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Everything Action Commentary: The Principal (1987)
23 Plays8 days ago
For the latest Everything Action Commentary, as summer winds down and the back-to-school season begins, Zach and Chris watched the 1987 action comedy The Principal.
Jim Belushi stars as Rick Latimer, who gets sent to be the principal of the crime-ridden Brandel High after an arrest for fighting at a local bar. Working with the school's head guard, Jake Phillips (Louis Gossett Jr.), Rick tries to clean up the school, get the kids back into class and take down the head of main gang threatening the school, Victor Duncan (Michael Wright). While watching the movie, Zach and Chris discuss how Rick seems to be able to turn people to his side after just one conversation, Rick's driving a motorcycle into the school, disgusting drink combinations, the secret real villain of the movie, the insane editing of the final fight and more.
You can watch The Principal on Tubi or rent it from sites like Fandango at Home or Prime Video and sync it up with our commentary track to watch along.
We want to hear your comments and feedback. Send them all to contact@everythingaction.com. Also, let us know your suggestions for movies for us to discuss.
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Transcript
Introduction and Theme
00:00:01
Speaker
Hello and welcome to another Every Nation commentary, which is your commentary for August 2025.
00:00:13
Speaker
I'm your host Zach. And I'm your co-host Chris.
00:00:21
Speaker
and welcome to another every national commentary commentary for august twenty five um rijo zak um'm your co-host chris And yeah, summer's winding down.
High School Action Movies Discussion
00:00:31
Speaker
It's back to school time for a lot of people.
00:00:33
Speaker
So we thought, let's get into the back to school spirit and watch a school-based movie. And there's a shockingly high number of like high school-based action movies.
00:00:44
Speaker
There's like the Substitute series. There's Class of 1984, Class of 1989. um probably Probably a lot more. ah Dangerous Minds count? This is not an action movie.
00:00:55
Speaker
She does karate, but Which doesn't do anything in the movie. she's not like She's not fighting like the get like the main gang. There's like ah there's like a weird subject where a gang is taken over school and then like a tough teacher who's secretly a special forces person or a soldier has to come in and like like take them down. Or someone that like is just prepared for it.
00:01:21
Speaker
Yeah. right like It's like, I'll stand up to this gang or this drug ring or whatever.
Announcement: Watching 'The Principal'
00:01:25
Speaker
that when there's Whatever's happening to school, I'll stop it And so, yeah, so we were watching the 1987 Jim Belushi classic, The Principal, ah which is in in that genre, where ah yeah Jim Belushi shows is like sent to a school where like the worst of the worst are sent, and he has to try to clean it up and ban all the gangs and team with Lou Gossett Jr.,
00:01:51
Speaker
So it is, it's streaming on Tubi. So if you want to check it out on Tubi, ah it's over there. Or i guess buy it or rent it from other places. I think it might also be streaming on Philo, if you have that weird service.
00:02:05
Speaker
um But yeah, Tubi is definitely the main place to check it out. um So wherever you get it, we are paused at zero ah right before the production logos has come up.
Pre-Movie Commentary and Jokes
00:02:16
Speaker
So go to get that paused.
00:02:20
Speaker
And then I'll give the countdown here. we get started. so five, four, three, to one play
80's Culture and Movie Setup
00:02:49
Speaker
Is Tristar still around? um though it's this I think it's a Sony company now. Yeah, of course, Jim Belushi, there's only got to be the blues go happening.
00:03:09
Speaker
You think Jim Belushi did the soundtrack too? No. but
00:03:13
Speaker
I wouldn't be surprised if he showed up in a harmonica in this movie. like It's like, let me tell you kids about the blues.
00:03:47
Speaker
Back in the 80s, you could just order a flaming shot at a bar. Yep. And they would leave it flaming for you.
00:04:09
Speaker
Ah, barflies. That was just like, thing that was just like, socially acceptable. Yeah, like, cheers was on. Yeah, just, like, rampant alcoholism.
00:04:22
Speaker
It was a great time. I mean, he probably could be driving a car right later. Yeah.
00:04:30
Speaker
And if we remember the history, like, seatbelt laws were just barely enforced.
Plot Introduction: School Takeover
00:04:35
Speaker
Mm-hmm.
00:04:40
Speaker
And then, like, I think this is before CJF took over this concept of like big ballroom bar restaurants.
00:04:49
Speaker
Yeah, I think cocktail was like, what, 89?
00:04:57
Speaker
Maybe like 88. No, it could be 89. But yeah, like it didn't like rampantly spread into all these major cities of like the like neighborhood bar.
00:05:08
Speaker
hmm.
00:05:15
Speaker
Also, I like that all their beer is the same. Like, this yeah beer was just, like, the one one thing. They only served one kind of beer. It's all Coors Light, it's in the background. And Jellybean, is this the music?
00:05:30
Speaker
I have no idea who Jellybean is. I thought you did. I was like, oh, okay. I'm assuming he's, like, a blues guy.
00:05:40
Speaker
Chekhov's bat. Oh, boy.
00:06:00
Speaker
The hero of our movie. Yep. He's like the villain another movie. He's just sandwichly beat this guy. I
00:06:13
Speaker
i don't want you see you back here in this TGIF ever again.
00:06:53
Speaker
He's going for Carrie Underwood.
00:06:56
Speaker
i ran my bad in his Porsche. Porsche and ruined the good time at Johnny B. Goode's. Yep.
