Robert Altman - The Player

0:00 Now and then we take the opportunity for your requests. Sometimes it's a specific movie, sometimes it's a specific director, And in today's case, it is a specific movie by a specific director. We are going to talk about a film by Robert Altman, his nineteen ninety two underrated crime comedy The Player. Hello, everybody, I'm Jeff Johnson, I'm Amber Lewis, and this is a film by podcast and Amber Lewis is back from her vacation. Amber, we've missed you. We have.

1:07 It's been a while. It's been a little while. I missed you, guys. I mean, well not really because I was on vacation, but. You didn't miss us. I'm sure you're missing your vacation is what you're missing. Yes, oh well, Amber, We've got we've got an interesting one today. We're going to talk about The Player by Robert Altman. I'm gonna ask you first and foremost, was this a first time watch for you? Or do you love The Player? Do you love Robert Altman? What's I am cracking up? Because this movie was like my life in nineteen ninety two. At that point the person that I was. It was all about like entertainment magazines and all the Hollywood gossip and knowing everything in the US to know about productions and movies that I liked, and doing deep dives, and so I was obsessed with this movie when I came out.

2:11 Okay, I might throw some twists your way on this episode. I might have a couple of new things for you. But before we get to that, we are going to talk. We're gonna talk about what this movie is about. For a lot of people that maybe have not seen this. The player is I guess it's the best way to say it, certain that the anonymous threats he's been receiving are the work of David Kahane. Producer Griffin Mill tries to fix things over cocktails. Instead, Griffin ends up murdering the screenwriter and courting the dead man's girlfriend. As police investigate, Griffin concentrates on a prestigious film that might reinvigorate his career, but he's soon learns that David's demise hasn't been forgotten by everyone in Hollywood. Amber you, I mean, it sounds like you love the movie. You're a big fan of the movie. Yes, all right, Well, I'm.

3:12 A big fan of Robert Altman. But when I was looking at his filmography like he had such a long career. I've only seen a very small fraction comparatively of his films, but. I think I think something like ninety directorial credits. I have seen but a handful. Here's a deal. So this movie is written by Michael Tolkien. It's based off of his nineteen eighty eight novel of the same name. You have you read the novel? I have not. Okay, are you familiar with the name Michael Tolkien? I mean just that he's made other movies.

3:54 Okay, Well, I asked, because you know, for those of us that love the skateboarding. Like Gleaming the Cube. Gleaming the Cube nineteen eighty nine, most recent one of his most recent works. He created it, he developed it, he wrote it, talking about the offer, which was that that mini series on Paramount Plus it's all about the Godfather. Yes, I watched like the first third of it. I need to finish it. Oh, please finish it. Yeah, twenty twenty two. It is awesome. The reason I was I was thinking you might recognize the name immediately he wrote the nineteen ninety eight film Deep Impact. Didn't you well, didn't you just cover that over on that other, that other. He yes, it was he assistant writer. Yeah, you guys talk, didn't you guys just talk about deep impact on on docum based versus.

4:50 The battle of that asteroids, that we're going. To battle the asteroid films. Desjoy the world? All right? Well. At the ninety three Oscars, the film wasn't nominated for Best Picture, but Altman was nominated for Best Director. He loses to Clint Eastwood for Unforgiven because that's just what was gonna happen in nineteen ninety three. I'm sorry nineteen I was. Yeah that no one's beaten Clint Eastwood. It's one of the best westerns ever made. It absolutely is. And I'm building this something here because among the accolades thrown at this film, I mean, it's featured on several lists of must see movies. In two thousand, it was one of five hundred nominees for AFI's Top one hundred Funniest American Movies. Three OSCAR nominations at the sixty fifth Academy Awards. We talked about, we talked about one of them, doesn't win any of them, but it does win two Golden Globes Best Motion Picture for a Comedy or Musical and Best Actor for a Comedy or Musical for Tim Robbins. This film has a ninety seven percent approval on Rotten Tomatoes. It's got an eighty six out of one hundred on Metacritic. Rolling Stone magazine called it one of the best movies of the nineties and among the mini critics just in love with this film, roder Eaber gave it four stars, calling it quote a smart movie and a funny one amber. What am I

6:24 missing because this film is not even remotely funny. I really fine. No, I don't think it's funny at all. To quote Will Ferrell, I has everyone gone crazy? Because I feel like I'm taking crazy pills? Like how how is everybody every publication, the news everyone loves this film. I don't understand why. Why they love it, or why they think it's a comedy. You didn't like that? Okay, I'm gonna get to the hell whether we're gonna discuss this, Yeah, we will, we have to discuss I don't. Okay, let's start with the easy thing. I don't understand why this is a comedy like satire? I could, I can? I can buy that like a Hollywood satire.

7:08 Well, it's not like, you know, an Eddie Murphy laugh until your Side's hurt kind of movie. No, it's that's not an obvious comedy. It's but I. Like from the very opening, they open with an eight minute tracking shot. Okay, significant portion of which is fred Ward talking about the eight minute. Tracking I do, okay, I do want to We're gonna get to We're gonna get to the tracking shot. I got something about the tracking shot. But overall, I'm talking the breadth of this film. I just I don't. I don't. I don't find the the humor. I don't see it, and and part of me is like what. I watched it twice and I'm like, what what am I not seeing that everyone else is so in love with? And I couldn't wait to talk to you because I was like, is Amber with me on this or is she gonna you know? Because I feel like it's I feel like I feel like I'm just surrounded by pod people like this is Invasion of the Body Snatchers and no one like everywhere I look at, everyone's like the player, Robert Oatman, it's amazing, he's hilario is And I'm like, okay, sure, I don't. I don't know. I just I need help here, you know.

8:21 Oh my goodness, there's at least a handful of scenes I could name that are or like I literally laugh out out like and I'm not a laugh out loud at the movies kind of person. So all right, well, we're gonna get to these scenes. I have a handful of scenes that I want to ask about, and I've got I've got i've got a i've got a special section to get to. But I'm glad you said that you have a handful of scenes because I want to hear about it. I want to I want to talk about those as we as we get there. I just I don't know. I just I feel like I feel like there's this great joke that I just don't under stand, and everyone's like, oh, it's it's hilarious. Okay, I'll tell you what.

9:05 Let's uh, let's say it did make me think of our nineteen ninety six series, and we always talk about like, is the movie that we're speaking of, you know, emblematic of the nineties, and okay, boy, this one really is like there were a lot of things in it that I was cracking up at and I don't remember if I thought they were funny at the time, but I definitely think they're funny now because you know, it's it's so dated, but not in a dumb way. Just don't get me wrong. This there's there's a lot to There's a lot to love here. There really is, especially if you love movies, if you like thrillers. It's a good thriller. It's a good murder mystery.

9:52 Is it though? Okay? One thing I will say one thing I write out the gate. I'm looking at my notes here and we're gonna get to my notes. But uh sorry, I got no. No, it's you're you're throwing me off the way this this film was thrown me off because. I didn't expect you to. Well, you know, here's the thing, here's here's here's plot twist number one. A lot of times on this show, I am defending the film. I'm defending my point of view, and I'm trying to like reel everyone back in or you know, like what, how could you not love this thing? But no, William is the greatest. Oh that's but this time out, I feel like everyone is loving this film. Like I said, this was this was this one was requested our our good friend David Wright.

