Full Transcript for Why Digger’s Twist Turned a Fun Movie Into a Furious Disaster plus reviews and film news.

00:04:44.720 Uh, it also like everyone tells me it's really, really good, but it's sort of one of those films that just doesn't feel particularly essential. 00:04:44.879 --> 00:04:48.639 Like, I felt like obsession and backrooms I had to see. 00:04:48.879 --> 00:04:57.199 Whereas Resident Evil, the people who've seen it have told me, oh, it's really good for a Resident Evil movie, which is a very, very, very low bar. 00:04:57.519 --> 00:04:59.120 So, what did you make of it now? 00:04:59.839 --> 00:05:04.399 I'd say I went to see it purely because it is a Zachary Creature movie. 00:05:04.560 --> 00:05:09.199 Uh if it had if he had not been directing, there's not a chance I would have gone to see a Resident Evil movie. 00:05:09.279 --> 00:05:11.439 I've not seen any of the other Resident Evil movies. 00:05:11.680 --> 00:05:24.639 My only connection with the Resident Evil franchise is playing it on the original PlayStation when you would walk around, go through a door, and then sit watching an animation of a door opening for about five minutes while the rest of the game loaded. 00:05:24.879 --> 00:05:30.319 Um, so that's there there's no door, there's no like long door openings while game loads in this film. 00:05:30.560 --> 00:05:31.040 Boo. 00:05:31.360 --> 00:05:38.079 Um it I think some of the fans of Resident Evil games got a bit annoyed because it doesn't follow any of the storylines of the games. 00:05:38.319 --> 00:05:43.040 Um it is kind of its own thing, it's kind of the the the idea of Resident Evil. 00:05:43.360 --> 00:05:44.240 I kind of I liked it. 00:05:44.319 --> 00:05:49.120 It's just you're you're following one the one character throughout the film. 00:05:49.279 --> 00:06:02.240 Um you're just following him as he sort of goes about his day, um and um things go wrong. 00:06:02.560 --> 00:06:10.399 Um and zombies horrible monsters start attacking him, and that's kind of that's kind of it, really. 00:06:10.560 --> 00:06:11.360 So it's quite funny. 00:06:11.519 --> 00:06:16.319 There's some quite funny moments early on when he meets his first sort of zombified woman. 00:06:16.639 --> 00:06:20.319 Um I kind of off my head just thought it was a zombie film, but it's not. 00:06:20.399 --> 00:06:40.319 It they're like weird mutant creature zombies um going on in it, and it soon hap soon happens that they they you know, they need there's some exposition-y bits in a car which explain what's really going on and how the the the main character has to then try and help get rid of all the zombies. 00:06:40.560 --> 00:06:42.720 Um and Austin Abrams is great in it. 00:06:42.879 --> 00:06:55.600 Like his he's very real, he reacts in exactly the way we would, down to like high-pitch screaming like a girl, uh, when he's running away from stuff and um just generally looking terrified. 00:06:55.759 --> 00:06:57.279 Uh it's an hour and a half. 00:06:57.519 --> 00:07:22.639 It was an hour and a half fun romp in the cinema with lots of silliness, some really good um kind of set piece um horror sets and stuff, with like the maternity ward, particularly in the hospital that's been infected by this virus or whatever it is that these creatures have all turned into as pretty cool, with a huge sort of balloon of blood exploding. 00:07:22.879 --> 00:07:34.240 If you like, I I would say don't think of it as a Resident Evil film, just think of it as a sort of zombie end of the world creature feature, and you'll have a lot of fun with it. 00:07:34.480 --> 00:07:35.040 Yeah. 00:07:35.920 --> 00:07:49.360 A lot of the criticism I've seen online and from people I know who've seen it has been, well, it Jetsons a lot of like the gate the stuff from the games, like in terms of the actual characters, like Leon, Chris, Claire, or there's no one like that in it. 00:07:49.519 --> 00:07:58.959 It's literally just the guy essentially running through Raccoon City while he's being chased by all sorts of grimbleys with tentacles coming out of places where tentacles shouldn't come out of. 00:07:59.279 --> 00:08:01.600 But kind of the homage to the game is kind of the way it's shot. 00:08:01.680 --> 00:08:08.879 It's kind of shot in a lot of the shots are like the game, like you're following just one character, which is how I remember the game being. 00:08:08.959 --> 00:08:11.839 You're just one character trying to figure out what's going on. 00:08:12.800 --> 00:08:23.759 Well, there's a moment in the trailer, at least, where he's walking down this road and you can see zombies, I think, stood on the side of the building, and all of a sudden the camera sweeps around, and you can see zombies stood on the other side of the building. 00:08:23.920 --> 00:08:25.680 I was like, that's exactly what you do in a game. 00:08:25.759 --> 00:08:30.399 You'd move the camera with your controller to see what see what's going on around you. 00:08:30.560 --> 00:08:33.519 Uh, I'm very like, as I said, I really want to I want to see it. 00:08:33.600 --> 00:08:40.399 Uh, it just felt slightly it it there wasn't enough in there for me to get to go and see it. 00:08:40.480 --> 00:08:47.600 So the fact that you, of all people, liked it, someone who isn't the biggest fan of horror, has piqued my interest even more. 00:08:48.000 --> 00:08:48.639 Yeah. 00:08:49.039 --> 00:09:01.440 Uh well, I mean, I I'd say not the biggest fan of horror, but uh some of my the some of my bet the best films I've seen in the last couple of years have probably been, you know, you've got your obsessions, your backrooms, your sinners, your um weapons last year. 00:09:01.519 --> 00:09:13.679 You know, it's I think the genre is expanding beyond your pure sort of jump scare um gore porn, which is good. 00:09:14.080 --> 00:09:34.639 Well, we could get we could get into Neil, whether that's your own biases or whether the genre has been expanding for years now, and whether your preconceived notions are just you experiencing more horror movies, or maybe even, you know,

