Episode 60

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Published on:

5th Dec 2024

Drive

Movie Wars Podcast welcomes one of Nashville's funniest comedians, Marianna Brown, to discuss the film Drive, a movie that defied audience expectations and studio intentions. Initially thought to be a high-octane heist film akin to Grand Theft Auto or Gone In 60 Seconds, Drive transformed under the creative vision of director Nicolas Winding Refn and lead actor Ryan Gosling into an arthouse masterpiece that left both viewers and financiers perplexed. The conversation dives into the film's unique elements, such as its minimal dialogue and striking visuals, which contribute to its hauntingly beautiful narrative. Marianna shares her insights on the characters and the moral complexities presented within the story, highlighting how even the 'bad guys' are not as straightforward as they seem. The trio explores the artistic decisions that made Drive a standout film, showcasing the synergy between directing, cinematography, and sound, ultimately leading to a deep appreciation for Refn's work in the realm of modern cinema.

Movie Wars welcomes Nashville's comedic talent, Marianna Brown, to discuss the unconventional film Drive. The conversation delves into the film's unexpected trajectory, transitioning from a presumed Fast and Furious-style action flick to an arthouse masterpiece under the direction of Nicolas Winding Refn. Both viewers and financiers were initially misled by the film's trailers and marketing, expecting a typical car heist movie. However, the deep emotional current and artistic sensibilities of the film set it apart, showcasing a unique blend of violence and beauty that Refn is known for. Mariana shares her personal journey with cinema and how 'Drive' influenced her perspective on filmmaking, drawing connections between her comedic career and the film's narrative structure, highlighting the importance of character depth over conventional dialogue.

The discussion further explores the film's visual and auditory elements, emphasizing how the cinematography and soundtrack contribute to the emotional weight of the narrative. Mariana reflects on the stark contrasts within the film, from the gritty Los Angeles cityscape to intimate moments of silence that speak volumes. The hosts analyze how the characters, particularly Ryan Gosling's Driver, embody a complex morality that challenges traditional hero archetypes, making him both a protector and a violent force. The episode paints a rich picture of how Refn's artistic vision transformed a simple heist story into a layered exploration of identity, love, and the darker sides of human nature, resonating with audiences on multiple levels.

As the conversation wraps up, the hosts and Mariana share their thoughts on the broader implications of 'Drive' within the indie film landscape, noting its lasting impact on modern cinema. They discuss how films that defy genre conventions can resonate with audiences and how 'Drive' paved the way for a new wave of storytelling that prioritizes mood and atmosphere over explicit action. Mariana's insights provide a fresh comedic lens on the serious themes of the film, making for an engaging and enlightening discussion that resonates well beyond the screen.

Takeaways:

  • The podcast delves into how 'Drive' subverted audience expectations, shifting from a typical action film to a deeper, arthouse experience.
  • Marianna Brown emphasizes the importance of strong visual storytelling, often surpassing the need for dialogue in film.
  • Ryan Gosling's transformation from romantic lead to an intense, silent protagonist in 'Drive' showcases his impressive range as an actor.
  • The discussion highlights how directing choices directly influence the emotional weight and aesthetic of a film.
  • The impact of the film's soundtrack was a crucial aspect, enhancing its overall atmosphere and emotional depth.
  • Nicholas Winding Refn's unique approach to filmmaking, particularly his reliance on visuals and minimal dialogue, sets 'Drive' apart from typical car movies.
Transcript
Host:

Movie wars, ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to the Movie Wars Podcast.

Host:

How we doing, baby?

Host:

We got an amazing guest here today, our dear friend, one of the funniest comics working in Nashville today, Mariana Brown, ladies and gentlemen.

Seth:

Welcome, welcome.

Host:

Yes.

Host:

And honestly, someone that really inspired the format.

Host:

You did my show at happen.

Host:

Chance and I, after movie wars 1.0.

Host:

I was like, how am I going to revamp this show?

Host:

And then you started posting all this midsommar shit.

Host:

You have an incense thing.

Host:

You've got posters.

Host:

And I'm like, my.

Host:

I have smart comedian friends that also know a lot about movies.

Host:

And here we are a couple of months later.

Host:

It's going very well.

Host:

So thank you for the faux inspiration for that.

Host:

So why don't you tell us about yourself?

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

Who are you?

Host:

Why do you love movies?

Host:

What kind of movies you like?

Host:

Tell us about comedy.

Host:

All the things.

Mariana Brown:

Okay.

Host:

In 30 seconds.

Mariana Brown:

Okay.

Seth:

And go.

Mariana Brown:

All right.

Mariana Brown:

I'm a.

Mariana Brown:

I'm a cat lady.

Seth:

Hell, yes.

Mariana Brown:

I originally went to art school for fashion design, like one of the directors we're talking about today.

Host:

Hey.

Mariana Brown:

And I started a fashion design business with my friend in college, and she was an NYU film major.

Seth:

Nice.

Mariana Brown:

Who got me into Drive.

Mariana Brown:

Drive's one of my first favorite movies ever.

Seth:

Hell, yeah.

Seth:

Of course.

Seth:

1.

Mariana Brown:

It started when I was.

Mariana Brown:

Started smoking weed.

Mariana Brown:

You know, you can get way more into movies that way.

Mariana Brown:

Highly recommend it to anybody listening.

Mariana Brown:

Doesn't do drugs.

Mariana Brown:

Big, big drug advocate here.

Mariana Brown:

And I've been doing comedy for, I guess, four years now, and I'm just obsessed with movies.

Mariana Brown:

It's funny.

Mariana Brown:

You mentioned midsommar.

Mariana Brown:

I have a midsommar shower curtain, too.

Host:

Wow.

Mariana Brown:

Yeah.

Mariana Brown:

And I just ordered a tree topper that my husband does not know about.

Seth:

Oh, that's perfect.

Seth:

He's gonna find out soon.

Mariana Brown:

He's not gonna.

Host:

Is he scared that his life is actually kind of falling in line with the plot of the film now, though, that's.

Seth:

The moment you decide you're taking him to Sweden.

Seth:

He's just like, I can't.

Seth:

I'm done.

Mariana Brown:

But at the same time, we could do a whole podcast about that.

Mariana Brown:

But that guy deserved it.

Mariana Brown:

Okay.

Mariana Brown:

I mean, all those guys deserve to die, right?

Seth:

Absolutely.

Mariana Brown:

Every woman will agree with me.

Mariana Brown:

They were horrible people, and it was fun to watch them die.

Mariana Brown:

So.

Host:

Yeah.

Host:

And it was great.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

So you lie.

Host:

But you and I discussed.

Host:

You love a 24 Blum house.

Host:

You love some of the indie horror stuff, but also Kubrick's top five.

Host:

So you and I connected on that.

Host:

Yeah.

Host:

Huge Kubrick Fans.

Mariana Brown:

Oh, my God.

Host:

Yeah.

Host:

So you're going to help us out with the Shining at some point.

Seth:

Yeah.

Mariana Brown:

So excited.

Host:

Stoked.

Host:

That's awesome.

Host:

Well, we're so glad you're here.

Host:

Also, first female ever on the show.

Host:

And I get.

Seth:

Yes.

Host:

And I get shit from people because, like, why don't you ever have girls in the show?

Host:

It's like I ask.

Host:

It's just like, people just think we're nerds.

Seth:

Like, I don't want to see this face.

Seth:

You think they want to be on a podcast guy?

Host:

Like, whatever.

Host:

I'm doing really well right now.

Host:

I don't see how this will benefit me at all.

Host:

In fact, it will be negative for me.

Host:

So I've tried to get females in this show.

Host:

Show.

Host:

Thank you for breaking the mold.

Mariana Brown:

Nice.

Host:

Here we go.

Seth:

Look at us being progressive.

Host:

Yes.

Host:

Very progressive.

Mariana Brown:

Yeah, I'm progressive.

Host:

Well, I am so stoked to talk about drive top 50 movie for me.

Seth:

Hell yeah.

Host:

This movie was interesting for me because I.

Host:

And a lot of people did not know what this movie was when it came out.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

I remember literally having conversations with people like, oh, it looks like they finally made something kind of like gta.

Host:

They thought it was.

Host:

You know, a lot of people went to this movie thinking it was somewhere in the realm of Fast and furious gone in 60 seconds, which was the original intention.

Host:

This is based on a book and they originally had an 80 million dollar budget and they really wanted.

Host:

They wanted Hugh Jackman in this movie.

Host:

It was going to be a Fast and Furious type knockoff.

Host:

And that's obviously not what we got.

Host:

There's.

Host:

I'll go into this in randos, but a lot of people didn't know what this movie was going to be.

Host:

And a lot of people making the movie and funding the movie did not know what this was going to be.

Host:

But it was an amazing, happy accident.

Host:

And I know for me, I knew nothing about Refn and I had a really negative perception of Ryan Gosling because I just thought he was Notebook boy.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

And boy, was I wrong.

Seth:

I mean, I always say this is the movie that convinced me that he could act.

Seth:

Yes, yes, like 100%.

Mariana Brown:

I completely forgot he was in the Notebook after watching.

Mariana Brown:

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Mariana Brown:

No, it washed away his, like.

Seth:

Yeah.

Mariana Brown:

Old perception.

Host:

Yeah.

Mariana Brown:

I was like, who is this guy again?

Host:

Yes, totally.

Host:

I agree.

Host:

I had.

Host:

I.

Host:

And that was one reason I didn't want to see it.

Host:

But then, like, I started to see, like, I was like, there's something interesting about these trailers.

Host:

I had no idea who Nicholas Winding Refn was the director.

Host:

And so what ended up happening was, is I watched this movie and I was like, I loved it so much, I ended up just diving like head first into his entire repertoire.

Host:

And what's funny is that all of Refn's films were these movies.

Host:

I would just scan by on Netflix with zero interest, you know, Ballerizing Bronson.

Host:

I didn't recognize Tom Hardy as Bronson because he was so jacked.

Host:

Yeah, he didn't look like Tom Hardy.

Host:

And at the time, we didn't really know how great he was because he had been in Black Hawk down, but he had not done a lot of, like, dominant roles.

Host:

And then all of a sudden I'm like.

Host:

But I didn't know who that was.

Seth:

So I love that one of his first roles was actually in a Star Trek show.

Host:

Yes.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

Yes.

Host:

Yeah.

Host:

And then, like.

Host:

And so I end up going through.

Host:

And now Refin is probably my third favorite director of all time.

Host:

Movies like Bronson, Valhalla Rising, the Pusher trilogy.

Host:

There's so many great films.

Host:

And so I somehow, you know, found a favorite director out of this.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

And then I was.

Host:

This is a funny story, you know, the Belcourt Theater.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

So for those that don't live in Nashville, we have a.

Host:

Of folks that like, don't even live in this country.

Host:

We have this indie theater that has like a small bar and a lot of amazing food.

Host:

And I took off work to go see Only God Forgives with Ryan Gosling and Refin.

Host:

Not, not as great as it's fun, but it's really aloof.

Host:

I was the only person I took off work at 12 o'clock eating candy on a Tuesday.

Host:

I'm just like, oh.

Host:

And I was like, I am a loser.

Seth:

No.

Host:

Maybe that's why females don't do this podcast.

Host:

I am alone at the Belcourt Theater on a Tuesday watching Ryan Gosling movies.

Seth:

I mean, granted, I'm the guy who literally sat in the dead middle of the theater for 12 and a half hours watching Lord of the Rings at the Bell Court.

Seth:

So, no, I'm every much a loser as you are.

Seth:

If that's how we are.

Host:

I knew I loved you.

Mariana Brown:

See, I'm like, I'll be at home and I will watch all of these movies because I would like my weed and my snacks and my bathroom and all these things.

Mariana Brown:

Like, I used to go to the movies once a week and then after the pandemic, I haven't gone or I went to see Midsommar actually.

Seth:

Nice.

Seth:

Hell, yeah.

Seth:

I saw that in Theaters do.

Mariana Brown:

This is about drive.

Host:

But, yeah, we're going to just keep talking about her favorite movies.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

No, that's awesome.

Host:

No, I love it.

Host:

No, I totally get.

Host:

Yeah.

Host:

And I, you know, and, yeah, the theater experience is weird now, right?

Host:

It's like.

Host:

Because now, like, I do, like, home.

Host:

My TV is great, so I totally get that.

Host:

So.

Host:

But what were your Interact like?

Host:

How did you guys come into this movie?

Host:

You already kind of told your story.

Seth:

A little bit, but I.

Seth:

I watched it.

Seth:

Avery, back in, like, I guess:

Seth:

And he was hanging out with me and my girlfriend at the time, and we sat down, we watched it.

Seth:

It was on Netflix, I guess.

Seth:

And, yeah, that literally, other than knowing Ryan Gosling was in, I had absolutely no idea what it was going to be about.

Seth:

And then, yeah, watched it.

Seth:

And in the middle of that scene where they're, like, driving at night, my girlfriend just looks at us and she's just like, yeah, this is what a date with introverts looks like.

Seth:

Everyone just sits there and doesn't say shit.

Seth:

And that was my introduction to the movie.

Seth:

Yeah, it was amazing.

Seth:

Like, it was.

Seth:

What was I, like, 19, maybe 20 at the time?

Seth:

So it was definitely, like, one of the craziest dramas I had seen to, like, at that point.

Seth:

But, yeah, I fell in love with it immediately.

Host:

Yeah.

Host:

And like, how unsettling, though, the first time you watch it is the hyperviolence.

Host:

Oh, yeah.

Host:

Like, it's so out of nowhere, like, hey, I like her.

Host:

She was a madman.

Host:

Oh, her brains.

Host:

Yeah, hi, her brains.

Host:

Her red hair is stuck to the mirror now.

Seth:

Oh, my God, just so much.

Host:

And the fork in the eye and hammering the fingers.

Host:

I'm just like, yeah.

Host:

And if you don't know refn before, you don't know to expect it, and it's shocking.

Host:

And then you go and watch all of his other shit, and you're like, oh, yeah, this guy, he's pretty violent.

Seth:

It's definitely, like, what would happen if Tarantino tried to direct, like, an indie romantic drama.

Host:

Yeah.

Seth:

Like, just out of nowhere, just heads exploding, people getting the shit beat out of him.

Host:

Yes.

Seth:

Marlin from Finding Nemo is cutting dude's arms open.

Seth:

Like, yeah.

Mariana Brown:

Oh, yeah.

Seth:

Yeah.

Seth:

The main bad guy is Marlon from Nemo Albert Love.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

Oh, yeah.

Host:

Well, he was a taxi driver, too.

Mariana Brown:

I know.

Mariana Brown:

I knew.

Mariana Brown:

I knew him from somewhere.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

Well, yeah, yeah, He's.

Host:

He's a comedian by trade.

Host:

He's a comic actor, but he did Taxi driver And then, like, yeah, there was a lot of.

Host:

There was a lot of criticism when ref and cast him.

Host:

They were like, really?

Host:

And he turns out to be perfect.

Seth:

He was insane.

Seth:

So good.

