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Federalist Radio Hour
2025 In Pop Culture: Great Jeans, Rob Reiner, And Hollywood’s Retreat From Woke
00:44:07
Is Hollywood retreating from woke to avoid going broke? On this episode of The Federalist Radio Hour, Christian Toto, founder of the Hollywood in Toto https://www.hollywoodintoto.com/ and https://www.youtube.com/@HollywoodinToto, joins Federalist...
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- [00:17]
A
And we are back with another edition of the Federalist Radio Hour. I'm Matt Kittle, senior elections correspondent at the Federalist and your experience sherpa on today's quest for knowledge. As always, you can email the show at radio the federalist.com follow us on x@fbrlst. Make sure to subscribe wherever you download your podcast and of course to the premium version of our website as well. Our guest today is Christian Toto, founder and the guy who runs everything at just a great conservative movie entertainment review site. And it is unusual once again, we've talked to Christian in the past, but it is very unusual to have a conservative review site in liberal land in entertainment in America. Christian is also the host of the Hollywood and Toto podcast and he joins us today to talk about the best and the worst, if you will, of 2025 as this year quickly comes to an end. The good, the bad and the oh so ugly. Christian, thank you for joining us in this edition of the Federalist Radio Hour.
- [01:39]
B
Oh, my pleasure. Thanks for the nice intro.
- [01:41]
A
Absolutely. You, you do great work. And we'll hit the the website here before we end our conversation because like I said, you just don't find this perspective out there in the world of entertainment review. Let's begin. I sense of where we are in woke land and the, the constant press by the left in and of course the, the left that controls much of the entertainment industry. What was 2025 like on that front when we're talking about the, the cultural.
- [02:19]
B
Battles, you know, I think it's a bit of a course correction where some of the woke we've been seeing, some of the messaging that's been going on aggressively in Hollywood has been diminished. It's still there for sure. There are still restrictions in place, which is really frustrating. I mean if you're an artist, you don't want those restrictions, generally speaking. But I do think the industry is starting to acknowledge that, hey, this isn't working. This isn't really drawing eyeballs like we thought it might or that we hoped it might. And because Hollywood is in trouble, the streamers aren't making as much money as they used to. The box office receipts are down. Lots of different reasons why the industry is worried. And I think they can't afford to be as woke as they once were. So I think all those factors are making things a little more hospitable for free speech, for artistry. And I think you see it mostly in comedy now. We haven't had any big body R rated comedies of consequence lately. But you know, when you think about podcasts and Patreon and live stand up stages and even some roasts here and there comedies on the comeback trail. As far as the I can say what I want to say and let the audience decide if it's funny or offensive or not.
- [03:29]
A
Well, Jerry Seinfeld ought to be particularly excited about that. He's been talking about that about college campuses for years. But of course, was it earlier this year he kind of issued a mea culpa about, well, maybe I shouldn't, shouldn't say things that would offend my liberal friends out there. I didn't really mean that there was a problem with all of this.
- [03:50]
B
Yeah, it's frustrating. You know, I've been following the journey of Sydney Sweeney in recent weeks and of course she made that infamous American Eagle jeans ad. She joked, I've got good jeans. We all knew what she was talking about. It was silly, it was innocuous, it was a little play on words. Very, very small segment of society said white supremacist. And rather than apologize or backpedal or do anything, she just kind of said nothing. And that was the state of affairs. And then she was asked about it by a woke GQ interviewer and she essentially just stood her ground. But in recent days she's done some quasi backpedaling. She denounced hate and she said, I wish I had explored this issue earlier. And that's because her last several movies are bombed. And she understands that being in this Hollywood community, she's got to speak a certain way and she's got to embrace certain views. So it's been a, an interesting year in this sort of cultural situation. Good signs, bad signs, mediocre signs, but that's where we are.
- [04:55]
A
Yeah, but that's the difficulty, isn't it? Because like you said, Sydney Sweeney's movies are bomb. Now that may be a product of the movies that Sydney Sweeney was in, in part. Maybe the marketplace is just not interested. Although, you know, as a red blooded American male, I can understand the appeal of Sydney Sweeney. That said, that's what the left has learned in the hard way that it has alienated half of its movie going, entertainment going audience. Is the same thing happening to Sydney Sweeney? You know, with the, the liberal viewers leaving her?
