The Forbidden Dance

22:10Now, Paul, I'm watching these movies and post the last Epstein email drop. I'm very I'm not like okay as a person after reading all of them and I was like how young is

22:23Jason Mantzoukas:she she looks too young she looks and I'm quickly googling 26 or 26 okay great but I was like oh okay he's gonna be he's gonna be a teenager he the next shot we see of him he looks like a middle-aged amount. It's inappropriate that he still lives at home and is being treated like a child by his parents. He's a grown man. He could have been in the movie Wall Street. Like he looks, that's how he carries himself. It looks like he doesn't have the hair of even a teenager. He doesn't even have a baby face. You know what it is? Him and all his friends, Ashley and Weed and I wrote the names down somewhere.

23:05They all have a bunch of shitty names. They look like they are the runoff of the Brat Pack. They look like they're in a St. Elmo's Fire ripoff movie. They look like they are adults. They should not be. They seem to be portraying high school kids, and they are not at all. You know what it was? It was, you know, Jessica and I were talking about how the young kids, if they think someone's unattractive, they'll call them chopped. You know, their face is kind of chopped. And then if they think they look like a celebrity, but like not as good looking, they'll call them a chopper ganger. and that's what I felt like about all of the guys in this movie they all looked like chopper gangers like that they should be those guys we remember from that time and they are so not I mean our Jason I want to talk about his hair and I'm so glad you brought it up because the the infrastructure yeah go for it the infrastructure of his hair is I I spent the entire movie just trying to figure it out.

24:11The highways and the byways. The mainframe was so, so confusing. What's interesting about watching old stuff, both for this and also when I'm watching old episodes of Law & Order or old whatever's that, you know, old movies and stuff, is you really are shocked to remember. We've become so desensitized. Everybody now has some version of the same hairline. Everybody now has some version of the same stuff. We now have figured enough things out that you forget that even then, back then, young people, you had to reckon with receding hairlines in their 20s. And you watch it on Moonlighting so much so that they have to start making jokes in the show about David Addison losing his hair because he can't go to Turkey and get a hair plug situation.

25:06Jason Mantzoukas:I told you the story, I think, but I'll tell it quickly here that when I was a child, I was such a fan of moonlighting that I went to my barber hairstylist and I said, can you make me look like this? And I gave him a picture of Bruce Willis from Moonlighting and they said, that's a receding hairline. And I was like, I want it. And luckily my babysitter was like, don't know. We have to make sure his mom is OK. But that's the thing is like the many of the sex symbols of the time, Bruce Willis, Corbin Bernson, like people had receding hairline. Yeah. Spinning hair. That's wonderful. And you're right.

25:41I do think there is definitely a diversity to hairline that we don't see anymore. And that's too bad. And I totally get that. I think what I'm also saying, though, is like we're talking about the front. I'm also talking about the back. it's both very long and it and sometimes quite short it's so confusing and there are times where he's he's dancing and dancing and you'll see the back lift up yeah you know it is so

26:15Jason Mantzoukas:strange yeah the whole situation but you know that whole thing for someone who's in constant motion Here, I'm going to say, I can speak to this as a man who is bald. When you are losing it, you don't want to cut it from any other spot. You're like, I'm disguising it. And you see it all the time. Yeah, you see that all the time. You see it for the puffed out the sides, the long the back. It's like, no, no, no. Yeah. You got it all over the place. Wait, is his hair? No, he has good hair. He's got great hair. Great hair, right? All right, well, we'll leave that on the side. Here's what I'll say. The hair that I loved is, of course, the witch doctor who just said, you know what?

26:52Jason Mantzoukas:I'm losing it. And I am going to go. To me, this looks like a Fred Armisen character. You know, he was amazing. That is Joah is his name. Joah. Joah. Joah is the tribal shaman who is up to a lot of stuff. I mean, he's got straight up magic. This guy is literally doing magic. And everybody's just like, oh, cool. He does magic. Okay, we're in. Why not? What I was fascinated by, I mean, so the character, I can't remember her name. She finds Nisha like a sink by a fountain. Carmen, thank you. Carmen is her name. Like the horniest character in the movie. And by the way, I'm going to be so for real again.

27:43The best dancing in the movie, as far as I'm concerned, is by Carmen in her own apartment. just vibing out and seducing Joa. Joa is playing air drums. She's so free with her movement. She feels like she's moving to a song and everybody else feels like they're trying to remember steps. Does that make sense? Yes. She had energy and it was interesting. And I was like, I don't know what the fuck is going on, but I'm enjoying this. And it was surprising. And she was giving everything she had. You're right. Right. Everybody else is like marking the beats. Yes. And trying to remember what the steps are.

28:22It felt like they were they had been taught stuff versus Carmen just felt like she was living her best life. And I was like, give me the Carmen movie.

28:33Jason Mantzoukas:But by the way, is that part of the black magic of Joa? Because we do know that Joa's got he can shoot fireworks out of his hand. He's got he's got a little sack that freezes you. He, you know, and so he starts air drumming there and it seems like, oh, he's just keeping himself entertained. But maybe he's like possessing the air. Like he's kind of puppeteering Carmen. I don't know, because when he's air drumming, she gets so into it. That's an interesting read. I feel like he's more powerful than we even know. Oh, yeah. He is like making, you know, he's like making love. Yes. Big, big cat sounds.

