← The Late Show Pod Show with Stephen Colbert
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- [00:01]
Stephen Colbert
It's time to refresh your yard during Spring Backyard Days at the Home Depot. Get low prices guaranteed on propane grills starting at $179 like the next grill 3 burner gas grill. Or get $50 off a select Weber spirit Grill and bring big flavor to your backyard. Then set the scene with Hampton Bay string lights that bring it all together. Shop Spring backyard days for seven days at the Home Depot. Now through May 6th. Exclusions applies to homedevot.com Pricematch for details. Welcome, welcome, welcome, friends to the Late Show. I'm your host, Stephen Colbert. And to everyone, to everyone, to everyone watching here and at home, may the 4th be with you. Because of course we know May 4th is international star Wars Day. In fact, the whole month is important to Star wars fans, or as they call themselves, Beliebers, because the first six films all debuted in May. And this year we're getting the first new Star wars film in theaters since 2019. Star the Mandalorian and Grogu. Obviously. Obviously I'm thrilled that Baby Yoda is getting a spin off, but I'm worried he's going to end up like all child stars. DUI Rehab. Then hosting his own Netflix dating show. Grogu's Bang Boy Beach Gros.
- [01:36]
Christopher Nolan
Gru's Gros.
- [01:37]
Stephen Colbert
Gru's Grogu There. This new Star wars film has plenty of big names because Jeremy Allen White will star. And this is true. He is starring as Jabba the Hutt's son. Oh yes, Chef Jubba Jubba. I wouldn't. It wouldn't be Star wars without toys and tie ins. For this movie, Burger King is rolling the items out like BBQ Bounty Whopper and Imperial Cheddar Ranch Tots. And Nabisco is launching Grogu Nilla Nummies, an amazing treat for any kid who's always wanted to eat Grogu's eggs. Skin poop, we're not sure. I don't think this one was cleared over at Skywalker Ranch. But today, and this is absolutely true, pornhub updated their logo to include the symbol of the Rebel alliance, which makes sense. Everybody loves Star wars themed pornos like Obi Wan can bone me, R2, double D2, and of course, Hand Solo. In this one, Hand definitely shoots first. But stars aren't the only place the stars. Okay, everybody stay calm. Of course the stars aren't the only place there's a war. There's also one in Iran. Well, good segue. Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, graphics department. Well, over the weekend, Iran submitted a 14 point plan to end the war. It's pretty one sided. They propose that both sides lift their blockades of the Strait of Hormuz, Israel completely end the war in Lebanon, the US release Iran's frozen assets, require the US to pay compensation and lift all sanctions against Tehran. In addition to Iran would get the new Grand Theft Auto, free guacamole in participating Chipotles and a hall pass to sleep with Lady Liberty's sister Tammy. Tammy's fun. Tammy's way more fun. Trump rejected the offer and yesterday he posted this image saying I have all the cards which may have seen. This is cool. Except you might notice the cards Trump is holding are from the game Uno, where quite famously the object to get rid of all your cards. I have so many cards. No, I have so many cards. Look at this. I have so many cards. This idiot over here. Just hold on. There we go. Here we go. This idiot over here just played a draw four and I get to draw four more. I got so many cards. I got the three of hearts, I got the Blockbuster membership Charizard. The longer this goes on, just the worse things get for average consumers. Last week crude oil hit a wartime high, trading above $126. And I'd say Iran has America over a barrel. But we can't afford a barrel. Can we do this over a bucket? As a result, today the average price of gas hit $4.46 a gallon. God knows what it's doing to the price of grass and ass, but come on, ask your parents, ask your grandparents. But you gotta give it to President Trump. He campaigned on two dollar gas and now he's delivering more than twice what he promised. One Wall street trader. Thank you. Do my own. Did my own. One Wall street trader explained why oil prices suddenly spiked. They thought this crisis in the Strait would be short lived due to the infamous taco or Trump always chickens out. But it turned into a nacho, which stands for Not a chance Hormuz opens. Well, if I may, I'd like to suggest my own acronym, carnitas, which stands for can anyone recommend nursing home? I think his brain sp this. That's very pretty. I don't know what that is, but that's very pretty. The high price of fuel took its toll this weekend because yesterday Spirit Airlines shut down. Oh no. I have three more weeks of shows to do. Now I won't have Spirit Airlines jokes. Quick, somebody check on Arby's. The Spirit Airlines of shaved beef. Spirit announced their immediate closure in a statement saying all flights have been Canceled, and customer service is no longer available. Which, coincidentally, was also Spirit's motto. One more for the road, baby. So Spirit is gone, but there are still plenty of safe and reliable airlines out there, like United. What's new with them? Well, yesterday, a United Airlines plane struck a bakery truck on the New Jersey Turnpike. I know that sounds bad, but trust me, it looks so much worse. I'm going to show you the dash cam footage of the bakery truck, but first I just want to stress everyone's okay. Which is surprising because check this out. Dashcam footage shows the moment a truck is struck as the United Airlines flight approached Newark Liberty International Airport Sunday afternoon. If you look closely, you can see what appears to be the wheel of the plane out the driver's window. I know that is shocking, but don't forget, this accident was predicted 25 years ago by the opening of the Sopranos. Thankfully. Thankfully, neither the driver or anyone on the plane was hurt, and investigators are still trying to figure out what happened. But I think I found a clue. It turns out this flight was arriving from Italy's Marco Polo Airport. Well, there's your answer. Okay, tower. Okay, tower, Tower, we are coming in for landing. I'm just going to put on my blindfold. Marco. Marco, please respond. Polo, I smell dinner rolls. Well, Spirit Airlines isn't the only iconic company we lost this weekend because after nearly 30 years of service, Ask Jeeves has shut down. If you're unfamiliar with Ask Jeeves, which went on to become ask.com, it was an Internet search engine originally depicted as a snooty British butler who was later 3D rendered and rebranded, apparently as a pervert who liked to watch. In a statement, Jeeves parent company said to you, the millions of users who turn to us for answers in a rapidly changing world, thank you for your endless curiosity, your loyalty, and your trust. Well, thanks a lot, Jeeves. That's what I was gonna say on my last show. We got a great show for you tonight.
