Baz Luhrmann - Moulin Rouge!

0:00 Come and get me boys. Every man wanted her stop, but one man dared to love her. Count fall in love with anyone fall from the visionary director of Rum Shakespeare's Rogo and Julia. The music. The Magic. Called Mulan Rouge Only in theaters and on today's episode, we're going to talk about a film by Baz Lherman, his two thousand and one high concept comic tragedy Mulan Rouge. Hello, Ladies, Hello.

1:06 Hello, Hello, Hello. Make sure it's a film by podcast with an exclamation point. Yeah, this movie has. Has the expert good point listeners. I was sorry, listeners. I was not originally scheduled to appear on this episode as host, but I gotta tell you. When I saw Amber and Angela backstage disagreeing about certain things on the movie, I thought I'd mediate to make sure the studio is still standing when it's over. So I know we're going to have a great conversation based on messages that have been followed back and forth over the last couple of weeks on social media and in dms. But we'll get that.

1:57 We'll get to there first. Before before the starts, flying, ladies, I want to tell you three things you may not know about Baz Lerman, And I'll even give you a quote. Mark Anthony Lhman was given the nickname Baz in a high school on account of his hairstyle looking similar to a popular British children's program puppet called Basil Brush. And while still in high school, Lherman used a deed poll to change his name to Basmark, which was a combination of his nickname and birth name. And since you're about to ask what is a deed poll, I'll explain that it's a legal document binding on a single person or several persons acting jointly to express an intention or create an obligation. It is a deed and not a contract because it binds only one party. So before you have your agents come after me with deed polls, just there with a for next season, you know, and your your list of demands. What know what? Know what it is though, Bas Luhrman, Like when I was a boy, I was learning how to play baseball and ride bikes. I don't know about you, guys. Bas Lehman was learning ballroom dancing as a child.

3:18 Yeah, both of his parents for ballroom dancers. Both of his parents. That's pretty cool. Yep, and we can. I know we'll we'll talk a little bit later. But yeah. His his directorial debut was based on Strict Yeah Ballroom. Yeah all right. Uh do you guys remember the song Everybody is Free to Wear Sunscreen that was popular in nineteen ninety nine. Yes, I had that on my list because it may or may not a situation. It was, it was. It was played at every graduation that year. That's bas Lerman. Then I was shocked to find out that that's you know that that guy use sunscreen and it's like just a it's a cool beat with like life advice. I can't believe that's bas Learmon.

3:58 I dig that though. Now his suggestion on watching Mulan Rouge, and he actually said this, I'm quoting him from the audio commentary from the incredible two disc DVD collection, which is just amazing. Uh. He was they were talking about how you go into Mulon Rouge. You know, him and production designer and the DP and the writer. It's a great audio commentary with all four of them. Bass had this to say, quote, don't be passive. You've got to keep up with this, stay awake, You've got to be involved. You've got to choose to engage in it. You can't sit back and be passive. That's that's bas Lehrmann's advice on how to experience the film mulon Rouge. Amber's already shaking her head.

4:47 Cut an hour, I want. To cut an hour? What here we go? Everything is boring as shit? Oh okay, okay, okay. Well, okay, are you including the old Tango de roxent or ah? Okay? I didn't have to bust over artillery? Okay. For those of you that were listened back in January, there's a world. There's a world where people like Tom Hanks in the Da Vinci Code, which was leveled that that city was destroyed by the voice of Vengeance Amber Lewis, and as they're they're slowly rebuilding and trying to find a new way to live. I'm here to tell you Amber's ready to demolish another city. I think you know I'm worried. So before we get into that, though, the five words synopsis, So let's see who who's got the best one, Angela, because I know you love the movie, I'll give you first DIBs. Here. What is mulin Rouge in exactly five words?

6:00 All right, I did a centipile version and then I did a backup. So Garrett, everyone's got the back I just I just want I just confident. Yeah, freedom, beauty, truth and love. Well, if you're Garrett Gibson or Bradcoso, then yeah, what's this movie about? Yeah? Because remember the game is you got to say you got to describe the movie in five words exactly. And I then that gives the person playing like, Okay, that's this movie, you know. So that's you're you're cheating a little bit there, What's what's what's your backup?

6:41 I was just trying to be a little snarky. Cortison chooses love over riches. That's good. Well, there's a lot. Of other things involved with yes, but yeah, I think it does generally. I'm feeling better and better about mine. I was feeling like I'm tired. Now I like, I like, I like the Amber's uh, I like Angela's uh Courtisan version. Okay, that completely shows like her opinion of this movie. Okay, Okay, so that's you know what. That's interesting. That's interesting because my hold on as uh world renowned psychologist Amber Lewis might be hoto something here because you know you you you painted a very beautiful picture of what this movie and maybe that says something about you. Maybe mine will say something about me. We'll find out, Amber, what is your five words?

7:39 Synopsis writer sings to coughing courtesan. Okay, little little darker, little a little more morbid the coughing courtisan. I mean it's true, it is correct, it's accurate. Uh yeah, that says something about your thoughts on the movie. I think for sure. All right, I'm will give you mine. You guys, tell me what you think about this one. I have Bohemian poet loves and loses. I like that. Oh I like that. I feel like that's the ding Ding the winner. Yes, because it win's one of the only good things about this movie. So one, well, thankfully we agree with that, because I was like, please, don't tell me you're gonna bash on because I O.

8:24 Well, besides that. So I gotta I got a question for Amber because I know she's gonna be a little more critical today. Baz likened Mulin Rouge to Warner Brothers cartoons, The Wizard of Oz, Alice in Wonderland, Bollywood, and Benny Hill. Is it is that a fair pedigree for this film, Amber, I mean. The Bollywood one hundred percent. Like Oh, Goshaven inspired by that, Yeah, in his idea for for the movie, So that definitely makes sense. Yeah, Angela, I know Ambers. I know Amber's answer, so I'm not gonna ask her. I'm gonna give you this one.

