SPEAKER_03 0:04

Only Alexis goes from Monopoly to Menage Etois.

SPEAKER_04 0:12

Greetings and salutations, and welcome to Hacker Slash. If you're joining us again, welcome back. It is so good to have you. If this is your first time listening, welcome to the party. We are a horror movie review podcast dedicated to telling you whether a movie is a hack, a total joke, a waste of time, or a slash.

SPEAKER_01 0:29

Totally killer, pun intended.

SPEAKER_04 0:31

My name is Chris, I'm your friendly neighborhood slasher enthusiast. This week I'm joined by the Superfly Space Guy Mac.

SPEAKER_01 0:36

Hola muchachos, the gore lover Lexus.

SPEAKER_04 0:38

Hey everyone, the coward the creeper Ryan. Hiya. And this cream queen Paris.

SPEAKER_02 0:42

Hey sweets.

SPEAKER_04 0:43

In a pre-pandemic world, wedding season would be upon us, but these are certainly strange times for our grooms and brides around the world to face. Now, we thought, what better time to look at weird wedding day shenanigans expressed in a horror film? But before we get to those shenanigans, we have some follow-up.

SPEAKER_02 1:00

So a couple weeks ago, we reviewed a film called Cam. Do you guys recall this movie about webcamming? Alexis, how has that gone for you?

SPEAKER_06 1:07

Uh pretty well, guys. I have um one person and it's me, uh just looking at myself in the mirror doing um some tests. Really?

SPEAKER_01 1:15

What have I been paying for this whole time?

SPEAKER_06 1:18

You've been paying for all my props I haven't been able to use yet.

SPEAKER_02 1:21

Well, four of us gave that film a slash, and only one of us gave it a hack, but it was a perfectly adequate hack. However, our fans actually kind of emulated that as well. Uh on Twitter, we asked our followers if they gave it a hack or a slash, and 82% came in with slash, and 18% were team hack. Uh, we have a couple comments as well. We have a comment from Jason who said this movie was super different and very interesting. And as an old man, I was scared by technology. Uh, mind you, Jason is under 40, so I don't know that he qualifies as an old man yet. And we actually have a caller from our hackerslash hotline that we're gonna listen to right now.

SPEAKER_00 1:56

Hi, everybody. While I do agree with Ryan about the lack of answers the movie gives us, Cam for me was a flash. I love how tech positive it is. The main character is just so likable and actually realistic. The concept of AI being evil and out to get humans despite being created by humans is just so cool and relevant to me. Bye.

SPEAKER_02 2:20

And that was a message from our listener Carla. Uh, what do you guys think about what she had to say about the movie?

SPEAKER_01 2:25

Thanks for backing me up on the fact that it was an AI that caused this, because I think it's it's a fact.

SPEAKER_03 2:31

Thanks for proving my point that we all came up with our own story here for this movie, and everyone agrees that it doesn't make sense and yet they like it. I don't like you people.

SPEAKER_04 2:41

You know, sometimes when there aren't any answers, it's okay to enjoy it.

SPEAKER_02 2:46

If you're listening to our podcast right now, uh stay tuned to the end of the episode to get the number for our hacker slash hotline, and we might play your message next week. And that's our follow-up.

SPEAKER_04 2:54

All right. Now, this week we're looking at a film that shattered expectations and catapulted itself to number seven of Rotten Tomatoes top-rated horror films of 2019. Now, this movie tells the tale of a new bride assimilating to time-honored family traditions on her wedding day and proves just how nightmarish some in-laws can be. This week we're talking about ready or not. Now, who has seen this movie before?

SPEAKER_03 3:18

Plot twist. I saw this movie on. Whoa. Wow, what really incredible when it came out on Redbox. So I think at the beginning of this year.

SPEAKER_06 3:26

I saw it um pretty soon after that it came out. I was actually on a plane and I was like, all right, cool. I've been wanting to watch it. Um, saw the trailer, which means I saw the entire movie practically. And threw that on. And I was like, hopefully, no one thinks I'm demented as I was watching this movie.

SPEAKER_04 3:45

Yeah, the couple times I've flown in the past year, I've been tempted to watch horror movies, and then I have someone sitting next to me. I'm like, ugh, this is a bad idea.

SPEAKER_03 3:53

I watched Contagion on March 15th on an airplane, and it was a strange time, y'all.

SPEAKER_01 3:59

Oh god. I watched the uh the movie, I can't remember the name of it. Uh Flight. Yeah, there you go. I watched Flight on an airplane.

SPEAKER_03 4:06

Yeah, also not a good idea. Yeah, probably not a good idea.

SPEAKER_01 4:08

I didn't watch this movie on an airplane, though. I did watch it uh when it hit HBO Max. Or I should say I watched it when I got HBO Max this year, so that was a couple months ago. Um, but I I didn't get to see it in theater, although I kind of wanted to. I just stopped really going to the theater, and I'm glad I did, like right before the pandemic hit. So reduced my exposure.

SPEAKER_03 4:29

I mean, theaters weren't dangerous before COVID-19. Definitely were.

SPEAKER_01 4:33

Yeah, I mean, yeah. I mean how have you had a cold since uh you know shutdowns and quarantines have happened? No, because I haven't either.

SPEAKER_03 4:40

Yeah, but I didn't really have one before either.

SPEAKER_01 4:43

I used to get maybe it's from work. I don't know, maybe it's from just in public places. You never know. You never know those those seats. There's so much gum and popcorn that it could cause.

SPEAKER_06 4:51

Stop touching your mouth. I used to work at a movie theater and I have to clean them after. And yeah, there's pl plenty of stuff, and we don't wipe down anything, we just clean the floor. I'm not trying to say they're not gross.

SPEAKER_04 5:02

Ten out of ten can confirm it's disgusting.

SPEAKER_02 5:04

I have not seen this movie before, and I have a feeling I might be the only one, which I'm kind of surprised by because this is pretty recent. Um, but I guess you guys saw the trailer like I did and you wanted to see it. I just never got around to it until now.

SPEAKER_03 5:16

You were really expecting me to be on your team, weren't you?

SPEAKER_02 5:18

I had somebody.

SPEAKER_03 5:20

It's betrayal, huh?

SPEAKER_02 5:21

Yeah, well.

SPEAKER_04 5:22

Well, damn.

SPEAKER_02 5:23

I still love you.

SPEAKER_04 5:24

Well, plot twice. I actually had not seen this movie before. Oh there you go, Ferris. You're not alone.

SPEAKER_02 5:29

Thank you.

SPEAKER_04 5:30

So here's why I hadn't seen it. I I remember watching the trailer, and Alexis, I think you may have been sitting next to me. It was a movie that we saw for the podcast. It was a new release, and I remember looking at it and thinking, oh, this seems like it's gonna be good, like it's gonna be entertaining. But I had this feeling of like, but wait, is this just gonna be your next? But like with a bride instead of a compound girl. So I mean, I just when I looked at that movie and I looked at that trailer, I had a feeling it'd be fun, but I didn't know how much it could really separate itself. Like, I feel like your next just kind of nailed the black comedy and looking at like, you know, a bunch of people in a house together and mayhem ensues. So when I looked at my expectations for this movie and giving it like, you know, some time and some space and like going to it with a fresh slate, I expected it to be similar in tone and was really hoping that it would differentiate itself. But how about you folks? What did you expect from this movie?

SPEAKER_01 6:28

I'll I'll say that the the trailer did spoil a little bit of the feeling of the movie because when I saw the trailer, I was like, I have to see this movie because it looks so good, it looks really fun to watch, which is weird considering the subject matter, but it it it looked like a fun watch. It looked like there would be some action, some comedy, and of course a horror theme going on. And I have to say that kind of rang true for me while watching it. Uh, but I think the the trailer just set my expectations almost perfectly.

SPEAKER_03 6:53

Yeah, I pretty much agree. I actually had a coworker bring up how good he thought it was, um, and I just happened to watch it like a week or two after that. And so my expectations were were pretty high, although I will say, like, I think the comedy, dark comedy type of thing is generally not my favorite. I'm not really a comedy movie person, I guess. So I was a little bit skeptical on how I would feel about the like forced comedy in those moments, you know?

