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Thomas Tulak flies in | Down with DP Podcast 2-3-2026
25 Plays2 months ago
Special Guest THOMAS TULAK from the Steven Spielberg classic HOOK flies into our "studio!" He shares his time on set, stories with Robin Williams, and what he is up to today as a filmmaker! He is currently in production of his 2nd feature film, "The Time Travelers Checklist," which you can help support on his Seed and Spark page:
https://seedandspark.com/fund/time-travelers-checklist
#DownwithDPPodcast #DWDPP #DWDP #Podcast @itsrobertdunne @rev_ron_prendimano
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Podcast Links:
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/down-with-dp-podcast-with-robert-dunne-ron-prendimano/id1833545684
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Transcript
Introduction and Special Guest
00:00:00
Speaker
My name is Thomas Tulak and I am so down with DP. o i' I'm feeling new feelings all of a sudden.
00:00:10
Speaker
Welcome to the...
00:00:17
Speaker
What's the deal? Let me try that again. It's the Down with DP podcast with Robert Dunn and Ron Prendamano in three nights.
00:00:30
Speaker
Good morning. Evening. when else's this good at putin mor Good afternoon. Good evening and good night. Hello. My name is Robert Dunham. With me is the lovely and beautiful Ron Prendamano. right. And this is the Down With DP podcast so um where we have something really cool. First time ever on the show. We're very excited about this. Very excited. We are going to be talking with someone from our childhood.
00:01:00
Speaker
um Someone that gave us company. um yeah You ever have that feeling of like, when you're alone. When you're a... It's the song from the movie, Ron.
00:01:14
Speaker
I know, but still. I'm surprised you didn't shed a tear for my singing. Anyway, we're going be talking with ah actor Thomas Tulick and filmmaker, by the way. um He is from the movie Hook.
00:01:26
Speaker
he played hu He's from Hook with Dustin Hoffman, Robin Williams, Julia Roberts, Bob Hoskins. I mean, all the greats. um all the All the greats. And he played Too Small, one of the Lost Boys. Too Small. the one that says, good night, Neverland.
00:01:43
Speaker
That, yeah, we're going to be talking with him a little bit later today on
Crumble Cookies Debate
00:01:48
Speaker
the show. We're also going talking a little bit about Crumble Cookies, as usual, um Shitty Teachers. We're going to talking about Netflix.
00:01:55
Speaker
I mean, Captain Planet. We're going nostalgic today, bro. Yeah, buddy. Yeah, but I'll make the crumble really quick because I know I know, you know, your it's it's not your favorite topic, but it's not. It's not. It's not my favorite. So it's not. Has crumble gone too far? And before you say yes, um I was I mean, I mean i was in um I was in Walmart.
00:02:20
Speaker
the other day and Walmart and I saw no joke crumble cookie soaps. I think I posted on our socials crumble cookie. So yes.
00:02:31
Speaker
um And ah crumble cookie ah like hand lotion. And ah I don't know, I guess if you want to smell like a strawberry shortcake, No, I cannot like i can understand the hand lotion thing because you know people like people always want to smell sweet. The whole brown sugar, the warm sweet vanilla or whatever it's called. Warm vanilla sugar. i think Bath and Body Works produces or something like that you know Sweet pee. Everybody wants to smell sweet. So I can understand the lotion thing. Not everyone wants to smell sweet, but you know what I'm saying.
00:03:04
Speaker
But the soaps... I don't want to smell edible after, and I don't think crumble cookies- I was just going to call you out on that. I don't want to smell like a cookie afterwards. Yeah. I would just want to eat the soap.
00:03:23
Speaker
yeah yeah Yeah, I bet kids would do that too. I don't know how I feel about that. I'm a child at heart. I'd probably eat the soap. There's actually a ah in CityWalk in Universal City, California, I don't know if it's still around because shops in there come and go. um There was a place that it was all soap, but it was really well made to look like food.
00:03:44
Speaker
And I'm just like, why would I ever... want this it's i mean i appreciate the craftsmanship right out of that if that makes any sense but i don't like the um yeah it's a bit i feel like it's a tease like it looks like a delicious cupcake a little bit yeah like this donut looks i think what is dr squash is that their name dr that that company i think that's what it's called um they're doing ah like donut soaps. I'm like, you guys are known for like smelling like a man and now you're doing donuts? Can you imagine like really trying to lose weight and you know, you see yourself in the mirror before you get in the shower and you start rubbing yourself with a donut soap?
00:04:26
Speaker
Like, what did you think? I don't know. yeah there're just soates There's just something poetic there. The donut is a soap and I'm rubbing myself. I'm rubbing it on my nipples and I'm trying just, I'm going to. I've never rubbed myself with donuts. Never. ah Yeah. I just feel like. fabous Why would I do that?
00:04:43
Speaker
um Why is it when it comes to masculine sense, it's always like, do you want to smell like a glass of whiskey? Do you want to smell like twigs and mud? I mean, yeah, I mean, the outdoorsy scent kind of thing. Yeah, I get it. You know, it's like, you know, manliness is associated with being outdoorsy a lot of times. Chopping down trees. and and You know, it's ah it's and it does smell nice. That kind of stuff. you want to smell like a freshly sharpened axe. I'm like, yeah, I don't have any of these, but I do like I do like colognes that um lean more towards like so like tobacco smells sometimes like tobacco, vanilla. Oh, I love the marble Marlboro cologne.
00:05:23
Speaker
not Not exactly like that, but yeah, I kind of like those smells. So I get the earthiness. Yeah, I get it. It it was, yeah. um I think for Christmas gifts, some friend gave me, so he gave me like this whole ah like traveling kit kind of thing, obviously, because what I do for a living. And it's like um like a cedarwood dry cologne, and it smells really nice. I haven't used it yet. I'm sure know. Well, that's cool. um I just scrubbed myself with an actual piece of redwood, and ah so it's all natural. Thanks. It's all a natural scent. Very California. I go and get the redwood. It's very painful. um
School Days and Teachers
00:06:00
Speaker
I would imagine. but we're also going to get into, we'll get into right now. ah Have you ever had, um we're both from the same high school. Have you ever a shitty teacher?
00:06:11
Speaker
yeah yeah Yeah, I have. i um there yeah have there I said high school, but my shitty teacher story actually comes from middle school, fourth grade. By middle school, I mean elementary school. My God.
00:06:24
Speaker
okay i don't know. um I know we're in Florida. Yeah, I don't know numbers well. um ah The number four grade. Why was your, I see, I remember my fourth grade teachers. I had two, i had like one for like, she did English and stuff. And then my main teacher did everything else or they split it. I don't remember exactly, but I enjoyed them both. yeah They were both awesome.
00:06:43
Speaker
Well, that makes one of us. Uh, yeah, my teacher, uh, she did this weird thing, man, where I think she definitely picked on me. Cause I w I went to this kind of strict Christian school for a little while. Oh no. Yeah. Where, Nothing wrong with Christian schools, but yeah, i guess. I could not make a friend for the life of me because I'm very sarcastic. Even when I was a kid, I was kind of sarcastic trying to trying my best to crack jokes.
00:07:10
Speaker
You? yeah I don't know. No. Wow. Is that sarcasm? I can't tell. ah Yes. But, yes you know, I'm trying to crack jokes and it's, man, these these kids were not having it. And I don't think the teachers were either. And I wasn't like inappropriate. I wasn't like...
00:07:29
Speaker
ah you know, a problem child. It was just, I didn't fit in. And, uh, I remember the teacher using me as an example. Once I think she was just obviously trying to embarrass me. And so we would all leave together as a class and go to the bathroom. There's bathroom break time.
00:07:47
Speaker
And then we'd come back and she decided, I forgot. Wait, wait, wait, wait, time out. You guys all went to the bathroom at one day time, like the entire class. Yeah. app brief Yeah. Okay, that's a little odd. I guess I get it as far as the schedule goes. Yeah. but and um And then it came back, and for whatever reason, the teacher decided that I didn't wash my hands, which I did.
00:08:11
Speaker
Just you. Just me. and Just you. she asked me to – this is where it gets weird. She asked me to stand up in front of the class, and she smelled my hands and then told me to go back because I didn't wash them.
00:08:25
Speaker
And my idiot brain was like, oh cool, I get out of class. Now I would have been like, fuck you. What what the fuck are you taught what are you doing? um I mean, obviously the teacher is going off the social cues of the other students and...
00:08:42
Speaker
obviously, you know, singling you out. Yeah. Kind of. It's almost like she's bullying you. Oh, yeah. But she's also the fucking adult. the Like, you don't get influenced by other fourth graders. Yeah, that's the problem. Yeah, exactly. Her name was Miss Bunyan.
00:08:53
Speaker
ah She was terrible. Miss Bunyan. Miss Bunyan. I don't know. ah Yeah. I heard she might be dead now. But anyway... Oh no. Oh no. um Anyway, so I went- Yeah, one of my fourth grade teachers, he passed away. I knew that. i was very sad. Mr. Troyan from ah Spring Hill Elementary. And Miss Hoagland was my other teacher. I don't know if she's alive, but he passed away, I read. Well, i so I went back to wash my hands again. and then I came back and she smelled them again and said they weren't clean.
00:09:24
Speaker
And made me go back again. and I can't imagine the kind of shit she was talking when I was out. Probably to the other students. But my whole thing is like, why would you disrupt, disrupt class like that? Just to single a kid out. I don't it's i don't know. i don't know. And I remember too, like I won this award, like this, like achievement, you know, they give out like achievements for whatever the fuck. And i I could just get this vibe that she was not happy that I won this award too. I don't know. It was just a it was a weird vibe. um But I remember too, and I've had like, I have multiple stories about this woman, but that was just something that like was in, was something that happened to me.
Rob's Film Insights
00:10:09
Speaker
And so there's a,
00:10:11
Speaker
There's a film that, I mean, I'll get into it as we get more into production, but there's a film that I'm going to direct. We're in pre-production now. Ooh, very exciting. But the the script that I wrote,
00:10:23
Speaker
I put a little bit of that in there because they say, you know, write what you know. So I put a little bit of that weird, the teacher being a weirdo and smelling kids' hands and making him go wash it.
00:10:33
Speaker
I kind of wrote that in. Oh, that's why you put that in there. yeah Gotcha. I've read his script, by the way. It's pretty good. Oh, thank going not saying that as a friend of his. I'm just saying, and I'm not getting any parts in this, so it's No, definitely not. um No, just kidding. No, actually, be there might be. You did mention you wanted to use me for some voiceover work. Might be some video in there. um But yeah, just something that is just something that like popped in my head.
00:11:01
Speaker
But did you have any like weird encounters? Any like bad? So I don't remember weird encounters. I do remember shitty teachers, if that makes any sense. Like when I was in. So she wasn't a shitty teacher when I had her.
00:11:16
Speaker
Okay. I think she was my seventh grade language arts teacher. She was fine when I had her. I enjoyed her. She was great. So I may have told the story online but online before, but I'll tell it again.
00:11:27
Speaker
So Brad, good old Brad, who I bring up often. because Our buddy Brad. Buddy Brad. ah He is best friend slash family. So yes, I bring him up often. Him and I went over to um our middle school because it was next door. And we walked over to just say, hi, some teachers. How are you guys doing?
00:11:46
Speaker
And we go to see this teacher. We're like, hey, how are you? And meanwhile, Brad um hit a growth spurt and lost a shit ton of weight. So he was like looking completely different than what he looked like in um in ah middle school. And I'll be honest, I was a little jealous because he got all this fucking attention. And I'm like, well I lost 20 pounds too. I just didn't grow five inches. So there, you know, that's my difference.
00:12:08
Speaker
But, um you know, we're taught we're both on the wrestling team. And we're still waiting for that to happen too, right? Yeah, I know. um I haven't grown height-wise since 14 years old. Anyway, um everything else has grown, though, if you know what I mean um so So, I, um you know, so we're on the wrestling team, and she's like, oh, that's great. She's talking about, oh you're on the wrestling team. That's awesome. Oh, my God. And then she looks at me and goes, Ron, what about you? What do you do? I'm like, I'm on the wrestling team, too.
00:12:38
Speaker
And without hesitation, she I know Brad's going to listen to this and laugh his ass off. She looks at me and goes, oh, do you win?
