Toys w/ Drew McWeeny (HDTGM Matinee)

Imagine a less charming and more preachy Willy Wonka. We saw toys, so you know what that means Hello people of earth and welcome to how did this get made I am Paul Shear joined as always by Jason men's Lucas. How are you Jason? I'm good Paul. How are you very good and June Diane? Oh, she is not here. Sorry I'll do hello Paul. How are you? Unfortunately, you cannot be here today. It's very sad, but there's no conspiracy All right, and we have a very or is there Guys get or is there maybe maybe the June with her back turned photo in last week's picture June is dead Is just part of this Oh Man oh man, okay. I was gonna talk about this. Well, okay. We're not worth it not worth it We are joined by a very special guest He requested this movie as a matter of fact, please welcome Drew McQueenie You know him from his website hit fix I'm a huge fan of him and I've begotten the chance to bump into him many times over the year You are a true film fan amazing film writer and we're very excited to have you Thank you, man very good to be here and but fuck you for making me watch this movie. I do Right up front. I say I'm sorry. Oh boy Drew sent me a list of movies that we could talk about and And each one of them were were great and I'm sure we'll steal some of them for the show This one definitely jumped out at me because it was 1992 when this came out as a kid I love comedy. I love Robin Williams and I was like this is like You know and this is like the era of time when Robin Williams was blonde I feel like that was a couple movies or at least I don't know my mind and I was excited to see this movie and I remember Being so confused Leaving it. Oh, yeah, and and I just didn't know what to expect and this movie. I Does I mean it's still confusing. This is an insane movie. I just to give you some background on it Barry Levinson wrote and directed this movie or co-wrote and directed this movie took him 10 years What yeah, yeah This is I feel like this movie if you had equally had said oh Barry Levinson had 104 fever for two days and he wrote this movie. I'd be like yep I believe it. This is this is the crazy part this script for like 15 years was on every list of the best Unproduced screenplays in really everybody love this thing There were people who wrote about it constantly and it was gonna be his first film before diner. Oh, really? That's how long he was literally literally they ran out of the money and he went made diner instead and thank God Cuz his career if this had been the first thing I would have been done. There would have been no Barry Levinson Oh, absolutely. Yeah, it's crazy because this movie. I mean you want to talk about plot or I mean like there's no the play It's I wrote at one point. I was like well They don't care about pace because like the first seven scenes are it's not really long and just like well It starts with a ballad. Oh, it starts with a musical number. That's a ballad. Oh, just like hit him hard Christmas ballad. Yeah, so it's really sugary. It's a nutcracker light I was like are they trying to make this like a Christmas movie? Nope. No, it's like it's always crit I mean, I just didn't quite I mean, I don't even I guess at the root of this movie I mean, let's I'll just set up the basic premise There's a very a very famous toy factory how you do this a very famous toy factory called Zivo and is run by a Wonderful man a very loving a man who celebrates innocence. He has two children Robin Williams and junk you sack they also are very equally loving and open and love toys and The guy who runs the factory. He has a brother who is a British general now He's an American general. Yes, he has a British ex this and is resentful of his I was like, could you really did you have to hire Michael Gambon? Was that it? Well, that was my question to hire Michael Gambon. I don't know why my question is was it like a chicken before like was it like Was it in the script as a British actor and then they would and then I wonder about the LL cool J casting because there's a whole other level of I'm sorry. What yes So the American who has a British accent also as a black son Yep, who is LL cool J whose mother was evidently a Vietnamese spy at one point who looked enough like Jane Fonda No, no, it's you look like Jane. She was right. She was a right guy. Well, she went into show shoe for our side Yes, yes, yes. Yeah, right. Oh my god So again, you see the movie getting off track, but basically it's two brothers one's a peaceful loving toy maker the other is a Hardcore general and the peaceful toy maker dies the general takes over and starts making war toys and that is basically The end and all of the end of the movie, which is yeah, that's the premise toy people versus People who are making war I think like in the beginning when you said like that I think the thing to keep in mind on top of that is that the entire movie takes place in a kind of Wonka-esque universe where everything is a toy ever like houses the houses are pop-up books Yeah, you know everything is like everything is fantastical and I'm gonna Mispronounce his name, but it's a Magritte, which is I guess so it's very heavily influenced by Magritte's work And it like in the look of it and it's it is Beautiful, yeah, I feel like though if he saw the film he would probably break his hand slapping Like cuz it is such a weird appropriation of his work. It's really it. Yeah, it's it's not I mean It's almost like you know, I wonder if that painting could talk and if it did it was bad I don't want to hear that Not only do I get to hear that painting talk I get to hear it sing like a bad talking heads or By the way the author of that song Thomas Dolby. Oh, there you go. Also composed the Howard the duck song of course a Classic song that we revisited just a little crazy Jamie Gertz look alike at the beginning that sings is right who is it? That's Wendy from Wendy and Lisa. Oh, is it from Lisa? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, that's funny Wendy Strange are you ready? Yes, Lisa. Oh my god, and and by the way, I'm jumping ahead I'm gonna write that one. I'm holding on to Yeah, so this movie the way I also think about is it's a comedy. I guess I mean It's trying to be but it's like imagined as a drama like that's how I kind of it's like it's sort of like Because it's kind of trying to be a comedy 40 minutes in the middle where I counted not one attempt at a joke Like they don't even try for a stretch, which is yeah, strangest choice It's and Robin Williams Okay, like Robin Williams character in this movie is a very innocent young, you know idealistic man who then all of a sudden is Making jokes much though. Yeah, it turns out you think he would yeah, he's almost like a really weird Child like Peter Pan type character, but then he like wants to get laid and he Robin Wright fuck And you hear it and that this movie by the way not for kids not for kids It looks like it's a movie that's for kids It's like big and poppy and bright and toys and ob-ob-ob-ob, but it is not even remote Like there are multiple sex scenes in this movie the sex scene by the way And I think we listen to him loses virginity at one point which is the creepiest thing that ever happened a hundred percent Yeah, and by the way Robin Wright really gave it up quick. She was like he's like I want to be hugged And she's like Trump. Let me take off that shirt. Yeah, whoa Can I stay here tonight? And she's like how about