Words from the Nerds Podcast
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Words from the Nerds Podcast
Backrooms Was... Overrated?? | WFTN #142
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We got a HUGEEEE episode today. Backrooms, Spidernoir, Some big updates on our box office and rotten tomatoes draft, and much more... Let us know what you think about our takes, and if you disagree please feel free to combat us down below.
Time Codes
0:00 Intro/Comments
6:30 Charleys State Of Play Thoughts
21:20 Comments
24:50 Box Office Draft Updates
53:15 Ben Debrief Mandalorian and The Boys Finale
1:19:20 Rotten Tomatoes Draft Updates
1:33:22 Ben Has Watched AOT Finally
1:59:20 Spidernoir Review
2:23:35 Backrooms Review
3:14:30 Outro
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@aidenhtalks
@itscubson
@benjimovies
Welcome, welcome everybody. Wait, what? Wait, are we serious? I said I was joking.
SPEAKER_06This is great.
SPEAKER_02I said I was joking.
SPEAKER_03I said I was joking, bro.
SPEAKER_06I didn't hear you say you were joking. Yeah, please, please. Go ahead.
SPEAKER_04Go ahead. I heard you say take the reins. I heard you say take the reins. I didn't hear anything else. Oh my god. I was confused. I thought you were trolling me for a second. Go ahead. Please go in.
SPEAKER_03To the words from the nerds podcast. Of course, as you can all tell by now, we have our uh regular Joe Schmoe, fucking Indiana living boy. Fucking Benjamin's back. Holy ducks. No, he's not. I figured that was okay to say because that's not actually where he lives. But anyway, uh he's back. Welcome back, Benjamin. Uh sorry about his sabbatical last week, everyone. But in case any of you are itching, absolutely gnawing to see or hear what he he thought about uh both Mando and Grogu and what was the other thing last week?
SPEAKER_05Boys finale.
SPEAKER_03The boys' finale, yes. Boys series finale. He will give uh his little thoughts on those in just a moment. But of course, this is the words from the nerds podcast. Uh, and if you haven't been here before, we give you all of our nerdy news, all of your new nerdy news, and all of our nerdy opinions and discussions and anything else under the nerdy sun. Um, I'm joined today, of course, by uh not only Benjamin who's back, but also uh Aiden, who is sucking on his fingers, a little weirdo. Um, but my floss. Uh gentlemen, I want to do a quick little check-in with you while I pull up the comments. Quick little. I'm talking quick. And I'm talking like this because uh our buddy Memish could not join us today. Uh because he doesn't check his damn phone. Motherfucker. Anyway, I'm just kidding, Mimish. Love you. But uh Aiden, what's up, man? Uh, how was the trip? Fill us in.
SPEAKER_07It was good, man. Um one year down, and I think I'm doing okay so far. So it's nice. Uh it was fun. It was nice to just get away and relax for a little bit, just kind of hang out with the wife. So um, but because we YouTube you were literally trying to ride our wave, Charlie. Yeah, honestly. Uh we we we were we were doing it before it was cool. Um yeah, it's it was it was fun, it was nice. Um, but I mean we were having so much fun and falling asleep early every night. Uh, I kind of prepared for hey, there might be a night where she falls asleep before me, and I'll get to sneak in some noir. And every single time that we were laid our head, we went straight to sleep. Yeah, so uh didn't get to fit any of that in. Um, I mean, it's for all the right reasons. We were having a bunch of fun. So didn't really get to a lot, but it was fun, man. Yeah, I had a I had a good time. Um yeah, I can't complain. It was it was nice. Uh Fayetteville, Arkansas is just absolutely gorgeous. So it was it was pretty awesome. What is it called? Fayetteville, Arkansas. Oh, okay. Um, I will say she did try to get me to watch some show, and uh Charlie, I mean, I I feel like this would be something that you'd watch. Uh We Were Liars never heard of that on Amazon Prime, okay. Um I forget the actor's name. He's playing uh I think it's Hamich in the new Hunger Games. So she every time she sees the trailer, she's like, I think you'd really like his acting. You could watch it before the Hunger Games movie, just trying to do anything to get me to watch it. And I'm like, so I watched the first episode of that and I was like, I'd rather watch YouTube, honestly. If we're not if we're like in the hot tub or laying laying down at night, I'd rather watch YouTube, I think. So we'll see. I'll I'll probably finish it just so that you know I can I can watch it. But other than that, unfortunately, that's the only thing I watched this week. Very unfortunate that that's the only thing I watched this week. Um, yeah, it was fun. It was it was nice.
SPEAKER_03Benji, how are you, little sickerson?
SPEAKER_04Yeah, I'm a little sick. Uh gonna try to mute up if I ever have to clear my throat. Just a sore throat. I don't feel that bad, but I also had a good weekend, little weekend trip over to Indiana to hang out with some friends, which is always fun. Um and yeah, I watched Backrooms. I re-watched Obsession actually last week because I had some friends who caught the social media wave and wanted to go and check it out. And so I thought about that. I thought about telling them no, but you know, it was it was it was worth it to go see it with people who were kind of hitting the social media hype wave, and I was okay checking it out a second time, and I actually think that seeing it a second time once you know what to expect makes parts of the movies movie like a lot more just devastating. Like, I don't especially teeing up towards the ending and like you know where things lead, and it just it's a crazy level of despair. Um and I really I was thinking about it as the movie was going on. I was like, this is like never a happy movie, like ever. It's it's such a it's just such a mean movie the whole time, but it was very, very good, definitely solidified itself uh as like an eight and a half. Um thought about even boosting it up uh up to a nine. So I I really enjoyed it and was happy to check it out a second time. Uh and of course watched Backroom Spider-Noir and then uh other stuff that we'll we'll get into here soon. But nothing sure, nothing out of out of the ordinary from the release schedule that I've been following.
SPEAKER_03Sure. Uh as for me, you know, I'm great. Uh stay to play just happened. Today's a big week. Oh, yes.
SPEAKER_07I I was gonna actually ask you to go through that. Uh oh really, okay a little bit. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_03I mean, yeah, like your thoughts or like what they announced, things like that. Uh mixture of thoughts here, and I'm sure Brandon would want to hear a little bit of this too, uh, when he uh if he if he watches this episode. But um I think it was really good uh for a state of play. As far as like other state of plays go relative to this one, I think it was really, really good. I do think that they went a little overboard with the hyping it up uh aspect, and Sony doesn't usually do that. You they're usually pretty good about it, but like this one they announced two weeks in advance, they don't normally do that. Uh, and they also encouraged people to go watch it at Alamo draft houses across the country. And for it was free tickets though, free admission. Uh, but apparently I there's some reports from people who went to the draft houses that the that they set up cameras to get like reactions or something. I don't know how true that is. But then they did like a countdown for it on their website, which is also rare that they do that. I don't think it was big enough to warrant that. And I feel like it was only for one reaction, a reaction of one game in specific, that they wanted like reactions to or wanted a lot of people to see, and it was the very end, it's a new God of War game. God of War adjacent. Actually, I won't even say it's adjacent, it's it's it's the same thing, but you're playing as a different character. You're playing as as his wife, Faye, uh, which it actually looks phenomenal. I think it looks great. I'm very excited for it. I love the God of War games. But uh other than that, I think I I do think it it was a great showing. Obviously, Wolverine opened it, it was 10 minutes, like 10 minutes worth of Wolverine gameplay. Really, really good. I think it looks great. I already I'm gonna call out soups, not that he's ever gonna see this, but like he is never beating, he's never beating like just comic-brained allegations, bro. There's like a quick montage at the very end of it of Wolverine like fighting a bunch of different random people, and there's this guy that I would describe as looking like honestly. If I had to choose one other Marvel thing he looked like, he looks like he's part of the hand clan, like he looks like a hand ninja.
SPEAKER_02Supes said, was that fucking Deadpool? Was that my dude? What?
SPEAKER_03What are we talking about, bro? Stop it, stop it, Matt. Oh my gosh. But anyway, um the Wolverine stuff was good. I think that was a good showcase. Benjamin and I were just talking about before we went uh live here recording, that apparently there's a lot of people complaining online about the blood on Wolverine on Logan and that it like comes off uh too easily. And I I halfway agree with that. I think it's fine that the blood comes off. I think it just comes off too quickly. Like he's just he he walks around for two seconds after just slaughtering a dude, and then the blood is pretty much all off of him.
SPEAKER_04For me, it's not even just that, it's also like the environment. Like it will it was getting all over like the ground. I didn't even notice that, and it washed off the and it washes off. Oh, like see, I didn't even notice that that should be like permanent, in my opinion. I agree. I don't care as much about the blood on him. Yeah, not that I'm gonna play the game, but for the people who are critiquing it, that's I understand what they're getting at. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03Uh Gene shows up for a little bit, a little bit of the trailer. Hell yeah. I don't know if I love how they portray her powers. I mean, I uh there is like a purple glowing ring around the things that she's moving, which is like I'm not I don't want to get too nitpicky about it, uh, but I I I'm obviously I'm happy that Gene's here. I knew Gene was gonna be in it though, unfortunately, because of the brutal security breach that Insomnia went through like three years ago. This entire game leaked like it was playable. If you if you went into the leaks, people downloaded and played the game, the broke like broken version of it. But there's a section of the game where Gene's gonna be playable as well.
SPEAKER_07So wow, let's go.
SPEAKER_03At least unless they cut that, they might have cut that out, but I I wouldn't I wouldn't count on them cutting that out though. Uh yeah, Aiden, are you gonna play Wolverine? You're gonna get Wolverine? Oh, 100%, yeah. Okay, yeah, yeah. I forgot. Yeah, you're turning into a gamer now. Yeah, you're you got the you got the Switch 2 all loaded up and everything. Dang, bro.
SPEAKER_07Oh, dude, I like for I'm always gonna pop out for the like superhero PlayStation games. Like if it's Miles, Spider-Man, Wolverine. Like, I've been excited for Wolverine. Actually, no, it was Spider-Man 2. There was something that I when I was justifying my purchase of the PlayStation 5, I was like, I think I was like, no, like the ones I'm gonna set out for Spider-Man 2 and Knights of the Old Republic, uh uh remaster. I think they're gonna be dang, really. Like these those were in my lineup of like, I'm gonna justify my purchase for these games.
SPEAKER_03Well, it could have been Wolverine as well, because they they revealed Wolverine and Spider-Man 2 in the same live stream.
SPEAKER_07Yeah, so I remember I remember that I remember coming home on lunch break and watching the uh everyone's reaction to the Wolverine announcement. I was just oh my gosh, what a time. Um I think maybe it was a Spider-Man 2, uh, like the Venom. This like the because it ends with like the symbiote or it ends with Venom.
SPEAKER_03We all knew each other at that time too. I I think yeah, I mean that was. It was 2023 when that all or sorry, no, that's when Spider-Man 2 came out. It's 2021. So never mind. We didn't, it was at the it was that the tip right before we we would have known each other because we didn't have until after No Way Home came out. So never mind. I'm tripping. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_07Um, but anyways, yeah. So when I was justifying my PlayStation purchase, I was like, yeah, these are all the games I'm gonna keep an eye out for. Like, these are the like must-buys to justify buying a PlayStation. So yeah, I'm I'm excited for it.
SPEAKER_03Uh oh, and then there was a uh I don't know if you guys have heard of the Until Dawn uh game, but they announced a sequel to that one, which like that that's been a long time. I didn't even I didn't think they were gonna do that for for a while there. I was starting to believe that they weren't gonna do that.
SPEAKER_04Is that the one that just got a movie?
SPEAKER_03Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00Well, the movie is not it's nothing like the game, it's nothing like the game.
SPEAKER_07Yeah, is is um is it gonna be centered around the the windigos and the cabin again? Or doesn't look like it.
SPEAKER_03Honestly, what they showed, it doesn't look like there's any like fantastical mythological uh stuff going on, but like at the same time, I they might have marketed until dawn one like that as well. It's been a long time, so I don't I don't I don't really remember, but this one just looks like a run-of-the-mill like slasher thing, at least so far. Um well, yeah, because until dawn was a slasher mixed with because then you find out the one to go halfway through or something like that. Interesting. So like they could they could add some other. I will say, I guess the premise of this one is it's a new group of kids, obviously. Uh, and these ones, they're like ghost hunters. Uh they post YouTube videos about ghost hunting, but all of their videos are fake.
SPEAKER_07Uh so is that is that not not literally Curry Barker's new premise for his next movie with Aaron Paul and and yeah, that's literally the premise for his next movie. Yeah, that's that's actually insane. It's like a pair of ghost hunters that fake all their ghost videos until they encounter like a dark entity or something.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, bang, okay.
SPEAKER_05That's that's that's crazy. It's crazy.
SPEAKER_03Uh I did like in the trailer there's this moment, like, because it's a game where you make decisions. Uh, you're running as one of the one of the one of the girls, and uh you're running with her boyfriend or whatever, and you guys you're running from the the slasher guy, and you go get up to this cliff, and there's water and a bunch of rocks below, the ocean and a bunch of rocks. And he's like, I think we're gonna have to jump. He gets there first and he stops. And then as the girl, you have to choose to push him in or just jump by yourself. And in the trailer, they chose to push him as well to like I assume to just be like, get over your shit, we gotta fucking go. But she pushes him and then he falls right down onto a rock and he just splatters everywhere. It's crazy. I'm so excited for it. I'm so excited.
SPEAKER_07I'm here, I'm in, bro. That's all you had to say. I'm in.
SPEAKER_03Honestly, honestly, you that's that's a I'm gonna do this because I I did uh there's one called The Quarry.
SPEAKER_01Uh you should only stream that.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, I streamed that one and then I replayed it with Cassidy. Me and Cassidy played it. I think it's a good one. If you can get Maddie to play it, I think that'd be cool. And Benjamin, same goes for you, even though I know you don't have a PlayStation. But if you could get Reagan to sit down and and and and want to play it, I think it'd be cool. I think it's a cool uh it's like it's like you're playing a movie, but you're interacting. It's almost like that uh Bandersnatch, whatever that Netflix is.
SPEAKER_07But anyway, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_03I don't want to talk about state of play too much.
SPEAKER_07Will Polter.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, Wol Poulter, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_07Uh I will say that's kind of a huge ask for my wife. It took every fiber in my being to convince her to watch Backrooms on our anniversary date. Because if not, I wouldn't have I wouldn't have been able to watch it and talk about it today because we got back yesterday, and so I I had to finagle. I'll talk about when we get to backrooms. I had to finagle to because she hates horror, like horror. She draws the line at she will not watch any horror movies.
SPEAKER_03It took me like two, like scared of them kind of thing, or so she hasn't seen obsession?
SPEAKER_07Over overstimulating, yeah. No, I tried to pitch her on obsession. Here's here's where I messed up. I told her I was like, you because I convinced her to come watch Talk to Me before she like absolutely spiraled out of that movie. Uh like she wanted to leave early. And I told her, I was like, it's it's kind of like like uh the the premise is kind of like talk to me almost, and she was like, Yeah, well, I absolutely hated that. And I was like, Okay, it's not like talk to me at all. She just started laughing. She's like, Yeah, I'm not doing that. So I was like, damn it, I I lost my opportunity. So yeah, no, she hasn't seen obsession, but it took everything to get back rooms, and we probably got back rooms. Yeah, we did it, we freaking did it, dude.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, I I just wanted to look at this. This girl freaking kills Luke, bro. She pushes, she presses the push. Oh, that's his name. Okay, yeah. Oh, you looked it up?
SPEAKER_03No, yeah, dude, and they show the split second, they show up for it. So and you should look it up too. It's actually I'm very excited for the game, bro. I'm very excited for it. Um, I do wish they showed some other things. Like, I'm looking for the next Naughty Dog game, of course, like Intergalactic, the Heretic Prophet. I know that one's probably far off. Like, that's probably like a late 2027 game, maybe a 2028 game, but I still would just like to see more. We'll probably see some at Game Awards in December, I'm sure. But then also I was saying that like this is a big week in general for gaming stuff. Summer Games Fest is on Friday, and a lot more stuff is gonna be shown there. I'm hoping that I think it's time for the next uh Star Wars Jedi game to be shown off, or at least revealed. So I I I think I'm hoping to see that, but we'll see. That's my pie on this guy. Um but yeah, state of play. It uh was pretty good. I just don't think I think they should have just done what they normally do, announce this one like a couple days beforehand and don't do all the like hyping up. I I I truly do think it was just for the Faye game, and the Faye game looks fantastic. That was my game of the show. Like, even I'm more excited for that than Wolverine, I think. That game looks great, it looks fantastic. But also for the fact that like they did a 20-minute gameplay reveal, and then they don't even there's no release window at even. Like, sure, don't give a release date, but there's not even a release window given. So, like you're able to put you like you give me 20 minutes of gameplay, but you can't even give me a release window. I just like that's just a little wild to me, but yeah, um whatever.
SPEAKER_07Uh, but anyway, comment too much because I'm watching the trailer right literally right now as we're talking. I think it's cool that they got Daker Montgomery from that's it. Because I wonder I was I was gonna ask earlier if they uh casted a bunch of like some yes, real life actors.
SPEAKER_03I think he's the only one that I noticed.
SPEAKER_07Yeah, the the redhead, she looks a little familiar, but I think I'm thinking of um I think her name's Sophie Gillian. Uh is that her name? Oh gosh. Um my god, uh Nebula. Nebula. Oh, uh Karen Gillian. What's her name? Karen Gillian. That's her name. Yeah. Um, and then I see they have that uh slasher dude from the first movie, it looks like again. The uh with the glasses, the weird-looking old dude. I feel like he was in the first movie.
SPEAKER_03No, yeah, you're yeah, I know who you're talking about. He Neil Newton's like Yeah, he's like the in-between character. Like there's moments where you because throughout the game, typically you you'll find like something that lets you see into the future or like a possible future, depending on your choices. Yes, and then after each like chapter of the game, you'll go talk to that guy, and then he'll he'll show you all of those possible futures that you found, and then um then you'll go right back into the gameplay.
SPEAKER_07So interesting. Yeah, no, that trailer looks awesome. That's yeah, I'm really excited for that. Wow.
SPEAKER_03I think it was a good state of play. So I uh my hopes are are higher for PlayStation now. Although, last thing I want to say, I just started getting I decided at five finally that I'm gonna start doing physical media for my games specifically. Uh I started with I haven't played this yet, but this just came out 007. I haven't played it yet. Uh I bought it on Friday, and I was like, you know what? Fuck it, bro. I'm gonna I'm gonna start a physical, whatever physical collection. And Wolverine today, pre-orders go out. There's there's first of all, there's no collector's edition, which I wouldn't probably have gotten that anyway. I didn't get any of the Spider-Man collectors editions. Uh but for Wolverine, bro, they're not doing a special deluxe pre-order. They're doing they are doing a deluxe pre- but it's digital deluxe only. So like I have to pay $80 to get there's ex there's five, five exclusive Wolverine suits. And then five, apparently you're gonna be able to change his how his claws look too. And then there's five exclusive claws as well. So like, oh my gosh, now I'm gonna I'm just gonna I'm gonna buy it on digital because I don't want to miss out on those those 10 exclusive things. Um and I I double check too because a lot of the time you'll just if you get the digital deluxe, it just unlocks stuff immediately for you, but you can still earn it later in the game. But no, they specifically said this exclusive stuff is exclusive to this, so like I have to get that. And then I might also just buy the physical one as well. So it's like 150 bucks. I don't know if I'll do that. We'll see. Anyway, comments from last week's episode uh that we had to split into two because we talked about AOT for an hour and a half. Oh my goodness, worth it though. God, I love that show. Um, first one from our boy who was on the episode, B Woody Brandon himself. Uh uh, he says, Since Aiden didn't ask me how I've been or what I've been watching, uh, since he knew I would plug an Apple TV show, I just wanted to shout out Widows Bay and recommend it to ever recommend that everyone watch it. Widow's Bay.
SPEAKER_07Why didn't you hear how he's doing? I've heard of Ton of good things. I don't know. I just I was so excited because Charlie had just finished Attack on Titan that I was like, I need to get to the juice of this. So true, true. Yeah, Widows Bay. I've heard good things. I've seen a lot of people talking about it actually since Brandon brought it up. I've seen a lot of people having they're with the same sentiment. They're like, this is like, why is nobody talking about this? This is like one of the best shows out right now.
SPEAKER_04Oh, it's not even done releasing. There's another episode coming out soon. Oh, damn.
SPEAKER_03Okay. There's something else I need to. Oh, shrinking. Shrinking. I know Brandon recommended that uh as well. I so I should, I should, I should watch. I need to get Apple TV again, truthfully. But uh yeah. Yeah. Thank you, Brandon. Um Memish coming back at us again every like every week. Hashtag best podcast ever. Memish, you know we love you, brother. Uh sorry you couldn't be here because you don't look at your damn phone.
