Welcome friends and podcast podcasting. Don John back again. They're talking dove broomy
now Marcus only no, get ready for something lethal. I'm surprised you haven't
heard about me. You know, I got a bad reputation and sometimes I
just go nuts, like now, because the magic gone is back. Lethal
weapon too, you go for some really first off me, fine, Hey,
you're not gonna make it. I'm gonna make you know. That's not
enough room. You were right, ye know, Hea, there wasn't enough
room lethal weapon to this time. They're not taking any cramp. He's get
off me, man, I don't want anybody to see. It's like welcome
to a movie film commentary track. My name is Zaki has Sign. I'm
here with Brian Hall. Hey. How's it going, Zachi. Hey,
it's it's you know, it's kind of it's a nice afternoon. It's nice
where I am. I don't know how it is where you are. Oh,
It's it's beautiful here too. I mean the Santana winds have kicked in
a little bit, but otherwise it's blue skies as far as I can see.
It's the kind of weather that makes you want to drive down the streets
of Los Angeles and have a camera overhead while you can hear our voice over
in the car where I'm like, I don't get it, Zachie, how
does money laundering work? Well, Brian, all I do know is that
those people will be meeting at the docks later tonight. Get there. Split
in case that little two person theater that we just put on wasn't clue enough,
We're gonna be watching Lethal Weapon two today. Man, I love this
series. I'm with you, and having done our commentary track for the first
Lethal Weapon a couple of years ago, at that point I knew we would
be touching base periodically just so that we could we could talk through the further
adventures of Riggs and Murta mm hmmm. And this year being the thirty fifth
anniversary of Lethal Weapon two, I said, hey, Brian, let's uh
come on, let's let's uh, let's get this one going here. And
I said, let's do it. I can't wait to talk through this movie
with you. Well, I hope all of you listening our game as well,
And if you want to watch along with us, we'll take a short
break right now and let our sponsors do their thing while you get your copy
queued up, and after this we will talk through Lethal wepon two, and
we are back and ready to go. I'm cute, up, Brian Newquede
up. I am. So we are watching the theatrical cut of Lethal Weapons
two. There is a version which has labeled the director's cut, but the
director of the film, Richard Donner, does not consider that his director's cut.
He considers the version we are watching his version, and and Brian,
I am. I am loath to disagree with Dick Donner. I would,
I would never. So, so with that in mind, we're about to
start watching. If you want to watch along with us, we will hit
play on three, so I will go one, two, three play.
And if you don't want to watch along with us, that's fine too.
We'll try to keep the conversation interesting enough to hopefully engage you while you're doing
whatever it is that you're doing. So Brian, ready, I'm ready?
Now? Wait? Are we going on three? I was about to say
this. It has never been there's never been more pressure than right now.
So we're gonna go. It's not three play, it's one, two,
three and play. I think that's right, right, I think well it
has been for us yep, Nixon Mertza, I have their own method,
they got their own routine. Yeah, all right, so here we go
one, two, three play. Ah, I'm just settling in. Well,
let's really quickly. Actually, wait, I don't want to talk over
this opening, which is so awesome, Like the way it's just like boom,
you know what I mean, Like this movie just kicks right off and
you have like Rigs screaming and pounding the rule. There's the title right there,
yep, and then w rooshes towards you on camera and then him you
know, these tight shots on their faces and Rigs going nuts. I mean
you're like, whoa, okay, okay, okay, Like I wasn't prepared.
Let's go, let's go, We're doing this. I love this opening.
I mean I feel like this is one of the first examples of what's
very common now where we just drop the title and right into the movie.
Yeah. Sure, I mean, I'm not saying it's the first is I
think RoboCop did it for this, but I mean I feel like lethal weapons
sort of opened the floodgates. Yeah, it definitely related to that. Also,
I mean, these movies have like a real live wire energy to them,
don't they like they just the way that everybody interacts with each other,
even just at the police station. The way that everyone sort of talks kind
of quickly and over one another. There's it's not like a nervous energy,
but it does keep me sort of alert, right, Yeah, yeah,
well, I was gonna say real quick speaking to the director's commentaries you were
talking about. So that was just a result of sort of the DVD age,
right, the director's cut. Yeah, where it felt like studios were
like, well, the way we can get people to double dip to buy
more than one DVD, this is this is this is hilarious. By the
way. The the oh I didn't know about Murta's Murta and his wife.
That's you know, any something I said in the first commentary also, is
I love the culture that they create at the police station. Yeah, we're
like there and this one. They're very serious about their jobs, of course,
but in the first one, you know, we see them practicing singing
their Christmas carols and they seem like this real sort of fraternity of Yeah,
that's right, Sorry you're saying, yeah, No. The directors cut versions
of these films that were released were put out in the late nineties to tie
in with the release of of of Lethal Weapon four. And so this is
really like when VHS was still a thing. And and I've seen all three
of the director's cut editions of of Lethal one through three, and and none
of them adds anything that substantial, right, I think I think they're fine.
I think I've said before the Lethal Weapon the first film, there's a
scene where Riggs takes out a sniper at a school, which, if there
was one thing I would have left in my have been that. But I
think Lethal too, specifically, nothing of real value is lost. Yeah,
yeah, no, I was reading about what those scenes were, and they
I'm sure they're kind of humorous. But I was appreciating the editing of this
movie as I was watching it. I mean, it's really a lot of
the things that feel like gags are really set ups for later payoffs. And
that's right, it's really tightly constructed. Yeah, I think to your point,
the way we just come right in on Riggs and Murtau in the middle
of another adventure, it really highlights where, you know, number one,
like the comfort level of the filmmakers to pick up a few years later.
But also I mean, it indicates how audience has probably felt at the end
of the first film, where it's like, you know, I want to
hang out with these guys again. You know, they had a choice in
the story construction of the first one to have Riggs and Murta remain as a
partnership or to have them go their separate ways. Very smartly, they had
they end with with Riggs joining you know, the family for Christmas dinner,
and I think to some extent, you know, the audience sort of took
on these characters as like, yeah, they're part of our family too,
you know. Mm hmm. Oh. And something I don't want to forget
is when it opens also with the Warner Brothers logo, there's that weird sort
of like Looney Tunes, that's right, the musical thing at the beginning of
the boo kind of thing, which is a really I mean, that's a
real choice at the beginning of your R rated you know, violence cop action
film. You know, But doesn't that just kind of sum it up going
into this like hard action sequence next, Like that's the weird balance this these
movies carry right here. This is one of the funniest gags in all of
the movies where where Rod is trying to get him to pull away from the
curb and then Riggs is like, oh god, damn it, you were
right right. The look on Murta's face so funny. But isn't that a
great texture too? They don't like hang a hat on it, but it's
he's driving the family's new car, you know what I mean. So,
and it keeps getting wrecked throughout the movie. You know, it's a funny
a big big deal out of it. It's just is a funny little side
business. I also think it's it's kind of neat how the film, uh
does a good job of introducing the other cop characters, yes, and and
that so that like later on as as the events play out, you know,
it actually means something. You could identify them. So yeah, when
they we eventually lose them later exactly something. Yeah. So the pretty much
as soon as the first movie came out, Warner Brothers went to Richard Donner
and Joel Silver and was like, hey, you gotta you gotta do a
sequel, you know, and uh, Joel Silver first went to Shane Black,
and understandably he of course created the thing. He wrote the first film,
and they wanted him to write the sequel, and and even though what
he wrote is like the provides the framework for this, it's pretty far afield
from his original intentions. M Yeah, there was a scene in there that
I read where like a helicopter filled with cocaine explodes and it rains down over
La like snow, all the cocaine. It's very different. Yeah, and
that that mirror is something he wanted to do in the first film that he
wasn't able to do to the same extent. So it's just he he really
had to bug up his butt about about having having cocaine rained down on Los
Angeles. You know what, though, it being the eighties, I can
imagine you landing on that idea and being like, it's gold, Jerry,
it's gold. It's got to go somewhere. It's funny because oh there there's
the origin of the go on three. Yeah, this guy's mandrake. See.
The great thing about their banter throughout is you can imagine that a lot
of it is just them riffing, you know, And I think you know,
the the version that they filmed is written by Jeffrey Bohm, and I
haven't seen the shooting script, but I would love to note just like where
does the script end and where does them riffing begin? You know? Yeah,
reading interviews with Boom, it sounds like yeah, I mean Donner was
really open to improvisation and then being like, okay, well this has changed
now because they said that, so help constant rewriting. That's also interesting,
right. So the script that Shane Black wrote it was called Play Dirty,
and it was much darker and it ended with Riggs sacrificing himself to save Murta,
his family and the studio, like right out the shoot was like no,
you're not you're not doing that. But like, you know, even
even Joel Silver didn't like that. Richard Donnard didn't like that. And and
after they told him, they told Shane Black, hey, we're gonna you
know, we this needs more work. He was so distraught, he was
he told his agent, He's like, just tell him, I'm going to
give him the money back, like one hundred grand yep. His agent had
to talk him off the ledge basically like no, you keep the money,
stupid. Yeah, with a buddy of his right, author, a buddy
of his Yeah, that's right, the guy who created Remo Williams. Yes,
yeah, I forget the guy's name, Warren something so so Dean Norris
right here. I had to look it up. You know how old he
is in this movie? Oh my gosh, how old? Twenty five?
What? Wow? Oh my god. I would have never I would have
liked re bet that. I ever, it's a mid thirties maybe, right,
Yeah, yeah. I was just talking about this with someone, you
know, watching older movies, and it just feels like what I watched The
Big Chill for the first time this past week. Oh sure, sure,
yeah, And I was saying that, I mean, obviously I got it,
but I was like, I don't exactly understand how old they are because
they look a lot older than I think they're supposed to be, just due
to the way, you know, haircuts and dress style and everything in the
eighties. But yeah, yeah, there's a oh yeah, good, Sorry,
no, no, I I I I think I think to your point
about Dean Norris, it like I've known him for decades because of this film.
So it's been kind of nice to see the the Dinoissance, if you
will, lately because of Hang On, Breaking Bad. You know, I
was gonna say, most people these days know him as Hank Schrader from Breaking
Bad, but I looked it up because I was curious. But yeah,
he's been in one hundred and seventy five roles. Yeah, yeah, one
hundred and seventy five roles. He's the he's the swat leader in T two,
you know, and the majority of which probably cops. I was gonna
say, oh, yeah, he's like swat leader and T two he's swat
leader. In Gremlins two, he's he's in total recall. He's all over
the place. So I mean, he's he's really been on fire. Maybe
not in the public's consciousness, but he's been on fire, acting wise forever.
It's funny that that he's in Gremlins too, because Jonathan Banks is in
the first Gremlins. Oh that's right, all right, he's the he's the
deputy. Yeah. By the way, we got grand l Bush uh in
and as as Collins, the police officer there, well he's off screen now,
but he's Grandel Bush is also in the first Lethal Weapon, but he
plays a different cop. Oh funny, And that fascinates me because I'm like,
why don't you just have but be the same guy? You guys,
like, does it matter at all? Right? I don't recall what happens
to his character in the first movie. I mean, is there something they
needed to differentiate or there's nothing significant. He's the guy who in the beginning
when Roger he shaved his beard and he tells rog oh something, I think
you looked younger with the beard, Like that's like his one. Wow,
it's so weird, weird, right, Yeah, No, I was gonna
say, there's this meme going around right now where it has a picture of
Steve Martin and Diane Keaton from Father of the Bride, and it's like,
you know, this is what like a forty five year old used to look
like or something like that. Yeah, And it's amazing because you look at
it and you go, oh wow, they look like fifty five. Yeah,
so Letho Weapon two. You know, this is something specific about the
Lethal series that I love is it's a family on screen, it's also a
family off screen. And I think there's this remarkable consistency for all four movies.