- [05:39]
B
I don't know. I don't think so. The movies that she made in recent months, at least the ones that are coming out now, they were smaller films. They didn't have a lot of marketing behind them. They weren't, you know, catnip wasn't like she was doing an action movie or a rom com. And the one movie that was a real, it was sad to see was Christie, which is about the boxer Christy Martin, because it's a very good film and she's terrific in it. And it had some Oscar, Oscar buzz a little bit when it first came out. I think it's kind of faded away at this point. But, you know, boxing is in catnip to audiences today. Female boxing, even less so, didn't get a huge promotional push again. And it's a very complicated marketplace. So it's not shocking that these movies are not surviving and thriving. I mean, a lot of movies are stumbling at the box. But, you know, one thing I've lamented in recent weeks is that, you know, not that she's conservative and not that she's MAGA or not that she's anything but just standing up to the woke mob and refusing to bow and to grovel and to do the hostage apology tour. I think conservatives should have rallied around Christie and said, hey, I'm going to go see that movie. But what I found frustrating in recent years and is that conservatives really sometimes don't process pop culture well or they don't fight the good fight in ways that they should and could. You know, you can use your money to not just boycott, but boycott and buy these things, buy tickets. Hey, Sydney, we appreciate the fact that you stood tall and we're going to support your movie and it's not really complicated, but that's not happening. And that's why she's in this quasi backpedal format.
- [07:15]
A
Well, you know, it's very similar in politics and I'm worried about what we're going to see in 2026. As a reporter that covers politics and that is had a lot of low propensity voters, voters that don't come out very often, if at all, casting ballots for Donald Trump in 2024. And the results are, you know, clearly what they were, pretty significant victory for Donald Trump. Will they come back out in 2026 in a midterm without Donald Trump on the ballot, even though his policies are on the ballot? Well, it's not looking good at this point. And the Republican Party really has cut out for it, as do the conservative grassroots movement. You know, but that's, that's what it is. It's not consistent. You know, we, we talk about this sort of stuff. But who is walking the walk now? I, I'm not going to cast any stones at glass houses because I don't ever really Pay money to go. I can't remember the last time I've been to a movie theater and I don't think I'm alone in that. I do have streaming devices but I don't watch a lot of that stuff. I mean it's more kids and my wife, but I think that's America in general because over the last couple of decades, you know, 20, 30 years, really the whole landscape has changed, hasn't it?
- [08:38]
B
Yeah, no, I agree and I understand that completely. I think what frustrates me is that there are a lot of people on the right, my friends and they say I hate Hollywood or I'm sick of this product and I want stories that speak to me or I want more stories that, that reflect my worldview. And then when we do get the Occas project that is like that or similar to that, then we don't support it. And listen, Hollywood responds when they see money. And you know, the Passion of Christ really invigorated the whole faith based movie market and it's still thriving to a degree now. And you know, a few years ago I was really lamenting the release of Richard Jewell by Clint Eastwood because not only was it a wonderful, entertaining, well told story, but it really reflected a right leaning fear and trepidation over the media and their corruption and FBI malfeasance. And at the time we just didn't rally behind it and it flopped. And I even recently, and this is anecdotal and very not exactly scientific but I mentioned on social media, you know, Sydney Sweeney really stood up to the mob, the woke mob. And I think the least that people on the right can do is maybe support her movie. And I was yelled at on, on social media, no, I'm not going to see my movie. Why do we care? Well, because now she's backpedaling and now she's going to be more likely to bend the knee. And not just her, but these things impact the culture. You know, when a Stephen King, a Halle Berry, a Scarlet Johansson, when they bow to the woke mob, what chance do we have? We're not rich and powerful and successful like they are. And if they can't stand tall and just stand by the principles then makes it a heck of a lot harder for us too.
- [10:18]
A
Yeah, it really does. It, it also, you know, whether you like it or not, as a parent, we, our kids are seeing role models out there at least making role models out of these celebr in music and movies and television shows, streaming, whatever. And they're seeing fewer and fewer people who are not part of that woke mob. And that's something I think we should all consider as well. Just as we're seeing so much indoctrination going on in our public schools, obviously a lot of that is going on in Hollywood, too.
- [10:56]
B
Yeah, it's. They're not shy about it. And I think, like I said, it's gotten better to a certain degree this year, a certain acknowledgment that this is not the path forward economically. There's still a lot of that messaging almost everywhere. And look no further than one battle after another. A movie that seems like a lot for best picture and a lot for a lot of the key categories at the Oscars come March. And it is an aggressively hard left movie that glorifies violence against the government, that glorifies radicalism, that paints anyone trying to enforce immigration laws in the worst light imaginable. And it's going to sweep everything. And it's getting, you know, laudatory coverage and it's getting awards and it's going to be at the front and center for weeks and weeks. That kind of messaging is really hard to duplicate in society. But here we are. And that's just part of the system at play. It's just it.