Mariana Brown:

Perfect casting all around, honestly.

Mariana Brown:

And Ryan Cranston.

Seth:

Oh, my God, yes.

Host:

Yeah.

Host:

Just in a little side role, man.

Seth:

I mean.

Seth:

Yeah.

Mariana Brown:

Well, that was kind of before Christina Hendricks was on Mad Men.

Host:

I think it was kind of during, like, in the early days.

Seth:

Right.

Seth:

In the first couple seasons.

Mariana Brown:

And then Brian Cranston before Breaking Bad, and I just feel like it was before they got all their big hits that I knew them from.

Host:

Yeah.

Mariana Brown:

I was like, wow, this guy can cast.

Host:

Yeah.

Seth:

Yeah.

Seth:

I think it was kind of similar situation.

Seth:

Like, Breaking Bad had just started, but he'd also been in Malcolm in the Middle, so he.

Seth:

He had some clout wine.

Seth:

But it was mostly as, like, a comedic actor.

Host:

Yeah.

Seth:

So, yeah, to see him in this, especially because I've never seen a single episode of Breaking Bad, so, like, to see him in that kind of role outside of everything else I knew him from, it's just.

Seth:

It's so funny to see him pull off such a beautifully serious role.

Host:

Yeah.

Host:

Are you just holding out on Breaking Bad?

Host:

Are you just trying to be a contrarian?

Seth:

I know the emotional toll it's going to take on my mind and body to watch that show, and I'm basically just waiting until I have three weeks of uninterrupted time to just watch the whole thing, cry my eyes out, and then move on with my life.

Host:

Okay.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

Right.

Host:

Yeah.

Seth:

I just haven't gotten there yet.

Host:

Yeah, I had the flu when I finally watched it, so I was both puking and sad and miserable.

Host:

It was good.

Seth:

Hell, yeah.

Host:

Yeah.

Host:

Before we get to the questions here, I know you got a Ryan Gosling fan in your life.

Host:

This movie made $40 million.

Host:

I know one of you has watched this movie.

Host:

Share it with your friends.

Host:

Once again, your grandma is waiting for the Movie Wars Podcast.

Host:

Hit that share button.

Host:

Share the love the questions.

Host:

Yeah.

Host:

Point.

Host:

Point at the camera right now.

Host:

Yeah.

Host:

It's so weird pointing out a tiny little iPhone.

Host:

Such a.

Host:

Just really robust budget here on the Movie wars podcast.

Host:

Hey, you can do it all with a phone.

Host:

That's what they say.

Host:

All right, all right, first question.

Host:

Isn't it a little bit too nice of an apartment for a struggling single mom who works at Denny's?

Host:

That is a.

Host:

That's nicer than my house.

Mariana Brown:

A multiple room apart.

Mariana Brown:

Yeah.

Host:

With space and a dinner table.

Seth:

Huge in la.

Seth:

Like, it's not a cheap city.

Seth:

It wasn't a cheap city back then.

Seth:

It's even worse now.

Seth:

But yeah, no, 100%.

Mariana Brown:

There's also nobody in LA at all.

Mariana Brown:

In the whole movie.

Mariana Brown:

There's like four people and then the baseball game and that's it.

Seth:

Yeah.

Mariana Brown:

Literally, I didn't even know it was set in la.

Mariana Brown:

Honestly, I was like, oh, this is in Indiana.

Host:

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Seth:

This could very well just be Indiana with palm trees.

Mariana Brown:

Yeah, it is in the mob.

Seth:

Yeah.

Seth:

You've heard of the Indiana mob, right?

Mariana Brown:

Obviously.

Host:

Oh, big time.

Mariana Brown:

That's what Fargo.

Mariana Brown:

Fargo gets the Indian out.

Host:

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Host:

They're out there cutting wheat and, you know, selling black market wheat.

Seth:

The Amish mafia.

Host:

Yeah, the buttermilk mafia.

Host:

Yeah.

Host:

And again, I think this is a near, for me personally is a near perfect film.

Host:

But there are some weird things like that where it's like, that is just a too nice apartment, you know, I don't know.

Seth:

I remember Oscar Isaac is like a criminal, so he probably had a bunch of shit stashed away that she was living off of.

Host:

Maybe it was part of the protection money.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

That got him killed.

Seth:

Yeah, good point.

Mariana Brown:

Oh, by the way, I watched this a million years ago before I knew who Oscar Isaac was.

Mariana Brown:

Again with the casting.

Host:

Yeah.

Host:

I think nobody.

Host:

I think a lot of us didn't know at the time.

Seth:

I mean, I.

Seth:

I barely recognized him this time.

Seth:

Yeah, like, he just.

Seth:

It was such a different character than anything he's ever played before.

Seth:

I love it so much.

Host:

Yeah, he kind of felt like someone that could have been typecast as a criminal.

Host:

And then all of a sudden he just has all this range.

Host:

Yeah, he just is doing Dune, but.

Seth:

Then he still also is like Apocalypse.

Seth:

Like he's.

Seth:

He also playing the villains at times.

Seth:

Then he comes in and does po in Star Wars.

Seth:

Like, dude's got some crazy range.

Mariana Brown:

And Annihilation, like to bring up Annihilation, one of my favorites.

Host:

There you go.

Mariana Brown:

Big fan.

Seth:

I haven't seen it.

Mariana Brown:

Oh, you should.

Seth:

Okay.

Host:

Yeah, that's awesome.

Host:

Yeah, he's great.

Host:

Number two questions.

Host:

The questions.

Host:

Should it be mandatory for everyone to wear a jacket with a creature on it so we know what we're getting into at all times?

Seth:

Absolutely.

Seth:

100.

Host:

Yeah.

Seth:

What?

Seth:

Okay, now the question I have about that though.

Seth:

Would it be like your spirit animal that you're putting on on your jacket?

Seth:

Like, and if so, what would.

Seth:

What would yalls be?

Host:

I think if.

Host:

I just want to know if you're unstable.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

Like if you're gonna smash a guy's head in an elevator while I'm in there, I probably will take the next one.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

You know what I mean?

Seth:

I mean, that's the scorpion.

Seth:

That would do that.

Host:

Yeah, the scorpion's a good indicator, I think.

Host:

Me, like, what's the.

Host:

I'd probably be a sloth or a golden retriever.

Seth:

There you go.

Mariana Brown:

Oh, yeah.

Host:

I've got two golden retrievers.

Host:

That's because I think they mimic my personality.

Host:

Yeah, yeah.

Host:

I'm cute, but I'm not very bright, so.

Host:

Yeah.

Host:

But very loyal.

Host:

Very loyal.

Host:

I'll follow you right into a volcano.

Seth:

Yeah, yeah.

Mariana Brown:

Oh, yeah.

Mariana Brown:

That's a good quality.

Seth:

What would yours be?

Mariana Brown:

I feel like it'd be a rabbit.

Mariana Brown:

I feel like I'm kind of a rabbit or a cat or something.

Host:

Okay.

Host:

Yeah.

Mariana Brown:

I wish it would be, like a bear, like a wolf.

Seth:

Yeah.

Mariana Brown:

But I don't know if that's true.

Mariana Brown:

I don't know if that's authentic.

Seth:

Mine would definitely be Seth Rogen.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

Okay.

Seth:

Yeah.

Seth:

He is 100% my spirit animal, so I would just have his face on the back of a jacket.

Host:

His outline.

Host:

Yeah, Yeah.

Host:

I found out recently how much, like, you're sending me your, like, Black Friday shopping list and stuff.

Host:

I'm like, I didn't even know Seth Rogen had a company.

Seth:

Oh, yeah, look at this thing.

Mariana Brown:

He has a company.

Seth:

He has a weed company.

Seth:

And I just bought a.

Seth:

What, like an old school car lighter that he mounted in some green marble, so it's here on Tuesday.

Seth:

Okay.

Mariana Brown:

Well, yeah.

Mariana Brown:

You got tchotchkes around.

Seth:

Oh, yeah.

Mariana Brown:

You got a tchotchke filled house.

Host:

Isn't it funny when you find out an actor or a celebrity owns a business?

Host:

It's like talking about a toddler.

Host:

It's like, oh, isn't that cute?

Host:

You have a business.

Host:

That's so cute.

Host:

You're not just a dumb idiot that reads lines for other people to entertain.

Host:

You have a business.

Host:

Yeah.

Host:

You use Excel just like the rest of us.

Host:

So cute.

Mariana Brown:

Oh, my God.

Host:

Right?

Seth:

He must love Slack.

Host:

Yeah.

Mariana Brown:

He's always Microsoft Teams.

Host:

Yeah.

Host:

Oh, God.

Host:

We cannot let corporate culture leak into this podcast.

Host:

We can't do it.

Mariana Brown:

He's got.

Mariana Brown:

He's got the enterprise.

Mariana Brown:

Microsoft.

Mariana Brown:

We don't even know.

Host:

I turn my notifications off on the weekends.

Seth:

I like to center myself.

Host:

Yeah.

Host:

But let me know when that thing shows up.

Host:

That's really cool.

Seth:

Oh, absolutely.

Host:

Seth Rogen does not sponsor this podcast.

Seth:

But Houseplant.

Seth:

You should.

Host:

Randos.

Seth:

Randos.

Host:

Yes.

Host:

Randos.

Host:

You gotta say it.

Mariana Brown:

Randos.

Host:

Yes.

Host:

It's an honorary Thing.

Host:

So, Seth for upgrade.

Host:

He wanted to upgrade, and I let him say he's the first person.

Host:

You're the first girl.

Host:

He's the first person besides me to ever be the first to say randos.

Host:

It was very nerve wracking.

Host:

But he got it.

Host:

That chit right here.

Seth:

Yeah, Right in the diaphragm.

Host:

Randos.

Host:

You got to feel the vibrations, right?

Host:

Do you feel it, Randos?

Seth:

I mean, I feel it all over my body when you say it.

Host:

Oh, yeah.

Host:

Oh, yeah.

Host:

When I add the compression and shit.

Seth:

Oh, yeah.

Host:

Pro Tools.

Host:

Oh, it's like Kyle versus the Volcano in here.

Host:

All right, so this story is interesting.

Host:

After you watch all of Refn's movies, this story makes sense.

Host:

But if you know nothing about Refn.

Host:

So Gosling wanted to work with Refn after he watched Bronson.

Host:

He loved Tom Hardy's performance.

Host:

And even though he was kind of known as like a Notebook guy, that guy, he was a.

Host:

He's a person that wanted to do indie films, and that was his inspiration.

Host:

So he connected with Ref and Ref, you know, bounces between New York and Copenhagen.

Host:

So that's kind of his life.

Host:

And I guess Refn went to a tarot card reader and said, you will have much success in Hollywood if you go to Hollywood.

Host:

And so he's like, okay.

Host:

Because, you know, he did the Pusher trilogy, which is where Mads Mikkelsen, he met him.

Host:

He's in the Pusher trilogy, Valor Rising.

Seth:

Okay.

Host:

So that's kind of his scene.

Host:

And so.

Host:

But he hadn't had a lot of box office success or anything because he was very indie.

Host:

And so he comes over and he's connected with Gosling.

Host:

And in the meantime, during all this time, they had the rights to this book for Drive had been bought, and it was going to be an $80 million budget that Hugh Jackman was attached to.

Host:

It was going to be like a Fast and Furious knockoff.

Host:

Even though the book is kind of.

Host:

It's not super in line, but it's pretty in line with the movie.

Host:

It's got the bones of it.

Host:

So it's kind of funny.

Host:

They're like, hey, let's buy this kind of semi artsy book and just still make it another Fast and Furious movie.

Host:

I wish Drew was here to commentate on that because, you know, all right.

Mariana Brown:

Yeah, yeah, he's not dead.

Seth:

He's not dead.

Seth:

He's just driving back from Memphis.

Seth:

So he might as well be dead.

Host:

Living a quarter mile at a time, as he likes to say.

Host:

I can't believe we ended up saying his catchphrase while he's not here.

Host:

Yeah.

Host:

So anyway, we have the situation where.

Host:

So basically Ryan Gosling then gets brought on by the producer and he's like, I don't want to do this type of movie.

Host:

He's like, this is not what this should be.

Host:

And so he.

Host:

And then he.

Host:

He's the reason Refin got brought in, because he wanted to work with Ref.

Host:

He's like, well, maybe Refin will be good.

Host:

So Refin comes into la, he flies in, he gets sick on the plane, and he's supposed to meet with Gosling about Drive.

Host:

And it's not called Drive at the end.

Host:

It's still a very early.

Host:

And he.

Host:

This medication, whatever he takes, makes him super wonky.

Host:

He can barely, like, make sentences happen.

Host:

He's sick and, like, they're talking at dinner and nothing's really happening.

Host:

And he finally just says in.

Host:

Ryan Gosling knows LA really well.

Host:

So he actually gave him tours of la, showed him la.

Host:

The LA river scene in Drive is Ryan Gosling's idea because he lives there and loves it anyway.

Host:

And so finally, Ref just like, can you please take me home?

Host:

And so he.

Host:

He's taking.

Host:

He's taking Refen to wherever he's living at the time.

Host:

And Aro Speedwagon song Can't Fight this feeling comes along and it makes Ref and emotional.

Host:

They both start singing this song at the top of their lungs.

Host:

And Refn says to Gosling, he says, I want to make a movie about a guy that the only way he can emotionally express himself is driving around LA in his car listening to music.

Host:

And Ryan Gosling said, that's the movie hell.

Host:

Yeah, that is the.

Host:

That's the movie hell.

Host:

That's kind of how Drive kind of became.

Host:

It went from this fast and furious.

Host:

And then of course, though, on the back end, the financiers were like, we're not giving you $80 million for a fucking art house movie with no.

Host:

We have no REO Speedwagon.

Host:

We have no idea what you're talking about.

Host:

And so the budget went down to like 15 million, which is still solid.

Seth:

For what they did.

Seth:

Like, that's.

Seth:

I mean, that's three times the budget for Upgrade.

Seth:

So, I mean, that.

Seth:

Yeah, that's a solid budget right there.

Host:

It really is.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

And so anyway, the studio started passing on it, right?

Host:

And they're like, we don't want to do it.

Host:

And so they had to get like a French.

Host:

This French based distributor company that was going to distribute it.

Host:

And all these People, like, they're like, I don't know what he wants to do.

Host:

And so people are like, before it premieres, it can.

Host:

They're, like, removing their name from it.

Host:

Like, they're still financing, but we don't want to be attached to this flaming piece of.

Host:

We have no idea what you're doing.

Host:

Like, it's a car movie, but he's driving, like, a Nissan or whatever, or Ford Escape, whatever, that Focus.

Seth:

1 driven car in.

Seth:

What was it,:

Host:

Yeah, we gotta talk about the first scene of this movie.

Host:

It's amazing.

Host:

So anyway, they're, like, slowly detaching themselves from it and no one knows what's going on.

Host:

And finally they pronounced.

Host:

They.

Host:

They announced that they're going to be a can.

Host:

And he gets best director at Cannes for this movie.

