From Page to Screen: The Road (2009)

Gather together from the cosmic reaches of the universe. Here in this great screening room with comfortable recliners are the most powerful forces of good ever assembled.

Keith, I don't think I've ever had the mood to sit down and watch this movie. I kept putting it off as much as possible until I was like, alright, I kind of have to watch this today.

Terry.

Yeah. If you look closely, you'll actually see Mr. Cola as a extra in Lord of the Rings as one of the orcs Derek.

What happened to the entrepreneurial spirit? And the power twins Zapp and Jordan with their magical lemur snort dedicated to fumbling their way through movies one forgotten gem at a time. This week we just tried to survive 2009's the Road. This is fumbling through film.

We would never eat anybody, would we?

No, of course not. No matter how hungry we were. Even if we were starving. We're starving now.

Cuz we're the good guys.

Yes. And we're carrying the fire. Hello and welcome to another one of a kind Shatter defining brand new episode of Fumbling Through Film. The only show that dares to bring together three dudes to talk about movies. These however, aren't just any movies.

No, no they're not.

I don't know, I'm always like, I'm over here like pantomime in here and like I pointing to where Terry would come with some. It's just. No, they sure aren't. Guess what? I'm pointing back to myself. They sure are. God damn it.

Hey, point back to me first.

Maybe any. Okay, go Terry.

They're not any movie. Actually. Don't listen to their.

No, point back at me.

That's Clean Drop.

They're any movie. There are no clean drops in this world. This world in which you live. In this post apocalyptic wandering, the desolate wasteland. There are no clean drops. There's always a crackling of a tree falling in the background or there's a lot of dust.

Never clean.

My drop is always just muddy. It's got its like shoes torn in half. There's some dust and blood. It's just not good. It's not good vomit.

But the reason these are any movies is because these are the ones we've either missed, overlooked or feel are simply worth revisiting, which is any movie. My name is Derek and I'm a fumbler. Joining me on this adventure as we travel south to the ocean, hopefully where it's warm and blue, is the prime minister of fumbling and film, Keith.

Hey, what's up KG Fumbler. Extraordinaire. Welcome to our Father's Day edition.

Well, and this. That's what's funny. But we're recording on Father's Day, and this movie is a Father's Day.

It is a Father's Day film. And I thought that was watching it. Yeah,

that other one over there who is just. I don't know, it's. It's Dr. Dre of Kansas. He's Terry.

Hey, everybody. I am a conundrum. No one really knows what I'm really.

You are. Some days I feel like I can. I can define Terry and put him in a box, but today I cannot.

Well, that's the thing is, like, after, you know, a few years of post apocalyptic wasteland, I've changed and morphed. I'll be whatever I need to be to survive.

Oh, that. That's.

He's.

He's the chameleon of the post apocalyptic. Yeah, post apocalyptic.

Everybody loves a chameleon.

I thought he was more like a cat because he said you couldn't put him into a box. I was like, no, he could fit in any box. It's really.

Oh, it's true. True. I am more cat. Like, I guess in some ways, Terry

says that if I can fit size sits or whatever.

That's my catchphrase.

I say that a lot, people at work. Like, what did he just say?

I sit down in my office chair every day. Yeah, we know you fit in that chair. We see.

You know what else fits in a chair?

This podcast.

This podcast. If you printed out our transcripts of every episode onto paper, they fit in a chair. No problem.

Yeah.

As long as you stack it up just right.

And if you print out every episode, you'd put it in my front seat of my car, on the passenger side, it would beep like it's a person. Like, hey, buckle the seat belt.

It's too heavy.

It's too heavy.

I wonder how many.

You could put a little mask on the front of it and you could ride in the HOV lane then.

Yeah, you're right. I didn't think of that.

I wonder how heavy each episode is in terms of pages of transcript. Like, each episode average, about like three quarters.

Actual printed episode. I don't know, probably about three. But, like, it's actual weight within society and. Oh, immeasurable.

Yes. That's why they're uploading all our episodes to the Library of Congress. So in case something does happen.

Yeah.

It'll always be saved digitally in Honor

of America's 250th birthday yeah.

Yeah. We're finally getting inducted into the Library of Congress.

Yes. I mean, not so much in. In year one, but in year two. Here we talk about something in like a week or two later, it starts popping up. Please.

It feels. It feels like we are on the, like the bleeding edge of pop culture.

Next week. I know. I'm getting an email from, I don't know, the President, I guess.

Please, God, do not.

Well, the only problem is we're gonna have to shake his hand and talk to him. No, everybody says they're the greatest podcast.

Other people are saying that.

But what.

Since a lot of people are saying that, let's let a lot of other people know as we do here. Every week we watch movies, but not just any movie. Every month, one of us chooses a theme, a genre, a guiding light, some sort of pieced together map to the coast that we must follow. We adhere to. We pick movies that match that theme and map. And then on the fourth week, we spin a wheel and watch something totally random.

It's like planning out a road trip. You're picking all your destinations.

Oh, God, yeah. And you stay on the road. The man and the boy on the road.

And if you're just boy, stay off the road.

Stay off the road. Just boy.

It's the. It's the movie and the boy.

The man, the boy, the movie, the

road, the man, the boy. Colon. The movie.

That was the original. That was the original title. Yep.

Oh, and this month, this is DTF down to fumble Y2, year two, M7. That M. That's month W1, week one. So this is my month. My pick of the first is the first week. So I'm going to tell you all what we're in store for. I'm gonna give you just a sliverist of backstory. This last year, I have really taken to audiobooks and walking the road. I literally walk roads non stop constantly. But listen to audiobooks. I've listened to lots of them and it made me think. It's like there's. There's gotta be some good movies out there inspired by books. So this month we are taking from the page to the screen movies based upon written work adaptations, I guess.

I like it. I like it.

Yeah. And I decided to start with a movie that I've been wanting to watch since I walked down the road and listened to the audiobook, and it is Cormac McCarthy's the Road. So that's what we're watching.

Nice. Yeah.

Perfect synopsis.

Yeah. Now, before we talk about our viewing of The Road. Before we to a deep dive on the Road, did any of us have any previous history, knowledge, or experience with the Road?

I'm familiar with the fact that it's a book. I remember that they came off the movie. I. I won't spoil your deep dive of what year the movie came out, but I was surprised at how long ago it was that this had come out. But, yeah, I was aware of it. I just had never seen it.

Yeah, I've seen this before, but it's been a really long time. I think I watched it in college, but I was, like, kind of half watching it because they're all hanging out with friends. It's not really a hangout movie. I don't know why that was.

Yeah, no. Hey, guys, you want to come over, have some pizza? We're watching movie.

It's a Watch and Weep movie. I remember when it came out because it had Aragorn in it. I was like, oh, that's cool. And then I'd heard of the book, and I bought the book and I. It's somewhere here. I believe it's on a bookshelf.

It's one of those.

I never. I never really read it. I think I always got, like, three pages in and then fell asleep. That's. That's more a me problem than a book problem. But I had listened to the audiobook earlier this year, and I absolutely loved it. And I wanted to watch the movie, but I wanted to watch the movie as part of the show. That was my thing. And I was going to originally do this topic way back when, but of course, we had to do indie stuff, Indie AF instead. And now we're doing it now. So that's where I'm at.

I'm glad. Glad we had time to simmer, you know, prepare ourselves mentally for this.

This journey. It's kind of good. You know, sometimes when you. You read a book and then you watch the movie, shortly after, you immediately start to nitpick. They're like, well, that's not how it

was in the book.