9:06 Mulin Rouge is the third film. You guys mentioned this just just a minute ago. This is the third film in Baz Luhrman's Red Curtain trilogy. It began with Strictly Ballroom in nineteen ninety two, then followed by William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet in nineteen eighty six. Amber are all time most downloaded episode ever, a chartbuster as it were games you were you were? Can I just brag about you? You were great on that episode, So, oh thank you. I love that one. I love that one. It's still got one of my favorite garbage songs Nicole for that soundtrack, number one, Crush. That is still absolutely one of my song favorite bangers of absolutely.

9:50 But Angela, the question, yes, when you look at the Baz Lherman Red Curtain trilogy, is Mulin Rouge the best in the in the trilogy or is it Romeo and jul yet, because I can't imagine either one of you are going to say strictly ballroom. I just not being mean, I'm just being. I did a lot of Yeah, I did that. I enjoyed Strictly ball very much, and like Amber said it, it's. A lot of fun Romey and Juliet. Obviously that that allowed a bit a very modern take of, you know, opening up that Shakespearean world to a to. A new audience. So I mean, I can appreciate for that, and like I said that, that soundtrack was was pretty bang on.

10:34 But I have a lot of certain feelings about Romeo and Juliet and of itself that has nothing to do with the film, but you know, that's still going to kind of influence my decision. But I would definitely say, mul on interesting. Would it surprise you talking about Romeo and Juliet. Would it surprise you guys to know that Leo wanted the role of Christian And Bass said, no, I am. So glad he did. Yeah, okay, I see him anything, but I could not. Yeah, well, I mean I do like the fact because they even talk about this on the audio commentary everyone, or at least when this movie was coming out, everyone wanted to know who is singing and who isn't. And McGregor is singing, kid Min is singing. Everyone else is like getting some help from other people, but you can hear it, like I think, and I think McGregor is a great singer honestly. Oh well, I'll tell you the biggest, the biggest swing. The riskiest thing he does is when he when when he's singing the uh what he used and stuff? And I'm like, and he holds it, he holds it, he doesn't crack. I was like, wow, all right.

11:44 I remember watching that and like, you know, I mean obviously he was already obi wan to us with the Phantom Menace coming out, and I was like, oh damn, I mean I've seen it, but like trained Spotting and things like that, I was like, oh. Good, all right, are you guys? Uh anybody else? Are you? Ladies? Fans of the the beat Nick Bohemian poet McGregor? Is that like your is that your go to McGregor? Or? Is there is it more obi one? Because I know you, I know you both are Star Star Wars fanatics, So. I wouldn't necessarily call myself a fanatic. I know a lot about it. I'm I always say I'm more Trek than Star Wars.

12:25 Well, you're both listen, you're both track he's you're both Star Wars nerds. But I would I love the. Okay, yeah, Amber Amber uh Ewan's coming over, uh for for a visit? Which which which one's walking in your door? The bearded obi all right, all right, so Jesus hello. You open the door and he's like, hello that you Yeah, you're all right? All right? He can he can sing me your song all day long. All right. Well, we'll talk more about Hugh McGregor when we get back after these messages. Welcome back. We are talking about Baz Luhmann's Mulin Rouge celebrating its twenty fifth anniversary. I can't believe it's twenty five years old.

13:16 It doesn't I can't be either. Well, you know what I think what you know what I think it is, ladies, is there's no overly young people, no overly older people in this movie. And you got to give credit to like Nicole Kidman, you McGregor, Jim Broadbent, you know, Richard Rock, like these they kind of look the exact same. You know, time has been good to all of these actors. I feel like, right, plastic surgery has been good to Nicole. But yes, still fabulous. Oh yeah yeah Oowen is his age like fine wine? Yes? All right, you know what. Let's you know, Amber never really laced up her gloves, so let's the gloves are off. Let's just let's just get into it. Let's let's start with Nicole Kidmen playing Satine.

14:02 Now, I've got lots of interesting convo pieces. So Amber chili scoche, Chili scoche. Let's talk about let's talk about something that would have made Amber happy. Don't pull out. Initially, initially it wasn't Nicole Kidmen. This was this was Kate Hudson's movie. She lost the role when Baz reconsidered Satine's age because in the original draft, Satine was a nineteen year old woman of the streets, which made Hudson an ideal choice in two thousand and one, but Baz decided to aige her up because he had the chance to work with Nicole Kimmen. So Amber with.

14:46 Kate Hudson either, I love Nicole Kimmen. I just wish to god anybody would have dubbed her singing like like Leah Slanga is right there? Why why why? Why? So it's not the performance, it's it's her singing. Is that what I mean? There are there are bits of her performance where like she needs to spit the scenery out, but mostly no, she's pretty good, but the singing is so goddamn awful. I just can't even. I will admit, yes, it's not the best vocal performance. Or there, I think they got her in totally the. Wrong key and yeah, I mean that that that's.

15:28 Like it's like trying to lame this thing where he's a baritone. They're trying to game to sing at tenor you know, it's the same thing with her. They've got her screeching like a and that is not Yeah, she's her jam at all? Okay? Can we can we respect her work ethic and I'm not talking about herself. Absolutely. She did her own trapeze work forty feet in the air, which I was shocked when bas was talking about this on the commentary track, because they lower her down. She's on that trapee thing swinging around. That's really her. She trained with the circus performers because she felt it needed to be authentic. She needed you needed to see her perform. I think that's amazing. You know, Yeah, she did that parts done free and of course she got some you know, his bruises and injuries.

