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Speaker 2: Picture Show.

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Speaker 3: It's very difficult to keep the line between the past

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Speaker 3: and the press.

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Speaker 4: You believe that someone out of the past we can

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Speaker 4: enter and take possession of a living being.

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Speaker 2: We may be through with the past, but the past

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Speaker 2: is not through with us. Welcome to the Next Picture Show,

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Speaker 2: a Movie the Week podcast devoted to a classic film

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Speaker 2: and how it shaped our thoughts on a recent release.

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Speaker 2: I'm Scott Tobias here with.

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Speaker 4: Keith Phipps and Gennaviefcoski.

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Speaker 2: Our regular co host Tasha Robinson is off visiting Area

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Speaker 2: fifty one this week because she insists on doing her

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Speaker 2: own research, but she'll be back with her findings next time.

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Speaker 2: What Tasha is missing is a lot of talk about

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Speaker 2: Steven Spielberg, Who's we've covered many times on the show

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Speaker 2: five times to be exact, though this pairing will push

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Speaker 2: it up to seven, but never on both ends of

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Speaker 2: a pairing. So I'm curious to ask, because I think

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Speaker 2: we all have this, what is your earliest memory of

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Speaker 2: seeing a Steven Spielberg film? He's a director who's credited

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Speaker 2: with inventing the summer blockbuster with Jaws, and his popular

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Speaker 2: appeal has made him the sort of filmmaker you associate

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Speaker 2: with going to the movie. So was there kind of

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Speaker 2: a Spielberg moment for you?

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Speaker 4: I think, technically speaking, my first Spielberg was probably Hook,

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Speaker 4: But since I probably saw it on BHS and it's Hook,

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Speaker 4: I'm not going to count it as my first Spielberg

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Speaker 4: and said, I'm going to choose the next film in

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Speaker 4: his filmography, which is Jurassic Park, which I specifically remember

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Speaker 4: my mom taking me to see in the theater on

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Speaker 4: the last day of third grade. It was my reward

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Speaker 4: for I don't know, getting good grades or finishing school,

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Speaker 4: not dropping out in third grade.

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Speaker 2: I don't know.

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Speaker 4: It was a treat to go to go see Jurassic

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Speaker 4: Park in the theater, and I remember to this day

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Speaker 4: the velociraptor like popping out of the wall was like

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Speaker 4: my first theatrical jump scare and maybe ruined me for

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Speaker 4: jump scares for the rest of my life, but it was.

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Speaker 4: It was certainly memorable, and Jurassic Park remains a favorite

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Speaker 4: for that and many other reasons.

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Speaker 3: I may be a little bit older than you, jenemy,

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Speaker 3: because my oldest memory is seen ad minutely. I was

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Speaker 3: very young, four years old, but I saw Close Encounters

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Speaker 3: in the theater with my mom and dad, who were

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Speaker 3: not necessarily adventurous moviegoers, decided to take me to this

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Speaker 3: and I remember being a really intense experience and at

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Speaker 3: one point I'm not sure why, but I think I think,

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Speaker 3: you know, I had to leave for a little bit

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Speaker 3: then came back. But it's one of the things we're

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Speaker 3: perhaps you're you're a little I mean I was four.

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Speaker 3: Were things that like maybe unsettle you or actually lead

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Speaker 3: the deepest impression because I remember like being super into

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Speaker 3: everything Close Encounters actressy in that movie, I had puzzles,

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Speaker 3: I had toys, and it was one of the you know,

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Speaker 3: years later, it's one of the first movies I taped

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Speaker 3: off of we had our first VCR, so I've watched it,

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Speaker 3: I think, like, you know, three times in one week

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Speaker 3: at that point. So that's a movie that definitely made

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Speaker 3: a deep impressure on me. I had no ideas, you know, Spielberg,

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Speaker 3: even what a movie director was at that point.

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Speaker 2: What do you know at all at age four, Keith.

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Speaker 3: That's true. I mean, I can't say I knew that much,

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Speaker 3: but I knew Aliens were kind of a cool idea, right,

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Speaker 3: I mean, and you know, and but also a little scary.

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Speaker 3: I mean, you know, I think I was in some

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Speaker 3: ways obviously too young to really get the movie, but

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Speaker 3: in other ways exactly the right age to really have

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Speaker 3: my mind rewired by seeing it.

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Speaker 2: Absolutely.

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Speaker 4: Can I share my most recent for this Pairing Spielberg

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Speaker 4: movie experience, which was seeing Jaws last summer for its

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Speaker 4: fiftieth anniversary re release at my beloved drive in. And

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Speaker 4: I don't believe i'd seen Jaws before we'd done it

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Speaker 4: for this podcast, and I had seen it before then,

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Speaker 4: never on the big screen. And you know, there's just

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Speaker 4: something about seeing Jaws at a drive in and the summer,

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Speaker 4: you know, with a canon narragonset that we brought in,

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Speaker 4: and yeah, it was kind of the ideal way to

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Speaker 4: see that movie or receive that movie for me.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, mine quickly. I have a couple. One is that

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Speaker 2: when Raiders of the Last Dark came out, my dad

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Speaker 2: had a you know, had someone for his business who

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Speaker 2: was in town and he was from Venezuela and did

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Speaker 2: not speak like a word of English, and so my

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Speaker 2: dad had the idea that we would all go see

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Speaker 2: Rayder's the Last Art because you know, it's Raids lost Ark.

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Speaker 2: That was a great idea, so good, good, good job dad.

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Speaker 2: Everyone was thrilled with Ray's Lost Ark because you don't

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Speaker 2: really necessarily need to know the language to be able

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Speaker 2: to understand the language of cinema. So so hat tipped

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Speaker 2: to my dad on that, and that made a huge

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Speaker 2: impression on me as a ten year old. And then

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Speaker 2: the other memory I have is that is that my

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Speaker 2: great girlfriend and I made out during The Color Purple,

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Speaker 2: which predates predates a joke. It predates the joke in

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Speaker 2: Seinfeld when they make out during Chandler's List. So I

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Speaker 2: felt like all this, you know, I was way ahead

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Speaker 2: of that bit, but for real anyway. So Spielberg has

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Speaker 2: directed many types of films and many different genres over

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Speaker 2: the half century plus that he's been making them, But

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Speaker 2: ever since Close Encounters of the Third Kind in nineteen

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Speaker 2: seventy seven, he has continued to come back to the

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Speaker 2: idea of aliens in our midst and how humanity might

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Speaker 2: interact with beings from a faraway planet. And that's the

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Speaker 2: subject of our podcast for the next two weeks. Genevieve,

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Speaker 2: I want to tell our listeners about this out of

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Speaker 2: this world set of episodes.

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Speaker 4: Sure with this new sci fi action movie, Disclosure Day,

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Speaker 4: Spielberg and his Jurassic Park screenwriter David Kepp consider the

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Speaker 4: ramifications of the world finding out the closely guarded secret

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Speaker 4: that aliens have been living among us from the opening

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Speaker 4: seconds of the movie. Getting that news out to the

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Speaker 4: public becomes a frantic battle between government whistleblowers who believe

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Speaker 4: people have the right to know in an age and

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Speaker 4: see that's determined to keep its secret, the opposing side

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Speaker 4: suggests a bigger question for humanity itself. Do we possess

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Speaker 4: the humility and empathy to process such a profound revelation?

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Speaker 4: That question brought us back to Spielberg's nineteen eighty two

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Speaker 4: classic Et the Extraterrestrial, a fantasy about the bond between

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Speaker 4: a ten year old boy and an orphaned alien that

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Speaker 4: crash lands in the forest outside suburban home. These creatures

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Speaker 4: from different galaxies form a touching symbiotic relationship, but the

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Speaker 4: outside world eventually intervenes in ET's fate becomes more complicated

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Speaker 4: and fraught.

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Speaker 2: So this episode will try to hold back the water

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Speaker 2: works as we talk about et in the touching relationship

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Speaker 2: between a latchkey kid and his new friend. Then next

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Speaker 2: week we'll step on the gas with Disclosure Day, as

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Speaker 2: humanity speeds toward a revelation that will change the way

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Speaker 2: we think about ourselves and the universe. Stay with us.

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Speaker 5: In nineteen seventy five, he directed Jaws. In nineteen seventy eight,

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Speaker 5: he directed Close Encounters of the Third Kind. In nineteen

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Speaker 5: eighty one, he directed Raiders of the Lost Dark, And

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Speaker 5: now Stephen Spielberg brings us E. T. The extra Terrestrial.

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Speaker 5: We will witness the arrival, the search, the desertion, the fear,

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Speaker 5: the discovery, the friendship.

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Speaker 2: I'm keeping you, the secret.

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Speaker 5: The love, the warning, the signal, the mystery, a danger,

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Speaker 5: the intrusion, the wonderment, the enchantment, the hope. The connection

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Speaker 5: has been made.

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Speaker 2: When we talk about the three kids in Steven Spielberg's

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Speaker 2: nineteen eighty two family classic E. T. The Extraterrestrial, we

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Speaker 2: talk about Henry Thomas as Elliot, the ten year old

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Speaker 2: boy who discovers an alien in the backyard of his

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Speaker 2: suburban home and forges a relationship with the Orford creature

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Speaker 2: and Telly can return to its own place in the universe.

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Speaker 2: And of course you have to talk about Drew Barrymore's adorable,

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Speaker 2: scene stealing performance as Elliot's little sister, Gerdie, who screams

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Speaker 2: when she first sees Et, but later accepts him as

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Speaker 2: a friend and playmate and makes important discoveries about his

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Speaker 2: ability to learn and communicate. But I want to talk

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Speaker 2: about Robert McNaughton as Michael, the older of the three siblings,

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Speaker 2: because he tends to get overlooked, and he's responsible for

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Speaker 2: one of the most important moments of the movie. Working

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Speaker 2: from Melissa Matheson's immaculately pared down script, Spielberg introduces the

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Speaker 2: audience to a chaotic, d domestic scene where a single

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Speaker 2: mother played by Dee Wallace is trying to manage a

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Speaker 2: young family through a tumultuous period. Elliott and Gerty are

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Speaker 2: wonderful kids, but they're both at an age where they

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Speaker 2: don't always see the world beyond their own experience. Michael

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Speaker 2: is a different story. He may not be that mature either,

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Speaker 2: but in his father's absence, his role has changed and

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Speaker 2: his responsibilities as the default man of the house have increased.

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Speaker 2: Which makes him both a brother to his siblings and

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Speaker 2: a co parent of sorts. When Eliot swears that he

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Speaker 2: discovered an alien in the shed in the backyard, nobody

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Speaker 2: believes him because there are so many more plausible explanations

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Speaker 2: than a ten year old experiencing a close encounter of

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Speaker 2: the third kind. But as the frustrated middle child, Elliot

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Speaker 2: lashes out at the whole family, reserving a particular contempt

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Speaker 2: for his mother. He claims that his absent father would

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Speaker 2: have believed him, and he lets it spill that his

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Speaker 2: dad and a woman named Sally are vacationing in Mexico,

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Speaker 2: which is particularly hurtful to his mom because she thought

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Speaker 2: her exes hated Mexico when they were married. As his

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Speaker 2: mother walks away in tears, Michael snaps at Elliott, why

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Speaker 2: don't you grow up think about other people for a change?

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Speaker 2: That line is the thematic foundation for a movie about empathy.

