The Best Picture Movie Draft

27:18I can even plot it out for the first eight months. I'm doing it really straightforward. and earnestly and then I go full Project Veritas and start like not believing with things and I'm like showing up in Greece and trying to like doorstep Chris Nolan like sir sir this is how you finally do the Greece trip yeah and I'll be free to like follow along as your as your one woman crew you know and it's also finally time for your Mediterranean diet that we've been talking about for years oh yeah blue zone dog is that what we're dialing up we're talking about it Chris and I have been talking about it for about 18 months.

27:52You know, we're sort of soft launching it. Yeah, welcome to How I Eat. There's a lot of different research on Blue Zone. Blue Zone? It's like, you know how in Sardinia everybody lives so like they're 101? Yeah. Are you seriously just about to explain the Mediterranean diet to him for the first time and you've never heard of this? I know what that is, yeah, but I didn't know what the Blue Zone was. There are parts of the earth where people live forever because they have like good quality ingredients. because they eat, you know, like olive oil and local, yeah, but they smoke them. Yeah, that's true and they have wine.

28:18Yeah. Yeah. It's great. This is true in many societies that don't strictly consume processed food, though. I mean, across Asia, there is a little similar experience. I was worried this pot was going to be boring, and it's not. No, no. I'm never worried about that at all. With the first—let me just ask a question for the room. I've already made my decision, so this won't influence it. But what do you think is the weakest of the decades? It depends on your levels of familiarity, but I would say the 2010s. The 2010s. That's interesting. Okay. Really? Personally. Even more so than the 1930s. I don't know.

28:48There were some pretty good movies in the 1930s. I mean, there's pretty good movies in every year, right? The 2010s is interesting. I mean, I don't... I have my eye on a few movies, but as you know, I don't love... Like, we were talking Spotlight the other day, right? A lot of people love that movie. You love that movie. Do you think Spotlight's better than Gone with the Wind? Better? I promised you that I would dog walk you into a Margaret Mitchell conversation last night, and here you are trying to walk me into one. You know, Gone with the Wind, what an achievement in production. I love the music.

29:19Incredible staging, costumes. A depiction of the South. Please don't look at me. You were born at Terra, right? You were the estate depicted in the film. I wonder if they have renamed, there is literally at like an indie movie theater in Atlanta that was still called like the Terra something. I hope they have renamed that. Yeah. I don't have Gone with the Wind on my board. Okay. I can admire its achievement. There's a good screenshot. shot a good crane shot coming down the stairs uh no of all like the confederate yeah oh yeah yeah you know the shot you like that because you felt it honored the men who gave their lives during that no i'm just a big frame it up like dolly guy you know yeah every frame painting that's what you always say okay well with my first pick just to just to honor the story i was telling i'll take the silence of the lambs in the 1990s you know it's universally a wonderful movie.

30:14I think the 90s is weirdly a little weaker than I would have previously thought when I started doing this exercise. Yeah. The Silence of the Lambs is both a very serious and compelling film and also just a lot of fun and goofy to talk about as we've done multiple times over the years. One of Jonathan Demme's many masterpieces. Great performances. The last movie to win the big five. Best picture. Director. Actor. Actress. Adapted screenplay. Do you think that Hopkins should have been in supporting actor? Where do you stand on that? I do not care about category fraud. I'm like, I just I have said this many times.

30:51It's fine. He holds the movie. You can't have the movie without him. So I'm fine with him and actor. Okay. Cool. I wonder what would it take for you to get really upset about that. I think it would probably have to be somebody you really believed in losing something that you thought was category fraud. Can't think of an example of that though. You could say it's a little early to go 1990s. Yeah, I mean. But I want this to be harmonious. It's also like, it's like in the process of the pod, there's picks that make sense because of where they're going to go. But then when you see them in a graphic afterwards, you're like, why the fuck did you pick this?

31:23You know? Yes. That won't happen. You're going to be like, people are going to be like, yes, Silence of the Lambs rules. Right, right. I won't have to explain why I've chosen Forrest Gump. Yes. Yeah. Right. Okay. Well, you're up. Number two pick. I will absolutely be taking It Happened One Night in the 1930s. God damn it. I mean, you have to. That would have, I'm relieved. I strongly consider it. Thank you. Thank you for not taking it from me. I have a personal favorite in this decade. Well, that's great. My personal favorite is one of the great romantic comedies and one of the most influential movies and also a winner of the big five.

31:57It is. One of only three? I feel like there's one that we're forgetting, but anyway. Okay. I re-watched part of this movie this morning just to have a nice time. And then I like fast forwarded just for the walls of Jericho. Claudette Colbert only liked to be photographed on one side of her face. I sympathize. Now you understand why we switched chairs. Well, what if I like to be filmed dead on? That's my preferred angle. This is a magical movie. I love it. I was telling you about the series that you must remember this is doing right now about the old man is still alive. These sort of great filmmakers at the end of their career.

32:35Frank Capra was the first episode. and it's amazing what sweet and funny and profound films he made in the 30s and 40s given what a unkind fucker he seemed like was it really? yeah just some really unseemly stuff and a lot of public stuff and you know this is certainly in an era of pre-cancellation and all that but like and he seemed like not that person when he was making these movies and then later in life kind of soured on a lot of things but But, you know, this is the guy who made Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. It's got Capra-esque. It's a wonderful life. And Capra-esque, one of the rare adjectival filmmakers.

33:15There are three, in fact, three big five winners. It happened one night, Silence of the Lambs, and another movie that is eligible today. Maybe we'll get to it. If we don't, I'll cite it at the end if I have a memory that is strong enough to do so, which is usually not the case. Okay, Chris, you've got two picks. Alrighty. Kind of all over the place. I did not anticipate you taking It Happened One Night, but congratulations. I'm going to take Unforgiven in the 90s. Ooh. Okay. Good. There's a couple movies here that I still really like a lot, but Unforgiven is my second favorite Best Picture winner next to Silence of the Lambs, so I'll grab that while it's still there.

