John Landis - Innocent Blood

0:00 I happen to love a good horror film. We are in the month for watching good horror films. But every now and then you need a little bit of levity, you need a little bit of comedy. My question to you Amber shooting from the hip, Top five vampire comedies, what do you got? Well? Number one has to be What We Do in the Shadows. That could really be one through five. That movie is just I can't even And then there's only one scene that makes me laugh, but like I pull off the couch laughing every time Abbott Costello meet Frankenstein.

0:42 It has all of the universal monsters in it, so Dracula is in it, and there's a scene with Bella Lugosi and I just like I cry, it's so funny. And then it's not traditionally These two aren't traditionally funny. But Only Lovers Left Alive has a really great sense of humor. That surprises me if I could interrupt you for a quick second. That surprises me because I saw a trailer for that on Prime and the trailer made it look like a very surreal, intense vampire film. I didn't pick up comedy at all. It looked more like the Hunger or something closer to like a Dario Jento type of film.

1:30 It's it's a comedy. It's it's not a comedy. It's more like it's like sexy and romantic, but there is like this undercurrent of humor to it. Okay, that because it's sort of the world weariness of having lived so long. All right, well, listen to that. It's in my it's it's in my, it's my, it's on my list, it's on my watch list. But I'm glad, I'm glad you mentioned it because now I'm I'm better set for like what to expect, because I was expecting something really gothic and uh no, that trailer. That trailer does not do you, okay, okay, all right, well all right, what else you got? You got what?

2:16 I just watched it the other day, and it's not as scary as I remember from being a kid, and funnier than I remember it being the original Fright Night. Yeah. Hey, that's got some really fun moments in it. Yeah, like Ronnie McDonald's hilarious he is and then the last one, just for quotability only, Hotel Transylvania. Okay, fun, I did not say blah blah blah. What is on your list for the funniest. You'll be happy to know? And this is in real no particular order, but echoing you, I've got to talk about what we Do in the Shadows. That feeling is brilliant and hilarious whatever. Yes, spawned a very successful television series that I have just been eaten up.

3:11 Oh see, I haven't watched it. Is it as good as the movie? Oh? Amber, Sweet Amber? The show is better than the movie, Oh my gosh. And I'll tell you, is heavily involved? You mean, yeah, they're all they're all heavily involved. But the characters you're gonna fall in love with, Nadja. I can't wait to hear you talk about Nada. Please when we're done, When we're done. Left alive, and I'll turn on this show. What we Do in the Shadows, You're going to it's on Hulu. You're going to burn through these seasons. There's what there's like four seasons. Maybe you're gonna burn right. Film they are hilarious, great great situation where the movie gives you a great, a great experience, and then the television series picks it up and runs with it, and you're even happier, So uh definitely that one. I gotta, I gotta. I gotta give some love to our friend of the show, Oz Rodriguez. We he's very talented director.

4:08 We we had him on last year. We talked briefly about his film Vampires Versus the Bronx. I'm telling you it's you know, anytime you've got kids banding together to fight evil, it's it's gonna be a fun time. So uh, definitely check that out. It's I think it's on It's on Netflix right now, and it is a fantastic film. I love talking with Oza. We got we gotta get him back on here at some point. If I could go rather quickly with my my last three picks for you though, very quirky, Nicholas Cage and Vampire's Kiss. Have you ever seen this one? Yes, the filing scene, Hey b c running up and jumping on her desk. There you are one of my all time favorite vampire move not just just not just vampire comedies, but vampire movies in eral He is fantastic him and general from Jennifer Bials.

5:03 Gotta give some love to once Bitten, you know, Jim, very young Jim Carrey car Yeah, and then you mentioned, uh, you mentioned abbot castella, like having the one scene you know that just made you laugh. Yes, I gotta say again. Another another fun movie that spawned a very successful television franchise, Buffy the Vampire Slayer. And it's every time Paul Rubins. Every time I think about this movie, I think about him getting staked at him and then the pause that he looks. Again and then he stomps his foot on the ground. Yes, yeah, I'll tell you what we I bring it up because I definitely want to talk about another vampire comedy today. So and I don't know how much we're gonna laugh, but but let's talk about a film by John Landis is nineteen ninety two horror comedy Innocent Blood.

