Vanilla Sky

Welcome to the podcast, the polarized podcast, the podcast for polarizing movies, the kinds of movies that audiences and critics disagree on on rotten tomatoes. Sometimes the audiences love it and the critics hate it or vice versa. I'm your host James. Welcome to the show. This week on the program, we will be discussing a 2001 mystery and thriller slash drama, according to Ron Tomatoes, vanilla sky. It's a vanilla sky episode. The sky is vanilla. Not chocolate, not strawberry.

It's vanilla is a 43% critically reviewed movie on rat tomatoes and audiences actually like this one over the critics, which on first glance, you would think that this would be maybe like the, the critic favored movie. This I feel like this is a pretty artsy fartsy movie you might, you might say, but those audience members are coming out in 72%. So let's get into it. It's a pleasure to have you. Thank you so much for just jumping right into the Polarize gig.

I would like to introduce a certain special someone. You know, there may be in this movie, the saddest girl with a martini, but I'm the happiest guy with a brandy. Let's go. I love that. Thank you. James Teenie. That's right. Happy. I'm happy to be here. I have the most notes I think I've ever taken on a good for the first time you can help me out a little. Actually, this movie does a boy overly explain it at the end, but maybe you can. Maybe you can help me through this movie.

Yeah, I think discussing it. I just want to just so boldly say I think this movie could go to jail. Maybe. Who is it? Is this a? We need to share the letterbox go to jail movies that need to go to jail list somehow to the to the people because Brandini's putting it together. I'm putting it together movies that should go to jail and I'm excited to get to this discussion because I think this movie could potentially be a great candidate to jail. And yeah, so I'm doing good though, man.

Excited to talk about this movie. Yeah, we had another movie that went straight to jail recently, which was Things to Do in Denver when you're dead. I know a lot of and that's a movie that you might even enjoy, but it's like also like, you know, you should you should lock you up for the better, betterment of society, most likely. Absolutely. Yeah. I, you know, some movies they just what they stand for might need to just go to jail.

And yeah, that's that's part of what we get to the bottom of on this. I want that like epilogue at the end. That's like a cuts to black and then it's like this movie went to jail on. Yeah, like in 2024. According to it's a new leaf. And it's like some vault that you got a year out of get into to watch it again. It's the brandini. I hope that vault is guarded by Michael Shannon. He's yeah, those shoulders are broad and you wouldn't have a hard time getting past.

And he's absolutely cuts a striking tall figure. He does. He really just towers over people in them and such a commanding menacing. Do you think he was born with a scowl? Could you imagine the conversations his parents were having about just worrying how scowly their son looks? He looks like he's 42 instantly. He's birth to a 42 year old man. He's five going on 45. He's saying very grown up things to me. Okay, but this is before we go any further. Yeah, let's get.

Yeah, we're already getting into it. Let's before we fully get into it. This is an episode that has a guest on it. We are excited to have this guest. This is a person that I bonded with over movies and thought it would be so great to have on me and James talked about this idea of if we're going to have them on it. It should maybe be for a weird movie. And I think mission accomplished because this movie is cuckoo bananas with a capital C capital B. But this episode is.

I would like to now introduce our guest Weston. Hey, how's it going, bud? Hey guys, happy to be here. Thanks for having me. Yeah, welcome to the show. Really, man. Yeah, welcome to the show. Welcome. We're just a couple of schools that like to talk about movies and this one happens to be like particularly disagreed upon movies. And I don't know if that concept hits for everybody who may who may be here of the podcast, but I'm glad you're here to get into it.

Is there any movie that like you have that maybe it's hard to think of right on the spot, but is there a movie that you have that you feel like might be polarizing that you like that other people maybe or like a lot of people don't like that you feel like you have to kind of stick stick up for a bit? Yeah, there's there's a few. I mean, just recently I listened to your hook podcast with Corey. Yes. I'm a big hook kid. And that movie just I love that movie. And I find myself defending that one.

Nice. But it happens a lot. I mean, I have tons of films like that. I can't really think off the top of my head, but I'll get to it. No, it's a great choice. You're a big baseball pirate guy just like past guest, large aka Corey. Exactly. That movie has grown on me a lot. I don't know. I wish I'd watched it more growing up because now coming to it as you know, as an adult man that's I've watched a few actually another time since then and I liked it even a lot more.

And I can't I can't believe some of the dramatic moments near the end of that movie just hit me cut me like a knife. Yeah, one roof. You get cut like a knife. Yeah. But what is it? Run home run home Jack. Is is that? Is that? Is that? Is that? Is that? Is that? Is that? Is that? Is that? Is that? Is that? Is that baseball games and then every all the pirates are there and they're just cheering jack yeah and you had a big issue with those daytime baseball games.

They had the biggest issue with the daytime. They time they time during the big wonder. He's not making it to you know, I mean, if your son's baseball game is on a Wednesday at like 2 o'clock in the afternoon. I mean that's tough. I'm sorry. But I'm adults work a nine to five job. You know what? And then can you step back a little bit in the can? I think you might have a self. Is that a cell phone holster? Just like Robin Williams had in the movie. Yeah, it is. You've changed.

Yeah, well, you know, that nine to five job, I tell you, will turn you into a missing baseball dad. Well, let me ask Wesson, like in particular, this movie, do you have any history with it? I have. As I was talking with Brandon before we started recording, I have been seeing this movie poster since I can remember. Obviously, since the film. I was, yeah, I was in 30 when this movie came out. So every video store I went to, every blockbuster, always had a vanilla sky poster and it was everywhere.

And I never saw it. My dad would talk about it. And he would frankly say how bad of a film it was. Like he's kind of a snob, I guess. I don't know. Well, I mean, well, I mean, I think there's some truth to that and we'll get there. But, you know, yeah, I'd say the people making the movie are snabs. Yeah, you could say that. I would. Yeah. Yeah. Something about it turned me off. And I just, I never visited this film until three nights ago. So yeah.

Wow. Was that ever like a bucket list thing of like, oh, I should get around to doing that. Just to see as it adds a curiosity or you're just, it was really just from this podcast that you're like, I guess I'll have to do this shit. It'd been on the list mentally for some time. And I have a friend that this is his favorite film. Oh, wow. You shout him out. I should tell him to write in. Don't, don't talk something. Leave a voicemail or something. He's going to jail. For sure. He's going to jail.

Oh, with this movie. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Co-conspirator. Yeah. Favorite movie. Wow. Yeah, this was, I agree. The same sort of thing where like, I feel like I saw this advertised a part of me, I feel like maybe conflated it with eyes wide shut because it was close enough. And I just saw Tom, it was like that era of Tom Cruise. And I just saw like trippy things happening. And but yeah, I vaguely remember, you know, the, the trailer of him, you know, being near the edge of the building and car stuff.

But no real idea of what this movie was about, just that it was weird and trippy and like sexual, which that's essentially like eyes wide shut with Tom, Tom Cruise. But that is such an experience of like walking through the video aisle and seeing covers of this. And this one was just, you know, yeah, his, his face on the front, which is a huge plot point in this movie, that face. Yeah. This movie is essentially about Tom Cruise's face. Right.

Yeah. A lot of different versions of his face, you know, and each one has a very distinct, I don't know, kind of a genus a quab. This is kind of the MI2 era too. I'm a, I feel like that's the movies I'll occasionally defend. I'll be like, I kind of like that a mission possible to you. It's my kind of stupid. I understand it's stupid, but it's like my kind of my brand. Like it's a, what is it a John Woo and there's Doves and motorcycle, that motorcycle duel. Motorcycle. Very cool.

Yeah. It's got the rock. How are you guys with Cruise in general? Like what's your relationship? Yeah, it's a good thing to bring up. Oh, I mean, for me, I am favorable on him when he's doing a lot of, I'd say more so like the action movies, but every now and then, you know, he'll, he'll stray and do something interesting, at least earlier in his career.

And I think before the podcast, we were trying to figure out this was before or after Magnolia and that Magnolia performance, I think is something special. I love the mission impossible movies, but then there's stuff like this movie where it's like, you really start to see what's what's shining through is like the try hardness and like the, I don't know, the, the, he's not very, he can't be subtle.

There's like no, he has to go full fledged into every moment and give a hundred, a hundred percent to everything, which is great. Yeah. I think like an action movie or something like that or something that requires a little more subtletie doesn't hit as well. The, the eyes wide shut, I think is interesting because he's confused on how he's supposed to act in that movie. And I think Hubert purposefully did that to him, which makes for like an interesting performance with this one.

He seems to like be able to do whatever the fuck he wants. And that is, I think a little bit to the detriment of this movie in particular, but I'm not like a Tom Cruise hater. I think he definitely can be used well on those new mission possible movies I've had a blast with, but how do you guys feel? Yeah. I mean, for me, I'm, I can be pretty hit or miss on Tom Cruise. That's a good way to put it. Some of the action movies that he is the lead of, I don't care for.

Yeah. I would say that Tom Cruise is really great when the director uses him well. And to your point about him having a lot of seemingly freedom to be and do whatever he wants as to his detriment, because I think Tom Cruise, at least my opinion of him is he's an incredibly weird guy and him, he just to me doesn't seem like a guy that understands like normal human emotion very well. It's always like, which can work in movies.

