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217 - The Last Dragon (1985)
42 Plays28 days ago
“Sho’nuff!”
It’s the last Thursday of the Year of the Dragon in the Chinese zodiac, so what better time to cover 1985’s The Last Dragon?? While we talk about this formative film for Tucker, we stop along the way to discuss the small-but-stacked filmography of Leo O’Brien, the saving grace of El DeBarge, the legendary Ernie Reyes Jr. (in his first EVER film role), and the ABC sitcom “Dinosaurs.”
Are we the meanest, prettiest, baddest low-down mofos around this town? Maybe not, but you can still follow us on the following social platforms:
- @Disenfranchpod on Bluesky, Facebook, Instagram, Letterboxd, and YouTube.
- Email us your thoughts or requests to disenfranchpod@gmail.com
- Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify!
- Find Stephen at @ChewyWalrus on Bluesky, Instagram, and Letterboxd.
- Check out Stephen’s first novel - Check In, Check Out - on Amazon, now available in paperback or ebook: https://amzn.to/44idk8y
- Find Brett at @sus_warlock on Letterboxd.
- Find Tucker at @icenine09 on YouTube and Instagram and @tuck_mugs on Instagram.
- Join our Patreon for exclusive bonus content, including bi-weekly episodes of What Are We Watching? at https://patreon.com/Disenfranchpod
- Watch our big screen debut in Circle City Supernatural from our buddy J.P. Leck! You can either buy it on BluRay through his website, buy/rent it through Amazon Prime, or watch it free with ads on Tubi!
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Transcript
Introduction to "Disenfranchised" Podcast
00:00:22
Speaker
franchise right below will make us rich beyond our wildest dreams. This is an exclusive, baby. It's the disenfranchised podcast, that podcast all about those franchises of one, those films that fancy themselves full fledged franchises before falling flat on their face after the first film. I'm your host, Steven Foxworthy, and joining us, as always, ah the Shogun of New Hampshire. You feeling good tonight, Tucker?
00:00:49
Speaker
I'm feeling great. I'm feeling really, really good. Oh, that's the wrong answer, Tucker. That's the answer. That's what you're supposed to say. I'm sorry, I wasn't performing. I was like answering your question. I apologize. There will be plenty of setups for show enough. There will be plenty. We don't need to. We don't need to show enough. We don't we don't need to burn them all at the beginning. But don't we? We don't. Damn it.
Gaming & Resident Evil 4 Discussion
00:01:18
Speaker
um Also joining us, fresh from his latest excursion into ah the deep dark wilderness of Harlem, USA, it's our co-host Brett Wright. Hey, Brett, welcome back, buddy. Hello, Steven. How we doing? There it is. understood the assignment.
00:01:46
Speaker
There it is. Oh, boy. No, I'm all right. I guess I'm tired of shit. The girlfriend and I have started playing ballers gate three. OK. And but that usually happens after we eat dinner. So, you know, we're playing like from midnight to three a.m. Nice. And then I'm up at eleven if I'm lucky. Right. Work.
00:02:09
Speaker
10 hour days does not mean you get a whole lot of time to yourself, fellas. I don't recommend it. That's why I don't. I've never done the 10 hour days. Never. But I left the three days off, though. It's so good. But you end up cramming them full of so much shit, dude. Yeah, I know. And what you really need to be doing is resting from those 10 hour work days. Yeah. Not the video games, Steven.
00:02:32
Speaker
Yeah, you're right. You're right. But like video games with the lady. it's not No, you're right. You're right. Living the living the dream, man. Hey, Brett, I just I just finished Resident Evil 4, dude. Oh, hell yeah. I just finished my sixth playthrough. How's yours going? and I finished it and I my first playthrough ever and I.
00:02:53
Speaker
struggle not I didn't struggle but it's a difficult game and so at in the last the last merchant I was like all right all right let me get this rocket line I'll go ahead and get it I guess I guess I'll get it. I mean, you don't need to get it. You know you don't need the rocket launcher. The last the last boss was so easy. Nothing. Because, you know, once you get him in his second form, he's like stuck and you're just shooting him and you just have to avoid his little arms. Yeah. Like I speed ran the first form, which looked really hard. and I was like, nope, douche squished it. And then eight is all like, oh, here's another one.
00:03:31
Speaker
I'm like, oh, great, that's fantastic, thank you. Well, I mean, it's a Resident Evil game. You have to have somebody off screen toss you a rocket launcher to finish off the boss. That's how it's supposed to go. And now I'm playing the DLC, what I like to call, I'm Ava Wong, and this is the rest of the story. I know it's called something else, but I was like, yeah, I call it the rest of the story with Ava Wong.
00:03:59
Speaker
I have not done because for Harvey. Right. The story. Yeah. Yeah. No, yeah, I'm familiar. I just thought Stephen would look up for that joke because he understands that one. So I thought that maybe. Oh, no, I did. I just I just don't understand the rest of the context. So that's fine. Does any. Yeah.
00:04:19
Speaker
yeah So I figured I'd catch up on my research for one of my other podcasts while you guys were doing that. This has been a a sneak peek of a future episode of What Are We Watching? ah Patreon exclusive show. ah Join in. Patreon dot.com slash disenfranch pod for five bucks a month. All that and much more can be yours. Be there. yeah here Tucker and I expound upon Resident Evil 4 because he never played the original really quick. He never played the original either.
00:04:47
Speaker
No, I felt betrayed by it. As most people did. That's fair. Yeah, I was that guy. I didn't mean to be. It's just it's just how I felt. Gotcha. So you'll get to hear us discuss Resident Evil 4, Tucker's first experience. My god, I lost count experience. So yeah, go to Patreon. Tune in.
00:05:08
Speaker
yeah And because this is the last Thursday of the Year of the Dragon in the Chinese Zodiac, we have decided to cover what movie, Tucker?
Deep Dive into "The Last Dragon"
00:05:20
Speaker
Barry Gordy's The Last Dragon. Barry Gordy's The Last Dragon. What a flex, Barry Gordy. ah From 1985, a little film directed by Michael Schultz, ah written by Louis Venosta,
00:05:37
Speaker
And starring Tymack, Vanity, Julius Carey, Christopher Murney, Keisha Knight-Poleum is in this thing, Leo O'Brien, Faith Prince, Glenn Eaton, Thomas Ikeda, Jim Moody, The Great Mike star, Ernie Reyes Jr. is in here, we've got Chaz Palminteri, um, like blinking you miss him practically, and WH William H. Macy himself. Bill Macy. What a cast. Dare I say it, gentlemen?
00:06:15
Speaker
What a picture. you know this is whenever I think the reason I enjoyed a state in Maine so much the first time I watched it is because William H. Macy's film director character in that film reminds me a lot of his character in this film. Just the body language and like how intense they are. Very similar characters. They could be like the same guy grown into a different person.
00:06:41
Speaker
Had they not cut to the close-up, I would never have known that was Bill Macy. Really? I wouldn't ever have known. It's so him though. No. ah Just the voice? Like, he wouldn't hear his voice and be like, oh, that's William H. Macy. I wasn't based on what I saw, because that's not how I see Bill Macy. He doesn't have, like, he's got the the shock blonde, like, bleach blonde hair. He's got the the neon tracksuit. Like, it's sort a windbreaker.
00:07:09
Speaker
ah Very mid 80s. It's, yeah, ridiculously mid 80s. His, his costuming in this movie. Uh, so maybe in more of it. No, just never is. He never is. Same with Chaz Palm and Terry. He's just, you know, one of the, one of the gangsters for Christopher Murney's character.
00:07:30
Speaker
You know, who's not just in one scene is Ernie Reyes Jr. And let's talk about Ernie Reyes Jr. for a second. Fucking lover. or He fights his own dad in this movie. It was adorable. Of course, of course, we know him from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle films, the first two. He was in the suit as Donatello in the first one. Right. And then he was fucking Keanu. Is that his name? Keanu? I think so. He's also in a future episode of this podcast, Surf Ninjas. And dude.
00:07:59
Speaker
he's He's just a little kid. He's like teeny tiny itty bitty. He's probably the best martial artist in this movie. Without question. Like no offense Bruce Leroy, but Ernie Reyes Jr.
00:08:15
Speaker
boy, I'll tell you what, that boy grew up in it. And that's it. it Every time I watched The Last Dragon, it makes me sad that the the fight choreography and the Ninja Turtles movies isn't more intense. And he does some pretty cool stuff in the second one. And he does some really cool stuff in the suit in the first one. But like, if he was that good when he was like, four or five, how old he was in this movie? Could you imagine?
