Cold Open Goose Talk

SPEAKER_05 0:00

Canadian geese are tough. Yeah. It's like Canada took all the mean, rotten, spiteful, annoying parts of South Everything and channeled it into a goose.

SPEAKER_01 0:10

They're not sending us their best.

Welcome And Cocktail Setup

SPEAKER_01 0:35

Greetings andor salutations, and welcome to the Imbibe Cinema. The Imbibe Cinema podcast is brought to you by the Blue Whiskey Independent Film Festival, otherwise known as Buiff. I'm Jonathan C. Leggett, along with my co-host, Trisha Leggett, as well as producer Michael Noins. And we are also pleased to welcome back our special guest, Matt Lewis. Woo! In this episode, we are going to be discussing the 1997 suspense thriller The Game. The cocktail we will be imbibing is also called The Game, which consists of a light rum, triple sec, and cranberry juice. Look for episode recaps, links uh in our show notes where you'll find written summary of the discussion along with a picture and the ingredients needed to make your own the game uh at home, and thankfully not ingredients on how to make your own flour cocaine lime.

SPEAKER_05 1:31

That was flour? Yeah, it was flour. Sorry, we were out of cocaine.

SPEAKER_01 1:36

Yeah, did you want to take a bump of flour? Make some uh nose dough?

SPEAKER_04 1:42

I'm sure I'm not the first person that's tried it.

SPEAKER_01 1:44

That's

Favorite Plot Twists We Love

SPEAKER_01 1:45

that's fair. Um anyway, um, so obviously, one of the the the big things about the game, you know, I I believe every single one of us had previously seen it before uh we watched it uh this time. So sadly for all of us, the the twist at the end was what was not as twisty, but let's let's just go round robin here. What what is everybody's uh favorite plot twist that they had seen in a movie that they just did not see coming? That I did I just I just dropped a bomb on it.

SPEAKER_04 2:18

What a bird though. I like it. Yeah. Circle back. Don't look at me first, please.

SPEAKER_01 2:23

Oh, okay. Well, then I'm going to probably steal like most of yours, um, which uh is sixth sense.

SPEAKER_00 2:30

Yes. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 2:31

Uh yeah, I know. Well, see, this is what you get for not going first. You you you let me take the absolute, like, you know, easiest one. Um, and I do remember that I actually did see that twice in theaters uh because of the fact that after I had seen it, um, I wanted to essentially be, you know, what I actually do want to talk about, uh uh this is a rewatch. Is, you know, you you you try to make sure that the breadcrumbs are there, but that they're not that like, you know, how noticeable is it? How much are they what was the director doing uh uh a job of trying to lead me down this path? And how much of it was they were obfuscating everything that they could in order to do it. Sixth sense was a perfect example because while he's in the room with other people like the mom and other things, every time you you you feel like they're in the middle of a conversation, but they're not talking to each other. And so you don't realize that while he's in the room with all these other people, he's never interacting with any of the rest of them.

SPEAKER_05 3:36

That one also had the symbolism laced through it because everything that's red that uh highlights that there's the sixth sense involved. But uh also how easy it is to believe that him and his wife just don't talk anymore. Not that he's dead.

SPEAKER_00 3:51

Yes.

SPEAKER_05 3:51

It's like, oh, it's just it's just a marriage in trouble. Yeah, no.

SPEAKER_01 3:55

They're having an anniversary dinner, he shows up late, she just you know breaks down crying and like walks out and it's like no checking.

SPEAKER_04 4:01

And Donnie Wahlberg shoots him.

SPEAKER_01 4:03

Yeah, their burgers are good.

SPEAKER_05 4:05

Yeah, their burgers are good. Okay, so for me, it's not gonna be what twist got me the most, okay, but it's fight club. I was told by everyone to see Fight Club. And I was like, no, no, because I saw the trailer and it's men hitting each other, and I'm like, this is stupid. I'm not gonna watch this. And they're like, no, no, no, no, no, you have to watch this movie, and I said no. And then finally, I was in a conversation with someone, and they said, Can I just tell you the plot if you're not gonna see it? And I'm like, sure. And they told me, and I went, I need to see this movie, and I loved it knowing the whole time through. I I can only imagine what it would be like to go in not knowing and have that reveal. But it still to me was so enjoyable knowing.

SPEAKER_04 4:51

Two came to mind, like kind of miraculously. Uh, one is another Fincher film, Gone Girl. Okay, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 4:59

That was twist, twist, twist, twist. Yes, it is.