00:12:48
Speaker
wow going in that moment i was shocked now that i have 20 years of being jaded from new york city i would have been yeah well you know what i probably lie on my back like you do so yeah you know i was kind of like ever since then i was just kind of like fuck i don't really give a shit about you but as far as an actual teacher um i thought my 10th grade geometry geometry teacher was not great and my ninth grade algebra teacher that they were both awful uh ninth grade algebra was just kind of a stickler for the rules uh she just didn't she didn't give a shit about anybody she was just by the rules she wrote me up one time because i was um i was doing spring football and i was hydrating so i was drinking a gallon of water a day
00:13:37
Speaker
And her class was my last class and she wouldn't let me go to the bathroom, even though, cause I'd used up all my passes. So I ran to the bathroom. I went anyway, used the bathroom and she wrote me up.
00:13:50
Speaker
Hmm. She wrote me up for using the bathroom, even though technically it was kind of a medical emergency because I'm overhydrated at this point. So I don't pass out in the 90 degree heat in Florida. She wrote me up for that. Not cool.
00:14:01
Speaker
I got away with a warning, whatever. And then, but the 10th grade geometry teacher, she just, I just thought she was a bad teacher. Like, yeah, I was a little rebellious at the time, but I didn't, I learned better in night school teaching myself than I did. Right. Right.
00:14:15
Speaker
So, and with the night school teacher helping me a little bit. So You know, my so my grade still wasn't fantastic, but it was, you know, it went from an F to a C, but still, I just don't think she was a great teacher. Yeah.
00:14:29
Speaker
You know, I mean, even... You know, my elementary school teachers were great. I feel like it's middle school when you get older yourself and you start realizing... You know some of these people really suck. it Right. Right. Yeah. I definitely wish that I had my wits um back in fourth grade.
00:14:45
Speaker
It would have been a different story because I just didn't. And I even remember um I I remember the same teacher wrote me up and this other guy, this other guy was like,
00:14:59
Speaker
was like messing around. There was a girl and a guy and they were just kind of being silly at lunch and they accidentally knocked over. i had a cup of noodles and they accidentally cut tipped over my cup of noodles and it went everywhere.
00:15:12
Speaker
And she wrote me up. Because I didn't, like, I don't know, like, try to clean it fast enough. She just made up an excuse, wrote up the other guy.
00:15:22
Speaker
The girl didn't get written up, even though she was the one that fucking did it. So that's that it was that's when I knew I was like, okay, this this woman has it out for me. She doesn't like me. I'm sure it's because I'm not this, like, in-line, like, Christian conservative student who is just walking around. No, I'm i'm the one, like...
00:15:41
Speaker
don't know. um I have a better, easygoing attitude, but... I mean, no I'm not saying teachers are shitty, obviously. I'm not saying that. I mean, there are I've had some great teachers in my life.
00:15:52
Speaker
But I think a lot of it has to do, especially in Florida, you don't get paid a lot. And a lot of times you're teaching curriculum that you know sucks, but there's nothing you can do about it because you're required by the state and or county to teach it Right, right. So, I mean...
00:16:08
Speaker
To call a teacher shitty, i do even though I just said it a few minutes ago, I do think it's partially unfair because I don't know what's going on behind the scenes.
00:16:21
Speaker
If that makes sense. you know it's you know i've I've had friends who were teachers and stuff at all different levels. um And that their job's hard. it's especially We saw that during the pandemic. Their job is not...
00:16:33
Speaker
I agree, but I would say there's no excuse for... But there are some shitty teachers there. There's no excuse for, like, making me stand in front of the class and, like, trying embarrass... Yeah, that was fucked up. Like, ah don't mean be a teacher, then, and if you can't fucking handle it. Don't be a teacher. Yeah, if you're going to embarrass a student, why do you... Do you win? Fuck you.
00:16:51
Speaker
Because, like, we... I know good teachers. I know good teachers that dealt with rowdy students, and they're good at their job. If you're not, fucking leave. Um... Have you ever had a teacher that you thought was absolutely awful until you got to the end of the year and you were like, oh, I get why
Allegations and Reflections
00:17:09
Speaker
you're like this now. OK, you're actually one of the greatest teachers I've ever had. um um No, I've had the opposite, though, where I thought this teacher. Oh, yeah. Maybe I'll type this teacher in the chat. um Someone who I thought was so cool. And then I discovered.
00:17:23
Speaker
Tell me if you remember this person correctly. What subject did he teach? um it was It was... I did not have him. Gray hair, tall, gray hair, mustache. I did not. i don't think I had him as a teacher. Do what happened and with him?
00:17:37
Speaker
No. Okay. i Sorry for everybody who doesn't know. No, no, There was a teacher... i haven't heard of this name since like you know since we were 25 years ago. The reason why I don't want to say his name is because I can't confirm any allegations, but I thought I heard there were certain allegations about him being inappropriate.
00:17:55
Speaker
I hurt. I don't know. I haven't like looked it up and did my research. That's why I don't want to drop his name. So there was a teacher at West Hernando that we had. um He taught geography. I won't say his name for this. I mean, even even though you could go look it up, as he has been arrested. okay okay um Underage like stuff. Yeah.
00:18:15
Speaker
Okay. yeah And what's creepy is was that he was the... Like I said, not going to say his name, um but he was the... he was the He was the um girls track team coach. Oh, I think I did hear about this.
00:18:29
Speaker
Yeah, you know what I'm talking about. And like you have and this is, you know, I'm sure other people can really just you have a guy who's supposed to be an example who's the girls track team coach and then gets arrested for like, you know, underage. Yeah.
00:18:41
Speaker
Like what i I will never forget the time I called. I'm going to use her name because she's a friend of ours. Janisa. Oh, yeah. a Good friend. Yeah, we love her. We love her. I haven't spoken to her in years, but Janisa, I still consider you Oh, yeah.
00:18:53
Speaker
So. I called her a slut. Okay. In sixth grade, she was pissing me off. I bet she loves this little cameo she's getting right now. The teacher said, what did you call her? And I said, I called her a slut.
00:19:08
Speaker
And he goes, I want a thousand word paper. Which she's not, by the way. She is like, she she is like, she's she's an outstanding human being. Let me just make that clear. She's wonderful. Absolutely. um So,
00:19:21
Speaker
Yeah. Like, he and I think now that it then, you know, convictions came out later and, you know, arrests and stuff. And I think you fucking pervert. What did you do with? And like his wife was also part of the school and stuff like, oh, it's just so embarrassing. But like you are a fucking pervert. Have you made me write a thousand word paper on the word slut?
00:19:45
Speaker
Which I did. Yeah. Well, man, you should have. I would have loved to read that. It was good good. I want to give a shout out to. ah ah Let me see if I can find it um because I feel bad. ah Yeah, I want to give a shout out to Black Rose Hair, which is Janice's amazing. She's an independent hairstylist and she's like the bomb dot com, bro, which, yeah, I said the bomb dot com. I brought that back. She does. but Yeah. ring out Right. Yeah. Yeah. Check out black rose hair. XO black rose hair worth a look. See. um
00:20:24
Speaker
Well, you know what? Very. She's very talented. She's very talented. I mean, I do occasionally see her work on my Instagram and I'm just like, she's fucking good. And I know she, you know, I'm not surprised. yeah Not surprised at all. Well, you know, I think with time, let's get into, we had, or maybe, let's see, we we had more things to say, but I think we
Thomas Tulak's Journey
00:20:46
Speaker
can... We I think we get into an interview with Thomas Hulick from Hook, guys. I hope you enjoy this interview.
00:20:53
Speaker
um It's... a yeah yeah Yeah, I guess. Fuck it. Yeah, we had an amazing time. We'll just say. Yeah, we had an amazing time um with him. he is he is He was so much fun. We asked questions about Hook, asked questions about his filmmaking background. But I'm going let you guys listen.
00:21:12
Speaker
Don't let me talk my head off about it. Here we go, guys. Let's welcome Thomas Tulloch.
00:21:21
Speaker
yes oh All right. Thank you, studio audience. Please pipe down. With me is ah an actor a name named, what is your name again? My name is Thomas Tulock, and I am so down with DP.
00:21:36
Speaker
Oh, snap. I'm feeling new feelings all of a sudden. um Welcome to Down With DP with ah my name is Robert Dunn. With me is, I forget your name too. Ron Prendamari. That's right. That's Ron. i keep i I keep writing it down on my my the palm of my hand like a girl giving me her number in the 80s. And still, I still cannot remember. I highly doubt a woman gave you a number and any decade. Wow. One number, not all seven.
00:22:06
Speaker
Exactly. one number It was one number. Yeah, it was one number. And the number was six. is Okay. That was eight, six, seven, five, three, oh, nine. ah ah all it every Oh, look at that. Was her name Jenny? no actually was Rachel.
00:22:19
Speaker
Oh, I- My sister, you son of a- Look, i I'm losing all the references. um But what I want to talk about- Jesus. So for those who don't know, we're going to get into some cool questions with Thomas, um because Thomas, ah as as I don't know if you know this, Thomas, you were in a Steven Spielberg classic called Hook.
00:22:42
Speaker
I was? Wait, where was it or was it The Lost Boys? Never it. No, no, Stephen King. Never seen it. No, I've seen it. I've seen it. No, it was a Stephen King movie, The Lost Boys. That explains why I work here. I thought you wanted my famous soup recipe. Yeah. oh Well, that's what I thought you were here for. I mean, that gumbo is fire. That gumbo, brother. ah Good stuff.
00:23:04
Speaker
But yeah, I actually, um we're definitely going get into hook stuff, but i I know I've watched your social medias for a long time now. You are a filmmaker and ah just seeing you like constantly,
00:23:21
Speaker
at it. Like you are always, jokes aside, the only thing I see you do is you are just cranking out, you are on the next project. And I know maybe for you, it's like, it feels few and far between because there's so much time and preparation in between each project. But from my end, when I'm just seeing the highlight reel, I'm just like, dude, he has another film coming out. What the hell? So like, like I applaud you for that. But, um, so I definitely want to get into some filmmaking stuff, but one of the cool things, uh, if I may make it about me for a second. Sure. Um, no, all hit braska bras brazz so, I don't know. um
00:24:00
Speaker
There was one cool thing. So a little fun fact that we share both of you, both of you, both of us and Ron hasn't, but maybe one day um wow I've had, I remember one time I was at, because correct me if I'm wrong, hook was shot at Sony.
00:24:17
Speaker
Yes. Okay. And if I'm not mistaken, i believe it was like Sony's biggest stage. It was like far. Yeah. And in fact, we were on seven sound stages, including, yes, the one that was the biggest, which had the water tank where the pirate ship and pirate village stood. Oh, did not know about the seven sound stages. Seven different sound stages. Yeah. all of All of all of Neverland, including the Nevertree and. Everything was on sound stages, but we were there for so long they couldn't just like, you know, build one and then tear it down and build the next. So, yeah, we were seven different sound stages spread across the studios.
00:24:57
Speaker
This is also my first time. I didn't know the tree had a name. It's never the never tree. Never tree. Yeah.
Spielberg's Influence and Hook Memories
00:25:02
Speaker
Is that ever never? Was that ever spoken or was that just kind of like a script fact? Like, oh, that is a good. Did I just find something? I don't know that if that um if that was referenced in the original book, actually, I think. Oh, interesting. i I kind of just assumed that it wasn't, that it was from the original source material. Okay. um Well, I remember one time I was on the Sony lot and I went, I want to say it's like stage 28 or something. It's, I also think they shot the original Wizard of Oz there. If I'm, I could be wrong about that. Yeah. But I remember walking in the soundstage and it's completely empty. And I was like, oh, snap, I'm in Neverland kind of right now.
00:25:46
Speaker
and And yeah. yeah and And Ron, he is not kidding. Like this soundstage is like gigantic. And I heard that even some of the set would still stick out.
00:25:57
Speaker
I don't know if in that stage, but. Oh, I just heard the stages were like very crazy large. Oh, yeah. Have you ever gone back to that soundstage? Have you you had an opportunity?
00:26:08
Speaker
ah No, actually, toward the end of my time there before before the film had even wrapped the next film that was going to be shot in those stages, which I believe was Bram Stoker's Dracula.
