Excuse the Intermission
Alex and Max take you on a journey through film with this discussion podcast about movies.
Excuse the Intermission
From The Godfather to Megalopolis, Francis Ford Coppola
Join us on a cinematic adventure with legendary filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola's latest masterpiece, "Megapolis." With special guest Erica Crouse, we explore the film's opening weekend and discuss Coppola's storied career. Erica shares her magical experiences at Disneyland, indulging in Halloween-themed attractions and roller coasters. Together, we muse over the nostalgic yet innovative spirit of the park, setting the stage for a thought-provoking conversation on Coppola's indelible influence in the world of cinema.
Our journey continues with an exploration of Adam Driver's intriguing career choices. With roles in films like "Ferrari" and "House of Gucci," we ponder whether Driver is still in search of impactful roles since his standout performances in "Marriage Story" and "Black Klansman." We express excitement over Coppola's star-studded cast in "Megapolis," featuring talents like Aubrey Plaza and Shia LaBeouf, and delve into the dynamics of passion projects that come alive through a director's vision. Witnessing a filmmaker's dream turn into reality is a joy, regardless of critical acclaim.
We also revisit timeless classics like "The Godfather," examining their impact on modern audiences amidst evolving cinematic tastes. As we trace the artistry of Al Pacino and Marlon Brando, we appreciate the nuances of these films while acknowledging their challenges. Reflections on other iconic films and the evolving portrayal of horror cinema add layers to our discussion, sparking excitement for future cinematic explorations. The world of film appreciation is a captivating adventure, filled with new discoveries and venerable classics that continue to inspire.
How's it? I'm Alex McCauley and this is Excuse the Intermission a discussion show surrounding movies and, on this episode, the work of Francis Ford Coppola. The legendary director's new film, megapolis, is now in theaters and giving talking heads such as ourselves a chance to discuss the decade-spanning career of one of Hollywood's most infamous filmmakers. Erica Kraus is here to aid in this conversation, which begins on the other side of this break. Conversation which begins on the other side of this break. All right, erica, thanks for jumping on a Zoom call with me today. It's a busy time around here, between film festivals, work schedules and vacations. So how are you doing today?
Speaker 2:I'm good, ready to talk the Godfather.
Speaker 1:He, quite literally, is the Godfather right. Um, we missed you. The last couple of weeks, though you were. You were a little south of here, down in california, enjoying, um, some warm weather and the wonderful sights and sounds of disneyland right yeah, I was.
Speaker 2:I needed a little pick me up and I hadn't been to disney a long time, but it was good, it definitely. Disney after 30 is honestly not for the week. Three days at Disney oh my God.
Speaker 1:That that itself right now being inundated by all these short films, and it seems like there can be, you know, a short film about almost anything. Um, that would be a funny one. Now, of course, filming, filming in the parks. I'm sure it comes with its own challenges, but, you know, even just like the prep for millennials going to the parks now, I think would be a pretty funny thing to see portrayed on screen. But any highlights, I mean, it's funny to think of Disneyland as like a movie theme park, but it kind of is right if you think about it like every single attraction is based around a movie, so anything new or anything nostalgic like what stood out um, well, gosh, I haven't.
Speaker 2:I mean there wasn't anything new. I mean they're doing they redid splash mountain, so it's now like Princess and the Frog themed, which, honestly, I've actually never seen. Um, it's not quite open yet, it'll open in about a month, but um other than that, you know, it's Halloween there right now, so all the Halloween decor was up, which was so great. Um, my personal favorite ride is the Guardians of the Galaxy, which used to be Tower of Terror. That is my go-to.
Speaker 1:I'll ride that over and over again. Wait, I'm sorry, the Tower of Terror is no longer the Tower of Terror. It is.
Speaker 2:It isn't. It's Guardians of the Galaxy.
Speaker 1:Does it still have the elevation drops? Is it still sustainable?
Speaker 2:Okay, it's the same thing but it's just kind of centered around like you're helping um rocket with it's called mission breakout. It honestly is really fun because they play good music and stuff. But I mean I love tower of terror and I just loved, like all the you know, half the reason I I love Disney so much is just because I love all the details of the rides and just you know, the Imagineers go crazy.
Speaker 1:So but yeah, you have to clear this up. For me Is Rocket Bradley Cooper.
Speaker 2:Is that who we're talking about?
Speaker 1:And he's a raccoon.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Okay, okay, all right, so that's fun yeah.
Speaker 2:It's good, it's a good ride, but, um, yeah, other than that, we had a good time. Um, it was definitely like I said it was.
Speaker 1:I was in recovery mode for like two days afterwards, for sure and when you say halloween decorations, is that mainly nightmare before christmas or is that just kind of like the entire vibe of the park has changed to basic decor?
Speaker 2:So well, the Haunted Mansion is all like Nightmare Before Christmas themed and then the rest of the park just has a bunch of like pumpkins everywhere. It's just all very, you know decor like just Halloween stuff. But with Haunted Mansion right now, now they're doing like a virtual queue so you can only ride it once a day and you have to join a virtual queue to even go on it. You can't stand in line, um, so it was kind of a weird. It's just very tech heavy right now. You know like everything's on the app and I'm can we just get in the fucking?
