1 00:00:03,800 --> 00:00:07,200 Speaker 1: Hey, Snaffoo listeners, this is your host ed helms. I'm 2 00:00:07,240 --> 00:00:10,840 Speaker 1: back in your feed for a bonus episode of snaffoo. 3 00:00:14,600 --> 00:00:17,040 Speaker 1: Able Archer. At the very heart of it is a 4 00:00:17,079 --> 00:00:20,200 Speaker 1: story about the nuclear conundrum, how the arms race left 5 00:00:20,280 --> 00:00:24,799 Speaker 1: us with no winning options and an unacceptable margin for error, 6 00:00:25,520 --> 00:00:31,320 Speaker 1: and no one summed this up better than the movie Wargames. 7 00:00:32,360 --> 00:00:35,040 Speaker 1: You may recall back in previous episodes, we had great 8 00:00:35,120 --> 00:00:39,400 Speaker 1: conversations with the movie star and National treasure Matthew Broderick, 9 00:00:39,560 --> 00:00:43,320 Speaker 1: as well as its director John Badam. Those interviews were 10 00:00:43,360 --> 00:00:46,879 Speaker 1: so fun and cool, but we just couldn't include all 11 00:00:46,920 --> 00:00:50,320 Speaker 1: of it in those earlier episodes. So as a little treat, 12 00:00:50,680 --> 00:00:53,960 Speaker 1: here's a bonus episode where we dive a little deeper 13 00:00:54,440 --> 00:01:01,360 Speaker 1: into all things wargames. What was what was just like 14 00:01:01,440 --> 00:01:05,200 Speaker 1: a normal day in the life of Matthew Broderick around 15 00:01:05,560 --> 00:01:07,320 Speaker 1: nineteen eighty two eighty three. 16 00:01:07,680 --> 00:01:11,200 Speaker 2: Well, let's see, eighty two. I would be graduating high school, 17 00:01:11,440 --> 00:01:14,120 Speaker 2: which was in New York City, Yes, and I was 18 00:01:14,280 --> 00:01:17,520 Speaker 2: very happy to be done with that, and I didn't 19 00:01:17,520 --> 00:01:20,360 Speaker 2: want to go right to college. I remember going to 20 00:01:20,480 --> 00:01:23,319 Speaker 2: a college counsel a counselor at school who was supposed 21 00:01:23,360 --> 00:01:26,319 Speaker 2: to tell you what schools you should apply to, you know, 22 00:01:26,360 --> 00:01:29,640 Speaker 2: when you're a junior or whatever. And I remember she 23 00:01:29,720 --> 00:01:33,520 Speaker 2: kept mentioning colleges that I had never heard of, so 24 00:01:33,560 --> 00:01:35,360 Speaker 2: that that was a bad sign. 25 00:01:35,160 --> 00:01:38,160 Speaker 1: Your guidance counselor didn't believe in you as well. 26 00:01:38,240 --> 00:01:41,880 Speaker 2: Say no, I left the meeting less than I was not. 27 00:01:42,560 --> 00:01:44,480 Speaker 2: I thought to myself, I'm going to have to find 28 00:01:44,520 --> 00:01:47,039 Speaker 2: something else because nothing that she mentioned not only were 29 00:01:47,040 --> 00:01:49,400 Speaker 2: they at schools that I had heard of, but none 30 00:01:49,440 --> 00:01:51,840 Speaker 2: of them specialized in anything that I was at all 31 00:01:52,040 --> 00:01:55,640 Speaker 2: good at. So I was taking a year to kind 32 00:01:55,640 --> 00:01:57,720 Speaker 2: of see if I could, you know, get a job 33 00:01:57,840 --> 00:01:59,920 Speaker 2: or something acting. And that's why I knew that's what 34 00:02:00,000 --> 00:02:02,080 Speaker 2: I wanted to do, but I had no idea if 35 00:02:02,120 --> 00:02:05,080 Speaker 2: I would, you know, be somebody who could do that. 36 00:02:05,200 --> 00:02:09,480 Speaker 2: But so my memory of that time is is trying 37 00:02:09,520 --> 00:02:11,040 Speaker 2: to basically become an actor. 38 00:02:11,160 --> 00:02:12,799 Speaker 1: What was the lead up to the sort of war 39 00:02:12,880 --> 00:02:14,040 Speaker 1: games opportunity. 40 00:02:14,760 --> 00:02:17,600 Speaker 2: Well, I started in high school doing a bunch of 41 00:02:17,680 --> 00:02:23,040 Speaker 2: plays and I felt I was good at it. Now 42 00:02:23,320 --> 00:02:26,079 Speaker 2: why I felt that, I don't know, but I mean 43 00:02:26,120 --> 00:02:28,200 Speaker 2: I was better at that than at many of my 44 00:02:28,280 --> 00:02:30,720 Speaker 2: other endeavors in high school I'll put it that way, 45 00:02:30,800 --> 00:02:34,440 Speaker 2: so same here. Yeah, I get it. It wasn't that 46 00:02:34,480 --> 00:02:36,720 Speaker 2: I was good at it. It was that I wasn't 47 00:02:36,760 --> 00:02:39,320 Speaker 2: as bad at that as I was at Algebra two. 48 00:02:39,800 --> 00:02:43,720 Speaker 1: There was nothing else to go after, really, that's the truth. 49 00:02:43,919 --> 00:02:48,520 Speaker 2: And I went to HB Studio, which was in the 50 00:02:48,600 --> 00:02:51,600 Speaker 2: village it still is, I think, and I took classes, sure, 51 00:02:52,040 --> 00:02:55,240 Speaker 2: and then my first girlfriend, and so I had a 52 00:02:55,320 --> 00:02:59,120 Speaker 2: kind of a great summer. As I remember, I auditioned 53 00:02:59,120 --> 00:03:03,560 Speaker 2: for everything. And you know, there was this movie called 54 00:03:03,600 --> 00:03:08,120 Speaker 2: The Genius that I auditioned for that I wouldn't let 55 00:03:08,120 --> 00:03:10,440 Speaker 2: me read the script, but it was a you know, 56 00:03:10,560 --> 00:03:14,359 Speaker 2: a boy in a computer. And then I somehow got 57 00:03:14,560 --> 00:03:17,520 Speaker 2: a callback and another callback, and then I read for 58 00:03:17,560 --> 00:03:20,320 Speaker 2: the new casting director and then maybe even a third 59 00:03:20,400 --> 00:03:23,839 Speaker 2: casting director. The Genius became more games, by the way, 60 00:03:23,840 --> 00:03:27,919 Speaker 2: this was its original title. Oh okay, yeah. And then 61 00:03:28,040 --> 00:03:33,680 Speaker 2: somehow I got a play in New York, which was right, 62 00:03:33,919 --> 00:03:37,840 Speaker 2: you know, very successful play, and suddenly that everything changed. 