1917 (2019) / Hirsch The Departure American Single Malt Whiskey

1
00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:05,120
In 2019, director Sam Mendes and
star George Mackay gave the

2
00:00:05,120 --> 00:00:08,000
world a singular take on the
Forgotten War.

3
00:00:08,520 --> 00:00:12,640
In 2025 we try an American
single malt from a new to US

4
00:00:12,640 --> 00:00:16,200
brand.
The film is 1917.

5
00:00:16,320 --> 00:00:18,720
The whiskey is Hirsch the
departure.

6
00:00:19,720 --> 00:00:23,360
And we'll review them both.
This is the.

7
00:00:23,360 --> 00:00:45,480
Film and Whiskey podcast.
Welcome to the Film and Whiskey

8
00:00:45,480 --> 00:00:48,640
podcast, where each week we
review a classic movie and a

9
00:00:48,640 --> 00:00:50,760
glass of whiskey.
I'm Bob Book.

10
00:00:51,160 --> 00:00:53,720
I'm Brad Gee.
And Brad Gee, we are starting to

11
00:00:53,720 --> 00:00:57,880
wind down Season 9 of this
podcast.

12
00:00:58,320 --> 00:01:00,800
You and I have been working
behind the scenes, working on

13
00:01:00,800 --> 00:01:03,920
Season 10.
And before we give away what

14
00:01:03,920 --> 00:01:07,480
Season 10 is about, Brad, we got
to get through these last four

15
00:01:07,480 --> 00:01:10,480
movies here.
And I am freaking pumped to talk

16
00:01:10,480 --> 00:01:14,560
about 1917, one of my very
favorite movies of the last

17
00:01:15,000 --> 00:01:18,360
decade or so.
A movie that I was significantly

18
00:01:18,360 --> 00:01:21,760
pumped for you to go see in the
theater and then super bummed

19
00:01:21,760 --> 00:01:23,960
that you didn't love it as much
as me.

20
00:01:24,520 --> 00:01:27,520
We'll, we'll revisit all of our
feelings on this movie here in a

21
00:01:27,520 --> 00:01:30,080
bit.
Brad, what are your general

22
00:01:30,080 --> 00:01:33,160
impressions of season #9 how's
this been for you?

23
00:01:33,760 --> 00:01:37,840
I think it's been a lot of fun.
You know, we obviously have

24
00:01:38,320 --> 00:01:42,160
traversed the decades in this
podcast.

25
00:01:42,160 --> 00:01:47,320
I think what gold Rush from 28
is our. 25 I think the gold

26
00:01:47,320 --> 00:01:50,280
rush.
Oh, that was 25 S Yeah, yeah.

27
00:01:50,640 --> 00:01:56,680
So from 1925, we have now come
up to 2024 as our most recent

28
00:01:56,680 --> 00:02:00,360
film.
So I, I was a very big fan of

29
00:02:00,360 --> 00:02:06,600
sticking to, you know, 2004 to
2024 for a whole season because

30
00:02:06,600 --> 00:02:12,440
I do think it helps us flesh out
what does it mean to be Classic

31
00:02:12,440 --> 00:02:16,840
Cinema in the modern era.
I I, I think it's been a really

32
00:02:16,840 --> 00:02:17,960
fun experiment.
Yeah.

33
00:02:17,960 --> 00:02:20,800
And folks, if this is your first
time joining us, welcome into

34
00:02:20,800 --> 00:02:22,960
Film and Whiskey.
We review movies.

35
00:02:22,960 --> 00:02:25,440
We review whiskey.
The premise of the show is that

36
00:02:25,440 --> 00:02:29,320
I grew up a huge movie nerd.
Brad is new to a lot of these

37
00:02:29,320 --> 00:02:34,080
movies, but the two of us met in
college and in grad school.

38
00:02:34,280 --> 00:02:36,760
We've done a ton of work on
textual criticism.

39
00:02:36,760 --> 00:02:39,960
We love diving deep into, you
know, for us, it was the books

40
00:02:39,960 --> 00:02:41,840
of the Bible.
Now we're applying that same

41
00:02:41,840 --> 00:02:44,800
logic to films.
So it's been fun ride going

42
00:02:44,800 --> 00:02:46,240
through these nine seasons with
you.

43
00:02:46,680 --> 00:02:49,880
This season we've been looking
at films from the last 20 years

44
00:02:50,040 --> 00:02:53,720
and asking the critical
question, is this movie a modern

45
00:02:53,800 --> 00:02:56,480
classic?
Now, in order to determine that,

46
00:02:56,480 --> 00:02:58,960
what we've been doing is going
through 4 criteria.

47
00:02:59,800 --> 00:03:02,040
Is this movie a Best picture
nominee?

48
00:03:02,400 --> 00:03:05,320
Did this movie make $100 million
at the US box office?

49
00:03:05,720 --> 00:03:07,800
Is it in the letterbox to top
250?

50
00:03:07,960 --> 00:03:11,960
Is it in the IMDb top 250?
Brad, I don't think this is a

51
00:03:11,960 --> 00:03:15,760
letter boxed movie, but I am
pretty sure the three other

52
00:03:15,760 --> 00:03:21,400
boxes are checked for 19/17.
Yeah, it made a lot of money at

53
00:03:21,400 --> 00:03:26,320
the box office for us, you know,
kind of a quiet esque drama

54
00:03:26,360 --> 00:03:31,920
military film.
It made 446,000,000 worldwide.

55
00:03:31,920 --> 00:03:36,840
159 of that was domestic.
Pretty good for a World War One

56
00:03:36,840 --> 00:03:41,600
movie that World War 1 is a very
slept on time in military

57
00:03:41,600 --> 00:03:44,120
history.
I feel like, you know, super

58
00:03:44,120 --> 00:03:47,640
overshadowed by World War 2.
And that's primarily because I

59
00:03:47,640 --> 00:03:51,120
think that like, I mean,
obviously World War Two more

60
00:03:51,120 --> 00:03:55,480
recent than World War One, but
the, the American involvement in

61
00:03:55,480 --> 00:03:59,440
World War 2 has become such a
part of like the American myth.

62
00:03:59,600 --> 00:04:04,200
Like we really hold on World War
2 and, and our involvement in

63
00:04:04,200 --> 00:04:06,680
that on a pedestal.
And I think World War One by

64
00:04:06,680 --> 00:04:10,760
comparison, it, it feels like a
much more European conflict,

65
00:04:10,880 --> 00:04:13,680
which is silly to say, But like
even this movie, it's about

66
00:04:13,680 --> 00:04:18,040
Brits fighting in World War 1.
And I, I just don't think that

67
00:04:18,040 --> 00:04:22,680
we have a lot of great World War
One examples in cinema,

68
00:04:22,680 --> 00:04:25,600
especially in the last, you
know, 50 years.

69
00:04:26,160 --> 00:04:31,960
Yeah, it feels like a yeah, a
forgotten war, but you're right,

70
00:04:31,960 --> 00:04:36,920
World War 2 at the end of the
day, I think one of the reasons

71
00:04:36,920 --> 00:04:41,120
is it's a lot cooler to.
It sounds like a power ranking

72
00:04:41,120 --> 00:04:45,080
wars here.
We are 100% Vietnam War is below

73
00:04:45,080 --> 00:04:48,320
these two, you know for sure
versus somewhere in the middle.

74
00:04:48,840 --> 00:04:52,200
Here's the thing.
World War 2 is cooler to depict.

75
00:04:52,960 --> 00:04:58,520
Like World War 1 is a bunch of
trenches and mud and barbed

76
00:04:58,520 --> 00:05:01,480
wire.
And like the technology

77
00:05:01,480 --> 00:05:05,600
difference between like the
biplanes of World War One and

78
00:05:05,600 --> 00:05:10,000
the fighters of World War 2 is
so vast that like dog fights are

79
00:05:10,000 --> 00:05:13,960
way cooler in World War 2 than
they would have been in World

80
00:05:13,960 --> 00:05:16,680
War One.
And so even from a media

81
00:05:16,680 --> 00:05:20,080
standpoint, it's like, yeah,
sure, it's it's a little easier

82
00:05:20,080 --> 00:05:24,000
to make a film or write a book
about World War 2 then it would

83
00:05:24,000 --> 00:05:26,760
be about World War One.
Well, I think you bring up a

84
00:05:26,760 --> 00:05:31,400
really great point that kind of
introduces to huger points we

85
00:05:31,400 --> 00:05:34,080
have to discuss today.
Anytime we talk about war films

86
00:05:34,080 --> 00:05:37,360
on this podcast we always bring
up the famous Truffaut quote

87
00:05:37,840 --> 00:05:40,960
where he talks about how it's
impossible to make an anti war

88
00:05:40,960 --> 00:05:44,000
film just because the medium of
film makes things so

89
00:05:44,000 --> 00:05:47,440
entertaining that by even
depicting the horrors of war

90
00:05:47,880 --> 00:05:52,240
you're so bought into it that in
some ways it is participatory

91
00:05:52,240 --> 00:05:54,160
and you become a champion of
war.

92
00:05:54,480 --> 00:05:57,560
I don't know if either of us
fully agrees with that, but I

93
00:05:57,560 --> 00:06:01,240
think that what we've seen in
the last, you know, 25 ish years

94
00:06:01,240 --> 00:06:05,360
is that in order to try to
mitigate that, film makers take

95
00:06:05,360 --> 00:06:09,840
a very neutral stance on the
politics of war and instead just

96
00:06:09,840 --> 00:06:13,000
try to depict the day-to-day
lives of the soldiers.

97
00:06:13,000 --> 00:06:16,000
This was a major point in our
Saving Private Ryan episode

98
00:06:16,320 --> 00:06:19,200
where we were trying to argue
against the read on that film

99
00:06:19,200 --> 00:06:20,760
that it's just kind of
jingoistic.

100
00:06:21,080 --> 00:06:24,560
And I think Sam Mendes does
something similar here and the

101
00:06:24,560 --> 00:06:28,600
way that he does that, the
second point is, you're right.

102
00:06:28,600 --> 00:06:32,280
World War One, super boring
conflict to portray on screen

103
00:06:32,280 --> 00:06:34,200
because you're just in a ditch
the whole time.

104
00:06:34,200 --> 00:06:38,160
Like it's trench warfare.
And so in order to fight against

105
00:06:38,160 --> 00:06:41,680
the boredom and the
repetitiveness and the visual

106
00:06:42,720 --> 00:06:46,400
lack of interest there, he does
this thing where he's like, I'm

107
00:06:46,400 --> 00:06:50,600
going to make a one shot movie.
And I think Brad, that kind of

108
00:06:50,600 --> 00:06:53,720
sets us up for, Brad explains.
Because I want to get to the Sam

109
00:06:53,720 --> 00:06:57,200
Mendes of it all after you kind
of cast the vision here.

110
00:06:57,200 --> 00:07:00,280
So let's throw over to our first
segment of the day, which we

111
00:07:00,280 --> 00:07:02,800
call, Brad Explains.
Brad's going to give us the

112
00:07:02,800 --> 00:07:06,400
movie plots with only 60 seconds
sticking on the clock, so let's

113
00:07:06,400 --> 00:07:09,720
go ahead and do your take with
this little segment that we

114
00:07:09,720 --> 00:07:12,920
call, Brad explains.
Brad Explains is the part of the

115
00:07:12,920 --> 00:07:16,000
show where Brad breaks down the
plot of the film that he has

116
00:07:16,000 --> 00:07:18,400
just seen, often for the first
time.

117
00:07:19,280 --> 00:07:21,160
I am pretty sure I'm remembering
this correctly.

118
00:07:21,160 --> 00:07:22,680
You saw this in the theater,
right?

119
00:07:23,360 --> 00:07:26,000
I sure did.
And and you have not seen it

120
00:07:26,000 --> 00:07:27,800
since.
I've not seen it since.

121
00:07:28,200 --> 00:07:33,600
This is my first time since 2019
I think of the best picture

122
00:07:33,600 --> 00:07:36,640
nominees.
I saw this and JoJo Rabbit in

123
00:07:36,640 --> 00:07:38,840
theaters.
We have really been knocking out

124
00:07:38,840 --> 00:07:41,960
the 2019 nominees across the
seasons here.

125
00:07:41,960 --> 00:07:43,800
It was a heck of a year.
Man, what a great year.

126
00:07:43,800 --> 00:07:49,240
Ford V Ferrari, yeah.
Parasite Marriage Story 1917

127
00:07:49,240 --> 00:07:51,840
Like it a darn good year for
film.

128
00:07:52,960 --> 00:07:54,960
Parasite was such a good movie
man.

129
00:07:55,440 --> 00:07:56,640
Oh, I love that.
Movie.

130
00:07:57,000 --> 00:08:00,360
I know you do, man.
I was pulling for 1917 and I

131
00:08:00,360 --> 00:08:05,160
know that I I am like persona
non grata by taking this movie

132
00:08:05,160 --> 00:08:08,320
over Parasite, A beloved classic
of world cinema.

133
00:08:08,880 --> 00:08:11,600
But I've said multiple times my
weird experience watching

134
00:08:11,600 --> 00:08:14,000
Parasite has kind of forever
tainted it for me.

135
00:08:14,000 --> 00:08:17,880
So this was a much purer
experience in the theater for

136
00:08:17,880 --> 00:08:21,520
me.
And I got to say, man, the world

137
00:08:21,520 --> 00:08:24,440
cinema, Correct.
British director, British

138
00:08:24,440 --> 00:08:26,520
director.
It's an it's an American movie,

139
00:08:26,520 --> 00:08:29,600
though, Like this is this is
very much backed by America.

140
00:08:30,360 --> 00:08:32,120
And so Brad, you've seen it
twice now.

