The Hollywood Scarlets
The podcast for film lovers by film lovers.
The Hollywood Scarlets is hosted by Aaron and Sam, two film fanatics who have grown tired of everyone always looking for reasons to hate movies and who just wanted a space where they can talk openly about their love for cinema without someone telling them that they're wrong!
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The Hollywood Scarlets
Find The Good In: Aaron's 1 Star Movies
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In this episode, Sam challenges Aaron to go back to the films he has rated as 1 star on Letterboxd and do the unthinkable: Find the good in them. From The Little Mermaid to Star Wars: The Last Jedi, can Aaron find anything good to say or will his ratings stand the test of time?
This week's Film Club recommendation is: Robert Eggers' Nosferatu. Give it a watch and then check out what we thought in our reviews on Letterboxd!
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Yeah, I like that she started. And action. Welcome to the Hollywood Scholar. It's a film podcast. Fulfillment of us by film lovers. I am your director for this episode. My name is Sam, and as always, I'm joined by the ever talented Mr. Aron Duke. Hello, hello, hello. You've been a bit bedbound recently, a bit bedridden, I am, yeah. I realized that when we recorded our last episodes, because we batch them, we did the 2024 and then the 2025 episodes. We said we were ill and we recorded like three hours of content. We did. And I'm ill again. So like, everyone listen to this is going to thing that I just I'm ill constantly. Yeah. I'm just never healthy. I'm like, yeah, you're bedbound you really like awful. Yeah. I say I'm you're out of bed for this. Well maybe not, maybe I'm in bed. Maybe you break in the fourth. Oh, yeah. Oh, I had to before I'm lying next to you right now. I've got one of those things from the cartoons on my head. You know, it looks like a bag of just water that they put on the heads. What the. What the heck? Oh, yes. It's like an ice pack kind of thing is now. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. It's high on the top of it. I've never understood that. But yeah, I've got one of those on my monitors sticking out your mouth as well. No, it's just like steam coming out my cheeks. Yeah. Very red. Yep. Oh yeah. Yeah. We're in a Looney Tunes cartoon at the moment. Yeah, yeah. Scrooge McDuck. I want to jump straight into the weekly rushes because, I know for, you know, for everyone, everyone that's listening to us, which will be on, ninth. Yeah. Yes. We recorded. Yeah, we recorded this on the Monday, which is obviously the Golden Globes the night before. And obviously one of the biggest, I, biggest announcements or biggest accomplishments come from that is Demi Moore. Demi Moore. Finally. I can't believe she's not won anything previously, but if there was something that she was going to win for, it had to be this. I would have thought. I honestly, I'm shocked that she never won for Ghost because ghost is like her thing. Yeah, I thought she would have won for that. But hearing her acceptance speech and the whole, popcorn actress thing. Yeah. Oh, I pissed me off. Like, it's a whole thing in the cinema where, like, being in entertaining movies is seen as bad, which is so stupid to me, because cinema isn't just like the the arty farty stuff. It's also stuff. It's escapism in any way you want it to be, as much as it is a representation of life itself. But yeah, she was. She was incredible in substance. Obviously, I speak all the time about the substance. I fucking love the substance. So I was very happy to see that she won. I was surprised, unfortunately, but very, very happy. What she was up against Zendaya for challenges Amy Adams in Night Bitch, which we've yet to see, which is one that I it's not even fucking out. And it was out, wasn't it? Oh no, I wasn't out in the UK, you know, it was out in America. But it's like, you know, like we live in time has only just come out in the UK. Yeah. We just get shit release schedules. Michael Madsen, Nora, which I thought was going to win, I thought was going to be, personally, Cynthia Varro, for wicked, who's up against some performances, some strong performances, in, in that category. But like, I think out of those, I say would have been personally between Mikey Madison and Demi Moore. And I'm glad she's now get her flowers. Yeah. She's finally receiving those flowers 30 years later. And, you know, it's you know, I don't have I have strong feelings towards the film as as yourself. But I could not deny the powerhouse that is Demi Moore in that film. So yeah, Bravo five and obviously the Oscars is I'm sure it's like the beginning of March. It's normally around about the beginning. Yeah, well not yet. And you can tend to find out from the Golden Globes, I think we I don't know. Is there one in between? I don't know if there's the BAFTAs in between. Yeah. Yeah. So I think BAFTAs is next. When awards were basically an awards season and you tend to get an idea of how the Oscars is going to go from this awards season. And I just think it's interesting that Demi Moore won for that, because it's going to be close in the Oscars. I think between that and Mikey Madison, I think, I mean, I still think Nora takes the Oscar. Well, Michael Madsen takes the Oscar. I know that the long list is being released on the 17th of January or in 11 days. Does that go into when's the when does the Oscars? Oh, for us, right across 11 days for us. And then for the people listening to this, if you listen on the ninth, it will be, oh, math is hard. Eight days. Yeah. So it will. So it will class. It will be in the Oscars kind of run then. But this year he won't go into next year. I'll be honest, I hate the way the Oscars is run. Like, I think I was reading a quote from Ralph Fiennes where he was talking about how he never campaigns because he was like, if it if it's going to happen, I want it to happen. Well, he lost to Adrien Brody actor in a drama motion picture to brutalist which is another which is on our list of 2025 preview. You'll know that that will be on our list to watch and we'll see how that is. But that won Best Picture drama picture Best Director. And obviously Adrien Brody for best actor in a drama motion picture again. Oh, right. Okay. So we were talking a little bit before because you said Sebastian Stan was going against himself. He