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The Incomparable

33: "I Drank What?"

 

00:00:00   the incomparable podcast episode 33 [TS]

00:00:07   we're back on the incomparable podcast i [TS]

00:00:10   am jason smell your host and I am [TS]

00:00:13   forcibly dragging members of our panel [TS]

00:00:15   into this podcast which is about one of [TS]

00:00:18   my very favorite movies of all time I [TS]

00:00:19   love the the film real genius i love it [TS]

00:00:23   unconditionally I love it [TS]

00:00:25   and ironically i love it despite the [TS]

00:00:28   fact and now given that I knowing who's [TS]

00:00:31   on this podcast now given its many flaws [TS]

00:00:33   some of which i will list right now up [TS]

00:00:35   front which is it has an extremely weird [TS]

00:00:38   and pointless plot involving a military [TS]

00:00:40   laser it has some really questionable [TS]

00:00:42   casting in the in the name of game Jared [TS]

00:00:45   as Mitch Taylor and it it does have [TS]

00:00:47   three count em three nineteen eighties [TS]

00:00:50   musical montages joining me here to talk [TS]

00:00:52   about real genius and the weird laser [TS]

00:00:54   thing and the questionable casting and [TS]

00:00:57   the guy who lives in the basement and so [TS]

00:00:58   much more are some fine fine and kind [TS]

00:01:02   people including Dan Morgan who you just [TS]

00:01:04   heard hi Dan [TS]

00:01:05   hi Jason Glenn / men who like me is from [TS]

00:01:08   the eighties I saw this movie and I [TS]

00:01:11   loved it then and I love it now [TS]

00:01:13   bless you serenity Caldwell [TS]

00:01:16   hello Jason hello thank you for watching [TS]

00:01:18   real genius and John siracusa I'm here [TS]

00:01:22   for you Jason thank ya hear ya I you [TS]

00:01:25   will tell me flaws in this movie that i [TS]

00:01:27   have never noticed in watching a hundred [TS]

00:01:30   times [TS]

00:01:30   this is like some kind of reared in [TS]

00:01:31   Reverse intervention so yeah so [TS]

00:01:33   dependency meeting i think yeah we [TS]

00:01:35   should save it and in 1985 there were [TS]

00:01:37   three summer movies that were science [TS]

00:01:40   themed there was the absolutely [TS]

00:01:42   atrocious my science project [TS]

00:01:45   the the Anthony Michael Hall comedy [TS]

00:01:49   weird science and and this movie real [TS]

00:01:53   real genius and and what ended up [TS]

00:01:55   happening was weird science was a hit my [TS]

00:01:57   science project was a failure and [TS]

00:01:58   rightly so and real genius was kind of [TS]

00:02:00   just kind of floating around and became [TS]

00:02:02   in the end I think it's fair to say a [TS]

00:02:04   cult classic because i do mention this [TS]

00:02:05   movie and people perk up and go oh I [TS]

00:02:07   love that movie which surprises me [TS]

00:02:09   because I thought it was just me quite [TS]

00:02:11   honestly no no it's not it's never just [TS]

00:02:14   you [TS]

00:02:15   so you know I I don't even know where to [TS]

00:02:20   begin with this i could come i can i can [TS]

00:02:22   i ask you can because I have an idea I [TS]

00:02:24   was something I want to ask you [TS]

00:02:25   hands-down just watch this movie is new [TS]

00:02:27   huh defend the independent know another [TS]

00:02:31   five games jared is an excellent choice [TS]

00:02:33   is Mitch Taylor is why they would cast [TS]

00:02:36   anybody Dave Jarret does not even [TS]

00:02:38   remotely look like a girl [TS]

00:02:40   oh so I i guess you know seeing this for [TS]

00:02:43   the first time as an adult and and i [TS]

00:02:45   enjoyed parts of the movie and I found [TS]

00:02:47   parts of it amusing but I guess I'm [TS]

00:02:49   combined am I find myself perplexed one [TS]

00:02:52   might say as to why what is your what is [TS]

00:02:55   this causes the strength of your [TS]

00:02:57   attachment is just a nostalgia thing or [TS]

00:02:59   is there there's something in particular [TS]

00:03:00   that that draws you to this movie you [TS]

00:03:03   know it's it is a combination of things [TS]

00:03:06   as you might expect [TS]

00:03:07   I think you know yes I saw this movie in [TS]

00:03:10   the theater in the summer of nineteen [TS]

00:03:11   eighty-five and I didn't actually see a [TS]

00:03:13   lot of movies in the movie theater when [TS]

00:03:15   I was a kid because i live in a small [TS]

00:03:16   town and it was kind of difficult to get [TS]

00:03:18   to the movie theater believe it or not [TS]

00:03:20   but um it it i don't think it's just [TS]

00:03:24   nostalgia I thought that for a while and [TS]

00:03:26   then as I watched it again and again [TS]

00:03:28   over the years you know number one is [TS]

00:03:30   probably that this is one of the rare [TS]

00:03:32   movies that is about a group of smart [TS]

00:03:35   people who are being smart and it's it's [TS]

00:03:39   portrayed positively it's it's not a [TS]

00:03:41   movie where you know it's not a revenge [TS]

00:03:44   of the nerds kind of movie or a movie [TS]

00:03:46   where there's the smart you know [TS]

00:03:47   socially maladjusted kid who's part of [TS]

00:03:49   the ensemble there you know this is [TS]

00:03:51   Pacific tech which is essentially [TS]

00:03:53   Caltech they're smart people doing smart [TS]

00:03:56   things and they've got their quirks and [TS]

00:03:57   all of that but i really like that [TS]

00:03:59   it's about smart people in there and [TS]

00:04:01   there you know laser people and they [TS]

00:04:03   have that crazy inventions and there's [TS]

00:04:05   the guy who's entering the sweepstakes [TS]

00:04:07   so that he'll win thirty percent of the [TS]

00:04:08   prizes a lot of the story really seems [TS]

00:04:11   to be based on actual stories or famous [TS]

00:04:13   stories whether real or not that we're [TS]

00:04:15   circling around Caltech so I think [TS]

00:04:17   that's part of it you know a lot of the [TS]

00:04:20   lot of character interaction is is is [TS]

00:04:22   fun [TS]

00:04:23   the dialogue is really fun it's not [TS]

00:04:25   about the plot and that's actually the [TS]

00:04:27   thing that I remember as I watched it [TS]

00:04:29   over and over again I I came to realize [TS]

00:04:31   that clearly the biggest liability in [TS]

00:04:34   this movie from my perspective is the [TS]

00:04:36   plot that there is bizarre [TS]

00:04:38   it doesn't really make sense i mean it [TS]

00:04:40   holds together just just enough it's the [TS]

00:04:43   worst i mean it it would be better i [TS]

00:04:45   think you could argue if there wasn't [TS]

00:04:47   other than that it's the through line of [TS]

00:04:49   of the movie because that there are [TS]

00:04:51   researching the laser beam the whole [TS]

00:04:53   last 20 minutes the movie other than [TS]

00:04:56   can't being wired to hear the voice of [TS]

00:04:58   God to tell him to stop masturbating [TS]

00:05:00   that the whole movie kind of falls off a [TS]

00:05:02   cliff because we get these terrible like [TS]

00:05:05   blue screen shots of a model plane and [TS]

00:05:07   we get like mitch has got a moustache [TS]

00:05:10   come all unlike wargames caper yeah [TS]

00:05:12   exactly it's like well I noticed when [TS]

00:05:15   watching us how many plots that were [TS]

00:05:16   there is a teammate but I'm like I'm [TS]

00:05:19   watching like wait that's a whole thing [TS]

00:05:21   like wait they just introduced this [TS]

00:05:23   asian guy we haven't seen before of [TS]

00:05:24   course she's super smart asian guy who [TS]

00:05:26   can like freeze the hallway so you can [TS]

00:05:28   slide in like where'd he come from now [TS]

00:05:30   he's a critical castmember like a [TS]

00:05:31   Ghostbusters when they bring in the [TS]

00:05:33   black guy like halfway through you ever [TS]

00:05:35   seen before and certainly is a critical [TS]

00:05:37   component to the story [TS]

00:05:38   well he's hanging around in the [TS]

00:05:40   background yeah but but he's you know it [TS]

00:05:42   is it's like what we've got there [TS]

00:05:44   there's the lazer team and there's like [TS]

00:05:45   six of those guys and there's like 10 [TS]

00:05:47   guys in the dorm plus one woman and it's [TS]

00:05:52   it is very strange right because there's [TS]

00:05:54   the Jerry Hathaway plot and there's kind [TS]

00:05:57   of a can't plot and there's kind of mich [TS]

00:05:59   redeeming himself plot and the debt and [TS]

00:06:01   a redemption of chris knight [TS]

00:06:03   well there's there's two plots involving [TS]

00:06:05   women sleeping with men for inexplicable [TS]

00:06:07   reason right was that there's the woman [TS]

00:06:09   who is the head hydro geniuses women too [TS]

00:06:13   come off very well this movie [TS]

00:06:14   enforcement but now it's just the [TS]

00:06:16   eighties for the other than dat well [TS]

00:06:18   other than you know Jordan who is one of [TS]

00:06:20   them but it's Caltech so you know I I [TS]

00:06:22   kind of accept that that's the mindset [TS]

00:06:24   that so damned does that make any sense [TS]

00:06:26   to you that I think I think there are [TS]

00:06:27   lots of funny lines and some likable [TS]

00:06:30   characters and you know I you know and [TS]

00:06:33   that the whole idea of it being a movie [TS]

00:06:35   about kind of smart people doing [TS]

00:06:36   smartthings i'm fascinated that as Glenn [TS]

00:06:39   brought up [TS]

00:06:39   I mean war games is another like there's [TS]

00:06:42   this there's this theme and I think [TS]

00:06:44   probably a lot of it has to do with you [TS]

00:06:46   know this was a tease the era of like [TS]

00:06:48   high-tech becoming big the era of things [TS]

00:06:50   like well star wars by not by which i [TS]

00:06:53   mean not the movies but like the [TS]

00:06:55   Strategic Defense Initiative like you [TS]

00:06:56   know lasers were they on the last r star [TS]

00:06:58   wars podcast while the threat the threat [TS]

00:07:00   of you know nuclear war the sort of [TS]

00:07:02   declining threat of nuclear war but also [TS]

00:07:04   the Cold War aspect because I think of [TS]

00:07:06   this i think of war games and I think of [TS]

00:07:07   short circuit all of which have very [TS]

00:07:10   similar themes about smart people [TS]

00:07:12   realizing maybe wait that this I'm just [TS]

00:07:15   thought I was just making something [TS]

00:07:16   awesome and it turned out to be used as [TS]

00:07:18   a weapon this right away i invented this [TS]

00:07:20   death ray that she used this guy they're [TS]

00:07:23   kinda used to kill people oh my god [TS]

00:07:25   what's the same and short-circuit has [TS]

00:07:27   the exact same plot if I thought this [TS]

00:07:28   robot because I thought it would be cool [TS]

00:07:29   and the they turned it into a weapon and [TS]

00:07:32   like there's definitely a pacifistic [TS]

00:07:33   streak going through all your movies ran [TS]

00:07:35   go ahead i was just saying I think it's [TS]

00:07:38   funny at some point in the movie they're [TS]

00:07:39   like what did you think this laser was [TS]

00:07:41   going to be used for yeah yeah well it [TS]

00:07:43   is all one-upsmanship right it's just [TS]

00:07:45   that they've been given an assignment by [TS]

00:07:48   their evil professor william atherton so [TS]

00:07:52   why not just wait there's a more damning [TS]

00:07:55   movie there if you take out like that [TS]

00:07:57   scene at the very beginning where they [TS]

00:07:59   show them using the like the prototype [TS]

00:08:00   of Leo we've gotta we gotta build this [TS]

00:08:02   thing because like we're over budget or [TS]

00:08:04   whatever and you know overdue like in [TS]

00:08:05   some ways there's a much more sinister [TS]

00:08:06   movie if you just frame it all around [TS]

00:08:08   the idea of these college kids being [TS]

00:08:09   egged on to create this laser and then [TS]

00:08:11   don't pull out like the oh by the way [TS]

00:08:13   it's being used by the military thing at [TS]

00:08:14   the end and I think in some ways there [TS]

00:08:16   is much more of a if we're jumped into [TS]

00:08:18   it along with the thesaurus smart [TS]

00:08:21   students were you know maybe kind of [TS]

