Anaconda

Summary

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Pop Culture Happy Hour: "Anaconda" (Dec 26, 2025)

Episode Overview

This episode of NPR’s Pop Culture Happy Hour dives into the "meta reimagining" of Anaconda—not a straight reboot or sequel, but a comedic and self-referential take on the beloved 1997 creature feature. Hosted by Stephen Thompson, with guests Jordan Crucciola (Feeling Seen podcast), Joelle Monique (pop culture critic), and Jordan Morris (Marvel comics writer), the panel unpacks how the new film—starring Jack Black and Paul Rudd—manages tone, meta humor, nostalgia, jungle terror, and the art of making movies with friends.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Premise & Setup

• Meta Reimagining: Anaconda (2025) sees Jack Black and Paul Rudd playing friends attempting to make their own Anaconda remake, drawing the audience into a movie-within-a-movie.
• Notable Cast: Tandiwe Newton and Steve Zahn join the supporting ensemble as former collaborators on this madcap adventure to the Amazon.
• Nostalgia Bait: Both the premise and humor riff directly on the 1997 original, sometimes requiring (but usually subverting) audience familiarity with that film.

2. Reactions to the New Approach

• Jordan Crucciola (05:50):
  • Admits to being wary of the “Jack Black-ification of movies” but found herself enjoying the energy.
  • Praises Tandiwe Newton's evident joy and Steve Zahn’s MVP performance.
  • Quote: “If you bear the same concerns that I do about Anaconda, I think this is a best case scenario of this kind of anaconda and I would encourage you to see it in a theater with friends.” (06:45)
• Jordan Morris (07:03):
  • Appreciates the uncanny "niche representation" of a group of friends endlessly quoting the original Anaconda.
  • Notes the film’s attempt to balance comedy, meta-commentary, horror, and action often results in inconsistent tone, but finds it ultimately fun as a group theatrical experience.
  • Quote: “When the snake hit the fan in this movie, it is so much fun. ... It’s a blast in a theater.” (08:13)
• Joelle Monique (08:24):
  • Childhood enthusiasm for the 1997 film; shares that she too is “afraid of snakes, but fascinated by them.”
  • Praises the chemistry between leads and highlights that the initial setup (“friends gassing themselves up”) hits home.
  • Notes mid-film pacing slows and the focus/framing of characters lose steam, leading to a “little bit under what I was hoping for.” (09:20, 09:45)

3. How Much Does the Original Matter?

• Stephen Thompson (10:33): Admits to seeing the original Anaconda for the first time only hours before the screening of the new one; believes viewers familiar with the original will find more to appreciate due to meta-layered references.
  • Quote: “This is a film for people who love the first Anaconda. ... I think that you’re gonna appreciate this film a lot more if you have seen Anaconda 1.0.” (11:00)
• Meta Trend: Favorably compares the experiment to director Tom Gormican’s Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, spotlighting the playfulness with “popcorn film history.”

4. Tonality: Comedy, Horror, and Genre-Mixing

• Jordan Morris (13:10): Observes the film’s tonal juggling act, debating if tonal inconsistency is a flaw or virtue.
  • Shaun of the Dead comparison: Clearer mastery of horror/comedy than Anaconda, which gets “better as the characters get dumber.” (13:36)
  • Quote: “The funny stuff is funny. You care about the characters. The horror stuff works. This isn’t quite there ... by the end, the characters get dumber and the movie is better for it.” (13:36, 13:55)
• Joelle Monique (14:19): Wishes the film leaned even further into personal stakes and internal friendship drama to enhance the story’s emotional payoff.
  • Notes the “forced romance” subplot as unnecessary and underdeveloped, diverting from the core buddy dynamic.

5. Creature Design & Spectacle

• Everyone agrees: The giant snake is legitimately scary and well-designed, with surprisingly effective jump scares and a satisfying escalation of threat.
  • Jordan Crucciola (15:37): “The snake is great. And the biggest friggin snake that’s ever existed on the face of this earth.”
  • Joelle Monique (15:50): “It somehow still feels real. ... My God, I feel terrified.”
• Comic relief: The “pig gag” (18:26), with Jack Black running with a boar taped to his back, becomes a breakout comedic moment for the whole panel.