- [09:34]
Christopher Nolan
Coming up.
- [09:35]
Stephen Colbert
Christopher Nolan. The right window treatments change everything. Your sleep, your privacy, the way every room looks and feels. @blinds.com, we've spent 30 years making it surprisingly simple to get exactly what your home needs. We've covered over 25 million windows and have 50,000 five star reviews to prove we deliver. Whether you DIY it or want a pro to handle everything from measure to install, we have you covered. Real design professionals, free samples, zero pressure. Right now. Get up to 50% off with minimum purchase, plus get a free professional measure@blinds.com rules and restrictions apply. Ladies and gentlemen, my first guest tonight is the Oscar winning producer, writer and director of such films as the Dark Knight, Dunkirk and Oppenheimer. Please welcome back to the late Show, Christopher Nolan. Nice to see you again.
- [10:37]
Christopher Nolan
Nice to be back here.
- [10:38]
Stephen Colbert
Yeah. I know you don't do this very often. Don't do the late night shows very often.
- [10:42]
Christopher Nolan
I do not. Only you, actually.
- [10:44]
Stephen Colbert
Oh, really?
- [10:44]
Christopher Nolan
I think so.
- [10:45]
Stephen Colbert
Well, I'm quite honored. Well, we got the right artist for you. Not every director in the world gets a standing ovation. And, you know, you're a superstar director. Not every director is welcome in that seat, I want you to know.
- [10:56]
Christopher Nolan
Well, thank you very much. I feel very honored to be here.
- [11:00]
Stephen Colbert
Oh, it's absolutely our honor. Unless they want to cast me in something, in which case they can come on anytime they want. Last time we spoke was at Princeton at the Institute for Advanced Studies. In Einstein's office.
- [11:11]
Christopher Nolan
Yes.
- [11:11]
Stephen Colbert
And here we are in the Ed Sullivan. Do you want to compare the vibes?
- [11:17]
Christopher Nolan
I mean, the intellect is still here. You feel the waves of history coming off the wal. Slightly different way, but no, that was a fun time. That was a. It was a really cool thing to be able to be there in Einstein's office talking about everything. And we.
- [11:30]
Stephen Colbert
Yeah, unbelievable.
- [11:30]
Christopher Nolan
We took the Colbert bump right the way to the Oscars. So thank you very much for that.
- [11:34]
Stephen Colbert
You're welcome. Anytime. There you go. Cheers.
- [11:39]
Christopher Nolan
Cheers.
- [11:40]
Dave Grohl
Cheers.
- [11:40]
Stephen Colbert
There you go. Okay. Oppenheimer, as you said, won seven Academy Awards, including best Picture and Best Director. You chose to follow it up with just a small, not showy story. Yes, just the bedrock of Western literature, the story of stories. The Odyssey. What was it about? I assume you're also a fan of the Iliad, but what is it about Homer? Why did you want to tackle this particular story?
