Controversies Week: David Ayer's East L.A. Crime Epics (with Mark Shaver)

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[00:00:55] Lo and behold, movie and music fanatic Mark Shaver's back in the house. How are you, buddy?

[00:01:02] I'm doing good. How about you?

[00:01:04] I'm good. We're here to talk about someone who, you know, much like Michael Mann, kind of really developed my love of these various L.A. crime movies, and that is David Iyer.

[00:01:15] I think we are talking about his many cops and robbers and crooked cops and political corruption movies. Just there's so many, but we'll kind of just kind of skim through it.

[00:01:25] Many of these movies are very interesting. They use a lot of the same actors, Noah Gee, Terry Crews, Michelle Rodriguez, just all kinds of just very impossible to recognize that sometimes just actors, just very colorful characters.

[00:01:44] We'll kind of illustrate whether or not he's doing his own thing or whether he's kind of emulating the Tarantinos of the world.

[00:01:51] But so what got you into a lot of these hard-boiled pot boilers?

[00:01:57] The first film that I saw by him that really made me take notice of who he was would have been End of Watch.

[00:02:07] Oh, wow. Okay, so you were later on.

[00:02:11] Yeah, I was a bit I was a bit late. But the thing is, you know, that's the first time I took notice of the guy's name and everything.

[00:02:18] But then when I looked back, because I thought, well, I mean, that movie was excellent. And I thought, well, let's see what else this guy's done. It said that he, you know, helped write Training Day and stuff, which, yeah, of course, I had seen that before, but I wasn't familiar that he had, you know, helped write the screenplay or the script or whatever he did.

[00:02:40] Unless it was Scorsese or Spielberg, we weren't always keeping track of the names at the end of the movie.

[00:02:47] Well, right. I mean, you know, I mean, by this time, don't get me wrong. I mean, I was well into directors and stuff. But like, I had actually seen Harsh Times, I'd seen that one before.

[00:03:00] Right. But I didn't notice, you know, that was like 15, 16 or 14 years ago or something. So I didn't really notice at that time, even though I was already into like, filmmakers that I took notice of. But if it was a film, you know, I didn't always pay attention.

[00:03:18] There's some profoundly evil people walking the streets right now. I don't handicap myself with rules.

[00:03:25] You ain't no police. That's their fault.

[00:03:27] They can't be like this.

[00:03:29] I'm the police. King Kong ain't got nothing on me.

[00:03:36] You never know. That's the point.

[00:03:46] Starts October 5th.

[00:03:53] It's a game or a test.

[00:03:54] Could be a bit of both.

[00:03:56] They count on their training.

[00:03:57] What's it like, the real thing?

[00:03:59] It's fascinating.

[00:04:01] But on August 8th.

[00:04:02] When you fail, and you probably will, you're a force.

[00:04:05] They'll have one reason.

[00:04:07] I will give 100 million dollars to whoever gets me out of here.

[00:04:10] To count on each other.

[00:04:11] So straightforward.

[00:04:13] They're coming out of the woodwork.

[00:04:16] Rated PG-13.

[00:04:18] I was raised up to be a gunfighter by a family of gunfighters.

[00:04:21] One cop did anything.

[00:04:23] You gotta be heartless in my line of work.

[00:04:25] To get the job done.

[00:04:27] I ain't got a gun!

[00:04:28] Yeah, you do.

[00:04:28] But no one has ever dared to take him on.

[00:04:32] I'm going to get your badge.

[00:04:34] Until now.

[00:04:35] Do you know what you're doing?

[00:04:36] Declaring war.

[00:04:38] Kurt Russell and Big Rain.

[00:04:40] This old city's about to burn.

[00:04:43] Dark Blue.

[00:04:44] Rated R.

[00:04:45] Starts Friday, February 21st at theaters everywhere.

[00:04:49] Very nice.

[00:04:50] And yeah, in all fairness, I was more familiar with even the directors of those.

[00:04:54] Like with Dark Blue, I was more familiar with Ron Sheldon.

[00:04:56] I'm like, yeah, he's the guy who worked on Bad Boys and Bull Durham, isn't he?

[00:04:59] Yeah.

[00:04:59] He's the comedy guy who does occasionally serious stuff with Kurt Russell.

[00:05:03] And yeah, SWAT, same thing.

