1 00:00:03,279 --> 00:00:06,200 Speaker 1: Welcome to Part Time Genius the production of I Heart Radio. 2 00:00:11,920 --> 00:00:15,520 Speaker 1: Guess what, Mango? What's that? Well, all right, over the weekend, 3 00:00:15,840 --> 00:00:18,280 Speaker 1: I was doing a little reading up on Peter Segal, 4 00:00:18,360 --> 00:00:20,279 Speaker 1: because you know, I think you know this about me, 5 00:00:20,320 --> 00:00:22,079 Speaker 1: but that's what I do every Saturday, and I don't 6 00:00:22,079 --> 00:00:25,480 Speaker 1: know how people have been there Saturday nights. But one 7 00:00:25,520 --> 00:00:27,520 Speaker 1: of the facts that I saw this week, and I 8 00:00:27,560 --> 00:00:30,200 Speaker 1: had actually not seen this before, was that he wrote 9 00:00:30,200 --> 00:00:33,880 Speaker 1: a screenplay. Did you know this? I had no idea. Yeah. 10 00:00:33,960 --> 00:00:36,680 Speaker 1: It's called Cuba Mine, and it's based on a real 11 00:00:36,800 --> 00:00:39,760 Speaker 1: story about a fifteen year old American who moves to Cuba. 12 00:00:39,920 --> 00:00:42,960 Speaker 1: And this is right before the revolution. So he writes 13 00:00:43,000 --> 00:00:45,639 Speaker 1: this serious script and it's in the nine nineties when 14 00:00:45,640 --> 00:00:48,360 Speaker 1: he's writing this, and it's got executions in it and 15 00:00:48,479 --> 00:00:51,680 Speaker 1: real politics, but it's also kind of a romance too. 16 00:00:52,320 --> 00:00:54,120 Speaker 1: So he writes it and it just sits on the 17 00:00:54,160 --> 00:00:56,960 Speaker 1: shelf for over a decade, like so many scripts do. 18 00:00:57,160 --> 00:01:00,760 Speaker 1: But two thousand four somebody finds it, dust it off, 19 00:01:00,840 --> 00:01:04,320 Speaker 1: and finally the movie gets made. Now, the movie's title 20 00:01:04,760 --> 00:01:09,240 Speaker 1: Dirty Dancing to Havana Nights. So you're saying, Peter Sagel 21 00:01:09,360 --> 00:01:12,399 Speaker 1: wrote Dirty dancing too, I know, but this is true. 22 00:01:12,440 --> 00:01:13,880 Speaker 1: I mean, it's kind of like one of those things 23 00:01:13,880 --> 00:01:17,000 Speaker 1: in Hollywood where even though Peter Segel wrote the movie, 24 00:01:17,440 --> 00:01:19,720 Speaker 1: they cut out all the words he wrote. In fact, 25 00:01:19,920 --> 00:01:22,120 Speaker 1: he was quoted is basically saying this, like he claims, 26 00:01:22,360 --> 00:01:25,560 Speaker 1: there isn't a single line of dialogue left from the original. 27 00:01:26,040 --> 00:01:28,760 Speaker 1: They also stripped out all the political stuff, but you know, 28 00:01:28,800 --> 00:01:30,800 Speaker 1: they had to put something there, so instead they just 29 00:01:30,840 --> 00:01:33,760 Speaker 1: filled it all with dancing, which you know, because stays 30 00:01:33,800 --> 00:01:35,679 Speaker 1: true to the name, and so it makes sense. That's 31 00:01:35,680 --> 00:01:37,920 Speaker 1: pretty funny, you know. It does remind me of those 32 00:01:37,959 --> 00:01:40,640 Speaker 1: poor writers in Hollywood who make like two hundred or 33 00:01:40,640 --> 00:01:43,400 Speaker 1: three hundred thousand dollars and they live in fancy houses 34 00:01:43,560 --> 00:01:46,600 Speaker 1: and and dry fancy cars, but their parents are super 35 00:01:46,640 --> 00:01:49,440 Speaker 1: suspicious of what they do because they only work on 36 00:01:49,600 --> 00:01:51,680 Speaker 1: the fourth or fifth draft of bad movies, and these 37 00:01:51,680 --> 00:01:54,960 Speaker 1: movies never ever get made. It's crazy. Yeah, it is 38 00:01:55,160 --> 00:01:58,840 Speaker 1: very very strange. But anyway, thinking about Peter Segel made 39 00:01:58,840 --> 00:02:02,200 Speaker 1: me wonder, like why, I or movie economics so weird? 40 00:02:02,800 --> 00:02:05,640 Speaker 1: How does so many terrible movies get made? And of 41 00:02:05,680 --> 00:02:07,960 Speaker 1: course why is it so hard to make a movie 42 00:02:08,000 --> 00:02:10,640 Speaker 1: with lions? I know, we both wondered this for a year, 43 00:02:10,840 --> 00:02:14,000 Speaker 1: so we're finally going to answer that today. So let's 44 00:02:14,000 --> 00:02:38,400 Speaker 1: dive in. Hey, their podcast listeners, Welcome to Part Time Genius. 45 00:02:38,400 --> 00:02:40,640 Speaker 1: I'm Will Pearson and as always I'm joined by my 46 00:02:40,680 --> 00:02:43,480 Speaker 1: good friend Mangesh Ticketer and sitting on the other side 47 00:02:43,480 --> 00:02:46,040 Speaker 1: of the soundproof glass. This is one of my favorites. 48 00:02:46,120 --> 00:02:50,560 Speaker 1: Mango dressed today as Dwayne the Rock Johnson from his 49 00:02:50,600 --> 00:02:54,320 Speaker 1: favorite movie, The Tooth Theory, of course, and such a 50 00:02:54,360 --> 00:02:56,600 Speaker 1: good movie, such a great actor. But that's our friend 51 00:02:56,639 --> 00:03:00,720 Speaker 1: and producer Tristan McNeil, So Mango, I know. We wanted 52 00:03:00,760 --> 00:03:03,400 Speaker 1: to talk about movies today, like little secrets about how 53 00:03:03,400 --> 00:03:06,880 Speaker 1: they get made, and what makes a one star movie 54 00:03:06,919 --> 00:03:10,720 Speaker 1: a masterpiece and other funny stories from movie sets. But 55 00:03:10,800 --> 00:03:12,680 Speaker 1: before we get started, you know, one of the things 56 00:03:12,680 --> 00:03:14,800 Speaker 1: I love to tell people is that you used to 57 00:03:14,840 --> 00:03:17,919 Speaker 1: work in a video store, because, especially for the younger 58 00:03:17,960 --> 00:03:20,800 Speaker 1: generations today, it kind of feels like nobody knows what 59 00:03:20,880 --> 00:03:23,000 Speaker 1: a movie store is anymore. I know, it's from like 60 00:03:23,040 --> 00:03:26,160 Speaker 1: a different era and and I honestly loved video store 61 00:03:26,240 --> 00:03:28,280 Speaker 1: so much like going there as a kid. You've spent 62 00:03:28,400 --> 00:03:31,440 Speaker 1: so much time looking at movie covers and deliberating over 63 00:03:31,520 --> 00:03:33,280 Speaker 1: which movie you'd want to watch, because you don't only 64 00:03:33,320 --> 00:03:35,560 Speaker 1: get to pick one, and and then finally picking it 65 00:03:35,640 --> 00:03:38,600 Speaker 1: out like and as a clerk, I actually really loved 66 00:03:38,640 --> 00:03:41,480 Speaker 1: recommending movies that I thought people would dig. But you 67 00:03:41,520 --> 00:03:43,440 Speaker 1: know that this is a side. The best part of 68 00:03:43,440 --> 00:03:45,440 Speaker 1: the video store I worked at, which is called Vizar 69 00:03:45,560 --> 00:03:48,360 Speaker 1: and Durham, it was that it was this really fun 70 00:03:48,480 --> 00:03:51,640 Speaker 1: and welcoming place. But everyone who worked there except for me, 71 00:03:51,760 --> 00:03:54,920 Speaker 1: was a lesbian. And it was perfect because, like, I 72 00:03:54,920 --> 00:03:56,680 Speaker 1: didn't know how to date or talk to girls, and 73 00:03:56,680 --> 00:03:59,360 Speaker 1: and this woman joy Like she'd give me great advice 74 00:03:59,400 --> 00:04:01,720 Speaker 1: on that my car broke down all the time. She'd 75 00:04:01,720 --> 00:04:03,800 Speaker 1: helped me fix it all the time, and when she 76 00:04:03,960 --> 00:04:06,320 Speaker 1: wasn't solving all of my life problems, we were just 77 00:04:06,360 --> 00:04:08,600 Speaker 1: watching movies and talking about movies and it was so good. 78 00:04:09,160 --> 00:04:11,360 Speaker 1: It's a good thing here, part time genius. We never 79 00:04:11,480 --> 00:04:15,200 Speaker 1: deal in stereotypes. That's great, that worked out for you. 80 00:04:15,960 --> 00:04:17,919 Speaker 1: But you know, the funny thing to me was that 81 00:04:18,279 --> 00:04:20,479 Speaker 1: even at like an artsy movie store like that one, 82 00:04:20,560 --> 00:04:22,600 Speaker 1: like and it was