10:46 Def Dave himself was like, he's been after me for close to a year. You know, let's let's talk Robert Robert Oltman, let's talk about the player. Yeah, maybe we'll look at that. No, like he, I know, Dave's listening to this, and he's already I can, I can. I know, I'm gonna get my My phone's gonna start blowing up the minute he listens to this to give his his uh, his fiery retorts. But it's almost like he for a little while he was he was David Kahane. I was getting these text messages like, seriously, where's the player, Where's where's Robert Altman episode? I was like, Okay, it's happening. It's it's it's definitely happening. We're gonna do it. The movie has a pulse, if I if I can say something positive, this film has a pulse like it's it I feel like it's always moving, the cameras always scanning left to right. It's it's in motion. This movie is in motion. And from the time we get to the open, the opening shot, which again we'll get to and throughout one thing that I really appreciate is the way the movie just feels fluid, and that's an all thing he always has, like these these complex scenes where actors are topping on talking on top of actors and there's multiple actors talking.

12:10 Love it. I it's a little frustrating for some viewers. I think you got to turn the subtitles on. It helps with the enjoyment of the dialogue. But it's a it's a bit Aaron sorkinish, right, Yes. But I love it when because that's how people really talk. You know, if you're in a room of ten people, they're not all waiting for their turn. No, absolutely not. It's hard enough to get people to wait their turn when we're doing one of these these shows. Yeah, you know, you know what I'm talking about. All Right, a lot to unpack here. Let's take a quick break and when we come back, well we'll get into this cast because uh, I want to I want to hear your thoughts. Amber. All right, we are back talking about Robert Altman's the player, Tim Robbins as Griffin Mill. We're a couple of years away from Shawshank right, Chevy Chase wanted this lead role and Warner Brothers had zero interest in him.

13:12 Thank god. Okay, well I'm coming out. Okay, hot take, let's just let's just let's just live in this world where Chevy Chase has the lead for a second. Okay, Okay. If Chevy had done this, I feel like maybe it's a little more foul play. It's a little more fletch when you think about the narrative of this movie. I mean, I think Chevy could have pulled this off, you know, and and with him, maybe maybe it is a little more funny or at least it's the kind of funny that that that I'm I'm thinking, you know. Coincidentally, it was his father that actually published the novel, and that's what got him hot on the on the property. But you're you're quick how much. People hate him that his dad published the book. And they were like, if you you're not coming anywhere near this movie, I don't care who you are.

14:00 All right. Well, despite Chevy Chase, the studio even offered Robert Oltman full financing if he would just cast a bigger star, and he stuck to his guns and declined to drop Robins. He was he was that adamant that Tim Robbins is his guy. I think that says something about Tim Robbins because at this point, again, he's he's not any any defrain at this point, which he did some amazing work before The Shawshankred. But Bob robert Chett, I'd have. To we'd have to double, I'd have to love. That was the one that really made me take him seriously. Okay, that's actually that's a good one to that's a good pick too.

14:40 But like he was hilarious in Bull Durham nucle is great. But he's amazing. But for this character, yeah, I mean other than Bob Roberts, I think it would be a little surprising, but I think he's amazing in it. Okay, Okay, So he's something I. Always forget how good he is. He's clever. He's a clever actor because he can he walks a fine line between dramatic and comedic. Yes, you know, but I. Love how he plays Griffin as being like completely paranoid and high strung before anything's even happened yet. And that's just the reality of life in Hollywood and trying to stay on top. And it's all about it's not about your last thing, it's about your next thing.

15:31 I'm all in on Tim Robbins from the beginning with his character until this movie takes what I feel is like a hard left turn about halfway in, and then the movie starts evolving and becoming something different. And maybe that's so. Maybe I don't know, Maybe my issues are with the editing, but I was loving this film from the open, that opening scene. I'm loving Tim Robbins, loving where We're going. All you know this is this is a film nerds movie, right, all the intermachinations, all the all the deals and all the talking you know, well.

16:13 And like the little things like you know, it opens at the studio and he pulls into the lot and that ridiculous range drover, Like nobody drove cars like that back then. No, not unless you were like some douchebag producer, which that's what he is. He's the only one that has that car, you know, And just little things like that where you're just laughing, going, oh, so you're that. Guy, you're that guy. Uh, what's some of that girl? Greta Sacci, she's she's playing June Goodman's daughter. Yes, And I feel really stupid because I've seen this movie probably one hundred and eleven times and this was the first time I realized she totally made that last name up. That is not even her name. No, it's nothing about her Israel. I don't even know anything about her that's real.

17:04 Yeah, well, what what about her performance? I thought it was really really good because the only other thing I had seen her in up until this point was presumed innocent, and there she was just supposed to be like sexy. She's the eye candy for the woman that like made Harrison Ford loses his mind. So that's like a tall order to fill. And so I was like, is this all you're ever gonna be? Is this all that you have? And then she popped up here and she's so weird and interesting. And my attention was always with her, and not not because she's you know, obviously she's a beautiful actress, but I feel like her character, I don't know, like her character is the one thing in this film that that never never became something different. You know, she's she's playing this chac this this character June almost feels like a Hitchcock character, you know, very close to a Hitchcock character.

18:08 Yes, that's like a. Femme fatale, you know, uh no, you know she's strong, she's independent. You know, she's the artist in the in the film, who knows what she's knows what she's about, knows what she wants. And like when we're introduced to her with that, what I'm gonna say is like a creepy moment, you know, where Tim Robbins is talking on the phone with her but he's watching her. I love that scene, though. You can't love what he's doing. I mean, he's a creeper, but it's predatory. You know, Well he wasn't looking for her, he was looking for. Yeah, well he came there looking for David Kahane. But yes, just his the whole thing with him watching her, it just it felt evasive. It felt.

18:56 Watching someone and they don't know you're doing it. Yeah, that's not it. Okay, But I mean that's the moment there where I'm like, I am I'm not with Tim Robbins anymore on this. He'sterious she is and. And you never really figure out who she is, Like, no, no, she doesn't sell her art. She just makes her art because it makes her happy. So like, what how does she have money? Where is she from? She's not really from Iceland? Like, yeah, this is how do you live in Los Angeles when you're you're your boyfriend is a struggling screenwriter who hasn't sold anything, and you're this abstract artist who paints just.

19:40 For the for the joys. I don't I don't know who. I don't know who's paying the bills, but you know, at any rate, he's very MYSTERI yeah, there's more to her character. And I was waiting to peel, to peel a couple of layers to learn more about her. And that's something Altman never gives us. I don't know if the I don't know if the novel, you know, delves more into her, her background and who she's not like. That, it's just this weird, strange person. She's kind of like, she's almost like a figment of Griffin's imagination. I like that because I do. I do like the character. I like Greta Sacchi's performance. Let's talk about another performance, that of Detective Avery played by Whoopi Goldberg.

20:29 Do not think that whole thing was hilarious? Well wait, which. Time was crying when she said the whole thing with the tampon, she said, they're swinging it in his face. I was dying. Okay, So he's so uncomfortable. That that was okay, that that's. The whole interrogation scene was great. Well, here's here's the here's the thing, all right. They are now the entar like the lineup scene or that one works the interrogation scene. I I've got, well, let's just jump into that scene real quick, because you brought it up because again a little bit of brilliant writing there. Obviously he'sn't Tim Robinson's uncomfortable. He's he's in, he's he's brought in for questioning and whoop, he does this this great thing. And again we talked about Altman where he's having his characters have conversations on top of conversations, and she's she's getting into this accusatory conversation with another detective, another female detective, about tampons and who who took her tampons?