Host:

And it was love.

Host:

Like, it was a hit.

Host:

It ended up making $40 million, which is really strong for, like, an artist.

Seth:

15 million dollar budget.

Host:

That's fantastic for a guy that never had any mainstream success.

Host:

Yeah.

Host:

And.

Host:

And so basically they're like, oh, we want.

Host:

So they start attaching their name back to the movie.

Host:

So that's kind of the story of how this movie came to be.

Host:

The trouble it went through.

Host:

And it's kind of incredible because it's such a fantastic film.

Seth:

Seriously, though, the soundtrack also.

Seth:

We have to talk about the soundtrack.

Seth:

It is the most perfect soundtrack of just about any movie I can think.

Seth:

I legitimately have a very hard time thinking of any movie that has a better soundtrack.

Host:

Yeah.

Mariana Brown:

Or more recognizable, honestly.

Seth:

And it's like those two major songs, Real Hero by college.

Seth:

And I forget.

Seth:

What was it?

Seth:

Nightwolf or something?

Mariana Brown:

Night Call.

Seth:

Night Call.

Seth:

Yeah.

Seth:

like, era defining for, like,:

Host:

Yeah.

Seth:

Like, it was that.

Seth:

That whole era was defined by those two songs.

Mariana Brown:

I just listened to them both on repeat on the way here.

Host:

Same.

Mariana Brown:

Yeah, I mean, I wanted to listen to the rest of it because I love Cliff Martinez.

Mariana Brown:

But I mean, those two really.

Mariana Brown:

They put you.

Mariana Brown:

They pull you into the movie, but they also just put you there when you're not watching it to.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

Yeah.

Mariana Brown:

I'm like, oh, well, I'm driving an Impala.

Host:

Where are my gloves?

Mariana Brown:

You know?

Host:

Yeah.

Seth:

At the time, I put them both on my downtown driving playlist for when I would just be driving at night.

Seth:

Like, it was so perfect.

Mariana Brown:

And that song for the very beginning scene, that is such a good scene when you're.

Host:

Oh, the Tik Tok Chromatics.

Mariana Brown:

Yeah.

Mariana Brown:

It's.

Mariana Brown:

It gives you a panic attack.

Host:

Yeah, that's a good dishwashing song.

Host:

It's like, when you have four kids, you need a pump up song, you know?

Host:

Yeah, it's Mom, Daddy's going crazy again.

Host:

Yeah.

Host:

No, the soundtrack, it's.

Host:

It's.

Host:

It's one of the first things you notice, too.

Host:

Like, again, if you.

Host:

If you're not familiar again.

Host:

But Refn doesn't have that with any of his other films.

Host:

Like, the music's good in his other movies, but, you know, this movie is not an organic film.

Host:

Like, it's very much about the aesthetics and the colors and the visuals.

Host:

There's very minimal dialogue.

Host:

But that being said, even though the film itself isn't super organic, the music feels organic to the aesthetic of the film.

Host:

So it kind of feels like it could sprout out of what we're seeing.

Host:

It's a visual feast.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

And so it's.

Host:

I love how it perfectly aligns.

Host:

And I got some stuff about Cliff Martinez here too, but just really extraordinary.

Host:

And I saw it on vinyl.

Host:

I almost nabbed it the other day, but I should have.

Host:

I had four other vinyls in my hand, so the price has gone up, bro.

Seth:

I know.

Seth:

I just bought five vinyls for.

Seth:

For Black Friday.

Host:

Oh, yeah?

Seth:

Yeah.

Seth:

I got the entire Sleep Token trilogy and a couple of Dayseker records.

Host:

I just bought four children.

Host:

Deli Meat.

Seth:

There you go.

Host:

So there you go.

Host:

You should feed four kids in this economy.

Host:

It's a blast.

Seth:

Yeah, I think I'm good.

Host:

Yeah?

Host:

Yeah, you should try it.

Host:

You should come over.

Mariana Brown:

Deli Meat.

Mariana Brown:

I don't know.

Host:

No, we had a good time, me and Deli me.

Mariana Brown:

I didn't realize that I was, like, not fancy.

Host:

This is my friend Boar's Head.

Seth:

No, for a half second, I thought Deli Meat was like a new rapper.

Mariana Brown:

I kind of did, too.

Mariana Brown:

And I was like, I'm gonna take a shot.

Host:

Yeah, we need another mumble rapper named.

Seth:

Salami on tour with Jelly Roll, man.

Host:

We could make a whole podcast about this.

Host:

But why are there so many types of salami?

Host:

I know Genoa, Calabrese, they all look like maybe just a slight shade of pink or red.

Host:

Different.

Seth:

Yeah.

Seth:

Or they're a little spicier.

Host:

But I've tried them.

Host:

Like, they taste exactly the same.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

All right.

Seth:

Thanks, Italy.

Mariana Brown:

I'm not gonna, you know, fight you on this.

Mariana Brown:

I just think more dried meat is fine.

Host:

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Host:

It's not gonna hurt anybody.

Seth:

I like a good charcuterie board.

Mariana Brown:

I'm a Big Soprasada fan.

Seth:

Okay.

Seth:

Yeah.

Mariana Brown:

Spicy.

Host:

Yeah.

Seth:

Yeah, yeah.

Host:

Okay.

Host:

All right.

Host:

We kind of just sidled into your expertise in this area.

Host:

All of a sudden, I'm like, agree with me.

Host:

Yeah.

Seth:

Tell us in the comments, what's your favorite deli meat?

Mariana Brown:

Is it sabersada?

Host:

They'll probably just tell us we said something wrong.

Host:

And.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

Wish.

Host:

Wish that I get cancer.

Mariana Brown:

That is not gabagool.

Mariana Brown:

Actually.

Host:

This was one of my favorite randos that I uncovered.

Host:

So the pink hues are really cool, like the neon.

Host:

A lot of the stuff with color grading.

Host:

And this actually is very consistent, especially when you look at Drive Onward when Only For God Forgives a Neon Demon.

Host:

Refn is colorblind.

Mariana Brown:

Yeah.

Host:

Oh.

Seth:

So is Christopher Nolan.

Host:

Really?

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

Oh, wow.

Mariana Brown:

Yeah.

Seth:

Yeah.

Mariana Brown:

Sense for their movies.

Mariana Brown:

They make.

Host:

Yeah.

Host:

Honestly.

Mariana Brown:

Yeah.

Host:

And so.

Host:

And I.

Host:

I'm not gonna sit here.

Host:

I am blind in different ways.

Host:

I was born with cataracts, but I'm not gonna sit here and be pretend.

Host:

Like.

Host:

I'm a specialist on colorblindness.

Host:

But based on the research, I didn't want to get this wrong.

Host:

Colorblindness does not mean you can't necessarily see color, but it's how you perceive color.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

And apparently for Refn, for the type of colorblindness he has, really hot pink neon is what stimulates.

Host:

He can actually tell.

Host:

And the way he works, though, and what's amazing is how vivid and awesome the color is.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

All of his movies, I think it's his.

Host:

Like.

Host:

It's his.

Host:

Like, you can see a movie visually and not hear anything and think that's a Reffn movie.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

Is that.

Host:

He has his editor, Matt Newman, works with him on set and describes color grade to him.

Host:

And they.

Host:

They actually strategize it.

Host:

And he's, like, trying to explain.

Host:

So he has to use words.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

To explain to Ref.

Host:

He's like, well, this was.

Host:

If we did these colors, and Refn doesn't know what green.

Host:

So he's like, sitting there.

Host:

He's like, well, I think this type of color grade, and this is why it would work.

Host:

And so Refn sitting there approving.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

In real time, the color grades.

Seth:

That's fantastic.

Host:

Yeah.

Host:

It's pretty incredible considering how beautiful these movies are.

Seth:

I mean, that is something.

Seth:

And at this point, I'm really only comparing the two.

Seth:

Him and Christopher Nolan.

Seth:

But that is something I've noticed about both of their movies, is that the colors are so striking, and the contrast, especially, like, something that I love about the coloring and drive, is the contrast is both otherworldly but also incredibly natural at the same time.

Seth:

Like, you.

Seth:

You.

Seth:

You have these very dramatic shadows at times, but they.

Seth:

While they seem placed, they also seem very natural.

Seth:

Like it's.

Seth:

It's a weird juxtaposition that.

Seth:

That he and Christopher Nolan tend to follow where.

Seth:

Where the.

Seth:

The colors kind of come out of nowhere, but you're still, like.

Seth:

You're not confused by them.

Seth:

They all seem to make sense.

Host:

Yeah.

Mariana Brown:

I like how understated it all is, and I love neons.

Mariana Brown:

And especially at this time, it kind of set off this whole.

Mariana Brown:

I just wore black and neon yellow after this.

Host:

Yeah.

Mariana Brown:

Because I'm not colorblind.

Mariana Brown:

So, you know, hot pink has a whole different meaning for women, too.

Mariana Brown:

I'm like, well, I'm not that kind of person.

Mariana Brown:

But neon yellow feels really authentic.

Seth:

There you go.

Mariana Brown:

So I just.

Mariana Brown:

I liked it.

Mariana Brown:

And then this is kind of how.

Mariana Brown:

With a lot of my favorite movies, it's like a team of people that work together well.

Mariana Brown:

So I love that that's how it was described to him, the color grading.

Mariana Brown:

So it's like, you know, it's not just him that made the movie amazing.

Seth:

Yeah.

Mariana Brown:

So I like that.

Mariana Brown:

It just.

Mariana Brown:

You work with this team and everybody kind of gets what you're doing.

Seth:

Yeah.

Mariana Brown:

So it all worked.

Seth:

I mean, again, that's something that we've discussed over the last few episodes, is you can.

Seth:

You tend to see the movies get better when it's not just everybody's there and doing their job, but when everyone is 100% on board with what is happening.

Mariana Brown:

You can tell when people like it.

Seth:

Yeah.

Mariana Brown:

When they like what they're doing.

Seth:

Yeah.

Mariana Brown:

And they're probably doing it more because the passion project.

Mariana Brown:

Because, like, I wonder what people get paid on these movies when they're art house.

Seth:

Well, that's something we were talking about with the first couple of Crow movies.

Seth:

You could tell with the first Crow movie how dedicated every single person was on that set.

Seth:

And then as the movies keep going, you just keep seeing how detached everyone got from the process.

Mariana Brown:

It's like a bureaucracy at the end.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

Or they made that movie.

Seth:

Yeah.

Seth:

Literally.

Host:

Can I work from home?

Host:

You're the cameraman.

Host:

Don't care.

Seth:

Yeah, I got PAs.

Host:

Yeah.

Host:

I'm going to sit here and just eat, like Kellogg's and.

Seth:

Yeah, yeah, you guys.

Mariana Brown:

We'll get the key grip and the best boy to do it.

Host:

It's always the key grip.

Host:

Damn key grip.

Mariana Brown:

Nobody knows what a best boy is.

Seth:

The best boy doesn't know what the Best boy is.

Host:

Yeah.

Host:

Well, and on that, like, you know, Tarantino's used the same editor.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

For his whole career.

Host:

And they're, like.

Host:

They're, like, tied at the hip and, like, he just gets Tarantino.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

And same with this editor.

Host:

And some of the producers, like, these are just people that have worked with Refn, and they.

Host:

He's kind of unpredictable on set because it's funny when you hear him in interviews, he's kind of quiet and, you know.

Host:

You know, he's got this, you know, accent and he's kind of chill.

Host:

He's very artistic, like, just incredibly creative.

Host:

He's, like, really best friends with Kojima, the guy that created Metal Gear Solid.

Host:

They're like, best friends, which is why he was in Death Stranding, you know, that I didn't know Refn Hartman in Death Strand.

Seth:

There's so many big people.

Seth:

And, like, I love the fact that Guillermo del Toro's in there.

Host:

Yeah.

Host:

And Conan O'Brien.

Seth:

Yeah.

Seth:

Yeah, I forgot about that.

Mariana Brown:

Yeah.

Seth:

Conan pops up in the weirdest places.

Seth:

I don't know if you guys know this.

Seth:

Quick sidetrack.

Seth:

He won a contest that got him a walk on role in an episode of How I Met yout Mother.

Host:

Oh, really?

Seth:

He's in the background of.

Seth:

And they.

Seth:

Once they realized it was him, they were like.

Seth:

You could say.

Seth:

He's like, no, I want to just be on camera.

Seth:

I don't want to say anything.

Seth:

I just want to be there.

Seth:

And there's one episode where he is prominently displayed in the background of the bar.

Seth:

He just pops up all over the place of weirdest places.

Mariana Brown:

That's why Conan's amazing.

Seth:

Yeah.

Seth:

He's so unserious, but loves everything thing.

Mariana Brown:

Yeah, man.

Host:

So anyway, like, it's weird how quiet he is, but then when you watch footage of him on set directing, he's, like, yelling and, like, clapping, and he looks like he's gonna kill somebody.

Host:

I can't remember.

Host:

He has a nickname.

Host:

He has, like, a Japanese nickname they've given him.

Host:

But, like, on set, they refer to him as this.

Host:

And, like, he's like a different person.

Seth:

I mean, when you put someone in their element like that, that's.

Seth:

That's when the real them comes out.

Seth:

Because it's like, a lot of times the rest of it's just the mask that we do to, like, stay away from people.

Seth:

But then once.

Seth:

Once you're in it, you're just like, no, no, no.

Seth:

All bets are off.

Seth:

I'm getting exactly what I want out of this.

Mariana Brown:

Yeah, that's like, how it is when I'm on stage, I feel like I'm a completely different person.

Mariana Brown:

I'm like, oh, this is who I would be if there were no other people in the world.

Seth:

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Mariana Brown:

A crazy person.

Mariana Brown:

Yeah.

Host:

Oh, gosh, yeah.

Mariana Brown:

Throwing water.

Host:

Oh, yeah, man.

Host:

You drank a whole jug of water in my last show.

Mariana Brown:

I really did.

Host:

You were choking on air and.

Mariana Brown:

Yeah.

Host:

And then you told me after it was your worst fear.

Host:

I'm like, I'm sorry that happened on my show.

Mariana Brown:

No, I guess it needed to happen.

Mariana Brown:

You know, you got to face your fears at some point.

Mariana Brown:

Why not when you're talking in with a microphone, you know?

Host:

Sure.

Seth:

Yeah, yeah.

Host:

I like to.

Host:

I like to work it out in front of people.

Mariana Brown:

Yeah.

Mariana Brown:

The only time it works, honestly, like.

Host:

Here, I'm going to have my first aneurysm right here.

Host:

Yeah.

Host:

My brain exploding is kind of a fear I have.

Host:

Yeah.

Seth:

Mine is getting stuck in a tunnel or hole upside down, and I can't turn around.

Host:

That happened to.

Host:

What is it?

Host:

There was some story that got really popular about a guy that.

Host:

They go spelunking and some guy got stuck.

Seth:

Yeah, yeah.

Seth:

You know, I've heard about this.