00:08:51
Speaker
goley He's born in 72, so he's like 12 when this movie is being made. Really? He looks a lot younger. He's so tiny. like He's so itty bitty. He looks like he's about eight or nine, but no, he's like 12. And kids kids looked younger then because of less like growth hormones in the McDonald's, I'm sure. Sure. Yeah.
00:09:13
Speaker
Yeah, because like Bruce Lee Roy's brother, he's probably like 15, right? Like that's the only reason he'd think he'd have any kind of chance with homegirl, right? Like it's not creepy that- It's kind of creepy. He thinks it's his woman, right? It's very creepy. It's a lot of creepy things about this movie. He was born in 1970, so he would have been about 14. Yeah, that kid was eight. He died in 2012, at age 41, no cause of death was ever reported, according to Wikipedia.
00:09:45
Speaker
files or He's only been in, he was only in three movies, but honestly, what a trio of movies. The Last Dragon, Rappin', and New Jack City. Oh. I see. Yeah. That's, uh, yeah. That's, that's pretty impressive. That's, that's quite a resume. Yeah, dude. But yeah, I know it's creepy as fuck that this little kid is like trying to get with Vanity.
00:10:11
Speaker
Just like really, you know, like the weirdest way to it's not like a cute little crush. She's like he owns her. Right. She's at his property. Exactly. And he talks about her that way and talks about how he's going to how he is his is his sexual prowess is beyond that of his older brother, um which I mean, may or may not be true, but still fucking gross, dude, like his child.
00:10:38
Speaker
Pretty gross. I like his friends, though. They're fun. Mm hmm. Yeah. and One of whom is played by Carl Anthony Payne the second who would go on to be cockroach on the Cosby show. Oh. In Cole Brown on Martin.
00:11:00
Speaker
Very interesting, Steve. Yeah. Yeah, we're connecting dots all over the place here. So many dots. I mean, and this is kind of one of those like before they were stars kind of moved like Keisha Knight Pulliam is on the on the in this movie on the back of the first season of The Cosby Show, where she played little Rudy. Oh, who is she in this? She is the little the little baby sister with three names. That's Rudy. That's Rudy. Yeah. no
00:11:31
Speaker
yeah um believe you i believe you i believe you i recognize cur i've never i came i've never noticed that well Yeah, she gets one close up in this movie and I'm like, oh, this is a little Rudy. She's in one scene. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That's it. Like he calls her Lotus Blossom. The mom calls her Natasha and the dad calls her Sophia. And the little Yeah. brother is like, you got it. You got to just pick I believe you. a name for that child. You're going to confuse her. I That's believe you. I believe you. I recognize. I can't believe I've never. I've never noticed that. a sassy boy right there. I got to tell you, despite his his his very
00:12:08
Speaker
of the the very offensive way that he thinks of a lady. um I can't think what's the word for that when they call that. um start It starts with him. No, close. Fuck. Damn. What I said it before when I was talking about the other stuff I don't ever want to talk about again, um but.
00:12:32
Speaker
Anyway, he's a sassy boy, is what I'm saying. he's always set He's never not sassy. Yeah, he is. and it feels really It feels kind of terrible to say this, but I think he might be the best actor in the movie. He's certainly the sassiest. Leo O'Brien as Richie Green, and I'm usually not a big fan of child actors, but I think he might be the best part of this movie. I think.
00:12:59
Speaker
I think all the child actors are good in this, even the ones that don't get a lot of screen time. Of course him being the main one, but right I think they're all really good. I mean, and we need Stan Ernie Reyes Jr. We constantly Stan Ernie Reyes Jr. And i'll I'll use that as a segue to say that I enjoy all the performances in this movie because good or bad, they kind of add to the fabric of this weird ass movie.
00:13:24
Speaker
It is a weird-ass movie. I had a really hard time getting a beat on this movie until very near the end of it. I couldn't figure out what this movie was or who it was for.
00:13:39
Speaker
um It just, it it it kind of occupied a very bizarre space for me. And I will just say now I did not grow up with this movie. This is the first time watch for me. I'd never seen this film before. ah So I kind of went in very blind.
00:13:54
Speaker
um so So yeah, there was there was a a certain degree of confusion in it for me. I see. Brett, is this your first time seeing this movie? It is, yes. Oh, wow. Congratulations.
00:14:10
Speaker
Thank you. I mean, this isn't a movie that I would have ever watched. I don't feel like this movie is for me. So I would i would say, Steven, that's probably why this is your first time watch, too. This movie is not for us. Right. We would not have watched this growing up. There's been no reason to. No.
00:14:28
Speaker
And I mean, I did not grow up, and I have a lot of friends, Tucker included, who did grow up with black exploitation films and kung fu movies, and that just wasn't part of my lexicon growing up. And it's still not really something that I've dived too deeply into. Those are big blind spots in my film-going history. Whatever, it's late. um My brain is gone.
00:14:54
Speaker
um But yeah, I need to get more into this. And I think if I had more of a background in those, I might get more enjoyment out of this. Well, could I take you on a little trip to my childhood and why films like this I am very familiar with? Whereas I feel like if there hadn't been one singular influence in my childhood, I'd be in the same boat as you guys. Can you do that? I think I can't show enough. Show enough.
00:15:24
Speaker
shoot We got there. ah So when I was when I was a youngster, when I was in middle school, I went to a teeny tiny school, a Christian school, because um I was really hyper and I didn't do well in regular middle school. So my parents sent me to this little tiny Jesus school. Parents looked at him and said, this boy need Jesus. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And at that school that's secure this hyperactivity.
00:15:56
Speaker
That's where I met our mutual friend, ah Mr. JP Leck, who I am from this point on referred to as Joe in this story. ah So Joe and I went to that school and the second year there was a family of like three or four kids that came to the school and there was this kid named John and John was kind of short.
00:16:22
Speaker
But he was he was a big dude. Like he was strong and had muscles and stuff. And he was also kind of a dangerous guy. ah But he was he was also a pretty cool dude. So Joe and I became friends. We all were kind of friends. And um actually, he's the one that did the ah the scream prank.
00:16:48
Speaker
on Halloween at our school. I thought about asking if that was the guy when you said dangerous. I was like, was this the screen prank guy? but That's the guy who Joe killed as Ghostface, yeah, in the fellowship hall while we all had lunch. It was fantastic. Right. Yeah. I have photos.
00:17:07
Speaker
You should send those to me so I can post them to our social medias. ah We might have to do that. But anyway, John, ah the reason he was so buff is because he was a kung fu dude. Like this dude was like 14, 15 years old, but like he was working out and straight up doing kung fu and shit and like teaching himself kung fu from all these old movies. And this dude would literally literally run up a wall and flip like do a back flip off of it and land on his feet. And I was always so worried about this boy because he was such a show off like we would be at the movies. We'd be in front of the movies and he would do it to show off. And I'm like, yo, man, that's concrete, though. Don't like like maybe do that in the grass off a tree. But like that's if you fall, I'm not going to tell your parents what happened. That's not on me. I wasn't here.
00:17:57
Speaker
Fuck you, I'm out. um So he was way into that shit. And so I watched a bunch of Jackie Chan shit with him. A bunch of Bruce Lee shit and eventually this movie.
00:18:11
Speaker
came around and ah I gotta tell you, this is the only one that has survived. I certainly enjoyed all those films when I watched them with my friend who was very into them as someone who's a big believer in your experience being more positive when you view something with someone who is
Podcast Structure Debate
00:18:30
Speaker
very into it. right ah So I enjoyed my time watching those other films, but this movie though,
00:18:37
Speaker
This was all that shit, plus it was like all the shit I was into because it was like weird and kind of silly. And so- It's definitely that.
00:18:49
Speaker
So I've had it on VHS and then I had a DVD of it for a long time. I don't have either of those anymore. And then a couple of years ago, I bought the Blu-ray and I haven't watched it. And so this was my first spin of my Blu-ray. Nice. And it looks fantastic. It's not 4K, but it looks really good. It's a good transfer. Good. Looks and sounds good. And there is a commentary on it. I had no idea.
00:19:14
Speaker
I can't wait to listen to it from the director. It's the director's commentary. Very excited. We should mention director of this film, Michael Schultz, who the same year this came out, also directed a little movie called Crush Groove. ah Previously had directed Cooley High, Car Wash, like just kind of a prolific director in sixties and seventies black cinema, which is fucking great. it pretty cool Which lends this movie a significant level of authenticity. um Tucker, you don't know the movie he directed? I feel like this is a movie you know. I only know this movie because my mother had the soundtrack on vinyl and gifted it to me, so I do own it somewhere. um He directed a little movie called Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.
