Meredith Salenger • Films To Be Buried With with Brett Goldstein #167

the rewards are bountiful. Oh good shout, Winston checks. I mean Vertigo is one of the greatest films of all time. Every week I'm a special guest over. I tell them they've died, then I get them to discuss their life through the films that mean the most of them. Previous guests include Barry Jenkins, Kevin Smith, Jamila Jamil and even said plambles. But this week is the brilliant actor and

podcaster Meredith Salenger. Head over to the patroon at patreon dot com forward slash Brett Goldsteine, where you're getting extra twenty minutes of chat with Meredith. We talk about beginnings and endings. You get a secret, you get the whole episode uncut and ad free and as a video. Check it out over at patriot dot Com. Forward Slash Brett Goldstein The Ted Lasso Season two finale as tomorrow on Apple TV Plus. You can watch the whole two seasons in one go on Friday if you want. You can

also watch Soulmate season one on Amazon Prime. Watch them both, you love them? Why not live your life? So Meredith Salinger is a very funny and very good actor who has just started her own podcast, Did you get my text? With her husband and hero friend of the show, Patton Oswald. We recorded this last week on Zoom and it was a lot of fun that did get slightly derailed when I found out she was once in Annie. I think you're going to love it. So that is it for now.

I very much hope you enjoy episode one hundred and sixty seven of Films to Be Buried With. Hello, and welcome to Films to be Buried With. It is me Brett Goldstein, and I'm joined today by a hero, an actor, a podcaster, an activist, a Disney legend, a teenage legend, an adult legend, and a superstar person live in front of me. Now, Please welcome to the show. The wonderful. It's marder. I feel like all the muppets are going way happy. I'm sad your muppet poster is not behind you.

How are you. I'm so happy to see you. It's so lovely see you, married of Challenger. You are in La. I am in La, but we're doing this on Zae because you know there's a pandemic and easier to film this way. It's lovely to see you now. Since I met you, you are for people that don't know you, Natty Gang, and that's how I know you, Natty Gang. And you are also now doing a podcast yourself that's with your husband, friend of the show Patterns. Tell me, yes, tell you about it, tell me why? Oh god, I'm

so fascinated by I've listened to it. It's really great, and I'm always fascinated by. Yeah, but I'm fascinated when couples do stuff together, only because I would be like, oh my god, I don't want anyone hearing my conversations

at home. Well, first of all, I don't know how far you've gotten into the podcast, but the third episode, we literally I start the show laughing hysterically, but only because we were just in the most massive fight right before we started recording, and he's like, I'm gonna leave and he was going to walk out the he didn't want to record the podcast, and I was it was the only time we had. I was like, sit down,

be professional, lets us do this. And then we hit record and I just first laughing because I was just like, Okay, you guys, you don't even know the huge fight we just had. And the whole podcast was adorable and charming, and we were laughing and we had such a good time. And then it ended and I was like, do you see do you see why I said to do what we were arguing about? And it started right up again and we got in a huge fight. But I was very proud of us that we were able to pull

it together. But it is Is it like doing it? I've never done it, but I've I know people who have. Is it like doing couples canceling? Where like you're you're kind of on together and then it ends and you still have to talk about what happened in front of that audience. No, that's the beauty of our podcast. I never have to speak to him ever in my in our whole marriage. It's amazing a week. Yeah, well that's the whole you know. The bit is basically the show

is called did you get My Text? Right? And when we first even met, our whole romance was via text. We met through a mutual friend on Facebook and she invited fifteen people to a dinner party and everybody went but him, And the next day I texted the thread on Facebook best dinner party ever, dude, you miss the

best fucking lasagna. And then he happened to be online and he DMed me and he's like, oh man, I was supposed to be there and I was online at the same time, and so for like two hours, we just texted back and forth all through Facebook for three months straight, two hours every night. We never met, we never spoke on the phone. We're very comfortable texting each other. And so during COVID, yeah he's home. We were home and his comedy tours got canceled in a show was

put on hiatus and everything. But he's down, like in his room and I'm in my room and we're just texting all day. And so the podcast is like gives us an opportunity to sit down and just talk about the things. But then we don't have to talk to each other. It's that's so funny. Yeah, and you could just go back to texting. Yeah, that's great. So people say x Acobeg has done no good, but he did this one thing, he did one good thing. He did

one good thing. That's amazing. And tell me how it is being married to a very successful, working stand up comedian and the fact that he goes away a lot. Is that a lifestyle that works well? As in is it good that you have lots of time apart or

do you? Well? I think because I didn't meet him or get married till I was forty seven, and so I was so used to being single girl on my own that when we first moved in together, and I'd never lived with anyone before, lots of tons of boyfriends, but you know, they were all really poor choices, super fun adventures, not someone you want to live with or

bring home to your parents. So when we first got married and we were living together, I was always like, whenever I lived alone and people came over and like, can I get your drink? What can I do for you? When you sit down and you chat and you're like focused on the other person, But when you live with someone, you can't just be focused on that person all day long. And it was sort of like, this is so weird. What am I supposed to do with him in the house and we're not and he's working, and it was

so weird. So it was great when he went away, right, And it's great. I still got to be my forty seven year old, fun single self and be married and have the love and security at home, and it's a good mix. That's so cool. I normally said this to Guess before we start recording. I realized that I didn't set it to you, which is, if I ask you anything too personal you don't wish, you're uncomfortable, please say don't, don't include that, and we'll cut it. But I forgot

to study that up front. But I'm telling you that now because my next question is no, it's just interesting. You don't have to answer it. But so before so you were forty, said when you got married, what was the longest relationship you had before pattern, Oh, Patton is not my longest relationship even yet. My first boyfriend and I were three years. That was high school into college.