00:08:23   note in the back of their head but [TS]

00:08:24   aren't really thinking about that [TS]

00:08:26   then I think there's there's more [TS]

00:08:27   interesting thing there but you know [TS]

00:08:28   that's maybe wrote a book about that and [TS]

00:08:30   it was called ender's game scoop up so [TS]

00:08:36   so our way master ichigen I let's talk [TS]

00:08:40   about him for a little bit he is the [TS]

00:08:43   he's Jerry Hathaway the professor of [TS]

00:08:45   lasers I guess at Caltech in this movie [TS]

00:08:48   lazer ology I believe supposed to be a [TS]

00:08:50   little seems to be able to be little [TS]

00:08:51   Carl Sagan like he's got a TV show [TS]

00:08:53   called everything yes the colon [TS]

00:08:56   what does it look like and random people [TS]

00:09:00   running parents know have him right [TS]

00:09:02   where there's like when this person the [TS]

00:09:03   science fair and a rocker like oh can I [TS]

00:09:05   have your autographs [TS]

00:09:06   ok I think he was perhaps best known for [TS]

00:09:09   his scientific invention of the shoulder [TS]

00:09:11   pads this is william atherton actually [TS]

00:09:14   built like that because I swear it every [TS]

00:09:16   movie he's got like crazy shoulder pads [TS]

00:09:18   got big pointy shoulders just you know [TS]

00:09:20   don't make fun of the man for big plays [TS]

00:09:22   shoulders don't make fun of him for [TS]

00:09:25   being the eighties bag extraordinaire [TS]

00:09:27   yeah well that's the thing diehard [TS]

00:09:28   diehard real genius and ghostbusters for [TS]

00:09:31   me that is the pinnacle of avoid methods [TS]

00:09:34   and these three great parts where he's [TS]

00:09:36   just a jerk and I love this one the best [TS]

00:09:40   because he's the most well rounded up a [TS]

00:09:43   jerk in a way he's realistic as I want [TS]

00:09:46   to that was like they're absolutely [TS]

00:09:48   professors exactly like that who abused [TS]

00:09:49   their students and teaching the classes [TS]

00:09:51   getting into anything for them steal [TS]

00:09:53   their work and sell it all from the [TS]

00:09:54   research money to build big asses [TS]

00:09:56   there's also a great movie where he had [TS]

00:09:58   the defense contractor the defense [TS]

00:10:00   contractor is driving him somewhere on [TS]

00:10:02   campus for a meeting and a student looks [TS]

00:10:05   at the car and he takes the defense [TS]

00:10:07   contractors head and and shoves it down [TS]

00:10:09   into his up in it into the guy's lap and [TS]

00:10:12   the guys like what are you doing you [TS]

00:10:13   could kill this season yet but he saw me [TS]

00:10:15   it's like so self-centered about the [TS]

00:10:17   fact that you know he's the famous [TS]

00:10:19   professor that he's he will do stupid [TS]

00:10:22   things like the taste almost got himself [TS]

00:10:24   killed in a car accident but it's great [TS]

00:10:26   it's a great part and and he has no I [TS]

00:10:30   mean he has no favourites because it's [TS]

00:10:32   all about him so there's the suck-up [TS]

00:10:34   character of Ken to who is very [TS]

00:10:37   convinced that he and Jerry have a very [TS]

00:10:39   title [TS]

00:10:39   action ship but in fact can't really [TS]

00:10:42   give Jerry what he wants which is this [TS]

00:10:43   no major don't call me by my first thing [TS]

00:10:45   I guess it goes from Allah God to Jerry [TS]

00:10:48   to you to the cleaners as the wine goes [TS]

00:10:50   I can I could be here all night doing is [TS]

00:10:53   the can is the absolute like it you [TS]

00:10:55   could say most of the characters movie i [TS]

00:10:58   think that section where the strength to [TS]

00:10:59   the movies most of the characters in [TS]

00:11:00   this movie and most the plot are [TS]

00:11:02   absolutely cookie cutter 1980 [TS]

00:11:04   standard-issue characters and ken is one [TS]

00:11:06   of the worst a lot is that like [TS]

00:11:07   unbelievable [TS]

00:11:08   can a person like even Jordan is semi [TS]

00:11:11   believable compared to can't [TS]

00:11:13   and yet somehow they put all those [TS]

00:11:14   things together the box and shake them [TS]

00:11:16   and it's appealing it's funny it doesn't [TS]

00:11:18   take itself too seriously at times the [TS]

00:11:20   end it does but it's sort of silly and [TS]

00:11:22   stupid stuff there's like petitions and [TS]

00:11:24   bathing suits you might show editions [TS]

00:11:26   student because it's a very important [TS]

00:11:29   distinction that has made my knees are [TS]

00:11:30   not conditions where doesn't get more [TS]

00:11:32   petitions as Bryan Adams plays in the [TS]

00:11:35   background and they do water slides and [TS]

00:11:37   in an auditory everything in the [TS]

00:11:39   eighties in this movie it is it but it's [TS]

00:11:42   not awful it's really enjoyable as [TS]

00:11:43   watching it [TS]

00:11:44   there's some dull points in the end is [TS]

00:11:45   kind of dumb you know but it's still I [TS]

00:11:47   really like all that was really fun to [TS]

00:11:48   watch [TS]

00:11:49   partly I mean the end on a high note you [TS]

00:11:51   know Housefull popcorn you can't you [TS]

00:11:53   can't you know lose the house full of [TS]

00:11:55   popcorn so that is I gotta say it's it's [TS]

00:11:59   very nostalgic for me in a weird way [TS]

00:12:01   because my father taught at Caltech XO [TS]

00:12:04   from from age three or four to age 16 [TS]

00:12:10   I came to he's a music music music [TS]

00:12:12   professor and he held the great club so [TS]

00:12:14   I was on campus pretty much three to [TS]

00:12:17   five days a week from age 42 age 16 so [TS]

00:12:20   seeing like the first the first third of [TS]

00:12:24   the movie is almost very very much wait [TS]

00:12:27   wait a second I that's this all seems [TS]

00:12:30   far too familiar and and then the [TS]

00:12:32   petition school which is oh so cleverly [TS]

00:12:34   disguised for pc which is down the [TS]

00:12:36   street the public Community College it's [TS]

00:12:40   just is it was very strange for me to [TS]

00:12:42   watch [TS]

00:12:43   did you notice the big hole in the [TS]

00:12:45   statue in the center of campus that was [TS]

00:12:46   filled their binary laser yes [TS]

00:12:49   oh sure that's I'm sure thats stolen [TS]

00:12:51   definitely happens I mean random laser [TS]

00:12:54   part and and laser paths to laser [TS]

00:12:57   parties [TS]

00:12:57   oh sure well they have the little laser [TS]

00:12:59   splitter that Sun lights up the sign [TS]

00:13:01   that says that there's a party of what [TS]

00:13:02   else would you do with a laser certainly [TS]

00:13:05   by use it as a weapon [TS]

00:13:06   I mean it's amazing that they had all [TS]

00:13:08   those mirrors just planted around can [TS]

00:13:09   campus Jesse Hayes was a hard no no it [TS]

00:13:12   wasn't that was a setup did you may have [TS]

00:13:13   less yes but that was so sorry they kind [TS]

00:13:15   of gloss over it that was definitely the [TS]

00:13:18   high jinks of chris knight genius [TS]

00:13:21   student who is ok so let's let's get to [TS]

00:13:23   that val kilmer who's gone on to be in [TS]

00:13:25   many other movies it's everything I you [TS]

00:13:28   know I i will be if it wasn't it work [TS]

00:13:30   for val kilmer than this movie might [TS]

00:13:32   have might have taken no but i think it [TS]

00:13:34   makes it so he had a delightful this I [TS]

00:13:37   think this is the best thing that you [TS]

00:13:38   know the best performance that he's [TS]

00:13:40   given I I think he's I think when you [TS]

00:13:42   think about his career and you think [TS]

00:13:44   about some of the other things I I think [TS]

00:13:46   he missed a real opportunity to be [TS]

00:13:48   funnier and more things and the [TS]

00:13:51   character is great too because this is [TS]

00:13:53   this interesting you know he is he is [TS]

00:13:55   literally what gave Jared Mitch Taylor [TS]

00:13:59   was he was a kid brought in two young [TS]

00:14:02   totally maladjusted and has basically [TS]

00:14:06   decided whether he's burned out or he [TS]

00:14:09   just decided it doesn't matter anymore [TS]

00:14:10   and he's gonna misbehave really [TS]

00:14:14   interesting character yet at the end you [TS]

00:14:16   know he is smart and he does have a [TS]

00:14:17   breakthrough and it does you know it [TS]

00:14:19   doesn't matter to him that he graduate [TS]

00:14:20   and you know I I think Dan is absolutely [TS]

00:14:23   right without Val Kilmer and without [TS]

00:14:25   this you know the character the way it's [TS]

00:14:27   written this movie would not work did [TS]

00:14:30   absolutely i will say the killers got [TS]

00:14:32   out some other way I feel like he is [TS]

00:14:34   better when he's in a role that lets him [TS]

00:14:36   flex his comedic muscles a little more I [TS]

00:14:38   think kiss kiss bang guess in recent [TS]

00:14:40   versus another fantastic val kilmer role [TS]

00:14:43   and that's because he gets to sort of [TS]

00:14:44   the roles where he doesn't have to take [TS]

00:14:46   himself too seriously because anybody [TS]

00:14:48   who saw this Batman appearance you are [TS]

00:14:52   tombs tombstone which is layout death [TS]

00:14:54   but but Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is he's [TS]

00:14:57   great in that and I also throughout the [TS]

00:14:58   state as one of my favorite val kilmer [TS]

00:15:00   movies which is unusual sort of a [TS]

00:15:02   ridiculous I [TS]

00:15:03   love it that's the mutilator fantastic [TS]

00:15:05   movie john syracuse you've been [TS]

00:15:07   strangely silent on Val Kilmer first I [TS]

00:15:10   don't like he's done this frantic real [TS]

00:15:13   genius character like a lot of times [TS]

00:15:16   after this movie maybe he's done it [TS]

00:15:17   before this movie but you know the [TS]

00:15:18   frantic valve cameras kind of crazy [TS]

00:15:20   this may have been the first incarnation [TS]

00:15:22   of that character but he was seeing in [TS]

00:15:24   many other movies and I think that's [TS]

00:15:26   what makes kiss kiss bang bang so great [TS]

00:15:27   is because he doesn't play frantic val [TS]

00:15:30   kilmer he plays you know a different [TS]

00:15:32   character actually plays a character who [TS]

00:15:34   is also very funny but funny in a very [TS]

00:15:36   different way than then the wacky [TS]

00:15:38   hijinks see irreverent Val come about [TS]

00:15:41   camera basically bart simpson's I must I [TS]

00:15:43   must not have seen the the wacky val [TS]

00:15:47   kilmer movies that one so before I mean [TS]

00:15:49   looking as filmography he starts off in [TS]

00:15:51   top-secret we have a wacky val kilmer [TS]

00:15:53   absolutely he goes to real genius and [TS]

00:15:56   then he flips around totally of plays [TS]

00:15:58   Iceman and I'm going which is a totally [TS]

00:16:00   non communicable really yeah and that is [TS]

00:16:03   Jim and that is jim morrison the doors I [TS]

00:16:05   don't know if you skip willow well our [TS]

00:16:07   yeah [TS]

00:16:08   Elmer right there and then the doors to [TS]

00:16:11   stone deadly Batman Forever using heat [TS]

00:16:16   though I mean that's speculative my [TS]

00:16:17   favorite series movies with him and then [TS]

00:16:19   actually I like two men will out till I [TS]

00:16:21   also like to minimum or recently in [TS]

00:16:23   Spartan the david mamet movie which is [TS]

00:16:26   again a a different that they totally on [TS]

00:16:30   you know a totally serious val kilmer [TS]

00:16:31   role i was going to say I was gonna be [TS]

00:16:34   proud of dan at the beginning of this [TS]

00:16:35   because he was coming in and saying I [TS]

00:16:37   don't understand why you guys liked this [TS]

00:16:39   movie it's not that good i was like yeah [TS]

00:16:40   that's my guy [TS]

00:16:41   no but then he backed off a little bit [TS]

00:16:43   no I mean I'm not saying I I don't say [TS]

00:16:45   again I said you know I maintain that I [TS]

00:16:48   think val kilmer holds it together but I [TS]