one of those places where movies 83 00:04:22,640 --> 00:04:26,239 Speaker 1: were organized by director by country of origin, you'd still 84 00:04:26,320 --> 00:04:29,120 Speaker 1: find so many terrible movies on the shelf, and you know, 85 00:04:29,200 --> 00:04:31,880 Speaker 1: Jerry and I would would often flag them with these 86 00:04:31,920 --> 00:04:35,520 Speaker 1: little post its that they head around. Um, so I 87 00:04:35,520 --> 00:04:37,960 Speaker 1: think there was a terrible one of Pam Anderson and 88 00:04:38,080 --> 00:04:40,480 Speaker 1: this really horrible movie and we put like a sn 89 00:04:40,520 --> 00:04:43,719 Speaker 1: on PPS on the cover. Or there's this like horrible 90 00:04:43,880 --> 00:04:47,080 Speaker 1: low budget adaptation of the Bible and it just looked 91 00:04:47,160 --> 00:04:49,520 Speaker 1: so bad and we put better than the book on 92 00:04:49,520 --> 00:04:52,920 Speaker 1: the cover. You know, just really super helpful stuff. I'm 93 00:04:52,960 --> 00:04:55,719 Speaker 1: guessing you probably had at least a couple of frustrated 94 00:04:55,760 --> 00:04:58,479 Speaker 1: customers over the years, but it was such a great store. 95 00:04:58,520 --> 00:05:01,520 Speaker 1: I remember it really well spending time there. But just 96 00:05:01,560 --> 00:05:03,440 Speaker 1: to be clear for all of our listeners, were we're 97 00:05:03,480 --> 00:05:06,840 Speaker 1: not snobby movie watchers, like we love terrible movies. And 98 00:05:07,080 --> 00:05:09,200 Speaker 1: in fact, I know you want to talk at some 99 00:05:09,240 --> 00:05:12,839 Speaker 1: point about why tomb Rads considered such a masterpiece. But 100 00:05:12,880 --> 00:05:15,520 Speaker 1: before we do that, there was something I've been collecting, 101 00:05:15,600 --> 00:05:18,320 Speaker 1: just some quotes here. I wanted to read you a 102 00:05:18,360 --> 00:05:21,839 Speaker 1: few of these quotes from Roger Ebert, and specifically about 103 00:05:21,960 --> 00:05:24,600 Speaker 1: movies he hated. So I've got a few of them 104 00:05:24,600 --> 00:05:27,159 Speaker 1: written down, but here are a couple examples of just 105 00:05:27,279 --> 00:05:29,839 Speaker 1: how brutal Roger Ebert could be when he talked about 106 00:05:29,880 --> 00:05:33,520 Speaker 1: these quote alleged comedies. So trying to decide which ones 107 00:05:33,560 --> 00:05:36,760 Speaker 1: to share here, So here's one from Freddie got fingered. 108 00:05:37,360 --> 00:05:39,960 Speaker 1: So here's what he says. This movie doesn't scrape the 109 00:05:39,960 --> 00:05:42,279 Speaker 1: bottom of the barrel. This movie isn't the bottom of 110 00:05:42,279 --> 00:05:44,800 Speaker 1: the barrel. This movie doesn't deserve to be mentioned in 111 00:05:44,839 --> 00:05:49,240 Speaker 1: the same sentence with barrels. I don't really know exactly 112 00:05:49,320 --> 00:05:51,719 Speaker 1: what that means, but it's still just such a great quote. 113 00:05:53,040 --> 00:05:56,080 Speaker 1: All right. And here's one about Spice World. Here's what 114 00:05:56,080 --> 00:05:58,360 Speaker 1: he has to say about it. Spice World is obviously 115 00:05:58,400 --> 00:06:01,200 Speaker 1: intended as a rip off A Hard Day's Night, which 116 00:06:01,240 --> 00:06:04,520 Speaker 1: gave the Beatles to the movies. The huge difference, of course, 117 00:06:04,680 --> 00:06:07,480 Speaker 1: is that the Beatles were talented, while let's face it, 118 00:06:07,520 --> 00:06:10,000 Speaker 1: the Spice Girls could be duplicated by any five women 119 00:06:10,080 --> 00:06:12,919 Speaker 1: under the age of thirties standing in line at Duncan Donuts. 120 00:06:13,800 --> 00:06:15,599 Speaker 1: I love that Dunkin Donuts is the players that you 121 00:06:15,640 --> 00:06:18,760 Speaker 1: need to find talent like that, that's obviously where you 122 00:06:18,760 --> 00:06:20,479 Speaker 1: find it. But man, he could be brutal when he 123 00:06:20,480 --> 00:06:23,039 Speaker 1: didn't like a movie. Yeah, So So obviously, being a 124 00:06:23,080 --> 00:06:25,560 Speaker 1: movie critic comes with its downsides and being forced to 125 00:06:25,640 --> 00:06:27,839 Speaker 1: review movies you might not want to watch. But you 126 00:06:27,880 --> 00:06:29,680 Speaker 1: know what, one of the things I think is funny 127 00:06:29,839 --> 00:06:33,200 Speaker 1: is that Roger Ebertt loved Laura croft Tomb Raider. He 128 00:06:33,279 --> 00:06:36,120 Speaker 1: gave it three stars, and and that's despite the fact 129 00:06:36,160 --> 00:06:39,120 Speaker 1: that it was almost universally panned. So I also found 130 00:06:39,120 --> 00:06:41,119 Speaker 1: some quotes like that, this is from the Washington Post 131 00:06:41,480 --> 00:06:45,240 Speaker 1: and they called it quote remarkably joyless. The Wall Street 132 00:06:45,320 --> 00:06:49,479 Speaker 1: Journal called it quote flavorless, drab, violent and a bloodless way, 133 00:06:49,480 --> 00:06:52,880 Speaker 1: and sexy in a sexless way. And the Austin Chronicle 134 00:06:53,200 --> 00:06:55,520 Speaker 1: said the game is great fun, but the movie should 135 00:06:55,520 --> 00:06:59,080 Speaker 1: be taken out back and shot. So obviously people had 136 00:06:59,080 --> 00:07:01,680 Speaker 1: some pretty strong unions of it. But whether you loved 137 00:07:01,760 --> 00:07:05,080 Speaker 1: or hated this movie, what's fascinating is that it's considered 138 00:07:05,080 --> 00:07:08,400 Speaker 1: a total masterpiece in Hollywood. And that's purely because of 139 00:07:08,440 --> 00:07:10,840 Speaker 1: how the movie was financed. So I got this from 140 00:07:10,880 --> 00:07:14,080 Speaker 1: the writer Edward j Epstein, who discussed why and and 141 00:07:14,120 --> 00:07:17,080 Speaker 1: basically he showed that executives at Paramount only spent nine 142 00:07:17,120 --> 00:07:19,840 Speaker 1: million dollars to finance the movie, like this was a 143 00:07:19,880 --> 00:07:22,720 Speaker 1: massive production. It's a total popcorn movie. It cost around 144 00:07:23,080 --> 00:07:27,680 Speaker 1: nine million dollars to make. But before the camera started rolling, 145 00:07:27,880 --> 00:07:30,960 Speaker 1: Paramount actually signed away the distribution rights to six European 146 00:07:30,960 --> 00:07:34,640 Speaker 1: countries for sixty five million dollars, and then it decided 147 00:07:34,640 --> 00:07:36,960 Speaker 1: to shoot part of the film in Britain, which I 148 00:07:36,960 --> 00:07:39,440 Speaker 1: guess allowed it to qualify for some sort of tax relief. 149 00:07:39,480 --> 00:07:42,000 Speaker 1: So there was this complicated scheme where they sold a 150 00:07:42,040 --> 00:07:45,600 Speaker 1: film to British investors who got this massive tax break 151 00:07:45,640 --> 00:07:48,040 Speaker 1: it was like multimillion dollars, and then they sold it 152 00:07:48,040 --> 00:07:51,440 Speaker 1: back to Paramount, so Paramount actually got another twelve million 153 00:07:51,440 --> 00:07:53,800 Speaker 1: dollars that way, And then they did the same thing 154 00:07:53,840 --> 00:07:57,360 Speaker 1: in Germany and before shooting a single frame, Paramount had 155 00:07:57,400 --> 00:08:01,240 Speaker 1: already collected ninety million dollars. Wow, I know. And once 156 00:08:01,280 --> 00:08:03,800 Speaker 1: they sold the TV rights to paramount sister company, they 157 00:08:03,800 --> 00:08:06,760 Speaker 1: actually netted money before tomb Rader hit theaters, Like it 158 00:08:06,840 --> 00:08:09,840 Speaker 1: was actually profitable before they released it, which is just 159 00:08:10,000 --> 00:08:12,880 Speaker 1: so insane to me, And it also kind of makes 160 00:08:12,920 --> 00:08:14,960 Speaker 1: me wonder like, why was Laura Cross spending so much 161 00:08:15,000 --> 00:08:18,040 Speaker 1: time rating tumbs