1 00:00:18,560 --> 00:00:21,320 Speaker 1: Good people of Hollywood land. My name is Seth Lundy 2 00:00:21,380 --> 00:00:25,020 Speaker 1: writer showrunner and good doctor here at double Elvis. And 3 00:00:25,160 --> 00:00:28,390 Speaker 1: it's Friday, which means it's time yet again for another 4 00:00:28,450 --> 00:00:32,540 Speaker 1: installment of the screening room. our weekly episode of the 5 00:00:32,580 --> 00:00:35,720 Speaker 1: Hollywoodland Podcast, in which we watch a movie that has 6 00:00:35,800 --> 00:00:38,000 Speaker 1: something to do with our main episode subject and theme 7 00:00:38,120 --> 00:00:41,479 Speaker 1: of the week, and then we talk about it. Our 8 00:00:41,580 --> 00:00:45,760 Speaker 1: fully scripted and sound design episode from our archive back 9 00:00:45,940 --> 00:00:49,450 Speaker 1: on Monday this week was all about Will Smith, whose 10 00:00:49,670 --> 00:00:52,970 Speaker 1: smash sitcom back in the 90s, The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, 11 00:00:53,690 --> 00:00:58,450 Speaker 1: was produced or executive produced by next week's subject over 12 00:00:58,590 --> 00:01:02,029 Speaker 1: in Disgraceland, our sister show, that of course is the 13 00:01:02,110 --> 00:01:08,080 Speaker 1: legend Quincy Jones. But here in Hollywoodland, I wasn't thinking 14 00:01:08,140 --> 00:01:11,540 Speaker 1: about The Fresh Prince or about Quincy Jones. I was 15 00:01:11,620 --> 00:01:15,220 Speaker 1: thinking for a moment about featuring a film here in 16 00:01:15,280 --> 00:01:19,180 Speaker 1: the screening room that had a hero or maybe an 17 00:01:19,380 --> 00:01:23,640 Speaker 1: anti-hero at its core, someone who has done something violent 18 00:01:23,819 --> 00:01:27,770 Speaker 1: or seemingly unforgivable and has to claw their way back 19 00:01:27,840 --> 00:01:31,450 Speaker 1: to redemption. And while that seemed like a cool idea, 20 00:01:31,750 --> 00:01:34,110 Speaker 1: ultimately I was like, you know what? This gives me 21 00:01:34,150 --> 00:01:37,090 Speaker 1: the opportunity to cover the kind of film I don't 22 00:01:37,190 --> 00:01:41,970 Speaker 1: typically cover here. A big action blockbuster from the 90s 23 00:01:42,430 --> 00:01:46,530 Speaker 1: with megawatt stars. Well, perhaps I have covered a few 24 00:01:46,569 --> 00:01:49,460 Speaker 1: of those here. The Dark Knight comes to mind. I 25 00:01:49,480 --> 00:01:52,780 Speaker 1: know that's not the 90s, but same idea. But back 26 00:01:52,800 --> 00:01:57,520 Speaker 1: when Enemy of the State was originally released in 1998... 27 00:01:57,820 --> 00:02:02,140 Speaker 1: I was allergic to this kind of movie. And by 28 00:02:02,160 --> 00:02:05,700 Speaker 1: this kind of movie, I mean the same kind of 29 00:02:05,740 --> 00:02:09,340 Speaker 1: movie that Hollywood had been so good at making for decades. 30 00:02:10,000 --> 00:02:12,380 Speaker 1: I was still in college at the time, in film 31 00:02:12,419 --> 00:02:16,320 Speaker 1: school at BU, and I wanted something different when I 32 00:02:16,370 --> 00:02:19,590 Speaker 1: went to the movies. I wanted cinema to show me 33 00:02:19,650 --> 00:02:22,329 Speaker 1: something I had not seen before or show me something 34 00:02:22,410 --> 00:02:28,310 Speaker 1: I had seen before, but through an entirely different point 35 00:02:28,350 --> 00:02:32,630 Speaker 1: of view. This is why I gravitated that year to 36 00:02:32,660 --> 00:02:36,720 Speaker 1: films like Rushmore by Wes Anderson, The Coen Brothers' The 37 00:02:36,760 --> 00:02:40,820 Speaker 1: Big Lebowski, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Terry Gilliam, 38 00:02:41,180 --> 00:02:44,810 Speaker 1: The Truman Show by Peter Weir, Whit Stillman's The Last 39 00:02:44,840 --> 00:02:48,230 Speaker 1: Days of Disco, and Steven Soderbergh's Out of Sight, to 40 00:02:48,310 --> 00:02:51,010 Speaker 1: name a few. And this is not to say that 41 00:02:51,050 --> 00:02:54,669 Speaker 1: I had something against blockbusters, because 98 is also the 42 00:02:54,690 --> 00:02:58,870 Speaker 1: year of Saving Private Ryan, a mega blockbuster. But just 43 00:02:58,910 --> 00:03:02,190 Speaker 1: like the other films that I just listed, Saving Private 44 00:03:02,230 --> 00:03:05,450 Speaker 1: Ryan felt like something I'd never seen before. Certainly the 45 00:03:05,570 --> 00:03:10,640 Speaker 1: opening scene was shockingly new at the time. Enemy of 46 00:03:10,680 --> 00:03:15,220 Speaker 1: the State, on the other hand, had this hyper glossy 47 00:03:16,020 --> 00:03:19,580 Speaker 1: MTV slash ADHD rhythm to it. I call it the 48 00:03:19,639 --> 00:03:23,600 Speaker 1: blinking effect where transitions are made with these rapid cuts 49 00:03:23,690 --> 00:03:28,350 Speaker 1: between computer screens and satellites and eagle-eye helicopter shots, all 50 00:03:28,410 --> 00:03:32,230 Speaker 1: of which was a hallmark of Tony Scott's filmmaking style. 51 00:03:32,270 --> 00:03:35,570 Speaker 1: This is the brother of Ridley Scott, who directed this film. 52 00:03:36,240 --> 00:03:40,340 Speaker 1: Tony Scott made films such as Beverly Hills Cop 2, 53 00:03:40,340 --> 00:03:44,780 Speaker 1: Days of Thunder, The Last Boy Scout, True Romance, Crimson Tide, 54 00:03:44,960 --> 00:03:47,700 Speaker 1: and Man on Fire. You get the idea. And speaking 55 00:03:47,720 --> 00:03:51,320 Speaker 1: of MTV, by this point in 1998, MTV was in 56 00:03:51,360 --> 00:03:53,700 Speaker 1: this hard pivot from what it used to be, at 57 00:03:53,740 --> 00:03:56,190 Speaker 1: least during its peak in the decade or so prior, 58 00:03:56,870 --> 00:03:58,630 Speaker 1: give or take. I haven't really done the numbers on this, 59 00:03:58,690 --> 00:04:02,690 Speaker 1: but MTV was becoming less of a cool station left 60 00:04:02,730 --> 00:04:07,510 Speaker 1: of center that gave you true musical and cultural depth. 61 00:04:07,570 --> 00:04:11,320 Speaker 1: You know, it gave you 120 Minutes, Headbangers Ball, Yo! 62 00:04:11,400 --> 00:04:16,350 Speaker 1: MTV Raps, Alternative Nation, Unplugged, Beavis and Butthead. It was 63 00:04:16,450 --> 00:04:21,070 Speaker 1: turning the wheel in the direction of celebrity, fandom, this 64 00:04:21,130 --> 00:04:24,410 Speaker 1: whole youth pop culture center that was guided by the 65 00:04:24,510 --> 00:04:28,130 Speaker 1: introduction of Total Request Live, which debuted the same year 66 00:04:28,779 --> 00:04:33,100 Speaker 1: as this film. And so when I say that, to 67 00:04:33,140 --> 00:04:37,080 Speaker 1: my eyes at the time, all these commercials and advertisements 68 00:04:37,440 --> 00:04:39,940 Speaker 1: that I saw for Enemy of the State, they all 69 00:04:40,000 --> 00:04:44,930 Speaker 1: had this hyper glossy MTV rhythm and style that And 70 00:04:45,190 --> 00:04:46,990 Speaker 1: this is what I'm talking about. I'm talking about this 71 00:04:47,089 --> 00:04:52,100 Speaker 1: pivot that we were making into the TRL era. So 72 00:04:52,120 --> 00:04:56,100 Speaker 1: these things had similar energies to me. And there was 73 00:04:56,140 --> 00:05:03,659 Speaker 1: also this equally fascinating fascination with technology, with the World 74 00:05:03,720 --> 00:05:06,940 Speaker 1: Wide Web, as it were, or the net, as I 75 00:05:07,000 --> 00:05:11,510 Speaker 1: think someone says in this film, that was part of 76 00:05:11,570 --> 00:05:14,800 Speaker 1: this culture. our culture at the time. And maybe I 77 00:05:14,820 --> 00:05:18,659 Speaker 1: sound crazy right now, because it's not like Carson Daly 78 00:05:18,700 --> 00:05:22,680 Speaker 1: was interviewing Gene Hackman live on Total Request Live while 79 00:05:23,400 --> 00:05:27,240 Speaker 1: teenagers crane their necks down in Times Square below to 80 00:05:27,279 --> 00:05:31,479 Speaker 1: get a glimpse. But, you know, Will Smith's Just the 81 00:05:31,540 --> 00:05:36,349 Speaker 1: Two of Us, which was the pinnacle of cheese at 82 00:05:36,390 --> 00:05:39,110 Speaker 1: the time, Will