- [12:11]
Christopher Nolan
I mean, you're always looking for something that hasn't been done before. And Greek mythology, even though so many of us are familiar with it, you know, from when we're kids and the way in which it's the underpinnings of all stories, as you say, in Western literature, but it hadn't really been done on a big scale. I mean, I grew up with movies by greats like Ray Harryhausen and Clash of the Titans, things like that, but it hadn't really been done at a kind of a budget, big studio, you know, throw everything at the screen and see what sticks kind of way. And that's the kind of gap you're looking for as a filmmaker. It's like, how can we get in there and really try and bring something new for audiences. It's just one of the great adventure stories, and I really wanted to see it done justice. So we just sort of dove in,
- [12:55]
Stephen Colbert
and the story itself has. And the Iliad have such. Such depth behind them and implied depth. Basically, the Greek myths are all paying off in the Iliad and the Odyssey. A lot of scores are being settled between the gods with each other. And I know you don't want to give anything away about the film, but are there gods in it? Is there any of the supernatural? Cause Troy, Troy, like the movie Troy, it had none of the gods in it. Do you have any of the gods in it?
- [13:21]
Christopher Nolan
I don't really want to give anything away. I mean, I know it's weird to talk about spoilers on a 3,000-year-old piece of literature, but a lot of. But a lot of the way, as you.
- [13:33]
Stephen Colbert
Your New Testament, it's got that Jesus guy in it. You got that Jesus guy in your New Testament. Ooh, Christopher Nolan. Would you do, like, a Bible story? Would you do, like something like Samson or something? Would you ever be interested in the Bible?
- [13:46]
Christopher Nolan
I think. Let's see how this goes. You know, we got. Do we have gods in the movie? You know, a lot of this is about the way in which we're taking these things on. You know, we're trying to put all of the elements. We're trying to put all of the things in there that we all kind of remember about the Odyssey.
- [14:03]
Stephen Colbert
You got a horse? I'm guessing we have a horse.
- [14:06]
Christopher Nolan
That much I can tell you. We have a horse. We have a horse.
- [14:08]
Stephen Colbert
You got Odysseus.
- [14:09]
Christopher Nolan
We have Odysseus. We have Telemachus. We have Penelope. We have this whole idea of what's going on in Ithaca, and this hero trying to get back to his family. I mean, really, it's a story about family. And this is a world where people saw gods in everything, everywhere. So the thunder, the tides coming in, the wind blowing, that's all evidence of divinity that they're surrounded by. So what we're trying to do is take the audience and put them in that world and put them in that mindset, which is hopefully a good non answer to your question.
- [14:43]
Stephen Colbert
Yeah, I'm gonna take that as a yes. Thank you very much. Okay. Matt Damon plays the title character, Odysseus. You've worked with him before in Interstellar and Oppenheimer. Those are both great roles, but supporting roles in that. Why'd you risk one on Damon? Why did you? Yes, he's talented, yes. He's handsome, yes. He's intelligent.
- [15:04]
Christopher Nolan
But we tried him out a couple of times.
- [15:06]
Stephen Colbert
Okay.
- [15:07]
Christopher Nolan
You know, just to see and everything and no, I mean, look, the great thing about working with people who are just incredibly good at what they do, like, Matt is just one of the greats. I got to do a couple movies with him and then I got really that thrill of being able to call him up and say, how about Odysseus? And you know, it's a one word pitch, it's right there. And I warned him, I said, it's going to be very hard. And he's like, yeah, I know, I know, I know. I said, no, it's going to be very hard.
- [15:38]
Stephen Colbert
He says it's the hardest film he's ever made.
- [15:40]
Christopher Nolan
I think for all of us. It was an incredibly challenging movie in all the right ways. I mean, I like to say it was a nightmare. In all the right ways. Right. It's just, it's a lot to take on. It's the Odyssey, it's the greatest epic in literature and so it should be difficult. We did want to get out there and really try and do a lot of these things for real. Really get out there on the seas, climb the mountains, go in the caves. All of that, you got all the
- [16:04]
Stephen Colbert
gods to deal with.
- [16:05]
Christopher Nolan
Here you go, there you go. In one way or another, there's certain nods towards that.
- [16:14]
Stephen Colbert
Would you be comfortable in revealing whether you shot this film in order, like in order of the story? Would you tell us that?
- [16:21]
Christopher Nolan
Well, the story's written in a nonlinear way. It's the original kind of non linear narrative. You start, you know, kind of halfway through the story.
- [16:28]
Stephen Colbert
He's telling a lot of the story to like in the Nausicaa's father's palace or something like that.
- [16:33]
Christopher Nolan
Well, what we're jumping off from is the Ithacus. We start in Ithaca, we start with the song of Odysseus. We start with this story. Everyone is sitting there going, okay, we know the trojan war ended 10 years ago. Where is he? He hasn't come back. He left 20 years ago. And things are not altogether wonderful in
- [16:51]
Stephen Colbert
his kingdom because Penelope's having to put off all these suitors who want to be the new king.
- [16:56]
Christopher Nolan
Exactly. So Penelope's played by Anne Hathaway, who I've also worked with a couple times before.
- [17:04]
Stephen Colbert
Did you catch that Devil Wears Prada movie?
