Jim Gaffigan • Films To Be Buried With with Brett Goldstein #204

Watch it again. Nice one. Thanks. Every week I'm but a special guest over. I tell them they've died. Then I get them to discuss their life through the films that mend the most of them. Previous guests include Barry Jenkins, Kevin Smith, Sharon Stone, and even Bed Clambells. But this week it's the amazing comedian, writer, creator, actor, producer, show runner everything. It's him. It's mister Jim Gaffagan. Head over to the patron at Patriot dot com forward Slashbreck Goldstein,

where you get an extra twenty minutes with Jim. We laugh a lot, We talk about beginnings and endings. He tells me a secret. You get the whole episode ad free and uncut as a video and all of that stuff. Check it out over at patreon dot com. Forward Slashbrett Goldstein. So Jim gaff again, Come on. He is one of the all time best stand ups of all time. I've been a fan of his for years. I wanted to talk to him forever. I finally met him in at Lame when we had a gig together. He was fucking

brilliant as always. I was delighted to get him on the show and I could have talked to him for hours. This was so much fun. We did it on zoom. I think you're gonna love it. So that is it for now. I very much hope you enjoy episode two hundred and four of Films to be Buried With. Hello,

and welcome to Films to be Buried With. It is I Brett Goldstein, and I am joined today by an actor, a writer, a Grammy winner, a husband, a father, one of the greatest stand ups of all time, a legend, a flight of the concorder, a hot pocket, a new special every week, a comedy monster, a man who has too many children, and a person in his own right. Please welcome to the show. It's the incredible, the amazing, the brilliant. It's mister Jim Gaff again, thank you so much.

I want to hear you introduce someone. Yeah, like just kind of like, you know, this guy is not that impressive really, you know, he's he's look, we got we needed to put out an Episode's the guy that I've got, you know, but like just hanging there. I've had, I've had everyone I wanted done, and this is it and we're running low. Jim Gaff again, you know this. I'm a massive fan of yours. Massive. I've seen you live.

I can see when you was in London. That's so flattering because that was many moons ago, right, it was, it was and you were brilliant. And then I finally met you in la We did a gig together at the improv. I was very very excited and you just sat you just sat in the bar area having dinner, like a sitting duck. And I thought, this is mad, this is mad. You're about to get swarmed in it very much happened. I was like, this is You're just

out there thinking it's okay. Well you were sitting there too, yeah, And I was like what people recognized you get that fuck such your face. Anyway, I've got lots of things I wanted to ask you. One is your new special ways brilliant like all of your specials? What's your turnover? Right? What is it? Once every two years? I've been kind of doing one a year and it's all self assignment, right. It's not like anyone saying, can you do one a year?

I'm just kind of there's an obsessive drive behind it, and I also feel like I get better at it. But then again, I'm not you know, when I wrote a couple of books and if I'm working on a you know, when I was working on a show, this show I had, I wasn't doing one a year, But like, I don't know, it's like I'm constantly touring, so I might as well, you know what I mean, and having that kind of assignment of I'm gonna record something motivates me. But I always thought that you Brits, you guys do

one a year, don't you? Yeah, we do here, but yeah, it's unusual. It's unusual for an American. Do you get because I do? Do you get bored? If you're rety? As in? Is it nice to have that you're basically constantly making new stuff. Yeah, I think there's I mean, I'm amazed it's not kind of what you're asking, but I'm amazed how quickly I forget it. You know, Like sometimes people like, hey, can you do that? I'm like, I have no idea how what I did, but I

do get a little bored of it. Yeah. I think also there's a there's a general fatigue around the point of view, do you know what I mean. That's why I always kind of find it funny when people are like, oh, you're the clean comedian. It's like, well, it's not the first time I'm saying this, and I've hopefully rewritten it a little bit, so maybe I can find a better adjective than fuck, you know what I mean? You know

what I mean. It's like, so that's one of those things where you know, you rewrite it, but like even there's a fatigue around the point of view. Yes, that's very interesting. Yeah, sometimes you're like, I just don't feel this anymore, this thing. Yeah, you're also one of the very few comedians who writes with your wife or at least credits that. Yeah, which is I don't think anyone else has ever done that. Yeah, I mean, it's it

varies the level of collaboration. You know, she had a brain humor about four years ago, and then she wrote a book and so we have five kids, so like the level of collaboration has shifted dramatically. Like when we were first dating, she used to go to every show with me, and definitely my second special. I remember waking her up and she had like a baby that was breastfeeding, and I was like, tell me some more. What else can we say about Bacon? But like it shifts now

it's maybe more of an editorial role. But I do think that it's important to acknowledge her influence, do you know what I mean? And even though stand up is very much this solitary act, it's good to have this collaborative input, you know. I mean, And I'm much more I come up with material much more talking with someone. So I'm hoping that we can come up with some material here, you know what I mean. We'll start the clock. Let's see how we get. Yeah, well, one other thing

and maybe maybe you've talked about this a lot. I just don't understand the logistics of it. You have five children, Yeah, that's too many. Stumu, it's way too much. And then you and your wife wrote, produced, directed, Maide acted a entire sitcom for two years that was about a couple with five children. At what point were you raising your children to say, Yeah, no, that's that's why we stopped doing it. It was just it kind of defeated the point. Uh you know, I mean we're there. I mean, my

wife's much more tireless than me. But yeah, it was too hard. You know, as somebody who writes and acts, it's like having two hats on is really difficult. But then, I mean, there's nothing more exhausting than parenting if you're involved, you know what I mean. Like when I'm on when I'm shooting something in La, it's like a vacation. I mean like people are like, oh, I'm so exhausted. I'm like, this is great. I'm going to bet at eight o'clock.