00:20:10
Speaker
Yeah, that's a weird movie. Yeah, I think a really weird movie. I figured you'd know that one. I do know that one and I've seen it and I do. There are things from the soundtrack that I enjoy, ah specifically the Bee Gees stuff. Yes, I like Alice Cooper's cover of Because is really good. That's good, too. Yeah, there's a lot of good stuff on the soundtrack. The Bee Gees stuff stands out for me ah because I'm a pretty big pre disco Bee Gees fan.
00:20:39
Speaker
I also have the soundtrack for Saturday Night Fever on vinyl. That's, that's cool. Like that's not my Bee Gees, but like, I understand why it's everybody else's and I'm cool with it. Like fuck yeah. It's really good. it's I mean, I understand. Maybe you don't like, maybe you don't like disco, but that I do like that movie though. you go Do you like the sequel to that movie?
00:21:05
Speaker
Sylvester Stallone's staying alive? Correct. yeah Yes, I do, actually, for very different reasons.
00:21:15
Speaker
You mean Ambassador, US Ambassador to Hollywood, Sylvester Stallone? Is that who we're talking about? Thank you for saving the political talk for the recording, Tucker. I asked you to do that earlier, and you did, and I thank you for that. Fuck you, moving on. It's just so funny. It's really funny.
00:21:33
Speaker
Is it funny or is it tragic? It's a little bit of both. Comically tragic, like when a clown dies? Yeah, kind of like that. Bust full of clowns. Off a cliff. In flames. Yeah, dude. Brett, thoughts on deaths of clowns?
00:21:58
Speaker
No. Fantastic. Fred needs his own fucking stupid button. He really does. He can just hit it. and Here's the thing. Doesn't matter. I would I would hit it right now. It wouldn't make it to the final recording. Probably. It wouldn't matter. Yeah.
00:22:14
Speaker
We don't get a good chuckle out of it, but the audience would never hear it. Yeah. Fucking stupid. There it is. I'll just say it. Whenever you guys want me to just like just point at me and I'll say it. Here's the thing. I could just hit the button and you can just say it right afterwards so I could do this and you could do that. There you go. There you go. Well, I don't know about that. We figured it out. We made it work. I suppose so.
00:22:39
Speaker
I suppose. I'll dance. Dance, monkey dance. So I think for me, the weirdest element of this movie is show nuff. Like. Bad dude. It's like my favorite part, honestly. He's so rad. you fair Every time I looked at show nuff, I couldn't help but think of Cyrus from The Warriors, future episode of this podcast, The Warriors. And Dirty D from Poody Tang.
00:23:11
Speaker
Just the way he talked, really, how he's always just yelling. And well, yeah, that was why i that was what the site that and just like the theatricality ostentatiousness of him with the big cape and everything. I'm thinking like Cyrus. And every time he walked on screen, I was just like, can you dig it?
00:23:30
Speaker
She does not say that in this movie at all. No, shown up is probably my favorite character in this movie. This movie needs more shown up. I feel like we could we could even though I like the the manager guy and the squeaky gal um and you mean Cindy Lauper and and dude from fucking ah Dumb and Dumber. I like those guys. Yeah. But we could I like they if they weren't there and that meant more shown up. I'd be okay with that. It feels like this movie is kind of trying to shove a lot of villains into the mix, and I don't know that it really needs to. um I mean, the from what I understand, the, you know, the white guy with money is kind of the, like, one of the stereotypical villains of the black exploitation genre. So I get why you kind of need that.
00:24:25
Speaker
He's the Dick Lecter, another shout out to Pooty Tang being very similar to this movie in a lot of ways. Well, and again, I think that the black exploitation elements in both kind of carry through. Yeah, for sure.
00:24:38
Speaker
like both are kind of send ups of the black exploitation genre. This one just has kind of the added kung fu genre added to it. So that's, and that's why you need shown off is that you need the, you've got the the guy with the money kind of pulling the strings. You need the heavy who can best the, or best the hero in hand to hand combat. You kind of need both villains here, but then you've also got the the mall character with, ah oh, what's the actress's name? I want to get her name right. um Faith Prince as Angela Virico, the Cyndi Lauper-esque singer that he's trying to promote. And then, of course, the great Mike Starr. ah but she She joins the good team at the end. She does.
00:25:24
Speaker
Yeah. Um, but then there's a gang of dudes with gimmicks. That's fun as well. Yeah. A lot warriors. Yeah. Or like, or like mystery men when they have the tryouts. That's what it reminds me of all those different idiots.
00:25:41
Speaker
That's definitely not cartoon where he's like the investigator and he runs into all the different gangsters with funny. Yeah. it Like neon noodle and 10 ton teeth. It also reminds me a little bit of the end of Blazing Saddles where they're getting the posse together um and they're interviewing all the all the villains, all the just stereotypical villains from throughout history. um it's It's got those vibes in it for sure. Like get him a get him whatever he wants. Get him a bone.
00:26:10
Speaker
um Yeah, just speaking of bones, ah one thing that does not pay off in this movie, the only thing that doesn't pay off in this movie, the only thing about this movie that I don't like.
00:26:25
Speaker
is that the monster in the tank never pays off. Yes. I agree with that. What the fuck? You he needs to run. Right. I guess if you introduce a party in the first act, he's got to eat someone's face in the third act. And they even play with it a bit when and like your boy Bruce Bruce Leroy doesn't know that there's a scary dude in there, but he dunks dude in there for a second. I guess that's supposed to be the payoff for that.
00:26:52
Speaker
but it should But nothing happened. He doesn't get him. No, because it was sleeping or something, because at the end, he basically chucks shown off into. That's what I'm saying. Put it in there. could Put it in there, grown up into the piranha tank. That's what should be happening.
00:27:09
Speaker
But then we we wouldn't. The third act would have to take place in the villain's penthouse and not in the studio, which is where it's clearly taking place. So why even include the monster at all? It serves no purpose. But they had him move it. He's like, move, get this out of here. Right. Just have it show up in the warehouse where they're fighting later. That's where they moved it to. Yeah, that's where they put it. So what the hell? Is it a budget thing?
00:27:32
Speaker
I'm hoping that the director's commentary can shed some light on this because it's the only thing that both I love this movie so much, but that bothers me so much. that it never gets paid off, especially when there's a, ah you just put it right there. That's where you put it. It's so obvious, put it right there. I mean, and and it it gets such a memorable introduction. You get Mike Starr, who, I mean, looks like a side of beef himself, opening up a freezer full of like pig carcasses, grabs an entire pig leg and just shoves it into a tank that immediately starts bubbling and pulls out just like bones.
00:28:10
Speaker
Yeah. um Amazing. Like, such an amazing introduction and for so little payoff. It's like, and you would expect maybe the villain would like just like, put someone's arm in there. um Like, something like that needs to have more use in this movie. Otherwise, there's no purpose to having it in here at all.
00:28:33
Speaker
I agree. Do you think maybe they did pay it off, but it got them an R and they wanted to keep it PG-13? That's the only thing I could think of. That and that may be the case. i'm I mean, i I did read that at one point there were like 40 pages of script that were deleted, ah that they had to kind of rewrite from memory. So maybe it was a casualty of that. Maybe it was just a food fight situation there. Because they also had like a massive budget cut thing.
00:29:01
Speaker
where they the entire budget got cut by like $2 million. dollars So they had to kind of rewrite and rearrange something. So maybe, maybe the the monster payoff was part of the budget cuts. It's hard to say.
00:29:13
Speaker
Where's the money, Barry Gordy? Come on. I mean, I think a lot of it went right up his nose. Let's be clear. um I mean, we we' it's this is ah a movie produced by a movie ah music. so Oh, no. Oh, that's fantastic. I love that. That's good. I mean, that then, you know, it's it's Barry Gordy like so you would expect.
00:29:38
Speaker
I don't know you'd expect it's kind of interesting that this is where Motown I guess is in the 80s to where like I think the last time Barry Gordy produced something major I want to say was Did he produce The Wiz? Yes, it was The Wiz. Literally, it was The Wiz. And for that, you he's an uncredited executive producer.
Progressive Elements in "The Last Dragon"
00:30:00
Speaker
And for that, you get like Michael Jackson and Diana Ross. And like you get these major, Mabel King, Theresa Merritt, you get these huge names in this movie. um And then in The Last Dragon, you get, um the movie stops dead in its tracks for an elder barge music video.
00:30:19
Speaker
Oh, but that's a really good song though. I'm not mad about it. I'm not mad about it. But like, if we're comparing Elder Barge to Diana Ross.
00:30:32
Speaker
That's such a good song though. I'm not disagreeing with you. And I like Elder Barge. I enjoy Elder Barge. that Thanks to Elder Barge, we know who Johnny is because he's the one who dares to ask the question. We wouldn't know if it weren't for him.