00:26:21
Speaker
was already like in the queue how to start setting up before we were even done. Like their, their stages were lining up and ready to go just outside the door. So like as the the day, the day that we were done, they started striking. And then very shortly after the next one went up and,
00:26:40
Speaker
They just kept plugging along. And yeah, no, I haven't. I haven't been back for any any other reasons or anything since I've been to a number of other stages that for some of the other things that I shot after hook, but never that one.
00:26:55
Speaker
Well, guess what? We have an Uber getting sent to your house right now. Get on in. We're going to Sony, baby. All right, let's go. Yeah. And then we get there like, who the fuck are you? Get the hell out of here. um Being on these sets and everything, like it was directed by, what is his name again?
00:27:17
Speaker
Steven Spielberg I forget his name but it was directed by that gentleman Steven Spielberg of course I can't even joke about him he great stevens i can't even I usually like to make dry humor but he's too I don't feel comfortable I feel uncomfortable doing that he's a king of Hollywood really yeah yeah yeah so um do you remember I know you were young but do you remember just his approach to directing and Anything you took from it that like, do you do you apply any Spielbergness to your directing? Like, do you remember what he did and has it influenced you on how you direct?
00:27:54
Speaker
He is the reason I am a director. um He is the reason why him and Robin Williams are the reason why I do what I do now.
00:28:05
Speaker
I very much I remember standing on set, um watching him work, watching him. he was always he always had the answer. He always knew what to do. There could be a dozen people all wanting his attention right now. And he would never lose his cool. And he always knew the answers to everything. And he always was just on it. And he would answer each one in turn and then would just keep going. Wow. And you just he commanded. you know, the, the the set and, and just everything.
00:28:36
Speaker
And I remember watching that and thinking to myself, that's what I want to be when I grow up. I want to be the guy in charge. I want to be him basically. i want to be Steven basically. And just, just have what, do what he does and have what he has. There's just this confidence and authority that he, he knows what he wants. He knows how to get it. And he knows that it'll work.
00:28:59
Speaker
ah My dad likes to tell this story one day because my dad my obviously my parents would have to take me to set because I was six years old. So one day um we were there. I wasn't even there. I was in like the trailer. My dad was outside and Stephen comes walking by with like five or six people around him. And as soon as Steven sees my dad, he stops.
00:29:22
Speaker
He tells everyone around him to be quiet. He tells he approaches my dad and then compliments me on my performance. And then my dad asks, thank you. So what are you going to shoot today?
00:29:35
Speaker
And Steven's response was, I don't know. Could be mud. ah That's awesome. That is so funny. Like it, I wonder how long it takes to be that certain. Like, cause, uh, just, and you know, I can imagine directing for the first time ever. You're probably a bit scattered where it's like, you're trying to remember a million things and to get to that level where it's like, no, I know what I want. This is what we're doing. Like, uh, that's gotta be like, that's just experience. I think. Yeah, I definitely think that's just experience. I remember the first time i directed something, i was very much overwhelmed. um
00:30:15
Speaker
I had done it a lot by myself with just me and a camera and just taking what was in my head and getting it you know onto the screen. But there's a difference when you're doing that versus when you're actually working with other people. yeah And so the first time I actually directed with other people, i was very overwhelmed.
00:30:36
Speaker
It was it was a whole other whole other thing. But sure. Yeah. Now, after I've been doing it for 15 years, I would say that I have a level of confidence where, yeah, I can I can step onto a set and and take control of the situation and.
00:30:51
Speaker
you know, make the day and know that what I'm doing is going to be good. I'm not saying that I am Steven Spielberg, but I am saying that it absolutely does. It comes, it just comes with experience. I kind of get that even from your BTS, like, like videos, don't know. There is a certain kind of like, you know, you know what you want.
00:31:10
Speaker
um And I think that again, just comes with experience. But I remember Ron, I know you were interested in like the memories coming from that set. I think, Uh, like, like, yeah, yeah. Like I forget, I forgot what you wanted to ask. Like behind the scenes stories and things like that. I mean, was it, did you have a favorite moment like behind the scenes that of course wasn't that, that just kind of lives in your head rent free? have you I have many, many, ah many favorite moments that live in my head rent free. Um, so I am, around close to the same age as Robin's son.
00:31:44
Speaker
Wow. But OK. But Robin wasn't able to see his son all that much because they live in San Francisco and we shot in L.A. um And so makes sense. During that time while we were shooting, Robin spent a lot of time with me um and I became i feel like very close friends with him to the point where i thought I was starting to think of him like the older brother I never had.
00:32:09
Speaker
We would play games. We would play basketball. There was a hoop outside. We would connect our Game Boys with the little three-foot cable. He was a gamer. Yeah, he was. Oh, gosh. Yeah, he was. I mean, you know, Zelda. Oh, yeah, obviously. Yeah. Wow.
00:32:26
Speaker
um But after, ah you know, some time of, you know, befriending him, um we're... we land on what would probably be my all time favorite, favorite memory of him. And I think if he were still alive, this would be one of his favorite memories too.
00:32:44
Speaker
um So we're filming the big pirate lost boy battle scene at the end of the film. And so we've got, we've got hundreds of lost boys, extras, pirates in hundreds of crew. So there's hundreds and hundreds of people there on the pirate ship and just chaos and craziness. Right.
00:33:04
Speaker
And Steven is trying to give direction and he's trying to, you know, do his job. And he gets on the bullhorn and he starts quiet everybody down so he can make some announcements. And right as everyone is starting to quiet down, right as Steven's starting to, you know, begin the direction for the day for this massive crowd of hundreds of people,
00:33:29
Speaker
Robin climbs to the top of the pirate ship behind Steven and turns around and moons everybody. okay so out of character for him even lost control of the situation oh that is awesome i man because i had heard he had gone to another set and he would like mess with there was some other morgan mindy i think it was he would like run around naked or something like that and work and mindy that is yeah so it was fun like yeah yeah he was uh he was he was a fun guy Was Dustin kind of fun too? What'd you say? the the The limited amount of time that I did get to spend with Dustin, he was equally as fun.
00:34:17
Speaker
um But I feel like he kind of kept more of a distance than Robin did. And I think part of that was because he's he was supposed to be like the bad guy. Like he's, you know, he's he's the villain. ah And so he didn't want to befriend, you know, kids. Oh, it's like an actor choice. Makes sense. Yeah, because he famously is is pretty method.
00:34:37
Speaker
Yeah. And so, OK, he probably befriended some of the older kids, maybe like Dante. But I was the youngest. I was six. Yeah. there was There was no other kid that was under nine. And so I did see like I did know Dustin. um I went to his birthday party. um he He gave out for his birthday party. He gave out he gave out presents instead of receiving presents.
00:35:03
Speaker
And so what I got from him for his birthday was a copy of Horton. Here's a who is read by Dustin Hoffman. but That's really cool though. It's marketing and making kids happy. That's great. yeah That's fantastic. Because like what was... that's all the So I, to this day, I will quote like Dustin Hoffman and Hook and even like my YouTube channel, it's called Good Form because of him. Whereas like, good form, Peter. So i I, what is that accent though? what is is is Is it British? What, it's like...
00:35:38
Speaker
I don't even know. Dustin Hoffman accent. like it Right, it is. dustin It's the Dustin Hoffman accent. He's just like, oh, and then he just went with it. It's a regional dialect of Scotland and Wichita, Kansas. That's basically what it is. yeah You know what I bet the, yeah.
00:35:52
Speaker
i did I did find out many years later that he did, he, he spent a lot of the time playing that character ah just on the edge of tipsy. So I feel like a lot of what went into that accent also, you know, maybe he was trying for another accent and landed there.
00:36:13
Speaker
It worked, whatever worked, it worked. You know, I bet that's awesome I could also see him saying something like it was an actor choice because Neverland doesn't have accent or it's like, you know what i mean? It could be like that. Like, I want it to be an accent that's not from anywhere. You know, I can see that, too. That's fair. Yeah.
00:36:33
Speaker
I've I've always liked Bob Hoskins. Oh, yeah. Oh, did you get to interact with him at all the set? A bit. Yeah, a bit. He was very nice guy. Very pleasant. Yeah. I mean, he couldn't hold a candle to Robin, so he's Robin had all my attention. But yeah, he was. Yeah, sure. He was very, very good. He was also very. He's very. He was very method, too. Right. Oh, yeah.
00:36:54
Speaker
Oh, yeah. In fact, ah the fact he really robbed people. set. He was a real pirate. So bob Bob and Dustin, I do remember hearing ah hearing about this after. um At one point during rehearsals, before they actually like started, before we actually started shooting, um the two of them kind of came to the conclusion for their own headcanon that Hook and Smee are a gay couple.
00:37:26
Speaker
And so that's how they played it. I knew it the whole time. I knew it. Wow. um Don't try to stop me, Smee. Don't you dare try to stop me. Suddenly that whole scene plays in a different way now. Oh my. Oh my God. I watch that scene the same again and I'm happy Now going to have to watch it tonight and see. I'm just going to like, ah. I see it now. Okay. Somebody's mad at somebody. i can tell. i will say that scene.
00:37:55
Speaker
i remember it. So there's the Ninja Turtles eating pizza scene, but that scene of him eating all that food, it looks delicious. It looks so good. And I know, i know it's probably all fake except for the Turkey leg. What? Oh my God. Talk about food ah in a movie.
00:38:13
Speaker
I mean, and of course there's the famous like, you know, you know, the food fight scene, you know, that's great and all. But ah there's something that when he's eating that turkey leg, it's just that that's the scene I like. It looks like the greatest turkey leg I've ever seen in my life. Oh, yeah. what yeah I mean, praitioner yeah, yeah. oh how How many days do you? Well, if you remember, how many days was that food fight scene? Because that just seems like so much set up and makeup and wardrobe changes. And oh, my God, you're never going home.
00:38:42
Speaker
You're you're one take thing, right? You're picking up on things that most people don't even think about. I very much remember ah because in my head, it's infamous.
00:38:53
Speaker
ah We shot that over. how How long is it in the film? Like 30 seconds? Yeah, we shot that over three. Yeah. I agree. I, yep. I was going say three days.
00:39:05
Speaker
Yeah. And then like every day we had to, between every take, we had to go and shower and clean up and they had to clean up the set. And, and here's the thing. And this is why i say it was infamous.
00:39:18
Speaker
There was what 30 ish lost boys there. All of whom are throwing this, you know, cream like substance, making this big old met. There were like four showers. Yeah.
00:39:30
Speaker
There was like oh no water. I remember very clearly standing in line covered in the stuff for an hour waiting my turn to take a very quick cold shower.
00:39:46
Speaker
They should just line them all, line you all up on a wall, get the hose out. You know, might as well. honestly But yeah, I mean, oh yeah, this is a weird, this is a weird question I have, which um the scene when, when Robin, i think he first be becomes pan and you just see his like Yeah.
00:40:09
Speaker
and you you see you see those thighs, right? You see those those calves. Was that really him, or did they just have a stand-in? Oh, yeah. No, that was him. Okay. Sometimes i I don't know. I think about that stuff, too. Thank God, can sleep tonight. I know. Okay. Thank you for coming around. That's all I really wanted to know if I was looking at Robin's legs. Because I think about that stuff, too. They use doubles for everything.
00:40:32
Speaker
So I'm like, was that did he even have to do that, or was he just hanging out, and he didn't worry about it? Yeah, they do use doubles for everything. But no, he he he wanted to be doing as much as he could. And so so he did. He also he got into really good shape for that for that sequence to like when he becomes pan, suddenly ah Peter is, you know, in shape, whereas Peter Manning, you know, he wasn't in, you know, there was help there with, you know, some like.
00:41:03
Speaker
bodysuit stuff, but to an nth degree, like most of that is him actually getting into shape quickly. So really? So he was like kind, he was not overweight, but I know what you mean. Yeah, no, but did he have enough?
00:41:18
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. Did he have enough time? i guess he did to exercise and like, so, so they, yes, they, they gave him time by focusing on other things, you know? So we, they filmed up to a certain point and then, you know, let him go,
00:41:34
Speaker
do his training routine. And while he's, while he's losing that weight, they focus on shooting the pirate stuff or the, you know, the hook and me stuff or other things. And then when he's ready, they come back. Cause I don't know. I don't know if you know this, but a movie is not shot in order.