SPEAKER_02 7:24

I feel you, Ryan. Uh, I'm like the other side of the coin in that I love the dark comedy horror um angle. Uh so when I saw this trailer, I was like, oh, definitely gotta watch this. Um, I'm really surprised that I didn't actually get to see it. Uh, but it did also remind me of a few other things that I liked, like your necks, like Chris mentioned. Um, I love board games, which is kind of lame, but I that was heavily advertised as being like a an element of this.

SPEAKER_04 7:46

No, no, no, no, no. That's not lame, Paris. That is remarkable. I too love board games.

SPEAKER_02 7:51

Well, board games are fun. But yeah, so I was expecting to really enjoy this movie when I saw the trailer. Um, but I only saw the trailer one time, and it was a long time ago when it was in theaters. Uh, so I also expected Margot Robbie to be in this movie, which she was not, because I remembered wrong.

SPEAKER_06 8:07

Same as Chris. I definitely am pretty sure we had both seen that together, and I'm trying to think of the movie it was, but either way, yeah. I think I was like, oh, this is another year next. And but I was still like super excited to see it. Like I couldn't wait. Clearly, I just was like, forget all the people next to me, and I'm just gonna watch this uh kind of blood splattery uh movie. Didn't regret it.

SPEAKER_04 8:32

I'm glad to hear the expectations there. And I think you know, it's interesting that we're gonna have this mix of people who are really excited to see it based on the trailer, people who kind of reacted to it in terms of like the hype that it got, you know, being recommended from a friend. But when I sat down to watch this movie, I watched it over FaceTime with my girlfriend, and I felt like that was gonna be like a good litmus test because she enjoys comedy and I do not. And I like my horror with comedy sprinkled in, like your next was the perfect balance for me. Um, the 2018 Halloween was like as much comedy as I can take in a horror movie without it being Tucker and Dale versus Evil. That in its own right is a different style that I appreciate. I was surprised that I was really amused the entire time. I had a couple issues with it here and there, but I found myself laughing at the absurdity of the dialogue and drawing comparisons to the mansions that you'd see in The Sims, like those candelabras and the goth family. Does anybody else recognize that?

SPEAKER_01 9:28

Can't say that I that I did or that I've played The Sims, so sorry.

SPEAKER_04 9:32

Never played it. No other Sims fans? Are you kidding me?

SPEAKER_01 9:35

My boyfriend loves The Sims.

SPEAKER_03 9:36

Oh I mean, I played The Sims in high school, but yeah, I played Sims 1, maybe. Aren't all houses technically Sims houses? You know, you can build anything.

SPEAKER_04 9:45

I mean, yeah, but this one in particular looks like the Goth family house with all the Kendall Obras. I do actually know what you're talking about now that you say that. I'm at least a little bit less crazy than and I'm a little sad that none of you are as enthusiastic about the Sims as I am, but it's okay. I did squirm in some of the gore, and I did have a major issue with the plot that kind of came about as we got closer to the end. I had to do a lot of soul searching just to decide how that would affect my final rating. Uh, but well, what about you guys? What do you feel while you're watching this?

SPEAKER_06 10:16

I think it starts off pretty I think it it's really well paced in my opinion. Um, I mean it starts off, you don't you get enough backstory where you're like, okay, but it's not like oh, this whole you know thing about the you know how this game is and stuff like that, and then you get to a certain point where you're like, oh shit, it's really going down. But still, I think after that there's like some chunk in the beginning, you get like a few deaths, and then there's like nothing. And then you get some. So I think, yeah, the pacing in the beginning caught my attention, but then I kind of got like um a little bit bored towards the end because it she just was in these predicaments that I was like, all right, cool, what the heck is happening? So maybe that's what you're talking about as well, Chris. Possibly. Oh, we'll see.

SPEAKER_03 11:00

I think that as you watch this movie, we've kind of already hinted at it. You you pretty much get exactly the feeling you expect if you've seen the trailer. The ending surprised me as much as it didn't surprise me because it it takes a predictable but unpredictable turn, if that's possible. Like it's it's totally possible. Yeah, it's almost like a cliche turn at this point. It is not my favorite thing, but I was very surprised that it chose to go that way. Uh that was definitely what surprised me as we were watching this.

SPEAKER_01 11:32

I felt I felt pretty good about watching this. I mean, it was a lot of fun to watch. And the comedy, like, it's not cheesy comedy, you know. I I kind of appreciate it as if it's someone who's in a bad situation who has a good sense of humor. And I really enjoy when horror movies can get that kind of feeling. It's like a bunch of sarcastic people just happen to be caught in a horror universe, which is kind of cool. So everyone has a decent sense of humor almost, but um, it wasn't like overtly we're we're trying to make a cheesy spoof kind of comedy. Um, and it wasn't like so meta that you can't see the comedy until you look at like the constructs that the movie's trying to break down or something. So it was enjoyable in the moment and and a lot of fun. The action that was involved was was pretty fun. Uh the kills are really good. Um, the storyline, like you mentioned, has some weird things. I so I'm weird. I don't really like sitcoms that much because I think they put characters in stupid predicaments for no reason. Um, and it makes them just really like, I don't know, boring to watch because you're just like, of course that stupid, ridiculous thing would happen. And there's like a couple points in this one where it just it's not as bad as a sitcom, but it is kind of like the only reason this is happening is because you wrote it that way. Yeah. Yeah. So it but it for me, Chris, it didn't create a struggle um for me to enjoy the movie or not. It was a little bit easier for me to feel like I was fine with it because I understand you have to do something in the movie, I guess, to create tension sometimes. But uh no, I overall I feel like it was it was a pretty good watch, like in the moment. I didn't have to think about it later to decide whether or not I was enjoying it at the time.

SPEAKER_02 13:00

I uh found this movie entertaining. Uh I felt entertained throughout. Um, but I also felt unsurprised almost all the way through. I felt like every turn of events while being like kind of like Ryan said, like while it was I guess unexpected, if you've maybe seen a few horror movies before or like watched, you know, slapstick comedies before, you kind of you kind of get a feel for the timing of these things. So there were a lot of things that I felt like I was supposed to be surprised by, but I wasn't. Which was kind of disappointing for me.

SPEAKER_04 13:31

Right on, I can I can respect that. I think this is definitely a combination of so many things you've seen before in horror. But I do think that to some extent, that very element of it kind of works in its favor. I will say that my biggest concern going into this, right, was like, is this gonna be a bad version of your next? Like your next set the standard. Is this gonna raise the bar, lower it, or like struggle to meet it? And I was surprised just how much it differentiated itself. So that was a pleasant surprise for me. But despite how unsurprising it may have been for you, Paris, were any of you scared by this movie or alarmed in any way?

SPEAKER_02 14:08

I can't say that I was scared. Um, but there was uh some solid tension at times. Specifically, there's a scene towards the beginning where you have a group of characters um conveying some really complicated and mixed emotions. Uh, and I felt like the portrayal from most of the cast was like really um spot on for what they were going for. Uh so that helped me to be like, uh, and feel really uneasy in that in that scene.

SPEAKER_03 14:34

Yeah, I didn't feel I didn't feel scared at all. This isn't I mean, is this even is this movie even trying to scare us, like realistically speaking?

SPEAKER_04 14:41

Maybe get making you afraid of marriage. For sure.

SPEAKER_03 14:45

Afraid of in-laws. I think everybody already is.

SPEAKER_02 14:48

I feel like there was like a notable absence of jump scares. Did you guys think that?

SPEAKER_03 14:52

Aside from uh some rogue explosions, maybe it definitely wasn't scary.

SPEAKER_06 14:58

It was weird. Like I was searching for something scary to watch actually after this, and I turned to sleep away camp three. Don't ask me why. It was not as good as Ferris makes it out to be. I will tell you for sure. Even I told you that, Alexis. You definitely did. I was like offended by the stuff they were saying, and it wasn't even towards me.

SPEAKER_04 15:18

And you have a sense of humor.

SPEAKER_06 15:19

Yeah, I I could I can back some stuff, but not that stuff.

SPEAKER_01 15:23

I I was also not scared, and that shouldn't surprise anybody. So I think and I mean the concept of getting in-laws also just doesn't scare me either. So maybe it's the good Catholic boy in me, but like that concept is more interesting than it is scary. It's like fun to meet people and learn who they are and their values and their family and all that kind of stuff.

SPEAKER_03 15:44

So I think you're not marrying rich enough.

