Ep. 631: MeatEater Radio Live! Bluefin Tuna, Bear Chaps, and Phil Trivia

Summary

Summary of The MeatEater Podcast - Episode 631: MeatEater Radio Live! Bluefin Tuna, Bear Chaps, and Phil Trivia

In this special Thanksgiving edition of The MeatEater Podcast, host Randall Williams and his co-hosts Seth Morris, Corey Calkins, and Phil delve into a variety of outdoor topics, blending hunting traditions, conservation efforts, culinary discussions, and engaging segments that celebrate the spirit of the season. Released on December 6, 2024, this episode is packed with insightful conversations, humorous anecdotes, and heartfelt tributes to the outdoors community.

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1. Thanksgiving Hunting Traditions

The episode kicks off with Randall Williams welcoming listeners to the Thanksgiving special [02:27]. He initiates a discussion on Thanksgiving hunting traditions with Seth Morris and Corey Calkins.

• Seth Morris shares a memorable experience:
  “Last year, Chester killed a 13-point buck on Thanksgiving morning” [03:47].
  This highlights the camaraderie and enduring traditions among hunting buddies.

• Matt McCormick reflects on his paused hunting tradition due to fatherhood:
  “I have a tradition that's been paused since I've had a kid” [04:44].
  He expresses eagerness to resume mule deer hunting with his six-year-old child in the future.

• Corey Calkins humorously contrasts traditional hunting with his own:
  “We have a Thanksgiving tradition at our house… hunting for bargains, especially during Black Friday” [04:46].
  He promotes the ongoing Meat Eater Black Friday sale, offering up to 50% off gear, perfect for holiday shoppers and outdoor enthusiasts alike.

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2. Special Guest Segment: Brogan the Turkey and Connor Smith

Adding a festive touch, the show introduces Brogan the turkey alongside Connor Smith from the Meat Eater store in Bozeman.

• Connor Smith discusses the store's thriving holiday sales:
  “We're doing really good on sales and getting a lot of holiday shoppers” [06:12].

• The hosts engage in playful interactions with Brogan, attempting to elicit a gobble to enhance the Thanksgiving atmosphere. Phil humorously notes Brogan’s behavior:
  “Phil, I think, is eager to get this bird out of his place of work” [09:07].

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3. Thanksgiving Menu Showdown: Top Three Dishes

Corey introduces a competitive segment where the hosts draft their top three Thanksgiving dishes in a snake draft format, with Phil acting as the judge.

• Seth Morris nominates:

  1. Stuffing
  2. Green Bean Casserole
  3. Baked Corn
     “Stuffing, moist bread and seasoning” [11:20].

• Corey Calkins selects:

  1. Candied Yams
  2. Gravy
  3. Cranberry Sauce
     “Gravy made from turkey drippings” [12:00].

• Matt McCormick initially suggests turkey sandwiches but reconsiders to propose cranberry sauce [13:55].

After thoughtful deliberation, Phil declares Randall Williams' classic trio of turkey, gravy, and mashed potatoes as the winner:
“It's a classic for a reason” [16:21].
This selection underscores the timeless appeal and complementary flavors of traditional Thanksgiving dishes.

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4. Audience Submissions: Creative and Wild Game-Inspired Recipes

Corey presents unique Thanksgiving recipes submitted by listeners, showcasing innovative approaches to holiday cooking within the hunting community.

1. Orange Turkey

   • Description: Turkey breaded with cornstarch and deep-fried in peanut oil, served over Korean sweet potato noodles.
   • Submitted by: Cole Barclay
   • “Served over Korean sweet potato noodles” [17:30].

2. Wild Game Perlo

   • Description: A hearty mix of duck breasts, gizzards, venison sausage, and rice, cooked with spices and mushrooms.
   • “A playful little dish” [18:09].

3. Grouse from Reed and Brie Shallow

   • Description: Grouse prepared following a Meat Eater Wild Game Cookbook recipe, highlighting traditional hunting game.
   • “Hotly recommended” [18:47].

4. Thor's Hammer Black Bear Shank

   • Description: Smoked bear shank served on mashed potatoes with smoked onions and gravy, presented dramatically.
   • Submitted by: Dan Chase
   • “Served like a Halloween prop” [19:57].

These submissions illustrate the community’s blend of tradition and creativity, enhancing the Thanksgiving feast with diverse and robust flavors.

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5. Interview with Steve Klein: Eastern Shore Land Conservancy

Steve Klein, president of the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy (ESLC), joins the show to discuss critical conservation efforts in Maryland’s Eastern Shore.

• Steve Klein explains the role of conservation easements:
  “It's not more complicated really than sitting down with a willing landowner who wants to protect their place” [22:39].
  He highlights ESLC’s success in protecting over 60,000 acres across a six-county region [23:09].

• Conservation Easements:
  These legal agreements restrict land use to preserve its current state while allowing limited future developments. Steve emphasizes their importance in maintaining rural and agricultural landscapes, protecting endangered species like the Delmarva fox squirrel, and ensuring water quality in the Chesapeake Bay [29:13].

• Innovative Monitoring:
  Steve discusses the use of drones in monitoring large properties, revolutionizing how ESLC ensures compliance with easement terms:
  “Drones give us that bird's eye view of the property and help us see impacts that probably would have been missed” [29:13].

• Emotional Stories:
  Steve shares heartfelt stories of families preserving ancestral lands, underscoring the deep personal connections and commitments involved in conservation work [32:01].

This interview underscores ESLC’s pivotal role in regional conservation, blending practical strategies with passionate stewardship of natural resources.

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6. Migration Report by Matt McCormick

Matt McCormick delivers an insightful migration report, analyzing how recent weather patterns across Canada impact waterfowl migration.

• Snow Patterns and Migration:
  Matt explains how a powerful arctic front is driving birds southward, creating optimal hunting conditions:
  “The combination of fresh snow and hard freezes up in the north country is a recipe for strong migration days ahead” [35:25].

• Impact on Hunting:
  He encourages hunters to prepare for the upcoming season, noting the influx of birds into southern Alberta and Saskatchewan:
  “Hundreds of birds pouring out of Alberta into the U.S. with no passport required” [35:35].

• Advice for Hunters:
  Matt advises monitoring weather forecasts and adjusting hunting strategies to capitalize on the accelerated migrations caused by the arctic front [34:26].

This report provides valuable insights for hunters planning their strategies around migratory movements, ensuring informed and successful hunting excursions.

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7. Regrettable Tattoos Segment

In a lighthearted and humorous interlude, the hosts discuss hunting and fishing-related tattoos they regret.

• Phil shares his own tattoo experience:
  “A puss in the pot will always find more beans” [37:48], expressing confusion over its meaning.

• Jason Desjardins, a listener, submits a detailed hunting tattoo featuring a gnome packing out a unicorn. The hosts critique its artistic merit versus personal regret:
  “I should probably regret my gnome packing the unicorn tattoo more” [39:06].

• Discussion Highlights:
  The group humorously examines the biological inaccuracies and creative aspects of the tattoos, blending camaraderie with playful banter [40:12]-[44:43].

• Corey's Encouragement for Listeners:
  “If you have a tattoo that you regret, please email us at radiothemeatEater.com” [38:41].

This segment fosters a sense of community through shared stories and laughter over personal tattoo mishaps.

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8. One Minute Fishing Challenge

Corey introduces the interactive “One Minute Fishing” segment, where listeners have a chance to win by catching a fish within one minute.

• Listener Participates:
  Brady Bush from Michigan attempts to catch a bass while facing challenging cold river conditions:
  “It feels like it's 20 degrees out, so I'll be fishing for some bass, but it might be a tough bite” [45:08].

• Challenge Outcome:
  Despite his efforts, Brady is unable to secure a catch within the allotted time, reflecting the difficulties of winter fishing:
  “Time's up, buddy. Not happening” [47:50].

• Hosts’ Encouragement:
  The hosts offer supportive remarks, acknowledging the challenge and encouraging listeners to stay persistent:
  “Go, blue. Good kid” [48:25].

This segment adds an engaging and interactive element to the show, connecting listeners with on-the-ground experiences.

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9. Meat Eater Movie Club: The Edge (1997)

The highlight of the episode is the Meat Eater Movie Club segment, where the hosts review and analyze the 1997 survival thriller "The Edge."

• Corey Calkins’ Analysis:
  Corey provides an in-depth examination of the film, comparing it to Joseph Conrad’s "Heart of Darkness":
  “Both works examine what happens when civilized men are forced to confront wilderness and their own savage potential” [55:22].

• Character Dynamics:

  • Charles Morse (Anthony Hopkins): Represents intellect and wealth.
    “Charles embodies accumulated learning and wealth”
  • Bob Green (Alec Baldwin): Symbolizes physicality and survival instinct.
    “Bob represents a more instinctual physical presence” [55:22].

• Themes and Metaphors:
  The Kodiak bear is portrayed as both a physical antagonism and a metaphysical symbol of nature's indifference, mirroring the psychological tension between the characters:
  “The bear's unflinching pursuit… becomes a test of both moral and mortal survival” [55:22].

• Production Insights:
  The hosts discuss behind-the-scenes aspects, including casting challenges and similarities to iconic scenes from "Return of the Jedi" in the bear trap sequences:
  “Spike balls had only previously been deployed in Return of the Jedi by the Ewoks against the AT-STs” [69:22].

• Critical Reception:
  While Seth Morris critiques the film’s technical inaccuracies and unrealistic elements, Matt McCormick and Phil praise its captivating performances and stunning cinematography:
  “The cinematography was gorgeous” [63:40].
  “It kept me on my toes” [64:39].

• Final Thoughts:
  The hosts collectively express their appreciation for the film’s unique blend of survival drama and character study, despite its flaws:
  “I give it thumbs up. I recommend it” [76:09].
  “I would recommend it to a fellow outdoorsman” [75:48].

This comprehensive review underscores the film's exploration of human nature and survival, resonating with the podcast’s audience of outdoor enthusiasts.

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Conclusion

As the episode winds down, Corey Calkins extends heartfelt Thanksgiving wishes to listeners, appreciating their support and encouraging them to enjoy the holiday with family and friends [77:27]. The hosts collectively express their gratitude, concluding the episode on a warm and festive note [77:46].

