The Fall Guy Unfrosted Challengers

[00:00:02] What You Want, When You Want It, Where You Want It, This Is The MESH

[00:00:07] Footcandle Films

[00:00:11] Film news and reviews from two guys who really like movies.

[00:00:16] This episode is brought to you by the Footcandle Film Society.

[00:00:21] For a schedule of upcoming screenings and membership information,

[00:00:25] visit the society's website at www.footcandle.org

[00:00:32] Hello everyone and welcome to Footcandle Films here on the MESH.TV podcast network.

[00:00:41] I almost forgot there for a second.

[00:00:43] We have been off for a couple weeks.

[00:00:45] I took a couple of weeks, asked for a little bit of a break with recording,

[00:00:49] but we're trying to play a little catch-up now.

[00:00:51] Now I'm already forgetting my intro and everything I set the show up.

[00:00:54] Chris Frye, how are you doing?

[00:00:56] I'm doing fine.

[00:00:57] I took a little time off.

[00:00:59] We went to the Riverrun Film Festival.

[00:01:01] It's in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and kind of watched a bunch of films there.

[00:01:05] Won't be talking about any of those today.

[00:01:07] But yeah, so a lot going on but we're back

[00:01:11] and we've got quite a few movies to talk about.

[00:01:13] Yeah, we got to play a little catch-up

[00:01:15] because normally we were doing one episode a week and doing one new film.

[00:01:19] Well, a couple weeks have gone by and we had not recorded

[00:01:23] so we're gonna make up for it right now on this episode

[00:01:26] by reviewing three films that have been released over the last couple of weeks

[00:01:30] and we're gonna talk about In Order.

[00:01:32] We'll be discussing the latest film with Ryan Gosling, Emily Blunt.

[00:01:36] It is The Fall Guy.

[00:01:38] Then we'll be discussing a new Netflix film that came out by Mr. Jerry Seinfeld,

[00:01:44] both writing, directing and starring in the film Unfrosted.

[00:01:49] Then we'll be moving over to Zendaya

[00:01:52] and gosh I've already forgotten the names of the other actors

[00:01:55] but the Luka Gaudi-Gridino film Challengers

[00:01:59] we'll be discussing that film as our third film to discuss

[00:02:02] Josh O'Connor and Mike Fais.

[00:02:04] I apologize, Josh and Mike should not have forgotten your names up front like that.

[00:02:08] But those are the three films we will be discussing and reviewing here on the show.

[00:02:12] Chris, it goes without saying. We've got a lot to do.

[00:02:16] So are we ready to go ahead and just jump right in and get started?

[00:02:18] Yes, absolutely.

[00:02:19] Good. Let's go ahead and jump right in and discuss the first of our three film reviews.

[00:02:23] It is director David Leach, new film based on a TV show

[00:02:29] maybe kind of sort of starring Emily Blunt and a Mr. Ryan Gosling.

[00:02:34] It is The Fall Guy.

[00:02:36] This film has everything.

[00:02:38] Everything?

[00:02:42] Do you want to make out or?

[00:02:43] Nope.

[00:02:44] I'll just.

[00:02:45] This is not seem safe!

[00:02:51] Hell yeah!

[00:02:52] We're getting tangled in exposition.

[00:02:56] Mineros.

[00:03:02] What's an ice crime?

[00:03:03] Are you saying ice cream or ice crime?

[00:03:04] Ice crime.

[00:03:05] Okay, since with your answer this hard.

[00:03:07] I'm not reporting an ice cream.

[00:03:08] Yes, no, I get that.

[00:03:09] Okay.

[00:03:12] Movies based on old TV shows.

[00:03:15] This studio idea for generating content has given us films like Wild Wild West

[00:03:20] and Starsky and Hutch.

[00:03:22] But in fairness, it has also delivered the Adams family and 21 and 22 Jump Street.

[00:03:29] Director David Leach, whose credits include Atomic Blonde and Bullet Train

[00:03:34] and he was one of the creatives behind John Wick,

[00:03:37] attempts to do this with The Fall Guy in which Ryan Gosling plays a down-on-his-luck stuntman

[00:03:42] who is tasked with finding the missing star of his ex-girlfriend's blockbuster film

[00:03:47] that ex-girlfriend just happens to be Emily Blunt

[00:03:51] which you probably could have guessed from Adams' introduction.

[00:03:54] For you, Alan, which category did this film fall into?

[00:03:59] Get that.

[00:04:00] Either Starsky and Hutch variety or the 21 Jump Street mold.

[00:04:03] Which do you find success wise?

[00:04:05] I get it.

[00:04:06] How successful was it for you?

[00:04:09] Let me preface this by saying a couple things with the three films

[00:04:12] that we're going to be reviewing before I lead into my review here.

[00:04:15] Okay.

[00:04:16] Interestingly enough, so I typically try to avoid looking at any critical response to films

[00:04:22] before I go see the film myself.

[00:04:24] Then I go see the film and I establish my, this is my opinion.

[00:04:28] I'm confidently walking out of the theater saying,

[00:04:31] I have an opinion, this is my opinion.

[00:04:33] Then I may check and see what other critics are saying after I have formed my opinion

[00:04:38] so that I don't let my opinion be influenced by other beforehand.

[00:04:42] It's tough because you do spend a bit of your day in front of a computer.

[00:04:46] I spend a lot of my day in front of a computer.

[00:04:48] So hard to avoid.

[00:04:50] It's hard, but it is possible.

[00:04:52] It is possible.

[00:04:53] So I do do this.

[00:04:56] Interestingly enough, the three films we'll be discussing.

[00:04:58] I'm getting to my review of the following right here.

[00:05:01] Interestingly enough, I am on board with where critics are falling

[00:05:06] on only one of these three films.

[00:05:10] Okay.

[00:05:11] So I'll go ahead and tell you critical response.

[00:05:13] What I've seen on the fall guy since my review has been generally positive.

[00:05:17] Okay.

[00:05:19] I'm disappointed in this film.

[00:05:21] So I, and this is the one, this is one of the two films where I am not on board

[00:05:25] with where the critics are.

[00:05:27] I did find myself disappointed in the fall guy for,

[00:05:30] and I have very specific reasons why I look forward to hearing why.

[00:05:33] Okay.

[00:05:34] I think all of the elements are here for a really good movie.

[00:05:39] I think that this is a film that has a very good premise.

[00:05:43] I think it has a good setup.

[00:05:45] I think it has the right good characters.

[00:05:48] I think all the elements are there.

[00:05:50] I think the problem with this film for me is that I,

[00:05:55] and this is going to be very, very specific,

[00:05:57] but it is the reason that kind of kept me out of this.

[00:05:59] I think this, I think this,

[00:06:01] this movie had an editing problem and editing by not only by length,

[00:06:06] but also by sequencing and by things that just didn't quite jive,

[00:06:11] things that went on too long,

[00:06:13] things that didn't quite make sense in the flow of the action

[00:06:16] that I think we're all editing base,

[00:06:18] meaning it really just seemed to be kind of losing its way

[00:06:21] once this film got into the editing bay

[00:06:24] and decided how to piece it together into a movie.

[00:06:27] So I think all the charms there,

[00:06:29] I don't fault the actors or even,

[00:06:31] I don't even fault the director, I don't think.

[00:06:34] I think this film had all of the right elements

[00:06:36] that I wanted out of a film.

[00:06:38] But at the end of the day,

[00:06:40] I found myself after a while looking at the watch a little bit saying,

[00:06:43] okay, how much longer is this going on?

[00:06:45] Because I feel like there's so many times

[00:06:47] that these things could have been so much tightened up.

[00:06:50] So many things fell so out of sequence and weird.

[00:06:55] Things that just didn't quite make sense,

[00:06:57] character motivations and actions that didn't make sense.

[00:07:00] Might have made sense if put together in a different way.

[00:07:04] I was disappointed in the film

[00:07:06] because this is a film that has everything

[00:07:08] that should be made for a really great entertaining film.

[00:07:11] And it was almost there to be what I would call entertaining.

[00:07:15] But at the end of the day,

[00:07:17] I still found myself eye rolling

[00:07:19] and kind of grunting a little bit more

[00:07:21] than I wanted to through this film.

[00:07:23] So I was disappointed in it.

[00:07:25] That was my personal take.

[00:07:27] I seem to be in the minority on this out in the world,

[00:07:29] but I guess I was also going with some higher hopes for this film

[00:07:33] because I like the premise,

[00:07:37] I like the setup,

[00:07:38] I like Ryan Gosling,

[00:07:39] I like Emily Blunt,

[00:07:40] I like a good action comedy movie

[00:07:42] with some romance thrown in.

[00:07:43] I like that it's about movie making

[00:07:45] and it's kind of behind the scenes and movie making stuff.

[00:07:48] It had everything I wanted.

[00:07:49] I loved the TV show The Fall Guy back when it was on.

[00:07:52] I really wanted to hear the theme song redone

[00:07:55] by maybe a contemporary artist in The Closing Credits.

[00:07:57] I did get that,

[00:07:58] but I've even got an issue with the way that was done.

[00:08:00] So anyway, it's elements,

[00:08:03] but it just didn't quite work for me.

[00:08:07] Chris, I went on a rant.

[00:08:09] Okay, you go ahead.

[00:08:10] Tell me how I'm wrong.

[00:08:11] I mean, reviews come from somebody's point of view

[00:08:16] and from their appreciation,

[00:08:18] especially in this instance of the source material.

[00:08:21] I remember the show,

[00:08:23] but I would often,

[00:08:24] I would change channels when I saw it was on.

[00:08:26] I never followed the show.

[00:08:27] I knew the premise,

[00:08:28] but I didn't watch more than like

[00:08:31] two seconds of the opening credits.

[00:08:33] Like, whoop, that's The Fall Guy.

[00:08:34] Dook.

[00:08:37] But with this film,

[00:08:39] kind of how I alluded to in the intro,

[00:08:42] it's something that's playing off nostalgia.

[00:08:45] It's playing off an already established thing.

[00:08:48] Glenn Larson, he's one of the writers.

[00:08:50] I mean, he's deceased now,

[00:08:51] but he kind of came up with the original show.

[00:08:53] He also came up with the A-Team.

[00:08:55] The A-Team, which I did watch religiously every time it came on.

[00:09:00] Like, loved it, loved it, loved it.

[00:09:02] Did I see any of the movies,

[00:09:03] the terrible movies that they spawned?

[00:09:05] I think I saw a little bit of one of them.

[00:09:08] And it was bad.

[00:09:09] There were two?

[00:09:10] There were two movies made by A-Team?