33:51Clint Eastwood's supposed to be a capstone on his career in some ways, and then he just kept cranking them out. Yep. It's been 33 years since this movie came out. It's crazy. are we like how many what's the time span between Unforgiven and The Mule that's 2019 so it's 27 years wow that's crazy I love this movie still we recently enough did it on Rewatchables I think last year it was probably like five years ago but okay perfect western great performances from Hackman and Richard Harris and Morgan Freeman and so I'll take that in the 90s and then I gotta get I guess I gotta take All Quiet on the Western Front from the 1930s which is not one that I jam a lot but did watch in conjunction with Edward Berger's version of it that was on Netflix a couple years ago and was also a Best Picture in the Hunt Best Picture movie and this is you know quite a good piece of cinema history if maybe not like a movie going experience but is thought of as one of the great anti-war films of all time I also rewatched it when we did that podcast and was blown away by it.

35:04I think it's an amazing movie. I think it's legitimately a five-star classic and absolutely sets the template for war films made by Hollywood. Why don't you trade Silence of the Lambs to me for All Quiet in the Western Front? You seem like a huge fan. No. Okay. But I do think it's a great movie, and I think if people haven't seen it, it's really interesting that even back in 1930 that writers and filmmakers and actors were able to nail down the experience in that storytelling. Very good movie. It's up to you now. I'm going to take The Godfather Part 2 in the 70s. The 70s are rich. Yeah. That's great.

35:40I feel weird that I'm getting The Godfather Part 2. Better than Part 1. I guess so because I went for it. Yeah. Because obviously that's where I will go next. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. But I think with both, maybe it's just because I have rewatched Part 2 a couple times more recently. And I think you can toggle back and forth. Have you ever watched the, was it the linear cut? What is that called? When it's like, it starts with. Is it the Godfather legacy? Yeah. Right. I really enjoy watching it that way as well. Yeah, where we start with Vito. Yeah. No, I haven't. Okay. I watched them as they were released.

36:18As God and Francis Coppola intended. But probably the best single cinematic performance of all time, Pacino, in this one, if you had to pick. Amazing. even when he's against Diane Keaton, who is woefully miscast, screaming abortion. But that's okay. What are you going to do? She's good at this. This must all end! It was an abortion, Michael! She's very good in the scene in the kitchen when she comes back at the end. Spoiler, I guess. Would you say it's because she is a woman? Like, because it's a female character in a world where you feel they don't belong? Yeah, that's exactly right. Yeah. I'm only watching for the dudes.

37:00I mean, The Godfather's great too, but I think... Very generous of you. Yeah, you know what? He did a good job. FFC, thumbs up. The Godfather chronological cut is called The Godfather Saga. Saga. The Godfather Legacy is a TV movie about the making of, I believe. I haven't seen that. I have not. We haven't really talked about The Offer. I watched the whole thing. Will you guys be talking about the studio and this podcast? Well, it's a TV show. I know. I've seen a few episodes. Can we be invited to talk about it on your podcast? We could do a crossover episode. I never get invited to The Watch. That's not true.

37:36It's been a long time. I thank you for my shout out. I caught up. A little something going on here. A little spikiness. It's uncommon. Sometimes an actor and director, there's a lot of conflict. We're keeping the energy alive. Absolutely. Yeah. Kind of Pacino and Friedkin on the set of cruising here. I'll take The Godfather. The Godfather would have been my pick over too. but you know we're talking about 50.1 % to 49.9 % in terms of preference I just think it sets the template for the storytelling type and it's like if you do watch The Offer which I would say is a wildly slanted in the direction of the producer of the film even then you can kind of suss out what an amazing and unlikely success story this is and all the things that Coppola was able to smuggle into the production and story of the film, not least of which is basically shooting it in the darkness and still making it feel incredibly beautiful and deep.

38:42Great Shot Gordo. Great Shot Gordo, obviously inspired by Gordon Willis, the cinematographer of the movie. I think as somebody who believes that the 70s is the best decade in the history of American movies, I think the winners are really great and maybe the best winners ever, but still not as great as I want them to be. So I find this category really interesting. Because it's like Altman's not there or something? Or what is it that you feel like there's not a... The best pictures don't wind up representing the mood of the... Yeah, it's like not the freaking movie I would pick. It's not the Jack Nicholson centerpiece that I would pick.

39:17It's not even the sports movie that I would pick. You know what I mean? I agree. There's a few variations on what they do, but the Godfather picks are the right picks. Those are the dead-on perfect picks in that decade. So that's my first one. Okay, I got another pick. Tough situation here. What's tough about it? Well, there's two different decades that I want to choose from here. Gone with the Wind and what else? That's not a decade. That's a film. I mean, I'll tell you, it's either the 2010s or it's the 1950s, right? Yeah. I've got a movie at the top of both of those lists that I absolutely love.

39:53And if I don't get them, it's going to be a little disappointing. Okay. So I've got to make a choice. Now's your time. I think I'll take Parasite. That's what I was wondering if you were going to do. I think I have to because of what you said about the 2010s. And in the 1950s, there's a few movies that I have a strong love for. The 2010s is a pretty short list of movies I genuinely love that won. I agree with you. For example, I really think 12 Years a Slave is a great film. It's not a movie that I'm like, is in my personal head canon. Parasite is. Parasite is one of the great movies. It's also very strange to look at the 2010s, even the winners in a long list of all of these other best picture winners and you're just like these are not in the same category like class.

