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The Bikeriders
24 Plays1 year ago
Today on These Guys Got Juice, the guys are reviewing the new Jeff Nicol’s movie, The Bikeriders.
What is up with these accents? Should we all base our personalities on Marlon Brando performances? Is it okay for men to cry? But most importantly, can the guys find a glass big enough to contain all of this Jeff Nicol’s juice? Listen and find out!
Next Week’s Review:
A Quiet Place: Day One/MaXXXine
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Transcript
Introduction and Film Viewing
00:00:18
Speaker
I'm Doug Davenport. I'm Nick Ewers. And we're These Guys Got Juice. And we just saw the bike riders. Vroom, vroom. Hell yeah. So we have some bones to pick with us one, I guess. I mean, they're not even bones, because like- Bones. Jeff Nichols. Come on, man.
00:00:38
Speaker
Jeff Hahn, where is he from? You know, Michael Shannon is the guy who we should be pointing the finger at. Well, because he is from Chicago, so... The blank check is going in big Chicago, so yeah.
Critique on Film Setting and Accents
00:00:51
Speaker
But his character is from Latvia, don't they say? He's like not American. I think they said Chicago on their...
00:01:04
Speaker
Yeah, that wouldn't be on his jacket if that's not where... Yeah, for people representing Chicago, we don't really see, like, Chicago shit. That would be pretty hard to depict on screen, probably. Like, they'd have to do a lot of work to get all of those cars and, like, the city. Oh, to replicate, yeah, like, the 60s and 70s Chicago. Okay, so Jeff Nichols is from Little Rock, Arkansas, so he don't know shit about the Midwest. Yeah, Arkansas.
00:01:31
Speaker
Yeah, that S is silent, like no other states have a silent S, that's stupid. Yeah, who do you think you are? Yeah, it's not like Illinois, you know, we don't have a silent S.
00:01:41
Speaker
No, it's Illinois, everyone knows that. Yeah, but yeah, hell yeah, the bike riders. There were some crazy accents in that. Michael Shannon though, since we mentioned
Discussion on Cast and Performances
00:01:52
Speaker
him. I like wanted more. Well, that's just kind of how I feel about any movie, Michael Shannon. Like when I'm, example, watching one of your favorites, Nocturnal Animals is like whenever Michael Shannon's not on screen, I'm like, let's get a Michael Shannon. Did you watch that for the first time recently?
00:02:10
Speaker
I guess around when it came out. I'd like to do a commentary on that one day, but what's it called? I did not know this cast going into it. I only knew Austin Butler and Tom Hardy, and I can't remember that girl's name. Jodie Comer? Comer? Is it Comer? I think it's Comer, yeah.
00:02:34
Speaker
I've, I've, I've been in, I've, I've had varying degrees of admiration for all three of those main ones, which made me, which made me excited to see this.
Comparisons and Spoiler-Free Thoughts
00:02:43
Speaker
Like Jodi Comer was the last dual was so fucking fantastic. She was, she wasn't even nominated for that, right? Was she? No, last dual did not get any nomination. I don't think that got any, but that didn't get any makeup. House of Gucci got makeup, right?
00:03:00
Speaker
but like the last stool. Ridley Scott should have just gotten like best makeup or something for both of those movies. It should have been a combined award. Yeah. Just be like, you know, he employed a lot of makeup artists for these two. He should have made it just one. Not just makeup, but like the set design and all that too. I don't know why I'm just saying makeup. There was a lot of shit going on. It should have just been, he should have combined in the one movie. Like you have Jared Leto doing that accent and showing up in the middle ages. He's like,
00:03:29
Speaker
Yeah, it's me, I'm Apollo. However he sucks in that, that's another good accent move. Not as, okay, yeah, let's not get off top about it. House of Gucci's not as good as bike riders. So would you say, we're going to keep this whole section spoiler free right now. We'll get to the spoilers later. Would you consider the cast a spoiler? I mean, it's blatantly on like IMDB. You can look that up. I don't think that's like a reveal. I'm like one of the only weirdos who doesn't look up cast or something.
00:03:56
Speaker
know, I kind of like being
Appreciation for Casting Choices
00:03:57
Speaker
surprised. And I feel like I did see a trailer that had like a bunch of names at the end, but I only retained like the Butler, the Hardy and the, the, the Comer. It's Comer, right? Not Comer. I'm pretty sure. Yeah. I, uh, everybody, what I enjoyed about this, not everybody, but almost every part of the bike gang in this wasn't necessarily like a recognizable
00:04:19
Speaker
actor but there's somebody if you're a fan of movies and if you see a lot of movies you'll know every face within this bike gang there's somebody um are you looking up the cast right now yeah i'm pulling it up because it was it's almost like dude from logan yeah it's almost like the avengers of of like uh character actors who play like dirt bags because like you've buoyed full brook uh everyone's probably got an emmy nomination or something
00:04:48
Speaker
Damon Harriman, that's the one who was Dewey Crow. Did you know he's played Charles Manson in two different things? In Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, in that one scene he's Charles Manson, but then also in Mine Hunters, he plays Charles Manson. That sounds familiar, but is that good for him?
Jeff Nichols' Filmography
00:05:06
Speaker
He was great in those roles. He's obviously not getting typecast either because he's a very versatile actor. I feel like he's always some degree of scumbag when I see him, but very different kinds of characters. It's not like Dewey Crow is nothing like his character in this. So it wasn't like I can only see him as one thing. What's it called? Yeah. Everybody who kind of just showed up or even just had one line, I got kind of giddy.
