Look Out's only films to be buried with. Hello, and welcome to Films to be Buried with. My name is Brett Goldstein. I'm a comedian and actor, a writer, a director, the other one, and I love films. As Oprah Winfrey once said, you can have it all, just not all at once. Yes, the Souvenir Part two is more fun, but you do have to start with the Souvenir to fully understand the Souvenir Part two. That's just how it works. You're going to have to deal with it. That's true,
Aprah Winfrey. Every week I invite special guests over. I tell them they've died. Then I get them to discuss their life through the films that meant the most of them. Previous guests include Barry Jenkins, Himes, Patel, Mark Frost, Sharon Stone, Sarah Marshall, Jamila Jamil and even Bled Clambles. But this week it's the brilliant comic actor Helena York. This is
the end of this season. I'll be taking four weeks off, but there'll be four rewind classics in the meantime before we return with an absolutely massive one on August ninth. You can watch all of Shrinking on Apple TV Plus and all three seasons of Ted Lasso on Apple TV Plus. Make sure you watch them all. Head over to the Patreon at patreon dot com forward slash Brett Goldstein, where you get an extra twenty minutes of chat with Helena. We laugh a lot, she tells me a secret, We
talk about beginnings and endings. You get the whole episode, uncut and ad free, and does a video. Check it out over at patreon dot com Forward slash Brett Goldstein. So Helena York is a brilliant and hilarious musical theater actor and star of the excellent The Other Two, which, if you haven't seen it, it just finished its third season and it is truly brilliant. You should watch it. We recorded this a couple of weeks ago on Zoom. We'd never met before. We had such a good time.
This one's really funny. I really think you're gonna love this one. So that is it for now. I very much hope you enjoy episode two hundred and fifty five of Films to be Very With. Hello, and welcome to Films to be Buried With. It is I Brett Goldstein, and I am joined today by an actor, a musical superstar, a comedian, a sitcom giant, a legend, a master of sex, a thirty.
Rocker, and of one of one of the.
Greatest of the other two. I can't believe she's here. She really is. But look at her. If you're looking on the video, you can see her, and if you're listening, you can hear her.
Here.
She is the myth, the legend, the woman. It's a lighter York.
Claps her self.
Oh, big fan, Hello, nice to see you and meet you.
We've been chatting for maybe three minutes and I'm very still starstruck.
I'm equally starstruck.
I will send to you off Mike, and I realized I should say it on Mike, that's your show the other two which I don't know how many people in England have seen it, but if you haven't seen it, you need to see it, and I'll tell you for a way. For many reasons, it's brilliant, but it's also incredibly unusual in TV for the first episode to be perfect. As most TV shows, people say, give it three seasons and it starts to get good. You just got to give it. It's just got to give it five weeks of
your life and then it starts getting good. But the other two first episode is like, yeah, you nailed it everyone. It's very clear this show. Everything's funny, all the characters you care about. Everyone is sympathetic, empathetic, it's got pathos. It's a funny idea filled with jokes, fucking brilliant. Oh thank you, And that's episode right.
Well that's how I feel about ted Lasso. You guys were all a perfect cast in our produced perfectly in the pilot episode. I thought, I feel like that's what you guys got so right was cast? It was like so great, every single person was perfect. You know what I mean?
In your show? And forgive me for not knowing your life story? Did you all know each other? It is your show a magical thing? Is it something that you've been building towards? Like did you know Drew and the writers?
Like no, I didn't. Well, I don't know about you and your comedy journey. But I went to musical theater school, so I was this kind of like geek that was doing theater and when it came time to like take an improv class when I was unemployed, they were four hunderd dollars and I was like, I can't fucking afford that.
And so I wasn't in the world, like I wasn't in the improv like Drew Tarvar is a wonderful improviser through does Upright Citizens Brigade, is on improv teams tours with Ben Schwartz and is very very funny in that way. And then Chris and Sarah who created the other two were you know, comedians, improfisers, worked at College Humor and then you know co head wrote SNL and so when I read the show, I was like, and you know,
it's so funny. I was just listening to Adam Scott's episode of your show and he read Severance and he was like, this is really great. I'm not going to get it.
Yeah, And that's.
Sort of how I felt. I actually, as an actor, hate reading things I want. It's devastating, like devastating because it's sort of like, oh, the fall from the rejection will be from such a greater height and will hurt so much more. So it was kind of this like it was like a cool kids on the other side of the playground that I didn't know anybody, and you know, got to a table read in LA and like met Ken Marino and Molly Shannon was like, what the fuck am I doing here?
That's it.
And the entire shooting of the pilot. That's so nice what you said about the pilot. It was like dying of an anxiety attack because I was positive they were gonna replace me. They're gonna shoot the whole pilot and be like, we have to redo all of Poleno's scenes.
That's so great. I didn't know.
I didn't know that you were completely unknown to do or as in you you were not connected anyway.
That's fucking cool. What a find.
Yeah, thank you so much. Yes, I am such a thank you.
Fine, Yes, thank you.
This is a diamond and the rough. That's what I call myself all the time. Yeah. I was on this show called High Maintenance and on HBO and that Chris christ and Sarah watched me on that. It's just like a common thing of people see you in one thing and it's just about breaking in. And that's what's so hard. That's what I found hard.
It's also unusual for shows too well. I suppose you have peripheral famous people in your show, but for the for the two leads, not to be megastars is amazing and unusual and a great thing.
I mean, now you are.
Yeah, I'm a mega superstar.
Give me forgive me.
Decidedly not. I'm decidedly not. But it is funny. I mean, you know, it's like I talk about this all the time. It's with acting and with doing this, there's always a new obstacle, right. It's like if you're going to look for a job at a certain point after you've like led a show, they're like, well, we're out to names, and you're like, well what does that mean? It's so crazy. It's like the goalpost is always moving. But it was very nice to be absolutely no one.