141
00:08:32,200 --> 00:08:35,360
I don't really think this is a
movie that requires 60 full

142
00:08:35,360 --> 00:08:38,520
seconds.
But the minute is yours to spoil

143
00:08:38,520 --> 00:08:41,000
the events of this film.
Folks, if you have not seen

144
00:08:41,000 --> 00:08:44,360
1917, I would highly recommend
going and watching the film and

145
00:08:44,360 --> 00:08:46,960
then coming back and joining us
for the rest of the episode.

146
00:08:47,520 --> 00:08:52,720
Brad, one minute and go. 1917 is
a film that follows Lance

147
00:08:52,720 --> 00:08:57,320
Corporal's Blake and Schofield
as they travel through No Man's

148
00:08:57,320 --> 00:09:01,680
land during World War One in
order to try and stop Sherlock

149
00:09:01,680 --> 00:09:04,360
Holmes from sending his men to
certain death.

150
00:09:07,520 --> 00:09:11,520
I like how even on the subject
of war, you can find a way to be

151
00:09:11,640 --> 00:09:14,000
a little cheeky in the way that
you do things, Brad.

152
00:09:16,080 --> 00:09:17,000
Yeah, you're welcome.
Who?

153
00:09:17,080 --> 00:09:17,640
Who?
Me.

154
00:09:17,640 --> 00:09:21,760
I know in 1917 and another way
of explaining it is like two

155
00:09:21,760 --> 00:09:26,400
young British actors share the
screen momentarily with every

156
00:09:26,400 --> 00:09:28,280
major British actor.
You know what I mean?

157
00:09:28,400 --> 00:09:30,720
Like it's.
Every male.

158
00:09:30,720 --> 00:09:31,800
Every male, right?
Yeah.

159
00:09:31,800 --> 00:09:35,000
Then Tilda Swinton doesn't show
up in this one anywhere, but she

160
00:09:35,000 --> 00:09:36,880
probably could have if she
wanted to, you know?

161
00:09:37,120 --> 00:09:41,200
I it wouldn't surprise me, Bob.
All right, let's dive into

162
00:09:41,200 --> 00:09:44,200
talking about the film itself.
And I think that we kind of have

163
00:09:44,200 --> 00:09:47,680
to go out of order a little bit
today because it's necessitated

164
00:09:48,000 --> 00:09:51,320
by the type of movie this is.
I I said a little bit ago, the

165
00:09:51,320 --> 00:09:54,880
movie is filmed and presented as
if it is done in one shot.

166
00:09:55,080 --> 00:09:58,720
There are some cleverly designed
transitions between shots, but

167
00:09:58,920 --> 00:10:02,560
this is a repairing of Sam
Mendes and the cinematographer

168
00:10:02,560 --> 00:10:06,160
Rodger Deakins.
And I think when you present a

169
00:10:06,160 --> 00:10:10,280
movie as if it's done in one
shot, a la Birdman, and you're

170
00:10:10,280 --> 00:10:15,760
the director of a movie, you are
inviting any attention that you

171
00:10:15,760 --> 00:10:19,840
get as a result.
Like you're clearly asking for

172
00:10:19,840 --> 00:10:22,680
people's attention.
The camera becomes a character

173
00:10:22,680 --> 00:10:25,480
in the movie, and you as the
director are really putting

174
00:10:25,480 --> 00:10:27,840
yourself out there saying, look
at what I can do.

175
00:10:28,640 --> 00:10:31,760
And the interesting thing with
Sam Mendes is that a lot of

176
00:10:31,760 --> 00:10:35,240
critics do not like this guy.
I don't know a ton about his

177
00:10:35,240 --> 00:10:37,360
personal life.
So I don't know if there's, you

178
00:10:37,360 --> 00:10:39,720
know, maybe he's a terrible
person in real life.

179
00:10:39,720 --> 00:10:43,880
But I think kind of unfairly,
Sam Mendes gets shot on by the

180
00:10:43,880 --> 00:10:46,640
critical community because this
is a guy that's made a lot of

181
00:10:46,640 --> 00:10:50,360
really good movies.
And I've struggled for a long

182
00:10:50,360 --> 00:10:54,480
time to try to pin down exactly
what it is that critics hate

183
00:10:54,480 --> 00:10:57,080
about the guy.
And I think I'm like, I'm

184
00:10:57,080 --> 00:10:59,280
starting to have it click into
view.

185
00:10:59,600 --> 00:11:02,400
Brad, are you familiar at all
with the sort of critical

186
00:11:02,400 --> 00:11:05,440
campaign against Sam Mendes as a
director?

187
00:11:06,280 --> 00:11:09,720
The Mendezian angst that exists
within the film critic

188
00:11:09,920 --> 00:11:12,040
community.
Is it Mendesian?

189
00:11:12,800 --> 00:11:18,200
Mendesian perhaps?
No, I'm honestly not.

190
00:11:18,320 --> 00:11:21,920
I have.
I'm trying to think if I've seen

191
00:11:21,920 --> 00:11:25,880
any of his other films than
American Beauty, Skyfall in

192
00:11:25,880 --> 00:11:28,760
1917.
I mean, I is that a good

193
00:11:28,760 --> 00:11:30,920
representation of his
filmography, would you say?

194
00:11:30,920 --> 00:11:33,480
I think so too.
I mean like the only other two

195
00:11:33,480 --> 00:11:36,280
films that I would say we really
should watch at some point for

196
00:11:36,280 --> 00:11:39,960
the podcast would be Road to
Perdition with Tom Hanks and

197
00:11:40,360 --> 00:11:43,600
Jarhead with Jake Gyllenhaal.
Those are probably like his big

198
00:11:43,600 --> 00:11:49,080
5 movies I would say.
Now I will say Jarhead for being

199
00:11:49,520 --> 00:11:54,400
what I would imagine is a loss
to Time like just another war

200
00:11:54,400 --> 00:11:59,960
movie easily has one of the best
marketing campaigns of any film.

201
00:11:59,960 --> 00:12:04,280
Because I still remember the
previews for Jarhead.

202
00:12:04,280 --> 00:12:07,920
And the reason I bring that up
is I think one of the reasons

203
00:12:07,920 --> 00:12:11,880
1917 made so much daggone money
is because it had a killer.

204
00:12:12,240 --> 00:12:19,120
Just the the the trailers for
19/17 were so freaking cool

205
00:12:19,120 --> 00:12:21,840
dude.
And and I think that that kind

206
00:12:21,840 --> 00:12:24,520
of gets me back to the like,
what is it that people don't

207
00:12:24,520 --> 00:12:27,640
like about Mendez?
Because as I remember the 1917

208
00:12:27,640 --> 00:12:31,120
trailers, they had like a sort
of ticking clock effect going on

209
00:12:31,120 --> 00:12:33,840
in the background, very
reminiscent of like The Dark

210
00:12:33,840 --> 00:12:37,000
Knight and Inception.
And I kind of wonder, you know,

211
00:12:37,160 --> 00:12:39,520
I, I think they were trying to
position this movie as like

212
00:12:39,520 --> 00:12:43,040
Christopher Nolan esque coming
off the heels of Dunkirk, which

213
00:12:43,040 --> 00:12:46,240
people really didn't love.
And this is like, hey, this is a

214
00:12:46,240 --> 00:12:49,880
much more down the middle,
suspense driven race against the

215
00:12:49,880 --> 00:12:52,640
clock movie that you wish
Christopher Nolan made.

216
00:12:52,800 --> 00:12:55,840
And here is light beer version
of Christopher Nolan making it.

217
00:12:56,960 --> 00:12:59,960
And I think that's kind of what
I've come down on about why

218
00:12:59,960 --> 00:13:04,040
critics don't like Sam Mendes is
that he he came from theater.

219
00:13:04,040 --> 00:13:10,000
He was a really well regarded
director in London and I think

220
00:13:10,000 --> 00:13:13,640
that he knows how to like really
mount a very handsomely made

221
00:13:13,640 --> 00:13:15,640
production.
Like his movies always look

222
00:13:15,640 --> 00:13:18,200
impeccable.
He knows how to use the camera

223
00:13:18,200 --> 00:13:20,880
and they always have the air of
prestige.

224
00:13:21,320 --> 00:13:26,000
But even among the movies I just
named like this movie Skyfall,

225
00:13:26,000 --> 00:13:29,880
American Beauty, Jarhead and
then whatever the other one was

226
00:13:30,000 --> 00:13:31,440
that we were talking about.
Road to Perdition Rd.

227
00:13:31,440 --> 00:13:35,000
To Perdition.
Like, I don't know that I would

228
00:13:35,000 --> 00:13:37,840
call him an auteur in the same
way that we talk about like a

229
00:13:37,840 --> 00:13:41,520
Tarantino or a a Wes Anderson or
even a Scorsese, where it's

230
00:13:41,520 --> 00:13:45,720
like, oh, this is clearly a
movie made by a guy with a point

231
00:13:45,720 --> 00:13:47,160
of view.
You know what I mean?

232
00:13:48,120 --> 00:13:51,840
Totally.
I, I think that American Beauty,

233
00:13:52,080 --> 00:13:56,520
of the three that I've seen,
probably has the most distinct

234
00:13:56,520 --> 00:14:00,760
vibe to it that that makes it
feel like it stands out from

235
00:14:00,760 --> 00:14:05,040
other films.
I, I don't know if 1917 or

236
00:14:06,440 --> 00:14:10,880
Skyfall, like really shouts to
the heavens.

237
00:14:11,200 --> 00:14:16,760
This is a Mendesian picture.
There's Mendesian.

238
00:14:16,960 --> 00:14:19,560
It's the coolest term we've ever
come up with on this show.

239
00:14:19,680 --> 00:14:26,120
Brad, easily.
It's kind of similar to how Sam

240
00:14:26,120 --> 00:14:29,680
Mendes is is perceived.
It's like Mendesian sounds like

241
00:14:29,880 --> 00:14:32,320
the coolest, deepest, most
intricate thing you could

242
00:14:32,320 --> 00:14:33,720
discuss.
And then you're like, oh, it's

243
00:14:33,720 --> 00:14:35,480
just a Sam Mendes movie.
OK.

244
00:14:35,640 --> 00:14:36,840
Yeah.
You know.

245
00:14:37,720 --> 00:14:41,040
Well, the the fascinating thing
is you, you seem like you kind

246
00:14:41,040 --> 00:14:43,880
of agree with it when I know
that you in fact don't.

247
00:14:44,720 --> 00:14:48,080
I I think it's a compelling
argument and I do agree with it.

248
00:14:48,080 --> 00:14:51,520
I just don't know if it matters
like at the end of the day, if a

249
00:14:51,520 --> 00:14:54,680
guy is like a really good, I
wouldn't even call him like a

250
00:14:54,680 --> 00:14:58,800
journeyman director because he's
not just like a hired gun.

251
00:14:59,240 --> 00:15:02,720
He he really puts care and
attention into his movies.

252
00:15:03,120 --> 00:15:05,360
I don't think they have a
personal touch.

253
00:15:05,640 --> 00:15:08,560
But I'm also like, he comes out
with a movie and I'm like, oh, a

254
00:15:08,560 --> 00:15:11,080
new Sam Mendes movie.
I'm going to see that like

255
00:15:11,080 --> 00:15:14,720
because I know that it's just
going to be a well crafted movie

256
00:15:14,840 --> 00:15:16,440
that had a lot of care put into
it.

257
00:15:16,440 --> 00:15:18,880
And I think that's an
increasingly rare thing these

258
00:15:18,880 --> 00:15:21,440
days.
It's interesting the the way

259
00:15:21,440 --> 00:15:26,920
that we are talking about him
reminds me of how we talk about

260
00:15:26,920 --> 00:15:32,240
Rob Reiner.
Like I although I would say Rob

261
00:15:32,240 --> 00:15:35,640
Reiner was much more of a like,
we need a guy who's like a

262
00:15:35,640 --> 00:15:39,800
competent director, right?
With like, that's no visual

263
00:15:39,800 --> 00:15:41,280
flair.
You know, yeah.

264
00:15:41,600 --> 00:15:45,440
That's the thing though is like
Rob Reiner was the hired gun,

265
00:15:45,840 --> 00:15:49,440
Sam Mendes isn't.
But the way we describe the the

266
00:15:49,440 --> 00:15:51,680
output, I feel like it's kind of
similar.

267
00:15:51,680 --> 00:15:56,640
Like super well competent, knows
how to make a great movie.

268
00:15:57,000 --> 00:16:01,240
It just doesn't quite reach the
heights or have the depth

269
00:16:01,240 --> 00:16:05,520
necessarily.
That would make them a A tier

270
00:16:05,520 --> 00:16:06,840
director.
Yeah.

271
00:16:07,240 --> 00:16:11,600
And yet with Mendez, he has that
added prestige of like, I have

272
00:16:11,600 --> 00:16:13,960
won best picture, I have won
best director.

273
00:16:13,960 --> 00:16:16,760
My films are constantly
nominated for Academy Awards.

274
00:16:17,280 --> 00:16:19,560
So I think the.
Push is annoyed that that he

275
00:16:19,560 --> 00:16:22,320
like won with American Beauty
early in his career.

276
00:16:22,320 --> 00:16:24,560
Yeah, people really hate that
movie, which I still think is.

277
00:16:24,560 --> 00:16:28,560
I like that movie a lot.
I don't get it, But yeah, I

278
00:16:28,560 --> 00:16:31,240
think he's perceived as like the
Oscar bait guy now, which is

279
00:16:31,240 --> 00:16:33,800
just hilarious to me 'cause you
know, and isn't.

280
00:16:34,000 --> 00:16:39,520
Everybody like that would be
like calling an NFL team Super

281
00:16:39,520 --> 00:16:43,240
Bowl bait worthy like.
They're just setting themselves

282
00:16:43,240 --> 00:16:45,480
up to win a championship.
This is ridiculous.

283
00:16:45,880 --> 00:16:47,200
Yeah.
Why can't they be more like the

284
00:16:47,200 --> 00:16:49,480
Browns?
Yeah, exactly.