00:05:36
Speaker
Um, seeing them, but yeah, uh, Oh, Carl's Glusman, Glusman, he was, he was, I knew I recognized his fucking face. He was in, he was, he's, he's like in devs in the very beginning, but then he's also in, did you see Watcher with, um,
00:05:56
Speaker
who's that girl who's like in almost every horror movie, not Mica Monroe, where it's her in another country. Like they moved to, was it a Bucharest and then, uh, burn Gorman is also what, that's maybe like the best name anyone's ever had burn Gorman, but like burn Gorman's like stalking her or, but it's also the, the,
00:06:18
Speaker
Tension of like is he actually stalking her or is she just like paranoid and afraid because she's in like an unfamiliar place But it's like no spoilers burn burn gorman Wasn't up to any good in that movie. Oh, it's no need to see that coming. What movie is I have no idea what you're talking about sure. Oh, yeah, I don't know But yeah this so Have you seen any Jeff Nichols movie before this?
Surprising Storytelling and Performances
00:06:44
Speaker
So what's he done? He's done Take Shelter. And Midnight Special. I need to see both of those. Did he do Mud? I've also not seen Mud. I'm pretty sure he did Mud, yeah. Do you have a holdup on Letterbox right now? Yeah, he did Mud. Mud 2's still in development. I think Nathan Fielder's doing that one. Is it just those movies? I think that's it, in terms of his features on.
00:07:13
Speaker
Oh, Loving. I heard that was really good. I have Loving. I didn't get to watch it. Joel Edgerton, Edgerton. Yeah. And Ruth Nega. I really like her. Yeah. I've only seen Midnight Special and Take Shelter at this point. And I mean, I love Take Shelter. I wasn't too crazy about Midnight Special. But after watching The Bike Riders, I feel like I have to rewatch Midnight Special because I freaking loved this movie.
00:07:42
Speaker
it. I don't know where it's going to fall on my letterbox list for this year so far. I imagine it's going to be pretty high up there. I went into this not really caring about it. I was really excited that we were going to be seeing it together and we were going to be talking about it. That's what really got me amped. Austin Butler, honestly, after
00:08:06
Speaker
his Elvis performance, and just Dune part two, seeing him just- He's been killing it. He's fucking hot right now. He's probably in high demand. Great choices in terms of different kinds of projects. Speaking of someone who does diver, Elvis, Dune, and bike riders, not really any commonality in those movies.
00:08:33
Speaker
And I think he might have like hosted SNL at one point, which is pretty cool for someone like this young in their career. I don't know how old he is. He's got to be in like his twenties at this point though. Well, he was like a Disney channel kid. Like you can find clips of, I think that was brought up on like Jimmy Kimmel or something like that.
00:08:53
Speaker
I've seen a clip of him on one of the I like I didn't I would definitely was not watching the Disney channel at that point. Yeah, he's 32. So I'm okay. I'm older. I'm older than me. I'm a year older than him. So I I was really excited to see him too. And I'm a fan of Tom Hardy.
00:09:11
Speaker
as well. I feel like it's been a while since I've seen him in anything outside of like venom. I can't really, nothing really comes to mind. But so I went into this with very, very low expectations and really early on I was gripped into the storytelling
Narrative Style and Character Differentiation
00:09:26
Speaker
method. There's something about like an interview style. I know 20th century women isn't like
00:09:32
Speaker
I'd say like interview style, but the editing and the way the film was structured reminded me a lot of 20th century women. Or there's another movie that came to mind when we were watching it. I mean, the immediate thing that came to my mind of that opening with, you know, it frees frames when he's about to get hit with a shovel and then you hear her voiceover. What are you going to say?
00:09:56
Speaker
I was going to say that that reminded me of Scorsese. That just made me think of Scorsese. Yeah. Scorsese was someone, but like this movie directly reminded me of Itania, which is very Scorsese.
00:10:11
Speaker
first like that freeze frame you were talking about like and then it cutting to like the actual people I thought it was gonna do more of that cutting to like the actual people they were being interviewed but it kind of just did that for the introductions of the characters which is still really cool I really liked how you remember everybody it's a really effective at least for me I
00:10:34
Speaker
no no it makes them all distinct and stand out so then because you kind of need that to know who's who and what their kind of vibe and function within the game is especially once shit starts happening to people so like yeah I mean we'll get into that and spoil it but like by the
00:10:50
Speaker
you, you immediately will remember who cockroaches when, when he's introduced. Cause you're like, that's the guy who talks about eating bugs and cockroach. So this isn't a spoiler, but he's a character too. They kind of toss that off as just like a joke, but no, you do need to remember him and you remember him because of that joke. And he brings it up multiple times. He's like, no, I actually do eat bucks. Yeah. And it's like,
00:11:15
Speaker
You think he's just around for comedic relief, but because you care about him, it just, it works well.
Biker Lifestyle and Emotional Depth
00:11:22
Speaker
The way that Jeff Nichols did this, he really makes you care about these characters, all of them. He makes you care about them and you feel like, I feel like for any kind of movie of that, you need to kind of be able to sympathize or understand
00:11:41
Speaker
the the draw of this kind of like toxic, violent lifestyle. You're like, why would someone keep doing this? It's so dangerous, like they're getting the putting themselves in danger. But then you you're kind of seeing it through their point of view of like, no, this is like exciting and it looks it looks kind of cool. Like you get you get why someone would fall into it and be like, no, this is like my family. These guys are my brother. Like you're like, I kind of get it, you know, like.
