Excuse the Intermission
Alex and Max take you on a journey through film with this discussion podcast about movies.
Excuse the Intermission
From Skepticism to Magic: Unraveling "Wicked" and Reflecting on "Gladiator 2
Did we underestimate the magic of "Wicked"? Join us as we share our journey from skepticism to surprise with the blockbuster film adaptation of this beloved Broadway classic. We'll unravel the enchanting tale of how "Wicked" became a record-breaking success, surpassing other hits like "Chicago," and compare its narrative depth to that of "The Wizard of Oz." With a tinge of nostalgia, we delve into our childhood memories linked to the original Oz story and ponder how Ariana Grande's unexpected charm added a new layer to the familiar fantasy world.
Ever thought of "The Wizard of Oz" as propaganda or "Wicked" as a documentary? Our playful exploration of these ideas reveals newfound appreciation for the intricate character backstories, especially that of the Wicked Witch of the West. We dive into memorable performances, from Cynthia's gripping portrayal of Alpha Buzz to Grande's light-hearted whimsy, while not shying away from critiquing sequences like "Dancing Through Life." The film's mix of practical sets and CGI, along with its desaturated color palette, is put under our review lens, leaving us eager to see where directors like Jon M. Chu might take this revamped Oz universe next.
Beyond Oz, we tackle the mixed reception and casting choices of "Gladiator 2," contemplating Hollywood’s penchant for recycling stories and prioritizing star power over fit. With Ridley Scott at the helm, even the grand battle scenes struggle to elevate a narrative deemed hollow and convenient. As we dissect these trends, we invite you to reflect on the cinematic landscape and its impact on storytelling. Tune in for a lively discussion that promises laughter, insight, and a touch of controversy.
Welcome to a Chatter Network podcast. My name is Max Fosberg.
Speaker 2:And I'm Erica Krause.
Speaker 1:And this is Excuse the Intermission. Today we are talking about what seems to be the box office. One of the box office hits of the year, wicked, just came out over the Thanksgiving weekend, so we'll give our review and general thoughts about that and probably a couple other movies that have been hitting the theaters these past couple of weeks. That all starts next on the other side of this break. All right, welcome back, erica. We've made it through Thanksgiving. We are now officially in December, the last month of 2024. We've got a huge slate of movies coming up, which is insane.
Speaker 2:Yep.
Speaker 1:But we had kind of a bang to the end of, uh, november. How's, how's things going on going with you and how's your movie?
Speaker 2:watching going. It's been good. You know I surprisingly I am kind of feeling the holiday spirit this year. Um, I'm normally a little stressed about this time and I can be a bit of a scrooge if you will, but I've been. You know I did some like really productive Christmas shopping this past week, with Black Friday and all the you know great online stuff happening and you know, wicked just completely took me by surprise. I'm excited to talk about it yeah, absolutely.
Speaker 1:Uh, wicked was, uh, an unbelievable hit, uh, over the thanksgiving weekend, thanksgiving weekend it's. The movie adaptation of Wicked, which of course is a Broadway musical, had a spectacular debut at the box office, earning an estimated $163 million globally in its opening weekend. Now, that's a little elongated because of the Thanksgiving holiday. So they count, I believe, like what it's like Wednesday through Sunday as opposed to a Friday through Sunday. But this includes 112.5 million domestically, which makes it the third biggest domestic opening of 2024 and the largest opening weekend ever for a broadway adaptation. I had no idea wicked was such a thing. I had absolutely no idea. I've never seen the stage play. I've seen, you know, the wizard of oz and some other Oz IP movies, but I was pretty blown away with some of these numbers. I mean, 112.5 million in the US is gigantic, it's really really huge. How did this happen?
Speaker 2:I mean those theater kids go hard, dude, I don't know. I mean those theater kids go hard, dude, I, I don't know. I mean, so I, yeah, I don't. I've never seen the play either, but I, I've always known about Wicked. It's always been kind of on my bucket list to see it on on on Broadway. But, um, I love musicals, I do really love theater, um, and I really like a lot of the music in it. So it doesn't surprise me that it got like a pretty big opening. I, you know, just, it was definitely like in my eyes to be kind of expected. Now, hearing what people had to say about it was what really took me by surprise, and even just the movie itself took me by surprise. But I think, just as far as like the box office success, I'm like that checks out, I mean I, you know, when you're telling me that it's had been as successful as it has been, that I'm like I'm like, okay, damn, like good for good for wicked, I'm proud of that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's, it's really interesting, especially because you know Broadway musicals adaptation you know Broadway adaptations to film is not something that has never happened before. Right, you know, I can think of, I mean, in the isn't in the heights? An adaptation that came out a couple years ago into the woods, um lay biz chicago, and you know it's kind of having a similar moment to chicago, I would say, which you know. Back in, I think it was like 2002 was a huge hit and then went on to win a ton of awards. Yeah, which is wild. What's your relationship with the Wizard of Oz Like? Is that an important movie to you? Is that one that I know some people like dial it up every like holiday season?