prestige people who uh critics acknowledging the horror genre a bit more. 00:09:34.720 --> 00:09:37.120 Uh but that's a that's a conversation for another podcast. 00:09:37.440 --> 00:09:39.279 That is a conversation for another day. 00:09:39.440 --> 00:09:50.080 Um I've also seen a film called Cycle of Love, which is a documentary by the Oscar-winning documentarian Orlando von Sidel. 00:09:51.200 --> 00:10:00.000 Um he won the Oscar for White Hats, which was about the sort of like emergency responders in Syria. 00:10:00.639 --> 00:10:02.480 Uh so it's his new documentary. 00:10:02.639 --> 00:10:06.559 Uh, I was lucky enough to host the QA for this at home. 00:10:06.720 --> 00:10:16.080 And I had what I would say, Tom, is one of my finest moments in a QA where I sat down, I was very worried about saying the director's name correct. 00:10:16.240 --> 00:10:19.279 He'd nip to the loo and I was like sat there going, What are you doing? 00:10:19.360 --> 00:10:20.559 But there's QA's about start. 00:10:20.639 --> 00:10:33.759 So he sort of runs in as the as the credits finish, and I introduce um him and the film, and my brain just goes, Nope, there's no information in here, and I forgot the name of the film. 00:10:36.399 --> 00:10:42.240 Which was which was not my finest moment as a QA host, forgetting the name of the film. 00:10:42.480 --> 00:10:49.919 That's to be fair, I had one day's notice that I was doing this Q ⁇ A, but it was also written on a piece of paper in front of me. 00:10:51.039 --> 00:10:53.919 That's a real nightmare scenario stuff, that nail. 00:10:54.000 --> 00:10:56.639 Like, can't remember the name of the movie that you're talking about. 00:10:56.720 --> 00:11:04.639 Like I've done Q ⁇ A's where I've forgotten the name of the people in doing the QA plenty of times, but but never the name of the film. 00:11:04.960 --> 00:11:08.799 Well, luckily I styled it out and it ended up being a really, really good QA. 00:11:08.960 --> 00:11:18.000 So um and Orlando Orlando forgave me and said it kind of disarmed people and made it a non non-pretentious QA, which was which was good. 00:11:18.080 --> 00:11:24.320 So he said that he said my QA style was good, but you know, maybe remember the name of the film in future. 00:11:25.679 --> 00:11:28.639 It's a bold new technique in film QA's. 00:11:28.960 --> 00:11:30.799 I don't know the name of your movie. 00:11:31.200 --> 00:11:33.600 Yes, not ideal, but it was called The Cycle of Love. 00:11:34.159 --> 00:11:35.120 And the name of the film. 00:11:35.840 --> 00:11:38.960 Yeah, it was it was called The Cycle of Love, and I did it, I I enjoyed it. 00:11:39.039 --> 00:11:59.279 So it's a documentary um based on a true story of a uh Indian guy in the uh sort of eighties who fell in love with a Swedish girl uh in India when she was travelling. 00:11:59.440 --> 00:12:04.320 He fell in love with her and they got they had a sort of romance while she was there. 00:12:04.559 --> 00:12:09.759 They made this decision that she was gonna come back in August uh to see him again, but she never came. 00:12:10.639 --> 00:12:15.919 And he was like, Well, this is the woman I'm meant to be with. 00:12:16.799 --> 00:12:23.360 So he decides to cycle from India to Sweden to see her again. 00:12:24.559 --> 00:12:28.720 Um I won't do too many spoilers about the film, but it's it is a documentary. 00:12:28.879 --> 00:12:37.360 There's a the it's based on a book by the by the man who who did the journey, which I think is how a man cycled from India to Sweden for love on a bicycle. 00:12:37.440 --> 00:12:39.759 Or like the name of the book is Matt. 00:12:40.000 --> 00:12:40.559 Long. 00:12:40.960 --> 00:12:41.120 Right. 00:12:41.440 --> 00:12:44.240 Um but it's obviously they've got no archive footage. 00:12:45.679 --> 00:12:47.440 So they've got no archive footage of his journey. 00:12:48.159 --> 00:12:52.159 They've got hardly any photos of the two of them together back then. 00:12:52.480 --> 00:12:55.279 Um so how do you go about making a documentary? 00:12:55.519 --> 00:12:59.519 So the way Orlando tackled this was he kind of recreates the journey with actors. 00:13:00.720 --> 00:13:26.559 Um so it's sort of recreation and then some modern day stuff interviewing the the the man who did the the bike ride and the lady who was in um Sweden interviewing her in Switzerland and interviewing him in in India, sort of interviewing the two of them and um mixes that in with this this footage of the journey, which is a recreation. 00:13:26.799 --> 00:13:43.519 But what's quite cool is the recreation they actually then stop and a lot of what he did on the way, he was a street artist, and a lot of the way he paid his way across sort of on his journey was to to do street drawings for people, and um he was very good at getting people to open up and have conversations. 00:13:43.840 --> 00:13:52.399 So they actually what they did on the journey was they stopped and just chatted to people um and had these conversations and then sort of documented those. 00:13:52.720 --> 00:13:55.679 So it's not like a scripted journey. 00:13:55.840 --> 00:14:09.200 They followed the journey with actors, but the the journey wasn't really scripted, they were chatting to real people about real event about how their lives are now, and what was quite amazing was how that didn't feel like it was outside the period. 00:14:09.519 --> 00:14:18.639 So they're having all these conversations with people now, today, and it felt like those conversations were kind of could have been taking place back in the 80s. 00:14:19.120 --> 00:14:20.799 Um, so that was quite cool. 00:14:21.039 --> 00:14:28.000 Um, and yeah, there's a lot in there about the sort of cast structure in India, which is not great. 00:14:28.320 --> 00:14:31.039 Uh so I learned a lot I learned a bit about that. 00:14:31.279 --> 00:14:37.759 Um but yeah, it was a really it was a really lovely little documentary, very heartfelt, um packed audience for

it. 00:14:37.840 --> 00:14:42.080 I think it's still in cinemas now, so if people want to check it out, The Cycle of Love, I've remembered the name now. 00:14:42.240 --> 00:14:43.919 Um so yeah, I'd definitely say check it out. 00:14:44.000 --> 00:14:50.159 It's quite a again, because they kind of recreated that journey from India to to Sweden, it's quite a cinematic documentary. 00:14:50.320 --> 00:14:58.159 So it is worth going and checking it out um in the cinema if you can before it heads wherever it's gonna head on streaming. 00:14:59.759 --> 00:15:01.120 That sounds really interesting. 00:15:01.279 --> 00:15:08.000 Like I was I hadn't considered like how how do you go about making a documentary when you have no archive footage. 00:15:08.240 --> 00:15:10.399 Uh sounds good. 00:15:10.799 --> 00:15:14.480 Yeah, they do a good job, and it's like the talking heads aren't like people sat in a room doing a talking head. 00:15:14.559 --> 00:15:16.480 It is very it's very well constructed. 00:15:16.639 --> 00:15:26.159 Um and yeah, it's really I wouldn't be surprised if it also gets turned into a narrative at some point, because I think there's a lot of story there that people would get behind in a straight narrative as well. 00:15:27.120 --> 00:15:30.240 It sounds very much like it's like set up for that type of thing. 