00:12:07
Speaker
Then there's one, uh, example of that in the movie where you... you kind of get the appeal. They show you firsthand, like, the appeal. What would attract somebody, uh, to this? You know what I mean? It's pretty early on in the movie, without giving any details away. I feel like there's kind of multiple scenes that do that, but I think I know them when you're talking about it. There's a key, key one that...
00:12:35
Speaker
You know, we'll get to it in spoilers. Okay. Do you want to just get to spoilers right now? Yeah. Cause it's not like, it's not a plotty movie. You're kind of just like living with these people in different points of their lives. So we're just, I'm just going to go ahead and say I heartily recommend. I heartily recommend it. Tom heartily. Yeah. I Tom heartily recommend this movie. Tom heartily. Regardless of like,
00:12:59
Speaker
You might think like, oh, is this kind of like a gangster film? I don't know if I'm into it. It's not really. It's like it's kind of you're just hanging out with these guys a lot. So like, yeah, I mean, there is violence and stuff. So like, I guess, yeah, if you're sensitive to that, be aware. But like, it's it's not it's not just like people in gangs killing each other. Like it's it's actually like you see them as like a family unit, basically. That's that's that's what the movie is.
00:13:27
Speaker
Two adjectives I would use to describe this movie would be sweet and lovely. And you could put that on the fucking DVD box. Yeah, put that on the poster, man. Whatever studio released this. I don't remember what studio did this. Was it Focus? Focus Features? It was Focus Features. I forgot who owns them, though. Like, who's actually... That's not Disney. Yeah, who's behind this? Yeah. But yeah, you want to hop
Spoilers and Character Analysis
00:13:53
Speaker
into spoilers? Yeah, we're going to do spoilers now.
00:14:11
Speaker
It was just jamming out to that spoiler bumper and shit rips. Hell yeah. Are we back in? Yeah, we're back in. Hell yeah. So the moment I was talking about the key, I have a fucking hair in my mouth. You get to hear me.
00:14:28
Speaker
deal with
00:14:46
Speaker
riding through town and then they're stealing the hubcaps. And Tom Hardy gives him a look. And just you can imagine, like, I don't know how young or old that kid is supposed to be at that point. And in some scenes, did he kind of almost looks like a.
00:15:02
Speaker
young Brad Pitt in certain moments. I don't know. Maybe I'm imagining that. There was a moment where I was like, is that a young Austin Butler? Like what is going on? Cause he had like the same facial hair. He kind of, he kind of did. Uh, but you, you get what they're doing though. At a certain point the movie, uh,
00:15:21
Speaker
kind of makes a clear. I didn't expect Tom Hardy to get shot by this guy at the very end of it. No, I knew he was going to be a thing. Like when, when Hardy tells him to fuck off kind of towards the midpoint, I knew that was, I was like, okay, we're not done with this thread. Like they obviously wouldn't have like kept going back to this kid if it wasn't important, which I do like the way they build that up. Yeah. He's just a kid stealing hubcaps and he sees this gang drive through town and is like, fuck, that's cool. And,
00:15:51
Speaker
And the whole movie is kind of, you see the thread of, cause the whole thing has started from him just watching Marlon Brando and immediately like you, you hear his like normal, his quote unquote normal voice for a second when he addresses like one of his kids in the house. But then as soon as he sees Brando deliver that line, was it like what you got or something? And he's like starts repeating it to himself. You're like, Oh, so he's just like made this his personality now his whole
00:16:19
Speaker
manner of speaking has been adapted to this. I thought that was really a really funny like origin for this, uh, biker group, but it was pretty realistic. I mean, cause Tom Hardy, he's not like a bitch. He proves himself like he gets in a fight with a guy who he ends up giving what he wants, uh, anyway. But, um, it's like,
00:16:44
Speaker
It is kind of cool, like the idea of these men, these blue collar workers, too tough to cry, not really having much to do with their free time. They're like, let's just fucking start a motorcycle club. And it kind of makes sense. And I can see how that, again, how that lifestyle would be appealing. Watching it, I was like,
00:17:04
Speaker
It's a bit too dirty for me. Right. I'm not a big mud guy. And also the grease when you're working on. I just have a regular bike with no motor, a bicycle. And working on that, my hands get greasy. And I'm like, I don't like that. Yeah. I like having access to functional toilets and showers with good plumbing. I mean, there's a moment where it's very short and brief, but you see
00:17:32
Speaker
fucking two people having sex on like a picnic table just like randomly at one of these like parties they're having. Which someone shows up at one of these parties, Norman Reedus. I didn't recognize him at first.
00:17:47
Speaker
He has this big beard and they're emphasizing like his teeth look crazy. He just looks like a dirty hippie man. And then once his like glasses in riding gear are taken off, you get more closeups of him. Like when it cuts to like the night scenes, you're like, that's fucking Norman Reedus. Yeah. That's when I like saw for a second, I was, I didn't recognize that it was the same guy from earlier, but I recognized him more like, Oh, that that's Norman Reedus.
00:18:16
Speaker
And fun fact, he wasn't even cast in the movie. He just showed up on his bike and he was just like, hey guys, I heard there were people riding motorcycles. She just showed up. Yeah, he was filming his motorcycle show or whatever.