21:32 And you know this is not mine? You know this isn't mine. Heavy flat. I don't know. I don't know anything about tampons. I just I I felt awkward, uncomfortable, like like Tim Robbins, because there's we're talking tampons when we're should be talking about a missing a missing writer that was that was funny, okay. I I liked how his his his his dialogue there we had two things going on at the same time, and it was clearly to create a comfort issue with Tim Robbins, because he just wants to answer some questions and get out. But he's he doesn't know what they know, or he doesn't don't know, he doesn't really know why he's there.

22:14 But I'm you know, looking at looking at my notes, I have a I have a little thing jotted down here place interview. Everybody's laughing, what the hell? Because it starts off I think the I think the the the scene in question starts off relatively uh funny. You know, it's a it's a funny thing for a guy to be caught in the middle of a conversation like that, because I we can't discuss that kind of stuff. We don't know what we're doing, we don't know what we're talking about. Well, and she's she's just the way. And then but then she's not really listening to him. She ignores him and talks to her partner, and it's all to throw him. Okay, but help me help me out here, Like because even had he why are you all laughing, the whole like the place erupts in laughter. So I'm thinking, Oh, are we stuck in some kind of fantasy sequence. Oh no, we're not in a fantasy suit. But just everyone is just laughing. It just it was it just felt so disjointed from what the film was. I didn't understand that.

23:18 Why do you understand that they were just messing with him? Like she knows he did it, okay, but shecause it has pegged him from the very beginning, and it's just with him. Yeah, I went to have him come down and have everyone ridicule him. It just that's that's just I don't know. That seemedn't work. It started to work for me, and then it didn't work the way it ended. Well, here's the thing, she doesn't He is a very powerful person. Yeah, he can't just get in his face and start accusing him of staff. No, you know, she wants him to hang himself. So she's going to say, hey, you know, we were just having a relaxed conversation. I just wanted to know where he was, you know, what's his relationship with uh June, you know, or were they maybe having an affair? Did he know the writer you know, I just wanted to know and we were just having a Really, it wasn't an interrogation. I wasn't accusing him, so later on she can be like, hey, I was just asking.

24:20 You haven't sold me on that that's that seat. You're making a good point. I mean you were too busy being an uncomfortable boy. It was super funny from a woman's perspective, that was hilarious. Was great. I want to talk about two other characters, and you might have you might have someone you want to call out here. But moving, moving right along. Peter Gallagher playing Larry Levy Le He's on point. He is playing the exactly the kind of person I would expect him to play, you know, the weasel, yes, trying to trying to warm him his way in and take take a Griffin's that whole where everything he's doing works.

25:03 I love the pivot and it's so subtle from he is coming in and is going to take Gryffin's job to Griffin's now on top and he's scrambling uh huh to stay where he is, Like I thought that. Was great, nothing nothing, Yeah, everything he's doing works, like despite despite what notes he was given, despite any anything Robert Altman's telling Peter Gallagher to do. He is fantastic and he's he's good at playing this kind of character. You know, he played someone similar. He played a similar type in American Beauty, where here's a successful guy who is just trying to be a successful guy and he just happens to kind of be a little smarmy about it.

25:49 He kind of happens to be a little a little bit of a douchebag the way the way he conducts himself. But but he's not. He's not genuinely a bad person, is how I'm looking at him. You know, he's he's the fresh guy, he's the idea guy. He's going to shake things up. And you know, tell me, I thought his boardroom scene was really good, was very well written. Oh absolutely, that was a great moment for him, Like we don't even. Need these writers anywhere. Yeah, that well, okay, and that was I love the sarcasm that that Griffin has there, Tim Robbins has in that moment, because that I would I would call that out as a really good scene because he shows up late.

26:31 You know, his his job is on the chopping block. He he shows up late and you know, Peter Gallagher's characters already in the middle of this this little, very very poignant Dia tribe about how we can fix the studio system, how we can make make more money, And that one works for me because Griffin is already terrified about what he's done. You know this this this I'm gonna what what I'm gonna call is an accidental murder. He didn't, you know, there was there's no intent there with what happens to uh to David. Uh well, there was no premeditation. There's no premeditation. No, well he didn't you know, he was never out to kill the guy. He just it was an accident. How he handled himself afterward. What you don't you don't think that they're gonna well and.

27:22 Then you hold your their head into a puddle like that. Well, okay, that's deliberate, all right. You because I'm threatened and I'm going to beat you to death of this umbrella like. All right, Well, moving back to back to the cast. Someone I love him well pretty much. Everything I don't think I've ever not enjoyed him in a film is Fred Ward. Oh Williams, Remo Williams. Can we please do that somehow that's not an underrated movie. But we can. Can we find a way to do remo Williams, even if it's on Patreon. I just want to talk rahamon Williams, Me and you the Adventure will My dad.

28:04 Had every single Destroyer book. You're you're the one to talk to then, all right, well his Okay, So his character Walter Stuckell, who's like the the studio security. Yes, kind of not to not to take anything from you, but he he's kind of the voice of reason in this film, right he is. He's trying to help. Step ahead of everybody. Yeah. I wish if this movie could have done anything for me, it would have been give me, give me some more Walter Stuckle moments. I love this character. But it's just one of those This movie's packed with with talent. And I'm not even talking about like the seventy five people that do cameos in the movie, which we don't have time to talk about.

28:49 Any Yeah, that's a whole different episode. Yeah, and that's and that's going to lead into something that I take issue with here moment in a moment. But fred Ward, it's just Dinamo. I love I love that he there's there's moments where he's like he's Tim Robbins's mentor even though he's working for him. There's moments where he takes he takes point and he's he kind of guides uh Tim Raminson on how to behave, what to say, when to move like there like the first time he Whoopi Goldberg shows up, you know she's in the office. He controls that whole interview. He is in control. And and that's it's great because, like you said, Tim Robbins plays this very powerful studio producer and to see him handled, yes when when he needs to be handled is is is kind of cool.

29:40 It's it's our man Fred Ward Raema Williams. Who's who's doing it. So I did. I did enjoy that. So remember as we said, you know, let's let's tell a little bit about the background on this movie. Michael Tolkien, he writes the novel in nineteen eighty eight, you know, the player. He does it as a means of establishing himself outside the movie industry. But it's a it's super producer from you know, when I and when I say super producers, I mean I mean I'm talking like movies like Jaws, David Brown buys the film rights and convinces Tolkien to adapt his own work. This doesn't happen often in Hollywood, where someone writes a book and then Hollywood says, hey, will you write the screenplay based on your own book.

30:27 I would like to read this book just to see. How He's skills don't necessarily intersect all that Often it's a rare William Goldman that can. Yeah, a lot of time, somebody, Yeah, well, a lot of times. What happens is when you ask a writer to adapt their own work into a screenplay, a screenplay might end up being four to five hundred pages, which which doesn't work. You know, got that kind of time? No, any anyone, anyone, If you know anything about screenwriting, one page equals one minute on the screen, So anything past two hundred pages, you're like, We're like, what are you writing here?

31:09 It would be interested to see this screenplay because a lot of this was improvised. Yes, And that's one of the things. About Altman that I just think is so interesting is that he creates this, you know, kind of world for his actors and then just just like, you know, have at it. Help me out here. The allure of Robert Altman. And I know we're going to get to his filmography later, but it blows my mind that all these celebrity cameos and it's like, again, this movie is riddled with celebrities playing themselves. All of that is unscripted. They were giving no dialogue, and he convinced all of them. Not only did he convince them to work for scale, he convinced them to donate their salary. He's to the Motion Picture and Television country house and hospital for retired filmmakers, which I didn't even know that was a thing, but but I love I.