Smith's Just the Two of Us was 83 00:05:39,190 --> 00:05:44,030 Speaker 1: number five on TRL's top 10 on its debut episode 84 00:05:44,110 --> 00:05:49,729 Speaker 1: this year, holding up a top five that also included Aaliyah, NSYNC, 85 00:05:50,210 --> 00:05:56,510 Speaker 1: Backstreet Boys, and Aerosmith. How bizarre to quote another song 86 00:05:56,570 --> 00:06:00,210 Speaker 1: from two years prior. But there was something that I 87 00:06:00,250 --> 00:06:05,560 Speaker 1: did not understand in 1998. Not really. I didn't understand 88 00:06:05,600 --> 00:06:08,299 Speaker 1: the lineage that a film like Enemy of the State 89 00:06:08,380 --> 00:06:12,039 Speaker 1: was clearly a part of. I didn't understand the particular 90 00:06:12,100 --> 00:06:16,320 Speaker 1: strain of Hollywood film and Hollywood subgenre that this film 91 00:06:16,460 --> 00:06:19,430 Speaker 1: was nodding its head towards. I had never seen All 92 00:06:19,470 --> 00:06:22,910 Speaker 1: the President's Men at this point, or Three Days of 93 00:06:22,930 --> 00:06:26,670 Speaker 1: the Condor, or The Parallax View, or Clute, or anything 94 00:06:26,710 --> 00:06:29,550 Speaker 1: like that. I had seen The Conversation by this point. 95 00:06:29,630 --> 00:06:32,610 Speaker 1: I had seen Marathon Man. That's about it. My knowledge 96 00:06:33,190 --> 00:06:37,320 Speaker 1: of the 1970s paranoid political thriller was thin, to say 97 00:06:37,360 --> 00:06:40,060 Speaker 1: the least. And that's exactly what this film, Enemy of 98 00:06:40,080 --> 00:06:47,950 Speaker 1: the State, aspired to be in 1998, a contemporary post-Nixon, post-Watergate, post-Vietnam, post-Reagan, 99 00:06:48,029 --> 00:06:52,900 Speaker 1: post-Iran-Contra political thriller that ported over tropes and motifs from 100 00:06:52,940 --> 00:06:56,099 Speaker 1: a bunch of those past films I just mentioned into 101 00:06:56,420 --> 00:07:01,500 Speaker 1: the surveillance state of the brave new online world. And 102 00:07:01,560 --> 00:07:05,140 Speaker 1: it doubled down on this idea by using Gene Hackman, 103 00:07:05,339 --> 00:07:09,089 Speaker 1: one of the avatars of paranoid 70s cinema, by essentially 104 00:07:09,170 --> 00:07:14,010 Speaker 1: resurrecting his old character, Harry Call, from Francis Ford Coppola's 105 00:07:14,010 --> 00:07:19,380 Speaker 1: 1974 film, The Conversation. Harry Call was this surveillance expert. 106 00:07:20,320 --> 00:07:24,500 Speaker 1: And here, he's essentially reborn as Edward Lyle, a former 107 00:07:24,660 --> 00:07:28,800 Speaker 1: NSA communications expert who's living and hiding like the most 108 00:07:28,860 --> 00:07:32,360 Speaker 1: paranoid hermit on Earth. They even use a photo of 109 00:07:32,440 --> 00:07:36,050 Speaker 1: Gene Hackman from The Conversation with his stash and everything. 110 00:07:36,520 --> 00:07:39,360 Speaker 1: when they show a younger photo of him in this film. 111 00:07:39,480 --> 00:07:44,200 Speaker 1: And it's this obvious nod to the conversation. Now, I 112 00:07:44,260 --> 00:07:47,520 Speaker 1: think if I had known all this back in 1998, 113 00:07:47,520 --> 00:07:50,250 Speaker 1: perhaps I would have given this film the time of day. 114 00:07:51,050 --> 00:07:54,630 Speaker 1: Probably not, but perhaps. It was all about Will Smith 115 00:07:54,850 --> 00:07:56,890 Speaker 1: on this heater at the time. You know, he had 116 00:07:56,910 --> 00:07:59,670 Speaker 1: just made Bad Boys and Independence Day and Men in Black. 117 00:08:00,390 --> 00:08:03,940 Speaker 1: And this is the studio system trying to level up 118 00:08:04,040 --> 00:08:07,350 Speaker 1: his importance, so to speak. Like, They did with Tom 119 00:08:07,410 --> 00:08:10,100 Speaker 1: Cruise in The Firm and A Few Good Men in 120 00:08:10,120 --> 00:08:14,119 Speaker 1: the early 90s. And me and all my cocky 20, 121 00:08:14,120 --> 00:08:17,480 Speaker 1: 21-year-old glory just couldn't get with what everyone else was 122 00:08:17,520 --> 00:08:22,770 Speaker 1: getting with. Maybe that's a fatal flaw, but that's the 123 00:08:22,810 --> 00:08:27,710 Speaker 1: way I've always been. I wanted something different. What I 124 00:08:28,090 --> 00:08:30,090 Speaker 1: also didn't know, though, by not watching this movie at 125 00:08:30,110 --> 00:08:33,569 Speaker 1: the time, was that it was very much in another 126 00:08:33,770 --> 00:08:37,140 Speaker 1: cinematic lineage of and that's the films of Alfred Hitchcock. 127 00:08:37,880 --> 00:08:41,839 Speaker 1: This film is a classic tale of mistaken identity, a 128 00:08:41,900 --> 00:08:43,570 Speaker 1: guy who gets caught up in something that he's not 129 00:08:43,610 --> 00:08:46,130 Speaker 1: even supposed to know about. Very much like North by 130 00:08:46,190 --> 00:08:49,350 Speaker 1: Northwest or The Man Who Knew Too Much, even its 131 00:08:49,429 --> 00:08:52,830 Speaker 1: themes of surveillance and privacy echo back to Rear Window, 132 00:08:53,429 --> 00:08:56,809 Speaker 1: one of the greatest films about voyeurism. This is all 133 00:08:56,850 --> 00:09:00,310 Speaker 1: to say, I came to this film much later than 134 00:09:00,330 --> 00:09:02,589 Speaker 1: its original theatrical release. I came to it at a 135 00:09:02,630 --> 00:09:05,900 Speaker 1: time when I could appreciate all the great things there 136 00:09:06,040 --> 00:09:10,900 Speaker 1: are to appreciate about it. And there are great things. 137 00:09:11,040 --> 00:09:13,920 Speaker 1: It is a crackerjack of an odd couple buddy movie 138 00:09:14,610 --> 00:09:16,890 Speaker 1: in which one of the buddies doesn't even enter until 139 00:09:16,950 --> 00:09:22,330 Speaker 1: halfway in. It's stacked with great actors, everyone from Jason 140 00:09:22,370 --> 00:09:25,329 Speaker 1: Robards and Jon Voight to Barry Pepper and Lisa Bonet 141 00:09:25,370 --> 00:09:28,550 Speaker 1: and Tom Sizemore. And I haven't even mentioned Jack Black 142 00:09:28,590 --> 00:09:32,030 Speaker 1: and Seth Green and Jamie Kennedy as the lone gunman 143 00:09:32,130 --> 00:09:35,709 Speaker 1: geek squad types here. X-Files fans will get half of 144 00:09:35,750 --> 00:09:37,970 Speaker 1: that reference and Best Buy customers will get the rest. 145 00:09:38,470 --> 00:09:42,390 Speaker 1: It's fast, it hums, it entertains. It's got one particularly 146 00:09:42,480 --> 00:09:45,160 Speaker 1: incredible sequence in which Will Smith is being chased through 147 00:09:45,179 --> 00:09:49,920 Speaker 1: traffic into neon-hued tunnels by government thugs while only in 148 00:09:49,960 --> 00:09:53,730 Speaker 1: his undies and a robe. It's got serious, they've turned 149 00:09:53,790 --> 00:09:55,630 Speaker 1: off my credit cards and they're trying to set me 150 00:09:55,710 --> 00:09:57,650 Speaker 1: up and ruin my life because I have this piece 151 00:09:57,690 --> 00:09:59,370 Speaker 1: of videotape with a murder on it, but I don't 152 00:09:59,410 --> 00:10:04,079 Speaker 1: even know that I have it energy. But it also 153 00:10:04,140 --> 00:10:09,929 Speaker 1: has this lingering odor of that late 90s blinking filmmaking, 154 00:10:10,110 --> 00:10:15,710 Speaker 1: the Frogger hopscotch of visuals, the eau de TRL era 155 00:10:15,870 --> 00:10:19,709 Speaker 1: MTV pop culture body spray, we'll call it. It hasn't 156 00:10:19,920 --> 00:10:22,670 Speaker 1: aged as well for me as the styles and vibes 157 00:10:22,830 --> 00:10:27,630 Speaker 1: of one of those classic 70s-era paranoid thrillers have. And 158 00:10:27,650 --> 00:10:29,910 Speaker 1: perhaps that's because I came up in the decade that 159 00:10:29,950 --> 00:10:32,910 Speaker 1: this film comes from. Perhaps if I came of age 160 00:10:33,030 --> 00:10:35,250 Speaker 1: in the 70s, I would have a different take on 161 00:10:35,320 --> 00:10:38,119 Speaker 1: things like All the President's Men or Three Days of 162 00:10:38,140 --> 00:10:42,099 Speaker 1: the Condor. But all that said, this film, Enemy of 163 00:10:42,120 --> 00:10:48,059 