They're ruining everything. I had the book, and I've had time to sit on it, and now I've seen the adaptation. So there we go. All right, boys, it's time for you guys to relax on our journey down this road, which there's nothing but relaxation on the road.

Oh, there's nothing. I'm gonna go ahead and just lean back in this cart that you've been pulling around.

Yeah, let me. Let me push the cart off to the side.

How about this? Terry, you get the cart. Keith, I'll carry you and.

Oh,

okay. You're gonna pull the car. Gary, Keith. And then tell us all about this

movie and tell you all about in another pet pending Fumbler. Steep dive the road. This some came out on November 25, 2009, that Thanksgiving movie, Thanksgiving weekend. Now this movie was originally supposed to come out in October of 2008, but they said no, we need to do extra post on it. And then it was supposed to come out in like September or October of 2009. They said no when you come out at Thanksgiving because that's like the unofficial launch of Oscar that you're going for Oscars. Oscar fishing.

Yep. We need a good family film.

Good family film. It's radar. It's an hour and 51 minutes long. In a dangerous post apocalyptic world, an ailing father defends his son as they slowly travel to the sea.

I like that.

It gets a 7.2 in IMDb, a 64 on Metacritic, and a 74% certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. It opened to 1.5 million on 111 theaters on a $25 million budget. It finished 11th that week behind number 10, the Men who Stare at Goats in its first.

Oh, that beat it's fourth week. Dear Lord. That was a big hit, I guess.

Nine precious in its fourth week. This one's for Keith. Fantastic. Mr. Fox in his third week.

One of my all time favorite movies.

That's why I said it was for you. Number seven, Planet 51 in its second week. You're like, what's that? It's an animated piece of crap.

I believe it's got the rock.

Oh, it's the. Is it the alien? Like the. I guess it's probably an alien film.

The rock voices astronaut.

Oh, crash.

Other training or something. Oh, God. It's all kind.

Here's a movie, I don't even know what it is. Number six in its opening week, Ninja Assassin.

That's a good movie.

I don't even know what it is.

I actually think I've seen that.

It's about a ninja who assassinates people.

Isn't that what ninjas do? Yeah, that's like their job as assassin. Right. I assume ninja assassin was somebody that assassinates ninjas.

Sometimes they steal things.

I'm just going to say this is really weird because I was looking up a thing I was going to send you guys earlier and it was a article about Ninja Academy in Japan. Had accepted 134 students from local and abroad.

They do that annually or just like once in Like a generation.

I don't know. I. But it said they accepted 134 applicants quite a bit. I assume mine just got lost in the mail somewhere.

But can you imagine 134 fresh ninjas being launched into this?

That's, like, way too many ninjas.

I picture him being spread across the globe like blowing on a dandelion. Right?

Yep.

Just like.

Well, it's 100. It's 134 applicants go into the program. I don't think 134.

Only two come out. Oh, and the Rivals.

Yeah. And then they get distanced across the globe.

That movie writes itself.

That's actually a really good idea.

Yeah. Number five, a Christmas Carol in its fourth week. I believe that's the Jim Carrey.

Okay, great, great.

Number four in its first week. Old Dogs.

Oh, I don't know about that.

John Travolta, Tim Allen, their motorcycle. No, you talking about Wild Hogs. Oh, that is Wild Hogs. Old Dogs. I don't know what it is,

though. I don't know. Old Dogs.

I gotta look it up. Old Dogs. Nope, it's got John Travolta. Oh, my God. I just saw the John Travoltra, Robin Williams, Seth Green and a gorilla. What? That's a gorilla.

Okay, hold on.

I don't remember this movie at all.

They're like Boy Scouts or something. The full movie's on YouTube.

I think I've seen this.

Oh, my God, I feel so terrible for you.

Yeah. The gorilla falls in love with Seth Green, I think, I feel.

And they're dressed up like Boy Scouts or something.

I don't know. This is that.

It looks terrible. Scream.

Being scared of the gorillas, like, bringing back memories.

I really thought it was Wild Hogs when I saw it.

That's a good movie. So I don't know why.

There's no way that's a good movie.

No, we own that on DVD. When my childhood.

Oh, my God. Number three. And it's third week, 2012, I believe, was a disaster movie. Starring.

Yep.

Oh, I thought it was Gyllenhaal. No, no, that was the other disaster movie. Yeah, whatever.

2012 was the one where they show the giant, like, tsunami things come through and people are, like, loading into, like, these arc things that they.

Yes, because of the Mayan predicted.

Yeah. And they. Oh, they did the. In the trailer, they showed, like, the Mayan guy trying to, like, sound the alarm, and the giant tsunami comes up and just wipes him out.

Sounds awesome.

It was in 3D.

I think we should build more Arcs. Just in case. I feel like.

I believe we should mini arcs. The boats and of the Covenants.

Oh, I would love some more arcs of the Covenant as well. Yeah.

So guys, I didn't want. I was gonna hold this as a surprise, but I'm having some people do some work on the Fumble Dome and.

Oh, I figured, say, check your mailbox.

You're gonna send us the arcs. The Covenant.

Well, I. I don't open it.

Don't look at it. When you open it though,

my face is going to get melted off.

Well, I. Interesting enough, I've been converting the Fumble Dome into an ark and it actually has the Ark of the Covenant stored in the basement.

Just in case.

Just in case. In case. Whenever we find new land we need.

Yeah.

Yes, yes.

Get the. Bury it. And then wait a millennia until someone opens and melts faces of a bunch of races. Yeah.

Only Nazis though.

Yeah.

That's the Covenant I made with the Lord.

The Lord hates Nazis.

Yes, I'm pretty sure it does. All should. Number two, the blind side in its second. And then number one, that. That weekend, Thanksgiving of 2009. The Twilight Saga of Colon New Moon.

A fitting film for this week's. Or this month, actually.

Based on a book.

Oh, that. Cuz there's a new one.

I'm glad you brought that up. That's going to add that to my. My wheel picks.

Made me excellent.

You saw them.

So it opened with 1.5 milli, finished with 8.1 domestic, 19.5 international, giving it 27.6 all together on a 25 million dollar budget.

There you go.

So, a couple quick blurbs. Giles Hardy of the Sydney Morning Herald said this. Avoiding all the pitfalls of the bleak genre, the Road is captivating and in the end inspiring. And though not a film for everyone, a great film for any who enjoy thoughtful, artful cinema.

Wow. Hypers.

And then Ed Koch of the Atlantic or Coke. K O C H of the Atlantic said this. It wasn't fascinating at all. Oh, the movie looked like it cost 500 to make. Excluding actors salaries, which were worth another 500.

Nick Cage had been in this, he would have taken over like 5 million of the budget.

Yeah, I guess so.

I could see Nick Cage being in the Road.

Nick Cage. Nick Cage could have been a. A crazy cannibal. I think

him as the dad would be like scraping the side. Scraping the side.

That guy when he's about to shoot him.

I can't do that. This movie was directed by John hillcoat. He has 73 directing credits in TV music videos and film going back to 1982. Lots and lots of music videos. He did music videos for In Excess, Elvis Costello, Herbert grundmeier, Depeche Mode, Maroon 5, Bob Dylan, run the Jewels and Bush, amongst others. He's done an episode of Black Mirror. He did six episodes of George and Tammy, two episodes of Kids like you. He did movies like the Proposition Triple Nine. He's apparently in pre production of an adaptation of Blood Meridian, apparently Cormac McCarthy novel that has been deemed as unfilmable.

