WEBVTT 1 00:00:04.639 --> 00:01:15.439 Will you waits exist Sis, Welcome back midnight Viewers to 2 00:01:15.560 --> 00:01:18.280 fuse Goo Fest. Do we have a theme song? HP? 3 00:01:18.920 --> 00:01:22.040 Do we have a Fusco Fest theme? Something? Easy? 4 00:01:23.000 --> 00:01:27.640 We I know we don't have anything. I don't know. 5 00:01:27.680 --> 00:01:29.519 You're well, you're producing these. What do you think? What 6 00:01:29.560 --> 00:01:30.480 do you want? 7 00:01:30.879 --> 00:01:32.599 Something bluesy? Obviously? 8 00:01:33.239 --> 00:01:35.560 Oh I can I yeah, I can provide you. Remember 9 00:01:35.799 --> 00:01:38.680 after we did Crossroads, I sent you too late. I 10 00:01:38.719 --> 00:01:41.000 sent you a little blues thing that I had worked up. 11 00:01:41.560 --> 00:01:43.480 We could use that. It's kind of mozy. 12 00:01:43.400 --> 00:01:45.280 Working into a thirty second thing. You'll hear that on 13 00:01:45.319 --> 00:01:47.359 the next few sco Fest everybody, I'm keeping all of 14 00:01:47.359 --> 00:01:50.760 this in buddy. This is Fusco Fest here on midnight Viewing. 15 00:01:51.040 --> 00:01:56.000 Joining me as always is our best friend from fucking 16 00:01:56.400 --> 00:01:59.480 thirty years or so now, mister HP. He's from Noise 17 00:01:59.560 --> 00:02:03.079 Junkie and he's also from Night Mister Walter's a taxi podcast. 18 00:02:03.840 --> 00:02:05.359 Very very, very very exciting. 19 00:02:05.400 --> 00:02:08.560 I'm always excited to do Fusco Fest, but it's been 20 00:02:08.560 --> 00:02:11.400 a while, fatherm alone, so I'm very excited to talk 21 00:02:11.520 --> 00:02:13.240 some Fusco with you, sir. 22 00:02:13.599 --> 00:02:16.159 Now so far on Fusco Fest. Hey, everybody, in case 23 00:02:16.199 --> 00:02:18.000 you don't know what the fuck we're talking about, but 24 00:02:18.159 --> 00:02:22.199 we're discussing the works of mister John Fusco, screenwriter extraordinaire. 25 00:02:22.520 --> 00:02:24.800 Turns out that HP and I have a shared love 26 00:02:24.840 --> 00:02:27.719 of all of the man's work basically, and figured why 27 00:02:27.800 --> 00:02:30.960 not dive in so so far in chronological order, we've 28 00:02:30.960 --> 00:02:34.800 been doing them, and we've had Crossroads Young Guns Young 29 00:02:34.840 --> 00:02:38.360 Guns too, and next up is of course Thunderheart, which 30 00:02:38.400 --> 00:02:40.960 is why we're doing The Babe. No, we're just doing 31 00:02:40.960 --> 00:02:42.319 things a little bit out of order. We've got a 32 00:02:42.360 --> 00:02:44.719 special guest on our Thunderheart episode. That's a really fucking 33 00:02:44.759 --> 00:02:47.039 good movie and it deserves a little extra attention, so 34 00:02:47.039 --> 00:02:48.599 we didn't want to rush through it just for the 35 00:02:48.639 --> 00:02:54.280 sake of fucking some arbitrary rule about chronology. So instead 36 00:02:54.319 --> 00:02:59.240 we aren't doing The Babe starring James Cromwell, about a 37 00:02:59.319 --> 00:03:02.879 tiny pit on a farm in New Zealand. I believe, no, no, no, wait, 38 00:03:02.919 --> 00:03:06.439 we're doing The Babe about Babe Ruth starring James Cromwell, 39 00:03:06.919 --> 00:03:09.879 about a guy who likes to hit balls. 40 00:03:11.039 --> 00:03:11.240 HP. 41 00:03:13.719 --> 00:03:16.000 If I were to ask you, who are the greatest 42 00:03:16.039 --> 00:03:19.719 ball players of all time? Is Ruth on there talking 43 00:03:19.759 --> 00:03:22.080 about Babe Ruth. Everybody, Babe Ruth. 44 00:03:22.599 --> 00:03:26.360 Babe Ruth. I'm not the biggest baseball fan. I'm more 45 00:03:26.400 --> 00:03:27.680 of a casual fan. 46 00:03:28.000 --> 00:03:30.319 Get off of this podcast right now. 47 00:03:30.439 --> 00:03:34.360 Okay, but yeah, I think for the casual fan like myself, sure, 48 00:03:34.400 --> 00:03:37.879 Babe Ruth is one of the more prodigious names that 49 00:03:37.919 --> 00:03:41.680 you'll hear. And also being from Boston or being from 50 00:03:41.680 --> 00:03:45.800 the Boston area, we have our own checkered history with 51 00:03:45.960 --> 00:03:48.599 the Bambino, which hate that nickname, I gotta tell you, 52 00:03:49.039 --> 00:03:50.960 But yeah, I would say Babe Ruth. 53 00:03:50.840 --> 00:03:51.840 Is one of the greats. 