Speaker 2:You know I haven't seen Wizard of Oz in so long, but I watched it a lot when I was a kid and I was actually trying to think about that the other day when I was like when was like how old was I when I first saw it? Because you know, I know that I'm pretty sure we had like the VHS tape of it. You know, I know that I'm pretty sure we had like the VHS tape of it. Um, and I watched it fairly like enough to really have like very vivid memories of it and just, I mean, even without seeing it in years, I can I know so much of like the scenes because I think they really stuck to, stuck with me.
Speaker 2:Um, I also know that, um, well, who we now know as Elphaba, um scared the shit out of me as a child and um, just the whole movie in general, I think, kind of impacted me as a kid. And then I almost want to say, the last time I watched it was with like a boyfriend in high school where we played Wizard of Oz and had it silenced and we had, um, pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon playing and it perfectly matches up like the. The whole album, front to back matches the, the movie and um, so I don't know. I mean I I really want to watch it again. I haven't seen it in so long and so, um, yeah, I, I love wizard of oz. I think it's a great.
Speaker 1:It's a great movie, it's fun uh, similar to you, I have not seen wizard of oz.
Speaker 1:Uh, in like sat down and watched it in full a long time. Ironically, last christmas at one of my family gatherings, all the kids wanted to watch a movie and my uncle, uh, and like my aunts were like, oh, we're gonna put on wizard of oz for them because they had never seen it. And so, like I, I definitely had that kind of experience as a child like, obviously, if they're doing that for the, the grandkids now, um, they, they totally did that for us, uh, so, yeah, watching it as a kid, it was like, oddly on, I think quite a bit, um, and it is, you know, I mean, when you think about with Zervas, it is one of like the, you know consequential, like Mount Rushmore movies, of movies, right, like it's, it's it's a big, big turn in in the movie industry when that that film comes out. And you know, of course, they they talk about in film school and teach it in the in the history classes and stuff. So it is a it's really interesting. It's it's weird. Weird also to think about like all the sequels and ip or spinoffs that the wizard of oz has spawned since the 1930s um, because it was a big book series.
Speaker 1:But I mean there are multiple movies, whether it's Return to Oz, the Wiz, oz the Powerful, or Great and Powerful or something like that, and not all of them are successful.
Speaker 2:But Wicked, oddly, seems to be like exactly what people really wanted right now yeah, I I do want I have the question for you of, like, when you first were, when you were watching the wizard of oz, when you were a kid, did it dawn on you like how old the film was? Because I feel like when I watched it, I I mean, I don't know how much of this that I would have really, like you know, absorbed, but like I definitely didn't think that this movie was, you know, made in the, you know, in 1939, you know it came out like that long ago no, I, I don't think I ever really clocked that like it was older than something.
Speaker 1:Like you know, charlie and the chocolate factory, I felt like those two films kind of operated on the same level for me as a kid, right, because they're both very colorful, they're both very whimsical, um, they're both about kids taking a journey. Uh, and so, yeah, no, I never really, I guess, yeah, understood that it was a bona fide classic from the you know golden age kind of starts, the golden age of hollywood yeah, I totally agree.
Speaker 2:Um, that's a good point. Like watching Charlie and the Chocolate Factory as a kid too. I mean, I don't think that. Like I said, I don't think I was really thinking about that kind of stuff when I was a kid, like, oh, what year did this come out, you know? But um, yeah, they were definitely on the same wavelength to me yeah, um, yeah.
Speaker 1:So. So this film, again an adaptation of a Broadway musical which was adapted from a 1994 book called Wicked, which tells the prequel story of Glinda and the Wicked Witch of the West, or Alphaba of Glinda, and the Wicked Witch of the West, or Elphaba, is that how you say her name?
Speaker 1:Elphaba, yeah, elphaba, and kind of takes place at this kind of wizard college, which then eventually leads them to the Emerald City to meet the Wizard of Oz and you, you know. And then things go bad for Elphaba and they decide that that the land of Oz needs a villain and who better than a green skinned witch.
Speaker 1:We should also mention that this movie is also a part one yes, so it's not the whole story, which, again, it's something I didn't really clock leading up to the film. It's not something that they really marketed at all.
