130: Hit Man (2024) | Top 10 Richard Linklater Films

Alex and Nick give a spoiler-free review of Richard Linklater’s new film, “Hit Man,” before re-ranking their favorite Linklater films. Stray topics include when good movies make obvious factual errors, what happened to the real Bernie Tiede after Linklater’s movie “Bernie,” Glen Powell, Adria Arjona, “School of Rock,” “Anyone But You,” and much more.
For WAYW, Alex enthusiastically reviews Chris Nash’s brilliant new horror film, “In a Violent Nature.”
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Watch Alex's films at http://alexwithrow.com/
Watch Nick's films at https://www.nicholasdostal.com/
Send us mailbag questions at whatareyouwatchingpodcast@gmail.com

Transcript

0:18

Oh, my little pretty one. I pretty one. When you go to give me some time to run up. We'll make my of you. But more coming. Fucking ready? Let's do it. Hey, everyone. Welcome to. What are you watching? I'm Alex Swift. Throw in. I'm joined by my best man, Nick Doe. So how are you doing there? Professional asshole. Pro professional what? Yeah. Professional asshole. Do you remember that one there? Like in the alley after they leave the club? Oh, yeah. Yeah, I love that. That guy was great. Like, he didn't have a lot. He was. Yeah, I liked him. How are you feeling? I'm excited to be here. This is, I and we we would have done it sooner if I, didn't realize that this was coming out on June 7th, because, like, I was like, I'm going to go see hitman last weekend. And then I saw the trailer, and I was like, oh, it's coming on Netflix in less than a week. I think I'm going to wait. Save your money. Yeah. No, I get it. Well, hey, that is that that is the world we live in. And I'm actually going to talk about that because I, I got to see this the day it opened at Alamo, like the first screening they had. And it was it had to have been sold out. And, as you can imagine, this movie, as with all comedies, are so much better in a packed, sold out later Friday night, 8 p.m.. I've seen this three times now. I watch it in the theater. Watch it yesterday, the first day it was available on Netflix, and then I just fired it up again this morning because I wanted to. I'm kind of giving some indication of how much I liked it because it was just so much fun. But yeah, the the most, you know, the most fun experience I've had with it was in a packed movie theater. But yeah, you see that on the poster or in the trailer. You can't begrudge anyone for waiting, you know, whatever a week in your case to stay home and watch it on Netflix. That's the world we live in. And that's just the way it it's it's crazy because it's really like a week. It's like, here's a week. They'll keep it in theaters because I saw like in LA. Like they're still playing in theaters. Same same here. Like 1 or 2. Yeah. Not not near me, but in the DC area. Yeah. Yeah. And but then there's movies like challengers where, like I ended up seeing that in theaters a month after it was released. Yeah. And, and it's still, I think you might be able to buy it on stream, but it is not. It's not free anywhere. It's not free. No. You have to. yeah, you can rent that one. Still, I think it's like for 15 bucks now. Yeah. You're paying for it was the same thing. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Movie ticket price without the hassle of having to drive there, buying all the nonsense snacks that I tend to usually buy. If you're going with someone or with kids, you don't have to do that. You can all watch it. So I get it. I get the appeal. I always prefer the theatrical experience, but that's just it. Of course. Of course I'm always there. Yeah, I'm always there. The movie we are talking about today is Richard Link. Later, later, later, later. I always say latter. Richard Linklater Link Lee's latest film, hitman. I like how it's two words. Usually that word is just one word. It's two words. According to Wikipedia came out in 2023. Oh, but it didn't. It's 2024, so that's why I'm considering a 2024 movie. It also the and the credits in the copyright. It's 2023. Yeah. Because this is what they do because I know premiered at festivals. So it does that. And then they consider that I always consider our dates distribution dates like mass distribution festival dates are not you're not get me I'm not going I'm not going to try. I'm just going to try to give me I IMDb has it. It's 2024. Wikipedia size is 2023. Stupid. I talked about Richard Linklater a lot on this pod. Welcome back to Linklater discussion episode three. Our very first directors episode was on none other than Richard Linklater. We're so cut. I listen to it, relisten to it, I do. You sound so young. We sat so scared. It young like hi, hi. Well, well. Welcome to what are you watching I had it, I had to turn it off. so I went on a walk to listen to it because I want. I wanted to like like like. Okay, we're talking about Linklater again, and he's my guy. Like, let let me let me refresh myself because I forget all of the shit that we say on here. I know, yeah, because you don't edit them. That's true. They tend to stand. They tend to stick in my memory a little longer. Yeah. You I get it, I get it. Just this shit was like we recorded that in like early 2020 this year. That was. And that was our first because our first two episodes were us just basically talking about our favorite movies. We didn't really start to spin any frickin yarn about like, why with this person is matters. And that was our first one. I got 20 minutes in. It was just halfway is a 40 minute episode, and I was like, I can't even get to the top ten. I don't even yeah, it's it's so crazy. I know, I know, I've always wanted to like, should we go back and just read to him? Because that was just us pretty much shooting the shit about his work. It was not the directors structure we do now. I did not watch rewatch every movie. I rewatched a lot of them, but it wasn't, you know, we didn't, like, hit on every movie of his career in depth. But by episode 30, if we're doing favorite hangout movies where a few of his films were brought up, we were cooking by then and by episode 64, personal favorite of mine, the Everybody Wants Some episode. Now we're really cooking that I got. I just love some of us more than others. Yes. Oh, man. Jesus. I was zonked out of my mind on that one intentionally. that was fun. So we love talking about him. We love his films. He's got a he's he is a director with constant output. He's got after at the end of this, I'm going to talk about what he's his next film. It's going to come out next year actually. Sounds like a really viable Oscar contender. And don't forget, he's in the middle of a Stephen Sondheim musical that he's going to film for, like, 20 years with this crazy, God, I can never beanie Beanie Feldstein, Jonah Hill, sister. Oh, yes. You. Feldstein yeah, yeah. So they're doing that and that's nuts. So he's always working. Hitman is out now as we said. It was released on Netflix on Friday, June 7th. You watch it at home as did I. Real quick I'm going to go through I'm talking like high level what it's about, and then I want to hear high level, immediate first reactions. The movie. so I did not see the trailer. So the movie was not what I was expecting. Yeah, I thought based on the title, Glen Powell was going to play some, you know, charming hitman who falls in love with one of his marks. That's I didn't I did not think it was going to be overly violent. That is not what Linklater does, but it's much more humorous than that. It has a much more a very distinct and confident tone. Yes, very unique brand of dark humor, dark comedy that we don't get enough of anymore. Glen pals playing a nerdy psych professor named Gary Johnson who helps the New Orleans Police Department catch people who are trying to hire hitmen to murder someone. So at first, they're using Gary for his surveillance skills. He's good at bugging stuff, putting audio devices here, whatever. But then soon the cops are literally wiring up this guy. His objective is to go undercover and meet someone in a diner, or develop a relationship with someone who is trying to hire Gary to kill someone, tried to hire a hitman, and then Gary just turns around and rat him out to the cops, who are already listening in to say nothing of the fact that this is evidently shades of it are based on a true story. They're really wasn't Gary Johnson. We're going to get to all that. But what did you think of the movie? I've watched it three times. I think it's immensely enjoyable. Yes, I completely agree. It is. it's like, I kind of think that there's like two different camps to Linklater. There's when he is, you know, really trying to give us something poetic and giving us something, that really has his, philosophical point of view that he's trying to do and that's all my jam. That's why he's like one of my favorites. but the other camp is when he wants to have fun and when he wants to have fun. And it's through the because there's movies that he's done where he's not been the writer, just the director. Yeah. Some of those don't really for me, really kind of like hit the mark in in what he, what he is. But when he is really going in his version of fun, it's a version of fun that you can't really beat. It's very specific. And this is like right there, this lives in that world. Yeah. If you like his fun movies, Dazed and Confused, everybody want some? We're not saying it's some stoner flick. It's not that. No no no, it's just fun. There are not high stakes, but it still feels. It's just it's fun to watch. You will laugh. You will be really curious like, oh shit. How what's going to happen here? Like, yeah. So the stakes are high enough to where you are invested. But yeah, the damn I got this tickle fucker. Nurse but yes, you're right, the movies that he did not right. Some of them are school of Rock, Bad News Bears, me and Orson Welles. There's just this little bit of detachment from a lot of them. A lot of those are studio movies as well. Remakes. Go ahead. And school of Rock, though, all right. Yes. That that that that movie rocks that that I even though he didn't necessarily write that one he that that that lives in the fun that's in though that's in though that's in the fun fun it is. But that really does not feel like a Richard Linklater movie. Lincoln later movie to me. really at all. It's it's a studio movie by long and far his biggest, his biggest financial success. But I think a lot of that is credit to where to where Jack black was. It's a fun movie. I remember in episode three I was like, oh, I haven't watched it a while. I'm gonna talk about Jack black a little bit. He's just never been one of my guys. And for a Jack black movie to work, he's got to be. You got to like, like him a little bit, and I, I it's not that I dislike him, but it's just so I don't know. It's okay. What are you, a robot? Okay. No, robot. I just have no. Okay. I don't want to. I don't want to sound black. I really don't I like it, I like it, no. Okay, so that was fun. But the more philosophical things are like your before movies. Yeah. Waking life. Yeah. Shit like that, that we, you know, boyhood can go there. Oh, yeah. I get really like, oh, what does it all mean. And this. Yeah. This is like, they'll have some conversations quickly in hitman about, you know, the moon and how that's affecting all of us. So this in that. But they're not going on really long jags about what is not like long existential dialog. I was actually after I finished hitman sometimes it's a lot of fun to watch a director's brand new movie and then click, click, click. You have on slacker on HBO Max. So I'm watching his first movie and he's in the first chapter of his first movie, and I'm just going, wow, like, he's come so far. But then also intentionally not. His films are still like just right here. Hitman. He would have loved it. That took place in Texas where the original story was they couldn't get any Texas, tax credentials. This is the way that the movie business works, and they move it to New Orleans, which is always having, you know, tax rebates. So that's why they filmed hitman there. But you can feel this small town sensibility to it that. Yeah, that he's just in you just feel it wherever he is in these sorts of movies. But yeah, he's in a phase of his career now where he's writing and directing everything, but then also usually producing it, which is what he did here. And that's where you really feel like this is the movie he is trying to make and he's trying to sell us. And I love that. It's fun. I don't think the next movie, which I'll talk about at the end, is going to be very like fun, fun. It sounds very well. It's about the French New Wave. It's about the birth of the French New Wave and the making of Jean-Luc Godard's Breathless. That's what it's about. It's called Nouvelle Vague, and I'm. I know I'm saying that wrong, but yeah, like, it's so it's like, that'll probably be in black and white. I don't know, he's going to kill it though, because he's so into that that that's the French love his jam. Yeah. Yeah. So that I'm like wow. The the Academy's really going to like that. I don't there's a few famous people in there, but he's not doing like the capital A-list stars to play everyone. He does have different facets of his personality, but with hitman, you know, even it dropping on Netflix, it was really nice that they put it in theaters for, you know, a little bit, and it's still kind of there. But I want to talk about how this movie actually made it to to the theater or our TV screens. So it's based on a 2001 Texas Monthly Magazine article by a guy named Skip Hollandsworth. Now, Hollandsworth is a writer, journalist, and screenwriter. He co-wrote the satirical movie Bernie with Richard Linklater. Richard Linklater directed that movie in 2011, starring Jack black, Matthew McConaughey, and Shirley MacLaine. Bear with me here for a little bit because I, you know, was looking at Skip Hollingsworth ever saying, I went on the Bernie Wikipedia page. Whoa, just get a load of this. So when Bernie is 38 years old, he shoots and kills his older companion, Marge, in an apparent dissociative state. He's convicted for First-Degree murder and sentenced to 50 years in prison. The article is written. Linklater makes a movie about it called Bernie. It is released in 2011. Then things get really weird. Bernie appeals his own conviction with the help of a few lawyers, including District Attorney Danny Buck Davidson, played by Matthew McConaughey in the movie. So this is a lawyer that put Bernie away. Now he's trying to get him out. New evidence had come to light, literally. So Bernie was released from prison on bail in 2014. One of the