Speaker 1:line.
Speaker 2:But it was fine. It was just definitely it was so crowded, I mean unbelievable.
Speaker 1:I have seen screenshots that folks have posted of like virtual wait times. It's almost like the Waze app on your phone or something Like you can see the best way to get around traffic, right Like in the park, based on wait times for certain rides um, I totally forgot honorable mention.
Speaker 2:Um, the star wars ride. Okay, so I hadn't been since galaxy's edge opened up and, oh my god, I mean just, I'm not even a huge star wars fan, and it was. I I've never been to anything like that. And then the ride itself. There's two rides, but Rise of the Resistance is pretty crazy, just such a such cool technology they used. And then there's another ride that opened up called Mickey and Minnie's Runaway Railway, which for movie lovers, I think it's so fun because you go through like an old, um, like disney themed movie theater and so they have all these like little movie posters on the wall that are like kind of a play on classic films but they're like mickey and minnie versions of them and, um, the ride was just so cool, so much fun. That does sound really cool. I hadn't been on those.
Speaker 1:All right. So you're back here and we're talking about Megapolis here. To start the show, megapolis opened this past weekend on 1,800 screens, but only made a mere $4 million domestically in its opening weekend. That's not great. The film is up to 6.8 million worldwide at the moment, as we approach the second weekend of its release. What attention has been brought to the film has generally been pretty negative, actually, with disappointment focused around the film's construction, both plot wise and technically speaking. The film's construction, both plot-wise and technically speaking. The film does boast a star-studded cast, anchored by Adam Driver, who we will get to here in a little bit, and is, of course, directed by Francis Ford Coppola. This is the 85-year-old director's first feature film since 2011 and comes at a time when most folks, I think, were frankly kind of questioning what the man still had left in the tank. So, erica, we'll get to your relationship with Francis's films here momentarily, but let's start kind of with this Do you feel like Megapolis had a significant moment in the culture this past weekend?
Speaker 2:I think it's kind of like. As far as a big picture point of view, no, but maybe in the film community, yes, because there's. I think, if you're really plugged into what's coming out, there was a lot of hype around this because, because it's been his, it's his first movie in so long. But you know, I asked my mom and dad like we were talking about it and they were like I don't even know what that is, I've never even heard of it. And my dad loves Francis Ford Coppola movies. I mean, he grew up watching that stuff. He had no idea that there was even a new movie coming out. They hadn't even heard of it. And when I think about it, like I didn't really see a lot of trailers or I didn't really see it being advertised a whole lot, but I think that a lot of people in the film community were like looking for it or just curious about it, if anything.
Speaker 1:Um, so I don't know, I think I think curious is the perfect word to use here, and I'm not sure if curious equals interest. However, it seems like it would right. But I think a lot of people were just kind of curious about the release and about what the feedback was going to be. Maybe not to the point, and this is what I mean by like curious but not interested, because you can in some, in something and not have the interest to go out and see it. And I feel like that's what the box office is reflective of here in this case, because I I really don't feel like it's it's of any sort of substance right now, um, in in the film culture, because you have things like joker coming right now. I think that when you look at last week's box office, um, the wild robot was really the film that it kind of took over and was the big draw for families to come out to the theaters. Now, of course, that's not to say that you know, the coastal um cities of america, the Californias, the New Yorks, seattle, to some extent weren't, you know, excited and and I guess should say excited to bring a movie like this to their theaters? Because, you're right, I do think that there's a draw for it, but not in the way when I think of like other directors, from sort of that Brat Pack era of filmmaking there in the 1970s in American cinema, with like, when, when Martin Scorsese comes out with the film there's there's a greater level of hype than there was in this case.
Speaker 1:Steven Spielberg. The same thing with we saw that with the Fablemans a couple of years ago. And and now there's other folks from that same group, like Brian De Palma. When Brian De Palma makes a movie nowadays and he hasn't made one for a handful of years here now but it's a question of almost like, is it going to go straight to streamer or not? I think that that's where some of the curiosity lied with Megalopolis, because it was like, is this movie ever going to get finished? And then, once it gets finished, is it ever going to get distribution? Is it ever going to play at anything outside of a few film festivals? And then where will it live? Is this going to be something that goes to physical? Will a streaming service pick it up? And so those are the questions. We've gotten some of the answers, but I still think I do agree with you that, like, in the big picture sense, this movie I don't want to say doesn't matter, but I just don't think that there's any real shelf life to it.
Speaker 2:Yeah, well, and like you said, I think you know this movie has been in the works for 40 plus years, which is, I think, another reason why people are just, and if you even knew that, then you'd be like okay, well, what is this all about? You know, like it's finally happening. This has been talked about gosh. I was reading something today. It was like you know, 9-11, uh, put this movie on hold at one point and I'm like like that's just to put it in perspective for people out there like that's, this movie is older than we are. Um, in a sense of like just the idea of it, and now it's finally here, and so, of course, I mean, this man had me like somebody who's never seen a francis ford cobalt movie, being like, you know, I remember hearing about it like last year or something, and being like, oh well, going on my watch list, you know, like I, I, there's, there's an interest and curiosity.