6. Making Art with Friends: Thematic Heart

• Stephen Thompson (19:17): Finds the true heart is watching “weirdos try to make art.”
  • Quote: “If you have a chance in your life to make art, it doesn’t have to be the great American novel. It can be a reboot of Anaconda, because you love Anaconda. And I found that stuff really, really inspiring.” (19:46)
• Joelle Monique (20:10):
  • Values the earnestness of “good actors performing badly” and the camaraderie depicted.
  • The “movie about making a movie” aspect made her “heart really feel full in that.”
  • Ending—where the team presents their film—is celebrated as “so perfect and lovely.”
• Group Consensus: The film’s meta love letter to creative friendship and the messiness of making something silly, together, lands as both restorative and resonant, with AI jokes to underline the human touch.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote/Description | |-----------|--------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------| | 05:50 | Jordan Crucciola | "If you bear the same concerns that I do about Anaconda, I think this is a best case scenario of this kind of anaconda and I would encourage you to see it in a theater with friends." | | 08:13 | Jordan Morris | "When the snake hit the fan in this movie, it is so much fun. ... It’s a blast in a theater." | | 11:00 | Stephen Thompson | "This is a film for people who love the first Anaconda. ... I think that you’re gonna appreciate this film a lot more if you have seen Anaconda 1.0." | | 13:36 | Jordan Morris | “The funny stuff is funny. You care about the characters. The horror stuff works. This isn’t quite there ... by the end, the characters get dumber and the movie is better for it.” | | 15:50 | Joelle Monique | "It somehow still feels real. ... My God, I feel terrified." | | 18:27 | Jordan Crucciola | "I was shocked to be reduced to absolute tears of laughter. ... at a certain point, I was laughing because I was laughing so hard, and I was like, this. This of all things." | | 19:46 | Stephen Thompson | "If you have a chance in your life to make art, it doesn't have to be the great American novel. It can be a reboot of Anaconda, because you love Anaconda. And I found that stuff really, really inspiring." | | 21:23 | Jordan Crucciola | "AI could never. Exactly. ... AI could never reboot Anaconda." |

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:31] — Episode Premise & new film overview (Stephen Thompson)
• [05:50] — First Reactions: Jordan Crucciola
• [07:03] — First Reactions: Jordan Morris
• [08:24] — First Reactions: Joelle Monique
• [10:33] — Do you need to see the original? (Stephen Thompson)
• [12:53] — Meta-movie comparisons & Tom Gormican’s style
• [13:36] — Comparisons to Shaun of the Dead and Walk Hard, character depth
• [15:35] — Snake Design & Creature Effects
• [18:26] — Highlight comedic set piece: Jack Black and the pig
• [19:17] — Thematic Heart: Friendship, Making Art, and Earnestness
• [21:23] — Meta-humor on creativity, AI, and emotional resonance

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Summary

The PCHH panel found Anaconda (2025) a fun, raucous, tonally wild tribute to cult cinema and the joy of creation. While divided on a few structural quibbles—like inconsistent tone and undercooked subplots—all agreed it’s best enjoyed in a theater with friends, especially for those nostalgic about the original. Standout creature effects, excellent comic energy from the cast, and a heartfelt celebration of making art for its own sake make this a palate cleanser amid the winter's heavy awards fare. As the panelists put it: “AI could never.” If you're in the mood for “meta” mayhem, movie-in-jokes, and elemental snake terror—plus maybe a boar gag for the ages—Anaconda delivers.

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Panel: Stephen Thompson (host), Jordan Crucciola, Joelle Monique, Jordan Morris
Theme: Comedy pays loving homage to Anaconda’s legacy, meta-humor, and the creative process.
Best audience: Cult film fans, viewers open to wild tonal swings, and anyone who knows the joy of making silly stuff with friends.