conditions. This is the real Bernie, one of the conditions of his release. I shit you not was that he lived in the garage of Richard Linklater was he was on bail from 2014 to 2016. The real Bernie was living in Linklaters garage the entire time. Linklater is on the Oscar campaign trail for boyhood. This real life murderer is living in his garage, and this isn't even over. It's just a little bit more, oh, I love this shit. Oh my God. In 2016, Bernie was sentenced again and received 99 years in prison for the murder of Marge. He is not eligible for parole until August 2029. We need a birdie sequel because oh my God, what has happened since is so much more interesting that that movie and I rewatched that movie. I was rewatching it because I'm like, oh, this. Maybe it'll make a good double feature with hitman, and they do share some stuff in common. But then I'm on this Wikipedia page and I was like, what the fuck? He lived in your garage? It was. Yeah, it's pretty wild. That's it's crazy bad. It's crazy. Wait, he lived in this garage for two years? Yeah. On bail. And Linklater even, like, did a few statements in the press. And, I mean, you know him, he's like, yeah, the press made a big deal about this. The truth is, he became my friend when I was making the movie. And garages in Austin are very like neighborhood, like it's very common to convert them into bedrooms. So, like, it's no big deal. I don't know, I think it's kind of strange. It's super strange, but I can actually hear I can hear Linklater, I can he's like brushing, like can because he's just like that about everything. Like he's his cadence and his. He's so relaxed and just sort of like, yeah, man, it's no big deal. I mean, it's just the thing I'm saying. The dude's never been on the Oscar campaign trail. Not heavily, but one time in late 2014, early 2015, those Oscars were in early 2015, and this dude just shacked up in his garage. Oh, hey, Bernie, make sure you feed the dog. You know, it's like, what the fuck? Oh, I love it. God, this is why I love Linklater. You see this link later? God damn it says this is why I love it. Because he just, you know, he's just Walker and he has, this HBO, but I don't know what the fuck we call these things out. Max. Talk like three episode documentary series God Saves Texas right now. that just came out. That is about the Texas, death penalty, the evolution of it in that state. And he goes to his childhood home at once, and he's kind of, you know, there's a camera and he's looking out, and then this woman comes out and she's kind of like nervously like, hi, this works. And he's like, hi, I'm Rick. I used to live here. And that's and then they just start talking and I'm like, this is this dude is just pure Texas, pure Texas, like southern gentleman. yeah, I love him. And he's so loose. And there's an ease to him that you feel in all of his work, including this one. Really quick psychosis. Did you ever see the Conan O'Brien Hot Ones episode that just came out, like a month ago? Yeah, I've seen every Hot Ones episode, including the one that was just released yesterday, Mr. Slappy. Slab Watson is the first and only person I've seen touch his eyes. Fucking idiot. He, like, uses a napkin and keeps touching his eyes. And the host is. So anyway, yes, I did see Conan. Conan is an absolute lunatic. He was like rubbing it on his nipples and it's amazing. Source. One of my favorite thing that he said was when he was like, it's an HBO Max. Like, what's it called? He goes, why would they change it? It's not like Max is better. Well, it's true, they're trying to get HBO out of there and just call it Max, and it's so dumb. I'm sorry. I'm I'm really I'm really I I'm up to. I'm up to here. I'm up to here with it. Yeah. In like 20 years, we're all just going to be like four companies. Isn't who's being bought right now. Some aren't like Paramount and Hulu. They're going to merge soon probably. I don't know something crazy is going on there. I don't I don't give a shit about any of this on Netflix. Hit bad. It's on Netflix. So they failed hit bad in New Orleans in late 2022 for about $8 million. It premiered at the Venice Film Festival in early yes, September 2023. A week later, it was screened at Tiff, the Toronto International Film Festival. Netflix acquired it at Tiff for $20 million, the biggest deal at the festival. It was released in theaters in May. On May 24th. Again, I saw it at a sold out screening. Great way to spend a few hours on a Friday night, and that was my next point that I was going to get into what we already talked about, that there in lies the problem, because we I think we all admit that comedies are better in the theater. you know, state your reason why here. Money, time, convenience, whatever. It's just easier to watch a movie on Netflix at home. But what's fun is that this is the type of movie, not all the time, but sometimes it's a little dangerous and you're like, am I allowed to laugh here? Like you're not sure in 2024 if you're quote unquote allowed to laugh at this stuff? But then there's 50 other lunatics in a crowded movie theater all laughing their asses off. It makes the other 200 people join in the fun. And that's that's what was happening over and over in the movie going, you know, it's okay. But again, this is just this is no one's fault. It's just the Netflix world we live in. And and there's nothing even really like edgy about the humor. I mean, it's dark comedy, but there's nothing that's that's remotely touching like on some of these, like, hot trigger topics that we have today. Right? Right. That's true. It's true. Yeah. It's not. Well, to kind of just piggyback on your point of why it's better to go see movies in theaters. when I saw challengers, it was not that crowd of a theater. And there were these three girls in the very back that were just having the best time. They were doing like, it's like as soon as something got a little steamy, they would be back and be like, oh, but not like overdoing it. Like, not not like playing it up, just truly taken by it. And that caused me to like, become a little bit more animated. So I started cracking up at the, at Patrick, the smarmy guy, like when he would deliver some of his lines and he's such a dick and such thing. Oh, yeah, it was great. I would just go, yes. And they would then laugh at me, and then I would laugh, like with them. And then we ended up meeting at the end of the movie, walking out the theater, and they're like, we loved watching you watch this movie. And I was like, I love like hearing you guys in the back. I mean, it's just one of those things now where it's like, yeah, I think this is actually a difference in going to see movie theaters today is because back in the day, this stuff was common all the time. You didn't necessarily feel the need to go up to a person afterwards and exchange like pleasantries because you enjoyed it. But now, because we live in such a closed off society that when all of a sudden, like just little bits of connection are happening in the theater, you actually go out of your way to actually acknowledge the what just happened. Because now whenever I think of that movie, I'm always going to think of those girls and like that part of what made that movie even that much better in theaters. Yeah, yeah. And this is what I'm talking about. It helps, like create memories. There's no can't, like, get on your phones. No distractions. And first time I saw that movie was at an early Imax screening. First of all, I'm so glad you liked it because I know you haven't reported fucking the pod, but. And the fucking movie stopped working for the last 25 minutes, so it took them a while to kind of, you know, boot it back up. But yeah, we were all sitting there just talking like some people got on their phones. But no, I mean, I also remember a time when we didn't all have phones on us all the time, so you would have to go to a movie early to get a seat, because the line would be long because you couldn't buy the tickets early online and you would get into conversations with people is very, very normal about the movie. You're going to see who directed it. Oh yeah, that, you know, some of the Alamo screenings I go to, they encourage that at the end. They encourage you to hang out in the lobby and talk about it. But yeah. And that that happened to me at all and Sonata. But yeah, it's just it's just one of those things. Maybe that's part of the reason why we have this part too, is that, yeah. For example, a lot of people are going to watch this movie alone or just one other person, and we're here to, you know, validate how great it was. Yeah. well, we don't talk about movies that we don't like. Well, sometimes we do. Not often. And let's say unless they just get brought up. Also, I love that story about those three women at challenger's because my what are you watching recommendation? I had the same exact experience with three women in a completely separate movie because instead of, you know, laughing at college boys eating churros, we were squirming at, you know, watching people have their guts ripped out, which is just, what a bonding experience. Great time I was, I, I know what movie you're talking about, and I want one. Oh, yeah. I can't believe I want to see it. Oh, you'd love it. Everyone will love it. it's a great time. Hey, man. Yeah, I do want to say they say that it's kind of based on a true story in the beginning, and the based on a true story. Monica is something I can get so pissed at when they are, like, quadruple lying down that everything is hard. In fact, whereas this movie, they even tell you at the end, like, yeah, we made some stuff up. So yeah, whatever. And I was while I was watching this instead of like a Bernie double feature, I think The Informant by Steven Soderbergh might be a better. I was thinking at that a lot. His, you know, voiceover all the time. Oh, that'd be a great, great double feature. So I, I don't really mind that. I've been I wondered if that would be a discussion point, like, you know, let's just kind of fudge the facts a little bit. As long as you're honest about it, it's fine with me. But it's it's hilarious. And this Gary Johnson was a real dude. I mean, it's crazy because, like, there were some things about the movie, like, I let these go. but there were some things where and because they start it also, I think it kind of gives permission, like, I feel like you wouldn't just get a surveillance guy and then just be like, hey, our one guy can't make it. You got to go in here and do this. Well, he's not even a cop. That's it. But that's that kind of. Yeah. I was like. I was like, wait a minute, how was he just thrown in there? He's not even a cop. I was like, is he getting paid? And now and now he's involved and he's like, I'm like, at some point I hope, I hope, checks are getting the cash for this man. but that's like one of those things where you don't really think about that as you're watching it. I did, but then I was like, you know what? This is not the movie to nitpick these structural things. It's but particularly because of the way that it presents itself and says that this is like like I forgot the wording of it, but it was like like, like mostly based on a true story. Yeah. It's like something like that. Yeah, yeah. And and because if they said based on a true story and then this was happening, I would actually like rear up and be like, whoa, whoa, whoa. This was based on some people in jail. Yeah. But yeah, exactly. I'm like, this can't really happen like this. And so when you do find out, like at the very end, that he did do this undercover work and he did do some of these things. So it lends itself to being like, oh, wow. Like in the real world, a version of this actually did happen. But we what we're watching is a entertaining, fun not to be taken too seriously. Just sit back, relax and enjoy movie. So yes. Exactly. So. But I if they didn't phrase it the exact way that they phrased it and then didn't double down at the very end with it, I would have been pissed because I'm a I'm a big based on a true story. I don't, if it's manipulative, if it's bullshit, and if it's bullshit and it didn't happen, then I hate that when I'm not. We're trying to keep it. Talking about keeping it positive. There are so many really, really popular, Oscar winning, well known, well known movies that say that. And you'd get on their Wikipedia pages and you're like, well, wait a minute here. That didn't happen. What are we talking about? Yeah, I hate that. Or you go the Fargo route where you just completely say that it's based on a true story, and then months later, I'd be like, yeah, that was a lie. We didn't. None of this. No, that's not a respect like. So you got to do one or the other. You can't. Yeah. Because otherwise it's just a documentary. Yeah, yeah. I mean exactly like it's like like you should never say based on a true story and then presented as factual account because it's never going to be it's still a movie. And then if you do dumb shit and you really change everything now you're just an idiot. Yeah. Because you're like, I know I hate that shit. Okay, let's get into the movie now a little bit more. And the fact that you brought up one, you know, little nitpick is totally fine because I have one as well. I don't know when to bring it up, so I'm just going to do it organically. But this movie threw me off. It did throw me off in one way, and I can't stop thinking about it. Okay. Anyway, after a few rounds of these, this is what Gary's doing. Yeah, he's not a cop. He does. He. But he works for them. He's like some contractor who. Yeah, is still. We see him regularly teaching psychology courses. It's very Linc Linklater stuff like the. Oh that's the ego that that's him. That's where he's always dash in a little stuff, a little something of that where you're like, yep, that's him, that's him. And I love that. I love it's all I love. Got this little sprinkle on. But it's not like Gary is just, you know, waiting for the call to be this undercover guy after a few rounds of basically kind of being a version of himself and meeting these people who were trying to hire a hitman, he realizes that he can bend his persona and tailor it to each person he's meeting. So if he's going to meet, you know, someone who might be tough, he'll dress up as like a tough talking, neck tattooed guy. He can be a dumb mechanic with bad teeth. He can be scar on his face. Guy. He can play Patrick Bateman, Tilda Swinton, scary Russian guy. I love scary Russian guy. Speedboat like Miami Vice, I love yeah, so much so he says so he says, I love that the crowd love that, too. A lot of those were Glenn Powells ideas just coming up with stuff. One of these personas