SPEAKER_07But it's probably more so my fault, honestly.
SPEAKER_03Maybe. I don't know. Uh he gives a timestamp of 4637. And he says, Ryan Gosling and Matt Smith. Let's not forget my GOAT Matt Smith. I actually did forget he's gonna be in Starfighter. Uh he will always perform, is what he says about Matt Smith. And so far from what I've seen of Matt Smith, other than maybe Morbius, actually, he was probably the only good part of Morbius. But he's also in House of the Dragon, the Game of Thrones TV show, and he is really good in that as well. So I happen to agree with you, Memish, but I will never find out if he's actually good in Doctor Who. I'm never watching that bullshit.
SPEAKER_05I was just about to say that's a good take. I'm good on that. Good take.
SPEAKER_04Memish probably doesn't like that take, but that's a good take.
SPEAKER_03Oh yeah. Uh Aiden Aiden, even though it wasn't Aiden, Aiden finally got me to watch Attack on Titan. Uh, but yeah, I am never watching that shit. Never watching no Doctor Who.
SPEAKER_04If we think about it, really Charlie got me to watch Attack on Titan.
SPEAKER_03True. All right, let's go.
SPEAKER_04If you really think about it.
SPEAKER_03That's true. That's true. Uh, and stay tuned. Benjamin is about to give his thoughts on that. Uh, but the last comment, last two comments from Memish, he replies to one to his last comment as well. Uh, he says, Can I can I say you can take this with a pinch of salt? But in the UK, obviously I work in the cinema and we prepared for a big, big Star Wars opening attendance, but it was really low. I don't know if that equates to anything, but in my area, that's like the second biggest cinema and the way and the way we over-prepared. And then he gives a couple of emojis. He replies to that and says, Obsession is also making a lot of money, unlike Passengers, which is absolute dog wire, can I say? Golly. I have heard nothing but bad things about Passenger. I haven't, yeah, I haven't even heard anything about that movie. But I guess on that topic of of of uh of Star Wars, I guess we'll just transition real quick into. I know we were gonna save this for later, but I feel like it's the perfect time to bring it up right now. Uh, we're gonna talk about our box office draft a little bit right here, so we can ideally maybe not poke too much fun at Benjamin, but you a little bit of fun at Benjamin. But also, it's a good week for him, too. It's a good week for him too, I will not lie. Uh, but yeah, let's start from the bottom up. Obviously, Benjamin put his faith in the wrong horse, and I believe he would also say the same thing at this point now. Remember when you drafted it, man? You said, I have faith in the Star Wars audience. Oh my god.
SPEAKER_04Oh my god. This is my 13th reason.
SPEAKER_07Like, this is uh I said all that needs to be said about this pick.
SPEAKER_04I feel like I haven't said anything. Can I briefly just like yeah, yeah, go ahead.
SPEAKER_03Don't give your thoughts on them on the movie, yeah. That will say that, but but just as in terms of its performance so far.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, um, well, it's kind of tied to it because I thought the movie would be better, and if the movie was better, then I feel like there was a better chance of this breaking even and making like $500 million because it's a Star Wars movie, and I feel like solo specifically, like was at the time it felt very like probably less relevant than a movie like this would feel, only for the sake of like it's an origin story for a character that we already know amidst, like at the time we were getting really episodic films, like we were getting 7, 8, and 9, and then Rogue One, which is really just 3.5. Like Rogue One is a side movie, uh, it's not an episodic movie, but it's as significant as the episodic movies. Uh, and so solo kind of stuck out, and I figured with this, like it being a continuation of the show and potentially setting up a grander galactic thing that they've been setting up with, like the Ahsoka series and Mandalorian. I thought that this was going to be a much more important movie, and it's just not, uh, which we'll talk about in a second. So um, because of the quality and the reception, I'm not surprised at the box office as a result. But this is just one of those things that I just I I had to I had to pull out my nuts and lay them on the table and just bet on Star Wars. Like, I couldn't not just bet on Star Wars. Uh, I did that last year. Obviously, like in hindsight, me drafting Andor in the Rotten Tomato draft is like, well, duh, it's Andor. We know that now, but I think I got it fifth round of our Rotten Tomatoes draft last year. And so like I kind of viewed this in a similar fashion of just like, you know what, I'm going from the heart. Let me pick a franchise I love. And in this case, it was a big mistake. So I think it will still, I don't think it's gonna lose me more than a hundred million. Like it's it's gonna make like probably at least another like 70. Um I would say. It depends on how quickly it gets pulled from everything. I mean, they just extended obsession, which we'll talk about here soon. We got some other big hitters coming up. It depends on just like how many weeks does it have left to even stick around in theaters before they boot it out, and in that time, how much can it make? Probably not very much, but um yeah, I know it was a gamble, it was a risk, but um I'm not too upset, I'm not too upset about it. I like I I'm happy that this is the hill that I died on. I'll I'll just leave it at that.
SPEAKER_03Very yeah, yeah. At least you uh at least you own it. I like that, man. Um but as for other stuff for Benjamin, he while he's having a bad time with one, he's having a fantastic time with another. Backrooms just after its opening weekend, um has and this isn't uh is this updated for Monday too? Yeah, okay. Yeah, I think it has. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It uh yeah, it did. Perfect. So I believe what was it, 110 for the opening weekend? Yeah, like 111, 110. Yeah, 110, 111, and it is since uh Monday, uh just yesterday added another uh another cool fucking what like 17 mil, no, like six 14 mil. Yeah, 14 mil. Uh and I'm sure Tuesday is gonna be a great cheap Tuesday for you too. But uh yeah, backrooms, as we were just talking about before we started recording, um has a lot of potential, if not just guaranteed to be more profitable than Project Hail Mary.
SPEAKER_07Um which like yo, why why are we dogging on me, bro? Come on, it's just crazy. Hey, buddy, you're in second place, right?
SPEAKER_04It's crazy. It's crazy what a difference a low budget makes, you know? Like you're making 170 mil from Project Hail Mary because it had like a 500 whatever mil break-even, and so like this will make that profit-wise in like three weeks just because it's such a low budget.
SPEAKER_07That's what I thought was so fascinating about Michael compared to Devil Wars Prada. Devil Wars Prada is yeah, as good as done right now. Uh, I think I'm gonna be fine with my 400 mil. But if Michael like sniffs a bill and doesn't hit it, those are comparable profits, and Devil Wars Prada got like way, it's in a laughable amount less of word of mouth than Michael did. It's just crazy how those things shake out. So, there I had to throw mine back. There you go, Charlie.
SPEAKER_03Uh, I mean, uh, speaking about that, just because Brandon just brought it up in the group chat, um, that Michael, uh what is it, next week is being released on digital, so people won't have to go to the theater to see it if they don't want to. They can purchase it and watch it at home. Uh my thing is that I think it depends on the international market for that. Uh, if that's gonna go on digital everywhere else as well, then I do think that's gonna hurt the billion chance. But if not, then because I'll really the only performing performance it has left is internationally. Um, it I think what was that picture that he sent this morning? Michael was at the bottom of the top five. Crazy that it's still in the top five, I guess, after after what, a month and a half, but uh it's in the bottom of the top five, and it within it only had like a million. I think it was 1.1 million or something like that. So like it's true big numbers are only coming from overseas anymore. So, and I think it's either I think it comes out either this week or next week in Japan, and apparently his market is big in Japan, his his fans are big in Japan, so we'll see. I don't know. Yeah, I uh I do believe it'll be close, but I'm not too too worried about it though, Truth.
SPEAKER_04Can you actually can you open up Power Ballad for me real quick? Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just real quick. I just want to say, and these numbers aren't updated. This movie has made half a million dollars on four days being in like 15 theaters. It is its per theater average is really good. And the United States, like over the weekend, it was averaging like uh five to seven thousand a day across the 10 theaters, and it's only the only other place it's had a limited release is the United Kingdom, um, where it made like a quarter million dollars um in its opening weekend. So we don't know the budget. I've heard I forget what I said, maybe it was 20 mil. I've heard like 15 to 20 mil. And I think if it's 15, I'll actually be sitting pretty decent. I'm just worried about competition, but I just wanted to throw it out there because it's having a good it's having a good little limited release, and the word of mouth has been very good since it's uh well-known director and has had praise ever since it was shown at a festival earlier this year. I'm holding out, I'm coping. You guys know me.
SPEAKER_05I'm coping.
SPEAKER_03Um, yeah, and then at least everything I already said about Michael, we all know obsession, though, man.
SPEAKER_07Gosh, dude, this freaking behemoth guy, this guy. Obsession, man.
SPEAKER_03It is talk about performing. Listen, man, I I I I mentioned this in our our group chat on on Instagram because uh Benjamin's like, Charlie should be thanking the horror gods. And listen, I do, I am grateful. I am grateful, but also I want to say, brother, I have been calling my shot with this movie more so than just the uh box office. Like, I I wanted to draft this way back in January on our rotten tomatoes.
SPEAKER_07I was gonna ask, what because you're not even a horror guy. I was actually thinking about this earlier today. You're not even a horror guy. What made you even want to because the reason you couldn't draft this for a Rotten Tomatoes draft is because the critic score had already come out.
SPEAKER_03Yeah.
SPEAKER_07Why? Like because obviously you were thinking about it before the scores came out. So why were you even why were you even thinking about it?
SPEAKER_03No, I guess I wasn't thinking about it before the scores came out. The scores were already out, I just didn't know. I saw this trailer, and when I saw the premise for the movie, I just I instantly loved the premise. And I know that it's not the first horror movie to do, like, because I mean it's technically like a shut a subgenre within horror, like the monkey's paw kind of thing. So like I know it's not it's not brand new by any sort of means, but just I don't know, like the the the premise of like this he has a crush on this girl and he made this wish, this really fucked up wish, and like now we're we get to see the the ramifications of it. I don't know. I the premise for just me personally sounded and like for me, my Rotten Tomatoes draft, and we'll talk about it when we get there. A lot of it is just like my personal, like what I want to see. And uh that's part of what went into like my first round pick, I guess. Also trying to get at Benjamin though, uh well with like the Odyssey, even though personally, of course, I think I like Invincible more than I am probably just overall than I'm gonna like the Odyssey. But who knows, maybe the Odyssey will really speak to me. Uh but anyway, with that being said, like I back room sorry, obsession just really like spoke to me. And and and then I I I was I wish when I saw it was at like 93 when I went when I was like trying to put out my list of of of what I was gonna go into our draft with, I was like, damn it, I can't put that on there. So then I was itching. I I'm telling you, I was itching to put it on when we started doing this this box office draft. I was like, oh, this is my next opportunity to show this movie some love. But then also I didn't want to like jump at the out because I didn't think that you guys would be on it like that. And I think Benjamin, Aiden, you weren't gonna put it on, right? Ben Ben was the only one that was that was thinking about it.
SPEAKER_07I I would have picked it um if some of the picks in front of it had went, which looking at it now, none of the movies that I had in front of it, like I got everything that I had at my number one spot. So with the way the board shook out, no, I would not have picked it, but uh it was on my radar, and I think that and I'm gonna be honest, the only reason I thought about it was because I saw that it had a million-dollar budget because that came out right before we drafted that it had a million-dollar budget, and I was like, Oh, this is gonna be the easiest profit ever. Um, they already picked it up to distribute it in multiple theaters. Um, I was like, Yeah, if this is a no-brainer profit pick, I didn't think it'd be this much profit. Like, you're gonna you might have one of the best second picks uh out of all of us, the most profitable second pick out of all of us. I think that wasn't go toe to toe with it, but yeah, but like Odyssey, I'm getting worried about.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_07Um, Odyssey. Yeah, like odd Odyssey, Odyssey and Scary Movie. I'm like, I mean, I I guess it just depends on on budget for scary movie and uh controversy for Odyssey. But bottom line is this was a big dog standing up, standing toe-to-toe with all the second round picks, and I was not expecting that. I was just expecting this to be an easy 50 million dollar profit. 50, yeah. Uh 50. I would have said 50 million dollar profit right before. Oh, really?
SPEAKER_04When we were drafting, if I thought this was uh I don't know.
SPEAKER_03I I was gonna say I was always feeling like a 100. Like, I don't know why. I know wow, I was always like I just felt something in me, bro. I don't know. Like, I so this is even surprising me how far it's how how well it's done.
SPEAKER_07Great, great shot, great shot. Call be the first one to give respect where respect's the yeah, the I just because we because we know how much you've been on this movie, like we know.
SPEAKER_03No, yeah, bro. I this I don't know. And I'm glad it was so good. Next if it was still on the board, uh yeah, it was your I remember when I picked it, you said it was gonna be your next pick.
SPEAKER_07Well, Brandon, Brandon, I think, was probably gonna go with it at his uh oh yeah, I think he did. Backrooms was gone.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, so I think I can't believe backrooms that like I don't know. I remember Brandon was just you and Brandon and you guys both wanted backrooms, you're hoping to get it as like the second pick. But like at the time when I when I chose it, I remember saying, like, this is maybe risky, but it's like low budget, so probably like a decent chance of profit. And I think at the time, like even a couple weeks ago, a few weeks ago, it was estimated to make like 20 or 30 million in its opening weekend, and every week it's just gone up by like 10 or 15 million in the projections, and now domestically made 80 million opening weekend. So yeah, crazy, like obsession, and I would say backrooms is part of it too. That like they're just like smashing record. I mean, beating out Mando, obsession beating Mando week two. Oh my gosh, yeah, that is just crazy, man.
SPEAKER_03Bro, and the fact that it's maybe looking at another increase this weekend, as Brandon said, I haven't looked into that myself. That is crazy.
SPEAKER_07Yes, they're they're they're pr they're projecting. I actually saw the tweet after he sent that. Um, yeah, they're projecting that there there's a possibility that there could be another increase. Uh well, dude, everybody is like, this is the craziest thing. Like, this is top three performances at all time. Like, oh yeah, dude. Box office.
SPEAKER_03Oh my god, I just saw also Universal Spain's Twitter account just tweeted out today at some point, the trailer for it, and it's it hasn't released in Spain yet, I guess. It's gonna release uh June 23rd or something like that. So, like it's still got some it's still got some word of mouth.
SPEAKER_07Word of mouth is doing you wonders. I have people coming up to me like, should I go watch Obsession? I actually, this is funny. This is a conversation I had today. Yeah, this is no look, just wait. This is a conversation. I was like, should I watch Obsession? I was like, Oh yeah, dude, that movie's fantastic. Is it scary? Yeah, it's it's it's eerie. Like, I think you'd like a lot. Uh, I might I might see if I could buy it on on like online or something. Like, yeah, I mean, you know, you could. I don't I don't know if it's out yet, but you could wait for digital. Uh, what's that movie uh that you use to to pirate stuff off of? He asked my co-worker to pirate movies off of. I was like, Yes, keep it going. Keep this conversation going.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, I'm not stepping in the middle of that. Yeah, go ahead. Do it like that.
SPEAKER_05My ears are shut, man. You're making funny, Charlie. You're making funny.
SPEAKER_03It's funny, it's funny too. My for my friend who like he doesn't go to the movies unless like it's a Marvel movie, he'll go with me to the Marvel movies, but um he we we share the same Cinemark account, and so I can see when he purchases tickets, he never buys tickets. I randomly got an email today, Cinemark purchase confirmation, and it was for obsession. I was like, let's go, baby. Hell yeah, I love that shit, bro. I love that shit.
SPEAKER_07Yeah, I mean, I'm so happy for everybody that was a part of this movie. It's freaking seriously it's crazy.
SPEAKER_03I saw a projection. I don't, I don't I haven't again I haven't looked into this very much, but like it's eyeing like somebody said like 300 mil to end with, which would be crazy.
SPEAKER_07That's are like are you that's kidding me, bro? Yeah, I get it too.
SPEAKER_03People are saying three to three increasing, but like sure, I don't know. That would be insane. That would be insane for me.
SPEAKER_07So wild for your for that to behave better, potentially better than all of our second picks, seriously, right? And even somebody's bomb pick or a hit pick, I mean, for the winter for the summer season. Uh what do you mean of the summer season or somebody's first round pick of the summer season?
SPEAKER_03Speaking of hit picks for the summer season, let's let's take this screen. Oh my gosh, man. Taylor Swift is out from my own heart. Let's fucking go, man.
SPEAKER_04It's gonna be the biggest opening of the whole year. Apparently, this movie's gonna fucking bang for this before we're done.
SPEAKER_03And I need it to do good in the box office, and I needed to do good for Rotten Tomatoes because this is also the Rotten Tomatoes.
SPEAKER_04You know who I need to put the hand up and to be accountable for what's about to happen here? Me. I need this guy over here, and I need Brandon hand up accountability because I said, guys, look at the past few years. Pixar sequels, every single one is breaking the record for the highest grossing animated movie of all time, and we don't think that's gonna happen with Toy Story 5. We're picking Super Mario Galaxy. Yeah, dude, I went last.
SPEAKER_07I actually went last. Yeah, yeah, no, I honestly I and I even told Brandon about this. Like, there was like Toy Story 5 was nowhere near my mind picking, like I was kind of I was like well, because like uh this is my first year actually being like super heavily involved in box office, and I was like, Yeah, like Spider-Man obviously comes to mind before anything. The only two picks I had in mind were Doomsday and Super Mario. That was it. When it came to me, you could probably watch this back and see the worry on my face. I was like, Oh yeah, what do I like? I wasn't expecting this as a scenario, I didn't prep for it or nothing. So then I just went Spider-Man. There was not a universe where I was picking Toy Story 5 at three. Um, Ben, I thought you were gonna say because you put in the Discord your your what you think the highest grossing projects of the year would be. Um, and I think you actually said Toy Story 5 could could be the highest grossing project um of the year. Um maybe you had Doomsday ahead of it, I'm not sure. It's in our Discord, but I definitely had Doomsday ahead because I have always believed that, but yeah. Regardless, I I gave you a lot of pushback as well um that it wouldn't be Toy Story, that Spider-Man would be at would outgross it.
SPEAKER_04Um and so hand up I'm hand up now. I'm looking at it now. Your prediction is how the how the draft Spider Man Mario Doomsday. My prediction Spider Man Galaxy Toy Story Doomsday.
SPEAKER_07So hands up, yeah. I was not I mean this. Movie wasn't on my radar. I didn't think it would be this this big of a deal.
SPEAKER_03Um, and yeah, this how much do you guys mash records? How yeah, but how much do you guys think the Taylor Swift thing is actually gonna help me? Like jokes aside. Oh, yeah, no, no, I I think I think a lot.
SPEAKER_07I think really, really, no, I think a lot, yeah. I think people were already gonna go see it big time. I don't know. I agree with that, but now you have like swift, like people that could just wait and be like girls that are in anywhere from there from like 15 to 25, 26, right? That don't have a reason to go out and see Toy Story, yeah. People that don't have a reason to go out and see Toy Story 5 because they don't have kids, or like I don't know, they don't they don't behave like us. New Taylor Switzerland. I could easily see them showing out, especially if they hold the song to the movie. Yeah, I could I could easily see though, I feel like bro. Do you not know the increase, the the insane massive increase that the NFL got just viewership-wise, because she was in a relationship with Travis Kelsey, even before they were showing her on TV, just because she was in a relationship, the viewership skyrocketed, especially Chiefs games, especially everything with like they flock out for whatever she's involved in. I could see a scenario where maybe some that didn't care about it now see that it's attached to this movie, and they're like, guys, let's go support it, let's go support Taylor Swift, and they all go watch this movie in theaters when they easily could have waited until digital. I think this has a very good effect on it. And Benjamin to good effect on on box office.
SPEAKER_03I would also ask you then if she if we find out she's voicing somebody in the movie, do you still hold that same position?
SPEAKER_04I still hold the same position because I see it being the significance of like Shakira voicing a character in Zootopia.
SPEAKER_06Oh, that's a bad thing. No, no, no.
SPEAKER_04Here's what I mean. Here's what I mean by that. I'm saying Shakira is doing music for Zootopia. That's gonna pull in the Shakira fans. Her now voicing a character compared to just doing music doesn't add much more to the poll of Shakira doing music, in my opinion. We know Taylor Swift is doing a song, her voicing a character, I don't think, brings more people in. Okay.
SPEAKER_06See, the reason I would say Taylor Swift's yeah, yeah, yeah. I was about to say, well, we need viewers, bro. Let's chill out. The reason I would say that it goes.
SPEAKER_03The reason I would say that it does is just because if they do decide to drop the song the day the movie comes out and everybody can just listen to it on Spotify, then if she's a voice, if she's voicing somebody in the movie, that still causes those people that only care for the song or only care for her to go see the movie. That's the only thing I would say. But sure, I I understand what you're saying about it too. Yeah. But even regardless, stop reviewing this is gonna make regardless of the Taylor Swift of it all, this movie was gonna do good.