did? Yeah. But he's I didn't realize. So The apprentice is classed as an actor in a drama. Motion picture. Okay. And he won for a different man in a musical or comedy, that they put out in comedy. Okay. Which I have not seen. We were going to see, but I think one of us was probably. Yeah. Well, let's be honest, that's just how our life is at the moment. I think we were just going to say that, but we didn't. We were going for it. Yeah, yeah. So I don't know if it is a comedy or a musical comedy. I would the The Apprentice, is it a drama? The apprentice is a drama. I think that's more like a thriller drama, almost like, succession. Yeah, I don't know. That was that was around in the TV job. Yes. Yeah. There you go. A lot of not a lot could nominate a lot of, like, a lot of real. Again, I'm going to butcher it clearly. Fargate. Fargate. Director of substance. Curly, forget Sigma, I don't know. Yeah. But Edward Birch for conclave, Sean Baker for another, shocker. Shucks, I French second knife, Amelia Perez and pio carpet. I know this is this is not my episode to direct. For all we imagine as light. For director of a motion picture. How does that. I have no idea. I've just read that like it was nominated for foreign language film. So, we move, we move, but yes. So I'm interested. Obviously, we will have a an Oscars special near all time. Of course. Leading up to that and, you know, we'll put my hopefully we're still talking about the same things. We'll have an Oscar reactions as well. You know, the weekly rushes that I'm trying to find out who's directing the Hollywood episode, The Hollywood Idiot, the Oscars episode of the Hollywood. Yeah, it will be you. Is it me? Well, are you back at that? Prepped with all your director names, and I've got it now. I'm going to pan out. I'm gonna get the pronunciations. Moi? Yeah. Because my episode is released on the 16th, and on the 17th we find out. Oh, is that right? All right. Okay. So, like, anyway, the weekly rushes as well. We 2nd of January, we went to watch our first film of 2025. Yes. And if you follow us on letterbox, please do, because, Sam RG you know, you will see our immediate reaction. It was five star. It was Nosferatu. It woo! Holy hell. I have not stop thinking about that film. I tell you this, there are parts of that film that I have not stopped thinking about, and I just. It's one thing I can't get over with the film is that is Bill Skarsgard. Yeah. And that is crazy to me because I've seen press with him talking about it. And then you hear his Count Orlok. He was like, how has that voice come out of that man? He's extraordinary. He's brilliant. The scene that gripped me and I'll try. I won't go into too much spoiler territory, but essentially the plot of the film is, Nicholas Hoult, who plays Thomas, is a CIA agent, essentially. Yeah. Who has been sent to Count Orlok as he has looked for. He wants a property near in the area, as his wife seems to have summoned him somewhat in the past because she was, you know, woken him and she wants to be close to her husband. Warlock. Yeah, yeah. No. They're married. Thomasin. And, Helen, isn't it? Ellen. Oh, Ellen. Sorry. Unmarried. Anyway, so obviously we we watch, Thomas Nicholas Holt's character comes, like, go to him. And obviously we see some people not too happy. The fact that he's on his way there. But then there comes the meeting, at the dinner table and that entire sequence, I don't think I, I brief once. Yeah, it was, it was, rough. I was. Yeah. Stop speechless. It was just incredible. Like acting from both of them. The fear is the fear is one thing that he's played and acted incredibly throughout the whole film. Even Willem Dafoe, who again, he's great in everything he does. But even he's played, he, he's obviously this seasoned doctor or, medical professional who's seen it all. He's done all the research. And even when he's kind of in the presence of, like, what's going on, he's fearful. You're like, oh, God, if this man who's, like, supposed to be dealing with this all is all so scared, you're like, this he's he's something. And I think the essence and the presence of Orlock was cast across the whole film, which is, you know, shadows was a very important part of the film. And even metaphorically, his shadow was everywhere. Even if he wasn't, even if you didn't see him. And it was just so masterfully done. I think Eggers is, master class of horror. I've been watching a lot of interviews and a lot of, like, behind the scenes content and all that kind of stuff. By the way, we receive feedback that we sometimes mumble film names. So I'm going to say, just in case anyone misheard this is Nosferatu. Oh, we've got to repeat film names that people are not. Sorry, I did not really shout out to Jim. So Eggers has been with that story for like since he was nine. That's when he saw the original. So he's been, like, cooking up this story for I don't know how old he is, but I'm assuming like 20 plus years and it shows because everything was so perfectly done. Every piece was in its place. Everything had exactly what it needed to have. And like, oh, I just I can't believe we're in what? We're on the sixth and we've already seen the best film of 2025. Oh that's madness. Oh, it's I was thinking about that because obviously at the end of the year, we'll do our usual review of 2025 and we'll pick our top four. And right now, if something knocks that out of my top four, then I can't wait. Yeah. That is that is like top really. I walked out and I was thinking it's the second day of the year. I already gave a five star and I had to I that's crazy because you were like that. You were like, oh, I can't give a five star rating. I was like, it's a five. I can stop it. There's no, no, I know, and you're right. You're absolutely right. I, I still think about it now. And it was a, it was a couple of things that I was, you know, which still amazes me with the filmmaking and process of this film was no Nosferatu was unlicensed Dracula retelling that is, become its own thing now in like pop culture and in, in just vampire storytelling that it shouldn't of ever have been made in the first place. And I just love the fact that a hundred years later, whatever, it's still this. It's this, it's his own. It's it's yeah, it's own thing. It's not Dracula and some, you know, there's even parts of it that you probably think do it better. Yeah. I mean, the I think the main difference between like Dracula