And honestly, it kind of gives a, it's like being a stage actor almost where it is a caricature of emotions. He's able to do a wide range of these characters, but none of them are really seemingly real or grounded or like a normal person would react this way. And to his a lot of implying and it's a lot. Yes. It's a lot of like, so in this movie and in Eyes Wide Shut, which are two movies that are really great to compare each other with.

First, I'll just say, because you had brought it up earlier, James, about how Kubrick knows how to use Tom Cruise. So that is more of Tom Cruise fitting into a Kubrick mold. And he really excels in that because he is getting he is getting directed very well in a movie like this, not so much, but also to, yeah, like. Where am I going with this? Like, yeah, with like Magnolia, he's essentially like he's a fuckboy in that movie, which works for him as a real person.

Just kind of like in that movie, a lot of it is him in an interview, like chewing up the scenery, which is essentially very close to the Oprah interview. I want to hear Wesson's thoughts on on cruise. You have any favorite worst performances or any feelings in general? Ever since I was a kid, I've kind of been for pro Tom Cruise, I guess. I would say that for myself too. Superstar, like he's just, he delivers on that level. He's a great action star.

Then you discover, you discover Magnolia and you're like, okay, he can get weird. And then, you know, I saw Eyes Wide Shut. I think after I saw Magnolia, but that was really fascinating. And I recently watched the firm. Have you guys seen that? Oh yeah, big firm fan over here. That's his best performance. That movie, big firm. Yeah, that soundtrack is so good. Yeah, excellent. Excellent. That's like favorite film to his, but. That's totally understandable. That's a great performance.

And that's another performance of him being this yuppie character. Like him in this movie, he is very good as being a yuppie. And a lot of it has to do with how just like the fun fact of Patrick Bateman or the performance of Patrick Bateman in American Psycho is based on Tom Cruise. Like it's just he is such a weird guy where he comes off as being so. Inhuman or disconnected from certain assemblances of a normal reality. And it just obviously carries over in just who he is to as a person.

So that is like, even though his performances can be so alien, it seems also in real life, he's kind of an alien and people look at him like that at times. And yeah, like the most extroverted person that somehow there's this big wall between him and the rest of the universe in the world. And like no one's ever going to penetrate it. It seems and a few people who have like the women that he he's married of. It's been interesting seeing him go through that.

I like not that I pay super close attention to you, but I just think of that Nicole Kidman picture of I don't know if you guys seen that picture of her when she's walking away from signing the divorce papers. And she's just like, I haven't seen her hand. She's just like looks like she's like singing. Oh, my God. Pretty intense, but that's that could be projecting under just a picture that I'm seeing. But I, all the Scientology stuff, he's a he's a weird dude.

And he's also someone. Yeah, that's it's a dying breed of Hollywood. It's interesting to see the moves that he makes this stage in his career. And all things like this were like a big fucking deal. This is a big fucking deal. This movie because like, absolutely. Us as kids like heard about it and like knew vaguely like there was something like this out there, even though it was definitely very, very much for adults. That it wasn't for us, but it was being talked about.

And I had no real idea what people thought about it until I kind of looked at some of these Rotten Tomato reviews and going through and watching it. This is my second time. And I for some reason blocked it out of memory. Memory of what happened in this movie, but I believe that. Yeah, it seemed like a fever dream. Oh, no shit. Yeah. Mostly like this is very purposeful. You know, it was very purposeful. So it's 10 out of 10.

Yeah. I mean, if you want to go through like maybe some broad strokes of it. Before we get into the end of the film, I, you know, I want to talk about Cameron Crowe a little bit, just like you've given Tom Cruise a little bit of the yeah. So where's this at in his career? So this after his career is after almost famous. Wow. This is the follow up. This is this you might say this is the blank check. Yeah. This is the blank check. It's because really anything goes on this piece. Yeah. Anything.

Yeah. It has very big anything goes energy. I was trying to think about whether or not Jerry McGuire is actually the more like now you get a blank check or almost famous is what was after Jerry McGuire was it almost famous? Uh-huh. It goes Jerry McGuire, almost famous vanilla sky. I feel like vanilla sky for him because also this movie to take even like one step backwards, you say, oh, you're whether or almost. No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, you're right.

I was just going to take even one step backwards too is that this movie was already a movie in 1997. It was was it? Yeah. A motorbar. What's his name? He directed the others. He's a Spanish director. Oh, okay. Oh, yeah. And it's what does it say? I said, I'm going to this. Oh, something like open your eyes. And it has Penelope cruise in it as well. And it was made in 97. So what Cameron Crowe did was just like, oh, if I could do anything, I'm just going to make this same movie again.

And that's like, I don't know, that's the most blank check. It works to me. I assume so. I haven't seen the original, but I would, I would assume so. I watched the trailer of it and it seems like, yeah, all the characters are there. There's a lot of similar imagery of him tying her up at the end and stuff like that and confusing it to you. Yeah. And it just looks like so much more.

Yeah. A little bit more like straightforward and a little bit less moolock went to it because this one is yeah, a lot of money and some interesting places like, Hey, here you go Beach Boys. Hey, here you go Rolling Stones. And I mean, but we're getting a little bit far from Cameron Crowe before I, yeah, because we should talk about the music too. Yeah, absolutely. I mean, Cameron Crowe speaking of almost famous as a big music guy, right? He also was. Yeah. He was like, I don't say anything.

Also as Cameron Crowe movie and that's really big on the music and the music in this movie is pretty cool. There's some cool songs in it. Great songs. Just how they're utilized, not always works. And sometimes it's like a strange, there's one moment, the strange cacophony of like, what if God was one of us? And then like, and then records scratching into a different song as he was like losing it for the fiftieth time. But yeah, a lot of good music.

I mean, you don't have to, you don't have to pull my leg is how does this movie start is with the opening track of kid A baby. Yeah. Arguably the best use of the music in the movie. It's a great opener to us to sign. Yeah. Great opener to like him waking up from a dream or whatever. What? Yes. Yes. I was already thinking about like, what was it a dream? Yeah, which part? Yeah, which part? No, no, you're right.

Well, he does that multiple walk out like of any touches that TV, the TV or whatever that he has that goes into the floor. And then he, yeah, I don't know. We can't we can't chart the course for this movie entirely, but this the introduction of the introduction of him as a character is this opening of like who he is. Like he's with Cameron Diaz at the beginning. He's inherited this. He's like a journalism magnate. I don't know. He's his dad's given. Absolutely. He's a he's a low media mogul.

He's a Roy. He runs a few magazines. So runs the public. Yeah, essentially the conglomerate that owns all of those magazine companies. So yeah, media 51% stake and 49% goes to the seven doors. There's lines in this movie that just taken out of context. We like there's plenty of stuff taken out of context in this movie. That would be strange, but there's a lot of stuff. We're like, the seven dwarfs are trying to fuck me over, man. And I'm walking like, what are you watching? What are you talking?

Yeah, what are you watching? Yeah. I don't know. I don't know what I'm watching. What is so crazy? Yeah. And that's so the movie starts with a dream and then goes into a potential. He's driving two different black nice cars. That was interesting. Very similar, but not the same. So you know, subtle differences to cue you in that the first time you've seen him was in a dream. Now you're not.

But the dialogue still throughout this entire movie is so dreamlike where everybody just kind of talks in this way that just has this tinge of like, this isn't how normal people have conversations, right? Like. I'm glad you're bringing that up because that was throwing me off the whole time and I was trying to decipher if it was Cameron Crow kind of schmaltzy speak, you know, like from. Yeah, cool guy speak, right? Yeah. And just kind of. Pretentious. A little bit like that. I don't know.

It was like overwritten as well, but like they were in like completely different rooms or completely different movies. And but there were some goofy ass lines in this movie. Oh my God, it's fucking chopped full of them. I mean, the saddest girl with a martini is fucking said multiple times. That's a stupid fucking line. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. But it said multiple times. It's like, oh, that's a good one. I'm going to say it again. Like, come on.

What's like everyone's happy with a martini martini is a sad man's drink as well. Drink. Absolutely. It depends on the situation. But I mean, see, I think she, it didn't feel like everything we had except for that line about saddest girl to ever hold a martini or see when another life when we're both cat. That's legendary know that the cat line was just like a huge what the fuck between? Except she had. I just like said and which is. Already. Oh, sorry. Good. Cut you off.