Speaker 1:The part one comes up in the titles on screen, and so the movie ends kind of at the, the climax or the turn for Elphaba, when she, I guess, kind of becomes the wicked witch or is labeled the wicked witch Because, again, this is, I think it's so interesting that, like someone even wrote a story like this because the wicked witch of the West is such an iconic and frightening especially when you're a kid frightening villain, uh, and so to kind of give her a redemption story and make it seem that she, she's not wicked, it's, it's actually the land of Oz that is wicked.
Speaker 1:Yeah, kind of interesting.
Speaker 2:I was, I've done, I've gone down like a wicked rabbit hole, like just a Wizard of oz rabbit hole, I guess. In the last few weeks even leading up to wicked because you know full disclosure I was fully like, not on board with this movie. I I saw too many trailers for it where I'm thinking like this is not my, my cup of tea. I love musicals but I'm not, like you know, I not every musical is created equal in my eyes and I've. I just kind of saw that. And you know no hate to Ariana Grande, but she's not somebody, she's not really an artist that I listen to very often. I kind of saw her in this and thinking, oh god, she's a pop star, like well, this is kind of a weird pairing and not knowing you know all the the history that's happening behind, you know what's, what's all going on behind the scenes of this movie in the making for the last, you know, four years and um and so a lot.
Speaker 2:I feel like I saw a lot of people asking like so I don't understand. Like you know, I grew up watching Wizard of Oz. I thought the Wicked Witch of the West was the villain, but now you're telling me she's not, but then she turns into the villain. You're like what is the the confusion here? And I saw somebody like really, really well, put like they just kind of say wizard of oz is the version your mom tells you and wicked is the real family lore. Or then somebody was like think of oz as the propaganda, wizard of oz as the propaganda film and wicked the documentary. And I'm like this is it.
Speaker 2:I think just even seeing that really made me like fully grasp what was happening and it also just made me like appreciate how the story even came to be and like someone was creative enough to like really just take this character that, yeah, like scarred us as kids who and they're like no, she has a backstory and you know, she wasn't always like this and right um, and just kind of humanized her right and um, and so I've been trying to like explain that to people and be like yeah, that's a, that's a great analogy for these films.
Speaker 1:It also kind of makes you, I don't know, like also kind of makes Dorothy like evil which is weird.
Speaker 2:Yeah, the the thing is, I'm well, from what I understand, um, and like, like I, I don't know the anything happened. Well, I do know quite a bit of stuff that happens in part two, just after all the research and it's, it's fine, like I don't really mind knowing the spoilers, but, um, from what I understand, like the timeline of wicked, there's like the part that we just watched in theater and then wizard of oz is really just like a small portion in between, um, all of this. So wizard of like wicked has.
Speaker 1:So part two will take place after wizard of.
Speaker 2:Oz. Well, wizard of Oz will technically take place at some point in part two. Now they don't really touch on that, I don't think. From what I understand, everyone's wondering who's going to play Dorothy. Now they have so much more time than the actual stage play to do these movies, so, who knows, they might bring Dorothy on and I think that would be really cool to have her incorporated a little bit more than she is in the play. What I understand, she's really just kind of like a background silhouette at one point.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and it was the one easter egg at the beginning of Wicked point. Yeah, was the one Easter egg at the beginning of wicked where you see Dorothy the Tin man, scarecrow and the Cowardly Lion walking on the yellow brick road.
Speaker 2:Yeah, yeah, so yeah, the. The plot of the part two will definitely involve with, like, the happenings of what, like what goes on in wizard of oz, um, and then we'll jump past that interesting the ending. I'm not sure how it ends. I don't know that. But just you know, people are confused like well, when did when wizard of oz happen and when does wicked happen? Well, it's allicked. Is this much longer timeline?
Speaker 1:Wow, that's. That's really interesting. So, huh, okay, so we're going to see Elphaba reform out of a puddle of water, then, is what you're telling me?
Speaker 2:I would assume, so I know it's kind of wild.
Speaker 1:Well, what are some of the general impressions you had of the film? Did you enjoy yourself? Was the theater? Was it a good theater experience? Did the movie meet any of your expectations? I know you, you kind of had low expectations going in.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I, I definitely didn't have very high expectations. I even told my mom that I'm either going to hate this movie or make this movie my entire personality for the next two weeks. Yeah, I. So I really had very little expectation. To be totally honest, and and I'll be the first to admit that I, you know, I was definitely like I said, I didn't have like the greatest mindset going into it, just thinking like, man, this is just not my cup of tea, based off of what I've seen and man, the, the minute Ariana Grande opened her mouth, I was just like, oh my God, I'm toast. I absolutely loved it. I thought that it was such a production I mean, that was. Not only did I love the music, but I loved just the, the art, you know, like just the set design, the costumes, everything about it was so amazing and, um, I was blown away. To be totally honest, I had a really good time.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, I, uh, I similarly didn't't didn't have high expectations going in. Um, I was, you know, again, I, I had never seen the play been a long time since wizard of oz, I, you know musicals are, are hit and miss for me, like I, I'm not a huge musical person, um, but coming out of it, uh, you know, I think it's safe to say I enjoyed myself, like I wasn't moaning and groaning through it, uh, which is great, I do think ariana grande, I mean, steals the show. I thought she was hilarious in almost every scene she's in. She played just that valley girl, rich girl, snob so well, but then also has a turn and actually was doing some really extensive acting emotionally and physically. I thought cynthia did an awesome job, uh, as alpha buzz.
