Hey, I'm Usman Farooqi and this is the drop a culture show from the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, where we dive into the latest in the world of pop culture and entertainment. I'm here with Thomas Mitchell and Mel Schembri and guys, a bit of breaking news from award season. So while everyone is focused on the Oscars, which are out in just a couple of weeks here in Australia, the Logies have announced they're tweaking some of
their categories the way that the awards are decided. So previously there's basically been two main categories for each award most popular, like Most Popular Actor or Actress and Most Outstanding Actor or Actress, and the former is voted on by the public. The latter is voted on by a
judging panel. The loggers have just announced that they're actually merging those into one category, where both a public vote and a judges vote will combine and they'll just be one award, I guess instead, it's a pretty interesting move from the logos. What do you guys think about it?
I think it's pretty good. I think when we had that chat about the logos, we all agreed that change was necessary for a number of reasons, that the award show was too long and the categories were confusing, and also that because of the popular vote category, it gave networks kind of a lot of opportunity to push certain people to the forefront and kind of sway the results
through public campaigns. So I think this is a really good, necessary and long overdue change and will hopefully kind of, you know, bring the logos back into relevancy that we were concerned they didn't have last time we talked about it.
Yeah, for sure. I think this is super long overdue. Um, aside from the fact it could cut the broadcast down from ten hours to like eight, um, I think I think the biggest, like stumbling block for the logos has just often been that the public don't really understand what is going on with the like, so many categories. And so this obviously removes that, um, there's no longer most
outstanding and most popular. And for a long time most outstanding was seen as kind of the one you wanted to win if you were in the industry, because that's the one that, like your peers voted for. So that had more cred. But then most popular was most popular and it was all very confusing. Whereas this will, just like the winners are the best awards will now be determined by a combined score from a judging panel, viewing data and the Australian public votes, according to the release.
So it kind of brings all the information together, collates that and gives us the most deserving and best winners. So yeah, long overdue. Uh, and yeah, classic Logies getting in right before the Oscars to seal the awards glory.
Yeah, the actual ceremony is not till later this August.
Yep. So I think they said the 64th Logo Awards will be held in Sydney on Sunday the 18th of August. So yeah, a lot of time for us to process that and see what it will look like. But uh, yeah, definitely a step in the right direction. Yeah, I.
Feel better about this, not just for the length of the shows, which have gotten, you know, pretty ridiculous lately, but also because, as you said, Thomas, it's confusing. Like what is popular versus like outstanding. It's just a very strange demarcation. But I think one of the questions I've got is, what are the weightings they're giving to each
of these different components into it? If the judges all think one show is great, or one actor is great, and the voting public think completely the opposite, is it a 5050 split? Do the judges of the public have
more of a say than the other? I don't know how that will work, and I don't know if that means you might end up with maybe popular but not very critically well-received shows getting awards, and then you might miss out on some of those little gems that maybe there are smaller streaming platform that are loved by people in the know, but didn't get a big, you know, viewership to to be able to vote for it. So I think there's maybe some teething issues to work out.
I'm excited that they're trying something different. I think, let's give this a go and see how it works. But I do have some question marks about the actual mechanics of how to work.
Yeah, I agree, and the judging panel has always kind of been a bit shrouded in secrecy for the low geeks. Right? My understanding is that they ask people from the industry to participate in the panel, but it's anonymous, and I think those people aren't allowed to say that they're judges. So we don't have a judge.
I'm also.
A judge.
I'm not a judge. No, I'm not. But some of us here may be judges. We just don't.
Know I am judging you.
Blink if you're a judge. But, um. Yeah. So I guess that maybe it would be good to have a bit more clarity around who is deciding who is judging what and who can. Yeah, I think.
In general, transparency is good for these things, right? You just don't want opaque, weird processes.
Yeah. But then when you come into my house and I've got like heaps of Lego and then suddenly I'm like, Lego Masters, best show of the year.
And then, you know.
Yeah, Australian awards in particular have pretty weird processes like our music awards. The arias are judged by the industry, but it's also not clear who is invited to judge those. I mean, I've been invited to be a judge for the last few years. I don't know why or how. I know lots of other people are. There's also seems to be some label role in determining like nominations and things like that. And a lot of employees who work
for big music labels get votes. And I think like, I mean, yeah, we had this conversation on on the show last year. So go back and listen to that episode. If you want more detailed comments from us about how awards work and why they matter. But I do think it's just a good principle to have good, clear, specific rules that make sense to the public and the people who are deciding who wins, even if it's not every single person's name, home address and email, there's some sense
of like who they are. Like with the Arias and Logies, it'd be good to know if, like 50% of the people voting work for, you know, a TV network or a music label that has a vested interest in who wins.
Yeah. That's fair.
Okay, so now that that little bit of news is out of the way, we can talk about what we're really going to be discussing on the show this week. June part two is here. It's the focus of our conversation on the drop this week. It's probably going to be. The biggest film release of 2024. There's plenty to dive into, but there's a bit more going on in the world of TV and film from the past week that I thought we could dissect as well. Let's start with some
news around one of our favorite shows from last year. Beef. Thomas talked to me about The Beef News, the Netflix limited series starring Ali Wong and Stephen Nguyen, is coming back with a new cast. Who we got?
Yes, this one's very exciting. We all obviously loved beef. And I mean, speaking of awards, it absolutely cleaned up at both the Emmys and the Globes. Steven Yeun and Ali Wong. They took home basically every award they were nominated for and the series itself won, you know, anthology and best Limited anthology Series at the Golden Globes. It was one of those ones. We spoke about it like,
I think, you know, lots of people loved it. It had the kind of A24 buzz, but then, especially after awards season, people were like, oh, like, what's up with this beef show? That's like also cleaning up. It was such a great example of a limited series and how much you can have an impact on, you know, the TV landscape. So I'm not surprised they bring it back for a season two. But this is one thing we didn't know. It's going to focus on two couples this
time around. So we've got Charles Melton, Cailee Spaeny, Jake Gyllenhaal and Anne Hathaway.
So like a stacked cast, that is very exciting.
It really is a stacked cast. And it's kind of funny because it's got like, you know, Charles Melton Cailee Spaeny kind of like new ish, like on the Rise. Then you've got Anne Hathaway and Jake Gyllenhaal, kind of more established celebrities, like really good casting, almost a White Lotus style, like throw everything at the wall and see what sticks. Kind of cast almost like.
A Netflix algorithm. How do we get young people and old people to watch this.
Show as well?
It's very clever.
Yeah, it worked on me and.
Jake and Anne Hathaway have been together in love and all the drugs. I thought they were really good in that. And I think Kayleigh is a great choice too, because everyone's talking about her because of, um, Sofia Coppola's Priscilla. She was kind of the real star of that movie. So I think they've kind of hit the nail on the head here quite well. And I will say, you loved me so much that you have a beef t shirt, right?