00:41:50
Speaker
Whoa. No, not usually. No, you shoot it in the convenient order and then you, you know, edit. So yeah. So they, they gave him time. Yeah. And he got into shape. and And, you know, after if you're in a big movie like that, even if you are a big star and you you go to the trouble of getting into shape. Right. You're going to want to show off the work that you just did. Yeah, yeah, absolutely.
00:42:16
Speaker
Yeah, too bad they deleted that just shirtless Peter Pan scene where he fights. I was really fighting for it. Oh, man. Oh, well, we'll get i released a Spielberg cut. Yeah. um um Can you imagine? um Right. There was something else. ah Oh, there was. oh it just hit me and then it left me.
00:42:38
Speaker
It was really important to your brain and then gone. Yeah. It was like, it was kind of like a possibly on air, off air question. Okay. That's how, that's how, that's how juicy it was. Ooh. The anticipation. Um, maybe it'll hit Okay. Rocky horror. are Calm down. Thank you. Thank you. You're welcome. You're welcome. Oh, yeah. that I remember now. um Yeah, I'll cut out all that stuff where I was confused so I sound smarter. um So see, in movies, they edit things and I don't know. Anyway, you get it. I'm sorry. um
00:43:15
Speaker
Before I lose it, um I also heard rumors. i don't know if this is true. Do you think, do you think, do you know how my voice is getting high? do you think that Spielberg, thank you. Thank you. Hey. um Do you think that ah Spielberg is a fan of Hook? Cause I had heard rumors that he wasn't super happy with it, but man, it's like, is it just a generational thing? Cause I know people who is like, when it hits, it hits hard, that movie. And it is such a bullseye, but I don't know what he, I mean, that's something that's a question for him, but I'm like, what, what would you have like speaking to Steven? Like, what would you have done differently? Like what, but I don't know. I don't know if that's true if it's just like, you know, I have seen him in interviews, uh, in years after and years past, uh, say that that's one of his least favorite from his filmography.
Spielberg's Retrospective on Hook
00:44:16
Speaker
um that he looking back on it after the fact would have done some things that he never says what but he says that he would have done some things differently um i couldn't say as to what i do know um from firsthand experience that people love the crap out of that movie um It yeah it has, you know, diehard loyal fan base that, you know, are very much prevalent. Like people are people love it.
00:44:49
Speaker
Yeah. And it's a great movie. yeah I think it's so I had gone a long time without actually seeing it ah because I was in it. So when I watch it, it feels more like, you know old home movies. Right. Yeah. Right. Sure. OK. Yeah. But then recently,
00:45:05
Speaker
After I started making films of my own and started, you know, understanding how to like block camera and block actors and that kind of thing, I went back and I had watched it again after not watching it in a long time. And now I'm seeing it through a whole new lens.
00:45:22
Speaker
And i started to appreciate the craft, of filmmaking that is in that film and the cinematography that I had never really noticed before. And so there's, there's some, there's masterful work in that film. There's one shot that I noticed on my most recent viewing that I never noticed before that stood out to me uh,
00:45:45
Speaker
a stroke of master mastery, like a master made this shot. It's in the beginning of the film after the kids are kidnapped when they're in the living room and they're talking to the constable um before they go even go to Neverland. They're talking to the constable. He's taking the notes and the camera pulls back to reveal the exterior of the building. But in doing so, we realized we were looking in through the window the whole time. oh yeah. Are you kidding me? It looked like the camera was in the living room. Right, right. But it wasn't. It was looking through the window because it just kind of pulls back to a wide exterior of the house. What? What?
00:46:33
Speaker
uh what would you have done differently steven come on that was tell us tell us your secrets uh yeah dude i i know exactly you mean also one of the most underrated uh john williams scores ever it is so beautiful though there's one track in that there's that well there's one track it's fine there's one track where um where Peter... You're excited. he's late for his ah He's late for Jack's baseball game.
00:47:02
Speaker
And John Williams does this like jingle. i don't know if you know what I'm talking about. it Because it's so... First of all, the whole score is so beautiful. It's so like you feel you feel things. And then the baseball like scene, and it's all like...
00:47:16
Speaker
do do do dooo do do do I'm like, wait, where did this come from? was this this a new guy? he got like i had least I can hear the jingle in my head. yeah um but and what I like about that, which again is something I noticed on my more more recent ah time watching it,
00:47:35
Speaker
As Peter is climbing the hill to approach the baseball diamond, it's got a happy, uplifting, joyful kind of, you know, tone to it. And then as it gets to the top and sees that the diamond is empty, it instantly starts slowing down and gets into like, ah it's deflated and it kind of dies.
00:47:57
Speaker
And there is a genius. It goes from like major. I don't know goes from like major to minor, but it starts slowing down and decaying. And you can feel, oh, the disappointment. Oh, he missed the game. And you can feel that in the music.
00:48:09
Speaker
That is, wow, that is true. That is the genius behind Williams right there. ah yeah Yeah, that's pretty cool. um Also, Ron, did you know, little fun fact, maybe Thomas didn't know either. um I'm actually in Hook as well. No, I'm just kidding. um Can you imagine if I just like threw that out there? It's like, excuse me. um No. um the The captain of ah the the airplane, Ron.
00:48:37
Speaker
You know, hey, this is your captain speaking. You know that guy? Yes. Actually, he works he works for air actually he works on airlines. He knows exactly what I'm talking about. yeah I didn't even put those two together. rob You didn't even put the two and two together that I'm a flight attendant and the captain. Okay, good job. I really forgot. So great working with you. like this is I enjoy this so much. I'm sorry. i but Thomas, you're wonderful. Him, not so much.
00:49:04
Speaker
So you know the captain says, this is your captain speaking. In the movie, so Thomas, in the movie Hook, that's actually Dustin Hoffman's voice. Did you know that, Ron? Yes, I did, actually.
00:49:16
Speaker
All right, good. I'm glad I dragged that fun fact out. Was was that new is that not common knowledge? Yeah, but I don't know what Ron knows. Maybe he didn't know. I don't know. I was trying to make it fun.
00:49:28
Speaker
going to stop doing that. Yeah, it's okay. It's okay. It's all right. Yeah, it's right. It's fine. All right. Whoa, it was. oh my goodness. this is Thank you. mind blown here. oh my God. You're so genius.
00:49:42
Speaker
Yep. Yep. And did you know that George Lucas is the director of Star Wars? Wow. I did not. That one escapes my mind. I had no idea. yeah you thought I was going to say he floats away at the end with Carrie Fisher. Yeah, I thought so. But nope. shit I'm full of surprises. Curveball. You really are. It makes so much more sense now.
00:50:09
Speaker
Thank you. Exactly. Exactly. And Close Encounters of the Third Kind was directed by Francis Ford Coppola. We all know that, right? I haven't seen i haven't seen the first two, so. um But... ah That was fun.
00:50:26
Speaker
All right. All right, guys. That was good. That was good. Okay. You also... Go ahead. Yeah. Go. No, no. I've been talking. This is like... Yeah, I know. You don't shut the fuck up. Anyway. I'm going to drink my Diet Coke. You were also on an episode of Cheers.
00:50:43
Speaker
That's what I was going to say. Okay, cool. it I was actually on four episodes of Cheers. Oh, shit. Okay. didn you might They cut out all of my scenes from one of them, so I'm only credited for three.
00:50:56
Speaker
Bastards. I know. Which episodes were you in? ah So the only one that I remember is the one where Frazier's ex, the singer um Fanny G ah to the bar. And so I'm one of Carla's kids. And so I hang it out in the bar and Fanny G comes in and I go and get an autographed album from her. And then I turn around and try to sell it to someone else.
00:51:27
Speaker
I actually remember that. It's. yeah And I i remember ah the first time we see Carla's house. I was there Carla's house with the other. She's got like nine nine kids, I think.
00:51:44
Speaker
Oh, God. I vaguely don't remember much of the others. think just being at that bar... Like because Rod and I have talked about this before. As far as being starstruck goes, I don't really get starstruck by. i don't know if you feel this way, too. I don't get starstruck by people.
00:52:00
Speaker
But if you tell me something's shot there, I'm like, what? That's so like I live really close to the Burger King from Back to the Future. oh that's cool I'm like really close. So every time I pass it, it still doesn't get old. I'm like, cause back to the future is like my, my bang. And, um and I'm just like in awe of that Burger King. So to be on the set of the cheers bar, I would be like, i mean excuse me, Ted Danson. I need to look at the bar. That's, that would be how I react.
00:52:29
Speaker
I think I, uh, at the time i didn't get the gravity of it. Cause I, you know, as a seven year old little kid, I didn't watch the show, but I did. I do remember being in that bar And just thinking how cool it was that I was in a bar, like allowed in bars. yeah What? Where did they film that? Was that at CBS? was It was at one of the studios. It was, I don't, I couldn't tell you what studio remember, but it was at a studio.
00:52:57
Speaker
That's cool. The stairs in the back just led to another staircase that went down. Like it was definitely built up with an audience and, yeah uh so freaking cool i' love that that's so cool that show how was that how was um what was her name ria perlman how was she You know, i have very pleasant memories of I had a very pleasant time.
00:53:20
Speaker
nothing Nothing that really stood out in any like kind of bad or good ways. Like it was just that everyone is very professional. It was very fun. and know it just is what you think it what what you would want it to be like. Yeah.
00:53:34
Speaker
Yeah. I will say i will say this experience. That um that was one of three times that I came within spitting distance of being a series regular on a sitcom. Whoa, on Cheers? On Cheers, because when my good did when Cheers ended, um I was there on the last day that they filmed, on the last day on set, because the studio had ordered a spinoff.
00:54:00
Speaker
And they we know now that they went with Frasier, but they didn't know at first whether they were going to go with Frasier or Carla. Yeah. And so I was right. I did hear about that. I did know that. Yeah. my My manager informed me that they there was a good chance that they were going to go with Carla. And if they did, I would reprise my character and then I would play my character for nine seasons of a sitcom.
00:54:25
Speaker
Oh, went there to the to the set for the taping of the last episode. And we hung out backstage while we waited for the announcement and everybody's celebrating, you know, congratulations. We wrapped the show and it's a big old party. And then the guy, the studio figure, whoever came out and said, we know who the spinoff it's going to be, Frazier.
00:54:47
Speaker
And those of us who were there for Carla just kind of quietly left out the back. Oh my goodness. So you, so you were there for like when Ted Danson, like adjust the frame, that's like the last shot of, wow, you were there watching that. I was there watching that just off camera. Yep. That is when he gave Norm that he get, Norm got that beer in that final scene, right? Norm, you want a beer? yeah One more. Yeah. Oh, that's yeah. yeah Yeah. Wow.
00:55:11
Speaker
I mean, just little jealous of that one. little jealous A little jealous. That's amazing though. That's awesome. Yeah. Well, something else like um runs on a tangent. I was like, you know what? I'm not sorry. I love cheers. That is a great show. Thomas, you go back there and you tell them, and you're like, excuse me, sir? Yeah, i was I'm a little bit taller now. um Right, right.
00:55:38
Speaker
I'm not. That's... No, you are. um But we can talk about because something that I've been seeing you do is um not only make films, but you're you've been giving like some pretty cool advice on just filmmaking in general. And as someone who is going to be directing for the first time, even just like a short, i i got some questions for you, buddy. OK, so um how do you make a movie? Oh, thank you. Yeah. Oh, can I just say a little rant? Okay, just a little one.
00:56:12
Speaker
I remember, I'm not going to say who it was, but I went to a Q... Tell me if I'm just being pessimistic here. I went to a Q&A once of this short film, and but it had like a name-ish in it, and they're asking and they directed it, and they're asking them, so they asked, how does one become an indie filmmaker?
00:56:33
Speaker
And they sat there with the microphone. This is my Sharpie. And they're like, well, it starts with a dream. And embraced I was like, I'm done.
00:56:44
Speaker
I don't want to hear a single thing you have to say. Get out. It starts with a dream. But it was the way they said it like they were running out of. yeah ron literally, they said it like they were running out of breath. They're like, it starts with a dream. I'm like, stop it.
00:57:01
Speaker
Stop it. starts with a dream. yeah that's all i wanted to do was direct i picked up an indie film director i picked up a kodak camera and i said this is my life wow yeah i i'll i can attribute that to famous steven spielberg quote where he said in somewhere i don't even i couldn't even tell you where he said um i dream for a living Oh, see, that's cool. That's inspirational.