00:16:50   do agree that it's entirely compared to [TS]

00:16:53   compared to many of the other eight [TS]

00:16:55   movies that you know I've seen grew up [TS]

00:16:56   and enjoyed i mean granted short-circuit [TS]

00:16:59   not a great movie but i don't know i [TS]

00:17:01   love short-circuit and maybe that it's [TS]

00:17:03   largely tempered by nostalgia but i [TS]

00:17:05   think i think there's some good stuff [TS]

00:17:06   there so I saw this movie is exactly the [TS]

00:17:08   right age i think i think it was around [TS]

00:17:09   10 or 11 and that's if you're 10 or 11 [TS]

00:17:11   and your nerdy this [TS]

00:17:13   and you're in the AIDS this is probably [TS]

00:17:14   a good movie for you is not a 14-ounce [TS]

00:17:18   out tonight was the first time I'd seen [TS]

00:17:20   it up again like decades and so I I [TS]

00:17:22   remember loving it as a kid but didn't [TS]

00:17:24   really remember much about it but it's [TS]

00:17:25   one of those experiences when you re [TS]

00:17:26   watching movie where yeah I didn't [TS]

00:17:29   realize [TS]

00:17:30   first of all I realize that I have the [TS]

00:17:31   script memorized because I do whatever I [TS]

00:17:33   was gonna say a word for that fucking [TS]

00:17:34   another guy like while I must this must [TS]

00:17:37   have really had an effect on me but if [TS]

00:17:38   you'd asked me before the movie named a [TS]

00:17:39   line from this movie i could maybe two [TS]

00:17:41   but then as they're saying Mike I'm [TS]

00:17:42   psychic i know what everyone is going to [TS]

00:17:44   say and you realize how many little [TS]

00:17:46   snippets of dialogue or in that are in [TS]

00:17:48   your head that i had previously before [TS]

00:17:49   watching this done i would have not been [TS]

00:17:51   able to identify where these things came [TS]

00:17:52   from yep and you see that I got that [TS]

00:17:54   that's where that comes from now all [TS]

00:17:55   that said I finished watching the whole [TS]

00:17:57   moving-in like this was not a great [TS]

00:17:59   movie at it first of all I i see all of [TS]

00:18:02   the 80 stuff that didn't bother me in [TS]

00:18:04   the eighties was of its time but now [TS]

00:18:05   really great sunday that the ridiculous [TS]

00:18:08   treatment of women that the illogic the [TS]

00:18:10   wacky montages and stuff like that and i [TS]

00:18:12   was thinking about you know it's not [TS]

00:18:14   that I dislike did just sort of you know [TS]

00:18:16   clichés of eighties movies you know but [TS]

00:18:18   it's just that that they're they're done [TS]

00:18:20   so much better now is thinking like [TS]

00:18:21   donnie darko is a better eighties movie [TS]

00:18:23   than any ats coupe [TS]

00:18:25   no i mean because Donny Darko does all [TS]

00:18:27   the things that able to write down to [TS]

00:18:28   this that to the musical montage with [TS]

00:18:30   the exact same song at the end this [TS]

00:18:31   movie with right for the wedding singer [TS]

00:18:33   the wedding singer was actually was like [TS]

00:18:35   a reconstructed eighties movie that try [TS]

00:18:37   to out ATZ movie exactly with modern [TS]

00:18:41   interpretations think we've improved [TS]

00:18:42   upon the form but then the second thing [TS]

00:18:44   was that i don't i don't think the [TS]

00:18:46   comedy was really landing for me as an [TS]

00:18:47   adult like when i was a kid i think you [TS]

00:18:49   know I found these lines hilarious and [TS]

00:18:51   clever and you know but that's an [TS]

00:18:54   interesting point because that you know [TS]

00:18:55   I felt like listening to the to the the [TS]

00:18:58   sort of the one-liners and stuff that [TS]

00:19:00   what the comedy tries to evoke almost [TS]

00:19:03   I'm a Marx Brothers like a gradual mark [TS]

00:19:05   step humor like the learning and reading [TS]

00:19:07   that cable the license plate thing for [TS]

00:19:09   example I call you you know my office to [TS]

00:19:11   the same thing like 22 my underwear to [TS]

00:19:13   put license put your underwear I mean [TS]

00:19:14   it's like a it's like the shot in the [TS]

00:19:16   arm around the left for me to gain [TS]

00:19:17   weight yeah yeah i mean and i think it's [TS]

00:19:20   you know it's not as good as graduate [TS]

00:19:23   marks [TS]

00:19:23   well it's funny you should mention that [TS]

00:19:24   one of the writers of this movie [TS]

00:19:26   actually wrote he was part of the sucker [TS]

00:19:28   Abrams sucker kind of factory and wrote [TS]

00:19:31   various parody movies including I [TS]

00:19:33   believe brain donors which is the mark [TS]

00:19:36   modern attempted to a modern Marx [TS]

00:19:38   Brothers movie which with a John Tudor [TS]

00:19:40   oh I think it was a complete failure but [TS]

00:19:43   it they actually did one of the one of [TS]

00:19:44   the writers it's hard to pull a Marx [TS]

00:19:46   Brothers movie without the Marx Brothers [TS]

00:19:48   yes it's awfully awfully hard [TS]

00:19:51   so John what I'd say about the about the [TS]

00:19:53   dialogue is I think there are jokes in [TS]

00:19:54   this movie that work better for me when [TS]

00:19:56   I was a kid but that but some of the [TS]

00:19:57   dialogue has stuck with me and it's not [TS]

00:19:59   it's not the stupid jokes really and I i [TS]

00:20:02   guess that would be the same sort of [TS]

00:20:05   effect that I have with them with uh the [TS]

00:20:08   princess bride where where a lot of the [TS]

00:20:10   older don't you bring that a lot [TS]

00:20:13   absolutely you dare [TS]

00:20:15   absolutely I i quote real genius just as [TS]

00:20:17   not just for because he brought war [TS]

00:20:19   games it's what I was gonna ask you so [TS]

00:20:20   compare ok there's so much better the [TS]

00:20:22   more games it's not even like you can't [TS]

00:20:25   oh no yeah ya do that to me [TS]

00:20:28   wargames is my eighties movie you can't [TS]

00:20:30   do that they're both law and I've [TS]

00:20:31   already thrown the plot of this movie [TS]

00:20:33   under the bus because the plane and the [TS]

00:20:34   and the Air Force Base and all that is [TS]

00:20:37   just atrocious but think about this [TS]

00:20:39   these movies do have so much in common [TS]

00:20:41   in terms like defense industry hacker [TS]

00:20:43   smart kid type things I think about this [TS]

00:20:45   but can you name a single moment your [TS]

00:20:47   real genius that is remotely close to [TS]

00:20:49   being as emotionally true as any moment [TS]

00:20:52   war games like there's just there's just [TS]

00:20:54   nothing there and and real genius it's a [TS]

00:20:56   glib babies comedy it doesn't take [TS]

00:20:58   itself seriously it's fine but there is [TS]

00:21:00   no emotional core of truth anywhere in [TS]

00:21:01   this movie where it's war games war game [TS]

00:21:03   stands up to this day as as the truth of [TS]

00:21:06   being that kid in that situation [TS]

00:21:08   obviously the situation itself is [TS]

00:21:09   ridiculous but the truth about how the [TS]

00:21:11   people feel in any particular situation [TS]

00:21:13   makes war games work despite the [TS]

00:21:16   ridiculous preposterous plot these two [TS]

00:21:18   movies here is that one of them works [TS]

00:21:20   when you're a kid and doesn't work when [TS]

00:21:22   you're all the other one works when [TS]

00:21:23   you're kidding when your adult all the [TS]

00:21:24   things that are ridiculous you're [TS]

00:21:26   willing to forgive because because the [TS]

00:21:27   heart is still there when you also have [TS]

00:21:30   you know the only way to win is not to [TS]

00:21:31   play which is such a great life but it's [TS]

00:21:34   it's it's have your hands but you shall [TS]

00:21:37   feel for the characters you feel you to [TS]

00:21:39   identify [TS]

00:21:40   I with magic character and you identify [TS]

00:21:43   with you know even that the professor [TS]

00:21:45   Falken who lost his child and everything [TS]

00:21:47   all that is it all that works [TS]

00:21:49   it'sit's the ridiculous story the plot [TS]

00:21:51   is still ridiculous but everybody is [TS]

00:21:53   slightly less cartoonish the military [TS]

00:21:54   people are slightly less so sure they [TS]

00:21:56   are in this movie and well situation [TS]

00:21:59   there and lightly less cartoonish you're [TS]

00:22:01   right you're right the guy from northern [TS]

00:22:03   exposure in the whopper supercomputer [TS]

00:22:05   are very much more attached to reality [TS]

00:22:08   that I mean there's a screwball comedy [TS]

00:22:11   aspect to real genius that is not [TS]

00:22:12   present anymore games so so it's not [TS]

00:22:15   necessarily a fair comparison [TS]

00:22:17   straight-up that's I mean it's like I [TS]

00:22:19   think I was going to complain about [TS]

00:22:20   though the the screwball comedy aspect [TS]

00:22:22   of it so jason said before little slight [TS]

00:22:24   adjustment on this podcast you asked him [TS]

00:22:27   what he was thinking I mean the ones on [TS]

00:22:29   you [TS]

00:22:29   well he was silent i know he was winding [TS]

00:22:31   up the longer I let him not talk the [TS]

00:22:34   worst it was gonna pitch it certainly [TS]

00:22:37   can I just draw a random thing that [TS]

00:22:38   neither here nor there [TS]

00:22:39   I know it can someone tell me who the [TS]

00:22:40   character of milton is because i was [TS]

00:22:42   Seattle music scene of a deadly bite [TS]

00:22:44   I know it's dean devlin but I couldn't I [TS]

00:22:45   couldn't identify him while watching the [TS]

00:22:47   movie [TS]

00:22:47   yeah he's he's on the scene the lecture [TS]

00:22:50   that I've noticed no no it's the scene [TS]

00:22:53   that I noticed is it's in the student [TS]

00:22:55   beautician swimming pool tanning [TS]

00:22:58   invitational seen there there's a he's [TS]

00:23:00   one of the guys in that group and I [TS]

00:23:02   think he's in some other seems like the [TS]

00:23:04   scene where I mean in many ways this [TS]

00:23:06   this screenplay appears to have been [TS]

00:23:07   constructed around anecdotes about wacky [TS]

00:23:10   hijinks at Caltech and and so that's one [TS]

00:23:14   of them and the guy who stands up and [TS]

00:23:15   screams and then leaves and then nobody [TS]

00:23:18   pays attention to him as he runs out [TS]

00:23:20   which I've been told actually happened [TS]

00:23:22   in and that is a fairly accurate [TS]

00:23:24   portrayal yeah it happens on a regular [TS]

00:23:26   basis [TS]

00:23:28   I i went by the youngest to that in [TS]

00:23:29   college i think i actually have seen [TS]

00:23:31   that apology but I wasn't sure whether [TS]

00:23:33   was just a real to this reference when i [TS]

00:23:36   was about to watch the film i was [TS]

00:23:37   looking up something online and I found [TS]

00:23:39   a hole like three page list of here are [TS]

00:23:42   all of the things that are based on cal [TS]

00:23:44   tech stuff from real genius or hear the [TS]

00:23:47   locations that are trying very poorly to [TS]

00:23:49   mimic Celtic locations [TS]

00:23:51   these are the graffiti from daddy house [TS]

00:23:52   that they act [TS]

00:23:53   we pulled off of daddy house and [TS]

00:23:55   appliqued into the into pramanas campus [TS]

00:23:58   you all right now I want to I want to [TS]

00:24:00   try to get us back to a peaceful [TS]

00:24:01   standing where it's something we can all [TS]

00:24:02   agree on one with a science in the movie [TS]

00:24:05   because i was surprised re-watching and [TS]

00:24:07   i watch the number of times watched it [TS]

00:24:09   when it first came out the number times [TS]

00:24:10   since but we watching it I was like the [TS]

00:24:12   science didn't bother me which is rare [TS]

00:24:15   for a film that supposed to be about [TS]

00:24:16   geeks usually its total garbage and I [TS]

00:24:18   know there are lots of gobbledygook in [TS]

00:24:20   it but the most of the the whole focus [TS]

00:24:23   of it and like even the lab work and [TS]

00:24:25   everything it didn't bug me it didn't [TS]

