Gamebox 1.0 Meets World

Summary

Pod Meets World: Gamebox 1.0 Meets World – Episode Summary Original Air Date: June 4, 2026

---

Episode Overview

In this episode, Danielle Fishel, Will Friedle, and Rider Strong reunite to recap and dissect Gamebox 1.0, a 2004 direct-to-video film starring Danielle herself. Continuing their tradition of revisiting projects outside of Boy Meets World, the trio breaks down the experience of filming this unique (and infamous) sci-fi movie, investigates its narrative, behind-the-scenes moments, and shares hilarious commentary on its low-budget effects, early 2000s sensibilities, and Danielle’s on-set memories.

They also discuss fan culture, nostalgia, and reflect on the adolescent experience of crushes—both on the show and off—before digging into the ‘so-bad-it’s-good’ delights of Gamebox 1.0.

---

Key Discussion Points

1. Opening Banter: 90s Nostalgia, TikTok, and Crushes

• 00:46 Jensen Karp, the show’s producer and Danielle’s husband, introduces a viral TikTok musing on how choosing Rider or Will as a 90s crush reflects one’s teenage personality.
  • Notable Quote: “If you had a crush on Ryder Strong or Will Friedle, you weren’t choosing a character. You were choosing your entire 90s personality.” (Jensen Karp, 02:52)
• The hosts debate the TikTok’s thesis, humorously questioning its AI-authored feel, the overblown language, and the 90s fangirl dichotomy between ‘the quiet ache’ (Rider) and ‘the spark’ (Will).
• 04:55 Will and Danielle riff on the TikTok’s tone, the mispronunciation of their names, and generational crush culture with levity.
• 10:04 The trio gets candid about on-set crushes, teenage hormones, and the constant ‘potential mate’ scanning of their youth:
  • Will admits to having a fleeting crush on Danielle “years later” (12:21), with Danielle and Rider reflecting on never reciprocating romantic feelings during their BMW years.

2. Parent Talk & Next Generation Nostalgia

• 15:39 Danielle shares an anecdote about her son Adler becoming conscious of scents and developing his own “look-maxxing” routine—perfume and tank tops included—prompting a hilarious tangent about childhood identity and style (17:19).

3. Introducing Gamebox 1.0: Recap Setup

• 18:53 Danielle sets the stage for the main event: reviewing Gamebox 1.0, directed by Scott and David Hillenbrand, whom she met during another cult comedy, Dorm Days.
• She reveals her gamer credentials—Nintendo, Tiger Woods PGA Golf, Tony Hawk, Mortal Kombat—but admits having no clue what to expect from the film’s digital effects (19:48).

4. Behind the Scenes: Making Gamebox 1.0

• 21:22-24:55 Danielle recalls being offered her role (rather than auditioning), mixed feelings on the Dorm Days experiences (including a photo shoot gone wrong), and the then-popular but technologically doomed trend of shooting whole movies on green screen.
  • "Gamebox is the original Avatar.” (Danielle, jokingly, 24:16)
• 25:00 Rider and Will recount similar experiences with cheap “early CGI” movies, noting how pervasive these risky productions were in the early 2000s.
• 25:11 The movie was shot in roughly 11 days in a green-painted warehouse. Danielle jokes about being handcuffed to a briefcase for days, wearing basically one outfit.

5. Movie Recap & Group Review

• Plot Summary (Excerpted & Commented on as They Go)
  • A haunted video game, sent in the mail, traps players in a custom VR world where dying in-game means dying in real life—a Ring meets Nightmare on Elm Street riff. References sprinkle throughout (Ring, Tron, Cronenberg).
• 33:47 – Cast & Crew
  • Synopses of who did what, including Nate Richert (Harvey from Sabrina the Teenage Witch) as Charlie, composer Ali Dee (wrote the Mario Rap!), and prolific supporting actors.

Minute-by-Minute Movie Commentary Highlights

• Script & Structure
  • “I think there’s some quality beats in here that I go, you know what? That’s actually the only way you could write this.” (Rider, 31:12)
  • Rider praises the script’s functional story arcs (“the beats are there”—32:24), linking the film’s writer Pat Casey to successes later (Sonic the Hedgehog, Violent Night).
• Visuals & Effects
  • “This movie looked like it was shot on an Etch A Sketch. Yes, yes, exactly.” (Will, 24:55)
  • The group agrees the digital effects were, and remain, laughably subpar, but sympathize with the limitations of early 2000s tech and budget (Danielle quips the budget was “about $60”—42:20).
  • “The zombies are one of the craziest things I’ve ever seen.” (Rider, 41:21)
• Horror Tropes and Logic Gaps
  • They gleefully pick apart plot holes (the meaningless “hand tied to the steering wheel” shot—47:48), unclear rules for the video game’s magic, and the undercooked social commentary on gaming.
  • “Why give him two sets of friends?” (Will, 101:02)
• Acting & On-set Stories
  • Danielle shares moments from set—running in circles for action scenes, rough-and-ready prop builds, handcuffs, non-existent CGI previews, and 18-hour days (93:01).
• Soundtrack Fun
  • Rider points out on-the-nose soundtrack lyrics (“this is not a game!”—70:55), and Danielle name-drops composer Ali Dee’s later Disney and WWE credits (39:52).
• Set Visit & Practical Details
  • Filming was grueling but minimal: one wardrobe, no stunts, minor makeup, a tiny crew, and “honey wagon” trailers (94:20).

6. Memorable Quotes and Laughs

• “I think I’ve already told you. I think this movie is know incredibly poorly directed—and mostly because of money… the decision to take advantage of special effects that were not there yet.” (Ryder, 40:32)
• “It looks like it was shot in an Etch A Sketch. It sounds like it was recorded on mashed potatoes!” (Will, 42:27)
• On the script's choices: “Would you have just recast the movie with Patrick Rena as all the characters?” (Will, 101:15)
• On philosophical layers: “So maybe the point of the game is actually to fix your life, so they do want you to win.” (Danielle, 77:51)
• On set, running in circles: “All the running—we were in not that big of a space. We were running in circles, just running in circles in different directions… And being told the graphics look great—it looks… Trust me, it’s going to look real!” (Danielle, 93:01)

7. Rewriting Bad Movies & Nostalgic “So Bad It’s Good” Vibes

• 117:34 Will pitches a Gamebox comedy redux: “We still know basically the whole cast of Game Box. You want to reshoot it, very small amount of money. We could make it one of the best comedies…” Danielle facetiously threatens to cut all talk of a reboot.
• The group jokes about launching a Kickstarter to do a parody remake, a running gag about “Gamebox 1.5.”

---

Notable Timestamps and Segments

• 02:52 — TikTok fandom psychoanalysis of Rider and Will’s “90s babe” status.
• 10:04-12:25 — The honest conversation about on-set crushes and awkward young love.
• 18:53 — Danielle’s intro to the Gamebox 1.0 recap.
• 24:00 — Early CGI/green screen moviemaking woes.
• 31:12, 32:24, 40:32 — Praise for the script’s solid structure amidst fodder for mockery.
• 42:20-42:41 — Classic putdowns of the visual effects and sound work.
• 77:29 — Discussion on “free will” in the script (building tension and narrative logic).
• 93:01 — Danielle recounts the reality of low-budget filmmaking.
• 117:34 — Will’s parody remake pitch—“Gamebox 1.5.”

---

Overall Tone and Energy

Light-hearted, self-deprecating, and nostalgic, the hosts poke fun at their pasts, industry realities, and each other. They thread in real-life stories, genuine critical takes, and a contagious sense of camaraderie, all while balancing fan questions, inside jokes, and affection for bad movies.

---

Episode Takeaways

• Gamebox 1.0 is the ultimate “so-bad-it’s-good” time capsule—a relic of experimental early digital effects, undercooked high concepts, and the hustle of 2000s direct-to-video filmmaking.
• The film’s failures are fodder for jokes, but also serve as a reminder of trying novel things in Hollywood—especially with friends and familiar faces.
• The recurring themes of Boy Meets World—struggles with identity, growing up, and the shaping force of community—still echo through the conversation, even when recapping the most ridiculous of career outliers.

---

Final Thoughts

The hosts round out the episode joking about a “redux”, celebrating Danielle’s endurance through a grueling shoot, and nodding to the strange satisfaction of revisiting even the weirdest parts of their histories together.

---

This episode is a must-hear for fans of 90s/00s nostalgia, bad-movie aficionados, and anyone curious about the strange warp zones of Hollywood careers, all delivered in the signature irreverent and warm style of Pod Meets World.

Transcript

[Danielle Fishel]

This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.

[Will Friedle]

This one's for all my TV lovers. My entertainment from DirecTV gets you 60 plus channels and Disney, Hulu and HBO Max all in one pack.

[Ryder Strong]

But here's the thing, with so much great TV and my entertainment, you're going to want to talk about everything you've been watching.

[Danielle Fishel]

Just remember that your friends might not be as well matched as you.

[Will Friedle]

Don't be a spoiler and encourage them to get my Entertainment for just $34.99 a month.

[Ryder Strong]

Go to directtv.com genrepacks and sign up today.

[Danielle Fishel]

New customers only. Service renews monthly unless canceled. Credit card required conditions apply to apps. HBO Max Basic with ads begins after DIRECTV five day trial. Learn [e-mail] restrictions apply. This is Jenny Garth from I Choose Me with Jennie Garth. History is full of mysteries like how people ever survive before modern laundry detergent. Luckily, Tide's here with boosted stain fighting for cleaner, whiter, brighter and fresher laundry versus Tide. Simply no wonder it was America's number one detergent in sales last year. If it's gotta be clean, it's got to be Tide. Tide is a proud sponsor of the Elton John Impact Awards, honoring those who have helped shape a more inclusive and compassionate world with their artistry, advocacy and unwavering commitment to equality. You won't want to miss the Elton John Impact Awards podcast, available on June 1st on the iHeartRadio app and everywhere podcasts are heard for those who like to stay in control. WIX gets it.

[Will Friedle]

That's why they created Wix Harmony. It's an AI website builder that lets you create any type of website quickly while maintaining full control over every detail.

[Ryder Strong]

You can choose to use AI or click and edit everything yourself until the site feels exactly right.

[Danielle Fishel]

Try it for [e-mail] Harmony that's wix.com

[Ryder Strong]

Harmony Lets talk chewy.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes, for starters, they've got over 100,000 products. Food, treats, toys, beds and as a dog and a cat mom, I can go to Chewy for literally anything I need. And it ships fast.

[Will Friedle]

And Chewy's customer service is unreal. Day or night, they're ready to help.

[Ryder Strong]

You know what else I love? They handle prescriptions, pet insurance, telehealth, vet visits, and they're rolling out vet clinics across the country for life with pets.

[Danielle Fishel]

The answer is chewy. Save $20 on your first order with free shipping at chupanions.chewy.com World.

[Ryder Strong]

Producer, husband of this podcast, Jensen Karp,

[Will Friedle]

has something for us.

[Ryder Strong]

Has a TikTok video for us to watch.

[Jensen Karp]

If you had a crush on Ryder Strong or Will Friedel, you weren't choosing a character. You were choosing your entire 90s personality. Rider strong was the quiet intensity, Shy eyes, soft voice. The feeling of someone who felt everything too deeply but didn't say it out loud. Loving him felt private, like you were in on something emotional that no one else fully understood. The kind of crush that lived in your journal, not your conversations. But then there was Will Freedom. Loud, magnetic, impossible to ignore. The kind of energy that filled a room before he said anything. He made you laugh without trying, made everything feel lighter, like life didn't have to be serious all the time. Ryder made you feel understood. Will made you feel alive. If you were torn between Ryder Strong and Will Friedel, you are really only torn between two versions of yourself. The one who felt everything deeply and the one who just wanted to laugh through it. Ryder was the quiet ache, the emotional safety of being seen without performing. Will was the spark, the feeling of being chosen by joy instead of death. And somehow both felt like first love, just in completely different timelines because one stayed in your feelings and one stayed in your memory. Comment. A black heart for Ryder or a laughing face for Will? And let me know in the comments. Which one did you choose then and which one would you choose now?

[Ryder Strong]

Wait, who's winning?

[Danielle Fishel]

You, of course.

[Will Friedle]

Of course you were winning.

[Danielle Fishel]

Sparking joy.

[Will Friedle]

Sparking joy.

[Danielle Fishel]

Filling a room with emotion when you

[Ryder Strong]

walk before you even walk in.

[Will Friedle]

Most people at 15 didn't want that.

[Ryder Strong]

I don't know who this person is who's narrating that video, but it very much felt like AI text to me.

[Will Friedle]

You think?

[Ryder Strong]

Very specifically, yes. Because it's a lot of big words that kind of didn't mean anything, that I was like, what? This sounds like you've created. You've asked AI to create a thing for you, and it, like, throws out a lot of words, and I'm like, I don't. I don't. I don't know. Or.

[Will Friedle]

But he said it very ardently.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah, but it felt, you know, it felt like AI. It also felt very astrology, you know, like, you're gonna hear what you want to hear. You're gonna hear what you want to hear. And because I only pull out the birthdays book, Ryder was the quiet ache, the intensity that only you saw privately. The strength of what? Just like, this is Babel.

[Will Friedle]

I love how Ryder's criticizing the video of people saying you should be in love with Ryder Strong.

[Danielle Fishel]

Well,

[Ryder Strong]

how do you feel about it Will.

[Will Friedle]

I think it's a joking fun. I think the thing I take away from that is they misspell rider and mispronounce Friedle.

[Danielle Fishel]

It's my favorite.

[Will Friedle]

So it's my favorite. It's always R Y, D E R and Friedel.

[Ryder Strong]

But what is the simple Google thesis is that by having a crush on one of us it defined your 90s personality.

[Will Friedle]

What does that mean?

[Ryder Strong]

What does a 90s personality mean? Is it about. Does it mean that this is who you are? I think it meant.

[Will Friedle]

No, I think you like a different type of guy. You like a different type of guy as a kid. What type of person were you as a kid? Where it was like, if you, if you liked Ryder strong, chances are you were the artsy student who maybe was considered a little emo and quiet. And if you liked Will, then you were more kind of the loud walk into the middle of the room, take ownership, make everyone laugh. That's kind of what.

[Ryder Strong]

It doesn't say that though. It's saying that that's what you like. It actually is just talking around that. But yes, I think that would be a stronger thesis. It's like if you liked Ryder, it means you were and are this type of person. If you like Will you. But it doesn't. It's kind of just vaguely hints at that and it's just like, I don't know, people probably liked both of us in different ways. It doesn't mean that much. I don't know. Weird, but whatever. What about if you had a crush on Danielle Fishel and you were just

[Will Friedle]

the regular person watching Boy Meet Girl?

[Danielle Fishel]

I am confused. We've still at this point, other than me saying the music. What's up with that music choice? Why was it.

[Will Friedle]

There's a gravitas to it, like a Game of Thrones background.

[Danielle Fishel]

I was waiting for it to end with them like stabbing the pictures of you in the eyes or something. It was like, what is happening? It's very building to a horror movie.

[Ryder Strong]

I think it's, you know, it's making you feel empowered by your crush from 40 years ago.

[Danielle Fishel]

Made me feel scared of my crush from 40 years ago. I was like, should I not have felt. I don't know. It's very, very interesting. I do love those little green screen videos though, how people are able to do that. I don't know how to make those but tick tocks.

[Ryder Strong]

I can't stand them.

[Danielle Fishel]

I mean, I don't like it. I mean, I mean, I like it ironically. Like what is that his first he started over here, and then he went over here and holding a tiny mic.

[Ryder Strong]

Well, you know how everybody's holding the tiny mic now? It's like, because you don't need to. You just clip it on you. But this denotes authority now.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

It's like the way to frame it

[Will Friedle]

looks like you're holding a tiny little bug, but.

[Ryder Strong]

No, but if you don't have it, it doesn't seem like you're announcing about credibility.

[Danielle Fishel]

It's about actual algorithm views.

[Ryder Strong]

Yes.

[Danielle Fishel]

Holding a mic for whatever reason. The stats show that if someone sees somebody holding a microphone for whatever reason, they're more likely to stop and watch what you're saying.

[Ryder Strong]

They have more authority. I think it totally. It makes you like, you. Yeah. Are more of an authoritative speakers of

[Will Friedle]

the microphone has anything to do with. Yeah, exactly. See, like, Danielle's doing it. Right. Whereas, like, Bob Barker back in the day had the long, thin microphone. I remember being like, why did he choose that? But I loved that little thin wand of a microphone.