6:31 Hello everybody, and welcome back. I'm Jeff Johnson, I'm Amber Lewis, and this is a film by podcast Amber. Let's jump right in, shall we. If you give us a brief synopsis, I will then offer you my review of this movie and exactly four words. Ooh okay. Well, to put it simply, as always, Marie is a vampire with a thirst for bad guys. When she fails to properly dispose of one of her victims, who is a violent mob boss. She boughts off more than she can chew and faces a new immortal danger.

7:18 If you wanted to hear my review summed up in four words for a John Landis horror comedy, I would say this vampire movie sucks. I did not think that that was such you're gonna say, what, Amber? What? I was like, what the hell? Oh? I know you were not happy about this when some of your messages is like, oh, she's done happing. Yes, it had such promise. Yes, Like, first of all, I should have never read the original like idea that John Landis had because he and Harry Shearer we're gonna make a movie about vampire's running Vegas. Yeah, well that sounds hilarious.

8:10 Yeah, well we're gonna get to that. We're gonna get to that. But you know, last week we discussed The Hidden by Jack Shoulder, m HM and Amber. This film was originally set up with Jack Shoulder directing, Lara Flynn Boyle and Dennis Hopper, but Shoulder dropped out due to creative differences. My question, are we getting a better film with with Shoulder directing? Yes? I have to say yes, right. Although I have to say, like all the mob stuff in the beginning is really. Good, fantastic, it's fantastic. Let me if I could, let me, let me share something with you. This is from a interview with filmmaker John Landis. Okay, okay, So he says, no matter how outrageous, you have to try to make it as real as possible. With Masselli, which is Robert Lojia's character, the film begins like a Martin Scorsese movie.

9:12 You have to establish upfront just how frightening and deadly he is. The idea was that you already have this really malevolent force who has then given superpowers. I love his arc from when he wakes up as a corpse and discovers that he's been killed, to him understanding and realizing his new powers, because at first he's just terrified. And then I don't know if you noticed, but there's a thing in the movie that when the vampires are fed, they look good, they look healthy, but when they're first undead, they don't look so good until they get some new blood. So when people ask me what are you doing, I would say, well, I'm making a hammer film. As if it was directed by Martin Scorsese.

9:54 John tell you is such an arrogant asshole, Like you are not Martin Scorsese. You aren't even like in the same room as Martin Scorsese. So I don't know what you're talking about. I just I don't get it because, like you're right, like the mob stuff. At the beginning, it looks good, it sounds good. He's got a great cast, like half the Sopranos are in there. Yeah, if you love the Sopranos, you might love this film. Honestly, let's be honest. I mean I'm sitting there like, oh there's Tony, Oh there's you know, I'm pointing people there. So yeah, it's just I think this movie doesn't know what it wants to be because I was intrigued. I I'm all in at the beginning, and then I get lost.

10:36 It gets it gets real cringey from the from the get go, it's cringey. The mob scene kind of saves it. We'll get to why it's cringey in the beginning, but then it turns into it. Then it becomes like a dark comedy and it's it's all Robert Lojia that you know when he comes back on dead, He's all crusty and creepy. At that point, I'm like, okay, I'm I'm gonna keep watching because this I just want to see Loja go to town. Now, let me tell you why. I found it to be very cringey right from the get go. So we're gonna jump into the cast and crew. Here. Anne Peri Laude French name Amber helped me out here. You always correct me on the French stuff. I would say Anne PERRYO.

11:18 Okay, well I'll say Marie. She's Marie the Vampire. There you go, Marie the Vampire. That's what we're going with. Okay. First off, and I think she's. A one off, like she was in Nikita, and she was. I mean, I shouldn't say that's it. She's a French actress. I know she gets this job because Landis likes her in Nikita. But and I'm gonna say this as a man, I don't know that I needed her terrible voice over work in the In the opening of the movie, well in the opening, okay, but the opening of the movie, she's like an apartment this that's got like a thousand candles in it, and she's walking around full frontal nudity. Yeah, she's yeah, I mean she's just there.

12:00 You know, i'd listen, you know, teenage Jeff is like, this movie's awesome. But now I'm like, okay, I mean you could have done something with it. It's you know, justifying a little bit right, and I you know, she's a beautiful woman, but I can't even enjoy that. I'm just I'm just distracted by this, this heavy French accent and these terrible this terrible narration. You know. Landas said, test audiences complained about not understanding her, and even then he chose not to dub her lines, which he wonders if that was a mistake or not. John, it was, it was. It was one hundred percent. But I'm not even like really affected by accents, Like I didn't have any trouble understanding her, but I totally could see how it was off putting. And you know, it was just too it was so heavy. And if they're gonna you know, there's other actors that they've dubbed for her worse reasons, Like yes, when you have a test audience saying we can't understand her, like you have to do it.

