Antoine Fuqua - Training Day

0:00 It's Denzel and the Man month here on a film buy. Last week we covered one of Denzel's most underrated performances in Tony Scott's Deja Vus. This week, Garrett, we'll be discussing what is arguably Denzel's most famous performance, which means we'll be talking about a film by Antoine Fuquah. It's two thousand and one crime thriller training day. So where's the office back in division? You're in the office, baby.

1:07 Hello everybody. I'm Jeff Johnson and I'm Garret Gibson and this is. A film by podcast. Now, if you're listening to this before Monday and commercial free, well that means you're catching this one on our Patreon page, and we thank you for supporting the show. And if you're not, you can start by heading to patreon dot com slash a film by podcast, sign up for as little as three dollars a month, and not only will you get the show early and ad free, you'll also have access to a very big library of exclusive bonus episodes we've done over the last couple of seasons, so check that out, Garrett. This is the second time we've discussed in Antoine Fuquah film. A few seasons back, Brad and I covered Brooklyn's Finest.

1:54 Have you seen that one? Really good? Gear? I have actually pretty good film. I think thats Wesley Snipes for return to film after the legal trouble. Yeah it was. Yeah, Yeah, you did your homework. Listeners, go back and check that one out. I'm gonna tell you. Right now, though, there's a film by Fuquah that I've been dying to cover for years. But more on that one later. We'll talk about that. One, Garrett. I'm gonna ask you because it's it just hit and everyone's talking about it. Have you seen this trailer for his new movie, Michael? I have not. I actually saw an upcoming project for him when I was doing my research on this film, but I did not watch the trailer for you yet.

2:35 I need you when we're done here, I need you to just go to YouTube and pull up they got the full trailer that's just been released. Jafar Jackson, Michael's actual nephew is playing him, and this movie looks incredible. If you were a Michael Jackson. Fan, you You're gonna lose your mind, is what I'm gonna tell you. That's amazing. Okay. I The thing is like, when you look at Fuquah and I don't know what your relationship to him is like as far as his films go, Like, but what I think Fuqua, I think, I think Shooter, I think South Paul, the Equalizer Franchise, the Replacement Killers. Yes, I'm so, I'm I'm I'm optimistically excited to see what he's gonna do with a biopic about Michael Jackson because the guy's known for incredible, incredible action stuff. He's known for dramatic stuff.

3:29 Would you agree, absolutely, But at the end of the day, he's also a fantastic storyteller. So I'm excited about this Michael film now because of all the story that he puts into each and every single one of his films. Well, before we get into training day, let me tell you three things you may not know about Antoine Fuquah and I'll give you a quote now. Before his career in filmmaking and music videos, Fuquah studied electrical engineering and had his mindset on flying jets in the military. He's got intelligent gentleman Okay. Oh he yeah, definitely is uh. He actually caught his big break in Hollywood when producer Jerry Bruckheimer offered him the chance to direct Coolio's music video for Gangster's Paradise for the uh dangerous lines, great, very very atmospheric, very tense music video.

4:24 It is yeah between absolutely yeah. Yeah, the stare off, the stare off between Feiffer and Coolio and yeah, good stuff there. Uh he had actually he had already directed music videos. Uh. His record includes working for Stevie Wonder, Prince Tony Braxton, and Heavy D and the Boys, just to name a. Few some absolute legends there. Now he has missed out on a few opportunities to work with Denzel. He was originally hired to direct American Gangster with Denzel and Benissiel del Toro. This is before uh Russell Crowe or Russell Crowe yeah comes along. Okay, but at that point in time, Universal canceled the film over budget concerns. And here's the one that's gonna blow your mind. He was offered the directing job for Man of Fire. He turned it down to do King Arthur.

5:20 Ooh, okay. King Arthur was a good film. I'm not going to lie, but it is it on par with Man on Fire and what we got no now now. But I also enjoy how he is able to direct Denzel, So yeah, I would have been interested to see that. Absolutely. Well, it's interesting to think about it, but it's also we got to remember we did get Tony Scott's Man on Fire. We did, So I'm gonna blow. Your mind one more time, but I'm gonna I'm gonna hold off on this one little nugget until we get a little bit further into the pod. Got a quote for you, and I think I think Brad and I maybe even talked a little bit about this the first time we talked to Antoine Fuquah, But when discussing the impact that violence had on his eventual career choice, he had this to say.

6:11 I'm quoting him. My first big break was when I got shot when I was fifteen. It changed my life and made me not hang out in the streets as much and go to the movies more. Those sort of things are wake up calls to have a better appreciation for life and a better appreciation for the people around you. From that moment in my life, I put all energy into what I believed in, and at that time it was playing basketball in sports that led me to a scholarship, and after that a professor said that I should take an art class. I fell in love with an artist by the name of Caravaggio. So dude goes from the streets to basketball scholarship to.

6:56 Engaging in the arts, the world of art, and in languages in colleges. It's amazing. Yeah, that's a super fascinating transition there. But ultimately it did get him to where he could express himself creatively. And honestly, I don't know what we would do without some of his films. I mean, there's a landmark in Danzel's career and ultimately sinema history. I'd like you to express yourself creatively. Here. Let's do the five words synopsis, because I got a bonus one for you that I can't wait to share it, but I want to. I want to hear yours first. Okay, we've got Rookie cop fights police corruption.

7:42 That's fantastic, and you've got two of my words, so I'm gonna give you. I'm gonna give you mine. I went with Rookie takes down Corrupt Boss. I like it, and I said, I got a bonus one for you. We've we've been telling our listeners like, hey, if you got if you're feeling creative, drop one, maybe we'll shout you out. This one comes from one of our Patreon members, James Buckley, who we've got We've got one of his uh Patreon producer episodes. Uh it's brewing right now. We got we got a fun Tom Hardy movie that we're gonna we're gonna talk about with James here soon. But uh, James sent us his five word synopsis.

