Transcript
David Isaacs: Hello everyone. It is July 15th, 2026 at time of recording. As always, I'm joined by our friend, Brian.
The Big Dog: Hey everyone, ah trying to make it through to the next day, you know, so real exciting stuff over here, but David, how are you?
David Isaacs: Good.
David Isaacs: That's spoiler alert, but England lost the Argentina today.
David Isaacs: Yeah.
The Big Dog: yeah, last time we had recorded, I know you're excited, was a U.S. Belgium game.
David Isaacs: Yeah.
The Big Dog: that Yeah, no, that didn't happen well either.
David Isaacs: Well, I just, I don't know what happened. I mean, the Balogun reversal, like... It started this whole, it stirred up a bunch of stuff.
David Isaacs: Belgium wasn't happy. well, they haven't prepared with, they haven't prepared their team for having face Belgium. But, you know, also the United States team was preparing to play without them too. So, I mean, there's not really,
David Isaacs: that's kind of a moot point. I get their frustrations. I mean, if she was on the other foot, like, yeah, the United States would have some complaints about, you know, a player being brought back that they thought was out.
The Big Dog: you
David Isaacs: But outside of that, you know when the actual game got played, the U.S. was 11 strong. Like, they just pissed down their legs. They had no heart.
David Isaacs: They... you know, went into the tournament and they do what they typically do in CONCACAF and other in Gold Cup. Like they play really hard, control the ball, control the game against some of these smaller countries, smaller teams, like not like any team that they think they can beat. They they want to try to dominate. And in the Belgium game, they just didn't do that. to At least not in the first half. you know They go down ah goal, like a shocking cross that came after they all stood in the box and no one wanted to head the ball away. And Tillman miraculously scores a free kick second time in the tournament. He's done that.
David Isaacs: Puts him at 1-1.
David Isaacs: 20 seconds later, they can see the second one.
David Isaacs: And after that, I mean, they were really feeling like they were getting themselves into the game. They were feeling more comfortable being on that stage, on equal footing with these opponents. And then you can't even remember it. Matt Fries, the goalkeeper, another shocker, can't clear the ball.
David Isaacs: with his left foot and kicks the turf. And then they go up 3-1. I just turned the game off. But the the showing from the team was just terrible.
David Isaacs: Pulisic for what he is, what he was. He's injury prone. He's, you know, a lot of debate on whether or not he should kept playing. You know, it was his injury that serious?
David Isaacs: Well, if he would have stayed on, then people would have said he should have came off because he's not at 100%. He's hurting the team. It's not really a conversation I'd like to have. i mean, if they go in playing like how they had this tournament and lose the game, then it's a different story. But I think the the big takeaway from that is how – they approached the game, how they were scared, what looked like. They you know just weren't playing cohesively, weren't playing as a team.
David Isaacs: And all in all, I mean, the most technically gifted, talented US men's soccer team that I've seen our lifetimes.
David Isaacs: You know used to have Dempsey, Howard, and Lana Donovan. And, you know, with the hodgepodge of some other people in there, but most of them were and MLS players or they weren't playing for like top clubs or in top leagues.
The Big Dog: Yeah.
David Isaacs: And now we really have that, but they just went out. They basically put themselves out of the game before they were actually able to play it. And which led to mistakes like that is really a big mentality thing, I think, when it comes to sports.
The Big Dog: Yeah, 100%.
David Isaacs: So I, yeah, just disappointed. Really disappointed. I thought they had something. Belgium's not the team that they were when the U.S. lost to them back in, was it 2018, 2014? I lost like 1-0. Tim Howard had had, you know, a dozen saves or something.
David Isaacs: And, yeah, they just really made it so disappointing.
The Big Dog: Yeah, I mean, you put that, i guess, like, the it sounds like I didn't really, I didn't watch any of the World Cup. not a big soccer fan. I know I did grow up playing and played in travel teams and such until I was, like, 13, but never really was, like, a fan of watching it. um But do you put that, like, more on, like, the coaches or just the players themselves or just, like, the whole system as a whole?
David Isaacs: I don't think it's the coaches. I mean, they want Pochettino back, and they I'm assuming he came in with a game plan, but I think it was yeah just kind of the mentality of the players.
David Isaacs: it it could I mean, I could be totally wrong. I don't have an insight into the locker room or anything, but I think it's...
The Big Dog: Right, right, sure.
David Isaacs: it it's kind of the what we had seen i mean they lost the belgium a few months ago in a friendly they lost germany in a friendly um germany and belgium aren't you know the the top teams in the tournament you know when they when belgium was in their golden generation with lukaku hazard de broin all still relatively young and the us lost them one to nothing like that says a lot more about how they managed to lose 4-1 against the significantly weaker Belgian side.
David Isaacs: So I think they, you know, have to regroup. I think, you know, maybe some of that gets lost because the... European teams, they play in the Euros every two years. They have that exposure to a few of the top teams in the world outside of Argentina and Brazil, who they'll only ever see at the World Cup. But they play in those competitions. They play in leagues against those other players, regardless of if they're representing their country or their club.
