Joker: Folie à Deux

[00:00:02] What you want, when you want it, where you want it. This is The MESH.

[00:00:10] Footcandle Films. Film news and reviews from two guys who really like movies.

[00:00:17] This episode is brought to you by the Footcandle Film Society.

[00:00:21] For a schedule of upcoming screenings and membership information, visit the Society's website at www.footcandle.org.

[00:00:33] Hello and welcome to Footcandle Films here on the MESH.TV Podcast Network.

[00:00:38] My name is Alan Jackson. With me at the table is Chris Fry.

[00:00:42] We are with the Footcandle Film Society and the annual Footcandle Film Festival, which...

[00:00:48] Did that happen, Chris? We did have a festival this year, right?

[00:00:52] We did. It was our 10th festival. So it was going to be memorable anyway, just because we've been doing it for 10 years.

[00:00:59] Yeah.

[00:00:59] And we had a lot of filmmakers come into town and it was a good festival.

[00:01:04] We also, at the same time as people listening to this podcast are probably aware, we are in Western North Carolina and we had Hurricane Helene hit Western North Carolina.

[00:01:14] Thankfully, where we were in Hickory, we had some trees down, we had loss of power, but it was nowhere near the devastation that has hit west of us.

[00:01:24] So we were very, very fortunate.

[00:01:26] It did put a, unfortunately, a bad twist on the whole festival weekend.

[00:01:32] It did make it a little more challenging. And obviously, we were, our thoughts were kind of everywhere else outside of the theater where we were holding the festival.

[00:01:39] But we still managed to hold all of our film screenings.

[00:01:43] We still had a good time, despite the challenges I think we were all facing around in the area.

[00:01:48] So, and I've had more than one attendees say that they were thankful that we were able to kind of have the festival because it provided a needed distraction from things going.

[00:01:58] And some people that didn't have power actually came here and charged their phones in the lobby while they went in and watched the movie.

[00:02:04] So they were thankful for that.

[00:02:05] We were happy to be a little bit of a resource there, but overall, it was a good festival weekend.

[00:02:09] Thank you to anybody who came out and attended and supported the festival this year.

[00:02:13] It was really, really great.

[00:02:15] But it also meant we took a little bit of time off.

[00:02:18] We had like a week or so downtime or a couple weeks downtime from the podcast.

[00:02:23] We had been so focused on festival films that now this past week, we've actually kind of got back into checking out some newer films and some films at the multiplex here.

[00:02:33] So that's what we're going to jump into back with our reviews starting this week.

[00:02:37] We do have a review of the latest film.

[00:02:41] I don't even call it a comic book movie at this point.

[00:02:44] It's the latest, whatever it's, it's the Joker movie.

[00:02:47] Okay.

[00:02:47] The sequel to the Joker movie.

[00:02:48] The sequel to the Joker movie.

[00:02:49] Fair enough.

[00:02:50] Can't even say it's a DC movie, whatever, because it really has no bearing to that whatsoever on most anymore.

[00:02:56] Anyway, it's a Joker movie.

[00:02:57] It is the latest one, the Joker Folly Adieu with, of course, directed by Todd Phillips and starring Joaquin Phoenix and Lady Gaga.

[00:03:05] So we'll be reviewing that film here in just a moment.

[00:03:09] Then we're going to move into some trailers to tease two trailers.

[00:03:13] I don't believe Chris Fry has seen that.

[00:03:16] I'm excited to show you for two very interesting films.

[00:03:20] Okay.

[00:03:20] Yes.

[00:03:21] Interesting films.

[00:03:22] I'll set up both those films for you when I show you the trailers a little bit later in the episode and get your feedback on them.

[00:03:28] And then we're going to turn it over to Chris.

[00:03:31] Chris normally will give us a recommendation, which kind of make that a little segment of the show to give us a recommendation.

[00:03:37] It is going to be a recommendation.

[00:03:39] Chris, is that fair to say this week or right?

[00:03:42] Right.

[00:03:42] It's it's these are this recommendation will be one that like back when you and I would both give one.

[00:03:47] Sometimes you would say, like, I think this is something people may want to check out with thing like with some caveats.

[00:03:52] That's kind of what mine will definitely have some caveats.

[00:03:55] So caveats.

[00:03:56] We're going to tease you.

[00:03:57] It's a movie that's in the movie theaters now and it's gotten a lot of attention.

[00:04:02] Maybe not all good or bad.

[00:04:05] We'll see.

[00:04:06] We'll see where it goes.

[00:04:07] Anyway, that's a lot of teasing.

[00:04:08] I've just done for the rest of the episode.

[00:04:10] Chris teasing some movie trailers teasing Chris's take on a currently released movie that he wants to talk about all that's to come.

[00:04:17] But first, we've got to get into our main review, Chris, and it is the sequel to the big blockbuster hit from a few years ago.

[00:04:26] Joker director Todd Phillips directing Joaquin Phoenix in that quote comic book adaptation.

[00:04:32] But now he's got a sequel to that.

[00:04:35] And let's talk about that film, Joker Fale Adieu.

[00:04:42] Two years ago, the name Arthur Fleck had Gotham like a hurricane.

[00:04:46] The trial of the century.

[00:04:47] They believe Arthur Fleck to be some kind of martyr.

[00:04:53] Well, he's not.

[00:04:56] There's a monster.

[00:04:58] When you're smiling.

[00:05:04] When I first saw Joker.

[00:05:09] When it was announced that the title to writer-director Todd Phillips' follow-up to 2019's Joker was Joker, colon, Fale Adieu, which translates from the French as Madness of Two.

[00:05:22] Speculation immediately began to swirl that this would mean the addition of Harley Quinn to the film.

[00:05:27] This was confirmed shortly thereafter, and the announcement of Lady Gaga as the character of Lee Quinzel, who in the comics is kind of the criminal percent of the aforementioned Harley Quinn.

[00:05:37] So that was also announced.

[00:05:40] And then completing a triumvirate of like early buzzy news tidbits that kind of came out right in a row was that this was going to be a musical of sorts, which set light onto like the reasoning of Gaga's casting.

[00:05:54] When we discussed these announcements on a previous podcast, we talked about how this was an interesting direction for the sequel.

[00:06:01] And we're curious what Phillips and company would have in store for us.

[00:06:05] Having now seen the film, Alan, what was your experience with this sequel?

[00:06:15] I'm still not quite of a solid mind of where I am on this film, but I'll give you all my thoughts.

[00:06:22] Sure.

[00:06:23] Let's do it.

[00:06:23] Um, cause I'm not coming out and saying I hated this film, but I absolutely did not like this film.

[00:06:31] Okay.

[00:06:32] I think there are things here that are admirable.

[00:06:34] I think there are moments in this film that I really appreciated.

[00:06:38] Mm hmm.

[00:06:39] There's selected performances.

[00:06:41] I thought were really good.

[00:06:42] Okay.

[00:06:43] But everything I just said, I can also reverse and say there were also performances that didn't work for me.

[00:06:50] There were parts of the story that made no difference to me whatsoever there.

[00:06:55] Uh, I felt like in a way this movie is just, it was a lot of, uh, the whole movie.

[00:07:02] It seemed like to me is trying to be a commentary on the first movie and it spent so much energy

[00:07:10] dwelling on that first movie and what happened in the first movie that nothing substantial happened

[00:07:17] in this movie to move anything forward.

[00:07:20] Okay.

[00:07:22] There are some moments I will call out and some things I do think were, were interesting and I think made this possibly worth a watch.

[00:07:30] But overall, I felt like this was a, a big mess of a movie.

[00:07:34] It just, it did not hit where it needed to hit.

[00:07:37] But I think the musical side of it was well intentioned and had a couple of moments of interesting, uh, where it kind of shown.

[00:07:49] But for the most part, I think the whole musical motif was really flat and didn't work.

[00:07:53] And I think actually was a distraction from the movie and actually made the movie worse.

[00:07:59] So that is where I am with this movie.

[00:08:01] I'm curious to hear your thoughts.

[00:08:03] Like I said, uh, my thoughts are not completely fully formed because every time I think about this movie, I have different opinions that come into my head.

[00:08:10] So that's where I am though.

[00:08:11] I'm mostly on the downside of this film.

[00:08:14] Although I do think there are some moments and interesting ideas expressed here that I, I want to give them credit for at least exploring and trying.

[00:08:22] So there we go.

[00:08:23] So it sounds like you and I are pretty similar where we are.

[00:08:25] Um, I admire the swing the film took to take what is essentially a dreary courtroom drama and turn into a musical, um, or have musical moments allowing for escapes from reality.

[00:08:39] My problem with it and why I was ultimately underwhelmed with the film is it sounds like you were.

[00:08:45] Whereas does, because of this, the trial that we're sitting in retreads the same beats as the first film recounting as trials would the crimes of Arthur Fleck.

[00:08:58] But that's not interesting because have you seen the first film, which if you haven't, I don't know why you would see this as a standalone.

[00:09:04] I don't think it would really.

[00:09:06] No, this movie absolutely does not work as a standalone film.

[00:09:09] You have to have known the concept of the first movie to get anything.

[00:09:13] Right.

[00:09:13] But as a, you know, as a sequel, it's like you, they were accounting event by then you're sitting there like, yes, I remember that.

[00:09:20] So then you're thinking, okay, the musical escapes because Arthur is struggling with a dual identity of this Joker.

[00:09:28] And that's kind of a theme with them.

[00:09:29] Um, because of that, you're thinking, okay, these are going to be instances where it's really going to jump out and there'll be these fantastical instances.

[00:09:37] And that'll be kind of a break.

[00:09:39] And that's what I thought going in.

[00:09:41] And I think that would have helped me be more engaged with the movie, but instead, no, a lot of times it was returning to the, or sometimes it was returning to that talk show set that they had from the first film.

[00:09:54] So we've already seen it.

[00:09:55] We've already seen that setup.

[00:09:56] And so I was like, okay, you know, it kind of, I, it just, there was enough there.

[00:10:03] And I thought it was a missed opportunity.

[00:10:04] And I kind of agree with you where I thought that was going to be something they could really take advantage of.