00:30:48
Speaker
Who is Johnny? Yeah, dude. And and, you know, he allows us to feel the beat of the rhythm of the night. We get Rockwell is in the soundtrack um like there's the the soundtrack on this movie is maybe wonder favorite part of this movie. It's so good. Stevie Wonder is in the soundtrack. Yeah. um You know, I think the best song
00:31:14
Speaker
in this is the actual theme. Like oh yeah the love theme from not the love theme, but the last dragon theme where I think it's third in the credits. And they played a couple of times in the film. I don't know who does it though. It's really good. Honestly, a lot of the songs in this movie really suck, except for Elle DeBarge and the the theme song.
00:31:41
Speaker
Uh, Charlene's Fire, I liked a lot, but they so they suck in like a fun way, like a not not a boring way. The one about the nudibag finding the nudibags. Come on, that one's like 10 out of 10. That was that's what I'm saying. They all suck. But um The the White David did the last dragon. Yes, I just looked that up. And of course, Vanity sings her own song, Seventh Heaven. We talked about Mandy, of course, in our action Jackson Jackson. Right. Yeah. But she she gives such a weird performance, not her performance as the character in this movie. But when she sings that song in the club at the beginning,
00:32:26
Speaker
She's so weird. Yeah, she's like and I in a way that I like like she could like be and another member of Devo like she could sing with them like she's doing some weird shit.
00:32:40
Speaker
And it works and like her facial expressions and she's being all frantic and weird. And it's wow. ah I've always really dug that because like it's so weird. Cause she's just like this pretty lady and she's on a show, you know, and she has a producer and a hairstylist and she's just normal gal with the show, famous gal. And then she comes out and does that. And you're like, wow.
00:33:05
Speaker
This lady is weird. It's but a bigger brain. It's legitimately bizarre. I love it. And again, it's one of those moments that makes me ask the question, like, who is this movie for? What are we doing? What is this movie? What? Yeah. what What? What are we doing here? Like, this is such a bizarre object, frankly. um Like, yeah.
00:33:30
Speaker
<unk>m I'm watching that and I'm like, i I remember her being a much better actor in Action Jackson. Did she like take classes between then and now? I thought she was fine in this movie. I don't have any problems with her performance. She was, hor she she felt very stilted. um Apparently she had been cast in Purple Rain, but like, like left that movie. Oh, no. um So she ended up not being in Purple Rain, another movie that would have paired her with another Mononym, Prince. And this movie, of course, she's paired with Timac, I think is how you how you pronounce this gentleman's name. I've never known how to pronounce it.
00:34:13
Speaker
This is his first movie, I think, ever. but Not that not that he does a lot of other ones, but he's he's a martial artist. He works. Yeah, he I mean, he he does he does stuff, but is ah is basically a um a martial artist who practices whatever the martial art is that he's teaching in the movie. That was like a martial art invented by his like Sensei, I guess. Nice. um And so he just that's that's the martial art that he teaches in the movie while wearing the Bruce Lee jumpsuit. Sometimes. I mean, the first, you know, he he he trains in the Bruce Lee jumpsuit. Speaking of ah his dojo in the movie, ah it got me to thinking, and
00:35:05
Speaker
He likes to lock people into places. It's like something now, like if you do it once, that's not good. But if you do it two times in an hour and 40 minutes, somebody that you know and care about, you just stick them in a space and lock them in. Yeah. So they can't leave.
00:35:27
Speaker
Bruce Lee Roy, I started questioning your methods, bud. Yeah. You're a good dude. You're a good dude. You just got to think about some of this shit and how it looks. You know what I mean? I don't i don't really think he's thinking about it, but yeah. Twice. Golly. To a student and his brother, two people, two two of his charges that he is responsible for. And apparently the only way he can keep them safe is to lock them away.
00:35:56
Speaker
And Homeboy's afraid of the dark too. Mm-hmm. There are moments when I wonder what this character's like mental acuity level is because I like I'm worried about like when Vanity kissing him at the end of the movie, I'm like, should you be doing that? Because I don't know if this man is matured past the age of 10.
00:36:16
Speaker
I think that if we looked at this through a modern lens, I don't think that he's mentally deficient, but you could say he might be on the spectrum somewhere. I was going to say, dude is autistic as hell. At least, yeah. As someone who is on the spectrum. I can say that. I'm on the spectrum. I'm on the spectrum. I can say that. Yes, dude is autistic as hell. Yeah, man.
00:36:42
Speaker
ah Yeah, I would say at least. um Representation as well. We get so much representation in this movie. That one guy who's getting beat up, his girlfriend's a dude. Yeah, that's progressive for 1985. And I don't feel like that's like shown in a negative way.
00:37:02
Speaker
or like in a poke fun way. It's just it's it' just you know like it feels like it's meant to be a joke, but at no point is it treated as one, which is yeah, doesn't come off as one. It felt we it felt odd like because you're like, it's the 80s. When is the other shoe going to drop? And it never really does. Yeah. Yeah. But yeah, there's ah there's a there's a trans woman at the beginning of this movie. um And she loves her man who is getting the shit kicked out of him by show enough.
00:37:28
Speaker
completely fucked up. At least he didn't break his foot in like 12 places like he did that other dude. Yeah. No, he just proceeded to smash his face against the stage multiple times. Yeah, dude. And I mean, the I like that the the violence is pretty jokey, pretty pretty goofy for the most part in this movie. The fight choreography is really well done. Ernie Reyes Sr. is one of the fight choreographers.
00:37:55
Speaker
Um, and does a couple of elaborate fight scenes with his, with his son, which I find adorable. Not to mention Lee Van Cliff. I'll say, if I grew up from this movie. That's nothing to sneeze at. That's kind of, that's who you want for this movie. Specifically. Is it Lee or is it Ron? Same thing. Is it?
00:38:20
Speaker
Maybe I don't know. Is that two different people I'm thinking of? Maybe there's no way leaving cave is like a like a cowboy actor. I have maybe I may have gotten this day wrong. Oh, he's a cowboy actor. Doesn't mean he can't be also proficient in martial arts. Stephen, come on. That's true. Stunt guy, you know, stunt guys. Straight up stunt guys. That's racist.
00:38:49
Speaker
Exactly. That's what I'm saying. What? I don't even know. I think you're right, though, Stephen, on that name. It is Ron Van Cliff, but OK. Yeah, I also am. Apparently, who is the the the lead character is martial arts instructor. Who's the cousin of the cowboy guy? I think the names are spelled very differently.
00:39:17
Speaker
Well, Ron Van Cleef is confused. Ron Van Cleef is black and Lee Van Cleef is not. So? I'm just saying. Welcome to America, Steven. We diverse as fuck. We something.
00:39:33
Speaker
for now anyway you know politics so sorry sorry sorry sorry sorry can you tell we're recording this episode on inauguration day no what oh seven more minutes till it's not that day anymore for you i've got an hour far yo Yeah, vanity should be in Devo. I'd listen to a Devo vanity song. Well, vanity is now like an evangelical Christian evangelist
Podcast Format vs. Relaxed Approach
00:40:00
Speaker
and has denounced everything she did prior to her being saved. Well, that's too bad. It is. so
00:40:08
Speaker
because I really like what she was doing and that I don't know what she was doing, but I liked it in that song. She's she's got an interesting filmography and she's starred opposite some very interesting actors.
00:40:21
Speaker
um Like we we talked about her in Action Jackson. ah She's in 52 Pickup with Roy Scheider and Anne Margaret. Um, she she does an episode of Miami Vice as well. ah She's in deadly illusion with motherfucking Billy Dee Williams. Yeah, dude, we love that. um And then she does a lot of television. She does ah ah the Mr. T show TNT. The Friday, the 13th, the series. ah She does an episode of Tales from the Crypt, Silk Stockings, Highlander. Yeah, dude.
00:41:01
Speaker
And then her very last film role ever is in 1997, a little movie called Kiss of Death, which stars her and everyone's favorite, Daniel McVicker. Oh, who's that? I don't know. Some guy. OK, OK. and thought we didn't like him the way you said it was like we didn't like him. No, I didn't like him. I don't know who this guy is. ah Stick up some dirt on him.
00:41:27
Speaker
Um, he's an actor with a base in Italy and Los Angeles. So I guess looking at his filmography, he's done a lot of Italian films and a lot of movies, American films that no one's ever heard of. So woof. What a jerk. but We don't like that guy. Grr. Yes, we're just picking picking a random fight with Daniel McVicker. of We at the disenfranchised podcast stand against Daniel McVicker.
