
The gang is back, or is it their clones, to discuss Michael Bay's bombastic movie, The Island. Paul, June, and Jason dig into Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson running nonstop, clone clubs, jet motorcycles, and getting ratcheted out. Listen to The Island, or your clone may need to do it for you. (Originally Released 08/26/2021)
Loading summary
Paul Scheer
You know, when you go get your car serviced, it feels like everything is wrong, right? Oh, you need to fix this. You need to get that done. And it just feels like, am I getting taken for a ride? Well, with Midus, you don't have to deal with upsells, intimidation, or unnecessary stress from oil changes to tires. Midas provides the services that you need and doesn't pressure you into services that you don't. Midas believes in honest, straightforward auto care that you could Trust. Welcome to AutoCare without bad service. Visit Midas.com for a location near you. Talking Pictures the podcast from TCM and Max is back with a new season. Here, host Ben Mankiewicz in intimate conversations with the people who live to make us laugh. Carol Burnett, Bill Murray, Paul Scheer, Henry Winkler, and more all join Ben to talk about the movies that made them. Talking pictures isn't just about film. It's about the powerful role movies play in our lives. It's about where you were, who you were with, and what you were feeling. Listen to Talking Pictures on Max or wherever you get your podcasts. Every memorable gift starts with a story. And what better gift to give this holiday season than giving something that represents pure power? Nature's power. I'm talking about Jefferson's Ocean Bourbon and Jefferson's Ocean Rye. They are aged at sea. They have dealt with elements that you could only dream of. You'll taste the journey in every sip. It's darkened by the pound waves. It's kissed by ocean air, and it's caramelized by equatorial heat. Give the gift of adventure. Give Jefferson's Ocean Bourbon and Jefferson's Ocean Rye. Please sip responsibly. Copyright 2023 Jefferson's Bourbon Company, Crestwood, Kentucky. You might win the lottery, but you'll lose your life. But that's okay because it's just a clone. Or is it? Ooh, that's the question. We saw the island, so you know what that means.
Jason Mantzoukas
Now it's time for how to Discrimin.
Paul Scheer
We're gonna have a good time celebrating.
Jason Mantzoukas
Failure not just be a hater Cause you know you wonder how to discrimin. Let's war in the mediocrity of subpar art. Perhaps we'll find the answer to the question how did this get Made?
Paul Scheer
Hello, everybody, and welcome to how did this Get Made? I am Tall John Shear, and this is the podcast where we look at movies that involve clones. I mean, well, right now that is primarily what we're looking at as we are part of Clone Girl Summer. Get it on t Shirts are available in RT public stores. This might be the end of Clone Girl Summer because the pickings are getting slim. We did the 2005 Michael Bay film the island, starring Scarlett Johansson and Ewan McGregor, about two people who find themselves in a futuristic society only to learn that they are clones who are insurance policies for rich people that are using their bodies to harvest different organs if and when they ever get sick or will die anyway. It's a complicated story. Yeah. What? Yeah.
June Diane Raphael
Wait a second, Paul, say that last part again. The clones are for rich people in if and as ins. To purchase as insurance policies.
Paul Scheer
Yeah.
June Diane Raphael
For if and when they get sick or die.
Jason Mantzoukas
Yeah. Like an organ farm or something like that.
June Diane Raphael
Okay. So I thought. I'm sorry to have to jump.
Paul Scheer
No, no problem.
Jason Mantzoukas
No.
Paul Scheer
Welcome to the show. Jason Manzookas and June Diane Rayfield.
Jason Mantzoukas
Let's get right thrilled, Thrilled to jump right in.
June Diane Raphael
So I thought you didn't purchase a clone until you got. You didn't purchase that until you got sick.
Jason Mantzoukas
I think that. I think both are being exhibited because I think Ewan McGregor was diagnosed with some. Whatever he was diagnosed with hepatitis Z or something.
Paul Scheer
He was diagnosed with the fucking disease. He fucked too much.
Jason Mantzoukas
Too much philandering. And so he. I think that's why he got a clone. But it sounded like to me, Scarlett Johansson's character, she had just been in an accident, so she had a clone ready to go. I don't think she knew she was gonna. Right. Wasn't that the case? Right.
Paul Scheer
Well, because I also believe that.
Jason Mantzoukas
So I think it can go either way. Yes.
June Diane Raphael
Cause she needed. Scarlett Johansson's clone, needed a heart, a lung. She needed all sorts of things.
Jason Mantzoukas
She was in the hospital. She was like, in bad shape.
June Diane Raphael
Yeah. Mommy's sick.
Paul Scheer
But I also believe.
Jason Mantzoukas
Kid says, just to be clear, that's what June is. June is quoting child's line, I. I like mommy's sick.
Paul Scheer
But I will say that I feel like the football player, like, in the future was like, oh, well, we need to have this in case you get injured. That football player with the most unglamorous cameo of all time.
Jason Mantzoukas
That's like the first Clone Girl movie. Clone Girl summer movie we did, which was with the XFL guy, right?
Paul Scheer
Yes.
Jason Mantzoukas
Not replicas. The other one. Sorry.
Paul Scheer
Surrogates. Surrogates.
June Diane Raphael
God.
Jason Mantzoukas
Oh, no, that's the last one. They're all just blending together.
June Diane Raphael
Really blending together.
Paul Scheer
They really, really are.
June Diane Raphael
This was an interesting. I'll tell you what, though. This was an interesting. Once I realized there were harvesting organs, I was like, oh, okay. Like clone girl summer taking a nice.
Jason Mantzoukas
Vacation to the island.
June Diane Raphael
Yeah. I was like, oh, this isn't exactly what I expected. And okay. This is another case study for clones that wasn't a top of mind.
Jason Mantzoukas
This was an interesting version of it in that it was. All the other ones have been somehow predicated on like personal experiences from the non clones, essentially.
June Diane Raphael
This is from the clone pov.
Paul Scheer
Clone pov.
Jason Mantzoukas
Keanu misses his family, has to clone them. Arnold is cloned without his knowledge and suddenly has. There's two of him. You know, like all of these things versus this is like, oh, no. Clones are getting consciousness. Well, I think they're getting. Are remembering who they are.
Paul Scheer
Well, yeah, and I think that. What a great way to end. I mean we really. The evolution of the clone. I mean, really, you know, we went from them being a supporting player in their own films to really the main character. Yeah, it's really great characters.
Jason Mantzoukas
It's really great.
June Diane Raphael
It was nice at this point. At this point it was nice to really like, dive into the clone experience, the clone experience and just be a part of the clone narrative from the jump and to understand what it is to be a clone, you know, I mean, I don't want to jump too far ahead, but God. My question is really for the last scene, like, where are all those clones going at the end?
Jason Mantzoukas
Yeah, well, I mean, that's a great question.
Paul Scheer
They do have the brain power or they are. They're supposed to be as smart as children. So I don't think they're getting too far because especially where that clone base was, it would have been like by a roadside bar where I feel like they're all going to get stabbed.
Jason Mantzoukas
They're all going to the Ace of Spades where. Where they. They all found a matchbook case for Ace of Spades.
Paul Scheer
Oh my God. This, that, that.
Jason Mantzoukas
I would love it if they all just like. Because they were so not intelligent enough. They all just started like lemmings, like walking off of a cliff or into the ocean. Like if they. They can't help themselves.
Paul Scheer
The first shot that you see of Ewan McGregor out and about, he puts his face right next to a snake. That snake is just going to, you know, ratchet, like, just like ratchet amount. I don't even know what that means.
June Diane Raphael
Pick up a ratchet.
Jason Mantzoukas
What do you think? I don't know term right now.
Paul Scheer
Ratcheted out. Where did that even come from? I don't even know. I don't even know what I meant.
Jason Mantzoukas
Ratcheted out.
Paul Scheer
That's The T shirt.
Jason Mantzoukas
And we'll just. And the design is just a bunch of question marks.
Paul Scheer
We should have a ratchet. The ratchet in the shape of a question mark. Oh, my God.
June Diane Raphael
Wait, so.
Jason Mantzoukas
Yes, go ahead.
Paul Scheer
Okay, see, I need to come up with more phrases.
June Diane Raphael
I want to ratchet it out for a second.
Paul Scheer
I want to be like the Vince Vaughn kind of guy. I got phrases, man.
June Diane Raphael
I want to ratchet it out. Because I. My question is, when a clone. Like, if we were to wake up inside that facility and we would be adults, Right. And we would start off with, like, some sort of template of memories. Correct?
Jason Mantzoukas
No.
June Diane Raphael
So we just wake up one day and we're there.
Jason Mantzoukas
Yes. We wake up. Okay, so remember the scene. Both Ewan McGregor's dreams, but then also there's a scene in which. In the room. And they can see that all the clones are watching the same movie. That's like the movie that is in his dreams. And so they. They're implanting memories into all the clones that are similar, you know, that are unique. They were about the contamination, about the events, about.
Paul Scheer
They all told them that one story, like, I had a bicycle and it was stolen. That was that story that Scarlet, Scarlett Johansson said, where they go, oh, yeah, no, they mix them around. Steve Buscemi is the one who kind of reveals that at that point.
Jason Mantzoukas
So they don't. What. I think what's. What's. What's happening. What's. What's unsettling is the clones have no memory. They have none of the memories of their hosts or of their original selves. They just are. They think they. All their memories are tied to this idea of the island and the lottery. Remember the voices? Like, you want to go to the island. You want to go to the island. So those are their memories, quote, unquote, you know?