54 00:03:51.960 --> 00:03:55.439 I mean, his home run record lasted until when the 55 00:03:55.520 --> 00:03:59.120 nineteen seventy four and that's pretty remarkable. 56 00:03:59.120 --> 00:04:02.560 So yeah, the Bambino not your favorite. How about the 57 00:04:02.599 --> 00:04:03.520 Sultan of Swat. 58 00:04:05.639 --> 00:04:07.840 See when you start to give me the Sultan of Swat, 59 00:04:08.000 --> 00:04:11.039 I start to hear all the names that Apollo Creed 60 00:04:11.120 --> 00:04:15.240 had for himself in Rocky. Give us some the Master 61 00:04:15.400 --> 00:04:19.639 of Disaster, the Ayatola of Fistola or something. 62 00:04:19.360 --> 00:04:19.800 I don't know what. 63 00:04:20.040 --> 00:04:23.759 Christ Calm down, Apollo, Okay, so we are talking about 64 00:04:23.839 --> 00:04:28.600 the Babe. This is from nineteen ninety two, written as 65 00:04:28.680 --> 00:04:30.759 always as all of the movies here on fuscof Has 66 00:04:30.800 --> 00:04:33.600 written by mister John Fusco. This one was directed by 67 00:04:33.720 --> 00:04:38.759 Arthur Hiller, starring John Goodman, Kelly McGillis, Triny Alvarado, Bruce 68 00:04:38.800 --> 00:04:42.040 box Lightner. How excited were you when Bruce box Lightner 69 00:04:42.120 --> 00:04:43.600 showed up in the fucking movie? 70 00:04:44.199 --> 00:04:46.959 I was so excited because, full disclosure, this was my 71 00:04:47.000 --> 00:04:49.399 first time watching the Babe. I missed it and it's 72 00:04:49.439 --> 00:04:52.199 an Ishola run, so I was very excited to see 73 00:04:52.360 --> 00:04:56.439 Tron up there on the screen or what scarecrow missus King. 74 00:04:56.920 --> 00:04:59.319 Bruce box Lightner very much an eighties guy, so I 75 00:04:59.319 --> 00:04:59.920 was very excited. 76 00:05:00.040 --> 00:05:01.000 Does he bruce up there? 77 00:05:01.720 --> 00:05:04.720 I can do no wrong. As I mentioned, James Cromwell 78 00:05:04.720 --> 00:05:08.480 shows up in it for a bit. Ralph Morero as ping. 79 00:05:09.279 --> 00:05:12.040 I'm only bringing up Ralph Morrero because my late wife 80 00:05:12.120 --> 00:05:15.319 Jessica could not pronounce the name of my favorite filmmaker, 81 00:05:15.360 --> 00:05:19.120 which was George Romero. She would always say George Morrero. 82 00:05:19.519 --> 00:05:22.279 So to see a man named Ralph Morrero in this film, 83 00:05:22.319 --> 00:05:24.800 I thought, wow, Jessica would have had a ball. Anyway, 84 00:05:25.399 --> 00:05:30.480 this is the story of George Ruth, the Babe Ruth 85 00:05:30.519 --> 00:05:34.040 who the house that Ruth built, The Yankees. The He 86 00:05:34.120 --> 00:05:37.319 pointed once at the outfield and said, I'm going to 87 00:05:37.399 --> 00:05:39.759 hit that ball, and then he hit that ball. 88 00:05:50.120 --> 00:05:54.079 Where did they come from? Where'd you come from? 89 00:05:54.160 --> 00:05:57.160 Rock from out of nowhere? 90 00:06:00.439 --> 00:06:01.759 To play inside ball? 91 00:06:01.839 --> 00:06:03.879 Hit him when they ate, Well, they aren't over the punches, 92 00:06:03.959 --> 00:06:06.519 So that's where I have him. I used to get 93 00:06:06.560 --> 00:06:12.439 arrested for that. Now they give me a check from 94 00:06:12.480 --> 00:06:12.920 a boy. 95 00:06:13.519 --> 00:06:15.160 He isn't all the bad his life. 96 00:06:19.680 --> 00:06:27.560 Two of them balla Yeah, I know. 97 00:06:30.560 --> 00:06:33.800 You're making more money than the president. Here's three of ballins. 98 00:06:33.879 --> 00:06:35.160 Let's have a hell of season. 99 00:06:38.560 --> 00:06:41.639 He lived his life to make a bottle all rampacks 100 00:06:41.720 --> 00:06:45.319 last night, like he played the game, you're gonna. 