00:41:56
Speaker
So Daniel McVicker, we know you're listening. um If you want to come on the show and defend yourself, just ah email Steven. He is in the ah disenfranch pod at gmail dot.com. He is in the the Dom DeLuise Ezio Gregio film um Silence of the Hams. Oh, boy. With Billy Zane and so Stuart Pinkin and John Astin, the great John Astin, Phyllis Diller is in there, Rip Taylor, Larry Storch. What a cast on this thing. And we cover this on Patreon. Shelley Winters is in this movie.
00:42:31
Speaker
I don't ever want everyone to see it again. It's embarrassing. It's just embarrassing. The whole movie is embarrassing. The whole time you're watching it, you're just embarrassed for everything that's happening and everyone that's involved. And not in a fun, like Nathan for you kind of way. I mean, it it it looks like a bad version of like a Lloyd Bridges or Mill Brooks parody. Like it looks like the bad version of one of those. Like Zaz dialed up to 11.
00:43:01
Speaker
Yeah, and it's not funny at all. No, but yeah. um So there you go. And then Ty Mac has done. I like so few things I've actually heard of. I don't think I've ever seen another thing that he's been in. He's was in an episode of Malcolm and Eddie, a different world. um But yeah, most of the stuff he's done, I mean, he's a martial artist first.
00:43:31
Speaker
So like most of the stuff he's done, he's playing like kickboxing instructor or the bartender or striking Eagle. That sounds vaguely racist. I mean, his name sounds like it should be followed by like Lord of the dinosaurs or, you know, something Conan related time act dinosaur hunter, like to. dinaur hunterac Yeah. Yeah.
00:43:57
Speaker
Yeah, that's a reference everybody gets. Yeah, we did it. Honestly, Steven, I'm impressed that you made that reference. that's Good job. and He started as a comic book character, right? what Well, I mean, that probably helps, but I didn't know that. That's why I know that. I know you guys probably know him from the video game, which I am aware of. Well, then i I'm going to rescind my well done.
00:44:22
Speaker
Yeah, you suck, Steven. So what else do you do? You and what's the guys, the Italian guys, that we don't like? Daniel McVicker? Fuck both y'all. Don't look either of you guys. Showed up. Showed up.
00:44:47
Speaker
Oh, god. We have fun. I'm so glad we're friends. Because if we weren't friends, that would just be mean. That's because I'm here. No, it's all good dude. We love you. we We love when you're here, man. It's always a good time. That's what I mean. I improve things when I'm here. That's it. Up to 11. That's right. Just you know, it's that it's that bit of spice that makes the podcast extra nice.
00:45:16
Speaker
sure Sure, stop kissing my ass now, let's move on Hey, you guys, do we even do the plot in 60 anymore? We haven't yet this year. And um why should we start? How's it feel? How's it feel? I kind of I'm kind of OK with it. Me too. Like it gives the show structure, but like we never do it at a specific time. So no, that's we're not. That's just it. Like we're as a show, we're not really we're not the kind of guys who are. um What's the word organized?
00:45:49
Speaker
Yeah, but you know, I kind of like, you know how we used to like, you'd introduce us and you name off the cast. And then we'd talk about, you know, our history with the film. And then we do the plot. And then we kind of get in the meat and potatoes. And then we do the segment that everybody has to shut up about. Sometimes we haven't done yet this we can do that sometimes. Yeah. Maybe if I remember to do it. I was going to say, I like having stuff like that.
00:46:18
Speaker
What if what what if what if I could be the wrangler of those things? I could keep track of those things and and maybe we could do them more often in an in an organized way. Would you guys be into that? I don't want to host even because I tried that once. It it sounds like that's what you're asking to do. No, dude.
00:46:43
Speaker
That caustic nod from Brett is everything. If times like this, it sucks that this is not a visual medium because the look on Brett's face was fucking priceless. No, I don't want the responsibility of saying the words. But what if, like... I mean, it's not hard to say, honestly. Well, I did steer us there tonight. I was s like, is this the first time you've seen this movie, Steven?
00:47:09
Speaker
And that was me putting this. Well, so see, well, that's, that's the problem. That's, that's why we were so inconsistent with it all the time is because like we don't do it at a specific time. And like, I don't, I think we enjoy the flow of the conversation more than bringing it to a halt to stick to a format.
00:47:29
Speaker
That's true. I'm with Brett on this one. Yeah. So like and that's that's where the problem lies. Because that's why when I would remind us to do the plot, it was always when there was a lull in the conversation. That could be an hour in. That could be 20 minutes in. You don't know. and Yeah. And there there was there's never been a consistent time for that. I mean, maybe early on when we were kind of finding our feet and very regimented, but now it's The conversation is the thing and it's the organic nature of the conversation that we have theoretically, we should be explaining the plot before we talk about anything related to the movie. Right. That's true. So, you know, good band meeting you guys. Should we do the plot? No. ah Look, I'm all for skipping at this time and then polling the audience. What do you guys like? Yeah, there we go. Yeah. Do you like the plot? Do you want us to keep doing it? Please let us know.
00:48:24
Speaker
Let us know over at patreon dot.com slash disenfranch pod where you can join for absolutely free and join the official conversation of the disenfranchised podcast. We're going to post this entire episode free behind that behind that free paywall. You know, comment just drop the comment. Let us know in the comments. Find us on social media. You probably already have that.
00:48:47
Speaker
You know, you don't gotta to join the Patreon or you don't want to. Let's be honest, i'm i'm I'm abandoning most of the social medias outside of blue skies. But Brett, you can join for free. yeah You don't have to pay. It don't cost no money. And you can talk to us and you can be a part of the poll, man. We actually post a free poll on Patreon, Tucker. Yeah, do that. Post a poll. That was the plan.
00:49:15
Speaker
Do you want us to have a format? The poll will be, do you want us to have a format? Or shift or should we should we be, ah yeah, it's just a ah podcast where we talk about movie, but the fun thing is we we we just kind of talk amongst ourselves.
00:49:29
Speaker
lost ten like Like so many other podcasts were hosted by, you know, three millennial white guys with glasses. um Yeah, look, we're the stereotype. We get it. Okay. We understand. You can stop your jokes. We've heard them all. and We've made half of them. Let's be clear. We've made half of them ourselves. Yeah. And look, we still have stuff that differentiates us. You know, we do the yeah what the the box office at the end. ah's a yeah for Every movie podcast does that.
00:50:01
Speaker
Shut up. we got Look, net no other no other podcast has a video game corner. That's true. And and how many how many movie podcasts have have an occasional Brett, right? Like how many how many podcasts have that? Well, just one, because he's on this podcast. Fucking A, just one. That is Brett. Occasional Brett is our competitive advantage. I don't know about that. Like Woody Harrelson. Like Woody Harrelson on the Dancing podcast, right? Like Woody Harrelson sometimes. Right. And occasionally,
00:50:36
Speaker
bre i mean like I don't at all want to get a big head big head about this. All right, you guys, like it's it's fine. Well, dude, we got it. We got to pump you up. So you join us more often. Well, yeah, I mean, look, I'm trying. I know.
00:50:54
Speaker
Probably. And we've been we've been we've been trying to make ah more of an effort to try to schedule these things on nights when you're available. um Because for so long, the recording night has just by default been a night when you're not available.
00:51:07
Speaker
That's true. So we're we're trying to, you know, make more of a concerted effort to get you in on these because we like having you here. You're our friend. You're v o ge you're might you yeah you were the you're the one who convinced me to start this thing. You're the one who's like, we should do a podcast. And I was like, well, I've got an idea. Sure. So I mean, there was a time. This is our baby.
00:51:30
Speaker
It is. Yeah. And like fans have told me that they wish I was around more. Yeah. so And they're not the only ones. I know. you You are a valuable voice on this podcast, and we'd love having you here. Well, I appreciate that, man. This is getting awkward now. Like people are listening. You suck at it, woo! Is that better? Thank you, Tucker. Thank you, Fuck you and Daniel McVicar. Yes. All three of you motherfuckers. Show enough. Show enough.
00:52:08
Speaker
I think one of my favorite jokes in the movie is when he comes in and asks a question and someone yells, show enough. And he's just like, that one was not called in response. Yeah, no, he was actually saying it too. Right. Just like, show enough.
00:52:28
Speaker
Yes, because blue, s three blue, Bruce Leroy, ah um Mr. Green, ah Daddy Green, Daddy Green. ah He's he says, Who are you? And he says, Who am I? So annoying.
00:52:47
Speaker
What else has Julius Kerry done? That's what I want. Everything. Everything. He's busy. He's a busy boy. He's all over the place. um He's in 27 episodes of The Adventures of Briscoe County Junior. Fucking love that. That's where I recognize him from. Yeah, dude. That's a really good show. He's in the DJ Qualls film, The New Guy. All right.