00:57:32
Speaker
That's inspirational. hiber I'm going to get that tattooed on me. That's amazing. I dream for a living. That's freaking great. yeah So I don't know if that came from that, but I don't know.
00:57:43
Speaker
Well, that's... yeah my My parents conceived me. They started with a dream too. Okay. A real inspiration. I mean, yeah. jesus can Can you dig a little deeper into that? I don't understand what you mean.
00:57:55
Speaker
Um, peanut nodding Whoa. All right, guys, we're talking about children's movies right now. Um, but what, no, what I really, want to ask you though. Um, cause I have a few film bakery questions. Um, um, Something that I'm doing and I have it, I'm not going to hold it up or anything up because I don't want to make this about my project. So I'm actually going cover the the title. But I have I made a director's binder. Nice.
00:58:24
Speaker
The movie is called Director Binder. Got you. No, love it. I love it. Yeah. um But. ah I was going to ask, like, what, because I have i have things that, like, I have, I was going ask you, like, what do you what would you put in your, like, director's handbook? Because I have, like, my script, my shot list, storyboard, things like that.
00:58:46
Speaker
um Oh, my God. Literally the same thing. Look at us. You know, I'll show the title. I just didn't want to make it about me. well That's fine. Yeah. Look at, look at us. Literally the same thing. This is the director's binder for my first feature. Awesome. Which I went out out of of, out of my way to put in big letters, the title in the front because you're making a movie.
00:59:10
Speaker
What? proud of it. ah Well, it was more about the interview, Thomas. I didn't want to make this about me. You know, it's, you're the guy. but you're fine. All right. Well, anyway. i don't say yeah had I don't think I had a blinder when I directed. I don't think had one.
00:59:25
Speaker
I directed you. I directed a play, though. I directed a play. He directed theater. Yeah. Ron's in New York, if
Film Business and AI Concerns
00:59:31
Speaker
you didn't know. Oh, yes. Yeah. You're up late. He's a comic. He's a comic. I'm sorry. What? I'm always up this late. This is my life. So, yeah. So I have in here the script.
00:59:44
Speaker
I have my copy of the script on which I'll show you that. Pages are getting ripped. So on one side. I have my handwritten notes.
00:59:56
Speaker
Okay. Okay. That include the scene shot designations and the description of what that, those shots are. And then on the backside of the other page on the other side uh,
01:00:09
Speaker
hand drawn camera diagrams. It's so funny how this works. ah Because I had done one short before, but I didn't direct it. I just wrote it and acted in it um and produced it, I guess. But I remember there was one festival that got in and there it was so shameless. It was a tiny festival and they would show the other shorts. And I remember the second a short was over, you would see shadows walk up and ye leave. Yep. They're short is done. i don't care to see yours. I came here to see mine. Goodbye. And I'm like, wow, that's, uh, that's wild.
01:00:47
Speaker
Um, I would, I, yeah, I, I, I know what you mean. Like, it's like, what does it mean to you for me? I guess like as an actor, it would be great real footage as, you know, something to showcase, you know, especially if I'm acting in it. Um, obviously I have to act in it to to have it, but, uh,
01:01:04
Speaker
yeah, to showcase it that way, just that is That is one of the very few actually good, solid things you can count on for a short film.
01:01:14
Speaker
ah You can't really get the bigger jobs unless you have real footage. Yeah. And there's a difference between like, you know, filming yourself in your bedroom for a self-tape audition versus actual real footage because real footage...
01:01:33
Speaker
ah Not only does it show you acting, but if you can put together reel that has multiple different clips from multiple different actual projects that are all of a certain production quality, when a casting director sees that, it will kind of show them that you've been around the block a little bit. Now, in my experience, I've actually, without going into too many details while we're recording, I've actually recently had the opportunity to pitch to a number of different big producers of for big level investment potential investments.
01:02:12
Speaker
They did not care about a proof of concept. Interesting. They cared about my business plan. Oh, interesting. Okay. They cared about my plan to get them a return on their investment.
01:02:25
Speaker
um Whereas what I have noticed is the people who do care about a proof of concept would be the people that might donate to a crowdfunding campaign.
01:02:38
Speaker
Interesting. So that's that's something that um if I can speak on that, I've i've never pitched live action before, um but I've pitched animation to studios before.
01:02:51
Speaker
um And one thing ah that I get when someone asks me, like what do I do to prepare for a pitch? They say, like did you what did who did you get to like animate the pilot? Did you animate? I'm like, no, I didn't animate anything.
01:03:04
Speaker
There was no animation. Like I went in with my pitch deck. I showed him my Bible. I gave him my pitch. Like, no. Like, so like they, in fact, even if I did make a, even a short pilot, um they're going to change it It's never going to exist. So the, even character designs, ah all the illustrations is all going change. So yeah, I, I don't think um I think proof of concept is,
01:03:28
Speaker
is great if it if it almost like lands on your lap accidentally. Like if you did a short, but you did it to make a short. and But it just so happened to be like, hey, this is what I can do. Here's my proof of concept of this.
01:03:40
Speaker
But um I think proof of concepts can be fun, kind of like making a short. But yeah, i I know you mean like the studios, from what I understand, they don't really need that. Yeah, they don't they don't need that. And more than likely, whatever kind of designs that you're, like you said, that you're coming in with are going to get changed.
01:04:00
Speaker
yeah in In a number of my pitches that I've gotten to do in the past couple of years, um the people who I'm talking to, went the people who I've talked to on the level of multiple millions of dollars of investment, on that level,
01:04:16
Speaker
they don't care about my creative vision for the film. They don't care. i you know, I could sit here and talk all day about tone and vibe and, you know, I'm going to use creative cinematography to tell the story. They don't care.
01:04:30
Speaker
What they care about is the business plan. What they care about is, is it a good investment? Can they earn their money back? Plus an investment. It starts with a tree to have the, and nobody cared afterwards. Yeah.
01:04:44
Speaker
I'm going to write a script and call it It Starts With a Dream. It Starts With a Dream. Oh. And then they say, fuck your dream. And then can I add, and then I have to ask you in the Q&A, like, how did you come up with this idea? Well, I'm glad you asked. Well, I got a story for you. It Starts With a Dream. It Starts With a Dream.
01:05:07
Speaker
It Starts With a Dream. um I'll tell you. I'm going to be doing that all week now. Yeah. um Do you think that you should have the like investment? I don't know you would call it. what it would Not the investment page, but whatever. um like Do you think you should start your Bible with that and then get into creative stuff or the business plan? And then I'd also recommend take some time to include...
01:05:32
Speaker
the the people involved, yourself. Oh, I'm so bad with like, so like i you know, we crack jokes about, yes yeah, like we crack like narcissist jokes, but I think I do it out of um out of fear because I actually really am uncomfortable selling myself. So I make a joke out of it. I totally get that.
01:05:54
Speaker
um But if you're when you walk into a pitch meeting with an investor, you're selling yourself. You're not selling your script. Because they're going to be way more interested in you and why you than anything that your script could be. Because the script can change, but you are you.
01:06:11
Speaker
One of the things that I've been dealing with as a first-time director is um I want to take care of everybody food-wise. Do you have any tips or tricks on how to feed people? Like literally my question about filmmaking is the craft services and food. Oh my goodness. Okay. I love that you asked that question for a number of reasons. One being no one asks me that question. nice And two, anyone who has ever worked with me on a film project that I am in charge of knows that I have a rule, a hard and fast rule when it comes to that. Yeah.
01:06:47
Speaker
And that hard and fast rule is no no pizza. No pizza. We said it the same time and we got, we got binders too. We're the same person and all it says is no pizza. All it says is no pizza. You know, when you sit at that job meeting and you see the other guy starting to take your job, that's how I feel right now. So Thomas, you're now, it's not to be called a down with DT podcast. Okay. Thank you, Rob. It's been great. Good night, everybody.
01:07:19
Speaker
Ron's like, I live in New York. I love pizza. What's the fucking problem? Hey, you know, you can love pizza all you want on your own time. No, I have to ask. Is it because it makes a mess? Is that why?
01:07:31
Speaker
no, no. no if It's because it makes you tired and gassy. And I don't want to smell your farts all night. Oh, I guess I'm not eating anything. You know what? I think, Ron, I'm going let you ask a certain cookie question later. I know I'm going ask it. Ron knows what I'm talking about. I know.
01:07:49
Speaker
It's like, I'm not afraid. I'll do it. So I'll make this really quick then. um so a quote that you said actually recently because um about AI. or i think I might be misquoting you, but it said something like, if it's not made by a human, it shouldn't be consumed by one.
01:08:05
Speaker
and i love I like that a lot, actually. Yeah, that's good. Right? Hello? Hello? um i want I want that like Michael Scott quote where it says Robert Dunn, but then under it is your name. know more test i have i might post that.
01:08:21
Speaker
I think I might do a little stupid Photoshop thing and post that. That'd be so funny. That's a great point. But I mean, that's right to the point that quote, like, yeah, you'll never find me using any sort of AI for any kind of film thing at all. Period. In fact, uh, the I'm, I'm in, I'm almost done with another short film right now. And I went out of my way to put at the end of the credits, no AI was used in this film. Beautiful. This film cannot be used to train AI models.
01:08:48
Speaker
Like, no, like I'm going I'm going I feel no shame in plugging this, even though it's not mine because I hate watched it. There is a show. ah You can find it on YouTube. it is called non-player combat.
01:09:02
Speaker
It is an entirely AI generated reality show. They programmed these actors or act quote unquote actors program. These characters gave them personalities and then put them in on this big fake island and let them fight to the death.
01:09:20
Speaker
And the whole, the scripts, the the the dialogue, everything, it's all AI generated. And I i found out about this and I i morbid curiosity, hate watched it.
01:09:32
Speaker
And I got about five minutes in and every part of me was cringing so hard. these These AI actors are talking about the stakes have never been higher. They literally have never been lower. Nothing about what you're showing me right now is real. Nothing matters. Nothing here matters.
01:09:54
Speaker
Yeah. Because one of the points you brought up and um I know Ron could attest to this too, where it's like, I also like when when the whole like scanning thing with the union was going on, and I was like, i I don't want it. Like, cause some people were saying, oh, hey, if they pay me, you could scan me. I'm like, I also want to do it though. Like, you know what i mean? I also want to show up to set and do it. Like, yeah, I didn't move to l LA to get scanned. Like what? I don't know. It's just weird. Filmmaking with a camera and people is fun. Yes.
01:10:30
Speaker
Why would I want AI to do the fun thing for me? Yeah. Ron, why don't we just have AI you tell jokes on stage? you So I was just going to bring that up. There are um comedians are more and more using AI to write their jokes. They'll put in something in the AI. just you write's about the problem with It's a huge problem. I think it's you're destroying the craft.
01:10:51
Speaker
That's a huge problem. I could i can i could rant for days about it. Aside from all the other, aside from if a human didn't make it, a human shouldn't consume it. Aside from that, aside from the moral implications, aside from all of that, it just comes down to one other fundamental basic thing.
01:11:10
Speaker
If AI is writing all the jokes for all the comedians, They're all going to sound the same. yes They're all giving the same jokes. What's the deal? What's that?
01:11:21
Speaker
What you as a comedian bring to the table is you. yeah ah Yeah. You know how I know that's true is that sometimes an AI video will pop up and, you know, it's pretty...
01:11:33
Speaker
Of course, it's getting more difficult to spot, but i can you know it's we're we're at a point where I could still tell. But in that first like second and a half where I believe it's real, but then something happens where I'm like, oh, it is AI. Something sinks. And I'm like, oh, it's AI. I immediately am like disconnected from what I'm watching.
01:11:55
Speaker
hundred percent yeah A friend of mine said something like, you know, the majority of people might be willing to watch AI, but how many of them are willing to pay for it? You could watch Sora stuff all day long, but I'm not paying for it. It's on my algorithm, but I'm never going to pay for it. and that's And if there's no money in it, then I can see it.
01:12:16
Speaker
Because sometimes people say, like well, how are you going to stop ai And I'm like, well, i don't know if you could stop it. But I always say, like I they feel like when it comes to movies, I think indie films is what might set it aside. 100%. I think the future of film is is in the indie space. i don't I don't think we can stop AI, but I also don't think we have to compete with it.