David Isaacs: And, like, I just, you know, I was seeing a lot of the, like they were playing scared and then they were also trying to do this little like stand and just flip the ball on like doing dummies. And I know if you know what that is, but it's like you let the ball pass through your feet to go to another player. Like they were doing some things creatively before they had actually established themselves as a as a competitor in the game.
David Isaacs: Okay.
The Big Dog: Right.
David Isaacs: Yeah, I don't really think it was the setup. It was just a bunch of individual mistakes. I mean, they were clogging. Belgium was clogging passing lanes. Typically, if you want to do a flick on or something, like it's not going to be as accurate as trapping the ball and turning and passing. And they snuffed that out. I mean, they were thoroughly prepared to play against the U.S. So, I mean, all credit to them. but Yeah, just shocking as a a fan to watch the effort that unfolded in that game.
David Isaacs: And yeah, I mean, a little bit late to the party in these opinions, but
The Big Dog: Well, yeah, fair enough.
David Isaacs: it's, yeah, one that's going to sting for a long time. You had home field advantage, most talented players put together on a pitch that um most of them have done things in the club soccer world and have ah had experience in big moments. like It is yeah not great.
The Big Dog: Yeah, for sure. um Yeah, that's tough. I mean, just over the last, you know, 10 or so years, maybe even more than that, you know, there's just a game of soccer or football around the world um has really grown in the United States. You know, i grew up in it's always been a one of the first sports that I feel like every, ah you know, at least in my area, every kid plays, right? And, you know, it although kind of popular sort of in like the nineties when I was growing up and then, you know, it's really only like kind of just, you know, projected like it's, uh, I don't, don't want to say that the U S is getting quite as crazed fans as like, you know, the rest of the world. But you know, there are people who I know who are a yourself included, um, who are very passionate about soccer. So, um, it, you know, it sucks, but, um,
The Big Dog: especially losing at home. That's, that's the worst. Uh, but you know, I think it overall, it's a good thing for the game of soccer as a whole that United States is, is, you know, getting growing their piece of the, into, of the pie, you know, um, getting, getting bigger and bigger. So, um,
The Big Dog: it's great to see that from a broader perspective, but obviously it sucks that they lost. So, um but I think ah for me, you know, again, i don't really have any a stake in it or anything, but I think it's, you know, step in the right direction. You know, World Cup sweat every four years.
David Isaacs: Yeah.
The Big Dog: Okay. Yeah. I mean, you know, um and if you're saying that, the ah you know this is probably the best roster one of the best wrestlers they've had you know i think they can keep uh refilling that stock especially in four years so um you know i'm i'm excited um you know if i don't again have as much care for it but you know always always a sports fan just kind of in in general so um you know that's cool
David Isaacs: Yeah, I mean, they'll be back and hopefully better.
David Isaacs: It is disappointing to say the least, especially since it's only every four years.
The Big Dog: Right.
David Isaacs: A lot of the players will be back. i mean Tim Ream is like 38 years old or something, so he won't be.
The Big Dog: No.
David Isaacs: but yeah Hopefully they can get Pochettino to stay. ah like the The style he added to the team, the attitude, I wish it just translated to each game against each opponent.
David Isaacs: But that's for them, at least they know where to go from here and how to figure that out. So, yeah, hopefully they can make a run for the next tournament, which I believe is being hosted by Spain, Portugal, and Morocco.
David Isaacs: So...
The Big Dog: Yeah. um
David Isaacs: That might be a fun one to go to if they don't try to gouge on prices. was seeing people.
The Big Dog: Yeah, we're like the last. Oh, sorry.
David Isaacs: No, you're fine. I was seeing some people like, hold up. The scalpers or the resellers that were trying to make a ton of money on these tickets, I probably bought them for a good amount of money, but people were ending up getting in at like pretty good seats for still a decent amount of money, like 600 bucks or something, and but like right before game time for tickets that someone was trying to sell for probably, know, a couple thousand dollars.
David Isaacs: So it was, uh, that was kind of funny to see, you but yeah, the whole ticket scalping thing is a whole other issue. We're not scalping, but reselling.
The Big Dog: Yeah. um Yeah, that's ah that's a whole whole rabbit hole we can dive into. you um I mean, just trying to find, you know, last minute tickets if you didn't. I mean, for any event, you know, i was looking at tickets for ed Sheeran, who's coming here in, i think, like September for my wife and I. And it's like, prices are astronomical. You know, I think a ticket's went on sale like a year ago or in the fall maybe. And it's ridiculous. I mean, for, was thinking it's that LCA and like lower bowl tickets where even like, ah you know, the, the LCA, like a nosebleeds, like where you feel like you're going to fall off or still like in like $200. So that's, I mean, I guess with concerts, maybe it's a little bit different than sporting events. And I feel like those drop a little bit before,
The Big Dog: day of but yeah just secondary prices are absurd i mean uh something needs to be done about that it feels i feel it was like you know there's always some sort of congressional investigation every year into it and then like nothing happens because of it and
David Isaacs: Yeah, and i've I've maintained my opinion about it of go to USL soccer game. We have DCFC here in town. You know, get tickets for 20 bucks, bench seating, you know, drinks or food or whatever is not going cost you an arm and a leg.
