The Game (1997)
This podcast episode delves into the intricacies of the psychological thriller film "The Game," which has elicited a profound sense of unease and contemplation regarding its narrative structure and thematic depth. We commence with an exploration of the film’s central premise, which intricately weaves a man's disintegrating reality into a harrowing experience that challenges perceptions of trust and agency. The discussion unfolds to reveal our personal reactions to the film's disquieting elements, including the unsettling portrayal of manipulation and paranoia that permeates the protagonist's journey. Furthermore, we engage in a critical analysis of the film's climactic twists and their implications for character development, particularly focusing on the relationship dynamics that underpin the narrative. Ultimately, the episode serves as a reflective discourse on how "The Game" compels us to confront our own vulnerabilities and the existential dilemmas posed by the constructs of wealth and power.
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Transcript
When I go to sleep at night, every single light goes on.
Speaker A:And I live in a very teeny tiny square footage apartment.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:So yeah, yeah, there's nothing that I really can't see.
Speaker A:Every single light goes on.
Speaker B:That's so funny.
Speaker A:Go back out, turn around, walk backwards or like I don't do the dark.
Speaker B:Welcome to the what's up every podcast where we fashion our yourselves cinematic judge and jury.
Speaker B:My name is J.J. crowder.
Speaker B:I'm here with my co host Alec Burgess.
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Speaker B:All right.
Speaker B:So last week of thrillers and I had to put this movie on here.
Speaker A:What the jk I had.
Speaker B:I had to do it.
Speaker B:I had to do it.
Speaker A:You didn't.
Speaker A:You didn't though.
Speaker A:That's the thing.
Speaker A:You didn't have to do it.
Speaker A:You chose violence.
Speaker A:Woke up and chose violence.
Speaker B:This was, this was the first movie that came to mind when this topic came up.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:So we're doing to finish out the month of March, the game.
Speaker B: ,: Speaker B:It was written by John Brancado and Michael Ferris and it was directed by David Fincher.
Speaker B:Stars Michael Douglas, Deborah Kara Unger, Sean Penn, James Reborn, Peter Donat, Carol Baker, Anna Katarina, Armin Mueller Stahl Love him.
Speaker B:Charles Martinet Scott, Hunter McGuire and Elizabeth Dennehy.
Speaker B:It is about mysterious game that invades a man's ordered existence.
Speaker B:That's the lamest that does.
Speaker B:That's not terrible synopsis.
Speaker A:Explain this movie at all?
Speaker B:No.
Speaker B:So I picked this movie for a couple of reasons.
Speaker B:One, because I think it's one of the better thrillers from a Middle of the movie perspective out there.
Speaker B:And I think it's a sleeper movie that a lot of people have heard of but not watched.
Speaker B:Even though it's a pretty stacked cast at least with the maiden leads.
Speaker B:And I also picked it a little bit just to piss you off.
Speaker B:No, really just little.
Speaker B:This.
Speaker B:This was my payback for fucking January and February, motherfucker.
Speaker B:This was my way of saying I'm gonna get this bitch.
Speaker A:Well, yeah, it worked because I knew.
Speaker B:I knew.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:I.
Speaker B:Because I know you well enough now.
Speaker B:Like this one's gonna piss him off.
Speaker A:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker A:No, just look at the movie poster first.
Speaker B:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker A:Look at that creepy ass movie post.
Speaker A:Yeah, yeah, I saw that and I was I.
Speaker A:Because I'd never seen this before.
Speaker B:Yeah, I figured that too.
Speaker A:Never seen before.
Speaker A:This pops up when I'm ready to hit play and I'm like son of a.
Speaker A:Because I don't go research movies before.
Speaker B:Sure.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:I'm like, okay, streaming the game.
Speaker A:Streaming.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:Type of thing.
Speaker A:This pops up a son of a.
Speaker A:Man.
Speaker A:This looks like Silence of the Lambs meets Freaking.
Speaker A:I don't even know at this point.
Speaker A:But something else creepy.
Speaker A:And then Michael Douglas and Sean Penn.
Speaker A:Great, great.
Speaker A:Phenomenal.
Speaker B:Amazing combo.
Speaker A:Also terrible.
Speaker A:Like when you put them together in this kind of psychological paranoia inducing film.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:Good lord, jj.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:You're welcome.
Speaker A:No, I didn't.
Speaker A:Didn't say thank you for a reason.
Speaker B:Listen, I love this movie.
Speaker B:90 of this movie and it's it.
Speaker B:It.
Speaker B:It's a mind.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Movie like it is when I think thriller.
Speaker B:When someone says psychological thriller.
Speaker B:This is one of the first movies I always think of because Jesus.
Speaker B:Like the level of intensity and depth that this dude has to go through like for the game.
Speaker B:Like man, it's rough and like I was like there's no way.
Speaker B:Like that's a horrible.
Speaker B:Like anything that can.
Speaker B:Does.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:Like it's just one of those things.
Speaker B:And I don't want to get into why the parts I don't like yet because I want to talk a little bit through it.