00:18:35
Speaker
Post-walking dead. I hey I ride motorcycles show. I think that's what it's called. Yeah, man I I really like the tension that builds when he is like yeah, I came from California This guy was actually a part of our club out there, but he left without Returning his colors, and I'm here to beat the shit out of him or whatever else
00:18:56
Speaker
I was like, cause you've, at this point we've already seen things kind of abrupt into violence. So we're like, Oh, it's just about to pop off right now. And everybody has that feeling too. The guy's like, so you're going to kick the shit out of him. Yeah. And it was really well done. He was like, I was going to, but now I like you guys. And I was hoping to kind of hang with you. Like there's so many
00:19:20
Speaker
moments of just like camaraderie where they're just chilling and having fun where you kind of vicariously threw that or just like yeah I don't know this looks nice a little bit like you like like we were saying like you get like the appeal of and I like the
00:19:35
Speaker
it's not like these people are finding family in some camaraderie that a lot of them have families. And I like that you barely see Tom Hardy's family. There'll be awkward interaction. That one moment where he's leaving the house that he says to his wife, and you're like, there's a weird energy here, but we don't see enough of.
00:20:00
Speaker
hit their marriage or what that even is to like fully make heads or tails of it. And wait, and that was like the last time he sees her, right? Cause he's about to go get shot, right? That's crazy. That's the last time that she saw him. You see a cockroaches wife too, for a brief moment in one of the interviews. And then he starts talking about bugs.
00:20:20
Speaker
She's probably like, I'm tired of hearing him talk about bugs. Yeah. I thought that was like super funny. And they don't, there's so much in this movie that they don't call attention to. It just, it's also good. Cause we've mentioned like a few funny moments or character.
00:20:39
Speaker
Uh, beats, but like it does a good job of balancing the tones. Cause like, yeah, there are things that like you'll laugh at and that are supposed to be funny or you're having fun kind of with them. But, but then it will vary. It can on within the same scene sometimes just flip to being very intensive. Like I think some shit's about to happen now.
00:21:00
Speaker
And one thing too that I really enjoyed when I mentioned like there are just like so many things that attention is not called to. There are so many scenes where there's so many fucking people on screen at one point that aren't the main focus.
00:21:15
Speaker
Yeah, and those people aren't the main focus and I'm like they the staging and the blocking is so fucking Awesome. Everybody is just like where there's everybody feels like a character who's like doing something It doesn't feel like actors and extras that these feel like real people it felt like we were spending time with real people I really loved this movie man, and the more we're talking about I'm thinking I
00:21:40
Speaker
I know we're not done with the review. I'm five out of five. I already want to watch it again. Yeah. I'm right there with you. And, but speaking of station blocking, we have to talk about how close Austin Butler and Tom Hardy are getting in one scene where they're just being very, I mean, the film kind of textually lays it out too of like, sure. It's not, they're not saying it's like a gay romance, but they are boyfriends in the sense of that it's, there's like a pushing.
00:22:06
Speaker
They love each other and there's the push and pull between him, the Hardy and the gang, like Hardy and the Vandals or his wife, Jodie Comer. And like, she spells it out of like, well, you know.
00:22:20
Speaker
It's it's she she directly confronts Tom Hardy being like it's kind of you versus me over his affections because like he can't he he has trouble existing in both worlds that he can't really be both of ours. But like Tom Hardy kind of needed to die for him to be able to step fully away. He was free. He wasn't free until he died. Yeah. And it's man it
00:22:46
Speaker
Both because the party would never tell him to stop rioting. So like and then he would never. Also, I think that's such an interesting like going back to praising Butler. I think he's the perfect guy to cast for that role because going in based on the trailers, I kind of thought he would he was maybe the main character. And I was like, oh, no, it's all through his wife's POV. So like, yeah, because he he's not in that much of the movie.
00:23:14
Speaker
he gets introduced and then at the beginning kind of goes away for a little and that's when you kind of realize like oh this isn't his movie he's like out for like 10 minutes while his wife continues narration continues this interview style framing of things it was
00:23:31
Speaker
It was really well done. But but but going back to the the point I was making, I was like, I think it's perfect that he is that character because, yeah, one, he kind of drifts in and out of the movie and by his very nature is supposed to be a little inscrutable in terms of like, you're not sure of like, is this guy kind of just empty headed and falling Tom Hardy's.
00:23:52
Speaker
orders because he doesn't, he's just kind of vacant and there's nothing there. Or is this just like he's has this emotional tech because as she points out, like he seems to not care about anyone or anything, but he, he
00:24:08
Speaker
he cares so much that he has to show himself not caring basically. And that's, and like, that's why he's so devoted to the club into Tom Hardy and which is when Hardy's gone, he's finally allows himself to cry and like feel that. And it, yeah, he, he's the only, one of the only people that could probably like his loss was one of the only things
00:24:33
Speaker
that could probably ever get him to the point of tears that almost losing his foot almost got him to the point of tears because he couldn't write again that that was the idea of not being able to be part of this probably the only time he's ever felt like he belonged to something and the idea that he would lose that and I love I don't know if you would call it duality but these two loves the love he has for Tom Hardy and the love he has for his wife I forgot his character her character's name
00:25:03
Speaker
Catherine it's something along those something was okay. Yeah, he does love her like when she Yeah, he does because the way that like really sells it is the moment when he's crying over Tom Hardy He like gives her this look almost like when he's asked he almost looks confused for a second. I don't know what's happening
00:25:24
Speaker
Is this okay? Like, can I do that? And then she like embraces him and he embraces her and it's a really lovely moment.
Theater Experience and Etiquette
00:25:34
Speaker
And I cried, not fully cried. I like got
00:25:40
Speaker
Well, double or swelled up, whatever the fuck. Yeah. A little bit at the end of the movie. Cause Doug and I saw this together, which we should definitely talk about the other people in our theater before, like at the very end of this. Well, if this movie's an eight plus the theater experience is like an F.
