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Real Genius: Teeniuses In the Mix
15 Plays1 month ago
Movie spoilers abound! Welcome to our Phsysics Phoundations Course! Today we’re discussing a truly phoundational text: Real Genius starring Val Kilmer. First, let’s all take a step back… Because little did we know just how influential this movie was going to be to the works of Psych. The humor, the character of Chris Knight, and the silly references strike a real Psych chord. We follow a bunch of teen geniuses during their time in college building a laser. But a nefarious plot may be a-brewing! Join Kylie and Skyler as they discuss popcorn, moral imperatives, closets, college, blondes, and more on this completely wacky episode of Phsysics 101!
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Transcript
Introduction to Psy6101 and 'Real Genius'
00:00:21
Speaker
All right. Hi, everyone. And welcome to Psy6101, where we discuss everything about the world of psych and the antics of Sean and Gus in sunny Santa Barbara. I'm Skylar, and this is my partner, Jerry Hathaway.
00:00:32
Speaker
And today we'll be discussing real genius featuring Val Kilmer and all of our thoughts regarding that. Hello.
00:00:43
Speaker
Yes. All-star. Psych all-star, even though he was in Psych for all of 10 seconds. I know. If that. Yeah, just like in the in the background. own Or did he say it was, was it cut?
00:00:56
Speaker
No, he was in it. Wait,
Val Kilmer's Influence in 'Psych'
00:00:59
Speaker
was what cut? Val Kilmer? No, he's in the finale. He's in the finale? Am I crazy? Yeah. How did not remember that? you but I mean, you may have watched it at a time where you did not know who Val Kilmer was. Oh, that's also fair. That's probably true. Um...
00:01:16
Speaker
Yeah, he ah well, he has referenced a ton. Yes. So definitely a foundational figure. um But he is revealed to be Dobson in... Oh my gosh, I'm so dumb.
00:01:29
Speaker
did I... I did not even make... That connection. oh my god, that's amazing. How did I do that? Do you know what? No, because you're probably right. I probably, when I first watched the finale, didn't have enough of a running catalog of Val Kilmer in my head recognize as Val Kilmer. Totally. I feel like still don't. I don't think I would know if I didn't, like, know that it was him.
00:01:54
Speaker
Yes, totally, totally. But now mention it, I'm like, how did I not connect that? Obviously. yeah when actually... I forgot i did this because I watched it a couple of days ago, but I found um and a little article about how they got him.
Behind the Scenes of Kilmer's Cameo
00:02:10
Speaker
oh really? Let try if I can... find it um was it difficult i can only imagine it wasn't like actually i think he was pretty game um very good but he like i think it was like doulay like ran into him or someone who knew him at um some event and then kind of like they yeah or they got like a contact for him and they were like you know seeing like if they could make it happen and um okay i found the article it's screen rant
00:02:51
Speaker
dot com um and stule had a friend with a connection to kilmer after speaking to him via phone he'll put him on the spot quote unquote and asked him directly about appearing on the show he agreed but rodriguez and hill had to go a step further to get the cameo to happen at this time ks i'm just gonna read this whole thing what kilmer was doing A cross-country show tour called Citizen Twain and Rodriguez um attended one of the shows in order to have a face-to-face with Gilbert.
00:03:24
Speaker
After getting backstage, he laid it on and went through Kilmer's assistance and his agent until they were able to get the cameo worked out. Love it. um According to Rodriguez, Kilmer may have cooperated because it was easier than continuing to deal with him.
00:03:42
Speaker
yeah That's amazing and makes total sense. Yeah. So... Yeah, I mean, I guess we'll get there when we get there. It's been a little while since I've seen the finale, but I believe he, like, gets a goodbye tape from Sean and he's like, who am I know. I was to say, I feel like I haven't seen the finale in a very long time.
00:04:07
Speaker
Even though I've seen so much of the show, I've seen the show so many times, I feel like I've seen the front half of the series more than back half of the series, if you know what i mean. Totally.
00:04:20
Speaker
And maybe that's just because I'll like get into a fit of, I want to watch it and then I started at the beginning and then I watch like three seasons and then something else happens and I go do something else and then I
The Comfort of 'Psych' Rewatches
00:04:30
Speaker
come back to it again. I don't know.
00:04:31
Speaker
I do feel like also like in the, in my experiences with rewatches in general, it's like, once you're coming to the end, it's like, you know, it's an emotional undertaking because you have to watch it all resolve again.
00:04:43
Speaker
And so it's like, I, i agree like you know if I'm gonna watch it to the end it's like a whole like okay I gotta it's like a intentional yeah you're to mentally prepare yeah it's not like a mindless re-watch no so yeah sometimes you know it's more as like a comfy background watch the early seasons it's like lower stakes in a way definitely definitely yes and if we didn't mention this is our spring break first session are the six foundations, if you will, where we are watching some very important background pieces for the world of psych.
00:05:23
Speaker
And I have to say, we could have not picked a better thing to start off.
'Real Genius' and Its Influence on 'Psych'
00:05:28
Speaker
I'm so glad that we watched this. so It was so good. I think it might be of my favorite movies now. I loved it.
00:05:35
Speaker
It was so good. It was so good. was so good. And so much, like, you could just tell... that so much of this was inspiration for Sean. Oh my gosh, yeah. i would That's exactly, as soon as it ended, I was like, I'm so glad we've watched this.
00:05:52
Speaker
What did I write down? Dude, this movie was the perfect watch. It ended with tears for fears. Oh my gosh. What? Yeah. Just like from my first note is dig the music.
00:06:04
Speaker
it was so good. So good. And so fitting because the song was You Took Advantage of Me. is that not what the whole movie is? I felt the same about like the lyrics playing over the final scene. Yes.
00:06:19
Speaker
With the... Our good friend, Jerry Hathaway, who, again, did not know that was a reference. But it is. Speaking of references, one of our favorite references. Oh my god, I know.
00:06:33
Speaker
Take a step back. and we takes it forward I was like losing my mind. Same. I literally was like, it's all a reference to real genius? I was like, what's happening? Talk about... The Psy6 foundations, like, literally, this is a foundational text. Yes, it was the most perfect thing to start out with.
00:06:51
Speaker
And we didn't even really do it intentionally because, no sadly, recently Val Kilmer actually passed. So we knew that he's such a a big part of the show. So we wanted to watch something in remembrance of him.
00:07:03
Speaker
But we're also trying to watch a screwball-y comedy. So this seemed like the perfect thing. intersection. And here we are. Yeah. Yeah. And I think like, it seemed like, you know, kind of maybe his first big Yes.
00:07:17
Speaker
its I think it came out right before Top Gun, which I also haven't seen, but I think we'll have to watch for the Police Academy episode. Yes, totally. and And knowing that there are some references to it, didn't know like to what extent, but it just seemed like that would be the right choice.
00:07:36
Speaker
um And yeah, like, wow, I can't believe. So good. I feel like it, I mean... so much influence on Sean as a character and also I think as on James Roday Rodriguez as a performer which he has talked about um like and if you haven't read it um he had like a beautiful ah like homage on Instagram for Val Kilmer after he died I'm not on Instagram so I didn't know that's very sweet yeah I'm on the Cy6 Instagram so I do I just see all the sidecasts
00:08:14
Speaker
So that was really nice.
Cult Classic Status of 'Real Genius'
00:08:16
Speaker
um And yeah, if you, listener, have not watched this movie, like, pause, go watch it. Have your mind blown and come back. You're going to like it. If you like Psycho, you're here with us, you're going like it. 100%. think it might be one of my new favorite movies. It was so good. I was like, I could watch it again right now.