- [17:06]
Christopher Nolan
I watched it last night, yeah. It was fabulous.
- [17:08]
Stephen Colbert
Fantastic.
- [17:08]
Christopher Nolan
With Emily Blunt as well and everything. Yeah, terrific. And her son is played by Tom Holland, who's also amazing, who I've not worked with before, but would love to work with again. I mean, he's just an incredible talent, as everybody else but me knew before I sort of got into it with him. But he's so, so great. And they're, you know, holding the fort in Ithaca, fending off the suitors. The lead suitors, played by Rob Pattinson, who I've also worked with before. And. Yeah, so it really is a story about ultimately, about homecoming, about Canyon.
- [17:43]
Stephen Colbert
She was Catwoman. She was Catwoman. He was Spider Man. He was the Batman. Like, if.
- [17:49]
Christopher Nolan
And we have Jason Bourne as well.
- [17:51]
Stephen Colbert
Oh, yeah. Jason Bourne. Would we like. Are superheroes directly related to these sort of Greek heroes?
- [17:57]
Christopher Nolan
Very directly. Well, they are. I mean. I mean, they're the original. The original superheroes. A lot of. I mean, even comic book culture, whether you're talking about Marvel or DC or all the rest, a lot of it comes pretty directly from the Homeric epics. And the thing about Homer is nobody knows if that was a person. You know, they don't know. I mean, Homer, in a way, is the sort of George Lucas, maybe, of his time. I mean, nobody really knows who this person was or whether it was more than one person.
- [18:23]
Stephen Colbert
We don't even know if Homer was Homer's name.
- [18:25]
Christopher Nolan
Exactly.
- [18:26]
Stephen Colbert
After all, Ovid was Ovid's. Ovid's middle name. So you never can't tell.
- [18:30]
Christopher Nolan
Well, there you go. You're pulling rank again. But that's. Yes. Thank you.
- [18:33]
Stephen Colbert
Cublioso Videos. Naso. I don't have to tell you. Oh, man.
- [18:36]
Christopher Nolan
You don't have to tell me. Cause I wouldn't know what the hell you were saying. But I. Absolutely. I mean, the thing about Homer is. Yeah, it's the marvel of its day. I mean, that's the thing. And so I think there's very directly this desire for us to feel or believe that gods could walk amongst. And I think the modern comic book is kind of our expression of that.
- [19:00]
Stephen Colbert
When did you first encounter the Odyssey?
- [19:03]
Christopher Nolan
I think, like a lot of people, it was. I think it was like a school play that, you know, I was one of the younger kids and the older kids, you know, I was probably only four or five. You know, they were doing some kind of, you know, primary school, elementary school production where they had, you know, him strapped to the mask and the sirens and, you know, did some version of the horse and whatever.
- [19:23]
Stephen Colbert
And.
- [19:24]
Christopher Nolan
Yeah, you just. It's a story that we all kind of know a bit about. And we've made the Film, really, for people who haven't read it, don't know anything about it, and could come to it really fresh. But, you know, a lot of people have a really interesting relationship with this, this literature. And one of the things I found as I was adapting it was it's basically all the other films I've done before. All those stories are in there. Whether you're talking about Interstellar or the Dark Knight, all these bits and BO they all come from the Odyssey. So you get to kind of, you know, revisit that and look at it in its original form.
- [20:01]
Stephen Colbert
Well, speaking of revisiting that, we have an unusual treat. Christopher Nolan and our friends at Universal. Hello, Universal. Have brought us a brand new trailer. No one's seen this, right?
- [20:12]
Christopher Nolan
No.
- [20:13]
Stephen Colbert
Okay. For the Odyssey.
- [20:15]
Christopher Nolan
Absolutely not.
- [20:16]
Stephen Colbert
So. We're going to roll this for you and for the people at home. And don't go anywhere because we'll be right back right after this is over with more Christopher Nolan. Anything we need to set up here?
- [20:29]
Christopher Nolan
Not if I've done my job right.
- [20:34]
Stephen Colbert
Let's find out. Yvonne,
- [20:53]
Christopher Nolan
Tell me what you remember.
- [20:58]
Stephen Colbert
A wife.
- [21:03]
Dave Grohl
A son.
- [21:07]
Christopher Nolan
And then what?
- [21:12]
Dave Grohl
We won a war.
- [21:19]
Christopher Nolan
Help me go home.
- [21:25]
Stephen Colbert
This is a household waiting for master. I want you to choose me. It is. King is coming back. No, he's not.
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Christopher Nolan
What would he do?
- [21:45]
Stephen Colbert
He came back here to find all these suitors in his house. You're pining for a daddy he didn't even know. Like some sniveling bastard who's looking after your wife and son. Do you see? My dad is coming home.
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Christopher Nolan
Bringing vengeance.