[Danielle Fishel]

Me too. But, you know, nothing's ever gonna top what we call the Britney Spears mic. You know that.

[Will Friedle]

Oh, that. The one.

[Ryder Strong]

That gorilla.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, I love.

[Ryder Strong]

No, that's like. That's like I'm leading the workout video.

[Danielle Fishel]

Correct. The best. Yeah, don't.

[Ryder Strong]

Because that means you have to move around. Like you need your hands to do stuff.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

You know. No, that doesn't denote authority. No, that denotes that you're going to be working out or singing, dancing, which is cool. But that's not.

[Will Friedle]

You're saying Britney Spears didn't denote authority.

[Ryder Strong]

She did. As a singer or as a dancer. Yes.

[Danielle Fishel]

Which is what she was doing.

[Ryder Strong]

Right.

[Danielle Fishel]

I also need to be able. Imagine what I could accomplish if I could just. I mean, I do. I could wear. I could clip a microphone on my shirt. But like, that idea of like, I'm going to wash the dishes.

[Ryder Strong]

My.

[Danielle Fishel]

My grandmother used to. Of those that she could wear on her head to talk on the phone while she did the dishes.

[Will Friedle]

But like, the full phone. It was one of those ones, like the entire phone stuck there. Have you seen that infomercial phone?

[Ryder Strong]

It's.

[Will Friedle]

You literally just clip the thing to an actual phone receiver. And it's like, people like, I hear you great, Bob. As they're like, she's doing the dishes, but it's a full phone in her thing. Like, that's. I miss that stuff. Miniaturization's no good. I miss that stuff. So, Ryder, who did you have a crush on? Me or you?

[Ryder Strong]

I. I mean, I Was always hanging around you, man. You were my best friend. So.

[Will Friedle]

I know.

[Ryder Strong]

Obviously I wanted to be more in the free world.

[Will Friedle]

Well, wait a second. Have we talked about this? Did you ever have a crush on Danielle?

[Ryder Strong]

No.

[Danielle Fishel]

No.

[Will Friedle]

Okay. It was never reciprocated, ever.

[Ryder Strong]

No, we had this whole conversation. Because I said that to Rachel.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes.

[Will Friedle]

No, I remember that. But I was murdered.

[Ryder Strong]

But I do think. I do think Danielle and I spent a lot of time together around that period when I was with Rachel. But I don't think I entertained the possibility because I was in a relationship. But that was like the period where we were best friends and spending every day together.

[Will Friedle]

And because I could draft after Rachel, you never, in your mind, never entertain the idea.

[Ryder Strong]

Like, when we were. By the time we were 17, Danielle and I were not getting along actively. Like, not liking each other until near the end of the show. We, like, became friends again, right?

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

But no, like.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay, I wouldn't say I was actively not liking you, but I. But I wasn't. Definitely didn't have a crush on you anymore.

[Will Friedle]

No.

[Ryder Strong]

We were rolling our eyes around each other. Probably.

[Danielle Fishel]

Definitely.

[Ryder Strong]

We were teenagers. Going different directions.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

Being very teenager.

[Danielle Fishel]

We had grown apart. Yes. Thanks for bringing that up, Will. I feel. Feel good.

[Will Friedle]

I'm just curious. What if it was ever reciprocated? Just wondering if we're gonna find a rider. Strong journal entry at some point.

[Danielle Fishel]

Will, did you ever have a crush on anyone on Boy Meets World?

[Will Friedle]

Well, I told you years later. Years later, I had a crush on you, Danielle. Years later, I almost asked you out. It was.

[Danielle Fishel]

I know. Told me that. And I never knew that. Like, none. I know.

[Ryder Strong]

Are you serious, Will?

[Danielle Fishel]

He's serious. He told me this.

[Ryder Strong]

Oh, now he's pretending his froze. He froze so he doesn't have to.

[Danielle Fishel]

I can't hear you.

[Will Friedle]

I can't hear you.

[Ryder Strong]

I'm sorry. I don't know what you're saying.

[Will Friedle]

It says your Internet connection is unstable. There we go. Yikes. This was. It was like 2000.

[Ryder Strong]

Whenever.

[Will Friedle]

When did we see each other again? Five, 2000. Five, six, something like that. It wasn't long after. Boy. And it was. We were all hanging out again a little bit.

[Danielle Fishel]

We had, like, had.

[Ryder Strong]

We were doing our dinners.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah. I think it was right around. No, that might have even been after. That might have been later. I don't remember. But I remember there was one time where we were hanging out and I was like, I was single and Danielle was single, and I was like, oh, that might be interesting to entertain. And then it just. And then I realized it was never.

[Danielle Fishel]

And then he was like, I don't leave my house.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah, I don't leave my house.

[Ryder Strong]

Plus, that would have been weird asking her out.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah, exactly. There would have been a weirdness to it. And. Yeah. So it was. Yeah, it was more just a fleeting.

[Ryder Strong]

Thank God that didn't happen. I mean, unless you guys got married and had children, it was wonderful. But, like, chances are it would have dissolved and then we wouldn't be able to have.

[Danielle Fishel]

Imagine what this podcast.

[Will Friedle]

It would have been a whole different podcast, I'm sure, at that point.

[Danielle Fishel]

Exactly.

[Will Friedle]

And she wouldn't have met Jensen and I wouldn't have met sue, and. Yeah, we wouldn't have been happy. So. Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

So there you go.

[Will Friedle]

But no people on the cast. No.

[Ryder Strong]

Did you.

[Will Friedle]

Did you ever have a crush? Like, did you ever have a crush on Trina or me?

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah, well, guest stars I had crushes on and I tried to date and did date in some cases or whatever, but.

[Danielle Fishel]

And crew members.

[Ryder Strong]

And crew members, but no, like. Yeah, I mean, I've been. Yeah. I think, you know, about every. Everybody that I had a crush on as teenagers.

[Danielle Fishel]

Crush. Crushes are flinging. They're just flinging a mile a minute.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah. It's different week by week.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. I mean, and it's so funny how, like, as a. As a young person, emotional, romantic relationship feelings are so front of mind that if you are single, there's never a scenario. You're. You're like, potential mate. Potential mate.

[Will Friedle]

Potentially.

[Danielle Fishel]

Just like, it's crazy. Yeah. Like, oh, I'm starting a new job. Is that guy single? Is that guy. Like, you're literally just thinking about it all the time, and it was exhausting.

[Ryder Strong]

It didn't matter what amount of energy I put into presenting myself or trying to, you know, impress or be impressed. Getting a read on or just getting a read. Oh, my God.

[Will Friedle]

It didn't matter what you were doing. I'm going to a wedding. I'm going here.

[Ryder Strong]

I have a new job.

[Will Friedle]

I have to. You're thinking to yourself, like, I wonder if I meet someone.

[Ryder Strong]

I wonder.

[Will Friedle]

That was the whole frontal whatever the hell you're doing. Grocery store. I wonder if I'm going to meet someone. Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Like, any conversation, just like, would you like to go in front of me? That was polite. I wonder if he's. Was he trying to hit on me? It doesn't matter.

[Ryder Strong]

What.

[Will Friedle]

Hold on, because I feel like this

[Ryder Strong]

is specific to, like, I. Because I've definitely noticed, even among, like, kids, like, among my Son and his friends. There are some of those kids, boys and girls, who are just romantically obsessed with. They just come out of the womb and they're. And then there's like, my son doesn't care. Has no romantic feelings at all. Never expressed. He's expressed one crush in his life, and it was, like, years ago, and it's just a couple days. Otherwise, never. And it's like. But you see, like, there's just distinct personalities. There's some people who are. And I was always one of those kids.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

And I feel like, Danielle, you were always one of those kids. Well, it sounds like you were, too, but I wonder if other people, like, literally didn't have that thing that we're talking about.

[Will Friedle]

Do indies friends usually have crushes and girlfriends, boyfriends?

[Ryder Strong]

I would say it's about 50.

[Danielle Fishel]

50.

[Ryder Strong]

I would say there's some of them that are just wired for it, and they're just. And I'm like, oh, they're gonna have an adolescence like mine where they were just either in. Always in love or falling out of love or upset. Just love. Just romance. Mating was everything, you know? And I just think that then there's other people for whom that's not a concern. It doesn't become a thing. And I think those people are probably better off. A lot more relaxed.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, so much more Cal. I know. Can I tell you, the other night, Adler, as we're going to sleep. Well, he's going to sleep. I'm about ready to leave his room. He goes, mom, why do some people at my school smell? And I said, what do you mean? And he was like, some people at my school smell. And I said, well, what do they smell like? He was like, I don't know. Good. Oh, they smell good. And he was like, yeah. And he smells his arm. He goes, I smell like rotten bananas. And I go, well, no, you don't. You don't smell like rotten bananas. But, like, who smells good? Like, what would. And he was like. And then he named a girl.

[Will Friedle]

Oh, there you go.

[Danielle Fishel]

And I was like, okay. And then he named a guy, and I was like, oh. And I was like, are they wearing something? I'm trying to figure out. Like, is it, like, is it pheromones or are they putting cologne on? And so I said, are they wearing something? Like, does it smell like peach or.

[Ryder Strong]

Or he was like a nice laundry detergent or.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, right. And he was like, yeah, it smells. It smells like a thing. And I said, oh. I said, well, it could be just whatever, you know, they Wash their clothes in or their body in. I said, or they could be adding something to themselves, like a cologne that makes them.

[Ryder Strong]

Which would be pretty intense for what, first grade.

[Danielle Fishel]

First grade?

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah, first grade. Having cologne.

[Will Friedle]

Start somewhere, baby.

[Danielle Fishel]

And I said, do you. Do you want to start wearing something that smells good? He was like, yeah. So the next day, I gave him, like, an herbal body oil, and he every morning brushes his teeth, puts on his little body oil.

[Ryder Strong]

He is a look maxer.

[Will Friedle]

He is a looks maxer. You got to get him a little

[Ryder Strong]

hammer to start smashing his face. Got to start early, get those micro fractures.

[Will Friedle]

He's got the abs already, right? He's got the abs. And now he's. He's caring about how he smells, and he's going to be gelling up his hair and.

[Danielle Fishel]

Wow. It's. Yeah. He. He also told me before we went to Mexico, he was like, mom, can I. Can you buy me a. It's like. It's a. It's a T shirt, but. But it doesn't have any sleeves.

[Will Friedle]

You wanted a tank top. He wanted a tank top.

[Danielle Fishel]

I said, you want a. You want a tank top? And he was like, yeah, yeah.

[Will Friedle]

And.

[Danielle Fishel]

And then I want to wear it under a baseball jersey, but open. Wow. And I said. I said, okay. And he goes with a necklace.

[Ryder Strong]

I said, oh, my God. Wow.

[Danielle Fishel]

Sure. And he was like. And a backwards hat.

[Ryder Strong]

So he's.

[Will Friedle]

He's dressing like a Backstreet Boy.

[Ryder Strong]

I was going to say he's becoming a boy band member. Like, seriously, you are my son. He's saying this just to impress you.

[Will Friedle]

And he knows I. I want it that way.

[Ryder Strong]

I wanted.

[Danielle Fishel]

It's the cutest.

[Will Friedle]

Oh, man.

[Danielle Fishel]

Welcome to podmy's world. I'm danielle fishel.

[Ryder Strong]

I'm ryder strong.

[Will Friedle]

And I'm will friedle.

[Danielle Fishel]

Welcome to today's recap. Well, it's my turn, I guess. Oh, I'm sorry. All we've done, rotating cast of outside projects from outside of boy meets world. Today it's my turn. Game Box 1.0 is what we are recapping today. This was a. A movie done by two people I knew pretty well at this point. Scott and David Hildenbrand.

[Ryder Strong]

Are they brothers?

[Danielle Fishel]

They're brothers.

[Ryder Strong]

Cool.

[Danielle Fishel]

And they did both of the Dorm Days movies, Right?

[Ryder Strong]

And you were in the second one

[Danielle Fishel]

in the first and the second one. Oh, I did both Dorm Days movies. And then this movie came around. I think actually, it's possible this was in between one.

[Ryder Strong]

According to IMDb, that is the case.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. So this was after I had done Dorm Days one. I got the opportunity to do this movie. I loved video games as a kid. I grew up with the original Nintendo, played a bunch of the original Nintendo games. At this point I had already been very into Tiger Woods, PGA Golf. I was very in the best, along with Tony Hawk, Pro Skater, just great games obsessed, Mortal Kombat. So I liked video games. I had zero understanding of what the idea was for what the graphics were going to look like. Like what? Just I knew what I had been told was like, oh, they showed us, they showed us what it's going to be able to look like. It's amazing.

[Will Friedle]

Well, it was, it was truly amazing.

[Danielle Fishel]

If you consider lots of makeup contour to be a special effect effect. Yeah. So it was a very short, very short filming process.

[Ryder Strong]

Okay, so hold on, I want to hear about how. So you had done Dorm Days one. Yeah, by auditioning for it and getting

[Danielle Fishel]

the part or they offered it to you auditioned. I think they offered it to me.

[Ryder Strong]

And you had a good experience on that?

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes. And then they said, do you want

[Ryder Strong]

to star in our next movie? So you didn't have to audition for this.

[Danielle Fishel]

And it's funny because I'm trying to remember how like where in the process of Dorm days it was because one aspect of dorm days I did not have a good experience in is that, you know, the. There are, there are pictures of me on the Internet wearing something that I would never in a million years have allowed anybody to photograph me in. And the only reason I was photographed in it was because it was for the COVID of the Dorm Days movie where in National Lampoon style we were all supposed to look naked behind a giant sausage. And so they were like, so wear a tube top and wear something short because then we're going to super hide you behind. Hide you behind it. And then we're going to do all these solo shots. And there was, it was a full, fully disclosed. These pictures aren't going to go anywhere. Nobody's ever going to see these photos. It's going to be, it's completely. So I was wearing like a tube top with no bra. I'm wearing a pair of shorts that I have unbuttoned and folded over to make them shorter because I needed to make it shorter to time. I would never in a million years. This is not like a put together outfit. It wasn't a choice. It was literally just because it worked with what I was told.

[Ryder Strong]

Behind the sausage.

[Danielle Fishel]

Behind the sausage. And then those photos were.

[Ryder Strong]

I think that's a good memoir Title

[Will Friedle]

Official behind the Sock.

[Danielle Fishel]

And that infuriated me, of course. And I was. I was very upset about that. And so had that happened already, I probably would never have agreed to do another movie with them. But then again, I did do Dorm Days too. But I was. I did not want to do Dorm Days two. And I really.

[Ryder Strong]

That was the Queen Mary one. That was a disaster.

[Danielle Fishel]

One that was a total disaster. Yeah. I mean, don't get me wrong when I say I had a good experience. I wouldn't say I had, like, a great experience, but it wasn't a terrible experience doing Dorm Days one.

[Ryder Strong]

It was a job, and you got along with everybody.

[Will Friedle]

It was also the time in Hollywood, we've all done them. National Lampoon was kind of big, and you wanted, like, the American Pies were popular. They were making people's careers. So that kind of like a little bit risque, more adult humor. These were the things that all the actors our age were vying for. I mean, this is what we wanted to do. I did Gold Diggers. You did that. I mean, we all had those movies kind of in our arsenal.

[Ryder Strong]

And then I think this movie, too, was a type that I participated in as well, which was the. We can shoot a whole movie on green screen and it looks great.

[Danielle Fishel]

Correct.

[Ryder Strong]

Before it did actually look great.

[Danielle Fishel]

Before, it really did look great when

[Ryder Strong]

everybody basically had after effects and like, some simple, like, you know, the beginnings of what became, like, Avatar. Right. Like what they could do with Avatar four years later, five years later.

[Danielle Fishel]

Game Box is the original Avatar.

[Will Friedle]

I was thinking the same thing, but

[Ryder Strong]

I got pitched the same thing because I did one of the Pulse movies, which was exactly the same. Around the same time, maybe a little later. It's either Pulse 2 or Pulse 3. I honestly don't know, but I'm in one of those. Maybe I'm in both of them, but it was like an audition and I auditioned, and then they were like, it was a small part, but they were like, oh. And the whole thing is, we are going to shoot this all, the whole movie on a green screen. And I was like, okay. They're like, we're going to make it look great. And luckily my part, because it was a small part, wasn't that much green screen work. But apparently there's like, two movies, Pulse 2 and Pulse 3, that are all green screen and they look like this

[Will Friedle]

film, this movie looked like it was shot on a N E sketch. Yes, yes, exactly.