is Ron. Ron is super cool, super charming. He's like a Caucasian Idris. He's a real Glen Powell type, you know, hip, close, big smile, charming as hell, says all the right words. And Ron ends up falling for one of the people trying to hire him. This is Maddie Masters, played by Adria Arjona, who wants Ron to kill her husband even though Ron is Gary and she doesn't know that. That's our setup. And I mean we're only like a half hour into the movie. They're gonna, you know now we have our set up. We've met all the players. High jinks ensue I mean well I'm waiting I'm wait I'm waiting for the part where you have a problem with something. I thought this was going to, No, no, it's not. Sorry. I was maybe going to. Okay. So. Okay, so let's get to this now, I guess. I mean, I've been waiting. I've been literally waiting you to get through this exposition just so you can get to this nitpick that you got. And so now I want it okay. So four minutes, four minutes into the movie. Oh wow. Glen Powell just blurts out with the first time they ask him to go undercover, he's like, well, hitmen aren't real. 18 minutes into the movie, we get a bona fide hitman do not really exist. Montage. Linklater goes, Mini Babylon and starts showing a lot of famous hitman from movies, everything from Charles Bronson to Colin Farrell and In Bruges. And the whole time Glenn Pal's voiceover is telling us that, quote, hitmen don't really exist. It is a total pop culture fantasy. So I remember when that happened in the movie, when I saw it in the theater and I was like, what? okay. At the Alamo screening, I saw that there was a live Q&A after with Linklater, you know, in Austin, they were in Austin Linklater, Pal Arjona, they were all doing a Q&A and Linklater just starts in with this right away, that he thought it'd be fun to make a movie about a profession that only exists in the movies. And I'm going, wait, how so? I'm still not. I'm still thinking, did I get this right? So the movie comes out on Netflix yesterday, I watch it, I rewatched that scene a bunch, and then I start listening. You know, they're on the the interview circuits. They're doing podcast interviews. Glen Powell in Linklater I listen to a podcast interview of them this morning, and no less than six times they say that hitmen do not exist. They were made up in movies. They are strictly incarnations of pop culture. So like, as as he never heard a true crime podcast or or I have, I've watched three documentaries with that interview hitman this year. Like, this is a profession that exists and has existed for centuries. I, I'm, I love Richard Linklater and I am trying to be very, very charitable here. I, I guess what he means is that there is not a retail market for hitmen, but that's not true, because even this movie posits if you go and ask the right person, then people think they can get find themselves at a hitman. And as we've seen the movie, a stripper, a guy just asked a stripper, hey, you know, I want to take care of someone. And then the stripper rats that person out to the police department. Okay, but there are other people you can ask who. If Richard Linklater does not think that you can hire, you can pay one person a grotesque amount of money to kill another person. I'm very confused by that. I don't understand what we're really talking about. This is almost as old as prostitution. I mean, it's actually literally is. You can people have been killing people? Yes, people have been killing people. Maybe not offering them cash money, but gold, whatever it is going to be since like the dawn of civilization. And this is something that the only reason I'm harping on this is because he dedicates a whole montage shoot in the movie, and then this drew his huge press talking point. He is in the press. I've listened to three interviews with him now and a Q and A, and he keeps repeating this. The contract killers do not exist in the real world. Has he not seen The Irishman? I don't understand what like I'm not. I'm not even. I was going to bring this up at the very end, but I don't understand why they keep and Glen Powells on this two. Glen Powell kept saying it in the interview that hitmen don't exist. And I'm like, are they joke I don't I you're literally on the Wikipedia page. I have it open right now on the hitman page. It says he's a contract killer. You could click on Contract Killer. It takes you to a lot of famous real life contract killers. Like, I don't know what the fuck you're talking about. Like, it's I, I don't get this stuff like this in movies fucking baffles me. It does not ruin the movie. I've another example that I text you about that I'm going to bring up when you chime in. I just don't get this stuff. I don't what come on man, like you can't. Yeah, it's like a movie telling either. It's like a movie telling me that we went outside and they looked up and they went, oh my God, that's green. Like every everyone in the movies thinks the sky is blue. But no, it's actually we all know it's green. I'm like, what the what fucking reality. I get that you're like a wholesome, nice dude, but what reality are you living in? What, you don't think contract killers are real? They mean Michael Shannon played this guy in this movie called The Iceman. There was this whole thing about him. Yeah, there was a whole documentary with that guy that I watched. And you paid that man to kill people for you. That's what he did. It's like, this is a I don't know that it's a truly, truly, completely baffling flex to me where I'm like, why is no one tapping him on the shoulder going, hey, Rick, that this is a profession? I ain't saying there's a fucking enterprise.com where you can pick out your hitman, and though you can, we'll pick you up and they can go do it. I'm not saying go on Amazon and do this, but I'm saying if you got the right amount of money and you know the right people, this is a job can be done. And to think that it is not is frankly, I don't know. Do you expect us all to be like idiots, like, I don't I don't, I don't understand, I don't like this at all. I don't either, I can't speak for it because I that confuse me as well. I, I think I chalked it up to not the literal sense of that. Like we were talking about, like how this is like a really old occupation. that. Yes. I mean, the idea that like, hey, I want someone dead, I'm going to pay you to do it like that. Has been happening for centuries. Yeah. I'm thinking maybe he is thinking about it in terms of, like, like an Amazon thing where you can just go online and find this and and that can be, but even that, like, that's what the dark web is like that. Yeah. Like on like like you can, like you, you want to tell. I can get you a toe. Okay. Exactly. I've done research. I've listened to the craziest of dreams, true crime podcast documentaries. You could. There was a time when you could have ordered this shit on the dark web. You could have literally met a hitman. Like this stuff exists and you can't go on. There's no Amazon for, illicit drugs either. We all know that. That we all tacitly understand that. Why? I don't know, it's it was it didn't ruin the movie. I didn't even know we were going to go off on this, or I rather was going to go off on this, and I wasn't even going to bring it up. I wasn't going to mention it. I was going to mention it. But then when I heard that podcast interview today, I went, all right, this is weird. You guys just keep saying this over and over. I don't hit men, hit people. They exist. They are, yes, a huge staple of a certain type of thriller, of course. And, a lot of movies make it seem like, of course, that it is far more prevalent than I'm sure it is. But you guys are. You guys are on. I don't know what the hell you guys are on. If you think this just doesn't exist in the movies, made up this profession, where the fuck do you think the movies got it from? They just made it up. They got it from real life. Like, I don't know, very strange, very strange. Maybe, maybe, maybe there was just some situation where, like, whoever they were working with, who gave them money to make the movie was just sort of like, hey, is part of the deal for you? Me giving you money is you have to be like, this isn't a real thing, and you need to make that known. And so now they're just they're right in the gimmick. I don't know, maybe, but that that montage in the movie could not have been cheap. You have to clear all those clips. So I was like, all right, hey, okay. All right. This I don't know. Hey, maybe no one else even noticed this stuff. That's another thing. That's what that was actually what I was going to ask you. Am I overthinking this? Am I just being too much of, like, a whiny baby and overthinking it because, well, no answer please. Well, you you have spent like 20 minutes on it. I mean, I was 20, I've been looking. It's been four. It has been for for it's felt like 20 I know, thank you. What a compliment you've given me. It's just what I texted you. I look, I know sports gamblers, good people know. I know a few people. I know people who regularly bet on sports and someone like me. I've always watched Uncut Gems and liked Uncut Gems. I brought Uncut Gems up and conversation with a sports bettor recently, and he just scoffed. And I went, what? And he goes, the entirety of the end of that movie is based on the fact that his girlfriend takes a helicopter to make a series of extremely specific sports bets in a Connecticut casino. Connecticut did not have sports betting in 2012 when the movie took place. They didn't have sports betting in 2019 when the movie was released. And I go, really? And he's like, so then I look it up and I go, I just don't get this shit. Why the fuck do movies do this? I love Uncut Gems. I really enjoyed hitman. Why do movies do this? I don't Delaware has. Delaware has had sports betting since like 2009. Why can't you take a helicopter to Delaware? I just want to go to Delaware. Who the fuck wants to go to Connecticut? I'm just saying whatever. We love them so we can poke fun at them. The hitman thing. I really didn't understand, I don't know, yeah, I don't get it either. I did not talk for 20 minutes. All right, so that's it. What is. We'll what is the point there? I just don't get it. That's all I don't get when movies do this. Fruitvale station has a fucking flashback. It cuts to a flashback and it says 2007. And Octavia Spencer is talking to Michael B Jordan in lockup. She's visiting him in jail, and they're having a conversation about how how much his child loves to rewatch Wall-E. While he was not released in theaters until 2008 and did not become available on home video until 2009, what I'm asking is Fruitvale Station. Very good movie. My favorite Ryan Coogler movie. I think it's a very good movie. Important movie. Does no one tap him on the shoulder at any point and go, hey, just so you know, like your timing's a little off here? Or does no one figure out in post and they can ADR it till another movie that came out in like 2005 or 6? I don't know, I don't know. I think about this shit all the time. You're not wrong. That's that's all. I just don't get it. I just don't get it. The same thing in Saltburn. You pointed out that they're all watching the Superbad. I don't give a shit 2007, and that movie was taking place a year before in 2006. So I think in 2006. But it was before Superbad. They could not. The movie was out. Yeah. Yeah, exactly. The movie was out in 7 or 8, and they're watching it on home video before it was even released in theaters. And I'm just going, I don't know, maybe. I mean, who cares? I guess I guess that's the I mean, is who cares? Like, I don't care about Michael Mann getting being hilarious with LA geography. Like, it's hilarious when you live in LA and you watch heat, you're like, what the fuck? Why the fuck does he live at the beach? That makes no sense. Like be so far for him to drive, that's stupid, but who cares? It looks cool. You have to really be intimate with geography of LA to know that you do not have to be intimate, nor do you. Do. You have to have spoken to an actual hitman to know that they exist. Most all of us know that they exist in some form. That's all I'm saying. That's all I'm saying. I really like this movie. Let's move on. hitman, man, that's the fucking chemistry that these two have. I'm, you know, we're picking up the pace again. That might have in total, maybe not 20, not 20 minutes, but it's one on 30 now. No, they took the whole podcast. It's only been like 45. And we've spent 45 minutes on this panel. And Arjona I'm going to start calling her Matty because, because you feel that bad with her. I'm bad with the I'm bad with the names. I actually spelled it out phonetically. I looked it up. I didn't want to get it wrong. I see it, their chemistry in this was really astounding. I mean, he's a charming dude. We've seen that. Yeah. I had never seen her before. She's been in a number of things. I'll talk about her a little later, but, or if I had seen her, I hadn't fully remembered her. Wow. I mean, even the first meeting when she's trying to hire or trying to hire him is great. They get a little funny. But that first official date under those neon lights, and she's, like, leaning forward with her, her head in her hands, I mean, oh, they're both a extremely beautiful people. They both. Yeah. I mean, they're just. And now we're just. I don't even know if this is corny to say, but, like, their skills really match how they look like they're as good of actors as they are as they look at. It's just sometimes nice to see really good looking people on a movie screen acting really well together. That's what they're doing the entire time that she she has a line that, this doesn't ruin anything. That's not a spoiler. It's in the very first meeting that it's a line that is very tough to make work in. What was happening is that they've just met. They've but they've immediately started to kind of like connect on a level that has a vibe. Yeah. That, that that's not what they're there for. And she just kind of like I don't think she puts her hands in her like chin or something. But she does some gesture where she's lost in him and she goes, so what do you do? and yeah, and obviously, like, you are here, you've hired him as a hitman, but she just got so lost in his in his eyes and he's like, she's got it. She's crushing hard. And that is a very, very tough, like, job to, like, really make work to have like the payoff like work in that way. And both of them made that moment just saw I was like, that's good. That's that's fucking good shit right there. What a great specific thing to hone in on. I really love that as well, because they are there because she wants to hire him to kill her