101 00:06:45.120 --> 00:06:47.040 Do it a son of a gun like that. 102 00:06:48.279 --> 00:06:51.360 You're still a big kid with forty four home runs 103 00:06:51.360 --> 00:06:53.240 with the saddest eyes I've ever seen. 104 00:06:54.040 --> 00:06:56.079 I don't even like beings cool, but I loved it 105 00:06:56.160 --> 00:07:05.240 watching Sacho run dry did it? Why don't we go 106 00:07:05.360 --> 00:07:15.920 to your ride? No, guy, you are incorrigible, Nor. 107 00:07:15.680 --> 00:07:20.600 What babe's gonna sock you a home run? Did that 108 00:07:20.639 --> 00:07:24.120 make you feel a better? Johnny too? 109 00:07:26.720 --> 00:07:27.240 That's good? 110 00:07:28.959 --> 00:07:36.680 Well, No, kiddo, I favorite human. He's an animal. 111 00:07:38.480 --> 00:07:43.639 He's a God the man was a legends about way Rock. 112 00:07:44.439 --> 00:07:51.920 The legend was real, John Goodman the babe. 113 00:07:52.319 --> 00:07:54.480 Sorry to break in that is I believe that is 114 00:07:54.560 --> 00:07:57.759 actually not a true fact. There's a few things like 115 00:07:57.800 --> 00:07:59.560 that we're gonna get into, but that actually, it's my 116 00:07:59.639 --> 00:08:04.040 understand that he did not, in fact, truly call his shot. 117 00:08:04.240 --> 00:08:07.800 He did point to the picture to say, oh, strike one, 118 00:08:08.000 --> 00:08:12.279 strike two, but it's unclear whether he truly called his 119 00:08:12.319 --> 00:08:15.279 shot or was just gesturing to the picture to say, 120 00:08:15.879 --> 00:08:19.040 let's do this. So just one little bit of an accuracy, 121 00:08:19.120 --> 00:08:20.480 I have to break in about. 122 00:08:20.439 --> 00:08:22.920 Now, this was your first time watching the film. This 123 00:08:23.079 --> 00:08:26.279 was also my first time watching the film. I remember 124 00:08:26.360 --> 00:08:28.519 when the film came out. I remembered a bit of 125 00:08:28.600 --> 00:08:33.360 hoopla around it. I certainly remember Genny Ande Garoffolo excoriating 126 00:08:33.399 --> 00:08:36.279 the film in that she was talking about the treatment 127 00:08:36.320 --> 00:08:39.039 of women in cinema and how they were expected to 128 00:08:39.080 --> 00:08:42.720 maintain a ridiculous body image. When John Goodman had to 129 00:08:42.759 --> 00:08:46.600 lose weight to play Babe Ruth, and he's still too fat. 130 00:08:47.080 --> 00:08:50.879 He's way too big. Because I went back to just 131 00:08:50.879 --> 00:08:53.039 to refresh my memory, and I looked at pictures of 132 00:08:53.120 --> 00:08:56.919 Ruth in his prime and he's They make him out 133 00:08:56.919 --> 00:09:00.480 to be this moose in the bab but he really wasn't. 134 00:09:00.960 --> 00:09:01.960 He wasn't crazy. 135 00:09:02.000 --> 00:09:05.159 I mean compared to modern day athletes. Sure he was 136 00:09:05.279 --> 00:09:10.360 probably a bit big, but he wasn't as massive as 137 00:09:10.440 --> 00:09:12.039 John Goodman is. And the fact that he had to 138 00:09:12.080 --> 00:09:14.759 lose weight, which I think is a funny irony about 139 00:09:14.759 --> 00:09:15.320 this movie. 140 00:09:15.320 --> 00:09:16.519 But I thought that was kind of silly. 141 00:09:16.879 --> 00:09:18.720 You know who he reminds me of looking at the 142 00:09:18.759 --> 00:09:22.320 actual Babe Ruth, his body time reminded me of John Belushi. 143 00:09:22.799 --> 00:09:24.759 Yeah, like younger John Belushi. 144 00:09:25.000 --> 00:09:29.519 Right, anytime a fat comedian makes the scene, suddenly they're 145 00:09:29.559 --> 00:09:32.360 the next John Belushi, because he was the fat comedian. Right. 146 00:09:32.480 --> 00:09:33.840 I go back and I look at him, and I go, 147 00:09:33.919 --> 00:09:36.799 he's just fucking big. He's just a big dude, but 148 00:09:37.279 --> 00:09:39.840 it seems to be mostly muscle under there because he's 149 00:09:39.879 --> 00:09:41.200 doing fucking backflips. 150 00:09:41.559 --> 00:09:43.759 Yeah, the same thing goes for Babe Ruth. He was 151 00:09:43.799 --> 00:09:46.840 a solid individual guy who could knock the. 152 00:09:46.799 --> 00:09:48.039 Hell out of the ball. 153 00:09:48.200 --> 00:09:50.720 So, sure he's going to be big, but big doesn't 154 00:09:50.759 --> 00:09:53.639 mean fat, it doesn't mean overweight. 