Matt Ward: Hello. Welcome back to the FilmWord Podcast, episode three. I'm Matt Ward.
Jeff: I'm Jeff Ward.
Matt Ward: We're excited for today's show. It's good to see you, Jeff.
Jeff: Good to see you too, Matt. Yep. Looking
Matt Ward: Thanks. Good to be seeing.
Jeff: forward to talking some movies this week.
Matt Ward: Yeah, just to give you an overview of where we're going for today, we're gonna talk through a few upcoming movies and films and then dive into two do two deep dives. We watched Toy Story Five is kind of the newer film that just was released on Disney Plus this p just yesterday. And then we are going to travel back in time a ways and review Kubrick's Paths of Glory. And then for our top five lists this week, we'll do the top five Spielberg directed movies. So looking forward to all that. any any new watches or any anything new that that's on the your horizon there, Jeff?
Jeff: well, so I didn't have a lot of time to watch a lot of stuff this week. I mentioned to Matt that my we had a water explosion in the basement yesterday. That was pretty fun. good times. But I did see I did watch like, you know, one of those compendiums on YouTube where they put out all the new movies that are or all the new trailers that are coming up. And one that I've I've actually watched this a couple times because it keeps popping up on my YouTube algorithm is Tenzing. Have you seen this one for Apple TV?
Matt Ward: No, no.
Jeff: Well, Tenzing is the person who climbed Everest for the first time with Edmund Hillary, I believe was the guy's name who climbed Everest the first time.
Matt Ward: Yeah. Yeah, that's the first one.
Jeff: Tenzing was his sherpa.
Matt Ward: Okay.
Jeff: And it's like inarguable that, you know, Hillary couldn't have made it without Tenzing. Tenzing effectively knew everything about it and might have actually been the first one to climb it. I don't know. But I think the story is just about how he and Hillary climbed and it's got Tom Hiddleston. I think that's his name, right? Loki? Yeah, I'm pretty
Matt Ward: No Yeah, okay. Yeah.
Jeff: sure that's his in it as the main star. And it's coming out on Apple TV, I think October sixteenth, if I'm not mistaken. And so we've got that one. That one's kind of on my list for one that I I will probably check out. It's probably not a bit yeah, I don't even think it's a theatrical release, but it looks pretty good. And then the other one is the one that we've mentioned in the past. You can see everything. Nathan Fielder's documentary about
Matt Ward: Yeah. Yeah.
Jeff: sorry, my my mind is slipping right now. Elizabeth Elizabeth Holmes.
Matt Ward: Holmes. Yeah, Elizabeth Holmes. And there knows, yeah. Yeah.
Jeff: Yeah, fairness. Sorry, that one looks that one looks really, really good. And they came out with a full length trailer this week. So I think that looks pretty pretty fascinating. so I'm super excited about those. And yeah, I would say those are kind of the two that are top of my list. How about you?
Matt Ward: Well, the one that I I just revisited that I I am pretty excited about is Avengers Doom Day Doomsday. coming
Jeff: Mm.
Matt Ward: out in December, December eighteenth. And do we wanna watch the the trailer together or are we gonna just talk about? Alright,
Jeff: I haven't I haven't seen it yet, so
Matt Ward: here. Let me see if I can share it and pull it up and we'll see how the video comes through or we can just cut it and add it later. But here I'll share. Share. A second here. Share with the audio. All right. Is that coming through?
Jeff: Yeah.
Matt Ward: All right, here let's let's play this thing. We can talk about it. There's some good stuff to talk about. Finity vision.
Jeff: I can't remember if we bought it for Infinity Vision or not, our tickets, 'cause we already bought tickets. which apparently you have to do nowadays. You have to buy movie tickets, you know, four months in advance. It's ridiculous.
Matt Ward: Yeah. Don't wanna miss the wave. Any thoughts, Jet? Yeah, that's right.
Jeff: I mean good for them. You know, good for them. They're making they're making money. Pre sales are I think great for the movie industry, honestly. I mean if you can get people excited about it and buying movies while buying tickets well in advance, that's great.
Matt Ward: It helps helps the movie theaters know not to close down over the next three three months while you're waiting for the next movie to come out.
Jeff: Yeah, and they can they can pre spend that money on their other failing theaters.
Matt Ward: That's true.
Jeff: well that's that's pretty interesting. I will say it's a it's a lot I guess they killed off everyone in end game or a lot of people. A lot of people died in endgame.
Matt Ward: Yeah, few.
Jeff: so I guess I'm just saying it does lean a little bit more into some of the minor characters.
Matt Ward: Well. Yeah, now let's just let me just pull this up for a sec. Let me see if I can
Jeff: I mean I was just saying when you're when you're pulling in the Fantastic Four and saying that the Fantastic Four
Matt Ward: Did you watch first steps?
Jeff: I did not. Is it good? I know.
Matt Ward: That was pretty good. I thought that was
Jeff: I gotta I gotta get caught up on all my Marvel movies.
Matt Ward: Well, there's a lot a lot of Marvel to cover. but I'm excited
Jeff: There is
Matt Ward: just pulling just looking at the the list here on IMDV, I'm excited that the Russo brothers are back. I think that there's a lot of promise in the writers. I was looking at it before. Steven McPhee was one of the writers for Endgame and then Chris McKenna and Eric Sommers were both Spider Man, the Tom Holland Spider Man movies. The only one that You know, Michael Waldron, he was he was in on the on Loki, which did you watch the Loki series at all?
Jeff: I didn't, no.
Matt Ward: I watched the first season of Loki. Yeah, that was that was good. I just I didn't it didn't it didn't pull me in enough to want to go back and watch the second season. I I originally thought that Loki was going in one direction where they're gonna have Loki go around to all the different versions of him and kinda control or or knock out the different branches of the multiverse that were going on. But it didn't really go in that direction. I thought it could that it would lend itself to be a really good episode driven a show. But the way that they went with it just didn't interest me nearly as much. And so I lost interest over the over the first season and never went back for any more. But and then you did multiverse of madness, which I thought was wasn't my favorite, Doctor Strange.
Jeff: Yeah.
Matt Ward: Which is ki it was a kind of weird one. but you know, looking at the cast lists, you do get, you know, some of the the key key guys coming back. you know, Anthony Mackey coming back as Captain America after he did the the mini series with with Sebastian Stan as Winter Soldier. And you know, some of the ones yeah, I I agree. I'm not I'm not like over the moon about some of it. It'll be interesting to have Patrick Stewart come back and then down here, Ian McKellen. for Magneto from the old the old X Men movies, from from back in the early two thousands and and things. And so I think there's a lot to be excited about.
Jeff: Can't Yeah. You can't imagine that Patrick Stewart is doing or Ian McClellan are doing too many more.
