152: Top 10 Films of 2024

Alex and Nick list their favorite films of 2024, a low-key good year for movies if you look in the right places. The guys then review some Oscar-nominated films and break down the wild controversy surrounding “Emilia Perez,” before ending with a speechless WAYW segment.

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Transcript

0:30

Hey, everyone. Welcome to. What are you watching? I'm Alex Witt. Throw in. I'm joined by my best man, Nick Doerr. So how are you doing there, baby girl? Ooh. Very good, very good, very good. I was worried you were going to call me the, the the monster from the substance. I was waiting for that one. I if I could have remembered its name, I may have, because I think it was just monster Monstro or monster like it. It's something like that. Yeah. It's. That movie's awesome. I mean, you didn't call me Bob Dylan. No, you son of a bitch. Well, I'm trying to think of stuff that might make both of our lists. She's us. Cribs. Oh, if you want to keep spoiling and keep fishing, somebody wants to get into some fisticuffs over the phone at any time. Any time now, over the phone in person, actually. Yeah. See, you didn't even do anything because that's the age we're at. I fucked up my knee the other day. Just walking upstairs. Just up a step. Me I bet I yep, yep, I understand it. Jesus Christ Jesus, how was the year of movies in 2024 for you? You know, I'm just going to be real honest because I feel like if I can't be honest here, when can I be honest? This was tough. This was a tough year. I'll put it this way. I've never taken stock in what Quentin Tarantino said isn't that 2019 is the last year for cinema. I think I just didn't want to believe it. I just was sort of like, now, Quentin, you're just, you know, you're just feeling a certain kind of way because you lost the Oscars. I'm just thinking of that. That definitely, contributes to it. Yes. For sure. Yes. But I do think he's right, because. Do you like the movies on your list? I tell you, I tell you what I was going to say is it wasn't a particularly strong year overall, but in whittling down my list and coming to it, I have ten films that I really, really like. I don't know if I'm going to buy every single one, but I already own two, which you are right now in possession of and I already preordered another. So like there's value in the list, but the way you're talking, I've, I've essentially felt that way since like 2015 honestly, that I was starting to notice something that movies were changing in a way. And I'm like, what 2015 was the first year I struggled to make a top ten of the year list? Yeah. And that it never happened to me and I did not see any less. I always see a shitload of movies. And I went, oh, God, I don't really like all these on here. And this year it was not a struggle for me. I actually there was like a solid 11 that I was batting around and I went all right, I have to make one hard cut. Now, usually every year I have to make several hard cuts. And but with the strikes, the union strikes from last year that we, we called this we've been calling this last year and this year and this year that there was going to be a hangover, a residual effect from those strikes in which a lot of stuff was not going to come out because it was delayed. We should be at an embarrassment of riches next year. We shall see. I don't know if that's going to be the case. Just because something was delayed doesn't mean it's going to be good. But yeah, 2025 should be a stacked year for this reason. But the 2024 movie year? Honestly, when December 31st hit, I. It was a shrug. But because we wanted both to have more time to watch stuff, I'm glad we're recording this about a month later than we usually do. We usually record these like in the teens of January, January 12th, 13, something like that. We're recording this on February 6th, 2025. And there are there's at least there are two movies on my list that would not have been here if we recorded this a month ago, and I like that. So I'm still going to stand by my list. But my list is going to be weird for a lot of people. There's not a large, my list to the Oscar nominations, not a lot of crossover. It's usually the way it is. But yeah, I still stand by my list. I hope you do. Oh, no, I stand by my list. I hear what you're saying. I know what you're saying. I know I started this in a in a note, a certain energetic note that I don't mean to. No, no, I there is quality stuff that's here, but I think it's been a bit of, of a build up since the post pandemic because I remember. Well that's it. Yeah, yeah. The week when we started this podcast, it was 2020 and we struggled that year when it was when we recorded in 2021. I remember when we had 2022, we were like, okay, movies are back. There were some real things in there that brought us to, you know, remember even our big conversations about Top Gun because this is an avatar theater, maybe. Avatar. Yeah, I guess like what I value in films like what I think what we're going to we're we're both are going to say about our list is like, how would you ever really know about most of these movies? Like, there's not there if if they were released in theaters, they might have only been released for a couple weeks. It was sort of like if you knew you, you knew, but these were not movies that broadcasted themselves into this is what's out here. This is you just set me up for a great point that I had forgotten even mentioned. So this is again why I have you here. What have you here? I, I think, when we are doing, like, our top ten of like 1998, that is definitely a depiction of like where movies were at the time. Yes. We're also having fun. And I encourage you, don't go fishing. Like don't go try to find a bunch of obscure 1998 movies. It's just what means the most now. But because we're in real time 2024, I put a lot more thought into this list because we had this extra month. Maybe than I normally would, because I said, I want to stay away from main stream, not just to stay away from them, but if there's something that provoked thought, even if it was very obscure and not a lot of people have seen it, if I'm still thinking about it over the main stream thing, I'm going to add that, because it kind of feels like as a podcast, if people listen to and hello out there, we love you. Hello, I want you to go, you know, find these movies or have a reason to watch them. Like, I'm not saying wicked would be on my list. It wouldn't. But I have seen it on a lot of top ten lists and that's fine. If that was your favorite movie of the year, that's fine. I totally get it. But also, I'm trying to lend our voice and encourage you to watch other movies, just a much broader spectrum. There's quite a few on my list out of the ten that are foreign and that aren't, you know, not that well seen yet. And you bring up an excellent, excellent point right here, because there were a few movies that I knocked out of my. Maybe we'll talk about them because we have like our runner up lists. Yeah. But I wanted to not include them in order to kind of do exactly what you just said. Bring in. Yeah, some movies that there's no way that anyone would ever really hear about these. But these are quality pieces of art that need to have a little bit more of a voice out there. Exactly. And I think that has been our mission statement since day one, and all of the movies that we're bringing up. Regardless, I'll say this, regardless of this podcast, if you and I were just talking, these would probably still be our top tens and who would have heard of them? Yeah, a lot of them. Yeah. I mean, it's always where I've always looked at the Oscar nominations versus our top ten. This is also a rare instance where we are doing our top ten after the Oscar nominations. So that's kind of going to be the set up today. We're going to do our top tens and then we're going to do some mini, you know, some, honorable mentions. And then we'll do some mini reviews that have been nominated for Oscars or like movies that have been nominated for Oscars or movies that were close to being nominated. It kind of didn't. And we'll go fast there, but we'll end with those, because usually we have to save those for like the Oscar narratives pod. But yeah, now we can just talk about what I think is going to win, because that's the good thing about this race. Like, we'll get to the race a little bit down the line, but it is some categories are kind of open, so that's good. But the Oscar nominations don't matter as much as the coveted top ten of 2020. I respect coveted lists at the top ten of 2024 presented by Nick Doe, still at Alex Withrow. So let's just begin. We're going to go. You're going to start. Oh we're going to go 10 to 1. And last year we had six in common. I re listen to the episode. So that was good. So a lot of people know that I see most everything. It's a sickness at this point. You have a tendency to what is it like when you cram before a test, like in the last month or two before we do this episode? You see a lot. So this isn't like you've only seen 15 films. You have a good sample size as well. I've been prepped like, I know you're not going to mention all the movies today that you've been texting me about for the past. Oh yeah, because you've been knocking them out. And that's so that's cool. So we're coming to you with a pretty large sample size here of movies that we've seen. And that matters. Yeah. And I have to say like there's, there's really literally only a handful of movies that I haven't seen. And I think it's safe to say that I don't think any of them would crack, though, with the ten that I've got. Right? Yeah. Right. All right. Number ten, Nick's favorite person. All right. Let's see. Okay. So I'm going to bring it I know this is on your list. I know it is, but I don't think it's as high as mine is. So. All right. And I got to say this about this year. Now, now that I just shat, talked it for so long, I just shat all over it. You brought up something about a certain movie that I don't think has made any of our list, but we'll talk about at some point where you talked about authenticity and you remember the quote that you use. If I'm not butchering it, is that you'll take authentic over, but give us a really I mean, now, I mean, The butcher is a great text. Thought about it a lot. Oh, I sent it via text. It was a yeah, it was a text. Y'all take something authentic over something like sentimental or cheap. Yeah, that was what it was. It was it was sentimental. Yeah. And, but in the wrong kind of sentimentality. Right. And so when I kind of, and I agreed, with that statement about them, one movie that didn't make any of our list. So in regards to my top ten, my number ten right here, this was one of the most honest, authentic and, bold movies of the year, if not maybe the boldest. We're talking about baby girl. What? You called? Yeah. Yeah. Yes. I'm so glad you saw it. It was getting in there kind of under the wire. And I want to say, like, the only reason I did, I did a, like a mini sode on it for, for two reasons. Because I knew I was going to trash the brutalist. Yeah. So I wanted to kind of sandwich it with some positive thought, but then I didn't want people to hear me gush about the movie for the first time on this episode. But I'm so happy it made your list, and let's talk about it. Okay? You okay? Well, yeah, we'll talk about it now. We could save it. Yeah. We could. You want to save it? Yeah. I figure it's going to be. Yes. But you you did like it because, I mean, yes. You don't know, like, which way it could go with people. And this is like a ten out of ten. Recommend me women. It is not what they are expecting at all. And guys are typically like, oh fuck, that was real. Oh yeah. I think some movies are afraid to go to where this movie went. Yeah. And I and I so respect that this had no fear. It was a completely fearless movie. I was talking to someone afterwards, and they weren't the biggest fan of it because it didn't have a, full story to their liking. And, and I had to say I was like, well, yeah, there this was a this was a completely character driven. You are in her world and this is what's going on. But then in between all that is where the magic of this movie lives. And you and I have talked about this so many times where we don't need a story. This is not like I like it. If you're giving me a story in that kind of narrative, then give it to me and make it good. But if you're just trying to get me to understand the human experience in a certain way and you're putting it through this character, we're on a journey with this character. We're on a journey with Nicole Kidman and what she's going through and by that measure, because everything's handled so delicately and with so much care, this movie just shines for that reason. Yeah. God. Well said. So happy that it's making the list. And yeah, it's much more of a character based thing. It's the same reason why the movie isn't constantly hitting us with like two weeks later, six months later, what's said? We don't really have a sense of how long the thing has been going on for. There are these like, you know, subtle things in the screenplay, subtle hints of, or something. But, yeah, it isn't based on it. That's what I mean. It's not what people think it is. It is not this. It's not some corporate thriller. Some like sexual harassment thing. And it's certainly not some like dumb. So black and white thing that's I talked about this on in my mini mini review. Yeah. It's just one of the most authentic, emotionally vulnerable movies I've seen in quite some time. Yeah, I really enjoyed it. So good. Glad it's on your list. Good. Great. Grand. Wonderful. No yelling on the bus. Bus number ten. I can't believe this is happening. This. I didn't know what to do here because I didn't want to. I'm not doing double features or anything like that. You know, movies that are not made in this country can sometimes have extremely odd distribution deals. The by the time we see them, it could say, the movie came out a year ago or two years ago. So there are quite a few movies on my list where if you look them up on IMDb, they say 2023, and I don't know how to come to terms with that when we're doing these damn lists because, like, I don't even okay, I talked a lot about Robot Dreams last year. Yeah, and I didn't I thought I almost included it in my 2023, but I didn't. So that was something that that was something that I sold like early in the year around Oscar time. And then it came out after the Oscars came out. And now it's just one of these, like, forgotten things. It's on Hulu. I loved it, but it's not quote unquote buzzy about anymore because the distribution got all messed up. So my official number ten spot actually is flow, which is nominated this year for Best Animated Film and Best International Feature Film. And this movie is marvelous. It is gorgeous. People, dedicated listeners know that the animated genre is not for me. There's just some barrier to entry I have. This was a friend of the Pod Dan recommendation, the movie about a black cat. I already talked about this a little bit too. Dan and I did in that baby girl brutalist pod episode, but it's about a black cat trying to stay safe while floating downstream. Flowing. It's about a black cat trying to stay safe. Flowing downstream, the cat is joined by a few animals all on the same journey, and the animals are so well defined there is no dialog. It is 85 minutes long and it's just pretty much perfect. Highly recommend it. Also have a perfect hit rate with me recommending this to people of all all kinds of people. Everyone loves it well, I okay, so here's one that I didn't see. So I figured, yeah, I mean, I need to go see this. Because you have it is good, man. I would say it's fair to say I'm less picky about my animated movies than you. I understand that divide, though, because that's how it goes. So it's very, very tough for me to actually break through that. So I understand that. So if you're coming to me and telling me that and you were the same with Robot Dreams because I. Yeah, Robot Dreams is fantastic. I, I know we're talking about your movie here, but I just want to give some credit to Robot Dreams. I loved it, that was just one of the most beautiful endings. I'm so glad you liked it. I'm so glad you liked Robot Dreams. Yeah, we can talk about flow and robot dreams here. I know you watched it because I think the word I said was lovely to describe. Yes. And I thought, I mean, just we've been talking about this for a while. Like those that ending is really, truly perfect. And people, this is on Hulu. Robot dreams we're talking about. It's a really good movie. It really is. I, I got a little nervous when it first