Excuse the Intermission
Alex and Max take you on a journey through film with this discussion podcast about movies.
Excuse the Intermission
Sinners Review and Farewell to Max
A stunning achievement in genre filmmaking, "Sinners" transports us to the Mississippi Delta of 1932 where twin brothers find themselves caught between supernatural evil and the harsh realities of Jim Crow America. Ryan Coogler's masterful direction elevates what could have been a standard vampire tale into something truly extraordinary – a rich, textured exploration of brotherhood, community, and survival against impossible odds.
Michael B. Jordan delivers what might be his career-best performance, portraying twins Smoke and Stack with such distinct personalities that you'll forget you're watching one actor in dual roles. The brothers return to their hometown with dreams of uplifting their community through music and business, only to face threats both supernatural and all-too-human. When Irish vampire Jack O'Connell arrives with his coven, promising eternal life but demanding blood sacrifice, the brothers must decide what they're willing to sacrifice to protect their people.
Shot on breathtaking 70mm IMAX by cinematographer Autumn Durald Arkapaw (the first woman to use this camera format), every frame feels like a painting that deserves to be studied. The film embraces darkness in ways few mainstream movies dare, creating a visual language that enhances both the horror elements and the historical setting. Ludwig Göransson's blues-infused score weaves throughout, becoming as essential to the storytelling as the dialogue itself.
What makes "Sinners" truly special is how it refuses to be contained by genre expectations. Coogler seamlessly blends horror, drama, action, and even musical elements without ever losing focus on the emotional core of his story. The supporting cast shines throughout – Haley Steinfeld brings fire and strength, newcomer Miles Catton impresses in his debut, and Delroy Lindo delivers gravitas as Delta Slim. Yuami Masuku's portrayal of a hoodoo practitioner adds another layer to this richly textured world.
Don't miss this landmark film that critics are calling the most original and exciting theatrical experience of the year. See it in IMAX if possible – your eyes, ears, and heart will thank you.
welcome back. To excuse the intermission, I'm max fosberg, I'm alex macaulay and I'm erica kraus, and today we are tackling a film that's got the critics buzzing, the box office booming and the vampires drooling. Ryan coogler's Sinners released this past weekend A spoiler-free review after this break. All right, guys, you've let me commandeer the hosting duties today as we sit in the studio, for, uh, white might be a long time here together. Um, we are here to talk about sinners, and uh, how was I wanted to know first? How are both of you sinners?
Speaker 3:doing today. I am still like rocking back and forth in a corner after watching sinners like I. It's like all I've thought about all week, like ever since I've seen it. So I'm just like just in the corner, just like just shaking and you've, only, you've, only, you only have gone once yeah yeah, yeah, I was.
Speaker 1:I was trying to sneak another show in yesterday. Yeah, I've only seen it once. Alex, you've committed the biggest sin of all you have yet to go out no, I'm tired boss you're back. You're back from spring break, though back from spring break.
Speaker 2:The release, I guess, sort of snuck up on me. The two of you were able to see it while I think I was doing like some yard work or something. Over spring break was just like in a groove, didn't want to break momentum. And then you and I were out of town. We were actually in a little harbor town that had a theater that I guess I could have broken away to go see the film.
Speaker 2:However, didn't want to take any extra time away, maybe you and I could have just done that, but then I would have been taking you away from the rest of the group.
Speaker 1:I think all eight of us should have just rolled into town. We probably should have done that.
Speaker 2:We honestly probably should have all gone and seen it. So, yeah, Then there was a short window the other night that was made available to me and just prioritized some sleep if I'm being completely honest. It's the home stretch. We're rounding like the final turn and we're barreling downhill towards summer, though.
Speaker 3:So I'm excited about that.
Speaker 2:But yes, the first couple of days back from spring break have been kicking my butt.
Speaker 1:Well, that's no worries. Hopefully this movie will be in theaters uh, for quite a while um sinners. Uh, came out again on friday. It stars michael b, jordan hayley, steinfeld, delroy lindo, among many other names. Um, it's already pulled in 63 million globally, uh, with an impressive 48 million opening weekend in the States. All of this on a 90 million dollar budget.
Speaker 2:So I read some controversy surrounding the reporting of this film's box office, and I forget who it was that was standing up for its performance, but apparently Ben. Stiller, ben Stiller and someone else yes that's right, thank you.
Speaker 2:Apparently there were some sort of inaccuracies surrounding its reporting and I don't know if that was just an accident and it was Stiller and other folks calling out the different agencies, the new syndicate, saying like hey, do your work. Or if there was actually some sort of like malpractice, some dirty laundry, and maybe Googlers piss off the wrong people, or whatever the case may be, I don't really want to speculate, but there was something attached to the box office reporting of this film.