Transcript

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[Stephen Thompson]

The original Anaconda movie came out almost 30 years ago. It starred Jennifer Lopez, Ice Cube and some very deadly snakes. The new Anaconda is a lot of fun. It's a meta reimagining in which Jack Black and Paul Rudd play aspiring filmmakers who attempt to make a meta reimagining of Anaconda. And it's not quite a reboot, it's not quite a sequel, and it has played for laughs. I'm Stephen Thompson. Today we are talking about Anaconda on Pop Culture Happy Hour from npr.

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And the following message come from the University of Kansas Health System where even the smallest acts have the power to transform lives. Where innovations are made to advance patient treatment in order to provide the best patient care. Because every moment, every success story and every life uplifted makes the University of Kansas health System who they are. Learn [e-mail] joining me today is Jordan Crucciola.

[Stephen Thompson]

She's a writer and producer and the host of the podcast Feeling Seen on Maximum Fun. Hey Jordan.

[Joelle Monique]

Hello.

[Jordan Crucciola]

Honor to be here on the Anaconda Day.

[Stephen Thompson]

It's a big one. Also with us is filmmaker, pop culture critic and iHeartRadio producer Joelle Monique Hey Joelle.

[Joelle Monique]

Happy holidays, Steven.

[Stephen Thompson]

Happy holidays to you. And rounding out the panel is Jordan Morris. He's a podcaster and the writer of the upcoming Marvel comic series Bloodshed. Hey Jordan.

[Jordan Morris]

Hi. Great to be it is a pleasure.

[Stephen Thompson]

To have you so many Jordans.

[Jordan Morris]

Jordan Cruciola, you can be Jordan Alpha if you want to and I'll be Jordan Beta.

[Jordan Crucciola]

I'll defer to your preference so I can be Jordan Alpha for the day.

[Stephen Thompson]

I accept this privilege in rooms with Multiple Stevens. I just go by Steven 1.0.

[Joelle Monique]

Ah, very nice.

[Stephen Thompson]

So the original Anaconda and you kind of have to put original in scare quotes, sent an assortment of 90s movie stars down the Amazon where they were menaced and occasionally crushed and or devoured by giant deadly snakes. That film was a hit that sparked spawned a handful of lightly regarded sequels. The new Anaconda is heavy on meta references to the original film. Jack Black and Paul Rudd star as lifelong friends who grew up wanting to be filmmakers, but they've followed different career paths. Paul Rudd's character is a struggling actor whose biggest role was a bit part on the TV show Swat, while Jack Black's character makes wedding videos while yearning to shoot something more creative. For reasons too convoluted to list here, they wind up gathering their old friends and collaborators, played by Tandiwe Newton and Steve Zahra and head to the Amazon to shoot a reimagining of Anaconda. As you can imagine, this proves harder than it sounds.

[Jordan Morris]

Put your face right up next to the snake.

[Sponsor Voice]

I don't like this.

[Linda Holmes]

I don't want to do it anymore.

[Sponsor Voice]

Get it a tiny bit closer.

[Jordan Morris]

Like this.

[Stephen Thompson]

You gotta do. No, I don't quite have it. You got the shot. You got the shot.

[Joelle Monique]

This is gold.

[Stephen Thompson]

Just give me one more second. The new Anaconda is in theaters now. Jordan Crucciola, I'm going to start with you. What did you think?

[Jordan Crucciola]

I'm going to start off this by saying, huge fan of original Anaconda. Big movie in my house growing up.

[Announcer]

Hell yeah.

[Jordan Crucciola]

So I like never go into movies with baggage. Like, that's not my thing. I'm so remake redux. I'm like, I'm gonna take it on its own terms. It is what it is. I was very nervous about the Jack Black ification of movies. That happens when Jack Black is even standing near them, let alone the star of them. Not that that's a bad thing, but like the delight of Anna Kott is. It's so earnest, it's so taking completely seriously in the performance of Jon Voight, the entire premise. And I didn't need the same movie over again, but I knew in my heart, like, I want Krall, but with an anaconda. So I will say all of that going in. I had a very fun time. The Jack Black quotient worked for me. Honestly, seeing 10D Wayne Newton have this much fun was like soul healing. Steve Zahn was my mvp. If you bear the same concerns that I do about Anaconda, I think this is a best case scenario of this kind of anaconda and I would encourage you to see it in a theater with friends.