SPEAKER_01 15:46

Perhaps so that's like the real fear I think we should all fear, uh feel, I guess, after after watching some of these rich people. Yeah. We should fear the rich, get over it, and then eat the rich. That's how this works.

SPEAKER_03 15:57

I think we should fear rich people with boxes, strange boxes that have things in them.

SPEAKER_01 16:03

Well, I mean, after watching Hellraiser a ton as a child, um, you should fear any sort of like you know, rectangular contraption.

SPEAKER_06 16:11

Yes, anything that has that looks like on the surface level it has nothing, but then if you touch something and then it like goes different ways. Yeah. Sorry, I I don't know what I'm describing buttons.

SPEAKER_04 16:21

There hasn't been a single one of those objects in a movie that has existed and been a good thing, literally never.

SPEAKER_01 16:27

Think about like a music box. Imagine, imagine if you walked into a friend's house and they had a music box and you're like, Oh, this is so cute, and you picked it up and they're like, Oh my god, don't open it. Right? Instant fear. Instant fear. Because you know, yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_04 16:41

Well, I'm glad to know that this movie didn't somehow break you, Max and Androids can't feel human feelings. But this movie wasn't frightening, but it did make me cringe and it did make me squirm. In terms of kills, the gore isn't particularly worse than anything we've seen, but for some reason the performances in this movie sold it to where I felt like I was almost feeling something. And it really it was it was some of the open wounds that you get and the set design and the things that happen with those wounds, it's like you know it's gonna get infected, and it just grosses you out.

SPEAKER_03 17:14

There were some good special effects that I enjoyed. Not like uh over the top, you know, like we don't have a monster or anything like that, but just in the little things. Oh, it was so good. So gooey. Lots of goo and juicy.

SPEAKER_06 17:28

Is there any uh fact or fiction on that?

SPEAKER_01 17:30

No.

SPEAKER_06 17:31

Well no, they use a lot of practical effects. I now talk about them in gore, but uh yeah, it was really interesting.

SPEAKER_03 17:37

I can't wait to hear all about it.

SPEAKER_04 17:39

Now we talked a little bit earlier about um you know some comparisons that we have for this movie and others, you know, the puzzle box and hellraiser, the entire plot of your next in Paris. I know you weren't surprised by a lot of things. Did any of you find this to be something that felt fresh and original?

SPEAKER_02 17:54

I felt like this movie's originality lies within its specificity, um, because it took things that we recognize, and then it was like, but what if it was actually this very specific thing and this very specific circumstance, which arguably has never been done before? Um, but it was sort of like you said earlier, Chris, it was sort of like a Frankenstein of a lot of things that we have seen before. So in a way it was original, but the vibe didn't feel so.

SPEAKER_03 18:18

I fully agree with that. And then I also watched The Hunt uh sometime after this, and so now when I think of this movie, I keep catching myself with thoughts of what happened in the hunt like kind of interfering. I think it's like kind of original, but just like you said, very specifically original.

SPEAKER_06 18:38

Kind of feels like a I don't know, game of clue or something, and that's what it reminds me of. But it's so funny clue. Um, and also knives out, um, which I had like clearly seen this, then saw knives out like a month or so ago, but then re-watched this, and I was like, this is knives out um horror version. But I don't know, I just I think this like mystery um lie like in a lot it lies in a lot of movies. You're like, okay, is this a supernatural thing? Is it not? Is it these people that are just like doing this thing that we see in a lot of movies just for some sort of like ritual, just because it's so familiar to them and it's a tradition. So it's always just all like that mystery sort of I think plays a lot in a lot of um horror movies. But I thought it was pretty original for what it was from beginning to end.

SPEAKER_02 19:28

Uh somebody that I was I haven't seen Knives Out, but somebody I watched this with said it reminded them a lot of knives out as well. Uh so you're definitely not alone there. Um, and like you're ready or not, I also really want to see Knives Out. So I'm definitely gonna add that to the list after this.

SPEAKER_03 19:42

It's almost literally an exact crossover between the hunt and knives out, and uh except no Daniel Craig. Which is very enjoyable in Knives Out. I can't lie to you.

SPEAKER_01 19:54

I'll go back to something that uh Para said earlier. I think it's the vibe that really um makes it you know feel like original to me. It's it's I'm gonna use coffee because I love coffee. So it's like when you go into a coffee shop and you get whatever mocha or latte you get. Let's say you go to Starbucks, you go to some other chain, and you're like, whatever, this is what I expected. And then you go to some like small, locally owned, locally roasted coffee shop, super hipster, and you get a latte or you get a mocha or whatever, and you're just like, damn, that's really good. And I don't know why it's good. I don't know if it's the coffee, I don't know if it's the sweat that they put into it, I don't know if it's the uh literally, literally sweat. Um, I don't know if it's the cool like shoes and bandana that they're wearing. I don't know what it is, but this is just better and more enjoyable than the same product I would get.

SPEAKER_06 20:38

That's called a COVID mask, it's not a bandana.

SPEAKER_01 20:42

So just just imagine like you know the recipe, you know some of the ingredients, but like you've never had it delivered it you know in this exact way before, but you kind of have, but it still feels new enough. So it still feels fresh and tasty, and you're not tired of it, and you you know stop reloading your card and going to that company.

SPEAKER_03 21:01

Y'all can't see this, but I'm squinting. I'm not sure. We're still confused.

SPEAKER_01 21:05

Look, I have a suspicious glance. Yeah, I have strong feelings about coffee sometimes and my hatred for Starbucks, but whatever. I'm just saying it's it's like going into a a locally owned coffee shop and getting yourself something that tastes fresh and tastes new and tastes good, even though it's the same type of drink you could get anywhere else. Got it. Thank you.

SPEAKER_06 21:23

I'm gonna ask you after this to put that in reference to a chai latte so I can understand. I don't drink coffee.

SPEAKER_01 21:29

So I used to I used to get a chai latte every time I went to a new coffee shop because if they had like a house made chai, it was game over. That was my new place.

SPEAKER_05 21:37

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 21:37

But nobody does that anymore. They all use the big jug and then or powder and then they're boring. But when you go into that place that has like their house made stuff and they've like written that it's chai latte on it, and you know, it's probably like a reused jug, who even knows? You're like, yeah, this is gonna be good.

SPEAKER_04 21:51

I had uh never had a chai latte before until I met Alexis and she brought one to my office when we used to work together. And uh It tasted really, really, really good until it suddenly did not. It was like the last note of it was just like kind of like this movie for me. I feel like the the ending to this wasn't particularly as good as it probably should have been. I felt like it wasn't terrible, right? Like it was it was fine, and there's still some funny moments in it, but I think some of the character choices that take place can be solid, but the execution of the resolution of the entire plot is just a little bit weak to me. What about you? What kind of taste did this ending leave in your mouth?

SPEAKER_03 22:30

First and foremost, Chris, that analogy was 10 out of 10. Perfect. Thanks. With an excellent segue. On that note, I too wish I hadn't drank out the bottom of the cup. Uh the end of this movie did not tickle my fancy. I don't like the way it goes. I don't I I there are many, many horror movies that do this, and I don't like it when it does it. I love the ending of this.

SPEAKER_06 22:53

I think not the second time, I will admit. Okay, not that I hated it the second time. I was just like, it was moot at that point. Um, but the first time I watched it, I was really conflicted on like what was going on, and the ending I was not expecting. I was like, there's like we're gonna go into this again.

SPEAKER_03 23:12

Okay, the the end end end. Yes.

SPEAKER_02 23:15

This is definitely one of those movies.

SPEAKER_03 23:17

Yeah, it is. The end end, I'm cool with the story for the ending. I'm like, could not be less happy with like why everything is happening. They explained it in the beginning. Yeah, I hate it all.

SPEAKER_06 23:29

Oh no, I didn't hate it. I just thought, I mean, like, how original, or what could the story be about a guy who plays games and you're rich because you're you may Monop uh Monager, I don't know. I'm trying to think of something that's not Monopoly, so we don't get sued.

SPEAKER_03 23:44

Hackerslash Oppoly, yeah. Only Alexis goes from Monopoly to Menage Trois.

SPEAKER_01 23:51

Look, you can have a Monage A Trois playing Monopoly. That's okay.

