103: Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990)

In this loose hangout episode, Alex and friend of the pod, Dan, discuss their favorite movie together, Joe Dante’s “Gremlins 2: The New Batch.” The guys talk about movie sequels, watching Joe Dante movies high, Dick Miller, Rick Baker’s practical effects, embracing cult classic B-movies, Robert Prosky, and much more.
Throughout the episode, the guys have extended conversations about many Joe Dante classics, including "The Howling," “Explorers,” “Matinee,” “Small Soldiers,” and “Looney Tunes: Back in Action”.
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Transcript

0:22

Hey, everyone, Welcome to. What are you watching? I'm Alex Witt. Throw in. Wow, I've done some solo episodes, done about 100 with my best man Nick doso. But this is the first time that I have had a guest without Nick. It is the guests our audience will be familiar with. The great Dan Bracey is here. How are you doing? Dan? I'm doing spectacular. Alex You doing? Oh God, I'm just perfect. I'm just great. Everything's all good. Talk to Nick about this. You know, after we crossed over 100 episodes, I went, There's this whole, you know, the movies Nick and I talk about are movies that I love, and he and I agree on the ones we're going to discuss. But there I have so many different facets to my movie, Freak Dumb to the things I'm obsessed with. And one of those is Joe Dante, the great director, Joe Dante in particular, Gremlins two, the new batch. And the reason why you are here doing this with me is because we both love Joe Dante, and this is one, if not the movie that you and I share together Gremlins two I'm so excited about this. It's one of the best sequels ever made. I mean, it might be one of my favorite sequels ever made it. I mean, Dante always sets it up is the most unnecessary of all sequels. It's very unconventional. I love that we're not doing like a deep dive on the first one. First, we just go straight to this great satire Gremlins two. But yeah, that's by way of introduce you and why you're here and why Nick is and you know, we're just going to jump right in. Yeah, I mean, I told you this earlier, but I was lucky enough to see Gremlins two gremlins, two screen in Hollywood years ago at the. The old Egyptian theater. My favorite theater. Yes. And Joe Dante did Q&A and he just talked about he just kept talking about how he made the Gremlins movie to end all Gremlins movies. Right. Because you can't were you I mean, I don't know. He did everything. You can't go anywhere else from there. I am fine with it. He's done with it. I don't need a trilogy. Yeah, Yeah. The third one, it's. He did it, but he. You could tell he was just got total carte blanche. We talked about this. Yep. Yep. And he. Yeah, he nailed it. He. I mean, he totally did, first of all. And so I didn't if you told me you went to that Q&A, I forgot it was. I don't know if I just left L.A.. Oh, my God. It was round. Yeah, that is. That's amazing. I would love. I mean, he does these sometimes. You've sent me, like, messages. Going to do a Q&A. I'm like, Should I go? I have for it. I'm tempted. A real, real tempted, if you like. They did the burbs recently or something. He showed up. I don't. I think so. Yeah. I mean, this is why I love him. And we're going to talk about all this like he's this is a guy who's born in the Hollywood studio system. He had a big start with Roger Corman, did so many small jobs for that before he starts directing features. And he's a person who's been around forever and just knows the old Hollywood studio system, knows how to work within it, shoot movies on sets. A lot of them are kind of intentional B-movies, and they're just supposed to be fun. This isn't a guy who's trying to win Oscars. He has these great cameos. I love Joe Dante, but yeah, but Gremlins two, the new batch is my favorite. Dante. I feel like every diehard Dante fan this is this is your favorite. And then you go with, like, you know, everything under Gremlins two. But yes, he did have carte blanche to make this. He didn't really want to do a sequel. No, it kind of sounds like he didn't even necessarily want to do the first one. Like, it didn't sound like it was his type of style. And they just begged, Could you give us a sequel? Because they kept trying and no one wanted to do it. They kept trying and they kept failing and they kept going back to Joe. And then obviously he's like, Oh, only do it if you give me total control. Total control money. And he did it. Nailed it. Oh, my God, It's hilarious. I mean, before we get to Greg alludes to, I do want to talk a little bit about our love for Joe Dante and kind of go through just the work really quick, because then that'll take us to Gremlins two. But like I said, he's a student of Roger Corman. I just mentioned Roger Corman on this podcast because Marty Scorsese, he had a chance to make a movie for him, Boxcar Bertha, his second film. But yeah, he's Joe Dante is one of these one of these guys. And he just starts he starts out with Hollywood Boulevard, which is like his first kind of feature. I love this movie, this exploitation movie about I don't even know. I mean, I've seen all I've seen. I can honestly also say, because you obviously, you watch a lot more movies. And I do, sir. But I think Dante is the first director I've ever watched every single one of their movies, every movie. I don't think I've ever done that before. I've seen Hollywood Boulevard once, once, but I. I think I was too high. Yeah. And so. So I don't really remember a lot of it, but I did see it. I don't remember anything about it. Yeah. Yeah. I the song I used to introduce the episode Truckin and fucking it, but doing it now, it's sort of Oh God. And piranha. We love Piranha. I also run also a little high little. But yes, Piranha was presenting a theme. Here is there is a theme but I break it. I break, I break it. But yeah, piranha was great. I mean, and it's just so stupid. That's what I mean. All these movies hold up because some parts are just so the only thing I remember of Piranha from Piranha is the it kept cutting back to the quick cuts of the fish biting. Yeah. And it's just I was like, is this the same footage over and over? Which I was fine with? Yeah. Yeah, that's what he does. So he'll use footage from other movies if he gets permission, like, but the, like the fact that they even, like, they remade Piranha Dreyfuss. Yeah. The beginning and it's just the fact that they had enough history and enough B-movie clout to be remade to do it. Yeah, Yeah. And that's technically James Cameron's first credited movie Piranha two. Yeah, but I know what I'm saying. The remake they made. Yes, Yes. Oh, you're right. You're right. The remake Dreyfus was in it, right? Yeah. Yeah. Oh, my God. It's Larry. It's The Howling comes next. We both love that movie. If I can just. Well, the Howling. Here's the theme. Yes. The first time I watched The Howling, I was very high and didn't remember it. And then I rewatched it a couple of days ago just because I needed to rewatch it. It's more violent than I remember it to be. I love. I love it. It just it was a great werewolf movie. Here's a fun fact that I don't. You said you didn't. You might not know the Howling came out in 1981. Yes. I had this written down on my phone. Okay. It was the first of three werewolf movies to come out that year. Okay, So American Werewolf in London, America, The Howling came out in March of 81. Let me get American Werewolf came out in August of 81. There was a movie in July. It's like Teen Wolf, you know, I never heard of it. Wolf in Wolf in Wolf in Wolf In Wolf in Wolf End. Haven't seen it. No. 81 Big for the big role of the big reveal here. Yeah, but yeah, I yeah, I like the Howling. It was just it was this first R, wasn't it? You said no Piranha was all Hollywood Boulevard. Piranha and the Howling are all But after the howling, everything. When he doesn't do an R until his last movie. Which is crazy. Yeah, he does PG Like his next is Gremlins 1984 PG Gremlins and the second Indiana Jones movie are responsible for the creation of the PG 13 rating. It's Gremlins. It's pretty violent. It's PG. It's pretty scary. I love it. I love it. Explorers comes in 1985, one of the great unfinished movies. I really, really it's so funny. I also want to say that, like, part of the reason that you're on this podcast, I guess I should have said this upfront. Obviously, is that I've always been a fan of Joe Dante, and so have you. But then when we figure this out, I think it was in COVID, you were like, What do you think of Gremlins two? And I went, I haven't seen it since I was a kid. I don't remember the. And then I started I immediately like watched it and then bought the Blu ray and I went, Oh my God, I did not understand this. When I was a kid. I didn't understand it was satire. So that so like my relationship, my newfound love for Joe Dante, even though I had love, but my newfound like obsession, I can credit you with being responsible for things like, Oh, yeah, of course. Thank you. Thank you. No Gremlins two is just I always have a I've had a saying and, you know, this is when I'm watching Gremlins one, I always say to myself at least once while I'm watching Gremlins one, I'm like, I could be watching Gremlins two. Exactly. Exactly. She thinks it's just so much better. Yeah. Yeah, it's so funny. We just watched it. We. We just watched it. Yeah. Yeah. We both see it a bunch, but we just watch it together, which is great. So explores 1985 stories is good. He didn't get to finish it and released it anyway. Very, very strange. Inner space. I always had Martin Short's great. Martin Short's great. Dennis Quaid. I always had like a dream as a kid that I could do that like a recurring dream that like I could go inside someone and like, kind of control it and see it. I didn't realize it was from this movie, so I clearly saw this movie like as a kid, and it just y didn't know it was Dante. Yeah, until I rewatched it. I think I rewatched it less than a year ago. Yeah, I watched it like 20, 21, 22. It's so good. It's so short. She's the perfect choice for that. So good. But yeah, yeah, Dennis Quaid is great, but yeah, it's just I didn't know again. I didn't know Dante. I didn't either. But yeah, I don't. I also don't think that movie gets a lot of credit. I don't think a lot of these movies get a lot of credit. Really? Yeah. Like, inner space is hysterical. It's really inventive. It's this good. And then the burbs 1989 screaming, I love you. We need more movies with Tom Hanks yelling excuse of I got that. But yeah, another movie that I watched when I was too high. Yeah, I don't remember much of it, but I remember obviously a great choice here. Bruce Dern, Brewster's great in the burbs and I forgot Carrie Fisher was in it to me. I do too. Yeah. The burbs is just a great little self-contained little community movie. Yeah. Yeah. But it is so stupid. It's so stupid. A lot of these movies are so stupid. They're satirical. They're very Joe Dante's a huge wise ass, big, smart ass, and he doesn't like s overexplain the jokes. You just kind of have to keep watching them. This is why when I rewatched all of his movies a few years ago, I was like, Holy shit, I missed all of this. Welcome back to the burbs. Once you mention the next movie, I feel you're going to skip Gremlins two We'll talk about, Yeah, Gremlins two new batch is 1999. Matinee 1793 Oh my God. When I was rewatching matinees earlier this week, for obvious reasons and I during my viewing the matinee, I thought it was other movies. And I was like, Wow, Matinee is such an original movie. Yeah, It's like, you don't get that anymore. No, it's the. Oh, it's just yeah, it's just you don't. It's such a unique film because everything's just so recycled. Yeah. Nowadays. Yeah. I'm like, This