Under The Cherry Moon (HDTGM Matinee)

Summary

How Did This Get Made? - Episode: Under The Cherry Moon (HDTGM Matinee)
Release Date: March 25, 2025

Hosts: Paul Scheer, June Diane Raphael, Jason Mantzoukas
Guest: Avril Halley

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Introduction to "Under The Cherry Moon"

In this matinee episode of How Did This Get Made?, hosts Paul Scheer, June Diane Raphael, and Jason Mantzoukas dive into the peculiar and flamboyant world of Prince's film, "Under The Cherry Moon." Released in March 2025, the episode dissects the film's unique blend of comedy, drama, and musical elements, exploring why this avant-garde project has garnered a cult following despite its initial mixed reception.

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Hosts' Initial Impressions

Paul Scheer opens the discussion with enthusiasm, highlighting the film as a follow-up to Prince's iconic "Purple Rain." He notes, "This is the most Prince film you could possibly ever imagine," expressing his eagerness to analyze its bizarre yet heartfelt narrative.

Jason Mantzoukas echoes Paul's excitement, admitting his obsession with the movie: “This is without a doubt the most notes I've ever taken on a How Did This Get Made? movie... I'm obsessed with this movie.”

June Diane Raphael adds her perspective, balancing admiration with criticism: "I loved it so much and I just enjoyed the hell out of it," yet acknowledges its flaws by agreeing, "With the slight caveat that it's terrible."

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Analyzing Prince's Performance

A significant portion of the episode focuses on Prince's multifaceted performance. Jason praises Prince's charisma, stating, "Prince is one of my top 10 music icons... he is a once in a generation genius." However, he also critiques his on-screen sexuality portrayal: “The sex scene... just cuts between them awkwardly kissing... that's the sex scene.”

June delves deeper into Prince's real-life persona, connecting his on-screen antics to his off-screen generosity and complex character traits. She reflects, "Prince has been an anonymous donor for so many different... he just went the distance for them in ways that... they themselves felt blown away by."

Paul adds to the appreciation, likening Prince to a blend of Bill Murray and Pee Wee Herman: "He is achieved an element of Taming the Shrew in here, which she's never much of the shrew... he can excel in all of them."

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Stylistic Choices: Black and White & Camera Movements

The trio scrutinizes the film’s stylistic decisions, particularly its black-and-white cinematography and dynamic camera movements. Jason notes, “If you took out the legitimately incredible music that runs throughout this movie, the movie would suddenly seem to be... startlingly bizarre.”

Paul critiques the camera work, likening it to having "five cameras in front of me" and comments on its disorienting effect: “The camera movement is like the scene... like, the camera goes, ba, ba, ba, ba.”

June highlights the excessive neon props, saying, “She has on a giant hat, a turtleneck, lace dress, gloves, a long lace dress, stockings... it's like, there's so much active neon.”

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Plot and Character Dynamics

The episode delves into the convoluted plot and character relationships within the movie. Jason expresses confusion over the evolving relationship between Prince and his associate, Tricky: “Are Prince and Tricky still trying to con Mary out of her money? Or are they now really falling in love?”

Paul compares the narrative to Casablanca, contemplating the lack of coherent storytelling: “This movie takes place in present day. It has no reason to be black and white... I want to see these fucking outfits.”

June discusses the complex dynamics between the characters, especially the ambiguous romantic tensions: “They are a gay couple, but then at times they appear bisexual.”

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Themes and Symbolism

The hosts explore the underlying themes and symbolic elements of the film. Jason interprets Prince's character as a rascally entalter merging film noir with screwball comedy: “He's the femme fatale in a film noir... ping ponging between those two things.”

Paul draws parallels between Prince's personal life and his on-screen character, emphasizing his control and creative ambitions: “He poured so much creative energy into it that it becomes confusing and kind of a victim of... you can't keep piling stuff on.”

June connects the film’s narrative to broader cultural contexts, noting Prince's role as a progressive figure in music and performance arts: “Prince was able to contain multitudes of sexuality and gender and just performance and brilliance.”

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Audience Reception and Second Opinions

Highlighting divergent views, the hosts read and discuss five-star reviews from Amazon, showcasing the film's polarized reception. Paul cites Peter Sobinski’s praise: "Cherry Moon is a better film than Purple Rain," emphasizing its status among hardcore Prince fans.

Jason shares a humorous anecdote about audience members misunderstanding scenes: “I loved Kristen Scott... They were always acting like monsters in front of people.”

June acknowledges the mixed reviews but stands by her recommendation: “I really enjoyed this. I found it to be delightful and strange and interesting and watchable.”

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Conclusion and Recommendations

Wrapping up, the hosts unanimously recommend watching "Under The Cherry Moon," despite its chaotic narrative and stylistic excesses. Paul summarizes, “It's a good movie. Don't believe the haters... it's really for the hardcore Prince fans.”

Jason adds, “Prince is so mischievous in general... he allows himself to be put into positions that so many other actors would never let themselves be portrayed that way.”

June concludes with an endorsement of Prince's unique artistry: “Prince has a real worldliness to him, but there is something still childlike in his mischievousness... it's something to behold.”

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Notable Quotes

• Paul Scheer (05:40): “This Prince is a little rascal. He's starting trouble. Half of the movie is noir... Half of the movie is a screwball comedy.”

• Jason Mantzoukas (09:07): “Prince, for me, is one of my top 10 music icons... he is a once in a generation genius.”

• June Diane Raphael (07:57): “I connect it, like, very deeply to losing Prince, losing Bowie... losing the men who were able to contain multitudes of sexuality and gender and just performance and brilliance.”

• Paul Scheer (12:15): “Prince is such a charlatan, you know? Half of the movie is a homage to Preston Sturges or like Girl Friday or Bringing Up Baby, basically.”

• Jason Mantzoukas (21:03): “The kissing was weird. It felt like, really. Because that's the thing... it's like there's some real ugliness to it.”

• June Diane Raphael (41:26): “There are some moments that really land... like a scene between Mary and her mother... it's a crazy moment of you realize, like, oh, this mother's also been in the same trap that Mary's been in.”

• Paul Scheer (64:00): “You could have the same sex. Like this man is irritated by Prince... It's the same relationship.”

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Final Thoughts

How Did This Get Made? successfully navigates the eccentricities of "Under The Cherry Moon," balancing humorous critiques with genuine admiration for Prince's ambitious endeavors. The hosts acknowledge the film's shortcomings while celebrating its bold creativity, making it a must-listen for fans of cult cinema and Prince's artistic legacy.

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Disclaimer: This summary omits advertisements, intros, outros, and non-content sections as per the podcast guidelines.

Transcript

[Paul Scheer]

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[Jason Mantzoukas]

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[Paul Scheer]

With limited time savings on the supplies pros need. Get up to 40% off select major appliances plus save an additional $100 on every $1,000 you spend on select major appl. And don't miss your chance to activate and earn three times the points on select DeWalt and Klein tools Lowes. We help you save valid the 328 selection varies by location while supplies last. See associate or lowe's.com for more details on qualifying items. Hey audiophiles, just a quick note that when taking out her card that she recorded the episode on June misplaced it. She lost the card that recorded her audio from her great microphone and we are abusing her zoom audio only. So if you hear any imperfections, it is not for any other reason than the amazing wizard of audio. Producer engineer extraordinaire. Devin has gone to great lengths to fix it the best way that he can. But that is why we have a slight issue this week. I think it sounds actually pretty good, but I wanted to give a warning so I didn't get a million tweets telling me, hey, did you know and why? And I got it. We know Devin fixed it and without him we would be nowhere. So thank you Devin and enjoy money, power, sex, sequins, large jackets, flowery blouses, taco meat and prints we saw under the cheery moon. So you know what that means.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Now it's time for how to discover. We're gonna have a good time celebrating failure, not just be a hater catching anyone that habitats remain. Let's wallow in the mediocrity of subpar art. Perhaps we'll find the answ to the question how did this get made?

[Paul Scheer]

Hello people of Earth, and welcome to how did this get Made I am Tall John Shear and boy oh boy, we have been on a run of movies that I have been absolutely loving. This is the follow up to Purple Rain and it is the most Prince film you could possibly ever imagine. I can't wait to talk about it. Did not know until this movie started that the female lead was Kristen Scott Thomas, which is great. And the bad guy from Beverly Hills Cop. All I can say about this plot is Prince is a gigolo and he falls in love and as the beginning of the movie states, that leads to his death. But we'll talk about all this and more. But first, let me introduce my co host. Please welcome Mr. Jason Manzoukas. How are you, Jason?

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Paul. I mean, I'm thrilled to be here. This is. I almost said this before the things the podcast started, but I'm going to say it now. This is without a doubt the most notes I've ever taken on a. How did this get made movie? Like every single, every single scene, every single outfit, every single line of dialog, every single music cue, every single camera move I had notes on, I was consume. I'm obsessed with this movie.