and Orlock was that Orlock very much focuses more on like, the plague. Yeah. Like that's why it focuses more on. You see that in the new one. So there are like definite key differences between them. But a really fun fact for people who don't know is I don't know if if everybody knows this. The original 1922 film. I said that. Right. Yeah, I thought I said 1922 wrong. And I was like, no, you said it right. No. Perfect. You. The original film was obviously an unlicensed making of Dracula. So the Bram Stoker estate ordered it to all be destroyed. But everything? All of it. Yeah. So technically that film should not exist now. Thankfully, some survived because if they didn't, we would not have this new version. And they found it crazy. They foul. Remember when they found it? But like hence why like a lot of the coloring in the original is like very yellow. Very blue. It's very it's yeah it's, it's, it's old because the was it there was a first scene where he's walking, he goes to like the estate agent or whoever it is. And it's obviously we were at a time where filming is still quite new. It's still it's not exactly it's probably, you know, a handful of films really that are being made at this time. So the acting is a bit exaggerated at times. Yeah. And obviously when this when the crazy man tells him to go to all ox house, they shake hands and then they just laugh manically at each other, which I just thought was so surreal. But I know you know a little bit about us. Obviously, when at university we were both studied film, and one thing that we both really focused on was screenwriting. Yeah. And this I don't know if it's talked about enough, but I think the adaptation of the film, you've essentially had to create new dialog for this film. Oh, it's pitch perfect. The dialog is image perfect. My is in dialog. Everything all set? I was just gripped by what hand, how it was delivered, and Lily-Rose Depp amazing, amazing. In it. She put like a possession kind of the physical, the physical performance that she gave and knowing that all of that was her hit, that also just all about herself. Yeah, that's that's crazy. And also, same with all locks voice. That was all scars. God, he didn't have any post-production drop or anything as he worked with, with an opera singer. Yes. His voice is crazy. You I can you can you know that with the how low he got you sometimes you like. Yeah. I still can't hear him in that voice, though. I can't see him, I can't hear, I can't see, no. Amazing. Yeah. He's really, really good. Originally, originally, he was supposed to play well, a bunch of characters was Thomas. And then also he was meant to at one point play our. And Tyler Johnson's character. Oh, so he way he was in this film. He was from the beginning because I think originally it was like 2015. This film was about to go in, and he was originally I went to the Johnson's and then he got moved to Thomas Nicholas Hoult character. And then I don't know how true this is, but I've read it. Apparently, Robert Eggers decided to move him to Orlock to make the sexual tension between Orlok and Ellen more prominent. Okay. Which is interesting. Yeah, because obviously he's a rotting corpse. There should be no sexual tension. There is. Oh, my God, the amount of people on, like, one of the only things that I've seen people complain about in terms of his character design is the mustache. But like, I didn't care if it was fine. It's also historically accurate, let's say for a period. Yeah, absolutely. But like they complained about it in a way that's like, oh, that's not doing it for me. Oh, so they want to they want to. Okay. But like he's a rotting corpse, he's surrounded by plague infested rats. Rates as well. Real rats. Yeah. I mean, obviously, I've heard so much about those rats. Yeah, about 2000. That's the Willem Dafoe performed with, like, 2000 rats. Yeah. Which is crazy. Yeah, but I don't want to get to because we could talk about this film and I think we'd go into spoiler territory, which is still very new out, so very fresh out. And we like to, you know, on this podcast, obviously, we like to keep our distance. If you've not seen it, however, as soon as it goes to digital, that's tend to be when we start talking a bit more spoilery. Yeah, maybe in the future we could do like bonus episodes. That you have to pay for. No. Yeah. Money. Yeah. Where like we do just dedicate a whole episode to a film and we just literally get into it. I'm on board with that because, I mean, you can we can just. We go away for a film. Yeah, we can just hike in a while. So let's get on to the theme of the episode today. So, I had Aron's, Well, I'll explain. So basically, you open up your phone and you open up Twitter, you open up the news. It's negative. Yeah. Everything is so negative in the world today. And the reason we wanted to create this podcast is just to give some positivity back to the, especially the filming world, because we see a lot of rage by see a lot of negativity for the sake of being negative. And that's not what we're about. We we like to find the good in things. Nice segue into a new series that we've created. So we've created a series, which, you know, will be featured on this podcast quite regularly. Called let's find the in where, myself or Aaron, whoever's turn, whoever's the director for the episode, we'll take a particular topic, for example, that might not have ever been seen in a positive way or not a well received maybe film or franchise, for example. We want to find the good in that because that is someone's work, that is someone's life. But she's gone into that and we want to shed the light on these topics. Be a different voice. Yes. Exactly right. Yeah. And by all means, and we've talked about this in your, in your episode, a few episodes back, you're allowed to have a negative opinion. Of course you are. That's the whole point. It's what makes us human. It's how we learn from things. But if you're just being negative just for the sake of negative sake, it's boring. And I hate you that what it's called said that I didn't. I hope that I second it, but that word boring. I'm seeing that as a criticism of films. What does that mean? You know, when someone says to you, oh, this film is boring. What do you mean? Yeah. What did you mean it was boring? We weren't. We just not paying attention. Yeah. Anyway, so. So, we've created this series and we're going to kick it off in today, so I