Speaker 1:I actually I did see this online. There was some sort of headline.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that was like a big yeah yeah, like sinners, does great at the box office with a huge asterisk or something like that. But I mean, if you look at, if you look at the numbers at box office, mojo, which is where we get the numbers from, this movie has done, uh, even a little better than the last true original film that I think was on a $90 million budget and also had something around in the 40s for opening weekend, which was Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. So, yeah, I don't know People are going to be people. So, yeah, I don't know People are going to be people. But I think it should be celebrated that and noted that original stories, genre pictures, you know, people show up, people will show up. And I also think Coogler, you know, has now entered the stratosphere as, like a event director. It seems like people know who Ryan Coogler is and are down to go to his movies.
Speaker 1:Right which is really exciting because he's fucking. I think he's like 32 or something like that.
Speaker 2:Okay. So here's the story. The $48 million domestic opening is the highest for an original movie this decade. Yeah, in the 2020s, however, not however. But then I guess those who are against ryan coogler, perhaps even the fact that this is a black led cast, whatever the case may be are saying that this is from puck news, that warner brothers actually projects a break-even point of 170 million dollars, which is accounting for just ancillary revenue and all these different things, promotion, um, whatever the case may be. So they're really trying to say like, yes, it made 48 million in the states and then worldwide even more, getting it closer to that break-even point of like a 90 million dollar budget, but they're saying, actually, 170 is what it's going to have to reach, which let's just celebrate the good.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and every movie has a marketing budget after the actual budget, which?
Speaker 2:is always near like another 100 million dollars, basically. So why we're choosing to highlight this now is probably where the outrage comes from, and good on people like ben stiller and and those, um you know, in the entertainment industry that have come to sinners.
Speaker 1:That's an odd move by warner brothers too, because guess what?
Speaker 1:you have a fucking hit on your hands for the first time in a long time and I know there's been some controversy over what Coogler was able to negotiate out of this deal with Warner Brothers. He's got first dollar on every ticket sale goes to Ryan Coogler, and then the rights to this story, this movie, this property, revert back to Ryan Coogler in 25 years, which, again, I think the last filmmaker to get this kind of deal was Tarantino, for once upon a time in Hollywood uh, over there at, do you do that universal or paramount? One of those, um, but yeah, so like, and I know a lot of studio execs are like freaking out because of this deal. But you know, I think it's a great thing to celebrate. I think Coogler deserves it and it's very smart and like he wrote a script he said here are the terms. No one had to pick it up.
Speaker 2:Agreed to those right.
Speaker 1:So like for Warner to then like kind of like release this oh, it's actually 170, that's fucking.
Speaker 2:That's some more shit it just feels super petty and it's. It's really unfortunate because it's not. Like you know, musicians, I know, go through this a ton with record labels, directors with films, with with the studios, go through this a bunch. Okay, boohoo you, you have it for 25 years, warner brothers, do what you want with it and then give the artist the freedom that they deserve to still own and distribute and add on to or change or do whatever they want to with the property.
Speaker 2:It's like you wouldn't tell a painter, after they've submitted something to your gallery, that like you can't put this anywhere else now you know, like there's I'm sure there's different things in the art world and things that we don't understand fully, but, like, let the artists be in control of their own work.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, I think. I think it's something that's that's really important. And you know, yes, it's going to disrupt what is known as the studio system, but we need some disruption right now and if it gets us more original, you know, new voice filmmakers then I'm all for it.
Speaker 2:Warner Brothers, taking the stance that they have taken would then lead not only them but other major studios to be hesitant in greenlighting original stories because they don't want to go through something like this again or give a filmmaker as much control as Coogler's been able to negotiate for himself.
Speaker 1:Well, I think the deal there is like, say, warner Brothers and no other studio had picked up Sinners. I think Coogler still somehow gets this made right. I think it's important to note that Coogler is again. He is part of this group that is going to be making movies for the next 50 years and he's honestly done the studio dance.
Speaker 1:he's done that for the last decade totally, which leads right into my next question, like what? What is your guys's relationship with kugler? Uh, because yeah, he was an indie darling with fruitville station, which I watched for the first time this week and I can't believe I had never seen that before. Then he jumps right into creed, uh, which is a big franchise IP, and then jumps right into black Panther.
Speaker 2:And then sequels to both those films sequels about those films.
Speaker 1:I don't think he did Creed two, but he did do Wakanda forever.
Speaker 2:He's still a producer on the Creed properties, yeah.
Speaker 1:So, yeah, what? What is your? What is your relationship to his work?