I do, that's probably, uh, probably one of the only few pieces of merch I bought recently. Bought that from the A24 store where it often got a nice steak on it.
But my understanding is this is a completely separate storyline, right? Has nothing to do with the first.
Yeah, correct. I assume it'll still like all hinge on some kind of altercation that brings these four people into each other's lives. But, um, yeah, it's really cool. And I do think, you know, we've spoken so much about The White Lotus, which of course isn't coming back for
season three until 2025. Sadly, we are getting like drip fed, you know, information about that new cast and more and more these shows like you really feeling like the cast announcements and the very strange mix of people that are in the shows are doing like a lot of heavy lifting in terms of hype, like it's become a new trend in TV, I think.
Yeah, who's going to be a true Detective was sort of like that for the last few seasons as well. It sort of brings to the fullest other question, which doesn't annoy me that much, but I'm interested in your views on this. So both The White Lotus and Beef billed as limited series, which means that it's a one off, right? You have like eight episodes and that's it. And you enter that category at the Emmys and they cleaned up
in that category. And then both of these shows have come back in new forms, with new casts and new settings and new locales. I don't mind because I love these shows that much, but should we just, like, Retire the Label limited series? It seems so obvious that if the show is popular, they're going to do it again, right? Like, it seems like there's a bit of fudging going on here.
Yeah, no, I think there probably is. But also, I guess similar to you, I'm okay with it because if they don't, then suddenly you're going to have an even more stacked like already. There's issues with that, like comedy, you know, category in the Emmys. And then suddenly you'd have like The White Lotus and Beef along with bear, and then Ted Lasso and Abbott Elementary. So then you've
got this really kind of strange mix. I mean, I do think there is a slight issue, but when you are basically wiping the slate clean and bringing a whole new cast, it is a different show under like a brand, I guess.
Yeah.
It'll be interesting to see how different this beef is to the original beef. And it's almost like, could it have just been a new show? Maybe, probably could have could have called it something different, but it comes in with the same, I guess, creators and writers as beef and with that in-built fan love. So it's a way to kind of have your cake and eat it too, which is, if you like that first show, you'll you'll like this one too. But also there's a new and
exciting cast. I did see some people point out that, you know, one of the interesting things about beef was it had a, you know, it had an Asian crew who wrote and made the show and a predominantly Asian cast. And Ali Wong and Steven Yuan talked a lot about that. What what it meant for them to to be involved in a show that was as well-received as this and they've just gone, well, that's cool. And then other than
Charles Melton, it's this entirely white cast for beef. So, I mean, again, that doesn't really bother me that much. This looks like a good show, but it's interesting that they have seemingly completely ditched the Asian American representation storyline side of things.
Here, and maybe.
They will play with that in the in the theme of this as well. Like maybe they will question whiteness. In that. I wouldn't say that they've kind of maybe they haven't wholesale ignored that element. But I do think it's interesting on the limited series front, I mean, it's kind of no different in a way to what film directors do. Like, you look at kind of David Fincher exploring the same kind of themes with different characters and different storylines. It's kind of TV directors doing that in
a way, isn't it? They have their kind of interests that they want to probe, but they're just doing it in a limited series rather than a film. So maybe that's kind of what what is happening there?
Yeah, like I said, I'm not unhappy about it. I just yeah, it is an interesting I mean, so much of this TV stuff, these terminologies that we use from an era of like the 90s cable comedy versus drama, 30 minutes of a 60 minutes, 24 episode runs, versus eight episode runs. It makes no sense in this current era. So, I mean, maybe we'll see the Emmys shake up their categories like the Logies have. Who knows, the Emmys taking cues from Down Under? Wouldn't that be a side?
Yeah, well, I'm sure they're.
Obviously across it like their Google alerts would have gone off this morning.
Yeah, yeah. The announcement went out. So, uh.
Let's shift gears to my favorite movie of the past six months. No one else is anyone but you just keeps winning. Sydney Sweeney Glen Powell's romcom, filmed famously in Sydney, has just hit a huge milestone 200 million USD at the global box office. This is like a shitload of money, guys. This movie was made for $25 million. It is the highest grossing romantic comedy since crazy Rich Asians in 2018, which was a very, very, very big deal in 2018.
Being pre-pandemic when moviegoing was was much bigger as well. And it's the biggest grossing, uh, romcom that has an R-rating. So an explicit one since 2016. Bridget Jones's Baby, this is this is wild to me because I had a lot of fun in the cinema. Uh, I think a lot of people did. It's not like an incredible movie. Uh, I think it's critically kind of panned. Why do we think it is just continue to have this kind of success?
I think this is another completely tick tock driven, social media driven word of mouth, um, success. Because actually the opening weekend of this was quite bad, like or quite low. It didn't have a hugely successful opening weekend. But then you saw that song that is in the film, feel the rain on your skin. That's usually your part where you I mean, you usually do the singing on this podcast. Um, that Natasha Bedingfield.
Yes. Some respect on her. I was gonna.
Say that song, that song, which.
Also. Yeah, it was like the was it Laguna Beach or The Hills? It was one of their.
Oh no, Laguna beach was, um, was Hilary Duff. Oh you're.
Right.
Oh, same to you though.
Aren't that unbelievable? It also had.
Lyrics about rain, but it's different to this one.
What am I thinking of then, anyway? You're thinking of.
Come Clean by Hilary Duff. You just got confused with no.
I go, no I'm.
Not. If anyone's gonna explain it to you, it's also he's the man for this job.
The Hills theme song unwritten. You can all apologize. Uh, yes. So I think then that created a viral moment, which everyone was kind of filming themselves, coming out of the cinema, dancing to that and in the rain and kind of doing all kinds of things to that song. So I think that then drove a lot of the kind of publicity, so that even after launched in cinemas, it continued to garner kind of word of mouth success. And then obviously they put it into cinemas for, um, Valentine's Day as well,
which was very smart. And then during the entire kind of during the entire time it was in cinemas, that publicity campaign of Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney and their kind of chemistry off stage continued to build and build and build. Um, so I just think it was a real kind of success point.
I feel like Saltburn similarly.
Um, you know, a movie that is very bad that people on TikTok loved making memes of, and lots of people watched it. I think anyone but you is way better than Saltburn, but that's my own view. I'm sort of an Olympian, Thomas. I'm shocked that after all the hype you gave this movie last year, you still have not seen everyone in the world has seen this movie except for you.
I know, I think I'm in my head now about the Sydney, so anything like it's become like a complex where I'm like, no, I can't engage with Sydney Sweeney and her body of work because I've become it's become too much of my brand or something.