00:25:57
Speaker
Yeah, they're a bunch of fucking, I don't even know. The people in the theater and then I went to the bathroom, I got like piss on my new shoes or just piss all over the floor. Yeah, the movie theaters come built that way. They build it and then the construction workers piss underneath everything.
00:26:14
Speaker
Yeah. Like you missed the spot right there. It's awful. The crust where would aim CX. I've been going there. Um, not just after work anymore. Just, it's a nice theater. I like that. And there's like, I was very close to just saying, put your phone on silent. But then I was also like,
00:26:34
Speaker
I could feel your tension a little bit. I've never felt you like tense up during a movie, but when I think, cause it was a super emotional scene. When the phone went off. Yeah. When the phone, I saw your body language like change and I was like, I was, I was, I was ready to fight someone. I was like, I'm trying to watch this movie, but shut the fuck up. I've never heard you yell before, but I was like ready. And usually I'm the one who feels that tension, but I was like,
00:27:03
Speaker
Yeah, I don't know. It's different when it's someone else. You know, I was like, I'm ready. I was like, I'm I was ready to back you up. The only thing that stopped me from doing it was that I was like, OK, these could be the kind of people that won't back down and then they're just going to make more noise and yell back at me. And instead of I just want the noise to stop as soon as possible is my goal. So I'm like, if they better just fucking
00:27:31
Speaker
turn it off like they and the two people in front of us I don't think they actually bought tickets because those seats weren't like taken on the screen I mean at least when we got our tickets so unless they came after us and then I didn't see anything when I want to get my food
00:27:50
Speaker
Yeah, I don't know but um I had a burger shutout hamburgers, but yeah Yeah, it was just ridiculous. I saw them in the parking lot to just like hanging out. I'm like are they homeless? What is going on here? It was ridiculous. Yeah people behave when you go out in public. We live in a society Yeah, and it's like and it's always
00:28:12
Speaker
People don't do this during like blockbusters like it fucking it was when I saw well a fan of menace as a blockbuster like new Releases like big new blockbusters like it's movies like the bike rider or they're not doing it during ant-man quantum mania Yeah, exactly. It's always daring like the smaller movies when it's just me in the fucking theater so
00:28:34
Speaker
Hey, if you see one person in the theater, there's a good chance it's me, so can you just stop it? Yeah, just shut the fuck up. Put your phone out silent. It's not hard. If you have a call you have to take, leave the theater and take it. Also, if my phones went off in my pocket, I've been able to silence it without struggling.
00:28:58
Speaker
That's why I was like, it was taking them so long and I was like, are they about to answer it? Yeah. I thought they were going to answer. I was going for so long. I was like, if they, if I would, I wouldn't have surprised me if they did. We could, someone was taking pictures. Yes. I heard the clicking of the camera multiple times. It was ridiculous. What are you doing? Are you getting screenshots of Tom Hardy? Like, I don't know.
00:29:21
Speaker
Yeah, it was crazy. I don't know what's wrong with people. It's this wasn't the movie to this was a really quiet movie Which made it more annoying? To like most obnoxious times were like at very emotional parts like one was when I
00:29:40
Speaker
Austin Butler was crying and I forgot what the first situation was, but it was another like emotional part. It might've been when his wife was talking with Tom Hardy. No, it was when Tom Hardy was talking with Austin Butler's wife. Yo, when, when you're talking to Jodie Comer? Yeah, it was that scene. And then the Austin Butler, Jodie Comer, like Austin Butler crying scene. Like those two very quiet moments are when like just fucking nonsense. Some of the characters speak, Tom Hardy speaks very softly.
00:30:10
Speaker
know, like he's he's doing, you know, that Marlon Brando kind of affectation. And so it's like very soft spoken and it's the opposite of what you want to hear people talking over in your theater or like sounds from phone. So it's like, yeah, I don't know what's wrong with people. I think it got where I mean, there would always be people kind of rowdy at that Marcus, but like it definitely got worse post pandemic. I think people just forgot how they act.
00:30:38
Speaker
Yeah, it's pretty ridiculous. But yeah, the bike riders, I feel like there's a lot more to say on this one. Oh, well, it's I mean, there's a lot more to say on it. And I just I just want to see it again to like live it because you're you're just like living with these people. It's it's.
00:30:56
Speaker
and is, you know, either flawed fucked up people, but you, you kind of come out feeling like that they are your family. You know, you're like, Oh, I'm, I'm invested in these. Like we brought up cockroach earlier when he, I was just about to say, as soon as he says that, that he was going to become a bike cop. I, I tense the fuck up. Cause you're looking at those other guys. You're like, Oh fuck, he should not have said that. That I,
00:31:24
Speaker
And I related so hard to that feeling of like, man, I've like, I'm staying a little late at this party, aren't I? Like everybody I know is kind of gone. You know what I mean? There's some weird Vietnam vet shooting up in the back. It's starting to feel like the vibe's a little weird now. There's a different group of people.
00:31:47
Speaker
things are changing. I've been there at a few points in my life, especially when I was out in California without going to details. I had a situation very similar to that where I was with a group of people.
00:32:03
Speaker
Some people I was familiar with were on their way out and more people were coming in and I was just like in this middle period and I've been there it's such an Unwelcoming feeling when like a whole new group of very different people come in and they I feel like they portrayed it very well, but then yeah when
00:32:24
Speaker
Cockroach gets it from those guys man.