SPEAKER_04So yeah, I think it should be I I think it could beat Zootopia too and become the highest grossing animated movie. I agree.
SPEAKER_03I think that's I mean, just the the IP alone is is a I'm still gonna hold by.
SPEAKER_07I'm still gonna hold by that this budget is gonna be a 250 million dollar budget.
SPEAKER_04I think two to two fifty is fair. Sure. Yep. I uh I'm intertention with that.
SPEAKER_07I am thinking, yeah, that I'm thinking that like 250 is like the lowest. Unless they just somehow found a way to really streamline their animation over at Pixar, but well, Mike, my biggest thing is Toy Story 4 came out pre-COVID and was a $200 million budget. We're saying post-COVID inflation's a real thing, that this movie's gonna have the same budget as Toy Story 4. Like, I don't know. I I could I I don't think this is gonna be lower than I don't think it'll be lower than 230, man, 225. Uh I mean we'll be thinking it. I think it will be 250 though. I think two is the low end.
SPEAKER_03We'll be finding out within the next week and a half, probably. So yeah, yes, we will.
SPEAKER_04But it like even if it's even if it's a 600 whatever million break-even, like this, I I think this is a lock that it will profit more than both Galaxy and Spider-Man. 100%. Sure. And maybe doomsday. Maybe Doomsday. That's that's the big one.
SPEAKER_03Because Doomsday with a billion dollar break-even. Yeah, I mean, sure.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, like Doomsday. Basically, I think that in order for Doomsday to profit more, Doomsday has to hit 2 billion. Sure. Yeah, whereas like this hitting 1.6, 1.7 is a lot easier than Doomsday, I think, hitting two. So it's you know, it's possible.
SPEAKER_07Yeah, I mean, my my hope is that you have a $250 million budget, it makes $1.8, $1.7, and you get like a billion to $1.2 billion profit. Um, I'm fine with that profit number. Uh, you know, uh in the the sea of hit picks that Spider-Man can maybe come close to that within 500 mil. But okay, that's a generous gap.
SPEAKER_01Within half a billion.
SPEAKER_07Yo, man, I have no faith anymore. Fuck me. Yeah.
SPEAKER_04Uh by the way, I need to replace my alt pick at some point. Oh, yes. Oh, yeah.
SPEAKER_03We can do that right now if you want.
SPEAKER_04Uh I'll share my screen, Charlie.
SPEAKER_03I was gonna say I'd have Aiden share his screen though.
SPEAKER_04Oh, I mean, I can do it. Like you, if you just look at my board, it should just change if I do it. Oh, yeah, that's right. You can I mean I can do it for you. That's what I was saying.
SPEAKER_07That's why Aiden, what are you?
SPEAKER_04Um you said you have a shit.
SPEAKER_07Yeah, Brandon is probably gonna not like me for this, but oh, I know what I know what this is. Obviously, amazing amazing digital circus is getting a theater release, and they are giving lots of theaters out because the demand is there, and there's a chance that it opens close to scary movies opening, which is immediate profit because there's no way that budget is it's a YouTube, it's like a YouTube series that's getting a big screen release. Like, there's no way the budget's that that insane. Um, and there's gonna be demand for it, they're gonna be opening up opening up theaters for it. So that's if I had an alt pick available, man, I'd pick that in a heartbeat.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, I mean, I took a quick scroll through the list, and I'm there's nothing else. I already picked it. I I think if you refresh, it's it's it's gonna be on there. Um there, yeah, there there is there's nothing else on the list that's really drawing me in. Um boom. It's this makes total sense. I've seen the hype for it. It literally is about to drop, and I've seen the numbers. It's yeah, I mean, I don't I'm not, I think I was saying this beforehand, but I'm not getting this alt pick because like evil dead is not moving, it's just not happening, and power ballad's about to come out.
SPEAKER_07So I just I just want I just want to see somebody with this on their board because I am so upset that they announced that this was releasing after we drafted because I would have I would have picked this in a heartbeat for my for my draft. I would have sacrificed one of the other picks because yeah, this is uh I don't know if you could read this. What wide release? Fathom is releasing amazing digital circus originally planned as a limited one weekend event. The film broke Fathom's all-time sales record on April 14th. The company expanded the release to a full two-week run on 1500 screens, making it an eligible easy pick. Yeah, so this is gonna. I mean, me and Brandon have had tickets bought for the past couple months. So I am like, yeah, this is gonna make a good amount of money.
SPEAKER_04There's just like looking ahead, there's just like I mean, I would there's not many budgets that are out, and any of the budgets I'm like way too worried about. Like, there's that new end of Oak Street movie with Ian McGregor. Yeah, yeah. That trailer's getting a lot of buzz. It's a 212 million dollar breakeven. Like, I'm not drafting that. There's just no way. Um, and same with a couple of the other ones, like the Coyote versus Acme, that movie which was in hiatus for a long time, the Looney Tunes movie that's finally getting a release. Um, I know there's a lot of social media hype around that, but again, it's almost 200 million break-even. I'm just not I'm just not putting that risk. So this was kind of an obvious one for me. Um, and fall to I mean, I didn't care about having fall two on my board. That's why it's an all pick. So we can move on from that, because who cares?
SPEAKER_03Speaking of uh Aiden just said that him and Brandon have tickets purchased for months and months. I want to talk about tickets a little bit, uh, just transitioning out of the box office stuff. I will actually take this down because I don't think we need to talk about Aiden or Brandon. I mean Aiden had breadwinner. Yeah, I don't think we need to talk about it. Which breadwinner is his alt pick, so it doesn't really matter. Um but so I don't know if you guys did you guys see the Spider-Man thing today today with the um Prime? Yeah, you can see it. Yeah. Uh the 29th. Uh obviously I'm gonna try to do that, but I don't think it's gonna come to my theater. My theater isn't like a big theater or anything, so I don't think my theater will be one of those select theaters, but maybe we'll see. And the other thing is, I wanted to see if you guys heard anything about this. And not again, not that this matters for me because uh I mean, I'll be closer to one than I usually am, but uh there's some I only saw one person to this, and it was a person on TikTok, that they're gonna there's gonna be more 70 millimeter IMAX tickets for the Odyssey going on sale soon. Oh did you have you guys heard anything about this or no?
SPEAKER_07No, but that doesn't surprise me because I think I think the only screening available was the 2 p.m. on Thursday. Like they didn't have another I think so. I think because I mean that's what I grabbed, and that wouldn't have been really.
SPEAKER_04I mean, it was like Thursday, Friday, Saturday, I think.
SPEAKER_03Okay, I was because the way they did Dune, yeah, Dune was like all the way till Sunday or Monday.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_07Oh wow, huh? I'm going to I couldn't remember that with Odyssey.
SPEAKER_04I'm going at 2 p.m., but I'm pretty sure I like I could have gone to a 7 p.m. that same day or the next day. It's just the Friday, Saturday stuff sold out like instantly. Yeah. Huh.
SPEAKER_03Uh but but they said tickets are gonna go on sale on the fourth, is what this person this was just a random person on TikTok. I don't know how he knows this information. That's why I was asking you guys if you if you heard anything. Um, but obviously I want to know when tickets are going on sale because I I'm gonna need to I don't know how fast they'll sell out in Orlando. Um, but uh I max tickets for the the Odyssey, of course.
SPEAKER_04Um you're planning to go even if it's a little past opening weekend?
SPEAKER_03Yeah, it'll be on a on a Sunday when I see it. Um which so I don't I don't think a Sunday would sell out as fast as like the opening nights, like a Thursday or Friday kind of thing.
SPEAKER_04So I'm not too worried about it, but I I had some my friends from Indiana heard that I was coming to Indiana specifically to watch the Odyssey in 70 millimeter, and they were just like, Oh, we'll go with you to see that movie.
SPEAKER_03I was like, No, you won't, and then I unless you find somebody selling them on eBay.
SPEAKER_06It's uh next to this stupid ass golly.
SPEAKER_03I should have jumped on those dune ones, man. Oh well, whatever. Um, but anyway, on to our next topic of discussion, and that is Benjamin specifically. Benjamin was not here with us last week, unfortunately. Uh, so we did not get to hear his lovely thoughts on the Mandalorian and Grogu as well as the boys series finale. So, Benjamin, uh first uh let's just get the big one out of the way. Mandalorian and Grogu. Give us your uh your all-encompassing thoughts on on the film.
SPEAKER_04Uh well, I did in fact watch your guys' segment on this last week because I was told to, and these guys know some of my thoughts. I sent like an eight-minute uh voice memo about some of my thoughts on the film, but I was getting quite a few accusations from these guys, specifically Charlie. Yeah, it was me. I know this boy liked it. I know that boy liked it. Um my initial reaction in 321 thumbs down.
SPEAKER_00Holy, totally down. Oh my goodness.
SPEAKER_04I I didn't say this because I wanted to save some stuff for the pod and for you guys, but um there was a point about halfway through two-thirds of the way through the movie that I started to tear up in the theater because it was so disappointing and like ruining. You gotta be joking. You're joking. No, I'm not I literally sat there and I thought to myself, I'm sitting in a theater watching a Star Wars movie, and I'm so sad because it doesn't feel like I'm sitting in the theater and watching a Star Wars movie. It wasn't the Star Wars that I grew up with, it's not the Star Wars that I love. It is two and a half episodes, three episodes of a new season of The Mandalorian, and not even like a good season of The Mandalorian at that. Damn. Like yeah, if this was a I if this was a part of the show, like if this was actually a segment in the show, I think it would be potential like it would go toe-to-toe with season three. It's like may it's probably better than like the worst of season three, it's not better than anything else in the first two seasons, in my opinion. It it's it's yeah, it's just not it's not good and it's not justified. And it also annoys me that like they bring in other characters, and so like we have Rod of the Hutt, who's in Clone Wars and in other parts of this franchise, and yet, like, other than like obviously they tell you who he is, he's the son of Jabba and everything, but they don't really like connect the dots as to like why is he really in this, other than just the fact that, like, oh, some people are gonna know who Rada the Hutt is. On top of the fact that they kind of had a layup that like Mando and Grogu have always had this father-son dynamic that they've tapped into in the show, especially early on, and like they could have more very easily they could have more specifically tapped into like Rada struggling with like his dad being Jabba, and then like Grogu and the Mandalorian and their relationship to make something that was actually interesting and compelling, and they just don't do anything. And there's a moment where towards the end, where Rada's like thanking Mando for everything, and they're like really trying to sell you that like there's this emotional connection between them, and it just doesn't exist. And Jeremy Allen White, I like I know it's him under there, and there's a couple of lines where like I could picture him, like even through the distortion. It's like okay, that's very much how he emphasizes his words and his sentences, yeah. Like you could tell it was him. Um, but it's a weird choice to cast him and then do such a big distortion on it. Um, it seemed like an odd choice, but uh, and then the same thing with another character, Embo, who is the bounty hunter who shows up for the back half. Again, Embo, that's his name. Yeah, exactly. I don't think they say Embo's name in the movie a single time. Never that is he's the bounty hunter that shows up halfway through with the half and the wolves.
SPEAKER_07I would have, yeah, no, I didn't even know he had a name. That's the that's the thing.
SPEAKER_03Well, I knew he was in a different start, he was in like a show, right? Was he in Clone Wars or something?
SPEAKER_04He's in Clone Wars, he's a bounty hunter, he hunts Jedi's, like he has insane aura, and like I was so excited when he because he was in one of the trailers, like we knew he was gonna be in the movie, yeah. And the fact that they just like have him show up, and yeah, like he aura farms, his fighting style is cool, his ship is cool, whatever, but that like that's all they do, and it's like we're really gonna bring in a character who's established and not actually make this like a compelling and interesting reason why he's here. Like, we very easily could have made him like more of a central part of the story or a villain in the story, more intimidating, whatever. Instead, half the people who watch this movie, unless they're like really big Star Wars fans, aren't gonna walk out knowing who he is. They're just gonna be like, Oh, yeah, he was just kind of there, thinking maybe he's just like another one of those goons for the for the huts or something. Like, they're not that's that that was my immediate thought. Yeah, I had no idea. Dude, and that's so tragic. You you know his um, you know his big hat. Yeah, there's literally a scene in the Clone Wars where he is sledding down a mountain on his hat, shooting at like multiple Jedi who are riding down in a speeder. It's like he's the coolest guy, like he's probably as cool as like Cad Bane, he just doesn't get as much screen time, or even like Boba Fett.
SPEAKER_07Yeah, he just doesn't get as much. Well, I'm like, why didn't like why wasn't Cad Bain in that role? I think that would have been I mean, he's more recognizable than Kimbo. Like, I would have loved to see Cad Bain and Mando facing off. Like I think that would have been sick, dude. That would have been awesome.
SPEAKER_04Which they had Cad Bane in the book of Boba Fett, or was it Mando's I think he was the Book of Boba Fett, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Because that was um, that was Cobb Vanth, the uh the sheriff guy, yeah. But uh yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, I I just it seems so stupid. And I mean, this one's maybe more obvious, but Mando's really Mando's chauffeur, Mando's pilot, Zeb. He's one of the main characters in Rebecca. Oh god, yeah.
SPEAKER_07Don't even get me started on Zeb. They wasted the absolute shit out of him, and I love Zeb. It's crazy, yes, yes, yes. He's his chauffeur, he's his fucking Uber driver, dude.
SPEAKER_04God, he's there for one action scene where you see him beat up a couple stormtroopers in the hallway, otherwise, he's flying Mando around. Um it just yeah, it's it's frustrating. I I think I landed on a two stars, um, because it's not like it's not the most like dreadful watch ever from like an actual entertainment perspective. The opening scene's good, the puppeteering with Grogu is really good. I even liked the extended sequence with Grogu. I thought they were gonna do something yeah, I thought they were gonna do something with more with it. Cause like Grogu has had no development since the very start of the show. They shipped him off to like well attempt what they were going to, and then they reverted within two episodes.
SPEAKER_03I want to push back a little bit. I have not watched it though, but I heard from a co-worker, uh, just a little short thing. My coworker loved the movie, and he came back to me. He's like, bro, you told me this movie was ass. Alright, all right, bro. Uh you love your slop, whatever. Well, dude, no, they're uh yeah, they're a bunch of no, exactly. No, the 100%, because like they think that Marvel's on the edge of extinction and they think Star Wars is extinct now. But uh this one specifically came to me and he and he told me about because I still haven't seen it, but in the episode where Luke is training Grogu, he gives him the choice between a lightsaber or the Mandalorian armor, and like that's like a form of growth, maybe per per se, I would say. Like he's choosing Mando over like his what Luke perceives as to be like his destiny or whatever, and that's why Luke sought him out. Like, maybe that's like a bit of growth, but I don't know. Maybe I'm reaching, and I haven't seen it either, so I don't know.
SPEAKER_04So here's the problem. I'm surprised you haven't seen it because I think I've said that those are like those episodes of Boba Fett are something. Yeah, you told me to watch it.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, you guys told you both told me to watch it. I just still haven't watched it.
SPEAKER_04Yeah. Um, my my main problem with it is like they ended season two of The Mandalorian with like we got Dinjar into the point of like breaking his own principles and kind of betraying his own kind to have that moment of connection with Grogu, showing him his face and whatnot, but then also like letting him go. And uh my problem with them making that choice to change that is like literally then like two episodes, which you know, call it whatever you want, but those two episodes in in the book of Boba Fett, we're already like regretting the fact that they're now separated because we need to set up a season three of The Mandalorian. That to me, like it's not it's not as like well thought out and motivated as much as it is a convenience for them to be able to keep telling stories of these two characters together. So like I don't necessarily inherently disagree with you, but it's they forced it to be that way for their own purposes to continue to make these stories that they're making, and also now that we have a movie, we start the movie the same place we end the movie. Grogu starts the movie the same place Grogu ends the movie. Yeah I actually thought in the segment where he was off on his own, there's a a point where he's like in the swamp and there's these like lightning bugs. I actually thought he was about to stumble upon a kyber crystal and like make a lightsaber or something. Like the amount of cope that I was having. It was the first time where I was just like, oh wait, like they're gonna do something interesting. And then it wasn't it just wasn't that. So um so like I get what you're saying, but like in as a whole in general, uh Grogu has been stagnant for a majority of the time that we have been with him.
SPEAKER_03So I don't know, but uh this and that's what I said to this coworker too is like Imagine this is this is taking a a lot of leaps because like imagine season three didn't happen, but like imagine season two, he gives up Grogu to Luke, and then like the they do this movie, they do this movie and they focus on Din like having to deal with like this depressive episode after losing Grogu and having to come to terms with that and like going so far as to like he already he views like damn I like maybe he looks at it like I betrayed my Mandalorian values for nothing, so fuck it all. And like he'll he goes up to people, not even for bounties, he just goes up to people, purposefully takes off his helmet, and so he has an excuse to kill people for like no fucking reason. Imagine like that kind of the a dinar in that kind of space, and and then like the whole movie is about him like coming back together with Grogu or like learning to overcome that and then still finding Grogu anyway or something. Like there's that would be infinitely more interesting, man. I just I don't want to go on a whole tirade again because everybody everybody on TikTok is just like everybody on our TikTok comments specifically. I mean, there's people agreeing with there's people re reposting our stuff, but like there's so it's a good movie, like Star Wars fans can't appreciate anything.
SPEAKER_01Like, all right, bro.
SPEAKER_03Calm down, man. I I again I don't want to yuck anybody's yum, just I just think we gotta demand more, man. I just think we gotta demand more. Like the more we're okay with this, the more of this we're gonna get. So yeah, sure. If you guys like this movie and you want to keep getting movies like this, then okay, sure. Like it, enjoy it, whatever.
SPEAKER_04Right. I think Starfighter will be infinitely better. Um, yeah, only for the sake, like kind of twofold. One, new characters, that's a huge plus right now with where we're at in Star Wars, not just getting like, you know, a movie based on the a show that we've gotten three seasons of in this uh this era of Star Wars, and then agreed. Also, I don't know what John Favreau and Dave Filoni are smoking, they are absolutely lit up making this movie, but there is just no conceivable way that Sean Levy does not make a much more enjoyable, fun movie than what this was. Not that this was like a bad movie, the opening sequence is pretty good, but like we're gonna get lightsaber duels. Like, say what you want about Sean Levy, it will be a much more enjoyable experience watching Star Wars Starfighter. So do we know when that takes place in the timeline? I thought it was after episode nine. I think it was far after episode nine. There's okay, there's a rumor that starfighter is also going to set up the Ray movie.
SPEAKER_03The Ray movie, at which point the Ray movie or trilogy of movies? Or is it just like one Ray movie and we'll see how it goes and then go?
SPEAKER_04It might be one for now. Okay, yeah, I don't know. That that but that would be it, that would be a problem.
SPEAKER_03So Ray in in the Starfighter movie, like post-credit scene, or like a yeah, I think that would coach.
SPEAKER_07I'm not gonna lie, that would coach. Oh my gosh. I'm a big, I'm a big Ray guy. Yeah, I like Ray.
SPEAKER_04I personally like Ray, so I don't know. I'd be I'd be down for that. It's not that I hate Ray, it's that I loved so many other things. I loved Ben Solo, like Kylo Ren is such a great character. Well, probably the best part of the sequels, and still was underutilized. Finn, oh my gosh, Finn in episode seven was peaked, like Stormtrooper, who might be force sensitive, yeah, eight and nine completely wasted. So it's not that I dislike Ray, it's that like the other things that I like really, really liked we did nothing with. And then also when we made Ray a Palpatine, that was sure, that was a bit much.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, JJ Abrams, man.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_03Um anyway, Benjamin. Thank you for your thoughts on uh the Mandalorian Mandalorian and Grogu. The Mandalorian and shit Tzu. Uh nice, it worked. I was just thinking back to Wade. That made me laugh, bro. Grogu found dead in the streets of Chicago.
SPEAKER_04I'm gonna throw this little this guy into the back rooms.
SPEAKER_03Um uh, but anyway, yes, Benjamin. Uh we'd also like to hear your thoughts on the series finale of the boys. The boys, episode eight, season five, episode eight, I should say. Uh I will be listening, but uh I I need to I need to go get a fan. It's so hot in here, bro. Okay, gosh. So hot. Take it away, Ben. I'll be listening.
SPEAKER_04Uh so I haven't shared any thoughts with these guys. They knew some of my Mandalorian and Grogu thoughts, but I have not talked at all about my thoughts on the boys series finale, and I I'm straight middle. I'm straight middle on. Yeah, okay.
SPEAKER_07Um, that's fair.