Speaker 1: the State, is a film about geopositions and coordinates, about bugs, wiretaps, 164 00:10:48,140 --> 00:10:52,229 Speaker 1: and hidden cameras. It's about personal privacy and personal spaces, 165 00:10:52,650 --> 00:10:56,900 Speaker 1: about affairs and murders and having something that they want. 166 00:10:57,720 --> 00:10:59,640 Speaker 1: And we're going to get into it right after this. 167 00:11:21,800 --> 00:11:24,640 Speaker 1: Enemy of the State is Tony Scott's 10th feature film, 168 00:11:24,760 --> 00:11:29,390 Speaker 1: released just before Thanksgiving in 1998. It was produced by 169 00:11:29,530 --> 00:11:34,069 Speaker 1: American action kingpin Jerry Bruckheimer and written by David Marconi, 170 00:11:34,590 --> 00:11:36,790 Speaker 1: who would go on to write the diehard sequel Live 171 00:11:36,910 --> 00:11:41,069 Speaker 1: Free or Die Hard. The film opens in the D.C. area, 172 00:11:41,190 --> 00:11:45,250 Speaker 1: perhaps Maryland, with the assistant director of the NSA played 173 00:11:45,309 --> 00:11:50,220 Speaker 1: with a typical icy blankness by John Voight confronting a U.S. congressman, 174 00:11:50,740 --> 00:11:53,679 Speaker 1: played by Jason Robards, as he takes his dog for 175 00:11:53,700 --> 00:11:56,800 Speaker 1: a walk in the morning. John Voight's character is there 176 00:11:56,870 --> 00:12:00,630 Speaker 1: to put pressure on Jason Robards because there's a Telecommunications 177 00:12:00,770 --> 00:12:03,929 Speaker 1: Privacy Act bill going up for a vote, and Voight 178 00:12:03,970 --> 00:12:06,230 Speaker 1: wants to make sure that Robards is going to vote 179 00:12:06,670 --> 00:12:10,580 Speaker 1: for it. But Robards is a congressman with values and 180 00:12:10,620 --> 00:12:13,640 Speaker 1: a spine, if you can imagine that, and he pushes back, 181 00:12:14,280 --> 00:12:18,800 Speaker 1: complaining about the implications of a surveillance society. going on 182 00:12:18,840 --> 00:12:20,559 Speaker 1: about how he doesn't want the government to be able 183 00:12:20,580 --> 00:12:23,320 Speaker 1: to point a camera and a microphone at anyone they please. 184 00:12:24,640 --> 00:12:27,830 Speaker 1: As it becomes obvious that Jason Robards' congressman is not 185 00:12:27,870 --> 00:12:30,030 Speaker 1: going to vote the way the NSA wants him to vote, 186 00:12:30,790 --> 00:12:35,290 Speaker 1: John Voight's character applies some light blackmail, reminding Robards of 187 00:12:35,309 --> 00:12:37,820 Speaker 1: the favors he's done for him in the past, personal 188 00:12:37,880 --> 00:12:40,860 Speaker 1: favors to help him when he was in a tight spot. 189 00:12:41,800 --> 00:12:45,060 Speaker 1: But none of this changes the congressman's mind. So as 190 00:12:45,120 --> 00:12:48,600 Speaker 1: Robards leaves the conversation... turns away and walks back to 191 00:12:48,640 --> 00:12:51,620 Speaker 1: his car. One of the NSA thugs, played by the 192 00:12:51,830 --> 00:12:55,610 Speaker 1: always underrated Barry Pepper, comes up behind him, sticks a 193 00:12:55,650 --> 00:12:59,150 Speaker 1: needle in his neck, then arranges Robard's limp body in 194 00:12:59,190 --> 00:13:01,969 Speaker 1: his car, scatters a bunch of pills on the floor 195 00:13:02,050 --> 00:13:04,390 Speaker 1: to make it look like an overdose, puts the car 196 00:13:04,410 --> 00:13:07,290 Speaker 1: in neutral, and pushes it into a nearby lake where 197 00:13:07,390 --> 00:13:13,380 Speaker 1: it sinks. Now, unbeknownst to these uber-corrupt, murderous United States 198 00:13:13,480 --> 00:13:16,480 Speaker 1: government employees, there is a camera that that is hidden 199 00:13:16,600 --> 00:13:18,760 Speaker 1: on the side of the woods on the other side 200 00:13:18,780 --> 00:13:21,069 Speaker 1: of this lake. Maybe it's a pond, I don't know, 201 00:13:21,130 --> 00:13:25,930 Speaker 1: it doesn't matter. A camera that ironically has been procured 202 00:13:26,030 --> 00:13:30,470 Speaker 1: via a government grant for a local wildlife researcher to 203 00:13:30,550 --> 00:13:35,800 Speaker 1: monitor the habits of Canadian geese, a camera procured via 204 00:13:35,860 --> 00:13:39,960 Speaker 1: a government grant that has now caught a government official 205 00:13:40,760 --> 00:13:45,900 Speaker 1: murdering a United States congressman. So as the investigation is 206 00:13:45,960 --> 00:13:49,060 Speaker 1: carried out there at the lake as the car and 207 00:13:49,080 --> 00:13:54,640 Speaker 1: the body are retrieved. This wildlife researcher, played by Jason Lee, 208 00:13:55,660 --> 00:13:58,340 Speaker 1: shows up to swap out the videotape in this hidden 209 00:13:58,470 --> 00:14:01,050 Speaker 1: research camera. And as he does so, one of the 210 00:14:01,090 --> 00:14:05,189 Speaker 1: government workers in the pocket of Big Bad NSA spots 211 00:14:05,230 --> 00:14:08,070 Speaker 1: him with his binoculars and is like, oh shit, someone's 212 00:14:08,110 --> 00:14:12,170 Speaker 1: got something on tape. And the wheels are set in 213 00:14:12,230 --> 00:14:15,950 Speaker 1: motion to track down Jason Lee so the government can 214 00:14:15,970 --> 00:14:19,610 Speaker 1: get their hands on that dirty tape and thus erase 215 00:14:19,790 --> 00:14:24,130 Speaker 1: any evidence of the murder that's just been committed. Now, 216 00:14:24,170 --> 00:14:27,290 Speaker 1: the government's goons here, by the way, are expertly cast. 217 00:14:27,390 --> 00:14:31,460 Speaker 1: Not only Barry Pepper, but Jake Busey and Scott Kahn, 218 00:14:32,020 --> 00:14:36,000 Speaker 1: sons of Gary Busey and James Kahn, respectively. And they 219 00:14:36,020 --> 00:14:38,960 Speaker 1: quickly figure out where Jason Lee is. They hunt him down. 220 00:14:39,380 --> 00:14:41,720 Speaker 1: They send him scurrying through the streets with a copy 221 00:14:41,880 --> 00:14:46,470 Speaker 1: of the videotape in his pocket. And during this high-speed, high-energy, 222 00:14:46,570 --> 00:14:51,370 Speaker 1: Tony Scott caffeinated chase, Jason Lee bumps into Will Smith's character, 223 00:14:51,470 --> 00:14:54,670 Speaker 1: Robert Dean, who is Christmas shopping for his wife at 224 00:14:54,710 --> 00:14:58,310 Speaker 1: this high-end lingerie store. I guess the store has exits 225 00:14:58,370 --> 00:15:00,670 Speaker 1: on either side, so Jason Lee's idea here is to 226 00:15:00,710 --> 00:15:03,910 Speaker 1: go in through one exit and out the other. And 227 00:15:03,930 --> 00:15:06,850 Speaker 1: let me just pause here for a moment to reflect 228 00:15:06,930 --> 00:15:08,610 Speaker 1: upon the very 1990s moment here in this lingerie store. 229 00:15:11,400 --> 00:15:14,620 Speaker 1: There is some sort of chill trip-hop playing on the stereo, 230 00:15:15,260 --> 00:15:18,970 Speaker 1: and every employee in this place is a hot, scantily 231 00:15:19,000 --> 00:15:24,030 Speaker 1: clad model. Something about the male gaze fully in effect here, 232 00:15:24,090 --> 00:15:26,890 Speaker 1: sent to this sexy, slinky music, just makes you feel 233 00:15:26,910 --> 00:15:31,130 Speaker 1: a little dirty. It's a preamble to the dirty aughts, 234 00:15:31,450 --> 00:15:34,730 Speaker 1: as it were. But anyways, it turns out that Jason 235 00:15:34,750 --> 00:15:37,690 Speaker 1: Lee and Will Smith are old buds from back at Georgetown, 236 00:15:38,870 --> 00:15:41,420 Speaker 1: and as they bump into each other, Jason Lee, who's 237 00:15:41,480 --> 00:15:43,980 Speaker 1: completely frantic here. He knows his life is on the line. 238 00:15:44,040 --> 00:15:48,470 Speaker 1: He slips this one and only copy of the tape 239 00:15:48,730 --> 00:15:52,610 Speaker 1: into Will Smith's bag without Will Smith seeing. At the 240 00:15:52,650 --> 00:15:55,330 Speaker 1: same time, Will Smith hands Jason Lee one of his 241 00:15:55,450 --> 00:15:58,670 Speaker 1: cards because it's obvious that this guy is in some 242 00:15:58,710 --> 00:16:00,580 Speaker 1: deep shit here and perhaps is going to need the 243 00:16:00,620 --> 00:16:05,420 Speaker 1: help of someone like Will Smith's Robert Dean. Because Robert 244 00:16:05,460 --> 00:16:08,920 Speaker 1: Dean is a DC labor lawyer who works on very 245 00:16:08,960 --> 00:16:12,780 Speaker 1: high profile cases. and by using what some would say 246 00:16:12,940 --> 00:16:18,680 Speaker 1: are highly unorthodox techniques. And this includes purchasing surveillance tapes 247 00:16:18,860 --> 00:16:22,920 Speaker 1: on the black market via an ex-girlfriend played by Lisa Bonet. 