00:15:30.480 --> 00:15:30.960 Cool. 00:15:31.440 --> 00:15:36.240 Um Well, we spoke about films that we liked, even though you didn't like the sound of love hypothesis. 00:15:36.559 --> 00:15:37.360 Um, sir. 00:15:37.679 --> 00:15:42.639 Should we talk about the film that we both hated? 00:15:42.879 --> 00:15:44.799 In fact, I don't actually know if you hated it. 00:15:44.960 --> 00:15:54.399 I think like I cause I think hate's probably too strong a word for me, but uh digger Alejandro uh inner ineritus digger. 00:15:54.480 --> 00:15:56.080 What did what did you make of it, Neil? 00:15:56.799 --> 00:16:00.399 So I saw it last Friday uh on on release day. 00:16:00.480 --> 00:16:03.600 I went to to my local uh cinema to watch it. 00:16:03.679 --> 00:16:04.879 And I was quite excited for it. 00:16:04.960 --> 00:16:19.840 I know I had read the reviews and I knew it was I I I kind of tried to put the the reviews out of my mind and just go in and experience it and for myself and it's kind of I've been thinking about it since then. 00:16:19.919 --> 00:16:28.399 I think that the word that best describes my feeling for the for the film is it it kind of made me angry um that it wasn't better. 00:16:28.720 --> 00:16:39.919 I just think it it could have been so much better than it was, and I just felt really let down by it. 00:16:40.240 --> 00:16:42.000 Because I was I was up for it. 00:16:42.159 --> 00:16:42.639 I was up for it. 00:16:42.799 --> 00:16:53.440 I'd seen the trailer, I was up for the silliness, I was up for the sort of heightened sort of nonsense performance from from Tom Cruise, the over-the-top-ness of the whole thing. 00:16:53.600 --> 00:17:05.440 I kind of was like, cool, let's go and watch a film that's just not scared, to be over the top, to be in your face, to be quirky, um, and to just be a to be bold. 00:17:06.000 --> 00:17:12.559 And then about half an hour into the film, something happens which just pissed me off. 00:17:12.799 --> 00:17:14.960 And then I was like, Well, you bottled it. 00:17:15.200 --> 00:17:17.599 You absolutely bottled it. 00:17:17.759 --> 00:17:24.000 And that's my my my sort of main feeling of the film is I think it absolutely bottled it. 00:17:26.880 --> 00:17:29.039 I completely agree. 00:17:29.200 --> 00:17:32.000 A lot like yourself, I was really excited for this. 00:17:32.079 --> 00:17:34.880 I saw the trailer and I was like, excellent. 00:17:35.039 --> 00:17:40.000 Tom Cruise is back doing some weird stuff, and I'm here for it. 00:17:40.160 --> 00:17:47.440 He looks like he's trying, he's not relying on throwing himself off a m off a mountain on a motorbike, you know, or running down the side of a plane. 00:17:47.599 --> 00:17:50.079 Like he is doing some actual acting. 00:17:50.240 --> 00:17:52.720 He's doing it dressed as an old man. 00:17:53.039 --> 00:17:55.680 And I was like, yeah, can't wait. 00:17:55.920 --> 00:18:00.799 Um I during the first 10 minutes, I thought we are in for a treat here. 00:18:01.039 --> 00:18:05.920 Because it opens with one of the weirdest scene sequences I've seen in a film in so long. 00:18:06.160 --> 00:18:20.880 You've got this like elderly man in bed with what's very clearly a puppet cat that's peed all down him, and he's feeding the cat tuna from what can only be described as a coke fingernail. 00:18:21.200 --> 00:18:24.960 You know, like he's like spooning it into the into the cat's mouth. 00:18:25.119 --> 00:18:27.039 It's absolutely gross. 00:18:27.200 --> 00:18:36.640 And then you treated to this scene of like him going about his day and you know, him threatening uh the vet who's given him a bad prognosis on his cat. 00:18:36.799 --> 00:18:39.759 And I was like, yeah, this is exactly what I wanted this to be. 00:18:39.920 --> 00:18:42.640 It felt grotesque, it felt really arch. 00:18:42.799 --> 00:18:46.559 It felt like it wanted you to be repulsed watching this man. 00:18:46.720 --> 00:18:58.480 And then we get into the stuff which is in the trailer, so I don't mind mentioning it, you know, about the accident in gr in the Arctic and how Digger has essentially doomed the world with his greed. 00:18:58.640 --> 00:19:03.680 And then the president gets involved and he's like, What are you gonna do about this digger played by John Goodman? 00:19:03.920 --> 00:19:07.279 I was like, Yes, this is ticking all the boxes for me. 00:19:07.359 --> 00:19:09.119 I'm having such a good time. 00:19:09.359 --> 00:19:09.839 Yep. 00:19:10.079 --> 00:19:20.960 And then you get the much spoken about twist, which you know, I and I was just like, Oh, because every it screeches to a halt. 00:19:21.440 -->

00:19:25.039 Warn everyone that from now on we're gonna go spoilers. 00:19:25.279 --> 00:19:30.640 So if you don't if that's all you want to know about Digger, you can fast forward to us talking about something else. 00:19:30.720 --> 00:19:34.480 Uh uh skip this bit or stop this bit and go and see the film first. 00:19:34.799 --> 00:19:46.720 Um if you've not heard what the twist is, we're we're gonna go into it now because it kind of needs addressing for those who have seen the film um or don't care and just want to know and and and and carry on. 00:19:46.799 --> 00:19:48.799 But that from now on, this is very spoilerific. 00:19:48.880 --> 00:19:54.880 So if if you if you're planning to see the film, you haven't seen it yet, I would suggest you maybe come back to this once you've seen it. 00:19:56.400 --> 00:19:56.960 So yes. 00:19:57.200 --> 00:19:59.519 Yeah, because that's you find out it's a theatre show. 00:19:59.599 --> 00:19:59.759 Yeah. 00:19:59.920 --> 00:20:01.119 It's a th yeah. 00:20:02.559 --> 00:20:06.240 It's for me, it was akin to it was all a dream. 00:20:07.599 --> 00:20:15.839 Yeah, it's it's really irritating because from then on, like it well, first of all, it just comes to an absolute halt. 00:20:16.000 --> 00:20:39.599 You are really you are I was quite invested in what is going to happen, and then the it all of a sudden the brakes were put onto it while we then get this other plot going on where Tom Cruise is an actor played called what Curtis is it, who is playing Digger in the future because this is sort of like a historical play. 00:20:41.119 --> 00:20:50.079 Yeah, uh I was just really quite annoyed because I never thought that the digger narrative got back on track after that because we can't. 00:20:50.160 --> 00:20:50.799 Well, the problem is that the biggest thing is. 00:20:54.480 --> 00:20:56.240 Yeah, yeah, I think you're right. 