13:07 I just here's here's another problem I have with her character. And you know, Amber, sometimes you see a vampire movie, you don't get the backstory, and that's fine, you don't need it, or you don't you don't care about it. Yeah, And other times the backstory is everything to that character. As far as I know, she's just squatting in some abandoned apartment and you know, in the city, and there's no rhyme or reason to her motives. Like we appreciate the fact that she clearly has a as the trailer will tell you and the taglines, she has a taste for the bad guys, so she understands what she's doing is wrong to a to a. Degree, she's an angsty, you know, vampire like Louis from Interview with a Vampire. But the problem with those is, like you just want to slap them, like pull yourself together.

13:59 I want a fun vampire like Lestat who is like, hey, it is what it is. You know, if you're gonna give me a hot naked vampire padding around her house, at least give me like a little bit of background on her, Like I mean, well. But she still could have killed only bad guys, but shouldn't have to be so greedy about it. Yeah, she's she could have been like taste better. Yeah, something, I don't know. I just and they like irritated me because they like, I don't think you could call these vampires. They throw away like all the tropes that make them vampires. So there's some they Landis specifically ignores some of the the quote unquote rules, right, yeah, and then he embraces others, and then he creates new ones, like like the the eye thing, I thought was a little over the top but still a little fun.

14:57 Well, I was disappointed I thought it was. I mean, granted it's ninety two, but my expectations I think were out of whack. But I thought it was just gonna be like the iris of the eye changed color instead. Of like it's entire eye. They look like they're aliens or something. Yeah, And what's what the hell's going on with Like the when she's attacking, is that a jaguar noise? I'm hearing it's some kind of a cat? Yeah, yeah, I just I don't know. Between that and then her the narration, the cringey narration that she that that he's dropping in here and there, like she's in a scene with with the guy. The guy says something and she just stares blankly at the guy while we hear her narration. And it's not good. Yeah, it's just not good.

15:46 Well, it makes makes you feel like Landis thinks you're the audience is stupid. And it compounds the fact that she's not that good an actress, so she can't like convey anything on her and so she's just gotta like smell it out for you figure it out. Just just stare at the camera. We'll do some a dr later in the studio. Well, yeah, it'll be fine. Uh. Anthony LaPaglia playing the the undercover cop Joe Gennaro. Here's here's the thing. I like him. I like him. He's the Dollar General version of Alec Baldwin. Yeah, so like a better movie would have had Alec Baldwin.

16:27 They try so. I really feel like if you look at films in the nineties, they were trying to make him a leading man and for whatever reason, it just it just wasn't working. You know. I think he's a great charisma. They have no chemistry together, oh. Zero zero chemistry. Again, I don't know if it's her fault. I don't know if it's Landis's fault. It's probably everyone's fault. But I just, uh, you know, I like him, but he's he seems to be like his place in the film is the supporting guy. He's he's a character actor. I feel like so in the nineties. I respect the fact that he's trying to bust a bust out of that character actor, that guy format. But it never happened for him. You know, I know he did. He had some fun, fun movie parts. You know, I love him, and so I married a nax murderer, you know.

17:20 Well, and you can't put him right next to Chaz Parlamentary and expect anything other than Chaz to like blow him off the screen. I was disappointed. I thought Chaz was gonna be the cap what Amber. What is it about Chaz Pulmonary though, that makes you root against him in every movie he does? Is that just me or just you? Okay? I just there's something about Chaz that's I don't care who he plays or what the role is. He just seems smug. Well, he's always smarter than everybody else. Well is he? Though he's not smarter than Kaiser Sosey, you know, he got. Nobody's smarter than Kaiser said, nobody kind of figure that out the bollatimboard the whole time.

18:02 I know, I just there's something about Chas palmonary there that he just he just comes across. I don't Yeah, I still just think, listen, Chas Promonary could play Jesus Christ, and I'm probably gonna root against him. I'll be Hail Satan, let's damn hippie. Yeah, I just yeah, I don't know. I will say, like, he's fun because of what happens to his character. I like that he that I'm rooting against him. I kind of gave her. I was very satisfied. Absolutely, I'll tell you who. I who. I would have been satisfied by seeing more of Angela Bassett. It's almost like blinking you miss her. Yes, she's playing the the U S Attorney I think, or she's like the captain of the police. She has a very I'll tell you she's the boss. But she it's unfortunate for her because she has a very cliched scene where the second she's introduced, we're doing the whole you're off the case, give me your badge kind of kind of a you know, with Anthony La Paglia and he's like, you can't take this for me. I've lived my whole life.