when the real treasure was just finding 162 00:08:18,040 --> 00:08:21,200 Speaker 1: a good accountant. That is pretty incredible. So for all 163 00:08:21,280 --> 00:08:24,600 Speaker 1: you British investors out there interested in helping part time 164 00:08:24,680 --> 00:08:26,720 Speaker 1: genius find some tax breaks. You know, we could use 165 00:08:26,720 --> 00:08:31,400 Speaker 1: twelve million dollars. Yeah, yeah, let's let's look into that. Well. 166 00:08:31,800 --> 00:08:34,480 Speaker 1: You know, actually, every time we talk about tax shelters, 167 00:08:34,640 --> 00:08:36,760 Speaker 1: it actually reminds me of the episode we did a 168 00:08:36,760 --> 00:08:39,320 Speaker 1: while back. I think we titled it Where the Sunniest 169 00:08:39,360 --> 00:08:42,480 Speaker 1: Places to Hide Your Taxes? And in doing that episode, 170 00:08:42,480 --> 00:08:46,200 Speaker 1: we realized that basically every James Bond movie takes place 171 00:08:46,280 --> 00:08:50,559 Speaker 1: in a tax shelter. You think about Panama, Switzerland, Monico, 172 00:08:51,360 --> 00:08:54,280 Speaker 1: the Cayman Islands. It's it's pretty funny when you come 173 00:08:54,360 --> 00:08:56,520 Speaker 1: up with the list of these, But I know you 174 00:08:56,600 --> 00:08:59,520 Speaker 1: learned a few more unusual things about the economics of movies. 175 00:08:59,559 --> 00:09:02,240 Speaker 1: So do you want to share just a few of those. Yeah. 176 00:09:02,280 --> 00:09:04,880 Speaker 1: So one of the things I love is that product 177 00:09:04,880 --> 00:09:08,240 Speaker 1: placement hasn't always been worth the money. So this is 178 00:09:08,240 --> 00:09:11,199 Speaker 1: an extreme example of it. But in Natural Born Killers, 179 00:09:11,280 --> 00:09:14,440 Speaker 1: there's a story that Abilene Boots actually offered to give 180 00:09:14,480 --> 00:09:17,240 Speaker 1: free boots to the entire cast if Oliver Stone put 181 00:09:17,240 --> 00:09:19,959 Speaker 1: the name on a truck. So there's this one scene 182 00:09:20,000 --> 00:09:23,000 Speaker 1: where Juliet Lewis's character is driving in a convertible and 183 00:09:23,040 --> 00:09:25,600 Speaker 1: she's driving towards a truck, and to get the shot 184 00:09:25,600 --> 00:09:27,240 Speaker 1: of the logo, they had to get the car and 185 00:09:27,280 --> 00:09:29,720 Speaker 1: the truck passing each other at the exact same time. 186 00:09:30,200 --> 00:09:32,600 Speaker 1: But you know, Oliver Stones an artist, he wanted in 187 00:09:32,640 --> 00:09:35,160 Speaker 1: one take. So they started the shot a half mile 188 00:09:35,200 --> 00:09:37,520 Speaker 1: away from each other and then drove and use these 189 00:09:37,520 --> 00:09:39,800 Speaker 1: walkie talkies, and they were trying to get the pace 190 00:09:40,000 --> 00:09:43,360 Speaker 1: of the vehicles just right, and it didn't work out 191 00:09:43,400 --> 00:09:45,640 Speaker 1: for all of our stones I it was just a disaster. 192 00:09:46,080 --> 00:09:48,439 Speaker 1: So they try it again. They tried it again. They 193 00:09:48,440 --> 00:09:51,600 Speaker 1: basically lost a whole day or two of shooting, and 194 00:09:51,720 --> 00:09:54,520 Speaker 1: it cost them about three thousand dollars a day. It 195 00:09:54,600 --> 00:09:56,600 Speaker 1: was all just to get a free pair of boots. 196 00:09:56,679 --> 00:09:59,079 Speaker 1: Isn't that the same thing was just related to this 197 00:09:59,160 --> 00:10:03,160 Speaker 1: product placement. I still don't fully understand the the starting 198 00:10:03,240 --> 00:10:06,120 Speaker 1: half a mile away thing. What what what would that achieve? 199 00:10:06,320 --> 00:10:07,760 Speaker 1: I think you just want to get a long shot 200 00:10:07,800 --> 00:10:09,640 Speaker 1: of it, like you want to get a beautiful long 201 00:10:09,760 --> 00:10:12,520 Speaker 1: crane shot of it. But um yeah, I mean, and 202 00:10:12,559 --> 00:10:14,640 Speaker 1: now I guess there's digital stuff that you could figure 203 00:10:14,640 --> 00:10:18,040 Speaker 1: out and slip in. But at the time dollars a 204 00:10:18,080 --> 00:10:20,400 Speaker 1: day for a pair of boots is definitely not worth it. 205 00:10:20,480 --> 00:10:23,640 Speaker 1: That's I've never spent that much on boots. The other 206 00:10:23,679 --> 00:10:25,520 Speaker 1: thing that's totally crazy to me, and and this might 207 00:10:25,640 --> 00:10:27,720 Speaker 1: answer a little bit of a like why do terrible 208 00:10:27,760 --> 00:10:30,880 Speaker 1: movies get made? Question, is that director has actually claimed 209 00:10:30,880 --> 00:10:33,080 Speaker 1: that they have to water down their movies just to 210 00:10:33,120 --> 00:10:36,400 Speaker 1: make them suitable for teenagers. And according to Epstein, who's 211 00:10:36,440 --> 00:10:38,440 Speaker 1: you know the Hollywood Economists, that there are a few 212 00:10:38,480 --> 00:10:41,200 Speaker 1: reasons why you want to market two teens. So some 213 00:10:41,240 --> 00:10:43,320 Speaker 1: of them are obvious, like if you have product tie 214 00:10:43,360 --> 00:10:46,439 Speaker 1: ins or merchandise or fast food mentions or whatever, teens 215 00:10:46,440 --> 00:10:49,360 Speaker 1: are just much more susceptible and likely to buy that stuff. 216 00:10:50,000 --> 00:10:53,439 Speaker 1: They're also predictably clustering around the same shows, like it's 217 00:10:53,480 --> 00:10:56,320 Speaker 1: a less fragmented group, so you can buy ads and 218 00:10:56,400 --> 00:10:59,040 Speaker 1: kind of reliably know where they are to build awareness. 219 00:10:59,559 --> 00:11:02,320 Speaker 1: But the big reason movie studios make movies that are PG. 220 00:11:02,480 --> 00:11:06,520 Speaker 1: Thirteen and targeted teens is that they're the only demographic 221 00:11:06,600 --> 00:11:09,040 Speaker 1: that's desperate to get out of the house, Like they're 222 00:11:09,040 --> 00:11:11,200 Speaker 1: looking for any excuse to get away from their parents 223 00:11:11,280 --> 00:11:13,960 Speaker 1: or their kids siblings. So they're the group that needs 224 00:11:13,960 --> 00:11:16,160 Speaker 1: the least convincing to go out on opening day and 225 00:11:16,200 --> 00:11:19,920 Speaker 1: buy tickets. And apparently there's this whole marketing formula. I 226 00:11:20,000 --> 00:11:22,600 Speaker 1: think marketers try to hit you up with seven ads 227 00:11:22,640 --> 00:11:24,800 Speaker 1: before a movie comes out, like you need that much 228 00:11:24,800 --> 00:11:27,960 Speaker 1: exposure to build awareness. And I don't know. It's really 229 00:11:28,000 --> 00:11:30,680 Speaker 1: crazy to me, but but it also makes sense. Yeah, 230 00:11:30,840 --> 00:11:33,400 Speaker 1: it does make sense. And and I had a feeling 231 00:11:33,400 --> 00:11:35,720 Speaker 1: that you were going to talk about teenagers and the movies, 232 00:11:35,800 --> 00:11:38,160 Speaker 1: and so, you know, I keep hearing this thing from 233 00:11:38,160 --> 00:11:41,000 Speaker 1: classic directors saying that they'd never be able to make 234 00:11:41,040 --> 00:11:43,599 Speaker 1: their artsy movies today because they have to cater to 235 00:11:43,720 --> 00:11:46,600 Speaker 1: teens so much. In looking around at this there's actually 236 00:11:46,640 --> 00:11:49,680 Speaker 1: some pretty funny stuff online. But here's a little clip. 237 00:11:49,720 --> 00:11:51,600 Speaker 1: I just wanted to share it. Someone cutting up the 238 00:11:51,640 --> 00:11:55,000 Speaker 1: Ten Commandments to play like a teen movie. So just 239 00:11:55,080 --> 00:12:00,559 Speaker 1: take a quick listen to this fair why MCS was 240 00:12:00,679 --> 00:12:04,920 Speaker 1: the biggest player around, no doubt. But when the new 241 00:12:05,000 --> 00:12:08,480 Speaker 1: kid in school I am a stranger in a strange 