SPEAKER_04I'm I actually thought you were gonna be lower. I feel very much exactly how you think you guys thought that I would feel. Yeah, okay. Okay, yeah, yeah, fair. There's good moments, there's things to appreciate, it wraps stuff up well in some areas, but when you pair it with the fact of everything else, it's the final season, etc. etc. It's it's very upsetting. It it almost was destined to fail at this point. Like I was I was never going to like this finale going into it because there was no possible way for them to save the season. And specifically, like there's a couple of things that I have issues with. Um, like the power scaling, which I know has always been a thing, but like Homelander sending a guy to space in two seconds and then can't escape Ryan and Butcher and the Oval Office. Like, that's a that's a problem, in my opinion, a pretty big problem. The fact that the final fight took place in the Oval Office is is okay, but like you compare that with the marketing, like Vaught Tower collapsing, the Oval Office with Butcher walking up and a bunch of soups flying above it. Um it's just like when you tee up people's expectations that it's this big thing and then it's a much more like personal conflict between the characters, I think that's a pretty big problem. I really think they should have uh allowed Homelander to go completely scorched earth for a couple of episodes. I I hated that we went from just one plot point to the next, uh like virus to v1, kamiko getting powers. Like the fact that we teed up her getting soldier boys powers and then using it to de-power Homelander, we did that in an episode basically, is really upsetting to me. I think that was way too fast, way too rushed. Uh, they should have given Homelander V1 in the middle of the season, and there should have been uh mass scale scorched earth, in my opinion. Like the the the thing with earlier on when Starlight had threatened Homelander that she was going to release the video, the flight video, and he just said, that's fine, go ahead and do it. Because I don't care if people respect me and essentially said they can just they can just fear me. Like I'll just kill them. It's fine, whatever, do it. And we never I don't feel like we ever got to really see that play out for him. Uh like we got to see it in small scale play out for him, where he's willing to just off people who he doesn't like. Obviously, we got to see it in small scale, but we really went from like the masses supporting him, uh, in large part the masses supporting him. We never got to see his like grand turn to just like abuse his power. Like he was pretty much loved up until the very end. Um and I feel like that's a that's a problem in a way, because we didn't like his like threat to Starlight never really came to fruition. Like that was never a thing that was able to be done. So I think we should have have should have had a couple of episodes where some of those things that he threatened we saw happen where he was just like I forget the the list of things, but he was like, I'll target hospitals and then I'll go to this place, and like that should have happened, in my opinion.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, uh I don't I think you didn't watch you didn't stick around for our boys section. I don't know. I did a little bit. Oh, okay. I said I I said the similar thing. Like that's my big problem with the show as a whole, is like you built up to this and then it never happened, like nothing never went scorched to earth, and you advertised, yeah. But that's something we didn't touch on, actually. Was the the advertising of like the posters, everything like none of that happened. Vaught's how like even VOT being brought down in the background behind Butcher is is one of the posters that definitely didn't happen.
SPEAKER_04Like the shot of Homelander in space looking down at destruction on Earth should have been a real shot in the show. 100% it should have been agreed. So, um, and you know, Homelander's ending I thought was fine. I understand the people who are critical of him being like, I'll suck your dick, I'll do whatever, I'll do whatever.
SPEAKER_03You understand those people? I don't understand those people.
SPEAKER_04Like, I understand from the perspective of like he's he's always been a pitiful person that relies on his powers, and now that the powers are gone, he's you know, relying on anything. Um I I understand. Like I can understand from people's perspective of just like, oh my gosh, he's supposed to be like this really intimidating guy and like you know, strike fear into everybody. I can understand why they would be upset that, like, oh yeah, this is the reality when his powers are stripped. So like I understand why they would be upset by that, but I also see why it happens the way it does. I'm not saying that I like, you know, I'm not saying that I side with them and up and sure am upset by it. Um the shot with the shot with Butcher on the TV camera is one of the best shots in the show.
SPEAKER_03It doesn't just look yeah, with his body in the background.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, it's yeah, it's it's so good, but um, yeah, I think just like some of the problems with like the Kamiko get getting Soldier Boy's powers that fast and everything, like it just really takes away the stakes for me because it's just like, oh, it was that easy.
SPEAKER_03Like it it was I'm surprised you haven't said anything about V1 V1 yet, just as a because like you were a very you were a big critic of it, and I think rightfully so, because it literally didn't matter at all. Like I said, I said he should have gotten it earlier, so we could have gotten Scorched Earth, but like but even after he gets it, nothing changes, like there he's not it's not we're not showing him more powerful or anything, yeah. It's just useless.
SPEAKER_04So, like um, yeah, but everything else, I mean, kind of the like uh epilogue, it was fine. I I think I felt similarly to Stranger Things because people were like, Oh my gosh, the final hour of Stranger Things, it's really great, whatever. And I just think, like I said, even if I think that all of those moments are exactly how I would like to see all of these characters, all of their stories end, even if that's the case, it doesn't like matter to me because the rest of the story to get there was not well done. So it's hard for me to fairly evaluate this because I I liked a lot of the moments, but compare it with the season that we got, and yeah, I'm pretty disappointed with the season as a whole, so sure. And now it's over, and we immediately get a trailer for what'd you think of that?
SPEAKER_03Do you like it?
SPEAKER_04It's fine. I don't know. It just seems like oh great, more of the boys, okay.
SPEAKER_03Are you tapped out? You think you're tapped out or what?
SPEAKER_04Like, I'll watch it, but I mean, I didn't even mention Soldier Boy not being in the final episode at all, just so they can go tell more of a story. It's like I don't know. I will I will definitely watch it. I mean, I watched I watched Gen V for no reason, apparently. Um I'll definitely check it out, but I'm not as I'm not as excited of as you know, it's not like oh my gosh, another season in the boys universe. I'm really excited for it. That's gone. That's I think that that's gone. I'll still check it out though.
SPEAKER_00Okay.
SPEAKER_03Um we're gonna do a little bit of a chat about our rotten tomatoes. Whoa, Aiden, whoa.
SPEAKER_07Whoa, I thought we were keeping on the topic of Ben talking about what he's watched.
SPEAKER_03No, no, we'll we'll take a little bit of a break from that. I'm tired of this boy yapping. Uh just kidding, just kidding, Benjamin. Or am I? Or am I? Uh we're gonna talk about our rotten tomatoes draft here for a little second. Um is this uh oh nope, ignore these ones. This is the old one. That is the old one. I want this one. Yes, this is the new one. Uh so okay, a couple of things to update here. Um for those who don't know what this is, uh, we kind of made up our own draft before we ever did Fantasy Box Office. This is a draft specifically for Rotten Tomatoes projects and how they will perform on Rotten Tomatoes. Uh, it could be anything, it could be a movie, a TV show, and we have points that cumulatively uh with all seven projects can be what is it, uh 1,200 points, 1400? I don't know. Yeah, because it's a thousand, it's a thousand with five, and then so add two more. So yeah, I think 1400 total points can be made, but obviously that is very unlikely. Um but a little bit of an update because I drafted Spider-Noir, and I was almost laughed out of the room when I did it. Okay. This was, I mean, I won't lie, it was a it was a Hail Mary of a shot. It was a Hail Mary of a shot, but it paid off for me, man. Uh, what is it sitting at right now? 90, 91, 93, I think, something like that. Dropped a little bit. Yeah, the well, no, no, the the critic, the critic one stayed the same, but I think it was 94 uh audience, and then now it's 93. So yeah, I dropped by one. But still, man, double 90, I will take that, man. I'll take a double 90. Uh, I still don't think it's gonna do much for me uh with uh the way Benjamin's list is looking, but uh truthfully, all I need is Ben to get like one, maybe two more 70s, and I'll be sitting, I'll be sitting closer. I don't see how that's happening. Which project? Tell me. I don't disagree. I maybe, maybe doomsday. Maybe doomsday. Also, I think uh hold on. Aiden could be. I don't know if Aiden that was a serious answer.
SPEAKER_07No, that was a serious answer. I've always been on the camp of Clayface, could I could easily see 8080 exactly?
SPEAKER_03Like we've seen one trailer. You're getting uh, I don't know how much of that is joking, Ben, but you're like hyped up super hyped up off of one trailer that did admittedly look good. It did look good.
SPEAKER_04All that I'll say is when we when I first drafted it, I think I got some backlash on it. And then when the teaser dropped, I think a lot of people started to come around on it.
SPEAKER_03Sure. But do you think it can be a a 90? Mid-90s.
SPEAKER_04Mid is you know, I think critic will be around a 90. Yes.
SPEAKER_03Okay, all right, we'll see. I just don't know that people are very kind to superhero stuff nowadays. Like, I am shocked by Spider-Noir because I was in the camp with you guys when I made when I when I said that, I was not planning on a 90.
SPEAKER_04Well, actually, I think out of this. I think Aiden and I might actually have something for you, Charlie. Yeah. Aiden. Can I go first, Aiden? Is that okay? Yeah, you can go first.
SPEAKER_03Wait, what the fuck is this?
SPEAKER_04Sorry, I have I I have a written statement that I would like to read out to you, Mr. Charlies. Mr. Charles.
SPEAKER_03Mr. Charlies.
SPEAKER_04Sorry, sorry, I'm I'm nervous, I'm nervous. But this is uh just a written quick written statement. What the fuck is this? Dear Mr. Charles, a few months ago we did our annual Rotten Tomatoes draft. Although many picks were obvious, such as Invincible, Dune, and the Odyssey, some of us dared to be bold, to come out of the closet as a ride or die fan of a character. Despite Aiden's permanent display of affection inked on his body, you show your loyalty through your choices. You drafted Spider Noir. We laughed, we insulted, and we bullied, but Charlie, we were wrong. Your choice to draft Spider Noir ended up being an amazing success. Success that only you saw the potential in. My deepest apologies for not only doubting a superhero we love, but also for doubting you. May you continue to find more Rotten Tomatoes success in your future. Sincerely, your favorite co-host.
SPEAKER_07Yeah, that is insane. Charlie, did you watch the TikTok I sent you before this?
SPEAKER_03You sent it today?
SPEAKER_07Yeah.
SPEAKER_03No, I haven't.
SPEAKER_07I haven't been on TikTok today. To my dear Historia. Right. Oh shit. Shit. To my dear Charlie. As I write this, Ben is on the screen next to me. He knows this is an apology letter, but he still he's still sneaking peeks over my shoulder. Honestly, it's no wonder that he also judged you in that moment. He promised me he would also write an apology letter to not have me standing on my own after the horrible opinion that I had for your Spider-Noir pick. I regret trying to fit in with the cool crowd and misusing my judgment to clown on you that day. I'm sorry about then. I never would have imagined choosing to shit on your pick instead of standing by your side. I'm gonna eat my words soon. And while I'd like to say that I have no regrets, I do have one. Uh, and it's that I misjudged you and clowned you so hard that your face turned red from embarrassment on that draft episode. I wish I could, I wish I could take that back. So uh Ben, I don't I don't know how far you've gotten into Attack on Titan, but there is a character to another character, and I think it is the best letter that has ever been spoken. It is it is amazing, and it's called to my dear historia. Um, so when you watch, when you get to that part, you can compare and contrast those two uh those two letters. Uh I I feel like I cooked up in there just based on the one-to-one. She literally even says, I'm sorry. I don't know if there was anything I could change back then.
SPEAKER_04So yeah, Charlie's Charlie. The other day I texted Aiden and I said, Should we write apology letters for Charlie? And so we both wrote one. And we didn't share them with each other until you know we just read it.
SPEAKER_03That's fire. Thank you guys. I appreciate that. I'm glad I love it when people can own up to their mistakes. I love that, man. And I truthfully, I thought it was a mistake drafting it. So I mean, here we are now, you know. True turns out Michael was the mistake. God fucking Lee.
SPEAKER_06Yeah.
SPEAKER_03Dude, if if if the critics weren't such didn't have fucking sticks up their asses, I would be so much closer to Benjamin right now. Like already, Knight of the Seven Kingdoms uh having a 78 audience was not great for me. It wasn't horrible, but it wasn't great. Um, truthfully, I don't know the fucking 22% of people that didn't like it. I just I don't understand you people, but I don't know. Uh I I I am a little hopeful for the future. Obviously, I still have a seventh pick. I have I do have an idea of what that seventh pith seventh pick might be, but I don't know if I want to put it in here because I don't know that I if I'm gonna care to watch it when it comes out. Just because it doesn't matter, yeah. I can tell, I guess, yeah. It's the uh the Tony, it's the Anthony Bourdain uh biopic movie.
SPEAKER_07That's a risky one.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, the uh who's the the isn't the director the guy who did um Nirvana the band, the show the movie? I think it is. I think it's the same guy.
SPEAKER_07Yes, yes. Uh uh Matt Johnson.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, so like I don't know, and I was looking at some of his other stuff, and I they're all relatively high Rotten Tomatoes.
SPEAKER_07So I'm telling you, Nirvana the Band that showed the movie is uh literally could compete with Project Tome for my favorite movie of the year.
SPEAKER_03Hey, I'm still I'm waiting for it to be watchable where I don't have to rent it directly. So I I'm down to watch it. That's one I'm thinking of, but I just don't know that I'm gonna care to watch the movie. I don't know that I should put something that I'm not like a hundred percent planning on watching on my uh yeah on my Rotten Tomatoes thing.
SPEAKER_04Dude, you know what would have been crazy if somehow, because I don't know where you guys were at on disclosure day. I don't know if one of you would have drafted it if I didn't. Because it seemed at the time you guys said it was risky.
SPEAKER_00I wouldn't have.
SPEAKER_04What if none of us had drafted it and you had that as an option now?
SPEAKER_03I probably would have done that. I would have I would have to do that.
SPEAKER_04I would have been crazy. Yeah, I just I saw the vision, you know.
SPEAKER_03Um, but changes to my list consist of Michael went up by one point um over these last couple weeks. I don't remember the last time we we peeked in on this. Uh obviously the Spider-Noir scores came out, so that puts me at 184 there, 136 for Michael with going up by one point, and a Knight of the Seven Kingdoms is unchanged, but that puts me at a total of 492 points. I am currently in the lead now. Uh but that is, of course, I have three projects released, and Benjamin only has two. Uh Aiden has three released, but um we do. Well, actually, let's talk about it. Let's talk about Aiden. Let's talk about Aiden.
SPEAKER_07Uh, there's not much to talk about.
SPEAKER_03Well, you did you did have a couple numbers move. You had a couple stuff move around. Uh Aiden is currently sitting at 478 points, and that is because Beef Season 2 went up by three points. Uh, I don't know if that was audience or critic, uh, but it went up by three points, and then the drama stayed the same, but Daredevil dropped a whopping five points. Oh my gosh. Dropped a whopping five points for you. So you only gained because last week, actually, no, you lost. You lost two points because last last time you were at 480 points total. So now you're sitting at 400 points.
SPEAKER_07Yeah, whatever. I was riding it out. Let's see what happens.
SPEAKER_03I know you you're you're like you're putting your all into the box office thing now. I think truthfully, I know we we want to care about, and I don't want to make this sound like we're not gonna do this anymore for those of our viewers that of course really love us doing this. Uh, but I don't uh we're we're gonna keep doing this. It's just I think that the box office one being more official, like there's a whole website set up for it, and it's just easy for us to peek in. Like we talk about that chat. I want you guys to we talk about that like literally every day in our group chats. We're talking about the box office thing. So and uh granted, that's a lot easier to talk about, especially in this season right now, summer season, all a lot of our picks coming out. Yeah, uh, it's a lot easier to talk about daily than a Rotten Tomatoes thing where we're waiting for like what's the next one to come out on this list? Uh disclosure day, I think.
SPEAKER_07Uh I think it's just June 12th, yeah.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. So like between Spider-Noir and Disclosure Day, that's like a two-week period. So like there's just not a lot to say. But we do like doing this, we still put as much care and effort as we can into this. It's just not as official as the other thing. And so uh we tend to lean to talk about that stuff more.
SPEAKER_04But we that also changes basically week to week. Like there's always more box office numbers coming in.
SPEAKER_03Sure, exactly. Uh, but now for Benjamin, uh, who is currently in last place, but as I said, he only has two projects released. Dude, Aiden's itching. Aiden's itching. Um, as for Benjamin's changes, uh, invincible went down, or sorry, went up by one point. Uh it went from one. Yeah, it went down. It went from 186 to 187. Uh, and then Project Hail Mary went down by one point from 190 to 189. Uh, keeping him at the same uh points.
SPEAKER_00Uh actually, I don't know if I did the math for yours. Is that the same? Let me do it right now, just in case. Um maybe missed. No, wait, I did. I did do the math for yours, I think.
SPEAKER_04I mean, that's correct. There's two numbers.
SPEAKER_03So yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_00Perfect.
SPEAKER_04Well, I'm about to disclosure day back in the lead.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, we'll we'll see. Disclosure day. There's a lot of a lot of great buzz right now.
SPEAKER_04So I mean, like, I'm I'm absolutely passing 500 with disclosure day. So, like, I will be back in the lead.
SPEAKER_03Wow. The fucking gall on this fucking guy.
SPEAKER_04You know, you don't think I'm getting more than a 125 for disclosure day?
SPEAKER_03No, sure. I I no, I see it.
SPEAKER_04So I'm passing 500.
SPEAKER_03What if uh what if the audience just fucking hates it? What if what if you what if it what if what if it's a Michael situation for you? Are you the you get like a 90 but the 90s the critics didn't like Michael? I know, but what if it's a reverse Michael, I guess? What if it's a last of us situation for you?
SPEAKER_04I think you're coping about this like I cope about the box office draft.
SPEAKER_03Most definitely does it. I most definitely am doing that. Um but anyway, yes, that is our little Rotten Tomatoes catch-up. We've already established this. Also, part of the reason that we talk about the the box office one more is like we've had other private conversations about how it seems like Benjamin's got this year in the bag, so it's kind of hard for us to really want to engage with this fully. But I mean, we still will, of course, because yeah, I mean, we appreciate it. So we appreciate what we put put into it. Oh fuck, man. I love your dumb ass. So stupid.
SPEAKER_01All right, all right, all right.
SPEAKER_03All right, Benjamin, you have finally, finally, finally. I mean, I can't say it like this, I know that because I I also just started basically started it and finished it. But you have finally decided to dive in, swim around the world of Attack on Titan, the world of anime, your first venture. Do tell us how far you've gotten, what you think of the show so far, what you think of the characters so far, what you enjoy the most, what you don't like the most, what you hate, what you like the least, I should say.
SPEAKER_04Do tell, do tell. A couple weeks ago, when you were talking about it, Charlie, and I threw this comment, I said, I'll start by next week's episode. I found a loophole which was skipping last week's episode. I didn't have to start the show. You're joking, right? Yeah, I'm joking.
SPEAKER_03Okay, well, you know what? Well, you know what's funny though. You know what's funny because we made the agreement that I would watch Lord of the Rings. I did not watch.
SPEAKER_02I didn't know hey, but I got a defense, bro. I got a defense.
SPEAKER_03I I've been locked in on my YouTube right now. I I got another video that's coming out on Saturday. All right, I've been locked into my YouTube stuff, so I haven't really done anything outside of like uh Spider-Noir and stuff.
SPEAKER_04Are you like pretty free these next couple of days?
SPEAKER_03Yeah, I'm free tomorrow. I gotta take I'm taking Cassidy to the airport tonight, uh, but I'm free tomorrow. I have tomorrow off.
SPEAKER_04So here's the thing I am not watching a single episode of Attack on Titan until I get a texta you watch Lord of the Rings.
SPEAKER_02Oh my gosh, what?
SPEAKER_04Because when I brought it up a couple of weeks ago, I said I will start it, but you have to give to see. Yeah, I know you have to. So I'm listening.
SPEAKER_02I got a good reason though.
SPEAKER_04Like I said, I got a good reason, but I agree. And guess what? Now I'm now I've done my part. I need you to do your part, and then I I will continue the show. I'm not kidding about that.
SPEAKER_03All right, all right. You're right. I was it was it was rude of me to not to not hold up my end of the bargain.
SPEAKER_04I will be waiting for a quick text that says I watch Lord of the Rings, and then and then I will then I will continue.
SPEAKER_03What if I send it like like can I can I say that like I started it and then that's good? Like, like I will watch the whole thing, but can I send the text so then that way like you can start watching Attack on Titan like right away? Like, can I say like I'm starting it, and like I'm of course I'm going to finish it as well, but just like that is like your green your green light to be like, oh, I can watch more attack on Titan.
SPEAKER_07Sure. The boy's trying everything.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, that's cool beans.