8:26 Listen to this. One, charismatic corrupt cop Cajole's cohort. Ooh well, like the word for there as well. Good. I mean bonus points for using exactly five words and all beginning with the letter C. Like, yeah, he's on. He's on a whole other level. Man, He's like the Riddler. I did have a fun backup one in case you didn't like that one is Rookie Cop Survives Training Day. I like that one, but that that's a cheat because you're not let to use the title. Yeah, yeah, yeah, that is good though. James went on, like James. Buckley, he gave us his his five words synopsis, which is just a slam dunk. But he also went on to say training day is so good. Denzel is basically Satan in that movie, and he deserved every award that.

9:18 Came his way. I cannot disagree with James Buckley on this one. No, because he is such a charismatic villain in this film. Yeah. Training Day is celebrating its twenty fifth anniversary this year. I think, minus the cell phone's being outdated, this one holds up. It looks great, doesn't feel even a bit outdated. You tell me they shot this in la last year, and I believe you absolutely. You removed the flip phone from everyone's pocket in this film. You're absolutely right. Yeah. The only way that you know this is two thousand and one is everyone's got a Nokia flip phone. Yes, and we all had them. Heret I had? We did? Yeah, yeah, I mean that is right after the break. So that is the coolest phone every right.

10:02 When you think of the world that's presented in Training Day, with all its grit and grime, with its almost intimate knowledge of the drug game and street life and gang activity, does it shock you to know that David Air wrote this film? It did because I honestly did not remember David Air being part of this film, and then I see his name pop up there and I'm like, wait, hold on, this is written by him. Hold on a second. There's no way I don't remember him being attached to this project, but he was, and honestly a masterpiece of. His Yeah it is, and I'm like, David Ayer, okay.

10:43 And then a quick Google search he grows up in Minnesota and Maryland, so he let's just find the whitest. States to grow up. And this is the guy that wrote Training Day. But then you I had to look at his his filmography a little bit. See what's on his resume. This is the guy that gave us. He's involved with The Fast and the Furious, Dark Blue Swat, Harsh Times, Street Kings, End of Watch, and one of my personal favorites, The tax Collector. I don't know if you've heard of that one or seen it. I absolutely love the tax Collector. Yes, and I'm like, how is he doing it? What's going on with this guy? Turns out I guess he was a little bit of a little bit of a hard case himself. He got kicked out as a teenager, so he decided to go live with his cousin, who just happened to live near South Central Los Angeles.

11:37 So he grew up in this world and that's why that's. Why his resume is nothing but movies like Training Day, and then it makes perfect sense. It does, especially with films like Dark Blue. Like you said that, I mean just one of the more gritty Kurt Russell films that you get in the early two thousands. I mean, just great work on that one as well. Dark Blues. We should cover Dark Blue sometime, dude. Absolutely, it's my daddy's He built this city with bullets like Russell's great in that. David Ara, I don't know if you can. It's a blink and you miss it the moment for him, but he had. He does have a small cameo in Training Day. He's one of the Russian mafia hitman that guns down Alonso during the film's climactic finale. Okay, I don't want to talk it, I don't want to get it. I don't want jump into scenes just yet, but can we just.

12:22 Say like it? Okay, I've got Alonso in Training Day versus Jimmy Kahn and the Godfather. I think this is your your championship matchup between guy getting gunned down by his car and I don't know who had who got who got it worse? Dude, think about this for a second. Who who really got the worst end of that? It's hard to watch both day. I think it is. Uh Man, I'm gonna edge this one out for Denzel here because even though I absolutely love sonny ah A, Lonzo was just I mean, he's amazing.

13:04 Well, I'm gonna give it to Alonzo, who I feel his body is more animated as the bullets are just being pumped into him. However, in a photo finish, I gave it to con and the only reason I did is because he gets the insult injury. After they gut him down, the guy, the one guy walks over and just kicks him in the face. He does. Yeah, It's like, cut dude, you just put one hundred and thirty seven shots into this guy and you still gotta kick him in the face. It's insult injury. It is insult injury. The reason I would give it to Denzel is because after they unload on the car and he gets out and it's the almost like dying animal kind of thing where it's like, all right, we're gonna put you out of your misery. But then the guy's like laughing after he says something in rush and then they just yawnload on him and that it's just hard.

13:56 It's brutal. Like you're thinking, like he okay, he kind of slumps out of the that unbelievable Monte Carlo. You think, okay, how about one guy just headshot, Let's just put him out of his misery. No, they're just gonna light him up like they're at the county Fair. You know, Yeah, it's brutal. Let's take a quick break and when we come back, I know we got to talk about Denzel. Dearly beloved. We are gathered here today to celebrate Death Dave's nineteen eighty four, a brand new show that will take you through the greatest pop culture year we have ever seen on my.

14:37 Fellow Americans Flash, I am a candidates and we'll seek. Reelection from movies, music, sports, comics, television, and more. This show will be a chronological journey through every aspect of the year. So who's going to drive you home and not let the glory days pass you by? Death Daves nineteen eighty four. It's a hard habit to break, but time after time I'll show you why. Nineteen eighty four was the best year ever. So who are you Gonna Call? Coming in twenty twenty six, Subscribe and follow now I'll be back.

15:24 Welcome back. We are discussing Antoine Fuqua's Training Day with the legendary Denzel Washington. He's playing Detective Alonzo Harris. I was surprised to read this. He was hesitant to do the film, which makes sense at the time because he's all charisma. He's that movie star smile, we love him. He's he's the hero, right this is you. Could argue maybe he's the hero here. I'm not gonna get into that just yet. But he's hesitant to do the film until his son, John David Washington read the screenplay and suggested that he do it. And obviously he wins the Oscar. So now Denzel becomes a little superstitious. So since Training Day, every script that his son has said, yep, do this one, he has accepted it without fail.