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Speaker 2: As a child of divorce himself, Spielberg is uniquely perceptive

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Speaker 2: about how kids are sensitive, vulnerable beings who feel the

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Speaker 2: world intensely but also have some growing up to do.

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Speaker 2: Children have a visceral impression of how events affect them,

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Speaker 2: but empathy is a trait that's part of a slow

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Speaker 2: developmental process, like learning to walk, or read or fend

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Speaker 2: for themselves. Many adults never learn it. What makes Et

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Speaker 2: such an effective tear jerker is that the symbiotic bond

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Speaker 2: Elliott forges with Et, where they literally feel the same emotions,

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Speaker 2: is a breathless acceleration of the boy's development. He grows

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Speaker 2: up quite a bit faster because of this relationship, and

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Speaker 2: when the time comes for him to say goodbye, he's

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Speaker 2: able to look beyond himself and understand why his friend

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Speaker 2: has to leave, even if it breaks his heart. Matheson

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Speaker 2: had previously written the script for Carol Ballard's The Black Stallion,

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Speaker 2: another moving film about the bond between a small child

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Speaker 2: and a non human companion, and both The Black Stallion

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Speaker 2: and Et have a storybook economy to them that's simple

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Speaker 2: and pure. For his part, Spielberg locks into Elliot's perspective

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Speaker 2: as much as possible, often shooting adults from the boy's

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Speaker 2: limited sight line and framing government scientists as the truly

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Speaker 2: scary aliens in their helmets and hasbat suits. Yet even then,

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Speaker 2: there's a comprehensive humanity to Et that prevents anyone from

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Speaker 2: being the villain, even if we wish that Elliot, Michael

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Speaker 2: Gerdy and their squat wrinkly little buddy would just be

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Speaker 2: left alone. Like the closing sequence and Close Encounters, when

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Speaker 2: first contact is finally achieved, et is defined by a

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Speaker 2: fundamental optimism about our capacity for openness. Science fiction tends

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Speaker 2: to favor scenarios where humans are in conflict with alien invaders,

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Speaker 2: and Spielberg isn't above that, given his adaptation of War

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Speaker 2: of the Worlds, but he chooses to believe in the

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Speaker 2: transcendent magic of humanity and connection and maybe a future

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Speaker 2: sure where Elliott thinks twice before bringing up his father's

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Speaker 2: girlfriend in front of his mother. We'll talk more about

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Speaker 2: it after the break. The Next Picture Show is presented

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Speaker 4: Do You Talk.

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Speaker 5: Emo, Talk.

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Speaker 3: Me Human Boy?

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Speaker 4: Elliott Ellie Elliott.

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Speaker 2: So et is widely beloved as a movie, but there

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Speaker 2: are some people out there, Curmudgeons, i'll say, who feel

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Speaker 2: like it pushes the sentimentality a bit. Do you feel

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Speaker 2: like the tears are earned here? And how does the

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Speaker 2: film pull it off?

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Speaker 4: It's probably too simple to just say John Williams, but

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Speaker 4: for me personally on this viewing, the score is what

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Speaker 4: got me. I mean, et is in a movie that

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Speaker 4: I've rewatched a whole lot and not in probably twenty

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Speaker 4: years at this point, I think I kind of just

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Speaker 4: had it in my head. Is maybe a kid's movie

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Speaker 4: or you know, it's a family film, you know, but

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Speaker 4: point being, I hadn't rewatched in a really long time.

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Speaker 4: But it's also one of those movies that's just like

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Speaker 4: so like literally iconic, and there's so many scenes and

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Speaker 4: quotes and images and the music. It's something that just

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Speaker 4: kind of like lives in the atmosphere, you know, So

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Speaker 4: it almost feels like you don't need to rewatch it

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Speaker 4: because you know what the movie is, so like going

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Speaker 4: back to actually sit down and watch it for the

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Speaker 4: first time as an adult was really rewarding and special.

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Speaker 4: But both of those flying bike sequences, man, maybe the

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Speaker 4: most famous image of this movie, but both times, man,

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Speaker 4: just waterworks, and I have to think this score is

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Speaker 4: a big part of that.

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Speaker 2: Just.

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Speaker 4: I mean, obviously the visual in the story certainly informs that,

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Speaker 4: but I think just on the spectacle tears level that

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Speaker 4: I have talked about on this podcast many many times,

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Speaker 4: the music just really hit me right in the heartlight,

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Speaker 4: if you will. And so I didn't cry anywhere else

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Speaker 4: in the movie, but both flying scenes really got me,

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Speaker 4: which surprised me because, like I said, the scenes imself.

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Speaker 2: So you're you're telling me when Elliott is crying and

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Speaker 2: Eti says ouch that that you're like Stoneface's like kim

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Speaker 2: On Now. I mean for me, I.

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Speaker 4: Felt something, you know, but it's different.

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Speaker 2: Kind of pain, Genevieve, it's not. It's not bleeding different company.

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Speaker 4: I have no problem with that. I agree it's very

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Speaker 4: touching and you know, sentimental in a good way. But

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Speaker 4: that's kind of what I'm getting at, you know, is

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Speaker 4: I think the music of those two flying scenes put

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Speaker 4: it over the edge from like this is sweet and

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Speaker 4: I'm enjoying this too. I have tears running got in

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Speaker 4: my face.

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Speaker 3: There's a reasoning works. But John Williams, over and over

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Speaker 3: again through Disclosure Day, when the ninety three year old

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Speaker 3: John Williams basically came out of retirement to do the

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Speaker 3: score for this one, and they just really kind of

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Speaker 3: understand each other. And I had forgotten how not that

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Speaker 3: I'd forgotten the score at all. It's a very venerable score,

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Speaker 3: but just how kind of sewed into the fabric of

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Speaker 3: this film. The music is as you say, but like

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Speaker 3: Thond Scott and I talked about when we did audio

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Speaker 3: commentary for Minority Report over at the reveal, was was,

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Speaker 3: you know, Spielbriggers is the director that that you you know,

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Speaker 3: if if you're in the movies, he's probably one of

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Speaker 3: the first people you get into and you see he

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Speaker 3: has all these movies are you know, appeal to kids,

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Speaker 3: you know, Raiders and your Et and and and Jaws

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Speaker 3: and so on. And then I think, as you kind

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Speaker 3: of get older at least this is my experience, is

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Speaker 3: kind of like, well, yeah, sure he's good, but you

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Speaker 3: know he's not really He's a French wa troufaux or whatever, right,

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Speaker 3: And then I think when you come back to as

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Speaker 3: an adult, you're like, oh wait, no, he's actually one

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Speaker 3: of the best people to ever do this because I

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Speaker 3: movie like this, I mean the music, and you know

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Speaker 3: he is working in perfectly concert with the images, with

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Speaker 3: his ability to coax these amazing performances from child actors,

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Speaker 3: which is something that runs throughout his career. But like,

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Speaker 3: there are three main kids here, and the other kids

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Speaker 3: are fine too, but our three main kids here are

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Speaker 3: all pretty amazing. I think, Scott, I think he were

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Speaker 3: it was good for you to single out the older brother. Uh,

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Speaker 3: you know in your intre of this. He's really a

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Speaker 3: remarkable performance. But just the way, you know, the light

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Speaker 3: coming in to the windows and the timing of every scene,

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Speaker 3: like how perfectly timed. Is that moment when Et comes

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Speaker 3: back to life and you realize Elliott doesn't see it

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Speaker 3: at first, and if you're not like, if not actually

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Speaker 3: out loud, at least your head screaming Elliott. Look, it's

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Speaker 3: just it's just so exactly done but yet feels so casual,

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Speaker 3: which I feel like is sort of like it feels

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Speaker 3: so effortless. I think that's kind of the Spielberg thing

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Speaker 3: right well.

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Speaker 2: And also that specific moment too of just you recognizing

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Speaker 2: that he's come to life based on this plant that

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Speaker 2: has come back to life instead of it's like, yep,

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Speaker 2: it's just it's just an interest, just a different way

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Speaker 2: of doing it, and it's such more, such a more

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Speaker 2: poetic way of doing it. The one thing I will

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Speaker 2: say too about the score and about those these specific

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Speaker 2: moments that Jenevieve cited with the Flight is that I

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Speaker 2: think there's a sense of when to uncork it, you

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Speaker 2: know that that like when when Elliott first takes flight,

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Speaker 2: we have not reached the full peak William's score, Like

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Speaker 2: he's giving us something more with the music in that

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Speaker 2: moment that we've heard previously in the movie, which I

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Speaker 2: think is what gives it that extra oomph to So

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Speaker 2: for sure, the music plays a huge, huge part of that.

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Speaker 2: I mean the filmmaking is it's pure, you know, I mean,

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Speaker 2: and I think you kind of I mean that that's

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Speaker 2: been sort of the pleasure of watching spielboarg film since Duel.

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Speaker 2: I mean, like you've watched Duel lately. I mean, that

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Speaker 2: film's amazing. It's purely just a guy in one car

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Speaker 2: getting stocked by you know, the guy in another car.

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Speaker 2: Like that's the movie and the filmmaking it's so it's

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Speaker 2: so advanced and so clearly the person behind the cameras

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00:20:59,005 --> 00:21:01,845
Speaker 2: got has clearly got such immense talent, and we just

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Speaker 2: see it again and again. And I think Et is

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Speaker 2: one of just the purest expressions of that because and

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Speaker 2: I think we'll get to this in a little bit,

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Speaker 2: it's so pared down a lot of respects. You know,

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Speaker 2: this screenplay is so economical. It's a it's such a

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Speaker 2: film that's driven by small moments and images and emotions.

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Speaker 2: It's very you know, just every every part of it

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Speaker 2: seems to punch really hard. There's not really any wasted

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Speaker 2: material here. One thing I wanted to talk about is

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Speaker 2: that before Elliott meets Et, the film establishes the domestic

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Speaker 2: situation at home, which is buzzing with activity but also

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Speaker 2: quite fraught. What stands out to you about those scenes.

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Speaker 3: Always the clutter in the Spielberg houses, just like and

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Speaker 3: like also like how much Elliott's you know, it didn't

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Speaker 3: occur to me at the time, this was unusual, but

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Speaker 3: how much stuff in Elliott's room was like stuff in

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Speaker 3: my room, you know, all the Star Wars toys and

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Speaker 3: and sort of the books strewn about. You know, it's

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00:21:56,725 --> 00:21:59,285
Speaker 3: it's you know, it's even polaric. Get came famously came out,

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Speaker 3: you know, a few weeks before this, and it's the

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Speaker 3: same thing with that, and you know that's not Spielberg

399
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Speaker 3: directed films, but it's very Spielberg heavily influenced film Let's

400
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Speaker 3: put it that way. And it's like, you know, this,

401
00:22:08,485 --> 00:22:11,005
Speaker 3: this is it's kind of archaeological in a way. This

402
00:22:11,085 --> 00:22:13,685
Speaker 3: is if you want to know what eighties suburban living

403
00:22:13,805 --> 00:22:15,285
Speaker 3: was like, you could just put in one of these

404
00:22:15,285 --> 00:22:16,125
Speaker 3: films and you'll see.

405
00:22:16,205 --> 00:22:16,405
Speaker 2: Yeah.