can get me today just because it's so original. No, don't give a shit. Yeah, exactly. Exactly. I would like to. Yeah. Yeah. I love Matt. Can't hate John Goodman. John Goodman is great. And I saw that one in the theater as a kid. I've always been. Oh, yeah, I've always been obsessed. I don't think I'd heard about it until you. Until it. Until you rewatch Gremlins two and you realized how much I liked Dante and then you bought me Matinee. Yeah. Yeah. And then I feel like that's the first time I'd heard about it. Yeah. When you mention Matinee to me. Yeah. Oh, God, it's so good. We'll bring up these movies, you know, as we go. I'm just getting them out of the way. I'm just getting them out of the way. Now, here's a great one. Small soldiers. Thank you. The idea of what sort of APB. What about Phil Hartman's last movie? Phil Hartman? The movie's great. Like that. I love small soldiers. Yeah. If you haven't rewatched small soldiers, you should to rewatch the small soldier. Yeah, it really holds up. That's what I'm saying. Like these movies that you may have seen as a kid, because there's all this wiseass humor in it when you watch it as an adult, really holds up just like Looney Tunes back in action, which I had not seen, I don't think. Oh 23 It's the cameos that we talked about. The cameos Dante can get in his movies are wonderful. Yeah, but yeah, Looney Tunes is just it's obviously Space Jam. Space Jam. Who Framed Roger Rabbit? Ask, But it didn't do well. No, it didn't. Probably because. But it was. But it's really funny. It's hilarious. Yeah, I put it on like three days ago. I was laughing my ass should. Yeah. Crazy for the cameos. Yeah. Yeah. He even talks about how he plays Brendan Fraser plays Brendan Fraser stunt in The Mummy. Yeah. Yeah. So there's a lot of meta stuff in it. I mean there's great Matthew Lillard moment in it. Yeah, the cameos because Dante we were talking like he shoots on studios in L.A. so he's, you know, calling in his friends and going, Hey, you want to show up for a couple of hours, not a day on this. Yeah, not like that. Matthew Lillard cameo. Yeah, that was like an owl shot. Exactly. It's an it's hilarious. But everyone will show up for Dante. The whole 2009, which I liked it. Yeah, I did too. I had not remembered this one. And it's a hard one to find because as you pointed out, it was one of those like novelty. We're going to do it in 3-D. Things. You know, it's like this was 29 using that face post Avatar. It was good. I mean, it's not great, but I, I was thoroughly impressed with it. I was, too, because this is 2009 and he's you know, he's taking longer gaffs like matinees, 93 small soldiers in 98. And you finished watching it literally this morning. This morning. So yeah, but like it's I think you told me it's like his E.T. stuff, but it does get Yeah, but it gets darker as it goes. It's because the whole plot of the whole is just facing your worst fear. Yeah. Yet the biggest thing you're afraid of, your main character's fear is very real. Very real. It's like, yeah, the other other characters are afraid of like clowns and stuff. It's like, you know, the little kids afraid of clowns. But what the what one of the main characters is afraid of? Yeah, it hits home. It was very real. It was like, Oh shit. They had some depth to this in his last feature film that he is directed. It's called Burying the Ex in 2014, which is, you know, it's just not a good movie. It was it's like really bad. It was really bad. I watched it on Tube yesterday. It I was like, What is this? Why did he do this? It looks like it was made for no money. It was it had no the score was bad. Yeah, Anton Yelchin was bad. Yeah, he's great. He is great, but it's just not good. It's not just felt like a rushed, poorly written, I don't know, like a student film. Yeah, they don't really play like it. And it sucks that that was Dante's last movie. I mentioned this to you earlier. I don't know if there's a weird coincidence that his last movie was Dick Miller's last movie, because obviously they were very close. Yeah. So I don't. I mean, maybe. Maybe, maybe. But yeah, it's just it's not a no one wants to go out on as a director, but obviously he's known more for Gremlins in Gremlins two. Yeah, but if you're like a movie buff or a cinephile, whatever you want to call yourself, it's just like you could skip burying the ax. Yeah, exactly. And you can. You can also watch Dick Miller's cameo of Barry in the Ex on YouTube. Oh, my God, It's great. Love Tequila. Yeah, But yeah, it's like Joe Dante is still alive. Like, he's still doing Q&A. A-Z as a popular movie podcast that he does with the co-hosts, like he's still going. I don't. I mean, he's directed a few, I think, TV episodes, but yeah, all the fans, including you and I would love to see him do another movie, I think on his own TV right now. It says Gremlins three is his next movie, but I think that's how he's going to do it. Yeah, he's. Did you know that there was a movie in 1996 he was supposed to direct? We didn't direct it or to call the Phantom with Billy Zane. Oh, my God. That would have been. I don't even know who directed that. I don't remember. But he I read on his Wikipedia the other day because I did some research. He was supposed to direct it for some reason. I think timing didn't work out and he helped write the script. So it's like pretty funny at times, but they cut all that shit out. But yeah, he's credited as an EP and he regrets it to this day. He said that the studio wanted to pay him a ton of money to take his credit off, but he's like, No, I want to be an EP. And he regrets not taking the money. But I would I would have loved to have seen Joe John take and oh, that would have been great. Billy Zane bring back Zane on the part. Yeah, that's the filmography. I mean, we went through it quick because we want to get to Gremlins too. But part of the fun of this episode is not Overexplain in Gremlins. The original is jumping right into the sequel because I think it's hilarious, but I feel like you couldn't. I feel like you can watch Gremlins two and survive without seeing Gremlins one. Yeah, but you'll miss a lot of the deep cuts. Yeah, you will. You'll miss the deep cuts. You'll be like, you know, the Futterman. You know who they are, the rules and everything is explaining it. But I mean, do you want to describe a little bit about gremlins and like, the rules or. I don't know, like just the original one? Oh, no. Oh, got to go into it. I mean, yeah, it's a simple it's a holiday classic. It is. It's one of my annual Christmas movies. Oh, it is. I didn't I fucking. Yeah. Yeah, I, it's one of those everyone watches Die Hard. I'm more of a Gremlins. Yeah. Yeah. I dare Yeah. That and like Scrooged and yes you told me Hold on one and two for me. Well yeah but no gremlins. Is it just I mean it's just, it's like a movie. You could say, oh I'll watch any Shane Black movie on Christmas. Right, Right. It's kind of like one of those doesn't have to place on Christmas. But it does. Yeah, yeah, yeah. This, this kid's given a little Mogwai, and it's like the three rules. No bright light. Don't feed him after midnight. And then I forgot, you know, no water, no watch. He didn't. Didn't know them. Yeah. You can't be happy with water, but obviously then antics ensue. Yes. Yeah. And that's it. I mean, that's number one. It's great. It's easy. But also it takes forever to get to the gremlins. It really does. But yeah, yeah, yeah. But that's, I mean, that's, you know, the special effects weren't as good. The puppeteering and all that work wasn't as good. And then, yeah, as we mentioned, like he makes that, it's a, it's a hit, It's, it's executive produced by Steven Spielberg. Yeah. Who just come off it so he's like soaring he's doing well he's getting ready to make you know he's in the Indiana Jones sequel, so he's doing great in the air. Dante makes gremlins in the studio, like Warner Brothers is like, Can you give us a sequel? Can he give us a sequel? Because they were kind of it sounds like in a lull we wanted to cash in on this. I know. Yeah. And he said no multiple times, that it didn't need a sequel. It didn't. It didn't need what it he's basically like, okay, if I do this, you're going to give me a lot more money and you're going to let me do whatever the hell I want with it. And he, you know, he pitches the idea of putting it in New York City and they kind of balk at that. He's like, No, no, I'm going to set it all, mostly all in one building. And then he goes and makes this thing and then it's released. And like the Gremlins two does not carry the same. I'm talking like, well, also almost a decade after. Yeah. I mean, so six years is a shit. Yeah exactly. Which is so funny that and I think that was probably Dante's argument to the studio. But you also give a shit about this. Like, do they? I mean, it's I feel like it's more topical now than it ever was. Exactly. That's what I was getting to feel that it's exactly, exactly. Because for like the mass audiences, I don't think Gremlins two is talked about that much. But for movie fans and for Dante fans, it is talked about all the time. This is Tarantino's favorite, Dante. He talks about it a lot and that got me to kind of look at it from a new lens. And you know, I've talked about this in relation to Ocean's 12 because Ocean's 12 completely just inverts what they did with Ocean's 11. And is that that huge fuck you one that Julia Roberts won. Yeah, I mean, she's in the first one. She the one that played herself. Yeah, exactly. So that's like that's what we're talking about. Even like Brendan Fraser, like calling out the Brendan Fraser in The Mummy in Looney Tunes. It's stuff like that. So there's this big like I don't feel there's, there's a lot of energy coming from Gremlins two that I also feel in Ocean's 12, which is I don't want to do this, no one needs to be doing. Yeah, this kind of feels like a cash job. So I'm going to do the opposite of what people expect. And that's where Gremlins two is born. Well, because I was I was looking when I when I'm when I watched the whole and bearing the ex, I was looking for any gremlins homages because they're in small soldiers. Yeah. Yeah. They're in Looney Tunes. Yes. And that's as far as I know. That's the only time he references Gremlins. Yeah. I don't think the two other. Yeah, unfortunately not. Unfortunately not. But I would rewatch Looney Tunes. It's lovely. Looney Tunes. It's great. I didn't even remember how good it was. It's like it's hilarious. And you said the Looney Tunes sketch in the beginning of Gremlins Soup kind of sets up back and forth. Yeah, I didn't think about that till I just saw it this morning. Yeah, The duck, Daffy Duck. Yeah. How he was. He wants a starring role. He wants it, and he gets obviously back in action. Definitely. He absolutely does. Yeah. All right, groan. So let's get into it. Let's just open it up. This is. I mean, this is not like a very this isn't a heavily outline pod where everything's very, like constructed order. I just want to have it freestyle. Just talked about it. Funniest bits, this shit. We laugh that we were dying laughing. I love this movie. I don't even know where to begin. I mean, let's begin with, like, the very first shot when I told you, Hey, these opening skylight, New York City skyline shots were filmed for Superbad for you had no idea. Yeah, I couldn't afford to do it. I'd never seen Superman four. Yeah. Yes, I know how bad it is. Yeah. Yeah. But yeah, I didn't know that. That's hilarious. Hilarious. But I love Gremlins two for how quickly they get to the gremlins because you just everyone's like, Come on, let's go, let's go. Yeah, yeah. And it's just joke after joke. Yeah, the whole 10 minutes, just gag bit after bit makes fun of itself. So. Well, I don't think. I mean, rarely do sequels make fun of the