The Big Dog: Yeah.
David Isaacs: to have that experience.
The Big Dog: Yeah.
David Isaacs: And as long as people think that they can make money off of holding onto these tickets and selling them for a ton, then they're going to do it.
The Big Dog: yeah
David Isaacs: I've, I've seen it, unfortunately, with some of the smaller acts that I've gone and seen where we'll get tickets at presale or Something like some of the acts that aren't going to sell out like some of them won't bother trying to hold on to tickets. But other ones I've seen, you know, we've got them for $40 and then people try to resell them for 120, 200.
David Isaacs: And then one of the events that I went to actually checked the price like in line and it was 20 bucks. So but yeah, i mean, we're at that time where.
The Big Dog: Insane.
David Isaacs: Everyone's trying to make money off of other people. You know, just there's really no consumer protection.
The Big Dog: Yeah.
David Isaacs: And it's a really it's a really sad thing. you know me and Brian know it a lot with video games with the PlayStation going fully digital even though there is you know guarantee like you even if you have it downloaded to your council or that you own the you know you bought it but they there have been stories of people having their
The Big Dog: Yeah.
David Isaacs: digital media removed I hadn't read one of the articles that I saw just the headline for about PlayStation removing digital media.
David Isaacs: They have the right to remove games if you haven't played them in over three years.
The Big Dog: Yeah.
David Isaacs: There's a ton of stuff yeah for the average everyday consumer trying to find entertainment or trust that what you've bought is actually yours.
David Isaacs: I mean, even with the World Cup, there were stories of people on SeatGeek getting tickets and traveling all the way over here to find out that they don't have a ticket.
The Big Dog: Oh, geez, I didn't hear that.
David Isaacs: So, I don't know the exact story with it. Maybe like some scam sites or they thought they were on SeatGeek and they really weren't or maybe they were purchased on SeatGeek.
David Isaacs: Yeah, I don't know, but... is It is pretty sad with the consumer stuff, but unless people flat out come out and say, i'm not buying it until PlayStation, until Ticketmaster, until some of these scalpers, or resellers, or whoever like get that pain from people not wanting to pay the prices that they're trying to charge, then they're just going to continue doing it.
David Isaacs: And it's a hard thing to get people to get behind.
The Big Dog: Yeah.
David Isaacs: But for me, i just yeah i don't want to continuously feed into like some of these habits that people have.
David Isaacs: Ticket resells, ah some of these companies going more and like some anti-consumer practices. It's just not. Yeah, I just can't give into it.
The Big Dog: Yeah, for sure. um You know, it's evening. i mean, to I guess to sound like the collectible, ah you know, conceivable media, it's like um things like Pokemon and Magic the Gathering. Like, it was, you know, but prior to the pandemic, before everything kind of spiked, especially for...
The Big Dog: magic and pokemon i mean the prices on those all both really shot up and like comic books even like you know there's a whole sub market for that those type of collectibles right like um you know you got tcg player whatnot ebay to a lesser extent um you know there's you know thousands of different ccg and tcg sites that you can buy cards off of a um You know, but there's like a whole market for just the collectible side and then, you know, card prices for, you know, I'm speaking from experience card prices for magic or just through the roof like there's less of an interest for what they call constructed format just because prices for cards are so high and, you know, sometimes.
The Big Dog: ah Cards rotate, um you know, and sealed products not getting those opened as much. So things get even more expensive. And, you know, without getting into it, there's just like ah a lot of, you know, don't want say selfish. There's a bit of selfishness right now to everything. And like, obviously, like people want to make money, you know, and, you know, we're in a tough spot with the economy. There's not much growth.
The Big Dog: unless you're in you know some sort of trade. again, kind of having to make a a living that way, but it feels like there's you know there's people getting shot over Pokemon cards they like Walmart and Target. there's I little haven haven't heard heard that happen in a while. i mean, it used to happen quite frequently with new releases, and you know um Wizards of the Coast, which is owned by Hasbro, you know, Hasbro...
The Big Dog: across the board up until a few years ago was losing money on pretty much all their toy divisions except for magic. So uh, pretty much just wanted wizards to just pump out everything every two months like we used to you get a set every three months um now they're releasing whether it's you know some sort of third-party market or a third-party licensing set or you know like a secret layer which is kind of like a special release they're releasing something every month so you know just as me as being a casual player and consumer it's you know hard to keep up with all these things and all the prices of everything and i was in the game for this for seven years so
The Big Dog: you know, and I never was really at this kind of level before. um and you know, and that's just magic, right? Like, that's like, probably number two, as far as collectible things, like Pokemon is just like a whole different beast, you know, you got the original, ah you know, 90s cards, those are like, lock up and you can retire on type of collectible investment now. And,
The Big Dog: cars that are coming out and you know i just talked to a co-worker his son opened up a car that was like eight grand or something with some sort of gengar and he ended up selling it to a buddy and buddy flipped it and you know who who knows who has it now but yeah it just seems like there's i don't know if it's fomo that's just like a huge thing going on or you know or you know people are just really trying out to make a ah quick buck more now than ever um yeah and i know that like that hustle side, um in times like this, have you know, that's really going to be the first thing to kind of come out, like find a niche market and just kind of drive with it. So thought about getting back into it. i just don't have the liquidity right now to and the knowledge of really without sitting down. So, um, you know, to your point, it's just, yeah, it's, it just feels like it's kind of cutthroat to be the average consumer these days.