So no Madame Web for you either. Yeah.
No, I mean, that one's just more of a personal choice. Uh, I mean, look, I think this is probably the time where I should say something like. Sydney Sweeney is, like, the greatest cultural influence of our generation. And no wonder the movie has made so much money. But, uh, yeah, I weirdly, I still have not seen anyone but you. And because, like, I guess so many people know that I really love Sydney Sweeney. I feel like everyone has texted me about it being like, hey, man, what do
you think about anyone but you? And so I've had to have the same conversation.
I feel like you build it up so much in your head, like you were so excited to see it that now you can't like the promise, can't live up to the potential. So like, you're avoiding seeing it because I think so.
Maybe. And also like, funnily enough, it just dropped onto streaming. Have you seen like you can hire it? Um, it came up on my like whatever when I turned on. But it was like 15 bucks. I was like, fucking paying 15 bucks for anyone but you.
I think, you know, I think Sony has a deal with Netflix where once things are out of cinema and off that kind of rent, rent online, it hits, it hits Netflix. I think this this movie will go ballistic on Netflix. Like like it has in the in the movies. Anyone who didn't go to the movies will just be like, great, two hours of dumb fun. Let's go.
Well, look, there's nothing wrong with two hours of dumb fun.
Totally agree, totally agree. I think the other thing about the movie that is interesting is from my little bit of box office research, it seems to be the second biggest film explicitly set in the city of Sydney. There's a lot of movies that have been filmed in Sydney, like The Matrix and some Superman movies, but they're not, like set in Sydney. Uh, anyone but you is the only one I could find that beat. It was me two, starring Tom cruise. Yeah, which I think made like $460 million.
So that's kind of cool for for the city of Sydney.
Yes. I often go over to, um, La is kind of near where I live and go to the island where they filmed, you know, like he's on the motorbike and stuff.
Yeah, yeah. Great scene.
Yeah. Great scene, great movie.
Okay, so before we get into the Dune Part two conversation for the final time, probably and hopefully for the next three weeks until the album comes out, we're going to talk about Taylor Swift. You guys saw her on the weekend. After much hype and build up, what did you think? How the vibes.
Are. It was amazing. It was kind of and it wasn't even Taylor was amazing. Her endurance to perform that for that long, the whole set and production was incredible, but I think it was more just the being part of the crowd and the audience so engaged, so much a part of that show. It was unlike any stadium tour I've been to before, and I kind of think of Harry Styles and Ed Sheeran, and then some of the more old school one Foo Fighters, Red Hot Chili Peppers.
They've all been here recently, but I've just never seen anything with the crowd is so much of a factor of the show and so participating in it as you go along. Um, so I was really glad I was there. I thought it was incredible. And then I found it interesting because, um, Olivia Rodrigo started her tour on the weekend as well. And I do think Taylor's show has fundamentally changed how, you know, pop stars will perform in the future. And like, Olivia, is obviously not going to
be selling out huge stadiums yet. But already in her show, you can see that people are taking away these kind of moments from it. Like there's a moment where she comes out in a moon, there's a moment where she does Disney leg dancing, there's a moment where she throws over to the audience to finish the song, and these are already taking off these moments. And like, you can see that how people are going to get excited for
these going to the show. So I do think, like this whole eras tour has really changed the kind of stadium shows we'll see in the future. Thomas, did you shake it off?
I did, I did shake it off. Um, yeah. I mean, much like everybody else that saw her in the country, I was blown away. Um, it was really funny because I went on the first night in Sydney, uh, when the rain kind of cancelled Sabrina Carpenter slot. So, you know, they kind of heavens opened in Sydney and we missed her and. And then finished just in time for Taylor
to begin. So she brought her out later, but it almost added to the experience, you know, like, you know how after a storm, it's like kind of this weird, like serenity. And then it was a really nice night in Sydney and Taylor came out and pretty quickly I was like, okay, I fucking get this now. Like just everything the way the amount of like, I think I said to, you know, like we were sitting in an area with a bunch of people who had media tickets, so like, everyone was into it, but not like crazy
into it. And then two rows ahead of me, there were these two girls, like best friends, teenagers who were there together. And honestly, like, I've never seen two people having a better night in their lives. They they basically saying every song, like gripping each other's shoulders, like staring into each other's eyes and screaming the lyrics at each other. And it sounds weird, but like, even the guy next to me was like, this is. Are you saying these
girls like, this is pretty amazing? And like, they were really like they were having the time. You're supposed to have it, Taylor.
And I was like, you and I, Thomas at the Kanye concert.
But yeah, like it was.
It seriously was that whole energy I think was was pretty unique. I've never really seen that. Um, and yeah, and aside from the fact, like, Taylor was amazing, like, yeah, she can't dance. We all know that. Um, but the rest of the show was incredible. I did think, which I said to you both, like, maybe for me, I'm not really into like, the folk more ever more eras. And there were some definite down moments which you probably need in a show that goes that long. But maybe
for me, a touch too many. Like, again, I could go Scorsese and probably like chop out 45 minutes from her show for her should she require that service. But otherwise, yeah. All in all, very impressed.
Can I ask because Oz and I were in the office quite late on Friday night, blogging it through like live streams of TikToks, which was almost as fun, I have to say. Is going to the concert, which, uh, yeah, except.
What we could hear was just like the fans singing really badly instead of Taylor.
Swift. It's so funny, which is.
A little bit painful.
But I was wondering, I was worried that everyone got really wet, and then you had to spend the entire show, like in soggy shoes and clothes.
Don't know.
So I just before the rain started, they kind of like ushered everyone inside. It was like district nine. We're all like, so packed in there. Uh, and then once it finished, they sent us back out. So for the most part, I was not that good.
Uh, look.
I shared my thoughts on the episode last week. I agree with you guys. Great. Uh. Great show, great performer. Very happy to see her leave because this country was losing its mind. I don't want to spend too much time on it. But, you know, just this week, from the terrible, like, tone deaf comments from the police commissioner in New South Wales, Karen Webb, who in responding to a question about this tragic double homicide last week, said,
you know, haters gonna hate. Isn't that what Taylor Swift says? In response to criticism of the New South Wales Police, Scott Morrison quoting the title of every single album in his valedictory speech.
It is true that my political opponents have often made me see red, often when subjected to the tortured poets who would rise to attack my reputation.
Terrible opinion pieces in The Australian newspaper from like old men talking about what Taylor Swift means for politics. We had our share, we had fun. But if she was here for literally one more day, I think this country would have completely lost the plot even more. So thank you Taylor for coming. Glad you had fun. Glad you made $1 trillion. But, um, we need a bit of a reset, don't we?
Yeah, I.