00:08:33
Speaker
It was, yeah, it was a blast. It was much fun. actually first heard of it sort of recently like and within the last couple of years because i think on um brett goldstein has a podcast films to be buried with and kind of wanting him hannah wanting i mentioned this one it's one of her films to be buried with okay and and i had like never heard of it but i guess it must have been like a big movie at the time yeah i mean i've i would guess i mean let's let's see
00:09:07
Speaker
It brought in $13 million at the box office. Okay, while not a blockbuster, it was praised by critics. Okay, so yeah. I guess just like a, you know, all-around beloved movie, even though maybe not the... Yeah, maybe kind of like a cult classic status. Yeah, yeah. And it i mean it was just so Like, it was such a fun world.
00:09:33
Speaker
I mean, it's so... I bet watching it too, like as a kid would be so fun. Like looking at all these college students and their fun lives and they're all smart and like interesting and different. And yeah, totally. Um,
00:09:48
Speaker
Yeah, their portrayal of college was so fun. my gosh. The living situation? was like, I wish college was like that. They're like, it's a beautiful house and everything's so like, but also like, everyone's kind of just a mess. Yeah, yeah.
00:10:04
Speaker
Which I mean, it does kind of remind me of like, like my sister lived in a, m not a commune, but collective I don't know what they call it ok but it was like a house it wasn't like a sorority or anything but it was just a house that a bunch of co-ed that people live in and it kind of reminded me of that um Yeah, it but kind of gives like a academic fraternity feel. if yeah you know Yeah, but yeah, that's a good point because it's like a really kind of the best version of like what that might look like because they're not –
00:10:43
Speaker
super clicky or anything they're all this is a very I mean I think it's based on Caltech probably which is like west coast version of MIT um and so it's like these are very smart people and they're like it's also fun to think of like nerds in a nerd place yes where they get to be themselves and also be like cool because yes that's what's cool there yeah yes totally
00:11:13
Speaker
Well, I guess we could just talk about the character of Chris.
Character Parallels: Chris Knight and Sean
00:11:17
Speaker
Chris, yeah, Chris Knight. Val Kilmer's character. um But, like, there's this tension of, like, how much you want to focus on your academics versus, like, living a fuller life, which I feel like is such in the...
00:11:32
Speaker
foundations again of psych um and like yeah i mean sean and gus would fit right in there gosh being like so smart but like kind of not directionless but like unsure of like what is gonna yeah be kind of in life yeah when i feel like that's such a college dilemma you know like you go to college and especially as a youngin, you know, you go believing that like you're going to come out of this and you're going to know like what you're going to do or you're going to figure it out while you're there.
00:12:07
Speaker
And inevitably you end up realizing that college is not, you know, a magic bullet. You're not going to figure out exactly what you want to do. It's just figuring out a direction that might be appealeling So to have that like underlying thread in there, I felt like was also very authentic to the the time period.
00:12:26
Speaker
Yeah. and also having our 15-year-old Mitch, who is like the other main character to to Val Kilmer's Chris Knight, I thought was really interesting too in how he interacts with all of the college-age students as being really smarter than everybody.
00:12:43
Speaker
Yeah. But because he's so much younger, like he's still the one that's getting picked on. And and that dynamic was really interesting, too. Yeah. And also the way he like carries himself.
00:12:54
Speaker
Yes. is coming in kind of like Chris makes some comments about like his mom also put him in like starchy suits or whatever. Yeah. Yeah. But it also kind of seems like Mitch.
00:13:06
Speaker
is being true to himself in those ways. Like me, I mean, i'm sure his parents influenced him. Um, but at the same time, they are kind of presented as not nearly at his level intellectually.
00:13:18
Speaker
my. Yeah. So for me, that first scene. Yeah. Yeah. Um, was he adopted? Isn't that crazy?
00:13:29
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, and I also think there's like, like in terms of what you're saying about kind of like finding direction or hoping to find direction in college, like I think there's also this like wanting to figure out what's going to make you happy, but also being conscious of like the real world yeah needs to like – Yeah. Even Chris's journey of like, you know, he's kind of fed up with how rigid he has been over the past few years – And he's sort of presenting like someone who's like lost his marbles.
00:14:03
Speaker
um But when it comes down to it, like when his ah graduation and his job that he has lined up become like leverage, he can't risk that. Like even though he is kind of like acting all like a changed man, you know, like ultimately he knows he's going to need that job and he's going to need that degree. Like he...
00:14:26
Speaker
um And that's like such an interesting tension because it's like he he's kind of acting like none of that matters, but it like it does really matter. And I feel like that too is so Sean.
00:14:38
Speaker
Yes, totally. Totally. Yeah, it really throughout the entire movie, it felt like – Chris Knight was like an archetype for for Sean and like the but struggles that he was dealing with. Yeah, blueprint is maybe the better word. Yeah. um The struggles that he wrote he was dealing with through very much so issues that Sean was dealing with. I felt like even the physicality of Chris Knight was so the physicality Sean.
00:15:04
Speaker
The hair, i like all of it. I was like, this is... crazy it was almost a little like uncanny valley yeah I mean there bunch of lines I wrote down that I feel like yeah that too maybe like I mean they must live inside James Rode Rodriguez's head of like yes um you know I feel like it's such a influence on his sense of humor and everything like there's the part with Holly who feels but who love him. I'm obsessed with him. I love him so much.
00:15:33
Speaker
Oh my god. So funny. ah That also like again like just the college of it all like it's just the shenanigans of like living in this place and this guy goes and lives in your closet. Yeah. And you can't find him and you keep trying.
00:15:45
Speaker
um But when they're talking about this Chris is like why are you going into our closet? And Mitch is like to get my clothes. That's not why he goes in there. And Chris is like of course not. He's twice your size. Your clothes would never fit him.
00:16:00
Speaker
That is so shot. so you Or another one I wrote when he goes to um Hathaway's house, he goes, you wanted to see me your joggingness?
00:16:14
Speaker
Or i i want I want to start seeing more of you in the lab. Fine, I'll gain weight. yes Just being super literal in this ridiculous way. There was another who went to his house, which was so funny. He's talking to that woman.
00:16:30
Speaker
oh my gosh. that have talked to that woman because i I do not understand her. Yeah. There were a couple women. I don't know. don't know. But he's like, Jerry asked me to stop by. What did he ask you to do? And she's like, what? And he's like, which word did you not understand? Yeah.
00:16:49
Speaker
Yes, just like exactly exactly the same kind of humor. I just I. Yeah. Another line I really loved, um which I felt like played into the psych of it all after he finds out that his degree is in jeopardy.
00:17:07
Speaker
They're like on the porch or whatever, on the balcony, sitting atop of whatever, looking out into the distance. And he's all pensive. And Mitch comes out and he's asking what's wrong.
00:17:19
Speaker
And Chris tells him and he goes, I guess I'll leave. And Mitch goes... you can't do that. You'll be a failure. And Chris just smiles and he goes, thank you, Mitch. It's like, see So psyched.
00:17:33
Speaker
Cause Sean, we've talked so much about like Sean being a failure to other people is actually like a success to himself. It felt very much like that too. i was like, this is just, yeah and I loved it so much.
00:17:47
Speaker
I was wondering this too, when finally we get, ah them testing the laser. and Chris is like serious and him and Mitch are a pair and they're like working together and they think they have the laser figured out and everyone's standing behind that protective, you know, barrier and they have all their gear on and Val Kilmer stands there with a freaking catcher's mark. So true.