00:20:56.319 --> 00:21:00.880 You don't it's very difficult to care after the fact it's revealed that this isn't happening to anyone. 00:21:00.960 --> 00:21:02.880 This has already happened, maybe. 00:21:03.200 --> 00:21:07.920 But I think I think I think you're misremembering how the film plays out. 00:21:08.000 --> 00:21:18.319 Because I don't think we find out, uh I could be wrong, but I don't think we find out at that moment that this is a play based on real historical events. 00:21:18.559 --> 00:21:18.880 No, we're not. 00:21:19.039 --> 00:21:21.039 Because within the world of the film, no, we don't. 00:21:21.680 --> 00:21:22.559 Which is even worse. 00:21:22.640 --> 00:21:25.359 So I just think, oh, he's he's in a play. 00:21:25.440 --> 00:21:30.960 So it's all just fictitious, even in the world that we're in, this is fictitious. 00:21:31.680 --> 00:21:33.839 And why do I care now anymore? 00:21:34.960 --> 00:21:44.880 Well, Neil, of course you should care because there's the fascinating subplot of will Curtis's daughter who's on a flight, will her plane land? 00:21:45.119 --> 00:21:46.720 And the worst subplot. 00:21:47.680 --> 00:21:50.880 One of the lowest stakes I've ever seen in my life. 00:21:51.920 --> 00:21:59.039 That's resolved by him by um uh Jesse Blemon's character at the end, just go, yeah, she's fine. 00:21:59.200 --> 00:22:04.960 Yeah I I I was thinking about why I didn't like this movie. 00:22:05.039 --> 00:22:14.960 And listen, like I I have a real aversion to pr uh pretense in my in in films, and especially when I find that it undermines the narrative that the film is trying to say. 00:22:15.119 --> 00:22:26.880 Because I think in the beginning, the film is sort of setting itself up as, you know, a polemic about climate change and sort of like, you know, oh, uh, you know, rich people are ruining the planet. 00:22:27.119 --> 00:22:40.160 Which, okay, it's not the most original, but I was kind of looking forward to, you know, as we were saying, a grotesque sort of view on that from the perspective of the man who who is ruining the world and just doesn't give a shit, basically. 00:22:40.559 --> 00:22:42.640 I thought, oh, that that's kind of that's interesting. 00:22:42.799 --> 00:22:51.920 But when you in when you start the the reason why they do this theatrical thing, and actually, I thought I was too stupid to understand what the movie was trying to say. 00:22:52.160 --> 00:23:01.680 So I I was there was another person from work at the screening I was at, and I went up to them afterwards and I said, Can I just ask you what the theatre stuff was about? 00:23:02.000 --> 00:23:15.200 Because this guy really enjoyed the film, and he said, Oh, actually, what it is is like it's a comment on uh artifice and the way the wealthy can manipulate their histories long after you know the initial events. 00:23:15.359 --> 00:23:19.279 And I was like, okay, yeah, that's sort of what I've got, I got from it. 00:23:19.440 --> 00:23:21.039 So I just didn't enjoy that. 00:23:21.119 --> 00:23:26.000 And now I've seen loads of people saying, Oh, this film doesn't want you to like it. 00:23:26.240 --> 00:23:27.680 And I was like, fine. 00:23:27.839 --> 00:23:31.839 Well, in that case, then it succeeds, I guess, because I really didn't like it. 00:23:32.000 --> 00:23:36.079 I thought it it it was nowhere near as funny as it needed to be. 00:23:36.240 --> 00:23:38.400 Like there was there are some really good performances. 00:23:38.480 --> 00:23:42.640 Like, I think Tom Cruise is is is actually really good as digger. 00:23:42.960 --> 00:23:43.039 Yeah. 00:23:43.279 --> 00:23:44.559 It's just all the stuff with Curtis. 00:23:44.640 --> 00:23:46.160 I was just like, I don't care. 00:23:46.319 --> 00:23:47.839 I really don't care. 00:23:48.079 --> 00:23:53.839 Uh um, you know, I don't and it's just such a frustrating film. 00:23:54.240 --> 00:23:58.480 Like, because it's as you as I've said, it just comes across as massively pretentious. 00:23:58.720 --> 00:24:02.079 Like it thinks it's cleverer than it is, and it's just not.

00:24:02.319 --> 00:24:07.359 It's not entertaining enough to justify the smugness that this movie exit. 00:24:08.240 --> 00:24:18.880 Genuinely, when the reveal comes that it's a play, like I j I was genuinely close to just I I was so pissed off. 00:24:19.200 --> 00:24:21.200 I nearly just left the cinema. 00:24:21.759 --> 00:24:24.480 I nearly just went, you know what, I can't be fucking assed, I'm leaving. 00:24:24.640 --> 00:24:28.240 I just don't, I just this you've annoyed me so much. 00:24:28.640 --> 00:24:34.559 Like, I just think if that I was if it just like you say, I wanted to the I was I was kind of in then. 00:24:34.640 --> 00:24:35.359 They'd sold me. 00:24:35.440 --> 00:24:37.279 I was like, why are people slagging this off so much? 00:24:37.440 --> 00:24:38.079 This is fun. 00:24:38.559 --> 00:24:42.319 Like this is set up something bad, like this, this is set up to be a really good film. 00:24:42.400 --> 00:24:48.720 I'm excited to see what happens, and then all of a sudden you're like, oh my god, it's a play. 00:24:49.200 --> 00:25:06.799 What and like you say, it just it then it loses all the energy's up here because he's having this, he's the president's at his house, you just had a really funny scene with the president and everyone arranged at his house, and then the energy just plummets, and you're just like, Oh. 00:25:09.200 --> 00:25:09.759 Great. 00:25:10.160 --> 00:25:13.920 And then it kind of goes back into the play as if it's real again. 00:25:14.240 --> 00:25:22.319 Like I just I was just so frustrated after that point, and I just think it got Riz Ahmed was great in it. 00:25:22.400 --> 00:25:25.279 I thought I thought Riz Ahmed's performance was really good in it. 00:25:25.839 --> 00:25:28.160 Well, like the best I've seen him in a in a while. 00:25:28.240 --> 00:25:35.519 I think he's been really good recently in uh both in this and in um the Finessean scheme. 00:25:35.920 --> 00:25:37.440 The Amazon TV services. 00:25:37.920 --> 00:25:39.599 Um, okay. 00:25:39.920 --> 00:25:43.279 I j I just think generally, I just was so annoyed. 00:25:43.519 --> 00:25:52.480 And I just think I think if you took that out and you recut the film, you remade that film without the um theatre stuff, I think you'd have a much better movie. 00:25:54.400 --> 00:26:03.920 I I I mean, listen, I would agree because I found I I and I know I'm getting hung up on it, but once they reveal the theatre, I was like, well, how does any of this work? 00:26:04.079 --> 00:26:08.640 Because we were seeing so much of sort of Digger's life and the world. 