285
00:16:49,480 --> 00:16:55,920
I I really don't understand the
Oscar bait like how dare you

286
00:16:55,920 --> 00:17:00,640
play to the things you know will
win you the best like most

287
00:17:00,640 --> 00:17:04,440
important award in our industry.
Yeah, I don't know, man.

288
00:17:04,440 --> 00:17:06,440
And I think that's a good
jumping off point to actually

289
00:17:06,440 --> 00:17:11,240
talk about the movie, which
exists for me outside of this

290
00:17:11,240 --> 00:17:13,640
conversation.
This is just a really well made,

291
00:17:14,200 --> 00:17:17,800
almost real time race against
the clock movie where you've got

292
00:17:17,800 --> 00:17:20,960
maybe the best cinematographer
of all time flexing his muscles.

293
00:17:21,400 --> 00:17:24,520
And the reason I brought up the
Mendez thing is that it's really

294
00:17:24,520 --> 00:17:29,520
funny to go through reviews for
this movie where the praise is

295
00:17:29,520 --> 00:17:33,840
always filtered around Mendez
because it's like the critics

296
00:17:33,840 --> 00:17:35,640
don't want to give him credit
for anything.

297
00:17:35,640 --> 00:17:38,120
And they're like, well, this is
actually a Rodger Deakins

298
00:17:38,120 --> 00:17:39,920
showcase.
And the fact that Rodger Deakins

299
00:17:39,920 --> 00:17:41,800
figured out how to do all this
is insane.

300
00:17:42,320 --> 00:17:45,720
And like, maybe that's true.
Maybe behind the scenes Rodger

301
00:17:45,720 --> 00:17:48,080
Deakins was just like shadow
directing this movie.

302
00:17:48,120 --> 00:17:51,960
I don't freaking know.
But like, it's just hilarious to

303
00:17:51,960 --> 00:17:55,360
me that we want to give credit
to deacons.

304
00:17:55,440 --> 00:17:59,440
And it is, you know, let's be
clear, a huge accomplishment

305
00:17:59,440 --> 00:18:01,200
technically this movie.
Totally.

306
00:18:01,320 --> 00:18:07,200
But like the fact that Sam
Mendes was able to orchestrate

307
00:18:07,600 --> 00:18:11,360
every piece, every instrument in
the orchestra here, right, and

308
00:18:11,360 --> 00:18:14,640
and not get any credit for it.
I don't know that there's a lot

309
00:18:14,640 --> 00:18:18,480
of directors who are kind of
shafted that way the way that

310
00:18:18,480 --> 00:18:20,840
Mendez is.
Absolutely.

311
00:18:20,920 --> 00:18:25,760
Yeah, it's it feels like one of
those confirmation bias type of

312
00:18:25,760 --> 00:18:29,200
things where it's like, oh,
well, you know, I expect

313
00:18:29,200 --> 00:18:33,440
Scorsese to make an incredible,
deep, beautiful movie, so the DP

314
00:18:33,440 --> 00:18:36,360
doesn't get any real credit for
what they do.

315
00:18:36,360 --> 00:18:40,960
But Sam Mendes, Meh.
Deacons did the whole thing.

316
00:18:42,800 --> 00:18:46,000
Yeah, when it comes to the movie
itself, what I love about the

317
00:18:46,000 --> 00:18:48,560
gimmick, and we should just
start talking about the gimmick

318
00:18:48,560 --> 00:18:51,400
here, it's a one shot movie.
What I love about the gimmick is

319
00:18:51,400 --> 00:18:54,480
that it really only works if
you're not trying to do a ton of

320
00:18:54,480 --> 00:18:56,840
exposition.
And so from the get go it's like

321
00:18:57,480 --> 00:18:59,240
there will be dialogue in this
movie.

322
00:18:59,720 --> 00:19:03,040
A lot of the dialogue is going
to be like banal day-to-day

323
00:19:03,040 --> 00:19:06,000
conversation between these two
guys walking across a field.

324
00:19:06,760 --> 00:19:11,120
And it that that makes it work
because it really elongates like

325
00:19:11,520 --> 00:19:14,760
the boredom of walking across a
field and then a shot rings out

326
00:19:14,760 --> 00:19:16,080
and now we're running across a
field.

327
00:19:17,080 --> 00:19:21,280
And and I think that plopping us
into the middle of both of their

328
00:19:21,760 --> 00:19:23,560
tours, if you want to call it
that, too.

329
00:19:23,560 --> 00:19:25,880
It's not like they're these are
privates who were showing up for

330
00:19:25,880 --> 00:19:29,320
their first day of combat.
Like the movie opens on George

331
00:19:29,320 --> 00:19:31,640
Mckay's face.
He's sleeping against a tree.

332
00:19:32,040 --> 00:19:34,080
And immediately the camera pulls
back.

333
00:19:34,080 --> 00:19:37,200
Both these guys are revealed.
And it's like, boom, we've got a

334
00:19:37,200 --> 00:19:40,920
job for you.
And so like literally 45 seconds

335
00:19:40,920 --> 00:19:44,640
into the movie, the plot is in
motion and now you're just

336
00:19:44,640 --> 00:19:47,680
watching the trip to execute
this mission.

337
00:19:47,680 --> 00:19:51,720
It is such a bare bones plot and
it's the only thing to me that

338
00:19:51,720 --> 00:19:53,280
makes the gimmick of the movie
work.

339
00:19:54,920 --> 00:20:02,720
See, I I found myself kind of in
the opposite place where the

340
00:20:02,720 --> 00:20:07,760
gimmick of a one shot take.
Is that it allows you to really

341
00:20:07,760 --> 00:20:12,320
just like sit with people.
And I think that it works way

342
00:20:12,320 --> 00:20:16,840
better when you're in like a
deep, tense, dramatic

343
00:20:16,840 --> 00:20:21,480
conversation between two people
and you just never get that in

344
00:20:21,480 --> 00:20:24,400
this.
And I'm not disagreeing that

345
00:20:24,400 --> 00:20:28,320
like those moments where he's
talking about cherry trees and

346
00:20:28,320 --> 00:20:31,520
the different types.
And like, there's plenty of

347
00:20:31,520 --> 00:20:34,560
small moments that you help you
fall in love with the

348
00:20:34,560 --> 00:20:42,080
characters, but I I think A1
shot movie is best utilized when

349
00:20:42,080 --> 00:20:46,520
you have just a really super
compelling character who's

350
00:20:46,520 --> 00:20:51,680
really deeply wrestling with
like wild internal realities.

351
00:20:52,080 --> 00:20:54,640
And and I think that that's why
it works for something like

352
00:20:54,640 --> 00:20:59,200
Birdman versus something like
1917.

353
00:20:59,200 --> 00:21:03,440
To me, this kind of felt like
watching a video game.

354
00:21:03,520 --> 00:21:06,800
Oh, interesting.
Where it's like every once in a

355
00:21:06,800 --> 00:21:11,120
while you have, you know, a, a
quick cut scene with like

356
00:21:11,120 --> 00:21:14,760
Benedict Cumberbatch or Mark
Strong.

357
00:21:15,400 --> 00:21:18,240
And then the rest of it, you're
following a no name character

358
00:21:18,240 --> 00:21:22,080
that you're playing as and
you're trying to do your mission

359
00:21:22,080 --> 00:21:26,200
and, and, and it, it, it feels
like a ton of cutscenes with

360
00:21:26,200 --> 00:21:29,280
like player engagement stuff in
the middle.

361
00:21:31,000 --> 00:21:33,160
Yeah, I think that's a really
good criticism of the movie.

362
00:21:33,160 --> 00:21:35,720
I don't necessarily agree with
it, but that's also because I'm

363
00:21:35,720 --> 00:21:37,760
not a video game player.
And you're right.

364
00:21:37,760 --> 00:21:43,560
Like, there's definitely a first
person shooter kind of thing

365
00:21:43,560 --> 00:21:45,560
going on in this movie,
especially in the way that the

366
00:21:45,560 --> 00:21:48,960
camera kind of floats sometimes.
It'll look elsewhere, you know,

367
00:21:48,960 --> 00:21:52,120
as it makes its transitions and
then it'll kind of drift back to

368
00:21:52,120 --> 00:21:55,400
our heroes.
I think it's really like a a

369
00:21:55,400 --> 00:21:59,240
pretty astute criticism, Brad.
And it kind of begs the question

370
00:21:59,240 --> 00:22:04,400
of like, if we wanted to do a
real time movie, which this like

371
00:22:04,680 --> 00:22:08,640
is close enough to being a real
time movie, we don't have to do

372
00:22:08,640 --> 00:22:10,800
a real time movie and A1 take
movie.

373
00:22:10,800 --> 00:22:14,320
So it begs the question of like,
why are we doing the one shot

374
00:22:14,320 --> 00:22:18,360
thing?
And I I think if I was Sam

375
00:22:18,360 --> 00:22:19,960
Mendes, the way I would answer
that.

376
00:22:19,960 --> 00:22:25,840
It's like I'm trying to
replicate the, I don't know,

377
00:22:25,840 --> 00:22:30,120
like the, the rhythms of the day
in the life of a soldier where

378
00:22:30,120 --> 00:22:33,400
it's like nothing's happening
and then everything's happening.

379
00:22:33,760 --> 00:22:37,480
And I don't want to introduce
cuts to kind of speed up that

380
00:22:37,480 --> 00:22:39,600
timeline.
I want to give a sense of like,

381
00:22:40,080 --> 00:22:43,160
we are always on edge.
There is danger lurking around

382
00:22:43,160 --> 00:22:45,360
every corner.
Even as I walk across this

383
00:22:45,360 --> 00:22:47,640
field, a shot could ring out and
I could be dead.

384
00:22:47,920 --> 00:22:51,960
And I want to keep the audience
on their toes by giving them so

385
00:22:51,960 --> 00:22:54,560
much visual information to
process all the time that they

386
00:22:54,560 --> 00:22:56,640
have to keep looking in the
corners of the frame or

387
00:22:56,640 --> 00:23:00,400
whatever.
I just wonder, like, does the

388
00:23:00,400 --> 00:23:04,120
gimmick get in the way of the
story they're trying to tell?

389
00:23:04,840 --> 00:23:09,080
Or on the other hand, is there
not enough story to tell in this

390
00:23:09,080 --> 00:23:11,040
movie?
And so you noticed the gimmick

391
00:23:11,040 --> 00:23:15,720
more.
All I know is as you were

392
00:23:15,720 --> 00:23:18,760
talking, something you said made
me think about like, yeah,

393
00:23:18,760 --> 00:23:20,720
though I walk through the valley
of the shadow of death.

394
00:23:21,160 --> 00:23:24,160
Can you imagine the trailer for
this where one of the characters

395
00:23:24,160 --> 00:23:30,960
is like is overdubbing the
reading Psalm 23 and like just

396
00:23:31,160 --> 00:23:37,000
slowly backs out from like a
nice white flowery field to show

397
00:23:37,000 --> 00:23:40,400
like the trenches and the no
man's land.

398
00:23:40,760 --> 00:23:42,960
And it's like right as AH dude,
what a trailer.

399
00:23:42,960 --> 00:23:45,000
No, but it would have to be one
of those trailers they do now

400
00:23:45,000 --> 00:23:48,480
where there's like a sad piano
version of a song and it's just

401
00:23:48,480 --> 00:23:53,960
like one piano note that's going
like, and it's got the guy

402
00:23:53,960 --> 00:23:57,520
singing like, I'm going there to
see my.

403
00:23:58,800 --> 00:24:03,280
And then he's just like Benedict
Cumberbatch reciting Psalm 23.

404
00:24:03,280 --> 00:24:04,680
And that's the trailer for the
movie.

405
00:24:05,400 --> 00:24:08,200
Dude, and it would be epic and I
don't know how we don't work in

406
00:24:08,200 --> 00:24:10,920
the industry.
I Yes, we have solved every

407
00:24:10,920 --> 00:24:13,160
problem with this film already.
Oh.

408
00:24:13,160 --> 00:24:16,560
Man, the gimmick, the gimmick
like works.

409
00:24:16,560 --> 00:24:19,360
That's I think that's the weird
thing is I don't think he should

410
00:24:19,360 --> 00:24:25,160
have made this A1 shot movie and
yet I think it works like to

411
00:24:25,160 --> 00:24:27,480
capture the story that they
wrote.

412
00:24:27,520 --> 00:24:31,200
I do think that this was an
effective use of the camera

413
00:24:31,920 --> 00:24:37,120
because it allows you to feel
the totality of what he goes

414
00:24:37,120 --> 00:24:41,880
through.
It allows you to feel the weight

415
00:24:42,040 --> 00:24:45,280
of what he has seen by the end
of the film.

416
00:24:45,280 --> 00:24:49,840
Man, when he meets Blake's
brother, which you know, the

417
00:24:49,880 --> 00:24:52,200
Lance Corporal.
Blake dies about halfway through

418
00:24:52,200 --> 00:24:55,160
the film when he meets his
brother and tells him that he

419
00:24:55,160 --> 00:24:57,800
was a good man and that he told
funny stories.

420
00:24:58,360 --> 00:25:01,920
Like, you feel that impact
because you've spent time with

421
00:25:01,920 --> 00:25:04,440
Blake, you've heard him tell a
few funny stories.

422
00:25:04,840 --> 00:25:07,880
You you have an understanding of
his character and how

423
00:25:07,880 --> 00:25:10,680
devastating it would be to hear
about his laws.

424
00:25:10,960 --> 00:25:13,880
Well, and I think that again,
that's it's one of the benefits

425
00:25:13,880 --> 00:25:17,520
of the not ever cutting away
thing that like the actor who

426
00:25:17,520 --> 00:25:20,280
plays his older brother is
always in the shot there after

427
00:25:20,280 --> 00:25:23,480
the news is delivered and and
Scofield kind of starts walking

428
00:25:23,480 --> 00:25:27,000
away and you watch the guy kind
of receded into the background,

429
00:25:27,000 --> 00:25:28,880
but he's still grappling with
the news.

