TDS Time Machine | Filmmakers

Summary

The Daily Show: Ears Edition - Episode Summary

Title: TDS Time Machine | Filmmakers
Release Date: August 6, 2025
Host: Comedy Central

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Episode Overview

In this special edition of The Daily Show: Ears Edition, Comedy Central brings together some of the most influential voices in filmmaking. Hosted by Greta Gerwig, the episode features in-depth conversations with legendary directors Martin Scorsese and George Lucas, acclaimed filmmakers Jordan Peele and Taika Waititi, as well as emerging director Brady Corbet. The discussions delve into their creative processes, personal anecdotes, and the evolving landscape of the film industry.

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Martin Scorsese with Greta Gerwig

Celebrating a Legendary Filmmaker

Greta Gerwig welcomes Martin Scorsese to the show, marking his birthday and expressing gratitude for his presence.

Greta Gerwig:
[01:42] "Please welcome Martin Scorsese. Nice to see you."

Insights into "Hugo"

Scorsese discusses his film Hugo, highlighting its homage to George Méliès, a pioneer of early cinema.

Martin Scorsese:
[02:41] "From Jim Cameron, Spielberg, Lucas, all comes from what Méliès did."

He explains the film's setting in the Montparnasse station in Paris and the relationship between the young protagonist and Méliès.

Scorsese:
[03:25] "George Méliès… he created what we do now in cinema."

Personal Reflections

Scorsese shares personal memories of his childhood isolation due to asthma, drawing parallels to his film's protagonist.

Scorsese:
[06:25] "When the kids come, they're small, they put them in their hands."

He discusses the influence of his family, particularly his wife Helen, on his filmmaking decisions.

Scorsese:
[07:55] "The minute I said we were going to do the film, all her and her friends… they all yelled in 3D."

Future Projects and Inspirations

Gerwig congratulates Scorsese on his latest work, and he reflects on his aspirations to create films that resonate with younger audiences.

Greta Gerwig:
[09:01] "Hugo is in the theaters on November 23rd. Happy birthday to you, sir."

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Jordan Peele with Taika Waititi

Discussing "Get Out" and Its Impact

Jordan Peele engages in a lively discussion with Taika Waititi about his groundbreaking film Get Out and its societal implications.

Jordan Peele:
[12:06] "Get Out is a social thriller… it's true."

He elaborates on the film's exploration of systemic racism and the metaphorical "Sunken Place."

Peele:
[13:44] "I wanted to point out that a lot of people who claim that they don't have racism are still participating in this system that is oppressive."

Personal Life and Future Endeavors

Peele shares anecdotes about balancing fatherhood with his career, mentioning his five-month-old son.

Jordan Peele:
[10:27] "I'm keeping it together. I have a five-month-old, so there's vomit on it sometimes."

He outlines his plans to continue creating socially relevant thrillers through Monkeypaw Productions.

Peele:
[14:08] "I'm going to make another thriller. Social thriller, and that's what I'm gonna do."

The Future of "Get Out"

Waititi humorously pitches a sequel to Get Out, which Peele responds to with amusement.

Taika Waititi:
[14:42] "It's gonna be an amazing movie. I paid you."

Jordan Peele:
[15:02] "Thank you, bro."

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George Lucas with Greta Gerwig and Taika Waititi

Exploring "Jojo Rabbit"

George Lucas discusses his film inspired by Jojo Rabbit, focusing on a young boy in Nazi Germany with an imaginary Hitler friend.

George Lucas:
[21:54] "It's a very hard film to pitch. It shifts around quite a lot—comedy, drama, tragedy."

He reflects on the challenges of portraying such a sensitive subject through the eyes of a child.

Lucas:
[22:17] "I wanted to explore that world from a child's point of view."

Personal Challenges and Inspirations

Lucas shares his personal experience of wearing Hitler-like costumes and the embarrassment it caused, especially given his Jewish heritage.

George Lucas:
[23:55] "When I put on that ridiculous mustache and look in the mirror, I was embarrassed."

Legacy and Cultural Relevance

The conversation touches on the enduring legacy of Star Wars and its impact across generations.

Jordan Peele:
[28:07] "Now we have three generations of Star Wars fans."

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Brady Corbet with Taika Waititi and Ryan Reynolds

Discussing "The Brutalist"

Emerging director Brady Corbet delves into his film The Brutalist, inspired by post-war architecture and psychology.

Brady Corbet:
[35:43] "The character is an amalgamation of real historical figures like Marcel Breuer and Mies van der Rohe."

Directing Techniques and Actor Collaboration

Corbet explains his approach to directing intimate and emotionally charged scenes, emphasizing spontaneity over strict storyboarding.

Corbet:
[37:05] "We don't storyboard because I want to respond to the space and see what the light is doing."

He praises the performances of Alessandro Nivola and Adrien Brody in conveying deep familial bonds.

Brady Corbet:
[38:31] "When these two are very, very, very physical and very intimate together, it's quite beautiful."

Industry Trends and Audience Engagement

Corbet discusses the evolving film industry, the resurgence of original and provocative films, and the importance of respecting knowledgeable audiences.

Corbet:
[40:16] "Audiences are really savvy and I think it's important that we treat them with respect."