looking at my titties now at that point in the movie Robin Williams has his kind of started to figure out that the the bad brother is making war toys and I thought for sure that that sex scene was a diversion because they were being watched by a camera Jamie Foxx by the way in his first ever on-screen role watching Robin Williams hump Robin Wright right pen And I thought oh that brought over the thing. No, no, no, it's just a sex scene. Yeah It's there's nothing there to it But the craziest part of that whole explanation is that evidently Donald O'Connor hired her specifically hoping she might end up fucking his son Yes, and Donald O'Connor is a nice brother. Yeah is the dad is like the biggest lawsuit in the universe just waiting to happen And then it finally does and he's creepy and gross. He not only he not only hires her he says to her According to her you're really gonna let my son's really gonna like you. Yeah And then Joan Cusack when he see what she sees that Robin Wright and and she goes oh He finally found her I was like It's it's appropriate that he makes that crazy Michael Jackson joke because this is that same mix of supposed innocence and creepy sex predator Yeah, it's perfect But there's something funny about him in the sense that Robin Williams again I feel like at certain points about just improvise have fun with this because his character drops I mean again his character is all over the place, but his character makes Robin Williams s jokes But then for that you pull the Did you pull the Gettysburg address? Yes? Yes, today I think we can get to later But like that is the quintessence of fuck you Robin Williams for doing I have a lot of the songs from the movie as well If we ever want to dig into that Their first lunch scene feels like they must have shot like six hours of them flirting and all of it is him doing bits Awful and her laughing which is such a like a sign of a bad comedy movie I hate that thing where it's like the funny guy with the cock girl on the hot girls You're funny and that's how they they connect. Yeah, it's worse than that when he walks in smoking. Oh, yeah Sack actually goes smoke. That's funny Underline it just we didn't know it was And I love there and there's also like some weird like I mean I I not one to pick on the Fantastical elements of the movie because obviously yes their house is a story book that opens in a plane You know, but then they're you know, it's I'm not gonna pick on that kind of stuff But the visuals a lot of the visuals I will legitimately say are amazing. Yes, they're beautiful Really beautiful visual stuff happens in this movie And I remember the trailer kind of selling the that yeah element of it And it looked like wow, that's kind of remarkable to look at and I kind of I mean by the way We played this on the mini episode one of the trailers for the movie is just Robin Williams in like a field going Hello, I'm Robin Williams and I think you should see the movie Oh Voices advertising the movie with no clips just doing crazy Robin Williams voices I think that was in theaters right at the same time that Aladdin was out So he was at an all-time high where it was like Robin can do no wrong and let him riff and I think that's what that was trying to That's yeah, okay, it's really really nuts because I was like my basic question was I get it's fantastical But what's the baseline? What is the real thing? What's not the real thing because it just I didn't know if there was a real world outside of this world like didn't seem If there is we barely see it. Yeah, you don't see and we never leave There is nothing juxtaposed to their world right there We never leave their kind of idyllic weird world The only time you leave it is when the kids are in their military training programs and they're clearly bombing and destroying Major metropolitan cities that look like ours. So like so there is a real there must be yeah Yeah, there's just basically a very large field. It's like a Microsoft or Apple campus But only with like one very small building on it that has a Elephant blowing bubbles out of its nose I think one of the things that and you guys have done a couple of these now one of the biggest gambles You can do is this kind of world-building movie. Yes, because when it goes wrong It's nothing but trouble or you don't Nash or it's this where Nothing about the world is interesting nothing works and it's such a mess Before you even get to what's happening in it. Oh completely. And by the way this movie took ten months To make no very long time. That right? Yeah ten months Oh, and I feel like that that that thing they were talking about with how many mayonnaise sandwiches Do you think you have to eat at that time? Joan Q sec her character trait is she likes sandwiches. You like sandwiches that are just bread Sometimes two slices of bread with mayonnaise, but that's it. Well, well here. Let's order another sandwich This clip right here Turkey chicken salad shrimp salad You know Joe, I'm very disappointed that you never once had an applesauce sandwich on your menu Apple sauce Me see all this time when you will get all soggy. Oh, I don't mind. I'll make you one tomorrow. Okay? Okay. Thank you very much That's a scene from this movie movie. It's not It's not like Something we recorded to poke fun at how bad this movie is that is actual dialogue that apparently took ten years to write There was a script supervisor behind the camera going yep, we got it There's a cut angles on that That was cool again when they were looking at the two-hour length they were like no leave that scene in does it pay off? No, oh, no, we never see her eat an applesauce sandwich Yeah, that guy lied to her in and almost every scene especially in the middle I have no idea what they connect to or why they're there There's so many scenes that are like them sitting on the couch doing the woozy helmet Yeah, which plays no part at the end of the film. No, the woozy helmet They they put it like three times so you know it exists. That's the thing is nothing. It does nothing comes back Yeah, you know like all of they mean like he's got the smoke jacket Which could have been used later in the movie when they go to war the sound effects jacket the the Helmet they fake fake puke and diarrhea although that did make me laugh Did you like the novelty test for there going out in the field and testing that was so stupid? It was like they're in a room there like in an R&D room watching like like old like eight Like almost like a eight millimeter footage of like Robin Williams wearing very big ears in a supermarket We're testing out the big ears. Yeah, what is he just walking around the supermarket like what I just I Mean that is like just a great dumb thing. It's like oh, yeah, they test out these things Like the idea that it took him to that just the more I think about the idea that it took very long It's a ten years to make to write this makes me depressed Because this is what he came up with well to me. It's like but what is this movie? He was honing with the but for a minute like I would say from after the first couple of scenes Which are very long But you are set up that the military guy wants to make military toys and Robin Williams does not want to make that and then There is no other Plot complication really I think that's why they give so much time to the Robin Wright pin thing because why not they need to do Something to kill time that's their B story and the B story is not