00:07:20
Speaker
Wow, the police respond time is pretty good. Yeah.
00:07:26
Speaker
Chipoloo, he's running around with a bat? He's going crazy?
00:07:49
Speaker
Also, pretty cool school teacher. Just, you like, raging alcoholic, pervert.
00:07:57
Speaker
yeah
00:08:02
Speaker
Is this like the library? Like, this does not look like a normal classroom. all this is the 80s where there's wacky colors and whatever.
00:08:12
Speaker
No, this is... That was a classroom. What is this concept? It's L.A. Oh, you think it's like... No, it's L.A. Yeah, because it's inside it's inside lockers.
00:08:23
Speaker
So it has to be like a winter place where it's like inside lockers, so...
Character Analysis: Jim Belushi's Role
00:08:29
Speaker
Like Seattle?
00:08:36
Speaker
That's a winter one we did with that Porsche. Yup.
00:08:56
Speaker
back Is background smoke in like the teacher's lounge like this? Yep. But
00:09:18
Speaker
yeah, this doesn't seem like a... It's not like a school, though. The scale on the back of this definitely some sort of like law firm's like boardroom. Yeah, what school teacher has, like, a scale? Yeah. What principal is, like, I like like to measure my grains?
00:09:40
Speaker
Bring your bat.
00:09:54
Speaker
Is he still drunk from the night before?
00:10:02
Speaker
God, what is this horrendous crap she's going to make?
00:10:07
Speaker
Well, it's the 80s where like no one knew how to make like homemade cocktails. So you just you just did whatever. You gave yourself food poisoning all the time.
00:10:32
Speaker
Coke, I mean, guess it's that it's not as bad, but I feel like, just drink the Coke. i And it was like protein powder, it just like it was like chocolate milk syrup. It was like Nesquik.
00:10:57
Speaker
I'm confused. Like, was that LA? Because like, there's palm trees in this like, area now. Yeah. Yeah.
00:11:06
Speaker
But he's like geared up for
00:11:11
Speaker
like cold weather. Well, they filmed it so that their school we just saw was in ah cal like Walnut Creek, California. But
00:11:25
Speaker
but it's weird for like a West Coast high school to have indoor lockers. Usually they're always like outside and stuff.
00:11:35
Speaker
And then this this new school he's going to, i guess, is like an old college in Oakland.
00:11:49
Speaker
His commute is like two hours. it's like yeah It's like... Yeah! He's like... He started like the mountains.
00:12:05
Speaker
If you think about it, we're still three years, four years away from a Terminator 2. So this was just like like sort of the pre-Terminator look of a guy on a motorcycle.
00:12:23
Speaker
It was Jim Belushi. Yeah. Trendsetter.
00:12:35
Speaker
also like that basically this is the almost the same kind of guy from Animal House. like It's whatever his name is from Animal House that played by his brother. What if he got a job as a teacher and now he is... What if he's like an a rage-filled alcoholic teacher? ye
00:13:15
Speaker
I'm the principal here. There are rules.
00:13:22
Speaker
like So the school's like like an industrial area.
00:13:27
Speaker
But it's like an industrial area next to like ah so like houses. Yeah.
00:13:42
Speaker
Is this a Jellybean song?
00:13:49
Speaker
Is this an active school? Like, I don't understand. Like, where is everybody?
00:14:16
Speaker
Also, as far as you know, like Jim Belushi doesn't have any like military... He doesn't have any special skills, right? He's just angry. that's like yeah It's his power. The power of alcoholism.
00:14:27
Speaker
Yeah. He's gotten into a lot of bar fights. Oh,
Plot Development and Twists
00:14:32
Speaker
he said the title of the movie...
00:15:04
Speaker
So I feel like maybe the one student is an actual student and then the guy with the longer hair or the beard is like way too old to be a high schooler. He's been left behind a couple times.
00:15:43
Speaker
oh
00:16:06
Speaker
Shut up Whitezac. yeah
00:16:14
Speaker
that Did Jim Belushi know where like his office is? just sort of wandered in. just He just took it. He's like, this is my office now. I don't care if it is
00:17:01
Speaker
We don't really do police here.
00:17:10
Speaker
feel like Louis Gasset Jr. should have been the principal. Probably, yeah.
00:17:19
Speaker
What's funny, because like is he's like the principal in, was it Toy Soldiers? Yep.
00:17:42
Speaker
Throw in the school jail.
00:18:12
Speaker
So this is like the super school for like the most, the worst kids. Yeah. Basically like Alcatraz. It's like the Ark. It's like Arkham. Yeah. Cause they're all like rejected from other places. Yeah. The most violent school.
00:19:23
Speaker
I get the metaphor is that they're basically in a prison. Like, this is prison school. Yeah.
00:19:35
Speaker
You know what they need is some robot teachers that will, like, kill them. Yeah. But also feel like there has to be one or two students who just, like, unfortunately, like, are zoned for this.
00:19:46
Speaker
they They live... It's like, well, you're in the district. You live in the district. they have to go to school.
Tension and Comedy
00:19:52
Speaker
Yeah, this is just your local school. school. Because I get, it like, a lot of them have been rejected, but
00:20:02
Speaker
There has to be one or two kids are just like, i had no other option. Like, this was, my parents can't take me out. like Because normally if you have to go to another district, you have to like pay.