00:18:10
Speaker
did not even think about that, but yes. Is the catch? Is this the catch? Catch. I'm, I'm, Googling on the side, I feel like I saw something about all the, not the transcript, but like all the references to um real genius and now i'm like seeing that there's like three different actors who were in the show from real games including val really so ed lauter the second oh yes he was expedition he was um yes yes yes yes i recognize him now yes him
00:18:52
Speaker
i know him um i think like he was like the canadian inspector right yes yes yes yes ah okay let me see there was one more okay john greece let's see oh um strabinsky what yeah who oh my god is that hollyfield Wait. Hang on.
00:19:16
Speaker
Oh my gosh. Yes. Are you kidding me? Oh my Are you kidding me Wow.
Actor Crossovers and Deeper Influences
00:19:25
Speaker
And that makes so much sense. He's so, that's such a Holly.
00:19:28
Speaker
Such a Holly. Holly failed. Holly failed. Yeah. Okay. That's such Holly failed character. Yeah. Totally. Yes. Very Holly failed coded. Yes, absolutely.
00:19:39
Speaker
He's so funny in that episode. Wow. That's incredibly exciting. Yeah. i I'm in love with this movie even more. like random The more we talk about it, the more i just, I love it.
00:19:52
Speaker
Yeah. And I'm also loving this, like, project of, like, going through... just all the different tangents of psych because it just makes me like appreciate it so much more. Totally. Totally.
00:20:04
Speaker
The cleverness, the wit, the devotion to culture, which I feel like and we've talked about a little bit, how it seems like common culture is just kind of melting away as, you know, society continues to do very specific, like intentional things to themselves, but not to, to the whole. So,
00:20:26
Speaker
I love the the attention to common culture. i think that's wonderful. And I like, yeah, like you said, I like us tapping into that. I feel like that's fun to feel like you're a part of something, you know? Yeah. yeah I feel like it's like, and it is like being in school.
00:20:41
Speaker
Yes. Which, you know, why we framed it this way, like a curriculum, but it's like, it's, it is very intertextual. And like this show really invites you to like, look at all these other resources and yeah and it is like an education because there's so much that I have not seen that this forcing me to see yeah totally I love it agree and great things like yes I wish someone had introduced me to this movie well before now yeah and the Cy6 has allowed us to do that for ourselves very nice
00:21:19
Speaker
So yeah if you haven't seen the movie, we highly recommend, but we'll we'll frame it up maybe a little bit.
Plot Summary of 'Real Genius'
00:21:24
Speaker
Just so we have. Yeah, we've just been like. We've just been talking about it because we're so excited. Yeah. ah So the general context is that there is a 15 year old boy who is like wicked smart, who gets essentially...
00:21:39
Speaker
brought into college well before he is supposed to and gets like recruited, I guess you could say. Yeah. By a professor For specific project that this professor has going on.
00:21:50
Speaker
Yes, which seems to be laser based in some way. They say a lot of science stuff that I was like, I have no clue if any that's right or if any of that's wrong. I was like, out sure, I believe you. Yeah.
00:22:02
Speaker
And also, like, i I didn't remember until the very end when it came back, but we start with like this Is it a simulation or something? Like they're flying. Yeah, it's video. It's a video. Okay. And then they just like laser somebody from space.
00:22:16
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. A human. Yes. Okay. So when that was playing in the beginning, I literally was like, is this, is this real? Is this not real? Is this what we're doing? Is this sci-fi?
00:22:27
Speaker
And then I forgot all about it. Yes. Well, that's fair. So that, yes. So it starts off. I don't think can rewatch that beginning because um I don't even know, like, who was there, who was talking about it. I don't know.
00:22:38
Speaker
So it was, yeah, it was meant to be like a preview, like a possible preview. weapon that we could use if we were to use it.
00:22:49
Speaker
This is what it would be like. And they made like a little short film about what it could do. And they showed it to a room of what seemed like maybe heads of departments for like CIA, FBI, whatever, whatever. Right.
00:23:02
Speaker
Who could fund a project like this. So the Project gets funded, but they want it produced in a much faster cycle than what was initially intended. Like they initially wanted 18 months to work on it.
00:23:18
Speaker
And now the heads of this group are saying four months. So our 15 year old Mitch gets recruited to go to what we are assuming is Caltech. and work with call it like pacific tech or something oh there you go okay perfect it's on the wall i think i mean there's like graffiti on the walls that says caltech so i i guess that house is real that's fun we should go there too unless they just decided like after the fact that they couldn't use that name or something and oh could be yeah and they like overrode it
00:23:52
Speaker
Who knows? But so they they go and this professor who recruits Mitch works there and he is the one responsible for creating this deadly vaporizing thing. laser that has wonderful accuracy and can just vaporize one human from space.
00:24:07
Speaker
And Mitch goes and works with a bunch of other college-age students, all of whom are extremely smart, to try and create this laser unbeknownst to them.
00:24:18
Speaker
They don't actually realize the application of this laser. They really think it's just a thought experiment. So the movie follows all of these extremely intelligent college-age and 15-year-old Mitch through this year of trying to figure out how to create this laser and it's hysterical it's just delightful i mean really is fun to watch like a college i don't know it's such a like it's not really escapist but just like You get to imagine yourself in that world.
00:24:52
Speaker
And especially, I feel like it was fun as a kid, like, thinking, like, oh, that's what college could be. And it's fun now being, like, oh, there's, like, an alternate version of, like, what college actually was. Yes. Yes.
00:25:04
Speaker
Definitely. Where you have, like, all the best friends and, like, i know you're doing, like, the coolest stuff. And, yeah, it's just really sweet. It is. It's a very – like feel good yeah know there were a lot of moments of like like what's happening like there were a couple moments where i wanted to punch what's his face in the mouth what is his name kent um kent oh my gosh that guy punch him in his braces but but they get him back thank good oh my gosh hilarious so far and that whole scene too i was like what are they what are they doing
00:25:42
Speaker
There is like this feeling of maybe it's just like an 80s movie thing, but like it moves kind of quickly. Yes. Yeah. And they all are kind of on the same page about things.
00:25:53
Speaker
Yes. To that point. Yeah. Well, I mean, I guess when they do, they ba they put like a microphone. Yeah. In Kent's braces. And Jordan, who's a.
00:26:06
Speaker
the like the token girl in the gang. Yes. She's like, I've always imagined this like ever since I saw his braces or something. She just wanted to do this. um And they basically talk to him with an altered voice and present themselves as Jesus.
00:26:27
Speaker
And it's so, I just, the whole thing was so funny and like so ridiculous, but somehow so plausible too, because they're all like such geniuses. Yeah, and Ken's so quirky. Yeah, it's like, of course he would. yeah He ends up thinking schizophrenic for a second. Yeah, he's like doing research. Yeah.
00:26:46
Speaker
It's so funny. Yeah, and even how they like... get the microphone in his mouth they like gas his room with oxygen pure oxygen they're all wearing these like wacko masks so that they don't get it but it's so good because they're like these kids are are geniuses and so totally they have the they have a capability that not every person does of course and that's probably why you're able to suspend the disbelief because you're like, they're geniuses. Of course they could do it. Like with the ice skating rink that vaporized into gas. I'm like, I don't know. Maybe you could do that. Go for it. yeah but the And I love that like they have this, like they're operating at this level of intelligence, but at the same time they are...
Teenage Mischief and Academic Pressure
00:27:34
Speaker
like teenagers and so yeah like that guy it who who sets that all up he's like as long as it works and like as long as it doesn't explode it will be great it's like they are capable of doing these like ridiculous things but also like they're not totally thinking everything through because they are still kids of course um yeah yeah they're just having a good time And even like the way they get back at Jerry in the end, like the element of, I was like, oh, they're going to destroy his house. Same. So funny.
