1 00:00:02,960 --> 00:00:05,360 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff to Blow Your Mind, production of My 2 00:00:05,480 --> 00:00:11,080 Speaker 1: Heart Radio. Hey, welcome to Stuff to Blow Your Mind. 3 00:00:11,119 --> 00:00:13,960 Speaker 1: A listener mail This is Robert Lamp and this is 4 00:00:14,040 --> 00:00:16,280 Speaker 1: Joe McCormick, and it's Monday, the day of the week. 5 00:00:16,440 --> 00:00:20,080 Speaker 1: We read back some messages from the mail bag. Oh 6 00:00:20,200 --> 00:00:21,720 Speaker 1: and hey, if you ever want to get in touch 7 00:00:21,760 --> 00:00:24,319 Speaker 1: with the show, and you've never done so before, you 8 00:00:24,360 --> 00:00:28,159 Speaker 1: can do that by writing to contact at Stuff to 9 00:00:28,200 --> 00:00:31,080 Speaker 1: Blow your Mind dot com. Whatever email you want to 10 00:00:31,080 --> 00:00:33,839 Speaker 1: send this fair game, of course, we're always open to 11 00:00:34,120 --> 00:00:39,519 Speaker 1: uh two, feedback, to corrections if necessary, to just interesting 12 00:00:39,560 --> 00:00:41,239 Speaker 1: things you want to share with us, or if you 13 00:00:41,280 --> 00:00:43,919 Speaker 1: just want to say hi, that's always cool. Contact at 14 00:00:43,960 --> 00:00:48,279 Speaker 1: stuff to Blow your Mind dot com. Rob, if it's 15 00:00:48,280 --> 00:00:50,640 Speaker 1: cool with you. I want to kick things off by 16 00:00:50,680 --> 00:00:54,080 Speaker 1: reading this message from Josh about our episodes on fun. 17 00:00:54,600 --> 00:01:01,840 Speaker 1: Go for it all right. So we asked people from 18 00:01:01,840 --> 00:01:06,200 Speaker 1: other language cultures to share equivalence of the English word 19 00:01:06,319 --> 00:01:09,640 Speaker 1: fun and any differences in connotation and so forth. And 20 00:01:09,720 --> 00:01:13,640 Speaker 1: we heard from Josh about a word from Dutch. So 21 00:01:13,800 --> 00:01:17,759 Speaker 1: Josh says, Hey, Joe, Rob Seth, I'm an American living 22 00:01:17,800 --> 00:01:19,840 Speaker 1: in the Netherlands, and I wanted to pitch in on 23 00:01:19,920 --> 00:01:24,080 Speaker 1: the word fun. In Dutch, the word is leuke. It 24 00:01:24,160 --> 00:01:28,520 Speaker 1: has a wonderfully difficult pronunciation for an English speaker, something 25 00:01:29,480 --> 00:01:32,400 Speaker 1: like the way he spells it as l e h 26 00:01:32,600 --> 00:01:37,360 Speaker 1: dash o dash k. So luke, that's what I'm trying. Well, 27 00:01:37,400 --> 00:01:40,760 Speaker 1: we'll see, um, Josh says. It is used frequently as 28 00:01:40,800 --> 00:01:43,800 Speaker 1: what I would call a throwaway word, something you might 29 00:01:43,880 --> 00:01:47,039 Speaker 1: use several times as an encouragement while being told a 30 00:01:47,080 --> 00:01:51,520 Speaker 1: positive story, like nice might be used in English. Oh 31 00:01:51,640 --> 00:01:55,240 Speaker 1: so somebody's saying, Hey, I did this cool thing, or 32 00:01:55,320 --> 00:01:57,520 Speaker 1: I'm you know, I have plans to do this cool 33 00:01:57,560 --> 00:02:00,120 Speaker 1: thing or whatever, and you you sort of encourage the 34 00:02:00,160 --> 00:02:03,600 Speaker 1: anecdote to continue by saying nice. Nice. At least that's 35 00:02:03,600 --> 00:02:07,160 Speaker 1: how interpret yeah, or or indeed, cool could be used 36 00:02:07,280 --> 00:02:10,920 Speaker 1: in the in the sensense as well. Yeah, Josh goes on. 37 00:02:11,160 --> 00:02:15,080 Speaker 1: It is also used to describe something particularly colorful or 38 00:02:15,120 --> 00:02:18,639 Speaker 1: with an interesting or new design. I find it indicative 39 00:02:18,680 --> 00:02:21,919 Speaker 1: of my observation that Dutch people tend to be neophilic, 40 00:02:22,480 --> 00:02:26,600 Speaker 1: finding new and different things fun and not threatening. Thanks 41 00:02:26,639 --> 00:02:30,240 Speaker 1: for the Luke podcast, Josh, excellent. Yeah, well, this is 42 00:02:30,280 --> 00:02:32,920 Speaker 1: exactly the sort of thing we're asking for. Examples from 43 00:02:32,960 --> 00:02:43,400 Speaker 1: from other languages related to the linguistics of fun alright. 44 00:02:43,480 --> 00:02:46,400 Speaker 1: This next one comes to us from Cat. It is 45 00:02:46,680 --> 00:02:51,760 Speaker 1: a response to our episodes on incense Cat Rights. I 46 00:02:51,800 --> 00:02:54,400 Speaker 1: was taken aback when Rob mentioned it is more common 47 00:02:54,480 --> 00:02:59,280 Speaker 1: for bad smell hallucinations. From my own personal experience as 48 00:02:59,320 --> 00:03:02,440 Speaker 1: well as experiences from a few of my family members, 49 00:03:02,520 --> 00:03:06,200 Speaker 1: a good sometimes floral smell is typical for us. For 50 00:03:06,240 --> 00:03:10,320 Speaker 1: the occasional smell hallucination, the floral smell usually does have 51 00:03:10,480 --> 00:03:13,480 Speaker 1: a sort of associations with past loved ones, which in 52 00:03:13,560 --> 00:03:17,120 Speaker 1: turn does have a spiritual religious connotation. I have search 53 00:03:17,360 --> 00:03:20,519 Speaker 1: and low for a source during these hallucinations to see 54 00:03:20,520 --> 00:03:23,320 Speaker 1: if there's a real life cause with no luck, which 55 00:03:23,360 --> 00:03:26,639 Speaker 1: strengthens the spiritual connection angle. So Rob, I think you're 56 00:03:26,720 --> 00:03:30,160 Speaker 1: right about that. I absolutely love the podcast. You guys 57 00:03:30,160 --> 00:03:32,840 Speaker 1: are my all time favorite and always look forward each 58 00:03:32,919 --> 00:03:35,840 Speaker 1: week to learning from any new topic you cover, however 59 00:03:35,920 --> 00:03:38,560 Speaker 1: random it may seem. It always makes me think and 60 00:03:38,640 --> 00:03:40,840 Speaker 1: I appreciate how you look at it from every possible 61 00:03:40,880 --> 00:03:43,480 Speaker 1: angle and with an open mind. All the best and 62 00:03:43,560 --> 00:03:47,280 Speaker 1: keep it up. Cat. Oh thanks Cat, Now I do 63 00:03:47,360 --> 00:03:49,240 Speaker 1: want to see Yeah. First of all, yeah, thanks for 64 00:03:49,280 --> 00:03:52,200 Speaker 1: writing in. But but I do want to say that 65 00:03:52,280 --> 00:03:55,960 Speaker 1: I don't mean to imply that that positive aroma hallucinations 66 00:03:56,040 --> 00:04:00,960 Speaker 1: are necessarily less common in general, just that I had 67 00:04:01,000 --> 00:04:05,080 Speaker 1: seen or remembered fewer mentions of of the phenomenon or 68 00:04:05,240 --> 00:04:08,920 Speaker 1: or at least, you know, recollections of it. Um. I 69 00:04:09,520 --> 00:04:12,280 Speaker 1: so so don't tank to that to the bank just yet. 70 00:04:12,640 --> 00:04:16,560 Speaker 1: I did pick up my copy of Oliver sacks Is Hallucinations, 71 00:04:16,600 --> 00:04:19,240 Speaker 1: which is a great book on this very topic. And 72 00:04:19,360 --> 00:04:22,760 Speaker 1: he gets into he does get into into uh these 73 00:04:22,760 --> 00:04:28,400 Speaker 1: sorts of hallucinations, smell hallucinations, m old factory hallucinations, and 74 00:04:28,520 --> 00:04:32,360 Speaker 1: it looks like at least with cases of parasomnia and 75 00:04:32,560 --> 00:04:38,040 Speaker 1: uh disomnia, unpleasant odors are more common. But yeah, this 76 00:04:38,120 --> 00:04:40,840 Speaker 1: is I think a topic we could potentially look into 77 00:04:40,920 --> 00:04:44,760 Speaker 1: more in the future. Uh do a give give old 78 00:04:44,800 --> 00:04:50,599 Speaker 1: factory hallucinations a proper episode? So anyway, greatly appreciate the 79 00:04:50,600 --> 00:04:59,680 Speaker 1: feedback and perspective on this topic. Alright. This next message 80 00:05:00,040 --> 00:05:04,279 Speaker 1: us in response to Rob's squid interview. Uh, and this 81 00:05:04,400 --> 00:05:08,039 Speaker 1: is from Ian Ian says, Dear Rob and Joe, as 82 00:05:08,080 --> 00:05:11,000 Speaker 1: seems to be my eternal condition. I'm several months behind 83 00:05:11,040 --> 00:05:14,159 Speaker 1: on podcast episodes. I just finished the episode in which 84 00:05:14,279 --> 00:05:18,320 Speaker 1: Rob interviews Martin Walland about his recent book Squid. I 85 00:05:18,400 --> 00:05:21,560 Speaker 1: love the discussion revolving around squid intelligence and wanted to 86 00:05:21,560 --> 00:05:24,359 Speaker 1: share a recommendation for some science fiction reading in the 87 00:05:24,400 --> 00:05:29,120 Speaker 1: same vein Children of Ruin by Adrian Tchaikovsky, the second 88 00:05:29,160 --> 00:05:32,320 Speaker 1: book in the Children of Time series. I will try 89 00:05:32,360 --> 00:05:34,800 Speaker 1: to keep this as spoiler free as possible, but arguably 90 00:05:34,880 --> 00:05:37,840 Speaker 1: even describing the premise is somewhat of a spoiler, so 91 00:05:37,960 --> 00:05:41,240 Speaker 1: be warned. The book isn't technically about squid, but does 92 00:05:41,279 --> 00:05:47,000 Speaker 1: heavily involve they're quite intelligent cephalopod cousins octopuses slash octopi 93 00:05:47,120 --> 00:05:52,120 Speaker 1: slash octopodes slash octo whatever's The basic premise involves far 94 00:05:52,240 --> 00:05:56,800 Speaker 1: future human space explorers who encounter a long lost colony 95 00:05:56,839 --> 00:06:00,520 Speaker 1: that has been taken over by accidentally uplifted oct to podes. 96 00:06:00,839 --> 00:06:02,839 Speaker 1: I'm going to use this version of the word because 97 00:06:02,839 --> 00:06:06,960 Speaker 1: it's my favorite. Tchaikovsky clearly put great effort into trying 98 00:06:07,040 --> 00:06:11,880 Speaker 1: to keep the octopussy nous of their intelligence and not 99 00:06:12,040 --> 00:06:14,480 Speaker 1: fall in the common sci fi trope of having everything 100 00:06:14,560 --> 00:06:18,200 Speaker 1: think basically like a human. It's a very interesting exploration 101 00:06:18,240 --> 00:06:21,000 Speaker 1: of the concept of human level intelligence and something that 102 00:06:21,160 --> 00:06:23,760 Speaker 1: is probably as alien to us as it is possible 103 00:06:23,800 --> 00:06:27,599 Speaker 1: to be without being literally extraterrestrial. And I recommend it 104 00:06:27,640 --> 00:06:30,600 Speaker 1: to anyone who enjoys speculative fiction, which I imagine is 105 00:06:30,640 --> 00:06:34,600 Speaker 1: a large proportion of your audience. I would also recommend 106 00:06:34,600 --> 00:06:37,360 Speaker 1: the first book which gives the series its name, Children 107 00:06:37,360 --> 00:06:40,640 Speaker 1: of Time, And in fact, you would likely be quite 108 00:06:40,720 --> 00:06:43,039 Speaker 1: lost in Children of Ruin if you did not read 109 00:06:43,120 --> 00:06:47,360 Speaker 1: Children of Time first, but it explores similar ideas, though 110 00:06:47,400 --> 00:06:50,679 Speaker 1: in its case there are no molluscs insight. As always, 111 00:06:50,720 --> 00:06:54,599 Speaker 1: thank you for your wonderful content. Cheers in ah. Yeah. 112 00:06:54,640 --> 00:06:57,599 Speaker 1: Back to an old favorite speculative topic of ours, the 113 00:06:57,600 --> 00:07:02,200 Speaker 1: the supposed Minds of Cephalopods. I have not read the 114 00:07:02,200 --> 00:07:04,760 Speaker 1: books you're talking about, Ian, but there is a great 115 00:07:04,800 --> 00:07:08,080 Speaker 1: nonfiction book I've recommended on the podcast before by Si 116 00:07:08,240 --> 00:07:12,360 Speaker 1: Montgomery called The Soul of an Octopus, which I really 117 00:07:12,400 --> 00:07:16,320 Speaker 1: liked because it just has some wonderful, very surprisingly emotional 118 00:07:16,400 --> 00:07:20,480 Speaker 1: observations about octopus minds, about the kind of baffling otherness 119 00:07:20,600 --> 00:07:25,400 Speaker 1: of octopus intelligence, but also some moving thoughts about octopus 120 00:07:25,480 --> 00:07:31,120 Speaker 1: emotions and connection to human handlers and uh, continuing on 121 00:07:31,160 --> 00:07:33,360 Speaker 1: the subject, I think we may have talked about this 122 00:07:33,400 --> 00:07:35,480 Speaker 1: on the show before, so I apologize to the extent 123 00:07:35,520 --> 00:07:38,960 Speaker 1: that I'm repeating myself. But uh, to whatever extent I haven't, 124 00:07:39,000 --> 00:07:42,920 Speaker 1: I have done the intelligent octopus thought experiment before, you know, 125 00:07:43,000 --> 00:07:46,520 Speaker 1: meaning like, if an octopus were to possess a capacity 126 00:07:46,560 --> 00:07:49,520 Speaker 1: for language and human level technology, that sort of thing, 127 00:07:50,200 --> 00:07:53,720 Speaker 1: And I recall thinking that a major ecological influence on 128 00:07:53,800 --> 00:07:58,760 Speaker 1: the nature of that intelligence would be the comparatively solitary 129 00:07:59,400 --> 00:08:03,600 Speaker 1: intelligence of the octopus contrasted with the deeply social intelligence 130 00:08:03,640 --> 00:08:06,520 Speaker 1: of the human. I'm I'm very much of the opinion 131 00:08:06,560 --> 00:08:09,560 Speaker 1: that one of the most profound influences on the character 132 00:08:09,680 --> 00:08:12,640 Speaker 1: of human intelligence and human thought is the fact that 133 00:08:12,680 --> 00:08:14,960 Speaker 1: we evolve to live in groups and to survive by 134 00:08:14,960 --> 00:08:17,840 Speaker 1: working together, and so the human brain is formed for 135 00:08:17,920 --> 00:08:23,200 Speaker 1: maintaining and manipulating social relationships, and this fact colors basically 136 00:08:23,280 --> 00:08:26,120 Speaker 1: every aspect of our intelligence. I'd argue that even when 137 00:08:26,160 --> 00:08:28,520 Speaker 1: we're alone, even in the case of people who like 138 00:08:28,640 --> 00:08:31,520 Speaker 1: spending a lot of time alone, our thoughts are very 139 00:08:31,640 --> 00:08:35,320 Speaker 1: social in character. So how would an octopus be different? Like, 140 00:08:35,360 --> 00:08:38,680 Speaker 1: I wonder if the human brain's obsession with a sense 141 00:08:38,720 --> 00:08:42,760 Speaker 1: of belonging would be replaced with a need for something 142 00:08:42,840 --> 00:08:46,080 Speaker 1: else in the case of an intelligent octopus, maybe something 143 00:08:46,120 --> 00:08:51,959 Speaker 1: like like a sense of sheltered nous or hiddenness or something. Yeah, 144 00:08:52,280 --> 00:08:55,800 Speaker 1: it's yeah, it's such a a fascinating thing to try 145 00:08:55,840 --> 00:09:00,600 Speaker 1: and comprehend. Um. I was just looking here at uh 146 00:09:00,640 --> 00:09:06,040 Speaker 1: Adrian Chukovsky's um various writings. This is not an author 147 00:09:06,040 --> 00:09:08,920 Speaker 1: I've read before, but I knew the name. I knew 148 00:09:08,920 --> 00:09:10,280 Speaker 1: I'd heard the name before. I was trying to figure 149 00:09:10,280 --> 00:09:12,440 Speaker 1: out what it was, and I have found it. So 150 00:09:12,760 --> 00:09:15,760 Speaker 1: he's seems fairly prolific. Has written a number of different 151 00:09:15,760 --> 00:09:18,520 Speaker 1: science fiction and fantasy books, many of which seem to 152 00:09:18,559 --> 00:09:20,240 Speaker 1: have some sort of an animal theme in there. I 153 00:09:20,320 --> 00:09:25,840 Speaker 1: believe there's one that involves with genetically augmented dog. But 154 00:09:26,400 --> 00:09:28,280 Speaker 1: where I had heard of him is that he has 155 00:09:28,320 --> 00:09:33,960 Speaker 1: written one Warhammer forty Thou novel, Day of Ascension, which 156 00:09:34,160 --> 00:09:38,520 Speaker 1: has to do with the gene Steeler hybrids, which this is. 157 00:09:38,640 --> 00:09:41,840 Speaker 1: This is a this is a fascinating faction in the 158 00:09:41,840 --> 00:09:46,040 Speaker 1: Warhammer forty Thou universe. These are like there's they're the Tyrannids, 159 00:09:46,080 --> 00:09:49,880 Speaker 1: this threat from another galaxy. Uh, that is entering into 160 00:09:49,920 --> 00:09:52,640 Speaker 1: our galaxy, and they're, you know, just a big biomass 161 00:09:52,679 --> 00:09:55,640 Speaker 1: that wants to consume everything. But they kind of seed 162 00:09:55,720 --> 00:09:59,800 Speaker 1: worlds ahead of time with these gene Steeler colts, with 163 00:10:00,040 --> 00:10:04,840 Speaker 1: these uh these partially mutated factions that are sort of 164 00:10:04,920 --> 00:10:09,199 Speaker 1: vying to um to control the population and destabilize things 165 00:10:09,200 --> 00:10:13,199 Speaker 1: ahead of the arrival. Uh So anyway, Uh, fascinating faction. 166 00:10:13,360 --> 00:10:15,280 Speaker 1: And I'd heard good things about that book when I 167 00:10:15,320 --> 00:10:17,280 Speaker 1: was coming out, but I wasn't familiar with the author here, 168 00:10:17,320 --> 00:10:19,040 Speaker 1: so it sounds sounds like something I might want to 169 00:10:19,080 --> 00:10:30,000 Speaker 1: check out. Yeah, either way, Thank thank you. Ian. Alright, 170 00:10:30,040 --> 00:10:33,440 Speaker 1: let's get into a little weird house cinema listener. Mailison 171 00:10:33,480 --> 00:10:35,679 Speaker 1: comes to us from Bruce. Bruce says, Hello, Robert, Joe, 172 00:10:35,720 --> 00:10:38,520 Speaker 1: and Seth. Some of the recent weird houses have been 173 00:10:38,600 --> 00:10:42,880 Speaker 1: right in my wheelhouse. That's a that's a that's that's 174 00:10:42,960 --> 00:10:46,920 Speaker 1: suddenly a mouthful. Uh, the weird house wheelhouse. That'll be 175 00:10:46,960 --> 00:10:51,880 Speaker 1: our wheelhouse anyway. Bruce says, I had a job in 176 00:10:51,880 --> 00:10:54,520 Speaker 1: a movie theater to help pay for college during the eighties. 177 00:10:55,040 --> 00:10:56,960 Speaker 1: It was a great job at the time for a student. 178 00:10:57,280 --> 00:10:59,720 Speaker 1: Once the movies were playing, the lobby had been cleaned up, 179 00:11:00,080 --> 00:11:02,800 Speaker 1: was plenty of time to study. The theater i was 180 00:11:02,880 --> 00:11:06,880 Speaker 1: a manager at played both Krawl and The Last Starfighter. 181 00:11:07,480 --> 00:11:10,680 Speaker 1: My memory of Kroll that makes it distinct was when 182 00:11:10,720 --> 00:11:13,480 Speaker 1: people would call to ask what we were showing. This 183 00:11:13,559 --> 00:11:16,880 Speaker 1: was before the days of movie phone and other automated services, 184 00:11:17,120 --> 00:11:20,480 Speaker 1: so typically the cashier or one of the ushers would 185 00:11:20,480 --> 00:11:24,880 Speaker 1: answer the phone. When they'd say Krawl, they invariably had 186 00:11:24,880 --> 00:11:26,960 Speaker 1: to repeat themselves as the person on the other end 187 00:11:26,960 --> 00:11:29,640 Speaker 1: of the line would misinterpret the title as our employee 188 00:11:29,640 --> 00:11:34,480 Speaker 1: clearing their throat or some other vocalization unrelated to a word. Yes, 189 00:11:34,720 --> 00:11:37,960 Speaker 1: that's so good. It's It's not like the movie was 190 00:11:38,000 --> 00:11:41,640 Speaker 1: called The Adventures of Kraal or like The Tyranny of Krall. 191 00:11:42,080 --> 00:11:46,320 Speaker 1: It's just Krall that clearly. It's almost it seems perverse. 192 00:11:46,400 --> 00:11:49,880 Speaker 1: It was like it was intended to cause problems. Yeah, 193 00:11:50,160 --> 00:11:54,200 Speaker 1: Kral Kral, because yeah, it sounds like there's some sort 194 00:11:54,240 --> 00:11:58,199 Speaker 1: of an issue going on. Um they continue. Last Starfighter 195 00:11:58,320 --> 00:12:00,560 Speaker 1: was one of my favorites to show at the time. Yes, 196 00:12:00,600 --> 00:12:03,640 Speaker 1: the computer graphics were not quite up to resembling anything 197 00:12:03,640 --> 00:12:06,640 Speaker 1: close to realistic even at the time, but they were 198 00:12:06,679 --> 00:12:10,240 Speaker 1: still impressive as being a relatively new application of this 199 00:12:10,320 --> 00:12:13,280 Speaker 1: type of special effects technique. They seem to add to 200 00:12:13,320 --> 00:12:16,720 Speaker 1: the lighthearted overall tone of the film. One scene I 201 00:12:16,760 --> 00:12:21,040 Speaker 1: always enjoy recalling when describing the movie to neophytes that 202 00:12:21,160 --> 00:12:24,360 Speaker 1: I was looking forward to hearing your take on was 203 00:12:25,840 --> 00:12:28,080 Speaker 1: the scene in which Grigg and Alex are hiding in 204 00:12:28,080 --> 00:12:33,319 Speaker 1: an asteroid cave and then, uh, Bruce, here includes some dialogue. 