Oh yeah, right, and up to you know, obviously, you
know, Michael came in doing the score, and you know, you know,
Richard Donnald obviously directing, but like even stuff like up here you know,
you have Jack McGee playing the handyman McGee, and he just he becomes
part of the troop. He shows up in the rest of the movies.
M I mean that, you know, yeah, yeah, no, go
ahead, I was gonna say, it's fitting. Yeah that part four supposedly
the ending ends with like a family album. That's right, right, I
mean, that's really the feel that you get through these movies. And I
think it's cool that there has been a single well there's been different screenwriters,
but I mean having the directorial author be the same throughout. I really think
the series benefits from that, and you feel it. That's yeah. I
think that obviously this whole joint wouldn't exist without Shane Black. But I think
if anybody it became sort of the guiding light, it was Richard Donner.
And you can tell how personal this series was to him that he up until
his death he was like, I want to come back on and do one
more lethal weapon. Yeah, you can you can tell it meant a lot
to him. And and this this is you know, this is a conversation
that you and I have had where I'm like, you know, I know
he wanted to do a fifth one but now that he's gone, maybe you
know, maybe it's time to just close the book, you know, I
think so, I think so. But you speaking of the family aspect of
it all, I mean, you can understand why he'd want to go back.
It's like a family reunion. From a family reunion, yep. I
should note Tales on the Crypt, Tales from the Crypt on the TV there,
which was executive produced by Richard Donner along with Robert Zemeckis, Walter Hill,
Joel Silver. Yeah, that was for a minute there, that was
quite the hype machine for like high profile like that was like that was HBO,
right, mm hmmmm. I feel like that was one of their first
big like kind of like ooh, this isn't what you get on network TV
type shows, you know that, And it hit the culture like you knew
the coft keeper, right. I wonder if when she hit him, when
she hit Rigs in the face right there, if that was like just a
good too, like an accident. It looks very uh natural and accidentally yeah,
right, but it adds adds to this sort of like bustling family energy
that it was, yeah, exactly. Yeah. Now, first, have
you ever seen a condom commercial? On TV. I don't know if I
have I don't know, but I think I've said on another episode that I
do remember a vibrator commercial that they kept playing over and over during Mercia on
thirty fourth Street on Christmas Eve while I was watching Sam, I remember that.
Wow, okay, it's never never mind that by the way, that
the condom come, it's a real condom cover. They paid ten grand for
that commercial to be in this movie. So wow, really product placement?
Yeah, why not? That's what got you, you know, the still
to house being able to call that movie? Yes, thank you Ramsey.
Yes, that's hilarious. Roger's reaction is so funny. But I'm always like,
like, how does like did they deliberately not tell him? Did they
think he wouldn't find out that it was a condom commercial? I know,
I know, I know, I know. You think it's something that she
would keep a secret from him and he would discover late night by himself and
like trash you know. Oh, by the way, the McGee there where
he so I made me want to go out and buy rubbers, Like he
just improvised that and everybody busted out. So they just left it in.
I you know, it's funny. I noticed he was in the back with
the crowd, and I thought that was funny. And then I love that
one by one day I'll leave, but he's the last one that remains.
I thought it was great. That's a really funny idea. Yeah, and
I love how to deegrate it into the family. He is here, you
know, I was about to say, for Riggs, like where he is
at the start of this movie versus where he was at the start of the
last one. It's such a great progression of his character. Yeah, comforting
her boyfriend, speaking on behalf of the family, you know, like one
of them on the couch. It's I don't know. I love it.
I love the feeling. Yeah. And his his mullet is less like insane
in this one. Yeah. Actually, oh, let me crreck myself.
It's not a mullet in the first one. It's a mullet in this one.
Sure. It's weird though it kind of works on his head. Or
maybe I'm just used to it. I don't know if I looked at it
for the first time this year, if i'd feel differently, But I'm like
that kind of works. It's a little Maine, so Mark Rolston over here
as as Hans, and then of course Jeanette Goldstein is in the film as
well, so we have a little aliens reunion. Yeah. Oh, that's
funny. I didn't think about that that both of them, Drake and Vasquez.
Yeah, John Connor's foster mom. Yeah, that's right. So this
movie was the number three movie of the year in nineteen eighty nine. Yeah,
I dug into this. I was kind of fascinated just by the year
nineteen eighty nine, because I think we spoke about it recently, didn't we
in our last episode. Yeah, like what a fairly certain banner year it
was. And I mean, yeah, this made a ton of money.
The budget was twenty eight million and made one hundred and forty seven million in
the US and two hundred and twenty seven million worldwide. And the top movies
of nineteen eighty nine that year were Batman at two hundred and fifty one million,
Indiana Jones, The Last Crusade one ninety seven, and Lethal Weapon one
forty seven top three. And this is this is a year we're in the
top ten box office of the year. You could also have movies like Dead
Poet, Society, Parenthood, and Rayneman to the year. It's amazing.
But like, listen to this summer lineup too. This is everything that came
out that summer. So you have Last Crusade, like I said, Batman,
Honey, I shrunk the Kids, Ghostbusters to Do the Right Thing,
Dead Poet, Society, Weekend at Bernie's, when Harry met Sally, Parenthood,
the Abyss uncle Buck Roadhouse. Like all these movies, we at least
remember to this thing, you know, I mean a large number of them.
And feel the Dreams came out a month earlier, you know. Wow,
stock it's stacked, stacked. So this scene right here one of my
favorites in the whole series. This is great, yep. Right, Like,
so we have Rigs the pen stirs his recollection of the night his wife
died. But look at look at how Gibson plays it. Yeah right,
it's it's he's playing through the pain, you know, m hm. Yep.
And he does have this live wire energy in all of his moments where
he just feels like he's bottling something in at all times. Yep. You
know, which is it's sometimes it's uncomfortable to watch, but that's the character,
you know. Yeah, I mean with this scene in particular, right,
it's you get the sense it's the first time he's ever talked about it
with Trish, and and yet he's so he's so comfortable in the household.
He's there, he's making he's making chili. Mm hmm. He does his
laundry there, yep, you know ye. And it's a it's a great
little story, you know, like it's a reminder of because now we're seeing
him start off the movie going whooo, you know, but in the first
one he's a broken, suicidal man, and it's nice to be reminded that
he's multifaceted, you know, like he's still harboring a lot of pain,
and we it's important to this story. Also, Yeah, I think I
think that's sort of the interesting thing because because you know, when we think
of him as a lethal weapon, well that's really only applicable to the first
movie. Sure, right, So I was thinking about how, oh,
by the way, right there, I guess he can't see it, but
he's he he crushes Oreos to put in the chili. I last night was
like, what is he doing there? Like what what are they? Right?
And then when he mentions it later, Yeah, I was like,
wait, wait, waitit so he was crumbling oreos earlier into the chip and
then I googled it. There are recipes for this, did you know me?
I had no idea. I had no idea. There are recipes for
oreos in Chili. I had no idea. I don't know how popular of
a thing this is, but it is out there. I don't know if
it's made a movie and people capitalized on it or I don't. I'd be
very curious for people to tell us, because I'm half tempted to try it.
But I see. I like how when rog comes in, you know,
it's kind of this look exchange between Rigs and Trish like he hasn't even
really told Roj about what happened when Vicki died. And I love that he
has that. But with her, he has that trust the relationship and she,
you know, she doesn't do a lot in that scene. She's just
doing a lot of listening. But Darlene Love is like, oh what she's
doing with her face? It's I love that this movie can have that.
That's what makes these movies so special. I agree, Yeah, yeah,
I mean yeah, yeah, sorry yeah, good no? No, you
first, please, well, I was just just to finish the thought earlier,
like the fact that Shane Black was gonna call the sequel something else.
You can see where his head was at. He's like, well, no,
because the first one is about the lethal weapon. Yeah, sure,
sure, right, but like lethal weapon came to mean something else. It's
no, it's Rigs and Murta. They are the lethal weapon, you know.
Yeah, right, Sorry you were saying no. I was just gonna
say that that sweet scene with Rigs and the dog at the beach and he
says something, you know, looking at the ocean, he goes, all
this can be will be yours someday, And I was like, where does
that come from? That expression? Because I always associate it with the Lion
King, you know, oh, all this will be yours everything the light
touches, and I say it all the time jokingly to people, and then
hearing him say in this movie, it made me just think, like I
want I tried googling it. I couldn't get a clear answer, but I
don't know, I just wanted to point that out. Maybe maybe it started
here. Maybe I would love that. So the villains in this film,
which you know, the the the apartheid state, of South Africa, which
is no longer in place now and and some would say lead the Weapon two
played a role in bringing down apartheid in South Africa? Is that true?
Shining such a light on it for maybe yeah? Yeah, yeah. And
the I mean the ironic thing, and this is something we talked about in
our previous track, is you know there were there was signage throughout the mrtaw
House in the first movie that talked about, you know, free South Africa,
and they got hate mail from I guess the right people, the people
making the movie, and they were like, you know what we should do.
We should make you know, apartheid the enemy and Letho Weapon two.
Yeah. And then the thought I had was, and I've seen this movie
a million times since it came out, but I'm like, if this movie
were made today, you know, I'd be like, oh, lethal Weapon
went woke. Yeah it's true, right, Like that's the internet conversation that
would be going on. Yeah, you know, I did cross my mind
watching this that they're almost you almost get these modern like Indiana Jones and the
Nazis, Like we sort of get these sort of Nazi like villains in here.
We were like, I don't know, take them out. I don't
care, right, right exactly? Yeah, you know, yeah, when
you think about a Jeffrey Boham, he had kind of a nice summer because
he wrote Indy three and this unbelievable, right, Yeah, you know he's
he's a name. I know, I would say largely because of the Indieanna
Jones poster, like, yeah, you know, I'm sure I credit on
there, but I went and read about him a little bit, and I
mean, yeah, he wrote Inner Space, did heavy revisions on Lost Boys,
turning it into what it ultimately became, Last Crusade this like, and
then he died tragically early at fifty three, far too young. Yeah,
he wrote he wrote the third Lead the Weapon also yeah, right right,
and the Dead Zone? Have you seen the Dead Zone? I haven't.
I feel like we started watching that like a while ago. Right. I
wasn't sure if you were leading me to the fact that you bought me because
they obviously it's a film with Christopher Walking, but it was also, oh,
I forgot about the TV show. Yeah, it was a TV show.
I meant them. I wasn't leading you towards that. I meant the
movie, the Christopher Walking movie I have not seen it, though I've seen
the SNL sketch. Yes, I saw that first. I saw that like
ten years before I saw the movie. Yeah. Yeah, no. And
the reason I mentioned the series with trepidation is because Zachi bought me the DVD
set of I forgot about that. You need to watch this, and it's
something I sadly have not. Hey at this point, it's available in a
lot of ways. It was a good show. It starred Anthony Michael Hall,
right right, So this scene here, so again we talk about sort
of the family dynamic, uh, you know on on screen and off well,
Steve Kahn is a representation of both because he's in all the movies.