00:53:11
Speaker
Cool. I dig that movie. Yeah. Let me see. Early 2000s. Does a few episodes of Boy Meets World, episode
Audience Engagement & Feedback
00:53:20
Speaker
of Diagnosis Murder, 13 episodes of Two Guys a Girl and a Pizza Place in this economy.
00:53:28
Speaker
Tuesdays at eight on ABC. That's why they that's why they lost the pizza place after a while. rats Well, that Daddy Green was in competition with them. So move your feet at a Daddy Green's pizza. um Forty episodes of something called Doctor Doctor also does an episode of a different word. I got a bad case of loving you. I love you too. Happens to everybody.
00:53:54
Speaker
um I mean, he's he's he he works, man works. um yeah you're You're right. But it's a lot of TV stuff, like not a lot of big film roles. ah His first movie is Disco Godfather, where he plays Bucky. He was in the Private Benjamin TV show. I don't think has any relation to the movie Private Benjamin with Goldie Hawn.
00:54:20
Speaker
um He's in the original one episode of the original yeah ER r of not the one with George Clooney, but the one with Jason Alexander and Elliot Gould. Less CTV. Less CTV. Actually, George Clooney was in that one too. That's really funny. I just i just opened it up and George Clooney said eight episodes of that ER also. George Clooney used to be really funny. Yeah, used to used to do comedy, George Clooney.
00:54:45
Speaker
see our future episode of Straight Up, Return of the Killer Tomatoes. Yeah, it's coming. We'll get there. We will. I tried to get us there sooner than Tucker wanted, and he pushed back, and he was right to do it. Something came up. Something came up, you know. He was right to do it. But yeah, this guy's, he's in dinosaurs, too. Who is he playing dinosaurs? He's in one episode of Dinosaurs as Mudbelly.
00:55:14
Speaker
The Jim Hansen show with the dinosaurs, not the momma. Yeah. And the baby one. And yeah. And then they all die at the end. Yeah, it was one of the most incredibly depressing final episodes of the TV series ever. Yeah. Well, he plays a ah ah a blues musician called Mudbelly. Oh, nice.
00:55:34
Speaker
um Robbie is introduced to the wailing funky blues sounds of swamp music and tries to bridge the species gap by getting a dinosaur record company to put out a mammal swamp music album. Yeah, racism. That sounds racist as well. I think that's the point. I was gonna say, yeah, that that was a show that really tried to deal with like,
00:56:00
Speaker
quote unquote, issues, but like, you know, with dinosaur puppets. Well, and yeah, it it was easier to do that way because you weren't saying, you know, jazz musicians, well you weren't saying black people. You were saying mammals and dinosaurs. ha It's a metaphor. and And like the last episodes about, you know, like global warming and, you know, like preserving natural resources because they end up like destroying the world due to like oh deforestation or some shit. like yeah They usher in the Ice Age as a result of that. so like wild Wild take to not do the meteor strike. That was you know was ahead of its time.
00:56:43
Speaker
yeah I remember the episode where they decide to worship a potato. And so like the government, it's like about the church and state, like the government, like demands worship of the potato, it's like hail the potato. um And they would all do like the this weird little hand, like hand raise motion, like hail the potato, hail, I just, I remember that as a kid, and then realized later, wow, there's some Nazi imagery there. um You know, and then, ah you know,
00:57:17
Speaker
See, I wasn't going to say anything. I wasn't going to say anything. You didn't. Damn it. I'm looking at I'm bleeping it. Fuck that. We said we were going to save the political talk for the record. And that's what I did. That's what you get. It's getting beeped. It's getting beeped. You know what I mean? I'm censoring you, Steven. I'm censoring you. Fucking stupid. Thank you, Brad. That's what Steven thinks about it. I do. Well, it looks like while we're here.
00:57:45
Speaker
Oh, fuck. All right. While we're censoring stuff, why not? While we're here. Brett, that was the most masterful drop I've ever heard. You're welcome. I watched it again the other night. It was fantastic. Fucking A. Fucking A. Show enough.
00:58:09
Speaker
Oh,
00:58:14
Speaker
who God, what else what else do we what else do we have to say about about Last Dragon Tucker? This is your this is your jam. What else you got to say? The glow was like we made along the way. Yeah.
00:58:26
Speaker
Yeah, exactly. fredtt Exactly. Yeah, dude. So when you guys were watching this, right? And like, he's been talking about fighting that glow. And then he's fighting show enough. And you think he's got him and all of a sudden show enough is glowing. What'd you think about that?
00:58:45
Speaker
That was pretty cool. That was pretty cool. That was pretty cool. Foreshadowed by him saying if that falls into like the evil hands, it could be it could be real bad. And you're like, oh, he was right. Yeah. Oh, shit. Yeah. Yeah. I don't know. I really I just like this movie a lot. And then when they both start blowing, like all the collision points are blue. And so you've got like all three primary colors working. Yeah. Yeah. It looks really cool.
00:59:14
Speaker
Really cool. I like the fake out in the last fight between them, where ah Bruce Leroy disappears and shown us looking for him and he surprise kicks him and you think he's done. And you're like, oh, well, that was kind of oh, shit, he's gone. Oh, no, he's beating the fuck out of him. What? Yeah, he turned around. Yeah, that was that was cool.
00:59:41
Speaker
Every time. The the the main characters have been disappearing the whole fucking movie. It was like, well, where'd he go? Oh, he's right over where it was. And so it's nice to see the villain get a chance to do that, too. He Batman's him. And and I wanted to win show enough, does it?
Financial Success of "The Last Dragon"
01:00:00
Speaker
I wanted Bruce Leroy to be like, so that's what that feels like.
01:00:10
Speaker
Oh, fantastic. No one cared who I was until I put on the mask. Yeah, dude. Dudes, yeah. Dudes. Yeah. whatever i'm saying there that is What a
01:00:26
Speaker
but a film you guys. When you guys were watching this, were you like, oh, Tucker likes this movie. I mean, it it does. I mean, know you had mentioned your love for it previously, but this absolutely breeds as a Tucker movie. Yeah. Yeah. No, that means the Pootie Tang vibes it was giving off. Oh, yeah. Understandably so. I mean, Pootie Tang is inspired by these kinds of movies. Of course it was giving off Pootie Tang vibes, but, you know, it then in turn gave off Tucker vibes and, you know. I mean, this movie even has a belt buckle in it. So that's true. It does.
01:01:02
Speaker
Also, I got to say some of it kind of gives me Big Trouble in Little China vibes. I was going to say this movie, Big Trouble in Little China and The Golden Child all come out within two years of each other. I really like The Golden Child too, surprisingly. I was going to say. I don't really feel like that's a Tucker movie. Terribly surprising. I really do like it. Like, and they all three kind of have like those similar vibes to them. So.
01:01:32
Speaker
with the glowing and the whatnot. Right, with the glowing and the Asian influence and the, yeah. I do love that kind of special effect animation in those kind of movies. Like the the sparks and the the glow and everything and the same with Big Trouble and Little China, all of that stuff was kind of animated and in a very similar way. Yeah. And I always think that gives a film a certain kind of feel. And I think that's why the three films that you mentioned are a great little pod of movies because they all have that same. Well, you just said it. I don't know why I'm repeating exactly what you just said, Steven, but they all they feel the same. if You know, if it helps, Tucker, you can say it as many times as you want. I don't know why. I feel like I had something better to say, but then I got lost in the details.
01:02:26
Speaker
It happens. It happens to the best of us. Steven, you were trying to wrap this up, I think. I think we were heading in that direction, if no one else has anything more to say. If no one else wants to. I certainly don't think there was a last dragon video game, as much as that probably would have worked really well.
01:02:42
Speaker
ra Yeah, I don't believe there was especially since this movie gives off video and like it could have been based on a video game like Yeah, so many elements that could have been adapted from a video game like the previously mentioned gang of dudes with a gimmick You've got the main boss You know and and you've got a dude that's learning martial arts and now to become a master of them and his character would like Get enough glow power and he can like, you know become super saiyan for like a certain amount of time Somebody make this game. This is fe like a really good video game last dragon game do what do we think of the some dung boy twist? I
01:03:28
Speaker
What? I mean, that name made me. Oh, that there's no master. Right. And then I was like, unfortunately, because that name is hilarious. I it it it's one of those like so on the nose that I was just kind of rolling my eyes as soon as they said it. I'm like, really, really movie. Is that what we're doing? But I think his sensei is unnecessarily mean to him. Yeah.