SPEAKER_06 23:54

I hate Monopoly, too complicated. It's so boring. It's so boring and long.

unknown 23:58

That's what she's doing.

SPEAKER_01 23:59

You're talking about the menage a toire or the monopoly.

unknown 24:01

Kind of both.

SPEAKER_01 24:02

Speaking of happy endings, I actually enjoyed uh the ending of this movie. Um so I I think that the ending delivered what I expected and kind of what the movie promised. And it did so in perhaps a different way from what we might have anticipated during the movie. Like we while we're watching it, we're like, oh, the beginning was a setup and this is not gonna execute in the same way. And then I think it turned around and gave me what I was hoping for at the end. So I was I was satisfied. I think it was a fun way to end a fun movie.

SPEAKER_02 24:35

For me, this is the kind of ending that I truly love. Um, I love something like explosive and like over the top and really like gory for an ending. Um but for some reason this didn't hit with me. Um, and it might be like like if I saw this, if I saw this ending when I was like 14, this would be my favorite movie of all time, which makes me fear that maybe I've gotten to a point where this type of ending no longer has the effect on me that it once had, which is making me sad to think about.

SPEAKER_03 25:03

You're growing up. I'm so proud of you. Cause it sucks. All right, I'm done.

SPEAKER_04 25:08

I'm glad to know I'm not alone with my dissatisfaction of the ending, but what really matters is how your distaste or appreciation for the ending translates into its final results on the show. Now we're gonna have a lot to get to and to discuss there, but before we do, Alexis, how many people died in this movie?

SPEAKER_06 25:28

I was so happy at this. We got uh 15 people dying in this movie, which was a very satisfying for an hour and a half.

SPEAKER_04 25:37

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_03 25:38

And of those 15, how many were animals? So this movie is like, you know, we don't have like a pet dog or anything, you know, that we lose in a sad way, but there are some things that like PETA wouldn't be cool with, you know.

SPEAKER_04 25:49

So just be aware. Okay, and we'll see how people can stomach it. Now, let's see how this movie fares. Now, just a reminder this movie is currently holding a 88% on Rotten Tomatoes, 64% Metacritic, and of Google users, 88% enjoy this movie. But I have a feeling that may not be true of our ratio here. So, ready or not, 2019. Was it a hacker slash?

SPEAKER_06 26:14

I'm definitely gonna give this a slash. I watched this, um, this mystery behind the ending was um amazing to me. I was just like the whole time, I'm like, are they making this a joke because it's real or it's fake? I don't know. I just love the dark comedy in this. I love the characters. They were not realistic, um, but I just love the quirkiness that they have. They're just these crazy characters. And you know, I think the only pitfall for me is I just wish there was a tad bit more blood, surprisingly. But I loved it. I love the gore. I loved it, it was a it's a really good blockbuster horror movie. I'll tell you that for sure.

SPEAKER_01 26:52

I'm also going to give this a slash because it was a lot of fun to watch. I think if you haven't seen it, you should see this, and you should probably watch it with other people because you're all gonna enjoy it and it's gonna be a lot of fun. Except if you're not cohabitating with them, you probably shouldn't because of COVID and all that kind of stuff, or stay six feet away. I don't know.

SPEAKER_06 27:10

If you are cohabitating because of COVID, you probably shouldn't either.

SPEAKER_01 27:13

Right. I mean, that's that's a very distinct possibility, but maybe you should have a FaceTime movie watching date with somebody and watch this together. Uh, I would recommend that. I think it's a lot of fun. Um, I think the characters are having some fun in the movie. Um, I think perhaps the actors may have even had fun because their delivery of uh a lot of this, I think, was was really enjoyable. So total slash, let's say same, total blockbuster as well. Um, I think it probably did well at the box office because of that. I don't know. I didn't look up you know that that information. Um, but if it didn't, it should have.

SPEAKER_03 27:47

It did.

SPEAKER_01 27:48

Boom, done. It did, and and rightfully so, because it it was a blockbuster movie, it had a blockbuster feel to it. It didn't feel cheesy, it didn't feel made for TV, it felt like polished, which I liked.

SPEAKER_02 28:00

I'm gonna disagree with Mac there, and I'm gonna say that this movie did feel cheesy and it did feel made for TV. Um, it felt like generic serial thrown in my face. It felt like a knockoff of so many things that I like more. Um like Chris said in the beginning, your next is one of my favorite movies of all time, and it's very good for a lot of reasons. And the way that this movie differentiated itself from your next made it worse in my eyes. Um, the comedy didn't hit. There were like two moments that I actually laughed at. Um, but also this movie really suffers from like too much or like from just like blowing its load early in the trailers kind of thing. Like you get too much in the trailer for this movie that takes away from a few really impactful elements. So if you have not seen the trailer for this, don't watch it before you watch this movie because it definitely made my experience a lesser one. Um, but ultimately it was just like really predictable. The writing was like pedestrian. It didn't feel like a smart movie, it felt like a watered-down version of something better. And for that reason, I'm giving it a hack. Uh, and I am hoping that Knives Out is the better version of this that people say it is.

SPEAKER_04 29:12

I just want to take a moment to say that I am so far three for three on my scoring predictions that I wrote down before we started. Same.

SPEAKER_03 29:20

If you like Frosted O's, or uh if you like your if you like your cereal off-brand, you're probably gonna like this movie. Or if you're like me and you don't like cereal, you won't like this movie. For me, this is a hack, and Chris, I'm sure that you predicted that. Yes. Confirm? Yeah. Whoa. Um Paris, I'm very happy to have you back on my side. It's much better to be when I'm not alone. I can't say that this is a terrible movie through and through. This kind of comes down to do I rate movies based on my personal preference or based on what I think the the people that listen to our podcast would feel. Um and I have to make this decision on me. And sometimes I don't always do that. Sometimes I feel like people should watch a movie even if I didn't love it. In this instance, I feel like it is a fun watch. It's easy. It's not really a horror movie to me, in in all honesty. I enjoyed the characters as like I enjoyed that the characters were unrealistic, but um because I think it really like just took you out of a realistic realm because you're not expecting your in-laws to try to kill you, right? So there's things that I really did enjoy, but I hate the ending direction so much I literally can't stress enough how much I hate when movies do this, and I'll get on my songbox about it later um through and through, but it's almost like at the end of a story, someone wakes up from a dream. Like it's that it's that same feeling to me. And I just can't slash a movie that that does that. And uh it just is what it is. That's me. It's not something you should avoid if you're gonna watch it. It's worth watching, it's a good movie. I just don't like it, and so that's a hack.

SPEAKER_04 30:55

So so far we have two slashes and two hacks.

SPEAKER_02 30:57

And I think I know where Chris is gonna vote.

SPEAKER_04 30:59

Where do you think I'm gonna vote?

SPEAKER_02 31:01

I think you're gonna hack it.

SPEAKER_03 31:02

Agreed.

SPEAKER_01 31:03

I could I could go 50-50. I'm not I'm not sure.

SPEAKER_03 31:05

You could surprise us. You are the most unpredictable.

SPEAKER_04 31:08

So here's the thing I love really dark approaches to comedy because I don't like feel-good comedy, right? Give me some macabre, give me some of the elements that we had in your next, uh, give me a survivor coated in blood, having gone through hell, and give me some funny quips along the way, and I'm usually gonna be happy. So I watched this movie, and I'll tell you that my girlfriend hated it. That's why I like her. So, Ryan, even if Paris wasn't on your side tonight, you could at least text her about it because it was rough. You can always count on her. I have an issue with it, and it comes down to one bit of information that we get that comes in an explanation from uh the matriarch of the family to her son, and it just about ruined the movie for me. However, when I look back at my notes and I look back at like the things that I wrote down, I laughed so much throughout the movie. Um, there are so many things that I did like, and while this little bit of information left a really bad taste in my mouth, I think going into it a second time, knowing that I'll be more prepared to just appreciate the elements that I did like. At the end of the day, my girlfriend hated it, but I found myself defending it to her and it's a slash.

SPEAKER_02 32:21

Boo.

SPEAKER_04 32:22

So there we go.

SPEAKER_02 32:23

Chris, you love your next so much. Yeah. This pooped on your next.

SPEAKER_04 32:28

No, it's different from your next. It's your next adjacent. Yeah, it's definitely different. So unpredictable.

SPEAKER_02 32:34

We'll talk more.