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Speaker 4: I was gonna call out Elliott's Room two in part

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Speaker 4: because my husband, who watched this with said he was

408
00:22:22,485 --> 00:22:27,405
Speaker 4: always very jealous of Elliot's bedroom growing up. Just there's

409
00:22:27,485 --> 00:22:29,765
Speaker 4: so much stuff in it, you know, and so much

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00:22:29,805 --> 00:22:32,885
Speaker 4: to look at. I know we're talking about before Elliott

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Speaker 4: meets Et, but I do love the scene later where

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Speaker 4: he's just like showing Et all of his toys and

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Speaker 4: his little like Coca Cola prank can that you know,

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Speaker 4: the fake spill can. Just like there's just a lot

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Speaker 4: of different items that aren't just like here are my

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Speaker 4: action figures. You know, it feels very specifically lived in

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Speaker 4: and then pulling out of Elliott's Room two in like

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Speaker 4: the very first scene when we enter the kitchen and

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Speaker 4: Michael and his friends are playing a game of some sort.

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Speaker 4: It's not Dungeons and Dragons, is it.

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Speaker 3: I don't think so, but I didn' quite recognize them,

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00:23:12,245 --> 00:23:14,005
Speaker 3: but it's sort of Dungeon Dragons as.

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Speaker 4: Yeah, yeah, I know. There was like a bunch of

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Speaker 4: like steam or smoke rising from the table. It kind

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Speaker 4: of looked like cigarette smoke, but I don't think it was.

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Speaker 4: But that was like the beginning of me realizing what

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Speaker 4: a steamy movie this is. Like, yeah, just like it

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00:23:29,725 --> 00:23:33,485
Speaker 4: seems like every other scene there's just steam or water

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Speaker 4: vapor in the air, you know, And of course that

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Speaker 4: does great things with the light, and I think it

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Speaker 4: just kind of contributes to the lived in feeling of

432
00:23:43,445 --> 00:23:46,165
Speaker 4: the film overall. Like when you have when you can

433
00:23:46,285 --> 00:23:49,845
Speaker 4: actually see the atmosphere somehow through through this steam, it

434
00:23:49,885 --> 00:23:53,685
Speaker 4: does feel more like a real place rather than something

435
00:23:53,725 --> 00:23:54,485
Speaker 4: you're peering into.

436
00:23:54,925 --> 00:23:58,565
Speaker 2: I think the nature of that of the activity you know,

437
00:23:58,605 --> 00:24:01,405
Speaker 2: certainly before and even when when Mom comes home, is

438
00:24:01,765 --> 00:24:04,244
Speaker 2: of a of a home in which there are now

439
00:24:04,405 --> 00:24:07,365
Speaker 2: no adults there all the time, in which they can

440
00:24:07,445 --> 00:24:10,045
Speaker 2: kind of get away with some things that things are

441
00:24:10,085 --> 00:24:12,805
Speaker 2: a little bit less they ordered a pizza right exactly

442
00:24:12,925 --> 00:24:14,925
Speaker 2: the order they order a pizza, which you're not supposed

443
00:24:14,925 --> 00:24:17,205
Speaker 2: to do, but they do. And they can push those

444
00:24:17,205 --> 00:24:20,925
Speaker 2: boundaries because no one is there to enforce those you know,

445
00:24:21,165 --> 00:24:24,845
Speaker 2: those boundaries. And I think that there's its just lived

446
00:24:25,045 --> 00:24:27,725
Speaker 2: lived in such a good word because if just I

447
00:24:27,765 --> 00:24:29,605
Speaker 2: love this part of the movie so much. It feels

448
00:24:29,645 --> 00:24:32,925
Speaker 2: so authentic. You know, every part of the house, you

449
00:24:32,965 --> 00:24:36,165
Speaker 2: know that, you know that specific space just feels like yeah,

450
00:24:36,445 --> 00:24:38,925
Speaker 2: like like you just know it so well. You know,

451
00:24:39,325 --> 00:24:41,805
Speaker 2: it doesn't feel dressed up like a movie set. It

452
00:24:41,805 --> 00:24:44,445
Speaker 2: feels like a real place. And I think that that

453
00:24:44,445 --> 00:24:47,325
Speaker 2: that authenticity. And then and then the way, you know,

454
00:24:47,485 --> 00:24:50,525
Speaker 2: the conflict within the family or the issues within the

455
00:24:50,525 --> 00:24:55,365
Speaker 2: family are articulated, so again economically early on really helps

456
00:24:55,365 --> 00:24:59,605
Speaker 2: set up everything that happens once et enters everyone's lives.

457
00:24:59,765 --> 00:25:02,765
Speaker 4: I do worry a little bit about Mary is a

458
00:25:02,845 --> 00:25:06,285
Speaker 4: newly single mom who has like had to bring her

459
00:25:06,605 --> 00:25:10,605
Speaker 4: son home drunk from school and also had him go

460
00:25:10,725 --> 00:25:13,445
Speaker 4: missing in the woods overnight in the span of like

461
00:25:13,485 --> 00:25:14,245
Speaker 4: a couple of days.

462
00:25:16,085 --> 00:25:17,965
Speaker 3: Kind of situation, isn't it.

463
00:25:18,005 --> 00:25:20,125
Speaker 2: This was this was also but this was this is

464
00:25:20,125 --> 00:25:23,605
Speaker 2: a different era. People just free.

465
00:25:23,525 --> 00:25:26,765
Speaker 3: Rangee children at the time.

466
00:25:26,845 --> 00:25:30,765
Speaker 2: Yes, you know, we just did whatever we wanted. So

467
00:25:30,845 --> 00:25:33,845
Speaker 2: let me let me ask you a pretty basic question,

468
00:25:34,965 --> 00:25:37,645
Speaker 2: why does Elliot connect with Et? And then if you

469
00:25:37,645 --> 00:25:42,685
Speaker 2: can imagine yourself as Et, this interstellar traveler, unfathomable intelligence,

470
00:25:42,965 --> 00:25:44,805
Speaker 2: what does E T connect with the boy?

471
00:25:45,245 --> 00:25:47,605
Speaker 4: I mean, I think it's kind of the same answer

472
00:25:47,645 --> 00:25:51,285
Speaker 4: on both sides, which is that he's a child and

473
00:25:51,405 --> 00:25:54,925
Speaker 4: he is curious and open to the world. And again,

474
00:25:55,005 --> 00:25:58,085
Speaker 4: to go back to the scene where he's showing Et

475
00:25:58,365 --> 00:26:00,925
Speaker 4: all all of his stuff, like that's there's just like

476
00:26:01,045 --> 00:26:05,085
Speaker 4: such a pure enthusiasm and excitement about this new experience

477
00:26:05,565 --> 00:26:08,325
Speaker 4: with no real cynicism or doubt in it that that

478
00:26:08,525 --> 00:26:12,525
Speaker 4: even the slightly older characters have. And of course Gert

479
00:26:12,605 --> 00:26:15,565
Speaker 4: is uh kind of falls into that too, and she

480
00:26:15,645 --> 00:26:18,765
Speaker 4: connects with E. T. And you know, probably in the

481
00:26:18,765 --> 00:26:21,605
Speaker 4: second most meaningful way after after Elliot it well, I

482
00:26:21,645 --> 00:26:23,925
Speaker 4: guess Michael too. But yeah, it's just I think the

483
00:26:24,365 --> 00:26:27,605
Speaker 4: like the curiosity and openness that Elliott brings to him.

484
00:26:27,645 --> 00:26:29,605
Speaker 4: I mean, he's a little scared at first, but he

485
00:26:29,805 --> 00:26:32,925
Speaker 4: keeps trying to find Et, you know, and like see

486
00:26:32,925 --> 00:26:37,485
Speaker 4: what this is about. And I think ET probably responds

487
00:26:37,725 --> 00:26:41,045
Speaker 4: to that. There's also maybe just something about the design

488
00:26:42,125 --> 00:26:45,525
Speaker 4: of e t as well as he's he's small, you know,

489
00:26:45,565 --> 00:26:48,965
Speaker 4: he's smaller than Elliott. He's child's size yet looks old

490
00:26:49,045 --> 00:26:52,325
Speaker 4: and wizzend. You know, but I think it's maybe a

491
00:26:52,365 --> 00:26:58,885
Speaker 4: more approachable type of design than you know, your tall

492
00:26:59,045 --> 00:27:02,085
Speaker 4: spinley vacant black eye alien design.

493
00:27:02,165 --> 00:27:05,525
Speaker 3: You know, I think also that their Et and Elliott

494
00:27:05,565 --> 00:27:06,445
Speaker 3: are both alone.

495
00:27:06,845 --> 00:27:06,965
Speaker 2: Uh.

496
00:27:07,485 --> 00:27:12,005
Speaker 3: You know, Elliott's kind of defined by trying to be

497
00:27:12,125 --> 00:27:14,645
Speaker 3: part of Michael's game, and the first when we first

498
00:27:14,645 --> 00:27:16,165
Speaker 3: seen him, he's trying to trying to butt into this

499
00:27:16,165 --> 00:27:18,125
Speaker 3: game that his older brother clearly doesn't want him to

500
00:27:18,125 --> 00:27:21,365
Speaker 3: be a part of. We see, you know, Michael has friends,

501
00:27:21,925 --> 00:27:24,365
Speaker 3: and it's Michael's friends who help Elliott, but you know,

502
00:27:24,365 --> 00:27:26,725
Speaker 3: Elliott himself doesn't seem to have any friends of his own.

503
00:27:27,485 --> 00:27:30,685
Speaker 3: I mean, he's got he's got his classmate who maybe

504
00:27:30,725 --> 00:27:36,085
Speaker 3: maybe likes him, that played by Erica Ye watching it,

505
00:27:37,285 --> 00:27:41,005
Speaker 3: but obviously you know, far from the first point this out.

506
00:27:41,005 --> 00:27:43,365
Speaker 3: But it's a film about broken family, and like it's

507
00:27:43,445 --> 00:27:48,925
Speaker 3: I was thinking how in another movie, a detail like

508
00:27:49,445 --> 00:27:52,765
Speaker 3: the father being absent and the children noticing that and

509
00:27:52,805 --> 00:27:56,045
Speaker 3: responding to that might have been like coloring there to

510
00:27:56,525 --> 00:27:59,325
Speaker 3: flesh out these characters a little bit, and like you

511
00:27:59,365 --> 00:28:01,245
Speaker 3: realize at a certain point, all this is actually a

512
00:28:01,285 --> 00:28:03,045
Speaker 3: really big part of what this movie is about. Is

513
00:28:03,725 --> 00:28:06,765
Speaker 3: this this absence and the character that we don't see.

514
00:28:06,885 --> 00:28:09,925
Speaker 2: Yeah, absolutely, there's so much more to get into about

515
00:28:10,365 --> 00:28:12,525
Speaker 2: the world of this film. But let's just take a

516
00:28:12,605 --> 00:28:15,445
Speaker 2: quick break and then we'll come back and continue our

517
00:28:15,445 --> 00:28:16,165
Speaker 2: discussion of et.

518
00:28:23,085 --> 00:28:23,605
Speaker 4: Ellia.

519
00:28:24,165 --> 00:28:34,365
Speaker 5: What Elia.

520
00:28:32,045 --> 00:28:32,645
Speaker 4: Elliott?

