‘Happy Gilmore 2,’ ‘The Naked Gun,’ and the 21st-Century Comedy Movie Crisis

Summary

The Big Picture Podcast Episode Summary: ‘Happy Gilmore 2,’ ‘The Naked Gun,’ and the 21st-Century Comedy Movie Crisis

Release Date: August 1, 2025

Hosts and Guest:

• Sean Fennessey (Host)
• Amanda Dobbins (Co-host)
• Craig Horlbeck (Guest, Host of The Ringer Fantasy Football Show)

---

Introduction and Episode Overview

[00:00 – 01:28]

The episode begins with Sean Fennessey delivering a brief advertisement for Apple Pay. Transitioning into the main content, Amanda Dobbins introduces the episode's focus: discussing sequels to iconic Gen X comedies—'Happy Gilmore 2' and 'The Naked Gun' reboot—and examining the broader decline in comedy movies.

Sean Fennessey [00:38]:

"On today's episode, we are discussing two follow-ups to some legendary Gen X comedy IP, Happy Gilmore 2 and the Naked Gun reboot. We'll also be talking about this century in comedy movies. What the hell happened to them?"

Casting News and Concerns

[02:09 – 05:00]

Sean shares news that Celine Song, known for 'Past Lives' and 'Materialist,' has been tapped to write a sequel to 'My Best Friend's Wedding'—a beloved rom-com. Amanda expresses mixed emotions, fearing it might follow the trend of underwhelming remakes but remains cautiously hopeful.

Amanda Dobbins [02:38]:

"I hear from roughly 30 people in my life about this... I just hate it, but what if I don't hate it? What if I don't?"

'Social Network 2' and Casting Shifts

[06:00 – 15:00]

The conversation shifts to 'Social Network 2,' highlighting that Jesse Eisenberg will not reprise his role as Mark Zuckerberg. Instead, Jeremy Strong is being considered. Amanda voices concerns about the absence of key figures like David Fincher, fearing the film's quality may suffer without Eisenberg's involvement.

Amanda Dobbins [06:33]:

"I just... I am begging Aaron Sorkin to consider a group project."

Sean Fennessey [13:06]:

"Jeremy Strong is yet one more person who needs a group project. Do you know what I mean?"

Craig remains cautiously optimistic about the talented new cast but echoes Amanda's apprehensions.

Deep Dive into 'Happy Gilmore 2'

[15:00 – 35:50]

The hosts critically evaluate 'Happy Gilmore 2,' directed by Kyle Newcheck and written by Tim Herlihy and Adam Sandler. Craig vehemently criticizes the film as the "worst movie" he's ever seen, labeling it as "lazy fan service" laden with cameos that lack depth.

Craig Horlbeck [17:26]:

"I thought this was genuinely maybe the worst movie I've ever seen. It was the laziest fan service pandering, nostalgia bait I've ever seen."

Amanda concurs, noting the film's reliance on golf personalities and personal elements tied to Adam Sandler but admits to finding some entertainment in it.

Amanda Dobbins [18:50]:

"I didn't think this movie was a good comedy, but... I had a decent time watching the whole thing."

Sean offers a more nuanced perspective, suggesting that while the movie is flawed, it attempts to blend serious themes with comedy, offering a unique, albeit imperfect, contribution to American filmmaking.

Sean Fennessey [20:49]:

"Can a movie be bad and wonderful at the same time is an important question to ask."

'The Naked Gun' Reboot Analysis

[37:35 – 50:00]

Turning to 'The Naked Gun' reboot, the hosts discuss its efforts to maintain the original's comedic style. Craig praises the film for respecting the original IP while introducing new jokes and a fresh cast, including Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson.

Craig Horlbeck [45:10]:

"I thought this is the right way to honor IP where you keep the style but you make it your own."

Amanda shares her limited exposure to the franchise, appreciating its comedic moments despite recognizing its departure from her usual comedy preferences.

State of Comedy Movies Today

[44:00 – 71:40]

The discussion broadens to the overall decline in quality and originality within Hollywood's comedy genre. The hosts lament the shift away from communal comedic experiences in theaters towards niche, meme-driven humor prevalent on streaming platforms and social media.

Sean Fennessey [63:31]:

"You can get it at a stand-up comedy show, but otherwise you can't get it looking at your phone."

They highlight the absence of influential figures like Judd Apatow, who historically revitalized comedy through writing and producing, and express the need for a cultural figure to spearhead a revival of quality comedic films.

Sean Fennessey [64:15]:

"I think you need a person who is a culture-changing person."

The conversation touches on challenges faced by modern comedians in transitioning to movie-making, emphasizing the financial risks and changing audience behaviors.

Craig Horlbeck [71:23]:

"I don't think comedy is bad now. I think there's great comedy. There's almost too much of it."

Closing Remarks and Future Outlook

[71:00 – End]

In conclusion, the hosts reflect on the future of comedy movies, balancing optimism for potential revivals with concerns over current industry trends. They hope for a resurgence of quality comedies that can resonate both theatrically and culturally.

Sean Fennessey [71:37]:

"Thank you to Craig... We'll be back next week with a summer movie mailbag. We'll see you then."

---

Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• Sean Fennessey [04:08]:

  "They're going to work. They're going to make a little bit of money. They're going to get a lot of Netflix views, but this is just slapping a band aid on a larger problem that is not being fixed."

• Amanda Dobbins [03:12]:

  "I’m reclaiming Materialists. You and I are on that project together."

• Sean Fennessey [20:49]:

  "Can a movie be bad and wonderful at the same time is an important question to ask."

• Craig Horlbeck [17:26]:

  "I thought this was genuinely maybe the worst movie I've ever seen. It was the laziest fan service pandering, nostalgia bait I've ever seen."

• Amanda Dobbins [18:50]:

  "I didn't think this movie was a good comedy, but... I had a decent time watching the whole thing."

• Sean Fennessey [71:37]:

  "Thank you to Craig... We'll be back next week with a summer movie mailbag. We'll see you then."

---

This summary encapsulates the primary discussions, insights, and critical perspectives shared by Sean, Amanda, and Craig throughout the episode. It highlights their concerns about the current state of comedy movies, their analysis of recent sequels and reboots, and their hopes for the future of the genre. Notable quotes are interspersed with timestamps to provide context and emphasize key moments in the conversation.

Transcript

[Sean Fennessey]

This message is brought to you by Apple Pay. No matter where you're going this summer, odds are you'll need to pay for a few things like a ride, share a souvenir or dinner at that spot on your bucket list. Instead of digging for your wallet every time, just use Apple Pay. It's accepted anywhere you see the contactless symbol and all it takes is a tap with iPhone or Apple watch. The best part is you'll still earn the card rewards, points and cash back you love. Easy setup now, easier travels later with Apple Pay terms apply. Foreign I'm Sean Fennesee.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I'm Amanda Dobbins and this is the.

[Sean Fennessey]

Big Picture Conversation show about comedy. On today's episode, we are discussing two follow ups to some legendary Gen X comedy IP, Happy Gilmore 2 and the Naked Gun reboot. We'll also be talking about this century in comedy movies. What the hell happened to them? Joining us today is Craig Horlbeck. Is this your first time on the pod?

[Craig Horlbeck]

It is if you've never invited me.

[Sean Fennessey]

Well, that's insane.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Okay, well, and here you are, co.

[Sean Fennessey]

Host of the Ringer fantasy football show, producer of the Rewatchables, producer of the town, handsomest guy at the company, so many incredible declarations to be made. You are also the number one guy in my life who's like, what the hell happened to comedy movies?

[Craig Horlbeck]

Remember comedy movies? They used to be so fun.

[Sean Fennessey]

They were so fun. So we're going to talk about a couple of the new ones today and if we'll ever get any more ever again in Hollywood, I'm just gonna present a tease to the audience. Stay tuned to this show, to this.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Channel, every day, but especially next week.

[Sean Fennessey]

Especially, yes. Next week we will have information about a new live event. Chicago went so well that we are opening for Oasis at Wembley. And I'm really excited. No, we're not doing that. We are gonna do something and we will have information about that for you next week.

[Amanda Dobbins]

We're replacing Sean with Noel. You're the Noel and I'm the Liam. Yeah, I mean, it's really, it's true.

[Sean Fennessey]

Can you sing like Liam?

[Amanda Dobbins]

I wish. That would be really. But like 90s Liam. Respectfully, I'm not going to be Andy, like with the tapes. You know, I am really excited to go see Oasis. I'm pro Oasis. But, you know, age comes for us all.

[Sean Fennessey]

It certainly does. And that's a great transition to the news in movies right now, which is. We got word earlier this week that reportedly Celine Song, the writer, director behind past lives and Materialists is been tapped to write a sequel to My Best Friend's Wedding, which is a huge favorite of Amanda's. I just shared with Craig that I think it might be my favorite Julia Roberts movie and it is a sacred text among the rom com fans. And Amanda, I'll start with you. How do you feel about this news?

[Amanda Dobbins]

I heard from roughly 30 people in my life about this, both, you know, people I haven't talked to in several years and kind strangers on the Internet who wanted to check in, who wanted to make sure that I'd heard about this. And I said to all of them I was collecting my thoughts and I'd be ready for Friday when we were recording. Obviously I hate it, but what if I don't hate it? What if I don't? I'm reclaiming Materialists. You and I are on that project together. Hey, where are you on Materialists?

[Craig Horlbeck]

I have not seen it.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay, well, then you can't.

[Sean Fennessey]

I actually really need to know your thoughts. Just putting that out there. Just find a way to check it out soon.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, and I, I, I do feel that Celine song has identified isolated as pursuing one of her great themes and interests, which is the love triangle. So in that sense, I think she could be, well, you know, fit to this. They are ruining or remaking, but less well, all of my favorite things now. And you, Sean, have just started laughing at me because as, as you said, it comes for us all and it came for you five to ten years ago because, you know, our financial and corporate structures are weighed towards men. But I get they finally got around to me and now it's coming and I don't think it feels great. But at the same time, maybe I'll like it, maybe I won't.