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This Thanksgiving episode of The MeatEater Podcast masterfully intertwines hunting traditions, conservation discussions, culinary creativity, and engaging entertainment segments, embodying the podcast’s commitment to enriching the lives of outdoor enthusiasts through meaningful and enjoyable content.

Transcript

[Randall Williams]

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[Phil]

Smell us now, lady.

[Corey Calkins]

Welcome to Meat Eater Trivia Meat Eater Podcast welcome to our special Thanksgiving episode of Meat Eater Radio live. It's the day before Thanksgiving. Coming to you not quite live from the Meat Eater HQ in Bozeman, Montana. Because we're not coming to work on Thanksgiving Day. We love you all. We love our jobs. We love this wonderful company but no, thank you. I'm your host, Randall Williams, and we're joined today by Seth Morris and Corey Calkins. We've got a great show for you today. We're going to discuss our favorite Turkey Day cuisine with the turkey in the room. We're going to take a look at a few listener dishes. We're going to talk to Steve Klein of the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy. We got a migration report from Matt McCormick. We've got another regrettable tattoo. We've got one minute fishing. And then finally, the highly anticipated Meat Eater Movie Club where we'll be discussing the 1997 survival thriller the Edge. But first I want to take a quick poll. Seth, Corey, you guys have any Thanksgiving traditions that involve hunting?

[Seth Morris]

Yeah, I do. One that started recently, meaning last year, just the buddies get together and do like a whitetail hunt of some sort. Last year was with me, my buddy Sam and Chester, and Chester actually killed a 13 point buck on Thanksgiving morning.

[Matt McCormick]

A 13 pointer.

[Seth Morris]

Yeah.

[Corey Calkins]

So this is a tradition that has happened once.

[Seth Morris]

Well, we're doing it this year again. We're doing a big doe hunt this year.

[Corey Calkins]

I think you're kind of counting your chickens before they hatch.

[Seth Morris]

Well, it's happening.

[Corey Calkins]

Corey, what about you? You're not on the camera, but we'll just pretend we can hear.

[Matt McCormick]

Yeah, I certainly have a tradition that's kind of been paused, I guess since I've had a kid, which is who's six year old. Six years old. So I can't wait to bring this tradition back to life. But growing up in western Montana, we would always go out to eastern Montana every Thanksgiving weekend and go mule deer hunting. So I can't wait to pick that back up here in a couple years with my kid.

[Seth Morris]

Yeah, that'll be fun.

[Corey Calkins]

We have a Thanksgiving tradition at our house, but it's hunting for bargains, especially when there's a great Black Friday sale. Just a reminder for all you listeners, we've got the Meat Eater Black Friday sale going on now. Our biggest savings of the year, up to 50% off your favorite gear across our meat eater brands. And that sale is ongoing now through Monday, December 2nd. So if you're looking for a Christmas gift for special someone or you're just like me and you want to buy stuff that you've always wanted to buy all year long, but you couldn't justify it because maybe it was just a little too expensive, you can get it now on a discount and your conscience will be clear. Now joining us in the studio is a very special Guest. We have Brogan the turkey, accompanied by our colleague, Connor Smith, who's an associate at the Meat Eater store in downtown Bozeman. Connor also holds the Montana state record for the 40th largest bull elk ever taken and was on episode 535 of the Meat Eater podcast. That episode title is the Fight to Save Hunting. He is also the son of our beloved friend and colleague in the human resources department, Alyssa Smith, who's been on Meat Eater and Trivia. Brogan, Connor, welcome to the show. Thank you. Tell us, how's it been going at the. The Bozeman store these days? It's been going good. We're doing really good on sales and getting a lot of holiday shoppers. Oh, yeah, excellent, excellent.

[Seth Morris]

Are you guys open over this, this Thanksgiving weekend?

[Corey Calkins]

Yeah, we are.

[Seth Morris]

Oh, you are? Oh, nice.

[Corey Calkins]

Tough game.

[Seth Morris]

Go do some in store shopping.

[Corey Calkins]

Yeah. Now introduce us to Brogan here. When did. I mean, what is this thing? Thing? When did you get him? What's he like? How many pounds would you say? Well, we got him about a year ago and he kind of gobbles a lot. Pretty noisy on occasions, especially in the spring. Did you get him as an egg or as a. As a bird? We got him as like a. I was like a two day old chick or whatever. Oh, wow.

[Seth Morris]

Freshly out of the egg.

[Corey Calkins]

Yeah. And then they shipped it to like the UPS place and then you had to go pick him up there. Gotcha. He's.

[Seth Morris]

So you got him through the mail?

[Corey Calkins]

Yeah.

[Seth Morris]

Nice. I've done that before with chickens.

[Corey Calkins]

When he came in, his. His snood was erect.

[Seth Morris]

Yeah. He seems chill now.

[Corey Calkins]

And he's now just dangling. So he's, he's comfortable with us at this point? Yeah, I would say so. Cory, you want to try to get this guy to gobble here for us? This is just to add some sort of seasonal festivity to the.

[Matt McCormick]

I could try a little something. Might be a little out of season, but.

[Corey Calkins]

Oh, he's puffing. Keep going, keep going.

[Matt McCormick]

Seth, you got a better one?

[Randall Williams]

Oh, yeah.

[Corey Calkins]

Oh, that's fantastic.

[Seth Morris]

Oh, he's going to distrust.

[Corey Calkins]

Oh, man, that's a big bird. Our audience. Our audience didn't get the privilege of watching this thing jump up on the table and take a dominant posture over me earlier. So if you're picking up on some weird body language right now for me and Brogan here, it's because we almost came to blows just a few moments ago. Now, does he have any sort of misgivings about the upcoming holiday? Does he know that traditionally Thursday of this week, all of his fellow countrymen will be served on tables around the country. Not really. He doesn't. If you eat turkey around him, he's. He doesn't pick up on that. No, he doesn't realize it. Huh. Must be easy life for him.

[Seth Morris]

Does he have any brothers, sisters, friends?

[Corey Calkins]

He's got two different hens. Oh, nice family. Yeah. Nicely done. Why don't you hit him with another gobble here? Come on, go for it. Look at his. He's getting mad.

[Seth Morris]

Oh, that's fantastic.

[Corey Calkins]

That's wonderful. Well, Connor, thank you for bringing this turkey into the podcast studio here. Phil, I think, is eager to get this bird out of his place of work.

[Phil]

Well, Corinne was out of the room when I said this, but if anything, if he did decide he decided he needed to relieve himself, I would not be cleaning it up. Corrine would, so. And you know what? I think she'd be fine with that and probably happy.

[Seth Morris]

I think it would be worth it.

[Corey Calkins]

Yeah, there's. There's a nice roll of. Of cellophane down on that seat, just in case there are any sort of ventings in the back end of that thing. All right, well, thank you again for bringing in Brogan, and have a happy Thanksgiving. Yeah, you too. Thanks for having me.

[Seth Morris]

Thanks.

[Phil]

Later, Brogan.

[Seth Morris]

Good luck.

[Corey Calkins]

The Black Friday rush.

[Matt McCormick]

Happy Turkey day.

[Corey Calkins]

Thank you, guys. Alrighty, gang. Now we're going to talk about different ways that we like to cook. Brogan's cousins. This is our next segment. Oh, Jesus. Get that bird out of here.

[Seth Morris]

See you guys.

[Corey Calkins]

I just need to calm down a bit here.

[Seth Morris]

Randall's shaking.

[Matt McCormick]

Yeah, your snood looked a little erect.

[Corey Calkins]

Yeah. We're gonna do a. We're gonna talk about some Thanksgiving foods that we like to cook and we like to, more importantly, eat. And we're gonna do sort of a hybrid segment here of meat eater menu, and top three we're gonna select. It's gonna be a competitive top three. So Seth, Corey, and myself will each draft our top three Thanksgiving foods. Once a dish is picked, it's off the table, and we're gonna do it snake draft style. So we'll begin with Seth. Come to me. Go back to Seth. Come back to me. And at the end, Phil will pick a winner which one of us has selected sort of the best medley of foods. And I think, as you judge this contest, you should take into account how they work together. If you're gonna assemble a plate of.

[Phil]

Leftovers, you don't have to tell me, Randall.

[Corey Calkins]

All right, so are we clear on the assignment, boys?

[Seth Morris]

Yeah, I'm just gonna try to think of stuff that Phil will like.

[Corey Calkins]

No, don't do that. That spoils it.

[Seth Morris]

All right, I won't.

[Corey Calkins]

But Phil's a solid American. I'm sure that his taste buds are very traditional. I don't think we need.

[Phil]

This is an interesting strategy because Seth has no idea what my preferences are. So I'm excited to see how this turns out, to be honest.

[Seth Morris]

You know, stick with it. I'll just go with what I like.

[Corey Calkins]

All right, Seth, well, you're going first. So what's your number one pick here?

[Seth Morris]

My number one favorite thing on Thanksgiving is stuffing.

[Corey Calkins]

Stuffing.

[Seth Morris]

Yeah.

[Corey Calkins]

Excellent choice. Excellent choice. Any particular type of stuffing? Do you do, like, a little sausage in there? Do you like some oyster stuff?

[Seth Morris]

No, no meat. Just.

[Corey Calkins]

Just bread and seasoning.

[Seth Morris]

Moist bread and seasoning. Yeah.

[Corey Calkins]

That's a competitive choice.

[Seth Morris]

Stuff it in a bird.

[Corey Calkins]

Corey, you got number two here.

[Matt McCormick]

Candied yam.

[Corey Calkins]

Yam. Oh, my goodness. All right.

[Matt McCormick]

Going straight for the throat on that one.

[Corey Calkins]

Well, I've got two picks in a row here because we're doing this. A snake draft. So I'm going to go with gravy. Oh, just heavy brown gravy.

[Matt McCormick]

Oh, brown gravy.

[Corey Calkins]

And I'm going to.

[Seth Morris]

Man, can we get. Can we throw in desserts?