Yeah, we need a real nobody.
I'm here, yes, me.
You're fantastic. You're fantastic, and you've done three seasons. Tell me how you feel because the show is beloved and successful and you're in season three of it. So you went from you know, not being very well known to being much much, much much more well known. Now, how have you changed in the three years? Basically, are you know a massive dicket question?
Yeah?
So yeah, I'm a massive dickhead. You just like took the words right out of my fucking mouth asshole with this motherbucker do his podcast. God, I mean to waiters, I mean to my uber drivers. I'm like everywhere I go, I'm like, what you don't know who I am? And then like throw silverware and demand that everyone serve me. How am I different? I guess I guess I would say I'm sadly the same. I'm older, I think more
than anything. I think when you go from being nobody and clawing and scraping to you know, I still have to and do claw and scrape, there's a confidence in yourself that I think moving forward through life is so nice. It's just like, oh, hopefully when people meet me, or even if they haven't, they at least know about it, have like a context for who I am, what I do,
and like what I'm like. And so it's sort of like your reputation precedes you before you walk into a room, as opposed to having to prove yourself everywhere you go. I don't know that that's a change. It's just sort of I'm a little bit more backfooted. I'm trying to figure out how.
And you can go like, you can go, hey, how you doing. I'll let you catch up to me. Yeah, you don't go like, hi, I'm me and I'm great and.
Exactly, yeah, you guys will figure it out. I say that, And yet I was just joking with you before this. I read an interview that I gave that I absolutely sounded like such a dickhead in just like a total coked up lunatic, and I'm like, maybe I'm not as back.
Yeah, but the interview you're referring to is in print, and I think print interviews are nearly impossible because you're in real life funny and anything you say funny that when it is then written down, often without the context around it, you sound mad.
It's a goddamn nightmare, especially if you swear a lot like we do. I don't know if you have this problem. I read myself in interviews and I'm like, oh my god, you're a psychopathe.
Oh yeah, I think that all the time.
But sometimes they edit out my swears and I go, oh no, this is only funny with the swears you take. You take the swears out, now I sound really sincere, you know what I mean? Or now it's like that's the worst part of it is when you're you were being funny at the table but then written down, it just reads sincere and you're like, oh no, I sound very earnest.
Or like really egotistical. Like a part of how I'm gross, how I'm funny and quotes is to be disgustingly self deprecating by bragging about myself. So when you see it in print, it's just bragging about myself. Well, I'll be like, yeah, I'm just like fucking amazing, and everybody's just out of me. But you like read it in print and it's like this girl, she's changed.
I sat with I sat with Helene. She told me she was like fucking amazing. Yeah, it's a fucking mind show.
It's please context. There's just no context. If you get interviewed and there's like no, the interviewer doesn't put their own voice in it. It's just like a run on sentence of every dumb thing you said and every name drop. That's the other thing. I'm like, oh my god, this is insufferable. I will say you do in a way that you've changed. If you become more successful and people know you and you meet all sorts of people, you
have opportunities to name drop, like you're dropping bombs like crazy. Yeah, yeah, but it's disgusting.
Yeah, I mean yeah, I don't know your your experiences.
No, I mean like later, I could be like, you know, I was like talking to Brett Goldstein the other day and he was telling me and asking me like how I've changed, And I was like, you, we just dropped Brett Goldstein in a conversation.
That's going to get you, Eddie does who you know the sweary guy, The sweary guy, the guy that says.
Fuck all the time, doesn't swear in print and sounds deeply sincere.
Gotten to tell you something that I now need to tell you, which is you've died.
You're dead dead.
Okay, okay, A lot of things make sense now. I feel I've just always been feeling a little invisible lately, straight through me.
Yeah, well you're dead, thank you.
Oh my god, Oh my god, oh my god. Do I need to call anybody? I suppose I can't?
No, no, no, but you you can. You can tap them on the shoulder and sort of whisper, But you can't call them.
You can't do anything. You can't work with technology.
Okay, I do. I'm sort of excited from this place to also watch people more in me and give me more attention than it is ever imaginable. I do you ever think too like if like did I die on the same day as like somebody bigger will anybody that.
Is such a great, such a great.
Like did I die and did Oprah die on the same day?
Oh God, you're just not going to get you. Okay, So you died the same day as Oprah? I don't even know if you make the papers.
My god, nobody gives a ship. You're not even a thumbnail. You're not even a thumbnail on the cover of people. They dedicate the entire cover to her. She's on the every you.
Know, when you know, when they do the like in memoriam at the Oscars or the Emmys, it's just Oprah.
It's just her.
It's a five minute tribute to Oprah. Anyone else who died that you forget it?
I wonder if I would be in the tribute at the Oscars.
I think no, Well, because of Oprah? How did you die the same year as Oprah? How did you die?
Well? I got hit by an electric bicycle crossing Prospect Park West as this guy just like absolutely bad out of hell needed to get somebody their sushi lunch and Oprah died. She was for b sushi.
You were connected forever.
Yeah, Oprah died like in the middle of the ocean doing an amazing story on saving the Oorca whales, and like the entire boat got swallowed whole and she's just gone. Actually I did see a video of that happening to somebody. Yeah, getting swallowed by a kayak.
They're killing people, yeahs are killing the bikes. Yeah there, what's the word? Training each other?
Well, and they took out Oprah.
And she was out there trying to save them. She didn't know what they wanted. They wanted to be left alone.
Well, okay, so you hit by an electric bike and someone didn't get their sushi?
Did the person riding the bike? Was it hit and run or were they like, go, yeah, it was a hit and run. I didn't stop.
If you live in New York City, which I know you don't, these guys have a mind of their own. They don't give a shit what happened. They don't care what happened to me. They got to get to the next thing. And you know what, I appreciate and respect the hustle.