[00:10:10] And it really seemed like a dynamic and good idea.

[00:10:14] Instead, just kind of fell flat.

[00:10:16] I felt like the musical performances, save one, grounded this movie to a halt to where I just felt like, and look, I, I like musicals.

[00:10:25] Yeah.

[00:10:26] I like musicals.

[00:10:26] And so do I.

[00:10:27] But at least, for me, at least it was, even though, yeah, they kind of fell flat, at least it wasn't telling me the plot points from the first movie.

[00:10:34] No, but I mean, but it kind of woke me up a little bit.

[00:10:36] But what were the musical sequences even doing after a while?

[00:10:38] It's like, I couldn't even tell you.

[00:10:40] The songs are all very similar.

[00:10:42] Yeah.

[00:10:42] The staging was all very similar.

[00:10:44] It all just seemed to be, I couldn't even tell you.

[00:10:47] I couldn't even tell you what the musical sequences were.

[00:10:49] So save one, I thought there was one musical sequence that takes place in the courtroom late in the film.

[00:10:56] Okay.

[00:10:57] Where there are some moments where the character, Arthur.

[00:11:01] Yeah.

[00:11:02] Kind of actually acts out and there's some action involved in the sequence.

[00:11:08] And it like, it meant something.

[00:11:09] Okay.

[00:11:09] This song, I get.

[00:11:11] All right.

[00:11:11] We're seeing a break.

[00:11:12] He's now embracing a part of his personality.

[00:11:15] And this is like what this song is representing.

[00:11:17] And that was good.

[00:11:19] And I felt like the movie had a little bit of energy at that point.

[00:11:22] I'm like, okay, if they can kind of carry this through to the end, we're good.

[00:11:24] And they didn't.

[00:11:25] So, but all the other musical sequences, honestly, it, I just felt like the movie just ground to a kind of a halt and it just didn't do anything going forward.

[00:11:36] I wanted them to desperately get back to non-musical sequences every time a musical sequence was on the screen because it just didn't add.

[00:11:43] It wasn't furthering the plot.

[00:11:45] And this is not me saying I don't like musicals because I do.

[00:11:48] I love musical sequences.

[00:11:49] I think it's great when a film can embrace those musical elements and make that part of the story and make everything move forward.

[00:11:56] This had no interest in doing that.

[00:11:58] So, so yeah, that was the big disappointment for me because I thought the concept was so intriguing that I just, it just fell so flat.

[00:12:08] Disappointingly.

[00:12:09] So tell me, what were your thoughts on performances?

[00:12:14] Cause this is the big thing that, you know, people I saw this film with kind of want to talk about.

[00:12:18] I think a lot of people are drawn to Joaquin Phoenix's performance of Arthur slash Joker.

[00:12:24] I mean, obviously he won an award for it, you know, in the first film.

[00:12:28] Sure.

[00:12:28] And then you introduced Lady Gaga as a character, a new character, kind of second equal billing, a lot of promotional work for this film.

[00:12:36] What's your takeaway on their two performances?

[00:12:38] Cause it kind of, you have to buy into these performances, I think for the film to work.

[00:12:43] So, so yeah, I mean, Joaquin Phoenix, he's talented and there wasn't necessarily anything new for me with the character, but I didn't expect there to be.

[00:12:56] Um, and I, I thought there were, I thought he did an okay job.

[00:13:00] I'm, I'm, I'm curious.

[00:13:02] And I know he did this for the first film and, but whether there was any, um, digital adjustments or whatever, you know, they show how emaciated it is from his back early on in the film, which the, you know, they did with him in the first film.

[00:13:17] And I understand he lost a lot of weight and everything.

[00:13:18] I was just like, okay, so has he done all this stuff again?

[00:13:21] Or, you know, I didn't know.

[00:13:22] So yeah, he obviously actor that just discards all, uh, a care for his appearance.

[00:13:28] Cause his hair is just scraggling.

[00:13:30] He just, he looks rough, which, you know, having been in Arkham mental hospital, you would understand why he would be that way.

[00:13:36] So I thought I, I, his performance didn't stand out, but that's because I've already spent two hours with him previously.

[00:13:45] I'm kind of with you on that.

[00:13:46] I think his performance was really good, but it was all just more of the same.

[00:13:49] It was like, okay, I've already perfected this character in the first movie.

[00:13:53] I'm just, he's just kind of hitting the repeat button again.

[00:13:56] I didn't feel like there was any forward movement in the character and I didn't feel like his acting did anything to move the character forward.

[00:14:04] But I mean, it was still engaging to watch as it was.

[00:14:07] So I'll say, I'll say agree with a, but, and I'll, I'll tell you what I'll kind of get to with addressing Lady Gaga.

[00:14:17] Um, I, you know, I, I liked her character as a leak when's out.

[00:14:22] I liked it.

[00:14:23] Um, I wish I could have had more progression or story with it as opposed to just going back and having her sit in the courtroom and us sit in the courtroom with her and watching events from the first movie, which I already talked about.

[00:14:37] Um, I thought specifically, let me, let me shift to some positives.

[00:14:43] I liked her performance.

[00:14:45] I thought she was, I thought she was good.

[00:14:48] Um, and of course we all know she can sing.

[00:14:50] So, you know, that was not a surprise.

[00:14:54] If I'm going to call out some moments that I liked about this film, they both kind of center around her and having been familiar with her character from the comic books,

[00:15:10] there's a relationship that is set up between her and Joker, you know, between Harley Quinn and Joker specifically that I was, and it was kind of, it surprised me a little bit where things went.

[00:15:24] And I liked, I liked that.

[00:15:27] Um, and I was surprised at how there's a, uh, there's a staircase moment, let's say that's later in the film, kind of one of the final scenes of the film.

[00:15:37] Um, and there's some dialogue between her and I was like, huh, that's kind of turning a certain relationship a little bit on its head that I thought was interesting.

[00:15:46] So I liked that.

[00:15:47] Um, and then you don't learn a whole lot about her, which I guess in some ways is good because it keeps a little bit of who she is and why she's doing what she's doing in the shadows, which I thought was good.

[00:15:58] Now talking about walking Phoenix and saying for the most part, not that he did a bad job, but nothing really stuck out to me as him.

[00:16:07] Like, you know, Oh, he's doing an amazing job just because I'd already seen his performance for two hours as Arthur Fleck and the Joker before.

[00:16:13] With the butt that I said, I was going to mention with the exception of, uh, he has a, his closing statement and the delivery of that closing statement in the trial court case was not what I was expecting.

[00:16:29] Yeah. And I was like, okay. And that, and, and I, I, I thought it was an interesting moment and thought it was, yeah, thought it was good.

[00:16:38] So I'll say this. I do, I do think the ending of this film and by the ending, I'm saying his, uh, final closing arguments in the courtroom, the staircase, uh, at the top of the stairwell scene.

[00:16:53] And even the very, very final sequence inside the prison. Sure. I thought we're all really good. And actually I really kind of, I mean, I wish the rest of the film had matched, had matched that last 15 minutes.

[00:17:06] Gotcha. Because I think there was really good things happening in that last sequences to the point where I was almost regretful watching it, but like, Oh, I can't believe we had two hours of a movie.

[00:17:17] I don't feel like did anything. And then we get those last 15 minutes. I'm like, okay, this is the good stuff.

[00:17:21] I wanted more of this. This is what we needed to explore more. And, uh, yeah, so it was a little disappointing, uh, to get to the end and see some really interesting things get thrown up on the screen and some ideas to talk about and some character developments finally happened.

[00:17:37] And it's just, wow. I just felt like we just spun our wheels for two hours to get to these scenes and it just didn't work. So, um, I will, I'm, I'm of a differing mind with you on Lady Gaga.

[00:17:49] Okay. I don't think she was good.

[00:17:50] Oh, really? No, I didn't like her performance. I actually think it was a problem. The fact that she is a really good singer, I think actually was bad for this film because there was something about the fact that Arthur Fleck is not a good singer, but yeah, he's doing these musical scenes and it's like this musical issues.

[00:18:10] It's almost like you put in a really polished, really good performer with him and you're meant to believe that this is him fantasizing or having these visions of these musical scenes in his head.

[00:18:24] And it's just, you know, to kind of pair him with someone that you know is a good singer and that like, it didn't, it didn't work for me.

[00:18:31] I think it would have been so much more effective if the actress had been somebody relatively unknown or somebody like not the big stage presence that Lady Gaga has.

[00:18:40] And someone who didn't have a excellent singing voice and a great singer.

[00:18:44] I think it would have just made those sequences feel more real.

[00:18:49] But as it was the whole time, it's like, well, yeah, it's Lady Gaga. I expect her to sing good and she's singing good.

[00:18:55] I probably wouldn't care if I thought her performance was better, but I just, I don't.

[00:18:59] And I'm not a, I'm a fan of her work. I think she's really great in A Star Is Born.

[00:19:04] I even think even though I didn't like the movie, she was really good in that House of Gucci movie.

[00:19:08] But here, I just, I didn't buy it. I didn't, I didn't, I don't think her performance matched up with what the rest of the film was trying to do.

[00:19:17] I'll push back a little bit on that.

[00:19:21] I feel like the relationship, which that we don't get enough of that.

[00:19:24] We get, we've already talked about that, but the real, you know, about House courtroom drama and not the relationship, but the relationship between Arthur and Lee is what is interesting about the film.

[00:19:35] And it is more, I thought it was going to be a one way street going from Joker, going from Arthur to Lee.

[00:19:45] But instead it becomes much more, which was a surprise, kind of a shift of power dynamics and who's doing what from Lee to Arthur.

[00:19:55] And for me, it kind of worked.

[00:19:58] What you're describing didn't work for you, which I hear what you're saying.

[00:20:01] I understand.

[00:20:01] But for me, it kind of worked because he had this image of who she was and what she was doing.

[00:20:08] And she also idolizing him because of his nefarious, notorious deeds he did in the first film that are recounted in this film.

[00:20:17] But then he has this image of her and it's kind of like creating who he thinks.

[00:20:22] So like in the musical numbers where she's like perfect.