[Corey Calkins]

I'm gonna go Turkey. Yeah, absolutely, 100%. I'm gonna go gravy and turkey. I feel a little white bread now. I feel like I only have one pick left, so I'm gonna have a really boring collection. But I didn't think turkey could slip to below the fourth pick. And gravy is an obvious number three choice. So back to you, Corey.

[Matt McCormick]

Now. Excuse me. Gravy out of the packet, or are you making.

[Corey Calkins]

No, making gravy out of turkey driven. Yeah, that's.

[Matt McCormick]

That's what I had down.

[Phil]

So pumpkin pie, pumpkin pie, candied yams and pumpkin pie. Interesting strategy.

[Corey Calkins]

Yeah, he's going with a lot of, I guess a yam gourd. Gourd. Maybe dishes. Things that grow out of the ground.

[Phil]

Gourd dishes.

[Corey Calkins]

Or in a can. Or in a can. Seth.

[Seth Morris]

Green bean.

[Corey Calkins]

You got two in a row.

[Seth Morris]

Green bean casserole.

[Corey Calkins]

Oh, that's good.

[Matt McCormick]

Out of a can.

[Phil]

Last pick.

[Seth Morris]

For one thing that my mom makes, which I don't probably not. A lot of people do this on Thanksgiving is baked corn.

[Corey Calkins]

Baked corn.

[Seth Morris]

Yep.

[Corey Calkins]

Just like the Pilgrims did.

[Seth Morris]

Fantastic dish.

[Corey Calkins]

I wrote down baked Pilgrims. Baked corn. I should focus on one job at a time.

[Seth Morris]

I quit The Baked Pilgrims a long time ago.

[Corey Calkins]

Corey, it's your final decision here. Last pick.

[Matt McCormick]

Sometimes people just skip straight for the leftover hot turkey sandwiches. Day of like, you know, you have your dinner at noon. You can still do hot turkey sandwiches by 4 or 5pm so that's my third pick. A turkey sandwich.

[Phil]

I don't know if we can accept that.

[Corey Calkins]

Yeah, I don't think it's.

[Phil]

I mean, Randall already claimed turkey and gravy. The turkey sandwich is an amalgamation of several different dishes.

[Corey Calkins]

Otherwise, my first pick would have been Thanksgiving leftover hash the day after with poached eggs on top.

[Steve Klein]

Oh, well.

[Corey Calkins]

But I'm not doing that because that's a medley of Thanksgiving dishes. So. Pick another, please.

[Matt McCormick]

Cranberry sauce.

[Corey Calkins]

Oh, that's. That's what I thought that was going to slip through the cracks out of the can sauce. All right.

[Seth Morris]

Oh, yeah. The best kind is when you. You just pop the can open. You gotta take. You gotta punch a hole in the bottom so it comes out, and it's. It's the shape of the can.

[Corey Calkins]

Yeah.

[Seth Morris]

Oh, love that stuff.

[Corey Calkins]

God.

[Phil]

This could make or break you, Randall. No pressure or anything.

[Corey Calkins]

I really screwed up this draft.

[Phil]

I mean, you guys are missing a pretty big one here.

[Corey Calkins]

I would say mashed taters.

[Seth Morris]

That's.

[Corey Calkins]

Yeah, but see, now I have turkey gravy and mashed taters, which I feel like is not a bad. It's just not very interesting.

[Seth Morris]

No, those are like the boring. At all the boring things.

[Corey Calkins]

Yeah, I feel like. I feel like if your school cafeteria was gonna do Thanksgiving dinner, they'd serve what I just picked. So I've got turkey, gravy and mashed taters. Corey has cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie, and candied yams.

[Matt McCormick]

I must have a sweet tooth.

[Corey Calkins]

Seth has stuffing, green bean casserole, and baked corn. Phil, do you need a minute to slip your winner?

[Phil]

No, no, I had this. This was settled a couple minutes ago. To be honest, I'm gonna. Cory, I'm gon With you. You've got the broadest selection. I mean, to. I mean, that's not the right term at all. Yours is the most unique lineup, I would say. Unfortunately, it's going to end you up in last place there. If I'm sitting down for a meal, taking all these things together into account, I think I'm just walking away with diabetes.

[Corey Calkins]

I mean, you got.

[Phil]

You know, I probably am already, but that's okay.

[Corey Calkins]

You got cranberry sauce, which doesn't go with your other two picks. It sure could, Phil.

[Phil]

Cranberry sauce on my pumpkin pie. I haven't tried it.

[Corey Calkins]

So what you're saying is it's down to me and Seth.

[Phil]

It's down to you.

[Corey Calkins]

Turkey, gravy, taters or stuffing, Green bean casserole and baked corn.

[Phil]

And we've got Randall with the classic lineup. But here's the thing. Seth has my number one pick, which would be green bean casserole.

[Seth Morris]

I knew that would hit Phil hard.

[Phil]

The rub here is I think most stuffing is whack. Oh, and Randall, you've got a boring white bread lineup, as you put it. But it's a classic for a reason. Dr. Randall Williams is the winner of a draft.

[Corey Calkins]

Happy Thanksgiving to me.

[Seth Morris]

Phil.

[Corey Calkins]

We actually, this reminds me, when I used to deer hunt in Kentucky would go down. My buddy and I would go down every weekend leading up to Thanksgiving to hunt the same farm. And every weekend we'd go buy a rotisserie chicken, would buy a box of instant mashed potatoes, would buy a box of stovetop stuffing, and we'd buy a thing of the jelly cranberries. Oh, yeah, and we'd just do Thanksgiving and then Thanksgiving leftovers every weekend leading up to Thanksgiving with the only substitution of the rotisserie chicken. Highly recommend.

[Seth Morris]

Yeah, that sounds fantastic.

[Corey Calkins]

After you get off the tree stand, you know, cold morning sitting, you have a nice hearty Thanksgiving meal, and you can fall asleep for an hour or two.

[Matt McCormick]

Yeah, you gotta. You gotta watch that tryptophan. Is that what it is in turkey? Yeah, that's sleepy.

[Corey Calkins]

That's what they say on the Internet. All right, well, now that that's settled, we're going to hit some audience submissions, that of meat eater menu items that we think are appropriately festive. So, Phil, why don't you bring up our first selection here. This is actually not festive at all, but it is turkey.

[Seth Morris]

Very non traditional.

[Corey Calkins]

This is orange turkey, like orange chicken breaded with cornstarch, deep fried in peanut oil. This is from Cole Barclay. He used fresh navel oranges, marmalade, tamari and honey for the sauce. It's served over Korean sweet potato noodles. And actually the Korean sweet potato noodles just did it for me.

[Phil]

I think that looks terrific.

[Corey Calkins]

I mean, it looks terrific. You can't argue with orange chicken, but love it. That kicked it up a notch. Next, we have another turkey recipe. This is wild game perlo. Is that the correct pronunciation?

[Steve Klein]

I believe so.

[Corey Calkins]

This is two cups of Andy's White House Farms Charleston Gold rice. Ooh, that's a mouthful. Some homemade wild game stock from the freezer. Added four or five duck breast fillets, probably a dozen or so duck gizzards and hearts, a couple turkey gizzards and hearts, some spicy venison sausage, frozen and ground to combine it all browned all that meat in the Dutch oven, set it aside and then added pepper, onion, cayenne pepper and mushrooms. This is lovely, a tasty, playful little dish. Corinne suggested that you could stuff a turkey with this, which I imagine you could do.

[Matt McCormick]

That sure could make a great side dish. Dirty rice.

[Phil]

It looks like many things you could stuff a turkey with.

[Corey Calkins]

And if you don't like turkey, try grouse. Phil, hit us with that next one. Hello. This is a grouse that. Who's this? Reed and Brie Shallow. Grouse from Reed and Brie Shallow. Shot it in Colorado. Followed a recipe in the Meat Eater Wild Game Cookbook that turned out amazing. I would also suggest if you're still planning your Thanksgiving dinner, take a look at the Wild Game Cookbook because there's a lot of tasty recipes in there. And we also have the pleasure there of seeing Boots the cat hovering at about 11 o'clock in the morning.

[Seth Morris]

I didn't see the cat in the background.

[Corey Calkins]

Apparently Boots also got a bite. So shout out, Boots. And finally we have just a very dramatic presentation. This is a black bear with a bow from Asheville, North Carolina. This is from Dan Chase. He found a recipe for something called Thor's Hammer, which is a bear shank smoked like barbecue, served on mashed potatoes with smoked onions and gravy from the drippings.

[Matt McCormick]

That looks amazing.

[Seth Morris]

This looks like it should be like a Halloween meal.

[Corey Calkins]

I was just saying it's got like.

[Seth Morris]

Bones on the table.

[Phil]

Skull the knife plunged into the top there.

[Corey Calkins]

It does look like you'd serve this at a Halloween party or prop at a haunted house.

[Seth Morris]

Yeah. Looks good, though.

[Matt McCormick]

Yeah, that gravy looks like glue. It's going to stick to your ribs.

[Corey Calkins]

That's what you're looking for. Well, I think that does it for our meat eater menu. Next we're going to talk to Steve Klein. Joining us on the line from Centerville, Maryland, this is Steve Klein, president of the Eastern Shore Land Conservancy. Steve, how are you doing? Steve Randall. Oh, I'm wonderful.

[Steve Klein]

I'm getting hungry.

[Corey Calkins]

You should be hungry for some birthday cake, as I understand it.

[Steve Klein]

Yeah, it is my birthday, guys. That's right.

[Corey Calkins]

So Steve, Steve's coming to us from Centerville, Maryland. He also said that we could introduce him as coming from second place in the AFC north after an exciting Monday Night Football game. I was watching that last night, biting my fingernails, wondering what Steve Klein would get today. Would we get a Ravens win or a Lamar choke job? Steve. So I'm glad that they pulled out the dub.

[Steve Klein]

We're not doing that anymore.

[Corey Calkins]

Steve, could you tell us for our listeners who aren't familiar, what is the Eastern Shore and what are some of the challenges facing fish and wildlife in your area?

