Welcome to the podcast, everybody, the polarized podcast, the podcast about polarizing movies,
the movies that audiences and critics disagree on. According to Rotten Tomatoes, I am James,
your host. Welcome in. The movie today is eight mile. If you miss the first seven, it's no problem.
They throw you right in and you don't need to worry about it. This is Eminem Feach. From 2002,
it has a 75% certified fresh by the critics certified fresh tomato. We got a stinky tomato.
We got a rotten tomato. Tis the namesake. After all, there's got to be some rotten ones out there.
It's a 54% from the audience. They do not care for it. Let's find out how we feel today on this
podcast. I'm going to bring in my first guy. He's my first guy over here. He's coming. He is the
best co-host I have ever had in my life. And let me tell you, I've had just him, but he goddamn it
is he the best you could ever compare anything to if you had something to compare it, compare him
to then you would be still be great. Hey, Brandini, how you doing? I'm an
uncomparable man. You know, like that. He's an incomparable man. Yeah, so that's me. Hey,
thanks, James. Fucking great to be here. He's in. Yeah, well, I'm a man about town and man about
town. Brandon Manhattan. America is one of those towns, you know, you got to see it. America is
one of those towns. Detroit's one of those places. And podcasts are one of those things that you can
do with your friends. After you watch a movie separately, we come together. Is that my rap is
just explaining very obvious things? Well, I mean, that fits the rapping in this movie. Does it not?
Hey, just describing what they see. This is what's in front of me. Okay, we're working on it. Anyways,
I'm doing good, man. I'm excited to talk about this movie. I'm very excited. It is my first time
seeing it. It is our running theme of kind of music centric movies. I've noticed that we've kind of
accidentally fallen accidentally stumbled, which hasn't been like continuous. It's kind of been kind
of here and there. We did the doors. We did walk hard. We did walk hard. Now we're going back to
serious. Yeah, we shifted. Yeah, a major shift. Now we're shifting back down into the
mercury's in retrograde, but with biopics of musicians. Yeah, it's like the eclipse except
that the moon is music biopics. Yeah, right. The sun is our glasses. That's why I got mine on. Oh my
God, you're wearing your sunglasses. I just noticed. Look at those things. Look at those things. You
know what? This is a cool movie and I wanted to be a cool guy for it. So here I am. There's a there's
a lot of cool people in this movie. There's a lot of cool stuff in it. There's like temperature
wise. Yeah, that's who it does look pretty chilly. There's a lot of jackets. A lot of big jackets.
A lot of big jackets. And those big jackets. These fucking huge jackets. Well, just starting. I mean,
what's your favorite jacket? Should we should we break down? Should we get we got to get our
guests on I think for this conversation. Wait, but I'm just personally, you know, I'm for a behind
a trash can or whatever jacket. I mean, that's a cool jacket. You know, one of those behind the
no trash can ones. I really was into it. I like whether or not you have your mom's spaghetti on
your shirt to be able to go through a costume change because he had the potential at that time
to convince everyone he was a different guy. I know right. Like he choked and then he could have
like gone to his bag, thrown something else on maybe a little fake mustache and some glasses.
And that's why the dogs in the alleyway were barking at him because he was a totally different guy.
Yeah, there's those dogs that thought he was a different guy. You should have taken the hat off
in that situation. He definitely should have instead of just continuing to blast the Blues
Brothers. I don't know what that was about. And that scene, if anyone is still with us on this
reference, we appreciate your. We actually do. And if you are on that reference, you better rate
reviewing, you know, you you little devil, you little devil. I think we're a couple or being
a couple little devils today. If I do say so myself. This is the little devil that you have
stumbled upon as well. Somehow we're doing music biopics with little devils. Yeah, that's our thing.
Hey, we didn't sign up for this, but God damn it. Are we going to see it to the end? Right? I don't
even know what that is. But yes, I think we can feel that is what we'll know when it's over.
The long and winding road. That leads me to a little devil music biopics.
This is this is eight mile the movie with Eminem, the musician. How about that? And this is
polarized pod with your we established your cohost Brandon and now let's bring it our special guest.
This is already off the rails, but let's do it. I'm just reestablishing the rules here.
I love it. I'm here for and I'm leaving our my introduction to the special guest hanging.
He is returning for yet another app. The last one I can think is death to Smoochie,
which was a classic app. Please go go back and visit. Let's bring him in.
Years ago. Huh? Two years ago, right? Has it been that long? My God.
That's true. Then. Wow. Welcome back, Alex Higgins. Thanks for joining us yet again.
Yeah. Yeah. That whole intro was like a long time. Not gonna lie.
Thank God you're not lying. Can we just establish there's no lying allowed?
And I'm just started just talking about the movie we're going to talk about already.
Yeah, it was a lot of build up to you because you're such a we almost we almost forgot about you,
I think you guys are having a good time. I appreciate it. Let's yeah, let's get into
Michael Shannon. You know, that's what we're all about. Yeah, that's where we want to start.
No, we were in the jackets. You're not my real fucking dad, Greg.
No, no, he's got a check coming in. He got hit by a car.
He got hit by a car. Damn, did I want to see that come to fruition in some way?
I really did not understand why it was so important for his mom to like put on airs.
It's like he didn't know that she was poor.
Yeah, right.
Oh, that's just gonna get evicted. I can't. That's too much for me.
Right. Absolutely. Because it's not like he's got anything really going on with him.
Yeah, what the fuck? And I can't it was just really a reason to just for him to get upset
and for be rabid to. I don't know, like defend his mom. And there's a lot of, you know, his family
is what it is. And that's a part of his story. And yeah, I just I
I didn't get a lot of it, though, to your point. There is there is so much in that movie that
didn't need to be in the movie, which is surprising because it's not like this movie was long.
It wasn't there wasn't. I feel like it could have been kind of a little shorter.
That's a TV show. Just how long is it? It's an hour or 45. And I think it just it just needed
more meaningful content. It needed more shit in 85 minutes needed more stuff that mattered. And
things that would come to some sort of end in fruition in a way that was meaningful.
But Michael Shannon leaves at some point. We don't get to we don't get to see that check.
Man, I wanted to see that check actually come in for you. Yeah.
And that's the assumption. You know, it's nothing's going to change.
They were going to use that check to get out of the trailer park and go live in the suburb.
Right. One of my favorite.
I don't even know what I was going to say just now. I'm sorry. It's okay.
One of your favorite jackets. What was your favorite jacket? I was I was actually going to say my
first my my first like one of the first notes I wrote was Michael Shannon is way too good for
this movie. I thought that was so funny that had Michael Shannon. Michael Shannon is like
I would argue he's like in the top 10 actors like yeah like he's like incredible. I completely
agree. And yeah, I mean my introduction to him, even though he was in these movies much earlier
and maybe I'd seen him in the background, but my first big wow moment with him was Revolutionary
Road. And that was the same year as Heath Ledger in The Dark Knight. And I remember they were both
nominated for Best Supporting Actor. And I was like, if Michael Shannon wins this, like
I'd be okay with it because he's so good in that movie. He's he's he's fucking amazing.
And in that movie and everything else he's in, of course. But I agree seeing him act opposite
Kim Basinger gives you whiplash, I think with the acting decisions made because he comes across so
natural and she is so put on everything. Unfortunately, which, yeah, I mean, we just
right off the bat like that accent man like it doesn't make any contextual sense within.
And that's not I disagree. Or like at least if there was like a mention as to why like,
I don't know, whatever. I disagree. I feel like I just assumed that she was from the South.
Yeah. Right. And she's just living there in the trailer park in Detroit. Yeah.
Yeah. And I guess there doesn't need to be like a contextual plot dialogue line
that's attached to it. However, I do think her ability to even have that accent is a little spotty.
Unfortunately, Michael Michael Shannons first movie was Groundhogs Day. That's interesting.
Oh, yeah. He was a big Chicago guy. He was like dating the love interest, but I'm not sure. I
forget. And then we also watched Vanilla Sky recently and he is in that movie as well. And he is just
a tall drink of water that Michael Shannon. Like you see him. Yeah, you see him standing next to
Tom Cruise. The man is a tree. He's a redwood. He's definitely one of my favorite.
Serious character actors. Yeah. Right. Because like I love like by and large, like if in my mind,
if you're more of like if you would ever consider yourself a film buff, character actors is where
it's at, you know, because like main stars of movies are pretty vanilla. Sure, they're serviceable for
being, you know, getting you through the plot and doing a lot of cool stuff. But I mean, so much of
the interest that, yeah, I'm sure we all have in movies is these weirdo characters that are,
you know, in the background a little bit. And Michael Shannon is definitely one of those in
Revolutionary Road. My God. I love that movie. And that was the first time for me as well.
Seeing like who is this guy? Who is Michael Shannon? You know, that's what I keep thinking of
is, I don't know why this memory pops in my head, but the scene in the shape of water where he
explains why you can't wash your hands twice when you piss. I don't know why that was in that movie,
but it's like the first thing I think about. There's a lot of stuff in that movie that you're
like, why is this in this movie? It really starts with her masturbating in a tub and you're like,
do I need to see this? You know, from jump, you're like, whoa, this is a weird interior
into this character that I don't think I needed in order for me to understand her better.
But Guillermo del Toro is a weird dude. I mean, I fucking loved Shape of Water. I'll be honest.
You're being honest. Thank you.
Yeah. I just want to sound like I'm cultured really.