155 00:09:54.080 --> 00:09:56.320 So this was your first experience, as it was mine. 156 00:09:56.919 --> 00:09:58.960 What'd you think it was interesting. 157 00:09:59.320 --> 00:10:01.559 First thing I did before I even started watching it. 158 00:10:01.679 --> 00:10:03.000 Let me back up a minute. 159 00:10:03.120 --> 00:10:07.399 I was surprised to see that Arthur Hiller had directed it. 160 00:10:07.480 --> 00:10:12.000 I completely spaced on that. Obviously, I know him through reputation. 161 00:10:12.240 --> 00:10:15.360 Of course, he did Love Story, He did Silver Streak. 162 00:10:15.440 --> 00:10:17.519 Do you remember Silver Streak with Gene Wilder? 163 00:10:17.559 --> 00:10:21.159 Of course you do, naturally, Yeah, Richard Pryor absolutely. 164 00:10:21.120 --> 00:10:24.639 And then a funny connection to Our Night, mister Walter's podcast. 165 00:10:24.679 --> 00:10:28.080 He also did Teachers, which featured jud Hirsh in a role. 166 00:10:28.399 --> 00:10:30.240 That's right, and I love that movie. I love a 167 00:10:30.279 --> 00:10:33.879 lot of Arthur Hiller's movies. Actually, The Lonely Guy I 168 00:10:33.919 --> 00:10:37.120 think as an underrated Steve Martin gem that he did. 169 00:10:37.559 --> 00:10:39.799 He also did The in Laws for God's Sake with 170 00:10:39.879 --> 00:10:44.960 a fucking Alan Alan Arkin, fucking Peter Peter Fowk. 171 00:10:45.120 --> 00:10:46.320 Yeah, it's amazing. 172 00:10:46.360 --> 00:10:48.840 So the pedigree was pretty solid as far as I 173 00:10:48.919 --> 00:10:50.759 was concerned. I was kind of excited by the way. 174 00:10:50.879 --> 00:10:54.320 Fun fact Arthur Hiller was he used to golf with 175 00:10:54.360 --> 00:10:56.440 my uncle Martin. I don't know if I ever told 176 00:10:56.440 --> 00:10:57.080 you that story. 177 00:10:57.240 --> 00:10:59.440 I remember Uncle Martin, but I didn't know that he 178 00:10:59.600 --> 00:11:03.519 once golf. That's amazing fun fact. 179 00:11:03.799 --> 00:11:06.919 Yeah, I don't. I don't remember how it came up. 180 00:11:07.039 --> 00:11:08.879 He just was talking about some guy that he was 181 00:11:08.879 --> 00:11:12.360 golfing with who at the time, Arthur Hiller was the 182 00:11:12.360 --> 00:11:15.279 president of the Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts and Sciences. 183 00:11:15.600 --> 00:11:18.039 So that was where my uncle Martin thought that I 184 00:11:18.039 --> 00:11:20.200 would be interested in it. But then come to find 185 00:11:20.200 --> 00:11:22.360 out that it was Arthur Hiller who had done all 186 00:11:22.360 --> 00:11:25.759 these amazing pictures. He my uncle Martin couldn't have cared less. 187 00:11:25.799 --> 00:11:28.080 I think he was just happy to have somebody to 188 00:11:28.120 --> 00:11:28.559 golf with. 189 00:11:28.679 --> 00:11:30.600 But that's there was a lot of way, isn't it. 190 00:11:30.679 --> 00:11:33.000 Like you see Bill Burr and Star Wars and you're 191 00:11:33.039 --> 00:11:35.840 just like, he does not give one shit about Star Wars. 192 00:11:36.279 --> 00:11:38.320 No, but I mean you can tell he loves it 193 00:11:38.360 --> 00:11:41.799 and interviews and stuff. But so Arthur Hiller directed. Haskell 194 00:11:41.879 --> 00:11:46.759 Wexler was the DP on this picture. Yeah, mate, Wan 195 00:11:46.879 --> 00:11:48.720 in the Heat of the Night, One Floor with the 196 00:11:48.759 --> 00:11:54.279 Cuckoo's Nest. This movie had some pedigree. Elmer Bernstein did 197 00:11:54.320 --> 00:11:58.519 the music. For God's sake, this seemed like a can't 198 00:11:58.559 --> 00:12:02.039 miss proposition to me coming into this, Father Malone, and 199 00:12:02.519 --> 00:12:02.960 if I'm. 200 00:12:02.840 --> 00:12:04.679 Being perfectly honest, it was. 201 00:12:04.960 --> 00:12:07.600 I had some problems with the picture, which will break 202 00:12:07.639 --> 00:12:10.240 down I think first and foremost, if the first thing 203 00:12:10.279 --> 00:12:14.039 that I had a problem with was John Goodman. Not 204 00:12:14.200 --> 00:12:16.519 to say that John Goodman isn't a fine actor. He's 205 00:12:16.559 --> 00:12:19.960 a fantastic actor, but as we just got through saying 206 00:12:20.679 --> 00:12:23.399 he was not. So he has to play Babe Ruth 207 00:12:23.440 --> 00:12:27.799 from basically age nineteen through age I don't know, fifty 208 00:12:28.039 --> 00:12:30.679 one or forty eight or something, or he was like 209 00:12:30.759 --> 00:12:34.440 his I think his mid forties when he ended his 210 00:12:34.440 --> 00:12:35.600 career with the Boston Braves. 