SPEAKER_04 5:02

The other one, I don't know if it's a twist, but I think it just kind of was the relief of how they did it was Ocean's 11 with Clooney and Pitt.

SPEAKER_01 5:08

Yeah, yeah. Especially the first one, how that whole heist comes down, and and and even the twists where you're like, oh no, they've they're they're they're gotten now.

SPEAKER_04 5:17

And even to the point where like, you know, George gets Julia in the end and yes does that. So that that's a so I don't know if it's like a twist, like a completely left turn.

SPEAKER_02 5:26

But like how how did they pull how how are they gonna pull this off? And then you find out how they pull it off, and you're like, oh, that's good.

SPEAKER_01 5:33

Yeah, right.

SPEAKER_05 5:34

Ooh. I'm gonna go with a classic, Rebecca. Oh, yeah. Rebecca, I did not see that coming. I'm not gonna talk about it now because I don't think anybody knows about Rebecca. So I'm just not gonna be never seen it. It's an excellent book, and it was made into a Hitchcock movie. And in the book, one of the things I love is the main character, it's all first person.

SPEAKER_04 5:55

No, no, it's Rebecca.

SPEAKER_05 5:56

Oh no, actually. Okay, so this is this young woman who uh falls in love with this man and named Rebecca. No.

SPEAKER_04 6:04

Okay.

SPEAKER_05 6:04

I know it's it's getting her name is Steve.

SPEAKER_04 6:06

Is that the twin side who Rebecca is?

SPEAKER_05 6:08

Yeah, no, Rebecca's his first wife. Shut up. Oh yeah. Rebecca's his first wife, and she's dead. Spoilers. Okay, right?

SPEAKER_01 6:15

But you're asking so many questions, she's just gonna ruin it for you.

unknown 6:19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 6:20

Well, I thought that's the game, is figuring out who Rebecca is. Right. But one of the things that's fun about it is like she's always referred to as Mrs. So and so, whatever his last name is, and never by her first name. In fact, you get through the whole book and you realize, oh my god, she never had a name. She was always just Mrs. So-and-so, and she was compared to the first one, Rebecca, all throughout. And uh the author afterwards confessed she just couldn't think of a name, so then it became a game. How long can I go without having to come up with a name for the case?

SPEAKER_01 6:55

Oh, so the main character never gets a name. Yeah, she's just Mrs.

SPEAKER_05 6:59

Yeah, and because it's all from her point of view, it's easier for you to forget, and plus her identity is always compared to Rebecca. It's like she doesn't even exist next to Rebecca, which is cool because she doesn't even have a name.

SPEAKER_04 7:12

Okay, now I'm catching it.

SPEAKER_05 7:14

It's one of those where this person's reputation uh after death, and all the people that knew her, you get all these sides of her, so you're learning kind of like Laura. Did anybody see Laura? Oh, there's a big twist, and they did that. That that one is so good that how many TV shows have had a little bit episode?

SPEAKER_01 7:32

Um, because I mean, was it like you know the Laura episodes, right?

SPEAKER_05 7:36

Oh okay. So yeah. Laura's about uh this detective in the movie, it's Dana Andrews. Andrews uh is uh brought on to solve the murder of this woman.

SPEAKER_01 7:46

And he's Laura This time it is.

SPEAKER_05 7:50

Uh she's been murdered and he's finding out like all the stuff and trying to solve the murder. He kind of falls in love with this woman because uh he sees all her private stuff, he reads her diary, he interviews everybody, he just discovers that she's this like wonderful human being. And and then, plot twist, at the end, she shows up because her maid, who happens to be the same height male build, she's the one who got her face blown off by a shotgun, and the other woman was Adam Laura was actually out of town for and nobody knew it because she just needed private time, and she shows up and everybody kind of freaks out because she's supposed to be dead.

SPEAKER_04 8:31

Um I feel like that plot twist has happened since every show has television shows episodes.

SPEAKER_01 8:38

Star Trek has probably done like three at this point, but like, yeah, there's a character who falls in love with somebody who is gone, and then that person shows up, and you know, but that's that is literally known as the Laura episode.

SPEAKER_05 8:51

Right. Quantum Leap had a Laura episode, Without a Trace had a Laura episode, Star Trek Next Gen had a Laura episode, Geordie's episode. Yes, there are so many shows that it's like, oh, they're gonna do a Laura.

SPEAKER_01 9:03

All right, Mikey P.