19:09 It's just I was he's a moron because he's supposed to be like undercover and then he shows up at the crime scene like. He's he's deep undercover with the mob. Yeah, he's here, Like what are you doing here? He's a friend. I had to see no Chas Paul. He was a he was a he's a piece of shit mafioso, like he got what he deserved. Yeah, but then there's there's the camera, you know, there's the reporters, and it's like, okay, well you just you know, you're complaining about three years of your life. You you just ship it all away because you chose to go to an active crime scene where the news is So Yeah, I would have liked to have seen more of Angela Bassett. I was very happy though, with again Robert Lojia. He's playing sal the shark MASSELI. Yes, remember, he's probably the only reason to watch this film, especially once he turns undead.

19:58 He in the beginning when he killed that guy. Oh yeah, he's like, oh just dire. Yeah, you gotta give it, give it to him. When you kill someone with a a small toaster oven right, the boy when he stood up and he's he's picking up, he's checking out. Like he's gonna kill him with that toaster. This guy is to get bashed with a toaster. And I've never seen someone die by toaster. I'm here for it. Yeah. I love Robert Losia. He's I think, I mean, can you give me give me a bad Robert Loja performance? I challenge you because you know, even in over the like nineteen eighty seven is over the top where he plays, he's the good thing in it. He makes a bad movie good, he makes a good movie great. Yeah, he's Robert Loja. Let's talk. Okay, So again, I kind of feel like you and I both are on the same page.

20:58 We're not fans of this film. I'm so surprised. I couldn't handle the grossness of it, Like I think that was some of what was supposed to be funny. Yeah, And I was just like I can't look. I you know, well, even even in a film that I'm coming away from like this isn't for me, it's not a good movie, I'm still finding joy in certain things like the cameos. Did you pick up on all all the cameos. Did you spot the cameos without I don't know what kind of research he. Did, but no, I definitely saw Frank Oz and Sam Raimi. You hear frank Oz like you can't he like, there's a there's one. Scene so funny.

21:38 Oh, it was very funny. But there's a moment where a little bit of Yoda slips out and you know, frank Oz, you just can't deny it. He yes, so that he was fun to see. I loved Toom Savine. I just loved him walking across the stairs and like the press was all there. And he was just like I think Tom Savini is like the the paparazzi guy who's who's just showing up to take photos. Yes, always fun to see Tom. Tom's a great guy. We got we've met him once or twice, uh on the concert and he's great. Daria Argento is in this, which I was surprised by. And then I I'll tell you right now, any any guy that grew up on Rhonda Shears Up all night and the movies that she would play on USA Network, you would you definitely are noticing scream Queen LENEA Quigley. You know, small role.

22:36 She's the nurse in the hospital, the blonde nurse. Okaya quiggly. Yeah, I don't know. Listen, it's a good it's a good cast. This movie has a really good cast with maybe with exception to and yeah, without with exception to. Uh Nikita, I don't know, but uh, Amber, let's take Let's take a quick break and then come back and talk a little bit about this film's background. Okay, welcome back.

23:17 We are discussing John Landis in his nineteen ninety two film Innocent Blood. Amber. Let's talk about that title. Do you feel like the title fits innocent? Does Innocent Blood fit this this movie? Or is there a better title out there? I mean, like Dracula versus the Bob Setters or something. I don't know. Well, there's no nobody's innocent in this movie. I don't know what innocent but they're talking about these are all horrible people. I don't know either, but I asked because the film was actually retitled A French Vampire in America for its for its international release. This was done without John Landis's consent, which pissed him off. And because he's like, you're you're making this is confusing people, and he felt like there was some confusion because what the distributors were trying to do, they were looking to cash in on a very similar style title because a French vampire in America sure sounds a lot like an American wherewif in London.

24:20 I didn't think about that. It's funny that they were literally saying what it is. It's like those yeah when you get the foreign translations of yeah titles and they're always just ridiculous. But yeah, like in America, worf in London. There you go. So this whole movie spawns, like we said, it's it's in place. Jack Shoulder originally working with Lara Flynn Boyle and Dennis Hopper, which I'll definitely take Lara Flynn Boyle over Nikita Loja versus Hopper. That's a tough one for me because I think either one of them do a great job, right. But it does don't matter because John Landis you know you you kind of talked when we started.