[00:09:11] Yes, I believe so.

[00:09:12] Huh.

[00:09:13] Yeah.

[00:09:14] Okay, no, I'm not doubting you.

[00:09:15] I think so.

[00:09:16] And they were with different casts.

[00:09:17] It's like they tried again, I think.

[00:09:18] I knew there was at least one.

[00:09:20] There was one with Bradley Cooper.

[00:09:22] Mm-hmm.

[00:09:23] And yeah, don't quiz me on that right now.

[00:09:25] Okay, all right.

[00:09:26] Because we'll go down a rattle.

[00:09:27] But my point being is that

[00:09:29] I couldn't have gone into this film

[00:09:31] with lower expectations.

[00:09:33] And I don't seek out big-budget action comedies.

[00:09:38] I just, I don't.

[00:09:39] Mm-hmm.

[00:09:40] Those are not my thing.

[00:09:41] You know, it's people,

[00:09:42] all people have different types of genres and stuff.

[00:09:44] They appreciate what drew me to the film.

[00:09:46] I did see the trailer.

[00:09:48] We may have discussed it here on the show.

[00:09:50] Mm-hmm.

[00:09:51] And I like Ryan Gosling.

[00:09:53] I like Emily Blunt.

[00:09:54] And I was like, okay,

[00:09:55] they are going for more of the comedic thing.

[00:09:57] I knew David Leach's background.

[00:09:59] He's big into stunts.

[00:10:00] You know, that's kind of,

[00:10:01] he was a stuntman himself.

[00:10:03] Maybe he still does some, I don't know.

[00:10:04] Yeah.

[00:10:05] But that's kind of his thing.

[00:10:06] I knew he was associated with John Wicks.

[00:10:08] I was like, okay.

[00:10:09] So what did I expect in this film?

[00:10:11] Stunts.

[00:10:12] Did I get stunts?

[00:10:13] Yes.

[00:10:14] Check that box.

[00:10:15] Mm-hmm.

[00:10:16] Did I get some funny stuff

[00:10:17] between Emily Blunt and Ryan Gosling

[00:10:19] and thought they think they had good chemistry?

[00:10:21] Yes.

[00:10:22] Mm-hmm.

[00:10:23] So, you know,

[00:10:24] and it does it suffer from blockbuster bloat?

[00:10:27] Yes.

[00:10:28] It's two hours and six minutes.

[00:10:30] Could it have been shorter?

[00:10:31] Yes.

[00:10:32] But I don't go into films like this

[00:10:34] expecting it to be concise

[00:10:36] and the editing to be good like, no,

[00:10:38] that's not what I go into expecting.

[00:10:40] So it was not a surprise.

[00:10:42] And actually, I found myself enjoying it.

[00:10:46] I thought it was good.

[00:10:47] Now, will I say it's one of my favorite films of the year?

[00:10:50] No.

[00:10:51] You know, will I rewatch it?

[00:10:53] Maybe because, you know, I do like to laugh.

[00:10:56] So depending on how this movie year goes,

[00:10:58] you know, yeah, I may, you know, watch it

[00:11:00] when it comes out on like streaming or whatever.

[00:11:02] But I thought it was good.

[00:11:04] Now, I will say that I feel like they did

[00:11:08] everything they needed to do.

[00:11:10] I would not probably be interested in seeing a sequel

[00:11:13] because I feel like, yeah, you take the idea,

[00:11:16] okay, you've made something out of an old TV show.

[00:11:18] You kind of used up all your ideas,

[00:11:21] all your bag of tricks.

[00:11:23] But it worked.

[00:11:24] I found it entertaining enough.

[00:11:26] But would I be on board?

[00:11:27] Would I green light a sequel if I was a studio head?

[00:11:29] Which obviously I'm not.

[00:11:30] No.

[00:11:31] But a lot of it comes down to the chemistry

[00:11:34] between the two leads.

[00:11:35] And as you mentioned, there was,

[00:11:38] I mean, you figure there's going to be

[00:11:40] some Hollywood commentary.

[00:11:42] And there was actually more kind of like meta commentary

[00:11:46] than I thought there was going to be.

[00:11:48] I do not want to spoil it for anyone because I was completely

[00:11:51] unaware that this was going to happen.

[00:11:53] But they actually kind of take a huge dig

[00:11:57] out of franchise that has been, well,

[00:12:00] it's only had two films, but it's very successful.

[00:12:03] And I felt they were making a direct like

[00:12:06] winking nods to a loving nod.

[00:12:08] But there was a song that was towards the end of the film.

[00:12:11] I don't think you're picking up on one of them.

[00:12:13] But they key like a musical reference.

[00:12:16] And I was like, oh, that sounds just like this major blockbusters

[00:12:19] like theme.

[00:12:20] And sure enough, a star that was in that film comes on screen

[00:12:23] and I'm like, oh, that's funny.

[00:12:25] Like, and yeah.

[00:12:26] So I don't want to spoil it for anybody.

[00:12:29] No, no, no.

[00:12:30] I don't want to spoil it for anybody.

[00:12:31] No, no, absolutely not.

[00:12:32] Just remind me.

[00:12:33] I need to ask you about that.

[00:12:34] I totally will.

[00:12:35] Anyways, there were all these other references that were

[00:12:37] in the film that would keep me.

[00:12:39] And they were, they were more like meta than just like a fart

[00:12:42] joke.

[00:12:43] So it was a little bit of a higher brand of comedy

[00:12:47] that I was maybe expecting.

[00:12:48] Not always.

[00:12:49] I mean, some were just silly jokes.

[00:12:51] But there's, again, something that I found kind of funny,

[00:12:55] interesting quirk.

[00:12:56] It was quirkier than I thought it was going to be.

[00:12:59] For instance, Aaron Taylor Johnson, who plays the missing

[00:13:03] star of the blockbuster film, he has a quirk where he

[00:13:08] uses his post-it notes.

[00:13:10] Completely random.

[00:13:12] I don't really know like where that came from.

[00:13:15] Maybe that's in Zeitgeist of Society.

[00:13:17] But like, I thought that was hilarious and it actually

[00:13:20] kind of has some payoff stuff too.

[00:13:22] So yeah, things like that.

[00:13:24] It was just, I went in with low expectations

[00:13:26] and I liked it.

[00:13:29] So I wouldn't say I fall on the, yeah, I'm not

[00:13:33] saying I fall on like this film is the greatest thing

[00:13:36] ever, you know, it's, but I'm not saying I fall on

[00:13:37] this, but I am surprised that it's not doing better.

[00:13:42] And I would say I have a, you know, I hear your

[00:13:45] feedback, which doesn't hit on the points that I was

[00:13:48] thinking maybe were the problem.

[00:13:51] You and I, but you said, I said, we both like

[00:13:53] Ryan Gosling.

[00:13:54] Yeah.

[00:13:55] However, I can see how some people coming off

[00:14:00] the film last year was pink.

[00:14:02] What was he?

[00:14:03] Oh yes, Barbie.

[00:14:04] And his performance at the Oscars, which, you

[00:14:06] know, people are just like, okay.

[00:14:08] I think there may be some Gosling fatigue because

[00:14:11] of how much of Barbie was now with in addition to

[00:14:14] that Barbie, it was funny, but it also obviously

[00:14:19] had an agenda, you know, and this film, I think

[00:14:21] is pretty agenda list, but I think there may

[00:14:24] be kind of a agenda stigma stink attached

[00:14:28] to Ryan Gosling maybe.

[00:14:29] And so people were kind of like, we don't want

[00:14:32] to hear him like be funny, but then be the

[00:14:34] doofus and then like try to teach us something,

[00:14:37] which is not what this film did.

[00:14:38] But I think there may have been a little bit of

[00:14:40] that something else too.

[00:14:42] People coming to this film, there are maybe

[00:14:44] leech fans, like they liked atomic blonde

[00:14:48] and liked John Wick.

[00:14:50] This film has a lot of stunts, but yet

[00:14:53] there's actually not a lot of like violence

[00:14:57] and gunfire, which is what some of his stuff

[00:14:59] is like bullet train was another thing.

[00:15:01] You know, those films are known for like

[00:15:03] action sequences, but they have like blood

[00:15:06] and guns.

[00:15:07] And this kind of, not that it didn't have any

[00:15:09] guns, but it strayed more to like the typical

[00:15:13] stunt type things.

[00:15:14] And I think there may be some people who are

[00:15:16] like, oh, we wanted more of an action movie

[00:15:18] where like, you know, people are dying

[00:15:20] and you see like bodies flying everywhere.

[00:15:22] Like, and I don't know, but that,

[00:15:25] because to me, you know, I did my

[00:15:28] little checklist, but if you put a checklist

[00:15:30] of what blockbuster seekers are looking for,

[00:15:34] I don't understand why this movie's not doing better.

[00:15:38] So those are the only two ideas that I could

[00:15:40] come up with, or maybe like you, there's

[00:15:43] some people that really have an affinity

[00:15:45] for the TV show and feel like this didn't

[00:15:47] live up to it, but I kind of doubt that.

[00:15:49] Yeah, I don't think that's the demographic

[00:15:51] on this.

[00:15:52] And again, I was not drawn to this

[00:15:55] movie because of the TV show.

[00:15:57] I like the TV show, but I had no

[00:15:59] bearings of saying, okay, I want to see

[00:16:01] a recreation of the TV show in movie form.

[00:16:04] No, it's not that.

[00:16:05] It's just again, the premise, the premise

[00:16:07] is great.

[00:16:08] And even as I drove away from the theater

[00:16:10] thinking about the plot of the film,

[00:16:12] the plot's good.

[00:16:14] Actually, I think it's a pretty good story.

[00:16:16] I agree.

[00:16:17] And the actors are good.

[00:16:18] And I like some of the dialogue

[00:16:22] and some of the interactions and charm

[00:16:24] that was shown between all the different

[00:16:26] lead actors.

[00:16:27] It's just again, it was almost

[00:16:31] trying to do too much, I feel like,

[00:16:33] with what it had.

[00:16:35] And here's the interesting thing.

[00:16:37] You said you made the mention about how

[00:16:39] you're not interested in a sequel

[00:16:41] or not concerned or curious about that at all.

[00:16:44] I actually see, I want this to be

[00:16:46] something that turns into a sequel.

[00:16:48] That's the thing is I think all the foundation

[00:16:50] is really, really good there.

[00:16:52] I think my whole issue with this film

[00:16:54] is just the mechanics of how this film

[00:16:56] was presented to us.

[00:16:58] And that is like, I almost envisioned that they

[00:17:00] shot some really great scenes.

[00:17:02] They shot all this great.

