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123 - The Departed (2006)
40 Plays2 years ago
"I don't want to be a product of my environment. I want my environment to be a product of me."
The time has come for our Award Season Spectacular to end and we're going out with a pretty loud Bostonian bang! Brett may or may not be on an undercover assignment with the Massachusetts State Police (we can neither confirm nor deny), but Stephen and Tucker are here to talk about Martin 'Uncle Marty' Scorsese, Mark Wahlberg, this film's soundtrack, depictions of violence in cinema, and... David Lynch and Mel Brooks for some reason??
If you can't find us skulking in the shadows underneath a Boston overpass, you might be able to track us down on the following social media platforms:
- @Disenfranchpod on Facebook, Instagram, Letterboxd, and (for now) Twitter
- Email us your thoughts or requests to disenfranchpod@gmail.com
- Rate and review us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify!
- Find Stephen at @ChewyWalrus on Hive, Instagram, Letterboxd, Mastodon, and (for now) Twitter
- Find Brett at @sus_warlock on Instagram and Letterboxd
- Find Tucker at @icenine09 on YouTube
- Join our Patreon for exclusive bonus content: https://patreon.com/Disenfranchpod
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Transcript
Introduction & Host Intros
00:00:21
Speaker
I'll say good for you
00:00:23
Speaker
You think you're wicked smart than while you're listening to the disenfranchised podcast, or 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 am your host, the guy who does his job, Steven Foxworthy, which makes my co-host Tucker the other guy. Hello, Brad.
00:00:48
Speaker
I'm Stephen. I say hello, Brett. You did. You did. Yeah. Oh, I was thinking of Brett. That's what it was.
Brett's Absence Explained
00:00:55
Speaker
Brett is Brett is currently on a layover from Boston, but we expect him back very soon. He's may or may not be undercover for the Boston PD right now. We don't know. We can't get hold of his handlers. We can either confirm nor deny.
00:01:12
Speaker
But Brett will be back with us again next week. But for now, Tucker, it's you and
Tucker's YouTube Project
00:01:19
Speaker
me. What's going on, man? Nothing much. I totally launched my thing on YouTube, my preservation project.
00:01:32
Speaker
It's wild. I got 300 views on one of those records in two days. Nice. That is more downloads than a single episode of this podcast has ever gotten, so right on. Well, my original music that I make, I don't have anything past 75 views, and that shit's been there for a year. I mean, at least now you know to give the people what they want. Yeah, the algorithm likes my records. I don't know why.
00:02:01
Speaker
I mean, hey man, that they're no harm, no foul. That's, that's pretty
Failed Film Franchises
00:02:05
Speaker
cool though. So you're, you're preserving, uh, American music on the YouTube. And that is, that is a valiant effort. We on the other hand are all about preserving. What am I looking for here? Uh, preserving movies that were meant to kick off franchises, but didn't, um,
00:02:23
Speaker
God, that was a terrible segue. Sorry, America, and beyond. Sorry, world.
'The Departed' Discussion Begins
00:02:29
Speaker
But yeah, so we are finishing up our first theme month of 2023, which is to say our first month of 2023. And we are talking about, as we have all this month, a movie that won Best Picture, but couldn't get that franchise off the ground. Tucker, what movie are we talking about this time? We are talking about The Departed.
00:02:54
Speaker
2006's The Departed, directed by Uncle Marty himself, Martin Scorsese, written by William Monaghan, based on the screenplay by Alan Mock and Felix Chong, and starring Leonardo DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Jack Nicholson, Mark Wahlberg, Martin Sheen, Ray Winstone, Vera Farmiga, Alec Baldwin, Anthony Anderson, Kevin Corrigan, James Badge Dale,
00:03:20
Speaker
Damn it, Tucker, what a cast. What a picture. What a picture. You know, I've got I have a lot of complaints about this movie, but it's a really good movie. Let me say that up front because it's going to get hairy. We're going to have about this. We're going to question the body of that opinion as we go. Yeah, I would. Well, I would like to start off by saying it's a really good movie and I like it a lot.
00:03:46
Speaker
you wanna go on record. Look, I also really enjoyed, this is the third Scorsese movie I think I saw in theaters. And I'm gonna be honest with you, Tucker, I don't think I've seen a bad Martin Scorsese movie. Me neither.
00:04:01
Speaker
I really don't. Here's the thing about Uncle Marty, folks. He's a good filmmaker. The man makes good movies. And The Departed, no exception.
Scorsese's Filmmaking Style
00:04:15
Speaker
He gets a lot of flack for his opinions on Marvel movies, which are not entirely incorrect, in my opinion, and his use of women. But
00:04:26
Speaker
Honestly, I think Uncle Marty is one of the best to ever do it, if I'm being really honest. Like, the man knows what he's doing behind a camera. He understands and loves movies more than probably anyone on the planet. And let's just all agree to let Uncle Marty do his thing, right? As long as the man wants to keep going, we should we should all respect that and let him do what he does best.
00:04:49
Speaker
I agree. I don't think he's made a bad film. I do think that this is my least favorite of all of his films. Wow. It's still a really really I own it. Come on. I own the movie. So obviously I like it. I like it a lot. I'm just saying like out of all of his films, if I had to list them from my favorite to my least favorite departed would be the last one with the bullet.
00:05:14
Speaker
Wow, that's a pretty wild take. But again, that also speaks to Uncle Marty's prowess as a filmmaker. Well, you know, different strokes and all that. That's what's great about this world, Stevens. People will be having different opinions about shit, you know? I mean, Tucker, the world don't move to the beat of just one drum. What might be right for you may not be right for some.
00:05:37
Speaker
Um, so I mean, that's, that's really what we're here to tell you. It's okay to like a movie. It's okay not to like a movie. It's okay not to like this movie, but I think we're both on record as liking this. Now I've not seen everything that Martin Scorsese has directed. However, one of my favorite movies of the last 20 years is a Martin Scorsese joint.
Steven's Favorite Film 'Silence'
00:05:57
Speaker
So, which is silence. Silence. Just like fucking floored me, dude. I love that movie so much. It's so good. Um,
00:06:08
Speaker
But yeah, we're not here to talk about Silence, although the fact that Silence did not get nominated for a single Academy Award, like, what are we doing here, folks? Like, come on, that movie was such an incredible achievement in every conceivable way. Like, I just, that movie gutted me, absolutely gutted me. Have you seen Silence, Tucker? I have. The only film of Martin Scorsese's that I have not seen is the one he did for Netflix, The Irishman.
00:06:36
Speaker
which is good. I like it. I have not seen it yet. Honestly, Irishman, my favorite film of 2019, if I'm being real honest. I might check it out. My friend Jimmy that I was living with at the time watched it and he said it was amazing. Yeah. But I just, I don't know, it's on my list. I just haven't gotten to it. Okay. I want to amend my earlier statement to stop the onslaught of tweets that are getting ready to come. Silence was nominated for a single Academy Award, Best Achievement in Cinematography.
00:07:05
Speaker
which it did not win. Far cry from this movie, which I find the cinematography in this film to be a bit uninspired. I mean, that's fair. I still had a lot of fun with it, but again, that's
Irish Music in 'The Departed'
00:07:21
Speaker
me too. I feel like I'm good. I feel like I'm just going to be saying things I don't like about it and then immediately following it up with, but I still love this, but I still love this movie. Yeah.
00:07:30
Speaker
I just have issues with the needle drops like are number one, they're so repetitive and number two, I hate that drop. I hate that drop kit. Murphy's Irish punk like idiot bullshit music.
00:08:08
Speaker
I hate that stuff. And every time I hear doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, doo, do
00:08:14
Speaker
Um, I'm more of a, the jam fan.
U2 and Soundtracks
00:08:20
Speaker
I'm more of like sex pistols kind of stuff. Okay. I mean, I find, I think for me, it goes, it comes down to anything like with any music that's even slightly like Irish, it all sounds the same to me. Like I hear two notes and I could probably hum you the rest of the fucking song because like, so predictable.
00:08:42
Speaker
And that gets boring to me. I don't know. I like Irish music. There's something I like about that kind of the Celtic sound, the use, the way the instrumentation of it a lot, even the classic stuff, like stuff like the Dubliners, like Ronnie Drew was trying to preserve with the Dubliners. Like I love all that shit, like the classic Irish folk songs. I like some Irish folk. I do. Oh, yeah. But that's about as far as I go.
00:09:09
Speaker
But I mean, I also like the, I mean the pogues dirty old town by the pogues is really good, which is a kind of an Irish standard, an Irish folk standard that they kind of redo. But also if I should fall from the grace of God is just chef's kiss. I love that one so much, but yeah, man. And then of course, you know, without Irish music, would we even have Bono?
00:09:35
Speaker
Do we really need Bono? I'm Touchek. That's fair. I mean, is YouTube, is YouTube, YouTube's great. Is YouTube a really good band that deserves all the credit they get? Sure. Sure. But we could live without them.
00:09:54
Speaker
I mean, yeah, are they are they somewhat overhyped? Sure. You know, one song of theirs that I think is extremely underrated, though, is from the Batman Forever soundtrack. Hold me, thrill me. Kiss me, kill me. Love that song. It's on every main playlist that I make. It's on there because that's a real, real good song. And look, you two, they got some bangers.
00:10:22
Speaker
But I would also say, again, I like what the Dropkick Murphys are doing. No, I do think he overuses that one a bit. But I don't know, I didn't mind the needle drops in this one as much as the ones in Forrest Gump last week. I feel like those got a little overwrought and a little overdone. And I felt like, because I think Martin Scorsese is one of the better directors who kind of knows how to use music to set a tone. I would say usually, yeah.
00:10:50
Speaker
And I feel like he does that. I feel like there's a good there's a there's a much better balance of it here than there is in Forrest Gump what we saw last week. Like I would call this the better soundtrack. It's not as balanced as something like Goodfellas, which is like the perfect soundtrack. That's that's a really good soundtrack. Right. Like that one's that one.
00:11:11
Speaker
Maybe the platonic ideal of a soundtrack like of a movie soundtrack honestly like that one is just so uniquely perfect. But honestly I I didn't I didn't have a lot of complaint the fact the dropkick Murphy's the reuse of the dropkick Murphy's I was kind of like.
00:11:28
Speaker
didn't we just do this that's the thing in this movie there's at least two songs I think maybe three possibly four that are played multiple times during different parts of this movie which if you listen to my war is not interesting enough to even pay attention to in this film the score I'm less enthused with you're right like I am
00:11:50
Speaker
No, you're not wrong. If you paid attention to my Zemeckis rant last week, I kind of lamented the repetitiveness of the score for Flight, or the soundtrack for Flight. And I was a little disappointed that Marty leaned so heavily on the Dropkick Murphys and one or two other tracks in this movie. Because I was like, how many Dropkick Murphy songs were in this movie? It was only the one, but he uses it like two or three times. Oh, just that one he plays it eight times, yeah. Right.
00:12:16
Speaker
Yeah, he does overuse it a bit. And again, I get why he's doing that. We're dealing with the Irish mob in Boston, so I understand, but there are other songs by other Irish, again, you could throw the pogs on there, man, and that would work really well. Give me a variety, I'd be more cool with it. Other Irish artists, you could throw on like Sinead O'Connor, like you could do other Irish acts, man. I'd be into that, sure. Hell yeah. I mean, that would work, and that would work really well, but again,
00:12:46
Speaker
I don't know if it was just like a budgetary thing like the studio didn't want to pony up for other tracks or what was going on. But yeah, I think this is not one of Marty's best efforts. But I still think it's better than Forrest Gump last week. I will say that. Oh, yeah, I agree. Definitely. Like I said, I own this movie. I do not own Forrest Gump, nor would I ever own Forrest Gump. And I think I sold it because I do know I no longer own that movie.
00:13:08
Speaker
There you go. Does it have a 4K? Because 1989's Dr. Ghari sure does. You know
Shopping Preferences
00:13:16
Speaker
what? Let's find out. This is one of our favorite segments from Behind the Paywall. Steven looks things up in real time.
00:13:23
Speaker
So many like trash movies, some of which I say that lovingly about and some of which I don't. It's just garbage fucking shit that like Vinegar Syndrome and other garbage labels put out in 4K. When stuff like Bringing Out the Dead is not on 4K. There is a Forrest Gump 4K UHD. It is currently available on Amazon.com for $18 as of the time of this recording.
00:13:50
Speaker
If you're gonna buy it, try and buy it from somewhere else, you guys. Amazon's the devil. It is the devil. It's true. Any major corporation is the devil. That's not to say that I am not free from sin. I do order things from Amazon, but I try to make it the last choice. Sure. Look, I get it, man. I would rather drive to... I would rather drive the suburb over to grab something from Barnes and Noble
00:14:18
Speaker
then get it at the discounted rate on amazon.com. I understand. They do be having that criterion sale every year, too. Hell, twice a year. And then you got the two times a year annual criterion flash sale, too. That flash sale. Yeah, I got a gang of stuff on that flash sale. I will buy myself at least one thing on that flash sale. And I've got a list of like things to like tick off. What am I buying this flash sale? Oh, it's got to be this one, this
David Lynch's Unique Style
00:14:44
Speaker
one, this one. Usually if there's a David Lynch 4K that's coming out,
00:14:47
Speaker
That's what I'm hitting up on that. That that Inland Empire is about to drop. You better believe I got that on my list. I do actually have Lost Highway on 4K. I know that was a topic of conversation that you and I had had previously. But yeah, I do have that Lost Highway 4K as well. I need to watch it, but I own it. That's the important thing. I'm waiting. I'm waiting for that. I'm really waiting for that Wild at Heart 4K as well.