205 00:12:33,800 --> 00:12:37,120 Speaker 1: Uh we should we read this in character? Joe? Do 206 00:12:37,160 --> 00:12:39,520 Speaker 1: you want to be Alex? Who's who? Who's Alex? And 207 00:12:39,559 --> 00:12:41,120 Speaker 1: who's Gregg? I don't know. Do you feel like you 208 00:12:41,160 --> 00:12:43,680 Speaker 1: have a Greg voice in you? I? I can be Greg? 209 00:12:44,080 --> 00:12:47,920 Speaker 1: All right, all right, I'll be Alex. Uh this reminds 210 00:12:47,960 --> 00:12:51,080 Speaker 1: you of home? Ah? Yes, I live below ground with 211 00:12:51,160 --> 00:12:55,040 Speaker 1: my wife Oyd and six thousand little grigglings, at least 212 00:12:55,120 --> 00:12:58,880 Speaker 1: until Zoor turns them into slaves. Where does your kind 213 00:12:58,960 --> 00:13:03,040 Speaker 1: live in houses? Mostly that's caves above ground. I live 214 00:13:03,080 --> 00:13:06,040 Speaker 1: in a mobile home. What is that? It's like a 215 00:13:06,080 --> 00:13:09,199 Speaker 1: cave that goes places, only we never went anywhere, a 216 00:13:09,200 --> 00:13:15,960 Speaker 1: mobile cave that never went anywhere. Fascinating, Bruce finishing my Greg. 217 00:13:16,040 --> 00:13:18,240 Speaker 1: Come on, it's pretty good. It was a good grig. 218 00:13:18,320 --> 00:13:22,199 Speaker 1: It was a good grig solid Dano, Harla, hey vibes 219 00:13:22,240 --> 00:13:26,160 Speaker 1: there anyway. Bruce finishes out by saying, never fails to 220 00:13:26,200 --> 00:13:28,520 Speaker 1: elicit a smile whenever I recall it. Thanks for the 221 00:13:28,520 --> 00:13:31,480 Speaker 1: fun podcast now, Joe. This is also the scene, isn't 222 00:13:31,480 --> 00:13:34,880 Speaker 1: where Greg is showing family photos of yes, yes, the 223 00:13:35,240 --> 00:13:38,320 Speaker 1: children and the wife boyd Yes. He's got like a 224 00:13:38,400 --> 00:13:43,160 Speaker 1: grig little wallet full of pictures and uh, how do wait, 225 00:13:43,200 --> 00:13:45,480 Speaker 1: what form do the pictures take? Does he literally have 226 00:13:45,520 --> 00:13:47,560 Speaker 1: a print out? I don't recall, I don't look. I 227 00:13:47,600 --> 00:13:50,679 Speaker 1: just remember them splashing on the screen. There, So Gregg 228 00:13:50,760 --> 00:13:55,600 Speaker 1: has six thousand children. That's that sounds stressful. It's probably 229 00:13:55,600 --> 00:13:58,680 Speaker 1: also pretty hands free. It's pretty hands off when it 230 00:13:58,720 --> 00:14:06,840 Speaker 1: comes to parenting. I'm guessing yeah, okay. We also got 231 00:14:06,880 --> 00:14:10,600 Speaker 1: another message about The Last Starfighter, this one from Brad. 232 00:14:10,640 --> 00:14:13,720 Speaker 1: Brad says, Hello, gentleman, what a treat this episode was 233 00:14:13,800 --> 00:14:16,040 Speaker 1: for me. I'm a huge fan of your various shows, 234 00:14:16,320 --> 00:14:19,520 Speaker 1: Weird House Cinema included. However, I'm ashamed to admit I've 235 00:14:19,520 --> 00:14:22,320 Speaker 1: only seen a few of the movies you've covered. It's 236 00:14:22,400 --> 00:14:25,400 Speaker 1: nothing to be ashamed about, Brad. Brad says, I'm a 237 00:14:25,480 --> 00:14:28,960 Speaker 1: huge movie fan, but unfortunately never had anyone introduced me 238 00:14:29,040 --> 00:14:31,640 Speaker 1: to the weirder side of cinema. You guys do such 239 00:14:31,680 --> 00:14:34,120 Speaker 1: a great job of covering the films. It has prompted 240 00:14:34,120 --> 00:14:36,080 Speaker 1: me to check out a couple of the ones I 241 00:14:36,120 --> 00:14:39,640 Speaker 1: was previously unaware of. The Last Starfighter, on the other hand, 242 00:14:39,680 --> 00:14:42,760 Speaker 1: was one of my favorite movies as a child. In fact, 243 00:14:42,800 --> 00:14:45,520 Speaker 1: I have plans this November to swing by the place 244 00:14:45,680 --> 00:14:49,680 Speaker 1: quote where it happened on our way to Disneyland. The 245 00:14:49,760 --> 00:14:52,360 Speaker 1: mobile home park has since closed in the general store 246 00:14:52,360 --> 00:14:55,600 Speaker 1: has gotten a huge facelift, but I know I know 247 00:14:55,680 --> 00:14:59,240 Speaker 1: what happened there. Anyway. My tidbit is, you guys may 248 00:14:59,280 --> 00:15:03,240 Speaker 1: have noticed Beta Alex's hair in the film look fake. 249 00:15:03,440 --> 00:15:06,040 Speaker 1: Remember that there's a side plot in the movie where 250 00:15:06,680 --> 00:15:09,720 Speaker 1: uh Lance guests character while he goes up into space, 251 00:15:09,840 --> 00:15:12,800 Speaker 1: is replaced by a robot that looks exactly like him, 252 00:15:12,880 --> 00:15:16,480 Speaker 1: named Beta, and he's there to take his place on Earth. 