16:15 You know with that. Yeah, but I don't know if it was while on set filming Mulin Rouge or if she met Amber in a dark alley, but she does end up fracturing two ribs and tears knee cartilage and fun fact, many scenes that you see of her where they shoot her from the chest up, she's actually sitting there in a wheelchair. I read that. Yeah, I didn't have it. Yeah, yeah, Baz was again. I know I'm getting I'm talking about this DVD audio commentary a lot, but it's just one of it's a it's such a good one with these four individuals. But yeah, he he, he was telling you everything you ever wanted to know or not know about Mulan Rouge. Have you guys seen Panic Room with Jodie Foster.

16:59 Yeah, now I knew of it, but I know that was the one that she Nicole couldn't do that movie because he said injuries. Amber, you are spared Nicole Kimmen and Panic Riom because her injuries forced her out of it. They had to call Jodie Foster to take her place. Yeah, Jody's read. And she's awesome. Well, I know, before we talk about your al boyfriend again, let's talk about the chemistry. Like, tell me about the chemistry between ewan And and Nicole. Was it there for you guys? I mean, well, parallel was there in real life. But oh well, okay, I don't know this. What do you? What do you? What are you? What are you alluding to him? Oh? That's like the hugest gossip from this movie is that the two of them were hooking up. And that was like the nail in the coffin of her marriage to Tom Cruise and his too, I can't remember his first life's name.

17:48 Say yeah they had like wow, kid, I thought they divorced quite a bit like later, but I don't know, maybe. Saying look, it's a rimmor He swears it didn't happen. But I know Nicole, Tom, they were already on there, yeah, on the out. So but that was the rumor was everybody was one hundred percent like, there's no way these two have this much chemistry. There are you telling me? So? Wait? Well he he breaks up Tom and Nicole. He breaks up Anakin and padme homework. Maybe that's how. I don't know. Okay, Angela, we have sponsors. We gotta you gotta better watch yourself.

18:39 Exactly. You two when you get together, just. Just dipping the toe in the water, you think what you want to. Every time I get you guys together, this is like the more you guys are Yeah, the more you guys get together, the more it's like we need one of those uh warnings. At the beginning of the episode, like, hey, well. We're still on with Nicole, I wanted to throw out because I know we talked about like Kate Hudson, who then you know she eventually popped up in in the movie nine in a small singing role, but a couple other ones that were considered as well were Some of these were really weird.

19:30 Kate Winslet, which I love that Kate Winslett, but no Renees Elwigert, but she. Wanted to do that all. I loved her as Roxy Hertin in Chicago, so I'm glad she was in that one. I think it's but he also, I know probably a lot of our listeners may not know who this person is, but she's been one of my favorite British singers and performers Sophie Ella Spexter, which she would have been pretty awesome too, But I don't know if maybe it was because she was too young or not really known for that. To ask this, yeah and take us back, go, let's go, let's go back twenty five years. It's two thousand and one.

20:11 If Nicole Kimmen doesn't do this movie? Can I interest you guys in? Like? And I'm saying this because of you know, Angela bringing up Chicago? Can I can I interest you in? Like a Catherine Zita Jones? She was She played the team. Up for it. They were considering her and Heath Ledger for the role, and Heath wound up being so mad that Baz didn't choose him that he refused to work with him in the movie Australia. Yeah, Catherine was the epitome of Velma Kelly Huh in Chicago. Yeah, I quit reading my notes is what I said. I want I want to talk about you and like, yeah, Heath led you said a Heath Ledger. He loses the role because he was too young, kind of holds a grudge like forever Baz comes calling, like hey, Australia, and you would think that's the ideal. Heath led your role and he told him, no, didn't want to. I want to hear it refused for the two thousand and eight Filmost Tris, and.

21:03 Thus the Joker was born in the dark. Hey, that was the right. Villain origin story. Yeah, greatest joker ever. Yeah, I'll take I'll take Joker over heath Ledger, Christian and Mulin Rouge any day. Yeah all right. Uh, we're not gonna be here all night, so let's I'm gonna thought, I'm gonna thought some names. So we got John Lequizamo as help me out here, amber to lose. I got it right, Okay, is a real person. By the way, his painting is behind me in the street. Oh you've got this amazing paint Wait wait, hold on, wait, am I I'm probably wrong. I'm wrong. I see the floorboards on the painting. Now never mind. I thought I was gonna be impressive, but I'm not because I've got the wrong. Have you ever heard that, you know, the painting the Island of the on the Lagrange Jacht. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I like that painting, and I thought I thought, wait, did he paint that, but no, I see the floorboards that they're like, this is the she's doing the king.

22:09 Oh yeah, she's doing the cant. Can behind my head. But she's doing it so real guy because uh. Person Harold Zidler. Was he a real guy? Mm hmm yeah, I mean I don't think that was his name, but there. Was a Zidler, okay, because that's who Jim Broadband plays part. Of yeah my notes, But there was a person Zidler okay. So then and then we got Richard Rocksburgh as the Duke, so uh play play Let's see the lightning round here? Uh, your guys, you're alls take Liquizamo. Well, I think I think he's. Thinking, yeah, thinking of his work in Ruby and Juliet, like where he was so just and here he's so vulnerable and sweet and he.

22:54 Wants love and you know the art, and drinks too much absinthe angela. No one cares. What's your ridiculous dogma? Moving up? Hey? Richard Rocksburgh as. The Duke, Oh he's so gross. Yes, he plays well, yes, and then it's so funny then that he's Dracula and van helsing. Hey, I'm gonna tell you right now. I do not like Van Helsing. I think that movie is terrible. Oh I haven't seen it, but don't wait. My son was like, hey, that's Dracula. If you I mean, if you're like, hey, let's get let's get drunk and make fun of him. Sure, Oh well yeah, you know it's like okay, back and so yeah, he's.