242 00:12:08,600 --> 00:12:11,840 Speaker 1: lamp realized hanging with the in ground wasn't so easy, 243 00:12:12,440 --> 00:12:15,720 Speaker 1: he took a stand. Man shall be ruled by law, 244 00:12:16,000 --> 00:12:20,600 Speaker 1: not by the will of other men. Moses Mos. Now 245 00:12:20,640 --> 00:12:23,000 Speaker 1: the battle is on to see who can get the girl, 246 00:12:23,400 --> 00:12:26,640 Speaker 1: who will rule the school, and if a zero can 247 00:12:26,720 --> 00:12:32,400 Speaker 1: become a hero, So let the games begin. So that 248 00:12:32,440 --> 00:12:34,400 Speaker 1: was a little mash up trailer called ten Things I 249 00:12:34,440 --> 00:12:36,640 Speaker 1: Hate about the Commandments and it was by Mike Dow. 250 00:12:37,320 --> 00:12:39,960 Speaker 1: I definitely go to see that. And well, I know 251 00:12:40,040 --> 00:12:41,640 Speaker 1: you've got some great facts you want to share about 252 00:12:41,679 --> 00:12:43,960 Speaker 1: animals at the movies. But before we get into that, 253 00:12:44,040 --> 00:13:00,600 Speaker 1: let's take a quick break buck back to part time 254 00:13:00,640 --> 00:13:03,920 Speaker 1: Genius where we're talking terrible movies. So will I know 255 00:13:04,000 --> 00:13:06,120 Speaker 1: you wanted to tell some animal stories, which is usually 256 00:13:06,240 --> 00:13:09,160 Speaker 1: my domain, but I like that you're tackling it today. 257 00:13:09,200 --> 00:13:11,839 Speaker 1: But before that, can I just read you a little 258 00:13:11,840 --> 00:13:13,720 Speaker 1: list of things that you used to see that the 259 00:13:13,760 --> 00:13:16,920 Speaker 1: movies and you no longer see. Just comes from our 260 00:13:16,960 --> 00:13:20,240 Speaker 1: old pal caricaval Chick. But here a few things you 261 00:13:20,280 --> 00:13:22,000 Speaker 1: no longer see it the movie. So some of these 262 00:13:22,080 --> 00:13:25,559 Speaker 1: are obvious, like ash trays. There used to be signs 263 00:13:25,600 --> 00:13:28,760 Speaker 1: that read ladies, please take off your hats everywhere, you know, 264 00:13:28,920 --> 00:13:31,719 Speaker 1: just as a reminder, because that's when people used to 265 00:13:31,760 --> 00:13:34,440 Speaker 1: get super dressed up for shows. But theater is also 266 00:13:34,520 --> 00:13:37,200 Speaker 1: used to come with cry rooms, which were these glass 267 00:13:37,240 --> 00:13:39,560 Speaker 1: enclosures and soundproof rooms in the back of the theater. 268 00:13:39,600 --> 00:13:41,959 Speaker 1: And that's so that parents could take their crying babies 269 00:13:42,000 --> 00:13:46,160 Speaker 1: and still watch the movie without disturbing anyone. I didn't 270 00:13:46,200 --> 00:13:47,680 Speaker 1: know what you're gonna where you're gonna go with that. 271 00:13:47,720 --> 00:13:50,280 Speaker 1: I was just assuming like if people just got too emotional, 272 00:13:50,320 --> 00:13:52,840 Speaker 1: that could go somewhere without being heard. So this was 273 00:13:52,880 --> 00:13:55,400 Speaker 1: for the babies. Yeah, for the babies who also get 274 00:13:55,480 --> 00:14:00,480 Speaker 1: very emotional. Um. This one's also interesting to me. Theaters 275 00:14:00,559 --> 00:14:03,000 Speaker 1: used to be much grander, so you think about those 276 00:14:03,040 --> 00:14:05,679 Speaker 1: like red curtains that used to open up for the screens, 277 00:14:05,800 --> 00:14:08,760 Speaker 1: and and just how elaborate or in theaters used to be. 278 00:14:08,800 --> 00:14:13,280 Speaker 1: But all of that change with this Americans with Disabilities Act. 279 00:14:13,400 --> 00:14:16,120 Speaker 1: They actually required that newer renovated theaters with more than 280 00:14:16,160 --> 00:14:21,400 Speaker 1: two seats needed wheelchair access to all rows. So suddenly 281 00:14:21,880 --> 00:14:24,680 Speaker 1: theaters started splitting up their bigger theaters or just started 282 00:14:24,760 --> 00:14:28,240 Speaker 1: making smaller theaters to counter that. And it's crazy, but 283 00:14:28,640 --> 00:14:30,840 Speaker 1: that's also why you started seeing three or four theaters 284 00:14:30,840 --> 00:14:33,920 Speaker 1: at a place showing the same movie at similar showtimes. Yeah, 285 00:14:33,960 --> 00:14:36,840 Speaker 1: I've never thought about that. So my favorite old thing 286 00:14:36,880 --> 00:14:40,800 Speaker 1: about these old theaters. Was that, especially during the depression, 287 00:14:40,840 --> 00:14:42,520 Speaker 1: it was hard to get people to come to movies, 288 00:14:42,960 --> 00:14:45,720 Speaker 1: so to get people to spend their money, they'd have 289 00:14:45,800 --> 00:14:49,440 Speaker 1: these collectible dish nights. And the whole idea was that 290 00:14:49,480 --> 00:14:52,120 Speaker 1: movies where luxury, but husbands and wives could both agree 291 00:14:52,200 --> 00:14:54,400 Speaker 1: that they could spend for a ticket or splurred for 292 00:14:54,440 --> 00:14:56,600 Speaker 1: a ticket if they could also come home with a 293 00:14:56,600 --> 00:14:59,560 Speaker 1: gravy boat or a coffee cup and saucer, and suddenly 294 00:14:59,560 --> 00:15:02,000 Speaker 1: a made more worth it. So these have been all 295 00:15:02,040 --> 00:15:05,880 Speaker 1: across the nation. That's great. And uh, speaking of the depression, 296 00:15:05,880 --> 00:15:07,880 Speaker 1: this is the last one that that's actually part of 297 00:15:07,920 --> 00:15:11,200 Speaker 1: what lifted popcorn sales. And I didn't realize this, but 298 00:15:11,280 --> 00:15:14,280 Speaker 1: initially popcorn vendors would actually stand outside of theaters and 299 00:15:14,320 --> 00:15:16,880 Speaker 1: they were independent sellers and it sell to the public 300 00:15:16,880 --> 00:15:19,680 Speaker 1: who are coming in. But then theater's got greedy realized 301 00:15:19,680 --> 00:15:22,120 Speaker 1: they could sell the stuff themselves. And now popcorn is 302 00:15:22,120 --> 00:15:25,880 Speaker 1: obviously this hugely valuable thing and keeps theaters alive. But 303 00:15:25,920 --> 00:15:29,320 Speaker 1: you know, apparently ounce for ounce movie theater, popcorn actually 304 00:15:29,360 --> 00:15:33,080 Speaker 1: costs more than filet mignon. Oh wow, yeah, and they 305 00:15:33,840 --> 00:15:36,000 Speaker 1: a ton of it. Yeah. I've actually read that theaters 306 00:15:36,400 --> 00:15:39,000 Speaker 1: put things in the popcorn to make the smell waff 307 00:15:39,080 --> 00:15:41,680 Speaker 1: more in that that's not that surprising, but I mean 308 00:15:41,720 --> 00:15:43,680 Speaker 1: it does explain why when you're sitting there it just 309 00:15:43,880 --> 00:15:46,600 Speaker 1: fills up the theater makes people more hungry for it. 310 00:15:47,240 --> 00:15:50,640 Speaker 1: So anyway, all right, Well, on a different topic related 311 00:15:50,680 --> 00:15:53,480 Speaker 1: to just weird things and movies and funny things about movies. 