Speaker B:But I as far as like seriously psychological thriller messing you up and like it.
Speaker B:It's on point.
Speaker B:And I.
Speaker B:And I compared.
Speaker B:I was laughing as I was watching old in the middle.
Speaker B:I was like this is up there with fucking the game.
Speaker B:Like how uncomfortable I feel because this is another movie that when I first watched it and again I was 16 and I went and watched this.
Speaker B:I went on a date to watch this movie because why my girlfriend at the time loved Michael Douglas.
Speaker B:Like she was like her favorite actor.
Speaker B:And so I was like, well, let's go see Michael Douglas in this movie.
Speaker B:And hated it because she doesn't.
Speaker B:She's like you.
Speaker B:She doesn't like this, like with.
Speaker A:I think she's probably seen one Michael Douglas movie.
Speaker A:And so he's making doe eyes of somebody.
Speaker B:Yeah, exactly.
Speaker B:Yeah, exactly.
Speaker B:Or, you know, he plays the good guy and the guy in it.
Speaker B:Or, you know, he has that one moment where he's the diabolical day trader.
Speaker B:You know what I mean?
Speaker B:But like, fine, okay.
Speaker B:But this movie, you know, it's.
Speaker B:It's unpleasant, it's uncomfortable.
Speaker B:And then.
Speaker B:And I.
Speaker B:But I came away.
Speaker B:I was not looking forward to going and seeing it, but I came away going.
Speaker B:That was awesome.
Speaker B:Because it's my kind of with you type.
Speaker B:So.
Speaker B:Yeah, when they, when this month came up, I was like, this one's going on the list.
Speaker B:And then I was tickled pink when it got picked and so.
Speaker B:And I had perfectly assumed that you hadn't seen this movie.
Speaker B:So.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:I can't wait to hear what your thoughts are.
Speaker A:Could we start with my least favorite part of this movie?
Speaker B:Sure.
Speaker A:Actually, I want you to guess.
Speaker A:What do you think my least favorite part of this movie was?
Speaker B:Oh, man.
Speaker B:Least favorite part of this movie?
Speaker B:It had to have been the clown.
Speaker A:Yes, it was the clown.
Speaker A:That's the kind of stuff that, that gets me paranoid looking over my shoulder when I'm sitting against the wall.
Speaker A:That kind of stuff.
Speaker A:Because holy talk about dismantling somebody's life as some game and having a clown pretty much making the dad suicide, bruh.
Speaker A:And it's a creepy ass clown too.
Speaker A:I just throw that like it's not one of those funny, happy go lucky Bobby clowns where you punch in the face and it pops back up.
Speaker A:No, no, no.
Speaker A:It is full blown creepy.
Speaker A:This clown is coming to life.
Speaker A:Some Pinocchio looking clown.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:I'm.
Speaker A:I'm actually alive and just feel like a clown.
Speaker A:So, yeah, that was my least favorite part.
Speaker A:And other parts like that induce the paranoia or like designed to make you uncomfortable.
Speaker A:Things like the, the taxi, for instance.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:Not as bad.
Speaker A:Not as bad.
Speaker A:Like it gets me, but it's not that primal, can't see what's happening type of thing.
Speaker A:Because in my mind.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:That's something that could be construed as a freak accident.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:Someone placed a clown on my front porch.
Speaker B:No.
Speaker B:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker B:No.
Speaker A:Someone deliberately did that.
Speaker A:And I don't know who in this.
Speaker A:That's where my paranoia comes in is from the unknown.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:It's why I don't like the supernatural, because it's not something I can explain, quantify, or even seen interact with.
Speaker A:It's just cupboards opening randomly and shit like that.
Speaker A:So, yeah, it was a clown.
Speaker A:It was.
Speaker A:That got me bad, I bet.
Speaker A:Real bad.
Speaker A:And then the.
Speaker A:The other one again, that was a close second, but not quite so bad.
Speaker A:As the hospital show up, lights go out.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:I don't like the dark, jj.
Speaker A:I hate the dark.
Speaker B:And everybody runs away too.
Speaker B:Like, you're like.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:Like, when I go to sleep at night, every single light goes on.
Speaker A:And I live in a very teeny, tiny square footage apartment.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:So.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:There's nothing that I really can't see.
Speaker A:Every single light goes on.
Speaker B:That's so funny.
Speaker A:Go back out, turn around, walk backwards.
Speaker A:Or not.
Speaker A:Like, I don't do the dark.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:Inside of buildings, I'm fine.
Speaker A:Like out in the middle of the desert at night.
Speaker A:Love it.
Speaker A:Out in the middle of the woods.
Speaker A:A little bit creepier.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:But I'm okay with it.
Speaker A:You're supposed to hear sounds outside.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:You're not supposed to hear sounds or the lights aren't supposed to go off.
Speaker A:In a hospital.
Speaker A:They have like 47 backups, literally, to prevent that one thing from happening.
Speaker B:Yep.
Speaker A:And so, yeah, they're.
Speaker A:Those were the two biggest ones that got me where I was like.