Okay, so you're not even mad about it. Right, So you killed ben electric bike? Do you worry about death?
Yeah? Yeah, doesn't everybody? Does anybody answer no?
You know what?
I did want to recording one these yesterday? He answered no, he said, don't think about it. No point saying.
All the time. And recently, my husband and I sat down to do our living will, which I guess, damn is coming into use at this exact moment now that I'm doing this pod, and I've been informed they must be reading it, thank god.
Yeah, any surprises in it and living but any surprises in the living room any like. Do you think anyone will be like yeah.
Wow, well yeah, I think my well, no, he's not going to be surprised. We gave our baby to a member of the family, and I think other members will be jealous and mad. And I've been really rushing my husband to get this in because I was like, there needs to be no confusion over who gets this baby, because he's the only grandchild's ni nephew, anybody. And I think people would like people by people, I mean my family would tear each other new absolute pieces fighting over
this child. Right, But I thought about death so much person knowing yet and the person knowing getting their baby is like, now threatening to kill me to get said baby is like, well, that's so sad that you told me that I'm going to kill you now because I want him.
Does that person ride an electric bike?
Oh my god, I'm not even kidding you right now. This is not a joke. He does. He has an electric bike.
I didn't think it was such an accident.
I can't believe he actually does. And that came full circle. That was gorgeous Brett. That is comedy and a full circles for herself.
Thanks for everyone who came. I just want to say, we don't take this for granted. We've had a good type. Hang on, why are you worrying about death so much?
I've always worried about death so much, even as a kid, Like I cried to my grandmother, my oma, and I was like, am I gonna die? And she said yeah? And I think about like and you know what's the other reason too? This is so psycho everything I do? Now do you do this? I'm like, well, I want to take care of old lady me, or like I want I think about everything I do as in like when I'm on my deathbed, when it's like the last couple of months when like the writing's on the wall,
will I look back and be like fuck? Yeah? And so almost like I think about death in relationship to everything I do.
Shit.
Yeah, I suppose I do in terms of That's why I want to get so much shit done because I feel like time's running out.
Yes, I gotta do this. I gotta like meet this person. I can't miss out on that restaurant if I don't go to that, or like I need to. I need to experience the full round of life so that when I'm at the end, I look back and I'm like, fucking did it?
Yeah, then death is on your side. This is good.
Yeah, because you're saying without the specter of death hanging over, you'd probably be just sort of laying around.
I think that's a really nice way of looking at it. Yes, I choose to look at it that way, Brett.
What do you think happens when you die? Is there an afterlife for you? Helena?
Is there an afterlife? I think about this a lot of times too. Well, Oh, this is so deep. I'm converting to Judaism so in that the answer is now. But if I went back to my old roots, it would be yes, but I don't know. In a way that is beautiful? Don't you think we never die if you do a good job at living and you live on through the legacy of your friends, your children, your loved ones. In that way, is that after Is that the afterlife is like you in memory? I don't know.
You're talking like Coco rules, Coco rules of like you live as long as you're remembered.
What is that Coco rules?
The film the picks up film Kaiko, which is all about death, is I don't know that one. You should see. It will fuck you up. But it's basically the dead remembered. If you have pictures of your family, if you love and the people that you love and you think about, they live on because you remember them, basically, and if you stop remembering them, then they go, then they're dead.
Dead damn.
That's the afterlife or the afterlife only lives as long as you're remembered.
Yeah, the film doesn't really answer what happens after that bit, just oblivion.
I suppose do you know what makes to be sad about that?
Oh? Go ahead, No, I want to hear your worry with it.
No, I know my worry.
Well, I'm wondering if it's your worry. Maybe not. But my worry with that is is like, is that a part of the then you get into the hamster wheel of being like I must be as known as possible in life, so I'm remembered as long as possible, and then that will extend my afterlife.
Yeah, and you've also got a guy like it's not a great necessarily sort of role because Hitler's very well remembered.
Do you know what I mean?
Like well remembered. He's remembered well, as in he's distinctively remembered. But you just said he's well well.
Remember he's famously thought of quite highly for years.
Well post podcast, Brett Goldstein talks about Hitler as being remembered.
But the point is he's not been around for a while, but we're still talking about him, which means, by these rules, he's having a lovely time in this afterlife.
Or it's perfectly see what I'm saying.
I guess well, because he's remembered, but it's like memory and he's sticking around to like witness how big of a piece of shit he was being, Like, Oh, I was a turning point for humanity. That's how bad of a dude I was.
Doesn't it that you remember him well at all?
I don't have great memories to learn.
No bread sounds like a well through your fields sounds like a dick it anyway. The point is the point is this you living through the memory of your family and friends. Is all well and good for two generations, Matt.
Right, mad?
And then I don't remember any many.
Yeah, maybe maybe two more generations if you're lucky. There's a new version of Who Do you Think You Are? And they do an episode and they find out, oh, your great great great great great grandma was in a show called The Other Two when there was the thing that used to be called TV, you know what I mean.
And then you're you've brought back in the afternoon.
Because of that show. That won't be on TV. It'll be on whatever it is.
It will just be so then when you're forgotten.
I probably. Here's the thing I think about is that, you know how like the cosmos, it's never ending, Like what is the edge of the universe? What what is the unknowable thing? Is our lives and our spirit and whatever our ethos is. Isn't that an unknowable thing? Is that not a frontier of the unknowable? Can we know? When I start to think about space, it really makes me want to vomit. It's just too much being like what too much? How big is it? Ah?
You know what I mean?
I'm like no, no, no, no, no, no no no. But if you think about souls afterlife, what happens to us? If you look in the grand scheme of like God, Jesus Christ, like why is anything anything? Can't you think? Oh, then there's got to be an answer for like who we are and where we go? And everybody tells you stuff like you're so like your grandmother or whatever, like are you not recycled a little bit?