Tense Scenes and Performances
00:32:27
Speaker
Yeah I mean a lot of fucked up stuff happens at that party because I was I was like I really don't want to see a rape scene right now when they're about to drag her upstairs That was upsetting. I couldn't shake that scene and to I like I
00:32:40
Speaker
I don't enjoy a rape scene by any means and I was definitely glad that it didn't happen. But it was still inte- just the threat of it was so intense and uncomfortable that you- you- you understand like it's- it's- She's like grabbing shit and it's like five dudes or whatever pulling her and you're just like man she can't stop this if it's gonna happen like it's so- it was really fucked up and at first I was just like
00:33:09
Speaker
you know, that feeling of being uncomfortable, you're almost like...
00:33:15
Speaker
Take me out of the movie isn't the right way, but I almost am like, oh man, I'm not liking this right now. But then I'm like, that's effective. He's doing this scene right. That's what you're supposed to feel. And then it just makes it hit even harder. It had all the effectiveness of showing just like a distasteful assault that happens in a horror film or something. But we don't have to actually see the physical act itself.
00:33:44
Speaker
The threat is so real. Yeah, and it just makes it land harder when she has the scene with Austin Butler of like, you weren't there. You weren't, I was thinking that too when that was happening. I'm like, she's going to say you weren't, that was when he fucking needed to be when that tough guy fucking bullshit would have come in the most handy. I mean, and she straight up says like, I probably would have killed myself if they did that to me. And the way she says it too was very real. She,
00:34:11
Speaker
We've been talking about like Tom Hardy and Austin Butler, but her I mean, I don't know how she said I know I've seen her in other things But she just embodied this character like so perfectly see they recognize her show photographs
00:34:26
Speaker
at the end of like the book of this real game that this photographer was falling. And you see the woman that she's clearly based on and you're like, Oh, that looks exactly like her, like Jody Comer. I mean, I don't know if she actually sounded like that. That's how she talked. But like, and she, she felt like a real person. Like somebody you knew someone, she felt like somebody's mom.
00:34:48
Speaker
Yeah, a hundred percent. She had good mom energy. Shout out to Jodie Comer. Like, what a fucking movie, man. This is... I think I said it at the top. I love Take Shelter. This movie fucking far surpasses Take Shelter
Film Rankings and Character Nuances
00:35:05
Speaker
for me. I love this movie so much more. It's...
00:35:09
Speaker
This might be my favorite movie of the year. I can't remember what I put at number one. I mean, I got Furiosa number one. I have Furiosa number one too. I might still keep that up there. This might top Furiosa, man, which I might let it. All of my number ones usually end up being like a pretty big movie. I think the smallest number one I had might have been like the menu or something.
00:35:32
Speaker
And, you know, I don't know if that's like an indie. I'm pretty sure that's a studio film, but it's... I mean, it has big names in it. And, yeah, I guess that was a bigger one. I mean, Tom Hardy's bigger than Anya Taylor-Joy. Oh, yeah, he is. Yeah. And both fucking Mad Max people.
00:35:50
Speaker
True. True. That is true. Tom Hardy, Anya and Taylor Joy come together. Mad Max, Elvis in the same movie. Wow. That's crazy. Yeah. Any other thoughts on this? Jodie Comer, what are some other great moments from her in this movie?
00:36:08
Speaker
Uh, just like a lot of it is in small moments of like where you can where it's not just what she's saying. She she I mean, she narrates kind of the whole movie in the framework narrative where she's being interviewed and and she's like, you know, depicted as a bit of a motor mouth, like always, always talking. But like she does so well in what not just what how she's saying it, but what she's not saying and in her eyes. And like she's very good at just.
00:36:36
Speaker
in the scene we were just talking about like after the everything at that party goes to hell like she just like a look she gives Austin Butler and it like kind of just pierces through you and the way that you imagine like that it's landing on him of like oh fuck yeah and they play
00:36:51
Speaker
Another element that is done so well is fucking
Themes and Midwest Setting
00:36:56
Speaker
Norman Reedus' character ends up getting her the red dress from a girl who went to go hook up with a bunch of different guys from the party. He ends up taking her red dress.
00:37:07
Speaker
And the red dress is the thing that makes the guys think of like, Oh, that's the green light. We can, we can just take her upstairs. Like, yeah. And it's like, it's a big misunderstanding, but you're getting it from like her perspective. So it seems like an assault, which it is a hundred. It doesn't matter whether they stick it or not. It's it's a, it's assault.
00:37:27
Speaker
And it's like, even like the fact like it's a misunderstanding, I was like, man, these guys should get the fucking shit kicked out of them. I'm like, right. It doesn't even if it was like way out of hand, even if you were told, OK, the girl in the red dress at this party is good to go. She's like looking to have a train run on her. She was clearly not good to go at that moment. Yeah. So you're like, OK, this woman's.
00:37:51
Speaker
Clawing at the walls and does not want to go with us. I I think that means she's game and they keep having this shot of the Upstairs and you just know if she's up there like it's over. Yeah, and it's so it's played out so well It's like it's like a horror. That's what I was about to say. That's what closest I'm sorry. You put the word in my head. I'll give you the credit Doug Yeah, my pet
00:38:13
Speaker
I mean, I'm not looking for I think we both arrived at the same thought of like that. That's the closest that the movie has to like a horic scene because you've it's she's the main character. So we're seeing so much of this through her eyes and like the biggest not it's I wouldn't even say conflict horror moment would be the right thing because there's not a whole lot of conflict in this movie. I mean, there's like the ultimatum of like Tom Hardy or me this or that. That's like the big push and pull of
00:38:41
Speaker
of her and the club is- Everything else is, it's very realistic. There are just moments. Even when they get into like fights with the gang, like with that guy from, I can't remember that actor's name. I think he was in...