00:28:08
Speaker
so funny First of all, the way that they revealed it, I thought was just amazing. Yes. Because they've been kind of peppering throughout the movie that Jerry Hathaway is doing... Hathaway?
00:28:21
Speaker
Hathaway? Hathaway. Hathaway. Hathaway has been maybe doing some, like, sketchy stuff with the funds for this project. Like, maybe he was building his house using the funds and not actually... didn't catch that.
00:28:34
Speaker
Oh, okay. When they were in the car initially with one of the guys from that panel in that dark room, he said something like, oh, they're going to do an audit of the funds. And that's when we like pull up in front of the house and he's getting his whole house done. So that was the implication for me. I don't know if that was intended. No, that makes so much sense because otherwise, like what's the point of all the house stuff?
00:28:54
Speaker
Sure, yeah. so And I feel like there's like this constant... take your shoes off. That's so nice. We're putting yeah things in, you know, so it looks like a toy.
00:29:05
Speaker
and when they showed it I was like, this looks so weird. Yeah. Very out of place in, yeah in this environment. Yeah. It's like candy, apple red. Yes, with like green and yellow trim. and big Yes, very Christmassy.
00:29:19
Speaker
Very Christmassy. they So they show up to to Hathaway's house, the you know the gang, towards the end. And Hathaway has stolen the laser that they have created without his help.
00:29:33
Speaker
And you know he's given it to the military. The military is going to use it. But this is after the kids... like broken and changed all the coordinates to where this laser was going to go. So you're like, okay, they're going to have to go back. They're going to destroy the house. kind just destroy the out So they get Kent, who is just like the worst. We all hate Kent. To go, I guess, to see.
00:29:54
Speaker
to go i guess to see What was going to happen? Because they don't want him to go inside the house. But then he does go inside the house and he walks in and sees this like giant tinfoil thing. And you see it at first and you're like, the heck is that? And he's like poking at it being like, what in the world?
00:30:15
Speaker
And then the laser beam comes. Yeah. Well, part of this also was that Jesus, speaking in his brain, told him to come here for a sign. Of course. And what a sign other than, you know, this giant, what turns out to be popcorn maker, that the laser activates and the entire house fills with popcorn and gets destroyed by popcorn because the beginning of the movie, we find out that Hathaway hates the smell of popcorn.
00:30:42
Speaker
Yeah. So preposterous. Amazing. But so amazing. Yeah. Like, perfect. Perfect, Dad. Yeah. Yeah, I feel like we need to backtrack. So we kind of said, so Mitch comes to school.
00:30:58
Speaker
Yes. And he's roomies with Chris, who's kind of wanting to take him under his wing, kind of to save him from, like, the... like straight-laced future that he or experience that he has had himself and also like that he has seen examples of in the other very smart people around him who are have like too much pressure and stuff like hollyfield um yeah totally yeah see so they they become sort of fast friends which i think is so sweet because i feel like yes in a like
00:31:38
Speaker
You would maybe expect Chris to be meaner or threatened by Mitch. Right. Because Mitch comes in and he becomes like the new top dog.
00:31:50
Speaker
Yeah. Right above Chris. And Chris used to be the quote unquote smartest in the school. Right. So you would expect him, yeah, to be threatened or annoyed frustrated. Yeah. Like in another movie, I feel like we would have seen that kind of tension.
00:32:04
Speaker
um But the only one really threatened by Mitch is Kent. Oh, Kent. Otherwise, Chris is like, well, he has this sort of wisdom about him where...
00:32:16
Speaker
Like he, he isn't concerned with the, like that kind of politics of like, which is, it feels very childish in how we see it play out between Kent or with Kent. um But he really wants to like mentor Mitch and it's really sweet.
00:32:35
Speaker
um Yeah. And it's kind of funny too, because when you think of a mentor, you you typically, or when I think of a mentor, let me not speak for others. When I think of a mentor, I typically think of someone like and academic or someone who's going to, you know, wisen you in some way. And especially in like an academic setting like this, you'd think of someone who's going to like show you the ropes and like maybe help you out with classes and like, you know, make sure that you're doing what you're supposed to be doing.
00:33:07
Speaker
And Chris is like the total opposite. Chris like, does actually yeah yeah but Yeah, now that you say that, like that it kind of is a dynamic like Sean and Gus where like, totally, like question Mitch to let loose a little bit and like experience other things.
00:33:25
Speaker
Psych just real genius, but with adults. oh I would love to know if maybe we'll have to check out the psych, like if Steve Franks is a guest on any of the psychologists are in where there was an actor from Real Genius. Yes. Good call. but Maybe he would touch on it because I, yeah, I'm very curious if he has any kind of relationship with it.
00:33:44
Speaker
Yeah. I feel like he he'd he must. Like, it's too simpatico, you know? Yeah. It makes too much sense. He likes a screwball comedy, which, as you said, does kind of have that flair.
00:33:59
Speaker
Indeed. Because we do see some tension with more like Mitch to Sean. I mean, to Sean. To Chris. Yeah. They're interchangeable. um Because, like,
00:34:13
Speaker
chris does some things that like mitch is still very you know he's wanting to do the right thing he wants to do what he came for um he wants to accomplish this like he doesn't want to disappoint jerry hathaway yeah um and he's like A child. And like there's ton of pressure on him.
00:34:40
Speaker
um And Chris kind of sabotages him at certain points to like push him to not feel so much pressure. Like to experience, and have some more experiences.
00:34:53
Speaker
um But that like Mitch gets really mad about it. um Yeah. Mitch definitely strikes me.
00:35:01
Speaker
i yeah i love that you connected them both to Sean and Gus. Because Mitch definitely strikes me more more as a guster. You know what i mean? Totally. But he he's such a people pleaser.
00:35:14
Speaker
Such a people pleaser. Like, the whole thing with Hathaway really had nothing to do with the fact that he wanted to be working on the laser at that point like i think he did because he genuinely enjoys what he gets to do here. Mm-hmm. But...
00:35:31
Speaker
He goes and works on it. He gets frustrated with Chris because he gets in trouble by Hathaway. That's really true. Yeah. That is such a hard thing.
00:35:44
Speaker
to mature through, maybe is the way I want to phrase that. Like realizing that you don't have to please everybody in your life. Like you are not on this earth to make other people happy. And you get to determine when it is that you want to, you know, follow through with someone or or whatever it might be.
00:36:03
Speaker
And I think Chris has managed that. to get over that like people pleasing hump so to speak you know yeah maybe a little too far which we we talk about it like too like like this them finding this balance because chris is going so far that like it's jeopardizing things that are important to right right But Mitch is still, like you said, Mitch is still 15. Like that is the time in which you are either being a rebel or you are like people pleasing.
00:36:34
Speaker
and Those are like the two two big things. Yeah. Well, and the situation that he's in, because another lesson is that like not everybody has your best interest it. totally mind and go like for to have this person who came and plucked you out of your little town and brought you to this place that is so cool and you have opportunities that are so incredible it's like of course he wants to right you know please him right and like and also that adds like a kind of precariousness to his position there like he's only there because jerry brought him there so right um like he has kind of a lot on the line in that way
00:37:12
Speaker
um Which is a very intense thing. Like so many yeah layers to what he is, as you were saying, maturing through. Like these are some influential, ah formative time.