Speaker 1:And I do think that you know the, the initial reaction from, from folks who saw it at early press screenings and at festivals, I think kind of diminished the the hype for it, think kind of diminished the the hype for it. It doesn't. You know, this was not. This isn't one of those underseen films, maybe like something like when Babylon came out. I was thinking about that a few years ago and how not a whole lot of people still saw Babylon and it was very divisive. However, it still ends up picking up a handful of Oscar nominations and stayed relevant for for a couple of months there and now again, I don't know exactly where that film lives, but I know it has its big, strong supporters.
Speaker 1:In looking at letterbox and reading reviews from my friends you know our mutual friends on that platform it doesn't seem like this. This, this movie, is going to um endure much longer than probably the month of October perhaps, and it might be gone, done and gone before this month even ends. Which is really interesting because you can go down the cast list and you would say you would say to yourself a movie anchored by Adam Driver and it features Aubrey Plaza and some veteran actors, and I mean it's really like star-studded cast that goes 15 people deep rather easily should do well, should open. And yet that begs the question. You and I were kind of talking about this before we started recording. Like is Adam Driver the kind of guy that can open a movie anymore? And like maybe was he ever to to a certain extent, but it seems like he really hasn't had a big win in a while either.
Speaker 2:Right, yeah, I'm just kind of looking at his films that he's done recently. We had Ferrari last year, which I didn't see.
Speaker 1:A really interesting comparison to the movie we're talking about right now, right when Michael Mann doesn't make movies all that often.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:And I think people were in the same way curious, however maybe not so interested in that movie, and you haven't heard a peep from it since.
Speaker 2:Right. And then, you know, in 2019, we got Marriage Story, which obviously got like a lot of hype around that, and that was a great movie. But I think we had house of gucci with him in 2021, um, again another movie. I just kind of slipped through the cracks for me. But yeah, I don't know. I mean I love adam driver. I don't.
Speaker 1:I I've never disliked him as an actor, um, but yeah he has a little bit of a like disconnect when picking these projects like on. I understand what the intent is on taking a lot of these movies, but I think the impact is just not what he expects it to be. Like, house of gucci almost lives as like a parody now okay, of of a certain type of film I think the last duel was really good and I think he was good in that as well but again, a movie that doesn't really have a shelf life and and I totally agree with you, if you you know you can go back to things like black klansman and marriage story. He does those in 18 and 19 back to back, but that's over five years ago now.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:So it's just, it's peculiar where his career has kind of gone. You know you can throw in White Noise, very similar. I think people were really excited about White Noise, and then when that movie comes out and has a moment for a weekend on Netflix and it's just gone, and that's him working with another superstar director at the time and Noah Baumbach. So I don't know, adam driver, I I wish the best for you. I hope you're happy making these movies and it's just really tough because it's like I understand who's gonna say no when francis ford coppola comes knocking exactly.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's how I feel about even like Shia LaBeouf being in this movie, where you're like, what are you doing here, dude? But I've seen, you know, we've had crickets from him for a while too. But, yeah, like if Francis, if you're an actor and Francis Ford Coppola is like hey, want to be in my movie that I haven't done in like 15 years, and he's, I'd be like, okay, like you know, I mean he's an iconic director and I think that I don't know, I mean I don't blame him, I guess I would love to see Adam in more comedic roles. I think he's hilarious. There's a movie called this Is when I Leave you. It's a favorite of mine, and he just has a supporting role in that, but he's just so underrated and I'd love to see him in more roles like just a little bit more laid back, essentially.
Speaker 1:Yeah, not like not doing a voice, not being in costume the whole time, like this being being kind of Adam Driver because he, he himself, is such an interesting figure. Like he isn't classically handsome, however, he's still like very good looking when he's just kind of being himself because he's so unique, yeah, um, unique looking, and so I I just miss that. I, I miss and of course you know we can all be romantic about the adam driver who we met on girls a long, long time ago now and like, but I just want that adam back. Right, that's, that's the adam driver that I miss.
Speaker 1:But yeah, I mean, when you look through the cast Jon Voight, laurence Fishburne, all these people who grew up watching Coppola movies you know they're our parents' age, of course they're going to want to work with him.
Speaker 1:But then also you know folks like Chloe Fineman, who's been crushing it on Saturday Night Live for a handful of years. Now she gets a chance to be in a movie like this and I'm so happy for her, regardless of whether or not the movie does well or not, it's just it's fun to see an ensemble cast come together and that's really just kind of how I feel about the whole movie in general, like I'm happy that francis finally got to make it, I'm I'm happy that he got to swing for the fences and have this very bizarre auteuristic vision finally displayed on the big screen, with weird editing choices and with a plot that's all over the place and a a message slash story that I don't know if it really has any meaning or backbone to it or what he's trying to say and if it's lost on anybody. All those things are kind of secondary to me at this point. Like it can be actively, it can be actively not a good movie. That I still don't think is is bad necessarily.