[00:05:05] I was more familiar with actor-turned-director Clark Johnson, who had done movies like The Sentinel with Michael Douglas and Kiefer.

[00:05:11] And TV shows like The Shield and Homicide.

[00:05:17] Those hard-boiled tracking shots.

[00:05:19] And yeah, by the time Street Kings came around, I think Harsh Times was definitely the first one I saw.

[00:05:25] Because I just wanted to see, again, Freddy Rodriguez and Christian Bale do a gritty Dead Presidents kind of movie.

[00:05:31] And then I went back, saw Training Day, then I saw Dark Blue.

[00:05:36] My cousins were really into the movie SWAT.

[00:05:38] But yeah, by Street Kings, when he was teaming up again with James Elroy, that's where I was like, whoa.

[00:05:43] You know, Keanu Reeves is back in speed mode, kind of playing a, you know, a deadly police officer.

[00:05:49] But then there's a twist.

[00:05:50] You know, he's a bad cop who's redeeming himself.

[00:05:53] And now he's trying to figure out if someone in his department is framing him or if there's some other foul play going on.

[00:06:02] Yeah, I did see Street Kings.

[00:06:04] That one I came to, you know, I was already familiar with him by then, you know, because I had to see it back when it came out.

[00:06:13] So then I, you know, I bought it thinking it was going to be something really fantastic, which.

[00:06:20] You know, I watched it, I thought, well, it was okay.

[00:06:23] I'd have to watch it again to like.

[00:06:25] No, it's fine.

[00:06:26] You know, these are all very divisive movies, so it's not going to be perfect for everybody, you know.

[00:06:32] I think that that's a that's a film and I kind of forgot about it.

[00:06:35] And then until today, I was like thinking about it.

[00:06:38] I'm like.

[00:06:39] You know, maybe revisiting that one someday wouldn't be a bad idea.

[00:06:44] Well, it's fine.

[00:06:44] I mean, these movies are interesting in that they're kind of a mixture of like heat and then kind of got some lethal weapon kind of moments where cops are mouthing off before they go and do a raid.

[00:06:57] And then, of course, there's a bad apple who's just very nefarious and just very ruthless.

[00:07:05] I did when David Ayer finally brought the Fox show deputy, you know, I was already a big Stephen Dore fan from Blade and what have you.

[00:07:14] And when that when that took off.

[00:07:17] It only lasted one season, but I went ahead and told him on Twitter and he actually responded back.

[00:07:23] I was like that they should not have canceled your show.

[00:07:25] It was actually going somewhere pretty cool.

[00:07:30] So David Ayer, he responded.

[00:07:33] Yeah.

[00:07:33] Yeah.

[00:07:34] Yeah.

[00:07:34] He was like, yeah, I'm not I'm not responsible, but.

[00:07:38] Right.

[00:07:38] Right.

[00:07:39] I did my I did my best.

[00:07:42] So I guess we'll kind of circle through this.

[00:07:45] Let's start off with a training day where.

[00:07:48] Oh, yeah.

[00:07:49] Rookie Jake Hoyt decides to get into murky waters with vice cop.

[00:07:57] Detective Alonzo Harris played in an Oscar winning role by the beloved Benzo Washington.

[00:08:05] Yeah, I mean, this is like a classic, you know, I mean, like.

[00:08:09] I see so many people talk smack about it now and I'm like, why?

[00:08:13] What has changed?

[00:08:14] What is so different that.

[00:08:16] See, when this movie came out.

[00:08:21] Actually, I didn't see it till it hit DVD, but as soon as it came out on DVD, I I got it.

[00:08:27] And.

[00:08:29] You know, it was right up my alley, too, with.

[00:08:33] With the.

[00:08:34] With the whole L.A., you know, criminal underbelly with.

[00:08:41] L.A. Confidential kind of stuff.

[00:08:42] Yeah, well, yeah, but like a kind of like a more like contemporary modern, you know, what.

[00:08:48] Cirfico.

[00:08:48] Like a lot of like the street elements to it.

[00:08:54] It's got that.

[00:08:55] Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg were in it.

[00:08:57] It had.

[00:08:58] Oh, yeah.

[00:08:59] But, you know, though they're playing themselves, they're kind of unrecognizable.

[00:09:03] Yeah.

[00:09:04] Dr. Dre was playing like a cop.