I another detail about Michael Shannon, I was watching those like actors going through their
film catalog on like fucking Vanity Fair or some shit or like, or whatever those YouTube videos.
Yeah. And he was talking about a movie that I actually forget the title of and I hadn't heard
of before even before we started talking about it, but he had such reverence for his like his
process and going through making this movie and describing in that interview, he started actually
weeping visibly in the interview because he was so taken with the like emotional thrust of just
like describing the plot and the character of that movie. And that's like that may that just
affirms so much with me. I'm like, that's my fucking guy right there. Like that guy is the
fucking best, man. And it made me love him that much more. I think it was like 10 years ago. He
his band played like this random fucking dive bar that my band used to play. And I was so excited.
And then I found out I was going to be out of town when it happened. I was wrong. I couldn't
see it. But yeah, I thought that was so funny that he was just like playing this like 20,
like 30 person room, you know, as like this ultra fucking famous star.
Older famous, you know, weird sense though, right? Because I think his ultra famousness comes from
the superhero stuff from playing Zod, which which funny enough to what James was talking about in
the same variety YouTube video. Yeah, you can ask him about Zod. He's like, I don't give a fuck
about essentially. Yeah. You learn how to fight on a farm. Like he's just so checked out.
Especially with literally he brings in his like probably the state of mind he was in in
being Zod into the interview, which is incredibly checked out. Even though yeah, even like in that
same token, he's very invested in some other movie. But then he talks about Man of Steel,
which is one thing. And then he especially gets that point when he talks about the flash, because
he's like, at first they talk to me and like, isn't Zod dead? Why do you want me to do this?
And then they convinced me because I they asked me and I said, there's no way I'm going to do it
unless it's okay with Zack Snyder. So I called Zack Snyder and he said it was fine. So I just
I said, I guess I'll do it. And then previously for you, it was like it was a beautiful experience
and I enjoyed every minute of it. And this one is just like all clinical and just like
it's a paycheck. I don't know. They want to paycheck. Yeah. It's cool to as an actor,
I'm sure to have that variety of roles and maybe you can throw away that the money doesn't hurt.
You know, yeah, that's the thing, right? Because like I also can imagine him as an actor being
like I would much rather be recognized by the public for some of my more intense and serious
roles and the fact that everybody just keeps calling me fucking Zod. I'm getting really
I feel like a lot of people don't realize like there's like a lot of movies where like, you know,
unless they're like big fucking blockbuster movies, like there's movies where the actors
don't really make that much fucking money. Even like big actors, like I remember hearing some
I think it was like some Wes Anderson movie or something like
I said Anderson. Yeah, it came up on TikTok recently. Yep. Oh, was it that? Yeah. And like
someone was like, I mean, like five grand or something. I think was talking was talking about
it. Yeah. Like, no, you just like you just need to be there. And that is the extent of it.
It's a Wes Anderson. Everything about just me being there is paid for, but profit or huge gains
outside of that. It's not nothing. It's so funny. You're like, it's blessed. You're blessed to be
in a Wes Anderson movie. And so you just do it. It's so funny. Like even at that level of filmmaking,
like Wes Anderson, you know, he's obviously like quote unquote, India or whatever the fuck. But
his movies, you know, are still like they're, you know, they're theatrical releases.
It's just so funny that good level. Yeah. At that level, people are still getting like the homie hook
up. You know what I mean? It's like, I can't afford to pay you like more than X amount. You know,
that's cool dude. And that is, it's unfortunate. Game must be, yeah, big part not only doing him
him a favor or whatever, but also maintaining your relevancy. I'm sure a few of those guys,
I bet are like actual good buddies and all that. But I mean, I'm sure some of them like,
I haven't done a movie in a while and it'd be nice to like maintain my relevancy a bit. And
they're doing each other a solid, which is kind of kind of nice. Yeah. And yeah, for the payout.
Maybe they get some residuals or whatever. Yeah. But nonetheless, to, if anything, it's an indictment
on the industry because Wes Anderson's movies are only their ceiling of profitability for
Wes Anderson movie in 2024 is only X amount of dollars. So you're not getting paid well beyond
that to star in it. It is being made as cheaply as a movie that size can be made, which is
well, you haven't heard that he's doing flash versus Aquaman. I mean, if that's the thing to
bring up is that yeah, so much of big budget movies are things. I well, I also feel like
they're cresting now at this point. I'm getting a sense. Oh, you bet Aquaman's cresting. Oh,
he's cresting so fucking hard right now. Cresting sounds like some weird masturbation thing.
It does. Or like a like a Mormon thing, like a Mormon like soaking. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I can't
jerk off. So I like fuck my pillow or something. I just rub against my surfaces. That's the funniest
shit ever like God loopholes. Yeah. Right. Because it's something teenagers would fucking or not
necessarily teenagers, but like college students would do because it's like the rules are going
against human nature. So fucking. And then you just think God's up there just kind of like Santa
Claus just like oh, oh, almost. Oh, just a tip. Okay. Just a tip. Okay. I guess we're all right.
All right. Going to heaven. Okay. Premarital sex. Nope. You're all right.
There. Yeah. There's just a remit going on. Right. There's these rules in order for you to
get put on the naughty list. It has to strictly be penetration in this weird sense of the term,
as opposed to just like the idea of it happening. You know, it's so silly. I feel like I would
watch a documentary about about soaking. Yeah. I think I would do. I'm sure there's a vice
like half hour dog. You know, if HBO made it, it would be like 10 parts.
You're like, I got it in the first hour. It's like, holy shit. That's like my biggest fucking
pet peeve these days is like people just making these fucking absurdly long fucking documentary
series that just do not need to be that long. Yeah. Right. Totally. But that's in response to
not getting something else made. So you're taking advantage of the system, right? And then it just
ends up making a product that isn't like you're taking advantage of the system rather than doing
good art. Like good art would be something to say, something that you can make a profit on and
continue to make, but it is more profitable to make this long drawn out thing because that's how
studio executives and producers are thinking about things. They're like, well, no, it has to be a
10 point series. It's really funny. I was I was like interviewing at this like startup podcast
company a couple of weeks ago, and I'm like starting to get to the point where like I actually
like I'm like, like I'll interview with people. I'm like, oh, fuck, I know more than you. That's
weird. You know, and and this was definitely one of those. And there was like this point of the
interview where the the one the person I was talking to was like, yeah, so we wanted to be like,
oh yeah, they said it's like, oh, we're working on the first episode, but it's not done yet because
we want it to be 25 minutes. And I was like, why do you want it to be 25 minutes? And they're like,
oh, it just sounds like a good number. And I was just like, what dude?
I mean, if anything podcasts have proven that people willing willing to listen to fucking
two hours, three hours of shit. Oh, no, this was this was she was saying it wasn't that long yet.
She they needed it to be 25 minutes long. It wasn't that long yet. And with like with like
narrative, it's it's not like a three person talking thing, you know, it's like a highly
pretty, yeah, like whatever. But yeah, not like our intro, Brandon.
Okay, I just thought that was so funny. I was like, people are, I'm like, you're really like
crippling yourself creatively. If you're just like, I need this to be exactly, you know,
in this range, like 25 to 27 minutes or whatever. It's like, why? Why? What the fuck?
At the same time, I mean, we've talked about this recently in these musician bio picks
about how creating restrictions for yourself allow you to operate creatively within these
boundaries that ends up creating really great art. Because if you just have, you know, an example
would be like a cold play, for example, because they suck now because they have all the money in
the world. So then they just make all of these really generic boring, but very highly produced
and like very great sounding things. But they don't have the restrictions on themselves that
most bands have just innately when they start is like, we only have this much time in the studio,
so we need to rip it. And as bands get bigger and whatnot, it just, yeah, there's sometimes
restrictions are good. The thing I'll give this movie credit for even comparing it some of the
other music kind of movies out there is that it does have those limitations and maybe to its
detriment as well. But after watching some of those movies where and seeing walk heart, of course,
where it's like, we need to get through his entire life in this life. It was kind of nice to just
have this blurb. That's a key moment in this dude's life where he's about to try to make
a name for himself and go off on his own. Maybe that part would be even more interesting as seeing
that element. You don't see that in this movie, but I do. I do appreciate that it is limited to just
him losing and chickening out on a rap battle to winning a rap battles is the big arc. And obviously,
there's much deeper things at play, but it's not him as a baby all the way up to him being a star and
then going through some issues and then falling out of stardom and coming back. It's really,
I don't know how long this probably takes place over a couple of months.
Yeah, no, that's a really good point. I never thought about that. Just having this key moment
of his life be the whole movie is, yeah, that was a great choice. I definitely
didn't need to see baby M&M. There's no point really. But yeah.
Yeah. And it's like, I like the ellipsis at the end as well, where you get the idea that
there are certain things that you can't maybe change about the maybe the city that they live in,
that they're trying to either improve or change or the people around them that they're closest with,
that they're also trying to do the same and kind of coming to acceptance and
into the things that you can control, which is your own life. However, yeah, I do think, yeah,
it could have been a lot deeper on along some of those elements. And I think those limitations,
maybe hinder it a bit as well. But him as I mean, what do you guys think of M&M to begin with as a
musician? You know, even Alex and I hadn't seen this movie, but I'm seeing it referenced and
fucking scary movie three and then other things. And of course, new him as a as a musician. But
how about how about you, Alex? What do you think of M&M? Just even pre eight mile and or apart from
movie movie stardom? I mean, as like a white kid in like 2000 2001, like, I feel like, you know,
you're just gonna you're gonna listen to M&M unless you're a fucking dork or something.