32:09 Love that it's the thing. But yeah, I didn't realize that either. I mean thinking about how many people take a Sunday to go to the old folks home, and and in California, in Hollywood, you can you can get to the old filmmakers home. You know, I guess I wonder who's staying there. I'd like. That was how Robert Osborne got his career, was he would go chat up these old Hollywood legends that like nobody was visiting anymore, and got all kinds of good stuff. Well, speaking of good stuff, let's talk about good stuff that didn't. That didn't make it onto the onto the screen. And again, clearly I'm I'm taking some issues with this movie.

32:51 But you know what I'll be about to talk about. Robert filmed there's a scene with Jeff Daniel was playing golf and there's a there's a scene with Patrick swayzey doing karate. He filmed him, he had it, he had it on on on tape, and he cuts it from the movie. What are you doing, Robert Altman? This is this is just a couple of years past Roadhouse, and you're gonna you put Swayze in your movie doing karate and you're not gonna You're not gonna show it. Like, I don't get that at all, honestly. I mean, to his credit, I think that, uh, the cameos did served to further the story. They weren't just distractions, are just there for the sake of being there. So you know, he maybe just felt it didn't serve the story.

33:47 But I love that all these people were calling him like, dude, I got a day off, can I come. Uh to me? It's weird? Uh? What what is? What's what's the okay? What's the heel of Robert Alman? Because if you told me Martin Scorsese or Steven Spielberg. Well about that as you were talking. And I think that there are directors that, like, some people don't like the way Steven Spielberg works, Okay, that's not their thing. And I think that Robert Altman, I think was just, first of all, really nice guy. Like everybody that worked with him liked him. Nobody had like horrible stories to tell about him. And you know, whether the shoots were challenging or not, it wasn't because you know, he's like Hubrick making you walk through a door a hundred times.

34:45 Well no, And I think that he creates this environment where you get to go and play and it's very relaxed and it's conducive to actors doing what they like to do. Okay, all right, Well I got I got something here, you know, deconstructing my notes here, you know, I actually I have it. I have it typed out in from me. It says, uh, deconstructing Jeff's notes, asking for Amber's quote unquote reason on my observations and several scenes. So let me you know, because I this movie takes some really weird turns and I'm looking at my notes here to me it does. So let's let's see what you have to say. Uh, I'm saying, I'm skipping past. I have something written here about the opening scene, but we're gonna get to that because I do want to get to the pivotal scene. And clearly the opening shot of the film is the pivotal moment because it's a stunning it's a stunning shot. But I okay, So I wrote here amber the Nafrio like I've never seen him, tim Burton esque.

35:53 His accidental murder slash intended murder takes the movie into an unexpected dark place I have never I was shocked when when Vincent Dinafrio shows up as the pissed off writer David de Kine. Yeah, it's not like his other stuff. It's not Kingpin, for sure. It's not Kingpin. It's not full metal jacket. It's it's not thor from, It's not Thorn from Adventures in Babysity. He this is a like one hundred and fifty pound Vincent. Nafrio mystic pizza. He's got that, he's got that Tim Burton haircut. He just I was I was surprised, but I was also happy to see him mm hmm for for what little we get of him. Your your take, like, was he the right was he but the right choice for this role, this angry writer, this angry snubbed person.

36:48 Yeah, I like it because he's one of those people that kind of seems like they're always at a simmer anyway, Okay, it doesn't take much to bring him to a boy. You got another note here. We were talking about all these cameos, right, I wrote minor distraction wondering if celebrities are themselves or playing characters in the film, because after the first two or three cameos where you're like, you see Burt Reynolds just being Burt Reynolds, just say. That's Burt Reynolds right there. Yeah, that's just it's just Burt Reynolds. Like you have Burt Reynolds being Burt Reunlan and that's. One of the things, Like you didn't think that was hilarious, he says Hider Griffin. He's like, hey, you know they want so he his asshole.

37:33 Yeah yeah, and again like he knew nothing about he wasn't given them that he just you get share in this moment at this party scene. You got her front and center. She never says anything. There's all these celebrity moments, right, but. She's totally being share because it's a black and white ball. She show up this red guy. Yeah, but even at the like the producer's party or the network studio guys party that he goes to. I mean, the camera is just panning around and you're here's just people, just celebrities being celebrities, like like Sally Kellerman, Jack Lemon, everyone. They're just background. They're you know, background characters. They're not part of that story.

38:14 People think, I mean, it's an interesting town and people think that's what it's gonna look like when you go to a party. It is. But at the same time, because this movie, it never stops. When someone is on the screen, you immediately, like I started getting distracted because I was like, oh, there's there's that famous person. Wait, oh, they're not playing they're not they're not that famous person. They're actually a character in the movie. And it happened. I don't know. I feel like the celebrity cameos, there's a there's a flood of them. It's a little too many, you know, because we've seen movies about Hollywood before. We've seen. I just I just felt it was it was minorly. It was a minor distraction for me because I just I would see somebody be like, oh, oh no, they're they're not a character, or I'd be like, oh, that's a cool little cameo went there.

39:01 Reminded me of that episode we did on the list of Adrian Messenger where you're kind of sucked into like, okay, a person in disguis? Is that somebody I don't know? You might have won me over on that good good pool on Adrian Messenger. That was a very fun episode we did again, we did by request that was a request on our Patreon. Uh check out uh a little little Patreon plug there for you. Check out patreon dot com slash a film by podcast because there's free episodes. There's the tiered episodes you got you gotta pay for them, but all you need is just to get to the free stuff, which we're doing a lot of that stuff lately. Amber. All you need is an email address to sign up.

39:42 That's it so spectacular. Yeah, we got some fun stuff happened over there. What's not fun is this next thing I want to talk about and uh, before before I write before I read what's in my notes, I'm just gonna let me set you up that moment that Tim Robbins goes to to June's June's house, he's he's had a rough day, right he had? I think, I think we've had the rattlesnake At this moment he shows up, he kind of looks like, hell, you know, she's concerned, and their whole their relationship is a head scratcher for me because she doesn't know this guy, he doesn't know her. But she's, oh, come in, well, how oh, something's wrong, you know, puts a glass of bourbon in his hand, and he kind of SLINKs down and we're like, is he okay? And I'm thinking this is where he's gonna kind of crack a little bit and she's either gonna start to hate him or start to fall for him. And out of nowhere, he just mumbles, I want to make love to you, and I really out of nowhere.

40:42 It was a very long monologue. That had nothing to do with his feelings, but I thought we were getting somewhere and then he just you know, and that's why I wrote. I wrote quote I want to make love to you? What the hell, this movie is in such a weird place. That whole scene just, I mean, I thought it was like, is this a Robert Altman movie or is this a David Lynch movie? Because why have we just shifted the tone? So it was a hard shift. Well, I mean he was talking about how he can't get her out of his mind, and You're all I can think about. And and I know I don't know you, but you're you're in my head and I can't get rid of you.

41:23 And I don't know the second the second time you meet someone. First off, the first time was to do it. But she's like crazy. Ever if if you're if you're her, isn't it time? Like at that point you grabbing the glass back from him, it's time to go. You need to leave, Like, yeah, I mean that's me. I wouldn't that's every normal person. Again. I would have been like, you need to go home and take a shower and then we'll have a chat. Stop coming to my house. I just I don't know, that's what I mean. I think she she's kind of like almost not even a real person. She's like something that his mind is invented or something. Well, and that's everything he needs her to be the minute she needs, you know, he needs her to be.