[Paul Scheer]

I am too. I felt like I was transcribing the film. That's how much I was writing.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

And I don't even. I felt like I had taken drugs. I was like. The movie was making me feel like, like, like I was in a fever dream. It was. I'm so excited we got to talk.

[Paul Scheer]

About it and I don't even want to delay at all our conversation. So that's why I'll bring in our next co host. Please welcome June Diane Rayfield. How are you, June?

[June Diane Raphael]

Hi, Paul. I'm okay. How are you?

[Paul Scheer]

I'm doing well. I'm so glad to speak to you, June. Thoughts about under the Cherry Moon?

[June Diane Raphael]

You know, it's funny, Jason, because I actually didn't write down much because I loved this movie.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Yes.

[June Diane Raphael]

I loved it so much and I just enjoyed the hell out of it.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I can't agree with you more. With the slight caveat that it's terrible.

[Paul Scheer]

Yes.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I mean, I'm holding both of these things in my hands as both true. I.

[June Diane Raphael]

Yes, this is a both end situation. And it's not an either or.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Exactly.

[Paul Scheer]

It is a movie made by a genius. Right. And it is so uniquely bizarre, but so heartfelt.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I said to June and holy Prince. It's so. It's like the movie in microcosm is like Prince's music career. It's, there's, it's, it's, it's pure genius, but there's too much of it.

[Paul Scheer]

I mean, to me, I wrote down, this is the Prince easiest of Prince movies ever. I mean, you couldn't you. This is him. I also just want to start off with a couple of broad stroke questions just to put us.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Sure.

[Paul Scheer]

In a conversation about Prince. Right.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Yes.

[Paul Scheer]

First of all, this Prince is not the Prince that I'm used to. Right. Like, he has something very different. I think I've gotten so locked into the Fred Armisen version of the very whispery Cocaine or the Chappelle.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Yes. Charlie Murphy stories.

[Paul Scheer]

Yeah. And this Prince is. I mean, he's not that. I mean, he has got so many things.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Here's what's interesting. This is, I feel like the version of Prince that is in some of those stories, which is. And also, if you want great Prince stories, Mike Judge does a great show on Showtime called Tales from the Tour Bus. And it's People Talk. It's a documentary series where people tell stories about the first season about country music, and the second season is all about funk. And almost everybody tells Prince stories. Bootsy Collins, James Brown, all these people. Everybody tells Prince stories. Anyway, the thing about Prince that seems to be united throughout all of these things is that he's a fucking rascal, you know? And in this movie, Prince is a little rascal. He's like. He's, like, starting trouble. He's winding people up. He's like. Half of the movie is a noir in which Prince is the femme fatale, weirdly. And half of the movie. Half of the movie is a screwball comedy, is like a. An homage to Preston Sturges or. Or the, like, his Girl Friday type of screw, you know, or, you know, like, Bringing Up Baby, basically.

[Paul Scheer]

Oh, and by the way, so Prince directed this by, you know, so this is it, really. No one is filtering him. But, Jun, I mean, what did you think about Prince? Like, what. Like, what was your coming into this?

[June Diane Raphael]

I mean. Yeah, I also. Well, so the only. I haven't heard all these Prince stories. I love Prince.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Love.

[June Diane Raphael]

You know, And I think about, like, as the election approaches, I've been thinking about him a lot, and the time when, like, Prince died, David Bowie died. And I remember someone tweeting, it's a bad sign when all of the aliens start leaving the planet. And me, I really do think about it as, like, that's kind of when everything started to fall apart.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Yeah.

[June Diane Raphael]

And I connect it, like, very deeply to losing Prince, losing Bowie, like, losing the men who were able to contain multitudes of sexuality and gender and just performance and brilliance.

[Paul Scheer]

Thank God we got Dennis Rodman still here.

[June Diane Raphael]

Thank God.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

But it felt like protect Rodman.

[June Diane Raphael]

It felt like all of these special men were leaving us and leaving us to Donald Trump. And so that's sort of like my. Overall, I was really excited to sit down with Princess and be with him, but it was. I have known. The only story, the personal story I've known about Prince has been from when he guest starred on New Girl.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Yes. Yeah, I think we all know this. Yes.

[Paul Scheer]

Wait, I don't know this. I don't know this.

[June Diane Raphael]

I just know him as having been a rascal on that set. Having been like the Prince that we saw in this film. That behavior was, I think, displayed on this set of New Girls. So I was very aware of that. But it's certainly. I've never seen Purple Rain, so I'm.

[Paul Scheer]

Also behind, by the way, I have to admit, I haven't seen it either. I've seen bits of it, and I was blown away.

[June Diane Raphael]

Just like I've seen it, but I have. I actually haven't.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

It's a better. It's a better movie. Obviously, it's a better movie because this. To me, this is like. Because Prince is in control of under the Cherry Moon. This is like really a tone.

[June Diane Raphael]

Yeah.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

You know, it is not a movie. It's. It is a. It is a rambling series of lightly connected scenes that have a slightly. If you took out. Here's what I'll say. If you took out the legitimately incredible music that runs throughout this movie, the movie would suddenly seem to be. That is. What's that is? What's that Is the thread that ties this, that keeps this movie held together. If you took it out, the movie would seem startlingly bizarre. I think it's kind of crazy.

[June Diane Raphael]

Yeah. Prince was anything. If we were watching this without knowing Prince was Prince, if we were just watching this, like, oh, this is an actor playing this part, not watching it, knowing who this man is and what, you know, all of his albums, whatever, what he's produced, what he produced in his lifetime, it would be the strangest experience.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Can I. Can I make an insane claim?

[Paul Scheer]

Yeah.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

And I want to be very. I want to be very clear right now. Prince, for me, is one of my top 10 music icons. Like, he's in the pantheon. He is an icon. Like, I think Prince is a, like, once in a generation genius. It is unparalleled what he's done in music. If Prince only made this movie and we had only that to go on we would consider it in the same category as the Room. Like, instead of. Instead of saying things like, hi, you know, hi, Mark. Hi. We would be going, garcon, garcon. We would be doing that impression. Like, it's.

[June Diane Raphael]

Yeah.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

It is a scandal. It's careening it. The fact that it is a movie that takes place in France. Half of the people are speaking English. Half of the people who speak in English write in French. Half of the people are speaking in French and don't understand English. I don't understand.

[June Diane Raphael]

And there are a lot of English. British accents as well.

[Paul Scheer]

Well, I mean, there's so much going on here. I want to just. I wanna go back to one thing that you said, Jason, about. About it being like Tommy Wiseau. I have a big belief that Tommy Wiseau is. Is like a Spielberg or a prince without the talent. So all the same things are there. It. This doesn't coalesce the same way. Like. Right.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

It's like, oh, yeah. They both. Under the cherry moon and the room are both, without a doubt, the true vision of the creator on film. Like, nobody interceded. And as a result, we get this. And I mean.

[Paul Scheer]

And just to talk a little bit about the French and the mixing of accents, one of my favorite moments. Oh, my God. Was when you see him walk through the courtyard with these kids. He takes their soccer ball, bounces it like a basketball. I'm fine with that. But when he goes to the flower stand and he goes up to the woman and he's like, what do you want? And the woman says, oh, I don't know. It's so hard for me to decide. By the way, it's a French market. She's speaking English. Fine. But then you think he's going to interpret for her, like, oh, you can't describe what you want. I'll do it for you. And then she says, I don't know which one I want. And then he just turns to the French salesperson and goes, like, doesn't.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

And walks away.

[Paul Scheer]

Doesn't say, dang. Walks away, but doesn't even attempt French. He just goes. It's like. This is beyond. Like, he's.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

It is. He's one of the most. He's one of the most charismatic screen presences in any way, shape and form. He is electric to watch. Right. But over and over and over again, I was shocked when I was looking at it and being like, I'm not sure he knows how to kiss.

[June Diane Raphael]

Well.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

The kissing was weird.

[June Diane Raphael]

It was very weird. I think all of the sort of Passion was weird. And.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Oh, yeah.

[June Diane Raphael]

You know, all of the. All of the performance of passion was so odd. And that was. For me, that was the only disappointment of seeing Prince in these, like, passionate scenes. And it feeling so very wrong.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Yeah, it feeling like, really. Because that's the. I'll be honest, that is the thing that's. That shocked me about this because I. I think of Prince as such a. Prince's, you know, curated Persona was raw sexuality. You know, the, The. The. The. The ass cheeks of his pants cut out on the. Whatever it was, the MTV Awards or whatever that was, or just the overt sexuality. Like one of the first people who is making overtly sexual music that is for a mainstream audience. Like, truly, like Darling Nikki, like songs that are about sex that are. That are played on the radio. Like, wasn't he.

[June Diane Raphael]

Isn't that why, like, parental guidelines were put on records?

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I think that's one of the reasons. Yes.

[June Diane Raphael]

Yeah. Specifically because of his records.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

So. For the fact that, like, the. The sex scene between he and Kristen Scott Thomas, their sex scene in the grotto, or whatever it's called.

