Nazeem Hussain and Merrick Watts LIVE at the Grapes of Mirth Festival

Welcome to the road, podcast seller. It is an absolute pleasure. We are loving the fact that people are coming to see live podcasts and enjoy comedy podcasts in person because it's an awesome experience that Grapes and Mirth is really trying to encourage, to help people experience comedy in every different way. This is a very special podcast. I'm not

Anyway.

It's easy and it makes sense.

So, without any further talk, please welcome to the stage. The host of You Ain't seen Nothing yet, Peter Holly are.

Th passus.

Drink your milk. Chic milk was a bad choice.

Couldn't need happening right now. Welcome, So you ain't saying nothing yet. South Australia, Thank you.

I really was paranoid that I'd be the one podcast where there's like four people in the fifth row.

So thank you.

We are at Sevensfield Winery in the beautiful Barossa Valley.

I'm really excited. I was here yesterday.

I did another podcast with Current Weekly yesterday, a stand up spot. And it's appropriate that I'm hungover today. Who has hungover?

Excellent? Who will be hungover tomorrow? Excellent?

Okay, we have an appropriate film to discuss that there will be spoilers. Who has seen the movie we are talking about to the who has seen the movie sideways?

Okay, about ten percent of you? Excellent. There will be spoilers that we've got clips.

There are some clips that might be there's one I think that which is at Night. It might be a little dark, but we enjoyed and listen to it. But we have a wonderful guest to talk about this movie and also some of his favorite movies. He is an absolute legend. He is a writer, a comedian.

And a pusher of avocados. We all love you.

Please go nuts for to see who's side.

Hello, Hey everybody, Ah, it's so good to be here. One of my usual hangs. You love wineries, don't you put my top three wineries. This one, my god, what.

Are the other two as well?

I don't know if I can mention them because yeah, don't mention it because it says the Tuy's one four x winery down the road. There's so good. I love coming and looking at the grapes.

What's your favorite grape?

There's a dark red one and this and the small blue blue ones.

Yes, the merlow grapes.

Oh you. What's your favorite wine? What's your variety?

The sparkling apple one from Woollies from.

I think cotties do that pretty good? Wild is lovely?

All Right, we're not going to waste any time, and tell us your three favorite films, and tell us also the film you're watching today.

My three favorite films today because they change daily, are Four Lions, Hunt for the Wilder People, and Wolf Walker.

Wolf Walker's I saw it two days ago.

It wasn't that your most recent films you've watched? It's actually I.

Have a I have a short term memory, by the way, So now my my favorite films changed.

Regular Yeah, yeah, you've told me about three times, but there will be different films. And what film haven't you watched until this weekend?

Okay, until this week, I hadn't seen the movie Sideways.

Just try to be your normal humor self. Okay, the guy you were before the tail spin? Do you remember that guy? People love that guy. Don't forget your novel is coming out in the fall.

Oh really, how exciting. What's a call.

Here, Minds, Do not sabotage me. If you want to be a fucking lightweight, then that's your call. But do not sabotage me. Oh my captain, you got And if they want to drink Merlow, we're drinking my love.

If anybody orders below, I'm leaving. I am not drinking any fucking Burlow.

Okay, okay, relaxed Miles, Jesus, no more low stringers annex.

Usually i'll do a creating review rotten alf all of the film, but it was written on my notes app on my phone, which I left in the green room,

We see Paul G.

Marty playing Miles, who has a Bucks week is scheduled for his mate Jack played by Thomas Hayden Church, and that dream week turns into a bit of a nightmare for both of them. It's an incredible film, incredible performances by GM Marty and Thomas Adan Church and Sandra Oh and also Virginia Madsen. The zim husseining will you be doing any fucking merlow this week?

I'll be vampire drinking. If you heard what that is?

No Mark Watch told me it's what I've been doing on my life. It's where you you basically you hold something and you pretend you're drinking and you actually are just judging everybody else.

How much did you judge me yesterday?

Just yesterday?

I used to Yeah, I used to work at the corporate World for a couple of years, a professional serviceman price for US cups And basically, if you don't go to Friday night drinks, you know you can't really get it. You don't get to know your colleagues. So used to go there, and if you don't have something in your hand, people around you get really anxious. So you used to get coke and I'd say to them, can you take the straw out and make.

It a small glass?

And then as the night would go on, I would just start pretending to be I just tell people I love them, and.

So being pretend drunk is something that I practiced for a long time.

Us give us a couple of.

You are actually pretty funny.

When you told me that last night, I thought you were telling the truth.

I wasn't vampire drinking then I was, actually so.

I appreciate that you actually, yeah, thank you. I appreciate that.

The scene you you watched this film about a week ago, I don't We'll get into whether you liked it or not soon. But obviously I decided to do highways. I wanted to do sideways here. It's the first one I've ever done in the winery, and I wanted to find somebody who'll be fun to do it with. Knowing you don't drink, obviously did that.