Speaker A:Because that's what feeds my.
Speaker A:We'll call it lizard brain.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:The primal part of my brain where it's.
Speaker A:I don't know who did that, but somebody had to.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:That.
Speaker A:That doesn't just happen.
Speaker A:That was intentional.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:And it's the intentionality of it without knowing why or the bigger picture of the game.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:Not understanding or being a player.
Speaker A:And that is what gets me.
Speaker A:Mm.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:This movie, I.
Speaker B:And I thought I would have put it on the list no matter who my co hosts were.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:But this one, I was super excited too, because of your level of conspiracy theory type shit that you get into too.
Speaker B:Because it.
Speaker B:It's one of those things where.
Speaker B:And spoiler.
Speaker B:The.
Speaker B:The brother set this whole thing up.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:And I.
Speaker B:It was one of those things that I remember watching it.
Speaker B:And again, to your cr.
Speaker B:To your point.
Speaker B:Like Sean Penn, when he comes on the screen and like that dynamic that the two of them have.
Speaker B:Like, I.
Speaker B:It was never in my head that he was the catalyst for this whole thing other than he told his brother about it now and then.
Speaker B:They do such a brilliant job too, that when you start to maybe get Suspicious of him.
Speaker B:He shows up and they have the, the big in the car scene with the keys and like freaks out.
Speaker B:And it.
Speaker B:Sean Penn's so goddamn good that you just, you're like, well, there goes that thought.
Speaker B:It's definitely not him.
Speaker B:You know what I mean?
Speaker B:Because they're still with him too.
Speaker B:And the other person that I always.
Speaker B:Because we know Michael Douglas, we know Sean Penn, they're gonna kill it.
Speaker B:But I'll tell you right now, Unger, Deborah Kara Unger, she's so underrated because she did some weird in her career.
Speaker B:Like, I always think of this movie called Crash and.
Speaker B:No, not the Oscar winning Crash, the buried Crash.
Speaker B:The one that went.
Speaker B:People went, oh God, we shouldn't have made that.
Speaker B:And it's very weird.
Speaker B:Like the one of the.
Speaker B:But it's also got a huge stacked cast.
Speaker B:Have you ever seen that movie, the Lias Cotes and.
Speaker B:No, her and James Spader is the lead.
Speaker B:Dude, it's weird.
Speaker B:Anyway, we'll have to put it on the list sometimes.
Speaker A:Thank you.
Speaker B:You'll either love it or hate it or a little bit of both.
Speaker B:It's a. Yeah, it's.
Speaker B:It's got a little.
Speaker B:Anyway, that's not the movie we're gonna talk about, but Deborah Care Unger is very good and I love her in this role.
Speaker B:Like, she's so, like, she's got one of those faces and like the way that she acts like you want her to be the good guy and you want her to be the damsel in distress.
Speaker B:And she plays it so well when you first meet her in this movie and they're.
Speaker B:They're having their moment that like, again, you start to suspect her.
Speaker B:But then like, it's easy to believe that she's wrapped up in it.
Speaker B:And the way she plays it is so good.
Speaker B:But yeah, like the twists in this and the turns and the constant jittery for like however long this goes on, you know, for days at a time that this guy's house is getting broken in.
Speaker B:The elaborate nature of having to like the graffiti in the house, like, dude, are you kidding me?
Speaker B:It's insane.
Speaker B:And like, so it's just when I think of Thriller, it's.
Speaker B:This is at the near the top because it's just so intense through 90% of this movie.
Speaker A:And the payoff is so good.
Speaker A:Yeah, like when, when you.
Speaker A:When we see and figure out about Sean Penn, like, my mind immediately went to Squid Games.
Speaker A:Oh, yeah, I'd seen that first.
Speaker A:And you have that twist of.
Speaker A:Oh, there's.
Speaker A:There's no winning this game.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:You never win.
Speaker A:Like, it's all a scam.
Speaker A:It's all thing like that.
Speaker A:So having your brother come out and beat the cosplay game is very similar to that kind of reveal.
Speaker A:And it's just like the.
Speaker A:Again, it's.
Speaker A:It's the two of them really that are doing it.
Speaker A:But the emotion and everything that goes into it is almost like, damn.
Speaker A:Like, I'm not the closest with my brothers, but if one of them pulls something like that, dude.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:Like the betrayal.
Speaker B:Oh yeah.
Speaker A:Just like, why?
Speaker A:Like, what would be the purpose behind it?
Speaker A:And why?
Speaker A:Why?
Speaker A:That would just be the thing to just be why over and over again.
Speaker A:Like not being able to comprehend why you're playing this game and why this is happening.
Speaker A:And so it's.
Speaker A:It's extremely well done.
Speaker A:I hated it as a whole.
Speaker B:Sure.
Speaker A:That part was extremely well done.
Speaker A:And I was like, damn.
Speaker A:Because I'm sitting there going, why?
Speaker A:Why, why, why, why?
Speaker A:And I'm not even the one who it's happening to or a part of this game, but I'm still trying to figure out why.