00:24:27   look totally faking ridiculous to me and [TS]

00:24:29   I was surprised by that my red my memory [TS]

00:24:31   it was it was just some kind of [TS]

00:24:32   concocting super laser stupid laser crap [TS]

00:24:34   but even though they were speaking sort [TS]

00:24:37   of nonsense or seemed like there was [TS]

00:24:39   nonsense that sounds like a good turn [TS]

00:24:40   kernel of truth in it so it was it was [TS]

00:24:42   there a kernel of truth in the popcorn [TS]

00:24:43   seen oh no that's my that's my [TS]

00:24:45   subconscious making that ship [TS]

00:24:46   exactly we are wikipedia says [TS]

00:24:48   Mythbusters tried to see if you get mad [TS]

00:24:50   a popcorn to explode house and [TS]

00:24:52   apparently you can't answer is no no it [TS]

00:24:54   just burns just burn natural your [TS]

00:24:56   science question where's your precious [TS]

00:24:58   science now that I believe they built a [TS]

00:25:01   fake house specifically for that scene [TS]

00:25:03   and then spent three months [TS]

00:25:05   no it's it's a big it's a it was an [TS]

00:25:07   actual house in the movie house is being [TS]

00:25:09   but it has like open parts they built it [TS]

00:25:12   to do what it does in the movie because [TS]

00:25:14   a real house wouldn't do that and then [TS]

00:25:16   apparently some internet the studio had [TS]

00:25:18   to spend three months popping popcorn [TS]

00:25:19   bastard that guy then screamed and ran [TS]

00:25:24   out of the he did it was it was it was [TS]

00:25:26   strange know your i think that the [TS]

00:25:27   physics isn't exactly right but they did [TS]

00:25:30   actually have some science consultants [TS]

00:25:31   to talk about like what would be the [TS]

00:25:33   would be involved [TS]

00:25:34   you're a laser the developer and you [TS]

00:25:36   were trying to find different different [TS]

00:25:39   molecules or elements to use in the [TS]

00:25:42   construction of the laser just so they [TS]

00:25:43   would get that sort of right it doesn't [TS]

00:25:45   you know in a movie that is not striving [TS]

00:25:47   for incredible realism it doesn't [TS]

00:25:50   thankfully they're very there's only one [TS]

00:25:52   scene where they do stupid things with [TS]

00:25:53   computers and I know this will be here [TS]

00:25:55   dear john start where there where they [TS]

00:25:56   managed to hack through the government [TS]

00:25:58   of the day there's a party at 668 yeah [TS]

00:26:00   like 30 minutes taking all texts [TS]

00:26:04   hours if you go through every possible a [TS]

00:26:06   letter combinations including uppercase [TS]

00:26:08   and lowercase so it doesn't it doesn't [TS]

00:26:10   bother people as adults though we're in [TS]

00:26:12   a technical field of it that they make [TS]

00:26:16   movies will strive like this to get the [TS]

00:26:17   details right but they'll never they'll [TS]

00:26:20   never make the actual work of of doing [TS]

00:26:24   technical or science things a dramatic [TS]

00:26:26   part of the movie it seems like very [TS]

00:26:27   very good for he's not far enough [TS]

00:26:29   they'll do it they'll do it with stuff [TS]

00:26:31   like almost anything else sports for [TS]

00:26:32   sure you can have a wacky movie about [TS]

00:26:34   sports the respect sports that takes it [TS]

00:26:36   seriously and it makes an integral part [TS]

00:26:37   of movie like the progression of skill [TS]

00:26:40   and a sport in a movie that's an easy [TS]

00:26:41   sell right now okay i went out i will [TS]

00:26:43   throw out i will throw out a [TS]

00:26:45   counterexample which is sneakers which [TS]

00:26:47   is a great movie that does do technology [TS]

00:26:50   fairly accurately albeit having a it's [TS]

00:26:52   not the technology part of it is just [TS]

00:26:54   that like showing how the people who do [TS]

00:26:56   this for a living actually work and the [TS]

00:26:58   dramatic aspects that obviously you've [TS]

00:26:59   removed the boring aspects of it so well [TS]

00:27:01   so so John in this movie one of the [TS]

00:27:04   things I like about it is that they do [TS]

00:27:06   make some attempts to make the act of of [TS]

00:27:09   not just inspiration although there is [TS]

00:27:11   that it you know the moment where val [TS]

00:27:12   kilmer you know his his way of stealing [TS]

00:27:15   coffee from the vending machine by [TS]

00:27:17   freezing carbon dioxide with liquid [TS]

00:27:19   nitrogen and it falls out and he has [TS]

00:27:21   this idea that if he freezes the the the [TS]

00:27:23   salt you know the material he's using [TS]

00:27:25   for the laser he might be able to make [TS]

00:27:26   it work but there are several yes i'll [TS]

00:27:28   grant you musical montage is because of [TS]

00:27:30   course there are where where he and [TS]

00:27:33   Mitch are working on the laser project [TS]

00:27:35   and trying different things and it burst [TS]

00:27:38   into flames at a couple of points and [TS]

00:27:40   and it does seem that this movie is [TS]

00:27:42   trying to get across some of that it's [TS]

00:27:44   actually you know they're actually [TS]

00:27:46   trying to figure out how to build this [TS]

00:27:49   laser at you which you know you don't [TS]

00:27:51   usually see so you know there i think [TS]

00:27:53   some attempt is made here to show these [TS]

00:27:55   people actually performing science in [TS]

00:27:58   something vaguely resembling reality [TS]

00:28:01   instead of having it happen off-screen [TS]

00:28:03   or you know in some other kind of bogus [TS]

00:28:05   way to the main thing i was referring to [TS]

00:28:06   with the with the with the bad sciences [TS]

00:28:08   I can't really fault this movie for [TS]

00:28:09   because it's not about [TS]

00:28:11   this aspect of the science visit did try [TS]

00:28:13   to do so with the laser sign so when [TS]

00:28:15   they did the computer science part of it [TS]

00:28:17   in this policy and all more reason and [TS]

00:28:18   computers were not a central part of the [TS]

00:28:20   movie so it's really not a problem this [TS]

00:28:21   with you but whenever they have a movie [TS]

00:28:23   they're showing anyone does anything [TS]

00:28:24   with software it's always you can just [TS]

00:28:27   take your your magic code and uploaded [TS]

00:28:30   and it runs right the first time so [TS]

00:28:32   we're going to take your code and we're [TS]

00:28:33   gonna install it on some piece of [TS]

00:28:34   hardware that you've never seen before [TS]

00:28:35   and it's gonna do some amazing things [TS]

00:28:37   going to completely alter how it works [TS]

00:28:38   and it's going to work on the very first [TS]

00:28:40   time which is which is far removed from [TS]

00:28:42   how actual hardware and software work as [TS]

00:28:45   it could possibly be it's like now wait [TS]

00:28:47   a minute to two things two things first [TS]

00:28:48   that's the will smith theory of coding [TS]

00:28:50   of course of Independence Day that's the [TS]

00:28:52   ultimate example [TS]

00:28:53   no no they wrote that software they [TS]

00:28:55   wrote that software was their system [TS]

00:28:57   they develop that was up on the plane [TS]

00:28:59   John's trying to make a broader point [TS]

00:29:00   because but there is the one with other [TS]

00:29:01   than when they're hacking into the you [TS]

00:29:03   know defense mainframe is glenn's right [TS]

00:29:05   you know the idea here is that they [TS]

00:29:06   built the system [TS]

00:29:07   it doesn't matter of you built it does [TS]

00:29:09   not matter you know how you'd have to [TS]

00:29:11   sit there and test [TS]

00:29:12   let's override this thing to point a [TS]

00:29:13   different target and they would have to [TS]

00:29:14   test that with the actual piece of [TS]

00:29:16   hardware in the field millions and [TS]

00:29:18   millions of times before they got a bug [TS]

00:29:19   having to look at the right Laslo built [TS]

00:29:21   an emulator the last was a genius [TS]

00:29:23   there's no such thing is that kind of [TS]

00:29:25   genius everybody's code doesn't work [TS]

00:29:26   it's real genius John not big dude [TS]

00:29:30   that's the worst it's not the not a [TS]

00:29:32   fault of this movie I'm just saying in [TS]

00:29:34   general you see this in in lots of [TS]

00:29:36   movies where it is basically because the [TS]

00:29:39   screenwriter needs a way to get from [TS]

00:29:41   point A to point B and and you get the [TS]

00:29:43   you know how do I solve this problem i [TS]

00:29:46   know we will hack into the system and [TS]

00:29:48   it's lazy and it's completely wrong [TS]

00:29:51   in most cases all this special program [TS]

00:29:53   that will take over and do something [TS]

00:29:54   amazing that you know to to do that [TS]

00:29:56   thing amazing from scratch would be [TS]

00:29:58   impossible to do on the first try let [TS]

00:30:00   alone like break into another thing that [TS]

00:30:01   the best example and give us from your [TS]

00:30:02   previous podcast for you were dubious [TS]

00:30:05   about the the old wives tale about also [TS]

00:30:07   lifestyle with the legend about [TS]

00:30:08   Halloween Elsa that he just right [TS]

00:30:09   straight through and doesn't revised and [TS]

00:30:12   as a writer you're like yeah okay right [TS]

00:30:14   whatever that's true that is true it's [TS]

00:30:16   nothing that's why I know but people [TS]

00:30:18   people people were dubious about it even [TS]

00:30:19   a short story length like yeah sure but [TS]

00:30:22   come on like never goes back and edit [TS]

00:30:24   you know it's even [TS]

00:30:25   more ridiculous to think that you know [TS]

00:30:27   that a programmer do that because a [TS]

00:30:28   writer it's like well doesn't have to [TS]

00:30:29   execute you know if the writing is not [TS]

00:30:31   as good as as you want and what it was [TS]

00:30:33   if your grammar and sentence and then [TS]

00:30:36   you're gonna tell it to tell the car [TS]

00:30:37   McCarthy but but for programs the [TS]

00:30:39   average never bugs / line is like a one [TS]

00:30:41   bug every hundred lines or something you [TS]

00:30:43   can write 2 million lines of code with [TS]

00:30:44   no bugs not going to happen would have [TS]

00:30:46   been a very different movie that you [TS]

00:30:48   have this this movie is strangely not [TS]

00:30:50   not a major offender in this as opposed [TS]

00:30:52   to almost every other movie on this [TS]

00:30:54   subject in which it is it is a big [TS]

00:30:56   offender in the computer area but it's [TS]

00:30:57   not it's so tangential to the plot that [TS]

00:30:59   it's supposed to be like yeah and then [TS]

00:31:00   there's this computer stuff that happens [TS]

00:31:02   see but you know and that's one of the [TS]

00:31:04   reasons that I like real geniuses I feel [TS]

00:31:05   like this is this is this is the movie [TS]

00:31:07   we're the only ones in it there is no [TS]

00:31:09   they're not really put in opposition of [TS]

00:31:11   other than the head military men it's [TS]

00:31:14   just them and their internal douchebags [TS]

00:31:16   like right can write audition right but [TS]

00:31:19   they're in the family there n and their [TS]

00:31:21   the heroic people and then the the then [TS]

00:31:24   there's Jerry and can't I want to talk [TS]

00:31:27   about last little bit just because i [TS]

00:31:29   think one of the things that people [TS]

00:31:30   remember when I mentioned this movie is [TS]

00:31:31   that there's the guy who lives [TS]

00:31:33   underneath the dorm and and that john [TS]

00:31:37   grise who is who plays Laszlo hits is [TS]

00:31:39   like in everything but he's the he's [TS]

00:31:43   like the guests he's the guest actor [TS]

00:31:45   extraordinaire and I thought it was [TS]

00:31:46   funny because right before i watch this [TS]

00:31:48   I didn't realize he played he played [TS]

00:31:50   Laszlo and I knew I know him from a [TS]

00:31:52   dozen other stuff when i was growing up [TS]

00:31:53   he was on the show the Pretender he had [TS]

00:31:57   a moment a story or a sort of a major [TS]

00:32:00   role on that he's Ben's father on lost [TS]

00:32:03   yeah and most recently I saw him in a [TS]

00:32:05   guest starring role on supernatural [TS]

00:32:08   which I thought you would be amused at [TS]

00:32:11   wow it will do [TS]

00:32:12   Michael obviously means the word clearly [TS]

00:32:14   us we really is everywhere but this is [TS]

00:32:17   this is a defining role every time I see [TS]