00:26:08.720 --> 00:26:12.319 I was like, well, how is this happening in the theatre that we keep on seeing? 00:26:12.480 --> 00:26:12.640 Yeah. 00:26:12.960 --> 00:26:14.160 Yeah, I I think you are right. 00:26:14.240 --> 00:26:19.279 I think I did misremember it that it is ultimately revealed that what we are seeing has happened. 00:26:19.440 --> 00:26:24.319 So, you know, like, and that uh Jesse Plyman's character is Digger's grandson. 00:26:24.400 --> 00:26:24.720 Yeah. 00:26:24.960 --> 00:26:29.440 Um, you know, who is making a play about his grand is it his grandson or his uncle? 00:26:29.519 --> 00:26:30.160 I can't remember now. 00:26:30.319 --> 00:26:31.519 I think it's his uncle. 00:26:31.680 --> 00:26:32.720 Yeah, it's his uncle. 00:26:32.960 --> 00:26:34.160 It's his uncle, yeah. 00:26:34.400 --> 00:26:40.319 And I was, but I was by that point, I was just like, oh, great, okay, I guess. 00:26:40.480 --> 00:26:43.279 And you know what? 00:26:43.440 --> 00:26:48.559 It wasn't enough of that was not a big enough twist to redeem it. 00:26:49.039 --> 00:26:49.920 That's the problem. 00:26:50.160 --> 00:26:50.400 No. 00:26:50.799 --> 00:26:51.839 No, it wasn't. 00:26:52.640 --> 00:26:58.960 It needed a much more exciting reveal at the end there to make me go, oh, okay, now it all makes sense. 00:26:59.039 --> 00:27:03.119 And I've I'll forgive you making me think it was shit for the last hour. 00:27:04.640 --> 00:27:15.759 And normally, like, you know, when you see like you you've been to early screenings, you watch a movie and you come out of there and you don't read, you know, you might talk to people very briefly, but you don't get like masses of time to have a conversation. 00:27:15.920 --> 00:27:23.279 And the next day, I was called on to review this for the paper, and I was like, oh God, am I gonna get this massively wrong? 00:27:23.440 --> 00:27:30.160 Like, is everyone gonna, you know, like say this is a masterpiece and Tom's just a tooth thicko supreme who doesn't understand it? 00:27:30.319 --> 00:27:34.240 And it was so gratifying when everyone was like, no, what is what is this? 00:27:34.400 --> 00:27:35.920 But what is this piece of crap? 00:27:36.079 --> 00:27:43.359 Um, and it's not just critics who hate it, of course, because it it has Capital B bombed. 00:27:43.920 --> 00:27:49.279 Yeah, I mean, it it opened fifth in the domestic box office. 00:27:49.599 --> 00:27:50.240 Fifth. 00:27:50.559 --> 00:27:50.720 Eight. 00:27:51.279 --> 00:27:54.559 Behind Verity, which also didn't do great. 00:27:54.880 --> 00:28:00.240 Behind Resident Evil in its like third week, behind week. 00:28:00.319 --> 00:28:00.400 Yeah. 00:28:00.640 --> 00:28:03.759 Behind Brad Pitt and a dog in its second week. 00:28:04.480 --> 00:28:07.039 Um it just yeah, absolutely tanked. 00:28:07.119 --> 00:28:11.440 I mean, 20 million worldwide is is a bomb and a half. 00:28:11.599 --> 00:28:16.559 7 million 7 mil in the US is yeah, it's bad. 00:28:16.720 --> 00:28:23.039 I mean, amazingly, I don't amazingly it's got 72% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. 00:28:23.119 --> 00:28:30.160 So I don't know if they're paying bots to to do this or what, but supposedly 72% Rotten Toms from the audience. 00:28:31.599 --> 00:28:37.759 I'm gonna guess that's because it has so few people have seen it that the people who have seen it are saying, like, yeah, no, it's

great. 00:28:38.000 --> 00:28:40.640 Yeah, based on five 12 people. 00:28:41.039 --> 00:28:41.359 Yes. 00:28:41.519 --> 00:28:51.359 Normally, after the first weekend of release on Rotten Tomatoes, you wouldn't have 500 plus verified rankings for an audience score. 00:28:52.880 --> 00:28:58.000 Um What do you think it's gonna do to Tommy C's chances at the Oscars this year? 00:28:58.160 --> 00:29:04.000 Because I have I I've heard whispers that he was hoping that this was gonna be sort of his year. 00:29:04.960 --> 00:29:11.200 I th I think we can all see that he was hoping that this would be the um the Oscarbate for him. 00:29:11.359 --> 00:29:11.920 I don't know. 00:29:12.000 --> 00:29:23.279 Uh it's difficult to know what the Academy are gonna do because there's been films like this before where everyone's said it stunk the place up and no one's liked it, and then it's gone and got a short list for best picture at the Academy Awards. 00:29:25.839 --> 00:29:39.279 See, I think I think my prediction, because I think you can have you can either stink the place out critically, or you can have a bad box office. 00:29:39.680 --> 00:29:47.200 You can't have both because and I think that that will scupper his chances of getting it getting the award. 00:29:47.359 --> 00:29:48.880 I definitely think he'll be nominated. 00:29:49.039 --> 00:29:57.680 Because I think there's just a little bit too much Academy catnip involved in this with the prosthetics, the meta text, you know, the meta-narrative, all of that. 00:29:57.839 --> 00:30:00.160 It's in a it's in a re two as well. 00:30:00.240 --> 00:30:05.279 Like I kind of feel like he'll get the nom because people like Tom Cruise as well. 00:30:05.440 --> 00:30:16.559 Like, I do think that that we forget that that's going to be a massive factor in what if if he announces you know he's going for awards with it, you know, he's going to like people are going to be like, oh Tom's a good laugh. 00:30:16.640 --> 00:30:16.799 Yeah. 00:30:17.039 --> 00:30:19.920 For if you ignore the Scientology, Tom's a great guy. 00:30:20.079 --> 00:30:27.200 Um, but I just I don't see him winning, like, just based on the box office and the critical reaction. 00:30:27.599 --> 00:30:31.279 I'd be very surprised if he I can't see him winning for it. 00:30:31.359 --> 00:30:33.279 I think maybe a nomination. 00:30:33.519 --> 00:30:40.000 I can't see I'd be surprised if Digger got a best pick nomination, but again, I wouldn't be unsurprised either. 00:30:40.319 --> 00:30:43.519 I just they do weird things sometimes, the Academy. 00:30:43.680 --> 00:30:46.079 But I am telling you what I'm not surprised about. 00:30:46.880 --> 00:30:49.920 I'm not surprised that this didn't play play Venice. 00:30:50.160 --> 00:30:57.920 And not because Venice didn't uh Venice wouldn't program it, because Venice would 100% have programmed this if it had been offered to them, that would have been in the festival. 00:30:58.160 --> 00:31:06.400 But I think