This is amazing because when you're home, kids don't go to sleep. What's the aids range. What's the oldest and the youngest. The youngest is nine and the oldest is eighteen. So it's yeah, it's crazy, and they're all different. It's really annoying, you know what I mean, they're like individual humans, it's really and they all have their own problems, and you know, they're not like a friend that you're like, you know what, I don't feel like meeting for lunch.

You can't do that with a kid. You have to be like, all right, I guess I'm but you're a dad twenty four to seven. It's really yeah, it's I don't recommend it. It's too hard. Who's your favorite? You know, I'm being completely honest. I you know, I definitely have lesser favorites, but I kind of make a point of making them each feel special, Like I have one kid

as my screensaver on my phone. You know, it's one of those things where you don't want you don't want any of them in a therapist office saying my dad didn't like me. Yeah, but the folk your screen saver, thinking like this is this is my Katie, my thirteen year old, and she's the middle child. So I'm kind of like, oh, all right. At least, you know, there's simple things. It's like you're you're my screen saver. And then my youngest kind of looks like me, so he's

like my mini meet. And then my second youngest is like an athlete, so who I played catch with him a lot. And then my sixteen year old is really funny, so I talk about comedy. And then my eighteen year old, she's like an angel. She's perfect. She's the social justice warrior. You know, I think of myself as a progressive, but like she's you know, she's like, you shouldn't say that, and I'm like, all right, I've learned more from her than she's probably learned from me. That's nice. I always

ask people this. I'm still collecting the data. You've got five kids. It's a good yeah, good test. How much do you think they came out they were born the way they are? Huge thing. I mean, that's it's it's nature or nurture, right, Yeah, yeah, I think it's nature. I really think it is. Yeah. I think nurture's obviously important because by the way, there's particularly with teenagers, you see them they develop their own interpretation of facts of history.

So I have one kid that views parenting as we made these mistakes. And another kid, I mean, he's really funny, but like you know, like my oldest was born an adult and my second oldest is like, dude, you gotta get it. Together and I don't know when, and some of that's you know, I think boys mature later. Is very funny, he's very smart, he's a great kid. But I don't know, you know what I mean? It's like and that's where it's They've both been raised in the

same family, but they're completely different. So I think it is it's nature. Well, and I always think, you know, my theory on siblings is your siblings shape you possibly more in terms of when I think of me and my system as this not very very close. But I think we're very close, and we're completely different, and I think we're completely different in relation to each other. Like I went the opposite way that she went on purpose

to be different. Do you know what I mean? And if you have five five, I don't know that the dynamics of that, I can't get my head. Man. Yeah, no, I you know, I'm one of six kids or one of four brothers, and in my family, I'm considered the joke is that I'm third funniest. But like the the the ambition or the audacity to get on stage. My brothers, who were very funny, did not have it. Yeah, do you know what I mean? Or you know I didn't want to embrace the humiliation, you know what I mean,

because that came down to it. They had too much self esteem, that's what Haford. Yeah, they were comfortable with them says disgusting. Yes, Jim Gaffigan, I've forgotten to tell you something. Yeah you're dead. Yes, I did die. Yeah, what a relief? Right right? It's just too much guy, And yeah, you know what I mean. You like rest and stuff. Do you worry about death? You know? I do kind of assume that every ache and pain is a tumor. But uh, you know there's part of me

that's like, let's just wrap it up. I guess I kind of uh you know what I mean. I don't want to mess up my kids. That's the only thing. Yeah, that's the thing. Like when someone has a kid, another comedian, when a comedian has a kid, I was give them shit. I'm like, looks like suicide's off the table now, sorry, buddy, hear. I mean, you can't do that to a kid. It's so dark, but so um, I mean it's weird. I feel like during most of my twenties, I thought I

won't make it to thirty. Like I just maybe is a romanticized narcissism or something. I'm like, I'm not made for this world, but uh yeah, I feel like I'm a little bit on borrowed time. I Also, what's great is I'm glad that we don't see how people react when we die, do you know what I mean? Because like the outpouring of love for you even see it on Twitter. You're like, oh, so that person died, and

so they're trending. And then there's I have a friend who died who wasn't trending, you know what I mean. And it's like you're like, it's the weird entertainment industry. You're like, well, I guess I hope by your friend. It's so ridiculous, right, that's so sad. You also want to have a good impact on people like you when you die. You want people to feel bad, Like if people if you died and people didn't feel bad, that'd be kind of brutal. Yeah, you don't want a giant

side of relief when yea death is annursed. I guess yeah. You don't want it to be like, yeah, so it's weird. I just want it over quick. I just want it over quick. Do you care about like do you ever think about a legacy in terms of your work, all the things you've done. Do you think of them like, Hi, these survive me and become or is it all just

you're on a treadmill? Nothing that is. I guess I would like it if my material would live on, But I've also been in this business long enough that I realize it's just everyone's so disposable, do you know what I mean? Like there's like Carlin and then everyone else, do you know what I mean? And yeah, so it's also every decade kind of the everything changes so much. And I kind of pride myself on my material hopefully

being evergreen. But I think it's weird how people love of you know, comedians that have passed away, and then you watch some of their stuff and you're like, well, that's really just hateful, you know. I mean, like in between those great observations, there's just hateful, just kind of like emotion pulling strings because making someone laugh or angry is it's kind of close to each other. That's interesting. I've never heard it that way. Angry making them laugh

and making them angry it's the same. You think, Yeah, that's why when you watch someone do I mean, I nerd out on some of this uh performance stuff. But there's the clowns, there's the preacher, and you know, the preacher comic is similar to It's kind of like running a union hall. It's just kind of like the people that get applause Breau. It's like, I'm against racism and through were like, yeah, I guess I am too, you know what I mean? Like, what is it um? So

I don't know. I've never heard anger angering laughter is to say, I thought it was a release from your anger, right, It's like anger shock laugh, yeah, you know, shock and laugh. You know. Is it just because we're in comedy that I think this? Because it might be just true of everything, but it does feel like comedy is the thing that dates the most in terms of you look at dramas from the past and that probably held out better than comedies. So many comedies are like, oh boy, is that wrong?