521
00:28:33,085 --> 00:28:35,845
Speaker 2: Okay, now we're back. One of the things you know,

522
00:28:35,885 --> 00:28:39,565
Speaker 2: whenever I think of if you say the words suburbia

523
00:28:39,925 --> 00:28:43,125
Speaker 2: in film to me anyway, ET is the first movie

524
00:28:43,685 --> 00:28:46,205
Speaker 2: that springs to mind. What do you see as this

525
00:28:46,605 --> 00:28:50,405
Speaker 2: is the significance of ET as a story of suburbia

526
00:28:50,565 --> 00:28:53,405
Speaker 2: And what do you feel like Spielberg is evoking here?

527
00:28:53,485 --> 00:28:56,125
Speaker 3: Well, I mean it's it's kind of his turf in

528
00:28:56,165 --> 00:28:58,765
Speaker 3: a way. It's not saying that you even really saw

529
00:28:58,845 --> 00:29:02,645
Speaker 3: a lot in movies pre Spielberg. I don't know if

530
00:29:02,685 --> 00:29:04,405
Speaker 3: it's actually in the movie or something that that. In

531
00:29:04,605 --> 00:29:07,885
Speaker 3: an interview like Mark Borkhart is the subject of Christmas

532
00:29:07,965 --> 00:29:12,005
Speaker 3: is American Movie, said about he never saw a ranch

533
00:29:12,285 --> 00:29:15,925
Speaker 3: house in a movie until he saw Close Encounters, so

534
00:29:16,045 --> 00:29:17,485
Speaker 3: it was you know, it's not like it's not like

535
00:29:17,525 --> 00:29:20,325
Speaker 3: the sexiest place to set a movie in many ways.

536
00:29:21,085 --> 00:29:23,405
Speaker 3: So in some ways it's kind of his Spielberg's territory

537
00:29:23,405 --> 00:29:24,725
Speaker 3: to claims his own. But I think part of what

538
00:29:24,725 --> 00:29:28,205
Speaker 3: makes these movies remarkable is the idea that and such

539
00:29:28,445 --> 00:29:32,845
Speaker 3: appealing is like the idea that this ordinary, forgotten bland place,

540
00:29:32,965 --> 00:29:37,125
Speaker 3: a memorable place, could offer portal to wonder, like it's

541
00:29:37,165 --> 00:29:39,965
Speaker 3: aliens from space or it's you know, on the dark

542
00:29:39,965 --> 00:29:43,645
Speaker 3: Side in Bouldergeist, it's the creatures from beyond. But it's like,

543
00:29:43,685 --> 00:29:47,045
Speaker 3: all right there in this very mundane home, if you

544
00:29:47,205 --> 00:29:49,525
Speaker 3: just look at the right place, you're going to see,

545
00:29:49,725 --> 00:29:52,805
Speaker 3: you know, a much bigger world than that home itself.

546
00:29:52,965 --> 00:29:55,805
Speaker 4: Yeah, And I think in addition to that, it's just

547
00:29:56,005 --> 00:30:00,885
Speaker 4: tied to this being a movie about kids, you know,

548
00:30:00,965 --> 00:30:04,685
Speaker 4: and to use your favorite term, Scott, pretty free range kids,

549
00:30:04,765 --> 00:30:07,525
Speaker 4: you know, who can just kind of be out and

550
00:30:07,565 --> 00:30:10,525
Speaker 4: about riding their bikes in the streets, you know, or

551
00:30:10,565 --> 00:30:14,325
Speaker 4: sneaking off into the forest for the night. But you know,

552
00:30:14,365 --> 00:30:18,085
Speaker 4: I mean kind of compared to like the city, the

553
00:30:18,085 --> 00:30:21,605
Speaker 4: big city, suburbia is kind of like the purview families

554
00:30:21,605 --> 00:30:24,005
Speaker 4: and of children. You know, it's where you move to

555
00:30:24,205 --> 00:30:26,725
Speaker 4: raise a family and send your kid to school. And

556
00:30:26,965 --> 00:30:31,965
Speaker 4: certainly the broken family aspect here kind of provides a

557
00:30:31,965 --> 00:30:35,245
Speaker 4: little contrast point. But you know, just the fact that

558
00:30:35,605 --> 00:30:38,645
Speaker 4: you know, it's Halloween and kids are just roaming in

559
00:30:38,685 --> 00:30:41,805
Speaker 4: the streets, you know, and like I said, they're riding

560
00:30:41,845 --> 00:30:44,765
Speaker 4: their bikes everywhere and parents aren't really around for the

561
00:30:44,765 --> 00:30:47,565
Speaker 4: most part. And that's okay because they're in this kind

562
00:30:47,605 --> 00:30:50,925
Speaker 4: of safe space of the suburbs.

563
00:30:51,085 --> 00:30:51,285
Speaker 2: You know.

564
00:30:51,325 --> 00:30:54,285
Speaker 4: It's it's not like they're getting on the subway by

565
00:30:54,325 --> 00:30:56,885
Speaker 4: themselves or anything. You know, it's not like a home

566
00:30:56,925 --> 00:31:02,085
Speaker 4: alone lost in New York situation is really it.

567
00:31:02,045 --> 00:31:05,165
Speaker 2: Also seems to be interestingly incomplete. I mean, if you

568
00:31:05,245 --> 00:31:08,165
Speaker 2: talk about a city of cities, are you know, you know,

569
00:31:08,285 --> 00:31:12,005
Speaker 2: well established, foundational you know there, you know, but you

570
00:31:12,045 --> 00:31:15,925
Speaker 2: look at like the suburbia here. I'm really intrigued by

571
00:31:16,605 --> 00:31:20,085
Speaker 2: the sequence where all the boys are dashing away on

572
00:31:20,125 --> 00:31:23,445
Speaker 2: their bicycles, you know, away from government agents, the police,

573
00:31:23,445 --> 00:31:27,285
Speaker 2: et cetera. And they're biking through all of this construction,

574
00:31:27,645 --> 00:31:30,085
Speaker 2: all of the all of this like expanse that has

575
00:31:30,125 --> 00:31:33,445
Speaker 2: not been finished yet. I mean, it's like this frontier

576
00:31:33,565 --> 00:31:35,765
Speaker 2: in a way that Spielberg is showing us of this

577
00:31:35,925 --> 00:31:39,525
Speaker 2: of this kind of like place that's being built for families,

578
00:31:39,605 --> 00:31:42,685
Speaker 2: but isn't entirely on firm ground yet. It is still

579
00:31:42,685 --> 00:31:45,405
Speaker 2: in development and incomplete. And I think it's interesting and

580
00:31:46,005 --> 00:31:47,965
Speaker 2: you know, and I think it's a world that you know,

581
00:31:48,005 --> 00:31:52,205
Speaker 2: certainly plenty of people recognize, and it's a surprising place

582
00:31:52,445 --> 00:31:55,285
Speaker 2: for as Keith say, it was saying something kind of

583
00:31:55,285 --> 00:31:58,805
Speaker 2: magical and unexpected happening in a place like that.

584
00:31:58,885 --> 00:32:02,445
Speaker 4: Well, and also just like think of the early shot

585
00:32:02,485 --> 00:32:05,605
Speaker 4: when Et is like looking out over the cliff and

586
00:32:05,925 --> 00:32:10,125
Speaker 4: like the lights of this suburb neighborhood, you know, and

587
00:32:10,445 --> 00:32:14,205
Speaker 4: like in another movie you would be seeing a big

588
00:32:14,245 --> 00:32:18,365
Speaker 4: sparkling city skyline, you know, but there there is Spielberg

589
00:32:18,445 --> 00:32:21,805
Speaker 4: manages to find like a certain amount of of wonder

590
00:32:21,845 --> 00:32:25,485
Speaker 4: and beauty, and this was like very neat and proper

591
00:32:25,605 --> 00:32:29,285
Speaker 4: and pretty small like line of lit up houses, you know,

592
00:32:29,805 --> 00:32:34,405
Speaker 4: and maybe from ET's perspective that is less imposing or

593
00:32:34,485 --> 00:32:37,965
Speaker 4: scary than a big bustling city might be.

594
00:32:38,245 --> 00:32:40,685
Speaker 2: It actually, weirdly enough, it all makes me think of

595
00:32:41,005 --> 00:32:45,245
Speaker 2: like the one funny joke and in Sino Man, the

596
00:32:44,765 --> 00:32:50,605
Speaker 2: the poly Shore, Brendan Fraser Man, where Brendan Fraser is

597
00:32:51,365 --> 00:32:54,125
Speaker 2: this caveman who has come into this new world. Look,

598
00:32:54,445 --> 00:32:58,125
Speaker 2: that's very much like e T And uh, you know

599
00:32:58,125 --> 00:33:01,605
Speaker 2: there's all of this along alongside the road. There's all

600
00:33:01,645 --> 00:33:04,605
Speaker 2: this drainage water, all this water's that's that's trickling, that's

601
00:33:04,845 --> 00:33:08,405
Speaker 2: rushing down down the side of the road. And and

602
00:33:08,685 --> 00:33:11,045
Speaker 2: you know, as a caveman, he's treating it like a

603
00:33:11,085 --> 00:33:13,765
Speaker 2: stream and he's he's drinking out of the stream and

604
00:33:13,765 --> 00:33:16,045
Speaker 2: and and suddenly this like piece of I don't know

605
00:33:16,045 --> 00:33:18,365
Speaker 2: if it's a can or something just like passes by

606
00:33:18,845 --> 00:33:21,125
Speaker 2: and he looks at it quizically, like what is this

607
00:33:21,205 --> 00:33:24,605
Speaker 2: thing anyway that you kind of saw. I'm reminded of

608
00:33:24,645 --> 00:33:28,165
Speaker 2: that too. You could do some interesting things visually with

609
00:33:27,525 --> 00:33:30,085
Speaker 2: U with Suburbia. So yeah, we've brought it in and

610
00:33:30,165 --> 00:33:35,365
Speaker 2: Sino Man. So this conversation is really rolling now. So

611
00:33:35,565 --> 00:33:36,085
Speaker 2: I wanted to.

612
00:33:36,085 --> 00:33:37,285
Speaker 3: Be walked out of I was.

613
00:33:37,325 --> 00:33:41,245
Speaker 2: I was bored. Really, wow, you were bored. Oh there

614
00:33:41,245 --> 00:33:45,325
Speaker 2: are a much worse Polly Short movies, my friends, because

615
00:33:45,325 --> 00:33:47,365
Speaker 2: I saw a lot of them. So I wanted to

616
00:33:47,445 --> 00:33:50,165
Speaker 2: kind of single out Melissa Matheson's screenplay because I think

617
00:33:50,165 --> 00:33:53,765
Speaker 2: it's quite great and and with some attention, and maybe

618
00:33:53,765 --> 00:33:55,565
Speaker 2: you will agree with me, or maybe you don't, but

619
00:33:55,605 --> 00:33:58,125
Speaker 2: I wanted to ask you if there's what what qualities

620
00:33:58,165 --> 00:34:00,885
Speaker 2: I suppose make that screenplay kind of important to how

621
00:34:00,885 --> 00:34:01,645
Speaker 2: this movie works.