abusive husband. That is why they are there. And for 3.5 seconds she forgets that and thinks they're on a first date. Yeah, and you believe it? And he bit his. His face is like, like, duh, you know what I do? And then she snaps back to it. So believable. And yeah, not easy to pull up all the stuff. Like all the stuff that could be corny. I mean, they they can talk at a diner, they can dance together. Well, they can have good pillow talk. There's the other scenes are very steamy. When they're in the bedroom. They have one extremely long take where they're talking in a bathtub, which we've all seen so many times in movies like this, but it all works. It's just all in. Sometimes he's talking in great detail about how to kill people, how to get rid of the bodies, which is just totally making up. So I loved it. I love their whole dynamic and this movie is not going to it's, you know, it's dependent on getting that tone right, but you get that tone right with the actors. And this movie would not work if they did not if they were not on fire together. And we're going to be seeing a lot more of her, obviously from here on out. But I thought this was not I mean, she's an Andor. She's been around like she's been in stuff, so she's she's a working actor. But I think people who did not previously know her, like myself now, will start to. Oh, yeah. And as we all should, you know, she's dating. Oh Jason Momoa what's really. Yeah. Oh, man. That's, Wow. That's, that's a that's a, that's a, that's a sexy pair. It there. Wow. You wouldn't believe the performance. I just saw him give last night. But but Jesus Christ, I watched, fast ex. Well, one of the oh, truly worst movies I've ever seen. And he is. That is like, it's all timer. Bad acting. I don't know what the hell his I'm talking like you can play a villain at like 12 and just be going, oh, that crazy and making got to doing all this stuff. He's doing that at fucking 22. He's off. So far gone. Funny voices high it. Anyway, I do not recommend that movie. A kid flies in it. A kid flies through the air like he's not supposed to, but he just flies. And you go. I started diet, laugh and of course I was a little stoned. So Ali Corso and she's like, what are you watching? You're died laughing. I'm like, fast and furious ten. It's fucking great. Flies in the air. Bring it back. Bring me back. Yeah. Hitman. Hit me. It's good. Oh, hitman. Hitman, man. we've we've we've come. Oh, no. Please go ahead. Well, I know how we're going to go next, because we gotta talk about Austin Amelio. Oh, God. Yeah, well, I was actually okay. We could do it now because I was going to talk about all the cast kind of in-depth. Let's talk about have a little bit, though. Of course. This is, so Austin Amelio is the the asshole cop in the movie who has to, like, take a day off or he has a case against him for beating the shit out of some kids or something. Just take a day off. So he's an actual cop. But it is. That is when Glen Powell has to step in and fill in for him, basically. And the staff, the, you know, police department, like we kind of like Gary better. Like he's got more range and Austin Amelio is all pissed off. But this is Nesbitt from everybody watching this. And they wrote they wrote the role for him. And you know, we're fucking drinking here, baby. We're taking, We love Nesbitt. He's so I do I fucking like he's really. Goodness. Yeah, yeah. I'm gonna need a fuckload of money. I like to a what? It's a it's a cool rule because when you look at, like, the whole entire, arc of him in it, you you never know where he's coming from. Yeah. Like, yeah, there's times where I think he's being truthful and sincere, and there's times. Really? Oh, dude, you're you're a dick. You're just a straight up douchebag and you never know. And like, that's a that's that's that's because he's fucking Nesbitt. Maybe it's the next. I loved it. Loved him, loved him. All right. Pop question, pop question. Pop question, baby. Pop quiz. Hotshot. How many collaborations have Glen Powell and Richard Linklater done together? Okay, okay. One, two. What are they? Name these. All right. Everybody wants some one. Apollo ten and a half. Two counts. hitman three. And in And then didn't they do a scene and and and then I thought there was some like documentary. It's because I'm thinking of Blue Angels. It's it's actually it's not a doc. It's just, it's it's a bona fide, legitimate movie that no one remembers that he's in. I did not remember at all. He is in. He he has a broken arm and fast food nation he's serving fries with. Oh, okay. I would have never. Never. Yes. Yeah. So I didn't even remember that. So they've been. So I want to talk about Glen Powell. Here is Gary Johnson because some people a lot of people. Yeah we went right past him didn't we. Yeah. Well because you want to talk about Nesbitt Lee, Glen Powell I wanted to I have a few people. I mean he has an he has had an extremely popular movie in any one. But you essentially be dominating the past year with how he did it in theaters. And now him and Sydney Sweeney completely manipulated the press in a brilliant stroke of genius. Now it's Netflix where it is absolutely crushing, and I'm getting asked a lot where the hell did this guy come from? I thought he was just an maverick. Yeah, yeah. First movie role Spy Kids 3D, Robert Rodriguez, a Texan. Glen Powell, a Texan, his second movie. I'm not saying everyone's heard of these movies, but listen, who directed them? The Winder The Wendell Baker Story, directed by Luke Wilson, famous Texan fast food nation, directed by Richard Linklater. Linklater, famous Texan. There you go. The Great Debaters, directed by Denzel Washington. Not a Texan, but he is Denzel Washington. He's in The Dark Knight Rises, directed by Christopher Nolan. Then, of course, we, you and I come to know him from Everybody Wants Some as First Cousin Finnegan, directed by Richard Linklater. He was in Hidden Figures that same year, playing John Glenn. He was in Set It Up, which was a Netflix rom com that ended up doing very well on Netflix, and people just kept watching it. He is in that animated film, Apollo ten and a half, directed by Richard Linklater. Of course, he's in Top Gun Maverick, where he kind of steals the show, I might say. And then he was in a movie later that year called devotion, which he also produced. Yeah. Remember that producer producer? He is now in hitman, which he produced and co-wrote with Richard Linklater. He was in Anyone But You, and now he's the producer, as you said of this Imax, Imax stock, the Blue Angels. And according to IMDb, his next credit is he has written and is producing a Captain Planet movie. I'm here for it. Oh my God. So what this kid is doing, kid from, you know, Texas humble roots, big movie fan. Clearly he got linked up with really important directors early on, has learned from them, and has learned that if there's always going to be competition for him in the acting field. So let's take hitman, for example. He wrote that with Richard Linklater, one of his idols that he's idolized since he was a kid. He got to be in two of his movies now. They wrote it all in Covid. They're just zoom calling, writing it together. They were never in the same room. Never. They were just spitting ideas, outlining. They wrote it and then he fucking produced it with him. This is the ticket. This is the key. This is the only reason why hitman exists. Because one actor's like, hey, I found this article about, you know, this crazy guy. And Richard Linklater was like, yeah, I've known about that article since you were in junior high, dude, I got yeah, I've loved that for a while. And he goes, let's make a movie about it. Okay, so they do it. And that is why Glen Powell is happening right now. And that is why I think, well, in my opinion, he's emerging as the more talented one of his generation. There are a lot of other names I could throw in there that I would do, maybe slightly disparagingly, but the fact that he's producing his own shit really, really matters. We see people like Margot Robbie doing this. This is what matters. I think he's going to be around for a long time. Absolutely here for it. Loved him in this. Yeah, absolutely. And I think he, the, he even set it up, though I remember when that came out, I was freaking out because of him. Because everybody wants him. Yeah, but like that movie, it didn't really feel like much happened as a result. Like, he like, okay, that's I mean, the movie did well, but he didn't just pop off after that either. That was just another thing. It wasn't really until Top Gun. And so then that happened. And then then he became somebody. But I really think it was the anyone but you because Sydney Sweeney is a producer on that. Yep. He was the guy that was that's just the actor because he's not involved in the producing. So that was just a vehicle for Sydney Sweeney, I think. But the chemistry between them were it's really real and it was a perfect fit for him coming off of action, coming off of Top Gun because two back to back plane movies. That's a that's a tricky, tricky thing to do there to devotion and yeah yeah. Do you want to be typecast as just this kind of guy. But to then to go right into the big romantic comedy with a really hot star right now, and by hot, I mean popular? Yeah, yeah. Come on, come on with me. We just did the erotic thriller pod. People know where we're coming from. We know what we're talking about. And, and then, you know, and then he's going right to twisters. And twisters is going to be a giant blockbuster. I mean, fucking better. So this is just me as a Glen Powell saying, if it was anyone else in this movie, I would not be happy about this movie being made because yeah, we don't Bill Paxton. We don't need another twister. We don't know an ass for any of we don't need any of this shit. This is all it is. Now. If they're going to give it to us, at least do it about movies. I want to see and have it be like, I suppose, have it. Have some integrity, which it's like Beetlejuice. Beetlejuice. Do we need that? No. But is it really not going to have any CGI? It's all going to be practical like the original. I'm here for it, man. I am. And and bring up what makes sense because you know, you've got you've got actors that that can come back to like like seeing Michael Keaton do this again is exciting. I think it's different. I think it's different in some way. But either way I don't care because it's Glen Fucking Powell and I have been champion in this guy since everybody wants Some and people still don't know that that's him. Well, it's because nobody watches that movie so fucking, It's a crying shame. It's just one of the greatest tragedies. And honestly, part of me is like, because I can go both ways on the Netflix thing. It's a 50 over 50. Like, wouldn't it be amazing if hitman was in 3000 theaters for a month and a half? And we were talking about it, and I go, well, everybody wants that was not released in that many theaters. But imagine if that dropped on Netflix day and date. Maybe we act. People would have actually seen it. Oh, I know it's one of the great joys of this podcast that we got. We got a lot of people, a lot of people for us to watch that. First of all, yes, it's because we saw it first. So we got our entire friend group to watch it, and they all love it. I got so many people to watch it. And then because of that episode, we got a lot of people to check that movie out and that movie rocks. Everybody needs to rewatch it, I love it, I mean, some it's we'll we'll figure out how much I love it pretty soon. If everybody doesn't know who listens to this, everyone knows, like, that's like, that's what I'm talking about or I'm talking about. Adria Arjona as we talked about our Jonah as Matty, we did not talk about that. Her credits include Pacific Rim Uprising, Triple Frontier six, underground, Morbius, father of the bride, the 2022 edition. She was in True Detective season two. She was Bix in Andor. She was in Irma Vep, which is in Olivia Iesus. Oh, I love this thing. It was a Alicia Vikander. Yeah, a mini series on HBO. So fucking cool is that it was a remake of his own movie from 1996, same name, and it was right there on Mac. So I watched him both she and in that, are hona plays Alicia Vikander ex assistant slash ex-girlfriend. It was. It's it was good. Good. That's a good mini series. Highly recommend it. She was great in this. I think she's going to be a big star. I again I had seen like Irma Vep, but I did not remember specifically. I didn't remember her from that. And I think we're going to be seeing a lot more of her. I liked, what I liked a lot about her in this is, similar to Austin Amelio. the terms that these characters part of the fun of this movie, I think. Yeah, actually, like, you don't really know where these characters are coming from. And so all of a sudden when they do something that we are not really expecting and, and it's really like a slap in the face in the best possible way, like you're like, oh, okay, you're this kind of person, are you? Right? And what I loved about her was like, of course that's in the writing. But like in your performance, you have to make that a positive part of your character. So that way people are more drawn to you as opposed to like turned away. And I thought she did that so well because her character takes so many turns where I'm like, okay, okay, I see you. You're you're you're different, aren't you? And yeah, it's it's so appealing. It's so appealing. I think that's why Glen Powells character is also into it, too. Well, he's just he's he's kind of crazy. Well yeah. Yeah. He's like can't maintain like a relationship in his quote real life. But then he can when he's playing someone else. Yeah. Yeah. He's, he does not have a very solid identity even though he is very rock solid in all of them. Yeah. Yeah. That's the inverse ego stuff that they keep going back to like. And yeah, she kept surprised me. I love what she's being all playful. She's like I got a surprise and he's like what? She goes pick ahead. And he's like left. And she pulls out a fucking pistol, pulls a gun. She he's like, oh shit. And she's like, well, I need a protection. I thought, I love that. All right. One other major contributor to this film that I gonna talk about is editor Sandra Adair. Why? I want to mention this never talks about her before. Hitman is the 20th film she has edited for Richard Linklater. The first was Dazed and Confused. I did not realize that Linklater had his own Thelma Schoonmaker. This is oh yeah. She was nominated. Yes. Not on Oscar in editing boyhood. you know, whenever I see that and I'm like boyhood, why did not that should have won Best Editing. It was so well