40:32Is that just a function of time? I don't think so. I don't I personally don't think the winners in the 10s could would be nominated in the 90s. Oh wow that's interesting. I think that's personal bias. Maybe. Because I I don't know this came up on when we were on the Sam Sanders show you know and he was saying the same thing. He was just like I remember in 1992 it was like this is these are the best movies and everybody agrees and we all went to go see them and we loved them together. And I think that's a little bit of what you're getting at too where it's like, you know, The Shape of Water was a recent point of discussion where we're like, what happened here?

41:05Why did this movie win over Lady Bird and Get Out and Dunkirk? what actually, why did this happen? Parasite, not the case. Parasite is an interesting win because it was in a year that had a ton of awesome contenders. You know, this is the Once Upon a Time in Hollywood year. 1917 was the front runner all the way up until the moment when it was revealed that Parasite won. One of the great big picture moments. Yeah. It's like getting excited when you were like cut live. That's right. And your voice cracked. Yes. I mean, it was really, really exciting. I think in some ways the Parasite win is sort of similar to the shape of Waterwind, which is that Bong Joon-ho amongst film fans and people in the industry was really, really, really admired as a truly original voice and somebody who'd been working hard for a long time.

41:49But the movie also had that phenomenon quality of like, this came out of nowhere. And a lot of people were like, I've never seen one movie made in Korea, let alone one of the greatest movies ever made. So, you know, a movie that still, I think, resonates really deeply and is a lot of fun to watch. And is back in the news with the forthcoming release of Mickey 17 next month. So Godfather and Parasite. Yes. Really well done. So I have a pick? Indeed. Okay. So I have 50s, 90s, and 2010s.

42:24and I have and it's you that I'm up against and whatever Sean says I don't really feel the enmity that is percolating between you two yeah he's just trying to be a divisive figure in our work right that's not true I guess that what else is left in 90s let me look at this really quickly because there's how is this a conversation how is I mean, I know what I want. Okay. You're more like, can I pass on it now? Yeah. But we've already chosen 90. Oh, you've chosen it too? Oh, okay, great. Then I don't need to do it right now. I could kneecap you. Yeah. You know, if you do that. Okay. I feel like you're getting your board.

43:08That's a great point. Would you say? I probably, yes. If he kneecaps me, then I still have another option. So... It's not the best year to kneecap you. Well, I don't know which one you think is a kneecap. Oh, interesting. I could kneecap you. Well, there are actually two options in which you could kneecap. Yeah. So in that way. Yeah. But so you can't really because I have two options. Yeah, but one is superior to the other, I think. I mean, I do as well. Okay, fine. I'll just do Titanic. Yeah, I think that's true. Oh, that's not what I thought you were picking. Yeah. Oh, it isn't? No, I thought she was going to take an English patient.

43:50Right, and that would be my other option. But I agree that, but if you had taken Goodwill Hunting to kneecap me, that would have been a really good pick by you. And also - I agree. That would have been a great draft moment. See, because I thought you guys were saying somebody could pick Fargo or Jerry Maguire. That too. That would have been good too. That's true. Yeah. Yeah. Anyway. I forgot. But if she had passed and that had happened, she could have just taken Titanic. Yes, exactly. And if he had taken Goodwill Hunting, I could have taken English Patience. So it was okay, but I feel good about Titanic.

44:18Yeah. And did you consider Braveheart? No? I was big mad at Braveheart all year because that was the Apollo 13 year. And Sense and Sensibility. Is it my turn? Yeah. Okay. So I need 70s, 50s, and Loser. Correct? And 10s. 50s. I'll do Bridge on the River Kwai. David Leighdon's epic but intimate portrait of the war finding soldiers wherever they are. even in a prison of war camp and the construction of this bridge from Burma to Thailand that Alec Guinness is overseeing and that William Holden is trying to destroy and just incredible performances. Lean at his non-Lawrence best, I would probably say.

45:08This is the first of his two best picture wins. Love this movie. Still so jealous that you got to see Lawrence of Arabia. One of the great movie going experiences of my life. I was going to see it at the American Cinematheque. When the 70mm Festival comes around next fall, we should make some plans around that. I would like to go. Do you think we could start recording from the van that's driving around all the reels of 70? We'll make some calls. As you know, I am associated with that movie name. You can drive. You can drive. Once again, I'll be the GoPro in the passenger seat. It'll be a great opportunity for Peloponnesia and me since we know that several Nolan films will be playing at that festival.

45:45So you have Parasite. You don't have a 2010s? No. There are two good options. For the 2010s? Yeah. You take one, I'll take the other. It's fine. The Oscars. I guess I'll take Argo. They're fine. What? What? Wasn't that the 2010s? What are you thinking? Well, I have a choice now. Okay, listen. I love the work of Ben Affleck. I like Argo and we're in Spotlight. I like Argo and I love the work of Ben Affleck. Yeah. So that's great. I saw it several times. Argo's fine. I mean, I don't have a lot of passion for these 2010s movies. Interesting that you've been creating during this period. What does that mean?

46:22Well, just that it's become the economy of your opinion in this era, you know? And so maybe you... The 10s? Yeah, I guess so. That's your rise. My rise is really... No, no, no, no, no, no. It was the 2000s, right? You were like... When was Conclave so real? Trump won is when I really started to... No, no, no. No, I mean like public facing. Like Conclave So Real was a great time for me personally and the nine guys who knew about it. Right, but like that, that's where the legend starts. Don't, come on. You know, you were there on the ground floor. I think, I think what I'm trying to communicate is that Chris became a well-known public opinion haver about culture in the 2010s.

47:03And? And so you, you think I picked Argo so that I can, you hardened your stance at that time. Our faces are not on the logo. You know, it's like I've been covering the Eagles for 10 years, I'm no longer a fan of the team. I don't know. You lost your passion. It was me or is it cinema? You know? What do you think? I think it was cinema, man. I think it was, I think I got hurt too many times in the 10s. We talked about this last night too about was Iron Man a common good ultimately or did it destroy everything? Amanda sat down and said that. Yeah. Yeah. No, that's not. Amanda was like. No, I did some kids updates.