Paul Scheer
Yeah, they're very. I mean, look, they. We have. There's so much. What I love about this movie is it deals very much with, you know, big issues, but it's funny. And, you know, for us to do a comedy like this, I'm excited. Like, when they got into Michael Bay.
Jason Mantzoukas
Movie, I was like, well, how can we do a Michael Bay movie? They're so funny and they're so. They, you know, like, they're. They. They make total. They always make total sense. And there's nothing really, like, outrageous or pushing it too much in a Michael Bay movie.
Paul Scheer
To me, I'm always upset with a Michael Bay movie because I'm like, the camera's so still, almost like. Like a Woody Allen Movie. People walking in and walking out of frame.
Jason Mantzoukas
Well, it's a lot like. It's a lot like. It's him and Lars von Trier, you know, dog. He's. He's. He adheres to the dogma principles. You know, it's pretty. His. There was so much this movie, I. At a certain point, I was like, oh, this entire movie. And I'm so curious to. I wanted to ask you guys a question. This movie is essentially all running and catwalks and, like, all. How much do you think Scarlett Johansson and Ewan McGregor actually ran during this movie? Or is this, like, just other people running? Because they're running constantly.
Paul Scheer
They are. I mean, once they get. Oh, I guess they're even running inside the clone base. They're always running.
Jason Mantzoukas
They're always running. The movie should have been basically called running, jumping, climbing indoors.
Paul Scheer
And sliding. Some sliding, some sliding, some sliding.
June Diane Raphael
They're running so much that at one point I was like, falling and falling. Yeah, and falling. Like, falling down the sides of buildings, of giant buildings.
Jason Mantzoukas
When they're on that letter. When they're on the letter that falls, the guys first says they're on the 70th floor. They survive. Unless you think that clones are somehow stronger or more resilient. They are not. They fall 70 stories and are fine, and they don't.
Paul Scheer
They could have easily add, like, once they had these set pieces, they could have gone back and said, you know what? Let's just add a line that, like, clones can't be destroyed. Oh, yeah, that would be great. Like, you know, just. Let's just get it through. But no, again, they go back to the comedy, which is they fall off a building into a large circus net after hanging onto a letter that has dropped. And a man just goes, oh, wow, God must like you. And then looks at Scarlett Johansson because she's very attractive and goes, oh, God must really like you. And that's kind of like. And we're laughing so much, we forget.
Jason Mantzoukas
About the classic bay zingers. Classic bay zingers.
Paul Scheer
I was. I was going to bring up before was the dude scene. And we were talking about how smart they are. These people don't even know what dude means. And when they figure out the term dude, fun sequence, like, they. They're at the club. They're at the Clone Club because they did build a club for the clones to hang out at. Like, even though the clone world is so, like, sanitary and clean, they did build a club for them to exist.
June Diane Raphael
In, which makes it interesting about, like, the. This facility. Like, There were several points where I was like, I don't know, I. I might like a stay there.
Jason Mantzoukas
Doesn't it kind of like a spa? I wrote. I wrote Clone living is like spa living. You're sitting by the pool, you're exercising, you're having meals with friends. Maybe you're. Maybe you have to eat, like, a little too clean. You want some bacon. But I was like, this feels like a spa week.
Paul Scheer
Yeah.
Jason Mantzoukas
Like, I was watching this being, like, I don't know. I wouldn't mind after this 18 months, I wouldn't mind some time at Clone Island.
Paul Scheer
Is it kind of like a Ve. Kind of a thing, like, where they're just keeping them in the dark? Well, no, I guess the idea, like, they. Because they have to be. They have to be kept fit because at any point someone can get injured and they'll have to go into service. But they. They basically. You could stay there for seven years, you could stay there for three years. Like, there's no end to it. So they do. Like, it really is just an insurance policy. They're there for as long as possible. They don't die, I guess, is what I'm. What I'm saying. It's like.
June Diane Raphael
Well, do they age, though?
Paul Scheer
Oh.
Jason Mantzoukas
Oh, yeah.
Paul Scheer
Do you just get a clone of the version you are when you want the clone?
Jason Mantzoukas
That's what it seems like when they make. When they are birthing the clone. I don't know. Well, you know. Oh, here's what I'll say. So in the scene where they're in. Where you're in the room with all the sacks, right? And the sacks are all in different stages of development. There's one that's just a nervous system, and it's adult size.
June Diane Raphael
Oh, yeah.
Jason Mantzoukas
So my assumption is they grow you at the size you are when you. Or age, rather, you are when you are scanned. And that. That's why there's no children. That's why there's. There's no. Like, the people aren't growing up there, you know, like. Like Ewan McGregor was grown to be Ewan McGregor's age in three years. Don't they say he's three years old?
Paul Scheer
But yet. But. But he knew Latin and how to drive. Well, that was the.
Jason Mantzoukas
But that was the problem for. That's the. That's the problem.
June Diane Raphael
They're having problem with the new generation.
Jason Mantzoukas
Starting to remember his host's memories, not his own. He's starting to be able to remember, which shouldn't be possible, you know.
Paul Scheer
Well, wait, now I'm. Now I'M having a whole. I just remembered a whole sequence of the film that I forgot about. And, you know, in two hours and 16 minutes, it's easy to do because there's so much information.
June Diane Raphael
It's so long.
Paul Scheer
It's so long. It's. It's aggressively long. You know, when you go get your car serviced, it feels like everything is wrong, right? Oh, you need to fix this. You need to get that done. And it just feels like, am I getting taken for a ride? Well, with Midas, you don't have to deal with upsells, intimidation, or unnecessary stress from oil changes to tires. Midas provides the services that you need and doesn't pressure you into services that you don't. Midas believes in honest, straightforward auto care that you can Trust. Welcome to AutoCare without bad service. Visit Midas.com for a location near you. Texas Pete. Oh, my gosh. I love Texas Pete. It is the hot sauce that allows you to sauce like you mean it. All right. Texas Pete sauce is packed with bold and balanced flavor. I've loved Texas Pete for years. When I got a box of their stuff at my house, I was so psyched because what I love about their hot sauce is their tanginess. Okay? You can use it on, on anything. And you're going to try every flavor. I mean, you got the original, which is great. That's fermented peppers. It's a special blend. Then you got the hotter hot sauce, which is three times hotter than the original. And believe me, it is not for the faint of heart. Then you got Sabor by Texas Pete, which adds an authentic Mexican flavor. And I gotta tell you, that might be my favorite. Next to their dust dry seasoning, which matches the flavor of the original hot sauce in a flavorful dry rub. It is so, so great. Texas Pete sauce like you mean it. Visit texas pete.com and use the store locator to find Texas Pete products as well as purchase sauces and get recipe inspiration. And use the promo code podcast24 for 20% off@texas pete.com for a gift that's always on time and lasts a lifetime, you can't do better than Masterclass. I have been on the Masterclass bandwagon for a long time. That's right. I am a member since the very beginning. Why? Because Masterclass is the only streaming platform where you can learn and grow with over 200 plus of the world's best instructors. You can learn from any Masterclass instructor anywhere on a smartphone, computer, smart TV or even in audio mode. I've used this for a long time. Right now, my son and I are watching the Steph Curry masterclass where we are learning. Well, he is learning. I'm watching how to be a better shooter. There are so many great deep dives in here. David Sedaris, before I wrote my book, I listened to his masterclass and watched how he edited and worked through all of his pieces. I love it. I have given it to people and they have thanked me. Masterclass always has great offers during the holidays and sometimes up to as much as 50% off. So head over to MasterClass.com HDTGM for the current offer. That's up to 50% off at MasterClass.com/HDTGM MasterClass.com HDTGM they say at a point that women are breeders and they have children. And so when that one woman has a child, they kill the woman but keep the child. What is going on there, like, is.
Jason Mantzoukas
That they then walk out with the baby and they deliver it to that woman's clone host and her husband and say, your baby, your healthy baby is here. Remember? And there's. Yes.
June Diane Raphael
People are using this not just as an insurance policy, but as like a fertility.
Jason Mantzoukas
Correct. Like, I think for. I think it seems as though they can do multiple miracles, medical, rather miraculous things here. They can. You can. If you need an organ, you can use an organ if you want to use. Basically, in this instance, it seems as though they were using the clone as a surrogate so that. But that they could still. It was the clone. It was the same actress playing the host and the clone who's having the baby.
Paul Scheer
We see now what I. I kind of drew a darker comparison there, which was that maybe there was some sort of accident with that baby. Because if the woman was genetically incapable to conceive or having problems, I would imagine the clone would have those same problems. Oh, I thought that this.
Jason Mantzoukas
Here's the thing, people, because I think this is important. The clients think that what is being grown, their quote, unquote insurance policies are. They don't think. They are walking, talking, thinking, feeling conscious, that are. Yes. Clubs and laying by the pool. Everybody. All the clients. I'm missing the left shoe. All the clients think is that. Exactly. It's like a medical blob, like a collection of organs and the things that you would need. But it like. And Sean Bean gives a. Sean Bean, right? Yeah. Gives a kind of presentation to new clients that is like. That reinforces again, the movie does, you know, favors for the first hour. Nobody explains anything. There's. There's no finally, an hour in. Steve Buscemi gives you one big exposition dump, and there's another one, like, 15 minutes later that gives you.
Paul Scheer
Has the best death of all time. I mean, obviously the Michael Bay movie. And he falls from. He also falls from a height, but he falls into a. Like a glass tower of, like, champagne glasses. Yeah, it is a pretty.