really there's no real obstacle He meets her they fall in love Instantly and then they consummate it just a couple scenes later and then at the end it's cool It's like there's that it's just kind of like flowing. You're just kind of like ah look at like why does she dress like a crazy person? Why do they I mean they all dress like I just like share from a clueless? I felt like you're Robin Wright. Yeah, but it's one point. She's wearing like a Scottish out like like a eccentric Tamo shanty Yeah, everybody else is like normal and in wearing like all the other toy people are wearing like lab coats and blah blah blah And she's dressed like a fucking maniac like a like in what point she's wearing like a sergeant pepper's jacket or something I was like what the fuck is well. She's in charge of the duplication room The the duplicate I do have that scene as well LL cool J And now this is what I'll tell you that I remembered from the movie thinking LL cool J was Hilarious, I was like I was like I love the fact that he disappears He's like in the wall. I could basically LL cool J is a very Highly trained military guy. He can blend into anything. He's and I just thought LL cool J was cool the best super cool and And and now I did not hold up for me. No, I thought he was like full of laughs Oh, yeah, no, I mean this movie This movie I don't I don't even know I want to dig into it And I'm just like I just keep on thinking back to scenes like the scene with LL cool J and Michael Gambon around the fire talking about Michael Gambon coming up with the idea of drone ships like that's basically the premise of the movie He's like I'm gonna create little drones. It drones our current military drones were inspired by somebody watching this movie That's what I said this movie. Yeah, this is this is it This is the this is the foreshadowing Barry Levinson was right. It was took 12 me figured it out Breakups that is a tricky one That's why EE is the only major provider who give you up to 300 pounds to switch You'll get full fiber, but you'll also get EE's most powerful Wi-Fi 7 as standard So the whole house can do more like streaming that series watch to work calls stay crystal clear switch to EE today Up to 300 pounds credited to your EE account verify at EE.co.uk slash claims new BT group customers only 62% availability terms apply Man, oh man I wonder if there was ever a draft of this that was more normal that was more like a strange love that actually understood toys and war toys and Because it seems like that would be maybe interesting Well, but then you layer all this other stuff on top and it just gets so busy that you can't even get to that Here's my issue with with movies about toys in general and not like toy story But like movies that are Santa movies They're never making the toys that most kids play with nobody would play with these the nightmare machines There's yeah, they really are crazy. Oh speaking of nightmare machines They do one thing where they're testing out like one doll and they're pulling it by all the arm Oh, it's the last temptation of Barbie Robin Williams makes that joke. It's like alright So in this world the last temptation of Christ exists. Yeah, he has seen it and he is familiar with it So again, where's the fucking baseline? Is the innocent where is reality? Yeah, you know He's cuz he's got a million. He does a million weird red like Robin Williams references Yes, that I'm like what the fuck is it like has he ever been outside this compound and if he's hyper innocent How does he have all of this in his head? Yes, it seems like there's no way he's this innocent naive Yeah, well with all this also bouncing around making dick jokes the next second I mean, it's like that's the other thing too. I guess why the devil puppet has got to be the creepiest thing Oh my god. Oh, I want to get laid. Yeah, that's so wrong on every level and he was carrying it around just in case Just to make the reference it looks like oh, yeah Talking her he's clearly she's riding her bike home and he drives right and he's like Hey, you know, he's like a real perv. Oh, it's it's it's super creepy and again We'll say the movie is called toys The logo for the film has like rubber duckies on it and stuff like that. It is not a movie for children I swear to God. I think every single person in this movie is on the spectrum Jay is just thinking about the vegetables on his plate. How weird was that? And I don't want this touching that I don't want this touching that that was a military man I like a military plate. Yes, by the way, I was saying that that is a military plate. Does that exist? Is that a real thing? I was actually saying that that was my go-to monologue when I was the auditioning for theater Because it was so like prepare it was so like I don't like this touching that I don't like this I was such a like like I feel like like you really got into the meat of that scene Let's hear LL Cool J intergate Robin Wright pen in the in the duplication room Are you miss corn Tyler? We're doing some routine questions. We'd like you to cooperate. All right, okay There's any duplicating going around here when you're not present Yeah, maybe do you duplicate alone? I think that's kind of personal question Why are you laughing? Yeah, are you taking my duplication investigation seriously? Are you disrespecting my duplication? Investigation no, no, I'm not I'm not disrespecting. I'm just saying that there's no real way I can check, you know because I leave at a certain time. I I'm not duplicating it's taking place and when duplicating takes place That means there's more than one and maybe two or three mistop two three or four what? These are scenes these are lines these actors memorized They've said them in front of Barry Levinson the writer director and he was like, yeah, just like I wanted it Thanks guys. Yeah, and like that Hearing these scenes without the visuals make it even crazy Because it really is it's like what is the purpose of that scene again? Something that doesn't come back The duplication room is it just word play? Is that what that why is that that funny? I think that's what it is I think that's just like it's meant to be funny word play meant to be maybe I don't know I don't know because otherwise I don't know what the point of the scene is that his investigation never yields anything. No, she never duplicates anything Nobody no duplication He's not even like a thing in the movie and that by the way you would think Any of you would think anything would come back or they would use that duplication room at the end when they have the war of the bad Toys and the good toys there's so many things They also felt like we're fixed in ADR to like they like there's one scene where Michael Gambon is out there talking to LL Cool Jay and they're like having this heart to heart and He's talking about his dream to get children to fly airplanes and massacre people And they would be the new military and he's doing this impassioned speech and then all of a sudden these flares They're going off in the sky not only do flares go off, but then we lose him in the sound mix completely So you gambones going? The background and there's flares from nobody and they're smoking. He's on a it's the weirdest staging He's clearly not launching those flares clearly flares coming from and then all of a sudden you hear like this 80-yard line from Bob Williams like always carry a flare. It's like wait No, no, no wait, I thought Michael Gambon