Yeah? That stuff hang on.
Firstly, if you do ever finish the other two, I would like to pitch a space show much like Star Trek, where you are the lead captain and every episode starts with a shot of space, the space you're going through it, and the voiceover is you going space?
It's too much.
That's why I want the opening Jesus Christ.
Is too much?
Is it? I don't like it?
Is too much? That's a good opening anyway. The other thing, what we're saying space. You recycling, So yeah, recycling souls the unknowable. I mean, yeah, that stuff is weird. It is weird how my nephew looks the same as me and my dad and and it's just like all these like the way he smiles. You go, well, it looks like it's just recycling. Everything's recycling. You're right, But I do often think, and again I'm not sure why this why it should be this case.
I sometimes think that you die and when you die, you go, oh, it's everything everything. You'll return to the space where you're not in this body with its limited brain and it's limited eyes, and the thing is let in and suddenly you are all consciousness over the world, all the light, and you go, oh yeah, all that stuff.
I can't believe I did that for ninety years.
Yeah yeah, oh I like that. I don't believe. I'm worried about that print interview, do you know what I mean?
You go, Also, I think about this sometimes. Once you get to that place, are you then like spend a little time doing that and think, you know, I want to try yes, And you live it then for ninety years and you go back to that like upper consciousness thing that you just talked about and you're like that was interesting, Like there's some guy up there, some dickhead was like, I'm going to try to be this Hitler guy and see what happens. And he goes up and
he's like, damn, that was fucked up. Him with Hitler is an example we should stop talking about him.
Yeah, it does seem like we're sort of really obsessive or you think.
Like, ooh, you know, I want to try being a middle of the road dalist actress. Let me try that.
Going to her.
And just try it, and honestly it's been great.
Well, I'll tell you what. I'll tell you what, Helena. There is a heaven.
There is this place and you're going there and you're very welcome, and I'll tell you a spoiler.
Hitler's not there. You were right place, poorly remembered, well remembered, but.
Very poorly remembered. And it's filled. Heaven is filled with your favorite thing. What's your favorite thing?
What's my favorite thing? Is cheese?
Right this place, this is a cheese factory. It's like cheesecake factory, but it's just cheese and everything everywhere is cheese. You know, nice, like the right texture to sit in. The savors are made of cheese. It won't break. It's sort of soft, squeaky cheese. You're sitting on a squeaky cheese.
This honestly sounds like a nightmare. No longer, Yeah, like how long you still love cheese? Honestly, the song this.
Is why you might be like, I changed my mind.
I'm going to go back.
I'm going back, I'll go back, I'll be an elist actor. Let me go. What's below d.
It's cheeze everywhere and everyone is excited to see you. Oh, the giant cheese strings that talk, and they're very big fans of yours, and they want to talk about your life through film. The first thing they ask you, the giant cheese string people, is what is the first film you remember seeing?
Helena York?
Okay, being asked this is interesting because you get told that you've seen films, but you have to like to remember being told versus remembering. And this question is also how old are you, Helena York? My answer is The Little Mermaid, which was the nineteen eighty nine animated.
Film.
And my brother was born that year and we would sing the songs all day long, and he and I'll never forget him. I was like, I have another brother, and he would shame him because he'd be like, oh now, wolad. And I'm pretty sure we were basically shaming him into speech therapy to learn how to say his rs. But it's a little Mermaid.
Do you still sing?
How you will?
Ahad?
Oh? Yeah?
At him?
Oh now, wollad? Fuck you. It's like that.
Are you the middle of two boys?
No, I'm the oldest with two boys.
Right, I see? I see? And did you?
Did the Little Mermaid make you want to be a musical person, a star or a mermaid?
I think it maybe want to be a mermaid and a singer, right, because something I'm going to say about myself that would look bad in print. Because this is a brag.
Make it the quie, Make get the quiet guy. Let's replace the Hitler thing with this.
Yeah, replace it with us quickly, quickly, quickly make her sound like a dick. Ahead is if if you can sing, if you're going to be able to sing, it's kind of evident at an early age, and you feel that your voice can do this thing and singing that music was that for me? Look at this stuff like all that all those songs and recently it's so good.
Yeah.
I haven't seen the New Life. No, I haven't seen it yet. But that is uh, isn't it. John Candor wrote all those songs, Alan Candor, Alan Mankin. Yeah, oh they're so good.
Do you find I once met a man who sings, who's an actor, a singing actor as they call him, and he telled me sincerely, And I didn't laugh at it. I really think think about this quite often. I go, what a wonderful he meant it. It's difficult for someone who finds sincere, it's difficult. But this was a very beautiful thing he said. I said, we're talking about him singing and stuff, and he said, with no irony. When I sing, I feel closer to God. For that's loving. Is that how you feel?
That? Is so nice? Do I feel closer to God? It's a powerful feeling singing and being good at singing and doing it for people, And so maybe that's what he's talking about. It is this sort of other plane that you go to, like I've stood center stage and nailed it. And if that is what being close to God is, then sure it's an unbelievable feeling. But he meant like sincerely in a room by himself.
No, I think the difference between him and you is he said it made me feel closer to God as an untelling God. What you've just said is you feel like a God.
Again.
This is why I get trouble in print, is that it makes me feel godly as God. Yes, oh my fucking God, kill me. Yeah, that is what I'm saying. I'm saying it, and fuck it, I said it, and it's true.
It's true. I can't sing it be amazing, What an amazing thing.
It's the best feeling, and when you're good at it at a young age, everybody makes a big deal out of you. I like it when people make a big deal out of me, is what I'm saying. And it's really it's just a continuation of what you're saying. I'm saying, which is that Yeah, I like to be seen as being the best, which, if you saw written out in print again, would look really bad.