[00:09:06] And then Snoop Dogg was in the wheelchair.

[00:09:09] Yeah, it was a drug dealer in a wheelchair, but I found it interesting because like in any

[00:09:13] other movie I'd seen him in, he was pretty much just playing himself.

[00:09:16] But this one was interesting because I don't know if it was just that, you know, Ethan

[00:09:21] and Denzel were in the room and he felt is like I can try and measure up and give a passable

[00:09:28] performance.

[00:09:29] You know, I'm going to play a street guy who's being picked on versus I'm going to just

[00:09:33] be foul mouth Snoop Dogg.

[00:09:37] I mean, no, his character was pretty interesting.

[00:09:40] I mean.

[00:09:43] Maybe there were so many other actors in that film, too, like that you haven't seen in a

[00:09:48] long time.

[00:09:49] Yeah.

[00:09:50] Raymond J. Berry, Tom Barringer.

[00:09:53] Fun fact on the short lived TV show, which actually chronicled some rookie cops and Bill

[00:09:59] Paxton played a former member of the same crooked vice squad that.

[00:10:04] Alonzo had assembled and they actually wrapped up all the free wise men.

[00:10:09] Jay Berry came back.

[00:10:10] Tom Barringer came back.

[00:10:12] Even Nick Chinlan.

[00:10:13] Oh, yes.

[00:10:14] The crooked cop.

[00:10:15] Tim even showed up as part of the conspiracy and they actually wrapped it up.

[00:10:19] They weren't able to continue because Bill Paxton had passed, but I liked how they did

[00:10:23] kind of a reverse on it.

[00:10:25] But yeah, the cast is so invaluable in this.

[00:10:28] You never seen Scott Glenn as a weapons dealer like this.

[00:10:31] Eva Mindez was on her rise before she became, you know, everyone's favorite beautiful actress.

[00:10:37] Jamie P.

[00:10:38] Gomez from Nash Bridges as one of the other crooks.

[00:10:43] And Raymond Cruz, you know, from Breaking Bad and Clearing Present Danger, just playing

[00:10:48] a guy named Sniper, which was kind of a tribute to that earlier role.

[00:10:52] That was cool.

[00:10:52] But Smiley, the main cartel guy, who would have guessed?

[00:10:56] You cast a New Zealand actor, Cliff Curtis.

[00:11:00] Right, right, right.

[00:11:01] He'd done gangster stuff before, but I was just like, he's a New Zealand guy.

[00:11:08] Yeah.

[00:11:09] You know, that whole scene, I remember that was pretty cool.

[00:11:12] Raymond Cruz, that's who I was trying to think of, too, because he played so many bit parts

[00:11:19] in, like, 90s action movies, too.

[00:11:23] Like, he was in The Rock.

[00:11:24] He was in even Broken Arrow for, like, a split second.

[00:11:27] I think that's why I liked him, because while he could do the thug roles and cop roles really

[00:11:32] well, but then, yeah, he could do all those marine roles and all those awesome diehard

[00:11:35] inspired action movies.

[00:11:37] He's even the delivery guy in Griblins 2.

[00:11:41] I think he was also in Under Siege, if I'm correct.

[00:11:46] Yeah, yeah.

[00:11:46] Yeah, he's one of the marines, I think, could take it over.

[00:11:50] I think he's also, he's not in his second decision, but he would have been perfect there.

[00:11:56] He was really killing it on the closer TV shows as a, you know, hardened LAPD guy, but to

[00:12:04] see him do that back-to-back with Breaking Bad and then all those action movies and then

[00:12:08] this is just like that.

[00:12:10] And then giving these roles more than you would even think.

[00:12:13] Like, he's not just like Jenny Trejo, where he's a cool character actor, but he kind of

[00:12:18] has become so established, he kind of speaks for himself.

[00:12:21] He kind of really, you never know where he's going to go with it, if he's going to be in

[00:12:25] your face or more reserved or emotional, you never know.

[00:12:31] Yeah, no, I definitely think he's a good actor.

[00:12:33] I mean, he's somebody that, even if it was a small role, like in Broken Arrow, I mean,

[00:12:41] he literally, as far as I remember, he was only in like one scene in the whole movie where

[00:12:45] he was giving, and he was like some army guy and he was like giving a rundown of what would

[00:12:52] happen if the nuclear bomb had gone off or something.