23:38 Not even can save it? Just watch Underworld, you know, fine for sure. Yeah, I thought that the Duke was just he's kind of boring. He's like a one note kind of villain. I can't and who has no personality, and just yeah. I can't not laugh hysterically when they're doing the cover of Like a Virgin and that there's that scene where he's on the table and he's doing that. Yeah, you know, it's so ridiculous. So absurd. Yeah, Jim Jim Broadband. So much in movies like this. He always plays the same guy, Like he's the same guy in this that he is in Harry Potter.

24:23 You guys like him, but is he a bit much like I feel like I feel like we said, hey, could you keep it at like an eight? And he cranked it to like eleven, you know, like his went to eleven, like in. A competition to see, like how batshit crazy can I go? Yeah, yeah, I guess I think it fits more with him than than with her. I still get awkward at that elephant room. That's awful. Yeah, I'm like. Why, I'm like, I don't get it. That's the best you can come up. With, Broadbent. Here's my theory. I okay, So, first off, credit to the hair and makeup affects people. He spent two and a half hours every day on set so that they could put him into this padded like fat suit.

25:14 I had no idea. I just thought he was just Jim Broadbent. Like he didn't look ridiculous. It's not like, you know, yeah, it wasn't like a clownish kind. Of No, it wasn't. So my thought is maybe he's, you know, just being pent up. He takes two and a half hours to get into his costume. He's he's just gonna go he's gonna go bat shit crazy, he's gonna. I liked it in that form with with him. I thought that kind of Yeah. I just feel like there's certain scenes where okay, like the Duke's looking for seteene. Yeah, but like I like the Duke's looking for Setine. Towards the end of the movie. He could have been he could have just walked up and said, she's confessing she wants to be ready for you, you know, but it said he goes, he's like shouting at everyone. I'm like, dude, I'm right here, Like I don't.

25:58 I mean, you got a little bits based. Yeah, maybe he's he's quite chatty when you watch the audio Comaria so well maybe, but. Also the little creek factor, which you know with the rewatch, I was like, oh, yeah, that is a little weird, you know, when he's checking in on Satin and how she's doing with the Duke and he's got our freaking telescope. He's a creeper. Oh my goodness. That wasn't by accident. He's not looking for constellations. He's he's looking for something else. Let's talk about the background of this movie, because I know you both. I know Angelia, I know you probably have a couple of things, uh Amber, you might have a few barbs, as it were, a few few jabs as it were, but uh, as we talked about the film's creation was inspired by Bollywood films.

26:52 Benjamin Britain's opera A Midsummer Night's Dream and help me out here, Amber, Giacomo Puccini's opera. Yes, I am ready. I am almost fluent, Amber, I am almost fluent in French. I know just from doing episodes with you like you you always correct my French dialect. So the market I'm getting, uh, and then the one I really dig And we didn't really talk about you. Guys were swooning over you and earlier, so we didn't talk too much about what was informing his character. But bas also credits the Greek tragedy of Orpheus in You're a d C. You're thank you. That's why.

27:38 That's why Amber's here. Everybody, I can't help, but I'm sorry. She's the voice of reason, but. It just happens, the. Voice of reason, but you're also the voice of education. The education. Had fun, entertainment and you know, good good learning. Yeah. But if you guys know anything about this, this Greek tragedy, all the kings, okay, Amber, you want to tell that, you want to tell the listeners if if they're like, who's Orpheus? Well, the problem is is that Orpheus and Euryticy have like almost nothing. To do well, I'm gonna let me, let me get there. And I'm only tangentially in her, like Amber, plot specific coughing, but so it's kind of you, but only it's important to the plot. She's like, oh, ship, yeah, I got a cough Do you want to tell us briefly what what Orpheus is about?

28:35 Or you want to you know, Amber, what's what's seven times seven? Well, if we can talk about ancient for a minute. Orpheus. The story of Orpheus and Eurytic is the story of a boy who falls in love with a girl, she dies, and he travels to the underworld to bring her back. You're missing the point where I was gonna, I was gonna connect the here. What what is his? What is his? His superpowers? Oh, he's a songwriter, the greatest songwriter of all time. Heals the world. He yeah, he heals the word. So the thing here, Friends, go watch Hadestown, forget Milras and just listen he settle.

29:17 Hey, okayd be nice, save yourselves, go watch the movie. Move on, okay, okay, hold on, I ynew this is gonna happen with you two. All I'm getting all I'm getting at is the idea you know, and I know we don't have a whole another hour to talk about the music of this movie. But the whole idea, the whole idea about using popular current music at the turn of this you know, eighteen ninety nine or whatever this is, is that Christian human Gregor's character he is like Orpheus. He's he's so far advanced in the future, like he's creating music for these people that they have never heard or never will hear. You know. It's he's he's kind of doing like a.

30:00 Market you're too lazy creativity that all you want is a jukebox musical instead of slaying the shit yourself like a really talented person would do. Amber No, it's like it's like that. There's a scene in the movie Heartburn where they find out they're having a baby and they say, let's sing all the songs we know about babies, and it's funny, and that's this entire movie. Let's sing every song that has the word of love in it, and we're only gonna sing like one sentence. So it just becomes this like string of pop culture references, like how many can you name in ten seconds? It's awesome, and not every song is about love. They got the show, queens, the show must go on. One of my favorite parts of this movie.

30:42 Oh I love that. Yeah, all right, we're moving on. Because Amber's distant queen, I'm trying to mediate between the two of them. I'm checked out all of it. Okay, just briefly, just briefly staying with music for a minute. Uh. The Green Fairy played by the minute Kyle An Oak almost wasn't Kylie Minoak original draft. The Little Fairy is a long haired muscle man, and Ozzy Osbourne, the Prince of Darkness, was hired to do the voice, and he still gets right to help the film. That would have been awesome. He's giving the idea. He's part of the scream when she turned evil before they start making their way into the movie.