Like he was just gigantic. And yeah, I mean, he he was just like a fucking superstar. I think
one of my first one of the first like physical albums I ever owned was probably one of the
first M&M records. And like, I feel like I sort of went through a I went through like a sort of,
I don't even know what you call it phase, I guess, because like, I liked him a lot. And then for some
reason, I got into this phase where I was like, Oh, rap music six for like a year or two, for some
reason. And I just didn't like him. And then and then I grew older. And I mean, I don't know,
like the first couple records fucking slap, and then his his last couple records are their dog
shit. Like, I think that's my main my main thing about him. He's also sort of just become irrelevant
irrelevant and like seems to be really trying to stay relevant. And I don't know, it just doesn't
seem like it's working out very well. It's hard, though, to say that it's not working out because
at the same time he seems to get big streams when he does these new tracks, he gets a little bit of,
you know, kind of conversations in the trades about like, Oh, he's talking about this person
or he's going after X person and his collaborations are a lot. And that's came
collaborations to after, I'd say like recovery was was around that time because I remember being
like relatively like, Oh, I think relapse is pretty fun. I don't know. On core was kind of fun, too.
It's like, got some freight edges, like it's rough, but I was having fun with it. And then recovery
and whole vibe of that album and all the collabs really changed his sound per song
that he was on. And I think that's yeah, I definitely definitely lost out on fandom of him
and haven't really caught up with him past. Yeah, recovery on, I'd say. Well, I guess like
going back to when Brandon was saying, you know, you think it is working out like I
that's I guess that's not the measurement I was I was taking in my head. The measurement I was
taking in my head is just like, I don't know. It's you know, just if it's good or not. Yeah.
I feel like it's it's hard, you know, to in his defense, like you said, it's really hard,
especially like when you get older and you stop, you sort of run out of shit to talk about.
Like, yeah, I feel like I feel like there's a reason why
why Andre 3000 instead of doing a rap album came out with like the experimental jazz album,
you know, because it just I don't know, like I feel like in certain types of music like punk
or hip hop or whatever, like, when you get to a certain age, it's just like, dude, just fucking
stop. Like, like, come on, man, like the only the only album that I can think of at the top of my
head that is completely like an outlier is is that fucking? What's that? What's the group?
tribe. What is it? tribe? Yeah. Oh, I did I guess it right? You did. Yeah. Yeah. Even like if I
isn't around anymore, and that fucking album is amazing. And it took forever for them to come
back to you. But it's so that's why I think it's an outlier because it's just like every part of
that recipe, like with life being dead and like, you know, it being so long after they've released
anything, you would think like if someone was like, Oh, do you think this is going to be a good
album? I would say like absolutely not. Yeah. But then it comes out and it's like fucking incredible.
It's like as good as their other stuff. It's insane. It has no right to
it's better. It's better. Yeah, I think the the only thing I don't I think the one thing that I
don't like about Eminem and it's not even really him as a person. It's more his fan base is Eminem
has sort of become like and it's you know, I'm saying this as someone who's like almost 35 years
old, but like he's like the old heads like, oh, God or something. You know what I mean? It's always
like, yeah, they don't they don't make you know, the rappers aren't like back in the day when it
was like Eminem and and you know, all these guys or whatever. And it's just like, that is like the
laziest fuck. I fucking hate that shit so much. It's the laziest shit like, oh, they don't make
music like this anymore. It's like, well, so shitty. Maybe it's awful. Spend 10 minutes looking. Yeah,
straight. It's been 10 minutes and you'll find good shit. There's more music than ever.
Every moment of your life, there's there's more. Just like with, you know, I'll continue to say
that Coldplay fucking blows and just like how Coldplay blows. That's how I feel about Eminem
too is that there is a immature like phase in perspective that has continued to be your staple
that you always carry into the next thing because that's what you think people want. And to a degree,
they do because there's a lot of very immature or non complex fans that listen to Coldplay or listen
to Eminem where I it made sense at the time like why he was so big because he was taking the piss
out of shit and 90s early 2000s was all about being edgy and taking the piss out of stuff,
never being too serious. But then also to he incorporated a different side of what hip hop
could be, which is very much more like thought process emotional stuff in a different way,
as opposed to being very descriptive of your environment and talking so so great in hip hop
about what's going on at the time. But you're not evolving at all. You're just using a lot of what
you've been doing into your new stuff. And I would just argue with, you know, that it's,
it's definitely possible because there's plenty of artists that do this is, but we're growing up,
like you're growing up, we're growing up, I have interests and I have things that I'm,
you know, thinking about considering now at a different age. And there's no reason why an artist
couldn't represent that in lyrics as they get older as well. But the fact is, is that you just
hold so much on to what made you popular, which it doesn't work for me. It's just this old hat.
It's this very contrived. It just sucks because I get that it makes you money, but it just has
nothing interesting to say. And so much of M&M stuff has been that for me is like, I don't,
you're not saying anything interesting. You're really just trying to like capture more of
what people liked about you 20 years ago. And that's wholly uninteresting to me to watch somebody
not be able to come to terms with their own reality and think that they can just continue to bank
off of their past reality. That just sucks. Anyway, you look at it. So like, I, but also too,
like my M&M upbringing as well as like, I was always the guy that liked hip hop music through
and through. And I was like, this guy is fine. This guy's okay. You know, I'm,
I can get on board with a new perspective for sure, but I am not going to, I've never been. And I,
this is my opinion of a lot of M&M fans is he's such a great lyricist. He says things so quickly.
He says things with, you know, there's so many words in a stanza or in a, you know, whatever.
And that I couldn't give a fucking shit less if there's a lot of words in there. You're saying
nothing in how, with however many words it takes like that. Like then I don't care.
That's the Anthony Ketus approach. Yes. And Anthony Ketus is a great example of this of doing
the same thing where it's like, Oh, I just people like reading the tea leaves wrong and going like,
Oh, the reason we're popular and we make money is because of words and music sounding like what it
did 20, 30 years ago. No, people were interested in you because you encapsulated a feeling encapsulated
a sound of that time. And I'm going to ride and die with you because of that, but I'm growing up.
I need you to fucking grow up and stop being this little bitch guy that just fucking things said
he's so cool because he was popular then or they were popular. Fuck you. Coldplay again.
Like Jesus. I just like, I would put coldplay in a fucking body bag because it's
wow. It's the same shit that he did. Like, okay, I'm going to Coachella this year. I'm going to Coachella
next week. And I was just telling James about this. Now with TikTok, there's this whole fucking thing.
There for Brandon of the slamming the fist. I can hear the. Okay, sorry. There's this whole thing.
There's this whole thing on TikTok now where it is people who they start the TikTok going,
I've went to the last three Coachella. So I had figured it out. Let me tell you about how to do it right.
And you're just like, wait a minute, you're not considering way more time than it's been that it's
existed. You're just solely like, oh, I only want, you know, I like I'm, I'm going to be an expert based on
little like little information or little time period going on. And I'm going to just say, oh, these things are good.
And one of those with new Eminem fans and new Coldplay fans or whatever is it's like, it's, it sounds really good.
It's really well produced. But at the end of it, it's like, you don't have an experience because if you did, then you would have a more complex understanding about how you're working through life and how a band and yourself can grow.
And if that band's not doing that, just because the music sounds popular, like it did 20 years ago, who gives a shit like you're not, you're not growing, you're not being interesting, you're just giving people what they want.
And I get that Aldis Hussle said it right instead of Orwell where it's like, let's just give people what they want. That's all that, that's, you know, that's how you get popularity.
You know, that's how you appease people is to just give them what they want. But I'm such a firm believer of like push people if you care about somebody like give them something interesting to chew on rather than just the same shit that they're always going to like.
And yeah, overall, that's my opinion of Eminem is like, yeah, it was recognizably good because of the fresh perspective back in the day. But he has just continued to just give the same shit over and over for decades now.
And I just don't understand how you can be like, Oh, I'm still going to hold him to high regard because he was good 20 years ago, even though he's made complete shit recently.
I just don't get it. I am not familiar enough with him to know like his entire catalog. I'd say the first phase what drew me to him was the shock value and was the storytelling in the in the conceptual ideas behind his albums.
And the little interstitial things that catered to the out yeah the whole album listening experience as an edgy teenager hit at a time and then growing along with him.
Yeah, as you're saying he grew and everything and I I'm sure there's at this point he's done so much he's had to be repetitious with some of his stuff but I would say that like that recovery portion was definitely a departure from his sound and his ideals and ways of writing music as in terms of being
more poppy and more collaborative and his lifestyle of course and in the concept behind that was very different than very different than relapse which so was silly and and drugging about murder and all this other fucked up shit which I kind of prefer.
And but it's a matter of whether you like those changes or not I guess because yeah I don't and Coldplay is another band that I don't know.
And I think they're more recent changes but you know even going through our Max Martin thing we went through Max Martin as a producer and even going back to Coldplay and hearing a little bit of Max what Max Martin did with them was cool to see them bring in a new sound and them being very purposeful and trying to do maybe something different but also something
different and I think both Eminem and Coldplay are very from my knowledge guilty of wanting to be mainstream be relevant when they're I think they're kind of way past their their heyday both of them and this for Eminem is like his his absolute heyday I mean this is like right before on core which I think
where things start to die so he is like working like he gets this I think it's floated the script and idea of making this movie I think when he's doing Marshall Mathers and then agrees to do it.