Mean, I think the kangaroo is the real winner out of this. She described a strong, cool and bouncy and Sydney Zoo.
I was gonna say Sydney Zoo.
If anyone want Sydney Zoo, we're booked out for the next six years. So.
Hi, I'm Samantha Salinger Morris. I'm here because I want to let you know that at the age in the Sydney Morning Herald, we've just relaunched our daily news podcast. It's now called The Morning Edition, and I'm your host. In every episode, we unpack the biggest stories of the day with the best journalists in the country. Like Nick McKenzie, who broke the story about Ben Roberts-Smith, the war hero turned war criminal.
Now what was going on from day night? It was about intimidation and shutting us up and saying, you come after Ben Roberts-Smith, he'll come after you.
And Kate McClymont, whose investigations are synonymous with some of the biggest scandals and stories in Australian public life.
When Eddie Obeid finally went to jail, I can remember being in the newsroom at the Herald and I actually burst into tears.
The Morning Edition will take you beyond the headlines, bringing you the story behind the story. You can find it by searching for the Morning Edition in your podcast app of choice. New episodes will be in your feed every weekday morning.
All right, well, onto the topic of cultural resets. We've gone from one giant pop cultural phenomenon into what could be another one. June Part two is released in cinemas today. On Thursday, it's the follow up to 2020 1st June, directed by Denis Villeneuve, starring Timothee Chalamet, Oscar Isaac, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin and the first one had like 30s of Zendaya in it as well, looking like she was in
an ad for perfume or makeup or something. Um, before we talk, uh, in depth about Dune Part two, how did you guys feel about part one? What was your viewing experience like? Did you enjoy the first one? Were you excited about part two coming out?
Look, I watched part one at home quite a while ago, and I didn't rewatch it again before going into this one, so I kind of went in cold and didn't remember a whole heap from it. Part one I remember quite liking. I think I watched it over two nights. I thought the cinematography was amazing, um, and it had a lot of kind of excitement about it at the time, but I remember it being a real standout kind of sci fi film and one of the biggest sci fi films to hit cinemas in some time. Um, but I it
didn't kind of. I guess I haven't been a huge dune head. Did you like the first one, Thomas?
Um.
Not massively. I look, I think that it's been one of those few cultural kind of like phenomenons that I just am not across. I'm not really into sci fi, um, to begin with, but I always have like a passing interest in whatever people are talking about. And so I was aware of Dune. I watched it again. It's one of those ones I had to, like, do so much googling alongside. And so I just feel like I watched it. I was like, okay, looks good, but overhyped for me.
And then now as we've entered like the Dune two era, I'm like, okay, well, I'm preparing to talk to people about this all over again.
Haha.
Well, I think this could be a fun conversation because you guys are both sort of normal people on this one, and I am what they call in the Dune verse. A spice head.
I'm like.
I'm like very, very deep on. On June lore, I was reading the books when I was a kid. I've read all of them. I read all the weird prequels and sequels written by Frank Herbert's son and his mate Kevin Anderson. Uh, the these these books are insane. They're
completely unhinged. Um, they were written by Frank Herbert in the 60s, and they're engaging with ideas of, like postcolonialism, resource exploitation, oil like the, the, the, you know, tribes getting together in, in the Middle East to, to kick out European colonizers. Very Lawrence of Arabia inspired stuff, plus completely insane acid and hallucinogenic inspired storylines around people taking drugs and losing their minds. Such a crazy, uh, like
lore around this. Famously considered unfilmable for a very long time. Uh, there's a version by David Lynch in the 80s, which is not a great movie, but completely unhinged. Uh, Alejandro Jodorowsky famously tried to adapt this, I think in the 70s. There's a great doco called Jodorowsky's Dune, which looks at him trying to make this movie, uh, and it just falling apart, I think he writes a script and goes to the studio and says, I've figured it out. I
figured out how to film the unfilmable book. It's got to be 14 hours, though, and the studio is like, you're a psycho, get out of here. Uh, so yeah, I'm pretty into Dune, you could say. And I really enjoyed the first movie. I was very hype for the second movie. Well, you say things you want to get off your chest about me before we go.
Yeah, well.
Yes, a few.
Things, like.
Jimmy related to Dune or, um, firstly, everything you just said, I'm like, well, this is a perfect Venn diagram of all of Osman's fucking interests. So, like, unsurprised that like, 11 year old Osmond was like, you know, up in his room, like reading Dune, being like, well, what you guys.
Probably don't even know because they're not explicit about this in the, in the, in the, um, films, they're not explicit.
About anything.
The religion of the main kind of the Fremen, the characters that Timothee Chalamet sort of bonds with. They are a made up religion in this world called Zen Sunni, which is this, like futuristic blend of Sunni Islam and Zen Buddhism. So yeah, you're right, you couldn't get more in my Venn diagram as like a teenager if you tried.
It was very funny last night because Thomas went over to me. We went and saw it together at the screening, and Thomas leaned over and he's like, what do you think Oz thinks this is about? And I was like, communism, definitely communism.
Um, I.
Don't I don't know if I was about communism, Mel.
I was more like getting in trouble from the security guard with his laser pointer with ten times. Man. You did? Yeah. Because, like I was we were at a screening, I got my phone out to text my wife, like something about whatever, who cares? And then the security guy behind me, like, put his laser point on me. And then the first time I was like, okay. And then two more times that happened because I was like, dealing with the situation. I was like, if this motherfucker laser pointed me again,
I swear to God, like I was. Well, there was.
A big warning saying, please do not touch your phone because. And they.
Also announced.
That if I had my iPad.
I was filming it like a boomer at a wedding then. Yeah, fine. But I was, like, discreetly texting, you know, brightness down low. I was like, this guy needs, like, a different job.
But also for my understanding, that's like kind of anti the world of June. Right? Which is no computers and no kind of.
I mean that's right, that's right. Well let's talk about the movie before we get we get we get further.
Deep into the backstory of The.