Mariana Brown:

Well, a guy actually climbed into a statue once and then died upside down.

Host:

Oh, my God.

Mariana Brown:

So you could just climb into a statue?

Seth:

Yeah, no, I'm good.

Seth:

See, I won't.

Host:

But then it was a Robert E.

Host:

Lee statue, so then they tore it down and found his body and posthumously.

Host:

They labeled him a racist.

Seth:

Yeah.

Mariana Brown:

Yeah, exactly.

Mariana Brown:

Actually, I think it was a kid trying to get a TikTok video.

Mariana Brown:

You, honestly.

Host:

Yeah.

Host:

He was canceled in death.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

What a life we live.

Mariana Brown:

Aren't we all?

Host:

He should have stuck with the aneurysm.

Host:

Aneurysms aren't racist.

Host:

They don't care what color or what race or religion you are.

Seth:

No, they just hate everybody.

Mariana Brown:

They don't seem to.

Host:

We don't know.

Mariana Brown:

We don't really know yet.

Host:

There's some weird scientists out there who's like, have we done a study on this, man?

Host:

Man, aneurysms.

Host:

Love the Mormons.

Seth:

Yeah.

Seth:

Do you know any black people who died of aneurysm?

Seth:

No.

Seth:

Hates the whites.

Host:

That was a great side side note, though.

Host:

I don't remember what I was talking about.

Host:

You mentioned Cliff Martinez earlier, so this is incredible.

Host:

He was the drummer in between Jack Irons, who also played for Pearl Jam.

Seth:

Okay.

Host:

He was in between.

Host:

You know, Pearl Jam had 94 drummers.

Host:

That's an exaggeration, but I think it's like 21 drummers.

Mariana Brown:

91.

Host:

Yeah.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

91 in one day.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

Yeah.

Host:

It was called Drummer Fest.

Host:

It was weird.

Host:

And then they played Little Drummer Boy because it was Christmas.

Host:

It was weird.

Seth:

Brought all of them out at the same time.

Host:

Yeah.

Host:

Pearl Jam sucks.

Host:

No, I'm kidding.

Mariana Brown:

I love Pearl Jam.

Host:

Yeah.

Seth:

But get ready for the Pearl Jam fans to come after you.

Seth:

The way the deftone fans.

Mariana Brown:

He does not represent me.

Mariana Brown:

I love Pearl Jam.

Host:

I love their first three records.

Seth:

He loves the Deftones.

Host:

The Pearl Jam.

Seth:

Yeah.

Mariana Brown:

I'm the lesbian Eddie Vedder.

Host:

Oh, be there.

Host:

Raise your hand.

Host:

Pearl.

Host:

It's perfect.

Mariana Brown:

Absolutely.

Host:

You can't move your mouth when you sing.

Host:

Pearl.

Host:

Pearl.

Seth:

It's nothing but vowels.

Seth:

And you can't move your mouth, girl.

Mariana Brown:

He like, if a dog were singing.

Host:

Yes.

Host:

Cliff Martin.

Seth:

Eddie Vedder is just a husky on stage.

Host:

This is amazing.

Host:

This is what happens when you get three comedians on a couch.

Seth:

Yeah.

Seth:

Two couches.

Host:

So the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Host:

Cliff Martinez was the drummer in between Irons and Chad Smith.

Host:

Yeah.

Host:

So anyway, and he said that when he did this film.

Host:

So first of all, they did a lot of the movie without him.

Host:

So.

Host:

And the way they were kind of curating the feel was they would do a playlist.

Host:

Ryan Gosling would drive around LA and listen to it, and he would curate songs, and that was how they established the field.

Host:

But they actually.

Host:

It was like a.

Host:

It was a fourth quarter decision to get Martinez in.

Seth:

Oh, wow.

Host:

And he said before this movie he didn't get a lot of calls.

Host:

And he said after drive came out, everyone.

Host:

His phone wouldn't stop.

Host:

And so he's been endlessly busy.

Host:

Famous.

Seth:

Good for him.

Host:

Which is funny when you.

Host:

Another guy, when you hear him interviewed on the special features, he's like an introverted, creative guy.

Host:

I'm like, you were in the Red Hot Chili Peppers.

Host:

Those guys play concerts with socks on their junk.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

Like, with nothing else.

Host:

And you were like.

Host:

He's like, yeah.

Host:

I mean, Nicholas called me.

Host:

Or Nick.

Host:

They called me and Nick called me and he's like, I think I could do that.

Host:

Yeah.

Seth:

I mean, Anthony Cletus is kind of the same way.

Seth:

Like, if you just watch him get interviewed when he's not on drugs.

Host:

Is that the Arkansas version of Anthony Kiedis?

Seth:

Oh, is that his name?

Seth:

I thought there was in there.

Host:

Yeah.

Seth:

My bad, Anthony.

Host:

That's hilarious.

Host:

Sorry, I don't.

Host:

I could help her.

Host:

Cletus.

Host:

Anthony.

Seth:

But he's like.

Seth:

He's super chill when he gets interviewed and then he gets on stage and he's like, you said sock on his junk.

Seth:

Jumping around.

Host:

Let's put a sock on and then we'll read Nietzsche.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

And two more random.

Host:

I'm telling you, I had to stop myself with these randos.

Host:

Cranston came up with the.

Host:

The demise for his character.

Host:

He told GQ magazine that he was like, he dreamt this way.

Host:

And it's a humane killing.

Host:

You know, we know you can tell by his limp that Ron Perlman's character.

Host:

These can be vicious people.

Host:

Even though they're wannabe gangsters, they're kind of like low, low level.

Host:

But he.

Host:

He didn't want to do it.

Host:

And so Cranston actually is the one that came up with this idea for the vertical.

Host:

Yeah, I guess.

Host:

Not that I know this.

Host:

This is based on research, not from experience, but apparently vertical vein cutting is fast and painless.

Seth:

My favorite Family Guy joke is when Peter is.

Seth:

Is trying to kill himself, and he's just like, which way am I supposed to cut my arms?

Seth:

And you just hear Megan in the background.

Seth:

She just.

Seth:

She's just like, sideways for attention, lengthways for results.

Mariana Brown:

Down the street.

Mariana Brown:

That's what I've always heard.

Host:

What season is that?

Seth:

Oh, God, who knows?

Seth:

It's one of the middle seasons.

Host:

Oh, I stopped at the vibe.

Mariana Brown:

That's amazing.

Host:

I should pick it back up.

Host:

And last, the driver is near silent in this movie.

Host:

116 lines of dialogue for Ryan Gosling's character in this movie.

Seth:

Maybe that's why he's such a good actor in this movie, is because he doesn't say much.

Mariana Brown:

Well, I would have thought he had 12 lines.

Mariana Brown:

Honestly, it doesn't even feel like he has 116.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

Yeah.

Mariana Brown:

But that's what I like about his character is he's not a people pleasing asshole.

Seth:

No.

Mariana Brown:

I really wish I could be more like him.

Seth:

Yeah.

Seth:

Seriously.

Mariana Brown:

I mean, not like sometimes I just.

Seth:

Need to shut up.

Mariana Brown:

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Mariana Brown:

Especially in comedy.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

Yeah.

Host:

No kidding.

Host:

Yeah.

Host:

When I'm wordsmithing jokes, I am, like, overwrought.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

I'm like.

Host:

I delete, like, paragraphs from my jokes.

Host:

Yeah.

Host:

But now I love it.

Host:

He does.

Host:

He's a very.

Host:

Actually, let's get into this with.

Host:

We're going to start the score card because this is our first category, actually.

Host:

It's actually a great segue because we will talk about Ryan Gosling.

Host:

You guys ready to drive?

Seth:

Yes.

Host:

Are we ready to war?

Host:

Work hard.

Seth:

Work hard.

Host:

Your first work car.

Host:

I can't even say it.

Host:

It's my own podcast.

Host:

I do this every episode.

Host:

War card.

Host:

How long have I been doing this?

Seth:

I mean, it has been a solid like few weeks since we've done this.

Host:

Yeah, we had to cancel for flu and all kinds of things.

Seth:

So hangover and.

Host:

Yeah, Birthday hangover.

Host:

Boy.

Seth:

Yeah, that was.

Seth:

We were up till 4am until I finally kicked everyone out.

Mariana Brown:

I wasn't invited.

Host:

I'm not gonna lie.

Seth:

Really?

Mariana Brown:

I wasn't even invited.

Mariana Brown:

And I'm telling them because you guys didn't invite me.

Mariana Brown:

I'm just kidding.

Mariana Brown:

I wouldn't have come.

Host:

And I'm.

Host:

I'm like a super judgmental father of 437 going on 65.

Host:

Just judging.

Host:

You like canceling because of a hangover.

Host:

What is.

Host:

We don't work at Dick Sporting Goods.

Host:

This is a podcast.

Seth:

If it makes you feel any better, three of the four comedian friends I didn't invite all canceled on me.

Seth:

Other than Nick Galoose.

Seth:

Shout out to Nick Galooz.

Seth:

You're a bro.

Seth:

But yeah, you canceled on me.

Host:

I didn't cancel.

Host:

I just said to remind me and you didn't remind me.

Seth:

I didn't remind you When?

Seth:

Over text.

Seth:

You even brought it up yourself.

Host:

I really did want to come.

Host:

I'm sorry.

Host:

It's probably better I didn't.

Mariana Brown:

He does have a really good excuse, though.

Mariana Brown:

He has four children.

Host:

I have four children.

Seth:

Yeah, but at the age of 10.

Mariana Brown:

That'S an excuse for anybody to do anything for me.

Mariana Brown:

I'm like, you couldn't.

Mariana Brown:

If you today, 10 minutes before I left, I'd be like, yeah, well, he has four kids.

Mariana Brown:

You were to cancel, I'd be like, yeah, he has four kids.

Host:

Here's my promise to you.

Host:

I'm going to take you out for your birthday.

Host:

Buy a big boy drink.

Host:

Old fashioned.

Host:

Just one.

Seth:

Thanks.

Mariana Brown:

Now that's a dad just talking right there.

Host:

Yeah, you're drinking that a little fast, so enjoy the flavor.

Mariana Brown:

Savor it.

Host:

Save.

Host:

That was a $14 drink.

Seth:

We haven't even.

Host:

Are we even to be able to tip top bill cast so we can finally.

Host:

Ryan Gosling and Carey Mulligan.

Seth:

Both amazing.

Mariana Brown:

Love, Carey Mulligan.

Seth:

Did we figure out what we're saying for yes or no?

Host:

Yes.

Host:

Great.

Host:

I always forget to say it.

Host:

So.

Host:

The affirmative.

Host:

Yes.

Host:

We dig it.

Host:

Like it.

Host:

I drive.

Seth:

I drive.

Seth:

Okay.

Host:

And if you didn't like it, fork to the eye.

Seth:

Hell yeah.

Host:

Because there's not a lot of dialogue to pick from.

Host:

So I kind of had to go for the second one.

Seth:

I thought you were gonna say drive and break, but okay.

Seth:

Fork to the eye that works for me.

Host:

Yeah, that was rough.

Host:

That was a rough moment.

Seth:

Love them.

Seth:

They were both incredible.

Seth:

Like I.

Seth:

Like I said at the beginning, this was the movie that convinced me Ryan Gosling could act.

Seth:

All of it was so much in his facial expressions and his body language.

Seth:

Like, as we just said, he had barely any lines in the whole movie.

Seth:

And, yeah, he is one of the few times I've seen someone carry a movie without saying much.

Seth:

So, no, I think he did a great job.

Seth:

Carey Mulligan, always amazing.

Seth:

Like, everything I've seen her in, she's crushed.

Seth:

Yeah, yeah.

Mariana Brown:

They really, like, hold space in the screen when they're saying nothing.

Mariana Brown:

There's so much said in the moments where the nobody's talking.

Mariana Brown:

I'm like, how do they do this?

Seth:

Yeah.

Mariana Brown:

Because I don't know how, but it's.

Mariana Brown:

It's almost like the way he carries himself in the scenes.

Mariana Brown:

Like, I really believe he's this guy.

Seth:

Yeah.

Mariana Brown:

Who just lives alone and he doesn't seem to have any family.

Mariana Brown:

And I don't know exactly what his story is, but I'm just like, yeah, this guy, he's a mechanic and he drives at night and does the sun.

Seth:

Driver.

Mariana Brown:

This is his life.

Mariana Brown:

If you were to tell me that was Ryan Gosling's real life that they filmed for this movie, I'd be like, yeah, yeah, believe it.

Host:

Ryan Gosling goes to the laundromat.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

Ryan Gosling just goes to McDonald's.

Host:

Yeah, they in the life.

Host:

So, yeah, I drive, I drive, I drive, I drive.

Host:

I say I drive as well.

Host:

I think one of the most interesting things I found out in the research was that refin this is.

Host:

This story is really two things in.

Host:

First, it's a fairy tale.

Host:

He's like obsessed with the grim fairy tales and hicks.

Host:

So the love story element of it is a fairy tale.

Host:

But then it's like the other part of it.

Host:

It's the hero's journey.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

But I've never heard someone so artistically but profoundly describe the hero's journey.

Host:

What he says is that it's the job of the hero.

Host:

The biggest sin that a hero can commit is not.

Host:

Not using their power or not using their.

Host:

Like that is.

Host:

But in order to be a superhero, you have to be a narcissist.

Host:

You have to be self obsessed because you won't do good in life.

Host:

Now you could argue what kind of good he's doing because he's actually a criminal.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

But he's also killing criminals.

Host:

So.

Host:

And that's the whole relativity Thing.

Host:

But at the end of the day, in order for him to become the ultra violent, sadistic guy who he really is, which in this situation is the hero, he has to play off this quiet.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

This puppy dog look and like, it makes the violence that much more.

Host:

Like to me it's not even the violence.

Host:

To me, the scariest moments when he slaps Christina Hendricks.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

And he's like trying to get info that that to me was worse than the violence.

Host:

I was like, holy.

Host:

Like.

Seth:

Well, I mean, remember when you're watching him, he clearly has his code.

Seth:

He's only going to drive you.

Seth:

He's not going to be involved in the actual crime.

Seth:

He's not going to do anything.

Seth:

The only time he gets violent is when this person he's discovered he loves is in danger.

Seth:

And so I think that's where even though it could be considered like an anti hero kind of situation.

Host:

Yeah.

Seth:

He still is this type of knight in shining armor during this movie because he's only doing the horrific things to protect someone he loves.

Host:

Yeah, that's true.

Seth:

Yeah.

Seth:

I think it's a good description.

Host:

Yeah, it's very good.

Host:

But anyway.

Host:

And Mulligan's fantastic too.

Host:

Oh my God.

Mariana Brown:

Amazing.

Mariana Brown:

Yeah.

Host:

In the book she's actually.

Host:

So there's actually a more of a Hispanic element and her name I think is.

Host:

I can't remember her name but she's like actually Hispanic and like.

Host:

But then like she really also wanted to do a ref in movies.

Host:

Like.

Host:

Ah, we'll change it to a British person.