25:04 He's all set to go with Harry Shearer on this this Las Vegas vampire comedy, but the studio did not like that idea, which I met like they made a mistake. All you do at Vegas is go out at night and there's no windows in the casinos. So like, well, here's the other thing too, Richard Matheson, you know author we love I am legend it's the Vegas vampire thing is based off a book he writes called Red Sleep. So you're telling me that Landis wants to do a Matheson book and it's about vampires in Las Vegas, the city that never sleeps. That it's it's eternally darkness there. I think that would have been an awesome film. Big mistake on the studios part.

25:49 Yeah, like that was some producer really dropped the ball. They didn't like it, so they offer him. They say, hey, look, we don't like this this idea, but we have a vampire's script for you. It's called Innocent Blood. Landis reads it. He says, I really liked it. I was given tremendous freedom by the studio to make it. Although it was rather low budget, it was very risky, which I think perhaps contributed to the fact that it didn't do well. Again, I disagree with Flandis. I don't think this had anything to do with the budget. It had everything to do with the execution. Because the movie doesn't know, like it's it's a oh, this is a cool mob movie. It's serious. No, this is a this is a bad vampire movie. No, it's a it's a dark comedy. Like Loja's running around.

26:34 He looks like he looks like he looks like Frank Cross's boss from Scrooged, and he's having a great he's having a great time running around drinking and biting people and just so yeah, I I just don't know. I think the key phrase in that quote from Landis is that he had all this freedom. They pretty much said you can do whatever you want, and that is usually never good thing. I don't think it was so much as a hey, we've got this script for you. I think the truth is, hey, we've got a movie that's already in production, and now we don't have a director and the stars are ready to walk, so will you please come save it? And he was probably like, let me get in the kitchen and cook, stay out of my way. Yeah, and when you run on checks.

27:23 He thinks he's a genius, so I can exactly. Yeah, I listen. I'm all for directors getting final cut, but I feel like that's something you have to earn right. Spilberg should always have final cut, Scorsese should always have final cut. Tarantino I will say, should have final cut, but John landis no. I mean we say, like, look at what's happening. He's as bad as often as he is good. Well, think about this, like we're look at what's happening right now in Hollywood. The Todd Phillips The Joker does a billion dollars. It's a low budget, you know, the studios breathing down his neck does a billion dollars. So they immediately say, you can have final cut. We'll leave you alone. Do whatever you want. He makes Joker folly.

28:05 I do, and it's bombing. It's one of the worst critically received films of all time. I haven't seen it yet. I do want to see it, but I mean everyone is talking about how terrible it is, and you have to you have to keep in mind he had final cut and they didn't even do test screenings of it. So you know, when I see Landis getting final cut and getting full control over something like Innocent Blood, it makes me wonder like maybe that's something you reserve for, like the the upper echelon, right, Yeah, I have to ask you though, does anything work in this film? Like? What what are the positive takeaways you're you're watching Innocent Blood. I know you weren't happy from your text messages, but is there like, what are you taking away from this that that tells you, like, you know what. I didn't like it, but watch it for this reason? Is there?

28:54 Can you do? You guys? Do you have something like that? No, I will say, I'm listening to another podcast and the host of that one is very big on the opening scene. That's like his thing is the opening scenes of movies, and so I was it's fresh in my mind, so I was paying particular attention. And while the opening scene is not that remarkable, I did immediately think nobody uses music in a movie like John Landis. He has a particular sensibility for choosing songs that like they fit but they're kind of funny and you're like, oh my god, I even thought about it that way, and you know, are just really really clever. So he always has a good soundtrack. So with that opening song, I was like, oh, that's good.

29:51 I like that. Okay, So I liked. That, and like I said, I liked I liked the mob stuff. I liked some of the things that you know, the side characters were doing, like Louis Guzman was great and Don unexpectedly great. Yeah we did. We didn't mention those two and they were they were fun moments. Yeah, so I can say I liked those couple of things. So okay, I'm with you. I would I would say, yes, Uh, definitely some fun cameos in this film. We talked about some of the people. I thank you for dropping in Rickles and and Guzman because I completely forgot to bring attention to them, and they were fun. I did like seeing them. As far as music goes, love when you walk into that strip club and Prince's song get Off starts blaring, that's a damn good Prince song. So right there, you got my attention back, is like, all right, friends, you okay, we'll I'll work with you on this.