211 00:12:35.720 --> 00:12:39.080 No, I don't think so. He was nineteen in nineteen 212 00:12:39.240 --> 00:12:41.960 twenty five, I believe, or twenty four when he starts 213 00:12:41.960 --> 00:12:44.799 his career, and then his career is over in nineteen 214 00:12:44.919 --> 00:12:48.799 thirty five. So that's what sixteen years, making him thirty 215 00:12:48.840 --> 00:12:51.919 seven or thirty six. My math is terrible. Nevertheless, he 216 00:12:52.120 --> 00:12:53.000 not yet forty. 217 00:12:53.480 --> 00:12:56.039 Oh okay, but that makes it even more vexing, because 218 00:12:56.559 --> 00:13:01.000 John Goodman isn't believable at nineteen. He looks terrible. He 219 00:13:01.039 --> 00:13:03.600 looks like somebody who's had a lot of makeup applied. 220 00:13:04.039 --> 00:13:07.279 He's too big. They squeeze him into this suit. He 221 00:13:08.559 --> 00:13:11.080 it just it didn't work for me, and then you're 222 00:13:11.159 --> 00:13:14.000 having him play with or play. 223 00:13:13.960 --> 00:13:15.240 He's forty, by the way. 224 00:13:15.679 --> 00:13:17.720 He's so John Goodman is forty when he's. 225 00:13:17.720 --> 00:13:21.960 He is older than Babe Ruth was. Babe Ruth died 226 00:13:22.039 --> 00:13:24.559 before getting to the age John Goodman is when he's 227 00:13:24.559 --> 00:13:28.720 going to play Babe Ruth nearly for his entire lifespan. 228 00:13:29.279 --> 00:13:32.480 I'm not surprised because he I thought he looked every 229 00:13:32.519 --> 00:13:36.159 bit his age. Because he's playing next to Bruce box Lightner, 230 00:13:36.159 --> 00:13:40.399 who's supposed to be his contemporary. He's playing another true 231 00:13:40.440 --> 00:13:42.840 actual ballplayer named Jumping Joe Dugan. 232 00:13:43.559 --> 00:13:44.879 And what a great name. 233 00:13:44.960 --> 00:13:47.960 Man. They had great names back then, they really did. 234 00:13:48.679 --> 00:13:52.000 But he just he's up there in his prime. 235 00:13:52.080 --> 00:13:56.080 He's supposed to be in his twenties, and he partially 236 00:13:56.159 --> 00:13:59.279 the way he's shot, the way the makeup looks on him, 237 00:13:59.399 --> 00:14:02.480 the die that they use for his hair, it just 238 00:14:02.720 --> 00:14:06.840 was so unconvincing to me, Father Malone, and it really 239 00:14:07.120 --> 00:14:10.200 unfortunately that part of it tended to take me out 240 00:14:10.200 --> 00:14:13.519 of the picture. He didn't lose himself in the role. 241 00:14:13.639 --> 00:14:16.720 I think somebody should be able to disappear into the 242 00:14:16.840 --> 00:14:20.240 character of Babe Ruth to make it believable. But let 243 00:14:20.320 --> 00:14:23.399 me ask you, how did you find John Goodman, his performance, 244 00:14:23.440 --> 00:14:24.759 his appearance, what have you? 245 00:14:25.000 --> 00:14:28.159 I think he's wildly miscast. I don't think he looks 246 00:14:28.159 --> 00:14:31.960 anything like Babe Ruth. I don't think he comes off 247 00:14:32.080 --> 00:14:36.200 like Babe Ruth. My problem is maybe that for the 248 00:14:36.240 --> 00:14:41.120 majority of the film, Babe Ruth is an uncouth thug 249 00:14:41.360 --> 00:14:45.320 of a human being, and John Goodman is just play 250 00:14:45.360 --> 00:14:47.799 acting at being a thug of a human being. And 251 00:14:47.879 --> 00:14:51.279 I never believe it. Somebody like Dennis Franz could have 252 00:14:51.360 --> 00:14:55.759 played Babe Ruth and I would have bought into every 253 00:14:55.960 --> 00:15:01.679 bit of his Everything untoward about him, everything just gross 254 00:15:01.919 --> 00:15:06.519 and unrefined, I