Speaker B:Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker B:So funny.
Speaker A:And I sound like a broken record because that's what my brain was doing.
Speaker A:It was just on that loop of why, why, why?
Speaker A:Like, I don't know if you saw the story of.
Speaker A:Or I don't know if it's even a real thing, but I saw it on online of like they.
Speaker A:They made a robot and they sent this robot out to meet a lion and it like broke the robot.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:Just.
Speaker A:And everything after that, this robot got introduced to it just.
Speaker A:No, it just was broken forever.
Speaker A:You could not reset it.
Speaker A:You could not rewire it.
Speaker A:That's kind of what the experience.
Speaker A:Like I was just like, why?
Speaker A:Like I was short circuiting in real time and couldn't connect.
Speaker A:Well, why.
Speaker A:It's still messing with me.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:Two days later, I'm just.
Speaker A:But why?
Speaker B:Yeah,
Speaker A:it's.
Speaker A:It's insane.
Speaker A:And I'm gonna be saying that for probably months from now, just not understanding.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Every time you see a TV glitch or something, you're like, what the.
Speaker A:Yeah, no, exactly.
Speaker A:It's.
Speaker A:It's gonna haunt me and follow me around and there's nothing I could do about it.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:Well, thank you for that.
Speaker A:I appreciate it.
Speaker B:I knew I. I had to get my revenge.
Speaker B:Dude, you made me watch for two months.
Speaker B:I was like, this.
Speaker A:This is where once again, you know, I'm not thinking about the consequences.
Speaker B:That's right.
Speaker B:Here's the thing, though.
Speaker B:That was a byproduct.
Speaker B:This one would have been on the Thriller list regardless.
Speaker B:This was just a. I wouldn't say
Speaker A:that because now it's gonna affect how I do.
Speaker A:Where, you know, if you just, you know, just kind of did the whole.
Speaker A:Oh, yeah, this was 100 to get you.
Speaker A:It's.
Speaker A:Now you're gonna see.
Speaker A:Or you.
Speaker A:What you would have seen was me continuing to ignore the consequences of my own actions and trying to.
Speaker A:Trying to outdo you.
Speaker A:And then it goes back and forth.
Speaker B:But that's fair.
Speaker B:That's fair.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:No, this.
Speaker A:This broke me in parts.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:And it's even the stupid.
Speaker A:Like, before we get to the big reveal, right, where he.
Speaker A:We have Michael Douglas thinking like, oh, you know, I've killed my brother.
Speaker A:Yeah, right, dude, like, that mind.
Speaker B:Are you kidding me?
Speaker A:Like, at what point does the game go too far?
Speaker B:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker A:At one point.
Speaker A:Do you gotta be like, okay, wait a minute.
Speaker B:Well, it.
Speaker B:Okay, so this takes me to the part where obviously I love this movie.
Speaker B:I think it's great, and I think it's very well done.
Speaker B:But there are parts where I'm like.
Speaker B:At the end especially, I'm like, hold on.
Speaker B:Okay, listen.
Speaker B:Rich people are different.
Speaker B:That level of wealthy are different, right?
Speaker B:They're built different.
Speaker B:But if my brother and I don't have.
Speaker B:But if my sister did this to me and he's just hunky dory at the end, you know what I mean?
Speaker B:Like, I think that's my only beef with this movie is I'm like, there's no way he jumps off a building seemingly to off himself, because he just shot his brother and he's been through all this hell, and he jumps off this high rise through the glass, onto the bag.
Speaker B:If you're willing to go that far to.
Speaker B:With me, at least make it his 50th birthday, not his 48th.
Speaker B:You jump the gun there.
Speaker B:Like, what the.
Speaker B:It's just so up.
Speaker B:And then he, you know, by the end, they're all like, having drinks together and he's splitting the bill for the super expensive elaborate.
Speaker B:And I.
Speaker B:And I get it.
Speaker B:Like, it's also a commentary on the wealthy, the ultra wealthy, right?
Speaker B:Like, that you're willing to spend the money to go to the lengths of.
Speaker B:With someone.
Speaker B:But this is like a trauma thing.
Speaker B:Like, you don't just wake up the next day and shit's okay, you know?
Speaker B:Like, it's so up in the most famous way possible.
Speaker B:Like, it's just.
Speaker B:It is up.
Speaker B:And like, so I.
Speaker B:While it adds to the Story and it makes sense.
Speaker B:Like, when you think about it from like an intellectual level, it still pisses me off that he doesn't walk up and at least punch the fuck out of his brother.
Speaker B:You know what I mean?
Speaker A:Something, something, something.
Speaker A:Because this is like it's, it's not as simple as, you know, I put a pen down and you move the pen and mess with me that way.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:Like.
Speaker A:Or I, I take off my shoes and you put them somewhere else.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:A little, little messing with that.
Speaker A:Just oh, haha, you got me type of thing.
Speaker A:No.
Speaker A:This is being buried alive.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:This is uprooting this man' life and thinking he is.
Speaker B:He is lost everything.