[Steve Klein]

So the Eastern Shore is of Maryland, is the part of Maryland you probably didn't know existed. It's the rural part. The central part of Maryland is kind of Baltimore, Washington. It's the 95 corridor. Eastern Shore just means the Eastern Shore of the Chesapeake Bay, essentially. And it's a pretty magical place. It is very close to a lot of urban centers, but it is still very rural, still very agricultural in nature, a lot of open space and a place worth protecting. And that's what we're doing at eslc.

[Corey Calkins]

So can you tell us a little bit about your organization and how you preserve some of that habitat and those working lands that you're talking about? And can you clarify for our audience there's a term that gets thrown around quite often, a conservation easement. What exactly is that and how does the ESLC use that to achieve your desired outcomes there?

[Steve Klein]

Sure. I think our organization is the largest private regional land trust in Maryland. We serve a six county region. For anybody familiar with the area, it's Cecil county up in the north down to Dorchester county, which is where Steve and Cal did a little sick of deer hunting a few years ago for the show. And we have protected north of 60,000 acres.

[Randall Williams]

There's nothing more important than spending time out in nature, which involves making lifelong memories and, you know, in the right circumstances, feeding our families well. Pendleton Whiskey knows that too, which is why they are the official whiskey of the Rocky Mountain Elk foundation, where I am a lifetime member. Pendleton is bottled to honor true Western traditions, and there's nothing more Western than supporting organizations like RMEF and their work in conservation. And there's nothing like a glass of Pendleton Whiskey. If you enjoy whiskey when you're winding down around the fire back at home cleaning your game, Pendleton has a smooth taste, made to be enjoyed on the rocks or with your favorite mixer. It's the whiskey you want for toasting a good hunt with great friends, camaraderie, self sufficiency, respect for the land and the animals that we depend on for our lifestyle. That's what you're toasting to every time you raise a glass of Pendleton whiskey. The official whiskey of the after the hunt moment. It's not just poured, it's earned. Pendleton Distillers Lawrenceburg, Indiana. Please drink responsibly. Pendleton is a registered trademark of Pendleton Woolen Mills. Hey, you know how certain companies, you know, like if you work at certain companies, if you work for the federal government, there's like websites they block around here. Our office would be a lot more productive if there was an ONX blocker because all anybody does right now is look at onX. Cruising web map using Train X Scouting for the Fall I'm always using, I use it. You're gonna think I'm exaggerating. I use onx. Literally, I use ONX every day. The other day I was on it explaining someone some contours of a stream bank and explaining a fishing spot. Now if you got tags you're excited about this fall, you better get on it and pull up the maps on ONX and start dropping waypoints and planning your hunt. Also new for this year, you can even share your waypoints with buddies in the field with no service, which is a great upgrade, meaning you guys can be out in a spot that has no phone service. You can make a waypoint and you don't need to wait till you're back in service to share it. You can just drop waypoints to your buddies in the field, which really keeps you organ. If you're not already using onx, you're missing out. Like I say, I, I use the app every day. If you go to onxmaps.com hunt and use code me eater, you'll receive 20 off your membership. It's indispensable on X. So go check it out. 20 off right now. Hey everybody, I'm talking here about Montana Knife Company. From our very own state of Montana, this company was founded by one of the most experienced master blade smiths in the world, Josh Smith, who over recent months I've become friends with and my God, have I learned a lot about knives from this guy. Just a phenomenal hometown company that makes world renowned knives. Josh has been making knives for 30 years. You get one of these knives up and open it, it is sharp like something that came from outer space. And here's the deal. They make knives that can be sharpened. You can work on these knives. If you don't want to work on them, you send it to them and they'll work on it. They'll get it sharp. Phenomenal hunting knives. If you want to see them in action, we just did. Me and John Hayes, the taxidermist, just did a video about how to properly skin a black bear. Watch that video. And in that video, you'll see Montana knife Company knives in action. MKC products usually sell out in minutes of being released, which is true. But now for the first time, they're dabbling with having knives in stock on their site. So right now, you can grab yourself a Blackfoot 2.0 or the ultralight speed Goat. Use Code Meat Eater and you get 10% off your first order. Montana Knife Company working knives for working people. 10% off with the Code Meat Eater. That's a good deal.

[Steve Klein]

In that six county region. And the way we do that is through those conservation easements that you mentioned, Randall. And you know what that basically is. It's not more complicated really than sitting down with a willing landowner who wants to protect their place. And really, what does that mean is keep it the way it looks more or less today, forever. And we will negotiate over the terms of that conservation easement. Generally speaking, there is room to, you know, leave space for a future generation's house. Maybe grandkids, you'd love to imagine they want to grow up on the farm and you can build a house for them. But the bulk of that property is going to be held in perpetuity by a conservation easement held with ESLC or Eastern Shore Land Conservancy. And we are fully accredited by the Land Trust Alliance. What that means is that our staff is on the ground every year on every single easement to make sure that the terms of that easement, the legal binding language of that easement is being met. So if you're not supposed to be building in a certain area and we come in and we find out you have been building there, we've got to get the easement back into compliance. That usually is not a problem. Our landowners are kind of conservation first. They care a lot about their places and they did this, you know, voluntarily. But then we do have to work with the landowners when the easements do come out of compliance. And usually that's kind of a partnership arrangement. Right. We don't want to have to, you know, wave our finger at anybody or wag our finger at anybody. We prefer to work with folks to get them back into compliance. But we have 330 easements across those six counties I mentioned. We just closed on our 330th last week. So we've got somebody, as I said, on those, every one of those every year. And what's been a game changer for us is drones.

[Corey Calkins]

Oh, wow.

[Steve Klein]

So, you know, we can use drones to monitor properties 20 years ago, not even that long ago, 10 years ago, it would have required, you know, our staff being out, quite literally, boots on the ground across the whole property. And we've got some easements that are 5, 6, 700, 1,000 or more acres. So that would take, you know, as you can imagine, a long time to cover. What the drone does is your folks can appreciate this, gives us kind of that bird's eye view of the property and helps us see impacts, frankly, that probably would have gotten missed just with, you know, by boots on the ground.

[Corey Calkins]

Hmm. And so you're. So essentially, what. What the easement is doing then is, you know, ensuring that a reservoir of wildlife habitat stays in those places, especially as I imagine, in close proximity to an urban area, there's. There's fewer and fewer areas like that where you have an open working landscape.

[Steve Klein]

Yeah. I would say in other parts of Maryland, the kind that come to mind when you think of Maryland. I'll use Howard county as an example, kind of an exurban county along the 95 corridor. That within the memories of people that are about our age, they can remember being pretty rural. And what we found is that if it's not protected, then it's going to be developed. That kind of becomes the bargain. Maybe not today. Right. But 50 or 100 years from now, you can imagine this land is going to be accounted for some way. But think of conservation easements, kind of like a deed restriction or a legal document as part of your real estate holdings. Right. It travels with the deed across future owners of the property. And we have a number of things that we can write easements for. So we have written easements for agricultural productivity. We want to keep farmland farming. We have written it for our local endangered species. The Delmarva fox squirrel, which has been successfully protected, is no longer endangered. We've got easements for scenic value. It's really up to what that landowner wants to protect. Right. That's what we want to protect as well. And also, when you're working in the Chesapeake Bay, water quality is going to be a huge piece. So those buffer areas between agriculture and the water and between development of the water, we want to protect those as well. Water quality is the name of the game in the Chesapeake Bay, as you guys know.

[Corey Calkins]

Yeah. Now, Steve, you mentioned you just closed your 330th easement. Can you tell us a little bit about that one and sort of the backstory there so folks can get an idea of what this actually looks like?

[Steve Klein]

Yeah, I mean, this is A property that's been in the same family for, you know, more or less, I think, 100 years. And they really want to protect their grandfather's vision for this place. And, you know, that's what makes this work really so spectacular. I worked on Capitol Hill in my previous life. That's the Capitol behind me over my fireplace. And that was one kind of work. And then you come over here and you're meeting with landowners who get sometimes very emotional about their farms and their forests and their fields and the idea that they're protecting a place where, you know, their grandfather bought or their great grandfather bought and they've inherited over the years, and they're now protecting it for their kids and their grandkids. And, you know, frankly, people, family, they're not ever going to meet. And it'll be something that they would be able to recognize forever. It's pretty special. We have got an ease property here at Eastern Shore Land Conservancy that has been in the same family for, I think, 13 or 14 generations. The property has never been on real estate market. It was a grant from the King of England, and it remains in that same family's hands. I mean, really, that is kind of. Obviously, fish, wildlife are the reason why I do this work, hunting and fishing. But it's the human element of what does it mean to protect these places? Because there's tremendous pressure on this landscape, you know, and there's a lot of money to be made on this landscape. It all generally, it implies some kind of development, some kind of conversion of use. And to have people say, you know, I don't want to take that course, I don't want to take that road is really, really special. It's a treat to work with these folks.

[Corey Calkins]

Well, that is meaningful work, Steve, and I'm glad that we could share a little bit about what you're doing with our audience here. It is delightful to see you, sir. I wish you all the best and have a very happy Thanksgiving.

[Steve Klein]

You guys, too. Thanks for having me on.

[Corey Calkins]

Okay, we'll see you, Steve.

[Seth Morris]

Thanks, Steve. We'll see you. Happy birthday.

[Corey Calkins]

All righty now we've got a migration report from Matt McCormick.

[Brady Bush]

Hey, guys, I'm Matt McCormick with Flying V. And welcome to the Meat Eater migration report for November 26, 2024. As we near the heart of migration season, the snow line across Canada continues creeping southward. Heavy snow cover blankets much of the north with moderate accumulation moving through the central provinces. The southernmost edge of that snow line right here is passing through the prairies and along The US border. Although that southern line is kind of patchy right now, like here in Montana, the forecast suggests that that won't stay that way for long. A powerful arctic front is expected to sweep through all the north country in the coming days, bringing widespread snow and freezing temperatures that will accelerate the migration southward. This incoming weather system is likely to reinforce all that ice buildup along the northern lakes and rivers, closing the remaining sources of water for all the birds in those central provinces. Areas are currently holding snow free ground and open water, particularly in southern Alberta and Saskatchewan. They will see rapid changes as temperatures plummet and snow begins to blanket the region. This shift will further compress all those staging grounds and push that all the birds further down south into all those southern portions of the flyway. Listen, guys. For every waterfowl hunter across the country, the timing could not be better. The combination of fresh snow and hard freezes up in the north country is a recipe for strong migration days ahead, with birds likely with how heavy that frost and freeze is to push faster and further in search of open water and food sources. We saw today hundreds of birds pouring out of Alberta into the U.S. with no passport required. Man, these guys are coming. Keep an eye on the weather and be ready. That next wave of birds is headed here soon. These are the weather fronts we all dream about in the off season. So it's time to pack your gear, call in sick to work, and hit the field. That's it for this week's migration report. Good luck out there. Be safe and happy Thanksgiving. Back to you guys.