00:38:58
Speaker
in boardwalk empire. He was like, he's supposed to be like a Nazi type of dude or whatever. The guy from Gary, Indiana. Yeah. Paul Sparks. That's the Gary, Gary rogue leader. Uh, there were definitely guys with patches. Oh, someone had a patch that had like the access cross or whatever. Yeah. There was, I mean, I noticed it in that, in that scene, I think I noticed the cross
00:39:23
Speaker
In my mind, I started paying attention to everybody to see if they had any white power, affiliation or whatever. In my mind, Nazis and biker gangs are pretty inexorably linked. That's the same thing to me. I'm sure, yeah, they're not all racist.
00:39:44
Speaker
Even even if they're not overtly doing like any white powered stuff with with their symbolism Like I think it's like implicit like the vandals didn't have any non white members. Did they? No, I don't think so. Yeah, I mean they didn't have swastikas on their coat on their you know on their colors But like they they weren't they didn't seem like they were trying to be inclusive. So like, you know, yeah, I mean
00:40:12
Speaker
That guy who like tries to join who ends up shooting Tom Hardy, I mean his dad looked white but his mom looked like she could have been Hispanic or something. I got the vibes that he was, yeah. And he didn't get the best treatment.
00:40:28
Speaker
Right, because I don't think him being rejected was a... I mean, maybe subconsciously there could have been... Yeah, it's just the only example we've got. I think where they interacted with someone who wasn't white, but also given the time period, it does kind of make sense. I think this area was like heavy Italian around that time period. Oh, yeah, for sure. But that is a good... Going back to that kid, which is like... It's not as what... Doug and I are from...
00:40:55
Speaker
pretty close to where this movie takes place. Not as, you know, white as it used to be. I was in the gang. That was about my life. No, but that scene where he shows up to the bar and wants into the vandals and Hardy's like,
00:41:13
Speaker
Okay, you're in but you gotta leave your friends, and he's like yeah She's like all right fuck them, and then he's like get the new piece of shit man I knew I was like he plays by fast and furious logic. You know it's all about loyalty and family Yeah, I was I fucking knew I was like this guy's a chump you failed the test loser Yeah, and that's why he brought a gun to a knife fight man. He had gun and knife fight energy Yeah, I mean you
00:41:44
Speaker
He probably did the math of he would not win a fair fight with Tom Hardy. So why did he even say knife? He could have just said fist. It's like, you know what I mean?
00:41:56
Speaker
maybe he would feel more bad about shooting a completely unarmed person rather than a person armed with a knife. Because then you could kind of be like, well, he had a knife, so. I don't know. I mean, it's still dishonorable. He carves cowardly anyway. I mean, I don't even think Tom Hardy having a knife, or not, would have changed anything. I mean, they all backed down when he came out with that gun. Them sitting there in that car. Well, could they literally say they were like,
00:42:24
Speaker
them they're like what can we do because I thought for a second of like is he about to come over and pop them in the car cuz like I thought so too but why like he probably is like I want
00:42:35
Speaker
the, I mean that kid, I don't know, the kid's an idiot, but he probably would want like the power or something or like he wants them to be afraid. And he wants to turn people who were loyal to Hardy to him of like, no, I'm top dog now. Yeah, that's a better way to put it. I killed the King. So fucking kiss the ring. Like it's me now.
00:42:57
Speaker
Oh yeah. Um, yeah, you got any, uh, any more thoughts on this?
Conclusion and Future Content
00:43:02
Speaker
We're at about 42 minutes. I mean, I just go see it. And I mean, like, that's all I can say. Like it's the performances are great. You'll feel stuff. You'll laugh. You'll, you'll definitely feel uncomfortable for some scenes, but it's like,
00:43:16
Speaker
It's all part of it. I mean, that's, that's, that's the human experience, man. It's ugly sometimes and, but sometimes it's beautiful. And I do like that we do, it ultimately does end on like a nice hopeful note. Like there's no reason in my mind for the think of like, Oh, that, that, that.
00:43:33
Speaker
there's any falseness behind his smile. I think he is genuinely at peace and he just, he's like, he loves his family and his wife. And yeah, cause he, she, Jodie Comer's character says like, we're happy. And she says it a couple of times. I think that when a character continually says that you're like, Oh, they're trying to convince themselves that they're happy. But then it cuts, it shows Austin Butler and you hear the sound of like motorcycle engines in the background, right? And, uh,
00:44:02
Speaker
Yeah. Then the sound goes away and he smiles and he looks at her and it's just like, yeah, he might still reminisce and miss about it or miss it. He might still reminisce about it and miss it a little bit, but he's happy with where he's at right now. Does he like work on bikes still? Like, is that like kind of his job or he has some kind of garage mechanic? He looks like a mechanic.
00:44:25
Speaker
So like he's probably definitely thinking about it when he's doing that and working and like being like, Oh yeah, I remember when I used to do that. Yeah. And that's just the reality of life. You know, there are things I don't do anymore where I like think about them. Like that would be nice, but it's like that that's an older version of yourself. Yeah, exactly. It's kind of.
00:44:46
Speaker
I mean, not to bring a completely different movie, but like kind of like how Hitman gets into like, can people change or like, what's the difference between pretending to be a different version of yourself and then actually becoming that other version? Like maybe initially there was more friction of where he had to tell himself, I am happy being with a family, but definitely by the time we see him and see him give that smile, it's genuine. So like just by playing a role and doing a thing, you kind of just become that.