But the fact that he like stop and he's like, wait, what did you say? And repeats it like 10 times and this is if camera gets closer on his face and he's till he starts like meowing at the straight down the barrel of the lens with this with his face that I Don't know what you're trying to do with the stylistic choices because there's a lot of stylistic choices That are to what end

Yeah, it's the dialogue. That's a great place to start as well. Yeah It's so of its own but about everything because it's trying to be very artistic by the dialogue is representative of this dream State and narrative that is prevailing throughout the entire movie You know just questioning whether or not this is reality or not And it's definitely makes it difficult to know which reality is the real one because everybody in this movie is talking like

They're an insane person or they're at a bare minimum. It's like They're not in the same room with the other person It just seems so disjointed where it'll be like focus on a person They'll say crazy shit and then yeah, it just is like to what end and to who and not like a fun sometimes it gets fun and can't be like Even like what it's trying to be which is David Lynch like Twin Peaks like Mulholland Drive kind of shit like it's trying it's trying to

Eat his lunch and do the surreal thing but also be like pop surreal This thing I it's like oh for sure a great point It's trying to be it's it's trying to be palatable still and still trying to like clue you into everything like oh This has a purpose and there's a there's a meaning to all this It's like you don't you don't need to overly explain or have dialogue that is is Bringing this up in Vocal ways you can have it just be visually Yeah

Besides just having bad dialogue to justify what's happening on screen. I felt like there were weird things that would happen that They wouldn't have to address and and it was unnecessary if you actually wanted it to be mysterious and interesting

Yeah, they made it. They made it literal like they wanted to be like they tried to make the absurd of the Yes, you know, you know I'm saying I do yeah, it's like yeah They tried to That's literal like they they try to give you too many answers It seemed like I've heard that there's a difference with the original Spanish film is that they kind of leave it open-ended and they kind of leave it up to the the viewer but they This film vanilla sky really tries to wrap a bow on it and it just comes off

We will definitely get to that and that that is for sure what I'm alluding to as well as that that elevator seen at the end is the most like Yeah, Deus Ex Machina kind of tie a bow around it sort of bullshit and Yeah, that would Yeah, like I would imagine a European art artsy film would Be a little bit more just like let's place interesting ideas in the audience's mind and have them work it out a bit Yeah So

You had kind of mentioned and I think this is really to me crucial to enjoyment of this movie is Tom Cruise's character comes off as very unlikable very quickly And you are not on board with him as your main protagonist at all Because of the situation of how he treats Cameron Diaz But then more specifically to the point of the dialogue being so direct is him and Jason Lee are Talking and having I just the way that those guys interactive this rata tat tat to the played tennis

Is so lame like they just have this whole It's such simple machismo where both of them are just immediately talking about chicks and fucking chicks And then Tom Cruise goes on to say like he has this whole Johnny oh One of my first yeah, it's like Julie Gianni is a lame name I hate that name so much because it's just it doesn't fit Cameron Diaz as much either But I don't know doesn't fit Cameron Diaz first and foremost And right whatever It sounds too much like Rudy Giuliani to me

I know that's what it is It's like that's the heart of it It's like the same name and I don't like it I Also already don't really care for Cameron Diaz. I've been on this pod saying as much but like I'm with you there another hitter miss She just annoys me. I don't know. I'm sorry, you know, I don't mean to be so Luckily, she's supposed to be annoying in this movie. But yeah, I'm with you. Yeah, does she doesn't always work for me

And in this movie that she is so annoying, right? Like it wouldn't it be more interesting if she wasn't annoying And it wasn't so easy for her to be diss like just cast away and disregarded and so, you know There's actually some I don't know a little bit more emotion to It would have provided a little bit more value to than what comes where he tries to protect her from doing something stupid

You just I don't know they could have they could have played with the tensions so much more because this movie doesn't Doesn't do that It just waffles around in like some of the romantic parts of it Which is very much the Cameron crow side of it is like the Penelope cruise and him like falling in love is and their relationship Is a big portion of it, but if you're are trying to make more of like a surrealistic sort of Thriller sexual thriller sort of movie, I don't know

I there's a there's a version not to just pluck and change certain things that'll make it better But I think there is something interesting about a stalker and like that voyeuristic side of that in a movie like this and Having that be more of a slow burn about Somebody's following me and she's like out to get me and said it's like status Right when he wakes up after Penelope cruise

She is there and then the accident like happens immediately and then this portion of the movie with him going through those those dark moments It drags in such strange ways when everything is so truncated in the end to justify the the means it's like you could have Place a lot more foreshadowing you could have a lot more like threads throughout and said it just seems like

This it's not as purposeful as it as it could be if it's trying to do that. Otherwise, it's not as surrealistic and weird and and stylish in a way that Is I don't know like a morass steer and not as so direct because camera camera crew I just think as much as he has me good movies has a little bit harder time with that and there's some of like Yeah, the romantic moments and the music drops that he knows how to do that stuff for the most part

Yeah, I absolutely agree and it this movie does feel like him pushing himself to go in a different place To try to solidify him as a director is being able to make a artsy movie and a thinker rather than just to feel good straightforward movie, you know be it romantic comedy or drama and he handles drama very well in His movies in the past like the drama even though he didn't direct but the drama written in

Fast Times of Ridgemont High is fantastic. It's pretty dark and a little heady You know about the concepts that characters are dealing with and then also to what Jerry Handled while in that movie too like Absolutely, so he has some strengths and it's understandable you know why he might gravitate towards this because at the core and maybe at the core it's about Happiness and love But none of that is done I don't know death and

And and like you're like so summing up your life in a in a way and that's that tells me And maybe somebody going through some sort of midlife thing Possibly and the death of their their parents maybe or their their father Possibly because that's such like such a big part of the beginning and end of this movie

Surprisingly like it brings that back up when you're like, oh wow. Yeah I well like the whole Kurt Russell character and everything which I'd love to talk about Yeah Because this is where it started it does starts this you know stream and What time period is this and why is he wearing this mask and what's going on here?

But love that he's in the movie, you know, I Kurt Russell can't can't really do any wrong as far as I'm concerned Kind of the best and to know that he The retroactive thing that I had I would have the most fun with with this movie when it's trying to say all these dream things It's like okay, whatever But the fact that I want to know if he really was trying to do like a slight little Gregory Peck thing and I was I would like to go back

I'm not going to but maybe like just trying to think I'm like, oh, is he doing any peck peck mannerism I completely agree because it was so undeserved But that the revelations that happened in the last ten minutes of this movie with and the associations like really heady concepts that you know sure Like quotes or trivia about this movie that I saw was you know Cameron Crowe being like this movie is designed in a way that is like so deep that you can like I don't like

If you want to go deeper you can I guess is the way that he described it and there are things in this that Makes sense why he would say that but I just I don't think to great success, right? He places his own tinge on it. I'm sure and I think that's one of them That seems to be a Cameron Croweism of like placing that in and that little montage of the end of all the images of like Oh, look the cover for the river by Bruce Springsteen was like one of the like the

The summing up like little pieces of art at the end is just like that. There's things like that that are very Cameron Free will Oh, that was that was see that was a satisfying thing as well of like Speaking of like redoing something like him redoing this movie for him to reenact like an album cover. I thought that was That was pretty cool. And like that was like a weird subconscious thing for me when I first saw it I was like, why does that look like a fucking blast to that scene? Yeah?

Oh, he must have gone to the same same spot and everything I would assume you probably had fun by and large because in his mind I think to what we've brought up already like the point of I I this does really seem like such a passion project of Cameron Crowe I think there's a good amount of really screen in this like and him being able to To mess around like yeah, like when they're just hanging out in the bed

And like there's those little still images of like it'll it'll it'll it'll pause and then it'll jump cut like pause and then jump cut And then the whole mole conversation everything to this just like that that kind of thing is what he's trying to instill like this sort of natural Quality to the sort of thing but then you have Tom cruiser where it just comes across as

Just kind of contrived and he's a creepy man. He's just kind of creepy in some of those creep in those moments. We're just intense He's very intense It's like a guy I feel like you can hang out with him for hours upon hours and you wouldn't know anything about him after like Nothing and he would talk a lot. Yeah his you know persona. I guess he's very he just comes off like weirdly cold and Yeah, which is dead in the Like a doll's eyes

Yeah, did you guys like Penelope Cruz in this? I loved her in it. She's my favorite part of the movie Yeah, easily Easily any scene she's in I'm like here's somebody that's tuned into this fucking movie that gets the Understands the assignment and like is bringing so much emotion Which is like Tom Cruise is creating a vacuum of void of emotion That's like that's where I need I need something like love and tenderness filling this fucking void Were you having?

Where you say like the people like need to talk like they're dreaming like that's not necessarily true because she finds a way to Be a person in this Right Even like the dividing line when it does as they say become a dream at the end and she picks him up from the street It felt so unnatural that she just like It already felt like like such a weird scene with the lighting of the sunset and you slept on the street and she was like All of a sudden like oh, I'm let's turn this around

My life is gonna change forever. Isn't it like that had that that kind of line happened at that moment, which is like what? Like my life is gonna change forever from starting from this moment and What like it was and then you find out that is a dream But then she has just so much sincerity to her Performance and I'm sure it helps that she's playing it for the the second time Are you did you like some of like the Kurt Russell and like the Penelope Cruise performances Weston or?

Yeah, I thought Penelope Cruise was just natural and like Obviously like beautiful and just kind of fit in there really nicely. I thought but I mean Kurt Russell was Funny to me like when he popped up, okay? I don't know how he got in this but it's it's definitely fun seeing him not in a very Kurt Russell movie like this was Interesting to see him play like this Just kind of downplayed

Psychiatrists psychiatrist, right? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, I think so. Yeah, like father figure. I guess the first time food is I like he did get pretty goofy Kurt Russell at the end, which I really liked Yeah, yeah, where he's like so if I just wanted him to come back now. He just runs out the door. He's like, hey, you gotta get out of here When he finds out he's a fucking Machination for it. He's like my mortality is entertainment. What do you mean?