Then my college boyfriend was four years. Then I graduated college, and then I had a boyfriend for two years and then nine months, a year and a half, nine months like so, yeah, I think four years was the longest. And Pat and I will be married for four years on November four congratulations. So on November fifth, he will be my longest relationship. Oh man, this is really exciting. I'm gonna remember to send him a message. Know you the message? You did it? I'll make you a note

of that. Thank you for answering that question. Are you comfortable that I asked it and we can cutch it? Brett, I have a feeling I'm really an open book. There's not much. I pretty much say everything. I don't know if it's appropriate, but I do. Okay, that's sorry. Nice. So something else I've forgotten to tell you? Oh no, Yeah, and I'm annoyed. I didn't tell you this because I usually I don't know how consistent I am with my memory. I don't know if I'm an elder or there's just

too much in my brain to keep everything in. But I should have definitely told you this. Bit um. I'll just say it and then and then we'll deal with it. You've died, Yeah, you're dead, terrible? Oh boy, let's say sorry, how did you die? Well, I hope this isn't actually how I die, But I have always thought I will die from a broken heart. I know that sounds utterly romance whatever, but I feel things so intensely, and I'm empathetic to such a huge degree, like I feel the

pain of other people. If I see something physical happen to someone, I literally I can feel it. If I even see the hint of emotion in someone, I feel it. Even the thought or the idea of something happening to someone in my life, like my parents, I can't handle it. I I've always thought I will die from a broken heart. I really believe that might be the case. I don't know. I think that's probably what happened. So I'm dead from a broken heart. Break your heart, I'm assuming it was Patton,

that fucking monster so many yeah for those four years. Now, I get my heart gets broken over beautiful things and loss. Like I don't think anyone will actually like hurt me or break my heart. I think you know, when you hear about those, something will be so beautiful that it will break your heart. I really get that. Maybe it will be pattern being so wonderful. We'll see um but really, like you know those stories of the people who grow old together and then like the grandma dies and then

two days later the grandpa died. Yeah, I feel like that, but not that. I don't know. There's so many ways to die of a broken heart, but a beautiful broken heart. So you die like in your sleep thinking of the thing? Yeah probably, yes, you just fool as leaping in like it would be so crushing that it would just be like just so crushing it would just how old? How old do you think you are when you die? Well?

I really think ninety eight is a good time to go. Yeah, you don't want to hang on the extra two years for the letter from the queen? Oh will she give you a letter? You get a bath to cuf from the queen if you make it to a hundred. I mean, I'm missiving by the time you get two hundred. She might, I don't. I know, you might be excited about having the queen write you a letter, and that would be

super cool. But if that happened in America, I would choose, Like, if you could live to a one hundred and Obama would write you a letter, I would live to a hundred. Okay, Well, let let's text invite that. I'd say that's worth having around for a letter from a Obama. Yeah, you get a left from Obama, but I'm I'm planning on meeting him before that. I'm happy not to meet the clean I just wanted to birthday A hundred. Yeah, that'd be good. Then you need to like your glasses to see it.

And but yeah, ninety eight it's a good time to go by the way. Yeah. And also, I'll just put this out there to anyone who's near me. If anything happens to me where I'm not like at peak capacity, I'm good to go. Okay, you say that, and it's something I think about a lot. But like, so, what do you want? What's tapacity? No, I'm not asking, but if you're not a peak capacity, what would you like

your loved ones to do well? I distinctly remember when my grandma was in hospice and she was not doing well. In my stepmom, who I love and who's very close, she was on the other side of my grandma and I was on the We were both on the other side of the bed kind of just looking at her, and we're both really really sad. I and I looked up at myself. Moment I said, if I'm ever, if I'm ever like this, just pull the plug, and she goes,

I will like. We were both very adamantly like, oh yeah, whatever you need, boink, not even a thought it's going to happen. Yeah, so yeah, okay, pull that plug. So do you worry about death or do you just worry about not having a great life. I don't worry about death. I don't worry about it. I hope it does. I mean, I'm very I'm a very cautious person. I'm often a scared person, Like I'm a very prepared person at night, if i'm walking, I'm always like I'm I'm always afraid

of like being attacked or murdered. That that's not going to happen to me. By the way, this is not one of those premonition things. We're oh shit, she got attacked and murdered and looks she was on that podcast and she said that that's not happen. I'm gonna from old age. We've made that clear. But I'm careful. So, yeah, what do you think happens when you die? Do you think there's enough to life? I think there is a return to a universal soul kind of a thing. I think.