00:32:18   him in a movie like it as well and again [TS]

00:32:21   this is a movie i had i had almost no [TS]

00:32:23   memory out but I sure remember level [TS]

00:32:25   he's like the booger character from from [TS]

00:32:27   register nerds the booger remember even [TS]

00:32:30   like everything that I think of him as [TS]

00:32:32   her violin yeah right from moving more [TS]

00:32:34   appropriate I'm sure but but last night [TS]

00:32:37   so I do I say hey its last low [TS]

00:32:39   but I'm interesting I mean people [TS]

00:32:40   remember there's there's that memorable [TS]

00:32:42   scene where they in the closet there's [TS]

00:32:44   the strange little cart that takes you [TS]

00:32:45   down and into his lair and then also [TS]

00:32:49   part of his story is that he's entering [TS]

00:32:50   the frito-lay sweepstakes enter as often [TS]

00:32:54   as you like [TS]

00:32:55   so he does and he figures he figures [TS]

00:32:57   he'll win sixty percent of the prizes [TS]

00:32:59   but he only wins forty percent of the [TS]

00:33:01   prizes and thirty-two percent yeah and [TS]

00:33:03   he says I gotta figure that one out [TS]

00:33:04   because there's something wrong with his [TS]

00:33:05   statistics but that's also based on a [TS]

00:33:07   true story that somebody i believe at [TS]

00:33:09   Caltech discovered one of these [TS]

00:33:11   interests often as you like sweepstakes [TS]

00:33:13   and did a mass the punch card to meet ya [TS]

00:33:16   in person [TS]

00:33:17   yeah which is now the rules have changed [TS]

00:33:18   in the entryway because somebody figured [TS]

00:33:20   out how they could gain the system and [TS]

00:33:21   they just toss that in there kind of [TS]

00:33:23   weirdly and randomly he ends up in a [TS]

00:33:25   Winnebago it was predictive because you [TS]

00:33:26   know the wired article recently about [TS]

00:33:28   how lottery systems can be gained if you [TS]

00:33:31   know a certain you know with a certain [TS]

00:33:32   efforts around people are starting to [TS]

00:33:34   win statistically improbable someone [TS]

00:33:36   like what four hundred thousand dollar [TS]

00:33:38   prizes in a row and I thought about [TS]

00:33:40   about last leg return didn't love the [TS]

00:33:44   best part of the wired article is [TS]

00:33:45   explaining that how was a [TS]

00:33:46   money-laundering operation for the mob [TS]

00:33:48   and you know this this is example of it [TS]

00:33:50   was a minor factor and the just plain [TS]

00:33:51   old corruption was really everyone money [TS]

00:33:53   was coming but it was a it was a stats [TS]

00:33:55   professor I think who figured it out or [TS]

00:33:57   some other some science as a whole bunch [TS]

00:33:59   of people breaking the scratch games and [TS]

00:34:00   yeah but then everything revise them you [TS]

00:34:02   can make a movie about that real [TS]

00:34:04   statistics and would all be about [TS]

00:34:05   lottery and maybe this kind of with no I [TS]

00:34:07   think you could you could do with the [TS]

00:34:09   scratch ticket thing you can make that [TS]

00:34:10   into a movie pretties we would watch [TS]

00:34:12   them to the algorithm watch them at [TS]

00:34:13   whiteboards working out algorithms that [TS]

00:34:15   mild ours to be two-thirds the move now [TS]

00:34:17   because it moved the movie is about that [TS]

00:34:19   that he figures out the scratch game in [TS]

00:34:21   the beginning and the movie is about how [TS]

00:34:23   you know so once you have this knowledge [TS]

00:34:25   of you cheat your not cheap to become [TS]

00:34:26   fabulously wealthy and then can you know [TS]

00:34:28   that's the movie so they try and they [TS]

00:34:29   tried to make that movie it was called [TS]

00:34:31   21 it was based on bringing down the [TS]

00:34:33   house [TS]

00:34:34   oh yeah and it was really really [TS]

00:34:36   terrible because I as we have learned [TS]

00:34:38   you even if you have kevin spacey a [TS]

00:34:40   movie can't really show people trying to [TS]

00:34:43   counter count cards reduces together is [TS]

00:34:45   what there's another poker mood poker [TS]

00:34:47   movie to wasn't there [TS]

00:34:48   rounders a good program movie [TS]

00:34:50   I was an excellent for as my favorite [TS]

00:34:51   Park movie oh my god would you like [TS]

00:34:53   something I'm grounder sam sanders is a [TS]

00:34:56   good movie [TS]

00:34:57   that's a very own you know John rounders [TS]

00:34:59   doesn't have nearly the emotional depth [TS]

00:35:01   at work it does i think i think it does [TS]

00:35:03   i think that you feel you feel for you [TS]

00:35:06   know the the loser friend always pulling [TS]

00:35:08   them into the bad games you feel for him [TS]

00:35:10   when he's getting beat down by the the [TS]

00:35:12   cops when they are the cops on out the [TS]

00:35:13   cheating and the cops game I feel like [TS]

00:35:16   that was a solid movie [TS]

00:35:17   the only thing ridiculous and movies [TS]

00:35:19   John Malkovich's character but it's [TS]

00:35:20   ridiculous in a good way we're talking [TS]

00:35:22   about the movies with this time but I [TS]

00:35:23   feel like there's like you know there's [TS]

00:35:24   like that another trip but it's like [TS]

00:35:26   Tron and more games which precede this [TS]

00:35:29   and then and then real genius and [TS]

00:35:31   they're all that same the same genre of [TS]

00:35:34   film that sort of came when I mean it [TS]

00:35:36   was the eighties part of it the montage [TS]

00:35:37   of stuff we talked about [TS]

00:35:39   there's also like what in the nineties i [TS]

00:35:40   was trying to think of films the [TS]

00:35:41   nineties that were like this movie in [TS]

00:35:44   jurassic park with that terrible scene [TS]

00:35:46   with the girls [TS]

00:35:47   hacking the unix system they're like [TS]

00:35:48   flying over the next file system in 3d [TS]

00:35:50   visualization is the actual purpose are [TS]

00:35:52   I know it's real but it's like I know [TS]

00:35:54   unix she says don't forget the quicktime [TS]

00:35:56   the video conference that's actually a [TS]

00:35:58   QuickTime movie where you can see the [TS]

00:35:59   progress bar the quicktime movie yet [TS]

00:36:01   with a little scrubber what you see when [TS]

00:36:03   the scrubber reaches the end time ends [TS]

00:36:04   that's the secret that movie had a dress [TS]

00:36:07   or kills my god it's really a hard [TS]

00:36:09   sci-fi movie but with other stuff [TS]

00:36:11   because I mean the recipe also bring [TS]

00:36:12   that ridiculously but do we get the [TS]

00:36:14   blockbuster area where you couldn't do [TS]

00:36:15   movies that were this is the caltech [TS]

00:36:17   version of your eighties team movie [TS]

00:36:19   right i mean that that was a eighties [TS]

00:36:21   team move them was a thing right in John [TS]

00:36:25   you can apply that formula to almost any [TS]

00:36:27   setting and they did also the social [TS]

00:36:28   network is the 2011 social network is [TS]

00:36:31   like what nowadays you have taken more [TS]

00:36:33   seriously and you have to be like [TS]

00:36:34   dramatic and it's gonna be oscar-worthy [TS]

00:36:36   like I can't you know because you could [TS]

00:36:38   have done so from that work in the vein [TS]

00:36:39   of real genius but they chose not to [TS]

00:36:42   I what I would like the Winklevoss twins [TS]

00:36:43   to be in real genius that would be an [TS]

00:36:45   interesting just they could be can't [TS]

00:36:47   here's my question for the film where to [TS]

00:36:50   get the ranking of the smartest people [TS]

00:36:51   in the world in [TS]

00:36:52   order we're sharing mutual get it wait [TS]

00:36:55   wikipedia oh ok Cherie Cherie neutral [TS]

00:36:59   invented wikipedia didn't you know that [TS]

00:37:01   would make one last last he's got i can [TS]

00:37:03   only assume right guys I can only assume [TS]

00:37:06   that that is a again based on some sort [TS]

00:37:08   of anecdote or like we're barely manage [TS]

00:37:10   I'm sure the woman didn't like that [TS]

00:37:12   though I mean there used to be lists but [TS]

00:37:14   they were posted and they were [TS]

00:37:16   circulated and not necessarily so no one [TS]

00:37:19   else's is a sao paulo i mean that we all [TS]

00:37:21   talked about how ridiculous the women [TS]

00:37:22   are treating these movies but i have [TS]

00:37:24   funded trouble have trouble watching [TS]

00:37:25   eighties movies because of that you know [TS]

00:37:27   it's fascinating though about this which [TS]

00:37:28   I just looked up while watching is this [TS]

00:37:31   movie was directed by a woman guess it [TS]

00:37:33   was Martha at the coolidge maybe yeah [TS]

00:37:36   you don't fault its out of its time [TS]

00:37:37   right this was just you know it wasn't [TS]

00:37:39   egregious for its time but now watching [TS]

00:37:41   it now it's like this is such a waste [TS]

00:37:43   like every time a woman comes on screen [TS]

00:37:44   as I go watch you come onto the main [TS]

00:37:46   character she's it's just such a waste [TS]

00:37:50   I like why they even in the movie it so [TS]

00:37:52   at the the woman's weight in the room to [TS]

00:37:53   pee [TS]

00:37:54   he says you mean she wanted they could [TS]

00:37:56   even say make love which is the usual [TS]

00:37:57   eighties horrible euphemism because they [TS]

00:37:59   don't want to say scx right [TS]

00:38:01   they said you wanted to jump you you [TS]

00:38:03   can't even say yeah yeah it's so strange [TS]

00:38:06   and puritanical the instant he says [TS]

00:38:09   these are student petitions this may be [TS]

00:38:10   the only time in your life that you may [TS]

00:38:12   have sex [TS]

00:38:13   I know but when the kid goes into the [TS]

00:38:15   room you're right pose to be you know [TS]

00:38:16   that that's a tease for you but very one [TS]

00:38:19   of the ball [TS]

00:38:20   we're just gonna like wait what and it's [TS]

00:38:23   also kind of liked the you know the [TS]

00:38:24   people its characters who are not with [TS]

00:38:27   it who are a little bit reserved [TS]

00:38:29   yeah so I mean I thought that one slide [TS]

00:38:31   but i agree that the the women [TS]

00:38:33   characters are our kind of short trip [TS]

00:38:35   but then again as Jason I big said you [TS]

00:38:38   know Cal Tech in the eighties i'm sure [TS]

00:38:39   there were not a ton of women [TS]

00:38:41   yeah well at least at least although she [TS]

00:38:43   is a caricature at least there's a [TS]

00:38:45   positive you know one of the one of the [TS]

00:38:48   people on the team is is jordan and she [TS]

00:38:50   is portrayed positively and she's smart [TS]

00:38:53   but the you're right you've got you've [TS]

00:38:55   got these other two characters were [TS]

00:38:56   basically like the daughter of the the [TS]

00:38:58   evil general and the woman who's [TS]

00:39:01   collecting the perpetrators brains and [TS]

00:39:05   science [TS]

00:39:06   and yeah there's no real excuse for that [TS]

00:39:09   i will say despite being a caricature I [TS]

00:39:11   knew people who are like Jordan at [TS]

00:39:13   Celtic I am NOT you [TS]

00:39:15   she had a character and she wasn't just [TS]

00:39:17   there you know that that's the typical [TS]

00:39:19   ladies things where you have the mousy [TS]

00:39:21   quirky woman but you always get an [TS]

00:39:23   actress was a knock out any when you try [TS]

00:39:25   to hunker down that's the eighties yeah [TS]

00:39:27   but he wants to do that you need to have [TS]

00:39:29   the trend you have to have the [TS]

00:39:29   transformative scene which they don't do [TS]

00:39:32   what you shouldn't take it shouldn't [TS]

00:39:33   take the classes i don't need the [TS]

00:39:34   Transformers hit they put her in cute [TS]

00:39:36   little outfits I mean like if you may [TS]

00:39:37   put his shoes [TS]

00:39:38   yeah she was you know if you take her [TS]

00:39:41   out of any of those efforts like she's [TS]

00:39:43   not your typical student at Cal Tech [TS]

00:39:46   student everyone else to deny sure but [TS]

00:39:48   they do give her a funny haircut and [TS]

