Episode #024 - Network

Jess' next choice brings up back to the world of Disney animated feature films with 2010's Tangled. Matt had not seen this loose adaptation of the Rapunzel fairy tale. This means he had gone this long in his life without Pascal the chameleon's sass and side-eyeing judgment. Sad for him, really.Aside from Pascal, he had lots to talk about: the schlocky quippy humour of Flynn Rider, cast iron frypans as weapons, Rapunzel as productivity influencer, and just how much of a boomer Mother Gothel is. Also, Jess tells a story about teeth. Seriously.---Email: [email protected]: https://www.instagram.com/icantbelieveyouhaventseen?igsh=MXNzajkyeWtudnEwdg%3D%3D&utm_source=qrTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@icantbelieveyoupodcast?_t=ZS-8ybWbMd0BKU&_r=1Matt's Letterboxd: Matty236---Music by: https//:www.bensound.comLicense code: VP5E3U204O5ELA2W

Jess and Matt are both huge fans of Martin McDonagh's work on stage and screen. In fact, they were recently able to catch a festival screening of his latest, upcoming film. Jess, however, had not ever seen Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. Predictably, she had some thoughts. Possibly even more predictably, she had rage. Given recent current events and the subjects in this movie, this is not a surprise.This is an episode with some heavy topics (Implied trigger warnings abound, take care of yourselves, friends...): giving space for a mother's outrage, the layers of Frances McDormand's portrayal of Mildred, different family dynamics, laughing in the face of horrendous circumstances, and unsatisfying conclusions. It might also get you thinking: what words would not be allowed on billboards where you live?---Email: [email protected]: https://www.instagram.com/icantbelieveyouhaventseen?igsh=MXNzajkyeWtudnEwdg%3D%3D&utm_source=qrTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@icantbelieveyoupodcast?_t=ZS-8ybWbMd0BKU&_r=1Matt's Letterboxd: Matty236---Music by: https//:www.bensound.comLicense code: VP5E3U204O5ELA2W

Rent is one of, if not the, most famous stage musical from the 90s, and it permeated the culture at large. Matt knows a few of the touchpoints of Rent, but had never seen the stage show, or the 2005 movie adaptation. Jess first saw the movie, and has had a long, storied history with it since. So she picked the movie for episode 25. Matt had...questions. Actually, exclusively questions, if his notes are to be believed.They cover A LOT of ground in this episode: the draw (and drawback) of the artist living in squalor, cold breath CGI, being the "film bro" in your friend group, "We Didn't Start The Fire", and what makes a stage musical work as a movie. And much more. Seriously, it's our longest episode yet. We're sorry for everything.---Email: [email protected]: https://www.instagram.com/icantbelieveyouhaventseen?igsh=MXNzajkyeWtudnEwdg%3D%3D&utm_source=qrTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@icantbelieveyoupodcast?_t=ZS-8ybWbMd0BKU&_r=1Matt's Letterboxd: Matty236---Music by: https//:www.bensound.comLicense code: VP5E3U204O5ELA2W

This episode was bound to happen. As one of the greatest media satires in cinema history, it was only inevitable that Matt was going to pick Network to watch with Jess. She did her Master's thesis about reality TV...he knew she was going to have a lot of thoughts. A fifty year old film about network television should not be this relevant, and yet here we are: mad as hell and wondering when we won't take it anymore.Jess ponders that and a whole lot more. There's the capitalism and commoditization of everything, there's the lack of empathy in the entertainment world, there's concern for Howard Beale's mental health, and there's more info about MTV's The Real World that you (and Matt) didn't know about before. Also, there's Sybil The Soothsayer, which is just kinda fun to say out loud.---Email: [email protected]: https://www.instagram.com/icantbelieveyouhaventseen?igsh=MXNzajkyeWtudnEwdg%3D%3D&utm_source=qrTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@icantbelieveyoupodcast?_t=ZS-8ybWbMd0BKU&_r=1Matt's Letterboxd: Matty236---Music by: https//:www.bensound.comLicense code: VP5E3U204O5ELA2W

Orlando is a film that has grown in stature and gained a greater audience since it was released in 1992. Jess loves it, and has seen it many times dating back to her university days. Matt had not seen it, much to Jess' astonishment as she felt like it would be right up his alley. So she kept it for this episode where he could discover Orlando as a young man. Also as a young woman. Look, it's a long story and there's not really even much of an explanation. Just go with it, everyone else does.They will get the chance to talk about the role of androgyny in both the film's themes and casting choices, primitive ice skating, a wide variety of parallels and dichotomies the film uses, and how to properly break the fourth wall. Hopefully, by the end of this episode, you won't need to take a seven day long nap. Orlando would sympathize if you did need it, though.---Email: [email protected]: https://www.instagram.com/icantbelieveyouhaventseen?igsh=MXNzajkyeWtudnEwdg%3D%3D&utm_source=qrTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@icantbelieveyoupodcast?_t=ZS-8ybWbMd0BKU&_r=1Matt's Letterboxd: Matty236---Music by: https//:www.bensound.comLicense code: VP5E3U204O5ELA2W