SPEAKER_04Um, I am 10 episodes into the first season. Like do not watch shows at a crazy breakneck pace like Charlie does. Um yeah, it's been like about it's been like about an episode a day, and then sometimes a couple, just depending on what I have going on. But um, let's see, a couple of thoughts that I have. I mean, it's it's really good so far, like story-wise. Obviously, you kind of just get like thrown in, and I know that they're building a lot of lore, and there's gonna be a lot more stuff that I learn and whatnot. Uh, nothing's really surprised me. Like, I knew that um when that abnormal Titan showed up, like obviously, like I knew that Aaron Jaeger wasn't like actually dead, and so I was like, okay, I think I see what's going on, because it's like his passion for killing titans just translated into this new breed of Titan that showed up. It's like, okay, I kind of see what's going on, but I don't see how how we're getting there yet. Um so I just finished the the part where like it's it's just at the tail end of like he now knows that he like has the ability, he just doesn't know how to control it yet. Um he used it to protect Armin and Mikasa. Um so that's that's like the part that I just got to. Also assume you're watching the dub, right? Yeah. Um also like I just got introduced to Levi in like a very brief fashion, which was a change of pace because it's um you know going to a new group of characters compared to where we were at beforehand. Um, but like he's one of the coolest characters already. He's just that guy. Um, whereas like I'm not gonna lie, like mekisa is like aura farming the whole time. I love Mikasa.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, Mikasa is she's not aura farming.
SPEAKER_04Oh, that aura she just is aura, she is she's she's the embodiment of aura, yes. Armin, like he's starting to clutch up a little bit, but every time he talks, why is he so why like everything is the end of the world every time he speaks? Uh, I don't know if that's just like going to be a consistent theme of his character, just because he's a little biatch. Uh well, here's the thing that for him, it's just how he talks. I actually think Aaron Yeager might be the biggest bitch I've ever seen in cinematic history.
SPEAKER_03I'm sorry, you just said that you you just said that you saw him save Armin's life, throw Armin out of the mouth of a fucking Titan after getting his leg bit off. After that was after, and then he's sitting there like Armin, I'm not gonna let you die, or I'm not gonna die like this, and he's sticking his hand outside of the Titan, jump, his his arm goes away. You're telling me that's the biggest bitch you've ever seen. Oh my god.
SPEAKER_04Yes, okay, like he's he's getting better, and obviously, like his ability to transform into a titan, like I get that, but like I don't he's just crazy, like Armin whines with like his actual voice, but he's just like kind of scared and skittish. Armin is like he embodies whiny. Like, I I don't know what uh am I tripping with that? I feel like that's that's just kind of who he is right now in the story.
SPEAKER_07I mean, it he's he's passionate. I wouldn't say that he's like I wouldn't say he's a a bitch, I wouldn't say that he's like whiny. I feel like it's more so he's he's just passionate, and that passion doesn't have anywhere to go right now because he can only put so much of it towards his goal of killing all the titans ever.
SPEAKER_04Yeah.
SPEAKER_07Um that's at least how I view Aaron and the the the library that he's annoying, yeah.
SPEAKER_04I like he's all of it annoying for a while. Like, yeah, that's more what I mean, but okay.
SPEAKER_03Um I'll agree with yeah, I'll agree with annoying, but like annoying, yeah. Like, like Aaron, like he Aaron's annoying, but like, dude, even before that though, the dude, the the the titan that in his mind made it a possibility, made it so his mother was eaten alive. The colossal titan appears right in front of him. All of his other, all of the other scouts, of the not the scouts, but all of the other trainees, all the all the other recruits are standing there frozen. And Aaron's like, get this fucking shit in gear, bitches, and he fucking goes for it. You can't tell me that dude's a bitch. You can't tell me that.
SPEAKER_04It probably was just my wording choice, because like I agree with you that like, yeah, he's got guts, but he's just so I don't know, maybe annoying is just the the simplest way to put it, but he's very annoying, yeah. Sure. Um I know he'll lock in, but just like when you contrast that with like Mikasa, it's like she's just aura, you know. Sure, and and even even the little segment that I've gotten with Levi, him as well.
SPEAKER_03Like, oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_04Yeah. Um, yeah.
SPEAKER_03Honestly, I encourage you. I I agree because Aiden said this when we when I watched it, and I asked him if I if the way I saw it was was bad with the way my friend showed me. I do actually recommend that you go uh wait, what are you watching it on Hulu?
SPEAKER_00Yeah.
SPEAKER_03Oh, okay. Never mind. I don't think it's available on Hulu. Uh you'd have to you'd have to go to Crunchyroll. Uh, but there's a free there should be a free trial of Crunchyroll. But there's a there's a season of like uh backstory episodes or like side episodes. Uh I would recommend you watch Levi's backstory. There's part one and part two, because I I do actually do think it enhances uh the viewing experience a little bit.
SPEAKER_04Oh, that's not gonna be a part of the main show.
SPEAKER_03No, no.
SPEAKER_04Interesting.
SPEAKER_03It's I don't know. If you if you don't watch it now, you would watch it after the final season. Because like, yeah, even though it was released the entire season of of the backstory inside up, it was it was released in between uh part one of season four and part two, I believe. Or maybe it was no, no, yeah, yeah, it was because it was all 2022, something like that.
SPEAKER_04So yeah, I'm watching on Hulu, which is so annoying because like ads or what? Yeah, the intros are like it's like a 30-second intro. It's like a quick narration to bring you back into it, and then it plays the actual Attack on Titan intro, which is like a minute long. So of course, like I skip through it at this point. Like I watched it the first couple times, and I'm like, yeah, I'm skipping through it. And so it literally goes 30 seconds like it starts with ads, 30-second narration to bring us back into the story, skip through the minute intro, straight into ads again. See and like a 22-minute episode now takes almost 30 minutes to get through.
SPEAKER_03I have a hack for you, but the thing is, I know you like to watch the previously ons, so like I you can't do this hack if you like to watch that. But the moment the ad the first ad is over, start fast forwarding. If if you see that the episode begins with the actual intro of the show, like the musical intro and everything, if you skip to the where the next ad is, then you you you it won't give you another ad. You'll skip that first ad, technically. Gotcha. Um, but I agree with you. I got tired of it, and then I went over to Apple TV and got the free week of Crunchyroll, and I fucking grinded the show out. So ad-free.
SPEAKER_04So yeah, I mean, for every like three or four episodes I watch, I'm like losing an episode's worth of time to ads. Yeah, that's that's insane.
SPEAKER_03I made it halfway through season two doing that with the commercials and whatnot, and then I was like, all right, I'm I'm tired of this.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, uh, some other positives. The uh little intermission cards that give details on like the different lore. I think that's really cool. And the fact that they like so far they've done that in every single episode, sometimes multiple times per episode. Yeah, it's just like clear that that like the world building and lore is like really thought out. So I appreciate that a lot. Obviously, the Titans are cool. I'm always a fan of uh like large scale stuff like that, so that's cool. Um ODM gear, it's how I'm gonna become Spider-Man. So fire. We need that, you know. We need that. Fire. Um yeah, it's that stuff's cool, of course.
SPEAKER_03Um so like episode one, what were your like after at the end of it, what were you feeling? Were you like, damn, like I'm I'm locked in now or what?
SPEAKER_04Uh I I don't think like so far there's been nothing where I'm just like, oh shoot, like I'm dying to continue watching the show. Like it's really good, but there hasn't been like a key thing that is like really pulling in. It's pretty much exactly what I have expected it to be so far.
SPEAKER_06Okay. Cool.
SPEAKER_04But um the one I'll say like the one I don't have anything story-wise that is like bothersome to me. Um I mean the last episode that I just watched was like a little I was a little back and forth on because like I thought Aaron's plan of just like oh I'm gonna turn into I'm gonna turn into Titan form and I'm gonna escape and then I'm gonna go find the cellar or whatever. Like that as his solution when like the general was like about to you know blow into smitherenes with the the artillery there, that just seemed like a really dumb plan. It's like, oh, we could we could talk with them and reason and I I could like explain what's happening, and then his thought is just like, or I could like run away as a titan. And it's like wait, like that's really that's really stupid. Um, so that that was just that's a that's more of a minor thing, but it was just something that I I thought seemed a little dumb. And then also the um and maybe this is just an anime thing, and I'm getting used to it, but it it it's just a little jarring at first because it goes like just the style of animation, because it goes from actual animation to like just images, like well-drawn images and whatnot. Um, and I get that like obviously that saves on the animation budget, and even some of the drawings themselves are like really, really well done uh and whatnot. But it's just a bit of a jarring style, I would say, to get used to as somebody who doesn't watch anime.
SPEAKER_03So uh that's what I uh I know you didn't watch the section, but that's what I said last week because people want to pick on Invincible for just dragging a JPEG across the screen. I feel like those moments of just like the images drawn on with people still talking, that's the equivalent of that. Like they just don't want to animate that stuff, which is fine. Like, I I get the animation's a lot of work. Um, but I think that that's the equivalent. So if like if we're gonna rag on Invincible for doing like dragging a JPEG that's not really moving across the screen, I feel like we have to be fair and also talk about those. Not I don't want to necessarily say issues, those glaring points uh with with the Tagon Titan, and I assume other animes, even though I haven't seen uh others, but also in that same breath, and and Brandon uh mentioned this last week. Amazon is a multi-billion dollar company, they don't really have an excuse to do the dragging shit across the screen.
SPEAKER_04So yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, so it's good so far. Um obviously I'm curious about a lot of things. I think I only have one thing that was spoiled for me from me overhearing it a couple weeks ago because I didn't take my headphones off during your guys' discussion. So there's one thing that stuck with me. Um, other than that, I think you remember it.
SPEAKER_03You remember what is it?
SPEAKER_04I do because specifically, Charlie, you said it and they were you were just like, oh, sorry, Ben. Otherwise, I was completely tuned out, but because you said my name, then I was like aware for a second, it was um Titans being in the walls. Oh, okay.
SPEAKER_07Honestly, wait, okay. I didn't want you to go. What do you mean? Like, what do you think he means about Titans being in the walls? See now you're making me overthink this. Well, no, I just wonder what he's doing.
SPEAKER_04Is yeah, like literally, oh, I guess I didn't really think about it. I I guess I thought in my head that like somehow there's space between the walls that the Titans are in, which is how they can like suddenly show up and suddenly disappear, uh like the Colossal Titan did uh pretty early on. Um, but now you have me overthinking because it's like how would that even be a thing?
SPEAKER_07No, no, not necessarily.
SPEAKER_04I think he's just he's doing a he's doing a good thing right now.
SPEAKER_07I'm interested. Yeah, okay. Yeah, that's all. Yeah, uh it's it's a great, it's uh like I said, I I personally feel like cause uh I got one of my co workers to start watching it now. So That is three people in the span of like a week and a half that I was able to get to finally jump on board. Um he I asked him today how far how much have you watched? He's to the last arc of season one. Um and I told him this today. I was like, look, man, I think the middle section of season one is probably the slowest. Now that you're out of that, like the show does not slow down one bit for for like the rest of the show. Like I it just keeps going, keeps going. Um, so hang tight. I I don't think it's that big of a deal. I think it's a lot worse when I remember back on it because even Charlie was like, I didn't think it was that that bad. Um, but like where you're at right now, right after Aaron Transforms and his plan to to seal off the wall and things like that. This middle section is gonna be a lot of studying, a lot of world building, a lot of lore build-up. Um, after that, it's it's balls to the walls. So I think you're at a good spot right now to to kind of pause and talk about it, talk your thoughts out. Um, yeah, I'm excited to see to see where you go. That's yeah, that's nice. I'm glad you're enjoying it.
SPEAKER_04It will it will take me a while. Like, yeah, no, I'm sure I'm not gonna be 10 episodes already, though, and you were that is you were gone last week.
SPEAKER_03So that's true.
SPEAKER_04I'm not I'm just not gonna be like a three-week full watch like Charlie. Sure.
SPEAKER_03I like I never I knew you were never gonna be like that.
SPEAKER_07I knew I was just I was I was I knew he would, I knew as soon as he started to catch wind, he was just done for like a week would be it, Tosh. Uh, I do want to tell Charlie something really fast. If you want, if you could take your headphones off Ben for like just three seconds. I'm I'm gonna be quick.
SPEAKER_03Um, my buddies watched That was a good job with the wall thing. That was a good job.
SPEAKER_07Oh, yeah, no, because I'm like, dude, Titans in the walls. Like, what do you what do you mean, Titans in the walls? Like, people in there that is that's why I was like, Charlie, hold up. Uh, my buddy's watching it, like I said, and spoiler warning for attack on Titan, guys. If no one, if anyone's listening, um, he has a theory right now. He just got to the female titan. He has a theory that the female titan is Armin's mom, that the armor titan is Armin's dad, and that Grisha is the colossal titan. So I was like, so you just think it's like like you just think it's just straight up, you know, uh like and he doesn't have anything spoiled. Well, he's at the one yeah, like he just saw the female titan. I'm sure his theory is because the female titan takes Armin's hood off, it's like, oh motherly, he has no idea that it's Annie, and I think that's gonna rock his freaking world. Why Grisha, though, for the colossal titan? I know, no, I I was gent like I think his thing is like because he knows there's something up with Grisha in the cellar, and so because the colossal, I don't know, because he before anything with Armin's parents being titans, as soon as he saw the Colossal Titan, he said that his sentiment was that that's Aaron's dad, that that's Grisha. Aaron's a Titan, there's a Colossal Titan, maybe he passed it down, and that maybe Armin's gonna be a Titan, revealed to be a Titan soon. He thinks he is completely onto something. I was like, that is an insane theory, bro. Like, and then he said he's like, if there's uh if another girl titan shows up or something, then I'm gonna think that that's his mom. But right now I think his mom is dead. I was like, Whoa, you that is like a first.
SPEAKER_03Yes, I thought yeah, that one's that one's crazy. I'll be definitely come back and and and let us know if if it benched that far. I want to know what he thinks when he finds out it's Annie.
SPEAKER_07Oh, I can't wait. I told him I was like, season two, Rhina and Bearhold, bro. I need to be there. I'm joining the Discord and I'm I'm and I'm watching you react to that. Uh so yeah, that season two moment, and then I think that obviously there's some moments in season three that I want to see him react to. So I told I told my other buddy who's finished Attack of Titan, I was like, you tell me the minute y'all are watching season two, episode six, I'm there. I need to watch that reaction. So yeah, well, now Ben can come back. So casual. All right, Benji.
SPEAKER_05Beautiful.
SPEAKER_07Oh, Ben, by the way, I do think this is pretty interesting. Kane Pixels, I showed Charlie this uh because Brandon gave me this piece of info. Uh, he actually got big on YouTube posting attack on Titan videos, like he would make old historical attack. Don't go look them out, look them up because you'll hit spoilers. But he used to post old uh attack on Titan videos, but he would make them in a way that looked realistic. So it like Attack on Titan, Declaration of War, historical footage. Like, and and they like he made that's what got him big before he did the backrooms. So I thought it was funny. I told because Brandon had told me that, and I was like, Oh, I can't wait to tell Ben and Charlie that the the very media that they are shitting on, the very show that they are shitting on is the reason why this movie is being made that Ben is so in love with. Oh, backrooms, back rooms. We probably wouldn't even have backrooms without attack on titans. Wait, what? All right, we probably wouldn't even have attack on uh backrooms without attack on Titans influence.
SPEAKER_04Wait, since have I been like glazing and super excited for this movie?
SPEAKER_07Uh not not inherently, it was more so that you were excited for backrooms. And when I brought up uh when we talked about it during the draft, you were like, you were like, I know Charlie wouldn't have picked this, but me and me and Brandon were kind of uh um your competition for who would have taken backrooms. So I'm like, hey, Ben likes backrooms, Ben's messing with the backrooms. We wouldn't have that if it weren't for attack on Titan. So just figured I'd let you know.
SPEAKER_04Okay, I mean I understand what you're saying now, but I I don't it just uh it sounded like you were making a claim for my thoughts on the movie. That I know Ben's in love with the movie and it's because of Attack on Titan.
SPEAKER_07No, this was weeks ago. This was weeks ago. I had this sentiment. Yeah, okay.
SPEAKER_03Um, yeah, Benjamin, thank you for your AOT thoughts, and we're excited for you to keep watching, man. And actually, did I don't know if we asked you, do you have any theories going forward? Like last little little bit.
SPEAKER_04Uh I don't feel like I really have anything to theorize because like anything that I could theorize is just straight up like guesses. Like where the titans come from.
SPEAKER_03What about like how Aaron gets his powers or anything like that?
SPEAKER_04Uh that's yeah, Aaron's a freaking titan, yeah. In the uh yeah, in the in the belly of a titan and doesn't get disintegrated by the juices. Uh I don't know. I haven't well I will say they this isn't a spoiler.
SPEAKER_03They established that there's that they they don't have digestive tracts or digestive enzymes, so that's why. Well, right, I mean they don't have like genitals, right? Like that's yeah, yeah. They don't yeah, they don't have uh reproductive organs, where and they don't have dignity where would it go, you know? Sure.
SPEAKER_04Yeah. Um other than that, I don't know. I don't know why uh him biting himself would make that happen. I don't know. He mentioned something about like it only happened to the extent that it needed to for the current task at hand. That was an interesting comment as well. So I don't really have any I don't know. I don't have any running theories because like so far I've just been like fed stuff and waiting for more. There I don't feel like there's enough breadcrumbs for me to start even like thinking about those things. And maybe, I mean, there's probably obvious stuff that I'm just not picking up on, but uh yeah, nothing yet.
SPEAKER_03Okay, I just can't I guess not that I can't believe it, but like that moment when Mikas is like about to die, and you just see a Titan punching another Titan, you're like, that's Aaron. Like you just put that together in your head, okay. Not like that's gotta be Aaron because like Aaron wants to kill all of them, so like, and this is the first Titan I've seen killing other titans, so like it wasn't instant, but it was that episode, like it was very quick. Gotcha, okay. I mean, and I made the slight connection just looking at his hair.
SPEAKER_02I was like, that hair kind of looks like Aaron's hair.
SPEAKER_07Yeah, my my buddy did the same thing. My my coworker said that he pretty much figured that that was that was Aaron, and he looked at the hair, which I was like I also just like I had there was no way there was no way that I was going to believe that they actually killed him off like a few episodes in.
SPEAKER_03Sure, and I didn't believe that either, but I just didn't know how they were gonna bring him back, and I think that's what that's what that was the shocking part for me. Sure. But anyway, yeah, cool beans. Um let's dive in to our oh, you want to do this first.
SPEAKER_07I'm not gonna be able to be a part of this discussion, so okay.
SPEAKER_03I guess that's fair. That's fair. Yeah, we'll do that. We'll that we'll do that first then.
SPEAKER_04Oh, yes, I forgot that we had two more things.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, yeah, we had two more things. Uh that boy's itching to go. Uh yeah, so Spider Noir, man. Um, our thoughts on the show in three, two, one. Double. See, I thought about doing a double, but I think I'll just do a one.
SPEAKER_04This was a this was a big surprise for me.
SPEAKER_03Sure. Almost how did you watch it first? Black and white?
SPEAKER_04So yeah, uh I'll I'll explain and then I want to hear from you. But I was going to go every other episode switching back and forth.
SPEAKER_00Oh, okay.
SPEAKER_04Um, but I started in color and probably like 15 minutes into the first episode, and I don't remember the exact moment, but a little bit into the first episode, it became so clear to me that this show was shot and lit specifically to be in black and white. Not that the color was bad.
SPEAKER_03I don't know, but I don't know if I agree with that, but continue.
SPEAKER_04But it it it was there was a couple of specific scenes where I was just like, I feel like this is specifically made to like contrast lighting with the shadows. Sure. And so I switched to black and white and I stuck with that for most of it. I switched back and forth a couple of times because I was curious what certain characters looked like.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, okay.
SPEAKER_04Other than that, I did black and white most of the way.
SPEAKER_03Really? Wow, okay. Gang, dang, gang?
SPEAKER_04What did you do?
SPEAKER_03I I did color. I did color pretty much the entire way through. I watched one episode entirely in black and white. I think it was episode five. Yeah, I think it was episode five. That's the one I did in in black and white. Why that one? Uh, I don't know. I just I because I watched, I I I split the show up into two days, and then I think I went into day two on episode five, and then I was like, you know what? I'll try black and white out. I want to uh I'll see what it's like. And so I just when I loaded the show back up, it just happened to be episode five, and I was like, I'll just I'll just watch this episode on black and white. Uh and yeah, I just I don't know if I agree. Maybe I mean you would probably know more about like uh uh what goes into shooting in black and white via blocking, uh lighting, everything like that, than I would. But I it just kind of took away from the experience for me. Also, just knowing what it looks like in color, like it is very it is a very vibrant, very well uh color, color corrected, very uh very well shot show in general, and just the way that simple things like him sitting on a staircase reading a newspaper, and off in the background, I can see the night skyline of New York and like the all the neon lights shining their different colors, and like they're not shying away from the radiancy of those colors. I was like, I I do not want to rob myself of this. Like, like, this is one of the very few superhero projects, I think, nowadays, that like really dives into the color correction and then and and making sure all of that has a specific vibe. Like, uh I don't want it's not to take them uh uh the opportunity to like shit on Marvel or anything, but like I I'd say for a large part of their movies, like that that that has been lacking. Uh right, maybe not so much as of late, but in the past that it has been an issue for them. But to watch so seeing this, and and and I I wanted to enjoy it as much as I possibly could. Not that I wouldn't enjoy it in black and white, because I I didn't mind the the one episode I watched, but I just feel like color was the way to go for me.