I don't that's true. No, No, I think you're I think the concept of liberty keeps shifting. So people that pedal in irreverence or shocked, Yeah, that keeps moving. So

like that's true. What was ir reverend or how you've got a reaction in the seventies or nineties shifts so much like I remember, like I remember in the late nineties or maybe it was the early two thousands, where like at least in New York comics were giving the self assignment like they were going to do a joke with the Edward and I'm going to be what do

you guys do it? But it was and it wasn't malicious, it wasn't even um, it was just kind of a self assignment that they gave himself because it was a taboo to break, right. And of course I'm talking about white comics, you know what I mean. So, but it's weird.

I think what's interesting about stand up also even comedy movies is often you know, like we know about like um, some of these John Hughes ones that are problematic, but like even movies from the nineties or the early two thousands, yeah, they don't age that well, that done and the stuff. That's the thing I'm always fascinated. But I'm sure I've said this once in this podcast that forgive me if

you've heard me say something like this before. But DJ the film American Pie, which I loved at the time, and I think there's so much lovely stuff in it, and it's actually quite sweet film. It does, however, have this whole section where a camera is set up in the room and they're filming this girl who doesn't know she's being filmed, and you know what I mean, like there's this whole kind of almost revenge puln aspect going

on that at the time, no one questioned it. It was sort of like it was fun and sexy and now you go, Jesus Christ, that's horrible. But what happened? How Come we didn't know it was horrible? Do you know what I mean? How Come culturally we consciousness expanded? Something happened, But it seems wild. There was this period of time where when that film first came out, as far as I could tell, no one was going, Jesus, there's this terrible sequence in it there this happens, do

you know what I mean? Yeah, well there probably maybe it was probably was someone that brought that up, but people were like, you're you're getting in the way of the comedy. Yeah, just enjoy it. Yeah, I don't know, it's weird. It's I mean, you know, my parents were, you know what, we were considered progressive for their time. In the Midwest or part of the United States, but like you know, by today's standards, they were pretty behind

the times. You know, it keeps shifting, so you know, even like you see clips of like Biden and Obama's being against marriage equality and you're like, that's I mean, it's so weird. But it wasn't that long ago, do you know. I mean, it's just it's it's pretty weird that and I'm sure that there's stuff in my act that in twenty years I'm gonna be like, yikes. I mean they're there, you know, I'm sure there is. Do you think there's enough to life? Gosh? You know, I

it depends when you catch me. I would say probably. I don't know. It's like it's weird because like in some ways, it's like the practical mind is like, no, there's not, do you know what I mean? But like this constant of you know, like when you're in the deep, you know, like there's no atheist in a foxhole. You know, it's like humans are pretty much scaredy cats. So like if I was about to die, I probably would say

there is do you know what I mean? Or if I was you know, next to you know, a person who was going to pass, I probably would say there was do you know what I mean? So I just don't want to be dishonest. Oh I didn't ask you how you died? How did you die? I died in a plane exploding. Wow, on the way in the air, in the air, in the air. Because you don't want to be in a plane crash. You don't want that that time going down, that's brutal. What happened to bed

getting the end? You know something? No, somebody was using their phone up there and that caused it. No, I don't know. Somebody had their chair like you know, there's different rules up there, like somebody don't have their seatbelt on when this fast and seatball sign was on. I don't know what caused it. But yeah, okay, I got news for you. There is a heaven, just like you thought when you were worried. And it's great. It's great, it's great. It's filled with your favorite thing. What's your

favorite thing? Can it be cheeseburgers? I was hoping you would say a food. Yeah, it is cheeseburgers. It's made of cheese. My gosh, that's amazing. The cheesegas. The wolves do you eat cheeseburgers. You look like you don't eat cheeseburgers. Well it's time you to say I love a cheeseburger, but I might not eat the bun. Oh that's good, that's good. So that okay, No, that's fine. Why is the cheeseburger so good? Why is it so good? I don't know. It's got it. It's got it. Oh, isn't it.

It's just the whole meat thing. Because the reason if you had said you don't eat cheeseburgers, I wouldn't be surprised, because you know, we're eventually, I mean, eating meat is not good for us, and eventually it kind of like we don't drink coke anymore really or soda. Yeah yeah, but eventually if people are gonna be like why have that? I mean I'm not at that point yet. Oh but I saw that video of like eight cups of sugar that make go in a coke can. I was like, well,

we can never have coke again. But yeah, but isn't it the same. It's the same as the American pie thing. It's like, you're right. I do think in the end we should will probably be vegans and at some point it will happen and then we'll look back at this and go, the fuck are we doing eating Jezebengers And they're gonna be able. I don't know, it'd be impossible burger.