thought, let's have a bit of a fun one to start with. Fun. I am stressed, it's fun for me. So what I have done is I have, got in front of me. I have Aron's film box, unbox film box. I'll put film at the top of it and let me start again in front of me. I have Aron's letterbox, and I have sorted his films from half a star all the way to five. However, I'm not focusing on those five star films because I know you like them and I know you can find the good in him. But what I want to do is I want you, Aron, to find the good in your half to one star films. Now, we're not going to go through all of them. And I know there's a reason why you don't like some of the films. There's some of the films on your list that I don't know why, so I'm quite curious to find out why. However I want you. It could be a short issue, like you could be as long as you like. But I want you to find the good in these. Are you ready? Can we just talk about the substances that I can do? What? I know you can think about the substance. That's my point. So I think I know you've mentioned a few films in the past, so I'm not going to get into some of them because we know, we know, you know, you know, some of your feelings. I'm not talking about trap today. Well, trap was I know because I know the good in trap is Josh Hartnett. Yeah, yeah. Just for your listeners, sake, Aron has no idea what films I'm picking today. By the way. He knows no one of them. I know one of them. Because you keep you keep poking me with. No no no no no no, he knows, I'm going through them. And I gave him four warning that I'm going through your litter box and your half one starts. But he doesn't know because I'm not going to do all of them. Because, you know, we'll be here a while. I'm picking a select few. This build up is killing me, little fox. I know, I know, I just want a little bit. So the first one that I want to start with, is one that you want to go with me for not watching yet. You've rated it one star, and I want you to find the good in the Polar Express for me. First off, why one? What was your reasoning behind that? So for me, the Polar Express freaks me out on, like, a genuine level. I didn't mean to bring up any trauma here. I'm so sorry. I just thought you didn't like it. It makes me uncomfortable now. Like the film itself, it it like it pioneered a new style of filmmaking. Which was that motion capture. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, obviously Robert Zemeckis, he just does a lot, so I can respect it. But there's such, like, a, an uncanny valley feel to it that I watch in it. Like, I feel almost like I'm watching a horror. Like it freaks me out. And then you've got these film that was like, it was at monster House, maybe, or or doing it or something, you know, like these really freaky animation stars. Yeah. Okay. But like hoodwinked, I feel like leans into it. Whereas Polar Express, I think was meant to be a bit more serious, a bit more like, yeah, serious is what I'm going for. But yeah, it just freaks me out. So you're good for the Polar Express? I'll always put respect on Tom Hanks. I think the fact that he played seven, I remember for my quiz seven characters, in that film, and he made all of them different enough, in terms of how they acted and stuff that they felt like different characters is really cool. And I'll always respect a filmmaker for trying something new. Yeah, I think I rated to be far rate Polar Express at a time when I was a lot more critical and a lot more okay, like before, I kind of took the stance of stop being such an ass. Okay? So okay, new I'll probably pop up to like 2.5 if I was going to right now, because does that respect to Zemeckis for what he was trying to do? I can respect that. So we can see how this is going in. You try to make me a better person, you bastard. Oh, yeah. Yeah. So it's a good job that, my my lovely partner is not editing this particular episode. Because her favorite film of all time is Little Mermaid. Oh, God. Now you've rated this one star. You've left a few comments on it as well. What's that? Right. You said that you don't understand the hype film. You would argue it's the worst Disney princess of the roster. It was the beginning of their renaissance. And a lot of traditions later followed. For example, the I want to be the the her song Oh, long is going to kill me when she listen to this. I want to be with the people. Yeah. That's it. That it's that Disney. Princess I want more kind of song, you know, like the like the Moana. So I think. Yeah, it was a difference between the. It's how you can always tell a hero and a villain, I think is like the hero who is the wants I want. And then the hero. Yeah, the villain is I am. Yeah, yeah. And Little Mermaid was the first film that did that. I have. Well, there you go. I was talking about, the characters, the two dimensional, the sequences are random, the disjointed, and overall, the film is a good example of a story that doesn't stand the test of time. So that was your one star review, the Little Mermaid. So let's find the good in it. Just on the on the thing of the test of time. My main criticism, and that was the fact that the relationship between Ariel and Eric. Yeah. The age gap I'm pretty sure area was meant to be like 15 and then Eric's like 24. I I don't know, like I did some research into it because that was what I kind of liked a little bit more about the remake was that they, they, they shortened that age gap. I think she's now 19 and he's still 20, but, you know, it felt a little bit less creepy. Okay. Obviously that's a that's an aspect of the time. But that's why I mean there's some test time there. Find the good in it. You know what? Fucking Ursula does not deserve to be hated as much as she is. She made the contract. Everything was right there in that damn contract. It is fucking Ariel's fault for not reading that damn contract. You're finding the good in The Little Mermaid. Use the terms and conditions. So, listen, Ursula is not a villain. She didn't. Erica. She didn't do anything bad. She just went. Here you go. Here's a contract. You sign it, come back to me, we'll have a deal. I think Ursula's a fantastic villain. He's great. I'm like, so she got it. She got the raw end of the deal. Everyone hates her. And it's like, nah, man, she's just a business. She's a businesswoman, okay? People just don't like powerful women. That's what it is. So to assess. Oh, that's a topic. In terms