30:50 We're having a good time. We're having a good time. And then the other thing i'd add to you, Amber and I'm sure you I think you'd agree with me. Loja just going full on camp in this movie is delightful. Yes, yeah, we're gonna take one more break and when we get back, we're gonna talk a little bit about John Landis and get some suggestions from the voice of reason, Amber Lewis. Okay, Amber, Three things about John Landis and a quote. First off, and I shake in my head at this as I read it. He was given the chance to direct nineteen eighty six's Howard the Duck and nineteen ninety seven's Men in Black. He turned both jobs down because he felt the movies were too similar to the Blues Brothers. What walk me through this, Amber, You're a teacher school us on this? How is John Landis looking at Howard the Duck aside from a couple of police cars crashing? Is that?

31:55 How is that? Don't talk bad about Howard the Duck. Remember there's a if you look right behind me, there is a four K blu ray copy on that shelf of Howard the Duck. And I will loan it to you anytime to get you on the. For like Xanadu and Flash Gordon, like all day long. But I gotta draw the line. Somewhere you should I'll beat you. Let's let's just meet at Flash Gordon, because I will never say a bad word about Flash Gordon. But Men in Black, aside from Will and Tommy wearing black suits and yeah. He He would later state that he regretted turning down Men in Black, but thank you, captain obvious since it made like a billion dollars.

32:49 Wouldn't have been as good as a movie. I don't know. I think it might have. I can, I can. I can be happy with the first one. I can show appreciation for it. I can. I can say it's a good film. But after that two and three and the reboot with Chris Simsworth, no thanks. So. Amber john Landis believes the scariest movie of all time is a tie between the original, the Texas Chainsaw Massacre card and The Exorcist. Well it's not, because it's the Exorcist and Texas Chainsaw. Is rack you? Well hold on, now have you we talked about this before? This is an ongoing debate. As as memory serves you, you haven't actually seen the original Tobe Hooper.

33:40 You have in the like just watching it behind a pillow count. No got cans. Just stare at every frame, digusting. I'm gonna need you to do a clockwork orange. We'll wire your eyes open. I want you, I want frame by Amber Lewis commentary on the Texas Chancel Massacre Now I'm with you, though. The Exorcist is the scariest of all time. I'm a grown man and I will not watch it alone in the dark by myself. Yeah, that's that's a scary movie. Yeah, it's it's absolutely terrifying. Here's a fun one, and I think this one might make you want to revisit some of John Landis's filmography.

34:25 Are you familiar with the see You Next Wednesday? Story? Yes? Okay, well let me tell let me story. I don't know. He puts it in all his movies, like it's in the Thriller video. Okay, Well, so here's the deal. As you know, Amber, because you're a huge fan of the film, See You Next Wednesday is ah line from two thousand and one, a Space Odyssey. Young John Landis, at the age of fifteen, writes a movie script called see You Next Wednesday, and it becomes like his passion project. So he over the years has taking bits and pieces of that screenplay and put it into his other movies, and as tribute, he always finds a way to put the title see You Next Wednesday or the line see Next Wednesday in all of his movies, so you know it can be seen on theater Marquees and film posters in an American morewof in London, Twilight Zone, the movie The Blues Brothers, Schlock, the Kentucky Fried movie Trading Places Coming to America, Spies Like Us Into the Night starring Michelle Pfeiffer We Know You Love Her. The music video for Michael Jackson's thriller and in Innocent Blood. It's advertised on the Theater Marquee across the street from the Melody Lounge during the car crash scene.

35:46 Ah, I missed it. It's one of those things like if you're a big Landis fan, you're always looking for it because it's not like in your face. It's very subtle, like doing a little bit of research. It's a film poster in James E. Lee Curtis's apartment in Trading Places, but then it's a film poster starring Jamie Lee Curtis and some of his other stuff. So I think that's kind of cool, you know, Yeah, I like that. On getting films made, Landis said, quote, what no one understands. Ideas are a dime a dozen. An idea has no real value. It's all about the execution of the idea. Kind of feels like is it poign or is it like kind of like a captain obvious moment. I don't I'm not sure. I'm not sure.