63 00:03:37,920 --> 00:03:40,000 Speaker 2: Then it was like, oh, he's the guy from that play, 64 00:03:40,120 --> 00:03:43,360 Speaker 2: you know everybody, and I got a Neil Simon movie 65 00:03:43,560 --> 00:03:44,000 Speaker 2: out of that. 66 00:03:44,280 --> 00:03:44,680 Speaker 1: Mm hmm. 67 00:03:44,920 --> 00:03:47,440 Speaker 2: So while I was shooting the Neil Simon movie. They 68 00:03:47,480 --> 00:03:50,480 Speaker 2: wanted me to read again for War Games, and I 69 00:03:50,480 --> 00:03:53,120 Speaker 2: had now read for it, I don't know a million times. 70 00:03:53,320 --> 00:03:56,160 Speaker 1: And had you already read for the for the director 71 00:03:56,160 --> 00:03:58,440 Speaker 1: at the time was Martin Bress. Martin Brest, Yeah, and 72 00:03:58,480 --> 00:03:59,920 Speaker 1: you'd already read for him. 73 00:04:00,240 --> 00:04:03,680 Speaker 2: I had. So my dad, who was an actress, said 74 00:04:04,200 --> 00:04:07,080 Speaker 2: ask the director, Herbert Ross, of the of the Neil 75 00:04:07,120 --> 00:04:12,160 Speaker 2: Simon movie, ask if they can see some dailies. So 76 00:04:12,280 --> 00:04:14,840 Speaker 2: I somehow had the nerve to ask my agent, and 77 00:04:15,280 --> 00:04:19,919 Speaker 2: Herbert Ross, who was directing the Neil Simon movie, was like, sure, absolutely, 78 00:04:19,960 --> 00:04:23,240 Speaker 2: and he ran. He picked out some nice scenes of 79 00:04:23,279 --> 00:04:26,880 Speaker 2: mine and showed it to Marty Breast. You know, they 80 00:04:26,920 --> 00:04:29,479 Speaker 2: screened it in those days. It wasn't like, you know, 81 00:04:29,600 --> 00:04:32,320 Speaker 2: click on it. It was they came and watched it 82 00:04:32,360 --> 00:04:33,880 Speaker 2: at you know, the studio. 83 00:04:34,120 --> 00:04:36,400 Speaker 1: Yeah, that's really cool. He really believed in. 84 00:04:36,320 --> 00:04:39,159 Speaker 2: You and made the effort, you know, and so you 85 00:04:39,240 --> 00:04:39,800 Speaker 2: need all that. 86 00:04:40,600 --> 00:04:41,960 Speaker 1: Yeah, that's really cool. 87 00:04:42,320 --> 00:04:42,839 Speaker 2: Yeah. 88 00:04:42,880 --> 00:04:46,160 Speaker 1: And so so finally you get the part. Had you 89 00:04:46,360 --> 00:04:48,320 Speaker 1: read the full script at this point or were you 90 00:04:48,400 --> 00:04:50,520 Speaker 1: just reading sides or did you know a lot about 91 00:04:50,520 --> 00:04:51,360 Speaker 1: what the movie was. 92 00:04:51,600 --> 00:04:54,640 Speaker 2: Around that time? I think I finally was allowed to 93 00:04:54,640 --> 00:04:58,239 Speaker 2: read the whole thing. It was really a very fun read. 94 00:04:58,400 --> 00:05:01,279 Speaker 2: You know, it was a you just really wanted to 95 00:05:01,320 --> 00:05:03,680 Speaker 2: know how it was going to end up. You know. 96 00:05:03,800 --> 00:05:07,160 Speaker 2: It wasn't the most like intense acting part or something, 97 00:05:07,200 --> 00:05:09,480 Speaker 2: but I just thought, this is a thriller, you know. 98 00:05:09,520 --> 00:05:13,120 Speaker 2: I loved the story. The only you know, my father 99 00:05:13,320 --> 00:05:16,760 Speaker 2: was dying and actually died during it. 100 00:05:17,200 --> 00:05:17,640 Speaker 3: Wow. 101 00:05:18,240 --> 00:05:23,000 Speaker 2: Yeah, So I don't think of that movie without that. 102 00:05:23,400 --> 00:05:23,719 Speaker 1: Sure. 103 00:05:23,839 --> 00:05:26,479 Speaker 2: To tell you the truth, it's a little almost like 104 00:05:26,800 --> 00:05:29,080 Speaker 2: a surreal memory to me because I was, on the 105 00:05:29,120 --> 00:05:34,000 Speaker 2: one hand, so pleased with myself and you know, excited 106 00:05:34,040 --> 00:05:37,279 Speaker 2: about what had happened to me, and also at the 107 00:05:37,320 --> 00:05:40,760 Speaker 2: same time the absolute opposite. And you guys were close, 108 00:05:41,279 --> 00:05:44,160 Speaker 2: very close, and you know, he'd been sick for I 109 00:05:44,200 --> 00:05:46,560 Speaker 2: knew that it was coming. It wasn't like that, but 110 00:05:46,839 --> 00:05:49,760 Speaker 2: you know, there's no way to not. You know, he 111 00:05:49,880 --> 00:05:52,480 Speaker 2: died during it, and I was shooting one or two 112 00:05:52,520 --> 00:05:55,760 Speaker 2: days later, I think, wow, you know, I didn't really 113 00:05:55,760 --> 00:05:57,760 Speaker 2: want anybody to say how are you or anything, and 114 00:05:57,920 --> 00:06:00,960 Speaker 2: they and they didn't, you know, and we went on 115 00:06:01,040 --> 00:06:03,360 Speaker 2: with I'm very glad I had it. It probably saved 116 00:06:03,480 --> 00:06:04,719 Speaker 2: my life. 117 00:06:05,040 --> 00:06:09,160 Speaker 1: It's so fascinating. I was in I was shooting the 118 00:06:09,240 --> 00:06:13,960 Speaker 1: office when my dad passed. Oh really and went back 119 00:06:14,000 --> 00:06:16,000 Speaker 1: and it was the same thing. I was so grateful 120 00:06:16,040 --> 00:06:16,599 Speaker 1: to have. 121 00:06:16,480 --> 00:06:19,599 Speaker 2: That something to put your mind on for a while, right. 122 00:06:19,560 --> 00:06:25,080 Speaker 1: Yeah, And so all the excitement of this first experience. 123 00:06:25,480 --> 00:06:29,560 Speaker 1: He must have been so proud that you got this opportunity. 124 00:06:29,839 --> 00:06:31,159 Speaker 2: He was definitely so. 125 00:06:31,240 --> 00:06:34,440 Speaker 1: Then even the release of the movie is so bittersweet. Yeah, 126 00:06:34,640 --> 00:06:35,760 Speaker 1: is not being there. 