Speaker 1:Well, she is like one of you know the best singers in the world and so, uh, especially during the you know the defying gravity song, they really let her cook and uh, yeah, I thought, I thought she was fantastic and she was, she played the part so serious, she was so serious and juxtapose was grande who was like just hamming it up, um, and so, yeah, I thought, I thought it was pretty impressive. Uh, again, musical numbers pretty impressive, other than the. I really did hate one. I hated the. I think they're in like the library or something. It's the guy okay yeah, dancing through life dancing through life.
Speaker 1:I just thought that song went on and on and on and on. I didn't think it was particularly, I didn't think he was particularly good really, actually in like the whole role as a whole, and I didn't think he was a very strong singer either. But other than that, yeah, I, I dug it. I I'm a, you know. I thought it was interesting that there's this like animals and we're gonna get into spoilers here- yeah, uh so if you don't, if you don't want the movie spoiled, erica and I both enjoyed it yes
Speaker 1:uh it, it did huge business. If you want to see it without spoilers, go go to the theater and see it, and see it in a packed theater, and I think theaters will be packed for a while If, if it keeps doing as well as it as it has. My theater was packed and that was a lot of fun Cause there was there was just a lot of energy in there. But, yeah, I was a little, I was a little I was a little confused and by the whole animal. There's like this animal activist message, uh, as kind of like a b plot, and I thought I thought the animals looked really bad. You know the cgi animals. Peter drinklage, uh, voiced the goat professor, uh, and I don't know. I that felt a little like, kind of like shoved in there, but I guess it's part of the book and part of the play.
Speaker 2:So I was confused about that as well because, you know, I I had no idea what, I really had no idea what to expect, like what wicked is, you know? I just know I knew so many. I knew a couple of the songs going into it and some of the very popular songs throughout the last few years, um few years, as in like 20, but um, yeah, I had no idea that animals were a thing and I'm still a little like that did feel like a really weird, um, like a little plot line that I just felt was. But that's kind of like elphaba's whole thing where she's like that's why she's so mad yeah he's so mad over that and yeah
Speaker 2:and so they're trying to like silence the animals and and the animals are their history in oz and like, and you know that that was a little. That part I guess I probably just turned a blind eye to, because I was very much enthralled just with like, like sensory stuff of the whole movie. So I was like, it's fine, peter, just put it on the note, glinda, yeah, and so that was funny. That was a funny part too to me where I was like, why is she called Glinda? But then we know her as Glinda and I was confused and I was like, why is she called Galinda? But then we know her, like as Glinda and I was confused and I was like, well, maybe in Wicked it's Galinda, but so you're like, you're telling me she changed her name because the goat couldn't pronounce her name Like, and that was her way of stepping into like solidarity with, like showing the people like I care.
Speaker 2:So I'm going to change my name. That was a little like hokey to me, but again I I think I just was like putting my head down a little bit, like I was like nope, this movie's great, I love it. I don't care these little tiny things that I don't really actually like, but I'm not, I'm ignoring it.
Speaker 1:Yeah. Yeah, that was a little strange, I think you know you hit on the production design earlier, felt a lot like like Barbie, while I was watching it Very like even though, even though the color was saturated right, it doesn't exactly look like Wizard of Oz, which I've read that Jon M Chu has come out and said well, we desaturated it because Wizard of Oz is a dream and this is supposed to be reality.
Speaker 2:I love that.
Speaker 1:Yes and no right, because if Wizard of Oz plays into part two, then is this whole thing a dream. Yeah, that's true, you know, I think we could have let the colors really, really pop. I think it would have been even more like sensory overload and probably would have been a little bit more enjoyable. That's one like little nitpick I had that I was like, oh, why is everything so kind of like turned down? But the physical production, design, set design. You know there is a lot of CGI but I do feel like a lot of the sets that the performances are on or like that they're walking around at the school, a lot of it is actual built sets, which really made me happy to see.