of the music, the this under the sea, I want to be one of the last songs called oh, Part of Your World. That's it. It's a part of your world under the sea, you know, some classic Disney song set with them. They're good songs, but, you know, I feel like with musicals, your songs are only as good as the context that they're introduced. And for me, like, I just didn't care as much. So the vibe, the vibes of the song, they didn't stick with me as much. Like if I listen to them externally. Yeah. Which is actually what I did before I watched the movie. Yeah. I vibe a bit more with them, like under the crystal ball too. Yeah, yeah. So the good is, slow burner. And if you had to write it again, could you watch that 5th of June 2023? So it wasn't that long ago. So if you had, if you now that you've spoken about some of the good, would you keep it one I'd push to like a 1.5. Okay. But yeah. No I still I'm pretty much like I don't I still I just don't get the hype of this one. That's your opinion. But you found the good in it. And that's what I like about this episode. You don't want to hurt me. Like everyone's going to come for me. No, I want to listen to this and be like, I'm not editing. No, but like, you're some of your comments there about the age gap, it's not something I had particularly thought of. So fair enough. Points. Stuff I notice if you bring up Licorice Pizza, the whole we have a hook film there. And I want to tell you that it is someone else, and I've been thinking about whether to or not, because there's one here that I'm going to keep till later. But let's keep, let's keep, let's keep it kind of relevant. Sonic the Hedgehog three is has been released. Yeah. And it seems to have been very positively received. You didn't like the second one, though? No, I didn't, you didn't. So what what did you like about it? But did I leave a review? No, you just rated one star. One star? Okay, well, what I didn't like about it. If we're still following up for me, I would like to know. Yeah. What? What made it one star for you? It would, Okay. Sonic two made me feel old. And I'm not going to lie. This is me. Come in from, like, an old grumpy man perspective, okay? All of the jokes and all of the humor was so Tik Tok generation in that it was it was just cringe to me. The dance scene in a snowy cabin was a little bit is that there's also the fact that Sonic just feels like a 12 year old kid, which I know he's meant to be, yes, but because I'm now 27, I don't find that humor funny anymore. It just doesn't. It doesn't vibe with me. I don't think we got to see Jim Carrey flex as much as we did in the first one, so I didn't enjoy that as much. So yeah, I didn't I didn't vibe with it in that regard, I definitely am. I feel like an old man in that regard. No, no, I it's as is your as is your I read it two and a half stars. Just you're much more like in to make movies and I think. Yeah, I watched it. What you said about some of the humor I seen vibe with. And I did find myself a lot at the film waiting for Jim Carrey to come back. Oh, I didn't like tails. I didn't think tails did anything. I, I like the inclusion of tails any more. I like the inclusion. And that's I like knuckles. Yeah, knuckles as well. But like, if you, I feel like if you take tails out, the story in the film really changes. Like he didn't do anything. But I guess you had to he had to have tails. That's what I mean. Just including because you have to do it. What do I like about this final good? It. I tell you what I watched, I'm a shout them out again. Everything great about, cinema wins. Fucking love. Cinema wins. Check them out of you haven't. And they did. And everything great about Sonic two. So I watch that. I do like the inclusion of Sonic Prime, and I like how. Oh yeah, that was. Yeah, I like how they. Sorry. Spoilers. It was released in 2022. You know you never know. You never know. There'll be someone like me next one. Like a how they kind of set him up as this powerhouse is like, formidable. And then he just kind of went, oh, he's a hot dog. I did laugh at that box. And I was like, okay, that's, that's that's really cementing that character for me. No, he loves chili dogs. That's a very sonic. Yeah, yeah. And I love knuckles. I thought knuckles was a really interesting villain. You know how he he was conceived interacting with Eggman, and you could see him figuring things out as he went through? I thought I was actually really cool. Other than that, I. Yeah, there wasn't there wasn't as much. I, I liked, I say Jim Carrey's Aquaman watching is one of my favorite actors. Yeah. And I liked the the lead into more of the Eggman appearance with the the hair and the mustache. You start to see a bit more of him as Eggman. I like that, so. Okay. Would you still race? You won. That's the rainbow. That's solid. Solid one. Let's move on. I've rated this lower than you. Oh, wow. But, I mean, you are very strong Batman fans. Okay. And I it's weird. I would probably write this, not higher. I'd probably go half a star higher because I'll write it half star. You write it one star. So I'm happy to join in on this one as well. Okay, let's talk about Batman and Robin, just like you write this one star rated at half star. So let's talk about why you and I'm happy to join in as well. Why this? Why this low down on your list? I think on the C the major flaw of that film, it came at the wrong time. It came at a time where we'd had we'd had Keaton as Batman. We'd had very dark, brooding, sinister Batman. And then you had this just. It just went the other way. Well, you had forever in between those two. Yeah, but even forever was, you know, you two face. And that was it was a bit goofy, but it was more the villains were goofy, but it still took itself seriously. And then you had this Batman and Robin, which just it felt like it was supposed to be a continuation, but it was it was like if the Robert Pattinson's The Batman, you then if I can put Jim Carrey in the role, the Chris O'Donnell did say it was like, being a toy commercial. Yeah. It just it felt so tone deaf to what the current trajectory of The Batman was. If that had come out just after the TV series, the Adam West TV series. Yeah, I think it would have been received so much better because it fit that same goofy comic style, which is what I think Joel Schumacher was trying to go for. Yes. And I can respect, like if I watched it now from a from more of a camp