He's also Richard Donner's cousin. But I was as I was rewatching this and
again I watched these all the time, but I'm like, I love Captain
Murphy. He's so cool. He's great. I mean, he's sort of
that haggard captain, but not the like screamy one that we see sort of
like parodied full yes, Last Action Hero, you know what I mean,
Like it's exactly I love it. It's a little more subtle, but it's
still haggard. I think you would say, you'd say long suffering. Yeah,
right, by the way. But yeah, yeah, you know he
he has this sort of understanding like these guys are my best guys. I'm
gonna put up with their crap, you know. Yep, yeah, I
was just gonna say that. You know, I've mentioned this, I'm sure
on the first one. But many, many years ago, we were developing
a TV show about buddy cops called Sucker Punch and Leroy, and we actually
met with Steve Kahan to play their captain and we had lunch and he was
he was into it. He loved it, he liked us. He busted
my chops. I got I didn't I got my chops busted by Steve Kahan.
Man. Uh, it's a It's a one of my amazing favorite Hollywood
memories for sure. That's awesome. Yeah, so Leo Gatz obviously one of
the most iconic parts of this whole franchise. Yeah, sometimes I forget he's
introduced so early. I think of him like in three where he's like really
like like a like a third main character. Yes, well, that's kind
of the funny thing, is is I have said before about this here,
it's like the Bremen Town Musicians. With each movie, they just add new
cast members and they've just become part of the troop. And and definitely like
the chemistry with the between the three of them is so like right here,
right from the start. It's like if he hadn't been in the other ones,
you'd be like, oh, you know, like you'd miss out.
Yeah, no, he's great now. The first choice for for Leo was
Joey Pants. They wanted Joe Pantaliano. You can totally picture that it'd be
a little different though. There's something about Peshi's size, you know, that
allows them to sort of push him around a little bit, and you can
imagine the you know, Panteleiano being a little bit more. He look an
eye to eye like he'd be irritating, but he'd also you know what I
mean, like they couldn't bully him in the same way. Well, I'm
sure the thinking well, i mean, Dick Donner worked with Joey Pants on
the Goonies, right, so I'm sure, Ah, I didn't even think
about that, You're right, That's probably why he thought of him. Joey
Pants turned it down. He was doing something else. So it came and
and Danny DeVito is somebody else they thought of, which I can totally see
that too, And yet I'm so glad the right person got the role.
Right me too, No, it's perfect. What a crazy stunt this is,
right flying out the hotel window. I mean, ah, it looks
so dangerous, crazy, probably flights. Did those guys jump out of that
window land in that swimming pool? It's crazy, and you know, there's
just there's something about it, like I think that's just this film in general.
I mean it is a summer blockbuster. And obviously we're watching this in
the you know it posts a blue skybeam, you know, but it is
so grounded and like somewhat believable. You know, there's not Cootolli by the
way in the background. Yep, right, I saw it. Yeah,
and this is just a year after die Hard, so whoa huh. I
don't know if I've fixed that into my brain. That's interesting. Wow.
Yeah, No, I really love this on the ground action. You know,
it's I mean, you get into die Hard four where you can sort
of manipulate things a little bit more, you know, with computers, and
you got cars flying into helicopters, which it looks cool in some ways,
and that movie isn't well, it's the Hairer Jet is the worst offender,
I would say in that where yes, surfing a Hairer Jet, but like
it's really nice to go back to these smaller stunts, but they feel so
much more dangerous and visceral and like our characters are in peril, and I,
I don't know, they make me grip my arm and my couch differently,
Yeah, I agree with that, and I think that's I mean,
with the with the Lethal Weapon movies, I always say that, like if
you watch them back to back to back, then it's sort of the decibels
start going up slowly because certainly by the end, right, I mean,
the last one is I mean, it's it's it's like My Dinner with Andrea
compared with modern uh blockbusters, right right, right right, But compared to
the first Lethal Weapon, it's quite a bit. It's a lot more you
know, a lot more, a lot more yeah, riffing and puns,
and which is something that Shane Black has you know, been on the record
complaining about as he feels like they lean too much into the comedy as they
continue tohead and this one is much more of a comedy than the first one,
oh much. It's and I think it's hilarious. I mean, that's
the thing. It's funny. I was I was watching I was watching the
the Ciskel and Ebert review of Lethal two, and Roger Ebert was just over
the moon about this. He he absolutely loved it, and he loved the
first one too. Geene Siskel was like, I liked everything, but the
riffing and stuff between the two guys, Well, buckle up. And that's
that's funny to me because I'm like, that's the stuff I like the most,
you know, And I think, honestly, I think that's what audiences
liked. Like that's why we got two more of these, you know.
Like I think the suicidal ideation that is an important part of the first movie,
But I don't think you could make that a runner for all four movies.
I just don't think. I don't think people want to watch that,
you know. No, I agree, And to me, I like all
of them, all four of them. But I do feel like this is
where they nailed it, oh absolutely, without without a doubt. Yeah,
like they found these movies. We can talk about it a little bit more
later, but I forget how surprisingly dark they can get too, Like the
violence is unpleasant at times, which is a funny mixture with this chumminess and
the joking. But I feel like this movie, especially Part two, found
that perfect balance of comedy and riffing and fun but like real darkness as well.
And I've always I mean, this has always been one of my favorites
in the series. Yeah, No, I well, and I would go
beyond that. I would say I think this is one of the best Part
two's ever made. Yeah, for sure. They took what worked about the
first one and found the best way to do it again, learning from the
first one but not changing what it is, right, Yeah, I think
that's really crucial. And I think, honestly, I think Donner's instincts were
on point when he moved away from Shane Black's conception of the sequel. I
think it's sort of it's an interesting thing about how you know, like we
were saying, the screenwriter originates the thing, but at some point you sort
of let go of it and it becomes it belongs to the world, right,
Yeah, sure, And that's hard, that's I mean, I can
imagine that would have been hard for somebody like Shane Black, but it's it's
a recognition where I think his sense of like, oh, this story has
to end with Riggs making this heroic sacrifice. It's like, I don't know,
I just I don't think that's what audiences would have wanted, right,
Yeah, And I can picture that version. But it's like you also have
to listen to the movie. I mean in the movie, I mean,
you cast these people and they inhabit the characters, they become these characters,
and then they have some sort of like chemistry you couldn't have been visioned on
the page, and you have to listen to that and let it, let
that breathe and evolve into what it what it is going to be or what
it can be. Absolutely, but we just talked right past. But I
find that so funny where Rigs is like we're black. Cut, You're We're
back, You're black. I'm mad, Like let's go. Yeah, that's
like the elevator pitch for Movie one, you know, right, Like I
say, it feels like a perfect trailer. It may be in the trailer,
but it just feels, oh, I'm you know, I'm I'm one
hundred percent certain it's in the trailer. Yeah. By the way, speaking
of cut scenes, there was a scene before this where they were looking for
the house on still Yep and Peshi was having a hard time remembering it and
so it was you know what I mean, you can you can see why
they probably cut it because it's just like, oh, that's not it,
that's not it. But it's funnier when you just go directly to the right
place and it's just like this is the ninth house, Leo. You know,
so you get the comedy of the thing that you make up in your
mind that you missed. Yeah, I see that. That's sort of Those
are the interesting choices that you know, filmmakers have to make all the time,
right where it's like, you know, you have to kill your babies
sometimes and it's like like that that that bit. I mean, it's amusing
on its own, but it's always that question like does it serve the totality
of what we're trying to do? Right? So the stilt house, that's
one of the few things that survive from the Shane Black iteration of this.
Yeah, well it's a brilliant idea. It's an amazing stunt. Oh it's
yeah, exactly. Sorry, I'm watching the movie. But yeah, imagine
you can imagine driving through you know, the Hollywood Hills and seeing one of
those and being like, what if I just pulled on one of those stilts,
you know, like I'm putting that in a movie. I I certainly
think it every time I pass one of those houses, you know. The
The other thought I had is is how much is like so Cow a part
of the experience of these films, Like thank thank goodness they were able to
film it all in Los Angeles, in and around Los ange List. I
mean, I know, I love it living here because I recognize things and
it feels like home in a way. But yeah, yeah, I mean,
like, you know, as opposed to you know, trying to get
get you know, Vancouver to double for La or something. You know,
I was just gonna say, yeah, I mean another city with personality or
something would be interesting. But yeah, if you're just gonna pick a city
to play capital C City, then there's no personality to it, you know
what I mean? Yeah, exactly. Yeah, she's so hilarious in this.
Man. I love the business with the pool guy too, just like
hey, hey, hey, because then it's we didn't see it, but
we know that Riggs borrowed his stuff and now he just sees everyone driving away
and he's like, what's going on? This is another great non pre bluebeam
in the sky stunt, right. I Mean it's just so it's just a
tow truck, but it's like it has that thing I love where it's like,
Okay, we got a tow truck. What's everything we can do with
a tow truck? Right, Like like you always say, like every part
of the buffalo, you know, yeah, yeah, exactly, trying to
climb up this incline and then you're in between the cabin and the lift or
whatever, and that thing, if it's brought down, could crush you.
So then you've got to move. And then you know that you got to
deal with the car in the back, and the car can become a weapon,
you know. Like yep. I just love that kind of action filmmaking
well. And also it gives us an insight into Rigs right, like he's
not suicidal, but he's still, you know, a risk taker. He's
still a daredevil totally totally like he will throw himself in front of anything to
get the job done. Exactly. Yeah. So this shot right here,
I love this so much where we just stop and we just focus on picking
up Riggs's gun, and I just love that they You could have just not
had that in there, right, but it's like, no, we have
to show that they don't leave Riggs's gun lying around somewhere so but he can
find it. That is a good point. I I I clocked the moment
last night because I loved the angle and the feeling of like, hurry,
Harry, hurry, we're in the middle of a chase and him having to
sturry over and pick it up. But I you're right, I love it.
It's almost it's like responsible, that's exactly right. They're in the middle
of a chase, but no, we have to make sure that we grab
his gun so nobody else gets it, right. Yeah. I love that.