Speaker 2:Sure, yeah, I mean, it's hard to hate on a passion project, I mean, and this is like the passion project. I mean, and this is like the passion project this is. It's. It's probably not a good one, but I mean the man invested all his own money in it. He sold half of his winery to get this movie up and running and he was making a lot of films in between his you know his early, early stuff to you know just whatever, I guess over 10 years ago. But those, a lot of those movies were to fund this movie. I mean, it's just, it's kind of fascinating and the dedication is so real and so you got to just like give it to him for that. It kind of breaks my heart that it's like very, not like financially successful, I mean this. But the budget was 120 million, I mean, and, like you said, it's like what?
Speaker 1:6.8 at the box office like it's not gonna make money back.
Speaker 2:Yeah, no so yeah, I think, just like for somebody who has a soft spot for like just you know, people out there just trying to make a movie and like I, I really appreciate that, but um, I don't know it's no.
Speaker 1:I I think the production, like the actual producing of the movie, is something to kind of marvel at and to admire, because before you even get to like the executive and associate producers on this film, he went to nine other people, nine other well, himself included and then eight other people are credited as like main producers on the film and that's, but you're right, that's him going to them and asking for money, that's him selling half the winery, that's him working for literally three or four decades to try to bring this to life. And it just it kind of makes me think about these directors who sort of just tell us that and you see, artists do it all over the place. You know, recording artists do it all the time in music. Quentin Tarantino has kind of been teasing us here for the last two or three years saying like I'm only making 10 movies, or like the last movie, the next movie that I make, is going to be my last. And you almost, you almost have to think, in the wake of something like this, that giving yourself kind of that shelf life sort of has its benefits, because I think a lot of people when, when this was announced, they were a little nervous, and you can see why now. Because they're just like does Francis still have it? Like it's insane, because he has unlimited cachet coming.
Speaker 1:I mean, this is the guy behind the Godfather and the Conversation, and Dracula and Apocalypse Now all these really, really, really good movies that, like you, can do no wrong after making something like that, and so you're going to have the. You're going to have the admiration of your contemporaries and people within the industry, but I don't necessarily think that that results in financial respect. It doesn't necessarily result in people just bending over and anything you do is golden, like they're there. The criticisms are still going to come and it's still going to be difficult to fund your movie, whether or not you made the Godfather or not, you know, 50 years ago. So it's, it's an interesting film.
Speaker 1:It's an interesting time to kind of be talking about his work, which I'm really excited to do with you here now because, as you mentioned a minute ago, you are kind of coming to Francis for the first time right now, which I think is so fun and so unique because, as someone who loves movies and whose opinion on film that I respect a ton, you just happen to have a few of these blind spots that, like, I'm so jealous of you hear you hear people say this in conversation all the time where it's like I wish I could go back and watch the Shining for the first time. Or I wish I could go back and watch, you know, some of Alfred Hitchcock movies for the first time, cycle for the first time and experience that twist or whatever. So you, for the first time, got to explore a lot of those movies that people hold and cherish. So what was that like this past week?
Speaker 2:It was. I mean, yeah, it's, I don't know I struggle with like there's just there's a reason why I don't even gravitate towards those movies in the first place. Like number one, you know not to like put gender on it, but I mean like I'm a 32 year old girl. You know not to like put gender on it, but I mean like I'm a 32 year old girl and you know I'm not really reaching for movies like the Godfather on a Saturday night.
Speaker 1:And honestly, you know, surprisingly, over the years I've had many, you know, guys show me great movies that I probably wouldn't have naturally gravitated towards, but yeah, the Godfather was just never one of them, like none of his movies like I was looking well, yeah, it just makes me think of that line from barbie a couple of years ago, when all the barbies are taking control over the kens and they're like, oh yeah, I let him like explain, talk to me over the Godfather the other night. Like that joke hit so hard for such a strong reason. Like it's just, it's true, right, like it was, it was so on point. I think it's exactly what you're saying right now.
Speaker 2:Totally Well, and then you know, like it's I don't know. So it's just these weren't? I was looking at his um, just all the movies he's done, and I'm like I could not believe I hadn't seen at least one of them. Um, obviously I know of them, um, but and not to say that I don't watch old movies, but it's just again, it's not my first choice when I'm watching new things, you know. Know if anything I'm reaching for horror, like old horror or something like that, or just there's so many movies I haven't seen.
Speaker 2:But anyway, with the Godfather, yeah, I did watch that for the first time and it was it's. I don't want to say that I didn't enjoy it, it just was like it's not my usual cup of tea, but I think just watching it I could really appreciate. I'm like, okay, I get it. You know, I I get why everyone loves this movie and why it's just deemed as one of the most influential films ever made. So I really respect a lot of his films in that way, just because, even if it's not something I necessarily like, love it's, still I can appreciate it for what it is. But it was very interesting watching.
Speaker 2:I think I I was picking up on so many things. I'm like, oh, I can finally be a part of this joke, now, you know. Or like just references, and like I'm like, oh, I can finally be a part of this joke, now, you know. Or like just references, and like I'm like, oh, okay, and also just so fun seeing Al Pacino so young and what a babe. And Marlon Brando hello, I was like I was all about him too, so I enjoyed it for the men and for the plot. I enjoyed it for the men and for the plot.