Yes, that's all I know about that book is that it's supposed to be unfilmable.

And it is. Boy, if you think the road is a lot, Blood Meridian is more. But in 1988, he directed Ghosts of the Civil Dead.

Ooh.

Prisoners and guards clash in a high tech security jail where there are no rules. Stars David Field, Mike bishop and Chris DeRose.

Where's the to be original?

No, the Civil Dead, not the literal did. Oh, so these are people that are dead to society.

Boo. I thought it was gonna be a prison full of zombies.

Of prison full of ghosts.

No,

after the ghost sniper does a thing, they send them to the.

Yep.

This goes jail. Yeah.

Anyone who gets shot by the ghost sniper actually becomes a ghost themselves.

This movie was written by Joe Penhall. The reason he got the writing gig on this was because he believed that the dialogue from the movie was good enough. That just for the book was just good enough to throw into the movie.

So, wow, easy job then.

He has 11 writing credits in TV and film going back to 1995. Such things as Birthday, King of Thieves, Blue Slash Orange. But he's probably best known as the creator and writer of the absolutely amazing TV show, Mindhunter.

Oh, yes, I love Mindhunter.

In the late 1970s, two FBI agents broadened the realm of criminal science by investigating the psychology behind murder and end up getting too close to real life Monsters. Stars Jonathan Groff, Holt McCullney or McElhenney, I don't know. And Anna Torrey. Great, great, fantastic show.

The shame that they have never made a next season. And it's a shame it's on Netflix.

Directed and produced by David Fincher.

Yep, yep.

It's really good.

It is. It is just a marvelous TV show. This movie is based upon the 2006. 2006 Pulitzer Prize winning novel. This movie came out in 2009.

I would assume this book was. Was older.

No. Came out so written in. Released in 2006. Won the Pulitzer Prize. John Hillcoat, the director, read an advanced copy of it and then must have worked to get the rights instantly anyway. Novel the same Name by Cormac McCarthy. Cormac McCarthy is American author, born on July 30, 1933. Passed away in June 13 of 2023. 90 years old. Yeah.

Wow.

He is considered one of the greatest American novelists ever. He wrote 1212 novels, two plays, five screenplays and three short stories that span the genres of western, post apocalyptic and Southern Gothic.

Oh, really? I like the sound of that.

I've read two Cormac McCarthy's and I'm waiting for another one and I'll let you know. It is soon. The Road was obviously turned into a movie, but so were his other novels. All the Pretty Horses, Child of God, Red west was turned into a short, Outer Dark was turned into a shark. And short. Short in his development. It's a shirt order. Sharks the shirt. They're making that into a big screen adaptation as well. But the most successful adaptation of any of his work, and it's the book I'm waiting for, was in 2007 with the Coen Brothers. No country for Old Men.

Oh, he wrote that as well.

Yeah.

Yes. Violence and mayhem ensue after a hunter stumbles upon the aftermath of a drug deal gone wrong and over $2 million in cash near the Rio Grande. Written and directed by the Cohen's stars, Tom Lee Jones. Javier Bardem is one of the greatest villains possibly ever. And. And Josh Brolin.

It's a real first introduction of Javier Bardem for I think probably most people too.

Yeah, probably. It was nominated for eight Oscars and won four. It won for best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor for Javier Javier Bardem. And Best Adapted Screenplay was also nominated for cinematography, editing, sound mixing and sound editing.

I love that movie.

I seen it once and it was a lot. It's a very good, very good movie.

Yeah, that's true. That's true.

Very good movie. This movie stars Vgo Mortensen as man. He has 68 acting credits in TV and film going back to 1984. He's been nominated for three Academy Awards. In 2008 for best leading Actor in Eastern Promises.

That's a great movie.

2017 for best leading actor in Captain Fantastic and in 2019 for best leading Actor in Green Book. Oh, yeah, he did an episode of Miami Vice. He played Tim in an ABC After School special. And his acting debut was as lieutenant at Le Bouff in the 1984 TV miniseries George Washington.

Oh, Lord.

He played John W. Poe in Young Guns 2.

Okay, hold on. You talked About George Washington. He talked about young guns. Has anybody else been seeing these trailers for young Washington? Yes, and they're driving me crazy. Nobody cares about young Washington. No offense. It's like the lamest looking thing ever.

He. He played Laleen in Carlito's Way. He played Webs in Crimson Tide. Sam Loomis in the shot for shot remake of Psycho, played eddie Boone in 28 days. Tom Stahl in the very excellent History of Violence.

Oh, yeah, it's good too.

He was most recently in I Love Boosters. Oh, it's supposed to be really good. I want to see it too. It's supposed to be really good. He's probably best known as Strider slash Aragorn in Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Nice. Also based off a book.

He also based off a book. But in 1990 he played Tex in Leatherface Colon. Texas Chainsaw Massacre III

3 for the the unfamiliar.

Yep. A California couple and a survivalist encounter. Leatherface and his Family stars Kate Hodge, Ken Fory and R A Mihailoff.

And he plays someone named Tex.

Yes. What year did that come out? 1990.

They took their time with the third one.

So. Yeah, I was gonna say because the original is like 1975. I think part two is like right after that.

Yeah, they let this one stew for a little bit.

Yeah, all of them are bad except for the first one. I guarantee it.

The first one is amazing.

First one's great. I've watched the second one. I did not like it. And I watched like the newest one that came out, whatever that was like the pre. The recall or whatever you would call it.

Second one is. Second one is the Dennis Hopper one, right?

Yes, yes, that's the one.

They focus a little bit more on the. The chili being made with human meat, I think.

Oh, the gas station.

Yes.

Yeah.

Now that. Those are some people who would get along great on the road.

Yes, yes, they would. Little pop up shop.

Yeah. There weren't enough roadside pop up shops.

Yes. Why were they all at this is America where.

What happened to the entrepreneurial spirit?

Yeah. I'm guarantee that's not dying after 20 years of horrible. No, everybody's got something to sell.

This movie also starred Charlize Theron as well Woman.

Whoa. That was her. I didn't even realize that.

Yeah. She has 80 acting credits in TV and film going back to 1995. She's been nominated for three Oscars and won one of them. She won best leading actress in 2004 for Monster. Was nominated in 2006 for best leading Actress in North country and again in 2020 for best leading actress in Bombshell, she was in a few episodes of Arrested Development and Robot Chicken. And as herself on a between Two Ferns was Zach Galifianakis.

She doesn't seem to have aged any time in like the last 20 or 30 years.

I love Shirley's Theron. I think she's amazing. She played Helga Svelgin in Two Days in the Valley. That's one of her first movie she was ever in. Do you remember this movie, Keith? Two Days?

I do. It was post Pulp Fiction.

Yes.

Influenced movie. I forget who else is actually in

it, but I don't remember either. I remember liking it when this movie came out, Terry. The. The selling point was out Pulps. Pulp Fiction.

Wow.

Remember distinctly did it.

No.

Oh, does anything.

No, no.

It makes it. It does make a good run ad probably one of the better ones, but it definitely is just like somebody was like, oh, I can do what Quentin does.

Or somebody had a script laying around like, oh, we could do what Quentin does with this.

Yeah.

She had an uncredited role in Children of the Corn iii, Colon, Urban Harvest.

That's three for all the initiated.

She was the titular role in the Astronaut's Wife. She played Ashley in Reindeer Games. She was the titular role in Aeon Flux, which is based on an amazing cartoon.

Yeah, that's the name of a character.

You've never seen An Influx?

No.