[Stephen Thompson]

Okay. Jordan Morris, how about you?

[Jordan Morris]

Yeah, I also liked this a lot. I will say, like Jordan Alpha, I also have a deep love of the original Anaconda. I saw it in high school with a group of friends. And like the friends in this movie, we constantly quote Anaconda to each other. Like if I ran into them on the street, we would quote Anaconda to each other. So when I saw that part of this premise, I was like, it me, it me.

[Jordan Crucciola]

That's some niche representation that one can never expect. But I feel like can only be very pleasantly surprised by.

[Jordan Morris]

Yes, it was wonderful to finally see myself on screen. Yeah. And I also really like this director's other movie, the Unbearable weight of massive talent. The movie where Nic Cage plays himself. That is a kind of kooky premise that shouldn't work. That I thought was a great movie. I liked this a little bit less, but I ultimately had a really fun time with it. It's trying for a lot of different tones. It sometimes wants to be kind of a more grounded comedy. It sometimes wants to be kind of a crazy anchorman sketch comedy. It sometimes wants to be horror. And there's an action subplot that kind of hangs on, like, an appendix that.

[Stephen Thompson]

The movie cares about even less than I do.

[Joelle Monique]

Yes, yes.

[Jordan Morris]

But I will say, when the snake hit the fan in this movie, it is so much fun. And I totally agree with the sentiment that, like, it's a blast in a theater. Yeah.

[Stephen Thompson]

Okay. How about you, Joelle?

[Joelle Monique]

I was 8 when the original Anaconda came out. My parents had no thought process as to, like, what is appropriate for a child. So I definitely saw that at 8, and I loved it and became obsessed with it. It's a great effing movie. Like, it's so fun. I thought this movie had a lot of fun too. I think, you know, to Jordan Alpha's point, the chemistry between Rudd and Black is so fun. Like, they are twinkling. You're like, these are movie stars. Like, wow, the jokes are hitting. The clip you played at the top is my favorite part. I once held a snake once in Chicago, once in Florida. They move faster in Florida. It was really scary. Like, really connected to it. I was like, okay, I too, am afraid of snakes, but I'm fascinated by them. I thought, like, most of the comedy hits, you've got a couple of flat parts, but I think Jordan Beta's point of view, trying to do a lot of different themes and tones throughout, really hurts the movie overall, because you don't ever feel confident about where it's going. The setup is perfection. Like, they really get friends who are amateur filmmakers gassing themselves up to perfection.

[Jordan Crucciola]

Totally.

[Stephen Thompson]

This is a masterpiece. Don't change a word. You killed it.

[Jordan Crucciola]

Scary.

[Stephen Thompson]

It's emotional.

[Jordan Morris]

It's funny when it needs to be.

[Stephen Thompson]

Dude, thank you.

[Joelle Monique]

It's so. Your script is genius. They love it. We're gonna go to the Amazon with $40,000 and make a big budget movie. Like, it's so good, but, you know, once you're in the jungle and they're, like, getting into the action bits, My God. Slows down a lot. The characters kind of fall apart a bit. It's just a little bit under what I was hoping for. I. Maybe I'm the stupid one. Because I had high hopes for this film.

[Jordan Crucciola]

I'm glad you did. I'm glad you saw this poster. And you were like, banger, better be five bags.

[Joelle Monique]

I saw the trailer. I was like, anaconda needs the Jumanji remakes. Yes. I want this. And I will say, like, I think I had a lot more fun because I did see it in the theater. If you are a. I'm going to the movies on Christmas. And you're like, okay, Marty supreme, you look great, but I'm just trying to have a jolly time. It's Christmas and this looks kind of heavy. It's not going to be a bad pick. You're gonna have a good ass time. Like, go with your buddies.