42:13 I was kind of, I was, I'm kind of at that point, I'm like, Okay, is this are we in reality? Are we in a dream sequence? Is this? Because this doesn't this just isn't the way that people would talk in this situation. This isn't the way people would behave And at this point I was, I'm still trying to take the movie seriously, you know, but. But maybe this is how she survives. Maybe she's one of those people that what she sees from him is like, I have information that binds you to me, and you are successful, you have money, and this will be the next person to take care of me. All right, Uh, there's one more scene I want to talk about before we get to that amazing opening shot.

42:59 And I'm just reading, I'm gonna read. I'm read my notes verbatim. I wrote worst sex scene, period ever, period extreme close up, out of focus of Tim Robbins's mouth and chin. And halfway through the act he chooses now to confess because he's trying to tell her that, oh, by the way, I killed your your boyfriend. And she says, you don't don't talk don't talk. Don't talk, Okay, before we talk about how bad that that that scene is shot? I want to I want to pull something up here. Uh. I pulled this off of you know, doing you know, doing doing my homework for this movie, trying to get ready. I saw this.

43:45 I saw this was like I was like what I'm reading here, It says Altman was praised for the sex scene, in which Robin's and Sashi were filmed from the neck up. Sashi later claimed that Altman had once did a nude scene, but that it was her refusal which led to the final form what do you mean he was praised for this? This scene is It's the worst sex scene I've ever seen. And I'm not saying we needed a sex scene, but if you're gonna do one, and I don't need to see things, but but at least shoot it to where it it's not like, well, but. I don't I don't know that it was supposed to be attractive. Oh it wasn't.

44:27 I mean it was very sweaty and very very close up. And we could have done a silhouette type of thing. You know, give me, give me like a blue screen top gun, you know, just just. I thought it was interesting that he chose to confess like that he didn't want to like be that intimate with her with and lie and not be honest with her, so it came out I don't know, but interesting moment to. The movie loses all credibility that his main motivation in that particular moment is that he needs to confess. That should have been the last thing he's thinking about or wanting to talk about in that moment.

45:14 But I do love that. What you get, though, is the build up to the scene that I really like, which is the one immediately following where they're they're at the spa and the next day they're having like like a mud back and they're laying, you know, they're each in their own tub and they're you know, reclined and they've got their eyes closed, and they're holding hands and each without the other knowing, like they open their eyes and kind of side eye each other, like, do I trust you? Did you really say the thing that I think you said? Did I really say that? Did she hear it? You know? Like I love that whole sequence of that unspoken moment. Was that was really good? And you have not yet talked about Richard E. Grant and the greatest movie pitch, like in the history of movie pitches.

46:08 Well, okay, well, let's let's talk about that one I had, I had, I had it there, you know, because that was gonna I was, I was last one, No, I was, I was at tired the Richard D. Grant thing. Back to the Okay, is he Richard E. Grant or is he not Richard YE Grant? Now he's like another pretentious writer. Great, that was was fantastic. Set that up. Tell us about that one. Okay. So Griffin is send a message that he's supposed to meet the postcard writer at this restaurant. So he goes to the restaurant and he is ambushed by Richard Y. Grant And who's the other guy? I can't remember Dean Stockwell, thank you.

46:51 I kept thinking Bob Ballaban and I know it wasn't him. But so they ambushed Griffin at this restaurant and they're like, we just need like five minutes, you know, And he's like, fine. He's twenty five words or less. Twenty five words or less, give me, give it to me. And Richard E. Grant goes on this just magnificent. He doesn't even have a script. He doesn't have a movie. He's got a pitch and it is like so well done and so pretentious and he is such an asshole. And then the even better part is he pitches it again and you can tell he's been practicing since he changes a few things and he does a little better the second time. Uh huh and oh my god.

47:32 And then at the end you get like the final product, which is just the best reveal ever. That is a good reveal. I do like that, you know, because the movie is and it's so Hollywood in this world. Because they talk earlier about the change and the fatal attraction ending. Yeah, and they you like, teed up for. It, and I do. I do like the fact that in this world of behind the scenes Hollywood, everyone is making doing movie pitches, and everyone's pitching Bruce Willis as the lead. Everyone's pitching Julia Roberts as the as the and that's what we get at the end, we get we get Julia Roberts being saved at the last second by Bruce Willis, which I thought that that was. I like the ending. I will say that I definitely like the ending. Here. Let's talk about what I love though, which is the best scene in the movie. I mean, they, you know, kinda kind of kind of shooting your shot early.

48:27 But it's the opening shot of the film. Amber. You said it yourself. It's an eight minute, unbroken tracking shot. I mean, are you like me? I'm a sucker for this. Love it. Like the shot in Goodfellas. I just can't say enough. Like I I just love when people can choreograph something so and just tell you a story. Yeah, I wrote here opening scene. Life on the lot is going right into the rabbit hole, fluid camera work, learning who everyone is without learning who they are. It's fantastic. So they they planned this shot, and then they planned it, and then they planned it some more. They use scale models to map out the shot. They resurfaced the studio a lot, which point of fact, is was Copola's old zootrope studios on the Paramount. That's that's where they're shooting that.

49:25 They resurfaced it so that the dollies and the cranes would would have fluid movement. They rehearsed the whole thing with everybody the day before and all been still ended up doing fifteen takes before he was satisfied. And to your point. Fred Ward has some amazing stuff there, because again, this is one of those things. He's like, I'm not gonna give you dialogue, but I want you to talk about the importance of tracking shots. Come up with come up with some fun movie hit. I thought, I love that this this, I would put this clearly. I'm not I'm not I'm not buying a lost stock on Robert Altman or this film. But I'm all in on this. This opening scene, this is one of the greatest scenes in a movie as far as I'm concerned. And it's all because of the technicality. It's this tracking shot that is just a masterpiece.

50:16 Well, it's the storytelling that you get with it. It's yes, you know, like you said, you meet all of these people and you get these little details where like the assistant to the studio head comes out and she says to her secretary, like, I need the dailies before he gets here. Yeah, and so she takes off running. Well then right is the scene ends. She gets there right as he pulls in. Uh huh. And it's like that little thing, and. I love you know, we're moving in and out, back and forth. I immediately love that Buck Henry is there laying himself. Yeah, this is the guy that wrote the Graduate and he's pitching the Graduate too, And all of a sudden, because Tim, because Tim Robbins is kind of fading in and out of interest, the Graduate Too becomes what's He's a psychic political thriller with heart And I'm thinking Bruce Willis And I loved that the end joke there, that was that was clever because in a pitch, you're gonna say anything to get the green light, you're you know, and when you when the studio exects like, well I've seen this with such and such. Oh yeah, yeah, it's got that. We're gonna do that, you know, it's like what this is this? Yeah? You just you just say anything.

51:40 You know. These people are in these in these pitches, they're just they're horing themselves just absurdly, and they'll say anything just to just to get the second meeting right the follow up. Love that moment, you know, and again we're moving in the office out of the did you see. Like it's mirrored at the end too, because the male guy falls in the parking lot and drops all the mail and you're so focused on the postcard. Well then Griffin's girlfriend comes over and she's helping the guy up and everything. Then at the end she breaks her heel and she's the one who falls in the parking lot and the mail guy just walks past her. And then that's life the lot.