Yeah around Eminem show I guess but yeah he was taking taking meetings with Jimmy Ivey right because because Eminem wanted to be a movie star because that's how popular he was and he's like I can you know because you get that Eminem's a very smart guy a very savvy guy
not that bad of an actor either. He's a great performer I mean he's done a lot of yeah you can if you watch his music videos and everything like he knows how to act in front of a camera it gets a little one note I guess at certain points but he carries the movie for a starring role like very well and it gets you excited about him as an actor if he ever if you would ever wanted to do or take it more seriously and he's done other cameos that are great as well
but I was yeah I very impressed and I get why this movie was hot shit you know.
I mean so much of that benefits from having a I think it was like three months period of time leading up to the actual filming of this movie where the director worked on him being able to act and like really going through a lot of the movie and working with him to do it which is an incredibly smart idea.
And I mean I've also heard from plenty of actual established actors that they would love for you know there to be a month or two month period of time before shooting, where you just get together as a cast start, you know getting into the characters kind of this more free expression
situation where you can work out stuff before cameras actually start filming and so glad this happened because yeah I would agree by and large that this movie isn't by Eminem at least other people sure but like Eminem at least is not poorly acted.
I think Eminem does a pretty good job.
I enjoy his performance he carries a lot and I think he's all I wanted more of was to see more of him rapping well with music attached.
There was a nice like build up to that and to get him in the final rap battle with a beat rapping I'm like, man I wish almost like I had the whole movie of this and of course he's doing you know, little kind of acapella stuff here and there little battles in front of food trucks and and what now with exhibit but I was just wanting a little bit more of him doing what he's best at as
well. Although I was very impressed with his acting and I think the yeah the weakest was was probably Kim basing your for for me unfortunately and I think just I chalk it up to just being a little bit more melodramatic with some of her acting decisions.
And that's where it just starts. Yeah, like it it starts to tell you how dramatic things should be and how dramatic or how sad you should feel rather than having it just kind of develop naturally.
It seemed a little forced when she was on on screen.
Yeah.
Yeah, there definitely seem to be a little bit of that.
I mean, did you think of like his his like actual performances and everything like in rapping like when he did get the chance to show off that side of himself did you how did you enjoy that did you like this like some of those rap battle scenes like in the parking
garage and whatnot.
I thought that most of them were very uncomfortable.
Very cringey.
Yeah.
Like, which is funny because it's like I I like rap battles. I think that's very entertaining.
One of the one of the things about the rap battles when there was music with it. It really seemed like no one was on beat.
Yeah, which is really fucking weird.
Yeah, I felt that definitely with the acapella stuff which is naturally you don't have like a common thing but I know what you mean.
Why does no one.
You know, it's like it's like they they weren't rapping to the music that's playing.
Probably accurate.
Absolutely movie totally.
Didn't have like a monitor or something to like the sound to them because you get the crowd reacting and all that and scenes but I almost imagine the others not a feed coming to them where they can hear it well enough for me.
Do we want to.
Idiard.
Yeah, let's just key notes.
Yeah, I mean, I guess since we've just been talking so big about Eminem and all these things we don't have to go piece by piece but definitely like we can we can go through this opening portion of him in town broken up with his girlfriend and choking at this at this
rap battle and getting getting the shitty car and meeting Michael Shannon.
I'd say yeah if we have any notes kind of for this first first portion.
I have written down arms getting tired practicing rapping.
Yeah, right because he's doing he's doing this in the mirror.
Yeah, it's like, you know, it's it's a full body performance.
Yeah.
And then and then I just wrote the name Jimmy rabbit because I thought I think it's so funny. I don't know why it's Jimmy Wabbit.
It's funny. It's very it's very childish and silly. And it's one of those things that I never really got over during the movie because there's some really serious and gangster parts of this movie and people continue to just refer to him as be
rabbit or rabbit in general and you're like man this is just not that cool.
That's where a lot of the parody came from at least in scary movie three I remember. I forget exactly what they call him but also robot chicken there's a robot chicken sketch I remember where it's a Bugs Bunny doing a rap battle with Daffy duck just based on just because of the name.
That was one of the first things that I remember like I remember thinking about in the movie was like, is that scene from one of the scary movies where they they talk about the difference in a mouse and rat, which is like, you know, what you want to
do is you want to be like, I don't know about how can you wake up dead. No, let's say let's say some stuff about scary movie because we're in particular talking about scary movie three, which was a very nasty movie in our lives.
I feel like in particular, the first two was a little bit before us, but three really hit us at the right time.
I loved all all three of it like I, yeah, I watched all three of them coming out but yeah, I mean I remember I tried to rewatch the first scary movie like a year couple years ago and it.
Holy shit it is incredibly cringy and problematic.
So bad. Everything is a fucking is a some kind of homophobic or or transphobic like everything. It's so funny.
There's just like there's like a fucking homophobic joke like every two minutes. But yeah, that just that like bit of like those guys was so was fucking funny like the and I couldn't stop thinking about their their characters from scary movie three, which
obviously is very early Kevin Hart. Yeah.
Yeah, especially that scene when they're shooting the paintball gun.
Right. And then he like he pulls out the roller brings out a roller and then just rolling paint on people driving.
That's a shit where it's like yeah, I'm watching the parody before the actual original thing, but it still hits which goes to show how funny that that movie was and it was coming coming from a funny place.
I think the paintball thing is is just such a great little colorful part of the world of this movie that is not is like inconsequential to any sort of plot or anything.
Oh, but it also has like a nice tension to that scene to or like they hear the cops coming the car breaks down. It's almost like a Tarantino sort of thing that could that could build up from there.
But yeah, either more of that or a little bit more depth in other areas areas could have been nice. But you get the camaraderie with with these guys. You can tell like they've grown up together.
They're they're vying for rabbits skills and in certain ways. I thought that so so future.
Is that before or after I know that we know so well. Yeah, these days.
Definitely before his fame. Yeah, I don't know if it's.
But yeah, I couldn't stop thinking about that either.
Right.
The future. The rap name is also wrote Captain America is not good at rapping.
Yeah.
I forget his name. Anthony Mackie.
Oh yeah.
That's maybe that's what I'm feeling like he's a presence.
It doesn't quite work. But then finding out at the end that he is a prep school guy or something that kind of helps its case a little bit more where it's like he seems a little little odd man out because maybe because he just was never like saying much and always just kind of standing in the background.
I'm like, I want to find out more about this character, but they're not really giving much. So I guess he's just.
That was definitely a huge that was definitely a huge problem with the movie is that there's no like really defined antagonist.
Yeah, I guess you could say it's like the the other like the opposing rap crew or the world.
But like, if you should at least like focus on one of the characters in that crew, and you could have done it with Anthony Mackie. I feel like the payoffs of like him talking about how he's a prep school kid would have been better.
I still like I still love that moment, you know, just as like as an audience member who's like rooting for the, you know, the main character, you know, we all fucking loved him like getting fucking.
Shit or whatever. But but they definitely would have been more satisfying if we if we followed Anthony Mackie a little more in the movie.
Absolutely. And I was also thinking about the way this movie could have been set up that was more interesting because I think I'm getting a sense that you know I'm not alone in that there's a lot of just things in like what this movie is trying to do and it doesn't get deep with it or doesn't fully
accomplish. Like, what needs to actually happen in order in order for this to be an interesting story. And one of those things is the idea of like the big boss, where he is battling his way up to the, you know, the ultimate.
I did enjoy that there was a game almost in this movie with the rap battling where the rabbit has to work his way to the top through his rap skills. I did like that idea but the way this movie does it is so minimal and so quick.
I had kind of mixed feelings about it because yeah it's like he choked on the first rap battle that's how the movie started but for him that to be the fruition of the movie for him to do well and win a rap battle was something that he was putting off and denying for a long time and
seemed that he wanted something different. And I guess that rap battle is kind of like the first step in going down the direction that he wants to go in but that him not choking I guess is another antagonist you know like living at home.
There's just a lot of different like factors that are all kind of holding against him and then like even the things that should be good in his life end up kind of souring so it really is just him at the end which is a weird feeling kind of at the end of you know.
Well, it's got nothing.
That's the other thing is like you set up this movie and like it's set up really well. I love I actually love the first like the first scene.
Yeah, I love that he would have started a classic. It's a classic story like you know, here's here's our protagonist here's the issue that he's having.
You know he's not confident enough in himself so down and out.
He's he's super he he does he's he doesn't believe in himself and like that's what he to me that the first thing is saying this is what he needs to overcome in order to like gain whatever he wants to gain.
But the thing that personal self confidence. Yeah, the thing that they lost is like, I don't I don't remember any parts of the movie where like where he's like working on that.
No, not at all.
Shit just kind of like happens and then he is not choking anymore. There wasn't really any like thing that he had to get over in order to not choke.
You know what I mean.
I know totally which is like what we want but in order to get a good performance out of M&M we just kind of need better actors to happen upon him so that he can react in this very linear way of like where the this shit sucks you're going to rise above it and you
never get a lot of growth or interior into how he's feeling about stuff that I feel like would be so beneficial to the movie.
Yeah, it's kind of him trying to survive and then it comes down to am I going to go with future and try to do more of these rap battles am I going to go with this other guy.