original. This much they're like all the questions that people had about gremlins like you know you you hear a plot device and then you might wonder Ingram in the first gremlins like well what about like if they change time zones and they eat and all this stuff, they're breaking that up. Well, I think I think it also helps. I think it also helps that the sequel so different from the original. Yeah yeah I it's because obviously they still follow the same formula a little bit but I think the fact that it's so different is why it's so fresh and works, which is also why I don't know how I thought about this to compare why Bill and Ted wanted to work so well. Yeah, yeah, because he's so, so different. Yes, but they obviously carry the same characters. Yeah. And that's why both movies are so good, because it's not recycled. Yeah, exactly. I agree. I agree. They're not like they're not in the same small town in Gremlins two, like they've got No. And we don't have to explain any of the law again, they just kind of like they're just jumping into it. I God, I love that. I think that's a great comfort. Yeah, I had one or two. I yeah. And just like the more every time you watch Gremlins two it gets better. Yeah. I just think again the cameos are great. I'm just really is really good. Chris releases stuff. I didn't know Jerry Goldsmith was in it till you pointed out. Yeah, I used the composer. Yeah. Yeah. And then we have, we talked about this earlier. The Kevin McCarthy nod. Yes with the pod. Yeah. And body snatchers. Yeah. I didn't know was in. So a lot of Dante movies. Yes. Kevin McCarthy. It's funny because I just mentioned him on the Montgomery Clift podcast episode 95 because he was the one who left Elizabeth Taylor's house with Montgomery. Yeah, because he's a witness. He's in Looney Tunes. He's in May. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Kevin McCarthy is just like an old school veteran actor and he's yeah, that I didn't even recognize him. The gremlins soothing until you pointed out to me. Oh, really? Yeah. Yeah. I never. Oh, yeah, it's. He's not in it obviously, but the pod. It's the pod. Yeah. Yeah. Hysterical. Because he was in boat. He was in the first invasion of Body Snatchers in the fifties. The one in the seventies. Which is great. Yeah, like, there's so many bits in here. Like when they're out on the street and they're walking, If you pay close attention, you can see that. Mark says the howling part didn't notice it. Yeah, you told me. Hysterical. And you told me there's been all these howling sequels. I didn't know that. Yeah, but. Okay, so. But that's bad. Oh, yeah, of course. Of course. But what he's doing there, he's making like, there's this 1990 satire to it, like the Howling 11. That's ridiculous. But we're going to be at Fast and Furious 11 in a couple of years. Like we're there, you know, Right. Scream six Like this is what it is now. It's all just cashing in on IP. So he really had his pulse on that stuff early. Yeah, fucking hilarious. But I mean, like I told you, like the bit in the elevator at Gremlins two when Phoebe Cates just yells sound alarm and all the gremlins start, like yelling. Yeah, yeah. Just like, I mean, it's stupid. So stupid. Yeah. And we were just laughing out loud like him directly. And every gremlin is different. Yeah. Like the first Gremlin followed a very, like, simple formula. This will design all the molds the same. Yeah, this one, just like they are all very different. All have their own personality. At least that the core four of them do. Yeah. So not to quote, scream six, core four or four, but yeah. No. The first four gremlins that are created from Gizmo, they're very unique. Oh, they're so good. I love them. Yeah. And Dick Miller gets his moment from too. Yeah, we're definitely going to talk about Dick Miller when we get to like, the cast, but, I mean, we could do it now. Like, Dick Miller is a staple of 60, 70, 8090s film. He also came from the school of Roger Corman. All of his first roles were for Corman movies. And then, yeah, he was in every Joe Dante movie, even Barry next. And that's why yeah, that's why I'm a firm believer that that was the reason for that, is that making movies. Yeah, because they are diverse. I like it, I like it. I mean, it's sad, but I like this. I definitely like this. But every time Dick Miller shows up on a Dante, you're like, Yeah, yeah. You really I mean, we cheer is in the hole. He's in it for 10 seconds. 10 seconds. No, no, no, no lines, dozens. But I mean, he just gives some funny looks. Pizza delivery. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But then the way he's left off in Gremlins, we don't really, like, know the fate of the Futterman that. Yeah. Did they kind of make it? They did show up at Gremlins two but he's a bigger role. Yeah that's what I'd say. He has a lot to do with Greg. Let's see, like, maybe close to the most in any Dante movie. Eddie really works. Yeah. He's, like, afraid of Abbas's PTSD for the gremlins that he fights back. Oh, my God. That voice, too. I love Dick Miller will bring it around to him again. No worries. No worries. Who else? Robert Prosky is great. We were talking about him a lot, talking about cameos. You know, he's like the vampire guy. Oh, yeah, he's great. I mean, he's been in so much from Love Interest and Mrs. Doubtfire, you know? Yeah, that's right. It's a nice priest. And Rudy. Oh, we were talking about well, I mentioned this early down, Robert Picardo, who played the security guy in Gremlins two. Yes. And he played the the main werewolf. The first werewolf in the Halloween. Yeah. And he played the theater owner in matinees. Yep. So he's a recur. Yeah. Recover. Yeah, sure. We're going to go with that recur. And I mentioned this this woman, Belinda Blonsky, who I didn't know. Yeah, she was like, she was the chick that the main woman's. The mother from E.T. who's in the main, in the howling. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So her friend that comes the the some of the camp in the house she's killed by Robert Picardo, so she's in that one. And then she's the woman in the Gremlins. I said, Mrs. Diggle, it's Christmas, right? And she's in Gremlins two in the theater. Yeah. So. Oh, that's right. Yes. But he likes to use his people. He does. He likes to reuse people. And he I mean, if you may not even catch this, let alone the cameos from his own movies, but then the bigger ones we were talking about, like the Jerry Goldsmith cameos or things like that, you may not even catch it. Joe Dante's in Gremlins two, and I didn't know that. I didn't know. It looks nothing like him. It does. So yeah, yeah. He's so young. You can tell from the hairline because he's always had that same hairline. But yeah, smoking in there, it's just it's hilarious. Well, like that set, they built this huge set for Gremlins two to look like the clam, like building clamp is very, I think, deliberately based off. Oh, yeah. Which is I mean 1980s Trump You know that name carries different weight now but I yeah, I just love that the logo is like the clamp symbol and it's clamping down on Earth, you know, because it's his but that I mean that production design of that is really cool. It's hilarious. If you look in the background there, you see all these gags, like there's a huge U-Haul rental shop on the second floor, but that's also like a very like airplane. ZUCKER Yeah, where just the background is just as funny as the foreground. Exactly. And that's for like a recurring watch. Yeah. That's why we say when you keep rewatching this, it gets better. It absolutely gets. Because like you pointed out, like one of the gremlins has like an antique gizmo, right? It's just like it's the stupidest, smallest stuff. Oh, my God, I fucking love it. It's so hilarious. I found a little, little trivia because I explored the Blu ray, watched, you know, listen to the commentary, watch all the outtakes, the that little other outtakes. Oh, yeah. So, oh, here's the best part of the outtakes. So in the outtakes, they show, you know, where Christopher Lee works. He's like the mad scientist. So there's a bunch of monkeys in cages. They were trying to have the gremlins interact with the monkey, and they opened like a monkeys cage, and the monkeys fucking terrified that it will come out. Oh, the puppet, the puppet. It will not come out. They're terrified. You could hear the handlers being like, Come on, come on, come on out. And it will. I love that. I mean, yeah. Let's talk about how they do bring the gremlins in fast, because how long is it in the first one into time it takes I mean, I feel like the 25 minute mark. Yeah, it's like the classic, you know, the movie first act breaks things. Of course, but this one's quicker. Yeah. I mean, and it needs to be because no one gives a shit. No one cares to story. You get to it, get to the gremlins and everyone knows because even like, even in the beginning, it's like when the pulses are hurt. Tell exactly it's Gilligan. Yeah. Galligan tells Bobby Cates about PBC. It's about a like the rules. He's a guy remind me. And it's like, Oh, it's him to remind her. And the audience and the audience. Yeah. And it's like super quick. Yeah, exactly. In case you haven't, don't remember that well from six years ago about the original one. Yeah. They're here to remind you. Yeah, but no it's, it's get to get to the fun. Yeah. Get to the fun and it is funny. Shit. I mean, what's also cool about the gremlins that's different from 84 is that they hired, you know, Rick Baker, famous artist Rick Baker, to do a lot of the effects, a lot of the gross like goopy stuff and everything, spitting up and going everywhere. And like the creatures, the gremlins just look better in this. They move a lot better. Yeah. Are there 1990 effects like watching now? But they're so they must've been amazing. But there's no I notice there's no like, extra. I don't know if there's an extreme close up specifically Gizmo. Yeah. They're in Gremlins one there's like the really, really close one where they talk about it because it's like, what, two or three people working a giant face or something crazy. But there's closer ones. You get hands cause like you said, technology has gotten better. Yeah. So they're I think they're more free to do like a pull out and you can show more of what's going on. But even like when he I didn't even notice this until this viewing when he bill Bill Billy when he closes his hand on gizmos, you know, he closes the door in his hand and you could see the hand pulsating. Yeah, that's it's stuff like that too they can really do in 84 and that's really fun to see. And then yeah, once all these I mean, do we need to describe the plot of this movie? It's basically Billy. It's the same plot of the first one. Is it his girlfriend, played by Phoebe Cates? They now work for this in this big high rise in L.A., in New York, owned by this guy Clamp, who's clearly based on trouble. Yeah, that's basically it. Like Gizmo finds his way back to Billy, and it's kind of like a bottle movie. Yeah, I guess it's all contained within the skyscraper. Yes, pretty much costs, but. Yeah. No, I also a good fan of a lockdown movie. Oh, yeah. I love lockdown. I mean, they call that, like, Die Hard in Blank. And this is like a gremlins kind of die hard. It's like, Yeah, because there's, like, this gizmo gizmos, like, running through the air ducts. Yeah. And like, John McClane. Exactly. Running through. He's like, prepping. And there's the Rambo. The Rambo two, Rambo two. Yeah, yeah, Rambo, the Rambo and the Rambo. Yeah, yeah, yeah. But yeah, it's just. I mean, it wasn't made for cheap, but Dante did his best to keep it. Yeah. Yeah. Because obviously the cheap to keeping it into one place really helped. Yes, definitely help with cost to shoot. I mean, they filmed in New York City for three days