00:45:15
Speaker
whether that that that was his journey or not. But I'm just saying, like, it's I made me kind of think of it just now in terms like that movies about change and like, can people change? Yeah. I do want to say to visually, this movie looks good. I don't know if all the lighting was natural. It's all outdoors. So it looks like there's a lot of sunsets.
00:45:35
Speaker
That's the only time you're inside is when they're in bars. Yeah. It's, it's a really good looking movie. And growing up in the Midwest, it all felt and looks so familiar. I feel like you don't get a lot of like real, real Midwest movie. Or if it's set here, it's like clearly California, you know, like the Halloween Haddonfield. Yeah. The big giveaway is like the schools are outdoors. It's like,
00:45:58
Speaker
We would not do that during the fall. Yeah, exactly. And yeah, the visuals, especially all the scenes of them, like the lights from the bike at night, like all that always looks so cool. But yeah, just a fucking great movie. Five out of five, 10 out of 10 for me. Jeff Nichols has the juice. Hardy has the juice. Butler has the juice. Comer has the juice. It's top to bottom juice.
00:46:28
Speaker
Hopefully you're not diabetic cause there's a lot of juice in this movie. Hell yeah. I'm, I'm saying this is a, it's so much juice. It's like, we need a second glass, man. My picture is overflowing. It's overflowing. It's like, I need a refill.
00:46:45
Speaker
Just and I'm not even done with the fry just know I'm gonna be enjoying that so much I want more so get that refill on Deck cuz I'm giving this a rewatch man. I fucking love this. I'm gonna be buying this Oh 100% this is a movie. I want to own I think this is gonna be a comfort watch for me. I I love this movie I'm not just saying this for the podcast cuz we're covering two movies in a row I didn't expect to love this we're covering two movies back to back and the review
00:47:14
Speaker
Part of our week that I just fucking love. I'm so happy about this movie. I'm happy I went in this you know, I'm I went in excited to see the because I like those actors and I was excited to see that and I I just didn't expect to be Affected by or just immersed because that's it is yeah, it's immersive immersive is the perfect word
00:47:38
Speaker
You're taken to a place and you just live with these people. And by virtue of that, you're gonna form attachments to them. Hell yeah. I love this movie. I didn't expect to fall in love with this, but I'm gonna revisit Midnight Special. I'm gonna give Loving a shot first. I'm gonna watch all of Nicole's stuff. I've been wanting to see Take Shelter and Midnight Special for a while. Please watch Take Shelter.
00:48:05
Speaker
I mean, I love that movie. I've been trying to get people to watch that. I love Michael Shannon, so that's a pretty easy sell. It's my favorite Michael Shannon movie. Well, I don't know The Shape of Water. He's so good in that. Yeah, I think The Shape of Water is probably my favorite Shannon. Take Shelter is second, and this might be third. I think I'm in Knives Out, too. And honestly, I don't care what people say, think about the movie overall. He's good in Man of Steel. Zod's a good performance.
00:48:34
Speaker
And by default, he's good in the flash.
00:48:46
Speaker
I'm gonna get us to do a flash commentary Not immediately as this podcast grows when people grow to really know and love us and understand you know who I am Maybe they'll really hear me out then when I defend this What would we uh?
00:49:06
Speaker
Pair that with as a double feature, a bowl of diarrhea. I was thinking, uh, the Joker since I was not too hot on Joker. Oh, like, like a DC movie you didn't like in a DC movie that people didn't like that you love. That would be interesting. Yeah. Or, um, if you like Aquaman more than me, I think. The first one. Yeah. I haven't seen two. I think I'm probably going to be disappointed by two. Oh, Man of Steel. I'm not a huge fan or I've only seen it once and wasn't a huge fan.
00:49:33
Speaker
I'm not even a huge fan. I just like that it takes, like I don't even care that much about Superman and they make it like, it's basically becomes Independence Day and is an alien invasion movie and I like alien invasion movies. Or we could just do Wonder Woman 2 just because of how insane that movie is. And like, I think the world has forgotten about it and we need to bring it to the forefront. Do you remember that this was made?
00:50:01
Speaker
Yeah, we need, we need to make society reflect on their sins. Just fucking bring Wonder Woman 1984 to the forefront, resurrect that from the COVID grave. We can't let him dodge that fucking bullet. I mean, I think that wasn't, I think that, you know, it's an intention.
00:50:25
Speaker
whatever. We'll get it. We'll get into that later. The movies watch. So I think we'll put that on the docket. Um, but yeah, you got any plugs? Uh, just, you know, follow us and subscribe on, on whatever your podcast apps are. And I'm at Doug or not underscore two because fucking Elon Musk suspended my first account for no reason.
00:50:46
Speaker
That's what I'm at. He's really, man, he's gonna be gunnin' after us. I don't fuckin' care. We're just, we're too real, man. We just speak the truth. X can't handle that. X gon' give it to you. X, no one calls it. If you call it X, you're a cop. Yeah, you can follow me on Letterbox to just my name, Nicholas Ewers.
00:51:13
Speaker
Yeah, that's about it. I'm not really too active. Oh, check out my YouTube channel. Same thing. Nicholas Ewers. I've got some coverage on the Acolyte that I'm doing on there. Yeah, I'm probably going to hop on at the end of the season wrap up because I started it. I'm interested to kind of discuss what they're doing there. So the door is open for you to hop on any time you want. I would just I would prefer Tuesday or Wednesday. Well, I mean, we can not.
00:51:43
Speaker
If you're willing to dedicate, we can talk about this off mic. Yeah, we can figure it out. Yeah, okay, but I've been Nicholas Ears, Nick Ears. I'm Doug Damport, and we're These Guys Got Juice. See you later. Goodnight.