It's a good character detail, I suppose. Yeah, that's what I
What I like about these movies is they always give mertaw business. That's not
just like standing back and watching Rigs in the hero Yes, you know,
yeah, I mean there can be someone who on paper is, yes,
the straight man, so to speak, but they also need to be an
interesting person. Yeah, yeah, exactly. He is a fully fleshed out
character and also action oriented. You know, he's he's a good con that's
right. They just do business differently, like that moment. I love that
moment at the end with the cash, you know, and he's yeah,
oh yeah, I was gonna I was gonna talk about that. Yeah,
yeah, I love that. I think about this all the time that see
surfboards on top of cars always. I picture this like sort of hilly sort
of street and just like a surfboard flying through a windshield. If one thing
lethal weapon too taught you never drive behind a car that has a surfboard strap
to the top. Yeah, I think it's good advice. Yeah, but
what you were saying earlier is so funny, as Murta's car is just getting
more and more fed up, as it's got duct tape on it, and
you name it. It's so good. Always fun when your heroes can meet
the villains in the middle of the movie. I find, yes, there's
a real tension and you're in almost like an unpredictability like well, shoot,
I mean if the main good guy and the main bad guy you're meeting each
other, where do we go from here? And it it's always like a
really delicious sort of scene isn't it. By the way, I the version
I'm watching on Voodoo I actually it might be you two. It has like
subtitles that are like PG so instead of it's it said instead of freeze dickhead,
it said freeze ding Head. Oh I wish I had seen I I
have captions. Wow funny. Yeah. Yeah, this whole movie, all
the all the f bombs and and like whoever was doing the captions is really
prudish. I guess yeah, or you got the the airline version or something,
but it's only the captions. Weird. So you have this bit coming
up. First of all, the well, Josh Ackland as as Argent Rudd,
he's just such a oh my god, he's just he's got such a
punchable face, right, oh just you hate this guy, yeah, so
much. But but when Adolph you know, or as Riggs calls him Adolf,
when when he's like, you're Martin Riggs. I love how that's just
setting something up so random that's gonna end up paying off. Yep. But
right there where he's like, yeah, of the Chicago Riggs is I say
that of the Chicago Hassans. That guy on the left he was reminding me
of this other actor who I can't name right now, but I realize it's
not him, the guy from Ninja, Turtles two and Titanic and oh David
Warner. Yeah is that Yeah? Yeah, resembles him, but yeah he
looks like him. Yeah. Yeah. Joss Ackland he was the following year,
he was in Hunt Fred October. He's the like the the the Russian
guy. Yep, I was just I'm looking at his IMDb right now.
Yeah, just passed away resent his Journey. Yeah, that's right, he's
in Bogus Journey. I forgot about that. Yeah. He died November nineteenth,
twenty twenty three. Okay, so very recently. Oh I saw Dinghead.
Yes, I want to put pulp fiction on here and see what that
looks like. I think it's just the captions for this movie. I think
now. I you know, we you and I we talk often about how
movies gave us a weird, a weird sense of car bombs and quicksand right,
I would say, because of this movie, I have this weird sense
of like man diplomatic immunity. You can just do whatever you want, you
know, I love like excuse. I don't know why. It's something about
twelve year old Zachi being like, oh damn, like diplomatic, dangerous in
the wrong hands. So Patsy Kensitt So this is interesting, But how old
is Patsy Kensitt here twenty one? Twenty one? Yeah, I wanted to
see how old he was and how old she was. He's yeah, it's
like it's like a twelve one, yeah, twelve year difference. Yeah,
but they originally wanted brageet Nielsen for this role. I'm gonna say Patsy Kensett
is better in the part. So yeah, I mean she's she's kind of
like a badass, feels like a different energy. Yeah, that's right,
exactly, especially by then because she had played red Sonia and yeah, and
she doesn't seem like someone who would put up with these working with these people
if she didn't agree with them, whereas this person feels like she's in sort
of like a weird spot where she doesn't want to be Yes, yeah,
exactly. Yeah. But I looked her up because I was like, I
don't know her from anything else, but she man, her acting goes way
way back. I mean, I guess she was like a child star was
a musician, She was in a band. Yeah, that's right. Yeah,
I mean probably best known to American audiences for this movie. To American
audiences, Yeah, yeah, yeah, she's in the Great Gatsby, the
seven seventies version. Oh really, oh wow she is? Yeah yeah,
that's the one with Sam Waterston. Oh really yeah? Have you have you
seen it? Have you seen the the one so so Sam Waterston is Nick,
you know, the character played by Tobey maguire in the more recent one.
Oh, when she was married? I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I
just I just hopped into the other thing. I was gonna say she was
married to Liam Gallagher for a spell. Oh that's right. Wow, yeah,
anyway, Sorry, sorry, you were saying you have Oasis fame.
Mm hmmm. It's so funny that I usually wait the car Yeah, rubbers,
rubbers, rubbers, see Murtaw is right, just rubbers everywhere, you
know. In thinking about cut scenes and how even the stuff that feels like
gags, just like the street jacket thing at the beginning, just feels like
a funny uh he's a crazy guy, you know kind of thing, but
obviously it pays off later. I was trying to think if the condom commercial
added to anything, and I don't know that does specifically, but it does
build the camaraderie with the other cops who we are going to lose, yeah,
right, that and also it sort of establishes Rigs his relationship, which
is he's just constantly goofing on Murta yeah right, which obviously becomes a thing
throughout the series. But also, honestly, I love how Murtaw just starts
laughing at the end of that right totally. He's not like a pill,
you know what I mean? Ye, Like, yeah, he can laugh
at himself. It's a good joke, right, He doesn't want to be
the butt of anything, but he can laugh at right, exactly. Seriously,
the man's a treasure. The man's a treasure, and these two have
got to be one of the best casting duo you know pairs every honestly,
ever, I mean it's I was actually thinking. I know people's feelings and
Gibson have probably changed over the years, but like I I can't do it
for everybody, but I definitely can separate it with these lethal weapon movies because
this just feels like something, It feels like a different person honestly, not
the pepper bearded, crazy eyed guy, you know, what I mean,
it's kind of crazy looking. Yeah. Yeah, and to be to be
honest, to be honest, that's kind of why I don't want another lethal
weapon movie, exactly. I don't want to. I don't want to.
Yeah, melt that, yeah exactly, it's like, no, let it
be this thing from twenty five twenty six years ago. And you know,
totally totally agree. Yeah, but when you talk about like the interplay and
the banter, like you buy the friendship and that's what lets you go along
with the with the goofing around with each other. Yeah, and it is
unlikely, but it also is completely believable and palpable, right yeah, I
mean you know it's just like like earlier when we were in the MRTA house
with Leo and and he's like, hey, where does Trish keep my clothes?
Right? So another it's like, no, he just goes there,
he does laundry there. Like it's just he's part of the family, you
know, and and that that dynamic of what he brings to that family and
what the family gives to him. I think it's, Uh, it's just
something it's really nice to see it progress as as the films go on,
you know, totally the drive there. They f you with the drive through.
Oh wait, yeah, I want to see this and close captioning,
Oh yeah, I'm very curious. I'm excited. Now wait did he say
not yet? Yeah? They freak you. Wow. Wow, you got
freaked, Brian, They freak you at the drive through? Man, Wow,
which drive through? Who gets freaked? Oh? Leo a freak Wow.
That's so fascinating. Oh man, yeah, uh, that happened to
me recently. Actually, I got freaked at the drive through. I went
and ordered, uh soft shell tacos, and I got a hard shell.
But you know what, I turned around because yeah, you know, it
was great. Though. Then I went inside. I was like, hey,
I asked for soft shell. You gave me a hard shell. He's
like, we know what, keep the hard shell. Here's your soft shell,
and here's some gift certificates for more tacos. And I thought, wow,
I'll look at that. I was like, give this man a raise.
So you went back there. You didn't lose your shit, no,
see, I think I think that's the thing. You were just like,
hey, listen, I was just here. Yeah, thankfully I wasn't all
the way home. But yeah, it's a good thing you checked. Yes,
I know, I was gonna eat it in the car as long as
okay cops lists. Speaking of speaking of drive throughs, have you seen that?
I think you should leave sketch with the where he's at the drive through.
Yes, we're paying it forward, paying for I was crying. I
was laughing so hard, dude. Whenever new episodes of that are released,
Federica basically just sits next to me on the couch to watch me watch the
show because I think it's the hardest I laugh all year. And if you
remember, I'm gonna take credit because I was one who is like, you
need to watch this show? Oh yeah, we could, yeh. I
know because you I'm always amazed with the degrees to which you know me,
because it's very specific stuff. Times you're just like, oh no, no,
no, this You're gonna love this. Just just wait, right,
very special thing to share with someone. I got you. Boom, I'm
I'm the Leo gets to you. That's the way. That's the way I
look at it. No, no, man, you're right, I don't
know which ones which, but we're we're rigged in Marta. Hey, I'll
take it. I do love the the fun stalking scenes. We got there
just a second ago with Rigs basically looking into security cameras like hello. It's
it's it's interesting because the dynamic they've set up is so perfect, right where
it's like, here's a guy who is ungettable mm hmm through the legal process,
right, and so it it obviously as a cop he it puts him
in this weird position, but it also puts us in the position of being
like, oh man, we want to get him. How do we get
him? You know? Yeap, yeah, I was. I can't remember
if he said this specifically, but with the Shane Black thing, Leo gets
was only in like one scene, and it's fun where you can see where
they where they took him. Here you have him basically like you know,
with an apron on cleaning Riggs' trailer, Like you know, he just immediately
they saw an opportunity and they created this totally fun character, you know.
Yeah, And I wonder, I wonder if they built him out after getting
Pashi on board, or if they saw the potential before even casting, you
know what I mean. That's a really good question because the yeah, yeah,
yeah, yeah, Well, as written, he was going to be
kind of a feat Oh interesting, that was like slick and kind of effeminate,
and Pesci was like, well, I don't want to play that,
and so he came up with this idea. He's like, I met a
guy at Disneyland who was trying to guide people. He's like, okay,
okay, you gotta go here, and okay, okay, and then and
and he just started doing that and Donner thought it was hilarious and that's what
you know, that's what they landed on. And it's so much it's like
the perfect characterization. Yeah, with your description, the first thing that came
to mind was like Bronson Pinchot in Beverly Hills. Yes, right, that's
what I thought too, that that's what I thought, seeing that I love
this. This is different, Yes, exactly. Yeah. The the Leo
character appeared on the television series, as played by Thomas Lennon. Thomas Lennon
legendary around these parts with our show. That's right, that's right, I
love me some Thomas Lennon. Yeah, this scene is just so special,
isn't it. Yeah, Like yep, everything about this scene with Merton the
toilet, like you can imagine a version in like a modern more modern movie
with like more comedic actors playing up the comedy of this, and there is
comedy to be had here and we get a little bit of it, but
like there's this weird this is awkward, but like these guys are brothers.
This is a serious situation. It's uncomfortable. I just love the way they
play this. Like the tone of this whole sequence is so unique, you
know, you know what I'm saying, Like you can imagine it going into
like absolutely broader sort of comedic territory. And I just love that there's this
it's kind of funny, like, oh, this is a silly scenario,
but then it immediately becomes deadly serious and all the way through the end of
it, which I know we'll talk more too, but just the bond.
Yeah, these guys have willing to I for one another. It's I love
this sequence so much. Yeah, it's well and especially arriving as it does,
it's literally the heart of the movie. It's right in the middle.
Yeah. Right, And and let me also say, as as a father
of five, I feel Murta's pain because I'm just being able to just sit
on the toilet in an empty house. It's really like I feel I feel
this so much, Brian, it's taken away from it. They put a
bomb. Well, all you just wanted was just read his magazine on the
toilet and piece. See Riggs gets all these motivating faster to want to kill
the bad guys. This is like a perfect motivating factor for you and Murta
for like, this is hilariously he's I don't tell anybody, and then is
so good. It's so but it's again it's like it is hilarious, but
there's not putting a hat on it, you know what I mean, Like
it's just so matter of fact, and it's a matter of factness is what
makes it so funny, you know, zip my lip, no problem.
The comedy is just so masterfully executed, you know, in accordance with the
tone of these movies. That that's the thing you're really it's a balancing act.
And and this one, like you said it, it hits it exactly
right every beat, you know. So so the the Exter or the mertaw
House, I think you said it's it's on the Warner Brothers lot, or
it was on the Warner Brothers lot Warner Brothers Ranch, which is just down
the street on Hollywood Way and it just got torn down. No, the
neighbor of the house that's neighboring to this house is the Griswolds with the lights.