that's it and I think it was a weekend. It was like a long weekend. That's all they had to film the exteriors. That's nuts. I would have never known that. But I heard that on the commentary, Dante talking about it, that's like, Oh my God, that's crazy. Yeah. So that's I mean, that's the setup of the movie. And then the rules are broken with Gizmo Water gets on him and then more gremlins are bought, you know, that's so it just goes crazy. It goes off. But the reason why it works so well is because once it starts making fun of itself. Yeah, it just like you said, like the whole the whole scene in the control room were like, Oh, why? If I get food caught in my teeth, What? It's like time. What if I'm on a plane? So they're just. They're debunking the rules. Yes. Which is great. Yeah. And they never answer them. No, because there is no, it's no, I know. I was taking the piss out of it the whole time. It's so funny. It's. They're pretty much just making they're pretty much making fun of the people who are bringing up the flaws. That's what I think is hysterical. That's what I think is so funny that he's poking fun at it and he's like, I know all this stuff. Dumb things like, I know this, I know the criticisms, but it was also like a PG Christmas movie, Gremlins. I mean, you know, that's kind of how you're looking at it. And yet to go, it's much darker. That's what's that's what is interesting. It's much darker. It's much more violent and like serious. And I honestly didn't remember that. And it's like, what do you see people dying? Gremlins. Yeah, yeah. Not that people don't die in Gremlins two, but it's, it's, it's funny like, yeah, it's very forcefully. It's three sided. Yeah, it's right. Right exactly. Humanity. He might not even have die spoiler. That's right. That's for sure. But yeah it's just but you people clearly dying gremlins one Yes like Yeah no one's too it's just it's more goofy. Yeah it's slapstick goofy. We were we called out Three Stooges and we were watching it like, Oh, I think that this is kind of Three Stooges vibe. Yeah, there's all that stuff playing off of it. I love when Dick Miller shows up and, you know, they come to the apartment and he's like, Did you know the Russians drive cabs here? Like, look, what was that like? This guy stuck in a World War two world? Yeah, Yeah. So WWII. WWII. Oh, God, he's so good. I love him in everything, but yeah, even the new characters are great. Like, I mean, I love Clamp. I'm Rhonda. Was that her name? The clamp is paid by is played by John Glover. He's great. And then Marla Marla bloodstone by Havilland. Morris is her name. That was so great. Yes. I mean, she's fun. I like her character and she still really does nothing. Yeah. What's so great? Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's just like when I was rewatching Back in Action Looney Tunes Steve Martin is that's talk about carte blanche. She was clearly told goes big as you want. Yeah. Do whatever the fuck you want and it none of it's incorrect. No but he keeps, he keeps he keeps it going. He keeps the same because he because it's consistent. He doesn't break with the bit. It's oh man. So I'm always a big fan of that. Even John Glover's Daniel Clamp is like playing it very, very big. And I don't mind it because it fits within the tone so well. Oh, it's great. There's a lot of yeah, there's a lot of cameos in it. But let's talk about some of like the the funniest parts, the funniest bits of Gremlins. Two that we like because I mean, once they are like unleashed and you know, it's the water's been out and then all the real gremlins are starting it's just these genuinely the psycho gag after sight sight gag that is hysterical. Starting with that that chef, you know, microwave march, you just booze it and they pop out, just destroy the set and, you know, you're watching this. And I even said it to you. I'm like, all she has to do is just run away. So that's how fun, you know, he fights and fights him. That's so funny. Oh, God, I love that scene. But yeah, you mentioned the elevator scene, which I love the line. It's great when when the gremlin drinks the brain drug, as soon as he starts talking Tony Randall's voice, it's that. I mean, the movie just gets better. Yeah, And I. Dante said on the commentary, like, we didn't know if we could get away with this because no one talks in the first rent, no gremlin talks, The first one we didn't know. And then we were just like, Fuck it, let's do it. And you know that also adds to the Yeah, I'm going to do whatever I want. Yes. Of the movie. Yeah, that works great. That is one of the like signature bits of the film. And then I think the funniest moment of the film for me is when they're talking on the couch. Prosky And the brain did that, you know, Crazy one just leans over and the brain gremlin shoots the pistol like in the face. It's so, it's so funny to be I mean, watching him singing. Sinatra Yeah, yeah. Bjork But yeah, it's just coffee and like, throws the coffee that they shredded. I love that part. But you talked about John Glover fighting the Gremlin off in the Yeah, yeah, yeah, fighting the Gremlin off in the paper shredder And they like, attach the Gremlin to the actors that he was actually controlling it. So that's how they were doing those more like hand-to-hand combat fights. Yeah, it's, it's all very practical. That's what Joe Dante does. It's practical effects. Yeah, we were, we had the whole on and I was like, this is actually there are parts that are well shot and a lot of it is practical, not all of it like the end wasn't, but a lot of it is practical and it looks really cool. Oh yeah, yeah. Same for burying the exits. Okay, that's okay. We're not going to talk about we we got there, we moved on. We're going to bury that movie. We're going to bury the film in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. Oh, back to Graboids, too. Yeah. Torturing gizmo. The Velcro is great. The What does that think? The copier. You're in the train. The train. And it's just they. They put them through a lot. And even like Bill Pelser calls them on that. They pushed him too far. Yep. And they did. He snapped because in the first one he whatever movie he imitates with the racecar driver. Yeah. Yeah. I don't know what movie that I don't know, but it's kind of like obviously they do the same thing a bit. Yeah. Like you comment of he, he copies Rambo. Yeah. So it's kind of a lot of the a lot of repeat themes. Right. Right. But turned up to 11. Yes. So yes. That's why etc.. Training. Yeah. But yeah. And it's also I think I told you earlier how many different plots are going on simultaneously. There are a lot. Yeah. Compared to Gremlins One. Yeah. It's got the gizmo and everyone like kind of separates and they all meet up at the end like Dick Miller is by himself. Right? Right. Bills by himself, gizmos, gizmos by himself, processes by himself. And yeah, in the second one, there are there's a lot more going on. It has a lot more opportunities to cut cut here. Cut here. One of the things you would miss if you didn't see Gremlins one or didn't have a good memory of it, I'm not going to lie. When you were like, Dude, you need to rewatch Gremlins two. That's what I put on first. And I hadn't seen Gremlins one in years either. So they put two on and I was All right, I got to go back. Yeah. Talk about. Oh, did you watch two before you rewatched one. Yes. Yes. So and I had seen one just more as a kid because I don't remember two ever being on TV. But I think I even had a gizmo like stuffed animal. I remember Gremlins as a kid. I didn't watch as much as like E.T., but it was just on it was usually on B. I put it on first and I missed a bit of the gremlins do with Phoebe Cates. It stops for, you know, they'll bedsit Lincoln, which is so stupid. It's so stupid, but it takes us back to Christmas. Santa Claus is the first one, which is like, yeah, one of the funniest things I've ever seen in a movie. It's so dark randomly and Gremlins just talks about that, you know, this is why I don't celebrate Christmas. I think that's the biggest dig at Gremlins one yeah yeah it's the great is that is bringing that back kept bringing back to Lincoln and she just sits there cause that's like a movie that's the darkest part of Gremlins one. Oh yeah It's about her dad dying die getting stuck. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it's that she's not. That seems not funny. I know. And but it's hilarious in Gremlins two. Yes, Except when you're watching Gremlins, what you're like, what the hell that is? Slow this movie down. It's all about this horrific bed. And then she starts doing it to get it. Gremlins to it. Yes. They cut her off, Billy. And he's like, okay, sweetie, okay. Okay. It's like we get it, we get it here. We get it. But like her levels, the little girl would go, Oh, God, so dark. Like, if you keep going, it's so dark. That's probably I don't know. I just. I love seeing Phoebe Cates in this. She's not in a lot anymore. No, nothing. Yeah, I've got. So. Goodness, it's great that you got the, you know, the core cast to come back. Yeah. Which is what Dante think. That's what he can do because everyone loves working with them. Apparently. Yeah. I think he's just a really nice guy, you know, He doesn't sound like a, you know, like a screamer. Didn't sound like he's losing his temper a lot. He's just in the studio system carving it out. He's doing it. No, I'll never get rewatching Gremlins two now. It's fun for the whole family. Fun for the whole thing. I'm right, Dante. I love you. Peaked at Gremlins two, but it's just. Well, I love matinees. I do know. I don't know if it's like a peak. I think it's. He's showing like it's the most dance movie he's ever done. It is the most Joe Dante movie ever made. Gremlins two. There's no question. It's much more, I think in a lot of ways, even in tangent more intentional. The gremlins one, I think you had a lot of rules and a lot of studio oversight and proper oversight on what directors are going to say no to carte blanche. Yeah, exactly. That's what convinced him to finally do Gremlins two and oh, we can talk about part of Dante's wise. Asiri is doing these like bits in in the camera and in his movie and in his movies. And he gets these come with the whole cogat thing. Yes. Yes. It's like a B part of it is inspired by the great director, William Castle, who was the inspiration for the John Goodman character and matinee. And he would always do these bits like So William Castle Slash has a Hitchcock thing. Yeah. Yeah. Like he would William Castle would have, like, gasp In a way, his first movie, I Stand Alone, has this countdown in the last scene, like before the last scene starts. And it's like, you have 30 seconds to leave the theater or else. And that's a bit from a castle movie in like the sixties yet literally had a clock com on screen. And he's like, this movie is going to get crazy. It's going to get dangerous. You have 60 seconds to leave. So a good bit in this abbey. They do it. Would you want to explain it because it's fucking hilarious. Although it's Yeah it's when Zack elegans talking to Christopher Lee. Yeah you can see that the screen flicker right. And the film catches on fire. Yeah. As gremlins are fucking with the film right. So if you were like sitting in the theater, you'd be like, it's the movie, and then everything goes before it breaks the fourth wall. Yes. And then they introduce Hulk Hogan. Yeah. Who, like, yells action. Yeah. And they fix the movie. Right. And then what I love, I mean, this is just so inventive for the VHS version of Gremlins two, They intercut that is actually really effective. You can watch it on the Blu ray. Like the way that it starts Skipping was exactly how those VHS tapes everyone uses the VHS one. No, all the Blu ray has a special feature, has it on it