00:15:12
Speaker
That would be nice to have. You know what else would be nice to have, but we'll probably never see a physical media release of it ever again. The straight story. Oh, I love that movie. And it's like it's it's extra sweet because David Lynch did it. Like it just pulls at my heart because I'm like, oh, David Lynch, you could have been real weird here, but you didn't because you love something. Here's the thing about David Lynch. If we can go on a David Lynch sidebar on our Martin Scorsese episode.
00:15:42
Speaker
No director that I know does sincerity better than David Lynch because I think at his core, at the heart of who he is, there are no human beings on this planet more sincere than David Lynch.
00:15:56
Speaker
The man is just achingly sincere. And so no matter how weird the thing he makes is, and he has made some weird ass shit. Mulholland Drive is like one of my favorite movies, but I will tell you it is weird ass shit. That movie is wild.
00:16:14
Speaker
It's so fucking good, dude. I love it so much. I wish there was a sequel planned for it so we could cover it on this podcast. I could probably pull something out of my ass to make it work, but I will not do that. But that is like a perfect movie in my opinion. I love Mulholland Drive. And honestly, if I can finally get Brett to actually watch the damn thing, it might be worth it.
00:16:34
Speaker
You should. I don't know if he'd like it or not, but I honestly don't know. It does have the single most horrifying image I've ever seen in a film before in it, though, so. Are you going to you going to tell us what that is? You're going to let us. I mean, do you not know what you've seen the movie? Do you not know what the thing almost horrifying? I have, but I want to I want to know what you think it is. It's it's the thing behind the dumpster. Yeah.
00:17:03
Speaker
I just wanted to hear me say the thing behind the dumpster. I just wanted you to say it for anybody that's out there that hasn't seen it yet. And now every time now when they watch that movie for the first time, they're going to be looking at every dumpster and being like, oh, shit, is this it? Is this it? No, you know what? Here's the thing. The reason it's the most horrifying image in cinema is not because of the image itself.
00:17:31
Speaker
The image itself is not particularly horrifying. It's the way that he builds up to it, the way that he reveals it, and the way the actor responds to it. Like that scene is a master class intention building. And there are a handful of things I say that about. The William Friedkin movie Sorcerer is another one. Just like these master classes intention. But I think that scene is like encapsulated in a nutshell. And again,
00:17:58
Speaker
Despite as weird as that scene is, what makes it work as well as it does is David Lynch's aching sincerity. Like, he just knows how to film emotion.
00:18:11
Speaker
incredibly well so that even if you have no idea what the hell you're watching, which is the case for about 95% of David Lynch's output. Yes. The one thing you cannot deny is that there is this this intense underlying sincerity behind all of it. Like you cannot doubt the fact that it is just so painstakingly achingly sincere.
00:18:33
Speaker
Well, I think David Lynch was perfectly described, though they weren't talking about him in Pootie Tang, when Truckee says, we didn't always know what he was saying, but we always knew what he meant. Mm-hmm.
00:18:48
Speaker
And that's David Lynch for me. Like, I don't always know what the fuck is going on in a David Lynch movie. I almost never do. It's happening. Like when I themes are there and you you get a sense of stuff and you're like, exactly. It's confusing, but I kind of I kind of see where this is going. Yeah.
00:19:04
Speaker
When I watch a David Lynch movie, I don't go in trying to understand it. I don't go in expecting a cohesive narrative. I just, I surrender myself to the experience of David Lynch. And that I think is the best way to watch a David Lynch film. There is, we've covered one David Lynch film on this podcast and there was one other David Lynch film we still have yet to cover. What did we cover? Well, what did you cover? I wasn't around then. What did you cover? Dune. We covered Dune with our good friend, Hope Lickner. Yeah, the 60 hour episode I had to edit. I remember that.
00:19:33
Speaker
Yeah. I think that was before you were editing for us, but you were like three hours on Dune. Nope. Yeah, I remember. I remember putting that in the comments. I'm like, no, thanks. Yeah, not for my love you, but no, I'll go ahead and play it so you get the download, but I'll go ahead and turn the volume down and walk away and do something else. Yeah. And then the other one, of course, we have to cover still is Twin Peaks Firewalk with me, which was intended to be the start of a trilogy that never happened because people didn't like that movie very much.
00:20:01
Speaker
That's too damn bad. It is, because that movie is actually really good. That movie has grown on me. It grows on me every time I watch it. Every time I watch it, I like it a little more to the fact where I'm now like, I might love it. I think Dune might be David Lynch's worst movie.
00:20:18
Speaker
Um, which is a feat because that dude has directed some weird stuff. But I think Dune, which in a lot of ways might be one of his more straightforward films, I say one of because the straight story is obviously his most straightforward film. But I think I'd say that The Elephant Man is a little more conventional than most of the stuff that he's done, too. That is true.
Mel Brooks & Parody Films
00:20:40
Speaker
You know, my favorite bit of trivia about The Elephant Man, which is really not even that much of a trivia at this point, but produced by
00:20:48
Speaker
The Great Mel Brooks. Yeah. Produced by the Mel Brooks. Yes. That's right. You don't like Mel Brooks. I don't like Mel Brooks. I don't think his stuff is funny. That is a fucking wild opinion, dude. The only two Mel Brooks. Well, I'm sorry. The only three Mel Brooks movies that I can tolerate emphasis on tolerate. Wow. Is young Frankenstein blazing saddles and Dracula dead and loving it.
00:21:18
Speaker
Those are the only ones, and I think for me, Dracula dead and loving it, it's because Homeboy from Ally McBeal and Ghostbusters 2 who plays Peter McNichol. Yeah, he is fantastic. He's hilarious. Is that Peter McNichol? No, I'm not. Yes, I'm not sure. Yes, it is. Is that his name? OK. I mean, you you're leaving out my favorite Mel Brooks movie. Which is the his first movie, The Producers.
00:21:49
Speaker
Oh, I can get behind the producers. I think the original 1964 producers. Yeah, I think. I like I actually do like that film. I always forget that he made that movie because it's not like stupid jokes you would tell with your friends in a. Several million dollar movie. I'm sorry, 67. I said 64 likes the rest of his movies.
00:22:16
Speaker
I don't I don't understand how why people love Mel Brooks so much. And then like the the stuff that comes out, there was a time in the early 2000s, the late 90s when the airplane dudes were doing a bunch of shitty fucking parodies zazz that are about about as funny as a Mel Brooks movie to me. It's the same kind of humor and it just goes right under my head.
00:22:41
Speaker
So for for you, I guess parody, the issue is parody. You don't like parody, but like I people will compare UHF to like a Mel Brooks movie. I think UHF is funny as hell. It's one of the funniest movies I've ever seen. Hmm. I don't know.
00:22:58
Speaker
So maybe it's just the type of parody for you, because honestly, like I don't think UHF, I love UHF, don't get me wrong, but I wouldn't put UHF up against like Blazing Saddles or Young Frankenstein. UHF is better than every Mel Brooks movie combined times about 100. Respectfully disagree. Respectfully disagree. Respectfully salute you for that opinion.
00:23:22
Speaker
That is your opinion. It is a wrong opinion, but I salute your right to have it, sir. It is wrong, but it is valid. It is. Cheers to you, Tink. We're toasting our beers to one another. That was a fun sidebar we did on two directors that I admire and one that you admire and one that you don't.
Return to Scorsese's Works
00:23:42
Speaker
Speaking of directors that we admire, Martin fucking Scorsese directed The Departed. Yeah, that's true. He did. What's your favorite Martin Scorsese movie, Tucker?
00:23:52
Speaker
My favorite Martin Scorsese movie. Thanks for asking. My favorite Martin Scorsese movie is Bringing Out the Dead, because it's probably one of the greatest films of all time, which I still have not seen. That's too bad for you, dude. I've heard it's really good, like at at his Nick Cagius. You've got John Goodman is up in that mug. Oh, I don't know. John Goodman was in it. Oh, that makes me want to see it even more now.
00:24:19
Speaker
That Arquette gal that was in the Nightmare on Elm Street movie. Patricia Patty Arquette. Yeah, she's in it. And she was also in Lost Highway. Mm hmm. This is true. I think I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure Billy Dee Williams is in it. Oh, my man, Billy Dee. Absolutely. I do. I'm pretty sure loves me some right now.
00:24:45
Speaker
Right? Again, this is us Googling things in real time. Everybody's favorite segment on this podcast. Well, Ving Rhames is in it, but I was pretty sure. Ving Rhames, Tom Sizemore, Cliff Curtis. Is that Ving Rhames? I feel stupid now. Billy Dee is not in it. I'm so sorry. Oh, man. I'm embarrassed for you.
00:25:08
Speaker
I'm embarrassed too, I gotta tell ya, I own this on VHS when it came out, and it has not been released on home media since its initial release. There's no blu-ray, there's no 4K.
00:25:19
Speaker
There's just the original DVD release and the VHS release, that's it. So it was one of the VHSs that got destroyed in a flood, along with probably about half of my DVD collection and most all of my VHS collection back then. I've since rebuilt both of those, not to where they were, but... So bringing out the dead, I haven't seen it in a while, but it is my favorite.
00:25:48
Speaker
He's watching all the time on VHS. It's so good. You should see it. I mean, honestly, you should watch it right now, but we gotta do this podcast. So when we're done, you start that, start that up. Okay. And don't worry, give me shelters in it. So don't worry. I mean, it is a Martin Scorsese movie, so you got to figure.
00:26:11
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, it's a banger. Like it is if you're going to pick a song to put in every one of your movies. That's it's a good one to choose. There are worse songs to put in all your movies. Absolutely. Since you asked Tucker, my favorite Martin Scorsese movie, I believe and again, this changes from day to day. But at the current moment, it is 2016 Silence. Yeah. Yeah. I friggin love that film, that movie.
00:26:41
Speaker
It kind of rocked my world. Very close second would probably be Goodfellas, which again is, I think the movie Marty should have won his first Oscar for. Yeah, there's so many. That's why I was saying about this movie is that it's a great movie. But as far as Martin Scorsese movies go, there are so many other movies that he's made that deserve an Oscar way more than this movie. Not saying this movie didn't deserve an Oscar. I'm just saying there are so many more that came before it that deserved like every Oscar.
00:27:11
Speaker
Let me run through Marty's track record as a Academy Award nominee. He gets his very first nomination in 1981 for what I think is another absolutely incredible film, Raging Bull. Agreed.
00:27:29
Speaker
He gets another one at the end of the decade for The Last Temptation of Christ in 89, a movie I've not seen, but need to. It's on my... It's appreciated. People don't talk about it enough. That's what I've heard. And honestly, I really do want to watch that because I just love the idea of lifelong Catholic Marty Scorsese directing one of the one of the most divisive Jesus epics of all time. Oh, man.
00:27:55
Speaker
I honestly. Once you see it, we have to do a Christianity corner on it because. Hell, yes. Blow your brain off. Do you know what? Let's fucking plan a Christianity corner for Last Temptation of Christ. Let's just let's just put it on the books right now. February Christianity corner. Last Temptation of Christ. Let's put it on the books.
00:28:13
Speaker
I need an excuse to watch more Uncle Marty movies. 91, Goodfellas. Again, if he doesn't win for Raging Bull, he should have won for Goodfellas. Do you know who wins the best director and best picture Oscar in 1991 instead of Martin Scorsese? I do not. One of my least favorite director actors
00:28:42
Speaker
in existence, Kevin Costner for Dances with Wolves.
00:28:47
Speaker
You hate him so much. I really like I don't love him, but like I don't hate him. I don't get I wish I could articulate why I dislike Kevin Costner to the extent that I do. At this point, it's probably a bit that I'm committing to a little too hard. But like that was kind of like the thing that people knew me for in college. Like now people know me as the guy who loves cheeseburgers and like has a podcast about movies. At one point in my life, I was known as the guy who hates Kevin Costner.
00:29:17
Speaker
I guess that's a thing to be, I guess. But yeah, so I just violently opposed he he is not nominated for best director, but is nominated for best screenplay for Age of Innocence, which is interesting. Did you say did you say 1991? For the 1990 year, the Oscars in 91 for the 1990 film year. OK, I was going to say because his second best film ever came out in 91.
00:29:46
Speaker
which is which is Cape Fear. Best performance by Robert De Niro ever. I actually did see Cape Fear for the first time last year. And my God, it is. It is the first of Marty's two remakes, this being the second, the departed being the second piece. The original is really good to check it out if you're into film noir. The original fear is amazing. Robert Mitchum is in it. It's real, real good. The original make do. I was going to say both of the original stars of the of the original are in the remake, both Robert Mitchum and Gregory Peck.
00:30:15
Speaker
Yep. And Gregory plays an Artemis or plays a plays an Atticus Finch style lawyer, or I guess maybe not quite Atticus Finch style, but plays a lawyer in the in the remake. And Robert Mitchum is a cop, interestingly enough. So, yeah, it's good stuff. And oh, that's right. That's whoo. That's one of those movies that just it.
00:30:39
Speaker
It gets me all bothered, man, while I'm watching it. Not bothered in like a sexual manner, but like it just really... It's not a comfortable movie
'Wolf of Wall Street' & Themes
00:30:49
Speaker
at all. Wow. Like I watched it with my girlfriend for the first time. Like I was just like, hey, let's watch Cape Fear. And she was like, OK. And so we just watched it together. And she was like, I have some issues. And I was like, I have to take a shower. I'm going to go take three showers right now.
00:31:06
Speaker
Ironically, as soon as the movie was over, she did take a shower. Like you do. Like you do. I always do, but it's over. He doesn't. It takes almost a decade for him to get nominated again. Best director in 2003 for Gangs of New York, which I stand for Gangs of New York. I love that movie.