I think this is how episodes should be transcribed, both of us. Do you what is the film that made you.
Cry the most? Are you a crier? Helena?
I am a crier. I'm a proud crier, and I don't know about you, probably not based on I don't know being a man. I don't know. I don't know
your answer to this. When a movie is about to make me cry, I'm like, fuck yeah, and I lean in and I like, you know when you kind of you're like, oh, I'm right on the precipice, like I'm going to get it there to get it, and your edging and you're like, they're like here they come, here they come, and it like feels so good when a movie gets me there, I'm like, baby, baby, here we go.
And those I have two answers. I have my embarrassing answer, it's not embarrassing, and then I have my like cinephile answer. But my real answer is the Joe Wright Pride and Prejudice. Oh wow, when Matthew McFadden takes Kieran Knightley's hand or they don't hold hands and like the sun is rising over the misty hill. That was such a beautiful film. And that's the one I think the most that made
me cry. But then the other kind of movies that make me cry are war movies, and like guys dying in war, especially these world wars were these like kids, it just kills me. And the most recent one that like made me absolutely lose it was Sam Mendes nineteen seventeen where they start out with the two guys that like that movie was one was you know, I'm sure they obviously didn't do it in one shot, but it made it feel like a one or and you think, oh,
these two guys. You're starting out with these two characters, and the best friend dies like a third of the way in that little and he's and then he keeps going. I like lost it for that. War movies with these like young guys dying really gets me because they like had to go and it's for like queen and country and all or country in our case, but or I guess now it's King and country.
Damn, thank you, thank you.
Not as nice as a ring, honestly, but is that now?
It doesn't It doesn't. The song doesn't sound quite as good. It's I can't look at if. It's kind of like, do you need this song? Mate? Do you know what I mean?
Like it doesn't feel right, does it feel like it's his song song? I'm like, God save the King. We have a yes, yes, yeah, God save the Queen. And now now that's just I'm sort of like, why didn't you commission a new song because.
You're such a brat? God save you? Why?
Yeah? That's really good.
Yeah, get anyone?
What is the film?
Scared? No? I hate it And there are people that are huge fans of horror films and I'm like, absolutely not, No, I hate this, And I think this film actually put me off horror films because I think it was ninety nine, was it ninety one? It was Scream, the first Scream. Now it's like it's like you're on Scream eleven or something, but like original Scream, and that opening scene with Drew Barrymore again a character you think like, oh, this movie's
gonna be about Drew Barrymore. And then she's hanging in the garage and she's in the house on the phone. That scared the shit out of me because I used to babysit growing up and like around that time, I was like heavy in the babysitting rotation. And you're alone in a house, you're like a look making popcorn about
to watch a movie on a rotary phone. I mean on a rotary But we did not have style proms in my day, and that movie scared the shit out of me because it just felt like, oh, that could happen to me.
What is the film that people don't like? It's not critically acclaimed, but you love it unconditionally.
I don't know if it's not it had to have been panned. I should have looked up the Rotten Tomatoes.
It's okay, Okay, I.
Want to look it up while I'm talking to you. Minus Twilight, I think I fucking loved those that had to be bad on Rotten Tomatoes.
I believe so certainly not critically beloved.
It can't be right. I can't look it up. It's too much. I don't want to, like search and be talking to you.
It's disgusting, and you're something You'll pop up in the news with you in it and we'll have to stop.
In print. Yeah, I loved the Twilight saga. I loved all three of them. And I remember everybody meaning, like, these books fucking suck, and I was like, do they? And so I read them just because I was like, I wanted to have an opinion on this thing that everybody was talking about. And I read the books and I was like, yeah, I guess these suck. But damn, I see why people love that. I did the same thing with Fifty Shades of Gray. I was like, fuck you, I'm going to read them. So I read all three.
You read them.
I read the first one to understand what was going on in the world, and I listen. I talked about this a lot, like people who say there's shit, which sort of they kind of are, but they're also definitely not, because how could there have been such a phenomenon if they weren't hitting something very squarely on the head?
Do you know what I mean? Like?
And I was like, this is basic, rudimentary reading with like hot sex. Of course people like that. They don't have to think and you can just like put it down real quick, rub it out and keep going. Like, no wonder people love these things.
Makes complete sense to me anyway. Twilight. You love Twilight.
I like Twilight. I love Twilight. It's one of those things you were showing on TV. I'm like, yeah, sure, I'll watch Twilight again.
You know what I mean?
Yeah, what's the film that you did love? You used to love it and you watched it again recently and you put out I don't like it's no more.
I don't know that I don't like it anymore. It's more like sad that it doesn't hold up. Is that what it's supposed to be, that you don't like it anymore?
Or you're like, ooh, you could be it just doesn't hold it. It could be anything you might have changed the world has changed. Doesn't mean it's a bad film, just something's happened.
I fucking loved my best friend's wedding, Like I loved it so much, and like I remember calling friends after it ended when I was in high school being like, why doesn't he choose her? Why would he choose Cameron Diaz? Like it doesn't make any sense to me, and you know, she was obviously the one, And then I watch it again and I'm like, you fucking idiot. She like went to Sago to break up a relationship that he was
having with this like young, unassuming girl. The family is so nice to you, Like you're being invited to lunches and like all this stuff, like you're going to the baseball games like everybody, you're going on a ride of like the She's just like an awful character and it's so crappy And by the end, I was like, ugh, no, you know what I mean, Like, when I watched it again, have you watched that movie? No?
Yes, I cut a few years ago. We watched it. I think we talked about until Le's where we watched it.
Oh my god, and she like basically plays this First of all, I looked it up to and I don't know if this happens to you. When you look up old movies, you're like, how old was Julia Roberts when she did my best friend's wedding twenty eight twenty c.