00:39:49   they don't do that the rule John I think [TS]

00:39:51   you've got to go all the way right as [TS]

00:39:52   they start that way and then they take [TS]

00:39:53   out they get a haircut and the idea of [TS]

00:39:55   their glasses and they become [TS]

00:39:56   transformed in Jordan is Jordan [TS]

00:39:57   throughout the movie she is ready she [TS]

00:39:59   does have the funny haircut and what is [TS]

00:40:00   treated in some ways like the like the [TS]

00:40:02   token right to the Osher her close to [TS]

00:40:06   her clothes good a slightly more [TS]

00:40:07   reserved no it's it's it's true it's [TS]

00:40:09   like we cannot have we cannot have a [TS]

00:40:11   female character in the group of of [TS]

00:40:14   Heroes so she gets sort of inserted [TS]

00:40:16   there and she has to be a lot of the [TS]

00:40:17   trenches the love interest for the hero [TS]

00:40:19   you know she's never brought its never [TS]

00:40:21   brought up as though she's the only girl [TS]

00:40:23   on the floor you know like I feel like [TS]

00:40:25   in a movie today will be later on they [TS]

00:40:27   would be there like look she's the you [TS]

00:40:29   know because they're making bones about [TS]

00:40:31   ages they would also make bones about [TS]

00:40:33   you know female male she's not only girl [TS]

00:40:35   i find it i find a charming that she has [TS]

00:40:37   no problem just walking into the room [TS]

00:40:39   the bathroom while Mitch's peeing at the [TS]

00:40:41   urinal and has a whole conversation with [TS]

00:40:42   him and and when he get he says he can't [TS]

00:40:44   be she's like is it because I'm here [TS]

00:40:46   because she's like whatever I don't [TS]

00:40:48   think this is a big deal it's a it's a [TS]

00:40:50   cute little snow I I like her as a [TS]

00:40:51   character actually I think he is she was [TS]

00:40:53   one of the more human characters in the [TS]

00:40:55   movie she has the same haircut as a [TS]

00:40:56   person from Tron to silence is an ugly I [TS]

00:40:58   was definitely argue that olivia wilde [TS]

00:41:01   probably watch this movie and took some [TS]

00:41:03   of her car off of that that was all i [TS]

00:41:07   could think of when I watching this [TS]

00:41:08   movie that's really interesting i looked [TS]

00:41:10   up Michelle my ring because i was like [TS]

00:41:11   she was in a few bars of college movies [TS]

00:41:13   at the time and apparently she gave up [TS]

00:41:15   on the glass of Hollywood became a [TS]

00:41:16   buddhist and like think it was all kind [TS]

00:41:18   of done which is off [TS]

00:41:18   some I was like that's great and he [TS]

00:41:20   should know I just I was like whatever [TS]

00:41:22   happened it's like oh she said she just [TS]

00:41:24   decided this is all material and [TS]

00:41:26   pointless and moved to Vancouver [TS]

00:41:27   something like yeah i wish i could say [TS]

00:41:29   that about Jared that he's collected [TS]

00:41:30   he's still like he's kind of handsome [TS]

00:41:33   now though I yeah he's gonna have so [TS]

00:41:36   he's got a head shot on IMDb that makes [TS]

00:41:39   yeah I thought the other night its kind [TS]

00:41:40   of scary-looking am I the only ones in [TS]

00:41:43   love with this man what's wrong with [TS]

00:41:44   this he does have delicate features he [TS]

00:41:49   it is it is so when I first saw this [TS]

00:41:52   movie the first like five minutes of it [TS]

00:41:54   in the movie theater where off they had [TS]

00:41:56   they they hadn't reset the the right [TS]

00:41:59   aspect ratio on the projector and so the [TS]

00:42:01   first time you see Mitch his faces [TS]

00:42:03   elongated and I thought oh my God he's a [TS]

00:42:05   horrible elongated freaking when they [TS]

00:42:06   fixed it you still was it looks a little [TS]

00:42:10   bit looks a little like a fish that's [TS]

00:42:12   not invited map an animal to him in this [TS]

00:42:15   movie I know he's gonna listen to the [TS]

00:42:16   podcast I'm sorry I I i do you know i [TS]

00:42:19   feel i feel for Mitch right i do i I [TS]

00:42:22   certainly put a lot of my feelings of [TS]

00:42:25   isolation on to Mitch when i watch this [TS]

00:42:28   movie I i do i I never you know called [TS]

00:42:32   my parents from college and asked to [TS]

00:42:35   come home and discovered my room was [TS]

00:42:37   rented but I certainly you know had had [TS]

00:42:41   bad experiences like that and felt [TS]

00:42:44   isolated like that until you look at a [TS]

00:42:45   bitch's face and the ended when they're [TS]

00:42:48   playing it over the loudspeaker right [TS]

00:42:50   and and they have the shots of Mitch you [TS]

00:42:52   know it is embarrassing moment the worst [TS]

00:42:55   acting I've ever seen in my entire life [TS]

00:42:57   like I don't know what expression he was [TS]

00:42:59   going for there but he might as well [TS]

00:43:00   been filing the fingernails yep i'm [TS]

00:43:02   supposed to be said here america i do [TS]

00:43:04   wonder what would have happened if that [TS]

00:43:06   if they had cast that part a little bit [TS]

00:43:08   of an actor [TS]

00:43:09   yeah I i have to wonder after you know [TS]

00:43:12   it wasn't it wasn't written it wasn't [TS]

00:43:14   written that well but he didn't you just [TS]

00:43:15   didn't have that many line to fit like [TS]

00:43:17   if you ask someone who is not a nerd [TS]

00:43:19   watches movie who is the main character [TS]

00:43:20   i bet they'll say Val Kilmer even though [TS]

00:43:22   the movie opens with Mitch and follow [TS]

00:43:23   how much they're going to say Val [TS]

00:43:24   Kilmer's the main character because he [TS]

00:43:26   comes out of the screen is just like [TS]

00:43:27   their yeah well you know which is sort [TS]

00:43:30   of their it's almost like a relay right [TS]

00:43:31   mitches there to handle [TS]

00:43:32   off to to Val Kilmer as his mentor and [TS]

00:43:34   then at that point it's it's yeah but [TS]

00:43:37   it's true imagine if a better actor was [TS]

00:43:39   playing that playing that part by the [TS]

00:43:41   way it when we talk about realism and [TS]

00:43:43   emotional connections i never once had a [TS]

00:43:45   hot girl in my room when I was hacking [TS]

00:43:48   into something on my 300 baud modem ally [TS]

00:43:52   sheedy was legitimately mousy she could [TS]

00:43:55   not work as a model and she was in she [TS]

00:43:57   was in short circuited it's good yeah [TS]

00:43:59   let's not talk about short stylish i [TS]

00:44:01   love short-circuit you guys elias i like [TS]

00:44:04   i like the robot to but you know [TS]

00:44:06   come on we'll get a robotics expert on [TS]

00:44:10   to explain how that is totally wrong i [TS]

00:44:12   actually bought a copy of the soundtrack [TS]

00:44:14   to this which turns out there never was [TS]

00:44:15   a soundtrack but a guy on ebay basically [TS]

00:44:18   he had tracked down the vinyl of all the [TS]

00:44:21   songs that were that were in this movie [TS]

00:44:23   and made it into a CD so yes I bought a [TS]

00:44:25   pirated CD on ebay but that they were [TS]

00:44:27   basically never released and so yes if [TS]

00:44:30   you've if you've missed Chaz jankle or [TS]

00:44:33   the COMSAT angels [TS]

00:44:34   well you haven't really missed much but [TS]

00:44:37   they're the ones that are playing over [TS]

00:44:38   those montages that there is what to [TS]

00:44:40   fears and bryan adams and I mean it's [TS]

00:44:42   got some eighties it it definitely sets [TS]

00:44:44   a set a tone with the with the [TS]

00:44:47   soundtrack the other songs are like [TS]

00:44:49   eighties movie soundtrack they're just [TS]

00:44:50   like so on-the-nose they might as well [TS]

00:44:52   be singing you like one of those things [TS]

00:44:53   for a literal music videos then I you [TS]

00:44:57   know and they're working they're not bad [TS]

00:44:58   but they're closed [TS]

00:44:59   you know you know it's that I don't look [TS]

00:45:01   at the one part when I said I I don't [TS]

00:45:03   like I love this movie I'm ironically [TS]

00:45:04   the part of that I love ironically is [TS]

00:45:07   the montages because you know yet the [TS]

00:45:09   world could use more montages in their [TS]

00:45:11   movies i like i love the montage I think [TS]

00:45:13   the montages yes i know it covers a lot [TS]

00:45:15   of sins and of screenwriting and there [TS]

00:45:18   are some very peculiar parts in these [TS]

00:45:20   montages where characters are talking [TS]

00:45:22   and you can't hear them and we don't [TS]

00:45:24   know what they're saying and that's that [TS]

00:45:25   so you have to you have to do that [TS]

00:45:26   lady's montage that's a big part of it [TS]

00:45:28   that's what that's what that's where the [TS]

00:45:29   sciences you just insert subtitles a [TS]

00:45:32   science it is actually it's mentioned [TS]

00:45:34   and Chris talking about lasers and are [TS]

00:45:36   carrying big print out this is also how [TS]

00:45:38   you hide scenes that don't work right [TS]

00:45:41   right exactly [TS]

00:45:43   montage or that you don't want to do the [TS]

00:45:44   research if you want to rank like a [TS]

00:45:46   tease montage for like that the best of [TS]

00:45:50   the eighties montages I guess these are [TS]

00:45:51   all genre films but these montage for [TS]

00:45:54   solid babies montage I felt like what up [TS]

00:45:56   and up in the top I would maybe put with [TS]

00:45:58   also with ridiculous on-the-nose songs [TS]

00:46:00   maybe the ones from karate kid when he's [TS]

00:46:04   training or the Footloose ones when he's [TS]

00:46:06   learning to dance the list of those are [TS]

00:46:08   some classic moments from triple-a [TS]

00:46:09   eighties montage tough one of the things [TS]

00:46:12   i like about the real genius montages is [TS]

00:46:13   that there are some good jokes in there [TS]

00:46:14   one and I i saw this movie right before [TS]

00:46:17   I went off to college for a couple years [TS]

00:46:19   before and when I was in college and big [TS]

00:46:22   lecture halls I would always laugh [TS]

00:46:23   thinking of that the fact that there's [TS]

00:46:24   the some people bring their tape [TS]

00:46:26   recorders and then more prank people [TS]

00:46:27   bring their tape recorders to the [TS]

00:46:28   lecture over the course of the montage [TS]

00:46:30   and by the end it's mitch and an [TS]

00:46:32   electric all full of tape recorders and [TS]

00:46:33   a reel-to-reel on the table from the [TS]

00:46:35   professor and everybody's given up on [TS]

00:46:37   actually coming to class and it's just [TS]

00:46:39   all recorded i was watching that with [TS]

00:46:41   someone who looked at me and goes but [TS]

00:46:42   what is going on here haha i didn't i [TS]

00:46:45   didn't think young people have even be [TS]

00:46:47   able to get that only like one of those [TS]

00:46:48   huge things on the tape recorders will [TS]

00:46:51   tell you about it later so that the time [TS]

00:46:53   that was the whole thing it's like I'm [TS]

00:46:54   just gonna listen to a recording of the [TS]

00:46:55   lecture now what it's like a podcast [TS]

00:46:57   kids rented that make any did that did [TS]

00:47:00   that make any sense to you at all the [TS]

00:47:02   tape recorders I recognize just fine [TS]

00:47:04   because I've been seeing those growing [TS]

00:47:06   up but the boombox threw me for a loop [TS]

00:47:09   yes I was gonna say I was that young [TS]

00:47:10   people are gonna be confused by that [TS]

00:47:11   boom box they could record to say pilton [TS]

00:47:14   little Mike's it even the reel-to-reel [TS]

00:47:16   made sense but the boom box just like [TS]

00:47:18   you eat you you can afford a boombox [TS]

00:47:20   bridge type recorder i was a college we [TS]

00:47:25   bought our photographic etching machines [TS]

00:47:26   so we put the photographic accident you [TS]

00:47:28   your lectures on wax on there and we aim [TS]

00:47:31   the horn at the professor and we walked [TS]

00:47:32   off for 10 minutes since we go back and [TS]

00:47:34   switch the discs i actually just would [TS]

00:47:37   bring another person are referring when [TS]

00:47:39   you're talking to take this night over [TS]