248 00:16:23,490 --> 00:16:26,230 Speaker 1: The tapes come from a guy that he knows only 249 00:16:26,330 --> 00:16:28,750 Speaker 1: as Brill, and they cost a pretty penny, upwards of 250 00:16:28,750 --> 00:16:32,109 Speaker 1: 10 grand a pop. But he uses them as leverage 251 00:16:32,130 --> 00:16:35,730 Speaker 1: for his clients and their continued trouble with antagonists like, say, 252 00:16:35,910 --> 00:16:39,510 Speaker 1: the Mob, who are led by a very hot-headed Tom Sizemore, 253 00:16:39,930 --> 00:16:42,330 Speaker 1: and the kind of blustering role he was just born 254 00:16:42,370 --> 00:16:46,380 Speaker 1: to play. But back to Jason Lee's doomed wildlife photographer here. 255 00:16:46,440 --> 00:16:49,620 Speaker 1: His name is Daniel Zavitz, by the way. Zavitz bites 256 00:16:49,680 --> 00:16:51,260 Speaker 1: it out in the middle of the street when he's 257 00:16:51,520 --> 00:16:54,540 Speaker 1: hit by a truck head-on as the NSA goons are 258 00:16:54,560 --> 00:16:57,070 Speaker 1: in hot pursuit. And what do they find in his 259 00:16:57,120 --> 00:17:01,870 Speaker 1: pocket but Robert Dean's business card? Now, Robert Dean, that's 260 00:17:01,910 --> 00:17:04,950 Speaker 1: Will Smith, he has no clue that he has this 261 00:17:04,990 --> 00:17:08,690 Speaker 1: tape squirreled away in his shopping bag. Nor does he 262 00:17:08,730 --> 00:17:14,540 Speaker 1: know that the NSA, the US government, now has his 263 00:17:14,619 --> 00:17:20,230 Speaker 1: contact information, fully believing that Jason Lee's character passed this 264 00:17:20,310 --> 00:17:24,090 Speaker 1: tape knowingly off to him. So Dean goes home to 265 00:17:24,109 --> 00:17:27,750 Speaker 1: his wife, Carla, played by Regina King. She's watching a 266 00:17:27,850 --> 00:17:32,100 Speaker 1: senator or a congressman on C-SPAN extolling the virtues of 267 00:17:32,140 --> 00:17:35,260 Speaker 1: this Telecommunications Privacy Act that he wants to see passed. 268 00:17:36,300 --> 00:17:40,480 Speaker 1: just like the film's antagonist, Jon Voight's CSA assistant director, 269 00:17:40,900 --> 00:17:43,800 Speaker 1: wants to see it passed. And Regina King, whose character 270 00:17:43,900 --> 00:17:47,800 Speaker 1: is an attorney herself, is yelling this. She says, listen 271 00:17:47,840 --> 00:17:52,129 Speaker 1: to this fascist gas bag, which I must say, I'm 272 00:17:52,190 --> 00:17:54,730 Speaker 1: not sure I've ever heard a character in a film, 273 00:17:54,790 --> 00:17:58,369 Speaker 1: let alone a lawyer in her 20s, in the decade 274 00:17:58,390 --> 00:18:02,050 Speaker 1: that was the 1990s, ever used the word gas bag, 275 00:18:02,590 --> 00:18:06,590 Speaker 1: but okay. And herein lies one of the central frictions 276 00:18:06,710 --> 00:18:09,909 Speaker 1: of this film that gives me pause. On the one hand, 277 00:18:10,619 --> 00:18:13,940 Speaker 1: you've got a certain moral fortitude that runs through this movie, 278 00:18:14,000 --> 00:18:17,600 Speaker 1: through its script, this sense that the quote-unquote good guys 279 00:18:18,180 --> 00:18:21,980 Speaker 1: are resistant to this concept of a surveillance state, and 280 00:18:22,020 --> 00:18:25,420 Speaker 1: that personal privacy and private lives are of such value 281 00:18:26,080 --> 00:18:28,750 Speaker 1: that we cannot let the powers that be manipulate and 282 00:18:28,810 --> 00:18:32,740 Speaker 1: exploit us for their own nefarious purposes. Yet at the 283 00:18:32,810 --> 00:18:35,810 Speaker 1: same time, this movie strikes me as its own kind 284 00:18:35,850 --> 00:18:40,110 Speaker 1: of surveillance porn. It is a riot of computer screens 285 00:18:40,210 --> 00:18:43,669 Speaker 1: and wiretaps and bugs and Jack Black and Seth Green 286 00:18:43,830 --> 00:18:48,450 Speaker 1: on their headsets, typing in code, speaking in code, programming, hacking, 287 00:18:48,820 --> 00:18:53,560 Speaker 1: living fully inside the brave new world, the new world order, 1998, 288 00:18:53,560 --> 00:18:56,740 Speaker 1: another summer, sound of the funky drummer. But this shit 289 00:18:56,840 --> 00:19:01,179 Speaker 1: isn't Clyde Stubblefield. It's Kraftwerk. Not that there's anything wrong 290 00:19:01,420 --> 00:19:03,909 Speaker 1: with Kraftwerk. But I just can't help but feel at 291 00:19:03,950 --> 00:19:06,649 Speaker 1: times that Tony Scott is kind of on the side 292 00:19:06,990 --> 00:19:09,950 Speaker 1: of the big bad guys, that he's enjoying watching Will 293 00:19:09,970 --> 00:19:13,090 Speaker 1: Smith get squished like a bug, just as the NSA 294 00:19:13,150 --> 00:19:19,090 Speaker 1: geeks and goons enjoy watching his every doomed step. So 295 00:19:19,109 --> 00:19:21,790 Speaker 1: what happens here is that the government ends up bugging 296 00:19:21,810 --> 00:19:24,629 Speaker 1: Will Smith's house, his phone, the pen he keeps in 297 00:19:24,670 --> 00:19:27,990 Speaker 1: his shirt, his shoes, everything. They shut down his credit cards. 298 00:19:28,320 --> 00:19:31,800 Speaker 1: They murder his ex-girlfriend, Lisa Bonet's character, Rachel Banks. a 299 00:19:31,840 --> 00:19:34,800 Speaker 1: woman he had an extramarital affair with and who provides 300 00:19:34,859 --> 00:19:37,460 Speaker 1: him with these surveillance tapes, and they make it look 301 00:19:37,480 --> 00:19:39,840 Speaker 1: like he did it. They put the squeeze on him, 302 00:19:40,500 --> 00:19:44,230 Speaker 1: so he begins to unravel. He unloads on his firm's 303 00:19:44,310 --> 00:19:49,070 Speaker 1: partners when they question his character, when they ask him personal, 304 00:19:49,390 --> 00:19:52,640 Speaker 1: private questions. he blows up and tells them, it's none 305 00:19:52,700 --> 00:19:55,560 Speaker 1: of your fucking business in a scene that kind of 306 00:19:55,619 --> 00:19:59,399 Speaker 1: foreshadows the get my wife's name out your damn mouth moment. 307 00:20:00,020 --> 00:20:01,920 Speaker 1: And I'm not looking to pick on Will Smith here 308 00:20:02,520 --> 00:20:05,619 Speaker 1: because one reading of Enemy of the State is that 309 00:20:05,660 --> 00:20:08,240 Speaker 1: it's just a movie about a bunch of dudes blowing 310 00:20:08,320 --> 00:20:13,619 Speaker 1: their stacks. These dudes all lose their fucking cool. Will 311 00:20:13,700 --> 00:20:17,439 Speaker 1: Smith goes off. John Voight goes off. Tom Sizemore goes off. 312 00:20:17,820 --> 00:20:20,240 Speaker 1: Barry Pepper is a ball of stress for the entire 313 00:20:20,380 --> 00:20:24,380 Speaker 1: two hour and 20 minute runtime. And then an hour 314 00:20:24,500 --> 00:20:27,740 Speaker 1: into that runtime, we finally meet Brill, who has been 315 00:20:27,780 --> 00:20:32,879 Speaker 1: providing Will Smith with these expensive surveillance tapes. And he's 316 00:20:32,920 --> 00:20:35,219 Speaker 1: the most ready to blow his stack out of anyone. 317 00:20:36,330 --> 00:20:39,560 Speaker 1: Brill's real name is Edward Lyle. He is played by 318 00:20:39,619 --> 00:20:44,200 Speaker 1: Gene Hackman. As I said earlier, his character is an 319 00:20:44,359 --> 00:20:47,220 Speaker 1: obvious nod to his character in the conversation from 24 320 00:20:47,220 --> 00:20:50,820 Speaker 1: years prior. He is the most paranoid motherfucker in this 321 00:20:50,859 --> 00:20:54,270 Speaker 1: whole joint because he was there, man. He has come 322 00:20:54,430 --> 00:20:57,550 Speaker 1: out of the past, out of the Nixon-Watergate birth of 323 00:20:57,590 --> 00:21:02,750 Speaker 1: American paranoia era, and here he is begrudgingly in the present. 