- [11:49]
A
Yeah. I tell you again, on the news side, I mean, you have the New York Times winning Pulitzers for lying to Americans for four years over the Russia collusion hoax. They haven't given back their Pulitzers now that the record is obviously changed and they've had to correct the record. But, you know, that's. That's where we are speaking of political infusion in just about everything we do, every walk of life, we are having a discussion now the day after, I think someone that a lot of Americans have known for what now 55, 60 years was just brutally murdered along with his wife in his California, Los Angeles area home. Still sorting out the details on this, but. Is heartbreaking to see this kind of thing, this, this murder that had. Had occurred, or at least that's what we are, we were told by law enforcement officials. But the guy that you got to know very well and all in the Family played Michael Stivic and. Or Meathead, the guy who was behind the camera in so many movies that Americans love, who also was extremely strident about his politics and where he stood. A lot of people are thinking about those two things today.
- [13:27]
B
Yeah, Rob Reiner was such a consequential director and I'm certainly not a fan of his politics or his tone. And I think he, I don't think he was well, mentally, as far as the. His look is a perspective on pop culture, I mean, on politics. Yeah, I mean, he's admitted that he might, you know, when people say things on, on social media, but he kind of intimated about maybe taking a break or going to a facility or something. That was, I think around the election of 2024. But yeah, I mean, even though his output diminished greatly in the last 20 plus years, Guy directed banger after banger. I mean, Princess Bride, Misery, When Harry Met Sally, Stand By Me, A Few Good Men, I mean, just. This is Spinal Tap, one of my personal favorites is the sure Thing, a wonderful rom. They one of the many films I couldn't make today because it's provocative subject matter, but it's actually very sweet. Sweet and soulful at the end. He's a significant figure and he will be missed. And the details of his death are among the more shocking I've seen in quite some time as far as someone dying in the celebrity landscape. It's just awful.
- [14:35]
A
Yeah, it was amazing. And unfortunately, both sides, of course, are guilty of this. It's not a both side ism sort of thing. But let's, let's be honest, we do have such a political, political culture. We certainly learned what happened after the, you know, Charlie Kirk. But, you know, a lot of people have been into on social media and, you know, with a lot of different theories about who committed this crime. When again, police have in custody have arrested and charged Rob Reiner's son, who was struggling with drug addiction for a long time. And that'll play out in the court system. But what do you think about where we are now, thanks to social media, politics and entertainment at that crossroads?
- [15:27]
B
Well, it's rarely good, it's rarely healthy. It's really something to admire. I think we often are at our worst on social media. I try not to be myself personally, but other people aren't, aren't quite that way. You know, the one thing that maybe I don't know if you're asking directly or hinting at it, but, you know, President Trump made some comments about Rob Reiner shortly after his death and I, I found them, I found them gross, inexcusable, and I know it's just words and I'm not going to not vote for him or his policies and I, I do try to take a big picture look at who he is, but by gosh, I, I just thought it was. Words fail me. And you know, listen, some people are saying, well, they say the same thing about him. A Man was just slaughtered by his son, allegedly. And his wife died as well in that attack. The last thing you do is you say what Trump did on social media. And I, you know, Trump can be your bare knuckle brawler. And one of the things I've often admired about him is that he could be rough and tumble and then when the chips are down or then when he meets someone face to face, he could be more cordial. You know, when he was with Biden during the presidential transition, I think we've seen elements of that. But what he said helps no one. It's makes him a target. It makes the right a target. And it's just wrong. It's just wrong. And before the mics went on, I think he was doubling down in some of his comments and I just almost at a loss for words. Could this latest jobs report be an election decider? The Watchdog on Wall street podcast with Chris Markowski. Every day, Chris helps unpack the connection between politics and the economy and how it affects your wallet. New jobs reports show that numbers fell way below expectations and small businesses are laying people off. The real job engine is companies that are less than five years old. Whether it's happening in D.C. or down on Wall street, it's affecting you financially. Be informed. Check start on Wall street podcast with Chris Markowski on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcast.