I am now a full blown drinker. I just never I've never heard of it. Also, you told me this is your second favorite film ever. So watching this like it was, I felt like a lot of pressure, like I had to love it straight away, you better love it. I watched with my wife and I did really, I really really enjoyed it. I don't like normally watching films with a lot of hype around it, you know, like when people are talking a lot about stuff.

We had no hype for you so much.

Oh god.

But I watched and I really really liked it, especially because they're talking about wine the whole film. I thought I wouldn't be able to get in, but wine was almost like the excuse or just it was like the it allows you to talk about.

The movie was about.

Relationships and friendship absolutely and like having midlife crises and yeah, just.

Like I want to get more into it. Very similar. I do want to.

Circle back and talking about your three favorite films. A half of the Willow people got a good reaction. What a great film.

I mean, it's hard to choose one of any of Tiger's films, but that was just just's just such a fun, fun movie.

All the characters are hilarious and like that.

Again, the underneath the cuma is some you know, some deep themes and I love films.

I can do that.

It's very funny. Restart, He's very funny.

Neil Sam Neil and the kid who's now doing gellet ads. It's a it's weird when you see kids grow up and you've got manny for modern families.

That got weird, didn't the great film? Great selection and your other.

Four lines with the other one.

Four lines you've seen? Yes, I watched it recently.

In fact, when this goes out into the world this podcast, this episode we would have already spoke about Walid Ali has done the Star Wars trilogy and his avised over coming back to do Return of the Jedi was that I watched four lines, and we actually speak almost as much about.

About spoiling that episode of the podcast. Did you enjoy it?

I loved it? Okay, great, and I was being embarrassed I hadn't seen it. You've seen four lines? Anyone seen full lines? One person? Excellen. That's gonna sound the people here like movies. Any who looks movies.

It's I feel like I'm always I was nervous about admitting that this is one of my favorite films because it's a movie about.

Four would be suicide bullers. That's really funny.

But the thing is it was written by a white guy, so you know, you guys, like it's kind of your fault as well.

But it was.

Mars More the day today.

But if you watch it, like when Muslims watch it, like I think everyone's, oh, this is gonna be some cliche shit, but yeah, I was watching and oh my god,

And then copy that. No, no, don't copy that, and then and bomb terrorists.

I would have loved if somebody just walked into heat and there.

So if you want to become a terrorist, just wow. This is a very different podcast and the wolf Walk, which.

Is a scrolling around I was just on Rotten Tomatoes, just trying to search by highest rating and I found one with ninety eight percent critical review but also like ninety seven percent audience.

I was like this better good and there was a lot of hype and I washed it.

And it was a cartoon about some wolves that when they when some of them go to sleep.

No, I'll start again. It's a girl. When you go to sleep, you become a wolf, and you can be a wolf when you're sleeping.

You gotta watch it, man, do ione else walk? It's like based on Irish folklore and like, wait you see it?

Where?

Did I say it?

In the lounge room in Hawthorne East?

Is it on the streamers or is it the streamers?

I've got all of them?

Did you dream? This is a dream that you know?

It's really good.

It's a lot of Irish accents, which you know, objectively funnier than others, not as funny as the Srilanka or Indian acents.

So that's that's great. You love those. There's like there's like English listen, guys, you gotta watch it because I can't describe it.

No you can't.

We just prove that this is going to be a really informative podcast.

We'll check it out.

We also have some help because I thought, because it's a movie about wine, why not get the man who is responsible?

Did you say why not?

Anyway, continue, I'm.

Being funny without knowing it. Sometimes I stumble upon jokes. The man behind Grapes of Mirth is my oldest friend, like Merrick said, Actually he's probably I had friends before I met Merrick.

It's actually sad that he didn't. Is my great mate. Please welcome to the mcmamie. I'm grapes of birth, Merrick, what I haven't seen? I'm not going to get it. This ketch is really comfortable and it's quite deep.

You got to roll back into it, so I need to kind of I can't get back up, Mez. Thanks for joining us.

It's great to be here. What a wonderful fiscal for them?

What what a predictable dickhead I am.

It is amazing. And thanks for putting me on first yesterday, because I.

Should mention this.

That is for the many years that we've done grape Simurtha is one hard and fast rule, which is Peter Hell here is always on in the first bracket.

And the reason why is what Pete.

I don't know why, but all I can see is that for the rest of the day. His face gets redder and redder.

Is that the sun.

We did? The first one I did, it was in.

It was in South Australia at the big one. That's where we are, one of the other one of the claren Vale, McLaren Vale, McLaren Vale, maybe wherever. And I said to Marry, I said, mate, the only reason I'm here is to hang out with you and drink wine.

Put me on fucking first. I was supposed to be on last, and thought I was. They've thought was supposed to be on before me. And he heard about he goes, yeah, I want to get on in London as well. I'll put me on second. And then we worked out and Nats doesn't drink, so you putting Nas on last.

That's for the last two days. I've been working non stuff.

You're doing cooking.

Yesterday I've been serving people food.

The plan is for Nas to run Grapes of Mirth so I can clock on it at about eleven am.