312 00:15:53,680 --> 00:15:55,720 Speaker 1: I know, one of our favorite facts is is how 313 00:15:55,720 --> 00:15:58,320 Speaker 1: the Cohen Brothers complained that the cat that they used 314 00:15:58,640 --> 00:16:02,040 Speaker 1: in Inside Lewin Davis so awful to work with. Of course, 315 00:16:02,200 --> 00:16:05,040 Speaker 1: this comes as no surprise to me. They kind of 316 00:16:05,080 --> 00:16:07,280 Speaker 1: just had to wait for the cat to do what 317 00:16:07,360 --> 00:16:10,160 Speaker 1: they wanted. Like you'd find a cat that liked to jump, 318 00:16:10,200 --> 00:16:12,840 Speaker 1: and then you'd put in a scene start rolling, and 319 00:16:12,880 --> 00:16:15,120 Speaker 1: then you just have to wait for it to jump. 320 00:16:15,160 --> 00:16:18,000 Speaker 1: And it drove them crazy. It's something I haven't thought 321 00:16:18,000 --> 00:16:20,240 Speaker 1: a ton about, but I can only imagine how difficult 322 00:16:20,240 --> 00:16:22,040 Speaker 1: that is when you've got animals and you're trying to 323 00:16:22,080 --> 00:16:24,960 Speaker 1: get them to do like a very specific thing, and 324 00:16:25,120 --> 00:16:27,920 Speaker 1: especially with cats, I know him with tight budgets and 325 00:16:28,000 --> 00:16:31,000 Speaker 1: directors wanting to play god, you know, not having an 326 00:16:31,000 --> 00:16:33,680 Speaker 1: animal act to your will. As I'm sure difficult, and 327 00:16:33,720 --> 00:16:36,800 Speaker 1: I actually love stories of animals ruining scenes. There's this 328 00:16:37,080 --> 00:16:40,040 Speaker 1: story from Raiders at Lost Arc where Steven Spielberg was 329 00:16:40,080 --> 00:16:43,320 Speaker 1: really irritated because instead of fleeing from a fire, the 330 00:16:43,360 --> 00:16:46,200 Speaker 1: snakes kept going closer and closer to it to warm themselves, 331 00:16:46,720 --> 00:16:49,040 Speaker 1: And at one point he was so frustrated that he 332 00:16:49,080 --> 00:16:50,840 Speaker 1: picked up a snake, looked in the face and told 333 00:16:50,920 --> 00:16:53,720 Speaker 1: him something like, you're supposed to hate fires. You're ruining 334 00:16:53,760 --> 00:16:59,720 Speaker 1: my movie. Well, I hope they listened to him. You know, 335 00:16:59,760 --> 00:17:03,280 Speaker 1: I do love the care that animal handlers use on set, 336 00:17:03,360 --> 00:17:06,520 Speaker 1: and it even extends to the smallest of creatures like 337 00:17:06,640 --> 00:17:09,280 Speaker 1: insects for examples. There was a few examples of this. 338 00:17:09,440 --> 00:17:12,119 Speaker 1: But of course you know the old movie Shawshank Redemptions, 339 00:17:12,160 --> 00:17:15,200 Speaker 1: such a terrific movie, and you know the old prisoner Brooks. 340 00:17:15,200 --> 00:17:17,639 Speaker 1: In the film, he fed a live maggot to his 341 00:17:17,720 --> 00:17:21,760 Speaker 1: pet crow, and it went against all animal regulations when 342 00:17:21,800 --> 00:17:24,719 Speaker 1: he did this. So the crew actually found a grub 343 00:17:24,800 --> 00:17:28,000 Speaker 1: that had quote died of natural causes and used that 344 00:17:28,080 --> 00:17:31,480 Speaker 1: for the film. But that's actually not even the craziest 345 00:17:31,520 --> 00:17:33,560 Speaker 1: case that I came across here. I think the best 346 00:17:33,600 --> 00:17:35,919 Speaker 1: story might be from Silence of the Lambs, where they 347 00:17:35,920 --> 00:17:39,520 Speaker 1: had over three hundred tomato hornworm moths on set, and 348 00:17:39,520 --> 00:17:43,080 Speaker 1: and they were all treated like these little divas. So first, 349 00:17:43,080 --> 00:17:46,000 Speaker 1: when they traveled the mass, all flew first class. I'm 350 00:17:46,000 --> 00:17:48,240 Speaker 1: sure this was in all of their contract riders and 351 00:17:48,600 --> 00:17:51,040 Speaker 1: I don't know why we know this detail, but we do. 352 00:17:51,480 --> 00:17:52,959 Speaker 1: And then they were put up in a room with 353 00:17:53,280 --> 00:17:58,400 Speaker 1: perfect climate for them, so exact humidity, temperature conditions, everything 354 00:17:58,440 --> 00:18:01,800 Speaker 1: that was ideal for them. But the craziest part, when 355 00:18:01,800 --> 00:18:03,960 Speaker 1: they were on set, they were all put in these 356 00:18:04,000 --> 00:18:07,600 Speaker 1: tiny little harnesses for those high speed stunts, and it 357 00:18:07,600 --> 00:18:09,640 Speaker 1: almost makes me surprised they didn't outfit them in these 358 00:18:09,640 --> 00:18:13,000 Speaker 1: tiny little helmets as well. But it's just pretty great. 359 00:18:13,040 --> 00:18:15,199 Speaker 1: Like Silence and the Lamps is still held up as 360 00:18:15,240 --> 00:18:18,000 Speaker 1: the prime example of how to care for animals on set, 361 00:18:18,040 --> 00:18:20,720 Speaker 1: because not one of those three D plus moss was 362 00:18:20,800 --> 00:18:24,440 Speaker 1: hurt on set. Plus the producers even found a retirement 363 00:18:24,480 --> 00:18:26,560 Speaker 1: home for all the moths, and that they know that 364 00:18:26,680 --> 00:18:29,439 Speaker 1: became roommates with the animal wrangler on set and lived 365 00:18:29,440 --> 00:18:32,400 Speaker 1: out the rest of their natural lives with them. So 366 00:18:32,560 --> 00:18:35,520 Speaker 1: I love that tiny harness fact. And I never would 367 00:18:35,520 --> 00:18:38,080 Speaker 1: have imagined that there were three moths involved in the filming. 368 00:18:38,160 --> 00:18:41,399 Speaker 1: But you know, I am curious, what is the lifespan 369 00:18:41,480 --> 00:18:44,400 Speaker 1: of a tomato moth? Well, I think it's like two 370 00:18:44,440 --> 00:18:46,199 Speaker 1: to three weeks, But but don't pay attention to that. 371 00:18:46,240 --> 00:18:49,080 Speaker 1: The key part is that they were comfortable. Mango the 372 00:18:49,200 --> 00:18:51,800 Speaker 1: comfortable for the rest of their lives. I do like that. 373 00:18:51,880 --> 00:18:54,560 Speaker 1: So what else have you got? All right? Well, I 374 00:18:54,600 --> 00:18:57,400 Speaker 1: wanted to talk for a minute about the movie Roar, 375 00:18:57,520 --> 00:19:00,840 Speaker 1: which is, you know, the craziest, impossible, the worst movie 376 00:19:00,840 --> 00:19:04,040 Speaker 1: that involves animals. Actually, there's some photos of the making 377 00:19:04,040 --> 00:19:07,040 Speaker 1: of this movie from Life magazine that are just bizarre 378 00:19:07,080 --> 00:19:09,200 Speaker 1: to look at. You should you should look them up online. 379 00:19:09,640 --> 00:19:12,320 Speaker 1: They're photos of Tippy Hedren looking into her fridge and 380 00:19:12,359 --> 00:19:15,360 Speaker 1: a lion peeking in. Two there's one of a lion 381 00:19:15,440 --> 00:19:18,080 Speaker 1: asleep at her feet, which just makes lion looks like 382 00:19:18,160 --> 00:19:21,359 Speaker 1: these giant house cats. But then there's another one of 383 00:19:21,359 --> 00:19:24,400 Speaker 1: a lion with its jaws and its paused, just kind 384 00:19:24,400 --> 00:19:27,640 Speaker 1: of gently placed around the kid's head at the swimming pool. 385 00:19:27,640 --> 00:19:30,119 Speaker 1: You've seen this before, just pulled us up. It's ridiculous. 386 00:19:30,160 --> 00:19:34,760 Speaker 1: How is terrifying? I have no idea, but this it 387 00:19:34,840 --> 00:19:37,639 Speaker 1: actually kind of ties back to the economics here, because 388 00:19:38,000 --> 00:19:42,320 Speaker 1: roors considered one of the biggest disasters of indie filmmaking. Basically, 389 00:19:42,400 --> 00:19:45,040 Speaker 1: Tippy Hedron, who was terrified of birds, of course, if 390 00:19:45,080 --> 00:19:47,679 Speaker 1: you remember that's Alfred Hitchcock, took advantage of this by 391 00:19:47,720 --> 00:19:50,800 Speaker 1: throwing live birds at her in the movie Birds. But 392 00:19:50,920 --> 00:19:53,680 Speaker 1: she was not at all afraid of lions, like she'd 393 00:19:53,720 --> 00:19:56,720 Speaker 1: somehow fallen in love with these creatures. On a trip 394 00:19:56,760 --> 00:19:59,000 Speaker 1: to Africa, she and her husband at the time, his 395 00:19:59,080 --> 00:20:02,000 Speaker 1: name's Noel marsh Shoal, they dreamed up this idea of 396 00:20:02,080 --> 00:20:05,399 Speaker 1: doing a movie with real lions, and the plot was 397 00:20:05,440 --> 00:20:08,600 Speaker 1: about a family of conservationists who go to a home 398 00:20:08,600 --> 00:20:11,000 Speaker 1: in Africa. They're told that the lions at the place 399 00:20:11,040 --> 00:20:13,320 Speaker 1: won't harm you if you just don't act scared or 400 00:20:13,359 --> 00:20:15,720 Speaker 1: something like that. I mean, the movie doesn't really make 401 00:20:15,720 --> 00:20:18,439 Speaker 1: sense and the plot isn't important to this story. But 402 00:20:19,320 --> 00:20:22,560 Speaker 1: to make the movie, Tippy and her husband actually asked 403 00:20:22,640 --> 00:20:26,240 Speaker 1: this animal wrangler to get them fifty tame lions to 404 00:20:26,320 --> 00:20:29,960 Speaker 1: work with. I mean, just an absurd request, and obviously 405 00:20:30,000 --> 00:20:32,840 Speaker 1: this wasn't possible. But what he did do was he 406 00:20:32,880 --> 00:20:36,200 Speaker 1: started introducing young lines to them so that they could 407 00:20:36,320 --> 00:20:38,800 Speaker 1: foster these lions and then they would be growing up 408 00:20:38,880 --> 00:20:42,520 Speaker 1: with humans. So for eleven years, and this was on 409 00:20:42,600 --> 00:20:45,600 Speaker 1: and off, but Tippy Hedren and her family actually had 410 00:20:45,760 --> 00:20:49,240 Speaker 1: live lions at their home and then they shoot here 411 00:20:49,240 --> 00:20:52,000 Speaker 1: and there, and they put their children in the film too. 412 00:20:52,040 --> 00:20:53,840 Speaker 1: And of course I don't know if everybody knows this, 413 00:20:53,880 --> 00:20:57,240 Speaker 1: but Melanie Griffith, whose Tippy Headron's daughter, she quit the 414 00:20:57,240 --> 00:20:59,959 Speaker 1: movie at one point because she saw two lions hustling 415 00:21:00,040 --> 00:21:02,200 Speaker 1: in the front yard, and she then told her mom 416 00:21:02,240 --> 00:21:05,080 Speaker 1: that she didn't want to lose her face to aligne 417 00:21:05,200 --> 00:21:08,159 Speaker 1: which seems reasonable. I gotta be honest, Yeah, that seems 418 00:21:08,160 --> 00:21:10,840 Speaker 1: reasonable to me. So I don't understand why that maybe 419 00:21:10,960 --> 00:21:12,639 Speaker 1: wasn't a little bit of a wake up call. But 420 00:21:13,280 --> 00:21:16,960 Speaker 1: you know, the filming was a disaster. Not only did 421 00:21:16,960 --> 00:21:19,800 Speaker 1: Tippy and her husband keep running out of money for filming, 422 00:21:20,280 --> 00:21:23,320 Speaker 1: people also kept getting hurt along the way. I mean, 423 00:21:23,560 --> 00:21:26,120 Speaker 1: not the animals. I in fact, I think no animals 424 00:21:26,119 --> 00:21:28,760 Speaker 1: were hurt in the process of this, but something like 425 00:21:28,920 --> 00:21:32,080 Speaker 1: eighty cast members were, which I think is probably a 426 00:21:32,119 --> 00:21:35,239 Speaker 1: record at least was a record at that point. And 427 00:21:35,280 --> 00:21:38,400 Speaker 1: the movie cost I think it was like eighteen million 428 00:21:38,480 --> 00:21:42,080 Speaker 1: dollars and then only made two million dollars. Now I'm 429 00:21:42,119 --> 00:21:44,440 Speaker 1: not an economist and I don't know a ton about 430 00:21:44,560 --> 00:21:52,200 Speaker 1: movie making, but that feels like maybe that was a failure. Failure, yeah, yeah, 431 00:21:52,200 --> 00:21:54,520 Speaker 1: but it just goes on and on like not surprisingly, 432 00:21:54,520 --> 00:21:57,399 Speaker 1: it ruined their marriage. They end up getting divorced soon after. 433 00:21:57,520 --> 00:22:01,000 Speaker 1: But there is one good thing that came out of it. 434 00:22:01,040 --> 00:22:03,400 Speaker 1: So while Tippi Hedren did come out of this experience 435 00:22:03,440 --> 00:22:07,160 Speaker 1: believing that lions don't make great house pets, her love 436 00:22:07,200 --> 00:22:10,200 Speaker 1: for them only grew and so she started the Shambala 437 00:22:10,320 --> 00:22:13,880 Speaker 1: Animal Sanctuary. This is out in California, and many big 438 00:22:13,920 --> 00:22:17,000 Speaker 1: animals end up there. So when Michael Jackson's home zoo 439 00:22:17,040 --> 00:22:21,760 Speaker 1: was shut down, for example, Shambala adopted his tigers. That's insane, 440 00:22:22,280 --> 00:22:24,600 Speaker 1: you know. I I heard you wanting to talk about animals, 441 00:22:24,600 --> 00:22:25,960 Speaker 1: and I just assumed you were going to talk about 442 00:22:25,960 --> 00:22:29,040 Speaker 1: Rentintin and you know, this whole story about how he 443 00:22:29,080 --> 00:22:32,400 Speaker 1: should have won the first Oscar Like Susan or Lean 444 00:22:32,520 --> 00:22:35,840 Speaker 1: wrote this in her book about Rentinton, that he got 445 00:22:35,880 --> 00:22:38,760 Speaker 1: more votes for Best Actor in the first award ceremony, 446 00:22:38,840 --> 00:22:41,320 Speaker 1: but the Academy thought it would set a bad precedent. 447 00:22:41,400 --> 00:22:43,920 Speaker 1: Said they rigged the awards for a human to win, 448 00:22:44,160 --> 00:22:46,359 Speaker 1: and uh, you know, the New York Times report this. 449 00:22:46,480 --> 00:22:49,760 Speaker 1: Susan or Lean said it was true, and everyone you 450 00:22:49,800 --> 00:22:52,800 Speaker 1: know acknowledged that Rentington was the biggest movie star at 451 00:22:52,800 --> 00:22:55,639 Speaker 1: the time. But what's funny is that the Academy actually 452 00:22:55,640 --> 00:22:58,520 Speaker 1: disputes this history and says Rentintin was never on the 453 00:22:58,560 --> 00:23:01,600 Speaker 1: ballot at all, with you know, adds a little intrigue 454 00:23:01,600 --> 00:23:04,640 Speaker 1: to this wonderful fact, but everyone keeps talking about yeah, 455 00:23:04,680 --> 00:23:06,800 Speaker 1: and it's still still a nice story either way. But 456 00:23:07,160 --> 00:23:08,840 Speaker 1: all right, Well, how about we take a little break 457 00:23:08,880 --> 00:23:11,320 Speaker 1: then come back with a few of the strangest, most 458 00:23:11,359 --> 00:23:29,959 Speaker 1: influential movies of all time. Welcome back to Part time Genius. 459 00:23:29,960 --> 00:23:31,919 Speaker 1: So before we get to a fact off mango, why 460 00:23:31,960 --> 00:23:34,840 Speaker 1: don't we do a little back and forth on you know, 461 00:23:34,880 --> 00:23:37,800 Speaker 1: some of the strangest movies that have I guess what 462 00:23:37,840 --> 00:23:42,359 Speaker 1: you consider surprising impacts on the world. And there's some 463 00:23:42,440 --> 00:23:45,200 Speaker 1: easy ones that people might already know about. I'm not sure, 464 00:23:45,240 --> 00:23:48,360 Speaker 1: but for example, I think before the movie Emily came out, 465 00:23:49,119 --> 00:23:52,120 Speaker 1: they were like a dozen kids named Emily and England 466 00:23:52,160 --> 00:23:55,320 Speaker 1: and Wells. And then after the film came out, there 467 00:23:55,320 --> 00:23:57,840 Speaker 1: were over a thousand kids a year who got the 468 00:23:57,920 --> 00:24:01,359 Speaker 1: name Emily, And you see the trend also with things 469 00:24:01,440 --> 00:24:04,280 Speaker 1: like haircuts, Like this is one of my favorite facts 470 00:24:04,280 --> 00:24:07,040 Speaker 1: as it relates to movies. But all right, there's this 471 00:24:07,080 --> 00:24:10,040 Speaker 1: famous story about how after Titanic came out, the Taliban 472 00:24:10,200 --> 00:24:13,159 Speaker 1: shut down any barber shop that was giving out Leonardo 473 00:24:13,200 --> 00:24:17,560 Speaker 1: DiCaprio haircuts because boys were just going crazy for them. Now, 474 00:24:17,880 --> 00:24:20,240 Speaker 1: there is not much funny about the Taliban, but I 475 00:24:20,320 --> 00:24:23,399 Speaker 1: can't help it. That is just a funny and bizarre fact. 476 00:24:23,880 --> 00:24:25,840 Speaker 1: I don't think about The Titanic that much, and I 477 00:24:25,880 --> 00:24:30,640 Speaker 1: certainly don't think about Leonardo DiCaprio's haircut that much. Yeah, 478 00:24:30,720 --> 00:24:32,800 Speaker 1: it's pretty great. All right, Well, what's your favorite story 479 00:24:32,800 --> 00:24:35,200 Speaker 1: about a movie that had a surprising impact on the world. 