622
00:34:01,845 --> 00:34:04,925
Speaker 3: It is, you know, simplicity you talked about before and

623
00:34:05,245 --> 00:34:08,605
Speaker 3: in the keynote here. I think it's also as with

624
00:34:08,645 --> 00:34:11,765
Speaker 3: the Black Stallion and ability to craft a story from

625
00:34:11,805 --> 00:34:14,245
Speaker 3: a child's perspective. You get that a little bit in

626
00:34:14,525 --> 00:34:17,085
Speaker 3: the first half of kun Doon too, which also did

627
00:34:17,085 --> 00:34:20,285
Speaker 3: the screenplay uh for uh and and sort of like

628
00:34:20,325 --> 00:34:24,325
Speaker 3: the the limitations of that of a child's perspective and

629
00:34:25,205 --> 00:34:29,125
Speaker 3: what happens when something invades that, like I don't necessarily

630
00:34:29,125 --> 00:34:30,765
Speaker 3: mean in a hostile way, but all of a sudden,

631
00:34:30,765 --> 00:34:35,725
Speaker 3: like you know, Elliott's world is something has to deal

632
00:34:35,765 --> 00:34:39,285
Speaker 3: with this very strange addition to what had been a

633
00:34:39,285 --> 00:34:44,045
Speaker 3: fairly normal existence. So I think there's that too. But again,

634
00:34:44,165 --> 00:34:46,925
Speaker 3: I mean the Black Stallion thing, it's such a beautiful

635
00:34:47,405 --> 00:34:51,965
Speaker 3: tale of bonding between two kindred spirits are very different,

636
00:34:52,085 --> 00:34:56,285
Speaker 3: so in some ways it's it's a lot of parallels.

637
00:34:56,285 --> 00:34:58,805
Speaker 3: There have you ever done The Black Stallion on the show.

638
00:34:59,045 --> 00:35:06,045
Speaker 4: Yes, I believe with Pete Dragan with we should Yeah,

639
00:35:06,125 --> 00:35:08,605
Speaker 4: a big fan of that film. Yeah, to go back

640
00:35:08,685 --> 00:35:11,925
Speaker 4: to the screenplay for Et, but I think this also

641
00:35:12,045 --> 00:35:15,165
Speaker 4: applies to The Black Stallion as well. Is just an

642
00:35:15,245 --> 00:35:22,125
Speaker 4: overall lack of exposition and letting the character interacts tell

643
00:35:22,205 --> 00:35:25,205
Speaker 4: you what you need to know, like like we never

644
00:35:25,805 --> 00:35:29,805
Speaker 4: really get a great idea of like where Et comes

645
00:35:29,845 --> 00:35:34,045
Speaker 4: from or why they were there, like presumably gathering plants,

646
00:35:34,045 --> 00:35:37,805
Speaker 4: it seems, but even more so than that, like the

647
00:35:37,845 --> 00:35:41,404
Speaker 4: agents pursuing him that you know, we really only see

648
00:35:41,445 --> 00:35:43,645
Speaker 4: for the waist down. For the most part, we aren't

649
00:35:43,725 --> 00:35:49,445
Speaker 4: told necessarily why they want him or how they found

650
00:35:49,485 --> 00:35:53,045
Speaker 4: out he was there. You know, there's not really a

651
00:35:53,125 --> 00:35:56,085
Speaker 4: lot of time spent on like process or like telling

652
00:35:56,165 --> 00:35:58,565
Speaker 4: us like this is why this is happening, you know

653
00:35:59,005 --> 00:36:02,605
Speaker 4: sort of. My favorite example of that is the Elliott

654
00:36:02,605 --> 00:36:07,645
Speaker 4: getting drunk in class scene, which is told pretty much visually.

655
00:36:07,685 --> 00:36:11,005
Speaker 4: I mean, there's the teacher, you know, has some dialogue

656
00:36:11,005 --> 00:36:12,565
Speaker 4: in the script, but for the most part, it's just

657
00:36:12,605 --> 00:36:16,525
Speaker 4: cutting back and forth between what Et is experiencing at

658
00:36:16,525 --> 00:36:20,205
Speaker 4: home and what Elliott is experiencing, and it's like, that's

659
00:36:20,245 --> 00:36:23,325
Speaker 4: the scene that kind of Hammer's home. The connection between them,

660
00:36:23,365 --> 00:36:26,645
Speaker 4: which is the most important part of this movie, you know,

661
00:36:27,325 --> 00:36:30,485
Speaker 4: the sort of telepathic connection between Elliott and A T.

662
00:36:31,085 --> 00:36:35,285
Speaker 4: And we're never really told like that. Characters never really

663
00:36:35,445 --> 00:36:38,605
Speaker 4: say anything about it. We just see it happen.

664
00:36:38,965 --> 00:36:41,165
Speaker 3: I know what ever says, Oh, look, the plant is

665
00:36:41,445 --> 00:36:44,405
Speaker 3: lives or dies based on how T is doing. It

666
00:36:45,085 --> 00:36:48,085
Speaker 3: is all done visually. That's that's really you know, It's

667
00:36:48,165 --> 00:36:49,045
Speaker 3: very simple that way.

668
00:36:49,205 --> 00:36:51,805
Speaker 2: It's clever also to introduce it in a comic moment

669
00:36:51,885 --> 00:36:53,964
Speaker 2: rather than a dramatic moment, too. I think that makes

670
00:36:54,045 --> 00:36:56,125
Speaker 2: I think that makes it work because I think we

671
00:36:56,765 --> 00:37:00,725
Speaker 2: certainly come to understand by the end how powerful that

672
00:37:00,725 --> 00:37:04,365
Speaker 2: connection is emotionally, and I think that if you you know,

673
00:37:04,445 --> 00:37:08,125
Speaker 2: to introduce it in this offhanded and playful way, I mean,

674
00:37:08,205 --> 00:37:10,845
Speaker 2: gives the movie that you know, a different beat, a

675
00:37:10,925 --> 00:37:12,925
Speaker 2: sort of a comic beat, in a little bit of

676
00:37:13,005 --> 00:37:16,045
Speaker 2: chaos and fun. But then it also kind of holds

677
00:37:16,085 --> 00:37:18,765
Speaker 2: back a little bit in terms of us understanding the

678
00:37:18,805 --> 00:37:22,685
Speaker 2: emotional implications of this connection. With regard to Methodison's script,

679
00:37:22,725 --> 00:37:25,205
Speaker 2: I just think like it reminded me a lot of

680
00:37:25,365 --> 00:37:29,045
Speaker 2: what Walter Hill used to do early in his career

681
00:37:29,325 --> 00:37:33,365
Speaker 2: on drafts of his screenplays, which was just like refining

682
00:37:33,405 --> 00:37:37,805
Speaker 2: the screenpleap meant taking things out, removing things like just

683
00:37:37,965 --> 00:37:42,565
Speaker 2: trying to carve everything down to its most essential gesture

684
00:37:42,725 --> 00:37:45,245
Speaker 2: or or you know, bit of dialogue. And it's just

685
00:37:45,285 --> 00:37:47,485
Speaker 2: like things like just words in this thing. It's just

686
00:37:47,685 --> 00:37:51,925
Speaker 2: like stay and uh ouch, and like it's just like

687
00:37:52,125 --> 00:37:54,444
Speaker 2: you don't even you don't need very much to put

688
00:37:54,485 --> 00:37:55,725
Speaker 2: very much spin on the ball. And I think that

689
00:37:55,845 --> 00:37:58,285
Speaker 2: I think it kind of also serves this idea of

690
00:37:58,365 --> 00:38:01,125
Speaker 2: et as like a children's book or like a story book.

691
00:38:01,125 --> 00:38:03,165
Speaker 2: It has that kind of you know, feel to it

692
00:38:03,205 --> 00:38:05,205
Speaker 2: and look to it. It's just it's, you know, it's

693
00:38:05,325 --> 00:38:09,484
Speaker 2: simple and enchanting and not you know, embellished with too much,

694
00:38:09,685 --> 00:38:11,925
Speaker 2: you know, even though you know, I mean this is

695
00:38:11,965 --> 00:38:15,325
Speaker 2: a transition to this, even though Spielberg is certainly hitting

696
00:38:15,325 --> 00:38:17,725
Speaker 2: you with some pretty interesting direction as well, it's not

697
00:38:17,765 --> 00:38:19,565
Speaker 2: like it not like it's so paired down that you

698
00:38:19,605 --> 00:38:22,965
Speaker 2: don't notice that there's a pretty interesting filmmaking going on.

699
00:38:23,005 --> 00:38:25,085
Speaker 2: So I wanted us to talk about how that how

700
00:38:25,245 --> 00:38:28,765
Speaker 2: Spielberg sort of compliments this script and what kind of

701
00:38:28,805 --> 00:38:31,285
Speaker 2: touches he brings to the table that are specific to him,

702
00:38:31,645 --> 00:38:34,924
Speaker 2: that sort of separate et from other movies of it's kind.

703
00:38:35,245 --> 00:38:38,525
Speaker 3: You know, obviously we're an Amblin world, right, and it's

704
00:38:38,605 --> 00:38:40,925
Speaker 3: kind of dominates the eighties and or a certain strand

705
00:38:40,965 --> 00:38:44,045
Speaker 3: of eighties filmmaking. I'm just thinking about, even though this

706
00:38:44,125 --> 00:38:46,685
Speaker 3: is another film that Spielberg kind a heavy hand, and like,

707
00:38:46,765 --> 00:38:50,965
Speaker 3: how much more authentic and likable these kids are than

708
00:38:51,045 --> 00:38:53,845
Speaker 3: the Goonies. I mean, I don't like that movie, like

709
00:38:55,165 --> 00:38:58,405
Speaker 3: movies my headache, but it's just like that movie tries

710
00:38:59,005 --> 00:39:02,245
Speaker 3: so hard and like really just kind of lays it

711
00:39:02,325 --> 00:39:04,805
Speaker 3: on so thick, and this one, it just there's a

712
00:39:04,925 --> 00:39:09,565
Speaker 3: naturalism to these kids and the way they interact and

713
00:39:09,565 --> 00:39:13,285
Speaker 3: and to marry as well. One of my favorite notices

714
00:39:13,445 --> 00:39:18,045
Speaker 3: is when Elliott, with all seriousness, calls calls Michael Penis breath.

715
00:39:19,085 --> 00:39:23,085
Speaker 3: His mother is like, it's you experience as a parents.

716
00:39:23,085 --> 00:39:26,884
Speaker 3: It's always like you're both you know, appalled and amused. Yes,

717
00:39:27,045 --> 00:39:30,805
Speaker 3: I love you trying to hide that you can't. That's

718
00:39:30,845 --> 00:39:31,245
Speaker 3: so good.

719
00:39:31,965 --> 00:39:33,845
Speaker 4: I also love the moment when they come out in

720
00:39:33,885 --> 00:39:37,565
Speaker 4: their Halloween costumes and she just like bursts out laughing,

721
00:39:37,885 --> 00:39:41,245
Speaker 4: like with delight. I think you know of that moment,

722
00:39:41,285 --> 00:39:44,685
Speaker 4: but just like sort of the the amusement she gets

723
00:39:45,365 --> 00:39:49,605
Speaker 4: in addition to all the stress from her kids is nice.