16:22 I mean he's he's got a very intelligent son there, I mean he but I do get the hesitation. I mean, he's always like kind of a wrestler term, but he's always been the face he's debated the film. He's the he's the heel. Yeah, so he goes this year, he goes one on one against uh Russell Crowe. Uh. You know Crow takes the Golden Globe for Best Actor, uh talking about a Beautiful Mind. Denzel takes the Best Actor Oscar though, And I know there's been debate about Washington and whether or not he should have won Best Actor earlier. You know, when you're you're talking like Malcolm X or the Hurricane, It's it's debatable. But what I don't understand is people thinking training day was like the we're gonna make it up to you, Oscar, because when you think about the other nominees, I mean, aside from Russell Crowe for A Beautiful Mind, it's not even close.

17:15 No, I mean, I'll tell I'll take you back. Like he's up against Sean Penn for I Am Sam, which that movie does not age well at all. And then there's Will Smith for Ali, which I know you and I are going to talk about soon, and then Tom Wilkinson for In the Bedroom. So when you yeah, when you look at those three actors and those three performances, and then you even add Crow in it, and then you put that up against Alonzo Harris, it's all good, baby, Yeah you. I don't under how it was like a slam dunk. I feel like it was. I don't even see that being a tight race, even though beautiful mind great film, Ali a great film, but ultimately their performance is pay on compare.

18:00 I think. I think. So let's talk Ethan Hawk playing a young officer J Hoyt trying to make the make the squad as it was. Hawk is perfect at this point because he's he's still young. He has that innocence. I know, I know what Fuqua has talked about. He he really was after Ethan Hawk the whole time because he has this wide eyed innocence that also hints that maybe there's a little something extra there that you know, like it's like a like you can pet the dog, but that dog might bite if you don't watch yourself. You're absolutely right, He's got it right. He's definitely one of those characters where it's like, Okay, you're going to back him into a corner. You can only beat him down so much before he snaps, fights back, and then actually shows you what he's made of.

18:50 Yeah. Eminem was offered this role and turned it down to do Curtis Hansen's Eight Mile, which I understand Christian Bale auditioned for, didn't get it, but was so impressive to David Air that David Air hired him for Harsh Times, which you know I mentioned that a couple minutes ago. But here's the kicker. I read this, I was like, oh wow, how about this. So Ethan Hawk took the role away from Toby McGuire. Ooh, yeah, that's interesting. I've seen a lot of Toby McGuire like turn heel in film, but I don't know if he could pulled off what Ethan Hawk did in this film.

19:33 This is yeah, I think this is two thousand and one, right, So I feel a little bad for McGuire for a second when I'm and you might when I tell you this, but he actually he had the part. He trained for two months with undercover narcotics officers. He bulked up to play the role because you know, we know that Jake was a strong safety, you know, played high school football. Yes, and he's got we got to believe that he can charge to two crackheads and take him down and hold himself to take care of himself in a fight. He does all this and then he's let go when Ethan Hawk's schedule opened up, they straight up just said you're thanks, but no thanks, you're out.

20:13 See that's rough. Now, this is what one year after he's done Spider Man? Or is this saying? As I say, don't feel bad, don't feel too bad for him because Toby loses out on training day, he leaves South Central for New York because he does become Spider Man right after this, so it worked out for him, you know, don't shed too many tears for. Toby as well. Uh, there's a there's a choice, there's a casting choice in here. I've seen this movie one hundred times and I still every time I watch it, I'm scratching my head because I can't make up my mind how. I feel about the actor. Because I love the actor, I just don't know if I love him for this part. And I'm talking about Scott Glenn playing Roger.

20:58 What do you take it? Is a very interesting choice in this film. He's got a very lance what's his name Hendrickson. Yes, he's got a real gruff kind of exterior to him in this film, which I believe if they went with someone else, they would have had to have been Lance, of course, but ultimately I kind of like him in this role. It's not typically what we've seen him in. But I did like his character in this film. And again, the Roger character is great. It's just seeing Scott Glenn with the hoop earrings and the goatee and kind of talking street it just feels a little off.

21:43 I guess, well, you might be remembering him from what was in nineteen eighty Urban Cowboy with John Travolta's. Yeah, I mean, okay, he's a little He's definitely a little cornbread in Urban Cowboy, but just just playing like a guy that would be like Alonso. He's like, you know, they're like where are we at? He's like, this is my dog's house. I just don't see him in Alonzo having a history. It just feel it felt a little weird. And I mean, I got I got someone for you here. I got Antoine Fuquah, who he actually wanted for this role. He wanted someone the role was meant for this guy. Studio execs said Nope, we're not doing that. And I'm talking about Mickey Rourke. Oh Ke would have crushed this role.

22:31 He would have crushed the role. And he definitely fits this build a lot more than what Glenn does. Yeah. Yeah, now I told you earlier I had one more thing I wanted to blow your mind with. Are you ready for this? That's here? Are you aware that Scott Glenn and Denzel Washington have played the same character before? Now I did know this. Oh you know what I did. I was so excited to talk about this. Yeah. I watched the classic not too long ago. So now I'm going to say pales in comparison there. But okay, so just just the just last time we were talking, we were doing Deja Vu.

23:14 I don't even remember. Well it's because it was a Tony Scott movie. But we got on this tangent about Man on Fire and how yes it almost got made, and then it was I listen, I had no idea that they actually made Man on Fire in nineteen eighty seven. I had no clue. So you know it turned you know, it turns out. You know, you and I are talking about Carl Weathers and Lou Gassa Junior to play Creasy, and in fact, Scott Glenn played him in the nineteen eighty seven version of Man on Fire. He did, and I got to see this because I was like, wait what and I quick look, I see, okay, we're talking about Scott Glenn, Joe Pesci, Danny Aylo, Jonathan Price. So can you watch this? You didn't even tell me like I thought this was I thought it was gonna shocky man.

23:56 It's a solid cast. I'm going to say this film kind of falls flat for me. I could not get behind the original because I was so excited after watching the two thousand and four okay, and when I realized that this was a remake, I was like, oh, you know what, We'll go back and give this watch. Okay, it's a fun movie for the time, but I don't know, I couldn't get into it, like Joe Peshy's character, everything in it just I don't know. It felt a little lack of substance for this. I just can't believe that I I was asleep on this one. I had no clue. I'll tell you who I'm not asleep on though, Eva Mendez oh No, playing Alonzo's lady Sarah. I think you can argue that training day was a great thing for her.