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Additional Highlights

Celebrity Interactions and Light-Hearted Moments

Throughout the episode, hosts and guests engage in humorous banter, adding a light-hearted touch to the in-depth discussions.

Taika Waititi:
[25:14] "You do what you want."

Jordan Peele:
[32:06] "It's the only way I could get on your show."

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Martin Scorsese:
  [02:41] "From Jim Cameron, Spielberg, Lucas, all comes from what Méliès did."

• Jordan Peele:
  [12:06] "Get Out is a social thriller… it's true."

• Brady Corbet:
  [40:16] "Audiences are really savvy and I think it's important that we treat them with respect."

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Conclusion

This episode of The Daily Show: Ears Edition offers a rich tapestry of conversations with some of the most influential filmmakers of our time. From Scorsese's heartfelt homage to cinematic pioneers to Peele's socially charged thrillers and Lucas's exploration of dark historical narratives, the discussions provide listeners with deep insights into the art and craft of filmmaking. Brady Corbet's perspective as an emerging director further enriches the dialogue, highlighting the balance between creative vision and audience engagement.

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Where to Listen

Catch The Daily Show: Ears Edition on Comedy Central's streaming platform, Paramount+, or your preferred podcast service. Don't miss out on exclusive interviews, extended content, and more. Use discount code "TDS20" for 20% off all The Daily Show products at ParamountShop.com.

Transcript

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[Jordan Peele]

You're listening to Comedy Central.

[Greta Gerwig]

Please welcome Martin Scorsese. Nice to see you.

[Martin Scorsese]

Oh, phew.

[Greta Gerwig]

Okay, first of all, let me tell you, thank you so much for being here tonight. Today is your birthday, for goodness sake.

[Martin Scorsese]

That's right.

[Greta Gerwig]

And it's trying to get you applause. But it's so nice to see you. I went and saw this film last night. I don't normally do that because I don't normally respect. It's a beautiful film. Not the body count that I normally like to see in one of your films, but a beautiful. Just. Just a really wonderful, lovely ode. A love letter almost to filmmaking.

[Martin Scorsese]

Yeah, that's part of it. I mean, and of course there's that boy who's 12 years old, Asa Butterfield in the film, and he's living in these. The walls of the old Montparnasse station in Paris in 1931. This isolated kid gets involved with the older gentleman you saw, played by Ben Kingsley, who turns out to be George Melies, who was one of the great inventors and pioneers of cinema. And actually, he did have a toy store in Montparnasse. Sixteen years after his whole life had been destroyed, after he created what we do, everything we do now in cinema, from Jim Cameron, Spielberg, Lucas, all comes from what Melies did. And he was discovered at Montparnasse Station. So it does have a happy ending.

[Greta Gerwig]

It has a wonderful ending.

[Martin Scorsese]

Yeah.

[Greta Gerwig]

What I didn't realize because it's got so many fantastic and fantastical elements, but I grabbed a little Wikipedia today. It's a true story. There's this.

[Martin Scorsese]

Yeah, but it's true. George Melies. Yes, it was true. He made over about 500 films.

[Greta Gerwig]

Yes.

[Martin Scorsese]

When they found him at the station, 1928, a couple of cineasses had gone by and they said, he looks just like me. And he says, yes, I am. I don't talk about my films. I don't see them anymore. They're destroyed. He lost basically most of his financing through when the bigger companies came in. And what happened? Also Edison here, also at that time, there was a lot going on with copyright, not copyright and that sort of thing. But in any event, they said, you know, they took him in again. The legend d'. Neure, he was around the world, really. I think he died in 1938.

[Greta Gerwig]

Oh, wow.

[Martin Scorsese]

And he was hoping to come to Hollywood to work on a fantasy film in Hollywood.

[Greta Gerwig]

That's tremendous. You know, there's a story that Edison had taken one of his films, brought it to America and showed it, and it became enormously popular in America. But Edison decided not to pay, I guess, what we would call in these days, royalties.

[Martin Scorsese]

That's right. That's right. So what happened is that he. The film, I think, was the famous one, A Trip to the Moon.

[Greta Gerwig]

Right. Which, when the moon gets hit in the eye with the.

[Martin Scorsese]

They were just taking the films and making dupes of them. And so that's one of the reasons why he was finished financially, ultimately.

[Greta Gerwig]

So in some ways, Edison, also the inventor of the phonograph and all those things, invented pirating movies in Chinatown.

[Martin Scorsese]

Yes, he did.

[Greta Gerwig]

Oh, yes.

[Martin Scorsese]

It's a great idea. If you want to see a film, put a nickel in here. That's great.

[Greta Gerwig]

That's what I'm talking about.

[Martin Scorsese]

That's it. Yes.

[Greta Gerwig]

That's as it went through. Now, when you were doing. This is a 3D movie. Is this your first 3D?

[Martin Scorsese]

Yeah.

[Greta Gerwig]

So you pitched a movie to the studios, you said, I've got this idea for a movie. It's a 3D movie about the inside of a clock.

[Martin Scorsese]

Yeah, that's right. But it looks great inside that clock. Boy. I was in it. I went up to the clock and I think it's Guerde Lyon or Gare du Nord in Paris. I went up there and I was those. That's what it is. That's what it is. It's amazing. I mean, we amplified somewhat based on Brian's book. Brian Selznick.