He's like this whole like breakdown on top of a building. I was like, what the fuck am I watching right now? Like what is going on like I'm this guy is I'm feeling for the emotions of this made-up thing and Tom it's like an inception more than Tom Cruise in that moment person like getting sad or something

Right or like an NPC. Yeah, fine. He's an NPC. He's an NPC. Yeah, like an NPC in a video game You know having it that a life outside of you playing them where it's just them being like nothing this, you know They're only there to serve you and it's so interesting. But man, yeah, just I would like to hear his opinions on outback steakhouse If you're like, oh, so you got outback. So what do you order? He's like I get the flamin yarn with the side potato and the squab rat. Okay. Okay

What are your daughter's names? I Love the Wednesday night outback in-house move. I think that's so funny I'll back in-house move. I think that's such a fun family move It was black Yes, that was such a silly line silly s-line. Yeah, I like These black Angus night black Angus night with the daughters. Oh, I have two daughters as you know I would love the god to be a fly in the wall for a

Black Angus night with Kurt Russell. Oh come on. I mean come on I want that movie over this movie I was sad when he was I was actually yeah, like kind of sad when he said he was leaving I'm glad that he stuck around a bit longer But like he's like this is where I go like I'm not gonna be at the trial and I was like Kurt Russell don't leave the movie

You were like a nice little like presents the whole time now. I'm stuck with Tom Cruise and his mask so after the introduction of Kurt Russell, there's the party that happens and It's introduces us to Penelope Cruz also John likey Galakies in the city. Galakies there. Yeah, and Timothy Spal Love that spals here. I We just did a spall. It feels like a dream a good one

Yeah, really just such an interesting face that guy is such a interesting look. This is the same party that has the scenes Timberholda martini Meet cute with Penelope Cruz. Karen Diaz goes to his room take takes off all her clothes and then like a costume when he walks in Yeah, absolutely and No one knew she was up for party. Did they did the other? Yeah, you know that he was there. Yeah, how did he how did she get to that point if she wasn't invited?

She was just there never left the bedroom. She never left the bedroom Right, maybe that's what it is as they hit the party is the same night and she just Could be it but it has a lot of Jason Lee The combo stuff which man I just drunk Jason Lee drunk which man his cuz he says he's drunk like five fucking times That's how you know so drunk. I drank so much this evening. Look at how drunk I am I'm Jason Lee

I'm Jason Lee. What are you doing? Oh, I'm a cuck. Oh, I'm constantly getting cucked in this whole movie. I'm Jason Lee You can have my girl Oh Man he drove me nuts Character kind of took me out of it. I don't know. I mean He was just thrown in there as like the cool. I mean obviously the bro, you know, but dude. Yeah, it's a classic

Lee I just I don't know. Yeah, I just I they have such little chemistry. They seem like Bros just by like guilt by association like exactly big time cuz he's just like what like Publishing his book that he's writing. Oh, and it really does at first like feel like a Business relationship which I guess works for the movie. But when that like no, we're best friend But then they like try to push it at the end. I was like, oh, no, we're best friends and he did this three-day memorial

I'm like, I don't know. Yeah, I didn't buy that best friend. Yeah Mm-hmm. Yeah, you're right to me No, it's cuz yeah, cuz Tom Cruise doesn't have friends. What's that purposeful though? Like maybe in a little bit is yeah Absolutely, cuz I think if I were just posited to you know The at least the way that I interpret the like wavelength of this movie is that again, this is like a yuppie asshole

This is a guy who's been gifted everything in his life. Yeah, everybody everybody in his life is really just very like Functionary like they're just here because he has the power and everybody's trying to use them which That's the wavelength that this movie would like to operate in because then from that wavelength you build upon the anxiety of his relationships with everybody and how He gets kind of into conspiracies and he just can't trust anybody

All of that is built into this idea that again, it's just it's I I understand to degree what this movie is trying to do But then if you were to take a step back you're like, but this isn't a likable character at all. Why do I give a shit? Right like why do I care about this fucking good-looking?

Millionaire that doesn't have any real relationships and treats women like shit like okay He's falling in love with Penelope Cruz But even the stuff he brings to the relationship is almost nothing just pure infatuation like aren't I like it's almost like aren't I great? You should be falling in love with me. It's not like we ever see him do anything really that nice for

Penelope Cruz or really go out of his way. He just immediately goes into this whole of You know the car accident stuff Yeah, yeah, yeah He almost takes on like Cameron Diaz's role to Penelope Cruz and he's kind of like Following her around and making her his life and his way out of this situation But I mean you're spot-on with all of that stuff and like leading up to the car accident It was already just like I don't really care about this guy because he's he was with Cameron Diaz

He drops her goes for his friends date Yeah, like that's a fucking dick move like he's just right when he sees her is just like already like and then You know after all of that the things that do happen which are terrible like awful things happen to him The awful thing being the car accident It's hard for obviously you have pity for him and everything But it's like this is a man that started with every like he has a beautiful face and now he doesn't have a beautiful face anymore

So has everything else he seems like he has headaches. Unfortunately. That's it's hard to me But it's just hard to have full You know Empathy 100% with him when it's really just about like I don't look as good anymore So on that point it's like it's it's fucked up because he is obviously like going yeah, he's going through a lot

That's right, but it's just it's what what's everything led up to him. It just like in The mood in the shape of the movie, but maybe I sound like an asshole on them No, no, no, I think you're right on which I would be remiss to not bring up especially with that point that you just made about it the vanilla sky featuring and Connie West song through the wire where he is talking about Emotionally being devastated because his face isn't going to look as good anymore

And that makes it into the line and do a song through the wire which I would potentially argue is his best song It's a great song and it's very sad and just because you're successful and just because you have everything like whatever Doesn't mean like you deserve something bad happening to you, but within the context of the movie It just doesn't really put you on his side and the way that he holds on to Penelope Cruz after that is unfair to her and

Just because they had one wonderful night together I'd word I guess they were together for for a bit But if she's gonna go and live her own life and everything and how it changes from that moment I guess is what where we're getting to is I'm I'm kind of satisfied with discussing what we know from the end of the movie like spoilers sort of situation because This is the point where it goes into dreamland of like when he's in the gutter and he wakes up

And that was another upsetting thing of me of like when you do find out when it turns into dreamland and cryo I Assumed it was the whole fucking movie and why not make it the whole man the dude is a fuck like has everything

It seems like he's like on top of the world like he's you know, he's he's handsome. He's He's he's with attractive women and he's like the boss of like, you know, whatever journalism sort of company and all this stuff and Like that and the fact that they're like no all of that stuff before is still there all of that stuff is real But it's past that and it's past The point when he was in the gutter and when he should have a redemption arc and this is getting into my whole beef with a movie

But he should have a redemption arc at this moment at this moment He should be redeeming himself in which he kind of does you kind of see him heading there And then they fucking take it away at the end and they tell you know, he didn't redeem himself at the end Spoiler alert he Unalived himself at that moment, which is the most depressing fucking thing to ever like I don't know to put in this movie is so fucking depressing Rather than like oh like he each he made it, you know, all that is true

And he made a redemption sort of thing and said no it's like it just got worse from there and that just is so grim It's so grim in this movie and it's it's strange that when the dream logic is upsetting when they make you think about it so much

Yeah, that's a tape. Yeah, that tastes in my mouth from from all and the logic fuck fucks with me Yeah, I mean I agree with you because It just yeah cuz so up until this point in the conversation even we've talked about how there is a lot of dream like things that have been a part of the movie and Yeah, to then know that the dream actually starts kind of halfway through it is so But then why did they start you off with a steam?

Where like the first scene is him going in a Times Square and there's nobody there. Yeah, wasn't that was was that already in the Because the already in cry wrote cry cry wrote cryo chamber at no because it's at the it's at the point when he's in the gutters When that begins because he goes to them after that moment and then takes all those all those pills and everything But that's where this movie is fucking annoying

Because it just throw a shit ton of red herrings at you leading up to that moment They're throwing red herring after red herring to make you think like oh, what's a dream? What's not a dream?

Whoa Cameron Crowe you're making you're putting my mind in a flurry But it's just trying to fuck with you and not purposely not unlike a I don't know in a way that's satisfying and in my mind the switching of the faces with like Penelope cruising and Cameradillas was somewhat Interesting but also like in like a vertigo sort of way almost I like I like that kind of stuff But it's just it's hammy a lot of this is is hammy through thriller stuff Yeah

But what do you guys think of the second half lead like when he After the accident like what do you guys do is there a half that you prefer is what do you think of the? This this portion of him with these scars

Trying to make his way in life as as a as a disfigured man. Yeah, I It's a pretty upset it's upsetting shit, but there was a moment though in it where I was on Like giving like I was noticing the acting prowess of Tom Cruise where he is able to put all of these situations on top of his character and that Come out physically and the and also the way that he delivers his dialogue It does have all of the past experiences attached to it, you know where it's so

Yeah, I don't know it was very good to a degree I mean ultimately what he ends up doing and what he says at times still was tough But like I don't know his physicality after the accident. I thought was genuinely pretty good club

Seen stuck out to me. Yeah, I just say that scene. Yeah That was interesting it was especially for the fact I Notice where a very terrible job by the bartender that if somebody is If you're giving somebody just line up of shots So first off somebody asks you for shots and then you just give them six in a row so that they say it to my face bitch Say it to my face bitch. Do you have patron?