52:22 Let me tell you, it's life on the lot. Yeah you're out. Yeah, Well, before we're out, let's let's take another break. And then, uh, I want to talk about Robert Altman a little bit. We'll get into his filmography. Welcome back, Amber. I got a couple of tidbits here about Robert Altman. I gotta, I gotta. I got a quote that I'm sure you'll you'll consider a barb after I deliver it. But remember it was a it was Alman that said it. But something something interesting here, you know, because when I think Robert Altman, I definitely don't think the two things I'm about to tell you about the man nineteen forty five, he enlisted in the US Army Air Forces and co piloted a B twenty four bomber.

53:12 Wow up there in the air. Yeah, Masters of the Air. You know, I thought that was pretty wild. I can't believe what I'm about to tell you. But and You're not gonna like it. You definitely are not gonna like this. He's working in Hollywood. You know, he's trying to break into the business. Prior to nineteen fifty, he was a publicity director for a pet tattooing business. You heard that right. The idea he came up with identic code and involved tattooing a number on your pets skin. This is you got to think, this is this is pre nineteen fifty. This is we don't have like the little chips that you can insert in your pets, so if they get lost, you know, his idea was tattooing the dog or the cat, so if they're found, it's like, oh, this is four nine seven three. It's like that what you're tattooing dogs?

54:10 I mean I have heard of that in like animal research, they'll tattoo their ear or something because they have to tell them my heart. But yes, I'm just thinking of my puppy. And I know I don't mean upset. I hated when he has to get his vaccinations, like I cry. I have. I have several tattoos, and I can tell you having sat in that chair, it does not feel good. And you're doing it voluntarily. Voluntarily taking the pain. Yeah, the poor dog that. You know, I'm gonna I'm gonna choose to forget this a little tit bit about Robert Altman and just think about the movies that he made that I like. Do you know who the most famous client was, though, was President Harry S. Truman's dog what. Yeah, there you have it.

54:56 You'd think, like the safest dog in the country. He's got Secret Service protection. Yeah, you know, I know we're gonna talk about this here in a minute. But his nineteen seventy film mash that's what made him a huge success. But he only got that job after the first fourteen directors passed on it. So think about that. I've never seen it, and since the unfortunate passing of Donald Sutherland, I've been going through his whole filmography, and that one is still on my list. But I loved the television show so much. There's okay, I'm not gonna say that they're like the movie and the TV show or just hand in hand.

55:37 You know, the same characters, and but it's two different worlds. But I feel like you're gonna enjoy the movie. Honestly, I can't believe he was number fifteen on the call number fifteen on the call, she that you know he had done. I think like his most prominent thing at that point was he had directed some Alfred Hitchcock presents types of thing. No, I want to find out, like what episodes it was, I would love that. But before we get into further into his filmography, here's what he had to say about The Player. And I'm quoting Robert Oltman here. He said, I think we were too nice to Hollywood in the film. It shouldn't be this successful. And I'm inclined to agree with him because I'm still like, you know, you've won me over on a couple of points here, but I'm still not sure what the hell's going on and why everyone is raving about this film.

56:31 But I think that there's another version of this film where like you get to the end and you're like, I hate all of these people and I don't ever want to watch another movie again. Uh huh, because all of these indulgences and the way that Griffin gets away with it and stuff. You're like, and that's how we got stuck with Weinstein, and that's how he got away with it for as long as he did. Okay, then I think conversely, there's another, you know version of the movie that's lighter and funnier, and you know, it's like the Chevy Chase version. So well, I love this movie. I can't believe it. I feel I feel this movie. As for as many things that really work for me, I feel like this movie cheats on a lot of things.

57:18 So I'm gonna I'm gonna pull out. I'm gonna pull an Altman here, and I'm gonna cheat our listeners because you said yourself you have not seen a lot of his filmography, and I'll tell you right now. That I've seen more than you. But well, okay, we'll find out. I've seen a lot o you know what, I'm going to keep track here. Now let's see howld on. Now it's a competition. I want to write a jay and so yeah, we're you know, I kind of jumped forward. I'm skipping all his TV his television directing. Yeah, well I have seen his Alfred Hitchcocks because I've seen them all, but I wouldn't. Know it's all right, So talk nineteen seventy mash is what puts him on the map, so to speak. Yeah, all right, you haven't seen that, so I'm taking that one because, like I said, Sutherland, I love donand I've loved Donald Sutherland and everything he's done. Sally Kellerman's great and it I think you're gonna enjoy it, Honestly, I really do. I'm thumbs up on mash for Robert Altlin, all right, and I'm going to skip around to like, Okay, I have heard of that film. I've just never seen it.

58:18 Mm hm. And you stop me if you're like, whohoa, I got that one. Yeah, okay, all right. He does McCabe and Missus Miller in nineteen seventy one. There's a interesting backstory if you want to go down the rabbit hole. Him and who was it, Warren Baty famously hated each other during the filming of this. So I want to see it. I want to see it just for just for that, to find out what's going on there. I feel like this is probably one of those that I watched with my dad, because he would watch like every Western and this would be on like on a Sunday afternoon or something. One that's been on my list for a while just because I feel like, from what I understand, you either love this film or you hate this film nineteen seventy five film called Nashville.

59:05 Same, I haven't seen either. Yeah, Karen Black, I love Karen Karen Black. Think about this all right, this film, here's here's why I want to see it. You know, you know I love I love the horror films. Right, Yes, Keith Carodine is starring with Karen Black, who is you know, done her more than her fair share of horror films. You know, we covered her on nineteen eighty six when we did Invasion Invaders from Mars. Oh that's the one. Okay, yes, he's also that was a good episode too, Thank you. Thank you. Check out our nineteen eighty six limited series on all the Awesome Stuff fro nineteen eighty six. But I digress Ronnie Blakely is in this film, who famously played Nancy's mom in a Nightmare on Elm Street. And then we just we just recently lost this. This talented actress Shelley Devall is in this film. So Carrodinge, uh working working triple time with three of of horror finest there. Yeah, Nashville.

1:00:13 I'm definitely watching this because, like I I've seen people where they're like this movie is brilliant. We love it, and people like that movie sucks. It's the one that everybody talks about, that one in mash Mash. Yeah, exactly right. So I'm gonna keep I'm gonna keep scoping here because I think here's what we're going to agree on. Nineteen eighty Shelley Devall apparently he's got he's he's he likes working with Shelley Devall because the same people. Yeah, nineteen eighty Shelley Devall and Robin Williams do Popeye. Yes, this was on heavy rotation in our house when we were this one. It's so fun. It is like a kid. I was a kid. I love this. You know are you know you watch like those re run like that, you know you When we were kids Amber there were there was certain cartoons you could tell were made, like like our parents grew up on him. We watched them and we still thought they were great. Popeye, I love Popeye, the Sailor Man, yep. And Robin Williams he was for me.

1:01:11 He was Popeye for the longest time. I mean he kind of like and. This was and he was Popeye. Yeah, he was morek but then he completely took on the Popeye character. I didn't see Mork, you know, and I absolutely loved, loved him in this Ray Wallston played his Uh yes, was his pappy? Pappy? Yep? Yeah, I love Popeye. Okay, well see we're seeing, We're seeing. I I now We're yeah, We're there. Uh how about did you ever see I'm I'm jumping, I'm skinning right through. I'm going right through the eighties here. Well, don't go too far, because in nineteen eighty two he did the weirdest movie I've ever seen, and I watched it like when I was way too young.