and you can see it Skip. And I'm like, Man, I like that tracking or whatever the hell it was and VHS tapes, you just see it go off and then they, they go into a John Wayne movie called Chisum from 1970. And the Duke, he's voiced by like a guy who could do a really good impression of him. And he yells at the gremlins like, Get out of my movie. That's that. Then he blows two of them away. It might even be better than what's, you know, the film and the book. Yeah, the book. They're like, take over the book. The novelization made after it and they like right for a little bit. We're we're taking over taking control. And then in remind me they get to back the critic they kill in gremlins two that's well Leonard Maltin who did not in real life did not give a good review of gremlins one which and then again back to Joe Dante, sense of humor. He reaches out to him and he's like, hey, you didn't like Gremlins one. Do you want to go do that review on camera and Gremlins two and then the gremlins will eat you and kill you, presumably. And he does it. It it's great. It's a great bit hilarious. We talked about the gremlins speaking. I really I really enjoy how they every gremlins, not every gremlin, but a bunch of gremlins. Certain things too like in like the Yeah one becomes electricity one becomes a bat. Yeah. When it comes fruits or vegetables. Oh he does. It's why they're eating. That's why they're eating off because he creates produce, produces vegetables. I was wondering in the end, when the plot was an olive oil martini. Martini, Martini. Oh, that's right there's one that turned into a female. AVC Which is going to play a big plot point. It does, but yeah, just again, like again, he turned it up to 11. Yeah, because he's doing pretty much like you said. You said you mentioned the white board. Yeah, he had a white they had a white board on set or, you know, some sort of board that people could write on in anyone in the cast and crew, anyone at any point could write a Gremlins idea on it like crazy Gremlin or, you know, food gremlin, whatever. Electricity gremlin. You didn't use all of them, of course, But they used some of them. And then, you know, you get to that in scene where when they're all in the lobby of the building, just go nuts. And it's so funny that some of them are drunk. The antique gizmo guy is great. Oh, my God. It's like, oh, it's like with the shirt. Yeah. Yeah. But yeah, the whole Sinatra number. What movie did you spell musical? Did you say they paid homage to? Homage to. Oh, like Busby Berkeley song. Yeah. So Busby Berkeley is like, we got to go back to, like, twenties, thirties. Do you ever see Hail Caesar or the Coen Brothers movie? Did you do okay like all the Scarlett Johansson stuff? Oh, she's in the water and singing. Yeah, that's all Busby Busby Berkeley inspiration. So that's what they were doing for this movie, too. But again, like, I don't know how many people know who Busby Berkeley is. I know him because I studied him and do not film classes. Yeah, If I showed you his original stuff, you'd be you'd go. You may not have seen that, but you'd go, Oh, that's been parodied in so many movies, just basically overhead photography. And you a really famous one. It's like 20 women swimming in a pool. And yeah, of course they do. Synchronized. Exactly. Diving or there, hold it. They'll hold up signs like they're doing gremlins to reveal like a face. But my point is even that, that's like a deep, deep cut of of a reference is Busby Berkeley stuff in Gremlins suit when they rip the mask. The Phantom of the Opera Porgy they walked her the camera. Yeah. He walks toward the camera. That is Lon Chaney in the original Phantom of the Opera in the Twenties. When he walks toward the camera and it goes out of focus and it's like, Yeah, this is the guy who loves movies, who's making these, and that's why he's such a thrill to watch this. Like every Joe Dante movie. I don't dislike any of them. I probably won't rewatch very next anytime, I don't think or or maybe the whole, but we need to get off that train because love Joe, don't they love it? It's fine. It's fine. It's a it's a different beast. But no, I don't talk about matinee. You want to talk about it? Yeah. Okay. Yeah. One more thing about Gremlins. You know that loogie that they spit on a dick. Miller. Miller? Yes. Yeah, they had to cut that from TV because Dante said we wanted it to look like semen. That's supposed to be what it is. It looks like it looks exactly like semen. So they had to cut it for that is that is they had to cut that from TV, which is like he like spits up semen. I mean it kind of looks like that it's all over him. Yeah, it did. Miller did. Look it at it. Yeah. Yeah. You know, they call it a loogie, but it'd be the biggest loogie I've ever seen. Big Louie. Oh, so we're switching to Matt? No. Fuck, yeah. Get into it. Yeah, why not? Right. Well, yeah, well, hold on before you go. This is like I gave you carte blanche for this podcast as freestyle. Like, we can talk about anything don t related so we can go any anywhere. People will keep up. Matt Neigh Omari cats buzzing. Matt Nay. He was the main character in Hocus Pocus. I was like, Oh shit, Jesus, I know. But is he the boy? He's the best friend in that name. And I was. That's all that matters. Good. But I was like, Oh, wow, three cats. And I know this is why I have you on your face and hocus pocus. Yeah, I was like, I have not seen Hocus Pocus. And you're did did you like the sequel? Didn't see it. I didn't either. But it's like one of those movies. If we're going to keep going sidebar to sidebar, it's fine. Hocus pocus doesn't get you to the witches. Show up. Yeah, it's like until Gene Wilder shows up. Yeah. No offense to Willy Wonka. I love it. But, yeah, the first 45 minutes are like, Get me the gene. What is it, 45 to 1. There's a lot. It's like, Oh, I will never forget that entrance of fall, you know, the crutch and then falling and doing the summer. So yeah, it takes forever for that to those focuses. Yeah, I'm over this teen crap. Give me, give me the wishes kind of thing. That is one of the things I, I can appreciate about sequels. I talked about this. Why I like, for instance, like Toy Story two more than Toy Story one, because the first, like out of that movie is all exposition, like toys, toys. And they're spending the whole movie trying to, like, convince Buzz Lightyear, No, you are a toy. By the second one, he just knows that. So we get all that shit. I didn't Yeah, I didn't realize in Matinee, like the serious tone around the comedy. Yeah, well, they were. It's the Cold War. It's the Cuban Missile Crisis. We're in Key West, Florida, 1962, and the Cuban Missile Crisis is the backdrop of basically this William Castle ish producer has come in to Key West, and he's going to rent out a theater to show his new movie, which like a shock movie, you know, like a creature feature. But it's like 4D. Yeah, like it's like rigged up the seats. So they give an electrical shock during the big scares, all that stuff. That's what William Castle did. They're like these gags. But then, yes, the background of the whole thing is the Cuban Missile Crisis, and it's like doing drills and yeah, it gets very like there's like the whole nuke strike thing. Yeah. Like, yeah, put your heads down and, like, just get up. Just have a whole. Got serious, like, Yeah, no, it was. I really like that in there again. Like I mentioned earlier, it's the, it's the plot is very original. Mm hmm. Mm hmm. I, I don't know who the main kid is, but he's good. I liked him in it. Let me look. I remember, but I think the main girl in that was also the daughter in Mrs. Doubtfire and who we were. She was Randy Quaid's daughter in Independence Day. Damn right she was. No matinees. I disliked. I just wanted to bring a matinee because I just love the originality of it. Yeah, I do, too. But yeah. John Goodman. It looks like he's having a good time. I love Goodman and like this. He wasn't always in, like, the best movies in the early 99, early nineties. Did you ever see the Babe replace Babe Ruth? I watched that all the time as a kid. Yeah, I think it was 94. Yeah, but he's like, He's great. What's his name? Lawrence Woolsey. Man, they didn't do well, I would assume. No, no. Some Joe Dante movies have not like Gremlins is is his biggest hit in probably the movie. He resents the most of his own career because he didn't want to be, like, tied to it, hence not wanting to make it so, you know, right away that name is great because it's like it really pulls him into his B-movie roots. Yeah, that's why I love it. I mean, it is hard to rank any Dante movie above Gremlins two because it's so intentional, but for nostalgic reasons. I just that name was the first one I first Dante movie I saw it, or at least the one I committed to memory. Like I, I actually remember seeing that in the theater and yeah, it cost 13 million to make and it made 9.5, which is just not good. And it yeah I mean, I remember the crazy thing about that is I remember seeing that a lot. They played it on TV a lot when I was a kid. And then I always remembered it in the back of my head, but it was never available on maybe DVD and definitely not Blu ray. And then that Blu ray, I think it was the Shout Factory, which is kind of a can do criterion. Like clearly picked it up and they go, we're treating this well, we're going to like remaster it. And that's why I sent it to you for any Christmas even has that the one the the that the villain. But it's that girl's ex-boyfriend. Yeah. Who comes out of jail or something. Oh he dresses up in the costume which is very B-movie Right. Yeah. Dressing up as the real creature and, like, walking around. Yeah, it's like it is matinees. An ode to the 5060, But it's a movie, and this time it into the. The Cuban Missile Crisis. It just works. Yeah, that's. That's what makes it so great. Oh, God, it totally works. Goodman smokes the biggest cigars. The. Oh, God. That's also Alfred Hitchcock. Yeah, that's like it is. It's a puzzle show. But they do the silhouette a lot. Yeah, right. Yeah, that is. That's a nod to him. Yeah. Oh, God, I fucking love matinees. I love that movie. That. Oh, back to Dick Miller really quick because he was in every Dante movie. Do you have like, if you had a thing, do you have a favorite Dick Miller dance performance? I mean, we can go. You don't have to go through all of them. But I do think it's Gremlins two for me. I think that's part of the allure of why I like it more. But I. Oh, I don't think I. I don't think I don't consider his role in a in Gremlins do a cameo. No, it's like a supporting I. His favorite cameo of mine is burying the ex. It is. Oh well because he because he just he just comes out of the police department as a really old cop. Old, very old. And it's like, answer down. Yeah. He's like, button up. He was like, taking a shit or something. As it comes out of the bathroom, he's like, fixing his pants and it's so stupid, But it's just that I know he's in it for, like, a couple of, like a minute. Yeah, that's two lines. Yeah. Yeah. But yeah, I like that one. But he's a bigger role matinee. Yes. Well, who's he in? Looney Tunes. Yeah, he's a security guard in Looney Tunes. I remember that. Oh, yeah? Yeah. He takes. He takes Brendan Fraser's badge. Right, Right. Yeah, I remember that. And a few others. I was just. I watched New York, New York mentioning again the song, but the Scorsese movie, he has a cameo in that really? I mean, he's like, actually in it for a little bit, which I think is funny. Now I'm going to call it back to the Back to the Future podcast, which you were on because I mentioned Zemeckis's first movie. I want to hold Your Hand. He was in that really I mean, he's in a lot of Zemeckis movies. Yeah. 1941 by Spielberg's in The Terminator. James Cameron didn't know