29:07He's roaring like a tiger at points or something. He's doing all sorts of stuff. And when he leaves, when they somehow, I couldn't figure out why they needed to raise money to send him back home. No, I do. They do. They do. And he shows back up at the end. He doesn't seem to have a lot of expendable cash. And why would Carmen want to get rid of him? Aren't they in love now? I'm rooting for them more than I am Jason and Lisa.

29:33Jason Mantzoukas:I think they needed to send him home to get the king because the king does make the appearance at the end of the movie. Yes, on the Kid Creole and the Coconuts show. Yes, so we got to get the king because I guess the original plan was let's send Nisa, our daughter, who knows the way of the white man, to break into the corporation of Petrmico and a name that just kind of falls off the tongue. And she was I don't know what her plan was besides just kind of breaking into his office and saying talk to him. Yeah. And so when that plan goes awry, Joah gets arrested. She is now left just alone in the city.

30:12Jason Mantzoukas:They have no plan. The plan is over the minute they don't get into the CEO's office. So then the plan is let's win a dance contest to get the word out about the destruction of the rainforest. Even that's not a plan until much later because first she becomes a maid. Then she loses that job, but meets Jason. Then she works in the dance club slash brothel. By the way, that's so upsetting. I need to talk about the woman who has a switchblade in her bra. Eyebrows? Yeah. Eyebrows. I was obsessed with, I'm obsessed with 70s and 80s movies obsession with switchblades, which I think is a 1950s nostalgia for like greaser switchblades you know like it feels dirty the gangs the gangs of the 50s you know like Fonzie switchblade type stuff but like her having a switchblade just like click as if that's the most threatening thing that's ever existed well I think that guy thinks that she's you know she's gonna chop off his dick oh yeah because by the way that guy who just gets out of the one of the brothel rooms like is immediately done, comes out shirt off, looking like, again, like a real poor man's Al Bundy.

31:29Jason Mantzoukas:Stomach out, just kind of goes up to knees. I mean, he says, like, you're next. Speaking of, June, this might as well have been filmed on Little St. James. I don't know what this, I don't know where this place was. Very terrible. But it is, I'm pretty sure some of our cabinet members were in there. Yeah, and that main lady was a real Ghislaine Maxwell. I mean, it was real. It was really like she'll get comfortable. When she's comfortable, you can come back. Oh, God. I mean, but just because I just found it, his friends names are Dave, Kurt and Weed. Oh, my God. And by the way, they are all like we said, they are all straight up racist.

32:06Jason Mantzoukas:Like they meet Nisa. They're rapists. They're rapists and racists. And yes, honestly, one of the big problems I had in this movie was their apology at the end, which is. such a non-apology. It's like, yeah, I'm sorry that happened. I'm sorry we lost control. And then she says, no problem. Yeah. No problem. And we move on. Well, she's forgiving. I mean, she saw them for what they are, and she'll never trust them again. How about this? You know who never apologizes and never gets their comeuppance is fucking Ashley, who sucks so hard and is the worst villain of the entire movie when she's in the car with American Rutger Hauer and he says, you're just like your mother.

32:56And she says, I'm outside like her, but inside I'm all daddy. And he like holds her face in his hand. I was like, I want this car to blow up. I hated every second of it. Well, it looks like you've taken after your mother. Only on the outside. Inside I am all daddy. You must be one confused little girl. Well, hardly. Now, you're still the hired gun for Petramco, aren't you?

33:25Jason Mantzoukas:What do you want? It seems we have a mutual acquaintance. A certain Indian princess. I know an Indian princess. Oh, please, save your act for the unwashed. I know she's as big a pain in the ass for Petramco as she is for me. So, I thought it's about time we do something about her. Where can I find her? At this club, Creation. Jason and Nisa have been rehearsing here every afternoon. They're preparing a dance audition for the Kid Creole Show. And if they make the audition, they're on national TV. I won't allow that to happen. Well, I didn't think you would. We can't let them go on TV and preach anti-American propaganda now, can we, Ashley?

34:09What are you going to do to her?

34:11Jason Mantzoukas:Let's just say I would do anything you wouldn't approve of. awful and i was like she's a real villain and nothing she never has any well she doesn't win she doesn't get to perform on kid creole and the coconuts no she doesn't she doesn't have the talent to even do that i do believe she is someone who now would be like full mega i mean she also she does hire somebody right that guy does she hire that cowboy guy like that come and like kind of wreck the show at the end? I think what she does, I couldn't actually figure out what the plan was. She sells them out to American Rutger Hauer, who works for Petra Company, so that he then gets them kidnapped.

34:57How is she getting a line into Petra Co.