done. And then you think, and you're like, you look it up and you go, what could have won whiplash? Yeah. yeah, that makes sense. It's hey, at least it didn't lose to The Imitation Game, which for some reason was nominated for that and many other awards that year. Many. It's that that one's not as an egregious as a, as, I still get it. We'll talk about we'll talk. We'll get there. We'll get there. All right. Any final thoughts on hitman? We I mean, our plot set up was like the first 35 minutes. It goes, believe me, it goes other places. It's very, very fun. My thing of, like, hitman don't exist. Who, like who cares? It's not. It's not a huge part of the movie. It's just my. We're a weird own thing. Highly recommend this. It's very fun. I think you can watch it with, you know, watch it with the whole family. If the family is of a certain age to watch with kids, I think it's, I think everything you say is great, I loved it. It's a very, very fun movie. I did watch the trailer after the movie because I want to see. I am very glad I did not see the trailer. Oh, it doesn't necessarily give everything away, but it does give away literally a, B, c as the movie goes, the trailers hate that and then it and then it kind of leaves you with the idea, well, you don't know what happens in the end. And yeah, they leave you like the last 15 minutes. Yeah. But you gave me enough plot points to where I know that by midway the movie will probably be here in this story. So, if you have not seen hitman, don't watch trailer going blind. I went in blind. The best thing that happened to me about this movie was that LA went crazy with the marketing out here. like I'm talking billboards, side shit benches. There is, unnecessary hard Netflix went so and I seen multiple benches, bus stops where they got Glen Powells fucking face anyone hiring Gary Johnson. And it gives like a fake phone number. There's a fucking, QR code. I should have picked the code to see where it would have taken me. I probably would've been something fun, but hopefully Netflix, I mean, I'm sure. Right? But yeah, but sometimes they'll do something fun. Like, it's just another like it wouldn't take you to a real hitman because those don't exist, Nick. They don't exist. Sorry I gathered from all of this because I wasn't enough. I was like, okay, his name's Gary Johnson, but he's in all these different outfits. I didn't know he was a fake hitman. I did same here. That was a part of the plot. So when all of a sudden all this is happening in the movie, I was like, oh, okay, this is this is going to be fun. Yes. Go see it. We recommend it. I liked it a lot. I think it fits very, very well in Richard Linklaters filmography. I think it's a very fun, maybe even the fun noir for me. There's one more, funnier one, but I think this fits very well in that camp. Like I talked about in the beginning of the episode. Yeah, yeah. Good. I'm glad we both liked it. I. I had no problem watching it. just twice in two days. I was like, oh, yeah, this is fun. I want to do our official Richard Linklater top tens. We did top fives in episode three, and I allowed for cheats because we were doing that. So like, you can find stuff. We're not doing that here. Everything is one movie every before film. Gotta count. It takes one slot. No cheating. We're going to lay it all out. This. He has 22 features, total narrative features. He has some docs in there. I'm not counting those. We have 22 to pick from, and I thought it'd be fun to do all ten. Are you ready? Do you concur? I absolutely concur, all right, well, why don't you go first? Oh, fucking I you know what? It's it hasn't been four years since you lied to me about The Exorcist. Oh, my God, five years. Maybe next year I'll start going first. You said how long you feel like these years keep going up. I said, for as long as you lied to me about it. This song is. You have to go first. That actually you lied to me about it for, like, years before I found out. Fucker. Well, I mean, I've been living that lie my whole life, so, like, anymore you sent it. Just bought it on 4K, The Exorcist. All right, number ten actually. Wait, wait, let let's do something first. We've never done. How many do you think we have in common? Oh, oh, I think I'll have seven. I know once I'm even going to be on your list. I know two that are not going to be on your list. Oh, yeah. given our earlier conversations, we will have seven in common. Like on the list. You said that like it's unique. I just fucking said that. I think seven, it's what I do. Okay. All right. Number ten. Number ten. Nick toadstools. Ten. Favorite Richard Lake ten. Favorite. I also have mine because we have not even spoken about this, but I do think Richard Linklater is in my top five favorite directors. I. Did you mention him on our favorite directors pod? Oh, yeah. Oh, I mean, he's probably number three. Yeah, it's it's, it's right. I it's his philosophy, like, so like, I, I just feel like I need to say that as I go into his, my top ten of his movies, like, we've been having a lot of fun on this podcast, but this is, this is a guy for me. Like, this is eight and me two, three, two top five. Yeah. Like his his existential outlooks and philosophies. I do look at him as like the Aristotle of our film making time. And one thing I did, when I homeless when we were talking about our tattoos on. Yeah, on the link, our number three episode, man, I don't know how we could talk about something like that. And with so much like, rigidness like, I know it looks, it looks came out to Los Angeles, and we wanted matching tattoos. And so we got them. And it's just really meaningful to us. And Jesus, matching tattoos, as in, they say the same thing, but it's a different font. I just got another tattoo right here. There it is. See that? It is a different font. I wish I, I, I and the guy forgot to cross my t and act. I remember that pissed you went? Yes, you went back while I stayed and watched the Indie Spirit Awards by myself. That's so a really quick. Just to wrap this up, we got matching tattoos from an air subtle quote that says quality is not an act, it is a habit. Yep. It wasn't until we got back from getting our tattoos where I look down at my tattoo and I go, quality is not an ACL. It is a habit. I is like he forgot to cross the T and act. So I had to go back the next fucking day and be like bruh. So anyways, my font choice is because people always ask this. People are like, you look like the guy from memento. do any back? And I go slowly turning into him. But if you look in memento, if you look at his left, forearm, which is where I got the tattoo we're talking about where it says the fax colon. Fact one mail. That's the same font as. Oh, placement as the memento one. So I did that on purpose. It doesn't say the same thing, but, Yeah, I just got a new one. fifth overall, third M83 lyric. The fuck I do it. but it's just going to be like a lyric sheet for them. fucking love it. All right, number ten. What is it? Let's do number ten. I don't know if this is even going to be on your list, but I love this movie. It's been the biggest source of inspiration for me for my newest thing. tape. Oh my God. Yeah. Tape was in my top five of it when we first did it, but I love tape. I love tape and tape. If you if I'm still going to be involved in that movie of yours, that was a huge inspiration for me. Like just in the way it is cut and edited, because the entire thing takes place in one room and you do not leave. Now, I've been meaning to tell you one motel room. I've been meaning to tell you you're not a part of it anymore. Good. I mean, I've been meaning to tell you. I bow out decision. Yesterday. I go, I love that Ethan Hawke is like a fucking animal in that movie. Like he has a duffel bag just full of what looks to be very warm. Beer. Like cheap beer. Yeah. And then he's just got this, like, bag of coke that he keeps. Bring it out. You're like, what the fuck is this guy? Like, who is this? I really like that movie. One of the acts, the movie of all the movies Richard Linklater has not written but directed, that's my favorite. And there aren't too many, but that's that's one. But it's based on a play. It is. And I was also going to say it is one of the and I, I've seen productions of this play and and they're good. It's a good play. It's it's a, the movie that Linklater Linklater has made. It is a very good adaptation from play to screen, and it's a very hard thing to do. We've talked about that a few times on the pod. I do think that that is a worthy, worthwhile. If you were going to go down that rabbit hole of what are the some really good movies that were plays that went to screen, it's not the best, but it certainly is in, is in the positive part of that conversation. Yeah. And if people haven't seen it before, just know it's a really raw experience by Disney. It was made and it was shot made in 2001. And they very intentionally shot the whole thing on brand new consumer grade digital cameras. So does it quote unquote look good? no. But that's not it's not really that the intent is the intent is can we actually do this on film? Can we not leave this motel room and pull this off? Three characters, one room, a lot of intense conversation. Let's go. And I thought they pulled it off. So sometimes it pops up on streaming. So if you can find it, people find it. Yeah, yeah. Good shit. Good shit. Number ten for me. Did not know it was going to sneak in here, but I got to give credit to one of them and I'm going to go with A Scanner Darkly from 2006. One of his two. well, I know just one of his rotoscoping movies. The first was Waking Life, where you're taking this really trippy imagery where where waking life is more philosophical by design. A Scanner Darkly is just kind of this trippy drug quest. Philip K Dick thing. And I don't get it go in for animation too much, but that's actually one that I own. I'm looking at it right here. Good movie. It is a good movie. I actually, it's it's it the animation is always it takes a while for me to adjust to that one. Same here, same here to eat either of his animated movies. Apollo ten and a half animation. I actually, that was quite good, I did too, I did too. I like, they talk about, like, a level up. I mean, that's 20, 20, 2022 where it's waking life is 2001. So you're right. Yeah. And then Scanner Darkly season six. So I just pulled my DVD off the rack. I didn't realize commentary by Richard Linklater, which is great. The in Philip K Dick's daughter, but also Keanu Reeves. And you know, Keanu Reeves is on commentaries. That's cool. Oh that's awesome. Yeah, I'm glad that Robert Downey Jr because it'll it'll become the RDA show. Yeah. No shit. yeah. All right. Number nine from, you know, this this is, this is a controversial, spot for this movie to go in, but, it's it's, it's it's here in the top ten, but it's arguably one of his most well known. Number nine for me is Dazed and Confused. Wow. Wow. Okay, so by guessing that that leads him, Billy leads me to believe that you did not grow up with this movie. I did not grow up with that. Yeah, yeah, okay. So I yeah, this was one that I had an older brother three years older. This came out in 93, barely just a little too young for me. But if you had a friend with an older sibling, they had this VHS. My brother had this this VHS. My friend Chris, his older sisters had this VHS and we would like, sneak off and watch it. So this not unlike kids though kids is such an extreme example. But movies like dazed Confused, even Reservoir Dogs, that's like we were sneaking VHS. It's literally like trying to like, oh, can we watch this? And going, oh, white man can't Jump was another huge one for us for some reason. So I get it. But I have such a relationship with it that, you know, it gets compared very often to everybody. Want some? I understand, but whereas I've seen everybody want some a lot in the last a lot of times in the last nine years I had see Daisy confused so many more times between 93 and 2015 and then even still to this day. So. Oh, that's all. That's all. I was just guessing. And look, I'm glad it's on the list though, at any rate. Oh yeah. No, I love this movie. It's it's just, but one of my favorite things that I think about when I watch this movie is I actually think of my mom because my mom, when she saw this movie, she believes that that was the closest representation to what her life was like in high school. Yeah, she she was I love that. Yeah. She's like, this is exactly how it was. It was like, you avoid it. Like girls avoided the the the hazing. Like how that was like. And it was that extreme. And for the for the guys, it was the same thing. The way that you snuck in, you, like, hid drugs from your parents. The way that you partied in, like camp, like in in parks like that. Like she's like, no, this was this was what we all did back in the 70s. And I was like, oh, so this that's pretty cool. And I can imagine Linklater like, he's just so truthful and everything like, that was his experience, you know? Like that was how it was. Yeah. And another reason it really pops out for me is we gotta keep in mind that movies made in 93, he's born in 60, so he is young. He's like in his early 30s when that it's his first studio movie. And they were given constant strife by the studio. And I really think he pulled off something special and memorable. But like I said, oh, yes, you're happy that it's on your list at any rate, I think it's arguably like his most popular in a lot of ways. I think that's the movie that put him on the map. Yeah, yeah, I would say it's his still, like most well known if people I mean school of Rock of course has made the most money. But Daisy confused has this really iconic cult status behind it. It does. Yeah. My number nine is movie we've been talking about all day to day. Hitman released in 2024. Wikipedia liked it and man it did made top ten. Enjoyed it. It did not make my top ten. That's all right. It's five Razzie. Oh, that's why we're here. Oh yeah, I thought I thought hitman was truly, like, immensely enjoyable. I do not think this movie's hitman. I'm hitman. I'm talking about. I do not think it's going to be nominated for Oscars. I we it's not going to make any quote unquote money because it already made its money. It made 20 million from Netflix. Well, is it something that's going to be number one, 2 or 3 on Netflix two weeks from now? I don't know. Or will it just go away? Maybe that's what can happen, but it's something that I imagine myself watching, you know, a few other times, easy a breeze. Liked it, I think. I think it's going to do well, I think I hope so going to respond well to it. Yeah. Yeah. It's an easy movie. Number eight from you. It's a tough one. I don't know. I don't know why I put this one here. and why I put the one above it where it is, but that they did. So number eight is boyhood. Wow. Well, you're surprising me a little bit here, but that's okay. I know, I know, I love boyhood, and this is where my most egregious, not the most egregious, but I hate that Linklater did not win Best director for this for the Oscars. Yeah, it's it's a crying shame. Now, while boyhood, I think does have some like, misses throughout the whole entire thing, when you look at the at what he did for that movie, it makes sense that there's actually some misses because, yeah, you're dealing with a prepubescent kid who is you know, for two weeks a year, for ten years is growing and changing. His acting changes a little bit, and it just gets a little like, I don't know, it's just so true to life, though, that, you know, you get weird when you you're going through ages. I just think that the fact that no one had ever done anything like this and then pulled it off so well, don't how do you not get director do that? Just how. Yeah, I mean, I get this, I get it. Yeah. This is a tough one. Yes. I love and you read too. And I love Birdman. I love. And you read to more than that. Dude loves himself. Has anyone ever heard of the movie Bardo? No. Anyway, so it's one of those things where knowing what we know now, of course you give 2014 director to Linklater because in you read 211 the next year for The Revenant. But we didn't know that. That's the biggest crying shame. 