like, okay, I understand what this is now, I think I'd enjoy it more. I can watch it now and I can watch it now. Enjoy it. Yeah, because it's it's goofy. There are some parts that are and, the band that pulls are coming on board with the Batman pose. He's, he's reasoning is, Greek kind of god statues. Yeah. That was that was it. So there's always reason, but at least there was a reason behind it. And it wasn't just. Yeah, it was, it was, you know, repo enough. And obviously there was a lot of crotch shots with the, with the suit ups and, etc.. And Alicia Silverstone, I don't think got enough a chance to shine as Batwoman because I think, I think she there was something potentially there especially like what was it, 1997. So she's off of clueless. So she's huge. Uma Thurman's poison Ivy was something and obviously had been the why it got so low for me is and I've mentioned it before, is Mr. Freeze is probably my favorite Batman. Yeah. And mask of the Phantasm, I think, does his story so well. And this does not know. And that's why it was so low for me, is that there is a real genuine heartbreak, heartbreaking story in it, with Mr. Freeze. But it's Arnold Schwarzenegger kid going, what killed the dinosaurs? The Ice Age? It's just like, oh, okay. I feel like an incorrect casting. Austin. Yes. So George Clooney is Batman. I can see why they put George Clooney as Batman. I think as a as a Bruce Wayne, he's top tier as a Batman. But then again, this is because I'm thinking about Batman is like this dark, brooding character and like, that's not what. Yeah, that was supposed to be. So again, I think in a different time, maybe we could have had that as a pretty cool Batman film. But it was I was just yeah, it was just so random and just out of sorts. Well let's move, let's find the good in it. Let's find the good empowerment. Robin. And one of them, one of the good for me is a quote from the film. It's right at the end. It's spoilers. But this is a 25 year old film, where Batman has just defeated, Mr. Freeze and Freeze in Gotham and different like that. And he says to him, vengeance isn't power. Anyone can take a life. But to give a life that's real power, a power you once had. That's a damn good quote, and that's come from the goofiest Batman film of all time. And that message is like, great. Yeah, I like I like that message and I, I that's one of I love that quote from the film. I really do, I know of that quote, like because of it, it's really bad. And if I find good, he it he made a goofy film. Yeah. The film was exactly what he wanted it to be and he achieved it. And so you got to give props to that. Watch it, have a fun time. And it's interesting to see what, you know. Batman was obviously we look at Robert Pattinson now, Ben Affleck, Christian Bale, it's not Batman Begins was the Batman film after Batman and Robin, which is yeah, it killed the franchise. And what I will say is, interestingly, if this film was well received and done well, do you know about the Batman film that was scheduled to be after it? I can't remember what the film was. I can't remember what it was titled, but Sean Schumacher was directing as well, and he had hit. The premise was his film was going to be The Scarecrow, and the Scarecrow would reanimate Jack Nicholson's The Joker. Interesting and it would the. And the film was going to be a bit more darker and center around fear. That was his next Batman film. But Batman, Robin killed all of that. I like that idea. I thought I should have just done that. That would have been better. Yes. Whether you would have got Jack Nicholson back or who the Scarecrow would have been, would it still have been George Clooney? I don't know, but that was the premise, I like that. Let's move on. Now that we're on a bone with you on this one, listeners, you may know that I'm a huge Star Wars nerd. I fucking I'm a huge Star Wars nerd. And to this day, I am a Last Jedi defender because I really enjoy the film. I'll tell you who didn't enjoy the film is my good buddy. Maybe not after his what he says here around you. Right? This the Last Jedi? One star. Now, I want to talk about this, okay? Before we talk about it. Okay. This is not going to set good precedent, which was last year. The Last Jedi is, remember, the Last Jedi is, it's Luke's training, right? And he. Does he die at the end of it? Yes. He does. Well, no, he passes forward. Yeah. And obviously Snoke that it's Snoke dies in it. Yeah he does Disney. Yes. So yes, the middle one is okay. So I'll tell you what I didn't like about this one that I think before the most recent trilogy, I was not a Star Wars fan. I didn't I watched it and I was like, I don't really get it. It's not something which I'm like, yeah, get out my lightsabers. Like, I just it just didn't vibe with me. I wasn't as keen on it. Much to the chagrin of many of my friends. But then I watched The Force Awakens and I was like, oh, fuck me, this is good because it felt powerful, like the lightsabers felt powerful. The new characters I was so interested in, Snoke was a really cool villain this just this massive way, dude that you didn't really know anything about. And it set up everything where I was actually really excited for the rest of this trilogy and I. There's a Kylo Ren pop vinyl behind you because I was like, I was just really into it. And then The Last Jedi comes out, and it goes all that stuff that we've just done and I fuck it off. We're going to go in a completely different direction, and it just fucks off in a in the 180, Snoke dies for no reason. Rey gets trained by Luke, but Luke is just being an absolute dick and you don't really get why. It's like, I feel like Luke's character there, I didn't think was a good development of his character because I think his disillusionment, I was just a bit like, I felt that feels forced. Yeah, that was just it was all just like it felt like it took it back to. This is ironic, actually. I saw it, took it back to original Star Wars in its vibe. Okay. And that's why I didn't like it, because I was like, man, I'm bored now. Again, because I didn't. I was bored in the audience and that's why I didn't like it, because I think everyone else disagrees, cause everyone's like, that's not it's not original. Star Wars. Yeah, okay. Now that's fair enough. I get people's criticisms of it. The Luke character is an interesting one. A lot of people hate the way that that that went. And there are elements of that Luke