And then he starts getting outside pressure from trying to having to contribute. If he's going to live with his mom and then he starts to go with more the other other direction but even that was like out of necessity to show to save face for his mom was like oh I'm trying to record an album with this guy that
wasn't anything that he really wanted to do in his own art and soul it seemed like and then the if there was any big turnaround. It was when they were talking with his friends and he essentially calls them all out like we guys keep fucking talking
and talking and we don't do fucking shit about ass.
In between in between all that you know it's there's this whole other subplot about this house, you know where some bad shit has happened and then they go to burn this the house down.
Like that's a whole other side quest of the fucking movie that is interesting creates a nice vision I really like the visual the burning house and then dancing on the outside and just like the commentary on.
Yeah Detroit at this time. If I knew what, like, what that was a metaphor for.
I would I would have I would have loved that scene, but it's like, there's just like a bunch of like metaphor shit that happens but like the movie doesn't present a meaning for no there isn't enough depth I completely agree there isn't enough depth I get that they're trying to maybe
like there's there's a little bit of like the broken windows thing of like things that shit wouldn't happen if that house wasn't there if they're if you we didn't wake up every day and see our city look like fucking shit and maybe this bad shit wouldn't continue to happen because people live like they treat
it as a whole other side of how it's how it looks so let's burn it down and like that I like that idea of that was there subtract addition by subtraction for the city of trying to make a difference in in in their world and how they
had to fuck do we post to keep peace you guys remember that.
And remember it's so cold in the D.
We got to look up that.
Okay, so old music video it's funny as fuck.
It's funny as fuck.
That makes me think too about how Detroit plays a factor into this, because this movie is repping Detroit.
You know what, yeah, it's a huge part of the movie.
I'm like I'm trying to understand and the movie does. Okay, I just wish it did better of like what are the influences happening in Detroit that make be rabbit sound the way that he does.
I would have been interesting to go down.
I wanted some of that where it was like, I love that they're talking about the dynamics of West Coast East Coast in the car conversations.
Yeah.
What is the connective tissue that makes Detroit sound in particular, like unique.
Yeah, because I love the idea of them go to like a house show or something.
Right, like some sort of representation of like this is what's also happening in Detroit.
We get none of that.
Like we really only get the rap battle place.
And then there is a house party, but they're just playing to pocket.
Oh yeah, that was the other Detroit house music or something have like some Detroit house music.
Something like something that may like that's like this is where like Eminem's influences like this is what Detroit's about, you know, yeah, seriously, like the only fucking music this is like it's like.
That was like smalls and to box.
Yeah, it's just it's like very, very, very popular.
East Coast.
Yeah.
I love that's very expensive to license on the soundtrack. You know what I mean? Yeah, Eminem, Eminem put it together all himself. And I mean, there are some there's some good songs. I mean, the far side and.
There's obviously, yeah, there's definitely good songs.
I would have.
Representative there, but they're, but they're so obvious. You know what I mean? They're just like all fucking.
Yeah, this is what was popular on the radio when this movie, you know, the time period this movie.
Yeah.
But where is the going to the club, right? Where Eminem isn't just rap battling. He's also M.C. maybe or like doing something else in Detroit.
Like our POV to all of this movie is so five places and is making cars.
So small.
He helps make cars. How much Detroit can you get? Michael Shannon has a Ford t-shirt.
I know.
He does. That's so funny.
Yeah, that going back to like some kiss sort of the start of them is that we're kissing the movie is that I really wish.
It's very rock city.
I really wish that they would have explained why it's like I get okay his mom's an alcoholic and she's like, yeah, you know, he's not very good at life or whatever, but like.
She's I wish they would have explained the backstory of their relationship more because what it comes off as without that explanation is that is that Jimmy Rabbit is just a fucking brat.
You know what I mean? Like in my perspective, like this time. Yeah, I picked this up this time. But what I would say is like as a kid seeing this when it came out, you don't pick up on that.
Yeah.
You know, you're like your mother is just being a piece of shit and you're frustrated at your plight in life. But totally this time around, I was like, he's actually kind of a fucking stinker.
Like he's a fucking brat. He goes in there. His mom is nice enough to give him give him the car. And he's like, yeah, give him a fucking car.
Like it's a car. I know that it doesn't.
Yeah, I know it's a beater, but she gives him a fucking car and then let's says, oh, you can stay here as long as you want.
And then his like one of his first reactions is he opens the fridge and he's like, no milk. Yeah, that was a little bit much.
What a fuck. Yeah.
Can you fucking calm down, which is like it would make sense if you had like a backstory of like how she was never around when he was growing up or something like that.
Like you assume that concern for his little sister.
Yeah, I can wear that.
Also that too. Is that his little sister or his daughter daughter, his daughter with his with his girlfriend. Is that Oh, I thought it was.
So one of those little trailer.
I thought it was little sister.
That is one of the most confusing fucking plot. I guess we are confused here.
If it was daughter, man, I thought he would be a lot more hands on very loving, very loving, but he comes across as like older brother to me, but I don't know.
I was so fucking confused because I was like,
if that is your daughter, why have you been away for so long? Exactly. Because obviously, obviously you care about kids because you you let your chick have the apartment or whatever because she's pregnant and the car let her have the car, which we find out that is not true.
Right.
I don't that that whole thing is so fucking confusing because she comes to his work and she's like, me me me and he's like,
Oh, he saw her in the club and she was drinking.
And then I feel like there's this whole moment where he's like, she's full of shit.
What the fuck is the point of all that?
In my mind, it was a situation of she's.
Let me put on my top.
Don't like his voice.
I she's just crazy bitch.
And like, that's the whole thing is that she wants him to be around.
So she comes up as a plane.
And like he's she's she's trying to trap him like in.
Trap him in Detroit and say she's pregnant and that's why I really don't think that's his daughter because.
I don't know that would just play differently, especially at the end to where he's like, I'm on my own, I'm making my own way and then he just walks off into the night and like no mention of that he's got a he's got a child.
That's what I'm saying is that the end of the movie.
First of all, the yeah, that they we never get to fucking know what happens like.
The rabbit.
Like, it's it's never it's like the shit with his bombs not resolved.
The shit with fucking the little kid is not resolved.
The arc is that he had to win this competition.
And that's where this movie really boils down to like a sports movie.
Or like a talent show like a talent show that you got to win.
With a sports movie, they get increasingly better throughout the movie.
With this, it's not the case.
He doesn't get better.
He at least does a couple of battles that are to James's point.
He does a couple of battles.
Yeah.
We have the parking lot.
We have the food truck.
I just want to know why I'm rapping occasionally to Cheddar Bob.
And I just want to know why he why he gets over his fear.
Oh, totally.
That is an incredible.
That's kind of manufactured out of nowhere because that's the only time I can think
is where he has that he gets mad at them of like we're not really doing shit.
And Cheddar Bob getting shot, I think just gets him pretty frustrated.
He's like, man, this is annoying.
But there no, there really isn't a huge instance besides just wanting to get out.
I mean, the Brittany Murphy thing like that, all that shit goes awry as well.
But then it just boils down to either sitting on the bus with his notes or or just like
holding in and just like visually and nonverbally, the movie is telling you like, OK, now he's
really focusing on getting better.
But like you're saying, there's no it's not a lot of actual proof in the pudding.
And to my original point, like you only get at the very end him like, I don't know, actually
being M&M rapping, I feel like a lot of his other rap battle stuff is like not rhythmic
like you like you were you were saying, and it is very truncated and like in it and it starts
and stops a lot.
And it's really just like, what is that Nick Cannon show?
Or they just diss each other?
It's just more like they're just dissing each other.
Yeah, roasting each other rather than I just wish that like is like from what I understand,
or from what I understand, the entire the entire narrative of the movie essentially is like.
It's about him like kind of growing up, I guess.
And like you see these things and it's like, here's the reason why I'm not growing up like
Detroit sucks.
My mom sucks.
You know, the shitty situation.
My plan life is tough.
Yeah.
Yeah, all this stuff sucks.
And it but the ending is so fucking confusing because it's like Brady Murphy's Brady Murphy's
supposed to be in my opinion is supposed to be like a wake up call like you're running
out of time.
You got to fucking you got to like, you got to get out of here so you can so you can do
something.
Right.
And you're and you're sort of like resting on your laurels almost and depending on other
people a lot, I guess, but like you do need help for people.
But he ends up doing the rap battle and going back to work.
So it's like help from he did.
He like ends up being like, you know what future I do, you know, but he pursues his
dream, but he also is responsible at the end.
Right.
Wow.
Which is so funny.
Like if they actually did that and it was like, you can do both.
But you can have a full time job and pursue your dream.
You don't need to.
You know, to be a fucking loser.
Like you can just like sit some down.
It's like, hey, you just got to stop hanging out with your jerk off friends getting fucked
up all the time and maybe and maybe focus a bit more and then you can accomplish your
goals.
Yeah.
Your friends named Cheddar Bob.
Let's talk about Cheddar Bob.
Let's talk about yeah.
And then what the fuck is the point of Cheddar Bob?
Why is he is he mentally challenged?
Why is he mentally challenged?
Yeah.
I don't know.
Because it's like they don't go all the way with it.
They don't go to borrow a.
Yeah.
They borrow a Downey Junior ism.
Yeah.
And you know, they also is.
I am never going all the way is there is a scene in which B.
Rabbit goes into Cheddar Bob's house after he cowardly like looks through the window
and like and he's like, oh, he's fucking in there.