How old was she was pretty woomy.
Younger than that, she must have been like twenty five Christ isn't that insane?
I'm nothing that is insane?
So much older than that now? Yeah, so yeah, yeah. I got to the end of that and I was like, my baby is like hysterically crime. Does my husband, Oh.
Shit, do you need to go and get a baby? You can bring the baby on the poot. No, no, no, get a baby. We're pro baby.
It was like literally losing his mind. It's so funny. Like everybody asked me, did you bring him to work? Did you bring the baby to work with you? I was like, are you out of your mind? If I hear him, I have a lobotomy, Like my brain literally shuts down. I stop functioning, and I see people bringing their kids to work and I'm like, how the fuck do you do that. I don't know why you do that. I just like, it's like a totally separate part of my lizard brain. It's so bizarre. Okay, I was talking
about my best friend's wedding. She's like, a successful restaurant critic at twenty eight. Doesn't make any fucking sense. To be a successful restaurant critic, you have to have like known restaurants and been in the food world for a long time. Like, you're not a successful restaurant critic. She goes, I'm really mad about this movie now, Like it's disgusting that I was on her side. I can't believe they duped.
Like I can't remember how old I was me into thinking like, oh, yeah, we're really rooting for Julia Roberts. But maybe they weren't. Maybe I was just like dumb and young. But anyway, I watched that movie again and damn, but you know it was great at that is Rupert Everett is amazing.
It so great in it? What is the film that means the most to you, Helena. Not necessarily the film itself is any good, but the experience you had around seeing it will always make it special to you.
Oh are you talking about I got this question out of time, and I thought it was a film you loved because it was like a formative to you. Is that what you mean?
I mean, like the actual let's say it was the first date you had with your husband, that sort of things like when I saw this film, this happened, and it will always mean something to me because of the whole thing around seeing the film.
Yes, absolutely, so my answer still stands, And that movie is josh A Redemption.
Great. It's a very good, famously very good film, famously.
Very good film that I barely watched because I was with my first love. We were in high school and he was like a cinophile. His name's his name, his name was. He's alive. His name is Niles Cook. He's married, he has three kids, he lives in Portland. He's like a therapist now. And I was so in love with him, and we fell in love in like the purest way,
by passing notes during English class. And he was so like bitingly clever and funny and like maybe not like the hottest guy in the world, but didn't matter because he was like so smart and funny, do you know what I mean? And it was like the first time. I like, it wasn't like now we text and whatever. And when you're like dating somebody new, you're like are they a good texter? Like are they funny? Over text? And it was literally past notes during an English class
and I just loved him. And he was dating this like soccer hot shot at the school at the time, sorry football and exactly anyway, and so it was not meant to be. But then they broke up at the end of senior year and he was like, my favorite movie is Shawshank Redemption. And I was like I really wanted to be cool and care about Shawshank Redemption, and so I like went over to his house and it was like my first It was funny though, because we did watch it, but it was like the anticipation of
hooking up during all of Shawshank Redemption. Imagine that, imagine watching and.
So much got a kiss on this film? So oh why did we get a kiss? Yes?
And we ended up making out at the very end. I think I missed the end, but it was like you know, it was like my first hookup and I think about it all the time. Yeah.
Was he a good kiss? Oh?
He was great. He was the greatest. He even texted me recently this is amazing. I got a text from him. I had just had a new baby, and I was like, you know, in the eyes of hell. And he texted me and he's like, I had a dream about you last night, and you know exactly what that means. And I was like, exactly what I needed to hear in this moment. And he is a family and I have a family. But yeah, like twenty years later, he's like, I had a dream about you and I was like, fuck. Yeah.
We were in prison. Morgan Freeman was there. We were kissing. You know what I mean.
You don't know what I mean, Shasha Redemption. It's a great movie. I had to watch it again to be like, what is this movie?
And I was like, damn, oh he does get out? What is the film?
You must relate to Elena your Bridgie Jones diary. Does anybody say that? I can't believe that's not on.
The list of amazing. No one said that. No one said that, And now you say, I'm like, amazing, no one said that for the sense, I can't believe no when they say that. Also, how was nobody saying the Little Mermaid?
Okay?
Great? Yeah Bridge Jones's diary. It came out when I was in high school. Yeah, I was in high school and I had read the book and I loved the book, and I was so excited about the film. And I'm really sorry an American played her for all British people. However, now only British people play Americans.
Yeah, exactly, it's fair.
They're like, where do we find a hot straight guy? I guess Australia or England. Make them bang through an accent real quick. I loved it. She was such a mess and she was in love with like the two guys that I was always in love with, because it was Colin Firth from the original Pride and Prejudice, which I'm a fan of all Pride and Prejudices, but it is the Joe Roe one that makes me cry. And then Hugh Grant, who was speaking of Jane Austen in sense and sensibility and was so hot and good in
that and in everything and anyway. Oh, I was like, God, she lives in this like little apartment, she's always dieting, and then you know, falls in love with the wrong guy and basically it was Pride and Prejudice and I loved and I was like, how funny the Big House coin for that's crazy Pride and prejudice and prime and prejudice again basically, you know, so stupid, and like that's one that I had the DVD. I would like put on time time.
I love that movie, said this new one.
I love the sequel wildly underwrite Edge of Edge of reasoned the Edge of Reason.
But then that should be your answer for like something that's not critically acclaimed that you love.
That's a that's a great answer to that.
Yeah, so we can answer that.
Yeah, big sequence where she does mushrooms, big secrets, US did a women's prison. It's funny, that's right, big big funny stuff in it.
Yeah, we watched. Yeah, you're right. It isn't it right? I forgot she gets like she ends up in a tie prison or something. Yeah, and like is there for months and her like ex boyfriend has to get her out.