Speaker 2:Same and I think that was that just kind of added to my experience of just being pleasantly surprised, like I continuously was surprised and impressed because the trailers just look so like just too much going on. And that's just my interpret, that was just my experience watching it. I'm like, oh my God, this looks so corny and like there's too much CGI happening and the colors were just a lot. You know, I was just like I don't know that this is going to be my cup of tea, but seeing it it I think. I mean I guess I didn't really notice the color thing as much, but you know you're with you being in film school, I know you notice things like that so much more and I definitely want to see it again because I've seen several people comment on how the color felt a little toned down. But what I appreciated about like the practical, like the sets and the CGI, it all kind of flowed really well and it made it feel like I'm watching a fantasy come to life, but it didn't feel like it was ever too much.
Speaker 2:You know, it was perfect amount and, um, yeah, the cgi it. It was really not. It didn't affect my experience with it at all yeah, yeah, and I'll be interested to see.
Speaker 1:Hopefully that continues in part two, which I'm guessing it will. Um, though, I'm guessing we'll have a lot more monkeys in part two, right and like those are all CGI creations. Yeah, so that would be interesting to see.
Speaker 2:All of this together at the same time, which I was really excited to hear, that I don't really know if that's like. That might just be like a normal thing, but you know, sometimes I worry about like a part two of a movie will not, or like a sequel will be just a little bit. It'll never hit the same as the first one, and so I was really pleasantly surprised to hear that they filmed it all at the same time and it's all done it just it's's.
Speaker 1:You know it's time it does to simmer so I is part two coming out next holiday yeah, like literally like a year exactly a year from the first one.
Speaker 2:I think I even saw like a tiktok or something and I was it universal that released this uh I think it is, I think I think you're right, I think it is universal yeah, they posted a um, like a little tiktok, and it was like the day that wicked came out, and it was, like you know, november 22nd 2025, part part two. Then that was it, and everyone's like the longest intermission ever.
Speaker 1:Let's talk about the music. What was you know? I kind of said that you know. My least favorite song was the what was it called? Again, the one that took place in London, dancing Through Life. Yeah, did you dancing through life? Um, did you have a favorite? Did you have a least favorite? What was your was your thoughts about the performances?
Speaker 2:well, my favorite wick song from wicked is the wizard and I. I was very much curious. I was excited to to hear that um, cynthia revo's version, because I made you know, I made sure not to listen to the soundtrack. I obviously had heard defying gravity a little bit, um, just from the trailers a million times, but, um, I hadn't listened to anything else from the movie and that was my first. My tear shed was during the wizard and I.
Speaker 1:How many times did you cry?
Speaker 2:I never like fully cried. I definitely like was so moved by some of the parts. So I cried during the Wizard and I because I was that was when I was like fully in it.
Speaker 2:I was like, holy shit, I'm like, I'm sad I'm here, like and that's pretty early on in the movie- yeah um, and then defying gravity is off is just such a classic wicked song and I I did really enjoy their like cynthia's like spin on it, um, but yeah the I think just once the wizard and I got started, there's like like a lot of momentum that happens and like build up in the beginning of the song and you know she's like accepted to shiz right, and she's there and she's like going to meet the Wizard and that's like her goal and she's hyped right, and so that's where I was like let go, dude, let's go. I loved that part so as far as like, like, performance wise, I really enjoyed um.
Speaker 2:It's like, oh god, what's that song called? Um it is. What is this feeling? And that's where the two of them are. Just recently they're newly roommates. They're dancing through the school, they have a huge group of performers with them. I mean, that's where this movie really started to like get me excited with just the, the performance of everything, like all of the dancers, all of the, the singers and everybody.
Speaker 1:It was just, it was just so fun to watch yeah, really smart uh, split screen used during that performance as well yeah uh, which I I've seen people say like that is one of the advantages of film, right, you could never do that on on the stage, right?
Speaker 1:um, I really loved uh popular okay, yeah, uh ariana grande, uh, as as galinda still there, uh, sitting popular I I thought that I that song was a was a tune that I've been that's been kind of stuck in my head since I've seen the movie um and just again, just fun and funny. Uh, you know ariana grande, I know you know she's had like really good moments on snl, like she's a a full-blown comedian, uh, a comedic actor, like she has just such great timing, uh, great a great physical presence every time. She like flipped her hair was just really really funny to me. And yeah, I, just I I thought she that was kind of the one song that like she got to really solo in and and I think I read that they even like elongated it at the end. So really show off her vocal range.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, I really, really, really loved that. Um, I also really liked the first song. Uh, when she comes, the munchkin land, what I I can't remember what that's called like that is wicked is over.
Speaker 1:No one mourns the wicked no one mourns the wicked as a production like that. That was a lot of dancing, a lot a big group of people, obviously a a physical set uh happening and a lot of choreography. That uh, right off the bat, like it's just like oh wow, I think we're in pretty good hands, uh, here with with this film. Um, uh, let's see. Uh, so john mchugh also directed in the heights. Have you seen that film?