[Greta Gerwig]

Yes, yes, yes.

[Martin Scorsese]

Now, what happened was that five years ago I was going to make the picture. Things didn't turn out. Graham King gave my wife, Helen, the book, and she read it and read this thing. It's perfect for you, et cetera. And in the meantime, 12 years ago, we had a little girl. We had a little girl in the meantime. All this time, the little kid. You know, when the kids come, they're small, they put them in their hands.

[Greta Gerwig]

But they're not hamsters. I mean, they're.

[Martin Scorsese]

No, but then that's the point. That's the point. They grow. When they grow, you know, they start to walk, they start to ask you questions, start to talk to you. You're living with this, you know, a person.

[Greta Gerwig]

Yes.

[Martin Scorsese]

And then you have to answer these things. So what happens? The kid reads a book. She likes the book. Helen loves the book. And finally they all look at me and say, why don't you make a picture your kid could see for once. Why not? What is the matter with you? I said, I can't look at the thing. I said. I said, it's nice.

[Greta Gerwig]

A boy.

[Martin Scorsese]

Yeah, the boy. Isolated, like I was when I had asthma. All the time when I was a kid, I was always isolated. I couldn't play sports or anything like that. So I was kept in, like a room, you know, I did go out a little bit, you know. They wouldn't let me know.

[Greta Gerwig]

They just kept you in a room.

[Martin Scorsese]

Somewhere in the apartment? Yeah, then I went out. I went out, I went to school and stuff like that. But I wasn't allowed to run or laugh.

[State Farm Advertiser]

What?

[Greta Gerwig]

You were.

[Martin Scorsese]

Well, the laughter. Well, the point is that I start laughing and, you know, you get.

[Greta Gerwig]

But you made such a great laugh.

[Martin Scorsese]

I. Well, that's why now.

[Greta Gerwig]

So you sat in a room as a boy, working on your laugh.

[Taika Waititi]

Yes.

[Martin Scorsese]

You had to, where I came from. Why is.

[Greta Gerwig]

Can I say this? Why isn't this a movie? Because this. What an incredible film that would be.

[Martin Scorsese]

We're thinking of Nick Polegi and I working on a script on it. It's true.

[Greta Gerwig]

I think it'd be wonderful. Do you know how to fix clocks? Because we could.

[Martin Scorsese]

No, I didn't know any of that. I don't know how the camera works or anything like that.

[Greta Gerwig]

Has then this person that has grow in your house seen this film?

[Martin Scorsese]

Yes. She has only seen it three times, though. Yeah, I know, I know. Come on now. You got to do your obligation. Yeah. Got to get it in.

[Greta Gerwig]

Exactly.

[Martin Scorsese]

But the minute I said we were going to do the film, all her and her friends. All her friends, they all yelled in 3D. Right.

[Greta Gerwig]

Had to be in 3D.

[Martin Scorsese]

Yeah.

[Greta Gerwig]

So now that she's seen it, does she now comprehend what you do and has. Well, she.

[Martin Scorsese]

She was excited when that Shutter island opened. Of course, she couldn't see any of that. So the kid is asking. It's like nine years old. She's asking like, you know, dad, that's that film is Leo's in this? Look what's happening. Okay. It's something for those. So finally, we were doing some of the shots in London on Yugo, and she was there, it was the summer, and she. We were driving back in the car and she leaned over to me and said, you know, I. I think this might be really interesting, this film. I think. No offense. There's no offense about Shutter island, but I think this might be. I said, no, listen, tell me. And she had another idea too, which was interesting, which was said, why don't you find out what people like and then make a film? I said, you know, I never thought of that. You know what I'm saying?

[Greta Gerwig]

So you're thinking this way.

[Martin Scorsese]

So what happens that. Yes, the kids in the movie were wonderful. They were Asa and Chloe and doing this.

[Greta Gerwig]

And it's a wonderful film every day. It really is. It's just a. You know, thank God I was wearing 3D glasses because I was crying like an idiot. Oh, really? I just thought it was a wonderful film. But, Hugo, it's in the theaters on November 23rd. Happy birthday to you, sir.

[Martin Scorsese]

Thank you.

[Greta Gerwig]

And thank you so much.

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[Taika Waititi]

Please welcome Jordan Pe.

[Martin Scorsese]

Okay, thank you. All right.

[Jordan Peele]

That was nice.

[Taika Waititi]

Welcome to the show.

[Jordan Peele]

Thank you.

[Taika Waititi]

I feel like we all miss you, man. We miss you everywhere. Yeah, we miss you on Key and Peele. And then now you're behind the camera, so we just miss your face. How's your face doing? You good?

[Jordan Peele]

My face is okay. I'm keeping it together. I have a five month year old, so there's vomit on it sometimes.

[Taika Waititi]

You have a five month old?

[Jordan Peele]

I have a five month old.

[Taika Waititi]

Like your own five month old?

[Jordan Peele]

My own.

[Taika Waititi]

Oh. Cause you never know that. It's like, like, it could be like, I just have one. I found one on the street. And congratulations. Give it up for the man, my daddy. Wait, wait, wait. Let me ask you this. You got. You've got a five month old.

[Jordan Peele]

Yeah.

[Taika Waititi]

Get out is a film that cost four and a half million dollars to make.