[00:20:25] And so like that's a little bit in his head.

[00:20:27] That kind of worked for me.

[00:20:28] Not that they, we've already described how they kind of fell flat, but when they kind of were working a little bit was because of the image of her that he was building in his head.

[00:20:36] So, and even you just summarizing kind of the, the, the, the whole theme of the movie was more interesting than the first hour and 45 minutes of this film.

[00:20:48] And again, I get it.

[00:20:49] As I look retrospectively back on what the film was trying to do, I'm like, okay, yeah, I get the story.

[00:20:54] I get the idea.

[00:20:56] But man, it's just, you really took your sweet time to get around to it.

[00:21:00] And, and he didn't do it in a very interesting way to where I just found myself bored, which I never would have thought I would have been in this movie.

[00:21:08] But I did think the first hour and a half were boring.

[00:21:11] I mean, it just got tedious and it got repetitive and it got, you know, let's just dwell back on the first movie and let's just recant that stuff.

[00:21:19] And let's break into a song and dance number that has, in my opinion, nothing to do with what's going on, but just something to do.

[00:21:26] It was, it just, it didn't work.

[00:21:29] To kind of wake the audience up.

[00:21:31] Yeah.

[00:21:32] It didn't work.

[00:21:32] It didn't work.

[00:21:34] So are you surprised, which I think I know the answer.

[00:21:37] Are you surprised with, I guess, in general, the audience reactions?

[00:21:42] This movie has come out.

[00:21:43] We've seen like opening weekend and stuff.

[00:21:45] And in general, audience feelings on the film are negative.

[00:21:49] Yeah.

[00:21:50] After seeing it, no, I totally understand where the audience is.

[00:21:53] I mean, look, it, you know, it's not like the first Joker movie was a quote superhero movie.

[00:21:59] Right.

[00:22:00] We get it.

[00:22:00] That is true.

[00:22:01] Or a comic book movie.

[00:22:01] It wasn't.

[00:22:03] But it had enough intrigue where you wanted to, you wanted to follow this character.

[00:22:08] And then it going, I mean, look, the movie, the first movie had a lot more violence.

[00:22:13] Yes.

[00:22:14] It was a lot more violent.

[00:22:14] It was a much darker movie.

[00:22:16] I feel like it had a lot.

[00:22:19] And there's a, that's part of the reason why some people didn't like it also too, is it

[00:22:23] would just kind of dwelled on the darkness and dwelled on the psychosis of this character.

[00:22:27] But at least audiences for the most part seem to be really wrapped up in that.

[00:22:31] This movie, again, just didn't seem interested in really hardly any of that.

[00:22:35] And it's also the least, I mean, not to say that the movie has to have an action sequence

[00:22:41] or whatever, but there's really no action to speak of, which again, audiences do want

[00:22:49] to have a little bit of that.

[00:22:50] If they're going to see a Joker movie, they're wanting to see something happen.

[00:22:54] Not like we got to have calls out to Batman or whatever, but it's like, see the Joker

[00:22:58] be the Joker.

[00:22:59] And we don't really in this movie.

[00:23:02] I mean, it's really just Arthur Fleck in a prison or a courtroom.

[00:23:06] Walking around looking depressed, which you understand.

[00:23:09] And even in the musical scenes where you think maybe that's the time we're going to see the

[00:23:13] Joker, you don't really either there except for that one, that one song late in the courtroom.

[00:23:18] That's the only time you really see a flourish of that.

[00:23:20] So I think audiences are just bored with it.

[00:23:23] I think audiences are just let down and bored and I get it.

[00:23:26] I totally do.

[00:23:27] I think there was more to the film than a lot of audiences are looking for.

[00:23:31] We're looking for, I think there's a little bit more there of interest.

[00:23:35] And I do think it's a, it's a beautifully shot film.

[00:23:38] I think it looked really good.

[00:23:40] Production quality was really good.

[00:23:41] I still enjoy watching Joaquin Phoenix play this part, but yeah, there wasn't much else

[00:23:47] for an audience there.

[00:23:48] So I totally get the reactions.

[00:23:50] Sure.

[00:23:51] Totally do.

[00:23:51] I'm actually surprised there may be not even more negative because there are some people

[00:23:56] championing this film out there, you know, in some corners of the internet.

[00:24:00] So sure.

[00:24:00] Yeah.

[00:24:02] Let's see.

[00:24:03] I'm looking through my notes.

[00:24:05] Was there something else I wanted to say about this?

[00:24:07] No.

[00:24:09] Yeah.

[00:24:09] I wanted to point out the two, the two positives, which were, you know, the closing statement

[00:24:15] by Arthur Fleck and then the, the staircase moment that Arthur and, or yeah, they have

[00:24:21] Arthur and Lee have towards the end of the film.

[00:24:23] I thought that was interesting.

[00:24:24] So, and I, I, I guess a touch too, which I'd have to, I'm pretty sure this is where I thought

[00:24:33] some of the final scene, like they hint at in the first film that he is kind of a, he's

[00:24:40] like a match that has lit this fuse and that his frustration is spreading and kind of where

[00:24:48] the final scene, it looks like, you know, this may be the final Joaquin Phoenix Joker film,

[00:24:55] but that the spreading of the Joker mentality could continue, which actually was a theme

[00:25:02] that kind of came out of the Gotham TV show a little bit.

[00:25:05] He was like an inspiration and then he basically started kind of a cult, which I think has been

[00:25:10] a thing in the comic books too, maybe like the cult of Joker.

[00:25:13] So I thought, you know, I guess that's kind of a nod that comic book fans could appreciate.

[00:25:19] There is a little bit of that.

[00:25:20] Although I will say on that note, I thought the film woefully underused, utilized the idea

[00:25:25] that he had inspired all these people.

[00:25:27] We see a couple of times the, your typical courtroom shot in front of the courtroom steps and you

[00:25:32] see a little mob of people.

[00:25:34] And then there's one scene where we actually have Arthur interacting with a couple of his

[00:25:38] devotees late in the film.

[00:25:40] Other than that, you don't really get the impression that he really caught up.

[00:25:43] As much of this fervor as like the first film was kind of building to at the end.

[00:25:48] So that was a little bit of a letdown too.

[00:25:50] It's like, all right, we're being told that, oh yeah, he's inspired all these people and

[00:25:53] all that, but we don't really see it.

[00:25:55] I don't really get a sense of it except there's one moment towards the end where we do kind

[00:25:59] of understand that there's, there's forces outside the courtroom clamoring for him.

[00:26:04] But yeah, well, just another miss there.

[00:26:07] I just, I felt like it just didn't really tap into that like it should.

[00:26:10] But, but, but you're right on that last little, that last little tease bug, whatever you want

[00:26:16] to say.

[00:26:17] The way the last shot ends.

[00:26:19] Yes.

[00:26:20] I have read that there are plenty of comic book fans online who are saying, okay, well,

[00:26:24] that is a, that is showing what is going to happen after this movie type of thing.

[00:26:29] Like, uh, which I think I remember, I think, correct me if I'm wrong.

[00:26:34] When the first film, maybe even before it was came out, they were saying this is, which

[00:26:39] is explains a little bit of how it's not really a comic book movie.

[00:26:43] They're like, no, this is a standalone movie.

[00:26:45] And they kind of hinted at first, of course, before it was released.

[00:26:48] Yeah.

[00:26:48] I think like, no, this is a, this is kind of a one and done thing.

[00:26:52] That's the way it was pitched.

[00:26:53] But then of course, after it came out and there's a ton of money, they made a second

[00:26:59] movie.

[00:27:00] But I would think, I mean, I guess if this doesn't make a ton of money, they definitely

[00:27:04] won't make a third movie.

[00:27:05] No, I think we're pretty much done with this no matter what, not only from the story that

[00:27:09] we saw, but also just financially successfully.

[00:27:12] All right.

[00:27:12] One last theory.

[00:27:13] I'm just going to drop out there that I've heard people say online after watching the

[00:27:17] movie two nights ago, I did my little reading up to see.

[00:27:20] Excellent.

[00:27:21] Cause I don't like going in with any notes beforehand, but after I've seen the film,

[00:27:25] I'm like, sure, I'm going to read some things people write.

[00:27:27] And, uh, there are some theories out there that Todd Phillips, the director intentionally

[00:27:33] is kind of torpedoing this film the way he made it.

[00:27:37] That's a theory out there.

[00:27:39] People are saying that he did not want to make a sequel to Joker, but there's so much

[00:27:42] money.

[00:27:43] He had so much pressure.

[00:27:44] Okay.

[00:27:44] He didn't want to do it supposedly.

[00:27:47] Okay.

[00:27:47] So he said, well, if we're going to make one, I'm going to make it.

[00:27:50] It's going to be completely what people are not wanting.

[00:27:53] It's going to be completely like, I'm going to dismantle the first movie.

[00:27:56] I'm going to, yeah, I'm going to make it a musical for no reason other than just to

[00:28:00] say I made it a musical.

[00:28:02] That actually endears me to the film a little bit more.

[00:28:05] Actually, if I hear that and then believe that now I don't necessarily believe that

[00:28:08] because I, I do feel like any artist, I'm sorry.

[00:28:12] If you sign on to take a project and you do it for money, I don't, I have a hard time

[00:28:16] believing that somebody is going to intentionally try to quote sabotage a movie just to make

[00:28:21] a point.

[00:28:21] Yeah.

[00:28:21] Do kind of like a Mel Brooks producers type thing.

[00:28:24] Yeah.

[00:28:24] I, I don't buy that, but in a, in an alternative universe, maybe that's the truth.

[00:28:29] And I can have a little more respect for the film to think, okay, yeah, this is all intentional.

[00:28:33] We want to kind of piss audiences off.

[00:28:35] We want to like, just give them exactly what they're not wanting out of this and to kind

[00:28:40] of do it in a, in a devilish way.

[00:28:43] Yeah.

[00:28:44] Be, be a pro.

[00:28:45] I don't, never met Todd Phillips, believe it or not.

[00:28:47] Yeah.

[00:28:47] And if it, if his goal is to be like a provocateur, I think he did that with the first film.