01:12:37
Speaker
that's
Time Travel Theories
01:12:38
Speaker
That's good. You are you were just coming up with those quotes, bro. You got to stop. That's too much Photoshop for me to steal your ideas Another tattoo this weekend. Yes, very good. So a question that we asked in the last episode, when it when it comes to going through time, because we're debating this, um let's say DeLorean style.
01:12:59
Speaker
If you went through time, let's say you know night you went to the 1950s, but you stayed there for a week. okay Would you return to present day from the time you left or would you return to present day a week later because you technically age a week? So if you have, let's go with the DeLorean. If you have a DeLorean where you can punch in your destination date, right?
01:13:23
Speaker
So you go to the fifties, you're in the fifties for a week. and then you punch in your destination date, you could punch in the date for a week from the day you left or 15 minutes before you left. Yeah. Okay. Which one would you choose? Because in my head- Which one would I choose? Oh! yeah,
01:13:40
Speaker
I thought you asking, like, how would I think it works? Oh. I live next to the Burger King from Back to the Future, Thomas. I know how this works. Here we go. Okay. Okay. Okay. how Okay. Which would I choose? i used to live by the McDonald's, okay, from coming to America. You happy now? There we go. All right. Oh, that's kind of It is, but they tore it down. Anyway, go on.
01:14:00
Speaker
I think it would depend on what my mission is in that moment. Do I have a reason to go back to the moment I left? or like Let's say you were trying to stop a doctor from getting shot by a bunch of crazy men in a van.
01:14:17
Speaker
just Something you want to tell us, Robert. I might go back 10 minutes early to give myself time to warn them. Yeah. yeah So I am kind of obsessed with time travel as a narrative device. And what I've noticed is that um there are a number of different like I'm going to call them theories on how time travel would work. That being one of them, um, I kind of, my favorite time travel theory, uh, would be that you can't change the past that whatever happened always happens. And if you go back in time and
Upcoming Productions
01:14:57
Speaker
try to change the past, whatever you do is, and always was part of events. Yeah. Yeah, that's good example. If you try to go back and stop the Kennedy assassination, you might in turn be the person that caused it. Exactly. Yeah.
01:15:13
Speaker
Little shout out here. The reason why I even brought this up is because you you're ready for your second feature. That's correct. yeah Okay. And I do exactly that. It's it's the time time cannot be changed. It's called the Time Traveler's Checklist, right? Time Traveler's Checklist. We go into production in March. So in cool just like six weeks.
01:15:37
Speaker
Wow. And I'm super excited about this one because, i like I said, i'm I'm a sucker for time travel stuff. I'm also a huge nerd. I also am a comedy guy. like Everything I write is through the lens of comedy. And this is a comedy sci-fi time travel. So like this is exactly the kind of movie that I would want to see. And so I'm just – honestly, I'm just – I think this is one of my favorite scripts that I've ever written. That's cool. You seem to have your core group and like people are loyal to you. I feel like you're loyal to them. And so are you bringing a lot of like your old, your old crew into this one? Oh yeah, for sure. So I, i very much am of the mindset that um good help is hard to find, especially if you can't pay for it. um And so I'm very much on that mindset. If you can find people to work with and,
01:16:30
Speaker
show up for them then they'll show up for you and build a team like this that'll be the absolute best resource you could ever hope to have because then you'll be able to make stuff constantly and a rising tide raises all ships everybody benefits oh i like but look at you with the quotes again A rising tide.
01:16:54
Speaker
Get out of here. I love it. Okay. I'm glad this is getting recorded so i can I need to jot all this down. But you know what I think we'll end this with something fun. Ron, ah he kind of has question. have a question for you, Thomas. It's kind of for both of Something about cookies? Yes. this yeah this It'll make more sense when we give you content. This is the battle we have ah on our episodes. ah So I need to ask you, what is your opinion of Crumble Cookies?
01:17:20
Speaker
They're messy. Messy? Oh. We were talking about cookies that crumble. No, no, no, no. Messy. Crumble when you eat. t Crumble the company. I don't know if I'm familiar with crumble cookies. That's fine. That's fine. It's better. You're not. That's good. Very good.
01:17:32
Speaker
Okay. Okay. Well, it's um it's a company brand. ah You probably have one nearby. Yeah. They're all over California. um But ah delicious cookies. I love them.
01:17:46
Speaker
okay i love them if you showed up if you had those on crafty people would be like whoa damn okay um ron doesn't like him because he's from new york and he knows all the bakeries and i know the put the but you gotta go to tony sugars he's got the best cookies i hope your hairline recedes a lot more in the next year okay i really do Wow. Thank you. Thank you. I now am um distraught that I am not familiar with the, I'm going to have to go seek these out and report back. Please do. Yes, please do.
01:18:23
Speaker
And you could be honest, like not, I'm not going to get mad. We're not going to get mad. but No one who's mad. No one's mad. Also, a little quick shout out. I loved um you did ah you did a super... It's so it's so silly, but you did like a music video of like a date. It was like... Was it like 333?
01:18:44
Speaker
three three three It was like a bunch of numbers. Oh. That was... I love silly shit like that. It's so... Dare I say it, so dumb. And I was like, I am laughing my ass off. This was this was in... I'll have to send it to you, Ron. It's really so silly. Yeah.
01:19:01
Speaker
This was in early 2020 before the pandemic broke out. And I recognized that we were coming up on the date that would be 2-20-2020. And so I wrote a song about the date being 2-20-2020. And then ah in the song, I sing about how this only happens once a millennium. Oh, but wait, it's going to happen in 2-20-2-22.
01:19:29
Speaker
two twenty two twenty two And, oh, it's going to happen in 22, 22, 22. And like, I forget the lyrics, but that's the whole. Yeah. It reminded me of like old YouTube because there was a YouTuber I watched like back in the day and he made a song called the 30 second long video. And he's like, it's 30 seconds long. This video is 30 seconds long. And it's just like so silly and like over the top. It just gave me like nostalgic, like YouTube vibes. I love that, that you said that because that's exactly what I was going for. I was there for old school YouTube. I ran a YouTube channel in the early days of YouTube, just doing all that goofy stuff that everyone yeah did back then. oh I long for those days. I miss those YouTube days.
01:20:14
Speaker
Yeah, they were so, so fun. They were pure. There was no pressure and it was just about, you know, making people laugh. I feel like I could keep talking, but, you know, we all, you know, this has been super fun. That's how that's how I know it was good times because I feel like I could keep going, but, you know, you know.
01:20:35
Speaker
i know, I know. You know how it is. Ron's got to go to sleep and yeah do you know how to sleep? Not really. I'm very bad at sleeping. um You want to hear it?
01:20:46
Speaker
Yeah. this is This is how you sleep. It all starts with a dream. Thank you. Thank you. Oh, right. Because you're sleeping. All right, guys. um Thank you, Thomas, for stopping by the Down With DP podcast. um This will never air. And ah we hope to.
01:21:08
Speaker
Let's chit chat again sometime. Dude, like I'm glad that we finally got to talk and for real with our voices. Yeah, man. This is a lot of fun. Thanks for having me on. And if I can plug for a second, we're in a crowdfunding campaign for the Time Traveler's Checklist right now. It's live right now. So
Captain Planet and Environmental Nostalgia
01:21:26
Speaker
anyone who might be interested in helping us make this movie, easilyamusedgroup.com.
01:21:33
Speaker
It'll take you right to our campaign page and you can help us help us get it made and follow us on this journey. In fact, we will leave a link in the show notes. So guys, check that out. This, if there's anyone who deserves it, this man does because he, ah he really seems to care about the people he works with. He is, he's in it for the creative.
01:21:56
Speaker
He has the creative drive. I can't say enough good things. So thank you. Thank you so much. Thank you once again, Thomas. Thank you. And, uh, Well, I'll talk soon. Yeah, you got it. We're going to do it.
01:22:07
Speaker
We're going to Anytime you guys want to have me back. i'm Thanks, Thomas. Sweet. So something that you sent me, Ron, was they are bringing a Captain Planet movie.
01:22:20
Speaker
Yeah. Yeah. Something. um I, yeah, I think it was Netflix that was doing it. Okay. Here. I think I sent it. Yeah. um Which I don't, I like Captain Planet as much as the next person. I've always had this interesting thought about Captain Planet. love Captain and Planet. He's our hero. Yeah. um And you know, i know. illusion down tools zero That was back when, man, they had the most banging theme songs. Yeah.
01:22:47
Speaker
Yeah, they actually put effort into their theme songs. Yeah, yeah. Don't even get me starting on Power Rangers. Come on. Might be the best one. But anyway, my point is, uh, music is good. Uh, Captain Planet, you know, just recap. It was summoned by five teenagers, uh, Magic Rings, the Planeteers.
01:23:05
Speaker
Um, and so it was... Where the Planeteers? You can be one too. Cause saving the planet is the thing to do. All right. um And so but no, no, it's okay. I was singing the Book of Mormon last episode. So you're allowed to do that.
01:23:22
Speaker
But Orlando, he's summoned by um earth, fire, wind, water and heart. Right. So my thing is, and and I think I got this from a buddy of mine. And I love how you said that in the order that it it comes out in the, uh,
01:23:38
Speaker
In the intro? Yeah. Earth, fire, wind, wind water, heart. Yeah, it was, it's very- Four powers combined. I am, kept sorry. No, it's very similar to Power Rangers. Mastodon, Terodacl, Triceratops, Saber. It's the same shit. um Yeah. I think that was- White tiger! Yeah.
01:23:55
Speaker
um I said tiger. You said tiger. ah i said tiger. but I think a friend of mine brought this up where it would have been interesting if they could summon Captain Planet without all the rings. And what what would happen if you summoned, because heart is always the one that's like, it's the most confusing one. It's also like, you know, it's not like an element like the others. what It's not an element. yeah What if you can summon Captain Planet without heart?
01:24:23
Speaker
But he becomes like like like um untamed because he doesn't have heart. and And it just well i just showcases how important heart is.
01:24:37
Speaker
Yeah, I mean, if you had all those powers, I mean, if you combined everything without the heart, I mean, what would environmentalism is heart at the end of the day, right? Like, what would happen? Would he be like an angry force? Like...
01:24:50
Speaker
Would he have no empathy? I could see that. Yeah. Being an angry force like. Earth, wind, water, fire. Yeah, I mean. Basically, you'd kind of see what's going on now with deforestation and stuff like that. Yeah, I mean, i don't.
01:25:05
Speaker
I think without the heart, Captain Planet becomes, you know, Captain Pollution. I was just going to bring that up. and i know there I know there was a Was that his name, Captain Pollution? i want i Probably. I was actually going to say was like his bizarro form. um yeah I'm going to look that up right now.
01:25:22
Speaker
yeah But ah that's what I mean. like I think you have to have heart, man. You got to have heart. Yeah, you got to kind of heart You got to have heart. You do.
01:25:36
Speaker
I forgot all of his enemies, actually.
01:25:41
Speaker
What do you think? yeah Captain pollution. That was his name. It was captain pollution. Yeah. Hey, right on the money. yeah You know, you can't, yeah. Let's not make it complicated folks. Captain pollution. Yeah. was captain pollution. Yeah. Cause we got captain America, but he's captain of the whole planet.
01:25:57
Speaker
It's kind of crazy how we were so like, as kids, they were really like even Rocco's modern life. You remember that song? R A C Y C L E recycle. Yeah.
01:26:07
Speaker
they They really drove that into our fucking heads about how we need to take care of our planet food and stuff like that. What's I'm all for? The big help? but The big, oh my god, Nickelodeon's the big help. That was awesome. That was so, that influenced the fuck out of me.
01:26:23
Speaker
It worked on me. But like, You know, it's... But all the people that drove that into our heads, and I think that was a pretty bipartisan thing. Everybody drove that into our heads.
01:26:35
Speaker
That's those same people that drove it into our heads are the ones that don't give a fuck now. Yeah. Which is like... Did you miss the point? You wanted us to save the planet, but you're over here still in control, not giving up your power and fucking up the planet. So how can we try to save it when you won't give us, give us the power? yeah The power is ours, but you won't fucking give it to me. Yeah. The power is yours, yours, yours. That's what I did. Yeah. Yeah. right yeah ah Well, Hey, but um you know what? There is like a string of things. Like not only that, like the, the, um, um Oh yeah. Did you see the He-Man trailer?