[Paul Scheer]

Oh, my God.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

It just cuts between them awkwardly kissing candles, fingers entwined. Candles, fingers entwined, awkwardly kissing. That's the sex scene.

[Paul Scheer]

But when. But when. The best shot of that. And again, the Prince. Iest of Prince shots is. Is the camera lingers on Kristen Scott Thomas hand and then is superimposed in her hand is the two of them, like, having sex. Like the hand. I mean, it's a beautiful. It's an insane shot. I love it. But I do feel that while he doesn't know how to kiss, he's got sex appeal. And I would argue that the relationship, or the sexual relationship between. Between Tricky and Christopher Tracy, that's.

[June Diane Raphael]

They have their chemistry now.

[Paul Scheer]

Their chemistry.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I could talk about this relationship for hours. I was. See.

[June Diane Raphael]

But here's the thing. And that's why I don't think, Jason, that this is. This could be the room if we didn't know who Prince was. Because there's something about this movie and the relationships and what they're going for. Like, this movie is realized and fully itself and living out loud. And it is millennial in its sense of taking up space and feeling entitled to itself. And I appreciate that about it. And I do think that they are creating these relationships on screen that are confusing, that I've never seen before, that are fascinating to watch.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

What was very interesting to me was. And I think, again, I do. Prince is a genius. And there is a lot of attempts at Genius within this. Because Prince inside of this movie is using a lot of the tropes and archetypal relationships that exist in film noir and that exist in screwball comedy. He's kind of, you know, ping ponging between those two things over and over and over again. And as a result, a lot of the fluidity and a lot of the relationships are, are, are, are upending versions of those relationships. Like Prince treats himself like the femme fatale in a film noir.

[Paul Scheer]

Yes.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

The shots linger on Prince. They don't linger on the women in the movie. They linger on Prince. Like the first shot is a. Like the first shot is of Prince lying down. It like the camera, like slowly pans up, focusing on his ass, moving up his body. Like the camera drinks in Prince in this fascinating way.

[Paul Scheer]

Oh, yeah.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

And the, the, the refusal to define he and Tricky's relationship in a way that is. They are these male gigolos who are hustling women. They are American. I'm correct, right? They are American.

[Paul Scheer]

They're American giggles.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Hustling women in, In France, right?

[Paul Scheer]

Yes. I thought this movie was going to be more of a Casablanca in the beginning. Like, it felt like he was going to be our Rick, but he is. Doesn't own a club. He kind of just jumps around from club to club playing piano. Because I don't even think that club in the daytime where they're dancing is the same club that he was at at night in the beginning of the film where he's getting too many notes. I mean, how many notes are being written in that first scene?

[Jason Mantzoukas]

The notes was making me laugh so hard because I also was like, before the notes start arriving, before we understand the story.

[Paul Scheer]

Yes.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

So I'm like, why is he getting all these romance notes from this guy back here? Yeah.

[Paul Scheer]

It's like they are trying to set up so much and it's like, do it. The eyes. The rent is due. Here's my other point. The beginning of the movie looks like it's going to be in the past. I believe, again, I'm putting this Casablanca element to it. Old school Hollywood. This movie takes place in present day. It is not. And it has no reason to be black and white. And I would argue it should never have been black and white. Because I want to see these fucking outfits.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I want to see what these people look like. They keep referring to colors. Like, they keep, they keep. Should I wear the blue or the gold? You know, like, there's a lot of stuff in the movie that is color specific. And there is something also there's something about. Because, you know, Prince is such a. You know, Prince is synonymous with the color purple. You know, you know, the. The color purple, not the color purple. You know, so color is such a specific thing that he has chosen to. To kind of live inside of and choose to represent himself with this, you know, this single color for so many years. So it was so odd that he chose black and white. But I was like, this is an homage. This is his attempt to live inside of those movies.

[Paul Scheer]

Right. But I think what he made the mistake of is, like, he didn't play into the noir. Like he. He basically agreed Prince is Prince should be seen in color like that. Like that. If anything I know about Prince, it's like you need to see him. And I wanted to see more of him. And I actually think it dulls the movie in a way because it is kind of beautifully shot. Well. And the camera is insane. It's not beautifully shot.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

The camera is moving. Was making me nauseous at times.

[Paul Scheer]

The camera movement is like the scene.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Where the camera is just revolving 360 around the restaurant was. I legitimately had to pause it because I got nauseous. It's like I was like the mood. The camera movement is too fast.

[Paul Scheer]

It's too fast. And at points it feels like. I don't know how to describe it more than if I was in a control room and I had five cameras in front of me and I'm taping a live event and I go. And I'm saying, camera three, run in and get me a close up. And you wouldn't hit that close up button until camera three got into position. But this movie hits the button as it gets into position. Like you're watching the camera go, ba, ba, ba, ba.

[June Diane Raphael]

This is wild. There's also. There's moves that make no sense. Like that big when they do that big, like circling around the restaurant over and over. And I guess to show like all these relationships that aren't working. And it's right before they reveal when Kristen Scott Thomas comes into the restaurant and it just doesn't pay up. And we're swinging around and around that restaurant a number of. For something that she just walks in at the end.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Oh, yeah. No, there's. There's tons of wasted time. I felt like that scene, they wanted to have the effect of like one of those rotating bars.

[June Diane Raphael]

Yeah.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

But they were like, we can't do that. So instead, why don't we just move the camera, you know, and I. And we'll have all of these. We'll have insights into, you know, there's a couple kissing and then the next time they come around, she's slapping him in the face. And the next time they come around, they're kissing again. You know, like all of this human drama is going on, but it's not significant to the movie or the plot or anything like that. It's just a matter of their placeholders for then actors to walk in and do the scene. It's a very bizarre when the opening scene when. When Christopher Prince is playing piano in the piano bar and the lady in white walks in and he does like a Lenny and squiggy like vert level biting of his palm or, you know, like. Like she's so beautiful. And then he has to like, she catches him looking and his look is like. He's also doing like Buster Keaton level comedy. He's also doing physical comedy. That is silent movie era Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin style comedy.

[Paul Scheer]

By the way, you're being very kind to say that. I mean, how would you describe the moment where they see bats?

[Jason Mantzoukas]

It's unbelievable.

[June Diane Raphael]

Why were their bats in there?

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Why. Why were there bats in there?

[Paul Scheer]

And it's. And it's like. It to me is not even a moment that you need a joke. It's like a serious conversation. Like, oh, bats. And they go.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

But that's what I mean. Like, there are jokes in here that, like, when. Okay, so like right afterwards when, like when the lady in white wakes up and Christopher has been in her bed and he leaves her a note and the note has like a big smiley face on it. I was like, this is. Because it's not. It's like a. It's a bit of like romantic script, but then a big giant smiley face, weird childlike smiley face.

[Paul Scheer]

I thought that whole thing felt like a first grader wrote it. I was like, you would never want to call this man for another sex night after this.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

But I felt like that's. These are Prince jokes. These are jokes that Prince thinks are funny. There's no way he thinks this is what a real. The real. A real. This is a real sexy note to leave behind. I think he's like, hey, wouldn't it be funny if we did this? You know?

[Paul Scheer]

But you see, I think Prince gets away with weird chip because even in the beginning of the movie when he's at the piano, he's getting upset. He goes to drink, to slug back a drink, but the drink that he slugs back has like sugar on the rim and an umbrella in it. Like he is like, it is, like, to me, it's like Prince is like, oh, yeah. I want to have that moment where, like, I slammed back a martini, but I don't drink martinis. I drink, like, this, like, Long Island Iced Tea.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Yeah, Like.

[Paul Scheer]

Yeah.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Or like the scene when Tricky and Princess are in their apartment building and Tricky and the. The. Is it Katie, who's the woman, who's the landlord, have just had sex and they're arguing about the fact that Tricky and Prince owe her rent. And. And Tricky goes, oh, he's gonna give you the Bella Lugosi look. And then it just comes deep, like, rack. Full focus, hard, close up on Prince with like. Like, creepy theremin music playing in the background while he does big, broad faces at her and she appears to be scared.

[June Diane Raphael]

I didn't like that, by the way.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

What is this movie's tone?

[June Diane Raphael]

Well, and then I couldn't quite understand what was hap. What was happening there. Were they threatening to rape her?

[Paul Scheer]

Well, she already just had sex with Tricky.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Sex with Tricky.

[June Diane Raphael]

Well, that doesn't mean she still can't be.

[Paul Scheer]

Of course.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

No, no, no. I'm more mean, like, I don't think it was like, I think sex is possible. Yes. You know, but they are.

[Paul Scheer]

But you're right, they are kind of like they are approaching her in a way, but it's like. But here again, is. I go. And this is. I have a bigger thought that I want to share with you. But this is what, to Jason's point, like, this is Princess having fun. Like, I'm Bela Lugosi, so I'm gonna go suck your blood. Like, I feel like that's what he was going for. Like, I'm a vampire, or.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I couldn't tell if it was like, this is how they kind of, like, play around. If this is like. Like, because they're so. They are. Tricky and Christopher are. Have, like, the most intimate relationship in. In a way that I was like. I feel like the. The movie is telling us, you know, in, you know, not so coded language that they are a gay couple, but then at times they appear bisexual.