[Seth Morris]

Man, Matt should have been a weather man.

[Corey Calkins]

Oh, I know.

[Seth Morris]

Fantastic.

[Corey Calkins]

I know we've got to invest. Phil, I know you're top of the line here for. For tech upgrades, but I think we could do wonders with a little.

[Phil]

Some. Some green screen.

[Corey Calkins]

Green screen.

[Phil]

Some key action.

[Corey Calkins]

Yeah, yeah.

[Matt McCormick]

He kind of reminded me of John Madden a little bit. He could have been up there a.

[Randall Williams]

Little more drawn and.

[Steve Klein]

Right.

[Seth Morris]

We need some like Doppler radar and stuff.

[Corey Calkins]

Totally.

[Seth Morris]

Oh, yeah, it'd be great.

[Corey Calkins]

Totally. Well, our next segment is tattoos I regret. Oh, yeah.

[Phil]

Hello, darkness, my old friend. I've looked at my tattoo again. It really seemed like such a good idea when I was drunk last summer in Ibiza. The tattoo says, a puss in the pot will always find more beans. What the does that mean?

[Corey Calkins]

It's a tattoo.

[Phil]

I regret.

[Corey Calkins]

Oh, Phil, it's.

[Phil]

It's two weeks in a row on that one.

[Corey Calkins]

It's so good.

[Phil]

And I think we need to take a tattoo break so people don't get sick of it because when people get sick of these, I'm gonna have to do more, which, you know.

[Corey Calkins]

Well, that's.

[Phil]

I guess that's not a bad.

[Corey Calkins]

No, no. Actually, I first heard that particular jingle. What would you call it? Your.

[Phil]

Your drop.

[Corey Calkins]

Your drop, Sure. I was driving down the Paradise Valley. It was dark, the road was empty, and I was just watching the lights, you know, go by and man, it really hit. It really hit.

[Phil]

I'm glad.

[Corey Calkins]

Well, today's regrettable tattoo comes from Jason Desjardins.

[Phil]

Is that Desjardins?

[Corey Calkins]

Desjardins. If you have a hunting or fishing related tattoo that you regret, please email us at radio themeat eater.com I'll repeat that again because I screwed it up. Radio themeateeater.com what would radiator@the meat eater.com.

[Phil]

Be like selling car parts? Car parts.

[Corey Calkins]

We need to expand. Yeah. Get into a new.

[Seth Morris]

Send us your hunting rig.

[Corey Calkins]

Get into a new sphere. So this Jason writes in. I thought I would share the hunting tattoo I most regret. Which is an interesting way to put it because he has. It seems that he has several hunting tattoos that he regrets, but this is the one he most regrets. Because she had done a great job on all of my others, I let her do my turkey. While the job she did was fine, the placement and lack of scene was not. I trusted her judgment and regret it. I should probably regret my gnome packing the unicorn tattoo more because it came from your T shirt. I even had the gnome hunting the unicorn in another tattoo before I got the pack out one. So that. That actually is an impressively detailed gnome packing out a unicorn tattoo.

[Matt McCormick]

Yeah, that looks sick.

[Corey Calkins]

Got the first light. I wish I knew the significance of the numbers.

[Phil]

He was referencing it correct.

[Corey Calkins]

6143 on the little thing hang off his bow there. I don't quite understand what that is.

[Phil]

We can go back to the turkey.

[Corey Calkins]

Maybe that's a. But here's the turkey he regrets.

[Seth Morris]

Here's the thing about this turkey. Its tail fan appears to be a jake tail fan. And it's got a full beard.

[Matt McCormick]

It's got a big beard. Oh, and who's the guy in the bushes back behind about to shoot one right up the heart?

[Seth Morris]

No, he's going to shoot one right behind him.

[Corey Calkins]

Well, the geometry of it. Yeah, I was going to say the geometry of it makes me think that hunter is shooting something on his bicep rather than the turkey on. Or is that a leg? Oh, God, that's a leg. No, I've totally Screwed this up.

[Matt McCormick]

I think he's in some boots.

[Phil]

No, I think it's.

[Corey Calkins]

Oh, it's an elbow.

[Phil]

I think it's an elbow.

[Corey Calkins]

I wish I could see whatever it is at the end there. I'd be better able to tell whether it's an arm or a leg.

[Matt McCormick]

You gotta wonder if he straightens his arm out, if it'll. If the point of aim changes.

[Corey Calkins]

Oh, yeah.

[Phil]

I know this show isn't live, but for those watching it live, sound out. You think it's an arm or a leg, let us know.

[Corey Calkins]

Cause it does sort of look like an ankle at the bottom. But now I see that's he's probably wearing khakis. Yeah, it's a wrist.

[Seth Morris]

Yeah.

[Corey Calkins]

I thought this was an ankle bone.

[Phil]

Anyway.

[Corey Calkins]

Anyway. Yeah, I mean, Seth, you've pointed out some sort of incongruity here with the turkey, biologically speaking.

[Phil]

See, that's an inaccuracy I would not have picked up on just looking at the art. I think that's a fine tattoo.

[Corey Calkins]

I know.

[Matt McCormick]

The detail is impeccable.

[Phil]

Yes, I know.

[Corey Calkins]

I wish.

[Seth Morris]

Yeah, it is good artwork.

[Corey Calkins]

I wish I could see around the corner just to get a sense of the full scene. But, yeah, I don't know. I don't know that he should regret this one.

[Matt McCormick]

Yeah. Take it to the grave.

[Corey Calkins]

The hunter though it is, the aim point is strange. It almost made me wonder whether that hunter was part of a different scene.

[Seth Morris]

Yeah, maybe there was a scene under that turkey that he. Yeah, he really regretted that one. So he slapped the turkey on top.

[Matt McCormick]

There's more ink down there.

[Corey Calkins]

I mean, I will say, of all the tattoos we've seen thus far, that's probably the least regrettable. Other than honkin for a bonkin, which I maintain is not regrettable in the least.

[Phil]

No.

[Corey Calkins]

But, Jason, thanks for sharing your ink. And please, if you have a tattoo that you regret Again, that's radio themeat.com.

[Phil]

Did we want to. There's a third one here that I own.

[Corey Calkins]

Silly me.

[Phil]

Yeah, give me a sec.

[Matt McCormick]

Now, what part of the body is that again?

[Corey Calkins]

That's the gnome.

[Phil]

You guys can talk about the gnome while this thing processes. I didn't have the third one ready. I didn't see it. Yeah, it's coming up.

[Corey Calkins]

The gnome. I'm not sure that. If you showed me that. I don't know how that varies from the T shirt. I feel like it's a fairly realistic reproduction of that. Of that original artwork.

[Phil]

Another great looking tattoo, in my opinion. But here's the. Here's this. The third one?

[Corey Calkins]

Yeah.

[Matt McCormick]

This one's incredible.

[Corey Calkins]

Oh, yeah. So it's a. It's a buck.

[Seth Morris]

I have no clue.

[Corey Calkins]

It's. It's a buck skull. And on the right antler, from the viewers, right there is a gnome perched up between the G1 and G2. And then on the crown of the skull, there's a unicorn. And it seems that the gnome is about to ambush this unicorn with an arrow. And on the left antler, from the Viewer's perspective, the G1 and G2 look like sort of trees. They've grown into trees. And so it's a. It's a fantastical setting.

[Phil]

There's also some names on the left.

[Matt McCormick]

Hand signatures in there. Benjamin, the Long Hunters.

[Corey Calkins]

It's missing a. It's missing a bullet hole.

[Seth Morris]

No, that's. That's Kelsey's. The originals right there.

[Matt McCormick]

That's not too far off, though.

[Corey Calkins]

Well, I like this. There's a lot going on. There's a lot to look at. Phil, what are you getting out of this? You're an art man.

[Phil]

No, actually, I was thinking I have a shirt that looks like a tree growing out of the ground, but it looks like a hand. There's a bunch of fungi and trees growing out of the hand. It kind of reminds me of that. Who's this guy's name again?

[Corey Calkins]

Jason.

[Phil]

Jason Dejaudin Deshaun. Your tattoos are great, man. I don't. I don't think these are regrettable at all. Yeah, yeah, fine.

[Corey Calkins]

A. Okay by me. I like these. They're not. They don't take themselves too seriously. That's. That's one thing that I. I really feel strongly about in the tattoo world.

[Phil]

Just like honking for a bond.

[Seth Morris]

When I look at the.

[Phil]

I just.

[Seth Morris]

I just see Matt McCormick given a migration update on this one. See the birds up top?

[Phil]

Oh, yeah, we got a flying bee up there.

[Corey Calkins]

He'd be all over that now.

[Matt McCormick]

They headed north or south?

[Corey Calkins]

Well, the sun is up to you. Setting in the. All right.

[Phil]

Oh, hey. So. So Brady, our One Minute fisherman. Oh, oh, he's. He's here. He's in the call. All right, so we can bring him in.

[Corey Calkins]

Our next segment is One Minute Fishing.

[Phil]

Oh, do I feel lucky?