[Jordan Peele]

Yeah.

[Taika Waititi]

And then went on to make $253 million. So you, you had an amazing 2017.

[Jordan Peele]

This was. It's never gonna beat 2017 in difficulty or in fun. And the best, of course, was having my son, baby Bo. But the second best was hearing audiences respond to this movie that, you know, for me, for so long, it was this passion project of, like, I want to make the horror film that I wish somebody would make for me. My favorite movie that doesn't exist. And it worked. And people, you know, the conversation has.

[Taika Waititi]

Been just awesome with the Golden Globes. I'm sure you saw people online going crazy and they were like, wait, why is get out being considered for. For best comedy? They're like, get out is not a comedy. Get out is not a comedy. And then you tweeted out. Get out is a documentary.

[Jordan Peele]

Yeah.

[Taika Waititi]

And I'm sure some people are like, wait. They're like, wait, what?

[Brady Corbet]

Jordan?

[Taika Waititi]

No, we were going. Drama. What are you doing, man? You're throwing us off.

[Jordan Peele]

No, it's like, how.

[Taika Waititi]

How do you frame the film?

[Jordan Peele]

Well, that's the thing. It's, you know, it's not a film that can really be boiled down to a genre. It's, you know, there is. There are satirical elements, there are dramatic elements. There are horror. The movie I set out to make was a horror. And so that. That's what I call it. And Social thriller.

[Taika Waititi]

Right.

[Jordan Peele]

Is also what I call it. But I also am like, why do we have to call it anything? It's Get Out. It's. It's. It's. It's true.

[Taika Waititi]

And then, let me ask you this. Thanksgiving is coming up. Do you think that now there's gonna be, you know, mixed couples going to each other's houses where it's just like, okay, okay, I see you. I see you looking at me.

[Jordan Peele]

Yeah, it's.

[Taika Waititi]

Have you made it uncomfortable, you think?

[Jordan Peele]

You know, I kind of hope so. I'm like, I love provoking. I love a little bit of mischief. But, you know, this movie was about accessing things that felt right and felt true. And, you know, the part of the movie I'd never seen in a film before is in the party sequence, right? He's at the party, and it's the one black guy at the party with a bunch of old white people. And it's like this assembly line of people coming up to him being like, you know, I know Tiger. I know Tiger. Or, you know, what's your basketball team?

[Taika Waititi]

Right.

[Jordan Peele]

You know, that kind of thing. And that is, you know, that is what. You know, I think people usually associate the word racism with, you know, the typical.

[Taika Waititi]

Of course, the Klan, the torch, the madness. Yeah.

[Jordan Peele]

Jews Will Not Replace Us. Style racist. Which is.

[Martin Scorsese]

Right.

[Ryan Reynolds]

They.

[Jordan Peele]

They are racist. But I wanted to point out that, you know, a lot of people who claim that they don't have racism are still participating in this system that is oppressive and that. That puts people in the Sunken Place.

[Taika Waititi]

Before I let you go, where do we see you now? What are you looking forward to directing? I mean, the world is your oyster right now.

[Jordan Peele]

Okay. So I'm. A lot of projects I want to. First of all, with my production company, Monkeypaw Productions, I'm going to thank you one person. Mom, thank you. I'm going to help other artists, other voices that I haven't seen, represented. Get to tell their stories. Because I think that's important. I'm gonna make another movie with Universal. I'm making another thriller. Social thriller.

[Martin Scorsese]

Right.

[Jordan Peele]

And that's what I'm gonna do.

[Taika Waititi]

I'm excited. I'm gonna pitch you get out two. You don't have to say yes or no. Now It's Get Out 2. It's a story about a black doctor who gets tricked into working for the White House. And he's like, he's in the Sunken Place all the time.

[Jordan Peele]

And he is. Is he capable of performing brain surgery on himself?

[Taika Waititi]

Yeah. That's how they. That's like the next level of the whole thing. And he's like, I'm not racist, just blah. It's just gonna be. It's gonna be an amazing movie. I paid you.

[Jordan Peele]

Thank you, bro.

[Taika Waititi]

$250 million. Please welcome Greta Gerwig. Hi, welcome to the show.

[State Farm Advertiser]

Oh, thank you so much for having me. I'm a big fan.

[Taika Waititi]

That clip, I think everyone is a big fan of yours. And if they aren't, they really should be. Because that clip is just a tiny piece of the amazingness that is this film. If you were to distill it into one thing. Cause I feel like it's every story. What would you say the main story in Lady Bird is?

[State Farm Advertiser]

Well, the main story is kind of a love story between Lady Bird and her mother. And it's a conflict ridden relationship because she's 17 and her mom is like, oh my God, am I done raising you yet? I'm gonna send you out into the world. But there's like a lot of love there. And I find mother daughter relationships to be really rich and exciting. And I wanted to make a whole movie about it.

[Martin Scorsese]

It was.

[Taika Waititi]

It was an interesting story in that it was told from a completely different perspective. You know, so many times it feels like stories are told from the outside where people go, I think this is how a mother and daughter would fight. But I know all the women I spoke to who watched the movie went like, that was me. That was my mom. We fought, but we loved. But it was. It was complex as opposed to being a caricature. Is that something you strove for when you wrote that? Is that why you wrote it yourself?