Speaker 3:I've seen. Yeah, I'd seen all of those movies. I haven't seen wakanda forever but, um, I don't know, I never really thought anything of it. To be totally honest, um, I mean, I do remember when creed came out and I enjoyed the movie um the girl, the main girl in that, tessa Thompson.
Speaker 2:I think is her name.
Speaker 3:She actually was a. She used to come into my work all the time when I lived in LA and around that time when that movie was coming out, I believe, and I think that's why I went and saw it and I was like this isn't really my thing, but I was excited to go see it and actually really liked it. I had seen fruitvale station once before. It's. It's obviously such an amazing and important movie. It's really a little heavy for me and I I did try to re-watch it actually yesterday and I just didn't have it in me to watch it like after. I mean, that sounds so and not to say that I like don't care about that, but I think just coming off of like the high from sinners, I was like it was hard to like put that, like to kind of go to that, even though it's a tough film, even though it shows you exactly what's going to happen, Like right in the beginning, which is very like stark and you know.
Speaker 1:but again I think a great move to be like this is going to be really rough.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Uh, and then to to live through that day with that character, only to know, like I know, how this is going to end. Really, really crazy and sad.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think that he's a filmmaker that I I don't know what, what, that he's a filmmaker that I I don't know what, what is his, what's his fastball? Yet, um, because it it would have been real easy coming off a fruitville station to say that, okay, here, not only because of, like, the southern california, los angeles connection, but you know, he finds not. He doesn't really find michael b jordan. Shout out Friday Night Lights, the television show. But, like you know, he gets Michael B.
Speaker 3:Jordan.
Speaker 2:Sure, michael B Jordan, hardball, yeah, but you know he gets this like director combo. And so you could almost say like, okay, here is the next, like John Singleton and Lawrence Fishburne team up or whatever and these guys are going to make movies together. And then he goes into, you know, stays with Michael B Jordan, but then goes into the franchise IP universe in two different fashions, you know one grounded in reality with Rocky, the other with Marvel, and to varying degrees of success. I would say you know the first, black Panther we've talked about it a ton on this show Best Picture nominated like a really really good superhero movie. And then Creed, one of the better sports movies of the 20, really the 21st century. I would say Especially that first one, yeah, and really brought life back into the Rocky franchise. And really brought life back into the Rocky franchise.
Speaker 2:It's different, though, because I'm like are we not seeing what you are best at? Is it these independent art house type of films? Is this what you really want to make? And now it's like do you really want to make genre pictures? And what are you best at? Thankfully, as you mentioned, still a very young director who hopefully gets many more chances wherever he wants to make movies. So the verdict is certainly not out on quality. We know he's an extremely talented filmmaker who has produced every single time. And now this isn't to say that everyone needs to be a John Carpenter and only stick to one genre, or everybody needs to be like a David Fincher or Quentin Tarantino and kind of do everything while still maybe only making films for adults. Could Ryan Coogler make a Pixar movie next? Sure, we don't know. Yet we don't know what's all in his bag.
Speaker 1:So, um, I'd say that's where the verdict for me is still out on him as far as, like having a relationship like I'm just not quite sure what kind of filmmaker he is, yet, aside from really talented, yeah, he's extremely talented and, you know, I do think, uh, even going back to fruitville I, I think all five of his films do he does always kind of tell a story about, about race, about generational, um, you know, oppression. Uh, even in and and especially in this new film, sinners, like there is a a uh a celebration of of of this black film. Right, it is a black film, it is about black people and black culture. And even going back to fruitville, I, I think that is kind of like his foundation, because he does it in creed as well, uh, where you know you're, you're taking the, the son of the only black character in that series, uh, and and making him the new champion, does it in the Panther movies, obviously, black Panther, wakanda, that whole, you know, that culture and part of that world is highlighted in the lore and the colors and the costumes.
Speaker 1:And then in Sinners too, like this is based 1932 in the deep south Delta, mississippi, jim Crow South, and it's about two brothers that come back to their hometown and are trying to give back to their community or trying to lift up their community. They're twins, so there like duality in them. But then there's also this duality because vampires show up, but also, like ku klux klan show up, right, like so, like there's there's there's a lot of uh, uh, deeper themes, I think, going throughout uh, all of his films, um, which is really important, and again, kind of when you're talking about fastball. Like he, especially with sinners, he does such a good job of mixing perfectly, blending genre and prestige. Right, he is able to do this by making it a straight up, like crazy vampire movie that doesn't have to explain vampires, like it just automatically expects you to know the rules of vampires, which I really, really loved because he respects the audience.