- [17:43]
A
Yeah, it's just, and, and we've seen so much of that over the last year. Again, I, I know people are trying to, you know, say, well, the left does it, you know, and we certainly did see some horrible behavior, horrible conduct, horrible messaging from the left after, you know, a young man who had become, you know, a conservative icon was murdered in front of his wife and, and young children in Charlie Kirk. But, you know, it's just whoever is doing it, I, I just, I really want to keep my eyes on, you know, the policy. And I know as a reviewer, you want to keep your eyes and your ears on what is shaping culture and what's being, what's going on in entertainment. And at the end of the day for you, it is about offering criticism and review of the product that's coming out of Hollywood or wherever entertainment is made today. And again, so much of politics is infused in all of that. I'll tell you what, though, it was quite a year once again for all kinds of different experiments in the world of moviemaking. Some of these experiments, of course, have been tried and tried again. We had some sequels that came out this year. Let us begin. If you Will by taking us through maybe some of the best what you're hearing in terms of Oscar buzzworthy stuff and whether that buzz is warranted.
- [19:21]
B
Well, I touched them upon one battle after another. It's going to win everything I think unless something derails it. I don't see that happening. But to me the best movie of the year was Marty supreme and it's not even in the theaters yet. I got a sneak peek out of it and it comes out on Christmas Day. This is with Timothee Chalamet. He plays a ping pong prodigy in the 1950s. It's very loosely based on true events but just go in there and enjoy the film. It's a ride. It's over two hours. Every other movie now is well past two hours. I wish that would change. I don't think you need to tell stories with that length. But this one just flies by. It's beautifully told, he's terrific in it. It's imaginative, it's fresh, it's exciting, it's interesting. And as an ex New Yorker some of the details and accents of the New York scene really made me smile. I don't think everyone's going to get that because not everyone's from New York. It's like I am but just a wonderful movie. So look out for that one. December 25th, Christmas Day it comes out and it'll be interesting to see. I would think that it's going to have good word of mouth but you know, adult minded dramas are really struggling right now and it's anything goes right now. It's, it's, you know, we just want to see the Wicked's and the Zootopia sequels and horror movies. But straight ahead dramas really are having a harder time and I think that's maybe the future where they'll just pop up on streaming first and maybe the roller coaster ride type movies will be the ones you see in theaters. I don't know.
- [20:41]
A
I'm, I'm not in that we category by the way but my, my, my children are. They would rather see those movies, particularly with my daughters. There is a movie out there I wanted to get your take on because I'm a fan of the musician and you know the, the biographical musical drama has been in play for some time and the latest was about Neil diamond. If you remember from one of my favorite Bill Murray movies. What about Bob when he says to his, his psychiatrist, Dr. Leo Marvin. There are two kinds of people. Those who love Neil diamond and obviously those who do not. That said, there's an Interesting story about an everyman, kind of. It was every man kind of story. A guy who became a Neil diamond impersonator, you know, covered his stuff, performed as Neil diamond as people have performed as Elvis for years. It's called Song Sung Blue. I was wondering what you thought about that production.
- [21:47]
B
Yeah, it's Hugh Jackman's and Kate Hudson starring in that film. Directed by Craig Brewer, who's a little hit or miss, but when he makes movies about music, they're really spot on. He did A Hustle and Flow years ago and a few others as well.
- [22:01]
A
Oh, yeah, right.
- [22:02]
B
I can't get into it in depth. The embargo, I think, is still in place, but I think people will really enjoy it just from the music alone. It's almost like a jukebox musical. But I'll also tell you that, that when you see the film, go Google the true story behind it. There's some creative license here, but it sticks closely to the real story, which is just jaw dropper at times. So I'll be very curious to see the reaction. And I, I love the breakdown of. There are people who love Neil and people who don't know if I trust the people who don't. You know, I think part of the, the. The mystique of Neil diamond is that for years and years he wasn't cool in a hip rock sense. And I think people maybe found him schmaltzy or too pop or too easygoing in a way. But, man, that music. And if you love that music, if you like that music, I think you're gonna really, you know, sink your teeth into this particular film.
- [22:59]
A
Perhaps Barbra Streisand did him in because that was a rough time for me personally. Diamond, I can take all the denim and blue jeans you can throw at me, but, you know, the bab stuff did. Didn't have me on board. Our guest today is Christian Toto. You can find all of his great work at Hollywood in Toto. And the address is pretty simple, is it not? Hollywoodintoto.com I am nothing if not consistent.
- [23:27]
B
That's my Twitter handle. And then on Instagram, I'm at Real Hollywood. And Toto just shake it up just a little bit.