47:42I'll have a whispering angel and I want to talk about whether or not Tony Stark. And then we saw a guy at the movies wearing a Philadelphia Eagles Tony Stark jersey. Yeah. Really? I didn't see that. Chris and I saw that, yeah. And then Chris befriended that man. Really? No. Okay. I was like, where was I? He's doing Odyssey updates with me now. Damn it. I'm the producer. You have to let me know. Okay. So Argo was your 2010s? Yeah. Okay. I got Birds in the River Quire in Argo. I'm okay. I'm fine. Okay. So I think I'm going to do 1950s. I'm going to take All About Eve. Surprised you didn't take American in Paris.

48:25That was my backup. And I love American in Paris. And we have, especially the I Got Rhythm Scene is sort of like my fashion load star. In addition to being one of the great cinematic achievements. Even though it did sort of steal all of the, you know, famously American in Paris won Best Picture. Singing in the Rain was not even nominated. Oh. So. It's a bit of a controversial Oscar year because it's also the year that A Streetcar Named Desire and A Place in the Sun were nominated which are considered two of the great American movies that have like more of a dark core. So it's like they picked the wrong musical starring Gene Kelly and also you know Streetcar changed movie acting forever.

49:05Yeah. All of that is true. I didn't pick it but I'm like I'm reclaiming American in Paris I think we're underappreciating it a little bit it's like I mean it's so beautiful to look at it's a good movie and the choreography and it's a different style of dance that is filmed very beautifully and you don't get to see that much so you know Gene Kelly forever but I picked it up All About Eve because that's one of the best and most influential movies of in cinema history ever made yeah just very like I don't know like performances the concept of of Eves You're still doing all about Eve-esque stories.

49:43The screenwriting, like everything you can just say all about Eve and everyone understands what you're talking about in terms of a person in the world, character development. It's all time. So there we go. I love all about Eve. I definitely had it on my list. So you both have films in the 1950s. You both have films in the 1930s. Yes. You both have films in the 1990s. Yes. and I have a 10 and you have a film in the 10s Amanda does not I have a film in the 10s so I need 30s and 50s or I need a blocker not really doesn't really make sense to block anything in the 2010s for Amanda because she's got two picks because you chose Argo so that's out I'm just let me just work through this here sure your two picks never mind Amanda yeah you're missing 1970s right now.

50:41I'm not worried about that. Because it's either Butch and Sundance or Woodman. So I'll just jump in there. And you guys already picked that. Butch and Sundance are not eligible for that category. I meant the guys. Do you want to vamp about Woodman while I game theory out the rest of my draft? No. You don't? Okay. Well, for 1930s, I'll take a movie that I was telling you about that I really love, which is Mutiny on the Bounty, which I think is one of the most underrated of the Best Picture winners that features like one of my favorite screen performances of all time, Charles Lawton's performance is Captain Bly.

51:14When I was a kid, AFI did 100 Years 100 Movies where they ranked, according to the American Film Institute and the people that they polled, the most important American movies. This, much like that Silence of the Lambs Academy Awards, is a signal event of my life because it got me on the path of like absorbing film history. Right. And trying to go through the list and watch as much as I could. and I wish I had a copy of that special, which I think aired on CBS because the clips that they showed of Lawton yelling at Clark Gable after he is marooned off the ship is just electrifying shit. And I always like this adaptation.

51:50There have been many adaptations over the years. I guess the most recent one is probably Mel Gibson. Oh, no, that's K-Mutiny. Oh, that's K-Mutiny, sorry. I think it's Mel Gibson and Anthony Hopkins in the late 80s did a version of this It's called The Mutiny, which is not that great. But I really love this one. So that'll be my 1930s pick. Thought about You Can't Take It With You, another movie that I really like. Yeah, you know, it's good, but I also rewatched it as like a backup. And then I was like, I would prefer to be watching It Happened One Night. Yeah, you already got the better, the superior cap.

52:24Yeah, and it does feel like the Academy was just sort of in a groove of like, okay, the Frank Capra romantic comedy. to be the best picture. Yeah, it gets that this is what we're doing. You need on the bounty. I guess it was the best film of that year. You need 1950s? So I need 1950s. To me, there's only one pick. And it's on the waterfront. Kariya Kazan's incredible adaptation of Bud Schulberg's story about a boxer and some gangsters in Hoboken, New Jersey and the loss of the soul of America. wouldn't you say yeah incredible uh Karl Malden performance as the priest right he gets really upset on behalf of do you think in our relationship am I more of the Steiger and you're more of the Brando I hope so but you're older than me Steiger's older than Brando yeah he's the big brother uh I think I have a more youthful spirit than you though interesting yeah okay don't you I I do I'm still out here doing stuff Like what?

53:36Like going to see Cameron Winter You've cited your attendance at the Cameron Winter concert to me this week nine times Nine times One man goes to one concert wants his hand shaken for that attendance You know, on the waterfront I do think kind of changed the conscience of American movie making Ilya Kazan also somewhat unfortunately I think using that film to communicate about why he did certain things in terms of House Un-American activities and what it means to be a rat and what it means to be an informer and what it means to be cornered. He still doesn't get applauded, right? Yes, he's a very controversial figure.

54:22Ed Harris still is just like, nope. Yes, but he was a hell of a movie maker and it's a great movie. Okay, Amanda. In Best Picture Loser, I will take a film called The Social Network, which is available. It's great. I mean, this one, like the Best Picture Loser, there are so many good ones. And we didn't really explore the blocking thing. So then it's just kind of like so many of our favorite movies that got nominated and did not win. But The Social Network is eligible. and that's a good film. It's a great movie. Do you like it more than Inception? I do. You do? Okay. Do you? Yeah. It's pretty tight.