35:01Jason Mantzoukas:or whatever? Her daddy. Her dad used to work with him. Connections. Okay, and then why is Rutger Hauer back in the States? He's like a behind-the-scenes fixer. He's like a villain fixer who works with all the big corporate villains to help them make the ozone worse, I guess. I mean, look, we can't dig in on the climate change. It's very hard to kind of break down. This is why people don't believe it exists. You know, this movie, I think, simplifies it. We didn't move the cause forward with this. well look I mean I mean so much of the so many of the clumsy themes of this movie could not be more prescient for right now it is chilling oh but by the way I did feel like everyone in this movie was MAGA though yes I mean there are so many like slurs in this movie first of all she's brazil casual slurs casual and like she's brazilian times though before she opens her mouth and has any sort of like Portuguese accent before they're they all are like scum trash on my face if you are well you are racist we're going to find out in two seconds but on what basis right now in this moment she has brown hair it's so wild they are also in Beverly Hills they are in Los Angeles right even in the 90s I have to imagine that these people live in a diverse city and they treat like Beverly like take that shit to the east side clubs as if like surprised how maga beverly i get it but i know that i'm not surprised always defending the rich well i mean i try to i you know because they keep me they keep me fed um i will i i there was a really funny line when they when you know she gets all those like slurs out but she doesn't really take them in and then she starts dancing but she does say to nisa does say to jason she said uh i wrote this then 50 years ago the government of brazil forbid this dance because it's too sexy for brazil for it to be years ago for it to be that's like in the 40s that's pretty amazing i guess maybe in the 40s i guess in the 40s you couldn't do this dance yeah and but when she does it like i guess i've again i feel like the dance with the curtain was sexier than what we ever see on tv like this never feels a terrible dance it's a it's it is a it's not a dance it's sort of like a hip movement it's completely soulless and joyless i i hated it you want to feel like you're watching two people fuck and i i guess we answered the first question which is like i don't know if i want to watch jason fuck and i don't think that she is as good as a dancer to come like she was best when she was alone it's interesting because we have existed most of our lives have existed in what I would say is like a renaissance of dance movies.

37:52Right. Subsequent to this movie, we have a lot of very good dance movies that have populated the 90s and 2000s. Prior to this, I think June, you're mentioning Dirty Dancing. There really were very few movies that had dance as a component to it. And I do think these, this movie and I'm getting, I suspect Lombada, which I thought we had watched, were really all about the erotic nature of dance being transgressive. You know? Also, dance is usually, usually in most dance movies, dance is a class issue. Dance is an economic differentiator. And it is sort of in this movie, too. Although I couldn't, I know that you're saying, Jason, about like the White Beverly Hills people in the dance club are sort of just using their arms.

38:44I actually couldn't quite figure out what the real difference was in the dancing. It didn't seem like watching Ashley dancing. It was just the closeness of their crotches. I feel like the camera is telling you what's different. Yeah. The camera is telling you by focusing on their midsections. It's saying this is the controversial thing we are willing to show. This movie is about this. And it's this is so outrageous that it's making people in the crowd want to reach out and touch them because they want they're so absolutely turned on by this crazy dancing. You know, but now I think what they're trying to tell you, that's what I think.

39:26I'm doing a little work for the movie, but I think that's what it's it's unsuccessful. But that's what it's trying to show.

39:31Jason Mantzoukas:But the Calypso or King Clam or whatever his name is. He is also. Kid Creole and the Coconuts. Very real band. Very real band. How dare you? Kid Creole and the Coconuts, which they do perform a song that I had a lot of problems with. Was it called The Horror? Yes. I love that song. That was the best song in the movie. To me as well. I feel like they're kind of like Latin, disco, Caribbean. So they're open to this kind of music. I guess the idea is like Kid Creole is the only person that will accept this kind of dancing. I don't even know if I don't know. I mean, yeah, I think just the audition that's happening.

40:15And I would say that that could be true if our other dancers like Ashley, et cetera, weren't trying so desperately to also win a spot on the Kid Creole competition. Yeah, because if Nisa hadn't shown up, Jason and Ashley would have been doing regular dancing to try and get in on Kid Creole and the Coconuts. You know, that is the audition that's available that is going to, I guess, be the platform that changes the world. i mean when it's revealed when kid creole like takes in the information from the king and from our witch doctor and from nisha and jason out like oh yeah this company and they're making plus you know they're neither on every product and they're causing this and they're taking over and you know kid creole is like it kind of takes it in like oh wow okay and then he's like yeah i mean man i guess i'm not gonna buy any of those products anymore the same Patramco that we find on the supermarket shelves.

41:12That's the one. We buy products they make every day. Not me. Not anymore. The rainforest is too important. I say if Patramco is destroying the rainforest, well then we should just boycott their ass. Okay, back to dancing. We should boycott. He says we should boycott their stuff. And that is the last line of the movie. And then more dialogue. It's just dancing. And it's also like, I guess my point is it feels like for all that, the end moment is like, yeah, maybe. Wouldn't you love to live in that world? Wouldn't you love to live in a world in which people can win a dance contest, get on Kid Creel and the Coconuts on TV.

41:56He calls for a boycott and substantial change happens.