David Isaacs: Yeah. Anything that you want to hobbies, groceries, gas, you know, housing, don't even get me started on that, but.
The Big Dog: yeah.
David Isaacs: Even i had a, it's called Hearth Zone. I'm sure you've heard of it, but was another one of like World of Warcraft. It was spun off, I think, from World the Warcraft and it was a card game, but it was on your phone.
David Isaacs: You could play for free unless you wanted to pay and you could, I forget exactly what you got if you paid, maybe like more energy to play like more matches or something.
The Big Dog: oh yeah yeah
The Big Dog: Yeah, it was some sort of current. it was like diamonds or something. i forget the name of it i know I know what you're talking about.
David Isaacs: Yeah. um But they kind of did the same thing. They retired a bunch of cards, came out with a new set of cards, and you got like dust. from the cards that had been retired and you could use that dust to get like more packs for the new cards or something.
David Isaacs: But before then you had, you know, you could get your credits, you could like earn the in-game currency to go on like these quests or you could do a tournament where you like, you know, get drafted cards or something. And then based on how well you did, you got a certain amount of rewards and like you had the ability to do things in game to get more cards to put together a better deck and it was a lot of fun and yeah they just introduced that and I stopped playing
The Big Dog: Yeah.
David Isaacs: so it's been happening for quite a long time I mean a big shift in the gaming market was kind of like the the freemium you know free to play stuff but then They realize people would pay to have you know skins or battle passes or what have you. So it's kind of good for just the casual player that you can download games for free if you don't care about the skins because that gets...
David Isaacs: taken care of by anyone else that cares about things like that. But really just video games, even Hollywood, you know, kind of lost touch with that.
The Big Dog: Right, right.
David Isaacs: Just any any real form of entertainment. and We're starting to get it back. I mean, 824 has been a revelation from some of these smaller budgeted films.
David Isaacs: Obsession being one, I think it's crossed like 600 million worldwide. I think it's still in theaters. um The Disney live action Moana tanked, Supergirl tanked. um Like people are kind of sick of live action remakes. They're sick of superheroes. Like they want some of that substance back.
David Isaacs: And I wasn't around for the 90s. I'm sure that's not as I'm sure ah Hollywood's kind of always had this issue. I mean, Waterworld's a good example, but yeah, we don't need to see the same actors doing the same things and different sequels of the same movie where you have to be a Disney Plus subscriber to even know what the heck is going on.
The Big Dog: yeah
David Isaacs: um But they just, yeah, the lack of touch and the lack of caring for your audience and, you know, giving people the eight a good a good value for something. Like, why are we remaking Moana as a live action film? I never understood. I don't understand live action in general. I don't know.
The Big Dog: Well, yeah, and it's like, it was just like, uh, that movie came out, I think 2016. So it's literally 10 years old. Like, I mean, you still have a few other franchises that like, uh, you know, i and I agree with you. I don't think that everything that the answer should have be live action, everything, especially when the rock look absolutely terrible as Maui, like that costume choice was, was something, um,
The Big Dog: you know, different story, getting back to the topic. It's like, I, I feel like, you know, us as consumers, you know, obviously are are are very content driven now. And, you know, if you consume everything and anything about something, you know, sometimes the studios are having hard, hard time keeping up, let alone of quality.
The Big Dog: um But like, i think for me, um you know, it's, I would take quality over quantity. Like i stopped I haven't gotten to the movies and especially in the last couple of years, just because of, you know, having a kid and, uh, as just really having free time in general as much as I wanted to. But, you know, I, I do make it a point to go see things like that. I want to see, like I, I, I saw Supergirl. I mean, it was, it was fine. It was entertaining. Um, but I think before that was, uh,
The Big Dog: and can't I can't even think I did go see something else recently, but a oh Mortal Kombat. um The movies that I do want to see, I make it a point to go and see, like I'm going to see the Odyssey. I already have my tickets book, like I'm going to see it in IMAX. um I may go see it again because, you know, I don't think I've ever revealed this on any podcast ever, but I saw the Dark Knight when it came out 19 times in theaters just because like i had a lot of family members and and friends who I wanted to go see it with. And, you know, even back then, 2008, like Christopher Nolan by far was my favorite director. So um he still is today. I think he's one of maybe three or four people who can get away with
The Big Dog: doing something original, making it translate to the screen, you know, whatever your opinions of his work, i I feel like he's one of the only directors who can actually like make, in my opinion, quality piece. That's not just like a cash grab. grabb Um, you know, cash grab.