[Paul Scheer]

Definitely.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Yeah. Or. Or. Or have had a relationship with each other, I guess is what I mean. But. But that. That. That it also. Both of them, like, they're falling out is because they have both fallen in love with Mary. I couldn't.

[June Diane Raphael]

I couldn't quite understand.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I couldn't either.

[June Diane Raphael]

I really didn't know if Tricky did genuinely have feelings for Mary. It seemed. Seemed like he did.

[Paul Scheer]

I think he had feelings because when Prince said, you take Care of the money, I take care of the panties or whatever that line is. Drawers. He was like, oh, yeah, drawers, like that.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Please don't say panties, Paul.

[Paul Scheer]

Sorry. I mean, by the way, I don't say. But I thought that, that maybe that's what Christopher Tracy said that I thought that he was like, it was like a challenge because he did, like he did wait outside for him while they were going to have sex in the room. Like, he did protect him multiple times. Like Tricky, like, it felt like a, like it was like a competition between them, but also like she was their toy.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

What I couldn't figure out was to me, PR and, and I, I think now I might be wrong. What, what the movie seemed to me to be setting up was that Tricky was Prince's kind of not quite pimp, but like the guy that handled the money. The guy, like when Tricky was sending him the notes about the lady in White, I was like, oh, he's the guy who sets.

[June Diane Raphael]

Who's the go between, sends the ladies.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Over, who gets the go between, between the women and the, the, the, the gigolo, you know, and that was their relationship. So then later to find out that Tricky himself is also a gigolo. I was like, oh, I'm confused a little bit. I mean, I'm confused a lot. But in, in this regard, I was like, why, why, why does he have feelings for Mary? Isn't it his goal to just facilitate Christopher and Mary getting together?

[June Diane Raphael]

Well, I know he will. I know he financially stands to make some money if Christopher and Mary get together. I think, I think ultimately we were telling the story of him just being scared of losing his friend.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Yes.

[June Diane Raphael]

You know a friend who I believe.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

He'S in the bath with.

[June Diane Raphael]

Yeah, exactly.

[Paul Scheer]

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[June Diane Raphael]

Did anyone else struggle with telling the difference between mary's mom and Mrs. Wellington?

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Yes.

[Paul Scheer]

I had a hard time. You made fun of me, June, when I said that because I was confused and I was like, I don't remember.

[June Diane Raphael]

Making fun of it.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Wow. Oh, boy.

[Paul Scheer]

No, I was like. I was like, wait, is that the mom? Because it was. They are. They almost dress Alike. They look alike.

[June Diane Raphael]

Exactly alike.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Oh, yes. Well, and I think that is kind of not necessarily intentional, but, like, they're basically saying, like, they're. I feel like they're doing, like, his. Traditionally, what he does is he sleeps with older women.

[Paul Scheer]

Right.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

You know, like, he's the young guy who sleeps with older women, like, for money.

[Paul Scheer]

Right.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

American. Like American Gigolo.

[Paul Scheer]

But it's very much like they know what they're in for. Right. Like, it's not like, because he comes back with the rent money and he has it. Like, he didn't steal it from her. She knows, like, she's going to. Like, this is a. Yeah, okay.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

No, no, no. It's. It's like American Gigolo or it's like any. Any of those.

[Paul Scheer]

I didn't know if it was more of like a sugar daddy, kind of religious, not above board.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

And what's not cool is the scene where Prince goes into the mother's room in the dark and starts starting to have sex with her, thinking it's the daughter. Like, that is 100% not cool and not above board because people do not know what's going on in that regard. So. But I think Mrs. Wellington is a stand in for the. The. The older generation. That is. That is, you know, that Kristen Scott Thomas sees as like, the parental figures, or in the case of Mrs. Wellington, the woman who's sleeping with her father.

[June Diane Raphael]

You know, but that's where I got confused. So Mrs. Wellington, Mrs. Wellington is both paying. Paying to have sex with Prince and then also sleeping with Isaac, Mary's dad, just for, like, Just for fun, or does she.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I think so. I think that. I think she is his mistress.

[June Diane Raphael]

Okay.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Wasn't that the phone call? You know what scene I loved? Yeah, the scene I loved was the duet between Prince and the answering machine when Prince sits at the piano.

[Paul Scheer]

Oh, my God.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

This is an incredible scene. It's like a literal. It's a duet that Prince is doing between himself playing the piano live and the voice of Isaac leaving a message.

[Paul Scheer]

The bad guy from Beverly Hills Cop, who. If you literally. I wish someone out there, if you have any time in this quarantine, you could take scenes from Beverly Hills Cop with this man and this movie because they're the same thing. Like this. This man is irritated by Prince and Axel Foley. Like, they are. They are the same level. He's like, who is this man? And get him out of here, Mr. Foley. Like, I literally just. You could have the same sex. Like, I. I really do believe that this Prince saw Beverly Hills Cop was like, oh, that should be our bad guy. It's the same relationship.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Yeah, but that duet, the so. So that. That guy is leaving a message for Mrs. Wellington and Prince is playing along to it and using his side of the duet to make fun of Isaac. It's this.

[Paul Scheer]

It's.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

And we haven't met Isaac yet, so it's. It's such a great scene. I love. That was where I was like, this is genius. This is Prince's. This is what is wonderful about Prince. You know who you've dialed? She's not home.

[June Diane Raphael]

Do you want to leave a message?

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Hello, beautiful. This is Isaac. Be home in the morning. Maybe not at seven. I called you five times last night.

[Paul Scheer]

Now, where were you? With me.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I hate this damn machine. Me too. Not there, are you. You aren't seeing another man by any chance?

[Paul Scheer]

Yes.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Yes. Because if you are, I'll kill him. You know? I love you, darling.

[June Diane Raphael]

See you.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Bye.

[Paul Scheer]

Bye. Well, by the way, they reprised that at the end where I laughed the hardest in the entire film was when Tricky is reading the letter from Chris Thomas and he just responds to the letter out loud like he's. He's speaking to the letter.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

And also Katie says, well, aren't you gonna give me a hug? Katie didn't read the letter. He wasn't reading it aloud to her. That was in voiceover. Katie. Are you telling me Katie can hear the voiceover of the movie?

[Paul Scheer]

Oh, wait. Can I just. Can I posit the one thing that I. I had this thought and we've talked around it a few times, but Prince is Pee Wee Herman, right? And I say this in the way where he's created a world in which he lives and all these things are normal in the Prince world. And I was like, there is something very similar about these two men that are.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I see what you mean.

[Paul Scheer]

You know what I'm saying? Like, they.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Like the bell Pearman is sexless.

[Paul Scheer]

Sure.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

And Prince is sex defined. You know what I mean?

[Paul Scheer]

But like the.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I know what you mean.

[Paul Scheer]

Like the. The way that they are neither a boy. Like, I mean, Prince at points is like a boy sometimes. He's like a real. Like, he's like a man sometimes like a woman.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

How old Prince is when this. In the movie?

[Paul Scheer]

This is a big question, because I can find that out. But here's my issue, because at one point, Kristen Scott Thomas says to him, I only date people my own age, right? And then I'm like, well, if she's.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

32, she's not 21 yet.

[Paul Scheer]

Oh, I thought she was 32.

[June Diane Raphael]

I thought so too. We misheard that, Paul.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

She's not yet 21.

[June Diane Raphael]

I was bummed because the entire time I was actually thinking, oh, wow, she's 32. For whatever reason, Paul. And I heard 32, and I was like, this is. This is. I was watching the movie thinking, wow, this is an interesting story of a woman who I think according to her family, should probably have been married earlier.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

She says at one point, you're telling me how to live my life for 21 years. So I assumed that's how old she was.

[Paul Scheer]

So Prince is 28 when this movie comes out. So, you know, give or take, like, that's the age group that he's playing. Which was interesting. Cause it is hard to tell because I do believe that even when Prince died, he looked this way. Like he had a youthful look. I did see him one time when the league went to go to a Vikings game and he was in the box next to us and we all left the box. Cause he went to every home game for the Vikings and he's a huge football fan. And to see him first of all, not be surrounded by much security at all and be dressed to the nines and walk out of the box in the middle, like where everyone is going to their cars. So is Prince. I mean, his car is waiting for him. But like, it was easy breezy Prince just walking out. And I also have a friend whose parents live next door to Prince, and Prince would like, bring them soup, like, hey, I made some soup for you. Like, and like. And crashed their 50th birthday one time. He's like, oh, I just saw her there at the party. I want to come over.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

One of the things that comes through both in those Charlie Murphy stories and in a lot of the stories that are inside again, that Tales from the Tour Bus show is Prince doing incredibly generous things for people.