So in that spirit, let's get this podcast over and done with. No you've seen that you've seen sideways? Isn't it that you not having seen it before? Did you love it?

I think it's a terrific film.

I really do.

I saw it.

The first time I saw it, I was actually quite inspired, not so much to get into wine. I was like, I would say, a casual user of wine and other things. And but what I really I took away from sideways I loved I loved seeing wineries and wine country. It really I was like, I want to be in that region. I want to be in that kind of space. And that's one real inspiration took away. And that's why I like Grapes of Mert, because I like being in wine country.

So it was the first thing.

Then I saw it again about maybe a year or so ago, maybe two years ago, and I was like, Jesus, this is well written. This is such a good film. It's a great movie. And I saw it through a different lens.

If anybody wants to get in the screenwriting, this is one of the plays you read.

You reckon. This is like a perfect I think it's a perfect film, extreme play.

Yeah, And it's one of these like because the things when you watch it, it doesn't strike you as like a typical like a Hollywood film or just a film that has like obvious peaks and troughs, like it's quite subtle.

Alexander Payne is very good at casting his movies and not necessarily with big stars, and even those outside of the main characters are all usually regular people, sometimes even non actors, So there's a real realism with Alexander payne movies. One of the themes I love about the movie, I'm not sure if you picked up, was the amount of lying.

He's a nice guy. And the line goes.

I mean, the opening sequence of this is a masterclass as well, So you have it starts to have a black screen and knock on the door. Miles gets up. He's in his dressing gown. He's been told he has to move his car, which has been legally parked outside, so he's in his dressing gown. He's got neighbors watching him having to move the car, he drives it around the corner illegally, parks it around the corner again. And

Yes, and he's.

Got He's got a book, a manuscript that he's waiting to hear back whether it's gonna be published.

Or or not.

And then he comes in. He rushes back into the apartment. He sees on the microwave clock that it's like ten fifty four.

He's laid.

He goes fuck, jumps into the shower. The next thing you see he's having a shit doing the crossword, which.

Is so like.

I related that viscerally, because even when I'm late, I'm.

Just like I just I just get distracted by fun literally anything.

Well, then he stops and gets a New York Times and a spinish spinach croissant, and then when he arrives at Jackson's waiting for him, he says, sorry, I'm late. I it was bumping a bumper the whole way, and it just sets the time.

We know everything about Miles that we need to know, and we're off.

It's funny to say that because like, you know, there's it is.

It's about dishonesty.

It's like, you know, everyone is playing partly dishonestly, except for you know, the female characters.

I've got that honestly.

And that's the funny thing is.

You know, there's an ancient saying which is in vino veritask, which literally translates is in wine lies of the truth. And I think that there's a really clever subtext to that that I've just figured out at this moment and look pretty.

Pretty Yeah, I look pretty clever for it.

But I'm not gonna lie stumbled on that.

They're lying to each other. They lie to all the other like they're two best friends going away. But it's kind of like I think they're just kind of trying to come to terms with who they are. They're putting our backs because I don't trust each other. So it's like a dishonesty, but I think it's also like being able to trust someone else.

And by the end, you see some I don't know how much we're spoiling.

We don't jump too far, and there are spoilers, but yeah, they certainly go on a journey. Yeah, and you've got Miles who is the wine kind of curtain and Jack, like probably a lot of us, he loves white. Like when I drink a wine, I can't tell you I can smell grapes, you know, like yeah.

And you're right, yeah, And that's what's made.

From my wife. My wife what we.

Joke about, because I always say we're in company where people are being pretentious. This is my thing the whole time. I always say this, Oh yeah, there's.

Big gun on there isn't there.

Say this is like literally everybody I know in the wine world that was a lot going on.

You'd fucking hope.

No follow up questions.

Otherwise you're having, right, bean, a tiger that all falls.

Apart with a single follow up question.

What Yeah, that's complexity.

Structure.

This is so true.

Let's have it.

Let's have a look at the scene where they go to their first tasting. I've actually been to some of these wineries in the Napa Valley in California studying. These are all done real wineries after with real people behind the counter. Uh, this is miles of Jack at the first wine tasting.

Let me show you that this is done.

The first thing, hould the glass up and examine the wine against the light.

You're looking for color and clarity.

Just get a sense of it. Okay, I'll go thick thin, lottery syrup. Okay, okay. Now what you're doing here is checking for color density as it finds out towards the rim. That's going to tell you how old it is, among other things. It's usually more important with reds. O. Stick your nose, man, don't be shy. Really, get your nose right in it.

Really, m little citrus.

Maybe some strawberry, passion fruit m h. And oh there's just like the faintest soussal of like asteragus.

And there's a just a flutter of like a like a nutty eating cheese.

Wow.

M hm.

Strawberries yeah, good, strawberries. Yeah, got the cheese.

Put your glass down, get some get some air into it, oxygenating it opens it up and unlocks the eramas, the flavors.

Very important. Smell again, that's what you do with every one of them.

When do we drink? Now, how would you read this one, Miles?