that. Yeah, I honestly the thing that I may have seen him in first is he plays Monster Joe from Monster Joe's Truck in Tow in Pulp Fiction. And Harvey Keitel has a few things that I would love to work. Exactly. Exactly. And here's another one. The woman that the Wolf is going to go out to take my lady out to breakfast that is Julia Sweeney, who is the it's part woman who's also in Gremlins two. You decide to do that was SNL, and they gave her her own movie. Like, who is it? She's also in Pulp Fiction. So it's great to like, you know. TARANTINO This is another thing I want to mention. Like Tarantino has talked a lot about. He loves Dante, he loves him. He's talked a lot about his career and how he thinks Dante's best movie by far is Gremlins two. Yeah, for a lot of the reasons we're talking about, I mean, it was kind of I heard a podcast of Tarantino talking to Eli Roth and they just went on this Gremlins, Jack and I was like, Oh, I didn't know. Oh, he's a big fan, right? Yeah, I love it. I love it. What's the other legacy? The Key Peele sketch. Hilarious. I think that he's seen it. Oh, really? I read somewhere that he saw it and he loved It was a first time you saw that sketch. I it was a it was a YouTube, but it wasn't watching the show I don't remember days ago really, when I sent it to you, that was the first time I go, Wow, No, it's not a long time ago. Yeah, but it just so stupid. But it just. It just works. Yeah. You have, like, a board deciding what's going to be in the sequel to Gremlins, and they're coming up with these ridiculous things and they're all in the movie. That's what ends up as I want to say. I think John Glover steals every season in Gremlins two. Oh, I mean, yeah, as Daniel Clamp. Like it's such a big performance as a lot of people are giving in the movie and it just works. And I love what I called out to you is he's never like the villainous overlord Dick. No, he's just a leader. He's he's aloof, but he, like, he wants his company to succeed, that he's kind of on board with everything. He's like, Oh, yeah, this guy's not the villain. Yeah, exactly. Which is. Which is what's good. He could be. So he be the blowhard. I think so easily. I think I think Robert Picardo, the head of security, is more of a villain than clamp. Yeah, but that's because he's doing his job. Yeah, the movie is goofy enough, but I think Glover just adds a whole other aspect of goofiness to it. Yeah, because and also, I really like how everyone's. I don't want to say accepting to the gremlins. Well, there's no like, denial like there is in the first one. That's what I'm talking about. Everyone. I mean, they're shocked when they see them, but there's no there's no time. There's giant down tape that doesn't waste time. Yeah, there's no time to, like, go and explain and people be in denial about, no, this can't be real. People see him and they're like, okay, well, does he burst out of the control room? Yeah. Control panel? Yeah. It's the guy who throws it because it was a great hook. I love that great right hook I but yeah and then, I mean, the movie was already cooking after that, but I think that's the moment where it just takes off. Yeah, that's pretty early. I feel like it's not, like, too far. Oh, no. This movie has more gremlins than the other one. Oh, yeah. Yeah, a lot more. A lot more. But I mean, I love like. Like said, like Dick Miller gets, quote unquote, killed off in the first one, and then he has the moment in Gremlins two where he defeats the bat, which is great. That's the moment. Yeah. It's big to cement and it turns into a gargoyle, which is I love. And then it just keeps getting better. Yeah. Yeah. Because. Because he's in it. Like, once he realizes that he's not crazy. Yeah, he's just. He's in, like he's ready to help. I love. He's like, Did you hear that first? It's like I heard it too, sweetie. Yeah. He realized not crazy. And he goes back down that secret passageway elevator to save the day. Oh, I love it. In the. They had the twins in Gremlins two who also played the Warner Brothers in Looney Tunes. Back in action. Yeah. And they are the What's cool about that guy guy and guys in Terminator two, he's like, getting the cup of coffee. Who's the cop? Yeah, he's a cop. And they use both the coffee. Yes. In the hospital. And you like that's how they at home they, they go around Exactly. Around CGI. Yeah. Yeah. So it's not like we you may not. That's just one guy playing a cop. We didn't know they were twins, but that's what makes it play so well. Yeah, that's. I mean, that's a great bit. They use them a lot. But you said you don't know if they ever looked more alike than they do. And they sound. They sound exactly the same. They look like. Well, also they make before he introduces them. Christopher Lee makes a joke about cloning. Oh, I didn't. They said, Yeah, they come in like right after he mentions cloning and they pop in. Oh, that's funny as hell. Yeah. Yeah. Chris Really? So game in this like so game. Apparently you just had a great time in his last day, you know, they brought him a cake I think it was something like it's 200 movie guys to us and he was really apparently just overwhelmed and really moved that everyone you know, people wanted autographs and stuff. It's like it's Christopher Lee but someone that serious bringing their gravitas who we like gremlins to, it just makes it all the better. Yeah, he played it very serious. Oh, yeah, very, very, very serious. Who's the guy I said he played we mentioned he played Tuco in Breaking Bad. He's in it too. Yeah. Yeah. That he's like a security guard. He's been in so much, Victor. I mean, he played the, the, the male. The male guy. Yeah. I mean, this man so much. Yeah. I love the special effects they use. They kind of imitate it in the pool. Gremlins one the shot where stripe jumps into the pool. Yeah. And then he has his nose plugged. I love it. Yeah. And then the fog comes in and it's super green, and they can do the same thing in the studio with. Yeah. Look, it's super foggy, right? And they bring all the lights in and it's very like neon and just I just love the practical effects of just how, like, you know, they're not going to show what's going on. One is cheaper right into it. It looks so much more ominous. It does. It absolutely does. Yeah. And Dante. Yeah. Huge fan of practical effects. I mean, he definitely started using CGI a little more later in his career. But yeah, the practical effects are what really hook it into me but that wide shot when they're all in the lobby of Gremlins two, I don't know how some of that has to be computer animated. It's like, Yeah, it's thousands. There's thousands. Yeah. So there has to be. Yeah, those definitely weren't all puppets. Like, I bet if we rewound and watched, it's probably just all. Yeah, yeah, maybe a mix of practical and computer. Yeah. But now it's just going back. I think I love the scenes when they're just all together in the lobby. Yes. They're just so much going on. There's some like you can keep what I saw today. There's a guy on the counter gremlin on the counter wasted, and he's, like, passed out and someone and he's trying to pick up a beer. And can I never notice that? It's hilarious. I mean, they bring back the flasher to Phoebe's. Yes. Which is really, really funny. Kicks him. Yeah. Now it's just like the timing again. If you hadn't seen them was one, you wouldn't get that joke right. And it helps that every gremlin, the main gremlins, look different because everyone has a different personality, right? Like, there's a really stupid one. There's the Mafioso one, but I think stupid one's great. What's a guy who just goes on with movie? Here's the part about teeth one. There's the one that's like, he's on, like he's on like a bunch of cocaine with the with the eyes. Yeah, yeah. It's just. But then obviously they. They reincarnate stripe. Yes. In a way that's like gizmos antagonist right straight face but yeah they really take time and also used to work Baker really like yeah he was not on the first one the ingenious makeup artist Rick Baker and they hired him for this and I was watching them back to back You see a huge I mean, it's also six years when technology is really advancing, but the way the gremlins move or the, you know, even gizmo moves in this one, we see him walk like that was all we talked about the his dancing. Yeah. They said that was the hardest scene to shoot when he's dancing for the twins and Christopher Lee. And you can see that that is like a computer effect. I don't know the way they explain, but it looks great. Because it does. Yeah, because most time you see, like, if you put if you lay two shot on top of each other, it's crappy. Yes. I mean not crappy, but it looks noticeable. Very. I, I wonder if because when Gizmo was dancing the counter he was on was tall enough to cover his entire body. So he wasn't like. He wasn't into the twins. To the twins. So I wonder if that's definitely human. Yeah. Yeah, that would hold the shot, right? Right. They would have. Yeah. Oh, good catch. Good catch. Yeah, that's very. But no, it was, it was good. And even, like, just the gross stuff, like the shredder stuff or at the end when the water in the boils. Yeah. You see the Rick Baker I also wonder because you mentioned Glover fighting that gremlin off of like one hand. Yeah. And controlling it with the other. Yeah. How much control Christopher Lee had when he's holding on to Gizmo when he brings him back into the cage from the dancing because he grabs him and he heads with two hands and gives most movement around. Maybe a little. It seems like he'd be too small to control. I don't know. I mean, maybe I'd like his fingers in the back, but yeah, for some of those, like, front to front fights, when someone's fighting a gremlin. Yeah, they actually had their hands, like in the puppet and were doing it at the same time. So they're effectively fighting themselves, which is kind of fun to think. But anytime you see someone run across the screen with a grandma on them, like freaking out so great. It's great. I and also I think I mentioned it to you because the whole plot of the movie is to set the clocks to the plot. But the way I kill them is, is that the clocks forward 3 hours, right? They're going all gather in the lobby, drop the drape. Yeah. With the sunlight, Storm comes in. Then. I am a huge fan about how they just did. I mean, I own a Chekhov's gun thing, right? Because when they. When all the gremlins get different, they one turns and you watch Christie. Yes. And then they lock him in the phone system on hold, which is great. Yeah. And then it obviously comes back later. And that's the gremlins pretty much killed themselves. Right, Because which is I think because it was the dumbest idea you could do in a romance movie to me is cover them with water. Yeah. Because that's like, yeah, you're killing yourself. Right? Exactly. Even Futterman. Yeah. Oh, we know what you're doing. It's crazy. And he does it. And then he releases the electric Gremlin and he roasts. I love it. Yeah. And he wrote them all, and it works. It's like a I think they were all proud of that, that they, like, got to that conclusion when. All right, this makes sense. No, that's the most ridiculous way to do it. I think straight. Oh, yeah. But it's just so unique. Yeah. And obviously the sunlight works, and they did it in the first one. Right, right, right. I But yeah, I just love how they roast all of them simultaneously. I love Clamp coming in. He's like had a swallow and they slip you like the Well they know they barge in that one door. It's locked. Pardon. The second. Yeah. Yeah. They can't come in and fucking and his shotgun goes off. Yeah. Of like just stupid, stupid. And then you new. Is it dangerous. The North. Yeah. He's, I mean we have a few Breaking Bad people young. The