- [22:09]
Stephen Colbert
Bringing it all.
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Dave Grohl
Let's go.
- [22:25]
Stephen Colbert
I need everyone in this party dead. I can still save them. You're a man who needs to control his fate.
- [22:39]
Christopher Nolan
But you cannot control this. That world is gone.
- [22:47]
Dave Grohl
No one could stand between me and home.
- [22:53]
Christopher Nolan
Not even the gods.
- [23:06]
Stephen Colbert
I think gets to sleep. It appears you did your job.
- [23:29]
Christopher Nolan
Right
- [23:31]
Stephen Colbert
now, an unbelievable cast. Besides Damon, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Robert Pattinson, Charlize Theron, John Leguizamo. Who haven't we seen anybody you want to tell us about that's not in that.
- [23:43]
Christopher Nolan
We haven't seen Lupita Nyong' o and we haven't seen Zendaya. Corey Hawkins, just a ton of other talent. I mean, it's an incredible cast and they all. They just work so hard for the movie and really deliver the goods for me. I mean, it really was a thrill to work with them all.
- [24:04]
Stephen Colbert
Was this hard for you to direct? I know it was hard. Damon said it was hard to Do. Was it hard for you to direct?
- [24:11]
Christopher Nolan
Yeah, yeah, it was hard.
- [24:12]
Stephen Colbert
Physically difficult.
- [24:13]
Christopher Nolan
It was physically difficult for all of us. You know, we really wanted to take the audience out, you know, on a deceased ship in a storm, for example, and other essence. So that involves.
- [24:24]
Stephen Colbert
You do practical effects.
- [24:25]
Christopher Nolan
We do a lot of practical effects.
- [24:27]
Stephen Colbert
How did you do either Charybdis or Scylla? Is this Charybdis or is this Scylla, the warp hole?
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Christopher Nolan
That's Charybdis.
- [24:34]
Stephen Colbert
Okay.
- [24:34]
Christopher Nolan
That's Scylla.
- [24:35]
Stephen Colbert
Okay. You just pull the drain in a tub and film that going down or something.
- [24:41]
Christopher Nolan
I don't want to reveal all the tricks. I mean, I will say.
- [24:44]
Stephen Colbert
Or did you actually get a God to do it for you?
- [24:45]
Christopher Nolan
Did you? I will say we used pretty much every technique in the book on this movie. We really tried to do everything. But we do try. I mean, I have an incredible visual effects supervisor, an amazing team of. Of artists who work on it, but we try to do our job, which is to get as much on in camera, you know, as much on screen as possible before they have to kind of add that, you know, a little bit extra. So, yeah, really, we've tried a lot of different techniques.
- [25:15]
Stephen Colbert
I think I caught a glimpse of fur in there. Is that Odysseus's dog Argos?
- [25:20]
Christopher Nolan
It is indeed.
- [25:21]
Stephen Colbert
Wow. Indeed.
- [25:22]
Christopher Nolan
Which.
- [25:22]
Stephen Colbert
Wow. Which is one of the greatest moments in the whole story. I.
- [25:26]
Christopher Nolan
It's no spoilers, no spoilers, no spoilers. But, yes, it is one of the greatest moments in the story. It's really one of the things that hooked me. I'm a new dog owner. Oh, really? Came on. Yes, thank you.
- [25:40]
Stephen Colbert
Like new to dogs or new to dogs?
- [25:42]
Christopher Nolan
I'd never had a dog growing up, didn't have a dog. When my kids were young, we denied that. And then as soon as they left for college, we got a dog. And then I thought, how do they feel about that? They were a little bitter, but they love the dog too, when they get to visit. And I decided to do the Odyssey because it is the ultimate dog story.
- [26:05]
Stephen Colbert
The film was shot entirely. It's the first film shot entirely on IMAX cameras.
- [26:10]
Christopher Nolan
Yes.
- [26:10]
Stephen Colbert
Okay. What does that mean to you as a director? A. Why did you want to do that and what are the challenges of that?
- [26:14]
Christopher Nolan
I fell in love with IMAX film when I was about 16, going to films at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago, like documentaries that were shot on imax. And I always felt like, what if you told a giant Hollywood story in this format? So on the Dark Night I convinced the studio, I convinced IMAX to let us try and do our action sequences, which we did just the action scenes on imax. And then over the years, I've tried to use the format kind of more and more things like Interstellar and Oppenheimer and everything. We've tried to do more and more of the film, but what I always wanted to do was do the entire movie that way. Couldn't do it because the cameras are so noisy, literally, because the film is huge. It's this giant medium format sized film. So it's running through 24 frames a second, this massive film. So it's a very, very noisy camera. So as the software solutions sort of filtering out camera noise got better, I did tests with some of the stuff I'd shot with Killian and Oppenheimer with IMAX cameras. Very close and he's speaking and we had ADR'd it and I could uncover his original dialogue, but he was shouting over the camera. So it was the wrong performance. And that's the problem is what we needed was a way to get a camera, get an IMAX camera that you could actually shoot the dialogue. It could be as close as we are and you could perform in front of it. And so we challenged IMAX to do that. We said, we're doing the Odyssey. This is, this is the story. If ever there were a story where you want to do the whole thing on imax, this is it. So can you find a way to build an enclosure for the camera? They build us new cameras. They build us this box that you put the camera in. I mean, it's giant, it weighs about 400 pounds, but it silenced the camera so we could do very intimate scenes.