Speaker A:Like, no, I. I am coming for blood.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:You're lucky I don't go.
Speaker B:That was a fake one.
Speaker B:Where's a real one?
Speaker B:I'm gonna shoot your ass right now.
Speaker A:Exactly.
Speaker A:Like I'm taking an ECAP at the bare minimum.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:You're not getting a hug and a half.
Speaker B:The bill spot.
Speaker B:It's not.
Speaker A:No.
Speaker A:Absolutely not.
Speaker A:No way, shape or form is that going to be happening.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:No.
Speaker B:And then I'm certainly not asking out the woman that's just tortured me for three days that like.
Speaker B:And don't get me wrong, like, I would love to have asked Deborah.
Speaker B:Karen, you're out back in the day, but not now.
Speaker A:Those crazy eyes in this dude.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:Don't need it.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:It's so up.
Speaker B:This movie's so up.
Speaker B:It's.
Speaker B:It's.
Speaker B:And like I said, I compared a lot to when I was watching old because I'm super uncomfortable.
Speaker B:90 of this movie.
Speaker B:Like.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker B:And it's ironic because the only parts that I'm not uncomfortable are like the first 25 minutes after that.
Speaker B:Like all the way through to the end.
Speaker B:Because even at the very end, I'm uncomfortable.
Speaker B:I'm like, why are you so okay with this?
Speaker B:Like you've just moved on from the fact that you had gone through such trauma.
Speaker B:You were ready to.
Speaker B:You shot your brother and you jumped off a building and your brother.
Speaker B:What a dick?
Speaker B:Knocked your father's offing himself with a clown in your driveway in the same way that your father landed off the.
Speaker B:Is wrong with these people.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:He drove your ass off a. I don't care if you got dive teams waving at me while I'm under the water.
Speaker B:You still drove me into the Hudson.
Speaker B:You.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:This is not a simple like kiss and make up situation.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:So bad.
Speaker A:Unless you know, part of the rich being rich thing.
Speaker A:I don't know.
Speaker A:I'M not rich.
Speaker A:Is the fact that, you know, younger brother, when he turns 48, it's just gonna switch around on him.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:I mean, recompense has got to be high at this point.
Speaker A:Like, like it's just, just a rite of passage and dad failed and that's why it all happened.
Speaker B:Like something.
Speaker A:I think if you give me something like that, I, I like this movie.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:Or I, I appreciate it.
Speaker A:Or I look at it more where it turns out it is just this weird ass game that, you know, the rich play on each other because they got nothing better to do because they don't need to do anything.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker A:So this is, this is how they find their entertainment or whatever it is.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:You, you throw that in and I am 100 on board this movie.
Speaker A:The fact that it's not in there, it just has me broken and asking why and not.
Speaker A:Not being able to compute the results of why it's happening.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:And so then my end result, of course, I'm like, I. I don't like it.
Speaker A:Yeah, I don't like it at all.
Speaker A:Worst movie ever made.
Speaker B:What's the greatest response I've ever.
Speaker B:I don't like it.
Speaker A:I don't want it anymore.
Speaker B:Dude, that's hilarious.
Speaker B:That's gonna be our cold open right there.
Speaker A:Good, good.
Speaker B:I don't like it.
Speaker A:I like it.
Speaker B:Oh, I know.
Speaker B:I'm so happy right now that this did exactly what I wanted it to do.
Speaker B:Oh, yeah.
Speaker A:I'm so glad for you that it did.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:I'm so glad that you're gonna be a paranoid some bits for like the next two weeks.
Speaker A:Dude, I don't know.
Speaker A:I think I've told the story, but like, when I get paranoid, like, it's bad.
Speaker A:Oh, I bet the first time I saw the Weeping Angels and Doctor who, oh, I was looking over my shoulder everywhere.
Speaker A:Even though there wasn't statues, I was looking.
Speaker B:Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker A:And then later on when they tell you, oh, like, oh, anything could be an angel, it's like, this is stupid.
Speaker A:Like, I didn't sleep for a week.
Speaker A:And so like this, this stupid.
Speaker A:Because it's one of those things where every single time I don't remember actually doing something, like, I. I'm gonna have a fit of paranoia of like, why, like, you know, again, live in an apartment, right?
Speaker A:So the shared walls, everything like that.
Speaker A:So she falls off the walls all the time.
Speaker B:Sure.
Speaker B:Why?
Speaker A:Yeah, why?
Speaker A:Why is it falling off the wall now?
Speaker B:Dude, can I just tell you how bad I want to text Oshi and be like, you need to put some random ass key on his keychain.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:I will flip a lid and be going, why, why?
Speaker A:Why is this key here?
Speaker A:This doesn't belong here.
Speaker B:That would be the greatest prank of my life.
Speaker A:D enough, like, OCD that even though I don't have the, like, real compulsiveness about it, I remember where stuff is, where I put it and things of that nature.
Speaker A:So I also remember if something's not where I put it.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:Like, it should be there.
Speaker A:Or like, you know, why is it there?