Yeah. So Sean and I we actually did a pitch there at Warner
Brothers and the Friends. Fountain was there too, and so we just walked
around. Wow, and it's just this I was iconic. I mean,
you walk down the street and you immediately recognize it, and I feel so
thankful I got to see it before it was torn down. So this actor
who plays the bomb Scott guy's name is Kenneth Tiger. We just saw him
a couple months ago. He was in the Lowis and Clark Pilot. That's
right. I knew he was someone that I recognized and I know from many
things, and I couldn't place it. This piece of scientist look that looks,
oh isn't it great? Perfect? You know, get we need to
get you out of here. You won't even speak. Rig is just like
I'm not leaving with no words. I mean that's the thing, right,
Like the bond like you were alluding to, It's like it's this, it's
this brotherhood that these men have and so you you kind of when you when
you stack it against the first movie, you're like they went through something in
that first movie that bonded them for life, right, and you don't get
some line like you know, we need you to leave, not on your
life, you know, you couldn't tear me away from here, and it's
like we just get a steely stare. I'm not going anywhere, dude.
Love it. By the way, I uh, MythBusters tested this out.
Oh yeah, I saw this. Yeah that's crazy. I even watching this.
I was like, what, like I don't understand this. Liquid nitrogen
would slow it down. But yeah, they pour liquid nitrogen to delay the
explosion and hear it says they would give them seconds. But MythBusters proof minutes.
Fifteen minutes. Yeah, yeah, but that's not exciting, Zachy.
It's like so alone at last. I love this. I mean the drama,
I mean just putting the flap down, like you could die in here,
you know. Yeah, I think it again that there's this inherent drama.
Right, It's like it's like amusing that he's on a toilet bomb,
but like this, look at the way the way rog is laughing, right,
Like it's like, you know, it's gallows humor, you know,
yeah, why didn't they put it in the oven? You know, you
this from all that cooking your wife's and then they're cracking up. It's hilarious.
No, and I just love He's like, guys like, you don't
die on toilets. It's such a weirdly moving line, isn't it right?
Yeah? Oh, and then and then the on three one, two three
go and this is important and they only have seconds, so it matters.
Man, you're watching with the sound off. It's kind of tense. I
know, yeah, I just do three. Yeah. Coachees, Yeah,
I remember you and I we were like, what's coaches? Like? We
were we were going through the because I've never heard it used colloquially outside of
these films. No same, and I honestly have forgotten look yeah, yeah
right right here. Yeah, the just yes, you know, I love
you. Don't say anything exactly. Yeah, this really is a great scene.
I mean, it's it's amazing to me that, like two movies in,
we're already you know you you you you don't have any doubt about the
relationship, you know, Like, I think it's a testament to what the
first movie was able to do. So effectively, is that you know,
they're just there there there, They're a match set at this point, you
know, through thick and thin, you know. Along with all that,
I thought it was interesting and I watched it on your Voodoo thank you,
and I was looking at the reviews, you know, like the summaries for
the film, and I thought it was interesting. One of them said,
when I when I think of lethal Weapon, I attribute a lot of this
the stuff that happens in this movie to the first one. Hmmm. And
I was like, that's so interesting, isn't it, Because I think I
kind of do too. Not the toilet scene because I know that's in this
one, but the feeling of that scene. But that's not the feeling in
the first one. The first one is them as strangers, building to what
we are able to have in this movie. But it's funny that, Yeah,
when I think of lethal Weapon, and you're asked me if I like
lethal Weapon one, I might accidentally, you know, take some of my
thoughts or feelings or scenes from this movie and apply it to the first one.
All So, no, I think that's really true. I mean,
uhh, when you look at all four of them together, and we've said
this before, right, what tends to happen? Do you watch one and
then you're like, well, I gotta go through all four? And so
they do kind of blur together a little bit. Sure, But I think
the cool thing is that the progression is so natural that it's never like none
of them feels jarring. They feel each movie feels like a natural progression from
the one before it. Exactly, Yeah, we'll put right, yeah,
yeah. Three couldn't come right after one for sure? Yeah, yeah,
yeah, exactly. You know, and you've said, right, three is
the one you've seen the least. Yeah, seen the least, and I
just remember the least for some reason. Well, that'll be a fun one
to come back to and talk through. Yeah. No, I mean I
felt this when we watched the first one, but I it makes me like,
tonight, I want to watch the next one, like I just you
don't want to, You want to spend more time with these guys. Yeah.
Yeah. I remember shortly after you and I met, like I had
gotten the lethal films for Christmas, like as Christmas Presents that year, and
it was the director's cuts, you know, and and so for me it
was it was that experience of of just being able to watch them back to
back to back, you know, which I hadn't been able to do,
you know ever really because you know, I hadn't owned them before, and
and so for me it's like that, that's something like I associate that with
with you, just because I got them right around the time I met you,
and I was probably like, man, these movies are so great.
Aren't they great? Come on, Brian, aren't they great? You know?
Well, it's funny because I think of you and Sean with these movies
where I had seen them, but like I had talked about them very much,
you know, you guys were really into them, and so it got
me to be like, well, yeah, I don't want to rewatch those.
And then I, you know, bought the DVDs or whatever. I
know, I say that we just talked pasted about the day. He's like,
but but you're blick. I say, yes, but you're blick.
And then Pesci later joking about that, and they're all cracking up. That's
so funny. So this, uh the set. Richard Donner talked about how
the day they got in to film this, the production designer J. Michael
Reave had painted it pink. So the whole thing was pink. Why,
Yeah, well that's that's what Richard Donner said. He's like, the hell
is this? He's like, well, I thought it'd be a little different,
like, you know, it's a it doesn't look like your usual villain
layer, you know. And he's like, no, no, it looks
stupid painted. So so the way it looks kind of gun metal gray,
it's like that, This is what he said. He's like, the paint
was wet, like you could smell the paint when they were shooting. If
not this scene, then the scene earlier when he shoots Mark Rolston. But
it was literally after a knockdown drag out with the production designer, decided to
do it pink. It's kind of bold. That's a choice, I mean,
to not even consult the director and be like, how do I feel
today for the color of this scene. I do like this scene, though
it's a it's such a great summation of Riggs's character. Yeah. I love
the whole fish tank too, you know, like evil people having fish tanks
in their office makes me think of the bad guy in the Naked Gun.
Oh, I'm sure I can think of others, but it's usually you know,
like someone feeding some sort of dangerous fish and being like, yeah,
you misunderstand me, officer, kind of a monologue happening. Yeah, I
love the whole sort of three Stooges sort of energy too, Like I mean
they set that up earlier that he's a big fan, but he's he's doing
a lot of those like three Stooges noises. You have behavior throughout this thing.
I mean, this movie came out at a time when, of course
white supremacists would be your villains. And again, this is a measure of
how society is sort of you know, devolved. I would say, where
now we're like, well, you know, leave the white supremacists alone.
You know the fact that you know, yeah, it's it's I was telling
you earlier off Mike that I watched Field of Dreams last night and there's that
scene where they want to ban all these books at this school, you know,
like and Frank and you know this woman I don't know, and I
just thought like, wow, something's just never changed. He's like thirty five
years old and there's still people trying to ban and Frank. You know,
it's just well, and the extraordinary thing is that, like if you watch
a movie, the heroes are never the ones trying to ban books, you
know, I know, right, so you'd think people like you think,
you know, Ron DeSantis would be like, well, I think I'm the
villain in this story. You know, like there's never that sense of self
awareness that kicks in, you know. Yeah, yeah, So it's yeah,
it's sad. It's sad when you see how much things either don't change
or do change for the worst, for the worst. Now, now we
see Rigs shoot the fish tank, and it's all fun in games there was
hilarious trying to save the fish. Now. Meanwhile, we have a scene
later in the movie where it's a big dramatic moment about Riggs's dog escaping death.
Uh fair, I mean, I'm gonna say, on animals, an
animal, you know, I I agree, No, I agree. I
would never want to to. You know, when you see people swallowing goldfish
and things like that, it just bothers me. That thing's a living thing,
dude, you know. Uh after uh after, Uh, let's see
that this was Humsa's freshman year. He got it was like his last day
he got he got some goldfish and and uh one of them died. One
of them lived for a while. For we had him for more than a
year, and he ended up dying when we were when we were cleaning the
fish tank, and I'll tell you, we were all like traumatized because we
had grown so attached to that fish. Yeah. Yeah, and I've had
fish pretty much my whole life, you know. I mean they're they're different
obviously than dogs and cats. They can't really play with them, but they're
still a living thing. See. I think what we needed was we needed
a shot inside the goldfish where we see how the lighter skinned goldfish are being
mean to the darker goldfish, just to drive it home. Yeah, he
was like, oh no, they're white supremacist fish. Okay, Oh well
all right, Ris, Yeah, exactly. I think that's what was missing.
I also, I was like thinking, oh, like this is in
the pantheon of great exploding aquariums and movies, you know, like Mission Impossible,
and that's all I could think of. But if it doesn't feel like
there's more, it feels like there should be more if nothing else, Yeah,
this is interesting. Okay. So so at one point she he's like,
well I followed you, and she's like, t you followed me and
I'm like, you know, if he didn't look like he does, yes,
it would be a very different reaction, right, Yeah, certainly that
And it's funny because there is a flirtation here. Clearly she's into it to
a degree, but it really does become him imposing literally dragging her away at
the end. Yeah, and you know, I'm sure in nineteen eighty nine
it was like, Well'smill Gibson, I wish he dragged me away, you
know, kind of a thing. But watching this, I was like,
yeesh, Like, gu's not how i'd want my my hero in my movie
to behave that Well, and it's sort of it's sort of like watching those
early James Bond movies where you're like, goddamn, dude, like, I
know he's he's he's you know, just a borderline sexual predator, you know.
Yep, Yeah, and that is I mean, look, let's be
real. I mean that was the dynamic that in the era that you and
I grew up, That's how our movie heroes were depicted. And I think
the part of that, let's call it like a fantasy, was probably yes,
she's resisting, but all simately, she can't resist me. So like
if I just push and push in a playful way. I'll get what she's
really feeling out, and she'll do what she wishes she could shell she'll come
away with me. I think, I assume that's kind of what is people
are trying, you know, to characterize in those sorts of things. But
it's just like now, man like people people say no most of the time.