42:01Jason Mantzoukas:To me, I'm also like, we don't know what this company even does. I'd love to know what their products are. We don't know what they like. It feels to me like they could be drilling for oil. We don't know what they are doing. So to boycott their products, it does feel like, oh, OK, well, I wonder what they're behind. Like, you know, because it doesn't say, hey, we should stop buying their toilet paper and they're this and they're that. He just says, let's stop. And I guess I don't know for an audience of what, six to seven hundred people. Again, this looks like a very local show. It looks like a very local show.

42:33Jason Mantzoukas:Although I did say to June while we were watching it. Are those cue cards in intentional or are they uh indicative of the shorter uh period of time of making this film because i think they were trying to show this that is there's a tv show filming you know i mean like that is a visual cue to tell you this is a tv show got um because there weren't a lot of other visual cues to tell you this was the tv show right because it looks exactly like the same club that you saw in the beginning. It just looks like another scene in the dance club. Yes. Oh my God. I have a question. How did the shaman fly back from Brazil with a snake in his bag?

43:13Well, I mean, using black magic. A very big snake. I mean, is that bag like a Hermione Granger bag that has like a limitless volume inside of it?

43:23Jason Mantzoukas:Jason, I mean, let's even go to let's ask one question before that. How did they both get here without passports. They don't seem to have any ID, any money. They just seem to have gotten on a plane. I think actually one of the characters just say like, how did you get here? And she's like, never mind that. Let's put that on on the side over here. To kids, summer isn't just time off. It's time spent building confidence and curiosity. But when school meals pause, millions of kids lose access to the food they count on during the school year. As a neighbor-led network, Feeding America is deeply rooted in every community, ensuring summer meals continue nourishing growth and potential.

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46:39Jason Mantzoukas:Didn't his son give it to her? Yes. Yes, but we don't see them meet. She sees him passed out on the bed, and the next scene, they're walking into the club, and she's saying, I feel bad. No, he's checking her out. Right? He checks her out during the curtain dance, but then he gets on the phone with Ashley, and Ash is like, I can't go tonight, and he's like, oh, he's so mad. And cut to Nisha walking in with him. We never see what happened there and how she got his mom's dress. Yeah, and also how it fits her so good. That mom's body must be incredible. And then it also, then she marches back into the house like ain't nothing happened here.

47:23Yeah, that was a bad look for Nisa.

47:25Jason Mantzoukas:The mom's real concern seems to be dry cleaning. She's like, I just had to, oh, now I got to bring it back to the dry cleaner. Like, as if she sweats so much in it. Well, I mean, they did go dancing. Yeah, I would bring it to the dry cleaner, Paul. They never look like they're catching a sweat. And we've watched plenty. I've watched to save the last dance. I've seen. I mean, I'm getting that dress dry cleaned. Oh, you have to get it dry cleaned. You got to get it dry cleaned. Dry cleaned. Drag queen? Drag queen. You got to get that dress drag queen. You got to get the drag queens back in it. Man.

47:56Oh, man. So. All right. So. I loved how scared the parents were that he was dancing so much. He, Jason, repeatedly turns down alcohol because he's driving. We never see them doing drugs. He's nothing. He's portrayed as nothing but a genuinely good boy whose only vice is dancing. The best line was at one point during this conversation where his parents are really going after him for dancing. He says, Mother, I dance. your father and i don't feel it's fair to us that you spend your time running in and out of dance clubs mother i dance i like it and i'm good at it i mean this is very footloose coded like yeah

48:45Jason Mantzoukas:they're like we're from beverly hills we don't dance which would then also if i'm writing this movie and again they only wrote in 10 days so give him a lot of credit like he should be leaving beverly hills to go downtown to go to different clubs that's where he's dancing well that's the thing baby goes to where the where the other people are dancing sexy not how patrick's patrick swayze's teaching like proper like ballroom dancing at the resort but they're doing dirty dancing in the club at night and and baby has to go there jason baby doesn't go anywhere to learn the lombata the lombata just comes to him and he's basically dancing jason baby needs a swayze we do jason baby needs a swayze that's the t-shirt i mean there it is molly it's a personal ad it's it's a personal ad jason baby needs a swayze oh i love that uh i do believe that like even the club that they're at is essentially like the max from saved by the bell at night right it's like it's it's you know it looks just like the max and there's nothing but going on but But then when the DJ plays, hey, I'm going to play the Lombada, the entire dance floor clears out.

49:58Jason Mantzoukas:Like no one's on the dance floor but them. And I'm like, at that point, you're a bad DJ because you're playing a song that clears the dance floor and you don't change a damn thing. So the DJ. What's also interesting is then Nisa and Jason step out and they start dancing and it's going so well that everybody jumps in and is like turned on by the music. Like the movie is trying to tell us. I feel like the rest of the movie's plot wants us to believe they're the underdogs. But like every time they do the dance, it catches on. So they are nothing but like they're not being held down. They're only being lifted up in every one of the dance sequences, you know.

50:40Jason Mantzoukas:So I guess the idea is like it's taking everybody by storm. But we never really get that because even his friends at the end, they apologize for being racist. But I think they're really apologizing just because they won the contest. Yes. And rapist. But I do also want to talk about the power of this dance, because I do think there is something to be said for, like how it hypnotizes men. When we see those men, look, they're creepy, but they also seem completely hypnotized by her. Do you mean the three or four men in a dance circle? Yes. In the business suits, just staring at her. That was so frustrating to me.