[00:17:03] They had a great story to work with.

[00:17:05] And then they're like, how do we put this together

[00:17:07] to make it entertaining?

[00:17:08] And I think that's where it, for me,

[00:17:10] it fell down.

[00:17:11] Like, I'm at a theater last night.

[00:17:13] The theater was not full.

[00:17:14] OK, great.

[00:17:15] I'll just go ahead and say you didn't mention,

[00:17:17] yeah, the film's not doing as great

[00:17:19] as people thought.

[00:17:20] And I'm surprised by that too.

[00:17:21] I don't understand that.

[00:17:22] But as I'm looking around the theater,

[00:17:24] I'm looking at my wife, she's many, many times

[00:17:27] in the film giving it a little like, let's wrap this up.

[00:17:29] Like, where are we going?

[00:17:30] What's going on here?

[00:17:31] I'm looking across the side.

[00:17:32] There are people on their phone in the middle of the film

[00:17:35] just like, you know, texting, doing other stuff,

[00:17:37] not paying attention.

[00:17:38] I'm like, yeah, that's because I just don't feel.

[00:17:40] I think people are having a decent enough time,

[00:17:42] but I don't think the film is really working

[00:17:45] at a level to keep people engaged

[00:17:48] and to keep them kind of really into the film.

[00:17:51] And I do feel like it's, it's pacing.

[00:17:53] It's timing.

[00:17:54] It's like there's a whole action sequence

[00:17:57] that I was actually kind of really looking forward to seeing

[00:18:00] because it looked really kind of creative and cool.

[00:18:03] It had to do with two guys, one of them being

[00:18:06] the Ryan Gosling character Colt Siever.

[00:18:08] By the way, we haven't mentioned the names.

[00:18:10] We got to say the name Colt Siever.

[00:18:12] Is that the name of the guy in the original?

[00:18:15] Okay.

[00:18:16] So he's fighting another guy inside of a,

[00:18:21] the part of a bulldozer, I think that scoops things out.

[00:18:23] It's like being dragged by a truck.

[00:18:25] It's like this big metal, well, maybe not the bulldozer.

[00:18:27] Was it a trash dumpster?

[00:18:29] Maybe it was a trash dumpster.

[00:18:30] You're right.

[00:18:31] It's on a big metal.

[00:18:32] Yeah, exactly.

[00:18:33] It's cool.

[00:18:34] Like you saw in the trailer, I'm like, oh, yeah, you did.

[00:18:35] That looks really interesting.

[00:18:36] I'm like, that looks cool.

[00:18:38] Here's how I could sum up my issues with the film is that

[00:18:42] you have this great action sequence that I'm kind of

[00:18:44] like waiting for.

[00:18:45] I'm like, that looks really cool.

[00:18:47] It's like a good old fashioned, like, you know, practical

[00:18:49] effects action sequence that I'm like looking forward to.

[00:18:54] The entire sequence is cut back and forth between Emily

[00:18:59] Blunt's character and also her conversation with Hannah

[00:19:02] Waddington, Waddingham, sorry, who's also in the film plays

[00:19:06] Gail, one of the producers of the film.

[00:19:08] And honestly, they are cutting back from one sentence being

[00:19:14] said by Emily Blunt or by Waddingham back to the action

[00:19:18] sequence, then back to one sentence being said, then

[00:19:21] back to the action sequence.

[00:19:23] It's like, it was just, I didn't understand what their

[00:19:26] purpose was in trying to present the movie.

[00:19:28] And that was not just this scene.

[00:19:30] That was felt like it was throughout the film.

[00:19:32] Then you've got other sequences where you've got a

[00:19:35] great little dialogue going with Brian Gosling and

[00:19:37] Emily Blunt's characters and there's some real good

[00:19:40] banter between them and it goes on forever.

[00:19:43] It's like they just didn't quite understand how to take

[00:19:46] this and make this into a more entertaining package

[00:19:49] for people to absorb.

[00:19:51] So I think that's some issues and it's not something

[00:19:54] that I think the typical movie goer walks out of the

[00:19:57] theater saying, yes, I had some issues with the

[00:19:59] editing and they shouldn't have edited this scene.

[00:20:01] I get it.

[00:20:02] I'm a little more specific on it, but I think it is

[00:20:05] speaking to a bigger thing where people are coming

[00:20:08] out of the theater and probably saying, yeah, yeah,

[00:20:10] it was fun.

[00:20:11] That was a good time, but it's not connecting and it's

[00:20:13] not being that kind of film that people really want

[00:20:16] to talk about and go out and encourage other people

[00:20:19] to see.

[00:20:20] That's my takeaway on it.

[00:20:21] So I just think it just missed the boat on a few

[00:20:24] key elements of the film.

[00:20:26] But look, if they told me they're making a fall guy

[00:20:29] too and maybe somebody else was making it or

[00:20:32] there's going to be some different production

[00:20:34] team involved in it, I'm like, but it's the

[00:20:36] same lead actors and the same premise.

[00:20:38] I bring it on.

[00:20:39] I want to see that because I love everything that

[00:20:42] this film was based on.

[00:20:43] I just think the execution of it was flawed to me

[00:20:46] and it just didn't work to me in the mindset I

[00:20:49] was in when I was watching it.

[00:20:51] So, yeah.

[00:20:52] Yeah, to me it's another example of Ryan Gosling

[00:20:55] being in a good movie that's funny that for

[00:20:58] some reason people overlook and don't like

[00:21:01] the nice guys.

[00:21:02] The nice guys, yeah, which I agree.

[00:21:04] Russell Crowe, Ryan Gosling, funny.

[00:21:07] They play like kind of down their luck.

[00:21:10] Maybe detectives, they're trying to figure out

[00:21:12] like a mystery, you know, a crime that happened.

[00:21:16] And yeah, I liked it and it just kind of

[00:21:19] critics, some critics really, really liked it,

[00:21:22] but audiences just didn't go see it.

[00:21:24] It's not, but it's like a buddy cop comedy,

[00:21:26] I guess is what you'd classify it and

[00:21:28] people just didn't go for it.

[00:21:30] So let me ask this.

[00:21:31] I know we've got two other films for review,

[00:21:33] so I don't want to belabor this, but

[00:21:35] what movie has Ryan Gosling been in

[00:21:38] as a star of the film that's been a big hit

[00:21:42] besides Barbie?

[00:21:43] Oh, I think, I mean, that's it.

[00:21:46] Barbie was his biggest, he's been in tons of films.

[00:21:50] Yeah.

[00:21:51] But his biggest hit, yeah, I mean there's no way.

[00:21:53] Well, yeah, but even like, even not even

[00:21:54] in what his biggest hit is.

[00:21:55] Like, not his number two film Below Barry.

[00:21:57] I mean, that's the thing.

[00:21:58] There's not one.

[00:21:59] I don't know.

[00:22:00] I mean, he's been in lots of stuff,

[00:22:02] but yeah, I don't know what I would say his second film.

[00:22:05] Oh, you know what?

[00:22:06] I do and I haven't seen it,

[00:22:08] but I think there are people that like it.

[00:22:10] The notebook.

[00:22:12] Right.

[00:22:13] Okay, yeah.

[00:22:14] Yeah, the notebook was probably.

[00:22:16] Yeah, I remember that was popular,

[00:22:17] but it was like a romance.

[00:22:19] It was based on a novel.

[00:22:20] It was early on for him to write.

[00:22:21] Right, right.

[00:22:22] Yeah, it was an early one,

[00:22:23] but that I think if I had to guess,

[00:22:25] I would say that was probably,

[00:22:26] but there again, he's done so many

[00:22:27] different types of things too.

[00:22:29] That, um,

[00:22:31] it seems like to me like, you know,

[00:22:33] I it's a shame to say because I think Ryan Gosling is really good.

[00:22:36] And I think he does.

[00:22:38] Oh, yeah.

[00:22:40] Yeah.

[00:22:41] I give him credit, but like, you know,

[00:22:43] people were like, wait, he can sing.

[00:22:45] He can dance.

[00:22:46] La La Land, I would say before Barbie.

[00:22:49] That's true.

[00:22:50] But you know what?

[00:22:51] I don't think people went to La La Land for Ryan Gosling.

[00:22:53] I think Emma Stone was probably a bigger draw

[00:22:55] and this is the format, the musical,

[00:22:57] the musical, just like with Barbie.

[00:23:00] I don't think people were going to Barbie to see Ryan Gosling.

[00:23:02] They were going for other reasons,

[00:23:04] but I mean, I think he has his fans.

[00:23:06] It's a shame because I think he's,

[00:23:08] I think he's got some great comedic timing.

[00:23:10] I think he's real, he's a charming actor.

[00:23:12] Um, back, I'll also say the same thing about Emily Blunt.

[00:23:15] Emily Blunt is not a draw.

[00:23:17] Like she is not going to bring people in on her own.

[00:23:20] So I think that's a little bit of the issue with the fall guy.

[00:23:23] I agree with you.

[00:23:24] I'm surprised this film didn't do bigger money

[00:23:26] because I think it does hit so many

[00:23:29] quadrants of what people are looking for in summer action,

[00:23:33] summer adventure movies, fun movies,

[00:23:36] light comedy movies.

[00:23:37] You know, it just, it hits all those things.

[00:23:39] Well, I just thought technically it was flawed

[00:23:41] and had some issues with it that kept me

[00:23:43] from really getting engaged with the film.

[00:23:45] But um,

[00:23:46] Yeah.

[00:23:47] And for some reason, not the,

[00:23:49] maybe it was expectations.

[00:23:50] It would be interesting to me if for once

[00:23:53] audiences, general audiences actually had the complaint

[00:23:57] and it sounds like what you're saying,

[00:23:59] the audience you saw it with, this would be it.

[00:24:01] Yeah, it was okay, but it was too long.

[00:24:04] Like too much of the same.

[00:24:05] And like if that's the, like I would love for Hollywood

[00:24:08] to finally get that feedback that not every movie

[00:24:11] that comes out has to be over two hours.

[00:24:14] I think there was definitely some bloat there for sure.

[00:24:17] And I think just some pad storytelling choices

[00:24:21] and bad structural choices in the film.

[00:24:25] And yeah, I mean it's the kind of thing where you know,

[00:24:29] I'm left walking away saying, okay,

[00:24:31] why did they do this?

[00:24:33] Why did this person do this?

[00:24:35] And I shouldn't be having those kind of questions with,

[00:24:37] with a light action comedy movie.

[00:24:39] I mean, you know,

[00:24:40] it shouldn't be to me so blaring of wondering

[00:24:42] why things happen certain ways,

[00:24:44] why people did this,

[00:24:45] why they took this action.