I've had some impossible burgers, but like, they're gonna be able to make all this stuff so it tastes like it, So it's not we're not gonna miss that much like you might have a steak every now and then. I mean, I say all this, but I'm gonna eat even I try to eat meat like five times a day. I'm not saying that I'm not gonna eat feet, but I'm saying in the future, people are gonna be like, why did you do that? It's like, yeah, anyway, and you're gonna say it was a different time. We didn't know,

and they'll be like you did that, we didn't Yeah. Yeah, Like the cigarette smoking back then, they're like, I can't believe breathing smoking and my lungs. It was bad for me. It's like, how would you not know that? Right? We didn't know. We thought it was good. We thought the cuffing part was sexy. That was the sexy bit. All right, You're in heaven. It's made of cheeseburgers. There's walking cheeburgers like mcburglar, but with the cheesy one. He's walking around.

Everyone's excited to see you. They're a huge fan of you. They want to know about your life, but they want to know about your life through film. The first thing they asked you is, what's the first film you remember seeing? Jim Geffigan Chilly Chilly Bang Bang Nice. I think it was probably that with your or your family. Yeah. Yeah, I remember going to this theater and they were show you know, like these kids movies on Saturday, and we went in there and we saw a Chitty CHITTYBG Bang

And I remember the callers. I remember the car flying. It was pretty pretty instrumental. Do you remember the absolutely telephone Childcats hit? Yeah, I mean I kind of remember. I remember more of the car flying. That was the whole Dick Van Dyke kind of era. Because I would watch reruns of Dick Van Dyke, The Dick Van Dyke Show, and I don't remember even liking it. I just watched it, you know what I mean, Like back then, it didn't matter if it was good. I would just watch it.

Like that was a big shift for me was realizing. And I don't know if this is one of your questions, the first time you saw a bad movie was a big shock? Yea. I loved the movie The Bad News Bears like Tatum O'Neil. I was so in love with her, and I was like, that's a great movie. I loved Baseball and Walter math I was really funny. Then I saw The Bad News Bears Go to Japan, and it was the first time I realized, oh, this is bad.

Like that was a big surprise to me that a movie could be bad, like I thought they could only be good. What number you with your six? I'm the youngest. I'm six. Okay. What is the film that scared you to most? Do you that being scared? I mean, I you know, I'm in my fifties, so I don't know if any it was this movie Prophecy that with the

two big angels in it. No, No, this was this was in the seventies, and it was seventies or early eighties, and it was a bear because of a nuclear planed a bear had been combined with you know, nuclear waste and had become kind of like a bear and a pig and a human like something happened and it was terrorizing one And I lived in kind of this wooded area and I would ride my bike home and it

was the most terrified. So weird because I'm young. I have nine and nine and ten year old and they're terrified of everything, like we forget like when you're nine or ten, everything's terrifying. Like if you're like going to kitchen and get me this, they're like, no, I'm going to get murdered. Like kids are convinced there's monsters everywhere. Yea, And somehow we lose that. I think, Yeah, the bad pink what was it? Bad pink human? Yeah, it was

a very It's so silly. But I saw the movie with a friend of mine who I'm still so close with, and every now and then, well we'll talk about it because it was that upsetting. And I've only I've seen like clips. He sent me a YouTube trailer and it's just ridiculous. It's it makes no sense. It wasn't even shot in a forest. It looks like it was a sound stage. It was like, pretty bad. What about crying? What's the film that made you cry? Do you cry?

I have cried? You know, I always get teary at it's a wonderful life, like when they come in, when the whole town supports George, you know, because he's been a good guy his a whole entire life. That's that's something. And I've seen that movie a million times. That's gonna be my answer to a lot of things. Have people said it's a wonderful life before it's come up, But

if it means that much, you can have it. Yeah, it's it's you know, And I have like images of it in my office right here, just because there's something about that movie embodies a kind of a naive representation of what American life is. Like I guess do you? I mean that like you don't have to be like Sam Wayne Right or old Man Pot, you know, which is intellectually we all know that that's the important things are your family and your friends, but we never really

remember that we dined. And there is always that thing of if someone else has said this, but like all these Disney films that are always like the messages the dad needs to stop working so hard and be with his family because that's what matters. And you think this film was made by people who never went home. You don't mean, yeah, yeah, yeah, exactly like that Mary Poppins,

you know, the Mary Poppins Dad. And then there was like I think Brian's song was this story of this American football player that got cancer, but I barely remember that, and I don't know if that was just a cliche of the only movie a man was allowed to cry at because athletes, you know what I mean. It's so funny because when I see movies with my kids, my eighteen year old will always sitting near me and like, if there is like a tender moment, she'll be like,

you're crying. I know you're crying, and I'm like, I'm not so but yeah, it's weird. What about what is the film that you love that it's not critically acclaimed, a lot of people hate it, but you love it and you don't care what anyone says. Well, I don't know if this was critically acclaimed, it might have been. But like Robert Duval did this movie The Apostle, which yeah, I think it's it's so amazing, yeah, and it captures a part of the hypocrisy of Christians, but also the

humanity of it. It was, it was, it was I don't know, I never did a lot of research on what but it's like it was, he wrote it, he directed it, and it was this great movie that like I I feel like I never really saw a movie like that before, and I thought fair Fast it was so good in it. But I think that probably was critically acclaimed. I mean it wasn't. It wasn't seen a lot for sure, but I spank it. Yeah. Yeah, So you've seen every movie ever made? Yes, except for Prophecy.

I haven't. I haven't seen the pig human film Prophecy. And so you how often do you go to a movie during the week? I mean twice. It's difficult. It's difficult because we're filming it, divide it. But I got as much as I can, and sometimes that will be a morning show I'll got a pneumonia, or whether I went twice last week? And will you you'll go by yourself? Yeah?