31:24 So the one song that Amber, I guess will appreciate, come what may. Original, original, original, But if it was only sung by anyone else, it is it is amazing. I love the song. It was disqualified from Oscar contention though, because it was not originally created for this movie. Amber, Well, that's an unfair rule. Like, I don't like that rule. Hey, I agree, I agree, was released or anything? It wasn't used in that other movie. So I know well that that other movie Romeo and Juliet, it was made for that one and they never they never used it. Yeah, this one, this one, I love.

32:07 I love this little this little tidbit. So production Baz runs a little over. Uh it's intended schedule at Fox Studios in Sydney. They got kicked out to make room for the next film scheduled to shoot there. And this caused everything and everyone to get uprooted and finish the shoot in Madrid, well everyone except you McGregor. Uh. He had to stay behind because he was in the film that was taking over the studio space. Uh. And that was Star Wars episode two, Attack of the Clones. The calls Packet, the calls Packeter shut up, and he's just like, hey, uh, I'm Kdobe.

32:50 I gotta, I gotta, I gotta put on the robe and the sandals. Yeah yeah, bust out the lightsaber. Yeah he's going. He's going from the Angela McGregor to the the amber. He's a man, I guess Angela. Any anything you know, I listen, there is a extensive amount of knowledge about the making of this movie. But anything fun you want to you want to drop on us. Well, obviously it's not just a film, but it was. It's now a very successful theater production. It took him ten years to put the show together and then another six of getting the rights.

33:32 It's a lot of fun. Obviously they have upgraded the music. It's still in the same jukebox style, but they have updated it a lot to match, you know, the modern time. I'll only keep a little bit of the original soundtrack in the film. It's a lot of fun. I've seen it. I saw it in London's West End where they have a main stay there. It's a it's a beautiful theater. All that was definitely one of my things was like I'm going here, I'm like, oh, they got to add them all. It was just absolutely a ton of fun. That the cast was great. And then I've seen it on the traveling production here in Ohio down in Cincinnati, did.

34:12 A fantastic job. Like the choreography is just freaking mind blowing. You mentioned all those dancers and so forth. Let me. I got a question because I was I was doing some research, and you can answer this since you've seen it more than once or twice. My understanding is that Baz goes after the Rolling Stones and says, hey, I want some of your music for the movie, and they are like, no, we're not doing that. But years later stage it makes it. In the stage, he I guess there's a scene between the Duke and Setne where it's a medley of symphony for the devil and you can't always get what you want. Is that is that in the stage? Yes?

34:56 That is in the stage play. Yes? Would I say I would have wanted to hear that and the Dukes? Yeah, seeing that, Yeah, basically trying to you know, hey, baby, you know he's I remember correctly. I believe that was Actually I'm not even gonna say it because I feel like I'm gonna get the timeliner on the stage production. But are we I guess we're better off not having Richard Roxburgh seeing the Rolling Stones. Yeah. I've heard the the OBC soundtrack of the stage version, and I can't remember the actor's name that that plays the Duke, but he is he'll make you think twice about telling him No, I'll tell you what.

35:37 His voice is amazing and his version on the stage is definitely. More like mobster like okay, ooh, I like, yeah, like more Godfather type type. So he's definitely very different from like the squirmy we like. This guy has power, he knows, Yeah, he's he's basically kind of like the god Father type. Doesn't need a man servant like Warner, his own little mini army. But yeah, but he would not be afraid to uh get you in the head himself. Okay with this, Yeah, so he definitely has.

36:19 A little bit more of that brute Yeah, that fearfulness do not get from. The all Right, So I know there's a scene that we're all gonna discuss. Maybe we'll be talking about three scenes. Maybe we'll be talking about one scene. I don't know. We'll find out when we come back. Okay. So I've been having a lot of fun with this one this season because it is the scene, and we're gonna choose. Each one of us have a scene that we want to talk about. But before we're gonna tell the listeners what the scene is, we're gonna we're gonna say why we chose it. So uh, and we've got these these categories, so uh, Angela wants start with you, and I want you to tell me why you chose your scene is it for the cinematography. Is it for a strong performance, A pivotal moment? Did it? Did it piss Amber Lewis off?

37:16 That's a that's that that that category is cemented. I'm waiting for somebody to use it. It made her cut from earlier's comments, so I feel like that part is at least safe. Yeah, I know, I kind of. I chose Hey, none of your dying coffee during this podcast, ma'am. Sorry, it's it there, all right, Angel what why why did you pick the scene that you want to talk about? I picked it for all of the above, the editing, the choreography, the production, in the direction that at the scene.

38:00 I mean, mcgreg it's fine, but I absolutely love the El Tango Deve Roxanne scene. I they in the stage production, they they changed it to a backstage romance where they incorporated Lady Gaga. All right, well, hey, we're on the movie. I know, I'm just giving some extra little tippets. He doesn't. He just like, I'm sorry, but okay, it's for everything, and it's also very pivotal, you know, it's telling and moving the story along through the lyrics of the dance. I mean, I just think the. Choreography is amazing, and it's also pivotal moment because that's the part where the production is at a standstill because they need to wait. Well, which direction is their story going based on Seteen's success.

38:47 With the Duke? Are we going to have the indie the Duke's way or. The way it was? I'm gonna going off topic here. You remember the beginning or you know, close to the beginning of Jurassic Park, when the the game, Warden's like, clever, go I never said that you had to pick just one, so you've you've out smart to me there. You're like, I'm picking it for everything, you know. It's like I'm raising fine prince, and I'm like, yeah, I goesn't say that you can choose one. So well done, I mean it was. It's just my favorite. It just happens to check a lot of them. It does check all the boxes that yeah, this is uh yeah, that that whole It. Wasn't trying to be sneaky with it. It just happens. It is sneaky.