Host:

You know, even though she's not British.

Host:

Movie, we'll take a British actress.

Host:

Why not?

Seth:

How different is the movie from the book?

Host:

It's pretty bare bones.

Host:

It's the, the language in the book is a little more hard boiled.

Seth:

Okay.

Host:

So it's written more like a hard boiled thriller.

Host:

Like what you would almost see in Heat.

Host:

But the, the bones of it are still artistic.

Host:

But you know, based on my research, like Cranston's character is a composite of like five different characters in the book.

Seth:

Okay.

Host:

The book's not very long.

Mariana Brown:

Okay.

Host:

But he has more friends, there's more group.

Host:

There's more people in his life that you meet.

Seth:

Okay.

Mariana Brown:

Okay.

Host:

Cranston's like a mixture of all the people.

Host:

They boiled him.

Seth:

I mean.

Seth:

Yeah.

Seth:

For a 15 million dollar budget, you just can't get 10 people to be part of the group.

Seth:

Yeah.

Seth:

So that makes sense.

Host:

And he needs to be a loner.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

He needs to be a lone wolf for this to work.

Host:

And so I think that's a good choice they made.

Seth:

I agree.

Host:

Supporting cast.

Host:

We got Bryan Cranston as Shannon.

Host:

We got Albert Brooks as Bernie Rose.

Host:

Oscar Isaac as Standard.

Host:

God, what a cast.

Host:

Christina Hendricks as Blanche.

Host:

Robert Pearlman is Nino.

Host:

And then the kid Caden Leos is Benicio.

Host:

He sucked.

Host:

I'm just kidding.

Seth:

He's like another Jake Lloyd.

Mariana Brown:

He's the only one that's not famous.

Seth:

Oh, my God.

Host:

Enjoy the LA River.

Mariana Brown:

He's the only one that didn't end up to be very famous, so.

Seth:

What an asshole.

Host:

I'm taking him off the list right now.

Mariana Brown:

I'm just kidding.

Mariana Brown:

He's probably like a famous something.

Mariana Brown:

He's like a famous baseball player.

Seth:

He's probably the richest out of all of them now.

Host:

Yeah.

Mariana Brown:

Yeah.

Mariana Brown:

Or he got out of Hollywood and he's just living normally.

Host:

Yeah.

Host:

In the mountains.

Seth:

Growing pot in the mountains of California.

Mariana Brown:

I'm happy for him.

Seth:

Yeah.

Seth:

I like you just said, I think it's an absolutely stacked cast.

Seth:

I think everyone brought 100% to the roles that they had.

Seth:

Like.

Seth:

Like we were saying, Bryan Cranston had just started Breaking Bad a few years before this, so that I don't think had blown up the way that it was about to.

Seth:

So he was still kind of a little under the radar.

Seth:

Most people really only knew him as the dad from Malcolm in the Middle at the time.

Seth:

So I think that was a really cool departure from what people knew him as.

Seth:

Also, he wasn't as.

Seth:

It was almost like a mixture of the two types of characters that he played before that with Breaking Bad and with Malcolm the Middle, where he's still kind of a dopey guy, but he's still very serious.

Seth:

Not necessarily the comic relief of the movie.

Seth:

He did a great job.

Seth:

Albert Brooks, literally going from the dad and Finding Nemo to being legitimately one of the most terrifying villains I've ever seen in an indie movie.

Seth:

I think he did a great job.

Seth:

Christina Hendricks would not have pegged her for this type of movie.

Seth:

Oscar Isaac, completely unrecognizable.

Seth:

Ron Perlman did what Ron Perlman does.

Seth:

I fucking loved every single person.

Mariana Brown:

That's a great way to describe Ron Perlman because he always plays Ron Perlman.

Mariana Brown:

Yeah.

Host:

He's way too distinct.

Host:

Looking to do anything else.

Host:

Yeah.

Seth:

This was Italian Ron Perlman.

Mariana Brown:

Yeah.

Mariana Brown:

Oh, man.

Mariana Brown:

I wanted to go back to what you were just saying about, like, him being a hero.

Mariana Brown:

And I've been thinking about this a lot and the hero's journey, because I love Jeffrey Campbell.

Mariana Brown:

I feel like these heroic characters when you Talk about them being narcissists.

Mariana Brown:

I feel like it.

Mariana Brown:

He's like the kind of hero that you need in a world like we live in, you know?

Mariana Brown:

So, like, he might not be the good guy, but at the end of the day, the good guy is not going to.

Mariana Brown:

A good guy isn't going to get any of this done.

Seth:

Yeah.

Mariana Brown:

You know, that's not who this woman needed.

Mariana Brown:

That's not who this child needed.

Mariana Brown:

And, like, he is who they needed.

Mariana Brown:

So I don't know.

Mariana Brown:

So I've been thinking so much about this, like, it's all good guy, bad guy dichotomy since watching it yesterday on Mushroom.

Mariana Brown:

So.

Host:

Yeah.

Mariana Brown:

Am I the bad guy?

Host:

You killed the mushroom.

Mariana Brown:

Yeah.

Host:

So.

Host:

I mean, you're the worst.

Mariana Brown:

Am I the bad guy?

Mariana Brown:

Like, I'm watching it with.

Mariana Brown:

Okay, sorry.

Mariana Brown:

What?

Host:

Supporting cast?

Seth:

Supporting cast?

Seth:

Yeah.

Mariana Brown:

Love the supporting cast.

Mariana Brown:

I love everybody that was in this movie.

Mariana Brown:

I cannot believe I did not recognize Christina Hendrix in Mad Men from this.

Seth:

Yeah.

Mariana Brown:

But I also will say there's a lot to be said about wardrobe.

Seth:

Yeah.

Mariana Brown:

Wardrobe choices.

Mariana Brown:

And it was just the timing of the movie, but I feel like in Mad Men, her wardrobe is really a whole other character.

Seth:

Oh, absolutely.

Mariana Brown:

And then I was just like, I cannot believe you can make Christina Hendricks look like a regular person.

Seth:

Yeah.

Seth:

Just wearing jeans to what you were saying.

Seth:

Her wardrobe in Mad Men, especially speaking to the time that it was representing, was definitely made to augment parts of her body.

Seth:

This was just designed to make her fit into the role of the world.

Host:

So.

Seth:

Yeah, it wasn't designed to make her look sexy or make her look ugly.

Seth:

She just was looking like a normal person.

Seth:

So, yeah, I.

Seth:

Again, same thing.

Seth:

I would not have recognized her at all just from this movie.

Host:

Yeah.

Mariana Brown:

But I will also say that that style for women at that time, it is just obviously not flattering for anybody because, like, Christina Hendricks is not even flattering for one of the most beautiful women in history, literally.

Mariana Brown:

So it did make me feel good.

Mariana Brown:

I was like, oh, thank God.

Mariana Brown:

Because all of my Pictures as a 12 year old is wearing, like a tank top and a hoodie and skinny jeans.

Host:

Yeah.

Host:

I don't know if I had distinct style.

Host:

I don't even.

Mariana Brown:

Maybe y'all wouldn't have picked up on that.

Mariana Brown:

But, like, as a woman, I was just like, oh, man.

Host:

Interesting perspective.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

Thank you.

Host:

Women for a woman's here.

Host:

Yay.

Host:

Finally, perspective that I can't bring.

Host:

Outfit.

Host:

No, it's.

Host:

It's an incredible.

Host:

It's an incredible observation.

Host:

No, I.

Host:

I love that.

Host:

So you go and I drive.

Mariana Brown:

I drive, I drive.

Host:

I'm going.

Host:

I drive too.

Host:

My favorite.

Host:

So I love Cranston.

Host:

What I love is that this is a.

Host:

Going back to a comment you made about, like, the look of Christine Hendricks.

Host:

Like, part of it too is that this is not necessarily a proficient criminal enterprise.

Host:

No, this is the lowest rung.

Host:

Like, like in Perlman is a Jewish guy in the Italian mob.

Host:

He talks about how they make fun of him and they still pinch his cheeks even though he's in his 50s.

Host:

Like, like, and I like it.

Host:

Like, Albert's competent, but you can tell that, like, he got into the mob out after filmmaking because he wanted to give it a go, you know?

Host:

Like, I was like, maybe I'll do organized crime next.

Host:

Are not the top tier guys.

Host:

These are not the.

Host:

Yeah, they're making money, but they're not exactly.

Host:

These are the earners.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

And so I think they do that really well.

Host:

And I actually think Ron Perlman, a guy that I'm kind of either or on in some stuff.

Host:

I do like him as Hellboy.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

But I, I, I love that he plays off this disappointed.

Host:

Like, in his, like the violence that he, he did against Brian Cranston's character, Shannon was probably more out of, like, embarrassment.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

Because he's already embarrassed that he's looked at because he's not Italian.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

And he's low rung guy.

Host:

But he, he talks like he's a badass womanizing and saying these horrible things because you can tell he's like a teenager that just wants to be loved.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

And so he's, he's acting that way.

Host:

And the act of violence against Shannon, I imagine in my mind was probably done out of embarrassment more than power.

Host:

So anyway, I think they play that really well.

Host:

And there's not a lot of dialogue here to go with.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

But like you said earlier, like, what they're doing without talking is fantastic.

Host:

So it's a huge idrive.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

So it's all right.

Host:

Two to zero.

Host:

I drive.

Host:

We are driving.

Host:

No, breaking.

Seth:

Driving.

Seth:

Speeding on through.

Host:

No fork in the eye.

Seth:

Not yet.

Host:

Yeah.

Host:

Writing.

Host:

And as a little reminder with writing, it was originally a Fast and Furious.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

Script.

Mariana Brown:

That's insane.

Mariana Brown:

I would not have watched it.

Seth:

Yeah.

Seth:

I wouldn't have either.

Host:

Gone in refin seconds.

Host:

Sorry.

Host:

That was, that was really bad.

Mariana Brown:

That was bad.

Mariana Brown:

You might want to cut that.

Host:

Yeah.

Host:

I'm going to shut the refin up now.

Seth:

Yeah.

Seth:

There.

Seth:

There you go.

Host:

It's not going well for me.

Seth:

I might be going against the curve here.

Seth:

But I am actually going to go fork in the eye on.

Seth:

On this.

Seth:

Okay, here is the deal.

Seth:

I think the story is beautiful.

Seth:

I think the way it's told is beautiful.

Seth:

Kind of the issue we had with Upgrade.

Seth:

I.

Seth:

I just don't think the diet.

Seth:

When there is dialogue, I'd say 70% of the time, there's nothing substantial, and it's just kind of an avenue to get to the next scene.

Seth:

So personally, I don't think the script is the strongest element of this film.

Seth:

I think the plot and the story and the characters are incredibly strong.

Seth:

But the script itself.

Seth:

I'm gonna go fork in the eye on.

Host:

Cool.

Host:

Ouch.

Host:

Fork in the eye.

Host:

It hurts.

Host:

It hurts.

Host:

My laptop died.

Host:

I'm kidding.

Mariana Brown:

I disagree.

Mariana Brown:

Fair.

Mariana Brown:

I feel like, honestly, with the visuals and everything else that was going on with the movie, especially the music, I didn't need them.

Mariana Brown:

I didn't need the words at all, honestly.

Mariana Brown:

Could have watched it on mute and known exactly what was going on.

Mariana Brown:

You're right.

Mariana Brown:

That it wasn't necessary.

Seth:

Yeah.

Mariana Brown:

And.

Mariana Brown:

But I really felt like.

Mariana Brown:

I just loved that none of these people are people pleasers.

Mariana Brown:

I loved that there was not a people pleaser in the bunch.

Seth:

Yeah.

Mariana Brown:

And I just.

Mariana Brown:

I don't know, I kind of got lost in just wanting to be this aloof all the time.

Mariana Brown:

And I was like, I just kind of wish life was this sparse of words.

Mariana Brown:

Yeah, that's not a great.

Seth:

But see, that's where.

Seth:

That's where I had the issue is when, for example, Mad Max Fury Road, well known for having as bare minimum dialogue as possible.

Seth:

The words that are said in that movie, every single time someone speaks.

Seth:

It's.

Seth:

It's a very powerful moment because you're not used to people speaking in that movie.

Seth:

In this one, when most of the people do speak, it's just kind of stuff that's happening.

Host:

Yeah.

Seth:

You have those moments where, like, he gives his rules for being the getaway driver.

Seth:

Or Ron Perlman's good little monologue about being, you know, getting his pinches, his cheeks pinched and everything.

Seth:

Or even Albert Brooks right before he kills Bryan Cranston.

Seth:

You have these moments where, yes, it's very powerful.

Seth:

But that's why I say, like, 70% of the time, I feel like when there is dialogue, it's just nothing.

Host:

It's almost functional.

Seth:

Yeah, exactly.

Seth:

So I get where you're coming from, and I agree.

Seth:

Like, the fact that most of it is told without dialogue, I think is a very, very good.

Seth:

But that's where my problem Is when there is dialogue, for the most part, it's not super powerful like the rest of the movie is.

Mariana Brown:

I feel like it creates a world that you go into where.

Mariana Brown:

This is a world where people don't use words to communicate.

Mariana Brown:

And that's kind of how I was watching it.

Mariana Brown:

But I also just like it when people shut the fuck up.

Seth:

Yeah.

Seth:

Just shut up and act.

Mariana Brown:

Kind of my favorite thing, honestly.

Mariana Brown:

But there was a movie I watched last year that had no words in it.

Mariana Brown:

And I was like, this was perfect.

Mariana Brown:

This was a perfect film.

Seth:

Oh, yeah.

Seth:

Well, my scene.

Seth:

Your film at college, literally, I had zero dialogue in the whole movie.

Mariana Brown:

I'm sure I would have been the biggest fan because I just.

Mariana Brown:

I don't.

Host:

It didn't even have a title, just a blank space.

Seth:

It had a title at the end, but not at the beginning.

Host:

Starring.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

Nobody.

Mariana Brown:

Just.

Seth:

Just five people.

Host:

The fork in the eye.

Host:

You're driving.

Mariana Brown:

Drive.

Host:

Yeah.

Host:

I go idrive, too.

Host:

Although I see your perspective, you know, in a film like this.

Host:

And what I will say is this is an ironic statement because this is Refin's most accessible movie.

Host:

Everything before and after, it is not accessible.

Host:

Like, it's very he.

Host:

Like, somehow this is very art house, but this is like limited.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

Refin.

Host:

But I do think, like, there are a few moments that shine, I think, in silence.

Host:

Like you're talking about it could be tempting to clutter with.

Host:

Like, there is so much silence.

Host:

Like, let's throw a bad.

Host:

Like there's one really almost cheesy line, but it works.

Host:

But it's when he.

Host:

When Ryan Gosling's hands are dirty and he says, you know, shake my hand.

Host:

And he goes, my hands are dirty.

Host:

He goes, so are mine.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

I was like, that was really the only above board dialogue here.

Host:

But I loved it.

Mariana Brown:

Yeah, I love that moment.

Mariana Brown:

I specifically thought about that moment when I was on my way here and it made.