00:31:25
Speaker
That's good. It's real, real good. It's towards the bottom of my list, too, but it's like I still fucking love it. It's still still really good. He gets nominated again in 2005 for The Aviator. The first Marty Scorsese movie that I ever saw in theaters was The Aviator and then gets nominated again in 07 where he wins for.
00:31:46
Speaker
The Departed. The Deep Arted. The Deep, Deep Arted. And then he is nominated again for Hugo in 2012 and then in 2014 for The Wolf of Wall Street and in 2020 for The Irishman. After that, it pretty much seems like any time Marty directs a movie, they're nominating him. But there was a Wall Street being a really good
00:32:13
Speaker
very disgusting movie that I never want to see again. Wolf of Wall Street was one of those like I don't know why this movie exists when he already directed Casino. Like Casino is the better version of Wolf of Wall Street in my opinion.
00:32:28
Speaker
I think casino, even though the characters are straight up bad dudes, I can not so much empathize with them, but it doesn't make me feel gross to watch them.
00:32:44
Speaker
Whereas like Wolf of Wall Street, like every scene in that movie just makes me feel gross. I'm like, people are disgusting. It glorifies. It glorifies the worst of humanity, I think, in a weird, weird way. And maybe I think that might be the point that Marty is making. I could be wrong. No doubt. No doubt. I think that's that's kind of what he's trying to get across. But yeah, he leaves you with that kind of ooky feeling that. Yeah.
00:33:10
Speaker
But again, I think he does that, because again, we just said he does that really well with Cape Fear. I think that's something that he is uniquely suited to do. Agreed.
Future Episode Teasers
00:33:23
Speaker
Second favorite Martin Scorsese film, underappreciated classic, hopefully future episode of Unenfranchised, The Color of Money.
00:33:32
Speaker
Which I was about to mention, which I would have mentioned later in the episode. The reason part of the reason why the departed doesn't get the sequel that they they wrote a sequel. It revolved around Mark Wahlberg's character, AKA the guy who lives at the end of the movie. He is the boy who lived. The boy who lived come to die. Boy from Southie who lived. Yes.
00:33:56
Speaker
He lends this movie such can I just let's let's do a Mark Wahlberg sidebar. Yes, please.
Mark Wahlberg in 'The Departed'
00:34:02
Speaker
He is nominated for an Oscar for it. Or I think was he nominated for this movie or was not seen now? I'm not sure. I don't know, but he deserved it because I'm pretty sure they didn't even give him a script. They were just like, hey, Mark Wahlberg, come in here and just talk to some people like you normally would in real life.
00:34:18
Speaker
He does get nominated. He is the one nomination this film gets that doesn't result in a win. It wins Best Picture, it wins Best Director, it wins Best Adapted Screenplay and it wins Best Film Editing. The only thing it was nominated for that it doesn't win is Best Supporting Actor, Mark Wahlberg. Which is a cry in fucking shit. Now I want to know who won that year. And I don't even I like as a person.
00:34:45
Speaker
Not a fan of Mark Wahlberg. Oh, no, as a human being, he is a fan. He's like, I think my two favorite performances by him are in this film. Mm hmm. Wow, I hate him so much, like in the best possible way. He is so much. Oh, my God. Yeah, he is. He's so terrible in this movie.
00:35:06
Speaker
And then the second best Mark Wahlberg performance is Fear with Alicia Silverstone. Which I have not seen. Because he is fucking psychotic in that movie. The movie itself, not that great. Mark Wahlberg, un-fucking-hinged. You almost wonder if he was really acting in that movie. Oh, it's crazy. It's not like he has a history of like assaulting people, especially minorities. And if you're listening to this and going, what the fuck are they talking about? There's a little thing called Google.
00:35:36
Speaker
Type in Mark Wahlberg assault, and I'm sure you'll find everything you need to know about Mark Wahlberg as a human being. But, you know, who better to welcome the pope to America than Mark fucking Wahlberg? Really, when you think about it, I will say I will say his brother does cook a mean cheeseburger. I will. I will say that. I'm into Donnie Wahlberg. I've been. I've been. Donnie, the other one on the block, the other one, the one that's actually a chef who started Wahlberg.
00:36:05
Speaker
Oh, he's in this movie, isn't he? Oodani? No, the other brother. The Walbergers guy. It's Paul. It's Paul. There's another. Is there another Walberg in this movie? There is. Look at the cast right now. Stare at it with your eyes, Steven. Look at that right there. Well, I'm Robert Walberg as Lazio FBI.
00:36:29
Speaker
OK, Robert Wahlberg is another brother, but it is not the Holly. How many are they? Are they like the Jacksons? And there's five. There's five Wahlberg brothers. They could have the Wahlberg five.
00:36:43
Speaker
There's Marky Mark and his funky bunch. He's like, hey, ABC, one, two, three. Say hi to your mother for me. Say hi to your mother for me. So there's Marky Mark himself. There's Donny, new kid on the block, Wahlberg. There's Paul, I own Wahlbergers, Wahlberg. There's Bobby. I appear in movies. My brother doesn't want to, Wahlberg. Bobby, I was in the departed Wahlberg.
00:37:08
Speaker
He was also apparently in Mystic River and a movie called you're not you're never going to believe this, a movie called Southie. What no way. Right. And then like, let's get them all in there. I mean, he's also in Gone Baby Gone with Casey Affleck. So there is that. And then there is Jim Wahlberg, who is who I guess does have a
00:37:33
Speaker
a film career as well. If we were friends, I'd call him Jimmy Walls. Jimmy Walls, yeah. But no, Paul, Paulie, Paulie knows how to cook a cheeseburger, man. I've been to the Wahl Burgers in Carmel, Indiana. And I got to tell you, that's a good cheeseburger. I believe that. I don't know if they have a plant-based substitute, but if they do, we should totally come next time I'm in town. They do. And I would have to be in town at the same time. But it is the marky mark's choice. Steven, you're three hours away.
00:38:03
Speaker
I am. That's true. You're much further out than I am. I am. I am 16 hours away. So if I come to town, you better bring your ass down and take me to Walburg. Take the train, man. I'll pick you up. I'll see what I can do.
00:38:20
Speaker
Um, but yeah, so I mean, look, but no, I think of the performances in this movie, I think Wahlberg's might be the best, honestly, like, and again, it doesn't even feel like he's acting. It just feels like he's responding the way Mark Wahlberg would actually respond to this shit. It's like Martin Scorsese said, you hate all these people go.
00:38:41
Speaker
And he's like, what do you mean? I already do hate these people. These people fucking suck, bro. Say hi to their mothers for me. Say hi to their mothers for me. Can't stop. That's all. I'm the guy who does his fucking job. You must be the other guy. Chicken, chicken. How's it going? Say hi to your mother for me. And I love the fact that the very next week he just showed up on SNL doing the same bit. Yes.
00:39:06
Speaker
Good. And when Josh Brolin, who was guessing that week, like walked by, he's like, say hi to your mother for me and your stepmother because his stepmother at the time was Barbra Streisand. This is the first of Marki Mark's two Oscar nominations. The other one, Tucker, do you know what his other Oscar nomination was for? I'm thinking. And at the moment, I don't have a guess, but I'm going to feel stupid when you say it. I'm sure of it.
00:39:34
Speaker
Yeah, The Fighter, the film for which Christian Bale won his Oscar and Melissa Leo won her Oscar. They nominated Marky Mark for one and he didn't get it. That's too bad. Is it? I don't know. If he was going to win for one, I wish he would have won for this one. Instead, Alan Arkin won his career Oscar for Loomis Sunshine, which is not even remotely his best film. No, not even close. No, not even a little bit.
00:40:04
Speaker
But what are you going to do? But, you know, look, man, just fucking the departed.
Jack Nicholson's Role
00:40:12
Speaker
I think is this. Let me ask you this, Tucker. Mm hmm. Is the departed the last great Jack Nicholson role? Well, it's funny you ask that, Steven, because I think that there was an obvious and much better choice.
00:40:34
Speaker
for this role, Jack Nicholson does fine in this role. He does his Jack Nicholson thing. Oh, see, I love everything he does in like all of all of all of his. I don't I don't think I've seen. I don't think I've seen a bad Jack Nicholson performance saying I don't think I've seen a bad. I'm sure there are some, but I just don't bother with those movies. Sure. But he does fine like he normally does. You know, he does Jack Nicholson. He's great. But yeah, he does. He does the Jack thing.
00:41:03
Speaker
And this is why I asked you if you'd seen Deadwood. Because I think Ian McShane.
00:41:11
Speaker
would have been perfect for that role. Jack Nicholson is great for that role, but Ian McShane would have been perfect. If you don't know who Ian McShane is, not you, Steven, but I'm talking to the audience here. If you don't know who Ian McShane is, he was in the TV series Deadwood and the subsequent film. And he's, I think the second thing that he's most known for is being Rod's dad in Hot Rod. Old man, new hot.
00:41:40
Speaker
He is also Blackbeard and Pirates of the Caribbean 4 on Stranger Tides. He never sneak up on a man who's been in the chemical fire. He is the villain in Kung Fu Panda. And he also has a role in the film John Wick, which is fairly popular. Actually, he's in all movies I've never seen.
00:41:56
Speaker
All three John Wick films. He's also in a single episode of Game of Thrones, where he plays like a priest or a pilgrim. I tried to try to forget Game of Thrones. I watched that because the person I was dating liked it. So.
00:42:10
Speaker
Fair enough, he is also in future episodes of this podcast, among others, The Sorcerer's Apprentice, Jack the Giant Slayer, and Hercules. All movies that we will, also, The Golden Compass. Also, The Seeker of the Dark is rising. All movies that we will cover on this podcast one day. Holy shit, this man has been in a lot of failed franchise starters. Ian McShane is amazing. If you need proof of that, watch Deadwood.
00:42:37
Speaker
because I think honestly, his performance in Deadwood is probably one of the best performances of anyone ever, ever put to film. There I said it. I'll tell you how it is. I think that man is so amazing in that role. I look, I think he is. I love Ian McShane. I think he would have done well here, but I think and again, for what Marty is trying to do here, I think you need Jack.
00:43:06
Speaker
because this the thing about this movie is the cast is just stacked from top to bottom. Like there is no dead weight in this. Even the people that aren't well known yet will become well known later, like Vera Farmiga. You're like, who the hell is Vera Farmiga? She will be an Academy Award nominee within the next few years. And and Martin Scorsese actually put a person of color in his film.
Racism & Homophobia in Film
00:43:30
Speaker
Another thing is notoriously named Brown.
00:43:36
Speaker
Anthony Anderson's character in which he is the only person of color in the entire film in The Departed is Officer Brown, or Detective Brown. I don't know. That's incredible. Now I kind of want to know what the name of Samuel L. Jackson's character in Goodfellas was. I would guess, but taken out of context, I would probably sound racist.
00:44:04
Speaker
Very likely. I'm going to look right now. I've got the cast list for Goodfellas Pulled Up. Samuel L. Jackson plays a character named Stax Edwards. That's surprisingly tame.
00:44:19
Speaker
So not as racist as some might think. Brown, not brown. Speaking of racism, we should probably talk a little bit about the inherent racism and homophobia of the departed, especially homophobia, especially the homophobia. Good Lord. Honestly, the only thing I think that could have probably made this movie a little more
00:44:49
Speaker
A little more uncomfortable as if one of the main detectives had been a closeted homosexual. No, I don't particularly have... Excuse me. To be clear, I don't want that to have been the case because I don't think it would have been handled well, but... No. As a straight white dude, I don't have a problem with the homophobia in this film because it's, I mean, it's realistic.
00:45:14
Speaker
It is. Consider the city, consider the time and consider the occupation. I mean, and like if it weren't there, I would be like, this this doesn't check. Like this doesn't pass the real test because they're not calling each other homophobic slurs every five seconds, you know, which they kind of do in this movie and the racism is is, I guess, part and parcel of that as well. Like you get there's not
00:45:42
Speaker
There's not as much of it as there could be, but there are a lot of ethnic slurs, particularly around Italians.
00:45:53
Speaker
The there are one or two toward African-Americans, but then you get kind of the overt like you're a black man in Boston. Like you're a black cop in Boston. Do you honestly think anyone's going to respect you or something? Whatever Leo says to Anthony Anderson toward the beginning of the movie. It says no matter what he does, he's getting a raw deal. It doesn't. Right. He's talking about being a cop and he's like, you're a black dude in Boston. Doesn't matter what you do. You're going to get fucking chaffed.
00:46:16
Speaker
Yeah, you're fucked. So so I mean, look, it's it's there and I it's there. And I think it's part of the stew of the Boston police, not to, you know, necessarily disparage the Boston police, but please disparage. But a cab. I will go on record.
00:46:38
Speaker
One, three, one, two. Nightbreed says a cab and so does disenfranchised. So there you go. I stand by it. Yeah, but like there there is kind of this acknowledge and get a lot amongst if if. If the Black Lives Matter movement told us anything, it is that there is a deep seated racism within American within American law enforcement, and I think
00:47:06
Speaker
that also extends to homophobia. Really, there's this deep-seated distrust, mistrust, fear of the other kind of built into that profession. And I think Marty does a really good job of exploring that. Well, not really even exploring that, but presenting that here.
00:47:23
Speaker
acknowledging it, I would say. Because he doesn't really interrogate it. No, they don't focus on it, but it's obviously a part of what happens. It's clearly baked into the cake. Right. Yeah.
Comparison to 'Heat'
00:47:35
Speaker
And and one of the things one of the things that I really like about this movie is it feels very much like Goodfellas, but it also feels very much like Martin Scorsese's Heat, which is Michael Man's Heat is maybe one of my favorite movies of all time. Like I would put that in my top five. I love Heat.