39:28 You were clever, you know what you are. It is my favorite scene. It is a good scene. It's a good scene. Uh, Amber, I know you're gonna say whatever the hell you want to say. So just what what's your scene? Like, did you do you? Did it piss you off? Or is it? Ah? No, it's it's one that that actually did not. And it's interesting because this is gonna really get everybody. Not the biggest outon John fan in the world over here, Bernany Tobin's lyrics are just jibber jabber. But the scene when Ewin sings your song and the camera pans out of the elephant and you see Paris and all the lights come on, Like, I got goosebumps. That is the most beautiful moment.

40:12 Damn good moment. I absolutely literally got goosebumps. It was It was beautiful. And I love him singing that song, like his youthful exuberance and he's so happy and just into you know, everything he's feeling. And I just love that moment. Amber am I out of line saying that I'll take the Hugh McGregor cover over Elton John's original. Guess yeah. Good. You mentioned how they're panning out and you see Paris. What blows my mind because they talked about it at length. We're not really doing a bunch of CGI stuff. This is a just a set of miniatures on top of a set of other miniatures. And like the Elephant, I.

40:58 Wondered, because it has a very like Disney Dark Ride Peter Pan's Flight kind. Of And what's crazy is so like the Mulin Rouge itself is it's a four walled set that has no ceiling, so they use the red draped curtains to block and hide a lot of stuff. And then the giant sixty foot elephant that Setine lives in is a giant sixty foot elephant that they've got sets inside of it. Yeah. I mean so when you it does have like this, like you know, like you said, like that like the Disney Ride vibe to it because it's real stuff. It's just real miniatures that they that they use. I love it about the cinematography and the set design just amazing.

41:42 Then the Moon starts to saying like, yeah, little. Mustache showed Moon. Yeah, that dude's awesome. Yes, all right, so I'm gonna give you mine, and I chose mine for performance. Uh And I'm talking about the scene where they are pitching spectacular spectacular to the Duke and it's it's almost claustrophobic but not in a a negative way because there are so many actors working in sync here. And I'm not specifically talking about the singing and dancing. I'm talking about how the scene is blocked in this tight four wall set and everyone has to have a rhythm and everything has to have a rhythm or it's a total mess because while you might be focused on Jim Broadbent, who's front and center, you know, uh, John Leguizambo's crew, they're they're they're bouncing around the background too.

42:33 They have to be in time with everything, and it's it's amazing, you know. And they talked about the rehearsal process because like you can't do something like this because it's it's a lot of steady shots. It's like there's not a lot of broken moments. Well and there's something going on that set like ewhere. Oh you know what. I didn't even pay attention to this until they pointed out to me the set designer on the the in flight movie, Like when you know, movies have to go through a certain kind of MP double A but for the airlines, and they were like, hey, we got to fix some of your backgrounds. So inside the Elephan the Elephant. Next time, you guys watch it and for Amber it probably won't be anytime soon. But the next time you check it out, there is a ton of Karma Sutra stuff all over the walls. There are naked people doing naked things. Yeah, yeah, like naked things. Yeah.

43:26 But I was like, oh, look at that, and bad like, oh yeah, there's one. There's one right there. Look, you know he's pointed out. If you're watching it, it's like the little Easter eggs. Yeah, a little little Easter eggs. If you want some some like sixteen hundreds porn. Uh, check out Ulan Rouge setines. She's a kinky one. She's got all kinds of stuff on her walls. So all right, let's uh, let's run the numbers on this one. Uh. I'm gonna ask you, guys, Amber, any any numbers that that you want to you want to drop on us here? Well, I thought that it was interesting. It was number four war at the box office, number four behind Pearl Harbor. Okay, Shrek, yeah and wait for it, Okay, the Animal.

44:15 Come on, Rob Schneider movie. Oh my yeah, oh my god. Okay, Okay, I get that this movie. Even when you watch the if you guys remember watching the trailer. The dudes are like, we're not going to see this with our girlfriend. He watched You watched the trailer, and you're like, what in what is going on here? Now? I understand, Pearl Harbor. That was the biggest thing you gave with a World War two romance movie. Yeah, and Shrek is shrek ginormous. Yeah, now to be there after several weeks, it did like move up to number two. Okay, I just Rob Schneider taking out Hugh McGregor. I never would have saw that.

44:58 Never, okay, never that the Yeah, the man went to the theater and droves that weekend. Yes, that's like a that's a movie for thirteen year old boys. I mean done to my head. If you said, what's a Rob Schneider? Maybe I couldn't have told you one anyway, Like I didn't even remember that this thing existed. Yeah, I forget that. I remember like Duce Bigelow, Oh yeah, ma was awesome? Are you kidding me? Yeah? Deuce Bigelow, male jiggle? Oh what how about some more numbers? Amber? You got more numbers for us? Because that's that one was as her mine. But Angela's got the box office for us. Got a. It was on a budget of about fifty three million, and the box office was one hundred and seventy nine worldwide.

45:42 It did, it did alright, then it sounds like. It did fairly well. And then of course the soundtrack had massive commercial success, so it went platinum uh several times over in the US and Australia and in uh Europe, and and then the musical itself has since profited about two d and seventy seven million. Well, I've got a I got a couple. I'll add a couple numbers, uh, just to just to make it a well rounded running of the numbers. Eighty people were hired to create three hundred costumes for this, uh, this little musical. All right, then I'll tell you what, ladies, let's take uh, let's take one last break and then we'll wrap things up. Okay, this one, I'm gonna be honest.

46:28 I struggle with a little bit because Baz Luherman is not known for making small, unknown, underrated movies. And you know this season where we're flipping things because we're talking about big budget, blockbuster type films, and then we're trying to recommend something that's a little more underrated not easy sometimes, and I've got one. I don't know what you guys got, but uh, I'll ask. I'll ask Amber first. Uh, Amber, written by, directed by, or starring, you have an underrated project from a Bass that you would recommend. I mean, I'm not even gonna bother with underrated, because everybody needs to watch The Great Gatsby because it is one of my favorite books. It is the best novel to screen adaptation I've seen in a very long time.