[Sean Fennessey]

This is the trap.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I know, but what if they do it well, what if it's good?

[Sean Fennessey]

Yeah, sure.

[Amanda Dobbins]

What if it's the Godfather too?

[Sean Fennessey]

Absolutely. Yeah, definitely. You know, what if, what if there's.

[Amanda Dobbins]

A few after that?

[Sean Fennessey]

Yeah, there's a lot of possibilities.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I'm nervous. I mean, I'd like for them to spend money on it. You know, I'd like for them. Do we even know whether the three main stars are returning?

[Sean Fennessey]

I don't know.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I think it would be hard to do it without Julia Roberts and Dermot Mulroney. I mean, perhaps there's been a divorce. You know, maybe marrying Cameron Diaz at 19 didn't pan out.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Would you prefer them to be the stars of the movie or kind of the side characters ushering in a new younger generation?

[Amanda Dobbins]

No, don't do that. Well, we already did that. That's Ticket to Paradise. You know, I'm good. I saw that. I didn't have a bad time. But I would like to know what happens after, you know, second marriage wise. This is. This is the phase of life we're entering, Craig.

[Craig Horlbeck]

I wouldn't like to know.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay.

[Craig Horlbeck]

I think that's the beauty of these movies is they stay as they are.

[Sean Fennessey]

Yeah.

[Craig Horlbeck]

And they're perfect the way they are. It just feels like we're slapping a band aid on. On things right now by. By relaunching all of these great movies from the 90s and early 2000s. And it's. They're going to work. They're going to make a little bit of money. They're going to get a lot of Netflix views, but this is just slapping a band aid on a larger problem that is not being fixed.

[Sean Fennessey]

Spoiler alert. I think on your Happy Gilmore 2 review, potentially, yeah, it's a little depressing. Celine Song is a really interesting writer, and I like the way that she tries to filter thematic ideas into very obvious structures. You know, like a longing romance. Like Past Lives is a much deeper movie than someone who is less gifted making a movie like that. The same goes for Materialist, which I think is less successful, but was at least really interesting to think about and talk about. I don't know if My Best Friend's Wedding is like the vehicle for deep ideas, but maybe in her hands, it could be a little bit better. But, you know, between this and Devil Wears Prada too, it's a really hilarious time to be potting with Amanda. That's what I'm gonna say. I wish you the best.

[Amanda Dobbins]

And also the next one. Let's keep moving.

[Sean Fennessey]

Speaking of twos, reportedly Mikey Madison and Jeremy Allen White are the top picks for significant roles in the Social Network too, which is apparently still being written and directed by Aaron Sorkin. As far as we know, David Fincher and Mark. Not Mark Zuckerberg. David Fincher and Jesse Eisenberg are not a part of this project. Thoughts?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Disaster. I just. Once again, I'm. Once again, I am begging Aaron Sorkin to consider a group project. You know, just. Just, just open it up. And I am begging Jeremy Allen White and Mikey Madison to. To not cast themselves in the morning show by accident. You know, like, it's just really.

[Craig Horlbeck]

We're.

[Amanda Dobbins]

We're in danger of something bad. And I like all parties involved, and I think that we should rethink it. You know, once you say David Fincher and Jesse Eisenberg are not involved in this project. Some just alarm bells should be ringing for everyone.

[Craig Horlbeck]

It was rumored that Jesse Eisenberg might be involved, that he might be coming back as Zuckerberg. Right. And that has now been confirmed. He's not.

[Sean Fennessey]

It has not been confirmed. But I think that was a hope and a wish, and I don't think that there was anything meaningful to it. And it doesn't mean if they don't, you know, if they cut the check, why wouldn't. Jesse Eisenberg's about to be in now youw See Me three. Like, I don't think he's above working on the Social Network too, but he.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Really likes those movies, right?

[Craig Horlbeck]

He does.

[Sean Fennessey]

He loves magic. Just like me. Close Up Magic. Me and Jesse, we have that in common.

[Craig Horlbeck]

It does feel like the sanctity of the movie lies on if Jesse Eisenberg returns as Zuckerberg. To me, that looks legitimizes it. I feel like it's a bit more serious of a movie that he's back with Sorkin if he's out and now it's just a new cast figuring it out. With Sorkin directing, it does feel much cheaper. Obviously, I don't want this movie to be made. Mikey Madison and Jeremy Allen White being in it. That doesn't bother me.

[Sean Fennessey]

Yeah, they're very talented. We learned that. Mikey Madison, it sounds like, passed on being the damsel in distress in a Star wars movie starring Ryan Gosling, directed by Shawn Levy. I think that indicated that she was an actress looking for richer roles. She already has an Academy Award. She should be able to get, you know, not just paid, but get star parts that have some depth. I just. Sorkin as a director is just. He's not bigger.

[Amanda Dobbins]

You need Fincher.

[Sean Fennessey]

I know. And he.

[Craig Horlbeck]

It's one tier above Star Wars. This though.

[Sean Fennessey]

It is. It is. Yeah. It's an adult drama.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Still get nominations. Their actors get nominated, no doubt.

[Sean Fennessey]

Trial of Chicago 7 and BE Ricardo both got Oscar nominations for sure.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yes, they did.

[Sean Fennessey]

I don't think either those movies are that strong. Molly's Game, probably the strongest of the three, in my opinion.

[Amanda Dobbins]

That is right.

[Sean Fennessey]

But all flawed. And I agree he's a great collaborator. He's somebody who, like the friction of another strong voice, tends to create great work. Steve Jobs, another example. Bring in somebody like Danny Boyle to match the weird energy that Sorkin has in projects. So we'll see. I think we're just kind of wish casting both what actors would do something like this and also who is going to make it. If Sorkin wants to make it, he's probably going to make it. We'll see what happens. One other festival piece of news. Do you follow the festival stuff at all? You don't really go to the festivals.

[Craig Horlbeck]

I go to Sundance I've been at couple of times.

[Sean Fennessey]

You go to Sundance.

[Craig Horlbeck]

That's true, but that's the only one I've been to. I'd love to go to more.

[Sean Fennessey]

Okay, well, is this Thing On Was announced as the closing night film at the New York Film Festival. We kind of suggested this could be a possibility when we talked about the Toronto slate and the Telluride slate and the Venice slate. And this is Bradley Cooper's new movie. It stars Will Arnett. It's based on the life of a stand up comedian, which I know is a world that Amanda has spent a lot of time inside of and is really excited to explore more deeply with Brad Cooper. Do you think this is gonna be good, this movie?

[Amanda Dobbins]

I don't know. I sent you an email about this before 8am the day it was announced and just said this puts us in a real pickle in terms of scheduling, in terms of anticipation, in terms of reading the tea leaves. You. You don't seem that optimistic.

[Sean Fennessey]

Well, the last two closing night films of the New York Film Festival were Blitz, Steve McQueen's movie and Ferrari, Michael Mann's movie. Two extremely hyped up movies that have some good things going for them but ultimately fizzled out not just in the awards race but in the public consciousness. That doesn't mean it's not going to be good, but it's not super encouraging. New York Film Festival is not really a place where you usually launch a best Picture contender. It's usually at one of the previous fall festivals and then you run through to New York.

[Amanda Dobbins]

There are exceptions. The Irishman.

[Sean Fennessey]

The Irishman is an exception. A profoundly New York movie with some Scorsese heritage.

[Amanda Dobbins]

This could be a profoundly New York movie. You don't know.

[Sean Fennessey]

You're right, I don't know.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Bradley Cooper is living in New York and getting photographed with Gigi Hadid and selling cheesesteaks in New York even though he's from Philly.

[Sean Fennessey]

Do you follow Bradley Cooper's personal life, Craig?

[Craig Horlbeck]

Not unless it's put in front of my face, which it is sometimes.

[Amanda Dobbins]

By who?

[Craig Horlbeck]

By the algorithm.

[Sean Fennessey]

Okay, that also comes for us. Fox Searchlight has not missed on a Best Picture nomination since 2017. This is a Searchlight movie. Whether it's this movie or rental family, it's unclear if that's going to be their big contender this year. Rental Family premieres at Tiff Cooper. Also one of the most nominated men alive. He's had how many? I think he's had like 14 nominations. When you include producing, directing, acting, songwriting, like all the way down the line. He's gotten a lot of nominations. He's directed Star is born in Maestro. Is he Maestro?

[Craig Horlbeck]

Yeah. What'd you think of that in the theater? I thought it was a fun theatrical experience. I thought the music was great and he tried really hard and I'm happy he tried.

[Amanda Dobbins]

You're pro Mahler.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Let's put that on the record. Sure. Bradley Cooper wants to be taken seriously and I think this movie's another attempt at that.

[Sean Fennessey]

I wonder. This seems like definitely like a. Like a pitched at a lower register, maybe like a more intimate, quieter movie. Doesn't mean it won't have a lot to say. But it's not this gargantuan biopic like Maestro was meant to be. I'm watching with interest. We'll see what happens.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Sure.

[Sean Fennessey]

I'd like to watch it. I think he's a really talented filmmaker, even if the material he chooses is sometimes a little bit confusing. So we'll see. Okay. We have some incredible breaking news. The timing in this is remarkable.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I honest, I am. Go ahead.

[Sean Fennessey]

We've just had like a five minute conversation about the potential of the Social Network 2 and who the actors are and whether or not Jesse Eisenberg is coming back. And it appears that there is an actor who's being eyed to play Mark Zuckerberg, but it is not Jesse Eisenberg. Now, Craig does not know who this person is.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennessey]

Do you have any guesses as to who the actor is that is being strongly considered for this part?

[Craig Horlbeck]

Can you give me a small hint? Big star. Medium star.

[Sean Fennessey]

Medium Star appeared on a very prominent television show in the last five years.

[Amanda Dobbins]

One of Sean's favorites.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Kind of around like 40 year old white guy.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Ish.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Yep.

[Sean Fennessey]

Correct.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Prominent television show, Jason Seagull.

[Sean Fennessey]

Not a bad guess.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennessey]

That's not correct. The answer is Jeremy Strong.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Wow.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Now, wow. He's going to take that so seriously.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennessey]

Yeah. That is fascinating. I'm not saying it's good, but it is appropriate.