Matt Ward: Yeah, that well, I'm surprised that they didn't pull in the days of future past actors to to fill in some of these, but it looks like they're pulling the older ones, like Kelsey Grammar as Beast. Anyway. And and that and that cast list, you know, is pretty short right now. I imagine they're I'm curious to see if they're pulling in other X Men from the original or from the new ones. there's just tons of people to draw from. And so curious to see how it all all
Jeff: Seems seems like kind of a dark film though as well. I mean the thing I liked about Thor is like, you know, kind of the more humorous elements. I mean I like Thor as a superhero too, but you know, I liked that he
Matt Ward: Yeah. All right.
Jeff: Yeah, his his movies were always a little bit more a little bit more lighthearted, maybe.
Matt Ward: Especially Ragnarok. Ragnarok was was hilarious. It I don't know. I I mean the second like the Thor series, the those the trilogy for Thor, you know, I enjoyed the first Thor. I felt like the second one was wasn't that great. And then the third one was was really good, really well done and funny. but I don't know. I felt like they definitely changed the character of Thor quite a bit through all the movies. And in an and in Infinity War and Endgame. I mean, he's all over the place, but very enjoyable character. So it's nice that they still have coverage.
Jeff: Well, I'm gonna have to yeah. I'm gonna have to get caught up on a lot of this stuff, that's for sure. On the Marvel stuff.
Matt Ward: Yeah, there's a l a lot of homework to do for for doomsday. I d I there are several that I think I've missed
Jeff: eighteenth.
Matt Ward: too.
Jeff: I got I got three months to to catch up, I guess.
Matt Ward: That's right.
Jeff: Well, anything else that is kind of on your mind that you're looking forward to?
Matt Ward: No, I I'm ready to jump into Toy Story Five.
Jeff: Alright, let's talk Toy Story Five. So Toy Story Five came out guess it actually came out in June. So yes, we are a little behind on this one. And I guess everyone's just gonna have to revisit in their minds whether or not
Matt Ward: Well the
Jeff: they well it lives on. Is that
Matt Ward: New to streaming, new to streaming.
Jeff: New Streaming? New to streaming. Yeah, we're definitely not hitting like the newest releases here, but Yeah, new to streaming, I just saw it. So yeah, I mean, what are your what were your initial thoughts, Matt? I don't know. Did you have a chance to rewatch it or are you are you basing this off of the okay.
Matt Ward: Did. No, I re-watched it in preparation for this podcast, Jeff. So I'm I'm two two viewings in now. And no, I I really enjoyed it a lot. I thought that there were it's kind of a I I know the you know Toy Story. I will say that I I'm I'm definitely in the camp that felt like three was enough, that they did a marvelous wrap up at the end of three with Andy. I enjoyed a lot of the the shorter films that they did. And I I felt like they were starting where they did they did one for Halloween. They've done a few of And they did some very short films that are on Disney Plus. And so I I think that there's a lot of clearly a lot of potential. I don't know if it had to wrap up after three. I just I think that what fueled that argument in my mind is that I really did not enjoy four. And felt like it was a a a miss for me. I just wasn't it it didn't it didn't captivate me like the other ones had. But you know, five is they're still just to set the stage a little bit, they're still with with Bonnie or or Jesse and Buzz are still with Bonnie and a lot of the other toys that you know are there. And and she's just getting a little bit older and starting to try and make different friend or more friends and realizing the big the the one of the big parts of the movie is just that trying to make friends nowadays is complicated a lot by how pervasive phones and screens have become and they they they touch on that quite a bit throughout the movie. Just how Bonnie in order to fit in really needs get on a device and that's the way to engage with her neighbors and friends and everybody. And I don't know. I th I and so I that's that's kind of where the the and then you have on you know the counterbalance to that is is Jesse specifically trying to keep Bonnie kind of innocent and pure and stick with traditional playing with toys and things as opposed to embracing technology. And the story kind of spins from there. And you know, the technology is mainly Lillipad is one of the big parts of it. that's kind of like one of these the smart tablets that a lot of kids have that is is kind of geared up to engage with other people that have the device and and you hop online and can and do all sorts of stuff. So I think you know, I think there's a lot of things. Any anything else to add there, Jeff?
Jeff: well no, not not before we get into commentary. I think you know, I think that I guess I like the I like the overall premise, I will say that, of like, yeah, I mean, the toy world has changed a lot since the first Toy Story, that's for sure. back when the first Toy Story came out, technology for kids wasn't even really on the horizon, you know. and so it is interesting, you know, we are dealing it like it is a very relevant movie. I just again kind of getting into the commentary here. Just don't know if the way that it was actually like addressed or presented was necessarily the the way that I would have maybe the direction that I would have gone. you can tell that they were kind of trying to toe a line a little bit between like technology should be vilified and technology is a useful tool and we can't deny that that's the way the world's going anyway. So we're just gonna like kind of say that we should all embrace it. I guess you get you get me being a little bit old school here and saying like Maybe an eight-year-old should exclusively be playing with toys. And if you had a toy like the like some of the smarty pants or, you know, things like that that come into the movie, which I think is voiced by Conan O'Brien. but if you have some of those toys, again, this is probably more of a social commentary than a commentary actually on the movie. I guess I just feel like grow as a child of the nineties. Like having a certain level of technology and toys and things was fine, but the way that technology has taken over the the world is a little bit sad. because a lot of the points that are made in Toy Story Five are very true. Like I think you get a lot of peop a lot of kids who kind of are poking fun at other kids. Like you still play with toys and it's like well You know, at the same time, we don't want to squelch imagination too early and we don't wanna, you know, have kids just like on screens all the time. So I guess just from from my personal perspective, like I still am of the mindset that like technology, yes, is probably something that has pervaded s society and is n we're not gonna get away from it. But at the same time I'm not gonna sit back and say like I'm okay with that necessarily. Like I I I'm just not a huge fan of technology. And so I guess the way that they I mean, I am a huge fan of technology. I just don't know how it's impacting future generations. And I think one scene that really stood out to me was when she came back from her first sleepover and they were all like on their devices during the sleepover and everything. And she comes home and they're like, How was it? And she's just like depressed. And I was just like
Matt Ward: Yeah. She got a hood on. She's got
Jeff: Yeah, and I'm just like eight years old, but like I've seen it. Like a hundred percent I've seen it. I've seen it in myself. I've seen it in in my son. You know, I just think it's it's one of those things where I don't know why, but I feel like technology ha can have this kind of very, very strong emotional impact on people. And something that you don't really get from playing with toys. So I guess that's my social commentary. and and the way that they address that in the movie. I just don't really feel like was exactly on point or maybe aligned with the way that I see the world. But that's not to say that it wasn't still a fun story and you know entertaining journey, which we can talk a little bit more about. But but just from a technology perspective, that's kind of my my take.
Matt Ward: Yeah, well it sounds like you are are pretty solidly in camp, Jesse. get the get the devices.
Jeff: Don't throw me in a junk you sec like that.