Speaker 1:The, the plot. I do think that if you're coming to it now for the first time and not that you aren't a student of the game, right, but like if you say you're 10 or 15 years younger than us and you're watching the Godfather for the first time right now and you're 16 years old, the year's 2024, it's going to feel a little bit slower, like you're going to have to have, um, kind of you're going to have to have a lot of grit and it's going to, or it's going to take a lot of grit and you're going to have to have some stamina to try to make it through. Like it's a long film Sure, there's some quote unquote action in it, but it's so dialogue heavy and you really have to kind of give yourself over to it. Um, and I think that that you know that's part of its charm is that it was obviously made in the 70s, when films like that were just crushing it, and then it was really appreciated, I would say, by the next generation in the late 80s, 90s, 2000s, as we were starting to get away from those types of films and lean into more action-driven, set-piece, blockbuster type of movies, if you're going to tell some epic gangster, family crime story. And so now here we are almost another 20 years later after that, and so a lot of the romanticism, I think, is sort of just lost in just how pop culture is now consumed. And so to hear you say that you still really appreciated it for the acting performances kind of, for the story, is really good to hear.
Speaker 1:Um, I had something very similar happened to me a couple of years ago. I'd never seen the shawshank redemption. And now you look at any top 10 list, whether it's afi, imdb, letterbox, any of these different um kind of user, user polls and audience poll sites however, it's gonna come at you and things like the Godfather, shawshank Redemption, these are movies that are always right there, like in the top 10. When I saw Shawshank, I was like that's not a top 10 movie, that's a good movie, it's a fine movie. However, my life is no different having seen it now.
Speaker 2:That's how I feel and you were kind of saying like I'm jealous that you, you know, you get to relive this or you get to live this for the first time. And I'm almost jealous for people who maybe saw this before. They were a little bit more tainted with. You know 2024's technology and the way things have shifted over time, and don't get me wrong, I love you know modern film for sure, shifted over time. And don't get me wrong, I love you know modern film for sure. But you know, talking to my dad about this movie and he's like, oh my gosh, you're going to love this. It's so good, like it's right up your alley, and he's not wrong. Like if this was a modern day, like godfather, I would probably eat that shit up. You know I, I love stuff like that, um, but because, like you said, it is, it's slower, it's very dialogue heavy, it's obviously like some of the fight scenes. You know I was like talking about that to somebody.
Speaker 1:I'm like, oh, you can, it's like very is this when sunny's beating up carlo on the street?
Speaker 2:yes, it's hilariously bad yeah, it's so bad, so bad, but you know, it's like that's why I can just I'm I try just as a lover of film and somebody who really does appreciate it. You know, it's history, um, I really tried to look at it with like, just like a very objective point of view where I'm like, at the time this movie was so big and it was, I mean, it's award-winning and historical for a reason, and I do appreciate that. But it is kind of it's there's pros and cons to revisiting it now or visiting it for the first time now.
Speaker 1:So I think that's a great point. That's. That's something to really be mindful of. Is that you can I don't want to say wait too long on a film, but just the way that you put that a minute ago, where you're almost jealous of people who did just kind of come to it at the sweet spot, it's almost it's like Goldilocks in the bowl of porridge right, like it's just maybe a little too cold now. It's been sitting out a little too long and it was sort of just right.
Speaker 1:Um, you know, obviously back in the seventies when it came out, everyone really appreciated it. But then really, when the internet blows up and everyone's able to talk to each other and you connect with people and you see how everyone has a great affinity for this film, like that's really when I think um coppola's work started to get started to get appreciated in this way where, like apocalypse now also was a little bit misunderstood at the time, and even francis himself, you know, he releases three different film, three different versions of the film, and and finally lands um on on this director's cut that was released in amazing 4K a couple of years ago, because you had Apocalypse Now and then you had Redux, and now you have this director's cut and so it took him even a while to kind of wrap his head around that story. And everyone, for the most part I feel like, knows kind of the famed production of that movie where he goes crazy, he loses all this weight. Um, heart of darkness is this amazing documentary that was filmed on set during the making of that film. And so he's such an interesting guy because he has these different movies that do kind of fit into different genres. Like he makes Dracula, it's a horror film, but it's like a Gothic horror film. It's not a slasher, it's not a quote unquote scary movie. It's not a slasher, it's not a quote-unquote scary movie, it's just a very classical gothic horror film.
Speaker 1:And then he also has something like the conversation I know you watched the conversation in preparation for this episode. Um, that's just, you know, kind of one of these like political thrillers that don't really get made anymore. And so he has all these different films that I think now people love to again to to use this word kind of like romanticize and talk about as these great works of art. But for a while there it took these different films. It took them a long time to kind of get to that point.
Speaker 1:I don't think that not too many of his movies were really appreciated like right in the moment, and so he's an interesting guy in that way, because he also. Then it's not like he's an interesting guy in that way, um, because he also then it's not like he's one of these people either who just has like 10 directors credits. Uh, he, he has a lot of different movies, things that I've like I I really wanted to get to rumblefish. I know that rumblefish is a movie that people really, really enjoy, and I just didn't have time to get to it in preparation for this episode. But like he has so many different pitches, right, if he's a baseball player, he can throw a bunch of different pitches at you. What did you think of the conversation, though?