55:13Pretty tight. It's pretty tight. You don't think it's pretty tight? Oh, you don't like Inception. That's right. How would you? That was like you were I love you so much. I am producing, filming, editing, lighting, directing. I'm doing all of it. Uh-huh. But? You know, your Christopher Nolan mini... Bit? Series. I was about to say mini-series, but why limit it? I think Inception is good. It's not good. And I stand, and I have stood with you for the most part against his insanity. I'm just saying you take the phone call. Yeah. You have the meeting. With whom? It's a billism. you have the meeting about whether Inception is better than the social network I can't give you my answer right now me and like the grand poobahs of Hollywood we just sit down and we talk it out those poobahs are sitting right here yeah PTA Spielberg QT has weighed in on this he likes Inception I bet not as much as the social network I believe you said the best movie of the decade I'm just trying I'm just throwing ideas out it's good content yeah inception could you just explain it to me just from the very beginning yeah you want me to explain it from the very beginning yep right now do it in 90 seconds and then I can't do that yes you can go come on but that's not has anything to do with whether it's better social network Dom Cobb is a dream thief I don't have a second hand on this watch he goes into people's subconscious while they're dreaming yeah extracts their secrets usually for corporate gain okay and then he reveals that he has been like basically exiled from home wherever that is presumably America because of some job he pulled and the death of his wife Mal Mal Mal right?

57:05Mal Yeah I forgot who died in limbo Yes which is a layer of the subconscious dreamscape but one last job I forgot that that was her name will get him home to his children Thank you who are being raised by Michael Caine? Yeah Yeah And then there's the meme of like, why can't Leo, like Michael Caine just bring the children to France or whatever. Well, also, but the kids don't have faces. What's up with that? You know what I mean? What is up with it? Could you explain it? Well, they might not be, they might not exist. Oh. Did they die or were they never alive? They're figments. They're figments of his subconscious.

57:37But were they ever alive? I don't think so, personally. Okay. I think they were children born in limbo and thus not real, you know?

57:47And Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Tom Hardy are wearing incredible jackets. and doing amazing stuff with Gabby. And the world folds over on itself. And then Your Majesty's Seatress service happens. Yeah, yeah, they do the skiing. Yeah, but shooting. Is there any skiing in social network? And then they slow down La Vie en Rose, or is it Je Ne Gret Rien? I think it's Je Ne Gret Rien. You're just getting your pee off confused because of Marion. La Vie en Rose was also, the biopic was released around this Oscar time. She was cooking. Yeah, and she gave the great Oscar speech It is true that there are angels in this city tonight.

58:24Did you see that she recently apologized for her performance as Talia al Ghul? I thought you were about to say she apologized for something else. What were her thoughts on 9-11? She said that she realizes now that her death scene was not adequate. Not adequate. She was just like, sometimes you just can't find the right position. Because her neck's broken, but she's like... It doesn't happen. She's like, it sucks. I screwed it up. I sucked in that scene. Could you do an impression of her apologizing for that scene? No.

58:54okay Bob do you think Inception is better than Social Network? No I am I do think Inception is good though I'm with you on that I would take the call however I would not Nico Harris in the situation I think Patrick Dumont convenes his decision makers to talk about whether or not Inception is better than Social Network You taking Inception over Social Network does have strong AD for Luca vibes. I like how we're just retconning it. He didn't actually take Inception. I didn't do that. I fucked up and took Argo. But I didn't really even fuck up. I just took it too early. You liked Argo because it was about Hollywood?

59:36Is that what it was? It's a classic Best Picture winner, isn't it? It is. It's about the beauty of it. A classic Best Picture speech. Yeah. Marriage is hard. Yeah. Two, 18 months later, divorced.

59:52Argo is based on a true story. Yeah. It's about getting a team together to make something. Yes. And it is... It also pushes the boundaries of fact or fiction. Let me ask you this. What did you think about Ben Affleck not being included in the five directors for Best Director that year? Did you think it was a crime? Who else was nominated that year? Marianne Cotillard for her YouTube comments. Steven Spielberg for Lincoln, which did not win. Oh, that's crazy. Yeah, Argo. I've been trying to get Lincoln on Rewatch. I know, but you picked Argo instead of Lincoln. Did you hear Chris and I tell the story about us being at Ye Rustic on like a Wednesday night and there were like 40 TVs in the bar.

1:00:32Was it after Romulus? Yeah, no, we went to go see Gladiator 2. That's right. Okay. And then Chris at, God bless him, at like 10, 15 p.m. after the two hours and 40 minutes of Gladiator 2 was like, you want to go get a drink? Yeah. And I was like, I really shouldn't because I'm going to be up in six hours. But he did it. But I did go out. We went to Ye Rustic Inn, which we used to go to all the time in the 2010s and never go to anymore. We walk in, 40 televisions on. They're all playing NBA games. Except for one television in the center of the bar, which is attuned to TCM showing a screening of Lincoln.

1:01:02And Chris and I stopped talking. And we were just like, watch Tommy Lee Jones cook with a wig on. And I honestly so moved. Get amendments passed. And I understood everything with no dialogue. We couldn't hear the film. Sure. but I knew exactly what was happening and where we were in the movie the seat front test yeah and we were so touched and then like four or five days later we were on the rewatchables and we just started bullying Bill about Lincoln but then he didn't say I did hear that yeah and we really the 40th anniversary of Witness has come and gone oh no did you send your note no I asked you to pass the message along oh yeah I didn't do that sorry about that technically we're still in the no now it's two weeks when this airs do you like Witness I love Witness do you think it's great yeah I think it's really good Okay.