Well, usually they start you on the wine of learning disabilities. But this one is pretty damn good. This is the new one, right, Chris, just released about two months ago. Nice job, We like it.

You could work in a wine storm, Miles, that'd be a good move.

Are you chewing gum?

That's a scene about the two of you.

It's pretty close.

It's pretty close, but it sums it up beautifully. I mean they he's the one got a serve and somehow their friend.

Is a great line later on in the.

Movie where it all goes pear shaped and and he says the mayor, I'm not Jack. Jack is my freshman freshman year roommate from San Diego State, And it just kind of sums up who they are. These guys haven't really chosen to be friends. They just got stuck together.

I feel like that that friendship is like a lot of friendships. You know, I'm late thirties, but I feel like at this age, when I look around at my friends that I've had for a long time, I'm like, if I met you now, I probably wouldn't be your friend.

I don't know what I mean, Like, you don't have common interest.

You know, they're just friends because they've stuck around for a long time. Just because of the passage of time, I am now your friend for life.

I think you're talking about wives or husbands.

I mean I don't have a husband, and you know it works both ways that a conversation, I'm all.

Right, ladies, there's probably more so for women. Actually, you're just.

Going, yeah, it's going to take more effort to get rid of him.

Some people say about this film that the characters are unlikable. I think they're complicated.

I don't think.

I think Thomas Hayden Church's character is Jack because we know what he's doing about to get married on the weekend, and he's basically trying to get laid all week skirts. To be I'm like, it's a really don't underestimate the acting job at Thomas Hayden Church to make this character.

It's likable, but more vaguely likable. To be honest, Actually, I think it's funny.

Yeah, but I reckon there's a difference between the character and the actions.

Right.

So Jack's character is likable but his actions are detestable, whereas Paul Jimmarty's character is utterly unlikable, but his heart is in the right place, so he's likable.

His actions are more likable. Once again, I have named it.

I'm just having this small epiphany of just how good I am in the head.

Of you two.

Who would be the Paul Jim Marty, who would be the really unlikable.

Thomas Hayden Church.

I mean there is a third option here in the zim I'm the wine now.

I think what makes Paul Giamardi's carried a likable and any kind of character in any movie that you want to make likable, you need to make him good at something. And he's he's a slob, but he fucking knows his wine. And it's really impressive how much you know that. So anything in any movie, you need to have your protagonist to be good at something, whether it's good at robbing banks or good at caring for their family, whatever, you

Kind of up until that point, he's this sort of guy who's just been pushed around, like he's come out of a divorce. It doesn't seem like it was his choosing. He can't talk to women, he's been pretty passive, pretty passive sort of yeah, you and see him driving.

And one of the good things about this movie when you watch the scenes, when you go back and watch it is the eyework that the actors are doing often in scenes, and Thomas Aden Church does some great eye acting at this point. So this is my Porgiabardi knows her, he has he has a crush on her. Miles is trying to Jack's trying to set them up, and let's enjoy this scene.

Hey, Gary highlighting this.

You got it? That's all it knows. Guys, do you mind sure?

Please let up? In fact, would you like to join us? Sure?

So how's that book coming?

Miles?

I think you were almost finished with it the last time we talked.

I finished it.

Good for you.

Wow, it's getting published. That's uh, that's actually where we're up for celebrating.

Well, congratulations, that's fantastic.

Cheers than Are you a writer too, No, Maya, I'm an actor.

Really, what kind of stuff?

There's a lot of TV.

You know, used to be a regular in a couple of series, but lately it's been a lot of commercial work.

Nationals mostly anything I might know.

Perhaps do you recognize this now? With a low low five APR financing.

That's hilarious, you said, just like one of those guys, and one of those guys you are not.

He is.

Console you're talking to before using this product.

Side effects may include oily discharge, hives, loss of appetite, low blood pressure. If you have diabetes or a history of kidney trouble, you're dead, asshole.

So what are you guys up to today?

Oh, we're pretty wived, you know.

I think we're just gonna go back to the motel and crash.

Yeah. I guess it's kind of a long drive up here.

What are you saying?

The windmill?

Windmill?

Yeah.

So the important thing is that poor g Marty Miles asks her over. So that's what I mean.

You need to have agency, You need to have the character actually take be active and not just fall into a romance if you want.

But then he doesn't kind of close.

He doesn't doesn't he doesn't close it because it's too early in the movie.

So why is it?

So?

Why is that perfect?

I don't get why it's a perfect movie because at that point, can you explain why this is a perfect movie?

Because I fucking love it?

Well?

There, I mean, there are a whole bunch of elements that makes I think Sideways a perfect movie.

The choices all choice here now.

By the way, sorry to try to tell the audience at home that you're standing up and raged.

I'm standing over in the scene with my fists clenched. If you're listening now, I any movie is a series of choices made by a director who has a large team working under them, and everything is every scene, nothing is wasted, Everything is there for a reason, and that's what makes it I think of perfect sat And also the little changes are kind of unique.

Usually there's a scene where they're.