Speaker A:Like, that doesn't make any sense.
Speaker A:Most of the time it's just, you know, I. I think about my God, but after seeing something like this now, I'm like, okay, well, if it's there, not there, like, why sign me up for the game.
Speaker A:Yeah, exactly.
Speaker A:Is this how it starts?
Speaker A:With little things making me think I've gone insane?
Speaker A:And then all of a sudden there's a big clown on the porch.
Speaker B:Oh, man.
Speaker B:Amazing.
Speaker A:That's what.
Speaker A:That's where it goes.
Speaker A:Because I just escalate as a prisoner of my own mind.
Speaker B:Sure.
Speaker B:That's crazy.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Dude, I want so bad for Ocean to put an extra key on your keychain.
Speaker A:No.
Speaker B:Or like a little clown doll sitting out on the front porch or something.
Speaker A:I would die.
Speaker A:I would.
Speaker B:Good God.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:This movie is wild, dude.
Speaker B:Like, and like, the build up for it.
Speaker B:I think one of the best things they do is the.
Speaker B:The lead up to the suspense, right?
Speaker B:Like, it.
Speaker B:It is such a slow burn.
Speaker B:And then it's almost like.
Speaker B:It's like lightning.
Speaker B:You have one of those fireworks that you light and you can't get your lighter to go.
Speaker B:Like it's sparking.
Speaker B:And then all of a sudden you, like.
Speaker B:And then it's.
Speaker B:And then it just stops.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:And then you go to walk over and it starts again.
Speaker B:And then it's like, oh, fuck.
Speaker B:And you got to run.
Speaker B:That's what that movie.
Speaker B:This movie feels like to me.
Speaker B:Like it hiding and it can't quite get it.
Speaker B:And then they do it.
Speaker B:They finish his physical.
Speaker B:And then it goes.
Speaker B:And then you're like, oh.
Speaker B:And then.
Speaker B:But it, like slowly.
Speaker B:And then it stops for a minute.
Speaker B:Like, you're like, okay, he's figured it out.
Speaker B:He's got the woman.
Speaker B:And then all of a sudden it's like gets in the taxi and it goes from there on.
Speaker B:Like, you're like, oh, what is happening right now?
Speaker B:And I.
Speaker B:So I just love.
Speaker B:I love that feeling of just pure chaos in watching this movie.
Speaker B:Because I'm just like, what's gonna happen next?
Speaker B:And I can't wait for it.
Speaker B:And it's like, that's diabolical.
Speaker B:And then when you get to the end the first time and you realize that the other thing that they do really well.
Speaker B:And this is funny that we're going to talk about that.
Speaker B:I'm going to talk about this because it's almost the opposite of what I feel like you talked about with the Usual Suspects, and that is that they tried so hard in the Usual Suspects to circumvent you figuring out who he is that in this movie it works because you get to that point and they're like, oh, it was all an act.
Speaker B:She's not responsible.
Speaker B:And then you're like, she is responsible.
Speaker B:And then you're like, oh, it's all an act.
Speaker B:But he's pissed enough and he's off script.
Speaker B:He's got a real gun.
Speaker B:And you don't know.
Speaker B:Like, they've got you so twisted by the end of it that you're like, is he really gonna kill somebody?
Speaker B:Like, oh, he would.
Speaker B:And she's freaking the out, like, oh, why do you not.
Speaker B:That's not an automatic.
Speaker B:How do you have that gun?
Speaker B:This is my gun now.
Speaker B:I'm gonna shoot whoever comes through this door.
Speaker B:You're like, oh, no, it's gonna be.
Speaker B:And then they admit what it is.
Speaker B:And you're like, it's gonna be his brother.
Speaker B:And then he jumps off.
Speaker B:And it turns out that that's just the next step in this game.
Speaker B:They do so good at the over.
Speaker B:What's the word that I'm looking for?
Speaker B:Like, when you give away, like, God damn it anyway.
Speaker B:But they're overdoing that level of trying to help you understand the movie to the point that it makes you think that you're figuring it out at the end.
Speaker B:And then you're like, God, it's still going well.
Speaker A:It's set up by the paranoia that they introduce.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:So you're not.
Speaker A:At least me.
Speaker A:Right.
Speaker A:I'm not thinking.
Speaker A:I'm following, like, squirrel, squirrel, squirrel.
Speaker A:And so every.
Speaker A:Every little sleight of hand that throwing out is just like, I'm 100% honed in on what I'm seeing.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:And making the conclusion that I'm being led to because my.
Speaker A:My other brain functions aren't working anymore.
Speaker A:They're done.
Speaker A:They're shut down.
Speaker A:And what the Usual Suspects does is it doesn't induce that same kind of fear or paranoia that turns off the brain so that I can Be led everywhere they want to go.
Speaker A:My brain is still working, and so it's able to, you know, be processing all the information that is coming in.
Speaker A:Whereas this, I'm.
Speaker A:For the two hours or whatever it is, I'm just like, why?
Speaker A:And that's all my brain is doing.