Matt Ward: And Buzz and Woody, they were all pretty anti tech. And I I agree. I I think what I liked about s parts of the story, and and I should say, and we can talk about this some more also, you know, Andrew Stanton, one of the directors, the story was by him. He was one of the writers. screenwriters and just spell and he you know andrew stanton from from wally from finding Nemo from a lot of the early Pixar movies that that I love that that we love and you can tell in the in the writing in in the dialogue that it's a lot more snappy than a few of the other Pixar movies that I've seen recently at least and I really like that. I mean I felt like a lot of the characters worked really well were very Very funny. And so the movie, especially the first, you know, half or two thirds of it, moves really well. There's a strange little s you know, subplot about a bun a big group of l buzz light years that is it's
Jeff: Yeah.
Matt Ward: fine, but it it wasn't wasn't that compelling to me. Felt like it was just out of there to, you know, wrap up at the end, with some some purpose. But But I I did like a lot of the dialogue. I thought the the characters had really kind of witty and and fun lines, which I appreciate that. The but in terms of you know, I so I really th that part I thought was great. I the other part that I really enjoyed was just how authentic they made the parents in this one versus what I felt like was kind of an an abundance of codling that was going on in the fourth one, whereas it's like, we can't let Bonnie be sad. We can't let and and this was from Woody also in four, and that kind of comes full circle by the end. But but it was just like, my goodness, like Bonnie can't have any lows in her life. Like what can we do? How can we fix it? How can we fix it? And and they kind of revisit that in this one also, you know, buying the device is is them trying to f to fix some of the the issues going on. But I felt like they were, you know some of the conversations that happen in Toy Story Five are conversations I feel like my wife and I have had about devices, about device usage. I mean, we were in a situation a few years ago with our with our oldest son, where I felt like he was kind of the last holdout without a phone. And in hindsight, I probably would have just kept that phone out of his hands till he graduated high school. But But at the same time, it's it is tough. It's it's tough nowadays. And I think one of the questions that I kept on having was, you know, is is the Jesse mentality something that you and I have because we were raised in the eighties and nineties and want our kids to experience what we consider kind of that golden age of our childhood, riding bikes, playing sports outside, just kind of going out and being in the neighborhood, making neighborhood friends. Part of me does. I part of me really wants them to have that experience. and yet nowadays the the pressure kind of from society, at least here in America, is that you're on devices, you're gaming a lot, right? You're connecting with each other, either through text or on social media. And it's tough. It's really tough. I think it's tough for me as a parent. And I I feel like they addressed that a little bit in the movie. just some of the the back and forth that they had. And and again, I don't feel like it was. Flawless in that regard, but I don't feel like as a parent I'm flawless either.
Jeff: Yeah, yeah. I think the biggest again, back to the social commentary, like probably the biggest concern that I have around tech in the modern era is not necessarily a a chance to have kids revisit the eighties and nineties, which I do think was a nice time, but I mean if we really want to be purist about it, then we should say the fifties was the goal. I mean, you know, it's like probably in the fifties they could do
Matt Ward: Leave it to Beaver.
Jeff: even more sandlot type stuff, you know. So
Matt Ward: Yeah.
Jeff: you know, we had our own issues in the eighties and nineties and early two thousands and stuff, so but no, I think that the biggest concern that I have is just around mental health. And, you know, there's such a mental health crisis in the United States right now. And so these devices, maybe the device itself isn't necessarily bad, but maybe some of the things that come along with the device are contributors to the mental health crisis in the United States. so again, I'm not I'm not being deterministic about I'm not saying like that's absolutely what it is. It's just you know. That's my that's probably one of my biggest concerns around it. And the movie seems to kind of I don't know if I if I'm okay to like kind of jump into a bit of a spoiler here, but I feel like at the end the movie kind of concludes that technology is part of our lives and it is not going away, but it should be used as more of a tool for play than a an absolute reliance on it for all social things. Or a tool for friendship, even, you know, a tool for in person friendship. And I like I think all those are great principles. You know, I think again in in the modern era, we're not getting away from the technology. So if you can use it as a tool to have better or more interactions in the in the real world, I think that's really great. I think the danger is exactly what happened in the movie where she goes over for a sleepover. And everyone's just sitting on their devices. And I think that's the reality of what a lot of kids are facing these days is like deep down, they actually do want to play, they do want to be part of you know, part of like social interaction in person because we all benefit richly from that. And then you go and you try to hang out with someone and it's just You know, it's just devices. But I actually probably have the opposite problem personally, which is like I might be around a like a networking event or like somewhere where people are being quite social and I'm like, I don't think I can engage in this because I am a bit introverted and so it's easy for me to just pull away to my device. so I don't know, it's
Matt Ward: Yeah, I think
Jeff: a kind of complicated
Matt Ward: well, I feel like, you know, one of the things I've I've thought about a lot lately is just trying to make the the devices a tool with a purpose instead of a distraction, right? Is what are you using it for? It could be a calculator, it can be an email, you know, or text message, it can use all those purposes, but but is that what we go to to escape and to distract ourselves from and and is it an endless distraction? And it's tough. It's a tough time. I I will say One last commentary about Toy Story. I don't think that these kids are legitimately not seeing these toys come alive. I think it's you watch Toy
Jeff: Ha ha ha.
Matt Ward: Story Five, there's no way on earth that these pe and and you look you think about Sid from the first one, right? That kid, I think they showed him as a garbage man, right, in the in the third one or something like that. Does he come back? I anyway, I'm pretty sure they does. And and it's like that's Sid. And talk about some mental trauma, seeing those kids come al those toys come alive. I don't know. You can't just erase that. And this one they they
Jeff: I
Matt Ward: really embraced it. They had a lot of movement and it's like, come on now. They and they act like they just like fall apart, like they as soon as somebody's looking, they'll like immediately drop. But I don't know. I think they're I think people would be seeing a lot of toys moving. If if you asked
Jeff: Yeah.
Matt Ward: me.
Jeff: Well, I will say that I did point this out as we were watching the movie. I I said to my son, I said, it seems like they're saying or in in all of Toy Story, but especially in this one, they said, How did you get there? Like they would just say that every time you found
Matt Ward: Yeah. Yeah, that's true.
Jeff: they found someone. It's like, Well, you just saw them one minute ago and you left them in this place. And then
Matt Ward: Yeah. And
Jeff: how'd you get there? It's like, how do you think they got there? They stood up and walked.
Matt Ward: Yeah. Well like Bonnie. Yeah, Jesse at the beginning,
Jeff: There's no other way.
Matt Ward: she's inside the fence. Bonnie goes behind the tree for a sec, comes back, and Jesse's like out on the sidewalk. It's like wind didn't blow that hard, people. Ghost around here. All
Jeff: Yeah. How'd you there?
Matt Ward: right. Jeff, you got a final final rating on Toy Story Five. yeah, yeah, sorry, go ahead.