[State Farm Advertiser]

Yeah. Well, I mean, I've always loved like a great mother daughter story. Like, you know, Terms of Endearment is one of my favorite movies, but I feel like there aren't enough of them. And I felt like when I had. So when I had the script, I brought it around to different producers, most of whom are men who have money to make movies.

[Taika Waititi]

Right.

[State Farm Advertiser]

And if they had. If they. I'm just saying. It's just true. And if they had daughters or if they'd been raised with sisters, they were like, totally know what this is. But if they hadn't, they were like, do women fight like this? And I was like, oh, yes. No, it's. It's crazy down here.

[Taika Waititi]

It's also interesting to watch a movie where women are on screen for the entire movie. And it's not about men.

[State Farm Advertiser]

No. I mean, yeah. I mean, there are men in the movie. Wonderful men, male actors. I mean, I just have to say, I have a brilliant cast. Timothee Chalamet, who's also in Call Me by youy Name, is in it, and Lucas Hedges and Tracy Letts and Stephen McKinley Henderson. And it's a great cast of men, but their stories are secondary. And it was actually amazing because most of the time, women have to be the secondary supporting characters for the men's story. And then these wonderful actors, so sweet. They were like, oh, we just love being here for you guys.

[Taika Waititi]

I just love the idea that they're like, no, no, no, please carry on.

[State Farm Advertiser]

No, please. You do all the acting stuff. We'll just be here. No, they're wonderful in the movie.

[Taika Waititi]

When you're directing your first film.

[State Farm Advertiser]

Yeah.

[Taika Waititi]

It must come with all the pressure in the world. It must come with all the fear in the world. And you've gone from what I assume is maybe a nervousness to now having your film be the most highly rated film ever on Rotten Tomatoes. Right. I think beating the previous record, which was set by Toy Story 2.

[State Farm Advertiser]

Yes. Toy Story 2. But my brother thinks that Toy Story 2 is, like, pretty perfect. And he texted me and he was like, I don't know.

[Taika Waititi]

He's gonna drop your tomatoes by one.

[State Farm Advertiser]

Yeah. Yeah. No, I mean, it's amazing. I mean, one of my favorite things about filmmaking is what a collaborative art it is, because it's. You know, you have your entire cast, which they're so amazing, and they bring themselves to it, and then you have your crew and your design team making it with you. So even though it was a huge leap for me, it was not like I was doing it alone. I was doing it with all these people who gave so much to it. And also, I've wanted to direct forever.

[Taika Waititi]

You also have a lot of people who see you as, you know, an indie voice, an indie star. They go like, you.

[Martin Scorsese]

You.

[Taika Waititi]

You are. You are the star of that world. Do you think you'd ever have aspirations to go into a mainstream film? Would you ever want to direct like a blockbuster movie? Or are you against that?

[State Farm Advertiser]

No, I would love to. I would love to because I have.

[Taika Waititi]

This movie right now. No, I'm not.

[State Farm Advertiser]

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Taika Waititi]

But you would be into that.

[State Farm Advertiser]

You have to send it to my agent.

[Martin Scorsese]

Oh, wow.

[Taika Waititi]

No, no, no, no, I'm kidding, I'm.

[State Farm Advertiser]

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[Taika Waititi]

I will tell you this after watching the film. I will not be shocked when I hear your name nominated for an Oscar. Thank you so much for being here.

[State Farm Advertiser]

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[Taika Waititi]

Please welcome Taika Waitit. Welcome to the Daily show, sir.

[George Lucas]

Thank you very much for having me.

[Taika Waititi]

I am a big fan of your work. You have been making some of the funniest films that we have had the pleasure of enjoying in the cinema.

[George Lucas]

Thank God.

[Taika Waititi]

But Jojo Rabbit is truly one of the strangest films people will go and watch in an amazing way. Yeah. How do you even begin to pitch to a studio? Hey guys. I'm gonna make a movie about a young boy who's growing up in Nazi Germany and his imaginary friend is Hitler.

[George Lucas]

You say, hey, guys, and then you stop there.

[Taika Waititi]

That's pretty much it.

[George Lucas]

It's a very hard film to pitch. So this is a film about a young boy and the Hitler Youth. Most people go, that's enough for me. Not interested. But I actually just ended up having to write the script and let that do all the talking for me.

[Taika Waititi]

Right.

[George Lucas]

It is a very hard thing to pitch. Cause tonally, it shifts around quite a lot. There's a lot of comedy and drama and tragedy, and it is a real mix. It kind of.

[Taika Waititi]

Yeah, it really. It really is sharp in its satirical voice as well. Because, you know, you're commenting on something that we all know happened, but what's really interesting is you're commenting on something that. That I think a lot of people don't talk enough about today in the world. And that is how we are conditioned from the time we are children.

[Greta Gerwig]

Yeah.

[Taika Waititi]

You see this little child who was born in Nazi Germany, and he is only taught to be a Nazi, and we like him because we sort of understand that he had no other choice. And we see the conflict that he has with being a Nazi. And then, like, his mother going like, no, you can be a good person.