SPEAKER_04 32:35

So we're gonna unpack this scoring in the second half because look, the the ending to this, I have a big enough issue with where like I really, if you had asked me how I felt immediately after that I watched this, it would have been a hack. But it was reviewing my notes and then just like looking back on some of the earlier moments, looking back at the cinematography, looking back at the auditory experience that this movie gives you. There's way too much that I did enjoy to let one piece of information kind of throw it all away. So we're gonna get to that in the second half. Now you can find this movie streaming on HBO if you're a subscriber of HBO Max, I believe. It's also available to rent in all the usual places, but check it out and join us in the second half so we can either celebrate it or crap on it together. Let's see it a bit.

SPEAKER_01 33:31

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SPEAKER_04 34:20

Because even within the slashes and the hacks that we got, there were some high points and low points, but let's start out with the gore. Alexis, what was the gore score for this movie?

SPEAKER_06 34:28

I'm gonna say, although I found it realistic, realistic gore is still high, pretty, pretty high gore. And I think it's just it seemed natural in this movie. It didn't seem out of place, it didn't seem like it was, oh my god, overly intentional. Maybe some people can argue in the last scene. Um it was, but I loved it. You know, first scene you set this like, you know, hide and seek, and then they start grabbing weapons, and you're like, oh hell yeah. And I mean, we had a death before that where someone was shot with the arrows, but that wasn't, it was like more off-screen. That death was more off-screen. So you get this and you're like, oh shit. Either it's gonna be a movie where they don't really show it, or they're gonna fully show it. And I knew that was gonna be the case because of all the comedy, the dark comedy, I knew this. And I love this like dark comedy like gore. Like, I just love when they both come together, like like fine wine.

SPEAKER_04 35:20

I just want to point this out. Paris, remember how last week you were talking about how that Friday night movie paid no mind to crossbow safety? Clearly, this was a worse offender. Yes.

SPEAKER_02 35:32

Yes, exactly. And this is what actually happens when you do wildly reckless things with a crossbow.

SPEAKER_06 35:36

Which I like it. Like, once again, realistic and and they just yeah, accurate and accurate, and they spin it so funny. It's like, oh shoot, I didn't mean to kill her, you know. Like, I really loved it. I think um I out of 15 kills, everyone can have their own. So I think that'd be a cool segue into the this next part. Um, I'll kick it off by saying, I love the end, I just thought it was the coolest group of kills. Um just an excellent climax because you have this mystery on is this family like freaking delusional and this is like this ritual they've been doing for no freaking reason? Or is it actually a thing? And I think I was struggling the first time watching this movie, and that's what really got me interested. And I knew at this point watching it the second time, which I thoroughly enjoy that last kill because it just seals the deal. It's perfect.

SPEAKER_04 36:24

You like some spontaneous combustion.

SPEAKER_06 36:27

Yes, and I saw a little bit of um hopefully this doesn't ruin fact or fiction, but a little bit of behind the scenes um when I was verifying my body count, um going through all of them, is like they had like, you know, the you know, the green thing, the it's not the green screen, but had this green prop, and it just like just slurted out canons of like fake blood and bananas, which I thought were like was adorable. Oh, that's awesome. It's awesome. So they they had so much fun at the end, which I think is great. Even the actors are participating in that, which I thought was cool.

SPEAKER_03 36:58

Yeah, you mentioned uh we can all have our own, but I totally have to go with the ending as well. Yeah, and I know I talked a lot of trash about the story of the ending, but in this movie, I think as unrealistic as everything is as you go through, um, as far as like what's going on, um, to have everyone's ex a head exploding at the end is just perfect. It's almost it's just what they had to do. It it's just lovely, and so fun to watch because they're all well, not all, but like as they're like pleading, like they're they're pleading their case, like you know, like her husband is like, no, no, no, like I'm sorry. And it's just like, eh, well, you know what? You're gonna go too.

SPEAKER_01 37:39

I I was a fan of the dumb waiter kill because dumb waiters are horrible and uh frightening, and it just like seems like a bad idea, but uh what a way to go. A dumb waiter. What a name.

SPEAKER_06 37:51

Yeah, but I just I mean, were they so deadly back then that they just crushed people? This is like a saw sort of thing.

SPEAKER_04 37:57

So in a few years, when we get to cover H2O, like in the Halloween lineup, we will then have a definitive list of best dumb waiter kills. I think it comes up pretty often in horror.

SPEAKER_06 38:09

Oh, definitely. I've definitely seen it plenty of times. I feel like I can't really point it boiler room. Yeah, it's just one of those things that happens in horror movies. It's in a horror movie plot for sure. Just like tits. That's always a good way to say that.

SPEAKER_02 38:24

So my favorite death, you know, in a different timeline would have been the ending as well. But for me, it was like it when the crazy ant character ripped open the curtains and let all the sunlight in, I was like, first of all, that's dramatic and extra, you're doing the most. Um but I was like, okay, they're either gonna like burst into flames or explode right now. And then they exploded, and I was like, okay, now they're all gonna explode one by one. And then they did. So it didn't it didn't have the oomph for me that I wanted it to. But what did have some oomph for me, and I am using the word oomph, um, was when Andy McDowell was killed, the mom. Um, because I felt like her character was the most potent, complex, and venomous, uh, which I really enjoyed from Andy McDowell. Uh so watching her finally die at the hands of the bride, who it was actually, I believe, her only kill. The only time she actually killed somebody was when she killed the mom. Um, I felt like that that was the peak for the movie in my eyes, and that was my favorite kill.

SPEAKER_06 39:23

I love the dialogue that followed that, um, just because sometimes I will curse, especially if I stub a toe or something, and I will say things that like don't make sense. Yeah. So l yeah. So I'm like, fuck this fucking toe, this fuck, fuck. Like so, literally, excuse my French on this. When she was like, fuck your fucking family. I thought that was amazing. She was just like going on and just hitting her. I was like, this is perfect. This is actually something that would probably happen. Like, if this were real.

SPEAKER_04 39:51

My favorite death comes moments before that, and it is yeah, I have a differing opinion on like complex characters. For me, it was Adam Brody's character of Daniel, because he's first off, he's a coward. So even in his most redeeming moments, he can't really be fully redeemed. He can just be spared the fate of the rest of the family by getting shot. But when he died, I felt myself feeling a little bit of something for him because he did finally take a stance and kind of come through in the end. But to die in his brother's arm, to die in his brother's arms when he also cannot communicate that Grace did not kill him, right? You hear the gunshot happening. Um, you know, Alex is going through everything that he's kind of going through mentally. He walks in on his mother getting killed by her and she's saying, Fuck your fucking family. Um, and then he loses Daniel, which probably impacted him more emotionally than any other anything else in this movie. It was, it just made everything kind of ripe for Alex to turn the way he did. So he actually had my absolute favorite death.

SPEAKER_02 40:56

I feel that, Chris. It was definitely um a really significant death for Alex's character because the whole time you're sort of like, which side is he gonna land on? Especially after his mom gives him that like really biting uh bit of dialogue where he's like, Oh, I want to be better. She makes me think I can be better. And he she's like, I don't believe you, and you are actually gonna be the thing that I raised you to be, uh even though it's the worst possible thing you could raise a child to be. Um so yeah, losing the brother, I thought the same thing. I was like, Does he know that she didn't do it? And then when I realized that she did that he didn't know that she didn't do it, I was like, Can you please tell him you didn't do it so that he doesn't kill you because of it?

SPEAKER_04 41:34

Yeah, so I'm so glad you bring that up, Paris, because that little pep talk by mom was the the moment when it was revealed. When my girlfriend and I were watching it, she's like, I'm sorry, I just can't get behind this because it's ridiculous that he would subject her to like this fate or whatever. And I was like, well, well, you know, like if they've been together so long and you know, if it hasn't actually happened from what he can remember in his lifetime, the card never gets pulled, nobody actually is expecting it. Then it's reasonable to think like I can give her what she wants so I don't lose her. But then when the mom reveals that he's only known her for a year and a half, I was like, Well, what the fuck? Every defense I had for this movie just went out the window in that moment. For Ryan or Paris, was there a definitive moment similar to that that defined this movie as a hack for you?