324 00:21:03,530 --> 00:21:06,150 Speaker 1: He looks like he drove into the city from some 325 00:21:06,340 --> 00:21:10,980 Speaker 1: farmhouse in in the 1950s, way, way, way off the grid. 326 00:21:11,080 --> 00:21:13,000 Speaker 1: And he does live off the grid, as we find out. 327 00:21:13,060 --> 00:21:16,160 Speaker 1: He operates out of an abandoned building that is purposely 328 00:21:16,200 --> 00:21:18,419 Speaker 1: set up so that he can't be traced or tracked. 329 00:21:19,380 --> 00:21:24,439 Speaker 1: He's ex-NSA. He functions now like this modern surveillance version 330 00:21:24,480 --> 00:21:27,590 Speaker 1: of a doomsday prepper. And his function is to rewire 331 00:21:27,640 --> 00:21:30,790 Speaker 1: Will Smith's brain that, no, these mob guys that you 332 00:21:30,830 --> 00:21:33,830 Speaker 1: are battling with for your clients, these traditional bad guys are, 333 00:21:33,890 --> 00:21:36,709 Speaker 1: in fact, not the bad guys. The bad guys are 334 00:21:36,770 --> 00:21:42,090 Speaker 1: your own government. The second half of this film turns 335 00:21:42,130 --> 00:21:44,650 Speaker 1: into a great odd couple on the run thriller. These 336 00:21:44,690 --> 00:21:46,390 Speaker 1: two guys who hate each other, who have to work 337 00:21:46,410 --> 00:21:49,730 Speaker 1: together to overcome a common enemy. Two guys who have 338 00:21:49,750 --> 00:21:54,570 Speaker 1: their own agendas, agendas which don't fully reveal themselves to 339 00:21:54,609 --> 00:21:56,980 Speaker 1: each other. And for a film with a plot as 340 00:21:57,060 --> 00:21:59,600 Speaker 1: complex as this, I will say it does not get 341 00:21:59,660 --> 00:22:03,100 Speaker 1: too bogged down or too confusing. I just wish it 342 00:22:03,160 --> 00:22:06,040 Speaker 1: wouldn't bat us over the head with its Check out 343 00:22:06,080 --> 00:22:10,620 Speaker 1: this fascist gasbag ideology and its surveillance porn, and every 344 00:22:10,660 --> 00:22:14,520 Speaker 1: time Seth Green pops up on screen, God love him 345 00:22:14,540 --> 00:22:19,619 Speaker 1: with his fucking yellow tinted sunglasses, the TRL era MTV 346 00:22:19,640 --> 00:22:23,149 Speaker 1: of it all passes over me in this slightly nauseating wave. 347 00:22:24,109 --> 00:22:27,989 Speaker 1: It all doesn't leave room for much subtlety, doesn't let 348 00:22:28,010 --> 00:22:30,290 Speaker 1: you think for yourself, which seems to be the film's 349 00:22:30,350 --> 00:22:33,429 Speaker 1: central argument here, you know? They're taking these things from us, 350 00:22:33,570 --> 00:22:37,290 Speaker 1: our freedoms, our liberties. our own thoughts. But can you 351 00:22:37,410 --> 00:22:41,479 Speaker 1: argue that Tony Scott and company aren't doing the exact 352 00:22:41,500 --> 00:22:46,440 Speaker 1: same thing? Okay, guys, so enough about the movie. Let's 353 00:22:46,500 --> 00:22:49,980 Speaker 1: talk about the music. And no, I don't mean the heavy-handed, 354 00:22:50,160 --> 00:22:54,830 Speaker 1: overly dramatic score by Harry Gregson Williams and Trevor Rabin. 355 00:22:54,900 --> 00:22:59,730 Speaker 1: I'm talking about a hypothetical, theoretical, metaphorical, potentially possible mixtape 356 00:23:00,270 --> 00:23:04,210 Speaker 1: inspired by Enemy of the State. Let's make one right 357 00:23:04,290 --> 00:23:19,440 Speaker 1: after this quick break. All right, gang, we're back here 358 00:23:19,880 --> 00:23:22,800 Speaker 1: in the Hollywoodland Rap Party, Dr. Lundy, hanging with you 359 00:23:22,940 --> 00:23:27,320 Speaker 1: for the Enemy of the State episode. And speaking of 360 00:23:27,359 --> 00:23:31,550 Speaker 1: Enemy of the State, I want to make a hypothetical, theoretical, metaphorical, 361 00:23:31,609 --> 00:23:36,570 Speaker 1: potentially possible mixtape inspired by this 1998 Tony Scott film. 362 00:23:37,330 --> 00:23:41,530 Speaker 1: Anybody out there making their own mixtapes for real? I 363 00:23:41,550 --> 00:23:46,130 Speaker 1: just made one for the autumn season, fall season, which 364 00:23:46,150 --> 00:23:50,330 Speaker 1: just started. And all I remember about it, because I 365 00:23:50,350 --> 00:23:52,670 Speaker 1: made it a few weeks back in prep, is that 366 00:23:52,710 --> 00:23:57,470 Speaker 1: it starts with Roberta Flack's version of Compared to What. 367 00:23:59,119 --> 00:24:04,639 Speaker 1: which just feels very autumnal to me. For some reason, 368 00:24:05,200 --> 00:24:07,330 Speaker 1: let me know if you're out there with the tactile 369 00:24:08,590 --> 00:24:12,970 Speaker 1: cassettes making these things on the ground level. Inquiring minds 370 00:24:13,030 --> 00:24:15,390 Speaker 1: want to know. You know, back in the day, these 371 00:24:16,190 --> 00:24:18,990 Speaker 1: tape traders, like you'd see like tape trader ads in 372 00:24:19,570 --> 00:24:23,719 Speaker 1: like alternative newspapers and magazines and stuff. And it was 373 00:24:23,740 --> 00:24:26,120 Speaker 1: just like send a self-addressed stamped envelope and we'll send 374 00:24:26,140 --> 00:24:29,850 Speaker 1: you a tape of the dead from, you know, Socrates 375 00:24:30,090 --> 00:24:33,909 Speaker 1: in 1973 or whatever. You know, maybe we start up 376 00:24:34,030 --> 00:24:37,669 Speaker 1: a little mixtape swap going on here somewhere, somehow. Maybe 377 00:24:37,690 --> 00:24:42,399 Speaker 1: that's a Patreon thing. Maybe, Zeth, you realize that you 378 00:24:42,440 --> 00:24:46,879 Speaker 1: have too much on your plate and that organizing a 379 00:24:46,940 --> 00:24:53,020 Speaker 1: mixtape swap via USPS is not exactly possible with your 380 00:24:53,060 --> 00:24:55,230 Speaker 1: lack of time. I don't know. Future Zeth's going to 381 00:24:55,250 --> 00:25:00,190 Speaker 1: figure that out. Let's figure this out, though. are hypothetical, theoretical, metaphorical, 382 00:25:00,210 --> 00:25:03,950 Speaker 1: potentially possible, mixtape inspired by Enemy of the State. Let's 383 00:25:03,970 --> 00:25:07,070 Speaker 1: get some obvious selections out of the way right off 384 00:25:07,090 --> 00:25:10,520 Speaker 1: the top, right? Okay. Paranoid by Black Sabbath. Yep. Check. 385 00:25:10,910 --> 00:25:16,220 Speaker 1: Paranoid Android by Radiohead. Check. Somebody's Watching Me by Rockwell 386 00:25:16,420 --> 00:25:20,920 Speaker 1: featuring this guy, Michael Jackson. Check. Every Breath You Take 387 00:25:21,380 --> 00:25:25,120 Speaker 1: by The Police. Check. Check. What's the, uh, just because 388 00:25:25,160 --> 00:25:28,300 Speaker 1: you're paranoid doesn't mean they're not after you, the Nirvana song, 389 00:25:28,740 --> 00:25:32,920 Speaker 1: territorial pissings? Check. All right, now that we've gotten those 390 00:25:32,980 --> 00:25:35,100 Speaker 1: out of the way, the first song I'm going to 391 00:25:35,160 --> 00:25:39,379 Speaker 1: put on this tape is a song called Enemy by 392 00:25:39,500 --> 00:25:42,920 Speaker 1: a band called The Gravel Pit. This is from their 2001, 393 00:25:42,920 --> 00:25:47,720 Speaker 1: I believe, album, Mass Avenue, Freeze Out. Now, for those 394 00:25:47,740 --> 00:25:50,000 Speaker 1: of you who don't know who The Gravel Pit were, 395 00:25:50,200 --> 00:25:53,970 Speaker 1: or I guess they still are around, uh, occasionally. They reunite. 396 00:25:53,990 --> 00:25:58,030 Speaker 1: They're going to play. I saw Superdrag has reunited, and 397 00:25:58,050 --> 00:25:59,990 Speaker 1: they're going to tour, and they're playing Boston. And I 398 00:26:00,040 --> 00:26:01,689 Speaker 1: saw that the Gravel Pit are going to open, and 399 00:26:01,710 --> 00:26:04,220 Speaker 1: I wish I could be there. But I think it's 400 00:26:04,240 --> 00:26:07,320 Speaker 1: like my wife's birthday weekend, so it just ain't happening. 401 00:26:07,820 --> 00:26:10,020 Speaker 1: But that's fine, because I'd rather celebrate my wife's birthday, 402 00:26:10,040 --> 00:26:12,820 Speaker 1: to be honest. All love to the Gravel Pit and Superdrag. 