Jason Mantzoukas
He falls like, just off of, like, a glass bar with all of the glasses every. It was. It was pretty great.
Paul Scheer
I like that.
Jason Mantzoukas
After they go to visit him in the real world. So basically, the clones all live in, like, a. Like a secret clone base, like, lab in a basement, in a. In the middle of the desert, like in the middle of nowhere, blah, blah, blah. And you and McGregor and Scarlett Johansson managed to so easily escape that it's shocking. They managed to escape that facility. They. They find Steve Buscemi in his. In a bar. They make him take them home so he can help them, which he does. His house, though, appears to be some sort of sex dungeon. What was that about?
Paul Scheer
Yeah, that was a. He has a lava lamp. Yes, he's got a lava lamp.
Jason Mantzoukas
Which is like, all creeps.
Paul Scheer
Like, by the way, this movie felt like it was written by a clone because it felt like it had close approximations to what we would see as normal, but all slightly off. It felt like that. Like this whole movie had that.
Jason Mantzoukas
Yeah, it's a.
Paul Scheer
Acting. Yeah, I know.
June Diane Raphael
Wait, so it was written by a club?
Jason Mantzoukas
I mean, we don't know if it was. I would believe it.
Paul Scheer
They. I think that they tried to make.
Jason Mantzoukas
Steve because they were like. Because the clones were like, you know what? We need to make a movie where we're the heroes.
Paul Scheer
Finally, we got to get Hollywood.
June Diane Raphael
Wait a second. So, okay, so here's my question. Not to jump ahead.
Jason Mantzoukas
So.
June Diane Raphael
But the clones. At the very end, what Scarlett Johansson and Ewan McGregor end up doing is turning off, like, a holograph machine so that the pe. The clones realize they are not. They're no longer staring out at the island because the picture of the island isn't there. And they realize they're just in this, like, giant mechanical structure underground.
Paul Scheer
But by the way, island is a terrible name for this movie.
June Diane Raphael
It makes no sense. But I guess I was just confused. Like, in that moment, what are those clones thinking when they run outside? Like, it felt also like they were forced to put together so much.
Paul Scheer
Well, I think Ewan McGregor is like the first domino to fall. They realize, okay, all these clones may be infected, but then they killed them. So I guess. No, they didn't Now I am confused.
Jason Mantzoukas
They didn't kill them.
Paul Scheer
They were going to kill them.
Jason Mantzoukas
And then Scarlett Johansson and Diamond Huntsu come in and save both the people in the death room.
Paul Scheer
But they get hosed down with something.
Jason Mantzoukas
Yeah. They're in some sort of killing chamber, but. But are rescued from it. And that's only the clones that they're afraid are gonna gain consciousness. Like some.
Paul Scheer
Right.
Jason Mantzoukas
Whatever it is, the Epsilon level or I can't remember what it was, you know, they. They're going to regain. They're going to gain consciousness.
Paul Scheer
We have to get echo level.
Jason Mantzoukas
Thank you. So we have to recall those that bat.
Paul Scheer
Right.
June Diane Raphael
And they were only. There were a few.
Jason Mantzoukas
Oh, yeah, yeah.
Paul Scheer
There Wasn't that many 3 year olds in there. But I will say that they. What they. What their biggest fear was was to create more Jerry Seinfelds. Because that sequence with Ewan McGregor where he sits down. Jean Beans, like, who are these people? Why don't I have these shoes? Why can't I eat bacon? It was such a weird, like, weird monologue about, like living in clone base that it was like I. Really tonally, this movie is a rough one because it starts off with a yacht. Sexy Ewan McGregor getting ratcheted out, you know, immediately.
June Diane Raphael
Oh, yeah, he was. Yeah, that opening sequence. But see that. That's like something I went back to later on. So. But that's not a memory that real Ewan McGregor had.
Jason Mantzoukas
And I don't think so because men.
June Diane Raphael
Jumping into the ocean and taking him.
Jason Mantzoukas
I don't.
Paul Scheer
It's an unreliable narrative.
Jason Mantzoukas
I don't think it's true because also, Scarlett Johansson is in his dream and that's not possible. That wasn't possible for you. And McGregor's car, the Ewan McGregor.
Paul Scheer
Ewan McGregor's character, Ewan McGregor's host, always dreamt of having sex with a woman of Scarlett Johansson's character, as he just plainly states to him as they confront each other. But what I think.
June Diane Raphael
Okay, so. Yeah, well, just to speak to that for a second. So none of the clones at clone camp can have sex?
Paul Scheer
No.
Jason Mantzoukas
They don't know what sex. Yeah. They have not been told about sex.
June Diane Raphael
They don't know what sex is. But there are pregnant women there.
Paul Scheer
Right. So they think that they are breeders.
Jason Mantzoukas
I'm assuming that's the sperm. And my guess would be that's the spur that is like an embryo from the host, the couple who are the hosts of that clone. Does that make sense? The.
June Diane Raphael
Okay, so like the couple that we.
Jason Mantzoukas
See get given a baby that woman and that man. My assumption would be their embryo was implanted into the clone to carry the baby to term safely.
Paul Scheer
Right. Well, because they are exactly the same. I mean, when you and McGregor. Clone McGregor. By the way, I believe this is the best clone on clone interaction that we've seen in all the films. Like, agree. I really like, I liked it.
Jason Mantzoukas
And he was so good at it and got so comfortable at it. He just, he played twin brothers in Fargo season three, which is. I was like, he's done this twice.
Paul Scheer
I feel like he might have even done it again. I feel like there's another movie where he plays two people. He puts his finger on the, the starter of the car and he's like, oh my God, you got the same fingerprint. You're worth every penny. And by the way, Ewan McGregor, the host is just a boat designer. Like, that's what his job is. He just, he just designs.
Jason Mantzoukas
Someone's gonna design those boats. I love too that like it's so Michael Bay to have like all of the, the boat and all of the cars are all like concept things. They're all like, oh yeah, future boats and future cars. They're not like it, it made me laugh so hard every time. They were like, whoa, what's this seven hundred fifty thousand dollar Cadillac like, his fetishization of like gear like that always makes me laugh.
Paul Scheer
Well, and then the big swings that miss which is like Ewan McGregor in a phone booth with a wrapping of like, like, it's basically the version of like Ask Jeeves.
Jason Mantzoukas
It was like MSN Search or whatever.
Paul Scheer
Msn, yeah.
Jason Mantzoukas
All over this. There's an X box scene.
June Diane Raphael
Yes.
Jason Mantzoukas
Microsoft is. The product placement in this movie is massive.
Paul Scheer
Oh, it is. I mean there's a moment like a beauty shot of Ewan McGregor drinking a Michelob Light.
Jason Mantzoukas
Yes.
Paul Scheer
Like multiple.
Jason Mantzoukas
Like when it was available, it was, it's when it was available in like those metal bottles. As if, oh, in the future everybody's going to drink beer out of a metal bottle.
Paul Scheer
By the way, it's 2019 in the movie. This movie came out in 2005. Shit has really like it advanced. Like there's, it's part like like the cities that you might see in Star wars where, you know, there are a lot of flying car. Like there's a lot of stuff going on above ground too. But these like these jet motorcycles that they ride are that like.
June Diane Raphael
I feel like that's crazy.
Paul Scheer
I, I like that technology. I mean it's, it feels like a straight rip from like Return of the Jedi. But I'm also like, oh, that's kind of into that.
Jason Mantzoukas
It's basically a pod race inside la, inside future la. It's basically the same as a pot. Like, I again, I was like, poor Ewan McGregor is in another pod race now. He must be miserable.
Paul Scheer
Ewan McGregor said that. That doing that stunt sequence did. He's like, thank God I had two children, because I think it was a pretty awful to his. His groin area. And Scarlett Johansson. And Scarlett Johansson in that sequence almost got her face sliced. An extra was hit in that sequence. There is a scene in the movie. I rewatched it last night because it was online that an they. Michael Bay was like, I told the guy, don't turn around. What he do? He turned around and the car hits him and he goes flying forward and he's fine. But they left it in the movie. Michael Bay almost was killed during that section too. Like, there was a lot of danger with a. A floating motorbike sequence.
Jason Mantzoukas
But I'm sure they all look back on it and think, totally worth it.
Paul Scheer
Totally worth it.
Jason Mantzoukas
Totally. We nailed it. We nailed it.
Paul Scheer
I mean, because I think Michael Bay is known for doing more action stuff. And I think what I liked about this was it was more of a thinking thing. It was about, you know, who has rights. You know, are we testing on animals? I mean, that's what I was thinking about the whole time.
Jason Mantzoukas
Yeah. No, it's a morality tale, really. What does it mean to be human? You know, what is. What is the soul? Who. Where does it reside? You know?
Paul Scheer
Yeah. And I mean, you know, and, you know, that to me is always. You know, I like his take on it. I like his take on humanity because I do think that he has a good. Like, who else.
June Diane Raphael
Who better to tell that story?
Paul Scheer
Yeah, exactly.
Jason Mantzoukas
Who better to tell that story? Like, and also, like, listen, are. Are you and McGregor and I. I clear. I think clearly Michael Bay is trying to say this. Are you and McGregor and Scarlett Johansson, like Adam and Eve? Are they the. Are they the beginnings of a new. A new understanding of humanity? You know, did. Are they created in God's image from the. The Garden of Eden underneath the Earth?
Paul Scheer
Well, I mean, but they.