[Ryder Strong]

It's just the technology was not there, and yet everybody sort of bought into this idea that you could make a movie so easily. And. Yeah. So you probably shot this in what, like nine days? Seven days.

[Danielle Fishel]

I was gonna say, like, I think 11 days. Yeah, we were.

[Ryder Strong]

It's huge action sequences. Right.

[Danielle Fishel]

Like, the script is warehouse that was all painted green, and I had a briefcase, even an empty briefcase, handcuffed to me the entire time.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

And let me tell you, I've been handcuffed more than I care to discuss. They're not comfortable.

[Ryder Strong]

Oh, go. You're in the same outfit the entire time.

[Danielle Fishel]

Pretty much in the same outfit the entire time.

[Will Friedle]

Well, except when you're on the beach

[Ryder Strong]

and it's just you. And except when you're a Kate, it's just you and Nate the entire time. Like, yeah, that's.

[Danielle Fishel]

And. And that makeup and that ponytail. Hair extensions.

[Will Friedle]

This. This movie was awesome. This is arguably the greatest movie I've ever seen in my life. Hey, it's Will Friedle from Pod Meets World. It's hard to believe that the first phone call ever happened over 150 years ago. Just think about that. Over the last 150 years, so many special moments have happened with a phone call. I think back to the phone call I had to make on Hollywood Boulevard, back to my agents in New York who told me that I booked the role of Eric Matthews on Boy Meets World. And it's one of the greatest phone calls I ever had in my life. I mean, hey, I even remember the phone call with Danielle and Ryder when we decided to start a podcast. That one wasn't as good. Almost four years later, here we are. And you know, over all these years and phone calls, AT&T has been there, connecting people in meaningful ways. This is more than a story of technological innovation. It's a story of human connection.

[Danielle Fishel]

Connecting changes everything. @&t. Can I come clean about something?

[Ryder Strong]

This feels like a trap, but go ahead.

[Danielle Fishel]

I absolutely cut corners doing laundry.

[Will Friedle]

Oh, yeah, same. I don't sort by color. I sort by vibes.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right. There's could wear again probably fine and legally biohazard.

[Ryder Strong]

My gym clothes straight in with my delicates. Survival of the fittest.

[Will Friedle]

And jeans. I mean, are we sure they even need washing?

[Danielle Fishel]

Meanwhile, I've got a pile of kids clothes that's been sitting near the washer for so long, it's basically a science project.

[Ryder Strong]

And this is why we need arm and hammer. Deep clean.

[Will Friedle]

It's the powerful shortcut that forgives all your, well, questionable laundry decisions.

[Danielle Fishel]

Even if you forget a load or your kids find a mud puddle that just needed a belly flop. Deep clean is strong enough to handle it.

[Ryder Strong]

Made for real life stinks and stains because let's be honest, there's no way to avoid them.

[Will Friedle]

It's just laundry. You shouldn't stress over it.

[Ryder Strong]

And now you don't have to.

[Danielle Fishel]

From the number one liquid detergent brand that tackles more loads than any other. Come clean with arm and hammer.

[Will Friedle]

Deep clean Number one claim based on total wash load Sold. This show is sponsored by BetterHelp.

[Ryder Strong]

For some people, summer is their favorite time of year. Travel picks up, kids are out of school and adventure is the focus for others.

[Will Friedle]

Juggling it all can be tough and can lead to counting down the minutes until the kids are back in school and many worrying they're wasting the days of sunshine.

[Ryder Strong]

I'm definitely on the adventure side. We tend to pack up the van and jump in the car with Indy and it can get exhausting. It's really hard to balance. Therapy can help people better understand their needs, feel more confident about setting boundaries, and create a version of summer that actually feels good.

[Will Friedle]

With over 30,000 therapists, BetterHelp is the world's largest online therapy platform, Having served over 6 million people globally and it

[Ryder Strong]

works with an average rating of 4.9 out of 5 for a live session based on over 1.7 million client reviews.

[Will Friedle]

BetterHelp does the initial matching work for you so you can focus on your therapy goals. A short questionnaire helps identify your needs and preferences and their 12 plus years of experience and industry leading match fulfillment rate means they typically get it right the first time.

[Ryder Strong]

If you aren't happy with your match, switch to a different therapist at any time from their tailored recs.

[Will Friedle]

You don't have to say yes to everything this summer. Find support in therapy.

[Ryder Strong]

Sign up and get 10% [e-mail] meets world.

[Will Friedle]

That's betterhelp.com meetsworld world cat parents, gather round.

[Danielle Fishel]

Ryder and I have some important advice to share.

[Ryder Strong]

Guys, we have to stick together. Guys, those of us with fur babies know the struggle. We understand the feeling of being ignored by our cats.

[Danielle Fishel]

But that's why we're here to help. Because sometimes I find myself wondering, does my cat even love me?

[Ryder Strong]

And there's only one solution to solve that. Sheba.

[Danielle Fishel]

You could be adored by everyone and still completely ignored by your cat.

[Ryder Strong]

It's time to feed your cat Sheba and go from feeling ignored to truly adored in 12 days guaranteed or your money back.

[Danielle Fishel]

The promised land is here. Turn things around for your feline with Sheba's menu of products, appetizers, entrees, Treats and even a kitten's menu.

[Ryder Strong]

Even the pickiest eater will love their new grilled entrees.

[Danielle Fishel]

Just snap, peel and serve for two gourmet servings and zero messy leftovers.

[Ryder Strong]

Its protein rich formula is made with real chicken and seafood, 100% complete and balanced with essential vitamins and nutrients for

[Danielle Fishel]

adult cats, which my bill is. But we don't call him old, we call him experienced.

[Ryder Strong]

It's made in the USA with the finest ingredients from around the world.

[Danielle Fishel]

No artificial flavors or preservatives. No corn, wheat, or soy.

[Ryder Strong]

So even when they're licking the bowl clean, you can know you're doing the right thing.

[Danielle Fishel]

Treat your cats right and introduce them to the delicious delicacies of Sheba.

[Ryder Strong]

To learn more, check out sheba.com. Foreign

[Danielle Fishel]

let's jump into it. You guys can watch it on the streaming service to be for free, but I wouldn't suggest it.

[Will Friedle]

I absolutely would. Ryder liked it. Writer loved this movie.

[Ryder Strong]

I.

[Will Friedle]

As I'm watching, I'm like, ryder's gonna like this movie.

[Ryder Strong]

No, I actually, I actually don't mind the script. I think that there's some really.

[Will Friedle]

I think there's some quality beats in

[Ryder Strong]

here that I go, you know what? That's actually the only way you could write this. And there's some real character development. There's backstory. I was like, actually, if the effects.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes.

[Ryder Strong]

Were good, this is a half decent movie. This is like. I'm like, you took this conceit and you kind of developed it pretty well.

[Will Friedle]

You also went, it was one stereotype. Like, one. Like, I've seen this in a thousand movies after I've seen this in the thousand.

[Ryder Strong]

Maybe that's true.

[Will Friedle]

Him sitting there watching the old videos of his girlfriend. Sure. Okay. This has been in 9 billion things, right? So. Yeah. I mean, it wasn't. There was nothing new in the story.

[Ryder Strong]

No, no, I guess not. But I guess I was just like. I was like, well, that's a pretty good break into two. That's a pretty good. Like, all the beats are there. That I was like, that it needed. You know what I mean? It is a complete cause. A lot of bad movies and, you know, actually just don't function as stories. You're like, wait a minute, I don't know what's happening. I don't know. Whereas this movie has, like, enough twists and turns and everything does get explained. Like, it's not too long. No, I was like, this is. It's, you know, like, the beats are there. I was like, knows how to write a screenplay So I wasn't surprised to find out the guy who wrote this wrote the Sonic the Hedgehog movies.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes. All three of them.

[Ryder Strong]

This guy's got, like. I could tell. I was like, there's somebody here that knows what they're doing in terms of, like, how to make it a functioning movie. Whether all those choices were a good idea given the constraints of budget and, you know. No. Like, there's just way too much pressure put on this movie to be visually stunning in a way that it just couldn't.

[Will Friedle]

Just couldn't.

[Danielle Fishel]

Could not be.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

No. The synopsis. Charlie Nash is an expert video game tester who escapes reality by playing a mysterious 3D fantasy game he received in the mail. It was directed by David Hillenbrand and Scott Hillenbrand. It was written by Pat Casey and Josh Miller, who I can admit is a duo that wrote some very bad movies from my past, but they are now a very big deal in my household. They would eventually transition into writing for animated kid TV shows like Team Hot Wheels and Goal in the Insatiable, but now they've since written all three Sonic the Hedgehog movies, the upcoming fourth installment and Violent Night starring David Harbor.

[Ryder Strong]

Oh.

[Danielle Fishel]

So do we think game box 1.0 is their inspiration for later success with another video game character?

[Jensen Karp]

Y.

[Danielle Fishel]

Well, then you're welcome, boys. Starring Nate Richard as Charlie Nash, friend of the show. Nate is best known as Harvey on Sabrina the Teenage Witch and is just a great guy all around. Yeah, he's always been so honest and open about his struggles with being in this business. And if you want to hear a great interview, including some Game Box talk, you can look up our episode with Nate on all streaming services. And yes, that is Danielle Fishel as Kate, Nate and Princess.

[Will Friedle]

Did I miss the actual credits? I didn't actually see any credits at the end.

[Ryder Strong]

The opening credits. What do you mean? There's opening credits too?

[Danielle Fishel]

And there's a little world thing that spins. It says Nate and then Danielle Fisher.

[Ryder Strong]

It did.

[Will Friedle]

Okay, see, I didn't see that. For some reason, I didn't see any of that.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay, you must have X'd out of the To Be app so fast when the movie ended.

[Will Friedle]

That must have been that thing because I didn't see the movie just started. I'm like, I didn't see who directed it.

[Danielle Fishel]

Is there a post credit scene? I didn't. Wait.

[Will Friedle]

Was there there. It was Avatar too.

[Danielle Fishel]

I doubt it.

[Ryder Strong]

I thought there was opening credits. I'm pretty sure that there's.

[Will Friedle]

There might have been. I might have just missed It. I just remember.

[Danielle Fishel]

I don't remember opening credits, but I remember end credits. I saw them in end credits. Veteran character actor with an incredible name. Patrick Kilpatrick is Ronald Hobbs.

[Ryder Strong]

And wait, his name is Patrick Kilpatrick? And then there were two other Patrick. No, I'm trying to think.

[Danielle Fishel]

How do you deal with the Rat Pack?

[Ryder Strong]

The Rat Patricks? The Rat Patrick.

[Will Friedle]

The Rat Patrick. Yes. The Hollywood Rat Patrick.

[Ryder Strong]

The Hollywood Rat Patrick.

[Danielle Fishel]

Just in this movie. Kilpatrick has been in a lot of movies that will has seen Toxic Avenger, Death Warrant, Last Man Standing, Eraser, Minority Report, and TV shows like Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman, the X Files, Chuck, and NCIS New Orleans.

[Will Friedle]

You also miss Under Siege 2.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, yeah. Okay.

[Will Friedle]

It's awesome. Oh, yeah. And, oh, my God, he was also in. Oh, it's that awful karate movie that's the best thing ever with. With Eric Roberts. Oh, I forget the name of it. We'll have to find it. But yeah, he's in the second part of that, too. He plays the main bad. One of the main bad guys in that. And it's just best of the best. Is that what it was Best? I think he's in Best of the Best two. Best two, I think. I think it's best of the best. I could be wrong, but I'll find it.

[Ryder Strong]

He's the best. That was so funny to watch your brain make that connection. You're like, it's just the best of the best. I said the word. That is the. I'm pretty sure it is.

[Danielle Fishel]

And then we have Patrick Kavanagh as Peter. Patrick had an impressive TV resume at the time, having appeared on Six Feet Under, Frasier and King of Queens, and has since shown up in even more. He plays Smitty on 12 episodes of Mad Men, Burroughs in 12 episodes of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and just this year was in six episodes of the buzzworthy show Paradise. Is it best of the best, Will?

[Will Friedle]

It's best of the Best two, but I'm pretty sure he's in it now. I can't find. Find it, dude. It's Philip Ray, Eric Roberts, and Chris Penn as three martial arts masters. Yes, he was the best.

[Danielle Fishel]

And then another acting vet, Devon Nixon, plays Sherman. Nixon was in Terminator 2, which got me thinking, right? Or did you try out for Eddie Furlong's part in Terminator 2?

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah, I didn't get far, but it was an early, early audition that I had to put myself on tape for. Yeah, I don't even think I ended up auditioning in person. I Think it was just I auditioned multiple times. Yeah, Shilo and I both auditioned multiple times on tape. And I think the casting director was a legend. What's her name? Mally Finn. Yeah. And she ended up casting Shiloh later in his first movie, and I think it was after Terminator 2 had already been cast. So she might have watched Shiloh's tape and that's why she cast him in the movie. She did. And then she remembered me, too. She brought me in for stuff all the way up until I was like, in my 20s.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. I feel like that role was just made for a young writer. Strong. So Nixon played Omar on the Secret Lives of the American Teenager, Kane on Snowfall. And just recently, he was basketball legend Norm Nixon on Winning Time. The rise of the Lakers legacy. Another friend of the show, Patrick Rena, plays Kaplan. Rena is world renowned as ham Porter in the sandlot. And thus is the kid on those T shirts you see that say, you're killing me, Smalls. And yes, he is a former boy meets world guest star. He played Kyle in season three, episode 18, life lessons. He also starred alongside one writer Strong in the Disney movie of the week, Summertime Switch. We not only interviewed Rena on this show, we reviewed Summertime Switch for writers Big movie week. So please go listen to that. Maybe even instead of listening to this one perhaps movie, you just want to

[Will Friedle]

listen to this one. I love how both of the movies we picked for you guys are you guys and Patrick Renner.

[Ryder Strong]

Patrick Rena.

[Will Friedle]

I know he's in both of them.

[Danielle Fishel]

Love Patrick Rena.

[Ryder Strong]

He's great in this movie, actually.

[Will Friedle]

He is.

[Danielle Fishel]

He's so good. Everything. No, he is. But in this.

[Ryder Strong]

Well, in Summertime Switch, he's a little too psychotic. I mean, I don't. I don't necessarily blame him. It's. It's part of the character too, but it's. It's a lot. Whereas this. I was like, well, Patrick is so good.

[Will Friedle]

He's just act.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Rena has become a star on social media, more specifically TikTok, where he shows off how great of a dancer he is. We are all big, big Patrick Rena fans around here. So shout out to that guy. And now. I know. I was dreading this episode, but I did find very two very positive things about Game Box. First, almost the entire soundtrack is written and performed by a guy named Ali D. Ali. Theodore Fun trivia. He was a frequent music collaborator of Jensen's. Total coincidence. And he has gone on to make music for the Disney Zombies franchise and wrote the Mario Rap in Super Mario Bros. Wow. Another pod meets World Connection. He composes a lot of the modern

[Will Friedle]

day WWE entrance songs, so we gotta get him on.

[Danielle Fishel]

Also the.

[Ryder Strong]

The lyrics are a little, little on the nose. We'll talk about that. Did you notice the lyrics? Did you guys notice?

[Danielle Fishel]

No, I didn't notice the lyrics.

[Will Friedle]

She's fascinate by the visuals.

[Ryder Strong]

I had to go back several times to make sure I was hearing the words right.

[Danielle Fishel]

My second very, very positive thing about this movie is that it is only 83 minutes. So it was quick. It has that going for it. And I watched it on 1.5. Guys, let me have it. Let me know your early thoughts on Game Box one point.

[Ryder Strong]

I think I've already told you. I think this movie is know incredibly poorly directed and mostly because of money. Like it's not, I don't even really blame. It's just the decision to take advantage of special effects that were not there yet. Like you just didn't have the technology to be there. And so the major choice to like shoot this on green screen and fill in everything with computer graphics just sucks because those computer graphics aren't. And it's, it's, it's. It's a choice that makes sense given that they're stuck in a video game. But it just is never it. The stakes are never there. Right. You never feel like you're actually in any of these spaces. They never feel scary. The zombies are one of the craziest things I've ever seen. Oh my God.

[Will Friedle]

Obviously you guys don't know real zombies because that's what they look like.

[Ryder Strong]

That's what's perfect. That's what, that's what digital dancing zombies look like.

[Will Friedle]

Little.

[Ryder Strong]

They just like. It was like suddenly a music video, you know, with like, like people like dancing.

[Danielle Fishel]

I was like, right. It was like Thriller.

[Will Friedle]

Exactly.