[00:12:56] Absolutely.

[00:12:57] And I see people talk smack even about the ending, and I'm like, see, to me, this is a

[00:13:01] modern day high noon where they're all gunfighters and they're all, you know, Jake is letting

[00:13:09] all the corruption get to him while Alonzo is like, hey, I'm going to do as I say, not as

[00:13:14] I do kind of guy.

[00:13:15] I'm a, I got no double standards and all the townspeople, which are basically in this

[00:13:22] ghetto LA neighborhood are just basically like, we're done with all you guys.

[00:13:27] You're goofing up all our stuff.

[00:13:30] No, I heard because, you know, Antoine Fuqua, obviously, I mean, he wasn't, he wasn't quite

[00:13:37] as big back then because he was still kind of getting started.

[00:13:40] I mean, he'd done Replacement Killers.

[00:13:43] Yep.

[00:13:43] And Bait.

[00:13:45] And this is a step up from Bait.

[00:13:46] Yeah, yeah.

[00:13:47] I mean, this is like.

[00:13:48] I had seen Tears of the Sun, King Arthur and Shooter by then.

[00:13:53] But yeah, much like Iyer, I went back to their earlier stuff in the early days of my MDB

[00:13:59] in the 2000s.

[00:14:00] And I, would you consider even Brooklyn's finest to be kind of a spinoff of this in a way?

[00:14:06] You know, if Jake became a dirty cop and moved to New York.

[00:14:09] Well, it's very similar.

[00:14:11] At Brooklyn's finest was, was really good.

[00:14:13] I mean, I, you know, that was definitely.

[00:14:15] So underrated.

[00:14:16] Yeah.

[00:14:16] Yeah.

[00:14:17] That's one of my favorite Antoine Fuqua films after like.

[00:14:21] Now that one he did actually.

[00:14:23] I know he says he's definitely inspired by old Westerns, kind of like Walter Hill.

[00:14:28] But then he's also very heavily inspired by stuff like Dog Day Afternoon.

[00:14:34] Yeah.

[00:14:35] Yeah.

[00:14:36] But yeah.

[00:14:38] Yeah.

[00:14:39] Yeah.

[00:14:39] But looking back, you know, to see, okay, David Ayer, you know, wrote this film.

[00:14:44] And then, okay.

[00:14:46] He said they changed very little.

[00:14:48] They changed very little, believe it or not.

[00:14:51] Like the only thing they had to do was actually change the ending because Denzel originally

[00:14:55] got away and he was like, nah, yeah, you're right.

[00:14:58] We got to change that.

[00:14:59] We don't want to glamorize the villain.

[00:15:02] Yeah.

[00:15:03] I mean, I think, I think, you know, regardless of whether you glamorize the villain or not,

[00:15:08] I think, I think the, the ending that they chose for the final ending, which, you know, spoiler alert, but, you know, he gets gunned down by the Russians.

[00:15:26] Yeah.

[00:15:52] He's like, he's getting to the point where he's like scared.

[00:15:57] And like, he's very, I don't know how you describe it.

[00:16:02] It's kind of like, he's insecure now.

[00:16:04] Cause he's like, oh, okay.

[00:16:06] You're not as dumb or gullible as I thought you were when you first started.

[00:16:10] So I think if he were to kind of weasel himself out and escape, you know, after the whole scene where, you know, where he had the opportunity to kill Ethan Hawke when, when, when he went to his house and stuff.

[00:16:26] And then even the gangsters that they put their guns down or something like they weren't, they weren't going to listen to him anymore.

[00:16:32] So he kind of lost his power.

[00:16:34] Apparently in the original script, I think there was even a rumored shot where the free wise men actually, at the end of the movie, were supposed to come up and intimidate Jake.

[00:16:43] And Jake was supposed to actually say, I don't fear you guys.

[00:16:46] I already took down your main, you know, your main side side gun, which is, you know, Denzel, he's getting money for them.

[00:16:54] Um, but I love how, yeah, he's doing all kinds of stuff.

[00:17:00] He's basically bullying Jake and belonging.

[00:17:03] And it's kind of like when you're in an actual gang, he's just like, okay, I guess whatever I got to do, I got to take a bullet for the team.