Speaker 2:I didn't. And um, this is where I kind of you know, like I said, I I don't love all musicals. Um, I, yeah, I never saw that. I don't know that it was like that appealing to me, but I know some people really liked it, so I I think it was.
Speaker 1:It was a pandemic movie. It came out okay, uh, on streaming in 2020. I know we covered it on the show because I think we did. I think we did our top five favorite musicals maybe, but I remember enjoying that. So Jon M Chu is a director who went to USC. He's kind of a wonder kid A lot of people have. Of course, if you go to USC and you're a wonder kid lot of people have, of course, if you go to usc and you're a wonder kid, you immediately get uh compared to steven spielberg, um, and I I don't know if he's on that level uh of steven spielberg. I'd like to see him do something other than a musical, uh, because I, I guess he he also did the step up movies he did step up two and step up 3d, which slaps.
Speaker 2:He also did crazy rich asians, which was wildly successful, right so yeah, he's, he's a great young director.
Speaker 1:Uh who? This, this wicked movie might really send him into a stratosphere oh, absolutely I'm guessing he'll get a blank check. If this wasn't the blank check, but um, but yeah, I'm guessing. I'm excited to see what he does next. Uh, for, in his filmography, because, you're right, crazy rich asians is a really good and that's not a musical, I don't think so I've only seen it.
Speaker 2:I feel like I've only seen bits and pieces of that movie, but it's very. People love that movie and it's and it is good.
Speaker 1:But yeah, step Up 2, too, I mean absolutely iconic I I'll have to go back, uh, in the history books and and catch up on that one, because I've never seen step up or step up to or step up 3d oh, you've never seen any of them never. So remember I bet you alex has never. I bet bet you Alex has never seen. He might have seen Step Up, but hold on to Step Up. 2 for the next time. We do you never forget your first time episode?
Speaker 2:Oh, there you go. A dance episode coming soon, maybe.
Speaker 1:Oh yeah, A dance movie is.
Speaker 2:I could pop off on that episode yeah.
Speaker 1:So what anything else? Okay, oh, how about this? So now Wicked is. I think we kind of touched on it in our Oscar, like our Oscar check-in episode we did last. Yes, where do you power rank Wicked now? It is a huge hit, it is a musical, it is part of a franchise that is deep in the history of Hollywood and yes, what what are its chances?
Speaker 2:I think that there's a very strong chance of some oscar, oscar winnings here. I think, um, I can't remember, like what, if we had talked about like some promising picks for like production, um, or anything like that, I, I feel like it could take a home some technical awards. But I also see ariana grande getting at least a nomination for supporting actress. Um, I, I could, really, I, I don't know, I I could see john getting a best directing. It could very well get a best picture nomination, um, like, but I, I don't know if that to me, I don't know if it's like best picture worthy, like compared to other movies out there, like other options, but I don't know I'll, I'll be surprised. I'll just be excited to see like what, if any awards it takes home. But there's no doubt about it, there's going to be some Oscar buzz going around with this movie.
Speaker 1:There already is yeah, I'm looking at back at the notes from that episode. None of us have it in our lists, however, I think and which is really interesting From that episode None of us have it in our list, however, I think, which is really interesting Because Emilio Perez, also a musical we all have in here. So it would be really interesting To see if it can Sneak in To the top 10 here, because, again I think, if it can sneak in to the top 10 here because, again I think, yeah, it being such a huge hit and and it's not like it's not like, it's a huge hit with audiences and a stinker with critics, critics have loved it too.
Speaker 1:I have seen some of like. You know some YouTube movie reviewers who you know you would never think would love this movie. You know some YouTube movie reviewers who you know you would never think would love this movie. You know, come out on their channel and be like I really, really enjoyed it. I had a really good time.
Speaker 2:So that's something I just I really want to like say to people. Is that, like, just give the movie a shot. Honestly, like I I mean, I definitely have a track record of enjoying musicals, but I was super like, kind of hating on this movie, like in secret, you know. I was like not necessarily preying on its downfall, but I was like, please, this looks really corny, but I'm so glad that I took the opportunity to go see it.
Speaker 2:And you know, I spoke to a few people who also had similar feelings, where they were like, you know, not really they're like well, I've got, I've just heard so much hype about it, I feel like I have to go see it. And they came out at the other end just being so like it felt like movie magic. You know, this is like where I get like really hyped about film is I'm like this this is where like the magic feel like. This is where you really feel that kind of magic because of just the grandiose like everything about it and um, and so I just I encourage people to give it a shot and I think you might be pleasantly surprised, you know, and I think a lot of people are experiencing that and I I love that for them. I love it for me too, because I thought it's definitely.