01:27:12
Speaker
No, so i did not. Here's my opinion on the He-Man and he he man trailer. It is so so far from what I've seen. It is so accurate to how it's supposed to look.
01:27:26
Speaker
like... it is it is like I like it. But this is the sad state of affairs that we're in now. I thought it was AI at first because it was so accurate. ah But it doesn't doesn't mean that that means it looks bad. It's just it was so accurate because I think nowadays you always expect something to change. that You know, studios will change something, whether it's a storyline or, or, you know, so you know, people get into an uproar. it's like this person, this actor doesn't look exactly like the actor from the comic book, you know, the, and none of that was there. It was pretty much like is as super to the T what, it what it is in the show.
01:28:05
Speaker
And it looked, it looked good. But my first thought was like, Oh, it's AI. It was a fan made thing, but it's not. So I was like, interesting. So we have he man captain planets getting talked about. And,
01:28:18
Speaker
Street Sharks as well. Street Sharks. Yeah. Did you watch Street Sharks? Coming back. I did watch it as a kid. It wasn't like my favorite show, but I did watch it. I'm afraid of sharks. You know, I think um'm they kept airing the same episode over and over again. So i was just kind of like, I've seen this one already. Yeah.
01:28:35
Speaker
Every time I caught it. um But it's supposed to have a darker tone from what I understand. okay ah So I'm curious what they're going to do with this. I mean... is it good do you think it's going to be like ah like Ninja Turtles movie where it's like you know guys in mo-cap suits and... I assume.
01:28:54
Speaker
i know
Nostalgic Media Resurgence
01:28:55
Speaker
I don't know. I mean, I think the Turtles franchise sucks now, personally. well i think I think the original stuff was much better. now Except the third movie. The third movie was... yeah I did like the the animated one.
01:29:09
Speaker
Uh... that was a seth rogan one that was made i thought that one was okay yeah that one wasn't bad yeah but you're talking about the yeah you're talking about the like big block i think the one there was one that came out like the early 2000s like the mid 2000s and sucked those ones yeah i think that's yeah yeah i think that um but yeah uh yeah i just i just don't i don't know but street sharks i'm i'm excited for that i think that'll be fun yeah um i wish they would stop trying to capitalize our on our generation but um
01:29:40
Speaker
Yeah, I think it'll be fun. Yeah, it was so random. Are you a James Bond fan,
James Bond Discussions
01:29:46
Speaker
Ralph? Yeah, actually, I've seen a lot of them. i did a James Bond marathon because we had like this giant book of all the movies, and we watched them back to back. So now, unfortunately, the bad thing is they're all kind of blended in one movie to me, so I kind of don't remember any of it. would have to rewatch them.
01:30:06
Speaker
But yeah, I do like James Bond. Well... I have some great news for you. I feel like Netflix should pay us right now because we're just kind of talking about know, we are. um
01:30:17
Speaker
James Bond, all the movies are on Netflix. All the Eon movies are on Netflix right now. Really? Okay. All of them. All 25 them. So, okay, I have a... So if you want to go back and watch them, now is the time to do have a very controversial opinion.
01:30:33
Speaker
If you're ready. ah Have you ever seen the first James Bond movie? The very first one? Dr. No. Is that the first one? I don't know. That's the one with Ursula Andress. Yeah. Dr. No, where he inspires Dr. Evil for the Austin Powers. i thought that was Lauren Michaels. No, I'm just kidding. pat um Oh, my God. But it I just remember watching it and it was so boring.
01:30:58
Speaker
It wasn't. They move slow. Yeah, I know it's a different time. They move slow, yes. But. It's 1962. Yeah, they move slow. I was just surprised. i'm watching I'm watching Goldfinger right now.
01:31:11
Speaker
And it is very slow moving. I like it. I like it a lot. I'm very into it. But if I'm not awake, ready to go, it is very slow moving. I'm like, oh my God. yeah And it doesn't mean I'm saying it's bad. I understand. No, no, I'm not saying it's bad at all. No, it's just slow moving. And and I like slow movies. I'm not someone that needs like constant laser beams at my eyes at all times. No. but is just Because Doctor No, I can watch no problem. Uh-huh.
01:31:40
Speaker
i really but um And from Russia with love is also, that's probably one of my favorite ones. I've seen most of them, if not all of them, at least once.
01:31:51
Speaker
So I am watching them all again. Actually the last two new ones with Daniel Craig, I i didn't and either, but I haven't seen any Daniel Craig, Daniel Craig ones. And I want to, I just haven't.
01:32:03
Speaker
um I love James Bond. you have a favorite James Bond? um No. I'm going to go Connery. I think he's the best. thought you meant movie.
01:32:14
Speaker
I'm sorry. No, no, no, no. James but actor. I'm sorry. James Bond actor. going to Connery. I think he's the best. Maybe. may not agree with his views on women personally, but I think as a as a James Bond, I think he's the best. Pierce?
01:32:27
Speaker
think Daniel Craig is my number two. Oh, ah did you like Pierce Brosnan or... Pierce Brosnan was great, yeah. There's there's also that, um there was like some fan theory or something where they wanted to, because here's a question about James Bond, and then we're going to, we actually have a few penetrating questions today and some cold jokes. We do, we do. um so I think George Lazenby was decently good. I couldn't remember his name. Yeah. George Lazenby.
01:32:52
Speaker
He did one movie. Here's the question that some people, they're not sure about. Is James Bond, is 007, A person or a title, meaning that Sean Connery and Daniel Craig are two different people, but they have the title of 007, or is it the same character and we just ignore that it's different times?
01:33:16
Speaker
I'm gonna go with it's this I mean his name is James Bond and everything so I'm just gonna go with it's the same yeah I would too but there's been like a fun thing about like what if like a few of the James Bonds ran into each other kind of thing I mean it's a fun theory I think I'm not against it are we gonna open a 007 multiverse bro Are we going to have the Avengers of James Bond? Did I just put it out the universe? Don't put that in. It's too el late, brother. They're already writing the scripts, brother. No, Robert, no. It's the 007CU. Don't do it.
01:33:54
Speaker
No. It's the JBCU. James Bond Cinematic Universe. Oh, God, no. Oh, it's happened, brother. um anyway thank you uh that netflix that one's for you uh
01:34:08
Speaker
um so yeah we should get into some cold jokes and then uh we'll end with the penetrating cold jokes first we can do cold jokes first yeah yeah i wrote one you wrote i wrote one did you write i sure did and it's it's the funniest thing you'll ever read in your whole life i hope so probably not Okay. You go first. Oh, you're that confident. you Oh God. That was a bad thing for me to say then. um Let's go.
01:34:32
Speaker
I know mine's not great, but I'm fine with it. All right. Here we go.
01:34:38
Speaker
One second. Here we go.
01:34:44
Speaker
The movie, the burbs has been a adaptive into a new television series on Peacock, which I can only summon with one word. Finally.
01:34:56
Speaker
Yes. Okay. Yes. ah The Burbs has been adapted into. um Yeah, I spelled that wrong. Has been adapted into a new television series on Peacock. It's the thing we've been waiting for, Ron.
01:35:10
Speaker
it's i I'm ecstatic. Those are the cries of the people. Um, just kidding. I, uh, don't know. I'll probably watch I mean, I'm just so excited. I've never watched the burbs. I don't care. Yeah.
01:35:23
Speaker
But, uh, you're right. Fine. But Hey, I like Tom Hanks. So, oh my goodness. Uh, a paragraph, yeah mine's a little long paragraph was just sent to me. Okay, here we go guys. Cold joke from Ron. So every year the NHL does a stadium series where they play a hockey game outside at a football stadium.
Humor and Cold Jokes
01:35:40
Speaker
This year, they're playing at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. That's right. Ice hockey outside in Tampa, Florida. The high for the day is supposed to be 48 degrees. They are keeping an air conditioned tent over the ice to keep it cold before the puck drops Sunday.
01:35:56
Speaker
If Florida can put this much effort into one ice hockey game, why can't we count all the votes in the 2000 election again? Was this written by Al Gore? i helped me Love it. Love it.
01:36:12
Speaker
Cool. Yeah. Yeah. All right. Well, they um I'm going to wait for their laughter to stop. Okay. i'm just laugh You want a laughter track? You want a laughter track? Do There we go. I think we caused two car accidents because people, just they just lost control and they swerved. Oh, man.
01:36:33
Speaker
ah Okay. So guys, we, um, I'd even play the cold jokes thing. ah but you didn't play the cold jokes. Yeah. going play it now. I'm going to play it Oh, I'm going to play it now.
01:36:48
Speaker
All right, guys. Now, now go back and play the cold jokes again. Um, I'll rewind it. Let me see if I can do the sound.
01:36:56
Speaker
That's really good. I don't know that's gonna translate well. heard it. I actually am impressed. I thought you were just gonna go like, but no, that was good. That was better than both our cold jokes.
01:37:11
Speaker
for ah For those that don't know, that's what a cassette tape sounds like when you're rewinding it. yes um So we do have some... We do have some...
01:37:29
Speaker
Yeah. So ah we actually do have some. um We have three. We have three. rock I know. I know. So very excited. We have. ah Let's go to the first one. It's from Mario.
01:37:43
Speaker
And Mario. Nice to hear from you again, Mario. His question is, what's your favorite bad movie? So I can answer this. Ooh. My favorite bad movie is probably, i mean, this is a lot of people's favorite bad movie, but The Room.
01:37:59
Speaker
The Room is the obviously the iconic bad movie starring Tommy Wiseau. It is a movie that is so incompetent and the acting is terrible. Everything's bad about it, but that's what makes it great. And I would say, hi, Mark. Hi, Mark. I still, I mean, I quote the hell out of that movie. It's so great.
01:38:20
Speaker
um I would say if you ever watch The Room, don't watch it by yourself. It'll be boring. But if you watch it with friends, maybe a little alcohol there added to it.
01:38:31
Speaker
um You will have the best time. It is so much fun because nothing makes sense. and The whole time you're like, what the fuck is happening? It's so great. So I cannot recommend it enough with friends. The Room starring Tommy Wiseau.
01:38:47
Speaker
I don't know why I feel like we've done this question already, but yeah, The Room It's great. I don't know. the One that's coming to my mind right now that I could watch over and over again for some stupid reason.
01:39:01
Speaker
Norbit. ah Is that an alien? Starring Eddie Murphy. Is there an alien? but When he plays what? No, he plays Rasputia. Oh, and is he like yeah super nerdy and stuff?
01:39:15
Speaker
He's super nerdy, and he's like, yeah, that movie for some reason, I don't know, it's horrible, but I can watch it over and over. Does he also... Oh, he plays the large lady, too? He plays Rasputia, his wife, and he plays the guy who runs the chinese Chinese restaurant slash orphanage. This looks, like, amazing. This looks amazing. Yeah, so yeah so I can... it' It's horrible, but um I can watch it over and over again.
01:39:42
Speaker
That's so funny. There's a Oh, I love it. kind of thing why There's a lot of people in this. another Yeah, it's it's it's yeah okay it's got a good cast. okay um alright yeah i know i don't think I don't think it got a lot of great reviews, but I thought the movie was great. um
'Bad' Movies Appreciation
01:40:01
Speaker
Wanderlust with Paul Rudd and Jennifer Aniston. okay cool i don't i don't think it got good reviews. I could be wrong, but I could watch that movie over and over.
01:40:10
Speaker
Well, ah okay, I kind of want to watch this, ah honestly. ah But... um It's it's are horrible, but I mean, i love Eddie Murphy, but, you know, it's... and it's Not his best. It looks funny. But it's good. And it looks just as funny as our next question by...
01:40:27
Speaker
Then you Mike. Spelled with Y. And are you going to read this one again? I sure it probably is best if I read it. Yeah, go ahead. Go ahead. you It's your show. Wow. Well, it's about you. don't know if you want to read it about you. It's about both of us. It is about both of us.
01:40:44
Speaker
All right. Then you. Hey, hey, I didn't see that I was in it. So, yeah, you could read it. Mm hmm. OK. Then you Mike asks, why is Ron so handsome? stop it And why is Robert so charming? oh And why are you both so cool and funny and actually intelligent? We did not write this. Is there an OnlyFans? Don't worry, I made you cool. It's doing quite well and your checks are in the mail. All right, I'll take For real though, what is the best donut and why is it an apple fritter?