51:18Jason Mantzoukas:People in leather, it's a leather club. I mean, there are people in full, like, S &M gear on a stage and on platforms. She's on the dance floor. I will say there's a confusing amount of contradictory subcultures represented in very few number of people in this club. Yes. That's why I'm like, we might be reading too much because there's not a lot of people to look at. Yeah. Yeah, and everybody seems to represent a different subsect of the culture or of a subculture, which was, I just felt like the movie, they just were throwing everything at the movie. And in a lot of ways, nothing ends up sticking because you're just like, what am I following exactly?

52:05And boy, do I wish they would be getting better at dancing. And they are just not. Yeah, they are just not. You know, now I am.

52:16Jason Mantzoukas:I mean, this movie, look, did it make me question, you know, what these companies are doing to the rainforest? Absolutely. Why? Because I was brought in through sex. Sex sells. Why aren't we doing more sex with our PSAs? Like, that's what I think that I'm getting from this movie. Let's make a sexy PSAs from now on. You know? Show a little butt. Show a little leg. Show a little chest. You know what I'm saying? Let's get the word out. This is like this is a movie that is like that is a about an erotically charged dance at a time that is very conservative. Like we were coming out of the very conservative 80s, very the religious right, the the Reagan era kind of conservatism that is, you know, and we're about to be in the period of the PMRC and and and and labeling music.

53:10Thank you.

53:11Jason Mantzoukas:Finally talking about what this movie is trying to get out there. Yes. And the Lombada was the thing that broke it open. I mean, Nelson Mandela is about to get out of jail. Manuel Noriega is finally captured, right? And Germany was reunified. I guess I just wish it was a sexy dance. I would love it. I would love it as well. I just wish it was. I do too. You know what confounded me? When they arrive at Carmen's apartment and she offers that she and Nisa sleep on the couches in the living room and that Jason has the bed. And I was so, and I know he's just been beat up, right? Like, that's fine. He's always throwing punches, though.

53:59That's fine. But you're not going to catch me offering a man a bed while I sleep on the couch. Like, that was just so wild for me. He's too tall for the couch, June. The movie both wants Jason to be, he needs to learn from Nisa, but also it's a white savior movie for him. You know what I mean? Yes, it is. It's trying to have it both ways, which is, you know, just terrible. And he is like the prince who is like, oh, well, you're the man. So you get the bed and we'll be out here. But but I couldn't then figure out. And I'll just push back one level is is Carmen trying to carve out space for Jason and Nisa to have the bed together?

54:43Is she like, is she foresee it? She's like because she's basically like, why don't you go get in there? And then she slides a condom under the door. So maybe part of it in my mind, I'm Carmen. I'm doing a lot of physical labor during the day. I'm I'm going to sleep in my own bedroom I'm a grown fucking woman I'm going to sleep in my own bedroom and I will retire early and let you two young bucks have the couch and do what you need to do out there but I'm not offering up my bed for a stranger to have sex in a strange man

55:19Jason Mantzoukas:but June don't you think that she's doing that for the good of the rainforest She's like, they have to fuck so they win the contest. So that he can save the day. So Whitehead can save the day? Yeah. I mean, this movie has, you know what this movie, interestingly, in contrast to so, so, so, so, so many of our other movies, this movie has no, zero exposition dumps. This movie has no plot recaps. No characters ever say what their plan is or what they're trying to do or recap where they are in the process. It is just happening to it. It feels as though the movie is happening to them in real time. Well, you said this thing about, you know, you said, oh, well, you know, they're practicing for weeks.

56:06Jason Mantzoukas:I believe that this whole movie takes place over the course of four or five days. Yeah, same. And I just based that on outfit changes. Oh, yeah, I know. But it did. It also I had the same thought as Paul. I'm like, I think this is maybe the 48 hour period. But maybe I also couldn't understand how much time went by at the club because I kind of think we were supposed to believe that because of the Lombada, because for a prize Lombada lady, that business was booming. because they had a sign out there. Well, right. There's more men than we've seen so far. They're making a lot of money there. Switchblade lady, you mean?

56:48Switchblade lady, yeah. And then our security guard is in a really nice suit all of a sudden. So I'm like, oh, is she? I love that security guard. You know, she the big whale. Is she really making coin here? She's in demand. They're setting her up to both be this incredibly desired dancer who is also pure. She has not she doesn't do any of the upstairs work. They say so many times that she hasn't yet taken anybody upstairs into like the bedrooms, you know, and then she says to Jason, I'll take you upstairs. So you're my first, you know, which I was like, that was the only scene, though, that was at least.

57:29No, I didn't understand it because she switches like seconds later and is like trying to save him. But at least in that moment where she's like so angry with him and angry about everything that's happened and she's telling him she's going to take him upstairs and he's like, no, no, no, I don't want you to. I don't want you to. At least I was like, oh, something interesting is happening between these two people. I don't really understand why, but I am engaged in whatever conflict this is. Well, wouldn't it have been interesting if the movie I mean, and this isn't the movie we watched, obviously, but if the movie was interrogating him, Richie Rich Beverly Hills kid, really having to go into another world because of meeting and encountering this woman.