[George Lucas]

Yeah, that's right. And when children were indoctrinated into the Hitler Youth, the first lesson they were taught was to rebel against your parents. Don't listen to your parents and what they try and tell you. Listen to us. You know, Hitler is now your father. And listen to us. Listen to your teachers. And so for parents in those times, if you. If you wanted to try and convince your child, don't be a Nazi, that was a very, very dangerous thing to do, you know? Cause they would say, if your parents, you know, if they judge us or if they criticize the party, tell us, and we'll. We'll take care of that.

[Taika Waititi]

We'll take care of your parents. Right. And you. You see that in the story, and I. I really wish I could explain it to people. I don't wanna give anything away, but it's like. It really is. It is a weird movie in that, like, you're laughing and then you're sad and then you're angry. And then there's moments where you're like, this feels like what's happening today? You know, you feel people who are radicalized and you go, why do you have this hate? Or why do you feel the way you do? And they're like, well, that's all I've known.

[George Lucas]

Isn't that in 2019, someone still has to make a movie? Trying to explain to people not to be a Nazi.

[Taika Waititi]

Was it ever awkward for you, like, looking in the mirror? I mean, like, did your family say anything? Because, I mean, you know, you.

[George Lucas]

Well, my mother came to visit set.

[Taika Waititi]

Cause a lot of people don't know this about you, but you're Jewish. And then like, like, like you have.

[George Lucas]

Jewish family, and that makes it okay.

[Taika Waititi]

Well, but I'm saying, like, that makes it more awkward, I think. Is that, like, for sure. They're like, your family's just like, wait, so you're gonna be Hitler?

[George Lucas]

It's double the guilt going on. So I. No, I put the costume on for the first time on paper. You simply, this is gonna be a great idea. Then you put it all on. You put that ridiculous moustache on, and you look in the mirror. And I mean, really, the main word to describe it was embarrassed. Oh, that's right. I was embarrassed.

[Taika Waititi]

Right?

[Jordan Peele]

And.

[George Lucas]

But imagine trying to direct people dressed like that, you know? Cause you go through most of your day, you know, you don't really remember what you look like. And I was like, I'll be directing people. Hey, that's really good. That's really good, Scarlet. So why don't we just try and do another one where you go over there and you can see. Here you go. And I catch a little glimpse of myself in a reflection, realize, oh, my God, that's right. I'm dressed like this guy. Yes, you said so. You don't have to do what I say. That's not an order. I'm not forcing you to do. That's your choice. You know, you're a free person. You know, 2018.

[Taika Waititi]

You do what you want.

[Martin Scorsese]

I'm not directing.

[Brady Corbet]

I'm suggesting.

[Taika Waititi]

I'm not directing. I'm suggesting.

[George Lucas]

Power suggestion.

[Greta Gerwig]

You do.

[Martin Scorsese]

There's the power suggestion.

[Taika Waititi]

You have a really stellar cast. I mean, the young man who we see there playing JoJo the rabbit, he's phenomenal. And I mean, you, like all these young kids in the movie, are so amazing in playing the story. And then you got Scarlett Johansson, who's also phenomenal as the mom in the story. Why did you choose to center the story around the kids? Because it's not. It's not a story told through the lens of the adults. The adults are in the story, but it is really through the lens of children. Why?

[George Lucas]

Well, I've never really seen films set, you know, with the backdrop of conflict or wars, really, from a child's point of view. And I really wanted to explore that world.

[Greta Gerwig]

And.

[George Lucas]

And I've worked with a lot of kids in my films. A lot of my films, they deal with young boys with dad issues. Yeah, but. So I've always worked with these kids. And the boy who plays Jojo Roman Griffin Davis, incredibly beautiful, sensitive young guy who really carries a film and really saved me from embarrassment.

[Taika Waititi]

I think there's nothing to be embarrassed about. It's truly one of the most original, funny, fantastic films I've watched in a very long time. Thank you so much for being on the show. Thank you for making the movie.

[Greta Gerwig]

Please welcome to the program. George Lucas. Please, for you. We're very excited. Been waiting a long time in the cold weather. It's so nice to see you. Thank you for coming by. I guess my first question is, Senator Organa takes Leia to Alderaan, and Darth Sidious doesn't feel a disturbance in the force. I mean, seriously, you expect me to believe that he can raise Leia on Alderaan? And the Sith Lords. The Sith Lords, they're not gonna pick up anything. I mean, Kenobi is on Tatooine. He's living right up the street. I mean, nobody's gonna pick up on this. I mean.

[State Farm Advertiser]

Oh, God.

[Jordan Peele]

I never thought of that.

[Greta Gerwig]

I know you didn't, but I've been thinking about it for 13 years.

[Jordan Peele]

Yeah, but you had to have talked to me about it 40 years ago before I would have included it. So I was very young at the time.

[Greta Gerwig]

And how crazy is it that this. The love and adoration and respect that people have for these movies. Also, the flip side is the resentment. And, like, do you. How do you deal with the duality that you get?

[Jordan Peele]

Life is duality.

[Greta Gerwig]

Whoa.

[Jordan Peele]

Yeah. Page 324.

[Greta Gerwig]

Done. Are you able to retain a sense of humor? Do you feel you have to. You have to answer your critics? Do you feel. Where is it in your mindset?

[Jordan Peele]

It's a work of fiction. It's a metaphor. It's not real. And therefore you can either like it or not like it. Whatever it's not like.