24:48 So let's look at her career pre training day, and I think I think you're a fan, because I'm I'm gonna give you a couple of movies that she did that I know are right up your alley. After she does the. Music video for Aerosmith that that song Hole in My Soul, where she played beautiful Girl. I think that's the credit they gave her. She was also in Children of the Corn, five Fields of Terror, and Urban Legends Final Cut. I remember an Urban Legends Final cut. I do recall her in that. Yeah, now you can't. You can't forget her in Training Day because for maybe for an obvious reason, but you know, also she she.

25:32 Does do a really good job. She's a great actress. But after training Day, that's where she kind of goes on a on a run. She's got too fast, too furious. She's got hitch ghost Rider and another Denzel Washington movie, Out of Time, which you and I both talked about. And so it's not. Easy for an actress to be comfortable doing a nude scene, you know, and hers kind of is a surprise in this movie, and I'm gonna be honest, it kind of feels unnecessary. So it truly does, especially given the circumstances why he's going there. And yeah, yeah, I.

26:14 Just felt forced. However, this was all Eva Mendez's idea. The character was not supposed to do. Yeah, she it was her idea for that the character be nude, and she had to convince Antoine Fuqua that yeah, this is good for the it'll it'll help the character. It speaks to the character. I mean, she doesn't have to twist my arm to convince me. But it just seems, you know, seems odd. But I'm glad. I'm glad it was her choice. I'm glad she's the one that that made it happen, not not someone else. I will say that is probably the only thing that could keep a man that owes the Russian mafia so much money. Yeah, to not going to the drop immediately after getting the money would be yeah.

26:59 Absolutely, I'm gonna try and fit even Mindez into my schedule as often as possible. But yeah, the only thing, the only thing I like. It would have been nice to see a little bit more of her, her and the little boy, you know, kind of build on Alonzo's the good in Alonzo because I don't I get it. Obviously he's a bad guy in this movie, but he's not. He's he's a bad guy in the way that maybe Michael Douglas and Falling Down is a bad guy. Like I kind of gotta agree with him on a lot of stuff. Yeah, I mean, I'm just calling it. I'm calling it like I said it. How he deals with the two guys that Ethan Hawke roughs up in the alleyway and yeah, yeah, yeah, like that whole bed. Yeah, I'm in an agreement on that.

27:44 Yeah, well you want to you know, you want to You want to go Jae, you want. To go home. I love him, He's he has pure charisma in this I'll tell you who else. We can't. We can't move forward without talking. We got some incredible music talent in this movie. And I'm not talking about the soundtrack. The on track kicks ass. I don't know if you've got a favorite jam because Doctor Dre basically is responsible for putting the whole album together. Yeah, but damn, that's like Cypress Hill and Dre and I mean, there's too much going on. But I love the fact that we get to see Doctor Dre, Snoop Dogg, and Macy Gray in this movie. Uh do with some pretty. Wicked stuff, which Macy Gray is the one that I did forget about in this film. And then as soon as I heard her voices, where's your.

28:31 Wont Yeah, Oh, she's so good. I was watching up behind the scenes featurette on Training Day and they asked for Quah about Macy Gray, and he gets the biggest grin on his face. He's like, Okay, I let her kind of have a little control over her character and how her character looks. And when she came out with these three inch long nails and this we even He's like, all I could say is she is just ghetto fabulous, Like that was his that was his call for her. I was like, she is, She's she's so good. I mean she is.

29:13 I mean it's a real heat check for the rest of the characters in this movie because she's only we only see her for like five minutes. Well, also, I like the fact that this film's got Snoop Dogg, doctor Dre, Macy Gray. But also just one of the I think he's just named gang member in this film. But the guy that's clapping for the pigeons and everything like that, do you remember, Yeah, Wait, that's Cruise, It's Terry Crews. What the hell? How did I miss that? Like you see him there, and then of course, when Jake and Alonza are having their final showdown, he's standing in the street. You get to see his face for a moment. But yeah, this is early Terry Crews and uh, I.

29:55 Remember the dude that was totally jacked, but you only see him from behind. He's yes, you. Know, they're flipping pigeons, you know, let you know, let the neighborhood know, you know, five O's in it. But wow, Terry, Okay, I missed that one. Man. I gotta go. I mean, I'm happy. I'm always happy to look who's on the screen right now. Exactly, dude, me and you started around the same time. That is good. That's crazy. That is absolutely crazy. Okay. So let's talk about a few. Things going on behind the scenes and this, uh this might surprise you. During the development phase of Training Day, this film was being conceived with Samuel L. Jackson and Matt Damon in the lead roles.

30:35 Oh my, so that that's a movie I want to watch. Yeah, I'll say that actually works for me, doesn't it. Okay? Could you could you see Samuel Jackson just motherfucker like all. Over this movie? So yeah, yeah, if there's one person that could have matched the charisma and the acting capabilities and these big emotional scenes. Yeah, it would have had to have been so on of Sam Jackson's caliber. It's it's an alternate reality where that movie happens. But and I'm and I'm all for it. But I again, I love training Dad. I'm not taking anything away from training day. This blows my mind. So, you know, you you kind of mentioned Terry Crews flipping the pigeons in the neighborhood they call the Jungle forget that, I forget the name of the the actual neighborhood. But they are filming in South Central. They are all over, and Fuquah asked local gangs for permission to shoot in the neighborhoods.

31:36 So a lot of these guys you see like standing on the on the on the street, you know, or they're driving by. These are actual members of the crips of the Bloods. And the fact that he went in and said, hey, we're shooting a movie once y'all be involved, I mean, that's kind of a smart it's a respectful thing. I call it what you want. It's it was the right move. But yeah, a lot a lot of people, uh, dubious people that were you could say, a part of the part of the film. It brings even more of an edge to this film. It does. It makes it more authentic. Honestly, you know you were We didn't really we kind of we were so enthralled by Macy Gray. We didn't really talk about Dre and Snoop. It's cool to see Dra like bulked up looking like a heavy hitter on Alonzo's crew. I gotta give credit to Snoop Dogg, though he could have played any fierce you know, gang banger, any any guy right.