Um God I love how yeah, he kind of the bartender met him at that point, but In the idea that a bartender is why is it free because I said so Continue I'm so Yeah, it's just like you would get in so much trouble This is what I was kidding. Yeah, like you would get in so much trouble as a bartender

If you just kept serving somebody drinks to the point. They're they're so drunk that they just yell Oh my god, that was just screaming the name of a liquor that they're drinking could you imagine you're like, okay? It's like chill. All right, dude. I do like the look of having a mask

What do you call it the guy? Oh, yeah, Harry Potter Yeah, like Quirrell professor quarrel style just having a face on your on the back of your head It's like he's got two faces man or malignant malignant style brandy It's so malignant style. Have you seen that one Weston? Have you seen? Oh, I need to

Check out malignant. It's awesome. That's pretty great. The scale got broken Container review Yeah, then the classic Oh What how does it go like I will talk about this and then another life when we're both here another life when we're both cats Yeah, and then it yeah, just gets it gets very dark There's this moment where like he is talking to both Penelope Cruz and Jason Lee and like upsetting both of them First Penelope Cruz is like, okay, I gotta go and then she just runs away

She just starts running she doesn't walk. She's like, okay, I'll see you guys later Like I'm done with this and then she starts running and the Jason Jason Lee is like, man You got to pull yourself together and they have like a brief conversation. He's like, yeah, whatever fuck you man He's like, all right fine. Bye. And then he just starts running Is he that like Tom Cruise is that just like Get away. I mean I could understand it

Because if he was so drunk that he just fell asleep on the sidewalk. Yeah, man talk about being drunk He's in a dark level. Yeah, dude. He was yeah, he was going through stuff Then I guess you get the fake redemption arc and then you get the Facial reconstruction thing and all of this is just played so it's just so hokey how it's played you find out later

It is dream logic, but in the moment you don't and there's nothing. I don't know There's there's there's a lot of things that fuck with you where like once he gets his face reconstructed from that point on Almost every scene there's like is it though? Is it reconciled is it back to normal? I don't know like almost every scene. There's there's a moment and like he's laying on the pillow It's like on half of his face, yeah We're gonna say what oh

The that the moment in the film where he won't take his mask off because he's afraid. Um, yeah

Brandon go into that hole. Yeah. Yeah um because that's Such a huge misdirect because at this point in the movie so Tom Cruise is in jail But we don't really know why it has to do with Yeah, we don't I don't I don't think we fully know but then there's so there's a lot of cutting back and forth in this Middle latter half of the movie where it is Kurt Russell trying to get out of him You know almost a confession

so it leans into this idea that everybody is out to get Tom Cruise because that has been kind of like An undercurrent as well in the movie where potentially what's going on is the seven dwarves are trying to take over the business so they are They're responsible for Cameron Diaz And then also too now Tom Cruise is feeling like most people he's interacted with are actually hired by the seven dwarves to

derail him or consider or get him to a point where people can easily consider him incompetent and so that he can't run his company anymore and All of that is really to no avail You know like there isn't some I don't know a scene where they actually do take over the company But we spend a lot of time with this idea that I mean right before the twist is revealed it essentially like Timothy Spall comes back and is like These are the pictures

The board and I have it all figured out and or is he does he get away with it because they they say she's not pressing charges That's before he talks to Timothy Spall about stuff Spall is like saying like him him and the board have it figured out I don't know another big British actor who plays another Harry Potter person No, we got Noah Taylor we got a we got Charlie Bucket's father and yeah, we got Timothy Spall Peter pedigree

Oh, yeah, is there another Harry Potter? No, no, no, that's it. Sorry. Yeah, yeah I do like that we got double dipings of Noah Taylor though because he's pretty great. Yes the no Taylor I've been confusing him with I wouldn't be surprised Potter I Don't think so, but I wouldn't be surprised if he was I was like, I'm right. I'm sure he's looking background somewhere No Taylor was in

We did a Charlie and the chocolate factory. He was a when he was father pop a bucket. Oh Okay, yeah So now now we're in like the which who's who Sophia and Julia Julie And do I have a face or not and and this whole portion is Like I the thing with this movie is I want to like it and there's multiple portions Where I feel like it's like starting up again into a new interesting direction And this is one of those directions are like, oh, like you're not really sure if it's fully and

Like right off the right off the beginning of it. I'm like, okay Let's see where this goes and it just rapidly declines into a point where I just I declined to care Movie and the stylistic elements don't push me over the edge In fact, they kind of hold me back and upsetting way when it's like I do like this song But I don't know how it applies to this or I don't know if it's being used in the best way Or I don't know if we need to be record dropping here

Yeah, I agree especially the let's be friends by Todd Rungren in the scene where suffocates I was like right after it slowly it slowly builds up into the bridge of the song where it does that I don't know what that that that that that that that that that that Hmm Great some great teams they got the like heaven by stones that song is like a great poll. I like that You like that one Western?

Heaven by rolling stones, that's a good one. I'm trying to remember which scene that was because I I'm thinking of the Cigar Ross song was big for me that in the end, you know, the Cigarosa or C. Ross, yeah And it was a chemical brother song in the near the end there, too I was looking at the the soundtrack I can I can list off if I mean, yeah, they had a couple of radiohead songs I had everything in its right place and I

Might be wrong from amnesiac or I remember but it was there. Yeah, there was the Beach Boys good vibrations Which I just I just thought that was just like a little forced as well. Yeah a lot of it kind of felt very music video to me it was hard for me to kind of I Guess take that part of the movie seriously, but maybe that's the point, too

Maybe it's supposed to come off sterile and commercialized and just you know a little bit. Yeah The problem is just yeah, it's like the whole movie feels like that so it's in the yeah And then yeah when it becomes a dream is a silly silly thing in my mind And I think it was like you just make the whole thing about a dream, you know Because then the whole thing you can justify it being a fucking weird and everything but now it's like oh no just this part It's like so how do you explain?

Because all that shit was fucking weird, too Exactly But like the the the cryo thing is a running running plot line

That is the one thing that is foreshadowed constantly in the movie. Well, the bennie bennie the dog situation and it's like this applies Like somehow I guess but it's also I thought it was just referring to him going through a coma, you know life something what is it called after life or new life or something Yeah, it's like life planning life just something like that, but That shit

Was an interesting addition to the movie until it wasn't like it's it's something that like in better hands could have been handled in a cooler way like a Charlie Kaufman like a spike Jones like a Michelle Gondry or some shit, you know like there's there's a cool interesting bananas weird way to do this and and it's a little commercial like you're saying like this movie is a little commercially realistic and this is the point where it all is is

Is coming together being climbed the climactic moment and I'm kind of just more frustrated and then I don't know I think we're pretty much at this Noah Taylor Elevator scene right where it all yeah, I would just say to them so go is like my forgetting, you know all of the Pop culture-ness of this movie is supposed to be attributed to that is what Tom Cruise would base his life on Mm-hmm, and so all of it has a meta commentary that

Somebody would have these songs playing in the background of their life because that's the songs that they grew up with and they would have You know to speak to the note Noah Taylor stuff that the monologue he goes on About how you've made up all of these things and they're based on pop culture references that have influenced your life Mm-hmm, but again, that's that sounds cool. How you describe it sounds cool, right?

Yeah, it just doesn't pay off in like a super satisfying way like no not at all if that's that's a big one for me that I kind of wish was kind of Just this the way that Benny the dog was kind of sprinkled throughout the movie The dog I would have liked his pop culture side of him kind of sprinkled in a better way throughout because I don't know you see him reaching for music

Oh, you want to listen radio head? I don't know and then he gets almost gets into the first accident but You see some posters on his wall, you know, you and to know that and then I've never I've actually never seen jewels in Jim So I should watch that movie But I would like to see if I do I would like to see if Penelope Cruise pulled anything from that for this performance for Penelope sky if she was trying to because that's what it was kind of saying is that she was kind of

His jewels and Jim sort of reference and All of this said you find out at the end of this movie that Yeah, it's not all of it is a dream, but up to this point is it is a dream and when he describes that and as I said earlier that like bummed me out so much it is so depressing How he his character goes out in like reality And then you find out that he has he's done that in reality And then what is his solution to get back into reality?