[Ryder Strong]

But it just. Everything has this complete fake, you know, quality. So it just never feels. This never feels like anything's actually happening. And so like even though the concept was cool and like, yeah, but you just can never get around that. You know, you can never get around the like hokiness of this production choice that just wasn't ready to be there. But like, like I said in Avatar they pull it off. But that's hundreds of millions of dollars in technology that was super advanced.

[Will Friedle]

But again, you even back in the day had movies like Trump, which again were, were for the time, but they

[Ryder Strong]

weren't using computer graphics.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah, of course they were the first trial, sure. Well, of course it was, was one of the first ones to do it. And it was absolutely. For the time they did the. It was brilliant.

[Danielle Fishel]

Well, did they have more than $60? I'm pretty sure the budget for this movie was about $60.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah. This. Look it. I love movies like this because they're so bad where it's. I mean, it looks like it was shot in an Etch A Sketch. Like I said, it sounds like it was recorded on mashed potatoes.

[Ryder Strong]

It sounds really bad.

[Will Friedle]

I mean, it's.

[Ryder Strong]

I kept thinking, was that a choice though? Because. But it sounded bad even when they weren't in the game. I know it was confusing to me. It had the metallic quality to the sound. And I was like. But I get that when they're in the game, but outside of the game, it was also doing it. I was like, what's happening? And maybe that was another intentional choice to like blur the lines, but I thought it was really was.

[Will Friedle]

I don't think that was intentional.

[Danielle Fishel]

I don't think so. I think.

[Will Friedle]

And so, I mean, again, it was. It was what it was. It. It. There's certain parts of it that were very fun. Again, again, the idea of being in a video game. And I knew all the video game tropes mean. It's like, okay, so he wakes up and it's. It's Grand Theft Auto. And now. Now it's like, I got what they were doing, but none of the story really made any sense. You never find out where this. What this video game is or where it comes from or what the point it is.

[Danielle Fishel]

Do you think they encult it 1.0 because they were hoping for it? 2.0, I think so a prequel.

[Will Friedle]

And it is. It was just taking one movie trope and putting it next to. I mean, every time you see somebody, it's from, you know, they. I love when they take things from big hundred million dollar movies. Like, you know, the. In Minority Report when Tom Cruise loses his wife and is just. He just sits there watching his wife on film. And that's just a thing you see over and over. But it's just Nate by himself with like Danielle, like the, like running through the. The predate the camera.

[Ryder Strong]

I don't know.

[Will Friedle]

It's been in a thousand things.

[Danielle Fishel]

I mean, we did inspire Minority. I do think so.

[Will Friedle]

Again, is it the greatest movie of all time? No. Was I entertained for 82 minutes? Hell yes, I was. It was. It was absolutely a fun 82 minute. You know, I watch a lot of the. For the other podcasts, I have to watch a dcom or sometimes two a week.

[Ryder Strong]

Week.

[Will Friedle]

And there's some of those that are the same length. 82, 85, 88 minutes. And I've got to watch it in like 10 minute increments where it's like I can't get through this movie right now. This was just, I mean talk about a romp of a film. Totally turn it on. It was loud. It was bad. It was, it was great. I fully enjoyed it for 82 minutes. Yeah, I really did well.

[Danielle Fishel]

Jumping into our recap, the credits roll as we see someone furiously hitting buttons on their video game controller with different clips of games they're playing. We eventually see an ominous piece of equipment that has only button on it start. We get a loading screen slowly progressing in percentage, then speeding to 100%. The title game box 1.0 erupts onto the screen. We're now in Black Rock, Utah, one week ago. We're inside of a dark creepy house and a sleeping young Chris is straight up convulsing in bed. And we catch glimpses of the nightmare he's currently having. He's running for his life as a man in a creepy Eyes Wide Shut mask and sheathed sword chases after him in a video game like level. Somehow his a mother, his mother is awoken by the convulsing.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah, I don't know how. She knows somewhere my son is in trouble.

[Danielle Fishel]

She still has a baby monitor on him.

[Will Friedle]

Exactly.

[Danielle Fishel]

She's looking at the baby monitor and she and her husband run into their son's room. She tries to wake up Chris who is now in full speed convulsions. He's stuck in the dream now, sprinting through a tunnel. Just when he thinks he's lost the masked man, the monster appears out of nowhere and slashes him. The boy wakes up for a second with sweat coating his face, then falls right back onto his pillow. His mom says he's not breathing, so his dad calls 91 1. As they panic, we zoom in on that weird item with the start button from the credits. It ominously sits on the boy's dresser.

[Ryder Strong]

So then I was like, oh, this is full on Nightmare on Elm Street.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

With the, you know, if you die in your dreams. And then I was like, oh, you know what this is like the ring for video games. Which totally turns out to be the. Because at the end he passes it along just like he passed the videotape in the ring to somebody else.

[Danielle Fishel]

So you're right, the elevator pitch was if the ring.

[Ryder Strong]

Yes. Was a video game. Exactly. Like a killer video game. Yeah.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah. Interesting. Yes.

[Danielle Fishel]

Well, we fade out to a desert road. A small tumbleweed rolls into frame. Well, you've never seen that before, right?

[Will Friedle]

No. Tumbleweed's brand new.

[Ryder Strong]

Brilliant, Brilliant way to show a landscape, you know.

[Danielle Fishel]

And a mail delivery jeep slowly pulls through. The longest driving shot I've ever seen.

[Will Friedle]

That's when I knew the direction was gonna be bad, where they, they stuck on it for about 60 seconds, then finally went just skip it forward. And so they didn't skip it. It wasn't like three skips where you could do like 1, 2, 3. It was a while. A while. And then they're like, oh, just skip it.

[Danielle Fishel]

Just go.

[Ryder Strong]

That's when you know. That's when you like when you see that kind of editing, especially this early on, you're like, oh, they were trying to save a movie. Like they were desperately in post trying to save a movie. Like whenever you get. And also when you see split screen to start the mov movie when it was literally like, here's a guy playing a video game. Here's a split screen. It was like, oh, they're just trying to up the energy because the pacing was not working. They're like. And the music is doing so much here. The music is like, yeah. Because it's like we're watching a male truck. Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes.

[Ryder Strong]

Drive. So he's got to be excited.

[Danielle Fishel]

This movie's only 83 minutes and they could have cut a minute.

[Will Friedle]

Seriously, it's like, let's keep it in now. It's too short.

[Ryder Strong]

But here is my question. It cuts to the hand tied to the wheel.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes.

[Ryder Strong]

Does that ever get explained?

[Will Friedle]

No, never.

[Danielle Fishel]

No. And he has one single package for delivery, which is of course the video game console. So we again, who. Who wants this? Who's doing this?

[Will Friedle]

And also then when he does send it to the new guy at the end, do you need the same hand tied male person to drive it there again?

[Danielle Fishel]

Well, okay, let's say that all the previous people for this have been died. No one's ever beaten the game.

[Ryder Strong]

So is it a dead body being animated? Is it the dead kid from the opening being forced to like animate his body, like making it. I don't know. Like, why is he. Why is somebody tied to the thing? And what does that have to do with.

[Will Friedle]

I don't, I don't know. And also, I'm sorry, why. Let's just jump ahead a little bit. Why? I didn't understand, I thought what it was going to be. Which made more sense for, for the upping the stakes. Was whoever you put into the video game with you is also dies in real life. But.

[Ryder Strong]

Right.

[Will Friedle]

Nope. So they. So all his friends are dying around him, but they're fine. So then. But he also doesn't need to put the anyone in there because the game already says his brain knows. That's why they have Kate in there. And he didn't have to take a picture of Kate.

[Ryder Strong]

So.

[Danielle Fishel]

So.

[Ryder Strong]

Huh. Do we know how. Why he's targeted ultimately? Does this explain. I honestly forgot.

[Will Friedle]

No.

[Ryder Strong]

Oh. So we never know what he did wrong or right to deserve this video game torture.

[Will Friedle]

My guess is what they were trying to establish with the first guy who died and then with this guy is they're trying to seek out the best video game players in the world. Right. That's describing the radio.

[Ryder Strong]

DJs are discussing mind control via video games.

[Will Friedle]

Right?

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Ryder Strong]

So it's like the idea is that, okay, some shadowy organization is taking over the world, but why are they targeting their video game players? Just to test it?

[Will Friedle]

Or he's a beta tester. So maybe that's what they're trying to do.

[Danielle Fishel]

I kind of thought that maybe something they could have was that they could have laid the foundation for is that these are people who were already maybe depressed people and more susceptible to not wanting to. To being like willing to give up their life. And so. But they do. They don't really set that up. It could have in the description of the kid, a, you know, a depressed kid, teenager who. Teenager, another died in a video game.

[Ryder Strong]

You know, I do think that there's a moral, there is a sense that you shouldn't play video games too much. Right. Like, isn't that the kind of the same way that like the Ring is about made it his job, not letting your kid watch too many movies or I mean, it's his job. So they should remember that one character says you do your job and then you go home and all you do is also play video games.

[Will Friedle]

So it's like don't make it his job to where he's wasting his life on video games. And like he. He lost his job because he keeps playing a game. I mean, something like that as opposed to like, this is his job. So he's turned a hobby into a profession. Which is a good thing.

[Ryder Strong]

Right.

[Will Friedle]

So.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah. I don't know. I love discussing the intricacies.

[Danielle Fishel]

So good. The movie's so good.

[Will Friedle]

My favorite.

[Danielle Fishel]

So good. Now we're at a different house in Los Angeles. Charlie is playing video games in his room. The gameplay looks familiar. It's from those opening credits. There are pictures of him with his girlfriend Kate. That's your girl. All over the place. Charlie plays as two morning radio hosts talk about the boy who died in Utah, apparently from severed internal organs. No external wounds. How does that even happen? They wonder? Meanwhile, the male Jeep speeds down his rail road. Charlie stops playing and leaves his house looking like the Unabomber. He also zips up his sweater about an inch and a half. He does it.

[Will Friedle]

It's, he goes from. It's like he's playing the character of the Unabomber meets Jeffrey Dahmer. He had a real Dahmer thing going on, too, for a lot of. This was really interesting.

[Danielle Fishel]

Charlie arrives at work at TBI Technologies. The morning radio DJs are still talking about this dead kid and how he played a ton of video games. Games. They've come to the conclusion that video games would be a good way to control people's minds. And that's a coincidence because Charlie works as a video game tester. Charlie gets his coffee from the kitchen and mingles with his co workers about the games they're working on. Charlie is a super freak when it comes to finding bugs and glitches. A man walks in. David. That's Scott. Helen Brand.

[Will Friedle]

I, I, I figured the second he said a line, I was like, he's friends with somebody or he's the director in the movie or he did something to where. Yeah, that makes sense.

[Danielle Fishel]

Hillenbrand. He says, hey, ladies, it's lunchtime. So good. So it's break time at Down.

[Ryder Strong]

And then Patrick Rena asks him. He goes, you're gonna get lunch at the usual place? And then doesn't go with him.

[Will Friedle]

Nope.

[Ryder Strong]

No, I was like, oh, they're gonna go get lunch and we'll get a scene where we can talk it out or something. No, it seemed like he had Patrick

[Will Friedle]

Rena for five hours, right? So it's like we gotta shoot, shoot everything out.

[Ryder Strong]

And, you know, Nate is, to Nate's credit, like, he is in every frame of this movie, and he has to be basically two different characters. And he's, he does a very good job of being very different people. You know, when he's in the game, he's kind of an action star. And he looks different. You know, the presentation, his body language. Like, every, all the scenes here, they're just, it's. Whenever you have a character that is sad, my God, it's just not. It's a really bad.

[Will Friedle]

You got to find a way to think about it.

[Ryder Strong]

No, it's just not fun to watch. And unfortunately, it's. It doesn't, you know, it doesn't reflect well on him and has nothing to do with the actor because you got to commit. It's just like, find a way to make this active. Find a way to make this interesting. Because it's just not. It sucks.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

It's too bad.

[Danielle Fishel]

But it's also so good. So it's break time at Downbeat Cafe. Charlie arrives by himself and he's.

[Ryder Strong]

Is it really called Downbeat Cafe?

[Danielle Fishel]

Sure is.

[Ryder Strong]

Sure is. Because it's way too.

[Will Friedle]

The Depressed Diamond Diner.

[Ryder Strong]

Exactly. Sad Sack Diner.

[Will Friedle]

Can I have the sad sack lunch, please? Sad Sack lunch. I'd like two spoiled eggs and some rotten milk, please.

[Danielle Fishel]

Thank you. While he waits for his usual table, he plays more video games on his Game Boy. He's now only had about 5% of his screen time without a controller in hand. Once seated, he orders his usual one roast beef with extra horseradish on the side. And he runs his hand the table over a carving that reads Kate and Charlie. We hear Kate's laugh in his head. She calls Charlie Romeo. That laugh was also a little terrifying as he just sadly stares off in the distance.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

He heads back to work, and one of his co workers, Kaplan, invites him to a double feature. Existence. And Videodrome extends. Oh, sorry. Exactly.

[Ryder Strong]

Existence. It's a classic. And Videodrome. Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

And video.

[Will Friedle]

So these are real movies.

[Ryder Strong]

Very good movies.

[Will Friedle]

Okay.

[Ryder Strong]

One is. Yeah, they're both Cronenberg films. They're really, really influential and very cool. And they're. They're all about video dramas. All about, like, video videos entering real life. So it's very simple. They're both the references that, you know.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes. They have heavily influenced game box 1.0.

[Ryder Strong]

Yes.

[Danielle Fishel]

Which is very good. Meanwhile, back at Charlie's home, he returns from a long day at work and collects his mail before heading inside. It includes that mysterious package we saw earlier.

[Will Friedle]

Biggest mailbox I've ever seen in Los Angeles.

[Ryder Strong]

I know. And they had to add that extra mailbox, as you notice, because the mailbox is regular size. And they were like, how we get the package in here? I don't know. Just get another mailbox that fits this

[Danielle Fishel]

next to this pen.

[Ryder Strong]

Yep, yep.

[Danielle Fishel]

He unpacks all the equipment and unfurls a paper. It reads, if you wish to play, put on headset. So he puts it on, and we see a laser style grid cover his brain before a skeleton of his face appears and then disappears. Just as quickly, he hears a robot voice.

[Ryder Strong]

This actually, I Think pretty effective use of visual effects like that. When you just get a glimmer like that and you're like, ooh, that's. That's creepy. I don't like that. That was cool.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, that's good.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

And then we hear a robot voice. Hello, Charlie. Welcome to game box 1.0. He's been chosen as a beta tester for the ultimate gaming experience, a new technology that customizes a game specifically to him. He's instructed to scan real people from his life to play characters in the game. Why? Charlie thinks this sounds weird, but is interrupted by a call from Kaplan. He got a new game in the mail to too. It's so much fun. He convinces Charlie to give it a try.

[Will Friedle]

Okay, so. So whatever this power is that has sent the game evil video game already manipulate all the people in his life. So he.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right.

[Ryder Strong]

So then why you can read his memory, right.

[Will Friedle]

And just put people in the game like Kate and all stuff who he didn't take a picture of. So why did it? What is the point of taking a picture of anybody?

[Danielle Fishel]

Well, I do think there was a point of. Of maybe it's very. Maybe this is very deep where the illusion of control. The illusion of you. No, you. You pick these characters and then when he refuses to do it, they're like, we're. Then we didn't want to have to do this. It's that idea. That's what they're.

[Ryder Strong]

And I think it's also like, who he picks explains something about him, right?

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes, about him.

[Ryder Strong]

So it's like even though they can read the memories, allowing him to choose, like, who the villain's gonna be, someone he doesn't like who his friends are gonna be. That is just.

[Will Friedle]

Okay.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah, you're right. I guess it's just. It's just another test to. To read his brain. Probably more to read his choices. Okay. It's like a survey, huh? Yeah.

[Will Friedle]

Okay.

[Danielle Fishel]

Love a survey.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah. What he should have done is taken a photo of his ex girlfriend. Because that's the only. No, because it also can read the memories of her.

[Will Friedle]

Reads everybody's memory. It's. So she's there without him doing anything. He already has. Has. They've already faked his friend calling. So it was like, well then why? What?

[Ryder Strong]

Huh.

[Danielle Fishel]

Well, at a different house. It's really good. At a different house, Charlie's guy friends and Michelle, the typical girl forced to watch boys play video games. She. They're gathered on the couch. Charlie immediately asks Michelle, mind if I take your picture? Like a real creepo yeah. And he says, it's for a video game. And she says no because she looks terrible. Worth noting. She looks great.