I remember at my grandpa's funeral, I saw him in the casket. He was the only person I've ever seen who was who had died. And I looked at the casket and I looked at him and I was like looking at him and it was him, but it wasn't him. And I was like, where are you? Like I looked up. I was like, like you could feel that the you

could feel it wasn't him. And then I thought, you're just you know, they say you're like like a cup of water and then you go back into the ocean and you're all just in the ocean together, or like in the stars and the twilight and all the you're just all kind of your soul whatever that is, it's all still starlight around. That's what it kind of feels like to me. I left that. But I also think it feels like you can still communicate with your people,

you know, you can still feel that. My daughter, her mom passed away when she was seven, and I still feel like, you know, I still feel her presence very much. We do as a family. We talk about her all the time, and you know, I often joke with Alice like that we're still co parenting. Like I said to Alice, you better you need to eat your eyes because I was always the fun aunt and then now I'm a mom, so I'm like, you have to eat your vegetables and

you have to do this. And I'm like, look, I promised her that I'm going to take care of you, So come on, don't make don't just do it because you know, don't make me look bad. Yeah, yeah, that's nice. I wonder that thing you made me think that when you were talking about your granddad's body, that it's like like marionettes, Like the soul is the strings, and then when you cut the strings, a buddy doesn't have life in it, so then you're rough up here feels like it.

I mean, it's definitely two separate things because you're just a dead body laying on a let's you're just a dead body. What was the thing unless you're you know nothing, what stopped? I mean, if your heart, your heart stopped. But but you can restart your heart or whatever. But like, where's the thing that actually animates you put all the tubes together, make the body, put everything together. It's right there, but what actually makes it go USh like life? What

is that? And that thing is still twilighting about, you know when they do heart transplants that I mean, I could I believe this to be true and I'm not a scientist, but I won't. I'm not technically aside, despite what my spotlight CV says, in my special skills, I was told this by a doctor that basically a heart transplant you get the heart and the heart it is just the replacement heart is just you know, there's no

battery in it, there's nothing to it. It's just a bit of stuff and you put the bit of stuff in and you sew it into the thing and then there's a moment where nothing happens and then life happens. And that it's like that moment where the heart either beats or doesn't beat. It isn't because they've electrocuted it or you know, nothing's it's the spark of life. And I mean, people probably listen to this guy and you're

absolutely mad that, but really it is something. Clearly it's something you know, no one knows what it is, and for anyone to say they know what it is, it's such a bullshit. But we can all think what we want to think, but clearly it's something. Yeah, I agree. Now I've got good news. There is a heaven. It's very nice. It's filled with your favorite things. What's your

favorite thing? Oh, my goodness, my one favorite thing. Just you know, a beautiful cool breeze on a hot day with this it just laying down and you know, chilling right in the sun. Well, let me tell you something. That's what heaven is made up. It's a hot day, but there's a cool breeze all the time, and you're laying in the sun. It's wonderful. There's that everywhere. But there's also squeening rooms because they show a lot of films in headed and that they are indoors because it's

much better for the dark anyway. But don't worry about that because you can step out and get back in the sun between films. In this heaven, they're obsessed with describing. You're describing patterns heaven. By the way, all he wants to do is sit in a movie theater all day long and watch movies. And I want to be on the balcony in the sun. So this is patterns Heaven. Yeah, but you know you're hanging out anyway. But there's the cool breeze for you. You know what I mean, there's

a screening rooms for pattern. That's exactly right. We did a whole a podcast episode of it that Yeah, I'm yeah. He called me like the wood nymph and he's a swamp troll, like he's I'm outside all the time and he's inside all the time. I'm like sunshine, he's like darkness. Like these are our personalities. This is why it works right having this. Okay, So in this heaven, they're obsessed with films and they want to know about your life. But three films. And the first thing they ask you is,

what is the first film you remember seeing? Nati gad Well, I know the first film I remember seeing in a theater. I remember. I don't know if it was the first film I ever saw, but I just remember seeing Star Wars in the theater in Westwood in Los Angeles, and I was with my dad and I'd never in my life seen a line at a movie theater. I'd never seen a line before, Like it went around the block. It was crazy that I specifically remember just being looking at the line. How old were you? Oh, I must

have been seven? Wow? Eight? Maybe seven or eight, and did you love it? It was just you and your dad? I think so. I think my sister might have been there too, but I might block she might have been there too. I wanted to ask you. You you you were essentially also a child actor, right, How old were you when you did Natty Agan? Well, when I did Nattigan, I was fourteen. But the first movie I was ever in was the movie Annie when I was ten, and

that was directed by John Houston. And yeah, wait one second, do you not know that? Am I talking to someone from fucking Annie? Dude, I don't get decided. I'm just one of the order. I mean, I sided is fucking I fucking love Annie. If I'd know you were in Annie's berately trying to find I probably would just be a mumbling mess. It's good I didn't know you were in Annie. I didn't realize I was talking to someone from fucking Annie. Annie. Yeah, when I was a little girl,

I wanted to be an actress when I was little. Yeah, and I'm one of the girls I went to school. I'm looking for the picture of me in Annie so I can show you what line did you sing in? Dumb Dug? My best friend Mandy Mandy Young who was in camp by Me Love, I mean not Mandy Young. Excuse me, Amanda Peterson, she was in camp by Me Love, and she goes, dumb dog, why are you following me? No? No, no, she said, Rover, why not thinking of That's what that was her line? Right, I didn't sing in that song.