At Loggerheads and and they're having a fight Jack and Miles, and the thing that puts them back on the same page as a golf ball. They're playing golf and somebody hits a golf ball into them. You know, it doesn't hit them, but close enough to and that changes a little.

And then the.

Person be on the kund of goes over and gets the magazine and then he goes, no, no, the latest one. He's so he's a connoisseur, even porn. He goes back and he reads, he reads me. He's reading glasses Barely Legal over a glass of wine. And then he falls asleep and there's a shot of him and the Barely Legal magazine just slides off his chest and he go and he wakes up and he decides, I'm gonna I'm gonna get you go go see Maya.

And it's just it's all those subtle it's subtle.

They're not big motivating its events.

Usually most movies have a big, a big event that will change your carriage motivation. But Sideways does it in subtle shifts. Because that looks out of pain. I think understands life really well. That we know that sometimes you just have a nap and you wake up refreshed, and.

You feel like guilty and dirty after a nap, So suddle.

No, you don't dare That depends on what sort of nap you heavy, ma?

Do you have a subscription for barely legal?

And if you're having a nap with your hand, maybe, but.

If you're just having the old hand naps old hand us, you have a nap on the hand and then a nap with that hand.

So subtle, subtle.

Little things that change the character and push them in different directions.

Subtle like that, that's one of them. That's one of them. And then he goes again. He has agency. He goes to meet Maya and he's really confident he's had a shower, but she's not there.

He gets drunk, and you could get rid of that scene, to be honest.

But it does show the reason it's there is because we want to see Miles try.

The characters have to be trying. They be like a scene where he's just body me out. We just want to see him.

Well, that's the other thing.

We have to put our characters at rock bottom and we'll get to a scene where.

Do you like do you relate to this?

Because I really liked it and I really want it to be my top three.

It doesn't have to be, mate.

I'm really trying. That's what I'm trying to I mean it.

Sounds better than Wolfwalkers, to be honest.

Okay, you need to watch it. Just imagine you go to sleep and then you become a wolf.

I mean, okay, let's not go back to it the cann of Worms.

I was hoping to avoid that one.

But do you relate to this viscerally because you're a bit older than me.

But it is about by six months.

But it's kind of about like, don't you make two people.

Best for it's their last chance to have this kind of boys trip. A guy who's about to get married, he feels he just wants to leave his It's kind of about a midlife crist Absolutely.

Glenn Robbins was on the podcast.

He did one flu over cook his nest and but one of his three favorite films of Sideways, and he said he loves it because he thinks Jack and Miles represent both sides of himself. Yeah, which which I thought was interesting. So maybe there's something. It's about choices.

It all comes down to choices and the character development and the way the characters developed, like they actually do. Paul gim Marty's character develops your own peat very slowly. There's no massive shift, but it's not reliant on any trickery or outside influences. It's just down to the characters and where they are, and the setting is that you know, there's no like, you know, special effects of any type required.

This movie doesn't spoonfeed you either.

There's details and he like, you could almost miss a detail when they go out for dinner with the Maya and Stephanie as a double date, and Borgia's character he goes and drunk dials his ex wife, and there's a detail when he comes back that it's easy to miss where he says Jack saying to him, don't forget how shit your marriage was, how small she made you feel. That's why you cheated on her, and he says, fuck off, don't go there.

But it's it's a detail that I mean.

Chris Columbus, the director, said that this movie feels like a seventies movie made in contemporary times. And I think what he means is this movie they don't they're not they're not trying to make the characters so lovable.

They're complex, they're quite rare, they're very real.

Yeah, it almost like doesn't tonally like, it doesn't.

It doesn't feel like other movies you watch where there's even like music, like the music was very stiled. Everything about it was very It was almost like an exploration of the individually just figuring out themselves. And yeah there again, it's nothing huge that turns them to sort of come to that self actualization.

But yeah, it's all very subtle.

And you know, I feel like I'm probably walking towards a midlife crisis.

And it's almost like I feel like something that I need.

Get on board one day now, Like this is I'm having one on the stage.

So this is your Mercedes.

If I say this all the time, if I get worried, if I'm not in a midlife crisis, something is going wrong.

If I'm not at a current crisis. Is that what you did?

Essays strong Mate is like that is like in terms of my midlife crisis, that's just one of many to come and it's inspired me to have more, if anything, So get on board, don't avoid them, embrace the midlife crisis.

Let's have a look at when the women are fantastic, Sandra and Virginia mads. This is a scene where they meet Stephanie who works at one of the wineries, and she plays it perfectly she's flirting with Thomas Haden Church's floating back but keeping Miles happy as well.

Sorry, now there's a girl that knows how to pour.

What's your name, Stephanie, Stephanie nice?

So what do you think?

Possible? But far from transcendent? I like it.

It's great, open gaberdine, Frank.

This is only the fifth year we've made this variety.

Very few wineries around here do a straight cab from It's from.

Our vineyards up in Santa Maria and it was a silver medal winner at pastle Robles last year.