430
00:25:29,120 --> 00:25:31,680
And then he comes back and and
tells him he was a good man.

431
00:25:31,680 --> 00:25:34,880
He saved my life.
Watching the emotions get

432
00:25:34,880 --> 00:25:39,360
processed in real time and and
being forced to sit with them I

433
00:25:39,360 --> 00:25:43,160
think really does make this a a
much more emotionally impactful

434
00:25:43,160 --> 00:25:47,200
movie than it got credit for.
I found myself really overcome

435
00:25:47,200 --> 00:25:48,720
with emotion at the end of this
film.

436
00:25:49,400 --> 00:25:52,480
And Brad, you know, before we go
to break, we haven't, we haven't

437
00:25:52,480 --> 00:25:55,040
really talked about anything
except Sam Mendes and the

438
00:25:55,040 --> 00:25:58,720
gimmick yet.
But like, I have found lately

439
00:25:59,200 --> 00:26:02,720
that it's harder and harder for
me to watch war movies.

440
00:26:03,520 --> 00:26:06,040
There's a movie that just came
out this past weekend from the

441
00:26:06,120 --> 00:26:08,240
film maker Alex Garland called
Warfare.

442
00:26:08,640 --> 00:26:11,800
And it is based on a true story.
And it is, it's not a one shot

443
00:26:11,800 --> 00:26:14,040
movie, but from my
understanding, it's a near real

444
00:26:14,040 --> 00:26:19,160
time movie that is a true story
about these American soldiers

445
00:26:19,160 --> 00:26:21,920
and I believe Iraq trying to get
out of being pinned down.

446
00:26:21,960 --> 00:26:23,520
And that's it.
That's the whole movie.

447
00:26:23,880 --> 00:26:25,520
It's supposed to be absolutely
brutal.

448
00:26:25,800 --> 00:26:28,840
And it is being hailed as one of
the best war movies of the last,

449
00:26:28,880 --> 00:26:33,800
you know, 10-15 years.
And I have tried to get myself

450
00:26:34,000 --> 00:26:37,160
up to seeing it the last four
nights in a row.

451
00:26:37,760 --> 00:26:40,600
And I just can't do it, man.
I just for some reason, I can't

452
00:26:40,600 --> 00:26:45,320
bring myself to get motivated to
watch something as heavy as a

453
00:26:45,320 --> 00:26:48,040
war movie.
And I think to this movie's

454
00:26:48,040 --> 00:26:52,160
credit, yes, there's a gimmick.
Yes, there's a video game kind

455
00:26:52,160 --> 00:26:58,000
of element to it, but it never
shies away from how emotionally

456
00:26:58,640 --> 00:27:02,240
distressing all of this is.
This was a this was quite a

457
00:27:02,440 --> 00:27:05,000
challenging experience to sit
through for me, Brad.

458
00:27:06,280 --> 00:27:10,640
For me, it's those moments where
he, like, puts his hand inside

459
00:27:10,640 --> 00:27:14,960
of a corpse or he's crawling
over the bloated corpses of

460
00:27:14,960 --> 00:27:20,560
peasants who are in the river,
that when he's like, weeping as

461
00:27:20,560 --> 00:27:23,400
he crawls out of the river.
Or at the end of the film, when

462
00:27:23,400 --> 00:27:26,720
he sits against the tree and
like you just see him completely

463
00:27:26,720 --> 00:27:31,520
drained of life.
You understand why he gave away

464
00:27:31,520 --> 00:27:37,400
his medal for a bottle of wine.
You get the angst that he has

465
00:27:37,640 --> 00:27:42,360
with Blake and I this time
through the first time I saw it,

466
00:27:42,360 --> 00:27:48,000
I I don't think I appreciated
the relational element of this

467
00:27:48,000 --> 00:27:53,800
movie as much this time through
it, it felt way more relational

468
00:27:53,800 --> 00:27:58,080
than it had there.
There's that piece of youth with

469
00:27:58,080 --> 00:28:01,640
Blake that you don't have with
Schofield, even though they both

470
00:28:01,640 --> 00:28:05,840
look to be the exact same age.
And, and, and that was wild to

471
00:28:05,840 --> 00:28:09,600
me how young they looked.
And you know, that there's all

472
00:28:09,600 --> 00:28:12,280
sorts of things that, you know,
talk about sending off our young

473
00:28:12,280 --> 00:28:15,240
men to war.
Like, I don't know if I'm just

474
00:28:15,240 --> 00:28:17,200
getting older.
You know, I'm 34 now.

475
00:28:17,960 --> 00:28:22,320
These they look like children,
like maybe 20 years old.

476
00:28:22,760 --> 00:28:26,040
Yeah, well, and, and we can talk
about the performances when we

477
00:28:26,040 --> 00:28:28,520
get back from break.
I will say right up front

478
00:28:28,520 --> 00:28:32,840
though, George Mackay I think is
a perfect leading man for this

479
00:28:32,840 --> 00:28:35,440
movie.
And how do I say this about

480
00:28:35,440 --> 00:28:38,480
someone's looks?
He looks like pictures I've seen

481
00:28:38,480 --> 00:28:40,280
of World War One veterans like
you.

482
00:28:40,400 --> 00:28:41,760
You know what?
There's a famous one that's

483
00:28:41,760 --> 00:28:44,840
floated around of like what a
guy looked like before he went

484
00:28:44,840 --> 00:28:46,760
in the trenches.
And the picture they took of him

485
00:28:46,760 --> 00:28:50,560
like 4 years later and he just
has like these hollowed out eyes

486
00:28:50,560 --> 00:28:54,440
with that 1000 yard stare.
It's a combination of just his

487
00:28:54,440 --> 00:28:56,600
facial structure and the make up
in the movie.

488
00:28:56,840 --> 00:29:00,720
But like he has that.
And when they show him at the

489
00:29:00,720 --> 00:29:03,640
beginning of the movie, you can
already tell just by the way

490
00:29:03,640 --> 00:29:07,520
he's presented to us looks wise.
This is a guy who has seen some

491
00:29:07,520 --> 00:29:09,400
shit.
And I think that there's like

492
00:29:09,440 --> 00:29:13,760
there's a real authenticity
there that, you know, his his

493
00:29:13,760 --> 00:29:16,800
partner doesn't have because
he's like a much more fresh

494
00:29:16,800 --> 00:29:19,640
faced, you know, and the and
Scofield even tells him like,

495
00:29:19,640 --> 00:29:23,160
you weren't there when we went
through this horrific battle.

496
00:29:23,280 --> 00:29:26,200
I'm telling you, dude, it's not
fun, right?

497
00:29:26,200 --> 00:29:29,000
And and I think that the
character design really helps

498
00:29:29,000 --> 00:29:31,120
that.
Absolutely.

499
00:29:31,200 --> 00:29:35,280
I, I couldn't get over the fact
that I thought I felt like

500
00:29:35,280 --> 00:29:41,000
George McKay looked so much like
Alan Ruck from Ferris Bueller's

501
00:29:41,000 --> 00:29:44,160
Day Off.
Like, there was something about

502
00:29:44,160 --> 00:29:48,040
his facial shape that I was just
like, Oh, yeah, this is like if,

503
00:29:48,560 --> 00:29:51,280
you know, Cameron got stuck in
World War 1.

504
00:29:52,880 --> 00:29:55,360
There's an actor who's come up
the past couple years who's

505
00:29:55,360 --> 00:30:00,400
gotten like moderately famous
working in like indie movies

506
00:30:00,400 --> 00:30:03,080
that have made a big splash.
His name's Harris Dickinson and

507
00:30:03,080 --> 00:30:06,440
he's like 6 foot two in a
supermodel basically.

508
00:30:06,720 --> 00:30:10,000
But he is like, I, I think he's
trying to market correct George

509
00:30:10,000 --> 00:30:12,840
McKay in real time.
And George McKay is also been

510
00:30:12,840 --> 00:30:15,080
trying to like make a name for
himself in indie movies.

511
00:30:15,400 --> 00:30:18,800
And it's really fascinating to
watch the two of those guys get

512
00:30:18,800 --> 00:30:23,120
put in movies since 1917.
I really liked George McKay in

513
00:30:23,120 --> 00:30:24,960
this movie.
I'm wishing good things for his

514
00:30:24,960 --> 00:30:27,520
career.
Like I said, Brad, let's dive

515
00:30:27,520 --> 00:30:30,200
into the specifics of the
performances after the break.

516
00:30:30,680 --> 00:30:33,760
But talking about war movies and
how stressful they are has

517
00:30:33,760 --> 00:30:35,240
really made me want to take a
drink.

518
00:30:35,240 --> 00:30:38,600
What do you say if we tried this
Hirsch departure single ball?

519
00:30:39,680 --> 00:30:43,080
Oh, I found a few facts about
the amount of alcohol that was

520
00:30:43,080 --> 00:30:47,760
like prescribed to soldiers and
like, dude, if you were about to

521
00:30:47,760 --> 00:30:52,520
go over the line, it was like a
double ration per day for like

522
00:30:52,520 --> 00:30:55,040
the three days leading up to it.
As it should be.

523
00:30:56,280 --> 00:30:58,080
Oh man, let's drink some
whiskey, dude.

524
00:31:04,240 --> 00:31:06,680
All right, so today we're
looking at Hirsch Selected

525
00:31:06,680 --> 00:31:10,240
Whiskey's The Departure.
This is an American single malt

526
00:31:10,240 --> 00:31:12,600
whiskey.
It is the first single malt

527
00:31:12,600 --> 00:31:16,200
released by the Hirsch Company,
which is owned by Hotelling and

528
00:31:16,200 --> 00:31:18,840
Company, an importer and
distiller based out of San

529
00:31:18,840 --> 00:31:21,200
Francisco.
They are very popular in the

530
00:31:21,200 --> 00:31:25,160
American craft whiskey scene.
They were known for a long time

531
00:31:25,360 --> 00:31:29,080
for their old Potrero line.
There's a there's a ton of back

532
00:31:29,080 --> 00:31:31,160
story on Hodling if you want to
read about it.

533
00:31:31,160 --> 00:31:35,000
I found a very long article that
was super enlightening to me,

534
00:31:35,000 --> 00:31:37,800
but probably not necessary to
share the entire history of this

535
00:31:37,800 --> 00:31:41,560
company on our podcast, except
to say, Brad, this is the first

536
00:31:41,560 --> 00:31:44,880
Hirsch product we've had.
Like I said, they're known for

537
00:31:44,880 --> 00:31:49,120
their rye whiskey.
So we're we're joining them as

538
00:31:49,120 --> 00:31:50,920
they start to branch out into
other things.

539
00:31:50,920 --> 00:31:54,200
So it's it's kind of cool
because I don't know how much of

540
00:31:54,280 --> 00:31:57,240
A departure this actually is for
them because I'm not even

541
00:31:57,240 --> 00:32:01,880
familiar with their rise.
The real question is, could you

542
00:32:02,240 --> 00:32:06,560
tell the entire history of their
brand in one take?

543
00:32:07,400 --> 00:32:09,760
No, I could get close though.
Oh.

544
00:32:09,920 --> 00:32:11,800
It's very interesting, yeah,
yeah.

545
00:32:11,800 --> 00:32:14,760
There's a there's breweries in
their past, there's name

546
00:32:14,760 --> 00:32:17,480
changes, there's different
labels, they've moved locations,

547
00:32:17,640 --> 00:32:19,280
lots going on over there.
So it.

548
00:32:19,320 --> 00:32:22,240
Sounds like half the new
distilleries.

549
00:32:22,760 --> 00:32:25,520
Yeah, pretty much man.
It says in their press release

550
00:32:25,520 --> 00:32:28,360
that they started working on
this product back in 2015

551
00:32:28,360 --> 00:32:31,480
because they'd wanting to been,
they have been wanting to work

552
00:32:31,480 --> 00:32:34,360
with barley for a long time.
So this is 10 years in the

553
00:32:34,360 --> 00:32:36,920
making.
It's obviously not a 10 year age

554
00:32:36,920 --> 00:32:39,480
stated product, Brad.
It's non age stated.

555
00:32:39,760 --> 00:32:43,840
It is 100% malted barley though.
I'm excited to dive in man.

556
00:32:43,840 --> 00:32:47,240
American single malt is really
growing these last few years and

557
00:32:47,240 --> 00:32:49,040
this is just another welcome
addition for me.

558
00:32:49,200 --> 00:32:52,640
Absolutely.
I I love seeing American

559
00:32:52,640 --> 00:32:57,480
distilleries dive into new areas
like American single malt.

560
00:32:57,640 --> 00:32:59,760
I think it's a brand worth
pursuing.

561
00:33:00,440 --> 00:33:02,920
And I'm, I'm excited to go over
this Hirsch with you, Bob.

562
00:33:02,920 --> 00:33:07,160
I've already tried it and I
would I'm pretty impressed

563
00:33:07,160 --> 00:33:09,160
overall.
That's my initial impression.

564
00:33:09,640 --> 00:33:12,080
All right, so here's what I'm
seeing about it, Brad, and this

565
00:33:12,080 --> 00:33:14,240
is the last thing I'll say
before we actually dive in.

566
00:33:14,440 --> 00:33:17,360
I see two different quotes.
One of them say it says that the

567
00:33:17,360 --> 00:33:23,680
departure was aged for 6 plus
years in 24 month air dried 53

568
00:33:23,680 --> 00:33:27,080
gallon American oak barrels.
And then it also says that it's

569
00:33:27,080 --> 00:33:31,720
double distilled in copper pot
stills and aged for six years

570
00:33:31,720 --> 00:33:36,080
and nine months in new char #3
and toasted American oak

571
00:33:36,080 --> 00:33:37,800
barrels.
So there we go.

572
00:33:37,800 --> 00:33:40,320
Six years, nine months, two
kinds of barrels.