I was mainly in the hard knock life. And and you're never fully dressed without a smile. But that's a different story. God, I really need to find this for you. Here we go. Okay, first of all, that was me and get the fuck out of here, and then here this is me. I cannot believe you're in Annie, and I didn't like that is I'm looking at a picture of you and Annie herself Aileen Quinn. Yeah, Nazi gay Annie hanging out? Whoa whoad? I actually auditioned for Annie,

I mean not Annie. I went to the audition for Annie for the for the An Orphan and it was a huge audition with like two hundred and fifty girls or something like that. And they taught you a choreographed dance, and the choreographer at the end of the whole thing was like you, you, you and you and picked my sister, who, by the way, is the most shy, doesn't like to be the center of attention. She's just behind the scenes kind of a person. Don't sing Happy Birthday to her.

But she was a ballerina and an amazing dancer. And I took her with me because it would be fun. And she got it and I didn't, And so I went to set. They took three months to film on the Columbia lot. John Houston is the director, and I would go to set over the summer and I'd like sit in the corner just watching all the girls, just

being devastated. And then the day they were for a few that week they were filming, John Houston walked by this is true and he saw me sitting there like that and he goes, you, we need another orphan, come on, and then they're like put and then they put me in dirt and put dirt all over my face. And that's my favorite kind of role, Like the Journey of Nattigan. I'm dirty. I like to be gritty and dirty like those are the roles that fill me with joy. So yeah,

so the first movie I did was oh So. Then they put me in the movie and then they had to redo the not Heart Knock Life You're never fully dressed without a smile with the seven main orphans. But one of those orphans this cute little girl. Her name was Lucy. She lived in England. So they asked me to do that number and we did the whole thing. You had to rehearse for like a month, and then they brought her to film it. But they brought me in as one of the so I'm in the movie

as the other orphan. But I also did that too. Can we just cancel the rest of the questions? They just talk about Annie and Bernard at Peters and Albert Finney and Tim Curry and Carol Burnett. Carol Burnett, what was John Houston like? Was he scary? No, He's such a cute man with a cute beard and like just a nice man. And yeah, I mean he was so sweet to me. I genuinely don't understand if I'm man, I hope this doesn't upset you. I need to say

I've read upon Annie and it doesn't. It has like mixed reviews, mixed reviews doesn't and it blows my mind because I'm like, it's a masterpiece. What's wrong with Annie? But yeah, that part, like the beginning with the orphans is great, and then being at Duddy Warbucks and learning on getting all those great things. But then at the end when it's like she just to climb up that thing and the helicopter and the punjab guy and I don't that is a little weird. But the rest of

it is super Annie. It's like that part felt like is this part of it? Is this part of it? I don't remember this part. I kind of you know what I mean? Anyway, great, I got no beef with Annie, and she's the cutest thing on the planet with her little you know that scene where the boys are going to be mean to the dog and she's like protecting the dog and she's like she's really good. Like that's yeah, that's a real magic story. What happened to your sister

in it? Like she was your sister happy? You got a part? Was she like you? She was in it too, But you see her, I mean, you see us both like this, but you see me a little longer of a snap. You see me in a few spots and then you just see her running up the stairs. And did your sister ever acts again? No? No? She then became a publicist, so she yeah, she's the behind the scenes kind of chick. How did you do be a child actor and then not grow up to be an

insane monster? Because I have incredible parents who care about family and care about education, and we're like, no matter what you do, you're going to college. And my dad's a dentist. And when I first wanted to be an actress, my mom said something like, I want you to follow your dreams. I want you to be an actress, but you have to stay nice, get good grades. Oh yeah, she's I don't remember the third thing, but it was

the three things she said. It was like, you have to you have to promise that you get you still have to get good grades, and you have to stay nice and don't ever be a show off and all that kind of pretty good stuff. And so I and I went to college. And also, you know, well, part of the going to college thing, I suppose was like the thing that kept you out of doing drugs and

things like. I mean, I can't tell you how many of my dear friends died that I've worked with, Like, for example, my sweet friend Mandy Peterson, who was in Annie with me, she died she you know, I think drugs had a lot of things. My friend River Phoenix, I did the movie The Journey of the Journey Excuse Me, A Night in the Life of Jimmy Reardon with him and Corey Haim died. I know it's complications from but so many of the people I worked with all young

and gone. And I think it's hard when you're little and you have a lot of success and you're a cute little kid, and then well, not in these cases. I was going to say, but a lot of times little kids are adorable and cute, and then they grew up and they're not so adorable and cute, and then they're not treated the same way they were. And it's how do you measure up to the success you had when you were young? And if you don't, how do

you then feel like less than most people? Most actors, most people start their careers at like the first step, which is, oh, I'm going to work in the mail room, that I'm going to become an agent and I'm gonna or I'm gonna go to med school and then I'm gonna be an intern and then I'll be a doctor. But when you're a child actor and you're a star, you star in whatever it is. You're starting at the top. Yeah, that's where any actor wants to be, starring in their