Well, I will tell you something.

I come never to expect greatness from a cad, Frank, and this one is no different. It's kind of all flabby, overripe.

It tastes pretty good to me. So do you live around here, Stephanie, Yeah, up around Los Almas.

I agree with you.

Buck out, Frank. We're just over and vieweled.

Oh yeah, do you have any know a gown named Maya?

Yeah?

Sure, yeah, I know Maya?

Yeah yeah. We had a drink with her last night, Miles knows.

Can we move on to the Sarah place?

Jumping at the ben huh? Sure?

This is our estate?

Surah? You are a bad, bad girl, Stephanie.

I know I need to be spanked, So it's great. So that starts a relationship.

Between Stephanie and and and Maya, and he just goes off. He basically spends the whole week with Maya. He he gets boy excited about wine. He thinks Stephanie's actually teaching him about wine, which kind of rubs salt into the wounds of Jack.

I don't know where he thinks. That whole relationship is going. Like the whole time I'm watching that, I'm like.

So this guy's so. I just wanted to yell at the screen, like why this is why.

Of a friend.

I had a friend who converted Islam, and I think you converted because he was like, you can have as many wives as you are anyway, So he went to Indonesia and he had his wife. He brought his wife there, and then he started teaching English to Indonesian students over there, and so he married one of his students who was an adult. But then he convinced this new student that his first wife knew about him being the second wife.

With a caller, and he.

Told his first wife, Oh, this this new girl wants to practice English with you, and so I just want you to She's just a student of mine. And so they call each other and I was like, mate, how did you not know this was going to go tits up?

Two calls in she was like, I marry your husband. I am wife number two. And you know, point is that's how I felt watching this. So I was like, as if it's not going to come out that he's engaged in getting married in a week.

Yeah, it's like watching a car accident in Sloman, which is great.

And do you are we not in real life? That's why we have.

Movies, so we can watch other people's paying and tragedy.

That's a really weird hobby of yours, doy YouTube.

I'd just set up a camera, wait for the accident, and then watch it in slow motion.

It's good fun. No, the yeah really through. Yeah, I wanted you to go back the Woolfwalkers for a second. There. We're going to wrap up reason me soon, but I.

Wanted this is one of my favorite scenes in movies ever.

There's two parts to it. Okay, and this is if.

You're writing screenplays, subtext is a very powerful thing. We don't want to tell the audience what to think or what to expect.

So this is this is poor g Marty and Mayer.

They've gone back Stephanie and Jack having sex in another room and they're actually connecting. And Maya asked the question of Miles, why do you love Pinot so much?

And he gives a really fascinating response.

Why are you so into Pino? I mean, it's like a thing with you. I don't know, I don't know.

It's a hard grape to grow, as you know, right, so it's thin skin, temperamental, ripens early. It's you know, it's not a survivor like cabernet, which can just grow anywhere and thrive even when it's neglected. The pino needs constant care and attention, you know. And in fact, it can only grow in these really specific, little tucked away corners of the world, and only the most patient and

Ancient on the planet.

So the beautiful thing about that scene is most people think, and I tend to agree, he's actually talking about himself, that he needs somebody who has the patience to see him. But I also think, watching it again this week, and I would have seen this movie probably thirty times, that he's actually also potentially talking about marriage. That for a marriage to work, because both these characters have been divorced, and for a marriage to work, it needs all these

At the end, I like to.

Think about what was going on the year the grapes were growing, how the sun was shining, if it rained. I like to think about all the people who tended and picked the grapes, and if it's an old wine, how many of them must be dead by now. I like how wine continues to evolve, Like if I opened a bottle of wine today, it would taste different than if I'd opened it on any other day, because a bottle of wine is actually alive, and it's constantly evolving

So fucking good.

Yeah, you know, I I like other ones besides peanuts too.

I don't know, I mean, really the reaslings, you like raaslings reaslings.

Mm hmm.

In the back, yes, to the kitchen.

I remember at a school formal in year ten.

I was in a school gym at that and they bring a sister kind of school, and there was a girl there and I fell in love with her that night, and she was wearing a Cue T shirt and I thought, so, I thought that made her cool and and all my friends were like getting on with you know, girls against the wall like all around here, and I'm just kind of there and she comes up to me and she goes, so you want to, like, you know, you want to pick up tonight? And I'm like, oh, yeah, yeah, I

And I went, yeah, we should totally help each other out.

And I went to the bathroom and I splashed water on my face. Is the only time I've ever done this, and I was, come on, I gave myself the g Marty speech that he gives himself, and I go, fucking grow up, go back there, finish this deal. And I went back out there and she was pashing, Dean prying. Ah, So this one burnt a little deep.

That scene, Like that scene is hard to watch because you see the she's talking about life, right, She's talking about the growth and the evolution and how you know when you get older, you become wiser and richer and you have more to offer.

And it's a beautiful story.

And then he and he's already shared so much and then he finds a way to cock block himself.

That's what he's done, Like he doesn't need anybody. This stupidy is now, I'll do this. I've got this one. Oh cock block myself out of this occasion.