North. Yeah. I mean he was, it's one of the earliest roles I've seen from him is one line moves or moves her and whatever you got paid. But like I said, like that ending is like a very pretty like veteran. But if you get what he wants but prosecute what he wants. Yeah, Marla gets what she wants. Pelser gets what he wants. Everyone clap. Everyone gets what they want. They want. And in Dante Trump that at the end the small soldiers we're going to go to that. Let's do it. Let's do it. I love the end of that movie because everyone he just Denis Leary, just lands in his helicopter and just writes people checks. Yeah, we don't get to see the amount. So it's the thing where they're like, Yeah, there's so much damage, there's no amount of money. Click the check points out right there, and then he hands it to them and they're like, Oh, okay. Dick Miller goes, Whoa, whoa. It's just I Yeah. Phil Hartman's last movie. Who? Apparently Phil Hartman was just like, the best to work with. I loved him for small soldiers. I don't know. I don't own it. Dante seems like he, you know, puts a lot of work into his Blu rays. I'll look it up. I love small soldiers. I do, too. It's too. I watch. I watched a lot as a kid. Tommy Lee Jones. His voice is great. I love that movie. Yeah, Kirsten Dunst is great. Yeah, I forgot she was in it whenever you watch it. Yeah, I didn't remember. I mean, Dennis, not Dennis. The respond James and David Cross are good. The kids are great. Yeah. I mean, Dante is really good with the kids. That's important to like we mentioned, the main kid in the whole piece is not he's not good. No offense to his career. Yeah, the main kid isn't good, but his younger brother's good. Yeah, that look. The little kid is also a girl. Yeah. Yep. Yeah, we got. Dante is very good to the kids, but he also scores young Ethan Hawke. Yeah, baby. Ethan Hawke. Yeah, Yeah. Get lucky. Yeah. Nobody has all soldiers. Yeah. And Frank. Frank Langella. Langella Yeah. As great as Archer. Yes. And the whole concept of small soldiers is just so silly, right? Toys come to life in 2011, right? Yeah. And it's obviously like and also it's it's a nice twist because the toys you think would be the good guys, the bad guys, right? Right. GI Joes and stuff like that. All that stuff. Yeah. Yeah. Again, I mean, I know Tommy Lee Jones is history being terrible to work with, right? But I mean, I wonder how much easier he may have been in the booth recording. Probably a little bit. I mean, you know, you're in there for a couple of days and they make you sometimes do stuff a bunch of different ways. I don't know. I just feel like because you get paid well when you look at like, the amount of work and the lines are right there in front of you, it's not like you have to memorize and it's a really fat paycheck for a little bit of time. Oh yeah. And also, like, I just love the practical effects. It's about soldiers, but that's also why he started doing a lot of CGI. Yes, it's when he starts playing, but I think it works for most of the shots. There's some shots at the end when they're all like running up the lawn. Yeah. And that's obviously all CGI and then that's far enough away and dark enough where it's getting you get away with it. Yeah, but, but yeah. Like there's the scene in the small soldiers when they're like when they're happy, when they're chasing them on the moped. Oh yeah. And they all link up. That's all practical. Yeah. All those little things. Just love that. Yeah. Yeah. And it's just like blown up trees and telephone poles and I was like, What is going on? I Love that movie. Yeah. And then film of Phil Hartman is the best line in the whole movie. So. So for us, I think World War two is my favorite war. You told me you were like Phil Hartman as the best slide of the movie. And then I was like 5 minutes away from it. I got there, it takes you back and it's got to be this I So I also love how they they transform Frankenstein. All the Barbies turn out Barbies of the Barbie dolls. Yeah, it just sucks. I thought that was how it was last movie, But now it's a good dance. It is, because I think. What is it? I smile. I see whatever you like because the whole has it a little bit with the clown. Yeah. Looney Tunes doesn't really have any practical. No, because they're, you know, they're animated, right. But yeah, you can just really tell. Dante loves practical and like, the, like does even like the. I thought the gorgon tights were just really well done. Yeah. Because they're smart soldiers. Yeah. Yeah. They're so good. That's part of the practical effects. And sticking to that again, that's just all tied to like, the old Hollywood studio system. Like, I'm going to work it just in Monsters PG 13. I think it's just PG, a little violent. It does, but I think shooting like the little skewers. Yeah, Yeah. But obviously, like tiny stuff. Well, it's funny because a lot of the like the, the weapons they use in small soldiers were kind of like parodying the weapons that they would use in gremlins. And it's kind of because they have like that you shoot like the razor blades. Oh, right, right. I saw blades Yeah. During gremlins one. Yeah. But a lot of repeat stuff. But yes, Monsters is a lot of fun. I mean, pretty much every movie he's made is fun. Parabolas fun. Even parts of the Howling are fun. Like Holly's darker than I thought it was. It is. It's a dark movie. Yeah. Oh, we talk about Timothy Dalton was Looney Tunes. Oh, God is great. Yeah. Like, clearly playing a send up of his James Bond characters. Yeah. I mean, you know, he's only in two movies, but I love just the image of Brendan Fraser being Timothy Dalton son. Yeah, it was just great, you know? That was a loser. Oh, yeah. And we talked about, like you mentioned earlier and the very first shot of Gremlins two was Daffy trying to take over and make it his movie. Yeah, And that is literally the entire plot of Looney Tunes back in. Yes, exactly. Daffy Duck wanting his own movie. And in fact, Looney Tunes Back in Action is Daffy's movie. Yeah. Because Daffy save he he saves the day and that's the bit is that like yeah he doesn't like really accept it like it was his. Yeah, in a way. In a roundabout way. Dante turned a quick couple of minute bit in Gremlins two into a into a movie. Yeah. No that connection is hilarious. So good. I did not remember that he directed that. Honestly, I forgot I had forgotten until, you know, I was researching. Well, they were also they said they wanted to like jump on the coattails of Space jam. Yeah. Yeah. He did not. They didn't. Yeah. I think, I mean even have like Michael Jordan in there for a second and I think it's from space jam. Yeah. He's not actually him. Right. I think it was I forgot that cameo was so it is funny. It is but I'm pretty sure someone did. He owns it. Be someone else too. Yeah. Dalton A few times. Dalton And then MJ. Michael Jordan. What? Michael Jordan Yeah, he does like, he does a few. It's great. It's great. I Looney Tunes surprise me because again, I don't know if I'd ever seen it until when, When I just watched it like recently. Yeah, but when I watched it for this part. Oh really? I don't think. Oh, I thought you were like a fan of it. I don't know why I think I saw. I saw most of it when it came out, but I did not remember. I don't think I if I did, I didn't remember. I didn't remember it. Yeah, I knew. Brendan Fraser punches him, punches himself in the Face is a great movie, which is great. It's very last action hero. Very, very. Another one, another movie with you? Yep, Absolutely. As a theater owner. Yeah. With the Golden Ticket, I Yeah. No, I just really back and action doesn't give a lot of credit. I mean, it's not great. Yeah, it's. But it's for a movie that I think it works better for people our age. Yes, we grew up with that stuff. And I will never probably ever watch Space Jam again. The first one. I'm never going to watch Space Jam, right? I don't know if I'll ever watch back in action again, but I, I would I can see myself rewatching Back in Action over space. Yeah. Yeah. Plus, it's like you has Academy Award winner Brendan Fraser. Sam Wright. Talk about gravitas. What a space gym have Academy Award nominee Bill Murray Loser and it's got Newman. Yes, but no, that connection's really good explorers. I don't I've only seen once. I don't really remember it. Yes, but it's but again you talked about it was it was Dante never wanted to end it that way. Yeah. No, I didn't. Even so, I was going through all of his work in order. I never seen explorers. So when I was watching all of his work, like year, year and a half ago, I got to that. That one blew me away. That was one where when it finished, I think I rented it like on YouTube or something. I had purchased the Blu ray and then the Blu ray came and I watched that. And then I start digging in, digging into this history about how Dante was so upset because they basically wouldn't let him film. The third act and the blood just got pulled, which is why Inner space is made very shortly thereafter. And they gave him like more money. And he had I don't know if he had final cut, but he got to express his full vision. But do you remember how it was just end or. No, No, I just think there was supposed to be more. I don't even know if I knew, like how it's supposed to end. But I mean, I like the end of it, so. Right. Because it does. Yeah. Just the it's one of those things where, like, I did not have a problem with it while I was watching it and then you research it. This happens sometimes in movies and like everyone involved, it is unhappy with it. I'm like rivers in it. It's a river in the river. Phenix It is, yeah, it is. Good. Yet Dick Miller James Cromwell is the third kid. Jason Preston I don't know who that is, and I thought it was Jerry O'Connell. I'm getting my stand by me. You are. You're getting. You're getting mixed up here. You're so fat and stand by me so fat and stand by me. I love that movie. It's like the practical costumes of those. The aliens are great. Yeah. Yeah. And the guy and his talks and TV quotes, which is so funny. Yeah, It's like the only way they know how to communicate. Yeah, I. I wish I had watch Innerspace. Yeah, I did not have time to rewatch Innerspace but the most iconic scene Innerspace for me is when shifting faces in front of the mirror. Oh, those practical effects are great. Yeah, that's what I mean. Like you're going to be entertained when you watch all these movies. I don't know. Like, are they all great? A-plus. No, but that's not the point. The point is to entertain. You have these gaps. It's like. I mean, that's. That's how I felt about the whole like, I'm not going to watch the whole dance scene. Great, great, great. It is him. You is an old man. Yeah, but the lighting, like the lighting in the pole was good. It was. It was the whole scene. Stern's room is just lit by tons of practical light bulbs. Yeah, that's start exploding, which is a lot of fun. Yeah, And it's. It's a cool way to light a scene. Yeah, it is. Even the Christmas lights in the basement of the hall. Right. It adds some depth to it. I that's when I definitely got it. Vibes. It just looked like, you know, panning across. Yeah. I mean stranger things and a lot of Christmas lights stuff and yeah I think Stranger Things owes a lot to Joe Dante, Steven Spielberg. I think they would be in that as well. Yeah, I mean Dante, like I said, want to bring it back full circle? It's like when I saw his Q&A for Gremlins two, it's just he's, he's just you can just tell he's a very chill guy. Yeah, just his voice is very calm. I, I don't know if that was because he's sick of talking about gremlins. No, I mean, I don't listen, I haven't listened every episode of his podcast because it's a it's called a the movies that made us where he and his co-host will usually interview someone famous about, like