adr that line no Michael Robin Williams says a flare line underneath it No, Robin Williams. I rewound it. So like Rob like in my mind. It was like, oh, he's also in the field No, I thought whoa, that's weird cuz he would see no, I thought it was Michael Gambon who had looped that oh that's I'm like 90% pop cuz I rewind it cuz it's like cuz I rewind it cuz I was like where are these flasks coming from because you would Show him. Oh, no, I saw I thought the exact because I thought in my mind I was I thought they were fire crack fireworks. Yes Yes, I thought he was like giving this like big and passion kind of rah rah rah military speech and fireworks start going off And I was like, oh, okay, so there's fireworks going off Well, maybe you were really just a bit maybe this is just a bit of man. Oh, you know what in this fucking movie I'll buy a bit of my magical realism. Whatever. I don't why I don't know what's happening Wouldn't there be fireworks and then somebody I thought my game mom goes always always carry a flare gun or whatever And I was like whoa, whoa wait To me I thought that was like the they were bridging the date scene with Robin Williams and Robin Wright pen They're gonna go back over to them cuz I don't know but there's also just moments like I mean Robin Williams also There's so many things about this movie I have a question. Yes, please the scene early on where they're all working and you see the factory floor and they play that awful Tory Amos song Mm-hmm. They're all dancing to yes So they're obviously listening to it on the factory and they're singing along and they're singing along So then when Michael Gambo takes over suddenly there's the hip-hop remix of that song Yes, are they playing that in the factory too and is that to let them know that I'm a bad guy and that everything is changed And it's awful assuming yeah weird is that because those people are all singing along in the beginning Which I thought was very strange so he actually went in himself Remix the song that they listened to and then started playing that on the factory well as much as much as much as he Got them to make a camouflage clown costume for him as well Oh, yeah, he also went from being a military man He outfitted all of his people to be like pretend Nazis and then he put on a like a colorful Military man outfit. He's got like a yeah, he's got like fatigues that are the color the camouflage colors are bright Poppy toy colors. Yes. So it looks like those conversations. Yes. We had to watch terrible conversations. Why not those at least? I mean because he I mean Because also it also goes against everything that he's setting up because when you're in his office His office is taking out all the color and putting up stark black and white almost Propaganda like images in his office of war, but then he's in this colorful thing and he's running over people Do you want to hear the happy workers song for a second? We'll just hear a second of it Oh So that goes on for like four minutes It goes on for four minutes And this is what everybody this is the presumption because then you see people singing along with it on the factory floor The presumption is this plays all day. Yeah constantly there it is like it is like a weird Schwartz world and these people and by the way these people are coming in workers don't live there They're coming in because that's when they take over the factory. They're being scanned and outfitted and everything like that So yeah, they're going in. This is an insane asylum like this is yeah paid to go to every day Yeah, they're going there. They're like I gotta go to fucking work Oh, I gotta sing that song all day and then have an apple saw sandwich I'm gonna kill myself you said FAO Schwartz. How much do you want to bet when Robin Williams? Delivers that oh, yeah, FAO Schwartz got flying. What do you bet Barry? High-fiving oh that was like that is that line is you're like the whole thing exists for that that line. It's so not worth it It's a longest drive possible to get there. I feel short Well, I do want to bring up if I you know drew you might actually run into JJ Abrams So I think this is a great chance for you to ask him did he steal that mission impossible for gag from this movie? I was gonna say yeah, it's the hallway gag is exactly The last movie yes, it's just the good version that doesn't somehow involve a terrible music video Why don't the okay, let's use explain it and then I've got real questions TV logo the MTV logo and Robin Williams needs to break into the bad guy's side of the factory because he's taking over the factory slowly But surely and they come up with an idea that they just go ooh MTV That's the answer. How are you gonna get it? They're asked how are you gonna get into the restricted area? MTV what no by the way also going against the morals of these characters because you wouldn't think that these characters are watching MTV seen a television never so they create an elaborate thing where they just like mission impossible for Set out a screen in a hallway Where the security hallway is and anyone who can help me out to describe this and then they are broadcasting a video on that screen but To just what this is all to distract the security camera which they have planted a fake MTV logo on so it would say like Secure it secure it's like you guys the two guys who are sitting at the security desk are looking at a bank of monitors You don't realize one of them suddenly changes completely and the one that the monitor Is there for you area? Yeah suddenly is MTV just suddenly has an MTV logo on it It's changed the must be MTV must be MTV and they go I guess it's part of the cable and the other guy goes we have cable Now meanwhile again, what these are security cameras. These are not broadcast These are not TVs if you are at your what if you are at your cubicle right now and listening to this Just imagine all of a sudden someone just putting an MTV logo on the bottom of your computer Yeah, you would not be confused that your computer is no longer You wouldn't look at it a thing a screen you've looked at for a long time. You wouldn't look at it and be like huh MTV is MTV now so that was their big plan to create an MTV music video now Here's my version of that plan which is just bypass the cords and broadcast a signal on it That is MTV. No, they're doing a live I got a better one for you then they get in front of the screen to perform Instead of using that time to sneak into something Williams it's Robin Williams and Joan Cusack two people who are their prefer they're performing as Yolanda and somebody else You're like in Steve Yolanda and Steve is the name of the group Barry gave himself. I'm sure They're performing their hit song whatever and the two security guards are into it and they don't seem to recognize That the two people who are the owners son and daughter who are the Most important people at this company are Yolanda and Steve they never say hey, isn't that uh What's his name and who's MacGusie? There's only two people that are it would be like I was thinking I wrote this down It would be like if Obama put on a red hat. Yeah, like oh, who's that gentleman singing on MTV? Obama he didn't do anything different We all know who these people are They are they are the head the figureheads of this company now I want to this is what I want to try and explain okay, so so so when they push the screen in front of They push the screen in front so that the so that