character I didn't like, because Luke to me is that symbol of hope. He's yeah, the big Jedi. If we cast our minds back to the end of return of the Jedi, where, Darth Vader's goading him into turning him to the dark side and he says, oh, actually, I tell you what, if you're not going to turn it, sister Will, and then he goes batshit crazy on him and starts to beat him down, and it starts to cut off. Is they cut off his wrist. You see that element of rage and dark side in Luke? So when he's then kind of seen it in Kylo or Ben Solo, he obviously then disappears because he doesn't. He fears that. So I get it. I didn't want to see it, I get it, it feels weak. He's like, you can get it. But also he's like, he it's not like that's new to him. He saw his father was the ultimate badass. Yes. And he turned him and he makes time. And then I get that and I get that. But I think a lot of people's criticisms were, Luke wouldn't do that. It's like, no, Luke did do that. He literally beat him down and cut his arm off. So like, you seen Luke do this? Yeah, but it would have been nice to have seen him be this, like, yeah, I'll train you and then we'll. And then I guess towards the end you did kind of see him. The force. Yeah. The force projection. I have himself obviously that demonstrated a lot of Ben Solo's rage and how he only see he's got tunnel vision only on one thing. And I think that that represented that very, very well. I thought it was interesting. However, him dying made Kylo Ren the villain, so he became Supreme leader. And I liked that because he was now there was he had the Emperor and Vader. Yeah. And then we're doing it again with Snoke in Kylo. I quite liked the idea of maybe Kylo being the one and only kind of big guy. Like that idea. They ruined that. I will. One film I didn't like was The Rise of Skywalker and they ruined that again. Basically, what what didn't do well for this film with, people is that you gave the trilogy to three different storytellers. Yeah, yeah, there was no real. This is the beginning. This is the middle. This is the end. This is. But you I want you, you'll put your style on it because, you know, the the, A new Hope Empire and Return of Jedi. Three different directors. But the story was all the same throughout. But I am a last Jedi defender. I think the I think the cinematography is gorgeous in it. I think the throne room scene is brilliant. I liked our kind of good to layer and where he gave her the dice, and he said, no one's ever really gone. Obviously that came at a time. But yeah, I was I was like, Carrie Fisher passed away. And it just put a bit more heart into it, I think I like that, so let's find the good in it. What did you like? I mean, Ryan Johnson is a great storyteller and he's a great filmmaker. He is. But that film did kind of make me go, oh, really? Yeah. Like, honestly, even the fact that he tried to do something new with it is that, you know, let's talk about Polar Express. That was your. But like the thing about Polar Express as a standalone film, I think if you're going to come into a trilogy, if you're going to come into a sequel and you're just going to go, oh, what? All that director did not fuck you. That's so disrespectful to me. Like, if you're going to take on someone else's work and have put your spin on it, put your stamp on it, but you also still have to pay respect to what came before. I don't think that's on him so much. Rather than Lucasfilm being like, well, I mean, yeah. Then it comes into the question of was it studios? Yeah. Right. Because obviously Lucasfilm what should have been like here's the story arc right within that. And yes, yes, yes, I guess they read it and then Disney as well. Yeah, exactly. So I think Rian Johnson got like a really shit fucking end of the deal there. But but fair play to him for taking on Star Wars mantle. I think any any director who does that I'll give respect to because that's that's a brave thing to. Yeah. Honestly the film is so forgettable for me that I don't know, I can't bring to mind much of what I would say was cool. So I'd have to rewatch that. I'll get back to you. Okay. Well, come back to me on that one. That's fine. Right. Last film them. So let's talk about your review of Licorice Pizza. Oh, you Blade Runner, I, I thought you could do blade. I know, I just I knew you were going to spend this whole time thinking about Blade Runner. Yeah, I know, I knew from the moment I was going to come over here, I wasn't gonna talk about Blade Runner, because I knew that was the one that you've always thought about, you saucy bitch. But I knew you wouldn't think about any others because you would only be thinking about blade pitch. This idea to me with Blade Runner, I did. You fucker planted the seeds. Licorice pizza. You've never been so uncomfortable for a two hour period. It feels like it should have been locked away in a basement of a guy who doesn't understand a woman. Who doesn't? It doesn't have to. And a woman. Well, how are they function in the slightest? I only got half star because I liked the period it was set in. Oh, there's the good. I didn't realize that. I didn't realize how much I ripped into that. Wow. You wrote that review on the 18th of January, 2022. Okay. Which is nearly three years ago, which is crazy, by the way, I wonder, I know exactly the context in which I watched that film was I. So I do want to explain why I was probably such a bitch. Now I know this this is your let's talk about it. I went to the cinema. I was meant to go with my girlfriend at the time. We had just made a massive argument, so I went alone. So I was already pretty pissed off. Okay. Right. So that was part of it. But also. Right. The main character, who's played by Philip Seymour Hoffman, son. And then, I can't remember her name. Do apologize. But one of the, singles from him, a lot of hype around him, which I was really excited about, was like, okay, he needs to be one fucking know about. This is really cool. I know that when the film came out, it was very much praise is like, oh, these are two not stereotypically attractive people in a rom com. The kid is 15, the boy is 15, she is 27. Okay. Yeah. That's why I was uncomfortable the entire time. You're sat there and you're watching this. We'll get into the romance, quote unquote, in a minute. But the entire time you sat there and you're like, he's 15, he is 15. He is fucking 15. Why am I watching this? He's five and no one