- [23:32]
A
I love it. It's. It's easy. It's like my. My email handle, Matt. The federalist.com it's the easiest email I've ever had in this news business. And I can't believe I'm saying that. True. Of course, you've got the Hollywood in Toto podcast as well. We're going to talk a little bit more about that coming up, but wanted to continue to focus on some of the big movies, some of the, the big shows, if you will, this year. On the movie side though, you talked about some of the critically acclaimed and a little bit about what you personally like. What movies, other movies that have come out that you would recommend that maybe didn't get a lot of attention, maybe didn't get. It didn't have the kind of budgets that we see with some of those we've talked about.
- [24:19]
B
You know, I think some of the movies that I liked a lot actually were almost universally cheered on. And I mentioned Weapons, which is a terrific horror movie that had a lot of depth to it and also Sinners as well. It could say the same thing. That's director Ryan Coogler with Michael B. Jordan. It's a vampire movie, but it's so much more than that and it takes a while to kind of get to a simmer. But it's enjoyable. It's got a lot of things to say. The craftsmanship is through the roof. And I'll mention another one which is coming soon that I think may get looked past. It's called Is this Thing On? It's directed by Bradley Cooper, who's turning.
- [24:54]
A
Out to be just, oh yeah, auteur.
- [24:56]
B
Behind the camera as well as being a very charming actor in front of it. It's about a couple. They've been married for 20 years, they're splitting up and then the man in the couple, played by Will Arnett, kind of essentially stumbles into a comedy club and does a little bit of stand up at an open mic night and realizes that's the therapy he needs. So it's all about him discovering himself, trying to figure out if this marriage is going to be salvageable and getting to know himself as a creative person. I found it fascinating and the subject matter itself is enjoyable too. So Laura Dern is the co star there. She's terrific. She's always great. So I just think that one's gonna get lost in the shuffle. Even though Bradley Cooper gets a lot of attention paid to his movies, he's a big movie star, so that one is certainly one to look at. And I also enjoyed Jay Kelly. It didn't get a lot of acclaim. It may be mild in the Oscar consideration, but it's a drama about a movie star looking at his past and thinking maybe I was a pretty bad dad and do I regret being that father. And I, I kind of wish I could be a better person now. It's George Clooney playing a variation of George Clooney, and he's quite good in it, shockingly so. That one's on Netflix as we speak, so you can check it out there. Adam Sandler's got a supporting role, just strong as he always is. And it's so surprising to see how he's transitioned so effortlessly into a dramatic actor. He's good. He's just flat out good. And he adds something special to the movie. So I enjoyed it. Mostly good reviews. Actually, a guest critic on my side, Hollywood, and Toto was not a fan of it at all. Again, one and a half stars, but I enjoyed it much more. I think it's interesting. And again, I hate to frame it this way, but it's on Netflix and if you're not loving it, you can always just tune away and find something else. But I liked it until I liked it a lot, so I recommend it.
- [26:36]
A
Interesting. I'll have to check that out. Does George Clooney at any point in this movie talk about how the Joe Biden we're seeing now is, or we. We watched for years is not the same Joe. Joe Biden now?
- [26:49]
B
No. They should have a scene where he waits until the poll numbers shrink and then he comes out with his confession. But maybe that was left in the cutting room floor.
- [26:56]
A
Maybe.
- [26:56]
B
Maybe that's right.
- [26:57]
A
Well, that was, you know. Right. That was a big Hollywood moment there. George Clooney and friends at a Biden fundraiser. And Biden came out on stage and froze up and did all of those sorts of things. And why wouldn't you know it? What, long after you got a New York Times op ed from George Clooney saying all that stuff about Joe Biden. The. Let me go back to the. Is this thing on? I'm curious because I have seen some really good movies over time about, you know, comedians, their lives, how they became comedians. Comedians. This sounds kind of on that track. This guy wasn't a comedian, but he finds out, hey, he can say some funny things at the same time, figure out what's going wrong with his relationships. I think about Punchline. You remember that movie with, with Tom Hanks years ago? I thought that was. It was a lot darker than I thought it was going to be, walking in the movie theater. But I thought that was very well done. Obviously, Dustin Hoffman being Lenny Bruce and there are others along the line. Does it. Is there a comparison there? Does it stand up?
- [28:10]
B
Gosh. I don't think direct comparisons because this is a part of the story. The bigger presentation Is this. Will this marriage survive? And can this couple, you know, find what made them magical in the first place? I will say it reminded me a lot of a great TV show from a couple years ago, lasted three seasons called Crashing. And that was Pete Holmes. It was sort of semi autobiographical.