1:01:47I think I said to him and it's top eight Peter Weir. So? Is it better than Mosquito Coast, do you think? I love that movie, but it is better than that movie. But I love that movie. Do you think it's better than Master and Commander? No. Do you think it's better than White Squall? Is that Peter Weir? No, that's Ridley Scott. That's Ridley Scott. He had a boat movie, though. Mosquito Coast. Yeah. Let me see if I can do it off the top of my head. Okay. Picnic and Hanging Rock. It's not better than The Last Waves. The Last Wave. Fearless. I love Fearless. Great movie. It drives into a wall listening to you too because you can't die.

1:02:25Dead Poets Society. Yeah. The Way Back. The Truman Show. There's one more. Oh, Master and Commander. Did he make another boat movie? And then for me comes Witness. You were doing that ranking? That was a ranking? But those were the seven in front of it. Except for a weird jump he made and then he was like Witness is not as good as these. A bunch of these. Those are the seven that I would put before Wittance. If Wittance starred Paul Giamatti, would you think it was that good? No, but it is, listen, when this is in the world, our thoughts about Red Hulk will also be in the world. And I spent some time last night watching my wonderful Harrison Ford.

1:03:06Your beautiful boy. My beautiful boy. And just being like, this is a disgrace. On a Peloton. I mean, that was kind of funny. It wasn't that funny. That's the only funny part of it. But it wasn't even that funny. They just put him on a Peloton. Anyway, you know what? Once upon a time, Harrison Ford is a movie star. And if you don't know how to use him, you fucked up. And Peter Weir didn't fuck up. Is it my turn? I believe it is. I agree with you. I think Witness is great. It doesn't depict Philadelphia police in the greatest of lights. Well, maybe it's just honest filmmaking. Witness, of course, nominated for Best Picture.

1:03:45teaches you how to build a house, but in the 80s, so it's not eligible for this draft. In 1970s, I'm going to take The Sting. Okay. Interesting. It's a real cuck pick. Because I didn't make any all? My parents tried to make me watch The Sting when I was like eight. Do you not like The Sting? No, I love The Sting, but once again, eight is too young to watch The Sting. I just watch The Sting the most out of all these movies. It's just like, show me Star Wars. So you think, this is really interesting. The Sting is obviously a great, like a lot of fun. Tremendously entertaining movie. Uh-huh. And you know, you get why it was sort of like they didn't totally recognize Butch Cassidy and they needed to maybe go out of their way to acknowledge this movie that everyone agreed was a great time at the movies.

1:04:30But was not like important. It's not really about anything. You know, it's just an adventure movie. And Oscars often, though not always, attempts to award. I think I'm picking movies I like rather than movies that are like the best, best pictures. I'm not criticizing you. I would say Annie Hall and Deer Hunter are probably more important films. French Connection even maybe is a more important film. That was going to be my question is do you think this over The Deer Hunter? I've definitely seen this 20 times more than The Deer Hunter. I think I've seen The Deer Hunter like five times. I've seen The Sting like a hundred times.

1:05:02The Deer Hunter is quite long. It is quite long. My dad just likes to watch the first half. Not an easy sit. Your dad just likes the Pennsylvania stuff? Yeah. Seriously, for his 70th This is better than saying I just like the second half. He watched the first half of The Deer Hunter and had pancakes for dinner. That's cool. Shout out my dad. Meryl Streep's great in that. What a legend. Again, The Deer Hunter, another movie that I'm like, when you're making comparisons to The Brutalist, these movies have so much in common. They're so similar. The bifurcation, the crazy stuff in the second half.

1:05:27As if you've been denying him that The Deer Hunter is important to The Brutalist. No, because I think I'm always... He's been... No, he's just like The Brutalist, The Brutalist, you know? And he knows I got him a little, so... Well, no, I like the pushback. I think... I said that the first half of it was transcendent. And then I had some notes. What did we quote you saying? I haven't been able to... No, it's living rent-free in my head. Living rent-free in my head. Which I think users of the internet will understand that isn't like 100 % an endorsement. Right. And Brutalist Industries has commodified that whole quote.

1:06:03That's fine. You know? No, the point I was going to make with The Deer Hunter is whenever people are like, did that character really have to do that at the end of The Brutalist? I'm like have you seen the end of the deer hunter the guy's playing fucking Russian roulette and he won't leave Vietnam like this is what are you talking about this is what movies do crazy shit happens in the second half of movies that makes us have emotional catharsis anyway that's why I find like all of those criticisms super lame I digress that was not a criticism of your criticisms I would have taken the deer hunter over this thing but this thing's great this thing is great Robert Redford and Paul Newman and George Roy Hill's caper about a con they're pulling in the 19 20s well I don't know the roaring 20s I think it's the depression it's the 30s when's the prohibition happening 20s into the 30s set in 1936 there you go uh Annie Hall is very high up there French Connection is very high up there um I like Kramer versus Kramer uh but for my loser well quickly before you move on the other the third film that won the big five is also in the 1970s One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest yeah yeah for Louise Fletcher Nicholson Milos Forman picture screenplay for a loser I'll take Goodfellas 1990 it's a good pick it's a good one among my favorite two or three films and tragic that this did not win it's an abomination maybe the great even I'd say I think it's a good pick because it's one of the greatest crimes in Oscar history it's particularly amusing now because both Open Range and the Horizon films are going to end up being better than Dances with Wolves and we really rushed to anoint Kevin as the great cinematic visionary.

1:07:43Open range is fire. I know. We can't go back to the Kevin Costner thing right now. We can't relivate it. It is not only fire, it's hot fire. Did you see all the streets? They're just, they're talking about Horizon Part 2. I know. Yeah. I was with you on the night when I was like, I had a ticket. Yeah, but that was like original like, oh, people are too close to this. But the reviews are strong. Yeah, it's going to be great. I'm so pumped. and it's never coming out. What if this is like the true reinvention of avant-garde independent cinema? It's like taking our files or our reels of Horizon Part 2 and going around the country and showing it in people's like garages and stuff.