To kill himself kill himself again, but like that's I don't know I kind of is it weird that I have like an issue with that like they're kind of idealizing suicide in a way Like and as a way to crossing over and all that shit like I don't know that that shit And it's like all of a sudden he's afraid of heights which was just Broaden in the very last second as well all these things that have no payoff because they're introduced so late

But the fact that he has to do that twice at the end of the movie is such a fucking bummer Yeah, it is a bummer because It's trying to say something about A person like Tom Cruise's reality and it is also commentary on existence from the director and the writer And it is a grim reality where all of these influences Are Part of this imagination that you create for yourself But Does does he yeah like Sorry, no, no, no you go go go or just I'm thinking like okay

So even like the little ellipsis that's put into the character ellipsis that's put on the end of this movie Do you think in his dream life in crypto for the past 150 years that he's mentally worked on himself enough to be ready for life in the fucking future? No, right like why like the movie is like wow He's he's and his eyes wake up and now he's ready for life and he's gonna it's like no he's not equipped for that What's gonna happen?

Changer of of moral character like for the better in his and his character are At least to me like there doesn't seem yeah, I know I agree. Yeah Any moral progression or anything he conquers his his completely random fear fights They mentioned what once in the movie about Because he talks about his dad's He was talking about his dad's book to Kurt Russell and Like referencing like almost like his dad is the type of person who would jump out of a plane

Oh, right he rescinded him for having a fear of heights. All right. That's also representative of His fervor for life or like his existence and it's this yeah, it's just a weird commentary on You know how that generation and this generation are different and you could Get to a place with this movie where you're like what it's saying is that This new reality is I don't know like not Yeah, no, it's not that it's not worth it

But I don't know I guess now I'm just thinking about the question that is reiterated in this movie a couple times which is like What makes you happy is it Right like multiple characters say like what makes you happy And does the movie answer that question because if it doesn't I don't think the movie then accomplished its mission Yeah, I don't think I don't I think this movie is convoluted to say the least and then it tries to justify that

state of affairs throughout the script and then it tries to justify that state of affairs throughout the script and whatnot with a You know a quick little expository wrap up Through the like tallest, you know building in the longest elevator, which is a dream so whatever it can go as long as it wants but It's That does not make it a good movie and there's and unfortunately it's not necessarily because of Those reasons that Noah Taylor describes of that twist

I think there is a maybe a version of this movie where that works and there literally is Maybe not with all the others. I don't know if the cryo how much of the cryo stuff is involved in the original But there is an original movie that is able to exist and was popular enough to create a Remake of it. So within four years of that one existing So I think there's like something there to this movie, but yeah, whatever he put on top of it was like

I don't know. Oh, look at this delicious steak that it was well prepared and I could eat it I could eat it again the same exact way. Well, what if I put like a fucking peanut butter and jelly sandwich You know like the steak in between the two so it's like a peanut butter jelly steak sandwich

My name is Cameron Crowe and here's your new movie. It's just unnecessary, you know, it's like it's Because Cameron Crowe really likes peanut butter jelly sandwiches like that's cool man You're working through some stuff and this is the stuff you like It just doesn't really work as well in this situation. Maybe an almost famous one It's about music and it's about pop culture and everything but Yeah, that movie that movie has a simple message though about

Growing up in a way that makes coming a page is a big thing for him. Yeah, and I think I just got a romance Yeah, they try to have a Jerry McGuire moment. I feel like in this movie of like, you know You don't drag me down. I drag me down. There's there is that moment with him at Penelope Cruz, but just sucks Put him in a body bag I There's a yeah, I mean, I don't know I just I don't fully yeah, it's not that I disagree with you at all about what you just said

It's a harsh. I'm sorry. Maybe I was just and that's coming from a place You know not to not as a cop out but again, like I wanted to walk wanted to like this movie What did you do? The movie starts with Radiohead and has like a bunch and REM multiple times and like all this great music and You know, it's revisiting it for a second time. I just I don't know it

Was frustrating when it didn't reach whatever potential I had in my mind. I guess maybe that's on me, but also like it's a It's a frustrating pace to go through To say the least But I don't know I can go through like look through my notes real quick before we go into some reviews Tom Cruise running you gotta have Tom Cruise running. He's wearing a silly bucket hat through the office Super silly that cost. Yeah, the costumes are very of the time Michael Shannon

I mean great Michael Shannon for what what he's doing. He's just Just kind of grimacing Spielberg right showed up at the party. Oh Spielberg, right? Well, and he's I love how like he's wearing his bomber jacket and it's like Steve. It's a party. Come on, man

We're like relax. We're something you're not directing a movie here What if like sit on like a director's chair and be like hey, thanks for having me you can't turn it off I just can't know he can't and then they have a cold train hologram there at the party They're the tech in this movie That was that uh, but that's like a nice thing where they don't draw too much attention to it. They're just like hey There's cold train. Oh Yeah, where does that TV go?

All the way into the ground and then a part of the ground opens up and then that Enormous bar it no it just goes like right out of frame and then it doesn't exist anymore And they're we're like pets it. He's like good TV. Good TV. Yeah, it's good You look you love that you love to see it when you just pet your robots and you're like you did a good job You know you did what you came here to do

Citizen dildo. Yes, this is Nick name Would you guys I don't know having a wall-sized mural of your your dead father in your apartment is is quite the decision Yeah, it's also art. Yeah, it's also very close. It's not a I don't know it's not a It's like artistic It's like a war haul it's bizarre you're like staring down on a He is a pleasure delayer you like sedging That's all you that's that's what he said he's a pleasure delayer. He likes to delay pleasure. He likes edging

Big edger big. I'm an edgillard energy. Um, what was it? There was a line I had about Not letting anybody in unless they get a full bow. You don't let happiness in without a full body search That kind of shit dude that line is the same I'm like a book that I maybe like I'll read the novelization. It's just too much too well-written. I Love to have good of a drawer Just a perfect character It was done by a professional. Yeah, he's got like cars and women and money

And then his is like some artful thing. It's like come on. We're doing caricatures get over yourself Life the sequel I guess that's how they advertise that cryo thing I can tell by the way you were walking you didn't sleep with her is what Cameron Diaz says to him after he walks away from Penelope Oh my god, she also said in in this movie that she let him where is it?

It's like let in let him come in her four times that means something that means something I swallowed your cup You came four times and I swallowed your gum and then I just put dot dot dot geez And she's playing music for him and he and he says it's vivid it's vivid She has her own music Conan there's the Conan bit. Yeah, you're you're an OJ land Yeah, Conan's always good You had a nightmare everything's a nightmare

Till the Swinton man, we got a young till this one. Oh my god. She's so I love her Rips and there's a goofy table that just sees a video for you. I love that This is like the kind of the spike Jones kind of moment where it's like you're yeah, this kind of hokey shit Yeah, what do you think when they took you into the facility and you you see the you know the corporation behind this?

Right. It's a reason like the the stone. I like yeah, I like to the design Oh and till this one was a perfect like the casting the cast in this movie is like not bad Like say what you will about hit or miss Tom Tom Cruise Cameron Diaz. Maybe like switch But still it's like it's not a bad bad cast and there's there's a movie to be had here and I don't know there's yeah It's interesting

Madonna had that song borderline. Hello the song I Was like some background conversation some guy was having I think at the place or at the hospital Oh, no, is that the hospital when they were working on his face? I think Yeah, they were working on his face and then it was like the doctors were saying and they're so what do you want to go eat later? Oh, yeah, Madonna had that song borderline. The hell was on

He sings into that operating room, too. That's what I was upsetting. He's got a hell of a voice Got a hell of a voice. Oh What did she say I have no idea Weird can't the weird camera thing Jason Lee has the restaurant that was goofy This is a revolution of the mind You have revealed yourself to me you have revealed yourself to me

Or a camera or is it camera DS? I don't know which at that point for these like you have revealed yourself to me He yells a lot of great stuff in this movie There's a lot of that where you can do a part of a supercut's got to be some of this movie because him meowing

Yeah, he brought up he yells a bunch and can I say the next rupee face? Oh, yeah, it's just a lot of like Yeah, the meowing with the face was rough and then the thing he yells at the end of the movie a bunch is He goes up the elevator and that's that's the movie and then you get the little montage of like images and And pop culture and stuff that have influenced his life You learn that he's got daddy issues and you wanted Kurt Russell to be his Gregory pack

Oh, I mean obviously he's got daddy issues Oh, I wanted to say it was really fun that it said the line was like greatest movies or like your favorite movies and then it was dr. No Yes

The man go yeah, nurse a lot him and Ursula on the beach classic. I mean come on Yeah, great movie Excellent excellent film and it would probably run in through the final moments of my life as I'm shuffling off as well No, that was great Oh, yeah, and then you also tell like they tell him that he has like no resources when he wakes back up like he has no money I'm like You didn't gain any interest or he did that's anything like before you like you know a bunch of money

I don't know. You don't have any money anywhere. Well, yeah, who would do this then? You've only been doing this for a year These offer it was 150 years. Oh It was I think is what they said and you don't see whatever future land looks like but John Taylor's like quite a lot has changed seven right Let's hear from you know what he actually says is

Forgive me. I'm blowing your mind. Oh, yeah, fuck that Because that's what the movie is trying to tell you to is like isn't this blowing your mind right now Huh, sorry, I'm blowing your mind right now. Wow I'm gonna do some Reviews here you guys want to take any breaks or anything. We're good to roll on through. Oh We're good. Hell yeah, so good Weston. Thank you again for for joining us on on this shit up wild ride You it's a great way to break up the week. I love a Wednesday night hang so yeah

Chance I can get to talk movies is just a great time. So this is Yeah, this will not be the last time then you're on this podcast And maybe we'll resurrect prod pod for if you ever want to talk music producers I was our other podcast where we had with with a blanche there for a second Corey But that would be fun if we were to resurrect that one you were more than welcome to join us on that one too Anyways, let's love it vanilla sky

43% from the critics they did not care for it. Let's hear from some of the top critics on rotten tomatoes David Anson Newsweek the real mystery here is Why a filmmaker as talented and unique as crow would want to devote several years of his life to recreating someone else's movie?