Speaker 1:It's definitely a great film to see in a theater. Yeah, um, it's. It's a big, huge, loud production. I do want, I want people to see it, but I what? I don't want. I've also read this narrative that people are kind of like, oh it's the little, it's the little musical that could shock the Oscars, and like this, let's. I mean, let's be real. This is an IP franchise big, loud studio picture. Let's not lose sight here of what it is.
Speaker 2:Yeah, this Wicked, I mean Wicked wicked has legs, you know it has. This is not some like little tiny thing, like little engine that could like no, no, no, no.
Speaker 2:Let's like first of all, any theater kids listening to this, like we, we hear you, we respect you, like we know the significance of wicked absolutely but we also know that like sometimes I mean at least I know that sometimes movies can take that and kind of turn it to shit a little bit this is they didn't do it justice or whatever, and like I I think this is in this case this is one of those things that it's like wicked is so near and dear to many people.
Speaker 2:I have a lot of friends who their first theater experience was going to see Wicked. As a kid it was something I always dreamt of going to see and I think I feel that it really did the play justice. I would, I mean, I, I don't know, maybe that's unfair to say since I've never seen it, but I think it did. Well, I've seen a lot of theater kids who are all who love the play be like this is thank you, like this is great. I think just when I say like don't discredit this movie, it's mostly because I hate to say it, but ariana grande, because I feel like a lot of people that I was talking to were like, please, like ariana grande, like in a musical, in like in a movie, like what that's. That doesn't make sense, and I'm like now, I'm like give her a chance.
Speaker 1:she was a child actor. Obviously, she, uh, she, she holds the screen really really well, true? Um, yeah, go see wicked uh in a theater, uh, you will be sad. It'll be interesting to see if how well it plays at home, uh, because it is so big and loud and uh and beautiful. Um, so, yeah, that that is our thoughts on wicked Uh. I also got to out and saw gladiator two, uh by sir Ridley Scott at an 87 year old sir Ridley Scott.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I did not know that that man was that old yeah, uh, that movie also did well it not not as well as as wicked, obviously, um, but gladiator 2 I kind of, I mean, I guess you could call wicked a legacy prequel. Gladiator 2 is a legacy sequel, uh, to a film, gladiator, that went on to win best picture uh is kind of held in this um prestigious, yet blockbuster uh uh, you know, pedestal, that you really don't see anymore. As far as like a a big epic. You know, gladiator, this is, was a big epic, like physical, you know non little CGI um movie that kind of was the last of its kind. Right, because the next year I think, like spider-man comes and lord of the rings starts coming out and a lot of that, what was used to make gladiator kind of goes uh, extinct. Um, and you know, I'll say gladiators is really, really good. I, we, we just did the the Ridley Scott bracket uh, which, eric, I'm sorry you weren't there, but gladiator, I think, got knocked out, maybe in the third round, it wasn't in the final four. So it's, it's a really good movie. I don't think it's top tier Ridley Scott, but I do think it's in the top half of his films. Gladiator 2 is kind of what's wrong with big Hollywood blockbusters it is, and now I think we're starting to see it. Everyone's trying to do the Top Gun Maverick thing with these legacy sequels and I think this is the first chink in the armor of being like, ok, maybe, maybe this won't work with every single movie that came out in the 90s and 2000s.
Speaker 1:I really didn't care for Gladiator 2. I thought Ridley is really good when there's a huge, wide shot of a battle scene with choreography and directing that action and there is a scene of that or a sequence of that in the film and that's really good. But it's in the first 10 minutes, like in the first 10 minutes, and then, like we go, we go in and it is quite literally a carbon copy, but like sped up, of gladiator. And I thought Paul Mescal was extremely miscast. Yeah, you know, he is an actor I really like but is much more effective when he's playing a sensitive, emotional character as opposed to a loud, brooding action hero when he's yelling in the arena or, um, you know, doing any of that, that macho man stuff that, like Russell Crowe, was so good at in the first one.
Speaker 1:Um, I think a lot of the plot is, uh, kind of silly and convenient and there's some retconning going on to make it make sense, which you know. I guess you have to make it make sense or you could just tell a different story. I don't know why they thought this was the story that needed to happen. I think the talks of Denzel getting an Oscar nomination for this role is a bit ludicrous. He's having a lot of fun and he's chewing on the scenery, but he and the two emperor brothers are in a completely different movie than what Connie Nielsen and Paul Mescal are in and Pedro Pascal who? Pedro Pascal, doesn't even really do anything.