Oh, you would love that.

Not. Don't.

Not.

Not the movie. Watch the old Liquid tv. Mtv. Oh, God, Terry. Yeah, it's amazing.

I thought it was just a live action movie. I didn't know it was based off of.

No. She was Morticia Adams in the New Addams Family animated movies. She was cipher in F9, colon, the fest saga and Fast X. She was Andy in the Old Guard and the old guard 2. I had a hard time deciding on which was going to be the one that I expounded upon, so I went with this one first. She played Meredith Vickers in the Sneaky Fantastic But Makes Nerds Angry. Prometheus.

Oh, I love Prometheus.

I thought you would give me a full name of a movie there.

No, I. Prometheus is a very good move. Like a great movie.

I love it.

People get really mad at it though. But in 2015, she played Imperator Furiosa in Mad Max Fury Road. In a post apocalyptic wasteland, a woman rebels against the tyrannical ruler in search for her homeland with the aid of a group of female prisoners. A psychotic worshiper And A Drifter Named Max stars Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron and Nicholas Holt and is one of the best movies I've ever seen in my life. I think it's in my top 10.

Everybody likes this one. I'm not as big into it, but it's okay. That's just.

Okay. Whatever.

I liked Furiosa a lot better.

I love Furiosa too.

She, Charlize Theron has set herself up as being like the go to action lady over the last like 10 years.

I think she's done some cool roles. Yeah.

Yeah.

And. But a lot of them are like, you know, big action type things.

She has some and they're. But she's also done, you know, Oscar winning stuff too.

Yes. Yeah. Well, yeah, that's. She did like a lot of Oscar, I think like especially for. With Monster. Like that was like really early in her career when she won that one.

But I mean she was nominated in 2020 for an Oscar as well.

Yeah.

I recently watched a movie shooting Apex. It's on Netflix.

I.

It is a weird movie. I think they took a couple different scripts and shoved them together.

Possible.

And. And just spit something out. But I mean it. She's good in it.

Last person I'm going to talk about in this movie is Cody Smith. Hyphen McPhee as boy. He has 38 acting credits in TV and film going back to 2006. He has an Oscar nomination for best supporting actor in the Power of the Dog which is.

Oh, it's a great, great movie, isn't it?

It's a very good movie.

I love that.

He's done seven episodes of Disclaimer, ten episodes of Interrogation, two episodes of Nightmares and Dreamscapes. Colon from the Stories of Stephen King.

That's the CD set I'm listening to.

Well, there you go. He played Mandrax in In Maria. He played Owen in Let Me In. He played Alexander in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. He played Kurt Wagner Nightcrawler in X men Col Apocalypse, Deadpool 2 and X Men Colon Dark Phoenix.

Wow. I didn't know that was him. That's cool.

But in 2012 he had voiced Norman Babcock. Babcock in the Stop motion Marvel known as Paranorman.

Now have not seen it.

Oh boy. Terry, a misunderstood boy takes on ghosts, zombies and grownups to save his talent from a centuries old curse. Stars Cody Smith McPhee, Anna Kendrick and Christopher Mintz. Hyphen Plase is how you said I don't care. Movie was made by Leica Studios they are known for such things as Coraline, the Box Trolls, Kubo and the Two Strings, Missing Link, and the upcoming Windwood.

Oh, I think I saw the trailer for that. It looked kind of interesting.

I. All I know is I like the stuff they do.

Is really good.

Yeah. Paranormal I thought was great too. Loved it.

Let Me in. Is the American version of Let the Right One. Let the Right One In. Yeah.

Yeah. And would also fit in this. And it's very.

And it's very good. I've seen both of them. I like both of them.

You boys ready for some the Road fun facts?

Oh, I love nothing but fun facts about this movie.

Boy, wait till you. Boy, there's some really fun ones here. In keeping with the novel, the cause of the apocalypse is never explained.

Fair.

The film takes place in 2024, not in 2019.

Oh.

So calm down, everybody.

We're safe. Okay.

To live the role, Viggo Mortensen would sleep in his clothes and deliberately starve himself.

Oh.

At one point, he was thrown out of a shop in Pittsburgh because they thought he was a homeless man.

Wow. Just by based off his looks.

Just by based off his looks. Director John Hillcoat filmed the soft drink vending machine scene with man and boy several times, each with a different brand of beverage, out of concern that Coca Cola executives would not want their product to appear in this movie.

However, one so does. Why not?

You want to show that you're so survived the apocalypse.

However, a single telephone call from Viggo Mortensen to the president of Coca Cola secured permission for a can of Coca Cola to appear. Consistent with a source novel, the president

of Coca Cola's big Lord of the Rings fan must be.

When Viggo Morten says call. When he calls, you answer, man.

Oh, yeah. I answer every time he calls.

Mr. Cola. Mr. Cola. We've got Viggo Morrison on it. Wait a minute. What? Viggo.

Mr. Colo's my father's name. Call me Coca.

My name's Coca.

Yeah.

Him and Viggo go back a long ways, and he owed him a favor.

Yeah. If you look closely, you'll actually see Mr. Cola as a extra in Lord of the Rings, as one of the orcs.

But then you also see Vitamin Water later on, too. So. Product.

Yeah, they were definitely in for once. They were like, I guess we're gonna

do this for a penny, in for a pound. Yeah. All of our stuff. I hate to disappoint you, but the ocean scenes, that was Lake Erie. It wasn't.

It wasn't an ocean? Are you kidding me? Yeah, I'm mad.

A CGI aerial shot, which also appears in the trailer, is a digital recreation of destruction by Hurricane Katrina. Oh, so there you go. The shot shows large twin boats on a highway in front of a bridge over the Empire Lock on Louisiana State Highway 23. In the movie rendering, a large city skyline appears on the horizon, where in actuality there would be only the rural peninsula of Placamines Parish.

All right.

Half the crew members for the shoot in New Orleans were survivors of Hurricane Katrina, so there's that nice VGo. Mortensen and Cody Smith McPhee reportedly bonded by eating crickets to help them. The character.

No, I mean, I get it, but no, I. I'm not doing that.

Whenever it was a sunny day, the visual effects technicians had to use CGI to make it look cloudy because John Hillcoat wanted to maintain a desolate atmosphere. Mission accomplished.

Yep.

Yep.

One of the cannibals on the back of the truck early on was played by Cody Smith McPhee's real life father.

Oh, wow.

What a role.

Yeah. Cody Smith McPhee's father read the whole book to Smith McPhee right before he auditioned for the role of the boy.

He read it to his son, read

it to his probably 10 or 11 year old son. Yeah.

Right before bed. A couple chapters tonight.

And here's why. I think Smith McPhee got the role, not Cody, but his father as the cannibal. During a preview Q and A screening in London, John Hillcoat, the director, revealed that Cody Smit McPhee won the role of the boy partly due to an audition tape sent in by Cody's father that showed them reenacting the scene where the father shows the boy how to kill himself by placing a pistol in his mouth.

Dear Lord.

Yes. This dad a super fan of the book.

He's a little too dedicated.

Sounds like a bit much.

Yeah, there's some things that might be going too far. Dude.

That might be one of those things where you go, hey, don't tell people to set. Yeah.

That I taught you how to shoot yourself in the head.

Yeah, yeah.

Please.

Yeah.

Let's not talk about it.

Can I have those tapes back, please?

Don't mention this at school. When you go to school, you'll be

thanking me in about 10 years when you're playing Nightcrawler and Dark Phoenix.