Mariana Brown:

When I want to put on my driving gloves to drive.

Mariana Brown:

Not very fast.

Mariana Brown:

The complete speed limit.

Seth:

Okay.

Host:

Yeah.

Host:

I definitely think the.

Host:

This is one of those.

Host:

And I'm.

Host:

I'm usually like, writing is one of the first things I'll typically pick up on in a movie in this.

Host:

I think it was subservient to the aesthetic.

Host:

And I think it started like the soundtrack.

Host:

It's all in service to what we're seeing.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

So.

Host:

But, yeah, no, I totally get it.

Host:

And way to.

Host:

Way to go out on the limb and get a fork in the eye.

Seth:

Hey.

Host:

Love it.

Host:

All right.

Host:

Three to zero right now.

Host:

We Are driving along directing Nicholas Winding Ref.

Host:

And one fun fact I forgot to mention about Nicholas Winding Refin.

Host:

He's failed his driving exam eight times.

Host:

He doesn't have a driver's license.

Mariana Brown:

He beat me.

Mariana Brown:

I failed it four times.

Host:

Oh, wow.

Host:

I'm glad you got here okay.

Mariana Brown:

I know.

Mariana Brown:

We all are.

Seth:

Somehow.

Seth:

I didn't parallel park or back into the space and I still got my license, so.

Mariana Brown:

Yeah, well, I would have totally gotten my license if they had done that.

Mariana Brown:

If that was the test I got to take.

Host:

Literally just parallel parking.

Seth:

I was one point away from failing.

Mariana Brown:

I did pull out in the.

Mariana Brown:

You know how the lane goes like this.

Mariana Brown:

That's the lane I pulled out of the place.

Mariana Brown:

And they were like, this is an automatic failure.

Mariana Brown:

And I was like, why?

Mariana Brown:

Driving in the wrong.

Mariana Brown:

Wrong lane.

Host:

Yeah.

Host:

What about the part where you screamed at the old lady in the crosswalk?

Host:

Was that you?

Mariana Brown:

Yeah.

Host:

Get out of the way.

Host:

I'm driving.

Host:

I'm an exam here.

Host:

All right.

Host:

What do we think about the directing here, Mr.

Host:

Refn, you want to go first?

Host:

Sure.

Mariana Brown:

I loved it.

Mariana Brown:

I really, like.

Mariana Brown:

I feel like I.

Mariana Brown:

I hear what you're saying when he's in an interview and he's different and then he's this other person on set that's kind of like, I used to work on set.

Mariana Brown:

I used to work on photo shoots.

Seth:

Nice.

Mariana Brown:

And I really like people who know what they want when it makes doing your job so much easier and it makes the project easier and it makes everything go better.

Mariana Brown:

I feel like if he weren't so good at directing, it wouldn't have worked the way it did because it is so subtle.

Mariana Brown:

And that's the thing is, like, he makes the LA river look beautiful and.

Seth:

Like a fun place to be.

Seth:

Sewage filled, dry ass river.

Mariana Brown:

That's like a beautiful date.

Mariana Brown:

I'm like, what is this gorgeous life that these people live in this amazing place in Indiana?

Seth:

The only two movies that have made the LA river look cool are Drive and T2.

Host:

Yeah.

Mariana Brown:

Yeah, that's for sure.

Seth:

Yeah.

Mariana Brown:

But I'm definitely idrive here.

Seth:

Yeah, I drive as well.

Seth:

I think he did a fantastic job, despite my issues with parts of the dialogue.

Seth:

No, I think the whole package that he delivered was a very solid move.

Seth:

Like we've said, half of the emotion that's portrayed through the movie is portrayed through body.

Seth:

You know, body language and facial expressions.

Seth:

And that 100% is the directing.

Seth:

Like you, you can be the greatest actor possible, but if you aren't being given clear instructions on what you need to be emoting, it's a moot point.

Seth:

You have to have that solid director who knows, like you said, exactly what he wants and knows exactly how to tell you to get there.

Seth:

And I think he nailed it with this.

Seth:

So.

Mariana Brown:

Yeah, that drive.

Host:

Yeah.

Host:

I actually.

Host:

I give Refin.

Host:

You know, he is a top five director for me.

Host:

I actually give him a lot of credit for.

Host:

For almost curtailing.

Host:

Curtailing his sensibilities here.

Host:

I enjoy Only God Forgives, but I also hate that a lot of people are not going to like it, because I think he overindulges a little bit in some of his other films here.

Host:

He's on the cusp, but he never lets himself overindulge to where he makes it inaccessible to me.

Host:

And I still.

Host:

There's still going to be a group of people that don't want a movie like this.

Host:

They.

Host:

If they're going to watch a car movie, they're not going to want to watch one where it's a.

Host:

It's the Impala, you know.

Host:

You know, and he's strategically parking under bridges and turning his lights off and going two miles an hour.

Host:

And, you know, which, by the way, that beginning scene, I mean, it could.

Mariana Brown:

Be a short film in itself.

Mariana Brown:

Literally, though, it's like, actually a short film.

Mariana Brown:

It's 20 minutes.

Mariana Brown:

It's amazing.

Host:

And it hooked me in.

Host:

Like, I knew I was in.

Host:

I was like, that is that.

Host:

There was so.

Host:

And then the radio, like.

Seth:

Oh, yeah.

Host:

Like, why is he listening to the radio?

Mariana Brown:

That stressed me out so much, though.

Host:

Because he's going to the game.

Host:

He's gonna park and walk away.

Seth:

Yeah.

Seth:

It's just every little detail was so.

Mariana Brown:

Well thought out in that scene, but it heightens the.

Mariana Brown:

The tension.

Seth:

Yeah.

Mariana Brown:

Because you're like, why the.

Mariana Brown:

I can't hear this Billy skin.

Seth:

Why is he listening to baseball?

Mariana Brown:

I know.

Mariana Brown:

Yeah, I know.

Mariana Brown:

And how did he get a spot right there, too?

Mariana Brown:

Yeah, that's what I really want to know.

Host:

The Clippers are a basketball team.

Host:

I'm just.

Seth:

Oh, basketball.

Host:

Sorry.

Host:

I didn't want to be.

Host:

I don't want to be a dick.

Host:

Sorry.

Host:

I just.

Seth:

I'm not a sports guy.

Mariana Brown:

Was it the Dodgers?

Host:

It was the Clippers.

Mariana Brown:

Oh, the Clippers.

Host:

Clippers.

Host:

Yeah.

Mariana Brown:

I thought it was a baseball game.

Seth:

Yeah.

Seth:

Yeah, I thought so, too.

Seth:

He was wearing a baseball cap.

Seth:

That's why I thought it was a baseball game.

Host:

You can't do a getaway during a baseball game.

Seth:

No one's there.

Mariana Brown:

That's kind of a good point, actually.

Host:

Where the ninth ending no.

Mariana Brown:

Nobody's happy at baseball.

Seth:

No, I'm not.

Host:

I'm not even happy talking about it.

Host:

Gosh, now I feel like a jerk for correcting people.

Host:

Sorry.

Host:

I don't like to correct people about.

Mariana Brown:

I didn't even notice you correcting him.

Mariana Brown:

I was just like, oh, we were wrong.

Mariana Brown:

He was wrong.

Host:

Okay.

Seth:

You were much nicer than the people on Instagram.

Host:

I know, I know.

Host:

That would have been a.

Host:

That would have been a dead animal in the mail.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

Yeah.

Host:

But yes.

Host:

I'm just hearkening back.

Host:

It's like, three weeks ago.

Host:

Are you a sports guy?

Host:

Like, not really.

Host:

I was like, oh, my example's gonna die.

Seth:

Yeah.

Seth:

I enjoy them.

Seth:

I just don't seek them out.

Host:

Yeah.

Host:

So in terms of direct.

Host:

So I like that he quelled some of the sensibilities that he has.

Host:

But I also think you said something really wonderful.

Host:

Wonderful.

Host:

Earlier that you can tell when people are in.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

And, like, people were just in.

Host:

And Refin.

Host:

Although he's.

Host:

He's visually not like Coppola, he shares the same mentality, which is.

Host:

Coppola was willing to lose his entire livelihood for Apocalypse Now.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

He was willing to sell the winery.

Host:

He literally invested all the money he made from Godfather into Apocalypse Now.

Host:

He was suicidal while he was making it.

Host:

Like, Refn has that same artistic tenacity.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

And it's.

Host:

It's actually like, I wish I had this alter ego of, like, I'm super, like, rule follower, people pleaser.

Host:

But I really want to be a guy with tattoos on my face who screams at people to get my vision made.

Host:

Like, I want to be that guy, but I can't.

Host:

So, like, Refn is kind of like, I.

Host:

It's.

Host:

You said spirit animal.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

Kind of like those two directors share that sensibility, and I love that.

Host:

So.

Host:

And you can tell these people were super in.

Host:

Like, you're not going to want to make a movie like this if you're not in.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

And you can see it.

Host:

So I give them a huge, huge eye drive.

Seth:

Yeah.

Mariana Brown:

Not to mention I feel like they filmed a lot of this at, like, 1:00am oh, yeah.

Mariana Brown:

Like, on the streets.

Mariana Brown:

Some horrible hours on these call sheets.

Mariana Brown:

They were like call times 5pm that's when you get to work.

Seth:

It's kind of like Helms Deep in Lord of the Rings.

Seth:

Like, there was an entire Helms Deep crew because it was nothing but night shoots.

Seth:

And everyone said that you could tell who was on that night shoot because they were so pale and so dejected.

Seth:

Anytime you saw them walking during the day.

Host:

Yeah.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

I can't imagine.

Mariana Brown:

Daywalker.

Mariana Brown:

Yeah, that's one of them.

Seth:

A bit of a day walker, myself.

Mariana Brown:

I know.

Seth:

What is that from Shane Gillis's special?

Mariana Brown:

Oh, my God.

Mariana Brown:

I watched that yesterday.

Mariana Brown:

That's so funny.

Host:

That's awesome.

Mariana Brown:

I'm a bit of a day walker.

Host:

All right, four to zero.

Host:

We are still driving.

Seth:

Hell, yeah.

Host:

We are in overdrive at this point.

Host:

Oh, I hate myself.

Host:

What's in front of us?

Host:

Cinematography, production design, sound and costumes.

Host:

Yeah, the visual feast.

Seth:

Huge drive for me.

Seth:

Everything like.

Seth:

Like we've all said, this is a very visual movie.

Seth:

It's.

Seth:

It's not about the dialogue.

Seth:

It's.

Seth:

It's not even about the music as much as the music does help it.

Seth:

But it's.

Seth:

It's all about physically what you're seeing in front of you.

Seth:

You.

Seth:

The tasteful use of slow motion in certain scenes where it needed to be used.

Seth:

But also just.

Seth:

Just the stunning, like.

Seth:

Like we said earlier, the stunning color grading and the fact that he is colorblind.

Seth:

And so he's really just relying on a bunch of other people to make sure that what he's putting out is at least believable for this type of movie.

Seth:

It's not a sci fi movie, so you don't have a lot of out of nowhere kind of weird lighting, but he.

Seth:

He makes street lights feel ethereal in a way.

Seth:

So 100.

Seth:

For me, it's all, I'll drive.

Host:

Yeah, I love that.

Mariana Brown:

I feel the same way.

Mariana Brown:

I drive on this one.

Mariana Brown:

There's just so much substance.

Mariana Brown:

Yeah, there's so much substance in the movie because it wouldn't have worked if it was just beautiful.

Mariana Brown:

It wouldn't have worked if it just had good music or it just had good acting.

Mariana Brown:

Like, I've seen so many good portions of movies.

Seth:

Yeah.

Mariana Brown:

Or so many movies that have good parts.

Mariana Brown:

And I don't really like to criticize a lot of things because I know how hard it is to make something like that.

Mariana Brown:

So I really try to just pick out the things I like in anything and then that's what I focus on.

Mariana Brown:

Yeah, but.

Mariana Brown:

But it just all worked together so well.

Mariana Brown:

And honestly, something that was very confusing about Carey Mulligan's character to me was when she was wearing her Denny's costume.

Mariana Brown:

It was kind of threw me off because I couldn't tell if she was getting ready for a date or is, oh, that's the lawyer that came over to the apartment.

Mariana Brown:

Like, what's going on?

Mariana Brown:

Yeah.

Mariana Brown:

And then, you know, when he.

Mariana Brown:

At the Very beginning after that long beginning scene.

Mariana Brown:

And then all of a sudden, he's wearing a cop uniform.

Seth:

Yeah.

Mariana Brown:

For like a minute, you're like, he's a cop.

Seth:

Yeah, yeah.

Mariana Brown:

And then all of a sudden, you're like, oh, my God, he's in the movies.

Mariana Brown:

And then it just keeps going up from there, and you're just like, this guy's a genius.

Seth:

Yeah.

Mariana Brown:

But it all just.

Mariana Brown:

It just works.

Mariana Brown:

And I don't even know if you can, like, predict that happening when you're plotting a movie out.

Mariana Brown:

I feel like a lot of it is luck.

Seth:

Oh, 100%.

Mariana Brown:

And I feel like a lot of it is editing.

Seth:

Something Seth Rogen said as my spirit animal.

Seth:

I love the fact that he.

Seth:

That he said this because I forget.

Seth:

I think it might have been Dolittle.

Seth:

That.

Seth:

Because he was a script doctor on Dolittle.

Seth:

He was uncredited, but tried to fix the script, and apparently it just was unfixable.

Seth:

And the person he was talking to asked him if he was surprised that the movie turned out so badly, and he goes, no, I'm shocked when a movie comes out good because I know how many millions of pieces have to align for a movie to come out even decent.

Seth:

So, yeah, like, you're saying the fact that all of the elements work so well together because.

Seth:

Yeah, like I said, if we're just.

Seth:

If we're just looking at the writing, it's all right.

Seth:

It's not bad, but it's all right.

Seth:

But the fact that it works in tandem with the music, that works in tandem with the visuals, that works in tandem with the acting, and everything all just comes together to form such a beautiful thing.

Seth:

Yeah.

Seth:

It really is the luck of every single one of those pieces coming together so well.

Mariana Brown:

I think I understand why a lot of my favorite directors keep things very, very simple.

Mariana Brown:

And like Alfred Hitchcock, it's just, like, simple storyline, simple sets, simple wardrobe, not a lot of dialogue, you know, and it's just.

Mariana Brown:

It makes that much more powerful because you're like, well, yeah, this isn't just watching somebody sitting on the couch doing.

Seth:

Drugs or something, you know, and every time you add an element, it just comes.

Seth:

Complicates things.

Host:

Yeah.

Host:

When you know what you want, it's really.

Host:

It's awesome.

Host:

Yeah, it's awesome.

Host:

And I think.

Host:

I think there's just so much strange synergy that happens here.

Host:

Like the fact that Cliff Martinez wasn't added till later, and.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

Like, he's so in tune with what this movie was about.