573
00:33:40,320 --> 00:33:44,040
Let's freaking dive in, Brad.
It definitely smells like

574
00:33:44,040 --> 00:33:45,960
American craft whiskey on the
nose.

575
00:33:45,960 --> 00:33:48,640
And if you've been a fan of
craft whiskey, you know exactly

576
00:33:48,640 --> 00:33:52,040
what I mean.
Even at six years old, there's

577
00:33:52,040 --> 00:33:53,680
quite a bit of graininess to
this.

578
00:33:53,680 --> 00:33:56,160
There's quite a bit of raw
grain, and it smells a bit

579
00:33:56,160 --> 00:33:57,920
young.
I get a bit of yeast on this.

580
00:33:58,160 --> 00:34:01,040
But other than that, this is
right in line with what we've

581
00:34:01,040 --> 00:34:03,920
come to expect from American
craft whiskey, I would say.

582
00:34:04,440 --> 00:34:08,880
Absolutely.
I think the nose has a lot of

583
00:34:08,880 --> 00:34:13,040
barley It it reminds me of like
Cheerios there.

584
00:34:13,040 --> 00:34:17,159
There's a little bit of like a
cherry stone fruit cordial kind

585
00:34:17,159 --> 00:34:19,719
of vibe.
There's it gets a little bit

586
00:34:19,719 --> 00:34:22,480
nutty for me.
There's some almonds going on

587
00:34:22,480 --> 00:34:24,560
here.
I really like this.

588
00:34:24,560 --> 00:34:29,880
For me, it's not especially
crafty, if you will.

589
00:34:30,600 --> 00:34:33,880
It like it has a little bit of
that craft whiskey vibe, but not

590
00:34:33,880 --> 00:34:36,480
nearly enough to derail it.
I'm going to give it an 8 out of

591
00:34:36,480 --> 00:34:39,199
10 on the nose.
Yeah, I think I'm in a 7 1/2,

592
00:34:39,199 --> 00:34:42,000
but this is very positive
because, and I don't know if

593
00:34:42,000 --> 00:34:44,560
it's just because they're used
to working with rye, which is a

594
00:34:44,560 --> 00:34:48,920
very tricky grain to work with,
but this, this has that sort of

595
00:34:48,920 --> 00:34:51,239
youthful note on the nose.
But underlying it, they've

596
00:34:51,239 --> 00:34:53,679
gotten some really nice baking
spices.

597
00:34:53,920 --> 00:34:57,800
There's a lot of caramel here.
It smells like a a sweeter rye

598
00:34:57,800 --> 00:35:00,560
whiskey on like what's
underlying that grain.

599
00:35:00,680 --> 00:35:03,200
I get a little bit of like, oat
as well, which is the grain that

600
00:35:03,200 --> 00:35:05,040
we don't often get in our mash
bills.

601
00:35:05,040 --> 00:35:07,880
But yeah, Cheerios was a really
good note here, Brad.

602
00:35:07,880 --> 00:35:11,640
It's both like a little bit
yeasty bready, but also like a

603
00:35:11,640 --> 00:35:15,200
sweetened breakfast cereal. 7
1/2 I think is a good baseline

604
00:35:15,200 --> 00:35:18,200
for this.
When I got into the palate, all

605
00:35:18,200 --> 00:35:19,880
the things we talked about were
there.

606
00:35:19,880 --> 00:35:23,240
It turned the fruitiness turned
into like an apricot vibe.

607
00:35:24,120 --> 00:35:28,360
There's a little bit of cocoa.
The overwhelming note I got on

608
00:35:28,360 --> 00:35:33,480
the palate was green tea.
There's like this, this thing

609
00:35:33,480 --> 00:35:40,440
was like a green tea bomb with
like a little bit of a glaze of

610
00:35:40,440 --> 00:35:47,280
kind of like a caramelized
apricot like jam almost a really

611
00:35:47,280 --> 00:35:50,920
interesting combination of like
a fruity green tea.

612
00:35:51,280 --> 00:35:52,840
I thought it was very
fascinating.

613
00:35:52,840 --> 00:35:56,280
Not necessarily like my favorite
flavor.

614
00:35:56,280 --> 00:36:01,920
Wheelhouse Green tea is not my
go to but I I I do still like

615
00:36:01,920 --> 00:36:03,840
it, I'll give it a 7 1/2 out of
10.

616
00:36:04,200 --> 00:36:06,520
I really like this man.
I, I'm not getting the green

617
00:36:06,520 --> 00:36:08,200
tea.
And let me ask you this because,

618
00:36:08,520 --> 00:36:11,320
you know, tea is often used to
explain to people like what

619
00:36:11,320 --> 00:36:15,720
tannins are and how a a wine or
a whiskey can have that tannic

620
00:36:15,720 --> 00:36:18,200
effect where it kind of sucks
the moisture out of your mouth.

621
00:36:18,840 --> 00:36:21,120
Did you have that effect
drinking it or was it more just

622
00:36:21,120 --> 00:36:23,680
flavour?
No, it was just the flavour.

623
00:36:23,680 --> 00:36:26,720
OK, OK, like it.
It really reminded me back when

624
00:36:26,720 --> 00:36:29,640
I lived in Philly, I would
occasionally drink green tea

625
00:36:29,640 --> 00:36:31,360
because that's the only thing we
had in the house.

626
00:36:32,720 --> 00:36:35,520
And I just, it's I didn't
dislike it.

627
00:36:35,520 --> 00:36:37,880
Like it was good enough that,
you know, you had a little honey

628
00:36:37,880 --> 00:36:41,720
in there and it's a nice winter
drink.

629
00:36:42,360 --> 00:36:45,200
It's just not my favorite.
It's not, it's not in my

630
00:36:45,200 --> 00:36:49,120
wheelhouse preferred.
So the flavor was there.

631
00:36:49,400 --> 00:36:52,760
Not my favorite, but it was
definitely noticeable for me.

632
00:36:53,280 --> 00:36:55,720
I really like this man.
And I'm not quite getting the

633
00:36:55,720 --> 00:36:57,640
same notes you are.
I'm not getting as much stone

634
00:36:57,640 --> 00:36:59,520
fruit and I'm definitely not
getting green tea.

635
00:36:59,720 --> 00:37:02,400
Your note of Coco, I think is
like the predominant thing for

636
00:37:02,400 --> 00:37:05,880
me.
I want to say, oh man, four or

637
00:37:05,880 --> 00:37:10,160
five seasons ago we tried a
specialty bourbon from Woodford

638
00:37:10,160 --> 00:37:12,800
Reserve that was made with what
they called like chocolate malt.

639
00:37:13,440 --> 00:37:16,080
And I, I don't remember getting
a lot of chocolate on that, but

640
00:37:16,080 --> 00:37:17,520
that's kind of what this is for
me.

641
00:37:17,520 --> 00:37:20,680
It's chocolate malt.
It's it's lots of interesting

642
00:37:20,680 --> 00:37:22,960
grains coming out.
I'm getting that oat again.

643
00:37:22,960 --> 00:37:27,800
I'm getting like when we first
tried watershed distillery and

644
00:37:27,800 --> 00:37:30,720
they were using spelt like it
just tastes like a bunch of

645
00:37:30,720 --> 00:37:33,600
funky grains went into this.
I know they obviously didn't,

646
00:37:33,960 --> 00:37:36,920
but it it has that sort of vibe
where it's like this is

647
00:37:36,920 --> 00:37:39,160
something completely different
flavor wise.

648
00:37:39,400 --> 00:37:44,040
And we've layered over that
really dark cacao nibs and then

649
00:37:44,040 --> 00:37:47,320
like a ton of cinnamon and like
cayenne pepper.

650
00:37:47,320 --> 00:37:50,600
It's almost like a Mexican hot
chocolate, but unsweetened and

651
00:37:50,600 --> 00:37:52,840
then like layered over raw
grains.

652
00:37:53,000 --> 00:37:54,800
Super good.
I'm going to give it an 8 out of

653
00:37:54,800 --> 00:37:57,920
10 on the palate, Brad.
And then on the finish, I think

654
00:37:57,920 --> 00:38:00,200
it's more of the same.
It's a really mouth watering

655
00:38:00,200 --> 00:38:03,280
finish.
There's a ton of tingle on the

656
00:38:03,280 --> 00:38:06,520
tongue with this, like it's real
spicy and at coming.

657
00:38:06,560 --> 00:38:08,640
Jingle, don't you, Bob?
Yeah, I do, man.

658
00:38:08,840 --> 00:38:11,640
It comes in at 98 proof, and I
think a drink's actually a

659
00:38:11,640 --> 00:38:14,640
little bit hotter than that.
Not in a bad way, but you could

660
00:38:14,640 --> 00:38:17,600
have convinced me this was like
100 and five 107 proof.

661
00:38:18,320 --> 00:38:21,440
I'm a huge fan of this, Brad.
I'm going to give it an 8 out of

662
00:38:21,440 --> 00:38:24,400
10 again on the finish.
I'm with you on the finish.

663
00:38:24,400 --> 00:38:27,960
Eight out of 10 for me.
The barley really like sits

664
00:38:27,960 --> 00:38:31,080
there and just lingers for a
long time.

665
00:38:31,400 --> 00:38:35,320
The apricot sticks around, the
green tea sticks around, the the

666
00:38:35,320 --> 00:38:40,480
cacao almost turns into like a
creamy dark chocolate the longer

667
00:38:40,480 --> 00:38:42,560
it sits on my palate, which I
really like.

668
00:38:43,280 --> 00:38:46,680
So like I said, I'm an 8 out of
10 there balance wise.

669
00:38:46,680 --> 00:38:50,960
I think I'll give it a 7 1/2.
I think that they this takes you

670
00:38:51,000 --> 00:38:55,280
on a very interesting journey.
I don't know if it all works

671
00:38:55,280 --> 00:38:59,240
perfectly together, but I do
like where it takes me overall.

672
00:38:59,280 --> 00:39:02,560
So 7 1/2 for me on balance.
Yeah, I'm going to give it a 7

673
00:39:02,560 --> 00:39:04,720
1/2 as well.
I and I don't think that it's an

674
00:39:04,720 --> 00:39:06,640
indicator that like anything's
off here.

675
00:39:07,000 --> 00:39:09,600
And what I really love about
American Single Malt Brat is

676
00:39:09,600 --> 00:39:13,560
that from distillery to
distillery it, it's almost like,

677
00:39:14,600 --> 00:39:16,400
I don't know, like when you go
to a winery and you're like,

678
00:39:16,400 --> 00:39:18,840
what's your house wine, right?
Like what do you make here?

679
00:39:18,840 --> 00:39:20,720
What, what like what's your
specialty?

680
00:39:21,560 --> 00:39:24,000
There's a distinct flavor and
taste.

681
00:39:24,000 --> 00:39:27,040
And I don't know if it's a
terroir thing, but like from the

682
00:39:27,040 --> 00:39:31,080
ones we've tried from up in like
Oregon, Washington, to this one

683
00:39:31,080 --> 00:39:35,200
in San Francisco, to some on the
East Coast, they're just very

684
00:39:35,200 --> 00:39:38,360
different flavor profiles.
And I like that a lot.

685
00:39:38,360 --> 00:39:40,800
And this is carving out its own
unique niche.

686
00:39:40,800 --> 00:39:45,640
So I'm giving it a 7 1/2 here.
Now on the value, the MSRP on

687
00:39:45,640 --> 00:39:50,320
this is 7499, which is a little
bit pricey for a six year

688
00:39:50,320 --> 00:39:52,760
whiskey.
But again, single mold is tricky

689
00:39:52,760 --> 00:39:56,520
to work with.
It's a new entry in America, you

690
00:39:56,520 --> 00:39:59,520
know, relatively new.
Obviously, I don't think this is

691
00:39:59,520 --> 00:40:02,200
exorbitant.
I think I'll give it a 7 out of

692
00:40:02,200 --> 00:40:05,440
10 on value.
I'm right there with you 7 out

693
00:40:05,440 --> 00:40:08,000
of 10.
This is a really interesting

694
00:40:08,000 --> 00:40:13,800
whiskey that like, I love being
curious about whiskeys, Bob.

695
00:40:14,320 --> 00:40:17,880
Like we it's been a while since
we had a whiskey that really

696
00:40:17,880 --> 00:40:22,840
piqued my curiosity.
I'm coming to a 38 out of 50.

697
00:40:22,920 --> 00:40:26,200
I'm in the same spot, 38.
I think that if I have to give a

698
00:40:26,200 --> 00:40:29,920
caveat on this, this is the kind
of whiskey that you and I pull

699
00:40:29,920 --> 00:40:32,720
off the shelf because it's like
a fascinating whiskey.

700
00:40:32,880 --> 00:40:36,840
Like we've tried 5 or 600
whiskeys over the course of this

701
00:40:36,840 --> 00:40:39,160
podcast.
This one I'm going to remember,

702
00:40:39,440 --> 00:40:41,160
right?
Not because it's bad, but it's

703
00:40:41,160 --> 00:40:43,480
just different.
And I don't know that I would

704
00:40:43,480 --> 00:40:46,120
give this to somebody who's
getting into like single malt of

705
00:40:46,120 --> 00:40:49,960
any variety for the first time.
It's not like it's just not a

706
00:40:49,960 --> 00:40:53,000
good entry point because it's so
far outside the wheelhouse of

707
00:40:53,000 --> 00:40:57,720
what you typically expect.
All that said, I'm nearing a 40

708
00:40:57,720 --> 00:40:59,360
on this.
This is like a no brainer.

709
00:40:59,360 --> 00:41:01,360
Thumbs up for me.
If you get a chance to try this

710
00:41:01,640 --> 00:41:05,920
and you're feeling adventurous,
go all the way in on this man.