[00:28:56] Yes.

[00:28:56] I think the first film was absolutely that.

[00:28:58] And then he was like, and he maybe, maybe what you, he never had an intention, didn't

[00:29:00] want to do it.

[00:29:01] And then it was like, okay, fine.

[00:29:03] You want a second film?

[00:29:04] I'll do a second film.

[00:29:05] But they, again, being a provocateur, like, okay, and it is going to be, it's going to

[00:29:10] be the film I want to make.

[00:29:12] And it's going to be nothing like the first one.

[00:29:13] Yeah.

[00:29:14] He, he did it.

[00:29:15] And I'll say like, I don't understand.

[00:29:18] And yeah, he wants to be, I get it from his artist perspective, but from like a studio

[00:29:22] perspective or anything, like, I don't know who the audience is for this film because

[00:29:27] if it's not the people who really enjoyed the first one made it one of the top 10 films

[00:29:31] of the year, I think that year got him an Oscar nomination.

[00:29:34] It was huge.

[00:29:34] It was like a billion dollars.

[00:29:35] So if you really liked the first film, I don't think you're going to like this.

[00:29:40] No, I actually, I honestly don't think you will.

[00:29:43] And so, yeah.

[00:29:44] Yeah.

[00:29:44] So there's something to that argument.

[00:29:47] I don't know.

[00:29:47] And I remember I was, when we reviewed the film, you liked the first film.

[00:29:51] I did.

[00:29:51] And I appreciate it, but there were certain aspects of it that kind of nagged at me a

[00:29:55] little bit.

[00:29:56] And it's interesting.

[00:29:57] I think I'm kind of on the same level with this one.

[00:30:00] It's like, I probably liked it a little less just because of how we've talked about it.

[00:30:05] It reiterates the beats and everything, but I can't help but admire it a little bit for

[00:30:10] kind of what it did.

[00:30:11] Well, that's how, and that's how I started out this whole thing.

[00:30:13] There are moments and aspects of this thing.

[00:30:15] I admire.

[00:30:15] I mean, I didn't even mention something I thought was actually very admirable.

[00:30:19] Okay.

[00:30:20] The opening.

[00:30:20] Oh yeah.

[00:30:21] We completely skipped that.

[00:30:23] Yeah.

[00:30:23] The opening of the film.

[00:30:24] Should we, I guess don't give detail.

[00:30:27] It's a cartoon.

[00:30:28] It's a cartoon.

[00:30:29] It's a Warner Brothers cartoon.

[00:30:31] Warner Brothers old style cartoon format that starts off the film.

[00:30:35] And as soon as that started playing and I realized what they were doing, I'm like, oh,

[00:30:39] right.

[00:30:39] Like, okay, let's do this.

[00:30:42] I'm on board.

[00:30:43] Let's, let's go.

[00:30:44] And unfortunately the film just never quite matched that.

[00:30:48] It doesn't really live up to that.

[00:30:49] No, for the next hour and a half.

[00:30:51] It kind of foreshadows kind of what the whole thing of the film is going to be.

[00:30:54] Cause it's, I think it's called me and my shadow.

[00:30:56] Yeah.

[00:30:57] And yeah, I was just like, okay.

[00:30:59] You know, so it totally said, honestly, I got admirable for that too.

[00:31:03] Yes.

[00:31:03] Thank you for bringing that up.

[00:31:04] Here's the thing.

[00:31:10] And I'm going to put the notes of the film, cut it down to just the key beats and then

[00:31:15] give me that fat, that final 15, 20 minutes.

[00:31:17] That is an interesting movie.

[00:31:19] That is an interesting character study.

[00:31:21] That is something interesting.

[00:31:22] I think the problem is it became a two app, two plus hours of regurgitation of old things

[00:31:28] and dwelling on the same beats over and over again.

[00:31:32] And I'm tying it in the musical pieces that I don't feel like worked.

[00:31:35] It's like, if you weren't going to go full on musical, then just don't bother in a way.

[00:31:42] And I feel like that's, I really wish it had not.

[00:31:44] I really wish they had honed in on one musical piece, one song.

[00:31:50] And if they'd hone in and put everything into that big musical sequence in a courtroom at the

[00:31:55] end to kind of give you that little bit of an insight of what's going on in his head.

[00:31:59] I'm like, okay, that would have worked.

[00:32:00] But the other, good Lord, it was like 12 other songs.

[00:32:05] And so many of them sounded so similar to one another.

[00:32:08] It's like, I couldn't even tell you what song they were doing when and what the purpose of

[00:32:12] that song was.

[00:32:13] It all seemed to be around the whole Arthur really being enamored with Harley and vice versa.

[00:32:20] That was it.

[00:32:21] And after one song of that, I get it.

[00:32:24] Sure.

[00:32:24] Okay.

[00:32:24] You guys are kind of got a thing for each other.

[00:32:26] Cool.

[00:32:27] I didn't need eight more songs to kind of try to beat that home.

[00:32:30] So anyway, all right, I'm done.

[00:32:32] I feel like I'm ranting and it's like, I don't think the movie was horrible.

[00:32:35] I just think it was a big misfire on a lot of fronts while it did hit the right beat

[00:32:42] in just enough moments to make me say, all right, it was at least an interesting watch.

[00:32:45] Well, and let's, yeah, it was an interesting watch just because it was so dramatically different.

[00:32:52] And I started reflecting upon leaving the theater.

[00:32:55] I don't think I, and I haven't seen every movie ever made.

[00:32:59] Definitely never seen every sequel ever made, but.

[00:33:01] You're pretty close to it then, Chris.

[00:33:03] I mean, you are close.

[00:33:04] I don't think I.

[00:33:05] I think you're like 80% or something.

[00:33:07] So.

[00:33:08] I can't.

[00:33:10] One doesn't come to mind of a sequel that was made that was this different and this risky

[00:33:19] from the first one.

[00:33:21] Risky is a good way.

[00:33:21] And I'm like, I.

[00:33:23] I will always admire risk.

[00:33:25] I will always admire ambition in film.

[00:33:27] And I would always admire subverting expectations in a film.

[00:33:32] But this one still had too many misfires.

[00:33:35] Sure.

[00:33:35] It still needs to be a good film just because you do that.

[00:33:37] Right.

[00:33:37] Subverting expectations doesn't mean it's.

[00:33:39] And so I admire it for doing that because I'm just like, yeah, I don't.

[00:33:42] I don't ever remember being this like confused or whatever from a sequel.

[00:33:46] Because, you know, you pretty much know, like, I'm going to get what I get in the first movie

[00:33:49] a little different.

[00:33:50] But wow.

[00:33:51] Very different.

[00:33:52] So.

[00:33:53] Okay.

[00:33:53] Well, that is Joker.

[00:33:55] Fale adieu.

[00:33:56] That is our thoughts.

[00:33:57] We're both on the negative side of it.

[00:34:00] But I think we're also not joining the haters club out there and saying that this movie is

[00:34:06] horrible.

[00:34:07] I think there's some interesting things there.

[00:34:09] It sounds like you feel like there's some interesting things there, but not enough to

[00:34:12] carry the whole film and make the whole film worthwhile in my mind.

[00:34:15] Is that fair to say?

[00:34:17] Yes, absolutely.

[00:34:18] If you're a completist and you have to see all these movies, sure.

[00:34:22] Check it out.

[00:34:23] And if you just, I think it's an interesting film to talk about.

[00:34:26] It's.

[00:34:27] I'll give it that.

[00:34:28] It's an interesting.

[00:34:28] It's hard to do a little bit here on the podcast without doing spoilers.

[00:34:31] We don't want to ruin anything, but.

[00:34:33] Yeah.

[00:34:33] Interesting to talk about.

[00:34:34] And that's always a good thing for a film.

[00:34:36] I'd much rather have that than.

[00:34:39] I saw a film.

[00:34:41] I'm not going to throw out a recommendation, but it's the James McAvoy film, The Speak

[00:34:45] No Evil that just came out.

[00:34:47] The one we saw the trailers for like months.

[00:34:49] Forever, forever.

[00:34:50] So are you sure you saw the film and you just didn't see the trailers so many times?

[00:34:54] I knew half the film already just from seeing the trailers.

[00:34:57] Yeah.

[00:34:58] And that's a film that it's a fine film, but there was nothing to talk about afterwards.

[00:35:02] I'm like, no, no, it's like, it's exactly what you expect.

[00:35:05] It is by the numbers.

[00:35:07] Pretty much.

[00:35:08] I could predict exactly where it was going from minute one.

[00:35:11] That's fine.

[00:35:12] This one, at least there's a conversation to have from it.

[00:35:15] I always will always air to the favor of a film that will let us talk.

[00:35:19] Then one that just gives us exactly what we expect and there's nothing to chew on afterwards.

[00:35:24] So anyway, Joker, Folly Adieu.

[00:35:27] It's still in theaters.

[00:35:28] May not be for terribly long.

[00:35:29] So you may, if you want to see it, you may want to rush out.

[00:35:31] It did not do well box office at all.

[00:35:33] It did like less than half of what the original did.

[00:35:37] And if you recall the original, it had a big opening weekend, but it actually stayed in theaters for a long time.

[00:35:42] A lot of people went back for repeat viewings.

[00:35:45] This one to come out less than half of what the opening weekend was for the first movie.

[00:35:50] This being a bigger budget sequel.

[00:35:53] It's, it's a bomb.

[00:35:54] It is absolutely.

[00:35:55] I think it made $40 million off of a $200 million budget in the opening weekend.

[00:36:00] It's only going to drop because the reviews have not been kind.

[00:36:03] So it will not be around for long.

[00:36:05] I mean, we're talking like, you know, two out of four stars, five out of 10 or some even lower than that.

[00:36:11] So people are, people are.

[00:36:12] And that word spreads.

[00:36:13] I mean, people hear that they see those reviews and they decide not to go check it out.

[00:36:17] Right.

[00:36:18] Okay.

[00:36:18] All right.

[00:36:19] So go check it out if you can, when you have time, if you're so inclined after hearing us talk about it.