1:01:58 Okay, what do you got h come back. To five and dime, Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean. Okay, that's one for you, because I I don't know what we're talking about here, but I'm looking at it. It's based on a play, okay, And it's about this little town in Texas where they filmed the movie Giant. Oh, I love Giant. And these women that work at this five and dime and have been friends forever. They were like teenagers when the movie was made, and now it's like, however, many years later and they're having a reunion. Okay, And these women you're talking about. I'm looking Karen Black once again, and share and share. Okay, Okay, so you're you're you're gonna you're gonna get Bates, Kathy Bates.

1:02:50 Yeah, and I mean it's weird, it's very unusual story, but it's very good. Okay, and you're but okay, so obviously you're suggesting this one for the listeners, like check if you like, if you liked Aldman and you haven't seen come back to the five and die. Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean. You're saying, yeah, different, yeah, absolutely, all right, We'll all right, we're tired. That's two for that's two to two. We're tied up here. Now we've been talking about the Player, which he does in nineteen ninety two. He followed this up with h In ninety three, he followed this up with a film called Shortcuts. Did you ever watch that one? I did? This one is famous for, Uh Julianne Moore doing a bottomless monologue.

1:03:37 That is that was not on my bingo card when I was about to ask you, like, what makes this movie a good movie or a memorable movie? Uh, Juliet Moore, Okay, tell it at nope, she's their famous bottomless scene. Ane Moore approves. The curtains match the drapes. Okay, carpet matches the drapes. Okay, thank you. So I read in college else, yeah, it is, it is. This is in college. I read. I read this in college famous Raymond Carver. I'm remembering that, right, I hope, I am. Yes, I haven't seen. It's just like these lives of these people in la at the time.

1:04:17 And you know it's just aside from aside from Julian Moore's undercarriage, who else, who else is in this film? It's another one. He loves these big on this a big ensemble thing, and you just get like little bits of each of them. So you got any McDowell, Tim Robbins again, Jack Lemon, Matthew Modine and Archer Fred Ward pops. Up again, okay, And there's all all little bits of the you said. Yep, yep, just little vignettes, little short stories, little. Little bits, little vignettes of Julian Moore. I gotcha. Nineteen ninety four. Listen, you could not keep me out of the theaters. In nineteen ninety four senior year, I was ditching class A lot of times just to go to the movies. I went to see this movie Pete Porte, Yeah, which we know is ready to wear this is You didn't like that fashion clearly not not a film for seventeen year old jeff. I guess Who's Who? Vanity Project and it's all about what is about fashion week? I think if I remember right, yes, I guess Paris Fashion Week.

1:05:35 It was kind of like the Paris Fashion Week version of The Player a little bit. Yeah, yeah, okay, that's that's that's fair. Only the player, I'm saying it. The Player's way better. Yeah, it's a lot more fun. Ready to Wear is you know they. Got they got me in the theater because they had that you know, they had that the hook on the trailer. You know, they had the the hot Stepper song by Who's Ininy Cammosi. Oh my god, I've been singing it for like the last three days. No no, no, no, no, no, yeah, that's that song was awesome and I'm like, oh, hey, wait, it's that It's that song from Q one O two and there's Julia Roberts like, I think I'm gonna.

1:06:16 Go see this And it was not as hip as it pretended not what I. Had hoped it was going to be. But all right, we both saw that. So you got me. You got me by one. Still on the Altman count, let's let's keep moving on. Well, there's not a whole lot to move too, though, right, because he's doing some TV work. Okay, Then we get to two thousand and we get to it. Oh you got something to Okay. The gingerbread Man. I will see Kenneth Branna do anything. The gingerbread Man. A lawyer uses his power to help his lover put her father behind bars, but when he escapes, they're all in, oh, this sounds good.

1:06:58 It is Oh WHOA said? This is a John Grisham book. Yes, Robert Downey Jr. Yeah, all right, Robert. I'm doing I'm doing the Nashville gingerbread Man double feature here tomorrow. Is what it sounds like. Well, that's the hard thing about that one is it's almost impossible to find. Ah, come on, you know what, uh here, this is a perfect time for me to plug one of our sponsors who doesn't sponsor us. I'm gonna pull up the I'm gonna pull up the just Watch app and I'm gonna type this in here and uh, and let's just see this app, Brad Kozo, turn me onto this app.

1:07:39 It's on your phone's free app. You just type it, you know, you add you could actually add all the streaming services that you use, and then you type in yeah, you type in the name of the like I typed in ginger That's all I got out, and it automatically populated what we're talking about, The gingerbread Man. Ooh, sorry, the Gingerbreadman is not available at the moment. Let us notify you when it's available, notify me. But it's cool because like it'll tell you, Okay, it's on Hulu, or it's on to b, it's on Pluto, it's on Max, Like go download the just watch app Amber, because that's this will help you, you know, when we're talking about movies and we're like and you guys are always like, well, okay, let me figure out where it's at, and I'm always like, hey, it's streaming on this And I'm not a program director.

1:08:22 I just I just used to just watch app. That's how I know Tom Berenger in this movie. Also, yes, you got me hooked, You got me hooked, because remember that, remember I teased a little, a little, a little special coming up here. I told you that I might have like a certain lawyer on the show and talk about our top five courtroom movies. Yes, that will be dropping at the end of this month, the top our top five courtroom dramas or I'm sorry, our top five courtroom movies. And I've got a very special guest, James Buckley, who has been on the shot You Can't Be Serious podcast several times. We finally we finally got him. Uh, and he's he's gonna be here in a couple of weeks to talk about his top five courtroom movies. But all right, so you've got the gingerbread all right. Uh, and thank you for pointing that one out, because that's you know, he and I talk. We're gonna talk John Grisham. You can't.

1:09:24 You can't talk courtroom movies without talking John Grisham. So that's that's coming. Uh two thousand though, Doctor T and the Women. Yeah, I don't think I said this one. I'll take if you can you take a moment, I don't know if you're online, if you could take a moment just to look at the pull it up on I m dB. Just so you can look at the poster, the cringe, the cringe e poster for this film, for this, for this Richard Gear movie. I mean, if there was ever, my god, if there was ever a movie. Is ever gonna be successful. I'm calling it right now. Any movie about a gynecologist is going to be a bad choice.

1:10:05 Emma, are you telling me that you're not going to meet up with your girlfriends for like brunch mimosas and then go see a movie about a wealthy gynecologist now played by Richard Gear this movie. Yeah, you know what, if Richard. Gere was my gynecologist, I would still be mad about having to go. Like I it bothers me that I have to. I have to put a tally mark because I've I watched that. I don't even know. I don't even know how I watched that. But you're you're still up, You're still up one on the audi. You watch it just for the beautiful women's, well many beautiful women's in the movie. Yeah, I mean, look just look at the look at the poster Richard Gear and then under it under his name, Helen Hunt, Farah Faucet, Laura Dernt, Shelley Long, Tara Reid, Kate Hudson, lived Tyler. I'll confess I might have had a thing for liv Tyler around that time.