00:37:27
Speaker
Totally. And that's a lot for anyone to have to deal with. But then at such a young age, being away from your support system, now placed into this high stress environment, like no wonder he momentarily like quote unquote cracked under the pressure and called his parents and was like, take me out of here. Like i don't like don't want to be here anymore. That's such a sad scene. Kent. I didn't know what he was doing. I thought they were just like listening. That's what I thought.
00:37:53
Speaker
And then they they recorded his tearful phone call to his mommy and daddy asking to go home and played it in like the cafeteria whatever college equivalent.
00:38:05
Speaker
Yeah. Dining hall. The dining hall. record Right, right, right, right, right. I know. like, where are they? But that is a thing. Yeah, I wanted to punch him in his braces. I just was like, you are such a meanie. Like, you don't have to be a meanie. He's so mean.
00:38:19
Speaker
Right? And like, what an insecure... yes exactly i guess rightfully so because he cannot get what he wants no matter how much he's also bending over backwards for jerry and not getting yep um what he wants out of it um but like to be so threatened by this child to like traumatize him in front of everybody like yeah that was horrible and mitch's reaction to that kind of was like was kind of fascinating. Like, he he didn't really react.
00:38:54
Speaker
Like, he was just like, like, yeah. Like, I don't know. It was like he kind of, it was just like another thing. Yeah. To make him want to leave. Yeah. Yeah. It's like, oh, like kind of like he should have, he shouldn't have known that was going to be the next yeah thing. um Yeah. And then he, I think he goes and starts packing. Mm-hmm.
00:39:15
Speaker
um yeah but that was so sad so sad so so sad but and you mentioned like with kent like what they wanted him for him like at the end when they bring him out there yeah i don't know i i guess maybe just the sign right yeah The sign from mouth Jesus, you know, saying.
00:39:42
Speaker
And, but, ah and like, what is this? I mean, I guess to kind of prove. The house destroying, I guess. Yeah. flying but Like, why does he need, like, what does the sign mean to him? Oh, yes, yes, yes. Like, I feel like maybe they also wanted him to like, understand that Jerry was that, was taking advantage of them all.
00:40:00
Speaker
um I don't know. If that's what he would have gotten out of that. Maybe they're just trying to screw with him. Yeah.
00:40:11
Speaker
Just trying to make him believe that Jesus is really talking to him. I mean, yeah. But they do kind of seem like they sort of come to terms with each other in the end when they pull him out of the popcorn. Yeah.
00:40:26
Speaker
That is just... Also, that is so... How much popcorn did they put in there? Incredible. Okay, I need someone to do the math. The house bursting at the seams.
00:40:37
Speaker
Literally, they destroyed the house with popcorn. And I mean, i under I know that popcorn really expands. So I guess they could have just put like a bunch of bags of popcorn and it would have just... Yeah. and sounds also mean that like It was huge. Yeah, when he walks in, like it is it is large. And we don't really get a get to see how deep it is either.
00:41:03
Speaker
that oh that's a good point. So if it goes all the way to the floor, yeah because it's like up high. yeah I mean, yeah, he like he like pokes it right out in front of him and he's like a tall man. Yeah.
00:41:18
Speaker
It's a lot of popcorn. It's a lot of popcorn. I need some mathematicians yeah to tell me how much to do some research. Someone must have done this.
00:41:29
Speaker
Someone must have done this. You're right. Especially movie. Maybe at Caltech they would have done some sort of experiment. A movie about... I hope so. Teenuses in the mix. That should be the name for this.
Mitch's Turning Point
00:41:41
Speaker
Oh my god, yes. Let me go. Write it down before. Now that I'm thinking about it, were there real genius references in that movie? In that episode? No. There had to have been. There had to have been. Teenuses in the middle.
00:42:02
Speaker
So, yeah, we've got Mitch wanting to leave. Chris is like, don't do it. You got to get back at him. There must be revenge. It's the moral imperative. You have to. Yeah. And he convinces him to stay, which I was like,
00:42:17
Speaker
thank you, Chris, for like being at least one person on this kid's side. like He's just clearly having a hard time. And we still have Holly Feld just coming in and out of the closet. It's so funny.
00:42:32
Speaker
It's so funny because mit like Mitch from the start is like, what the freaking hell is happening? like He's trying to go in there. He's like knocking on the walls. He's trying to figure out where in the world Holly Feld's going. And even he can't seem to figure it out.
00:42:45
Speaker
Until he goes into the closet and closes the door. And then the back of the closet like opens up. And he gets into like a roller coaster. Yeah.
00:42:55
Speaker
Down into, I don't even remember what they called it. But like down into the, you know, foundations of the house. Bowls. don't know. And this is like Hollifeld's lair. He like lives down there. That's the perfect word.
00:43:08
Speaker
Lair. And he's just doing like Frito-Lay's. Yeah, we don't find out until later, but he's like... He's submitting like a million entries into some Frito-lay, like, sweepstakes.
00:43:26
Speaker
Yeah, sweepstakes. And he's like, I'm... I'm submitting like they there's no limit on entries. So he's going to he has like done a calculation to see if if he submits this many, he will get X amount, like 36 percent of the prizes. yeah but Something like that.
00:43:45
Speaker
Hysterical. That's what he's up to. And that's what. um Sweet baby Hollyfield. And they do kind of talk about it. Chris. uses hollyfeld as an example of like someone who used to be like them and like cracked from all the pressure and um the rigidity of like the expectations at this school um and yeah so chris kind of uses him as an example to like get mitch to loosen up a bit and i love that thu through chris getting mitch out of the rigidity through through this whole story
00:44:23
Speaker
He also kind of saves Hollifeld in the process, too, which I just love.
Finding Purpose and Second Chances
00:44:29
Speaker
It is sweet. Yeah. Hollifeld's going to get married. He wins all this stuff.
00:44:34
Speaker
happy Yeah, that woman. Who is this woman? I swear. like had trouble with this. Me, too. I had such hard time. I do think there was a second woman.
00:44:45
Speaker
Oh, okay. That makes sense. I think there were Okay. but But there is one main woman. Okay. And she is...
00:44:54
Speaker
per my husband okay okay we didn't talk about the scene where um i think it's how we meet chris in the beginning how he's introduced he is going for like so good yes so funny and another great sean moment because he's walking around another thing about him is that the whole movie he's got different slippers that he wears um so good and he's he's just like very eccentric yes yes He's really leaning into his own eccentricity.
00:45:26
Speaker
But he goes to this, like, orientation-type meeting with these very stuffy scientist people um at the new job that he is going to get when he graduates, where he's going to go work, which is a very prestigious job.
00:45:42
Speaker
And Jerry has set him up with that. And that's part of, like, their agreement, him seeing through... him delivering Jerry this laser is part of him getting to have this job.
00:45:57
Speaker
yes And he's also, he's like the smartest person or one one of the top 10 smartest people. He's number eight or something. Yeah, and the country. That woman is there. Oh.
00:46:10
Speaker
And he is kind of flirting with her and they say like, ah have you he says something about like if she's met the other eight or something and she's like oh yeah and so like her whole thing through the whole movie is that she's gonna sleep with the top 10 smartest is that what it is in the world yes oh I totally didn't get that and so and hollyfield that's the payoff in the end is that hollyfield is number one and she has been waiting to find this whole time okay right over my head I know it took me
00:46:46
Speaker
I was like, well, I think part of it was her hair was different in every scene she was in. Her hair was different in every was firm in the first scene. Yes. And then we meet the daughter.
00:46:59
Speaker
daughter of, I think, the government guy. Yes, government guy. Yes. So like different whole world. Okay. Okay. I thought she was... Okay.