they can mask what they so they can go behind a door behind them, right? Yes And when they push the screen in front the first image that's projected onto the screen is a mirror image of the door Yes of the hallway in the door, so it looks unchanged now get the net by the way the mission impossible version Exactly, you just now rather than just leave that so when the guys look at the camera What they're looking at is like the same security feed and it looks fine Yes, they could have gone and done way more super sleuthing and spine Yes, they take ten minutes to perform an MTV style music video that would have never played on MTV Never played on MTV that MTV would never be on the security camera Like leave the first thing with the door image Fucking idiot they have figured out that much of the technology to already get away with it Yeah, and that that can't help themselves. They're like I want it must have taken them days to make that music Yeah, ridiculous all those visuals and all the special effects by the way again I will point out I will trump your thing and say or we already talked about it, which is they perform it live Yes, they shouldn't have done that Yeah They should have just if they wanted to do the projection of the MTV plan if we if we agree to the MTV plan was a solid one Yep, just so a video projected the video and by the way had other Videos to follow it they they basically had one video yeah and Robin Williams and Joe Cusack are both heavily involved in that video Then he has to wait so they don't have time to go and spy. He's got like 12 seconds of workable time Yeah, I didn't get inside but she has a guitar solo. Let's let's let's hear a little bit of this song just you get a taste of it You don't need to hear more but that's a real song in the movie it goes on for Ever now it's even called back later Yes, when other security guards are watching it Jamie Foxx is watching it and they're like where'd you get that and they're like Oh, we taped it off of a security feed from an old kid what so bad by the way these guys are taping security feeds and just passing So now this is a viral video By the way, I will buy that when when they wrote this originally in 819 well, I guess it'll be 1980 this would have been a video that played in 1980 MTV so that I guess it makes sense But 1992 I mean this is on the ver actually grunge. We're in grunge era at this point. We're a yeah We're past Nirvana. Yeah Nirvana smashing pumpkins. That's all 91 Can we talk about Randy Quaid who pops up in the movie for a scene and a half wait? Randy Quaid pops in in the room when he's shooting the gun at his foot. That's right. No, no, no, that is Blake Clark Okay, good. I'm sorry. All right, and that I think some of his earliest work He was cast his military because he was like Clark used to be okay. Okay. Okay good cuz I was like I thought the was Randy Quaid just around that day. Oh get in there Quaid And the scene if you're talking about the scene with the fly right yes another scene how does that connect to anything? Yeah, isn't this guy a three-star general? Yes. Yes This guy actually made it to three-star general and yet he's dumb enough to shoot his own foot to try and kill a fly No, he's going and by the way at that point in the movie. He's going crazy. Oh, yeah Um, you have the two-minute opera scene first But there is also where he's singing along to the opera There's also no reason for him to really go crazy because I guess he has he basically has a plan to meet up with the military Pitch this idea of children killing people and yeah children operating remote-controlled like toys that are actual killer drone weapons Meanwhile Jamie Foxx and his partner are watching on in a van where there's they're basically 3d and their skeletons. That's odd I won't get into the fact. Oh, also. There's a sea monster. Also. They've invented a sea monster the sea monster. Yeah We got I don't know that's a monster don't know there's but if you're wondering if there's a sea monster in this movie There is yeah, and and we're not even quite yeah, that's him All right So he pitches the idea to the government the government goes we got to think about it to which immediately he starts Shoking this man. Yes, choking him and trying to kill him, but that that psychotic break Seems to be not really Founded in any way like he's only been successful. It looked like these kids are doing a great job at killing girl Everything seems according to plan But when you talk about them being on the spectrum that scene where he goes to see Jack Warden, which by the way Oh my god Saddest creepiest use of Jack Warden. Oh, yeah between the first one and then the last one where he just pops up It's just war. Yeah, that is so upsetting ever like Jack Warden ever. Oh, yeah But yeah that that whole scene he's playing it like he's an infant like he's like he's a little Boy like having a temper tantrum is so strange the way they do that is that on purpose like everybody's supposed to be a kid But that's the thing they aren't though like sometimes they are like that it the fluctuates from scene to scene Debbie Mazer Debbie Mazer. How can we talk about Debbie Mazer's character? Yeah, it's higher both the dad fucks both the military dad and his son Jamie Foxx Well, but no no Hinge is on the idea that he figures out that he fucked his dad that she fucked his dad And that's why he finally helps the good guys Yeah, because because she tells him that his dad killed his dad is responsible for killing his mom by sending her under Mom didn't have appendicitis right disguised as yeah, oh, yeah But that never would have happened if she hadn't made the mistake and said oh, yeah, I fucked your dad too Oh, yeah, I that's like that coincidental like everything hinged on this one He's like just about to have sex with her and she calls him the wrong name, which I feel like is such a movie trope Can everybody write in and say on the message boards or whatever have you called someone or had someone call you the wrong name during sex? Yes, I buy that that is just in movies and that is in that moment that basically hinges If that moment doesn't happen none of the ending none of the ending yeah, yeah, none of it Oh, no because that's the only thing that drives LL cool J to help the to help the Robin Williams gang and help him He does by basically saying well we'll have a war. Yeah, we'll have a war of toys Yes, because it's basically at this point the movie turns into like good guys versus bad guys like a kids game Except that there's real stakes because all of the bad guys toys have real guns in them Yes, like there's a little doll a little doll that pushes a little baby in a carriage and then the baby's bottle Raises up and is a sick shooter and starts shooting at them and then where would that and then Joe Qs that goes That's a bad baby Like you are almost just killed. I thought the junk you sec was sick the entire movie will get to what you said that in the Many so I think your sister's sick and I started laughing. I'm like, oh he hasn't watched it She's like so I was like oh, she's gonna be no, but we'll tell you what she is in a second That fight sequence is 40 minutes from when they decide to go to war to when they stop the war Oh, yeah after that insane plane sequence. It's 40 solid minutes and of a two hour long movies That's a plus. Yeah. Yeah, I feel like I fast forwarded for three part of that. They I that that sequence Yeah, I couldn't deal with