01:03:52
Speaker
I think everyone's kind of unnecessarily mean to him. Like, he's a single dude. To everybody. Everybody's kind of an asshole in this movie. Yeah. Except for our hero, who is like the most pure person ever. Something I really like about this movie. Sitting in a movie theater eating popcorn with chopsticks. Like a... Worst crowd ever. I would walk out and get my money back immediately. Oh, absolutely. Good God. All that shit. Like, maybe the weed smoke and the cigarette smoke. I would have been OK if I'd been close enough to the screen.
01:04:22
Speaker
to where it didn't, you know, it wasn't in my face. But boy, boy, that was a rowdy crowd. And those motherfuckers turned that stereo on in the middle of a movie. Because what? Because they want to dance? No. No, dude.
01:04:37
Speaker
no The only screen, the only film crowd I've seen in a movie that was worse? Well, there's two. And they're both in horror movies. Gremlins and Scream 2. Those are the only movie crowds that I've seen that are worse than this one. The one in Scream 2 is ridiculously just over the top bad. Correct. And the one in Gremlins, they're Gremlins. So they're going to be terrible. Until Hulk Hogan shows up anyway. Right.
01:05:05
Speaker
yeah But i yeah, no, the the movie the audience in the in the movie theater, terrible. God, what an awful. I'm like I was just thinking like I would hate to be like I would have cheered when the dude just like body slams the the boombox into smithereens. Yes, I would have let that guy got beat up. Yeah. Yeah.
01:05:28
Speaker
Wrong place, wrong time. Show enough. Show enough. No, but what I really like about this film is that the villains are just fucking evil, like for no reason. And like I appreciate modern films that explore the complexities of humanity and and humanizing villains so that you can so you can hate what they're doing, but you can sympathize with them. Right. I think that's a very powerful thing. And I love that.
01:05:57
Speaker
But I also love it when the bad guys are just fucking bad. And shown up is just bad, dude. But he's nothing else. He's just a bad motherfucker. And the the manager guy with the piranhas just just a complete fucking asshole for no reason. He's just a bad dude. Sometimes you just want a villain who will say evil will always triumph because good is dumb.
01:06:23
Speaker
Yeah, sometimes it and it's this you have to have it a certain kind of movie and this is the one. this yeah this is I don't want to complex villain in this at all. that Kill this movie. Yeah, but why does the big bad have to be like an arcade game like Empire guy? i Come on now.
01:06:42
Speaker
Uh, I don't know, because he's a bad dude. I was gonna say he's like, a he strikes me more as like the guy who sells the gambling machines, because the machines that he's selling are pretty much just pumping out his girlfriend's crappy music videos, honestly.
01:06:57
Speaker
I think maybe but he does give like all of the backup dancers a bunch of quarters. Yeah, it's true. ah But but I think he's just like a get rid like any any scheme to get rich and I think she calls him out like the girlfriend calls him out on it. She's like, I'm only interesting to you so long as I can make you money like you don't really care about me.
01:07:19
Speaker
that's I don't think. He's a mogul. You're a wannabe mogul. He's just a bad dude. my guess that makes sense There's doors in his wall that looked like the the doors that you keep the bodies in and the morgue. Did you notice that? He did. What's that about?
01:08:01
Speaker
I mean, that's where he keeps the bodies. I don't think that... i mean No, you feed him to the piranhas. And I'm only saying piranhas because you said piranhas, Steven. I've seen this movie so many times and I've always been very sure that it is a monster in there. Like not let not something that we've ever seen and not something we ever get to see because at one point you see a bit of it and it's furry.
01:08:25
Speaker
A little bit of it comes to the top and it swims down. I don't know what kind of creature it is. I don't think it's piranhas. I've always been under the ilanana i impression on IMDB. I think as well. Whoever said that, I don't I don't know if that's true or not, but I've always seen it as a monster because he says, like, get that thing out of here. I mean, I said earlier because it's because I assumed it was piranhas because every time you see a tank that immediately strips meat off a bone, it's piranhas.
01:08:54
Speaker
Well, it's just this this kind of movie, I would expect it to be some kind of weird little gremlin or something in there, some scary monster. And that's why I've always been so mad that there's no payoff, because I want to. and That's what I mean when I say that, is I want to see this motherfucker. I want to know what this is in this. town How deep does the supernatural rabbit hole go in this universe? yeah Well, and I mean, a lot of these movies and I i i can't speak to Golden Child because I haven't seen it too long, but I know big trouble in little china has like the weird monster things in it too so like it wouldn't be that much of a stretch for this movie to have a weird monster thing as part of it yeah i always wanted that's what's so disappointing about not getting a payoff on that is you never get to see what's in there and i'm always always been very very curious
01:09:47
Speaker
Very curious. Well, hopefully the director's commentary reveals some I hope so too. I would at least like to know if I'm right or if I've always misread it and it's supposed to be a tank of piranhas. Because now that you say that, I'm like, is that am I reading this wrong? Am I not understanding this? And that's possible because that like I'm right most of the time, but not all the time. Well, pretty much all the time, but not all the time.
01:10:15
Speaker
Before we move on to the closing, I do want to talk about some of the other actors considered for some of the major roles, ah at least for ah for Leroy and Shonoff. um for For Leroy, Mario Van Peebles, Wesley Snipes, and Lawrence Fishburne were all either considered or auditioned. Denzel Washington apparently auditioned for both Leroy and Shonoff. I could see him as Shonoff.
01:10:41
Speaker
Mm hmm. And then wild for for shown off specifically ah Jim Brown, Ron O'Neill, Carl Weathers, Billy Dee Williams and Fred Williamson. We're all considered Fred Williamson. i'd write I'd watch that for sure. Jim Brown, too, would have fucking killed. Yeah, for sure. But yeah, and apparently vanity was the first and only choice for for Laura, Laura Charles. So nice.
01:11:10
Speaker
So, there you go. Property of Bruce Leroy's little brother.
01:11:17
Speaker
Fuck that little kid, man. He gets to the trash can, man. It's not his fault. It was the 80s. He didn't know any better. He grew up on the streets. Him, me, Brett, Daniel McVicars. Like, just fuck all of us. No, don't put him in there with you guys. No, he's in here. He's one of us now. Not with Danny McVicar. Old Dan McVicar.
01:11:41
Speaker
Danny McVie. Yeah, you know that. On a $10 million dollars budget, this movie makes $33 million. So, a bit of you know, a box office success, ah not a critical darling by any stretch of the imagination, ah but certainly made its its money back domestically. $750 in the international box office, that's $750.
01:12:06
Speaker
um nice The movie comes out on March 22nd, 1985. It is the same weekend as a little movie called Friday the 13th, part five, A New Beginning. That's the one without Jason. Oh boy, Roy. Oh, Roy. Oh, Roy. They were up to part five by 85 already. Jesus. Yeah. They were doing one a year from 80.
01:12:33
Speaker
Like from 1980 they were doing it starts in 1980 and they just cranked out one a year for like almost a decade. That's true. Also opening this week at number two, Porky's Revenge, another sequel. Oh boy.
01:12:49
Speaker
In third place, up from 22, so it was staggering the release, opened in significantly more, it went from five theaters to 800 theaters, that's why, the Eric Stoltz share film, Mask. Oh, Mask. Mask. You guys, have you seen Mask? It's been a long time. It's been a long time, man. It's really good. It's been a long time since I rock and rolled.
01:13:16
Speaker
um ah Last Dragon opens in fourth place. Nice. To 5.2, 5.3 million dollars. This is in March? This is in March, March 22nd. And so this, this March will be its 40th anniversary.
01:13:35
Speaker
my Blu-ray's 35th anniversary. Maybe they'll do a 4K. I'd buy that. There you go. And in fifth place, a movie I have never seen or heard of before called Baby, Secret of the Lost Legend. The fuck? I haven't even heard of that.
01:13:54
Speaker
Yeah, I don't know weird. This is the it looks like maybe a dinosaur movie ah based on the poster. I'm going to Google this shit real quick. Bear with me one moment while I Google. I said I shan't bear with you. This is how could I not? I and it's in the it' number six, you say the number five.
Discussion on "Baby: Secret of the Lost Legend"
01:14:20
Speaker
number five Paleontologist Susan Matthews and her husband, George Loomis, discover a mother and baby brontosaurus in Africa and try to protect them from Dr. Eric Kiviat, the leader of a group of hunters intent on capturing the dinosaurs. And this is live action? This is a live action film. What the fuck is this called, Steven? Baby what? Baby. Babies. Babies what?
01:14:52
Speaker
Secret of the lost legend someone's playing the trailer baby secret of the last slide I'm playing
01:15:03
Speaker
Is it Baby or Babies? It's Baby, B-A-B-Y, Secret of the Lost Legend, from 1985, featuring performances by William Catt, Sean Young, and Patrick Magooin. I like William Catt. Also, ah Hugh Cauchy, Julian Fellowes, like it's got a good cast.