00:20:42
Speaker
Is it still Jim Belushi's first day? it short Maybe, yeah.
00:20:49
Speaker
They both changed shirts, didn't they? This has to be like day two. Mm-hmm.
00:21:15
Speaker
He's going for a data processing job. I don't even know what that means back in the 80s.
00:21:23
Speaker
It's like, you you make you put you put this punch card in this machine, this computer.
00:21:37
Speaker
I get that the district is just like, we put our worst of the worst in the school. But like...
00:21:45
Speaker
There needs to be like way more... It's like comical how understaffed and everything is about this building. Yeah.
00:22:01
Speaker
like It should be one of those things where like they walk by a classroom and it's just like kids teaching kids.
00:22:12
Speaker
it's like that, forget what Simpsons is, but like, oh, I think it's the one that gets snowed in, and it ends up like Martins in a cage. yeah Like a pet cage. Yeah, it becomes Lord of the Flies.
00:22:24
Speaker
yeah
00:22:29
Speaker
like Everything about the school looks like a music video for a thing. Like Beat It's gonna start playing? even that, like NWA. Yeah.
00:23:34
Speaker
Did she start dating her divorce lawyer? Yep.
00:23:50
Speaker
Me. The guy who has like an aggravated assault crime. Probably, yeah.
00:23:58
Speaker
Did he just, like, run off before, like... there but Yeah, there was no mention of him being arrested, right? That he was getting, like, charges. Well, he got, like, detained. Is he back at the same bar?
00:24:11
Speaker
Probably, yeah. It's we can't let Rick go. He's the life of the place. Yeah.
00:24:18
Speaker
The baseball shit was hilarious.
00:24:28
Speaker
I don't know if I like Johnny B. Good's bar here, or is it just like... Like, they definitely over-serve. Yeah, whatever. Did you have five shots? your motorcycle.
00:24:52
Speaker
I can't tell if Jim Belushi's late for work or early for work.
00:24:59
Speaker
I'm just wander to school at night and just think about my life. With like sexy jazz music? Yeah. it' They they cut like cut to like a the hallway like we've got students playing saxophone.
00:25:16
Speaker
Also, is Victor Duncan played by the guy who played Benny in ah Total Recall?
00:25:25
Speaker
I think it is.
00:25:32
Speaker
Victor Duncan. Michael Wright.
00:25:52
Speaker
ah No, he was he wasn't in Total Recall. Damn.
00:26:08
Speaker
He was on V.
00:26:12
Speaker
Like, multiple Vs. yeah
00:27:32
Speaker
That's right on Chung, right? huh So it's like definitely 10 years before the Matrix, though.
00:27:52
Speaker
I feel like there's a hidden drinking game in this movie where they say the principal, like, take a shot.
00:28:07
Speaker
ah This isn't right down, but... That actor looks familiar. like yeah I think that was a Cy Morellas.
00:28:22
Speaker
Oh, wow, you're right. Yeah, that's why he looks familiar. Yeah, this is before he like started working for the ah the Entity... He was just here mouthing Jim Belushi. this is This is where you like he lost his like ah faith humanity. He's like, I'm going to work for an AI.
00:28:57
Speaker
ah dare you English me!
School Improvement and Relationships
00:29:23
Speaker
going rock out.
00:29:26
Speaker
going get my harmonica.
00:29:35
Speaker
guys like the blues, brothers? Well, check this out check this out. Well, I don't have a... It's like me and Louis Casas Jr. All
00:29:54
Speaker
Get off my foot.
00:30:09
Speaker
What? Best principle ever.
00:30:40
Speaker
He said win them over with insult comedy. Death Jam time. Yup. You guys like Death Jam?
00:31:26
Speaker
You're not... I'm not trapped here with you, you're trapped here with me, the principal. He's just like, Victor Duncan, get up here! He's just like, beating him. Oh, shit.
00:31:53
Speaker
oh shit
00:31:59
Speaker
Why's Blade here?
00:32:03
Speaker
Some motherfucker's always trying to ice skate uphill.
00:32:22
Speaker
Where's my bat? Uh-oh. Now is coming the, uh, the bad music video.
00:32:32
Speaker
Yep.
00:32:46
Speaker
Everyone in this high school looks like they're 30. Mm-hmm.
00:33:13
Speaker
Also, is Victor Duncan like a student? Or just like... He just visits here. Yeah. I gotta see my minions.
00:33:30
Speaker
Look, he has such a like growly voice for a high school teen.
00:33:39
Speaker
Also, who are these people? like Jim Belushi's posse.
00:33:43
Speaker
Yeah.
00:33:59
Speaker
Trying to learn in my school.
00:34:47
Speaker
Also, is Jim Belushi secretly like a superhero? He like... broke He broke a metal like a metal knife? Yeah. Also, what is the art on the wall? missed that part.
00:35:09
Speaker
i missed that part because Every time they were going back to that door, there's the dude with like a cane. Like he's about to break out a dance number. A vanity cane.
00:35:46
Speaker
Yeah, I'm in the blaze room.
00:35:49
Speaker
ah the principal.
00:36:19
Speaker
So I'm a little, like, he cares about his job suddenly. Yeah. Like, there wasn't, like, someone... It wasn't someone that, like, told him, like, hey, like, be great if you got your life together, or, like, some catalyst. It's just sort of like that one sexy jazz sequence.