32:35 He could have. He could have said, yeah, I gotta look good, I gotta look cool. I love the idea that he's playing crack dealer in a wheelchair. Indeed, the chase scene with him and. Yeah, yeah either come on, man, give me a break. It's just like him yelling that while chasing him, and. Then that you know, lons of jam and that Penn down his throat to make him vomit the crack rocks. Snoop's good, Like, you know, I don't know why we didn't get more like dramatic Snoop. I know, like he shows up in TV shows and funny stuff all the time just being being Snoopy, being the character snip Dog.

33:17 But I could have I could have been up for some more Calvin brought us. You know, honestly, kind of like what we got in A Baby Boy with Tyrese Gibson. Yeah, yeah, there you go. That's what I'm talking about. King Kong Ain't Got Shit on Me is ad libbed by Denzel in the film. Possibly one of the all time best ad libs. I would say it is probably the best ad lib of all time. It has to be. I mean, you would have thought that that line was on the poster, because when this movie came out, I don't care if you were dominating someone on a basketball court or you are beating the shit out of him and at tekan on PlayStation or whatever, anything you did good or anything where you won, that was your that was your line.

34:04 You had to say it. Oh yeah, two thousand and one. It's getting d when your fantasy football league King Kong and Got Shit on You, Like you're letting everybody know you know this is this is one of the all time best ad libs. I don't know if there's a better one. I can't think of one. I got one more thing for you before we we take a break, and you know not to want to end on a somber note. But the film was originally scheduled for release in September. It was decided to push it back following the attacks on nine to eleven, obviously for the right reasons, and that's why we get it in October. I did not know that. Yeah, you know, probably should have reordered my notes here, like I could have ended on King Cab and then let's tell it go on a break, but it's too late.

34:47 We're gonna take a break. And then Garret and I we got a scene to discuss. I got to see and I know he's gonna have one. Maybe maybe it's the same one. I don't know. We'll find out. We'll be right back. As you grow up with the lack of parental supervisions, do you know all the lyrics to the Fresh Prince of bel Air? Do you remember maryor mccheese and the Pride guys have. An inexplicable love for the Count and erasist. Can you remember Madonna's original phase? Then you might be a part of the Doom generation. Not until you cry with us each week as we stumble blindly through the. Memories of the movie and other random things that doomed us to be the salty, sarcastic, sardonic lenis, do you want to hang it? You know us, you love us, you can't you can live without us. Doom generation available everywhere you find podcasts.

35:32 All right, Garrett, let's discuss the scene as always. First, tell me why you want. To talk about this scene. Is it Is it for the cinematography. Is it due to a strong performance, is it visual effects? Is it the pivotal moment or you know, the new option that we've we've been running. It didn't piss Amber Lewis off. Why did you use the scene you're about to play on us? Honestly, just the absolute amazing acting capabilities of Denzel Washington. This isn't the pivotal moment. This is just dialogue that he is spouting, and oh my goodness, it is. It is amazing dialogue. It's it's right after Jake shoots him in the ass, out in the middle of the street, right after the after fight.

36:30 Ah you, my next one will kill you, son of a bitch. You shot me in the ass. Okay wait wait, wait, wait wait wait okay, Okay, okay, I. Need the money. Give me the money, chick, give me money. Please, chat, give me that money. It's not going to happen. Well, you jack me now, you want to take my own money from you. I told you, that's my evidence. You want to go to jail, you want. To go home. And Denzel's yelling at all the people in the neighborhood. You know, first person put a ball in their head becomes a rich man. And yeah, exactly, you disloyal fool, last bitch made funk Jane.

37:13 I need my money, are you motherfuckers? Okay, all right, I'm putting cases on all you bitches. Huh you think you can do this shit, Jane? You think you can do this to me? Your motherfuckers will be playing basketball and Pelican pay when I get finished with you, twenty three hour lockdown. I'm the man up in this piece. You'll never see the light of you the fuck you think you fucking with. I'm the police. I run shit here, you just clipping. Yeah, that's why you better walk away. Go and walk away, because I'm gonna burn this motherfucker out.

38:01 Can't cong ain't got cat on me everything he says, And I believe it's probably five to seven minutes of dialogue from him is just truly extraordinary because he's a desperate man with no chips left to be played, and he is still barking like he is in command, and you believe it because his acting capabilities are so strong that you believe that maybe he hasn't lost even though his back's against the wall. There's no way out of this where he wins. It's a great moment because, I mean, when you think about how the movie, how that scene starts. You know, Jake gets the drop on him in Eva's Eva Mendez's apartment.

38:41 He doesn't panic, He just smiles and congratulations, you pass the test. Yeah, you're one of us now. And Mike he's still trying to sell his bullshit. He is, and I kind of feel like, you know where you're like, is he about to pull this off? Or is the neighborhood going to look out for him like he says he looks out for them? And then you realize, like he's in desperation mode. Yeah, and he's there because he has maybe he has believed his own hype for too long, right, It's it's it's an incredible scene. I love that moment obviously gives us one of the greatest ad libbed lines of all time. Yes, and I'm excited. I'm glad that you chose that one.

39:21 As soon as you said you're going for a strong performance all about Denzel, I was like, well, we're talking about two scenes then, because I am not talking about Denzel Washington. I am talking about, uh, strong performance. But it's it's strong performances. And I want to talk about the card game with Smiley and the Hillside Trasa crew. Oh okay, so we know they drop in. Denzel is basically there to to set him up right. And the way that this this this card game, this simple card game is shot. You know when we're kind of panning around, you know, Jake's there, He's got three of these guys and he's unbelievably calm during the card game, and we're watching him put it together in real time like we are putting together. Alonso is not in the bathroom.