David Isaacs: Cash grab.
The Big Dog: but brown brown ah should be like, we should actually record like some sort of a voiceover for that and just like hit it on our, uh, our, our, uh,
The Big Dog: what are those called in like radio world? Like the soundboard. Yeah. And maybe a clapping too. That's always a good one. Uh, anyway, but yeah, I mean, Moana. Oh, there you go. Yeah, we did it
The Big Dog: it. Uh, hit me with another one.
The Big Dog: right. This one.
The Big Dog: It's like Incredible Hulk. Yeah. I was going say, that started off like the end credit song for Incredible Hulk show. was trying to pick up a ride. um Yeah, I mean, Moana was 100% cash grab. Disney's fresh out of ideas. um And look at even Marvel. I mean, they had they were on top of the world, and then they just you know They ended a story, and I think it didn't help that the pandemic happened, but they really just like floundered ever since, trying to come up with something coherent.
The Big Dog: um Who knows what the fuck's going on with dc i mean Zack Snyder kicked the rock down the road, and ah James Gunn picked it up and go and he just kind of threw it down further. I don't even think he has a general idea of...
The Big Dog: a story or, you know, a connected universe. bat The Batman getting delayed until 2028. Like at this point, is there even a point for that movie to come out anymore?
The Big Dog: I mean, when it by the time it releases.
David Isaacs: to probably find a different actor by the time it, yeah.
The Big Dog: Yeah, I mean, because Robert Pattinson's in his 40s. I mean, or maybe. Yeah.
David Isaacs: No, I'm just meaning like it seems like they're always trying to find a different actor for the Batman. I mean, the first one came out in what, 2024? 2022? Yeah, no one's going
The Big Dog: 2022 yeah be six years by the time sequel comes out yeah that was a great movie i mean people's complaint was as long okay fine but like it did something that they never did with batman before and was uh veered into his detective side you know and then it was the actual genuine good like sort of murder mystery and it was a great build-up for a villain like
David Isaacs: care.
David Isaacs: yeah no one's gonna care
The Big Dog: maybe they could have cut some parts i don't know i enjoy the movie i didn't feel like it ever had a slow part and you know it's very brooding a very world building it was a great movie regardless of it just being batman it was like just a great world building movie and then they came out with a penguin in 24 23 like soon after then like they don't have anything else for that for four fucking years like
The Big Dog: ah You know, DC, you can, if you're a nerd out there, you could probably argue with me, but I think DC has better properties than, than Marvel, but at least Marvel had the United front.
The Big Dog: Like they knew what they were doing from 2008 till roughly 2019. But DC has, you know, they have the Holy Trinity of wonder woman, Batman and Superman And they have managed to fuck that up.
The Big Dog: Not once, not twice, but three times now and as far as ah trying to get a connected universe. So I don't get it. They have great animated movies. They have literally a backlog of almost 100 years of mythology to go back and they just keep like floundering it.
The Big Dog: You know, I i don't get it. Yeah.
David Isaacs: Yeah. Well, I think Marvel, I mean, they just, you know, they, they continued, they made it simple, you know, whether or not, I mean, it was a risk that Robert Downey Jr.
David Isaacs: is Iron Man as that was like your kind of flagship movie. Um, but they made it simple, you know, villain hero.
The Big Dog: Oh yeah, sure.
The Big Dog: Right.
David Isaacs: Um, Gave, you know good personality, copy the personality of Iron Man to a T. um And yeah, just made it.
David Isaacs: That's what kind of spun off of that. I think what DC has, i mean, the Batman kind of like the doesn't play well with others. Part of that is like trying to start from it They hadn't really figured out Superman until the latest one that came out. It was pretty good.
David Isaacs: i liked it at least. But a lot of people I talked to like, yeah, I'm not watching superhero movies. I'm like, yeah, I get it. But they...
The Big Dog: Yeah, it was it was good, aside from the depowering Superman. But again, i get it for the story. It was a good movie overall, I thought.
David Isaacs: Yeah, but I think i feel like they just go, they go too in depth or they, don't know exactly how to explain it, but I just don't think a lot of like the personalities like mesh together and they really didn't have like that idea or maybe they did like going into the Justice League movie, which total flop again.
David Isaacs: i seriously don't know how, you know,
The Big Dog: Yeah.
David Isaacs: one Snyder was allowed to go on for so long and James Gunn, like the the movies that he has that he hasn't had you know full control over, he wasn't the writer and the director, they haven't done well.
David Isaacs: And it's kind of easy to see why.
The Big Dog: Yeah, I, again, I don't,
David Isaacs: or I guess kind of easy to see like that's the the difference. Like he can't be the man in the chair Like he needs to be hand out hands on. There's nothing wrong with that.
David Isaacs: But you just can't expand the universe when you know, the one person that you expect to lead the charge is more better suited to be.