Jason Mantzoukas
But it's also a movie that at the end has. Has like, like the events that happen in, like, in like, Looney Tunes cartoons or like, in every improv scene that heightens to this point, which Ewan McGregor and the clone, Ewan McGregor just start saying, no, I'm the real Tom Lincoln. No, I'm the real Tom Lincoln and the bad guys are like, wait a minute. Oh, no. How do we tell him apart? And I was like, this is built all the way to just like. Like them pointing at each.
Paul Scheer
The only thing that was missing was like fake Ewan McGregor pulling up a slime that says, like, not the. You know, like, like Bugs Bunny ask. Like, they needed like, yeah, they needed a little hand painted sign. I mean, I will also say that this world of the future is so wild because I thought you were going to say it builds to a point where just a giant fan kills the bad guy. I mean, like, I mean, where is that giant fan from? Like, it was a sort of like.
June Diane Raphael
I didn't really know what that fan was doing exactly.
Paul Scheer
What.
Jason Mantzoukas
It was somehow part of the. Okay, so remember when you and McGregor goes to like the center of the Death Star and he has to be like, boo. Boo. He has to power it down. Like, there are so many Star wars things in this movie. So he goes to that room where there's the glowing things and he's trying to knock it down. He's trying to hit it with a pipe. He's. And he finally manages to stop the hologram that starts that machine to fall apart, in which at which point the fan dislodges and cuts through the whole building. That's what it appears. Yeah.
Paul Scheer
It seems like the fan is like dropping from the ceiling, just going through.
Jason Mantzoukas
I mean, everybody, Scarlett Johansson and you and McGregor survive so many abs. Not near death experiences. Absolute death experiences. Absolutely. This would kill everybody in the proximity. And they are constantly like walking away unscathed and looking dynamite.
June Diane Raphael
Well, I mean, listen, they have been living a very healthy, true life in clone camp. Like, they have been. They. They are physically. Even if they don't have superpowers, it seems like they're physically at their best.
Paul Scheer
Right. They're eating their greens.
Jason Mantzoukas
And. And to return to what you said earlier, Paul, I feel like it wouldn't have been much and it would have made the movie make a little bit more sense if they had baked that in and said, oh, because we're of this, that and the other. They're stronger, their reflexes are faster. So that we would understand. Oh, they're surviving all of these harrowing experiences because if anything, they're so naive and they have so little understanding of the world as it exists. At every step of the way, they should walk out and immediately be hit by a car. They should walk out and like accidentally die because they don't understand society's rules or the world as it is.
Paul Scheer
You know, when someone says he's in the can, they're like, what is that? Like, they have so little. Like, Like. And I think going back to what June was saying, and I'm getting it now, June, like, what would their minds do in this world? It is too much information. Like, it is. I don't. You would need to be tutored on some level. It would be like going from, you.
Jason Mantzoukas
Know, inside the Matrix to outside the Matrix, which is exactly what it is.
Paul Scheer
Yeah. I was going to say just from infancy. Like. Like, you learn language and then you see everything in front of you. It's not fair. It's not right. These clones, they never.
Jason Mantzoukas
They never have, like a whoa. Moment or they never look at the world, the real world as it is, and feel, like, surprised or impressed or, you know, they really. They don't have any. They always seem to be.
June Diane Raphael
They practice, like, radical acceptance. Just like, it's just completely radically accepting their circumstances as they find them.
Jason Mantzoukas
The movie is all about. Yes and.
Paul Scheer
All right, well, let me. Let me ask you this question here about something that I just noticed. And, you know, as I'm watching a movie like this in 2 hours and 16 minutes, I'm like, my mind wanders at points, but I just want to, like, get into the idea of the cliff face hanging scene. This trope that is in so many movies where, you know, there's some sort of battle, someone skids off the side of a. A building, and then someone's holding their hand and they're dangling. That really doesn't seem to happen ever in real life. Like, that's not like, a thing like, oh, in our society. Oh, my God, if, you know, if only I had someone to hold my hand, I wouldn't have fallen off that clip. Like, and it seems to be, like, one of the most common things to happen in movies of amazingly good caliber. You know, Mission Impossible movies, to a movie like this, and it's. I don't know what our fascination with that, like, that thing is like, the hanging by a hand over. I mean, it's such an over. It's. I don't know. Am I just. Is that, like, a very high thought to have about this movie? I wasn't high, but I. But just watching that made me laugh like that. That's in so much of our pop culture.
Jason Mantzoukas
It's really. It really is in terms of, like, a situation that has so many stakes to it. Life or death, hanging on by a thread, but still rescuable. You know what I mean? Like, you can still be pulled in or up on the roof or into. Back into a window or whatever you've fallen out of.
June Diane Raphael
And also the stakes for the person who's rescuing. Because I was actually a bit nervous for Ewan McGregor in that scene like, that. He'd be pulled over. So that's why I think he would be. Yeah, he would be.
Jason Mantzoukas
They would both be dead. That's why we don't see it in real life, because nobody can do that. Nobody can, like, hang on. Nobody can pull someone up. It's like game over for everybody.
June Diane Raphael
It really is. And I don't think I have the upper body strength to save you, Paul.
Paul Scheer
Oh, wow, June. I would try very hard. Look, I think we should save moves like this for movies like Gymkotta, where you are training in gymnastics, and maybe you do have that upper body strength. I mean, look, June, I would hold on to you as tight as possible. I know, though, as I was holding onto your hand, you would want to maybe put your hair back up in one of those scrunchies that you might have. And I feel like you would be wiggling to maybe do that. And I would say, don't worry about that right now. And you said, but the hair's in my eyes. I just want to pull it back. I just need to pull it back.
June Diane Raphael
Well, I do think that I was in that scene. It did seem like Scarlett Johansson wasn't helping herself. I was a little less looking around and flailing about and looking down and screaming. Like, a little more looking up and holding on.
Jason Mantzoukas
Yeah.
June Diane Raphael
And be still.
Jason Mantzoukas
And she's screaming, pull me up. Pull me up. Which is like. Yeah, obviously that's what's going to happen. You know, like, we're going to get there. But, yeah, like, if she could get a little bit more purchase, that might be helpful.
June Diane Raphael
Yeah, like just sort of like, bear down or hoist up or just hell, you know, it seemed like she was really making it difficult for him.
Jason Mantzoukas
Well, there again, this gets back to, like, again, they're. They're. They're dangling off the logo letter on the 70th floor of a skyscraper.
June Diane Raphael
Skyscraper.
Jason Mantzoukas
They are less than, I don't know, 10 hours outside of a bunker they've lived in their whole lives. They've never seen the building hanging off of a skyscraper. Like, from. From morning to afternoon. They're having quite a day.
Paul Scheer
Well, they took that train, which was absurdly large.
Jason Mantzoukas
Oh, yeah.
Paul Scheer
Like, that was. I mean, that train. Yeah, I mean, that train. Just from a perspective. W. I feel like someone. Someone might have Goofed on that train. Cuz it did look larger than it needed to be based on how these cities looked once they were there. Like, it wasn't like everything is like Metropolis level. Kind of like Fritz Lang, you know, Future City. Yeah. That train. And by the way, that train seemed to levitate. So why the fuck are their train wheels being transported around the city?
Jason Mantzoukas
Such a good question there. I was going to say that train has no wheels.
June Diane Raphael
Are you talking about. Okay. Because the scene that I loved and laughed so hard at was the scene where there were those giant dumbbells.
Paul Scheer
That's what we're talking about. Yeah.
June Diane Raphael
Those are train wheels.
Paul Scheer
Yes.
Jason Mantzoukas
That's what they looked like. Yes. Like that would be underneath an act, like a contemporary engine.
June Diane Raphael
I did not know what they were.
Paul Scheer
I called them a robot. I called them my notes robot rattles. Because they looked like rattles, but they were so giant that I was like, oh, the Transformer would use me.
June Diane Raphael
They just look like giant dumbbells. I laughed so hard at that scene. Those things rolling off.
Jason Mantzoukas
I was dying again. There must have been so many civilian casualties.
June Diane Raphael
Sure.
Jason Mantzoukas
So many real people must have been killed by those fully giant steel wheels crashing through highways, by the way.
Paul Scheer
And I know that both of you love these films, so I'm going to defer to you because you're the experts. Didn't this seem like straight up out of Transformers though? Like that whole section, I was like, oh. He just was like, I love the train wheels so much. I'm gonna make like. It was like, I'm gonna do it again. It's like that very Stephen King mentality of like. Oh, yeah, let me just repeat that one more time because.
Jason Mantzoukas
Well, I. There was definitely a moment where I was like, I. This. Because it's filmed like Michael Bay. Because it's. It feels like such a Michael Bay movie. And they kept focusing on that again, that concept Mack truck that. The front of that Cons, that future Mac truck. I was like, I keep expecting it to just like stop and go. Like Autobots to me. Find the All Spark, you know, Like I. I fully expected it to become Optimus Prime.
Paul Scheer
Oh, by the way, Molly just wrote in here. She said that some of those shots were reused in Dark side of the Moon. The Transformers movie. Yes.
Jason Mantzoukas
Oh, my God, that's amazing.
Paul Scheer
So he.
Jason Mantzoukas
Holy shit.
Paul Scheer
He didn't even just redo it, he just reused it. Wow.
Jason Mantzoukas
Wow. He's the best. He's just so funny.
Paul Scheer
I was reading through the, like a review of the commentary track and some of the things that he said, are.
Jason Mantzoukas
You read a lot of reviews of commentary tracks, right?
Paul Scheer
Well, you know what?
Jason Mantzoukas
It is primarily what you read.