And then he goes into Cheddar Bob's place and then it's about to have a really great
moment, but then it just cuts and the movie give a shit less about that.
And it bug me the hell out because I was like, this could have been a moment where
you had B. Rabbit tell Cheddar Bob a simple 10.
How like just unload all like how movies stereotypically do where there's the
protagonist just unloads all of their emotional trauma or what they're thinking
about onto a simple 10.
And then the simple 10 is going to button the scene with a joke of like,
I'll get what you're talking about.
I'm retarded.
I just don't understand why they can't just go like the normal route of the movie
with the movie would like auto correct.
If the AI wrote it would be he's not going to fucking shoot himself.
The gang is going to fucking shoot him.
Have they just the game shoot him or fucking main him or something like not
permanently, whatever, but have them injure him so they have a reason to fucking
really go after these guys.
And so he didn't shoot his dick off, right?
No, I'll just hear on his leg.
Yeah, but it's maybe if he does they do shoot him.
Maybe it gets bigger than that.
But like I just him shooting himself is like almost played for laughs adds nothing.
They don't feel anything but just like, well, fuck, our friend shot himself.
That sucks.
There's no that that provides no antagonistic source like for them to like rally around.
They're just like, well shit.
And it was completely we have an idiot.
Yeah, we have an idiot on our team.
Yeah, yeah, it's and yeah, it's like brick.
That just happens like it just happens for no fucking reason.
Like he just shoots himself and then they're like they're like kind of joking about it,
but they're like, oh man, our friends in the hospital and then.
Yeah, and then nothing like nothing really comes with the movie fucking slows down
and they leave him at the hospital and this is really at the point when like he should
Eminem should be doing something about his life and he does, but there's just no point to it.
There's no there's and this is just catering to your point where it's like there's nothing to really like push him
besides cheddar shooting himself.
It's like that's the like sequentially what happens before, but there's it's not a reason enough for him to actually.
Yeah, maybe like have a montage of him like it almost gets there with the start with the lose yourself song.
And I really like how that's mixed into the moment.
You guys think of the little bit.
I'm doing like the the remix of that song where it's like he's writing it.
You know, I'm talking about I kind of liked it.
I kind of liked it too.
It was pretty creative.
It's cool to hear a different like I think you like a sign and it's like building on itself, you know,
you know, yeah, the song like sort of working itself out.
I was convinced that it was going to like come up at the end in the right.
Yeah, like he would like he would do that's what my girlfriend said to she was like so he doesn't he doesn't fucking do the do this song at the end.
Yeah, it's everything was leading up to that.
It's the end credit thing.
I was convinced because he's working on him.
Okay, we're going to get there. We're going to get there like he's working on it in the scene. It's like, okay, so he's going to but and so when the the DJ was like playing records.
I'm like, how are they going to mix in that?
He's like, I got a certain track that I want you to play and he's going to slide it to him or something.
Didn't do it for the first battle and then he had to work as well as like, oh, he's going against Anthony Mackie.
This is for sure going to be a very new sound you've been looking for.
You know that new sound you're looking for.
You got to lose yourself in the moment right now.
It's Dr.
Dr.
Mr. Dre his brother.
Dr.
It's easy. I guess you guys aren't ready for that.
But your white counterpart.
Love it.
Oh my God.
For sure.
Yeah, I don't know.
This movie just kind of goes through the motions a little bit. I'm realizing I just I was kind of surprised at how
a vatrolic it kind of got with him and Brittany Murphy and the other guy and him kicking his ass and then getting his ass kicked in return.
I didn't expect it to get so ugly with Brittany Murphy.
I thought they would have a little bit more of a happy.
I know she gets. Yeah.
Right.
That was a really interesting like sort of.
Period piece kind of thing because like I'm sure that when I if I saw that movie when it came out I'm sure I would be so stoked that he beat that guy up.
Because like you know I'm like 12 years old and I'm like yeah there you go.
Yeah.
Right.
But now I'm like oh wow he's a fucking psychopath like this is not his girlfriend why why does this guy deserve to get beat up like he's obviously just
Has a heart twice.
That was a bad fucking look for our main character.
Fucking look they fucked in a dirty automotive warehouse like I don't know.
Let's let's let the yeah that seems so long.
Yeah it was really long.
Very close to completion.
And then a lot of just.
And just like it doesn't like cut like there's a lot I mean speaking of Revolutionary Road I mean that movie is like one pump and done.
Yeah but he's yeah no he's pumping.
He's here.
Also what where the fuck does he not has he never kissed someone before.
He kisses so weird.
Like he's like all like his whole mouth.
Just very like it's very like 14 year old summer camp make out sesh like.
Yeah and all the clothes are like still on like he just just barely.
Everything's just like pushed that was unreal.
Are pushed down and shirts are pushed up and nothing's ever taken off and it's in the cold fucking dingy.
Car warehouse where they have overnight shifts.
Is that but it's so but it's overnight shifts at the factory.
Yeah because he was going to work one.
Remember after the show.
Oh I know in the movie but I was just asking like yeah I guess in real life they do overnight factory shifts probably.
Sure.
Yeah they got to make bumpers.
So to the down.
You just got to do your job and shut the fuck up and the fuck up.
I was thinking about it.
I was like hey this band.
Like a light or something.
The fact that they have to say up and down every single time is that I feel like there's a better way to do that.
There's like you know just like a light you go OK like down.
Yeah like you have to say up and down to do what they're doing.
Jesus.
Yeah.
Did you notice who the boss was Brandon.
No who's the boss.
It's the owner of the club and walk hard.
I expect you to dance erotically.
Yes.
He's like wants everyone to be dancing very erotically and he has such boss energy.
He doesn't.
He's big.
Why is he always giving me shit.
And then that's that's bonza.
Well you need to shut the fuck up.
You know what you know it walk hard kind of borrows that from a little bit that that scene where they're like they're doing that is.
Is it was it don't be a menace or is like looking at you getting freaky on the dance floor.
And they're like actually fucking like.
They're dancing erotically in the movie too.
It's so funny.
It's dude.
I love it.
This is sort of like a small part but I don't know why me and my chick kind of.
Pointed this out to each other was that Brittany Murphy like is dancing.
Dancing with the like the only other white guy.
At the thing.
So she just doesn't doesn't like to use his up.
But then she fucks that guy so.
So there he was.
Right.
But I mean what you're saying is like we needed her to fuck more black guys before that happened.
Oh no I just thought it was funny that like the only other guy that she's like kind of hitting it off with is also white.
I know.
Very predominantly black club.
I just thought that was fucking hilarious.
Speaking of white guys too is that the writer of this movie is a white guy.
You know it's produced by Brian Grazer.
Yeah which is not nuts and the director of Ellie confidential.
Yes.
The director of adaptation which is like a cool ass art film.
No that's Charlie Kaufman.
What's Charlie Kaufman.
Wait who does.
No because I swear to God it's not on the fucking on the on the Amazon fucking blue to blue or whatever the fuck.
After the movie was over it showed like you know the different people that were involved in making the movie.
And one of them had something to do with adaptation.
I don't know if it was the director.
He is a character in the movie.
Oh wow.
Oh weird.
Yeah.
Charlie Kaufman.
Yeah.
That's so funny.
That's so funny that I thought the same guy who did adaptation.
Could you literally like one of the handful of movies and I'm not saying I'm like a tough guy or whatever but one of the handful of movies to make me cry adaptation adaptation.
When the when his twin.
Oh yeah.
We did I'm thinking of ending things which is another Charlie Kaufman movie but that guy is a fucking trip he wrote a book I've thought about.
The fuck off.
I'm thinking of ending things.
Well then that makes sense why it's polarizing because I like to.
I like to do but I hated the ending so much.
Way way way unnecessarily confusing.
Very confusing.
Because I thought because I remember I read like what I like I went online and I read like what actually what happens or whatever.
And I was like that's amazing if I would have known that the.
I love that movie just told me a little clearer.
I remember liking a lot more after I read about it as well.
That's what I'm saying.
I thought the movie was great but then the ending is like unnecessarily fucking confusing.
What's the deal with this pig.
Turns into a cartoon.
Well looking through the last of my notes we got we got a rip it baby rip it.
We got to get the fuck out of my house get the.
Out of my house.
I like how she I like how she she wins like three thousand dollars and she's like that's the end of her story.
You want pancakes like that's that was the that was the meal after you win three thousand dollars.
That was her arc. Yeah.
And that's not even you didn't even buy it.
You didn't bring home pancakes.
You're gonna make that's very fiscally responsible like for someone who's not.
Three thousand.
She's in debt.
I like three grand and.
I don't know that could probably pay for rent at that trailer park for like six months trailer parts man are fucking nuts.
I there's this really great like radio lab episode about how trailer parts are literally the worst investment possible because you don't.
The thing with houses is that you own the land like you appreciate you own the plot of that land like legally on the plot but with the trailer.
Somebody else owns the plot and you're just putting a thing on there and it just is the literally the worst investment to just take advantage of yourself a double.
You're in here.
What were you gonna say James. Oh, I was just sorry to interrupt.
I just had to say this quote that I liked a lot when they were talking about the guy was there's a one character in their friend group that is seems to be a little bit more socially responsible and ethically aware and politically aware of the world.
But he's talking about how getting a record deal is like a good good idea because you get a lot of benefits. And then his other friends, his other bigger guy friend says, Hey man we talking Bentley's and Benjamins not blue cross and blue shield.
That was a very.