Yeah, they really go for it.
I think what I was more annoyed at is that, like I'm a big fan, like I'm very basic. And then I'm like, give me my happy ending baby. And then the sequel revealed that they broke up, and I was like, I'm out. I was really mad that they broke.
Up, right, Yeah, what is the film that you thought was the sexy was the sexiest?
Okay, this border's on porn. This movie it came out in nineteen ninety eight and it was called Dangerous Beauty and it was with horlick. No, no, no, that's is it dangerous? Yeah, dangerous beauty not American Beauty. That's not liv Tyler.
No, no, no, that's not go on, tell me dangerous beauty.
Katherine McCormick rufus Suell. Is that how you say?
Yeah?
And she plays a courtisan in like Venice or something, and she like has all these you know, like pope clients and shit. And he's like a sexy guy who falls in love with her and ends up having to marry like a sensible girl, and they stay in love and they the sex scenes are so unbelievable and so romantic. It was such a sexy movie. You should go watch it. It has It is not well ranged. I looked it up. It is not well loved and was not well loved
at the time, and I do not understand why. What is psychotomy is also that I'm like, you did not make this for thirteen year olds, and yet it felt that it was made for me at that time in my sexual awakening. And maybe that's why I have such like a firm memory of that being the sexiest movie ever.
But it was.
I mean, they're like, you know, it's like satin sheets and she's a courtisan, she knows all this stuff about sex, and she's really sexy, and she falls in love with him, and like having to do her courtisan thing with like these gross dudes becomes like a little bit more difficult for her. It's so hot, and he's I think he's such a good actor and he's so good. I feel like I'm selling it to you because you are sitting back being like, bitch, why don't know?
No, no, no, you really I'm like annoyed I haven't seen it because it says right everything you'll describe it like, oh my.
God, and it's like and then there's this I like, it's like burned in my brain, this like guy who's a cardinal and gets like carried in and you're like, oh god, these Catholic guys are such so fucked up and like they were having tons of sex with courtisans. I think it's called a courtisan if you're no courtism, courtisan whatever point is hot fucking movie.
All right, dangerous it is. But there's a sub category to this question traveling by and is worrying why dunes a pil found arousing?
You went? Sure, you shit.
I feel very much that all of your questions are a how old are you Helena York? And like b when did you go through peparty? Because if you years stamp any of these, it's like, okay, that hits like right right at that point of your ADOLESCA when.
Did you and when did you hit puberty? That's that's really what right?
That's really the question is like, yeah, you're like basically my doctor mine is a center a pet detective.
Extraordinary.
This sex scene with him and Courtney Cox in that movie is to like eat And it starts with like a headboard baying against the thing and like all the animals are watching them, and I think it was like a hard cut, like they're building tension between those two characters the whole time, and then they finally get it on and yeah, that's when I was discovering masturbation, and I that's what I was. You're a puberty doctor, and that's really.
The one brilliant hasn't come up. Brilliant.
I'm shocked. I'm shocked that hasn't come up. A second from Aspender, a pet detective. What do people say, like, what is a common answer for that? That's not supposed.
Really common answer would be one's answer, perhaps you know? An often common answer is oh, I don't know, And I always think.
You fucking know, people say I don't know?
Yeah, people, some people, not many, but there are, let's say, people who dodge the question in a way that I find disturbing and very revealing.
I just told you that that's when I'm discovering masturbation. So I'm the opposite of that problem. And again something that would look troubling in print. The themes.
Objectively objectively, what's the greatest film of all time? Might not be your favorite?
It's the greatest, it's it's a wonderful life.
Yeah yeah, okay, what what is the film that you could or have? What's the mist iver? And over again, brig.
John's diary is it. Yeah, I'm surprised that, Like, I'm surprised that what's the most most like that most like you? And that isn't usually the same answer. It was. It came out at a time when I was like becoming an adult, and it was about this adult woman that didn't have it all together. And I was a teenager, so of course I didn't have it all together, and it just like it was like a warm blanket. It made me feel like it was okay to be like kind of off, and so I just watched it over
and over and over again. I loved it.
I love that. Let's not be too dark about this, but what's the worst film you've ever seen?
Okay, I'm surprised people have answers, because like, why would you even continue watching the worst movie you've ever seen? And the only reason you would continue watching the worst movie you've ever seen is if you went to the premiere.
I mean I could give an answ You went to the premier and you're in it, so you have to so you have one of those what what is it?
It's Cosmopolis? It was that Rob Pattinson had just done Yeah, and he had just done and he's a brilliant artist Rob Pattinson, and he had just gotten done doing the shitty Twilight Soga, which I love. But I think he was like, I'm an artist. I want to be an artist, and good for him. It did what it needed to do. He's doing so many amazing films now. But he did this movie Cosmopolis, and I fucking hated.
It and stuff like that.
I think the entire movie is him in a limo. It's like trying to do American Psycho, but he's just in that limo. And then people like good actors and or and like sometimes he gets out of the limit to get coffee or whatever, but for the most part, he's just in that limo. I finely, no, And I was like all of the first premieres I ever went to and I was like, I'm at a premiere. I can't you can't leave. And it was a MoMA so it was in that basement movie theater.
Yeah, wow, what did you say afterwards? I was with them.
Yeah, I think people from I think he was there. No, I think I left with my friend who invited me to go with her, and I was like just assumed that it had a premiere and I was there and I was like, this is good. This is supposed to be good. I'm supposed to like this. And I left and I was like, that's bad, right. She was like I didn't like it, but again like I don't. I don't want us to talk disparagingly about that movie. And I also think as an actor that was the smart thing
for him to be doing at that time. I'm listen to me backpedal and like, panic.