40:18 Alonzo has left. Alonso has betrayed him. And the fact that they they reveal this to him, they let him in on the on on. The on the secret. You know, he looks outside the Monte Carlo's gone. He's like there's nothing out there for yeah. Yeah, it blows my mind because he continues to play cards and chat with these guys and it's it's a terrifying moment, Like you know, he has handed Hector his gun. He is you know, he's letting them kind of talk some ship to him. And when you watch the scene and you know how Fuqua. Directed it, Actually I'm an it's strung before, but I'm going I'm going for direction here.

41:01 I'm gonna give this one angewatchoo. Clock because Hawk is off off the set for a minute. He tells these three guys, he gives them very specific instructions on what to say, on how to deliver their lines, and they it's it's done to Uh to deliberately confuse. Ethan Hawk and create tension. So he doesn't know some of some of the stuff they're saying, like he doesn't know, he doesn't know what's about to happen, and he's not. Ready for it. That's and it creates more of this nervous energy. It's it's awesome. It makes you wonder if the line Hector and spouts and then I forget that you ever had your ship push?

41:45 Yeah, I don't think it was, you know, because he's like he clearly is confused and they got to like explain what they're talking about. Uh, great moment. I think it's a great moment just because it also it kind of it kind of gives Jake something. And I'm talking about the idea that he's fighting off three gang members and reasoning with them at the same time. This is the final lesson in street knowledge that Jake needs so that he can go into a Lonzo's neighborhood and go after him. And it's just one of those unbelievable coincidence. Like I love the fact, you know, when you watch this the first time when he stops the the two crackheads from raping that little girl and like her pink Hello, kitty Wallet's laying there and he picks it up, like you just it's such an afterthought, like.

42:35 You have no right, like why would what? What's what's okay? What's he doing with that fact that it comes home to this one man. My favorite thing about that is that is arguably the only good thing that he had done in the film up until this point, and since he had met Denzel Washington's care okay and the only good deed that he had done is what got him out of trouble at the end of the day. And that's that's where I think his moral compass is just like, Okay, it's about doing the right thing. You know what. And I guess you could say karma, yeah pays off for him here. That's yeah. I didn't think about that like that. But I look again back to the strong performances.

43:17 I love one of these, like, dude, you're about the trip. Look at that, you know, and they're they're a little freaked out that this guy that they're about to murder in their bathtub has the wallet of the fifteen year old girl that that's his cousin, you know, and it's it's still scary because when she he's like, yoh, you just mess the you know, and they're like when they're calling him out and he calls her. He's liked, you go to school. She's like yeah all day. Yeah, shy, quiet, what do you what are you doing? You're so I love that over where he's like, don't play, come on, you know, and she's it's just it's awesome, and you know, they have what what are you gonna do? You have to at that point, you can't you can't follow follow through.

44:00 You got it. You gotta look out for m And I love the fact that. He's like, hey, you know, this was just business, right cause it's kind of setting up like we're not the bad guy, we're not against you. This was a business transaction and maybe down the road we still we can help each other out. I love that. It's one of my favorite scenes. Actually, it really is just the acting of why they're in the shower scene there where he's in the tub and he's like, I have a daughter, just like I have a daughter. Yeah, well, now you're in desperation, but you'll say anything right yes, and then and it's not gonna help him at this point because Hector's like pulling out the showkers, well I can't see you. Ca'd's like, Dode, these guys want to straight up.

44:41 Murder him exactly. Yeah, Yeah, he comes close, Garrett. Let's run the numbers on this one. As I said, uh, it was bumped to October fifth, two thousand and one for its release date. Two hours, two minutes, just a couple of minutes. Shorter than Deja Vu. As you would you would let us know training day No surprise, Training Day opens number one at the box office, beating out the rom com Serendipity. That's the only thing that really went against it. You. I'm sorry, John Cusack, you did have a you didn't have a chance. You know, Kate Beckenceal, you're beautiful, but come on, even Mendez.

45:24 You guys are both losing here. Sorry, you don't have a shot. And did you ever see Serendipity? I have not. It's not good. No, we're not covering it. That's you know, we're celebrating the films of two thousand and one and two thousand and six this season. You will not hear about Serendipity. So fair. Uh. Training Day grossed one hundred and four point nine million from a budget of forty five million. I think you're gonna call that a success. Absolutely nominated, Yeah, nominated for one Golden Globe for Best Actor Denzel as we said before, lost that to Russell. Crowe in A Beautiful Mind. It's not for two Academy Awards Best Supporting Actor for Ethan Hawk, who surprisingly loses to Jim Broadbent in a movie called Iris.

46:08 I don't think I've seen that one, now right, I don't know. I've never heard of it, but Denzel takes the best actor Oscar and rightly so. As we talked about earlier, seven point eight out of ten on IMDb, seventy four percent on Rotten Tomatoes, I think that should be a little bit higher, honestly. Both of those seem low. Yeah, and then a four out of five on Letterboxed. If that's your thing, Garrett. I need a ranking here, and I got a fun one here. And I had some help, by the way. We put a poll out on YouTube asking our subscribers to help you make this choice. And I'll let you know what their choice is here in a second. But here's what I got for you.

46:53 Denzel Washington has played a cop thirteen times. Now I'm gonna give you. I'm gonna give you all thirteen because you know this isn't like a Quis show. But I'm gonna give you five. And out of these five, I. Want you to rank your top three. Denzel Washington cop rolls on a scale of it's all good baby, good to King Kong, Ain't got. Shit on me? Great? Okay, here are your choices. Homicide detective John Hobbs in the movie Fallen. Detective Keith Frasier in Spike Lee's Inside Man, which we actually covered on this podcast. Us Marshall Sam Chisholm in the Magnificent Seven remake, which was directed by Antoine Fuqua.

47:41 I like that one. And now here's where we're getting into it. I got two more choices for you atf special agent Doug Carlin from Deja Vu, who we know quite a bit about from uh last week, and lastly, obviously LAPD detective Alonzo Harris in Training Day. There are your five. I want you to choose top three. In order of it's all good baby, good to King Kong, should be great. What you got for us? I'm gonna say, uh, Magnificent seven, it's all good baby, okay. And then we're I'm I might shock some people. Yeah, I'm putting Deja Vu at number two. We're good, okay.