it. Yeah, I was because I legitimately was like what the fuck is this I was playing a little bit of Simpsons tapped out during some of that. I was like the I will say that again the conceit of this is an interesting conceit which is kids Flying drone ships and and killing cuz they're really good at video games There's oh, we didn't talk about it when he goes to the video arcade Of the general the general goes to a video arcade in one part of the movie and like he's oh, what are these video games? Yeah, and he starts playing a video game. They're like, oh you have to help protect the UN trucks Yeah, you have to shoot tanks and don't shoot the UN trucks And he just started shooting the UN trucks because he hates the UN. Yeah, and he's super awesome at this game He's got the the spit on his chin the whole time like Michael Gambone was so disturbing in his career before this When you look at the cook the thief his wife or the other or the singing detect or yeah Yeah, these yeah like he was so disturbing the idea that they cast him in a comedy was like somebody had an Aneurysm while they were in the casting oh, yeah, this whole movie is weirdly coming in and this truly is like and I don't have any answers like I This really is how did this get made like this is a true like there's plenty movies We do that I'm like I get it right get why this got made I get what the it's a failure Or it's a mess or whatever, but I genuinely look at this movie. I'm like I don't know why Who is it for words? I know how it got me. Oh really? Oh, wow my gosh. Good morning, Vietnam Oh, really because they had just done a comedy that was set in an active war with Robin Williams and Barry Levinson It was a huge critical hitting when they would do anything now. I can finally make yeah dream movie Got it But dream movies almost always blow by the time they finally is that so interesting because yeah overthought them and they've had I'm bouncing around their heads for so long or it's a movie that there is a dream But everybody thought it was bad so people were like no we're not gonna do this Let's do that other movie you want to know when they talked about this alright So good morning, Vietnam was 87 right yep, then he did Rain Man then he did Avalon then he did Bugsy And then he did toys yep really yes, oh, I would that's interesting I would have building out like he he was on such a role at that point. Oh, yeah, and then he finally got to say Here's this thing that's been in my drawer. I'm gonna do this now and I want Robin because yeah Robin and I can do this Well pull this tone off and now here's the thing like he made wag the dog in 97 Which is a funny commentary on war sure in politics because it knows something about war this movie It's like he doesn't understand the army how is LL cool J who's evidently active military Yeah, hanging around and fucking off with his dad. Oh, he's so nobody cares Yeah, he doesn't it's like he doesn't get how the army works So why would you try to make a military satire? Why and I feel like people are going it's like Strangelove It's like Strangelove or like that's what like it's like no no no no no no No, this is not this is not what strange love is about how the reality is so fucking crazy that it's hilarious Yeah, because everything in that movie is real yeah everything and this movie is just It's sort of like the most and this movie is like what if hilarious was reality It's like the opposite of that It's like a psychiatric ward put on a show and it was like exact It's just it has those feelings again And then we'll talk about an applesauce sandwich and then I'll do then then we'll have the duck and no fire weapons because again The toys that he's setting up are the makes sense the drones make sense But the baby carriage with the machine gun doesn't where is that going? Yeah, we're gonna take a quick break. We'll be right back talking more about this war scene Breakups that is a tricky one That's why EE is the only major provider who'll give you up to 300 pounds to switch You'll get full fiber, but you'll also get EE's most powerful Wi-Fi 7 as standard So the whole house can do more like streaming that series watch to work calls stay crystal clear switch to EE today Up to 300 pounds credited to your EE account verify at EE. Could it care slash claims new BT group customers only 62% availability terms apply So anyway, they decide that the only way to win this war of the toy factory is to have toys versus toys and Robin Williams must I guess empower the toys which we didn't really realize are alive No, I Give them the patent Henry the fifth speech. Yep, and it's insane Let's take a listen to this speech and I left the whole thing in because it's plug Please it's so worth it for stores many Christmases ago my father brought forth a factory conceived in innocence and joy It's pleasable fun for everyone But today may be beginning of the end the end of the beginning beginning of the beginning And when you go forth today or fifth Depending on your order in line We are here today. Hey Put you in harm's way Because we determined today in this warehouse The future of toys as we know it try to imagine what it means toys fun and being in its I did oh god I imagine being like junkies like a Robin Wright having to do take after take of this while he just does I mean By the way, this is a man speaking to toys that we have never set up in this whole movie have any life or personality I don't think by the end we're supposed to believe that either I think it literally is just he gives a rallying speech to toys that they wind up and push out Yep, and that's all it is and then when you watch those toys They get decimated like saving private It's like saving private Ryan without the emotional sticks because you're watching like heads get blown off like a little football man Just getting destroyed it's Ultra-violent. It's ultra-violent, but yet again. No one is really the toys are getting hurt. Yeah I don't know like the lowest stakes were humanly So the war scene is getting out of control at this point Dolls are dying the sea monsters been activated. Oh and the sea monster. Yeah, cuz we want to talk about the sea monster, too Well, I don't know what you talk about at least what are how I'll say is that are you say your name a junkie sex killer? Oh Oh, I guess basically the war is almost over and then John Q sec gets hurt And we find out that John Q sec is a robot. Yes Don't you think is a robot? I'm saying that again You thought in the movie that she was just kind of a fragile Kind of autistic maybe like on the spectrum kind of oddball. No girl. Nope sheltered kind of homebody Nope total robot a robot. She's a robot. No, no, no, I just I just need people who are listening to the podcast To know just take it in the John Q sec character has been one of the main character We've seen a whole multiple sandwiches. She's eating sandwiches with vitamins in them Which she did say though they go through the system. Yeah, she said they did see they easily go through my system Which now means something she's a goddamn Robot which by the way, here's the other thing Everyone knows yep everyone knew that she was a robot, but us the audience yes, oh, yeah She's a robot my dad created her for me because my mom died early. Wait wait wait Okay, like it like this was this possible and and how is this no no no how is it possible? So so that's the question. She can't grow Have they been building a new robot every