724
00:39:50,205 --> 00:39:53,285
Speaker 4: I like that for Mary, And I mean, I think

725
00:39:53,765 --> 00:39:56,405
Speaker 4: we already talked a fair bit about just sort of

726
00:39:56,445 --> 00:39:58,924
Speaker 4: the lived in quality of this movie, but I think

727
00:39:58,965 --> 00:40:02,285
Speaker 4: that is the SPIELBERGI in touch and you know kind

728
00:40:02,325 --> 00:40:06,364
Speaker 4: of is part of the naturalism that Keith's talking about,

729
00:40:06,365 --> 00:40:09,645
Speaker 4: because like the script is quote unquote paired down, but

730
00:40:09,805 --> 00:40:12,005
Speaker 4: like this is a busy movie. You know, like there's

731
00:40:12,045 --> 00:40:14,485
Speaker 4: a lot of stuff in the frame. The score is

732
00:40:14,725 --> 00:40:17,125
Speaker 4: you know, there's like every instrument in the world and

733
00:40:17,245 --> 00:40:21,325
Speaker 4: John Williams's score. You know, like it's not a a

734
00:40:21,445 --> 00:40:24,285
Speaker 4: visually paired down movie. But it also doesn't feel busy

735
00:40:24,405 --> 00:40:28,005
Speaker 4: or hectic. It just feels like the world that we're in,

736
00:40:28,125 --> 00:40:32,965
Speaker 4: you know, it feels populated and real. And that's in

737
00:40:32,325 --> 00:40:35,525
Speaker 4: the set design, it's in how it's shot. Kind of

738
00:40:35,525 --> 00:40:37,765
Speaker 4: what I was talking about with like just the steam

739
00:40:37,965 --> 00:40:40,405
Speaker 4: and like being able like making it feel like you

740
00:40:40,405 --> 00:40:43,445
Speaker 4: can feel what this room feels like or what this

741
00:40:43,525 --> 00:40:47,285
Speaker 4: forest feels like. And then right down to the performances

742
00:40:47,365 --> 00:40:50,765
Speaker 4: you mentioned. The Spielberg's way with child performers, you know,

743
00:40:50,965 --> 00:40:54,165
Speaker 4: and all how old was Robert McNaughton at this point,

744
00:40:54,325 --> 00:40:57,965
Speaker 4: do we know? I mean, I think the character Yeah, yeah,

745
00:40:58,005 --> 00:41:00,685
Speaker 4: so you know, we'll put him in the child actor

746
00:41:00,725 --> 00:41:03,965
Speaker 4: bucket on a technicality, but you know, just the performances

747
00:41:04,245 --> 00:41:08,245
Speaker 4: that he gets out of Henry Thomas and Andrew Barrymore,

748
00:41:08,445 --> 00:41:11,965
Speaker 4: you know, are crucial to this movie and do feel

749
00:41:12,405 --> 00:41:14,765
Speaker 4: natural and to you know, go back to something like

750
00:41:14,805 --> 00:41:17,925
Speaker 4: the Goonies. Like those performances, I would argue, do not

751
00:41:18,325 --> 00:41:22,765
Speaker 4: feel that way, you know, maybe a little more performative.

752
00:41:23,325 --> 00:41:28,005
Speaker 4: So yeah, it all just combines into just feeling like

753
00:41:28,325 --> 00:41:31,045
Speaker 4: real space that you've been dropped into and are kind

754
00:41:31,085 --> 00:41:33,845
Speaker 4: of experiencing this along with these characters.

755
00:41:34,485 --> 00:41:36,925
Speaker 2: Really glad we're taking a little bit of time here

756
00:41:36,965 --> 00:41:42,565
Speaker 2: to to kick the guty around. It feels good. We

757
00:41:42,645 --> 00:41:44,965
Speaker 2: need it, We need the feedback I show us, tell us,

758
00:41:44,965 --> 00:41:47,525
Speaker 2: tell us why Gouties did not give you, like the

759
00:41:47,525 --> 00:41:51,205
Speaker 2: most profound headache of your life. So but I will

760
00:41:52,085 --> 00:41:54,285
Speaker 2: In terms of the style of this film, I think

761
00:41:54,325 --> 00:41:57,125
Speaker 2: this is kind of that almost a premier example of

762
00:41:58,165 --> 00:42:02,165
Speaker 2: Spielberg telling a lot of history. Three reaction shots first

763
00:42:02,525 --> 00:42:06,685
Speaker 2: there's so much of that of of like something off screen,

764
00:42:06,805 --> 00:42:10,125
Speaker 2: something is happening that it's that's incredible. And then and

765
00:42:10,165 --> 00:42:13,685
Speaker 2: you see it from from people's eyes first, and it

766
00:42:13,725 --> 00:42:17,165
Speaker 2: almost makes the effect when it comes more credible to

767
00:42:17,605 --> 00:42:19,445
Speaker 2: uh when when you when you actually cut to what

768
00:42:19,485 --> 00:42:23,485
Speaker 2: they're seeing, because because you're so locked into that reaction

769
00:42:23,605 --> 00:42:27,085
Speaker 2: and and and have that sort of awe programmed into

770
00:42:27,125 --> 00:42:29,884
Speaker 2: you in a way. I love that. So so there's

771
00:42:29,925 --> 00:42:32,725
Speaker 2: so there's that. And then the way Spielberg kind of

772
00:42:32,845 --> 00:42:36,725
Speaker 2: reveals information indirectly, like we talked about earlier with uh

773
00:42:37,005 --> 00:42:40,005
Speaker 2: with thinking e T. When ET comes back to life

774
00:42:40,165 --> 00:42:42,844
Speaker 2: uh towards uh towards the end, and we we see

775
00:42:42,885 --> 00:42:47,165
Speaker 2: it first with a flower or the way that you know,

776
00:42:47,445 --> 00:42:52,125
Speaker 2: ET learns bits of language from what's on TV and

777
00:42:52,445 --> 00:42:54,485
Speaker 2: all of that, all of these incredible things and that

778
00:42:54,605 --> 00:42:58,205
Speaker 2: Gerty's experiencing and understanding and we're seeing that seeing all

779
00:42:58,285 --> 00:43:01,285
Speaker 2: that happen in this offhand way, you know, U you know,

780
00:43:01,405 --> 00:43:03,965
Speaker 2: and then of course you know, super adorable things like

781
00:43:03,965 --> 00:43:06,925
Speaker 2: like e T being a face among all of the

782
00:43:07,405 --> 00:43:10,245
Speaker 2: stuffed animals in the closet. It's just it's just very

783
00:43:10,285 --> 00:43:16,364
Speaker 2: clever and uh uh dog dog dog dogs dogs end

784
00:43:16,405 --> 00:43:18,445
Speaker 2: up being it's up being pretty damn cool, you know,

785
00:43:18,565 --> 00:43:20,964
Speaker 2: just like any other other kids that they're they're they're

786
00:43:21,205 --> 00:43:24,605
Speaker 2: shocked at first, and then they're cool with their new friend.

787
00:43:25,365 --> 00:43:27,285
Speaker 2: I guess the one last thing I wanted to quickly

788
00:43:27,725 --> 00:43:31,565
Speaker 2: close on here had to do with and we'll have

789
00:43:31,605 --> 00:43:33,725
Speaker 2: plenty of time to talk about this with Disclosure Day,

790
00:43:33,765 --> 00:43:36,285
Speaker 2: but you know, there are scary government agents who take

791
00:43:36,285 --> 00:43:38,765
Speaker 2: over the house, and that's certainly something that we're going

792
00:43:38,845 --> 00:43:41,085
Speaker 2: to deal with in Disclosure Day because those have scary

793
00:43:41,125 --> 00:43:43,325
Speaker 2: government agents as well. But let's talk about com Peter

794
00:43:43,365 --> 00:43:46,605
Speaker 2: Coyote because I think it's a really great performance and

795
00:43:46,645 --> 00:43:50,844
Speaker 2: a great character. Something you forget because your memory, at

796
00:43:50,925 --> 00:43:52,844
Speaker 2: least my memory of the film was like, oh my gosh,

797
00:43:52,925 --> 00:43:55,485
Speaker 2: when these agents and there has met suits take over

798
00:43:55,525 --> 00:43:58,365
Speaker 2: the space, what a terrible time this that that is?

799
00:43:58,405 --> 00:44:00,165
Speaker 2: But you know, you get this character. I think he

800
00:44:00,245 --> 00:44:04,325
Speaker 2: was extremely sympathetic to what both Elliot and his mother

801
00:44:04,365 --> 00:44:05,005
Speaker 2: are going through.

802
00:44:05,405 --> 00:44:08,805
Speaker 4: Yeah. I had the same memory of them being much

803
00:44:09,365 --> 00:44:13,605
Speaker 4: more threatening, you know, or ominous when.

804
00:44:13,445 --> 00:44:16,045
Speaker 3: They first show up. The astronoct suits are really.

805
00:44:15,925 --> 00:44:18,085
Speaker 4: That's true, that's true, And why are they wearing asterisk

806
00:44:18,365 --> 00:44:19,805
Speaker 4: suits instead of suit.

807
00:44:20,565 --> 00:44:20,965
Speaker 3: I don't know.

808
00:44:21,165 --> 00:44:23,485
Speaker 4: I don't know, but I'm thinking more of like the

809
00:44:23,565 --> 00:44:27,485
Speaker 4: earlier shots we get of sort of them searching for

810
00:44:28,445 --> 00:44:32,565
Speaker 4: et and by extension, Elliott and you know, like from

811
00:44:32,605 --> 00:44:34,924
Speaker 4: the waist down, and I think it is Yeah, Peter

812
00:44:35,005 --> 00:44:38,125
Speaker 4: Coyote's character is just called Keys because we just see

813
00:44:38,125 --> 00:44:40,645
Speaker 4: the keys dangling and all those shots, you know, So

814
00:44:40,685 --> 00:44:45,444
Speaker 4: we don't even really meet him until the last act

815
00:44:45,485 --> 00:44:48,525
Speaker 4: of the movie. So like the impression we've gotten of

816
00:44:48,685 --> 00:44:51,964
Speaker 4: him up until now, it's just like sort of faceless

817
00:44:51,965 --> 00:44:56,685
Speaker 4: and ominous and like you don't know what he wants

818
00:44:56,765 --> 00:44:59,685
Speaker 4: or what he's willing to do to get it. And

819
00:44:59,725 --> 00:45:03,765
Speaker 4: then when the time actually comes, it's like, oh, he

820
00:45:04,005 --> 00:45:08,005
Speaker 4: just really wants to have this magical experience and meet

821
00:45:08,045 --> 00:45:08,844
Speaker 4: an alien too.

822
00:45:09,365 --> 00:45:09,605
Speaker 2: You know.

823
00:45:10,565 --> 00:45:16,485
Speaker 4: It's generally speaking, the whole government agents kind of in

824
00:45:16,565 --> 00:45:19,205
Speaker 4: beating their house. I mean, yes, obviously that's scary, but

825
00:45:19,285 --> 00:45:21,924
Speaker 4: it also doesn't like they're try trying to say et

826
00:45:22,365 --> 00:45:25,045
Speaker 4: and yes and maybe to experiment on him or cut

827
00:45:25,125 --> 00:45:28,405
Speaker 4: him up, as Elliott fears. But I don't know, I

828
00:45:28,485 --> 00:45:31,605
Speaker 4: just didn't really feel a huge sense of menace once

829
00:45:31,645 --> 00:45:34,525
Speaker 4: they were actually in the house. Am I am I

830
00:45:34,765 --> 00:45:37,605
Speaker 4: alone there or did it feel it's.