[Jordan Crucciola]

I think you're right. This is a good movie with the family on Christmas.

[Stephen Thompson]

Absolutely.

[Jordan Crucciola]

That's good curation.

[Jordan Morris]

Yeah.

[Stephen Thompson]

One of my questions going into this movie, familiar. Are you going to need to be with the original Anaconda? Not at all. Because unlike the Jordans and Joelle, I had never seen Anaconda until about three hours before I went to this screening.

[Jordan Morris]

Wow.

[Jordan Crucciola]

Did you understand this one then? I'm too deep in. Okay.

[Stephen Thompson]

I did end up seeing the 1997 Anaconda right before this film.

[Joelle Monique]

Amazing.

[Stephen Thompson]

And that, I think, really enhanced the experience. I think if you are somebody who, like me, saw Arachnophobia and filed away. I have seen Anaconda and then realized shortly before the screening, no, I actually have to catch up on this movie. But I do think the lore of the first film. This is a film for people who love the first Anaconda. Absolutely. And I think that you're gonna appreciate this film a lot more if you have seen Anaconda 1.0. I'm glad that Jordan Morris mentioned the Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, which was also directed by Tom Gormican. You know who does this as well. To me, these are very, very similar films. If you liked that film, you should definitely see this. They're both approaching kind of popcorn film history with deep, deep love and kind of meta appreciation. If you like meta. This is a very, very, very meta film. It's kind of commenting on itself. It's kind of commenting on the industry and IP and the original anac. And for me, I honestly, I just dug it. I agree that it's got subplots that kind of go nowhere. I definitely agree with the point about how tonally it's all over the place. It's kind of this shambling, amiable comedy about these friends. But there is a body count. People have to be eaten by snakes. And so that requires kind of putting in place these very superfluous characters and this very superfluous subplot in order to kind of get to a place where people are eaten by snakes. But for me, there is a certain kind of mid budget, mid tier kind of lightness and playfulness to this film that was such a tonic in the middle of awards season. You know, I recommend See this right after you see Hamnet.

[Joelle Monique]

Oh, wow.

[Siyavash Madani]

Okay.

[Joelle Monique]

Yes, yes.

[Stephen Thompson]

If you need a palate cleanser.

[Jordan Morris]

Guys, can I make a suggestion? Can we get this started? Ham Wakanda. It's The Barbenheimer of 2025.

[Jordan Crucciola]

The counter programming bonanza of Hamnaconda. Right.

[Stephen Thompson]

Jordan Morris.

[Jordan Morris]

You know, I think we all kind of agree that like the tone stuff doesn't always work.

[Jordan Crucciola]

I will be the one to say I loved the action parts of this movie. The snake chases were really fun. And my favorite parts of this movie were when this movie was being an anaconda movie. So, hey, snake chase fans, there is stuff for you in this too.

[Jordan Morris]

There's some legitimate scares. And I think the ultimate movie in this category, I think for me is Shaun of the Dead. Right. I think that's the movie that nails this. I think this doesn't nail it in that way. Because Shaun of the Dead, the funny stuff is funny. You care about the characters. The horror stuff works. This isn't quite there, but I think by the end of this movie, or at least in the back half of this movie, the characters get dumber. They get significantly dumber. And I think the movie is better for it. I kind of maybe thought they should have been leaning into kind of that anchorman, a little more sketchy comedy the whole time because I think that works a little bit better for it. But I did, like, by the end of it, I was whooping it up.

[Jordan Crucciola]

Yeah.

[Joelle Monique]

And see, Jordan, I kept thinking about Walk Hard is like my gold star comedy movie. And what I love about that movie is as goofy and off the rails and weird as it is. You genuinely care about these characters and like their outcome.

[Jordan Morris]

Yeah.

[Joelle Monique]

Obviously, like it's supposed to be a two hander between Rudd and Black, but Tandy comes in and they try to force this romance between her and Rudd's character, which didn't. Yeah. And it kind of tosses the story for me a little bit. Like I didn't understand like why that needed to.