David Isaacs: i guess man in the chair isn't a great term because mean that considered like if he was in the director's chair, but you get my point like.
The Big Dog: right yeah yeah i mean um you know james gunn's one of those uh like him and um i'm gonna screw up his name nick pizzolato the writer slash creator of true detective like you know regardless of what you you know think of the series as a whole, um you know, i the most critically acclaimed season was ah the first one and of true detective that is. And he wrote that entire thing by himself for, i think it took him like three years or something ridiculous to write the whole script. um
The Big Dog: And i think there's just like guys like that who, you know have to be getting kind of full control of their property to for it to translate well um you know as maybe with like someone like aaron sorkin who i think he's directing writing and directing the new social network movie um i just think that his work translates better when somebody else is interpreting it um you know just using as example so i i i think
The Big Dog: maybe James Gunn wasn't the right person to have full control over DC unless he was going to do literally everything. Um, I know that they have their own Batman movie in the work and I think they're doing some other things, but you know, there's rumors that, know, again, I don't know if these are true that there was two different test cuts of Superman. There was a Craig Gillespie one, and then there was a James Gunn, neither,
The Big Dog: ah I think that was the one that they gave to the to the test people, the test audience, and like that seemed to be well received, but then Craig Gillespie wanted to have his cut. so you know And then even going back to Suicide Squad, think...
The Big Dog: i think ah ah you know, again, and give Marvel shit all you want. their You know, their movies generally were kind of all the same in a way, you know, hero a villain. You know, some of the villains turned out translated well or better than others in this formula but at least i guess they made and you know it was like hero villain this is why the villain's doing this you know you have some sort of info dump on that then there's comedy and action in between and you know it did it did well for almost three decades so whereas with like dc i think they were trying to like
The Big Dog: they were too unconnected from each other. Um, and James Gunn may be trying to fix that, but again, it feels like there's just a lot of creative clash between, you know, executive producer and, and director. So not sure. Hopefully they can kind of fix that.
The Big Dog: Um, I'm, I'm certainly no expert, but you know, I know, it works I've been in the comic book world and all of my life. Does that mean I can probably translate to a three screen? No, but I know what would be able to work and what wouldn't.
The Big Dog: In my mind, my delusional brain.
David Isaacs: Well, it's like they lack creativity and you're not going to get that creativity by everyone trying to put their thumb on it and having it their own way, their own version, their own, you know, the whole Snyder cut thing in the Justice League, which came and went. And I think what was the consensus? Like it wasn't, it was better, but not by much.
David Isaacs: Like,
The Big Dog: It was just weirder. They went into that whole Batman fever dream shit that he had. ah Like... ah
David Isaacs: Jesus, man. Just like, yeah.
The Big Dog: Yeah, that was just strange. Like, and then, you know, Snyder puts it back on the audience because he's like, well, people don't like having their, their heroes dissected like that. It's like, no, you just write weird, you're a weird dude who writes weird stories. Like, and then you have to spend the next 10 years trying to justify your work. That wasn't that good.
The Big Dog: Like just to admit that you fail. Like your, your vision of the, the superhero failed and move on with your life.
David Isaacs: Yeah. Again, I don't know how he was allowed to go on for that long.
The Big Dog: Yeah, I don't know.
David Isaacs: But that's just, yeah, Hollywood in a nutshell.
David Isaacs: Like, why do they thought that was a good idea? Why do they think, you know, there's always some discourse about somebody wanting to have control of what the the cuts are or their own ideas about how something should be and it's anytime something like that comes out like yeah it's not great to hear about like media that exists out there that never got off the ground, TV pilots that never got off the ground because maybe some executive couldn't see it.
David Isaacs: But a lot more people up top making the the decisions instead of allowing some of the creativeness to come through, which I get there's more of like a balance.
David Isaacs: You don't want to have like somebody to have total creative freedom, but Yeah, whatever formula they have, however many executives that they have, they don't need as many. They just need, you know, better writers, more people having those chances, and just, like, better decisions being made across the board.
David Isaacs: It's not only, like, anti-consumerist practices, but, like, they keep trying to say that movie theaters are dying and this and that, but As bad of a movie as it was from my, well, I never watched it, but from my understanding, mean, Michael Jackson biopic made a ton of money.
The Big Dog: Yeah, I think it's close to,
David Isaacs: Obsessions made a ton of money.
The Big Dog: yeah
David Isaacs: Like there are opportunities out there to create more quality with also increasing your quantity. I mean, how many, Obsession was what, $750,000?
David Isaacs: and was purchased for 15 million is now making 600 million.
The Big Dog: Right, yeah.
David Isaacs: Uh, that, yeah, you can really I don't know how many, there's probably a ton of projects like that that fail, but, um, considering some of these movies and how high their budgets are and how much they have to pay these actors, like you could pump out a lot more.
The Big Dog: Yeah, exactly.
David Isaacs: you know, I watched Hamnet and, uh, Chloe Zhao, who a little knock on, like she did Nomadland, which won Frances McDormand her Oscar.