47:19 Everything about it I just absolutely adore. And I can't stand Toby maguire, so the fact that I can see a movie where he's like the lead and carrying the whole thing, playing like not a likable character, so there's even less to like. I just watched it again the other night, and I just love everything about it. I am going to double down on this with Amber. Twenty Thirteen's to The Great Gatsby written by and directed by Bass, And You're right, Amber, this is an amazing cast. I enjoy everyone, Kerrie Mulligan, Leo Toby, Joel Edgerton. I'm a big Edgiton guy. Great Gatsby two Oscar wins Best Costume Design, Best Art Design, both going to Catherine Martin, who just happens to have won two Oscars for Mulin Rouge for you Guessed It, Costume Design and Best Art Direction.

48:16 And his wife, she's Bass's wife. Spectacular, Well, thank god, she's talented. Can you imagine she gets the job because she's his wife that she's like terrible? Isn't Christopher Nolan's wife? That's producer, producing partner? Okay, okay. I couldn't quite remember what her but I knew she Yeah, she had a sign. But they're they're marrying brilliant, talented woman. It's fabulous. Yeah, Angela your choice, Written by, directed by, or starring. What Bazz Learman project would you recommend?

48:58 Well, he he wrote and directed it, but I would go with his directorial debut, The Strictly Ballroom. It has a lot of fun. I mean it's mostly an Australian cast. I don't know how popular it got over here. I mean, I mean I was like twelve when it came out. It was yeah, it was niche market. Yeah, and I kind of and tell you how I kind of came up. I don't remember how how I came across it. I just remember somehow, you know, watching it and I'm like, this is just it was a lot of fun. It was a little different. I didn't know any of these you know people that, like I said, it's it's basically an Australian you know cast and uh you know, and I, like we talked about earlier. It's a lot of fun.

49:39 It's uh it's a nice you know, romantic comedy with lots of great you know, ballroom dancing. And it's basically this pro dancer decides to do something a little different and unconventional with a brand new dance partner into a competition. So it's a lot of fun to do and it's like over the top, but like also that's really what it's like. Yeah, so you know it's. Yeah a little bit. Yeah, it's almost like one of the world like reality type like pageantry type shows, you know things. So you got you know that one Crazy Blonde Girl. But it's streaming free right now. So okay, So I would ask this because I think the two of you know me pretty well. I intend to see you guys have seen it. I have never seen it, but I need to see it to complete the Red Curtain trilogy. Am I am. I gonna enjoy it.

50:32 I think. I think it's funny, it's got it's got good humor, it's got hard, it's got you know, you know, exaggerated, it's it's okay, and you don't have to worry so much about. You know, well, it didn't need a big, huge name cast. It was I haven't seen and it's like ninety minutes you're in, you're out your. Well, I'm just gonna be fair too to bass. I haven't seen a bas learning movie that I haven't enjoyed. You know, some of them. I loved some of them. Like that's all right, I'm good with that. Yeah, I mean I trashed this one, but like it's fun, Like the whole beginning is a hoot, you know. So on that note, uh, Amber, uh your recommendation? Would you would you recommend Mulan Rouge to someone if they've never seen it and they're like what is this all about?

51:15 Like are you going to give them time to give it a chance? Or yeah? I would, because it's hard to get people into musicals. Yeah, and they can be very like resistant, and a jukebox musical is not a bad way to go because it's familiar, it's things, you know, these are people that you know, and it's a you know, it's a good time. I hate that it's so long. It's so damn long. You you mentioned, you mentioned the musical thing, and I didn't this kind of bring musicals back back in a way because like it wasn't correct me if I'm wrong, But wasn't like Beauty and the Beast the last musical to be even nominated for Best like in ninety one, it was like ten years earlier that it was a decade or yeah, okay, all right, Angela, Yeah, you have seen the production, the stage show several times. You went to London, you know, you you are a diamond dog.

52:09 So you're saying, you're saying, now this isn't don't watch it right or are you? Oh yeah, no, it's a total total waste of time. No, definitely check out the movie. But if you do have a chance to see the stage production, it's it is a ton of fun. And like I said, they do they have updated the soundtrack so it's, you know, so newer audiences can enjoy and recognize, you know, the variety of singers that. Are included that from the last decade. It's it's a ton of fun. They do. I mean, a fantastic job with with everything. And and also they made Christian actually hail from Ohio Go Bucks, all right, yeah, they made them come from the Midwest versus a love like in the film.

52:56 So when they said that when I was a London stitch pruction. I was like, yeah, it's awesome. Okay, representing Mulan Rouge, I never would have thought that comment. They didn't have it. I didn't either. Yeah, they didn't have him have he was American accident everything. I was like, oh, dang, okay, all right, Uh, it's it's bul just streaming on Netflix. Is that where you guys watched it? Yes? All right, well yeah and I own it too. Do you do you own the incredible two disc DVD? Yeah? I like the original the original yeah release. I got the o G Yeah, with the little booklet. Yeah, sitting right over here.

53:36 I got the original soundtrack on CD as well. Listeners check it out on Netflix or you can rent it on Prime or track down the two disc DVD set that that Angela and I own. It was hailed as one of the best DVDs ever released, which I think is awesome. Has a wealth of extras. If you're so inclined to know everything, and I do mean everything about Mulin Rouge. You'll find out in uh in this, in this set. Next time on a film buy, we'll be talking about Robert Altman's A Prairie Home Companion. I have not seen it. Amber has been twisting my arm for a while, and it just so happens.