[Jordan Morris]

Sure.

[Joelle Monique]

Be. I guess they're like, we have to have a romance. But in addition to like some of the secondary characters, I was like if we had instead made her not just the love interest, but given her a little bit more character, a bit more of a person, we could have leaned into that comedy more and had like, I think an overall like a much better time. Really focused on like these two friendships. Like I did Also didn't feel like we had enough of a breaking point between the two friends just for like a good structure act of like rise and fall. Like they're always on each other's side. They're. I'm just like, just. I wish there was a little bit more personal internal conflict in this comedy so that we cared a little bit more about the characters at the end. I do think the like rise in stupidity works with the action because the snake, guys, we talk about the snake. The snake design is really good.

[Announcer]

It's cool.

[Jordan Morris]

The snake looks cool.

[Jordan Crucciola]

Yeah. Guys, that's of utmost importance if you're talking about an anaconda movie. How's the snake? The snake is great. And the biggest friggin snake that's ever existed on the face of this earth. The snake's big gargantuan snake.

[Joelle Monique]

And it somehow still feels real. You're like, I'm for sure there's not a snake this large ever on the planet, but my God, I feel terrified. It's so. And then two. Listen, there's a scaling of snakes in here that works really well too. Like at first you're like, that's a big snake. And you're like, that's a big snake. It's like a really jump in moment for you that works really well. And so I don't want to poo poo all the action. I thought like to have a great looking snake. I had a few jump scares in there which surprised me. I wasn't really anticipating that the scares would work, but they did.

[Jordan Morris]

If you go back and watch the original. The snake, it's that 90s CGI. It looks like the snake was made by the same company that made the flying Toaster screensaver until you got those.

[Jordan Crucciola]

Great rubber body shots.

[Jordan Morris]

I think we all agree that the four leads of this movie are four of the most charming, fun to watch people working in movies. And they're all great. Yes. Special shout out to Steve Zahn.

[Joelle Monique]

Absolutely.

[Jordan Morris]

I'm so glad we're like seeing him more these days. It felt like when the original came out he's not in it, but this was when Steve Zahn was everywhere and now he's back again. I think we're kind of in the middle of a little bit of A, dare I say Zana Songa Sans.

[Stephen Thompson]

That one I saw coming.

[Jordan Morris]

Ham Wakanda was off the dome. I came up with Zana Sans at the theater, so, you know, I teed it up a little bit better. I did wonder, while we were watching the movie, he's giving this, like, kind of kooky, stoned weirdo performance. I did wonder, was that supposed to be Owen Wilson at any point, was it supposed to be him either playing his character or a guy from their friend group who looks exactly like Owen Wilson? Anyway, I'm glad Zahn is there, but his kind of, like, weirdo performance had me wondering, like, oh, was that supposed to be Owen Wilson at some point?

[Jordan Crucciola]

I do think the tonal melange is absolutely correct in sort of explaining how this movie feels. I do think it actually helped me in this one because it was so much not the anaconda that I wanted. It's not just a straight up, we're serious anaconda ing, which is what I want. The bouncing back and forth between things meant that I wasn't getting annoyed at too much of one shtick. That wasn't what I wanted. So actually, the dipping platter that this movie presented, it gave me options to kind of bounce back and forth between things because I would have gotten really frustrated, I think, with more anchorman bitsiness. To me, it was a feature, not a bug. I'm not saying I'm the average viewer in this one, but the cocktail really sang for me. The gag that you guys do see in the trailer with Jack Black running and a boar taped to him.

[Stephen Thompson]

Oh, my gosh.

[Jordan Crucciola]

I was shocked to be reduced to absolute tears of laughter. I couldn't breathe. At a certain point, I was laughing because I was laughing so hard, and I was like, this. This of all things. But, yeah, it really. Vexmaster that was in charge of the pig. You, sir. You, ma', am, are a true all star.

[Stephen Thompson]

Whoever gave the pig those weird puppetee eyeballs.