own movie. And if you're little and you don't continue to have that, that's hard to deal with. Yeah, And I guess I just have good parents because they're you know, well, you must do, you must do. I mean, I'm serious, that's really it's interesting. And they also didn't have to

live off me, you know. I think that's a lot of another thing too, when kids get money and then their parents, like, you know, I think people like Britney Spears and you know, employing her family is not a healthy situation and doesn't make you feel I don't know. There's millions of factors, but I got lucky. What is the film that scared you the most? Do you like

being scared? I don't. I don't like being scared, even like if as a joke, like you're walking into the room and someone like opens an room with boot My initial my initial reaction is like and then I'll break down and cry, like I can't. I don't like to be scared. Okay. I remember seeing Texas Chainsaw massacre the nineteen seventy three movie When I was in eighth grade. There was a sleepover. I feel like I was in eighth grade. Wait, I'm sorry eighth grade. Yeah, Like what

age is eighth grade? Fourteen? Oh okay, I think Alice is twelve and she's in six thirteen four yeah, fourteen okay. So a friend of mine had a sleepover a bunch of girls. She had a poolhouse and they were showing the Texas Chainsaw Massacre and everyone had been swimming and they're like wrapped in towels and they're all in there watching the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. And I was in there and just as soon as I saw the hitchhiker, like just how creepy he looked, and they picked him up,

I was like I'm out and I left. But it was nighttime. We're watching this at night. It's a big sleepover with like twenty girls and they're all watching the movie. And I was like, oh, I can't handle this. So I went outside, like by the pool. But then it was like dark outside by the pool and by myself, so I'm like, oh shit, I'm even more scared outside. And yeah, I didn't watch. I'd like peak, but I was like I often close my ears during scary parts of things. I think that's the mute it. It makes

it less scary. Yeah, it's all in the sound. And that's a horrible film. You your instincts were right. What is the film that made you cry the most? Now, I'm assuming there's a long list. There's an incredibly long list, and I know you want to say the most. I have to tell you them all. I mean, how long, Well, it's not that long. Like Dumbo when the mom was separated from her baby and they intertwined that you know

that number one? Yeah, and then like and then the Champ when little Ricky Schroeder was saying goodbye to John Voight. Interesting those two now, but back then it was so good. Then it was like. Also, my parents had gotten divorced when I was around five, and around the time Cramer Versus Kramer came out was when I think there was like some custody weird thing and my dad took me to see Kramer Versus Kramer and it was pretty heavy

and I was just good. I have three more. In Gilbert Grape, when Leonardo doesn't understand that his mom died and he's sitting there like, wake up Mom, that's really heavy for me. Boys in the Hood when the cops pull over Cuba Good in Junior and then he has to go back and tell his girlfriend what happens, and he just bursts up crying. In a Star Oh two More Sorry, and a Star is Born, when Barbara streisand sings at the very and watch close, Lena, it's a medley.

It starts out anyway, it's the end of A Star is Born when she's singing, and it goes into watch closely now and then in terms of endearment. That's one of my favorite films. Everyone thinks it's the obvious scene in the hospital where she's like, my daughter needs medicine, but mine was. And this is why I think I'm going to die of a broken heart because there Ryan McClean is a grandma and her grandkids are there because their mom died. Just seeing them, like just seeing her watch,

Oh my, I can't even Brett. It kills me. You know what scene I'm talking about, I know what took it. When they're just outside after the funeral and the kids are just playing, Yeah, it's um, did you time? It's are all killers? They are all killers. Scenes here about mothers yeah, oh boy. Yeah, the Boys in the Hood one. I think it was the only one that was sort

of away from kids losing their parents. Yeah, but that scene and Boys in the Hood really did kill me, Like, ah, yeah, yeah, I think you are going to die with breaking Heart and you might take it. So I might have just died. I might have already. It might be in heaven right now. You are. What's the film? What's the film that people don't really like? But you love it unconditionally. You don't care what anyone says. I have heard that people don't like this film or think it's weird. But Popeye by

Robert Robert Altman, that's a great answer. Everyone thinks that's weird. That's a really good answer. It was very badly reviewed and people think it's weird. Yes, um, but I love that movie. I loved that movie. I thought Robin Williams was amazing. And when Shelley val sings he needs me, he needs me, he needs me, and they use that song and punch drunk love by the way, but it

kills me. I love that movie and I love I just it was so the art direction and the the sets and Robin Williams and it's I love that movie, but people don't like that movie. People don't like that movie. They think it's weird, and you're right, it's a that's a really good choice. I think people just can't handle like it doesn't sort of fit a template. It's not like the films. It's a very odd film. It's really odd. It's very artsy, but like cartoony and a little dark,

like kind of really dark. Yeah, but like kills me, kills me, kills me really good. What's a film that you used to love? He loved it and then you botched it recently and you've gone out. No, I don't like this anymore. For whatever reason. I feel like I haven't seen this in a while. I used to watch the movie Weird Science all the time with Anthony Michael Holland Alan Mitchell Smith and Bill Paxton and um, I loved it and Kelly LeBrock and I obviously it's an

incredibly misogynistic movie, but it's supposed to be. I mean, it was that era, So I don't think it holds up necessarily like politically correct wise. And I haven't seen it in a million years, and I'm assuming I would still love it. The way. I loved it back then, but it could be problematic, but I did love it, and I don't know would I still love it. It's a really good show. I loved that film, and I'm sure it's wildly problematic, but yeah, I'm sure, I'm sure.