[Paul Scheer]

Yeah.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

You know where Prince will that in.

[June Diane Raphael]

His death that he had been an anonymous donor for so many different.

[Paul Scheer]

Oh, I didn't know that.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Yeah.

[June Diane Raphael]

Yeah.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

You know, whether it was younger artists or whether it was just all these people, he just. He went the distance for them in ways that. That they themselves felt blown away by and surprised by.

[June Diane Raphael]

And again, like him walking out of that booth that way. Like, we all. We all should have done a better job protecting him.

[Paul Scheer]

Yeah. By the way, I will say one thing about Prince that I think is so unique in this day and time is he is a. I mean, he's an icon. Right. We can just say icon. And the fact that he lived a life that was very much like, I am a Minnesota guy. Like, I love Minnesota. That's where I'm living. And like, he seemed to have like an air about him that was unfazed by his celebrity or anything about him. Like the fact that he just went over to somebody's 50th birthday party and just hung out and had a drink. Like, I love that about him. It's very Bill Murray in a way.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

He is a true, like a. A singular once in a generation unique individual. He is, he is true. He is. Apart from everything else, he is some. He's an. He's like. He really is a. Like a once in a generation talent. You do. Like, Prince is something else. And that comes through even in his. I will say this. I will say this movie is unsuccessful and. But it's unsuccessful because he's trying to do so much. He's. He's pouring so much creative energy into it that it. It becomes confusing and kind of a victim of. You can't keep piling stuff on. Like, you can't have some like, scene that I think is incredible is the scene in the. When they go to. Is it La Papillon, like the, the restaurant where Kristen Scott Thomas says, meet me at Le Papillon tomorrow at 7. The Garcon Garcon song, right? Oh, yes, right. But what that turns into is she goes, oh, look. And suddenly people whisk away the tables and. And. And like very kind of traditional music dance like a waltz starts playing, right? And then Chris Prince and Tricky are like, let's bring some of us to this. And they take out a boombox, they put it on top of the piano and they start playing a Prince song. Immediately everybody starts going bananas. But Prince in this jumps up on the piano and sometimes sings lyrics into a microphone, sometimes does not. And just dances. Sometimes seems to be singing lyrics but without the microphone. Like, I was like, why isn't there any consistency with what this scene is telling me?

[Paul Scheer]

It was almost like a scene at a Top Secret when like Val Kilmer just turns it like into Elvis. And like, like the movie has this magical realism. But then at other points, like, then it seems incredible. Like almost too grounded. Like it really fluctuates.

[June Diane Raphael]

It's true. Because there are some scenes like I. There are some moments. And yes, the movie is insane and it's too many ideas all over the place. It's a mess. But there are some moments that are. That really land.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Oh yeah.

[June Diane Raphael]

Like in such a strange way, the scene between Mary and her mother toward the end of the movie when Mary says, and I'm gonna paraphrase, but something along the lines of, I've been hurting for so long. And her mother says, we've all been hurting for so long. And it's this crazy moment of you realize, like, oh, this mother's also been in the same trap that Mary's been in and can't get out.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Or the. The one that was. That landed for me was when Prince. And again, I don't know why he does this, but Prince and Kristen Scott Thomas have been out all night. And he calls her her father on the phone, wakes him up and starts yelling at him and is like, I kissed your daughter. She liked it. Blah, blah, blah. And if you try and keep us apart, I'm going to tell your wife everything you're up to. And he says, his wife is right next to me. He says, you think she doesn't know what I do? And I was like, oof. Like, this is, like, brutal. Like, there's just, like some. Some real ugliness to.

[June Diane Raphael]

Well, I think that must be why in that scene with the mother, if you look over the corner, you'll see the maid is witnessing it all and just wiping away tears.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Very smartly. Very smartly. Prince places. There's a lot of internal family strife in this family. They are always all yelling at each other. And very smartly, he always places staff inside the room.

[Paul Scheer]

I love that. Yes.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

So they are always acting and behaving like monsters in front of people.

[Paul Scheer]

Oh, can we just talk about this scene when the father brushes her hair?

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Yes.

[Paul Scheer]

I mean, that scene creeped me out more than any Blumhouse movie I've ever seen. First of all, it looks like he's never done that. And it was. I mean, June, it got you too, right?

[June Diane Raphael]

I mean, that was not like that one bit.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I don't know what you guys are talking about. I can't wait to have a grown daughter so I can comb her hair at night.

[Paul Scheer]

Oh, it was so like, the way he was. I think if he had some authority to doing it, I would have appreciated it. But it was tentative and too gentle for me.

[June Diane Raphael]

I was like, Paul, do you remember when we went to a. We went to get that pregnancy massage that I had to do? We might want to cut the section up, but we had to. I had to, Jason. I had to get this, like, special procedure done to try to flip Gus inside my belly because he was breech.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Got it.

[June Diane Raphael]

And so we were doing all these crazy massages and I had Paul in the room with me because I was at a male chiropractor's, and he always had to move my underwear. And I was telling Paul, like, oh, he's so rough when he does it. And it always surprises me. But then Paul was like, yeah, but do you want him to be gentle? Like, there's no.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I think that's exactly what I was gonna say.

[Paul Scheer]

You gotta get in there. Yeah.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

It's gotta be a choice.

[Paul Scheer]

Yeah.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Yeah.

[June Diane Raphael]

And that's how I felt about the hair brushing. It's like to be. There's no way you can do it that's ever gonna feel. I think I would prefer a rougher more like, I'm just trying to work through a knot type brush.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Yeah.

[Paul Scheer]

Or.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Or. Or if she was like, you know, daddy, you have to brush my hair like you do every night. Or like. Like. And he was like, I think you're too old now. You know what I mean? Like, it was just your birthday. We can't keep doing this. Like, some, you know, like. I don't know. Like, it's gotta be. There was something very also, I think because he's such a villain and he's so. He's such a bad person that you are also ascribing mal intent to every action he does.

[Paul Scheer]

I would put money on it. It was not written that way. And Prince was off camera and said, brush your hair. And he's like, what brush?

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Can we get a hairbrush?

[Paul Scheer]

Fly.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Can we fly in a hairbrush?

[Paul Scheer]

And I feel like, like, that's. That's how that scene was played. And there's so many scenes in this movie that look like first and best take. Like, there's one moment where Prince is like, like, trying to buy a car, and money's just falling on the ground. Money's being thrown up in the. Like, it just seems like, we got it. Let's move on.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

He. He throws 700,000 francs at people in a Porsche. And that is just one of many things that are purchased that day.

[June Diane Raphael]

You know what I felt watching this? Like, didn't they find. When Prince died, like, hundreds of albums and music videos. Okay? So to me, this was. This movie was like. It's all a part of. Yes, you're right. Jason, He's a genius. And he also made too much. It's just part of the process. It's like, listen, we got his music, and what we're also gonna get is this sort of. This exercise, you know?

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Well, one of the things. The reason that Prince, you know, left the Reason that Prince changed his name to that symbol was because he was trying to get out of his record contract because they would only let him release one record a year and he wanted to release three records a year because that's how much music or more because that's how much music he was recording. So. So he has hundreds of hours of. Of songs that are just sitting there.

[Paul Scheer]

I think it's in that Kevin Smith like story about him that said that he wired every room in his house to have the ability to start recording songs. So like, so he could basically hit record in any room and get like something down like bathroom, bedroom, anywhere. So he didn't want to ever be away from not being able to record.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

So he was always had a guitar on basically, you know, so that if something occurred to him, he could quickly record it.

[Paul Scheer]

So, by the way, what I want to say here is I think we all learned you don't want to take Prince to a buffet because he's going to overdo it. He really is going to. He's going to fill that plate. He's like, wait, don't put. Don't put the jello next to the steak. He wants it all. It's too many things. All the things would have been great, but too many.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Oh, it's. It really is. It's like it's left unchecked. It's. It's an overwhelming. It's. It's in. In terms of genre, in terms of tone, in terms of visuals, in terms of everything. There's no consistency. And the thing that kind of. Paul, you earlier comparing it to Pee Wee. The thing that I. That we've neglected to mention when we started talking about this was that this is a fairy tale because it starts with a narration that says once upon a time.

[Paul Scheer]

And so there was a bad boy.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

There's this intro which tells you this is a fairy tale. This is, you know, a storybook type story. So. So I think that's the get out of jail free card for why it's allowed to be. Why it's allowed to careen between tones and styles so much.

[Paul Scheer]

I mean, even. I honestly feel like he was trying to make, you know, like what you said every movie that he liked it was in black and white and it's an homage to all of it. But yet. And I think there is a story here. I mean, he, you know, he tells you at the beginning he's gonna get killed. He does get killed. But there are these moments that also feel so now. Like that moment with the recasteau like the Recasteau moment, like that to me feels like a bit that happened off set. And they're like, we're now putting that in the movie because, you know, you have Kristen Scott Thomas, who I think is not necessarily in the same world as Prince and Benton. And they are, you know. And so they do this bit with her, but it's apropos of nothing in that moment. Like he's writing it down on a piece of paper and you're like, oh, what is this reference to the grander scheme of the plot?