year? Well, that's a little bigger. No because because LL Cool J goes it looks like she's always been the same age That's creepy that's insanely creepy. So when he was like 10 was he had a 30 year old sister? Yeah Yeah, I mean what the fuck is going on and by the way their relationship is he takes care of her. Yeah Which you would think would be the opposite. You know, he doesn't have a mother Let me build him something that's going to be a burden and responsibility for the rest of his life It's some next level craziness when that is revealed it makes winner have him on Absolutely It's infuriating when her head came off not only did I stop it? But then I had to go wait wait every well and did again because the craziest thing about her head falling off is no one reacts to Nope as if like oh my god. Yeah, they go. Oh wow, okay over there and Oh, by the way, here's you want to take out the stakes of it. It's fine. We just rebuild her. Yeah Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, I just address it and that's the case. Why not send her into war immediately? And you know like why protect her why not just be like robot go she gets taken out like a wimp Yeah, she gets taken out by just a stray bullet to the head What she should have done much something she should have like touched electrical equipment. She should have done Powers yeah, she's a robot. Why doesn't she have strength? Why doesn't she have? She's not getting the applesauce sandwiches proper strength and And and and okay, so she her gets her head below and at which point Michael Gambon right runs away to be kind of targeted by this sea monster that has like a robot It is the weirdest they never remotely explained Never explain a slug thing. It's a slug. We don't know really what it is But it's a defense mechanism, but you have to fall into a hole fall into a pit of water that nobody would fall into Keeping it there to monitor it and then they would eventually unleash it on people in the in the society like almost like Um, and the my this is how I drew it that it was like a dolphin like one of those dolphins that finds mines But it is actually a dolphin that is like a mine. That's why that's how I kind of thought You gave it more thought than they really thought this out. I think that's way more thought than they I was just trying to make up But I that is really what I did think the But that wrote that that sea monster is Lou says a certain point and any land of course on land of course and he's targeting the bad brother And he's like targeting targeting so he's part robot the sea monster to the sea monster I guess is a toy and and I don't think I think it's like a war thing And then he quotes the day the earth stood yes to get it to stop But then the screen just goes to white it still fires and it looks like it kills him right And so you think he's dead until the very next scene When you're like oh that's kind of crazy like the movie kills two characters and they then they immediately take that back And they go well now they're both not everybody's fine JK guys JK and not only are they not only very fine But he's now next to his dad Jack warden in the bed and they're both in the military hospital which is just in a room in the house yeah, and With Debbie Mazer and he's kind of now gone like full like he's moved up on the spectrum He's super super rest of his life now. What a horror movie ending that is so yeah in that bed and it's just a Conveyor belt of like little action figure our warmen figurines coming across so setting Movie is a fucking ever a Christmas song again Just to make sure that they leave you on some weird note of so has a year passed in this movie I believe a year has passed everything is back to normal again and Joan Q sec has still got some learning to do It's a bummer Thanks a lot drew I know people who defend this and I have a Defended I have a theory that any movie that was on HBO constantly when you were between the age of 8 and 12 Sure, you think is great because it's stock Over and over and over that with that spice world was one of those movies that really people were back and you look at it It's don't you're like oh my god my skull wasn't hard yet. Yeah, what was wrong with me at that age that I love this Well, I mean again, I remember laughing at like LL Cool J. I thought he was really funny I don't remember any of this other plot. I don't remember at the toy fight. I don't remember You know, but I mean Man, I'm there was anything that we didn't cover that I'm just looking through my notes. I wrote at one point My pen is breaking. I'm taking so many notes because they're just like I did too I took tons of notes on this just because you see I didn't take barely any notes because I started taking notes And then I was like fuck this movie I do want to I do want to tell you well, let's I do have something I owe you at some point You do You brought it to our attention we needed to see it. This is the one movie that on Twitter I've gotten the most negative response to but you're like, why are you making me watch it with screen grabs? Great to watch that to come out Considering what you've shown that's that's a high high endorsement. Yes. Well, it was easy to get now Obviously, we had an opinion about this movie, but there are other people who have They think it's a little bit better and this is now time for a second opinion Okay, here we go. There are so many good ones. I may just reduce samplings from them this one is from Britt Sharonhausen and He says I described this movie as whimsical. That's a nice way of saying that most people won't like it You're definitely not gonna like it if you have no imagination or you expect your movies to make sense Like any work that strays far from the mainstream It's going over the top sometimes But let that slide and enjoy the bits that do catch your fancy Wow five stars five Stars How about this one from Adele Thompson tinky from New Jersey? She writes I like the scenes she spells scenes SC e a n s Wow, I like the scenes that they do in the movie is good Wait, what yep? Oh, that's real. I'm reading it real I like the scenes they do in the movie is good like how they made this big room with all these toys I'm not talking about the storyline. I like this movie for ideas I saw the buggy and horse that have a Ken and Barbie on it in Disney World It displayed in the Cinderella castle and I remember when I just turned 17 then I have a good memory Oh Going on in that review That is Disneyland at 17 that might have been that might have been someone On these are now I'm just gonna Okay, this is another one possibly the only film next to Peter Sellers the mouse that roared This has to be the most ingenious film of all time It's simply a shame that they have yet to release it on DVD yet They carry all of Adam Sandler's films that should tell us something about the intelligence and sophistication in America. Oh well Well, I guess I just have to buy another copy of this film and press it to DVD myself Right so that means that it inspires that much passion seriously. I'm gonna make the DVD and you know what fuck you Sandler Let me make sure to get a slam in on Adam Sandler. Also. She's been watching the VHS so much She's got to buy another copy the only trouble with this film was that since Barry Levinson took his time writing it It shows wit and compassion on so many levels that I doubt the average American intellect could understand the film Most people in that I enjoy