[00:36:23] So, all right, Chris, let's take a quick break.

[00:36:26] When we come back, got some trailers to show you.

[00:36:28] I'm excited to show you these two trailers.

[00:36:30] I really want to get your thoughts on them.

[00:36:31] And I want to really want to hear your thoughts on this other big budget, big spectacle movie that was highly anticipated playing in movie theaters now, but sounds like still something worth talking about.

[00:36:45] At least I can't wait to hear Chris's take on this particular movie.

[00:36:48] We'll explain all of this when we come back from the break.

[00:36:51] Stay tuned.

[00:36:52] You're listening to foot candle films here on the mesh dot TV podcast network.

[00:36:56] We'll be right back.

[00:37:00] Welcome back to foot candle films here on the mesh dot TV podcast network.

[00:37:04] Chris and I had our review of Joker folly adieu in the first half of the show.

[00:37:09] Now let's turn our attention to some new films coming out soon that I want to show a couple of trailers for.

[00:37:15] And again, I know this is an audio podcast.

[00:37:17] So it's playing a trailer.

[00:37:18] It's not the most effective use of the medium.

[00:37:21] You're going to hear a lot of things you're not going to see.

[00:37:24] And especially for this first trailer I'm going to show, the thing is kind of important.

[00:37:29] So I need to set it up for you, Chris.

[00:37:30] Okay.

[00:37:32] There's a film that's going to be released very soon here.

[00:37:34] I think it comes out December, December 25th.

[00:37:39] Okay.

[00:37:40] Uh, it is called better man.

[00:37:43] It is a biopic about Pearl jam song.

[00:37:47] Better man off vitality.

[00:37:49] That would be awesome.

[00:37:49] But no, it's, uh, the, the performer Robbie Williams.

[00:37:53] Are you familiar with him at all?

[00:37:55] So he was, uh, no, not really.

[00:37:57] I, I am aware of him, but only because I used to think that Robin Williams had started like a singing career or something.

[00:38:04] And then British dude, he's like, so I, I vaguely know of him.

[00:38:12] So I think, uh, my understanding was early in his career, he was part of a boy band kind of a singing group broke away, kind of been doing his own solo thing.

[00:38:21] Actually fairly well acclaimed.

[00:38:23] I mean, I actually, I know some of his music and I do like some of his songs and things I've heard, but I don't know any more beyond that.

[00:38:28] Gotcha.

[00:38:29] So I thought it was interesting when I heard that there's a biopic being made about him.

[00:38:33] I'm like, okay, that's.

[00:38:34] So not, this is not a documentary.

[00:38:37] It is a biopic.

[00:38:38] It is a biopic.

[00:38:39] Okay.

[00:38:40] Um, but I'm going to show you this trailer for people listening, obviously not seeing this.

[00:38:46] I do encourage you to pull up this trailer because hearing our comments after this trailer plays is really important to see the trailer.

[00:38:56] Okay.

[00:38:56] I'll describe it the best I can afterwards, but Chris, I just want you to, to see this and we're going to talk about it afterwards.

[00:39:01] This is the biopic about performer Robbie Williams called better man.

[00:39:07] And here we go.

[00:39:10] I know what you're thinking.

[00:39:14] What's with the monkey.

[00:39:18] I'm Robbie Williams.

[00:39:21] I'm one of the biggest pop stars in the world, but I've always seen myself a little less evolved.

[00:39:30] Okay.

[00:39:36] So just not what I expected from a biopic.

[00:39:38] There you go.

[00:39:39] That's the key.

[00:39:39] So for those, obviously that didn't pull up the trailer, like I asked you to, and he does say that he feels like he's been among.

[00:39:47] Uh, so the whole movie, uh, the Robbie Williams character in the biopic is a CGI monkey.

[00:39:53] It's Caesar from planet of the apes.

[00:39:55] Basically.

[00:39:56] Yes.

[00:39:56] Uh, that's the whole thing.

[00:39:58] Yeah.

[00:39:58] So it is, looks like a biopic except he's a monkey and he kind of gives the little narration at the beginning.

[00:40:04] I hadn't seen this version of the trailer where he actually said that.

[00:40:07] Sure.

[00:40:07] But he's always felt a little less evolved.

[00:40:09] And I guess that's kind of the catch there.

[00:40:11] Uh, this film is directed by whoever directed the greatest showman, which I've never seen that movie.

[00:40:17] Have you?

[00:40:18] I haven't either.

[00:40:19] I know of it.

[00:40:20] Hugh Jackman stars as PT Barnum story, but no, there are a lot of people.

[00:40:25] Um, they're big fans of that.

[00:40:26] Yes.

[00:40:27] A lot of people are shocked when they hear me say, I haven't seen that movie, but I haven't seen it.

[00:40:32] And it's a musical, Alan.

[00:40:33] I know.

[00:40:33] I know.

[00:40:33] I feel a little bad about all that.

[00:40:35] You've got a little heart.

[00:40:36] Uh, but this is the same director.

[00:40:38] Okay.

[00:40:39] Unfortunately, I don't know the director's name.

[00:40:41] Um, but Chris, you're going to do a biopic and you want to do something a little interesting,

[00:40:46] uh, replacing yourself with a CGI monkey for the entire movie.

[00:40:50] Uh, it's interesting.

[00:40:52] Uh, so it is interesting.

[00:40:56] Am I, am I still curious about the movie?

[00:40:59] Not so much because I care nothing about Robbie Williams.

[00:41:02] I don't know any of his music.

[00:41:03] He's been, he claims he's one of the biggest pop stars.

[00:41:05] I'm not saying he's not.

[00:41:06] Um, but he is not big in my world.

[00:41:08] I think he's a, I think great Britain.

[00:41:10] I think in England, he's a bigger deal.

[00:41:12] And so for that reason, like I need something more to make me know if I hear this film is

[00:41:17] really good because it sounds like a typical, I started poor.

[00:41:20] I was made fun of.

[00:41:21] I didn't become this ridiculous outsized persona.

[00:41:24] And I'm assuming because of the title of the movie by the end, he does become a better man and does

[00:41:31] realize like I can still be famous, but not be a jackass or a chimp.

[00:41:35] So, so I admire the thing to try to do something different rather than just have a young man play

[00:41:42] him and make this evolution to be, but if it's just that gimmick, then I don't think there's a lot there to it.

[00:41:50] But I don't know.

[00:41:51] I will, this is kind of a wait and see for me because I'm not a Robbie Williams fan.

[00:41:55] I know none of his songs.

[00:41:57] At least I don't think I do.

[00:41:58] Whereas you might be a little bit more interested.

[00:42:01] Not really, but I mean, I'm curious more than anything.

[00:42:05] I like a good, if I like a musical biopic when it's creatively done and they add a different

[00:42:11] element to it.

[00:42:12] Just like when you brought up the, uh, for Royal Williams, Lego, I was about to speak at that.

[00:42:18] Same idea.

[00:42:19] That like a musical biopic on for our Williams, probably not that interested, but the fact

[00:42:23] that you're doing it in Lego.

[00:42:25] Yeah.

[00:42:26] Okay.

[00:42:26] Yeah.

[00:42:27] And I'm like, okay, I am now curious that when I'm a little bit of a

[00:42:30] little bit more interested to see because the tact seems so radically different.

[00:42:34] This one.

[00:42:35] And I guess I do know some of for all his music.

[00:42:37] So I guess that, that there leads me.

[00:42:40] But yeah, I curious the direction biopics are taking now.

[00:42:44] Bravo for trying to do something different.

[00:42:47] I'll do a wait and see approach on better man.

[00:42:49] We've talked before about piece by piece.

[00:42:50] I am like totally on board with that one.

[00:42:53] Okay.

[00:42:54] Yeah.

[00:42:54] I just thought very interesting.

[00:42:56] Actually, I read the description of it before I saw the trailer.

[00:42:58] And when I saw the description was, yes, he is played by a CGI monkey.

[00:43:01] I'm like, okay, you kind of got me with that.

[00:43:04] That hook right there.

[00:43:05] I'm definitely willing to check that out.

[00:43:07] All right.

[00:43:07] That is better man.

[00:43:08] That is coming out December 25th, Christmas day.

[00:43:11] So go check out the monkey Robbie Williams on December on Christmas day.

[00:43:15] Which also.

[00:43:16] Yeah.

[00:43:17] Interesting timing on that one.

[00:43:19] Yeah.

[00:43:19] Yeah.

[00:43:20] Michael Gracie is the director.

[00:43:22] Okay.

[00:43:23] It also says that Mikey, Michael Gracie is starring in the movie alongside Robbie Williams.

[00:43:27] So that's interesting.

[00:43:29] Interesting.

[00:43:30] Yeah.

[00:43:30] I don't know what role he's playing, but who knows?

[00:43:33] Okay.

[00:43:33] Okay.

[00:43:34] Chris, now I'm super excited to show you this one.

[00:43:36] Okay.

[00:43:38] Bong Joon-ho.

[00:43:39] Yes.

[00:43:39] We are fans of.

[00:43:41] Yes.

[00:43:41] His film Parasite.

[00:43:43] Best, best, best picture winner.

[00:43:46] We were all very, very happy to see that one win.

[00:43:48] We were big fans of that film.

[00:43:50] I am.

[00:43:51] I've seen maybe two thirds of his filmography outside of that.

[00:43:54] I think you've seen more of it.

[00:43:56] Yeah.

[00:43:56] I'm not saying I've seen all of it, but I've seen, I've seen a lot.

[00:44:00] Yeah.

[00:44:00] I know before Parasite, we reviewed the film, the Netflix one he did about the giant creature.

[00:44:08] Dang.

[00:44:08] I just blinked.

[00:44:09] It's a, it's the name of the pig, the big Oak Joe.

[00:44:12] Oak Joe.

[00:44:12] Yeah.

[00:44:13] Which liked.

[00:44:14] Yeah.

[00:44:14] Yeah.

[00:44:14] Yeah.

[00:44:15] I liked it.

[00:44:15] Um, I think we also reviewed or talked, I think snow piercer.

[00:44:19] Oh yeah.

[00:44:19] Yeah.