[Will Friedle]

She looks great.

[Danielle Fishel]

Instead, Charlie takes a picture of his friend John with what looks like a vape pen.

[Will Friedle]

Yep.

[Danielle Fishel]

And it's with that little thing he's holding onto.

[Will Friedle]

Or a laser pointer or something.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. Maybe a cat toy.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

The camera is pretty good production design, actually. I thought it was cool because it's like, you're like, oh, this is a weird, futuristic looking object. But I don't know. What bothered me about this scene was the amount of video game noise. We get it. They are playing a video game. I don't need to hear it the entire time. It was like, Jesus Christ, turn down the video game. Trying. Trying to watch a movie.

[Will Friedle]

My God, just sit down and watch the car.

[Danielle Fishel]

The camera flashes and appears to scan the boy completely. Charlie scans another one of his friends too. Charlie says he's just stopping by, but his friends complain that he needs to be more social. So he promises to come back to their house tomorrow for a barbecue once he leaves Michelle.

[Ryder Strong]

Right about here. I was like, my God, I hate this guy. Like, he's so sad. I get it. The girl dumped you. Get over it. I was like, we, we need to, like, have a reason to like this guy. And sure enough, here we get it. Wouldn't you know, she didn't just dump him.

[Danielle Fishel]

She did.

[Ryder Strong]

She. And here's where I was like.

[Will Friedle]

So they say dumbest shooting in the history of.

[Ryder Strong]

Before you even get there. Before you get there.

[Danielle Fishel]

Guys.

[Ryder Strong]

When you find out when somebody says his girlfriend was shot.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

And because she's dead.

[Danielle Fishel]

She was shot and killed.

[Ryder Strong]

They just move on. Yeah. Hold on.

[Will Friedle]

So many questions.

[Ryder Strong]

Somebody was shot? What?

[Will Friedle]

How?

[Ryder Strong]

Why? She just lets it go.

[Danielle Fishel]

Happens a lot apparently.

[Ryder Strong]

Imagine.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

It's not like, Jesus, how many people you know been shot? Like, you want to know about that? You want to like what? Tell me. Jesus.

[Will Friedle]

That's especially how it actually happens.

[Ryder Strong]

Yes. Oh, it's a crazy story. Let me tell you. She walked into a fence. She chose the wrong vacant lot to walk into and a cop shot her.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

Jesus Christ. Oh, you won't believe it. You didn't hear about this.

[Danielle Fishel]

I should have let him take my picture, take off my shirt.

[Ryder Strong]

Charlie's like, she was mid. Tragic. He should be suing the LAPD right now because he could have made millions of dollars.

[Will Friedle]

She was literally mid laugh.

[Ryder Strong]

Like, let's go to the fence, Charlie.

[Will Friedle]

Like, oh, God, what's happening? It was the worst shooting in history.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, well, back at Charlie's, he's looking sad as hell. It's really good. In his living room watching old videos of him and Kate at the beach. He's chasing her around and telling her to do a sexy dance. We. This was freezing when we did. So this was the only time I was. We were ever outside of the real world. Screen. In the real world.

[Ryder Strong]

Oh, well, this and the. And the shooting are your only scenes outside of green screen.

[Danielle Fishel]

Outside of green screen.

[Will Friedle]

Wow.

[Danielle Fishel]

And. And it was freezing, like 7am at the beach. And, you know, we had approximately one hour and it was like, all right, let's get all the footage we could possibly get.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah. Because Etch A sketches don't work that well in that cold. So you got to. Yeah, you got to get it as much as you can.

[Danielle Fishel]

Charlie turns the TV off and shifts his focus to a framed photo of Kate nearby. He grabs the vape pen and is about to take a picture of her, but he decides against it. Instead, he puts the headset back on and he learns about his next step. To take a picture of who the video game villain will be. The game will be enhanced if he captures someone he truly hates. Charlie grabs a scrapbook and opens it to reveal a newspaper clipping of a police officer. Officer. The headline explains he was responsible for a shooting and acquitted of all charges. Charlie gets a black and white flashback of him and Kate jokingly sneaking into a gated area, broad daylight.

[Will Friedle]

What?

[Ryder Strong]

I have so many more questions. Now. It's answering why she was shot, but all it does is create. Okay, why were you breaking into a vacant lot together?

[Danielle Fishel]

How was it so close to the beach?

[Ryder Strong]

I mean, if it was at night, night, and you were going to break into, like, you know, have some fun, sexy time in a place somewhere that you weren't supposed to be.

[Will Friedle]

If it was.

[Ryder Strong]

I don't know. But why does he shoot you, too? Like, my God.

[Will Friedle]

Your hands up, you're laughing like

[Ryder Strong]

you don't reach for anything. There's no gun.

[Danielle Fishel]

He was high.

[Will Friedle]

He was supposed to be high. I get that. We find that out later, but it's still like. Like it's.

[Ryder Strong]

But what's he. He's just hanging out in a corner of a lot, doing heroin and pills. If he was, like, with a group of other people, like, sketching or.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right. Or if we were like, are you doing drugs, sir? Please. You know, anything. Anything to even make him feel threatened in any way.

[Will Friedle]

Reach into your purse. I mean, something. But it was just you walking like,

[Ryder Strong]

this is the Best day ever.

[Danielle Fishel]

They don't see a cop on the other side. This movie's good. And when Kate sneaks in first, the cop tells her to freeze and then shoots her right in the chest.

[Will Friedle]

Did you get the squib?

[Danielle Fishel]

I did.

[Will Friedle]

Did you get all squibbed up?

[Danielle Fishel]

Did you get.

[Will Friedle]

Did it burn at all?

[Danielle Fishel]

No.

[Will Friedle]

Okay, that's good. Have you been squibbed ever, Ryder? No, never. You've never been shot in anything?

[Ryder Strong]

Is that true? I think that's true. I don't think I've ever gotten squibbed. I've been around squibs. I've seen them and you know.

[Danielle Fishel]

Do you want to explain to our dear listeners what a squib is?

[Ryder Strong]

A mini explosive and With a condom full of blood. Yeah. And then it just pops. And, and, and the explosive, usually they pre rip the clothes too, so that your clothes look like they blow out. I mean, they're really not used anymore because now it's all visual effect. So you don't.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah, it's the only time we're back in the day. A condom full of blood was a cool thing.

[Jensen Karp]

Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

God, I've never been squibbed.

[Will Friedle]

It was. It's fun too, to like. I mean, I've never been fully shut up, but I had one done for. And then you've got. Have you ever been in anything where you're. Where they're shooting, like they're ricocheting around you, so it's like a tree is exploding and like popping off things on tree. Like that's fun too. Is that kind of. Yeah, that movie magic, like old school movie magic. That stuff is really neat.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah.

[Will Friedle]

Hey, it's Will Friedle from Pod Meets World. It's hard to believe that the first phone call ever happened over 150 years ago. Just think about that. Over the last 150 years, so many special moments have happened with a phone call. I think back to the phone call I had to make on Hollywood Boulevard, back to my agents and New York York who told me that I booked the role of Eric Matthews on Boy Meets World. And it's one of the greatest phone calls I ever had in my life. I mean, hey, I even remember the phone call with Danielle and Ryder when we decided to start a podcast. That one wasn't as good. Almost four years later, here we are. And you know, over all these years and phone calls at&t has been there connecting people in meaningful ways. This is more than a story of technological innovation. It's a story of human connection.

[Danielle Fishel]

Connecting changes every. Everything AT T. Can I come clean about something?

[Ryder Strong]

This feels like a trap, but go ahead.

[Danielle Fishel]

I absolutely cut corners doing laundry.

[Will Friedle]

Oh yeah, same. I don't sort by color, I sort by vibes.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right there's could wear again probably fine and legally biohazard.

[Ryder Strong]

My gym clothes straight in with my delicates. Survival of the fittest.

[Will Friedle]

And jeans. I mean are we sure they even need was washing?

[Danielle Fishel]

Meanwhile, I've got a pile of kids clothes that's been sitting near the washer for so long it's basically a science project.

[Ryder Strong]

And this is why we need Arm and hammer Deep clean.

[Will Friedle]

It's the powerful shortcut that forgives all your, well, questionable laundry decisions.

[Danielle Fishel]

Even if you forget a load or your kids find a mud puddle that just needed a belly flop, Deep clean is strong enough to handle it.

[Ryder Strong]

Made for real life stinks and stains because let's be honest, there's no way to avoid them.

[Will Friedle]

It's just laundry. You shouldn't stress over it.

[Ryder Strong]

And now you don't have to.

[Danielle Fishel]

From the number one liquid detergent brand that tackles more loads than any other. Come clean with arm and hammer Deep

[Will Friedle]

clean number one claim based on total wash loads sold.

[Danielle Fishel]

Cat parents, gather round. Ryder and I have some important advice to share.

[Ryder Strong]

Guys, we have to stick together. Guys. Those of us with fur babies know the struggle. We understand the feeling of being ignored by our cat cats.

[Danielle Fishel]

But that's why we're here to help. Because sometimes I find myself wondering, does my cat even love me?

[Ryder Strong]

And there's only one solution to solve that. Sheba.

[Danielle Fishel]

You could be adored by everyone and still completely ignored by your cat.

[Ryder Strong]

It's time to feed your cat Sheba and go from feeling ignored to truly adored in 12 days guaranteed or your money back.

[Danielle Fishel]

The promised land is here. Turn things around for your feline with Sheba's menu of products, appetizers, entrees, treats and even a kitten's menu.

[Ryder Strong]

Even the pickiest eater will love their new grilled entrees.

[Danielle Fishel]

Just snap, peel and serve for two gourmet servings and zero messy leftovers.

[Ryder Strong]

Its protein rich formula is made with real chicken and seafood. 100% complete and balanced with essential vitamins and nutrients for adult cats, which my bill is.

[Danielle Fishel]

But we don't call him old, we call him experienced.

[Ryder Strong]

It's made in the USA with the finest ingredients from around the world world.

[Danielle Fishel]

No artificial flavors or preservatives. No corn, wheat or soy.

[Ryder Strong]

So even when they're licking the bowl clean, you can know you're doing the right thing.

[Danielle Fishel]

Treat your cats right and introduce them to the delicious delicacies of Sheba.

[Ryder Strong]

To learn more, check out sheba.com.

[Will Friedle]

ryder, what's your favorite thing about summer?

[Ryder Strong]

Well, as you know, we are a big camping family and even though it's wildly difficult to take a whole family on the road, I absolutely love.

[Will Friedle]

Well, what if I told you there was a way to manage the chaos?

[Ryder Strong]

Go on.

[Will Friedle]

Every member knows Walmart plus is summer's greatest shortcut. With free same day delivery on groceries and more, you could save yourself an errand run or a sleepless night under the stars.

[Ryder Strong]

Who knew?

[Will Friedle]

And that's not all, my friend. Walmart members also get a choice of Peacock or Paramount plus included at no additional cost.

[Ryder Strong]

Perfect for the kiddos in the backseat just wanting to know when we arrive at the next campsite.

[Will Friedle]

Exactly. Exactly. Join Walmart Plus. It's worth it.

[Ryder Strong]

$35 minimum for free delivery. Separate registration required for video streaming. Choice terms apply.

[Danielle Fishel]

Well, Kate, trust falls to the ground and then Charlie is holding her lifeless in his lap. Back in reality, Charlie angrily takes a picture of the cop and the video game warns him that once he begins his ultimate gaming experience experience. He won't be able to quit. Charlie takes the warning with a grain of salt and presses the dreaded start button. And we're now in the game. Charlie's body pixelates and he's wearing an all white jumpsuit against an all white background. His depressed wearing sweats all day vibe has morphed into spiky hair and a smile. The game gives him options of where to start. Zombieland, Crime Spree or Alien Planet.

[Ryder Strong]

And immediately I was like my God. Crime Spree seems a little insensitive given what we've just seen in your flashback.

[Danielle Fishel]

I right.

[Ryder Strong]

And yet he chooses Crime Spree.

[Danielle Fishel]

That's what he wants. Yeah, sounds seems so fun.

[Will Friedle]

I think this is right around run

[Ryder Strong]

around with guns shooting people.

[Will Friedle]

It is though. This is like around the first Grand Theft Auto, I think, which was like the biggest thing in the world.

[Ryder Strong]

But your girlfriend was killed.

[Danielle Fishel]

How do we graphics bad. Okay, that's good. I like that. That's good. Charlie picks Crime Spree and is immediately transport there. Rap music plays as Charlie, now in sunglasses in a hip suit, walks through city streets amongst other pixelated people and speeding cars. He gets new instructions. If he's wounded, a heart icon will restore his health. He has no health meter, so he's going to have to gauge his strength himself. He can use whatever weapon he'd like. And now a newly confident Charlie is adamant he will learn as he Goes. And so the game begins and it's all very Grand Theft Auto.

[Ryder Strong]

First thing we do, beat up this random black guy and take his car. Take his car.

[Will Friedle]

Gca. Yes.

[Danielle Fishel]

That's what happens in gt.

[Ryder Strong]

She gets into the car and the music kicks in. And the song is saying, this is not a game. Those are the lyrics. This is not a game. First instance of just the song saying, what's happening.

[Will Friedle]

Kate was shot dead.

[Ryder Strong]

Welcome to the crowd spree. Good job, Garrett.

[Will Friedle]

Depressed guy eats sandwich. Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

After the hijacking.

[Ryder Strong]

Horseradish.

[Danielle Fishel]

He asks the game what the ultimate goal is. And the voice responds only to stay alive. Charlie finally arrives at a nightclub with a line of people outside. The bouncer recognizes him and leads him to Ao Shan, who's expecting him. Through narration, we learn that Ao Shan was a low level hood until someone slashed his throat. Then he came back as a. A bad Aushan is practicing in a dojo hidden inside the crowded clubs.

[Ryder Strong]

Always gotta have a club scene.

[Danielle Fishel]

All crowded clubs.

[Ryder Strong]

Crowded clubs in the the early aughts, late 90s. I feel like we're always a club scene to go meet the drug boss. It's just.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, well, they're money. They're money laundering is what it is. The villain is wearing that creepy mask the killer in the opening was wearing. And once he takes it off, we see that it's the police. Police officer who killed Kate. Charlie is told he'll need to retrieve a briefcase for the villain. And when he questions why, he's told he has no choice. On his way out, Charlie casually accept a gun and is just on his way. Here, take this gun here.

[Ryder Strong]

Then he beats up somebody else and takes their motorcycle. And the music says, I am the man. I do just what I want to do. Yeah, that's the song all right. That's the song. I am the best.

[Danielle Fishel]

Well, he steals the motorcycle and he ends up in a tough south side neighborhood. He spots some bad guys holding the briefcase hostage, so he ducks for cover and finds some extra health for later. With that, he makes a beeline to the criminals and opens fire, only to find out a character he has killed has one of his friends. Faces Charlie's disturbed and asks the game to wipe all the data he uploaded, but it's just not possible.

[Will Friedle]

See, and this is when I thought it was gonna be like, oh, and now he's actually killing his friends in real life. Just killed his friend.

[Ryder Strong]

That's not a bad twist.

[Will Friedle]

I like that none of that happened. I also did like the fact and I thought this was it was interesting. They blew past it, but that he didn't get any special powers for being in there. It's like you're just what you got. It's like that's it, right?

[Danielle Fishel]

That's it.

[Will Friedle]

Which was interesting. It's like, yeah, it's actually you. We're not making you super strong or any of that kind of stuff. That makes sense, right?

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. Charlie continues with his mission anyway and retrieves a key to unlock the car trunk. As soon as he opens it, he finds Kate. She's alive. She asks Charlie to help her out, but she doesn't recognize him or respond to her name. And then he's shot. He falls to the ground and he feels actual pain. He asks the game why it hurts and they simply explain, well, he's been wounded. He asks to leave the game, but he's reminded he can't quit. The gunman is inching closer and closer. So Charlie quickly rattles off exit, pause, quit, whatever I have to say. And then finally, flash, he's back in the real world.

[Will Friedle]

So you can quit.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

Well, it only gives him one more chance after this.

[Will Friedle]

Right, but if he decided to not put the thing back on again, then that would have just been it.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Will Friedle]

So you can't quit.

[Ryder Strong]

Well, no, because later it just enters his life. He's back in just because he's in a coma.

[Will Friedle]

Right, But I think that's because he goes back in a second time and then he quits again. And after that is when the flashbacks really start to get him or the, the, the hallucinations really start to get him. He's seeing a little bit, but if he just never puts the thing on again, then he's done. Yeah, so, so you can't.