SPEAKER_02 9:04

The one that came to mind until maybe I was in my late 20s. I had never seen the movie The Sting. Okay. And, you know, it was one of those movies that like everybody's like, How have you not seen The Sting? You have to watch The Sting.

SPEAKER_00 9:17

Because you're a baby.

SPEAKER_02 9:18

That's so that's fine. Well, I'm not gonna ruin it then.

SPEAKER_00 9:21

Okay.

SPEAKER_02 9:21

Because here's the thing that I loved about shots fired. The thing that I would say about it is it's very rare that you see an like an older film that is so well praised, I guess. Yeah. That surprises you because it was so successful, so that it's been repeated time and time again. Right. Like we like we're we're we're talking about. I've seen a number of these movies where I have been like, oh yeah, that was good, but I was I was not expecting to be that excited by it.

SPEAKER_04 9:56

So I love it when you when you see movies like, oh, that's where that originated from. Yes, that's where that influence originated from. Like I saw Joker, and then like maybe a couple months later, I saw Taxi Driver for the first time, and I was like, this is eerie, how much these movies are alike. It's like, oh, that's where that originated from.

SPEAKER_05 10:16

Yeah. No, I saw Rogue One and I was like, oh, it's the dirty dozen. Because Rogue One is the dirty dozen.

SPEAKER_01 10:22

We've talked about our our favorites, or at least things

Rewatching The Game With Knowledge

SPEAKER_01 10:25

that have uh surprised us. Um obviously the plot twist on this, um, you know, it is really impressive. I remember it being absolutely astounding at the time, especially. I mean, even on the second watch. The way that the game, CRS, is playing up, even just the fact that, oh, wait, where did that gun come from? We we we searched the house. Like they, you know, it like the boxes that they check, uh, in a way that like you know you're watching and and you even believe that he's figured it out that like all you know, all of this is the game. I love when he walks into the cafeteria and it's like every extra he has met. Like, you know, that had to have been a fun rap party. I really hope that was the rap party. Like that better have been the rap party. They better have been like, hey, everybody who like filmed, show up, we're gonna put you in costume one more time, we're gonna do like a cafeteria scene, and then we'll do a big ballroom scene, and we all then get drunk and have a good time. But like, you know, when he literally walks in, and even the guys that were like at his country club are like right there um in front of him, like you know, he's putting it all together and then like her going, like, wait, where did that gun come from? Right. Because no, you're supposed to have the automatic, the the guard had the automatic, and it's like, oh shit, and then it's like, no, it's your brother behind that door, and it's like, okay, boom, boom, boom, boom. When he shoots his brother, you're like, Oh shit, the game went, you know, beyond what he was ready. And then at the same time, that was the plan. So every time you're like, oh, I got the twist, or he's got the twist, or we understand everything, they still managed to pull the rug out at that last second. And I loved how you know you do see CRS on, like, you know, uh the name of the taxi driver was like Carlo S, you know, like everything was CRS. Like there, there's a van that was a cable renovation service or something like repair repair services. There's CRS everywhere, and you're like, okay, I you know, like that's the second thing.

SPEAKER_02 12:29

They're doing it. Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_01 12:30

You're like, where are all the the the you know, did they tie up all the loose ends? Did they leave the right breadcrumbs to make me believe everything that's happening?

SPEAKER_05 12:38

Except for the cable renovation service. How do you renovate cable?

SPEAKER_01 12:43

I think it was cable repair. I know. I'm I'm a pretty pretty princess who has had two drinks already because we have not hit act one's conclusion.

SPEAKER_05 12:54

That's okay. You're doing wonderful.

SPEAKER_01 12:56

Thank you.

SPEAKER_04 12:56

I thought that was fairly eloquent. Yes. So as we have you know former full-time actors on this conversation. Would you guys have would love to have been employed by CRS?

SPEAKER_01 13:09

Yes. I mean, probably probably not right now, like with kids, but yes.

SPEAKER_04 13:15

Yeah, that sounds like more than a full-time commitment.

SPEAKER_05 13:17

Yeah, that's love to like really take people for a ride and I just found it fascinating how many people in his life that were really part of his life that were like, for enough money, I will fuck with this guy.

SPEAKER_01 13:32

Well, actually, that was the thing, is like his lawyer had did not understand.

SPEAKER_04 13:36

But his lawyer had did his ex-wife have any idea?

SPEAKER_01 13:40

That part I feel like she might have at least had some idea.