403 00:26:13,420 --> 00:26:17,600 Speaker 1: But the Gravel Pits are this Boston-based power pop band 404 00:26:17,760 --> 00:26:20,240 Speaker 1: from the 90s and the early 2000s. They were originally 405 00:26:20,300 --> 00:26:24,600 Speaker 1: from Connecticut, These guys are old friends of Jake and 406 00:26:24,640 --> 00:26:27,640 Speaker 1: Matt here at Double Elvis. I think if I'm not mistaken, 407 00:26:28,460 --> 00:26:31,540 Speaker 1: this is the first album that Matt worked on as 408 00:26:31,600 --> 00:26:35,850 Speaker 1: a studio engineer at Q Division in Boston. But I 409 00:26:35,880 --> 00:26:39,410 Speaker 1: remember before this album came out, I remember hearing this 410 00:26:39,450 --> 00:26:43,590 Speaker 1: song for the first time when they had just written 411 00:26:43,630 --> 00:26:45,590 Speaker 1: it or they had recorded it and they hadn't released 412 00:26:45,609 --> 00:26:48,430 Speaker 1: the record yet. So I'd never heard the song. Speaking 413 00:26:48,450 --> 00:26:52,679 Speaker 1: of Superdrag again, they opened for Superdrag in... around the 414 00:26:52,720 --> 00:26:56,109 Speaker 1: year 2000, 2001, somewhere in there. I think it was 415 00:26:56,130 --> 00:26:59,770 Speaker 1: at the Paradise in Boston, I think. Yeah, I'm pretty 416 00:26:59,810 --> 00:27:03,110 Speaker 1: sure it was. And they opened with this song and 417 00:27:03,369 --> 00:27:05,790 Speaker 1: it was, it just floored me. It has this like 418 00:27:06,030 --> 00:27:12,160 Speaker 1: super ominous monster minor riff and super catchy as many 419 00:27:12,180 --> 00:27:15,160 Speaker 1: of their songs are. And it instantly became a favorite 420 00:27:15,180 --> 00:27:18,040 Speaker 1: of mine and I couldn't wait to hear it on record. 421 00:27:18,060 --> 00:27:21,500 Speaker 1: And I love the record, the recorded version as well. But, 422 00:27:21,920 --> 00:27:25,359 Speaker 1: you know how you have these like mythic remembrances in 423 00:27:25,400 --> 00:27:28,500 Speaker 1: your mind. It's like hearing that song for the first 424 00:27:28,540 --> 00:27:31,950 Speaker 1: time in that moment. I feel like I'll never, I'll 425 00:27:31,970 --> 00:27:34,050 Speaker 1: never get that moment back. I'll never hear it the 426 00:27:34,070 --> 00:27:36,030 Speaker 1: way I heard it that first time. So while I 427 00:27:36,210 --> 00:27:38,629 Speaker 1: do enjoy listening to it on the album, you know, 428 00:27:38,830 --> 00:27:41,070 Speaker 1: I wish I could go back in my mind and, 429 00:27:41,290 --> 00:27:45,220 Speaker 1: and replay that, that, uh, that moment because it ruled anyways, 430 00:27:45,400 --> 00:27:49,240 Speaker 1: enemy from the great, great gravel pit. Next on here, 431 00:27:49,300 --> 00:27:52,670 Speaker 1: we're going to put on the mixtape is, uh, a 432 00:27:52,710 --> 00:27:57,830 Speaker 1: song called Life During Wartime by Talking Heads. This is 433 00:27:58,230 --> 00:28:02,930 Speaker 1: from their third studio album, Fear of Music. Great title. 1979, 434 00:28:02,930 --> 00:28:05,970 Speaker 1: produced by Brian Eno. This is one of their better 435 00:28:06,020 --> 00:28:09,480 Speaker 1: known songs, although people don't often associate the song with 436 00:28:09,500 --> 00:28:11,580 Speaker 1: the title Life During Wartime because they don't say that 437 00:28:11,680 --> 00:28:14,500 Speaker 1: in the song. This is the Say No Mud Club 438 00:28:14,560 --> 00:28:17,500 Speaker 1: or CBGB song, right? But look at these lyrics. Heard 439 00:28:17,520 --> 00:28:19,679 Speaker 1: of a van that's loaded with weapons, packed up and 440 00:28:19,720 --> 00:28:22,040 Speaker 1: ready to go. heard of some grave sites out by 441 00:28:22,080 --> 00:28:25,320 Speaker 1: the highway, a place where nobody knows. And then later, 442 00:28:26,060 --> 00:28:29,700 Speaker 1: transmit the message to the receiver. Hope for an answer someday. 443 00:28:30,090 --> 00:28:32,850 Speaker 1: I got three passports, a couple of visas. You don't 444 00:28:32,869 --> 00:28:37,110 Speaker 1: even know my real name. So something's happening in this song, right? 445 00:28:37,369 --> 00:28:41,710 Speaker 1: Doomsday is imminent. The brave new world is here. Things 446 00:28:41,750 --> 00:28:46,480 Speaker 1: are changing. They've already changed. Uh, you've, you've got to 447 00:28:46,500 --> 00:28:48,360 Speaker 1: get out while you still can. And maybe you're going 448 00:28:48,380 --> 00:28:52,690 Speaker 1: to get out, uh, as somebody who's not even yourself, right? 449 00:28:53,470 --> 00:28:56,790 Speaker 1: No one's going to know your real name anymore. Because look, 450 00:28:56,970 --> 00:28:58,760 Speaker 1: shit ain't going to be the way it used to be. 451 00:28:58,800 --> 00:29:02,400 Speaker 1: This ain't no mud club or CBGB, as David Byrne 452 00:29:02,600 --> 00:29:05,880 Speaker 1: reminds us in the refrain. And while we're talking about 453 00:29:05,920 --> 00:29:09,220 Speaker 1: Talking Heads, I just want to say, I know most 454 00:29:09,260 --> 00:29:12,640 Speaker 1: of you have probably already seen Stop Making Sense, Talking 455 00:29:12,680 --> 00:29:15,890 Speaker 1: Heads concert film directed by Jonathan Demme. But I got 456 00:29:15,910 --> 00:29:19,030 Speaker 1: to say, for the record, I have much, much, much, much, much, 457 00:29:19,490 --> 00:29:22,940 Speaker 1: so much love for Martin Scorsese's The Last Waltz, the 458 00:29:22,980 --> 00:29:26,860 Speaker 1: band's concert film. And that movie is an annual holiday 459 00:29:26,900 --> 00:29:30,620 Speaker 1: tradition here at Thanksgiving time in the Lundy household. We 460 00:29:30,640 --> 00:29:33,930 Speaker 1: put that on late night, either Thanksgiving Eve or Thanksgiving 461 00:29:33,970 --> 00:29:37,410 Speaker 1: night every year. But if I'm going to give you 462 00:29:37,890 --> 00:29:41,220 Speaker 1: my favorite concert film of all time... it's got to 463 00:29:41,240 --> 00:29:45,020 Speaker 1: be Stop Making Sense. No concert film matches the creative 464 00:29:45,160 --> 00:29:49,830 Speaker 1: intention of that film or just the joy of what 465 00:29:49,870 --> 00:29:53,190 Speaker 1: it is to be creative that that film gives you. 466 00:29:53,810 --> 00:29:57,650 Speaker 1: Everyone in that band at that show is having their 467 00:29:57,690 --> 00:30:03,120 Speaker 1: best show ever. It's ingenious. It starts with just David 468 00:30:03,160 --> 00:30:07,080 Speaker 1: Byrne and a boombox and an acoustic guitar, and he 469 00:30:07,100 --> 00:30:10,800 Speaker 1: plays Psycho Killer. And then one by one, members of 470 00:30:10,820 --> 00:30:14,140 Speaker 1: the band come out for each successive song. You get 471 00:30:14,200 --> 00:30:16,240 Speaker 1: Tina Weymouth on bass comes out for the next song, 472 00:30:16,280 --> 00:30:19,340 Speaker 1: and then drums come out and guitar, and then the 473 00:30:19,400 --> 00:30:23,920 Speaker 1: additional players, the additional Bernie Worrell on keyboards, and the 474 00:30:23,960 --> 00:30:26,050 Speaker 1: additional guitar players and the backup singers. And then it 475 00:30:26,090 --> 00:30:31,790 Speaker 1: becomes this whole... choreographed thing. And it just has some 476 00:30:31,810 --> 00:30:37,610 Speaker 1: of the most unique, inspiring choreography that I've ever seen 477 00:30:37,690 --> 00:30:41,370 Speaker 1: in a concert film. And it's just so infectious. You 478 00:30:41,390 --> 00:30:43,010 Speaker 1: wish you were there in that room, and you can 479 00:30:43,030 --> 00:30:44,690 Speaker 1: be there in that room with them. You put it 480 00:30:44,750 --> 00:30:47,730 Speaker 1: on your TV in your living room. So anyways, that's 481 00:30:47,770 --> 00:30:50,170 Speaker 1: my take on Stop Making Sense. All right, so back 482 00:30:50,190 --> 00:30:53,210 Speaker 1: to the mixtape. Let's put on here a great song 483 00:30:53,300 --> 00:30:56,020 Speaker 1: by Guns N' Roses called Out To Get Me. Out 484 00:30:56,180 --> 00:31:00,480 Speaker 1: to get me, okay? T-A- not T-O. This is from, 485 00:31:00,610 --> 00:31:07,350 Speaker 1: of course, GNR's legendary 1987 debut album, Appetite for Destruction. 