2015. There was nothing. I mean, they could have they could have gone George Miller for Fury Road, which we talked about that movie, but it would have been a cool flex from the Academy. I knew it wasn't going to happen. It's a bummer. They really should have if they were going to be. So they were going to award Birdman so highly with screenplay, picture and director, not actor. Not actor. Nope. But if you're going to work with all the rest, I mean, yeah, give it, give it. Director, I totally agree. I was bummed then. I love in injury too, but I don't think we need to live in a world where he has to. And Linklater has none when they could very easily both have one. They could. But yeah, I never expected Birdman to be a thing. To me, that's every time I rewatch that, I'm like, this still is not an Oscar movie. I don't know what I mean. Hey, good on it for winning. Yeah, it was also, you know, the way it was told had something to do with the movie itself. How that's all. One shot. Of course it wasn't. But, you know, you got 14 years versus this, like, quote unquote real time thing. I get it. It was it was a strange it was a strange year that that happened, but. Oh well it did. So boyhood number eight for me okay. Okay. My number eight. His first official film. Slacker. What a movie. what a movie. Yes, yes, that that is. That's my number seven. Okay, cool, cool. I had a point to make about boyhood that I totally forgot. I think one thing that harmed it, and I found this to be true in subsequent ten years. Ten years since it's been out, that is not, an inherently rewatchable movie. I'm not like, let me put on boyhood. I have to think about it. And three hours to me doesn't mean shit. I'll put on a three hour movie. That's fine. Three hours is walking. It's like it's walk in the park. Hey, it's like everybody wants some dazed and confused. I can put those on any time. Even hitman, you can put on with more ease than you can something like boyhood, because it's really like, just kind of an experience. And I think that hurt it a little bit then and maybe now. I don't think it's getting a lot of rewatches, I don't know, but it will always stand the test of time because it is ambitious as hell. I think it's his his most prestige movie. Yeah. That way. Yeah. And and it is something to kind of like be hold for exactly what it is. But no, I agree, it's not like I'm going to be like, you know what I'm going to watch tonight. But when I do watch boyhood again, yeah, I do enjoy. Yeah. Nice. My experience with it same. So it's Linklater. How do you not enjoy him. That's the yeah I enjoy all all of his movies. Like even the ones that aren't on my list I still I enjoy his style. I enjoy watching him. Slacker. Where I sit except for one now. Well, yeah, it's just not for me. I what can I say? I know whatever, it's a studio thing. No. It's fine. Slacker. Yes. Good movie. Yes. Just having a blast watching it this morning. Had not seen it and, quite some time and just, Yeah, the way it goes, like that car accident right after that woman just gets hit. Oh, right. In the beginning, it was like, damn. Everyone's like, Are those are groceries? It it's just what what a weird thing. And believe me, if you if people weren't around for the slacker craze, this movie changed a lot. People were going, this can be a movie. Like a critically acclaimed movie. I love it. It it holds up even though, like, the it's a very cheap movie. did not have a very big budget is one of those indie movies in the 90s that just hit. But what's so great about it is if you watch it now and you've never seen it, it's going to feel so fresh and original. Because it does. Yep. Things like this were done a lot in the 90s, like Jim Jarmusch, I think, like, you know, like I always looked at him and like, you could put any Jim Jarmusch movie and this and slacker as a double feature and they'll work is their storytelling is not dissimilar in this way, but because we just don't get this type of structure anymore, it's just it feels so free and new and and like, why can't we do this? Like, yeah, why this works. It makes sense and it's fun. And what's going to happen next? It's a movie that moves scene to scene without the same people for the most part. And it's like all in a day. It just keeps moving from person to person situation, the situation throughout the movie, and it's fucking great. Yeah. Linklater himself is the first person he's just gotten off a bus. He's in a taxi, so he's giving this kind of monologue to the taxi driver. Then when he gets out of the taxi, we hear this car crash off screen, and then he comes across this accident, and then one of the witnesses from that car crash, the camera just leaves Linklater behind and then follows this witness into his house. And that's how we're going to keep moving and going. It's not like it's all one, shot. Yeah, like that at all. There are long takes, but it's just a really cool. Yeah, it is experimental, but also it's so well crafted. You're like, oh yeah, this is if anyone likes clerks, anyone likes Kevin Smith. This is the movie he saw where he's like, what the fuck, you can do that? I want to go do that. And that's why Kevin Smith makes a movie at the convenience store where he works like that. That is why. Yeah, because of slacker. So is my number eight your number seven? My number seven. It's the first before Before Sunrise 1995. Love it. All right. How do you want to handle this? Because my my mind comes up a little bit later. Do you want to do you want to tell a lot of the movies you've already talked about come up later? For me, I'm just saving where they come up for me. So I've just been talking about them just as they come in about them. Okay. Which wasn't in my top ten. Yeah. Before sunrise number seven. Love it. What can I say? And it feels right to put it at seven. But wow, what a what a thing to go from Dazed and Confused, which was not a hit in 93, but then go to this really small two hander with Ethan Hawke. Julie Delpy gets better every time I watch it. I might have been last year, the year before, I don't know whatever the hell it was. Did, my criterion triple feature? brilliant. A tough like it's a tough triple feature because the the grass does not get greener as you keep going in these movies. But it is it is worthwhile. Yeah. And I just love this movie. Yeah. Every once in a while I try to catch it, but it's never at an ideal time. But American Cinematheque out here will do a triple feature in the theme of this. And there's like a I think it'd be like a half hour break in between each one because they're not long, but still three movies back to back to back. I have a theory about the before trilogy. Yes, they all get better with each watch, every single one of them. But I think we like for whatever reason, because that's just the way that life is. We look at them differently each wherever we're at when we watch them together. So, like, so like for I remember when we did our first Linklater pod Before Sunrise really did it for me in a way that, it was. And I'd already seen that movie. But when we were rewatching it, I was like, oh my God, like, I'm in love with this one. Now, it's not that. That one's not my favorite one, but it's like where that that matters to me more is a little bit less. Yeah. Like now I kind of live more in like, the midnight. Well, sure, but. Oh, well, I've been there, you know, but yeah, but I mean that's the thing. It's like, that's why these movies are so great. Is that they all kind of live. So. But that could change two years from now. All of a sudden I could be like, oh, man, sunrise with that. Yeah. That, that that youth and that exuberance and enthuses as them and all of it, they live in their time. They really do. And it's such a testament to Linklater's ability as a filmmaker to capture that. Yeah, yeah, I agree. They they the movies don't change. We do. And yeah, how we how they reflect off us, off of us can be really interesting as life goes on. So yeah, that was my number seven. You're number six. So my number six is your favorite. And mine. Here it is. School of Rock. Let's go baby. Yeah I want to be clear. It's not. It's just like, oh you clear. You're clear. I've said it. It's a it's a jack. It's a studio produced Jack black movie. That's it. When it was like the height of Jack black, I get it, I get all of it. It does. It really does not feel like a movie made by him. It feels like something that it was like good. He got in there and got to make. I'm so glad he made it. I'm so glad it made so much money. I am, but there's nothing about it except music. We all know how much he likes music and stuff, and I'm, you know, it's just fine. It's just to me it is a Jack black movie. It is not a Linklater movie, if that makes sense. See, this is where I'm gonna. I'm going to disagree. I don't care, I don't. I don't see why. I think it is like a Linklater movie is, because the ensemble ness of it, the very true, very true. He does all those kids are great in it. They are. The movie's fine. I'm not Jesus sound like such an asshole. And it's because I don't like movies with kids. But it's there's something about the way that we get to know all those kids, and we get to know Jack black with them. That's where the heart of the movie is, the heart of the movie is in. And that's what I think is very Linklater that comes out is Linklater's got so much heart and in so much of his fun loving movies that I think in the relationships that form with Jack black and his students, that's where the movie shines, and that's Linklater. Like, that's why I think it is a Linklater movie is because of that. Everything else. Yes, it is a vehicle for Jack black. I happen to think Jack black is one of the more talented people in Hollywood, but that is a personal opinion. But outside of that piece of it, this is the heart is where it is and then the music. So I think it's got I think it's got I think it's got Linklater written all over it. I okay, we can move on. Yeah. But it it's like his most popular movie. But yeah, he directed it. He didn't write it. He didn't produce it. It's fine I, I everyone who loves that movie, I'm so glad that you like it. And I cannot wait to hear where Bernie is ranked on Nick's list. Got to be in his top five. Given that he thinks Jack black is what what is what was that? They're one of the most important people in Hollywood. I think he's one of the most. I think he's one of the most talented people in Hollywood. I've always thought that. Can't wait to see where Bernie is. Number six. It's he's not on the list. I know, I just kidding, just kidding. No, I do I like him, you know I do. Tropic Thunder. Yeah. He's he's funny. He loves Tropic Thunder. I didn't tell my number six party talks about it. Tape. Love this movie. Oh, okay. This is high up. High up. Yeah, yeah. Kind of hard to find. I don't even own it. I want to, it's only available on DVD, but, yeah, I really like it. So tape number six, you're number five. Number five. Here we are. We've reached it. this is, this is my biggest one that I champion more than. No, no, not more than all of them, but waking life. oh. Very good. Life's so much. It is, it's just my particular cup of tea when it comes to existential philosophy. This movie has it all. It's. It's just. I fucking love every scene in this. The animation takes a little bit to kind of adjust to, but once you do and you kind of let it just do its Linklater thing, oh. Oh yeah, I thought this one would rank highly for you. You really liked it when we were talking on the in episode three. I remember you liked it. Yep. Hasn't changed. I've seen it a few times between. Oh, I was I was actually going to ask. I was going to ask if you had. I have not seen school of Rock since we recorded that episode. And I say, well, watch it, I'm gonna rewatch. It'd be like, oh, I'm such an asshole. So nice interviewing number five for me. Here it is before midnight. Oh, man. wow. Yes. Well, not the I'm going to talk about. We have another fun category after this one and I'll talk about it a little bit more there. But yeah, not the most we're talking about like this isn't necessarily the most rewatchable movie he's done, but wow, when they're in that room, it just goes there. We talked about it a lot in our favorite movie Arguments episode. I love it. One of the all time great movie arguments goes on for like 30 minutes. Oh, it's so good. And what I've actually really come to, appreciate the movie even more is the last scene. Yep. It's, I was just going to say, such a tough balance to pull that off. I you really don't know when you're watching it. Like, how is this going to end in a way that's satisfying? How will it end? And it does. It works and they make it work. It's it's a beautiful also callback because in the end, before sunrise, when he in the very beginning of the movie, when they meet on the train, his stop is in Vienna. And so he basically comes back and is like, all right, just get off the train with me. I don't know what we're going to do, but I don't want to stop this thing with you. And she's sort of like, I don't know. And he goes, okay, let me break it down. He sits down, he goes fast for 30 