[Danielle Fishel]

I think you're right that this time he, he, they let him quit. And then the like to writer's point, the voice says, we can't keep helping you, Charlie. Right, so they've helped him this time. But yeah, you can quit at least once. Okay.

[Will Friedle]

Just trying to get the rules down. They seem a little muddled.

[Danielle Fishel]

Really, it's good. Depressed looking, Charlie springs up, holding his shoulder in disbelief. He takes the helmet off and notices it's already 9:36 in the morning. He rushes out of the house to his car, dropping his keys along the way. And when he stands up from retrieving them, he sees the gunman in the reflection of his window.

[Will Friedle]

This is where they also miss something. He should have gotten up. And once he gotten up, he should have been like, ah, like his shoulder hurt. That like they actually. It still hurts in the real world. Like the guy who's. All his organs were liquefied by the fake sword or whatever in the beginning.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right, Right.

[Will Friedle]

There should have been some damage in the real world due to what's happening in the game.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. He quickly turns around, but no one's there. He gets into his car and speeds off to work. And then we're at TBI Technologies. Charlie rushes in and asks Kaplan if he experienced anything weird with the game. But Kaplan has no idea what he's talking about. He claims he never even called Charlie yesterday. Yesterday. And this is also when I noticed Kaplan has a large poster of a sandwich in his cubicle.

[Will Friedle]

Sweet.

[Danielle Fishel]

I know. Who else? Their supervisor walks in to scold them and tells Charlie he looks like crap. Then, after sending a single email, Charlie pulls out his wallet to look at a picture of Cage holding birthday balloons.

[Ryder Strong]

This is where he sends the email to something about level four. There's a bug.

[Danielle Fishel]

Lots of bugs and glitches.

[Will Friedle]

Lots of bugs and glitches.

[Ryder Strong]

Lots of bugs.

[Will Friedle]

I want to look at kids. Kate again.

[Ryder Strong]

I mean, it should just cut to Patrick Rena pulling out a sandwich picture in his wallet.

[Will Friedle]

I remember when I ate this last. Then you cut the sandwich. Sandwich breaking into to like a company picking a cop, shooting it like, oh God, my sandwich. Just holding a ham sandwich.

[Ryder Strong]

No.

[Will Friedle]

Why?

[Ryder Strong]

Why?

[Danielle Fishel]

Sad music plays in the background. Cause she did. And then we're back at Charlie's house. Charlie's staring at the terrifying new video game helmet in confusion when the phone rings. It's his friend from the barbecue. Charlie blows them off and puts the helmet back on. Before he's transported back into the game, he asks if Kaplan really called yesterday. The robot game voice explains they just made him hear what he needed to hear. Here Charlie asks to be put back in the game so he can see Kate again. And so we are back in the game world. Charlie picks up.

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah, so it seems like there's this whole free will element that's like necessary. And I do think that story wise it is right. Like if. If he was just trapped from the moment he put on the thing, the

[Will Friedle]

movie, he has to want to go back in.

[Ryder Strong]

Yes, he has to want to go back in and keep choosing it just for the sake of story. But you're right for real logic reasons. If the video game was truly an evil mind control device, it would have just trapped him the second and put it on and be done. And it's never explained why it would give him the option of fruit like, to not.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. Why? Why does it seem to him to choose it?

[Will Friedle]

Yeah, right.

[Danielle Fishel]

Why does it. Yeah. Like, also, I'm assuming, did they not do this for the kid who died before him? Like, did they. Did they. Were they hoping for someone? Maybe the point of the game is actually to fix your life. So they do want you to win.

[Will Friedle]

Well, it keeps saying. One of the lines they keep saying is, this is not a punishment, Charlie.

[Ryder Strong]

Right.

[Will Friedle]

Like, why are you doing this to me?

[Ryder Strong]

And he does win, right? I mean, he wins by. By beating the game at its own game. Like, he doesn't play by its rules. He, you know, finds a way to, like, sort of best it, and then it's, like, impressed by that and sets him free.

[Danielle Fishel]

Well, not only does it set him free, but then Charlie sets himself free right, from living this depressed life.

[Will Friedle]

He decides video game Kate kind of comes back back in another form.

[Danielle Fishel]

Exactly.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

Or is he still caught in the simulation for the rest of his life? At the end, it's all a simulation.

[Will Friedle]

That's.

[Ryder Strong]

That's the after real ending.

[Will Friedle]

After ending is just still him in the hospital bed.

[Ryder Strong]

Exactly.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

I mean, that's what Nightmare on Elm street does, right? It's like we think he's gone, and then we're still in the dream at the end.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. Charlie picks up from exactly where he was shot. He uses his health to get back to normal, then shoots the gunman and rescues excuse Kate, now with the briefcase. Briefcase cuffed to Kate in the passenger seat. He speeds off in the bad guy's car. Kate breaks the news that her name is actually Princess and she's a real cold fish to him.

[Ryder Strong]

So in the script, did it say Princess for all your lights? All right, Princess.

[Danielle Fishel]

It said Princess slash Kate.

[Ryder Strong]

Really?

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. If I remember correctly, I have a terrible memory.

[Ryder Strong]

Do you remember making a copy of this script?

[Danielle Fishel]

No, I do not have a copy of the script. I wonder if Nate does.

[Will Friedle]

I hope so.

[Danielle Fishel]

She asks. It's really good. She asks how long Charlie's worked at the observatory and then quickly realizes he isn't there to save her. He's there for the briefcase. Charlie says he's going to Aoan, and she scoffs, then punches him, causing him to swerve to the side of the road.

[Ryder Strong]

It is nice. I like this touch, the whole, like, the princess who's there to be saved. But then she's like, screw you.

[Will Friedle]

And she's certainly not Kate. You can tell that this is not a woman who just gets shot walking into an abandoned lot. Princess.

[Danielle Fishel]

No, this is the best day ever. She jumps out and walks away, but he's able to quickly catch up because she does not walk very fast. He promises he won't hurt her and suggests they go somewhere they can be alone. She assumes he means for sexual relations, but he clarifies just to talk and eat. Then he shots the familiar depressed dude cafe. They transport inside.

[Will Friedle]

I'll take the proac pasta. I'll have a clapin shake and the pro pasta.

[Danielle Fishel]

Thanks.

[Will Friedle]

Everybody in there just depressed all the time.

[Danielle Fishel]

They both order the same thing. A roast beef sandwich with extra horseradish on the side. Charlie asks for each other and it all aligns perfectly with with Kate's. Then he notices the Kate and Charlie carving is on the table. Charlie asks about the briefcase she's cuffed to, but all she'll say is that it needs to go to the professor at Blue Mountain Observatory. Charlie then notices some shady people in the cafe and realizes they're being ambushed. He tries to leave with Princess but is again shot. He ends up with a gaping hole in his chest laid out on the floor and the screen turns red. Charlie is immediately transported back to an earlier scene in the diner when Princess refuses to tell him what's in the briefcase. We see that Charlie lost one of his three lives. He begs the game to stop, but they remind him he can't quit. The scene replays and this time when a bullet is barreling toward his head, the game pauses. The robot voice reveals this is the last time they will help. We're back in the real world.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah. Twice can.

[Danielle Fishel]

Charlie wakes up and instantly throws the helmet and equipment back into its box. He's exhausted. He has no idea why. So he decides to take a shot shower. But once he's in the bathroom, he gets paranoid and shouts out hello, Is anybody there? When there's no response, he resumes showering. But then the waiter from the diner appears and shoots him from point blank range. But he's gone as quickly as he appeared. It was apparently just his imagination. Now outside, Charlie looks around warily and walks to his car, eventually holding up his hands and commanding keys. But he's not in the game. He laughs to himself and then returns to his routine. It's good. At TBI Technologies, again, his supervisor Mark asks if he's here's I was a

[Ryder Strong]

little confused because he's never had to ask for keys in the game either.

[Will Friedle]

No, no.

[Danielle Fishel]

But what he never even says never

[Ryder Strong]

say because he just grabs. He beats people up for cars. He never has to have keys. So it was A little weird that he's suddenly asking for okay, right?

[Danielle Fishel]

They could have put a couple instances of keys and something and something in there. It's still good though. His supervisor Mark, asks if he's hungover. Charlie says no, then asks if he's heard of any new virtual reality systems. Mark says Nintendo's working on goggles, but he knows nothing about what Charlie's received. Charlie's back at his desk testing another video game, but he keeps almost falling asleep. Finally, his eyes shut and he hears the monologue voice from the game. He has slipped back into the game. He's in the diner with Princess just as they're about to be ambushed. The robot voice explains he doesn't even need the headset anymore. Charlie acts fast, but he lost all his weapons when he died. So he secures the waiter's gun and shoots both bad guys before they can make a first move. He grabs Princess to leave, but he freezes and his nose starts bleeding.

[Will Friedle]

Hey, it's Will Friedle from Pod Meets World. It's hard to believe that the first phone call ever happened over 150 years years ago. Just think about that. Over the last 150 years, so many special moments have happened with a phone call. I think back to the phone call I had to make on Hollywood Boulevard, back to my agents in New York who told me that I booked the role of Eric Matthews on Boy Meets World. And it's one of the greatest phone calls I ever had in my life. I mean, hey, I even remember the phone call with Danielle and Ryder when we decided to start a podcast. That one wasn't as good. Almost four years later, here we are, and you. And you know, over all these years and phone calls, AT&T has been there, connecting people in meaningful ways. This is more than a story of technological innovation. It's a story of human connection.

[Danielle Fishel]

Connecting changes everything. @&t. Can I come clean about something?

[Ryder Strong]

This feels like a trap, but go ahead.

[Danielle Fishel]

I absolutely cut corners doing laundry.

[Will Friedle]

Oh yeah, same. I don't sort by color, I sort by vibes.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right there's could wear again probably fine and legally. Biohazard.

[Ryder Strong]

My gym clothes straight in with my delicates. Survival of the fittest.

[Will Friedle]

And jeans. I mean, are we sure they even need washing?

[Danielle Fishel]

Meanwhile, I've got a pile of kids clothes that's been sitting near the washer for so long, it's basically a science project.

[Ryder Strong]

And this is why we need arm and hammer. Deep clean.

[Will Friedle]

It's the powerful shortcut that forgives all your, well, questionable laundry decisions.

[Danielle Fishel]

Even if you forget a load or your kids find a mud puddle that just needed a belly flop, Deep clean is strong enough to handle it.

[Ryder Strong]

Made for real life stinks and stains because let's be honest, there's no way to avoid them.

[Will Friedle]

It's just laundry. You shouldn't stress over it.

[Ryder Strong]

And now you don't have to.

[Danielle Fishel]

From the number one liquid detergent brand that tackles more loads than any other. Come clean with arm and hammer.

[Will Friedle]

Deep clean number one claim based on total wash load.

[Ryder Strong]

Sold.

[Danielle Fishel]

Cat parents, gather round. Ryder and I have some important advice to share.

[Ryder Strong]

Guys, we have to stick together. Guys. Those of us with fur babies know the struggle. We understand the feeling of being ignored by our cats.

[Danielle Fishel]

But that's why we're here to help. Because sometimes I find myself wondering, does my cat even love me?

[Ryder Strong]

And there's only one solution to solve that. Sheba.

[Danielle Fishel]

You could be adored by everyone and still completely ignored by your your cat.

[Ryder Strong]

It's time to feed your cat Sheba and go from feeling ignored to truly adored in 12 days guaranteed or your money back.

[Danielle Fishel]

The promised land is here. Turn things around for your feline with Sheba's menu of products, appetizers, entrees, treats and even a kitten's menu.

[Ryder Strong]

Even the pickiest eater will love their new grilled entrees.

[Danielle Fishel]

Just snap, peel and serve for two gourmet servings and zero messy leftovers.

[Ryder Strong]

Its protein rich formula is made with real chicken and seafood, 100% complete and balanced with essential vitamins and nutrients for adult cats.

[Danielle Fishel]

Which my bill is. But we don't call him old, we call him experienced.

[Ryder Strong]

It's made in the USA with the finest ingredients from around the world.

[Danielle Fishel]

No artificial flavors or preservatives. No corn, wheat or soy.

[Ryder Strong]

So even when they're licking the bowl clean, you can know you're doing the right thing.

[Danielle Fishel]

Treat your cats right and introduce them to the delicious delicacies of Sheba.

[Ryder Strong]

To learn more, check out sheba.com.

[Will Friedle]

ryder, what's your favorite thing about summer?

[Ryder Strong]

Well, as you know, we are a big camping family. And even though it's wildly difficult to take a whole family on the road, I absolutely love it.

[Will Friedle]

Well, what if I told you there was a way to manage the chaos?

[Ryder Strong]

Go on.

[Will Friedle]

Every member knows Walmart plus is summer's greatest shortcut. With free same day delivery on groceries and more, you could save yourself an errand run or a sleepless night under the stars.

[Ryder Strong]

Who knew?

[Will Friedle]

And that's not all, my friend. Walmart plus members also get chance a choice of Peacock or Paramount. Plus included at no additional cost.

[Ryder Strong]

Perfect for the kiddos in the back seat. Just wanting to know when we arrive at the next campsite.

[Will Friedle]

Exactly. Join Walmart. Plus, it's worth it.

[Ryder Strong]

$35 minimum for free delivery. Separate registration required for video streaming. Choice terms apply.

[Danielle Fishel]

Back to the real world. Charlie's asleep at work and his friend is nudging him and waiting him up. It's time for lunch. Charlie's not hungry. He heads for the break room for coffee. But when his supervisor, Mark, walks up behind him, Charlie's vision blurs and he sees him as a character from the game. His reality and the crime Spree game are morphing together. Charlie drops the coffee pot and it shatters everywhere. Mark notices that his employee is freaking out and he asks if he's on something. Charlie says no, but admits it feels like he hasn't slept in weeks. Mark tells him to go see a doctor and to get the some rest. And now we're at Dr. Blake's office. Charlie's visibly ill, sweating and rocking back and forth. The nurse informs him there are no more appointments available today, but he begs for help. She can only pencil him in for Next Thursday at 10am but if he's really as sick as he claims, he should go to the hospital next door. Charlie starts hallucinating again, seeing the receptionist's face is a clown. So he runs out of the office as fast as possible, only to find a gunman standing at the end of the hallway.

[Will Friedle]

But I love how he freak. He freaks out. He's obviously having the worst day. It's she looks awful, and the lady's like, are you all right?

[Danielle Fishel]

I know.

[Will Friedle]

Like, I'm at a doctor's office freaking

[Danielle Fishel]

out, telling you it's the worst day ever. I need to see the doctor.

[Will Friedle]

Hey, are you okay?

[Danielle Fishel]

He convinces himself no one is there, and voila, he's gone. Charlie runs into the elevator and asks the game if he's currently playing. It says no, which feels like a lie. Then the elevator crashes and Charlie grabs the emergency phone. A demented voice screams at him, we can't let you leave, Charlie. Then out of nowhere, the cop sprints at him and holds him up by the throat. He threatens, you can't escape me. And then disappears. Charlie holds onto the railing for dear life. Just as the elevator returns to normal, he steps out to see a man standing right outside. Charlie jumps at the side of him, but it's just a normal dude. So he snaps out of his paranoia and walks, walks away. Outside the doctor's office Charlie is limping towards his car when he sees that a cop is giving him a ticket. He tries to explain, but when the cop turns around, we see it's Kate's killer. The cop asks what his problem is and Charlie laughs. He thinks the game is messing with him. He sounds like he's losing his mind, but the cop finds it amusing. He stuffs the ticket in Charlie's pocket and tells him he knows exactly what Charlie needs. He pushes Charlie into an alley. Alley. And grabs a bag of drugs hidden underneath a staircase.

[Ryder Strong]

All right, so he's a crooked cop selling drugs.

[Will Friedle]

Yep.

[Ryder Strong]

But he decides that Charlie is gonna buy drugs for him just based on his behavior. Like he's just.

[Danielle Fishel]

He thinks he's tripping.

[Will Friedle]

He thinks he's on drugs and he needs more.

[Ryder Strong]

And therefore he needs more.

[Will Friedle]

More.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. Yeah. Wow.

[Ryder Strong]

That's an aggressive crooked cop.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

Honestly.

[Danielle Fishel]

He offers Charlie uppers, downers, laughers, screamers, or ticklers. It's good. Charlie finally realizes.

[Will Friedle]

You have to ask.

[Ryder Strong]

I don't know what a tickler is.

[Will Friedle]

I'll get you ticklers. I can get you right now. I got a tickler guy.