00:47:55
Speaker
Amazing just blown away by that movie. I will call heat a perfect movie It is maybe my favorite crime movie of all time. Like I love that movie but that is for me like this feels very much a piece of
00:48:10
Speaker
what Marty is trying to do with regard to like, it feels very good, fellas, because you've got the whole mob angle and the informant within the mob angle. But then he explores both sides of that equation in a way that no one really has done quite as well since Michael Mann. And I don't think he does it quite as well as Michael Mann does in heat, but it is a similar kind of thing where you're looking at both sides of law enforcement in a way that is very interesting.
00:48:38
Speaker
To be fair, and I want to go on record here, I don't think and I think it's clear neither one of us, Tucker, have seen the film that this movie is based on. No, unfortunately, I have not, but I did look up the plot synopsis to the two sequels. OK, so you kind of know where they might have been headed, potentially. Well, I don't know, because like the second one is a prequel and the third one is like simultaneously a prequel and a sequel at the
From 'Internal Affairs' to 'The Departed'
00:49:04
Speaker
same time. Kind of like Twin Peaks Firewalk with me.
00:49:13
Speaker
Um, so, but and honestly, I think one of the I don't think both spoilers, we've not really gotten to the plot yet, but spoilers for the end of the party. We should probably do that. We're about an hour in. We're almost an hour in. We've honestly we've not had a delay this long since since the Dune episode, honestly, between the start of the episode and in the plot in 60. But that is, I think, particularly
00:49:32
Speaker
I doubt it's as good as that, but yeah. What is?
00:49:42
Speaker
Um, I forgot what I was saying. I was saying a thing and I completely forgot what it was. If only, if only we could rewind and find out what it was. Let's see. We were talking about homophobia, racism, and then Michael Mann and heat. And I don't know. Oh, we were talking about the, the original ones, the sequels to the original. Yes. Um, so, so, I mean, I, I.
00:50:11
Speaker
Unlike in the original film, internal affairs, both cop, both both character, both lead characters in this movie die. Only one of them dies in the original internal affairs. Both of them die in this one. Speaking of them, both dying spoilers to anyone who hasn't seen this movie. If you haven't seen this movie, why are you listening to this podcast? Go watch that movie right now. Seriously, go watch The Departed. Seriously. But now I forgot what I was saying. What was I saying, Steven?
00:50:42
Speaker
I just talked about how both of the lead characters in this film died. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. It's something that Scorsese does well in this film. And I think that he does well in a lot of his films is he there's some.
00:50:57
Speaker
A lot of the violence in Scorsese films is not fun. Mm hmm. It's not fun at all. It's disturbing.
Violence in Scorsese's Films
00:51:05
Speaker
It's upsetting. Like towards the beginning of the film, when you see Jack Nicholson pop those two people on the beach and it's just like she landed funny. Like that's right. That is fucked up. That is fucked up. Look, the violence in casino might be the most uncomfortable violence I've ever seen in a film like it's.
00:51:23
Speaker
Like, yeah, that at the end of this movie, well, not the very end when when Matt Damon gets it, but when Billy gets it and Brown and the other guy gets it. Yeah, that's you're not like, oh, man, somebody got shot. You're like, holy fuck. Somebody just got shot. Right. You're like that up like that's impactful. It's not fun. It's not good times. It's not comic book violence. No, it's real violence and it's fucked up.
00:51:50
Speaker
I think this is only maybe the second or third time I've seen this movie. And even though the first time I saw this movie, Leo's death took me completely caught me completely off guard. Like I was not. That is the most jarring death. No matter how many times you've seen it, you're never ready for it. And that's it. You're never ready. I was just as unprepared this time as I was when I first saw it and I knew it was coming. Like it's it's just a very stark
00:52:18
Speaker
break. Like, it's so unexpected. It's so out of left field. And again, it speaks to I think, Uncle Marty's brilliance behind the camera that he's able to craft a moment. And also the performance of both Damon and DiCaprio that they're able to pull off the banality of what is happening and then just bam, that stark contrast of
00:52:42
Speaker
the characters very sudden death and all of the fallout from that. Like it's just kind of this perfect synergy of talent just in this single scene of film. And it's absolutely unreal. Like it's so absolutely incredible. That's another thing that I admire about Martin Scorsese his entire career is that he's not afraid to kill anybody.
00:53:05
Speaker
They'll pop anybody like and it's it's effective. It's fucked up. And like you spent your whole movie with in this case, like rooting for for Leo, man, rooting for Billy. And then he's just like that. Gone snatched from you like that. Just got like no warning. He's just fucking gone. And that's how violence is in real life. It's abrupt. It's disgusting. And it fucking sucks. And that's something that Martin Scorsese is very good at.
00:53:36
Speaker
portraying. Yeah, I think he depicts it probably better than most filmmakers. Honestly, like I said, the violence in casino might be some of the most disturbing violence I've ever seen on film. Like the scene with the vice and the dude's head like I just I can't like it's just it's that's that's how I judge a person is by how they react to those kind of violent scenes. And because if somebody's watching The Departed or like you said, casino,
00:54:05
Speaker
and they think that shit's funny, we're probably not gonna be friends. Now, there is some funny violence. I'm all into cartoon violence. I love slasher movies. I love horror films. Tarantino has made a career out of cartoonish violence. And it's great. It's fun. It's good times. But the way Marty does it, if you think that shit's funny, there's something wrong with you.
00:54:25
Speaker
It's a very different. It's a very different depiction. And there are guys who do the cartoonish violence. Well, I think Tarantino does it well. I think Verhoeven does it pretty well. Verhoeven kind of tries to ride the line between cartoonish and reality. Like he's like, I'm the only one who depicts your dish is just wants to. He wants to make a cartoon with really heavy social commentary and it's really good at it. He is Robocop is a masterpiece. Agree.
00:54:52
Speaker
Let's just let's just I have the criteria and DVD of also to a lesser extent Starship Troopers. I also do enjoy Starship Troopers. The effects have not aged well, but other than that, love it.
00:55:07
Speaker
Other than that, very honestly, the performances aren't great either. But I love the movie in spite of all that. It's it's it fits the film. It does. The performances aren't great. If they were, then it wouldn't be as good of a film, honestly. Honestly, you're you're you're on to something there like it is what it is. And that's why it's as good as it is. The perfect storm. Exactly.
Scorsese's Filmography Overview
00:55:27
Speaker
But, you know, I mean, Uncle Marty is doing is doing violence in a way that I don't think anyone else is. And that.
00:55:37
Speaker
Well, I'd say few, but yeah, few. Yeah, right, right. Very few are. But I think he's he's probably one of the best known doing it, like the scene. Well, you haven't seen it yet. There's a scene in The Irishman where I don't know that I'm spoiling anything telling saying this, but a character gets curb stomped and it's it's pretty clearly depicted. It is disturbing. Well, that adds another couple of years to me putting off watching that movie.
00:56:05
Speaker
Look, I know the Irishman is not a perfect film by any stretch of the imagination, but it is a very good film and it feels like Marty's final word on the gangster genre. I don't know if he'll ever go back to it, but it feels like a good final chapter to the the.
00:56:24
Speaker
the the magnum opus of his career filled with kind of these that he started with Mean Streets, kind of these kind of gangster, unsavory character films leading up like through the departed, departed would definitely be one of those leading up through the through the Irishman. I think the Irishman is a very good kind of way to bookend that that a career that has kind of focused on that more or less consistently.
00:56:53
Speaker
I do need to watch it because it is like, I think it's the only, I think it's the only Scorsese film that I haven't seen. What are your thoughts on Kundun? I obviously haven't seen that one either. Okay. So you've got a couple more to get through. How do I not know about this? You don't know Kundun? No.
00:57:13
Speaker
Do I know mean streets? I know a taxi driver. I know good fellas. I know casino. I mean, look, let's let's let's take a let's take a little Uncle Marty detour right now. Let's let's talk to the man's filmography because before before we do, because this is going to be a long segment about this and I don't want to forget this. I think
00:57:35
Speaker
some filmmakers that are really good at doing both, even in the same film, having cartoonish violence and very gritty, depressing, awful. You don't want to look at it. Violence are the Coven brothers agreed. They will do that shit in the same movie. You'll be like the same movie and fucking like trying to breathe during another one. You know, that's what makes Blood Simple so perfect in my mind, like that, that right. Miller's Crossing as well.
00:58:04
Speaker
Um, so good. Um, so his first film, 1967, who's that knocking at my door, which I have seen, um, uh, boxcar Bertha, which he makes for Roger Corman in 72 the following year. He does mean streets, which is great. I think Alice doesn't live here anymore in 74.
00:58:24
Speaker
Is that that was a TV film, though, wasn't it? No, that was that was the now they did the TV series. Alice was kind of a TV adaptation that played into the comedy more than I'm thinking of. Don't ask Alice.
00:58:37
Speaker
There. Yeah, that that was a TV. That's a different thing. Totally different thing. Totally different. Very different thing. Taxi Driver in 76. New York, New York in 77. Last Last Waltz, I guess, is a documentary in 78 with the band, man. The band. Everybody loves the band. Oh, Crip, Crip. Sorry, please. Yep. Raging Bull in 1980. King of Comedy, which I love in 82.
00:59:04
Speaker
Another one I love in 85 after hours. So fucking good. The color of money probably coming soon to an episode of unenfranchised near you. I hope so. Everybody needs to watch the hustler and the color of money. I've seen the hustler. I have yet to see the color of money. I should probably do a double feature on that someday. You know, it's on my voodoo, Steven. I will log you right in.
00:59:25
Speaker
Hells yeah. 88, the Last Temptation of Christ. 1990, Goodfellas. 91, the aforementioned Cape Fear. 93, Age of Innocence. 95, Casino. 97, Kundun. 99, Bringing Out the Dead. 2002, Gangs of New York.
00:59:49
Speaker
Uh, 2004, The Aviator, 2006, The Departed, uh, 2010, Shutter Island. Holy crap. He directed Shutter Island. He directed Shutter Island. He did indeed. That's so, that's so, it doesn't feel like a Scorsese film to me. That's so weird. It doesn't feel like one to you though. No, it doesn't, but that's kind of it because it's him adapting a novel and kind of surrendering his style to the style of the novel. And I think it's really interesting.
01:00:20
Speaker
him and David Lynch, man, they should get together and do a movie. Oh, I would fucking love that. 2011 Hugo, 2013 Wolf of Wall Street. And then we have 2016, my favorite Scorsese film, Silence. And then in 2019, it's The Irishman. So that is kind of Scorsese's career.
01:00:41
Speaker
And that's not including any of other than The Last Waltz. That's not including his documentaries because he did a really. Episode of the TV series that he's done. Boardwalk Empire vinyl. Right. He's been a part of anthology films. Yep. So look, all I'm saying is Uncle Marty is an American institution and we stand. Agreed. At least you and I stand. Brett may or may not say I don't want to speak for Brett, but at least you and I stand, Uncle Marty.
01:01:09
Speaker
You know, I don't know how many Martin Scorsese films he's seen, but, and I don't know Brett as well as you do, but I feel like he'd be on board with most of them. Um, maybe. I don't know. I don't want to speak for Brett. I never want to speak for Brett. Um, because sometimes I think I'll loan Brett something. I'll be like, I think he'll dig this. And he'll be like, no.
01:01:35
Speaker
Like before he watches it, like, no, no, but like, like a couple of weeks ago, when we were talking about Casablanca, we talked about Citizen Kane and he watched half of that movie and was like, I'm out. Like couldn't couldn't do it.
Scorsese vs Marvel Films
01:01:47
Speaker
Whereas something that was more genre specific, like Touch of Evil, he really enjoyed.
01:01:53
Speaker
So, I mean, there are Marty, Uncle Marty's got some genre specific stuff but I don't know to what degree Brett has played an Uncle Marty. Now I know he tends to disagree with Uncle Marty with regard to the Marvel films and that's fine.
01:02:09
Speaker
don't agree with Scorsese as far as the Marvel films go. I get where he's coming from. I can empathize because he's real, real old, man. And he loves doing a thing and it's going out of style. And I get that. But I think the main reason that I disagree with him is I don't think that it's as bad as he thinks it is because there's so much content. Yes, we've got Marvel movies making billions at the box office, but
01:02:39
Speaker
There's so many gems, like not only coming out in theaters low key, but also on the streaming services. People shit on streaming all the time, but there's a lot of really great stuff like movies that go straight to streaming that are comparable. Some of them even to like Scorsese stuff like like The Irishman.
01:02:58
Speaker
A Scorsese film itself. Direct to streaming, right? But then again, to his credit, I think it was the film Barbarian. Uncle Marty saw Barbarian and was like, that was really good, that's cinema.
01:03:13
Speaker
And I was like, damn straight, Uncle Marty, damn straight. Yeah, I agree. I love that. I mean, it's so good. It's one of my favorites of last year, for sure. But no, and so, you know, look, I I have expressed my own Marvel fatigue on this podcast many a time. So I absolutely get that, too. I completely empathize with that. Like, I understand your point of view and, you know, I get where you're coming from. But sorry, I just want to let you know that I empathize with you, but please continue.
01:03:43
Speaker
I still want to own a T-shirt that says Martin Scorsese was right, and I want to wear it to every Marvel movie that I go see in theaters. That's just the thing that I want to have happen. Well, I don't know if you're seeing the movie in theaters, people might think that you're you're being silly because, you know, you're you're going. I'm not going to be seeing it opening night. But here's the thing, like I saw a full 11.