would have bought, and I would have 255 00:15:07.679 --> 00:15:10.559 maybe given it the credence I would have given in 256 00:15:10.559 --> 00:15:13.759 the credence to somebody like Robert de Niro and Raging Ball. 257 00:15:14.279 --> 00:15:17.480 True, I agree because I think John Goodman fundamentally is 258 00:15:17.519 --> 00:15:22.440 such a likable actor, such a likable presence, that I 259 00:15:22.440 --> 00:15:25.759 think what you said about him play acting towards being 260 00:15:25.799 --> 00:15:29.840 this unrefined brood of a man, because we see him 261 00:15:29.879 --> 00:15:32.120 do an awful lot of things that we don't agree with. 262 00:15:32.399 --> 00:15:37.600 I guess they Fusco should be given some credit for 263 00:15:38.080 --> 00:15:41.799 making this a truly warts and all depiction. 264 00:15:41.519 --> 00:15:42.240 Of Babe Ruth. 265 00:15:42.279 --> 00:15:45.200 This is not really this. You could not call this hagiography. 266 00:15:45.720 --> 00:15:48.720 This is You're getting the worst of it. But that's 267 00:15:48.960 --> 00:15:51.600 also I think part of the problem, because he's so 268 00:15:51.759 --> 00:15:56.240 thoroughly unlikable that I don't enjoy spending any time with 269 00:15:56.320 --> 00:16:01.200 this character, So that as a viewer, that's a real negative. 270 00:16:01.120 --> 00:16:03.600 Kind of a big problem when he's our lead, right, 271 00:16:03.919 --> 00:16:07.000 it is what here's the thing, but Travis Bickle, I 272 00:16:07.039 --> 00:16:09.960 always go back to a taxi driver. Travis Bickle is 273 00:16:10.120 --> 00:16:12.879 also a despicable character who you would not want to 274 00:16:12.879 --> 00:16:17.720 spend one minute of your life beside. And yet I'm 275 00:16:17.840 --> 00:16:22.080 with that fucking guy. I feel his pain, I understand 276 00:16:22.120 --> 00:16:28.080 his isolation, and I want more somehow, Whereas this is 277 00:16:28.200 --> 00:16:35.080 just a fucking kind of an asshole, unrepentantly provocatively rude 278 00:16:36.000 --> 00:16:38.200 at times, to the degree. 279 00:16:37.840 --> 00:16:41.360 Where I started to wonder, does he have something wrong 280 00:16:41.399 --> 00:16:44.120 with him, something seriously clinically. 281 00:16:44.200 --> 00:16:45.799 Wrong with him in his head? 282 00:16:45.879 --> 00:16:51.159 Because he's especially early on, he's childlike. He doesn't understand 283 00:16:51.159 --> 00:16:55.039 the ways and means of social interaction. But the things 284 00:16:55.039 --> 00:16:59.120 he does are so far over the top gross and 285 00:16:59.360 --> 00:17:03.399 mean spirit in some cases, and just it's hard for 286 00:17:03.440 --> 00:17:05.839 me to see what the other characters saw in him 287 00:17:05.880 --> 00:17:08.119 besides the fact that he was a home run machine, 288 00:17:08.559 --> 00:17:11.720 that he was a hell of a ballplayer, but otherwise 289 00:17:12.720 --> 00:17:16.000 he I kind of sympathize with these managers that are 290 00:17:16.000 --> 00:17:18.240 shown in this who are supposed to I'm assuming they're 291 00:17:18.240 --> 00:17:21.519 supposed to be antagonists, where you know, hey, let babe 292 00:17:21.559 --> 00:17:25.519 be babe, let him do his thing. He's but I'm like, no, no, no, Babe. 293 00:17:25.880 --> 00:17:28.039 Is he made a commitment to the team. He's got 294 00:17:28.079 --> 00:17:30.880 to show up on time, he's got to be in shape, 295 00:17:30.920 --> 00:17:32.240 he's got to take it seriously. 296 00:17:32.720 --> 00:17:34.200 But he does none of those things. 297 00:17:34.920 --> 00:17:39.359 And maybe that's true to the actual individual Babe Ruth, 298 00:17:39.480 --> 00:17:44.119 but that doesn't make for fun watching. It was frustrating 299 00:17:44.160 --> 00:17:45.319 to me. More often than. 300 00:17:45.240 --> 00:17:48.599 Not, I couldn't understand the point of view at times. 