Jeff: I I just had a little more commentary. I you're ready you're ready to move on. One more commentary is that these act these voice actors are just getting old. And I just
Matt Ward: Sure, yeah.
Jeff: I literally don't think they can do a Toy Story Six. Didn't really have an issue with Tom Hanks and and Tim Allen, although their their parts were smaller. but John Cusack is not in a state to do this voice anymore. I commented to you about it when when the movie first came out and The reality is like it was not good. And we've been with Joan Cusack since Toy Story two, three, four. They were all fine from a Jesse
Matt Ward: Yeah.
Jeff: perspective. To make her the lead character and not switch out Joan Cusack for another person that could do Jesse's voice is ridiculous.
Matt Ward: Wouldn't that be sad though? Wouldn't that be sad, Jeff, to not give her not give her her time? It's just like Buzz Lightyear's voice.
Jeff: I just think there's probably a hundred there's probably a hundred voice actors in Hollywood that could do a better Jesse than Joan Cusack. It sounded like she I don't want to be rude, but I'm gonna say it anyway. We're on a podcast. It sounded like she was having a stroke the whole time. Like
Matt Ward: Mm-hmm.
Jeff: it really did. And so I'm sorry, Joan, if you're listening. I really hope you're
Matt Ward: That's sad. Yeah, I'm sure. Just
Jeff: not.
Matt Ward: that'd be well yeah, it was it was certainly noticeable. I I don't
Jeff: There's just a lot of slurring of words.
Matt Ward: yeah, I would not I would say I mean it was it Whisperflow and some of these other no, it's what's the there's a studio that does it where they'll they'll take the old recordings. Michael, you can do like Michael Cain and a lot of Samuel L. Jackson, I'm sure. it's Anyway, they're not WhisperFlow, but there are there are different companies that are they're capturing these voices. Maybe they just need to turn to that and then they can let Toy Story go on forever. Just do another hundred years of Toy Stories. Yeah, just capture
Jeff: There you go. There you go.
Matt Ward: their voices. But yeah, it was it
Jeff: All right.
Matt Ward: was noticeable. It was a little distracting, for sure.
Jeff: I thought so. It was like she doesn't sound like Jessie, no offense. All right. Toy Story Five, I'm giving it three point five. It was definitely not my favorite. I was actually surprised looking at Rot Rotten Tomatoes. Ninety three, ninety four on Rotten Tomatoes.
Matt Ward: Yeah.
Jeff: Mine is probably much lower than that, so I'm sorry
Matt Ward: Where
Jeff: to bring down the average.
Matt Ward: where do you put it on the overall Toy Story ranking? where where does it fall?
Jeff: Yeah, I would I would probably put put it the well, four out of five. Number four being number five.
Matt Ward: Yeah.
Jeff: same for you.
Matt Ward: Yeah. Yeah, the same for me. I would put it I I mean I put I put four like way down. Like I felt like five was I was a good contribution. Just like four was one where I was like, you just gotta stop doing this. But five, I feel like rebounded. It was it is a really good movie. It's a it's a fun movie, inter very entertaining, but not not up to the luster of the original three.
Jeff: Yeah, and what what score would you give it?
Matt Ward: I give it a four out of five. I'm probably very generous with my my s my stars, but
Jeff: Well, I haven't given anything a like a less than a two point five, so
Matt Ward: Yeah, maybe we need to maybe we need to throw some some less well I mean that's with some of these new ones, right? Just find some where the where it's a little less enjoyable.
Jeff: That's what we Yeah. We'll have to do a top five ranking of our least favorite movies of all time.
Matt Ward: Yeah, that's right. Negative five.
Jeff: Alright, well let's dive in. Let's dive into Stanley Kubrick's Paths of Glory, which we watched. I'm gonna share my screen just for those who are not familiar with this movie.
Matt Ward: Yeah.
Jeff: see if I can just pull this up. Is this is that my am I sharing correctly here?
Matt Ward: Yeah. There it is. Yeah, I'm I'm seeing the whole your whole window there, it looks like. I don't know, it's kinda at the top of it though. Can you zoom in on that anymore?
Jeff: Yeah, I mean let me try again here.
Matt Ward: But yeah, if you haven't if you haven't seen Paths of Glory, it's earliest Kubrick film. directed it, helped develop it, wrote it. it's based off of a book. and then, you know, only eighty eight minutes and we'll we'll talk about the whole movie. I I'm I'd like to talk about the ending a little bit 'cause I feel like it's important and and we can just kind of cover it. And but but and we'll try and give you any warnings of of spoilers or anything like that, but I don't think it's the movie's pretty old. It's seven.
Jeff: I mean it came out in nineteen fifty seven. Yeah. Yeah, you just you gotta watch it, but apologies for for any spoilers. I will say I'm not super familiar with Stanley Kubrick movies. I mean, I am super familiar with Doctor Strange Love. I think I own that one
Matt Ward: Yeah, we love that.
Jeff: on DVD. I think we watched that a few times together. The Shining, obviously familiar with that one. But like really grew up because of the you know, the timing of when we grew up with everyone talking about Stanley Kubrick only in the context of Eyes Wide Shut.
Matt Ward: Yeah, unfortunately. Yeah.
Jeff: Now, like yes, two thousand one is Space Odyssey, like obviously like
Matt Ward: Yeah.
Jeff: all these movies are famous and we've heard of them. But like when I was a child and I was fourteen when Eyes Wide Shut came out, like that was the talk of Stanley Kubrick, which is really sad because
Matt Ward: Yeah, considering the other ones that were other.
Jeff: yeah, yeah, like I don't know. I I he had a great
Matt Ward: Well well and yeah
Jeff: career.
Matt Ward: he really he really did. He put out some some pretty amazing films. And you know, two thousand one Space Odyssey is one that I've I've gone through. It's it's such an interesting movie. it gets really interesting, I think, the second half, 'cause that's where a lot of our our talk, you know, it's kind of the classic. It's the red eye, you know, it's alluded to or kinda, you know, they give it a nod and in Wally also from, you know, last week's or last week's discussion.
Jeff: Mm-hmm.
Matt Ward: And there's just a lot of really great moments in there about you know what's AI gonna do. It kind of kinda goes back to to Alien also, but this was before Alien came out. And just you know, what does the AI do when you when you give it the opportunity? And so I I I really like two thousand one Space Odyssey. Have you watched Barry Linden? That
Jeff: I have it now.
Matt Ward: that was one that's very it's it's a beautiful people talk about it like every every shot is like a painting. And it's true,
Jeff: Hmm.
Matt Ward: like it's a very it's a beautifully filmed movie. The story is kind of strange because Barry Linden's just kind of a horrible person the whole time. And but yeah, there's Doctor Strange Love and I think I think that's you know, I w I love that film and and and then there's some other few parts that are kind of like I don't know. Just like Napoleon Dynamite, there are few parts where you're like, Why why's that in there? But but it's Doctor Strange love's pretty funny. Yeah, definitely.