831
00:45:37,165 --> 00:45:39,005
Speaker 3: Kind of a fake out. I mean, it's very much

832
00:45:39,245 --> 00:45:42,765
Speaker 3: at this post Watergate paranoia playing off of that. But

833
00:45:42,805 --> 00:45:46,565
Speaker 3: once they get there there they actually mean well, in general,

834
00:45:46,605 --> 00:45:49,685
Speaker 3: all of them, but I mean Key's's speech to Elliott

835
00:45:49,765 --> 00:45:52,445
Speaker 3: about about how he's one of this since he was

836
00:45:52,485 --> 00:45:55,605
Speaker 3: ten years old. It's so lovely and it's like that

837
00:45:55,685 --> 00:45:57,884
Speaker 3: would be you know, presumably he's part of some sort

838
00:45:57,925 --> 00:46:01,444
Speaker 3: of special government force that it's looking for aliens because

839
00:46:01,445 --> 00:46:03,845
Speaker 3: we had the budget for that, I guess at the time,

840
00:46:05,205 --> 00:46:07,965
Speaker 3: and and so like this has been so much to him,

841
00:46:08,205 --> 00:46:10,245
Speaker 3: and also we've barely touched on it, but this is

842
00:46:10,325 --> 00:46:11,885
Speaker 3: such a film about I'm sure we'll get on it

843
00:46:11,965 --> 00:46:13,605
Speaker 3: more with Disclosure Day, but it's such a film about

844
00:46:13,885 --> 00:46:18,525
Speaker 3: spirituality and looking beyond and be able to reach this

845
00:46:18,525 --> 00:46:22,045
Speaker 3: transcendent thing that that's kind of fallen to earth. There's

846
00:46:22,045 --> 00:46:25,045
Speaker 3: definitely some some some Christian imagery in there as well.

847
00:46:25,245 --> 00:46:27,685
Speaker 3: But I I have a question for you all, Oh

848
00:46:27,805 --> 00:46:31,205
Speaker 3: Keys and Mary, it's it's on right, it's on after

849
00:46:31,405 --> 00:46:32,605
Speaker 3: after the after is over?

850
00:46:33,845 --> 00:46:36,685
Speaker 4: Can I can only hope so for for every everyone's sake,

851
00:46:36,725 --> 00:46:38,125
Speaker 4: I think I think Mary needs that.

852
00:46:38,445 --> 00:46:42,925
Speaker 2: For sure for sure. Wow, I uh some early shipping.

853
00:46:43,085 --> 00:46:48,884
Speaker 2: We're shipping the US between between Dean Wallis and Peter Coyote. Uh,

854
00:46:49,605 --> 00:46:50,485
Speaker 2: you know forty.

855
00:46:50,565 --> 00:46:53,045
Speaker 3: Can alto say, like, you know how much respect I

856
00:46:53,085 --> 00:46:56,325
Speaker 3: have apart from those terrible commercials that there's been no

857
00:46:56,445 --> 00:47:00,085
Speaker 3: sequel to this and and I'm sure Spielberg turned down

858
00:47:00,245 --> 00:47:02,885
Speaker 3: so much money to do a sequel to the most

859
00:47:02,885 --> 00:47:05,205
Speaker 3: successful film ever made. I would I would not really,

860
00:47:05,325 --> 00:47:07,405
Speaker 3: I wouldn't want one. This is this is this is

861
00:47:07,445 --> 00:47:09,565
Speaker 3: a story that's that's complete as it is.

862
00:47:10,125 --> 00:47:11,485
Speaker 4: You don't need one, you Mac and Me.

863
00:47:12,565 --> 00:47:13,725
Speaker 2: It's true, there's.

864
00:47:13,565 --> 00:47:15,005
Speaker 3: Always Mac and Me.

865
00:47:15,285 --> 00:47:17,925
Speaker 2: Well, well we we we of course have a sequel

866
00:47:18,205 --> 00:47:21,765
Speaker 2: coming up to this episode. So when we talk about

867
00:47:21,765 --> 00:47:23,844
Speaker 2: Disclosure Day, so we're gonna wait until next week you

868
00:47:23,885 --> 00:47:27,605
Speaker 2: bring et back in the discussion. But for now, we're

869
00:47:27,605 --> 00:47:41,925
Speaker 2: going to do Shift two's feedback. Now, it's time for feedback.

870
00:47:42,085 --> 00:47:44,364
Speaker 2: But first let's talk about what's going on on the

871
00:47:44,405 --> 00:47:47,364
Speaker 2: other shows under the film spotting umbrella, which is quite

872
00:47:47,445 --> 00:47:50,844
Speaker 2: large these days. On the Mothership podcast hosted by Adam

873
00:47:50,885 --> 00:47:54,405
Speaker 2: Kepenaar and Josh Larson, they've already released their own discussion

874
00:47:54,485 --> 00:47:57,645
Speaker 2: of Disclosure Day and The Sheep Detectives, and they have

875
00:47:57,685 --> 00:48:00,805
Speaker 2: another one in the works on toy Story five. Film

876
00:48:00,845 --> 00:48:03,765
Speaker 2: Spotting SVU with Matt Singer and Jordan Hoffman, did a

877
00:48:03,805 --> 00:48:06,685
Speaker 2: recent show about one of our streaming favorites, pop Star

878
00:48:07,085 --> 00:48:10,125
Speaker 2: Never Stop, Never Stopping, which we will watch if it's there.

879
00:48:10,405 --> 00:48:14,165
Speaker 2: I'm watching it. I think I know Jenevie potentially probably

880
00:48:14,245 --> 00:48:15,444
Speaker 2: keeps you feel that same way.

881
00:48:15,805 --> 00:48:20,405
Speaker 4: Maybe my most rewatched movie at this point after Clueless,

882
00:48:21,325 --> 00:48:23,965
Speaker 4: those are my two I can put on literally anytime.

883
00:48:24,085 --> 00:48:28,365
Speaker 2: Absolutely. And then there's the new podcast Movie Deathmatch, hosted

884
00:48:28,365 --> 00:48:32,365
Speaker 2: by Chris Klemick, which posts on the first Monday every month.

885
00:48:32,725 --> 00:48:35,005
Speaker 2: I got the inside scoop that in July you can

886
00:48:35,045 --> 00:48:38,365
Speaker 2: look forward to a Christopher nolanoff between two different guests,

887
00:48:38,405 --> 00:48:42,325
Speaker 2: with Vulture's bilgay Abiri arguing for Inception and YouTube pop

888
00:48:42,365 --> 00:48:47,765
Speaker 2: culture scientist Abigail Jones stumping for Interstellar. Meanwhile, here in Chicago,

889
00:48:48,045 --> 00:48:51,605
Speaker 2: Film Spotting Fest two is happening this weekend, with a

890
00:48:51,645 --> 00:48:55,125
Speaker 2: weekend of films curated by Adam and Josh hitting Chicago

891
00:48:55,165 --> 00:48:58,085
Speaker 2: on June twenty seventh and twenty eighth, with the lineup

892
00:48:58,125 --> 00:49:01,285
Speaker 2: of films that explore time and personal history, including Agnes

893
00:49:01,325 --> 00:49:04,364
Speaker 2: vardas Cleo from five to seven, and the twenty fifth

894
00:49:04,365 --> 00:49:08,325
Speaker 2: anniversary screening of The Royal Tenantbombs. Yours truly will be

895
00:49:08,445 --> 00:49:11,884
Speaker 2: up on stage on Saturday night at seven pm at

896
00:49:11,885 --> 00:49:15,085
Speaker 2: the Athenaeum Theater for a special screening of Wet Hot

897
00:49:15,125 --> 00:49:19,085
Speaker 2: American Summer, with actress Marguerite Moreau as our guest. It's

898
00:49:19,085 --> 00:49:21,445
Speaker 2: a fantastic film to see with an audience and there

899
00:49:21,445 --> 00:49:24,965
Speaker 2: should be a great discussion afterwards. Now it's time for feedback,

900
00:49:25,005 --> 00:49:27,885
Speaker 2: where we read or listen to some of the responses

901
00:49:27,885 --> 00:49:31,005
Speaker 2: we've gotten to recent episodes. Here's a letter related to

902
00:49:31,045 --> 00:49:33,805
Speaker 2: our discussion of Babe Pig of the City about dark

903
00:49:33,925 --> 00:49:36,685
Speaker 2: kid movies, Keith, do you want to read this one

904
00:49:36,725 --> 00:49:37,045
Speaker 2: for us?

905
00:49:37,325 --> 00:49:40,885
Speaker 3: Sure? Julius writes, Japan's first two Unico movies might be

906
00:49:40,885 --> 00:49:44,364
Speaker 3: in the running for cutest slash scariest tone combinations. The

907
00:49:44,405 --> 00:49:47,205
Speaker 3: overarching story of the movies is dark enough on its own.

908
00:49:47,565 --> 00:49:50,325
Speaker 3: Unico is a baby male unicorn whose special gift is

909
00:49:50,365 --> 00:49:53,045
Speaker 3: to make people happy and be friends with them, and

910
00:49:53,085 --> 00:49:55,805
Speaker 3: for that reason, the gods have decided that he must

911
00:49:55,845 --> 00:49:59,205
Speaker 3: die or at least be banished to the Hill of Oblivion.

912
00:49:59,845 --> 00:50:02,485
Speaker 3: But the west Wind takes pity and hide Unico around

913
00:50:02,485 --> 00:50:05,405
Speaker 3: the world to have an episodic adventure, which culminates in

914
00:50:05,485 --> 00:50:08,245
Speaker 3: Unico using his power and having to be whisked away

915
00:50:08,285 --> 00:50:11,725
Speaker 3: from his friends. However, these take even darker turns. The

916
00:50:11,805 --> 00:50:15,125
Speaker 3: Fantastic Adventures of Unico is a two story film, with

917
00:50:15,205 --> 00:50:17,205
Speaker 3: a second story being about Unico befront of you. Of

918
00:50:17,285 --> 00:50:19,725
Speaker 3: Brady Kat, who wants to be human and do nothing

919
00:50:19,765 --> 00:50:22,965
Speaker 3: all day, turns a cat into a young girl. She

920
00:50:23,125 --> 00:50:25,844
Speaker 3: comes infatuated with the rich lord of the castle, who

921
00:50:25,885 --> 00:50:28,045
Speaker 3: takes her to his palace where he drugs her with

922
00:50:28,085 --> 00:50:31,685
Speaker 3: the intent of sexually assaulting her. Naturally, Unico staves a day,

923
00:50:31,925 --> 00:50:34,924
Speaker 3: but for a cautionary tale that seems aimed at kids

924
00:50:35,005 --> 00:50:38,565
Speaker 3: under eight, the movie goes frightfully far in the above scenario.