[00:24:47] And it's just, I think to me,

[00:24:48] when the plot was so straight,

[00:24:50] was so good and so well scripted.

[00:24:52] And I think for me,

[00:24:53] I wasn't holding it to that standard because I knew going,

[00:24:56] or I felt like I knew going into this movie.

[00:24:58] Yeah, this is an excuse for there to be lots of stunts

[00:25:03] and lots of action sequences and plot.

[00:25:06] The fact that it had a plot,

[00:25:08] the fact that it had a little bit of a mystery

[00:25:11] and it tried to have like a romance,

[00:25:12] like that was actually amazing to me

[00:25:14] because I thought it was all it was going to be

[00:25:15] was an excuse for stuff to blow up

[00:25:17] and for people to be like, you know, fighting hand to hand.

[00:25:21] So the fact that it actually tried to have a story,

[00:25:24] I was a little bit impressed with.

[00:25:25] Okay.

[00:25:26] So we came into it with two different

[00:25:28] sets of expectations.

[00:25:29] Sure.

[00:25:30] And we didn't quite meet in the middle

[00:25:31] with our takes on it.

[00:25:32] I was let down with my higher expectations.

[00:25:35] You were pleasantly surprised

[00:25:37] with your lower expectations.

[00:25:39] But all in all,

[00:25:40] I mean, the film could have been better.

[00:25:43] I'll just say that.

[00:25:44] That's just me anyway.

[00:25:46] Yeah, okay.

[00:25:48] I'm just going to leave it at that.

[00:25:50] I've got fair enough.

[00:25:51] More, I could say, but you know what?

[00:25:52] In the essence of time,

[00:25:53] let's kind of keep pushing on.

[00:25:55] That is the fall guy.

[00:25:56] It opened up May 3rd.

[00:25:58] It is still in theaters.

[00:25:59] But again, as Chris alluded,

[00:26:01] it did not perform adequately well.

[00:26:03] It's kind of seen as a little bit of a let down

[00:26:06] to the start of the summer already.

[00:26:08] So I don't know how much longer

[00:26:09] it'll be in the big theaters.

[00:26:11] So you may want to rush out and check it out.

[00:26:13] I think for me, I would say,

[00:26:15] yeah, Chris is recommended worth it.

[00:26:17] I'm recommending it.

[00:26:18] It was the exact kickoff to the air quotes

[00:26:22] summer blockbuster season that I was it for me

[00:26:25] to enjoy this type of movie as much as I did.

[00:26:27] I was really pleasant.

[00:26:28] And I'm going to go out and say that I do think

[00:26:30] people should go see it for a couple reasons.

[00:26:32] One, I think this film like this needs to be supported more

[00:26:36] and make more money than it is because it's, you know,

[00:26:39] yes, it is based on a old TV show,

[00:26:42] but I don't consider this a franchise movie.

[00:26:44] You know, this is still fairly look the similarities.

[00:26:48] To the TV show pretty much stop at he's a stuntman.

[00:26:52] That is pretty much it.

[00:26:54] He's got the same name and he's a stuntman.

[00:26:57] That is it.

[00:26:58] So there's really not any other similarity.

[00:27:01] So I don't say that this is some sort of franchise, you know,

[00:27:04] tying off of some sort of intellectual property thing.

[00:27:07] No, this is a fairly original film

[00:27:09] and it's got some good stars.

[00:27:11] I do think people should go support it.

[00:27:13] I just personally wanted it to be better.

[00:27:16] I hoped it could have been better and felt like there was some

[00:27:19] technical choices made in the film that kept me from saying

[00:27:22] it was a better film.

[00:27:23] So, okay, let's go ahead and move on to our next one.

[00:27:27] Chris, so as just as a quick reminder,

[00:27:29] I said at the beginning three films and only on one of them

[00:27:33] and do I seem to be in line with where critics are?

[00:27:36] Overall critics are good.

[00:27:38] I know which one.

[00:27:39] Overall critics are good with the fall guy.

[00:27:41] Okay.

[00:27:42] I was let down so there's that's one.

[00:27:44] Okay, we marked that one.

[00:27:46] Let's move on and see where we are with the next two.

[00:27:48] Our second movie is the film Unfrosted.

[00:27:53] In the early 1960s, the American Morning was defined by milk

[00:27:58] and cereal and the two undisputed giants of the

[00:28:01] cereal world were Kellogg's and Post.

[00:28:04] Major news from the breakfast world.

[00:28:06] The Post-Cereal Company has reportedly invented a shelf

[00:28:09] stable fruit pastry breakfast product.

[00:28:12] Now, boy.

[00:28:16] It's Post.

[00:28:17] They did it.

[00:28:18] I'm about to find on crush a big red cane that never stops glaring at me.

[00:28:23] I think Post did it.

[00:28:24] There's always a surprise inside the box.

[00:28:26] I don't think you sand them gum.

[00:28:28] Sand them.

[00:28:33] So Chris, we've also previewed this film in a previous episode

[00:28:37] and talked about it and played some of the trailer for it.

[00:28:40] Jerry Seinfeld, comedian actor known best for his sitcom.

[00:28:46] Seinfeld.

[00:28:48] He's also a big fan of breakfast.

[00:28:51] That is something if anybody's ever watched the Seinfeld TV show,

[00:28:54] there's always the painting shot of all the cereal boxes he has on his cabinet.

[00:28:59] And he's talked about cereal and breakfast product in a lot of his standup work.

[00:29:03] So when it was announced that his film Unfrosted would be coming out,

[00:29:07] his first time directing a film, he also co-wrote it with several others.

[00:29:11] And he'd be starring in it and it'd be going straight to Netflix.

[00:29:14] And it was about business rivals Kellogg's and Post as they compete

[00:29:19] to create a breakfast food, a cake that could change breakfast forever.

[00:29:25] And they are talking about the production of the Pop-Tart.

[00:29:29] So having a movie about the creation of the Pop-Tart,

[00:29:32] kind of a very, very niche idea for a comedy movie,

[00:29:37] but bringing in tons of other comedian actors to help them out with this.

[00:29:41] We've got, oh gosh.

[00:29:43] Who do we not have?

[00:29:45] Who's not in this film?

[00:29:46] George Carlin has passed away, so he was not in this film.

[00:29:49] We've got Jim Gaffigan.

[00:29:51] We've got Hugh Grant.

[00:29:52] We've got Sarah Cooper, Kyle Mooney, Mikey Day, Amy Schumer, Max Greenfield.

[00:29:58] We've got, oh gosh, Melissa McCarthy.

[00:30:01] It just goes on and on.

[00:30:03] There's quite a lot in this film.

[00:30:05] Chris, critics are having a field day with this film

[00:30:10] in that I've never seen on Letterbox

[00:30:13] after having watched the film and formed my own opinion.

[00:30:15] I don't think I've ever seen a film with,

[00:30:17] of all the people I follow on Letterbox,

[00:30:19] basically one-star reviews.

[00:30:22] We're half-star.

[00:30:24] Almost across the board uniformly.

[00:30:26] Right.

[00:30:27] So where do you fall on Unfrosted?

[00:30:29] I asked you to see this because I had seen it.

[00:30:32] Which kind of gave me a clue as to like, okay.

[00:30:35] Well, I'm curious on your take on this.

[00:30:38] Given the type of film that it's meant to be

[00:30:40] and the audience is meant to serve,

[00:30:41] what is your take on Unfrosted?

[00:30:43] Jerry Seinfeld's a terrible director.

[00:30:46] Okay.

[00:30:47] All right, there we go.

[00:30:48] Notice I didn't say he's a bad writer

[00:30:51] or he's a bad comedian.

[00:30:53] His acting talents, I mean,

[00:30:56] I don't know that I can really spit.

[00:30:57] He's not terrible because he can still deliver lines

[00:30:59] and deliver his jokes,

[00:31:00] but I mean, he's a good comedian.

[00:31:02] Yeah.

[00:31:03] But so there were funny things in this film,

[00:31:06] you know, with any comedy,

[00:31:07] the first thing you ask is,

[00:31:08] well, did you laugh?

[00:31:09] Okay, did you only laugh once?

[00:31:10] Did you laugh more than?

[00:31:11] No, I laughed a couple of times.

[00:31:13] But the film is kind of all over the place

[00:31:16] and I think some better direction could have,

[00:31:21] could have made it better.

[00:31:23] And I think Jerry Seinfeld doing all three,

[00:31:26] I think him being,

[00:31:27] you mentioned how tied he is to the material.

[00:31:30] Like he's such a, okay, fine.

[00:31:32] So he can definitely write it.

[00:31:33] And some of his bits,

[00:31:34] it was like some of the bits in the film.

[00:31:35] I'm like, yeah,

[00:31:36] I bet you just took this directly from

[00:31:38] some of your standup routines,

[00:31:39] which is fine.

[00:31:40] Funny in the standup routine

[00:31:41] can be funny on film as well.

[00:31:43] And you know,

[00:31:44] who better to deliver it than you

[00:31:46] because you know,

[00:31:47] you know where the funny is.

[00:31:49] So great.

[00:31:50] But just something about the direction,

[00:31:51] I think it just kind of got away from him.

[00:31:54] And then a little bit of the writing too,

[00:31:56] I feel like there's a lab generated product

[00:32:03] that takes a life of its own

[00:32:05] and then it's like a CGI running around

[00:32:08] pop tart thing.

[00:32:09] That whole thing just irritated the bejesus out of me.

[00:32:13] But I think Jerry Seinfeld is older now.

[00:32:17] He has kids.

[00:32:20] And I think this is an attempt to be very,

[00:32:24] and it succeeded,

[00:32:25] a very broad comedy

[00:32:28] and keep it family friendly.

[00:32:31] So it serves all that.

[00:32:33] Could it have been reigned in a little bit,

[00:32:36] been directed by somebody else?

[00:32:37] Yes.

[00:32:38] Could they have excised the mutant pop tart

[00:32:41] as sentient being?

[00:32:43] Yes.

[00:32:45] But that's not what they wanted to do.

[00:32:47] And you know,

[00:32:48] so to answer your question,

[00:32:50] where do I fall?

[00:32:51] No, I don't think it's fair

[00:32:54] to give this half star or a star.

[00:32:57] Am I saying it's the best thing ever?

[00:32:59] No.

[00:33:00] But for what it's trying to do,

[00:33:02] I feel like it's okay.

[00:33:05] Would I go out and recommend it to somebody?

[00:33:07] Probably not.