Jeff: Yeah, yeah. Well, it was it was a hilarious movie, which is probably a great counter to Paths of Glory.
Matt Ward: Yeah.
Jeff: but the thing about Stanley Kubrick that at least I'm I'm gathering from the movies I have watched that are his and also just, you know, having watched Paths of Glory recently is just great like feel for directing, great feel for cinematography, the scenes that he wanted to see. and you really get a a great piece of that in Paths of Glory. And you know, there's a scene early on, I think it's really like maybe the second scene where the general is coming and walking through the trench. and it's just
Matt Ward: Yeah. Amazing shots. Yeah.
Jeff: like yeah, yeah, it's just it's like super cool to see him doing that, I guess, what do you what would you call it? Like continuous motion, but also like Yeah.
Matt Ward: Yeah, like a tracking shot and I mean they had some good and very continuous, like they yeah, well like amazing symmetry in in some of these shots, like as they move
Jeff: Mm-hmm.
Matt Ward: through the trenches. And and I really and they do another shot, right? They have that shot of the general, and then they have another one of Kirk Douglas walking through the trenches as well. That just
Jeff: Mm-hmm.
Matt Ward: anyway, just very well kind of an amazing perspective to have with it within the trenches. And and so much of it is you have the trenches and then you have these like chateaus where the generals are talking, right? And it's like beautiful buildings in France, and then you go back to the trenches and you you're jumping back and forth throughout the throughout the film. And I really and I I think that that there's some interesting contrast there. I think there's there's some very interesting satire going on, dark satire that reminded me a lot of of Doctor Strange Love. Like especially at the beginning, that initial conversation, there are two generals, two French generals, talking about needing to take the ant hill. And one of them starts out by saying, Well, that's impossible. And the other one, well, kind of dangles a promotion over his head. And then all of a sudden he starts to kind of change his tune a little bit. And that that leads to a lot of the the rest of the film, kind of this doomed charge towards this ant hill. And I just think it's they do a great job and it's it's a little muted in Paths of Glory and it's over the top in Doctor Strangelove of these very serious things that are being boiled down to like who's really behind the curtain of these major decisions, right? You have
Jeff: Mm-hmm.
Matt Ward: the you have these generals and you have the world leaders in Doctor Strange Love, and these are the people that we're trusting our lives to and they're buffoons. You know, or they are completely inept, or they're making decisions out of, you know, pride and out of ambition, as opposed to considering the the lives of the men. there's an interesting conversation that he has with Kirk Douglas where he's talking about casualties, right? Expected casualties. And it's like, How many through the wire? And he's like, Well, we'll lose a certain percentage, and how many across the field? we'll lose another percentage. And it's these huge percentages, you know, fifty, sixty percent of the the troops. And and it's like And you're like, well, then do it, you know. Still do it.
Jeff: Yeah, yeah.
Matt Ward: It's acceptable. Acceptable range, right?
Jeff: Yeah. Well and and the the sad thing about this movie is that I mean obviously we don't need to get into another long social commentary about World War One, but just very fascinating. And I think you raise a great point about how there were just people who were completely detached from trench warfare who were making these decisions. And hundreds and hundreds of thousands of people. I mean, I I was reading yesterday that France at the start of World War One had a pre-war population of forty million total, and they lost one point four million soldiers that died, not not including casualties who were, you know, permanently injured. So I mean it's interesting to think about how even European history was changed. Even in our modern day, it would have been, you know, so much bigger and and and so much higher of a population, presumably, if it hadn't been for the pride and ambition of a few select people. Now, counterpoint, I was reading, you know, also about the end of World War One and how they started developing like more advanced tactics for for trench warfare. And they called it a moving barrage, I believe is what was called, where basically like the the men would move in you know chunks with the artillery. And we went to visit the VMy battlefield out in France and that was one of the tactics they used there is like essentially Very like extremely well planned. Every soldier knew the plan. They used the moving barrage. You know, it's just like really interesting to read about that and then compare it to Paths of Glory where they're just like, everybody up there, we're gonna run. You know, we're
Matt Ward: Yeah.
Jeff: gonna do it. but I really loved I loved Kirk Douglas in this movie. I don't know that I've ever like really I mean I haven't watched Spartacus, or if I have, it's been a long time. And like, yeah.
Matt Ward: I'll I'll tell you the other one, there's Spartacus and there's Ace in the Hole are great, great Kirk Douglas movies to check out. I mean and I like
Jeff: Yeah.
Matt Ward: Ace in the Hole probably more than I like Spartacus. there and there's interesting stories about Spartacus. But yeah, I sorry, go ahead.
Jeff: No, no, I just really enjoyed seeing him in the in this role and you know.
Matt Ward: Top top like French what they say, top French something. And it's like it's kinda like the Odyssey. Everybody it's supposed to be all these Frenchmen and everybody has their different accents from from all over. Nice nice American accents.
Jeff: Yeah, I yeah well it it definitely yeah. We're not fooling anyone with our French accents. I will ask you though, I was reading something online that said that some people would say this is one of the greatest war films ever made. We've seen a lot of war films. Would you even put this in the in the top top ten? I mean, there's a lot of great movies out there.
Matt Ward: Well, I mean that's interesting to say, 'cause I I I was looking at it, I mean I have all over my notes just kind of an anti-war film, especially from Kubrick, right? I mean, the and and it reminds me a lot of kind of the the Kurt Vonnegut approach to like Slaughterhouse Five, where there's there's a little there are these little doses of absurd. Slaughterhouse five has a lot of absurd, but and kind of a darker humor that's going on. And I felt like some of the the dialogue between the generals in this film were were almost played to that level where it's just it's borderline, just absurd what they're talking about, how they're how they're willing to commit to doing some of these things. And and so I felt like the message, I mean, and and just to get into kind of the second half of the movie, right? It's a failed attack. And so they draw back. And the general who was in charge of it, he orders to fire to to drop bombs on his own men. You know, to get them out of the trenches because they're not moving. And then he they eventually hold trial for three of them for cowardice. I mean, that's kinda that's where the the tri the the movie progresses to. And the whole thing is just I feel treated like this whole thing's kind of a sham, right? It is. I mean, and the way that they they address it, I mean, one of the people that's being tried for cowardice is it's like a vendetta, you know, it's these he kinda has he has knowledge of s one of the other his, you know, commanding officer's misdoings and and so he he ends up getting on the the list. And I just feel like and Kirk Douglas's role, I mean he I don't think he comes across as anti-war as much as not honoring the individuals who are fighting in these wars. And so I I think and maybe that's the balance, right? Is Kubrick's finding the humanity in the soldier versus trying to endorse you know, war in any form or fashion. Right. It's like that these are these are noble people who are fighting for patriotism, fighting for different causes, trying to protect their country, all these things. But I don't I I would not put it in a a top five top top
Jeff: Well
Matt Ward: ten war film. What do you think?