486 00:31:07,950 --> 00:31:10,530 Speaker 1: I was 10 years old when this came out. Stop 487 00:31:10,550 --> 00:31:12,610 Speaker 1: me if I've told you this before, but I had 488 00:31:12,630 --> 00:31:14,590 Speaker 1: to go to my friend Jeff's house to hear this 489 00:31:14,690 --> 00:31:17,740 Speaker 1: album because it had a parental advisory sticker on it. 490 00:31:18,080 --> 00:31:21,420 Speaker 1: And at the time, man, places didn't play with this shit. 491 00:31:21,460 --> 00:31:24,600 Speaker 1: You had to be 18 to buy this stuff. Nowadays, 492 00:31:24,660 --> 00:31:27,320 Speaker 1: it's like kids can go up to the movie theater 493 00:31:27,360 --> 00:31:29,360 Speaker 1: and buy a ticket for an R-rated movie and just 494 00:31:29,390 --> 00:31:32,160 Speaker 1: walk in without being 17 or whatever. But back in 495 00:31:32,200 --> 00:31:36,140 Speaker 1: the day, IDs were checked. So I don't know how 496 00:31:36,180 --> 00:31:37,680 Speaker 1: Jeff got his hands on this, by the way. He 497 00:31:37,700 --> 00:31:41,830 Speaker 1: also had NWA's debut album. So it's like, if you 498 00:31:41,870 --> 00:31:44,170 Speaker 1: wanted either of those things, that's where you went. Big 499 00:31:44,230 --> 00:31:47,450 Speaker 1: ups to Jeff. But I remember going to the local 500 00:31:47,510 --> 00:31:50,990 Speaker 1: record store in my hometown to buy Red Hot Chili Peppers' 501 00:31:51,030 --> 00:31:53,650 Speaker 1: Blood Sugar Sex Magic when that came out in 91, 502 00:31:53,650 --> 00:31:56,980 Speaker 1: and that had a parental advisory sticker on it. And 503 00:31:57,480 --> 00:31:59,740 Speaker 1: the guy working the store was like, well, I can't 504 00:31:59,780 --> 00:32:04,440 Speaker 1: let you buy this without your parents' permission. But my 505 00:32:04,480 --> 00:32:07,510 Speaker 1: mom was also a local business owner. She owned a 506 00:32:07,550 --> 00:32:09,950 Speaker 1: clothing store just up the street from this record store. 507 00:32:10,050 --> 00:32:12,770 Speaker 1: And the guy was like, ah, your mom's cool. I 508 00:32:12,790 --> 00:32:14,250 Speaker 1: know your mom. Let me just, I'm going to give 509 00:32:14,290 --> 00:32:16,250 Speaker 1: her a quick call at the store and just get 510 00:32:16,310 --> 00:32:18,950 Speaker 1: her verbal okay that you can buy this and you 511 00:32:18,990 --> 00:32:21,710 Speaker 1: can be on your way. And I was like, hold 512 00:32:22,290 --> 00:32:27,070 Speaker 1: the fucking phone, my guy. Yeah, my mom is cool, 513 00:32:27,850 --> 00:32:31,880 Speaker 1: but ain't no way my mom's letting her, what, 1991, 514 00:32:31,880 --> 00:32:36,920 Speaker 1: I was 14-year-old son, buy an album with a parental 515 00:32:36,960 --> 00:32:39,680 Speaker 1: advisory sticker on it. Are you out of your fucking mind? 516 00:32:39,760 --> 00:32:45,610 Speaker 1: Don't even let her know that I'm contemplating this. So 517 00:32:45,670 --> 00:32:48,630 Speaker 1: suffice to say, I did not buy Blood Sugar Sex 518 00:32:49,250 --> 00:32:53,020 Speaker 1: Magic that day. But back to Guns N' Roses, Out 519 00:32:53,060 --> 00:32:55,900 Speaker 1: To Get Me. This is about how they are always 520 00:32:56,020 --> 00:32:59,350 Speaker 1: out to get you, even though you're innocent, man. I 521 00:32:59,830 --> 00:33:02,430 Speaker 1: don't know how innocent Axl Rose was circa 1987, but 522 00:33:02,490 --> 00:33:05,070 Speaker 1: I'm going to take a wild guess here and say 523 00:33:05,770 --> 00:33:10,490 Speaker 1: not all the way innocent, okay? And speaking of, you know, 524 00:33:10,520 --> 00:33:13,420 Speaker 1: I was just talking about Stop Making Sense. Speaking of 525 00:33:13,520 --> 00:33:16,140 Speaker 1: great concerts, Jake hipped me to this one a while back. 526 00:33:16,200 --> 00:33:18,940 Speaker 1: I had no idea that this was a thing until, 527 00:33:19,020 --> 00:33:21,730 Speaker 1: I don't know, six, nine months ago. I don't think 528 00:33:21,780 --> 00:33:24,280 Speaker 1: this has been officially released. I feel like Jake told 529 00:33:24,300 --> 00:33:26,240 Speaker 1: me it was going to be officially released at some point. 530 00:33:27,020 --> 00:33:30,120 Speaker 1: But Guns N' Roses, live at the Ritz in New 531 00:33:30,160 --> 00:33:35,270 Speaker 1: York City from 1998. You can find this on YouTube. 532 00:33:35,710 --> 00:33:39,030 Speaker 1: The footage is, it looks and it sounds incredible. I 533 00:33:39,130 --> 00:33:42,490 Speaker 1: think it may have originally aired on MTV back in 534 00:33:42,510 --> 00:33:45,150 Speaker 1: the day as we established back when MTV was still cool. 535 00:33:46,050 --> 00:33:49,940 Speaker 1: It is an incredible document, an incredible show. Just a 536 00:33:49,960 --> 00:33:53,910 Speaker 1: reminder of how potent and game-changing Guns N' Roses were 537 00:33:54,090 --> 00:33:57,290 Speaker 1: at the time in rock history in our lives. If 538 00:33:57,310 --> 00:33:59,110 Speaker 1: you guys have not seen this, just search for on 539 00:33:59,150 --> 00:34:02,170 Speaker 1: YouTube Guns N' Roses Ritz and check that shit out. 540 00:34:02,250 --> 00:34:06,610 Speaker 1: It's awesome. What do you guys have? Maybe you've got 541 00:34:06,650 --> 00:34:11,260 Speaker 1: some songs about surveillance or paranoia or telecommunications, or maybe 542 00:34:11,280 --> 00:34:13,520 Speaker 1: there's a song out there about running down a city 543 00:34:13,560 --> 00:34:16,140 Speaker 1: tunnel at night in your underwear while the NSA is 544 00:34:16,180 --> 00:34:17,900 Speaker 1: hot on your tail. I don't know. If it exists, 545 00:34:18,360 --> 00:34:21,489 Speaker 1: let me know. We'll put it on our mixtape. 617-906-6638. 546 00:34:23,480 --> 00:34:26,759 Speaker 1: That's the phone number you can call or text, leave 547 00:34:26,780 --> 00:34:29,260 Speaker 1: me a voicemail, send me a text. You can also 548 00:34:29,390 --> 00:34:34,290 Speaker 1: email me at disgracelandpod at gmail.com. While you're doing that, 549 00:34:34,370 --> 00:34:36,649 Speaker 1: I got to take one more quick break, but don't 550 00:34:36,710 --> 00:34:51,870 Speaker 1: nobody go nowhere. I'll be right back in a flash. Okay, 551 00:34:51,910 --> 00:34:55,430 Speaker 1: Hollywoodland gang, there you have it. Tony Scott's Enemy of 552 00:34:55,660 --> 00:34:59,940 Speaker 1: the State. That's like a solid, a solid three out 553 00:34:59,980 --> 00:35:02,859 Speaker 1: of five for me, I think. It just barely got 554 00:35:02,880 --> 00:35:05,359 Speaker 1: to the three for me. Let's just say I'm not 555 00:35:05,500 --> 00:35:08,799 Speaker 1: adding the heart for it on Letterboxd, okay? I just 556 00:35:08,860 --> 00:35:11,739 Speaker 1: missed the heart. I've started giving hearts or no hearts 557 00:35:11,900 --> 00:35:13,420 Speaker 1: on Letterboxd. I've been doing this for a little while. 