Yes. Now, you know, when, you know, books get adapted movies, people like how they left the best parts out. John Hillcoat did shoot the controversial scene from the book involving A baby on a spit being roasted over a campfire, but ultimately decided to cut it because he felt it was simply too much.

Yeah, that's crazy. Wow.

Meanwhile, Smith's dad's over there, like, God dang it.

I roasted a baby for nothing.

That was the second thing I had my son practice.

Yeah, we have video of that that we sent in, too. Nobody talks about that one.

Cormac McCarthy, man, he's got some stuff in his books, and you're just like, Jesus goddamn Christ, man.

Yeah, that's like, almost like so. So much so dark. That's over the top. Or like, really it is.

And you know what's funny about the Road? What is? The book has these bursts of hopefulness in them in it, where you're just like, oh, God, I. I hope it turns out okay. Like. Like, you. You. You feel these people wanting to succeed. You know, you're hoping they succeed, and you. And you understand their motivations, and you're just like, oh, God, I get it. And there's little bursts of hopefulness. Unlike Blood Meridian, where there's nothing. There's nothing.

Oh, well, you know, it's nice. He has some tonal differences just a little bit.

He shifts it up a little bit.

I'm worried, guys.

I'm sorry.

I have a little hope in my heart. Okay.

I can't imagine that no country for Old Men is the. It can't be that.

No. It's got to be like, wow. Basically, he's like, what kind of world do I live in?

Yes. I wish I were dead.

I don't belong in this world anymore.

That's all. All of his stuff ends with, I wish I were dead.

Yeah. Even the end of this movie is basically the same. Most of the movie is like that.

Yes. Well, let's do it, boys. Let's talk about our viewing of the the Road.

Let's do it. I think we should.

I think we should. I mean, it's what we're here for.

Enough pit stops on this road trip. It's time for the main destination.

Yes. Let's talk about the road and the man and the boy in the road. If you read the Road, that's literally what it. Those. That's sentences taken from the book. I think the man, the boy in the road, and they're on the road, and they stay on the road, and the man's letting the boy on the road. There's a lot of that in there. But that. We're not talking about the book. We're talking about the movie. And. But it is the man and the boy on the road.

That's true. I didn't even notice they didn't name them. I didn't even.

Yeah, I, I definitely know why I hadn't seen this prior.

Because. Because of how bleak it is.

Yeah, it. Yeah. I probably was like, no. Yeah. This is a sad movie and I, I can't. I'm not. I'm like, sometimes you got to be in the mood to watch certain movies. And I'm like, I don't think I've ever had the mood to be. Sit down and watch this movie. In fact, I kept putting it off as much as possible until I was like, all right, I kind of have to watch this today. I was like, okay, I'll watch. I. I built Lego set while I watched it to kind of keep things.

Trying to keep a little bit of joy in your life.

Yeah. Because I was just like. And then after a while I'm like, wow, we're watching some Father's Day. Like, what? Jesus Christ,

that is a funny day to watch this movie.

I didn't think of that when I, I forgot it was gonna be Father's Day.

But yeah. So I just. There's a reason I hadn't watched it before and I don't kind of. I, I a little disappointed I hadn't seen it before because I think there is some like really good stuff in this. But it is just. They like, like you said, they put in like a couple like these like hopeful moments and stuff like that. But for the most part you can tell just from the get go that like this is not gonna end. It's not gonna have the happiest of endings.

I think as the movie goes, I just realized that, yeah, I'm like watching it. I'm like, oh, wow, everybody wishes they were dead. Okay. And it's like the dad's even like trying to justify living, but it's like he's not having a good argument for it. Really?

Yeah, yeah. They're playing. They're at a point where like, even with the, you know, technically this does kind of. This does basically have a happy ending at the end for the, for the kids. But at the same time I'm like, okay, so you just continue on to this world where it's just, we're gonna walk along as we go.

I think the point was the, for the trailing on the road was hopeful hope. The hope that things were better elsewhere.

Yes.

Let's look at the ocean. Is it blue? I hope so.

Yeah. I apologize. It's not blue.

Yeah, Yeah. I think it's like, it's getting colder and colder, so if you go south, it's going to keep, be warmer. So. Yeah, I mean, why not? I mean, I'm not going to stick around. I'm going to keep moving. That's the only hope you really have, is to wander and hope you find something that's going to work. Because so far nothing is working, I

think, even, even when they do find it and like, the, the boy asks him what's on the other side, he's like, nothing.

A man and a boy sitting on a beach wondering if there's something on the other side.

Yeah. And I was like, she has got all the way to the coast. Like, the plan wasn't to maybe

like,

leave wherever you're at and, you know, you know, find a ship or something like that. Try to like, get someplace else where maybe there is still something decent out there.

I don't know. I wouldn't want to trust myself to sail across the ocean.

No.

Yeah, no, that's, yeah, that's the other thing. It's not that definitely wouldn't worked out there, but like, I, I, I was like, okay, well, like, at some point they're gonna get to a place where. Yeah, they found a place where there's a little, you know, life still going. And, and, you know, maybe it's a little town or something that people have managed it, but it's on the coast because, I guess, because you don't have to defend one half of it.

I guess maybe the fish are still alive.

I don't know. Yeah. Who knows? But it was, yeah, it just, you know, you're going along this one, you're like, there's nothing good that's gonna happen. As they go, as they go along through this. There are little bits here and there though, that you're like, oh, all right. Well, you know, but like, even, like the scene where they, they find that, that stockpile of food and stuff like that.

Yeah.

And that little shelter. I'm like, good for them. But it's just, we're just delaying the inevitable.

That's, I mean.

Oh, go ahead.

I was like, they stick around and then they, the dad wants to leave because he hears some rustling up above. We never know for sure if that was like, somebody, you know, like, they might have just moved along and not found his little hideout.

I think it was, dude, lady kids and dog, because they're following them.

Oh.

Oh, okay. Yeah. You know what? I hadn't even put two and two together for that.

Yeah. That's one of my favorite parts of the book, is when they find that. That underground bomb shelter that nobody had found because, like, they're throughout the. The. Their travels, they're just coming across everything that's been picked over, right? Like, they're not fine. Like, they're like, oh, we found a bug. We can eat this bug. Right? Like, they're so happy. They fight. That's why I was a little disappointed that the Coca Cola scene was so short, because it's like. It's like this. This, like, oasis in. In terribleness, right? Like the. The beauty of a Coke. And the man is. Is enamored with watching the boy enjoy his first ever Coke, right? And there's something about that. Like, miss that in the movie. And it was a short scene, but when they find that bunker and there's a lot more, they stay at that bunker for a long time. They get cleaned up, and they get to the point where they're getting sick for beaten. So all the canned fruit, because it's so sweet, you know?

Oh, my God. When they show, they're like, he. He's like, what do you want for breakfast? And suddenly they start, like, the next thing, they flash, like, all the things that they're eating.

Yeah.

And I'm like, you guys have been starving and, like, barely eating anything for days, and suddenly you're gonna crack open a can of Spam and go, Spam and grilled pineapples. I'm like, you're gonna. Now you're gonna die because of diarrhea

and

dehydration, which is probably why he's chugging on the vitamin water to stay hydrated, because he just ate a big old thing of Spam after not eating in a while. And that just gotta run right through you.

It's so much salt and preservatives, and it's just gonna, like, rip them apart.

I mean, Spam on a good day runs through you.

Yeah. I don't know if I've ever had Spam in my entire life.

It's a dread.