Percent of the time they mean no, that's exactly right, it's and
and so you wonder how much how much screwed up thinking got inculcated into people
by taking the wrong interpretation from films like this. Yeah, Like if I
push hard enough, either she'll say what she's really thinking or I can change
her mind. Well, it's like the old chestnut that we've seen in countless
movies and sitcoms where they're fighting, they're yelling at each other, then they
slap, then they kiss. Yeah right, Yeah, It's like I don't
think real life works that way. You know. My brother and I joke
about that all the time, just because we think it's such a funny,
weird trope, like, yeah it really yeah, but yeah, I mean,
I think the movie has set up in her portrayal that yes, she
is interested in him to a degree, but just that one moment where she
can he convinces her to come back with him. I just feel like feels
a little I wish they had tweaked it a little bit differently, But I
mean you are looking at it from a twenty twenty four perspective, so there
is that definitely, and I yeah, and again not that it would ever
be okay any in any period, because it's but I think people would look
at it differently, and especially to your point with mel Gibson doing it in
nineteen eighty nine. Yes, I would like to n eighty nine mel Gibson
nineteen twlve. Yeah, important for many reason. But I mean, like
the men wish they were mel Gibson in that scenario, and the woman really
wanted to go away with him and the women which they were her and mel
Gibson wouldn't give up on her and her away. You know, you know,
it is worth like taking a step back and just like taking into account
the star power of mel Gibson at his peak, you know, yeah,
like he was People Magazine's very first sexiest man alive. Oh really, he
inaugurated the tradition mm hmm, right, And and I mean certainly when we
I would say, throughout the nineties, probably one of the most dependable box
office draws you could imagine. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutely,
And then he went on and directed Brave Heart, which is amazing, and
when oscars and it's like, what can't this man do? Yep, this
is a crazy stunt. Yes, with that, it's also yeah, with
the officer on the diving board at the pool, also feels slightly the most
cartoonish, like to put it on the diving board of a pool, right,
a little like I don't know, in time, someone to a train
tracks or something. And also it kind of looks like she made it.
Yeah, I mean it's an incredible stunt. The stunt person like flipping in
the air like that, but it's like, well, no, like thank
god, it kind of looks like they made it. Yeah. No,
that's a good. Well, you know, as written in the original Shane
Black draft, that character who is ends up being played by Jenet goldseen she's
tortured to death by the by the South Africans and so they smartly got rid
of that. But yeah, I think I think your point is valid that
it it feels like, yeah, I don't know, how is she you
know, seems okay, Yeah, I mean I'm being like silly, but
it's it is the one that even last night I was like, oh,
that's kind of funny, like putting a palm on a diving board on a
pool. Yeah, as opposed to these other people that are just getting like
blown up and shot in the head, and these poor guys. I almost
wish we had seen like a like a bird land on the pool the diving
board. Yeah, I see like a little bird. Like cheap, cheap,
cheap, you know. Like now, now, this scene right here,
I talk about how much I love Captain Murphy. This scene right here
is why. You know, the cops are freaking out, they're panicking,
and he's he's trying to calm their nerves. Let's worry about the ones that
are alive, right, Yep, he just kind of taps one of the
cheek. Let's do it, right. Isn't that great? Gosh, this
has got to be the best, most human version of this kind of chief.
Exactly. I never thought about it because again, if you asked me,
and I hadn't watched these movies in years, it'd be like, yeah,
he's the guy who's got the tons on his desk, and he's always
yelling about you know, these guys blowing up city blocks. But he's not
that guy. No, not at all. Like even in the in the
fourth one, you know when he you know, Riggs and Murta get promoted
to captain briefly, right, yes, and he's like, he's like,
this is the best, the most painful thing I've ever to go through.
But you can tell he's joking around with them, yeah, yeah, you
know, he's like, oh I gotta do this now, you know,
and he's he's having an aneurysm, you know. Yeah, and he thinks
they're knuckleheads, you know, yeah, exactly, but they're his knuckleheads exactly.
I love Leo's just trying to get rods to Teata on his taxes.
It's so funny. The boat, by the way, we never see the
boat in this one, but this is the only movie where we don't actually
see his boat. Wow. But we at least we get reference to it.
We get the reference. So Leo is like, he's like, she
makes me want to buy rubbers. So I definitely remember between movie one and
movie two, I was like, man, you can just show boobs like
all the time in movies. It's fantastic. Yeah, that's right. Well,
it's funny because I had kind of forgotten about that, and then I
was reading about Joel Silver recently, probably because of Diehard, but it was
like everyone said, oh, Joel Silver, bombs and boobs yep, literally
like, yeah, every movie has to have a topless scene. Yeah,
which is a very kind of eighties thing too, which the very very almost
silly, gratuitous version of seeing like just boobs on screen. And the reason
I was thinking about it recently too is I watched the movie Valley Girl for
the first time, and I was surprised that there were all these boobs in
the movie. It just felt random, And so I was reading the trivia
afterwards, and that was a mandate from the producers for the budget. If
they were going to provide budget for this woman to make the movie Valley Girl,
there had to be x amount of boobs. Amazing. Doesn't that just
feel like so nineteen eighty three or something? You know? Like it?
It really does, because what you realize is that this is the pre internet
wilderness where you would get your your snippets in your R rated movies, or
you would sneak a peek at you know, the top shelf at Walden Books
or whatever. Yeah, it could be a draw the fact that like,
oh, well, I'm gonna get to see you like a little peek at
somebody and if this movie. Yeah, basically you know, and that's a
good point. But you know, Patsy Kensit talked about how like she had
to be fully nude, but mel Gibson had like a little you know,
banana hammock or whatever, and I'm like, well, what's that all about,
Like you know what I mean? Sadly that feels about right, right,
Yeah, you know, there's been all this talk lately about intimacy coordinators,
right, and basically, for those of listening are like, what's that.
It's basically people who are on set during a love scene to just kind
of make sure everybody's comfortable, right, and let's be honest, by everybody
really, I mean the women in the scene usually because they're the ones who
are most often objectified, right sure, sure, And that's the interesting thing
is you have men talk about the intimacy coordinators, they're like, you know,
they're just getting in the way of the art and they're trying to but
the women are always like, man, I'm so glad to have them there.
I have somebody who's looking out for me, Like you know what I
mean, Yeah, they have an advocate. I mean you hear all these
stories about women agreeing to one thing, yeah, and like, Okay,
this is what I'm willing to do for this movie. And then when they
show up on set, I'm sure certain producers or directors whoever, actors are
like, I bet I could coax her into this. Yeah, maybe you
can get her to take her top off or something like that. And it's
like there's no one to advocate for them in that situation. And maybe the
star that she's acting opposite is bigger than her, you know, more has
more sway or power and so what she's supposed to do. So it's nice,
yeah, that there's someone there to speak on behalf of everyone, you
know. Yeah, I mean I mean literally Kate Winslet, like I've read
interviews with her, Yeah, big star like Kurbs. He's talking about how,
you know, in her early years, like you know, she did
nude scenes in more than a few things. And it's just like the feeling
of just not having anybody who's on your side you know, mm hmmm.
And it's like, I don't know if you remember recently there was this controversy
over Frank Frank Langella, right because he got fired from that followed the House
of Usher, you know, and and I I'll for all, I'll assume
that maybe he didn't mean any harm, but just his really obliviousness to the
purpose that an intimacy coordinator serves is I'm like, man, you know,
it's just you got to catch up with the times, you know, mm
hmm. It's like, oh, they're getting in the way of my art,
and think how the other person is thinking that's exactly it, right,
Like oh no, I want I want to put my hand on her boob
and he's you know, they're getting in the way of that, you know,
yeah, yeah, or like this is fun, you know kind of
it's like, well, yeah, maybe not for everyone here, you know,
this is also a job, that's exactly it. Yeah yeah, So
you now now now earlier you were you were you know, you were complaining
about how rigs just like dragoons, this woman into going and and and you
know, screwing him. Well, if not for that, he would have
been killed. So it saved his life. Really it's true. No,
but that that's just my point. Like she she's obviously interested in him.
It's just like a funny way to play that scene earlier where she's so resistant
and he yeah, yeah, rabber by the wrist and pull her other girls
and he starts making a scene and you know, you know, it's like,
dude, come on, he's off. Yeah. I I do like
how the they established the little doggy door thing and that allows for him to
hear the helicopter noise you know, yep, and uh and an escape through
the right floor. Yeah. And then also the nail gun we got set
up as yeahs act, you know, with the house over the garage under
construction, and then Martaugus to use it as a weapon and he us gets
to use a one liner that's right, nailed you. Yeah. Now,
this this scene, there's a very funny parody of it in a National Lampoon's
Loaded Weapon. I was just thinking about it, right, yep, where
it's uh they shoot up it turns out to be John McLean's house. Yeah.
Because Emilio Estevez is playing like a Rigs equivalent, right, and he
lives in a trailer on the beach and so they shoot it up thinking Steve's
character is in there. But then yeah, Bruce Willis comes out. He's
like, hey, no, they're down the road. Yeah. That movie,
by the way, A Loaded Weapon is the first time like I remember,
like knowing who Samuel L. Jackson is. Like, that's probably the
first two, right, Yeah, I think me too, because that would
have been before Jurassic I'm pretty sure. I am almost certain. Wow,
wait, you're blowing my mind. So Jurassic I just never thought about it
was before pulp fiction, that's right. Definitely knew him Samuel Jackson before pulp
fiction. Yeah, I definitely. I definitely knew him before pulp fiction.
And and the first time I knew him by name was National Lampoon's Loaded Weapon.
Wow. Okay, yeah, I don rewatch that. I wonder if
it's good. I watched it recently. I because when I watched the Lethal
movies for the first time with my oldest I think right after that we watched
A Loaded Weapon. Mm hmmm, how was it? It has funny moments.
I would say, it's not like a naked gun type thing. Sure,
sure, and maybe we would appreciate it because we're of that. Yes,
yeah, it maybe not hold up just to anyone, it's it's not.
Yeah, I would say on the spectrum of those type of parodies,
I would say, like not another teen movie is probably better, you know.
Sure, sure in terms of hit hit to miss ratio you know,
got it, got it. Yeah, I'm curious. You know. I
hadn't seen this in a while, and for some reason, in my memory
she died here, okay, and I had forgotten that it's later and it's
much more disturbing. It really is, Yeah, yeah, it really is.
Oh. And I had this funny thing last night when I was watching
this where it looks awesome where Gibson. First you see it in silhouette.
He's climbing to the top of the trailer with the gun, and you see
his silhouette which looks really great, almost Hannah Jones like. And then when
he's on there just like like waving this machine gun, you know, wildly
and shooting at the helicopter. And I was like, man, I just
this this image. I don't know how to explain it, but I just
can't imagine that image or that feeling or whatever that thing evokes for me right
there. I just don't feel like I see an action movies anymore. Well,
what's funny is that silhouette shot. Specifically, Richard Donner talked about how
it kind of came by accident, like you know, either he was up
there, somebody was up there while they were setting up, and it was
like, oh my god, that looks great. You know, so they
have to read the lights and everything just to be able to get that that
silhouette shot. Oh what was worth it? It was? I agree.
I love that Rika's concerned about the dog. Well, that's how you know
she's a good person. Yeah, yep, I just wish Riggs was concerned
about the fish. That's all I have to say. But it is kind
of nice, right, I mean, she you can imagine a character that's
freaked out that she's just escaped a trailer through a trap door and then shut
shot at by a machine gun fire, and she's like, stop, we
got to get the dog. Right, that's a partner you want? Well,
that's kind of I mean, no, no, absolutely, I mean
I think I mean, really, they've known each other for one really wild
and crazy afternoon slash evening. That's true, right, And yet you believe
that they have some kind of a connection that goes beyond just purely sexual though
I'm sure that's a big part of it too, right, yea, And
because because the thing is, like, when you think about it, it's
it's also an indication that he's moved past his wife, his grief from her,
that he's ready to move on. Right. So then it's like tragedy
compounded by tragedy, you're right, right, you know, Yeah, which
is interesting because I guess she originally wasn't going to die, that's right.
Yeah, Like they shot an ending. Yeah, yah, I've seen it.
You know. It's it's like Thanksgiving and yeah, yeah you can.