SPEAKER_04But I think I mean I respect your black and white watching, though, I guess there's there's a good chance that I watch this again with a group of friends, and I'll maybe try to push to watch it in color that time because like I I agree that like it's a it's a very well like the cinematography and the colors and whatnot is very, very well done. And more so I think um one for like the noir aesthetic of it, like it's set during the Great Depression, it very much mimics you know a private investigator in that time period, like that's part of the whole shtick of it. So it kind of gives it a bit more of that vibe with like the authenticity of the time period and whatever. Um so I think both have their draw. Uh, it more so was like, you know, obviously it worked in color, but there's also they lit it in a very specific way so that when they do the black and white, it also works in the black and white. And I think there was maybe just some scenes early on where it just like I really could tell that certain scenes were done specifically so that they they could do the black and white, and that's when I made the switch and I just decided to stay with it. Um it's you know, it's not something where it's you know, I don't think there's a correct way to do it. Uh, and I think everybody's everybody's gonna have, you know, a different experience. Obviously, like I switched it for some things because I was like so curious about like, okay, I see what this character looks like, but what color is this thing? You know, does their color change or whatever?
SPEAKER_03The one episode I watched, I actually uh with uh Kat's character, like the dress she was wearing, I really wanted to see what color that was. So then I I would I would rewound it and I I watched little sections. Um yeah, uh I I agree with you. I don't think there's a specific way to watch the show. Uh I I and I I I think that's a a testament to the show as well. Yeah, but anyway, diving into the story beats a little bit. You know, actually, I want to talk about performance first with Nick Cage. I've never been a great Nick Cage guy, but that's heartbreaking. Well, uh, you know what, actually, because I grew up on National Treasure, I loved those movies. So, like, to a certain extent, I just watched the second movie like last really I'm not even kidding. I love I I love both of those movies. I think that's a good one.
SPEAKER_04Well, guess what? His character's name is Ben, and his assistant is Riley, and Riley. His name is Ben.
SPEAKER_02Oh shit.
SPEAKER_03I actually forgot about Riley. I forgot about that. Yeah, that's funny, actually. Uh, but for like he does a good job in this, and it's not too nick cagey over the top, aside from I think it's episode six, uh, where there's a lot of like the flashbacky stuff to him getting his when he first got bit and then having to deal with that. And then when he's also getting cut open and he's walking down the hallway, he's doing like his fidgety, like, I'm like, all right, dude. Like, this is you thought that was too much. I just thought it was it was a nick, it was a very clearly a Nick Cage edition. Like, I don't I don't think that that was uh written into the script by any means. I think he just wanted to do that to sell the character, which I don't disagree. I don't think that was the wrong choice necessarily, but I was just like, all right, uh maybe it's just because it was Nick Cage, truthfully for me.
SPEAKER_04But but a I feel like a lot of the moments with him were really, really great. I think it's episode three where uh he has like the he does the pose and he's just like it's Tai Chi. And then later later on, as he's Spider-Noir, he's a I was telling you, Tai Chi. Um or like I thought the the moment you were about to mention was the uh like the bar fight and the post bar fight. Um, but I think that's episode seven, I believe. But I thought you were gonna mention that um because afterwards is that moment that was also in the trailer where he's like talking about it uh back at his office. Oh, oh, oh. When he's talking about God blessed. Yeah, like that was funny.
SPEAKER_03I actually thought that was funny.
SPEAKER_04Yes, I I've always loved uh Nick Cage's shtick. Uh I mean, obviously, like it it's an easy thing to let get out of control and become a little too much and too jarring, and especially like this like Spider-Noir didn't really have that shtick in into the Spider-Verse. Obviously, like very minor character, and we don't even think that this is the same character from that multiverse and whatever. And there's a good chance that this is actually just Peter Parker. We'll talk about that. Oh, yeah, because yeah, he he's they said he changed his name.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_04Um, so I think from that perspective, like this being very like Nick Cage coded worked really well for me, and like Spider-Noir having a very like distinct personality, I actually think that his shtick fit very well into his character and being a private investigator slash retired superhero, all of that I think actually blended really well together.
SPEAKER_03Sure. I know I I I think I agree with that. Also, just the way that he plays up um his the emotional the emotional scenes with him talking about Ruby and like uh his genuine like yearning for like that connection with another person, and I think that comes across really well with with uh how he feels about cat and then how he feels after everything happens with Kat. Uh, I do enjoy that. I enjoy everything about that. I as far as the other performances, too. Uh the guy plays Robbie, I thought was great, I thought he was hilarious. I thought he was uh a wonderful addition.
SPEAKER_04You want the door open or closed?
SPEAKER_03All right. So fire. That was so fire. Oh my gosh. Yeah, but um oh oh, Silvermane, the guy who plays Silvermane. I thought he was really, really good as well. Oh, Brendan Gleason. Yeah, is that his name? Yeah, great stuff out of him, truthfully. Uh, I can't help but feel like it was like a just an attempt at like a kingpin kind of thing. Like I feel like that's hard to like differentiate to a certain extent with just being like a crime boss uh guy in a superhero universe. Sure. But I I do I as far as like his character goes, I still think that like he was it was really well done. And uh his fear, I guess, or the way he sells fear to to everybody, whether it be Kat or like uh the people he works with uh or work for him, uh, etc. etc. I think was really well done as well. Uh including like the mayor and everything with that. I think uh the way he handles that is is funny. But as far as the actual show goes, with the story and everything like that, the only like rather maybe large problem that I might have with it is just the uh the pacing of it. I feel like it uh at the end there, it it seems like they're just kind of rushing to this end with uh especially like the way that Silverman is taken out. Like it it I don't know, the everything it didn't seem like when they were sitting downstairs and before everything goes awry, before Robbie shows up dressed as uh as Spider, as the spider. I this didn't feel like this was gonna be like the the last little bit here, especially with like the the antidote being left behind and everything like that. This didn't this felt like it it would it was gonna go on for at least another episode, maybe two. So then for it all to like jumble up as it did, it it seemed like it was a bit rushed to me. With that being said, I enjoyed everything that happened within it, though. Uh I think that the fights b between him and let's just call him Electro because I forget his name. Uh Electro and um Sandman, I thought were really good between him and Flint and Sandman. Even though I was a little confused as to why Flint was beating the shit out of him right there. Like Flint, as far as I can understand, didn't like his condition. And he what he was like, but I'm stuck with it now. But then he sees this antidote and he saw that it cures somebody because it cured his his buddy, the uh cured Lonnie. So like, why wouldn't you take that too? Like, why are you beating the shit out of the guy who has the thing that could that could make you not die anymore? But uh, I don't know. Uh I I get it for the electro guy. He seemed to enjoy his powers, like he enjoyed doing what he did with them. But like for Flint, his his change only comes when Electro hurts a cat and then he starts hurting Electro. Uh but I don't know. I don't want to get too like haty on the show because I I do I I enjoy it a lot. I think uh it it was it was very good and surprisingly like what is this? This is the first live action Spider-Man show since like I believe like the the nineties or something. Uh the nineties, maybe the eighties, with that like really bad actually that might have been a movie. Maybe it's the Japanese Spider-M show. I don't know. It's been a long time since there's been a live-action Spider-Man show, and I think this looks great for for everything that that it does, truthfully. Even like they don't they didn't have the budget to do Sandman like how Sandman was done in Spider-Man 3 or anything like that, but I still think for this universe and for this time period or for whatever, this works. It works really well. I I was I didn't need to see Sandman go crazy big, crazy large, uh anything like that. I think that this and even Lonnie was a little bit weird to me because it I don't it looked like he was like turning into a bug almost, but like he's too that's tombstone. I know that's tombstone, so like his his skin should just be getting like rock hard or something, but I don't know.
SPEAKER_04I actually thought that the incorporation of all of the villains and characters into the time period worked like surprisingly well. Absolutely. Uh even just their backstory. I I feel like I totally bought into how everyone became the way that they did. Um crazy to see he uh actually see uh man spider in the show, yeah, yeah, yeah. And like they fully committed to that, um, and showing some of the other experiments and and whatnot, which is kind of I mean, that's we'll maybe touch on this uh a little bit, but like I was surprised at a couple specific moments of like incense intensity or gore, and also like a random f-bomb in like the fifth episode by Robbie when he's looking for Lonnie. Yes, that was so random.
SPEAKER_02I mean, that was so I was actually so random.
SPEAKER_04I forgot about it. Did he just in just in passing? Like, that's like right.
SPEAKER_01So my gosh.
SPEAKER_04There's a couple moments where like I was like, oh my gosh, this showed. I mean, like, it fits the vibe of the show, but a guy getting his throat slit, and then like the specifically the flashback scene, uh, and like the surgery stuff, obviously. It's like it fit the tone of the show, but also like a wild swing for them to go for those things in a Spider-Man show. Maybe maybe they understood that like for a Spider-Noir live action TV show, like their audience isn't gonna swing like super young. Like, we're probably like the young end of the audience who want to be watching a show like this. Uh, so I think that could that could be part of it. I just thought that that was kind of funny, but uh yeah, the incorporation of the characters was like it surprisingly worked really well that like all of a sudden you had like Electro and Sandman, and they just like feel like they fit even in this time period. So yeah.
SPEAKER_03I thought that was interested in Kat because I feel like Kat Hardy, I feel like that was very specific, like Felicia Hardy. I thought, and like she's black cat, so Kat Hardy. I I figured that that's kind of what they were leaning into, and I thought that might go somewhere, but it's never, it's just her name. Like, should there's never like even a nod for her being that. So uh I think that that was probably that was intentional naming her that for the nod, but I I don't think that they ever planned on doing anything. Uh another highlight for me is the uh the whole the whole rat thing, uh, the way that that all played out and him setting up one of his boys. I thought that was really good.
SPEAKER_01Like even down to like yeah, that was so good.
SPEAKER_03The marked bill thing. And then when right when they pull up, uh when he when he kidnaps everybody, when Silverman kidnaps everybody, and then he says to him, Oh, look, he's got all the answers. And I was like, All the answers, yeah. Shit, this is some good stuff, man. Good stuff.
SPEAKER_04No, that yeah, I loved that side of things. Um, I did you mention the ending, so I wanted to touch on that. I do think the Silvermane moment specifically was rushed, but I didn't feel like anything else was super rushed. Um, and actually I loved the dynamic, which like you know, when Riley is calling the spider, I didn't think he was on the phone with anybody. And then he's like, Here, you want to talk to him? I'm like, What is happening? And then, you know, he told he said that the spider was gonna come, and I'm like, so we're just screwed. Like I thought multiple times, like, I knew what was going to happen, or I knew the situation, and I was wrong. And then Robbie showed up and the antidote was inject. I was like, this is great. I like I was loving it the whole time, and I I mean, I was just surprised in general, like with the whole show. Um, because this, like, I'm not comparing this quality-wise, but to me, this is a situation like the penguin, which is like, okay, this is a cool, small role in a movie that I like. I don't see how they can justify making a whole show specifically about this character. Sure. And then they did it. Obviously, I like the penguin better than this, way more than this, but this is still like a really, really good show. Uh sure. And like I'm very, very happy with with the end result. It's like it's better than I expected. This is kind of like it. This is almost the ideal situation for what I would want if this turned out well.
SPEAKER_03Yeah. No, yeah, I I and I agree. Yeah. Uh I shot my shot with this and it it panned out, even though I was also a doubter of it right after I shot my shot with it.
SPEAKER_04So yeah. Um yeah. Just comic book movies this year so far have been so good. Like we started with Wonder Man, we got an amazing season of Daredevil, an amazing season of Invincible. The boys is like clearly the worst out of these comic book shows. Clearly the worst. Um, and you're not even excited for vision. Oh man, I think vision's gonna be good. Yeah, I'm not that excited for it. Um, but to me, this is let me look at my list just to make sure. This is the seventh new season of television that I've finished this year. So wow, that's big for you.
SPEAKER_03You're used to crazy, no, no TV show guy. Look at this guy, yeah.
SPEAKER_04Um, which is the the five comic book shows that I just listed, and then uh Monarch Legacy of Monsters and Beef Season 2. But literally my top four is Daredevil Invincible, Wonder Man, and Spider Noir. Like in the Yeah, okay. Um, because I would give this an eight out of ten, and the the three above it are all nines. Like, I I loved all of those like a lot. Watermelon is so good. So, and just thinking ahead, even like I know for you guys you're excited for X-Men 97. Like you guys are over the moon about you will be too.
SPEAKER_03You will when you finally watch it, you will be too.
SPEAKER_04I know, and I have a month.
SPEAKER_03I need to I need I shouldn't have started. It's coming so much fa sooner than I thought it would be. Right as well.
SPEAKER_04So it just like this is such a this is such an upswing for comic book media in general. Like, I would even say we've said this about Marvel too, but like they've been in an upswing recently. Like, we're all excited for Spider-Man, uh, we're expecting it to be great, and then that could be like huge momentum going into Doomsday. So um it's just like crazy that that's that's the world that we live in. Um and we can just get such a variety of comic book shows, but that they all can be good in their own way. So this was a this was a very, very big surprise. Um, I ended up binging this pretty hard. Like I I watched the first couple episodes, and then I watched episode three the next day, and then um the other day I just like I literally watched like five episodes basically back to back to back.
SPEAKER_03See, that's what I mean, bro. You were you did that and you watched AOT. I think I think you'll watch more AOT than than you think you will.
SPEAKER_04Dude, I'm just I yeah, I feel like I'm watching a lot of stuff because like I also re-watched Obsession. I'm re-watching backrooms on Thursday because the same thing is happening where I went and now a group of my friends want to go see it. And it's like, guys, you just gotta be on the wave when I'm like I go opening night, just be on the wave when I'm on the wave, and then I'll only see it once. So uh yeah, watching watching a lot, a lot of stuff. Um but this was great. This was great. It was, yeah. I was very big. Spider Noir, everybody. I don't know where they take a season two as kind of a final thought, because like yeah, there were the experiments, obviously, but we basically had a select group.
SPEAKER_03Sorry, I gave you maybe maybe take your headphones off just for a little longer age. Just briefly, yeah, because we're we're doing one last thing. All right.
SPEAKER_04Uh we have this group of individuals who are experimented on. We saw some of them in this story, and then we saw a lot of them just dead, uh, trying to like you know, trying to fix them.
SPEAKER_03But like probably not all of them, yeah.
SPEAKER_04I don't I don't know that answer, but like it just kind of feels like an open and shut story. Like we had the the the dead group and the alive group, and then you know, where do you go from here?
SPEAKER_03So see, that's my thing. I don't know if I don't know if a season two would happen. That's the thing. Like I don't need it. Yeah, me either. That's the yeah. And I yeah, I would I would watch it as well. But yeah, I don't think I don't think I need it. Uh I don't think it needs to be made, but I just wonder what would go into well obviously viewership would is is what would make them make another one, but I don't know. I I I I don't know where they go from here either. Yeah, because like I don't I wouldn't want to I don't think I'd want another like oh monster uh monsters in the city kind of kind of deal. But obviously you'd have to have some of that just to for to fill out his rogues gallery a bit more, but like maybe don't focus so much on the fact that they're like monsters. I don't know. I'm truly damned. Yep, but as you said, as you said, I'd be here for it though.
SPEAKER_04So yeah, yeah, that yeah, it was great. Even like the penultimate episode ending on like all these different situations happening at the same time, and then you had uh Silvermane and and the mayor both at the same time being like, Bring me bring me Ben Riley for different reasons.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, all yeah, that was that was good actually. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah, I was frustrated with Kat, bro. She kept just firing her her gun like indiscriminately. I'm like, it's a tiny little gun. I was like, dude, you there is no way you got that. I thought she ran out, to be honest. Me too. Uh when she was gonna when she finally shot Silverman, I thought she was gonna be out. Yeah. And then she's finally out when she goes down there, downstairs, and tries to shoot Electro, but whatever. Yeah, good show. Damn, this boy loves to snap now. So yeah, when Nick Cage went and humped the giant spider.
SPEAKER_07Uh yo, I'm pressing play right now. What the fuck?
SPEAKER_04My name's Ben Riley. I had sex with a spider.
SPEAKER_03Yo, that was actually a really good impression. No, it wasn't.
SPEAKER_07It was kind of mid.
SPEAKER_03You can even see the show.
SPEAKER_07It was mid. Look at a stupid little Texas shirt.
SPEAKER_04Remember a few weeks ago I did like five different impressions, and you made fun of me for that.
SPEAKER_03Uh anyway, on to our final topic of discussion for the episode. The back rooms movie.
SPEAKER_07Oh shit, bro. We just no-clipped where we at. Yo, yo, guys.
SPEAKER_03And that's the podcast, everybody. Bye bye.
SPEAKER_07Guys, where are we at? Did you guys hear that?
SPEAKER_03No way. I'm no way. I'm we're here with two nerds, bro.
SPEAKER_07Oh god, here goes this guy. Yo, Ben, watch out there, bro. Imagine he just like actually, dude.
SPEAKER_03If he actually did that, what would we even do? We like we message Reagan, like, yo, go downstairs, dude.
SPEAKER_07Like, this would be iconic footage.
SPEAKER_05This guy, why does he have the camera set up?
SPEAKER_04Wait, what's the camera for?
SPEAKER_05Why do you have the camera there?
SPEAKER_04Dude, I gotta see what's happening back there. Oh my gosh. I've been hearing noises. If anything comes out, it's raps for me. Your lights off.
SPEAKER_07We were talking, we were talking about how iconic this video would be if you like actually just genuinely no clip through there and like what we should do.
SPEAKER_03I was like, what would we even do, man?
SPEAKER_04I just died.
unknownLike, what?
SPEAKER_03Like, do we just message Reagan? Like, I don't know, like I don't know. What do we do? Uh, but anyway, our thoughts, initial reactions to the back rooms. Is it the back rooms or just back rooms? I think it's just back rooms to back rooms in three, two, one.
SPEAKER_05I knew you would, Charlie. I knew you wouldn't like this movie. I knew you wouldn't like this movie. Yeah, man.
unknownYeah, man.
SPEAKER_04I knew you wouldn't.
SPEAKER_07No, I was I was hoping.
SPEAKER_04Oh my god, I'm so Aiden, Aiden, Aiden, Aiden. There was never a world where Charlie liked this movie.
SPEAKER_07But like, I like I'm gonna lie.
SPEAKER_04I I need to know why he does it.
SPEAKER_03I personally, I think it's like a me thing. I think uh it's a Charlie thing. I don't find the backrooms scary whatsoever.
SPEAKER_04That is not what I thought you were gonna say. Now you're now you're I do just it's just me personally.
SPEAKER_03I don't find them scary. What is scary is the monster part of it, but I I know from going in, like, there's a lot of contention that there's not even supposed to be a monster in there, so like uh obviously I lean more towards there being a monster because I think that's what makes it scary, but there are people who think that the just the concept in and of itself is scary, and I I just can't get behind that.
SPEAKER_04We could can we pause for a second and just some people have been falsely saying that there was never supposed to be a monster in the backrooms.
SPEAKER_07Yeah, I feel like that's false because within Kane's all of Kane's found footage, it's all been like there's always been well sure, but Kane's stuff is inspired by like stuff that already existed.
SPEAKER_04The original post for the backrooms says something about there being things in there that can hear you. Like, be careful about you making noise. Like, if you don't hear them, they might still hear you. It's it's not like directly said that like, oh, there's things in the back, sure. But it it is alluded to that, like, yeah, there's there's life or something else in there.
SPEAKER_03Sure. Because like the original thing is just the the picture, yeah.
SPEAKER_04It's just it's the picture, but the text itself alludes to something more. I just I thought you wouldn't like this movie specifically from like a for the character's perspective of things. I mean, it's also that it's also that similar to like uh an alien romulus or something like that, where like it can be really well like filmed.
SPEAKER_00See, I actually feel like Alien Romulus had better characters in this movie.