00:36:37
Speaker
And now he's, like... Oh, he's regressing, though. Yep. Now we're doing chocolate milk powder and, uh, Coors. Yeah.
00:36:55
Speaker
Like he's getting cooler.
00:37:00
Speaker
Yeah, now he has no tie. so he's a tie. Oh, okay. It's just dark tie.
00:37:22
Speaker
Like, he doesn't want to do his job.
00:37:36
Speaker
Hell yeah.
00:37:42
Speaker
you think they get double the pay? For like, a guard and a teacher? Yeah. Hazard pay? It's like, Lucas Drew's just like, yeah, we're gonna bust some heads.
00:38:09
Speaker
See that guy that was like dressed like a club? Like a dance club?
00:38:46
Speaker
Oh man, this classic jam set it off.
00:39:10
Speaker
Oh man, this classic dance jam set it off. Oh hell yeah.
00:39:17
Speaker
I want the soundtrack on vinyl.
00:39:29
Speaker
Oh my
00:40:53
Speaker
Wow, we timed that right.
00:41:04
Speaker
like how they got that we they guy back into class for like two seconds. Yep, he learned nothing. like Yep.
00:41:30
Speaker
Why is like every villainous character sounding like a cartoon villain?
00:41:37
Speaker
Like low whispers? Yeah.
00:41:59
Speaker
Also, is this the first time they're meeting?
00:42:03
Speaker
mean, he burst into the teacher's lounge.
00:42:31
Speaker
It's like the one good student in the entire school. Yeah.
00:43:28
Speaker
on, call the principal again. is actually deep.
Climax and Resolution
00:44:34
Speaker
Oh,
00:44:39
Speaker
jeez.
00:44:46
Speaker
Seriously, I think you let let a homeless person into your classroom. Yeah.
00:44:51
Speaker
They were establishing their territory.
00:45:39
Speaker
I got that one English teacher looks like the character from like Dinner with what's-his-face like...
00:45:51
Speaker
He does look familiar. Yeah, yeah, I'm like...
00:45:56
Speaker
Dinner with Andre?
00:46:47
Speaker
Do these people know that they're in this movie? I feel like that was just like candid footage of yeah downtown. They're just guerrilla style stealing footage. Yep.
00:47:29
Speaker
Also, is like Jim Belushi's high school also owned an apartment? like why is everything looking like it's built by the same developer and then run down?
00:48:48
Speaker
A two-year waitlist for like ah like a McDonald's? I guess maybe it's not like McDonald's. It's like more of a roadside one. But that's actually like really popular then. Yeah.
00:49:27
Speaker
Had to give myself a 90s haircut.
00:49:44
Speaker
Like she had spend time crimping her hair to get that pattern. but how How are people bonding with Rick so quickly?
00:49:59
Speaker
He's reaching
00:51:07
Speaker
School's out.
00:51:18
Speaker
Also, one kid's wearing a Sherlock Holmes hat. You see that? but yeah
00:51:39
Speaker
And I stripped that bike really quick. Mm-hmm. With like their... It seems like with their bare hands, they're just like ripping pieces off of it. It's...
00:52:13
Speaker
Does he know who did it?
00:52:58
Speaker
Jim Belushi's in there. Yep. Nope, he did the classic, just wait around the corner.
00:53:31
Speaker
Wait, three months? It's like... It's like Mark. It's like
00:53:44
Speaker
yeah no sense of timee
00:53:58
Speaker
Also for March, why are they dressed like it's winter? Mm-hmm. Granted, like, West Coast, they don't handle, like, weather well. Yeah, it's like 50 hours. We gotta bundle up.
00:54:33
Speaker
Another jazz number.
00:54:35
Speaker
Oh, he's got his bat now. Oh, shit. You that's the same bat from... He went to the bar was like, I'm getting that bat.
00:54:54
Speaker
Principle.
00:55:20
Speaker
don't know these guys are his friends. Like, he didn't do anything for them. You know, like, I... yeah yeah It's like, he talked like, Asai Morellas, like, once in the gym. And then he saw the one other kid in, like, class, and that was his.
00:55:34
Speaker
But now the Latino gang is just like, you're one of us now.
00:55:38
Speaker
You're part of, like, the mechanic class.
00:55:44
Speaker
He's gonna drive around, like, ah like a vigilante now on his motorcycle. like he has a holster for his batter already. Like, did they make that for him? Yep. Was
00:55:56
Speaker
that Rice Krispies? What drugs were that? Was it pills?
00:56:04
Speaker
Not the beer. Oh.
00:56:21
Speaker
Oh shit, it's El Principal! It's like a superhero name now. It's like, El Principal was here! i mean, it kind of has the same structure as a superhero movie.
00:56:50
Speaker
Man, all my principals weren't as cool as this. they They were, like, engaging in high-speed car chases. Busting up drug deals? Yup. Yeah, they didn't do that.
00:57:46
Speaker
Is this the high school? I think so, yeah.
00:58:43
Speaker
Dirty principle.
00:58:46
Speaker
okay
01:00:10
Speaker
Wait, this guy was like the quarterback?
01:00:31
Speaker
the The New York Titans, okay. Maybe it was a minor league.
01:01:01
Speaker
For your Oscar consideration, Luke Gossett Jr.
01:01:08
Speaker
Could get a second one. I feel like... Was Iron Eagles before this?
01:01:23
Speaker
It was like the year before this, yeah.