Fuck yeah, yeah you must. You must do a lot of that when you're touring to you Yeah, I mean, you know, when I'm touring, I pretty much wake up and obsessed. I used that time because my life is so hectic when I'm home to really obsess on my act and hopefully find a bitter too. But yeah, I know a lot of people go and see movies and

do things, but I'm just in decompression mode. It's kind of like when I was I did this thing where I did pale tourists, where I would be in a country for a week and I would write material on it. And I'd gotten this mode where I would do like touristy things and then the next day I would try and come up with material, and so I wouldn't leave my hotel room. And then that just became the habit. I'm not gonna leave my hotel room. But to be fair, it shows, it shows in your stuff. This stuff is

fucking really really really good. And Jack Win, Jack Win, Jack and Jake. So I guess all the comedians that I'm doing that. I just watching films today and it says, it's really you really show this up. What is a film that you used to love but you've watched it recently and you've got out no no for me. Well, I wouldn't say it's recent that I watched it. But when I was like a teenager, Purple Rain came out and I remember thinking that's that's a pretty good movie,

Like that's a very thought provoking commentary. You know, it has all the elements it's and then I saw it later on and I was like, oh my gosh, this is absolute garbage. Um So that was one that I liked and then I realized was total garbage. Yeah. I think that's the main one. There's there's movies that, uh,

that don't hold up. And when you have kids, you watch a movie, Oh, you guys are gonna love this one, and either it's like you know, sixteen Cannas where they're like drugging or a girl and or it's just not good. Do you know what I mean? It's you're like who and some of it? Or just the performances are horrible, do you know. I mean, like I love acting, so when you see really bad acting, it's it can take

you out of the movie. Can play. Yeah, this question, what is the film that means the most to you? Not necessarily the film itself is any good, but because the experience you had seeing the film will always make it meaningful to you. Jim Kaffigan, what is it? I mean, it's just kind of twisting your question a little bit, Okay, I you know, I didn't really have confidence around women in my twenties, but in my thirties as I started to get some confidence. Maybe it was my late twenties

when I had this. I asked this really good looking girl on a date and we saw I mean, she was beautiful, and she was in an audience. She laughed at my jokes, and then I asked her out and we went and saw Beauty and the Beast. The first one. I remember thinking, oh, this movie's garbage, and she loved it right, and so I was like, this movie's garbage. And so then I saw a Beauty and the Beast when I had, you know, children, like my eighteen year old,

she recently had a party. It was supposed to be her sixteen year old birthday party, a big kind of like a thing, and she loved Bell and Beauty and the Beast so much that, you know, like she got the yellow bell dress a bunch, and so like that dramatic shift of me seeing this same movie and going this is absolute garbage, to like, oh this is great.

Oh my gosh, missus Potts, you know what I mean, through my child's eyes, yeah, is so fascinating, and then seeing the live action version, which was then I go back to it's all garbage. That's a lovely story. My question is having gone to see Beauty in the Base with the beautiful woman and her think it was shit? Did that kill it for you? Were like, I'm not into you anymore. You think it was shit and I think it was good. I think it did. I think

I think it. I was very much cynical and like my wife was very worried because I was like, I'm not watching that Harry Potter crap. Like this is before we had kids. Like I saw Star Wars. I'm like, you know, you know, superhero movies. I'm like, give me a fucking break, you know what I mean. It's like I'm not saying that WandaVision is not good, but it's kind of like, you know, like I didn't like musicals until I had kids. You know, Like it's like my kids have made me a better person. But like I'm

kind of like things that I don't like. I can admit i'm wrong, but like there's some movies that like just get under my you know, they're like a thorn. I'm like, and I'll obsess and I'll try and convince people like no, this is really not a good movie, and I'll tell you why. And you know, the weird thing is, it's like I love acting, and I you know, I'm constantly trying to get roles, so I'm usually like, don't tell the director. But this is what I hated,

you know what I mean. It's a horrible thing. But I'll tell you one. I'll tell you one movie that was absolute garbage. I can tell you too that was absolutely and I'll tell you one. Three Billboards was beyond the doubt, one of the worst movies I've ever seen, and I actually enjoy explaining to people why it was bad and people were like, but yeah, Francis mcdormant, I'm like, why is she dressed in a gas station uniform? Why is she wearing overalls? She works at a gift shop?

Why is she in overalls in every scene? Why does she work at a gift shop in a town that has two people? Why? You know what I mean, It's like, why is why is Woody Harrelson's wife? Why does she have an Australian accent? If they're in the middle of Missouri, It's like why why? Like just why upon, why upon upon why? And some of it is it's a non

American view of what America is like. And so I remember I saw Um I Love Cinema Paradiso, and I was talking to an Italian and they're like, that's ridiculous. That movie's ridiculous, and I was like, why, it's like, you're not from the sixties or Italy. He goes, but none of that's true. But to an American perspective, that's Italy, you know, I mean, and so um, I don't know.