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Well, they're just fucking with her, right? They're really. They're just fucking with her. What on earth is that? Some new language?

[Paul Scheer]

Read it.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Read it.

[Paul Scheer]

You know what it is.

[June Diane Raphael]

It's nothing.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

You, Lillian, you know it, but you.

[Paul Scheer]

Won'T confess it because you're such a coward. It is something. Something you don't know. And you won't confess that because you're a coward.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

This is silly.

[Paul Scheer]

And you're a child. Now read it aloud so we can all hear how knowledgeable you are.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Wrecker stuff.

[Paul Scheer]

You know what it is? You don't, do you? Wrecker stow. Wrecker stow. It's nothing. It is something. Come on, read it again.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

This time, say it louder. Wrecker Stowe. Louder.

[June Diane Raphael]

Wrecker Stowe.

[Paul Scheer]

I give up. What is it? If you wanted to buy a Sam Cooke Abbey, where would you go? The record.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

That's part of their effort to say, hey, we're gonna make high society bend to us, you know, and we're gonna tease you. We're gonna play our music. We're gonna. Like. We're gonna. With you is. I think their whole thing is these rich people, them. We're gonna. We're gonna take their money, which is their kind of M.O. with all of these rich women, is to kind of get them for what they're worth, to kind of milk them for as much as they can get, essentially, which is why they're going through the. The newspaper, which apparently lists is like. The newspaper is essentially the classifieds for like, for. For women, rich women. You know, like it's straight out of.

[Paul Scheer]

A Marx Brothers movie. I mean, it really is. Like the Queen of England is coming to this hotel at 5:00 today.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Well, I guess we'll know. We know where we' you know. And then they're at the party, you know, it's. It's the Kristen Scott Thomas birthday party where she comes out in a sheet, flashes everybody her naked body, then goes and plays drums while everybody chants Along. I was like the song.

[Paul Scheer]

That's terrible. Planet Rock. Planet Rock.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

That's all it is.

[June Diane Raphael]

I gotta tell you, though, I loved Kristin Scott. I thought, wonderful love.

[Paul Scheer]

Why aren't we asking her questions about this movie? Every single interview, every time.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Every time she's being. Every time she's doing press for any single movie, they should be like, great. Now we have 100 questions about under the Cherry Moon.

[Paul Scheer]

By the way, I like their. I like their chemistry together. I felt like she. I mean, she's great. I love her. And I felt like in a weird way she played it. I'm not. In a weird way. She played it perfectly. I mean.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Oh, yeah.

[Paul Scheer]

You know, there. Like, she. She played. I don't think that she played it incredibly. Like. I think there's an element of Taming the Shrew in here, which she's never much of the shrew. Like, she doesn't. You know, which I think is actually adept in this film. Like, they don't make her just to be like that, but it's like she does something that I am as endeared to her as I am into him. Like, you know, me too.

[June Diane Raphael]

And that's. Yeah, me too. She has an energy, a life force, a. She's. She is as watchable and interesting as he is, as tricky as they're. Again, there are faces and characters in this movie that are endlessly fascinating. I couldn't. I thought she looked so beautiful. I could not. She's somebody who. I think the black and white movie served. I agree. That should have been shown in color. But Kristen Scott I don't think I've appreciated.

[Paul Scheer]

Should have been like Pleasantville.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I loved that they made her. Cause I think the traditional move would have been to make her an uptight prude that Prince needed to kind of loosen up and be like, you need to live a more carefree life. Let me pull you away from that. And instead, it was so cool that she was already rebelling against the. The prudishness of her upbringing. I loved that. You know, so that. So that it made her a worthy adversary for Prince because she could give it as well as she could take it, which I loved.

[Paul Scheer]

Yeah. I mean, you know, I think there's an idea here that. I don't know. Like, she. I mean, she's being forced into this marriage of, like, to make their family. Like. It's almost like if the. If, like, the Bezos family was marrying, like, the Gates, his family. Right? Like, that's what they're trying to set up. Like, this is A marriage of making so much money, of fortunes, and, and, and, and I do feel like we missed out on meeting that guy. We only got a phone call with him. I really want that guy. Would have been.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Yeah, that phone call where she keeps saying things to Prince off screen and he hears everything and keeps thinking she's talking to him.

[Paul Scheer]

Yeah.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Like, this is again, this is Marx Brothers. This is just straight, like, like, like dumb, like screwball comedy beats. And then the other thing that I loved was when you have a scene in Kristen Scott Thomas bedroom at night and all of her appliances, her radio, her phone, are clear plastic appliances that are filled with neon tubes. I was like, it must be impossible to sleep in this room. There's so much active neon.

[June Diane Raphael]

It was like when I go to. I can't have any lights. Like, we go to hotel rooms and there's like little alarm clocks. I have to cover them. I have a wreath.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

But if your bedside table had a neon. Literally a neon phone. A neon phone, glowing phone and radio.

[Paul Scheer]

Yeah.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Amazing.

[June Diane Raphael]

I love some of the props, though. Her father Isaac, in his home office has a giant headshot of her.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Yes. Loved that.

[Paul Scheer]

Oh, my God. It was a beautiful, like, but it was like a 1940s, like, kind of headshot. There's a place out here in Los Angeles called Fred62 where they have like all these, like, actor, like old school actor headshots on the wall. And that's what it felt like. That kind of black and white photography.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Introducing Instagram teen accounts.

[Paul Scheer]

A new way to keep your teen.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Safer as they grow.

[Paul Scheer]

Like making sure they always have their seatbelt on.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

All right, sweetie pie, buckle up.

[June Diane Raphael]

Good job.

[Paul Scheer]

Or ring the bell on their bike.

[June Diane Raphael]

Okay, kid, give it a try.

[Paul Scheer]

Nice. Or remember their elbow pads.

[June Diane Raphael]

Knees too. Okay.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Yep, There you go. New Instagram teen accounts. Automatic protections for who can contact your teen and the content they can see.

[Paul Scheer]

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[Jason Mantzoukas]

It's also. I again like it. Prince is so, Prince is just so mischievous in general, right? Playing with, with, with gender roles, playing with stuff. Like in this movie, Prince is dipped twice while dancing.

[Paul Scheer]

Oh yeah.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

He is dipped both by Tricky and Kristin Scott Thomas. I was like, I was like, I'm obsessed with this. I'm obsessed with like how he can be absolutely the most charismatic sex symbol but, but somehow be following in terms of dancing. Because they also make no effort to hide the fact that Kristen Scott Thomas is easily 4 inches taller than him.

[June Diane Raphael]

Well, that's, I mean, that's what so interesting about Prince. Like he's such a slip of a man. Like he's five.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

He's like five one.

[June Diane Raphael]

Yes. He's such a tiny, tiny man and, and wears it better than any short man I think I've ever seen.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Oh my God. Like maybe one of the most sexually compelling and sexually charismatic people of the 20th century. You know, of the second half of the 20th century. Like, like electrically sec. Like unequivocally like, do you just. Everybody agrees they want to fuck Prince, you know, and Prince was like, yeah, I know.

[Paul Scheer]

By the way, when he falls into Tricky's arms in the beginning, that's one of the best romantic scenes. Cause he's again like Prince is what Prince does in this movie. I've never seen any other actor do was to what you're saying, Jason. He allows himself to be dipped. He allows himself to Be alpha. He allows himself to be the pursuer and the person being pursued. Like, he's doing so many things. I mean, I don't know how good that is in the grand scheme of tracking a character, but I did find, like, he can excel in all of them. Like, I believed it when he. When he took control of things. I'm like, oh, yeah, I think he could fight.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

His focus is always on Prince. Prince's outfits, like, the best. Here's the best version of it, right? It's like all the kind of power dynamic stuff that's happening. Everything that's going on. When Prince gets. Goes and gets Mary, Kristen, Scott Thomas's character from the airport and they run away, right?

[Paul Scheer]

Yeah.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

And he's gonna tell her he loves her. Instead of coming clean and telling her he loves her, he gets in the backseat and puts sunglasses on and stops talking to her.

[Paul Scheer]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

It is insane. It is. And the shot he's using, right, he's using, like a. He's using a medium shot that has the car and both of them within it. She is out of focus and he is crisp. Focus. She's the one talking out of focus. He is silent and in complete focus. It's incredible. There are moments in here where he is lingering on himself in ways that are, like, so much more sexual between him and the camera, meaning us, the audience, than when he is having actual sex scenes. Right. Like, the actual sex scenes feel chaste and unerotic, but the scenes where Prince is moving or dancing or singing are so erotic as to be almost to make you blush. You know what I mean? Like, yeah, but. But they are. But they are. When it is Prince alone, you know, they are not when they are together, if that makes sense.