started, because I thought it was going to turn into something that I quite frankly, didn't really want to see, and I'm so glad that it didn't. And I'm so glad that I also didn't turn it off, and I let it just be what it was. I think that movie just talks a lot about life. Like, it really kind of sums up some pretty big ideas and real feelings that we in life have, and it somehow consolidates them into a very agreeable time length. Yeah, yeah. Where you can feel life happen over the course of a certain amount of time. And then what happens after that makes complete sense in the real time that we've been giving in 90 minutes. But then also in the time that the movie presents and then the maturity of which that ending presents itself is, I was wondering what they were going to do because there's a right way to do this, and they did it the right way. And I think there's a nice message there. I totally agree. Yeah. And that was nominated last year. But again, no one had seen it by the time the Oscars happened. So it it probably got very, very few votes. Okay. So between the two would you in you not even think about a list. Which one would you take over the other one robot. Yeah, I would know that that ending is incredibly emotional to me, but I'm trying to. So that is the honest answer. But in talking about a 2024 list flow, actually this is a film from Latvia. Its director is Gantz. Gantz Z how are you doing, my man? I'm not even going to try to butcher your last name. This actually has a chance to win animated feature. It's not going to win international. There's there's a lot going on in that. We'll get to that. This has a chance to beat Inside Out too which was the biggest financial success of 2020 for, Memoir of Snail the Wild Robot, which I watched and did not like at all. And while Wallace and Gromit vengeance most fowl, I would say this is between flow. I think Inside Out two they could give a pass on because the first one won. The wild robot to me was a very you're very standard generic animated movie with the talking animals. And yeah, it followed all the beats that they usually do and that's fine. It, you know, I get it. But this could actually win. And that is awesome. Like it won the Golden Globe. But a movie this small they made this on free editing software like this is not some big budget movie inside out to cost a shitload of money to make. And to render and all that stuff. So, what we talked about at the beginning, like I'm trying to root for the underdog here, but Robot Dreams is still an underdog as well. They're both. It's true. They're both really good. But Robot Dreams actually made me choke up a little bit. That ending dead Flow is just a really good journey. Really good journey movie. Loved it. All right, that's my next one. I actually. No, there's one more I gotta say before before that. But I definitely want to say it. Number nine. Let's do all right. Number nine you're going to. Oh you're gonna you're going to love me and hate me for what I'm about to do. Number nine is a movie that, I would love to say that it was the first time I heard it from you, but it wasn't. But of course you saw it before I did. And then you recommended it. And then I was like, okay, well, I got to see this. This is a French movie that you can find on. Yes. Here we go. Oh, I got two of them back to back nine and ten. So this is a French movie. Directed by. I can't pronounce her name. Catherine Brealey. I believe it's very good, I believe. And, this is a movie called last Summer. Oh, yeah. Oh. How do we go about recommending this? I talked about this. I talked about this in episode 134 2024 Summer Movie Reviews. I set it up. You did? And I said it is about a sexual harassment lawyer who begins having an affair with her underage stepson. It is French, as you can imagine, but, so therefore it's on criterion. It's on the Criterion Channel right now. Right there for you. So glad this made your list. Two for two. Two for two. Yeah. This is, this is I it's tough to kind of like, recommend this to people because it, it goes there. It goes to these places, and it's it is as taboo as it gets. And though honestly, though, I think the thing that I loved about it is that, it didn't make any sort of point about that. Yeah. That's not what her films do at all, that you just observe. It's up to us to make the point. Yeah. And and yes, it's wrong. And you do feel like that when it's happening there. I think that's what I loved about it, though. Was that there's, I feel like in so many stories, if you're going to do this and this really is the year, I mean, we let's just say it is there's a lot of movies this year about older women engaging in sexual relationships with younger men. Oh, yeah. It's a very popular theme right now. This one is here. Yes, it is here. This takes it to a whole other level. There's baby girl and then I mean, but he's not underage. He's just a young man. And this is definitely an underage situation. And it's uncomfortable. And it's not, gratuitous though. No it's not, it's an it's not, it's not meant for shock value. So it's not treating it like that. It's just it's something that's just happening. It's so absolutely compelling and honest and real and emotional, like there were so many times that I got up out of my chair and I was like, what? What? Yeah, are you kidding me? This is how you're going to behave? Yeah. And but by that measure, like that's doing something to me that you just don't get in American films today. No you don't, you don't. Baby girl gets as close as it can. But that's not an American director. And it's not to American stars. Yeah. It's true. It's so funny that, yeah, there's no American. Antonio Banderas is an American. Sophie Wilde, who plays the assistant, is an American. So, yeah, there's a common thread here. Yeah, yeah. I mean, Baby Girl was unapologetic. This is even more. I don't even think this even has the like. It doesn't even carry itself with the air of it being something that's sort of like, hey, you're going to talk about me, or I'm going to be on, like, the chopping block for cancel culture. It just doesn't. It's just this is this is the movie and you're gonna form your opinions about it. But the thing is, too is, like, as uncomfortable as it can be, you can't really take your eyes away from it. There's something in brilliant, the cinematography, the way that the cameras hold on the faces in the midst of, a conversation or an act that's happening that you're like, I can't look away and and you're drawn to the your eyes, to their expressions, and then you're hearing so much of the dialog outside of those, close ups. It's just very, very beautiful. Yeah. This is partially why I watched all of her movies for the first time in 2024. She was part of my one of the directors I put under my bench. Believe it or not, this is her most accessible film. This is like her Lars von Trier, melancholia. And that, like, that is saying a lot because if you watched, I mean, romance features people having people having unstimulated sex, a man and a woman. So she was one of the, you know, first ones to do that fat girl is, well, Anatomy of Hell is, oh my God, I can't, I'll never not I'll never not forget that movie. There's just things in my head. I'm not saying it's good. It's the. It's intense abuse of weakness. Well, so good based on, struggles of her own, last Summer is actually itself a remake of a 2019 Danish film called Queen of hearts, which I watched on old to be there. So that was kind of interesting. But what you're describing about her, the cinematography, that's her specialty. She and almost every movie she does. Her signature move is to begin what seems like a benign scene of just two people talking, and you sit with them as the scene slowly turns to sex. And then we watch the sex, and then we watch the immediate aftermath. And she does this almost always in one shot. There's almost always one of these scenes. She's capturing the awkwardness, the at times manipulation, the fear, the carnal desire. And she's been doing that for about 50 years of movies. And the one, love scene in this movie was actually the one between the woman and her husband. That first one was really sort of intimate. And I mean, yeah, it's very, she will go there, this director will go there and this lead actress in it, I thought, oh, God, she was just incredible. Leah Drucker I felt I saw her in a movie a few years ago about, her kid, like, going, I forget the hell. Whatever that was called. Custody. Custody? That's what it was called. Was a really scary movie about child custody. But yes, last summer. Great film. So glad it made your list. I there's one I want to keep some of the things that I know because it's going to. I hope it's on yours. At some point. Yeah. Okay. All right. I'll take that as a yes. All right. My number nine. Another one that I have to assume is going to be on both our list. Sounds like we have quite a bit of crossover here I like it. Another female director, she just got nominated for best director. Her star might win best actress. It's for substance. Oh, yes. A movie about access, about excess. It is a $70 million piece of over-the-top maximalist cinema. Taking it too far is the point. The movie is too long. It is too gross. It is too twisted. That's all intentional. I think this movie set out to be exactly what it wanted to be. If that isn't for you, that is okay. But if you think that this movie is an intentional by design, then I believe you've missed the point completely. Yes, that's my thesis on it. And I am not saying you have to like it. I'm not saying that at all, because the last 40 minutes I'm like, go off like, here we go. It's not even the last 20. It's just like the whole damn thing. But the fact that, you know, I give the Oscars so much shit, it's just it's a national pastime at this point in my life. But the fact that they nominated this for picture director actress and it actually has a shot at winning stuff, I give them credit for that day. I do too. Past few years they have been really good about at least nominating really obscure movies like these that maybe won't win. You know, Triangle of Sadness. Like, whatever it is, Cold War even. It doesn't have to be crazy. It can be like offbeat and in like, heavily dramatic. But I just loved it. Made that. I could not believe that when I was making my top ten, I went, wow. One of my Oscar crossovers is the substance. I love it. That's awesome. That's awesome. Yeah, that's actually very true. I didn't even think about that's right. This is Oscar movie okay. So I've got I've got I've got okay. I won't say how many I have, but now that adds one. Yes, I completely agree with everything you just said. I think it's very, very cool for the Oscars because this is also a bit of a genre bend. It's a total genre movie. Yeah, it's, it's and in ways that they usually don't do this. Like that's what I mean. This is like body horror. This is a weird comedy. This is very, very, a very big pro feminist take on the very same on beauty on all of this. And I mean, that to me is where this movie lives. It's it's in all of those questions that are being asked by the filmmaker as to what is age, what is beauty, what is that in relationship to fame and success and longevity? And is it it? Does youth really matter? Like this is what of it? Yeah. What of it. Yeah. And and and you just are posed with these questions in the most disgusting. But and exactly. And it it's just, it's just an absolute joy to watch and to be grossed out by I had people walk out during my screening. Oh, sure. And I loved it. Anytime I'm in a movie where people walk out, I'm like, yes, great sign, great, great sign, great sign. Yeah. And I do. I don't walk out. I saw a movie last night, had a walk out, which stunned me. It's not going to make my list, but it's going to make an honorable mention. You walked out. Fuck. I've never walked out of a movie. I was gonna say I'm alive. An old timer did. He picked up his day and he just wasn't feeling it. Let me make a note here. So I remember to mention it because everyone wants to remember that tag. Sorry. Keep going. It's. One must remember that. Hey, these are important things. I turn turned on. Oh, worthy. Quick segue. I've turned off more movies this year than I've turned off since we've been doing the podcast. Maybe I'm actually proud of you. I'm proud because it was. I know it was at least two, but it's like, don't just bail. Like if this thing is so not for you again, I have a sickness. I can't turn it off. I have to finish it. I don't have to finish it right then in that sitting. But if even if it's a movie I hate, I have to see the conclusion. If it's something I've never seen. Yeah, but if you are not wired in my neurotic way, then fucking bail and cut out. If a movie's 2.5 hours long, near 90 minutes in and you detest it, it is not winning you back. No it's not. And a little better. So it's a little better in your mind. But there's a huge movie this year. I don't know if it's going to make your list. The biggest Oscar nominated film, Amelia Perez that I talked to so many people who have not even finished it because they detest it. And what I say to them is, good. You should have cut that out. You should have cut out of it, because that thing is not winning you back. If you hate that movie a half hour in, it's not winning you back. But my one friend said it was after that first half hour that was one of you like the most. And then the rest of it he didn't. And I was like, well, there's a different story right there. Well, yeah, that is what happens. Yes. Yeah. So walkouts of the substance whatever. Yeah. This was such a confidently made a movie. I did feel that that very end last 20 minutes could have been a little bit shorter. So who am I to tell this director how to make their work? But the mere fact that my only critique was on. But but she was so intentional about it. That's what I mean. It's designed that way. It the movie's literally two hours and 20 minutes. It it feels like we've talked about this. We've been told it's like with he Got Game, but it feels like we're pre-wired to have this like two hour runtime for a movie because it was just born, you know, boom, boom, this is what it is. I think we've gotten a little away from that. But that's what we're kind of used to. The fact that it is exactly two hours and 20 minutes, and it's that last 20 minutes, or you're like, Jesus, hurry! But that's the point. But that's the point. And and I didn't care. Like in my head, I was sort of like, okay, I totally get it. We we we can move on. But then because she kept doubling down, I'm like, you know what? You've earned it. You have. Yeah. You've directed the shit out of this movie in the best possible way. So if you're wanting to go forward more and more here, then I guess I'm sitting in for the next 20 minutes and I'm just going to keep letting it happen. And when it was over, I go, hey, that was awesome. That was just awesome. And it's expertly, expertly. Good job. Thanks. Wow. Thank you. I'm God, I haven't thought about that one. Oh we haven't done that in ages. Expert Lee oh, God, I forgot about that expertly. That was a fun time. Fun era of. What are you watching? It's like three years. Yeah. All right. The substance, which was actually my number nine. But give it your dues. Yeah. So maybe it'll come up later, I don't know. Let's go on to number eight. Maybe a. Whoa. Lucky number eight. This is a movie I know will not be on your list whatsoever. We've actually we've had we've had we've had a conversation about this movie. You do not like it. I'll be okay. I'll be sorry. Because the reason that I like it are I lie more in my life than necessarily the movie itself. But I the movie that I'm talking about now, my number eight is his three daughters, Carrie Coon movie, Carrie Coon. So you know, well, she's in it. She didn't like that, I know, but going back to the voicemail that I sent you, well, people I know, yes, yes, you know, we're going to you're going to you're going to have to include both of our voicemails. So anyways, I think I would get canceled if I, I, you know, uploaded my voicemail, but I was mostly just busted chops. It was it it's a totally innocent, well-intentioned movie. It is it is, after going through what I've went through over this past summer, when my grandma passed away, I went back home, I returned and found some very real family dynamics that I realized, are lifelong generations of, like, of sibling rivalries, that no matter how much more time is left on this planet, they're never going to get through. They're just stuck in ways. And I felt very, very connected to that aspect of the movie. There's three sisters, who are all dealing