[00:44:20] We did talk about that one.

[00:44:21] We talked also liked a lot too.

[00:44:23] Right.

[00:44:24] Um, so coming off of Parasite, there was a lot of enthusiasm for what was going to be

[00:44:29] his next film.

[00:44:30] And then it was delayed.

[00:44:31] It was delayed.

[00:44:32] Bummed me out.

[00:44:33] Which I mean, the premise came out and it's like, it's, it's, it's going to be a science

[00:44:37] fiction movie starring Robert Pattinson called Mickey 17.

[00:44:41] Right.

[00:44:41] It's about cloning.

[00:44:42] It's about this idea of the notion was at least from the byline that people heard before it

[00:44:48] got delayed.

[00:44:49] It's about, you know, someone who gets cloned so they can have like, you know, extending

[00:44:54] their life to like serve some sort of space mission type of thing.

[00:44:57] Which reminded me a lot of moon.

[00:45:00] Correct.

[00:45:01] Correct.

[00:45:01] Duncan Jones.

[00:45:02] Really cool film.

[00:45:04] Um, yeah.

[00:45:05] So the trailer came out for Mickey 17.

[00:45:08] Finally, just the last couple of weeks, uh, the movie has been delayed is now going to

[00:45:12] be released in January.

[00:45:15] Um, and let me just show you this trailer.

[00:45:17] Okay.

[00:45:17] Cause I'm, I, the, the, the, the tone and style of this trailer was not what I was expecting.

[00:45:24] Not to say I'm not happy about it.

[00:45:26] I I'm excited still.

[00:45:28] Okay.

[00:45:28] But it's very different.

[00:45:30] So I just want to get your thoughts cause you have not seen this.

[00:45:32] I have not.

[00:45:33] And I know you have been eagerly anticipating this film to come out.

[00:45:36] So here we go.

[00:45:38] This is the trailer for Mickey 17.

[00:45:44] Hi Mickey.

[00:45:45] Are you experiencing any vertigo?

[00:45:48] I guess I am feeling a little dizzy.

[00:45:51] Oh, did you see that?

[00:45:56] I wouldn't be surprised if you were thinking at this point, what have I done?

[00:46:03] How lucky can one guy be?

[00:46:06] Nothing was working out and I wanted to get off of earth.

[00:46:09] You're playing to be an expendable?

[00:46:11] Yeah.

[00:46:11] You read through the whole application.

[00:46:13] Ain't that a kick in the head?

[00:46:15] Yeah, I should have read through it.

[00:46:17] Once you die.

[00:46:17] Okay.

[00:46:19] So that was the trailer for Mickey 17.

[00:46:25] Initial thoughts, Chris.

[00:46:27] Oh yeah, I'm excited.

[00:46:29] Even more excited than I was previously.

[00:46:33] Really?

[00:46:34] Yeah.

[00:46:35] And I totally, totally make sense that Bong Joon-ho is making this movie.

[00:46:43] Kind of a through line of all of his films are class.

[00:46:47] Yeah.

[00:46:48] And how people are treated.

[00:46:49] That was the way it was in the host.

[00:46:51] Definitely with Snowpiercer, Okja as well.

[00:46:54] Animal treatment of animals.

[00:46:56] Parasite, obviously.

[00:46:56] Parasite, yeah.

[00:46:56] So it just looks like this is another version.

[00:47:00] And, you know, I can see something like, oh, he's just, yeah, maybe he is hitting the same

[00:47:05] thing, but he's doing it in such vastly different ways.

[00:47:09] And this time, I'm like any, I mean, I guess Okja did have some comedic moments, but in general,

[00:47:15] comedy is not something that you associate with Bong Joon-ho?

[00:47:18] Dark comedy.

[00:47:19] Dark comedy.

[00:47:19] I think he works really well.

[00:47:20] Well, that was Snowpiercer, I guess.

[00:47:21] Yeah.

[00:47:22] Snowpiercer had some dark comedy elements.

[00:47:24] I mean, I know the lead actress.

[00:47:28] Tilda Swinton.

[00:47:28] Tilda Swinton.

[00:47:29] Sure.

[00:47:29] Obviously going for some comic relief with her character portrayal.

[00:47:32] Parasite had some very dry, dark humor to it at times.

[00:47:36] Yeah.

[00:47:36] So yeah, there's humor.

[00:47:37] I was, I'm excited about this film as well.

[00:47:41] I was just really taken aback by how at least the trailer tries to make this out to be a

[00:47:46] true comedy.

[00:47:47] Right.

[00:47:48] Now, I think there'll be more to this film than what we're seeing.

[00:47:51] That's my gut feel.

[00:47:52] But at least on the surface, it is, it is all comedy.

[00:47:55] It is all for laughs.

[00:47:57] And either way, if it is nothing.

[00:47:59] Nothing but all for laughs comedy.

[00:48:02] I'd be fine with that because it'd be such a departure for him.

[00:48:05] But knowing what I think I know about how he makes films and why he makes films.

[00:48:10] Yeah.

[00:48:10] Either way, I'm going to be fine.

[00:48:13] It looks great.

[00:48:14] Robert Pattinson.

[00:48:15] Yeah.

[00:48:16] He's a good actor and him taking this kind of turn where he, yeah.

[00:48:20] After like, I think the last time I saw him on screen was as the Batman, you know, gloomy,

[00:48:25] which I liked that film, but gloomy, dark brooding, you know, Bruce Wayne.

[00:48:29] As to this, where he's kind of playing a seemingly Jim Carrey-esque doofus, you know,

[00:48:34] being rough.

[00:48:36] Great.

[00:48:36] You know, I just, I could not be more excited.

[00:48:39] And I, Mark Ruffalo continues to impress me with the choices that he makes to be in films.

[00:48:46] He seems to be honing into this whole supporting character, just over the top supporting actor

[00:48:51] character.

[00:48:52] And he seems to be, looks like from the brief glimpses we get, he's going for that role

[00:48:56] here too.

[00:48:56] And having fun maybe?

[00:48:58] Yeah.

[00:48:58] I hope so.

[00:48:59] Look, no, I'm, I'm super excited for the film as well.

[00:49:01] I just was surprised.

[00:49:03] Cause I remember I saw like production still, like a still shots from the film and I saw

[00:49:07] the description.

[00:49:08] I'm like, Oh, this is going to be a very high society, a societal commentary in a science

[00:49:14] fiction, which it still looks like it's going to be, but I didn't expect it to be as outward

[00:49:20] a comedy as at least the trailer wants us to believe it's going to be.

[00:49:22] With the Frank Sinatra.

[00:49:24] Yeah.

[00:49:24] Right.

[00:49:24] Yeah.

[00:49:26] Anyway, that is Mickey 17.

[00:49:27] That is coming out January 31st.

[00:49:30] So we will see how the, uh, what kind of experience the trailer sets us up for.

[00:49:35] And, uh, if we go down the right path with that expectations, I know.

[00:49:40] Yeah, it is tough.

[00:49:41] It is tough.

[00:49:42] All right.

[00:49:42] Well, speaking of expectations, Chris, um, we're done with the trailers.

[00:49:47] We're going to move over to you to kind of close out the show with a final segment.

[00:49:52] Normally we have our recommendations from Chris where he will recommend a film that he

[00:49:55] caught up with and he wants to share with the audience of, uh, something he thinks is

[00:49:59] worth seeing.

[00:50:01] Uh, you told me this recommendation might be just a little different.

[00:50:04] Uh, normally you try to do films that are easy to see online or people can find online.

[00:50:08] This one is still in theaters and there's a lot of expectations assigned to it.

[00:50:14] So I'm just going to leave it over to you with that.

[00:50:16] Chris, tell us what are you quote recommending for us this week?

[00:50:21] Sure.

[00:50:21] So I'm going to recommend the new film by Francis Ford Coppola.

[00:50:25] He wrote it, he directed it.

[00:50:27] It is the kind of a mouthful title, even though it's only one word, Megalopolis.

[00:50:33] And, uh, the byline of what this movie is or the brief summary of what it's supposed

[00:50:38] to be about.

[00:50:39] The city of new Rome hosts the conflict between Caesar Catalina, a brilliant artist in favor

[00:50:45] of utopian future and the greedy mayor Franklin Cicero.

[00:50:48] Between them is Julia Cicero.

[00:50:51] Her loyalty divided between her father and her beloved being the Caesar Catalina.

[00:50:57] Uh, the actors and actresses in this well-publicized Adam Driver is Caesar Catalina.

[00:51:03] Giancarlo Esposito plays his rival mayor Cicero.

[00:51:07] Uh, Aubrey Plaza plays a character called wow.

[00:51:10] Platinum.

[00:51:11] Shia LaBeouf is in this.

[00:51:12] John Voight is in this Lawrence Fishburne, Jason Schwartzman, Talia Shire.

[00:51:17] All these people are in this huge movie.

[00:51:20] Um, then let me go a little bit further down the rabbit hole and talk about, which is, I

[00:51:26] guess it's almost more famous than the, uh, director infamous.

[00:51:31] I should say is kind of how this film came to be and what all has gone on with its production.

[00:51:39] So Coppola started writing this film in the early 1980s, but the film was kept on the back

[00:51:46] burner partially due to his financial debts.

[00:51:48] I learned supposedly from my father last night when we went to go see this, uh, before the

[00:51:53] film started, he said, yeah, apparently he had to sell half of his winery to help finance

[00:51:59] this film.

[00:51:59] Cause Coppola had, you know, you can get his wine in the grocery store.

[00:52:03] So I was like, Oh, okay.

[00:52:04] Interesting.

[00:52:04] I knew that he had to put in some of his own money.

[00:52:07] I didn't know that he sold half his winery to do it.

[00:52:10] Interesting.

[00:52:10] Okay.

[00:52:11] So then pre-production finally began in 2001 after filming 30 hours of footage and holding

[00:52:18] table reads with actors like Paul Newman, Uma Thurman, Robert De Niro, James Gandolfini,

[00:52:23] Nicholas Cage, Leonardo DiCaprio, Russell Crowe, Edie Falco, and Kevin Spacey.