Speaker 2:I didn't actually get to finish it because I was watching it like right before this, but I was liking it actually, definitely again something that I would normally reach for. But you know, from what I was watching and, like I said, I didn't get through the whole thing. But you know, again very dialogue heavy, but I think just because of like what the film's about, it worked a little bit and that's. I felt like that about the godfather, like the conversation didn't bother me too much because it's like necessary, but, um, yeah, I liked what I saw. I'm definitely going to finish it, um, this evening. But there's, there's movies that I wish I would have gotten to, like the godfather 2, um, because I've heard that that's like one of those rare instances where almost the sequel can be even better than this, the first one, and that is surprising to me and I just really want to see like a young robert de niro.
Speaker 1:So I don't want to put any undue pressure on you. I heard you talk about the godfather and I really respect what you've said about the godfather, but I, I and so I do think you will. You will enjoy godfather part two probably more. I think you'll find it more entertaining.
Speaker 2:I think so too.
Speaker 1:It's one of the most creative storytelling and editing that, especially for its time that that's kind of ever been captured.
Speaker 2:That's kind of what I was reading so much about all of his films, honestly, and everyone kind of said very similar things about the second one and just that there's a lot more going on and and you know, I've I've had many situations like that where I've watched the first movie of something and you're like, okay, this was good, I totally understand why people like it. And then you watch the second one, you're like, okay, now they found their footing a little bit. Um, kind of going back to even like when we were talking about Tim Burton a few weeks ago, like Batman, and then, um, what is it? Batman Like it. Just you can tell when a director almost finds their footing a little bit. But I will be watching that for sure Because, like I said, the first one obviously got me and after reading about the second, I'm like, okay, we'll do it.
Speaker 1:Well, I really hope Max enjoys listening to this as he does the edit, because Max is I mean, max is a huge conversation guy.
Speaker 1:He's somebody who I think has come around on Apocalypse Now where, like even back when we started this podcast, he was of the mindset that maybe that movie is a little bit overrated. And I think, through kind of just hearing more about the production, understanding exactly what it took and then, I think, just also appreciating the movie for how impressive it is and what a unique take. Even though a lot of them are not easy watches they're long films. The subject matter of especially his quote unquote classics is usually rather heavy, so it's hard to. It's not like as somebody who loves Apocalypse Now, like it's in my top 25 films of all time it one that I probably re-watch only once or twice a year just because it does it kind of takes a toll on you. It's not something that I just fire up, like how I fire up super bad or something like that. You know, like two very different movies, obviously, but I think you understand what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:Where it's not, it's not always just easy to pop on a coppola movie right it'll be interesting to see what max says about this and to get his take on megapolis once he returns next week. However, since you were not here last week, you didn't have a chance to talk to us about the substance, so switching gears a little bit now. I know that you saw the substance with max. I hope that if you did listen to max and i's discussion about it, we were like we really wish Erica was here to talk about this, because I have told multiple women in my life I really want you to see this movie, but I'm also not recommending it because it's just a hard movie to recommend to anybody, let alone a woman who has to live life with these impossible beauty standards and so many other things that myself, that Max, that we can't even comprehend, and so I can't wait. You and I have yet to really talk about this other than just a few texts that we've exchanged and I've read your Letterboxd review. But give me your thoughts on the substance.
Speaker 2:Oh my God, I loved it. I did listen to your episode last week and I was so jealous. I was like last week and I was so jealous, I was like, okay, I'm so happy to be in Disneyland right now, but at the same time, I was so excited to talk about this with people, especially you, because you didn't get to see it with us and I just I think we all left that theater that night just being like, oh my God, I can't wait to hear what Alex has to say. Um, and yeah, I just I had so much fun. I think that it really hit like everything that I ever want in a movie and I have a very wide range of, you know, of movies that I love and that are like top 10 for me and I think, being just like a huge horror fan, I, this is like what I'm needing right now, because you know, I know you and I talk about like being super desensitized and it's like it's a blessing and a curse. I mean it really it feels like I just can't really be sad, ever satisfied, like I'll watch a horror and I'll be like, okay, that was fun.
Speaker 2:Was I shocked? No, was I scared? No, um, and I'm looking for that adrenaline and I think that the substance really gave me that and it also just gave me like a wow factor that I just hadn't seen in a while but also felt like familiar. But I don't, I just really appreciate it. And then, you know, the more I sat on it, of course, the more I'm really um, absorbing like the deep message behind this film.
Speaker 2:It's not just like a big body horror movie, it's. There is a lot of um subject matter on the beauty industry and you know, as somebody who works in the beauty industry and who's worked in the beauty industry for so long, I just watched this just kind of like oh yeah, I, this is nothing new to me and that was, that was maybe a part of the reason. Well, I think I just had so much fun with like it being like a fun horror, but then like maybe a little bit of the deeper meaning, just I didn't really uh, I wasn't as affected by it at first, just because it didn't really feel like anything new, like and and not so much like in regards to like a movie, but just if and like what we as women go through on a day-to-day basis.