June Diane Raphael
You don't read reviews of the movie. You just read how a review and takes on how people are feeling about, like, directors commentary.
Jason Mantzoukas
Yeah, you told me to watch something recently because the commentary track was getting great reviews.
Paul Scheer
Yeah, you gotta listen to. I mean, look, I'll sometimes just watch the commentary track, forget about the movie. I just want to see what was going on in the mind of the filmmaker. But there was a moment that he was talking about, like. Like he's so cocky about something. Like in the commentary track, he's like, see this scene? See the scene. I'm not going to tell you where we get where we shot this. I'm not even going to tell you where we shot this because I'm going to reuse it and I don't want you to steal it.
June Diane Raphael
Oh, my God.
Paul Scheer
Like.
Jason Mantzoukas
Like, it's so amazing.
Paul Scheer
He's like, I love that he is so into it. And he said that there was a couple of great little moments like that where he is so cocky about this movie. And then the end of the commentary track is like, all right, let's talk brass tacks. No one saw this movie.
Jason Mantzoukas
Holy shit, that's funny.
Paul Scheer
Talking Pictures, the podcast from tcm and Max is back with a new season. Here, host Ben Mankiewicz in intimate conversations with the people who live to make us laugh. Carol Burnett, Bill Murray, Paul Scheer, Henry Winkler and more all join Ben to talk about the movies that made them. Talking Pictures isn't just about film. It's about the powerful role movies play in our lives. It's about where you were, who you were with, and what you were feeling. Listen to Talking Pictures on Max or wherever you get your podcasts. You already love Doordash, and now there's even more to love with the new Doordash Dash Pass annual plan benefit. All right, here it is. Drumroll, please. Max with ads is now included at no extra cost. That means you can have dinner delivered with Doordash and settle in for a night on the couch watching the HBO original series House of the Dragon. Plus, while you're watching Gotham's own Oz COBB and the HBO's original series the Penguin, you can enjoy some New York City pizza or soft pretzel with DoorDash. And if you're rewatching Friends, don't be surprised if those coffee shop scenes make you crave having a latte delivered fast. Of course, you still get all your favorite Dash Pass Annual Plan benefits too, like unlimited zero dollar delivery fees on eligible orders and exclusive member only offers and menu items. Sign up for DashPass annual plan Max included at no extra cost. It's your door to more. Terms and conditions apply. Max is now included with your-Pass annual plan stream max with ads up to $120 value included at no extra cost. Terms apply. See doordash.com max for details. When you're hiring for your small business, you want to find quality professionals that are right for the role. LinkedIn Jobs has the tools to find the right professionals for your team faster and for free. LinkedIn isn't just a job board. LinkedIn helps you hire professionals you can't find anywhere else, even those who aren't actively searching for a new job but might be open to the perfect role in a given month. Over 70% of LinkedIn users don't visit other leading job sites. So if you're not looking on LinkedIn, you're looking in the wrong place. On LinkedIn, 86% of small businesses get a qualified candidate within 24 hours. Hire professionals like a professional on LinkedIn. LinkedIn knows that small businesses are wearing so many hats and might not have the time or resources to hire. So post your job for free@LinkedIn.com claim. That's LinkedIn.com claim to post your job for free. Terms and conditions apply. But you know what? There is a lot of. I mean, I will say this. There is a lot of good stuff in this movie. Like ultimately, like the core of this movie is interesting. It just feels bloated in every possible way.
June Diane Raphael
No, I agree. I mean, in some ways, I have to be honest. In some ways, this was my favorite clone movie.
Jason Mantzoukas
Oh, interesting. Yeah, yeah.
June Diane Raphael
Because I thought it posed questions that were actually valid and like. Oh, yeah, what? You know, having to think about organ donation and, you know, fertility and all of that stuff. Like that was really interesting to me and thinking about cloning in that way. But there is about an extra hour on it.
Jason Mantzoukas
Yes, that was that. That could have been cut literally from all the chase sequences. There's just too much chasing, too much running, too much chasing.
Paul Scheer
It's as if we were in the island. Because the way that they do the setup of like the twist, like, they're not going to an island. Like, we were brought in under a false pretense as well. And I don't know if that necessarily worked or did anything for me because as an audience member, I'm not excited about these people going to the island because Then it seems like there's no movie. Like, what's the movie?
Jason Mantzoukas
You know what's interesting? I.
Paul Scheer
White Lotus.
Jason Mantzoukas
Yeah. I thought the. When. What I thought the reveal was was that they're not going to the island. They're already at the island. And the island is just the lab and the research facility. There is no, like, yeah. Vacation. Like, you get to live your best life island. It's not that I felt like, oh, when they. When they came up into the quote, unquote, real world, I was like, oh, they're about to find out they're already on the island. It's just the island is like the. The villain's lair, essentially, the Bond.
Paul Scheer
Right.
Jason Mantzoukas
Like, Sean Bean is like a Bond villain, and his island is where he makes these clones. But that wasn't the case. So I agree. The island is so misleading, and it's such a powerful and important kind of aspirational element to the characters in the movie that I was like, oh. I had to be like, oh, right, right, right. There is no island. The island doesn't. The island is mythology that they are giving the clones. It's not. It's not based on any reality inside.
Paul Scheer
The real world, which is a hard pill to swallow. Sure. When the movie is called the Island.
Jason Mantzoukas
Yeah.
June Diane Raphael
Because I'm swallowing quickly.
Jason Mantzoukas
Surfing. Yeah.
Paul Scheer
Yeah. I mean, Michael Clark, I want to just call out some good performances, and I know I mentioned them already. Michael Clark Duncan playing happy and excitable was one of my wonderful. One of my. What a joyous, joyous performance by this man.
Jason Mantzoukas
Yeah. Oh, Ezra. Equally, when he is. When he awakens during his surgery, panics and runs through the hospital facility with his. With his chest open. I thought that was a great performance as well. And really both really heartbreaking, but also, like, in that way that Michael Bay just his sense of humor is tied to all of the wrong things. Like the Michael Clark Duncan awakening during surgery, having a complete existential crisis, then running through the halls. But, like, in a way that is almost like Three Stooges comedy, like, is happening as well. I was like, oh, this is a Michael Bay movie. It is. He will put jokes in the emotional beats, and he'll attempt to put emotion in the joke.
June Diane Raphael
True.
Jason Mantzoukas
So true.
June Diane Raphael
Emphasis on the wrong syllable.
Jason Mantzoukas
It's always wrong. It's always, like, wrong.
Paul Scheer
I will say that, like, you wanted a romantic moment between Scarlett Johansson and. And. And Ewan McGregor at that point when they do kiss, and it is quickly deflated by that tongue line in. In a moment that I'm like, I Kind of like it. But I'm also like, I think you just undercut this. Like, you undercut this moment. Like, I get it.
Jason Mantzoukas
They. That. But that's the thing is, like, what's so interesting is they don't normally. They only a few times have that degree of naivete like in the bar, like you described earlier in this moment here. But that could have been part of the whole movie. You could have been like, they are fish out of water everywhere. They don't know how the world.
June Diane Raphael
I would have been interested in that.
Paul Scheer
Yeah, I would have pitched. Okay, I didn't want to talk about this. The reason why I picked this movie is because I am working on an HBO Max series. It is a spin off of this. It's a. It's a single cam comedy about two clones. And we're going to explore this. This is the thing. I need to just get out in front of it right now. Yeah, I am doing. It's called the island again. We were having trouble, but we wanted to get that ip. We need that ip. It doesn't take place on an island, but it is. It's going to be all the kind of fish out of water funny. It's going to be more funny things like how do they work a coffee maker. They have a landlord who's a nosy. Where were you? What do you know? You know, there's gonna be a lot of fun stuff.
Jason Mantzoukas
Cause I'm also. I'm working on a show right now.
Paul Scheer
Wait, really? What?
Jason Mantzoukas
Well, it's a little bit similar, but mine's a reality show.
Paul Scheer
Oh, okay.
June Diane Raphael
Cool.
Paul Scheer
Yeah.
Jason Mantzoukas
It's called Sexy Clone Island.
Paul Scheer
Oh, wow. All right, I like this.
Jason Mantzoukas
And everybody, the contestants all show up to an island and what they don't know is sexy clones have been created of all of them.
Paul Scheer
Oh.
Jason Mantzoukas
And the question is, are you gonna fall in love with one of the other clones or your own clone?
June Diane Raphael
Oh, so, like, do you really love yourself?
Jason Mantzoukas
Do you really love yourself? So it's a journey of self discovery and also finding true love.
June Diane Raphael
Okay, so this is something that I like, actually was thinking about and while watching this movie. I don't ever want to meet myself.
Jason Mantzoukas
I like, I like that you think that's like, ever, ever.
June Diane Raphael
Oh, because you're like myself. And I know the whole purpose of like, analysis and all of that is like, return to self, you know, all of that. But I'm like, I appreciate a healthy distance. I don't ever want to see her.
Jason Mantzoukas
You know what I like face to face. Her. Her. You.
June Diane Raphael
I don't want to see her.
Jason Mantzoukas
I don't need to be. What would that be like, Jean?
Paul Scheer
What would be. What would. What would you.
Jason Mantzoukas
I don't know. I'll be honest. This guy seems annoying.
June Diane Raphael
I don't think I like her.
Jason Mantzoukas
I really don't. But she is you.
Paul Scheer
She wouldn't. But you don't think you would, like.
June Diane Raphael
Better left to others, like, I just don't ever want to be in that position.
Jason Mantzoukas
I know what you mean, and I do.