Host:

Like, it's kind of weird to hear like, you know, like a composer that's like, I know what this is.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

Like, people that were financing the movie wanted to take their name off of it.

Host:

He's like the Red Hot Chili Pepper second drummer.

Host:

He is like, I know what this is.

Mariana Brown:

Yeah.

Host:

And you hear him talk about it in the special features about.

Host:

He just like him and Ref in.

Host:

They just knew what this movie was.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

And I love that this is an art house film.

Host:

We'll call it a moderate art house film.

Host:

But yet the jacket, the Scorpio jacket, was so permeated in culture.

Seth:

Oh, yeah.

Host:

All of a sudden, I'm hearing all kinds of music that, like.

Host:

I feel like people were making playlists based on this soundtrack.

Seth:

100.

Seth:

They're all over Spotify.

Host:

Yes.

Host:

And, like, neon.

Host:

Yeah, Neon stuff.

Host:

Like, I don't know why.

Host:

I can't really describe it, but, like.

Seth:

Well, this was definitely the first kind of.

Seth:

Not first, but one of the.

Seth:

The first neon noir of this new era that we've had.

Seth:

So.

Seth:

Yeah, I could totally see that.

Host:

Yeah.

Host:

You're seeing it.

Host:

And it's just crazy.

Host:

Like, this was a.

Host:

This was a movie like, people were abandoning.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

And they're like.

Host:

And now it's like a pop culture phenomenon.

Host:

And people probably haven't thought of Refn since because the other movies he made were not nearly as accessible, which I love, but I would expect no one else to love.

Host:

You know, they're mine.

Mariana Brown:

I know.

Mariana Brown:

I really liked the Neon Demon, but I don't think anybody else did.

Host:

That's.

Mariana Brown:

Yeah.

Host:

That's not.

Mariana Brown:

I think it might just be me.

Host:

Yeah.

Host:

Spoiler alert.

Host:

When they start eating each other, when all of a sudden they're cannibalizing her.

Host:

I haven't seen it, so it's crazy.

Host:

It's.

Host:

It's intense.

Host:

It's like, wow.

Host:

Yeah.

Mariana Brown:

It's for me.

Host:

It's my special.

Mariana Brown:

It's not for you.

Host:

It's my little Neon Demon.

Mariana Brown:

My Neon Demon.

Mariana Brown:

I know.

Mariana Brown:

Sometimes I do like movies just because of that.

Host:

Yeah.

Host:

It's like, no one else will like it.

Host:

I will.

Host:

Damn it.

Host:

I will.

Host:

I can fix him.

Mariana Brown:

That is totally.

Mariana Brown:

I can fix him.

Mariana Brown:

Energy.

Mariana Brown:

Energy.

Mariana Brown:

Yeah.

Mariana Brown:

Women.

Mariana Brown:

Get it.

Host:

That's amazing.

Host:

Cool.

Host:

Oh, wow.

Host:

We're at five.

Host:

We got two categories left.

Host:

Can we make it five to zero?

Seth:

See if we can get the queen sweep.

Host:

Queen sweep here.

Host:

How good are those bad guys?

Host:

Huh?

Mariana Brown:

They're great.

Mariana Brown:

Yeah.

Seth:

You go first.

Mariana Brown:

Okay.

Mariana Brown:

I love a bad guy.

Mariana Brown:

Big fan of the Mob as the bad guys.

Mariana Brown:

It's very easy to pin it on them.

Mariana Brown:

I don't know.

Mariana Brown:

I mean, they're all kind of bad guys.

Mariana Brown:

Guys at the end of the day, you know, like everyone in the movie is kind of a bad guy.

Mariana Brown:

That's kind of what I like about it is it's.

Mariana Brown:

That's what makes it real.

Mariana Brown:

It's like the kid, the child is not a bad guy.

Mariana Brown:

You're right.

Mariana Brown:

And Carey Mulligan's character is not a bad guy either.

Seth:

I feel like she's almost a bad guy by association though, because she knows who her husband is.

Mariana Brown:

But at the same time, you're already kind of like roped into it.

Mariana Brown:

She.

Mariana Brown:

She probably didn't know that before.

Mariana Brown:

Maybe.

Mariana Brown:

Well, I guess there's no way for us to know.

Mariana Brown:

And that's kind of what I like.

Mariana Brown:

They leave a lot of questions.

Seth:

They do.

Mariana Brown:

They have no idea.

Mariana Brown:

Like, why did they get together?

Seth:

Yeah.

Mariana Brown:

What happened to Oscar Isaac?

Mariana Brown:

Like, first you want to hate Oscar Isaac and then you're like, wait a minute, there's more to this story.

Seth:

Yeah.

Mariana Brown:

This guy isn't just some guy that got locked up for no reason.

Mariana Brown:

And yeah, you know, he did also.

Seth:

Have sex with a 17 year old.

Mariana Brown:

Oh, yeah.

Seth:

She was 17 when they met.

Host:

I forgot about that.

Host:

Oh, you gotta just snake that in.

Host:

They do.

Mariana Brown:

Yeah, they do.

Seth:

Yeah.

Seth:

Because then he's like.

Seth:

And then a year later you popped out.

Seth:

I'm like, oh, okay.

Mariana Brown:

That is a good point.

Mariana Brown:

They do give us more to that story.

Seth:

But still just a little.

Seth:

Just enough that you're not questioning it, but you still have those questions of like, there's so much more there.

Seth:

Why did he get arrested?

Seth:

What he.

Seth:

What did he do?

Seth:

Why is she still with him despite all of this?

Seth:

Like.

Seth:

No, I agree with you.

Seth:

There's a lot of questions, but they're good questions.

Seth:

They're not confusing questions that.

Seth:

That ruin the movie because I'm still asking these things.

Host:

Yeah.

Mariana Brown:

But also, like, why does he help them?

Mariana Brown:

You know, why does he.

Mariana Brown:

He loves this woman, but at the same time, it's like it's just.

Host:

Have her.

Mariana Brown:

Yeah, yeah, exactly.

Mariana Brown:

It's like it's just your neighbor and at the end of the day, like, you're helping out her husband so that she's okay.

Host:

And he was a major dick to him when they first met.

Mariana Brown:

Oh, yeah.

Mariana Brown:

Oh, man.

Seth:

My.

Mariana Brown:

I would have been too.

Mariana Brown:

Oh, yeah.

Seth:

My assumption is he, while falling in love with her, also realized how fucked up of a situation the kid was in and everything.

Seth:

He did be it.

Seth:

You know, Even though a lot of it was for her was also for him because like my little headcanon that I like to have is that he had a troubled childhood.

Seth:

That's why he's a loner.

Seth:

That's why he's in one of the most dangerous industries you can be in on top of being a getaway driver.

Seth:

So it's like to me, he probably because, you know, they're in the elevator and the kid's just having a stare down with him and it's hilarious.

Seth:

But like, I feel like he has such a internal connection with the kid on top of falling in love with the mother that I think the majority of the reason he did these things was to make sure the kid ended up with some sort of.

Seth:

Sort of stability.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

Kind of a man child archetype.

Seth:

Yeah, exactly.

Seth:

So, yeah, that's.

Seth:

That's where I think that is.

Host:

That makes total sense.

Seth:

As far as the bad guys are concerned.

Seth:

I love Albert Brooks and I love Ron Perlman.

Seth:

All the other, like, henchmen dudes were just overacted in so many ways.

Host:

Yeah.

Seth:

Which again, kind of worked for the ethereal, not quite absurdity, but ethereal nature of the film.

Seth:

So I am going to give it a very, very squeaked overdrive.

Seth:

But like at a 5.1 versus like overwhelming drive.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

Well, you just made up your own number scale.

Seth:

I did.

Host:

5.1 out of what, like 74?

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

A 5.1 out of 74 squeaked over.

Host:

No, I get it.

Host:

I get that.

Host:

You're right.

Host:

Like anytime, like a guy's in a wife beater as a henchman.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

You know, they got like a whole closet on every set in la.

Host:

Just the, the wife beaters for the henchmen.

Seth:

Exactly.

Host:

Oh, we got a, we got a guy with an accent, he's a henchman, but he doesn't have a wife beater on.

Host:

This movie's going nowhere.

Seth:

Yeah.

Seth:

And he's just like a stereotypical like sleaze bag, strip club like manager.

Seth:

Like.

Seth:

Okay.

Host:

Yeah, yeah, it was a little bit of a cut out.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

What do you think?

Mariana Brown:

I agree.

Mariana Brown:

I.

Mariana Brown:

I love Ron Perlman.

Seth:

Yeah.

Mariana Brown:

I'm kind of obsessed with Ron Perlman.

Mariana Brown:

Actually.

Mariana Brown:

I will watch anything.

Mariana Brown:

I've watched Sons of Anarchy like six times.

Host:

Because I need to watch that.

Host:

I haven't seen the first three episodes five times.

Mariana Brown:

Oh, wow.

Host:

Yeah.

Mariana Brown:

You're ready to what?

Mariana Brown:

You're ready for the rest?

Host:

Maybe I'll make it to the fourth and watch it nine times.

Mariana Brown:

Yeah, no, I really highly recommend continuing down that path.

Mariana Brown:

It's not like good.

Mariana Brown:

It's just fun.

Mariana Brown:

But.

Mariana Brown:

Yeah.

Mariana Brown:

I just.

Mariana Brown:

I don't know.

Mariana Brown:

I like the bad guys.

Mariana Brown:

I.

Mariana Brown:

I feel like.

Mariana Brown:

I wish that there was a little bit more plot and, like, development.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

I'm sorry.

Mariana Brown:

These are coming off my head.

Mariana Brown:

I have a tiny head.

Host:

It's curls.

Mariana Brown:

Tiny head.

Mariana Brown:

I know.

Mariana Brown:

I'm trying to keep my curls alive.

Host:

They just keep expanding.

Mariana Brown:

I know.

Host:

Good.

Mariana Brown:

I just want them to be a full circle by the end of this.

Seth:

There we go.

Mariana Brown:

Yeah.

Mariana Brown:

Man.

Host:

I.

Mariana Brown:

There's nobody better than Ron Perlman as a bad guy.

Mariana Brown:

I mean, he's even the bad guy in Pacific Ring.

Mariana Brown:

Him so good.

Seth:

I love that.

Mariana Brown:

So good in that.

Mariana Brown:

I know.

Mariana Brown:

He's so good in everything, and.

Mariana Brown:

I don't know.

Mariana Brown:

I saw a cat the other day look just like Ron Perlman.

Host:

Big jaw.

Host:

Huh.

Host:

He's a huge cat.

Mariana Brown:

Looks like a mountain lion.

Seth:

I love it.

Mariana Brown:

Yeah.

Mariana Brown:

But, yeah, he.

Mariana Brown:

He is all bottom jaw, that guy.

Seth:

Y.

Mariana Brown:

His face is like that.

Mariana Brown:

It goes that way.

Host:

Yeah.

Mariana Brown:

What was the question?

Host:

How about those bad guys?

Seth:

Driver or fork in the eye?

Mariana Brown:

Oh, drive.

Mariana Brown:

I think they're great.

Mariana Brown:

Yeah, but they're kind of like clunky people.

Host:

Yeah.

Seth:

That's where I'm like, it just squeaks over for me.

Seth:

Like, it's definitely.

Seth:

It definitely works.

Seth:

But again, if you were focused on that, by itself wasn't the greatest, but in the conglomerate of this entire movie, it worked.

Host:

Yeah.

Mariana Brown:

Why did they have to kill him?

Mariana Brown:

Why did they have to kill them at the end?

Mariana Brown:

Why can't they just let them go?

Seth:

Spoiler alert.

Mariana Brown:

There was a lot of spoilers.

Host:

So it was:

Mariana Brown:

Yeah, that was a while ago, too.

Host:

Yeah.

Host:

Go watch it.

Seth:

I mean, it's the tragic hero's ending.

Mariana Brown:

Like, I know why they have to.

Host:

Kill who at the end.

Seth:

Ryan Gosling.

Host:

He doesn't die.

Mariana Brown:

Yeah, but they.

Mariana Brown:

But they were going after him to kill him.

Mariana Brown:

He kills Albert Brooks.

Mariana Brown:

Well, spoilers.

Mariana Brown:

Now.

Seth:

I thought.

Seth:

I thought that the ending was him with having, like, his stomach opened up and he's just, like, dying.

Mariana Brown:

He blames.

Host:

Yeah.

Host:

But then he drives out.

Host:

He's driving out of the woods.

Host:

He's escaping.

Host:

He's leaving town.

Seth:

Oh, I'm.

Seth:

Must have missed that.

Mariana Brown:

I think he made it.

Seth:

I was in bed when I watched this.

Host:

Sorry.

Host:

I.

Host:

I mean, maybe.

Host:

Maybe you're right.

Host:

But I.

Host:

I think.

Host:

I think, personally, the widest interpretation is that he survives.

Host:

Then that's a gnarly wound.

Host:

And there's a second book.

Host:

I mean, not that.

Host:

Not that ref car.

Host:

So he's never making His.

Mariana Brown:

Benio's book.

Host:

Yeah, Benio.

Host:

Yeah.

Host:

Yeah.

Host:

He actually chases him, actually.

Host:

He was.

Host:

He actually is the leader.

Host:

He's the guy that's pinching the cheeks.

Host:

He's like, he's the leader.

Host:

He's not actually a child.

Host:

He's.

Host:

He's a little person.

Seth:

Yeah.

Seth:

Spoiler alert.

Seth:

It's actually Peter Dinklage.

Mariana Brown:

He takes off the mask.

Host:

Yeah.

Mariana Brown:

Yeah.

Host:

So are you driving on this one?

Mariana Brown:

Yeah, drive.

Host:

Cool.

Host:

Cool.

Host:

I.

Host:

I dig it too.

Host:

And I actually like what you said.

Host:

It's always funny with henchmen, isn't it?

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

We should write a whole book just called it's always funny with Henchmen.

Host:

We should write a book about henchmen.

Host:

The people that get beat up in the bar, playing pool in the background, you know, like the random bar fly.

Host:

Like, there's all these like ancillary characters that are almost in.

Host:

And it's so funny for ref to just kind of like, we need henchmen, you know, and.

Host:

But I do.

Host:

There's enough here for me to give it idrive because I love you said clunky.

Host:

They're clunky by design.

Host:

Yeah.

Host:

These are low level guys.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

One of them's not even Italian.

Host:

And like, they're, They're.

Host:

They themselves feel like they have stuff to prove because they're out of their own element.

Host:

And.

Host:

And like, like, although I agree on the strip club guy, at the same time, like, that is kind of like there's this leeching that happens around criminal activity.

Host:

You have the organization, but then you have the people that leech off of it and they're like the small time criminals.

Host:

Like, it festers in that way.

Host:

And like Blanche, like, I like Blanche because she's completely incompetent.

Host:

Like.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

Why is she in this world?

Host:

Like, I just want a coke, you know?

Host:

And she's just so, like, she's just.

Host:

She just doesn't feel like she's supposed to be there.

Host:

And like he's.