[Amanda Dobbins]

So here's the thing. Jeremy Strong is yet one more person who needs a group project. Do you know what I mean? It's like let's all get in the mix together. Let's all add our interpretations. Let's balance each other out.

[Sean Fennessey]

Well, fortunately, he's an actor, so he has to. He's gotta read the words, you know?

[Amanda Dobbins]

I guess. So.

[Sean Fennessey]

Jeremy Strong, who I think is clearly slightly deranged performer, but is incredibly gifted.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennessey]

He did previously collaborate with Sorkin, obviously, on the trial of the Chicago 7. He played Jerry Rubin in that movie. I thought he was pretty good in that movie.

[Amanda Dobbins]

He's fine.

[Sean Fennessey]

You have. You've got, like, a black Lakers thing with Jeremy Strong.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah. And I just. I don't know that I trust Aaron Sorkin and Jeremy Strong without a counterweight in the room.

[Sean Fennessey]

Jeremy. That's a fair point. Jeremy Strong, Jeremy Allen White are gonna be together in the Springsteen movie. So they obviously have a working relationship. Jeremy Strong, Jeremy Allen White, and Mikey Madison. Now all of a sudden, we're cooking with gas. Now, again, I need Bennett Miller to just come back and make this movie for Aaron Sorkin. Like, I just need something else to happen.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yes, that's what I'm saying.

[Sean Fennessey]

But that is a very talented cast.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Everyone is talented in their own way with this project attached to this project, and we just. We need.

[Sean Fennessey]

We actually can't cancel this podcast because we have to see this movie like this. We got to last at least until this movie.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I just. I. Oh, my stomach hurts. That's my reaction.

[Sean Fennessey]

Seem more exciting or less exciting to you?

[Craig Horlbeck]

Definitely more exciting. Throwing Jeremy Strong into this makes it much more interesting.

[Amanda Dobbins]

This is.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Those are three good actors.

[Sean Fennessey]

Okay, well, hopefully this works out for the best.

[Craig Horlbeck]

I'm sure it won't, but I'm very excited. I'll watch that. That is. That's a. Is that Legacy sequel? How do we categorize that?

[Sean Fennessey]

I think so. Speaking of, maybe we should pivot now to another conversation about legacy sequels. Let's talk About Happy Gilmore 2, directed by Kyle Nek, who has directed Game Over. Man. Did you see that movie?

[Craig Horlbeck]

No, I missed it.

[Sean Fennessey]

The Workaholics guys.

[Craig Horlbeck]

I'm a fan of the Workaholics guys.

[Sean Fennessey]

Me too. I just saw them on the lot at Netflix when I went to go see another movie, Murder Mystery. Also. Adam Sandler, Jennifer Aniston, on a boat. Somebody got killed. We talked about that movie on this pod once.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, I watched the sequel too, I think.

[Sean Fennessey]

The Murder Mystery 2.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, I don't know. Actually, now maybe I watched the trailer.

[Sean Fennessey]

Those movies are among the most watched movies in Netflix history. So Kyle Newcheck is a proven commodity. And the movie is written by Tim Herlihy and Adam Sandler, and it is a follow up, a legacy equal to one of the most important movies in the history of my Life and an essential Gen X elder millennial comedy that Craig's generation also claims. Recently you guys did on the Ringer fantasy football show an episode in which you used moments from Happy Gilmore to define the upcoming fantasy football season.

[Craig Horlbeck]

It is the most quoted movie on our show and I think it's the movie I can quote the most. The comedy I can quote the most.

[Sean Fennessey]

So we had an interesting experience with this movie on the rewatchable some years ago. We did that episode with Josh and Benny Safdie. That's right. And Josh and Benny Safdie, I felt, really put us to shame in terms of the knowing every square inch of Dopey Gilmore they were. And I love this movie. And I know Bill loves this movie. And they were obsessed with it. Lo and behold, Benny Safdie is a part of this new movie. He is, in fact the big bad, the villain of this movie coming back from the original film. Sandler, of course. Julie Bowen, sort of. Christopher McDonald as Shooter McGavin.

[Craig Horlbeck]

We'll talk about Julie Bone.

[Amanda Dobbins]

We will.

[Sean Fennessey]

This movie also is the most star studded cameo fest in movie history.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennessey]

Is it fair to say?

[Craig Horlbeck]

Certainly. I'm waiting to be unleashed. Let me go.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, just let him go. Let him go. Let him go.

[Sean Fennessey]

Okay, Craig, you go first. What did you think of Happy Gilmore 2?

[Craig Horlbeck]

First off, I want to get this out of the way that I love Happy Gilmore and I desperate. I love it. Okay. It's one of my favorite movies ever. I think it is underratedly smart, tight, well written, well acted. It's a great story. I desperately wanted this movie to be good. Of course, I had my doubts, but I went in with as much of an open mind as I could. And I thought this was genuinely maybe the worst movie I've ever seen. I thought this was the laziest fan service pandering, nostalgia bait I've ever seen. It was barely a movie. It was a YouTube compilation of cameos. It was. It was SNL. 50 of them just jamming in, as many people as they possibly could. They weren't even in there long enough for it to be a scene. It was made to be marketed. It was made to be a trailer. That is my thought. That is my. That was my initial gut reaction after watching this two hour movie. 30 minutes longer than the first one.

[Sean Fennessey]

So would you say you didn't like it?

[Craig Horlbeck]

I didn't love it.

[Sean Fennessey]

Okay.

[Craig Horlbeck]

But here's the thing. I might be in the wrong because I have, I would say the majority of the people in my life didn't like it. However, there were a few that did. There were a few that were like, I didn't think it was so bad. There were some fun moments. It was an easy watch, which I think is a problem with a lot of the movies that air on streaming now is that you can just kind of lean back and think to yourself, easy watch. There were some moments. It was entertaining.

[Sean Fennessey]

I want to explore that with you, for sure.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I.

[Sean Fennessey]

What did you think?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Well, I. First, I'd just like to add some context to Craig's impassioned speech, which I'm. I'm think I mostly agree with, except when Craig says that it is the worst movie that he's ever seen. I just want to note that Craig has not seen most superhero movies. So a lot of them, we. And. And we saw the Naked Gun together, and he was asking me about other movies and was then just like, I will never see that. So, you know, that's. That's the world that we're living in. I didn't think this movie was a good comedy, but. And this is. This is Dark Days. This is. This is tough for me because this shows you, like, how far golf has entered my home and my life. Like, maybe it was kind of a fun golf movie. Like, maybe I started cheering when Rory McElroy and Scotty showed up, and I was like, zach, come back in. Look, it's Rory. You know, like, maybe I recognize Colin Morikawa, like, on the screen getting a punchline. So. So I don't know what to do with that. And to Craig's point, like, that is. That's just like, that is fan service. And that is fan service for this synergy of the golf, then the golf world and the golf show that's on Netflix and Adam Sandler and all these sorts of things. It has nothing to do with the original movie. Adam Sandler is not very funny in it. So I think, as a sequel, thumbs down as me having a decent time watching the whole thing. I did.

[Craig Horlbeck]

And look, I can agree with her. It is fun to see Scottie Scheffler and Rory. That's undeniable. I don't think that makes it a good movie. It can be, I guess, an entertaining watch, but I feel like that sets the bar on the floor for what a movie needs to be.

[Sean Fennessey]

Okay, you've had your say. You're both wrong. This is a fascinating document in American movie making for a million reasons. Here we go. Now, can a movie be bad and wonderful at the same time is an important question to ask.

[Craig Horlbeck]

I'm Terrified. You're going to say you didn't think this was bad?

[Sean Fennessey]

I think it is a weirdly honest portrait of a person in a fascinating place in their life. Now, obviously, the movie is made to do all the things you described. It's made to be a trailer. It's made for social breakout moments. It's made to just kind of like let the day roll past. So you have two hours of wallpaper that feels familiar and comfortable, and you can raise your hand and be like, oh, my God, Colin Morikaro. This is so fun. Oh, Ben Stiller's back. That's so exciting. And it does all that stuff, right?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Oh, which Alex is that? Yes, I think it was Earl. Not Cooper.

[Craig Horlbeck]

It was Earl.

[Sean Fennessey]

Earl, Yes. A lot of podcast hosts in this movie as well.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Bobby Lee, Andrew Santino. I mean, every cutaway. I didn't even recognize some of the TikTok stars that I'm sure.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Some professional golfers, I'm told.

[Sean Fennessey]

Some professional golfers.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah. Nelly Korda, Right? Yes.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Post malone. Next to 85 year old Verne Lundqvist.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Oh, yeah, Vern did we enjoy.

[Craig Horlbeck]

I know.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Vern Sec Life.