127 00:06:35,920 --> 00:06:39,920 Speaker 2: Yeah, definitely, you know, but I like to think he 128 00:06:39,960 --> 00:06:42,719 Speaker 2: was glad to see that he had that he left 129 00:06:42,760 --> 00:06:45,880 Speaker 2: while I had some hope of a career sure, or 130 00:06:45,920 --> 00:06:50,920 Speaker 2: you know, make a living. And truthfully, it was such 131 00:06:50,920 --> 00:06:54,240 Speaker 2: a break from that that I didn't feel it at work, 132 00:06:54,320 --> 00:06:57,919 Speaker 2: you know. I just felt the movie. So I you know, 133 00:06:58,480 --> 00:07:01,600 Speaker 2: I threw myself into it, and I love the story, you. 134 00:07:01,560 --> 00:07:05,400 Speaker 1: Know, Yeah, it really is. It's like kind of a 135 00:07:05,440 --> 00:07:12,280 Speaker 1: perfect screenplay as a thriller with comedic elements, and there's 136 00:07:12,400 --> 00:07:15,720 Speaker 1: never a wasted scene or a dull moment. Did it 137 00:07:16,120 --> 00:07:19,080 Speaker 1: change a lot from those early drafts to what it 138 00:07:19,200 --> 00:07:20,000 Speaker 1: eventually was? 139 00:07:20,520 --> 00:07:20,600 Speaker 4: It? 140 00:07:20,680 --> 00:07:24,520 Speaker 2: Did? I mean, are you talking to John Badam too? 141 00:07:28,320 --> 00:07:33,920 Speaker 5: In the summer of nineteen eighty two, I get a 142 00:07:33,960 --> 00:07:38,880 Speaker 5: call from my agent at the time Lee Rosenberg, who said, 143 00:07:39,480 --> 00:07:43,440 Speaker 5: there's this project over at United Artists that they're in 144 00:07:43,480 --> 00:07:46,360 Speaker 5: trouble with the director, and they wonder if you would 145 00:07:47,400 --> 00:07:50,960 Speaker 5: take a look at it. And I'm recommending that you 146 00:07:51,040 --> 00:07:53,680 Speaker 5: don't take a look at it, because if they're in 147 00:07:53,720 --> 00:07:57,560 Speaker 5: trouble with the director, that means the whole project is troubled. 148 00:07:57,960 --> 00:08:00,920 Speaker 5: So you better stay away from it. But I have 149 00:08:01,000 --> 00:08:03,800 Speaker 5: to make the call and tell you about it. And 150 00:08:03,840 --> 00:08:06,920 Speaker 5: I replied to him, I said, but Lee, what if 151 00:08:06,960 --> 00:08:10,320 Speaker 5: the script is any good? So we read it and 152 00:08:10,360 --> 00:08:13,360 Speaker 5: I'm going, oh my god, I am so lucky to 153 00:08:13,400 --> 00:08:16,800 Speaker 5: be reading this script. This script is wonderful. I told 154 00:08:16,880 --> 00:08:18,960 Speaker 5: that to Leonard and I said, let me think about 155 00:08:18,960 --> 00:08:23,160 Speaker 5: it and I'll get back to you. He said, well, 156 00:08:23,200 --> 00:08:27,640 Speaker 5: we're shooting every day, so you better be fast about this. 157 00:08:28,440 --> 00:08:31,560 Speaker 5: So I started driving home and I got about three 158 00:08:31,600 --> 00:08:35,680 Speaker 5: blocks from MGM and I stomped on the brakes. Now 159 00:08:35,720 --> 00:08:39,000 Speaker 5: this is before cell phones, and I had to find 160 00:08:39,080 --> 00:08:42,480 Speaker 5: a phone booth. And I said, Leonard, I know what 161 00:08:42,559 --> 00:08:47,160 Speaker 5: it is. These actors, these characters aren't having any fun. 162 00:08:47,880 --> 00:08:53,160 Speaker 5: The scene that you showed me was Matthew Broderick showing 163 00:08:53,200 --> 00:08:56,360 Speaker 5: Ali Sheety how he could change her grades at school 164 00:08:57,000 --> 00:09:01,959 Speaker 5: on the school computer. These actors are playing it like 165 00:09:02,120 --> 00:09:05,280 Speaker 5: they're going to blow up the White House, and instead, 166 00:09:05,960 --> 00:09:10,120 Speaker 5: if I could change your girl's grades in my high school, 167 00:09:10,120 --> 00:09:13,319 Speaker 5: I would be peeing in my pants with excitement. This 168 00:09:13,360 --> 00:09:15,840 Speaker 5: would be the most fun thing. I would be so 169 00:09:16,480 --> 00:09:20,640 Speaker 5: thrilled and scared and excited about it. I said, I 170 00:09:20,679 --> 00:09:25,199 Speaker 5: think that's where the director has gone off track. I mean, 171 00:09:25,240 --> 00:09:28,960 Speaker 5: he was on schedule and from what I could what 172 00:09:29,080 --> 00:09:33,880 Speaker 5: I could understand, everything had been beautifully prepared. But suddenly 173 00:09:33,880 --> 00:09:38,400 Speaker 5: they were getting a very dark film. So I said, well, 174 00:09:38,520 --> 00:09:43,160 Speaker 5: if I come on, that's that's what I would do. 175 00:09:43,240 --> 00:09:46,840 Speaker 5: I would make make those alterations, make it, make it funny. 176 00:09:46,840 --> 00:09:49,200 Speaker 5: So they said, well, when can you start. 177 00:10:01,320 --> 00:10:04,760 Speaker 2: I couldn't believe I'd gotten the job. And then the 178 00:10:04,800 --> 00:10:10,360 Speaker 2: director got fired. It was pretty sure I was out too, by. 179 00:10:10,240 --> 00:10:12,319 Speaker 1: The way, right, sure, there's no way that There's no 180 00:10:12,360 --> 00:10:14,400 Speaker 1: way a director gets fired and the lead actor isn't 181 00:10:14,440 --> 00:10:17,760 Speaker 1: like I probably wasn't doing the right thing either. 182 00:10:18,240 --> 00:10:20,240 Speaker 2: So wait a minute, they're throwing out two weeks of 183 00:10:20,240 --> 00:10:24,640 Speaker 2: work I just did. That's interesting. And and you know, 184 00:10:24,880 --> 00:10:29,160 Speaker 2: John Badam came and basically fired absolutely everybody but kept 185 00:10:29,200 --> 00:10:32,920 Speaker 2: to me and Ali Cheety and one or two others. 186 00:10:34,960 --> 00:10:37,480 Speaker 2: But he was our first meeting with John Badam. He 187 00:10:37,520 --> 00:10:38,920 Speaker 2: was like, I'm going to keep both of you. 188 00:10:39,760 --> 00:10:43,960 Speaker 5: Well, that was a good choice, but I also wanted 189 00:10:44,120 --> 00:10:48,200 Speaker 5: the ability to replace anybody that I thought maybe was 190 00:10:48,240 --> 00:10:51,640 Speaker 5: not cast as best they could be, So we made 191 00:10:51,679 --> 00:10:56,120 Speaker 5: a couple of changes in the secondary cast our general 192 00:10:56,800 --> 00:11:02,040 Speaker 5: of Norad. We recast him and one or two other characters. 