Yeah, that was someone someone wrote that was pretty proud of that.
Yeah, yeah, that's over.
Some super hip white old white.
Over the writer of this movie has also written.
He has written the new Joker and the previous Joker movie.
Oh God, Folly.
Did all the other dude has a Scott Silver screenwriter credit.
Phoenix. Okay, wait, hold on. What a time to be alive.
Before I forget, taking of the guy, the socially conscious dude in the in the friend group, who was gay.
Or were they just making fun of them.
No, no, there's a lot of them.
They did make fun of the one guy at the factory. They're making fun of him.
I did.
He was cool.
He was cool. The exhibit was making fun of him.
Yeah, how he was smoking cigarettes was cool. There's something about him.
Did in his in his defense, he did defend him. Yeah, which is true.
And his outfit was I like that.
He also used the the the F word.
Yeah, many times while doing it.
Well, it's fucking hilarious.
Going back to that guy.
He is do you remember when that's what woke meant?
Was a dude was a dude that could that like was like some somewhat socially conscious.
That's what that's what we used to mean.
Yeah, it is.
I can use that term now.
It's he was like right like we shouldn't be into religion.
We should start like not hurting the earth.
She's a woman, but it's okay.
She was like,
so like woke used to mean like that you sort of adhered to like some
conspiracy theories and and like you were you you sort of knew about the
government like local government or some shit.
But now it's just like, you know, you're your Joe Biden.
That's who's now you don't know.
If you're a centrist, you're fucking.
Yeah, you're absolutely.
Yeah.
If you want to like have people taken everyone get along and woke exactly like
if you if you would rather a hospital like taken a guy who's dying before he
paid than your work.
Yeah.
And broke as well.
He uses the.
I'm like it's here.
We got we got the pencil suspense suspense full rhyme was in like the last
rap battle, which he uses in without me been so suspenseful with the pencil
since like Prince turned himself into a symbol.
Oh, that's a great.
I wish that was in this movie.
Well, he does the pencil, the pencil thing.
He's repeating that.
It's not as cool.
No, it's like it's like the guy from Nutri Milk Hotel talking about come on the
mountains or whatever.
Totally.
You know, I bring that up like three times and now it seems the non pops.
It's like he loves that that fucking visual.
It must be kind of fun like to do things in such like a heightened heavy way,
but then you're just singing about stupid shit that must come that like and then
someone's like worshiping worshiping me that you're in the background.
You're just kind of like fucking you.
You're worshiping mountain song.
No one was the walrus.
I made it up.
I mean, that's kind of I guess I'm in them.
So stick a little bit to you.
But I like how he makes fun of the Beatles.
Hey, dude, you should have been with us for the walk.
Why are you so dark and when I'm so efficient whimsical acid?
You're lucky we still have to play.
My guitar gently whimpers.
Anthony Mackie doing pretty well for a 15 year old with a wife and baby.
Yeah, can't make a make a house of candy you will melt in the sun.
You know what I think that the hardest I laughed during that movie was is the
the scene where all the dicks are just appearing in a hotel room while he's
talking on the phone.
Yes, not all it's just like it's just burnt.
I was I was in the theater.
I remember like I was like crying fucking hard.
James James posted it 100 percent by the way.
James posted it in the discord.
But in Roger Ebert's review of the walk hard, he makes this addendum at the
end and he's like just so everybody knows there's a penis in this movie.
And then it's like a paragraph long where he like also kind of creates this
like, you know what this scene can use a penis in the upper upper right corner.
And it is so funny to just have this very sterile, like almost puritanical
mind being like, guess what everybody is in this movie.
And the best is yeah, he overall just been like, oh, you know who at hands,
the devil.
He's the for holding.
The guy hears the song and he throws up.
Just kidding.
It's good.
It's just like want to take that approach that an Ardrey Ebert took with like
other jokes and like other like obvious jokes in movies that are like.
Why did Ron Burgundy have that boner?
That was very strange.
That was just an uncomfortable moment that I don't know.
Somebody should call the pants store and let them know.
Yeah, what this thing needed was a news anchor who can't read the news.
Wow, that's believable.
What have been a body bag?
What's with movies these days?
It'll make them like they used to.
Yeah, Anthony Mackie, his real name is Clarence.
I thought that was just a funny burn of like this guy's name is Clarence.
Yeah, it was so funny.
He just completely shut down.
Yeah, he pooped his pants and cried and ran away.
Wow.
I thought I thought that the doing like the thing where he brings up all of the
disses that the other guys probably going to say I liked it was like was like.
Art of war like sun zoos.
Like what gently like that was fucking that was so fucking smart.
Like.
Let me all of all of my ineptitudes so that you can weaponize them.
Yeah, you can.
Wow.
So he is emotionally growing.
Sure, but I want to please chart that a little bit better than that.
No, we're going to get the sequel and it's like 10 years later and you're still in
the same position.
But he's like, Hey, you remember when I won that one rap battle 10 years ago?
That was pretty cool.
I went to.
Let's go to the record label.
Signed a record label, but he's still like works like 60 hours at the factory every
week.
And that record just people down next room.
People on the radio.
Man, I did like that.
Are you just going to say, OK, let's see this room.
OK, OK, fucking.
I don't know, but he had like devil hair.
Did you see that?
And it's like, you look cool as fuck.
These devil.
Came out.
Awesome.
That kind of music.
Yeah.
Oh my God.
I think.
Yeah, any final.
I had a couple committing arson and the not leaving his wilds is what I wrote.
Yeah.
I thought about that scene and I was like, if the cops came up, I'd be like, I just
got here 15 minutes ago.
That's a good point.
I came out to see this building burning.
Yeah.
I live next door.
The building was burning.
Just got here 15 minutes ago.
Not my deal.
Anyways, the roof, the roof, the roof is on fire.
Yeah.
15 minutes.
Well, anything else before you guys want to take a little break on this movie?
I think we're just going to wash it off.
I didn't take too many notes either because there's like not a lot that happens and it
doesn't get too deep and you can kind of take it all in at a face value.
Before we go on a break then, it's like, I just want to, I just want to make the point
of like this being a like indie feeling movie for somebody who was a major hip hop pop
star was the right move because especially getting hip hop into major motion pictures
was still not something that was done almost ever and add some validity to it and to like
someone's never seen breaking.
Put them in a body bag.
Hey, we did poetic justice on this podcast.
He ever seen breaking.
You see a bit.
This is a bit of a bit.
If anyone knows Tom like this, you're going to have to know Tom like this and you're going
to have to know comedy bang bang and you will be good to go.
Yeah.
As well as I think you should leave.
I think as what might have been another one.
We should have like an asterisk with all the requirements like pre prerequisite reading
for our podcast could be good.
Yeah, I think that's all my notes.
Yeah.
Excellent.
Well, I'm going to take a bathroom break and we shall return.
We are back everyone.
Welcome back.
Let's get into some critic reviews.
They gave it a 75% certified fresh movie.
Joe Morgan, Stern from Wall Street Journal said, it's easy to like Jimmy Smith as well
as to admire him because Mr. Mathers lets us in with no sign of calculation on the kindness
even tenderness that Jimmy conceals for most of the people around him.
Oh, Alex, what do you have to say about that?
I didn't get that at all.
He was he was very emotionally available to his friends.
I don't feel like he was ever like trying to be a tough guy or anything.
That wasn't like a team in the movie I ever saw.
I agree.
From Nathan Rabin, a V club since his ascension to pop culture royalty, Eminem has transformed
the messy emotions of his life into musical black comedy.
In eight mile that life becomes an equally riveting drama.
Why?
Why use that term black?
Why is it black?
Through me for a loop.
Richard Schickel time magazine, because it rejects easy victories, this may be one of the few
inspirational movies that could actually inspire someone somewhere sometime.
Oh, what to keep their day job, but also press bumpers.
Press up down, Jonathan Rosenbaum, Chicago reader.
The movie has some of the braggadocio of its white trash hero building to its competitive
climax as if it were a gladiatorial sporting event and it carried me all the way.
Wow.
Hello.
Nice.
The audience did not care as much for this movie.
They gave it a 54%.
Let's hear some negative reviews.
Stinky, stinky, pew pew.
Stinky, stinky, stinky.
That's what we classify on the polarized pod as stinky, stinky, dipy, pew pew land.
Dirty, dipy.
They really got to do like a diaper symbol on rotten tomatoes, rotten, rotten, dipy.
From John Williams, one star.
Oh, John Williams.
John Williams.
My favorite gave it a one star.
John Lam's composure.
And commenter.
Reviewing on Google.
This is on the Google, on the Google.
On the Giggles.
My favorite documentary about Stuart Little.
My boy Billy Ray killed it.
Plain Dre Snoop Dog can make a very convincing Beethoven.
The dog specifically.
Overall, I love you mom.
Shout out to the twins Tia and Tamara.
Hey, when's twitches three supposed to come out by the way?
It's kind of messed up how you guys just left us in the dust like that.
But hey, say a lot of V I guess.
Really confused me too.
See a lot of V.
Sorry.
Yeah.
No, say love me, man.
From Super C crow one star.
This is all about rapping.
There's nothing about distance running.
What a waste of time.
I'm marathon training.
He thought he thought he was cooking.
He thought he thought he let him cook.
Let him cook.
From not.
He's like, oh, this is a crime.
Well, he typed.
Yeah, I see there.
I see this.
Well, I guess that was just like involuntary.
Can help.