mentions the age difference. He is a bit like hesitant at the beginning of like, no, you're 15, I'm going to date you. But then she goes on a date with him and then she shows him her boobs, and then she kisses him, and then she falls in love with him and the film ends. Spoiler with him. With her, like, running to him and being like, oh, I love you. And it's presented as this very happy moment. And you're like, but he's 15. He's male. He may be 16 now, but he is not old enough for you. That's why I was uncomfortable, because the age difference is fucking horrendous. And there's also the fact that he is just a vile human like, like the relationship that those two have is disgust thing. Okay. So like there's one period of, of of the thing where like, to make him jealous, she calls somebody up and pretends to flirt with them over the phone and they're like, they have this vile chemistry. And there's just it was it was so disgusting. And the fact that no one talked about that, no one gave it a bad review, and no one was like, oh, I was not good is not good, bro. Fuck off. Interestingly, the first review that I've seen here is I can fix him, says a girl who is worse. Yeah, because he's 15. Yeah. Also, yeah, he's a dickhead for being a 15 year old as well. He's like, he's one of these characters who just who thinks that they can do anything, can like, like he's constantly got new ideas for moneymaking schemes. Yeah. At one point, by the way, he buys a fucking store and like, sells mattresses or some shit. There's also the fact that nothing makes sense. It feels like you're in this weird dream. I don't know, maybe this is the director of Boogie Nights. You know, there will be plot. You mean there's. You know, he's a good. He's very good wife. I'm meant to be a good director. I haven't seen anything else from his. And I'm tempted to avoid it all forever. Inherent vice as well. I've heard it's quite good. Okay. Well, if I can try and ask you, the topic of the episode is. Let's find the good in. Yeah, let's find the good in Licorice Pizza. There are a few films that actually get me mad. Well, this is one of the films that, like a riles me up that that film exists, and that people don't talk about how harmful that is. Like it's presented as a love story and like they're meant to be together like a one point as well, actually. And so I'm I'm gonna continue running. Fuck you. You're good. I'm going to continue ranting. There's one point where she goes on a date with someone who is actually her fucking age, and the reason that she then gets dissuaded and goes back to this little fucking douchebag is because that guy is actually gay. Oh, okay. Right. Yeah, that's a good message, isn't it? Oh, want that one day that she went on the guy's actually gay. Let's go back to the 15 year old and be illegal. No fucking come on. What is that storytelling. It bothers me. I don't know whether I want you to find the good in this. There's no good, you know? There you go. There's no good. Fuck that film. Not that, but it has the time. The time period in the cinematography was really cool. And I can I can respect him for who he put in the roles. But Jesus Christ, what a what a dangerous film that is. That comes to the end of our, our segment F the good in our ended on a really bad one. Well, yeah. I didn't quite realize how passionately you hated it. You not get by the review? Oh, I knew you like I didn't like it, but I thought maybe you could always find the good in something, but, you know. So there goes the end of this series. Thank you for ruining this. This series ended. There was some things that you just you won't vibe with. And like I said, as your complete right to me, if someone came to me and said I like Licorice Pizza, I would probably say, okay, well, what about the age guy? What are your thoughts on that? And if they go, I'm cool with it and I'd avoid them like the plague. But if they say like, I didn't like that, but you know, like there was this thing, I like, this thing I like, I'll hear them out, but I'll still avoid them like plague anyway. Well, we hope we hope you enjoyed it. Like, you know, the idea of the series to say we want to find the good. It has been quite interesting obviously here why you didn't like it, but it was nice to hear you at least try and find some good in some things. You have made me such a villain. Know what I think I have? I think, I think I've, I've expressed your interests more. But I've allowed you to, obviously. But you have found the good and, you know, you. And it just shows that you are passionate regardless. So. No, I think I've done well in directing Unicef. So, so we'll leave it there. It will be an ongoing series throughout. As, as I've mentioned, you know, we'll be trying to find the good in anything, you know, that hasn't been particularly well received. And, you know, we may return to our letter box because that was quite entertaining. So we'll leave it there, I think. I think that's a good place to end it. We hope you've enjoyed this episode. We release episodes every Thursday moment you wake up. Or if you're in America halfway through the day. I don't know the time difference. Thank you to everyone that does listen to us across the world. Which is crazy to say that, but it is amazing. The feedback we've received as well. Follow us on this box. I'm Sam map. Okay, I have my joke. I have to do it myself. Yeah. Come on now. Yeah. And, give our TikTok a follow at the Hollywood Scarlett's. We do have an account called the Hollywood Scarlett. Yeah, I know, but we will probably start. I will probably start post on there a bit more. Just get the episodes out. And, wherever you get, you, I say wherever you get your podcast from whoever Spotify, from wherever you get your podcast from, we only release on Spotify and oh, so yeah, we do ones there. I rate us. Yeah. Oh, yeah. Right. Yeah. Please. Yeah. And please. And yeah, I think like, oh, do we want to give a film club recommendation? Nosferatu. Yes, yes, actually, go watch Nosferatu, go support Robert Eggers. Oh, my days. If you didn't get it. If you didn't understand. Yeah, if you didn't get why we want you to watch it. The beginning episode. Just go watch it. You find out, it's not going to be for everyone. It's quite gothic. It's quite horror. Just from a filmmaking perspective. Storytelling, acting. Just watch it. And that's our recommendation. Thank you very, very much for listening. Oh.