being around find this to be one of the funniest films in existence Five stars. Oh my god, and I just do you there are two more that are good Imagine what if you were like on a date with somebody and they were like, you know my favorite movie is toys I would punch that girl First you go toy story. Yeah, I love Toy Story. Oh me too. I love to a toy. What toys? I believe in the state of California you can shoot somebody totally just for that curling river Says the war between the good toys and the war toys is heartbreaking and oddly very realistic No, no Five stars there and finally and I don't reading a lot of the airplane that looks like Oh god, this is my one of my favorites here, too Okay, this is the best from Gilbert G. Gilbert I'm not a fan of rap by any means But I really got a kick out of LL cool J's performance And it's fun to watch his character develop into a toy factory loving guy Robin Williams brilliant as always and the rest of the cast is enjoyable as well I think the most important scene in this movie is definitely the fake vomit testing room that turns into a potentially deadly crossword puzzle Wow, that's a totally different read than I have that is the most important scene Feels like they went in for reshoots like shit We didn't have anything something we need a scene where you guys just improvise about fake vomit for five minutes So that's that's actually I did enjoy ever. I mean we have that on tape, too But they basically like when the guy goes, oh, that's diarrhea that shouldn't be in here Yeah They sit around a fake violin. Oh, that's our wolf gang Chuck. That's our Maui he yeah And they hope we need to add fake carrots in there and then the room is basically coming in on them Yeah, because as they expand I guess the walls are flexible in this world. Oh, yeah, because the cafeteria walls or room Yeah, yeah, um guys Drew I appreciate you bringing this to our attention. I don't do this because I would I are enemies I do believe though that this is if we had to vote on it This is the number one movie of how did this get made because it really how would you sell it? How would you pitch it? I think you're right The only way you could have done it is based on Barry Levinson was just hitting them out of the park Yeah, boom consistent consistent consistent and then it was like and this is my dream Pro like you know you probably have a memory of this What are some other like of these dream projects that have gone horribly wrong like are there any they come to mind? Oh, man It's not a not a fan, but yeah, it's one of those things that it's almost always a red flag when you hear filmmakers say I've for 20 years This has been the thing that I've wanted to make and they make it finally. Yeah, it just seems tough I want to see because like James Cameron also talked about avatar and writing it and they weren't ready for it But like I want to see Barry Levinson throughout those 12 years like taking that script out of the shelf You know off the end the drawing going okay, let's get back into it. I think we need a fake vomit scene Did some good work on toys it was him and his wife at the time Valerie Curtin Yes, his co-writer for like and justice for all and old friends and there was a whole series of things and then he would often started making movies and Just kind of held on to it is his thing that I wonder if she saw the final film I was recognized anything that they had that'd be interesting. Yeah, I would love to hear Barry Levinson talk about this movie Because I don't think he has I was they received will no no Advantage quickly. Yeah, it was it was it it cost it actually cost quite a lot. I'll tell you right here Here we go the movie the movie the budget was $43 million which in 1992 was a lot of money Yeah, that's a lot of moving and especially a movie that's pretty much all in sets It's not you know and it it only made 23 million that's worldwide. That's worldwide really worldwide Wow This was between Aladdin and Miss Doubtfire. Yeah, he was as hot as hot God at that moment. Holy cow Well, I mean when you see that and the way I mean the the tagline for the movie is laughter is a state of mind It's everything about it is making you go. This is fun Yeah, as I'm looking at this poster right now on online I'm going I think my dad had this on laser disc because I think he was like you like Robin Williams We'll watch this. Oh funny Yeah, I remember just like maybe it's adults I don't get it But I mean I remember I did I think I saw this in the theaters. I mean I was 20 at the time so yeah Wow, I want to get if anyone knows Barry Levinson and you know I would love to hear him speak about this movie because I feel like now with perspective I Want I wonder if he defends it He did win it was nominated for best Razzie award. Oh, yeah And the movie won was up for an Oscar for best art direction which it should have totally great Beautiful visually beautiful a painting came to life. You wouldn't want to see it That's how I described to us. Thank you guys so much for listening as always You can you can check us out and all different ways true What's the best way people can see you and check out your stuff? they can follow me at drew at hitfix on Twitter or Hitfix comm is the website where I review films and write about everything that's in production and I gotta say that is There are many sites out there and that site is is a great site. I love the iPad app for it I'm a fan. I'm a fan of that site and you guys do great stuff there If you have not checked out that site check out that site you can follow Jason You can follow me on Twitter at Paul shear Jason. Yeah, no, no, you can't follow me on Twitter. Of course you guys know better and Jason and I are in the league this week on the league dirty Dirty Randy and Rafi have their own adventure the whole episode this could be crazy None of the characters from the league are in it It is a solo adventure of those two characters check that out Wednesday 10 30 and as always Oh, actually very big week for NTSF our London episode. We went to London We shot in London with amazing people Anthony Stewart head Julian Barrett Jiles and say I jiles Colin Salmon Saskia Reeves from Luther Amazing amazing people we doing and we're doing a half hour long episode all in London check that out adult swim Thursday night Please watch that it starts at midnight this week And also this show would not be complete without thanking everybody here at ear wolf give it up for our engineer Frank Apella who cuts this show does an amazing job every single week and also all the interns who have been working so tirelessly to help this out They are Nathan Kylie Averill Halley Katie Dyer am I pronouncing that right Katie? Leanna Waldron and Sonya wiser these people have worked their asses off to make sure that I have the most up-to-date info About these terrible terrible movies. Thank you guys so much for all of your help all of your creativity and we couldn't do the show Without you All right, thanks so much and we'll see you next time Breakups that is a tricky one That's why EE is the only major provider who give you up to 300 pounds to switch You'll get full fiber, but you'll also get EE's most powerful Wi-Fi 7 as standard So the whole house can do more like streaming that series watch to work calls stay crystal clear switch to EE today Up to 300 pounds credited to your EE account verify at EE.co.uk slash claims new BT group customers only 62% availability terms apply