SPEAKER_04 13:45

Maybe after that meeting when you know then he sees what's happening on TV and then he like so maybe that part It's possible.

SPEAKER_01 13:54

But I mean it's possible the brother was actually the only one in on it.

SPEAKER_05 13:57

No, the guy in the restaurant.

SPEAKER_01 13:58

The brother was 100% in on it. Oh, well, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 14:01

The guy who runs the restaurant that he goes to all the time.

SPEAKER_01 14:03

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 14:04

Like this waitress that spills on him. Like, you hired this girl for a night and fired her and didn't know, like, I don't know. It just seems suspicious.

SPEAKER_01 14:14

That's a possibility. What I did appreciate is she does such a good job, especially uh from from the acting chops of it, is like to be not only a double agent, but then like a triple agent, quadruple agent, yeah, quintuple agent.

SPEAKER_00 14:32

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_01 14:33

I mean, like she's she's she's playing all these angles and like moving all these chess pieces around for she's a total femme photographer. Uh yeah, and and and and I feel like she does such a good job from start to finish of leading you to believe, oh, she's a bad guy. Oh, she's a good guy, oh she's a bad oh no, she's a good guy. Oh no, she's just an actress who's like in a lot of trouble.

SPEAKER_05 14:55

How many games went awry because somebody uh hit their head wrong when the cab crashed into the ocean?

SPEAKER_04 15:02

And maybe that's why they need her as involved to keep things, just to keep on going. Let's keep going.

SPEAKER_01 15:08

Perfect example was the actor who's like, Thank God you jumped, because if you didn't, I was supposed to throw you off the building.

SPEAKER_05 15:13

Right, but thank goodness you jumped and landed on the X when there's a whole building to jump.

SPEAKER_01 15:18

Yeah, I was about to say, when he jumps through that glass and you see all those like steel girders and I-beams, and you're like, just like two feet in the wrong direction.

SPEAKER_04 15:27

He was half of the company's expenditure is insurance. Like it's right. Two-thirds is just insurance.

SPEAKER_01 15:34

And HR.

SPEAKER_04 15:35

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 15:36

Well, and so to your question of would you would you work for this company? I mean, imagine the the amount of risk as uh an actor, like well, I mean, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 15:46

I mean if if he if he did get a gun that was you know off off off brand or off.

SPEAKER_02 15:52

What if there was something that didn't go according to plan A, B, C, D, how about the actor who has to jump out of a moving taxi?

SPEAKER_05 15:59

Oh yeah. And what about the cops? Were the cops real cops? Or they were they fake cops? Because if they're real cops, don't they have follow-up questions?

SPEAKER_01 16:07

Yeah. Yeah. A number of them.

SPEAKER_04 16:11

Although, yeah, again, they they were they did say for the taxicab when it goes into the water, like there was a scuba diver on standby. Yeah. So they covered their bases.

SPEAKER_01 16:19

They were diving for it already. They were trying to understand insurance. Yep.

SPEAKER_05 16:24

Well, and he had all like all the physical and all the the psychological workup, the the whole day he spent there is supposed to be the okay, so they know exactly how his brain works. So they can program this whole thing to follow how his brain would work.

SPEAKER_01 16:40

And they also know what he can and cannot outrun, what his his stamina level and heart rate level would be. So when they sick a dog on him, they don't accidentally, you know, like maul him with a dog.

SPEAKER_05 16:53

There's a lot of calculations.

SPEAKER_01 16:55

Correct. And what an interesting company that would be.

SPEAKER_02 17:00

Where math and art are together.

SPEAKER_04 17:04

Another thing that I remember with this film is that Mike Douglas is very good at playing an asshole. Yes. Yes, he is. He's really good at it. To where, like, you don't like he gets to aligned just enough to where you're still watching him and you're still rooting for him. But he's not nice. No, in so many of his big films, he's a major asshole. And he does so like effortlessly, it seems like this is just who he is, is how it feels. Yes. Yeah. Wall Street, Fatal Attraction, Basic Instinct.

SPEAKER_05 17:43

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 17:44

I know there's others. Oh, God. Those are like the these four are probably the big four asses. Which is funny.

SPEAKER_01 17:51

No, one of my favorite movies of all time, Falling Down. Oh yeah. Is that the one where he has glasses? It's one where he has glasses. He's he's just having a horrible day. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Uh, ends up with a rocket launcher

How CRS Pulls It Off

SPEAKER_01 18:05

at one point. You want to talk about a person who you're like, you know what? The day you've had, okay. I'll buy it. That that watch Falling Down. If you want to see somebody who is just snapped.