[00:17:10] And he puts it, it's cool how he puts it together, especially when they do the raid on Roger, you know, Scott Glenn's place so they can steal his stash where he's like, whoa, you were going to use me as a body shield.

[00:17:21] What if I died?

[00:17:22] Fuck you, dude.

[00:17:23] And then, uh, I think, yeah, like you say, when they're, he reminds himself of his pregnant wife who could be fredden at any time, then he's just like, he basically wakes up.

[00:17:34] He's like, this is all wrong.

[00:17:36] This was supposed to be a simple, you know, 24 hour shift.

[00:17:41] And, uh, just, I kind of wish we could have seen more of the Russians, but the way Denzel describes them as his Alonzo character is pretty powerful.

[00:17:49] He's like, I beat one of their gamblers senseless.

[00:17:52] They never forgot it.

[00:17:54] Now I own whatever I stole from one of their bookies.

[00:18:01] And, uh, yeah, when the Russians come in, it is kind of funny.

[00:18:04] I think I forgot what one of them says.

[00:18:06] I think they're just like die, you know, in disgrace or some shit.

[00:18:09] I'm like, whoa, they're not.

[00:18:12] They weren't playing around.

[00:18:14] I mean, he, that, that's the perfect ending because like he had lost his power by that time.

[00:18:21] He, he was, um, like I said, kind of like unraveling his, his, his, uh, power was gone.

[00:18:28] He, he was starting to become, uh, afraid or whatnot.

[00:18:32] So boom, like you're not going to escape.

[00:18:35] You're not going to get away with that money.

[00:18:36] You know, you're going to get, you're going to get caught at the, at the stoplight by the Russians.

[00:18:43] So when they were making the TV show and they brought Jerry Bruckheimer in and as well as iron Fuqua back, I recommend it.

[00:18:50] It's not available anywhere, but if you ever see it on a third party site, just download all the episodes and watch them.

[00:18:56] But, uh, they were originally, we're going to have Ethan hot and come back and have him be Jake.

[00:19:01] Like, but if you were now corrupted and Ethan hot disagreed with that concept, but personally I thought it would have brought a little extra levity to it, but it was still a fun show.

[00:19:09] I thought just cause it was kind of more like the equalizer in a way is like, uh, two cops policing each other and then finding some other corruption.

[00:19:21] Um, but, uh, overall, I mean, uh, I think this and the negotiator were both just very prominent.

[00:19:31] But around that period of just showing that you can make some cool post Serpico type, just, uh, dirty cop movies that also have a very well-organized heist as well as some other cool, uh, cat and mouse.

[00:19:49] And, uh, I think it's like, uh, cat and mouse.

[00:19:50] Like in a way I have seen even people kind of compare this, uh, Denzel and Ethan's chemistry as kind of being like the dark night in a way that, you know, the Joker and Batman, or even, uh, silence of the lambs.

[00:20:04] Where it's just two leads trying to literally, you know, knock each other off the screen.

[00:20:10] It's just that powerful performance, you know?

[00:20:16] Uh, so I guess that brings us, you know, after I did some rewrites on the first fast and furious, he came up with this other sleeper film.

[00:20:24] That was, uh, dark blue with Kurt Russell as a dirty cop during the 1992 LA riots.

[00:20:32] Yeah.

[00:20:32] I remember, I mean that this one I saw too many years back without realizing, you know, who, who he was.

[00:20:40] It was a sleeper for MGM.

[00:20:41] It didn't make much money, but it was very well liked by Roger Ebert and company.

[00:20:46] I remember, um, kind of like how, uh, freaking, uh, training date was on USA network all the time.

[00:20:53] This one was often on FX late at night.

[00:20:55] And I was familiar with Scott Speeman from those underworld movies and Mika Michelle from ER.

[00:21:02] But, um, this was interesting too, because like you say, they continued their trend of having rappers in the movie.

[00:21:08] They had master P in a brief role and corrupt as one of the thugs hired by the crooked commander to kill, uh, the, the rookie cop, you know, and same kind of deal.

[00:21:20] It's kind of a copy and paste, but once you get into the layers and you find out that James Elroy, you know, LA confidential writer came up with the original story.

[00:21:29] It's still pretty intriguing.

[00:21:31] Yeah.

[00:21:32] I mean, the premise was very, was very, um, fascinating.