SPEAKER_02 42:21

Um, in that same sort of uh line of narrative for the movie, in the begin like towards the beginning when Alex is explaining to Grace the circumstances, um, he says to her, If I told you, you would have left. And to me, I was like, That's so slimy because that's removing her ability to make a choice for herself and just taking all the responsibility for her without considering her. And I was like, Okay, you're a piece of shit, your family's a piece of shit. Uh, and then mostly it was just the whole rest of the movie that made it a hack for me. But that was like a point where I was like, uh no.

SPEAKER_03 43:00

Paris's hate for this movie is a little more intense than mine. For me, it's when they go with like the Satan, the table. It's just that whole like I understand this is this is what I said is the most predic unpredictable, predictable turn that they could have made is like a movie like this. It's almost either gonna be like what they think is gonna happen is unrealistic and they're actually just normal people and they just end up killing people for no reason, or it becomes this thing about like worshiping Satan. And I I it's just I hate it. I hate it in scary movies so much, and I hate it every single way that it's done. Um, like sometimes it's you know, a worship like there's just so many things I just don't like it, and I just can't get behind movies that just choose to make that decision at the end, and maybe that's my loss, and I'm cool with. That I just it turns me off so much that I can't remember anything good about the movie when that happens.

SPEAKER_06 44:06

I thought it was so clever though. Um I'm just Chris loves it. I thought it was clever. I was like, because I wasn't expecting it. I was like, they would, but this is great. Um Chris, did you get your Michael Myers vibes from that scene? Oh, okay. So is it like the curse of Michael Myers?

SPEAKER_04 44:26

The cult of Thorn. Uh, okay, yeah. I'm not not a big fan on like satanic worship, but I don't have an issue with it uh popping up in horror movies, especially when it's relevant to the plot. This, I will agree that doing the whole like hail Satan just felt like over the edge because who are they really worshiping, right? Like I thought they were just soul selling their soul to the spirit, which I guess is just the devil. I thought that part was a little bit over the edge, but I do think it's a hilarious commentary on how like some people can go to the extremes for these things that they believe in and don't even know if they're real. Now, I know that like would get into challenging like religious beliefs and things like that, but I thought that was about as smart as you could like look at this movie going, if that makes sense.

SPEAKER_06 45:14

Or rich people are in cults, like what is this, Illuminati or something?

SPEAKER_03 45:18

Like also that I think if anything, it could also be a commentary on like what people who are not rich think that rich people are doing, like you know, as a joke, like we just all think they're you know what do rich people raising, you know, Satan or whatever, but uh I don't know, I just hate it. And I know it's just me. It is what it is.

SPEAKER_01 45:38

I mean, you could say it's it's it's analogous to them, like in real life, just worshiping late stage capitalism, but God, you are so political all the time at any chance.

SPEAKER_03 45:48

It's great. And that could never misses an opportunity.

SPEAKER_01 45:52

For real though.

SPEAKER_03 45:53

Never, but also doesn't go too far.

SPEAKER_01 45:55

I try I try not to go too far with it.

SPEAKER_03 45:57

Lots of short and sweet comments.

SPEAKER_01 45:59

Yeah, short and sweet and and and to the point, just like me. Well, I'm average height, but still. I you know what, I I don't think I have a moment like you guys where like I had a distaste in my mouth for any of it. Uh, because I find that whole I don't know, the the occult and like Satan worship to me is is intriguing in movies, it's interesting when it's when it's used correctly, which is usually usually just sparingly. Like just give me like a little bit of it and I'm okay with that. Um because it just reminds me of that like whole like 19 what 70s and 80s like fear of of satanic worship where people legitimately thought satanic panic. Oh yeah. I mean it's such a ridiculous thing to be concerned about, but I think there's probably still a large portion of human beings on this earth right now that believe that the woes in our life are are legitimately caused by Satan worshippers. Um so it's it's kind of fun for them to pull it into this movie. But it's ridiculous. It's it's not reality. Rich people just are just human beings like anybody else, but um I I think it's good that they delivered on it at the end though, when they mentioned it at the beginning. I love like the opening sequence where we get to see all of like the board games and stuff with the obvious like Satan face on them. And we didn't get to see him in flesh or anything at the end of the movie. We got to see like a little spirit or nod or presence or something that was kind of silly. Um, but but kind of fun.

SPEAKER_04 47:22

He was just like, Oh, hello there, my lady. Like a little nice little head nod. Yeah, he's like I got your back.

SPEAKER_01 47:28

And it's it's you know, it was kind of like, hey, you know, thanks for helping me deliver on that promise I made to them. But I I think it's good to show that like their greed just grew and grew and grew over the years, and that uh you gotta pay the Piper in the end. So he collected.

SPEAKER_02 47:44

I do love the allegory that you're pulling from this Mac, and I definitely felt the same thing too while I was watching it. Um but another thing that really just drove me nuts was how many times they explained what this was, and there was a little more detail every time, but it was never satisfying because in the end it was literally our great grandfather built a board game empire by selling his soul to the devil, and we have to kill a bride once in a while to keep him happy. Um and I guess goats too. That was never explained, which was odd. Um it just felt loose, it felt like it explained too much while not explaining what I wanted. Um, and it was just it didn't get me there, it was unsatisfying.

SPEAKER_04 48:25

My take on the goats was that so the cards get pulled, right? And it could be checkers, it could be chess, it could be any number of those things. My impression was in the times when hide and seek isn't pulled, then they had to sacrifice a goat.

SPEAKER_03 48:40

Can we can can goats be freed from their ties to to being considered a part of Satanism all the time? Like goats just be out here trying to do stuff, you know? Goats and cows. Well, cows are more aliens, right?

SPEAKER_01 48:52

Um I mean we sacrifice cows all the time because burgers are delicious.

SPEAKER_03 48:55

But I'm just saying the goats are just out here trying to climb some hillsides, okay? But they're just constantly tied to this ritualistic lifestyle. They're just trying to live. I just want goats to be free. Free the goats.

SPEAKER_01 49:08

And and free the goats' milk.

SPEAKER_03 49:10

Uh only thing I know is goats' milk cheese.

SPEAKER_06 49:13

I'm gonna be honest, I think, I think goats are overrated. I did that uh in what form? Did you do goat yoga? Um, in yoga form. I did it, and they were like eating my clothes, eating my hair, oh shitting all over the yoga mat. I was like, why do white people do this?

SPEAKER_03 49:29

Yeah, white people do weird things with wild animals. Yeah, just free the goats, man. I'm just I'm just saying, don't don't do yoga with them and stop making them make everyone think that they're a part of a Satanistic.

SPEAKER_04 49:39

I want to talk about those goats for just a minute because yes, Ryan, they should be freed, but that whole scene, right, when she falls into the goat pit and then is trying to climb out, and then she gets another hole in her hand with the nail go with the hand going onto the nail after she's already had a hole blown through it. Her performance in that moment was top-notch for me because she sold that gore, she sold that bloody hand. What stood out to you folks is your favorite moment in this movie, dude?

SPEAKER_03 50:09

Margot Robbie killed that scene. It was amazing. Just kidding. Joking. Alexis thought I was serious.

SPEAKER_06 50:15

I was like, uh well, I hate that people give her the rap for being a B-list Margot Robbie. Like, she is who she is. Like she's dope.

SPEAKER_03 50:25

It's just insane that they look so similar. Yeah, that's true.

SPEAKER_02 50:27

Yeah, and they're hot at the same time. Like they're having like the peaks of their careers simultaneously, isn't really helping anybody. Um but Chris, that scene that you mentioned, I feel like that was a really obvious missed comedic opportunity because the whole time you're expecting her to like hurt her already like impaled hand on that nail. But what I really wanted to see was her to just reach for it, and then the nail just goes right through the hole, and she like surprisingly feels no pain because she already has a hole in her hand.

SPEAKER_06 50:55

That's too comedic. That's really too comedic. Yeah, that would have been a little bit too slapsticky.

SPEAKER_02 51:00

I don't know. I was like, this has gotta happen, and it didn't, so I was I was mad. Um, but the scene where she's slipping through the fence was definitely the the best gore for me because it was so up close. Um, and it was it looked very realistic, just the flesh being torn open by dull iron. Um, but I was also annoyed by that scene because there was visibly a wider part of the fence below her. Even the best gore was still like, did you have to do it though?

SPEAKER_04 51:26

That moment reminded me of Hell Knight and the 2018 Halloween because I love a good tall fence with a spike at the top.