the studio knew we cannot have word of mouth this ear that early before the release being negative. 00:31:06.799 --> 00:31:10.799 Because it would have it would have it would have gone down. 00:31:10.880 --> 00:31:12.960 But I my guess is it would have gone down badly. 00:31:13.039 --> 00:31:17.519 And they my guess is they knew that it was gonna not do great. 00:31:17.759 --> 00:31:28.240 Um so yeah, I you couldn't have had you couldn't because when did reviews didn't come out mad like a long time before the film came out, didn't they? 00:31:29.440 --> 00:31:31.759 So I I saw it on Thursday. 00:31:31.920 --> 00:31:35.599 I saw it on the Thursday, and I think it'll came No, sorry. 00:31:35.759 --> 00:31:40.559 I saw it on the Tuesday, reviews came out during these, during the press screening. 00:31:40.799 --> 00:31:51.039 So that's me that means that they are trying to keep it put the lid on reviews, basically, and then the next day the wave of like critical disdain washed over. 00:31:51.279 --> 00:32:03.599 Um I will say as I think what I think something that probably means you're right about Venice is the marketing switched very quickly from because they were playing up what's the twist. 00:32:03.759 --> 00:32:05.359 Like that was sort of the marketing thing. 00:32:05.440 --> 00:32:06.559 Like there is a twist. 00:32:06.720 --> 00:32:07.759 Is it a musical? 00:32:07.920 --> 00:32:09.119 Like, is it what is it? 00:32:09.200 --> 00:32:10.160 What's gonna happen? 00:32:10.319 --> 00:32:14.880 You know, and then it very quickly became critics hated it. 00:32:15.200 --> 00:32:27.599 Um, you know, critics hate this movie, but are you gonna listen to critics and like them using um people from from Twitter, sorry, X, using people from X's quotes to describe it. 00:32:27.759 --> 00:32:38.640 Um, you know, that became quickly became sort of like the how they were gonna uh gonna promote the film, which is just yeah, it always makes me it always raises an eyebrow, I'm gonna be honest. 00:32:38.960 --> 00:32:42.480 I would have been so so much happier if it had been a musical. 00:32:43.920 --> 00:32:44.960 No, so would I. 00:32:45.039 --> 00:32:50.000 I like a musical, and you know, you think you that but Warners are terrified of musicals, aren't they? 00:32:50.319 --> 00:32:54.079 After Mother and uh was Joker a musical? 00:32:54.160 --> 00:32:54.880 I can't even remember now. 00:32:54.960 --> 00:32:55.279 Joker. 00:32:55.519 --> 00:32:55.839 Mother Mary. 00:32:58.000 --> 00:33:00.240 Oh, yeah, Mother No, not Mother Mary, eh? 00:33:00.400 --> 00:33:01.039 Joker. 00:33:01.279 --> 00:33:02.079 Oh yeah, Joker. 00:33:02.640 --> 00:33:03.839 Joker 2 was a musical, wasn't it? 00:33:04.000 --> 00:33:08.160 Yeah, Mother Mary was supposedly sort of a musical as well, and that was an absolute stinker as well. 00:33:09.599 --> 00:33:12.880 Another another steamer from Warner Brothers. 00:33:13.200 --> 00:33:14.400 God, it was boring. 00:33:14.720 --> 00:33:19.200 Um

not one of Anne Hathaway's best this year. 00:33:20.079 --> 00:33:21.200 Are you guys going to see Verita? 00:33:21.440 --> 00:33:22.960 It is always it does always make me laugh. 00:33:24.000 --> 00:33:45.920 So I really want to see Verity because it's giving me um oh my god, Twilight Zone sort of strange tales, beef bumps vibes in terms of like there's very clearly like this camp gothic thriller which is gonna have some ridiculous twist where it turns out the husband is a killer, you know, or something daft like that. 00:33:46.079 --> 00:33:56.640 So, but uh I I will say I have I have friends who have seen Verity and tell me that it is not worth your um the price of admission to be unfortunately. 00:33:56.799 --> 00:33:58.799 Apparently, yes, I quite like the look of it. 00:33:58.880 --> 00:34:04.240 I I I think I think the problem is it doesn't lean enough into the camp of its own making. 00:34:04.720 --> 00:34:08.719 Um it needs to be, I think apparently it needs to be a bit more fun and silly. 00:34:09.840 --> 00:34:21.679 No, and I I it's I do think again it's there's a pointed decision by the marketing team, because I was invited to the press screening of this, but they scheduled the multimedia for it for the same night that celebrity traitors began. 00:34:21.920 --> 00:34:31.440 Which is, I mean, if you don't if you don't want people to turn up to your press screening, schedule something for when a better television show that everyone wants to watch is on. 00:34:32.320 --> 00:34:34.480 Uh yeah, that is one way of doing it. 00:34:34.800 --> 00:34:40.960 Um I saw a trailer while I was in for digger, which I found interesting. 00:34:41.519 --> 00:34:43.360 So Johnny Depp's big comeback. 00:34:44.000 --> 00:34:44.800 Um Ebenezer. 00:34:45.119 --> 00:34:46.239 Oh my god, Ebenezer. 00:34:46.960 --> 00:34:50.559 So I'm interested in this because it's directed by Ty West. 00:34:50.960 --> 00:34:52.079 I can't quite understand. 00:34:52.400 --> 00:34:53.039 Yeah, it is. 00:34:53.440 --> 00:34:56.159 I can't quite understand why he's doing it. 00:34:56.400 --> 00:35:02.400 So it's Ty West, the director of Pearl and Maxine and some some cracking films. 00:35:02.800 --> 00:35:04.159 Um why? 00:35:04.320 --> 00:35:19.199 Why is he doing and it's called Ebenezer, and I thought it was going to be sort of a different take, but from the trailer, it it's just a Christmas carol again, but it's a it looks a bit more sort of horror adjacent a Christmas carol, so a bit darker and and grimier. 00:35:21.360 --> 00:35:33.360 So when they announced this, I thought that this was like, you know how um the characters that have entered into public domain now always get horror movies, so you get like a terrible Winnie the Pooh like slasher movie. 00:35:33.599 --> 00:35:36.960 I thought, oh, this is what Johnny Depp's been reduced to now. 00:35:37.199 --> 00:35:46.000 Like you can't get a real studio movie, so he's making like you know, bottom of the barrel DVD fodder from yesterday. 00:35:46.159 --> 00:35:47.519 No, this is a real film. 00:35:47.760 --> 00:35:58.400 Ty West is in it, Rupert Grint is in it, Andrea Risberg's in it, Sam Claflin, Daisy Ridley, Ian McKellen, like actual people are doing this film. 00:35:58.800 --> 00:36:08.400 And again, like you, I thought, oh, you know, I because I thought the tagline was something like before he was Scrooge, he was Ebenezer, and I wasn't doing an origins. 