301 00:17:48.759 --> 00:17:53.519 There's a scene where he is being shown off by Frizzy, 302 00:17:54.440 --> 00:17:58.160 the owner of the Red Sox, and there's a fancy 303 00:17:58.359 --> 00:18:02.799 cotillion going on with all these stuffed shirts and he's 304 00:18:02.799 --> 00:18:05.400 showing off Babe Ruth and he's told he's given Babe 305 00:18:05.440 --> 00:18:07.960 Ruth a joke to recite once they get him up 306 00:18:07.960 --> 00:18:10.559 on stage, but he forgets the joke, so instead he 307 00:18:10.599 --> 00:18:13.400 does the only joke he really knows as a surefire winner, 308 00:18:13.559 --> 00:18:16.200 pull my finger, and he fart's and everyone is just 309 00:18:16.279 --> 00:18:19.839 disgusted by it, and then he's a little embarrassed. Then 310 00:18:20.319 --> 00:18:23.559 end of scene. And I kept thinking, am I supposed 311 00:18:23.599 --> 00:18:25.640 to be enjoying it? Am I supposed to be the 312 00:18:25.680 --> 00:18:30.039 audience perspective and find his find this behavior boorish? 313 00:18:30.680 --> 00:18:31.119 Or am I. 314 00:18:31.039 --> 00:18:33.440 Supposed to be with him sticking it to the stuff shirts? 315 00:18:33.440 --> 00:18:35.799 Like why can't they take a joke? I didn't know. 316 00:18:36.400 --> 00:18:39.599 The movie doesn't really take a side on that, because 317 00:18:39.599 --> 00:18:43.400 we're supposed to cheer him for his achievements, But at 318 00:18:43.400 --> 00:18:46.160 the same time, are we supposed to condemn his off 319 00:18:46.200 --> 00:18:48.680 the field antics, because a lot of that I'm sure 320 00:18:48.799 --> 00:18:52.720 is totally true. That he was a womanizer, He did 321 00:18:52.880 --> 00:18:57.359 indulge his passions, maybe a little too much. But I 322 00:18:57.480 --> 00:18:59.599 just found and actually that was another thing that I 323 00:18:59.599 --> 00:19:02.680 found a little confusing. Father alone, is this is a 324 00:19:02.720 --> 00:19:06.519 baseball movie. Now, at the time, just you probably remember 325 00:19:06.759 --> 00:19:08.640 baseball was big in the movies. 326 00:19:08.400 --> 00:19:09.079 Around this time. 327 00:19:09.119 --> 00:19:11.519 There were so many movies. There was a little big 328 00:19:11.599 --> 00:19:13.880 league there was a league of their own, the sand 329 00:19:13.920 --> 00:19:18.200 Lot Rookie of the Year, mister baseball, baseball was big. 330 00:19:18.680 --> 00:19:23.720 Movies, Field of Dreams, Field of Dreams, Bull dur huge 331 00:19:24.160 --> 00:19:27.400 and some of these are bona fide major league. 332 00:19:28.039 --> 00:19:31.200 That's which I think is probably one of my favorites, 333 00:19:31.240 --> 00:19:34.559 because that's that seems for me, that's truest to the 334 00:19:34.640 --> 00:19:37.359 idea of the game and the players of the game. 335 00:19:37.400 --> 00:19:38.920 It's just funny. It's a fun movie. 336 00:19:39.079 --> 00:19:41.519 All right, you might stop, stop, stop before you go further. 337 00:19:41.599 --> 00:19:43.680 Let's do it. What's the best baseball movie? 338 00:19:44.119 --> 00:19:51.559 The best baseball mo oh now anytime period or yeah, 339 00:19:51.759 --> 00:19:55.640 best movie that you've enjoyed about the sport of baseball. 340 00:19:56.400 --> 00:19:58.480 I don't you are a sports fan, you know me. 341 00:19:58.759 --> 00:20:01.880 I cannot stand and sports. I don't get it. I 342 00:20:01.920 --> 00:20:04.319 just don't understand them at all. But I fucking love 343 00:20:04.359 --> 00:20:09.160 sports movie. Hmmm, research, I already have my answer. 344 00:20:09.519 --> 00:20:13.079 No, I actually I already I anticipated this, and but 345 00:20:13.160 --> 00:20:16.880 now I remember my favorite baseball movie, The Natural. 346 00:20:17.039 --> 00:20:19.920 That seems to be a lot of a lot of 347 00:20:19.920 --> 00:20:24.359 fans' favorites. Favorite baseball movie. And why is that? 348 00:20:24.880 --> 00:20:25.680 Oh? Why is that? 349 00:20:25.720 --> 00:20:29.839 Because I think it captures, if not the actual grandeur 350 00:20:29.920 --> 00:20:34.960 of the game. It captures that, it captures the mythology. 351 00:20:34.319 --> 00:20:36.599 Behind the game. These larger than life characters. 