Jeff: Well, yeah, definitely he's not he's certainly not pro war in any way. I mean, maybe maybe most war films are a little bit anti war and you know, just in
Matt Ward: Yeah, yeah.
Jeff: showing the the humanity of it all and how I mean I think that's that's my biggest issue with this is that and and I'll I'll bring in the final scene as well where they bring out this German girl and Everyone's hootin' and hollering for this girl and then she starts to sing and and you just see the soldiers like essentially going from hooting and hollering to like breaking down and and and crying. And it it brings me back to this point that is war is to the generals can be a game of numbers. Certainly I hope we're we're not at that point now, but it could be if there was a massive war, I imagine. And you start looking at you look at it. At a very meta level, high level. How many troops are we gonna lose? Hundreds of thousands. Okay, like, are we willing to make that sacrifice? Whatever. And then you get down to the micro level and you start realizing that these are just humans who have very complicated emotions who might be extremely tough on the outside, but maybe soft on the inside, or who have, you know, i extreme experiences and have experienced incredible, you know, incredibly traumatic things. and so I think part of Kubrick's mission was to kind of expose that those men who are fighting often are young, young men and have, you know, a a real depth of humanity to them, even if the people at the top are worried about their own pride and power and ambition.
Matt Ward: Yeah. Well it it re reminds me of All Quiet on the Western Front, right? It's the especially the book. The the latest movie that came out on Al Qui on Netflix wasn't quite as it didn't it didn't really go into pre-war as much, maybe a little bit, right? There are few scenes, but the but in the older movie, but especially in the book, they just talk about s you know, some of the idealism that these young men had, kind of glorifying battlefield. exploits thinking that that's how you really proved yourself, just to get out there and realize how how horrific it all was and and is. And so I yeah, I I agree. I think that the and and maybe for those reasons it it does rank up higher on a w as a war movie. because it's not you know, there aren't terribly exciting. There's there's only really one scene, or one or two scenes of of actual war or combat. But I think it makes a lot of really great points about war and How the institution of war and the generals and the leadership a lot of times has has lost its humanity and maybe in some cases has to lose its humanity in order to even, you know, like the I just finished a book about World War II, which is a com kind of a different consideration, I would say, than than World War One. But they talk about how FDR and and Nimit and some of these other people, you know, they they had to separate themselves to some degree, right, from the the day-to-day things going on on the battlefield or on the their ships just because there is a war to be won. And and so I I there's there are always counter arguments, I think, to every point, but I I feel like this movie really does a great job of emphasizing the humanity of the soldiers, the and the importance of remembering the sacrifices they're making. And and then at the end, you know, these they're called right back, right? All this happens and they turn around and they they're told that they they have to get right back out there and do it again. So it's I I think it's pretty and pretty pr I I really liked it. I and I like how they filmed in black and white. I was double checking and I didn't realize that, you know, at at the time they certainly could have. You know, the bridge over the river Kwai was ri was filmed the same year, and you know, color was certainly an option, but they they chose to to do black and white for a few different reasons. but one I think would certainly be artistic and it does it comes across almost like a documentary at times, right? It looks it looks like some of the old war footage. that you'd look y look back and see for World War One and another interesting fact, not to divert too much, did you realize that the the woman that sings at the end became Stanley Kubrick's wife?
Jeff: Hm. I did not know that.
Matt Ward: So credited as Suzanne Christian, she she
Jeff: Yeah.
Matt Ward: eventually got married. Anyway, I don't know. I haven't looked into how long they stayed together.
Jeff: Let's not talk too much about Stanley Kubrick's morality. I something tells me that he Wasn't anyway, I don't know. Maybe he was. Maybe he wa maybe he
Matt Ward: Yeah. All right.
Jeff: was very, very faithful to his to his wife there. all right. I'm
Matt Ward: Who who knows? Who knows? All right, where do you put it, Jeff? Or do you want me to go first this time?
Jeff: giving it a four point five out of
Matt Ward: All right.
Jeff: five. How about you?
Matt Ward: I have five point five out of five down here, but you've swayed me. You've swayed me, Jeff. I'll give it four out of five. or sorry, four point five. Four point five.
Jeff: Four out of five? Four point five.
Matt Ward: Yeah, I think that that's probably better. But I mean I I love I love how compact it is. But even just talking about it and looking at some of Kubrick's other films, I think there are probably other ones that I feel are are probably a little more elevated. But I think for what it for what it set out to do, this this is a very well well made movie on worth of watch. And it's available right now. You can watch it with ads, at least is how I watched it on YouTube, is where you can watch it streaming. And really
Jeff: Yeah, and I y I use the Browse browse or the blu what's it called? Brave browser. And I watched it without ads.
Matt Ward: yeah. Did it block all the ads? Look at you. Sideset I kept on YouTube does a really strange job of putting their ads in. It'll just be like mid sentence almost and it's like, We'll be right back and you're like, o okay. So
Jeff: Yeah, yeah. but yeah, go watch it on YouTube. It's free. All right. let's dive into our rankings of Steven Spielberg movies. Obviously there's another difficult choice because there are a lot of good Steven Spielberg films and I had to pull out well, there's a lot that I need to rewatch. There's a lot that I haven't you know, there's a lot that I haven't seen. But I took I did the best I could for what I've seen, what I remember and
Matt Ward: And and these are are directed by Steven Spielberg. Not I
Jeff: Directed by. Directed by.
Matt Ward: I almost I wasn't I at least was considering poltergeist because there's a story of Steven Spielberg like hopping in the pool with one with the actress in there and being like, If you get electrocuted, I'm gonna get electrocuted and I was like, he and I should have known better, but I just kinda because of that story just kind of associated and he he did a lot for that movie. He wrote it and did other things, but he did not direct it. So poltergeist and and some of those were not cannot be included. As I know that was that one was top of the list. Another Craig T Nelson film. I know we just this pay bringing him back week to week. So anyway.
Jeff: We won't be talking about animaniacs this week either.
Matt Ward: That's a shame. That is a shame. Yeah.
Jeff: You remember how an anyway. All right, let's dive in. Why don't you give your number five first, Matt?
Matt Ward: All right. I have number five is Jaws. I really I I like Jaws and there are lots of tons of honorable mentions. There are tons of I mean amazing films here. But Jaws, I you know, I think I only recently in the past few years really watched it for the first time as to really sit down and say, All right, I want to make sure I've I've captured what I'm seeing with Jaws. really great with with kind of the character study. You get the three three men on the boat, and Richard Dreif is one of them, and I I forget the names of the other two. one was on SeaQuest, Rob or Roy Roy Schneider, I think. and then but really great dialogue between them and just kind of the classic Steven Spielberg film about the small town being terrorized by a a killer shark.