01:01:31
Speaker
I feel like he was awesome as Chappie. Mm-hmm.
01:01:37
Speaker
Now he's just like the security head, chief of security for the school.
01:02:06
Speaker
Cue a montage. A cleaning up school montage. Just painting. Yep. Avoid getting stabbed.
01:02:15
Speaker
He just lives at the school because like he can't leave because Duncan is just circling the block.
01:02:44
Speaker
Also, why did Emil, like, stylize his, uh... Yeah, give it, yeah, give it, like...
01:02:53
Speaker
Oh, do some forensics.
01:02:57
Speaker
Comparing the handwriting, and then... I don't know if that's, like, the two, like... They look like two different, like, people...
01:03:38
Speaker
you It's like a serial killer now.
01:03:56
Speaker
That's your high school principal.
01:04:16
Speaker
Oh, the Zodiac Killer's back. Yeah, I know.
01:05:08
Speaker
but geez
01:05:12
Speaker
Man, good thing those hallways are super wide. Yep.
01:05:27
Speaker
I mean, this part comes out of nowhere because very, like, serious and it's just like, let's make it more serious. It's like, why is this random person targeting Ridan Chong?
01:05:51
Speaker
Turns out White Zack is like a true scumbag. Yep. He's the true villain.
01:06:18
Speaker
How did he get in this room from outside?
01:06:26
Speaker
On his motorcycle? Like, like, Chibulushi? No, no, like, Zack. That white Zack. That was outside, and then he was able to break into that, like, storage closet from the outside?
01:06:37
Speaker
Yeah, because it's open to the hallway.
01:07:37
Speaker
go go this
01:07:44
Speaker
Okay, so is he the one doing the accent in his head?
01:07:50
Speaker
feel like Shibbolu-shib is not even paying attention to the paper anymore, it's still going. Normally, normally you the person is like actually reading it, but Shibbolu-shib is sort of like looking around is like, yep, I'm thinking about this paper.
01:08:02
Speaker
Yep. Birds. Bird shit, man. That's cool.
01:08:27
Speaker
But White Zack was like a one-man thing. Like, I... I don't... It's like, was Victor's only, like, rival was that one guy? White Zack? Yeah.
01:09:00
Speaker
Yeah, I want to be all kinds birds.
01:09:09
Speaker
and There goes the substitute.
01:09:18
Speaker
Also, was this like... This is at least two years before kindergarten... No, two years after kindergarten cop, right? So like... The tough guy cop working in a school, or tough person working in a school.
01:09:34
Speaker
I think they started with that idea, and they were like, what if Jim Belushi, and then what if not a cop? Well, it's crazy, because the substitute was like 10 years after this. It was like 1996.
01:09:45
Speaker
Yeah, which is, I always thought this came after. Yeah. Yeah.
Genre Discussion and Themes
01:10:24
Speaker
Like, is it, Arturo's like way younger than anyone else? Like, he's like the youngest kid here. He's just really smart for his age. Maybe. It's like, okay, you're a prodigy, like for a young kid, but, um.
01:10:38
Speaker
Unfortunately, you live in this neighborhood, so you can't go anywhere else. you get for this. Yeah. He's like a really smart, like 13 year old. Mm-hmm.
01:12:04
Speaker
get to Get them all in what better shape so they can fight you more better. So you become, like, ah bigger threat to me later. but all its like You make them all, like, super jacked. It's like, oh shit, it's backfired.
01:12:18
Speaker
I made them really fit.
01:13:07
Speaker
I guess he's not approached you, Chris. The opposite. He's actually like 40. forty
01:14:23
Speaker
I hate reading. Turns out he also can't read. yeah just like That's entire problem this whole school is no one can read. You're in
01:14:43
Speaker
um youre ah you're in high school. yeah
01:15:35
Speaker
Oh shit, he's making a difference.
01:15:40
Speaker
He's reaching these kids!
01:15:49
Speaker
Did Jimbo Lushu sneak out like the back? I don't... yeah How did he get ahead of him?
01:17:19
Speaker
It's so weird how, like, they bond. Like, it just, like, happens so quick in this movie. It's like, we're friends now, because you told me, like, one sentence of information.
01:17:31
Speaker
Yeah, it's like, Jim Belushi has, like, one conversation with like, a person, they're like, oh, you're cool. Reveal some secrets.
01:17:53
Speaker
Yeah, learning!
01:18:01
Speaker
yeah where Where was, like, Victor watching that from a distance? Like, up the block?
01:18:07
Speaker
I see everything!
01:19:45
Speaker
I was just gonna have just coconut chocolate powder.
01:20:03
Speaker
It's such like a weird like like positioning. Yeah, it was like framed like a play.
01:20:14
Speaker
So, is this the dinner? Yeah! It's such a rough cut of, like, things, that's why. He had dinner, and he's like, well, I gotta back to school. gotta patrol the school. It's my alter ego, the biker.
01:20:28
Speaker
El principal. El principal.
01:20:39
Speaker
He's like, ghost rider.
01:21:31
Speaker
So this movie has some crazy, like... Total shifts? Yeah, well, it's like 20 minutes of stable, like, plot, and it's, like, progressing, and then, like, something crazy happens.
01:21:42
Speaker
Yeah. Someone's, like, violently assaulted. Mm-hmm.
01:21:53
Speaker
Well...
01:22:00
Speaker
shelu She gave up.
