] us a little bit about the film festival and then you can tell us how people can get hold of us so

[00:53:44] so this year will be our tenth year of holding a film festival it'll be September 20th through the 28th

[00:53:52] we've got a lot of fun things planned we're gonna do an outdoor screening of a film paired with a

[00:53:57] band plans and music that will coincide with the film it's called our stage and screen event

[00:54:01] we're having that again this year we're gonna have two different instances of the children's film

[00:54:06] that we try to do like blocks of films for younger children we're gonna do that on one day during

[00:54:12] the week and then we're also gonna have it as a Saturday morning type event for younger children

[00:54:16] and that's a free event the children's films are a free event so we hope you will plan to come out

[00:54:23] we're also doing our normal short film showcase with a reception and doing screenings of narrative

[00:54:30] films and documentaries just a lot of fun stuff so we hope you come check it out again September 20th

[00:54:36] through the 28th that's right information will be coming out in more more volume of this

[00:54:41] information about the festival and probably July-ish timeframe sure we're looking at so that's

[00:54:47] definitely stay tuned for all of that and then if people want to reach out to us people loved

[00:54:52] uh godzilla x-con and we're seeing its praises and maybe we missed something that was a lot more

[00:54:59] a lot more important a lot more in depth about the film that we didn't get into how can they

[00:55:03] how can they talk with us about anything you want to tell us just simply to lighten up I guess

[00:55:07] specifically me yeah you can't seem to have fun send an email to info at footcandle.org you can

[00:55:14] follow us on twitter at footcandlefilm facebook footcandlefilm society or instagram threads or on

[00:55:19] their simply as footcandlefilm Alan and I are also on letterbox where we try to see what we're

[00:55:24] track what we're seeing or leave quick takes do us a favor if you like the show consider giving

[00:55:29] us a star rating writer review share with friends whatever service you receive your favorite

[00:55:33] podcasts on because it'll help us reach new listeners and we'd appreciate that all right

[00:55:38] thanks everybody for listening and we'll look forward to talking nearby next time we get together

[00:55:42] take care see you in the ticket line

[00:55:59] the films that don't make it to call my god the wall

[00:56:05] or ones that were famous when ground floor watch films out of the reverence of the heritage of an

[00:56:14] hard new watch films through the courtesy of footcandlefilm society

[00:56:23] special thanks to carpal taller for the show theme music for more about carpal taller visit

[00:56:30] www.carpaltaller.com

[00:56:36] you've been listening to the mesh an online media network of shows and programs

[00:56:41] ranging from business to arts sports to entertainment music to community all programs are available

[00:56:48] on the website as well as through iTunes and YouTube check us out online at themesh.tv

[00:56:55] discover other network shows and give us feedback on what you just heard

[00:57:09] you've been listening to the mesh an online media network of shows and programs

[00:57:13] ranging from business to arts sports to entertainment music to community all programs are available

[00:57:20] on the website as well as through iTunes and YouTube check us out online at themesh.tv

[00:57:27] discover other network shows and give us feedback on what you just heard