with their ailing, soon to, passed away father. Very real. This is actually and and then the end does do something that I'm not going to spoil yet, but that that was the only thing I didn't like. That was it? That was it. When it was over, I cried in a way that I have not cried not just in a movie, but in a long time. Like me as Nick, I have not cried like that. I actually had to step away and just weep over. I was staying at my friend's house. I was dog sitting while he was away, so it wasn't even my home. And I just, I just had to go into the kitchen and just cry and I just it was it was very nice for me to be able to do that because I have to say I'm, I'm, I'm not even trying to be macho about this because I don't believe that, like that crying thing for men is a, I don't agree with like, men don't cry. Like that's just not something I don't subscribe to that notion. But me as Nick, I have a hard time crying in just my life. I usually kind of just bottle it up and then deal with it in other ways. But when I get an opportunity to cry, I do my best to not shove it down. I want to let it happen. And so this was just one way it did. And I don't know if there was something with my grandmother and the grief that I have for her that was kind of wrapped up in it. And also like because of that was a very similar experience that I had with my family. Maybe there was so much or is still my existential thoughts, but that was a real moment that I've had with a movie that I have not had in a long time, so it deserves my number eight spot. His three daughters. All joking aside, like what I was doing privately. If yeah, if you have a connection with the movie like that, that's why we do these lists all the year. Like, I don't think his three daughters would make your top ten of the decade necessarily, but that's why we're breaking it down to the, you know, ten movies that we connected with in each given year. So yeah, I get it. You know, it's just it's something special. And I'm glad that if I went through what I went through over the summer, I'm glad I saw this movie because I'm like, like, I, I see it, it sees me. Yeah. I cry in movies. Do you cry a lot? You cry way more than I do. Yeah, yeah, you absolutely do. Yeah, I wish I cried, okay, I cried and wicked. I'm dead serious. I'm not immune to its charms. She fucking didn't want to be seen. She was being made fun of. And then Miss Popular Girl got out there on the dance floor with her, held her cheek and said it was going to be okay. That's your gummy. It doesn't mean it's a masterpiece movie, but yeah, I can cry stuff. So yeah, you're number eight. It's one that's like, I get that you had a connection with it. It's not going to be on my list. My number eight. I had a connection with it. It is not going to be on your list. But it's also we're talking about deathbed like tender loving movies about dying, old man. So my number eight is Nosferatu by Robert Eggers. It's like, where are you going with this? I just didn't really expect to like it. Robert Eggers films are okay to me. I've seen each of them once. Nosferatu. I went to the theater twice and saw it. I. I think this thing is cold as ice by design and intention. A refreshing take on such an old story, like it was gorgeously gothic. Rarely it was 100 year old movie remade this competently. I understand that it was not for a lot of people. Again, no argument for me. Any movie I recommend that isn't for people I'm used to that. That's usually what I'm used to. They're people are like the hell. But this, this one, punch through this one was a hit and made money and it was respected. Even the people I know who didn't like it or who weren't that keen on it. Like yourself, you can't turn your back on every aspect. No, that's just silly because the technical aspects are great. I think it'll get likely get wicked and and or doom two steamrolled for the awards it's nominated for. We'll see. But hey, it could win some I don't know. But yeah, I liked it a lot. It's got my vote for cinematography. That's actually same here. And that is usually one of our favorite categories. And it's a pretty weak category. And that is my vote too. And it could, it could do that. We'll see. That'd be I would love it. I would love it. I, I would hope it too, because. Yeah. And I have to say, as someone that wasn't the biggest fan of that movie, Willem Dafoe and Lily-Rose Depp killed it. Oh, good. I'm glad to hear you say that will also say that. So where do you, like goes off the quarter? And he's like laughing at that. One part is like, it's nuts. I, I felt that there were some actors in there that knew the assignments and then others didn't. And the ones that did, I think it shows. And I just sort of like, all right, you guys are you're going for it here. And that's what it needs. And I was I was very pleasantly surprised with that. And the cinematography, the look, everything about the movie. I have nothing bad to say about Edgar's in terms of how he makes movies. I just don't ever connect with them. It's just it's like all of that. It is. It's all that it is. I think he's great at what he does. Yeah, I have a huge gap with some directors like that too. And he's of the generation. I hear the slot. There's a lot of people who don't like Ari Aster in his films, a lot like I understand these are very. What I love is the idea of a Robert Eggers. I love that he is making movies. That's what I do to such a specific way. Like, and that he has a huge fan base. That's great. And there's some crossover because this is making my list, but none of his other movies have made my top ten lists of their respective years The Witch Lighthouse, The Lighthouse, and The Northman. And that's fine, but you know, it's all good. I'm excited to see what he does. His next one is apparently werewolf. Yeah, it's like werewolf, but spelled weird. I mean, it's it's rare these days when you find a director any more where as soon as you hear their name, you have a look in your mind that is like, oh, that's what that movie looks like. That's what that director's esthetic style is. You know exactly what type of movie or what he's going for. And I think that's an important thing for a director to have. And he's got it and he does his stuff brilliantly. He really does I can there's no one that I would ever want to watch a gothic movie from more than him. Great. That's a great sentence. That's just true. You don't have to love it all. But he has a handle on what he's doing with it. Yes he does. Yep, yep. All right, number seven hit me with it. All right. So my number seven was the substance is the cool. Oh. So there we go. So it's close. We got a little crossover I said my piece. So did you. One thing I'll say I already mentioned it before the offer for the shitbag guy role was Ray Liotta. It was his role he passed away, gave it to Dennis Quaid, who I thought killed it. We don't know to Dennis Quaid in that way anymore, but he was just hysterical. And you know, I thought he was great in it and I loved it. They gave him a chance to do it because politically speaking, whatever, he's not in fashion as much anymore. Whatever. I didn't see Reagan and my number seven. This almost got bumped out. And I'm like, don't do this to yourself. This is what I'm talking about. With Robot Dreams, movies can come out earlier in the year and we just we watched them, we liked him and then we sleep on them. We even partied about this a little bit. And then by the time we just keep pushing him aside side. Thankfully, this one is on Hulu, so I fired up again. Kinds of kindness director Yorgos Lanthimos and everyone remember this movie RMF lives I I've really loved this movie. I liked it better than Poor Things, even though I think four things was even higher in my 2023 list. But it's just the way the years fall. Yeah, but I tend to like his Greek inspired films a little bit more than the British themed or inspired ones. British written ones. I guess I could say this movie is totally out there. I don't think every chapter works equally as well, but that is not really the case. That's rather, that is always the case, I think. What's an anthology film? Some chapters just aren't going to be as strong as the others, but I really for a while I kind of bumped this out and I was like, no, come on, man, you got to include this. Like, you loved this movie. I saw it three times in the theater, and then I fired it up on Hulu just the other night and went, all right, yes, this makes list. Yeah, absolutely. And it's perfect because it's my number six, so. Shit. Oh, I do not know if this is going to make the cut. Yeah. And you know what I one of my favorite conversations to have with people with this movie is asking them, which I think is a very like it's a, it's a, it's a normal question for an anthology movie. It's which story did you like the best I have? I have my opinion on it. And there's one that I, I find interesting when someone says that their third is their favorite. I have an I have an interest. Somewhat interesting insight here. I now that arriving into my 40s it's yeah. Which is technically my fifth decade. That's a your fifth decade of life. So as I in a few months approach my fifth, they get a decade of life. If I seen a movie three times in a theater, I will have a little fun with it if I choose. So I put one, two, three those numbers into a random generator online and I let it pick my order. So I watched it the other day three first, then oh, then two. And I do that with the movie sometimes, and it made me starting with three. First I was like, oh, okay. Like because I think that's the most obscure one. But starting with that first kind of help. So I, I it was just a fun way to experience it. If you've already seen it before, then go for it. I like I love them all, but number one is man number ones. While number two is good, they're all good. They're all good. Yeah, number one is definitely my favorite. Same. And, it's it's so good. And Jesse Plemons is awesome in it. Like, he's great in every single one of those scenes. Oh, my God. He is just really proven to be a different type of guy. Like like, oh yeah, he comes out of nowhere with these performances. I, I think it had to be game night was like the first one where people were like, I know I can't leave him, but thanks. But like, like that's the one movie where no one expected that. And then from there, he's kind of made a name for himself about kind of being this type of actor that can come in and just whether it be weird, whether it be comedic or dramatic, he just kind of nails it and hits it right out of the park. No matter what the tone is like. He's becoming an actor that can adapt to any style of of director tone of movie. I'm thinking of ending things. I was, oh yeah, anyone in the world who like that movie and, well, a lot of people like it, just not necessarily on this part. That's true. Yeah. That's true. It was all right. It was fine. I loved it, I loved it, movie that did not make my top ten. But, if we're just talking about. But Civil War, same thing is seen as the best scene in Civil War. And. No, he is. Yeah. And he's fucking terrifying in it. And he's acting alongside his wife. And you don't like you think he's going to kill her? You don't think that they are married in real life at all during that? It's great. It's great, great scene. But going back to kinds of kindness, it's it's very interesting to watch a movie where just a few months earlier, he had swept in his way all bunch of Oscars for poor things. And then basically, within four months comes out with a brand new movie that clearly does not get the attention for things got. No, it's not it's not at all like that whatsoever. And I love that. I love that there's this this Yorgos is just this guy that just is so weird and, oh, yeah, violent and out there. But, there's also like, can I talk about Eggers? There's really nobody like him right now. Yeah, yeah. And his British written movies, British themed movies, the favorite and poor things those get nominated for and win Oscars. Yeah. Dogtooth, the lobster got nominated. Sacred deer. But these, you know, kinds of kindness. These are Oscar movies that they are not mass appeal movies, which is usually why I tend to prefer them a little more. But yeah, yeah, they're just out there and weird and they're fun. So my number six, this is another one that almost got bumped out and I went, oh no, you got to include this. You have to stay true to your heart. You watched it and told me how much you liked it. So I just last night, two days ago fired up. Fired up last summer. My coffee. Oh, nice. The criterion app. And while we, it took that second viewing to go. No, this has to make it. And to get good placement, because it's my number six. It will really go there. And it is shocking up until, my God, it's final scene when you're just like, oh, why are you doing this? But also I get it, they they give you that. The acting is so nuanced and it's just so good. And yeah, it's, these movies are unfussy. There's not a lot of, typically the one of the biggest differences between American and foreign films is they don't shoot as much coverage for foreign films. So if you have a scene they you're not necessarily going to do. Okay, let's start with the master. Okay. Let's push it a little bit. Now we're over the shoulder okay. Let's go in for the close up. They may not do that. They may just do the entire scene like three times that in the camera's going here. Here. Even the way the sex scenes are shot in is the first. There's a few acts between the woman and the younger kid. He's playing the younger kid. The first one is just all in the kid's face. It's it's the entire time. The second one is all on her face. These are not short shots. And I'm like, wow. But not gratuitous. Just you're like, all right, here's a story. And we know this shit happens like it does. So she's just going, you're going putting up a camera. I'm not making a judgment about it. And I'm not judging my characters. That's your job. You're the audience. And that's why I love movies like this. Not not a lot of movies are like this, but that's why I love it. And I think in how long those scenes are, because they're not terribly long, but they are the you are staying in that moment with them for a bit of time. Yeah. And I and I noticed for me there was a bit of a first sort of like, oh, okay, here it is. Like there's sort of like that part of your brain where it receives the information. It just immediately is sort of like, oh, acknowledging this is what's happening. And then like there's some like immediate judgment, I, I, this is how I felt. And then but then I didn't start like there it was certainly wasn't like an acceptance to it in a way. But there was sort of like because of the length of it going on because it's not gratuitous. You're not seeing anything. But now I'm like almost trying to understand them more. Yeah. Like I'm trying, I'm actually like my mind is open for allowing whatever type of idea might come from it. And I think there therein lies a very big difference right there is because exactly what you said, like I'm just going to put the camera up. I'm not judging it and that's for you to do. But then you can decide as an audience member how far you're willing to go. Is this something you're just going to immediately just boom. Nope. Then, then then you can then you have a remote and you can turn it off. Yep. And I she has experienced so many walkouts at Cannes. Again, this is her tamest movie. Yeah. Me, when I tell you that this is by far her tamest movie. So yeah, you that she's fine with that a lot of again, that's like there's no, corporate interest. The Insider yeah. In behind a lot of these European movies. You see, Flo Flo has 19 fucking production company tags before it. 19 most American movies have one. We get the universal logo, or we get the Warner Brothers logo. We get that those people, just because you're seeing that one logo, they put up the money, they have some say in how the shit goes, and they're never going to allow this. They're never going to allow this type of content. Not really. Baby girl is it's it's different because yeah, again, he's of age. The only thing that's being broken there is she's the CEO and he's the intern. So there's that. But you know. Yeah. And it's oh yeah. Yeah. Oh yeah. Oh yeah. So, I'm so glad you watch it. I'm so glad you take these recommendations so to heart that I give. Oh, yeah. I mean, I mean, I mean, everyone else should too. I mean, but that's what I was going to say. All right. Number five, top five 2024. Woof. Here we go. I have to say I love my top five okay. So all right let's let's get into it I have to say I love mine as well. All right. The top