01:22:14
Speaker
Do they just tolerate? All right, Rick, see you tomorrow. It's like, damn, we're trying to close Rick. Come on.
01:22:25
Speaker
Well, they shouldn't open. It's like the middle of day. It's like right out.
01:22:32
Speaker
Is he drunk driving his motorcycle? I guess so. Or it's like he just went there and just was a dick. He didn't drink. I want to stack up these shot glasses. I'm going to stack them up.
01:22:50
Speaker
like It should be a scene him pulling over and like throwing up. And it's like that would have been like, alright, he's drunk. If anything, he's just pissed. yes
01:23:22
Speaker
He's got the 1987 care possible.
01:23:42
Speaker
Under this comes, he's like, Sir, he's in a coma.
01:23:47
Speaker
It's implied that he is.
01:23:55
Speaker
I'm so sorry I taught you how to read
01:24:02
Speaker
it. I tried to teach you about World War one
01:24:20
Speaker
like Wouldn't this make more sense that Altoro's in this? Or like... Yeah. Or even anyone else. Like, literally, he just asked, like, Emil, like, hey, what's up? Alright, cool, bye.
01:24:44
Speaker
Shut up.
01:25:07
Speaker
The school needs to be closed.
01:25:28
Speaker
He's still drunk and tries to fight him. What'd you say to me?
01:25:50
Speaker
You know what? I'm surprised. There is no montage.
01:25:54
Speaker
They had like a ah clean, this like, get everyone to class part, but that wasn't quite a montage. Because that was still like the same day.
01:26:09
Speaker
Also, is this the cafeteria or is just like a back alley? what It's a cafe.
01:27:21
Speaker
they're I get like being like like Michael Scott like I declare bankruptcy yeah weird like you're expelled
01:27:38
Speaker
everyone knows how pathetic he is
01:27:59
Speaker
Also, like, why did they let him go? They're like, alright, well, come back and, like, yeah, pay your bail. And then he just ran away.
01:28:11
Speaker
you're You're a violent rapist. that you you can We'll trust you. Just pay your bail.
01:29:06
Speaker
you even get, like, the name of this Asian?
01:29:12
Speaker
Whatever your name is.
01:29:18
Speaker
How much time has passed? Her arm healed. Mm-hmm.
01:29:30
Speaker
Kotae Flophouse.
01:29:36
Speaker
You're not the girl I ordered.
01:29:45
Speaker
Can I interest you in chocolate beer?
01:30:06
Speaker
I'm bailing. I give up.
01:30:18
Speaker
But everyone, it makes sense for her, you know? Mm-hmm.
01:30:35
Speaker
He's got no students. He's got no no girlfriend. Yup.
01:30:44
Speaker
So many awkward cuts.
01:32:02
Speaker
Alright, enjoy your summer. Yeah!
01:32:07
Speaker
c Successful year.
01:33:07
Speaker
Wait, her arm's broken again.
01:33:30
Speaker
she a ghost? What's happening here? Just wandering through the classroom.
01:33:42
Speaker
But like her arm was fine that other scene. Yeah. like
01:33:50
Speaker
Did she believe she imagined her? like
01:33:58
Speaker
When Zack found her again?
01:34:19
Speaker
but Is that his bike?
01:34:28
Speaker
Maybe. I don't know.
01:34:44
Speaker
um don think they're here for Arturo. I don't understand why it's like... They're not protecting him. I mean, i was they're they're here for you, Jibalushi. Like, what do you think? Like, Victor said he's gonna kill you if he showed up.
01:35:00
Speaker
I guess they're waiting for him for an after-school kill?
01:35:04
Speaker
Also, how did she know? She just sort of like came back randomly? Mm-hmm.
01:35:43
Speaker
Oh boy.
01:36:11
Speaker
Ready for the big final fight?
01:36:16
Speaker
I think it's going to be about Victor. No, it's White Zack. He's back. He's the true villain.
01:36:22
Speaker
I was the one behind everything.
01:37:09
Speaker
Give me bat.
01:37:37
Speaker
Oh shit, they cut the phone lines!
01:37:41
Speaker
You think White Zack did that? He's like a mastermind, like, I know what the school, I don know what the phone lines are.
01:38:13
Speaker
Oh man, I hope Lukashtri uses those chains as like a weapon. and Yeah. Also, Victor's doing like a Candyman thing. Mm-hmm.
01:38:46
Speaker
Like, now it's shifted like a different movie.
01:38:54
Speaker
Right? Mm-hmm.
01:39:03
Speaker
You don't have to follow him.
01:39:05
Speaker
Yeah, like, clear this the trap.
01:39:21
Speaker
We're like going to new eras we've never been in this movie so far and Yeah. Like... The girl showers. You know for a school that is like hardly under budget, it's really big and has a lot of like facilities.
01:39:37
Speaker
Mm-hmm.
01:40:15
Speaker
Damn you, Rick James!
01:40:21
Speaker
Yeah, I don't think Louis Gasset Jr. does a lot in this movie besides, like, stern talking to, emotional dialogue, and then gets locked in a broom closet. They, like, shoves show kids in classes.
01:40:51
Speaker
they practice this? Yeah,
01:40:56
Speaker
this is like very choreographed.
01:41:25
Speaker
How did they lose him in that room? Like, it doesn't seem that big. Yeah.
01:41:34
Speaker
And Shibulushi doesn't seem like that stealthy. disappeared!