Speaker 1:I was like, yeah, Well, no, I think that's really fair because the movie is and this isn't necessarily a criticism of it, but I've been kind of thinking about this how the movie is sort of one note is how like the movie is sort of one note, right like it is, it is reminding you almost every five minutes, if not less, that men in society and hollywood and all these different machines have made it almost impossible to just feel comfortable in your own skin as a woman, and I think that that's a message that if that could be conveyed in every single film that comes out every single year, we should do it Like that's just something that people need to be reminded of and told through their art, however heavy-handed it may come across and I do think it does come across very heavy-handed in this film.
Speaker 1:However, I think that that kind of lends itself to what you're saying. So like not in a negative way, you're saying you totally get it, but it's just kind of like, okay, once I understand that this is the message that you're trying to say, now I can just kind of have fun with the absurdity and all these special effects and the music and everything else that is happening.
Speaker 2:Yeah and everything else that is happening. Yeah, and that's not to like. You know, I don't want to invalidate anyone's opinion. You know, reactions to this film being like a lot deeper that I just I don't know. I feel like as someone who's you know to be totally vulnerable, just someone who struggled with self-image like pretty much my whole life. It felt like, you know, just watching it it was like redundant, but not in the way of like I don't care to watch this. It was more of just like yeah, this isn't news to me and this is just like the reality of like what a lot of women deal with. So I think, and maybe that's just like you know, I took, I definitely took the time, and I think that we as women and just society in general, should watch movies like this and like really chew on that subject.
Speaker 2:You know, like, take that and hear it. You know, hear what she's trying to get across, cause it's an important message. But, you know, once you've done the work and you can like, you know you can, uh, maybe put your own emotion, like emotions aside with it. I mean, I, I just was sitting there like a little kid, like, I was just like getting in my seat.
Speaker 1:There were probably three or four different times where I, you know, when you're in a theater and I know we both saw it at the grand, and so those seats are kind of they're easy to kind of sink into because they're a little bit older but they're still, there's still a little bit of give to them and they have a good cushion, but it's not like you're in a recliner seat Right, and so you kind of just like get stuck sort of you know like a 45 degree angle maybe in your seated times.
Speaker 1:There were three or four moments where I shot straight up, like when Margaret Wally's pulling out her own teeth. I'm like giddy, like what you're describing, and, and so, yeah, I think you know, going back to you saying that once you are desensitized to whether it's blood, gore, violence, however extreme, you want to go with it in movies, it is it's a gift and a curse. The gift of it, though, is because, when something does come along and like reinvigorate that sicko inside of us and like and really tickle the fancy, it's like super special, cause you're like this doesn't happen all that often, and I think that's what we both experienced.
Speaker 2:I think so too. I think that's also what we both got so excited about with it, too, is we're like oh my gosh, like this is it? This is like what my, what I needed and like.
Speaker 1:I love you saying that what I needed, like I needed this, you're right.
Speaker 2:I'm always saying, you know, especially with works every year, I'm just waiting for like the next best thing and and I just feel like I I'm such an adrenaline junkie too that I need to like, I need something to make me feel alive and like just bring something up in me, and this movie really did that where, like it made me squirm but it also just got me like just visually so excited.
Speaker 2:I mean, god, the makeup, the special effects, everything about this was like, if I don't know I know you were kind of like in your review mentioned something like this could potentially go to the Oscars, like I, just like I would get on my hands and knees to just be like, please give it a chance to like get somewhere like that. This film, it's my number one of the year. I really would be surprised if anything topped that. However, I am really excited for nosferatu, but, um, I even don't think that that movie will do it for me like the way, just the substance. I had no expectations and that was, like you know, in a lot of my recommendations to friends and just people that I know would be okay with this movie I was gonna say like random, random kids in line at disneyland, like who you recommend?
Speaker 1:who are you talking about?
Speaker 2:in the section like uh, no, this is the line for mickey and minnie. Um, no, I just telling people about like just go in blind. Like please don't look into it too much, because I think I saw like one teaser trailer for it and I don't even know that I really processed what it was about and it kind of gave me like the same. I mean definitely not to the same degree, but like when Barbarian came out a few years ago, it was so fun because everyone like didn't know what to expect. And then everyone's like whoa, this was crazy.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:This is that times 10. I just I keep getting um, I keep getting shown that the less I know about a movie, the better. Um, totally off topic, but you need to see strange darling, if anyone has listening to this strange darling. Please go see it.
Speaker 1:Well, I guess it's probably not in theaters anymore, but it's in between right now, cause I'll tell you, you told me this for a few weeks now, and and so I'm just waiting, cause it's not in theaters, at least around us, right now, and and yet it's not on demand yet to rent. Um, so I'm I'm just waiting, but I'll, as soon as I watch it, you'll be the first to know.
Speaker 2:Okay, yeah, um, but it just it's good to just watch these movies just kind of blind and not have those expectations, and I think that having zero with the substance was just. Oh man, because I don't know. I could go on and on. It's just, it's so great, every detail.
Speaker 1:I think what you're saying about Nosferatu rings true for myself as well too, because I there's. There's a world in which Nosferatu impresses me in the way that a film like maybe Midsommar really impresses me and becomes one of my personal favorites. Where Midsommar is so special, I think, because of the costume design and the pacing and the story and the music and everything right. But there's really not too much happening in midsommar. That like is going to change my heart rate, especially after I've seen it for the first time. Obviously, like the cliff scene and things like that the first time you see it are very striking, um, and can kind of be those moments where you sit straight up in your seat when you're in the theater, but like this substance is that's like a fucking NASCAR event where it is just like 200 miles an hour nonstop.