[00:52:29] Okay.

[00:52:29] All those people were like tag.

[00:52:31] And obviously, you know, none of those people are in the film.

[00:52:36] Okay.

[00:52:36] Okay.

[00:52:37] But the project was scrapped after September 11th because there was a pretty prominent

[00:52:43] scene that kind of not predicted, but it kind of emulated some events that happened in September

[00:52:49] 11th.

[00:52:50] So it was like, Nope.

[00:52:51] Okay.

[00:52:51] So it was abandoned again until 2007 and, or in 2007.

[00:52:58] And then he didn't begin starting it again until 2019.

[00:53:00] And then I think once 2019 hit, he like got the ball rolling, sold half his winery or whatever.

[00:53:07] And made this film.

[00:53:09] So all that being said, given all of that, Chris, the best movie ever made known to man.

[00:53:16] So kind of like another Adam driver film that we talked about on the podcast that I was looking

[00:53:24] forward to, just like I was looking forward to this.

[00:53:26] Yeah.

[00:53:26] Uh, Annette, the Lewis Carrick's film where he was the, one of the main characters and the

[00:53:32] Fox brothers did the soundtrack and Annette was a puppet, but that was a very kind of out

[00:53:38] there concept movie.

[00:53:39] Didn't entirely work.

[00:53:41] Uh, I had to watch it online.

[00:53:43] I didn't actually see it in a theater, but I wish I had, um, because even though it didn't

[00:53:49] entirely work kind of like we were talking with Joker, folie, do you, I appreciate the

[00:53:53] big swing.

[00:53:54] Um, with this film, it, it is trying to do a lot.

[00:54:00] Um, I think Coppola had a lot of thoughts over the years.

[00:54:04] He started in the 1980s, you know, make it, trying to make this film and get ideas down

[00:54:08] on paper.

[00:54:09] And I feel like every idea that he had probably went into this film.

[00:54:13] Um, and so it's just, the film is a lot.

[00:54:17] People use the adjectives like messy and shaggy and disjointed.

[00:54:22] Yes.

[00:54:22] I will say yes to all of that.

[00:54:24] I think if you're a fan of Coppola or a fan of, you know, a really big fan of cinema, like

[00:54:31] you don't mind seeing people take big swings, then this would be interesting to see.

[00:54:37] But it is, it's just very convoluted and there are jumps in time where it's like between

[00:54:45] one scene and the next scene, it's like 10 or 15 years have passed.

[00:54:49] It's not that it's hard to follow.

[00:54:51] You understand that, you know, this guy's your protagonist, this guy's working against

[00:54:55] him.

[00:54:56] There are politics involved and the city of new room basically is kind of like a fictitious

[00:55:02] New York.

[00:55:03] And supposedly the idea for this film came from some writings that happened back in ancient

[00:55:08] Rome where there was somebody who tried to make all these drastic changes to the way

[00:55:13] Rome was progressing and he was basically ignored and then Rome fell.

[00:55:17] So in this one, it's like, you know, there are all these changes with the city because

[00:55:21] there's this class of people that feel ignored and you know, there's poverty and there's all

[00:55:26] this struggle with corruption and politics.

[00:55:28] So, and of course themes that are going on in politics of today, you can see like, okay,

[00:55:33] but it just overall doesn't, didn't really work for me.

[00:55:39] But I thought it was interesting to see, uh, doesn't bode well for the film that pretty

[00:55:45] much opening in Hickory where we live in Western North Carolina this weekend.

[00:55:49] My father and I went to go see it on a weekend afternoon.

[00:55:53] We were the only two people in the theater.

[00:55:56] So it doesn't bode well for it.

[00:55:57] And it's, uh, it's, it's interesting.

[00:55:59] It's out the same time as Joker.

[00:56:01] Cause I think there's a lot of similarities to this in that.

[00:56:06] And like ambitious films that are, yes.

[00:56:10] And you know, talking afterwards, my dad and I'm like, yeah, the film, you can tell the

[00:56:15] person who made this is an accomplished filmmaker that obviously can do things like the Godfather

[00:56:22] movie or a conversation, the conversation apocalypse.

[00:56:26] Now the fellow knows how to make films.

[00:56:29] It's just, it was so ambitious and so kind of overstuffed and it can be kind of confusing

[00:56:37] because, you know, I mentioned it's kind of based on something that happened in ancient

[00:56:40] history.

[00:56:41] The character names have these Roman names at one point, two characters slip into talking.

[00:56:47] I'm assuming it was ancient Greek and it's subtitled for a brief moment.

[00:56:51] And you're like, okay, why is that even happening?

[00:56:53] So it's so there's so much going on.

[00:56:56] Things are kind of hard to follow.

[00:56:57] And you're like, I don't really, I'm sure Coppola, like a director's commentary for this

[00:57:03] film would be fascinating to hear like why he was making the choices he was making because

[00:57:09] you're just kind of like, okay, don't really understand that, but interesting choice.

[00:57:13] And so there's just interesting choice after interesting choice, which, you know, ultimately,

[00:57:19] I guess for me, they didn't work.

[00:57:21] But I was telling my dad, like afterwards, I imagine this is going to be somebody's favorite

[00:57:25] film ever.

[00:57:27] 2001 Space Odyssey.

[00:57:29] That's kind of like for me, I love it.

[00:57:31] Not that I understand all of it, but I love it.

[00:57:33] It's Kubrick's masterpiece for me.

[00:57:35] I really like it.

[00:57:36] But there are people that hate that film.

[00:57:38] I can see like, for me, I didn't hate this film.

[00:57:40] But like, you know, for me, it didn't all work.

[00:57:42] But I can see somebody be like, oh, this is totally my jam.

[00:57:45] And maybe it will be for you.

[00:57:47] I think it is for cinephiles for appreciate people that appreciate the work of Francis

[00:57:51] Ford Coppola, just to see what he's been working on.

[00:57:55] And this was his obviously his just, you know, passion project.

[00:58:00] So like, okay, let's see what this is.

[00:58:05] A friend of mine, right before I walked into the theater, he texted me a picture of his

[00:58:10] wife sitting in a theater up in Virginia.

[00:58:14] And she was the only one in the theater.

[00:58:15] And he had the same movie going experience.

[00:58:18] So I didn't know what he thought about me.

[00:58:19] Just said like, hey, headed to support Francis.

[00:58:22] You know, it's like, and show that for it.

[00:58:24] It was like, oh, that's funny.

[00:58:24] So I walked out of the theater last night, and I got this kind of synopsis of his experience.

[00:58:30] And I'm going to tell him like, yeah, I mentioned you on the podcast.

[00:58:33] I'm probably going to put this in letterbox as my experience.

[00:58:36] He's so he said, to me, it was like, imagine if a seventh grade boy read and loved The Fountainhead

[00:58:45] by Anne Rind, and then gave a ponderous show and tell presentation about it, inspired by

[00:58:51] Pink Floyd's The Wall, assuming he had an unlimited CGI budget.

[00:58:56] That's pretty much what this film is.

[00:58:58] And I'm like, man, Jason, that's like, yes, that kind of encapsulates.

[00:59:03] So if that sounds like it may be interesting to you, and definitely.

[00:59:08] And my dad, like he was the one who wanted to go see.

[00:59:10] I was like, sure, dad, I've been wanting to see it.

[00:59:12] I'll go see it with you.

[00:59:13] Um, if you want to see this run to go see it in the theater, because just on a TV at home,

[00:59:22] or even if you have a big screen TV in your home theater, just the distractions that are

[00:59:26] going to be available to you when you're in the theater, you're committed to nope, this

[00:59:30] is what I'm doing for the next two plus hours.

[00:59:32] This is this is it.

[00:59:34] That was the way to see this movie, because it would be so easy to just dismiss it and

[00:59:41] quit after the first 45 minutes or whatever.

[00:59:44] And I would understand if you did.

[00:59:45] But then like, if you paid the money, and you're in the theater, like now I'm gonna, I'm gonna

[00:59:48] ride this out.

[00:59:50] Actually, the advantage to also seeing it in the theater with my dad, and we were the

[00:59:54] only two there.

[00:59:55] At some points, he'd be like, why did they?

[00:59:56] I'm like, I don't know, dad, don't really don't really get that.

[00:59:59] And then as the film, I thought was moving towards a close.

[01:00:03] I was like, I have no idea how this film ends.

[01:00:05] But that's kind of one of the things that's keeping me here.

[01:00:07] I'm like, how are you gonna end this Francis?

[01:00:09] And when I was like, Oh, well, I read how it ended.

[01:00:11] And I'm like, really?

[01:00:12] Well, I'm glad I don't know.

[01:00:13] Don't say anything.

[01:00:14] Because I'm like, we were having this conversation while looking at the screen, because we're

[01:00:18] only two there.

[01:00:19] But I'm like, yeah.

[01:00:20] And the ending to me really confuses me.

[01:00:24] I'm not confused.

[01:00:25] But I mean, I understand it.

[01:00:26] But it's just like, yeah, I don't I don't think it works.

[01:00:29] Um, but yeah, so it's even though I would not want to bring this for our film society,

[01:00:35] because I think people would hate it.

[01:00:38] Right.

[01:00:38] But it is definitely a discussion worthy movie about why do you think this choice was made?

[01:00:43] What do you think this means?

[01:00:45] Um, yeah.

[01:00:46] So I recommend it for followers of Francis Ford Coppola.

[01:00:51] Or if you want a film that you will walk out wanting to talk about in some form or fashion,

[01:00:57] mega lopo this.

[01:00:59] I can't decide if your description has intrigued me more to see the movie or discouraged me

[01:01:06] more to see it.

[01:01:06] I'm kind of torn right now.

[01:01:08] Right.

[01:01:08] Um, I mean, there's just not definitely will still see so many ideas up on the screen.

[01:01:12] Yeah.

[01:01:13] Let me ask, because I know there was a I heard about from the initial film festival screenings

[01:01:19] it played at.

[01:01:20] Okay.

[01:01:21] My understanding is that there is a scene or sequence in the film.

[01:01:25] That is intended to be where someone is live reading against the screen in the screening.