[Danielle Fishel]

Charlie finally realizes the cop is real. With this new revelation, Charlie yells, you killed my girlfriend. How could you think a 17 year old like Kate had a gun? The cop responds by pushing him against a wall. He says Kate's death was an accident, but considering the cop just tried to sell him drugs, Charlie assumes he was high when it happened. The cop punches him in the stomach and Charlie collapses to the floor, gasping for air. Charlie starts to hallucinate again and the screen goes black. Now we're at the hospital. Charlie's hooked up to machines with a doctor and a nurse trying to wake him. The hallucinations start again and Charlie is back in the game, looking at his hospital bed as an observer. He hears Princess's voice and is thrown back into the cafe where he killed those two. Two men. He spots Ao Shun at the front door, so he grabs Princess and runs downstairs. They get to a tunnel that looks like and sounds like the inside of an intestine. Ao Shun and his sword are right on their tail. Charlie directs Princess through a floating window. And while he shoots at the bad guy over and over and over again without even one successful hit, they escape through first a cloud like portal, then into a tornado looking portal. And then finally they land in a desert landscape. Scape her on top of him by

[Will Friedle]

the way him blocking the bullets with the sword.

[Danielle Fishel]

Chef's kiss. Yeah. So good. Princess is straddling Charlie and half heartedly thanks him for saving their lives. Confused about their new surroundings, Charlie confirms with the game that he only has four bullets left. Charlie calls this is the worst game he's ever played. But Princess has no clue why he thinks this is a game. She reminds him how important the briefcase is, but she still won't tell Charlie what's in it. They hear growling in the distance. Just as they wonder what it is, they are attacked by a shadowy human figure that has holes for eyes. Yes.

[Will Friedle]

This is when they really. The graphics really started to kill. Yeah, I mean, when I was like, now. Now they've got. Once we've gotten to Zombieland, I'm like, okay. I mean.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, my gosh.

[Ryder Strong]

So on set, were you seeing anything about, like.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure these were just people in blue. Blue.

[Ryder Strong]

Green suit.

[Danielle Fishel]

Green suits. Yeah.

[Will Friedle]

No, this wasn't mocap at the time, Right? Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

So they were just jumping around, you guys. Wow, that's hard to hold on. But I. I guess I meant were you seeing, like, visuals of what the. Like, the world was looking like? So you just were told, like, this is a door and there's a jungle around you.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, no, we weren't even told that. It was just like, and now you've fallen and you're in another world and. Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

Were you, like, what was the vibe on set? Were you and Nate taking it seriously and, like, committed to it? Or were you guys, like, just kind of goofing off and then being like, oh, we're rolling. Guess we gotta do this silly scene. Cause he's, you know, I feel like he's taking it pretty seriously.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes, we were. We were taking it pretty seriously. There were were, of course, moments where we were either frustrated or very tired or at max capacity for being able. And. And we would then privately be like, oh, my God, I can't believe we're fucking doing this. Like, I. I have to go run around. By the way, all the running. We're in not that big of a space. We were running in circles. Just running in circles in different. Different directions. Running in circles. And I. I have a handcuff on, carrying a briefcase. And just, you know, and then. Oh, the bullets and this alien guy. And. And being told the graphics. The graphics are great. The gra. It looks.

[Ryder Strong]

Trust me, it's going to look real. It's going to be. It's going to look good.

[Will Friedle]

You're being told it's going to look great.

[Ryder Strong]

So you have to commit. You have to believe in the fantasy. Other.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah. Yeah, Yeah. I will say Nate and I became. We were very bonded. We were very bond. We were. It was just the two of us for days on end.

[Ryder Strong]

Right.

[Danielle Fishel]

And Earl, I mean, 18 hour days.

[Ryder Strong]

Oh, wow.

[Danielle Fishel]

Just full, long, long days. Yeah. It was, it was not. It was not an easy process, but it didn't go on for very long, thankfully. It is good, though. Princess kills it just before it can devour Charlie and they realize these are zombies.

[Ryder Strong]

Well, I have a couple more questions about production. Are there dressing rooms? What scale?

[Danielle Fishel]

Do we have dressing rooms? We had trailers.

[Ryder Strong]

You did have trailers.

[Danielle Fishel]

We did. We had Honey Wagons.

[Will Friedle]

Okay.

[Ryder Strong]

Okay. Because, I mean, I've definitely been on films where there's literally no dressing rooms. There's just sitting on set. Okay, so you had trailers. Was this film.

[Will Friedle]

Was it 35 millimeter film?

[Ryder Strong]

Film?

[Danielle Fishel]

No, no, I don't think so.

[Will Friedle]

It was early digital, right?

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah. Okay, sure.

[Danielle Fishel]

I don't like films.

[Will Friedle]

I don't like films or TV or video games.

[Ryder Strong]

Are there ads? A script supervisor? Like, is there a crew?

[Will Friedle]

Is a full crew?

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, there is a very small crew.

[Ryder Strong]

Okay.

[Danielle Fishel]

There was, you know, heron makeup.

[Will Friedle]

Okay.

[Danielle Fishel]

There was a wardrobe person. There was a script supervisor. There was a script supervisor.

[Ryder Strong]

But the lighting is just sort of basic. Like, they set up. They just light you guys in the room, and then you're just in an empty room running around. Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yes, yes. I'm. I. The lighting. I am lit, like, the lighting currently.

[Ryder Strong]

Okay.

[Danielle Fishel]

A ring light. Throw some light on. They're. They're lit.

[Will Friedle]

But all practical props. You're holding guns. You're doing that.

[Danielle Fishel]

It's like we're holding fake guns. My briefcase was real. I, I. My briefcase. Real. Real handcuffs. Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

Okay.

[Danielle Fishel]

Any other questions? Writer?

[Ryder Strong]

No. Cool.

[Danielle Fishel]

Not yet.

[Ryder Strong]

Okay. That gave me a good image of, like, you know what we're dealing.

[Danielle Fishel]

I do. One of the other things I remember is the, the window that we crawl through and stuff was a. Just, just a window all by itself. So in the middle, just picture a big empty room, like a staircase, a ladder, a wood ladder. And then a window. A wood. Wood. Very basic window. Like, oh, we need a window. Let me. Do you have four pieces of wood? Let me put. I'll build a window. Window. And then us diving through it. Which another thing is that, you know, practically also is kind of painful. No stunt people.

[Ryder Strong]

No.

[Will Friedle]

You have a whole stunt crew on this.

[Danielle Fishel]

No, stunt crew. Did all our own stunts. Yeah. It's good. He asks why they're in Zombieland when he chose Crime Spree and the robot voice reveals they'll end up in every game if they play long. Long enough. Charlie manages to kill all five zombies with just four bullets remaining. But then more zombies appear in the distance, so they make a run for it. Soon after they leave, Aushan gracefully floats down from the sky and kills all the zombies with his sword and a smile. Meanwhile, Charlie and Princess are grasping for. Meanwhile Charlie.

[Ryder Strong]

I'm sorry. Why?

[Will Friedle]

Why? Why is he. Isn't he the bad guy? So why is he killing all the zombies? Isn't he supposed to be like the main bad guy? So shouldn't all the other bad things in the in the world be working

[Ryder Strong]

him or for him?

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, but I guess because it's a different world, he. He. They aren't.

[Ryder Strong]

He's earning their trust first, right?

[Will Friedle]

By killing them all.

[Ryder Strong]

Oh, right.

[Danielle Fishel]

It's just so good.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

I mean, that's the problem. All. All logic goes out of the window once the video game's in charge of everything and in charge of all the characters within its own context.

[Will Friedle]

And why wouldn't he be the head of the zombie zombies? The same way he's the head of all the guys in Crime Spree and then the head of the aliens. Because he's the main bad guy.

[Ryder Strong]

Right?

[Danielle Fishel]

Isn't it though that in every world they want the briefcase, Right? They're only working for Aun in Crime Spree. Crime Spree is the bad guy for. I mean, Oshan is the bad guy from Crime Spirit Spree. He beats Crime Spree. And AO Shun somehow manages to follow them into this world where the zombies. There's a new bad guy now. Not Blue Mountain Observatory, but Blue Mountain Industries. Someone else wants the briefcase, but AO Shun is like, no, it's mine. And he follows them into this world. So those zombies actually aren't going to listen to Aan. They're going to listen to whoever their bad guy is.

[Will Friedle]

But what if he picked because they tell him at the beginning, pick your main bad guy guy. So what if he didn't pick Crime Spree? What if he started with Zombie and he still picked the cop? Who would he have been then?

[Danielle Fishel]

I don't know.

[Ryder Strong]

We should meet that guy. So basically, every game should have a bad guy. That's the cop. Like an avatar of the cops. And they could be partnering up per

[Will Friedle]

from game to game, the bad zombie. That's a great rewrite.

[Ryder Strong]

That's a great rewrite. Let's go back and punch up Punch the script.

[Danielle Fishel]

Too bad I wasn't talking to you guys during this time. We could really could have made this better. Meanwhile, Charlie and Princess are gasping for air as they continue to walk through a never ending jungle. The landscape then turns into a digital grid, then into green trees in an old spooky house. Charlie suggests they stop inside for a moment. Once through the front door, they spot a single ax lying on a table and Charlie decides he can use it to break Princess free from the briefcase. But she won't let him. Charlie points out all the reasons this is obviously not revealed. Real life. He downplays her as just a character who resembles someone that was very important to him. And then as she insists she's not a character, someone runs into the house. It's not a zombie or aan. It's Charlie's friend Peter. Peter appears real and he knows Charlie and Kate. When Charlie was found by cops unconscious in an alley, Peter ran to his apartment, saw the headset and put it on. The game led Peter to the scary house. But Charlie's still having a hard time believing this story. He gets confirmation from the robot voice that he is telling the truth. Then with the zombie shrieks getting closer, they decide to make a run for it, carefully sneaking out of the house. We get an insane chase scene with the kids running through a foggy jungle at warp speed. Yes, Will, I have a question.

[Will Friedle]

Why give him two sets of friends? Why do you need friends at work and then the whole other barbecue Friends? Like why isn't Patrick Rena and all the video game guys, why aren't they?

[Danielle Fishel]

Cuz the budget was so big.

[Will Friedle]

That's what I'm saying. Why do you need two sets of friends? What was the point of the two sets of friends?

[Danielle Fishel]

Right?

[Will Friedle]

Cuz Patrick Rena never gets into video. The video game land. You've got Patrick Rena. Why would you not use him in the video game?

[Ryder Strong]

I think you were right. They only had Patrick for like.

[Will Friedle]

I think he had him for like three hours or whatever. We can shoot out this because it doesn't make any sense to give him two sets of like why give him two sets of friends?

[Danielle Fishel]

Right? Yeah, you're right.

[Will Friedle]

Hey, it's Will Friedle from Pod Meets World. It's hard to believe that the first phone call ever happened over 150 years years ago. Just think about that. Over the last 150 years, so many special moments have happened with a phone call. I think back to the phone call I had to make on Hollywood Boulevard. Back to my agents in New York who told me that I booked the role of Eric Matthews on Boy Meets World. And it's one of the greatest phone calls I ever had in my life. I mean, hey, I even remember the phone call with Danielle and Ryder when we decided to start a podcast. That one wasn't as good. Almost four years later, here we are. And. And, you know, over all these years and phone calls at&t has been there, connecting people in meaningful ways. This is more than a story of technological innovation. It's a story of human connection.

[Danielle Fishel]

Connecting changes everything. @&t. Can I come clean about something?

[Ryder Strong]

Uh, this feels like a trap, but go ahead.

[Danielle Fishel]

I absolutely cut corners doing laundry.

[Will Friedle]

Oh, yeah, same. I don't sort by color, I sort by vibes.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right. There's could wear again, probably fine and legally biohazard.

[Ryder Strong]

My gym clothes straight in with my delicates. Survival of the fittest.

[Will Friedle]

And jeans. I mean, are we sure they even need washing?

[Danielle Fishel]

Meanwhile, I've got a pile of kids clothes that's been sitting near the washer for so long, it's basically a science project.

[Ryder Strong]

And this is why we need Arm and Hammer Deep Clean.

[Will Friedle]

It's the powerful shortcut that forgives all your, well, questionable laundry decisions.

[Danielle Fishel]

Even if you forget a load or your kids find a mud puddle that just needed a belly flop, Deep Clean is strong enough to handle it.

[Ryder Strong]

Made for real life stinks and stains because, let's be honest, there's no way to avoid them.

[Will Friedle]

It's just laundry. You shouldn't stress over it.

[Ryder Strong]

And now you don't have to.

[Danielle Fishel]

From the number one liquid detergent brand that tackles more loads than any other. Come clean with Arm and Hammer Deep

[Will Friedle]

Clean Number one claim based on total wash. Washload sold.

[Danielle Fishel]

Cat parents, gather round. Ryder and I have some important advice to share.

[Ryder Strong]

Guys, we have to stick together, guys. Those of us with fur babies know the struggle. We understand the feeling of being ignored by our cats.

[Danielle Fishel]

But that's why we're here to help. Because sometimes I find myself wondering, does my cat even love me?

[Ryder Strong]

And there's only one solution to solve that.

[Danielle Fishel]

Sheba, you could be adored by everyone and still completely ignored by your your cat.

[Ryder Strong]

It's time to feed your cat Sheba and go from feeling ignored to truly adored in 12 days, guaranteed or your money back.

[Danielle Fishel]

The promised land is here. Turn things around for your feline with Sheba's menu of products, appetizers, entrees, treats, and even a kitten's menu.

[Ryder Strong]

Even the pickiest eater will love their new grilled entrees.

[Danielle Fishel]

Just snap, peel and serve for two gourmet servings and zero messy leftovers.

[Ryder Strong]

Its protein rich Formula is made with real chicken and seafood. Seafood 100% complete and balanced with essential vitamins and nutrients for adult cats, which my bill is.

[Danielle Fishel]

But we don't call him old, we call him experienced.

[Ryder Strong]

It's made in the USA with the finest ingredients from around the world.

[Danielle Fishel]

No artificial flavors or preservatives. No corn, wheat or soy.

[Ryder Strong]

So even when they're licking the bowl clean, you can know you're doing the right thing.

[Danielle Fishel]

Treat your cats right and introduce them to the delicious delicacies of Sheba.

[Ryder Strong]

To learn more, check out sheba.com it's summer vacation.

[Will Friedle]

And by vacation, I mean I'll be barbecuing until my fingertips are numb and my belly is filled with beef.

[Ryder Strong]

Well, my summer involves a little more relaxing than that.

[Will Friedle]

Oh. I'm relaxed because I'm a Walmart plus member with free same day delivery on groceries, prescriptions, and more. That means I can just chill out and more. Barbecue time, baby.

[Ryder Strong]

Who knew?

[Will Friedle]

Every Walmart plus member knows it's the secret to bringing vacation back to summer.

[Ryder Strong]

Now, how about you throw a turkey burger on the grill for me?

[Will Friedle]

Ryder, for you, anything.

[Ryder Strong]

Ah, now that's vacation.

[Will Friedle]

Membership pays for itself.

[Ryder Strong]

Join Walmart plus and see the difference.

[Will Friedle]

Subject to availability 35 minimum restrictions apply.

[Danielle Fishel]

Now walking. Princess's feet hurt, but Charlie knows they must find this observatory to enter the game. We also see that Aun is perched atop the old scary house, sniffing the air to find the kids. And it is maybe the worst special effect in the whole movie. Back in the fog, Charlie notices a tombstone on the floor. It says Blue Mountain Enterprises, which is where they need to take the briefcase. But Princess reminds him they need the observatory, not the enterprises. This might just be a coincidence. Charlie reminds her it's just a game. The names change in between the levels. Who can cares? But then another person appears. It's a character that has the face of Charlie and Peter's friend Sherman. Sherman tells them that their experiment has went totally wrong. Apparently the whole place is flooded with zombies and it's a massacre down there. Charlie asks what Blue Mountain is, and Sherman says it's a military research facility built underground. Sherman found an escape tunnel to enter. The three of them leave Sherman behind for the tunnel, and AO Shun is still right behind them.

[Will Friedle]

So it's supposed to be the. What's the big famous one where they've made tons of movies on it with Mila Jovovich.

[Ryder Strong]

Underground Resident Evil.