That's my little man. He used to have a really funny bit about halle Berry amongst boat Oh yeah, no, well yeah, I mean it's I also think that there are people here's where I'm a snot. I mean, this is stand up comedy is I mean, the entertainment industry is just it's a horrifying display of human inaptitude. But

stand up comedy had the remnants of a meritocracy. And so I think it's hard for comedians because halle Berry, by the way, and I said, fair fawcet, who's one of the more beautiful people that have walked this earth? Halle Berry one of the more beautiful people. But like we have this currency where if someone is attractive, we attribute that as it's much more of an American thing. That isn't a skill. That's a skill. So if they're good looking, that's the equivalent of like, wow, we have

multi talented. She can act and she's good looking. Jeremy like, it's and I'm sure it's just insane. So halle Berry and Monster's Ball is so you know, like I don't you know, Like it's like, first of all, she had a kid that's fat. It's like she's never had announced of body fat on her entire life, and like and so she's like the entire time I'll watch it. I was like, why doesn't she just become a model? She could be the next halle Berry? Do you know what

I mean? It's like so like that's where I feel like there is the I mean, look, we all want you know, who doesn't want to look at Cameron Diaz, you know what I mean? But there's gotta be some middle ground, Like you know, we're not just these base animals, Like look, you know what I mean. It's like they can be moderately attractive, they can be pleasing to look at. They don't have to be you know, I do you remember that For a while they tried to convince us

that Cindy Crawford was an actor. Do you remember that she was in a movie, Yes Game with Billy Bodwin where she played a photographer, and you know, God bless her. Nothing wrong with that, but like there's great actors, there's great female actors. I mean, I guess it's just it's it comes down to commerce, right, even like to look

at it's weird like when movies. Remember when movies used to I don't know, I haven't seen it commercial for a movie in a while, but like they used to be like featuring the music of I'm like, why is someone going to a movie to hear a song? Right? You want to hear that new Beyonce song? Go to a movie and pay twelve bucks? Why don't you just google it? I don't know what's the film you backs relate to? Jam Geff forget God. I don't know if I have an answer to that most relate to. It's

a good question too, thanks man. What's the movie you most relate to? Maybe that don't help me. It was Ladybird, the film about the young girl growing up in America. Oh that's interesting. I'd like, well, I really get this. I think I'm lady bed yeah, I mean I like that whole idea. I mean, Ladybird is is interesting how her path like, it is amazing that people in the entertainment industry end up in the entertainment I mean there's people that are like when I was ten years old,

I was in acting classes. There's those people. But the rest of us that some of us went to university, some of us didn't, But like that we ended up in the entertainment industry is amazing because there's no rules, there's no real apprenticeship program. It really is reliant on persistence and an appetite for eating shit and also getting lucky that someone opens a door, you know, like they're so often times in the entertainment industry where I was like, I remember I did a movie. This was back in

the nineties. It was like the first movie I did. It's like ridiculously bad. It was in Jamaica. I was in Jamaica for a month and I came back and I'm like, well, well, well where do I go now? I guess I'm having lunch with Tom Hanks and I couldn't even get an agent. I was like, but I was in a movie and they're like, we don't care

and so there's no rules. There's you know, like in going back and I don't know your your your origin story, but like you know, there's there's advice you can get, but some of it is you have to Like I wish I would have worked in a casting office because that would have helped. I wish I would have done that. What just to understand what a fucking absolute lottery it is.

To understand that it's a lottery to understand preparation. You know, working on my own show was so important because now I kind of pride myself on being a good soldier when I'm hired on a project because I was an executive producer, I'm like, can I show up? I mean I was always showing up and prepared. But now I really understand the value of not being the nightmare or not being the guy that's like I want an egg sandwich and you're like, why do you know what? I mean?

Just do your job. Yeah. It is fascinating when you see like good people, you know, friends of yours, how they behave on set and it might not be incredibly caustic or anything like that, it's just a little bit like you're not helping the process. It surprises me that people you're not friends with because of this or that you like, let no, no, there's but there's really talented people that I've worked with where I'm like shocked, like holy shit, yeah you're doing that. And some people are

teflon it doesn't really have an impact. But some people, I'm like, I can see why maybe you're not getting these roles. And some of it is and they're great, they're great actors, but like the neurosis can get in the way. It's insecurity, right, you think, I guess, I guess. I think it's really important to be a good person, as in it's so complicated. There things such a huge fucking machine and you are a time to coget it and you just have to. I mean there are people

I would be like, I don't want to. I've had the thing where it's like this person's amazing, they're a legend there this, they're that, but they're also a fucking Nightmare's like, why don't we just won't work with him? Then? Because there's also people are amazing who are not a nightmare, So why don't we just get there instead? Yeah? And there is like I think it's so fascinating that every set is this unique family dynamic. Yeah, and you know,

you have to be there for the right reasons. That's why I love indies because nobody is there for the money. There's almost a necessity for collaboration because you're figuring it out, you know, and like shows, it's like it could be a different dynamic. I mean, I've been on shows where I was not happy, but I was there for the wrong reason. I was like, i'll do this, it won't get picked up, and then I got picked up. Yeah

that's a night. So yeah, and so you gotta be really I mean, I do think that, like the whole notion of creative fulfillment is the goal. You know, when I do the comedy specials or I perform in London, which is very exciting and seems and it's prestigious, it's like it really is the creative buzz, like as big as Ted Lasso is and you know, the Emmy and all that stuff, it's like it's the creative buzz. It's the creative fulfillment that matters more. We'll be right back now.