01:42:01
Speaker
He's definitely not behind his closed door. only closed door is his whole room. yeah
01:42:25
Speaker
You know what this needs more? Like, so like more covering. For to hide in. yeah We gotta get steamy in here
01:42:40
Speaker
here. and
01:42:46
Speaker
I don't understand how like he's able to hide from him for so long like this.
01:42:53
Speaker
I mean, you you can hear him running on the tile floor whatever it is
01:43:00
Speaker
And like they know he didn't run out the main door. Why is it dark in this section of the room?
01:43:07
Speaker
Yeah, the lighting is so... It's like part like... Partially no lights, partially like lights...
01:43:40
Speaker
Oh, dang. He's got a gun.
01:45:26
Speaker
Find some Lou Gustav Jr. action.
01:45:47
Speaker
Man, the editing's out control in this scene. Yep.
01:46:39
Speaker
That was like unceremonious, just like... Yeah! Just like, whoops! And then like, do you think that Rick James guy's dead? Maybe. oh yeah, I forgot White Sacks here somewhere!
01:47:11
Speaker
That's like its own separate thing. Yeah. so I'm going to kill Vincent and I'll be the king of the school. That got solved ridiculously quick.
01:47:22
Speaker
Yep.
01:47:26
Speaker
Oh, we forgot look yeah that like Rick is a super-powered man. Yeah.
01:47:33
Speaker
Guess what? I'm drunk. Ha ha!
01:47:43
Speaker
Rick's fighting style is unorthodox. Just smash you around. Bar fight. this is This is like many years of bar fighting experience. hu
01:47:55
Speaker
Say a slur. that's That's like the Jim Belushi way.
01:48:10
Speaker
Do it.
01:48:29
Speaker
Well, that lasted two seconds.
01:48:36
Speaker
Well, see, with Victor gone, now there'd be a power vacuum. Now the school's in worse condition.
01:48:51
Speaker
It's like, Arturo steps in is um'm duke I'm the new king the school. Yeah, White Jake's, like, double arrested. Victor's, are like, going to jail for murder. Mm-hmm.
01:49:24
Speaker
El principal.
01:49:50
Speaker
So, was that just like the first month of the school? i don't know I don't know how much time passed. Yeah.
01:50:04
Speaker
And then like, did that teacher from the the history teacher quit? Or did she stay? It seems like she accepted a job, but then she's like, oh, actually, no, I'm going to stay. and be I'm going to stay and be like the history teacher still.
01:50:21
Speaker
Okay. It doesn't, like, imply that. It seems like she just came back to say goodbye.
01:50:30
Speaker
Well, yeah, like like you said, it's such a weird scene of her just, like, wandering around like a ghost. Not acknowledging anybody. And then then what she's saying is sort of, like, cryptic. Like, I'm the teacher.
01:50:42
Speaker
I have students. This is this is my classroom. Uh-oh. think she's catatonic. yeah
01:50:51
Speaker
Also, like, Asai Morellis just disappeared, too.
01:50:56
Speaker
What? Asai Morellis? Like, he like seemed like he was going to be a major character, and he just disappeared? Well, he was writing that poetry about birds. And then, yeah, Jim Lushie had do that, and then, like, he just, like, left, he just stayed home and, like, did that. that's He never came back to school.
01:51:11
Speaker
Yeah, I think they, like, it feel like there was a subplot there, and then for over-scheduling reason, he just did not come back.
01:51:24
Speaker
But I mean, it's still like the movie's competent for just showing you like the the principal versus like this gang leader. The only issue is that like it's a lot of just rough edit cuts of just the in between.
01:51:40
Speaker
And there's no like escalation. Like I feel like a lot of it was just in the beginning where he cracks down on like the habits and gets people into school.
01:51:52
Speaker
And then it's like, that was like 10 minutes of that. And now it's another like 50 minutes of like random things. And it was, it it was kind of weird too. Cause like, it didn't really feel like the school was like improving. Like it like it was like little tiny hints that was improving, but it wasn't like they cleaned it up.
01:52:14
Speaker
Like a guy do paint job or like people like suits like really engaged. It's like, one or two students like engaged engaged with like the school, and then everyone was just like hanging out the same as they were.
01:52:25
Speaker
i mean, I guess that's the thing. It's like, you can't help everything, you've just only helped two people. Yeah, you helped like three students. and Even then, like, ah is Emil still in the hospital?
01:52:39
Speaker
i Yeah, think so. Yeah, so but that's never resolved. And then, Taria? to tera treat Trina, yeah. we never get anything about the sun again, or whatever.
01:52:51
Speaker
She was just, yeah, she was just hanging out with, like, everyone else was, like, waiting to see who, like, emerged victorious. And then, um, none of the teachers are just, like, you know, a student's doing well, like, we're doing great, like, we're gonna pass that, like,
01:53:05
Speaker
that certification for the school. like Usually you need another escalating thing for the school if you're the principal. like I get if you're the teacher, that's fine, right? your your teacher Think about the Stand By Me or even like the are I think it's Stand Deliver. the movie you're thinking of? No, Stand By Me is is the one where Morgan Freeman is the principal.
01:53:32
Speaker
so Lean me. lean on me. lean okay lean on me
01:53:37
Speaker
And that's the one where it's like, he does not hit his kid. He's just like, alright, we're gonna whip up this school to be a good school. No, there's Jim Belushi. Which, I think Lean on Me came out, like, after this?