[Corey Calkins]

Well, do you, punk? Go ahead, make my cast. Now. One Minute fishing is where we go live to someone who's fishing and they have one minute to catch a fish. And if they're successful, we'll make a $500 donation to a conservation group this week. Our angler is Brady Bush, coming to us from Michigan. Brady was on trivia episode 600 when we recorded from the University of Michigan while we were on the tailgate tour. And Brady will be fishing for a donation to the University of Michigan's fishing team. Brady, you look chilly. Tell us a little bit about where you're standing and what you're fishing for today. Well, I am standing on a river, on the bank of a river, and it feels like it's 20 degrees out, so I'll be fishing for some bass, but it might be a tough bite. What are you now? What's your. What's your rig here today? Show you here. Gonna be throwing a little jig. All right. Nice leggy. Yeah, looks good. I'm guessing the water's pretty cold, so they'll probably be right on bottom, but we'll see what we can do. Alrighty, sir. Well, your one minute will begin with your first cast, so whenever you're ready. Okay. Let her rip. I'm gonna have my dad hold the video for me. Fantastic. We all good? Yes, sir.

[Phil]

Whenever you're ready.

[Corey Calkins]

And we're off cast. It's very relaxed. Yeah.

[Matt McCormick]

What a calm evening out.

[Corey Calkins]

Well, I was speaking more about his. His body language and demeanor with that first cast. Casually hucked it out there.

[Seth Morris]

It's like he's been there before.

[Corey Calkins]

Yep. He knows that you can't. You can't force it.

[Seth Morris]

Oh, he's bringing it in.

[Corey Calkins]

Good time of day.

[Seth Morris]

Cast 2. Sun looks low in the sky.

[Matt McCormick]

Yeah, this is when the hogs come out to play.

[Corey Calkins]

Right here. He's working it. We've got 28 seconds. 30 seconds. Sorry, this is counting upwards, which is unconventional.

[Matt McCormick]

Same spot.

[Corey Calkins]

Spot another cast. What's going on? 15 seconds left here.

[Matt McCormick]

Come on.

[Corey Calkins]

Come on, Brady. Don't let us down.

[Matt McCormick]

Seven seconds.

[Corey Calkins]

Five, four.

[Phil]

Music ended a little early.

[Corey Calkins]

Sorry about that. Two, one.

[Matt McCormick]

Man, it's not easy, Brady.

[Corey Calkins]

Time's up, buddy. Not happening.

[Phil]

You know what? You're not alone. We're in kind of a slump right now.

[Corey Calkins]

Yeah, we're in a slump right now. That's why we. We went to you. We thought you'd be at the golf course pond and you could break our. You could break our slump here. I know. I wish I could go to the secret spot. I'll save that for Will. Yeah, well, you guys stay warm there and have a very. Have a very happy Thanksgiving. Say hi to the boys and we'll catch you next time, sir. Thank you. Appreciate it. Go, blue. Oh, somebody says I. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Seth Morris]

We are.

[Corey Calkins]

Good kid. Good kid.

[Seth Morris]

Tough or fishing? This time of year is tough.

[Corey Calkins]

Oh, yeah, I know. When we launched this segment, I don't think there was a lot of forethought put into seasonality.

[Seth Morris]

Yeah.

[Corey Calkins]

So I think.

[Seth Morris]

I think things will pick back up when we can start drilling holes. Or we're gonna have to go south.

[Corey Calkins]

We should go south. That's in the budget, right? Yeah.

[Seth Morris]

Or find people.

[Corey Calkins]

Right after we get that. Right after we get that green screen practical, we'll get a couple bus tickets. All right, gang, it's the moment you've all been waiting for. It's the meat eater Movie club.

[Matt McCormick]

I've been on the edge of my seat.

[Phil]

There we are.

[Corey Calkins]

This week we're reviewing the 1997 film the Edge, and I was trying to decide whether I should read this faster because a lot of people hate this and there are a lot of comments to that effect, and then a lot of people love it. So I thought maybe I should try to do a better job of just articulating and pronouncing Jesus. In any event, we're just going to do it live. The Edge, 1997 employs the cliche genre of a classic survival thriller to probe fundamental questions about civilization, knowledge and human nature. Through David Mamet's characteristically precise dialogue, the film explores how different forms of power, intellectual, physical and financial operate when stripped of social context. The film follows billionaire Charles Morse, played by Anthony Hopkins, and fashion photographer Bob Green, played by Alec Baldwin, as they struggle to survive in the Alaskan wilderness after a plane crash. Their battle against the elements and a relentless Kodiak bear is complicated by a profound psychological tension, as Bob's apparent desire for Charles wealth and his wife, played by Ellen McPherson, creates a dangerous undercurrent of mistrust. Charles embodies accumulated learning and wealth, while Bob represents a more instinctual physical presence. Their dynamic grows increasingly complex as the cruelties of the wilderness erode social hierarchy. Charles. Encyclopedic knowledge, initially presented as a trivial freak, to use his words, becomes the pair's salvation, challenging conventional assumptions about practical mastery versus theoretical expertise. In doing so, Mamet's script clearly subvert. Excuse me, cleverly subverts expectations about masculine competence. The Kodiak bear in the Edge operates as both a flesh and blood antagonist and a metaphysical force embodying nature's indifference to humankind. More than just a predator, it represents what lies beyond society's boundaries.

[Randall Williams]

There's nothing more important than spending time out in nature, which involves making lifelong memories and, you know, in the right circumstances, feeding our families.

[Seth Morris]

Well.

[Randall Williams]

Pendleton whiskey knows that too. Which is why they are the official whiskey of the Rocky Mountain Elk foundation, where I am a lifetime member. Pendleton is bottled to honor true Western traditions, and there's nothing more Western than supporting organizations like RMEF and their work in conservation. And there's nothing like a glass of Pendleton whiskey. If you enjoy whiskey when you're winding down around the fire back at home cleaning your game, Pendleton has a smooth taste, made to be enjoyed on the rocks or with your favorite mixer. It's the whiskey you want for toasting a good hunt with great friends. Camaraderie, self sufficiency, respect for the land and the animals that we depend on for our lifestyle. That's what you're toasting to every time you raise a glass of Pendleton whiskey. The official whiskey of the after the hunt moment. It's not just poured, it's earned. Pendleton Distillers, Lawrenceburg, Indiana. Please drink responsibly. Pendleton is a registered trademark of Pendleton Woolen Mills. Hey, you know how certain companies, you know, like, if you work at certain companies, if you work for the federal government, there's, like, websites they block around here. Our office would be a lot more productive if there was an ONX blocker, because all anybody does right now is look at onX. Cruising web map using train X scouting for the fall. I'm always using I use it. You're gonna think I'm exaggerating. I use Onx. Literally, I use Onyx every day. The other day I was on it explaining someone some contours of a stream bank and explaining a fishing spot. Now, if you got tags, you're excited about this fall, you better get on it and pull up the maps on ONX and start dropping waypoints and planning your hunt. Also new for this year, you can even share your waypoints with buddies in the field with no. Which is a great upgrade, meaning you guys can be out in a spot that has no phone service. You can make a waypoint, and you don't need to wait till you're back in service to share it. You can just drop waypoints to your buddies in the field, which really keeps you organized. If you're not already using Onx, you're missing out. Like I say, I. I use the app every day. If you go to onxmaps.com hunt and use code me eater, you'll receive 20 off your membership. It's indispensable Onx. So go check it out. 20 off right now. Hey, everybody, I'm talking here about Montana Knife Company from our very own state of Montana. This company was founded by one of the most experienced master blade smiths in the world, Josh Smith, who over recent months I've become friends with. And my God, have I learned a lot about knives from this guy. Just a phenomenal hometown company that makes world renowned knives. Josh has been making knives for 30 years. You get one of these knives up and open it, it is sharp like something that came from outer space. And here's the deal. They make knives that can be sharpened. You can work on these knives. If you don't want to work on them, you send it to them and they'll work on it. They'll get it sharp. Phenomenal hunting knives. If you want to see them in action, we just did. Me and John Hayes, the taxidermist, just did a video about how to properly skin a black bear. Watch that video and in that video, you'll see Montana Knife Co. Knives in action. MKC products usually sell out in minutes of being released, which is true. But now for the first time, they're dabbling with having knives in stock on their site. So right now, you can grab yourself a Blackfoot 2.0 or the ultralight speed goat. Use Code Meat Eater and you get 10% off your first order. Montana Knife Company working knives for working people. 10% off with the Code Meat Eater. That's a good deal.

[Corey Calkins]

Raw amoral power that cannot be reasoned with or bought off. As Charles and Bob are stalked by this formidable beast and then in turn lay a deadly trap for it, Their own relationship mirrors the same predator prey dynamic, suggesting that the line between civilized man and savage beast is more permeable than we'd like to admit. The bear's unflinching pursuit of the men becomes a test of both moral and mortal survival. Not just whether they can kill it, but whether they can do so without becoming similarly savage themselves. Here I'm referencing a line from the film where Anthony Hopkins screams, kill thee. Mfer. Early in the film, a curiously disfigured lodge owner claims that once a bear tastes human flesh, it desires nothing else. This claim foreshadows the metaphorical taste for blood that develops between Charles and Bob, suggesting how a single transgression of violence can then become habitual. Don't worry, I only have a page left. Perhaps most significantly, the film explores a question that has been central to Western intellectual life since the Enlightenment. What is the relationship between civilized man and the state of nature? Charles fortune, rendered meaningless in the wild, previously insulated him from precisely these primal confrontations. Yet his intellectual curiosity, perhaps a luxury Afforded by that wealth provides tools for survival that mere physical prowess cannot match. The mounting tension between Charles and Bob reveals how quickly civilized behavior can erode. When social structures disappear, their struggle moves beyond mere survival to encompass questions of moral choices. Does civilization represent a genuine conquest of our baser instincts? Or is it merely a thin veneer covering them up? Here, I'm sure we're all thinking that there's a striking parallel between Mamet's screenplay And Joseph Conrad's 1899 novella The Heart of Darkness, which provides a rich interpretive framework for the Edge. Both works examine what happens when civilized men are forced to confront wilderness and their own savage potential. Like Marlow's journey upriver in the Belgian Congo, Charles and Bob's trek through Alaska strips away social pretense to reveal underlying truths about human nature. I'm going to skip last couple bits here, but I found it interesting.

[Phil]

Hold on.

[Corey Calkins]

I can go on.

[Seth Morris]

No, you should.