Speaker 2:I totally agree and I'm excited to watch it again, cause I know that I will have a different experience, but probably just as enjoyable, cause I'll be able to maybe focus a little bit more on the subject matter. You know cause I'm such a visual person, especially when I watch film, that, like I am, I get so wrapped up in like the cinematography and the makeup and I'm just in the music. I mean, I'm just such a physical like the physical senses are all just going wild and um, and I love that. And sometimes it takes me a couple watches for something to be like oh, this was like way deeper than I even thought the first time. And um, yeah, this, it really is a NASCAR event.
Speaker 2:I mean, I don't, it's almost kind of it makes me sad, cause I'm like what could top this? Like it feels almost like where we've peaked, in a way, and that scares me a little bit, cause I'm like Jesus, if, if, this is like if, like what could top this? You know, I'd love to see you try, but um, yeah, I don't know this. This definitely like scratched the edge for me, for sure, I think it.
Speaker 1:It came at the perfect time though, because, you know, mid-september, entering october, this is the right time of year for a film like that, and, if you know, we spend the next two and a half months basically deciphering what films are going to be nominated for best picture. And yet, like you, me shout out my boy, matt rush. I talked to him about the substance. He's another sicko about this movie today, and it's like if we just have this movie in our back pocket and we know, like you know, nothing's going to top this, like, yeah, that kind of sucks, but at least this didn't come out like in April or something, and then we just have to go through summer and fall, and then, you know, oscar season, with being like man remember when the Substance came out? People probably just forgot about that movie Like, I don't think that's going to happen.
Speaker 2:No, absolutely not.
Speaker 1:Oh, just forgot about that movie. Like I don't think that's gonna happen. No, absolutely not. Oh gosh, yeah, if we do, if there, if there's a chance to go see it again, we've. We've got to go together because I think I'm gonna be and I think max and I brought this up.
Speaker 1:Um, on our episode where I do think, upon multiple viewings, we'll still really appreciate everything that the different craft departments did in the makeup and in the music and everything else. The costuming is so good, like that. That yellow coat that Demi has, it's like so awesome. Yeah, total sidebar.
Speaker 1:My principal was wearing kind of like a yellow overcoat the other day at school and I was just like, did you see the substance? That's very substance of you, yeah, but I do think it'll be those multiple viewings that really allow us to to just appreciate the message more and even, as I said, like it's kind of one note, but it's something that you, it's, it's an appropriate one note to play over and over, sure, okay, well, that's going to do it for us today. Um, as for what's next on ETI, we will be covering the release of Joker 2, folly Ado and creating a very fun and unique top five list of our most favorite and fitting casting decisions of all time. Um, I asked you to kind of start wrapping your head around this concept. Are there any questions that you want to ask here on air before we go into next week's episode?
Speaker 2:I don't know yet. I have to really sit with that. I thought that was such a unique premise for an episode. I'm really excited to do my homework for that. You already kind of mentioned a couple in your text about it and I was like okay, so I'll have to, I have to. I've got some homework to do this weekend, so I'm really looking forward to it. But a huge thing I think that people will get to know about me on here is that I like acting is a huge like make or break for me, like, if, if, like, a there's, if the acting isn't right in a movie, it really takes me out of the movie and I I have a hard time looking past it, and so I think that this is a really fun category to just kind of like dive deeper into, like people who've really like like character, acted really well and it'll be fun to like do some more research about it.
Speaker 1:And I think that'll be the fun thing to to kind of explain to the listeners too that we're not necessarily just talking about, like, our favorite performances of all time. We're talking about the marriage between actor and casting for a certain role. So I think, like the example I gave you was, it would be I don't as good as an actress as like Meryl Streep is. You could take any Meryl Streep movie, almost, I think, and and you could see now she might've crushed it in that role, right, but it's not like her character is necessarily synonymous with her performance, right, whereas you can take someone like Johnny Depp in Pirates of the Caribbean and you're like there's nobody else in this world who could be Captain Jack Sparrow.
Speaker 2:Well, what do you think about Meryl Streep? As in the Devil Wears Prada?
Speaker 1:Meryl Streep as in the Devil Wears Prada. Now see, okay, that's a great point because, honestly, meryl Streep in the Devil Wears Prada is way closer to what we're talking about, as opposed to like Meryl Streep in Kramer vs Kramer.
Speaker 2:Exactly yeah, Meryl Streep in.
Speaker 1:Kramer vs Kramer is an Oscar winning performance. However, I think that Joan Allen or Glenn Close or a handful of other extremely other talented actors could have done that role. But like devil wears prada, that is almost like I could not see anybody else doing that other than meryl streep, so that's a great point yeah great point.
Speaker 1:Um, it's gonna be really fun. I can't wait for that episode. Uh, in the meantime, be sure to follow eti on instagram and myself, max and erica on letterboxd so that you can track what we're watching between episodes, and we will talk to you next time. On Excuse, the Intermission, where movies still matter.