five. Here we go. Starting with one of the most controversial movies of this entire year. Some people love it, some people hate it. We know a lot of people that don't like it. We've loved it. Talking about a horror movie that I liked a lot called Strange Darling. Number five. Yes. Nice. Yes. Oh, I love it. Fucking justice for strange, darling. I don't know if you made it all the way to the end of the top 25 of the century so far, pod. But Ali jumped on right before we started recording that, so I included some things and she fucking trashed this movie. She sold this movie so much. It is the most hated movie. She talking about turning the movie off. She made me turn it off. She did not finish it. She would not finish it. That was like, we at least have to get at the twist at exactly 45 minutes. There's a twist. So you we have. Please allow it to make it that far. Yeah. It didn't happen. She's like, I don't fucking care. Turn it off. And I was like, God damn. It's just another like way more gruesome. It wasn't. And nothing to do with vile. I don't know what the hell it was. She hated it. But I really enjoyed this movie, so I'm so glad it's on your list. I loved it, and this is a movie that, like, this is you. You told me how much you liked it. And there was at that time nothing really out. And yeah, I was playing the summer, so I was, I was just going to my Tuesday $7 shows and I was like, all right, I'll give this. Strange. But I did not want to see it because I'm not the biggest horror guy. Yeah, I mean, I was sold right from the very get-Go. Like his suit, like, honestly, just because of my taste in, like, like, movies and just content. As soon as this guy took that fucking, like, whiff of cocaine as he's, like, chasing after him, that's driving the car. He's just, like, doing it by, like, the head. It just. I was a handful. Fuck. I was like, I'm in. I don't care what's happening. I could get it all. I was like, whoa, we're going like hard right away. And then thinking, well, because, you know, it starts. I believe it starts with chapter two. It's six chapters. Yeah. Chapters are told out of order. This is another thing. I bought the Blu ray and watched it in order. Just my own fun. I watch it in chronological order and it was fun. I mean, obviously the the movie is spoiled if you do it that way, you get why he told it out of order. But it's so fun. I liked it a lot and have no idea how someone could be so angry at it. Like just hate everything. I don't know what a friend of the party, Mickey, did not like it at all. She didn't. She didn't fall asleep. She fell asleep. She told you she didn't like it. So sad. At the record, the Phantom Thread part of like. Hey, I'm just curious. What did you like about Strange Darling? Then the truth comes out that you fucking, like, fell asleep 20 minutes into like, well, of course you can't really like it, but maybe she wasn't into it and was like, I feel she was in a safe space to just crash out and fall asleep, which I understand, cause you're like, this movie sucks, but I'm here. It's hot outside. I'm in the air conditioning. I'm just going to get a nap on, I get it. And and I didn't know that either. Like, she told me this long text of all these reasons, she didn't like it. And then come to find one when we were talking, I'm like, you left that part of it out. I know I was giving her so much shit. She's like, I know, I know, it's hilarious. So yeah, I know this is I know women who have liked it. So it's not just, I don't know, like, it's. I don't want to say everything where it goes, but it's not about like. Oh, quiet. Poor little woman. Like, you know, last girl thing that were you, damsel in distress? Yeah. It is not that at all. At all. It's it's it's just it's also very confidently made. It is a it's it's it's, and not as someone, it's not really big into like the whole twists and turns aspect of movies today. Like sometimes I like I whether I see it coming or I don't, it just the mere fact that there are twists, I kind of get turned off because I'm like, is this all this was meant to do was like, just to take us on a bit of a ride so you can just do a swerve, and now we're here, and now I have to be like, because I feel like so many people go into movies now looking for that. And then based on how well that swerve may or may not be, is how much they like the movie. Yes. Yeah, I don't subscribe to this. But now this was a movie I didn't know what to expect from, and I did get swerve. So I went on the ride, but I felt like this movie, there was no approval being asked for. It was just sort of like, this is what it is. You like it or you don't. I'm moving on. Chapter three. Yeah. Go to sleep or turn it off if you are. Yeah. Go to sleep or to pick a fight with your husband for daring to spend 90 minutes with you watching a film. Hi, sweetie. She's not here. She's not listening. She just comes out the corner. Yeah, he else behind you. She. Yeah. No, no, no. Yeah. Don't tell, don't tell her I said that, guys. I'm kidding. He'll put that idea in her head. Strange. Darling. You're number five, right? My number five. Huge pivot for me was not here until a few days ago. Managed to watch it. So this is what I'm saying. This wouldn't have even made my list had we recorded this a month ago. Because I wouldn't have had a chance to see it. Really impressed me. Really blown away. Nominated for best international feature film. The Seed of the Sacred Fig, which, well, like almost three hours. And it's essentially about a small Persian family in crisis. It's a kind of my read on it was that it was a terrifying reminder that everyone has a boss. Everyone is told what to do by someone. Everyone is inherently afraid of authority, of bucking back. And to underline its story, this film uses the 2022 2023 protests in Iran as a narrative backdrop, when a lot of women were taking off their jobs in the street and doing that sort of protesting. And so this is a movie that will occasionally cut to real life footage from those protests. So this is a movie where you're going to see real people die. This is a movie where you're going to see women or girls left for dead in the street with blood pouring out of their heads. This is that movie. This. It's long because it needs to be the first two hours are a steady incline up like you're steadily going up the roller coaster, maybe even gaining speed as you go. And then the final acts were pretty much trapped in one location, and we have gone over the hill and we are zooming toward an end. I was literally not an exaggeration on the edge of my seat for the last 15 minutes. It was a thrilling film. It is slow, but it's important. The conversation you and I would have about it after the conversation. If you see this with somebody, the conversation you can have about it after may not be easy, but it it just brought a lot of stuff. It shined a light on a lot of things that I don't know much about. As an American living as a, you know, a white dude in America living in a predominately Christian society. It's just everywhere. This is a very Muslim based movie and, wow, very, very powerful. I really enjoyed it. The director is I apologize for the pronunciation, Muhammad Russell off. I'm sure I'm saying that wrong, but really big credit to him and his movie. I don't know if this will win. It has some really strong competition in Best International Feature Film. But yeah, it's my number five. That quote unquote long movie with the weird title that may be in your movie theater right now is worth it, I promise. I had a choice. I had a choice between seeing this movie or sing, sing. Oh. And, And I chose to see sing, sing. So this is the next movie on my list to see. That's why I like when you're saying flow. I need to see that. But I really want this to be the next movie. It really just had. It had to come down to time. I had. Yeah, I had, I had I had an hour, 40 minutes, I didn't have three hours. So that's really what it kind of came down to. But hearing you say all this now, makes me regret my singing. So I really like sing, sing, though I did too, I did too. It's like, yeah, I guess we'll circle back on that one. The the link, is was against it for, Sacred Fig to me. And that's why I went I'm blocking out three hours and I am I'm going to sit here and I'm going to watch. You have to think. Yeah. I'm not that's that's what it's going to be. I'm going to have my full attention and will it be worth it? And it was you know, it's it takes its time getting to where it is, but it builds up everything and holy shit, that I care. By the end, I was invested. Yeah. And that's all that matters. Like, I mean, we talked about slow burns all the time, and to me, that's my favorite type of storytelling with your films. Yeah, but it does need to go somewhere because in order to get to that payoff, the generally that slow burn is what needs to happen. Like you can't get that level of a payoff. This depending on tone too. Like not every movie should be a slow burn. But if you are being thoughtful and tactful, intentional about what it is you're doing, and this is the way to tell that story the correct way, then have that burn be slow and then give us that that that pay off at the end. For the Kurosawa fans out there, lot of stray dog in this film, a lot. So if you know Kurosawa, if you've seen that film, there's there's a lot of it. So I appreciated that, you know, watching it as well. Get a beer I did we usually record and mornings or afternoons. So but this is a, an evening school night pod. So. Yeah, I just poured a beer here for number four. So now things are going to get nuts. We want to get nuts. What are you going to get? Let me get a beer myself. You drink? What fucking beer do you drink? This is the Cali dreaming in Cali cream. Yeah, this is my jam. Good. All right, well, for the top four here, we've cracked open some cold ones. Nick. Never, ever, ever drinks beer. So this is nice. The only one that I like. All right. Cheers. I just have a, natural Stella Artois. If we were in Palm Springs, I'd get you one, fucking asshole. Boredom at beer at the Palm Springs Film Festival. Went and sat down and he just turned it down. Just straight up. Turned it down about two Stella's. He's like, I don't drink beer, man. I don't like the taste. And I went, really? Like, not even a free beer. You're like, yeah, took us. You took a sip and you're like, I can't and I, I went, well I'm drinking both. Then that's fine with me. But but the funny is I forgot exactly what you said, but you. But when I first denied it, you were just go. But I got you one. It's like fun. Like. Yeah, it's real sweet, but it's not going to happen. All right, number four. All right. I put this movie right here between. This is between 3 and 4 for me. Okay. Was very hard to do. So I, I'm just going to say I did this will go down in my list is number four. But I kind of look at this as three a and three B okay. That's I'm glad. That's okay. And I'm glad we cracked open a beer for this because I am 1,000% cheers ING you for recommending red rooms to me. Fuck yeah. This is my number three. I'll just say it. Fuck yeah. Oh my God, I love this movie. I actually, what? I was out there for the Oscar nominations. I brought you two discs and this was one of them. And I went, not only is this a great movie, the fucking special features on this thing are stacked. So I'm so yes, I, I did mention it in, in our new spot. Actually, it was my. What are you watching recommendation episode 143 I loved Red rooms, directed by Pascal Plante. This is one that's going to say it's from 2023, but it has made a lot of 2024 list. That's when we could see it. Oh man, I can't wait to open this up and hear what you liked about it. Just like, oh my God, if I can't remember, it's why I can't believe it's number four, because the way I'm talking about it is just. It was just a movie unlike anything I've seen in a very long time. Man. It's a thriller. I don't want to be really classified as a horror movie. There's horrific, content in it. Handled very well, though, I gotta say. Like, I can't think of a, when it comes to the. Okay, so we'll just I don't think it's really going to blow up anything because they referenced it in the very beginning of the movie. Yeah. I mean, I talked about what the movie was about, but Red rooms refers to videos you can find, apparently on the dark web and pay a shitload of, you know, bitcoin for and these are, little girls being tortured to death in a red room. So that's what it is. And you hear that? That does not sound fun. This is not a movie that shows that being done. Trust me. I wouldn't recommend a movie like that. That is not what this movie is. This movie is about one woman that we meet who doesn't talk a lot, who's a model by day but appears to be fucking obsessed with the case, and we do not know why. We do not know why she is waking up at ungodly hours to sleep. Oh, what am I saying? She's going to sleep in the alley the night before and then waking up so she can be first in line to be to sit in this court room, because it looks like they let maybe like 20 people from the publican. Maybe. Yeah. And that's like the first kind of third. And you're going, what is this in? I mean, the court scenes in the beginning are these long shots that I will listen to with the the commentary on. He's using a techno crane for it, which is gasp bar in a ways, you know, device of choice with all these moves. And but then the whole movie is like that. Then we're like in their apartment and we're and she's like obsessed on her computer and knows a lot. Okay, so here's what I wanted to ask you, because, yeah, a lot of the movies like she's not talking. We're watching her on the computer. Here's what I learned from the commentary. Number one, all that stuff was live day. It is almost always green screens on computer screens. And they added in post. They did all that shit before. So she was actually like it was all done, but she was mimicking like she was doing that stuff. So she's interacting with all of it, not some green screen thing where they're just like faking looking. But I had an idea of everything she was doing on the computer. I don't do that. I don't go on the dark web, but I did not. Yeah. Did you have an idea? And if you didn't, did that even matter? Was it, like, engrossing enough for you anyway? You mean like what she was doing on the computer? Like going to DuckDuckGo, typing in this stuff, going to the dark web, finding these videos like the the Bitcoin stuff, like, I think a lot of people could watch that and go, I have no idea what she's doing, but my point is, you don't care because she it's like one step another another. You're just like, why is she doing all this? You're so yeah, it I mean, by the time you get to the very end when she's actually in like that, well, yeah, that arena to do that. You understand that for sure like I but but no honestly I which was so great because it dawned on me and, this is the beauty thing about this movie is like, you don't know what this girl's motivations are. Yeah, I was led to believe. And I think just because I think it's a very easy way to take that, I thought she was a like a sympathy user with the guy who's on with the guy. Same here, same here. And when she was doing some of this stuff, it was like her own little, oh, I'm a this is why everyone's wrong and I'm just finding out, but I'm just here to just be, what essentially her friend was. Was like this little groupie essentially. I didn't I had no idea until the movie went on and on that she had an agenda big time, big time. But because this is not an American movie, it's French Canadian. They're not explaining it to you. You just gotta watch. But what's so great is that they give you so many other little things to piecemeal that you could think about this however you want because she's a model, because she plays well, she's getting bitcoin, but she's playing solitaire like you think. These are things that she's just doing for money. The modeling. Yes. But the bitcoin like you know things like that. And then she's she just seems to be a very like specific type of person. Yeah. Lives by herself in a very perfect apartment a perfect apartment. Yeah. It was like it felt like the same apartment. Like if she was. Yeah. Assessed with, like, technology and get it. Yeah. I, God, I loved this performance. And I loved hers because she doesn't wear anything on her sleeve. Nothing. I just adopted this idea about her. I was like, right, you are a model. You understand your beauty. You're actually quite smart. And for whatever reason, you are obsessed with this killings, these killings or this killer. There are a lot of people out there just obsessed with true crime. Like