54:18 Uh. We we got Meryl in this one, right, yeah, Street, Yeah, because this. Is Meryl Ken. We're still do We're we're still going strong with our Kidman and Meryl or what we call it our Merrily and Kidman month, my. Never ending quest to get you to appreciate it. Well, yeah, yeah, I walked into this one because you were like, oh wait, Meryl Streep, she did a movie in two thousand and one or six. I was like, oh, it's Robert Altman movie. I was like, damn, all right, you got me. You and Angela will have fun. No, no, no, you will do it. So I'm gonna watch it. But listeners, if you have already seen it, how would you summarize it in exactly five words? Go to our website 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 or hit us up on YouTube, where a lot of people are getting real chatty lately, which I dig. We'll talk to you there as well.

55:14 If we use your five word synopsis on the show, we'll shout you out on the episode and you will definitely get some of our film by swag. Please join us on social media you can, As I said, you can find us on YouTube. We're also on Instagram, Facebook, and x. We absolutely love interacting with you, sharing opinions, taking your requests for future episodes, and debating great movies or in Amber's case, uh, standing her ground when someone doesn't agree with her and then them going yeah, like some guys just like abuse, and you know these ladies have plenty of it for you guys, So keep the comments coming. Amber. You, like I said, you finally wrote me into a Robert Altman movie. We're doing that, like next week, I think you'll be you'll be back. Well, we'll be talking Robert Oltman. I don't even know if I don't even know what it's about. I'm gonna I'm not gonna watch a trailer. I'm just gonna go win cold and just watch the film see what happens. But thank you, thank you for for being here today, and thank you. Like you definitely I feel like based on what I was reading off off Mike the past two weeks, I feel like you definitely were much more reserved, uh than I thought you were just gonna come in and go full Godzilla on Nicole Kevin and just torched this movie.

56:32 But I even had I. Even had like a like an Olive Bridge because I went back as like, who else was nominated that year. For Best Actress? And and honestly I still stand by that. I don't think Caller Berry want it. But Reneeselweger was up for Bridge Jones Iary that I absolutely loved. That's one of my favorite movie series. And and her and what she did for that Cissy Spasic in the Bedroom, which is a Nuther movie because Jeff, you. And I are be covering now we're talking about that one, yes. And then Judy Dench and Iris, which was fantastic, and uh actually for that one jan Jim Brobitt what won the OSCAR for Best Supporting Actor in Iris that year he was nominated for Mulan But Jim Brobent was, Oh, I.

57:20 Feel bad now because I was like, because Dame Judy Dench is amazing no matter. What she does, and that's a great movie. And then I was like, you said, Iris, I was like, wait, what's I I distinctly remember last month I was talking about Jim Brodbent and Irish me and Garrett because we were talking about like who should have won what, And I was like, Iris, I mean it's. Been a minute since. Yeah, I've watched it, but I do remember that. I retract my my comment on Iris now that I know that Dame Judy Dench is. I like Nicole. I was happy when she won for the hours. I love that movie. So see. My only thing with that is because she was only in it for like five minutes. But she.

58:01 And I didn't. And I'm not saying that she wasn't. I just I don't know. I I just felt like, if she was gonna win it for one, but you know, win it for this. But looking at the actual list, I would have gone with pretty much anyone except for halle Berry in that particular movie, not that she's not a great actress. But I was like, get get it out of your system. You've been for months now, you've been wanting to fight about halle Berry. So you're like, I'll get to it when we talk about Mulin Rouge. I'll tell you she's I'm not saying she's a bad actress. I just in that in that group of those movies and the performances, she should not. I don't know, I think she should have. But we'll fight about that at a different time. Angela, you've been giving us some fantastic movie reviews on our website with your column. A typical film review. Uh, sometimes a little cheeky, but but always very insightful. And I love what you're doing.

58:53 I appreciate it. We got we gotta, we gotta, we gotta, we gotta finish this. But I'll give you a quick I'll give you a super quick movie review. I saw this when it came out last month, and Sam Raimi's new film called Send Help, and I'm gonna tell you he's here's my spoiler, free of you, and it's specifically for you too. It is the most Amber and angela Ish movie you will watch this year. Like Rachel McAdams is playing, she's kind of well, I don't want her to be playing you guys, but you guys will cheer for her like you guys will be rooting her on.

59:33 Is it as good as drag me to Hell? That's not fair. I mean, Sam Raimi's awesome, but it's I'll say this again, spoiler free. You're gonna see a movie where a bad guy goes up against a bad guy and you have to determine where your allegiance falls, like like who Who's who's the better of the bad guys? The lesser of two evils, the. Luster of two evils, because you if you watch the trailer, you're like, this guy's a dick and this poor administrative assistant or secretor or whatever she is, like she's getting crapped on and oh, now the table's turn. But maybe maybe she's not. Maybe there's more to it. Yeah, I think you guys would love to hear you, guys. I was curious to talk about this one. Yeah, it's a good fun movie. Definitely a fun movie. Uh, you know, I want to thank you both. And I imagine, or at least I hope to imagine that the next time we're all three together, you guys will probably be even more agreeable. Or maybe maybe you won't. I don't know, but we're doing a top ten favorite Meryl Street Rolls episode, you guys are you're going to create this, this top ten list. I'm excited to see which, uh, which one you come up with, because, as you guys know, you know, earlier this month we talked about the Devil Worst Product.

1:00:51 I had never seen it, I loved it, and I thought Meryl was just amazing in it. So well, I run, I run hot like Devil Wars Prada and River Wilde and death becomes her. Sometimes I'm like, I don't care. Yeah, yeah, the new Barrow Street movie. So we'll see, We'll see what you guys come up with. Thank you both for being here and to all of you listening to the show, following us on social media, subscribing to our Patreon, and definitely to all you guys all your new YouTube subscribers, We thank you,