[00:33:10] But you know,

[00:33:12] I feel like if you like Jerry Seinfeld

[00:33:14] and you're okay to see him in a more family friendly way,

[00:33:18] then maybe this is for you.

[00:33:21] So that's kind of where I fall.

[00:33:23] You fall positive on it, I guess.

[00:33:25] I'm a little more positive in you.

[00:33:27] I'm not super positive.

[00:33:28] Okay, look, I like sketch comedy.

[00:33:31] I am a fan of sketch comedy.

[00:33:33] If I view this film as a series of sketches

[00:33:36] stitched together

[00:33:38] and just watch it from that perspective,

[00:33:40] yes, I've had a fun time watching this movie.

[00:33:42] I think it works in some of the level of comedy

[00:33:45] that's going for it and some of the ideas.

[00:33:48] As a full movie?

[00:33:50] No, it's not that great.

[00:33:52] You've seen those movies before where it's like,

[00:33:55] yeah, there were some great little comedy sketch moments

[00:33:58] and they just stitched it together into film.

[00:34:00] Why make this a 90 minute film?

[00:34:02] That's a little bit of the takeaway from this.

[00:34:04] But I will say, I honestly thought

[00:34:06] there were a handful of moments in this film

[00:34:08] that were genuinely funny

[00:34:10] and I was actually kind of more impressed

[00:34:14] with some of the moments that

[00:34:17] harkened on some more contemporary topics,

[00:34:21] which I was kind of shocked by.

[00:34:23] It's January 6th references in here.

[00:34:25] Yeah, there was a whole sequence

[00:34:27] that was kind of a very much a direct reflection of that.

[00:34:32] But obviously it was done in a comedic way

[00:34:34] and I think it worked, but it was odd.

[00:34:37] It was odd?

[00:34:38] I think that was an attempt to try to bring

[00:34:41] the appeal of the humor up a notch or two

[00:34:44] by kind of having this silly thing

[00:34:46] but kind of telling the audience,

[00:34:48] oh you know what we're parroting here.

[00:34:50] So I think that was an attempt which, okay,

[00:34:53] but it was maybe a little too late for me.

[00:34:55] I'll tell you what, considering,

[00:34:57] you know, we always, there again,

[00:34:59] both of you and I are saying, I liked it okay.

[00:35:02] It was great.

[00:35:03] You're liking it a little more than me.

[00:35:05] I liked it fine, yeah.

[00:35:07] I'm just praising the film instead of just immediately coming out

[00:35:09] and saying something they could change other than obviously,

[00:35:11] I say Jerry Seinfeld based on this one thing,

[00:35:14] is a terrible director.

[00:35:15] Yeah, no.

[00:35:16] Something that I think would have solved the problem

[00:35:19] and it's from something you said,

[00:35:21] have this be a limited series?

[00:35:24] So they are in and out and the skits become more or less

[00:35:28] the basis for eight episodes

[00:35:31] and progresses.

[00:35:32] And so that way you're in and out

[00:35:34] and hopefully about 20 minutes.

[00:35:36] And so, you know, I think it would actually work better

[00:35:39] because you know, and then you just drop the

[00:35:41] Anapomorphized Pop-Tart guy.

[00:35:43] Yeah, no, I'm with you on that.

[00:35:45] But I think that would have been more successful

[00:35:47] and it would have been funnier.

[00:35:48] But trying to make it as a movie,

[00:35:50] I just kind of what you described,

[00:35:51] harkening back to our first review of the Fall Guy,

[00:35:53] to me, I kind of was in the mode of checking my phone

[00:35:57] and kind of rolling my eyes and being like,

[00:35:59] okay, let's move this along.

[00:36:01] Now granted, it was only an hour and 37 minutes,

[00:36:03] but it felt like you're saying so much of an episodic skit thing

[00:36:08] and the connective tissue in between.

[00:36:10] Which looks like any of these broad zany comedies

[00:36:14] kind of fall into that same category.

[00:36:16] You could say airplane, you know,

[00:36:18] kind of a more of an originator of this, I guess,

[00:36:21] from the late 70s was kind of that idea.

[00:36:24] Like you could argue that there are sketches

[00:36:27] and there are little comedy bits

[00:36:29] that just kind of are stitched together

[00:36:30] with a very broad concept.

[00:36:33] This one definitely had that feel to it.

[00:36:36] But I mean, I think your idea of it being a smaller episode,

[00:36:41] many series, limited series thing could have worked

[00:36:44] because again, I liked the idea of,

[00:36:46] I was fascinated by Hugh Grant's Thorough Ravencroft

[00:36:50] as playing Tony the Tiger.

[00:36:52] I wanted kind of more of him.

[00:36:54] It's kind of him reprising his Paddington 2 role

[00:36:56] of playing not as big a villain air quotes there,

[00:37:00] but yeah, the kind of bad guy role.

[00:37:02] And I could have seen like a 20 minute episode

[00:37:04] just dealing with him.

[00:37:06] You know that could have been kind of interesting.

[00:37:08] Sure.

[00:37:09] Christian Slater is Mike Diamond part of the milkman mafia.

[00:37:13] Yes.

[00:37:14] That would have been kind of interesting too.

[00:37:16] Which I enjoyed seeing him

[00:37:17] because I hadn't really seen him since Mr. Robot.

[00:37:19] So I think, yeah, there's some opportunities

[00:37:21] for restructuring this into something

[00:37:23] a little more digestible and better.

[00:37:25] Again, I thought it was funny.

[00:37:27] I thought there was enough funny moments there.

[00:37:29] I still am finding myself laughing

[00:37:31] at the absurdity of the funeral scene

[00:37:34] which I thought was really funny.

[00:37:36] So I don't mind absurdist humor.

[00:37:40] I don't mind films that are kind of based off

[00:37:42] of the idea of sketch comedy kind of stitched together.

[00:37:45] Just you do have to kind of put it together

[00:37:47] into a decent package.

[00:37:48] And this one didn't quite come together the right way.

[00:37:52] And yeah, I could argue Jerry Seinfeld as a director.

[00:37:55] Maybe not his strength.

[00:37:57] Maybe one of those...

[00:37:59] One title out of this film he needs to kind of strike

[00:38:01] and move away from.

[00:38:03] But there were enough laughs.

[00:38:07] I definitely laughed more than I expected to.

[00:38:10] And I wonder with this film too, Chris.

[00:38:14] I mean just to kind of tie it.

[00:38:15] I mean we did this with the Fall Guy

[00:38:16] kind of wondering why either audiences

[00:38:18] weren't connecting with it or why.

[00:38:20] Critics aren't connecting with it.

[00:38:22] I think this movie is doing really well with audiences.

[00:38:25] I've actually heard many, many, many people

[00:38:28] talk about it in just social circles in the last week

[00:38:31] that I ever thought family members,

[00:38:33] people I know just like haven't seen them

[00:38:35] think it was hilarious.

[00:38:36] Critics hate it.

[00:38:38] I wonder if there's a little bit of...

[00:38:41] There is some Jerry Seinfeld anger right now blowback

[00:38:45] and I just wonder if that's also maybe repressing

[00:38:48] some people's critical assessment of the film

[00:38:50] because his name is all over this thing.

[00:38:52] I mean it's like if you are not a fan of Jerry Seinfeld...

[00:38:55] He's on the poster.

[00:38:56] It's hard to find yourself wanting to root for this film at all.

[00:38:59] So I don't know.

[00:39:01] I just wonder if there's a little bit of that too.

[00:39:03] To me?

[00:39:04] Because it's, you know...

[00:39:05] I don't feel like it's as bad as the rap it's getting.

[00:39:08] I'm not saying it's great.

[00:39:09] I think it's okay.

[00:39:10] I definitely don't think it's as bad as that rap.

[00:39:11] I do not think it is a great film at all

[00:39:13] but I think it is a funny enough film

[00:39:16] for me to pass 90 minutes and get some chuckles and laughs out of

[00:39:20] and I had a good time with it.

[00:39:22] But yeah, that's unfrosted.

[00:39:25] If you're looking for a really great story

[00:39:28] you're looking for a cohesive plot

[00:39:31] you're looking for comedy

[00:39:34] and more realism based comedy.

[00:39:36] No, you're not going to get that here.

[00:39:38] If you're okay with seeing what may be basically

[00:39:42] 10 to 12 sketches and ideas of comedy bits

[00:39:45] kind of stitched together in a very random half-pazard way

[00:39:49] and letting the humor go totally absurd

[00:39:52] and over the top at many times

[00:39:54] then this is fun.

[00:39:56] I do like the fact that it's based on

[00:39:59] some elements of actual history.

[00:40:01] I mean, granted, I mean...

[00:40:02] Other than the fact there exists

[00:40:05] a product called a pop card.

[00:40:07] There was.

[00:40:08] There was a fight between the two companies

[00:40:10] the two companies were competing to try to get this done.

[00:40:12] Were the heads of the two companies

[00:40:13] kind of in love with one another?

[00:40:15] No, I don't think so.

[00:40:16] But I mean the idea that there are two companies

[00:40:18] and they are both in the same town

[00:40:20] which I think is fascinating.

[00:40:21] That is, yeah.

[00:40:22] Battle Creek, Michigan, you know,

[00:40:23] which I think is hilarious.

[00:40:25] And we're both competing in the mid-60s

[00:40:27] to try to find this ideal breakfast food.

[00:40:30] I like that.

[00:40:32] It's like, alright, is it the basis for a great movie?

[00:40:34] Maybe not, but let's give it a shot.

[00:40:37] I can't believe...

[00:40:39] And I guess Jerry Seinfeld,

[00:40:41] he's done rather well for himself.

[00:40:43] So that being said,

[00:40:45] I can't believe they were able to make this movie

[00:40:49] because of how they portray both Post and Kellogg.

[00:40:52] But I guess, I mean, surely,

[00:40:55] I mean, the companies had to have passed off on it.

[00:40:58] I mean, I just think because otherwise

[00:41:00] they would just get sued into oblivion.

[00:41:02] So I guess it's like, hey, this is parody,

[00:41:05] this is comedy.

[00:41:06] And I think people kind of know, like, okay,

[00:41:08] because you can just tell because, like you're saying,

[00:41:10] how absurd it is that I think the company's like,

[00:41:13] and this was like, like you're saying back in the 60s.

[00:41:16] I can't see how this is going to affect us as a company

[00:41:19] nowadays in our perception and our business.

[00:41:22] Right, yeah, but it was to me, I was just, wow.

[00:41:24] I mean, because they use the logos,

[00:41:26] they just constantly making references.

[00:41:28] Well, and all the characters and mascots

[00:41:30] from the different serials and all that.