a true crime for no reason. Just because they want something to be obsessed with. So that's what I thought it was. Yeah. I mean, the way that that movie would reveal itself to me more and more, I was just getting hit over the head with things. But then came the moment that I like, this is what I texted you because when I texted you when I was done with it, I was literally out of breath. I cannot remember a time in a movie where I, I was so it was like the only equivalent that I can make it is when I'm watching wrestling. And that match has reached the apex of excitement, and I truly have no idea what's going to happen. And I am absolutely thrilled. It's when the it's it's when inner presenter says. And the Oscar goes to in between that to when they say the name, when it's a an award. I really want that person for ten minutes that second. They are doing that for like ten minutes toward its end. Yeah. And you're too I'm just leaning closer. Like what? Because I rented it first on Apple. So I'm just leaning closer to my TV. Like, what the fuck? Oh my god, what's going to happen? It's brilliant. It's a brilliant setup. It's brilliant. But I do believe in the way that we were talking about slogans like, this is a movie that you have to be paying that close of attention to because it's it's not necessarily that it's confusing, but yes. Yeah, those closeups where she's at her computer and like that lack of emotion in her eyes, the way that she does react to certain things that some people say, because she is really a like a blank canvas that we are putting our own emotions on. She is staying mysterious to us for very specific reasons. But if you don't live in that and kind of are on her journey in that unknowing way, I don't think that the end pays off. There is something about getting into her head, guessing what it could be, wondering, and then accepting the way that she responds to things and other people. That being that. That's where the beauty of this movie lies. And one of the one of my favorite things that I went actually back and I rewatched just to see her reaction was when one of the mothers in the room is crying and she goes, I see you groupies out here. You know, it's disgusting that you're here. And it cuts to her and she's just looking at her. She doesn't have a face that is like, fuck you, lady. Or like, how dare you? Yeah, it was just an observational thing. But when my first time watching it, I was thinking, well, that's you. She's referring to you and you just don't really care then to kind of realize that. She's not that. And whatever opinion she had, she's not letting that woman in on. And then to realize what ultimately she was doing. There's just so much oh my God. And this is not like a big budget movie folks like go get give it its attention. Like the oh my god the commentary was so good. He's just so matter of fact, it's in English, his commentaries in English. And he's just so he says over and over, like, yeah, the reviews for this guy compared to Fincher films a lot, but I'm not Fincher. Like, I don't have that money. I don't I can't do all that stuff. So I love that there. It's getting compared to Fincher when he's making read rooms for a fraction of Fincher's budget, I think. I don't know exactly how much it was, but it was not a lot of money, and it was a Montreal film based film. But yeah, love. I love this movie. I feel like that Fincher comparison is just a really easy, kind of like low hanging fruit. It's just a way for American audiences to be able to kind of put it in a box. Yeah. That's all. I mean, I cannot recommend this movie enough. Thank you for for lending it to me. This was, you know, I here I go. I shan't talk this year so much, but there were moments that I had in movies this past year that I have not had in quite a long time. So there you go. I'm eating my own foot. Right. We had to go digging for them, though. Like Red rooms was a movie I had to dig for. You had to dig for a lot of people, probably this might be the first time they've ever even heard of. Yeah. So it's not one that's like achieved mass popularity, but I promise I we are both promising that it is worth it. Worth it? Yeah. But give it a like sit down to watch it in full. Yeah. Trust it. And trust us when we say when there might be. It is going somewhere. It's going somewhere. And you're also not going to be exposed to, you're not going to be exposed to the visuals of certain things that the movie talks about, because I think that's important to kind of like it, because if you were, that's a very different thing. I always on this pod try to suggest where a movie was going to go. So if this did have that, I would just say I may not describe the scenes, but I would say this movie is extremely graphic and it is only for the most, like the least faint of heart. Like if you if you are squeamish, you can't do that. I would set it up that way. But this doesn't need that sort of warning. It doesn't. It's much more psychological than it is gruesome. It's actually almost fully psychological. Some really gruesome at all. No, but I'll tell you, though, the sounds got to me. Yeah. Same here. Yeah, like same here. And to watch the special features of how they did that, which is just totally to watch the special features and that killer that like bald, terrifying guy, just the nicest guy and just a total sweetheart. Like, just cutting it up. Yeah, literally double check. So, yeah, cut it up. Watching that scene is hilarious. Watching him film that because they just did it on an iPhone because it's supposed to be. I like this psycho. Just uploaded it to the internet and they're like, no more, more, more. It's when you take all. That's why the movie is so effective, because it builds this world where like Jesus Christ and yeah, absolutely worth. It's only two hours. It's not like some long sit. It might even be a little less, but please check it out if you like psychological thrillers. Damn. All right. That was your number for that is my number three. So my number four. I talked about it back in episode 130, the hitman podcast of all things. Some friends went to the woods and made a scary movie in Canada. In a violent nature, it doesn't necessarily sound like the biggest selling point for a movie in the woods, friends, but this movie fucking rolls. It is a fresh as hell take on the slasher film. So damn cool to watch an entire scary movie from the point of view of the killer. But it's about 90 minutes and it's slow. It's slowly paced. You're going to sit with it for a while and its kills are so well earned. They are some of the most insane kills I've seen in a horror movie. Again. Bought this Blu ray. Watch it with two commentaries on just to hear the production. Commentary is great because the woman who did all the sound, she's like, oh yeah, a lot of oohs, a lot of goo for that. You're just watching, like the most disgusting imagery. But this is a movie. It's not real. You know, I, I love it. I also love the production of this movie. The production was extremely fraught. There's like a feature length making of doc on that Blu ray, where they filmed the movie once and they didn't use any of it. None of it worked. It just did not go, wow. So they filmed the entire fucking thing again. Watch entire thing. And that's what we see. And it completely different location. Some of the cast is different. The fucking wow fortitude to stick with that and to believe in your material so intensely and go, well, you're just flushing money down the toilet. You have to make the decision to go that we can't use any of that. Like, I've wasted so much money, so much time. Paid actors paid them and none of it is usable. But I believe in my story so much that I'm going to go back and get it right. And in my opinion, it got it right. You go on Letterboxd. There's a lot of one star reviews for this movie. There's a few five star reviews for Maniacs Like Me. I loved it, I got what it was doing, I loved it. I have to say, I saw it for the first time last night. Oh, nice. I did watch it with some friends because I was scared that I was going to get scared. Oh, but you know, dude, I gotta say, you know, I you've recommended me some horror movies that I have watched that I've really enjoyed. And at no point do I ever get scared. I think I'm just I'm, it's it's a it's it's just not an actual thing. I actually have liked every horror movie that I've seen, and I am always, if they're well-made, if they're well-made, well-made, they're well-made, you know? Yeah, yeah, I totally like this movie. I thought it was so. I'm so glad you gave it a chance. Yeah, it did. Unfortunately, it's not in my top ten, but, that's because when we're done with ours, there are we are going to talk about just the overall year, and this would be a movie that I would want to talk about because, I've never seen that point of view from it. And those kills were awesome. Especially the one like the that one with, the Hulk. I don't even know how to. Even the hook. Yeah, the dragging hook. Jesus Christ. And it was just. I mean, yeah, you're in the middle of the day, like, the middle of the day. And I think my favorite part of it was that, it follows the exact same formula that all slasher movies do, for the most part. But yeah, the the most creative part of it is, is because it's from the killer's point of view. So literally, you've got the kids, the young dumb kids that normally you're on their side with by a campfire telling the scary story about the person that's going to end up killing them, the whole entire thing. But you're watching it from his point of view. So, yeah. And he's like, he's fucking it. Yeah, exactly. It's like, you're right, that's me. I'm going to fuck you up. But he doesn't talk. The killer. No, he doesn't talk. You can see it. He's not like, dumb like he stalks. Oh, no, he's slow moves. He plans. Yeah, but then we're always like, why don't these killers ever run? But, you see, he just walks and it's the, like, slow and surely, like he'll he'll get there moving. It's your sister that you just exactly. If you don't just stop walking like you'll get there eventually. And he does and he does. And he's got some hands on him. Move them some boxes. Love it, love it, love it. But, though I, I don't mean this in a bad way. I know I texted you, but I have to say it. It's the exact plot of her is scared stupid. It's. Yeah, that's it's it's kind of funny. It's like just going out to the woods, and it's. That was intentional. I don't know if the word is scared, so I don't think so. But the the taking the piss out of it and having those, characters, the, the, you know, human characters be a little like we expect from this type of movie. That was all intentional. So, yeah, it's funny. I mean, it's just it was so funny and, and I was pissing off my friend John because he's like, why do you keep saying that? And I go, because it's the plot. What do you want me to say? And he goes, but that's, that's taking away from the movie. I go, no, it's not. Shut up. Let me watch Johnny kill people. Great decapitation scene in this movie. Oh. So good. So fucking all timer. This was the only movie of the year. The only one that I saw in the theater and then went back to the next night and saw in the theater. Same exact theater, same exact screen. I just picked the same seat. I was like, I'm going to get up, do it. It because I, I didn't watch like two of the scenes because like the, the hook scene, I was watching through my eyes in the first time. So second time I was like, it's just a movie to sit here and watch it. And, you know, there weren't many of us in the theater. We were all like, oh, oh. The second time I saw it, I sat next to three. I think I told the story three Latino women, and I think one was like 31 was 40, one was 50. So they were definitely different generations. And their reactions, we were just having a blast. They loved it. They were like and like cursing in Spanish hit the screen. It was great. So great. They were cracking the other we oh yeah, we just all loved it. So I yeah, I, I really like this movie. If you're a fan of genre cinema, you'll like it again. Not a millions I think like 3 million all in with everything filming at twice all that shit. So it's not it's not a big budget movie by any means. Perfect segue into number three, though. I think this is this is this was my number one movie for the year for a long time, until another movie came around. But this is challengers right here. Number three. Right. So you've scared me for a second. Awesome. Yes. Challenger's awesome. I, I remember you and I having a conversation earlier in the year, because I saw the Godzilla movie. In, like, minus one, minus one. And they had a challengers trailer in there, and it pissed me off so much because that trailer was how, if that if challengers was actually like, the trailer, it was one of those chairs that gave everything away. And it was really, I hated it. I did not like it. You saw it and then were like, the trailer is not what this movie is, right? And then I went and saw it and oh my God, did I just have the absolute time of my life in that theater? And there was me and three other girls who were in the back row. I was on the aisle seat in like one of like the front rows. That's usually like my seat. I like to go to every little smug look on one of the actor's faces or whenever, like some, like, line was dropped with like, a lot of, like, sexual innuendo or just in your face like us for we're just chopping it up. We were just like, having the greatest time with the fun of the movie. Oh, I it's so not only that, but I have to say, like, this movie I think is I'm going to give it to it. I think this is a note perfect movie. Oh, wow. Okay, cool. Every beat is accounted for. Every single moment from the actors, from the editing to the music to the direction for what it's doing. It's absolutely perfect. There's there's there's absolute no wrong note throughout the whole entire thing. And it's just so it just move so fast and like you get to fact that end tennis scene and it's just an absolute fucking blast. And you've got Trent Reznor music. I can't believe they didn't get nominated. Not nominated for an Oscar nominated or ridiculous. And then, I just, I yeah, I can't say enough good things about this movie. I think this is amazing. It just sounds like it's not even going to be in your top ten. Honestly. It isn't. And, this was the last bump, and it was, last summer. See, the the sacred fig and flow that bumped it out. And part of the reason is, you know, hear me out. I know this is. Yeah, this is my number 11, no question. But I figured it was going to make your list. I figured we were going to talk about it. And as much as I liked the movie, it is my 11. It is a mainstream movie, so I knew it was going to be represented on this pod, or at least I assumed. And if for some reason it didn't make your list, I was immediately going to go and do an number 11 honorable mention. But yeah, I wanted to make room for the seat to the sacred fake and stuff like that. Because I'm not going to lie, challenger's was not at number ten. It was like in the middle because I really, really like this movie, but I just made an executive decision to kind of like, again, if we did this a month, exactly, I would be on there. But last summer, see, the sacred fig probably would not and flow probably would not be. And I liked it there, there. I have a lot to say about challenger's first time I saw it sold in Imax opening night. This has never happened to me in a movie when it is my favorite scene in the film. When he takes her outside and they're in that alleyway and he's like, I think you should be my coach. The look on her fucking face is one of my favorite looks in movies. Just this look of like, she can't believe he has the nerve to say this. It's just it it it's contempt. It's like you are fucking scum. It's just all coming to your face that I love it. So I'm watching it the first time. Right after that scene, she's walking away. The film goes out of focus and stops and we're all like. And then this is what I've had movie stop working in the theater, but it was sold out Imax, the lights never came up. So they have, well, 400 people sitting in the fucking pitch black for like 25 minutes. I got up and went out and was like, I get if the movie's not going to come back on, but can you bring up the house lights? Because this isn't safe? Because, yeah, if all the lights are off, but the movie screen is on, you can see, but the screen is black and all the lights are off. We couldn't see shit, everyone. Oh yeah, phones and their flashlights. So that was weird. It started. We got to finish it, went back and sold again. I had it on for, at home because it's on Prime and I don't know how, but I felt I was like dozing off and fell asleep at Ali got home during that last match, and I don't know how I was asleep because it was so loud. And she's like, coming up the stairs going, what the fuck is this? It's like, no music. It's going, she's like, what the fuck are you watching up? Like it's challenger? She goes, can you turn it down? Jesus Christ, it's so funny. Friend of the pod cat. Cat team. She did, this succession episode with me. Huge shout out to her. I've been digging her about her a lot lately. She'll know what I mean. And she fucking hated this movie. She hated it. She hated it as much as Ali. It is strange, darling. I have no idea why she saw it. It was like, what the fuck is wrong with you? That movie was trash. And for like a year, it's been this ongoing bit of like what? What? That movie offended you, like, so deeply? I asked her, I was like, did you get a nose? Your nose broke about like a tennis racket to support your life. Like, why do you hate this movie so much? And when it did get any Oscar nominations, I saw her. It gave her gave her a big hug, and I was like, I bet you're happy about that. She goes, so, so happy. But yeah, challengers, you're number three. Let's put her on the pot. I love how much she hated it. I'll get her on the potty talk. Let's have a conversation. She would fucking tear you to shreds. Yeah, she'd be like everyone's. I asked her, I was like, did you not like anything about it? Like nothing. Virtually nothing. And she went, Zendaya's legs. I was like, oh yeah, okay. Somebody that counts. I think she's like great legs and a butt. All right. That gets are so, Yeah, I love this movie though. It is my 11. It is my love. The law is there. 