00:47:12
Speaker
And she was not, I don't think we ever saw her before or again. I think that was just the daughter. Chris flirted with her. um ah And then she left, I believe.
00:47:23
Speaker
Also, she's really creepy. If that was her, yeah because I thought that the block So this lady tries to sleep with 15-year-old Mitch.
Controversial Scenes and Character Dynamics
00:47:34
Speaker
It says an insane thing of, I've been waiting all this time for you to come of age, and it's like, you didn't wait long enough. What are you talking about? Disgusting.
00:47:46
Speaker
I thought that she was the daughter, which is why I was so confused about what she was talking about. I'm no longer the daughter. Yeah.
00:47:57
Speaker
yeah no this lady has got problems i mean yeah and listener if we're like totally wrong please tell please please help us but i think that's what's going on um but yeah so like i guess and then we see her later and jerry's bedroom she sleeps with jerry Okay. I also thought that that was the daughter.
00:48:23
Speaker
Okay. I'm so... you know. The daughter, she should have just not been there or she should have been... She should had brown hair or something. Redhead, and you anything other than blonde. Too quick. It was too quick of a progression. I also felt some like confusion with Jerry sometimes because...
00:48:41
Speaker
like everybody looks sort of the same age they do they do jerry so i kept being like that's jerry right yeah yeah because it's hard and when everybody has like or if they have like the same hair we kind of had a similar challenge with black christmas christmas i feel like where there were couple people with the same hair yes totally I wonder if this is just like like a problem of the times because we're not like of of the era.
00:49:14
Speaker
You know what i mean? Like would someone of the era have an easier time distinguishing between the hairstyles or the clothing choices or whatever because they're more versed in it and we're just And also the age thing. Because like if that guy's daughter is supposed to be like in college too or something. Right.
00:49:32
Speaker
then you know i mean i think even still now they cast adult people as like high school students and it gets confusing but like maybe that would have helped if we had like maybe they are dressing her in a way that she looks younger but like that doesn't mean anything to us because correct we weren't there and like they all dress like little grown-ups in the 80s yes um yeah yeah like a lot that was very it was like yeah like men's wear yes totally um Yeah.
00:50:01
Speaker
Another thing that would have been helpful maybe is if they never straightened that other lady's hair. oh yeah. Because I feel like she had big curls in the first scene and I feel like she had curls at Jerry's house when they slept together and then like not in any of the other scenes. and im yeah So it was like hard to track them.
00:50:19
Speaker
Yes. Yeah. And I also feel like they they introduced her very quickly in the beginning. Yeah. And then she kind of just kept being thrown into places. Well, that was also hard because, like, yeah, it's like, why is she connected to so many things? She just works at this place. Who she? Because, like, it made sense at the end that Chris got the other scientist guy out of bed to come see.
00:50:46
Speaker
Because, like, part of their – ah Their plan is to expose that Jerry and these government contractors or whatever were working on this extremely dangerous, problematic weapon of war with this laser.
00:51:01
Speaker
And so they bring a congressman. Yes. and And the other scientist guy who, and know what relation- I think he's the president university. Is the president of the university? Oh, okay. Because remember in the beginning when Mitch was like, I'm looking for the president's tea, and then the lady brings him to that guy?
00:51:21
Speaker
Oh. I think that's what that was supposed to be. Okay. going have to watch this again. It's good thing we're so excited to watch it again. know. I really want to. The only reason that I even remember that is because he said something that thought was hysterical.
00:51:37
Speaker
He turned to the lady afterwards, Mitch is leaving, and the president goes, I think young people enjoy it when I get down verbally. Don't you? Yeah. Yeah, okay. I am remembering that now.
00:51:48
Speaker
A lot happened at the beginning, too. And we met a lot of different people in a lot of different places. We covered a lot of ground, so I feel like that also was hard. um Okay, that makes more sense. So I guess this prestigious job that Chris is going to get is involved with the university somehow.
00:52:05
Speaker
I guess that makes sense, like as a researcher or something. Yeah. because i Because in that scene where he meets another guy, that woman, and president of the university, it's about the job.
00:52:18
Speaker
Ah, okay. That would make sense then. Yeah. um And another line that was very fun is that he's wearing like a, he's got his slippers on, a shirt that says, I heart toxic waste.
00:52:31
Speaker
Yeah. and like a blazer and this like headband with little like springy alien antenna on it and the president of the university is like not really amused about this and asks him about that toy on his head and like why do you have that toy on your head and he's like anywhere else it would make me chafe
00:52:55
Speaker
yeah very sean live so ah yeah good I don't even know what to call that style of humor. It's almost like a hyper literalism.
00:53:08
Speaker
Yeah. ah Sure. I like that. which and And it just like is so funny. And it also reminds me of like the movie Airplane. um Like that kind of humor.
00:53:21
Speaker
Yeah, totally. Just like take like, don't call me Shirley. Yes. Don't call me Shirley. Yeah. So, okay. Where did we leave off? Because we went on a tangent trying to ah kind of track that woman. Yeah, that woman was, woman's weird.
00:53:38
Speaker
We should look at the actors. Oh, good call. Let's do that. Also, the IMDb was a little bit weird because it's, they're like, build an order of appearance.
00:53:49
Speaker
ah Was that like standard at the time? Maybe more standard. i also, i think, was it this movie? here Oh, yeah, I wrote, I miss credits. We don't do credits because we don't have the attention span anymore.
00:54:05
Speaker
So much, but just like the long musical, like seeing everybody's name. So fun. Okay, Sherry Nugel. Okay, that's the woman. That's the woman.
00:54:16
Speaker
Is there another woman? Decker is his last name. So Susan Decker his daughter. See, they also picked two S names. Why haven't they been? thinking Yeah. Okay, that does help, though.
00:54:28
Speaker
So there are two. So that's a different person. Just confirming.
00:54:35
Speaker
Oh, wait. Wait. But the person that Jerry Hathaway sleeps with is Susan. What? Is the daughter. maybe it was Susan. Ew.
00:54:49
Speaker
Was it Susan at the beginning? No, that was definitely Sherry. Oh, boy. there a script? Because the like this hinges on the fact that Sherry was sleeping her way through the top ten.
00:55:02
Speaker
I guess the question becomes, was Jerry in the top ten? Yeah, that probably not, huh? I don't know. But was Susan also? Okay, let's see where Susan...
00:55:16
Speaker
comes in oh no so okay so susan is the daughter that's what we thought right okay yes okay susan and then okay she is not in the script anymore sherry what do you wait wait wait what do you mean she's not in the script anymore like she's only in that scene oh who is with hollyfield at the end i think that's sherry okay that is sherry Okay.
00:55:43
Speaker
Okay. So I think we're, we're right. Okay. So Susan, the daughter, is in one scene, flirts with Chris.
00:55:56
Speaker
Okay. And that's it. Sherry is there from the start. Lost my window here. I want to see who is with them in the beginning.
00:56:09
Speaker
I think that's Sherry, too, because she is... That is Sherry. I want to see like, just who the guys... Oh, oh, oh, I see. Just to make sure. So we have it all. Okay. Pacific Electronics Instruments. That's where the job is.
00:56:22
Speaker
Robert Jensen, who is guiding Chris on the tour. Chris was heralded as one of the smartest people to ever enter Pacific Tech. They approach a second executive slash scientist, Mike Dodd.
00:56:37
Speaker
Okay. who is wearing a lab coat and a beautiful public relations executive named Sherry. Okay, she's a public relations executive. Oh. Okay, so Dodd, maybe that's not the same guy who comes at the end, the president.