It's like Jim, it's a podcast about movies. Next question will be interesting with me. Next question is what's the sexiest film you've ever seen? Given you don't like pretty people being on film, what's the sexiest film? Oh? I like pretty people. I like cretit people. Yeah, I mean sexiest. I don't know. There's something about Wild Things was with Nev Campbell that was like that do it, that'll do it, right. I think that's a perfect I mean I remember Hallie

Berrian was it Bulworth? I mean, yeah, so beautiful, so beautiful, and then Emily roger Kowski in uh yeah, like that's not right. Do what I mean, that's not right, that's too much to take. Yeah. I think some of it is the fact that these are we don't know these people, and like if we knew them, we couldn't sexualize them, right, we would just be like, oh, that's Hallie, do you know what I mean? Oh that's oh Emily. I ate launch with her. You're like, if we knew them, Like,

have you ever had somebody that? Like? I remember I worked on a show and my brother and the female lead. My brother was like she is the cutest, prettiest and I'm like yeah yeah, And I couldn't see it because I was like, yeah, she kind of forces the humor, you know what I mean. It's like she was great, you know what I mean? And he's like, no, but she's the cutest and I'm like, nah, she's not. She's just kind of like you know, do you know what

I'm saying? It takes away the mystique. That's very funny. There's a subcategory troubling bone is worrying. Why don't film you found a rousing that you went? Show you shit? I mean there was like not a movie, but Batman. There was when I was a little kid, Batman, you know that that kind of that show there was, Yeah, like Catwoman had like a younger daughter that was, but she was kind of like instead of a cat Woman being all, you know, in black leather, she was like

kind of like in pink. And I was like I remember like that, me going well, why do I like her so much? Do you know what I mean? But that was just uh as a boy. Yeah, But that's kind of like that question is a general entrapment question. It's like, correct, hey, you get it, you get it. What's what creepy things turn you on? It is an entrapment crisis. What's the greatest film ever made? Might not be your favorite, but the pinnacle of cinema, the greatest

objectively the greatest. I would probably say Casablanca. But I think I'm biased. I think I'm biased because I did you ever take that screenwriting class with McKee where he breaks down every element? He breaks down every element of it. It has all the elements that I love, you know what I mean? Yeah, absolutely could be the greatest films of the time. Yeah, and it's funny, it's funny, it

has history. I love history stuff. Right, it still remains grounded, like I like think that are grounded in reality, like even some Quarantino stuff. I'm like, can we ground this a little bit more? And that's why I as absurd as the story of Apostle is it was, it was kind of grounded. Yeah, do you know what I mean? And so I would say, um, I don't know. I think it's a wonderful life is pretty amazing too. I think the reason that holds up is it has a lot of humor. It has I mean, Jimmy Stewart and

Donner read. I mean, she's beautiful too, do you know what I mean? Yeah? What's the film you could or have? What's the most Iveran Iver again? I've watched I've watched It's a Wonderful Life many times. So in the US, It's a Wonderful Life used to be played all during Christmas season, and then they raised the price, and so then they switched to a Christmas story was played. So I've ended up seeing that many times and again reaching

the point where he runs in. I did an episode of my TV show that was kind of like It's a Wonderful Life too, but it really kind of you know, the right priorities are the right always the right choice jar I mean, like this guy wants to see the world and he gets trapped by his family, but he's happier. But you know, like if that was done in real life, he'd really resent those kids. You'd be like, these kids, I wanted to work on a steamship, but no, I'm just in this small town in New York. He would

have ended up like old Man Potter. How about this old man Potter is the grandfather of Drew Barrymore. Isn't that weird? Oh? I thought you were about to pitch me an old man Pottery and I was going to say, yeah, finally his fucking story. Tell Yeah, Well, we know it would just be like his backstory would be screwed, right, it would just be like he was nice, he got his heartbroken and he went into money. Yeah you know what I mean. And you know he never even needed

to be in that wheelchair. He was just lazy that I did. Not big negative, but you type mind it's film. You've ever said it's weird. It's contexts, right, Yes, it's when you see it. So like even in defense of Three Billboards, maybe if I saw it in a theater, maybe if I saw it before I heard the hype. Yeah, it's like it's weird because something is you know, we know that like some of it can be so bad that they end up being good, right, yeah, like Roadhouse

supposedly they're doing Roadhouse again. Really, yeah, it's weird because we also know that it is so hard to do something good. It's so hard, and it's there's a level of focus that is necessary and it's still might not guarantee that it's good. I'm always shocked whenever I have whenever I work on a movie, there's always a moment where I'm like, oh my gosh, it's the amount of focus that is necessary in acting, Like you have a

choice you have to listen. You're listening and you know to how the scenes going, you know, what's going on with other people. And then someone comes up and they do this, and they're like that, and then you hear someone tell a story and someone's like Johnny Depp and Amber heard, and then they're like shoot, and you're like, but I so like the focus. I was working on this and that's where somebody like I worked with Viola Davis on Troope zero and it was that was so amazing,

the level of focus. Because we were in New Orleans, we were outside, it was really hot, like uncomfortably hot. We're both sweating, and her amount of focus was breath taking. I was like, oh my god, what was she doing? Was she like just quiet between takes or was she how did that? She was perfectly agreeable and she would you know, she might look at her phone, she might, but the focus in the scene was pretty pretty tremendous.

It's weird because I think in comedy, if you over focus, it can deter some of the humor, do you know what I mean? Like, I think the looseness of the moment. Obviously it's different with different beads or you know, the character you're playing, but like the looseness to make it funnier, right, Yeah, the less you're forcing it. I think that's important, you know what I mean. I was gonna you know what,

I find fascinating. I don't know if I've brought this up to you when we hung out that one night. And I don't know if this isn't necessarily true because because things shift. But I you know, and I, by the way, I'm plugging my London date again, but I do think that the Brits, and maybe this is just from an American perspective. You Brits love Americans that are angry Bill Hicks, Bill Burr, Dennis Leary or absurdists. So Dmitri Martin, you know, Hannibal and you love this super smart.