[Sean Fennessey]

Vern Lundquist saying gangster shit indeed is one of the best things that's happened in movies this year. Okay, seriously, here's my thing. You made the key point, which is that Adam Sandler is uniquely unfunny in this movie, which is uncommon even in the largely forgettable Netflix comedies that he's been making for the last seven or eight years. He @ least gets to be kind of funny and do the Sandler shtick. This movie is a weird meditation on death and alcoholism. I mean, the whole movie is about an aging father who's lost his wife, who doesn't know how to raise his five children, and has lost his way as a professional person and somebody who can earn money to support his family. So this is a really weird movie to be combining that incredibly serious and like, maybe just ever so slightly autobiographical Sandler stuff. Especially when you consider the way that he works his daughters and his wife into the movie.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennessey]

Alongside, I think the movie that obviously Billy Madison is the first feature that he made. It's still my favorite Adam Sandler movie. It kind of just changed my brain chemistry for the comedies that I liked. But Happy Gilmore was the breakout. This was the first, like, real hit that he made. And it is the movie that is probably the most quoted thing he's ever done. And it looms really large. And there's a reason that this is the movie that got a sequel. Some 28 years later and not any of his other movies in this way. And him using it. He has a screenwriting credit on this movie. Using it to put all this personal stuff in alongside Benny Safdie playing an insanely weird, unlikable fake Live Tour golf villain is actually worth unpacking. And I find this an interesting contrast to the Naked Gun. And the Naked Gun to me is clearly a better movie and a more effective movie than Happy Gilmore 2. But the naked Gun is not as good of a movie for a podcast because there's not a lot to say. And this kind of dovetails, I think, a little bit with our relationship to movie comedies and the absence of them in recent times. We haven't had a lot of opportunity to talk about movie comedies on the show. And part of that is because there's not a lot to say about movie comedies that are joke a minute other than like, did you think that was funny? And if you didn't, where does your criticism go? And I think back all the time on the way that Roger Ebert wrote about comedies in the 90s. And that was the only time really, with the exception of maybe some slasher movies, where I was like, man, he just missed the mark. Like, he did not understand what these movies are attempting to do and how they make people happy. And so his criticism is often rooted in the fact that there's no thematic depth. And if he didn't think that they were funny, then there was nothing to say about them. But this movie is actually trying to do a couple of things emotionally. Now, whether they're successful or not is very debatable. But the fact that he's even trying and a movie that went from being 89 minutes to 2 hours and 5 minutes, I know, pisses you off because you love a short comedy, but it is at least something that is different in addition to being a kind of a cheap sell out golf comedy remake.

[Craig Horlbeck]

I don't care to retort. I don't know. I think that's generous to say that these are deep themes that he is integrating from his life into the film. I think you could easily argue this was just the easiest way they could come up with a way for Happy Gilmore to be back at the bottom and have to work his way back up.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Right?

[Craig Horlbeck]

I don't know. I don't want to attribute it that much depth because I'm not sure that's actually the genesis of the story.

[Sean Fennessey]

I don't know. I haven't read any interviews with Sandler about it. I, I, it's It's unusual to me that this many members of his family are not only in this movie, but have become a part of, like, the Netflix original movie strategy. You know, his daughter was the star of a movie that came out last year.

[Craig Horlbeck]

The Bat Mitzvah movie.

[Sean Fennessey]

Yeah, the Bat Mitzvah movie. I was very surprised. I don't. Maybe his wife had acted before, but I don't remember ever seeing her in a movie. Her inclusion in this movie and the fact that, you know, Sandler has this reputation as, like, a huge family man now. He's kind of always making movies to kind of include his friends and family in the journey of making this stuff. That doesn't make the movie better. I'm not trying to tell you that this is good. It's not good, but it's actually kind of nice that it exists to me in a way that doesn't piss me off and call me a hypocrite. I can certainly. I'm happy to get on here and say Jurassic World Rebirth is cynical garbage, and I'm really mad that it happened, but for whatever reason, because I have a lot of love for Sandler and the happiness that he's given me. And also the fact that, for me personally, it does feel like he's. Obviously, there's something personal in the movie because there's something personal to him about Happy Gilmore. You guys aren't gonna give me an inch on this?

[Amanda Dobbins]

No, no. I mean, I think it's an interesting interpretation. I think you're a good podcaster.

[Sean Fennessey]

Thank you.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I assumed that they killed Julie Boanoff because she was only available for two days. You know, I was really only thinking, what's she doing? That's a great question. I think maybe I do know the answer to it.

[Sean Fennessey]

She's, like, insanely rich from Modern Family. She doesn't have time to work on this movie.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Maybe she didn't want to.

[Sean Fennessey]

Julie Bowen. You guys made note of this on your podcast. In Happy Gilmore. That's important stuff.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Important.

[Sean Fennessey]

That's did a lot.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Changed a lot.

[Sean Fennessey]

She changed a lot. She had a great power.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Also a central character to the movie.

[Sean Fennessey]

She was the original movie. Okay, the original movie is weird because this is something that a lot of comedy sequels get stuck in. It's about an outsider trying to break into a system. Right. A lot of golf comedies, especially, are about this. Caddyshack is about this. Tin cup is about this. You know, people who are kind of. Who are the. Like, the rebels who do things a little bit differently and are trying to subvert and infiltrate a very staid, traditional world. Happy Gilmore 2 can't work if he's just a successful golfer. So.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Right.

[Sean Fennessey]

They go to great lengths. They kill his wife, they make him an alcoholic. They completely eliminate his ability to be successful at golf. And then he has to work his way back. But he has to work his way back against the encroaching forces of a terrible villain.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Well, also, why does he initially start to come back? In the first movie, the Happy Gilmore character is motivated because his beloved grandma, who raised him. Her house in 60 years, which his grandfather built with his bare hands, is being foreclosed on. And he wants to save it. His childhood memory. And he needs hundreds of thousands of dollars. In this movie, his daughter wants to go to ballet school. And that's why Happy Gilmore needs to come back to golf, because he needs.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Excuse yourself.

[Sean Fennessey]

This is a guy who does not have kids.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Five grand a year.

[Amanda Dobbins]

You gotta find her art, man. That's. There's no. There's no problem with that.

[Sean Fennessey]

This is why I'm like, this is a personal movie. You have kids.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Some girl. Dad. Shit. But listen, you know, she.

[Craig Horlbeck]

He has not equal motivations.

[Sean Fennessey]

Well, yes. I can't say I was like, profoundly moved by grandma's plight in Happy Gilmore. That wasn't like the motivating interest for me to get excited about.

[Amanda Dobbins]

She didn't pay her taxes.

[Sean Fennessey]

That's true. That's a really good point.

[Craig Horlbeck]

She's being tortured in an old people's home.

[Sean Fennessey]

I know.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Well, yeah, yeah. I mean, fingers hurt. His daughter's being tortured by four idiot brothers.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Yeah. I mean, I have more issues with the construction of this movie than I do the larger thematic choices made by Sandler and his personal relationship with moviemaking and his career. But there are no new jokes in this movie. The lazy cutbacks to Happy Gilmore 1, every character is just the son of the character from the original movie. You have Chubbs son doing the same joke with the hand. You have Eminem being the son of the heckler. He's in the movie for 75 seconds. He gets eaten by alligators.

[Sean Fennessey]

Immediately enjoyed that.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Bobon is the son of Mr. Larson. None of these cameos even stick around long enough for them to be actual characters that can do anything. It's not a real movie. We're also ignoring the fact that the last hour of this Movie is an AI Mr. Beast video about a fake golf obstacle world. And sure, you can say it's a commentary on Live. Again, this is just all extremely generous.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Well, the thing about it being a Live send up. Which I thought was like, if not clever, then at least I was like.

[Sean Fennessey]

Oh, hey, at least identifiable.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay, that's something. But aren't half the guys in the movie also on the live tour?

[Craig Horlbeck]

They have a flaw.

[Sean Fennessey]

Bryson DeChambeau playing a pretty significant role.

[Amanda Dobbins]

And when like both Brooks and Bryson Bryson moved over.

[Sean Fennessey]

Right.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Brooks is the Gretzky wife in the.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Yes.

[Sean Fennessey]

No, that's Dustin Johnson.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Oh, okay.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Who's not in the film.

[Sean Fennessey]

Who's not in the film. Brooks is the guy who looked like the Terminator. He was like, I'm an NFL linebacker coming to conquer football. And then began getting injured. Routinely struggled with those injuries and gets injured in this movie.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Right.

[Sean Fennessey]

Which I thought was a kind of an amusing joke.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Right. And Scottish Sheffield gets arrested.

[Amanda Dobbins]

That was funny. I laughed. I chuckled it.

[Craig Horlbeck]

I don't know.

[Sean Fennessey]

I thought that stuff was okay. I mean, it's a little inside baseball for golf, but I didn't think it was like deplorable.

[Craig Horlbeck]

You know, I don't think that is either. I just, I wish it was just a normal movie and it had five cameos and they were in the whole film and they were characters in the movie that grew and changed and things happened.

[Sean Fennessey]

Yeah.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Rather than 200 jammed in, you know, 100 minutes.

[Sean Fennessey]

I won't defend it. And yet it didn't bother me when Margaret Qualley showed up for eight minutes.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I was happy to see her.

[Sean Fennessey]

I thought that was kind of amusing.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Again, I don't mind the choice. It's the execution.

[Sean Fennessey]

Sure, sure.

[Craig Horlbeck]

And Tim Harley's son is in that scene as well.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Who I like and think is funny.

[Sean Fennessey]

Please don't destroy.

[Craig Horlbeck]

And I think those guys are great.

[Sean Fennessey]

So you're. You're big mad.

[Craig Horlbeck]

I'm. I'm so upset. I'm so upset.

[Sean Fennessey]

This is kind of a perfect episode because your, your youth is being destroyed and now your youth is being destroyed by Hollywood.

[Craig Horlbeck]

This golf is the maxi golf of movies. This, the movie is ostensibly about saving golf, but the movie itself is ruining movies.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I mean, I don't disagree with him.

[Sean Fennessey]

I was happy to see 90 year old Jack Nicklaus give a somewhat decent performance in the film. I mean, that was, that was impressive. He wasn't terrible.

[Craig Horlbeck]

I thought Christopher McDonald was good. I think he's a good actor.

[Sean Fennessey]

Very good.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I was surprised by Travis Kelce. Honestly.

[Craig Horlbeck]

I thought he could deliver a line.

[Amanda Dobbins]

It was better than I thought. They also gave him some really flattering lighting for the. Until he had to get like punched a million times in the bad bunny.

[Craig Horlbeck]

He's lost some.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Bad Bunny was very funny.

[Craig Horlbeck]

He's older in his career.

[Sean Fennessey]

Bad Bunny.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Bad Bunny is incredible.

[Sean Fennessey]

I think Bad Bunny was funny. I thought he was incredibly funny in this.

[Craig Horlbeck]

I've always liked Bad Bunny. I think he has great community time.

[Sean Fennessey]

The thing that he does on SNL so well. He's so funny on snl.

[Craig Horlbeck]

He was per.

[Sean Fennessey]

I thought he was one of the. Arguably the best part of this movie.

[Craig Horlbeck]

I actually totally agree. I think one of the best things he's ever done is with. Please don't dest film they made of him as Shrek is hilarious. And he's. He has great.