11. Oh, yeah. Hey, fuck off your number ten. Yeah. Fuck off. The number three is Red rooms. That means we're onto your number two. Oh. Top two. All right, I think I. Okay, I think I know what yours are now. Oh, that's right, that's fucking with me. Oh, we number nine better. You know. Better be something. It's going to be something, don't you. Don't you give me this little. Well. He rubbed this for his eyebrows. I, I had a triangle of sadness. I furrowed my triangle of sadness. Don't you worry. All right. So. All right. Good. I'm not number two. I know what your number two is going to be. And this is another one that is an honorable mention for me. But I also knew it was going to be listed here. And like, we're going to talk about it because this is a well-done movie. I'm just assuming I know what it is. Yeah, you already know what it is, but but but you a little bit of a Nick story time. I'll try to be brief with it. Because I put myself in a place and I'm strange. Yeah. So I am talking about. Yes. James Mangold is a complete unknown. I, to me, Bob Dylan is. What it means to be an artist, is what Bob Dylan is that I have. He's your North star. He is my North Star. I was when I watched A Complete unknown, and I had a bunch of skepticism going into it because I was like, I don't want this just to be a biopic because I know all about Dylan's life. This movie is a fine movie. It's fine. It does, it does. Right? By Bob Dylan. I think, I've everyone who I've heard who doesn't like this likes it for all the right reasons. They say that. Listen, I was not a Bob Dylan fan to begin with, and this movie didn't make me one. Then I'm like, then it did a good job because Bob Dylan is not someone to really, like, he's an icon. It's not necessarily a redeemable type of story here. There's something to celebrate. He's just, an asshole who, has only done things his way. And that's what it is. And that's what I love. But this movie can reconnected me to who I was when I was 20 and who I've never not been, but did lose for a while. I can't give a movie a higher compliment than than that. Like, that's like, for me to be able to just be reminded about who I am. It reminded me of who I was when I was young and who I need to honor as I move forward in life. Even though life happens. Change, we all grow up and do different things, but the heart of me, there's always been my 20 year old self. Like some people say, like, you know, they knew what they wanted to do when they were 14. I need to be honoring my 14 year old self. For me, that was my 20 year old self. This movie reconnected me with that. So I will be forever grateful. And I've seen this movie now two times about to see the third and the second time. It wasn't just a one time thing. It was like, this is this will forever be a movie that I can come back to like a Bob Dylan song or his discography and re discover the truth, my North Star, to where you put it so eloquently. So I cannot say anything other than thank you to James Mangold for finding a way to do that. So, I love this movie, and I also think that it's just as as a film. Very well done. You and I both thought we were going to fucking hate this. We can be honest. Like, we we did, we did. And I and I sat there for it and it it did everything right to me. Yeah. Covered a small amount of time. Did not in any way try to understand him as a person because you cannot I've seen so many documentaries on him and there's no punching through. It's just like, here it is, what you get. I have a theory that this is this is nominated for pretty much only major Oscars, but I don't think it walks away empty handed. I mean, it's nominated for like costume design, which it probably won't win, but I don't know, picture director, screenplay actor, these things one of them is likely on the table. It's most, best actors. It's a lot of fun to watch out for, because to me, I think the biggest criticism of his performance is exactly what he designed to do, which is that you don't get to know his character anymore. But that's because he's playing Bob Dylan. So yeah, you don't get to, like, know him. Nobody knows exactly. Will he win? I don't know, I don't it's it's going to be it sounds like it's going to be him or Adrien Brody I don't know. We're going to see. But I have a theory that because this movie's a hit, I think they're going to make more of these, I really do. I think him and Mangold are going to team up and do a boyhood thing, and in real time, with shallow May actually aging, they'll age him at the end. They'll it'll be age appropriate for Bob Dylan at that time, because this ends at of the movie ends at a very formative time in Dylan's career. And things are about to take off. Like. Exactly. Yeah. It is not like the peak of things taking off. So I think there's a world that exists where they come back and it's like a before midnight, before sunrise thing. I can absolutely see them doing this. And with the way movies run now with, you know, sequels and all this stuff, they would they would essentially leave money on the table. I mean, Monica barbaro was actually my favorite performance. I thought she was she was great. Has so good in the movie, and I'm so glad she got nominated for playing Joan Baez. But why not bring her back? Why not bring elfin like there are other people to bring back? I could absolutely see that happening. I'm not saying it's like it's he's going to go like, fool. I don't like, you know, only making Lord of the rings movies like Peter Jackson. Mangold's not going to do that. He might make two more movies in between this, but I could definitely see him landing here. That what it means being an artist? That's the thing that that movie that's an intangible IT factor that I think is just he's amazing in it. Yeah. We're it's going to be an interesting it's Oscar chances are interesting I would not counted out as a sleeper because we got some controversy brewing. We do a lot of this is a crazy Oscar season and this is not a controversial movie. It's just not. So. Yeah. And my dad's favorite of the year, he hasn't seen everything. But for what he's seen, he'd love this movie and really want Shalamar to win I do. Yeah, so do I. My number two. Great pick. My number two is, you know, sometimes like you're just going along and you got to some things are all right and you just need to like cut loose and relax yourself a little. Whiskey shirts off. Music's playing. Nick can't hear the music, but the music's playing. Sometimes you just need some George Michael and you just take off. Oh, babe, I will be a part of the job today. And I want to appreciate it. You have my. I'll be your father. I have had enough of this. It might be the one for us. You till the end of time. And you do? You and Harris Dickinson, dancing to George Michael's father figure and baby girl is really just one of the most inspiring things I've ever seen to see. He knew that he was going to have to do that. He. He is saying that he put it off and put it off. And then on the night just did a few versions, but it was all improv. He knows how to dance, obviously, because if I knew how to improvise, dance like that, oh my God, it was just magical. Baby girl, it was my second favorite film of the year. Wow. Number two. Oh, my God, did I love Helena Rain. I believe I'm saying that correctly. Her film, Baby Girl. I, I just loved everything about it. I went to the theater three times to see this. I think it's one of Nicole Kidman's best performances. This really got to the heart of what we talk about on this podcast and movies. We don't get a lot anymore where we're getting into, okay, like, is this going to be an erotic thriller? But it's not. It goes a step above that and like, okay, is this going to be some like me two thing? It touches on that, but then it goes a step above that. Is this going to be a 50 Shades of Gray thing gets there goes many steps above that. I thought the, the nuances of it were so delicate and you could really tell that she was the director was encouraging improvization that first meeting they have in that little room that that how they she did not tell Nicole Kidman how to leave the room like so that him stopping her. Just wait, just wait, just wait, just wait. That was all them. And you feel that like it's so fucking real and like, oh my God, we should absolutely not be doing this. But we have. No, we can't. But and it's this desire in the way that I've been explaining it to people. And I think I even said this in the episode, this is not how did Nicole Kidman, her character, had to how did Nicole get her groove back? This film is positing, oh, what if this woman never had a groove? Like never found a groove, was never liberated sexually in any sort of way. And I don't know what maybe put all that energy to becoming, like a extremely successful businesswoman. Who knows? That's another thing. It brushes up against that victimization childhood thing, but takes many steps above that. She even says directly, I thought this was because of my childhood. But it's not just me, it's just who I am. She has a line. She says to Antonio Banderas in bed, that is. That made me, oh God, gasp out loud. I've never hurt. I mean, that just fucking cut right through. And I gasped. And that, to me was the most shocking thing in the movie. Not how the movie opens, which is like, oh yeah, it's just going for it, not how it ends, which it is going for it. But I was like, wow, that is what I mean when I think up performances. Brave or fearless. I'm not talking about sex, I'm not talking about nudity. I'm talking about the vulnerability to look at. You're if you're playing a character, your husband of 20 years and saying that, I was like, Holy shit. And he was so fucking great. He was great in it. Like, oh my, his delicacies and his nuances. We have that argument and he's leaving. He's like, fuck that and just says it like storms out. I'm like, yeah, her assistant man, I loved her. And it you know, this this movie is not black and white. This movie is all in the gray. And I, I loved everything about it. I absolutely own it. I've heard a lot of rain. Halina. Rain is a fantastic interview. I've heard her out so many interviews and she is just great. So love the music, love the soundtrack. Seeing Nicole Kidman soundtrack be on ecstasy at a rave and dancing her ass off with hair sticking. It was just a fucking miraculous thing. It is amusing to me that these stories are like really back. There's even like a cutesy version of, like, the idea of you. Yeah, that's what I mean. That's rated R, but it's still it doesn't go where like Baby Girl or like last Summer goes, but yeah, this is back. These women like either getting their groove back or getting their groove and hey, let's do it, let's do it. Let's go for it. Well, one, I have to say, I have been trying I it's still a goal of mine someday to film the best like club dance sequence. I have to say I think this is the best I've seen, though. Oh so good. It's exactly what it feels like at a club. It's exactly what it feels like. And the one thing that they do that no other good club scene has ever done is they made it really bright. That was the trick. They, they because most of the time, because when you're really in a club, it's dark, you don't see it, you don't see everything you get the lights from like everything's going crazy. But I think to counter that, they used a very light top, a bright top light. So you see everything, you see the flashes and everything, but you don't usually get to see the crowd like that. But for cinema, wow, does it work? Like, I was sort of like this in between the drum beat for the music, I was like, this sounds and feels exactly what this moment is actually like. The vulnerability and honesty of every moment in these scenes, it's the best of the year. I don't think that. I really don't think that they're there has been like, you know, we talked about so many movies. We talked about the performances and they're all really, really great. From what I loved was even on Harris Dickinson's part, he doesn't seem to know what he's doing either. I said this in my mini review. This is not a calculated thing, like a 50 Shades of Gray, where he's done this over and over. I don't think either of them have ever done this and know you're watching them figure it out on their own. Yeah, and there's times where he even laughs. That's what I mean. I like I mentioned that when he's like yeah, get down on walk on the floor. And then he breaks and he's like, I mean is is that what you want. Like is it what is like, is that what this is like. They don't know. Yeah. Yeah. And and then it gets real. And I got to see Antonio Banderas. Oh you know for like the majority of the movie that we don't really get like by design, like he's treated a certain type of way throughout the movie. You just can't you I see how when you're saying like there was no plan for blocking any of this, because how could you like you, you you have to let this sort of become whatever it's going to become. But you've got the actors there knowing their truth, figuring it out. That's so alive and and like the amount of trust and generosity it has to exist. There's just a beautiful thing to watch. I love that, and I make me regret it being my number ten. I know, see, I'm saying my climb, my climb. You see how pleasant things can be when you decide to play nice two years in a row. Our number one. It's shared. It's got to be episode 143. You actually I'm going to umpteen it up. You got to this first. You saw it first. And this might be the first. I definitely the first time in the history of our pod, but maybe in the first time in our friendship. You went back like two days later and rewatching the theater. I don't know if you've done that. And then and when you told me that, I was like, oh fuck, okay, here we go. And I sit down and Sean Baker's and Nora begins, and you're when you're this, you're looking forward to this movie and like, then your number one trusted ally in film is gone twice. You just don't want it to fuck up. And it never fucked up. Yeah, it just goes. And it's making me cry at the one hour mark. And then it's terrifying me in this hysterical. Now I know it to be hysterically funny scene where word is trapped, but I didn't know which way it was going to go. And then it gets to this ending I know I still don't want to reveal. We did spoil it at the end of that episode, but I'm not going to like fireball. I'm a spoiler here and this ending has made grown men cry. It's made women cry. It's made so many different people that I've talked to cry because it just gets to the fucking heart of the thing. And Sean Bakers and Nora is one of the best movies I've seen so far this decade. If I'm not trying to jump ahead five years, but it's absolutely going to be in my top ten of the decade list. Oh yeah. I mean, it just hit for me in every way. And you know, you're calling your shot that early. I said, we both said we're not going to see a better movie this