36:37 It sounds like Seve from the Player. There you go again. You know, every time you mentioned the Player, I got to hear it from deaf Dave. You know, Amber, If someone has never seen a film by John landis, what are your three recommendations so that they can truly understand this guy's work. Well, one is funny story. I'll make it quick. When American Worf with London came out, like this was in the eighties. Parents didn't care what their children watched. My parents were like, yeah, if you get scared, you'll get over it, Like it'll be fine. So they bring home the video. I was like seven, and we got.

37:28 I watched. I had wonderful parents, but they were very liberal, so they turned the movie on. I made it to when they were on the moors and you hear the wolf howling. You were just dipping your foot in the water, didn't get I. Locked myself in the bathroom and refused to come out until they took the video out of the VCR and put it back in the car. Like it couldn't even be in the house. I was a wreck. I didn't see that movie until I was like a straight up adult with a child, and have since pleasantly come to realize, like it is like one of the greatest horror movies ever made. I was in a recent debate about an American Werewolf in London and said debate was is it the greatest werewolf film of all time? And if it isn't, what what's a contender? And I gotta be honest, like my my my thought then and now is I don't know that it's the greatest werewolf film of all time, but it's it's definitely debatable, Like I can't tell you immediately like it's not because this film is like I can I can point out, you know, we amber you and I recently did Wolf. You know, we talked about werewolf films, and I gotta tell you, like, I think it might be the number one film for for werewolves, but I can't commit to it all the way. And you know what, I pointed out a couple of good werewolf films, but again I couldn't with with confidence say well, this one is better than an American Werewolf in London. Have you.

38:59 You have said you that you have since seen the film in its entirety, So what do you k it is? Is it the best werewolf film of all time? Or is it? Is it like a top three? Like where do you put it? Definitely a top three. The only thing I think that makes me hesitant to say it's the best werewolf movie is I like the lore. I like the legend of monster movies. So there's no silver bullets, you know, and like that whole through line of like the wolf Man, you know, I like that. I like the movie Silver Bullet Ember. Remember, I like the lore, I like the legend. I certainly like Jenny Agator nineteen eighty Smoke Show. Listen. I'm definitely I'm with you. I'm going to recommend an American werewolf in London. What's the next film you're going to recommend?

39:51 Trading Places? Are you looking at my notes? Or Okay? I was on the fence between Trading Places and The Blues Brothers. Okay, but I just like Trading Places is a better movie. Lewis Winthorpe, Billy Ray Valentine. This is this is the Prince and the Popper, but it's a version that we love happens to have an awesome role played by Jimmy Lee Curtis, happens to have one of my favorite renditions of a Santa Claus in a movie with dan Ackroyd playing drunk hobo Santa Claus, you know, with the salmon, and then he's awesome in that. I love Trading Places.

40:40 That's if an American werewof in London. Is your the John Landis movie you watch in October? Trading Places? Is I remember? Are you putting it? Is it a Thanksgiving movie? Is it a New Year's Eve movie? Is it a Christmas movie? Because we kind of get all three of these seasons in the movie, Like so, I'm gonna tell you for me, I go, I go, uh no, I go November it's a Thanksgiving movie for me. Where do you? Where do you put it? Because that's that's yeah, the climax of the movie. Climax of the movie. Okay, okay, I don't think there's a wrong answer. No, but uh all right, I dig it. Trading Places one of the all time maybe his best movie, I'm not sure.

41:26 Well no, because my number three is hands down the funniest movie of all time coming to America. You just put a smile on d Grave's face. He he he. I have heard him say that is the funniest movie of all time. Yes, all right, let's talk. That didn't make my my my third suggestion, So well, I'll put I'll put a pin in mine because it's a I did a little bit of an Amber Lewis cheat like we did last time. But let's talk. Let's talk about coming to America because this is I think this is kind of like a resurgence for Eddie Murphy and this is is this like the dawn of the comedic actor plays multiple roles, situations, and he does it so well.

42:08 Oh my gosh, my proudest moment. My brother and I do the barbershop like all the time, which is completely inappropriate. I realized this, please don't right to Yeah, but when my son quoted the barber shop to me one time, like the first time he did it, I was like, oh, my boy. But our Senio Hall is hilarious. James Earl Jones is funny playing the straight man. I mean, oh, James Earl Jones is fantastic. But that, you know, and that kind of brings me to the question, at what point when you're watching Coming to America for like the fifth, fifteenth time or the twinth time. At what point did you realize that that James Earl Jones and Madge Sinclair, you know she plays she plays Queen the Queen Queen? Yes, at what point did you realize that they were also the voices in Lion King? Like and you know, we we obviously know James ol Jones played Mufassa, but but matchenon Claire played who was it an Robbie or whatever her name was in Lion King.