ish. Now you're Mario. And he gives her, like, this whole entire very, you know, head in the clouds, very Ethan Hawke, very just like, young to, like, highfalutin. Yeah, yeah. like, think of why you should do this. Jump all the way. Now, it's been 30 years. And he tries this again, sits down and kind of does that tactic of like, you know, you don't know me. I don't know you. You know like you know. And he's just trying to make her laugh I love that there's that. I forgot what he says exactly. But he's just sort of like, all right, if you're just done, then I don't know what else we can do. And he kind of, like, gives up and but it was all because he tried to do it. He tried to go back to what once worked 30 years. I, I it's just great. It's good. It is, it is, it's great. And you know, they Linklater wrote the first one with Kim Curzon and then he wrote the second one with Julie Delpy and Ethan Hawke, and the third one, and you can you can really feel that they all had a hand in it. Yeah, I love it. So that was my my number five leads us to your number four. We're getting down to the wire here folks. So so what I did is my four, three and two are all the before movies. I figured you're doing that because I know what your number one. It's going to be okay. So why don't you. Yeah I mean, I know, I know what time it is, all right. Why don't you just do them all? Just go boom boom boom, go boom boom boom. All right. Like in in your order of how you know how you like them. So I go right now. We got four before sunrise, three before midnight, two before sunset. Before. Yep. So I mean, that's exactly how I have them ranked in my list. Not in that order, but that is the order. Sunrise, then midnight, then sunset. Yeah. Yeah, I like it. My number four I can go through these quickly is boyhood. Now. That one was my number two I believe in when we recorded episode three. But again it's just not something that I'm compelled to rewatch a lot. Whereas the ones I'm going to talk about, my three, two, one are ones that I do rewatch and I just, you know, happen to love them. Number three not going to like this. Everybody wants some. I love this movie. Love it to death. It's tough. It's tough to have it here. But the only reason because when we did episode three I combined everybody want some and days and confused. But nowadays it confuses my number two just because I've seen it so many more times and it is so iconic. And it is the fact that that dude made it with no money and all the pressure in the world he had. You always have pressure when you make a movie, but yeah, I just love I love how he was able to do it. It's tough though. Everybody Wants Some is a more kind of I laugh more, but I watch it now. But Dazed and Confused. I'm going for history here too, you know I'm trying to paint history. Can't believe he was able to make that movie. How he was beautiful I hear I hear what you're saying, I hear it, I just can't listen to it because you didn't grow up with it. That's why I'm telling you. If you grew up with. No, no, it was everywhere. And it felt like you were doing something wrong by putting it on. It was just great. And I mean, as many inside jokes as you and I have with everybody. Want some? I have just as many, if not more, with Brant for days and confused like I could text him right now. I'll pay it Tuesday and shit, and he would just laugh his ass off. And that means nothing to you. And to me that means everything. So Brent's better. To me, that's a that's a. Well, I've known him longer. No, they're great movies. All right. What's your number one? Since everyone can't guess now, you could finally talk about the Newton boys last flag flying. Oh, yeah. What a tough one. It should have worked out better. No, everybody should have for you. Everybody wants some. It's the best movie ever made in the history of movies. Yes. Jesus Christ. No, I love it, though. I absolutely love it. Since that movie came out, I have watched it more than I've watched Dazed and Confused. It's just we're really pulling hairs here. Same with the before movies, because I love I love all of them. But my number one and it has been my number one for ages, and it would be very hard for something to break. It is what I consider to be a bona fide, genuine, perfect film. It is 80 minutes long and I think everything contained in Before Sunset is perfect. Yeah, I think the ending is one of the all time great movie endings, and when I saw it, I mean, I saw it three times in the theater. Every time people watched them. That was that first time I saw it, I went, what are you? What? And then went to the parking lot, sat in my car. Some like ten, 15 minutes just thinking about that, just thinking about the fade to black. I think it is a stroke of genius. I cannot believe they pulled it off in real time. Like, well, you know, it's when they're actually meeting nine years later, it just everything about it works. But yeah, please let me be clear. All the before film's dazed and confused. Everybody wants some boyhood. I adore these movies. These are all plus movies to me, I love them. Hitman is a fantasy. It's so much fun. My little qualm that I threw out. We're just. It's a podcast. We're just talking shit. But I don't let that, you know, keep you from it. I love that I love all of his work. School of Rock. And you watch again. Clearly, you know, he he's always been one of my guys. I'm just getting so crazy that I, I mean, I really look forward to everything he's going to do next. 2025 is this novel vague novella Vogue that I'm sure I'm saying wrong that he wrote as well. And yes, it is about the making of breathless. It is about the French New Wave. There are people playing Truffaut, Godard, Oh, God. Sebring je Sebring. Is that. Was that her name? Jean Sebring? 0GGGJ Sebring. No, the woman, not the guy who got killed. The woman who's in it, she's played by Zoey Deutch. And that's the only name that I know Jean Seberg know, isn't it? Isn't it? Yeah. Because Kristen Stewart played her. And yeah, Jean Seberg is what it is. Yeah. The you're thinking of the J. Sebring was the Hollywood guy once upon a time in Hollywood. Yeah, yeah. JC Sebring, my dad would be pissed right now because he's so obsessed with that. Well, you wouldn't be pissed. My dad would know. I'll put it that way. He has some. That's like. That's the only person you know, Zoey Deutch, who is. And of course, everybody wants them. She'll be in it. And then, yes, he is currently making filming Merrily We Roll Along, which is a musical. It's going to be a musical two musical by Stephen Sondheim. It stars Paul Mescal, Ben Platt and Beanie Feldstein. Sorry if I got her name wrong earlier. Can't remember now, and they're in the process of making it and it's I guess they're going to film it for 20 years and then we'll get a release. So, he hasn't done a musical before. Not like a traditional musical. So here we go. You think we'll be alive? Well, I mean, who's to say that? I have no idea. That's up to one man. Lord God, you think you can kick? Only he can decide. I have no say. 20 years. Well, won't be 20 years. So it's not going to be 2044 because they've already started. So let's talk about 2040 2041. Yeah. We'll be here. You think you think I mean he's older than us. I'll be. Yeah, sure. Why not to. How else am I going to be doing. But I'm saying and he's going to make, you know, a lot of other movies before that one. So I love that he's doing this kind of boyhood thing again. Everyone would have loved if they kept the before Sierra series going. Obviously that's done. It left it where it was good. You left it there, I know, no problem. I get it's a perfect trilogy. It really, truly is. And if he decides to like later on, he always can. You've you've got it. You've you've got. Oh yeah. The with the secret winning sauce. Great stuff. So I thought because we didn't have this format when we had episode three, I want to do some Richard Linklater Oscars. That's it. These are our number one picks. I have runners up for most things. For some things. But you know, your number one pick of this has nothing to do with the Oscars. It's just the what do you watching Richard Linklater Oscars. We can go through these quickly, but I thought it'd be fun just to talk about his career a little bit more. Yeah, I hope all of yours aren't. Everybody wants some, but we'll see if we'll see. Okay. We'll fucking see. Best soundtrack. Best soundtrack does go to Everybody Wants Some C. For me it's Dazed and Confused. Sorry. No. Yeah well it was between the two to be honest. Yeah. It has it's it's. Yeah. Everybody wants some is my runner up but I mean yeah it's so it's so good. They're both so good. Yeah. They're both, they're both great. Like he he knows how to bring the like the specific songs of the feeling of that time to what he. Yeah. And I mean oh God yeah. It's a, it's Quentin Tarantino level like I think he's, I think he's that good with his music. Yeah, he really is. When he wants to string together a good soundtrack, a memorable one. He will best cast. I have a guest for yours. I mean, this one is. Everybody want some? Yeah, for sure. It was close for me, but I picked confused and I'm like, I only need history here. So many of them became yes, even fucking Cole Hauser now just kills it on Yellowstone like he's a figure of Yellowstone. He's just he's like a guy on there. I don't know, they're all a lot of them went on to. Good thing Parker Posey, love you, Ben Affleck. He's doing all right. Yeah. He's. Well, is he? Well, I mean, personally, who knows? You know, we wish you the best. Ben. My runner up. Everybody want some of course, but, yeah. Real quick. I just want to put this out there. I've been thinking a lot about this. I love everybody wants some so much that I. I'm starting to wonder if it needs to go in the in my top ten of all time. I'm all time. Right. I know that's where I well, we got to we got to top 25 of the century so far. Come in. We're going to release that in January. So be thinking well that's a little different though because those are like what. No it's not it's I mean it's probably going to be in there, but it's probably I mean there. But I mean that's a tough one to like. I was willing when I went Once Upon a Time in Hollywood because that was just like, okay, I can't deny it, but but that jumped right to number two. I mean, that's crazy. If everybody wants some gets in there, it'll just crack number ten. But like, am I going to do it? Like, I don't know, I do want to ask yourself these questions. What happens when you do like the top 25 of the century so far? I already started my list of you. I'm chipping away. Chipping away. I have a draft. Okay, best cinematography. Not a director who's known for, like, flashy cinematography, but definitely known for some long takes. I'll go first. I pick before sunset here for that reason. I went with boyhood. Oh, that was my runner up, actually. And I did that specifically because it's so consistent the first year that they film looks like the last year they did it all on 35 millimeter. Good call. Good call. Yeah, that was my runner up. But I agree, though I think my runner up would be Before sunset. Just because it's so. It just looks so like bright and orange and Paris I don't know I don't know, it just looks so beautiful. It's like a little overexposed, actually. Not even little. It's very intentionally overexposed. Love it. Best editing. Oh, I boyhood, yeah, that's the first one. Yeah. Same. Same. Yeah. This next one's not easy for me. So this is a really tough one. Yeah. And I'm giving it to Waking Life. Oh, cool. Because it's animation. He like those are all his words like oh you get you get a lot with you know some of the other movies where there's a little bit of improv or there's like a little bit of, you know, Ethan and Julie doing their thing with it to figuring it out while it's happening. But waking life is straight like that is the philosophical mindset of Richard Linklater put to screen. Yeah, that's I mean, that's a really cool answer. It wasn't one that I would think of, but you're right, it is legitimately all him. It is. Yeah. Yeah. This is not easy for me to pick, but I went with Before Midnight for a really specific reason. Because because I truly think Before Sunset is perfect. That's a tall order to to not only follow that up, but then take it is dark as they take it in dark meaning realistic. This isn't, you know, it's not a horror movie like, it just goes where life goes. And I try to try that yet again, go into the arena for a third time and pull it off right up until, as we mentioned, it's final scene, a brilliant stroke of genius that he and I liked it. He co-wrote it with them. So yeah, I did that best Screenplay Before Midnight, but tough, tough, best supporting actress. That's one of the few Oscars that a Richard Linklater film actually has won. It went to in real life. It's true. Patricia Arquette for boyhood kind of feels like putting her here is a no brainer. So that was my choice. But I kind of had a tie because before I remembered that Oscar, you know, how dare I forget that I actually put Uma Thurman in tape? I love her in that I loved it. That would be talking about her a lot. You're hearing all about this, Amy. What happened to Amy? What happened to Amy? And then she shows up and you're like, how's how does Amy actually feel about all this? I love that, but Patricia Arquette, boyhood. Perfect. Perfect. Yeah, that that was my pick. Okay. Good. Good. Same. Yep, yep. Don't sleep on everyone. Don't sleep on our Jonah for hitman. She's. Oh, really? Really good. That really good. She was actually, I was actually putting her up into. She didn't get it, but I was thinking about her for actress. Oh, cool. Actually, maybe that's better. Maybe that's more appropriate instead of supporting I. Yeah, because I really liked her in it. But best supporting actor. All right, all right, all right. It's Matthew McConaughey as Wooderson in Dazed and Confused. You're damn right it is a literal with every single sentence, a star making performance. He was supposed to have 2 or 3 lines. A few of the actors on set were getting along. He was getting along with everyone. Linklater boost him up. Now he's in more and more scenes. I love it. He sees that he has a career because of it. My follow up was Ethan Hawke and Boyhood. My, mine goes to Glen Powell and everybody wants some nice fitting first cousin. Then he goes, oh, I love this first, I love it. Why pick one glowing compliment that I'll give to to Glen Powell. You know how Clint Tarantino always like he he he expresses, that Samuel Jackson and, Christoph Waltz sing his writing. I think Ethan Hawke and Glen Powell sing link. I think