48:21 Hey, you don't have to you don't have to convince me. Man, it's one of his most underrated performances. And then of course Training Day is got King Kong ain got shipped on me? Yeah? Uh so that that YouTube poll I put out, no surprise here, unanimous decision. Everyone chose Alonzo Harrison Training Day. That's that's that was the only thing that got picked. I'm surprised you didn't for Ricochet in there, but it's fine. Whatever. Yet, well, I almost you mentioned Ricochet last week. I was like, I shift that Ricochet in here, and I was like, I want to mix it up. I know he likes Ricochet. I want to see. Yeah, Magnificent seven. That's an underrated one for me. Yeah, that was that was my my wild card. I was like, I'm gonna because they're all like, they're all modern cop cop roles, right, cop characters. Yeah, So I was like, I'm gonna fell wild card in there.

49:10 I'm gonna go Sam Chishom from Magnificent Seven. He'll be all right, but he makes your top three. Nothing wrong with that. Let's take one last break and then we'll come back and wrap things up. Okay. Jason's test of our friendship, which is better Van Halen or Van hagar Man? Honestly, I think Van hagar has better music. No, no, no, no, no, you're wrong. What about Michael Jackson's bad album versus Michael Jackson's Thriller. Album Thriller obviously bestseller ever? No no, see, people trick themselves and believe that it's actually bad. Okay, Trading Places versus Coming to America. Trading Places is the funnier movie no Coming to America. It is the funniest movie of all time.

49:50 So if you find yourself backing one of us or the other of us, you need to be listening to the Surely you Can't Be Serious podcasts. That's right, we have a friendly discussion. D and I are best buddies, and we take a deep dive and look at the behind the scenes stuff, the history and the fun facts of all these wonderful movies and music from our youth. It's really just an opportunity for us to geek out about the things that we really loved growing up. For example, do you know the actor that was in Star Wars, Batman eighty nine and. Raiders of the Lost Ark? Yeah? Sure, Harrison Ford. Harrison Ford wasn't in Batman? Oh yeah, Billy D Williams. Billy D Williams was not in Raiders of the Lost Ark. Who was it? Well, you've got to tune in to the Surely you Can't Be Serious podcast. When we discussed Raiders of the Lost Ark versus Back to the Future to find out the answer.

50:31 Garrett Let's talk about the underrated Antoine Fuqua. I'm gonna give you the options. You give us a pick. Someone has just discovered they've just watched Training Day and they are blown away by Antoine Fuquah and you really want to wow. I'm like, oh, you got to check this out. Written by, directed by, or starring what underrated Antwine Fuquah project would you recommend to our listeners? So would recommend a film that he had done one year prior to this with another powerful African American actor, Jamie Foxx in the two thousand and two thousand film Bait.

51:12 Him and David Morrissey in this film are absolutely brilliant. It's got a great storyline to it, it's got a little bit of that great comedy in it that he presents a lot of his films, and ultimately it's a race against time and it keeps you on the edge of your seat. But it's a very fun film. And for that to be his second directorial film, it's amazing. Okay, I'm gonna say thank you because I love Fuquah and I'm not familiar with Baked so I'm gonna go find it. I'm gonna have you ever seen the just Watch app. Doubt listen. I think I've mentioned it once or twice before on the show over the couple seasons. But it's an app.

51:57 Go to the app store on your phone. It's called just Watch. It's free app. You create your account, well not even account, you just create an account whatever. It's free, but you enter all the streaming platforms that you have. You know, if you if you Netflix, Hulu, Hbo, whatever, whatever you got. You you program it and then you can do a search for any TV show or movie. And it will tell you what it's. Streaming on for free, or it'll tell you where you can rent it. I don't even use Google anymore. I just go straight to my phone. You use just Watch. But and if it's not available, you can hit notify me and it'll send you an alert.

52:38 When the movie does come available. So okay, very cool. Actually I can't take credit for it. Brad Kozo was talking about it a couple years ago, was like, what the hell what's that? And he has like, I can't believe you don't have this. Yeah, I'm gonna I'm gonna load up baked am I just watch app. If I can't find it, Yeah, I gotta I gotta it. Can I give you my underrated choice? Absolutely, sir, I'm going to go. A couple of years after Training Day two thousand and three, he does a film. He directs a film with Bruce Willis called Tears of the Sun. Amazing film. I'm glad you've seen it. I mentioned earlier at the top of the hour, I said, Hey, there is a Fuquah movie I'm dying to talk about.

53:23 I want to cover it at some point, and it's Tears of the Sun. It's it's an incredible film. Listeners, if you don't know what Garrett and I are discussing. Bruce Willis leads a special ops team into the jungle to rescue a doctor played by the forever gorgeous Monica Belalucci. But she won't leave unless what she got like fifty refugees at this camp. That yeah, she's not leaving without them. And Bruce Willis basically him like Cole Hauser from a Yellowstone. Yes, this is. Before he becomes rip. You know, Uh, he's on, he's on.

54:03 He's one of the Navy seals and they're basically leading like fifty sixty beat down starving sick refugees through the jungle while like some you. Know, drug lord or warlord or whatever. You know, it's like, what is it like Nigeria? I think is where it takes us? Yeah, a gorilla militia from Nigeria. Yeah, yeah, tracking yeah, yeah, you got Tom scared. He's like the chief of the boat back. On the y. He is. It's damn good. Uh. I'll just I'll tell you because we're I know, we're gonna talk about it at some point next season. Maybe I'm putting my calendar now. But the first and only time Bruce Willis was in an Antoine Fuqua film.

54:44 Uh. They famously did not get along while making it, so much that they vowed never to work together again. And it's a damn shame because when you know Garret, you've seen the movie Bruce Willis, this is one of his best roles, uh, because he's not playing you know Bruce. When you get Bruce Willis, you either get the animated, excitable like a John McClean type, yeah, or you get a very cool, collected, calculating type like like like say Unbreakable or or Jackal or Jackal. Or Tears of the Sun. You know, he's so calm and collected and it's it's a powerhouse performance.