711
00:41:06,680 --> 00:41:10,160
Yeah, I'm with you 100%.
This is a really interesting

712
00:41:10,160 --> 00:41:12,800
whiskey.
Hirsch, I think has departed

713
00:41:12,800 --> 00:41:15,480
well.
At the very least, the beginning

714
00:41:15,480 --> 00:41:17,160
of their adventure is going
well.

715
00:41:17,160 --> 00:41:21,280
So well done, Hirsch.
The departure American Single

716
00:41:21,280 --> 00:41:22,880
Wall is a product to be proud
of.

717
00:41:23,240 --> 00:41:26,440
The fact that this wasn't
available when we reviewed the

718
00:41:26,440 --> 00:41:29,960
departed is criminal, honestly.
It is.

719
00:41:29,960 --> 00:41:32,680
It is very unfortunate.
Making up for it, though, is the

720
00:41:32,680 --> 00:41:35,560
fact that we have a pretty good
movie today in 1917.

721
00:41:35,760 --> 00:41:37,240
Let's get back to talking about
that, Brad.

722
00:41:37,720 --> 00:41:42,920
Let's do it.
All right, everybody.

723
00:41:42,920 --> 00:41:47,720
That was Hirsch, the departure
American single malt, a whiskey

724
00:41:47,720 --> 00:41:51,680
that makes me want to drink more
American single malts, Bob.

725
00:41:51,680 --> 00:41:54,920
Not that my desire could have
already gotten much higher, but

726
00:41:54,920 --> 00:41:57,520
man, I'm excited.
Yeah, I like that a lot, man.

727
00:41:58,200 --> 00:42:01,120
I do wish we had found something
a little more European to pair

728
00:42:01,120 --> 00:42:02,640
it with.
This is like the second week in

729
00:42:02,640 --> 00:42:04,600
a row that I've said something
like that.

730
00:42:04,960 --> 00:42:06,920
It's also the second week in a
row, Brad, that we've had a

731
00:42:06,920 --> 00:42:11,160
movie shot by Roger Deakins.
I didn't even think about that

732
00:42:11,160 --> 00:42:13,000
till just now.
Prisoners and then this.

733
00:42:13,840 --> 00:42:16,680
The Deeks.
The Deeks, am I right?

734
00:42:19,360 --> 00:42:22,840
What a just what a great
cinematographer.

735
00:42:23,080 --> 00:42:26,200
Yeah, he really does just create
beautiful movies.

736
00:42:27,400 --> 00:42:30,680
You know what I create that is
things of beauty is my record at

737
00:42:30,680 --> 00:42:34,080
the end of every season at our
next game Brad, which we call 2

738
00:42:34,080 --> 00:42:36,800
facts every season, 2 facts and
a falsehood.

739
00:42:36,800 --> 00:42:43,680
Brad is going to try to stump
your ball. 2 are right and what

740
00:42:43,680 --> 00:42:47,960
is wrong?
2 facts and a falsehood. 2 Facts

741
00:42:47,960 --> 00:42:51,320
and a Falsehood is the part of
the show where Brad presents me

742
00:42:51,320 --> 00:42:55,200
with three items as fact about
the making of this movie, one of

743
00:42:55,200 --> 00:42:58,880
which is a complete lie.
Now I am coming off of a win

744
00:42:58,880 --> 00:43:03,040
last week, but I'm still trying
to balance out the two losses I

745
00:43:03,040 --> 00:43:06,560
got the week prior due to our
friend Patrick Williams

746
00:43:06,720 --> 00:43:11,640
absolutely leading me astray.
On one of the greatest, most

747
00:43:11,640 --> 00:43:14,800
well written falsehood in the
history of the podcast.

748
00:43:14,840 --> 00:43:17,680
I know, man, we actually had
somebody write into us to tell

749
00:43:17,680 --> 00:43:20,320
us what a good job you did.
And I was like, don't stroke his

750
00:43:20,320 --> 00:43:22,440
ego.
Then he's going to start putting

751
00:43:22,440 --> 00:43:24,600
effort into this, and I don't
want him to do that.

752
00:43:24,600 --> 00:43:26,960
I want my record to be
unblemished.

753
00:43:27,680 --> 00:43:29,600
I'm excited to blemish your
record again, Bob.

754
00:43:30,480 --> 00:43:32,800
All right man, hit me with those
two facts and a falsehood.

755
00:43:34,040 --> 00:43:39,040
Fact #1 in order to hide the
small edits throughout the film.

756
00:43:39,080 --> 00:43:42,800
Director Sir Sam Mendes.
We haven't mentioned that yet,

757
00:43:42,800 --> 00:43:44,160
Bob.
Oh, is there, Sir?

758
00:43:44,880 --> 00:43:47,760
He is.
But how can you argue with the

759
00:43:47,760 --> 00:43:49,600
Queen of England knighting this
man?

760
00:43:50,360 --> 00:43:51,800
That's right, you can't say he's
a bad.

761
00:43:51,800 --> 00:43:53,360
Director once he's been
knighted.

762
00:43:54,240 --> 00:43:57,320
He might have been knighted by
the king, you know, that's true,

763
00:43:57,560 --> 00:44:01,080
That's true.
Maybe it's a recent titular

764
00:44:01,080 --> 00:44:05,120
edition.
In order to hide the the edits

765
00:44:05,120 --> 00:44:10,040
throughout the film, director
Sir Sam Mendez chose to use only

766
00:44:10,040 --> 00:44:15,680
two lenses throughout the movie,
The 35mm for close-ups and some

767
00:44:15,680 --> 00:44:20,600
dialogue and the 24mm for the
majority of the wide angle

768
00:44:20,720 --> 00:44:24,720
arrays.
Fact #2 Throughout the shoot,

769
00:44:25,000 --> 00:44:28,120
the production had four basic
rigs that were always at the

770
00:44:28,120 --> 00:44:30,800
ready to be able to take
advantage of the changeable

771
00:44:30,800 --> 00:44:37,120
weather conditions as well as
having a chief meteorologist on

772
00:44:37,120 --> 00:44:43,120
location the entire film.
Fact #3 This was the first

773
00:44:43,120 --> 00:44:46,800
prestige war film to be
nominated for the Academy Award

774
00:44:47,480 --> 00:44:50,400
for Best Visual Effects in
nearly 50 years.

775
00:44:50,400 --> 00:44:54,000
The last Prestige War films to
be nominated were Patton from

776
00:44:54,000 --> 00:44:58,720
1970 and Tora Tora Tora from
1970, with the latter film

777
00:44:58,720 --> 00:45:02,600
taking the prize.
While you were reading fact

778
00:45:02,600 --> 00:45:05,600
number one, I was looking up
when Sam Mendes got knighted,

779
00:45:06,720 --> 00:45:10,560
2019.
So it was the queen, it was Her

780
00:45:10,560 --> 00:45:13,120
Majesty.
A very astute woman.

781
00:45:13,160 --> 00:45:16,960
Yeah, so I need you to re read
the back half of fact number one

782
00:45:16,960 --> 00:45:19,360
for me real quick.
Something about millimeters is

783
00:45:19,360 --> 00:45:23,680
all I heard.
He he used the only used 2

784
00:45:23,680 --> 00:45:26,160
lenses throughout the film to
keep continuity.

785
00:45:26,520 --> 00:45:29,760
Oh nice, the 35 for close-ups
and dialogue.

786
00:45:29,760 --> 00:45:31,920
The 24 for like wide angle
stuff.

787
00:45:34,840 --> 00:45:41,960
OK, let's see.
I think #2 sounds true enough #3

788
00:45:41,960 --> 00:45:47,280
sounds a little bit dicey to me.
I I can't remember much of the

789
00:45:47,280 --> 00:45:49,400
movie Patton.
I don't think they had very many

790
00:45:49,400 --> 00:45:51,680
visual effects in it.
Maybe it did, Maybe it.

791
00:45:51,800 --> 00:45:53,640
Was just the opening speech and
patent.

792
00:45:53,760 --> 00:45:58,400
Yeah, then you come to find out
that that flag entirely CGI,

793
00:45:58,480 --> 00:46:01,000
that's what got it nominated.
That that was it.

794
00:46:02,840 --> 00:46:05,280
Was Saving Private Ryan
nominated for visual effects?

795
00:46:05,280 --> 00:46:10,360
I don't think so.
I think it's either one or

796
00:46:10,360 --> 00:46:14,760
three.
I'm leaning towards 3, but I'm

797
00:46:14,760 --> 00:46:18,480
also wondering how how Rodger
Deakins could have switched

798
00:46:18,480 --> 00:46:22,360
lenses during long takes even if
he is floating into a close up

799
00:46:22,360 --> 00:46:24,360
or or panning back out.
You know what?

800
00:46:24,360 --> 00:46:26,280
No, I'm going to say #1 is the
falsehood.

801
00:46:27,040 --> 00:46:30,320
I have no idea if that's true or
not, but I'm going to stick with

802
00:46:30,320 --> 00:46:34,560
#1 Brad.
Bob, you are 100% correct.

803
00:46:34,600 --> 00:46:41,520
Yes, deacons used 1 lens for the
entire film being a 40mm.

804
00:46:41,720 --> 00:46:44,120
Lens that makes sense because
like you, otherwise you'd just

805
00:46:44,120 --> 00:46:46,360
see a hand to come in front of
the camera from time to time.

806
00:46:47,160 --> 00:46:51,560
Pop the lens off.
It's the hand of God just

807
00:46:51,560 --> 00:46:55,520
floating in to reorient us here.
All right, cool.

808
00:46:55,560 --> 00:46:58,360
So I I am back in the win
column.

809
00:46:58,360 --> 00:47:01,200
I've balanced out Patrick's
mistakes once again.

810
00:47:01,200 --> 00:47:03,960
Patrick Williams, you are on the
thinnest device, Sir.

811
00:47:04,960 --> 00:47:07,600
Brad, let's get back into
talking about 1917.

812
00:47:08,080 --> 00:47:12,280
And it seems weird to talk about
performances because this is

813
00:47:12,280 --> 00:47:16,400
just such a like, let's follow
some guys walking across a field

814
00:47:16,440 --> 00:47:18,600
kind of movie.
Yeah, they could have put you

815
00:47:18,600 --> 00:47:21,040
and I in there and it would have
been just as good of a movie.

816
00:47:21,760 --> 00:47:25,040
I mean, George McKay is in every
second of this movie, so like

817
00:47:25,040 --> 00:47:29,200
it, it's worth talking about.
I think he gives a really,

818
00:47:29,200 --> 00:47:33,520
really good performance because
at no point was I ever like this

819
00:47:33,520 --> 00:47:37,720
guy Seems like he's acting or he
didn't nail that emotional note.

820
00:47:38,120 --> 00:47:42,120
And I think for somebody to play
the spectrum of all the emotions

821
00:47:42,120 --> 00:47:45,320
he has to go through, that's
that's a pretty big feat of

822
00:47:45,320 --> 00:47:48,040
acting.
Dude, he nails it.

823
00:47:48,640 --> 00:47:53,320
Like I, I think Dean Charles
Chapman is like pretty good at

824
00:47:53,320 --> 00:47:55,840
like I don't really have any
complaints with him, but he

825
00:47:55,840 --> 00:48:01,600
didn't blow me away.
I think Makai has a, you said it

826
00:48:01,600 --> 00:48:04,040
earlier, man.
His face is haunted.

827
00:48:04,680 --> 00:48:13,160
And it's not just he's not just
experiencing like, oh, he, he

828
00:48:13,160 --> 00:48:16,040
hasn't become cynical.
It's not just like it's

829
00:48:16,040 --> 00:48:20,120
ingrained in his face, but you
see the the terrible things that

830
00:48:20,120 --> 00:48:25,720
happened to him on this specific
mission and journey, like deep

831
00:48:25,720 --> 00:48:30,960
in the horror, they take what
he's already experienced and

832
00:48:30,960 --> 00:48:33,440
make it worse.
And by the end of the film, you

833
00:48:33,440 --> 00:48:38,000
feel that in every inch of his
body language, his eyes, his

834
00:48:38,000 --> 00:48:42,480
face.
And yet, like the youth of

835
00:48:42,480 --> 00:48:45,680
Blake, seems to give him a
little bit of hope as well.

836
00:48:45,840 --> 00:48:50,000
And he plays all of that just
incredibly well.

837
00:48:50,240 --> 00:48:53,480
Yeah, no, I totally agree.
And I think that the film is at

838
00:48:53,480 --> 00:48:57,360
its weakest when it gives anyone
else a line of dialogue beside

839
00:48:57,600 --> 00:49:00,440
those two people.
Like especially the decision to

840
00:49:00,440 --> 00:49:04,760
put prominent British actors in
kind of four of the main roles

841
00:49:04,760 --> 00:49:08,720
of authority in the movie.
So you've got Colin Firth shows

842
00:49:08,720 --> 00:49:12,000
up at the very beginning to give
the orders, then he runs into

843
00:49:12,000 --> 00:49:15,240
Andrew Scott right before they
go up into No Man's Land.

844
00:49:15,560 --> 00:49:17,960
And then halfway through the
movie they run across Mark

845
00:49:17,960 --> 00:49:19,640
Strong.
And then at the end of the movie

846
00:49:19,640 --> 00:49:23,040
you get Benedict Cumberbatch.
And I think that having those

847
00:49:23,040 --> 00:49:26,880
four people who are extremely
recognizable people at this

848
00:49:26,880 --> 00:49:31,800
point show up throughout the
film really took me out of it.

849
00:49:31,960 --> 00:49:34,480
I think the, the only one that
didn't was Colin Firth, because

850
00:49:34,480 --> 00:49:36,160
it's the very beginning of the
movie.

851
00:49:36,160 --> 00:49:38,360
So you, you know, you're just
like, oh, there's Colin Firth,

852
00:49:38,360 --> 00:49:40,800
and now he's gone.
You don't have the Matt Damon

853
00:49:40,800 --> 00:49:42,680
effect.
No, you don't, man.