I. I imagine it's good. It's. It's like a real big part of Hawaiian cuisine.

Yes. Yes. Yeah. It's worth a shot. Just in case something happens, you might have to eat some Spam.

So I bet you it's real good. I mean, I like a good fried.

Fried Spam sandwich is good.

Yeah. I mean, I always see, like, Spam fried rice.

Yeah. Yeah. That's good.

Yeah. My dad sandwiches all time was when I was growing up.

Yeah.

Little tomato, little Pickle.

Yeah. If there's anything this movie taught me is like, I better buy a few extra cans of beans or something. You know, when I go to the story. A few extra cans of like, corn, you know.

Two bullets too.

Oh, yeah. I might need like, at least five.

The thing.

Oh, my God. That. Okay. Yes. So that's another thing that this movie bothers me about. And it's also the. The book I just looked to the evolution is that you run these people who like, are not prepared for like, emergency situations or like, oh, like this is extreme post apocalyptic thing. But like, I. This is actually like a fear of mine. It's like something weird's gonna happen and we're like, the stuff I have in my house is not gonna last. I'm not prepared for anything that would keep me from. From needing something for more than like a couple days. Probably is makes for. So that sat in like an extra big for. Because then when he's like, all right, we gotta go. Just grab what you can. And the kid's like, all this stuff. You. You could not drag me out of that little.

Yeah. That place is worth fighting for, I would say.

Yeah. You're not.

The kid fell asleep with like a chocolate milk or something like that. Some sort of a drink juice box or something.

It did to protect yourself from the bunker, though. You're not at a position of power being down there.

That's true. Yeah. I hope nobody finds it.

Yeah. But nobody had found it up until that point. Right.

Do what he did. Throw that mattress on top. Nobody's ever gonna touch that.

There's been 10 years of this apocalypse or whatever. Right. Because the kid's like 10 and he was born at the beginning of the apocalypse.

And the only other time they found what they thought was like a storage bunker was place where they're locking up people. To smoke them later.

Yeah. To barbecue them later.

Yeah.

Yeah.

That is some. Something interesting about this movie that really like it most like post apocalyptic things. The big reveal is, oh, cannibalism. This up front right away. Yeah. People are eating people. It's pretty bad. And you're like, oh, okay. It's like that's basically on your mind the whole movie.

Yeah.

It's not like there's not no big twist like anyone could be a cannibal. I'm like, assuming everyone's accountable.

Yeah.

You know, you assume cannibal first and then you adjust later.

They look well put together. Probably cannibal in the book.

I don't want to be like this where like in the book, they did this, and. But they get to that house, and the boy's like, we need to go. Before they even do anything. I don't like it here, dad. We need to go. He's like, no, let's look around. Let's look around. It's like, I don't feel right. This isn't good. We need to go. And the boys like that the whole time. And then they find the lock. He's like, well, you don't put a lock on a door unless you're trying to protect something, right? And they open it up like, we gotta go, dad. We gotta go, dad. And then the boy is right. So there's a lot of tension between the boy and the man because the boy is, like, full of fear, right? But he also, because he's a kid, he's naive. So he hopes for the best in things, even though I don't know how you can. Because it's all you've known is your life. But I guess that's the man doing a halfway decent job trying to be a dad in this situation where your son knows nothing but death and he still has a shred of, like, hopefulness and, like, feels the best for people. Like, even, like, the. He's just hungry and he's scared and all this stuff, right? The man's still more beat up and road weary than Son, that's.

That's Omar from the wire. We're not messing with him.

Yeah, but. Oh, God. Yeah, that. Fighting. All those people in that basement, then they're just gonna get cooked later on.

Yeah.

Oh, God. And then one person was missing, like,

part of a leg, which meant they probably went down there. They sliced off Parvo leg and then. Yeah, yeah.

Went and smoked it. But then they escape, and they can't just get up and run, so they have to hide within earshot of the house.

Yeah. Everything.

They're just killing all. Oh, God. And that's when we get. Our opening clip is right after that, after they escape, everybody falls asleep.

Yeah.

I like the. One of the. One of the. Just a small thing is the guy, you know, starts going through the kid's stuff, and he's, like, looking at, like, all he's got, like, the arrowhead, and he's got all these other. He's just. And he's like, man, this is just interesting little collection of stuff. And then the kid wakes him up in the middle of the night. He's like, what? What? He'll. Don't touch my stuff. Yeah, where like, the dad was like, the dad was like, this is like a cool little collection of stuff.

Yeah.

He was admiring it.

He's, like, proud of his son for collecting these things.

Yeah.

Sparked memories of his wife and that's of the woman and.

Yeah. So. Okay, so that's the question. Like, do they spend more time with the woman in the book?

No, no.

She's just.

They actually spend a lot more time with the woman in the movie than they do in the book.

Okay.

And. But so that conversation where she decides that she's going to just walk out into the woods to freeze death, there's. There's a lot more to it and there's a lot of philosophical contemplations, like, what's the point of surviving in.

Yeah, this.

So there's a lot of that. Right. It comes across. Okay. In the movie. I think Charlize Theron does a really nice job in this movie. I knew she was gonna offer self. I just. I forgot the. The process of it and what she did. And she literally just wanders off out and. But that whole can't you stay one more night thing was gut wrenching. God, I hate it.

He's like, it was brutal.

Can't you say goodbye to him? She's like, no.

Could you imagine how difficult that would be? I couldn't even imagine.

He's not young. He's not like, he's like a infant still at the time. So he. Like, they've been around and like they.

Yeah.

Put this off as long as possible.

He has memories of her. Right. Like, I miss my mom. I wish I was with her. You wish you were dead? Yeah.

And then he. Oh, and what's the. The other thing? She. When she has the bull, she's like, other people are doing it. Other families are doing it too. Like, just like, we'll just kill all four, all three of us off and call it a day. And I'm like, yeah. Like, yeah, she's. And then you just see him continue to go on and on. Like, I. Like, I get it. You want to survive and you're trying to find something for your son to, you know. You know, to. And find some hope and something for him to live on. So I'm like, but there's nothing along that road that would give you, outside of stumbling upon, you know, a bomb shelter thing that people hadn't found like the rest of us. There's nothing that's redeeming along that. Along that path at all as they go along.

Well, they went to his childhood home.

Yeah. The kid did not like, doing that.

No.

Yeah.

I wonder why he had such a bad vibe about that.

I don't know.

Yeah, he's like, I don't think we should do this. I'm like. I'm like, I missed what they thought they were gonna do.

Yeah.

The guy just wanted to sit there and chill. He flipped over the couch cushion, sat down, and just. Maybe one. Just to be able to focus on something good.

Yeah.

I like when they do the. You know. You know, he gives the kid the bath and then he gives himself one, and they do the haircuts, and then they put on the night. They put on the nice clothes.

They get all dressed up to eat their Spam.

Yeah, Yeah. I got a nice little meal going. And they like.

He had.

They had biscuits and everything there.

Yeah, biscuits. And he has some Jack Daniels and just rolls. A cigarette.

Can I have some of that? No, no, no. It's not. Not gonna be good.

Nope. You just had your first Coke a little while ago. I can't imagine giving you some Jack now.

Yeah.

He pours himself a big glass. I'm like, man, you have not eaten,

and you definitely haven't had any alcohol in years.

Zero tolerance, man.

I think his liver is gonna just, like, just scream in pain when it drinks that.

Just puking instantly.

I would think they do start puking eventually, so.

They do. Yeah.

That old guy who tries to eat those peaches or whatever he stuff out

that came right back up real quick on him.