SPEAKER_06 51:32

There you go. Usually I'm more specific on like a favorite thing or a favorite scene or a favorite element, but like I I just love Samara Weaving's like performance in this as Grace. I think you know, and it it's just cool just watching it from the beginning, be like, oh cool, this family's like kind of weird. Like, they're not like how I'd be put in. It's it's just weird. Like my family's kind of weird. So if I was in this family, I would be like, God, you know, and they're all talking behind her back and all this sort of stuff. And you just see, like, I mean, she's just great at the comedy, she's great at you know, those intense scenes like you were talking about, Chris. But then I I just love her at the end. Like, she's made it out and she's sitting there covered in blood, and she's just smoking a cigarette in her wedding dress. She's like, I mean, you like you you can imagine a police officer, and they're like, sh they're not gonna believe me. So I'm just gonna be like in-laws.

SPEAKER_03 52:30

So true.

SPEAKER_06 52:31

Okay. Also, what else could you even say at that point? Exactly, exactly. Well, uh, if you really want to know the short story, like what just happened here today?

SPEAKER_04 52:39

There are no bodies to recover, no skeletal remains. It's like, what do you even say? I did love her in the babysitter, so I was really excited to see her in this.

SPEAKER_06 52:47

Oh, is she the actual babysitter?

SPEAKER_04 52:50

She was the babysitter, yes.

SPEAKER_06 52:51

Oh, yes, that was a good one. That was a really good one. I like that movie. Also satanic.

SPEAKER_04 52:56

Yeah, but the roles are reversed, right? Like in that movie, she is a sacrificer. In this movie, she's the sacrificee.

SPEAKER_06 53:02

Oh, how the tables have spun.

SPEAKER_01 53:04

There's some good scenes to this movie. It's it's tough to pick one that I think like really stands out for me because there's so many that like are visually appealing and so many that are like fun to watch. But the scene where she's in the car and like is awake, and the family sees that she's awake, and then like starts to fight back against the butlerslash driver at that point was like so satisfying for them to s to have to watch her like fight back and and retain a little bit of a little bit of spark, as you know, they just assumed it was game over and it was gonna be really easy, and then she's like, Oh, I'm taking this car down.

SPEAKER_03 53:36

And then uh when the when she thinks she's finally got some hope, and then they're like, This car has been reported stolen.

SPEAKER_01 53:44

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_06 53:44

I thought that was a joke, like for a second. I was like, this doesn't sound like someone who is a professional on-star employee. Who knows?

SPEAKER_04 53:54

Hold on. That uh trip safe guy, Justin. He felt so real for like a call center employee who gets like verbally abused, sighs deeply, and says, Have a great night. Like I felt him, like for me, almost set almost like third best performance in the movie.

SPEAKER_01 54:09

Reminds me of the like the call center support that we got from from Cam.

SPEAKER_04 54:14

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_01 54:15

Just like that like learned helplessness, that apathy you feel after being bombarded with phone calls all day.

SPEAKER_02 54:20

One thing I do want to add about the pacing though, is it felt like somebody just kept like slamming on the brakes and then accelerating, then slamming on the brakes towards the end. And I was like, can we just not do that? Because it felt like one of those things where there were way too many fake out endings where it's like, oh, now she's hit over the head. Oh, now she's in the back of a car, oh now she's tied to a table, but she's gonna work her way out each time. Uh so it got old pretty quickly for me. I want to share a least favorite scene for me. Um, it's when she's in like the boiler room hallway, I don't know, in the basement with the wedding dress, and she like tears it off, like tears the tool off, and like puts on her Converse sneakers, and it's like she's ready for business. I hated that so much. I just felt like that song that was like, I don't give a damn it's a bamputation. I feel like that should have been playing in the background. And I was just like rolling my eyes. I was like, We get it, she's taking off her heels and buckling down to survive the night. It was just too on the nose for me.

SPEAKER_06 55:17

I mean, I'm glad they did that though, because yeah, because there's like so many stupid movies where people are running around at heels. I'm like, that's not real. Finally, someone was smart.

SPEAKER_02 55:25

Yeah, I mean, like, she definitely shouldn't have worn the heels. Just the way they did it felt like a bad like makeup.

SPEAKER_06 55:30

I wish they would have made it in blue, because that would have been her something blue.

SPEAKER_04 55:34

Now the blue is her eyes. See, I think one of the best successes that this movie had was actually its characters, because even the most ridiculous ones were still pretty good to me. They were this exceptional mix of being caricatures of themselves while also being likable in some respects. Even being one of the arguably the worst persons in the movie was Daniel's wife, and she still had this like rags to riches, I don't want to give it up kind of situation happening. I absolutely loved them, and I felt like even the villains, I almost at some points was rooting for them. And it begs the same question that we had in Cabin in the Woods, which is like, when other people's lives are in your hands, what would you do? The word caricature is perfect, Chris.

SPEAKER_03 56:19

That's like exactly what this movie is. It's not like a parad uh a parody comedy, it's not over the top so much, but it's like a caricature of something else that you've seen before almost. But and that's exactly what these characters had to be for them to be playing hide and seek to kill somebody. And it they I think that they worked so well.

SPEAKER_01 56:39

It did. It was like watching Clue, or I guess playing Clue as well, where like each character is super distinct and recognizable. And that like while you're watching, that's all I can think of.

SPEAKER_02 56:49

Chris, I did really appreciate Daniel's wife. Um, one because of her perfectly sharpened bob.

SPEAKER_04 56:54

I knew you would like her. I saw her, and I was like, 'Paris is all over this. He's gonna hate the movie, but he's gonna love her.

SPEAKER_02 57:00

Absolutely, because she was one of the few people that like really like stuck to her guns the whole time. She's like, This is this is who I am, this is what I'm here to do, and I'm not gonna waver from that at any point. Whereas everybody else was like really playing up like the I'm conflicted about what's going on, and all some of them were even confused about what was going on. Um but overall I felt like it was like an ensemble performance of a bunch of like B-list actors, and like none of them really gave like a stellar performance, but they did enough to like make me chuckle at times, make me feel bad at times, but nothing potent enough for me to really uh feel much of anything at all.

SPEAKER_01 57:39

I don't know if I could get on board with that. You know, I I didn't I didn't feel that way, that's why I can't get on board with that feeling. I can understand that you have that feeling. Um, but I I felt that they were again like pretty distinct and they had like this, I don't know why I feel like feel like sarcasm, but they had this like really like worn out, like sarcastic feeling to all of them. Like they're going through this crazy lifestyle of being a Satan worshipping rich family, but they're kind of over it each in their own way, but they still have to go through the motions, so they're going to. So it would make a really ridiculous sitcom if anyone wants to go ahead and make something like that. But um, you know, I I appreciated the fact that we didn't see a bunch of super well-known actors in this movie because I think they would have added too much spice.

SPEAKER_03 58:27

It would have been knives out then. Yeah, I was just about to say that. It literally would have been knives out, but like darker.

SPEAKER_01 58:34

Yeah, so I'm glad that we got to focus on the main character the most. Like they were the ones we really could connect with the most. Uh, because you know, the the main character in this movie is is pretty darn fierce. Um, but you know, she's also loving and understanding and everything as as well. But when she realizes that stuff, you know, that this this is a rotten soup to jump into, she she gets out. She she throws on those those yellow chucks, and I and I gotta I gotta appreciate the yellow. I know you would have preferred a different color, but you don't see yellow every day, so I like it.

SPEAKER_03 59:04

Yeah, it's literally the sun. You see it every single day.

SPEAKER_01 59:07

I don't look at the sun. I don't obviously you can tell I'm very pale, so I don't see the sun very often, but it sees you.

SPEAKER_04 59:13

I do love when we're talking about like some of the some of the talent that's in this movie. The funniest moment to me, and one of the most successful side characters, was Fitch, who had the opportunity to be super annoying, but I loved that he was just hanging out in the bathroom at all times, watching a YouTube video on how to use a crossbow, or looking up packs with the devil, real or bullshit. Like that was hysterical to me. Also, the actor who's playing who plays him is named Christian. And how do you spell Christian? You spell it with a K. And uh well done to him. I'm a big fan.