year. When we did that episode and we didn't. And I feel comfortable saying that it's your number one. It's my number one. This is a great film. Will win anything. I don't know, but it's one of those also that's still doesn't have a lot of controversy. People have been trying to latch on to this intimacy coordinator thing. I don't really how do we want to get into this? Like, this is yeah, I mean, I don't think it's necessarily fair to be honing in on such one specific thing when this guy, like a few movies ago, was making a movie for like 200 grand about amateur porn stars in LA, like trying to break into that business this term is this profession. It's job titles. Intimacy coordinator is very important, but this is not something that existed ten years ago. So it's still going to take some movies and some indie movies time to catch up to like, this is how it's done. His next movie guarantee they're going to have one, but that I don't think that's a big enough, you know, press fever to spoil anything. I don't think that will ruin its Oscar chances. If it was going to win anything any way. But maybe original screenplay. We could get original screenplay we could. It's another other brutal list or real pain. September 5th and substance, September 5th. Whatever. I don't think September 5th, that substance wins. I don't think a real pain wins, although it could. American Fiction won the title here, so it could be a Nora the brutal. It's a real pain, but I think this is probably between a Nora and the brutalist, and that could end up being the sole Oscar that either of those movies wins, potentially. But what if it just pulls out editing? What if it's like, best editing shot Baker? Nora I'll fucking lose it. I'll be like, I mean, soul dud. The night is a victory. It's the window. It's the absolute right. I mean, when we when I said earlier, well, you know, Quentin Tarantino said, like, you know, cinema is dead. This is the movie that I actually would say it's not like, especially this year because this is a he might agree with you too. Yeah. That this won't punch through. Yeah. Because this this truly is cinema. And we're not talking about like, you know, like Top Gun two. We're not talking about like these. We're talking about like what it means to see a movie like, on a big screen and get floored with the filmmaking process on a cinematic level. But on a big screen, like the the colors in this movie, the editing, it's just the complete explosion of young love like given to us in a style that only cinema can bring you. And that's due to the editing, and that's due to the music, that's due to the fast. But this is all cinema. And then for it to then have the balls to just switch and do something that no one knows what's going on. But then to like further blossom a brand new thing out of fucking nowhere. This movie is the encapsulation of what it means to use this art form as a true artistic medium that I do think has been forgotten. So I think a lot of my energy and tone at the beginning of this podcast, about 2.5 hours ago, was in a little bit of a, disgruntled ness. But then as we've gone through these movies, I'm like, no, because look at all the beautiful things and wonderful things that we're talking about. But this is really is like an exception to to everything, though. This is, yeah, a different level of of the use of this form, even if you want to if we're going on Tarantino's thing, like movie stopped in 2019, there's still room for some to be the if that is his new role, then there are still some exceptions. And then Nora is the exception. Absolutely the exception. So glad it's still here. It's still a year for us, and I really encourage people to watch this movie. The 4K is going to be out in April, well after the Oscars, so please try to check it out before the show. My dad hasn't seen it, so I'm like, you got to see this before you can start talking about favorite films of the year, sir. God, I loved it. I'm so excited for it to come out. And it's going to it looks they it it's going to have a lot of, special features. The criterion 4K. So, yeah, I'm pumped and I, I'm just hoping for something. A win would be nice. It editing is going to be tough, but screenplay editing, maybe one of those maybe director I don't think is out of earshot. It's not out of question, especially now that one of them is out of question. Kind of, ish. So yeah, it it isn't director and picture. Nothing is locked up. Actor is not locked up. Actress is not locked up in your. We'll get to the Oscars in a second. But they're these major ones. Even the ones that I thought were locked up on nomination day. They may not be anymore. There's some crazy shit going on out here. Some crazy shit. And because of that, it because of the controversy between so much of this. This just leaves little Nora. And I think also the intimacy coordinators, criticism. That's light work compared to light work with these other ones. Light work. Yes, absolutely. So awesome. Loved it. Great. Top ten list I, I do like our movies on the list. I don't think if you're looking at like just the Oscar nominations, I don't think it's the strongest year. But our list, I like them. I'm going to go 10 to 1 real quick before we get give some honorable mentions. So here's my list. Yes. Number ten flow a foreign film. Number nine, the substance movie directed by woman. Number eight. Nosferatu. Number seven. Kinds of kindness. Number six. Last Summer, directed by woman. Number five. The seed of the Sacred Fig. Foreign film. Number four. In a Violent Nature. Number three. Red rooms. Number two. Baby girl, directed by woman. And number one, a Nora. That's, more foreign films and more movies directed by women than I usually have on my list. That's why I wanted to mention it. And I like the list. Your ten, number ten baby girl. Number nine. Last summer. Number eight. His three daughters. Number seven. The substance. Six kinds of kindness five. Strange, darling. Four red rooms, three challengers two a complete unknown and number one. Honor six in common. Baby girl. Last summer. The substance. Kinds of kindness. Red rooms a Nora awesome I mean that's that's that's five, that's half six. That's what I said. Six. Right. Good. I didn't major enough honorable mentions for me. I'll just going to fire a few off. I did have strange darling. Yeah, I did have challengers. I did have a complete unknown, two movies by directors we love. That feels very weird that they're just, like, coming and going, but Bird by Andrea Arnold, starring Barry Keoghan I liked it a lot. It's a good Andre Arnold movie, but very, that it's I mean, we've covered her on this podcast. It was just I really expected that to make my top ten, but just kind of didn't. Very similarly for Steve McQueen's blitz, which I watched twice. But, yeah, I just kind of had a muted reaction to it. It's a well-made movie, but stunned that, if we would have last year, if you would have, you know, told me, Dre Arnold and C McQueen and movies coming out, I just would have assumed those would be my top ten. So that was strange for me. And then syncing, which I liked much, much more than I thought I would, much, much more. I thought, Colman Domingo was fantastic. I love that he's nominated for it. And a lot of those guys in the movie are playing themselves. Those are the real life guys. Like. And it just, it really hit. And it is not some cheesy, sentimental thing. It's something that it is real. It is R, it understands the R rating and it, it just got in touch with some real shit that again wasn't expecting and really appreciated that. Too bad they've fucked up the release on that. I don't I still don't know anyone who's seen it really. And it's not the easiest movie to track down, and I don't know if they're going to put it back in theaters, but I don't know. Glad I watch it. It's back in LA. It's back. It's in a few theaters here too. It is. I have to say one really quick thing about that, that is that was actually extremely hard for me not to put in my top ten. Yeah, that is my that's my number 11 with a bullet. Nice. I was really floored by that movie. So I thought that was it was beautiful. And I also have to say this, this is actually a kind of a cool credit. Any movie that I've ever seen that has to deal with the acting process. This is the best one. I was wondering I was wondering how you would react to this because you don't usually like, like, okay, like people in an acting class or something of that. But the even the way he was, mapping out how you can there's tricks to memorizing lines. I was like, this is really smart. No, this is smart stuff. And the way that, like, you get on your feet, the way that you're like, you know, walk like a zombie, do all this. It's meant to be silly, but it it's these are things that are actually, like getting you in touch with your instrument and getting your touch to forget about, trying to detach, get out of your you're heading into your body. But also that there was a level that I appreciated because they weren't just showing some of these things, but there was, the sacredness to it. Like, they they really held those scenes the way that these men communicated with each other and embraced these silly, activities with such sincerity and and truth. I mean, you talk about just like, you know, a certain reality of men in prison, in the way that they kind of reveal their hearts to us in some of theirs, in their moments where they monologues or whatever it is. Yeah. The more that I talk about, the more that I like, loved, loved, loved this movie. I don't know, it's, it's a, it's a very, very strong 11 for me. I was I was very moved by it. If I was a member of the Academy, I would actually vote for him to win Best Actor. He would be my pick. I would not be upset at all. Yeah, I was really stunned. But I went, oh, he okay. This is different than even what he did in Ruston. Like this is a lot different. And Paul Raci from Sally metal, he was great. I didn't know I didn't even know he was in it. And I'm like, there he is. And he was man, he has this conviction to him, I love you. Okay. Yeah, it's a really good movie. It's really good. Deserve to be as underseen as it is. So, the fall guy, the fact that the fall guy did not make the top ten is criminal. Wow. Director's cut. Everyone on Peacock. Romero recommended the director's cut. I can't tell you what it does different. All I know is it feels like there's more to it. And then my final movie that I'll bring up that I liked a lot better than I thought I would kind of can't stop thinking about it Saturday night. Oh, yeah. I think anyone who's ever just been a part of the creation of something when it comes to like film plays, whatever it is, that movie just kind of nails that, that frenzy of chaos. I mean, just on a much bigger level. But at the same time, like just the ridiculousness in like, how something actually ends up coming together when an hour beforehand it's like, this is never going to work, everyone, what the fuck are we doing? And then it does. I enjoyed that, that that I thought it was just I thought it was just fun. But I agree with you. You sent me a text that, you were like, don't leave the set. And. Yeah, I agree with that. Don't that that was the one thing. It's like an hour and a half. And if the whole thing is to be a real time ish, it's it, you know, the hour. And it takes liberties. First episode of SNL begins I don't I don't know if Lorne Michaels literally left and went to a comedy show and then literally left and went to the ice rink in Rockefeller Plaza, I don't know. But if he did it, it just it completely halted the movie for me completely. But the movie had some standout moments. I really did not think I was going to like it at all, and it kind of breezed by. It's on Netflix just easy. Yeah, it's just it's just a fun, easy watch and, and, and I think the actors are captivating enough to where you get a big kick out of it. Like it's not asking for much. It's. Yeah, it's an hour and a half. And the pacing of it is nice like for what it does. So I just didn't think I was going to enjoy as much as I did. All right. So we're going to do these kind of quick mini reviews that didn't make our list. Let's, start right at the top. Amelia Perez I have never seen anything like this. I'm not talking about the movie. I'm. I'm talking about what is going on in the press right now. This is the most nominated foreign film of all time. This is the second most nominated movie in the history of the Oscars, tying with a bunch of movies now a bunch about ten movies that have been nominated for 13 Oscars. This is one of them. It was somewhat celebrated the morning this happened, though it was. The movie was somewhat controversial online for accusations of it being transphobic, of it being very disparaging against Mexicans of all this different stuff, and that was already brewing. And then these nominations came out and, I again, I've never seen anything like this in my life. I don't know how a movie, a Netflix movie. I don't know how anyone at Netflix, did not vet the people involved in this movie by, I don't know, maybe going on their Twitter and reading their tweets from a few years ago. But the star of this movie, Carlos Sofia Gascon, has, probably come under the most fire of that I've ever seen of an Oscar nominee in my life. I don't even think she'll come. I don't even think she'll show up for it if she does. Wow. But, yeah, some extremely disturbing things that she has said on the past in public, just out there on social media. This was all brought back up. She's done apology videos that are not convincing. The director of the film, Jake Odegaard, openly came out and denounced her and her involvement in the movie, Zoe Saldana, as being a little more, a little kinder. Just saying everything that's going on is extremely sad. The Oscars themselves were supposed to have that Fab Five acting present. Presenters were five winners come on stage to present each acting award, you know, and they give a little speech about each nominee. They scrapped that. They scrapped that because of this, because of her. Because they don't want to have to get up there and sing the praises of this performance for, you know, 60s before they give out the award. I don't know if this movie wins anything. I don't know if it wins a fucking thing. This really hurts. Zoe's chances of winning supporting actress. I no longer know if that's a lock. Having seen wicked and being able to openly acknowledge that I'm not the target audience for that movie. That movie is not for me, but that I was not immune to its charms. Yes, I thought it was too long. I did think the CGI was terrible. I have no idea how people are saying the CGI and this movie looks good. The movie's not nominated for director, it's not nominated for screenplay, it's not nominated for cinematography. I think that's all very telling. And I think those are good omissions. Noting all of that, Ariana Grande made me laugh out loud several times, but she was extremely charming. She has a magnificent voice that's just clear. She can absolutely wail. And if she wins this because I don't know, Amelia Perez is so controversial right now, I'm not going to be surprised that I'm not going to be mad. It could happen. It could really, really happen. So that's kind of my thoughts on wicked. It's not a movie for me, but I understand its appeal. But man, Amelia Perez like what I just, I don't even, I don't know, I've never I've never experienced, a movie get this bad of press. It is just like hellfire came down on it and it's, you know, it's largely her fault that lead actress. Like I just can't. But again, I cannot believe a company is bigots. Netflix did not vet her social media. It's it's baffling to me. But here we are. Here we are. It's it is wild. I mean, the only thing up until this point, like I remember hearing some people say it was the worst movie they've ever seen. And I go, I yeah, really like like and I liked it. I just, I knew watching it when I was sitting there watching it, I went, mainstream audiences are going to fucking hate this. They're going to hate everything about it. But I like how weird it is. I like I like how we're crazy. I did not get all of the controversies that people are bringing to it. I, I didn't get that from it. But yeah, I've talked to people who think this is like one of the worst movies I've ever seen, if not the worst. I've shown clips to Spanish speaking people, such as my wife, who will admit that Selena Gomez is Spanish is really, really bad in it and really, really poor. Again, as a non Spanish speaker, I didn't really catch that. So this is the most hated Oscar movie I I've ever seen, ever. I've never seen hate like this. For a