[Sean Fennessey]

He's bringing that same energy. So. Yeah, I don't know. Come on. It's not bad.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Oh, it's. I mean, it's slop.

[Amanda Dobbins]

It's really bad.

[Sean Fennessey]

It's. It's bad.

[Craig Horlbeck]

And we should say it was the most viewed Netflix movie in its opening weekend ever.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Well, let's just talk about why is this slop okay with you and other slots.

[Sean Fennessey]

It's not. I'm a complete contradictory. You know, that's okay.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I'm not even asking you to say that. It's like, I think the emotional thing, like, you just.

[Sean Fennessey]

I dig what's. I just dig what Sandler is about. I think that what he. The way that he is, like, going about his career where he's like, I'm not giving up on this stuff, but I'm also going to do Hustle because I think this filmmaker is interesting. And I'm also going to do the Bombach movie. Yeah, that is. I just think that's so cool. I think the way that he has, like, flexed his power is a no drama celebrity. Seems to genuinely, like, appreciate and support his friends. I just feel like he's doing it right. And so I'm just going to be more generous towards this stuff. We don't review most of the movies that he puts on Netflix because we know that they're negligible and not very interesting and that they're just like rehashes of things he's done before. This is a movie we can't ignore because so many people are watching it and is a sequel to a hugely important movie for all of us. In some ways, the fact that you're golf pilled now, too, makes it all the sweeter to me. It's so funny.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I was really upset, but it's like, what are you going to do? It's just all around us. And I guess, you know, it is like pop culture at this point. More and more. And this. And, like, this movie is sort of like an evil tool of that as well. So in that sense, I'm bad. But I laughed. Well, I laughed at the Scottie joke. I got the Scottie joke and I laughed at him.

[Sean Fennessey]

It's an interesting time, though, in golf where I think. And I talk about this with your husband all the time. Three or four years ago, as golf fans, we were like, this is the greatest time that's ever happened. Like, we don't have Tiger, but we have somewhere between nine and 14 guys who are incredible to follow on a weekly basis, let alone just the majors. And the last couple years have been pretty juiceless. And the looming tower of Scotty makes the sport a little less interesting because he's so damn good.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Unfair to Rory.

[Sean Fennessey]

Well, I was very happy for him, and I'm glad he got the monkey off his back.

[Amanda Dobbins]

That was cinematic.

[Sean Fennessey]

That was great stuff.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I would like to get him longer shorts in a seated situation.

[Sean Fennessey]

Well, he's Irish, you know, we like to show off our loves, you know.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Otherwise, I just. I didn't. I thought they like. Otherwise it looks great.

[Sean Fennessey]

I just think this is kind of a funny adrenaline shot in a very quiet golf year.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Yeah, sure. I can't believe I'm. I'm. I'm terrified that I'm on an island.

[Sean Fennessey]

You're not. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. The reviews of this movie are. Are rough.

[Craig Horlbeck]

I know. I know. Rotten Tomatoes is not. We don't really care about Rotten Tomatoes, but the scores are. Are pretty close to the original. Whatever.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I mean. No, no, no. We can't do it.

[Sean Fennessey]

We can't do it.

[Craig Horlbeck]

The fan rating is higher for Happy.

[Sean Fennessey]

Is made for teenagers. Like, you can't even look at the.

[Amanda Dobbins]

You can't.

[Sean Fennessey]

The scores. Like, it doesn't really mean that.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Who's clicking the tomato, you know?

[Craig Horlbeck]

Yeah, like.

[Amanda Dobbins]

No, just. It doesn't. It doesn't matter.

[Sean Fennessey]

I listened to the. No Laying up guys talking about this movie. They did, like, 15 minutes at the end of an episode earlier this week.

[Amanda Dobbins]

And I was like, they were not in it.

[Sean Fennessey]

They did not like it. They weren't in it. I think Neil was. It had, like, a very small cameo, but Neil wasn't talking about the movie. And they really thought it was bad. Like, really bad. And they did not cotton to any of the golf contemporary culture stuff. And they.

[Craig Horlbeck]

More. They.

[Sean Fennessey]

They didn't have the same sense of. I don't. I don't. I don't know. Emotional rejection that you feel.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Yeah, this is Apocalyptic to me.

[Sean Fennessey]

So funny to me. It's so nice to be, you know, relieved of this burden where someone has to be this person on the podcast. I don't think it's good. And yet I didn't hate it. I didn't hate it. And I feel okay saying that.

[Craig Horlbeck]

The last hour of the movie, the first hour I thought was bad. I texted my friend. He said, just wait. The last hour of this movie is really AI slop. It is. There are ATVs and purple smoke and CGI. AI. Haley Joel Osmond. Why is he the villain in this movie? And they're spinning around like they're at a carnival hitting the ball.

[Sean Fennessey]

How'd you feel about the hip surgery as a way to make guys super golfers?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Horrible.

[Sean Fennessey]

I thought that was amusing.

[Craig Horlbeck]

You enjoyed seeing him spin around like a demon looking at how I thought it was funn. Final scene of this film is Bad Bunny and Happy Gilmore on a spinning top of a green.

[Amanda Dobbins]

That did look quite bad.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Trying to make a putt.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I did start online shopping Ball thought it was amusing.

[Sean Fennessey]

You guys seen Caddyshack? These movies are not fucking sophisticated. This is not Casablanca, it's Happy Gilmore sequel. It's very funny to watch people feel have their youths attacked by contemporary movies. This is like a trend that has been happening for about 20 years now. It's not going to stop anytime soon. And now it's time for a new segment crafted for cravings, presented by Starbucks.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Some things just hit different in summer big screen blockbusters and refreshing Starbucks drinks both top the list.

[Sean Fennessey]

And while Starbucks summer beverages always deliver, the film offerings may vary. Let's talk about a few summer movies that really tickled our fancy this year. F1 springs to mind an incredible adrenaline rush. What did you think about that movie?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Very fast, very exciting. Biggest screen possible, like, you know, a summer event. The classic classic summer 10 foil throwback.

[Sean Fennessey]

A great star performance from Brad Pitt and a lot of fun to see on a big screen. What about Superman?

[Amanda Dobbins]

I was. I liked this. I did. We liked it. And I think the further we get from it, the more we were like, okay, that really kind of did work, didn't it?

[Sean Fennessey]

It really worked well. It was kind of the tentpole franchise movie of the summer for me personally. Really love the cast. David Corn Sweat, Nicholas Hoult, Rachel Brosnahan, all turning in great performances. And then 28 years later, which I guess is sort of a surprise as a summer blockbuster, but is one of the best movies of the year so far.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yes. I don't think that we expected it to be as good as it was, even though it was a return of Danny Boyle, Alex Garland, actors we like, and Jodie Comer and Aaron Taylor Johnson. So we knew it was gonna be good, but I don't think we expected to start crying.

[Sean Fennessey]

We were crying. Yeah, we were crying. It was a beautiful story about love and childhood and coming of age and viruses, and it was wonderful. And there was a bone temple, and that was extraordinary. If there's one thing you can rely on to hit the spot this summer, it's Starbucks summer beverages. Try cooling off with a new Strato Frappuccino blended beverage. It's a crave worthy ice blended beverage topped with creamy cold foam, making for delicious layers of silky flavor. Available for a limited time only. Your Strato Frappuccino blended beverage is ready at Starbucks. Let's pivot to the nick again. Okay, this is a really, really interesting text because this is a theatrical movie. It's not a streaming movie. It is directed by, I think, one of the very few good comedy directors of the last 10 or 15 years, Akiva Shaffer, who is one third of the Lonely island, who directed Pop Star, he directed Hot Rod.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Both great underrated movies, great comedies from.

[Sean Fennessey]

The last 10 years. This is the fourth film in the Naked Gun franchise, which was originally spun out from the Police Squad TV series Starring Leslie Nielsen, this new movie stars Liam Neeson, Pamela Anderson, Paul Walter Hauser, Kevin Durand and Danny Huston. Helpful note here. 85 minute runtime, it was unreal. Dramatic difference between the 2 hours and 9 minutes of Happy Gilmore 2. Here's the story. Following in the footsteps of his bumbling father, Detective Frank Drebin must solve a murder case to prevent the police department from shutting down. Amanda, I'll start with you. I just want to know your relationship to the Naked Gun because we've never talked about these movies on the show.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I have seen the original, not the sequels, but it was not like on a, on a repeat in my house. So I guess I have like generational reference point and some of the jokes like, live outside of the movie at this point. So I'm not unconversant. But it's not like Happy Gilmore or Billy Madison or, you know, Tommy Boy or any of those.

[Sean Fennessey]

Okay, that's good to know. What about for you?

[Craig Horlbeck]

I've seen it a couple times. I love it. I'm a fan of all of that kind of spoof genre from the 70s and 80s. The airplanes, all the Mel Brooks movies. I think these are just like classic joke Writing films. And that is something that has basically disappeared since. I don't know. I think there's elements of that in the Austin Powers movies a little bit, but it's largely been gone, I think, for the last two decades.

[Sean Fennessey]

Yeah, this is at the time when it was released, a style of movie that was very common. And Zucker Abrams, who made Airplane, are behind these movies and they made movies like Top Secret and the Spoof, the Joke a Minute spoof. I was also raised on these movies. Predate Happy Gilmore a little bit, but not too much. I remember seeing Naked Gun to 33 and a third as a birthday movie.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Very far apart. Naked Guns 88, Happy Gomers 96. They feel 15 years.

[Sean Fennessey]

They do, but the sequels were in the 90s. I love these movies. I don't think I have the same emotional connection to them that I did to the Sandler stuff or Tommy Boy or even Austin Powers. But they're not sacred texts in any way. I was just listening to Seth MacFarlane on the town and he made it a very interesting point. He's the producer of this movie that the one thing that was really important to him when having conversations at the studios is you have to cast real actors to execute on these spoof movies. You can't cast comedians because the whole point is that they have to deliver the material straight. Because this is a spoof of a hard boiled cop noir.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Yeah. Procedural spoof.