[Greta Gerwig]

But, George, I've built my life around it. So to suggest that obviously means I have to go down into my panic room and make some. Make some changes.

[Jordan Peele]

It's whatever you'd like it to be.

[Greta Gerwig]

You know, we had a piece earlier about nostalgia and about the way is some of it that people view things from their childhood with this glowing lens. That.

[Jordan Peele]

That was a great Piece. Absolutely great piece. And it's absolutely true. We have now three generations of Star wars fans. The first generation saw Episode four and the next two, and then when the next three came out, they hated it. They could not stand it. And that's when we first discovered that there was a whole new group of kids out there that loved it. And they didn't like the first three. You know, they said, Episode four, it's boring. We don't want to see that. You know, they love Jar Jar Binks.

[Greta Gerwig]

My son. My son. And you. You. You met my son. My son's favorite movie is. Is the Phantom Menace. And I've explained to him, no, it's not your favorite movie. Is. Is A New Hope and Empire Strikes Back.

[Jordan Peele]

And now we have a. Now we have a show on Cartoon Network, Clone wars. And there's a group of kids that are very young and some teenagers and some older people who can't get enough of Star wars. Who. That's their favorite show. And some of the kids have never seen any of the films. That's all they know is the Clone Wars.

Right.

[Greta Gerwig]

Where's your mindset on it? Do you still have, like, if I'm you, I'm up at the ranch, I'm in the R2 costume, naked, at around three in the morning going.

[Jordan Peele]

You could do that. I'm not that short. I put on my rubber Jar Jar Binks hat.

[Greta Gerwig]

You can fix my height and post, can't you?

[Jordan Peele]

I can't fix mine. I've been working on mine for years. And if I can't fix mine, I can't fix yours either.

[Greta Gerwig]

Do you. Do you still have the imagination? The worlds that you've created, both in Indiana Jones and in Star wars, are so vivid. And there's such attention to detail. And the joke earlier about the different questions and all that that occurs, does that feel like a different guy created that? Is that you? Does your mind still work in that fashion? Are you still thinking in terms of stories like that? What's your process been like now?

[Jordan Peele]

Yeah, I mean, it's. It's. I mean, I love doing Star Wars. At the beginning, I thought it was gonna be one little movie. Move on. It's not at all what I expected my life to be.

[Greta Gerwig]

But you're disappointed, I guess, in the way things were. Yeah, I was, actually.

[Jordan Peele]

I expected it to turn into something great. But, you know, you take what you get and, you know.

[Greta Gerwig]

That'S gotta be the title of your autobiography. George Lucas.

[Taika Waititi]

Eh?

[Greta Gerwig]

What are you gonna do?

[Jordan Peele]

You know, I'm having Fun. Now, doing television, it's a lot more goofy and fun. And, you know. You know what that's like. And I am working on a. Producing a feature on African American fighter pilots during World War II called Red Tails about Tuskegee Airmen.

[Greta Gerwig]

So you're doing all kinds of different things. And if people read this book cover to cover, they will know how to make a blockbuster film that will spin off, I'm assuming, some sequels and some merchandise.

[Jordan Peele]

You obviously haven't read it because there's nothing in it.

[Greta Gerwig]

No, it is.

[Jordan Peele]

It's the only way I could get on your show.

[Greta Gerwig]

No, that's not true.

[Jordan Peele]

Is to create a doorstop. Because I know you love doorstops. I know that you're always talking about them. I knew if I presented you with a doorstop, I could get on the show.

[Greta Gerwig]

Can I tell you what I like about this? It's the crazy details. Like you have all these charts in here about different films. Like the idea that Superman shot more footage than Gone with the Wind. I had no idea. It's filled with those kinds of juxtapositions and facts that for someone like me, I find very interesting. But then again, I've memorized your films.

[Jordan Peele]

Anybody who loves movies will love this book because it's not the sort of ivory tower opinion of somebody about what's a good movie, what's a bad movie, and the art and the whole thing. And it's not a history, which I love. The histories, you know, Kevin Brownlow, you know, very detailed history of film and stuff. This is like a history of the business and the technology and the art and how they all intersect with each other.

[Greta Gerwig]

Those great James sports books, the ones that are just filled with great statistics and facts from all throughout baseball that you always love to look up and do all that stuff.

[Taika Waititi]

And I thought it was fun.

[Jordan Peele]

I love these kind of books. I did one before called Cause of Death, which didn't go very far. Couldn't even get me on the show.

[Greta Gerwig]

A little more cheerful.

[Jordan Peele]

This is the same kind of reading, which is, if you're fascinated by this sort of thing, you will really enjoy it.

[Greta Gerwig]

Well, it's a pleasure to have you on the show.

[Jordan Peele]

Thank you.

[Greta Gerwig]

And you come back again without having to write such a big book. Please, because I'm delighted to have you on, and it's great to see you.

[Jordan Peele]

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[Ryan Reynolds]

It's the Smuckers Uncrustables podcast with your host Uncrustables.

[Brady Corbet]

Okay, today's guest is rough around the edges. Please welcome crust.

[George Lucas]

Thanks for having me.

[Brady Corbet]

Today's topic, he's round with soft pillowy bread.

[Martin Scorsese]

Hey.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Filled with delicious PB and J. Are you talking about yourself?