their favorite movies, you know, and they'll just. That's it. No, let's talk about that in Whitestone. Yeah. And that's just how he talks that exact tone. And I love him. Yeah. So soothing. So the only thing I have to say about Joe Dante is that I wish he I love this filmography, but I do wish that he made more in the back half of his career, like Post Back in Action, Maybe, maybe, which was 20 years ago at this point. That's 20 years ago. And he's done two movies. I mean, again, if nothing if we're going by him not making movies because Dick Miller's dead, that's on it. Yeah, but I will say it's so dark. That's so sad. I will say me being like a Joe Dante fan, I wish he would do one more just to make it better than burying the ax, which wouldn't be hard. But, you know, I mean, he could die hard. But a man, he did a movie, another one. And it's like, you know, it's not some big thing they give him like 15, 20 million. And it's just practical effects. Whatever the story is, he's just practical. I think that'll be great. He's like, Yeah, I see you using CGI. I think he's late seventies. I think he's he's not like, Me, look, super. I mean, he's old. He's 76. Yeah. Something, you know, he could, you know, and one more and maybe he doesn't want to maybe find podcasts and cash in his residuals. I mean, he's still, he's like, on the. The gizmo. Yeah, like his show. Right? Right. So he's still making stuff. Yeah, he's still like, it's like a few TV episodes. Yeah, He works, you know, just, I mean, let's just be thankful for the stuff. That's what I always like. I always say, But it's such a there's no movie in his filmography where I'm like, That feels weird. He did that one. They all feel like Joe Dante. Yes. Yeah, Yeah. I just. I really wish you would have gotten the Phantom from him. I love it. I love it. I mean, it's so bad. Good. But yeah, yeah, every, every Christmas, whenever you watch Gremlins one, right? Why am I not watching Gremlins? Two Yeah, I. But to me, it's just I'm really glad that Joe Dante came in not giving a fuck. Yeah. About Gremlins two. That's. That's one of the best qualities about it. That's why it works. And may I say, at the end of the movie with Robert Picardo. Yes, he when he's at the end with that chick Gremlin, I told you at the like, fuck's sake, Right? Oh, of course. Of course, of course. That's, that's, that's Gremlins three. It's just so stupid. Oh, it's so stupid that they're setting it up. They're like, This is. Yeah, it's going down. But it. Sure, it's a funny concept. It is, but it's just you just tell like, like again Picard does worked with them in so many movies. Yeah, it's one of those. I think if you get a call from Joe Dante, you're going to say yes. Yeah. You just don't even know the role of you, right? I doubt Picardo even knew the role. I mean, I'm guessing, right? How would you even know the role? What he was going to do? Yeah, I guess it's Joe. I'll do it. I'll do it. I, I feel like. Is it one of those movies where Gremlins dude is like, does it keep getting more mainstream every year? Is that it? It's cult status gets bigger and bigger every year. It's like, Yeah, there are more of us. I feel like every year and people, you know, it's kind of like the people who know no. If there's people who saw this episode and they're like, Why is this podcast talking about Gremlins two? It's like, because we're superfans and it's where we are part of the cult community for Gremlins two. And it is, it is. We're going to tie to one of your favorite movies. It is one of there's a scene in Scream two Boom, when they're talking about how sequels are better than the first one. No, sequels are worse that well, they don't talk about they don't mention Gremlins two. No, they in they scene they should I should they doesn't like to Godfather two later he mentions empire part of a trilogy doesn't count. Yeah I mean, you got to mention Gremlins. They mentioned House two the second. There was no future movie. Exactly. The perfect movie to mention that scene. Yeah. Bullshit. They fucked it up on Jimmy Kennedy. Europe. Yes, that movie got fucked up, But yeah, Gremlins two to me personally is one of the very few instances where it's better than the first one. Yeah, I agree, I agree. And it just it's I. But I think it's because you make fun of it. It makes fun. And that's also going to keep going about your right one of your movies. That's why I think Scream two is also in ways better than Scream. One just makes fun of it. It circles back and is poking fun at it, which I always and if you if you can play off the word know meta meta premise two is very meta. Yeah. And it just I think when you don't take yourself seriously, it just works so much better. Oh, that's the whole point. Yeah. Just have fun with it From minute one to the End of Gremlins two, it's just. It's just so stupid, So stupid. It's so fun, so intentional. And I think like, you know, and movies today either have a big message or they're just comic books. Yeah. And again, I like those movies, but it's just premise too, which is you even have to like, pay attention to it. You can come in and out of it. Yeah, it's, it's a goofy yeah, it's a goofy romp. And I love it every time. Yeah, Goofy romp. Satire. I love it every time. And that's a good enough place to end the gremlins two Dante discussion. Unless, you know, we're going to move to. What are you watching? Unless you have it. What are you watching by Joe Dante? I'll go. You can go last. I'll go first. Go first. My. What are you watching? I have it right here was matinee. I was going to like, do talk about it a little more, but then you opened it up, so that's great. Oh, wow. I would love people to go see that. It was the movie he made after Gremlins two. It was Gremlins two was 1990, Matinee was 93. Same writer Charles Haas wrote Gremlins two and matinees. Really? Yeah. And, you know, we already talked it enough, but that is my favorite Joe Dante movie is Gremlins two. It just has to be. But the number two is Mad Day. Well, there sure to be talk about how and this is a quick sidebar how Dante would cast writers in his movies for bit parts. Yeah the writer just costs too much money to have the writer on set. Exactly. This is a great point. Yet Charlie, as has has a cameo in Gremlins two so that they could pay him to have him on set like because it was cheaper as an actor than a writer. Exactly. And he exactly script ideas and that is an old Hollywood trick. That's just a trick that you would do. It's so genius. Yeah, but matinee I'm glad you brought brought it up. I'm glad we talked about it more. But I love that movie Matt named Gremlins. Two would are my top talents. Do you have any? What are you watching? Recommendations. Well, I don't. I don't watch a lot of movies. You know what? I know, But I know a lot about movies. Sure. I just watched for the first time a few weeks ago. Yes. I texted you about it. The Green Mile. Oh, yeah we had a nice conversation about that movie. Good call. Yeah. This is one of Nick's favorites. That's right. So this is good to talk about. What? Okay. First, what made you just want to watch it? I don't know. Okay. I first, I don't I feel like for a few months, I think it's even in my phone notes, it's like, watch the Green Mile. I don't know what put it in there. I know I did. Well, I don't know what caused to put it in there. I don't know what, but I don't know if watching a smart mike like Duncan plug that I saw somewhere and I wanted to watch it, I don't know. Yeah. And I had never seen it. They When they bring my car Duncan to the house to heal the warden's wife spoiler from that I know it's not Yeah it's like saying spoiler spoiler spoilers from that moment on until the end of the movie, I was a mess. Yeah, I just. I was just. I was, like, trying to keep it together in when he's in the house killing the wife. Yeah. And from that until the end, I'm like, Oh, this movie's just going to keep getting sadder, more sad, more sad or sadder and sad or more emotionally heavy. And I'm like, You know what? I'm just not going to try and just get It is a mess. The whole last of the movie. It was, but it's so good. It is good. That is one I have not seen in a while. I mean, I own it. I watched it a bunch as a kid, but yeah, it's good. Everything about it is. Darabont does really well with Stephen King prison movies. He does? Yeah. Know it's two for two. Well, and just, you know, Stephen King, I mean, the best is Stephen King as well. And that's a fucking great movie. I love that movie. Right? This is great. Yes. But Darabont, I remember we were talking about the Green Mile. I said, because it's like 3 hours and 9 minutes. And in 1999 that was like, okay, I mean, that was part of the marketing, the press. Like we know everyone, like it's a long one, but just like, go to the bathroom verse, come to the movies. We really want you to support that. And you know, now in 2023, like every movie's 3 hours. But it's it's it's hysterical. It is Mike Clarke Duncan's best role. Yeah. He was nominated for it. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, my God. That's so. It's so sad. I know. Young We lost him by 13, But I mean, like I said, Sam Rockwell's breakout role. Yep. Yep. No, I loved it. And you also. You just hate to do that. Plays Percy. Yeah. When you see him. Yeah. I'm like, This guy is great. We hit him, but it's just odd. And it has the other Tom Hanks, his right hand man. We've talked about there more sort of. David Morse Yeah, yeah. No Green Mile. If you've never heard of it or seen it, you should watch it. I think it came out a couple weeks ago. Couple of weeks. Yeah. Because you saw it a couple of weeks ago. That's it Came out to you a couple of weeks ago. Yeah. Also a bit of trivia. Google the actor who played Percy for, you know, he's a shithead in real life as he was in that movie. That's all I'll say on that method. Method? Oh, yeah, very method. Oh, this is a lot of fun. Thank you for doing this, Joe Dante, talk with me. Gremlins talk is a lot of fun to watch it with you. Oh, is that right? Before you put it on him. Thank you for having me. Oh, of course. Of course. Let us know what you think of dance performance or Gremlins. Two of Joe Dante at W AIW underscore podcasts on Instagram, Twitter letterboxd. I love you, Nick. Oh, that's very. He'll love to hear that. Do you have anything you want to plug? Do you want people to find you online or no? I mean, they can they can find you on Twitter. Yeah, they can. You in these? Yeah. I don't ever use my Twitter. I know. You know G They'll find me. You're out there. Well, I'm an Instagram kind of guy. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm not into any of it. I don't know. I don't. I use it for to promote the. But that's it. Thank you so much, Dan Bracey. We love you also having me. Yes, absolutely. W aiw underscore podcast. And as always, thank you for listening and happy watching. Hey everyone, thanks again for listening. You can watch my films and read my movie at Alex Withrow dot com Nicholas Dose Dotcom is where you can find all of Nick's film work. Send us mailbag questions at What Are You Watching podcast at gmail.com or find us on Twitter, Instagram and letterboxd at W aiw underscore podcast. We've been talking about this one for years, and next time Nick and I are going to do a commentary for Steven Soderbergh's Ocean's 12. So excited to do this one and so excited to share it. Stay tuned. Oh, everybody can. My sweet, funny fucking truck got lucky but never do it now. Yeah, this truck can use a swinging fuck buddy truck in front of fucking him by doing it now. Without him, they can't make you get enough back to the people that go. You can't believe that. Hey ho! Get check back in here. But sweet buddy buddy truck. But they're back now. Everybody's doing it now.