[Sean Fennessey]

Yeah. That's what these are 50s 60s movies. Like the, you know, the Big Heat. And I like this new movie. I think it's funny. I wish it was like 20% funnier. And I don't think that that's like a damning criticism. But when the whole premise of the movie is joke a minute and every other joke hits. I felt maybe my expectations were too high because we saw the trailer at Cinemacon and I was like, fuck.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I'd like to talk about the trailer.

[Sean Fennessey]

Because a lot of the jokes are in the trailer.

[Amanda Dobbins]

The trailer has half the jokes.

[Sean Fennessey]

Yeah.

[Amanda Dobbins]

And it's a real. And that's a problem just in terms of like the number of jokes that it indicates, but also because you have spoiled half of the jokes, including like the opening quote, unquote, set piece in the trailer.

[Craig Horlbeck]

It's true. It's a tricky part with theatrical movies now because you're kind of damned if you do, damned if you don't. Where you need to show people at home that it's funny and it's worth getting out of your chair to drive in to see the movie. But Then also, you don't want them to sit down, watch the movie, and be like, oh, all the funny moments are in the trailer. Yeah.

[Sean Fennessey]

And I completely. I basically agree with everybody review of this movie that is like, thank God theatrical comedies are back, because I want them to, and we can talk about what's happened in the last 20 years or so. And I want this movie to succeed. And I think Liam Neeson is pretty good. I thought Pamela Anderson was very game for the most part. Like, it works. You know, the plot works. I thought Danny Houston was the absolute MVP of the movie. I thought he was very, very funny as a villain.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Also, I mean, how many Elon Musks have we had in movies just this summer at this point? That's, like, at least three.

[Sean Fennessey]

I think it's the most dependable villain style right now. And so I. I dug it. We can talk about some of the gags that really work and that are funny to us. It's a little bit hard to explore beyond, like, did you think it was funny? Did you think it was funny?

[Craig Horlbeck]

I thought it was really funny. I thought it was a great time.

[Amanda Dobbins]

You chuckled.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Oh, yeah, I was. I think I was even. I watched it with Amanda. I think I was even suppressing my laughter a little bit because I didn't.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Want her to think I was laughing.

[Craig Horlbeck]

At really stupid jokes.

[Sean Fennessey]

But I was inside.

[Amanda Dobbins]

First of all, I judged you like you did. I did notice you chuckling, but you were more reserved. I was like, oh, interesting. Craig's not like a trying to play a classic. We were also seated next to two people who were loving it, laughing at every single thing. And the room was pretty good.

[Craig Horlbeck]

I thought the theater had a great time.

[Sean Fennessey]

This is a huge part of whether or not this movie's gonna work.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Did you see it in a full theater?

[Sean Fennessey]

I saw it at the same theater that Matt saw it in, which was a very big room at the studio. And I would say it was not as raucous as you would have wanted it to be. And I have a lot of fond memories in the 2000s of going to see all these movies and, you know, seeing the Hangover. Regardless of how you feel about the Hangover, seeing the Hangover when it came out in a movie theater on Friday night, insane anarchy. It was like being at a Kendrick Lamar concert. I mean, people are losing their shit. So I didn't quite get that. It was also a very big theater.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Sure.

[Sean Fennessey]

You actually kind of want to be in a small movie theater for a movie like this, because then the laughter gets More infectious and I didn't have as much of it, so maybe that kind of dimmed some of my enthusiasm for it. I definitely thought it was funny and effective and it works. I just 1am a little bit cautious about people being like, this movie is fantastic, it's good. It's a good spoof comedy and nothing more than that. And over promising I think maybe does the movie a disservice. But also I desperately need somewhere between seven and 14 of these a year and I do not understand why we don't have them. I've heard the excuses and I've heard the explanations around. It's expensive and it's harder to get people in the theater and streaming and we can talk through some of those things. But like I sent you a list of movie comedies released this year. It's dire. It is absolutely terrible. Okay, so before we get too far down the road of that, what else like popped out to you about the Naked Gun or what did you enjoy about it?

[Craig Horlbeck]

I thought this is the right way to honor IP where you keep the style but you make it your own. There were minimal callbacks to the original. There were some that were funny, but they largely made their own jokes in the same style. It's just nice to know that this is still possible, that there are writers who can still do this, that there are actors and directors who can still pull this off. I just found it to be a very easy, fun time at the movies. It's 85 minutes. The theater. I thought the theater was pretty lively. It was and had a great time.

[Amanda Dobbins]

You could have laughed more than. I would have laughed more too.

[Craig Horlbeck]

I thought it was well cast. I think it's going to be. I don't know if young people are going to see this movie. I think they maybe should have tried to cast somebody in the Liza Koshy role, give her a bigger part and maybe a slightly bigger star to just try to expand the net for audiences. Just to.

[Sean Fennessey]

You pointed this out on the town that there's no young person draw in the movie, which is an interesting choice to have 2, basically 2, 260 year olds be the leads of this theatrical comedy. But does that say more about who the movie's trying to appeal to?

[Craig Horlbeck]

Certainly.

[Sean Fennessey]

Is it trying to get the 40 and 50 year olds into the movie theater more so than the 20 and 30 year olds?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, I think so. Anecdotally, I have like a lot of 40 year old peers who are like, oh, I can't wait to see that. People who don't go to Every single movie theater. But they remember it. So maybe, I don't know, they've maybe at least identified their audience.

[Craig Horlbeck]

It's also a movie. This style of comedy is well suited for now for 2025. The joke a minute fast paced attention.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I want to talk about that a little because I like I, I did think it was funny and I like the joke a minute structure. I watching it was remarking on how topical a lot of it was. How like 2025, like just a lot of recent references which in the moment works now. But you know, you do wonder whether like three, six, you know, nine months, like five years from now and maybe like they're not going for shelf life. I also listened to you guys talking to Seth MacFarlane on the way here and the thing he said to me that was, that was to me both interesting and sort of chilling. Was like most people now experience this type of comedy in like adult animated comedies. But there is something to that where you know, topical, very fast humor is just like. It's a volume thing, you know, and a thing that's supposed to live on, on a streaming service so you can dial it up whenever you want. So I don't know whether I guess it's harder to. There's a reason that it's not in movies as much because it's not what you return to 45 times. You just do another one.

[Sean Fennessey]

It is pretty consistent with the original Naked Gun movies. Like I've, in my head, I have a strong memory of seeing there's a pointed Crying Game joke in Naked Gun 3 that is like very tasteless in the movie but is like such a early 90s movie reference that like watching it now, any 20 year old would be like what I don't even understand. I mean I get what the, what the joke of the character is, but I don't know what it's a reference to. So it's not out of fashion per se. It might mean that the movie doesn't age super well. I don't think you know these movies. The idea then was get, get asses in seats in theaters. And that's the idea now for this movie is to get asses in, in seats in theaters. I mean a couple things that I really liked in it. My favorite part was the, the love montage where the snowman.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Oh, the snowman.

[Sean Fennessey]

You know, I don't want to ruin that for anybody. Not in the trailer.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Really funny.

[Sean Fennessey]

I thought it was really fun and really well done and like to me, classic lonely island, like hyper absurdist, musically Oriented. Just a very funny, tight sketch idea inside of the movie that I really laughed at.

[Craig Horlbeck]

And apparently it was almost cut.

[Sean Fennessey]

Yeah, I'm glad they didn't do that.

[Craig Horlbeck]

And they wanted to replace it with something more similar to the montage from the original.

[Sean Fennessey]

Oh, interesting. Okay. I thought, even though this was spoiled, Frank Drebben Jr's body cam story and getting really sick in the car because of the food that he eats is gross. But, like, so Naked Gun, like, perfectly Naked Gun. I really wish I didn't know anything about that sequence because I really would have loved it. I also. The hardest I laughed in the whole movie was near the end when there's a showdown between Neeson and Danny Houston. And Neeson punches Danny Houston in the stomach. And his reaction, what Danny Houston says and how he responds to it, is dumb and beautiful. And why I will always watch a movie like this. Any other moments or memorable gags that you guys liked?

[Craig Horlbeck]

I love when they have Kevin Durand in the fake hospital and then all the walls fall and they get him to admit to the crime. And then they ask Liam Neeson or Frank Drebin Jr. How he was able to do this. He's like, oh. And then those doors, those walls fall down and they catch him. And then it happens again to Liza Koshy. It's great.

[Sean Fennessey]

That part was very funny, too. Great. Little Mission Impossible fallout call out for us, Amanda.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I enjoyed. I thought Pamela Anderson really was very funny.

[Sean Fennessey]

She was.

[Amanda Dobbins]

And very game. And the jazz stuff was pretty funny. But the taking the chair is just really stupid and really funny.

[Sean Fennessey]

Yeah. There's a lot of good moments like this and memorable stuff. And to the point you were making about Happy Gilmore, too. This is another movie that when you just put the joke on x.com in six months, it's gonna be funny. You know, it's like this movie can also be kind of pulled apart and dissected, and I'm glad it exists. And I'm glad that Liam Neeson and Pamela Anderson have found love together in real life.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Sure.

[Sean Fennessey]

How wonderful for them.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Yeah. I immediately thought it was a bit leading up to the release of this.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Movie, which, like, we can't know, you know?

[Sean Fennessey]

So you think this is a stunt.

[Amanda Dobbins]

And a. I don't think it's a stunt. No. I often feel this is. This does not apply to Tom Cruise and Ana de Armas, which, if you'd like to talk about that, Craig, we can. I know that's material, but everyone else, it's like, I think that there probably is something Romantic going on. I do think they also just have to be in the same place, like, a lot right now and have for the last six to nine months. So I don't think it's a, you know, like a normal. Like a civilian relationship, but I believe it. You know, we'll. We'll check in in a year. Okay. You know, but that doesn't mean it's fake.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennessey]

You believe in their love?

[Craig Horlbeck]

Sure. I don't want to. Yuck. Anyone's young.

[Sean Fennessey]

Good. Okay. That's nice. I hope they're both very happy. Are people gonna go see this movie?