01:41:21
Speaker
ah
01:41:25
Speaker
Why am I so handsome? Genetics. Why is Robert so charming? Teacher smelled his hands when was younger. Yeah, it's trauma. Trauma. That's why. Why are we both so cool and funny? Also trauma. And intelligent. We've had a lot of rejection in life. Is there an OnlyFans? Well, you made one. Thank you much. Thank you. I'm waiting for those checks. For those cheeks. That's a donut. Cheeks in the mail, but spelled M-A-L-E. Cheeks in the mail.
01:41:52
Speaker
see what I did? Cheeks, checks. No, but cheeks. you get nice I like what you did, though. Yeah, I get it with the cheeks. Come on, don't don't ruin it. We're supposed to be cool, funny, and actually intelligent. Oh, and acutely intelligent. um Yeah.
01:42:06
Speaker
Okay. The acutely I skipped that part. Uh, what is apple fritter is probably one of my favorite donuts. I will absolutely say. Yeah, I have one. definite there There is a place in Sacramento, California called babes donuts and ice cream, and they do an amazing gluten free.
01:42:23
Speaker
apple for it oh uh boston cream is my favorite donut boston cream is my my first job was at a dunkin donuts oh cool the one on four corners yeah the one nope the one same owner but the one on us 19 right by the public oh actually had a friend that worked there too different time though um wow okay cool um I might've known them, but yeah. um Okay. So that was from venue Mike. ah And then the next person, thank you ven ah funny enough, their name is not venue Mike. So obviously a different person, a different person.
01:42:58
Speaker
I think so. um But appreciate, appreciate you. Um, And they ask, first of all, how dare you not agree with that other guy who is totally not me on apple fritters being the best donut?
01:43:11
Speaker
Second, but i did how did how did he know that I
Superhero Film Gaps
01:43:14
Speaker
disagreed? um Second, what do you think is a gap in the superhero movie genre that the that deserves to be filled? Filled like a Boston cream, which I do. Yeah.
01:43:26
Speaker
um Or an apple fritter. Or an apple fritter. um I don't know. Maybe a good plot. Am i right, guys? Just kidding. um i just wanted I wanted to give a very incel answer. ah What is a gap in the superhero movie genre that deserves to be filled?
01:43:42
Speaker
um I don't know if fair anything needs to be filled as as much as it might be the superhero fatigue. you know, ah sure and yeah, like this, this, like we just talked about with Captain Planet and Street Sharks and like kind of digging up nostalgia.
01:43:59
Speaker
it It might be that the superhero movie is, they're fine. There's nothing to be filled. It's just, they've been, they've been going on for decades now.
01:44:10
Speaker
I would like to see a solid Green Lantern movie. Well, there's the show Lanterns that's coming out. Yeah, I know, I know, I know, I know. But I would like to see a solid Green Lantern movie, personally. um i think I think they, with Marvel doing the Daredevil series, i think has done a and fantastic job. So, like, you know, the two thousand i think it was 2001 video or movie. It was 2001 movie with Ben Affleck and Jennifer Gardner, which was, like,
01:44:40
Speaker
Colin Farrell, like which was not great. i that's another but That's a bad movie I'll watch over and over again. I like i actually liked that movie. Horrible, though. Did you like Green Lantern and the Superman movie?
01:44:51
Speaker
Yeah, yeah, I did. It was fun. Yeah, it was. um It was, but I don't i don't know. like One that needs to be filled?
01:45:01
Speaker
No, I don't think that... I mean, I'm such a huge Batman fan that I'm was going to ask you a Batman question, actually. Go ahead. go I mean, i get I get my Batman fix.
Batman Interpretations
01:45:11
Speaker
Like I was just watching Batman Returns for the hell of it. Yeah. Which is a Christmas movie, by the way. They offer it so much. they Whoa. So many fucking times that they say, they say Merry Christmas at the end. Christmas movie. Oh, sorry. Anyway. You cut out. I didn't hear any of that. um ah ah I was going to ask because a lot of fans are like dogging on ah James Gunn to do this. Do you, which I think would actually be be pretty cool. ah
01:45:35
Speaker
It sounds like a lot of fans want the James Gunn Batman to be the gray and blue Batman, which we haven't seen before in live action.
01:45:46
Speaker
You know what talking about? No, we have. Well, we might as the Adam West, right? i Yeah, but you know. but You're talking like a Batman. the James Gunn? Yeah, the guy who directed... why don't You know James Gunn. Guardians of the Galaxy. He directed the latest Superman movie.
01:46:02
Speaker
um That's right. that's right um But yeah, you know, the blue gloves, the gray suit. ah We haven't seen that. Yes. I think that could be cool. Do we need it, though? that I feel like that fits more James Gunn's style, because then fair like the dark... like i like But i also I also really like, and it kind of gets some hate, I like the the Batman, the Robert Pattinson one.
01:46:29
Speaker
I don't hate it. I think it's good. It's okay if you do. Yeah. No, I don't. I think, I mean, i i think, I was just saying this to my wife last night or the night before, the best Batmans, I think, in my opinion, um probably as as a story as a whole, the Dark Knight is very, very good.
01:46:51
Speaker
I'm partial to Batman Returns and the 89 Batman. I'm partial to those three movies. i think yeah I think those are the three best ones out of all of them. Yeah, yeah. um and And I'm not saying that in any particular order. just I just think those three movies are...
01:47:08
Speaker
The Dark Knight may be the best one out of all the Batman movies, I think, as far as story goes. But that's me right now. Tomorrow I might say Batman Returns. I guess the thing I like about the Batman is they really push the detective side of him more than I see other movies do. Yeah. Which is kind of cool. What I like... Yeah, agreed. What I love about the Batman movie is...
01:47:34
Speaker
I love how it shows him starting out. Like in all the other movies, he's perfected his craft. yeah This one, it's like, oh no, he just took a fucking hit. Now he's tumbling all over the place. Is it true? Which he did in the beginning. Is it true? And this could be a question for anyone listening who are big Batman fans. Feel free to comment.
01:47:52
Speaker
yeah i I had heard that the Batman, the Robert Pattinson movie was based off of, is it called Batman Day 2? Or Year 2? It's supposed to be like he's only been Batman for two years.
01:48:04
Speaker
You mean year Or year Or it might be year two. Yeah, fans, like one feel free to correct me. i yeah There is a Batman year one. Yeah, I think it's kind of based off that. I could be wrong. yeah i and I know it's Batman year one. um I'm not sure if there's a year two, but yeah, they based it off one of those. I like that. I like the idea of like brand new Batman. i also like old man Batman too. um There is a Batman year two. Okay. Looking it up right now. So maybe that would That's what it's based off of. But yeah, Batman year one, year two, I would assume. I've never looked into that. Yeah, someone chime in. Please let us know. You know, it's hard to keep reinventing the same character over and over again. and and really is. And we've I think we've done it with Batman more than any other superhero. I mean, Spider-Man maybe. But I think... but No, Batman more because we've been...
01:48:51
Speaker
since what, since the, was in the thirties, the early forties, that was the first Batman movie. And we've just kind of been redoing it over and over again. To me, it never gets old, but at the same time, I'm like,
01:49:02
Speaker
Another Batman movie? Let's introduce a new villains. Right. Okay, there's so many more villains in Well, I would say that's what James Gunn does. he He tends to bring in villains. Like in ah in Suicide Squad, he brought in the Polka Dot Man, which is ah like a nothing. Which was cool, which
Future Batman Projects
01:49:18
Speaker
was cool. so I bet you, i bet you i would i would like to think, if I know his style, it's not going to be just like the Joker again. i could be wrong, but it's I feel like it's going to be some obscure, like Calendar Man. You know Calendar Man?
01:49:33
Speaker
Oh, calendar man. That's a Batman villain. No one's done calendar. I know. Like I could see that. being They touch on, they touch on all the villains in ah the Batman Lego movie. actually Oh, that's right. They touch on all the villains there. I also never watched Gotham either. I don't know if Gotham did that. knive's then I've seen, I watched some of it, but they touched on a lot of them and, uh,
01:49:53
Speaker
Zach Galifianakis is the Joker. Phenomenal, by the way. He was. and and Oh, yeah. Worth the Google. He was the Joker. and um That's right. The Lego who was fantastic, by the way. He was a great Joker, I think. um As far as that, you know, Lego universe kind of yeah goes. Great, great Joker. ah But um James Watkins is directing the Clayface movie, which we've spoken about before. That's right. um It's produced. It's produced by James Gunn.
01:50:16
Speaker
Interesting. Okay. So i stand my and supply it's supposed to release September 11th, 2026. So we'll see how this turns out Okay, cool. um We'll see how it turns out.
01:50:29
Speaker
Well, ah yeah. Anyway, I'm looking forward to it. I did enjoy the last and bat ah Batman, the last Superman movie. Yeah. ah And yeah, other than that, this has a been a pretty. Thank you for your questions. Thank you. Thank you for your question. I know this has been kind of an extended episode due to our wonderful guest. So I appreciate everybody listening. It's a very long episode for us. So I appreciate you guys really listening to it. um I do have a fire oven. Yeah, and yeah let's let's tie it up in a nice beer knot.
01:51:03
Speaker
So it's early for me here, so I'm not going to drink this morning, but I do have something and it's not a cider. It's not a beer. It's actually a liquor and liquor. I barely know.
01:51:19
Speaker
Well, you can still liquor if you barely knew her. um Anyway, from your culture, he's wanted to play cold jokes again. Is that what that was? I'm so proud of it. Go on.
01:51:30
Speaker
Yeah, you want to make me a fire oven beer? I should. And we'll go from there. Okay. Yeah, put a little... So this is... i didn't drink all of this last night. I just had one drink last night. It is um crop, harvest earth, cucumber-flavored vodka.
01:51:47
Speaker
Wow. Okay, I'm not a fan of cucumbers. I feel like cucumbers taste like... That's fine. tastes like the bottom of a watermelon to me, cucumbers. Fair enough. um I put this into a screwdriver last night, which is orange juice. Oh, could you get trashier than that? I don't know. It can. um I'm going to tell you a joke. My wife and I talk about this after this. um It was actually really good. It's refreshing. So I'm looking forward to playing more with, you know, summertime drinks with this stuff. um Also, we were joking about now, for those of you that don't know, I am in an interracial marriage. My wife's black. I'm obviously not. um
01:52:24
Speaker
So we talk about imagine. We just lost half of our listeners. No, we didn't. We gained four. So imagine if I brought this to the cookout. ah Oh, I'd be like, what the fuck is this? What did you bring here? Two hours later, you know, this is some good shit. That's so funny.
01:52:45
Speaker
It's like you've been in the suburbs too long. Damn it. How dare you bring that shit? to the And I've been to multiple cookouts so I can talk. I love cookout. Okay. I love cookouts, but we refer to them as barbecues. That's right. We do. White people refer to them as barbecues. I think more of the black culture refers it to them a cookout. Okay. But, um, cookout has better food. It's true. yes I agree.
01:53:09
Speaker
From a personal experience. But, uh, yeah. So cucumber vodka from, uh, From, yeah, from a harvester, crop harvester. Very good. Well, guys, check that out. um Thank you for joining us for this long extended episode. I hope you enjoyed it I hope you enjoyed thank you the interview. Thomas, thank you again for for yeah for doing that. we Thank you so much. We had a blast. We hope you did too. It's a really great interview. a lot of things we didn't know about Hook. His projects and stuff like that and all other things he's worked on that we had no idea. Yeah.
01:53:41
Speaker
hope you enjoyed it. yeah. And we want to have more guests on in the future. Uh, we will definitely let you know. Uh, and yeah, other than that guys, thanks for listening and we'll catch you on the next one. Thank you so much.
01:53:53
Speaker
Bye. hey everyone. Thanks for listening to today's episode of the down with DP podcast. If you want to support what we're doing, please head to our Patreon where you'll get bonus content, extra access and other cool perks. We'd seriously appreciate the support. You'll find all the info on our Instagram at DWDP podcast and on our Facebook under downwithdppodcast. Got a question or topic you want us to dive into?
01:54:18
Speaker
There's a super easy anonymous form linked right into our Instagram bio. Send it in and you could be the next penetrating question or you can email us at downwithdppodcast at gmail.com.