01:15:24
Speaker
Directed by racist though. There's like there's like island people. I think it's kind of racist. Well, look at that though Well that dinosaur looks terrible. I have to see this There you go um You guys this might become a straight up but but What? This looks so stupid. There you go. And then rounding out the top 10, we have in its 16th week down from number one the week before is Beverly Hills Cop.
Beverly Hills Cop & 80s Movies
01:15:54
Speaker
Oh, I like that movie. Drop the number down jesus the number one movie of the previous year. um Like it's made one hundred and ninety one million dollars so far. Oh, yeah, that tracks more. Yeah.
01:16:10
Speaker
The fact that it was still at number one at was in context. It's much better performance. Yes. Hey, you guys see that new one, the new one on Netflix. a i Excellent. Excellent. Excellent. Boy, it was real good. It was real good. I was surprised because I thought I was probably don't. You don't need to watch the third one. um But i'm glad you know me. No, don't. Steven, don't.
01:16:32
Speaker
Well, not he'd like we'll knock you out while it's while it's on a bunk around your head. I've seen it before. I know what I know what it is. But Axel F is really good and you guys should watch it because I was really surprised how well they handled the kind of legacy sequelness of it all. Like there were definitely references, but they weren't they weren't slapping you in the face with it. It was more just like contextual and part of the plot, really. It's a lot more subtle.
01:17:03
Speaker
And then being like hey, look it's the thing we said or remember that thing in the first movie I'm look I'm gonna stick a banana and this guy's tailpipe ha But does Bronson pin show come back? Yes Yes, he is back And it's wild not corny at all like it it feels right it doesn't feel worse Does he play the same character? See? Yes. Yes a quell Yes with his unrecognizable accent of no origin. Yeah. Like Catherine O'Hara on Schitt's Creek. Schitt's Creek, yeah. In seventh place, Witness, Harrison Ford in Witness. Oh, that's a good movie, you guys. What if there was a Witness? It's been a long time. But he's with the Amish people. Right. And yeah. But one of them, Witness. They did. They sure did. In eighth place, past episode of this podcast, The Breakfast Club.
01:18:03
Speaker
Oh, glad I missed that one. In ninth place, The Sure Thing. What if there was a Sure Thing? Looks like that movie has John Cusack, Lisa Jane Persky, Nicolette Sheridan, Richard Hamilton, Tim Robbins, Anthony Edwards, Larry Hankin, and Daphne Zuniga. So just everybody from the 80s then.
01:18:24
Speaker
Pretty much. it's Every 80s person, every 80s person. The movie is what that's black out during the Breakfast Club episode. I don't remember that one at all. i There are episodes I've certainly blacked out during. i I've asked Tucker, like, did we cover the Bourne Legacy? And he's like, yeah, dude. and i'm like Because Oscar Isaac. Yeah, Oscar Isaac. And he's in the end. They're friends and it's really cool for about 20 minutes. And then the rest of it kind of sucks. Yeah.
01:18:50
Speaker
I'm completely pigeonholed. Memory hold that one. And then in 10th place, um ah the killing fields. What if there were killing fields? Neat. Neat. I just think it's neat.
Reflections on "The Last Dragon" Reviews
01:19:02
Speaker
um The Tomatometer score for The Last Dragon is 61%.
01:19:09
Speaker
Critics, Consensus, The Last Dragon is a flamboyant genre mashup brimming with style, romance, and an infectious fondness for kung fu, but audiences may find the tonal whiplash more goofy than endearing. What? Show enough. Nonsense. Show enough. The meta score is a 58 based on mixed or average reviews from eight critics. Tucker, would you care to give the letterboxed score a spin?
01:19:38
Speaker
It is between a 3.2 and a 3.7. It's a 3.4. There you go. So well done. Nailed it. And Brett, out of five stars, how are you ranking? 1985 is the last dragon. I'll give it three and a half. I'll hit the average. Why not? OK. Right on. Tucker, yourself? ah This is a 4.25 for me.
01:20:07
Speaker
because we never get to see the monster. Sure. the And you know what? Fair enough. I was going to say show enough, but that doesn't really. Whereas I am going to I'm going to go with a I'm going to go with a straight three. It's a straight three for me. That's fair. Yeah, I thought it had enough enjoyable elements. But again, the tonal the tonal and inconsistencies it really got to me.
01:20:34
Speaker
Particularly early on. The more I the more I stuck with it, the more I was able to kind of vibe with what it was doing, but it still never really grabbed me. I think it's it's something, Stephen, that you will like more if you come across someone who you think needs to see it and you watch it with them. This is a good movie to show people. This is one of my most favorite movies to show to people to like be like, oh, what are we doing tonight? Well, fuck, are we watching The Last Dragon? Sit your ass down. Let's go.
01:21:03
Speaker
Have you introduced this one to your husband yet? Not yet. We'll get there. We'll get there. It's not time. It's not time yet. Got to ease him into it. Got to ease him into it, yeah. And here I have to, I always do it. There it is. That is? There's my Blu-ray. That's the picture on the IMDB page as well. The Blu-ray that no one can see. Oh, this is 30th anniversary edition. I guess this came out in 2015 or something.
01:21:30
Speaker
Yeah, that's the way math works, yeah. I know about math.
Hosts Reflect on Time and Age
01:21:36
Speaker
Math. We all know about math. And I am not befuddled by the normal passage of time either. I can believe I'm 42. I can. I feel it. I feel 40 in my 40s every day when I wake up. Where did the time go? Well, you doofus, it passed.
01:21:57
Speaker
Right. As time does. Yeah. Right. Welcome to Earth. Welcome to Earth.
01:22:07
Speaker
And that is our episode on 1985's The Last Dragon.
Promotion & Social Media Engagement
01:22:13
Speaker
Yes. um You can, hey, we've plugged our Patreon a few times over the course of the episode. i Just get over there and join it. um While you're on the internet, leave us a five star rating and review either on Spotify or Apple Podcasts or just wherever you get your podcasts. Let people know how much you like us and why.
01:22:32
Speaker
And if you do, we'll we'll probably read your comments on the on the episode. Let us know how we're doing or what movies you'd like to see us cover that we haven't yet by shooting us an email. This in French pod at gmail dot.com. As long as it fits our format, we'll cover it.
01:22:50
Speaker
Um, let me see. What else? You can find us on some forms of social media. I guess technically still Instagram, but mostly blue sky and YouTube um at disenfranch pod. Find us there as well. i' Trying to think of what other major stuff for the potty. I think that's it. um Yeah, that's it. I'm your host, Stephen Foxworthy. You can find me on ah briefly um for a little bit longer on Instagram, ah but mostly blue sky letterbox. Oh, yeah, you can find the podcast on letterbox to find me on letterbox and blue sky at Chewy walrus. ah Brett, where can we find you on the socials these days if if you're showing up there at all?
01:23:36
Speaker
Uh, letterbox probably gonna get rid of everything. Yeah. So, I mean, I'm on TikTok, but like nobody, I don't post anything there. Right. Just for doom scrolling, really? Pretty much. Yeah. Um, at least until it becomes unusable because of gestures widely and gestures wildly. Um, uh, yeah. So just letterbox, sus underscore boy luck. Right on. Tucker, about yourself.
01:24:06
Speaker
I'm on Instagram and YouTube at iced909. That's I-C-E-N-I-N-E. The number zero and the number nine. And also Tuckmugs, which is on Instagram. Tuck underscore mugs. um We haven't had anything this year. We had we had three posts in December. Three.
01:24:32
Speaker
Show enough. Show enough. And that's just as much my fault as it is all of the people who aren't sending in guest mugs. Right. Come on, people, you have mugs and they're probably really rad. And you probably have a super cool story to tell about them. So just it doesn't take very much time. It takes it takes a second to open your camera app.
01:24:59
Speaker
and then it takes a second to line up the shot. You take the photo, you write your little blurb. The whole thing takes less than five minutes, requires very little thought or time. So just send me a guest mug. You can send it, you can email it to distantfrenchpod at gmail dot.com, or you can direct message it to the Tuck Mugs account. Please send me some guest mugs.
01:25:28
Speaker
I know you have mugs. I know you're using them. You're not fooling anyone, is what I'm saying. Send me send me your mugs. Thank you. That is all. And that is all for us this week. um So um yeah, this has been the Disenfranchised Podcast. On behalf of my co-hosts, Tucker and Brett Wright, I'm your host, Stephen Foxworthy. Until next time,
01:25:58
Speaker
Shown off! shown enough so enough show