01:04:04
Speaker
I usually do. I saw Thor Love and Thunder. I do. I saw Thor Love and Thunder in theaters and I was so underwhelmed by that. Like, I just kind of was like, I don't need, I can dip out on these. Like I, unless it's something I feel really strongly about, like I'll just go online and read the spoilers and just be like, okay, what happens in this movie? Okay.
01:04:27
Speaker
I know the important stuff and I'll watch it when it comes out on streaming. Like, who cares? Yeah. For me, I thought Love and Thunder was one of those movies, like I mentioned maybe last episode of the episode before. It's like The Amazing Spider-Man 2 for me. Like, I really liked it the first time I watched it, but I can't watch it anymore. It's the same with the new The Batman movie. Like, when I watched that movie the first time, I loved it.
01:04:55
Speaker
I started watching it the second time, and I'm like, oh my God, who cares? I turned it off like maybe 45 minutes in. I was like, who gives a shit? And it's the same with, like I said, Amazing Spider-Man 2 and Back to the Point, Thor, Love and Thunder. I saw it the first time I was entertained. There were shiny objects, and I was looking at them and having a good time. But like we were saying last episode, the more you watch a movie, the more you kind of see what's going on and you see behind the curtains. It's like when you visit a place as opposed to living there.
01:05:23
Speaker
right visit a place you're having a great time you live there you kind of see behind the curtain and you see the seediness that's going on or you know the the less the you know the the the in and out everyday realities of the thing that makes it maybe less conducive to the story I'd ideal
01:05:40
Speaker
Yeah, and films like that are the same way, I think. And maybe maybe it was just my Marvel fatigue, but I didn't really even I wasn't even really that entertained by Thor Love and Thunder. I found a lot of the jokes really kind of easy, cheap and low hanging fruit. I found the emotional through line really kind of tacked on with the exception of two performances. I was I kind of thought everyone else was just sort of mailing it in. Like I was generally underwhelmed by that movie on the whole.
01:06:06
Speaker
and kind of wanted better from that movie.
Taika Waititi's Influence
01:06:12
Speaker
But that's kind of how I feel about Marvel movies in general now. A friend of the show, Andrew Johnson, kind of was getting on my case on Twitter. Like, what? You haven't seen Black Panther Wakanda forever yet. And I'm like, honestly, I'm not in any kind of hurry. He's like, you've had time. I was like, oh, I'm aware. I just don't have. I have time, but not the desire. And that's kind of where I land on the Marvel films from here on out. I'm looking at all the trailers for Quantum Mania, and I'm just like, OK, cool.
01:06:41
Speaker
Like the next Marvel film I'm legitimately excited to see is Guardians of the Galaxy, Volume three, because those are honestly maybe the only Marvel films that seem to have an authorial voice behind them. That's not Kevin Feige. Yeah. Well, and I think maybe with Thor, Love and Thunder, maybe they went a little too far with that. Maybe they gave Taiko Waikiki
01:07:07
Speaker
maybe too much control. And I love that dude, like the shows that he's done and the other films he's done. I think he's hilarious. I think he's brilliant. But I think in this movie, he just I don't think he really gave a shit enough and just wanted to fuck around with his friends.
01:07:23
Speaker
And I think that's, I think that comes across like I, I, there's not the attention to the story or the, the detail in the story that you really want. Like there's, it just, it feels lazy. It feels like, well, I'm getting, you know, I'm getting this paycheck one way or the other, so I can just fucking mail this in.
01:07:40
Speaker
You know, it doesn't feel like he really cares. Like this is this is this is his one for them. And it's not even a particularly good one for them. And honestly, this might be the last time that he and Marvel work together. And see, that seems pretty. I'd be OK with that because I do like his original ideas. I still haven't seen Jojo Rabbit. That's too bad. It's really, really good. And you would love it.
01:08:03
Speaker
So I probably would. I still haven't seen it. And honestly, I don't think I've seen. I don't think I've seen any of his non Marvel output. I probably should. Our flag means death is on HBO Max and it's got what's his nuts from. Restarting Concours. Yeah, that played their manager. Right. And it's really, really good. The actor who take away TD based his his core performance on.
01:08:31
Speaker
To the extent that I never thought of that, but now I know to the extent that friend of the show, Samuel Dumas, honestly thought that it was Rhys Darby voicing Korg until he saw the credits and realized it was Taika the whole time. But yeah, no, that that's Taika's Rhys Darby impression is is what he's doing for Korg is a New Zealand treasure. Yes, he's a national treasure of the nation of New Zealand. Yeah, I haven't seen anything that he's in that I didn't like him in.
01:08:58
Speaker
Fair enough, fair enough.
Plot Summary of 'The Departed'
01:09:01
Speaker
Should we talk about the plot of departed? No, let's just wrap this up, Stephen. Let's just land this plane. We've come this far. Who cares? So, yeah, let's go ahead and do that real quick.
01:09:14
Speaker
Let's go ahead and run through the plot of this film. So for those of you joining us for the first time and wondering why the hell we're doing what we're doing, we usually, usually within the first 20 to 30 minutes of the podcast, do a segment we call the plot in 60 seconds, where we at the best of a coin, usually the coin of justice, although the coin of justice is still packed away because I got done moving in this month.
01:09:37
Speaker
It's still in a box somewhere. I'm sorry. I will find it at some point, I'm sure. But we usually flip a coin to determine which of us will risk will recount the plot of the film that we are discussing in 60 seconds or less without the coin of justice. Tucker has recovered another coin, which we will use in its stead. You remember this, Stephen? You remember this? I have no idea what you're doing when you put a stack of quarters on your elbow and then like catch him. That wasn't a thing you did like when you're a kid. Nope.
01:10:06
Speaker
Nevermind, please continue. Apparently I was a little more easily amused. Still got it. Still got it. Look at you go. So Tucker's gonna flip the coin and that will determine which of us will be recounting the plot of 2006's The Departed in 60 Seconds or Less. I will call it In The Air. We will call it, okay.
01:10:31
Speaker
So wait, if you get it, you have to do it. So if if if I get it right, you have to do it. If I get it wrong, I have to do it. OK, I got to know which way to lie here. OK, I have never once lied about the outcome of the coin of justice. I just want that to be never a disclaimer. This is not the coin of justice. So I am not beholden to those statements. All right, Stephen, let's do this completely thing that's full of integrity. Let's go.
01:11:00
Speaker
Oh, damn you, sir. There it goes, call it in the air. Doesn't matter, heads. As you can see, as proof, it is stills. Oh, fuck. All right. Well, then let's do this. OK. I am so relieved. I bet you are. All right. So go ahead and put 60 seconds on the clock for me then. All right. I will give you the customary 30 seconds.
01:11:30
Speaker
And 10 second warnings. All right. Time. She starts. Oh, now.
01:11:41
Speaker
So the Whitey Bulger analog Frank Costello is the head of the Boston mob He meets a kid named Colin Sullivan who he kind of helps raise and basically plants him as a spy inside the Massachusetts State Police Meanwhile, there's another guy Billy Costigan who is also kind of grows up wants to be a cop His father is the only good guy in his family the rest are kind of a part of the Boston mob He is tack
01:12:05
Speaker
tasked by the state police to be a informant within Costello's mob. So you've got a cop inside Costello's mob and a mobster inside of the police department. There's an FBI, or I'm sorry, the FBI is involved. Basically, the cops are trying to get into Costello's crew. There's microprocessors. Costello is apparently an FBI informant. There's a police psychiatrist who falls for both Costello and Sullivan. 10 seconds.
01:12:35
Speaker
Eventually, everybody dies except for Mark Wahlberg, who shoots Matt Damon in the head. Oh, that's the beep. And before he shoots him in the head, he says, say hi to your mother for me. I wish that would just really cap that film. That would really make that incredible. I don't know why the say hi to your mother for me became the thing that Andy Samberg's Mark Wahlberg said, but I kind of love it. It is. It fits. It does. Well, remarkably well.
01:13:06
Speaker
Like this movie is it's like a two and a half hour long film. But honestly, I feel like there's not a lot of fat on this movie. Like I feel like it it it's one of those movies with a long running time that I feel like needs to have that running time. And I feel that way about very few movies these days. But I feel like this one is one of the ones that earns its running time. Well, there aren't a lot of movies that. Don't move the plot forward in every scene. I think I said that wrong.
01:13:35
Speaker
You know what I mean? Like you said, there's no fat. Like every every scene pushes it forward. There's no standing around. You know, it's all there.
01:13:45
Speaker
It's in service to the larger narrative. Every scene, every character, every bit of dialogue is in service of the larger narrative, the themes of the story. Exactly. It's all there for a reason. And again, that's one of those things that I think Uncle Marty is fairly good at. Like he's a good storyteller. I think he wrote the book on that kind of for modern cinema, honestly. Legitimately. Like he's very good at this. This is the thing he does very, very well. And so to see him doing it on this scale. And again, it's him. This is.
01:14:15
Speaker
Because Marty did not win the Oscar for Raging Bull, because he didn't win it for Goodfellas, because he didn't win it for Gangs of New York, it feels like this is the movie he kind of has to win it for, because this is one of his last, quote unquote, returns to form. Like he's kind of doing this scuzzy mob movie, not set in New York this time. In fact, this time instead, it's set in
01:14:40
Speaker
the city of Boston, not the city he's kind of known for, not the city he's associated with. But it feels like a movie only Martin Scorsese can make. And for that reason, no, go ahead.
01:14:54
Speaker
I'm gonna say I can appreciate that difference, though. It's nice to have a Scorsese film that is kind of outside of his comfort zone, geographically speaking. And I think you can tell the difference. And you see him doing that in the stage of his career. Yeah, that's what I'm saying. In The Departed, that's a Boston movie. It's a Scorsese movie, but it's a Boston movie. Exactly. And that's not something you see very often in Scorsese films. They often take place in the city, in New York
Scorsese's Storytelling Techniques
01:15:21
Speaker
City.
01:15:21
Speaker
You and you see him doing that a lot more, I think, after gangs of New York, because after that, you've got the aviator, which is largely set in Hollywood. You've got the departed set in Boston, Shutter Island set on an island. You've got Hugo set in France, Wolf of Wall Street, which that one, I guess, is kind of set in and around New York. Yeah, that one might be all over the world and stuff. Right. Like many scenes where they're deaf, they're
01:15:47
Speaker
off somewhere in like Jamaica or something in Thailand. Right. And then you've got the silence, which is set in Japan. And then you've got the fear is in California, right?
01:16:00
Speaker
Probably, yeah, that sounds right. But I mean, for most of his prior career, most of his work had been set in and around New York City, and he gets more intentionally away from that in the later, I would say within the last 20 years of his career, in what I think are very interesting ways. Like, Cundun is not set in New York. Casino, not set in New York.
01:16:27
Speaker
Age of Innocence, not said in New York. Cape Fear, not said in New York. Goodfellas, absolutely is. Last Temptation of Christ, obviously not. Color of... Absolutely is, no. But then you've got like Taxi Driver and New York, New York and Raging Bull and The King of Comedy and After Hours, which are all these kind of quintessentially New York film... Mean Streets, quintessentially New York films. Yeah, they're New York movies. Like he does that well. He captures the city well.
01:16:55
Speaker
And I think that's because he is himself a lifelong New Yorker. But I think one obviously I think one of the interesting things about him, though, is that while so often, I mean, I just ran through like his movies that aren't he spends most of the 90s and most of the 2000s and 2010s and 2020s outside of New York, but we still kind of associate him with that city. Yeah.
01:17:19
Speaker
But again, that's why he's a good storyteller is he's not confined. And here's the thing, even though while this this might be a film about gangsters, it's still not a film about gangsters in the way that Goodfellas is a film about gangsters in a way that Mean Streets is a film about gangsters. Like he's he's using this trope, this type in with The Irishman is a film about gangsters. He's using kind of these
01:17:44
Speaker
familiar settings and these familiar tropes to present new stories and new ideas. This is the genre that he is working in, but it's not the only genre in which he works. And also, if you think The Departed and Goodfellas are like a one-for-one, you obviously haven't seen The Goodfellas and The Departed, because they're clearly not the same thing. He's doing very different things here.
01:18:08
Speaker
as he's doing in The Irishman, as he's doing in Mean Streets, like he's doing very different things inside this genre. This is just a genre in which he clearly has something to say, whether it's because he knows people like this or not. Like he tends to cash Pesci in a lot of these movies and
01:18:24
Speaker
Pesci is someone who is allegedly tied to the mob. He says, pushing his finger against his nose. Like, Pesci couldn't tell you what these gangsters actually thought of Jimmy Hoffa because he knew these guys, like. Yeah, well, and I think I think Scorsese is
01:18:47
Speaker
He grew up. He had to have grown up in New York City. I don't I don't know anything about him, but I feel like I can assume these things because he's born in Queens. Yeah, he's a New Yorker. Well, he's I mean, he's like the kid from the neighborhood who made good, you know, like he seems that like that kind of guy who kind of came from those sort of humble
Scorsese's Passion for Cinema
01:19:06
Speaker
beginnings. Maybe he saw this kind of stuff when he was growing up.
01:19:10
Speaker
I mean, who's that knocking at my door and mean streets both feel like very personal stories on some level? I don't think Scorsese himself was a bad kid. I think he was this. I mean, he was devoutly Catholic. But I think and I think while some of his friends were out causing mischief and trouble, he was like the kid who.
01:19:31
Speaker
like would read or would like train to like consider training for the priesthood like that was kind of where his interests lied and part of it was his his desire to be a storyteller so he became attracted to cinema like i'm sure his parents would give him like a nickel or a quarter to go see you know the mood and he would camp out at the movies the man has
01:19:55
Speaker
an encyclopedic knowledge of film that is unparalleled in any country, the man has done more for the preservation of global cinema than probably any single man in human history. At least that I know of, I'll qualify that statement.