SPEAKER_04 18:18

I'm not sat through that one, but it is it's a very 90s film, too, right?

SPEAKER_01 18:22

Well, 1000%. I don't know if it could be remade at this point. Yeah, but like, I mean, it is going to go the direction it is going to go, and you are just along for the ride.

SPEAKER_04 18:32

Yeah, yeah. So this one was harder for me because the plot twist is so like it's what makes the movie in a lot of ways. Yeah. And so all of the build-up and everything, it's like, well, in the end, he's fine. Yeah. So there was a bit of a letdown there in a way. But I appreciated how they were doing the build-up over time, over time. And then when he got to the top of the building, it's like, okay, I actually I I'm appreciating what's happening.

SPEAKER_00 19:02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 19:03

But I know he's fine.

SPEAKER_00 19:04

Yes.

SPEAKER_04 19:04

So that's been the part that was interesting for me on this one. Because it's been ye uh decades since I've seen this film. Easily. I never think I've had that experience before where I haven't seen the movie in so long, so I don't remember much of it. Fair. But I remember the end. Yes. And so it was a very, very jarring experience.

SPEAKER_01 19:21

Before that, how much of the end did you remember? Because I I obviously remember him jumping through the glass and landing on the back. It was a happy ending. But but I don't remember why he jumped off. I don't I didn't remember him shooting his brother until like the doors were about to.

SPEAKER_04 19:38

That I don't either, but I think it was so that part I appreciated. But again, it was like, but in the end he's okay. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 19:44

Yeah. So maybe for rich people to have therapy, it has to be that intense.

SPEAKER_01 19:53

They have to jump off a building.

SPEAKER_05 19:54

It has to be that intense. Heightened. That heightened.

SPEAKER_01 19:57

Not heightened in the 90s.

SPEAKER_04 19:59

So they know therapy isn't wasn't as right.

SPEAKER_05 20:01

Like this is how we look at mental health is we have to tear down your world and then rebuild it, knowing because at this point you must realize that you are alone.

SPEAKER_00 20:12

Yep.

SPEAKER_05 20:12

And we have to take everything away from you and uh your identity, your home, everything. Just break you down to just being a human who's glad to be alive.

SPEAKER_01 20:23

I was left for dead in a in Mexico.

SPEAKER_05 20:26

And all I got was a stupid fucking t-shirt.

SPEAKER_01 20:29

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 20:30

But like that, like the whole point of the movie is it's Epineezer Scrooge. Yeah. Really, right? It's except with uh an entertainment service. And no ghosts. So his past is his ex-wife, his present is his brother, and his future is the mystery girl.

SPEAKER_01 20:54

Interesting. I like that. Alright, I'll buy that. Well played.

SPEAKER_05 20:58

Thank you. Go ahead.

SPEAKER_01 20:59

Okay, so the uh a question I would have then, as we're talking about rewatch, is there a film that you have watched once and you're like, that was an amazing film. I don't need to watch this ever again. And is there a film that you would watch over and over and over and over again? If you were stranded on a desert island with one film, what would that film be?

SPEAKER_04 21:25

I have answers for both. Alright, go for it. Uh film I saw once that I absolutely loved, that the same breath is saying, I don't know if I can watch it again is American Sniper.

SPEAKER_01 21:37

Oh, okay. Okay.

SPEAKER_04 21:39

Namely the scene where he it's like the standoff, he has the guy in his sides, he kills young boy, and like that whole thing was enough to where it's like, okay, now I understand why he has PTSD and all this stuff, right? Yeah. Um, so I would say that one. I was on a desert island, the only film I could ever watch again is probably the Movie I have seen more than any other film in my lifetime is Clue.

SPEAKER_05 22:04

Oh great.

SPEAKER_04 22:07

We have Clue here. That might be that could be my next uh episode is Clue. I could talk about Clue all day long.

SPEAKER_02 22:15

It's on our list. I know.

SPEAKER_01 22:17

I know fun facts. I'm gonna add them right now. We're gonna take a few moments to fill our glasses and get ready to imbibe more after this. Hey Michael, I got some cool news. You got some cool news?

SPEAKER_02 22:32

I love cool news. What's the news? Our listeners can actually send us a voicemail now. And I'm thinking that maybe this will work better as a text.