[Corey Calkins]

Just as Kurtz goes native and reveals the savagery underlying European colonialism, Bob's veneer of sophistication cracks to reveal his own predatory intentions. Charles, like Marlow, maintains his civilized perspective while recognizing darker truths. His survival depends on acknowledging and confronting these truths rather than denying them. While both works depict civilized facades cracking under pressure, they arrive at different conclusions about whether such events reveal civilization's fundamental hollowness or test its genuine strength. The key distinction is that while Conrad suggests civilization itself is built on a foundation of savagery, the Edge allows for the possibility that there is something more to civilization than mere social pretense. The film's resolution and Charles final acts of mercy and sacrifice suggest that the true inextinguishable core of civilization is not the trappings of wealth and learning, but our capability for moral choice in the absence of those trappings. So that's the end. Well said.

[Matt McCormick]

Took the words right out of my mouth.

[Phil]

I'm glad you took it home.

[Corey Calkins]

Well, I appreciate your guys support. I was beginning to get a bit self conscious. I think I've taken this too far and we need to scale it back a little bit.

[Phil]

I disagree.

[Seth Morris]

I don't think so.

[Corey Calkins]

Now in preparation for this segment, other than composing that, I looked at a review from Roger Ebert, who gave it three out of four stars and he actually hit on one of the points I wanted to discuss in this film. Saul. He writes better than I could. He says, having successfully negotiated Almost its entire 118 minutes, the edge shoots itself in the foot after the emotionally fraught final moments. Just as we are savoring the Implications of what has happened. The screen fades to black and we immediately get a big credit for, quote, Bart the Bear. Now, Bart is one hell of a bear. I loved him in the title role of the bear, but this credit in this place is a spectacularly bad idea. Did anybody else?

[Seth Morris]

Oh, yeah.

[Corey Calkins]

There'S an emotional scene.

[Phil]

It's an incredibly poignant final line that fades to bars. Running down Hopkins face.

[Corey Calkins]

It says, thanks to Bart the Bear, this film. The original title for it was Bookworm.

[Phil]

He does love to read. Yeah, he spends the first third of the movie reading that book his secretary gave him.

[Corey Calkins]

Yeah, it's called Bookworm and it was written for the screen. The alternate titles were Wild Wilder the Wild, into the Wild Wilderness Now, Dead Hunt, Deadfall, on the Precipice. Over the Precipice, Edge the Edge. On the Edge the Bear Roared, the Bear in the Brain and Bloody Betrayal. I think the Edge is probably the best of those choices.

[Phil]

Yeah, that kind of. It suggests a precipice.

[Corey Calkins]

Yeah, so that's good. Harrison Ford and Dustin Hoffman both turned the role played by Hopkins down. Robert De Niro actually read for Hopkins part, but he was too concerned that having an animatronic bear wouldn't work with viewers and so he turned it down. For that reason, he was reluctant to work with A. He thought it would just deflate the film. Alec Baldwin showed up for shooting this with a full beard and he refused to shave it. They almost shut down production and brought in Bill Pullman. The belief among the cast was that Baldwin had recently gained some weight and he was self conscious about maybe some extra weight around.

[Phil]

I mean, that's absolutely true.

[Corey Calkins]

His gobbler. And when he was told to shave the beard, according to Vanity Fair, he said, quote, m effing movie producer. I knew this was coming. The B. And these are obviously the full expletive, the BS Hollywood mentality telling me, m effort, no talent mfing. How predictable to see that good old Hollywood integrity at work.

[Matt McCormick]

Wow.

[Corey Calkins]

So Baldwin acting as Baldwin does, huh? And then finally, my last bit of research that I'll share with you before we dive in. According to the trainer, bear trainer Lynn Seuss, she said that Hopkins, quote, acknowledged and respected Bart like a fellow actor. He would spend hours just looking at Bart and admiring him. He did so many of his own scenes with Bart.

[Phil]

Love it.

[Seth Morris]

Interesting.

[Corey Calkins]

Now, I also read that this was.

[Phil]

His second movie with Bart after Legend of the Falls.

[Corey Calkins]

That was what I was going to ask you. Yeah, they were reunited. I went into this thing. Oh, it's Baldwin and Mamet here. We're going to boot up Glengarry Glen Ross. But I didn't realize that there was also another. Yeah, the real Maurice reunion was Legend of the Fall, Bart the Bear and Anthony Hopkins. Gentlemen, really, really quick. Yeah, Phil, get in here.

[Phil]

Just right up top. I normally, I kind of hate the argument that a movie is bad because it is unrealistic. Like, when you sit down and watch a movie or play, you're already suspending disbelief. Is that like we're watching people pretend to be other people? Pretend to laugh and cry and say words that they're not actually thinking? But that being said, I think part of the assignment here is that a lot of the stuff in this movie is ludicrous, which I think we'll dive into.

[Corey Calkins]

I felt the same way about Star Wars.

[Seth Morris]

A lot of it's in the details.

[Phil]

Yes. Much like the Jake tail feather you just called out.

[Seth Morris]

Yeah, sure.

[Phil]

That's not something I would have noticed.

[Seth Morris]

Yeah, a lot of it's in the details.

[Phil]

Like, I feel like Steve always, you know, the Revenant. Steven, the revenant's a big thing. But I feel like most of Steve's beef with the Revenant is that like, oh, that doesn't look like North Dakota or whatever. Not that the movie is like, is up its own ass and doesn't work for, you know, a bunch of other reasons, but I think this movie rocks.

[Corey Calkins]

Spellbinding scenery.

[Seth Morris]

Oh, yeah, man.

[Phil]

Beautiful. Remember when movies used to be shot on location?

[Corey Calkins]

Yeah, yeah, I know.

[Phil]

Anyway, where was that shot?

[Corey Calkins]

At the headquarters for the filming was Canmore, Alberta.

[Matt McCormick]

Yeah.

[Corey Calkins]

And they filmed some of it in Banff and around Banff. Yeah. But they figured those Ewok village looking lodges specifically for the film.

[Seth Morris]

Really?

[Matt McCormick]

Yeah, the one on stilts in the river bottom.

[Corey Calkins]

Well, did you. All of the buildings were just built out of, like, raw. I mean, the docks were outrageous. But I'm just getting ahead of myself here. Initial thoughts on the film. What was your reaction, Seth? I hadn't seen it before.

[Seth Morris]

I hadn't seen it.

[Phil]

No.

[Seth Morris]

I watched it for the first time last night. I just couldn't help but pick out all the details that were just so wrong in this film. It was. Overall, it was a cool film. Entertaining. Not my favorite, but lots of details from the beginning all the way to the end.

[Corey Calkins]

Corey, you've seen this several times, but this was the first time not edited for television. So you got to enjoy the full mammoth screenplay.

[Randall Williams]

Yeah.

[Matt McCormick]

And the, you know, coined curse words. There are maybe everybody's Favorite part.

[Corey Calkins]

Oh, yeah.

[Matt McCormick]

Let's get that mother effer. Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, I've seen it probably ten times. Nine in a row on amc, and then this was the first time getting to watch it unedited raw on Amazon, which is great.

[Corey Calkins]

A much richer experience. I. Sure. I'm sure.

[Matt McCormick]

And it's been remastered, so. Yeah, the cinematography was gorgeous.

[Corey Calkins]

What about. I mean, I'm sure we have plenty of things to pick at from an unrealistic perspective, but what for you guys? Was there anything that you thought was redeemable from an experienced outdoorsman's point of view?

[Seth Morris]

Well, like, things that were.

[Corey Calkins]

Things that worked for you and you didn't go, this is absurd. Oh, I thought there wasn't a lot. Yeah.

[Matt McCormick]

I thought they did a great job, honestly, keeping it. Keeping it pretty realistic. I mean, it's very hard. There's a lot of.

[Seth Morris]

I mean, I go. I have a list of stuff that I was just jotting down when I was sure watching the movie.

[Corey Calkins]

Sure. Well, we can. Why don't we go into what's unrealistic.

[Seth Morris]

Yeah, I can go. Yeah, I can talk about that. More than the realistic stuff, lots of things were wrong with the plane. Like the whole. All the scenes in the plane. One of them being when they're just in the cockpit all talking to one another, and the pilot, like, didn't have his headset on and no one else had ear muffs. That's not how it works.

[Matt McCormick]

They're not screaming.

[Corey Calkins]

Oh, come on.

[Seth Morris]

Those planes. It's so loud inside. Yeah, that doesn't work.

[Corey Calkins]

Tough critic here.

[Phil]

He.

[Seth Morris]

The. The guy who owns the lodge said he wasn't hunting. He would be out hunting, but he's not hunting because his rifle was sighted in. They asked why his rifle wasn't sighted in because he said he didn't have a bench rest.

[Corey Calkins]

Oh, yeah. And then Anthony Hopkins said, an ironing board makes a good bench rest. Yeah.

[Seth Morris]

Or anything.

[Corey Calkins]

Yeah.

[Phil]

Ironing board might be kind of flimsy.

[Seth Morris]

They kept saying, it's a Kodiak bear.

[Corey Calkins]

Yeah.

[Matt McCormick]

I thought that was red flag.

[Seth Morris]

They would. They would. Multiple times they showed it snowing down low along the river, and they'd get up in the high country. It looked like it's summer.

[Corey Calkins]

Yeah, it was a very. I thought the vegetation also was strangely inconsistent. They'd just go from, like, conifers to aspens. And Sydney and I had a long conversation trying to figure out what season it was.

[Seth Morris]

Yeah, same. Which. That plays into another point. One more thing, though. The. The squirrel that they trapped was a gray squirrel.

[Corey Calkins]

It was a great basket trap.

[Seth Morris]

And then they kept running away from it. It kept me thinking, whatever happened to that squirrel?

[Corey Calkins]

Oh, yeah.

[Matt McCormick]

That was when the helicopter came over, right?

[Seth Morris]

Yeah.

[Matt McCormick]

They were so close to a meal.

[Seth Morris]

Yeah. And then. Yeah. I stopped taking notes after this point. But the first, from the time that they wrecked the plane till their first meal was the flesh from the grizzly bear.

[Corey Calkins]

Yeah.

[Seth Morris]

Which seemed like a lot of days, But I don't.