43:12 I just think that's cool that they were the King and Queen and coming coming to America. Oh, you just now found this out. I'm so Robbie. Thank you, sir Robbie. How cool was it that? If I didn't know that? But that's a little piece of Disney trivia that was not at my fingertips. You you always know James old Jones, but you just don't think about Sarabie And yeah, matchen Clair, all right, great, great choice, Sarah Amber. It was on my list. But then I thought, you know what, I asked these questions sometimes and Scott Hoffman will cheat and give like a two part answer, and Amber Lewis sometimes likes to cheat. You do that recently, So you know, all right, I will bend the rule and say that if I wanted someone to truly understand John Landis and see what he's capable of, they have got to watch the greatest music video of all time. Oh yeah, the short film for Michael Jackson's Thriller.

44:09 See. I didn't pick that because we got American were roof in London. Yeah, but you got I'm dead. Yeah, you got them dead. I love that one. Yes. Fun fact about Thriller. You know we talked about see you Next Wednesday. M h it's on the Marquis. Yeah, but it's also you know the note that the when they're hunting for the werewolf. Yeah, Thriller scrolled in blood. Yeah, see you next wee see next Wednesday, And that's the moment that Michael Jackson. They cut to Michael Jackson in the movie theater and he's smiling. He's eating the popcorn, which has now become one of the greatest gifts on the Internet. The Michael Jackson popcorn gift is the see you Next Wednesday moment in Thriller. So that's awesome. There you go, kids, How big a super fan. Were you in nineteen eighty four? Did you have the VHS of the making of thriller?

45:00 Amber? I had the parachute pants, I had the white Do you. Make your own video no thriller and beat it with your brothers in the living room? No, well, we didn't have a video camera, but that's not to say we weren't moon walking all over the dining room. So yes, Amber, I know you probably watched this on Prime because that's where I saw It's not sadly this isn't streaming anywhere. I say sadly because even a bad movies are fun to watch. Like, hey, hey, Toby, Toby, I'm looking at you, if you could just get us some some innocent blood, because maybe we'll watch it again. Amber. That's the thing that I hate about, you know, not having regular cable anymore, is you found all these weird stuff just kind of scrolling through topic of what is this?

45:47 Well? Amber, are you going to recommend innocent blood to our listeners? Good? God? No watch. I mean, like I said, Landis, it's as much as it's hits. But I mean, honestly, almost anything else from his filmography, like Amazon, Women on the Moon is funnier. Three Amigos is right there. Like, there's plenty of other things to watch. I'm with you. There are literally a few hundred vampire movies out there to see. I can't say this is one of them. We gave you a delightful list of funny ones we did. I liked your list. I definitely liked your list. Listeners, what do you think of Innocent Blood? Have you seen it?

46:34 Do we get this one wrong? Hashtag? We didn't? Amber? Let us know on social media. You'll find us on Facebook, Instagram, x. You can check out a Film by Podcast dot com for all of our film and TV articles and our entire library, which is streaming free. You can write to us at a film by Podcast at gmail dot com with your questions, comments and concerns. We may or may not we'll probably read them on the show, and then if we do, we will send you some of our Film by swag, which Amber you already saw the You know the new logo is out there. The stickers are slowly starting. I'm starting. I'm trying to get them mailed out to our Patreon listeners and subscribers. And you know, we're always giving this stuff away. When you see us at the cons We'll be at the Scare Fest in Lexington this weekend all three days, so if you see us, please ask for your free swag because I jam a bunch of that crap in a Scott Hopkins bag and make him carry it like a pack mule. So we'll have plenty for you. But we are officially halfway through the month of October, and believe me, we have plenty more for you to sink your things into. Amber Lewis now a fixture here on a film by a podcast, but still loyal to your coven at Docking Base seventy seven.

47:57 You have anything fun coming up over there? Yeah, at the moment we have myself and Robert and our friend Eric are talking about Top seven songs by fictional artists, So we've got a great new Spotify playlist curated over there for you. And then coming up we're going to be talking Pixar. I know, I'm definitely going to be talking about Wally and Disney John and I are going to do a deep dive into Band of Brothers for November. Interesting. I love Being of Brothers, so I'll definitely be tuning in for that one. And I think that'll do it for this week. To all of you out there with a thirst for blood, we say happy hunting and thanks for listening.