I mean, even the concept has issues. Well that's the whole Yeah, that's the whole misogyny of the whole thing. But I used to want to look like her, and I used to want to wear the out fit that she was wearing when she's in the doorway, and the little cutoff and the little blue underwear, and I was like, I want to look like that. Yeah, that images takes up a little room in my brain. Still, Yeah, I think everybody's brain. Yeah, what a wonderful what a wonderful woman.

She's Well, what, you're so lovely, so nice? What is the What is the film that means the most to you? The film itself might not be that special or good, but the experience you had around seeing the film is what makes it so special. Well, I have two movies. I'm sorry it's got to be more than one. But Smoking in the bandit with Burt Reynolds and Sally Field, it's the reason I became an actress I wanted to be. I felt like I wanted to be an actress in me as a child. But when I saw her in it,

I just saw myself and her. I loved it all. I watched that movie a billion times. That's sort of like, that's what I want to do. When I saw Smoking the Bandit, I was like, that's that's my job, right there, Sally Field in frog in Smoking the Bandit. You've seen it a million bands, I'm sure probably. And then when I was around ten, the movie Fame, I already was

an actress. I already I think I had already gotten Annie by that point when that came out, I think, but then it's such a gritty, scary, dark kind of movie with all these deep feels and um it's very dark Fame. I could see myself in all of them, and I was like, Okay, Smoking the Bandit, like that's cute and adorable, and that's the kind of actress I want to be, But I also want to do that really dark, dark, gritty like back I don't know, it

felt really dangerous. It was a it felt dangerous that movie to me, like I think it does it was so open to get holds up. It does feel danger very it's it's a bit like Saturday Night Fever, and I think the idea of it, that's a fun film, and then you watch it and go, fucking know, this is duck. Yeah, and he actually Saturday Night Fever had an actor named Barry Miller in it. He's the one who jumped off the bridge. And in Fame he was the actor, the comedian guy he put tap bottle caps

on the bottom of his tennis shoes. Yea. And in the movie I Did The Journey of Natigan, he's the dearest. He was in the movie That Chosen He's such a great actor, Barry Miller, and he was in Natigan. He was the head of the gang. When I go into town with my wolf and they like take me under their wing. Um, it's the only time like I'm with a group of bad kids. You really did, you did?

You've achieved both sides. Natigan is up there with like one of my personal favorite Disney films is Hunchback of nuts Dame, which is unbelievably duck the animated, the animated. Really I never saw the whole thing. Oh, you of course see it. It's incredible. It's incredible, and it's incredible. Like I'm sure I've talked about it on this podcast before. There's a sequence in the hun that I do not know how you explain it to a kid, because the sequence is about a man talking about going to hell

because of his sexual obsession. That is what the sequence is, and there's no metaphor. I don't know how you. I just don't know what you'll tell it. If a kid goes, what was that about, You're like, I mean, the guy thinks he's going to go to hell because he's desperate to have sex with someone. And this is like an animated Disney film, it's really really good. Was that the hunchback? Who've had those feelings? No, it's Judge, it's the troublesome guy.

I'll watch it. But Nazygan is also not It's not in that way, but it's it's kind of gritty and it's dark and there's real, yeah danger in They didn't think it wasn't like a typical Disney film. It was definitely. It was dark, it was shot dark. It is the heroine of it isn't like a cute, pretty princess. Patton always says, she's the Tom Waits of Disney princesses. She's like the gritty one, like smoking in the alley, fishing

out of trash cans and eating salami. Yeah, but yeah, that is exactly the kind of role that I still love and want and always prefer doing to this day. I've had roles that are dark and gritty, and I'm like, I just I just They're like my soul, those parts. That's great. What is the film that you most relate to Nat again? Okay, well, we've already talked about Smoking

the Bandit. Yeah, her role in that, and then um Tatum O'Neil's roll in Paper Moon, and Debra Winger in Urban Cowboy, and Sally Field and Norma Ray and snow White and Mary Poppins. They're all parts of me, Like Norma Ray, like that fighting spirit that like I'm gonna make it better, I'm going to stand up for everyone. I'm going to just be that girl, and that's me an Urban Cowboy just Paper Moon feels very much like

Nattigan and Annie and snow White. I mean, I'm just I'm very much a caretaker of other people, and also like snow White and Mary Poppins is just my personality with kids. I'm like, literally, Mary Poppins, I'm anti mare extraordinaire. That's a really good uh pie pie chat? Is it? It is? It's sort of like, yeah, that's a great answer. What is objectively the greatest film of all time? If you're ever asked, I always would say The Black Stallion

with Mickey Rooney. I think it's objectively beautiful, the cinematography, the story, it's so simple, it's so I just love it. And and that's been one of my favorite movies for so so long. And and then I saw Jojo Rabbit that Taiko Ytt directed, and I really think that that also is one of the greatest movies of all time. It's so beautiful, it's so well done. It tackles such a hard subject in such a unique way. It's it's magical and romantic and historic, and it's just so beautiful.