[00:21:36] I would say, excuse me, cause it had ties to, to reality, you know, it had, you know, historical ties to the, to the 92 riots in LA, the Rodney King riots.

[00:21:49] And they're all, it was very carefully handled.

[00:21:53] Like, yeah.

[00:21:54] Like they're just, it's happening while they're doing their own, you know, investigation.

[00:21:59] And, uh, you never seen Kurt Russell be a bad cop who's trying to redeem himself, you know?

[00:22:08] It was the perfect backdrop for, for an LA cop movie, you know?

[00:22:12] Oh, totally.

[00:22:13] I mean, don't get me wrong.

[00:22:13] We've already seen him in, you know, anti-hero roles, you know, but, you know, snake plus can much, but never to the point where I was like, but here he's playing a guy who's, you know, an ass kicker, but he's also, he knows his breaking point.

[00:22:30] He's has a self-awareness.

[00:22:35] Yeah.

[00:22:35] That's another film.

[00:22:36] I I'd have to watch it again.

[00:22:38] Cause it's been a long time, but it's, it's something I watched more than once.

[00:22:42] Oh, totally.

[00:22:43] I think, I think you'd love the updated Blu-ray treatment.

[00:22:47] Yeah.

[00:22:47] Yeah.

[00:22:47] I, I thought about buying it on Blu-ray actually, but what I did do is I bought it on DVD a few years ago.

[00:22:54] Cause prior to that, I had it on VHS.

[00:22:57] Oh, no.

[00:22:58] Oh, nice.

[00:22:59] Wait from, you know, I mean, that would have been for the very tail end of VHS, but.

[00:23:04] Yeah.

[00:23:05] By 05, they stopped it.

[00:23:07] Apparently I saw an article one time where it said a history of violence was the last one they ever released on VHS.

[00:23:13] Okay.

[00:23:14] Yeah.

[00:23:14] That sounds about right.

[00:23:15] I mean, the last one I remember it was like late.

[00:23:20] Oh, four was the last I remember.

[00:23:22] I think.

[00:23:24] I think I rented collateral on VHS, the Michael Mann film.

[00:23:29] Oh, that's a good contrast.

[00:23:30] Cause yeah.

[00:23:31] Oh, two to Oh four really does blur.

[00:23:33] Cause that was kind of where people were still watching like edgy TV.

[00:23:39] And, you know, pre streaming.

[00:23:41] We were still having to figure out what do we want to get from blockbuster?

[00:23:44] It's movie night.

[00:23:44] We'll return after these messages.

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[00:24:14] That's Florida men plural on Florida man podcast.

[00:24:18] Hey, it's Brent Pope, the host of breakfast with Brent Pope.

[00:24:21] You've seen me on some of your favorite TV shows saying things like, give it up, Jimmy.

[00:24:24] You got to sink this put to win on breakfast with Brent Pope.

[00:24:27] I sit down with guests for the entertainment world and we do it all over breakfast.

[00:24:30] Or should I say breakfast every week on breakfast?

[00:24:33] You get inside Hollywood info and tips, great breakfast wrecks and booty debates.

[00:24:37] Most of all, you get the most delightful 30 minutes of your week.

[00:24:40] So dig in.

[00:24:41] It's breakfast time.

[00:24:42] Listen at breakfast.com, Apple podcasts, or wherever fine podcasts are found.

[00:24:51] The jacked up review show podcast is honored to be part of the blind knowledge podcast network.

[00:24:56] Join anytime, talk the talk and enjoy yourselves.

[00:24:59] There's something enlightening for everyone with this crowd of cool cats.

[00:25:03] Check them out.

[00:25:11] There are things we wish to forget.

[00:25:13] What's it like to just straight up whack them?

[00:25:15] Things we hope to become.

[00:25:17] I want you on my team.

[00:25:18] What exactly would I be doing?

[00:25:20] And things.

[00:25:21] My boy!

[00:25:21] Leave him alone!

[00:25:23] Dad!

[00:25:24] We cannot control.

[00:25:25] What's your problem, psycho?

[00:25:26] From the creator of Training Day.

[00:25:28] You're like my brother.

[00:25:29] Christian Bale.

[00:25:30] Freddy Rodriguez.

[00:25:31] Eva Longoria.

[00:25:32] You're crazy and you're dangerous.

[00:25:33] And my biggest nightmare is you with the badge.