00:47:40   out yeah you know I went off to college [TS]

00:47:43   I was very sad when we never had a party [TS]

00:47:45   with student petitions by the way that [TS]

00:47:47   was a real letdown when you said there [TS]

00:47:50   was no ice in your hallway I would i was [TS]

00:47:53   actually quite said that there was no [TS]

00:47:55   ice in my home now [TS]

00:47:56   over there hi jinx with laser beams [TS]

00:47:58   laser beam i have the wrong major [TS]

00:48:00   clearly majoring in high-tech pranks [TS]

00:48:04   that's that i make you a major we went [TS]

00:48:05   to college [TS]

00:48:06   we'd have we'd have a sorority so you [TS]

00:48:08   know but they weren't student petitions [TS]

00:48:10   it's a very different thing i did so so [TS]

00:48:15   okay that now that now that Jon and has [TS]

00:48:19   beaten my favorite movie to death which [TS]

00:48:20   I expected when I when I invite you i [TS]

00:48:22   was i was gonna be critical but then [TS]

00:48:24   John showed up and I feel like you know [TS]

00:48:26   when you started off I need them i need [TS]

00:48:28   to mediate a little bit because Justin's [TS]

00:48:30   here then you know I don't want I don't [TS]

00:48:32   want to tear it to shreds and well and [TS]

00:48:34   look I will not [TS]

00:48:36   although i love this movie I think there [TS]

00:48:38   are plenty of things to criticize about [TS]

00:48:40   it and yet i still love it i think it's [TS]

00:48:42   a good movie for 11 year old nerds in [TS]

00:48:44   the eighties I think that that's the [TS]

00:48:45   best i can say and I think it's a movie [TS]

00:48:47   with it you know it's certainly not [TS]

00:48:48   without its redeeming qualities of funny [TS]

00:48:51   lines a lot of memorable things it was [TS]

00:48:53   enjoyable to watch [TS]

00:48:56   I think a lot of the funny lines didn't [TS]

00:48:57   make me laugh simply because they were [TS]

00:48:59   so burned into my psyche so it must have [TS]

00:49:01   really had an effect that must have [TS]

00:49:02   really had an effect on me in the [TS]

00:49:03   eighties i'm not going to say that [TS]

00:49:04   wasn't funny even though obviously when [TS]

00:49:06   you were 11 yeah yeah okay seriously [TS]

00:49:09   like is that I have the the entire [TS]

00:49:10   script memorized like so it must have [TS]

00:49:13   had a big effect on me then but seeing [TS]

00:49:14   it again now the jokes weren't [TS]

00:49:16   surprising and they didn't laugh at them [TS]

00:49:18   again but I don't think it's because [TS]

00:49:19   they weren't funny is just because they [TS]

00:49:21   paroled to me so i don't i'm not going [TS]

00:49:23   to say that it wasn't funny but I'll [TS]

00:49:24   states that it's an hour an hour and a [TS]

00:49:26   half of my life that that I'm I'm happy [TS]

00:49:29   not to have back [TS]

00:49:30   oh wow that's a ringing endorsement or [TS]

00:49:33   at least a ringing something you know [TS]

00:49:36   they're the you know III it's hard for [TS]

00:49:40   me to judge it because I've seen this [TS]

00:49:41   movie so many times now that it is like [TS]

00:49:44   comfort food and and yet some of the [TS]

00:49:46   some of the dialogue yes some of the [TS]

00:49:48   jokes I just kind of got stalkers like [TS]

00:49:49   yeah whatever the DL he wants to see [TS]

00:49:52   more of you in the lab I'll gain weight [TS]

00:49:53   just now forget it but you know there [TS]

00:49:55   are their wines in there that that kill [TS]

00:49:58   me to this day so i think i caught a new [TS]

00:50:00   one that it didn't catch when I was 11 [TS]

00:50:02   and Jason you could tell me if I'm [TS]

00:50:03   imagining this actually googled the [TS]

00:50:04   script and i could not fight [TS]

00:50:05   didn't script but it was it was just as [TS]

00:50:08   they were cutting away from the scene is [TS]

00:50:09   set under someone's breath but there [TS]

00:50:11   they made some gag line where somebody a [TS]

00:50:13   desk said so-and-so is coming and the [TS]

00:50:15   other person's reply just before the [TS]

00:50:17   cutaway was he's barely breathing hard [TS]

00:50:20   it's not even breathing hard yeah yeah [TS]

00:50:21   that I did not get when I was when I was [TS]

00:50:24   not that ok but i did get it this time [TS]

00:50:27   around somehow it doesn't that was the [TS]

00:50:28   one rock that I didn't know it was [TS]

00:50:29   coming [TS]

00:50:30   we can i let me let me okay I'm gonna [TS]

00:50:32   since we're wrapping up i can tell [TS]

00:50:34   rapping I'm gonna question what where [TS]

00:50:36   people's favorite films if I remember [TS]

00:50:37   that wasn't from that from that period I [TS]

00:50:39   know something like that some of us were [TS]

00:50:40   young [TS]

00:50:41   we're not born but you know mine was [TS]

00:50:44   gonna come out and tell you hi lander [TS]

00:50:45   not from the time but watching later I [TS]

00:50:47   know which is horrible but I watched [TS]

00:50:48   that movie I think dozens dozens of [TS]

00:50:50   times with a group of people a few years [TS]

00:50:52   after it came out it was so bad and [TS]

00:50:54   cheesy and full queen song that was [TS]

00:50:56   great movie when I was 14 years exactly [TS]

00:50:58   is it does not age well is not age well [TS]

00:51:01   but it is it doesn't take herself [TS]

00:51:03   totally seriously either it's got [TS]

00:51:04   ridiculous crap in it and it's funny and [TS]

00:51:07   whatever it's a stupid film with anybody [TS]

00:51:09   else in the film like this is real [TS]

00:51:10   genius is Jason's stick in the sand 495 [TS]

00:51:13   we already brought it up but war games i [TS]

00:51:15   watched endlessly from age like age 72 [TS]

00:51:20   about age 14 [TS]

00:51:21   it was one of the many videos that we [TS]

00:51:23   had taped on our beta player so I was [TS]

00:51:26   just like I get home and I'd pop it in [TS]

00:51:29   and I'm like man maki broader it's so [TS]

00:51:30   cool [TS]

00:51:31   which is funny because I didn't actually [TS]

00:51:32   like Ferris wasn't top on my list is [TS]

00:51:35   that lady lady lock that I do for you [TS]

00:51:38   know but I loved war games there was [TS]

00:51:40   just something there was something about [TS]

00:51:42   that to the point where I like named my [TS]

00:51:43   first couple of computers Falcon and [TS]

00:51:45   like huh it was it was very very strange [TS]

00:51:48   but I still hold he was vulnerable and [TS]

00:51:50   he wore a hoodie i started war dialing [TS]

00:51:52   because four games i had my 300 baud [TS]

00:51:54   modem and i actually found a couple of [TS]

00:51:56   things in my little small town is there [TS]

00:51:58   a statute of limitations well I didn't [TS]

00:52:01   really get anywhere but i did find the [TS]

00:52:02   local hospital actually had an open line [TS]

00:52:04   but we couldn't figure out what the [TS]

00:52:06   password was because I didn't have the [TS]

00:52:07   algorithm that lets you just start with [TS]

00:52:09   AAA [TS]

00:52:10   five minutes get it only takes six hours [TS]

00:52:12   Jason I don't know what your problem [TS]

00:52:13   let's do realize the password the [TS]

00:52:15   password i used to try used to try to [TS]

00:52:17   telnet I tried that didn't work [TS]

00:52:20   although although it is already been [TS]

00:52:22   been roundly booed i will still say that [TS]

00:52:26   that short circuit to me because it was [TS]

00:52:28   one of those movies that I saw so much [TS]

00:52:30   when I was a kid I didn't watch a lot of [TS]

00:52:31   movies when I was like you know you know [TS]

00:52:34   a lot of small kid I watched things like [TS]

00:52:36   Star Wars or whatever but like I didn't [TS]

00:52:37   watch a lot of other movies because I [TS]

00:52:38   just didn't really wasn't really into it [TS]

00:52:40   I'll Star Wars was that a movie from the [TS]

00:52:43   eighties no those are those have no time [TS]

00:52:46   that was from their timeless 77 with you [TS]

00:52:48   might be more familiar with its star [TS]

00:52:51   wars the empire but i found it [TS]

00:52:54   interesting while watching this how many [TS]

00:52:55   similarities i saw to the themes of [TS]

00:52:57   short circuit which I love as a movie [TS]

00:52:59   maybe they mainly because it just has a [TS]

00:53:01   a wisecracking robot in it but that's [TS]

00:53:05   that's a movie that i can quote like [TS]

00:53:06   like have you seen it recently and [TS]

00:53:08   you're still able to [TS]

00:53:10   yes i have it still remains iro maybe [TS]

00:53:14   it's just a nostalgia factor for me but [TS]

00:53:15   it really remains the like I don't know [TS]

00:53:17   I i find a hugely mean I think there's [TS]

00:53:20   something to be said for having a movie [TS]

00:53:21   or some movies that you know by heart [TS]

00:53:23   and that are like I said it's almost [TS]

00:53:25   like comfort food i will i will say i [TS]

00:53:27   make sure when I'm going on a long trip [TS]

00:53:29   that I've got some device of mine with [TS]

00:53:31   real genius loaded on it just because [TS]

00:53:32   when I've been up for like twenty two [TS]

00:53:34   straight hours and i'm still you know [TS]

00:53:37   three hours from finally getting home [TS]

00:53:39   uh I i will put that on and I feel you [TS]

00:53:42   know a comfortable and happy and and I [TS]

00:53:45   notice things I actually notice things [TS]

00:53:46   that I haven't noticed before every [TS]

00:53:48   single time i watch it and I think about [TS]

00:53:51   it and I think how many movies have I [TS]

00:53:53   watched over the years that if I decided [TS]

00:53:55   to take the time and watch it 10 times [TS]

00:53:57   they would completely unfold and I [TS]

00:53:58   totally get it and I would think it was [TS]

00:54:00   the most amazing movie ever and you know [TS]

00:54:03   the fact is you never do that with most [TS]

00:54:05   movies but I i do believe every well not [TS]

00:54:07   every movie lots of movies have the this [TS]

00:54:10   level in it that most people don't [TS]

00:54:12   appreciate because you know you have to [TS]

00:54:14   see it a lot of times to get it [TS]

00:54:16   it also it also helps the movies where [TS]

00:54:18   it's like you know I I bonded with a [TS]

00:54:20   good friend of mine over short circuit [TS]

00:54:21   you know of course we can quote it back [TS]

00:54:23   and forth [TS]

00:54:23   each other it doesn't get pissed doesn't [TS]

00:54:25   feel happy doesn't feel sad it just runs [TS]

00:54:28   programs you know like you can just you [TS]

00:54:30   know they're there are certain movies [TS]

00:54:32   where you can just go back and forth [TS]

00:54:33   with somebody and there's a sort of a [TS]

00:54:34   shared experience there that makes and [TS]

00:54:36   watching movies repeatedly can also have [TS]

00:54:38   the opposite effect where every time you [TS]

00:54:40   watch it you realize what's what's bad [TS]

00:54:43   about it and I mean everybody movies [TS]

00:54:45   television movies when you saw in your [TS]

00:54:46   kid like sometimes I just don't want to [TS]

00:54:47   see them again but they just want to [TS]

00:54:48   preserve my good memory like [TS]

00:54:50   short-circuit I had very good memories [TS]

00:54:51   of when I was a kid but by the time [TS]

00:54:52   shorts truck two came out I was old [TS]

00:54:54   enough to see how bad it was and [TS]

00:54:56   short-circuit was much worse than short [TS]

00:54:57   circuit one and now I'm afraid to ever [TS]

00:54:59   watch short circuit again because i do [TS]

00:55:00   have you know fond memories of a kind of [TS]

00:55:02   robots and special effects and [TS]

00:55:03   everything like that and they were funny [TS]

00:55:04   lines I don't want to see it again and [TS]

00:55:06   ruin all that but if I had to pick like [TS]

00:55:08   if I had to pick like eighties movies [TS]

00:55:10   that I like that one of them actually i [TS]

00:55:13   showed my son recently that figured he [TS]

00:55:15   could handle it he's six soon-to-be [TS]

00:55:17   seven and he's taking karate lessons i [TS]