And it's like it's it's this.

There's a book called The Silent Close, Like you're basically you're going if you're negotiating for a car or anyth I'm not saying women are property. But you know, basically, once you've done your spiel, you're then supposed to just shut up and not say anything, and then the deal is done. He could have just not said anything and the movie would have been over.

Just repeating them there does not believe women are property.

This podcast also reaffirms that belief.

What's really nice about this scene as well.

They do kiss, but May thinks that he's drunk, so they they go. There's not drunk driving in this this movie. They go their separate ways, but before they got to she drives off.

He asks, do you still want to read my book?

Because he's an artist and we're all ego egotistical, and so he gets out a box about this big it's a manuscript, and he gives her one, and then she thanks him and he goes, oh, there's one more, gives him another box. It plays as a really good gag, but it's a good I love a joke in the movie that then actually is there for a reason they play.

It pays off later in the film. We do have to kind of get through. We won't be able.

I'm not going to do the ending because I feel like there's a lot of people here tonight today who have not seen the movie, And I don't want to spoiler because it is a beautiful experience. He refers to a bottle, a sixty one Chevelle or something like that.

It's a burgundy.

Yeah, well it's a blend of grape. Funnily enough, if a cab Frank and a Merlow, which is almost it's always an in joke because he bags Merlow and cap Frank about the movie. But when you have a special bottle, what should you eat? We your special bottle? Mez it depends.

It depends on the wine like something like that.

But you have like a fancy so you wait for a fancy meal.

Mayo makes the great point the special occasion because he's waiting for the special occasion especial where he's ten year anniversary wedding annivers who's going to open it? So naw, he's waiting for another special occasion. And she says, the special occasion is when you open that bottle.

One hundred percent.

It is like, I mean, that is a really good call, and that's actually how I live by it.

I actually will often look.

At getting the wine first and then matching the food at home, right but also too, I like to do this thing, which is I find the best bottles that I've put away over the last twenty odd years that I've been putting wine away, and I make the occasion with the wine. I'll go and get a twenty year old wine and something ballsy, like something big, usually from

And watch the footy. That's I'm not even joking.

Some of the biggest lines I've ever drunk has just been watching Colin.

Would play football haha and smashing it. Well, I live Graine, and everyone goes, are you insane?

And I go, I am now, But I was barracking for Colinwood before that, so I think it does. I

Because there are some people who watched the scene where he does finally open the wine and feel like it's a sad scene. Yeah, but I actually, to be honest, I think he's actually enjoying it. He's actually doing it of his own, on his own wind.

Yeah. Look, it's it's an interesting things.

That's a pretty old one, but it's it's the I think the expectation. It's about the expectation of whether or not it will be met.

And like goodluck life philosophy, you just don't know if you're going to die in a couple of.

It's it do I say to people, don't you know, don't build it up, Just drink it, just like with everything with wine, just get it in your face and if you like, if you like it, put more in your face.

As simple as that.

Yeah, right, But.

I think I'm playing to a safe crowd when I say that.

One more thing, and this is we talk about pretty our characters of rock Bottom. So Miles gets pummeled twice in this movie. One that his ex wife is now seeing somebody and he's bringing that date to the wedding, and two that his publisher calls him and his novel is not getting published. He goes back into the tasting the cellar door and something that we hope doesn't happen this week at Grapes of Mirth.

Excuse me, there's a special in the surah by the case.

Hit me again? Excuse me? Could you just pour me a full glass? I'll pay for it? Okay, sir, this is a winery bar. Oh just give me a full goddamn poor.

Excuse me?

Howlet you buy a bottle and go on?

Sorry?

What are you doing? Told you I need a drink, So I'm gonna help myself. Okay, I help you.

The Okay, okay, Wow.

If any comedian was to do that this weekend, Merrick would be me or Judith Lucy.

Very there is the.

Third option again, though.

Look, I can honestly tell you, like when I've done some wine judge. I was fortunate enough that I was a judge here for the Brass of Wine Show just recently, and I can tell you that a spittoon is not transparent.

For a reason.

It is thirty times grosser than that would look. It is just the worst food and corn there. Oh yeah, there's teeth. Sometimes the pension has come along.

And they don't know what they're doing. There we go, it's in.

The pot nutritious.

It's not a healthy scene. So when I when I said that, I take full cringe. Have you said that I would drink it?

There is so much more we could discuss it. I said, I don't want to get to the.

End because I want you guys to go away and watch Sideways with great fresh well at least the ending with fresh eyes. It's a beautiful ending, I think, and I think you really enjoy I got some fun facts before we go.

There's a scene where there's.

A Jack has had sex with his waitress, just when you think he's spoken up his step and she's found out the truth.

Everything's pair of shape. He sees a waitress at a.

Like a Thank God It's Friday kind of restaurant and he ends up going home and sleeping with her, but he leaves his wallet behind, so g Mantey has to go back and it ends with this massive nude guy is running a fully all fronted nude running after GM Marty at the window of his penis.