David Isaacs: I think Zhao has, pretty sure she has an Oscar. But then she did The Eternals, so that was kind of a knock on her.
The Big Dog: Right, yeah.
David Isaacs: But then I watched Hamnet this last weekend. It was great.
The Big Dog: where ah Sorry, before we continue, her biggest inspiration when she was directing the Eternals was Zack Snyder. And it showed.
David Isaacs: Yeah, Yeah. But anyways, like, yeah, good creative minds. Probably shouldn't have went on for the Eternals. Probably shouldn't never gotten into that, you know, test their foot in those waters.
David Isaacs: But yeah, Hamnet was great. If you haven't seen it, I don't know if you've seen it, Brian, but to the audience, if you haven't seen it, it goes, it's like a... fictitious portrayal
David Isaacs: like history and it's you know really good it's really sad in moments but you know you could like really feel god I wish I so bad with names for actors and actresses Jessie Buckley I mean she won the Oscar for that film so
The Big Dog: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh, Paul Meskel, yeah, Yeah, Paul Meskel was also playing ah Paul McCartney, I think, in the Beatles movie. Oh, yeah, and then he was also in Gladiator, too.
David Isaacs: Yeah.
The Big Dog: um yeah I mean, they're I have not seen Hamlet. I know it was like, in some way, shape or form about Shakespeare, and I think something about the writing of Hamlet, or i think it maybe that i I heard that wrong and maybe I'm just going off of name alone. But, um, yeah, my, my coworkers like, uh, really into going to the movie theater too. Um, said it was really good, but it wasn't really a movie that's on my radar or something. I would wait. I'll probably watch if it's on streaming, but again, you know, that's, that's part of the problem too, is like,
The Big Dog: feel like a lot of people my age, um hold you know, older to mid-generation millennials um kind of just are stuck at home, you know, like we're homebodies.
The Big Dog: ah You know, if it was just the pandemic or we're in that age of having families and things are kind of just expensive. i mean, it's for my wife and I just did it in the movies a couple of weeks ago was $40 between yeah, actually over $40. So both of our tickets is like $26. And then we got a popcorn and two drinks, I think it was actually closer to 50 bucks. So, you know, it's, it's hard to justify unless like, you know, for, for sure that like, it's going to be me a movie that you can, without a doubt, and enjoy. um you know, and I think that's maybe the process for thought process, least,
The Big Dog: for me and for, you know, people in my age group, it's, um, it's hard, you know? And I, I, from what I understand reading some certain metrics is that they're a real big cause for why movies are failing or is that, uh, the boomer generation, because and let's face it, they're older in their seventies and eighties now, uh, just stopped going to the movie theater. That was just a huge gap.
The Big Dog: Um, you know, millennials and Gen Z are still going to theaters, but it's not, you know they're they're not able to kind of close that gap. And then, you know, you add on top of just like kind of lack of, um, lack of interest and, you know, kind of just that quality, i'm sorry, quantity over quality kind of approach that, uh, Hollywood is taking streaming. It's just, yeah, it's, it's hard to make it into the theater sometimes, or, um you know,
The Big Dog: see see something that's worth watching and you know maybe worth spending that amount of money for for folks so um you know i've been trying to take advantage of going to movies on tuesday just because a lot of the chains around here you know it's even if you don't have like a membership or anything like that still five dollars and they got like think it's like five dollar with a refill popcorn you know But also you're going to a movie on a Tuesday. So, you know, it's it's just one of those things. You got to kind of kind of get away just like every other c sort of financial decision with, um you know, your hobbies and and and interests. It's kind of just putting your dollars where you feel is the best value. And that's and it's hard to kind of just interpret these days, least in my opinion.
David Isaacs: Yeah, I mean, depending on what you want experience.
David Isaacs: Yeah, movie theaters can be a bit of a cash grab.
The Big Dog: Cash grab. went print brown
David Isaacs: Yeah, I think people have been burned as well. People have been burned too many times on bad movies that they don't want to take the chance. Mortal Kombat 2, I'll fight, you know, I'll die on this hill, but was worth going to the theater for. It was a fun movie. It did a lot better than the first one.
David Isaacs: I don't think it made as much money as the first one, or maybe it made more, but it was, yeah, it it it was a good redemption. Yeah.
The Big Dog: Yeah, I love that movie. like That was a movie I knew i was going to see like when it was announced. Even if it got pushed back from October, like I knew I was going to see that movie because it looked... entertaining and I thought the payoff because like it had like you know the side by side side by side cam of like you're like watching or you're playing the video game and they had the backgrounds from you know Mortal Kombat that you would recognize if you play the games or just even watching clips you know like it it was just an all-around fun movie
David Isaacs: Yeah. um And sometimes, yeah, it is up to us as an audience to spread the word and get out and support some of these things. Because as much as not giving money to some of these cash grabs or abound, anti-consumerist practices, like it is...
David Isaacs: even better to give money to some of these efforts and things that are made that go against that same, that trend.
The Big Dog: Right.