Speaker A:So every little cookie crumb that they're leaving down is just turning me more and more into a mess of leading exactly where they want to go.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:So it does great from that.
Speaker A:It's great from oh yeah.
Speaker A:Standpoint, like, well done.
Speaker A:Problem is, you know, I'm.
Speaker A:I'm not the intended audience for this movie, and I represent probably a very small portion of the public.
Speaker A:So it works great from what you were trying to do to me.
Speaker A:But someone like you, who, you know, uncomfortable, but you're not in that fear induced paranoia state that I am, you're able still to.
Speaker A:To focus and process and watch the movie.
Speaker A:I'm going out.
Speaker A:They can stop.
Speaker B:Well, and I get to the end too.
Speaker B:And I remember the first time watching this that I got to the end and I was like, please don't let this be a joke.
Speaker B:Like, it's like, I get.
Speaker B:It's somewhere in the midst of, like, when he wakes up and he's been buried alive in Mexico and he's trying to get home and he's completely destitute.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:At that point.
Speaker B:Like, I was like, if this turns out to be a joke or there's some, like, in my head, I'm like, there better be one hell of a goddamn moral to this game.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:Because otherwise.
Speaker B:What the.
Speaker B:And so then when you get to the rooftop and she's telling him, no, this is.
Speaker B:This was all a scam, and it's all a joke, and, like, you can't.
Speaker B:It's an act, and blah.
Speaker B:I'm like, who would go that far?
Speaker B:Like.
Speaker B:And so then I'm like, it twisted me up because I'm like, oh, this is up.
Speaker B:This poor bastard, he got in over his head.
Speaker B:Oh, this is all a act.
Speaker B:And they stole his money.
Speaker B:Oh, this is.
Speaker B:This is all an act.
Speaker B:And it was a birthday present.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:And then I'm like.
Speaker B:And then again, it takes me to that point where he's like.
Speaker B:And everybody's in on it.
Speaker B:Everybody's in on it.
Speaker B:And I'm like, I would disown every one of you.
Speaker B:Like, you.
Speaker B:None of you are getting any of my money.
Speaker B:And I'm not talking to any of you for at least a year, maybe 12.
Speaker A:I'm leaving and going off the Grid.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker A:I'm going to an island where nobody is allowed to go.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:And follow me and hang out.
Speaker A:No.
Speaker A:Like, I'm calling home for Christmas.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:And he's like, you.
Speaker B:He's just like, oh, good one, guys.
Speaker B:Good one.
Speaker A:That's.
Speaker B:That's, you know, you got me.
Speaker B:Great job, but what a 48th birthday party.
Speaker B:Oh, that's a lot of money you spent to.
Speaker B:With me for a week off, dude.
Speaker B:Like, and so that's where, like, I have a pretty good sense of turning on my, you know, disbelief.
Speaker B:Like that.
Speaker B:That release of disbelief.
Speaker B:I'm pretty good at it, but this is what I struggle with.
Speaker B:When we get to the end, I'm like, rich people, if that's real.
Speaker B:Because why would you be taught.
Speaker B:I wouldn't be talking to any of these.
Speaker B:Like, they'd all be going to jail because technically, you could get them for assault, kidnapping, attempted murder, all that.
Speaker B:Like, what happens if I don't.
Speaker B:I don't care if you got a dive team.
Speaker B:What happens if I don't get out of that car?
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:Off with your dive team.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:This movie with me on so many levels, but it's also a very David Fincher film.
Speaker B:You know what I mean?
Speaker B:Like, he was fresh off seven when he made this, and, you know, down the road, you got all the other, like, fight clubs come in.
Speaker B:And so there's so many things where you're just like, this is very David Fincher.
Speaker B:But, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker B:It's a good way to end the.
Speaker B:The thriller month, I think.
Speaker A:Sure, sure.
Speaker A:Whatever you say, Alex.
Speaker B:Like, you, guy, I'm gonna get you.
Speaker B:I'm gonna get you.
Speaker A:April's coming.
Speaker B:April.
Speaker B:Don't even get me started on April.
Speaker A:God damn it, April.
Speaker A:Anywho, should we rate this?
Speaker A:Let's do it.
Speaker B:All right.
Speaker B:I'm gonna give this movie a four and a half.
Speaker B:I think from a thriller perspective, it's one of the better games or better movies.
Speaker B:The game.
Speaker B:And, like, because it's intense and it.
Speaker B:It reminds me a lot of the feeling I get when I watched Fight Club the first time, where you're like, what is going on?
Speaker B:And this is uncomfortable as hell.
Speaker B:And then when you get to the end, it gets.
Speaker B:It just gets more and more uncomfortable when a lot of movies turn around and they go, okay, we've made you uncomfortable.
Speaker B:Now we're gonna lighten the mood.
Speaker B:This one ramps it up one more notch, and then it ramps it up one more notch to the point that by the time we get to the end, that's where I take away my 0.5 because I go.
Speaker B:That's so entirely unbelievable to me that even my suspension of disbelief has a hard time holding up because I'm like, there's no way somebody would just be over this.