854
00:49:42,800 --> 00:49:46,560
And like especially I think
Andrew Scott as the guy who's

855
00:49:46,560 --> 00:49:50,480
like F this like going to no
man's land if you want to.

856
00:49:50,920 --> 00:49:56,680
He was just a little bit outside
of like the comfort zone of like

857
00:49:57,240 --> 00:50:00,680
what Sam Mendes was directing.
He he went a little too Moriarty

858
00:50:00,680 --> 00:50:03,160
for me.
And it really pulled me out of

859
00:50:03,160 --> 00:50:05,560
that scene.
And I just kind of wish that

860
00:50:05,560 --> 00:50:08,440
Mendez had gone with like
everyone in this movie is an

861
00:50:08,440 --> 00:50:12,960
unknown or at best like a that
guy and not a person that I know

862
00:50:12,960 --> 00:50:14,360
their full name.
Yeah.

863
00:50:14,560 --> 00:50:19,520
And, and honestly, Mark Strong
was that for me where I like,

864
00:50:19,720 --> 00:50:23,440
he's not a famous enough movie
actor for me to be like, oh of

865
00:50:23,440 --> 00:50:27,240
course Mark Strong from these 7
movies.

866
00:50:27,600 --> 00:50:33,040
His voice was familiar and like
powerful enough that I thought

867
00:50:33,040 --> 00:50:39,800
he was the best of the four
known actors because he has so

868
00:50:39,800 --> 00:50:42,680
much compassion even as he is
leading.

869
00:50:43,000 --> 00:50:46,640
I I thought he knocked it out of
the park.

870
00:50:47,360 --> 00:50:51,960
Other than that, I felt like all
of them overacted and we're like

871
00:50:51,960 --> 00:50:54,720
doing too much.
Colin Firth was fine.

872
00:50:54,720 --> 00:50:58,480
I I agree that he benefits from
being so early on that you

873
00:50:58,480 --> 00:51:00,320
don't.
It's like, Oh yeah, a movie star

874
00:51:00,320 --> 00:51:01,160
in a movie.
Wow.

875
00:51:02,200 --> 00:51:05,920
It's when you get to Benedict
Cumberbatch that I'm like, OK,

876
00:51:06,000 --> 00:51:10,480
like there's a million no name
actors that you could have put

877
00:51:10,480 --> 00:51:13,760
here saved a bunch of money and
they could have gotten a little

878
00:51:13,760 --> 00:51:16,040
notoriety.
Like like Benedict Cumbrash

879
00:51:16,040 --> 00:51:18,720
didn't need this role and the
movie didn't need him in the

880
00:51:18,720 --> 00:51:21,440
role.
OK, here's I was not intending

881
00:51:21,440 --> 00:51:23,280
to ask a question this spicy
today.

882
00:51:24,720 --> 00:51:27,320
Are we entirely sure that
Benedict Cumberbatch is like a

883
00:51:27,320 --> 00:51:31,120
great actor?
And here's why I asked that the.

884
00:51:31,720 --> 00:51:36,520
Between 2 Ferns.
Well, he didn't have a British

885
00:51:36,520 --> 00:51:38,600
accent.
Would everybody realize that

886
00:51:38,600 --> 00:51:41,680
you're a terrible actor?
He's so good in Sherlock, but I

887
00:51:41,680 --> 00:51:45,760
think that he has to be in a
very outsized theatrical

888
00:51:45,760 --> 00:51:47,760
performance that calls attention
to himself.

889
00:51:47,760 --> 00:51:53,640
Not that he has a an oversized
acting style, but I just never

890
00:51:53,640 --> 00:51:57,160
feel like he's playing a
believable human being.

891
00:51:57,440 --> 00:52:00,880
I think he'd be really good
doing like Shakespeare, you know

892
00:52:00,880 --> 00:52:01,760
what I mean?
But like.

893
00:52:02,280 --> 00:52:04,640
Yeah.
Where you where where when you

894
00:52:04,640 --> 00:52:08,440
do like Hamlet or Macbeth
nowadays, you're not just trying

895
00:52:08,440 --> 00:52:10,600
to embody the character of Halen
or Macbeth.

896
00:52:10,600 --> 00:52:14,360
You're also like entering into
this meta conversation of like

897
00:52:15,760 --> 00:52:18,400
actors doing Macbeth.
And so you're like, wow, I'm

898
00:52:18,400 --> 00:52:19,800
watching something big right
now.

899
00:52:20,000 --> 00:52:22,400
I think he'd be good at that.
But when you put him in a role

900
00:52:22,400 --> 00:52:25,600
like this, it's like he's just
kind of trying to do like the

901
00:52:25,600 --> 00:52:28,760
Benedict Cumberbatch a little
bit too theatrical type

902
00:52:28,760 --> 00:52:31,440
performance.
And I don't know that I've ever

903
00:52:31,440 --> 00:52:35,240
seen him in a movie where I've
been like, wow, that is an

904
00:52:35,480 --> 00:52:37,880
incredible performance from
Benedict Cumberbatch.

905
00:52:38,840 --> 00:52:42,080
Here's the thing though.
I will come to Benedict's

906
00:52:42,360 --> 00:52:45,760
defense for this film
specifically, Let's just, let's

907
00:52:45,760 --> 00:52:48,120
just imagine something.
Bob, will you go with me

908
00:52:48,120 --> 00:52:50,120
somewhere in your imagination?
Sure.

909
00:52:50,840 --> 00:52:54,680
Just imagine.
Benedict is sitting down in the

910
00:52:54,680 --> 00:52:57,120
in the chair, getting his makeup
put on.

911
00:52:57,120 --> 00:53:01,520
Costume design, all the things.
And Sam is standing between him

912
00:53:01,520 --> 00:53:04,680
in the mirror and he's like, you
know, all right, all right,

913
00:53:04,680 --> 00:53:06,800
Benedict, we're, we're going to
take it easy.

914
00:53:06,840 --> 00:53:10,600
We're not going over the top.
You're just going to be a a firm

915
00:53:10,600 --> 00:53:12,600
commander who wants to end the
war.

916
00:53:12,600 --> 00:53:14,120
You really believe in what
you're doing.

917
00:53:14,120 --> 00:53:17,920
You're disappointed by what you
know Makai brings.

918
00:53:17,920 --> 00:53:20,200
You sound good, Ben.
Just like, yeah, you got it,

919
00:53:20,200 --> 00:53:22,760
man.
And then he walks away from the

920
00:53:22,760 --> 00:53:27,080
mirror and Benedict sees the
final product and he has that

921
00:53:27,080 --> 00:53:30,200
giant, stupid scar across his
eye.

922
00:53:32,160 --> 00:53:36,120
Tell me that you're not going to
overact if they put the most

923
00:53:36,120 --> 00:53:39,520
obvious scar I've ever seen in a
movie on your.

924
00:53:39,520 --> 00:53:40,800
Face.
That's true.

925
00:53:41,200 --> 00:53:43,680
That's true.
As soon as I saw that in the

926
00:53:43,680 --> 00:53:46,200
mirror, I'd be like, all right,
I'm ready for this.

927
00:53:46,200 --> 00:53:49,080
Yeah, you can't put a scar on my
face like that and expect me not

928
00:53:49,080 --> 00:53:51,920
to be like, just.
Shoe scenery.

929
00:53:51,920 --> 00:53:56,960
Yeah, exactly.
Thank you for joining me in

930
00:53:57,080 --> 00:53:59,760
Imagination Station.
I appreciate that, man.

931
00:54:00,320 --> 00:54:02,600
Is there anybody else from the
cast that you think is worth

932
00:54:02,600 --> 00:54:04,040
mentioning?
I I feel like we've kind of

933
00:54:04,040 --> 00:54:06,400
knocked it out talking about the
two leads here.

934
00:54:07,440 --> 00:54:10,560
Yeah, I mean, I don't know if
anybody else has enough time,

935
00:54:11,200 --> 00:54:15,120
whoever they chose to sing that
song in the middle of it.

936
00:54:15,880 --> 00:54:19,520
No idea who it is, but man, that
dude could belt it.

937
00:54:19,520 --> 00:54:23,400
And that was like, truly, I
think that's where this movie

938
00:54:23,400 --> 00:54:27,440
succeeds, Bob.
It's in those a few small quiet

939
00:54:27,440 --> 00:54:31,560
moments where you just get to
see Makai be broken and

940
00:54:31,560 --> 00:54:38,360
horrified and like the the
juxtaposition of the horrors

941
00:54:38,360 --> 00:54:44,040
that he has seen humans do to
each other with the beauty that

942
00:54:44,040 --> 00:54:47,040
humans can bring into the world
with music like that.

943
00:54:47,400 --> 00:54:51,560
It's like moments like that is
where this movie just is

944
00:54:51,560 --> 00:54:55,640
incredible.
Yeah, I also love the idea of,

945
00:54:55,640 --> 00:54:57,960
you know, you don't find out
anything about George Mckay's

946
00:54:57,960 --> 00:54:59,840
character.
And there's a moment where he

947
00:54:59,840 --> 00:55:03,640
has to escape some Germans in
this shelled out town.

948
00:55:03,640 --> 00:55:07,320
And he ducks into this, like,
underground apartment basically

949
00:55:07,320 --> 00:55:09,040
that's been hollowed out as
well.

950
00:55:09,560 --> 00:55:12,040
Runs into this French lady who's
nursing a baby.

951
00:55:12,440 --> 00:55:15,360
And she asks him, like, do you
have children?

952
00:55:15,360 --> 00:55:18,000
And he just doesn't answer her.
And he continues babbling with

953
00:55:18,000 --> 00:55:21,440
the baby.
At the very end of the movie, he

954
00:55:21,440 --> 00:55:25,240
finally is like in safety for a
moment, finds himself another

955
00:55:25,240 --> 00:55:28,960
tree to sit down at, pulls out
the picture of his children and

956
00:55:28,960 --> 00:55:31,880
his wife that just says like,
come back to us on the back.

957
00:55:32,440 --> 00:55:34,560
And I'm your boy was overwhelmed
with emotion.

958
00:55:35,200 --> 00:55:39,520
But I love the narrative
decision to make this kind of

959
00:55:39,520 --> 00:55:41,120
like a closed loop circuit,
right?

960
00:55:41,120 --> 00:55:45,320
Like it ends exactly where it
started, implying that like 5

961
00:55:45,320 --> 00:55:48,440
minutes from now, after this
guy's wakes up from his nap,

962
00:55:48,440 --> 00:55:51,920
he's right back into it again.
And I think that's again, that's

963
00:55:51,920 --> 00:55:55,040
where the movie succeeds.
Does it get a little bit on the

964
00:55:55,040 --> 00:55:58,800
nose sometimes with the like I'm
going to tell the French baby

965
00:55:58,800 --> 00:56:02,120
the nursery rhyme about they
went to see in a sieve, Like,

966
00:56:02,120 --> 00:56:05,120
Yep, does it get a little bit on
the nose and singing the hymn

967
00:56:05,120 --> 00:56:07,280
about going over Jordan?
Sure, why not?

968
00:56:07,280 --> 00:56:10,400
But like, I think at the end of
the day, man, gimmick or no

969
00:56:10,400 --> 00:56:13,840
gimmick, this is a really
powerful and affecting movie.

970
00:56:14,920 --> 00:56:19,480
It absolutely is.
There is so many moments

971
00:56:19,480 --> 00:56:23,160
throughout this film that you
just feel your emotions rise

972
00:56:23,440 --> 00:56:26,560
from the quiet moments that we
just talked about to the

973
00:56:26,560 --> 00:56:32,120
trailer, him running down the
front line as thousands of

974
00:56:32,120 --> 00:56:37,960
British troops are going across.
What a stunning piece of

975
00:56:37,960 --> 00:56:40,840
filmmaking.
Like, Makai is just getting

976
00:56:41,280 --> 00:56:45,160
trucked by these other dudes and
he just keeps getting up and

977
00:56:45,160 --> 00:56:48,040
running.
And the music has swollen and

978
00:56:48,040 --> 00:56:50,920
it's beautiful and there's
explosions everywhere.

979
00:56:51,120 --> 00:56:54,520
Like how can you not watch that
and not feel moved?

980
00:56:55,000 --> 00:56:59,840
100% there are two key moments
for me in this movie that I just

981
00:56:59,840 --> 00:57:02,200
feel like our absolute knockout
sequences.

982
00:57:02,520 --> 00:57:05,920
And that the one is that ending
sequence because, you know,

983
00:57:05,920 --> 00:57:09,640
because of the suspense that's
built throughout the movie.

984
00:57:10,120 --> 00:57:13,600
It really feels like almost like
a four quarter game of football

985
00:57:13,600 --> 00:57:17,280
or basketball or whatever where
it's like we just need one final

986
00:57:17,280 --> 00:57:20,120
push here and you're really on
the edge of your seat waiting

987
00:57:20,120 --> 00:57:23,600
for that final moment.
But the other one for me is, you

988
00:57:23,600 --> 00:57:27,840
know, he's gone to this shelled
out French town and got grazed

989
00:57:27,840 --> 00:57:30,440
by a bullet, fell down a flight
of stairs and blacks out.

990
00:57:30,440 --> 00:57:32,480
And it's the only time in the
movie where there's an extended,

991
00:57:32,640 --> 00:57:34,760
you know, sequence of black or,
or a cut.

992
00:57:35,360 --> 00:57:37,800
And then he wakes up.
And as soon as he wakes up, that

993
00:57:37,800 --> 00:57:40,680
Thomas Newman score kicks in
with almost like a xylophone, I

994
00:57:40,680 --> 00:57:43,360
think.
And it's the score that follows

995
00:57:43,360 --> 00:57:47,440
him all through this escape from
this town as the flares are

996
00:57:47,440 --> 00:57:50,640
going off.
And that piece of music is just

997
00:57:51,320 --> 00:57:53,800
unbelievable, dude.
It's so.