[June Diane Raphael]

Yes, I agree. I think that, you know. Well, I think honestly, that's also what Prince always understood about sexuality, that it was far more intriguing, the sort of performance of it and the anticipation and the, like, mating game of it than the thing itself. He's just. I don't want to actually see those sex scenes ever again. I don't want to see Prince kissing males, females, anyone, ever again. I just enjoy him just, you know, being himself in his strange, fluid sexuality. It's really. You're right, Jason. It is something to behold. It's just, you know, I've never quite seen anything like it.

[Paul Scheer]

More movies with Prince.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Yeah. You cannot take your eyes off.

[June Diane Raphael]

That's not gonna happen, Paul.

[Paul Scheer]

Well, but you know what? He had a long. He made three films, right? He made Graffiti Bridge, this and Purple Rain. I feel like he missed out on making more movies, maybe with a stronger director. Like, I would have loved to see PT Anderson, like put him in a movie or something. Like, like you have like a big director like that, like crafting an interesting performance. But I have to also imagine.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

And don't forget the new girl.

[Paul Scheer]

Oh, a new girl, yes. Sorry. But I also feel like there is something about. I thought about this watching the movie. So Purple Rain comes out. It's a giant, It's a cultural hit. The music is amazing. He's just a sight to behold. And now you're the studio exec, you've given him all this money. The dailies come in and you're like, huh, huh, huh what? Okay, how do you process this movie? What is going on in your mind? Because it is. Watching it segmented. Must have been even. I mean, they must have been freaking the fuck out.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Oh yeah. Because they must. Some scenes must be coming in, like these broad comedy looks and takes. Like Prince is doing like, like Looney Tunes level mugging at times and then at times is doing absolutely nothing. Is absolutely just like stone faced, wearing sunglasses. You know, it's like the. It is. And I'm, and I know I'm criticizing the movie a lot. I loved this movie.

[Paul Scheer]

Oh, I watched it in a second.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I loved. If you said we have to watch it again right now, I'd be like, thank God. Because there's more I want to get into. But it's not good. It's crazy.

[Paul Scheer]

I mean, this movie can be summed up in this quote. I feel like this is the level of not sense. But this is like the tone of the film. Like at one point when Jerome Benton, who plays Tricky, who was part of More Stay in the Time and involved in Janet Jackson stuff too. Like when he goes like he says, like there's some, like, he's like, I'm going to act like a man, just like Liberace. Like that to me is the movie like that. Like that. That through that lens is to which the movie is shot.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Yeah. Well, I do, I think that Prince is like, this is what I mean. Prince is so smart. He's always winking at you. He's always being like. It's always, there's always mischief going on. It's all. You can't trust any of the images that are happening. You know, there's, there's, there's subtext to everything. That is really. It really. It keeps you guessing. You really are like you. It keeps you guessing on plot points. It keeps you Guessing on character. What's going on with characters? Character, wants and. And reality. Like, there was so much during this movie where I was like, wait, are Prince and Tricky still trying to con Mary out of her money? Or are they now really falling in love? Or is just. Or is it just working? You know, is it. Is their con working? I wasn't clear.

[Paul Scheer]

You have enough scenes between the two of them where they don't discuss it in any clear detail, but yet they discuss a lot of things. I'm like, why are we not getting the real info here? Aren't. Right. Don't we need to hear what you guys are up to? Like, nope. It's like going back to the. It's going back to, like, the ocean's 11 hideout. And they never talk about the heist. It's like they're just talking about what they had for lunch. It's like, wait, wait, guys, are you gonna tell me what's happening here at the end?

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Ugh. When he's dancing on that piano. It is so good. It is he. During that sequence, he takes off and puts on his jacket four times. It's fucking incredible.

[June Diane Raphael]

I also did anyone. The final scene. Well, it's not the final, final scene, but when Mary's at the airport and she's scheduled to take her midnight flight to go see Jonathan, and it seems like all is lost. And Prince shows up. She's wearing all the clothes that are available. She's wearing all clothing. She has on a giant hat, a, like, turtleneck, lace dress, gloves, a long lace dress, stockings. I think socks on top of the stockings.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Oh, she's definitely wearing hose.

[June Diane Raphael]

She's short, wearing pantyhose. And they're like white pantyhose.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

She's wearing them in the grotto later, and I was like, wouldn't she have taken those off to have sex? I don't understand. But, yes, I agree. I thought that was. To your point earlier, Paul. That was the Casablanca moment. I feel like everybody, you know, like, he drives up as they're gonna fly away in the plane, and. And that was like, that homage to, like, that final scene in Casablanca. Yeah, she's wearing all the clothes, everybody. I thought the clothes were kind of amazing across the board because. Because they both felt like they would work. What year is this? 1986 or 6. They both work contemporaneously. Is that right? And they also work in evoking a sense of period, you know, like, it works both ways. They're not, like straight 80s fashions, but they're also not like 40s fashions. They're somehow able to do both.

[June Diane Raphael]

And they look good. I mean, I loved her dresses regardless of what time period they were. I thought they all looked. I thought she looked beautiful. And his clothing was fantastic. And even Mrs. Wellington and the mom, Mary Senior. Yeah, everybody looked great.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Yep. I agree. And I thought it. I thought a lot of the. Also the locations were beautiful. Like they shot. They did not do a good job.

[Paul Scheer]

Shooting those locations, but they got to the locations.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

But they. Where they set up and. And like the camera was oftentimes wobbly. They were not. I don't know if they had dollies or not. Like, I was like, there was stuff that I was confused. Like you.

[Paul Scheer]

They forgot to pack the dollies because they had too many outfits.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

You love this setup. But why did you let this. Why did you let this camera move?

[Paul Scheer]

By the way, his co director was the guy who directed a bunch of Janet Jackson's music videos. Like the Rhythm Nation music videos. This is like so which they have a similarity because that was in black and white as well. Obviously we had an opinion about this movie, but there are 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]

All right, so these are five star reviews pulled from Amazon. Thank you, John Lajoie for that amazing song. As always, the average rating is 4.7 out of 5 stars. So people really, really, really like this movie. As a matter of fact, there isn't much research on this film. But I will say that in 2016, Peter Sobinski, who wrote for Roger Ebert's website, said Cherry Moon is a better film than Purple Rain and has gone on to say, you know, that people wanted it to be like Purple Rain and that's why it didn't do well. So there is a lot of people who love this film and these are people who really love this film. This is Rico Suave. Probably not his real name. Most underrated film in the 80s. Let me say this. I don't see why people bashed it when it was in theaters. The only flaw to me is that it's in black and white. Other than that, this movie's funny. And we know Prince is no Steven Spielberg or George Lucas. I mean, George Lucas is not who I'd put as my number two director. Of course he's not. He's Prince and he did a decent job directing the film. But I do find Jerome Betton to be on the other side of the fence. And it goes on and on about that, but basically it ends with this. It's a good movie. Don't believe the haters. If you don't understand Prince music, then you might not like this movie. It's really for the hardcore Prince fans. So enjoy. That's five stars there. KRT writes, I love it since I saw it back in 1988, which is two years after it came out. I bought it on a VHS tape for 95 bucks. It was rare. I had to order it from overseas. I was a Prince fan. So anything you give me, I love. At the end of the movie, the poem, I had a past boyfriend spray painted on a king sized bed sheet to win me back. And it worked. As you know, the movie takes place in France. It's in black and white. It's a romance, comedy and drama. Prince plays a gold digging piano playing gigolo. Don't take it too seriously. Prince is fun to watch. Despite his size. He was a sexy motherfucker. And the title, also.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Also a Prince. A Prince song.

[Paul Scheer]

Yeah. But also like despite his size. Uh, and then, and then Teresa C. Says, this is a gift from my sister. So I really can't judge the product by the content. I don't know Prince, but I love Purple Rain. So I'm judging this by the packaging. Five stars. And then, and then this one kind of fell into the five star category. Don't know why. From Suzy Onasanaka. She writes boring. Put me to sleep. Five stars. So maybe as a sleeping aid. This is a great sleeping aid. I don't know. Jason. June, we've talked about this movie. I think we all would say we recommend you watching it. I mean, right?

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I mean, 100%.

[Paul Scheer]

Yeah. We're all across the board on this. I certainly believe that. I mean, although I think to June's point, when we were watching it, not to call you out, June, you were like, it's gotten too. It's gotten. We could end it up now. I think it does get a little bit long in the last like 20 minutes. Trim it up just a little bit. But purely fun to watch.

[June Diane Raphael]

Yeah, I agree. I thought it. I wish it, you know, but again, it's Prince. So it's gonna be long and it's gonna be.

[Paul Scheer]

Thank God it's not two and a half hours. It's only an hour and 42, which is at least good.

[June Diane Raphael]

Absolutely. But I really enjoyed this. I really just found it to be delightful and strange and interesting and watchable. And it was great to be with Prince in all of his insanity.