- [28:01]
Stephen Colbert
It's a new type of camera. This was shot on.
- [28:03]
Christopher Nolan
Brand new camera.
- [28:04]
Stephen Colbert
Is this called the Nolan now?
- [28:07]
Christopher Nolan
It is not. Actually. It's called the Keeley. And it's named after my friend David Keeley, who sadly passed just as we were finishing the dailies on this film before we edited it. And he had been my IMAX mentor for almost 20 years. And he's the guy who made so much of what we've done possible. And proud to say that before he passed, he was able to finish approving all of our last dailies and printing those. And we miss him greatly. But I'm thrilled, But I'm absolutely thrilled that he's memorialized in the name of this brand new camera, which is, I mean, IMAX film is the highest quality imaging format that's ever been built.
- [28:55]
Stephen Colbert
Well, as you can tell from the audience and from me. People are very excited about your film and obviously you're a great director and people all want to see what you're going to do next. But there's something about this story itself, as you were saying before, strikes such a chord with people. What people may not know is that there isn't just the Iliad and the Odyssey. We know there were like 24 different epic poems that were about the Trojan War. And afterwards. It was sort of the thing that every ancient poet had to take his crack at. You know, the same way like a Renaissance artist had to do the annunciation to the Virgin by Gabriel. Or in the mid 20th century, every director had to do a western or something like that. What do you think it is about this story that still today resonates with an audience and still meaningful to us?
- [29:45]
Christopher Nolan
I think there are a lot of things that go into that. I mean, yes, as you say, there's the mythological sort of background of the Trojan War and all of the different stories that come out of it. And that's where I liken it to something like Star wars or Marvel or something where you have this sort of history, this conflict that's bigger than whatever individual take on the story you choose. The reason I think the Odyssey is the most interesting of those takes is it's about family and it's about homecoming. It's very, very relatable. So even though you're dealing with an incredible character, you know, Matt plays the extraordinary, wily Odysseus, who's brilliant, you know, and a great warrior and all of these things, but ultimately he's also a husband and a father and he needs to get back home to his family. And this is the story of can he do that? Will he make it? You know, what will that journey be?
- [30:41]
Stephen Colbert
Well, Christopher, thanks so much for being here. Always a pleasure to talk.
- [30:44]
Christopher Nolan
Thank you.
- [30:45]
Stephen Colbert
The Odyssey will be in theaters on July 17th. Christopher Nolan, everybody. Coming up, Dave Grohl. Now at McDonald's. A McDouble is 250. So you can get your gym gains
- [31:03]
Christopher Nolan
on or just get lunch for only 250.
- [31:06]
Stephen Colbert
Get more value on the under three dollar menu. Limited time only.
- [31:10]
Christopher Nolan
Prices and participation may vary.
- [31:11]
Stephen Colbert
Prices may be higher for delivery. Welcome back. Safe. My next guest is a 90s grammy award winning rock and roll hall of famer from foo fighters and nirvana. Please welcome back to the late show. Dave grohl. Nice to see you again. Hey, man, how you been? Good. Foop Fighters have been together for 31 years.
- [31:47]
Dave Grohl
That's true.
- [31:47]
Stephen Colbert
Okay. Was there a specific moment when you knew you were ready to start a new band after Nirvana?
- [31:57]
Dave Grohl
Well, yes, there actually was.
- [32:00]
Stephen Colbert
There was.
- [32:01]
Dave Grohl
When Nirvana ended, I wasn't sure what to do. I didn't know if I wanted to continue playing music. It made me sad to think of playing in another band. Losing Nirvana, losing Kurt was a really, really dark, emotional experience. And so I thought, you know, I just need to get my head together. And I rented a car and drove around the Ring of Kerry in Ireland.
- [32:29]
Christopher Nolan
Oh, that's beautiful.