Speaker 1:But once the vampires show up, like it it goes full vampire mode. Up until then, though, like it's again, it's about this community, it's about the blues, it's about, you know, the Jim Crow South, like it's just such a great blend. I felt coming out of the theater and it is. It is comic booky in some ways, but it is also fruitville station in some ways yeah, I, yeah, I mean, you said it best.
Speaker 3:I think that the vampire stuff, like you said, fit in really well with everything and um, I like what you said about how like the rules of the vampires, um, like they don't hold your hand through that and I I noticed that's a thing because like I love vampire like genre movies and I I always get really excited when they'll make those subtle like a rule mention. You know how like vampires have to be invited in to whatever establishment or home or something. They can't just walk through a doorway. I love that because it's like, unless you know what you already know, those established rules, you would be kind of like why can't they come in? You?
Speaker 3:know what I mean, Like he's just not hand-holding, but I thought all of that fit in really well. Just it all blended together and I thought the movie was absolutely stunning. I want to talk a little bit about, like, how it was filmed, because I think that's a really unique part of the movie is that it's filmed on 70 millimeter for IMAX. And I think what I was reading is that that's kind of a rare film format. Is that right or maybe not?
Speaker 1:I mean it's becoming more and more popular.
Speaker 1:I think Oppenheimer and Nope was were some of the first films to really do this. Of course, hoyt is dp on both of those this film actually, and I I need to pull up her name it's the first woman ever to shoot on an imax 70 millimeter camera, which is also really, really great. Kugler also had a great quote this weekend. Um, that's been making the rounds. You know where he was. Just like, women are better at filmmaking than men. They are more complex, they are more organized, they are more um, uh, they're more structured like they are better I which was a kind of a cool quote autumn derald our um, our carpa.
Speaker 2:Yeah, is her last name or is her full name?
Speaker 3:yeah, yeah I feel like I, I actually could really see, I, I can understand that, because I feel like, also, you know to be a really great cinematographer and you know photographer, you have to have a like a really detailed eye, um, for like aesthetic and it's something. It's the one of the first things I noticed in film. Um, it's something that is a huge hobby of my own, um, and I I I mean I've never really, I guess, really thought about that, but I mean it doesn't. That fact doesn't surprise me, but, um, yeah, I think women do have a an eye for, for detail and natural beauty yeah some of the shots in this film are just, I mean just I, I don't know, left me speechless.
Speaker 3:I, I really. This is one of my favorite movies I have seen in a really long time I've.
Speaker 1:I felt watching it kind of the same way I felt when I saw Nosferatu, where, again, like Kugler is just not afraid of darkness you know so many mainstream movies today is a very they're very flat lighting. This has such richness to it. He's shooting a lot with natural light. They're on location obviously. Like it's not we're not in a fucking green screen room in a studio in the back lot, like we are out somewhere in a farmland and so like when you, you know, put that together with you know the IMAX format. He also, I believe I read that you know, put that together with you know the IMAX format. He also, I believe I read that you know they were using the lenses that shot stuff like Ben Hur back in like the 50s and 60s. You know, again, like you, just you get a better quality and also like it's on film, which again you can, you can taste the, the photography that you're looking at when you're watching film. There is such a difference from digital and physical. But yeah, it's beautifully shot.
Speaker 1:Ludwig Gorenson is the composer Once again. Does he have the belt?
Speaker 2:he taken it from hans like no, I he this top five right now because you got trent natticus still.
Speaker 1:Trent natticus are still out there as well and and you know he does something in this that I feel like trent natticus are so good at that they, when they do a film, they like pick kind of a genre and really stick to it and and and kind of build from within out. Uh, for the score and like the. This movie is also really honestly about the blues. Um, and the score, the music, the soundscape that is created in here is fucking awesome. Uh, it is so good and I'm a bit of a blues head like I. I really really love that kind of music and so like it would.
Speaker 1:It was a little bit like catnip to me, but I think anyone could can really really appreciate what ludwig is doing. Yeah, uh, what about the performances? Uh, erica michael b jordan has now done every one of coogler's films. He's also shown up and I mean he's been a movie star now since he was you know, 15, 14. Um, I do feel like when, when you get characters, or when you get characters, or when you get actors who are going to play twins it's the same actor, two different characters it can be very. It's a little nerve-wracking going into it. Is it going to work? Is he going to be able to play off himself and be able to make that believable. Whatever they did and granted again a little comic booky right. One is like, in all blue stuff one's all in all red stuff, right, that'sa little. That was a little at first I was like, oh, that's a little cheesy.
Speaker 3:But what do you mean by that?