925
00:50:39,125 --> 00:50:41,525
Speaker 3: The second movie is the one that seered itself into

926
00:50:41,525 --> 00:50:45,525
Speaker 3: my generation, subconscious Unico and the Island of Magic, where

927
00:50:45,605 --> 00:50:47,605
Speaker 3: Unico must save the world for a wizard in a

928
00:50:47,605 --> 00:50:50,725
Speaker 3: floating bubble who turns people into wooden blocks or bricks

929
00:50:50,965 --> 00:50:54,005
Speaker 3: that he then builds with castle with. He also has

930
00:50:54,085 --> 00:50:57,965
Speaker 3: laser organ fingers, frightful hair, and a voice that scars

931
00:50:58,005 --> 00:51:01,845
Speaker 3: you worse. The back's to worse worse, the backsteries of

932
00:51:01,925 --> 00:51:04,645
Speaker 3: the Wizard is a discarded toy puppet who was cruelly

933
00:51:04,645 --> 00:51:08,325
Speaker 3: discarded centuries ago and given new life by centuries of

934
00:51:08,405 --> 00:51:11,525
Speaker 3: sun exposure. This should be the plot of Toy Story six,

935
00:51:11,605 --> 00:51:16,445
Speaker 3: but picks our cowards. I am not familiar with these

936
00:51:16,485 --> 00:51:20,485
Speaker 3: at all, and now I am very curious slash afraid

937
00:51:21,365 --> 00:51:26,045
Speaker 3: of Unico and his adventures. Jenny, do you know this? Oh?

938
00:51:26,205 --> 00:51:29,165
Speaker 4: Do I know Unico and the Island of Magic specifically?

939
00:51:29,325 --> 00:51:33,925
Speaker 4: I have seen the other one too, But as Julius writes,

940
00:51:34,325 --> 00:51:37,404
Speaker 4: Unico and the Island of Magic definitely seared itself into

941
00:51:37,445 --> 00:51:40,605
Speaker 4: the brains of a generation, presumably those who like me

942
00:51:40,885 --> 00:51:43,245
Speaker 4: saw it on the Disney Channel in the very early

943
00:51:43,365 --> 00:51:46,525
Speaker 4: days of the Disney Channel, which was really weird programming

944
00:51:47,045 --> 00:51:51,085
Speaker 4: if you ever want to go back and look research

945
00:51:51,125 --> 00:51:53,405
Speaker 4: the early days of the Disney Channel. But yes, that

946
00:51:53,485 --> 00:51:55,645
Speaker 4: was my first exposure to Unico on the Island of Magic.

947
00:51:56,085 --> 00:51:58,765
Speaker 4: You know, we got this letter a few weeks ago,

948
00:51:58,845 --> 00:52:01,885
Speaker 4: but I haven't been on the last couple of episodes.

949
00:52:01,925 --> 00:52:04,005
Speaker 4: But I made you guys hold this one for me,

950
00:52:04,765 --> 00:52:08,605
Speaker 4: because I am the resident Unico expert to the point

951
00:52:08,645 --> 00:52:11,165
Speaker 4: where Over a decade ago at this point, when we

952
00:52:11,165 --> 00:52:13,205
Speaker 4: were all at the A V Club and there was

953
00:52:13,245 --> 00:52:15,725
Speaker 4: a long standing feature called Ask the AV Club where

954
00:52:15,725 --> 00:52:17,885
Speaker 4: people would write in with the sort of like it

955
00:52:17,925 --> 00:52:22,165
Speaker 4: was help me remember this pop cultural artifact thing, and

956
00:52:22,725 --> 00:52:26,205
Speaker 4: Unico an Island of Magic got written in about all

957
00:52:26,285 --> 00:52:28,965
Speaker 4: the time, and I remember I was the only one

958
00:52:29,005 --> 00:52:31,885
Speaker 4: who knew when it was. I think like when I

959
00:52:31,925 --> 00:52:34,205
Speaker 4: finally came around, I was able to answer this long

960
00:52:34,245 --> 00:52:39,405
Speaker 4: standing question for everyone, because yeah, it is a highly

961
00:52:39,405 --> 00:52:41,844
Speaker 4: memorable movie once you've seen, in addition to all the

962
00:52:41,845 --> 00:52:46,605
Speaker 4: Lord Kirico stuff that Julius talks about, the puppets turned

963
00:52:46,645 --> 00:52:50,765
Speaker 4: into a wizard with laser fingers and horrible hair, his

964
00:52:51,325 --> 00:52:54,965
Speaker 4: castle made of all the people that he's turned into blocks,

965
00:52:56,605 --> 00:52:59,885
Speaker 4: who then like kind of walk themselves onto a ship

966
00:53:00,245 --> 00:53:03,884
Speaker 4: and assemble themselves into a castle, which is also very

967
00:53:04,005 --> 00:53:06,965
Speaker 4: very frightening. But this castle is patrolled by a character

968
00:53:07,005 --> 00:53:10,525
Speaker 4: called roller Dragon, which is a kind of like looks

969
00:53:10,525 --> 00:53:13,405
Speaker 4: like a dragging sort of made of blocks or lego

970
00:53:13,885 --> 00:53:16,605
Speaker 4: that just kind of like speeds around on wheels and

971
00:53:16,605 --> 00:53:20,765
Speaker 4: makes this horrifying noise all the time. And I do

972
00:53:21,085 --> 00:53:22,805
Speaker 4: still have a soft spot in my heart to this

973
00:53:22,925 --> 00:53:26,485
Speaker 4: day for a roller dragon. But if anyone listening to

974
00:53:26,525 --> 00:53:28,405
Speaker 4: this has seen Unico, and I think there are probably

975
00:53:28,405 --> 00:53:30,125
Speaker 4: a few of you out there, you are probably like

976
00:53:30,165 --> 00:53:33,005
Speaker 4: clapping your hands with lee right now, and everyone else

977
00:53:33,085 --> 00:53:35,125
Speaker 4: is like, what the hell are you talking about?

978
00:53:36,325 --> 00:53:40,805
Speaker 2: So we find this stuff? Is it? Like? What? What

979
00:53:40,925 --> 00:53:43,645
Speaker 2: is it? The dark web would get like Organs No,

980
00:53:43,885 --> 00:53:44,845
Speaker 2: I actually.

981
00:53:45,725 --> 00:53:49,005
Speaker 4: I bought a double DVD set years ago, like it's

982
00:53:49,125 --> 00:53:51,285
Speaker 4: I have a copy sitting on my shelf, so if

983
00:53:51,325 --> 00:53:53,045
Speaker 4: you want to make a trip out to Detroit, I

984
00:53:53,045 --> 00:53:57,605
Speaker 4: can blend it to you. But I imagine there's copies, you know,

985
00:53:57,805 --> 00:54:00,765
Speaker 4: on the Internet out there. I would be surprised if

986
00:54:00,805 --> 00:54:01,405
Speaker 4: it's streaming.

987
00:54:01,565 --> 00:54:02,405
Speaker 3: But give me a minute.

988
00:54:02,965 --> 00:54:03,805
Speaker 4: It's not here.

989
00:54:03,885 --> 00:54:06,885
Speaker 3: I'm here to surprise you. Oh yeah, it is The

990
00:54:06,925 --> 00:54:09,365
Speaker 3: Fantastic Adventures of Unico, which I guess is the TV

991
00:54:09,525 --> 00:54:13,525
Speaker 3: series right is streaming on Prime Video. You can watch it.

992
00:54:13,765 --> 00:54:16,884
Speaker 3: So we're done podcasting. You go watch it.

993
00:54:17,005 --> 00:54:19,444
Speaker 4: Oh my gosh, is Unicorn Island of Magic on there

994
00:54:20,765 --> 00:54:21,605
Speaker 4: that I don't know?

995
00:54:22,045 --> 00:54:26,765
Speaker 2: Let's go search. Let search this dynamic radio. This is

996
00:54:26,765 --> 00:54:30,645
Speaker 2: why podcasting is more exciting than radio, is that we

997
00:54:30,645 --> 00:54:32,565
Speaker 2: could look up and see if they just.

998
00:54:33,165 --> 00:54:35,165
Speaker 4: You know what, Okay, you know what. It's apparently on

999
00:54:35,285 --> 00:54:37,605
Speaker 4: crunchy roll, which makes absolutely sense.

1000
00:54:38,125 --> 00:54:41,605
Speaker 2: Yeah, my my, uh my daughters have have a subscription

1001
00:54:41,685 --> 00:54:44,165
Speaker 2: that they use so often with crunchy roll, the whole

1002
00:54:44,325 --> 00:54:47,325
Speaker 2: crunchy roll culture here that I miss out on completely.

1003
00:54:47,765 --> 00:54:50,405
Speaker 2: It's like it's like we cover movies, uh for the

1004
00:54:50,485 --> 00:54:52,925
Speaker 2: reveal on the podcast, and then it's like, what's the

1005
00:54:53,005 --> 00:54:55,045
Speaker 2: number one movie of the week this week, and it's

1006
00:54:55,085 --> 00:54:58,884
Speaker 2: such some weird thing that that only people crunchy.

1007
00:54:58,645 --> 00:55:01,085
Speaker 3: Role Chainsaw Man. Of course it's it's chainsaw Man.

1008
00:55:01,965 --> 00:55:04,805
Speaker 2: Yep. So the kids, the kids are up on Unico.

1009
00:55:05,165 --> 00:55:09,125
Speaker 2: Uh just just we aren't yet except for Genevie. So

1010
00:55:09,405 --> 00:55:11,245
Speaker 2: uh that is exciting that you should.

1011
00:55:11,365 --> 00:55:14,245
Speaker 4: You should educate yourself, guys. I think I think Unico

1012
00:55:14,325 --> 00:55:16,325
Speaker 4: would uh blow your mind a little bit.

1013
00:55:16,845 --> 00:55:18,844
Speaker 2: The description alone is doing it for me, so I

1014
00:55:18,885 --> 00:55:26,805
Speaker 2: love it. Well, that's it for this episode of The

1015
00:55:26,805 --> 00:55:29,845
Speaker 2: Next Picture Show. In our next episode will jump forward

1016
00:55:29,885 --> 00:55:33,045
Speaker 2: to the Steven Spielberg of twenty twenty six with Disclosure

1017
00:55:33,125 --> 00:55:36,005
Speaker 2: Day and see how much his feelings about the relationship

1018
00:55:36,005 --> 00:55:40,405
Speaker 2: between humanity and extraterrestrials have changed. Look for that episode

1019
00:55:40,445 --> 00:55:43,285
Speaker 2: next Tuesday and your podcastuer of choice. For ad free

1020
00:55:43,365 --> 00:55:45,765
Speaker 2: versions of the podcast and extra content, find us on

1021
00:55:45,805 --> 00:55:49,245
Speaker 2: Patreon at Patreon dot com slash Next Picture Show. You

1022
00:55:49,245 --> 00:55:51,285
Speaker 2: can find us at Next Picture Show dot net and

1023
00:55:51,325 --> 00:55:53,685
Speaker 2: on blue Sky at the Next Picture Show if you

1024
00:55:53,725 --> 00:55:56,405
Speaker 2: want to keep track of when new episode's drop until

1025
00:55:56,445 --> 00:55:59,525
Speaker 2: next week. Remember back in nineteen eighty two, if you

1026
00:55:59,605 --> 00:56:02,445
Speaker 2: didn't have a jury rigged speaking spell, you had to

1027
00:56:02,445 --> 00:56:05,404
Speaker 2: pay long distance charges to phone home to your loved

1028
00:56:05,405 --> 00:56:08,605
Speaker 2: ones if they lived outside your area code. Now you

1029
00:56:08,645 --> 00:56:11,765
Speaker 2: can phone home all you like, and we encourage you

1030
00:56:11,845 --> 00:56:12,245
Speaker 2: to do so.

1031
00:56:23,765 --> 00:56:24,525
Speaker 1: It was a good movie.

1032
00:56:24,845 --> 00:56:26,405
Speaker 2: Yeah, seen here before once