01:20:11
Speaker
But the man is absolutely, if you listen to Martin Scorsese, like, honestly people, get you someone that talks about you the way Martin Scorsese talks about movies. Because that is clearly the man's first love. He was Ingrid Bergman's son-in-law at one point. Both he and David Lynch, speaking of David Lynch, both married to Isabella Rossellini at one point.
01:20:34
Speaker
Twinsies. Twinsies. Bobsies, baby. But the man is a absolute lover of cinema. And you Google Martin Scorsese talking about movies. And if you can find a Martin Scorsese talking about movies super cut on the YouTubes, you're going to have a good time.
01:20:54
Speaker
Go for it, yeah. You just get to sit and I'm someone who loves listening to people talk about things they're passionate about. I could have no interest in the subject whatsoever, but if you're passionate about it, I want to just sit there and listen to why you love the thing you love.
01:21:09
Speaker
Like it is one of my favorite things to listen to people who are passionate, talk about things they're passionate about. And that is one reason why I absolutely love listening to Uncle Marty talk about movies because it is the thing he is clearly in love with most in all the world. And he talks about it so eloquently, so beautifully, so articulately, so passionately that you cannot help but want to go out and see all these movies and he'll just drop them.
01:21:34
Speaker
He's like, you know, movies like this, or this, and he's just dropped the movie the year, the director. Like, he can just list like 10 things about the movie and why it was so influential to him, or why he loves it so much, or this one particular shot in the movie that he's modestly obsessed with. Like, the man loves the movies, and I think that has to be taken into consideration when you hear him talking about
01:22:02
Speaker
The Marvel films not to not to come back to this old chestnut, but you kind of have to take that into consideration when you hear him talk because the man loves movies. And so and I think that's part of the reason why he's never really made a bad one, at least not that you or I have seen, because the the man loves these things so much. Every film is a love letter to cinema in one way or another. The man knows what he's doing. Folks, kids, listen to Uncle Marty.
01:22:30
Speaker
Uncle Marty knows what he's talking about. This man has devoted his entire life to this art form. He knows more about it than you think you do. And he's still hungry. Mm hmm. He's still he never stopped being hungry. No, like this man has made consistently perfect films from the time he started until I'm assuming now Stephen says The Irishman is good. I believe that Irishman is great. My again, my favorite film of 2019.
01:22:57
Speaker
Well, I'm glad that you brought up the Marvel stuff again, because that's how I kind of empathize with him, even though I don't agree, because you can feel even like I have a, like I said, at the beginning of this podcast, I have a lot of problems with this film. But I still really like this film, because it's a good film. And I think a lot of that comes from just how much Scorsese puts in how much passion he puts into his films, like you can feel it. Like, and
01:23:25
Speaker
I don't know. That's why he's one of those directors where even his worst film is better than most anybody's best film.
01:23:38
Speaker
And again, it's it's that level of passion. It's that level of hunger. Like it comes through. You can feel it like you absolutely can. And if you and if you don't, I don't know what I don't know how I can help you. Like I question whether or not you love movies. If you can't like sit down and just like feel the raw passion of Uncle Marty coming off the screen at you. I don't know. And maybe that maybe that's maybe that I'm wrong to say that.
01:24:02
Speaker
I can feel Brett pushing back on that statement already. He's not here, but I can feel him going, well, actually. Brett, we feel you in our souls. We love you, man. You are here with us. We hope you get back from Boston safe and sound and you don't get shot in the head like Leo and Matt. Please don't, because it's just so abrupt and disturbing. And I don't want that for you. No one wants that. No.
01:24:28
Speaker
Oh, now we're sad. No, Brad, don't go. So, I mean, we talked about Wahlberg again, I think this might be Mark Wahlberg's best performance ever. We talked about Jack Nicholson. I love the there are two, two authentic Bostonians in this movie. You got Marky Mark and you got Matt Damon.
01:24:51
Speaker
who I think is... I thought the Baldwins were New Yorkers. I don't know. They put Alec Baldwin in all those Boston movies, man. He's in as many as the Affleck Boys. He is from Massapequa, which is in New York. He is not a native Massachusetts. That might be near Boston, though.
01:25:15
Speaker
I don't know where that is on the map, but there are parts of New York that are very close to Boston, including New York City. New York City is actually like less than, I think, less than three hours.
01:25:24
Speaker
OK, I've been to both Boston and New York City, but not in the same week. So I couldn't tell you the same time, not the same time. But but so you've got there is a part of me and I put this on Twitter the other day and I don't I didn't get much response of it because I never do. But
Scorsese's Collaborations & Themes
01:25:45
Speaker
I love the notion that you and you won't this would never happen because it's Martin Scorsese, but the departed. But instead of Leonardo DiCaprio, it's Ben Affleck.
01:25:54
Speaker
And so you get Affleck and Damon kind of going head to head in a way that they've never done on film before, which I find like would kill that role, too. Right. Right. No disrespect to Leo, because no, no, no. Leo's fantastic. But Affleck would have been the bomb and the departed. Yo, just like he was infant. Yes. Phantoms like a motherfucker.
01:26:20
Speaker
No, but that was that was kind of my takeaway last night as I was watching this. I was like, I love Leo, like I know disrespect to what Leo is doing. But how much would this move? So you've got your Ian McShane instead of instead of Jack Nicholson. I've got my what if Ben Affleck instead of Leo DiCaprio. And honestly, I don't know of better movie, but different movie that still would have been fucking awesome.
01:26:43
Speaker
Like I would have I would have paid to see that movie, that version of it would have touched my heart. It would have touched my heart. Warmed my cockles. I can't go at it like that. Right. Yeah. And I hope next time I jump timelines that both of those things are true, that Ian McShane replaces Jack Nicholson and that Ben Affleck replaces Leonardo DiCaprio. I'll let you know.
01:27:04
Speaker
Right. Yeah. And again, I because again, you've got that level of authenticity here. Again, not saying that Leo is doing a bad job. Honestly, I think Leo is doing great here. And again, I don't think you could that Scorsese would have cast anyone other than Leo because.
01:27:23
Speaker
Leo is his late stage muse, like in the way that Bobby De Niro was his early. He's his new De Niro. Yeah. Right. So, you know, the way you've got De Niro in kind of all those early Scorsese movies, you've got kind of DiCaprio showing up in all of the all of the later ones, pretty much from Gangs of New York on its DiCaprio. And then from, I would say, I think it's from
01:27:50
Speaker
Taxi driver, was he in Mean Streets? No, through Casino.
01:27:57
Speaker
Well, yeah, yeah, sorry. No, you're fine. My bad, Steven. You're fine, buddy. It's OK. I've just happened to have his film. Oh, no, I'm sorry. From Mean Streets, because he is in Mean Streets. So from Mean Streets up through Cassino, see, we can both fuck up. It's fine. You know, I really wish if I can interject just a tiny bit here. Yeah, go for it. I wish because in between Casino and Gangs of New York, guess what comes out? Your favorite Scorsese film, Bringing Out the Dead.
01:28:26
Speaker
What if there was a Nick Cage era? What if we had four or five Nick Cage movies, Martin Scorsese?
01:28:37
Speaker
I mean, once you see bringing out the dead, I feel you'll you'll be even more passionate about what I'm saying. I'm just saying they work really well together. He does two movies in between Casino and Gangs of New York, and it's Kundun and Bringing Out the Dead. And I honestly I could see Nick Cage doing something in Gangs of New York. Oh, for sure. But but again, he's not the guy you cast as one of the leads in that movie. I don't think he's I don't think he's your Bill the Butcher.
01:29:05
Speaker
Well, and there's nothing there's nothing after that that I could see him in either. I'm saying like completely different. Right. If Scorsese don't exist, career trajectory went a different way. Yeah, I can absolutely see that happening because that's and honestly, that's considered a low point for both Scorsese and for Cage in the popular public consciousness. And I from from what I'm old bullshit, Steven, that's from what? No movie.
01:29:30
Speaker
from what I've heard, that is kind of the underseen underrated gem of Scorsese's career. So that is one that I it's honestly been on my to watch list for a long time. So good. He's untethered in this film. Scorsese and Nick Cage, like I was gonna say Nick Cage untethered we've seen but Scorsese untethered I'm actually very interested to see.
01:29:50
Speaker
Yes, it's, you know, I take back what I said about a Nic Cage era because all I need is bringing out the dead. I've just come to realize because it's, it's just really perfect. Watch it right now. Again, anyone who hasn't seen it, stop this podcast and watch bringing out the dead, please, for the love of God.
01:30:11
Speaker
Um, yeah. Um, I do need to watch that movie, so I will I will have to go seek that one out for sure. I hope I'm not overselling it. I don't want probably are like I'm going to be really disappointed when I see it. I can already tell.
01:30:24
Speaker
I really did. Because you've just set the bar so high. No. Oh, man. I'm going to go into it as objectively as I can. Look, I already love Uncle Marty. Like, again, I've enjoyed every movie of his that I've seen on some level or another. Like, so I would absolutely I could see myself one day just doing a Scorsese watch through and just watching every Scorsese movie back to back.
01:30:45
Speaker
Why not? I think I tried to do it during the pandemic, and I didn't get very far. But from who's that knocking at my door all the way up through The Irishman? It's a long list of films, but I think it would probably be a very worthwhile endeavor. And again, a look at one of the modern masters of the craft.
01:31:06
Speaker
So you got to space them out, though. You got to space them out because you need time to digest. That's probably a good point. Yeah, you know, you can't sit down and like watch a whole day of Scorsese films like you. The human body, I don't think could handle that. Like, God, can you even need to digest each one for a week? I'd say.
01:31:28
Speaker
That's fair. That's just how I usually do. I don't really like binge watching anything, like even TV shows. I try to like put a week in between them because I binge watch them. I don't remember anything that happens. That was all I did during the pandemic, dude, is I do you remember any of those shows? No, it was movies, man. I watched over 400 movies that year. Oh, my God. Do you remember any of them? Yeah, I remember. I remember some. Yeah, a few. Yeah, a handful. Yeah, one or two.
01:31:55
Speaker
I'm not I'm not anti binge. It's just it's just not for me. It's just how I get down, Steven. Different strokes to move the world, Tucker. That's true. As previously mentioned, different strokes to move the world. But damn it, I know I love The Departed. I think this movie is very good. Is it the best Martin Scorsese movie? Not by a long shot, but it is still friggin great.
01:32:20
Speaker
Um, like it's hard to argue with with Uncle Marty and his ability to. Really capture.
01:32:31
Speaker
certain aspects of the human emotional spectrum. The man's just very good at what he does. We have not even mentioned the parallels to the Boston Winter Hill gang. Jack Nicholson being, of course, a very thinly veiled version of Whitey Bulger in this movie, like Scorsese taking the basic template set by internal affairs and
01:32:56
Speaker
putting it against the real life Boston mob and then tweaking it just enough to make it fictitious while still making it incredibly compelling. I mean, that's that's kind of a master stroke. That's really good. Agreed. But yeah, no, I love this movie. I think it is great.
01:33:20
Speaker
Me too. Should I talk about the bullet points in my notes that I have? Yeah, I was going to say, I know you've got your litany of issues that we've really not even scratched the surface of, and we're about an hour and a half into this, so we should probably hit those. Actually, we've gotten most of them. I have here cinematography uninspired.
01:33:40
Speaker
We already talked about that. We talked about that. Forgettable soundtrack, or forgettable score. Talked about that. Talked about that. Needle drops are repetitive and basic. Talked about that. Talked about that. Oh, here's one that doesn't matter to anyone for any reason, but they're comfortably numb by Pink Floyd is in this movie. And it's a terrible version. It's real, real bad.
01:34:07
Speaker
Like I don't I don't like Roger Waters. I'm gonna come I'm gonna come out and be clear. I do not like Roger Waters as a person. Okay, fair enough. I saw him in public, I would not wave at him or say hello. That's a long story, but I don't like Roger Waters. But I like Floyd. Sure. And
01:34:29
Speaker
Why would you put that in a movie? Do you know what I'm talking about? It just I don't think it worked here. I don't think that use bad as much as I liked the soundtrack in this film, particularly compared to what we what we dealt with last week. I didn't like that version of comfortably numb.
01:34:53
Speaker
and see that was after Roger Waters like kind of he was always kind of a whiny pig headed egotistical piece of shit but don't pull any punches Tucker tell us how you really feel
01:35:08
Speaker
This was after like he had realized he could get away with that. So he's just he's just doing his thing, man, even if it's stupid and everybody hates it, which is this version of this song. The bullet point for this talking point just says fucking Roger Waters to shave.
01:35:31
Speaker
Uh, what else do I have on here? Uh, we talked about Irish punk and how it's bullshit for posers. We talked about Ian McShane. Uh, I think this is my last one because that was my whole list. I think the editing's a bit lazy. I think it's really evident in the sound editing. I don't know if that's the sound editor's fault or if that's the film editor's fault, but there were many times where
01:36:01
Speaker
the audio transitions between scenes were just abruptly bad. Well, sound editing and film editing was no thanks.
01:36:14
Speaker
Sound editing and film editing are two very different things. There were a lot of abrupt endings to a lot of the needle drops that were jarring. And again, I'm not sure if that was intentional or not. It seems like it would be. It doesn't seem like the kind of thing Uncle Marty would leave in the movie unless it was. However, the film editing... That's something he does a couple times, though. You don't do it like... That's why I said that it's kind of lazy because it's just kind of the same thing.