- [28:35]
A
Oh yeah, that was good.
- [28:36]
B
Yeah, yeah. And that was about. He was just trying to get into stand up comedy. Indignities he faced along the way. A really. I know it got some critical acclaim and some people talked about it, but it's just a wonderful show. And that one was a little bit darker too. Mature subject matter, if that not your cup of tea, it definitely would stay far, far away. But I, I'm fascinated by comedy. How people compile their act, how they market themselves, how they enter the business, how they fail and fail and fail on stage. But those are the necessary baby steps you need to take before you can fly. I mean, I think every comedian's got a story about them face planting on stage. It just, it's just part of what it is. And even the best have had those issues. So I, I think the subject matter is fascinating, but the way they approach it in this movie was just, this is therapy for him. This is him getting out what he needs to get out. But can he make it creative and funny and compelling? And that's another question.
- [29:32]
A
Well, I think Will Arnett has a lot in his personal life to draw when it comes to this story. Okay, what about the absolute turkeys? The worst? The movies you would tell those listening right now, stay away from it like the plague.
- [29:49]
B
Ah, there's always a few of those. I'll start with a movie that just left me scratching my head. It was called the Alto Knight Nights. I believe it's on HBO Max right now if you dare to sample it. It's a gangster movie with Robert De Niro in two different gangster esque roles. Now why you'd cast him twice, I just don't know. It's wildly distracting. The movie is a, is an absolute dud in almost every level. I think it might have been based on a true story or true figures, I'm not quite sure. My memory's a little fuzzy on that regard. I think it was directed by Barry Levinson, who's made great films in the past, but, but like someone else we've, you know, we can talk about. Rob Reiner just lost their fastball when it comes to sadly. So that makes me sad when a Francis Ford Coppola, you know, France, I'm trying to think the Brian De Palma Comes to mind.
- [30:40]
A
Brian De Palma. Oh, sure.
- [30:41]
B
You know, just directors who gave us some great movies over the years and just can't reclaim that glory. Certainly qualifies here. It made zero money, the box office and, and probably that's even more than it deserved.
- [30:55]
A
There is a consolation note for De Niro and the crew on that. I believe it'll be released through MSNBC or whatever they're calling themselves soon. I just. Of course. But that's where Robert De Niro seems to show up, you know, after a few drinks these days. Anything else on the wretched list for 2025?
- [31:16]
B
Yeah, a movie called Mickey 17. It's a futuristic tale about a fellow who is cloned and cloned and cloned again to be used by this corporate body for kind of quasi nefarious purposes. You know, it's a kind of imaginative movie that I technically cheer on. You know, we need more stories that are original and fresh and have something to say. A lot of the politics here, at least the cultural politics, is pretty heavy handed. Again, I could swallow that. The movie's entertaining, but this is a bust. Robert Pattinson does what he can with the material, but it's just disastrous by the end. I, I just want. I was watching it at home and I just wanted to switch away. But when you review a movie, have to, you have to stick to the, the very end, the bitter end. And that one is a clunker. It made a little bit of scratch at the box office, but the budget was huge. So I'm sure it lost a lot of money and sadly, deservedly so.
- [32:05]
A
Yeah, that is the casualty. You, you guys should actually be paid casualty, some sort of stipend for that. To have to watch some of these movies until the end. Speaking of Rob Reiner, one of and. And he has, you know, particularly in his earlier years, fantastic movies, you men. Some of them, I think of Harry Met Sally immediately. But the one that really sticks with me in my formative years came out about 40 years ago. This is Spinal Tap. I thought it, you know, as, as an aspiring rock and roll musician, I loved it for that. I loved it as a mockumentary which was, you know, kind of new. Yeah, we hadn't seen a lot of that and I just, I really liked the ensemble and I really rob Reiner as the documentarian there because there wasn't any real politics. And man, you can't beat Fred Willard either. So the, the sequel, long awaited sequel is coming out. Have you seen it and what is your take on it?