It's on YouTube. I'm pretty sure. Oh I didn't know that. I'd
like to see it. Yeah, but yeah, she lived and she's at
Thanksgiving, yeah, with the with the Murtas with So they shot that earlier
in the film. But they actually didn't have any idea how the film was
going to end, so they were leaving a lot of options open. Definitely
what happened this was a Richard Donner thing. He was like, I think
Rica should die. Mmm, because it makes you know the third act that
much more, you know, sort of it drives Riggs his motivation that much
more yes, which I I do understand because she feels immediate. But it's
interesting too because they also add the whole connection with his wife. You know
that that was the assassin he was after, you know, Rigs, but
he ended up killing his wife and that's pretty big motivation. And then he
kills all his coworkers. I was like, damn, how many motivations does
this guy need? But she's the one. I mean, as much as
we know that they care about their coworkers, we don't really know them,
and we've you know, we she's the one we get the closest to.
I suppose in this film we've certainly seen the most of her. That is
true. That is true. Yeah, it's funny because because when you look
at the scope of the series as a whole, you're like, yeah,
but he's got to end up with Lorna, you know, yes, right,
so there is that, But you're also like, yeah, what did
Patsy kins that? Ever? Do? She even did she? This is
a great moment right here. I was thinking about how like this guy is
like Riggs as arch enemy, you know, like without even realizing it.
Mm hmmmm, right, And and you know, when you think about it,
it could have. It could have been like, oh, come on,
what are the odds? M But I totally track with it that just
somehow, by a fluke, Riggs ended up crossing pads once again with the
guy who killed his wife, you know, so like yeah, yeah,
you know, and he even says, I'm the guy who changed the course
of your life. It's like everything that Riggs is now is because of what
what what Peter over there did? Yeah, and it helps that there's that,
as you pointed out earlier, that little setup when they cross pads in
the middle, like wait, ras here Martins, Yeah, we got a
straight jacket. Normally I'd be concerned, but uh, we know he can
do that whole shoulder thing, which seems like it would be very very painful.
I was, I was thinking that. I was like, you know,
that just seems like something that you wouldn't you wouldn't want to be put
in that position of having to do again and again. You know, well,
Zachie, I'm not a doctor, and I don't understand how this works.
But I also think they're like tendons and all sorts of things you just
don't want to with, you know, Like, I don't know what's being
messed with when you pop your arm out of socket. Yeah, that's right.
That look at that shot, by the way, freaking horrifying. Actually
made me. It stirred me to anger last night seeing her like absolutely,
it was really bothersome and it may you know, I maybe Donna was right.
Maybe Donna was right. It made me really really mad, and I
wanted to see him and I understood and knowing that that whole Stilts scene was
coming up, you know, with the house and pulls it down, and
that is just pure unadulterated anger. I was starting to well up with that
from seeing her like that underwater. So but the guy he's choking right there,
that's Sherman Howard. He played Lex Luthor on the syndicated super Boy television
series Oh Wow. He was also in the Seinfeld the Junior Mint episode where
he's the guy being operated on and they accidentally drop a junior mint into him.
Oh really, Oh wow, he's the guy. Wow. But no,
what I was saying about the when you see Rica's body under the water,
that was actually Patsy Kensitt with her eyes and mouth open underwater, wow,
which like I mean, she looks completely dead, and yet when you
think about it, like, had that been a dummy, I don't think
it would have been as effective as actually seeing Patsy Kensitt under there. So
yep, agreed. Man, that must have been not fun to shoot,
not fun at all. But you definitely get a sense for her character.
I mean, assuming the characters the same age as the actor, I mean,
she's this twenty one year old kid who just had her life snuffed out
for no reason, you know, right right? He plays this really well
too, I'm mel Gibson. Man, he's a good actor. I mean,
I'm telling you. We've talked about this before of like having to separate
art from artists, and admittedly it's hard with mel Gibson, but we do
sort of put the lethal movies in their own little box. I can't do
it for everyone, but I somehow can do it for these. Yeah,
he's for these movies. This is Martin Riggs. You know that's right,
mel Gibson. Maybe because he looks so much and when he was sort of
outed for the hatred e carries in his heart, like he looks different now
that wild Salt and pepper Beard and all that, you know. So I
don't know, like I can keep Martin as Martin. Now, I think
you're right, and it's it's it's challenging, you know, but I think
if nothing else, it just speaks to, certainly for me, the special
place I have in my heart for these films that could be a two.
I mean, maybe our introduction to these movies they got locked in in a
way. Yeah, maybe someone today couldn't do the same. I don't know.
I think honestly that's a big reason why I would rather not have a
fifth one. Yeah, especially at this point. Just let these movies exist
as a thing that you know that was then, you know, m you
know, I love that. By the way, with Murtap putting his badge
into his desk, yeah, because that has become such a trope like throw
your badge away, I'm not a cop right now kind of a thing.
But the way that it's played here, it almost feels like the first time
it's happened, where it's like, wow, that's a big deal for that
character, right, willing to put his badge away, you know, to
to help his partner. Like it feels very dramatic, but it's funny that
it's become now something that you know, gets kind of parodied, you know,
sort of you get like, you know, Keano throwing his badge in
the ocean and point break and those are yeah right, But I love how
it's played here. I buy it, and it feels like it has weight
well and and it sort of it gives a sense that, you know,
if if these people are going to be brought to justice, it's going to
require extra extra legal means. Mm hmmm, because the law can't stop them.
Yeah. And dude, I mean going back to Gibson, man,
he does tortured so well mm hmm. You know, I thinking of signs
even as the next thing that comes to mind just the carrying the pains silently
in that movie and then at the end when he's basically just like letting it
all out with us o. Man. Yeah. Oh so dude. In
Braveheart, remember when he realizes that it's Robert the Bruce who was who's attacking
him? Yeah? Remember that? Yeah? Yeah, and just and it
remember is it just he just feels defeated and then he lies down remember mm
hmm. Oh, man, I haven't watched that in a while, though.
It's it's been it's been a it's been a bit. Yeah. Yeah,
but I love this like he's and he's got a plan to yep.
Just look at their their body language, you know what I mean, Like
him in this truck like pretty much with his hands on the wheel here like
ready to activate out of anger. And you got Morta like leaning against the
car like what's the plan? Man, I'll do it? But like what's
the plan? Yeah, that's right, that's the signal. You'll know when
it happens. So the Still house they had to they had to build it.
Oh okay. I wondered if it was like an abandoned house or something
that they demolished, so they at least built up the facade with the stilts
on it. But I mean that was that was one of those numbers where
when it came to pulling it down, I mean they had one shot to
get it right, right, that's one take. You better hope you get
it right on the first one, otherwise you're screwed. You know. Yeah,
you know, I even wondered, and it looks fantastic. I wouldn't
know, but I did wonder. I was like, is there some model
work going on here or I think so, yeah, it looks epic,
and I mean, you know, not to rag on movies these days,
because they're spectacular in their own ways, but they're just so wall to wall
filled with amazing things that are accomplished. Like we don't even question anything anymore
because we know you can do anything with a computer. So it's just like,
okay, yeah, of course, you know, of course you can
do the global planet, you can whatever. But like seeing this is like,
holy crap, watch like a house get torn down. Yeah, exactly,
down a hill. It feels still watching this thirty five year old movie.
This feels big and dangerous. And I think you're right. Yeah,
yeah, I think you're absolutely right. There's you know when when when the
Shenanigans start and you've just got Leo so pitifully like at least moved me away
from the window. Yeah, like, oh poor Leo. I know,
I know, it's I I think Leo. It's like he is so lovable,
Like how can you not love Leo? Yeah, you know, I
like that they don't give him like quirks that are kind of gross, right
right, Like I'm glad they didn't make him like a pervert, e racist
or something to give him some sort of edge. You know, he's just
it's kind of a funny, quirky, sweet guy who happens to be a
criminal. But yeah, I was gonna say, yeah, who happens to
have illegitimate business. But yeah, but even wanting using that, you know,
it's a fun character thing. Then for him to want to help Murta
cheat on his taxes because he's he likes him exactly right for him, he's
doing it in a favor. It is funny when it comes to Leo because
like coming up right here is basically where he exits the story, right,
and so so they had to contrive new ways to bring Leo in, you
know. So, oh, he's a realtor in the next one, and
then in the next one he's a PI you know, that's right. I
kind of forgot about it. Yeah, man, that would have been really
cool to see something like that, Like like if you lived in the neighborhood,
you could watch it from your window and watch this thing crash down a
hill. That's I mean, I mean not just this house, but like
earlier, the house with cavan On those other cops in it. I mean,
that's a real house that they had to blow up, right, you
know, And there's no fake in that, you know. It just it.
You can tell that looks great. I was watching something newer recently and
you could tell there was like a fire inside a house and you could tell
it was fake. And that I'm not going to criticize that, like it's
maybe it's a safety issue, maybe they don't have the budget. It is
what it is. But there is something undeniable about watching like a house really
blow up and go whoa, Like, right, it's a neighborhood. I
don't know, there's just something so oh here, here you go. This
is the yeah, the requisite lethal weapon adr over a car driving at a
distance scenes and and Donner has talked about this. He's literally like, you
know, when you're just trying to cut this thing together and you're trying to
just get rid of the fat, and it's like, what's the quickest way
to do that? You know, you just you're just throw in some adr
overdriving mm hmm. It's something yeah, I mean I think, I mean
we sort of joke about it as as a trope of these things, but
you know what, there's no denying it's an effective way of getting us from
point A to point B, you know, mm hmmmm hmm. And maybe
maybe it is I don't know, not well done or something, but I'm
endeared to it because it's in all the movies, so like, I think
it is a part of this series. I totally agree. Yeah, Wow,
it's crazy that we're already here. Geez. I Actually I was gonna
say, and this is flown and I just watched this last night and I'm
like loving it all over again. Yeah. I mean, I think that
the trick with with these films is you really you have to come up with
you have to contrive an antagonist who's really awful, and so you look forward
to seeing their their demise, you know. And I think I think that
works at the first one with with General McAllister and Mister Joshua. I think
equally here with with U. A. Rudd and forestat I think I think
that's where the third one kind of fell down a little bit, which,
you know, I don't. I don't think the bad guy, who's played
by Stuart Wilson is as memorable, you know, as I recall, he's
the one you're always like, who's he again? Yeah, I remember elements
of that movie, but it just as a whole. I don't know why
it just doesn't stick in my mind very well. I think for me,
lethal Weapon three is the third one like that. That's yes, sure,
it's It's just it's another chance to hang out with with Riggs and Murta,
you know. And and it's the third bye by it it's it's episodic,
you know. Mm hm oh. We were talking about this scene earlier.
Yes, love this now. This is exactly like you could have easily just
cut this out just you don't even have to have it right, and yet
you you present us with rog has this money, He's like this, this
handful of bills will put all my kids through college. And yet you have
him say I won't. I'm not gonna do that. I'm not going to
take drug money, right m hm. And I was thinking about, like,
think about how much that matters just in terms of like how we look
up to characters, right and you're you're presenting heroes on screen who do the
right thing, and how much just in terms of of defining morality, how
much how important that is? You know? I love it for that.