00:56:52
Speaker
More people who look the same. Okay. Let me look for president. Dr. Eugene Meredith. Oh, okay. That's at the T. Let's see. Is he at the end?
00:57:04
Speaker
No. Who's at the end then? What's happening?
00:57:11
Speaker
I feel like this guy also looked like the guy from the other company, but I don't know why they would need him. Okay.
00:57:22
Speaker
Hold on. Does the script even have the house? ah Decker. Decker. Decker is the Canadian guy that's going to show up in Psych.
00:57:32
Speaker
Okay, no. He's with... that It's also confusing reading the script because they changed some of the names at some point in production. Intrigue? Okay. halfaway is Atherton.
00:57:43
Speaker
Hollyfield is Hopsfeld. Oh, I like Hollyfield better. Yeah. Glad they changed it. no okay wait mad meredith okay so it is the president who's there at the end of the university yeah but i guess i tied that back to the guy from the first scene because i thought chris was also kind of winning him back over because he was kind of not impressed by chris in that first scene but these are two different yeah people so so maybe it's like a make hathaway lose his job and yeah i mean that makes a lot more sense that it would be the president of the university that they called out yeah does chris have a different scene with him though
00:58:32
Speaker
At any point? Because I'm just thinking like, oh because they have that moment too of like, oh, I like your slippers. Yeah, they're both wearing same slippers. And it felt like they were finding common ground where like,
00:58:45
Speaker
merit like the president or whoever didn't get him before but i guess i made that up in my head yeah i don't know i don't think they had another scene i think the other scene with the president was with mitch okay there's the only other moment that he's mentioned yeah he has a scene with mitch and then when hathaway tells chris he's gonna fail him and he's not gonna get the job mm-hmm um Chris says, you can't do this. I'll go to Dr. Meredith.
00:59:18
Speaker
Ah, okay. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So I guess, yeah, other than that, Chris has no relationship with him. Okay. But maybe he has an example with his slippers at the end of, like, that that balance of yeah being a very um accomplished scientist and also being a little eccentric.
00:59:41
Speaker
Yeah. Okay. So I feel like we sorted everybody out. Yeah. Yeah, those... were Yeah, we were introduced to a lot of people very quickly. So i do I do think you're right in saying that's probably part of the reason why we're like, who And people who look sort of alike.
00:59:59
Speaker
And don't really come back. Like, aren't main characters where you're like, oh, I know you. They just kind of pop back up again at the end and you're like, wait, hold Yeah.
01:00:11
Speaker
Okay, so where did now where did we leave? So... We're getting revenge on Kent. And we've decided to... First, we do the car, right?
01:00:27
Speaker
Oh, yeah. First, they like take apart his car and put his car back in room. Yeah, totally. And made it also move as if it was like breathing. like as if Yeah, it was sleeping. It was so funny. Amazing.
01:00:41
Speaker
um Yeah, the sales pranks that they are capable of. It was incredible. Yeah, without a doubt. And at this point, we've already, we kind of established who our core gang is going to be. Yeah.
01:00:55
Speaker
Mitch, Chris, Ick, who made the ice skating rink, and Jordan, our resident girl. And Yeah. And I do, yeah, I feel like getting back at Kent sort of tightens them together. um They kind of have like an alliance.
01:01:13
Speaker
The other thing was going to mention, which I don't know if it's after the ah the first messing with Kent or before, but um Chris... like when maybe well don't know when he's helping Mitch with the laser um finally because Mitch kind of like I think made like finally got him to come help um that We have the, let's take a step back
The Laser Prank and Sabotage Finale
01:01:40
Speaker
moment. like ah Chris trying to like add some levity and he ends up doing this like very wild, like reflective laser thing all through campus. yeah Which ultimately leads him to a big rager.
01:01:54
Speaker
yes um So again, Chris, I think we did skip this I think this pre like happens before Mitch wants to leave.
01:02:06
Speaker
Yes, it does. Yes. Because that's before like him getting really in trouble with Jerry and stuff. Yes, you're right. But yeah, so they, we see him having some fun finally and Chris having, you know, a lot of fun. And we have this moment between him and Jordan where we see a little like spark there.
01:02:24
Speaker
Hmm. so i just wanted to mention that in terms of the group coming together yes but yeah so at then later when chris finally well he keeps going to jerry's house which is kind of funny jerry keeps having him come over yeah um i do wonder how old cherry is because like they all they like he doesn't look super old so maybe they're he does is more of a peer with them I don't know um but another line that was really funny when he came over I think this is before no no I think think it was a long time ago in the movie but I do want to mention it one of the times that he goes over out of like you talk like Chris is just saying things and then like out of nowhere he's like and I'm only saying this because I care but there are a lot of decaffeinated brands out there that taste just as real things
01:03:17
Speaker
And, like, apropos of nothing, which I feel like is another Sean type thing to do. would Just, like, be saying stuff.
01:03:26
Speaker
um So, yeah. Oh, another cute thing that he did. Okay, so once he gets, like, his butt handed to him by Jerry and Jerry threatens to, like...
01:03:38
Speaker
not let him graduate if he doesn't finish the laser chris and mitch chris starts taking things seriously he started doing a lot of work and there's a really there's also a fun moment where he's gonna test one of the iterations of the laser. Yeah. yeah And he's just so cute about everything, but he's like, yeah like as long as you stay cool.
01:03:58
Speaker
And he kind of like gives it like a look, the laser cuts it. And it's so funny. And it just, it does, it feels like a shot of just like how he is sort of just like adding so much enjoyment to yeah yeah everything that he has to do. Like he's just...
01:04:20
Speaker
He's making things fun because he can. And it's such a like beautiful lesson for us all. Like we all have that power to like make things like to dress ridiculously just to like have more fun.
01:04:33
Speaker
yeah And that is ultimately what Chris, I think he does come to. A point where he is able to do the science that he loves and be really smart and stuff, but also be having fun.
01:04:45
Speaker
So Shawnee, so psyche. It's amazing. yeah I love to piggyback off of that. I love he starts to take his studies seriously. He's like getting ready for the final exam. Goes in, he takes the exam, he finishes first, he hands it in to Hathaway with a little paper that says, i aced this.
01:05:05
Speaker
He gives him an apple. Walks over the roof. Hathaway throws the apple to the garbage and
01:05:15
Speaker
then it explodes. This movie is so good. like There's so many great little details, little moments that are just so fun. yeah Also, a lot of montages. Speaking of like the study, yes it's it's like a real just fun eighty s movie. and like and I feel like in that you can feel the psychness too because yeah they are so inspired by the eighty s like forms.
01:05:39
Speaker
Yeah. There were like three good montages in this. Long. Yeah. And great music. But like it's so fun. No, totally. Yeah. Added to all of it.
01:05:51
Speaker
Yeah, so everything, like, they they finish the laser, they're going to graduate, everything is going great, and then Holyfield is, like, what, like, has this realization, I guess, that, like, what would you do with a laser like that? And they all sort of realize at the same time that it's a weapon, and they don't want to be a part of that.
01:06:12
Speaker
Yeah. They were just doing it for the love of the science. Of course. and And I think Holyfield talks about, like, how a similar... like that's kind of what disillusioned him with science maybe did he imply that like the idea of like something being used for something oh maybe other than it's intended or other than yeah yeah yeah kind of like taken advantage of in in a similar way yeah feel like that came up um
01:06:43
Speaker
Yeah, so they hatch this plan. They mess with Kent for, I don't remember why. so part of the problem that- They need something from him?
01:06:54
Speaker
Well, so they go they go back to the lab because they're like, he's going to use the laser for bad things. go back to the lab and the laser is gone. Hathaway has stolen it. But they need to find out where he's brought it.