- [33:14]
B
Well, I just caught up with it this past weekend. It came out in September. It was not screened for many critics. Some I did, but it didn't get to me. And, you know, when I heard about the project, I was a little excited because, like, like you, I adore the first movie. And then I was really scared thinking, what could they possibly do? This seems like this could go wrong in about 20 different directions. But, you know, these are very talented people. Even though Reiner hasn't made a great movie in a while, he's still Rob Reiner. And, you know, the trio of stars here, Michael McKeon and Harry Shearer and Christopher Guest, are super talented as well. They've got great comic skills. How bad could it be? And then I watched and I thought, oh, it can be this bad. And I, I think the saddest. Well, there's so many sad elements of it. The fact that it was unnecessary, but you could probably fill a small book in all the ways this has gone wrong and all the missteps and mistakes. But also it just didn't have a comic conceit. Like, why do they make this beyond. You know, it's a, you know, know, it's something that could make. Could be profitable based on the love that we have for the original movie. So it's very sad that Rob Reiner's gone. It's very sad that this last movie is such a dysfunctional affair, but it is. And I have to say it. And I, I don't wish, I don't wish. I. I wish I could say anything else, but yeah, Spinal Tap 2, the End continues is just dreadful. Sorry.
- [34:38]
A
It seems to me that most of America feels the same way about that, at least based on the box office proceeds.
- [34:45]
B
Yeah, there was no appetite for it. There was no real reason for it. And you know, when you have a movie with cameos by Elton John and Paul McCartney too, just absolute legends.
- [34:54]
A
Yeah.
- [34:55]
B
Make that work either. It's just wow.
- [34:57]
A
It's just wow now just. I guess they, they didn't want to do it and they didn't want to do it for years and they finally said, okay, let's. Let's do it. Maybe for a cash grab, I don't know, but sounds like it did not work out. I just have a few minutes left and it's the, the, the most wonderful time of the year when it comes to movies, holiday movies, of course. And I wanted to get a sense from you, what are your favorite movies, Christmas movies, holiday themed movies this time of the year. And also, what are some of the worst Christmas movies you have seen over your time in this business.
- [35:39]
B
A quick word on the worst. It was called Deck the Halls. It's just an, oh, terrible movie.
- [35:45]
A
Terrible movie.
- [35:46]
B
Two big stars, Matthew Broderick and Danny DeVito. They can seemingly do wrong, but plenty wrong in that film. I've only seen it once. I thought it was dreadful. I would never punish myself again. You know, there have been lots of mediocre films. Christmas with the Cranks with, I think it was Tim Allen and Jamie Lee Curtis was watchable, nothing more. It's funny because in the last maybe three to five years, Hollywood has decided that they're going to crank out, I don't know how many Christmas movies you go on. Netflix is a new title. They all have cutesy brands and names. A lot of them don't have big stars. They must be really economical to produce. I imagine someone's watching them because why else would they keep making them and making them? But I will say that it's really hard to make a classic. I think it was called Red One, from last year with Dwayne Johnson, and if you. J.K. simmons as Santa, you know, it was fine. It was watchable, it was forgettable. I. I might watch it again someday. It wasn't as bad as a lot of people said, but it just makes you appreciate a movie like Elf all the more. And a quick note on Elf in that I believe that Will Ferrell was offered a lot of money to do a sequel, and he declined. And I, I just, I. If I met him, I. I'd hug him for that, because it just. It didn't need it. It's so perfect as is. But with director John Favreau, who also did Swingers and a lot of other great films, Iron man as well, he made the movie as timeless as possible. The songs are not, not the hit songs of 2003. I think that was the year, give or take. The dialogue. The references are not of the moment. Then it just feels like you could watch it today, you could watch it in 10 years, and it's going to be the same. And I have to say, I don't think, you know, Will Ferrell doesn't make great comedies anymore. There's a lot of reasons for that. You could say that the industry doesn't make them. You could say that he's moved on to different things. You could say he's lost his fastball as well, creatively speaking. I don't know. Know, he's so perfect in that movie. And you watch it again and again and every Year I, I do just that. And I notice something new about his performance, about his physical shtick, about the gags, about the way things are presented to us. It just doesn't age. It just gets better and richer and funnier and more sweet with every year. And then I think about the scene where the elf, Buddy the Elf goes into the bathroom. He doesn't realize his co worker Jovi is there. She's singing baby, it's cold outside.
- [38:10]
A
Yeah.
- [38:11]
B
To harmonize with her again. It's a scene that wouldn't be made today for two reasons. And big oh my gosh, she's in her bathroom. That's appropriate. And also, you know, now that song is problematic, but it's so true to character because Buddy the Elf was just innocent. He just was all full of goodness. And sure, he had a little bit of crush on Jovi movie, but he didn't. He wasn't being inappropriate. He just stumbled into a scene and that's what makes it so magical and so innocent and just one of many, many reasons why that's such a great movie. And you know, me saying Elf is my favorite Christmas movie is wildly unoriginal. A lot of people think that way, but I can't, I can't make up an obscure movie that I love in Christmas time. It's just, it's just Elf.