And also the temptation is there, like he's not some straight laced he's the
straight laced one. He would never you know, it's like no, he's
tempted, like he's tempted, but but ultimately like, no, I mean,
he could easily put that in his pocket, and even Riggs just like
drug money, just do it, just do it. Yeah you could if
you want to. Nope, but yeah, I mean yeah, I just
think I think it's it's it's important to and I'm not saying there can't be
anti heroes and things like That's not what I'm saying, but I'm saying I
think it's just as important to have heroes we can look up to, just
just unabashedly. I agree. I agree. I know sometimes you know,
we get these movies where everybody's gray, and that's interesting too, But at
least for these movies, I do love. I love that I can look
up to them in a lot of ways. Exactly, yeah, exactly,
And we're gonna get to it. But when Riggs has the opportunity, opportunity
to basically stab that one guy to death, you know what I mean,
Like it's it's not in some sort of like ventul whatever sort of way.
He ultimately squashes him when he has to. Mm hmm, you know what
I mean, Like he could just drop that thing on him if he wanted
and smile and we're like, yeah, he got him, but it's like
a necessity that he does the extreme thing. Yeah. Well, it's similar
to to in the first film, right where he can he can break Joshua's
neck, but he's like, no, he's not worth it. Ah.
Yeah, I think I talk about that a lot. Actually, Like I
I find myself sometimes watching movies like this getting a little bloodlust and like I'm
thinking, I want you to do it. I want you to do that
because that'll make me feel better. And then when the hero doesn't, I
always go, yes, no, that is what I really want. That's
what my soul wants, and I'm glad they did the right thing. It
makes me feel better. Yeah, No, I think you're dead on you
know. I mean it's like, you know, I mean, I've seen
this movie. I don't even know how many times I've seen it, and
and yet rewatching it for this track, that scene, that bit with Roger
saying no drug money, I'm not gonna do this here. By the way,
I always find this interesting how you hear Riggs saying the names of all
the people who are killed. But it's just like part of the soundtrack,
you know, what's funny. I remember thinking I did not understand it last
night, and I was almost gonna rewind it and put the captioning on,
and I didn't. I didn't actually catch that. Yeah, it's something I
noticed it a while ago. I mean, you know, but I'm like,
that's an interesting choice, right, Like, like I'm not saying it's
good or bad. I just that, Yeah, it's kind of it's kind
of different, you know. Yeah, you know, it is kind of
interesting though, And I wrote it down last night because I didn't want to
forget it. If this movie were made now, I don't know that I
would call this movie gritty. I wouldn't go so far as to call it
gritty. Maybe the first one I would, But like it is, there's
a lot of darkness in it, Like there's a lot of violence for as
funny and a fun time as you're having. Yes, you know, it's
like a really interesting tone that I don't know a lot of people could pull
off, and even now, if anyone would want to try, they would
just go straight for the fun the fun stuff, you know, and the
action is sort of just more opportunity for more fun stuff, you know.
And I kind of like this weird concoction they've come up with. It makes
it feel dangerous and dark, but ultimately satisfying when they pull through at the
end, and when they're laughing at each other's arms covered in blood, you're
you're laughing with beef, you know, with relief. Yeah. Yeah,
it's amazing. I can't think of any other movies quite like it, to
be honest, this combination, Yeah, well, I think I think the
the balancing of tones. I mean, it's it's balanced on a razor's edge,
you know. And and I think that's where the third one feels a
little bit more superficial, you know, m hm. And and maybe that's
why people like it less. I don't. I just view it as like,
again, it's just another chance to hang out with our friends. But
but I mean, I think in terms of the internal struggle that this one
gives Rigs in terms of what this guy represents. So he's fighting and and
I mean this fight is very similar to the Rigs versus Joshua fight right in
movie one. Yeah. Yeah, that said, you know, I would
have liked something earlier to establish Vorstad as like a physical threat. Hmmm,
you know what I mean, Like just something sure like you see him training
or something. It's just something like maybe like nude in a hotel room.
He's doing T T. Yeah, maybe the Renny Harlan was onto something with
Diehard to Yeah maybe you know, no, no, I understand what you're
saying. Yeah. So now, as written the original, the Shane Black
version, the character the Vorstad character who was named something else, his name
is Benedict. In Shane Black's script, he would have stabbed Riggs to death.
So Riggs kills him and then he bleeds out and as it was going
to be on a fire, like a brush fire on a hillside. That's
right, And and the movie would end with Roger watching a video that Riggs
recorded for him, knowing he was about to die. Right. And Shane
Black has said it's the best thing he's ever written. Yeah. Yeah,
and however, no one has ever sorry, no one's ever read it.
It's like, no, you know, it's it's like the one of the
great unreleased screenplays. Yes, because the first lethal weapon I think is kind
of famously out there, like a lot of people read it because the writing
is so fun. Shane Black, his action is so pithy. Yeah,
but uh yeah, yes, of course, we have to we have to
give proper, proper respect to Roger's great moment right here. Well here I'll
be I'll be the bad guy. Diplomatic immunity, it's just been revoked.
You know, when I worked at Puppy Dog Pals, Sean who was the
EP on that show, Sean Coyle, our friend. Yeah, he put
a picture of Denny Clover with that gun, that that shot of him cracking
his neck on my door, like unspoken one day. And it's funny because
I showed up and I saw that on my door and I was like,
Sean, like I just knew immediately, Sean, but there, that's so
funny. Yeah. Sorry you were saying about Shane Black, No, but
I think he saw he didn't like the way that Riggs continued as a character,
saying he basically he changed. That was not the character he created,
where he becomes more of the sort of three Stooges, fun action cop guy.
You know, he's like a tortured guy. And I think what you
were just saying, where he dies to protect Murta so he can go live
with his family. Black saw that as well. He sacrificed. Riggs is
ultimately sacrificing himself, which would be the last thing that he can do to
finally find peace. Right now, that's that iteration of the character that was
still living in Shane Black's mind. But I think Donner and everyone else was
kind of like, well, I mean, obviously there's a franchise to think
about continuing with more movies with the character. But also it's like, well,
maybe maybe he doesn't need to do that. Maybe they can still continue
their bond in a different way. Yeah, well that's really the thing,
right is is And even as so, this version of the script had two
endings, one where Riggs dies and one where he doesn't, and Donner shot
it both ways, and they ultimately just left it up to the audience testing,
and the audience was not on board for the version where Riggs dies.
And you understand that because this movie as it has existed up to this point
does not justify that ending. Yeah, yeah, you know, because it's
I mean, you know what I mean. It's just I'm I'm all for
a sad ending if it's a truthful ending, but this is not that movie.
No, I agree, you know. So, like this song right
here, knocking on Heaven's Door in that version, it would have played over
the end credits. Wow. So instead they play it earlier to kind of
fake the audience out right. Wow. But like, but but the you
know, the crane shot that we have coming up where you see you know,
Rigs in Roger's arms, that that's that's dead Rigs. Yeah, I
read that. That's yeah, from the ending where he died. That's amazing,
isn't that crazy? Yeah? But this, I mean, come on,
even with a sound off, watching Rigs and Myrta's arms covered in blood
and they're just joking. He's been shot up and stabbed. He's like,
he needs to go to a hospital, but they're just cracking each other up.
Yep. It's just so heartwarming. Yeah. Like, and so if
you imagine that, like Riggs is actually dead there, you know, it's
like, no, I don't want that. No. I actually, now
that I think about it, that being potentially the last shot of the movie,
I can't even wrap my head around that. That'd be so depressing exactly,
you know. So so you know, it's funny because normally you rail
against audience tests because it's like, you know, oftentimes they're giving like really
stupid notes and whatever. But i'vebviously the audience was right on this one,
you know, I think so. Yeah. Wow. And by the way,
if you want to see a dead rigs, just watch a season two
the season two finale of the Lethal Weapon television series. Yeah right, they
croak him, good man. That's so sad that that a train wreck.
It really like it. It started out very promisingly, and it's unfortunate.
I wanted to mention, by the way, we didn't talk. We didn't
mention him at all. But Michael Cayman, who came back to do the
music, I think. I think that the combination of Michael Cayman plus Eric
Clapton and David Sanborn, they just they created such a unique musical identity for
these films that carries on through the entirety of them. You know, totally,
totally. I love it. I miss those orchestral scores in action films.
Yeah, well I miss Michael Caman. Yeah, you know again,
he's another one. He died too young. Yeah, yeah, that die
Hard, of course, die Hard. And he did Robin Hood, Prince
of Thieves, and and and The Dead Zone. Actually he really created a
distinct musical identity for eighties action cinema just as much as John Williams typified sort
of eighties fantasies. You know, mm hmmmm, but Lethal Weapon too are
What are your closing thoughts? You know, I had I've seen it a
handful of times. I thought I remembered it pretty well, but revisiting it
last night, I was surprised how much I felt while I was watching it
and even after it ended. I mean that ending really really touched me.
Like these two guys, like and the bond that they have and them just
kind of cackling, you know, covered in blood after what they've been through,
is just so freaking heartwarming, just like the male love. You just
don't see it a lot, or at least Downbearius. That's really true.
That's really true. Yeah, And it's just done so well, and it's
I don't know, the movie was rattling around in my mind long after I
finished it, and I don't feel like and and like I said, the
feeling that I get from those two guys, the love that's completely on screen
between them, combined with this like really crazy R rated action that feels really
dangerous and real, and it was just it's the whole package. And I
just don't feel like you can say that a lot of about a lot of
action movies these days. So I feel like this is it's special. I
think it remains special. And for people who are listening to this just for
fun and haven't seen it, I mean I highly recommend checking it out well.
And and you know, to your point, I mean, this is
this is a film that audience has really responded to, which certainly speaks to
how well regarded the original film had become, you know, in the in
the interim and and the the The success that this one achieved is the highest
out of all four lethal weapon films. I was going to say that.
And it also Back to the Future too came out this year and made less.
So this one made like one hundred and forty seven million. Back to
the Future two made ninety three million, So I mean that's amazing people were
into this. Yeah, I mean, you know, to be one of
the few successes in the year of Batman. Yeah, that's that's no small
thing, you know. Yeah, on the podium of three Batman, Last
Crusade and Leath the Weapon two. Yeah, I think worldwide it made two
hundred and twenty eight million dollars, which I'm actually curious. What would that
be in in two thousand and four dollars? I don't know. Eight you're
looking at about five hundred and seventy million dollars half a billion, which is
just I mean, that is bananas, right, more than half a billion
dollars for a Buddy Cott movie. Yeah. Right. So it's no secret
why a sequel followed in rapid order. Yeah. Yeah. It's also no
secret why Warner Brothers is desperate to have another one after the third one.
But we'll talk about both of those at some later point. Brian, I
can't wait. Yeah, you know, it took us a minute to come
back to these films, but I think I think the weight was a good
thing. You know, it kind of let the anticipation build a little bit.
I agree, I agree, But I am I'm ready for the next
one. Well, hey, maybe we'll talk through it sooner. Maybe it
won't take two years. I don't know. We'll see, but leave the
Weapon three is coming on the Movie Film Show. But if you have any
questions or comments for us, you can emails at Moviefilmpodcast at gmail dot com.
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You can find me on social media at Zakie's Corner. You can find Brian
in the real world, living a healthy life like the rest of us who
are who are online, but with that on behalf of my partner Brian Holl.
My name is Zachie as this has been our movie film commentary for Lead
the Weapon two. We will catch you next time. Thanks folks.