193 00:11:02,360 --> 00:11:06,360 Speaker 5: But Ali Sheety and Matthew Broderick were wonderful. I mean 194 00:11:06,640 --> 00:11:13,120 Speaker 5: they were terrific. For example, the scene that where Matthew 195 00:11:13,160 --> 00:11:15,480 Speaker 5: takes her into his bedroom and shows her how it 196 00:11:15,480 --> 00:11:19,040 Speaker 5: can change the grade. We decided that we needed to 197 00:11:19,080 --> 00:11:22,280 Speaker 5: reshoot that because, as we said earlier, they were not 198 00:11:22,440 --> 00:11:26,600 Speaker 5: having any fun, and I knew that the scene needed 199 00:11:26,600 --> 00:11:29,800 Speaker 5: to be much much better than what had been originally shot, 200 00:11:30,520 --> 00:11:34,320 Speaker 5: not just a little bit better. And so we did 201 00:11:35,760 --> 00:11:39,080 Speaker 5: a few takes and they were stiff as boards. These 202 00:11:39,120 --> 00:11:42,760 Speaker 5: two poor actors were so scared that they too were 203 00:11:42,800 --> 00:11:47,240 Speaker 5: going to be acted out of the movie and get fired. 204 00:11:49,240 --> 00:11:52,840 Speaker 5: We're stiff as they could be, and so I'm starting 205 00:11:52,840 --> 00:11:56,000 Speaker 5: to try to loosen them up to entertain them. I'm 206 00:11:56,040 --> 00:11:59,400 Speaker 5: running in. I'm making bad dad jokes, which is the 207 00:11:59,400 --> 00:12:02,640 Speaker 5: only kind of oaks I know how to make, and 208 00:12:03,040 --> 00:12:08,880 Speaker 5: being silly. And after about nine or ten takes, I 209 00:12:08,960 --> 00:12:14,360 Speaker 5: called a halt to everything, and I said, okay, all right, 210 00:12:14,440 --> 00:12:16,360 Speaker 5: we're going to take a little bit of a break 211 00:12:16,400 --> 00:12:19,560 Speaker 5: here for a minute, and Matthew and Ally you come 212 00:12:19,960 --> 00:12:25,000 Speaker 5: with me. And I took them outside the stage at MGM, 213 00:12:25,200 --> 00:12:28,720 Speaker 5: which is a wonderful big old movie lot, and I said, 214 00:12:29,480 --> 00:12:31,640 Speaker 5: what we're going to do here is we're going to 215 00:12:31,679 --> 00:12:36,640 Speaker 5: run around, have a race around the soundstage the outside, 216 00:12:37,520 --> 00:12:40,800 Speaker 5: and the last person back has to sing a song 217 00:12:40,880 --> 00:12:45,120 Speaker 5: in front of the crew. And they went what I said, Yeah, 218 00:12:45,200 --> 00:12:47,840 Speaker 5: here we go. Okay, let's go, and we ran and 219 00:12:47,960 --> 00:12:51,480 Speaker 5: ran and ran and ran, and of course I was 220 00:12:51,559 --> 00:12:55,120 Speaker 5: the last person back. I was a good twenty years 221 00:12:55,120 --> 00:12:59,160 Speaker 5: older than them, and so now I had to sing 222 00:12:59,200 --> 00:13:02,160 Speaker 5: a song in front of the crew, which was the 223 00:13:02,240 --> 00:13:06,280 Speaker 5: dumbest song I could think of, which was something called 224 00:13:06,280 --> 00:13:09,800 Speaker 5: The Happy Wanderer about a guy who's wandering through the 225 00:13:09,880 --> 00:13:10,920 Speaker 5: Alps and going. 226 00:13:11,200 --> 00:13:21,760 Speaker 6: Hold it, hold it rop. Okay, Okay, we got through that. Okay, 227 00:13:21,840 --> 00:13:22,920 Speaker 6: let's go for a take. 228 00:13:23,800 --> 00:13:25,280 Speaker 2: Those your grades stuff. 229 00:13:26,320 --> 00:13:27,560 Speaker 1: I don't think that I deserved it. 230 00:13:27,960 --> 00:13:28,280 Speaker 4: Do you. 231 00:13:30,800 --> 00:13:33,439 Speaker 3: You can't do that already done? 232 00:13:35,280 --> 00:13:36,800 Speaker 5: That was the one that we printed. 233 00:13:37,600 --> 00:13:37,960 Speaker 1: Uh. 234 00:13:38,800 --> 00:13:41,000 Speaker 5: Just you know, you do what you can to loosen 235 00:13:41,040 --> 00:13:44,960 Speaker 5: people up and get them, get them there, and to 236 00:13:45,120 --> 00:13:48,320 Speaker 5: let them know that it's okay to have fun. Uh. 237 00:13:49,520 --> 00:13:52,320 Speaker 5: And and this is we're not curing cancer here, We're 238 00:13:52,400 --> 00:13:53,280 Speaker 5: just making a movie. 239 00:13:54,200 --> 00:13:56,720 Speaker 2: The first day, first cup of date shooting with John Badam, 240 00:13:56,760 --> 00:14:00,200 Speaker 2: I was like, he's so different than Martin Breast too. 241 00:14:00,720 --> 00:14:01,040 Speaker 4: Uh huh. 242 00:14:01,480 --> 00:14:05,280 Speaker 2: Martin Bess was very methody and actory, you know, and 243 00:14:05,320 --> 00:14:08,360 Speaker 2: you should feel a certain way and get into it. 244 00:14:08,440 --> 00:14:11,480 Speaker 2: And so now I'm doing a scene and I finished 245 00:14:11,480 --> 00:14:13,800 Speaker 2: the scene, you know, doing something on the computer, and 246 00:14:13,840 --> 00:14:16,920 Speaker 2: I hear a voice from from behind the camera. John 247 00:14:16,960 --> 00:14:22,640 Speaker 2: Badam says, and smile, smile. Will you smile? Like he 248 00:14:22,720 --> 00:14:24,000 Speaker 2: was telling me what face to me? 249 00:14:25,840 --> 00:14:28,520 Speaker 1: And you're like, that's not acting. Smile. 250 00:14:28,720 --> 00:14:31,840 Speaker 2: Martin Best never did that. But yeah, but sure enough 251 00:14:31,880 --> 00:14:35,760 Speaker 2: I smiled. You know, I did everything, and thank god 252 00:14:35,840 --> 00:14:37,720 Speaker 2: he kept me, he kept me around. 253 00:14:38,440 --> 00:14:42,560 Speaker 1: That's so funny. Do you That's that actually raises an 254 00:14:43,000 --> 00:14:48,000 Speaker 1: interesting question separate from all this. Yeah, do you do 255 00:14:48,080 --> 00:14:51,160 Speaker 1: you like a director who is very literal, like that, 256 00:14:51,400 --> 00:14:53,440 Speaker 1: or do you prefer someone who's a little more kind 257 00:14:53,480 --> 00:14:56,720 Speaker 1: of like in the emotion of it and in the 258 00:14:56,760 --> 00:14:59,680 Speaker 1: sort of like, yeah, do you have a strong. 