Paul Scheer
I just want to. I want to meet me. Because I think it'll be easier to make TikToks, you know, where I have to talk to myself so I don't have to, like, change wardrobe and then change the camera angle.
Jason Mantzoukas
See, if you're just pitching multiplicity, you just want more of you to help. You want a You that's a crew.
Paul Scheer
Which, by the way, just so people know if that. Because we've gotten a lot of suggestions of movies to do, we pulled an audible on Multiplicity only because I think it's fair to say we all were kind of enjoying it. So. Yeah, so it didn't.
Jason Mantzoukas
We were watching it. We were all watching it last night and texted to say, like, I don't have too much to talk about. This is enjoyable. You know, it's great.
Paul Scheer
Eugene Levy performance, John de Lancie. I mean, it's a killer cast of people that you love doing funny shit.
Jason Mantzoukas
Doing pretty good work. So. So we switched to the island, which I'm very grateful for, because this. This was way more fun to watch. But I. I know what you mean, June. In the sense that, like, one of the things I liked in the movie was when Ewan McGregor clone finds Ewan McGregor, the host, the prime Ewan McGregor, they make Ewan McGregor kind of a piece of shit, which I like. Like, I feel like. I feel like that's a Michael Bay move, is like, let's make him a piece of shit. Like. Because normally I feel like the Ewan McGregor prime would be like, become then the human hero who's like, I'm going to help. And instead for him to betray them, I thought was actually pretty cool. I like that.
Paul Scheer
Well, the dirtbag. The Steve Buscemi is like our dirtbag character. He is the one who actually helps. But I think it was interesting that the ways that they set him up to be bad. He has a liver disease from fucking too Much. He loves reading Maxim magazine. But he also. One of my favorite things about.
Jason Mantzoukas
He's, like, looking at Scarlett Johansson and treating her, like, salaciously.
Paul Scheer
Oh, it is so. I mean, he gets so upset when they have, like, a connection. Clone McGregor and clone Johansson. But there's a moment where he's the real prime. McGregor is such a bad actor. He's like, you know, it's always like that whole scene was like, you know, and when I just first went to the store to get bananas, that's what I was doing. I was at the store to get bananas. And he does that twice in one thing. And then he does another thing where he's like, yes, I would like to talk to somebody here because my insurance policy is in my living room.
June Diane Raphael
Okay, here's a real question. Do you think that Scarlett Johansson's character, Jordan, ever struggled prime or clone? We never met Prime. Just clone.
Paul Scheer
Right. Okay. I didn't know.
Jason Mantzoukas
We just saw, like, images of her.
June Diane Raphael
But she's a question, like, do you think that she ever struggled with the, you know, guilt or weight of not giving up her life?
Paul Scheer
So, yeah, she killed somebody.
June Diane Raphael
Her. Yeah, she killed somebody. And do you think she's going to go raise that child?
Jason Mantzoukas
Such a. Like, that was a really sad. Oh, when the little boy says, mommy, is that you? I was like, oh, that's heartbreaking. Like, that's like, that's when you start to really see the consequences of. Major consequences of wanting our Scarlett Johansson that we're following to survive and to be free and to have, you know, free will and all of that. But also recognizing that what that means is the.
June Diane Raphael
We need those organs.
Jason Mantzoukas
You know, what did they give Scarlett Johansson? 48 hours, you know, or something like that. So if the organs weren't implanted in 48 hours and they speak to it, Scarlett Johansson says, that woman's gonna die, you know, or something. Like, I think, you know, whatever. And it. But that's, you know, it's that there. The movie is interested in kind of moral story. It's just Michael Bay is like, yeah, yeah, yeah. But also trucks flipping over and fans chopping everything in half. Let's add a little bit of. Do you know that Michael Bay calls his action Bayhem?
June Diane Raphael
Oh, yeah, Bayhem.
Jason Mantzoukas
Bayhem. Like mayhem, but Michael Bay style.
June Diane Raphael
No, no, no.
Paul Scheer
I mean, Michael Bay. All right. So, like, they were saying, like, I can't remember the movie that was going on at the same time. This is also from the director's commentary track review. Like, that Michael Bay, like, he's like, I was looking at a. I was looking at this other movie. They're doing six or seven shots a day. I'm doing 30 or 40. Like, he's like shooting 40 shots a day. And they said that sometimes the camera moves are so quick that he gives his crew less than five minutes to set up a shot.
Jason Mantzoukas
Wow.
Paul Scheer
Which is like that. It seems like it's even shot in a way. It's shot like in a run and gun indie way, but you know, with the most expensive cameras.
Jason Mantzoukas
And I think he also has like nine cameras on everything. So he's getting small pieces, but it's like he's getting so much of it and it's then just like an assembly of like chopped up bits.
Paul Scheer
You know, I once did a movie or I did a commercial with an actor who was in Bad Boys 2. And it was a chase over a bridge. It's a big scene in Bad Boys 2. And he is part of the the FBI team. And so he gets there on set and he's in this truck and there's a camera in front of him in the truck. And he has a gun that he's got to shoot out the window. And he's like, well, how are we going to do it? And Michael said, you're going to drive the truck. You're going to shoot that gun out the window and you're going to slate yourself. And he's like, what? He was like, well, wait, I don't know how to do any of that stuff. He's like, don't worry, I have stunt drivers and they'll avoid you. So like, don't worry about it. And this guy said it was the most stressful situation he's ever been in in his life. Because you have to like shoot a gun that has recoil. You are trying to drive a truck as things are burning and flipping by you. And he said that he did the first take and Michael Bay came down and went right up to his truck because all the trucks had. Every truck had a. You know, everybody in this chase had their own private camera. And he goes, what the fuck are you doing, man? You look scared as shit out there. Because I am. He was like, I'll fire you right now. He's like, don't be scared. You do this all the time. And like that. That was it. And then see him in the movie, he just looks scared. He looks pretty good.
Jason Mantzoukas
That's amazing. I love that.
Paul Scheer
Oh, imagine doing that like. And apparently he's created a special. I knew this, but I guess this is the movie that he created it on. A special car cam that like you could drive into other cars without killing the stunt driver. Like, it is like, it's a special Camera that you can basically drive into other things and it doesn't hurt the driver or the camera. Wow. Yeah. So he's pretty. It's pretty insane.
Jason Mantzoukas
Oh, my God.
Paul Scheer
Well, you know what? We obviously have an opinion about this movie and I would say that opinion's fairly mixed, but there are other people out there with a different opinion. It is now time for second opinions.
Jason Mantzoukas
The movie was a piece of shit, yet this person recommends it. Tell me, what is the message? Maybe that art is subjective. I need a second opinion.
Paul Scheer
Jason June. I don't even know where to begin. These are. These are.
June Diane Raphael
This is five star reviews of the commentary track or of the film?
Paul Scheer
Well, I'm. That's going to be the third segment in the show. You know, I'm building into that. Like, that's the bonus. That's our patreon is me doing five star reviews of commentary tracks.
Jason Mantzoukas
That's our new spin off podcast is where we just talked.
June Diane Raphael
We don't watch the movie track get made.
Jason Mantzoukas
Yeah, we don't watch the movie. How did this commentary track get made? And then we try and infer what happened in the movie.
Paul Scheer
We review. And then we have another spin off show there where we just talk about movies that we would want to do on the show, but we're not sure we want to commit to it. So we just bandy around what we think the plot might be and then that. And then that's an episode. Just us looking at a poster and assuming. All right, these reviews are great. They're my favorite reviews I've ever read. I don't want to set it up too high, but I can't even pick which ones I want. The average rating of this film is 4.6 out of 5 stars.
Jason Mantzoukas
Oh, wow.
Paul Scheer
Yes. So 73% of them are 5 star reviews. And there are over 4400 reviews, which is a lot. This is big. So Anthony T. Tolentino writes, we bought this movie on recommendation from a military whistleblower that was talking about these technologies and the real human cloning centers they have in the DUM bs. He said, watch the island movie. And it's just like that. The title of the review is all based on true technologies used now. Five stars.
Jason Mantzoukas
Wait, D U M B S dums.
Paul Scheer
I. Yeah, I don't.
Jason Mantzoukas
I mean, that must be a real thing. But that's a funny acronym.
Paul Scheer
That's. Yeah, that's what I think too. So the DUMBS acronym is Deep underground military bases.
Jason Mantzoukas
Got it.
Paul Scheer
Yes.
Jason Mantzoukas
Oh, my God. I love that this person sees like, like the Reality inside of this Michael Bay movie that is very unsettling.
Paul Scheer
All right, so this one here, written by Michael Sullivan. The title. These damn clones are going to take your jobs. Oh, and. And writes this look like Logan's Run meets the Matrix at first, but got more interesting as elements of the Fugitive were introduced. Now can I just say, got more interesting than the Matrix. Okay, sure. A few holes in the plot to have some fun with. You have to be forgiving. But a story that has been told in many different ways, told yet again. It was worth watching regardless because it's a fun exploration of adventure into the many things the future may hold, while also introducing a new generation of important questions about human rights and animal rights, in fact, that have existed for a very long time. I didn't see the animal rights in this, but. But there we go.
Jason Mantzoukas
Usually I feel like this kind of story has, like, the first step is animals.
Paul Scheer
Yes.
Jason Mantzoukas
You know, and we see and there's usually some sort of cloned animal that we have come to love or whatever. And it's what, you know, this. This is really like straight up clone people. They fully grown, adult clone people. There is a lot of, like, coincidences and assumptions that we just assume to be okay in this movie. We can just grow full grown people with consciousness and they're fine. Okay, cool.