I was very surprised that that's where Robert Duvall was going to be. I. I didn't. I remember that. I thought. I really thought Robert Duvall, because when I did the book, I imagined the man at the end being like an older gentleman, like. Like a grandfather sort of figure. Right. And I figured that's where Robert Duvall was going to come in. But he ended up being like the. The blind guy walking down the road.

I didn't even recognize him.

Is Robert Duvall.

Yeah.

I think that's Guy Pierce at the end, too.

Is that him? I recognized. Yeah.

He looked creepy. I did not trust that.

Yeah, he. I didn't know. How could you.

I don't trust anybody, you know?

You know why? I eventually was like, oh, these people are all right. The dog was still with them. If you're gonna be starving hungry, that's the first thing that's gonna go. And they.

Yeah, they.

Their dog was right there. And he even looks at. He's like, oh, okay.

So this is my biggest miss. I. I miss from the book was at the End after his dad dies, he spends a couple days mourning and he. Then he tries to bury him. And then he encounters dude like on the road, and he's like, okay. So he hit. To earn boy's trust, he helps him bury his dad. But he's. He's going to. At first, he's going to strip his dad and take all of his clothes and stuff because, I mean, there's value in it.

Yeah.

But the boy wouldn't let him. And this how. This is how I trusted the man, at least in the book. Not the man man, but the. The man too man too was. He said okay. And he helped him bear. And he didn't go back and get the stuff later or anything. He helped bury his dad and left his clothes and stuff with him. And it's like, okay, this guy is trustworthy.

Kind of like the ambiguity of the ending where it's like, well, I don't know if this is going to be much better, but, you know, like.

Or like, it can't be worse.

Yeah. He's at least got a group of them together. And so it's not like, hey, if my dad goes take a dip in the ocean to swim out to a boat and I fall asleep, somebody steals everything. Because you now have four other people that can, you know, watch everyone's back along, along with the dog as well. So you've got. You've got some more support and stuff there. But it just like, there's no proof that there's anything like, anything actually really better ever along the way.

No. And I don't know how you like a decade, right. There's a decade of this and nobody looks good. And like, like you said, Terry, like, you just have to assume everybody's accountable.

I mean, people have lived this long and there's. The supplies are going down and down. Sound like you're not.

There's no animals. There's no foliage. Everything is just dead and desolate. The sky is gray and. And full of ash. That's how it's described in the book.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Like, I'd be eating grass.

There's no. There was no grass to eat, really.

Bark. I'd eat some bark.

Yeah.

So I. I guess, like, one of the things is when they. They that little beetle that they find.

Mm. Let's hope.

Like.

Yeah.

Is that like, oh, maybe life can.

Life is coming back maybe somehow.

Yeah.

Yeah. He didn't know what it was. He'd never seen one before.

And then he kills a dude with a flare.

That happens in the book. Just like that too. This is pretty like beat for beat remake of the book in a lot of sense.

I feel like the dad, like, you know, he's saying like, we're the good guys, but I feel like even him, like you can tell the world is like, pushes him further and further away from that. Like.

Yeah.

Kind of like how he treats the guy who, who robbed him at the end.

Yeah.

He's like. And I mean, it's not necessarily. Not justified. You know, the guy did rob him for everything he had, but it's like the cruelty of like what he was doing. He's like, I want to make him suffer kind of thing. And it's just like you could tell he got.

You left us.

Yeah, he got pushed a little. He's been pushed too far over the edge.

But. And that was. And the, the boy was very upset with the man in that situation and eventually talked him into giving him back his stuff and he left it out there with a can of fruit, you know.

Yeah, the boy is like his conscience on this.

Yeah, the boy is. I mean, he calls him what, the last God or whatever this is God. I mean that and Robert Duvall's character of thinking he would never see a kid again because why would you. Like who, like, it'd be impossible to like the idea of having children. And why would you bring a child into this world like that?

Yeah.

And that was part of the woman's problem with it all.

Yep. That was a very tough scene too. And she realized what she's about to. What's about to happen.

Well, did we do it, boyos?

I believe so.

Did we travel the road?

I think we made it to the coast. And the ocean is nice and brown.

Nice and brown. There's a half sunk ship out there.

Yep. I ain't swimming all over there. I'm telling you that much. I ain't gonna make it.

No, I know I wouldn't any. They spend a lot more time in the boat in the book.

You find any good stuff in there?

Flare gun.

That's it.

I think it's like some maps and stuff and a compass. I can't remember. Boat stuff.

Totally worth it.

Totally worth it. Well, what'd you guys think?

I think there's really good performances in it. I don't. I. I honestly don't think I can say I liked the movie. Just. This is a rough one, but like there is good.

I'm not gonna do with that.

There's solid stuff in here and I'm not. I don't regret having seen It. It's just. I don't think I'll watch this again. It's not a. Not a big rewatch movie. No, it's not a. Like, I don't know, maybe I'll get some friends to come over.

It is hanging out with friends, sort of.

Yeah, yeah, we'll talk, you know, that we can like, you know, crack jokes during or something. Yeah. But overall, not, you know, kind of what I expected it to be. And then. And. And not bad at all. It's. It's a good movie.

It's just a tough watch. I get.

Yeah, I like it. Yeah, I think it's good. I like depressing movies like this, so it's up my alley. It is. I kind of. I get. I get the point of. It's them going, you know, it's not even really the point of it, but their goal is just to make it south. I kind of wish there was a little bit more of a concrete mission, but it is kind of nice to have that ambiguity of it too. Like I don't know what they're gonna find, you know, like, it's just total unknowns and it's just like getting darker and darker as they go. Yeah, I think it's pretty good. It is depressing. So keep that in mind if you're gonna watch it. But yeah, it's. It is good. It is good. It's. Yeah. Great performances. Setting is interesting. I like the vagueness of how this all happened. Who knows? My guess. Aliens, probably. But, you know, you never know.

Aliens. It's a good guess. When in doubt. Aliens.

Aliens. Yeah. They're still walking among us even.

Yep.

They got nasty teeth and eat people.

Oh, those are the cannibals. Oh, that makes sense.

I like this movie. I don't love this movie, but I do like this movie. I can't love this movie because it is just so beat you down into submission sort of. But that's the story though. So, I mean, it's a. The book. God. The book is. In my opinion, the book's amazing. And the way that Cormac McCarthy writes is incredible. And I saw somebody like a negative review. It's like he couldn't capture the poetic prose of Cormac McCarthy at this. And his prose is poetic. And I think I was trying to explain you guys off Mike last week, but it's. It's very. It's very simile based and. And there was a scene in the movie that made me conjure up Cormac McCarthy esque sort of words and it Was like one of the brighter scenes was flashback when it was released her on like hair and sun. And so I, I've been thinking about it and this is, this is the best way I could think of describing or mimicking it without actually reading it. Like it would be something like. Her hair glowed like the amber hue of a solitary oak on a final hill as the sun sets on a cold autumnal eve. Right. That's how he writes everything. And it's like there'd be this and it and it'd be from anything. Like he picked up the can and it held it in his hand and it had the weight of the final nail that was driven through the wrist of Christ as he, you know, like, like.

Yeah, that's Coca Cola's PR team right there.