Speaker A:Yeah.
Speaker B:In the same night, an hour ago, he jumped off a building fully planning to be done, and now he's splitting the bill for what he just.
Speaker B:What caused him to jump off the building and shoot you?
Speaker B:And all of the, like, the trauma and the mental issues that these guys.
Speaker B:I mean, he would need therapy for his birthday present.
Speaker B:Like, you know what I mean?
Speaker B:I mean, therapy anyway.
Speaker B:But he's gonna never.
Speaker B:He definitely needs therapy now.
Speaker B:And.
Speaker B:And, like, the amount of paranoia that would last, like you turn into Alec by the time you were done with this birthday present.
Speaker B:So to me, like, that I have to take off that 0.5 because I cannot let go of the fact that he's just.
Speaker B:It's all good.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:I mean, granted, he got his $600 million back, but still.
Speaker B:That's rough, dude.
Speaker B:Like.
Speaker B:So anyway.
Speaker B:But I love it from a perspective of, like, if you watching someone watch this one for the first time.
Speaker B:Jesus.
Speaker B:It's interesting to watch and it's.
Speaker B:It's really well acted.
Speaker B:Very good movie, great story.
Speaker B:It's just the ending that gets me a little to the point that I'm like, ah, it's hard to let go now.
Speaker B:I would.
Speaker B:I understand.
Speaker B:The one thing I do understand is wanting to go on a date with Deborah Care Unger.
Speaker B:I can live with that.
Speaker B:My brother would have his balls kicked into his mouth because.
Speaker B:What a dick.
Speaker B:So there it is.
Speaker B:I'll definitely watch this again.
Speaker B:It'll just be a minute.
Speaker B:I have to give this one time because this one is a hard watch.
Speaker B:So.
Speaker B:All right, brother.
Speaker A:What are you giving this so subjectively, right?
Speaker A:Subjectively, this is a.
Speaker A:This is a zero.
Speaker A:Objectively, I'm gonna give it a three.
Speaker B:Okay.
Speaker A:And I'm gonna give it a three because it led me exactly where I wanted to leave me.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:And I. I followed around like a dumbass because me and the.
Speaker A:The state of paranoia where I was just like, I could.
Speaker A:You could have taken me on a Ring around the Rosie trip and I would have been enthralled by it.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker A:That's how deep I got into this stupid ass.
Speaker A:So I'll give it three.
Speaker A:I will not be watching this again.
Speaker B:That's fair.
Speaker A:I won't watch clips.
Speaker A:I'm not gonna watch the trailer.
Speaker A:Anybody even says the game, they're gonna get Kicked in the nuts all the way up to their mouth.
Speaker B:That's fair.
Speaker A:Like no, but I can recognize that it did a good job of what it did.
Speaker A:I just.
Speaker A:I don't like it and I'm never gonna like it and it's just so, so, so terrible.
Speaker A:But I will give it a three.
Speaker B:I love it.
Speaker B:I love it.
Speaker B:Well, there it is.
Speaker B:Alec, tell everybody when they find us, when we're not running away from paranoia and pranks.
Speaker B:Yeah, yeah.
Speaker A:YouTube, best place to see our faces.
Speaker A:Maybe skip this one because mine is very, very scared the entire time, but YouTube's best place to view our content.
Speaker A:If you want to get involved in the podcast though, Patreon is the best place to do that.
Speaker A:What's our vertic reviews?
Speaker A:We do have a small paywall that you can get access to nearly 700 bonus episodes.
Speaker A:Everything from outtakes and bloopers all the way up to full length episodes that nobody should watch.
Speaker A:But we did for you as well as on Patreon that is free.
Speaker A:You can get involved with all of our voting topics that we do.
Speaker A:So we do a month.
Speaker A:You can vote on the month selection or just send us a topic.
Speaker A:And then in addition to that, we put movies up that you guys can vote on and winner takes all.
Speaker A:As far as the votes go, we have some real life consequences to this, which includes lists of movies that we both don't want to watch made for by each other.
Speaker A:So winning these votes actually has some weight to it now.
Speaker A:So go to Patreon and go ahead and vote completely free to do so.
Speaker A:You guys get involved in the content that way.
Speaker A:In addition, we also are partnered with Dubby.
Speaker A:So if you're looking for an energy supplement W GG, use the code ARBOR to get 10 off your order.
Speaker A:Not a bad gig.
Speaker A:With that I'll kick it back to the wazir of wap the Mauling Mastodon.
Speaker A:Jj that's right.
Speaker B:Thanks sir.
Speaker B:Yeah, go check us out.
Speaker B:I will say that my.
Speaker B:My full on list for Alec has maybe morphed a little bit after this movie.
Speaker A:It must be nice.
Speaker B:I may have to to swap a few around instead of straight horrors, some paranoia level stuff and mess with Alec a little bit because I've seen my list and it sucks.
Speaker B:So with that, as always, we appreciate you tuning in.
Speaker B:We'll catch you on the next one.
Speaker A:Hasta la vista, baby.