[00:41:32] I mean, yeah, it's a very specific film.

[00:41:36] It is a very targeted film.

[00:41:38] I would say, I think where I, the reason I probably was able

[00:41:42] to go into this film and have at least a generally open mind

[00:41:46] to it and be more open to a positive feedback on it.

[00:41:50] I think the very first scene is that the one that like takes

[00:41:53] place in like the malt shop and it's Jerry Seinfeld's

[00:41:56] character there.

[00:41:57] Talking with a kid and it actually acts as kind of book-ins,

[00:42:00] which I was like, okay, and you kind of,

[00:42:02] okay, so that did help me a little bit.

[00:42:04] I was like, okay, this is what we're doing with this.

[00:42:07] But what I loved with it is the little kid George played

[00:42:11] by Isaac Bay, you know, immediately when Jerry's like,

[00:42:15] well, you know, can I tell you a story?

[00:42:17] And he's like, no, not interested.

[00:42:19] Not interested.

[00:42:20] It's like, come on, let me tell you.

[00:42:21] He's like, all right, fine, but let's just make it quick.

[00:42:23] You know, type of thing.

[00:42:24] The kids kind of being like the audience being like,

[00:42:26] all right, look, this is not really a story

[00:42:28] I'm interested in hearing, but if you want to tell it

[00:42:31] to me and you can kind of make it brisk and keep it

[00:42:33] quick, I'm on board.

[00:42:34] Just that attitude with the kid, I thought, all right,

[00:42:37] I'm set up now.

[00:42:38] This is kind of the mentality I'm going with this story.

[00:42:40] And again, I think, you know, in a way,

[00:42:43] absurdist humor, I'm there for it.

[00:42:46] Maybe a bit of a mistake to have so many,

[00:42:49] because anytime you see such a huge roster in the cast

[00:42:52] and you listed maybe a third of them,

[00:42:54] that kind of can be a little bit of a warning sign.

[00:42:56] You bring like all your friends and stuff.

[00:42:58] But this had so many elements.

[00:43:00] And based on the trailer, it looked awesome.

[00:43:02] That kind of for me, even though I went in knowing a lot

[00:43:05] of people hated it because I saw the reviews all

[00:43:07] over Letterbox, it was hard for me not to see them.

[00:43:10] I saw the one stars and a half stars.

[00:43:12] But I felt like there was potential there.

[00:43:15] Like you felt with the fall guy had this been directed

[00:43:18] by somebody different.

[00:43:19] I think it could have been like really awesome or just

[00:43:22] put it up in many series.

[00:43:23] Yeah, it's possible.

[00:43:24] There's definitely a different approach to it.

[00:43:26] Well, that is unfrosted.

[00:43:28] It is on Netflix.

[00:43:29] I think it's doing pretty well for Netflix.

[00:43:31] It's always hard with these pictures.

[00:43:33] They don't like publicly release ratings or whatever on it

[00:43:36] or numbers.

[00:43:37] But I think based on just what I'm seeing word of mouth

[00:43:40] and people talking about, I think it's doing OK

[00:43:43] and getting some good business.

[00:43:45] So but yeah, I was I was sounds like you and I both

[00:43:47] were a little bit on opposite not opposite ends,

[00:43:49] but we were definitely not quite feeling what all

[00:43:52] critics were.

[00:43:54] A lot of critics are bashing this film for.

[00:43:57] I just didn't quite get the hate for the film.

[00:43:59] So you know, on a letterbox thing, it's a it's a three

[00:44:04] for me out of a five.

[00:44:06] You know, I'm like that's a pretty good spot for it.

[00:44:09] I feel like it's worth worth watching.

[00:44:11] But you know, nothing great, not not anything.

[00:44:13] I'm going to like, you know, spend time contemplating

[00:44:16] or spending a lot of time thinking about.

[00:44:18] So fair enough.

[00:44:19] All right.

[00:44:20] Let's go ahead and move on now to our third

[00:44:23] and final film of the episode.

[00:44:25] It is Zendaya, Mike Faist, Josh O'Connor in a tennis.

[00:44:32] Tennis romance drama.

[00:44:34] We'll get into that.

[00:44:35] It is the film Challengers.

[00:44:38] You think that tennis is about expressing yourself doing

[00:44:41] your thing?

[00:44:42] You don't know what tennis is.

[00:44:45] What is it?

[00:44:49] Tashi Duncan.

[00:44:50] She's in another league.

[00:44:51] You were credible today.

[00:44:53] Come on!

[00:44:54] To have a fashion line, foundation.

[00:44:58] Just going to turn a whole family into millionaire.

[00:45:04] So with Luca Guadagnino's technically third or fourth film

[00:45:08] can't really keep track, but we've reviewed Love and Bone

[00:45:11] or was that the name of that one about vampire or cannibals?

[00:45:14] We reviewed that.

[00:45:15] Bones and all.

[00:45:16] Bones and all.

[00:45:17] Thank you.

[00:45:18] So I think that's his most recent one before this one.

[00:45:20] So this does not have Timothy Chalamet.

[00:45:23] Al did not read out that name.

[00:45:25] But this tells the story of Tashi, a former tennis prodigy,

[00:45:28] turned coach.

[00:45:29] She is played by Zendaya.

[00:45:31] Her husband is a tennis player but has kind of been

[00:45:35] suffering lately.

[00:45:36] He was a former big champion, big name.

[00:45:38] The husband is played by Mike Faist.

[00:45:41] And so he's kind of struggling.

[00:45:43] So to overcome a losing streak, she says, you know what?

[00:45:46] I'm going to put you in kind of this tournament that's

[00:45:49] not necessarily one of the best tournaments.

[00:45:51] It kind of gets you pumped up and kind of gets your

[00:45:54] groove back.

[00:45:56] And so happens in this tournament is his ex-best friend

[00:46:01] and also just conveniently Tashi's ex-boyfriend.

[00:46:05] So she's married to Mike Faist, but previously

[00:46:07] she had a real hot relationship with

[00:46:10] Joshua Connor who plays this ex-best friend, ex-boyfriend.

[00:46:14] So basically you have this, unless you have been

[00:46:17] living under a rock somewhere, you probably know

[00:46:20] that there's definitely a love triangle.

[00:46:23] There's a lot of steamy scenes going on in this film

[00:46:27] that's kind of been a lot of the press behind it.

[00:46:29] But it is also about tennis.

[00:46:31] So it's like a sexy tennis drama.

[00:46:34] So Alan, you are a fan of tennis.

[00:46:38] You watch a lot of the tournaments.

[00:46:41] You played tennis in high school, I believe?

[00:46:43] Yeah, tennis, high school, some college.

[00:46:46] And I was an assistant tennis pro for years.

[00:46:50] And I think more than me as well, you are also more

[00:46:54] of a sports movie guy than I am.

[00:46:57] I don't typically, this is yet another genre that Chris

[00:46:59] is like, but you do like your sports drama.

[00:47:03] I do like my sports movies.

[00:47:05] So what was your take home?

[00:47:07] How did you like Challengers?

[00:47:09] I like Challengers quite a bit.

[00:47:11] So I'm a big fan of this movie.

[00:47:15] The reasons, and some of the reasons may be a little more

[00:47:18] unique and specific to me, but I'm still going to lay down there.

[00:47:21] Having been a fan of tennis?

[00:47:22] Well, A, I mean, we don't get many good tennis movies.

[00:47:26] I can't think of any other...

[00:47:28] The only one I could think of...

[00:47:29] But aren't there biographies that are like...

[00:47:31] Yeah, biography, but I'm talking like actual films.

[00:47:34] Narrative that are just strictly active too.

[00:47:36] Only one I can think of, and I've never seen it

[00:47:40] was Match Point.

[00:47:41] I think it was a Woody Allen film.

[00:47:43] Okay, I have seen it, but it's...

[00:47:45] I think it's a Match Point.

[00:47:46] It wasn't that Woody Allen film.

[00:47:47] I think so, yeah.

[00:47:48] Never saw it.

[00:47:49] And that's on me.

[00:47:51] I haven't seen the one tennis film I could list out.

[00:47:54] Sure.

[00:47:55] So I was excited to see though a film based in the tennis world.

[00:48:00] You couch this love triangle in the middle of it

[00:48:03] and make a very high-minded drama romance.

[00:48:09] Although I also feel like this film played a bit more of a comedy,

[00:48:14] a little bit more of a dark comedy.

[00:48:18] It's the absurdity sometimes of the relationships

[00:48:21] and the nature of it and almost the so properess...

[00:48:25] So properessness of it that elevates us a little bit

[00:48:28] to the point where you're like,

[00:48:29] all right, look, this is kind of ludicrous,

[00:48:33] this whole story, all right?

[00:48:34] Oh, I'll agree with you on that.

[00:48:37] But that's also part of the joy of the film

[00:48:39] is I think you get that and it's like, you realize,

[00:48:41] yeah, okay, this is not super serious things

[00:48:45] we're dealing with here.

[00:48:46] These are people that have formed these relationships

[00:48:49] from day one and now they're in taking it out

[00:48:53] on the tennis court in kind of a ridiculous,

[00:48:56] absurdist way, but I liked it.

[00:48:59] I liked it quite a bit.

[00:49:00] So I'm a fan of this film.

[00:49:03] I think people going into it, expecting it to be

[00:49:06] this really tense romantic drama

[00:49:11] I think are gonna be a little surprised

[00:49:14] that it's a little more aloof and a little more absurdist

[00:49:17] than it is.

[00:49:19] So anyway, and people also expecting to go in

[00:49:21] for a pure sports movie I think are gonna find themselves...

[00:49:23] Well, there will definitely be a huge disappointment there too.

[00:49:25] Absolutely.

[00:49:26] Because look, I think the sports moments

[00:49:27] in this film, the tinnocent,

[00:49:29] I mean we can talk about how they're shot

[00:49:31] and how they're put together.

[00:49:33] I found it exhilarating, I loved it.

[00:49:35] But again, that's probably more of a personal

[00:49:37] Alan thing than most, but I loved all the tennis scenes

[00:49:40] and I love it just as much as I love watching

[00:49:43] you know, tennis on TV or in person myself.

[00:49:47] I thought it was great.

[00:49:49] I thought it was a lot of fun.

[00:49:51] I thoroughly enjoyed this film.

[00:49:53] And the film did some interesting choices

[00:49:56] with narrative structure.

[00:49:59] We're flipping back and forth between

[00:50:01] like three different time periods I think

[00:50:03] or at least three, maybe even more.

[00:50:05] I think that's right.

[00:50:06] And you use a tennis match, this match

[00:50:10] between the husband and the ex-boyfriend.