Speaker 1:like, well, like smoke, smoke has, like the blue hat and like the blue suit stacks, got the red yeah, okay, flat brim hat with like red highlights on his suit and I was a little worried that that. At first I was like that that's a little cheesy, but I I found that it might be some of michael b jordan's like best work, like the way, and he almost plays against type of what you would expect because you think one's like a crazy hothead, one's more of a calm, collective one person.
Speaker 1:Whereas I believe Smoke is the more hothead one, but then also like the very stoic and in control one, yeah, and stack is like he's not so much a hothead but he's a little bit more of a wild card, but like more community based and like friendly almost. Uh and wild Um, and I thought whenever they trick photography, they did to to stitch it together.
Speaker 3:I thought it worked beautifully there was a couple shots of them standing like directly next to each other in the very beginning, and I remember looking at you and just being like how are they doing this? Like it looks so real and it nothing. I mean just throwing like, just saying like I don't have a single critique about this movie. There's not a single thing, I mean seriously like there's not one single thing I would change about it. There's not anything that I'm like, like I just I have zero notes.
Speaker 3:So I think that michael b jordan did an incredible job playing these twins, because, you're right, it wasn't like there wasn't this like obvious, like yin and yang thing, happening that, like a lot of, I think, writers make twins be like they're, you know, like these polar opposite characters, and it's like no, they're actually really know like these polar opposite characters and it's like no, they're actually really similar and there's differences, like very obvious differences, in both of them, but they're both very similar in their personalities and they balance each other pretty well. But it's there, you can. I mean they're twins pretty well, but it's there, you can. I mean they're twins, like they're very it was very believable that they're, that they were watching two actual twins on screen. Like I thought that he was amazing.
Speaker 3:I've never been like not that I've disliked him ever, but he's just not ever been an actor who's really like I've paid much attention to. To be totally honest, yeah, he has my full attention after this movie. I mean, like, seriously, I thought that he was just so much fun. Um, and then the supporting cast was an absolute blast. I thought hayley steinfeld was amazing. Um, I thought the kid who played Sammy was just unbelievable.
Speaker 1:Introducing Miles Catton.
Speaker 3:Yes.
Speaker 1:First time acting.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Which is incredible.
Speaker 3:Yeah, he was amazing.
Speaker 1:Such a voice too, yeah.
Speaker 3:His voice was insane.
Speaker 1:A booming voice yeah.
Speaker 3:I thought everybody, everyone had such great chemistry. Um, I think that you could tell they all just had a really great time.
Speaker 1:I thought jack o'connell was amazing, um I had no idea who that guy was either and like again, like coming in and throwing a hundred as the villain of this film. Um, really, really amazing.
Speaker 3:I thought he was. I was really excited to see him in this. I've only seen him in a couple things and he is a British actor and, yeah, I mean he really. If he's been in anything like pretty mainstream I would not know what he's been in, but I thought that he really came out swinging with this movie.
Speaker 1:And you know what he does so well in this, which I think is key to when you're playing a villain. He's frightening, right, when he wants to be, but he is extremely charming. Yeah, and he wants to be, but he is extremely charming. Yeah, you know, he is a Irish vampire who has probably lived for a very long time and I love how he just he busts through the doors Like he just busts into this movie, right, you don't get him until a good portion into the movie and I almost kind of forgot like there were vampires.
Speaker 1:I was really into what was going on before all that. But then he comes in and like a dark storm cloud, dark storm cloud comes over this, this area in the, in the delta, and he's charming and he also kind of has a point as a vampire, like what he lays out as his offer to these people like we can live, you know, if you join this coven, we can live in harmony as one, as one mind, as one heart. All the pain you feel I feel. All the pain I feel you feel.
Speaker 3:And I can save you from what's to come Right and we will live forever, and we will just dance to Irish folk music out in the field.
Speaker 2:I take that deal.
Speaker 1:Seriously, they're having a good time as vampires, um and and you know, and he also kind of lays out like I don't want to get into spoilers, but like, yeah, he's like, you guys are fucked either whether you fight me or not and doesn't well shoot.
Speaker 3:That is. There's a spoiler. I was going to almost set it, but there is something that's mentioned, kind of alluding towards like understanding the future a little bit from one of the characters, and so, yeah, I I think that the whole presentation of the vampires was amazing. You know, sometimes the vampire genre can be really hit or miss. It can be really tastefully done, but then sometimes it can just feel way too cheesy and just almost like just too gimmicky. This was a perfect blend of both, in my opinion.
Speaker 3:Like I thought it was so fun but it wasn't like nosferatu kind of, you know stuff like that, but this was still like bloody vampires, like messy you know, and that was the best part of that whole thing to me, um, and then, yeah, I mean, vampires are notoriously like super charming, like that's kind of what their whole thing is and it's very true um, and he just really embodied the whole persona well and um, he made it look like a damn good time out in that field with everybody.