Butler and jihad and why there are no machines in this universe. So. So the second film picks up. Um, yeah. The butler in Jihad is a real thing that happens. Um, anyway, the second film picks up basically the minute after the first one. And so if you're interested in saying this, you really should do a rewatch of the first one. I think, uh, we have Timothee Chalamet character Paul hiding out with his mum, played by Rebecca Ferguson, and a character, Sharni,
who's a freshman, played by Zendaya. They're all hiding in the desert of Arrakis. Uh, Paul's House Atreides has been all but wiped out by the rival family, the Hawkins. They are led by the evil, terrifying looking Baron, played by Stellan Skarsgard. The film basically follows Paul as he tries to adapt to the ways of the desert, and grapples with this prophecy that suggests that he could be the one to lead the Fremen out of the wilderness and to reclaim their planet, Arrakis. There's a few new
characters introduced into part two. The most significant one is probably the one played by Austin Butler. That's Faid Rother, the nephew of Baron Harkonnen and I guess kind of an antithesis, rival to Paul in terms of where this whole storyline is going. I thought part two was basically part one, like turned up to 11. A lot of the backstory and exposition, they seemingly thought they'd gotten out of the way in part one, and don't really bother explaining a lot to you in part two. It's just
we're going for it. It reminded me a fair bit of like mad Max Fury Road, not just because of the desert settings, but the sheer intensity, particularly watching this movie on Imax with the sound, the action sequences, very, very, very overwhelming. Kind of like heart racing stuff. Just, um, just kept coming back to me. Pure like maximalist filmmaking. Danny's like, I'm going to make a huge epic space adventure, and I'm going to make it feel big and overwhelming
and spectacular and it moments quite terrifying. I also thought the acting was generally really, really good, particularly Salomé and Butler. I thought really gave it their all. And yeah, like I said, it's an experience. If you can say this at the Imax, I'd recommend it. I just don't think this movie would translate as well to watching it at home or like on a laptop. What did you guys make of June part two?
Well, look, as I mentioned, I hadn't seen Dune Part one a while ago, and I kind of I don't want you think I'm bad at my job. I kind of made the decision to go in cold and without doing the deep dive. I think I actually have the potential to be a dune head like, but I've missed my moment because, like, I was someone who loved Lord of the rings, I read them all. I read this a million. I kind of was deep into that world, but I never kind of got into the Dune June thing.
But so I went into this cold, and I have to say, I did not understand what was going on, which you just flagged like that. They don't give you heaps of set up. Um, in saying that, I could understand the broad sweep of things. The North, the South, I knew who were the baddies, I knew who we were going for. But there was obviously a lot of stuff that I didn't really get and they didn't explain. Like,
I knew the blue potion did something magical. I knew there was obviously a bigger council with Florence Pugh playing kind of the daughter of the leader of the council. Um, but I felt like there was not a lot of context given. So I did find the kind of details
of the world as someone without the backstory. I did find the details of the world kind of confusing, but not so much that it detracted from my enjoyment because the bigger picture stuff was all very easy to follow, if not the kind of micro level politics of of the universe.
What about you, Thomas?
Um.
Yeah, I guess, like.
You did not like, I can say like you're allowed to say. I really didn't like it. Yeah, um.
I just found it, like. And, you know, you mentioned Lord of the rings, and I love Lord of the rings. And, like, I'm not a sci fi guy, but I love Star Wars. I've seen every Star Wars film. And I guess, like, if we're kind of doing like, like for like, comparisons, they're similar ish. Um, you know, franchises and worlds that deal with, you know, hugely huge worlds with multiple characters dealing with very, you know, much broader themes. Um, and
I love both of those series. I just find June to be so, like, laborious and so hard to get myself into the world. And, and the second movie I found like exactly the same as the first in that like, visually, you know, like, like get it out of it, get the obvious out of the way. It looks amazing. It sounds amazing. Like from a technical standpoint, the film is great as a product, but I just couldn't get myself into the story and I found part to even possibly more like dry. Um, that's dry.
Or whatever.
No water there.
Um, I really.
Like. When they did drink that Alice or whatever the water of laughs.
But yeah.
Like, I really just found myself struggling through it, um, and, and on the way home because I was like, I'm trying to, like, I guess, interrogate why I find this movie so difficult and and is it is there a real division between, you know, the oseman of the world,
people who are proper dune heads? But then the movie is so hype, so like not everyone is going to be at the level of fandom you are oseman people are just like, you know, lots of my mates were keen to see Dune two and were like jealous that I was going like, My God, would I swap with you in a heartbeat? Yes. And so then like, what is it like, what is it about the film that appeals to people who aren't on the same crazy level as you?
It's a really good question. I've been thinking about that myself as well. Like, I think it was just like separate these two components out. We've talked a bit about that, the filmmaking side of it, and let's have that conversation about the the is the story or all the complexity of what's going on. I think if we, we, we all seem to agree that it's pretty stunning. It's shot
by Australian Greg Fraser who did the first one. I think what he's done with the the desert stuff, but also this contrast, there's this bit in the middle of the movie where we go to the Harkonnen planet, where we see Austin Butler in this kind of Gladiator esque
sort of setting. That black and white style is awesome, and it's almost like an entire second movie just in the middle of it and all that stuff, I think, I think is good, and I think it's hard to critique the movie for the way that it looks and feels and sounds, and I think that it's a sci fi movie, so there's some CGI, but a lot of the effects feel practical as well. Like, you really feel like you're seeing these giant, you know, metal spaceships exploding
and all that sort of stuff. And then that brings us to, I guess, the complexity of the story and how, quote unquote, like normies might react to it, because I'm also surprised. Nell, one of our colleagues here in Melbourne, watched it last night with with her partner and I think neither of them a June heads and they loved it. And I'm really intrigued by that because there's so much like this movie opens. This is not a spoiler. It's
in the first minute of the movie. If you don't want to hear what's in the first minute, you can tune out for the next 30s or whatever. It's like an embryo in Paul's mum that he's communicating with telepathically. That's an insane concept, right? To just chuck in to a blockbuster movie, and that is one of maybe 100 insane ideas that is just left unsaid. It's not explained. There is an exposition around what's going on. You're just
supposed to pick these things up. And there is a lot of complicated political stuff that I get that I guess a lot of people might not have haven't read the books. But to Mel's point, the story is not
that dissimilar to things like Star Wars, right? In the sense there's this young kid in the desert who's teaming up with a group of rebels, and they're trying to beat the evil, fascistic bad guys who are like, very clearly the bad guys because they look hideous with shaved heads and have all this kind of triumph of the will, you know, iconography. And then there's a little bit of
complexity with the people on his side. You know, there's a bit of tension between the religious fundamentalists and the sort of the the less, the more skeptical folk. And then Paul himself is his character, who's grappling with the weight of expectation, a bit of family tension, what he
wants to do versus what's being thrust upon him. These, I guess, are ideas that are kind of universal throughout the hero's journey, throughout a lot of film and literature, I think there's enough to cling on to, even if you're not entirely sure how a sandworm works or what the blue liquid is, that that's kind of my take on it.
Yeah, I agree, I think like the, the tropes of kind of classic Hollywood blockbuster, are there love story, enemy, personal quest, revenge, like it is all there. And I will say too, like, I think this movie picked up in the second half for me, and there are some scenes that are so good that they are so gripping, like the sandworm riding scene, the scene you mentioned earlier where Austin Butler, who I thought was so good in this, where Austin.