[00:50:13] Yeah, it's kind of the framework for the film

[00:50:15] which immediately when it started I was like,

[00:50:17] huh, okay, this is how we're doing this.

[00:50:21] I think it worked.

[00:50:23] I did.

[00:50:24] I think it worked.

[00:50:25] I think it was a great experience with you on,

[00:50:28] I think the tennis match scenes were great.

[00:50:31] I like tennis.

[00:50:33] I watch it occasionally but I feel like

[00:50:35] keeping me engaged in the film,

[00:50:37] I feel like yeah, that worked.

[00:50:40] I thought it was, and I think the leads

[00:50:42] you mentioned and Daya and Mike faced

[00:50:44] both of those I was very familiar with.

[00:50:46] Joshua Connor, not really familiar with him.

[00:50:49] He's been in movies I've seen,

[00:50:51] Emma, Cinderella, Florence Foster Jenkins

[00:50:54] but he's never been, he's not a name

[00:50:56] like I recognize or whatever.

[00:50:57] So I was surprised at how they were all kind of even.

[00:51:03] I felt like everybody was kind of acting on the same level.

[00:51:06] There wasn't like a dominating character.

[00:51:08] They were all in a level playing field,

[00:51:10] a level tennis court and I feel like it was,

[00:51:13] I feel like it was really intense acting wise.

[00:51:15] I thought that was great.

[00:51:17] You know, direction everything.

[00:51:18] I liked the film.

[00:51:20] I think I'm a little lower on it

[00:51:23] than maybe a lot of critics.

[00:51:25] A little lower but I still think it was good film

[00:51:28] and I think, I don't want to spoil anything.

[00:51:32] It's interesting you called out

[00:51:34] and with the frame, with you saying that

[00:51:37] I'd have to see the film again and say

[00:51:39] okay if I go into it with that in mind

[00:51:43] maybe the ending works for me better than it did.

[00:51:47] When you say the ending, you're talking the ending.

[00:51:50] I'm talking about the ending ending.

[00:51:51] Which you know if you, if we've already said

[00:51:54] this film is set up like a tennis match.

[00:51:56] So I'm talking about the end of the match.

[00:51:58] Now, and I think it's because for me

[00:52:04] I was picking up, I wasn't picking up

[00:52:08] and maybe the things were there because you're saying

[00:52:10] like the absurdness of it.

[00:52:12] To me it was just all intensity

[00:52:14] and then the ending kind of goes to like a

[00:52:18] bonkers level and I was like okay.

[00:52:21] So it, I didn't, and that's fine.

[00:52:24] That was a choice that I feel like Guadagnino made

[00:52:27] and great you know and I, you know

[00:52:29] the actors totally were 100% on board they did

[00:52:32] but it just didn't feel with the rest of the film

[00:52:36] it didn't feel like it fit.

[00:52:38] I mean unless it's just like everybody loses their mind

[00:52:41] or something like I don't know.

[00:52:43] I'd have to watch it again because it just didn't

[00:52:45] feel like it fit and it was just to me it was like

[00:52:47] okay has one player died on the court from a heart attack

[00:52:51] and this is what they're imagining in their head

[00:52:53] or something like you know it was that kind of

[00:52:55] do what you know because it just, at that point

[00:52:58] yeah and actually it was, yeah it just, it just

[00:53:01] it didn't work for me but it didn't derail

[00:53:06] the entire film because I could admire the

[00:53:08] I will say the very original nature of the ending

[00:53:13] and the big swing that I felt like Guadagnino was taking.

[00:53:17] I loved it.

[00:53:20] Okay, I mean, okay.

[00:53:21] Because to me it was the perfect culmination

[00:53:23] of where I felt like this film was kind of leading us

[00:53:26] all along this whole time.

[00:53:28] Where it's just about halfway through the film

[00:53:30] I'm kind of thinking to myself, alright

[00:53:33] they want a, you're supposed to take this all

[00:53:36] as being very uber serious and very all that

[00:53:39] but there's kind of some, there's kind of some heightened

[00:53:43] heightened emotions going on here

[00:53:45] and it's a little absurdist the kind of story we're telling

[00:53:48] and it's like when we got to the end I'm like

[00:53:50] yep we're going for, we're going for the absurdist

[00:53:53] we're going for the emotional outbreak here

[00:53:56] and it worked for me.

[00:53:58] Yeah, my favorite thing in recent times

[00:54:00] after seeing the movie.

[00:54:01] I mean were you just laughing?

[00:54:02] Yeah, well I was totally laughing.

[00:54:03] I mean it's like oh yeah, okay this is kind of ridiculous

[00:54:06] but I love it.

[00:54:07] It's like, yes.

[00:54:09] I actually heard there was somebody on the news

[00:54:12] like the days after I saw this film

[00:54:15] somebody brought in a actual tennis umpire

[00:54:19] to evaluate how that ending of that match

[00:54:23] would have been scored and how would it work down?

[00:54:26] It's like, wow.

[00:54:28] I have a question about that

[00:54:31] but I can't go into it because I'm kind of ruined thinking

[00:54:34] but I have a question about that that will there again

[00:54:36] we'll talk after.

[00:54:37] I love it.

[00:54:38] So something that I will say that maybe

[00:54:42] you know, maybe should have clued me in

[00:54:44] that I did appreciate while watching

[00:54:46] I was like huh this is really interesting

[00:54:48] and I thought it was really well done

[00:54:50] and maybe should have clued me into a little bit

[00:54:52] of where the film was going with the absurdist nature.

[00:54:55] This is in the trailer

[00:54:57] but it's probably cut a little bit

[00:54:58] because it would give it a higher rating

[00:55:00] I think because it would make it too steamy

[00:55:02] to show in front of general movies

[00:55:04] but there's a kissing scene between the three leads

[00:55:07] and I have to say the choreography for lack of

[00:55:11] I mean, I think they do talk about sex scenes

[00:55:13] having choreography so they can shoot it certain ways

[00:55:16] but the choreography of that scene is unlike

[00:55:19] anything I'd ever seen before in cinema

[00:55:23] um, you know, sexy yet somehow

[00:55:27] ridiculously fake and winking

[00:55:31] but yet kind of beautiful just because

[00:55:34] you know, I say you've got three individuals

[00:55:36] and the way they like, I mean

[00:55:38] choreography is the only way I can describe it

[00:55:40] like kissing each other and like switch it

[00:55:42] and like the way it was just like

[00:55:44] it was kind of cool but that's weird

[00:55:47] unlike anything.

[00:55:48] It was weird but it was super cool.

[00:55:49] Ever seen, ever before.

[00:55:51] Even like the Zendaya character

[00:55:52] kind of the way she kind of falls back

[00:55:54] at one point in the easy perspective

[00:55:56] Yeah, just, yeah.

[00:55:58] No, it was really interesting.

[00:56:00] And something that's interesting

[00:56:01] there's a mirror of that scene

[00:56:03] where it's just Tashi and her husband

[00:56:06] at this point

[00:56:08] and there's intimacy between them

[00:56:11] but it's cool as far as like

[00:56:14] it's not hot and see it's like kind of a cool type thing

[00:56:17] even though they're you know

[00:56:18] being intimate with one another

[00:56:20] but it's kind of a sad counterpoint

[00:56:23] and it definitely seems choreographed

[00:56:26] in like the way they move there

[00:56:28] like you know they're sitting on a bed

[00:56:29] and they're kind of like

[00:56:30] yeah but it's just, it's removed

[00:56:32] and cold compared to how it was

[00:56:34] in another scene

[00:56:35] and it just sounds like okay

[00:56:37] Well then you compare that to another scene

[00:56:39] outside

[00:56:41] between two other characters

[00:56:43] at a car

[00:56:45] and it's just a completely different dynamic

[00:56:47] but it's all very, very, yeah

[00:56:49] So it's just, I think there's something going

[00:56:51] which granted if I would have paid

[00:56:53] maybe instead of thinking

[00:56:55] if I would have paid more attention

[00:56:57] to maybe the absurdity they were going for

[00:56:59] which I didn't really, there again

[00:57:01] I think what it just really

[00:57:03] took me by surprise

[00:57:04] The ending, yeah

[00:57:05] And maybe absurdity is not the right word

[00:57:07] I'm trying to think of a word where it's like

[00:57:09] it's almost like a heightened

[00:57:11] it's taking a situation

[00:57:13] and trying to play it

[00:57:15] as more serious

[00:57:17] than it really needs to be

[00:57:19] almost like, you know

[00:57:21] Well, because I mean again

[00:57:23] we're talking about people here that are

[00:57:25] playing the game of tennis professionally

[00:57:27] Right

[00:57:28] Which, you know

[00:57:30] they try to make this out

[00:57:32] like it's a

[00:57:34] this love triangle is just like the most

[00:57:37] serious

[00:57:39] just, you know, deepest thing

[00:57:41] that people have to deal with

[00:57:43] I don't know, it felt like it was all a very much a heightened

[00:57:46] heightened emotion, heightened realism

[00:57:48] I felt sorry for Lily, their daughter

[00:57:50] Oh yeah, absolutely

[00:57:52] Well, it'd be just

[00:57:54] feel sorry for a lot of people around the story here

[00:57:56] but it's, I found myself

[00:57:58] really connecting with all three characters

[00:58:00] You know, I thought all three characters

[00:58:02] actors were great

[00:58:04] I think the performances were great

[00:58:06] I, and again

[00:58:08] this is Alan coming in with a little bit of a personal connection

[00:58:10] You know, I've played in these youth tournaments

[00:58:12] I played in these like

[00:58:14] feeder type system

[00:58:16] tournaments that would be the ones where if you got far enough along

[00:58:18] you'd actually be making it to

[00:58:20] You could qualify for different things

[00:58:22] So like the flashbacks to them as youth

[00:58:24] you know, kind of playing

[00:58:26] which I thought they all played really well playing younger versions

[00:58:28] Yeah, I mean they would do things with

[00:58:30] hairstyles, but no, I think

[00:58:32] I felt like it worked, yeah

[00:58:34] And it's like I knew a little glimpse

[00:58:36] of that world enough of it

[00:58:38] so it's like, they got all that right

[00:58:40] I felt like they got all that kind of

[00:58:42] the energy, the kind of personalities

[00:58:44] involved, it all felt really

[00:58:46] really solid, so

[00:58:48] I've got to ask you

[00:58:50] before we've done three movies

[00:58:52] so we, you know, I think like

[00:58:54] we've pretty given concise reviews of each one

[00:58:56] but I can't let this one pass

[00:58:58] without asking you

[00:59:00] what you thought of the work of Trent

[00:59:02] Resner and Atticus Ross

[00:59:04] No, no, the music was so good

[00:59:06] Yes. Okay, what theater

[00:59:08] did you see it in?