253 00:15:17,000 --> 00:15:20,040 Speaker 1: Um so they say a Beta Alex's hair in the 254 00:15:20,040 --> 00:15:24,040 Speaker 1: film looked fake. Yes, I did notice that, Brad. Brad continues, 255 00:15:24,280 --> 00:15:27,920 Speaker 1: that's because it was. They originally only had a couple 256 00:15:27,960 --> 00:15:31,440 Speaker 1: of Beta scenes, but test audiences loved them so much 257 00:15:31,520 --> 00:15:35,040 Speaker 1: they went back and filmed more weeks after Lance Guest 258 00:15:35,160 --> 00:15:38,800 Speaker 1: had cut his hair all already, so they had to 259 00:15:38,840 --> 00:15:41,720 Speaker 1: have him wear a wig. Love all your shows. Thank 260 00:15:41,760 --> 00:15:45,280 Speaker 1: you for providing me with knowledge and entertainment. Brad Ah. 261 00:15:45,400 --> 00:15:50,000 Speaker 1: That's that's fascinating and that is that is something. The 262 00:15:50,000 --> 00:15:53,160 Speaker 1: films we cover on Weird House, they cover a wide range, 263 00:15:54,040 --> 00:15:55,960 Speaker 1: so I sometimes I forget that. Yeah, when we start 264 00:15:56,000 --> 00:15:59,080 Speaker 1: looking at films off the caliber of The Last Starfighter, 265 00:15:59,320 --> 00:16:01,680 Speaker 1: you are dealing with test audiences. You are going in 266 00:16:01,760 --> 00:16:05,560 Speaker 1: situations where where people are saying, we love Beta and 267 00:16:05,600 --> 00:16:07,440 Speaker 1: we want to see more of Beta, and then they 268 00:16:07,480 --> 00:16:09,800 Speaker 1: go back and feel more scenes. You're not finding that 269 00:16:10,120 --> 00:16:14,240 Speaker 1: that level of a forethought going into to some of 270 00:16:14,280 --> 00:16:17,240 Speaker 1: the flicks that we're talking about. Yeah, Last star Fighter 271 00:16:17,320 --> 00:16:19,440 Speaker 1: is definitely one of the bigger to do is we 272 00:16:19,520 --> 00:16:23,800 Speaker 1: have covered on. Yeah. I don't think Horror Arises from 273 00:16:23,840 --> 00:16:26,920 Speaker 1: the Tomb was really benefiting from any test audiences where 274 00:16:26,920 --> 00:16:28,960 Speaker 1: they're like, you know, we we wanted to see more 275 00:16:29,000 --> 00:16:31,280 Speaker 1: beheadings and they're like, well let's shoot it again. Like 276 00:16:31,280 --> 00:16:32,720 Speaker 1: you know, now many of these films is like it's 277 00:16:32,800 --> 00:16:35,480 Speaker 1: kind of a miracle they finished some of these films. 278 00:16:35,840 --> 00:16:38,440 Speaker 1: They're not going to go back and shoot more for them. 279 00:16:38,560 --> 00:16:41,440 Speaker 1: What if they did test audiences for the brain Eaters, 280 00:16:41,800 --> 00:16:44,800 Speaker 1: but they'd be like, I don't understand the glowing globes? 281 00:16:45,040 --> 00:16:48,440 Speaker 1: What's with the globes? Test audiences wanted to know did 282 00:16:48,480 --> 00:16:53,320 Speaker 1: literarymoy get paid at any rate? Thanks for the tidbit, 283 00:16:53,440 --> 00:16:55,960 Speaker 1: and best of luck on your pilgrimage to the place 284 00:16:56,120 --> 00:17:03,680 Speaker 1: where it happened? All right? This next one comes to 285 00:17:03,760 --> 00:17:10,960 Speaker 1: us from Dan subject w HC. Colin The Apple. Dan says, Hello, 286 00:17:11,080 --> 00:17:13,640 Speaker 1: Robert and Joe. I recently listened to your Weird House 287 00:17:13,640 --> 00:17:16,040 Speaker 1: Cinema episode on The Last Starfighter, and I have a 288 00:17:16,040 --> 00:17:18,800 Speaker 1: personal story that I have to share with you regarding 289 00:17:19,320 --> 00:17:23,359 Speaker 1: The Apple. Several years ago, I used to work at 290 00:17:23,359 --> 00:17:25,840 Speaker 1: a movie theater in New York City that often held 291 00:17:26,320 --> 00:17:30,800 Speaker 1: um repertory series devoted to a particular director, actor, or country. 292 00:17:31,320 --> 00:17:34,320 Speaker 1: One year we had a cannon film series and one 293 00:17:34,359 --> 00:17:37,399 Speaker 1: of the movies we screened was The Apple. It was 294 00:17:37,840 --> 00:17:41,000 Speaker 1: a one night only showing with an introduction by Catherine 295 00:17:41,000 --> 00:17:46,760 Speaker 1: Mary Stewart, your m Globus and mena him Golon. Miss Stewart, 296 00:17:46,800 --> 00:17:49,400 Speaker 1: as I recall, was very lovely happy to be there. 297 00:17:49,440 --> 00:17:52,760 Speaker 1: And even thanked Mena him during the introduction for giving 298 00:17:52,800 --> 00:17:56,439 Speaker 1: her her start in the movie industry. The show was 299 00:17:56,640 --> 00:17:59,200 Speaker 1: close to, if not sold out, and ended up being 300 00:17:59,359 --> 00:18:02,720 Speaker 1: more of a cess than predicted. Nearly everyone in attendance 301 00:18:02,760 --> 00:18:05,840 Speaker 1: was quite young college age and came wearing little triangle 302 00:18:05,880 --> 00:18:09,600 Speaker 1: stickers like the characters in the movie. This confused myself 303 00:18:09,640 --> 00:18:11,360 Speaker 1: and many of my co workers, as we had never 304 00:18:11,400 --> 00:18:14,000 Speaker 1: seen the movie and didn't know why people had triangles 305 00:18:14,000 --> 00:18:16,840 Speaker 1: all over their bodies. Some of them also came under 306 00:18:16,880 --> 00:18:20,200 Speaker 1: the influence of certain substances, but they were very nice 307 00:18:20,240 --> 00:18:23,800 Speaker 1: and enthusiastic about watching the Apple. Since I was working, 308 00:18:23,840 --> 00:18:25,600 Speaker 1: I didn't get a chance to watch the movie, but 309 00:18:25,640 --> 00:18:27,679 Speaker 1: I did sneak a peek early on during one of 310 00:18:27,680 --> 00:18:30,600 Speaker 1: the musical numbers with a couple of coworkers. We were 311 00:18:30,680 --> 00:18:35,000 Speaker 1: left speechless, bewildered even by what little we had witnessed. 