01:53:51
Speaker
Yeah, was a couple years after this. And it was the same thing. He also has a bat.
01:53:59
Speaker
if ah if if if it' like Is that like a walking tall thing, too? ah kind of, but also, like... Yep. Everyone's kind of just like, oh yeah, that but the Locky Tall movie. like like It's just like, yeah, you get a bat and you just go around like, want you want to go? you want to go?
01:54:21
Speaker
you know what's even crazy? um The bat thing was definitely from the actual story from Lean On Me, which is based on a true story about a school in New Jersey.
01:54:32
Speaker
And then... Yeah, I think that's also where they got to do the year for the Bat in this one. Because like that was like such a thing where it's like, wow, check out like how this teacher was like...
01:54:45
Speaker
showing them discipline and carries it back to be like, we got to clean up. It was like everything you saw here was essentially like they ripped it from the headline from what actually happened.
01:54:55
Speaker
It's like yeah trying to clean up the drug use, clean up the the graffiti, like trying to get people back in class. Like, Lean On Me, those it's like they were just so late to make a movie based on it because the events were still happening.
01:55:08
Speaker
So I guess like their the response was the principle. They're like, what if we ramp up like the crazy things that happened?
01:55:16
Speaker
And then, yeah, um
01:55:21
Speaker
pretty much the, you know, this is the, this principle is like the fictionized version of the events of Lean On Me. Yeah.
01:55:32
Speaker
and then And then eventually, i mean, you get to the point, like, the substitute where it's like, it's it's a full-on, like, action movie. There's like, ah like shootouts and like like like, crazy stuff happening.
01:55:46
Speaker
Like, it's like, It kind like evolves into like... Well, now now we have like a special forces soldier in school like fighting the gangs. With guns.
01:55:58
Speaker
because you can't lean on me. You had stand and deliver. You had like dangerous minds. But they weren't really using... They weren't like actually fighting the gangs like with fists and guns.
01:56:11
Speaker
They were trying to change their minds with attitudes. like you know attitudes Yep, and like reading. And then there's there's just like, at some point in the mid-90s, it was just like, well, no, like Tom Baird just has to go with with like, his like, Special Forces crew and like, kill everybody. And then they were like, how many substitute movies? Like four?
01:56:35
Speaker
Yeah. Four or five?
01:56:41
Speaker
And there's there's like a Walker Tastes Ranger episode that was basically the same premise where like Walker had to go undercover as like a prince a substitute teacher and then he had like fight the evil like shop teacher that running a drug ring.
01:56:54
Speaker
You know, um I'm wondering if this genre is still around. Like if what's the latest like school person takes on like high school crime? Yeah, like a teacher is like has to like clean up the school or like like
01:57:08
Speaker
Yeah, trying to think like a recent one. At least I don't remember. No.
01:57:18
Speaker
But, I mean, if this this genre definitely was like a thing. You know, like a sub-genre of like action movie where it's like your school person does a crazy thing.
01:57:33
Speaker
wonder if the next addition to this genre should be like lunch person. that's all thr Yeah, like like the cafeteria like worker is like secretly like a Delta Force person or something. Yeah.
01:57:49
Speaker
It's like, well, all right, like I'll clean up a school, I guess.
01:58:01
Speaker
But yeah, principle, pretty solid. um i think I think I personally prefer The Substitute just because of how insane it gets at the end. with just like Like the action, where like it's like an actual action movie.
01:58:13
Speaker
Yeah. I grew up watching The Substitute more, so that's why i always think that came first.
01:58:21
Speaker
No, yeah, it's crazy that it was like basically like 10 years after this.
01:58:29
Speaker
It took them a while to be like, oh, what if we just yeah what if we just like had the principal to fight them? like like Actually, like like not just one like guy at the end, but like the entire movie is just him fighting a gang. yeah It's like an international drug ring. Yeah, what if like not only you took down the the like head gang leader, what if you took down like a whole network of like drug trafficking in, I guess, that county?
01:59:00
Speaker
But, yeah, like, it this is, like, a fun Jim Belushi role. The only problem is that, like, I feel like they were trying to do that mix of, like, fun Jim Belushi and dramatic Jim Belushi, and it's like they didn't find, like, a good balance.
01:59:19
Speaker
Yeah, totally totally gets all over the place, because it'd be like, like some, like, jim you know, Jim Belichie would have some, like, you know, smart aleck remark to someone in next to, like, someone falls through a skylight, yeah almost dead.
01:59:33
Speaker
no yeah.
01:59:40
Speaker
But yeah, it was it was it was is a it was a fun watch to, ah you know, get into that the back-to-school spirit. Hopefully your school is not as... ah ah crazy as Bartell high if you are going to school.
Closing Remarks and Plugs
01:59:53
Speaker
um But yeah, I think that'll do it for this month's commentary. Head over to the main site. We all have our usual stuff there. We got news, reviews, trailers, all kinds of stuff over there. And yeah, so for Chris, I have Zach, and we will see you next commentary.
02:00:06
Speaker
For more Forever Everything Action, head to www.everythingaction.com. also find us on Facebook at facebook.com slash everything.action and follow on X at EvieAction.
02:00:20
Speaker
We're also on Instagram and threads at everything.action. Find episodes of the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your at podcast app of choice and be sure to rate and subscribe.