480 00:24:35,440 --> 00:24:37,840 Speaker 1: So I guess we're a quick one. Maybe something like Bandy, 481 00:24:38,080 --> 00:24:40,920 Speaker 1: And I know the animation style was completely different from 482 00:24:40,920 --> 00:24:43,399 Speaker 1: everything else, but I like that it might have actually 483 00:24:43,480 --> 00:24:47,680 Speaker 1: launched Stephen King's career. He often refers to Bandy as 484 00:24:47,720 --> 00:24:52,879 Speaker 1: the first horror movie he ever saw, but in a 485 00:24:52,960 --> 00:24:55,600 Speaker 1: bigger way, I actually think Borat might have had one 486 00:24:55,640 --> 00:24:59,400 Speaker 1: of the most surprising impacts on the country and um. Obviously, 487 00:24:59,480 --> 00:25:01,880 Speaker 1: in the movie we've got Sasha Baron Cohen, he's making 488 00:25:01,920 --> 00:25:04,560 Speaker 1: fun of Kazakhstan. Some people saw it as harmless and 489 00:25:04,600 --> 00:25:07,160 Speaker 1: nonsensical and and you know, just as a joke. But 490 00:25:07,720 --> 00:25:10,399 Speaker 1: that's not at all how the Kazak people saw it. 491 00:25:10,640 --> 00:25:14,080 Speaker 1: Like when the movie came out, Kazakhstan's president actually forced 492 00:25:14,080 --> 00:25:17,280 Speaker 1: President Bush into a meeting just to discuss how the 493 00:25:17,280 --> 00:25:20,640 Speaker 1: film was negatively depicting the country, and he actually did 494 00:25:20,640 --> 00:25:23,200 Speaker 1: the same thing with European leaders. But the interesting thing 495 00:25:23,440 --> 00:25:26,000 Speaker 1: is that the film kind of had a point. So 496 00:25:26,080 --> 00:25:28,720 Speaker 1: the country had at that time just fallen into corruption, 497 00:25:28,800 --> 00:25:30,960 Speaker 1: and it was kind of easy to pick on the 498 00:25:30,960 --> 00:25:33,880 Speaker 1: country because it hadn't formed much of a national identity 499 00:25:33,920 --> 00:25:38,359 Speaker 1: post leaving the USSR. But after the film, they started 500 00:25:38,400 --> 00:25:41,640 Speaker 1: working to bring in European businessmen. They started showcasing how 501 00:25:41,720 --> 00:25:45,000 Speaker 1: business friendly and progressive the country was. They worked on 502 00:25:45,080 --> 00:25:48,600 Speaker 1: tourism campaigns, and oddly the film actually made people wanted 503 00:25:48,600 --> 00:25:51,600 Speaker 1: to visit, and then they even invested in their first 504 00:25:51,640 --> 00:25:54,480 Speaker 1: state produced film about Genghis Khan. It was called Mongol. 505 00:25:54,840 --> 00:25:56,240 Speaker 1: I don't know if you remember that. It was actually 506 00:25:56,240 --> 00:25:59,480 Speaker 1: nominated for an Oscar, but it was all away for 507 00:25:59,560 --> 00:26:02,000 Speaker 1: the country to try to reclaim and celebrate its history 508 00:26:02,119 --> 00:26:05,400 Speaker 1: while showing there's a thriving and beautiful modern industry there. 509 00:26:05,440 --> 00:26:08,399 Speaker 1: And and I think it's kind of amazing that Bora 510 00:26:08,720 --> 00:26:11,119 Speaker 1: is really the thing that spurred all of this, and 511 00:26:11,160 --> 00:26:13,400 Speaker 1: I'm sure that was his goal from the very beginning. 512 00:26:15,760 --> 00:26:17,879 Speaker 1: All Right, well, I've got a couple more that I 513 00:26:17,920 --> 00:26:20,000 Speaker 1: wanted to share, you know. Of course, you know, I 514 00:26:20,080 --> 00:26:22,520 Speaker 1: love the movie The Big Lebowski, and it brought the 515 00:26:22,560 --> 00:26:25,119 Speaker 1: word dude back to the world, and I don't know 516 00:26:25,119 --> 00:26:27,040 Speaker 1: whether that's a good thing or a bad thing, but 517 00:26:27,400 --> 00:26:30,439 Speaker 1: it also spawned a little cult or religion that was 518 00:26:30,520 --> 00:26:33,080 Speaker 1: called the Church of the Latter Day Dude. And I 519 00:26:33,080 --> 00:26:35,560 Speaker 1: mean mostly, of course, this was a joke, but you know, 520 00:26:35,600 --> 00:26:38,239 Speaker 1: it was based on things like taking long baths and 521 00:26:38,440 --> 00:26:42,040 Speaker 1: bowling and of course drinking white Russians. I guess a 522 00:26:42,040 --> 00:26:44,640 Speaker 1: little bit of Taoism. But you know, back at two 523 00:26:44,640 --> 00:26:48,200 Speaker 1: thousand ten, the church had over eighty thousand Judaist priests, 524 00:26:48,200 --> 00:26:51,879 Speaker 1: which I think is no small feat. But actually I 525 00:26:52,119 --> 00:26:53,639 Speaker 1: didn't want to end on that one. I kind of 526 00:26:53,640 --> 00:26:56,240 Speaker 1: wanted to end on a sweeter story, and that's about 527 00:26:56,280 --> 00:26:59,399 Speaker 1: the movie. Do the right thing, which, of course wonderful 528 00:26:59,480 --> 00:27:02,040 Speaker 1: and impoor in its own right, but it has this 529 00:27:02,160 --> 00:27:05,040 Speaker 1: second legacy that it's actually the first movie the Obama 530 00:27:05,119 --> 00:27:08,040 Speaker 1: saw together when they were a young couple. In fact, 531 00:27:08,040 --> 00:27:11,440 Speaker 1: according to Brock, it kind of sealed their dating status 532 00:27:11,520 --> 00:27:13,840 Speaker 1: and it was the first time Michelle allowed him to 533 00:27:13,840 --> 00:27:16,600 Speaker 1: touch her net. And as the former president told Spike 534 00:27:16,680 --> 00:27:19,119 Speaker 1: Lee when he met him for the first time, I 535 00:27:19,160 --> 00:27:21,399 Speaker 1: owe you a lot. Oh I love that. So why 536 00:27:21,400 --> 00:27:23,439 Speaker 1: don't we end up that note and kick off the 537 00:27:23,480 --> 00:27:34,120 Speaker 1: fact off? Did you know that Steven Spielberg opted not 538 00:27:34,200 --> 00:27:37,080 Speaker 1: to direct Harry Potter movies because it was too easy 539 00:27:37,160 --> 00:27:40,280 Speaker 1: for him. Here's what he actually said about it. Directing 540 00:27:40,320 --> 00:27:44,080 Speaker 1: those movies is quote, just like withdrawing a billion dollars 541 00:27:44,080 --> 00:27:46,840 Speaker 1: and putting it into your own personal bank accounts, there's 542 00:27:46,960 --> 00:27:50,600 Speaker 1: no challenge. Wow. Let's say you're in a pretty good 543 00:27:50,640 --> 00:27:53,560 Speaker 1: position when you're like, you know, the millions and millions 544 00:27:53,640 --> 00:27:55,879 Speaker 1: or hundreds of millions of dollars I could make from that, 545 00:27:56,119 --> 00:28:00,520 Speaker 1: I'm just not that interested. That too easy. Wow. Actually, 546 00:28:00,520 --> 00:28:02,439 Speaker 1: there was this this American Life a month or so 547 00:28:02,560 --> 00:28:05,720 Speaker 1: back about him and how high school inspired him to 548 00:28:05,840 --> 00:28:08,520 Speaker 1: direct amis thought, and it was so good. I did 549 00:28:08,560 --> 00:28:11,040 Speaker 1: you listen to this episode? I haven't heard that. Yeah, 550 00:28:11,080 --> 00:28:13,119 Speaker 1: but you should definitely listen to it for for all 551 00:28:13,119 --> 00:28:15,679 Speaker 1: our listeners if you haven't already. All right, Well, on 552 00:28:15,720 --> 00:28:19,040 Speaker 1: a completely different note, I don't think I even remembered 553 00:28:19,040 --> 00:28:22,000 Speaker 1: broccoli playing a big role in the movie Inside Out, 554 00:28:22,040 --> 00:28:24,919 Speaker 1: but apparently kids felt that it did, and so in 555 00:28:24,960 --> 00:28:27,720 Speaker 1: the Japanese version of the movie, the vegetable was changed 556 00:28:27,760 --> 00:28:31,760 Speaker 1: to bell peppers because quote, they are more universally hated 557 00:28:31,760 --> 00:28:36,720 Speaker 1: by Japanese children. That's crazy. So here's a fun one 558 00:28:37,119 --> 00:28:40,440 Speaker 1: British filmmaker named Charles Lyne raised nine thousand dollars to 559 00:28:40,480 --> 00:28:43,800 Speaker 1: make a ten hour movie about paint drying. And you 560 00:28:43,880 --> 00:28:45,760 Speaker 1: might wonder why why