00:55:19   want to show them the karate kid which I [TS]

00:55:20   held up as likely the ultimate eighties [TS]

00:55:23   formula you know that the karate kids [TS]

00:55:25   formulas and they didn't invent it but [TS]

00:55:27   they perfected that formula and i [TS]

00:55:28   watched it again and for the most part [TS]

00:55:30   it held up a few things like watching an [TS]

00:55:32   adult I didn't realize like how abrupt [TS]

00:55:34   certain things were on it just seemed so [TS]

00:55:36   much more expansive when i saw it as a [TS]

00:55:38   kid but I was to hold that up as a as a [TS]

00:55:40   movie that has kind of that I don't like [TS]

00:55:44   a guilty pleasure I realize it's a bad [TS]

00:55:46   movie but i still get caught up in the [TS]

00:55:48   stupid you know montages and emotional [TS]

00:55:50   scenes that it get it did get worse [TS]

00:55:52   upon seeing it as an adult but being [TS]

00:55:54   able to see it through the eyes of my [TS]

00:55:55   son help their stuff that you're not [TS]

00:55:57   cognizant of the guy's a kid right like [TS]

00:55:59   you don't know the first thing about [TS]

00:56:00   editing or whatever but you know that [TS]

00:56:02   you especially after you seen hundreds [TS]

00:56:04   of war movies right yeah we sort of ever [TS]

00:56:06   find your understanding of the art form [TS]

00:56:08   a little bit although the the best thing [TS]

00:56:11   about that movie seeing it as an adult [TS]

00:56:12   was seeing a Elisabeth Shue in that [TS]

00:56:14   movie and realizing she would be [TS]

00:56:16   considered morbidly obese in in in [TS]

00:56:20   modern era they would never cashed her [TS]

00:56:22   that they would cast her as the fat ugly [TS]

00:56:24   girl in any modern team moving and just [TS]

00:56:26   realize how ridiculously you know how [TS]

00:56:28   the shape of women's bodies has changed [TS]

00:56:30   in Hollywood like the standard that they [TS]

00:56:32   that they are held to four movies like [TS]

00:56:34   this now where she just looked like a [TS]

00:56:35   perfectly healthy fine normal one [TS]

00:56:37   but you see her on the screen with the [TS]

00:56:38   mindset of i'm gonna watch a movie and [TS]

00:56:40   there's going to be a girl in high [TS]

00:56:41   school and you're like oh my god she has [TS]

00:56:43   you know she's not real thing I can see [TS]

00:56:45   every single one of her ribs it's a [TS]

00:56:46   miracle of casting huh that's just [TS]

00:56:49   fascinating there and then there are [TS]

00:56:51   their movies from that era that fall [TS]

00:56:52   into different categories i think we I [TS]

00:56:54   mean we already discussed the princess [TS]

00:56:55   bride you know I throw something like [TS]

00:56:57   you know Ghostbusters your back to the [TS]

00:56:59   future and that mix as well and i would [TS]

00:57:00   say princess bride is a level above all [TS]

00:57:02   those well yeah I i guess i mean i can [TS]

00:57:04   watch it again and again that's the one [TS]

00:57:06   to get the one that gets better does not [TS]

00:57:07   get worse [TS]

00:57:08   no no it's just I i love the original [TS]

00:57:10   back to the future i hit and as I think [TS]

00:57:12   that I haven't seen that in years when I [TS]

00:57:13   think that holds up to [TS]

00:57:15   I i think my experience and watching [TS]

00:57:17   them is that is that back to the future [TS]

00:57:19   doesn't hold up quite as well as [TS]

00:57:20   Ghostbusters but they both hold up [TS]

00:57:22   pretty well I'm surprised nobody other [TS]

00:57:24   than intentionally brought up one of the [TS]

00:57:26   John Hughes movies an example of a movie [TS]

00:57:28   that you like from the 80s because those [TS]

00:57:30   are in many ways are often girls them [TS]

00:57:31   and she's open up you know I can't well [TS]

00:57:35   I can actually watch John Hughes movies [TS]

00:57:37   i I've tried sitting are you bored live [TS]

00:57:40   in 16 I'd just they don't do that for me [TS]

00:57:42   if you were born in the eighties they [TS]

00:57:44   would have got to it i think the [TS]

00:57:45   cultural baggage is off-putting but if [TS]

00:57:47   all that was removed it [TS]

00:57:50   those i never saw a ferris bueller's day [TS]

00:57:52   off until last year and it's good [TS]

00:57:55   variability so i have to get that's a [TS]

00:57:57   good movie and it was getting better in [TS]

00:57:58   the eighties let me tell you all right I [TS]

00:58:00   believe you I believe you i miss the [TS]

00:58:02   whole John missing when it first [TS]

00:58:03   happened on when cool can you hook up [TS]

00:58:05   your time machines we can go back and [TS]

00:58:06   watch this all the eighties because [TS]

00:58:07   that'll be useful for us yeah let me [TS]

00:58:09   tell you see what i can do if you're if [TS]

00:58:11   you're 14 and you're in the movie [TS]

00:58:13   theater and and real genius comes on [TS]

00:58:15   especially if you just saw my science [TS]

00:58:17   project with what you'll be like oh [TS]

00:58:19   thank god this isn't terrible like my [TS]

00:58:21   science project has anybody seen my [TS]

00:58:23   science project is available that they [TS]

00:58:24   burn the Masters that's a terrible [TS]

00:58:27   that's a movie that's so terrible in so [TS]

00:58:28   many different ways but I remember real [TS]

00:58:30   genius standing out as a different kind [TS]

00:58:32   of movie even though it when we look at [TS]

00:58:34   now it's like all it's a typical [TS]

00:58:35   eighties movie i remember when i saw it [TS]

00:58:37   at the time when you're in the eighties [TS]

00:58:39   it's just a movie it felt it felt it [TS]

00:58:42   felt different it felt it felt different [TS]

00:58:44   than it was like it was like you know [TS]

00:58:46   underground kind [TS]

00:58:49   a secret alternative type of movie you [TS]

00:58:51   know as opposed to how we see it now as [TS]

00:58:54   much as you know as much as John I [TS]

00:58:56   disagreed earlier i mean i think the [TS]

00:58:58   truth is that the one of the reasons [TS]

00:58:59   that I I like real genius this day as a [TS]

00:59:02   fourteen-year-old in a small town you [TS]

00:59:05   know I i watch that movie and thought [TS]

00:59:07   wow this is a movie again yeah [TS]

00:59:09   caricature is fine [TS]

00:59:10   I this is a movie with lots of really [TS]

00:59:11   smart people in it who are not who are [TS]

00:59:14   not they're the heroes in the movie and [TS]

00:59:16   that really did have a residence for me [TS]

00:59:17   because you didn't see that a lot i [TS]

00:59:20   didn't see people like that who actually [TS]

00:59:21   kind of identified with and I you know [TS]

00:59:24   as a as a teenager as a high school [TS]

00:59:26   freshman in hick town in California [TS]

00:59:29   sadly all those people then grew up to [TS]

00:59:32   make terrible Terry yes movies sad [TS]

00:59:35   laters like medium definitely yeah [TS]

00:59:37   that's right i mentioned this in the [TS]

00:59:39   previous cup i guess there is an episode [TS]

00:59:41   of lost that has john grise and william [TS]

00:59:43   atherton in it they don't they don't [TS]

00:59:45   actually have any scenes together but if [TS]

00:59:47   there's that moment where Jerry yes [TS]

00:59:48   Jerry Hathaway and last lo are in an [TS]

00:59:51   episode of lost and all i can assume is [TS]

00:59:53   that somebody who worked on lost likes [TS]

00:59:58   real genius because really [TS]

00:59:58   real genius because really [TS]

01:00:00   how could that happen and by the way but [TS]

01:00:02   I think I mentioned this on previous [TS]

01:00:04   podcast in that episode of lost william [TS]

01:00:05   atherton kind of a dick [TS]

01:00:07   I know this will I know this will shock [TS]

01:00:10   you all [TS]

01:00:12   it helped them i want you shocked by how [TS]

01:00:14   young and nothing you look so I saw him [TS]

01:00:16   in this movie I'm like oh my god he [TS]

01:00:17   looks like he's 12 [TS]

01:00:18   you know because you're so used to [TS]

01:00:19   seeing him over the years playing that [TS]

01:00:20   same character in that same way and he [TS]

01:00:22   looks much older now [TS]

01:00:23   yeah but it's it's the die-hard [TS]

01:00:25   Ghostbusters real genius access that was [TS]

01:00:27   that's him at his peak of being a dick [TS]

01:00:31   well so William Atherton and gave Jeremy [TS]

01:00:35   piston well i mean i think he let me [TS]

01:00:37   know that's that was he kinda houses [TS]

01:00:40   he's got a beachfront house somewhere [TS]

01:00:42   for being a dick [TS]

01:00:44   he's very he's very nice maybe some if [TS]

01:00:47   they call if they call save the message [TS]

01:00:50   was funny later I don't guys a film [TS]

01:00:55   reviewer he reviewed one of Franklin's [TS]

01:00:56   movies badly and I was dug up his [TS]

01:00:58   numbers in the nineties getting in and [TS]

01:01:00   out something like that [TS]

01:01:01   he dug up the number and Frank Oz left a [TS]

01:01:03   long incredibly angry and foul message [TS]

01:01:05   as Yoda are Grover Miss Piggy calling [TS]

01:01:08   you and cursing you out pretty good [TS]

01:01:10   Fozzie Bear alright well I feel like [TS]

01:01:13   we've beaten my childhood love to death [TS]

01:01:16   enough for now [TS]

01:01:18   that's apparently the modus operandi for [TS]

01:01:20   this podcast is to destroy this should [TS]

01:01:22   be called we're destroying Jason spells [TS]

01:01:24   childhood one movie at a time the story [TS]

01:01:27   really do micronauts episode 20 [TS]

01:01:30   yes y know I already did that and and [TS]

01:01:32   Lisa Schmeisser took that one apart so [TS]

01:01:35   before somebody can say something else [TS]

01:01:37   bad about real genius quiet everybody [TS]

01:01:40   um I am going to say say good-bye again [TS]

01:01:44   I'm not going to even leave you with a [TS]

01:01:45   quote from real genius i'm just going to [TS]

01:01:47   go watch it again to soothe myself so [TS]

01:01:50   until next time on the incomparable [TS]

01:01:52   podcast [TS]

01:01:53   thank you to my guest and more'n thanks [TS]

01:01:55   for having me jaise thanks for watching [TS]

01:01:57   the movie [TS]

01:01:58   hey my pleasure that's 90 minutes that [TS]

01:02:00   you didn't entirely just like so that's [TS]

01:02:02   good [TS]

01:02:02   Glenn flight you can put that on the Box [TS]

01:02:04   my brand and Fleischmann I thank you for [TS]

01:02:07   being on this podcast after watching [TS]

01:02:08   this movie with a future chart charting [TS]

01:02:12   pop musician right in a movie in a way i [TS]

01:02:15   watched a lot just moving the driving [TS]

01:02:16   with the with a now famous person at the [TS]

01:02:20   time she was just in high school of [TS]

01:02:22   course and then she built a laser and [TS]

01:02:25   was famous ren called well thank you for [TS]

01:02:27   watching this little bit little 90 [TS]

01:02:29   minutes of the eighties it was fun [TS]

01:02:31   nostalgia jizz your time machine was [TS]

01:02:33   active John siracusa you were here [TS]

01:02:38   thanks for being a good sport Jason I [TS]

01:02:40   hope you just I hope you can watch this [TS]

01:02:42   movie in the future and not hear my [TS]

01:02:43   voice in your head [TS]

01:02:44   I i will but i may go back and watch [TS]

01:02:47   watch war games so i can feel more [TS]

01:02:48   emotionally connected i hope so [TS]

01:02:51   provision i have you know until next [TS]

01:02:53   time this is the incomparable i'm jason [TS]

01:02:56   snelling [TS]

01:02:57   goodbye [TS]

01:03:04   [Music] [TS]

01:03:12   allergies are gold come to your life [TS]

01:03:19   their hole in back [TS]

01:03:24   that's not good there you're missing a [TS]

01:03:29   few notes and you thing that's tricky [TS]

01:03:34   yeah are back i don't think the latency [TS]

01:03:38   skype is helping out everybody wants to [TS]

01:03:42   rule the world [TS]

01:03:50   it also has a very strange obsession [TS]

01:03:51   with the word penis [TS]