That's a good point from Steven day Steven deGran Good dayness decent films gave it a D That's his rating system a riddle wrapped in a mystery and signed an enigma The problem is the mystery and the enigma are in one movie and the riddles in an entirely different movie That's a fun way to say it Oh and gleamer man entertainment weekly if crows eyes are open he seems to have directed most of an Ellis guy with his mind wide shut oh Put them in the buddy bag as brandy Let's maybe do

Steven Hunter Washington Post a case of the vein leading the bland point five out of five They're really coming out with the zingers for this one From Mike Clark USA today what works in a quirky foreign film can look silly with expansive Hollywood treatment totally I bet man I bet That's got a good feeling for that for the critics. Let's check out some audience favored reviews 72% From Parker five stars. I'll review this movie in another life when all of letterboxed as cats from letterbox

That's fun. That's so fucking fun from Dave of five stars Some loved it most hated it. I'm firmly in camp love I really admire this remake of the brilliant near perfect Spanish thriller open your eyes Tom Cruise bears his soul and his best performance Since his days from born on the Fourth of July and Rain Man Cameron Crowe spin on the story which involves the fusion of music hot culture images Alternate realities and true romance is a Hollywood remake done well

Even if it does slightly pale in comparison with Alejandro. I'm in a bars vision Which is darker ambiguous and much sexier Penelope in her own tongue is how Penelope should be You know what I mean? Vanilla sky certainly stands on its own merits as an invigorating piece of work. It's a real piece of work From Jada five stars knew this was gonna be fire when it opened with the radio. It's uh, I Wish I could agree You didn't write that review I

Wish I wish man. I'm like, okay. Maybe this is the best movie ever. It's starting with kid a oh It's gonna be as good as kid a then This is from a fun little emote that the person put as their name that looks like a pig I found this DVD at a thrift shop and thought it was about a pilot injured in an air battle or something But wow the women are beautiful Tom Cruise completely bodies his role and Vanilla sky touches on four movies worth of themes and ask some nice questions

The film is easy to follow at first then completely changes the style up. There was something weird in the middle of the movie Where it felt like it could have ended at any time Beautiful ending that could have been more implicit, but if it were dumb ass me probably wouldn't understand what happened

What an ethereal experience? I like how this person is like. I'm glad they explained it for me I'm so glad I got an explanation I needed it Do one you guys catch the Ebert roper review no They're pretty jazz I wish I it's like a one-minute clip on YouTube, but it's like they're At the movies it's it's a pretty good excerpt they actually were fond of it. It's interesting to hear. Oh, yeah, I bet I love Ebert and Robert

Yeah, let me see if I can find it here. I think I think this is a Little three-minute one we can you can take a look at you See what they have to say Especially at this time like and and Whenever I would get lucky enough to to catch him I was always so happy helps you like learn how to watch movies these guys Yeah Manhattan traffic is a nightmare, but absolutely no traffic is more of a nightmare for Tom Cruise in vanilla sky

It's one of six big holiday movies will review this week. I'm Richard roper and I'm Roger Ebert But Ella sky is one of those mind game thrillers where neither the audience nor the characters can be quite sure what constitutes reality The movie sensational opening shot in a deserted Times Square is only a dream But what else is not what it is an amazing shot on cruise stars as a wiskett public

You know CG they just having an affair with Cameron Diaz when he falls in love at first sight with Penelope cruise She's with his best friend What are friends as he was his intercut with a deep in a little talk about their opinion calls into question cruise Cameron crow based on the Alejandro a minnow bar Spanish film named open your eyes and also start Penelope cruise And let me just ask one question Is there something about the first three words of an Ella sky that calls into question?

Every single other thing that happens in the entire film listen carefully and decide for yourself Yeah, you're right. You have to start paying attention really from the start and there are some other clues throughout this movie images on television screens

And it all it all comes together beautifully. This is spectacular film I saw the original and that's sort of like the acoustic version and this is the full orchestrated version But Cameron crow does a wonderful job Very lacing this all together and you're so right about how the characters stay true to the moments they're in so we're not really Sure, what's going on all the way through I found it to be fascinating

It's kind of a footnote for Tom Cruise to I'd shut the Stanley Kubrick picture and it involves a mask It involves infidelities and involves mystery about exactly what reality consists of but it's it's more in the tradition I think of movies like Mahal and Drive where you really have to Think back after you figure out what happened a lot of the best movies we've seen this year play around with dreams And what's real and what's not mentioned waking life is another one obviously Obviously

The biggest movie star in the world you got to give him Like Magnolia and eyes wide shot not just the mission impossible which he does as well and makes the big money But to do you know to put his power behind a movie like this to get people to see early in his career He knew that there was a danger He would just be a matinee idol and so he started right away doing pictures like born on the 4th of July and he continues

To look for these challenges to get nominated here and several other people should as well Wow Wow Damn best movie ever well Well Let's get into On par with Mahal and Drive Yeah, not at all you can absolutely tell like it's I know there's plenty of times and like this is what it's wants to be is

Is that for sure? It's the most yeah, it's oh, let's you let's get into this gentleman. Okay, we Will give it a yeah our guest the first go But if you would like to go at any order feel free to let us know What you're doing is you're giving a summation on how you feel about the movie and then you're assigning it One out of a hundred like rotten tomatoes typically anything What is it's above like 62 or 63% as fresh 60% is fresh on Ron tomatoes if you want to go by that metric

But you can yeah, it's a 60 and how they how they they have this weird like certified fresh thing I still don't understand how low the bar is for that because I feel like we found like a 70 something percent that was I certified fresh so I don't know We're supposed to be experts, but But yeah, if you want to go first feel free I'll go first. I mean, I don't have a whole lot to say other than it's close to fresh for me

Like if I'm gonna go 58% isn't that that's probably where it floats around 57. I'll say 57 but I think the movie Sparks more conversation than it actually like it. I don't know what the movie tells you isn't much but

Discussing it brings up a lot. I think it's just an interesting time especially for 2001 Why 2k era I'm always fascinated by films that come out during that time like go and other movies like that but Yeah, I just didn't resonate with me personally I'm yeah, I'll let you guys pick it up Go for Brandon

Nice orange beanie by the way, I just noticed that we got similar orange beanies today. Oh This movie, okay This movie thinks it's smarter than it is it's Ends of not being that enjoyable of it an experience overall because of certain make a plot points But also the dialogue is really grading There are at times interesting Concepts and ideas in this movie, but I don't think they're executed very well and that's because mainly yeah

I mean, I don't know the movie tells us about certain things of this world that don't make sense So I don't know I can't really get on board With it to buy and large So yeah, how do I feel about this movie? I would say that this movie is okay

I did like some of the performances a bit. I really think Penelope Cruz is really fantastic. I was excited by Kurt Russell Yeah, I don't know till the Swinton Yeah, anyways, there's some good performances in this And yeah to Weston to your point of like I think Tom Cruise in particular in his performances really warrant conversations because I think he Almost by accident is an Accident because he's so purposeful and his career and that's what he's all about

We've talked in Ignosium about this idea that he is just such a like how do I be the biggest movie star on the planet? And it really that narcissism or that ego I

Don't know rears its head. Anyways warrants discussion. I'm gonna go 40% I'm gonna go solid 40 Well put yeah, I Thought this movie was overall frustrating Part of the reason too was because I was looking into it as a as a possible I really do like this movie and I I'm excited to watch it again because I don't remember a lot of it and I now I see why I don't remember a lot of it There's nothing really to latch on to for me

the main character is unlikeable and someone that I'm not really rooting for a lot of times and What happens with the twist ends up Making me question the whole movie in a bad way not in the way that they think is gonna be like Oh, you're gonna rethink it and like it's gonna be satisfying to see this twist It just made me more frustrated that it wasn't cons the plot wasn't structured in a way to allow that twist to

Develop in a satisfying way. It was more just like they pulled the world rug out from under you and explain everything real quick And then kick you out the door but the implications for him were not good for for me and Yeah, that I don't know I was thinking about when that dream started thing and like All that logic kind of was thrown me for a loop and I know I shouldn't get so nitpicky about something that's Because the reason I do that is because it tried so hard to explain itself at the end

If it didn't do that and if it did want to be more surrealistic and not try to explain itself Then I would give it benefit of the doubt But it's forcing me to try to think through its logic which is convoluted and reverse engineered and not a fun way Well cast and performances are good even you know even from like Tom Cruise and Camindillas I'm trying to go on this new like as I said turn a new leaf with Camindillas and there was part of her performances like that I enjoyed as