259 00:14:59,440 --> 00:15:04,400 Speaker 2: Preference, Well, you know, my preference is somebody who's like 260 00:15:05,680 --> 00:15:08,880 Speaker 2: I can understand and who I think is good. I 261 00:15:08,880 --> 00:15:11,800 Speaker 2: don't know how to but like, I don't mind people 262 00:15:11,800 --> 00:15:14,560 Speaker 2: who I know you're not supposed to say smile, but 263 00:15:14,640 --> 00:15:18,440 Speaker 2: if it's if it's somebody good and as John Batham 264 00:15:18,560 --> 00:15:22,040 Speaker 2: is and and in a way that's they might as 265 00:15:22,080 --> 00:15:25,080 Speaker 2: well just say it. Because I see directors sometimes bend over. 266 00:15:25,280 --> 00:15:27,480 Speaker 2: I'm sure you feel this way too. Of course, you 267 00:15:27,520 --> 00:15:29,880 Speaker 2: know you can see their brain trying to say. I know, 268 00:15:29,960 --> 00:15:32,960 Speaker 2: I'm not supposed to tell them to be angry or. 269 00:15:32,880 --> 00:15:36,360 Speaker 1: Happy or give them a line reading or exactly. 270 00:15:36,400 --> 00:15:38,440 Speaker 2: How many words can I use to make a line reading? 271 00:15:38,560 --> 00:15:39,800 Speaker 2: Like just tell me the line ate. 272 00:15:39,880 --> 00:15:43,400 Speaker 1: Yeah, exactly. I'm just saying I'm very practical that way. 273 00:15:43,400 --> 00:15:46,080 Speaker 1: And I tell directors sometimes like I can feel you 274 00:15:46,200 --> 00:15:48,680 Speaker 1: dancing around, that's just tell me what you want, like, definitely, 275 00:15:48,720 --> 00:15:52,280 Speaker 1: I love I love a mechanical direction like me too, 276 00:15:52,760 --> 00:15:56,000 Speaker 1: like hold your arm higher, okay, sure, yeah. 277 00:15:56,120 --> 00:15:58,440 Speaker 2: Yeah, well then I can I can understand what they mean, 278 00:15:58,480 --> 00:16:01,520 Speaker 2: and then I can I can turn it into actory 279 00:16:01,680 --> 00:16:05,320 Speaker 2: terms if I want or not. Yeah, and see I 280 00:16:05,320 --> 00:16:07,720 Speaker 2: even sometimes and this doesn't come up so well. But 281 00:16:07,760 --> 00:16:10,400 Speaker 2: I'll sometimes tell a director who's really hemming and allying, 282 00:16:10,640 --> 00:16:12,960 Speaker 2: why don't you show me which I like to make 283 00:16:13,000 --> 00:16:16,680 Speaker 2: them feel horrible and uncomfortable and act this out for me. 284 00:16:16,720 --> 00:16:19,240 Speaker 2: You play me, Yeah, I'll read the other part. You 285 00:16:19,320 --> 00:16:21,360 Speaker 2: show me what you want. If they're being really irritating, 286 00:16:21,360 --> 00:16:21,760 Speaker 2: I'll do that. 287 00:16:21,760 --> 00:16:22,200 Speaker 1: That's great. 288 00:16:22,360 --> 00:16:26,080 Speaker 2: At least I know exactly what they want, all right. 289 00:16:26,120 --> 00:16:29,600 Speaker 1: So the so the movie production is starting. Now it's 290 00:16:29,640 --> 00:16:33,000 Speaker 1: you and Ali Sheety and this incredible cast Barry Corbin 291 00:16:33,400 --> 00:16:35,320 Speaker 1: Dabney Coleman, who I love. 292 00:16:36,040 --> 00:16:39,080 Speaker 2: Yeah, and Ben Barry Corbman. 293 00:16:39,360 --> 00:16:39,680 Speaker 3: Yeah. 294 00:16:39,800 --> 00:16:44,480 Speaker 1: And they're both just it's like the cowboy and the nerd, 295 00:16:45,160 --> 00:16:47,960 Speaker 1: and they're just they're such a perfect conflict. 296 00:16:48,440 --> 00:16:51,320 Speaker 2: I wouldn't trust this overgrown pile of microchips and if 297 00:16:51,320 --> 00:16:52,400 Speaker 2: further like to throw it. 298 00:16:53,120 --> 00:16:54,560 Speaker 4: And I don't know if you want to trust the 299 00:16:54,600 --> 00:16:59,320 Speaker 4: safety of our country to some silicombe dial In general, 300 00:16:59,480 --> 00:17:02,000 Speaker 4: nobody is talking about and trusting the safety of the 301 00:17:02,080 --> 00:17:03,160 Speaker 4: nation to a machine. 302 00:17:03,200 --> 00:17:07,560 Speaker 1: For God's sake, And what's compelling about those two characters 303 00:17:07,560 --> 00:17:10,840 Speaker 1: that they is that they really represent two kind of 304 00:17:11,840 --> 00:17:14,879 Speaker 1: competing points of view very literally in the story, but 305 00:17:14,920 --> 00:17:17,760 Speaker 1: I think also kind of culturally, which is, do we 306 00:17:17,800 --> 00:17:21,879 Speaker 1: trust technology or do we trust gut r and Dabney's 307 00:17:22,480 --> 00:17:27,520 Speaker 1: Dabney Coleman is saying, let's trust Whopper the computer to 308 00:17:27,840 --> 00:17:32,120 Speaker 1: to to launch missiles. And Barry Corbin is you know, 309 00:17:32,720 --> 00:17:38,879 Speaker 1: chewing his redman chewing tobacco and saying, uh, no way, man, 310 00:17:39,119 --> 00:17:41,240 Speaker 1: guy can't take the human out of it. You gotta 311 00:17:41,280 --> 00:17:42,120 Speaker 1: trust humans. 312 00:17:42,480 --> 00:17:44,600 Speaker 2: But they mess up at the beginning, right, that's in 313 00:17:44,640 --> 00:17:46,639 Speaker 2: the missile silo. 314 00:17:46,440 --> 00:17:49,520 Speaker 1: Right, the humans mess up in the in the opening, Yeah, 315 00:17:49,640 --> 00:17:52,439 Speaker 1: which is a wild entry to the film, and it 316 00:17:52,520 --> 00:17:55,119 Speaker 1: sets the stage for like mistrusting humans. 317 00:17:55,760 --> 00:17:59,639 Speaker 5: Put your hand on the key, serve launch. 318 00:18:03,119 --> 00:18:04,080 Speaker 1: Sure, we are at locks. 319 00:18:04,160 --> 00:18:08,320 Speaker 3: Turn your keys. Sorry, We're so sorry. Turn your key, sir. 320 00:18:09,200 --> 00:18:12,119 Speaker 5: We've had men in these silos since before any of 321 00:18:12,200 --> 00:18:13,639 Speaker 5: you were watching Howdy Doty. 322 00:18:14,000 --> 00:18:16,240 Speaker 3: For myself, I sleep pretty well at night. 323 00:18:16,320 --> 00:18:18,000 Speaker 5: No one knows boys are down there. 324 00:18:18,280 --> 00:18:21,080 Speaker 4: General, we all know they're fine, man, But in a 325 00:18:21,160 --> 00:18:24,360 Speaker 4: nuclear war, we can't afford to have our missiles lying dormant. 