55:25 Love it, Garrett. Your recommendation, I can't. I don't even need to ask you know, I'll ask you this your recommendation on training day? Is this? Do you need to own it? Or is this like when you just catch every now and then on a streamer. This is one that you need to own and this is one that you need to watch every chance you get, because this is cinema perfection right here. This film has one of the finest actors working today in his most memorable, award winning performances. I think it's a must own for anyone that enjoys Denzel Washington. I'm embarrassed to say I've got the I got the Crummy, like the the original, like the Clamshell Cardboard DVD. It's it's loaded with extra It's got it got a really good audio commentary by fou Qua. It's got some really cool behind the scenes stuff, interviews with Macy Gray, doctor dre Antoine Fooqua. It's a lot of a lot of fun stuff. But uh, I was, you know, I was on Amazon earlier. I saw that they do have the four K Blu ray edition of this, and yeah, you know, it's on its way. That's as soon as I saw it, I just hit click.

56:31 I just I was like, yep, tell me there's a steal book out there. I was about to hop off then get it right now? Well, I mean there might be. I just I saw like the the straight up the four K Blu ray with like the slipcase, and I was like, ah, I get I bet there's a still steal book. So now I'm gonna be I'll be regretting it because like I want to steal book. Well, next time on a film buy, we'll be talking about Michael Mann's Miami Vice from two thousand and six. As we said, it's Denzel and the Man month Man is in Michael Man. Garrett. You and I have just talked back to back Denzel Washington movies, which has been awesome. Brad Kozo, We'll be back next week to talk Miami Vice with me. If you've seen it, how would you summarize Miami Vice in exactly five words? Go to a Film by Podcast dot com to give us your answer, or you can email us at a Film by Podcast at gmail dot com.

57:31 Head over to the website. You can reach us there too. If we use your five words synopsis on the show, we'll shout you out like we did James Buckley, and we'll get you some of a film by Swag and James. You better believe we've got something cool coming your way. I'm I'm not gonna spoil it here because i want him to open the box and be like, hol hello, So we got something cool for him. Though. You can subscribe to our YouTube channel right now for your chance to win a weekend pass to one of several AMA cons we'll be at at this year, Garrett, You and I we're gonna be going to Horror Hound here and a couple of weeks. A couple of weeks, yes, sir, I believe that's nineteenth, twenty twenty first something like that, March.

58:12 Yes, something like that. It's right around the corner. But yeah, go to go to YouTube. I'm saying this. I'm gonna feel bad, you know, because I've seen our subscriber count jump significantly lately from this relaunch. But if you're one of the first one hundred head there, you know, go there right now. If you if you see the subscriber count and it's under one hundred, sign up because someone is gonna win a weekend pass to one of these cons that we're heading to now, Garrett. We hit the local ones obviously here in Cincinnati, but we also go to Galaxy Con. We also head to Michigan for the Motor City Con. We also head to Pittsburgh for Still City Con. We also head down to Kentucky for scare Scarefest is our It's our favorite.

58:56 You know, we love Scarefest. We love we love the guys at Scarefest. But yeah, check us out on YouTube because uh, there's room in the car when you might be going with us for free, so check it out. You can also find us on social media. You can join us on Instagram, Facebook, and x We love interacting with people, sharing opinions, taking your requests for future episodes, and of course debating great movies. Uh, I got to share this. I saw this the other day. Someone left the It was on YouTube, Garrett. Someone left the comment amber was a little I think it was the Dvintion. Yeah, I think it's the Dvintion Code episode, which I can't believe in bringing this bringing her up again with her disdanger keeps turning up. But someone, uh, you know, he drop a comment like I hate everything about this episode, and I'm like, oh shit. So I'm like, hey, you know what I'm I'm you know, I'm trying to make peace. Amber pops in and I'm talking like from the top rope. She comes dropping another just leaves a comment, Yeah, I'm an acquired taste. And the guy he responds back to it. He's like, and I'm here for it. I was like, well, there, it is the voice of reason.

1:00:11 Even when she's wrong, she's right because because the listeners are loving her. So I love it. I love when she does that stuff. She's she's fantastic. Now, I know you're taking next week off, Garrett, but we got a we got kind of an important holiday dropping in February. Yeah, can we go? Can we talk about this? Can we can? We? Can we hint at it? At least? Well, I feel like the upcoming holiday will might be a little bloody. I'm just gonna let him know because I'm excited for this, uh my bloody Valentine. And we're not talking about the remake.

1:00:51 We're talking about the original, the o G the classic. Garrett. You and I have talked about this, Uh, you want to do it? I want to do it and I'm happy to say that our very own slasher girl, Amanda Janek. I mentioned this to her. And she was like, hell, yes, Actually she mentioned it a year ago. We were trying to put this together last season and we're gonna do my Bloody Valentine original versus remake kind of a thing, and it didn't work out. And I'm glad it didn't work out because now you know, she just wants to focus on the original. So I know you haven't met her yet. I'm telling you right now, you're gonna love her. I saw her, she posted on social media earlier today. She was like she was working out.

1:01:38 She had a sleeveless Friday the thirteenth tank top on. I'm telling you, you guys are gonna become both of fridents. Yeah and okay, so I'll give that much out that we're going to be doing this, but I might have a surprise for you and for Amanda. We might we might not be alone. I'll say, Okay, you moving on my interest here. That's it. That's it, all right, all right, well, Garrett, thank you as always. I'm looking forward to uh, you know you enjoy your week off. I know you're coming back for more. Michael Mann. We're gonna talk about Ali, right, We're gonna do a uh Jimmy Fox, Ali Will Smith.

1:02:20 Yes, sir, we most certainly are and one I'm excited to talk about, especially during the great month of February. So, uh, it's gonna be a good episode. It is. It is well for all of you listening to the show, following us on social media, subscribing to our Patreon like a managantic, like James Buckley, We thank you.