His flaccid penis is right, there's horror.

Yeah, it's a horror film then, and and they had to close off that street and they paid neighbors to stay inside. Well, they shot that seat and that house was a crack then that had been shut down by the police, and that it was available for like a week, so they shot it in that house.

There's a sequel called Vertical.

Which Alexander Paint has no interest in doing a sequel, where Miles actually writes a best seller. There's a scene where he go to go to his mother's house and he only goes to his house, Miles house, to steal some money, and he looks at some photos of his wedding and then him with his dad. That's Paul gim Marty's real dad in that. And George Clooney wanted the campaign to play Miles and Alexander Paine said no, but then cast him in his next film, The Descendants. So

It's brilliant. It's definitely my top five favorite films.

Yep is it number four? Like a wolf Walker is still not He's still there? You know.

It's after the response I got today pretty shaky actually at number three.

So for those who haven't checked out of the podcast, I hope you do check it out.

We've done one hundred episodes.

Todd Sampson watched the Shawshaking re entry for the first time. Recently Lit McGregor has done on all the Godfather films, Tony Martin.

What's top Gun?

For the very first time for this podcast, Silly Pacola, Jaws Robe, They're gone with the wind. There's a whole bunch there, so please check it out and please thank our guests. My guest today but you ain't seen nothing again the zem who's saying?

And Merrick Watts. Thank you to sabus Field. Now let's get pissed.

Oh yes, classy stuff, helly you, classy stuff right to the end. A big thank you to everyone at Grapes of Mirth. What a fantastic two days that was. Follow them at Grapes of Mirth on Instagram and they may be coming to a winery in your state or territory that you can get to. They are fantastic days. Merrick Watts is doing an incredible job at creating something really fun and fresh and original, combining wine and comedy and

There weren't as many hands.

As I had perhaps anticipated, because obviously it's your choice when you listen to these episodes, and some people like to watch the movie and then watch the episode.

I've had a surprisingly amount of people.

Say to me they listened to the Pocket cast first and then decide whether they watch the movie or not if they haven't seen that particular movie, which, yeah, I don't know. I'm not sure that if I should be shocked by that or just take it as a compliment, I don't know.

But you do what you want to do. But in the life.

Scenario when there's people in front of you, like three hundred people in front of you. I didn't want to ruin the ending for one of my all time favorite films. And I could see there were people who maybe hadn't seen Sideways based on the clips that we had shown and the discussions that we had that were like, yeah, I'm definitely going to check this out. A few people got in touch and said they watched Sideways as soon as they got home from this festival.

So I just want to do a touch.

On one of the things I really love about the ending of Sideways. First of all, Paul Gmarty's performance at the church when he is introduced to his ex wife's husband and he is gallant, He puts on a brave face, he keeps up appearances, and then he barely holds it together when they say they are expecting a child. And it is a little acting master class from Paul Gmmarti. It is just it's so brilliant. And he goes and

Obviously they kiss.

Mayo thinks, okay, this is probably the moment's gone and they leave and they stop in the driveway and Paul g Marti get Miles gets out. He says, do you still want to read my manuscript? Which I find inherently funny anyway, and then he produces this box, which is kind of funny because there's a big box. It's not just you know, a bulldog clipped manuscript, it's a box of papers. And then she's a bit surprised, and then he gets at another box out and she accepts it.

Derek Minds, what do you think about you've seen Sideways? You love Sideways?

I saw it years and years ago and I did love it. I really loved that. I didn't expect too because not a whiny guy. Yeah, yeah, my wife might disagree, but it did frighten me even more. Right about wine wine people already scared of him, and that whole concept of being not allowed to have Merlow just stuck with me.

What was funny? I love showing the scenes to the people.

In the in the in the winery and then then then laughing out loud at some of those scenes that I've loved so much.

Was really was really lovely. Mate.

We are sadly today I do need to head off, so we were going to play for you speak past. We are running a bit behind on them. I've been shooting some things recently, so it's been a bit of a jigsaw puzzle. Derek has done a great job with stitchings shows together.

But we'll keep your speak pipes coming. We love hearing your voices. We've got some really lovely and great ones that I really do want to play and get to. Just run out of time to do it this week. So again, thanks Mark, thanks to Zeem, Thanks Derek.

Next week on the show this I'm looking forward to the one and the only Josh Lawson. Yes, writer, actor, director, just all around funny bloke, lovely bloke.

Josh Lawson is joining me.

He's been largely based in the States of late He's back home for a bit, so I cannot wait the chapter and catch up. Just hang out with Josh. I really love any time we get the hang out together, and he will be watching a film that I'm not sure how many of our audience would have seen. I certainly know not all of you would have seen it.

It is. It's a slow burns.

I don't want to say too much, so watch it when you are feeling patient. But I think it's a journey worth taking. I think it's a cracker. The Last Picture Show next week with my mate Josh Lawson. Until then, Bye and so we leave old Pete Steve Vans, and to our friends of the radio audience we had been a present.

Good Night,