01:36:37
Speaker
Over and over and over like there was a moment of transitions and it's the same with the cinematography. You just have the same shots over and over. There's nothing new. Nothing interesting is happening. So there was a moment where I had to pause the movie to walk to step away and it was in the middle of a song. And when I hit when I unpause the movie to play it again, I got maybe a note and a half of the actual song. And then it was that abrupt.
01:36:59
Speaker
very jarring ending of the song. And I almost didn't realize that that was what happened because that happened to be where I paused the movie. And it doesn't seem to make any difference. Normally, if you do something like that, when you cut abruptly like that, it's for a reason. But this just seemed like, oh, we're just going to do that. There's no payoff. We're just going to do it because that's a thing, I guess.
01:37:28
Speaker
because we can't be bothered to do our jobs now now. And again, sound editing very different from film editing. His the Scorsese's constant film editor, Thelma Schoonmaker, has won three different Oscars for her work in film editing, all four Scorsese films. She won for Raging Bull, The Aviator and for this film, The Departed.
01:37:55
Speaker
and was also nominated for a non-Scorsese film, Woodstock, or was that the one that, I think Scorsese worked on that one, but didn't actually direct it. Then you've got, she was nominated for Goodfellas, Gangs of New York, Hugo, and The Irishman as well. So all but one of her Oscars nominations have come from Scorsese films, and she's won three. So I mean, she's a very accomplished show. She was previously married to Michael Powell,
01:38:21
Speaker
of the of Powell and Pressburger fame to very famous British directors from the 40s and 50s who directed like The Red Shoes and The Life and Death of Colonel Blimp.
01:38:35
Speaker
Michael Powell also directed Peeping Tom, the movie that did kind of helped kick off the slasher phase like a month before Psycho, but was seen as like, it made Alfred Hitchcock's career, but like completely destroyed Michael Powell's, because it was considered obscene and lurid. Having seen both films, no. Black Narcissist, another pal and press burger film, like pal and press burger, highly recommend. But like, again, like she is kind of,
01:39:03
Speaker
the stalwart behind a lot of Scorsese's films and is, I think, part of the reason why a lot of them work as well. So the film editing I don't think is the issue. I think the sound editing is, I think, more where you have the problem.
01:39:17
Speaker
Well, I wonder, like I said, I wonder if that's intentional. And I do realize that sound editing and film editing are two completely different things, but they're like they're like a rhythm section. They're like a drummer and a bass player, you know, like they're doing two different things, but they're they have to do it together. Right. So I don't know. I'm not trying to put blame on anybody. I'm just saying that I don't know if that was
01:39:45
Speaker
on purpose. If it was, I'm not really on board with it. But like I said a million times already, I still love this film. I'm just saying I have some qualms. And I think that's fair. Like this film was not recognized by the Academy for sound editing or sound mixing. Neither one of those were deemed worthy of nomination. So maybe maybe the Academy feels the same way you do Tucker, who knows?
01:40:09
Speaker
Maybe I don't really respect too much about what they do. But, you know, if we agree, that's some kind of validation, right? I think sometimes they get it right. And sometimes they really don't. I think most times they really don't, quite frankly. Sometimes it's easy to hit the broad side of a barn. Right. Like Parasite. Glad they gave Parasite best picture, but they didn't do themselves any favors by giving it to Green Book right after that.
01:40:37
Speaker
No. Strangely enough, I agree that Parasite should have won Best Picture. Still not a movie I enjoy. Honestly, a hard film to enjoy. I think it is a very good film, but it is not one that I find particularly enjoyable because I did not like it. Hot damn, that film is uncomfortable. And I think it's supposed to be. Well, and not in a way to me that was engaging. Like I get it. Like I said, I think it deserved Best Picture.
01:41:06
Speaker
Amazing. For me, it was that I didn't have anyone to empathize with. I hated all of the characters. I thought they were all garbage people. Correct. And I just I need just make just one person just and they don't even have to be like in the main cast. Just give me one person. Just kind of cling with. But no, that's why I couldn't get down with it. And I realized that that that was probably a conscious choice. And that's part of what makes it a great film. It's just it's not for me.
01:41:35
Speaker
And that's, again, when I find a film I don't particularly enjoy, that's usually the criticism I try to levy. It's not for me. Unless it's just objectively, actively bad. Look, I will tell you, Clerks 3, objectively, not a great film. But it moved me in a way that few films last year did. It's made a lot of worst of lists at the end of the year, last year.
01:42:03
Speaker
I thought it was fine. Again, like I said, I need to reassess it, but like I both loved it and hated it at different points. So it's fine for me. Yeah, I mean, again, for me, objectively bad. But did it but did it it did it speak to me in a way that few films last year did? Yeah, absolutely.
01:42:22
Speaker
And again, those reasons are my own and I will not get into them here. Probably not behind the paywall either. Like if you know me, you might know. And if you don't, you probably will never, but that's fine. But all that having been said, like, I don't know, you can like a movie. It's okay to like a movie. It's okay not to like a movie. But for me and my house, we stand Uncle Marty and we stand the departed. Cause this film, one of only three Scorsese movies I saw in theaters, the others being,
01:42:53
Speaker
The Aviator
Potential Sequel to 'The Departed'
01:42:54
Speaker
and Shutter Islands are the three Scorsese films that I've seen in theaters, but I might start needing to make a point to go see more Uncle Marty films in theaters, provided that he makes more films that go to theaters. Yeah. Yeah.
01:43:06
Speaker
I do like that Netflix has been giving its bigger films like short theatrical runs because it does give the people who are really into it like what they did with Glass Onion. Like that's enough time for anybody that's super into it that absolutely really needs to see that in the theater. That's enough time for them to go see it. I really wanted to. I just I couldn't make the timing work this this time, which bummed me the fuck out.
01:43:32
Speaker
Let's talk real quick about the sequel. What the sequel to this movie would have been from from all the counts from what I've read, it's probably going to it was probably going to focus on Mark Wahlberg's character, which makes sense because he's his is the standout performance. And also everyone else is dead. Right. Everyone else dies. And Alec Baldwin, like, right. You got left of the main characters. And really, who the fuck else do you need?
01:43:57
Speaker
Right. But it would have probably focused on him. I don't know that the internal affairs trilogy is really a great like way to go on, because again, the internal affairs two is a prequel and then internal affairs three is kind of a prequel sequel. Well, in the way it's described in the plot description, it seems like the sequel is kind of covered via a few montages at the beginning of this film. All three films were released.
01:44:26
Speaker
If I'm not wrong here, they were all released. I think 2003 is when the last one came out. So all three of them had come out when this movie came out. So I think what the dude, what wrote the screenplay to this that adapted it, I think he may have just kind of adapted the best parts of all three movies. That's kind of the I kind of get that from reading the plot synopsis. Of course, I haven't seen the film, so I can't really speak to it, but that's I think.
01:44:54
Speaker
If I'm not mistaken, I believe all three are now currently on the Criterion Collection. I think there's a box set of the Internal Affairs trilogy on the Criterion Collection now. I could be wrong. I think I read that. Well, shoot, if it's good enough for a criterion, it's good enough for me.
01:45:21
Speaker
Yes, the Infernal Affairs trilogy. It is available on Criterion. You can get all three discs on Blu-ray for $100, or if you get them on the Criterion website, for $80. You know, it may make me sound like a boutique Blu-ray snob, but that kind of motivates me a little more to want to see those films. I am. I was like, I don't know. But like, if Criterion's do it, I trust that. I may not like it, but it's going to be good.
01:45:51
Speaker
The other thing that I really love that makes me want to see the originals is that it's got Tony Long in them. And I think that guy is fucking incredible. I don't know that guy. Who's that guy? Tony Long. Oh, he's like one of the best like Hong Kong actors there is, man. He's what's the end that I would say I would have seen.
01:46:12
Speaker
He's in the Ang Lee film In the Mood for Love. He's in the Chongqing Express, which is a movie I absolutely adore. Park Chen Wook's The Grand Master. He was the Mandarin in Chongqing and The Legend of the Ten Rings.
01:46:30
Speaker
Like, the man is just an absolutely lust caution. Another Ang Lee film. Or no, Ang Lee didn't do In the Mood for Love. That was that was One Car Why. I'm such a fucking idiot. One Car Why is In the Mood for Love. Ang Lee's Lust caution. That's it. But he's in the first and third.
01:46:53
Speaker
installments of I've been calling it the Internal Affairs. It's the Infernal Affairs trilogy. I'm a dummy. No, it makes sense the way you said it.
01:47:02
Speaker
Hmm. It's an easy mistake to make, I imagine. I'm such an idiot, guys. Forgive me. I'm I don't know why anyone listens to this podcast, but I'm glad you do. But yes, I mean, the man. But again, most of his films are Hong Kong. He's he's had some crossover into American cinema. And I think what has crossed over, he's just he's he's incredible. Like man is a great actor. So if you're not familiar with Tony lung, get on the Tony lung bandwagon because that dude is legit.
01:47:32
Speaker
I'm not. I think the only movie in that list that you just listed out that I saw was Shang-Chi, which I thought was fun, but not intensely engaging enough that I remember really anything that happened. I think he and Michelle Yeoh are the two best parts of that movie, and that's not surprising. That's not a controversial opinion to have, I don't think.
01:47:56
Speaker
Michelle, you know, one of the best performances of 2022 also with everything everywhere all at once. Which was a movie I did not particularly care for, but it's a real good movie. It's a great movie. I think you and Brett are kind of on the same page and not caring for that film, whereas it's the best film of last year in my mind. So that's that's that's the thing I I'm taking home with me. But yeah, I understand that opinion because, like I said, it is an amazing film.
01:48:26
Speaker
just not my thing for some reason. Sure. I mean, I felt leaving that theater and I saw it with Brett, Brett and I saw that film together, leaving that theater, I felt the way I imagine people felt when they left the theater after having seen The Matrix. Like I felt like I'd seen something very paradigm shifting. It felt very incredible, very real, very engaging, very something that's going to propel the medium of cinema forward. Well, shit, now I'm jealous.
01:48:56
Speaker
I wanna like it that much. Should I watch it again? I don't know, dude, if you want to. You know what? I've found that I can appreciate things more if I experience them with people who are excited about it. Like, I used to date this girl that was way into anime, and I can't stay in anime, man. Not my thing.
01:49:16
Speaker
But like we watched a couple of those real dumb ass shows and like I was into it because she was so into it, dude. Right. Yeah. Like you kind of that passion kind of rubs off. Again, it's this. But listening to people talk about the things they're passionate about like it. It's there's something infectious about it. Like you you even if it's something you know, you don't have much interest in, like you kind of want to be interested in it because of how interested that person is in it. Like I absolutely understand what you're talking about there. I'm saying that's why what we need to do
01:49:47
Speaker
of mad content czar need to do a commentary for everything everywhere all at once. I and you know, this idea started out as as me inviting you to watch the film with me virtually, but then it evolved to like, well, why don't we just talk about it to while we're watching it? Yeah, I'm saying I don't know when I don't care when just eventually.
01:50:12
Speaker
I'm the mad content czar. Brett is the slightly pissed content czar. You are the like unhinged content czar.
01:50:26
Speaker
I'm like the monster in the 90s toy, the blue monster with the chains that you'd get the doll. My pet monster, yeah. Yeah, that's me, right? I'm that content person. Yeah, you are. In a way that I
Box Office Success & Comparisons
01:50:40
Speaker
think will only help propel this podcast forward.
01:50:44
Speaker
The Departed. Fucking great movie. Go fucking see The Departed if you haven't already. It was earlier this- And while you're at it, just watch any Martin Scorsese film that you can get your hands on. Honestly. Honestly. There's not a stinker in the bunch. No. Go, go. Listen to Uncle Marty, kids. He knows what he's talking about.
01:51:01
Speaker
The Departed opens on October the 6th of 2006. It opens to it opens at number one to twenty six point nine million dollars on its way to earning one hundred and thirty two point four domestic. Another hundred and fifty seven point three world or international for a grand total of two hundred and eighty nine point seven worldwide.
01:51:31
Speaker
It did OK. Hey, send that to your mother. Hey, say hey to your mother for me. Hey, did all right. Did OK. Did all right. In number two, Tucker, a movie in a franchise that we have discussed over on the Patreon, a late stage entry, though, a prequel to a remake. It is 2006's Texas Chainsaw Massacre, colon, The Beginning.
01:51:57
Speaker
Yeah, no, I'm right there with you. Those those later Texas Chainsaw movies don't do it for me. Speaking of Texas Chainsaw, and you know how I was just quoted as saying on a couple of different films that I think that they are amazing films deserving of all the love and credit that they get, but I don't like them. I have the opposite to say about the most recent Texas Chainsaw Massacre movie.
01:52:20
Speaker
That movie, but I had so much fun watching it and I would watch it again. If you want to hear my thoughts on the on the twenty twenty two Texas Chancell massacre film, head on over to our friends at the pod and the pendulum. They actually cover that entire franchise. I was on it on that one on that episode. I was on two episodes in that franchise. Texas Chancell Massacre two.
01:52:42
Speaker
my second favorite of the franchise and Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2022.
01:52:56
Speaker
You should also listen to the episode of Texas Chainsaw 2 that I was on. Oh, I'm into that. It's kind of a divisive film. I'm into it. I was going to say, I know you dig that movie, and I do too, so I figure you'll get into that. The number three movie, a movie that somehow got so many sequels, even though the original voice actors never returned to play the lead roles. Is it The Land Before Time? It is open season. We're a little late for Land Before Time.
01:53:24
Speaker
There are 15 that last time counting 15 Land Before Time films. Good Lord. There are almost as many open season films like in fourth place at the second one.
01:53:37
Speaker
This is the first open season. Oh, OK. The OG open season in fourth place. A little movie called Employee of the Month starring Dane Cook and Jessica Simpson. A movie I think I've seen, but have completely forgotten and blocked out of my memory by the grace of God is seized on in it, too.