Yes, it's at it quiet taste. I don'tely it's a bad film, but I do think it's in it. It's not the easiest film, and I can totally get why a lot of people might not enjoy it.
I don't that's a crime.
I wonder if I watched it again, if I would like appreciate what it was from like an art standpoint. Do you know what I mean?
Am I going to make you do? That?
Sends an email like you know what? Bruh I do? And I can see it. It's beautiful. You know what, it's beautiful. It's actually really beautiful.
You're in comedy, you're very funny. What's the film that made you laugh the most?
God?
It's really said all of my answers are British.
We know it wasn't a Spenturia. It was too busy rubbing yourself off to laugh in that one.
It is a Spentura, but I exactly, But I already answered a Spentura for a sexiest so I really didn't need to change my awer. And so my answer for made me laugh the most is Austin Powers. The first Austin Powers. Yes, it's so fucking funny, so fucking funny, and like all the subsequent ones whatever, also so fucking funny, funny, dangers my middle so good. Those are so good. That one, Oh I fell, Oh I fell over again.
It doesn't hold up.
But is basically assault, but I loved it.
Please, no one printing out this interview. Helena, you're when you I've very much enjoyed talking to you.
Bit of delight.
However, when you finished your living will with your husband, you were like, I feel good about this. The person that you left your baby too heard the good news. Oh, one day I'll be looking after that baby. But you've got a real cute baby, and that person was like, I need to end her life. Immediately, bought a little
sushi lunch, headed off on their electric bike. Knew where you walk around Prospect Park West, She'll be just wandering around there, just going up and down on the electric bike every stop, just had a little bit of sushi, would go back and back and forth, and then saw you coming. They were like, there she is. There, she fucking is the mother of that baby I'm going to steal and ran saw you crossing the road, went straight towards you, knocks her over your head, hit the road,
and naturally you were fine. And then a truck went straight over your end.
That's like the end of them. That reminds me of mom. I'm sorry. Mean girls. When she's like gets hit by the truck, she's like and Rachel mcadims' is just like screaming at her and she just gets plowed by the truck and then ends up with that neck bracelet. Prom such a good moment in a movie. Oh my god, is that good film?
Great film?
I'm walking along with a coffin, you know what I'm like, And I go, I see the person that he's now walking around here, or she's now walking around Were they with a baby?
Very happy? I go and.
Then yours baby and it's no baby now, and I go, all right, Okay, Oh, that would explain the body over there. Go over and go fucking know there's yes, there's loads of the other two fans around there, crying, crying, get out the way. Let's deal with this. I get your body into the coffin. Your head is absolutely splattered like a watermelon, and it's right into the tarmac.
So I'm having to get my.
God get bits of chucking the bits of you into the coffin. Now there's more of you than I was expecting, what with all the tarmac and the bits of sushi you jammed in there. There's only enough room to slide the DVD into the side with you for you to take across to the other side. And on the other side, it's movie night every night. What film are you taking to show the cheese people in heaven when it's your night.
I was disgusting. Any body is found chopped up and dead, they know it was you. Okay, well you did say a DVD and it's not a film, but to me it might as well be Cinde ma, and it is a DVD. The god I would just get drunk and like pop in an actual Blu ray disc and it is. It's not a film, so I guess it's off podcast topic, but it is Adele live at Royal Albert Hall.
That is very funny. I did say DVD.
You said DVD. I know that this is a film podcast. I could simply could not. I could not pump Bridget Jones any more than I already have, which.
I guess we know that that would be. But you're taking it down, and you know what, it's a very cinematic. Why it is that moving?
I want to hear I feel like something insane like Sam Mendez directed concert or something. Yeah, it was something crazy like that.
I was it might.
Be honestly, might be.
He does.
He does stuff like that sometimes randomly anyways, But and it's before she was super huge. It was after the first album. It's a great concert and a great DV.
I'm just checking who directed that, just to be sure, and the answer is, of course pull Doug Dale.
Oh okay, thanks Paul Elena.
You have been a trait, a delight, a wonderful, brilliant time. Thank you for doing this. Would you like to tell anyone to listen or watch things you have coming up?
What are they just.
Watch the other two? Watch it until you die?
Bitch it.
If you haven't watched it, start from the beginning, you won't regret it. It does not take time to get into it. It's also so funny, you know how your friends you're like, oh, yeah, my friends, I need them to watch and see the things I do to support me. But whenever I'm in something bad, I'm like, you don't have to fucking watch that. This is one where I'm like, just watch it. You'll enjoy it.
Yeah, it's so nice to do exactly. You're like, no, you'll actually like this. This isn't you do me a favorite this? You'll enjoy this.
Yeah. I had somebody, Yeah.
I had somebody recently make me to a play that they were in that I was like, this is bad. You should have known that it would. Don't make me come to that.
Yeah.
Yeah, don't see the stuff that I did. That's not great, but this is great.
The other two I agree. You should watch the other two and any York thank you having a wonderful death.
Thanks to you as well.
So that was episode two hundred and fifty five. Head over to the Patreon at patreon dot com forward slash Brett Goldstein for the extra twenty minutes of chat, secrets and video with Helena. Remember to watch Shrinking and Ted Lasso on Apple TV Plus. We are taking a break from new episodes for a month, but there will be Rewind Classics in the meantime. We'll be back August ninth with a bang Into Partner. Thank you all for listening. I really hope you're well. Thank you so much to
Helena for being so brilliant on this. Thanks to Scrubi's pipp and the Distraction Pieces Network. Thanks to Buddy Peace for producing it. Thanks to iHeartMedia and Will Ferrell's Big Money Players Network for hosting it. Thanks to Adam Richardson for the graphics and leads, allay Them for the photography, and you will listening. Come join me next week for an amazing Rewind classic. Thank you very much everyone. So
that is it for now. In the meantime, have a lovely week and please be excellent to each other.