movie nominated as much as this is, it's it's going to be wild to see like how this plays out on the show. Like is it I don't know. Is it going to get like any. Oh no no no no it won't get Budokan. And it'll make some pretty milquetoast jokes about it Zoe. It will be there. Being a good sport, I don't think Colin shows up and I, I don't know if Zoe wins. I right now I'm thinking this is its only award, but maybe not, because clearly the Academy loves this movie. They nominated it for, nominated it for 13 things when the controversy was going on. The controversy has kicked up to a very new gear. So I don't know if that means they're like, fuck this, I'm out. I'm not voting for it at all. It's just persona non grata across the Oscar ballots, I don't know, but wow, it's it's weird. So we're we will see you. But I don't know if this walks away with anything. It's going to be it's going to be a barnburner. Yes it is. All right. Another one for me last night I sat down and watched, the last big Oscar anticipated movie I needed to see a 2024. I'm still here. So I now understand the acclaim. It's a great performance. I wouldn't say it's in, like, an exceptional one, but if she wins, I'm not going to be surprised. Then I got home and did a little research. This woman's mother, the woman who's nominated this year, kind of a surprise nomination. It was a surprise Golden Globe win. Fernanda Taurus. And I'm still here. Her mom is Fernanda Montenegro, who in 1998 became the first Brazilian woman nominated for best actress for a movie called Central Station, directed by Walter Zales. I'm Still Here stars her daughter Fernanda Torres, and the film is directed by Walter Zales. That is a lovely narrative for an Oscar. You got a got same director nominated a mother and daughter to these, you know, kind of really big nominations, but it's a good narrative. But Demi Moore also has a good narrative. But the movie is it's intense. It's good. I had no idea what it was about. I don't want to say anything. Some people just know what it's about and, you know. But while I was watching it, I went, oh, this is different than I thought it was. And it's a good movie. She might win. What you have walkout written on here. Oh yeah. Guy walked out of I'm still here and I've no idea why. Oh, he just, like, packed his shit up after like, 45 hours with, like, 45 minutes left. He's packed up and left it. It's not like there's nothing like, terribly controversial in the way he sauntered out. I went, what the hell movie did you think it was like? If he didn't know it was subtitled? He's made it way too far to sit for the subtitles. So, yeah, I just that was, that was the tag. People want to know the tag. There we go. Yeah, that was the walk out the I'm still here walk out. So I would recommend people see it if you are trying to keep up with the Oscars, because the fact that it really snuck in a pretty surprise Best Picture nomination bodes well for Tauruses Best Actress prospects, but it. Demi Moore is in there too. I'm not counting Cynthia Erivo out. I'm not counting Mikey Madison out, though I don't think she's going to win, but more Taurus. It could come down to them. It could, it could nickel boys. Few people have asked me about that. It's a movie about a very important topic. It's rated R, and I thought it was that topic was treated with kid gloves and it just wasn't for me. It is a very, very, very well-intentioned movie. Not trying to disparage it. I've heard some people say it's their favorite movie of the year. The whole thing is shot in a POV filming style, where you are from the perspective of one of two characters. I didn't think it added anything to the story, so I just I'm just mentioning it because some people have asked me about it. That's all I know. Well, it's up there, it's up for it's up for best picture. Picture. Yeah. Conclave. One thing I missed is that he did not get nominated for director. That's kind of a big deal for this Oscar season. I don't know if it wins anything I said. Maybe it wins. Maybe it walks away easily with adapted screenplay, and maybe it does. Maybe it's a complete unknown, but I think adapted. I think it walks away with adapted. Yeah. So maybe that'll happen. Now we're going to talk about a real pain and we're going to talk about supporting actor. I don't know anymore. I was we're all saying he's a lock based on won Golden Globe win. And I'm seeing a lot of reports that that was just an early win. Let's not jump ahead. And people need to look out for Edward Norton here. It could happen. It's a really well-liked movie and it's a really well-liked performance. I think he's in second place, and I think it could happen. I don't know if Culkin is the lock I thought he was, or maybe Zoe and Culkin or just locks for the supporting cast for the supporting categories. And it's not going to be a thing. It's just going to be boom. I think I know a little bit more about this thing you do. Yeah, he's a lock. He's a lock. I said this every year, every year, every year. And you're usually wrong. Not this time, not this time. It's a lock. Maria by Pablo Larrain was not really film for me. It's a biopic on Maria Callas starring Angelina Jolie. It seems like he wanted to replicate the success of Jackie with Natalie Portman and even Spencer, but it it just wasn't. You could really, really tell she was not singing. I mean, it didn't. The music didn't even match up with her mouth movements like it did it. I thought my timing was off, like, oh, my TV. And I went, no, this it just it was bad dubbing to me for her singing. Just my $0.02. Yeah. That's a that's fine. We can talk now. This is all the ones that are nominated. I had some others out here, but you kind of touched, kind of touched on as we went. But we could have a really just bad lame Oscar season. We could. We could have a lame Best Picture and Best Director winner. It could go with Culkin, which you and I aren't really jazzed about. I would like if Zoe Saldana wins, but it's like, if wicked wins supporting Actress, you're not going to be jazzed about that. I'm not really particularly either. I love Adrien Brody, I really do. I don't like that movie at all. So even if he wins, I'll be like, okay, Brody as a second Oscar, but it's not for the movie I wanted it for, you know, Fernando Torres. I don't know if people are going to be, like, flipping out about it. All of it. It could just. It could be like a year, like a real pain wins original screenplay. We're just like, oh, went that way and went that way. Could also be a really fun year. They could really, really surprise us. And maybe there's, I don't know, some substance wins, some more wins, a complete unknown win. It's all in the table. Could happen. I don't think so, man. I think the I think the only thing that Demi Moore could win original screenplay could go to a Nora and a complete unknown could win actor, I think I haven't. I think that's the best chance it has. They could be. They could with all Walk Away is Oscar winners and that would be cool. I'm not saying a Nora needs to win picture, director, screenplay and actress for me to have a good night or for it to be a good reflection of the year, but if it walks away with one could be cool. Like it could just be cool. I would love it if Nora would walk away with one. It'd be great. Like that really would be that. I mean, if if it doesn't win screenplay, then I like my. My biggest hope is that Sean Baker could win. Director. God, I fucking love that. I would love if Sean Baker won best or Editing. And if they won, that would probably be the best one. Like, I would probably be like, oh my god, what? Editing. Yeah. And Nora, the brutalist conclave. Amelia Perez and Wicked. I don't know what the stand out is. Now. Usually editing is a good marker for what's going to win picture, but I don't have any of those winning Best picture. I, I really don't know. I mean, does it or is it just going to be a layup and they're going to give wicked seven Oscars because it's all these technical awards. And I think that would be very boring. But it can't happen. I mean, it can't do. What did they give original song to Diane Warren? What if this is the year because they're like Amelie Perez has two nominations, no one seen Elton John Never Too Late and sing sings too small. So what the hell? I'm voting for Diane this time. That could be fun. Like it could, I don't know, it could be fun, but it could also be lame. So we'll just see. But I like our lists. I like our list too. I our our lists are amazing. Yeah. And we're going to have some things to think about. Keep track of these narratives. A lot of stuff is coming up Critics Choice, the Sags, the BAFTAs. We're going to take all that into account when we do our narratives podcast for what's going to win these Oscars. But we'll see. Yeah, and don't forget about the AI that was put into the voices for brutalist. That's again, I talk about that. Yeah, I talked about that in the episode that I was used to make. Adrien Brody and Felicity Jones is Hungarian accents better? And it was used for some of those like blueprint or whatever mock designs at the end, those architecture things. So, I don't know what I mean. It's it's fine if you want to go with the visuals or in the even in the writing. But I think once you start using it to affect the performance, that's when it becomes a little dicey. It's a juicy Oscar year. Like we clearly have targeted attacks going on. Someone went through we do someone. Yeah, Weinstein used to do this was his bread and butter, but he wasn't really round in the era of like Twitter with it being like this. And I mean, someone combed through all of her tweets and pulled those out. Someone told someone somewhere that I was used in the brutalist. So there's there are there there's a lot of like juicy campaigning going on here. There really is. But then you have the innocence on the outside, like a Nora is innocent. A complete unknown is innocent. Conclave, like it or not, is innocent. It is. I'm still here. Is innocent wicked? The substance like these are innocent movies. The substance is nuts. But it doesn't have any controversy like this. It might win its star best actress. And I would love if Demi Moore wins best. I think that'll be awesome. I mean, I think it would be for Mikey Madison, but I would love if Demi Moore wins. So yes, we will. We will see. It feels a little bit like 2007 when it was, Julie Christie from away from her and who had won decades ago but hadn't been around. And then Marion Cotillard for Levy and Rose, and she was kind of a surprise winner. So I've kind of feel that here with Moore and Taurus. We'll see. It feels just like that, feels just like that. Shut the fuck up. I pay attention to these things, okay? People know it's like three people listening where they're like, God damn it. That was just a great call he made. What a great reference to stay astound reference. I was thinking the same thing. I too was thinking about the 2007 Best Actress race. All right. What are you watching, smart ass? I said no double downs. Let's keep it interesting. Throw me something good. So I'm looking upward, man. Bigger and better moving forward. All right, all right. The first. The what? You two. Oh, are they gonna give me two? I was like, you know, I was like, me too. I'm look, I'm look it up, so I am I am going this weekend to go see presents in theaters. The new Steven Soderbergh movie. So that's no joking. That's my. What are you watching? Are you serious? Whoa. I'm like speechless. Who's watching? I just happened, it's just happening like fucking years. I can't. Oh well. Well, dude, I, I've seen you twice. I've gone to the theater twice. I can't believe you. Oh, dude. This. Wow. Okay, I this is my recommendation. I love this movie. Oh. So bless my my, my first movie is your recommendation. Yeah. It's fine. That's cool. It's something you are going to be watching. I get you, you're thinking forward. I love this film. Everyone knows I love Steven Soderbergh. I'm very happy to admit that we have, not admit a plot. Admit I'm just very happy to state to say that you and I have agreed that he's going to be our next director. We're going to cover him next. And it's a lot of movies. Presence is his 35th feature films, and he's got a number one coming out in March, a spy thriller starring Cate Blanchett and Michael fucking Fassbender. Yes. Hello. Sold. Black bag I am there. Fucking absolutely sold presents is awesome. Presents is a ghost story of sorts. We're not talking, jump scare, sixth sense ghost, but a ghost story of sorts when the entire point of view is from the perspective of the ghost in a violent nature. The camera is behind him and we're following him. This. The camera is the ghost. It all takes place in one house. Every shot is one take. So it's not like you're. You just. You see something and then you're cutting to different coverage. Every shot begins and you see that shot play out. So it's one take and there's like 30 shots total. That's it. And you never get bored. Of course, Soderbergh shoots the shit himself. He edits it himself. The casting is so inspired. Lucy Liu is the mom. I there's two kids. I there are teenagers, but I never seen them before. They're great. I this is a fucking great movie. Not the time. It's going to be nominated for Oscars. He doesn't do that anymore. An excellent 85 minute thriller from Steven Soderbergh sold twice, and I will absolutely be buying it when it comes out. I loved it, I'm so glad you're going to go see it. Great theater movie. I remember as soon as I saw the trailer for it, I was sort of like, you know what? I, I know how I say I feel about horror movies and everything, but this is Soderbergh. This looks cool. I'm seeing this in theaters, so this will be the first 2025 movie I see absolutely lead somewhere worthwhile. You are like, right up until the end. He's Soderbergh's just great at that stuff. So cool. Your first 2025 movie. That was my first, but I saw I've seen a few others. Saw companion last night, it was okay. A Jack Quaid one. I don't like him. It's what I thought it was gonna be. It's a January. It's a January movie. I liked him in scream five. I thought he was really good in scream five, I don't. Yeah. Mikey Madison. Oh, well, he doesn't like you either. Oh, wow. Presents. What a good way to end. We had our favorite number one of the year. Nora. Oh, what are you watching as presents? What? What great films we have in common here. Go try to find red rooms, folks. I promise it is worth it. Yes, probably the one of all of the ones on my list. If you haven't heard of them, go check out Red rooms like it's really, really trippy. It's really great. It's also. Love it. Yes. Next episode we're going to be talking about these Oscar narratives. We're going to see how they all planned out. And then I'm going to come out there and we're watching the Oscars together and it's going to be hot. It's going to be fun. What's great is I'm not going to be nervous like I was last year, and I'm going to be pacing back and forth like an absolute lunatic because I don't really have an emotional investment in these. I'm like, yeah, I want that person to win. I want that movie to win. But now you're going to get fired up about something. Oh, well, you'll see if there's a mini wave, if editor's early, what if editor and screenplay early. A Nora Nora. To many ways, it's a mini wave for government. It's a mini budget. All right, folks, find us on Twitter x Instagram letter box at Wave Underscore podcast pod. As always, thanks for listening and happy watching. I'll come alive tonight. Stay close to me. Hey everyone, thanks again for listening. You can watch my films and read my movie blog at Alex withrow.com. Nicholas Dose Telecom is where you can find all of Nick's film work. Send us mailbag questions at What Are You Watching podcast at gmail.com or find us on Twitter, Instagram and Letterboxd at w aui w underscore podcast. Oh my. How we speak too soon. Remember when I said I'm not nervous? There's no emotional investment in this Oscar season since this recording over the weekend, Critics Choice Awards Best Picture and Nora, the Directors Guild of America Awards, the DGA is often a predictor of what goes on to win the Best Director Oscar. Sean Baker, Nora, the producers Guild of America Awards The PGA was often a good predictor of what goes on to win Best Picture. A Nora, what's happening to a Nora? Cleaning up the major precursor Oscar awards. Is it happening? We're going to talk about it all next time when we break down these controversial and very fluid Oscar narratives. Stay tuned. Oh, I know what comes to mind. I know what comes to mind. I blow your minds. 000. Stay close to me. Hold on, stay close to me.