00:36:08.960 --> 00:36:24.559 But but as Carl pointed out when I was talking to him about the origin story is in a Christmas carol, because the ghost of Christmas passed is his origin story, so yeah, but you know, like maybe you also had another thing that the ghost didn't show me. 00:36:24.639 --> 00:36:29.840 I mean, it I'll be honest, I'm not here for Johnny Depp for the for Johnny Depp's redemption arc. 00:36:29.920 --> 00:36:33.840 I'm not gonna be watching this film, it's not something that particularly interests me. 00:36:34.000 --> 00:36:51.119 Um, especially like when I watched the trailer and it was it looked like they were leaning more into sort of like, like you say, the horror and sort of trying to play it up as a dark comedy, you know, making him more like the Madhatter, you know, like the Mad Hatter and Edward Scissorhands, that sort of like weirdo energy that brings to things. 00:36:51.280 --> 00:36:53.519 I was like, this isn't it, this isn't what we want. 00:36:53.679 --> 00:36:59.280 And it also really reminded me of that terrible Jim Carey Christmas Carol from a few years ago. 00:36:59.440 --> 00:37:03.440 Yes that is just the CGI one that's absolutely atrocious. 00:37:03.599 --> 00:37:06.079 Like, why do we need another Christmas carol? 00:37:06.320 --> 00:37:06.960 Why? 00:37:08.400 --> 00:37:12.320 I think is a Christmas carol the most adapted novel in history. 00:37:12.559 --> 00:37:23.920 I seem to remember watched Spirited in my house at Christmas for years, so we we we skipped over Spirited for a little while because we were like, oh, we just can't be bothered with another version of Christmas Carol. 00:37:24.159 --> 00:37:26.159 Like, I'm sorry, everybody. 00:37:26.320 --> 00:37:28.880 The Muppets made a Muppets Christmas Carol. 00:37:28.960 --> 00:37:30.239 You don't need to do it again. 00:37:30.400 --> 00:37:31.840 The film is perfect. 00:37:32.000 --> 00:37:34.960 Um, but we actually quite enjoyed Spirited, it was a different take on it. 00:37:35.039 --> 00:37:44.480 It wasn't um it was basically a Christmas carol, but a uh a slightly new take with some silly songs and Ryan Reynolds being snarky Ryan Reynolds. 00:37:44.559 --> 00:37:49.199 So if you like a bit of snarky Ryan Reynolds and a bit of Will Farrell being Will Farrell, then you'll enjoy it. 00:37:49.360 --> 00:37:51.920 So we kind of I kind of realized okay, I I enjoyed that. 00:37:52.000 --> 00:37:55.920 But I just unless it's the Muppets Christmas Carol, I've got no interest. 00:37:57.199 --> 00:38:04.079 This is

exactly how I I mean one of my favourite Christmas movies is Scrooged, which, you know, is a again a Christmas Carol movie. 00:38:04.159 --> 00:38:09.440 But the best Christmas Carol movie ever made is a Muppets Christmas Carol, and it is Won't never be beaten. 00:38:11.119 --> 00:38:13.840 No, it's never going to it's never going to be beaten. 00:38:14.000 --> 00:38:16.320 Like it's it's the ultimate adaptation. 00:38:16.480 --> 00:38:18.559 Like it's fantastic in every single way. 00:38:18.639 --> 00:38:21.679 The songs are memorable, the performances are memorable, the sets are great. 00:38:21.840 --> 00:38:24.239 It just does everything you want a movie to do. 00:38:24.480 --> 00:38:26.719 Um I'm so uninterested in this. 00:38:26.800 --> 00:38:28.239 Um it's God. 00:38:28.480 --> 00:38:29.119 Yeah. 00:38:29.360 --> 00:38:35.199 Um I I yeah, I won't I won't be in a rush to watch this. 00:38:35.840 --> 00:38:36.639 I can't lie. 00:38:37.199 --> 00:38:40.800 But you know what I am excited for, Neil, which starts in just two days? 00:38:42.079 --> 00:38:42.400 No. 00:38:43.280 --> 00:38:44.239 London Film Festival. 00:38:44.480 --> 00:38:46.159 Oh yeah, LFF's coming around. 00:38:46.400 --> 00:38:47.920 We've already done a bit of a preview of LF. 00:38:48.079 --> 00:38:50.239 Isn't anything particular you're excited about? 00:38:51.599 --> 00:38:53.440 Uh yes and no. 00:38:53.599 --> 00:39:01.360 Uh it's uh it's a very confusing time of year for me right now because I'm getting we're getting invited to a load of award screenings and stuff. 00:39:01.519 --> 00:39:07.519 Yeah, I get confused with LFF because all the talent is here for them, for it anyway. 00:39:07.599 --> 00:39:18.159 So you end up so on Saturday, for example, I was at an event with Willem Defoe and having some lovely cream cakes uh with the Green Goblin. 00:39:18.400 --> 00:39:32.320 Um uh but in terms of actual movies, I think I'm very I'm very excited for Wildwood, which we've already spoken about because I blew your mind the other day by telling you that it's uh it's essentially uh operated by the Nike Trainer Company. 00:39:32.559 --> 00:39:38.719 Um and then there's the there's the opening movie as well with Andrew Scott, which I do know. 00:39:39.440 --> 00:39:47.599 Uh yeah, I I do know a few people have seen them and have said is very good, if a little, as you might expect, pretentious. 00:39:47.679 --> 00:39:49.920 Um pretentious as all beings. 00:39:51.039 --> 00:39:56.880 Yeah, but it's an Andrew Scott movie, so you know, I'll go see that man do basically anything. 00:39:57.199 --> 00:40:00.880 Yeah, I mean I'm excited for Artificial is great. 00:40:01.039 --> 00:40:04.079 Um I think Artificial looks like it will be great. 00:40:04.239 --> 00:40:07.119 La Bola Negra, I would advise anyone to go and see LaBola Negra. 00:40:07.280 --> 00:40:10.559 I think we've talked about this before, but obviously I saw that in Cannes and it was great. 00:40:10.719 --> 00:40:14.960 Again, I'd love to go and see Bunker, the other one from Penelope Cruise. 00:40:15.039 --> 00:40:21.119 We kind of done an LFF, my sort of can stuff playing it LFF review previously, so go back and listen to that. 00:40:21.360 --> 00:40:22.000 We have indeed. 00:40:22.159 --> 00:40:25.280 There's a few other ones like I I think we both said I love boosters, looks great. 00:40:25.360 --> 00:40:26.320 Uh, there's loads of stuff. 00:40:26.400 --> 00:40:33.199 I mean, if you're if you're in London or you can get yourself to London for the weekends, then um it's definitely worth going um and seeing. 00:40:33.679 --> 00:40:36.079 The one I'd really like to see is your mother, your mother, your mother. 00:40:36.320 --> 00:40:38.239 Um, that looks really good. 00:40:38.639 --> 00:40:43.119 Um, Neil. 00:40:43.920 --> 00:40:44.639 I may come down. 00:40:44.719 --> 00:40:46.719 I've got unfortunately. 00:40:47.199 --> 00:40:49.119 Um I've gonna get to some of the screenings at home. 00:40:49.199 --> 00:40:50.480 We get some of the screenings at home. 00:40:50.639 --> 00:40:56.639 I've got an invite to ink today, so hopefully hoping to make the screening of ink at home as part of LFS. 00:40:56.880 --> 00:40:58.960 I've got I've got an ink screening as well. 00:40:59.039 --> 00:41:02.320 So I will I will try and get to some stuff. 00:41:02.559 --> 00:41:15.119 Um but yeah, if you if you're if you're in London this weekend, then it's definitely worth or not this weekend, if you're in in London from the 7th to the 18th of um October, then it's definitely worth trying to get along and and check out some screenings. 