326 00:18:24,359 --> 00:18:27,240 Speaker 4: In those silos because those men refuse to turn the 327 00:18:27,320 --> 00:18:29,160 Speaker 4: keys when the computers tell them to. 328 00:18:37,119 --> 00:18:38,000 Speaker 2: Turn your key. 329 00:18:38,440 --> 00:18:41,320 Speaker 1: Yeah, turn your key, that whole thing. I was watching 330 00:18:41,960 --> 00:18:44,440 Speaker 1: the movie with my wife a couple of nights ago. 331 00:18:44,760 --> 00:18:47,240 Speaker 1: She just goes, man, there were a lot of buttons 332 00:18:47,280 --> 00:18:51,840 Speaker 1: in the eighties. It's true, walls buttons and like everything. 333 00:18:51,880 --> 00:18:56,720 Speaker 1: It's like, okay, ignite or you know, uh, switch operation too. 334 00:18:57,440 --> 00:18:59,320 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's like thirty. 335 00:18:59,000 --> 00:19:01,840 Speaker 1: Buttons to do one thing. Yeah, there's some part of 336 00:19:01,880 --> 00:19:04,080 Speaker 1: our inner child that just wants to click all those 337 00:19:04,240 --> 00:19:05,159 Speaker 1: yeah buttons. 338 00:19:05,240 --> 00:19:08,720 Speaker 2: Yeah. Now it's just these damn touch screens. 339 00:19:10,520 --> 00:19:12,919 Speaker 1: I have one quibble with the movie that I just 340 00:19:13,000 --> 00:19:16,720 Speaker 1: have to I have to mention, which is that you're 341 00:19:16,960 --> 00:19:19,720 Speaker 1: very disappointingly bad at Galaga. 342 00:19:20,640 --> 00:19:24,960 Speaker 2: Now, I mean, you're okay, but you know, I understand. 343 00:19:25,880 --> 00:19:26,159 Speaker 4: I do. 344 00:19:27,000 --> 00:19:30,320 Speaker 2: I must in my defense tell you. You know, they edit 345 00:19:30,359 --> 00:19:35,640 Speaker 2: it so like in yeah, pressure whatever, there wasn't enough 346 00:19:35,640 --> 00:19:40,360 Speaker 2: film in the camera if I had played at my best, because. 347 00:19:40,240 --> 00:19:42,360 Speaker 1: Yeah, I guess so, okay, I'll take your work for it, 348 00:19:42,520 --> 00:19:44,120 Speaker 1: but I will say, like to be able to work 349 00:19:44,160 --> 00:19:46,840 Speaker 1: on a movie where the whole thing is like you're 350 00:19:46,880 --> 00:19:50,440 Speaker 1: gonna get to play Galaga for free, for as long 351 00:19:50,440 --> 00:19:51,639 Speaker 1: as we're shooting this scene. 352 00:19:51,720 --> 00:19:54,360 Speaker 2: They gave me a Gallica machine. I'm not kidding. Oh, 353 00:19:54,800 --> 00:19:56,679 Speaker 2: Marty Brest was like, you should get good at Gallagha, 354 00:19:56,760 --> 00:20:00,120 Speaker 2: we'll send one over. Oh wow, So my little apart 355 00:20:00,160 --> 00:20:02,520 Speaker 2: men in Santa Monica had a Galaga in it. 356 00:20:02,880 --> 00:20:04,440 Speaker 1: Oh that's amazing, which I could. 357 00:20:04,520 --> 00:20:06,000 Speaker 2: I was so excited by that. 358 00:20:07,000 --> 00:20:17,040 Speaker 3: Yeah, that's that's huge. 359 00:20:19,040 --> 00:20:23,360 Speaker 1: So what are some of your memories about culture at 360 00:20:23,359 --> 00:20:27,320 Speaker 1: that time, you know, in particular some of the political 361 00:20:27,400 --> 00:20:32,240 Speaker 1: landscape afoot Reagan as president. How were you feeling any of. 362 00:20:32,200 --> 00:20:32,920 Speaker 3: The Cold War? 363 00:20:33,480 --> 00:20:38,680 Speaker 2: Well? I think everybody felt it a little when I remember, 364 00:20:40,119 --> 00:20:42,800 Speaker 2: you know, Reagan saying he's going to put weapons in 365 00:20:42,880 --> 00:20:47,520 Speaker 2: space and people saying that was going to get everybody killed, and. 366 00:20:48,160 --> 00:20:50,119 Speaker 1: That really pissed off the Russians. 367 00:20:50,640 --> 00:20:53,920 Speaker 2: Yes, so it was scary to read about all these 368 00:20:54,680 --> 00:20:57,000 Speaker 2: you know, every time we would add a missile system, 369 00:20:57,119 --> 00:20:59,520 Speaker 2: they would add one or and vice versa. And it 370 00:20:59,560 --> 00:21:03,320 Speaker 2: was you could read articles that would say, there's absolutely 371 00:21:03,320 --> 00:21:07,080 Speaker 2: no way this can end except for everybody being blown 372 00:21:07,160 --> 00:21:07,840 Speaker 2: up pretty soon. 373 00:21:08,160 --> 00:21:09,879 Speaker 3: Yeah. Mutual destruction. 374 00:21:10,320 --> 00:21:13,520 Speaker 2: Yeah, mad right. I had a book with pictures that 375 00:21:13,560 --> 00:21:17,520 Speaker 2: it called mad I think mutual assured destruction. And that 376 00:21:18,000 --> 00:21:20,679 Speaker 2: book proved beyond the shadow of a doubt that we 377 00:21:20,760 --> 00:21:22,720 Speaker 2: had about five years as a planet. 378 00:21:29,240 --> 00:21:34,320 Speaker 5: Ever since the nineteen sixties, I would say, even maybe 379 00:21:34,320 --> 00:21:39,520 Speaker 5: the late nineteen fifties, we were seeing this constant build 380 00:21:39,600 --> 00:21:45,320 Speaker 5: up of nuclear facilities and nuclear warheads. I remember I 381 00:21:45,440 --> 00:21:49,920 Speaker 5: was in grammar school after World War Two, and we had, 382 00:21:50,640 --> 00:21:55,160 Speaker 5: you know, constant drills for what would happen with nuclear explosions. 383 00:21:55,800 --> 00:21:58,440 Speaker 5: You know, I'm sure you've heard the phrase duck and cover. 