Oh, from Namgay, Dorje, one star.
This movie is awesome.
What more can I say?
One star.
I'm speechless.
Stand for life.
One star.
Ten people found this review helpful.
So Namgay, Dorje.
From Sanjoy Bose.
One star. Disgusting.
Look what they have done to the beautiful English language.
Oh God.
I'll do one more here from Roberto J.
One star.
This film loosely illustrates the rise of Eminem within his local
community. I found this movie to be very hard to watch and did
not have much substance to it.
There were too many scenes of Eminem and his daughter in extreme
poverty. The film can continue to force feed me with these scenes
disregarding how hard they are to watch and the rumination of
them in the mind of the audience.
Rumination.
Did they even think about how hard this would be to watch for me?
I should have.
One of them says one stars this movie is just the last samurai,
it's epic rap battles.
One star.
That's the next portion of our show.
Now we got to find these people.
Alex, what would you rate this bad boy zero out of 100?
Any final thoughts as well?
You'd like to attach?
Let's see.
Or you can pass it along to Brandini or me as well.
If you'd like to go second or third.
Yeah.
The great Brandini.
Yes.
He's going to be following David Blaine very soon.
Yeah.
I would say.
55.
Yeah.
Why would you give that?
Very fair because it wasn't like a terrible movie.
Sure.
It wasn't. It was like a little below.
Like.
I don't even know what the fuck I'm thinking about.
Like.
Yeah, I don't know. Yeah.
5560 just because.
You know,
it's kind of like rotten.
It's a little stinky.
You know,
might need to change the diaper on that.
Yeah.
I just feel like.
From a story.
I don't know.
Yeah. I just feel like.
From a story telling perspective, like.
It's going to be our new segment.
Change the type.
You don't change the type.
I have like a pet peeve about like.
About.
Like.
Plot lines that.
Don't go anywhere and that don't serve anything.
God.
What a tyrant.
Why the fuck did you make this?
Why did you make me watch this? Like.
You know what I mean? I definitely thought there was some
entertainment value. I didn't, I didn't like hate watching it.
You know,
I definitely.
Yeah.
But that's, I think that's the end of my.
Very well thought out review.
Nice.
I'm in the same boat. I think that.
This movie was like just enjoyable enough to get through in like an
hour, a little over an hour and a half.
I really like.
Unfortanately didn't get deeper where I wanted it to.
But I guess that didn't hold it back from being like breezy in
for a drama, like for a drama.
And everything like it was a kind of kind of breezy and I didn't
end up like.
Carrying too much about a lot of the characters. I liked, you know,
obviously the main, our main character M&M.
I'm concerned with what's going on with him.
being able to look at it like that, I appreciated just going through this brief moment in time,
but also it doesn't get very deep and it doesn't warrant any sort of higher score because there's
many more movies that are able to go much further in that direction.
The things that I do love about it are obviously Eminem's performance and I thought there were
like a lot of great crowd scenes of the rap battles, like great crowd work and having
that energy and a lot of the shots within those moments is I think tough to have lively
crowd work in those kind of moments and I appreciated that in some of those climactic
scenes that that worked pretty well.
And there was a certain look that somehow the cinematography looked pretty good at sometimes
and it reminded me of a time and a place of movie making, which was very gritty and kind
of like embrace that a little bit.
And I think it was those those sort of rap battle scenes and then the house burning,
I thought were like some good moments.
But yeah, it's going to be just fresh for me.
I think I do like a little bit more than than that, but just push it into like the fresh
region of like, yeah, 67.
I'll do a 67.
Sounds good to me.
So these little pew pew type, but you know, you can let it go a little bit before you
change it.
The shark.
Yeah, so yeah, I might get some chaffage.
So with this movie, I think it is interesting the choice of him being as popular as he is
to make a very rounded story, biopic of a rap artist.
I think it's not lost on me that in this period of time, it was very difficult to do and overall,
this isn't like it's cringe in a lot of ways, but it's not super lame.
And I think that is like kind of what it needs to at least get to and it does.
But the story is so wholly uninteresting.
And there's so many introductions of characters that would fill out this life of Eminem as
an artist that would just hold so much weight that even a non rapper person could appreciate.
And this movie doesn't do that.
You know, and this movie does not do that.
But I'm so glad this movie isn't a incredibly blown out like pop artist shit that it could
have been given where he was at.
I'm glad that he chose to work with the director to become an actor to do this movie, which
is very small.
I think that is in the situation, the right move.
But it doesn't necessarily make the movie good.
And I don't think this movie is that good.
So where I'm going to leave it at is 55% is how I'm feeling.
Yeah, you guys are holding hands.
Very nice.
55 buddies, five is good number.
This has been the eight mile episode and it truly has been a blast.
Let's play a little game before we mosey on out of here.
It's what's that ranking eight mile addition.
I am going to give you a category of ranking that eight mile is on the list of it is up
to you to figure out where eight mile ranks on the list of movies within this category.
It'll make more sense as we go along.
Let's get to the first one.
Alex.
For as far as best movie fights that don't involve violence or dancing, where would
eight mile rank out of 14 movies in that category?
Best movie fights that don't involve violence or dancing, where does eight mile rank out
of 14 movies?
So like that would leave like yelling.
Yeah, rap battling would be the thing.
Yeah, now it's not violent and there's a little bit of head bobbing, I guess, but not dancing.
Someone like two people having a heated argument that would be hard.
Yeah.
I wonder what number one I can find out what number one is after we after we learn.
Oh, I guess I just gave away that it's not number one.
So there you go.
Yeah, I didn't think it was going to be number one.
I'll say, I don't know.
Number 10.
Okay.
I'm going to go number four.
Brandon, you picked number four and it is number four.
You frickin did it, my friend.
You frickin did it.
You got it on the money.
For the sake of the game, lasting a bit longer, I'm going to give you one point, but well
done.
Cool.
Because I think we're just going to do two out of three today.
Let's go on to number two.
Brandon, where does eight mile rank as far as the best 11 movies about talent shows?
About talent shows.
Eleven movies were put on the ranking of ten movies about talent shows.
Ten.
That's such a funny way to put it.
Isn't that sort of funny?
It's funny.
It's like pitch for perfect this movie.
All right.
So we got a 10 from Brandon best 11 movies about talent shows.
To you, Alex.
I mean, it seems like the original reviews of this movie were pretty, pretty positive.
And I'm assuming that Ron Tomatoes sort of.
That's part of the aggregate or whatever.
So I'm going to say like five.
Five.
We're on a roll today, folks, because it is number five.
So both of you guys are getting the exact numbers on both of these.
So it's blowing my mind because even if I did give you two points, Brandon, Alex would
be right there behind you.
So let's do the tire breaker right here to figure out who wins my very special game of
what's that ranking.
To you, Alex, where does eight mile rank on the 15 movies that you swear words for filthy
brilliance?
Oh, I don't like the way that's put 50 movies that you swear words for filthy brilliance.
Healthy brilliant how many how many movies is 15 brilliantly filthy movies because of
swear words.
I'd say seven seven.
For all the Ken Kaboodle.
What is your answer?
Brandon 10 is going to Alex.
It was number eight on 15 movies that you swear words for filthy brilliance.
The other categories were Brittany movie, Brittany Murphy movies ranked this was four
out of 42 and best hip hop movies of 2000s, which was number one of 21 different.
Oh, was there a couple of other categories?
What's that?
Or some other ones in there for eight mile for for the best hip hop movies.
The best hip hop movies of the 2000s.
Let me bring that up here.
Let's pull that up and I will find out there are 21 movies.
Number one being eight mile number two being get rich or die trying.
Number three notorious.
Number four, the lackness.
Number five, hustle and flow.
No, I'm not.
And notorious are both way fucking better than this move.
Number six, Brooklyn Babylon, number seven, Malibu's most wanted.
Jesus.
I'll a boozy.
Number eight, ATL number nine to hip hop, which it's starting Eminem.
Number 10, Brown sugar and number 11, feel the noise.
Dude, the wackness fucking rules.
I'm not seeing that.
I love that movie too.
Ben Kingsley.
Ben Kingsley, Josh Peck, farm cut Jensen.
I really enjoyed notorious to you as I'm surprised that that when.
Right.
This ranking site is interesting.
It's I think here voted in a variety of ways.
So it's like kind of just almost random and it's makes it fun for games because it's
like not always obvious pick.
I feel like.
But we've been having fun with it here.
I had a blast today, Alex.
Thank you again for joining us.
I hope you enjoyed yourself and consider coming back because we would love to have you again
anytime you wish.
And yeah, I hope it was worth it to at least check out this movie for the first time.
Is it you get everything you wanted to say?
Is there anything else you wanted to plug or anything before we take it out?
Yeah, because we all the people out there, all the people, all the people.
My new book, beautiful people eight mile.
Yes.
And the surrounding areas.
I can't think of anything else.
Yeah, Jimmy Wabbit.
Good shit.
Good shit all around.
And you're not even.
Yeah, you're not even lying about that.
Oh, to be honest, it was good shit.
Yeah, not gonna lie.
Right.
It's been a true pledge.
If you'd like to watch us live, twitch.tv slash polarized pod, send us a line.
If you'd like and the old Gmail polarized the pod at gmail.com.
It's been a true pleasure here and we'll see you next time.
All right, we love you all.
Goodbye.
Goodbye, Brad.
Didi and James.
Goodbye.
Goodbye, Alex.
Bye.