[Corey Calkins]

I couldn't keep track.

[Seth Morris]

I couldn't keep track because I think.

[Corey Calkins]

There were only a few nights.

[Phil]

Yeah. I think it was only two or three nights before they kill the bear.

[Corey Calkins]

Yeah.

[Phil]

Unless there was some sort of time skipping that happened.

[Corey Calkins]

But yeah.

[Seth Morris]

And the only time they kind of stop for water is that waterfall they come across, like up in the high country, and they kind of just like wipe their face with it. They don't ever really drink.

[Corey Calkins]

Yeah. Oh, I liked it. Didn't I believe Alec Baldwin told the other guy to stop drinking? Didn't he? Like the.

[Seth Morris]

Oh, maybe I.

[Corey Calkins]

Maybe he's like, drinking from the water. He's like, come on. Like, what are you guys doing?

[Phil]

I think. I think. I mean, Alec Baldwin, notorious asshole. I think he's great in this movie.

[Corey Calkins]

Yeah. Oh, yeah.

[Phil]

It's such a hard part to pull off. I mean, it's like the biggest asshole. But he does it very realistically and with just like. I mean, he just puts it all out there. Smarmy lothario and the behind the scenes, you know, gossip plays into that a lot.

[Corey Calkins]

Oh, yeah.

[Matt McCormick]

Yeah. Those didn't look like blanks that he was loading into his lever action either, did it?

[Corey Calkins]

No, no, no. It happened before. I mean, I thought probably one of my favorite parts of the film was the spike ball attack that they used on the bear. Like, of all the traps that they're gonna make for the bear, was that.

[Phil]

Just to piss it off or were they trying to kill.

[Corey Calkins]

I think they're trying to kill it. But what the problem is is those spike balls had only previously been deployed in Return of the Jedi by the Ewoks against the AT sts. I believe you're right. It is the chicken walkers. Yeah. So I was struck by the similarity between that little booby trap and Return of the Jedi. And then I was also struck by. He was like, describing. And he showed that photo of how he wanted to kill the bear. And I was like, he's just gonna Braveheart the bear. Which Braveheart came out two years before this. And they like, one of the most, like, Jaw dropping scenes in the film is when they raise all the sticks and all the charging horses get impaled on the sticks. And then they just used that same trick on old Bart, which, I mean, killed Bart instantly. It was cool. It was cool.

[Phil]

But I was like, you think there was like a missing, like, a deleted scene where he and Alec Baldwin were saying, hey, you saw Braveheart, right?

[Corey Calkins]

Yeah, I just thought it was sick.

[Phil]

Right?

[Corey Calkins]

I just thought it was. Yeah. I mean. I mean, we talk about this as being the glory days of when there wasn't CGI and when we had original screenplays. And I was like, man, they should have just done something else to kill the bear that didn't look like Braveheart.

[Matt McCormick]

Yeah, well, Bart did a hell of a job in that movie.

[Corey Calkins]

Incredible.

[Phil]

Oh, yeah.

[Corey Calkins]

Although I thought professional, if I had to pick bone with Bart's performance, I thought that frequently his facial expressions were hard to parse. There were sometimes, like, when he was bouncing the log and it just looked like he was sort of, like, smiling, having fun.

[Matt McCormick]

I'm sure he was in real life kind of playing with it.

[Phil]

Some of those shots, though, with his lips sticking out. Oh, yeah. That was terrifying.

[Matt McCormick]

Yeah.

[Corey Calkins]

No, I mean, real bears in movies, it's just, what are we doing?

[Seth Morris]

After they killed Bart, I was shocked in how fast they.

[Corey Calkins]

Oh, yeah.

[Seth Morris]

Tanned his hide.

[Phil]

Can I say I was lukewarm on this movie until it cut to them wearing the hide. I was like, this movie rips. This makes no sense at all. And I'm here for it. I love it.

[Corey Calkins]

Yeah, I love it.

[Phil]

That's when it came alive to me and I was fully bought in.

[Randall Williams]

He.

[Corey Calkins]

At some point, he. Yeah. Alec Baldwin adopts sort of an apron and cape.

[Seth Morris]

Yeah.

[Corey Calkins]

And then Anthony Hopkins wears a leather tunic like a Viking. And I also thought there were a couple times in the movie where, like, they both went through very obvious, like, shifts in how they were playing these characters. And it was just like, whoa. He got weird all of a sudden. And at the end of the film, I kept thinking that Anthony Hopkins was Sean Connery because he just sort of adopted this, like, Sean Connery Persona.

[Seth Morris]

Yeah.

[Phil]

I mean, it was, you know, it's a. It's a classic sort of, you know, unlikely pair. I mean, Anthony Hopkins is clearly, like, on the spectrum in some sort of way. And also, did they ever say what he does or is he just a rich guy?

[Corey Calkins]

No, the guys, like, I liked it at the beginning. The, like, the grubby guy working at the float plane dock was just like. Or at the Airplane hanger. He's like, you're Charles Morse, the billionaire.

[Seth Morris]

Yeah.

[Corey Calkins]

Let's just establish our characters. To your point about him being sort of spectrum, for lack of a better term. I thought that Anthony Hopkins character was very similar to Hannibal Lecter.

[Phil]

Yes, a little bit.

[Matt McCormick]

Saw that a few times.

[Corey Calkins]

They're both big readers. They retain everything they read. They have a photographic memory, and they're sort of eccentric geniuses that obviously have a difficult time connecting with people in a genuine way. I saw this and I thought, man, no wonder Hopkins got cast for this role.

[Matt McCormick]

Yeah, you really feel bad for him towards the end, too. I mean, his new buddy that he's stuck in the woods with tries to kill him for his wife.

[Corey Calkins]

And I think I'm just sorry this is going on. I have two more reactions.

[Phil]

One, we have plenty of time.

[Corey Calkins]

One, if you're cheating on your spouse, don't get the spouse a watch that says Happy Birthday. And then get your adulterer, or I guess, adult adultering partner a watch at the same time and the same receipt has both of them. And the one says, for your birthday. The other one says, for all the.

[Seth Morris]

Nights I spent together, thanks for all the nights.

[Corey Calkins]

Just like. Just like, don't get a watch that says, I committed adultery with you. Wink. Nice.

[Phil]

Like, you were talking about the performances being all over the place. You're right. But it kept me on my toes because I was wondering, like, okay, is. Is Baldwin's character gonna just be an asshole throughout the whole movie and then. And. But, you know, there's a point after they kill the bear and they're. They're wearing the hide and everything.

[Corey Calkins]

Baldwin has his taste for blood.

[Phil]

Yeah, they're.

[Seth Morris]

They're.

[Phil]

They're buddies for life now. And then when he does find. Find that. That receipt, I mean, that. That scene is. Is completely over the top. But I love how they frame it in the foreground with Baldwin, like, slowly loading the rifle.

[Corey Calkins]

Oh, yeah, totally.

[Phil]

Sips a whiskey while Hopkins is reading the receipt and the camera looks up at it.

[Corey Calkins]

And then the other thing, as far as how he's a billionaire, I got some sense of that by that sandwich he made at the beginning. He. He. She asked him. She's laying in bed, which, if I were him, I would be like, this is the most. That was, I thought, the most unrealistic part of the movie is this beautiful woman lays down in bed and pulls the blankets up to her chin and says, would you go get me a sandwich? But then he goes down and he's got a Big ham to carve from. And he takes two, like, silver dollar sized pieces of ham and puts them side by side on the bread like they're fried eggs. And that's his sandwich. And I'm like, no wonder this guy has a billion dollars in the bank because he's too cheap to make an actual sandwich.

[Phil]

Good for him.

[Corey Calkins]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Seth Morris]

I found that to be very odd, the sandwich request. But then I guess it made sense because they wanted to get him down in the kitchen so they could.

[Corey Calkins]

Yeah.

[Phil]

Surprise.

[Corey Calkins]

But if I were him, he took it like this is an everyday thing.

[Seth Morris]

Yeah.

[Corey Calkins]

He was just like, oh, your midnight sandwich. Of course, I'd be like, you're in.

[Seth Morris]

Bed already and you probably brush your teeth.

[Corey Calkins]

Yeah, yeah. That was the 80s or I guess the late 90s. Nobody brushed their teeth back then. My memory serves. So would you recommend this movie to someone? Fellow outdoorsman? Could you recommend it to them without losing all of your credibility?

[Seth Morris]

It would be low on the recommendation list for me.

[Matt McCormick]

100% for me. But if you're even just the least bit paranoid, I wouldn't watch it.

[Corey Calkins]

Phil, what do you got?

[Phil]

Big movie star performances in a movie shot on location. It's a relic of the past that I think we need to hold on to.

[Matt McCormick]

Yep.

[Phil]

I give it thumbs up. I recommend it.

[Corey Calkins]

I mean, you guys texted me to ask if we were still doing Mediator Movie Club when I was about an hour and ten minutes into this thing, and I was so pumped at that point in time. It's rare. Is there a movie where I'm just like, I wonder how much of this is left? Or, I'm sorry, rare. Is there a movie where I don't ask myself, how much of this is left? I followed along. I thought it killed the time pretty quickly. And it was enjoyable and I would recommend it. I'll watch it again.

[Seth Morris]

I gotta say, when I was watching it, there wasn't a point in time where I'm, like, wanting to shut it off.

[Corey Calkins]

Yeah, yeah.

[Matt McCormick]

No dull moments.

[Seth Morris]

Yeah, yeah.

[Corey Calkins]

That's the highest compliment you can pay a film as a cinemaphile, these days especially. Well, gang, I'm glad I took nine pages of notes on that. Apologize for the lengthy intro, but listeners out there, if you're in the chat, weigh in with your thoughts on the edge. And with that, I think that's all we have for today's show. So have a very, very happy Thanksgiving. Know that we are all thankful for you out there listening and watching and YouTube and enjoy your day with food and family and friends. And loved ones.

[Seth Morris]

Yeah. Happy Thanksgiving, folks.

[Corey Calkins]

That's about as sentimental as I'll get. Meteor to Radio live signing off.

[Phil]

Look out for bird strikes.

[Randall Williams]

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