I remember I did a show in London at a pub and I went out after a guy who did probably five jokes about chess, and remember thinking, do you know what I mean? So like, there is something about and I think, you know, I make fun of Seinfeld. I tell Jerry, I'm like, you know, we're observational guys. He goes, what does that mean? What does that mean? I'm like, but he is an observational comedian. I'm an

observational comedian. But I do think that, like you Bret's love you Love an American with anger, because I don't know, you know, it's just kind of like, look at these emotions pouring out of this guy. It's interesting. I mean, I can't say you're correct as in this generalization is completely true, because I don't know if I've seen enough to as in I haven't. I haven't studied the stats

that way. But if it is true, I love that theory that it's because we're not used to sing emotions and we're like wow, wow, Well I'm obviously I'm exaggerating now, no, no, no, but I think they might be saying in it that's very funny. There is something about a cultural dynamic, do you. I mean, like, I think the best audiences are probably Canadians because the Canadians are probably a combination of Americans and Brett. Yeah, you know interesting. Hang on, what's the

film that made you laugh the most? Airplane? And again I was probably a you know, a teenager, but the efficiency and consistency of the laughs was really I don't generally like comedies, I like performing it. Like what if I see like a Will Farrell or an Adam Sandler movie, I'll be like, I'm like, those guys had a blast doing this. Yeah, I don't want to see it, do you know what I mean? I love Will Ferrell, I love Adam Sandler. I'd rather see Adam Sandler and uncut

gems than in a silly comedy. And it's weird because when you have kids again, it's like, with each of my kids, I take them on these daddy and me trips.

When they turned ten and I was with my son and I had some shows in Alaska and I brought him and I was like, all right, you know, whenever you want to watch well, and he goes Sander and Chris Rock and Kevin James they did these movies and uh where they were like buddy grown ups and he's like, I want to watch grown ups too, and I'm like all right, and so, you know, because he was ten, yeah, and I watched it, and I know all those guys are way funnier than that movie, you know, but he

loved it. And I did look at it and I was like, they probably had a blast doing that. But I'm trying to think of you know what, like Peter Sellers makes me laugh, do you know what I mean? Like being there that was really funny, But I don't know, maybe it's just you know, it's like I'm just such a sour puss. It's like a lot of these comedies. I'm kind of like I get it, Like I love Will Ferrell and he's funny, but like, yeah, I mean, I guess Anchorman was funny, you know what I mean?

What's your favorite comedy? Just laughing at me because yeah, because you're a real salapus. Yeah, what's my favorite comedy? I can't answer that question, and I would never do this podcast, so you can't ask me because I wouldn't go on this podcast. These are insane questions to ask anyway. Yeah, look, Jim gaff again, you've been amazing as expected, and we've gone way over time, and I really appreciate you giving

me all this time. However, when you were on a plane, you were flying on a plane and one person didn't have their seat belt on, and another person had an electronics open, and another person had put their phone on focus instead of airplane mode, and it was a perfect storm of those three things happening at once, and the plane just exploded, exploded, you were dead instantly went straight to cheeseburger Heaven. I was walking along with my coffin, you know what I'm like, and I see this explosion

that I was like, what's that? And then you're a head with land first because it was heaviest. Yeah, your head landed, bits of you. I'm like, what an absolute mess. So I start cleaning up, but you've landed on a little kid. As I'm say, sorry, I get that off the kid. Yeah, get all the bits of you I can. And there's bits of engine attached to your forehead, all sorts. Anyway, stuff you in the coffin. I do what I can,

but it's absolutely random there. There's only enough room in this coffin for me to slide one DVD into the side with you. When you go to the other side. It's movie night every night, and one night it's your movie night. What film are you taking to show the Cheesebaggers of Heaven when you get there, mister Jim gaff again, I think it's it's a wonderful life. It's got to be. It's a wonderful life. Great choice, Jim gaff again. Is there anything you would like to tell people to watch, listen,

to look out for, or follow you. I think they should watch that Netflix show Occupied. Did you watch that? No, this is for you about me? We watch Yeah, Oh, I would say. I mean, I would love it if they would watch American Dreamer, which is on Amazon Prime. It's this India I did that people love but like

some critics really had mixed reviews. So that's that's an interesting thing, is like there's most of the stuff I do a movie wise, I'll be like, I'll see it and I'll be like, but I thought American Dreamer was really good, and then we got a bad review from the New York Times and I was like, what the And it was just like, so, I don't know if it's fresh on rotten tomatoes, but it's good. So like everyone that watches it is like, wow, that's really good. But I don't know. So, uh, I don't know if

I'm answering the question right. And then I'm going to be in London, so maybe they can come and see me Sunday. Uh it's Sunday in November. Okay, it's so hard to get a date, right, Yeah, it's all those angry comics taking up all the spaces. Yeah, Jim Gaff again, you are a delight and I'm very grateful for you doing this and I have loved hanging out of you and I hope it hasn't been too long for the rest of you. Great. Thank you so much. Good day to you. So that was episode two hundred and four.

Head over to patreon dot com forward slash Brett Goldstein for the extra twenty minutes of chat secreson video uncut and had free with Jim. Go to Apple Podcasts. Give it's at five star rating, but right about the film that means the most to you and why it's a very nice thing to read. My neighbor Marian loves it. There was Mega Chryst always banging on about it and we really like it. Thank you. Thank you so much to Jim for giving me all his time. Thanks to

Scrubius Pitt and the Distraction piece of Network. Thanks to Buddy Peace for producing it. Thanks to ACAS for hosting it. Thanks to Adam Richardson for the graphics at least allied them for the photography. Come and join me next week where it is just about time to release the amazing Jessica Nappit Live episode. At last you will love it. So that is it for now. I hope you are all well, and in the meantime have a lovely week. And please, now more than ever, be excellent to each other.