Host:

Whatever his name is, is yelling at her.

Host:

You know, Christina Hinton Hendrix's character.

Host:

There's just.

Host:

I.

Host:

I do think there is a little bit of a natural feel to that, but I do agree that it's like just funny when you have like the cutouts with the wife beaters and wife beaters and leather jackets, man, what are you gonna do?

Host:

But I.

Seth:

Give me some Canadian tuxedos.

Host:

Yeah.

Mariana Brown:

That was a great Canadian tuxedo, by the way.

Host:

Yes.

Mariana Brown:

And I will say this inspired how men have dressed 100 for 10 to 15 years.

Mariana Brown:

Honestly, Ryan Gosling.

Mariana Brown:

And it's a good interpretation.

Mariana Brown:

You should listen.

Host:

Yeah, yeah.

Host:

This and there will be blood.

Seth:

Huh?

Host:

This and there will be blood.

Host:

I saw.

Host:

I saw a lot of.

Mariana Brown:

That's a good observation for East Nashville.

Host:

It was weird.

Host:

I was like, I go to a coffee shop in East Nashville.

Host:

Like, that guy struck oil.

Seth:

I drink your latte struck oil and does porn with that mustache.

Host:

Yeah.

Mariana Brown:

That's what Brooklyn was like that too.

Seth:

Yeah.

Seth:

I can imagine.

Host:

Yeah.

Mariana Brown:

Going to work at the farm.

Host:

I can imagine.

Host:

Yeah.

Seth:

You're six zero.

Host:

You pull a lot of radishes out there in Brooklyn.

Host:

Yeah, yeah.

Host:

Six zero.

Seth:

From my rooftop farm.

Host:

Yes.

Host:

Yes.

Host:

Yeah, we're at six zero.

Host:

And I was trying to think of ahead.

Host:

I'm meandering.

Host:

I don't need to finish any points about how good are those bad guys, huh?

Host:

Albert Brooks, though.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

Not being typecast here, playing outside of his archetype.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

Low level comedian, typically under acts in his roles.

Seth:

Very terrifying villain.

Host:

Terrifying because you.

Host:

You are left wondering what he's capable of because he's underselling everything.

Seth:

Oh, yeah, yeah.

Host:

But then he tells the story about how Shannon's hip got broken.

Host:

You're like, yeah.

Host:

Oh, Even.

Seth:

Even when he kills Shannon, I love the fact that you can tell he doesn't want to, but still does it because he has to.

Host:

I wanted my name on the car.

Host:

Yeah.

Seth:

That was such a good monologue.

Seth:

See, that's what I'm saying.

Seth:

Like those moments, there's like four or five of them through the whole movie where it's just like, this is some inspired writing and then the rest of it's just kind of there.

Host:

Yeah.

Host:

And Cranston's kind of a fleabag.

Host:

He's kind of just like.

Host:

He leeches on and he.

Host:

And he tries to get away with screwing people over, and then he gets killed and he gets hurt.

Host:

Like, he's just really bad at this.

Seth:

Yeah.

Mariana Brown:

So he always plays the same guy.

Mariana Brown:

Honestly.

Host:

Yeah.

Mariana Brown:

Brian Cranston.

Mariana Brown:

I don't know what Malcolm in the Middle is like.

Mariana Brown:

Is he like a fleabag?

Host:

No, he's hilarious.

Host:

Drug dealer.

Seth:

He's a very derpy dad, and it's amazing.

Host:

Typical dumb white dad.

Seth:

Yeah.

Seth:

It's on Hulu.

Seth:

You should definitely watch.

Host:

Very funny.

Mariana Brown:

Yeah, I won't watch it, but yeah.

Seth:

If you just watch the pilot, you'll get his whole character from the show.

Mariana Brown:

I can watch one.

Host:

Watch the first three episodes seven times.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

And then see how it goes.

Seth:

They're 20 minutes each, so it's way easier.

Seth:

Easier than watch them 12 times, you.

Host:

Know, while the popcorn's popping.

Host:

All right, six to O.

Host:

Vehicular manslaughter.

Host:

I, I pull this category out for every car, any, anything that has to do with cars, so.

Host:

But we got a different interpretation of the car genre here.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

What do we think?

Seth:

I mean, are we just talking the cars in general?

Seth:

Like what.

Host:

Yeah, the, the chase scenes, the use of cars, what cars are in it?

Host:

I mean.

Host:

Yeah, yeah.

Host:

Anything has to do with if it has a motor.

Host:

You can judge budget.

Seth:

So I love the fact that his daily driver is a classic car.

Seth:

And.

Seth:

But, but when he is doing the crimes, he's purposefully looking for the least despicable car.

Seth:

Like, I love that.

Seth:

It's, it's so.

Seth:

Because that was something I never thought of until I saw this movie for the first time was when he gets in the Impala, he's just like, oh yeah, the, the most popular car of the year in la.

Seth:

And I was like, like, oh, right.

Seth:

Yeah, he's trying.

Seth:

Cuz most of these movies, they're, they're doing the heist with the fancy car and it's like the police would be able to spot that in a second.

Seth:

The fact that they could spot a silver Impala from a helicopter in that opening scene is just like crazy that they're like, oh, no, that's the one.

Seth:

Like, that's definitely the one.

Seth:

I don't know.

Seth:

I, Yeah, I, I think the fact that his daily driver is anything other than a regular car and all the other cars, I think it's great.

Seth:

So I'll give it a drive.

Mariana Brown:

Yeah, I love that it's the Impala.

Mariana Brown:

I love the beginning scene because of that.

Mariana Brown:

I love that they explain why he's driving the Impala.

Seth:

Yeah.

Mariana Brown:

But I also love that the other bad guy car is a Bentley.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

Yeah.

Mariana Brown:

I mean, that's kind of fun to watch that car chase scene too.

Seth:

Wait, no, no, no.

Seth:

You mean the Chrysler 300?

Mariana Brown:

No, it's not a Bentley.

Mariana Brown:

No, it, no, sorry, it's not a Bentley.

Mariana Brown:

I thought it was a Rolls Royce.

Host:

It's a Ford Raptor.

Host:

I'm sorry.

Seth:

In that car chase scene after he drives in reverse.

Seth:

So yeah, that's, that's a hundred % a Chrysler 300 when Oscar Isaac dies.

Seth:

Huh?

Host:

I don't know cars.

Seth:

No, It's a Chrysler 300 because I, I drove three Chrysler minivans, so I know what the Chrysler logo looks like.

Seth:

And honestly, I've been wanting to get a Chrysler 300 at some point.

Seth:

They don't make them anymore.

Seth:

But the reason they're so popular is because they look like Bentleys.

Mariana Brown:

Sorry.

Mariana Brown:

It looks like a Rolls Royce.

Seth:

Either way, they look like a fancier car than they are.

Mariana Brown:

It's the car that she drives in Hacks.

Mariana Brown:

Did y'all watch Hacks?

Seth:

I did not.

Mariana Brown:

Okay.

Seth:

It's everyone I've talked to who wants a Chrysler 300 wants it because it looks like a Bentley or a Rolls Royce or a fancier car.

Seth:

But I recognize the Chrysler logo on it.

Seth:

And I was like, oh, that makes sense.

Seth:

You.

Seth:

They could afford to rent that one and possibly wreck it.

Host:

Can we just talk about how I.

Host:

You have zero kids, but you've had almost as.

Host:

You've had almost as many minivans as.

Host:

I have kids.

Host:

Kids.

Seth:

But remember, I worked on film for years and I could put an entire film set in the back of a minivan.

Seth:

It's a truck with a roof.

Host:

That's true.

Mariana Brown:

Minivans do drive really well.

Mariana Brown:

And they're low to the ground.

Host:

I love mine.

Seth:

So nice.

Host:

I have more room in it.

Host:

I have a Camry.

Host:

I'm 63 and I drive a Camry.

Host:

It's a lot of knee pain.

Host:

So you drive?

Mariana Brown:

I drive.

Host:

You like and you like the Chrysler 300?

Mariana Brown:

I like it.

Mariana Brown:

I mean, I thought it was a fancier car.

Mariana Brown:

It looks real heavy.

Seth:

That's the point.

Seth:

They look that way.

Seth:

And that's.

Seth:

There's such a beautiful.

Mariana Brown:

Oh, there's.

Mariana Brown:

But then he's.

Mariana Brown:

He's being chased in a Mustang, which I think is kind of cool because I hate Mustangs because I from Alabama, and everyone driving a Mustang's driving it wrong.

Seth:

And it's.

Seth:

It's even like a very inconspicuous Mustang.

Seth:

It's not even like a cool one.

Seth:

Like, he purposefully is using a shitty looking Mustang.

Mariana Brown:

Exactly.

Seth:

Because they're just trying to commit a crime.

Mariana Brown:

Oh.

Mariana Brown:

We'll also note, love all the old classic cars in the garage.

Mariana Brown:

Big fan of that.

Mariana Brown:

Even though they're very sparsely shown.

Mariana Brown:

I just think I like that they did incorporate other cars in the movie.

Seth:

I love that moment where he's like, sell him that car.

Mariana Brown:

I know, I know.

Mariana Brown:

I'm like, God, sell me that car.

Mariana Brown:

Yeah, those cars are awesome.

Mariana Brown:

But yeah, I just.

Mariana Brown:

I don't know.

Mariana Brown:

I mean, I wouldn't have picked any of these cars to buy.

Seth:

Yeah.

Mariana Brown:

You know, they're not my type of car.

Mariana Brown:

But I do.

Mariana Brown:

I really like an old muscle.

Mariana Brown:

The old classic.

Mariana Brown:

I drive.

Host:

If I ever got rich, the first thing I would do is never drive Again.

Host:

Again.

Seth:

Yeah.

Mariana Brown:

Oh, my God.

Mariana Brown:

I get a helicopter.

Host:

I'm so done.

Host:

So done being on the ground.

Mariana Brown:

I'm so done with this.

Seth:

Kobe.

Host:

Awesome people are up there.

Host:

The shitty people are down here.

Host:

Anyone that's doing anything with their life, they're up there.

Mariana Brown:

I know.

Host:

What the am I doing down here?

Seth:

Sometimes they're back down here really fast and dead.

Mariana Brown:

Yeah.

Mariana Brown:

Sorry for a zombie apocalypse.

Mariana Brown:

Got to get out of there quick.

Host:

Yeah, yeah.

Host:

I go.

Host:

I drive, too.

Host:

I.

Host:

I like how it's the.

Host:

Again, going back to the beginning scene.

Host:

The.

Host:

The vehicle is used as a way to show us the meticulous nature of him.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

Like, he gives a very short speech, which I think is fantastic.

Host:

I love is like 5.5minutes on either side or whatever.

Host:

I'm yours.

Host:

I love that speech because that's his moral code.

Host:

But I was putting myself in the.

Host:

The seats of those thieves that robbed the warehouse.

Host:

Like, what are they thinking?

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

Because, like, they think this is a getaway guy.

Host:

So they're probably thinking in their mind, like, we're going to just drive really fast away.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

But half the time he's sitting there not moving, and he's, like, doing little things.

Host:

And I'm also thinking about all those people, those poor people that showed up to this movie thinking it was Grand Theft Auto or gone in 60 seconds.

Host:

They're just like, he's just sitting under the overpass.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

He doesn't have his head.

Host:

It's an Impala.

Host:

He's not even moving.

Host:

And then he goes really fast for four seconds.

Host:

But I'm thinking, like, these guys are probably thinking, like, we're going to get caught.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

Like, there's no way.

Host:

And it turns out he's just so precise.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

And like, this is how.

Host:

Actually, this is very realistic.

Host:

Like, how you should get away.

Seth:

That's the thing, is it's.

Host:

Yeah.

Mariana Brown:

Yeah.

Seth:

That opening scene is probably the most realistic car chase that I've ever seen on film.

Seth:

Especially once you realize that he's trying to time the full escape to the end of the basketball game.

Host:

Yeah.

Seth:

Like, no, I just think all of it's very, very well put together.

Mariana Brown:

Genius.

Mariana Brown:

I almost want to know if he, like, interviews thieves to be like, what's the best way?

Seth:

Almost definitely.

Seth:

I would.

Mariana Brown:

I would.

Seth:

I would put money on the fact that there were some.

Seth:

Because with most of these movies, heist movies, driving movies like this, they're going to have consultants who used to be.

Seth:

Who are like, reformed criminals.

Host:

Yeah.

Seth:

So, yeah, that's very common in Hollywood.

Mariana Brown:

And in the Subtleties in the actual stealing of the money from the pawn shop.

Seth:

Yeah.

Mariana Brown:

That's such a weird, subtle thing that they just stole someone else's money that was stashed at a pawn shop.

Seth:

Yeah.

Mariana Brown:

I just.

Mariana Brown:

I can't get over that.

Mariana Brown:

I'm like, that's a genius plot.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

Yeah.

Host:

And I think.

Host:

I think to.

Host:

To close it out, I think.

Host:

I love that Refn used the.

Host:

The car element, and he kind of used the car genre as a way to deliver a much more complex story.

Host:

It was the vehicle by which we were like, oh, this is not a car story at all.

Host:

Vehicle vehicular manslaughter, ladies and gentlemen.

Host:

Yeah.

Host:

Seven to zero.

Host:

Clean sweep.

Seth:

Clean sweep.

Seth:

Yeah.

Host:

What was our last clean sweep?

Host:

Was it.

Host:

We had a couple.

Seth:

It was the first crow movie.

Host:

Yes.

Host:

Yes.

Host:

And then the last crow movie was a.

Host:

Was a clean queen.

Host:

You jump into the river and.

Mariana Brown:

Hey, everybody has bad art.

Mariana Brown:

They make.

Mariana Brown:

Yeah, everybody has bad art.

Host:

They do.

Mariana Brown:

Anybody who makes art, if you make all good art, you probably are hiding all the bad art.

Seth:

Yeah.

Mariana Brown:

Yep.

Host:

Yep.

Host:

Well, this was awesome.

Host:

We were so stoked to have you.

Host:

You're gonna hit.

Host:

Hit up following down with us, but this is fantastic.

Host:

Thank you for joining us.

Host:

Yes.

Host:

Did you enjoy yourself?

Mariana Brown:

Oh, my God.

Mariana Brown:

This is all I want to do.

Mariana Brown:

This is my favorite thing to do.

Seth:

Yeah, we'll get ready to do it again.

Host:

Yeah, we love y'all.

Host:

Y'all stay driven out there.

Host:

I praying for that microphone.

Host:

Prayers up to God.

Host:

Love, y'all.

Host:

I'm Kyle.

Seth:

I'm Seth.

Mariana Brown:

I'm Ariana.

Host:

Movie horrors.

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Movie Wars
A panel of standup comedians deliver deeply researched and thoughtful film analysis.
A panel of stand-up comedians blends humor with deep film analysis, using their unique ‘War Card’ system to grade movies across key categories. Each episode delivers thoughtful insights and spirited debate, offering a fresh, comedic take on film critique. New episode every Thursday!
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Kyle Castro