58:13And it is about, like you were saying, June, class. And it is about, you know, race. And it is about all these elements that are that are in this movie, but are just really not being spoken to.

58:24Jason Mantzoukas:really yeah right no no he doesn't he can't doesn't have time for that guys doesn't have time for that all right yeah we gotta do the lombata again i mean this guy we're realizing that through dance he's not a racist like all of his friends he's also not a rapist like all of his friends yeah he's in beverly hills but maybe sleeping during the day and he's a vampire like you know he's he's getting his life force from something different and i don't know i feel like that love if it turned out that he was a vampire i would love to see i mean oh he is he's more physically violent than I would assume for a character like this.

58:55Jason Mantzoukas:He breaks the traditional mold of a Beverly Hills rich kid. He doesn't have any of those things. And I feel like he's always throwing punches in fights that he is not going to win. And what does he break his ankle from like a four foot drop? From falling. From falling like so little. Yes, you're right. Like a curb. Like a double curb. It's such a short way. And it also is like he hangs, he's hanging there for like maybe six or seven seconds he has zero upper body strength like yeah could have he could have held on for long he is which is shocking because so much of his beverly hills dancing is upper body is just upper body you think his shoulders and and arms would be just jack i laughed so hard when he fell i mean it was truly such a short distance well but i was also like you knew you were falling that distance like If I was up there, I would look down.

59:51You have the time to kind of cushion that fall as best as possible. I did not think there was any reason he should have broken ankles. Yeah. Especially as a dancer. Oh, yeah. But thank God the shaman is there with the snake to heal him. Thank God. With a venomous snake bite, I assume. I mean, incredible stuff. I do think it's interesting. I what it's something that I find captivating about this is she is positioned in a way that is people are captivated by her. People cannot take their eyes off of her. Her movement is hypnotic. Everything. People are driven feral by her presence. And what is it?

1:00:34Twenty years later, she plays such a similar role in Mulholland Drive. Oh, yeah. Laura Herring, you know, like like still. has this magnetic appeal that is that David Lynch uses to be like, oh, I cannot. This person is entrancing in some way. This person is somehow I cannot is captivating me in some way. There's a link there that I was like, oh, wait a minute. This is Laura Herring from Moho and Drive. Yeah. Well, listen, she is captivating. She is. Oh, yeah. She's like a five time Miss America.

1:01:10Jason Mantzoukas:Right. Like she's got like a crazy past. Here's the problem with the movie. Laura Herring is absolutely captivating. And I could watch her all day. But she's not captivating as a dancer. And if we had just photographed her and filmed her in this movie doing something else and leaving, you know, I think she would be captivating. But in here, inside this movie, once she's dancing and we're not really just on her face, it falls apart. No, we need, yeah, the movie needed, because dance is the transaction that needs to, like, emotionally get you there, the dancing just doesn't seal the deal. I would be curious, and perhaps, forgive me, Paul, if this research has already been done.

1:01:54Oh, yeah, please. I would be curious for us to do the other Lombada movie.

1:01:59Jason Mantzoukas:Well, this is viewed as the worst of the two, but I am so down to take you up on that, because, again... And maybe it's not worth it, and I genuinely mean that. I'm not saying we should, but I'm curious... I'm just curious as a comparison. I would love to see... I would actually love to see the Lombada. I would love to see a better Lombada. Well, let me tell you something about the other Lombada film. They do not use the song Lombada, nor do they dance the Lombada in the other Lombada. Okay, so they had the name, but not the song. And this one has the song, but not the name? Exactly. Exactly. And I mean, the story here, I'll just give you a little bit more of it here.

1:02:41Jason Mantzoukas:You said this is, you know, a Golan, Golbus, you know, kind of thing. So basically, the producer writer of this is Menem Golan. And, you know, he comes obviously with Yoram Globus. And so they have that studio we've done a lot of different movies about. And they basically him and his cousin, they turn out like 125 movies in the 80s, right? So it's like all the Chuck Norris movies, is everything that we've really done in the show. But in 87, things start going bad for Canon Films. They kind of have all these flops like Superman IV and Master of the Universe, which we also did in the show. They are facing bankruptcy.

1:03:17Jason Mantzoukas:And basically, Golan says, you know what, it's all Globus' fault. And he leaves to start his own company. And the cousins don't speak anymore. But then when Lombada becomes this phenomenon, both of them are racing into production to make this their savior movie like so wait a minute so the two lombata movies one is golen and one is globus yes exactly oh that's incredible so then globus goes my film's going to be released on may 4th and then golen's like mine will be released on april 6th and then they're like these lawsuits that's how lombata is pulled from the name and And then Golan gets the song.

1:03:58Jason Mantzoukas:And then Globus does not get the song. And then Golan takes out a two-page ad in Variety announcing that the Forbidden Dance is going to open in March. And then it's in Variety. It says, I'm proud and honored to have had the opportunity to create the one and only original Lombada film that truly depicts the Lombada dance. And then Globus is like, fuck, I got to release mine at the same time. And so, yeah. So that makes so much more sense than why these exist. It's because it seems like it's personal. Yes. And so basically, yeah. It feels like antagonistic towards each other, not just randomly two people came up with the same idea.