384 00:21:59,400 --> 00:22:02,359 Speaker 5: You know, we're going to duck under our little third 385 00:22:02,400 --> 00:22:05,320 Speaker 5: grader desks, and that was going to save us from 386 00:22:05,320 --> 00:22:08,080 Speaker 5: the nuclear bomb. And you knew that it was going 387 00:22:08,160 --> 00:22:11,280 Speaker 5: to fly off the handle in some crazy way, but 388 00:22:11,400 --> 00:22:14,800 Speaker 5: nobody was doing anything about it. And of course this 389 00:22:14,840 --> 00:22:20,600 Speaker 5: is before Gorbachev took down the wall and so on. Basically, 390 00:22:20,640 --> 00:22:24,560 Speaker 5: it was a scary kind of world where often your 391 00:22:24,600 --> 00:22:29,000 Speaker 5: reaction was to, like the Ostrich, bury your head in 392 00:22:29,040 --> 00:22:31,600 Speaker 5: the sand and just hope to hell it went away 393 00:22:32,359 --> 00:22:35,920 Speaker 5: without blowing up the planet. The military has thought up 394 00:22:36,080 --> 00:22:40,240 Speaker 5: hundreds of different scenarios of possible ways that things could 395 00:22:40,240 --> 00:22:43,159 Speaker 5: happen as they're trying to get around this problem of 396 00:22:43,760 --> 00:22:47,359 Speaker 5: how do you make the right decision. It's just way 397 00:22:47,400 --> 00:22:51,240 Speaker 5: too complicated a problem for us to be cleanly and 398 00:22:51,320 --> 00:22:52,359 Speaker 5: easily dealing with. 399 00:23:00,240 --> 00:23:03,280 Speaker 2: Originally it had an ending where the bomb went off, 400 00:23:03,320 --> 00:23:06,000 Speaker 2: I believe. Oh wow, Like I remember, there's some scene 401 00:23:06,000 --> 00:23:07,760 Speaker 2: where I'm looking in a mirror. At the very end, 402 00:23:08,320 --> 00:23:10,959 Speaker 2: I wake up. I'm home. It's all over, you know, 403 00:23:12,119 --> 00:23:14,320 Speaker 2: And I get up and brushing my teeth or something, 404 00:23:14,320 --> 00:23:16,359 Speaker 2: and there's a flash of light and all the skin 405 00:23:16,480 --> 00:23:22,080 Speaker 2: burns off of my face or something. What yep, And 406 00:23:22,119 --> 00:23:23,160 Speaker 2: then I wake up. 407 00:23:23,920 --> 00:23:24,480 Speaker 3: Oh okay. 408 00:23:24,600 --> 00:23:27,120 Speaker 2: So it's just a little nightmare that David Lightman had 409 00:23:27,160 --> 00:23:30,480 Speaker 2: after going through this whole thing, right, which you know, 410 00:23:30,560 --> 00:23:33,200 Speaker 2: wisely they when they edited, they were like, no, it's 411 00:23:33,240 --> 00:23:34,720 Speaker 2: over in that war room. 412 00:23:34,920 --> 00:23:44,840 Speaker 4: Yeah, greetings, Professor Falcon, Hello, Joshua James. 413 00:23:45,080 --> 00:23:45,320 Speaker 1: Game. 414 00:23:46,080 --> 00:23:51,720 Speaker 5: The only winning mood is not today. It was the 415 00:23:51,800 --> 00:23:57,000 Speaker 5: closest thing to an anti war message that we had 416 00:23:57,280 --> 00:24:00,760 Speaker 5: because we didn't want to make it a big preachy movie. 417 00:24:00,960 --> 00:24:03,720 Speaker 5: It was meant to be something that was very entertaining, 418 00:24:04,240 --> 00:24:08,240 Speaker 5: but that could at the very end zing you with 419 00:24:08,400 --> 00:24:11,920 Speaker 5: something that you go, oh, yes, yes, we. 420 00:24:11,840 --> 00:24:15,640 Speaker 2: Did want it to be a warning to some degree. Yeah, 421 00:24:15,840 --> 00:24:20,359 Speaker 2: you know, everybody there was, like everybody else scared of 422 00:24:20,480 --> 00:24:21,160 Speaker 2: nuclear war. 423 00:24:21,320 --> 00:24:23,760 Speaker 1: So yeah, it's such a backdrop for the whole thing. 424 00:24:23,960 --> 00:24:26,760 Speaker 1: The air you're breathing was fear, yes, fear of technology, 425 00:24:26,880 --> 00:24:30,600 Speaker 1: fear of nuclear annihilation, and this movie kind of like 426 00:24:31,040 --> 00:24:34,680 Speaker 1: really hits both the technology and the weapons. 427 00:24:34,400 --> 00:24:37,439 Speaker 2: Definitely, And now that I think of it, some people 428 00:24:37,440 --> 00:24:41,560 Speaker 2: were into disarmament and some were not, so we were. 429 00:24:41,640 --> 00:24:44,040 Speaker 2: Everybody who made that movie, I think was very on 430 00:24:44,160 --> 00:24:47,680 Speaker 2: the side of disarmament. You know, they wanted they wanted 431 00:24:48,000 --> 00:24:51,359 Speaker 2: Reagan and GARBAGEV to make a deal. So if it 432 00:24:51,400 --> 00:24:53,760 Speaker 2: has a political point of view, I'm sure it's that 433 00:24:53,840 --> 00:24:57,400 Speaker 2: they everybody there wanted it to make deals with Russia 434 00:24:57,440 --> 00:25:00,120 Speaker 2: and not just keep building weapons. 435 00:25:00,119 --> 00:25:03,360 Speaker 1: A great magic trick that way, because it's it's unbelievably 436 00:25:03,480 --> 00:25:08,239 Speaker 1: entertaining and fun to watch, but it also, you know, 437 00:25:08,320 --> 00:25:12,280 Speaker 1: from a sort of like commentary standpoint, allows you to 438 00:25:12,359 --> 00:25:16,560 Speaker 1: play out the fantasy of nuclear annihilation and hopefully scare 439 00:25:16,600 --> 00:25:19,119 Speaker 1: you a little bit or scare the political establishment a 440 00:25:19,119 --> 00:25:20,640 Speaker 1: little bit into doing something. 441 00:25:30,440 --> 00:25:36,280 Speaker 5: When the film actually came out, it definitely had an influence, 442 00:25:36,440 --> 00:25:39,720 Speaker 5: and thank goodness, it was a It was a big 443 00:25:39,760 --> 00:25:43,240 Speaker 5: success at the box office. So we knew that our 444 00:25:43,359 --> 00:25:47,399 Speaker 5: film was being seen by many, many people, and especially 445 00:25:47,440 --> 00:25:52,080 Speaker 5: by an audience of young people who could identify with 446 00:25:52,640 --> 00:25:57,679 Speaker 5: Matthew and ally remember the time that we're in nobody 447 00:25:57,760 --> 00:26:02,040 Speaker 5: understood computers very much. Certainly adults did not. The kids 448 00:26:02,040 --> 00:26:06,119 Speaker 5: were understanding it and we're getting it right away, and 449 00:26:06,160 --> 00:26:10,120 Speaker 5: the adults were thinking, well, that's stupid. No little kid 450 00:26:10,160 --> 00:26:14,800 Speaker 5: could do this. There were many articles in different newspapers 451 00:26:14,800 --> 00:26:18,880 Speaker 5: that said, this is complete, blowney, none of this could 452 00:26:18,920 --> 00:26:24,280 Speaker 5: possibly happen, this is all ridiculous. That was part of 453 00:26:24,320 --> 00:26:27,800 Speaker 5: the part of the drama and the humor of it. 454 00:26:28,359 --> 00:26:34,679 Speaker 5: That it was not some evil Russian or evil Germanic force. 