01:53:57
Speaker
Oh, God, you're going to ask me who else was in it after I closed that there were two. There were two movies that came out in like a five year period called Employee of the Month, and they were both very similar. And the moment Steve Zahn was really good and know that one came out in 2004 and had Matt Dillon in it. Yeah, I was going to say this doesn't have Steve Zahn, but it does have Andy Dick.
01:54:19
Speaker
So 2004's employee of the month, if I remember correctly, because the last time I saw it was 2004 when it came out is a fun time. OK. But yeah, the Dane Cook movie, as I recall, not. And then in fifth place, speak. Speaking of a director, an actor that I don't particularly care for, the Kevin Costner Ashton Kutcher film, The Guardian.
01:54:49
Speaker
otherwise known as Who Gives a Shit. Correct. That one directed not by Costner, but by Andrew Davis, although I'm told that even on films he doesn't direct Costner is effectively the director. Rounding out our top. Noting it up in there. Mm hmm. Getting this Eddie Norton on. Rounding out our top 10 in sixth place, we have Jackass number two school for scoundrels, Jet Li's Fearless, Gridiron Gang and in 10th place. Speaking of Eddie Norton, The Illusionist.
01:55:19
Speaker
Illusions, Michael. But yeah, that is our top 10. Yeah, not a great top 10, but there you go. Not a lot to choose from there. That's of any quality in any quality. I didn't say it sound like I said inequality. But I've said any quality.
01:55:46
Speaker
The Tomatometer score on The Departed is a 90% certified fresh, the critic's consensus featuring outstanding work from an excellent cast. The Departed is a thoroughly engrossing gangster drama with the gritty authenticity and soupy morality we come to expect from Martin Scorsese. It is a Metacritic must-see with an 85 rating on Metacritic, Universal Acclaim based on 39 critic reviews, and the Letterback score on this one is a 4
01:56:13
Speaker
Point two Tucker out of five stars. How do you rate Martin Scorsese's The Departed? Oh gosh, you know what? It's not quite a 3.5 and it's not quite a four. Can I have like a 3.75? Is that a thing I can do? Judges?
01:56:35
Speaker
3.7 that you OK, they're going to allow it. Yes. Nice. All right. Whereas for me, it's a four point five damn near perfect. Yeah, not not quite there, but damn near. Yeah, it's a movie I love. I cannot cannot say enough good about it. Also, the next time a criterion flash sale comes up, I'll probably end up buying the Infernal Affairs trilogy on Blu-ray and then immediately let me borrow it. Honestly, I could probably rip it onto my Google Drive so you could watch it there.
01:57:03
Speaker
That would be amazing. But that's friends. Oh, oh, oh, oh, we do. Tucker, I almost
Debate on Film Sequels
01:57:11
Speaker
forgot. We got some mail this week. Did we? But wait, before we get to the mail, should we should we do the thing that you haven't been doing? But now you're doing it. So shut up. Oh, yeah. We have the the thing we should have been doing from the beginning. But now we are in better late than never and shut up.
01:57:29
Speaker
You're not dumb. We're dumb. I don't know. Whatever. Yeah. You are the ones who are. Tucker, what does the departed did it deserve to be a franchise? Uh, you know, I don't think it needs to be like.
01:57:50
Speaker
I think it's fine with just the one movie. I mean, everybody dies, except for Mark Wahlberg. Except for Marky Mark and his funky bunches. Yeah. That's that's it. And that's cool. Like I watch a sequel, it would really depend on who was behind the scenes. Right. And I mean, Scorsese had no interest. I mean, the man has only directed one sequel in his life, and that is the aforementioned color of money.
01:58:17
Speaker
Um, so, you know, we don't like, the man had no interest in a sequel. That was part of the reason why it never happened. And also like budget, like people were just like, nah, I don't want to fund this, but, uh, would I have watched it? Absolutely. Do I think it's necessary? No, no, no.
01:58:34
Speaker
But I would absolutely watch the hell out of any movie set in the Scorsese departed verse, like 100 percent. Well, I feel like there are I I don't know who specifically, but I can imagine there are some directors and creative teams that could have followed it up. Well enough. But I'm fine with that. I'm cool without it. Like, I don't even think about it like until we did this right now.
01:59:03
Speaker
I wasn't like, oh man, what would a sequel be like? Because it's good, we're good. I think every movie that we've covered this month falls into a category for a lot of people. And I do get this from time to time. People are like, wait, that was supposed to have a sequel? Like I get that all, like when I tell people, oh yeah, we're covering this movie. They're like, wait, that was supposed to have a sequel? And I'm like, oh yeah.
01:59:24
Speaker
Like they were going to make a sequel to the departed. They were planning a sequel to Casablanca. They had a sequel written to Forrest Gump. Like all these things that were, all these are things that were in the pipeline. They were going to happen. And then for one reason or another, they just didn't. So like, again, like I've gotten that. And honestly, probably more for this series of, of this theme month than any other. It's been a lot of weight. Really? And yeah.
01:59:50
Speaker
And I think a big part of the reason why you would expect this one, too, is because this one is based on a on an existing trilogy, but also they actually did have a sequel written that was going to star and feature Mark Wahlberg character. So, yeah.
02:00:05
Speaker
And I think, I think Integrity won out in the end because something I think I've learned from this month is that the reason that these movies are winning all these awards, even though I don't like Forrest Gump, I recognize that it probably deserves some of the awards that it got. It was a cultural moment for sure.
02:00:22
Speaker
Yeah, like there's something about films that are that good. Mm hmm. That like there's a certain integrity to not making a sequel to them. Right. Because you could so easily milk it like you could do one theatrically. It doesn't do so great. You go direct to video on the next two. You know, right. You're making money. Are you? Is it?
02:00:50
Speaker
It's not gonna ruin the original, but I think it kind of, like I said, it takes kind of some of the integrity out of it. And I think movies of this pedigree, I don't know, you don't wanna mess with it.
02:01:02
Speaker
And I'm kind of right there with you, like some and I think sometimes original films have kind of been sullied by some of the sequels, like the one that I think of immediately that like none of the films in the original in the rest of the franchise hold a candle. The original Halloween is kind of the big one that I think of there because immediately right off the gate, you're like, look, I like Halloween, too.
02:01:27
Speaker
but it doesn't hold a candle the Halloween one and it kind of ends up sending the franchise off in a weird trajectory that I don't particularly care for, that very few actually care for. For me, that is, I'm sure, unpopular opinion. Hopefully, please, please send me fan mail about this. Send me mail about... Disenfranchpod at gmail.com. Please do, because my pick for that is Tremors. Mmm.
02:01:57
Speaker
like the sequels, I mean, there are a couple of them that are okay. But any trimmers movie that I watched, it's not the first movie just only makes me wish I was watching the first one. It's the Kevin Bacon factor for you, isn't it? But why would I do this when I could watch it better over here? Right.
02:02:17
Speaker
You know, and I think we can all kind of all think of a movie that that we're like the first film is damn near perfect. And but then every sequel that comes out after it is just like, well, it's just flies in the face of how good that first entry was. Well, I'm almost mad talking about Tremors, man. I just wish those all were the first movie. Well, I I make to me. Why would you bring Jamie Kennedy into this?
02:02:41
Speaker
I mean, he was he was great and scream. I a couple of years ago during the pandemic, I legitimately when they were all on Netflix, I almost sat down and watched all the tremors movies back to back. I almost binged all the tremors moves. I didn't end up doing it, but they're not cooler. So wiser films or heads prevailed in that one. But yeah, I think the second one's pretty good. And honestly, I like the fourth one quite a bit.
02:03:06
Speaker
But it's not five minutes that passes when I'm watching either of those two films where I'm just like, man, I should just pop in the original though. Hmm. I understood that this is good, but that would be a lot better. Because that to me, that's another perfect film. Like it just it hits every beat where it needs to never waste any time.
02:03:30
Speaker
It's wonderful. Lightning in a bottle, that movie. I tell you what. Fair enough. We should cover the last of those movies on Uninfranchised one day. Just to really make you mad. Maybe I have a different idea for that that we're talking about when this is all over.
02:03:45
Speaker
Hmm, I am interested. And speaking of, speaking of sending Tucker fan mail, and you can do so at disenfranchpod at gmail.com, we actually did get a email from a listener this week, one of our brand new patrons.
02:04:04
Speaker
And I'm just gonna go ahead and read I will eliminate some of the some of the personal information included here Hello disenfranchised guys. I love your podcast. You have such a great chemistry and are really funny. I found your podcast over the summer I heard Steven on an episode of the pod in the pendulum a few times
02:04:20
Speaker
And I heard him mention your podcast and thought I would check it out. I was not disappointed. I started subscribing to your Patreon feed a few weeks ago and I'm working my way through your back catalog. I heard you guys say that all your subscribers are friends and people you know, so I just thought I'd take the time to introduce myself. And yes, you are the first person I do not know personally.
02:04:38
Speaker
to become a patron. So welcome. Again, I'm going to eliminate a lot of the personal information here. My name is Brandy. I love movies, especially scary ones. I have very eclectic taste in movies. Some of my favorites are the original Halloween, Chicago, the Poseidon Adventure and Brace Yourself's Howard the Duck, a movie we know is eclectic.
02:05:00
Speaker
Brandy, I promise you that is a movie we will be covering before the end of 2023. In fact, I will dare say before the end of the first half of 2023, you will hear our episode on Howard the Duck.
02:05:15
Speaker
You know, I respect broad tastes in a person. I was going to say you have fairly broad tastes as well, Tucker. So, yeah, that's the life to live. Like the more you limit yourself, the less fun you're having. Right. Like all of the things. Exactly. Like all of the things.
02:05:31
Speaker
Absolutely. She closes out by saying thanks for taking the time to read this and keep up the great work. Brandy, thank you so much for listening. Thank you for being a patron. We actually did also get another patron. I'm going to start shouting out patrons when we get them. We have a new patron, Maya, who joined at the at the $5 level, which is really great. Thank you so much, Maya, for your support there. We
02:05:54
Speaker
We really appreciate you and all of our patrons. Actually, you can join our Patreon, patreon.com slash disenfranch pod, and you can join it either the three or five dollar level. Each tier gives you access to content that you cannot hear on the main feed, including a lot of it, though. We're going to we're going to tease the hell out of it.
02:06:15
Speaker
We've got, on the $30 tier, get you episodes of Disson 5 Chised and Unenfranchised, our top five list show and our show all about the movies that killed your favorite long-running franchises. At the $5 level, you get everything else. Oops, all video game corner. Oops, all Christianity corner. Movie commentaries, trailer commentaries.
02:06:37
Speaker
We do a lot of stuff just off the cuff to like at the $5 level you get the stuff where like we finish an episode then we start talking about something we're like, wait a minute, we should record this. Yeah, like literally things have happened so many times things have happened that we've just hit record on and just and that has become patreon content so
02:06:58
Speaker
patreon.com slash disenfranch pod. That is probably the best way to support the podcast right now. Another great way to support the podcast head on over to Apple podcast or Spotify wherever you get your podcast. Leave us a nice five star rating and review. Even if the review is something very simple like me like podcast good.
02:07:16
Speaker
really helps go a long way to helping us find other listeners, new listeners, listeners like yourselves who enjoy kind of the quirky, weird stuff that we do. We always appreciate it. And we always appreciate you as our listeners.
02:07:32
Speaker
You can also find us on social media. We're on Twitter, Instagram, Letterboxd, and Facebook at Disinfranchpod. I am your host, Stephen Fox, where you can find me on Twitter, Instagram, Letterboxd at Chewy Walrus. My absent cohost, Brett Wright, can be found on Instagram and Letterboxd at sus underscore warlock. Tucker, where can we find your social media presence such as it is?
02:07:55
Speaker
you will find me exclusively on YouTube at youtube.com slash ice 909 that's I C E N I N E the number zero and the number nine and let me tell you like I was saying at the beginning I was gonna say that preservation project it's happening man like I put out 12 songs that's six EPs that I digitized everything from
02:08:23
Speaker
like classical dance numbers to like banjo music to comedy routines that I found on 45. I've got a whole bunch of Christmas stuff coming up next. The one I put out today was a Batman record from the 1960s. I love that for me. It's two songs just about how Rad Robin is. OK. Yeah, right on. One is called The Wonderful Boy Wonder.
02:08:54
Speaker
And I don't know what the other one's called, something dumb, but I don't know. I just, I have a lot of these 45s that I enjoy that are stuff that I can't find any information about online. And I just want to share them with literally everyone. Right on, man. If you're into that, go to my YouTube and check that out. Also, I've got, you know, original music on there that I've
02:09:18
Speaker
written and recorded. That's gotten dozens of views, right? Yeah, no big whoop. That's just kind of there for whatevs. It's all about the preservation project.
02:09:27
Speaker
Right on. Well, that's awesome. That's where you can find us. And next week, it's a new month and it's a new theme as well. If I can get the scheduling worked out, it's going to be a good month. I hope so. We're going to hopefully have some really great guests on next month as well, bringing some guests back after a bit of a break from guests for a couple of months. But we've got some really great stuff planned for next month. Check.
02:09:55
Speaker
the Twitter feed and the Instagram feed and the Facebook feed to see kind of the clues for what we have planned. And if you're a patron, you'll know what we have planned as of February 1st, those answers will drop. So all that and more coming your way very, very soon. Until then, I am your host, Stephen Foxworthy. And this has been the disenfranchised podcast for my absent co-host Brett Wright and my present co-host Tucker. Until next time.
02:10:25
Speaker
Say hi to your mother for me.