Speaker 1:I also want to shout out Yuami Masuku, masuku, yuami Masuku I believe that's how you say her name who played Annie.
Speaker 1:Oh, I loved Annie she was fantastic and again, I think it's so smart of Ryan because she's got like a witchy vibe to her and then we've got vampires. We have maybe, you know, there's a that music element that maybe you could say is a siren and, like you know, I believe that that there are probably witches and sirens in this world where there are vampires and but again, like it's, it's not something that's ever like exposition dumped or anything like. It's just like there are vampires. So there are probably other other things going on here and I really, really love that. It's just great world building.
Speaker 3:Yeah, they really touch on, really love that. It's just great world building. Yeah, they really touch on. I mean a lot of you know hoodoo practice in the south is very historical down there and very respected in that culture I mean they, you know they take that stuff really seriously and I loved that he threw in, you know, a character that does practice a little bit of you hoodoo. It just speaks on. It just really like adds so much more depth to the culture and the vibe that he was really portraying in this community.
Speaker 3:It was amazing.
Speaker 1:Yeah, delroy Lindo is excellent as his name Slim something.
Speaker 3:Was he the older Delta Slim?
Speaker 1:Delta Slim. It's right here in front of me.
Speaker 3:I was just looking for his name too on here, because he was one of my favorites.
Speaker 1:Yeah, delta Slim, he's fantastic. Omar Benson Miller as Cornbread.
Speaker 3:Yep.
Speaker 1:Fantastic character actor, kind of a hoot. Uh, that guy, you know, he shows up, he's in a lot of spike lee movies. Um, I, I know he was like I I can't remember if it was remember the titans, or um, oh, what's that rock movie? That's a football movie uh, grid iron gang grid iron gain, I think he might be, or coach carter or something like that I had to re-watch shall we dance?
Speaker 3:the other day because he's in that movie and he's so cute. He's so sweet.
Speaker 1:I love that movie and then uh and then. Yeah, you already mentioned her, but my girl, hayley steinfeld, is out of control in this movie she had max sweaty I took my hat off and clutched my pearls at least four times.
Speaker 1:I can attest to that I almost had to move down a seat away from Erica to have a quiet moment by myself. Haley Steinfeld is cooking in this, and there's especially one scene that, my goodness she was spitting fire. It's spitting fire for sure. Um, yeah, everyone is is just a lot of fun, and I think that's again. Another thing that you can really tell is like everyone probably had a blast making this and it shows it shows on the screen.
Speaker 1:They're having fun. You're having fun watching it. Um, it's by far, I think, my favorite movie of the year. Um, and I I don't know it's gonna be. It's such a thrill ride, but then also, at the same time, just like a beautiful story that will tug at your heartstrings.
Speaker 3:Yeah, it was like. I think it really has something for everybody it's. It's fun, it is. You know, there's a lot of like beautiful history in it. It's technically just an absolute treat. You know, there's it, it, it, it, it, it, it, it it it Mm. Hmm, I just didn't expect it to be what it is Like. It really has that element of being a big blockbuster, like fun, like action, like vampire movie, but it's so, so much more than that.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean, you can watch it as an action movie, a horror movie, a musical.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:It's genre-bending in many ways.
Speaker 3:The first horror movie to get an, an, a score right on cinema something.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and I don't know I it. You know, I don't know I. I just said it's genre bending, I think it's. It's less horror than than anything yeah, uh it's probably just more action, um, but yeah, man, I guess it's just genre film. It's really good and there's, there's I mean there's been comparisons to like Dust Till Dawn, right, like when you think of vampire movies, john Carpenter's vampires, of course, near dark there's, you know, definitely some shout outs to that.
Speaker 3:But my guy Coogler- he said that Dusk Till Dawn was his main inspiration for this movie.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I mean it takes a lot from that film as far as structure, but my guy Kugler put in just a fantastic homage to the thing in this film that just had me giddy, which I really, really loved. Yeah, I don't really want to speak more about it.
Speaker 2:You guys have done a great job hyping it up and for anyone else out there who hasn't seen it, hopefully they're intrigued.
Speaker 1:I hope we didn't hype it up too much, because a lot of people are very excited about this film and I think it's again. I think it's an important movie right now to show that you know original stories are. You know, it might not be the best movie ever, but like and there are. It's not perfect, I don't know. I don't know, I don't think it's perfect, but it is incredibly enjoyable. And yeah, Alex, I hope you really enjoy it. And again, I hope you don't go in too hyped.