Jess isn't new to Paul Thomas Anderson films. She and Matt did recently watch  the most recent Best Picture winner "One Battle After Another", and she has seen a couple others in the past. How she missed Boogie Nights, one of his most acclaimed films, is anyone's guess. It might have something to do with her being in elementary school when this portrait of the 70's porn industry was released. Her mind wasn't yet in the gutter enough, apparently.But now she has seen it, and there's a lot she wanted to highlight: the concept of family both real and chosen, the shifting nature of people's identities, an all-time great ensemble cast, and whether or not any of these characters actually learn anything. So put on your imported Italian nylon and get your butter and lollipops ready, because we're shooting this one on film!---Email: [email protected]: https://www.instagram.com/icantbelieveyouhaventseen?igsh=MXNzajkyeWtudnEwdg%3D%3D&utm_source=qrTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@icantbelieveyoupodcast?_t=ZS-8ybWbMd0BKU&_r=1Matt's Letterboxd: Matty236---Music by: https//:www.bensound.comLicense code: VP5E3U204O5ELA2W

Norma Rae is a pretty legendary movie with an iconic award-winning central performance that showed what a successful, crowd pleasing story in the "New Hollywood" era of the late 70s looked like. Somehow, despite LOVING this era, Matt had not ever seen it. Jess was shook. Mostly because Norma Rae Webster is pretty iconic to her. Also because standing on a table defying authority is her idea of a fun time on the weekends.As Matt and Jess have roots growing up in industry towns, they have a lot to relate to in this story and a lot to discuss: the demographics of those who embrace change, the role of fear in oppression, the real life echoes of Harlan County USA, and what it means to be respected. One question they don't actually get around to answering: why do people in the South always seem to have three names?---Email: [email protected]: https://www.instagram.com/icantbelieveyouhaventseen?igsh=MXNzajkyeWtudnEwdg%3D%3D&utm_source=qrTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@icantbelieveyoupodcast?_t=ZS-8ybWbMd0BKU&_r=1Matt's Letterboxd: Matty236---Music by: https//:www.bensound.comLicense code: VP5E3U204O5ELA2W

After being out for an entire calendar year and saving it for this very special 20th episode, Jess and Matt finally got to see Sinners. This is the second "I Can't Believe WE Haven't Seen" special episode, and they can't contain they're feeling for very long. Simply put: it lives up to the hype. Not only that, but it is deep and rich in so many different ways. Plus, none of the vampire sparkle!They dive into a lot: how the vampire mythos is utilized, music and sound as memories, returning to a small town, telling a story without telling you everything, and the many different examples of twinning. They would "invite you in" to the conversation, but that phrase sounds way more suspicious after watching this one...---Email: [email protected]: https://www.instagram.com/icantbelieveyouhaventseen?igsh=MXNzajkyeWtudnEwdg%3D%3D&utm_source=qrTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@icantbelieveyoupodcast?_t=ZS-8ybWbMd0BKU&_r=1Matt's Letterboxd: Matty236---Music by: https//:www.bensound.comLicense code: VP5E3U204O5ELA2W

After having two romantic comedies selected for him by Jess so far, Matt decided to flip one back her way. In typical Matt fashion, he went older...wayyy older, all the way back to 1934 for the legendary It Happened One Night. Turns out that, not only has it held up better than she could have imagined, but Jess might just have a new comfort movie. Mostly because a movie full of sarcastic banter and strong-willed leading women is comforting for her. Cue Matt's shock.They talk about the trials and tribulations of riding the Greyhound bus, the role of the newspaper as a character and cultural signifier, the Walls of Jericho, and comparing the film's leading lady to Bambi taking her first steps in the world. They also realize that Ellie and Peter's potential future children may have the ultimate athletic prowess and will likely be great piggy-backers.---Email: [email protected]: https://www.instagram.com/icantbelieveyouhaventseen?igsh=MXNzajkyeWtudnEwdg%3D%3D&utm_source=qrTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@icantbelieveyoupodcast?_t=ZS-8ybWbMd0BKU&_r=1Matt's Letterboxd: Matty236---Music by: https//:www.bensound.comLicense code: VP5E3U204O5ELA2W

Look, overnight red eye flights are the worst. Jess and Matt both agree on this. Wes Craven's 2005 film Red Eye, however...not the worst. Jess knows this, and had seen the film several times in her teenage years working at a movie theatre. Matt, however, had never seen it. It was a bit of a trip to watch much younger versions of Rachel McAdams and Cillian Murphy, it was even more of a trip to be reminded that airplane seat phones existed...In fact, they get into quite a few interesting topics: customer service and the hospitality industry, Wes Craven doing his best Hitchcock impression, and the legend of the airport Chili's (IYKYK). So grab your field hockey sticks and your throat-covering scarves, things are gonna get tense in row 18 of this plane.---Email: [email protected]: https://www.instagram.com/icantbelieveyouhaventseen?igsh=MXNzajkyeWtudnEwdg%3D%3D&utm_source=qrTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@icantbelieveyoupodcast?_t=ZS-8ybWbMd0BKU&_r=1Matt's Letterboxd: Matty236---Music by: https//:www.bensound.comLicense code: VP5E3U204O5ELA2W