00:41:15.199 --> 00:41:26.400 And as we discussed before, they nicked my tab tagline, and it is you know, everyone's invited, um, which was I put on our trailers years ago and then BFI stole. 00:41:28.079 --> 00:41:29.920 That's scandalous. 00:41:30.159 --> 00:41:32.400 And we should take this to the BFI. 00:41:32.719 --> 00:41:32.960 Yeah. 00:41:33.519 --> 00:41:34.079 I'll allow it. 00:41:34.159 --> 00:41:34.960 It's a good tagline. 00:41:35.679 --> 00:41:38.880 The more people I'm yeah, I I I am not competitive. 00:41:38.960 --> 00:41:42.559 The more people get out there and see independent films and go and support film festivals. 00:41:42.639 --> 00:41:45.679 I don't care if it's um you know, if it's BFI London or whatever. 00:41:45.760 --> 00:41:49.360 As long as it's not a festival happening at the same time as mine, I'm it's fine. 00:41:50.559 --> 00:41:54.639 Yeah, so you know, you and you know which festival is happening at the same time as ours. 00:41:54.800 --> 00:41:57.840 So, you know, you know who we're talking about. 00:41:58.159 --> 00:41:58.800 Yes. 00:41:59.119 --> 00:42:04.239 But even then, so you know, if there's a screening there you want to see, you can split yourself between them. 00:42:05.360 --> 00:42:06.639 Yeah, don't go to America. 00:42:06.960 --> 00:42:08.000 It's only a short bus road. 00:42:08.159 --> 00:42:08.480

Yeah. 00:42:09.119 --> 00:42:11.440 No, no, no, absolutely not. 00:42:12.000 --> 00:42:14.480 Right, is that everything we've got for this week, Neil? 00:42:14.719 --> 00:42:16.639 I think that's I think I think we're done for the week. 00:42:16.800 --> 00:42:19.840 I think um slagging off digger is probably enough. 00:42:21.519 --> 00:42:22.480 Poor digger. 00:42:22.559 --> 00:42:30.719 I mean not poor digger, but I think it's I again I want to say, you know, there's some people thinking it'll end up being a cult favourite and all this sort of stuff. 00:42:30.800 --> 00:42:32.960 I just I don't I don't see it. 00:42:33.039 --> 00:42:38.559 I just think I think the theatre thing was too breaking news. 00:42:38.880 --> 00:42:49.440 Oh breaking news The Batman part two production paused as Matt Reeves steps away for personal reasons. 00:42:49.760 --> 00:42:58.960 Oh from deadline production is pausing on the Warner Brothers and DC Studios pick the Batman 2 due to director Matt Reeves stepping away for personal reasons reasons. 00:42:59.199 --> 00:43:03.440 He has uh pausing temporarily while he focuses on a family matter. 00:43:03.920 --> 00:43:04.800 Crikey. 00:43:08.320 --> 00:43:10.559 I wonder what his new CEO will make of that now. 00:43:10.880 --> 00:43:11.920 Now he's working for Skydance. 00:43:12.159 --> 00:43:13.360 I was just wondering that. 00:43:14.639 --> 00:43:17.280 Now he's part of the Paramount Mountain of Entertainment family. 00:43:17.599 --> 00:43:18.400 Well, Sky Dance. 00:43:18.719 --> 00:43:20.079 It's called Sky Dance now, Tom. 00:43:20.239 --> 00:43:20.800 The Sky Dance. 00:43:21.280 --> 00:43:22.960 Oh, is it Sky is it Sky Dance? 00:43:23.199 --> 00:43:24.719 The overall company's called Skydance. 00:43:26.400 --> 00:43:28.320 It'll be interesting to see what happens there, actually. 00:43:29.360 --> 00:43:33.360 I can't see from the yeah, I can't. 00:43:33.440 --> 00:43:39.440 It's diff you couldn't see from the sort of he's uh Larry Ellison's put a load of um it's not Larry Ellison, is it? 00:43:39.519 --> 00:43:40.880 What's is that his name? 00:43:41.599 --> 00:43:42.800 Yeah, it's the Ellison family. 00:43:42.880 --> 00:43:44.079 I don't know if it's David Ellison. 00:43:44.800 --> 00:43:46.239 No, I think it's David Ellison, isn't it? 00:43:46.400 --> 00:43:47.280 The guy that's taken over. 00:43:47.440 --> 00:43:48.880 Anyway, one of the Ellisons. 00:43:49.440 --> 00:44:02.800 He um they've named a load of uh sort of heads of department and stuff, but it'll be interesting to see what happens with the Warner Brothers and Paramount names, because I'm sure I'm assuming he's keeping the Warner Brothers and Paramount's Paramount names. 00:44:03.440 --> 00:44:09.039 Um Well I can't imagine they get rid of Warner, it just has so much value. 00:44:09.760 --> 00:44:12.239 I can't imagine you get rid of Warner or Paramount names. 00:44:12.480 --> 00:44:18.079 Um but I imagine Paramount Plus surely is gonna get merged with HBO Max. 00:44:18.239 --> 00:44:26.079 Like surely that will be a You've gotta think so because subscribing numbers. 00:44:27.760 --> 00:44:37.679 I can't be dealing with another like I know this is the very how the sausage is made, but every single like I've had to change so many articles because they change the name of HBO every other month. 00:44:37.760 --> 00:44:37.920 Yeah. 00:44:38.159 --> 00:44:42.719 Because it's it's HBO, it's HBO Max, it's just Max, it's HBO Max again. 00:44:42.800 --> 00:44:44.320 Now it's just HBO. 00:44:45.119 --> 00:44:45.679 I can't. 00:44:45.760 --> 00:44:50.320 If if it HBO has such a cache, I would just keep it HBO. 00:44:50.400 --> 00:44:54.159 Like HBO Max, that's the name of the streaming services, and it comes with Paramount. 00:44:54.400 --> 00:44:58.239 Yeah, I would just roll Paramount into it and not even mention it comes with Paramount Plus. 00:44:58.320 --> 00:44:59.360 I'd just roll everyone over. 00:44:59.519 --> 00:45:00.159 Yeah. 00:45:00.960 --> 00:45:06.400 No, entirely, because I just cannot imagine it's that like people's got that many subscribers anyway. 00:45:06.480 --> 00:45:07.280 But no. 00:45:07.519 --> 00:45:09.360 Um but yeah, it'd be interesting to see what happens. 00:45:09.440 --> 00:45:11.039 He's promising 30 films a year. 00:45:11.199 --> 00:45:18.880 Um, the outgoing uh Warner Brothers um presidents went, well, we've just left you 39 movies, so uh crack on. 00:45:19.039 --> 00:45:21.679 Uh they weren't very happy they got the axe. 00:45:21.840 --> 00:45:30.800 But to be fair, they've they've just delivered another dud this year after the bride and um several other duds that they've they've churned out this year. 00:45:31.360 --> 00:45:35.679 Although they have got the Batman 2 and other ones coming, even if they are going to be a bit late. 00:45:37.440 --> 00:45:39.360 Well, we'll see what happens. 00:45:39.599 --> 00:45:42.239 But Neil, I think that is all we have time for. 00:45:42.480 --> 00:45:43.760 It is indeed all we have time for. 00:45:43.920 --> 00:45:45.119 Right, join us next time. 00:45:45.199 --> 00:45:48.639 Um probably post-LFF between screenings.