Speaker 2:I was wondering like what his, because I didn't see the movie. But I was wondering like what his, because I didn't. I didn't see the movie, but I was wondering, like, what his role is, like, what's his relationship to, to paul?
Speaker 1:he is, uh, the I. I mean he is the husband of connie nielsen, who is the mother of paul mescal. Again, spoilers, uh, but uh, but that's not really review revealed to paul mescal until, like, pedro is like taking his last breath in the film. So, um, yeah, I don't know, I it just felt very hollow, it felt very um, you know what's the point of this. You know there were some stuff in the arena, particularly when Pedro and Paul Mescal are fighting. You know, again, ridley is really good at shooting action. He does know how to do that really really well. Just so, just like Napoleon, like a lot of the action stuff was amazing in that movie. Same here.
Speaker 1:I will say the cgi in this movie stinks, uh, and the fact that paul mescal fights baboons, sharks and a rhino is just ridiculous and stupid and and I think that's kind of some of the reason that I really disliked it, because I just I could never get into him as a gladiator, because he's just fighting animals and it just wasn't as thrilling as going up against a human being. Um, because it's it's obviously CGI and like there is no danger. So, yeah, it's a long movie. It's pretty bloated. Again, some of the plot Is just extremely stupid and, other than a couple action scenes, I really don't know why this movie was made.
Speaker 2:That's too bad. Yeah, I had this on my watch list for sure to go see it and then I started seeing. You know, I saw you and some other people log this on Letterboxd and just not giving a good feedback. But I saw, and you, you know everybody has different opinions, so it's like I started seeing with one review but then that review was very similar to others, you know, and everyone started commenting on the CGI and Paul's miscarriage, like just him not being a great fit, um, and I agree, you know I hate to like put Paul in that box of, like the sensitive guy and put him in these, like you know, these, um, emotional roles.
Speaker 2:He's amazing at it, but it just kind of feels and this is where I have a problem with Hollywood casting is that it just feels like let's put the hot people in this big blockbuster and that's gonna draw people in, but it's like, but was that a good cast? Like, was that a good fit? Like I don't, I don't really know and I remember even thinking him being in this movie was just a little like. Oh, that's different for him and you know, I have experience with him in normal people and, most recently, all of us strangers, which I know you saw too, and after sun, you got to see after after sun.
Speaker 2:Yeah, he's, he's an incredible actor, you know he's we. I love paul meskel, I mean I really do, but he's so like as somebody who's very plugged into social media stuff. I mean he is such a like an it boy right now, you know, and while that's totally fine, it happens all the time. This is where I just I get frustrated with Hollywood and you know, just these big movies, because it's like, do we even care about making a quality film? Like who cares how amazing, like you know how hot this guy is or how popular he is? That's where it just feels like this is just kind of a money grab yeah and I don't appreciate that.
Speaker 2:I don't like. I want to watch a good movie and there's plenty of other hot actors out there who could play a gladiator. You know, 20 times better than Paul did and you know, obviously I didn't see it, but I feel like I've. You know, I've seen what I've seen it. And.
Speaker 1:I mean, Paul is is my boy. I wish he had more to do. I wish he had more to do, Cause I think he's a he's a pretty good actor as well, but again, he also kind of looks, looks a little goofy in this movie, but you know, there there's already talks of a gladiator three.
Speaker 1:So and if, if Ridley has anything to do with it, so you'll, you'll you'll have your chance to catch up on gladiator 2, I'm sure, yeah, in the future. Um, any, any other closing thoughts? Uh, I don't really know what's on our schedule for next week. Uh, I do know we have a pretty fun episode coming up in about two weeks that Alex is spearheading. That will center around the holidays. I don't want to give it away yet, though. So, yeah, are you going to go out and see anything this weekend?
Speaker 2:I really need to see A Real Pain. I know you said you saw it. That's high on my list. It just looks right up my alley. Um, but gosh, I'm trying to think I've I've. So this is my busy time of year where I just need to like, slow it down a little bit and prioritize. You know, you know fun. So a real pain is high on my list and you know I'm still counting down the days till nosferatu. I'm abandoning my family on christmas day and I'm gonna be at that theater.
Speaker 1:You know I'm I'm gonna be ready to go for that yeah, yeah, I made, uh kaylee sell the bed the other day and we've we've bought in coffins and we're just sleeping in coffins until nosferatu comes out I love it the only way to go uh, well, this has been excuse the intermission.
Speaker 1:Thank you so much for listening. Uh, if you want to check out what erica and I, or and alex uh, are watching in between shows, make sure to follow us on letterbox. Uh, you can find excuse the intermission on instagram and until next time, uh, we'll talk to you here on excuse the intermission, where movies still matter. Thank you.