Jeff: He is staying on land. No, I haven't I haven't watched all of Jaws yeah. Don't go in the water.
Matt Ward: Problem solved. Don't go in the water. Let's not be let's not be stupid here. Yeah. All right, number five for you.
Jeff: Alright, number five I got yeah, I got well, I've been debating between Indiana Jones movies and you know how you said I can't just pick a franchise. That's my so
Matt Ward: Well you'd have to leave out Temple of Doom, but you could I struggle with that
Jeff: Yeah.
Matt Ward: too.
Jeff: Yeah. no, I you know, we recently watched at least Raiders of the Lost Ark and Temple of Doom. I really enjoyed Temple of Doom. so we I'm gonna put that one on. Yeah, I like Temple of Doom. Yeah, number five, Temple of Doom.
Matt Ward: Really? Yeah, is that your number five? Number five is Temple of Doom.
Jeff: I like Temple of Doom.
Matt Ward: Alright. Alright, Jeff. Please justify. Ple what what what did you like? Yeah? Like the heart? Heart removal?
Jeff: Alright, well I just think I think it's a great action movie. I think that I don't know, I'm sitting there Yeah, I mean I'm sitting there watching it and I I both have a little bit of tension in my heart, but a little a smile on my face. You know, there's definitely some absurdity there. but I I like Temple of Doom. I thought it was very entertaining. I like all three. That's what I'm trying to tell you. I just
Matt Ward: Yeah. Yeah, I love all three.
Jeff: I'll just put all together.
Matt Ward: Is that the only one that that made the list? You don't have to spoil it. Don't spoil it, Jeff. All right.
Jeff: I don't I don't wanna sp I mean I have I have other movies. Actually
Matt Ward: Yeah.
Jeff: it's five four three, all Indiana Jones. I don't know. I'm
Matt Ward: Well, I will say just
Jeff: just I mean Rages of the Last Ark is fantastic. I don't know. I'm just I just think that Steven Spielberg back in his early days was really fantastic in making great adventure films. all of them were great. They're all three great different ways.
Matt Ward: Well, and I'll give you so that's a perfect lead into number four for me is Raiders of the Lost Ark. I I love the the original. I love Last Crusade also. It was a struggle not to put have both of them on here. Raiders of the Lost Ark, I enjoy and I'll talk about this again with one of the other ones, but I just I appreciate when George Lucas and Steven Spielberg collaborate on a film, they they they give you enough reality, enough history. enough to to make you feel like everything's kinda in the realm of possibility. And, you know, searching for the Ark of the Covenant, having the Nazis go out and and and and try and get it for kind of ultimate power, having just the different steps that lead you down this great adventure film. And it's really, you know, almost nonstop action throughout it. and just just the character of Harrison Ford as Indiana Jones. I just think all of it is so well done. So many memorable parts. And so I love all three. I agree. But for me I put Raiders of the Lost Ark it's number four.
Jeff: Surprise Jolly Temple of Doom.
Matt Ward: I just rewatched Temple of Doom within the past six months or year and I it's it's all right. I just I mean I had some of the other ones that I
Jeff: Well, where is the where's the last arc is the class you know, it's the classic, it's the OG. All right, number four, I'm going with Lincoln. I like
Matt Ward: Number four for you. Lincoln. Yeah, very good one.
Jeff: Lincoln. Yeah, I liked Lincoln a lot. again, I'm just like again, I haven't rewatched most of these movies in the last I mean, we I did watch Indiana Jones. but like most of these movies I'm just basing them off of how I remember feeling or how I remember enjoying the movie. 'Cause I haven't watched Lincoln since it came out, but I mean you got Daniel Day Lewis in there. I mean, just like amazing performance.
Matt Ward: Yeah. Really amazing performance by Daniel Day Lewis. Yeah.
Jeff: and obviously as a fan of like history or as a fan of Lincoln, like I think very fascinating also, like just remember thinking this is probably a pretty decent insight into the life of Lincoln and who he was
Matt Ward: yeah.
Jeff: and you know, how how he lived and and Daniel Day Lewis is incredible.
Matt Ward: Yeah.
Jeff: So
Matt Ward: Well, kind of a surprising like the ability that they ha that Daniel Day Daniel Day Lewis had to pull in the character of Lincoln, right, through like, you know, really serious moments. All of a sudden he'd be telling us a little story about a humorous story to kind of break, you know, clear the air a little bit. And I just feel like they're he did a phenomenal job and and lots of other actors in there, all tons of actors, right? I feel like it almost every actor, every male actor at least humanly possible, and then Sally Fields. they're all in there and everybody has a like it's a very recognizable movie. You know, you can't go through and not not recognize probably the vast majority of the cast.
Jeff: All right, what do you got for three?
Matt Ward: Alright, number three, Jurassic Park. The love the soundtrack, John Williams soundtrack. but I really like the I think I I love the book by Michael Crichton. I thought that was very well done in terms of bringing the science of cloning into a into a realm, right? The mosquito, the mosquito sucks the blood of a dinosaur and then gets kind of you know the the it gets kind of crystallized for for years and years from the sap. And and then they pull that that blood, the dyno DNA off. Anyway, great, great stuff. great actors in it. the one the s the performance in the first one that I really enjoy is Jeff Goldblum as Ian Malcolm. And one of my favorite lines from that so you know they're going to the park and Dr. Hammond or Hammond's showing them everything, kind of giving him the orientation, and and Malcolm's sitting back and he says, he's talking about you know, we've been so busy wondering if we if we could do the do all this with the dinosaurs. We never stopped and asked if we should. And I love that. I think that and it and the book does a great job of kind of building up this ongoing chaos that's happening, and the movie just follows suit, does an amazing job of just showing this collapse. When the dinosaurs take control and showing how how frail and you know weak humans are to stop some of their creations whenever this this comes through. So I thought just end-to-end, beautifully done, very action-packed, very exciting film. And and also just to give a plug, the special effects, all these years later, I mean this movie was done in the nineties, still looks amazing, right? And that's something you cannot say about so many movies, even some Spielberg movies. I Jurassic Park looks phenomenal, what almost thirty thirty years later.
Jeff: Yeah, yeah, no, I completely agree.
Matt Ward: All right, number three for you.
Jeff: number three for me, I put I put Hook. this is probably one that was not on your list. definitely more of a minor definitely
Matt Ward: Huh? No, no, it's not.
Jeff: more of a minor film, but you know, huge Robin Williams fan. three is Hook and I love the big action scenes. I love Robin Williams.
Matt Ward: Looky looky, I got hooky.
Jeff: Lookie Looky Hooky. Roofy Yo. Roofie Yo. Roofy
Matt Ward: Yeah.
Jeff: Yeah, I don't know. I just
Matt Ward: He really did lose his marbles.
Jeff: I just think it's it's a really fun movie and about those sometimes. So Alright, carry on, Matt. What's your number two?