[01:01:34] Okay.

[01:01:35] Uh, supposedly this happened at, uh, all the premier film festivals that played at where

[01:01:40] Adam driver's character is talking and he's in there, somebody off screen that in those

[01:01:46] film screenings, somebody would actually stand up in the theater and recite the lines that

[01:01:51] are then interacted.

[01:01:52] And a lot of people were on online wondering, well, is that the way it's going to be at

[01:01:55] all the movie theaters?

[01:01:56] I'm like, no, there's no way they're going to have somebody.

[01:01:59] And given the Chris, it was just you and your dad.

[01:02:00] I assume there was nobody else there to read.

[01:02:02] I would have seen this.

[01:02:03] Yeah.

[01:02:04] I don't know.

[01:02:05] I'm curious.

[01:02:06] I, now I have a vague memory of like, yeah, it was like they were interacting with the

[01:02:11] screen.

[01:02:12] Yes.

[01:02:12] That did not happen.

[01:02:13] Um, that would have, and there again, doesn't surprise me because of the big swing that this

[01:02:19] was trying to take.

[01:02:20] I'm curious.

[01:02:21] I'll have to learn.

[01:02:22] I'll have to do some research now.

[01:02:23] Find out what scenes.

[01:02:24] And what, what part they retool it for this mass, uh, theatrical distribution or, or did

[01:02:30] they just work around it somehow?

[01:02:31] Was it Adam driver kind of speaking?

[01:02:33] That's my understanding is the Adam driver characters basically talking with someone

[01:02:37] off screen.

[01:02:38] Like, and that person is a live person in the theater reading lines against him.

[01:02:44] Interesting.

[01:02:45] I just imagine Chris at our local AMC, like one of the teenage guys that works there

[01:02:50] having to like stroll in at a certain time of the movie gets a little alarm on his watch.

[01:02:54] Like, okay, it's time to go to read your lines.

[01:02:57] And he has to walk into a theater with just you and your dad sitting in the audience.

[01:03:00] And he has to stand over in the corner of the screen and read these lines off of like

[01:03:04] his phone.

[01:03:05] See, oh man, I just, I was hoping that was the case.

[01:03:08] I was hoping that's what was happening.

[01:03:10] I wish that would have happened.

[01:03:11] Now, hopefully said employee wasn't intimidated because my dad and I were basically like being

[01:03:16] like the guys from the Muppets that sit up in the balcony and like talk the whole time.

[01:03:20] Like hopefully he'd be like, well, am I going in there now?

[01:03:22] Cause I want to hear that.

[01:03:23] But yeah.

[01:03:25] Anyway, you need to read up on that and find out what scenes that work.

[01:03:27] Yeah.

[01:03:28] How they, how they worked around that in the, the version you saw.

[01:03:31] Well, this is the thing is like them, I guess that was their attack is like, yeah, but by

[01:03:37] us just somehow working around that, it's not going to make it any less confusing or more

[01:03:42] confusing.

[01:03:42] So it's like, it's not going to matter.

[01:03:43] And sure enough, I don't think it did.

[01:03:45] I wish they had figured out a way to do that.

[01:03:46] I wish they had figured out a way for every AMC or Regal Cinema to have like somebody on

[01:03:51] staff.

[01:03:51] That's like, that's their cue.

[01:03:53] Got to go walk in the theater at hour, 50 minutes into the movie.

[01:03:57] And I got a three minute line of dialogue after read.

[01:04:00] See, now I have my own little conspiracy theory in my head.

[01:04:03] So the way AMC books seats, if you have the app, you can see how many seats are taken in

[01:04:09] the theater and all that kind of stuff.

[01:04:11] So when I went online to get tickets from my dad and I, I saw it was like, oh, there's

[01:04:15] only one other person that's in this screening.

[01:04:17] And I hit our seats and it was like, yeah, dad.

[01:04:20] So when we were walking, I was like, yeah, let's see if the other person bothered to show

[01:04:22] up.

[01:04:23] And we go in the theater and there is a seat that is taken up that says like, you know,

[01:04:28] broken or do not use.

[01:04:29] And it has like a, this thing put over.

[01:04:31] And I was like, huh?

[01:04:32] Okay.

[01:04:32] So there wasn't somebody else attending this thing.

[01:04:34] They blocked that.

[01:04:35] It was like a reserve seat.

[01:04:36] But now I'm wondering like, was that where somebody was supposed to come and sit and stand

[01:04:41] up in the middle of the movie, but they didn't show up for work that day.

[01:04:44] Even better.

[01:04:44] Chris, what if it was something like, um, like when you get on an airplane and they have

[01:04:48] the exit aisle, it's like, you're in the exit aisle.

[01:04:51] You have this responsibility now.

[01:04:52] What if it was somebody who was an actual ticket holder?

[01:04:55] You get the ticket to the movie.

[01:04:57] And when you walk in, it's like, you get a little notice on your phone.

[01:04:59] By the way, you're, you're in the seat where you, you have to stand up and read this line

[01:05:04] of dialogue in front of the audience to interact with the screen.

[01:05:07] That would be hilarious.

[01:05:08] I would love that.

[01:05:11] Man, such good ideas.

[01:05:12] You're going to need to follow up with us on what the deal was on that part of the film.

[01:05:16] I will.

[01:05:16] I will do some research.

[01:05:17] I'm very curious as well.

[01:05:18] Okay.

[01:05:18] Well, Chris, thank you for your, thank you for your service.

[01:05:22] Go ahead and see the movie.

[01:05:24] Thank you for giving us some insight into it.

[01:05:27] I am, I will still go see it.

[01:05:29] Okay.

[01:05:30] But I, uh.

[01:05:31] And let me know if somebody stands up in your screening.

[01:05:34] Absolutely.

[01:05:35] Because if they do, I'm going to be, I'm going to be disappointed.

[01:05:36] If they don't and I can read up in advance on the kind of what the deal is, I may stand

[01:05:41] up and actually read the part I'm supposed to.

[01:05:43] Amazing.

[01:05:44] Yeah.

[01:05:44] I may actually try to do that.

[01:05:45] That would be awesome.

[01:05:47] All right.

[01:05:47] So that's Megalopolis.

[01:05:48] Chris is, uh, kind of pseudo recommendation.

[01:05:52] Yeah.

[01:05:53] I mean, it's, it's a, it's a very tailored recommendation for a certain segment of people.

[01:05:58] That's a good way to say it.

[01:06:00] Interesting.

[01:06:01] Well, I'm glad to talk to you.

[01:06:02] Uh, my son saw it.

[01:06:03] My fun, my son, a, uh, budding filmmaker in film school right now.

[01:06:07] And you got to tell me, what do you think?

[01:06:09] Um, I'll just say that he put it up on letterboxed after he saw it that night and he did write

[01:06:14] a review.

[01:06:15] Okay.

[01:06:15] The review simply said, uh, mega doo doo.

[01:06:20] So I don't think he was a fan.

[01:06:22] It doesn't sound like he was a fan.

[01:06:24] Actually.

[01:06:24] No, we talked about it and no, he was not a fan.

[01:06:26] Uh, he did not.

[01:06:27] Mega doo doo.

[01:06:30] Ah, yes.

[01:06:31] That's my son bringing, uh, bringing high class to the film criticism.

[01:06:35] Well, now in the review, did he use the little emoji?

[01:06:38] He didn't use an emoji.

[01:06:39] A chocolate ice cream looking piece.

[01:06:40] I think he did a one and a half star in his, uh, his, his pithy little review there.

[01:06:45] That was it.

[01:06:46] Yep.

[01:06:47] That was it.

[01:06:48] All right.

[01:06:49] Well, that I think wraps us up for today.

[01:06:51] So Joker, Folly Adieu.

[01:06:54] We had our issues and our concerns and our dislikes of it, but still a interesting watch

[01:07:00] and worth discussing if nothing else.

[01:07:02] Yeah.

[01:07:03] Uh, we had our trailers for Mickey 17 and for better man, both interesting looking films.

[01:07:09] I think we're on board for Mickey 17 kind of wait and see on better man to see how that

[01:07:13] pans out.

[01:07:14] And then Chris gave us his opinion of Megalopolis, which we appreciate.

[01:07:18] So Chris, anybody who wants to dialogue with us or give us any feedback on any of these

[01:07:23] items that we've discussed, they want to champion the Joker movie or they want to champion Megalopolis,

[01:07:30] you know, who knows?

[01:07:31] How can they get ahold of us on this?

[01:07:33] You can send an email to info at footcandle.org.

[01:07:37] You may also follow us on Twitter at footcandlefilm, Facebook, footcandlefilmsociety, Instagram and

[01:07:42] threads.

[01:07:43] We're just simply footcandlefilm.

[01:07:45] Al and I, as we kind of mentioned, we are on Letterboxd where we try to track what we're

[01:07:49] seeing and leave quick takes.

[01:07:51] Do us a favor.

[01:07:52] If you like the show, consider giving us a star rating, write a review, share our friends

[01:07:55] on whatever service you get your favorite podcasts on because it'll help us reach new listeners

[01:07:59] and we'd appreciate that.

[01:08:01] All right.

[01:08:02] Well, and it's, you know, it's still early to be teasing our next film festival.

[01:08:06] It's still a year away, but just, you know, last week in September of 2025, that will

[01:08:11] be our 11th film festival.

[01:08:13] Go ahead and put on your calendars.

[01:08:14] You have no excuse now.

[01:08:15] I'm giving you 11 and a half months heads up notice on this.

[01:08:19] So go ahead and plan for it.

[01:08:21] And we'll plan on seeing you next September for our next festival.

[01:08:24] But in the meantime, we'll be back in the next week or two with some more movie reviews

[01:08:29] and movie news discussions.

[01:08:30] So thanks everybody for listening.

[01:08:32] We'll look forward to talking to you next time.

[01:08:34] Take care.

[01:08:35] See you in the ticket.

[01:08:36] All right.

[01:09:16] Special thanks to Carpal Tuller for the show theme music.

[01:09:20] For more about Carpal Tuller, visit www.carpaltuller.com.

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