1:08:22Yeah, road showing it. Yeah. Yeah, independently. That sounds good to me. Is that your next podcast? I would like it to be. Are you hoping for me to direct and light that for you? I don't think you have respect for my face, so I'm not sure that I want you to light me. I that's not true I'm you don't have respect for your face I'm trying to get you to cut back on exfoliating you know you think you exfoliate too much he exfoliates every time he's in the shower which is every day oh you're not supposed to do that right yeah thank you yeah yeah I mean my skin is clear I don't know what you're talking about no it's not just about I moisturize everyone like everyone who is listening who knows about these things is screaming a little because we want what's good for you what actually is happening to me like what is you're damaging your skin barrier yeah you're over You're over exfoliating and you're making it like, you know, weak and sad.

1:09:14And you could have, you only need to exfoliate once or twice a week. Well, like what is actually, what's bad that I'm doing? Like what's the downside? You're just like literally putting, you're scraping off your skin at an aggressive rate. What's going to happen that's bad? You ever see scanners?

1:09:34I think I'm just waiting for like a medical issue here No Does it make it more exposed to the sun? Like I'm not I don't care how I look anyway So what is really Then why are you exfoliating? But I don't go in the sun Like but why are you exfoliating? Because I want my skin I want to be clean Like I don't want to have like blemishes Right But actually your skin can be over exfoliated And then like start over producing oil To try to rehydrate it In order to I've got to tell you something That's not happening Okay I just I've beaten the system it's too much irritation redness perhaps we should consider that I am the skin fluencer in this equation yeah that's true and that I have landed on a new methodology are you using like St.

1:10:12Ives like what are you using you look like a little bit of like a you look down your nose a little bit at some of our favorite drugstore brands you know that St. Ives I feel like you took a shot at me for using Old Spice once and I was like Old Spice got me from high school Old Spice is like is you know I got laid for the first time stay in your lane

1:10:36chicks dig old spice right I think it's Nivea is the brand okay I mean St. Ives is like notary that was like a product of our use but that is like actually just like plastic beads that are just like scratching your skin and scarring them so that's bad I use drugstore products every single day I use Cetaphil and I use Cerapey. So eat shit. No, I like those products both. But I just feel like sometimes I'll be like, oh yeah, I use this and you're just like, oh my God, Chris, you're going to die tomorrow. Well, it's just Old Spice, you are no longer 17 or whatever. In terms of my scent? You were when you got laid for the first time, which I don't need to know.

1:11:18Why don't you recap that night for us? So a man wakes up, puts on some Old Spice. This pod would do incredible numbers if I did that. Yeah, yeah. Never mind. I just, you know, at some point we need to act our age, but that's okay. I act my age. I have like different... So you're still wearing Old Spice? Yeah. If it ain't broke, that's fine. But I switch up the scent every once in a while. Okay. I go like volcano, Fiji, sandbar. What's wrong with that? What was today? I think I'm on a Fiji run. And how would you describe it? Do you think I smell bad? No. I also like sometimes I put on a little bit of like a tobacco cologne but then I overwhelm myself with the scent.

1:12:02You okay? Sort of circling back.

1:12:10We have another pod to record immediately after this. Did you make a pick? Yeah, I took Goodfellas. Yeah, now what are you doing? What am I doing? Oh, 2010s. I'm going to take Moonlight. Yeah. which as like when we talk about the history of Best Picture we talk about the last 10 years Sean writes like a whole thing that was mean and I'm not trying to be mean I really still am stuck on Fiji Old Spice Sean writes a whole thing what are you talking about? You the night that Moonline won Best Picture you wrote a piece that was like this is a new academy this is changing the way that we understand Best Picture and that has been just kind of a a turning point I think in in our understanding and like this shows I think that's true I think that's true and I agree with you I'm not always right but that time I was but since we always we talk about it in the historical terms so often that I think we forget what a wonderful movie it is agreed and beautiful and the experience of I mean that Mahershala Ali scene in the water the first time you know and and and giving us Barry Jenkins as a filmmaker it wasn't his first film but that kind of sets him on his path to Beale Street and to Underground Railroad and to other live action.

1:13:31And to Mufasa colon The Lion King. Sure. Which I'll have you know has turned out to be quite a box office success after its initial underperformance. It is kind of the greatest showman of this year. Okay. Anyway, Moonlight, beautiful film. I love it. Yeah. Augustus Bader? What's that cream? Oh, Augustinus Bader. I use that. Do you? Are you? Which one? The one that comes in like the little like dark blue cream. You use the rich cream? Yeah. I mean, they all come in the dark blue. That's the packaging. So you use the rich cream? Yeah, I think so. Really? On my face. Do you like it? Yeah. I have been thinking about, I'm almost done with my Vintners daughter and I was thinking about upgrading it.

1:14:11And sometimes I use Drunken Elephant. No, you use that a lot. That's like your product. But is the rich cream, are you borrowing it from Phoebe? My wife keeps all this stuff. Yeah. It's just like you can have this, it's in a bottle. But the drunk elephant is yours. Yeah. Okay. That's exciting. Augustinus Bader was the cream in Challengers. I recall the name. And they also made the Sophia lip balm. So I'm done? You're done. And you're done. Yeah. And you have the loser. And you have like all this cinema to pick from. You have the entire history of movies to choose. I'm sure you'll be very cool about it and not read a list of 85 to 100 films.