[Craig Horlbeck]

Well, the tracking was, I think, around 20 million.

[Sean Fennessey]

That's pretty good.

[Craig Horlbeck]

It is good. What was the budget? Do we know?

[Sean Fennessey]

I think it was 42 million.

[Craig Horlbeck]

I don't know. I mean, young people go to movie theaters and old people are the ones that kind of don't.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Right.

[Craig Horlbeck]

So true. This will be a good test. You know, people like my parents, often when movies come out that they want to see, the number one thing I hear from them, I'll just wait till it comes out of the street.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Craig Horlbeck]

I do think this movie, and this is a problem with comedies in general that we can get into, it is very hard to make them feel theatrical.

[Sean Fennessey]

This is a really fun movie theater going weekend. In addition to, you know, you've got second weekend of Fantastic Four, you've got together the new horror movie with Dave Franco and Alison Brie, which I liked. And you've got The Bad Guys 2, which is an animated hit that is getting a sequel that I'll be seeing with my daughter on Saturday.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Oh, that's cute.

[Sean Fennessey]

So to me, this weekend at the movies looks like what I remember.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Something for everybody.

[Sean Fennessey]

Yes. It's spread out. All three of these movies are pretty good. I assume Bad Guys 2 is good. It's gotten good reviews so far. And there's not $180 million movie that needs to make $700 million for it to break even. And we don't have to have that discourse. And everything can just be like, pretty good. And you can have a nice time and then go home. And I hope they all win. I hope everybody has a lot of fun. My one thing with this is like, it's not necessarily guilty of any of the legacyquel stuff that we whinge about. It doesn't commit any of those sins. But it is still not original.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennessey]

And it is still using the exact same structure, which works in its favor and the exact same style. In fact, an actor with the initials L.N. is the star of this movie. And I don't feel bad about it, but I would have preferred ultimately an original comedy from a strong writer, director, and an exciting new comedy star. And this is kind of the opposite of that. So it's not a crisis. It's exciting that it's here. My concern is that if it is successful, that the takeaway will be we should make a new Top Secret and we should make a new Hotshots and we should just remake funny spoof movies and just only do those and not give exciting comedy voices a chance. And I know that there's some conflict there too, because some comedians. Bill was talking about this with Matt on his show recently. Why would Shane Gillis want to make a $40 million movie comedy when he could bank half a million dollars over a long weekend on a tour?

[Craig Horlbeck]

Right, I get it.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Spending one to two years developing a movie, getting notes from studio executives, risking the movie being terrible and flopping. Or he can just go on tour, have a podcast, make his own TV show, and make more money.

[Sean Fennessey]

It's completely logical. And yet, obviously, this is a movie podcast in my favorite movies. But there is still something about being minted in a movie that is unlike anything else. If you make sinners, people will never forget, you will be able to say for the rest of your life. I was a part of something that was a phenomenon that touched so many people and had a kind of mass cultural expansion. So I do. I feel like it's going to swing back.

[Craig Horlbeck]

You do?

[Sean Fennessey]

I do. I do.

[Amanda Dobbins]

You. I. I don't know, because I. I never believed that the. The right lessons will be taken from this. And I, like, I. I had a perfectly nice time at the Naked Gun. I thought it was pretty funny. Like, once we stop recording, I will quite literally never thinking about it again. And so I, I worry that many people will be like, people will go, people will see it, people will have a nice time, and then the lesson will be, let's just do, like, refillable things that you don't ever have to think about again, instead of making something original, something worthwhile, something that. Because that is. That is a lot harder. There are a lot of uncertainties. There are a lot of things that don't hit. And the theater business is not in or the studios are not favoring, like, taking any sort of risk.

[Craig Horlbeck]

So, yeah, unfortunately, I think comedy movies are no longer the cultural center of humor. And if I asked you to tell me your favorite comedy quote from the 2020s from a movie, I bet you couldn't Even give me one. However, if I said name 10 memes right now from the last five years. Oh, kombucha girl. Homer Simpson going back into the hedges. Jennifer Lawrence saying, what do you mean on Hot Ones? That's how people speak in memes now. I mean, us growing up.

[Amanda Dobbins]

What's the kombucha girl?

[Craig Horlbeck]

You don't have a kombucha girl meme.

[Sean Fennessey]

No, the one where like, oh, it's.

[Amanda Dobbins]

She's having kombucha. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Craig Horlbeck]

There's a Paul Rudd on Hot Ones. Look at us.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, yeah.

[Craig Horlbeck]

That is how we speak now. Those are the jokes that even on the fantasy show when we tried to relate to the audience or come up with a reference that makes, that applies to whatever we're talking about. We usually speak in, in memes, however, which is just horrific.

[Amanda Dobbins]

However, I don't know. There's, there's, you know, there's art everywhere if you look for it.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Yeah, look at you.

[Sean Fennessey]

Andy Warhol over here.

[Craig Horlbeck]

It's why I'm nervous. Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg run the town. And Seth was saying that he thinks all it's going to take is one big smash comedy hit to kind of revive the genre. I don't know if I, I agree. I think one smash hit could come do really well. And I don't, I don't know if that means others will follow because I just inherently think it has become so splintered and niche now. People's interests in, in comedy. And it used to be all you had was, oh, it's 2005. We have the four year old version. We're gonna go. Even if this isn't exactly what I want or tailored to me or whatever, we are all going to communally have a relationship and interact with this movie. And now it's like there are 10 TikTok people on, on reels on TikTok or whatever that give me my exact brand of humor that I love. And so why would I need to drive and spend 30 at the movies for a movie that might not even be for me?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Do you guys ever think about dying? Is a line from a studio comedy of the 2000s. So.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Oh, what is that from?

[Amanda Dobbins]

Successful movie of 2023.

[Sean Fennessey]

It's called Bar Barbie.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, yeah, Weird Barbie.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Barbie's a great example.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Screaming about cellulite of something that we're.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Not doing is putting big stars in.

[Amanda Dobbins]

My job is beach.

[Craig Horlbeck]

And having good directors with good writers make them and supporting them. Barbie's the only one because I agree that's obviously A huge hit. But that is. I mean, that's a little bit of a. I mean, that is massive ip.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Craig Horlbeck]

So it's in a different bucket a little bit. But I loved Barbie and I think it is fantastic.

[Sean Fennessey]

It's just a great example of how you need to kind of game the system in 2025. You need to be able to locate material that can get made and find a way to elevate it. Now, the Naked Gun, I would say, doesn't elevate it. It does a really good job of replicating it. Barbie was an elevation of something that we didn't think was possible because there's just so many talented people applied against it. I still would have preferred an original Greta Gerwig movie, to be honest with you.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Sure.

[Sean Fennessey]

I don't know if she could have gotten one of those made at that scale with those stars.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Number three on my Greta Gerwig list.

[Sean Fennessey]

Right, exactly. So it's such an interesting thing because one, everything in Hollywood is cyclical. Everything always comes back. There are nine genres. They all have moments that circle back over the 120 year history. So I do think that there's a version of this that can happen. The person that is the most important person of this century in movie comedy is Judd Apatow for a variety of reasons. Obviously he had an enormous success, but when you look at the origins of his career, started out as a standup comedian working alongside Adam Sandler, then became a writer to the stars, wrote for standup comics, then went into the salt mines of television working with Ben Stiller, working with Garry Shandling, learning about the inside of the business. Slowly, slowly, slowly develops into more of a writer producer who identifies talent and helps build talent up. And he became a kind of Svengali. We need someone like that. To me, it's not one hit. One hit I don't think will change everything. We need a person who is a culture changing person. He also, you know, is happening alongside Todd Phillips and Adam McKay and a number of other voices who were, you know, crucial to this new generation of people. But Apatow was the one who was like, he was the 800 pound gorilla. And we don't have one right now and I don't know if we can have one. It was interesting to hear Seth talk about the fact that Seth MacFarlane talk about the fact that he just can't get a movie made that he wants to get made. And he has been one of the money factories of American comedy for the last 25 years. The shit that he created 20 years ago, still has an audience and is successful, whether or not the people who helped do this are also responsible for its downfall. Whether or not Family Guy's success led to a smaller theatrical stake, I guess you could argue that, but I. And I don't have any picks for who this person is because I don't know enough about who is at the bottom and wants to go to this place. But, like, even two years ago, you might have been like, oh, Quinta Brunson, she's interesting. She created Abbott Elementary. She's got the requisite experience. She has a kind of, like, bigger things in front of her. But I don't get the impression that she wants to, like, take over. I think she wants to do her stuff and that's it. I think you need a kind of unhealthy ambition to shift, to force the industry to make a change like this. So I don't want to be doom and gloom about it, but I hope that something like this comes along soon because we're hungry for it, and I don't think you need to sacrifice memes at the altar of a movie. We can have both. There's no reason why we can't have both. We always think of these things in binary. Well, it's like, well, people only like things like this now. I just don't think that's true. I think that there's a way to have both things at the same time. The same way there can be a successful comedy TV show, which we also don't have a lot of at the moment. So I think just gotta keep banging the drum.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Yeah, I agree with everything you're saying. I don't know where that person's going to come from. I think in the 90s and 2000s, I think you had these kind of natural pipelines of talent. I think scarcity drives demand, where SNL and Standup were kind of the only places where you could identify talent and put them in a movie. And also, it was the only thing that people at home could watch. And so it was like, oh, we all like this guy Will Ferrell. We all like this guy. And Sandler, he's in a movie. Snl, which I love dearly, does not have that same cultural cachet, even though it's still doing quite well. There's just so many other ways to have to consume comedy and humor. There are so many funny people out there. I don't know how you're going to be able to find five of them and build your Apatow universe and put these People in movies. And I like an example I always think about is like I was watching the 40 year old Virgin two weeks ago with some friends on a trip. The movie is still very funny. I think it holds up in most ways. But the humor itself, I'm kind of like, I, I see this humor online a lot. Like they're, they're like somebody like Veronica is cool. I don't know if you know who that is. She's the, the love interest in tires. She's hilarious. She has a tick tock channel. She's great. She's making tons of jokes. I think she has great comedic timing. There's 30 of those people online. And so I'm just like, I don't know if people need to go to a movie to get that feeling anymore because it's everywhere and people are doing it at a very high level. They're just making it on their own.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, I'm kind of with him.