SPEAKER_04Well, I agree with you, but like that was one of the reasons you didn't like Alien Romulus. Uh so I I thought it would be that, but the back room is not like you're saying that him exploring for like that that dude, yeah, that was fucking awesome with the music. That was insane.
SPEAKER_05Oh my god.
SPEAKER_03Watching him, watching him what was eerie was the found footage type, like the holding the camera. That stuff gave me an eerie feeling.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, I think you would have to.
SPEAKER_03The found footage stuff, yeah.
SPEAKER_04I that could be more of the movie. I agree with you there a hundred percent.
SPEAKER_03I might check those out because like that gave me because like the opening of the movie, that's like that guy's running from the monster and he's like trying to like contact his his like it's very hectic, it's very just like like I'm looking at this no-clipping stuff through a fucking shitty little camcorder. Um, that stuff did get to me a little bit. Like that stuff was creepy, that stuff was eerie. But when I'm watching this shit in full fucking 4K, I don't know the actor how to say the actor's name, but Chiwetto. When I'm watching Chiwetto go through the the backrooms in 4K slow camera movement, it's not doing anything for me, man. I disagree, dude.
SPEAKER_07I disagree so much. I thought that was like uh that that sequence of him exploring it by himself and then getting chased by the entity in there, like that was where it was just cooking with gas for me, dude. I absolutely love that. I thought it was so cool. Man, that's there, that's very disappointing.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, I just I don't know, man. It's uh Avengers does it clock, perfect. I don't care, of course.
SPEAKER_03But uh yeah, I don't know, man. I dude it yeah, yeah, yeah. Listen, it's just like like I I don't know, man. Like the the like the rooms aren't creepy to me. Like, what is creepy about it to you guys? Like genuinely asking. Because like it it just as they describe it, it just looks like an office building, bro. It literally just looks like like all I'm looking at is like a an office building or like a really like a grandma's house, like with the wallpaper or something, like with just a bunch of empty rooms. Like, I just don't get what is scary about it. What is easy? What what the what gives you that feeling?
SPEAKER_07I think the scariest part is is kind of what your mind makes up. Like, if you just even if you look, I mean, at least for me, like just looking at that right there, I am I feel uneasy because of what I can imagine is around the corner, what I can imagine is is in those dead spots that I'm that I'm seeing. That for me, and that feeling of being scared or walking around an empty office at night, or um uh walking down a a weird, creepy looking neighborhood. For me at least, it's unsettling what could be in that liminal space, or um what my mind it's like whenever you whenever you go shut the lights off in the kitchen and you're walking back to your room and you just like feel like there's something breathing behind you. That same feeling is what is what the the backrooms or what these liminal spaces kind of instill in me. And it's also just a feeling I feel like of nostalgia. Uh, I think it's a mix of nostalgia and dread.
SPEAKER_00Um nostalgia it's a weird that's 10 years ago. This fucking boy. Wait, what are you talking about?
SPEAKER_07That's when the back that's that's when the back rooms that's oh no, I'm not talking about I'm not talking about nostalgia for the backrooms. Fuck. I'm talking about like if I see a liminal space that reminds me of something that I've been familiar to in my childhood or something, I feel like I've seen that before, you know, that mix of nostalgia plus what I can imagine is around the corner, or the the the quietness of it all, how eerie everything is, all those feelings mix give me a really uneasy, uneasy feeling. So when I'm watching Clark walk around and turn every corner or hearing a noise whenever he's supposed to be the only one in there, to his knowledge, like stuff like that gets me, man. I think it gets me so good.
SPEAKER_03And maybe that's my problem too. I don't think that was properly conveyed with Clark, like the idea of just like the being scared of of what could be around the corner. Well, I don't think he's actively like going. No, and that's I don't think I think that's an issue. I think that's an issue then as well. Because like if the entire idea behind this is just that it like it it gives you an eerie, creepy feeling. Why is he absolutely compelled to keep going around every single corner and keep going deeper and deeper? The only point in which he decides to abandon the whole thing in that moment is when there's a monster and he can hear that there's a monster potentially coming after him. So, like, that's the monster that's causing him to have that fear, not the place itself, the monster.
SPEAKER_07Well, uh, and that's the thing. I don't think he is scared. I don't think the character of Clark is scared of the back room. So as soon as he turns around and goes to his therapist, he's over the moon about this cool discovery, this cool place that he found in his furniture store. And I think that's because of things that happen with this character, everything that's happened with his wife. He sleeps in the furniture store. Like this man has like absolutely nothing, he has nothing going for him. So he hyperfixates on this uh on this place that he finds in his furniture store. And I think that's ultimately like jumping to the end is why he behaves the way that he does, because he's so obsessed and so fixated on finally having something that he feels like gives his life meaning because he's otherwise just a sad piece of shit, a sad, angry piece of shit. So I don't even think that in that moment he's supposed to be, I don't even think it's supposed to convey like that Clark himself is scared. Now he sees the entity, then he freaks out, but then they do a time jump that he's been kind of going in there and and uh you know exploring it a lot more. We see at the end of the movie that he's familiar with the entity, he's been walking side by side with it. I don't think that feeling immediately is supposed. To be is supposed to show Clark being scared. I think it's more so showing Clark being intrigued, which is why he's so happy to turn around and tell his therapist about everything.
SPEAKER_04I have a different perspective than Aiden, because like this image behind us doesn't this doesn't do too much for me. Um I don't know what it specifically is, but it's when it's when something like that becomes a little more uncanny. So like a tiny little door that shouldn't shouldn't be there in the first place.
SPEAKER_03Like when he wouldn't he goes through to run away from the monster kind of thing.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, that's an example. The hole with like the chairs where he like looks down and you know that kind of thing, or the random like ledge that's just like sticking up out of the floor that's out of place. Like there's those things to me where it becomes a little uncanny, where it's kind of just like it's an un yeah, this this is a good example as well. Um it's just like a specific, unsettling, like this isn't quite a real place, and like nothing could have really like made this place. Um there's an uneasiness to like the uncertainty within it. Obviously, I agree that like when there's a monster there, that's more scary. Like the found footage section, which we're I mean, we're kind of jumping, we've jumped into some stuff anyways. The found footage section, when he goes into the room with the Christmas tree, I mean, yeah, that's oh, that is horrifying. That shit hit me. Yeah, yeah. That was the worst part when she starts walking.
SPEAKER_03Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. But then even before that, though, with like the bodies halfway, like no clipped into the ground, like halfway up, that was like, oh shit.
SPEAKER_07Like, yeah, I felt today. Even to your even to your point, Ben, like the Christmas tree, also nostalgia. Like, it for me, it just mixes that in there that really tricks my brain into like what am I supposed to feel right now? Like worriedness, nostalgia, scared, like, but continue, please.
SPEAKER_04I so for me, like, yeah, if it's just like an empty room with like hallways, that's not anything too crazy, but like as that potential expands, there's an uneasiness to just like the abnormality to it. Um, and I I feel like it like it gets that becomes more apparent the more that times go time goes on and the more weird things get. Like, I'll I'll give you that a hundred percent. But for me, like knowing that's where we're going, it's already like an inherent uneasy thing, just like being in that liminal space. Uh that to me has a draw to it. Obviously, like those other moments later on are like way more standout than than stuff earlier on. Um, but I like I didn't find it boring just like walking around, especially knowing that like, yeah, they built all of these sets practically, and like you can tell they built these sets practically, and some of them, even late in the movie, like when we get to the third act and we're like going basically from set to set very quickly, which you know we'll touch on that uh a bit later. Even when we're doing that, I'm like they actually just built this like warehouses of sets so that they could have 30 seconds in this one room. And like I just thought that whole aspect of it was was really cool to see. So I guess for me, like it wasn't always necessarily like I'm on the edge of my seat, I'm afraid. There's an uneasiness, but also an intrigue similar to what Clark has early on, and then obviously there's scenes where it's just legitimately scary, but that's the draw for me, is like it's also just interesting for me. I don't just go like, oh, that stop sign is backwards and shouldn't be there. That's weird. It's like, no, that's like an uneasy, like, how did it get there? And then when it's when you view the backrooms as like an entity that remembers reality, but just like remembers misremembers reality, when you view it from that perspective, that's just like inherently a scary thing, even just like the early on the early on when he like turns the corner and there's like the voices, and you don't really know what's happening, and then that turns out to be a cardboard cutout, that was that was freaking me out. Like, I don't maybe that's just me. That's the thing. No, that's what I feel like.
SPEAKER_07I agree.
SPEAKER_03I just yeah, like I don't feel that like that's like I I guess like that's the difference, is like that did not I will say it freaked me out, but again, this is the this is the handheld camcorder stuff, all that stuff is what did freak me out. But when the boyfriend guy goes down the the thing and he's looking at the piles of clothes, and you see the face, yeah, you see the face of the cut cut. That was the face of the cutout, and like it took me a second to realize that, but like that was creepy to me. The way it was sitting in that pile of clothes, I was like, holy shit. But like, again, like that's the that's the handheld camcorder stuff. Like, I think Kane did that stuff really good because I think Kane's really good at that. But like, none of the I don't know, man. None of the the other stuff. Also, the idea of the backrooms, I don't know if this has always been the idea of them, but like the idea of the backrooms being the outside world but just being misremembered, don't know if I love that either. Because like I I don't think that that makes it more creepy in a way, because as we as we saw, like there's different levels to it remembering just a simple place. And like at that point, like what's the point of it being that up there? It looks completely unrecognizable to that room beforehand. And so, like, why is that creepy? It's it's not even the same room anymore. So, like, why would it but that's obviously not always the case because we see the uh the furniture store looks almost one-to-one. Uh, I don't know, like, like what maybe is that was creepy too, is like you don't know at what point in time you are in these specific places at any given point because like the store is maybe that was just freshly remembered by the backrooms. And it just leaves me with so many questions too. That like, I mean, they just announced that they're in early development of the second one, so like maybe that kind of stuff would be answered, but I don't know. I d I it just I was it wasn't a in a satisfy I wasn't left in a satisfied way with a lot of w the directions they went with for both the backrooms and also the characters, which we haven't talked about yet.
SPEAKER_04But I just think that like if that's how you feel, then you won't like a lot of the backrooms lore in general because a big point of it is to be kind of this ambiguous thing that like you as the viewer enjoy part of it because you fill in the blanks a little bit.
SPEAKER_03No, and that's what I'm saying. That's why I don't think I like putting the idea of this exists because it's remembering the outside world. Because then that at that point, it's not me wondering how did these get here? Why are they like this? Why are they shaped like this? Why are there tiny doors as you're mentioning? Why are there piles of chairs? At that point, all of that, me wondering it, is gone. It's answered right there. The movie answers it for me. So then I don't get like that creepiness, though any sort of creepiness I could have had of like, why does this exist the way it does, is ripped away from me in the movie because because of that.
SPEAKER_04I just I I feel like that was done for the movie's sake because the backrooms is not supposed to be like an actual like physical realm, if you will. Like him clipping through the wall, it's not like he's going to a physical place, like it's meant to be kind of an entity in a way, uh, which is why it can be like an endless thing that can build upon itself. And so I think for like the movie's sake of being able to like rationally explain how we got there, I think it had to give some sort of explanation like that. And maybe that's just the character's understanding of what the backrooms is at this point in time. And obviously, like we that is what legitimate we legitimately did see like very close copies of places in the real world in the backrooms. But there's also the like there's the question of the uh the switch on the electrical board, how it clearly like was some sort of connection to the backrooms, because like that's not just a normal place for a switch to be. And so then it's a question of like where really is the bridge between backrooms and reality. That's just an interesting interesting thing to point out because yeah, even some of the real world scenes I thought gave like kind of slightly eerie vibes, like the way the whole movie is shot is like very particular. Um obviously I'm not saying like, oh, we're in the backrooms the whole time. I don't think that's the case, but it is just like you gotta wonder how much of it is done for just the sake of like making it a digestible movie. Um, and to explain like how certain things can happen, because like the fact that we go back to the furniture store, and it's very similar, but like furniture's all over the place, like there's chairs with varying amounts of legs stuck together on top of a table, or whatever like it's not exact, um, but it's pretty dang close. Um and like having that, and then obviously with Captain Clark, that's like you know, that's a big part of it as well. Um so I don't know, I feel like what you're looking for would I think be harder to do in like a a realistic way to make it digestible for an audience, I guess.
SPEAKER_00Sure. I don't know, I don't disagree with that.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, yeah. That's not yeah, and that's not a diss. I just like for me, I I was I was pretty happy with the movie. I mean, I'm at a I'm at a seven, like I like it. I definitely am not as in love with it as I maybe thought I would be going in. I just had pretty high expectations, like riding the high of obsession, um, and good early reactions. I'm definitely not as high as I thought I would be, but I'm still very, very pleased with it. Um and yeah, like from a conceptual standpoint of like representing the backrooms, from that perspective, I did get what I was looking for out of this movie.
SPEAKER_07Yeah, I'm at an eight. I liked it a little bit more. I think I'm at a four stars. Um what did Maddie think? She liked it a lot, like she she genuinely was like, she was like, I think that that was like such a good movie. I would just never want to watch it ever again. Like, I'm I'm completely fine never watching that again. Um so she she liked it. Um it's just uh it was just a horror movie to her, so she won't she won't ever go back. But uh yeah, I like this quite a bit, man. I I it's like my sixth sixth favorite movie of the year. I couldn't put it above Michael or obsession, but um, it's it's right there underneath those two with my uh with my four out of out of fives. So yeah, I I I don't know. I was I was overall satisfied. Um, I think my complaints really just come with the third act uh and just characters, uh especially Clark as a character. I feel like that switch was was kind of sudden. I I think this movie could have definitely benefited from another 20-30 minutes, um, and I would have been completely fine with it. You thought this was sudden? That his switch to being like a villain and trapping the therapist down there with him was sudden. Do you not think it's suddenly? I don't think it was sudden.
SPEAKER_04I really thought like the whole point of his character is that like he's the villain, but can never accept the fact that he's the bad guy, like with his employees, with his wife. Yeah, no, a hundred percent. Like, I understand that, like, yeah, we were like we were rooting for him, and then all of a sudden, like, we're in there, and you know, he he traps her or whatever. But like, I think one of one thing that can be attributed to it is like him being in the backrooms, obviously can have an effect on him. We didn't see that, but we know that some time has passed. But otherwise, I think it was well set up and established within his character that like he would be somebody who would act that way.
SPEAKER_07Uh no, no, that's fine. I I I I agree that that that his character is teeny. It was quick, but it was warranted. Like, I don't I don't think the jump was crazy. I think I still think even if it is warranted, I still think that jump was fast. Like, uh, to go from seeing him, you know, walking around with the footage and the person behind him picking up the camera, and then the next time we see him, he's choking out the therapist and then sitting down with her, telling her his evil plan, like a action, like a true villain, that's a big jump. That is a sudden jump. Regardless of how he is as a character, I don't think it was ever teed up in a way that could warrant, you know, uh uh such a fast jump from trying to look for this employee to save her and then boom, choking out the therapists in the back rooms. That's a that's a big jump. I just think that's a that's a fast jump for me.
SPEAKER_04I just think he's the kind of like evil but in denial, manipulative person where it makes sense. Like even up until the very end for him, like he the things that he's trying to do, and like he wants her to affirm him. Like he wants to do the roleplay where he's correct, basically. Yeah, yeah. He wants that affirmation that he's done nothing wrong, and like it only like the only time that that actually like comes to a head and he finally gets like the ultimate demise of that is when he's up against literally himself, is like when he sees him being evil. So I don't know, like I understand the thought of it being like quick, and some people are just like, oh my gosh, we do that, and then we follow a different character for the rest of the movie. I actually really liked it. Like, I don't I don't know. I thought the last like 30 minutes, like ever since the the dinner scene, I thought that that like elevated the movie for me.
SPEAKER_07I mean, I thought it was good. I just think what they did with his sudden change. Um, I didn't really know how I felt about that. That I I still stand by that I think it was it was sudden.
SPEAKER_03Um, whether he's see up for much time passed. Like, like that's uh that's the other thing. I feel like that's one indication well. Yeah, the one indication is all the mail shoved under the door of this of the store. That's it, that's all you get. Like, yeah, yeah, which that could that could be a week's worth of mail. Like, I don't fucking know.
SPEAKER_07Like, what well he it shows that he already has like a shit ton of mail on his desk, anyways, earlier in the movie. I don't know. Yeah, I I don't know. The third act for me, that was really that was really one of the one of the bigger things. I also didn't really know how I felt about the entity being just a Captain Clark. It kind of threw me off at first. Uh, I I didn't like why is his an entity?
SPEAKER_03Like, why why why him?
SPEAKER_07And well, and I think a lot I think a lot of it goes back to just like lore that I just don't know, but also that is the Captain Clark, or that that entity is what kills the first Voyager that we see in the beginning with the found footage. So it's like where Clark was no part of this, like that's what I'm saying. I'm under the impression that that takes place before we see the events of the movie, and that's a captain.
SPEAKER_04Not necessarily the I mean, uh that's what I'm under the impression just because that's what that was just like an async employee at a different location in the back rooms, right?
SPEAKER_03Well, I know I think we are meant to believe that it happened beforehand because he finds the bag that that employee was using at the beginning.
SPEAKER_04It does. Interesting, yeah. So I'm under the impression that that was his first time in the back rooms, yeah.
SPEAKER_03And he finds the bag with the badge. Granted, we don't see what that guy, the hazmat guy, looks like, but that so that that badge could not belong to him, but it's the same bad, at least, yeah, it's the same bag.
SPEAKER_07He still just not communicated great regardless. Sure, yeah.
SPEAKER_04But like it it the back rooms remembered a lot of things that like weren't necessarily physically inside of it. The other still life in there or whatever. Like the explanation that the movie gives us, Clark specifically says, somewhere out there is a guy who looks like this, and it's just sure misremembered.
SPEAKER_03But like then, my question becomes why is Clark's like so much bigger and is trying to eat everything so much so to the point where one of the other entities, the woman one, is scared of it and tries to run away from it.
SPEAKER_04Well, so I uh my understanding is um which like the the best my my understanding is not properly backed up by the movie because when um what's the therapist's name? Nora's oh I thought it was Nora. No, that's wrong. And her mom, I don't know.
SPEAKER_07When she is when she is hitting Captain Clark, there's no that's wrong, but he doesn't even know the fucking no, that's wrong. All right, what's your guess, buddy? I can tell you that it's not Nora.
SPEAKER_04Mary, I know that for sure. Mary, it's Mary, Mary. So uh when she's hitting Captain Clark, there's blood. So like that's a difference because to me, I would say, why couldn't he be similar to the other still life in the fact that like his wife, or the you know, the lady, which you know, in this interpretation, we're like supposed to believe that that's basically his his wife or whatever. Um she embodies who she was, which is somebody who was scared and wanted to run away. And in the same way, like his entity or still life or whatever it is, embodies who he truly is. Why it's a different size, who knows? Why was her face messed up, or why did that guy have three pairs of eyes? Like, it's the same thing as everything, which is like it's it's not supposed to feel like an exact natural representation of exactly what happens in real life.
SPEAKER_03I think it's more than that though, because like why is she scared of that thing? Like, why is that the so that implies the fact that she's scared of it implies that that thing is more than willing to eat her, but also we see Clark literally cutting open one of the guys right in front of her and eating him. So like there's clearly a difference between that person and that and the other entity, and I just don't think that that difference is clearly explained.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, and I don't like I agree with you, but I don't I don't know that they ever will, and I don't know that they're meant to. Like, I don't sure that's a I think that's just part of like one of those things that just kind of happens, and I think that's that's probably an like a big complaint for me, too.
SPEAKER_03Like, I don't know.
SPEAKER_07Well, I don't know, and that's that's I think that's also why I felt kind of sour towards the third act because I'm like, okay, now we're throwing Captain Clark in there. Like, Captain Clark is the entity, and we have these still lives that he's sitting here communicating with. Like, I'm I'm just sitting here under the impression that like Clark goes down there, there's an entity, and like he's that entity is out to get people, or he's cautious but also interested in that entity. Then we cut to the third act, and it's like, no, yeah, here's these still lives, and you can eat them and look at the way this one acts, and then oh yeah, now my entity is coming and it's based off me. And it's like, okay, yeah, we're now we're just going. Like, I I I get it's lore stuff. I get it's lore stuff that I haven't watched, but it's like I don't know, you're you're kind of it's the movie, man. Like, you know, I I I want I want some of this explained in the movie. I want this to not just feel like a third act, boom, you know, there's these things called still lives that you can eat, and we're sitting here having dinner. I've tamed them all. Like, I don't know. I it again, it just goes back to how sudden Clark's character development just shot up. I feel like the whole uh what they wanted to say with the back rooms, what they wanted to play around with with the backrooms, also shot up with that character arc, and that's what threw me for a loop in the third act.