352 00:20:37.079 --> 00:20:40.119 I love the character of Roy Hobbs because he's so 353 00:20:40.400 --> 00:20:43.599 larger than life. He's got that bat wonder boy. I 354 00:20:43.640 --> 00:20:48.319 think it's called He's he hits. There's something very iconic 355 00:20:48.359 --> 00:20:53.440 about that character, and I think it The managers of 356 00:20:53.519 --> 00:20:56.519 the team are all that they all feel real. All 357 00:20:56.559 --> 00:21:00.000 the actors inhabit their roles as I think they feel 358 00:21:00.200 --> 00:21:00.920 authentic to me. 359 00:21:01.039 --> 00:21:04.000 That's what I'm trying to say. There's it's larger than. 360 00:21:03.960 --> 00:21:06.440 Life, and I just think it's shot really well. The 361 00:21:06.519 --> 00:21:09.720 soundtrack is amazing. I hate to use the word again, 362 00:21:09.720 --> 00:21:12.039 but it's iconic. The scene where he hits the ball 363 00:21:12.079 --> 00:21:15.279 into the lights at the end, it's you can't get 364 00:21:15.279 --> 00:21:17.440 any better than that for me for a baseball movie. 365 00:21:17.480 --> 00:21:19.559 Not in all times sports movie necessarily, but if you're 366 00:21:19.559 --> 00:21:22.079 limiting me to baseball, that's the one for me. 367 00:21:22.599 --> 00:21:26.319 Certainly. That shot of him hitting the ball that bursts 368 00:21:26.359 --> 00:21:28.920 the lights over the field is one of the most 369 00:21:29.000 --> 00:21:32.400 beautiful images in any sports movie ever. I totally agree 370 00:21:32.400 --> 00:21:36.920 with that. My favorite baseball movie, however, is from nineteen 371 00:21:37.000 --> 00:21:41.440 eighty eight and that's Eight Men Out. Ah, that's a 372 00:21:41.440 --> 00:21:44.960 good one, written and directed by John sALS about the 373 00:21:45.000 --> 00:21:49.599 Black Sox scandal of nineteen nineteen, which takes place it's 374 00:21:49.599 --> 00:21:50.680 contemporary to this. 375 00:21:51.160 --> 00:21:51.960 But what makes you. 376 00:21:52.400 --> 00:21:55.119 Appreciate that one over some of these more sort of 377 00:21:55.160 --> 00:21:57.480 popular choices. What is it about eight Men Out that 378 00:21:57.720 --> 00:21:58.519 speaks to you? 379 00:21:59.119 --> 00:22:02.200 It shows? Okay, First of all, I love this time period, 380 00:22:02.319 --> 00:22:05.240 So that's the thing I really did respond to in 381 00:22:05.319 --> 00:22:09.480 the Babe as well, something about those uniforms and that 382 00:22:09.680 --> 00:22:14.519 time period and just seeing a crowd shot of men 383 00:22:14.640 --> 00:22:17.680 and voters sharing us on. Something about that in the 384 00:22:17.759 --> 00:22:23.279 nineteen nineteen early twenties time period is great. Second, it's 385 00:22:23.759 --> 00:22:27.640 John Sales, who is one of the best out there. 386 00:22:27.680 --> 00:22:29.640 He always has been. We should probably cover him at 387 00:22:29.680 --> 00:22:33.160 some point. And I love that scandal. I love it. It's 388 00:22:33.119 --> 00:22:36.200 the first time that it's the first time we realized 389 00:22:36.240 --> 00:22:39.039 that there was major corruption going on in this most 390 00:22:39.119 --> 00:22:42.599 beloved of American pastimes, that there was something deeper and 391 00:22:42.680 --> 00:22:47.640 darker going on. And it also manages to to me 392 00:22:48.319 --> 00:22:51.440 embody the spirit of baseball because in the form of 393 00:22:51.640 --> 00:22:55.279 John Cusack's character's name I can't remember right now, but 394 00:22:55.519 --> 00:22:57.839 he's the sort of one decent guy who gets fucked 395 00:22:57.880 --> 00:22:59.599 at the end by the thing and well, I guess 396 00:22:59.759 --> 00:23:02.680 was Joe did too. But anyway, I just, I don't know. 397 00:23:02.720 --> 00:23:04.680 I love that movie. I love the drama of it 398 00:23:04.680 --> 00:23:06.880 because it's it is a sports movie. We get tons 399 00:23:06.920 --> 00:23:09.759 of great sports shit. It's also a courtroom drama. It's 400 00:23:09.799 --> 00:23:14.480 also this like corporate political intrigue movie. It's I don't know, 401 00:23:14.599 --> 00:23:18.519