[Paul Scheer]

A couple of things to share with you. The cast was changed. Originally, his love interest was Susanna Melvin, who was Sister of the Revolution member Wendy Melvin, who was Prince's girlfriend at the time. She was playing Mary, but it was clear she couldn't act, and she was replaced by Kristen Scott Thomas. That was her feature debut. The movie, at the end of its run, its final domestic gross was $10 million, I imagine. I don't see how much it actually cost here, but, yeah, it seemed like it was a lot more than that, but, yeah, so this movie came and was kind of, I think, a big, big flop for him, but yet he didn't make another movie until many, many years later. But this movie was.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I mean, it's amazing how much control he had, you know, that he was able to put out a movie that was so full of so many ideas without anybody interfering, to be like, hey, let's make some trims. Let's. Let's. Let's make this add up a little more. And he was like, no, I think that's.

[Paul Scheer]

I think that's what you get when you make. You know, when you make.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

When you sign up to make a Prince movie.

[Paul Scheer]

Yeah. And when. When you're following up Purple Rain. Because Purple Rain could not be denied. I mean, that. Like. Like, I want to just look at Purple Rain's, like, box office gross, because I'm sure that. Oh, yeah, played. So purple rain made $70 million on a budget of 7.2 million. There's no budget I can find for Cherry Moon, so. But, yeah, so, you know, that's. That's huge. I mean, that movie is all profit at that point. 7. Making 70 in 1984, you know, is huge. Huge, huge. So, yeah. So I wonder if they just, like, let him run wild. And I think I appreciate somebody whose second swing is this giant.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I really, really love it, love it. And I. And I loved that. Like, it really is. It. It appears to me that Prince is having a blast.

[Paul Scheer]

He's not phoning it in at all.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

The opposite. He is, yes, engaged.

[Paul Scheer]

He loves what he's doing, and it shows, and it's infectious and it's contagious. So even when they're. They're running away from bats, even when he's doing Bela Lugosi, like, he doesn't feel embarrassed by it.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

He lets himself look silly. He lets him.

[Paul Scheer]

He.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

He lets himself be put into positions that so many other actors would never let themselves be portrayed that way. And he doesn't just do it. He does it with mischievous glee. And. And is. And is. And that is so compelling to watch. I love watching Prince be that rascal. Watching him.

[Paul Scheer]

Yes.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

In the middle of it, call her dad in the middle of the night to be like, I'm kissing your. Your daughter. I love when he's just like, like, like, poking at. Poking at structures of society, poking at, you know, people, poking at, like, all of this stuff.

[Paul Scheer]

You know, when he gets into the car in the middle of the movie when he's going to have sex with that woman again, and he's just, like, playing around in, like, a Rolls Royce. Like, he just likes the Rolls Royce. It's like, there is such. And again, back to my Pee Wee Herman thing. Like, there is a youthfulness, there's a playfulness, and there's a sexiness. Like, I can't. I don't think anyone I've ever seen on screen can hit all the beats that he has hit.

[June Diane Raphael]

I agree. That's so true.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I was going to say it to your Pee Wee Herman point, which I like, is that Pee Wee Herman has a childlike innocence to him that Prince does not. Prince has a real worldliness to him, but there is something still childlike in his mischievousness. Like, if you told me Prince and Kristen Scott Thomas in this movie are supposed to be 19 years old.

[Paul Scheer]

Yeah.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I would be like, oh, okay. They're like rebellious teenagers. This is. This is like a musical version of Rebel Without a Cause or whatever. You know? I mean, like, this is kids fucking around, you know? But it's not. It's not.

[Paul Scheer]

By the way, I'm also just realizing there's no reason why this movie isn't in the United States. Like, she's not French. He's not French. That doesn't play any part of anything besides just the location.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Correct.

[Paul Scheer]

Just to give you a couple things that we have going on right now, we're doing our first virtual live show that is happening on October 9th. You can get [e-mail] and also we have this very special charity episode that we recorded that's a culmination of a very long bit where we were sent Transformers DVDs for two years, and we recorded a special episode about Transformers 2 Revenge of the Fallen. You can only hear it now for $5. And all money goes to When We All Vote. An amazing charity doing some great work to activate voters and make sure that every vote is counted in this upcoming election. So, though they're both available on our website at HDTGM you can get all the information there along with a very special newly released Michael Bay says vote T shirt. So everything is up there. Make sure you come and see our first live show. We're gonna have a lot of fun doing it. Jason, June, anything you want to plug or anything like that?

[June Diane Raphael]

No, I'm excited for the live show. And yeah, just a reminder for everyone to check their registration, check to make sure that you can vote by mail if you want to and that you make sure your mail in ballot is going to arrive, et cetera, et cetera. And yeah, just remember to vote.

[Paul Scheer]

And by the way, I just want to tag onto that June that especially in Wisconsin. Apparently a lot of people have been purged from the voter rolls in Wisconsin. So make sure you check if you living in Wisconsin listening, that you were not purged accidentally. So I've been reading a lot about that.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I'm sorry, Paul, I just want to clarify. Are you saying that the purge is happening in Wisconsin?

[Paul Scheer]

That is exactly what I. Oh, my God. Yeah. So you. It's going to be hard for them to vote. That's why we really got to make sure you get registered. Yeah.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Holy cow. So we got to be careful, guys. We got to vote. We cannot have a purge. Well, apparently, can't let this purge.

[Paul Scheer]

You are safe from the purge if you register to vote and you actually vote. So that's what I'm saying is if you don't register to vote, you are opening yourself up to the purge and that's, you know, that's on you at this point because you have plenty of time. You have until November 3rd.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I know we're joking around, but I feel like we are teetering on the edge of the perch.

[Paul Scheer]

Oh, don't say it.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I feel I don't even want to go too far down the road with this bit.

[Paul Scheer]

Jason, what about you? Anything you want to promote?

[Jason Mantzoukas]

I don't have anything to promote. But you know what? I will. I will throw a little bit of attention to a friend of ours, Drew Droege, who's so funny and so wonderful before all this went down, had a great show off Broadway called Happy Birthday Doug, and it is now able. You are able to stream it. Oh, wow. Broadway hd. It went up last week. It's fantastic. So if you are wanting something to watch, that is a piece of theater. That's an incredible piece of theater by a very funny friend of ours. Seek it out. It's called Happy Birthday Doug. I think it's called Broadway hd.

[Paul Scheer]

Okay, great.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

And it's Drew Droghi's one man show. So that's what I'll play.

[Paul Scheer]

Great. I love it. Well, thank you so much. Thank you to Avril Halley for championing this movie. She's been on this one for a long time. A producer who picks all of our movies. She is fantastic. Thank you to Cody for pulling this thing all together. Thank you to Devin, our engineer. And thank you to Nate Kylie, who does all of our research. This week we had a miscommunication so I don't have all the research. So don't blame him. Blame me. Also Molly Reynolds for digging through finding all of our great second opinions. And July Diaz who listens through every one of our episodes and makes sure everything sounds perfect and great. I want to let you know that we will answer all questions about under the Cherry Moon next week on our mini episode. But you can give me a call at 619p a u l a s k619 Paul ask. You can talk to me about anything you want. Your life, your love, your job, any issue. I will be there to answer it. And stay tuned. We have a lot of good stuff coming up and we appreciate you listening and oh, this is important. Please remember to rate and review our show. It really helps. Apparently we don't tell people to do that enough. So if you like the show, I.

[June Diane Raphael]

Don'T think you've ever mentioned that.

[Paul Scheer]

I know I was just told to.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Do it and also even know that this exists. Where does one do that?

[Paul Scheer]

You could do it on Apple, I believe that's where on the Apple podcast app. And then also the other thing I was telling people, or I'm supposed to tell people, if you want to sign up for all of our catalog commercial free, you can go to Stitcher Premium, but use our code Bonkers. Apparently a lot of people listen to our show but have never used our code. So I'm asking you if you want to hear us. Commercial free. That's new episodes and old episodes. Use our code Bonkers Extra Premium. You can get all cool stuff. So that's all. Thank you so much everybody for listening and we'll see you next week on a mini episode. Thank you, June. Thank you, Jason. Bye for now.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

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[Paul Scheer]

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[Jason Mantzoukas]

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[Paul Scheer]

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[Jason Mantzoukas]

It out for the place you've put down roots.

[Paul Scheer]

Trust Amica Home Insurance.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Amica Empathy is our best policy. Hi, this is Steve Buscemi. You know, the actor.

[Paul Scheer]

Well, now I'm an actor and podcast host. From Piece of Work Entertainment and Campside Media in association with Olive Productions, comes Big Time, an Apple original podcast.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Each episode follows the story of one.

[June Diane Raphael]

One misfit with big dreams who isn't.

[Paul Scheer]

Afraid to bend a few rules or.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

Take a shortcut to get there.

[Paul Scheer]

Well, who steals bees?

[June Diane Raphael]

I was duped.

[Paul Scheer]

I shoot you in the leg.

[Jason Mantzoukas]

This is Big Time.

[Paul Scheer]

Follow and listen on Apple Podcasts.