Speaker 3:And again, I hope you don't go in too hyped, yeah, and if you do have, you know, if anyone who hasn't seen it, you get the opportunity to see it on IMAX. That is how it was shot. It's meant for IMAX. I cannot recommend it enough. I usually try to. I tend to stay away from IMAX just because it's like more expensive to go see that and sometimes I'm like, is it necessary? I I highly recommend IMAX, just for the sound alone. The sound design is amazing in this movie, but also just visually I can't recommend it enough.
Speaker 1:So yeah, and it also had me again thinking about Kugler and his, his career, and like he is in the generation of Ari Aster, Robert Eckers, Jordan Peele, Greta Gerwig, Greta Gerwig these are again like the filmmakers of tomorrow and maybe today. Right Like they are, they are kind of the the up and-coming masters, I feel like, and so it's just so exciting. It's so exciting, I feel like we're in really good hands with and Alex Garland right, we were kind of talking about him last week. He's, I believe, also kind of in this generation. So, yeah, it was an exciting time at the theater.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Anything else you want to talk about with Sinners, go out and see it.
Speaker 3:Yeah, go out and see it. You know, just emphasizing the importance of, you know, original stories, go, you know, give movies a chance. I don't know.
Speaker 2:Well, and it's been such a understated year. So far, so like if you've been waiting for a good date night movie, if you've been waiting to go out and see something exciting, that's buzzworthy, that has good word of mouth like this is this is what you've been waiting for, then yeah, this movie is kind of one of those things like I've.
Speaker 3:you know, I I posted a instagram story after we saw it and I had several people reach out and like, oh man, I was curious about this, like what do you think? And I was like just go see it. And they you know, these friends of mine texted me after and people like I always kind of know that a movie is has good, good legs on. It is when my dad will tell me like I really want to see that movie and I'm like yes we made it all the way.
Speaker 2:We're going to get Kevin at the movies.
Speaker 1:Yeah, the Kevo meter. Yeah, I love it, I love it. Uh, a couple programming notes. Yeah, some housekeeping here. Um, this is, uh, our last show I think I said this at the top here last show in person, in studio at least, for you know, I think uh, maybe six months or so um, I mean when you're back in town, when I'm back in town, I would, I would love yeah, we'll definitely jump on the mics, but it's happening.
Speaker 1:I am officially. You'll be listening to this listeners on Thursday, so I am packing my last box and taking off six days from now and yeah, we are heading south, we're going to LA. I'm going to be in the thick of it. I can't wait. What did I just see today? I think a friend of, or one of our filmmakers from Gig Harbor Film Festival, izzy Lee. Did we ever talk to Izzy?
Speaker 2:Lee, we did talk to Izzy yeah.
Speaker 1:Izzy, I just saw that she is going to be showing her feature film that she made.
Speaker 2:Izzy's the director of Meat Friend right.
Speaker 3:Meat Friend yeah.
Speaker 1:House of Ashes is going to be doing its West Coast premiere at the Los Feliz 3, which is about fucking 20 minutes away from me walking. So I'm very excited I'm going to be down there for that. I'm going to be right next to the Vista. I'm going to be in East Hollywood. I'm ready, I'm so excited to be down in LA. I'm bittersweet, of course, to leave the beloved Pacific Northwest, but I cannot wait.
Speaker 2:I can't wait to get down there and get in it positive sentiment and and joy that everyone feels, because we know how important this work has become to you. I mean, I guess it hasn't been, it hasn't become work yet. It's about to.
Speaker 2:it's about to really become work but, but how passionate you are about, you know, not only just taking your love of movies and now turning it into something that you want to pursue as a career. So we could not be I mean, I'll let Erica do her thing here in a minute, since she has the mic in front of her and opportunity. But, like, speaking for myself and our friend group, we just got to celebrate you this past weekend and we didn't turn it into a big thing. You know, like you will have your opportunity to have kind of the heart to hearts with everybody in your life if you haven't already um from up here. But like I think I speak for a lot of us when I'm like we are so excited and can't wait to see what the next chapter has in store for you I couldn't have said it any better.
Speaker 3:I mean, honestly, I you, reconnecting with you this past couple of years has just been really nice to see and I'm going to cry. I'm really happy for you. You know, I know how much this means to you and I'm just excited to see what you'll do. Because, I said it last year, I said I was like you know, when you went to that little the, your first film festival down in LA, I'm like this is the first of many to come.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I hope so. I'm extremely lucky and privileged to have this opportunity and I've worked very hard for it, and I can't wait to continue to work very hard because it's going to be hard work. But also.