[Brady Corbet]

And you can take them anywhere.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Why'd you invite.

[Brady Corbet]

And we are out of time.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Are you really cutting me off? Uncrustables are the best part of the sandwich. Sorry, crust.

[Jordan Peele]

Gatorade is the number one proven electrolyte blend designed to hydrate better than water so you can lose more sweat and raise your game. Gatorade, is it in you?

[Ryan Reynolds]

Please welcome Brady Corbet.

[Taika Waititi]

Welcome.

[Greta Gerwig]

Brady.

[Jordan Peele]

I loved it.

[Ryan Reynolds]

I loved the Brutalist. I really did. I thought, what a beautiful piece of art.

[Brady Corbet]

Thank you so much. I'm very grateful for that.

[Martin Scorsese]

Thank you.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Here's the thing that also I love. When I start talking to people about the Brutalist, more often than not, people come up to me like, did you know Lazlo Tothe, the main character is not a real person. Like, there seems to be a confusion. A lot of people think that it's based on a real brutalist architect. And I can't tell whether that's a compliment for the world building that you do or just a commentary on American ignorance.

[Brady Corbet]

It's probably a little bit of both. Yeah, yeah. I mean, the character is an amalgamation of a lot of, you know, real historical figures like Marcel Breuer, Mies van der Rohe, La Shla, Moholy Nige, and many others. So it should evoke a real person. I think that's a positive thing.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yeah, yeah. When you started creating this story, what was the nugget? What was the thing that got you interested?

[Brady Corbet]

You know, in all seriousness, during Trump's first term, before, we had a brief intermezzo.

[Ryan Reynolds]

Yeah, you're talking about a billion years.

[Brady Corbet]

Ago, way back then, he had a mandate that was called make federalist buildings beautiful Again. It was creative. And it's interesting that 75 years on since the term brutalism was coined, it's still so divisive. And it's interesting because for me, I really feel that post war psychology and post war architecture are intrinsically linked. And you Know, this film is. That's what it's mostly concerned with now.

[Ryan Reynolds]

It's interesting, this film. There's so many wonderful performances in it. There's a scene that really stuck with me. There's a scene when Adrian Brody gets off the train and he sees his cousin for the first time, and his cousin lets him know that his wife is still alive. And they embrace. And the whole scene is shot so close, and there's so much physicality between the two of them. They're touching each other face the whole time. It's so intimate and real and emotional. I'm, like, curious. How do you direct something? Like, was the physicality and the closeness intentional in your direction there? How are you working with actors on something like that?

[Brady Corbet]

Yeah, I mean, listen. I mean, it's two brilliant performers in that scene. Alessandro Nivola and Adrien Brody. And the screenplays are very precise, mostly because they have to be. The film was shot in 33 days, and because the film was 170 pages long, it wasn't, you know, that much time. And so, you know, we don't storyboard mostly because I don't want to adhere too closely to a cartoon, but I want to show up to a space, respond to it, see what, you know, the light is doing, what the performers are doing. And, you know, I just told them, I think it would be extremely moving if. If the two of you are very, very, very physical and very intimate together. Because, you know, when you see your uncle or your father, you know.

[Martin Scorsese]

The.

[Brady Corbet]

Patriarch, when they cry, it's like devastating. You just feel shattered by it because you see it so infrequently. So I just thought to see these two, you know, men approaching middle age sort of being that, you know, letting their guard down, especially in the late 1940s, because they just can't help themselves because they've missed each other so much. I thought it was quite, quite beautiful.

[Ryan Reynolds]

I truly love this film. I hope you have nothing but success at the Academy Awards. We had Francis Ford Coppola on this show, and he talk about his most recent film, and he really wanted to eventize film. He's like, so many people are watching this at home now and going to see it in the theater, experiencing the intermission with people at the theater, hearing people talk about it as they're getting popcorn, using the restroom, like it's changing. It feels different than watching it at home. It feels different than watching just a regular hour and a half Marvel. Do you. Do you think there's. There might be some. Some trend towards things that are a little bit longer. That intermission might be something that, I.

[Brady Corbet]

Mean, listen, it wasn't that long ago, you know, in the 1970s, movies like Midnight Cowboy were commercially viable. And I really hope that we get back to that. Our industry changed for a lot of reasons, partially because of streaming, partially because of COVID partially because of the strikes, you know, and I understand why companies are more risk averse than ever. However, if you look at the crop of nominees this year, you know, they're really radical, strange films. They're strange propositions, which I think should signal for everyone that audiences do want daring, original, provocative films. And I, you know, I think it's.

[Greta Gerwig]

Very.

[Taika Waititi]

I'm glad you agree.

[Brady Corbet]

I, you know, I really, you know, I respect audiences and I believe that audiences, you know, are really, really clever and they're more clever than ever because there's so much information out there about how movies are made and there's an awareness of the post production process and visual effects, et cetera. So, you know, they're really savvy and I think it's important that we treat them with respect.

[Taika Waititi]

Explore more shows from the Daily show podcast universe by searching the Daily Show.

[Jordan Peele]

Wherever you get your podcasts, watch the Daily show weeknights at 1110 Central on.

[Taika Waititi]

Comedy Central and stream full episodes anytime on Paramount.

[Jordan Peele]

This has been a Comedy Central podcast.