Matt Ward: Alright, number two, putting saving Private Ryan on there. Yeah.
Jeff: It's given. It's given.
Matt Ward: And you know, I just I just rewatched a little bit of it. I I just I remember how impactful the opening scene was for D Day and just something that I feel like I'd never experienced up until that point of combat violence and intensity and You know, I remember watching Longest Day with John Wayne way back, from way back. And they're you they're showing people hopping off the Higgins boats and just kind of strolling on up the shore and like one would drop here and there, and he's just kinda you know, John Wayne's just strutting up there onto the shore and and you know, Saving Pride Ryan, I think, did a a wonderful job of dispelling a lot of that myth. leans heavily on a lot of the the the first hand wit accounts of of soldiers. a lot of them came from the the book D-Day by Steven Ambrose. A lot of the stories that you read in there came from some of his accounts that he captured. Just really well done. I I found that over the years there are a few parts that that have stuck with me. the there's and there's so many actors in this one also, but just you know people, you know, whenever Vin Diesel's character is trying to save the the the girl from the building and gets shot and then there's the part where I had written it down but Robus one of the the guy that was one of the guys is talking about how he he used to pretend to be asleep whenever his mom would come home. And he's talking about that like kind of late at night. He's like, I don't why why I did that and then getting kind of emotional about it and then and then he ends up dying as well and and then there's at the end I didn't realize this, maybe you knew this, but there's a part where There's a f there's a knife fight at the end, right? And this there's a German, a Nazi that that kills one of the soldiers that's throughout the whole movie. I thought for the longest time that the knife fight was the guy that they released earlier in the film. And I but I guess that's not true. So it's not not the one they released, but that guy does show up later in the final sequence and it's it does get get sh he he does have play a pivotal role anyway. Just I guess that and I guess one of those guys' names is Steamboat Willie. is on the cast list. So anyway, I like personally I I enjoy enjoyed Band of Brothers more. Band of Brothers kinda has a special place in my heart. I c I just really enjoyed the the book and I enjoyed the movie. I thought they did an amazing job with that miniseries. I I don't really love Tom Hanks' character in Saving Pride Ryan nearly as much these anymore as I as maybe I did long ago. but I thought a lot of the other characters did a phenomenal job and the The the the different combat scenes were just very eye opening and has really stuck with me. All right. Number two for you.
Jeff: Number two, I'm going Schindler's list.
Matt Ward: Very nice.
Jeff: again it's another one that I haven't seen and I'm just you know again basing it off of my history and my memory but I do remember it being definitely one of you know very impactful film obviously difficult probably difficult film in many ways for Steven Spielberg to to make as a Jewish person. I was reading on Wikipedia before our podcast here that he like for years was like I don't really want to do the Holocaust just 'cause like that's it's a really, really heavy topic. but I think Schindler's list is one that is just beautiful and universally praised and very, very, you know sad in many ways, but also like glorious or, you know, beautiful in in other ways. I mean reflecting on the actual acts of of what Schindler did to protect those Jews. And so yeah, yeah, I I think it's it's it's a classic for a reason and definitely a reason why it it received all the acclaim that it did. What you got for number one? That's my number one I thought I
Matt Ward: Yeah. Well that's that's my number one is Schindler's List.
Jeff: thought it might be yeah
Matt Ward: Yeah. You were making out during Schindler's Lists. Well little Seinfeld nod for you.
Jeff: yeah, I heard that. Yeah.
Matt Ward: but just a few scenes that that have stuck with me a lot. The the liquidation of the ghetto that they do, Goth refines character in there later, hopping up on the balcony and just sniping prisoners, Jewish prisoners. in the the concentration camp. The the girl in red, you know, the guy where Sendler sees sees this girl in red and see you know, the films in black and white, and they they emphasize this one little girl and then then later you see that she's she's been killed also. And then just some of the scenes with just within the concentration camp and whenever people were going in thinking they were gonna gassed and there was showers and then other c other cases where You know, people people couldn't, you know, just just the brutality of the that era with the the Nazi rule, is just is just really unforgettable. And and to have actors like Ray Find be able to convey that in in such a haunting and horrific way, I just feel like is, you know, th that's that's why I think one of the reasons that we love film, right? Is just the impact that it can have, the the lasting messages that that they convey to us. And so those images have stayed with us. And I just feel like it's an important movie, right? It kind of like saving Private Ryan kind of changed the the narrative on on war films a little bit, the or to a l large degree in some in some cases. I just feel like Schindler's list was was so unique in his handling of the of of the Jews during World War Two and just deserves to to stand out therefore in the history film. All right, number one for you.
Jeff: number one, I'm going with Jurassic Park. So I guess you're number three. Yeah.
Matt Ward: All right. Yeah.
Jeff: And yeah, you've clearly described it. but no, I just think it's again, just very fun action. I mean it I guess the great thing about Steven Spielberg or this movie in particular is just how yeah, I've seen it several times. I rewatched it with you know, with the family I don't know, six months ago or so, maybe a year ago. And the thing is, like you know what's coming. You kinda know what's gonna happen, but there's still just so much tension. And
Matt Ward: Yeah.
Jeff: you just he did a great job of of taking that story and and really adapting it for film and like making you feel like you're in Jurassic Park and that you're, you know, very invested in these people and And I thought it was just, you know, really really well done. Jeff Goldblum obviously is is someone that stands out, but Sam Neal, Laura Durin, they all did a great job. So
Matt Ward: Yeah. Well, one more actor I wanted to mention actually is Joseph Mazzello, who played one of the the the
Jeff: The kids?
Matt Ward: kids the only reason I bring him up, I always I really like this story. He had said he said on a podcast that he his time in Jurassic Park two, which which I should add, I didn't really enjoy any of the films after the original Jurassic Park two and three were rough and then all the Jurassic Worlds are forgettable and but I love love the original. But he He said that he went and shot just you remember that short scene that he's in in Jurassic Park Two, where he's just kind of like standing there with his sister. He said that that was enough. That was like a present from Steven Spielberg and it paid for his college at like USC. And I always thought what's that? Yeah.
Jeff: nice. That's cool. Yeah.
Matt Ward: And and if you he wa he went on, I talked about Band of Brothers earlier, but he who starred in The Pacific. in that miniseries as Sledge, one of the Marines, and does a phenomenal job in that f or in that miniseries. And he's been in other things. You see him in the social network. he's he's there also, but he just kinda pops up here and there. It's just interesting 'cause I feel like he's a great actor and I really enjoyed him in the Pacific. He does of of the three main characters that they follow through the Pacific, his his I think is probably the most memorable for me.
Jeff: Hmm. Cool. Did not know that. All right. Well, I guess we'll wrap it up for now. we'll come up with some new stuff to talk about for next week. And I guess until then, onward and filmward.
Matt Ward: Onward and forward. See you Jeff.
Jeff: Alright, see ya. Bye.
Matt Ward: Right.
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