would you make a ten hour 561 00:28:45,840 --> 00:28:49,000 Speaker 1: movie of just paint drying? And it was basically an 562 00:28:49,040 --> 00:28:52,120 Speaker 1: f you to the British Censorship Board. He did it 563 00:28:52,240 --> 00:28:54,040 Speaker 1: just to force a couple of sensors to have to 564 00:28:54,080 --> 00:28:59,360 Speaker 1: watch ten hours of paint drying. That's actually pretty funny, 565 00:28:59,360 --> 00:29:01,040 Speaker 1: even if it is evil. At the same time, I 566 00:29:01,080 --> 00:29:03,360 Speaker 1: love that it cost nine thousand dollars as to do that. 567 00:29:03,480 --> 00:29:05,960 Speaker 1: But al right, well, did you know that the only 568 00:29:06,000 --> 00:29:09,360 Speaker 1: time White Castle has made a vegetarian burger was for 569 00:29:09,480 --> 00:29:13,200 Speaker 1: Harold and Kumar, so apparently cal Penn is vegetarian. So 570 00:29:13,320 --> 00:29:17,160 Speaker 1: white Castle obliged, but only that one time, which isn't 571 00:29:17,200 --> 00:29:19,400 Speaker 1: that shocking, But it is pretty funny to imagine what 572 00:29:19,480 --> 00:29:23,040 Speaker 1: this vegetarian burger looked and tasted like. I can't even imagine. 573 00:29:23,120 --> 00:29:24,600 Speaker 1: I know, now that I know they can make a 574 00:29:24,680 --> 00:29:27,440 Speaker 1: veget burger, I want to try it. Yeah, you should 575 00:29:27,480 --> 00:29:30,320 Speaker 1: demand it. So here's a little fact I love about 576 00:29:30,320 --> 00:29:33,280 Speaker 1: the movie Drive. A woman in two thousand eleven sued 577 00:29:33,320 --> 00:29:37,000 Speaker 1: the movie's distributors for false advertising because quote, it had 578 00:29:37,120 --> 00:29:43,160 Speaker 1: very little driving. I mean, she's got a point. So yeah, 579 00:29:43,640 --> 00:29:45,440 Speaker 1: all right, Well here's a fun When I learned about 580 00:29:45,480 --> 00:29:48,560 Speaker 1: the movie Sleepless in Seattle, there's a writer pitching a 581 00:29:48,600 --> 00:29:51,360 Speaker 1: story in Meg Ryan's office about this guy who sells 582 00:29:51,480 --> 00:29:54,840 Speaker 1: quote the greatest soup You've ever eaten while also being 583 00:29:54,840 --> 00:29:58,080 Speaker 1: the meanest man in America. And if you listen closely 584 00:29:58,080 --> 00:30:00,360 Speaker 1: to this part, you know they're talking about doing a 585 00:30:00,400 --> 00:30:03,280 Speaker 1: story on the Soup Nazi. And the greatest thing about 586 00:30:03,280 --> 00:30:05,560 Speaker 1: this is it was actually a few years before the 587 00:30:05,600 --> 00:30:09,120 Speaker 1: Soup Nazi became that, you know, big plot point on Seinfeld. 588 00:30:09,720 --> 00:30:12,280 Speaker 1: That's pretty amazing. I've never heard that. So here's one 589 00:30:12,320 --> 00:30:15,440 Speaker 1: about Quentin Tarantino when he was still starting out. At 590 00:30:15,480 --> 00:30:18,080 Speaker 1: the time, he was living on his friend Linda Chen's couch, 591 00:30:18,480 --> 00:30:20,640 Speaker 1: and she was a typist, and she had actually agreed 592 00:30:20,640 --> 00:30:22,520 Speaker 1: to do some typing for him if he just house 593 00:30:22,520 --> 00:30:25,320 Speaker 1: s at her pet rabbit. And of course Tarantino is 594 00:30:25,320 --> 00:30:28,360 Speaker 1: a great scriptwriter, but not a good bunny sitter, and 595 00:30:28,400 --> 00:30:31,480 Speaker 1: the rabbit sadly died under his watch. But to make 596 00:30:31,560 --> 00:30:33,640 Speaker 1: up for it, he named one of the characters in 597 00:30:33,680 --> 00:30:35,640 Speaker 1: the film for the pet. But if you remember, in 598 00:30:35,680 --> 00:30:38,000 Speaker 1: the beginning of pulp fiction, there's this robber who goes 599 00:30:38,040 --> 00:30:40,640 Speaker 1: by the name Honey Bunny, and that's actually named for 600 00:30:40,720 --> 00:30:44,200 Speaker 1: Chen's rabbit. I've never heard that. All right, Well, I 601 00:30:44,200 --> 00:30:47,200 Speaker 1: know we've done a few Steven Spielberg facts here, but 602 00:30:47,520 --> 00:30:49,760 Speaker 1: this one's got to be tough to be. So he 603 00:30:49,840 --> 00:30:53,000 Speaker 1: was filming Schindler's List, and obviously this is a very 604 00:30:53,080 --> 00:30:57,440 Speaker 1: heavy and difficult topic, and the cast would not surprisingly 605 00:30:57,600 --> 00:31:01,040 Speaker 1: get pretty depressed while they were filming that. So every 606 00:31:01,040 --> 00:31:02,800 Speaker 1: once in a while he would try to change the 607 00:31:02,880 --> 00:31:04,800 Speaker 1: mood for the cast. He just call up his friend 608 00:31:04,880 --> 00:31:07,480 Speaker 1: Robin Williams put him on the speaker phone and the 609 00:31:07,520 --> 00:31:10,760 Speaker 1: comedian would immediately start reeling off jokes, and that, of 610 00:31:10,800 --> 00:31:13,400 Speaker 1: course helped cheer everybody up. Oh I love that. I 611 00:31:13,400 --> 00:31:16,400 Speaker 1: actually miss Robin Williams, and I had a different story 612 00:31:16,440 --> 00:31:19,920 Speaker 1: about him. During the filming of Mrs Doubtfire. He wasn't 613 00:31:19,920 --> 00:31:23,040 Speaker 1: sure if the costume was believable enough, so he wore 614 00:31:23,080 --> 00:31:25,720 Speaker 1: it to an adult bookstore and just made all these 615 00:31:25,800 --> 00:31:29,400 Speaker 1: ridiculous purchases, and when no one recognized him in character, 616 00:31:29,800 --> 00:31:34,200 Speaker 1: he decided the costume was believable enough. But that's pretty great. 617 00:31:34,560 --> 00:31:36,960 Speaker 1: But I do think your fact is too good, and 618 00:31:37,280 --> 00:31:40,200 Speaker 1: you definitely went today's fact off. Wow. I don't know 619 00:31:40,240 --> 00:31:42,240 Speaker 1: that's pretty good fact, Mango, but you know what, You've 620 00:31:42,240 --> 00:31:45,400 Speaker 1: already given it, so I'm gonna take it. But thank 621 00:31:45,400 --> 00:31:47,440 Speaker 1: you very much, and thank you guys for listening. We 622 00:31:47,480 --> 00:31:49,960 Speaker 1: always love hearing facts from you, and I know there's 623 00:31:50,000 --> 00:31:52,520 Speaker 1: so many great movie facts out there we'd love to 624 00:31:52,560 --> 00:31:54,440 Speaker 1: hear those from. You can always email us part time 625 00:31:54,480 --> 00:31:57,040 Speaker 1: Genius at how stuff Works dot com, where you can 626 00:31:57,080 --> 00:31:59,000 Speaker 1: hit us up on Facebook or Twitter. But thanks so 627 00:31:59,040 --> 00:32:15,080 Speaker 1: much for listening, everybody. Thanks again for listening. Part Time 628 00:32:15,080 --> 00:32:17,320 Speaker 1: Genius is a production of how stuff works, and wouldn't 629 00:32:17,320 --> 00:32:20,080 Speaker 1: be possible without several brilliant people who do the important 630 00:32:20,120 --> 00:32:23,239 Speaker 1: things we couldn't even begin to understand. Christa McNeil does 631 00:32:23,240 --> 00:32:25,520 Speaker 1: the editing thing. Noel Brown made the theme song and 632 00:32:25,560 --> 00:32:28,480 Speaker 1: does the MIXI mixy sound thing. Jerry Rowland does the 633 00:32:28,520 --> 00:32:31,440 Speaker 1: exact producer thing. Gay blues Yer is our lead researcher, 634 00:32:31,480 --> 00:32:34,440 Speaker 1: with support from the Research Army including Austin Thompson, Nolan 635 00:32:34,480 --> 00:32:36,800 Speaker 1: Brown and Lucas Adams and Eve. Jeff Cook gets the 636 00:32:36,800 --> 00:32:38,960 Speaker 1: show to your ears. Good job, Eves. If you like 637 00:32:39,040 --> 00:32:40,880 Speaker 1: what you heard, we hope you'll subscribe, And if you 638 00:32:40,920 --> 00:32:42,880 Speaker 1: really really like what you've heard, maybe you could leave 639 00:32:42,920 --> 00:32:45,360 Speaker 1: a good review for us. Do we do? We forget Jason? 640 00:32:45,640 --> 00:32:46,240 Speaker 1: Jason who