Paul Scheer
Yeah.
Jason Mantzoukas
You know, all right, well, I had.
Paul Scheer
A question about that because when we did grow that baby, that giant baby with all the KY jelly on it, the. That person was bald. And, you know, as a bald man, I'm always looking for representation. So when I saw that, I was like, is that person bald or do they grow hair?
Jason Mantzoukas
Do you think it was Vin Diesel?
Paul Scheer
I mean, I don't know. He's been in other things. He showed up to the premiere of Nutty Professor 2, you know, so I don't know. He's always. He's out and about.
June Diane Raphael
He's not.
Jason Mantzoukas
He wasn't invited.
Paul Scheer
Well, I mean, yeah, who knows? He was walking up.
Jason Mantzoukas
And why do you know that he showed up at the premiere of Nutty Professor 2?
Paul Scheer
Because I subscribed to.
Jason Mantzoukas
Were you running the. Were you running the list? Sorry. I'm sorry, Van. You're not on the list.
Paul Scheer
I just say the guy shows up in weird spots, you know, you never know.
June Diane Raphael
You never know where you don't expect him. That is true.
Paul Scheer
Here's what I thought was a missed opportunity in this movie. Sean Bean should have had four. Sean Beans agree. You know, like, why didn't someone, like, manipulate. But maybe he's a Scientist. And he didn't want to do that. He was trying to keep separation of church and state. I don't know.
June Diane Raphael
Well, if people saw him because he was interacting with the clones.
Paul Scheer
Yeah, but he could have had his own like, cabal of like people together.
June Diane Raphael
Oh, that's interesting.
Paul Scheer
You know, behind it would have been.
Jason Mantzoukas
Interesting if like, like when they need. Oh, I had a question. What? Were there two different police? Was there?
Paul Scheer
No, there was.
June Diane Raphael
There were the regular lapd.
Jason Mantzoukas
Okay.
June Diane Raphael
But then there. Then there were this sort of security firm that Sean being hired.
Jason Mantzoukas
Okay. So they are. They are the Diamond Hunzu guys. Yeah.
June Diane Raphael
They were impersonating the police.
Jason Mantzoukas
So they're impersonating police. Okay, got it. Okay. That I got confused somewhere in there.
Paul Scheer
Got it.
Jason Mantzoukas
There were two different police looking entities and I was like, wait a minute. Are there two different polices in the future? I didn't know. I was confused. Okay.
Paul Scheer
Yeah.
June Diane Raphael
I mean, we're trying to defund one.
Jason Mantzoukas
Yeah. Not. Not fund two.
Paul Scheer
Exactly. This review written by Kimberly titled. Loved it. This movie is great. This movie was great and it's so inspiring and it makes you thankful for the life that God has given us and the true loving soulmates that God has given everyone on earth to find. Soulmates are one soul born into two bodies on Earth only to find each other and be one again. Thank God for blessing me with my soulmate and the wonderful soulmate family. He has given me a healthy life for us all. Do not take for granted that you have a God who has given you something in life to keep your heart open and loving God in so many ways always. Five stars.
Jason Mantzoukas
Wow. Holy cow.
June Diane Raphael
Okay.
Jason Mantzoukas
And that person is extrapolating the events of this movie into their own personal life. Pretty.
Paul Scheer
Yeah, I would say this movie is not about soulmates. It didn't feel like.
Jason Mantzoukas
Well, I mean, like if anything, if I'm. If I'm this. If I'm this viewer, rather I would start asking, I would have the question, do we think clones have souls? You know what I mean? This is a scientifically grown person. Does consciousness equal a soul? At what point is there a soul? I'm curious.
Paul Scheer
Well, Jason, I'm glad you asked that question because I have a review that's going to answer that right here. Let's do K7. K7 writes simply informative. I think they filmed real human clones in this film. Yep. It's that bad in this world. Five stars.
Jason Mantzoukas
A lot of conspiracy theorists love this movie.
Paul Scheer
So there might have. There might be clones out there. If you are a clone Please call into the mini episode. Let us know about your. Do you have a soul? Because obviously we've talked about Scarlett Johansson not feeling too badly about killing her other version. Again, these reviews can go on and on. I just want to read this one other line here from Victoria, Celine, Sky, Demi, who titles her review genuinely captivated. She goes, at first I thought it was a futuristic exploitation of Coma. You know, the fact that Charlize Theron and Ewan McGregor were the leads should have enlightened me otherwise.
Jason Mantzoukas
Oh, a really a deep reading of this movie.
Paul Scheer
I just love that she thinks it's Charlize and Ewan together working it out. And then. Yeah, I mean, it just. There's so many. I mean, this is just going on and on. The one big thing. Oh, this is one line I'll read here, too. What was so surprising to me was how young some of the main actors were in this movie. Like, they only know them as older. So I. I get, like, that's surprising to them from.
Jason Mantzoukas
Because it's an older movie. They look young, as if the movie made them look young.
Paul Scheer
Yes, that. This is the kind of the gunk you're getting in the mix of here.
Jason Mantzoukas
So, yeah, ratchet up. Ratchet that.
Paul Scheer
Ratchet it up. Ratcheting it up. All right, so here we go. Jason. June, would you recommend people to watch this film?
Jason Mantzoukas
Yes, I would, but it is like you said earlier, it's 2 hours and 15 minutes long. And my recommendation would be there is 45 minutes of the movie is just running, is just them being chased. Them running, them backtracking, running again, fast forward running. None of it is impressive or interesting. Like, if they're on a catwalk, running somewhere, just fast forward and get to the next dialogue scene and you'll have a shorter movie that's more enjoyable. I mean, some of the action is fine. I'm not saying, like, the car chase I thought was great. Like, Michael Bay knows how to direct action movies. You know, this is the. You know, this is the Michael Bay of Bad Boys of, you know, the. Not the Rock. Yeah, the Rock. Like, this is.
Paul Scheer
This is.
Jason Mantzoukas
This is fun. Michael Bay, when he's. When it. When the big stuff is happening, like the car chase, practical stuff, like the car chase, the cgi, like chasing on the walkways and the fan falls and chops it in half. That stuff. I don't. It's not that interesting, June.
June Diane Raphael
I mean, it's so hard to listen. It's so hard to recommend anything that we did, we watched, so. But I did not Mind this movie as they go. Again, my barometer is so twisted. So I don't trust myself, I don't trust this metric we're providing. But it is watchable. It is absolutely something that you are able to watch. And that's all I'll say about that.
Jason Mantzoukas
Oh my God.
Paul Scheer
All right, I'm gonna bring up two interesting things. I would agree.
Jason Mantzoukas
It's watchable.
June Diane Raphael
It is. It is.
Jason Mantzoukas
You are able to view it with your eyes.
June Diane Raphael
Yes, your eyes.
Paul Scheer
This movie is available to watch and if you choose to watch it, you can watch it. Now here's what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna. Because I would agree with Jason, but I'm gonna throw it in a different direction and say this. One of the interesting things about this film was there was a giant lawsuit around this film because apparently there was another film called Clonus and they filed suit and apparently they settled out of court for a seven figure deal. It's a pretty giant deal. Yeah.
Jason Mantzoukas
Yeah.
Paul Scheer
So this actually Clonus was featured on Mystery Science Theater 3000 and it's a.
Jason Mantzoukas
Movie that was like made. I see.
Paul Scheer
Yes.
Jason Mantzoukas
Okay.
Paul Scheer
The only thing that basically it says this is the, the film is about an isolated community in a remote desert area where clones are bred to serve as a source of replacement organs for the wealthy and powerful. And that was it. Like. So it was the same exact plot. And the soon elected president Peter Graves is I think that a little bit more of a plot there. There's something this idea of, of, I mean this, it's, it's really. When you look at the plot breakdown, I'm reading it as I'm talking to you, it is exactly the same movie. So bizarre but that, so I'd say maybe if you want check out Clonus, that might be another film that did it better. And as Michael Bay said during the press of this film, I guarantee there are people out there who would have this. He says that he knows a wealthy prince, he won't name the name, who has his own 747 jet, complete with a surgery unit on the top floor. Inside there at all times is a 24 year old man with the same blood type whose family has been paid off so that when the prince's heart gives out, surgeons can perform a transplant from a younger man. I can credibly tell you that this is dead true. I'm not going to tell you the country, but I know because I've actually been on the plane and I've known people who've actually met the kid.
Jason Mantzoukas
What.
Paul Scheer
So Leave you with that. That Michael Bay has been on a plane of a prince who has a young man waiting to give his heart to some royalty. So that's the world that we live in. And. And you know what? Happy to be here and share some of that world with the two of you and all your amazing projects. What do you want to plug? That's.
Jason Mantzoukas
I mean, that's. I love that. That. See, that's what I love about Michael Bay is that he backs up a movie like this with a story about, like. Actually, it's real. It's real and it's happening right now.
Paul Scheer
Actually, I did use clones in it. I can't tell you who, but two of the people in this movie are clones. And I'm not gonna get into. I'm not gonna get into all the details of how I got them, but they are. And they actually. Yeah, they. And actually, they. I'm going to tell you that they actually served as consultants and were like, michael, this is so. Like, you didn't even ask us a lot of these questions, and you got it. All right? So, I mean, again, I just want to tell you that that's what they told me. And like, so I take their. You know, that's all I care about.
Jason Mantzoukas
Oh, so good. So good.
Paul Scheer
Oh, my goodness. All right. What do you guys want to talk about? Anything. Anything new.