[Craig Horlbeck]

You know, I don't think comedy is bad now. I think there's great comedy. There's almost too much of it. It's everywhere and it's personal, but it's.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, it's not, it's not scripted. It's not in movies and it's not really in TV either, which I think is like a important point.

[Sean Fennessey]

So the point that you're making then, the movies that have been successful in the last five to 10 years have been eventized. Right. Large, premium format action movies or horror, which is like, you have to have a mo. There's a moment, an experience you're having you can't have anywhere else. Even though you can get comedy in all of these places, I do think that there is a communal experience that is Lost, that is really fun. With comedies. You guys are talking about that screening of Naked Gun.

[Craig Horlbeck]

It's a great feeling.

[Sean Fennessey]

You can get it at a stand up comedy show, but otherwise you can't get it looking at your phone. I don't, I just think, I think it's incumbent on studios to try to make hay of this because when a movie like this takes off, it's very profitable. Like these movies don't cost $250 million to make. And me continuing to hear like, well, the financial incentives are not there for a movie like this. Makes no sense. Like the budget is going to be significantly smaller on a movie like this than on any other genre except for horror. And so I don't know, I guess I'm just flummoxed. I asked you to do an exercise. I asked you to Pick what you thought were the 10 most significant movie comedies of the last 25 years.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennessey]

And how did you feel about this?

[Craig Horlbeck]

It was a extremely fun exercise. I had a tough time whittling it down to 10. Yeah. And I'll read you my 10. It might be colored by the fact that I'm a 30 year old white guy. So I don't know.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah, I was going to say, did you like. What was your methodology here?

[Craig Horlbeck]

Well, Sean gave me kind of a prompt which if I. It was like significance, a staying power.

[Sean Fennessey]

Success, success.

[Craig Horlbeck]

So I kind of tried to boil that all together and then he also said just also personally what you love. So in no particular order, my top 10 anchorman, super bad, the hangover, 40 year old virgin, Talladega Nights, Wedding Crashers, Bridesmaids, Stepbrothers, Meet the Parents and Mean Girls.

[Sean Fennessey]

It's a very 30 year old white guy list.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I was very nervous until that. You weren't going to save Mean Girls. You saved that one for last. But that one is important.

[Sean Fennessey]

I would probably add Girls trip to that.

[Amanda Dobbins]

That's also one of.

[Sean Fennessey]

I guess you could add Barbie. Just in an effort to continue to widen the aperture of who gets to participate in movie comedies. I'm sure there are some other 21 Jump street comes to mind. Yeah, the movie I like.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Yeah. Personally, I feel like the staying power of that movie has not stuck around as similarly as movies like, I don't know, super bad, hangover, 40 year old virgin, Game Night. Yeah, love Game Night.

[Amanda Dobbins]

But I don't know if it stuck around later. I agree I would put Zoolander on the list, but that's a personal and it's a generation. Did you have a trailer, like a fake trailer at the beginning of your screening starring Liam Neeson?

[Sean Fennessey]

No.

[Amanda Dobbins]

So. Oh, we, so we did. And I guess spoiler alert if you are going to see Naked Gun and don't want a joke spoiled for you. Before the film they did like a basically like a Save the children commercial, but it was like save the Comedy. And it's Liam Neeson direct to screen being like every time you buy a movie ticket like a comedy is saved. And then they did honor like a bunch of other movies. Zoolander was in it clueless. They like, they had to go back about like 30 years to really get like the full breadth. But it was about like buy a movie ticket, like see it.

[Sean Fennessey]

That's very funny. I didn't have to be very funny.

[Amanda Dobbins]

And then at the very end they list like, like, you know, like in the way that like, here are some other organizations you can donate to. Like, just like a bunch of. A bunch of comedies. I think everything. I don't know whether Meet the Parents was on that list.

[Craig Horlbeck]

It was.

[Amanda Dobbins]

It was. Okay, you noted. All right, so were all of your movies represented?

[Craig Horlbeck]

Most of them. The only other movie I thought about adding was Ocean's 11. Do we count that as a comedy?

[Amanda Dobbins]

It's funny, but. No, but I like. But I like where your heart is.

[Sean Fennessey]

Yeah. I mean, I'm looking at a list of the highest grossing live action comedies of all time. And I think this tells you the tale of why we don't get a lot of comedies in the vein that we're describing. Number one is Barbie. Number two is Deadpool and Wolverine. Number three is a movie called hi, mom, which is a Chinese comedy film that made $840 million. Number four is Deadpool 2. Number five is Deadpool. Number six is Detective Chinatown. Three, also a Chinese movie. Number seven is Men in Black three. Number eight is Men in Black. Number nine is The Hangover Part Two. Number ten is The Mermaid, another Chinese film.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Okay, so the only pure original comedy.

[Sean Fennessey]

There is Hangover, right below that at number 11 is Ted.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennessey]

Which I would say is another movie that belongs on the list.

[Amanda Dobbins]

I thought about it, which was really fun.

[Craig Horlbeck]

I think that's the loudest theater I've ever been in. Was the. The first Ted that made, like 500.

[Sean Fennessey]

Miles, which I didn't love, but enjoyed.

[Amanda Dobbins]

But it's funny.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Oh, I think that came out when.

[Sean Fennessey]

2012.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Yeah, yeah. I was a teenager. It. I mean, it hit home. We loved it.

[Sean Fennessey]

It's a big movie. That show is pretty funny, too. The new Ted TV show that no.

[Amanda Dobbins]

One has seen, but now Seth MacFarlane said it might not get made because the bear is so expensive.

[Sean Fennessey]

Yeah. Cgi. It's tough. It's not ideal. Anything else that we didn't mention or that Craig didn't have on his list.

[Amanda Dobbins]

You did just, like, you know, like an animatronic or just like a bear talking for, like, a stuffed bear as Ted, I would still think that was funny. And I would watch. So maybe they could save money if what did. Like, if they made Ted going forward just with, like, one of the large stuffed FAO Schwartz bears, which are not expensive, but. Which are not cheap but are less expensive than cgi. Like, I. I would still laugh. That's just a free idea for Seth.

[Sean Fennessey]

We'll sign Seth that note.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Looking at this list of top 10, does it. Like, what does it tell you about Right now.

[Sean Fennessey]

I think we're in a moment of cultural confusion where the previous five years were defined by a certain level of sensitivity or perceived sensitivity in the culture where you were not allowed to enjoy the Hangover or Wedding Crashers the same way that you did. I was as guilty of this as anybody. And because of the style of humor or who was being at the center of the story. And now, like, obviously things kind of sociopolitically have kind of swung back the other way where there's like less of a concern about offending people.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Unless you're buying American Eagle jeans.

[Sean Fennessey]

Well, I'm glad I didn't have to have that conversation on this podcast. I know you had it on jam session. I think that probably portends an openness to returning to, like an Aptovian, Todd Phillips style comedy sensibility right now. Back then, it's just like it wasn't that different from how it was in the 70s, 80s and 90s. It was like loud, obnoxious white guys who were dumber than everybody and we all laughed at them. And that was true for Bill Murray and Chevy Chase. Eddie Murphy was not white, but he was also doing a version of that. The kind of fast talking, getting into big trouble comedy star was pretty significantly consistent for 25 to 30 years in movies. And now I feel like everybody's like, ah, I don't know, who's the right person to center in our story. Does it have to be a tall white guy? And yet here we are talking about Liam Neeson and Adam Sandler movies as the big comedies of the year. So maybe it means that that also is swinging back a little bit.

[Craig Horlbeck]

I also think stars used to factor in comedies as part of the movie star playbook, and I'm not sure they're really doing that anymore. I really respect Jennifer Lawrence trying with no hard feelings. The movie, I think, is good.

[Sean Fennessey]

I agree.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah. And she's very funny.

[Sean Fennessey]

She's very funny. To me, that was like. That's actually what makes her super special as an actor, is that she can do that and no other, like, ingenue prestige actress can do that. But maybe we just don't know.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Emma Stone can.

[Craig Horlbeck]

And she's gotten away from it.

[Sean Fennessey]

She has.

[Amanda Dobbins]

She did. But that's, you know, because what often.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Happens, you do your comedies and then you take yourself more seriously. You want to start expanding your resume. But I would love to see Timothee Chalamet and Florence Pugh and Michael B. Jordan making comedies as just part of the overall resume they're building. Robert De Niro made comedies.

[Sean Fennessey]

He did.

[Craig Horlbeck]

You can be one of the best actors ever and make a comedy.

[Sean Fennessey]

Michael B. Jordan did make that Awkward moment, you may recall.

[Craig Horlbeck]

Whew.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah.

[Sean Fennessey]

Remember that movie?

[Amanda Dobbins]

I do remember that.

[Sean Fennessey]

Who was the third? It was Miles Teller, mbj. Who was the third fella in that movie?

[Craig Horlbeck]

Zac Efron.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Damn.

[Sean Fennessey]

Wow. That's all credit to Sam. Stacked cast. Nice job, Sam. Any closing thoughts on the state of comedies? We're so back. We're fucked. What's happening?

[Craig Horlbeck]

I'm nervous. I'm nervous about it.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Are you more nervous than you were a week ago having not seen these movies?

[Sean Fennessey]

Yeah.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Oh, no.

[Craig Horlbeck]

I'm nervous because a lot of people were like, Happy Gilmore 2. Pretty good.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Okay.

[Craig Horlbeck]

I'm like, we're screwed.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Wow.

[Sean Fennessey]

Shots fired.

[Amanda Dobbins]

Yeah. It comes for us all.

[Sean Fennessey]

Thank you to Craig. Listen to him on the Ringer fantasy football podcast, which is heating up now that draft season is nearly upon us. Thanks to Jack Sanders for his work on this episode. We'll be back next week with a summer movie mailbag. We'll see you then.