[Jordan Crucciola]

Oh, my God.

[Jordan Morris]

The pig's great. The pig's great.

[Jordan Crucciola]

Oh, God. Bouncing off on top of Jack Black's head. That was comedy gold.

[Stephen Thompson]

Gotta say, what this movie made me realize about myself, in addition to I didn't know that I could be made to laugh that hard by a pig strapped to somebody's back.

[Jordan Crucciola]

Me neither. Honestly, is.

[Stephen Thompson]

I think I just love a movie in which weirdos try to make art.

[Joelle Monique]

Yeah, 1,000%.

[Stephen Thompson]

And this movie has a lot of fun with the idea of, like, what are our larger themes? Right?

[Jordan Crucciola]

Intergenerational drama.

[Stephen Thompson]

And that was really really funny. Cause, I mean, one of the things that I felt watching Anaconda was like, oh, man. The real snake is, man. You know, it's very much like the vibe of that movie.

[Jordan Crucciola]

My friend leaned over and went maniconda.

[Stephen Thompson]

But to me, there actually is a theme of this movie that I love and found deeply inspiring, which is like, if you have a chance in your life to make art, it doesn't have to be the great American novel. It can be a reboot of Anaconda, because you love Anaconda. And I found that stuff really, really inspiring. And swee.

[Joelle Monique]

Yes, good actors performing badly is such a hard thing to do. And I thought they aced it because they come at it with such earnestness and, like, fullness that, like, what you see to your point, Steven, is like, friends just having fun and, like, that being the joy of crafting the art. And my heart was so full. Like, I make shorts with my friends all the time, and exactly the same conversations. Be like, I'm just nervous about the scene, like, when they're pitching stuff to each other, like, around the table. I was like, you could just tell that everybody involved, like, just loves the process of making movies. And I think my heart really felt full in that. Like, even there's a moment at the end where they're getting to present their film. And I thought where they present it is so perfect and lovely.

[Jordan Crucciola]

Yes.

[Joelle Monique]

I was like, this is an excellent choice.

[Jordan Crucciola]

I loved that. I'm so glad to hear you both bring that up, because, like, I don't know if it's just because it's like, we're in a desert and I. My thirst must be slaked or something, but, like, when I see things that are, like, when I. It's either clear that it's like, something so indie and it's like, friends just making something together, or this, which is like a meta thing about friends making. I get emotional. Like, I get fully emotional. I'm like, this is what it's all about, you know, AI could never.

[Stephen Thompson]

AI could never.

[Jordan Crucciola]

Exactly.

[Joelle Monique]

AI could never.

[Jordan Morris]

AI could never reboot Anaconda.

[Jordan Crucciola]

Feels, like, restorative.

[Joelle Monique]

Yeah.

[Jordan Crucciola]

And I'm not saying the movie doesn't do, like, its thing. Well that it's doing, but it's also like, wow, is this my whole, like, constant existence state that, like, I watch Anaconda and, like, you know, filmmakers should keep going. Like, it's hard, but they should keep going, man.

[Stephen Thompson]

All right, well, I think it's safe to say we got a kick out of this one.

[Joelle Monique]

Yeah.

[Jordan Crucciola]

A kick.

[Stephen Thompson]

We want to know what you think about Anaconda new and old. Find us on [e-mail] PCHH and on [e-mail] NPR Pop Culture we'll have a link in our episode description that brings us to the end of our show. Jordan Crucciola, Joelle, Monique, Jordan Morris, thanks so much for being here.

[Joelle Monique]

Thank you, Steven.

[Jordan Morris]

Yeah, What a blast.

[Jordan Crucciola]

Ham Naconda.

[Jordan Morris]

Ham Naconda Forever.

[Stephen Thompson]

This episode was produced by Carly Rubin, Kayla Latimore and Mike Katsif and edited by our showrunner, Jessica Reedy. Hello. Come in. Provides our theme music. Thanks for listening to Pop Culture Happy Hour from npr. I'm Stephen Thompson. We will see you all next time.

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