I love it. And the imagery with the shoes with Scarlet or Hanson after you know, when she's tap dancing, you see her shoes, and then later she's hanging and oh my goodness, I love that movie so much. I think it's objectively a masterpiece. I loved you saying that I really really really really really like that film. That is a very good answer that has not been put in this category, and I thank you for doing so. Very challenger, Nat again, what is the sexiest film You've

ever seen? If? I, well, the most romantic film I've ever seen was a Little Romance with Diane Lane. That was not the question, and John Gilgat that was not the question. I know. The sexiest I would say was probably nine and a half weeks, I think solid, Sir. I was eighteen when it came out, and just remembering like sexy things like officially like pointed towards sex was that movie and the food thing was so sensual, and the and the power. I mean, it's totally horribly inappropriate.

It's the worst misogynistic, most hideous film of all time, truly, but there was something so sexy about just the dominating power thing that he had over her and she was so oh my god. It was a very sexy movie. What was the romantic most romantic one? Oh, a little Romance with Diane Lane and Lawrence Olivier. Not I said John Gielgu, but it was Lawrence Olivier. Lovely. I love that movie. It's so beautiful. The little Oh, I was like that little romance between those that's why it's called

a little romance. But that you've seen that, right. I love Diane Lane. I'm a huge Diane Lae fan. I'm a huge Dion Line fan. I love her. She So did you see? Um? Was it unforgivable? What was the unfaithful? Oh? Unfaithful? Oh? Yeah, I've seen it. Yeah, that's also pretty fair freaking sexy Jesus really say, Okay, I'll add that to my sexiest same directories. Nine enough weeks? Maybe no, really think it is? I think right? Yeah, I don't. Is it really? Yeah,

that's interesting? Yeah it was nine? Oh my god, Well there there. I certainly have a kind of thing I like. I guess you like Adrian nine, I guess. So what is there's a subcategory to this question. I'm afraid. Are you just gonna have to? Yeah, I know what you're gonna ask. Oh, I think Traveling Bone is worrying? Why I done? What is the film you found arousing that

you weren't sure you should? Well I knew this was one of the questions, and I did think about it, and nothing really popped into my mind at all other than Jessica Rabbit from Roger Rabbit and just wanting to look like her, wanting to be like her, and oh my god, I just had an epiphany. She is with a short, little comedian rabbit. He's my little Oh my god, he's my Rother Rabbit. That's really funny. Yes, I found that very well arousing. I don't know, I would just

say sexy, nothing is? I mean, yeah, okay, unfaithful all of those, I don't know. They kind of go together, don't they, Jessica Rabbit and Unfaithful. I mean, I don't know. It's a boy thing. I think that question is more of a boy thing because nothing is. Because I think, well, maybe it has more to do with whether you feel like in a good way. Maybe you can't think of an answer because you don't think there's anything wrong with anything. I don't really you're like, yeah, I was aroused. I

didn't see that as a problem, right, I guess. So I don't know. What is the film? Get No, I'm embarrassed by this whole section, and yet we persist with it. What is the film that you could or have watched the most over and over again? Midnight run a great show. I think I've seen Midnight Run thirty times. I'm obsessed with Charles Groden and Robert de Niro in it. I'm

obsessed with both of them in that era. Anyway, Every Charles Groden movie from that era seems like old times, all of his everything, Robert de Niro, I mean literally everything. But Midnight Run is the best. I could watch that movie constantly. It's the most it's the best humor, it's so well written, it's so I just love that movie, love it, love it, have watched it a billion times. Perfect and of course Smoking the Bandit and the Muppet Movie. Yes, yes, yes,

What is the film that we don't like? To be negative? You and me, Meredith, that's one thing we have in COVID. But what's the worst film you've ever seen? I remember taking my friend's daughter to see Cars Too, and I don't think I've ever walked out of a movie before, but I was like, this is atrocious. It's atrocious. There was nothing redeeming about it, not one thing awful walked out. I hate walking out of movies. I think that is not a good name today. To take the kids with you,

were they like, we're having fun. I kept saying it a little. I kept saying to this little girl, I was like, this is terrible, right, none of us are enjoying this, right, I'm like, do you like this? Do you like this? And she's like, get out of here, let's go get ice cream. That's nice, I mean terrible. But you know what's the film? Yeah, that made you laugh the most? Well, I would say, Caddie Shack. I think I don't usually laugh out loud. Usually I usually

am like, huh, that's clever. I mean, I think I I don't know. I can't remember what if I've laughed, laugh, laugh, laugh, but I find it funny. But the one time I actually did laugh was and this is definitely not what you're looking for. But I remember years ago I went to see the movie Boys on the Side with one

of my best friends. It's it's Drew Barrymore movie and somebody's dying of AIDS and it was so and I saw in a packed theater and I was sort of like close to the front row with my best friend and we were watching it and it was so quiet. There's like a scene that's just so sad, and everyone was just silent, and I was crying so hard. I