455 00:26:34,800 --> 00:26:37,480 Speaker 5: God knows what it could be, but it was just 456 00:26:37,480 --> 00:26:42,720 Speaker 5: just a little kid being playful and playing without motive equipment. Well, 457 00:26:42,800 --> 00:26:46,880 Speaker 5: the wonderful thing about movies is you can often look 458 00:26:46,960 --> 00:26:51,560 Speaker 5: beyond what's possible, and sometimes sometimes you can be spot 459 00:26:51,640 --> 00:26:56,760 Speaker 5: on with it and in seeing things that could happen 460 00:26:57,320 --> 00:27:00,640 Speaker 5: in the future. Well, it wasn't more than a couple 461 00:27:00,680 --> 00:27:04,560 Speaker 5: of weeks after the movie that was released. Uh, Suddenly, 462 00:27:05,680 --> 00:27:11,720 Speaker 5: from I believe Minnesota, three guys broke into Norad or 463 00:27:11,800 --> 00:27:16,800 Speaker 5: they they broke into the Defense Department's computer. Our whole 464 00:27:16,960 --> 00:27:20,440 Speaker 5: defense system was much more fragile and much more vulnerable 465 00:27:21,000 --> 00:27:24,639 Speaker 5: than anybody wanted to announce. And here are young kids, 466 00:27:25,200 --> 00:27:28,439 Speaker 5: maybe inspired by our movie or just maybe because they 467 00:27:28,440 --> 00:27:32,720 Speaker 5: were out there all along, that they were actually, you know, 468 00:27:32,880 --> 00:27:38,240 Speaker 5: breaking breaking into places. When Reagan came into office, we 469 00:27:38,280 --> 00:27:41,159 Speaker 5: had we had made the film. And one of the 470 00:27:41,160 --> 00:27:45,480 Speaker 5: first things that he happened to do when he was 471 00:27:45,520 --> 00:27:49,399 Speaker 5: in office was to run more games for He and 472 00:27:49,520 --> 00:27:54,000 Speaker 5: Nancy at the at the White House one night, and 473 00:27:54,000 --> 00:27:58,520 Speaker 5: and he started talking about how we how we could 474 00:27:58,560 --> 00:28:04,000 Speaker 5: fight these nuclear problems with our Star Wars defense and 475 00:28:04,040 --> 00:28:06,480 Speaker 5: he started talking about that, and they said, well, this 476 00:28:06,520 --> 00:28:10,600 Speaker 5: is ridiculous. We don't have technology that would be anything 477 00:28:10,760 --> 00:28:13,719 Speaker 5: like that. He said, yes, we do. Nancy and I 478 00:28:13,800 --> 00:28:17,200 Speaker 5: saw this film the other night, war Games, and they 479 00:28:17,280 --> 00:28:24,120 Speaker 5: have that kind of technology. Well, Mommy and I were 480 00:28:24,160 --> 00:28:28,479 Speaker 5: watching this movie, War Games, and we were thinking that 481 00:28:28,560 --> 00:28:33,040 Speaker 5: we could do the same thing. Mommy was very happy 482 00:28:33,080 --> 00:28:34,160 Speaker 5: about seeing it. 483 00:28:39,160 --> 00:28:44,520 Speaker 1: Are you aware that Ronald Reagan screened the movie right 484 00:28:44,560 --> 00:28:47,840 Speaker 1: after it came out. No, this is an amazing story. 485 00:28:47,840 --> 00:28:49,920 Speaker 1: The New York Times did a piece on this bunch 486 00:28:49,920 --> 00:28:54,920 Speaker 1: of years ago. Ronald Reagan watched it just you know, 487 00:28:55,520 --> 00:28:58,680 Speaker 1: kicking back with Nancy at Camp David, just watching a 488 00:28:58,720 --> 00:29:02,600 Speaker 1: pop culture movie. It rattled him so badly that he called, 489 00:29:02,600 --> 00:29:06,960 Speaker 1: in his defense establishment, all the you know, the big 490 00:29:07,000 --> 00:29:11,520 Speaker 1: wigs into the White House, and he said, is this possible? 491 00:29:12,200 --> 00:29:15,800 Speaker 1: Is it possible that some rogue kid could or worse, 492 00:29:15,920 --> 00:29:20,440 Speaker 1: like a Russian actor penetrate our computer systems and our 493 00:29:20,480 --> 00:29:26,640 Speaker 1: missile systems and so forth. And the takeaway was, yeah, 494 00:29:26,680 --> 00:29:28,800 Speaker 1: it's a little more possible than any of us would 495 00:29:28,880 --> 00:29:33,480 Speaker 1: like to admit. And so that precipitated some of the 496 00:29:33,640 --> 00:29:39,480 Speaker 1: very first cybersecurity policy, you know, from a national defense standpoint. 497 00:29:39,560 --> 00:29:43,080 Speaker 2: Well, that's very Yeah, you're welcome, everybody. 498 00:29:43,360 --> 00:29:50,160 Speaker 1: Right, Thank you, Thank you, Matthew. Special thanks to Matthew 499 00:29:50,200 --> 00:29:53,160 Speaker 1: Broderick and John Batham for joining us to talk all 500 00:29:53,240 --> 00:29:57,440 Speaker 1: things war games. Next week we have another bonus episode 501 00:29:57,640 --> 00:30:01,760 Speaker 1: where I interview a Cold War cage be agent, So 502 00:30:02,040 --> 00:30:04,440 Speaker 1: check back for that. You're not gonna want to miss it. 503 00:30:06,840 --> 00:30:10,160 Speaker 1: Snap Who is a production of iHeartRadio, Film, Nation Entertainment, 504 00:30:10,200 --> 00:30:13,880 Speaker 1: and Pacific Electric Picture Company in association with Gilded Audio. 505 00:30:14,320 --> 00:30:18,719 Speaker 1: It's executive produced by me Ed Helms, Milan Papelka, Mike Falbo, 506 00:30:18,840 --> 00:30:22,200 Speaker 1: Andy Chuck, and Whitney Donaldson. Our lead producers are Sarah 507 00:30:22,280 --> 00:30:26,160 Speaker 1: Joyner and Alyssa Martino. Our producer is Carl Nellis. Associate 508 00:30:26,200 --> 00:30:29,880 Speaker 1: producer Tory Smith. This bonus episode was edited by Carl 509 00:30:29,920 --> 00:30:33,400 Speaker 1: Nellis and Dustin Brown. Our senior editor is Jeffrey Lewis. 510 00:30:33,800 --> 00:30:37,160 Speaker 1: Olivia Canny is our production assistant. Our creative executive is 511 00:30:37,200 --> 00:30:41,280 Speaker 1: Brett Harris. Engineering and technical direction by Nick Dooley. Special 512 00:30:41,280 --> 00:30:43,600 Speaker 1: thanks to Alison Cohen and Matt Aisenstadt.