1:10:55 I mean, who didn't, Who didn't? She's adorable. But yeah, let's move on, Doctor tamanousand. He's redeemed by the next one because it's the greatest movie he ever made. In my opinion, we're talking about We're talking about two thousand and one's Gosford Park. Gosford Park is absolutely a work of genius. I might have put this to the list because I just read this and listeners. If you haven't seen this, like me, if you're not, if you're not big on Altman like I am. It says, set in the nineteen thirties, a group of pretentious Oh, Robert Altman doing movies. Somebu pretentious people, sure, sorry. A group of pretentious, rich and famous get together for a weekend of relaxation at a hunting resort. But when a murder court occurs, each one of these interesting characters becomes a suspect.

1:11:48 Well, and that's not one hundred percent accurate. They're not at a hunting resort. This is the movie that led to us getting Downtown Abbey. Do you It's written by fellows. Okay. And it's about the aristocratic British upper class meeting at this rich guy's estate to go hunting on his estate. Yeah, and they all want something from him, They all need money from him. If he if if he left your cold with that cringey doctor t and the women poster. This one got a knife in someone's back. He at four, dinner at eight, murder at midnight. I'm in uh oh, all right, you got me on that one.

1:12:41 Every great British actor, I mean, so much fun. All right, Well, we're gonna, we're gonna, we're gonna kind of circle the wagons here in two thousand and six with a we're. Gonna go first, we have to watch The Company. The Company two thousand and three and three. Starring Nev Campbell. I bet you didn't know train in Ballerina, wait in. Real life, for in the movie in real life? Okay, I did not know that. Yeah, you love the ballet, so yeah, now that I see it's a it's a movie about ballet, obviously, yes, Malcolm McDowell. Yeah, if you ever wondered what it's like to be in a company and and and it's applicable to you know, a theater company as well, you know, any kind of artistic group like this, like this is what the life is like every day doing the grind.

1:13:39 All right. Another another it's a delightful little movie, like there's. Another about it. Yeah, another Altman film for Amber. Uh yeah, you're you're, you're, you're definitely you're pulling away in the stakes here you've seen. Yeah, but uh. Yes, a very home Companion did another radio first. Never heard of it, oh, Jeffrey, Oh my sorry, you have. To like find it. Well, you can find it online, I think if you just go to their website. Okay, you can listen to old episodes. My uncle got us hooked on this, like back in the eighties. He got like the whole set on CD from PBS, and it's Garrison Keeler telling you these stories about this little town.

1:14:32 And they do like fake commercials for flower and cooking flower, baking flower, and uh, you know, they have a whole thing with like the radio sound effects, and so the radio show is just delightful. And then another movie just is like one. Of those episodes. All right, Ano, they're ensemble because there's there's way too many people to even talk about right now. But there's like fifteen people in it. But okay, so you've all in all, you've seen twice as many Robert Altman movies as I've seen, So he would be the expert. Okay, you would be the voice of reason as it were.

1:15:16 All right, I got a question for you. Typically about this point, we always want to talk about what's next for the director. What do we want to see? You know, we know we lost lost him. I want to say two thousand and six, maybe like right after this, right after he does a Prayer Home Companion. Yes, it was not long after, not long after that. One. My question to you, Amber Lewis, was Altman all hype or was he truly a great director? And if he was, please cite the film of his that makes your case. What movie defines Robert Altman as as an incredible director. I think that he has a signature, and that is the the ensemble cast. That he really has this unique way of presenting them to us and letting them just kind of flow through the story the way they do.

1:16:09 And you know, my absolute favorite work of his is Gosford Park and the layers that he puts with the mystery, with the characters. You've got the upstairs and the downstairs people in the house. He gets amazing, subtle, nuanced performances from you know, these amazing actors, and you have to pay attention. You can't just you know, turn it on and do something else. So I think that's what he's the best known for is is this ensemble work. And I think that's the best example.

1:16:53 All right. Well, unlike the gingerbread Man, Gosford Park Hand, it can at least be rented. You know, it's on Apple TV, Google, YouTube, Amazon, It's it's out there. You can you can get ahold of that one. You can't stream it, yes, but you can't. You can't rent it, so. And you can definitely worth the three ninety nine. I mean, I have owned. You've made a strong case for Gosford Party. Turn the subtitles on, even if you don't like subtitles A lot of I know, but it's a lot of overlapping dialogue and you're gonna miss And it's very quiet too, because I can keep up. Are they are they English? Yes? Are you subtitles whatever?

1:17:34 It's fine, Just there's so much good stuff there. I don't want you to miss anything. All right. Well, look, clearly you love the player. You'll recommend this one right. It's streaming on Max. You can you know, you can. See Hollywood in nineteen ninety two if. You want to see a project, if you want to see a vanity project for Hollywood that oozes pretentiousness. I'm sorry, I'm not I can't endorse this one, Amber, but you can. And that's the great thing here. Our listeners, you know, if they haven't seen the player, they'll watch it on Max and they'll either go.

1:18:15 What the hell was Amber? Course? Maybe that Maybe they'll say, Amber, it was right. Maybe they'll say, thank you deaf Dave for pushing this one on. Jeff. Yes, I don't know. We'll find out, listeners, what do you think of the player? What do you think of Robert Altman? Do I have it? Do I have it completely wrong? You can let us know on social media. You'll find us on Facebook, Instagram, X. You can check out a Film by Podcast dot com. We got all of our episodes there streaming free on the platform of your choice, plus some other fun stuff. You can write to us at a film by Podcast at gmail dot com with your questions, comments and concerns. I don't want any angry postcards or threatening postcards like Tim Robbins gets in this movie.

1:19:00 But you know what, if you know you can try him, he's wrong in the most forceful of ways. Okay, thank you ever be kind. We're gonna we're gonna cut your in Mike here real quick. But hey, now, let us know what your thoughts are because, as always well, we'll read your response on the show and send you some of a film by Swag if we do join us tomorrow for our Star Trek themed series Phasers Set to stun Aber. I know you're excited for this because Wayne David and Scott Are they're in that uh that next generation world of the movies. You know, there's four they're starting tomorrow. We got we got Star Trek generations, so they're gonna have a great talk about that, as as they always do on that one. And on Friday, Monty Python fans can rejoice because our limited series of film at forty five will celebrate the forty fifth anniversary of Life of Brian and next time on a film by we were thrilled by Trap and we'll be ready to talk about more tension, more plot twists with a film by m Night Shamalan. I'm talking about his twenty sixteen mystery thriller Split Amber Again. I'm so glad you're back from vacation. We've missed you. I know the listeners have missed you. Anything coming up for you over at your home away from home docu Base seventy seven.

1:20:23 Yes, we are actually doing our own Python themed you're doing Python, we are. We are doing Holy versus Totly Grail versus Life of Brian Holy. Oh wow, Okay, you're doing Holy Girl. We're going head to head. Which one is the best? I have the answer to that question, but we have the answer as well. All right, Well, we don't want. I don't want. I don't want to sue. My son's going to be on that episode, and I think it might divide the household. I don't know a house divided. All right? Well, yeah, I always look forward to what you guys do over there on Docu Based seventy seven. Also, so that'll be that'll be an interesting one. I look forward to that because I'm not I'm the casual Ithon fan, but I think I think once I listen to you guys, and once I listened to David Scott do their whole life of Brian. You know, forty fifth anniversary of Life of Brian, I might become a I'm more involved fan, I'm a bigger fan as it were. At any rate to all of you listening, and there's certainly been an awesome surge in our numbers lately, Amber, so there's there's a lot more of an out there.

1:21:29 Yeah. Please, for those of you listening for the first time or the three hundredth time, please know that if you're following us, liking us, rating, sharing us, subscribing to our Patreon, we thank you and we appreciate you. Till next time,