Speaker 2:it'll be really. It will be really cool, I think, to see just how far the connections in the people who you've worked with up here in the Pacific Northwest take you down there, because I think that's something that you feel but you won't be able to really measure until you're down there, and I feel like it's going to be very noticeable.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah and yeah and just excited. Like you know, I have a little we, we, we have a little bit of a community down there right, Like and right. Um, it's just going to be really cool to be, to be on the ground.
Speaker 1:You know I'm going to be your guys' on the ground reporter absolutely from la we're still gonna do the show I'm gonna take the next two weeks off right, uh, as I, as I make my way down there and get settled, um, but then we will be switching the show over to virtual, um, so we'll be, uh, doing it virtually, but that means, you know, uh, we will probably be posting video to youtube yeah, major video component.
Speaker 1:Yeah, so we're going to get that all set up and make sure we blast that out to all of our listeners and I think, a natural progression right, all podcasts seem to be going towards a video component. I think it will be great to add that to the ETI brand and start this new chapter of ETI. And yeah, thank you to you both for you know, you guys have been such a great support system throughout this school journey first, and now this new chapter of of moving away and and uh and again, just like, just like going for it down there in la um I, I and hopefully you know, I fucking, you know, meet someone, meet people that are in the industry, and we can have more guests on. I think that would be really exciting I can't wait to have Martin Scorsese.
Speaker 1:I can't wait to hang out with Uncle Marty too. Now he's in New York. I can't wait to hang out with Uncle Stephen.
Speaker 2:Sean Baker.
Speaker 1:Sean Baker, yeah, man, ryan Coogler Sure.
Speaker 2:A lot of California people yeah. It's very exciting times in the Fosberg household, so well, and that's the other thing too, like the best of luck. I know that a lot of what Kaylee does she can take with her it's remote, but for both of you, this isn't just a you thing.
Speaker 2:I want to celebrate both of you going down there and becoming this. You know, I asked you and her a question at the friends and family screening um of your capstone film and you know I said but this partnership, as well as creators, I think will be really, it's really exciting for both of you. Yeah, it is.
Speaker 1:And I can ask for a better partner to go down there with, professionally and personally. We love you, kaylee, kaylee, yeah for sure, and uh, yeah, so so you guys, what are you guys doing next week?
Speaker 2:well, erica is. I'm gonna watch some tv for erica, um, and now maybe, maybe I ask her for um an extra week off to get caught up on all of this television and then we come back we come back in two weeks with, you know, a big TV episode, because I know that the Last of Us she's itching to talk about that, you both and many other people have told me that I need to watch the studio white lotus just ended.
Speaker 2:There's we could, you know, circle back to that, I suppose. But there's a lot going on out there, um, and in television, and so perhaps we do that. Um, I'm also going to like, for those listeners that have been in studio with us, we get to do, I. There's nothing I love more than some redecorating, some rearranging and so the studio will get a facelift over the next week or so as I prepare for a virtual setup.
Speaker 2:Um, probably bring in a new desk work on some different things. There's no need to have seating for five in here anymore with all these arms and all these, um, you know, mic cables and everything like that. Everywhere, erica will take her stuff with you. You will, or with her, you obviously take your stuff with you. So, looking forward to to redecorate in the studio a little bit like it's it is, and it's an exciting new chapter here for for the pod for sure, yeah, um, but yeah, I'm, I'm open to anything these next couple of weeks, erica.
Speaker 1:I hear there's a really good Jon Hamm show on Apple TV. I was just about to say yeah, friends and Neighbors, friends and Neighbors.
Speaker 3:Obsessed with that too Apple TV has-.
Speaker 2:You're watching. You're watching. Oh I'm You're seated, I'm locked in.
Speaker 3:Okay, okay, apple tv has an actual chokehold on me right now I just down, I just signed up for it, like you know, finally after years, and I just started watching dope thief on there. I don't know how new that is. That's a limited series. Um, that's a fun one as well. Um, yeah, I mean, I, I know I love obviously talking about movies, but film or tv has just been tv's on fire this year, killing it, and I'll get back to you with my sinners review okay, yeah, yeah, yeah, I can't wait.
Speaker 1:You know, honestly, you know, you told, told us when we showed up to the studio today that you hadn't seen it. But literally for the past two days I I've just been refreshing.
Speaker 2:I was. I was so close, I was so close.
Speaker 3:We're doing the same thing today I was like I don't want to see what he says.
Speaker 2:I can't wait to know what he thinks I was so close, like box office close, and then was just like can't do it, got to got to drive home. So yeah, it's next. It's next on the list though.
Speaker 1:Until next time, make sure to follow. Excuse the Intermission on Instagram and Facebook and the three of us on Letterboxd to see what we're watching in between shows. This has been. Excuse the Intermission where movies still matter. Thank you.