Linklater the way and it proved it to me in hitman because and everybody wants some Glen Powell for his, cadence and verbiage and just everything. It just it almost felt like that was just the character. But it wasn't until these lecture scenes where you can tell in hitman that that is just Linklater just being Linklater big time. But Glen Powell has just got this like, like that is Linklaters music. And that award for me goes to him for that. Everybody want some love. It, love it. All right. Best actress. Who do you got? Julie Delpy. It just has to be. For what? Oh. Which one, which one. Got one. So same here. Same here. Yeah. That is the second one we've had in common. Yeah. That's same here. Yeah. And I'll just spoil it. My actor is Ethan Hawke and Sunset. I'm actually I'm going to give, Hawke before midnight. Okay. Cool. I mean, hey, I can't argue with that either. I can't, I mean, they're both they're both so good in that. I mean, it's like, really putting a lot on the line in midnight and, and, you know, figuratively and literally. And I just, I, I of course, all respect to both of them and that. Oh yeah. It's it's impossible. I mean, you could just say Ethan Hawke and Julie Delpy for just. But the before trilogy and it'll all work. Yeah. Best director being we're being thorough. We're being thorough with that boyhood. Yeah. Should have won the Oscar. Absolutely. Best picture. This feels weird to say. I mean, I spoiled it. We probably are spoiling it with our number one picks, but I think the most representative film of his career is Dazed and Confused. I think most people associate that with him the most. But my favorite movie he's done, I think the best picture he's made is Before Sunset. That's mine. Really. Not everybody wants them. I mean, everybody wants some. It's not. It's not an Academy Award winning movie. It's slow. It's our Oscars. It's a the Oscars, but all right. Good, I like it, but no because everybody wants some I, I love everybody wants some with every fiber of my being. But that's because it makes me feel joy. Yeah. For sunset, that is a movie to take in and just like, really kind of like unpack and and deal with in so many ways. So yes, I suppose I have a little bit of like a even though Everybody Wants some is my favorite. If I'm really going to give an award to, I think the best movie he's made, I think is Before Sunset. I love it, I love it. So we had editing boyhood actress Julie Delpy Before Sunset, director boyhood and Picture Before Sunset in common. Great stuff. Oh, and in our top tens we had eight in common, not seven. The ones we were missing were school of Rock and Waking Life. Those are off my list, so that's cool. We Did Good is very cool. That's it. Richard Linklater we love you, hitman, I loved you. Hitman exists in real life, but that's okay. Everyone go watch it on Netflix. It is extremely easy to find. Want to see big numbers for this one? We'll move on to. What are you watching here? You're going to go first? Yes, I think I think you're going to keep us a little bit in the wheelhouse. I'm taking us way outside of the wheelhouse. We're in a different box. We're outside of every henhouse, farmhouse, fox house, outhouse. All right. Good. Nice. Thanks. I don't remember. They all are. I'm definitely keeping it in the wheelhouse, because I don't know why. I mean, I as we know, I am a fan of the romantic comedy genre, but for whatever reason, this week, that's all I'm watching. I'm only watching romantic comedies. I have no idea what's happened to me. I am, and I've been watching so many that I actually watch this one twice. Why not? And and I have to say, I don't think it's all that great of a movie. Okay, thank you for saying that, because I was going to get to this point with kindness from a place of love. You're hiding the movie. Which movie are you recommending anyone but you? I also do not think this is a very good movie, but I understand where its place is in the culture. I'm more interested in talking about how we got to where we are. Well, a $25 million movie has made 219 million worldwide. Wow, that's a fucking boom right there. That's a huge deal. But yeah, it's on Netflix. So now it's on this one. I was not going to see it in the theater. Didn't want to. And just like how we started this conversation with challengers, now it's like 15 bucks to rent online. I knew anyone but you was going. I knew it was coming. So whenever it's out and it was out and I watch it and yeah, it's it's 103 minutes long. It's fine. You just put it on good old fashioned rom com. But yeah, not a perfect movie, I would say. No not there's, there's some, there's some, there's some, there's some flaws and some gaping things. But I enjoyed the vibe and energy of it to the point where I watched it on. I think it was a Tuesday and I just had fun with it. I just love seeing Glen. Yeah, and and that dude's jacked. He was like, oh my God, he looks he looks amazing. but I got to be Wednesday and I was like, I kind of want to watch this again. Am I am I really going to do this? I'm going to watch anyone but you twice. And I had an equally fun time with it. Yes. Not the best. I'm just really kind of keeping it in the Linklater wheelhouse for Glenn. Huge fan of him. I'm, I have nothing but glowing things to say about the man. I think he's great. I think he's going to have a great career. And. Yeah. So anyone video. Let's go. I had no idea. Oh, Dylan. not Dermot. I was just going to say I have no idea that Dermot is going to show up. I like what Rachel Griffiths and their data from Dave was in there. Okay. No, it was so. Yeah, it was fun. My one thing about it, I hope this isn't like mean. I really didn't think she was good in it at all. I thought she was like just. And I think she's a good at like she's good in euphoria. She's great in immaculate, great in reality. There are things that I've liked her in and I just thought, I get what she was doing. I just didn't think the choice was that good of a choice, but I, I think it was intentional by her. But I just went, but again, this is a movie that doesn't ask a lot of you. You shouldn't ask a lot of it. I'm. I'm just thrilled. It's such a big hit. One of the reasons why it's such a big hit is that the press just got obsessed with the fact that these two must have been hooking up the whole time they made it. They're hooking up now, and they just leaned into that as they should. I don't think anything went down between them. If it did, like, whatever, who cares? But I think it's hilarious that they leaned into that and were like, I don't know, wink wink, I don't know. And it just made people crazy. It sold everything. Yeah. And I mean great counter-programming to put it, they released it at Christmas. So smart to do that. It's kind of feels like a summer movie, but it worked. I can't believe it worked. And it's just nice. Sometimes we're reminded that people will still show up for movies, like when Barb and Heimer happen in it, and it is. It is a very, very, very off telling of Much ado about nothing but Shakespeare. Yeah, sure. I mean, that's cute that they even went with that. even by naming the, the characters Ben and b b yeah. but but, you know, it's, it's not much ado about nothing. Yeah, but it's it's fun. It is fun. You know who did the music for it Co credit. Oh, I can't think of who is it SD Haim baby Haim time. Oh that's right that's. Yeah I saw that and I was I love that I hope she starts doing more movies I love that all right I'm pivoting hard. I already kind of tease it. I'm excited. I know my my what are you watching recommendation I oh my god, sometimes new movies, they just they really they can work for you. I'm recommending a brand new horror film called In a Violent Nature, directed by Chris Nash, written and directed by Chris Nash. The setup is pretty simple. This is a slasher film told largely, though not exclusively, but largely from the point of view of the killer. But the tone and the pace are pretty patient. It's not. Some people are saying it's slow. It's definitely never slow to me, but it's being marketed. It's being marketed as if Terrence Malick made a Friday the 13th movie, a scarily accurate description, like a perfect way to describe it. I'm not going to go in on how everything gets started and how everything happens, but the killer we follow is some silent psycho named Johnny preys upon a group of kids hanging out for a weekend in the woods. These are all things we've heard of before. All setups we've heard of. The movie is not entirely strict to that POV, which is fine, but this is a 94 minute slice of horror genius. I loved it for three aspect ratio. I saw it twice in the theater in two days, saw it on Wednesday, went back and saw it on Thursday. I want to see it again. I'll go right now, I don't care. It was written written by this guy, Chris Nash. He's 40 years old. This is his first feature film. He's a I've been listening to him on a lot of podcasts and interviews. Seems like a genuinely just a cool guy. They shot this in Ontario, where Nash is from using all practical effects, no CGI, which is wild. I mean, people are killed in ways in this movie that I didn't even know a human being could be killed. I'm thinking of two scenes, specifically one. One oh my God, oh my God. One is simply unforgettable. It takes place on an overlook. The first time I saw this movie in a movie theater just a few days ago, I actually could not watch that scene. I couldn't do it. I was went, oh my God, that's what I just kept saying. Oh my God. Over and over, hand covering my face. One of the reasons why I wanted to go back is I'm like, it's just a movie. It's not real. I want to see that scene. Like, I know it's crazy. So I went back the next day. It's like, oh my God. The film premiered at Sundance in January. IFC has it in theaters right now, a few theaters. It's going to be available on shudder, which is like the Netflix for horror fans later this year. If you like scary movies, if you want something new in tone, in style and sense of gore, please watch this 2024. This. This is not going to be a very strong year for movies. Certainly not as strong as last year. That's okay. We the strikes are causing this. We knew this was going to happen. Yeah. But in a violent nature it's very clearly a slasher movie. It is not trying to get nominated for Oscars, but it is the most just, grotesque fun I've had at the movies so far this year, I loved it. There are a few inversions that make it. It's just pure horror movie bliss, like, for fuck's sake, there's so much I want to say that I can't because it would just give a little bit too much away. I would say it to you because I know this genre is tough for you anyway, but the damn crazy kill I'm talking about is in the middle of the day. Like it's not at night. It's just what a cool, interesting perspective. And then, yeah, it does a few things that I had not seen in a scary movie before, the setups that it does, we've seen a million times, but the choices it makes, I was like, oh my God, I get what it's doing here. Like it's last 15 minutes. I've never seen it in a scary movie before. Never everyone. If you've seen it, you know what I mean. Everyone's going to know. Just really cool slasher movie. Loved it. Loved it. I cannot recommend it highly enough in a violent nature. Fuck, I loved it. I plan on seeing it, to be honest, like I I'm going to watch it so many more times. I'm definitely going to buy this and just it's so, so good. Well, I mean, okay, I mean, we we've all seen these movies and at some point the group, the group that are being hunted, you know, they're being picked off at one, they're arguing amongst themselves. They're making a plan. How can we kill this fucking guy? He's unkillable. How can we kill them? We don't see any of that. It's just as he is walking up to them. We're getting like 2 or 3 sentences from them and hearing, and then we see how they've, you know, because like, hours will pass. Like if the movie only covers two days, but it's not in real time, obviously. So hours were passed because the dude, he's a very typical slasher killer. He doesn't run, so he's just walking everywhere. So it's going to if they have cars, it's going to take him longer to get where they're going. But just knowing, because we've seen so many of these movies, knowing that they've the group has had that argument off screen, we don't need to hear them have it again. But we're just coming up. It's so fucking cool. So they're like talking about how scared they are of him. And just like Jason Voorhees or just like Michael Myers. Boom, there he is right behind you because you weren't paying attention. I oh man, I loved it. So good, so good. Not asking. A lot of us just loved it. I'll take Dan, he probably laugh all time, but he doesn't take anything seriously. All right, that's it. Hitman. I love you, Richard Linklater. I love you, Richard Linklater. I love you, too. I've loved every movie you've made even little qualms that I call it out with them. Go watch it. And by nature, let us know what you think about all this at WRI w underscore podcast Instagram thriving on Instagram almost 2000 followers. We're doing have a Twitter letter box. Love my letterbox fam. Love our Twitter fam as always, thanks for listening and happy watching. So like. Take it easy. All right. Take it easy. Hey everyone. Thanks again for listening. You can watch my films and read my movie blog at Alex withrow.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 Letter box at Y w underscore podcast next time. Is something a little different for the pod? I have reference my dear friend Taylor on the podcast several times over the years. I'm finally having him on. It is just going to be he and I and we are going to talk about Gavin O'Connor's warrior. This is a film I've referenced so many times on this podcast. I love it for so many different reasons. I have boxed for a number of years. Taylor is proficient in jiu jitsu and Muay Thai, but he still couldn't touch me, still couldn't touch me. So we're going to be talking a lot about fighting brothers Nick Nolte, the television show Kingdom starring Frank Grillo and Jonathan Tucker, Kingdom. Wow. Holy shit. Going to talk about that. And then it's just going to be Nick and I doing a mini review on The Iron Claw. Nick loves professional wrestling. A lot of people have wanted him to share his opinions on that film. So we are going to be talking about The Iron Claw briefly and then don't you worry that professional asshole Dan is going to show up to just for a little bit. It's going to be a lot of fun. Stay tuned. There's a ton of you. We'll be. So. Right. Take it. Hey. Some. Come on. Fashion. What? Yeah. Fashionable asshole.