- [32:30]
Dave Grohl
And I was out. It's so gorgeous. One of the most beautiful places in the world. I was driving on this country road, and there were, like, sheep, and it was a gray day, and then the green rolling hills, and all I wanted to do was disappear. And as I was driving down this country road, I see a hitchhiker, and he had a Kurt Cobain T shirt on. And to me, I thought, okay, this is the universe telling me you have to continue. Like, you have to move on. You have to go forward. Music has always been the love of my life. It's helped me through some of my most difficult moments. And when I saw the kid with the Kurt Cobain T shirt, I thought, okay, I need to keep going. I have so much reverence and respect for the past, but I need to have a future. And that's kind of where it began.
- [33:27]
Stephen Colbert
Well, 31 years later, you guys and the Foo Fighters have been through a lot together, highs and lows. And what is the best benefit of, like, being with the same group of people for so long?
- [33:42]
Dave Grohl
It's weird. After, over the years, the music kind of just becomes this amazing sort of bonus to the relationships that we have together. So we've known each other. I mean, I've been in this band more than half my life. And so when we get together, we vacation together, our kids hang out with each other. We where, like, we really are kind of this big extended family. So I get to hang out with the fellas, like, every day, and they're the coolest people in the world. And then at the end of the day, it's like, oh, now we get to go jam for three hours in front of 20,000 people. It's like, this is the greatest gig in the world.
- [34:21]
Stephen Colbert
You do make it sound good.
- [34:22]
Dave Grohl
It's really good.
- [34:24]
Stephen Colbert
Last year. Last year, Nirvana reunited for two performances, Fire Aid. The Fire Aid benefit in LA and SNL 50. You guys don't do that very often?
- [34:36]
Dave Grohl
No.
- [34:36]
Stephen Colbert
What is it like when y' all get together to, you know, breathe life back into those songs.
- [34:42]
Dave Grohl
Well, again, you know, I think sometimes when people think of bands, they just think of instruments and songs and stuff, but it really is. It's this connection of people and life experience and relationships, you know, with other human beings. And then you put on guitars and play music and that translates your love and respect and the relationship you have with the other person really comes through the music. So with Nirvana, it's like, oh my God, we went through some crazy stuff. And so when we get together to play, it's a really, it's a wild experience because when it's me and Chris Novoselic and Pat Smear, when we sit down and like start into Smells Like Teen Spirit in a small room, it's like, dude, nobody else makes that noise. It sounds like Smells Like Teen Spirit and you're just like. And we don't do it often. And so when it does come around, it's like a comet. It's like this comet is coming back around and you see it streak by and it's like.
- [35:42]
Stephen Colbert
And then it just. Great. Your daughter Violet, Violet Grohl, right there, has her first album coming out at the end of the month. Now, okay, you being the old man of the mountain here, what advice do you have for her as a young artist starting off in the career? I got a couple of kids in music, what advice should I pass on to them?
- [36:04]
Dave Grohl
I would say that first and foremost, that the reward has to be the music itself. So, you know, you work hard and you want to like, be successful and you want to be the best that you can be. And. But at the end of the day, the most important thing is your love of music and that you love the music that you're making. That's the reward. And when you get to go perform in front of people, that's the reward. Everything else is like, is bells and whistles and it's really great when it starts getting really great. But at the end of the day, it's like you want to wake up and feel like that 10 year old kid that was trying to learn Edgar Winter's Frankenstein on the bed. And then you, and then you figure out the song and you play it once without making a mistake. You're like. And then that's like, that's the reward right there. So, you know, and also, you know, as I've told Violet, I want her to really to appreciate these early experiences. You know, like, don't wish any of this away and don't get too ahead of yourself. Just like be in the moment right now, as hard as it can be sometimes, and, you know, you're sleeping. I mean, when I think about the first time we came here, first time we came to this theater was 1995, and it was our first television appearance on the Letterman show. And I think about then, and it was like. I mean, back then, we were torn in a van, and we had a trailer hitched up to the back of it. And I would try to. I have fond memories of those days that have served as a beautiful, practical, and emotional foundation for everything that came after. And so I hope with Violet that she's. First of all, she's an incredibly talented artist, and she has a beautiful voice, but I really want her to appreciate this now part, because this now part does become the foundation of everything that comes next. And so just be in the moment and appreciate the music.
- [38:08]
Stephen Colbert
Well, talking about appreciating the music, Foo Fighters have a new album. Your Favorite Toy, the band's 12th studio album. How'd you land on the name of this album?
- [38:18]
Christopher Nolan
Your Favorite Toy.
- [38:19]
Dave Grohl
You know, it's funny. There's a song that's called your Favorite Toy, but when I first wrote it, it was called For Good. And there's a line that says, get back here, that boy. Someone threw away your favorite toy for Good. And I'm like, wow, okay. For Good. That's such a great name that has it. But. And like, a week later, I see the Wicked movie comes out. I'm like, man, what the damn.
- [38:46]
Christopher Nolan
Yeah.
- [38:47]
Stephen Colbert
Took it. Yeah. You could have surfed that wave, though. You could have gotten right in on that Wicked.