SPEAKER_01 22:41

You think that the reason was because they had to actually like type things where now they can actually speak to it?

SPEAKER_02 22:46

Right. The cool thing is now they can actually leave us a voicemail and then we can play that voicemail on the show. And then answer that voicemail.

SPEAKER_01 22:57

In real time.

SPEAKER_02 22:58

In real time.

SPEAKER_01 22:59

So well, almost real time.

SPEAKER_02 23:01

Yes. Well, subscribe. Sub real time. Sub real time. In our real time. Yes. Not their real time.

SPEAKER_01 23:06

Not their real time.

SPEAKER_02 23:07

But yeah, so they can leave us a voicemail with their film suggestions or what they think that we should cover on the show that we haven't yet.

SPEAKER_01 23:14

Ooh, okay.

SPEAKER_02 23:15

I think that would be pretty cool. Or they could even like just say, hey, you know, you talked about this movie and you didn't talk about this, and I think you should be talking about this. That's more than fair. And but then we can address that. So yeah, they should totally do that.

SPEAKER_01 23:28

It's audience interaction. Alright, so so uh yeah, not only can you leave us a text, but you could also leave us uh uh a full voicemail, and we will be able to uh hear and respond to either your text or your voicemails.

SPEAKER_05 23:44

Perfect.

SPEAKER_01 23:46

I'm Jonathan C. Leggett, and I'm here with Trisha Leggett. And Michael Noins. And uh our special guest, Matt Lewis. And we are discussing the game. Enjoying this podcast? Please subscribe or follow us on your favorite podcast providers to get new episodes as soon as we release them. Rate and leave us a review to help this show reach that larger audience who might actually respond and rate and leave us reviews. And you can also follow Inbox Cinema on the Facebook, Instagram, threads, and Letterboxd. Awesome. So uh we we one of the things I think uh we really kind of uh hit on uh this was a you know uh uh a 1997 film.

SPEAKER_04 24:32

It is Fincher's third film. Oh that was something that kind of blew me away. Wow. So anyway, I just wanted to make sure that I threw that out there.

SPEAKER_02 24:40

100% and Alien 3 was one of those films.

unknown 24:45

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 24:46

He obviously directed a lot of um uh music video or you know, music icon things. So while this, you know, uh 92 Alien 3, yeah, is is is his uh uh like feature films, he was directing a lot. Um I mean you can continue to scroll down until 1984. He was doing Rick Springfield uh Bob Till You Drop music videos. Like he did music video after music video after music video. I mean, like he did a lot, and then you know, we've got

Fincher Takes And Actor Reality

SPEAKER_01 25:20

seven uh and the game. So I mean, if you think about it this way, Alien 3, 7, and the game. Like those are the It's pretty remarkable because seven is insane. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 25:35

What's in the box?

SPEAKER_01 25:37

I mean, like Trisha and I do that all the time.

unknown 25:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 25:40

There's a movie I won't see again. I I'm glad that I saw it.

SPEAKER_01 25:43

I don't want to see it again.

SPEAKER_02 25:44

Yeah, fair. Yeah, it's a it's a hard, hard movie to watch it. It is a hard watch.

SPEAKER_04 25:48

Uh this was one thing I I wanted to ask our actor friends is so one of the things that Fenture is known for is like 800,000 takes.

SPEAKER_02 25:58

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 25:59

Would that have been and we you know you hear across the gamma with actors I've worked with them, some said it was the worst thing on the planet, others said it was the most liberating thing ever. Where would you two fall into that category if you went through that?

SPEAKER_02 26:14

And like for reference, like I guess with like the social network, the opening scene notoriously, there were 99 takes.

SPEAKER_01 26:21

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 26:22

They did that 99 times.

SPEAKER_01 26:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 26:25

So like lots of takes. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 26:28

Yeah. I don't know, Trick. You wanna you wanna field that one first?

SPEAKER_05 26:33

No.

SPEAKER_01 26:34

All right, fair.

SPEAKER_05 26:36

I'll take a few takes.

SPEAKER_01 26:37

No, ah, well played. I see what you did there. No, so uh, you know, we we we uh we even joked while I was uh making the cocktail. When it comes to multiple takes, and and again, you know, it I I I can see arguments for and against. Um if there is some sort of frenetic chaos, uh agitation, uh, something that you're you you you want the characters to have this build of anxiety during the scene, sure. Do that same take over and over again, and you're going to get a heightened level of that of that take because at that point they're like, what am I missing? What what what do I need to give? Like there's there's going to be some anxiety to that that performance because of the how many takes they're on at that point, whether whether that it's a calm scene or not. Um at the same time, like you know, I I know that there have been instances where there's been something I didn't like about a take, and I'll ask, right, can I do that again? Can we do that one more time? Like, there's there's all sorts of things. Lighting can happen.