998
00:57:53,800 --> 00:57:56,120
Gorgeous.
You know, this lost the Oscar

999
00:57:56,120 --> 00:58:00,000
for best score to the score from
Joker, which is, you know, to

1000
00:58:00,000 --> 00:58:05,040
me, an OK score, certainly
distinct, but I thought this was

1001
00:58:05,040 --> 00:58:07,360
like one of the best Thomas
Newman scores I've ever heard.

1002
00:58:07,360 --> 00:58:10,520
And I freaking love that
centerpiece piece of music as

1003
00:58:10,520 --> 00:58:12,360
well.
Yeah, if you're just making it a

1004
00:58:12,360 --> 00:58:16,640
competition between this and
Joker, that's a joke, like.

1005
00:58:16,840 --> 00:58:18,920
I, I mean, I feel like that's.
Chance.

1006
00:58:18,920 --> 00:58:21,840
That's what I say when anybody
compares any movie to Joker.

1007
00:58:21,840 --> 00:58:25,200
So, you know, it's not much of A
competition to me, man.

1008
00:58:26,080 --> 00:58:29,400
Oh, totally, dude.
Yeah, the the music in this

1009
00:58:29,400 --> 00:58:33,600
movie, Yeah, the composition is
just beautiful.

1010
00:58:33,600 --> 00:58:38,360
And it feels like a movie movie.
Like the costuming is unreal and

1011
00:58:38,360 --> 00:58:42,120
the cinematography is amazing.
And the set design, like there's

1012
00:58:42,120 --> 00:58:44,200
a combination of when they're
first walking through the

1013
00:58:44,200 --> 00:58:47,360
trenches and even when they get
into like the empty German

1014
00:58:47,360 --> 00:58:50,640
frontline and you can see like
the wood that they've used to

1015
00:58:50,640 --> 00:58:52,120
shore up the side of the
trenches.

1016
00:58:52,120 --> 00:58:55,320
And it's kind of like mildewy
and wet.

1017
00:58:55,400 --> 00:58:58,440
And like, the color of it is so
incredible, the way Deacons has

1018
00:58:58,440 --> 00:59:01,520
captured it.
But then just like the way that

1019
00:59:01,520 --> 00:59:05,480
they erected this French town
that is half shelled out, it's

1020
00:59:05,480 --> 00:59:09,240
just like this feels like a big
production.

1021
00:59:09,240 --> 00:59:12,520
And I think that's where a guy
like Mendez doesn't get enough

1022
00:59:12,520 --> 00:59:15,360
credit is, especially between
this and Skyfall.

1023
00:59:15,360 --> 00:59:20,400
Like you can see every dollar of
the budget on screen.

1024
00:59:21,160 --> 00:59:26,240
Easily it's a beautiful movie
that like there are some issues

1025
00:59:26,240 --> 00:59:31,000
with storytelling and some of
the characters, but overall man,

1026
00:59:31,000 --> 00:59:37,360
I like 1917 is easily one of the
best movies of 2019 and that's

1027
00:59:37,360 --> 00:59:40,360
in a stacked cast.
All right, man, let's get into

1028
00:59:40,360 --> 00:59:42,160
our last segment of the day,
which we call.

1029
00:59:42,160 --> 00:59:45,200
Let's make it a double.
We're near the end of the

1030
00:59:45,200 --> 00:59:48,680
episode, so thanks listening to
the film and Whiskey show.

1031
00:59:48,840 --> 00:59:51,000
Let's have another film with
this one, even if it's

1032
00:59:51,000 --> 00:59:52,680
struggling.
It's the final segment of the

1033
00:59:52,680 --> 00:59:54,080
day.
Now let's make it a double.

1034
00:59:54,240 --> 00:59:56,560
Let's Make It a Double is
presented by Blackwood

1035
00:59:56,560 --> 00:59:58,720
Distilling Company.
It's the part of the show where

1036
00:59:58,720 --> 01:00:01,960
we pick a movie to pair up with
this one to make the perfect

1037
01:00:01,960 --> 01:00:05,640
double feature.
I think today, Brad, like what?

1038
01:00:05,640 --> 01:00:08,600
I love to pair this with another
one shot movie, sure, or another

1039
01:00:08,600 --> 01:00:11,800
war movie.
But the the one that stuck out

1040
01:00:11,800 --> 01:00:15,680
to me went back to that scene
with the cherry blossoms as a,

1041
01:00:15,760 --> 01:00:19,680
you know, a metaphor for the
grace and peace that is lost in

1042
01:00:19,680 --> 01:00:21,760
the fog of war.
And there's another movie that

1043
01:00:21,760 --> 01:00:25,960
features cherry blossoms quite
prominently, especially from the

1044
01:00:25,960 --> 01:00:28,880
great Japanese actor Ken
Watanabe, and that is the film

1045
01:00:28,960 --> 01:00:31,480
The Last Samurai.
I don't know if it's a movie

1046
01:00:31,480 --> 01:00:35,640
that you've ever seen.
I freaking loved that movie when

1047
01:00:35,640 --> 01:00:37,880
I was growing up.
How have we not watched that?

1048
01:00:37,960 --> 01:00:38,680
I don't know.
I love.

1049
01:00:38,680 --> 01:00:41,840
I love that movie too.
When, when he just says like,

1050
01:00:42,120 --> 01:00:45,880
they're all perfect, like, oh,
dude, so good.

1051
01:00:46,440 --> 01:00:49,800
So yeah, I I'm gonna use the
cherry blossom analogy and pair

1052
01:00:49,800 --> 01:00:55,280
this up with The Last Samurai.
I think that's a a great pick

1053
01:00:55,280 --> 01:00:58,760
for our double feature.
We should watch Last Samurai

1054
01:00:58,760 --> 01:01:00,280
sometime dude.
Yeah, we really should.

1055
01:01:01,080 --> 01:01:04,560
Oh man, although I do do I
remember correctly it's like 3

1056
01:01:04,560 --> 01:01:06,400
hours long.
Yeah, but it's three hours of

1057
01:01:06,400 --> 01:01:08,280
Tom Cruise, your favorite human
being.

1058
01:01:09,160 --> 01:01:12,360
No, I, I yeah, I'm, I'm in.
I'm already bought it.

1059
01:01:12,680 --> 01:01:14,440
Don't oversell.
I'm already bought it.

1060
01:01:15,760 --> 01:01:18,360
I think I'm going to pair this
with Paths of Glory.

1061
01:01:19,240 --> 01:01:21,840
Oh good one, I.
I, I think that both of them

1062
01:01:21,840 --> 01:01:30,000
kind of highlight the human cost
of war, the futility of the

1063
01:01:30,400 --> 01:01:34,200
military brass thinking they
know everything, that there just

1064
01:01:34,200 --> 01:01:36,440
seems like there's a lot of good
comparisons here.

1065
01:01:36,440 --> 01:01:43,480
I know that Mendez used Paths of
Glory in some of his, you know,

1066
01:01:43,480 --> 01:01:46,120
lead up preparation to make
1917.

1067
01:01:46,560 --> 01:01:48,680
So yeah, that that that's my
pick.

1068
01:01:49,520 --> 01:01:53,480
I mentioned this movie before on
one podcast or another, Brad,

1069
01:01:53,480 --> 01:01:57,040
but there's a great documentary
that Peter Jackson did in the 20

1070
01:01:57,040 --> 01:02:00,960
tens around this time called
They Shall Not Grow Old, where

1071
01:02:00,960 --> 01:02:03,440
he and his team took a bunch of
old footage.

1072
01:02:03,840 --> 01:02:08,680
And I think through AI, you
know, restored it, upscaled it

1073
01:02:08,680 --> 01:02:12,680
to 4K, colorized it, read the
lips of the people in the

1074
01:02:12,680 --> 01:02:16,560
footage, found people from the
same areas of England to like

1075
01:02:16,560 --> 01:02:19,400
over dub what they were saying.
And it just becomes this

1076
01:02:19,400 --> 01:02:23,840
historical document of like
taking this old conflict of war

1077
01:02:24,240 --> 01:02:26,640
and really bringing those people
into the present.

1078
01:02:27,040 --> 01:02:29,520
And I I was blown away by that
documentary.

1079
01:02:29,960 --> 01:02:33,840
Like I said, there's not enough
World War One content anyway, so

1080
01:02:34,080 --> 01:02:36,600
if you're curious to watch more
World War One stuff, you could

1081
01:02:36,600 --> 01:02:39,480
do a lot worse than checking out
Paths of Glory and the

1082
01:02:39,480 --> 01:02:41,200
documentary They Shall Not Grow
Old.

1083
01:02:42,280 --> 01:02:47,920
I have not gotten around to the
those documentaries, it's like

1084
01:02:47,920 --> 01:02:50,480
been on my list for a long time
that I really want to watch

1085
01:02:50,480 --> 01:02:51,640
them.
Yeah, it's super good.

1086
01:02:51,640 --> 01:02:54,880
You should check it out, man.
Well, OK, those are our pairings

1087
01:02:54,880 --> 01:02:57,960
for Let's Make It a Double like
we said, presented by Blackwood

1088
01:02:57,960 --> 01:03:00,600
Distilling Company.
No matter what you choose to

1089
01:03:00,600 --> 01:03:04,120
pair this movie up with, you can
always make it a double with

1090
01:03:04,120 --> 01:03:05,880
Blackwood.
And if you go to

1091
01:03:05,880 --> 01:03:10,880
bourbonoutfitter.com/film
Whiskey and use our code Film

1092
01:03:10,880 --> 01:03:14,360
Whiskey at checkout, you can
save on your bottle of Blackwood

1093
01:03:14,440 --> 01:03:16,720
as well.
Brad, it's time to get into

1094
01:03:16,720 --> 01:03:20,320
final scores here.
For most of this film, I was at

1095
01:03:20,320 --> 01:03:25,640
like an 8 1/2, maybe a nine.
I do think that like, it is a

1096
01:03:25,640 --> 01:03:28,920
handsomely mounted film that
feels like it just falls short

1097
01:03:28,920 --> 01:03:30,840
of greatness for most of the
runtime.

1098
01:03:31,400 --> 01:03:35,240
And then the ending happened and
I was like, this solved every

1099
01:03:35,240 --> 01:03:38,200
issue I had with this movie.
I think I'm going to come all

1100
01:03:38,200 --> 01:03:41,080
the way up to a 9.5 out of 10 on
this one, Brad.

1101
01:03:41,880 --> 01:03:46,480
Wow.
Yeah, I, I'm kind of between an

1102
01:03:46,480 --> 01:03:50,360
8 1/2 and a nine.
I I think originally I was at

1103
01:03:50,360 --> 01:03:53,040
like an 8 out of 10 when I first
saw it.

1104
01:03:53,640 --> 01:03:55,840
I think I'll come up to a nine
out of 10.

1105
01:03:57,280 --> 01:04:03,560
I don't know if this is quite
Yeah, it's it's just not quite

1106
01:04:03,560 --> 01:04:09,160
at that level of perfection that
you need to be at to hit that

1107
01:04:09,160 --> 01:04:12,520
nine and a half 10 range.
But there is so much to love

1108
01:04:12,520 --> 01:04:14,920
about this movie.
And I, I would agree with you.

1109
01:04:14,920 --> 01:04:22,120
I I think it's a little bit
ridiculous that the critics just

1110
01:04:22,120 --> 01:04:25,160
don't like Sam Mendez.
Like at the end of the day, sure

1111
01:04:25,160 --> 01:04:28,480
some of their complaints might
be accurate, but he makes

1112
01:04:28,680 --> 01:04:37,000
incredible movies and in an era
where it seems like the quality

1113
01:04:37,120 --> 01:04:43,040
of filmmaking is going down, I
can't see how they are not self

1114
01:04:43,040 --> 01:04:46,880
defeating and destroying their
own industry when they nitpick

1115
01:04:46,880 --> 01:04:51,240
about movies like 1917.
Yeah, man, I think you've

1116
01:04:51,240 --> 01:04:55,520
summarized it perfectly.
So it's a 9.25 out of 10 for us

1117
01:04:55,520 --> 01:04:57,760
on average, but we'd like to
know what you think.

1118
01:04:58,080 --> 01:05:01,800
Did 1917 accomplish everything
you thought it should?

1119
01:05:02,040 --> 01:05:05,880
Are you with us on the over 9
scale or did it not quite click

1120
01:05:05,880 --> 01:05:07,840
for you?
You can let us know on any of

1121
01:05:07,840 --> 01:05:11,640
our social media accounts,
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram,

1122
01:05:11,800 --> 01:05:17,160
Tiktok or YouTube Film Whiskey.
Or if you'd like to, you can

1123
01:05:17,160 --> 01:05:20,440
join the conversation on our
Discord server where we are

1124
01:05:20,440 --> 01:05:23,680
there every day talking about
movies and whiskey and all sorts

1125
01:05:23,680 --> 01:05:25,720
of other things.
O If you'd like to join the

1126
01:05:25,720 --> 01:05:28,440
conversation, you can find a
link at the end of every single

1127
01:05:28,440 --> 01:05:31,560
one of our show notes.
We have but three episodes

1128
01:05:31,560 --> 01:05:34,480
remaining on the season, Brad,
and we're going to shift into

1129
01:05:34,480 --> 01:05:38,600
animated film next week to check
out one of my very favorites

1130
01:05:38,600 --> 01:05:42,160
from this century, it's
DreamWorks 2010 film How to

1131
01:05:42,160 --> 01:05:45,360
Train Your Dragon.
I'm excited to dive into that

1132
01:05:45,360 --> 01:05:47,280
one with you, man.
Yeah, super pumped, dude.

1133
01:05:47,280 --> 01:05:49,840
It's going to be fun.
All right, join us next week for

1134
01:05:49,840 --> 01:05:51,760
that.
But until then, I'm Bob Book.

1135
01:05:52,120 --> 01:05:54,760
I'm Brad G.
And we'll see you next time.

1136
01:06:18,960 --> 01:06:19,200
Music.