- [38:52]
Dave Grohl
I feel like people would have bought this thinking it was that or bought that thinking it was this, and it would just be kind of a mess.
- [38:57]
Stephen Colbert
That's true. Exactly. Exactly. Is it true you tried to give some fans, like, a sneak peek of this? Like, you tried to luck somebody into some Foo Fighters music?
- [39:08]
Dave Grohl
So I'm still old school, where I love doing things myself, and I love the DIY ethic of being in a band. And I had a day off, and I thought, oh, you know what I'll do? I'll burn 20 CDs of our album before it's come out. And me and my daughter Harper will get construction paper, and we'll make album covers, and I'll stick it in the cd, and then I'll go run around and hide them in places all over the San Fernando Valley.
- [39:41]
Stephen Colbert
Did it say Foo Fighters on it?
- [39:42]
Dave Grohl
Oh, yeah. And so I, like. I put one at an ikea. I put one at A Barnes and Noble. But the craziest part is that I would walk in and I've got them hidden. Cause I didn't want anybody to see. And so I'm already sketchy enough, and I see, like, the security guard person is, like, kind of eyeing me, and I'm watching, and it looks like I'm shoplifting.
- [40:04]
Stephen Colbert
Right.
- [40:05]
Dave Grohl
When I'm doing the opposite.
- [40:06]
Stephen Colbert
Right, right.
- [40:06]
Dave Grohl
And so I walk in, and I walk in, and I'm looking around, and I'm in Barnes and Noble. And I'm like, okay, do I want to put it behind that book? That book sucks. What about this book? And I, like, drop it and then run out of there. And I almost got busted in a Ralph's. I went back to the charcoal aisle, stuck it under a bag of Kingsford. And as I was walking out, the security guard was looking at me like. Which you like. But I got away with it.
- [40:34]
Stephen Colbert
Do you know if anyone found any of these?
- [40:36]
Dave Grohl
Yeah, they all got found.
- [40:37]
Christopher Nolan
Wow.
- [40:38]
Dave Grohl
Yeah. Cause then we start, of course, we posted, like, the little clues. It turned into, like, a scavenger hunt. And who doesn't love one of those?
- [40:46]
Stephen Colbert
Everybody does. Okay. You guys are on tour.
- [40:50]
Dave Grohl
Yeah.
- [40:51]
Stephen Colbert
Foo Fighters on tour this summer. It's been 40 years since little. You went out on tour because you were a teenager. Yeah. The first time.
- [40:58]
Dave Grohl
Little.
- [40:59]
Stephen Colbert
You went on tour for the first time. Is it more enjoyable now that you're not couch surfing?
- [41:06]
Dave Grohl
Big time. No, I mean, as I said earlier, it's those early years and those early experiences.
- [41:12]
Stephen Colbert
But room service?
- [41:13]
Dave Grohl
Like when I was here with my mom.
- [41:15]
Stephen Colbert
Oh, yeah. Wonderful.
- [41:16]
Dave Grohl
Years ago. My mother wrote a book years ago, and she. And I sat on the couch and did an interview here at the studio. And my mother was such an incredible person. She was a public school teacher for 35 years. She was. And she was such a brilliant, kind, compassionate, empathetic, altruistic, incred, funny, charming, sweet. Just the coolest. The coolest person I've ever met in my life. She was a teacher at my high school. And I wasn't good at high school. I wasn't good at elementary school either, actually, we brought my report cards when we were here Anyway. But she was so cool that she realized I was just terrible at school. She also realized I wasn't, like, a complete. I'm not gonna say the word, but she understood, like, okay, there's something. You'll be able to figure life out. She thought she had faith in me, that I could do that. So I left to go on tour when I was 17. Years old and it was basically me asking my mother, hey, I have an opportunity to tour the world. I want to leave school. And she said, you should go do that because you suck at school. And here we are 40 years later.
- [42:46]
Stephen Colbert
Well, congratulations on finding the thing you don't suck at.
- [42:48]
Dave Grohl
Thanks, man.
- [42:53]
Stephen Colbert
Thank you for listening to the Late Show Pod show with Stephen Colbert. Just one more thing. If you want to see more of me, come to The Late Show YouTube channel for more clips and exclusives. When beloved family patriarch Gary Farris went missing, his family looked everywhere on their property until they came across something horrifying.
- [43:15]
Dave Grohl
It's a homicide.
- [43:16]
Stephen Colbert
Absolutely. The blame game in this family went round and round.
- [43:20]
Christopher Nolan
This is Blood is Thicker, the Ferris wheel.
- [43:23]
Stephen Colbert
I would don't see how anyone can look at this story and think they were happy. Binge the full series Blood is Thicker, the Ferris wheel on the Free Odyssey app or wherever you get your podcasts.