312 00:18:35,440 --> 00:18:37,639 Speaker 1: As we came out of the screening room, one person 313 00:18:37,720 --> 00:18:41,800 Speaker 1: I remember saying, well, their costumes are very nice. All 314 00:18:41,840 --> 00:18:44,320 Speaker 1: in all, it was a very odd night and one 315 00:18:44,320 --> 00:18:47,119 Speaker 1: of the more memorable experiences I had working there, Probably 316 00:18:47,160 --> 00:18:49,640 Speaker 1: as close as I've come to being at a midnight 317 00:18:49,720 --> 00:18:54,159 Speaker 1: screening of Rocky Horror Picture Show. Also regarding Robert Preston 318 00:18:54,240 --> 00:18:57,200 Speaker 1: being in the Last Starfighter, did you know that Brian 319 00:18:57,240 --> 00:18:59,840 Speaker 1: Cox played Harold Hill in a run of the Music Man. 320 00:19:00,160 --> 00:19:02,880 Speaker 1: Does this add more credence to Joe's theory that anything 321 00:19:02,920 --> 00:19:06,560 Speaker 1: could be made better simply by adding Brian Cox? Wow, 322 00:19:06,600 --> 00:19:10,000 Speaker 1: I had no idea. Dan attaches a link to a 323 00:19:10,160 --> 00:19:12,560 Speaker 1: version of You Got Trouble right here in River City, 324 00:19:12,600 --> 00:19:16,320 Speaker 1: the song about the pool table where Brian Cox is 325 00:19:16,359 --> 00:19:21,840 Speaker 1: playing Harold Hill. Wonderful, Absolutely wonderful. I notice one major 326 00:19:21,920 --> 00:19:25,359 Speaker 1: difference in the way the character comes across. The version 327 00:19:25,400 --> 00:19:27,600 Speaker 1: I'm familiar with is, of course the one with Robert 328 00:19:27,600 --> 00:19:32,439 Speaker 1: Preston as as Harold Hill. And either way, this song Trouble, 329 00:19:32,480 --> 00:19:34,879 Speaker 1: You Got Trouble you know, uh is? It has so 330 00:19:34,960 --> 00:19:41,200 Speaker 1: much fast talk crammed in, and Preston delivers it so smoothly. 331 00:19:41,440 --> 00:19:44,600 Speaker 1: The the impression he gives is that he is the 332 00:19:44,680 --> 00:19:47,199 Speaker 1: slickst con man in the world, and he's done this 333 00:19:47,280 --> 00:19:50,639 Speaker 1: a million times. He's five steps ahead of the locals. 334 00:19:50,680 --> 00:19:53,359 Speaker 1: They're never going to figure him out. He's he's just 335 00:19:53,560 --> 00:19:58,320 Speaker 1: like he's a machine. But with Brian Cox, you actually 336 00:19:58,400 --> 00:20:01,240 Speaker 1: feel how much of a mouth full all the fast 337 00:20:01,280 --> 00:20:03,960 Speaker 1: talk in the song is and you can hear him 338 00:20:04,040 --> 00:20:06,560 Speaker 1: kind of scrambling to keep up with the tempo of 339 00:20:06,600 --> 00:20:09,679 Speaker 1: the song, and it creates a very different impression, a 340 00:20:09,680 --> 00:20:13,359 Speaker 1: really cool one too. In the Brian Cox version, there's 341 00:20:13,400 --> 00:20:16,479 Speaker 1: more of a precarious feeling to the con like Harold 342 00:20:16,560 --> 00:20:20,720 Speaker 1: Hill is talking fast enough to scam the town's folk, 343 00:20:20,800 --> 00:20:23,359 Speaker 1: but instead of being five steps ahead, he's only one 344 00:20:23,480 --> 00:20:27,440 Speaker 1: step ahead. He's constantly on the edge, struggling to make 345 00:20:27,560 --> 00:20:30,440 Speaker 1: up everything as he goes, and it feels like any 346 00:20:30,440 --> 00:20:33,440 Speaker 1: minute he might finally draw a blank where somebody might 347 00:20:33,440 --> 00:20:36,560 Speaker 1: be like, hey, wait a second there, And both approaches 348 00:20:36,600 --> 00:20:39,200 Speaker 1: to Harold Hill really work. It just creates a very 349 00:20:39,240 --> 00:20:44,800 Speaker 1: different vibe about the story. Interesting. Uh yeah, there there 350 00:20:44,880 --> 00:20:47,359 Speaker 1: is a lot of fast talking in the music Man. 351 00:20:47,520 --> 00:20:49,720 Speaker 1: In fact, if memory serves, I think I had a 352 00:20:50,280 --> 00:20:53,919 Speaker 1: drama teacher once who was a great drama teacher, and 353 00:20:53,960 --> 00:20:55,720 Speaker 1: I think he was, but he was also trying to 354 00:20:55,760 --> 00:20:58,880 Speaker 1: like connect with with the kids, and he was like, 355 00:20:58,960 --> 00:21:01,080 Speaker 1: you got your rap, Well, let me tell you about 356 00:21:01,080 --> 00:21:09,159 Speaker 1: the music man. Um So I don't. I don't remember 357 00:21:09,200 --> 00:21:12,040 Speaker 1: the finer points of the argument, but h but I 358 00:21:12,040 --> 00:21:13,480 Speaker 1: think it was just an excuse to show us a 359 00:21:13,480 --> 00:21:15,840 Speaker 1: scene from The Music Man Trouble with the capital T 360 00:21:16,040 --> 00:21:18,159 Speaker 1: and that rhymes with P and that stands for pool. 361 00:21:19,720 --> 00:21:22,240 Speaker 1: All right, dad. Dan ends it up out here by saying, 362 