- [38:51]
A
Yeah. You know, Buddy wasn't being a pervy elf in that scene, which you know, is good, by the way. That is. That was one of the most rejected names for the Sant, his team, Pervy Elf, among others. It went with Prancer in instead. Now it's amazing to me that movie Elf stands up for me. Now there's a big dispute over that among my Federalist colleagues. Some really love it, some really hate it. And for reasons of their own, I am in the love it camp. But I'm old school Christmas movie anyway, other than. I know it's now. Now what? Nearly 40 years old. But Christmas Vacation still remains one of my favorite. But I'm talking about my favorite of all time. And maybe I'm in the Dying Breed because nobody in my family seems to know what it is. But It's a Wonderful Life, Frank Capra classic. Of course, that wasn't such a classic in its time as I understand it. But why can't they make movies like that? Editing.
- [40:03]
B
Well, I mean, you're asking for a lot. That's a movie that transcends the generations. That's so perfect and magical and wonderful. You know, Hollywood is such a complicated business that making A great movie is almost like a series of accidents that happen together.
- [40:18]
A
Yeah.
- [40:18]
B
So there's that. I think the innocence and the sweetness have gone out of style in Hollywood. You know, I think Hollywood is about edge and cynicism and darkness, and we're gonna make a Santa movie, but he's gonna be this killer. He's gonna be the, a serial killer. Who said you're more likely to see things like that than anything else? So there's no one quite like Frank Capra anymore. And, you know, the, the Christmas movies that we see are they've got either an action comedy bent to them or there's some sort of gimmick or twist. Oh, gosh, I don't know. I, I, It's a really hard question to ask, but I just think the culture has changed and it, I don't think that's a, I don't think that's a positive thing to say because it's just, it's such a magical movie. I'd also mention a miracle on 34th street, which is, oh, yeah, wonderful as well, and holds up beautifully.
- [41:06]
A
Again, those, those old, beautiful films. You know, whatever version you want of Scrooge, Christmas Carol, even Bill Murray's Scrooge I enjoy, to my family's dismay. Final question for you, Christian. Do you think on this topic of Christmas films, do you think Trump ought to issue an executive order demanding that Hallmark stop peddling this crap?
- [41:35]
B
I think he's got bigger fish to fry. You know, I'm not a Hallmark watcher, but it's scratching an itch out there. And if people are enjoying those films and the budgets are low and probably keeps a lot of people gainfully employed, so I can't get too up in arms about that. It just, When I go on Netflix and I see the crush of new titles, I just, I almost get physically exhausted by it. But if, you know, know if people are enjoying them, if they get some pleasure out of them, I, I can't, I can't get too high up on my high horse.
- [42:00]
A
It is the same movie over and over again.
- [42:02]
B
You do know that, right?
- [42:03]
A
Yes, it's just with a different cast, perhaps a different setting, but, yes, it's a different movie altogether. Well, as always, I appreciate. I'd love to check in with you because, you know, you're one of the, the best reviewers out there for, for my money, and I make your page pretty much a constant read all kinds of great content on there. And then, of course, you've got the, the podcast. What do you have coming up on that.
- [42:30]
B
Yeah, actually, you know, I dig into the Sydney Sweeney situation.
- [42:34]
A
Oh, okay.
- [42:34]
B
And I compare her to another actress who said something quite different and how Hollywood is treating the two situations. I think that's important. But that's what I do with the Hollywood and Twitter podcast. I connect dots that I think other people maybe aren't connecting. I give right up center artists a chance to shine. I cover some media stories that other outlets aren't really paying attention to but should and yeah, do it every week. And I also have a a show called Short on Hollywood. It's a short literally under a minute. And I cover latest Hollywood headlines with a little bit of snark, a little bit of silliness and a little bit of a right of center perspective. So I do hope people check that out as well.
- [43:11]
A
All the reasons above why I continue and have for a long time checked out Hollywood and Toto and all the the content that's available there. Wish you merry Christmas and a very happy and prosperous new Year, my friend.
- [43:24]
B
Thank you. I always enjoy our conversations.
- [43:26]
A
I do too. Thanks to my guest today, Christian Toto. Again, he is the founder, creator. He does it all. Hollywood and toto. Hollywood and toto.com. you've been listening to another edition of the Federalist Radio Hour. I'm Matt Kittle, senior elections correspondent at the Federalist. We'll be back soon with more. Till then, stay lovers of freedom, anxious for the fresh LA.