Yeah, he's not doing the Elvis voice, to be clear.
He's still a very deep voice.
Um, Austin Butler as a bold man, um, was very good in this. Uh, yeah. The gladiator scene was really good. I thought that kind of showdown scene between, um, Timothy Salomé and whoever those people were was. That's how, like, we've been talking about this film. Those people. I thought that was a great thing. Yeah. I think all the individual scenes in this or a lot of the scenes were really spectacular, both in terms of the tension and
the shots. Um, so I do think I do understand why people love it, even if they don't know, you know, the complexities of it. But they didn't. They weren't enough for you, Thomas.
I mean, I'm just like, yeah, some of the scenes were really good. And I did like that Austin Butler sequence in black and white. Um, that's where my favorite part of the whole film. But yeah, like, I just think when I feel like I need to have the director, like fucking sitting next to me being like. And then when this happens, like, this is why, which I don't normally need. I'm not like, you know, a simpleton. Uh, I'm just like, well, it takes away from the, you know,
enjoyment of the film for me. And again, like, I haven't been like part of the June, I guess, like cultural moment for a long time. So it's hard to kind of come in and just like throw myself into the world and fully appreciate it. And, you know, like literally the biggest thing I knew before this movie is that everyone is like having sex with the June 2nd popcorn bucket.
Like, I do feel like, though, and like I feel like I want, like a quick fire round with Oz of questions because I'm like, because I hadn't seen the first one in so long. I'm kind of like, what does Zendaya's people want? Why is she so mad that Timothee has become a cult figure? Who are the overlords of this land? What is Timothy's ultimate goal in this? Like, are you gonna.
Let me answer these questions? This is gonna keep us. Well, I mean, and look.
And I actually understand what you're saying, Thomas, like, I don't. Yeah. You're not. You're obviously not as important. A very smart man who watches a lot of movies. Um, and I don't think this is like, you're a dummy if you don't get this movie, though. I was thinking, you know, at these media screenings, you go to, you see these
influencers who get invited to, like, hype movies up. And so a lot of just like young, very attractive women, you know, wearing like, fancy gowns and stuff, taking selfies and promoting it to their TikTok followers, Instagram followers, more power to them. And then they'll file in to the movies. And I'm like, this is like, this is one for the weirdos like me.
Like what?
What is what is that take on this film? But yeah, yeah. And like, you know, the cool thing about June and this prophecy is that there is this, like, religious order of nuns called the Jesuit, and Paul's mom is one of them. And they've seeded this prophecy on Arrakis tens of thousands of years ago. And there's a group of Fremen who believe in it, and they think that he's the Mahdi. The Savior is going to save them. And
there's this other group. And I guess that's Zendaya's character who think this is all bullshit, just planted by these people to keep them oppressed and compliant. And I guess that, you know, Frank Herbert didn't make that up. He he's he's having a, you know, interrogation of religion and these ideas and how prophecy and scripture can sometimes be salvation for people, but can also be used to aid in
their own subjugation and oppression. But there's a big, complex themes, and at no point does anyone really sit you down and say, this is who the Bennett Gesserit is, this is how this is working. And then there's divisions between them as well. So I do understand the complexity. I'm not trying to just defend it for the sake of it. It is messy.
No, it is. And I think, you know, especially watching the first one, like if you could just see my Google history from that, that watch, it was like, who is being a Jesuit? What is Arkansas or whatever? Like what is the worm? Who is like, who is Ingram al-Sham? Like.
What is the no is the nose thing so they can breathe in that? Yeah, that suits.
That. Take the look. And I will say this one thing as an example of how unhinged these books are. Again, no spoilers. Uh, again, tune out for the next minute if you don't want any spoilers about the Dune universe. Okay, that's your chance. In 10,000 years. In the fifth book, right, Paul's son has merged with a sandworm to become the God Emperor of June. That's how crazy these books get.
If they make these movie.
I don't, I don't know.
I don't know how people are going to react to that sort of stuff, but I think this is like Non-spoiler territory. I think why another reason why I enjoyed this film. Despite that, it might be a bit complicated for people. I use this term a lot, like directors
taking a big swing. I do like that this. This is such a complicated and meaty story with all those things I was talking about around colonisation, around resource exploitation, around religion, around family tension, politics, all this sort of stuff, and just trying to make it a film with that complexity,
not stripping it down to just goodies versus baddies. Like there's a whole arc that that Paul Timothy character goes on where he's a reluctant hero, then he kind of gets into it, and then by the end of it, you're kind of thinking, is he really the good guy here? Has he lost sight of what he said he wanted to do? That's a pretty complicated hero structure, and I like that they're grappling with that.
Yeah, and I do like to that he didn't shy away from making a movie that would appeal to the fans, as well as attempting to appeal to the the normies as you, as you call us like it is hard when you take something that is so beloved by fans
to make it into a film. I do think one of the issues I had with the film was, I feel like Hollywood has this real thing at the moment with like an ensemble cast which has like the hottest, biggest names and putting them all into one film and then kind of wasting them like, uh, Florence Pugh, I didn't think had like a huge role. I thought she could have had a much bigger role. I would have
liked to see her more. I thought Anya Taylor-Joy was going to be in this, but like, obviously they're flagging her for a potential June. Yeah, I.
Think Florence Pugh.
And Anya Taylor-Joy, it's kind of what happened with Zendaya in the first one is you're going to be teased, and then you're going to have a big role in the next one. And we should say that Denise basically said that there will be a third one. He's writing the script now, and if that follows the structure of the next book, Florence Pugh's character and Anya Taylor-Joy, his character,
will have a lot more to do in it as well. Thomas, you probably won't be along for that ride unless I we saw podcasting in 5 to 6 years or whenever it comes out, and I make you do it. Yeah.
No, uh, I'll be sick that day.
I don't think.
Security is letting you into the cinema.
Yes. Yeah, exactly.
I might be in jail for having filmed Dune two illegally on my iPhone.
Because you want to watch it again and again. Yeah.
Correct.