00:21:22,240 --> 00:21:24,240 Speaker 1: apologies for the lengthy email, but I just thought I 363 00:21:24,280 --> 00:21:27,800 Speaker 1: would share since you've mentioned this intensely weird movie now 364 00:21:27,880 --> 00:21:30,639 Speaker 1: twice referring to the Apple. Um when it came up 365 00:21:30,680 --> 00:21:33,800 Speaker 1: in our h let's the Last Starfighter because there was 366 00:21:33,840 --> 00:21:36,920 Speaker 1: a direct reference to it, and then um Athor and 367 00:21:36,960 --> 00:21:39,760 Speaker 1: Mary Stewart was in it. Yeah, yeah, and then we 368 00:21:39,760 --> 00:21:42,760 Speaker 1: were we were talking about Adam and Eve pictures. Oh 369 00:21:42,840 --> 00:21:45,919 Speaker 1: it was the check film. Oh yeah, Furtive Paradise by 370 00:21:46,000 --> 00:21:49,040 Speaker 1: very Chalova. Yes, yes, that was it. Yeah, yeah, the 371 00:21:49,119 --> 00:21:52,800 Speaker 1: Surreal Garden of Eden movie. Yeah. Because The Apple, for 372 00:21:52,920 --> 00:21:55,080 Speaker 1: anyone who doesn't remember, is essentially an Adam and Eve 373 00:21:55,480 --> 00:21:58,720 Speaker 1: and the Devil kind of tale, except lavishly told as 374 00:21:58,760 --> 00:22:01,720 Speaker 1: a big New York Ork City sort of sci fi 375 00:22:01,920 --> 00:22:04,720 Speaker 1: musical piece. Anyway, Dan says, looking forward to what you 376 00:22:04,720 --> 00:22:07,040 Speaker 1: have planned in October, can we expect the return of 377 00:22:07,119 --> 00:22:11,320 Speaker 1: Dr Anton Jessop all the best? Dan Um? Well, first 378 00:22:11,359 --> 00:22:14,080 Speaker 1: of all, no, Dr Anton Jessop is dead. He died 379 00:22:14,359 --> 00:22:19,600 Speaker 1: Um during an expedition in Antarctica. But I know I 380 00:22:19,600 --> 00:22:23,240 Speaker 1: just found it out too. I'm heartbroken. But but as 381 00:22:23,280 --> 00:22:25,399 Speaker 1: far as the Apple goes, yeah, the Apple is super 382 00:22:25,440 --> 00:22:29,320 Speaker 1: weird and super fun. And I did not know it 383 00:22:29,400 --> 00:22:31,280 Speaker 1: had such a following enough to fill up a whole 384 00:22:31,840 --> 00:22:36,120 Speaker 1: uh theater like this. I'm basically I don't think i'd 385 00:22:36,119 --> 00:22:39,119 Speaker 1: heard of it until Riff Tracks did a riff off it, 386 00:22:39,200 --> 00:22:42,320 Speaker 1: and that's that was my introduction to the Apple. I 387 00:22:42,359 --> 00:22:44,640 Speaker 1: still haven't seen it. No, it's well, it's out there. 388 00:22:44,680 --> 00:22:47,000 Speaker 1: It's wait ninety next time you're in the mood for 389 00:22:47,040 --> 00:22:49,080 Speaker 1: a crazy musical. I don't know. Maybe we'll do it 390 00:22:49,119 --> 00:22:50,920 Speaker 1: on the show at some point. We uh, we haven't. 391 00:22:50,920 --> 00:22:53,680 Speaker 1: We haven't. We haven't. We haven't done a lot of musicals. Um, 392 00:22:53,720 --> 00:22:56,000 Speaker 1: but there's always room. Okay, should we call it there? 393 00:22:56,520 --> 00:22:58,560 Speaker 1: We should? We should go ahead and call it there. 394 00:22:58,560 --> 00:23:01,640 Speaker 1: But we'll be back with more listener mail in the future. 395 00:23:02,080 --> 00:23:06,040 Speaker 1: Um when in the future, Well, Monday's Monday's in the future, 396 00:23:06,119 --> 00:23:08,760 Speaker 1: Monday's or when we do listener mail in the Stuff 397 00:23:08,760 --> 00:23:12,040 Speaker 1: to Blow Your Mind podcast feed on Tuesdays and Thursdays 398 00:23:12,320 --> 00:23:16,159 Speaker 1: in the future. We do core episodes on Wednesdays, in 399 00:23:16,160 --> 00:23:19,199 Speaker 1: the future we do artifact or monster fact episodes. And 400 00:23:19,240 --> 00:23:21,760 Speaker 1: on Fridays in the future, well that is when we 401 00:23:21,760 --> 00:23:23,640 Speaker 1: do Weird how Cinema our time to set aside most 402 00:23:23,640 --> 00:23:26,760 Speaker 1: serious concerns and just talk about a weird film. And 403 00:23:26,760 --> 00:23:30,520 Speaker 1: on Saturdays in the future we do vault episodes from 404 00:23:30,560 --> 00:23:33,880 Speaker 1: the past. But future vault episodes from the past will 405 00:23:33,920 --> 00:23:37,639 Speaker 1: still affect you in the future. Exactly. Huge thanks as 406 00:23:37,680 --> 00:23:41,280 Speaker 1: always to our excellent audio producer Seth Nicholas Johnson. If 407 00:23:41,280 --> 00:23:42,800 Speaker 1: you would like to get in touch with us with 408 00:23:42,920 --> 00:23:45,840 Speaker 1: feedback on this episode or any other, to suggest topic 409 00:23:45,880 --> 00:23:48,760 Speaker 1: for the future, or just to say hello, you can 410 00:23:48,840 --> 00:23:51,600 Speaker 1: email us at contact at stuff to Blow your Mind 411 00:23:51,720 --> 00:24:00,919 Speaker 1: dot com. St Have to Blow Your Mind is a 412 00:24:00,920 --> 00:24:03,600 Speaker 1: production of I Heart Radio. For more podcasts for my 413 00:24:03,640 --> 00:24:06,720 Speaker 1: Heart Radio, visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or 414 00:24:06,720 --> 00:24:08,439 Speaker 1: wherever you listen to your favorite shows.