[00:25:37] Harsh Times.

[00:25:38] Rated R.

[00:25:39] Only in theaters November 10th.

[00:25:41] Who are we?

[00:25:42] You straight nightmare.

[00:25:45] The streets of L.A.

[00:25:47] I could not be proud of my men.

[00:25:49] Every cop wants justice.

[00:25:50] There are two cop killers out there.

[00:25:52] You can get these guys.

[00:25:53] But how do they get it?

[00:25:54] He loses monsters, man.

[00:25:55] He's what sets them apart.

[00:25:57] Show me.

[00:25:57] You just let me leave my car now.

[00:25:59] No!

[00:25:59] Let's want the king!

[00:26:03] So we're just gonna go in there and kill him?

[00:26:05] No, I'm gonna ask him some questions.

[00:26:07] Then we're gonna kill him.

[00:26:08] Street Kings.

[00:26:09] Rated R.

[00:26:10] Friday, April 11th.

[00:26:12] I am Police Officer Brian Taylor.

[00:26:13] This is my partner.

[00:26:14] I'm in my children's room.

[00:26:15] I know, dude.

[00:26:15] Come on.

[00:26:16] We were the toughest divisions in the LAPD.

[00:26:21] Try to, like, pit him, man.

[00:26:23] Pit him!

[00:26:23] Boom!

[00:26:25] Everybody here is pretty much family.

[00:26:27] Hey, partner.

[00:26:28] What's up?

[00:26:29] Hablas ingles o espanol?

[00:26:31] Good!

[00:26:31] You good, partner?

[00:26:32] I'm good.

[00:26:35] LAPD!

[00:26:37] Policia!

[00:26:38] Oh, my God.

[00:26:40] Cartels are operating here.

[00:26:41] Watch out for these guys.

[00:26:43] They operate by a different set of rules.

[00:26:45] Why do they call you Big Evil?

[00:26:46] Because my evil's big.

[00:26:50] You're my brother.

[00:26:51] I would lay down my life for you, dude.

[00:26:53] Where it is?

[00:26:56] We got a hit on y'all, man.

[00:26:57] We're cops.

[00:26:58] Everybody wants to kill us.

[00:27:01] We're shooting our way out of here, bro.

[00:27:02] End of Watch.

[00:27:09] In cinemas, November 23rd.

[00:27:12] O2, O3 was a cool year, man.

[00:27:14] Because, like, it was apparently released in festivals in O2, Dark Blue.

[00:27:20] And then it finally got a wider release in O3.

[00:27:21] But by that time, we had had other similar movies like NARC and A Man Apart.

[00:27:27] Oh, yeah, yeah.

[00:27:28] I remember both of those.

[00:27:29] I mean, NARC, that's another one I'd have to watch again.

[00:27:32] Because that was one that had been, you know, I came across it and I was so hyped to see it.

[00:27:40] And it kind of, to me, it didn't blow me away like I thought it would.

[00:27:43] But yeah, I was kind of the same way, too, where I was like, okay, they say it's amazing.

[00:27:48] I'm like, eh, it's kind of predictable, but it's very well acted and shot.

[00:27:52] But it's kind of more enjoyable for the mood versus the content, if that makes sense.

[00:28:00] Yeah.

[00:28:01] I saw it one, I think, just once.

[00:28:04] I mean, as for A Man Apart, that one I enjoyed.

[00:28:07] I mean, that was kind of a little bit different for Vin Diesel, I thought, at the time.

[00:28:10] Yeah, same deal.

[00:28:12] Like, I didn't wake up to it right away.

[00:28:14] But when I thought about it, like, but he really grew as an actor here versus before he went back to doing franchise roles like Fast and Furious and Riddick.

[00:28:24] Yeah, and had like Lorenz Tate was in it.

[00:28:26] Yeah, Lorenz Tate was a really shining point in that.

[00:28:29] And if anyone wants to, wants to, check out the Power TV shows.

[00:28:34] He is amazing as that crooked politician.

[00:28:41] Yeah.

[00:28:42] It's a really neat show, especially for fans of stuff like Menace to Society and New Jack City.

[00:28:49] Speaking of Menace to Society, because I, you know, I mean, obviously that's where Lorenz Tate really.

[00:28:55] Oh, yeah.

[00:28:56] I think most people would associate that film as like his best known work.