It's. It's like that and once you get in the groove of it and it just, it just like hums and it tells this, this just as bleak story. But there's something about the book that is just like just. There's a reason it won the Pulitzer Prize. That's my, that's what I'm saying. That's what I'm getting at. The book or the movie didn't win any Oscars. They tried. They wanted it to. It captures the bleakness. It just doesn't have a book that only has two characters in it for the majority of. There's a lot of internal conversation. Right. And dialogue and that just doesn't translate to the screen. But did I like it? Yeah, it was fine. Well, we know what we thought. What did the Internet have to say on February 6th of 2022? The 12th a h m x I I. I'm assuming XII is 12. So I'm 12, I guess. I don't know. Or Omzi one of the two.

Oh, I like that.

Devastatingly beautiful. You must think I'm from another world. Quotes the Road is a story about the bonding and survival of a father and son through a hopeless and barren wasteland. The film is bleak, depressing and somber in its tone and delivery. Food and other resources are scarce. Those left must scavenge what they find in their travels to survive. Cannibalism is prevalent in this nightmare world where groups of miscreants prey upon the helpless. The Road is an immersive experience, so serene, sensorial and flowing that when we experience excruciatingly emotional hair raising or gut wrenching moments, we haven't even seen them coming. And when we have, they're already crept upon us with every trait of every department, with every Trait of every department. The result is utter simplicity, utter docility, no fluctuation in the face of whatever brutality or emotionless quakes, making them all that much more profoundly moving. The dialogue is so restrained, the story is so elemental and straightforward that all the primal feelings it evokes transcend any limitations of characters and images.

Wow.

Seven found it helpful. Three, not so much. Ten out of ten.

Very passionate review. I like it.

Yeah, I like it.

Trying to channel this inner Cormac McCarthy there.

Yeah, a little bit.

Yeah.

But not to be outdone, on December 24, Christmas Eve of 2010, Regular 8 had this to say. Horrible. The movie the Road is horrible because it is cold, depressing, sad, violent, grim, full of death. After seeing this film, one feels alienated, alone and distraught, hoping to regain any sense of joy at all. This movie is one of those post catastrophe Earth presentations, but presentations. But this one hangs in one's mind like a lifeless tumor, is almost no plot or story, but instead it tranquilizes the mind with dirty and deathly imaginings of a destroyed Mother Earth and a nearly destroyed human race who have been reduced to minimal existence. I suppose the fine actors in this film accepted the roles for their artistic challenge or money. I. I also suppose McCarthy, the original writer, is either a ghoul or only in it for the money himself.

Well, this is. This is a hot selling idea. Yes.

Parentheses. I have heard that his other stories are similar in parentheses. The Road is no family fun film. Not a first date movie.

No.

If you want to feel like nearly all your spirit has been killed, go see the Road. If you want to feel that human history is probably doomed, likewise, go see it. I certainly wish I had not seen it. 19 found that helpful. 27, not so much. 1 out of 10.

That's somebody who had nothing to do on Christmas day. I'm pretty sure.

Yeah, they're probably.

They said watched it on the 24th and they were like so already, like, yeah. Not getting to do anything on Christmas Day and not going to see my family or anything like that.

I hope you didn't. I hope they didn't. Yeah. Pick it as the family movie, Night Before Christmas.

Oh no. That would be another take on it. Yeah.

Like I'm gonna tell you what. It tranquilizes the mind with dirty and deathly imaginings is that to me should sell the movie. That's already high praise.

That first thing where it was like, this movie's full of death, blah, blah, blah, blah. I was like, I'm already sold. This sounds great.

The movie is Horrible because it's cold, depressing, sad, violent, grim, and full of death.

This sounds like a movie I would love.

Yeah, dude, sold it. Thank you.

Regular eight, which is good, it seems to me, like, okay, it's not for her, this person, obviously. No, they understood this. The size of the film.

They got the intent, went along for the ride.

I mean, it's about the same type of review I would get, but I would not give it a one. I would have given it a higher score, but, like, said pretty much the exact same thing. Like, this is a dark, depressing movie. Like, yeah, it's not for everyone. Not, not gonna be a big re. Watch.

Got the point. It's intended to be dark and depressing and make you think about the existence and whatnot.

And what does make you feel better about your own life?

What are your motivations and what does hope mean to you and why do you do those things?

Yeah, I don't know.

The movie accomplished all that stuff. It's just, it's hard. To me, the book is like, not a perfect book, but it's really, really good. I recommend it. All right, well, we did it. We got through DTF Y2M7, W1. That means we're on to W2. And that's a Keith week.

It is.

So, Keith, what are we watching from print to screen.

Oh, boy. I, I, so I went to IMDb and I, I, I looked up a list of, you know, movies based on books, and I, I sorted by the score, see what the highest ranked thing was. I think, I think, I think it was spider verse. And then I looked up what the lowest one was. No, no, I, I did consult. No, I did consult a few different lists though, because I, I'm always, I was looking for something that I didn't know was based on a book.

Okay.

Yeah, it's kind of what I was like, hoping to find. I found a few things out there and, and I had two. And one of them I, I found to be, like, really kind of cool. That was based on book, but I think it's something we've all seen. So I want to go with something I, at least I know I haven't seen or if I have seen it, it's been a super long time. And so we're gonna watch Fast Times at Ridgemont High.

Oh, wow.

Which is based on book by the, the same guy who, who did the movie.

He wrote the book and then.

Yeah, Cameron Chrome. Yeah, he went undercover in a high school and acted as a student and then wrote a book about it. And then made a movie about it.

Wow. Okay.

A non fiction book by Cameron Crowe. I never.

I didn't know that at all.

Yep. Based on his own experiences undercover in a high school.

All right. Wow.

We're doing it. We're on. We're off the road. And we're on to Fast Times at Richmond High. It is. It is just total polar opposite for tones.

Yeah. And it's still not as crazy as the other choice I was gonna make. So interesting right now.

Was it killer clowns from outer space?

No, but I don't know.

No, I'm hoping it is.

No, but it was something super goofy that I was like, wait a minute. That's based off a book.

Isn't Guardians of Gahool based off of a.

God damn it.

Son of a. Do you want to rewind, Keith? I'll allow it.

No, I don't.

No.

Am I crazy?

Yeah, it's a book series.

Wow, Keith, I can't believe you.

Guardians of the Whole is a fantasy book series by Catherine Lasky about a young Barnell named Soren.

I can't believe it. I was like, maybe. I know my kids gonna pick this.

I'm so. I am so pissed right now. Oh, my gosh.

Well, you miss all the shots you don't take, Keith.

All right, well, we're on the Fast Times at Richmond High.

Yeah.

A movie that features no owls that I know of.

I. If I see one owl, I'm gonna flip a lid.

Me too. Goddamn owl movie. I guess that leaves us with nothing to do but to end this the way we end everything.

Sure. Sure thing.

Abandoned by your parents, without a home, without people to care for you, you

should have died, but.

But instead you fought.

Your entire life has brought you to this moment. Do not fail yourself. Do not fail your family.

Now the time has come for you to prove.

You.

Yes.

You have made me proud, my son. Thanks for listening to Fumbling through film. New episodes drop every Thursday. Got feedback or questions? Email us at fumbling through filmmail.com you can see our films to fumble before you tumble into the grave and other musings on letterbox that Fumble through film. The through is thru. You can also follow Keith on Instagram @kg33lives and on Letterboxd3030. Terry is on Letterboxd @terry2099 Derek is on Letterboxd Derek the number nine and then the word nine. All original music is done by the Dr. Dre of Kansas, Terry. So hit him up for them bangers. Our new podcast logo is done by the delightful and talented Sanjay Vicky Nayak. You can find her on Instagram. Grammat Einstein. That's Einstein with a K in there. We'll see you next week. As we keep on fumbling.