David Isaacs: You know, people love steam.
The Big Dog: Right.
David Isaacs: Steam has the trust of the consumer has made it and easy access to get any type of game that you want. You're probably never going to play but they're not goingnna take it from your library if you don't play it.
David Isaacs: Or like we talked about Obsession and Mortal Kombat 2 or some of these other things to give chances on and support. So if you want to see more of it, if you want to, um, some of these companies to kind of halt back some of these anti-consumerist practices or putting out these live action movies with no real creativity. Um, yeah, we just have to, to fight back and,
David Isaacs: put your money where you want the world to go to, not paying for, you know, extremely high cost concert tickets or high cost rent.
David Isaacs: Grocery is a different story. You can't really get away from it since everyone's charging more. But yeah, I mean, there's definitely more that we can do. And the people that have the ability to do something definitely should take that under consideration.
The Big Dog: Yeah, mean, we've, I think we've talked about this before about, you know, supporting like the, like, I mean, our smaller venues, you know, like going to see concerts at like, you know, your local, like, you know, i don't think it, I don't actually think it exists anymore, like St.
The Big Dog: st Andrews or, um,
David Isaacs: No, that exists.
The Big Dog: it does still exist. Okay. I can't remember which one. I like the crow foot and Pontiac or, you know, I, there's a thousand different sites around Metro Detroit. could name, ah you know, supporting those and go and see local bands or, you know, even bands from local region, you know, Midwest, whatever, like, you know, um,
The Big Dog: media especially music travels fast these days so i think word of word of mouth for those type of bands also travels faster um you know maybe even avoiding going to see like big name comedians going to support like even like your open mic open mic you know obviously have advocated for this many times you know um people got to start somewhere i mean and like the local comedy scene even now and in michigan has grown i think tenfold since i i did it and know i go and i try to go at least once a month to open mic night at the local big comedy club um i've i've been to that place i've been to like royal like music theater i've been to a bunch of like maybe so quote unquote smaller mid-sized venues to see comedians and i've had a good time i didn't feel like i was getting price gouged on anything i mean like
The Big Dog: think like a pop was like $5. You know, I got my brother beers, 10 bucks, you know, I mean, obviously higher, higher end than just like going getting a six pack at the grocery store. But yeah,
The Big Dog: the venues have to make their money and you know i didn't feel like i was i was gouged on that and i overall had a good time i paid i didn't pay any secondary prices for these tickets and we had good seats and you know like luckily like music and comedy is not something you necessarily have to visualize so even if you have a poor seat and you can still hear it and have a good time and you know those those type of things you know for me i've going to a comedy show just kind of captures going to see movies with folks. You know, it's like, it's an experience in and of itself. And I think that's something that's really just kind of lost on us, you know, whether it's blame it on a global pandemic that happened, you know, prices, of whatever, whatever the case is, I think we just kind of have lost that as a society. And, you know, it just seems to have reflected on social media where people are just kind of like,
The Big Dog: ah to attacking again you know i'm not a psychologist i'm not ah a government official i couldn't tell you if that those things too those two things are correlated but it it just seems to me that we've kind of lost our our ways in terms of like fellowship and you know wanting to have some sort of common ground and i think like you know movies and whatever just maybe we're the band-aid over that now that those are less of a thing you know you kind of see it bleeding over into other things, you know?
The Big Dog: um And, you know, I'm not going to tell people not to talk to each other over politics or anything like that. It's each your own, but there's gotta be some way of finding, you know, that, that common ground again of, you know, I may not agree with this person politically or, or anything, but like, we can still have a good time and, um you know, like whatever. I, I think,
The Big Dog: Longer the skinny, I just think like that sort of um Commonwealth and i guess maybe brotherhood. um Breaking bread, whatever the term is of kind of coming together and and you know, kind of forgetting about your troubles and not making everything about politics or, you know, personal opinion of things. It's just, you you have to have a good time.
The Big Dog: And, you know, again, whether that's just cost prohibitive or, you know, lack of opportunity, I, you know, I don't, I don't know what the case is, but I feel like something along those lines, that's where the, it the cohesive bonds are just kind of broken. Like the glue has, you know, become solvent. Like it just fall, it's kind of fallen apart.
David Isaacs: Yeah. Um,
David Isaacs: a lot of it too, I think just the enablement to allow them to do it. And we can't, can't band together as a society to push back, um, as we're, you know, overtired, overworked, um, and just trying to get through our day and trying to find, know, some form of entertainment.
The Big Dog: Yeah.
David Isaacs: But, um, It's a big club and we're not in it. And they just all get around it's like, yeah, we're going to gouge the fuck out of people. And it's really sad to see.
David Isaacs: It's like, you know, where do you actually draw the line? What do we push back against? And as much non-action as you can have, I mean, if other people are going to foot the bill for it, then they're just going to continue doing it.
David Isaacs: Okay. I think that's all I have for this week.
The Big Dog: Yeah. Same brother.
David Isaacs: Alright, well, we will see you next time.
The Big Dog: Bye everybody.