[00:59:10] Did you see it in the Dolby?

[00:59:12] No, I did not. Okay

[00:59:14] I typically

[00:59:16] like Resner and Ross's work

[00:59:18] Yeah

[00:59:20] And maybe I will give the disclaimer

[00:59:22] maybe it is because I saw it in the Dolby

[00:59:24] But specifically

[00:59:26] The time when they got to

[00:59:28] the times when I got to me

[00:59:30] were during the matches

[00:59:32] and the like

[00:59:34] techno-ish score

[00:59:36] was going so hard and it was

[00:59:38] so loud

[00:59:40] I wanted it to stop

[00:59:42] I was like, I don't care what happens

[00:59:44] I just need this to stop

[00:59:46] Like I want them to

[00:59:48] It was just, yeah, it was like

[00:59:50] I was standing next to the speaker in a club

[00:59:52] and I couldn't move away

[00:59:54] Maybe it was like the cheesiness effect

[00:59:56] they were going for and like really trying to put it

[00:59:58] in your face. Well, congratulations

[01:00:00] It was over the top

[01:00:02] It was in my face

[01:00:04] And I felt like I was watching

[01:00:06] like an action movie

[01:00:08] It was just so loud and over the top

[01:00:10] and you're just like, please end, please end

[01:00:12] I think the music helped add to that

[01:00:14] the word I use is absurd

[01:00:16] I don't think it's quite the right word

[01:00:18] but that over-the-topness of it all

[01:00:20] The music absolutely added to that

[01:00:22] I didn't have the issue with the volume on it

[01:00:24] It was definitely louder

[01:00:26] during those matches

[01:00:28] and it was meant to evoke this kind of

[01:00:30] intensity to it

[01:00:32] Although it was the same time

[01:00:34] And maybe mocking the high intensity

[01:00:36] of the music is not

[01:00:38] what you would associate with tennis

[01:00:40] Because it's refined and formal

[01:00:42] So I love that they were playing with that emotion

[01:00:44] I loved the music

[01:00:46] I actually found myself listening to the soundtrack

[01:00:48] a little bit afterwards

[01:00:50] just to kind of hear

[01:00:52] I just thought that was really well done

[01:00:54] Alright, well that is Challengers

[01:00:56] Sounds like we are both positive on it

[01:00:58] Maybe me a little more positive than Chris

[01:01:00] on that one

[01:01:02] But this is the one of the three films

[01:01:04] kind of in line with where critics are

[01:01:06] because I think overall critical assessment

[01:01:08] has been really positive on this film

[01:01:10] I did like it quite a bit

[01:01:12] It's one of my more favorite films

[01:01:14] Can I say

[01:01:16] more favorite films of this year

[01:01:18] I mean we're still kind of early on

[01:01:20] I haven't honestly seen that many films this year

[01:01:22] We haven't really hit them like the Oscar-Vane time yet

[01:01:24] So maybe of the films released this year

[01:01:26] this might be one of my favorites

[01:01:28] So yeah, okay

[01:01:30] But that is Challengers

[01:01:32] playing in theater still

[01:01:34] as of the time of this recording

[01:01:36] So, Luca Guadagnino

[01:01:38] Guadagnino

[01:01:40] Did I get it right?

[01:01:42] As always

[01:01:44] I'm now even more curious

[01:01:46] I loved Bones and All

[01:01:48] I love this movie so now I'm like

[01:01:50] definitely wanting to see what comes next

[01:01:52] with him

[01:01:54] Alright Chris, that is our three reviews

[01:01:56] We had The Fall Guy, we had Unfrosted

[01:01:58] and we had Challengers

[01:02:00] There were some positive vibes

[01:02:02] to all three at different levels

[01:02:04] Of the three I'm going to say

[01:02:06] my favorite was definitely Challengers

[01:02:08] Then I will say

[01:02:10] I'm kind of maybe tied on Unfrosted

[01:02:12] and The Fall Guy

[01:02:14] Wow

[01:02:16] Yeah, I'm kind of tied on those too

[01:02:18] Fair enough

[01:02:20] Sounds like if I'm picking yours

[01:02:22] your favorite of the three was Challengers

[01:02:24] Right?

[01:02:26] No, my favorite of the three was definitely Fall Guy

[01:02:28] Oh, you liked The Fall Guy better than Challengers

[01:02:30] Absolutely

[01:02:32] The Fall Guy Challengers than Unfrosted

[01:02:34] Challengers is good

[01:02:36] Star Wars, I'll have to figure all that out

[01:02:38] The Fall Guy worked for you man

[01:02:40] It's weird, like better film

[01:02:42] Yeah, probably Challengers

[01:02:44] But the one I had a better experience

[01:02:46] Yeah, Fall Guy

[01:02:48] And some of that probably has to do with the ending

[01:02:50] which we'll, you know

[01:02:52] So, we did do three reviews

[01:02:54] but I do have a recommendation

[01:02:56] We have a couple more minutes we can squeeze in here

[01:02:58] I think before we lose

[01:03:00] Before we hit the running time that we

[01:03:02] have deemed to be too long for people to listen to

[01:03:04] Sure But Chris, yes

[01:03:06] I have missed your recommendations these last couple weeks

[01:03:08] we haven't recorded

[01:03:10] I need more movies to add to my ever growing

[01:03:12] watch list that I will never get to

[01:03:14] So Chris, what recommendation do you have

[01:03:16] for us today of a film you think we ought to check out?

[01:03:18] So it is an earlier film

[01:03:20] starring one Mr. Ryan Gosling

[01:03:22] It's one that I believe you've seen

[01:03:24] so you won't have to put on your watch list Alan

[01:03:26] It's from 2007

[01:03:28] It's Lars and the Real Girl

[01:03:30] by director Craig Gillespie

[01:03:32] who went on to make Eitania

[01:03:34] and the Corella film that Disney put out

[01:03:36] But anyways, this story

[01:03:38] is about Lars

[01:03:40] as you can tell from the title

[01:03:42] He's extremely shy

[01:03:44] he doesn't really make friends or socialize very well

[01:03:46] but he decides

[01:03:48] to get a

[01:03:50] basically a sex doll

[01:03:52] online

[01:03:54] and gets it on the internet

[01:03:56] but then he brings it to his house

[01:03:58] and then starts treating it like

[01:04:00] an actual person

[01:04:02] He has some psychological problems

[01:04:04] and the community

[01:04:06] decides based on

[01:04:08] the advice of the doctor

[01:04:10] to just go along with his delusion

[01:04:12] and try to support him the best they can

[01:04:14] because you know, he's like

[01:04:16] seemingly nice guy, he's just really odd

[01:04:18] And the film

[01:04:20] really

[01:04:22] shows what can happen when people just

[01:04:24] try to be kind

[01:04:26] and that seems like such a simple concept

[01:04:28] but in today's society where we can get

[01:04:30] polarized in something

[01:04:32] about different issues, but for people

[01:04:34] just to decide, you know what

[01:04:36] we're just going to try to be nice to this dude

[01:04:38] and help him because we can tell

[01:04:40] he's kind of going through a rough patch

[01:04:42] and yeah, I just like it

[01:04:44] It's streaming different places

[01:04:46] You can rent it, you can do hoopla

[01:04:48] it's also on the Roku channel

[01:04:50] but you can also rent it different places

[01:04:52] but yeah, so Lars

[01:04:54] and the real girl

[01:04:56] Good selection, yes, that is a movie

[01:04:58] I'm a fan of as well

[01:05:00] That was the first time I remember seeing Ryan Gosling

[01:05:02] pull off something

[01:05:04] a quirky performance

[01:05:06] It has some humor to it

[01:05:08] It was very different

[01:05:10] than what people were used to

[01:05:12] seeing from him at the time

[01:05:14] But I was a big fan of it, I thought it was great

[01:05:16] There was a lot of humor

[01:05:18] Good reminder

[01:05:20] of that film existing

[01:05:22] Lars and the real girl

[01:05:24] That is the recommendation there

[01:05:26] So with that, we're going to go ahead

[01:05:28] and wrap up the show

[01:05:30] Thanks for Chris's recommendation

[01:05:32] Our reviews of the Fall Guy

[01:05:34] Unfrosted in Challengers

[01:05:36] All available to see

[01:05:38] in one way or another movie theater

[01:05:40] or streaming online at this time

[01:05:42] Chris, we will be planning on being back next week

[01:05:44] to hopefully catch up on another

[01:05:46] either newer release film

[01:05:48] or something that we can talk about

[01:05:50] We may be playing still a little bit of catch up

[01:05:52] with some newer releases, we'll see where we stand

[01:05:54] But just, do you want to remind everybody

[01:05:56] real quick, sure, about our festival

[01:05:58] coming up and also how they can get a hold of us too

[01:06:00] So the Festival

[01:06:02] Alan's mentioning will be our 10th

[01:06:04] annual Foot Candle Film Festival

[01:06:06] That's taking place September 20th through the 28th

[01:06:08] So we encourage you

[01:06:10] to if you're going to be in western North Carolina

[01:06:12] during those times to

[01:06:14] stop in and check it out

[01:06:16] should be pretty good, we're pretty excited about it

[01:06:18] Meanwhile, if you know of a film that you'd like

[01:06:20] for us to talk about or review

[01:06:22] you can send an email or any other comments

[01:06:24] about the show

[01:06:26] Send an email to info at footcandle.org

[01:06:28] You can also follow us on Twitter

[01:06:30] at Foot Candle Film

[01:06:32] Facebook, we're at Foot Candle Film Society

[01:06:34] Instagram and threads, we're just Foot Candle Film

[01:06:36] Alan and I are also on Letterbox

[01:06:38] where we try to track what we're seeing when we can

[01:06:40] Do us a favor, if you like the show

[01:06:42] and we hope you do, consider writing a review

[01:06:44] or sharing with friends or whatever service

[01:06:46] you receive your favorite podcast on

[01:06:48] because it could help us reach new listeners

[01:06:50] We'd always appreciate you doing that

[01:06:52] Alright, that will do it for today

[01:06:54] Thanks everybody for listening

[01:06:56] and we will look forward to talking to you right next time

[01:06:58] Take care

[01:07:00] See you in the ticket line

[01:07:21] We're famous when ground ball

[01:07:23] would watch films

[01:07:25] out of the reverence

[01:07:27] of the heritage of an art

[01:07:29] What could

[01:07:34] do

[01:07:36] films