Well, I wonder whether this is a good point to talk about the kind of filmography of Denis Villeneuve, the director, a little bit more, because as we were talking through the movie and talking about this complexity and the lack of like a clear binary in terms of who's good and who's bad. It kind of did make me think about a lot of his work, like he deals with that moral ambiguity a fair bit. Some of my favorite
movies of his Sicario, arrival, prisoners. I've been trying to rewatch as much of them as possible, leading into this week to see if there are any, any kind of clues for the way that, you know, Danny approaches film and story and what what he's done with June 2nd. And I think I think that's the clearest one, like Sicario is a film that is ostensibly about, you know, Emily Blunt and Josh Brolin trying to disrupt the the
drug trade from Mexico into into America. But by the end of the movie, you're like, who are the bad guys here? Like, is the CIA and the US government really the heroes trying to stop this happening, or are they complicit in it or they're responsible for extrajudicial killings? There's a lot going on their arrival as well. Sort of seems like a sci fi story at the front. It's the Amy Adams, uh, film where she is is a translator or a linguist who is brought in to
help decipher what aliens are up to. And that movie ends up being about, like, her trauma of losing a child. Um, you know, prisoners seems like it's this thriller about a cop and a dad trying to get his abducted daughter back. But is it actually a war on terror analogy about how bad torture is? Yeah, probably. Like Villeneuve is an interesting choice for a movie like Dune, because it's not
a straightforward sci fi action thing. It is very complicated with characters who are not quite sure if they're good or bad. Do you guys have a relationship to his films generally? Do you have faves?
I really love prisoners. We spoke about it recently, Oseman and again, I mean, similarly, I guess like on a less intense scale, but that very much deals with, you know, this obviously it's about two girls who go missing. Um, it's got Hugh Jackman, uh, probably one of his best films, and Jake Gyllenhaal, um, also Paul Dano, who's great, and Viola Davis, but it's basically about these two kids who go missing. And then, you know, the dad, Hugh Jackman,
kind of becomes obsessed with the case to find his daughters. And, you know, we enter this very kind of like vigilante justice mode and his the lengths he goes to in order to solve the case in a way he thinks is appropriate. It really makes you question like, is he doing the right thing? And has he lost his mind? And and it does enter into that moral into that moral ambiguity. But I love that movie, whereas I didn't
like June 2nd. Um, but you know that and Sicario and then Blade Runner because so funnily enough, after all this.
Yeah, I left that Blade Runner at.
49. 849 so like in school, which I think is the case for a lot of people, I think June is on the syllabus in Australia for a lot of schools, whereas I was in blade like I did Blade Runner, Brave New World, very similar themes and have like a real relationship with Blade Runner. So I loved the new film.
Um, yeah, I kind of agree. I like the thrillers better. I don't know, I feel like with The Rival and Blade Runner, both fantastic concepts and the world of Blade Runner is incredible. The shots and all of that was incredible. But I don't know, his films just don't get me intellectually or emotionally. I don't think like the thrillers are like great thrillers to watch. Have you on the edge of the seats, but the way you just spoke about kind of a Rival and Blade Runner makes me think like,
I don't know, maybe I'm just not. I'm missing something with these films. Like they're not resonating with me in the same way. And I do feel like he's really good at creating a moment and tenseness. But to me, I don't see that kind of bigger depth to them. Like they're very pretty to look at. They're very great to watch. But yeah, I don't really think about them much after. And they don't stick with me and I don't want to go back and rewatch them particularly.
I think that I think that's a normal reaction also. I mean, like, I think they're pretty cold movies, but but also, that said, I was going to say that if you are interested in Disney's films and you've watched Dune and you're kind of interested in and maybe some puzzle pieces that help him get there, a lot of his earlier filmography is a lot more focused on, I guess, like relationships and people. And there's one in particular, Incendies, which is a 2010 film from him about the Lebanese
civil War. And I think it's based on a play that he saw in Montreal. And it's about, I guess, like religious sectarianism, kind of like June to us as well. But it's about a family. It's about a mum who passes away and leaves her daughters these letters, and they've got to go back to Lebanon, from from Canada and kind of figure out her life story. It's quite different to a lot of his, I guess, more formal, steely sci fi work is interesting director with that kind of range,
I think. But I think what you're saying, Mel, is, is okay. I don't think like the text or the subtext in these movies is not like, I don't think you could look at any these movies like, oh, this is about like communism or this is about whatever. Yeah. They're not, as I think, meant to be taken literally about a particular idea as some of the director's works might be.
Yeah, I understand what you're saying. And that ambiguity can be kind of obviously a powerful tool for a filmmaker. But in something like Dune Part two, I thought it was ambiguous to the point where the filmmaker really wasn't offering a huge message, but was completely relying on the audience to bring their message to it. Like, I think that the work that you've done in deciphering that film
is not really there in the film to everyone. Like, I think you've done that work because of your reading and your knowledge and your interpretation of the world more so than it being in that film.
Yeah, I think that makes sense.
Did you like it better than the first one? Like, what did you think in terms of, you know, how they interact?
Yeah, I did like it better than the first one because I think the the arc that that pulls character goes on throughout all of the books, but particularly in this sort of first story. And this movie, part one and part two are just based on the first book is really interesting, is really I think it's fascinating. And generally speaking, I thought the action sequences and the world building in this film was more impressive than the first one.
The first one had great set pieces, had great set design, production,
all that sort of stuff. But I just think he went to another level in this, like some of those fight sequences, just things I'd never seen before in a movie, the way that the Harkonnen are kind of floating up to that mountain and that battle with the rocket propelled grenade launcher, that kind of guerilla fighting style in space, it was reminiscent of some of the Star Wars like sequel movies, but just done in a much more, I think, visceral and real gritty kind of way.
Yeah, I think that's definitely fair. Are you surprised and or disappointed by our response to the film?
Not not so much, because honestly, when I finished the movie, the first thing I thought was like, if you're not deep on this, like me, what the fuck did you think happened?
Right? Like it is?
I genuinely think that. And so I'm kind of almost more surprised by the people who aren't in and are just like, that was sick. Uh, I think that crazy. But I'm happy for them. I'm happy they had a good time doing it. And I'm so interested because this is a big film, cost a lot of money, has a huge marketing budget, like there are trailers and ads and posters for this everywhere. They're banking on it being
one of the biggest releases of the year. It's like between this and probably Deadpool versus Wolverine for what wins the box office in 2024. But based on what we've talked about, like, it could not it might not pay off. People might just say, I went to the big movie with Timothee and Zendaya and had no idea what was going on. There was weed, blue liquid and weed worms with weed mouths and a talking fetus. What the hell is this film? So I'm fascinated to see what this does at the box office.
Yeah, I know, me too, because. That's basically exactly how I felt. I was like, it's so weird that this is the big one for the year, this absolutely batshit crazy.
Film compared to what won the box office last year, like Barbie, which was so approachable to absolutely everyone. Well, this is.
The other thing I was thinking, like, you know, I love to. Obviously I love the 90 minute film, but like even Oppenheimer, the biggest film of last year, it's about to like win, probably like ten Oscars next week. Um, it's basically a lock for Best Picture. There's never been a sports bets paying like a dollar for. It's like it's winning best Picture. It went for three hours and everyone loved it and it was amazing. And it was still a visually beautiful film, but it still had like
plot and lots of dialogue. And it was interesting, like, can Danny not write some more fucking lines? Like, there's like seven lines in this movie?