was like, like, people could hear me? And then she was crying so loud, and I looked at her and we were like and then we burst out laughing because we were so loud that people were like, sh And then we started laughing because we were being loud, and then I couldn't stop laughing because I couldn't stop crying. And that's yeah, that's actually actually I really like that. Meredith Salinger. Yeah, you've been absolutely wonderful, as expected to

be honest. I came into this thinking she'll be wonderful, and you were wonderful. However, when you were ninety eight years old, you were two years away from that letter from Obama, and I had got a birthday card from the Queen lined up, not that you were interested, but one was on its way two years ago. Coming anyway, you saw something very very beautiful and it was love, and it was love between you and pattern. A very

lovely thing happened. It was so beautiful that you lay in bed and you went to sleep, and you went Your harps exploded like that, and your marrionet strings dropped, and you ascended to heaven, where there was a cool breeze on a hot day and you were lying in a field. I'm walking about with a coffin, you know what I'm like, And I'm like, I wonder what your coffin. I wonder what Meredith's up to. I'll just pop in,

see you're dead in the bed and find sad. There's really bad thing is no one had noticed and had been eaten by both the very wolves that you had acted with in nat again had come back to because they were gonna, you know, your family, they were going to return you to exactly and I would like, get off here, and there was like bits of meat everywhere, and it was a fucking state anyway, A clear up as best I can. I put all your bits in

this coffin. But because of all the wolf stuff and the bits of the ground, they've been chewing in the beds and it's a mess. There's so much more than I was expecting. And I've stuffed you in the coffin. It's full. There's really only enough room to slide one DVD in the side for you to take across to the other side. And on the other side it's movie night. Every night. One night, it's your movie night. What film are you taking to show everyone in Heaven when it

is your movie night? Meredith Salinger got the journey of Natigan. I'm sure you thought I might say that. I did not think you. No, not just because it is a beautiful film, but it shaped my life in such a profound way. And I just feel so close to that character, and I feel being strong and brave and fierce and full of love and determined. It's sort of like the thing that defines me as who I am anyway, but it's also me. It's me, and it's me, and it's

just it just feels like me. And then it would be a really great reminder of how the wolves ate me to have the reason why it was wolves that ate me. It's like, oh, because of that, Because Natigan, she was a wolf girl, and if anyone's going to bring her home, it's going to be the wolves. So yeah, it's just such a huge part of me, that film, and it's shaped my life in such a huge way. And so that's what I would You've been wonderful, is it? Is there anything you would like to tell people to

watch your lookout for or listen to your podcast? For example? Oh, I guess I should tell them to watch that, or I mean, not watch it, listen to it. We don't have video. We don't have this Patreon cool stuff, Brett. Yeah, listen to a podcast by my husband Patton Oswald and myself called did you get My Text? It's pretty funny and um what else? Everything I'm doing is all you know, very very much behind the scenes at the moment, but also acting. I just did a movie with ried to Moreno,

which should be coming out soon, called The Prank. She's super cool. She's also nine. She's gonna be ninety eight or ninety. She's gonna be ninety. It's gonna be She's so brilliant. She's an egot. She's the first egot. Anyway. That was a cool movie. But yeah, do whatever you want, whatever you like, and I will cut this if you're uncomfortable. I've never done this with any guest. For the record, Oh,

I have a friend. He's called Henry Whittaker. He is a comedian and a producer and he produces the best comedy festive in the entire world. And he loves you very much. I was wondering if we could finish with you saying his name and saying that you are thinking of him always, and perhaps he could make that his ringtone to wake him up every day and it will blow his vone. If you are comfortable doing that, I know it would make him very happy. I'm absolutely comfortable

doing it. What is his name? His name is Henry Whitcomb, Henry Whittam. Oh, look I just said his name. H No, So that if we could finish with a little for your biggest fan, Henry Whittam, I am thinking of you, Henry Whittacomb always. Do you think you'll like that? That gave me shivers? That was magnificent. If I had the microphone up a bit and then headphones on, I could have said it a bit better. I do the amso thinking of you, Henry Whittcomb Always would have sounded better

with an English accent. I think really really good, most things do. I'm glad that we got to do this. Thank you for your time, and I hope do you have a wonderful death. Good night, good night, Brett. So that was episode one hundred and sixty seven. Head over to patreon dot com forward slash Brett Goldstein for the extra twenty minutes of chat secrets and video with Meredith go to Apple Podcast give us a five star rating. But don't tell me about a podcast. I know what

a podcast is. I do the podcast right about the film that means the most to you and why. It's a very nice thing to read. People like reading. It makes people cry or laugh, whatever you want, and it is very much appreciated. Thank you all for listening to the show. Thank you so much to Meredith for doing it. Thanks to Scrubious Pip and the Distraction Pieces Network. Thanks to Buddy Piece for producing it. Thanks Today Gus for hosting it. Thanks to Adam Richardson for the graphics. At

least lie them for the photography. Come and join me next week, where I believe my guest will be the award winning comedian mister Phil Nickel. So that is it for now. In the meantime, have a wonderful week. Please, more than ever, be excellent to each other.