1:04:42Jason Mantzoukas:No, it's the guys who basically have created trash, both chasing the same trash and ethics. And basically Lombada, I think because of the name recognition, makes$2.9 million on opening weekend, opening at number eight. Meanwhile, the Forbidden Dance makes$721 ,000 and comes in 14th place. So, you know, Lombada wins. Lombada always is winning. I mean, here's the reality. Here's the reality. The audience wins. The audience wins with two different Lombada movies. Obviously, look, there's so much to break down here, but I think that what we understand is this movie worked. It stopped and protected the rainforest.

1:05:25Jason Mantzoukas:It has created so many great things. And we had some problems with it, but there are people out there that think this is a perfect movie. It is now time for second opinions. U.S.A.! U.S.A.! U.S.A.! The movie was a piece of shit. Yet this person recommends it Tell me what is the message Maybe that art is subjective I need a second opinion You'll be happy to know that there are less than a thousand reviews for this film. So this is not a film that's really broken through, but 82 % of them are five-star reviews. and Mishy in 2018 writes, I love this movie as a teen. As an adult, still a good movie.

1:06:19Jason Mantzoukas:Touches on a few ecological issues too, which is what pulled me to it as a teen. Recommend watching. Five stars. A few ecological issues. What are the, I mean, one, it just seems like don't destroy the, it doesn't seem like it gets into the nitty gritty in any way beyond. No, we're not getting into like fossil fuels or anything else other than just like the, the amazon rainforest yeah it really is the ozone layer and the destruction of the rainforest which in this time period is what's the thing the only climate change level event you know we're not talking about clean coal here no yeah this is i don't even really understand the plan just to burn it all down it does seem like that's a waste of well that's the thing that's so funny is like this kind of a movie like you know your saturday night fevers your you know your dance type your Dirty Dancing, it really is about the dance that really allows you to become yourself or to dance your own steps or to win the contest.

1:07:21But in this case, winning the contest means saving the rainforest. It is, the stakes are so big. The movie exists on such a small street level that its message is massive.

1:07:36Jason Mantzoukas:Well, and the idea, ideally, since they're burning it down, my thought is that it's primarily probably for like cattle ranching or agriculture in some way. So this is the company that they're boycotting. They're like, don't eat meat. So is it also a movie that— Yeah, they keep saying—they say that the company—you know that company. Petrocom. Their products are in your supermarkets. And I was like, whoa, whoa, whoa. Are they a food company? I mean, again, when I'm looking at why you're burning down the rainforest, you're talking about mining for gold or copper or oil. Agriculture, it doesn't seem like, but again, that's why we need the prequel about Petrachol, the Rosencrantz and Gilder's turn of this film.

1:08:17Jason Mantzoukas:This movie from Ackbar is a little sexually charged. Written in April 14th of 2002, Ackbar writes, This was the most sensuous movie I've ever seen. when you try to be sensuous it often doesn't work but when you make a movie like this one and allow a talent to express the results are here in this movie bow wow five stars I wish it hadn't ended with bow wow five stars I can't right now Paul and I will just end with Sweet Cherry for you on IMDB who gave it 10 out of 10 stars and Sweet Cherry says although this movie obviously didn't attract many viewers It's one of the best movies I've ever seen with music and dance.

1:09:01Jason Mantzoukas:The Forbidden Dance is not only entertaining for the viewers, but it also lets everyone know that there are problems in the world that people need to think about, such as the rainforest issue. Ten stars. The rainforest issue. Yes, we are not talking about the rainforest issue. So, I mean, I will say on some level, releasing a mainstream movie, that is the message. It's not to save, like you said, not to save the rec center, not to save something. It's a big issue. And I do think that that's probably the boldest part of it. I mean, I would say for a Globus and Gollum kind of movie, to have it have an ecological message is kind of shocking.

1:09:48Yeah. And, you know, the ozone hole has been healed. So there we go. We did it. I guess because of this movie. I guess this movie's mission accomplished on the aircraft carrier.

1:10:02Jason Mantzoukas:I will say I did hear that Joa did fly in an F-16 jet with a snake and put the snake to where the hole in the ozone was and sucked it closed. I mean, that snake can suck out venom. It can suck out broken bones and it can fix the ozone layer. We just got to get Joe up there with the snake. I do just want to one more time remind everybody that at the audition, not at the final, but at the audition, the judge, the judge's name is Mama Coconut. I really, I really, that was important to me. I was, I don't want, I want to foreground that. And I know I said she's wearing an Amy Sherman Palladino hat earlier because this character appears to be dropped in.

1:10:46And I believe she is genuinely Kid Creole's manager or something. First of all, her energy, Mama Coconut's energy, while watching that and also looking at Kid Creole, it was so fascinating, in fact. It was like she was so happy. Yes, yes. She was so lit up inside that I couldn't, to your point, it felt like she'd never been on screen before. She just looked so happy to be there. certainly wasn't playing any sort of discernment or wasn't sort of reminding us of the stakes of this really intense audition. Once again, the dance captivated everyone, including Mama Coconut. Right, but Mama Coconut was also seen captivated by our villain's dance.