June Diane Raphael
I just wanted to encourage everyone if you haven't. If you have not gotten vaccinated, to please do. And if you're nervous about it or have any hesitations. I recorded a conversation with my dear friend, pulmonary and Critical Care Dr. Kate Grossman, and it is on how does get made feed. So if you are having concerns and questions, please listen. She really does a wonderful job talking about the risk and major reward. And then if you have anyone, you know, who. Who is nervous about it and vaccine hesitant, please send it to them. Because I think it's a super accessible kind of Q and A cheat sheet to talk to people in your life, which Kate says is the most most effective way to get people vaccinated is to talk to our friends and family.
Paul Scheer
I love it.
Jason Mantzoukas
Absolutely. Thank you for doing that, June. And please, if you are out there and you think that is helpful, please listen to it and please act because we need to get those shots get.
Paul Scheer
Out of our houses.
Jason Mantzoukas
I really. I don't have too much to plug, but I will say I rewatched. I not rewatched. I watched the Val Kilmer documentary on Amazon.
June Diane Raphael
I can't wait to see it.
Jason Mantzoukas
And it's it's wonderful. It's really impressive. And it also reminded me just how wonderful Val Kilmer is, which made me re watch top gun and MacGruber, both incredible Val Kilmer performances.
Paul Scheer
Oh, my gosh.
Jason Mantzoukas
Both very much worth watching. But please, I'm begging you. Like, everything's kind of getting a little ugly again and a little nasty again, a little crazy. If you need an hour and a half of just absolutely losing your mind laughing, please watch MacGruber. It's absolutely wonderful.
Paul Scheer
And I'm so excited that the new MacGruber show is coming out to Peacock and I've talked to some people who have been involved in it.
Jason Mantzoukas
Oh, good.
Paul Scheer
Seems absolutely.
Jason Mantzoukas
I'm excited.
Paul Scheer
Amazing.
Jason Mantzoukas
The movie really made me laugh and I rewatched Barb and Star Go to Vista Del Mar again. Also hilarious. Really enjoyed it.
Paul Scheer
Yeah. So much good stuff out there. I'm not going to burden you with anything else. I'm just going to say if you like this podcast, review it, rate it. It helps us on the itunes, so do that. A big thank you to Avril, Halle, Molly, coming in at the last second putting together all this island research when we called an audible within hours of recording this podcast. Of course, our amazing producer, Cody. Our sound engineer, Devin July Diaz, who makes sure this whole thing goes off without a hitch. Nate Kiley for all of his research, which was not used because of the multiplicity fiasco. And of course, our great graphic designers. I'm talking about Zach McAleese, who is a.k.a. the Ghost of Craig T. Nelson and Kyle Waldron. You can follow us on our discord. Discord GG HDTGM. You can call us on our mini episode at 619p a u l a s k. That's 619 Paul Ask. Talk about your life. Yeah. Your love or this movie. I'll be there to answer all your questions and we will see you next week on the show. Make sure you visit teepublic.com and grab your clone girl summer shirt. And maybe, who knows, maybe there's a ratcheted up shirt in there in the future. We'll see. All right, everybody, thank you so much. Bye for now. The first ever Kia K4 seamlessly combines bold style and advanced tech. With striking star map, LED headlights and an available panoramic display, the Kia K4 delivers design and function. The available surround view and blind spot view monitors can help provide added confidence. Plus, SiriusXM comes standard, bringing you closer to what you love. The Kia K4 balances aesthetics and innovation. Learn more at kia.com K4 surround view and blind spot view. Monitors may not detect all objects around or behind the vehicle. This is the sound of second chances. It's more than a bowl of pet food. It's nutrition that changes lives. It's the sound of healthy, happy pets, not just in your home, but in shelters across the country. Because feeding your pet Hills helps feed shelter pets. Science did that. Hills Pet Nutrition. Buy the bag that gives back. Visit hillspet.com giveback or tap the banner to learn more.
Podcast Title: How Did This Get Made?
Hosts: Paul Scheer, June Diane Raphael, Jason Mantzoukas
Episode: Matinee Monday: The Island
Release Date: November 11, 2024
The episode kicks off with the hosts delving into Michael Bay's 2005 film, The Island, starring Scarlett Johansson and Ewan McGregor. They frame the discussion around the movie's central premise: a futuristic society where clones are created as insurance policies for the wealthy, serving as organ donors when needed.
Paul Scheer initiates the plot discussion at [02:14], summarizing the movie’s concept of clones being harvested for organs:
Paul Scheer [03:12]: "We did the 2005 Michael Bay film The Island, starring Scarlett Johansson and Ewan McGregor, about two people who find themselves in a futuristic society only to learn that they are clones who are insurance policies for rich people that are using their bodies to harvest different organs..."
June Diane Raphael seeks clarification on the clones' purpose:
June Diane Raphael [03:26]: "Wait a second, Paul, say that last part again. The clones are for rich people in if and as insurance policies."
Jason Mantzoukas adds to the analogy:
Jason Mantzoukas [03:34]: "Yeah. Like an organ farm or something like that."
The hosts explore the motivations behind the cloning, discussing whether the clones are aware of their purpose from the outset or if they gain consciousness over time.
Jason Mantzoukas [06:06]: "This is from the clone POV."
June Diane Raphael [06:40]: "It was nice at this point to dive into the clone experience from the jump."
They debate the evolution of clones in cinema, noting a shift from being mere supporting characters to protagonists with their own narratives.
A significant portion of the discussion focuses on the film's action-packed sequences, characteristic of Michael Bay’s directing style. The hosts humorously critique the plausibility of the nonstop running and high-stakes action:
Jason Mantzoukas [10:24]: "Movie should have been basically called running, jumping, climbing indoors."
Paul Scheer [11:41]: "They are always running."
They highlight specific scenes, such as the intense cliff-hanging moments, questioning their realism yet acknowledging their entertainment value.
The conversation shifts to the film's special effects and production choices, with a nod to the technical aspects that define Michael Bay's signature aesthetic:
Paul Scheer [30:25]: "I think Michael Bay is known for doing more action stuff."
Jason Mantzoukas [31:09]: "Like, there's so many Star Wars things in this movie."
They also touch upon the reuse of certain shots in other films, emphasizing Bay's resourcefulness and stylistic consistency.
Beyond the spectacle, the hosts delve into the movie's deeper themes, such as the ethical implications of cloning and what it means to be human. They ponder the consciousness of clones and the moral dilemmas presented:
Jason Mantzoukas [67:34]: "Do we think clones have souls?"
Paul Scheer [30:41]: "Are they testing on animals? That's what I was thinking about..."
The episode features a segment where the hosts read and react to various audience reviews of the film. They highlight the diverse interpretations and the fervent support from certain viewers, despite the film's controversial reception:
Paul Scheer [61:04]: "Anthony T. Tolentino writes, we bought this movie on recommendation from a military whistleblower..."
Jason Mantzoukas [67:56]: "A lot of conspiracy theorists love this movie."
Wrapping up their analysis, the hosts share their personal takes on The Island. While acknowledging its flaws—particularly the excessive action sequences—they find value in its thematic exploration and entertainable moments:
Jason Mantzoukas [69:34]: "Yes, I would, but it is like you said earlier, it's 2 hours and 15 minutes long."
June Diane Raphael [70:38]: "I did not mind this movie as they go..."
Paul Scheer teases future projects inspired by the film, hinting at an HBO Max series exploring clone narratives with a comedic twist.
In their finale, the hosts summarize their mixed but overall positive stance on The Island. They encourage listeners to watch the film for its entertaining action and thought-provoking themes, despite its narrative and pacing issues.
Jason Mantzoukas [71:22]: "The movie is available to watch and if you choose to watch it, you can watch it."
June Diane Raphael [71:20]: "You are able to view it with your eyes."
Paul Scheer [03:12]:
"We did the 2005 Michael Bay film The Island... clones who are insurance policies for rich people that are using their bodies to harvest different organs..."
June Diane Raphael [03:26]:
"Wait a second, Paul, say that last part again. The clones are for rich people in if and as insurance policies."
Jason Mantzoukas [06:06]:
"This is from the clone POV."
Jason Mantzoukas [67:34]:
"Do we think clones have souls?"
Paul Scheer [61:04]:
"Anthony T. Tolentino writes, we bought this movie on recommendation from a military whistleblower..."
Jason Mantzoukas [69:34]:
"Yes, I would, but it is like you said earlier, it's 2 hours and 15 minutes long."
Complexity of Cloning Ethics:
The hosts appreciate the movie for bringing up significant ethical questions regarding cloning, organ donation, and what constitutes humanity.
Michael Bay’s Signature Style:
The Island embodies Michael Bay’s penchant for high-octane action and special effects, which the hosts both critique and commend for their entertainment value.
Character Development:
The evolution of clones from background figures to central characters offers a fresh take in the cloning genre, prompting discussions about consciousness and identity.
Mixed Reviews and Interpretations:
Audience reactions vary widely, with some viewers finding profound meaning while others criticize the film's pacing and narrative choices.
Future Creative Endeavors:
Inspired by the film, the hosts hint at developing their own projects that explore similar themes with a comedic lens.
"Matinee Monday: The Island" provides a thorough and humorous exploration of a film that straddles the line between thought-provoking science fiction and over-the-top action. The hosts' dynamic discussion offers listeners both insights into the movie's themes and a lighthearted critique of its execution, making it a valuable resource for fans of "bad movies" who seek both entertainment and analysis.