[Will Friedle]

Resident Evil. That's what this was. So it's supposed to go from. Yeah, from gta To Resident Evil.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right then, we're in the underground tunnels. Charlie, Princess and Peter hear growling in the distance and decide to turn around. But once they start running, a pack of zombies try to keep pace. The kids find a ladder to climb and Peter just manages to escape. They get a shoe. Now the three of them have emerged on Alien Planet. Planet? A sepia toned wasteland. A heart arrives and Peter takes it all for himself, prompting an argument between the boys. It's calmed when a bracelet appears and Charlie knows he deserves it. Two armed soldiers arrive and see Charlie's bracelet. It's an alien shield band. They assume he's an alien, but then they take one look at Princess and stand down. The stories they've heard about her were true. The soldiers are ready to retrieve the briefcase, but Charlie gets in the way, insisting she's with with him. Princess argues that she is in fact not with him. And then an explosion. It's a UFO flying overhead and it kills one of the guards. So Charlie picks up his blaster. Charlie's bracelet creates a force field protecting them from the ET gunfire. Then a fleet of UFOs head directly toward them. They all duck behind a rock and it becomes a real standoff of gunfire. They learn the briefcase holds a weapon and Blue Mountain is where the Temple of Alina is. Petyr begs Charlie for his axe for protection and Charlie reluctantly hands it over. And to everyone's shock, Peter immediately swings the axe at Princess's wrist, taking off her hand with absolutely no blood.

[Will Friedle]

And your cry out was magical.

[Danielle Fishel]

Just magical.

[Ryder Strong]

It was great.

[Danielle Fishel]

He grabs the briefcase and flees. Why did he have to chop my hand off? Why didn't he just.

[Will Friedle]

Cause it's always easier to go through the wrist than it is to actually go through the chain.

[Danielle Fishel]

Oh, really?

[Ryder Strong]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay.

[Ryder Strong]

You're not real, so it doesn't matter. It's all the game fighting itself.

[Will Friedle]

He's real to Charlie, right? And does the game get to steal his health pack? Like the game can give him a health pack, but then have a fictional character take from him?

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Will Friedle]

Also, I figured he was the actual real guy and he kept saying, God, my wrist is getting worse. That he was bitten by a zombie was going to turn. Turn into one and attack.

[Danielle Fishel]

I know, I thought so too. He's like, ow, it really hurts. That's where I thought this was going. Which, by the way. So they subverted one of the tropes that you didn't like. You know, something you see all the time. Got it.

[Will Friedle]

It's cutting edge.

[Danielle Fishel]

It's Good. He grabs the briefcase and flees. Charlie carries Princess away to a nearby cave. As fighter jets destroy all the aliens. Charlie wants to get her some health, but she begs him to find the briefcase instead. He instructs her to stay awake and runs out of the cave. He's furious at the robot voice for lying about Peter. That wasn't isn't fair. The game reminds him that life isn't fair. In response, Charlie sits on the floor, rocking back and forth like a child having a tantrum.

[Will Friedle]

Yes, literally.

[Danielle Fishel]

I know. Not gonna do it.

[Will Friedle]

Not doing it. I'm not playing.

[Danielle Fishel]

Not.

[Ryder Strong]

Not rocking.

[Will Friedle]

I'm not playing. You can't make it.

[Danielle Fishel]

If the game won't play fair, then he won't play at all. He's just gonna wait to be killed. And then when an alien sneaks up with a gun and is about to shoot Charlie, he uses the bracelet to create a force field and as a result, he kills the alien. Make up your mind. But bud. Charlie sees some health atop a mountain. So he climbs it free, solo style, and finds the other soldier already up there, dead. Peter killed him. And then someone shoots at him. It's Peter. The two exchange gunfire. Way too close of range.

[Jensen Karp]

Oh my God.

[Will Friedle]

It's like four feet from each other just shooting at each other. It's the best.

[Danielle Fishel]

Why? Charlie asks Peter why he wants this briefcase. Peter reminds him that he only exists in this game, so he can't let anyone ever open it. They both start climbing to get that health icon, but Peter gets there first. In a last ditch effort to save Princess, Charlie shoots him in the head, completely dissolving everything above his neck. Unfortunately, the health heart vanishes. Defeated, Charlie ditches his gun and jumps off the cliff into freefall, killing himself on purpose. We cut back to the hospital. Charlie is flatlining in real life, but when he reappears in the video game, his health is restored. So now, now we're back on Alien Planet. Charlie is racing back up the mountain to get the health before Peter. This time he manages to blow off Peter's head before he flees with the goods. But when Peter dies, the briefcase is flung from his grasp and projected off the cliff right into Aoshan's hands. Charlie did get the health though. So he rushes back to the cave and gives it to Princess. But the robot voice informs him that health can only help the wounded and Princess is dead. Charlie has a flashback montage of Kate Princess memories and informs the game that he he wants to give her his last life. With that, Princess wakes up to Charlie's kiss Which is a decision. She tells him not to get too carried away and calls him Romeo just like Kate did. Also, Princess's hand is back thanks to the health heart. He reminds Princess she isn't real. She's just his memories of Kate's memories. She exists to motivate Charlie to not give up the game. But when she finds out Aushan has the briefcase, she's at him and thanks get it back. There's a weapon inside and if anyone other than her opens it, it could blow up everything.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

See this is where I think the script needed to insert that. There was an anti video game like a virus inserted into the game from an outside source.

[Danielle Fishel]

Like.

[Ryder Strong]

Oh. Turns out that Blue Mountain Industries is actually a competing video game company.

[Danielle Fishel]

Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

That has inserted itself into the evil video game and that he can work with that company. Right. Because otherwise it's all so self contained. Like she's part of the game. Game. It's all part of the game. So there's no escaping. It's. Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

All right. Yeah.

[Will Friedle]

He also killed himself. Then comes back to restart playing the game and wants to give her his last life. Somebody part of the game.

[Danielle Fishel]

Right. Aun returns and wards off bullets with his sword.

[Will Friedle]

Yeah.

[Danielle Fishel]

You're Will's favorite part.

[Will Friedle]

I love it. I love it so much.

[Danielle Fishel]

Charlie and Princess make a run for it. It falling down a hole and right into a video game version of Charlie's apartment. Princess notices the pictures of Kate and then suddenly they're in the hospital. They see Charlie lying on the bed with his friends all around him. The game wasn't lying. He is in the hospital. A.O. shawn appears in the hallway. So they run away again. Now into an underground cellar. Charlie has four bullets left and finds out no one has ever beaten this level. We cut to a doom like first person shooter and AO Shun is now toying with them in the cellar. He slices into Princess's back and Charlie unsuccessfully fires three of his bullets. And when he attends to Princess's cut, he notices a Blue Mountain tattoo on her back. Charlie finds a health heart and wants to give it to Princess, but she begs him to take it instead. Charlie comes up with a plan. He turns off all the lights and tells Princess not to move. Ao Shun notices the abandoned heart health and makes his way toward it. And so Charlie finally gets a clear shot of him and shoots him right in the chest with his light glass bullet. Before Aushan dies, he looks at Charlie and gargles out in his demented voice. Gunshot. Charlie grabs the heart and refills his health just as Princess grabs the briefcase. But the game isn't over. He asks the robot voice if he should open the briefcase, and it says no. Princess thinks they need to take it to the observatory, But Charlie realizes that Blue Mountain is just a red herring. Princess has had the tattoo for as long as she can remember. So he realizes realizes she's the final destination. Princess thinks it could be a trap, but Charlie needs her to trust him. She opens the case, and whatever is inside is glowing. It's the game system, but instead of start, this one says end. If Charlie presses it, the whole world will cease to exist. He slams the briefcase shut. He can't let Princess disappear. He wants to be with her. She reminds him that he wants to be with Kate, not her. Nothing is real inside the game. Maybe she can even find her way back to him. She feels it in her heart. This isn't goodbye. She kisses him and he starts to cry. She moves his thumb to the end button and they press it together. Everything goes bright white, and Charlie is back to where he started. The voice reveals that he's beaten the game and asks if he'd like to play again. Charlie says no, and they exchange goodbyes. And then. Then back in real life, at the hospital, Charlie wakes up and the nurse runs to get the doctor, now alone. However, the evil cop walks in and tells Charlie that if he ever reveals the truth about what happened in the alleyway, he will hunt him down. Why are you laughing about it?

[Ryder Strong]

Because it was just so.

[Will Friedle]

Like, he wakes up from a coma. To the cop, like, listen to me, man, it's intense. Shut your mouth.

[Danielle Fishel]

When the nurse returns, the cop shows off a big fake smile and nods to Charlie, confirming that they understand Understand the agreement. The cop leaves, and the nurse says he came by every single day to see if he was awake. Charlie asks how long he's been out. The doctor says four days. They ask if he remembers what happened to him, and Charlie lies, says no. Peter drops Charlie off at home and mentions they're having a barbecue. This time, Charlie agrees to come.

[Will Friedle]

People barbecue all the time.

[Danielle Fishel]

Later, at the Sad Sack Cafe, Charlie walks in now with styled hair, a new wardrobe, and a little pep in his step. The waitress is happy to have him back. His usual table is occupied, but Charlie says he'll just sit somewhere else. He needs to change things up. At a new table, he meets a cute young waitress named Pamela. When she asks what he'd like to order, he tells her to pick. Pamela decides he should get the roast beef with Extraordinary and He looks at her.

[Will Friedle]

He goes, there's this great abandoned lot I'd love to take you to.

[Danielle Fishel]

Charlie's face lights up and invites Pamela to his friend's barbecue later. Unfortunately, Pamela's pulling a double shift tonight, but if he comes by tomorrow, they'll see what happens. She calls him Romeo, just like Kate and Princess used to. Then, to really drive the point home, the other waitress calls out to Pamela as Princess. Charlie laughs to himself. And then Charlie walks into the barbecue, and his friends are thrilled to see him. Peter asks if he's brought his new game system, and Charlie says, no, he gave it to an old friend. We cut to a manly garage with

[Ryder Strong]

a motorcycle, and he's drinking a beer.

[Danielle Fishel]

Cop is drinking a beer. While listening to the Heavy Mask. He unwraps a familiar.

[Ryder Strong]

I actually didn't listen to the lyrics at this point, but I wonder if they're. If there are lyrics. I'm sure they were, yeah. Evil cop sitting down, drinking beer.

[Will Friedle]

Hate the kid. I hate people. People hate me. Yeah.

[Ryder Strong]

Dealing drugs, having fun.

[Danielle Fishel]

He places the headset on his head and he's welcome to the game. And then the credits start to roll. And that is Game Box one point.

[Ryder Strong]

Game box.

[Will Friedle]

I have a pitch. All right.

[Danielle Fishel]

Okay.

[Will Friedle]

I have a pitch. So Airplane, the movie Airplane. What they did, they went and they actually got an actual script of a real movie that existed, and they added all the jokes. We still know basically the whole cast of Game Box. You want to reshoot it, Very small amount of money. We could turn this into the. One of the best comedies like the. With like Patrick Rena holding the ham sandwich as it's.

[Ryder Strong]

We would have to do all of that. We'd probably have to use AI to do all the visual effects, though. Unless we want to raise the millions

[Will Friedle]

of dollars, I don't think we'd have to. I'm saying the effects are so bad that we could.

[Ryder Strong]

Oh, just keep them the level. Yes, but even that requires some. I mean, somebody put in the work for this movie. I agree.

[Will Friedle]

But I bet you for not that much money, we could add 10 or 12 little minutes to this thing that make it the funniest movie anybody's ever seen.

[Ryder Strong]

Maybe if we do it as like a Kickstarter with our. Our listeners and we can figure out what to write.

[Will Friedle]

So funny.

[Ryder Strong]

Danielle is so 1.5.

[Will Friedle]

It'll be.

[Ryder Strong]

No. She is so upset by this.

[Danielle Fishel]

No one wants this, Will. I'm cutting all of this.

[Ryder Strong]

We're going to.

[Danielle Fishel]

Cutting this.

[Ryder Strong]

We're going to handcuff you.

[Will Friedle]

To a briefcase.

[Ryder Strong]

And you and Nate are going to be running around in your 40s. Yes.

[Will Friedle]

Reliving this movie with Patrick there going like. And we'll just have Patrick in different scenes. Go like, hey, what are you guys doing?

[Ryder Strong]

Just like, oh, my God.

[Will Friedle]

So much fun. Ryder and I are for no reason. Game box 1.5. It would be so good.

[Ryder Strong]

Game box redux. It would be so good.

[Danielle Fishel]

Thank you all for joining us for this episode of pod meets world. As always, you can follow us us on Instagram Pod meets World show. You can send us your emails. Pod meets world showmail.com and we've got Merch.

[Will Friedle]

You can't quit this pod. You can't quit. You can't quit it.

[Ryder Strong]

Merch.

[Will Friedle]

Now you can quit it.

[Ryder Strong]

Okay, now you can't. For real. Now you really can't quit.

[Danielle Fishel]

I'm not going to let you quit.

[Ryder Strong]

I'm not going to let you quit. Now you can quit.

[Will Friedle]

You can quit again.

[Danielle Fishel]

Pod meets world show.com writer send this out.

[Ryder Strong]

We love you all. Bot dismissed. Podmeet's World is an iHeart podcast produced and hosted by Danielle Fischl, Wilfred L. And Ryder Strong, executive producers Jensen Karp and Amy Sugarman, executive in charge of production, Danielle Romo, producer and editor, Tara Sougbaksh, producer Matty Moore, engineer and boy meets world superman Easton Allen. Our theme song is by Kyle Morton of Typhoon. Follow us on Instagram odmeatsworldshow or email [e-mail]

[Will Friedle]

it's summer vacation. And by vacation, I mean I'll be barbecuing until my fingertips are numb and my belly is filled with beef.

[Ryder Strong]

Well, my summer involves a little more relaxing than that.

[Will Friedle]

Oh, I'm relaxed because I'm a Walmart plus member with free same day delivery on groceries, prescriptions and more. That means I can just chill out and more barbecue time, baby.

[Ryder Strong]

Who knew?

[Will Friedle]

Every Walmart plus member knows it's the secret to bringing vacation back to summer.

[Ryder Strong]

Now how about you throw a turkey

[Will Friedle]

burger on the grill for me, Ryder, for you, anything.

[Ryder Strong]

Ah, now that's vacation.

[Will Friedle]

Membership pays for itself.

[Ryder Strong]

Join Walmart plus and see the difference.

[Will Friedle]

Subject to availability. 35 minimum restrictions apply.

[Danielle Fishel]

As cat parents, Ryder and I know the feeling of being ignored by our our cats. I often wonder, does my cat even love me?

[Ryder Strong]

Well, there's only one solution to solve that. Sheba.

[Danielle Fishel]

Feed your cat Sheba and go from feeling ignored to truly adored in 12 days, guaranteed or your money back. Sheba has so many incredible products that can satisfy even the pickiest eater like New Sheba Grilled Made in the USA with the finest ingredients from around the world, they are savory strips in a succulent sauce that cats are sure to and it's 100% complete and balanced with essential vitamins and nutrients for adult cats like my bill. Made without artificial flavors or preservatives. No corn, wheat or soy. To learn more, check out sheba.com Dry eyes still feel gritty, rough or tired with Mibo eyes can feel my BO O yeah myborohexaloctane Offline Thalmic solution is used to treat the signs and symptoms of dry eye disease. It's the only prescription dry eye drop that forms a protective layer for the number one cause too much tear evaporation so eyes can find relief. That's don't use if allergic to Mibo. Remove contacts before using and wait at least 30 minutes before putting them back in. Eye redness and blurred vision may occur. For more info, talk to your eye doctor, call 1-844-MAIBOYA or visit maibo.com Parents always say the days are long, but the years are short. And boy are they right.

[Ryder Strong]

From first tastes and small steps to growing independence, it's hard not to hold on to every single moment.

[Danielle Fishel]

And it goes by so fast. I just want to get it all right.

[Ryder Strong]

Luckily, Little Bellies is right there with you with organic age and stage appropriate stacks for every milestone so you can focus on what you do best.

[Danielle Fishel]

Best Little Bellies gets it. Babies don't stay babies for long, even though I wish they would. And that's why their snacks are made for every age and stage with flavors and textures that actually grow with your kid.

[Ryder Strong]

Everything's organic, made with simple real ingredients and none of the weird artificial stuff

[Danielle Fishel]

you can't pronounce and it makes life so much easier out and on the run or just need something quick at home. Little Bellies has you covered with options

[Ryder Strong]

like puffs, soft corn, Pick Me sticks and nibblers. There's something for every stage while supporting your child's development in natural way for

[Danielle Fishel]

all moments, big or small. Little Bellies is there every step of the way.

[Ryder Strong]

Find a major retailer near you by visiting littlebellies.com this is an I Heart Podcast.

[Danielle Fishel]

Guaranteed human.