1:11:34Oh, okay. She just seemed so, there was no critical eye from her.

1:11:39Jason Mantzoukas:I think she was happy to be in a movie. Let me tell you, can I just tell you, We're talking about a real person here. Mama Coconut is now, the lead singer of this band is August Darnell. All right. And Mama Coconut is now Darnell's wife. You know, sorry. I believe the coconuts were the Kid Creole's Kid Creole. And the coconuts, I believe, are the female singers. Okay. So Darnell's now wife, Eva Tudor Jones, was Mama Coconut for more than 20 years. And now she manages all of their operations. And they're still on tour. You can go see them this year, as a matter of fact. They're in Europe right now as we speak.

1:12:21Jason Mantzoukas:So, you know, there's a lot going on in the coconut world. I will say this, June. I know that you said that you needed to speak a little bit about the sexiest kiss you've ever seen on film. When Jason and Nisa kiss and how they really are sucking in lips there. It was disgusting. Wait, when? I don't remember. They're on a bet. Maybe it was when they were in Carmen's apartment. Yeah, I think that's when it happens, right? Oh, okay. It was so disgusting. And it was like, there's no tongue because they kept on, there was like a side view. And so we just kept on watching their faces, their lips mash into each other.

1:12:56Open mouths, like sort of like, you know, two fish, like two fish going at each other. Sure. But I'm going to use this word, I hate to say this, but it looked so dry. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. You look like two dry mouths, like fish on the sand. Kind of like the kiss that I got that I was very disturbed by. There's a kiss during the dance sequence where he puts her onto the ground of the, lays her down on the floor of a nightclub and kisses her on the ground. I was like, this is disgusting. Get out of there. You guys both need a shower now. Jesus. It was so gross. It was so gross.

1:13:46Jason Mantzoukas:Would you recommend people watch this film? Absolutely. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I've enjoyed talking to you two about it. And Paul, I do feel like we enjoyed it last night. Yeah, absolutely. Enjoyed is such a wrong word to use. But we watched it and we had some laughs. We definitely watched the movie. We definitely watched it and it wasn't too long. it wasn't too long at one hour and 35 if it if it had been even 10 more minutes longer i would have hated it but it really just the right length it really was the right length and it wasn't um you know and i'd say most of the movie is a montage yeah so you really don't have to pay no and then sometimes that's when characters will say something like was that established no it wasn't and again the mvp for me is of course joa today's episode of course uh is you know uh to support the rainforest just like the movie i think we need to start you know kind of putting a post credits tag on our show you know it's dedicated to the rainforest well i guess yeah no like like so let's make that a special promise i would love that and listeners if you have any money left over after pledging your financial support to the rainforest you can pledge your support to how did this get made by buying a t-shirt designed for this very episode you can check out all of our merch just go to hdtgm.com but for this episode uh we do have a uh a t-shirt design that can be made into a sticker or sweatshirt whatever you want uh it's like a newspaper personal ad that says uh jason baby needs a swayze uh just a guy who likes to dance looking to learn the exotic lombata care of hdtgm yeah it doesn't really read as funny as it is but it is great.

1:15:25Jason Mantzoukas:We'll put the link to the shirt in the show's notes. And for all of our t-shirt designs, like I said, just click on that merch link. You can get it made into a mug, a backpack, a sweatshirt, whatever you want. We are back at Largo, April 1st. If you don't know what movie we're doing on April 1st and you got tickets, well, just check out the website. But I'll tell you right here too. It's the Pierce Brosnan action flick live wire. As always, if you have a correction or omission from this episode, leave me a voicemail at 619-P-A-U-L-A-S-K or write a comment on our discord at discord.gg slash hdtgm and i'll respond to your messages next week on last looks jason will also join me to chat about my visit to the jackass five set nirvana the band the movie yeah we recorded this a little while ago and some tv shows that we are currently loving remember if you listen to us on apple podcast or spotify please make sure you are subscribed to our feed and have automatic downloads turned on in the show settings it helps us and we appreciate it a lot.

1:16:18Jason Mantzoukas:Lastly, a huge thank you to our behind the scenes team. I'm talking about our producer, Scott Sonny and Molly Reynolds, our engineer, Casey Holford, our social media manager, Zoe Applebaum, and our intern Quinn Jennings. And we'll forever be thankful to the one and only Averill Halley. That's all I got, people. I'll see you next week on Last Looks. Bye for now. The perpetual pen tapper, the arbitrary fridge reorganizer, the holiday party planner that starts in May. Principal knows your star employees have their work quirks. Principal also knows how much these employees mean to your business. You need them.

1:16:53Jason Mantzoukas:They need benefits. Work with principals so they can help you help your team with a retirement and benefits plan that's right for them. Principal Life Insurance Company, Des Moines, Iowa. Hey, you. Feeling hungry? Run to Denny's for... The new Etonia Everyday Value Slam! Part of Denny's Slam and Meal Deals. and see the new Masters of the Universe movie only in theaters June 5th.