1:14:48I only have 26 listed here. What do you mean? Okay, 26. You can read them. Read them. No. I... Can I guess? I was getting comfortable. I was ready. Go ahead. You can guess. Get out. Nope. Well, now I feel a 2010s has been taken, so I'd like to choose something from an era that was not already selected. So you chose 1990, and she chose 2010s, so maybe I should go to a different decade, right? So 30s, 50s, 70s. Oh, 70s. Would be eligible. All day long. Let's go. Network? It's on the long list. All the President's Men. It's on the long list. That was almost what I did. Would have been a good one.

1:15:25Thank you. Perfect film. I agree. If I had to choose a Nicholson movie from this era, it would be Chinatown. But you can have Chinatown because I did Godfather Part 2. That's right. Apocalypse Now. Apocalypse Now is on the list. MASH. There are other Altmans I would have nominated for Best Picture. Sorry, Big Shot. Okay. I think MASH is cool. I think it's a cool movie. I know why it was a phenomenon. I get it. It is just, it's not in my upper crust of Albin favorites, personally. Okay. Jaws? Jaws? I mean, you could. Now I'm going 50s. What about Star Wars? Dog Day Afternoon? Sure. Coming Home?

1:16:07Coming Home, like my favorite, my favorite ending in the 1970s. I mean, I know what you should do. What about the gay divorcee? Um, no. You know what I should do? Yeah. What should I do? Well, why don't you make a decision and then I'll tell you whether it was the right one. Fellowship of the Ring?

1:16:28I don't think that's eligible. Is it not? Well, it's 2000s, isn't it? Fellowship of the Ring was 2001, so we're not drafting from that time. Do you think you and I should do a Lord of the Rings pod? A lot of people are asking for it. I mean like every film. Like it's just me and you. Just me. Nothing personal. Just me and you. It's really fine. Because of what those films have meant to our friendship. but what if we just you can't do it this year listen I just I'm sorry I'm stepping in to just marshal your time because I have a lot of pods playing yeah because you were like panic texting yesterday about the number of podcasts and also you keep being like I need a I need a you know sabbatical I need a sabbatical sabbatical will be recapping the Hobbit movies with me okay that would be a joy once again I'm available to light and direct I want to I just want to spend somewhere between 1 and 14 hours talking about the desolation of Smaug with Chris.

1:17:21Is that Smaug? Is that how we're pronouncing it? I think so, yeah. He has a little vulnerability right here on his belly. Benedict Cumberbatch, his best performance. And who's that guy? The guy's the river dweller? Who's that dude? Not sure. I saw Becoming Led Zeppelin yesterday, as you guys know. And there's like a pretty extended period where Robert Plant talks about writing the lyrics to Ramble On. And during the film, it cuts to archival footage of a man opening the Lord of the Rings and showing us a pencil drawing of Mordor which of course is cited in the song anyway I think I will choose Barry Lyndon okay that's what I wanted Barry Lyndon directed by Stanley Kubrick one of the most beautiful and striking movies ever made Amanda's never seen it so she doesn't know what she's talking about I've seen Barry Lyndon I've like painterly things they used real candlelight awesome okay what about the fucking Wizard of Oz put your money where your mouth is do you think that Inception is better than Barry Lyndon no I thought about the Wizard of Oz okay you can come see it's on my list yeah I love the Wizard of Oz one of my favorite movies of all time but I didn't want to give Wicked any more shine so I opted against it I feel like we need to quiet the wicked people right now.

1:18:47Okay. Tell them to settle down. So that's it. That's done. We agreed. We learned a lot about deodorant in this discussion. We learned a lot about skincare. Ancient grease. Chris's virginity. No, we didn't really learn anything about that. We did. We learned a lot about it. I just said that that. You said you still have your virginity. What did you say? I said add a signature. I guess I have a signature scent. Okay. And it's just Old Spice. It's variations on Old Spice. powerful antiperspirant deodorant. Your Allspice brand is testicular musk? Is that what you said? Honestly, that's fucking beneath you.

1:19:23What's beneath me? What do you mean? No, mine is a... You said... It's a timber or Fiji or volcano. Or there was some Northwest Passage. What are the set notes in volcano? Smoke. Okay. Yeah. Well, sure. It's made of real lava. Does Allspice do a natural deodorant yet? I don't know. I'm way past that point. Oh, okay. Guys, let's recap. I had the first pick, so I'll recap first. In 1930s, I chose Mutiny on the Bounty. In 1950s, On the Waterfront. In 1970s, The Godfather. In 1990s, The Silence of the Lambs. In 2010s, Parasite. And in Best Picture, Loser, I chose Barry Lyndon. I just remember his little vulnerability on this time.

1:20:10Smell. In 1930s, I took All Quiet on the Western Front. In 1950s, I took Bridge on the River Kwai. In 1970s, I took The Sting. In 1990s, I took Unforgiven. In the 2010s, I took Argo and got shit for it. And for Loser, I took Goodfellas. I initially was like, I fucked this draft up. Maybe I should get myself a little bit more serious about these things. And now I think I did a good job. Okay. Yeah. Came all the way back around. I see. And I also think I introduced a lot of ideas to this show. Cool. Very proud of you. I have to do this without laughing and I really have the giggles. Okay. In 1930s, it happened one night.

1:20:50In 1950s, I took All About Eat. In the 1970s, The Godfather Part II. In 1990s, Titanic. In the 2010s, Moonlight. And Best Picture Loser, The Social Network. I think you probably won. Yeah, absolutely. I mean, who can say? We let you have your board. It's okay. Not personal. It's not personal. It's out of love. You don't need. You don't know what you need, which is to sometimes be calm on a two recording day. Thank you so much to Jack Sanders for his work on this episode and to Bobby Wagner, our producer. Thank you, Chris. Thank you. You are the best. I try to just contribute where I can. Next week on the show, we're running back the alternative Oscars.

1:21:33Wesley Morris will return. We'll see you then.

1:21:41Thank you.