SPEAKER_06 59:46

There you go. Yeah, he was my favorite, and then at the end, like he's like talking himself into like killing this person, you know. I feel like if I were in this, I would probably be like him, like just googling things. If I was in this movie, who who do you think I'd be?

SPEAKER_03 1:00:00

You'd be the wife that married in, and you're on board with killing the person. Okay, also, probably a fact. Whatever you gotta do, you're doing it. Yeah, I want that money. I want that money. Listen, we didn't sign up for no reason. Apple products are expensive, okay, guys? Who would Ryan be? I would be watching the YouTube videos, but I wouldn't be watching them the night of. I'd be not there. Gotcha. You wouldn't be like preparing, like doing your homework beforehand. Either I'm prepared and I show up, or I don't show up.

SPEAKER_06 1:00:29

You're like, how do I play Yahtzee? Also, this would be killer if it was Twister. That would be fun kills.

SPEAKER_04 1:00:36

Who would Paris be? I felt like Paris would be Daniel's wife.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:39

I I claim that too, and I offer up Alexis as the uh butch aunt who was jaded and really running gung-ho with this whole narrative of the the ritual.

SPEAKER_04 1:00:51

Auntileen, the moment we see her, hysterical with her hair.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:56

What was that? You want to talk about a caricature? What was that? That wig, those eyebrows.

SPEAKER_06 1:01:02

Yeah, she was amazing at the end when she's like, Well, fuck it, we're still gonna kill her. Like, whether it was a before she got blown up.

SPEAKER_04 1:01:10

I love when she was like, pick and choose, pick and choose, pick and choose, and like, yes, everybody picks and chooses everything these days. What are you gonna do?

SPEAKER_02 1:01:18

I did think that they did a really good job of casting uh a younger version of her because when they flashed back to reveal that the opening scene was actually her wedding and it was her husband that was killed, I was like, oh, that looks exactly like her.

SPEAKER_04 1:01:30

I will say moments of satisfaction. Uh, we already talked about how I found Fitch absolutely hilarious. Um, I also loved the fact that Grace punched the hell out of that kid. It's like you don't see kids suffer enough consequences in movies when they're just little brats. So for him to get decked in the goat bay in the goat bay, I loved that.

SPEAKER_03 1:01:50

That was pretty enjoyable.

SPEAKER_06 1:01:51

I know. I was like, uh-huh, and I love this. I appreciate the movie for punching someone and then on being dead, like in some movies we've seen. I'm like, oh, that's definitely not a kill.

SPEAKER_04 1:02:00

My last note that I absolutely loved was again on Helene, who I think honestly might be one of my other favorite characters. This woman approaches her and she's like, brown haired niece, you continue to exist. I'm like, yes, I feel that energy so much. She's like a the acknowledgement of existence. And that's all you want to give that person.

SPEAKER_06 1:02:20

I loved it because that um actress was also in um Saw. And I just remember because I recently watched them all.

SPEAKER_04 1:02:27

One of the cool things about this movie is uh just how rich its story is, even though it feels so familiar. Um, I think one of the one of the things that comes down to it is the quote from this movie: you'll do pretty much anything if your family says it's okay. And as someone who grew up very close to their family, I felt that in a real way. I'm lucky that my family's not a bunch of psychopathic murders. But I do think that that is a lesson that can be learned. Sometimes you have to leave the nest, sometimes you have to experience the world and uh see what the world has to offer. But let's see what Mac has to offer other factor fiction.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:02

You know what? Tonight we're gonna do things a little bit differently. I'm gonna ask a question per person. Does that sound fair?

SPEAKER_03 1:03:07

Sure. Just change the rules, no big deal.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:10

Just just for tonight, just for tonight. So who's gonna go first?

SPEAKER_02 1:03:12

I'll go first because I'm the prettiest.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:14

You're gonna go first. Okay. Speaking of the prettiest, Samara Weaving, who plays Grace, is often confused with Margot Robbie. And Margot Robbie was even considered for the same role.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:24

I'll say fact because it felt like a lot of people were considered for these roles and they couldn't get them, so they settled for who they got.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:30

One, ouch. But two, yes, this is a fact. She was considered for the role.

SPEAKER_06 1:03:35

Interesting, because they didn't have that many popular people on here. So here we are again.

SPEAKER_03 1:03:40

What does the word considered mean?

SPEAKER_01 1:03:41

Considered can mean many things.

SPEAKER_03 1:03:43

Because it can literally just mean someone went, mmm, it'd be cool if we could get Margot Robbie, and then that was like one thought and it never came back. They didn't track.

SPEAKER_04 1:03:50

Uh usually it doesn't make it to trivia if that's all it is. Yeah. I just want to clarify, Mac cannot be trusted. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:58

You can trust me.

SPEAKER_04 1:03:59

His algorithm's been recalibrating. It's fine. He's learning, he's doing better. You're right, actually.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:04

One day I will understand human emotion. Just you wait. So awesome, Paris, you got a point. Who's up next?

SPEAKER_06 1:04:09

I'll go.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:10

Adam Brody, who plays Daniel. Actually stabbed a producer with a prop knife, thinking it was retractable.

SPEAKER_06 1:04:16

He was goofy in that show he was with was Misha Barton. So um The OC. The OC, yeah. I was like Laguna Beach. No, the OC. So I'm gonna say fact.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:27

We've got another winner. You are correct, it is a fact. Um the producer actually received stitches and came back to work afterwards.

SPEAKER_06 1:04:33

Damn, he's probably like, I don't care, celebrity stabbed me. We're good.

SPEAKER_04 1:04:36

Alright, so Paris drew chess, Alexis drew clue. Let's see if Ryan pulls out hide and seek. It feels like it's gonna be hide and seek.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:44

Let's find out. Stephen King disapproved of the film, stating it was a horrid rehashing of played out ideas.

SPEAKER_03 1:04:49

I mean, it could easily you know what I'm saying? It could just be one or the other. Uh I'm gonna go fact.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:58

This is fiction. So Stephen King enjoyed it, as well as Arl Stein, Guillermo Totoro, and other people involved in the horror community. Um, start running now. Don't just because you got one question wrong doesn't mean I'll give you uh no chances. I'll give you one more chance. Let's let's talk about those yellow chucks. So they don't make those anymore, so they had to hand paint them or paint them in some way uh for this movie.

SPEAKER_03 1:05:20

Is this am I the only one that gets so Oh yeah, this is your redemption? This is what lets me know if I'm gonna have to run from here or not. Yep. I'm gonna go fiction because why is any of this important? Which means it's probably a fact.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:33

It is a fact, so start right. Yeah, so they don't they don't they don't make those those yellow commerce anymore, so they did have to paint some up I was gonna say, I don't think I've ever seen any. Yep. Um I'm a fan of the green ones personally and the orange ones. Uh but I'd settle for some red ones.

SPEAKER_03 1:05:47

But can't you get like custom made isn't it like vans, like you can just get 'em w how you want 'em, no?

SPEAKER_01 1:05:52

They do I think they do have like a customized option.

SPEAKER_03 1:05:54

Seems like they went the lazy route.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:56

I mean, I don't know. Maybe the yellow isn't available, the yellow they wanted. I don't know. Yeah, who knows? But um so effectively Ryan's gonna start uh running away at this point. Uh Alexis and I are gonna go ahead and get our weapons of choice. Um I'm gonna not go with the crossbow because I learned my lesson, and that was factor fiction.

SPEAKER_04 1:06:12

Thank you so much for that factor fiction, Mac. Always good to learn a little bit about the movie, and there you have it, folks, ready or not, from the year 2019. While it may have earned an 88% rating from all Google users, uh it only earned three slashes from us, and we got two hacks. Now, again, this movie is streaming on HBO, so if you're one of the ones who listens to the whole episode without watching the movie, check it on the HBO. Now you have all the spoilers. Uh, and also keep in mind that we want to know what your thoughts are on this movie. There are a number of ways you can reach out to us, starting with our website, hackerslash.com, and on our social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.

SPEAKER_03 1:06:48

You can also hit us up at the Hackerslash Hotline. We would love to hear if you have some crazy in-law stories. Our number is 757-606-0128, and you can text us, call us, or leave us a voicemail or an audio message like Carla did last week.

SPEAKER_01 1:07:02

And if you're ready or not, you can send us an email to feedback at hackerslash.com.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:07

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SPEAKER_04 1:07:16

We'll see you next time.