You know being an intensely like her her love is intense and her Happiness is intense sort of thing which I kind of is Almost kind of how I feel about her is like she's a lot and that comes across as like kind of phony and for that the movies die like language and almost kind of supports that but Overall frustrating experience. I would not Recommend and I would probably not watch again. I'm gonna go and but yeah, okay, so a couple positives

I guess yeah, like good, you know, yeah the good music. There's like stylistic elements that Occasionally get me excited and performances and There's the structure and and the bones of the plot is weird Which makes it like campy enough in a way where you can kind of like laugh at it as opposed to with it But then it ends up to go back to the negative just ends up getting too fucking dark and depressing at the end It just is a bummer

So I'll do 42. I think is that's kind of where where I was at Um for brandy and you started so I'm kind of right there with with him, but say I'd say 40s because there's enough Artistry there and you can tell this is a director That's just kind of like doing whatever the fuck they want and same with Tom Cruise and what ends up happening Some of it sticks to the wall and a lot of it doesn't but some of it Some of it At this point I came up with a new game if you guys care to play a little

Fun movie game. I hope it's fun games This one. I don't know what the name of it is. It's a guess that rank guess that rank Guess that rank on okay? Ranker this movie vanilla sky is represented in one two three four five six seven eight different lists On ranker in terms of movies So I'm gonna give you a category of one of these lists and it's up to you to guess what Rank is on that list and I will tell you how many is on the range so Weston do you want to go first or second?

I'll go second and I'm gonna do prices right rules as well. So you cannot go over So best movies of 2001 that's the first category out of 113 Brandon what does vanilla sky rank on the best movies of 2001 list? Uh 37 37 Weston what do you say? 46

46 you are closer. It is a 59 out of 113 of the movies of 2001 So you get one point for Weston So you're gonna be going first on this next one the next category of list is out of 69 movies What does this one rank as the most confusing movies ever made is the category out of 69? Which does this rank one being the most confusing 69 being the least?

I'm gonna go 12 12 I'm gonna go 21 21 it is 14 so Brandon you went over Over Weston you are very close with that you are too off from the 14 of the most confusing movies ever made So you get another point that a win that's a win for Weston to And to zero Brandon and then we go back to Brandon here for the next category out of 130 movies Which is the ranking for this movie on the 100 plus best movies for date night?

Which is a terrible idea do not put this movie on for date night, but out of 130 movies. What is this one rank? 75 75 okay Weston to you Out of how many a hundred and 130 date night movies 60 60 Brandon's gonna take this one is 124 out of 130 It's the bottom of the barrel for that list Oh good So I'm surprised it's even on there. Let's let's move it along. I believe Weston you're starting on this one, right?

This list is The most utterly depressing movies ever made and they are the most confusing movies ever made And there's 133 of them What does this movie rank on the most utterly depressing movies ever made this I can get on board with and I love how they're both right next to each other date night and You could kill yourself twice to it Ever made ever made out of 133 There's a picture of I think the road on the front of it

Oh, yeah, no, I'm gonna I'm gonna say 30. Let's go 30 All right I'm gonna go 25 25 It is 108 so Weston you are a bit closer there is near the Closer near the bottom there Let's see here. So we got three Weston one to Brandon You guys want to go a little bit a little bit further here I'm down Let's do it We got a couple more categories to Brandon correct. We're at your next yep. All right 200 plus best film scores of all time out of 228 What is this one rank 228 this is gonna rank 123 123

What do you say Weston out of the 228 best film scores of all time? Where does this rank? I can I don't even remember an original score. I just remember the song Yeah, it's just a sound yeah 200 200 you are closer it is 225 You're running away with it So it is it is four to one. We'll just play this out just to get these other lists categories out there just so we know Let's go with the worst movie remakes ever This goes to you Weston out of one right Weston or Brandon yep. Yeah

Out of 151. What is this rank as on the worst movie remakes ever? There's a picture of fantastic This is the 11th worst movie remake ever 11th worst movie remake ever. Okay Brandon. What do you what say you? 20 20 Brandon takes it It is 97 So we're at four to two I think

Brandon you could tie it which would just be a nice little fun thing. Otherwise Weston might be running away with that on these last two categories Okay, what is it ranked on the 20 bad sci-fi movies that are actually good Whoa, uh-oh 20 bad sci-fi movies That are actually good. Where does vanilla sky come in that? So picture a trauma legacy on there Believe it's 20 bad side movies that are actually good Yes 19 19 Fuck all right Brandon I'm gonna go 20 20 fuck you guys

Are so close but West Weston you hit it directly on 18. It was 19. Oh You got exactly exactly right. So I mean you're you won it's over But just for the hell of it. We'll do this last category 40 best Tom Cruise movies ranked by fans out of 44 Where does this one come in? Oh, this is the one okay This comes in add 36 36 To you Weston out of 44 Let's go Shit 40 40 it is 37 Brandon you got that last one congratulations and you're very close with it

So I believe it was a five to three, but I would probably give you two points for that get it nail in the head. So Wow sick so good game. I hope it was fun Maybe maybe we'll make it make another appearance later I'm trying to work on game crafting and it's it's been I love it fun The subject and I think let's get Weston here's

Yeah, movie nerd like us. So it makes it makes it nice when you're so knowledgeable wasn't even a wonderful guy We appreciate it so much when we can get another opinion here and this movie if anything fostered a An interesting discussion and one that was that was worthwhile and yeah, I can't wait to have you back man Is there anything else that you that you feel like you didn't get a chance to say?

Just really grateful that you guys had me on it was a lot of fun. I love your guys's banter I'm a fan of your pod now listen a couple episodes of the show Thanks, man. Appreciate that. That's great, man. Thanks for having me out and I'd love to be back on Absolutely sure who you guys take turns like every week

You guys hand off the the picks like who chose this one was it Brandon? It's pretty organic. This one we were trying to think of A movie for you and it was this one or what was the other one which is actually the same one that we had A movie for you and it was this one or what was the other one which is actually this will be a nice time for the reveal for next week because we had another one What was it? It was um

Doors did you say the doors? That's right. It was the doors or this and you're very knowledgeable of music as well So we thought that might be interesting but one would have been easier for me. I feel like for this I It was hard for me to just add to and actually have something to say about this film but

Not at all. I had a lot of fun though so That's all that matters and yeah it's weird not I don't know I'm a dummy and what I what I say doesn't mean anything like this is just An excuse to hang out and shoot the shit with about movies and really your presence was a welcome addition and Any other different type of movie that you would want to watch in the future we can we can definitely do the doors for you next and then me and Brandon can

Work on deciding a different movie for next week that we can reveal at a different time. Yeah, Brandon or do we have one that we want to do? We do the doors. Yeah, we can do the doors. I was just wondering if we should save it for Weston but we can we just do the doors We can do the doors. We can find another good one for Weston. We're doing the doors next week folks Can you believe that you're right in the process you're you're over stone man. Yeah You guys are you guys JFT fans?

Born on the 4th of July was brought up earlier. I actually haven't seen JFT okay I need to see it. Oh man do yourselves a favor. Is that a big one? Yeah. That was one movie that I just what why the hell would I ever want to watch that. That's a huge discovery for me of like I think last year Took me by complete surprise super engrossing film really good great editing. Yeah, it's it's really really well okay

That was that's one that's been a myra. I think that might that might actually fall under your guys's criteria of being a polarizing film. Maybe you guys can do that on for the doors it's a 56% critics is 79% audience by the way let's take a look at JFK here. That is overall positive and 84% critics and an 88% audience seems like people like it

but for a three hour nine minute historical drama Oliver Stone. It's yeah that's that's one that's been on my list and I and I definitely got to check it out. Maybe I can fit that in as well leading up to the doors and I have actually never seen the doors either so this will be interesting.

That's another one that I don't know how I've never never seen it but fan of the doors and fan of the all camera and fan of Oliver Stone so let's see a Kyle McLaughlin fan. Absolutely. Oh is he in this movie. All right, get ready. He's in this movie. Hell yeah. Yeah, he plays he plays Raymond Zarek. Oh my God. Cool. Okay. Wow. Kevin Dylan, Meg Ryan, Frank Whaley, Michael Madsen. What a what a time. What a place.

Chris McGlover plays Andy Warhol. Billy Idol is in it. We will be here discussing it next time we hope you guys join us for that. You can join us live on twitch.tv slash polarized pod. You can send us a line at gmail.com slash polarized the pod rate review subscribe on definitely do that Apple podcast pretty please. We appreciate the love we and we love you all back Brandon is there anything else. No love everybody out there. Love you guys. That was great.

Hell yeah. We'll see you next time. Bye bye. Hi y'all. And please make sure you listen to no where land Weston and Corey's amazing band. Check them out on Spotify and we love you all and we'll see you next time. We got a show in San Diego. If you're around at the Ken Club March 14 next Thursday it's five bucks. Anyone wants to come by it's going to be rad. Great job. So here's over it.

Please do check them out. They are a fucking amazing live act and they continue to get better and better and Western on the drums is something to see. He is a master. I will see you guys next time. Bye. Bye.