SPEAKER_03It's also why does the entity eat Clark? Because like clearly Clark is comfortable enough talking to him that like they have regular, they've had conversations at least in the past, if Clark is is okay and not scared of him. So what why in this moment is he now eating him versus previously he hadn't done it before? So I don't know.
SPEAKER_07I've watched I've watched uh like 3C films, did uh did an ice breakdown because he was a real big fan of the movie and uh we were like we were on our vacation, so I was showering, and I just like do something on on TikTok. And so I watched his explanation of why the entity all of a sudden turned evil and why it attacked him after seemingly not attacking him the entire time, and he had a good explanation for it. It's not anything that I can just outright buy and be like, okay, well, that makes a lot of sense. That makes that that makes my viewing a lot better. Uh, but I do think it's good. I do like what what his interpretation is, but that's as much as I can give you. I can outsource you to him. You do you remember what okay, like is there any gist? I can I can try and give you a gist. Essentially, it was like the entity was uh was mimicking cat was mimicking Clark as a As a person. So while he's sitting there having that conversation with the therapist, he is finally in that moment realizing that he can just feed into like being evil. Like, yeah, maybe I am a piece of shit. Maybe I am an evil person. And at that moment, while he's realizing that the entity is also, okay, I maybe I can't, I can't eat him. Like he is an evil person, you know. Um, I'm doing a horrible job of explaining it. He explains it a lot better, but apparently, like the it's something like the entity is thinking with Captain Clark and or with Clark. So how Clark feels about himself, um, where the entity runs into him and he likes him because he knows that he's a good person, uh, but will make his wife's still life run towards the door because you know how how she views Clark as a person um eventually feeds off into the entity. So the entity's like, okay, I can kill him and eat him while they're having that therapist scene.
SPEAKER_03Well, no, because the the doll thing, the one in the wheelchair was also freaking out, started started uh I was gonna say if that if the wife one is actually of his wife and then she's running away from the entity version of him, that could explain my issue before with like what's the difference between them. But the the one in the wheelchair is also still scared of the entity, like he's because he can't move, he's in a wheelchair and he's he's a little small guy, so he's just flicking the lamp on and off and on and off. So like he was freaking out too. So it's not just the the wife being scared of her husband kind of thing.
SPEAKER_07Yeah, I'm doing a horrible job of explaining what his sentiment was, but um yeah.
SPEAKER_00It's all right, man. Can't explain it because the movie's trash and uh everything about it just didn't work out.
SPEAKER_03So hey, let's go, let's wait for number two. Can't wait. What did you guys think of the ending ending with her sitting and talking to the guy and then her her double or whatever isn't it?
SPEAKER_07I'm a I'm a back rooms. I'm a fan of it. I mean, I didn't have any complaints. I kind of like that async is just uh continuing to be this ominous. Uh we don't know if she'll get to leave, we don't know what they're gonna question her. Like every I I like that there's not a lot that's answered, and I've I I like that with his uh with his backrooms videos that there's not a lot answered. There's just seeds and and things sprinkled out uh you know throughout his videos. So I was a fan of it. I thought it was cool to show like the how she was remembered and to contrast that with how she's sitting there talking to him. I saw people say that that was like all in her still life's head, and she actually didn't make it out. I don't believe, I don't think that's what the ending was trying to go for, but I liked it. I I like that they kept it ominous, uh, and that async got to remain this really odd company that knows a lot more than they're letting off. So I was a fan.
SPEAKER_03Uh I like I don't know, man. I don't is it was it played for shock value? Like the idea of her having a still life there, like you just established to me that like that's a possibility. Like that's people in here are remembered all the time. Uh places in here are remembered all the time. So like why why do I look at that still life of her and be like, oh my gosh, she has a still a still life? Like, yeah, okay. I mean, she was yeah, she was in here. So like it would serve to reason with what you established in the movie. Like, that's not that's not a shock to me. Why like I don't know? That's how I like I was like, wow, cool.
SPEAKER_06Okay, okay.
SPEAKER_03What's more interesting to me, I guess, is because they were doing like a brain scan on the entity, like the the entity has like a brain, so like that intrigued me.
SPEAKER_07So yeah, that was that was odd. I'm watching a little bit of I tried to clip to the point where 3C's explaining so that um I can show y'all right now or after we finish recording. Um one of the things that he had just mentioned was that they started off async started off as an MRI, they did MRIs, uh the company, so taking letters of your body and putting it into one, and they accidentally created the backrooms. Now they're trying to understand it. Um, so I I think it's a cool callback there at the end with the them taking x-rays and studying the entity.
SPEAKER_04Well, my like my thought, and maybe this is an answer as to why Clark's Clark's uh remembered self is an entity rather than a still life, is maybe because he was actually in the backrooms. So I mean, like his wife was remembered, but she was never there. So like it doesn't it has less details about her. Whereas like for him, he was there. So it can like it filled in the pieces a little more, and that's maybe why he has a brain. But then what about her still alive? Uh what about it? Mary's she was also in the background. She was also in the back room. Well, we we don't know anything about her still life at this point. I don't know. Just look like the other's still alive to me. But I mean, you're right. It just it doesn't I also don't think it remembers everything the exact same way every time. Like for his wife, she had her face was duplicated for the guy's eyes, like yeah, yeah, yeah. It's it's not it's not always going to be like every still life is this messed up the same way or whatever.
SPEAKER_03Well, sure. But uh but just in terms of it looking like the entity and like having a brain, like I it just didn't seem like it was that Mary's was any close to that.
SPEAKER_07Well, and even before, I mean, if we're meant to assume that that found footage was taking place before what what about then before Clark even stepped foot in the backrooms and that entity ate the found footage guy? Um, Clark hadn't even been in the backrooms yet at that point. So I don't know, man. I just I've been going in circles all weekend. Anytime I try to try to think about specifically everything with the entity, which is like that's why I just don't really know how I feel about what they did with it in the third act. All right, bro, just drop that score a little bit. I just I beg get on your knees and beg for my half star to go down.
SPEAKER_04I feel like I'm able sometimes to look past some of these things.
SPEAKER_03I'll be honest, you guys are sounding like you should flip. Like, Ben, you sound like you should be an eight. Aiden sounds like you should be a seven.
SPEAKER_07Yeah, it is sorry you sound like that, but no, no, like let me dude. The horror in this, I absolutely loved it. I loved it so much. Like when I was sitting here thinking about it, I'm like, nah, man, this was just like I think I like the horror in this more than Bone Temple. Like, I have this movie above Bone Temple. Like, I well, I obviously that movie.
SPEAKER_00All right, shut up, man.
SPEAKER_07I I love the horror in this, like, there's aspects of this that I loved a whole lot. I loved everything that we were doing with Clark's character with the furniture store and watching him sleep in it and have having to like drink and sleep in it was like honestly one of the more depressing sides of this movie. Um and then even everything that Mary struggles with, with like abuse from her mom and and like being uh holed up in the house and that translating into her being a therapist. Yeah, I don't know. I like there's a there's a lot that I did like. I it's really just the third act, and we've been dwelling on the third act, Charlie, because you've been so negative about it, so we've been having to kind of compensate to come down to your level and talk about it. But in terms you guys should be trying to convince me, that's what should be happening, bro. And in terms of the horror of this, even how it's shot, man. Some of those shots outside were like when he's walking around their neighborhood outside. Man, the color grading and the way that it was that it's all shot. God, it's so good. The filmmaking in this is so this is a great directorial debut. Like, oh, it's it's fantastic.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, but like this is still, I think, a great debut.
SPEAKER_07Yeah, dude, and like 20-year-old, yeah. Oh, I thought you were about to say something slick. Um, I don't know how to pronounce her last name, but uh Rene and Chuetel, dude. Oh my god, they were fantastic! Like that first scene when he's like, I think someone should be stopping a fat bitch and get off her ass and help out around here. I was like, dude, I was so uncomfortable. I was like, this is this is rough, like this is kind of a little bit depressing. Um so yeah, I mean, I was I was a big fan of of all of that. I was yeah, I think the filmmaking of this movie was was awesome.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, I was saying it earlier, but like I'm able to look past some stuff and just go based on vibes. Like my theater was packed 9:30 at night, age range probably 16 to 20. I might have been the oldest person in my theater room. Like, I'm not even trolling. It was all kids who were definitely younger than me. Um and it was just it was just vibes. Like, I'm I I just I had a good time, I liked the filmmaking, I liked the horror aspect. I don't for a movie like this, I don't need it all to be explained. Do I want a better script with better characters moving forward? Absolutely. From every other aspect, I'm a big fan of what this was, and I'm very excited for them to do more. I actually, Charlie, I might push back one of the sections of found footage where it's like very fast paced, and he's in like the pool rooms and whatever, it gets a little too CGI-esque for me. I think a lot of it was really well done. Obviously, like once we get to like the the Christmas room and everything, like that's that's all really well done.
SPEAKER_07Yeah, like a lot of the found footage. I think all that, I think I feel like all of that was. I think that's why they did the found footage. Yeah, I don't I definitely don't think they built those sets.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, just the way that he's like running through so quick, door to door.
SPEAKER_03Oh, okay. The the blender speed at which he's moving, sure. I agree. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_04That was probably done in blended. Yeah, to me, that is actually that is less creepy than like the more cinematic him walking through the the hallway slowly. Oh, interesting. I I disagree. I would disagree with that. I think the found footage of no some of the things.
SPEAKER_03I actually think that everything in the back room should have been found footage. I think that could have been really cool. If every time they go in there, they're like they found some excuse to for him for someone to just have a camera in their hand, and it like every time as soon as they walked in, it would be found footage, and then they walk out, it's it's everything as as we saw it throughout the rest of the movie. I think that would have been.
SPEAKER_04I think a lot like the peaks of scariness 100% was like some of the found footage. I'm specifically saying like there's a section of the found footage that we almost like go too quickly from room to room for the eeriness to really set in like it should. And I even I would like the Christmas room, and then like it takes its time, and that's like the scariest it gets.
SPEAKER_03But see, the I just think that maybe what works for me with the found footage stuff is that it like it's not clear because it's like a nine it's in the 90s and it's a a handheld camera. So like everything's not clear. I can't really see anything that's going on. So like anything could be like when that bird came in, I didn't know what the hell that was at the beginning of the movie at first. Like, I didn't know that was a bird until he gets close enough to it. So like maybe that's part of what adds to the eeriness for me is like it's harder to see versus like when he's in the backrooms and I'm looking at as I mentioned, he's looking at 4K, 60 hertz, uh HDR, uh like anything and everything you can you can see, none of that's eerie to me until I can hear noises that I can't explain. Then I'm like, which goes back to like the monster thing works for me, like the monster part I like, but there's a apparently that's a point of contention for some people who like the backrooms. But I I've never been a backrooms person either. So like I don't know because it doesn't it doesn't scare me. Dude, if I was in that situation and there was no monster, I'm just walking through, I'm chilling. Like I have no there's no thought in my mind of oh, there could there be some someone here trying to kill me? Like if I don't hear any noises, I'm chilling.
SPEAKER_04People wanted a PNG of Kanye West chasing around the main character.
SPEAKER_07Yo, Charlie, you're talking real tough for someone that's never taken a stroll through the backrooms, buddy. All right, he broke draw me in right now.
SPEAKER_03Drop me in right now, bro. Literally, I I oh fuck.
SPEAKER_05Yo, yo, yo, bro. Yo, Charlie.
SPEAKER_01I was wrong, dude.
SPEAKER_05Stupid, bro. Stupid.
SPEAKER_04I was wrong. Dude, I'm acting I'm excited to watch the movie again on Thursday.
SPEAKER_07Oh, yeah, I already told my buddies, I was like, I'd be down to watch it again if y'all like if y'all want to go watch it. Cause I was hyping it up to them. Yeah, I'm down, man. It's it's fun, like it's it's a fun, yeah.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, I like it. And I want I want answers to some of these questions either that I thought of or that you guys thought of. Because like, I don't know. I feel like I have obviously I have more questions the more that I talk about it, but then I want to go like see, you know, was this an actual problem that I should have with the movie? But yeah, I'm excited.
SPEAKER_07I I'm really my my biggest thing is just the entity. I really just want that explained a little bit more, even if I have to watch a video because I'm just too dumb to realize what because yeah, I every time I think about the movie, it goes back to why the entity was Captain Clark. Um, whose video would you watch on it? What do you mean?
SPEAKER_04Definitely not escape pod. Is there like a typical place that you go to watch breakdown videos in a specific host?
SPEAKER_07Oh let's go see, have they uploaded? This guy, dude. Because I was gonna say, bro, get Kane Parsons on the escape pod. I'd watch that. Like, bro, lay into him, like oh. Yo, you're never gonna believe this.
SPEAKER_05Of course. Of course. You will dance. My girl Jessica, let's go.
SPEAKER_03I actually might watch this.
SPEAKER_05I actually might too. I'm not gonna lie. I'm so glad I don't. I think I will.
SPEAKER_07I think I'm gonna watch it before I go and see the movie again. Yes, yes, and then pick it up. I'm probably gonna watch it right after this. Truthful.
SPEAKER_04Pull this pull the soups and just like how he does with comics before he talks about the you know, pull a mystery with the last say you're gonna watch something, change your profile picture, and then never watch it.
SPEAKER_07Yeah, dude, what a cornball.
SPEAKER_04Like, and then years later be like, Oh yeah, I'm gonna watch this.
SPEAKER_03He watched he watched Invincible, I think.
SPEAKER_04I think he's uh well, it was one piece, I think. Yeah, it was one.
SPEAKER_03I know you're talking about the one piece stuff.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, he changed his profile picture, and then like years later he said because he's a fraud, bro.
SPEAKER_07Like he's he's trying, like god, he's such a fraud, bro. He's just trying to hop on the hype wave. It's like, bro, you're not really about that. Mr. Beast hits a video, yes, sir. Yes, nah, bro. I'll say Nintendo's.
SPEAKER_02I'll be like what you're turning, dude.
SPEAKER_03He he does Ben and you want to be in a video where you literally just lay in bed and watch YouTube for a month, I'll give you 500 grand. You're saying no, dude.
SPEAKER_04The whole like bro, I got bro.
SPEAKER_07I got morals.
SPEAKER_04The whole like every day you stay in here, you get 10k. Bro, I'm there forever. Oh, yeah, no, people who leave that away. What Aiden, stop, bro, family, like what, bro? Stop.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, no, it don't even matter, like, yeah, okay. You got your moral, get your morals after this 30 fucking days, bro. Get your morals after those 30 fucking days. Fuck, man. Oh man. Set your set set set your generations up and then get your morals.
SPEAKER_07All right, you're not setting your generation up off 30 days in the if you're getting paid 10,000 a day and you stay in there for a month, you're not setting, bro. It's part of it's it's 30 days, bro. I'm staying there for a year.
SPEAKER_04That's tax. Free food and shelter.
SPEAKER_07I don't have to work. I mean, well, I mean, you here's here's the thing, though. Like, my immediate thought is okay, well, those that 10,000 a day, does my wife get to see any of that? Or like, does do we only get this money after I leave? If so, I need to make sure that she can cover you know whatever there is need needed to be cover, and then I'll stay that amount. She just moved back home while you're doing it, if anything. Cool, bro. Who's gonna fucking pay our who's gonna pay our fucking move back with her parents?
SPEAKER_03When you get out with fucking 1.5 mil, buy something else. Fuck you talking about. That's that's true. That's true.
SPEAKER_07Who's gonna move her out of here? Who's gonna help her move out of here? That's true. Her boyfriend.
SPEAKER_05I didn't even say one though.
SPEAKER_07That's who gets on Mr. Beast videos, cucks, bro.
SPEAKER_04Uh speaking of money.
SPEAKER_03I meant to tell you guys I'm gonna be on a Mr. Beast video coming up.
SPEAKER_04Did you win? No, out first round. Those things happen like for you know months in advance before the videos come out. No, I yeah, yeah. I told me I can't talk about it. So can I um can I speak of money? Can I quickly do and I haven't thought about this, but you guys did a draft of things that you would rather spend $165 million on rather than the Mandalorian and Grogu. Can you can you remind me what you guys had for that list while I think of one? I'll just do one. I'll just do one.
SPEAKER_03Okay.
SPEAKER_07Oh, okay. Go for it, Charlie.
SPEAKER_03Uh, should I do my three or should we just do one, me, one, you one?
SPEAKER_05We can alternate. Yeah, we can alternate.
SPEAKER_03My first one was uh I would rather spend $165 million on a Mandalorian and Grogu ride in one of the Disneyland parks. Uh, I don't know how much it costs to make a ride, but I can give you a more than 165. Sure, yeah.
SPEAKER_04Uh the Guardians of the Galaxy. Oh, you haven't been. Shoot. I was gonna do the roller coaster. Give me a month, give me a month and a half, bro. The roller coaster in Epcot was 500 million. Oh shit. Yeah, it's shit.
SPEAKER_07Okay, good, good. It's a lot. Holy, put it use that as maybe use your budget as a down payment, Charlie. Yeah, yeah, truthfully.
SPEAKER_03That's the only way, only way that's getting done, I guess. Uh that was a very involved coaster, though, but whatever.
SPEAKER_07My first pick was uh use the 165 million dollars to fund a three-season, seven, ten episode show of our one wish willow, where every episode is a different wish, whether it's going good or bad, just fund it for Curry Curry Barker so that um you know him talking about it and teasing it can actually come to fruition.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, and I love that one. I think that's a good one. Uh my second one was I'd rather spend uh you didn't watch this TikTok? I'd rather spend $165 million uh and give it straight to Gavin J Kenop and uh give give racist Spider-Man another stab at it.
SPEAKER_04Haven't heard that name in a long time.
SPEAKER_07Uh and then my second pick was uh I'd use the 165 million dollars to one or the other. Either one tear down the data center that's funding the AI that was used to write season finale of the boys, uh, or the last season of the boys, um, or use that 165 to hire actual writers instead of AI to write the final season of the boys. Okay, that's pretty good.
SPEAKER_03Uh uh, do you want my last one?
SPEAKER_07Sure.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, we we each did three. So my last one, it was really long, it was involved, it was stupid, but I just said I'd rather spend $165 million on like a really advanced uh torture chamber with multiple levels, and it just automatically puts you from one level to the other. And by the end of it, it will have told a better story about my pain and suffering than this fucking movie told with its fucking stupid ass characters.
SPEAKER_07Wow, yeah, that was a gen, that was a generous one. Uh yeah, and then mine was just give me the 165 for the box office because I need that to come back in first place right now.
SPEAKER_04So yeah, I couldn't think of a third one. So I'm not even saying that. So a little desperate. Um the first thing that came to mind due to the recent due to it being about Mandalorian and Grogu, because I know this will never happen. Giving $165 million to Mr. Denis Villeneuve to make any Star Wars movie that he wants. Yeah, you think he wants to play in the Star Wars universe? I don't think he does, but 165 million is like pretty close to the budget for the Dune movies. So I know I know that he could cook with that amount of money. I actually think it's more than the Dune movies. So give the money to him, let him do anything he wants in the Star Wars universe. It will be the it might be the best Star Wars movie ever. Probably would be.
SPEAKER_07Yeah. 100%, yeah. Yeah, Dune Part 2 was a 190 million budget. So you're right there.
SPEAKER_04165, yeah.
SPEAKER_07You're hell yeah, hell yeah.
SPEAKER_03All right. Well, that is our very another very, very long, even longer than last week's whole episode uh of the Words from the Nerds podcast. Thank you all so much for watching or listening, uh, whatever you're doing. Uh, we'd like to remind you that every I don't think I said this at the beginning, but I did read comments at the beginning. But if you comment down below on YouTube, or if you leave us some fan mail on Spotify or any other podcast listening platform, we will read it aloud at the beginning of very of the very next episode. Next episode, Benjamin will be hosting. Benjamin will read your comments. So if you want him to say something, comment down below. Uh if you're on YouTube, please hit the subscribe button, hit the notification bell because we are coming with every coming at you every single week with a new episode. Uh also hit the like button because that helps us get seen by other people. And we'd love to be seen by more of you. So more of you can like and more of you can subscribe, and then eventually uh we'll have a little community. We have a Discord already. We just need people. We just need people like you. Like you. So uh also if you're on Spotify or Apple Podcasts or any other podcast listening platform, give us a rating because that again also puts us in more people's ears, and uh those people with ears would hopefully want to continue to follow us and maybe join our Discord. People like you. So please do that. Um hope you have a wonderful morning. Shut up, Twin. Uh we have a wonderful morning, afternoon, evening, whatever time you're listening watching or listening to this. We will see you guys next time. Adios.
SPEAKER_02Get him off, bro. Get all this backroom stuff off. Don't care, man.