SPEAKER_05 27:42

It depends on the vibe of the set, too. 100%. Right? Because if you're there are directors that do want to do lots of takes, and there are those who don't. And so if if they're doing lots anyway, then you know it's not you, it's them. Yeah. Right. Uh whoever your scene partners are. If you're up with people who challenge you and they're on board, then that's so much fun to do the scene over and over and find new things in it. Right. If everybody's, you know, given their all the whole time, then it can be like a lot of fun.

SPEAKER_01 28:12

And and again, that has to be the difference in it is that that there has to be a discovery that is happening maybe every 10 takes. But if you're if you're literally just playing the same thing for 99 takes, get a straight razor.

SPEAKER_05 28:29

And then there are there are moments uh that you want raw, you want, you don't want it to come off rehearsed in any way. Um like when you throw um Alan Rickman off a building.

SPEAKER_01 28:42

Yep. Tell them you're counting to three and drop him on two. 1997. Could this movie be made today? How

Remaking The Game In A Digital World

SPEAKER_01 28:55

much would they need to change?

SPEAKER_05 28:57

I think you couldn't make it today. I think you would have to, I mean, I think it would be an interesting remake to do it in a different way.

SPEAKER_02 29:04

I think factoring AI into it could be a very scary terrifying element in a remake.

SPEAKER_01 29:13

The whole like CNN like correspondent talking to him was, you know, especially for for 1997, what an absolute mind F that was. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 29:25

I feel like we live in a world right now where you have all of like social media and and just how much of your life is sucked into a screen and you're not in real life as much, especially when real life can be depressing. You'd rather go into a screen. And uh, I think if you took it into that where the shakeup was to get you to re-engage with actual real life events, it's the social network. Ooh, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 29:52

There's a new they're making a sequel to Social Network. It's called The Social Reckoning, and it's about all the corruptness of Mark Zuckerberg. Oh. Good. And Jeremy Strong plays Mark Zuckerberg and plays him brilliantly, at least in the trail. I mean literally like at least the cadence in his voice. I mean, it is uncanny.

SPEAKER_02 30:14

Sorkin is directing and wrote this one.

SPEAKER_04 30:16

Ooh. It has Mikey Madison, it has Jeremy Allen White. I might have to check that now. It's it looks really good. It looks really good.

SPEAKER_01 30:23

Interesting. I mean, good.

SPEAKER_05 30:26

I would like to just watch a movie where somebody's held accountable for something if they can't be in real life.

SPEAKER_02 30:32

Wouldn't that be nice accountability?

SPEAKER_04 30:33

Because it's it's based on that whistleblower. There was like a whole 60 minutes. I'm surprised it didn't like Facebook didn't blow up in its face with like, you know. Anyway, it's a 60 minutes piece of the whistleblower.

SPEAKER_00 30:46

Yep.

SPEAKER_04 30:46

Yeah. So I do recommend anybody watch it. And it actually makes you very depressed, but Joy. But also not surprised in the slightest. No, right. I'm not. I mean, I'm gonna be on it when I go to bed, I'll admit it. Even though I will say 95% of my scrolling is ads.

SPEAKER_05 31:04

I will say most of like I I rarely scroll through. It used to be I would just scroll through if I was bored and I had a few minutes, and now I will it's the reels that have hooked me. Yeah, and I will go down a real rabbit hole. And then I'm like, oh no, what happened? I just watched so many comics, and I shouldn't I shouldn't be microdosing stand-up.

SPEAKER_02 31:25

All of your interaction with every single video that you're watching, um how long you're watching it for if you if you accidentally hover for too long, long then that happens figures out that happens, and then it gives you more of that.

SPEAKER_04 31:40

And then you redirect the I don't need to watch another five marble race videos. Wait, what? No, you definitely are on my feed.

SPEAKER_05 31:49

I must have watched too long on something that was spiritual because all of a sudden I get like medium and there's something with divining rods, and I'm like, I don't even know what that is. I had to look it up. I'm like, what is this?

SPEAKER_02 32:03

Your feed from a while ago.

SPEAKER_05 32:05

No, no, no. A while ago it was the Pope, and that was that was problematic because I felt like, is it a sin to swipe when the Pope is talking?