Yeah, he did have that quote, which I think is going around on social media this week about how he thinks that dialogue is for TV and film is for visuals. Look,
I think he's probably being a bit simplistic. I don't think he really hates dialogue, like there is some dialogue in his movies, but I think he's making the point that in this era where everything is collapsing in and of itself in terms of TV and prestige and movies and streaming, that what film can do, particularly this maximalist film style on Imax, is just blow you away with visuals. He's clearly saying that matters more than the story or the conversations people are having, right?
Yeah, because, I mean, there is no story and there's no conversation. So you'd really hope the visuals are great.
Can I ask one final question? I was like, gonna cry?
No, I'm just keeping an eye on at the time.
Um, one final question. You have always had it out for Timothee Chalamet, particularly since he coupled up with Kylie. Um, we know your thoughts about feelings about that watching this film. Did it change how you feel about Timothee as a man, as an actor, as a life partner for Kylie?
No, he's actually pretty good in this. I'll give it to him. He is good in this. I think it's funny that the whole movie and all this big dramatic like stuff is happening about a guy named Paul.
That struck me so funny.
Some of the names are hilarious, like his best mate in the first movie is a guy called Duncan Idaho, which is a crazy name.
Yeah, it's like, you know, he's Liz and Gabe and like, all these amazing names and it's like, oh, what's Paul doing?
Where's the Messiah? Paul?
But no credit where credit's due. Timothy is good. And yeah, everyone go and see Dune two and then realize that once again, I am correct.
Look, you mentioned the Oscars before. Thomas. We will be back next week with our proper Oscar film sort of breakdown, recommendations, previews, suggestions, guesses, Oscar chat. But right now, let's pivot to our weekly segment Impress your Friends. Will we recommend something we consumed? Watch. Listen to read that we think you guys would get around? Mel, I'm going to let you go first this time.
Yeah, cool. Well, I actually already had my recommendation because I didn't use it last week because I had to kind of adjust to impress you. Okay, this won't surprise you, but it is a book. Um. Is it.
June? Okay.
Yeah. There we go. That's one way to to kind of win the Rex.
I'm impressed.
This one is Emma Clines. It's called The Guest. You might know her. She wrote the book the girls in in a few years ago. It was a huge, big hit. And it was kind of based on the Charles Manson murders. This one is like a really readable kind of on the edge of your seat gripping psychological thriller, but is doing something different with the genre as well. Like, it's not kind of just your stock standard thriller. It's about a young woman called Alex. Um, she's an escort. She's
behind on her rent. She's struggling. In New York, she meets an older man who kind of takes it to the Hamptons and almost keeps her there. They have a falling out and she has nowhere to go, no money. And so it follows in real time her movements over the next five days. She kind of schemes to win this older man back into her favor. And it is just really compulsive reading and as well as being kind of and it puts you right in the moment. So it's just such a page turner. I think I read
it in a few hours. Um, but it's also a real interesting character study as well. So it kind of balances, unlike June, the readability with the kind of tension of it all. Um, yeah. Good read, I think. I think you'd like it. Thomas.
Yeah. No, I've seen it a lot around, and I feel like it is another one of those kind of like Insta pics. Um, so I've been like, it's been on my TBR, as they say.
Yeah, yeah, I feel like it would probably Reese would be picking this for a book club kind of thing.
Exactly.
What have you got for us, Thomas?
Uh, my one is, uh, Amazon Prime documentary. It's actually out today. Um, it's about, you know, one of our phase, one of my faves, at least. Uh, the kid Laroi, uh, the kid from Waterloo, uh, on top of the world, this is an Amazon Prime documentary that's been, you know, kind of hyped for a little while. It's called Kids Are Growing Up, a story about a kid named Leroy. And basically it charts his what is actually a pretty
crazy rise to fame. It kind of starts in 2019, which is only a few years ago, really like 4 or 5 years ago. Obviously, we all know how big the kid Leroy is now. Um, but this really takes us back to like, this 15, 14 year old kid in the streets of Waterloo, like, really hustling to get himself. Into the rap game by any means possible. Aside from being just like, you know, this hero worship for Kid Leroy, though, there was stuff I was really interested in that I
think is worth watching. You know, he famously had a friendship with the rapper Juice World, who died in front of him, and it talks for the first time, really. You see kids really talking about how that impacts him and what actually happened as well as, you know, a very profitable and famous friendship with Justin Bieber. But my biggest takeaway, and the reason I think you should watch it is that he's actually like a pretty self-aware, like,
interesting young kid. He's smart, he's anxious, he's nervous. He's everything you would expect him to be, but he's actually quite open about it. So I went in thinking I role and I actually really enjoyed it. So that is on Amazon Prime now.
Nice one. Mine is a brand new TV show that just dropped this week. It's called Shogun. It's made by uh, it's airing here in Australia on Disney Plus. It's an adaptation of a 1975 novel that was first turned into a TV show in the 80s. Actually, it's set in 1600s Japan, a period when Japan's primary link to Europe was through trade with specifically Portuguese Catholics. That's important to
the plot of the story. Uh, it opens with the shipwreck of some English Protestants in Japan, and we follow them as they arrive and try and figure out what the hell is going on in this foreign country to them. But a lot of the show focuses on this political intrigue between rival feudal lords in Japan. And the key one is played by Hiroyuki Sanada, who people might recognize from The Last Samurai or Sunshine or John Wick Chapter four.
This show rules. I think it's gonna blow up. Uh, it's like very Game of Thrones meets, like, I don't know if you've seen Blue Eyed Samurai on Netflix or. Or The Last Samurai. It's really, really good. Like really well written, great intrigue, great, like weird Christian sectarianism stuff. A lot of fascinating history about Japan that I did not know about. I think this is one that we should keep an eye on, maybe talk about in a bit more depth in the next couple of weeks. There's
a chance it becomes a very, very big deal. It's getting great reviews and, uh, it is it's got all the, I guess, all the pieces to, to to be a viral sort of TV streaming success. So could not recommend that more. You guys should check it out.
I'm very excited to see this one.
Are there any sandworms in it?
Not yet, but only the first two episodes have dropped, so you never know. You know there is some sand in the first episode. The key scene involving sand.
Actually. We're out. Perfect. Yeah. That's me.
Uh, look, guys, I'm sorry for forcing you to watch Dune Part two, but I hope it wasn't entirely futile.
No, I really enjoyed it. Great film.
Uh, take care, guys. See you next week.
Thanks.
This episode of The Drop was produced by Margaret Gordon. If you enjoyed listening to today's episode of The Drop, make sure to follow us on your favorite podcast app. Leave us a review or better yet, share it with a friend! I'm Usman Farooqui.
See you next week!