558 00:35:13,940 --> 00:35:16,040 Speaker 1: I just can't do the star rating system anymore. It 559 00:35:16,080 --> 00:35:19,170 Speaker 1: breaks my brain too much. Like, oh, Zeth, well, if 560 00:35:19,190 --> 00:35:21,110 Speaker 1: you're giving this film four and a half, why did 561 00:35:21,160 --> 00:35:25,779 Speaker 1: you give that other film four? It's like my anti-award 562 00:35:25,840 --> 00:35:28,720 Speaker 1: rant the other day. I just cannot assign a starred 563 00:35:28,780 --> 00:35:31,900 Speaker 1: rating to art anymore. Either I liked it or I 564 00:35:31,980 --> 00:35:35,160 Speaker 1: didn't like it, okay? The other way of thinking is 565 00:35:35,360 --> 00:35:38,710 Speaker 1: old me. That's critic me. That's journalist me. And that 566 00:35:38,730 --> 00:35:42,570 Speaker 1: ain't me, babe. Not anymore, at least. Speaking of rankings 567 00:35:42,770 --> 00:35:44,550 Speaker 1: and ratings and all that stuff, I'm not going to 568 00:35:44,570 --> 00:35:47,410 Speaker 1: do a Tony Scott ranking here because I'm just not 569 00:35:47,469 --> 00:35:51,490 Speaker 1: a huge Tony Scott fan. My favorite Tony Scott film 570 00:35:51,630 --> 00:35:55,870 Speaker 1: might be Beverly Hills Cop 2, and I'm serious about that. 571 00:35:56,570 --> 00:35:59,790 Speaker 1: I love that movie. What about you guys? Are you 572 00:35:59,850 --> 00:36:02,610 Speaker 1: Tony Scott fans? Do you have a favorite Tony Scott film? 573 00:36:03,110 --> 00:36:05,790 Speaker 1: Hit me up and let me know. 617-906-6638. You can 574 00:36:05,830 --> 00:36:11,620 Speaker 1: send me a text or leave me a voicemail. Or 575 00:36:11,680 --> 00:36:14,990 Speaker 1: maybe you'd like to chime in on next week's question 576 00:36:15,130 --> 00:36:18,030 Speaker 1: of the week, which is, what actor do you consider 577 00:36:18,250 --> 00:36:21,810 Speaker 1: the glue when it comes to an ensemble cast? Someone 578 00:36:21,850 --> 00:36:24,310 Speaker 1: who isn't necessarily the star of the thing, but is 579 00:36:24,350 --> 00:36:31,700 Speaker 1: the one who holds everything together. 617-906-6638. You can email 580 00:36:31,739 --> 00:36:36,160 Speaker 1: me at disgracelandpod at gmail.com. Or if you're a member 581 00:36:36,219 --> 00:36:39,739 Speaker 1: of Disgraceland All Access over on Patreon, just jump into 582 00:36:39,780 --> 00:36:42,530 Speaker 1: the chat and let me know. I asked this question 583 00:36:43,230 --> 00:36:47,370 Speaker 1: about the glue of an ensemble cast because on Monday, 584 00:36:47,390 --> 00:36:50,710 Speaker 1: we're bringing you our fully scripted and sound design episode 585 00:36:51,310 --> 00:36:55,040 Speaker 1: from the archive, all about Phil Hartman. And of course, 586 00:36:55,100 --> 00:36:59,100 Speaker 1: Phil Hartman was known for years as the glue over 587 00:36:59,280 --> 00:37:02,080 Speaker 1: at Saturday Night Live because, you know, he didn't have 588 00:37:02,100 --> 00:37:06,379 Speaker 1: the sort of breakout star personality of Adam Sandler or 589 00:37:06,760 --> 00:37:09,450 Speaker 1: Will Ferrell or any of these bigger names, but he 590 00:37:09,510 --> 00:37:13,700 Speaker 1: held everything together there. So stay tuned for that. Phil Hartman. 591 00:37:14,140 --> 00:37:18,120 Speaker 1: It's a very sad episode because, of course, it involves 592 00:37:18,660 --> 00:37:22,160 Speaker 1: the murder-suicide, which ended his life and the life of 593 00:37:22,200 --> 00:37:25,819 Speaker 1: his wife as well. But there's also some surprising stuff 594 00:37:25,840 --> 00:37:29,160 Speaker 1: in here, including a connection to someone connected to the 595 00:37:29,739 --> 00:37:33,140 Speaker 1: Manson family and the attempted assassination of a U.S. president. 596 00:37:33,700 --> 00:37:37,940 Speaker 1: So check that out on Monday. Wednesday, of course, back 597 00:37:37,980 --> 00:37:41,040 Speaker 1: in the wrap party with you guys answering questions. your 598 00:37:41,100 --> 00:37:44,480 Speaker 1: calls and texts. Perhaps I will play or read one 599 00:37:44,500 --> 00:37:48,029 Speaker 1: of your communiques on there. So get at me before then. 600 00:37:48,130 --> 00:37:50,450 Speaker 1: And then on Friday, when we're back here in the 601 00:37:50,489 --> 00:37:53,670 Speaker 1: screening room, I'm going to cover So I Married an 602 00:37:53,810 --> 00:37:57,170 Speaker 1: Axe Murderer, partly because Phil Hartman has one of the 603 00:37:57,370 --> 00:38:02,279 Speaker 1: all-time greatest single scene appearances ever in that one. And 604 00:38:02,320 --> 00:38:05,780 Speaker 1: you know, it stars Mike Myers, who is also Austin 605 00:38:05,800 --> 00:38:09,290 Speaker 1: Power's And the Austin Powers theme song is this old 606 00:38:09,390 --> 00:38:13,239 Speaker 1: Quincy Jones song called Soul Bossa Nova. And Quincy Jones 607 00:38:13,280 --> 00:38:15,940 Speaker 1: is the subject of next week's brand new episode of 608 00:38:16,000 --> 00:38:20,140 Speaker 1: our sister show, Disgraceland. So you see, it's all connected. 609 00:38:20,400 --> 00:38:24,980 Speaker 1: It's all happening. Also next week, for those of you 610 00:38:25,020 --> 00:38:28,410 Speaker 1: who are members of Disgraceland All Access over on Patreon, 611 00:38:28,870 --> 00:38:31,830 Speaker 1: we are dropping a brand new episode of our monthly 612 00:38:32,030 --> 00:38:37,080 Speaker 1: video podcast. This film should be played loud. This is 613 00:38:37,200 --> 00:38:41,550 Speaker 1: all about the 1997 comedy Gross Point Blank, which stars 614 00:38:41,730 --> 00:38:44,489 Speaker 1: John Cusack as a hitman who goes back to his 615 00:38:44,530 --> 00:38:47,710 Speaker 1: high school reunion. Also stars Minnie Driver as a DJ 616 00:38:47,750 --> 00:38:50,320 Speaker 1: whose favorite band is Morphine, if you know, you know. 617 00:38:50,860 --> 00:38:54,279 Speaker 1: But what we're really interested in about this movie, just 618 00:38:54,300 --> 00:38:57,239 Speaker 1: like every single movie we cover in the show, is 619 00:38:57,480 --> 00:39:02,299 Speaker 1: its incredible soundtrack. Our video podcast, This Film Should Be 620 00:39:02,340 --> 00:39:06,890 Speaker 1: Played Loud, is all about the greatest sound soundtracks, needle drops, scores, 621 00:39:07,010 --> 00:39:09,470 Speaker 1: songs in some of our favorite movies of all time. 622 00:39:09,930 --> 00:39:13,759 Speaker 1: And this one in particular has an incredible Gen X 623 00:39:14,140 --> 00:39:18,020 Speaker 1: coded soundtrack. And it also has a score by the 624 00:39:18,080 --> 00:39:21,219 Speaker 1: legendary Joe Strummer of The Clash. I think it's a 625 00:39:21,239 --> 00:39:23,030 Speaker 1: great episode. I hope you guys dig it. And again, 626 00:39:23,320 --> 00:39:27,989 Speaker 1: that's out Wednesday exclusively on Patreon, Disgraceland, All Access. If 627 00:39:28,010 --> 00:39:30,120 Speaker 1: you are not a member and you want to get 628 00:39:30,160 --> 00:39:33,880 Speaker 1: in on this, you can sign up at DisgracelandPod.com. I 629 00:39:33,940 --> 00:39:35,980 Speaker 1: think you can do like a free one-week trial just 630 00:39:36,000 --> 00:39:38,040 Speaker 1: to kind of dip your toe in the water. We've 631 00:39:38,060 --> 00:39:40,700 Speaker 1: already got eight or nine other episodes of the video 632 00:39:40,719 --> 00:39:44,430 Speaker 1: podcast there already. They're like an hour long each, co-hosted 633 00:39:44,450 --> 00:39:47,310 Speaker 1: by me and Jake. So check that out, all right? 634 00:39:48,030 --> 00:39:50,009 Speaker 1: I hope you guys have a great weekend lined up. 635 00:39:50,050 --> 00:39:53,009 Speaker 1: Maybe there's some movies in your future. If so, give 636 00:39:53,030 --> 00:39:54,399 Speaker 1: me a holler and let me know what you saw 637 00:39:54,420 --> 00:39:58,739 Speaker 1: and what you thought of it. 617-906-6638. Perhaps I'll play 638 00:39:58,780 --> 00:40:01,380 Speaker 1: or read those on the wrap party next week. But 639 00:40:01,420 --> 00:40:03,739 Speaker 1: until then, I'm going to leave you guys here with this. 640 00:40:04,719 --> 00:40:07,240 Speaker 1: Here's what America was watching at the movies in November 641 00:40:07,680 --> 00:40:10,779 Speaker 1: of 1998, the month the enemy of the state was 642 00:40:10,840 --> 00:40:17,740 Speaker 1: released in theaters. Number one, The Waterboy, directed by Frank Caracci. 643 00:40:19,390 --> 00:40:25,630 Speaker 1: Number two, The Rugrats Movie, directed by Igor Kovalev and 644 00:40:25,670 --> 00:40:31,589 Speaker 1: Norton Virginian. Number three, A Bug's Life, directed by John 645 00:40:31,650 --> 00:40:36,529 Speaker 1: Lasseter and Andrew Stanton. Number four, Enemy of the State, 646 00:40:36,590 --> 00:40:41,130 Speaker 1: directed by Tony Scott. Number five, The Siege, directed by 647 00:40:41,270 --> 00:40:46,739 Speaker 1: Edward Zwick. Number six, Meet Joe Black, directed by Martin Bruss. 648 00:40:48,630 --> 00:40:51,910 Speaker 1: Quit talking and start mixing. Cut it.