SPEAKER_04 32:20

That's that's good. Forgive me for my sick. Yeah, for I have swiped.

SPEAKER_05 32:26

Like, I believe in Will Peace too. You're not you're not really talking to me. I know you're talking to the people who need to hear this, and I'm just gonna pray for them.

SPEAKER_01 32:33

That is forgive me, Father, for I have swiped.

SPEAKER_05 32:36

Yes.

SPEAKER_04 32:36

Left or right.

SPEAKER_01 32:38

Oh Pope Tinder.

SPEAKER_04 32:41

No, and which ways I don't even tinder. Yes, but like which way Thankfully I have no fucking clue.

SPEAKER_05 32:50

No, we're all we were all before that was a normal.

SPEAKER_01 32:53

Very, very lucky to have not had to uh uh play that particular the game. That particular game. I brought it back.

SPEAKER_04 33:01

I'm bringing it back at this time.

Fun Facts Reviews And Sign-Off

SPEAKER_05 33:06

Okay, so I have a fun fact I learned about the game in my deep dive research. So um Deborah Kara Unger, the uh young lady in the film, uh sustained a fractured bone in her foot during the production of an exterior sequence. Can you guess which one?

SPEAKER_04 33:22

The walking across the trash.

SPEAKER_05 33:25

Yeah, the the dumpster. The logistical schedule. I love that. The logistical schedule required the actress to leap into a dumpster containing live rats to execute the scripted scene. I'm gonna call bullshit.

SPEAKER_03 33:43

That, yeah.

SPEAKER_05 33:43

Nobody ever needs that. You seriously couldn't make a dumpster when you had to have a real one?

SPEAKER_01 33:50

And and and thankfully, all she did was fracture a foot as opposed to be eaten by rats. There goes my plan for tomorrow. Wait, what?

SPEAKER_02 34:01

Um Do you want to hear some uh some poke the bear? Yeah. So this movie on the tomato meter, it has a 77%, and then the popcorn meter, which is the audience an 84%. Oh okay.

SPEAKER_05 34:16

Wait, can I just interject really quickly randomly here? I just wanted to just have a quick shout out, future listener. Future me. Hi, how are you? I love you. Okay, that's it.

SPEAKER_02 34:33

I'm just gonna take that little audio clip and I'm gonna send it to you on the day that this episode.

SPEAKER_05 34:39

Perfect. Hi, future me. Have a good day, future me!

SPEAKER_02 34:45

Um all right, so I've got a couple. Um The Daily Gazette said Douglas works hard, and even if it's at first enticing, the movie is shallow and much ado about nothing.

SPEAKER_04 35:03

Okay. I don't get that. Because it is about something.

SPEAKER_01 35:12

Oh yeah. And from a suspense thriller, I mean, it is pretty much like I remember being on the edge of my seat the entire time. And even this time, I remember like just being like, oh I I don't remember how I I know it ends happy, but much ado about nothing.

SPEAKER_02 35:32

I've seen much ado about nothing in various other forms, and I do not see the correlation. Correct.

SPEAKER_01 35:38

Yeah, no Benedict, no Beatrice, no.

SPEAKER_05 35:40

It's definitely much ado about messing with this man's mind, obviously.

SPEAKER_01 35:44

Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 35:44

Agreed. Sorry, guys, they're back.

SPEAKER_02 35:47

Oh. Chicago Reader. Oh, hi Chicago Reader. How are you doing? All right, so uh Chicago Reader says this 1997 thriller is fairly entertaining nonsense. Of all you're looking for is 128 minutes of diversion. But if you'd like to see something more from David Fincher, the director of Seven, don't get your hopes up. Wow. Harsh. Yeah. And like what were were they just hoping to see Seven again? Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 36:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 36:28

Like What's in the Clown?

SPEAKER_05 36:31

What's in the clown?

SPEAKER_02 36:32

It wasn't horror film enough. That was a scary scene. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 36:36

For people afraid of clowns, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 36:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 36:38

I I concur.

SPEAKER_05 36:40

Is it time to sign on?

SPEAKER_02 36:42

Take us out.

SPEAKER_01 36:44

All right. Well, we greatly appreciate all of our listeners for choosing this podcast, supporting Independent Film and the Blue Whiskey Independent Film Festival. I'm Jonathan C. Leggett, and thanks for imbibing with us.

SPEAKER_04 36:56

Cheers.