01:07:06
Speaker
And they have no idea. So they go, OK, Kent's been in his back pocket. Maybe Kent has an idea. Oh, yeah. the laser is. So this is when they mess with Kent with all the Jesus stuff, in the stuff in his braces.
01:07:18
Speaker
And they get him to explain that something's happening on the 27th. He doesn't know what. He doesn't know where. He just knows that something's happening on the 27th.
01:07:30
Speaker
So they get Ick to follow Hathaway on his moped. And was thinking the whole time, how has he not realized that this red moped has been following him for like miles? But regardless.
01:07:44
Speaker
Jerry is You know, in his own world. the top 10 smart people? I don't know. I don't think so. After this, no. My assumption is no. So Ick ends up following him to essentially like a military base.
01:07:56
Speaker
And we realize that he's brought the weapon there. So they are going to hatch a plan to kind of make sure the laser isn't being used for bad things.
01:08:10
Speaker
And um part of this includes Jordan making them to ID cards. And I loved, I loved this little scene where she hands them to Mitch and to Chris and she goes, how they look?
01:08:22
Speaker
And Chris goes, terrible. Mine looks like him and his looks like me.
01:08:29
Speaker
Another great Shawnee one. so that i also love they're going over the, over the plan IDs and stuff. And she's like, what if these don't fool anybody?
01:08:40
Speaker
And Chris is like, they shoot us. Yeah. Like, so yeah literal.
01:08:49
Speaker
Yeah. and It really looked like there was a minute where they weren't going to fool the security guards. Yeah. And they really, ah another great yeah sort of shot at them chris talks them right in there yeah he does a pretty good job of it too and i don't know if this would be reference but it did remind me of in the psych episode which no i was like is that also the one with the strivency but it's not um but the one with the ewan where they sneak on to the base is ewan in that one though
01:09:23
Speaker
the woman strubinsky he is right oh no it references him oh the spy is like worked with you and and that's why she yeah comes to them um but yeah so them sneaking on reminded me of yes that totally which is fun Yes, sir they get in there and they do a lot of techie stuff that, again, science things that I was like, sure.
01:09:50
Speaker
Yeah. I guess. No idea. No clue. They use the code names Abbott and Costello, which I was like, that's very fitting for this movie. Yeah, because first they establish a connection to Holyfield back at school, I think. Yes, through the computer.
01:10:04
Speaker
Yes. um And they're kind of reporting back to each other. um and yeah, I think they're I think Holyfield then is redirecting missile, but then they also add something, which I don't know what that little piece of equipment was. i don't know what that was either. And they drop the old one, which Hathaway later when they when they do come in, he sees, but he doesn't really, he still doesn't know what's going on.
01:10:31
Speaker
Yeah, not in the top 10. No. I think this is why he had to take advantage of a bunch of children o to build his laser. Yes. um Yeah, so they sneak out in the nick of time.
01:10:43
Speaker
Yes. They gather everybody at Jerry's house and but this test of the laser um goes very poorly. And then it self-destructs. Oh, maybe that was what the thing did.
01:10:57
Speaker
that would make sense. Like, prevented it from... Because it's supposed to just, like, it turns on and shoots the laser and turns off. Like, part of the cooling thing, part of what they had to do to make it work was to use something frozen. I don't know. It's a bunch of science.
01:11:12
Speaker
But part of what they did to it was like prevent it from like shutting itself off, I think, so that it basically melted. That makes sense. So like kind of self-destructed.
01:11:23
Speaker
Perfect. So no one else could use the laser again. Yeah. So not only did they make him look a fool, they broke it. And destroyed his house with popcorn. Yeah. Like, wow.
01:11:36
Speaker
So good. Keep coming for Jerry. So clean. What a nice little bow. Yeah. And then it's like over. and yet i was kind of expecting. Well, we do get a lovely scene of everybody.
01:11:48
Speaker
um Everybody like. but all the neighbors coming in, playing in the popcorn, and then Holyfield drives up in his Winnebago with all of his many prizes from his team's cake. And he's marrying Sherry, and I think it's, I believe it's revealed that Holyfield is the number one smartest person in the world. Yes.
01:12:08
Speaker
And she had been looking for him. Creepy. Yeah.
01:12:15
Speaker
Yeah. um and theyre So they're going go off Do something. feel like they had plans. I don't remember. Oh, she has a cabin in Wisconsin.
01:12:27
Speaker
Something, something that they're going to. Yeah. yeah um And mean, just, yeah, we see our gang just like look watching the popcorn and they're so cute and it feels so beautiful.
01:12:38
Speaker
had s It does. Breakfast club now and then. It just has that feeling. Yes. And then Tears for Fingers plays. and Yeah. the The outro credits.
01:12:49
Speaker
and Yeah, and Jerry comes to his house and he just stares at it. and then this dog who he was mean to comes back. Yeah, this dog. What was this dog?
01:13:00
Speaker
think it's just like a neighbor dog. And Jerry is like mean to the dog. I think it's just another way to show that he's an asshole. I mean, but yeah, totally. But I, this movie, I love this movie.
01:13:15
Speaker
Loved it. is It was great. Very serendipitous that we watched it first. Yes. I think a perfect way to start our foundations classes. Yes.
01:13:26
Speaker
What are we going watch next? Next, I think we're going to watch some Columbo. Yes. You mentioned what episode we're going watch.
01:13:36
Speaker
Yes. Which one did I tell you? Because there was a couple I was thinking about. um I told you Oh, Any Old Port in a Storm. Okay. Very good. Streaming for you on Tubi, our best friend. Yes, we love Tubi.
01:13:50
Speaker
And then I think just the pilot of Moonlighting. Perfect. Maybe the first couple if we... have the time yeah yeah and then on deck we wanted to return to the mummy the original and then also do a little bit of a original like screwball comedy because steve franks mentioned the influence of that kind of the fast talking and stuff yeah totally yeah
01:14:27
Speaker
Yeah, so we have a lot to look forward to before we venture into season three. i know. i'm i think this is a good mid-season.
01:14:40
Speaker
mid-series in between interseason yeah I think that's a good point because like we have talked about again how like you know going season two to three feels kind of like a turning point and it does feel like it's really settling into itself like the show is you know they know what they are in a way that you know They were maybe still figuring out in the beginning. Not that, I mean, obviously it's been perfect from moment one, but just like the psychisms, like they're just like really leaning into everything.
01:15:11
Speaker
Yeah. um And so it's fun to, at this point, go back to these, go to these that we have never watched, but go to these like influential texts.
01:15:23
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah, and I think it's going to make for a ah richer viewing of the next couple of seasons. So maybe we'll do some more of these in between seasons. Yeah, it's kind of, I mean, because our if our seasons are like a school year, it's like our summer reading list.
01:15:40
Speaker
Oh my gosh, perfect. That's what we should call it. so I know, it's hard because it is spring. but like Oh, you're right. But I mean, are a year-round school. We are, that's true.
01:15:51
Speaker
We are constant Learners. yeah What is it? where Students of life. Students of psych. if That's us.
01:16:02
Speaker
And if that's you, next time we'll be talking about Columbo and moonlighting to get a better understanding of our famed TV show, psych.
01:16:15
Speaker
Bye. The C6101 would like to thank and credit the design efforts of Olavia Genesis, musical talents of Skane Music and Mikael Hunt, the production abilities of Kyle Dalton and Skillard Jensen, and of course, the support of our friends and family.
01:16:29
Speaker
If you enjoyed the episode, make sure to rate review and join us back here next time for more the Sci6101.