[00:29:02] But yeah, the Hughes Brothers ones, definitely.

[00:29:05] They're having a 30 year anniversary special.

[00:29:09] It's coming up real soon.

[00:29:11] I think it's in.

[00:29:13] For whatever reason, it's in Cleveland, Ohio, I believe.

[00:29:16] I think they shot it there, I think.

[00:29:18] Maybe.

[00:29:19] No, no, no.

[00:29:19] They filmed it on location in Watts, California, L.A.

[00:29:24] That's wild.

[00:29:26] I don't know what's going on in Cleveland, but.

[00:29:30] Interesting.

[00:29:32] Tyron Turner, who played Kane, is going to be there.

[00:29:37] And MC8, who was in the film.

[00:29:39] And also on the soundtrack, as well as Spice One, who's on, you know, the soundtrack.

[00:29:45] They're doing like a concert, like a 30th anniversary tribute concert.

[00:29:51] Oh, okay.

[00:29:52] So.

[00:29:53] Well, you know, I think it's tomorrow.

[00:29:55] I think it's tomorrow.

[00:29:55] Tomorrow.

[00:29:56] Because I remember it's like the last, I think it's the last weekend of November, which it's

[00:30:00] got to be like tomorrow.

[00:30:02] Wow.

[00:30:03] I thought about trying to go down to it, but it's just not going to work.

[00:30:07] But.

[00:30:08] Yeah, it's pretty far.

[00:30:09] That would be a fun time, though.

[00:30:12] It does sound very intriguing, especially.

[00:30:15] Because it seems very common now, you'll see people are doing poetry sessions as well

[00:30:20] as other kind of.

[00:30:22] Like a variety show.

[00:30:24] It's like you'll have someone do some music and they.

[00:30:28] In between sessions while they're setting up equipment, they'll stop for a minute and

[00:30:32] have a brief kind of talking session, which I just I always love because it just it gives

[00:30:38] the show that much more value.

[00:30:39] And you just love how you're getting to know these talents that you've admired all your

[00:30:43] life.

[00:30:44] Yeah, I mean, I'm definitely going to.

[00:30:47] Mindless Society would be a perfect double feature with Training Day.

[00:30:50] I think.

[00:30:52] Yeah, yeah.

[00:30:53] No, you're right.

[00:30:53] I mean, from from those old old school movies, like from the early 90s, I mean, Menace to

[00:30:59] Society, Boys in the Hood.

[00:31:00] I mean, those were the best ones I felt.

[00:31:03] Absolutely.

[00:31:03] I don't even know why people try to do a comparison between the Hughes Butters and Singleton.

[00:31:08] They're both so relevant or they get impossibly good performances from once, you know, hard

[00:31:15] to work with music talents and get them in their comfort zone.

[00:31:19] And it's just magic.

[00:31:20] It's yeah.

[00:31:21] I mean, they're they're all three.

[00:31:23] I mean, it's hard to say, you know, which of the Hughes brothers is like really putting

[00:31:29] in the work, but they're probably both doing it.

[00:31:31] I mean, that I think it's like the Coen brothers where.

[00:31:33] Yeah.

[00:31:34] It's like they got to have each other to feed off of.

[00:31:40] You know, just reading something last night because there's a little bit off topic, but.

[00:31:47] Ernest Dickerson, he had made.

[00:31:49] Juice.

[00:31:50] He directed Juice.

[00:31:51] Great cinematographer turned director.

[00:31:53] He's still working.

[00:31:54] Yeah.

[00:31:55] And then.

[00:31:58] He did the he did that movie called Surviving the Game with Ice-T.

[00:32:02] Yes, he did.

[00:32:03] He's now doing all kinds of other stuff.

[00:32:05] You know, he's done.

[00:32:06] He did Demon Knight.

[00:32:07] He did.

[00:32:09] He's worked on other shows like Godfather of Harlem and Bosch, which I also recommend

[00:32:13] for anyone who has the time just.

[00:32:16] But he does have great memories of working on Juice and all these other hard-boiled thrillers.

[00:32:25] Yeah.

[00:32:26] I mean, Juice was it's one of those films that I felt like.

[00:32:32] And I'd have to watch it again.

[00:32:35] No, that's fine.

[00:32:37] It's been a minute, but that's another one that got a Blu-ray treatment.

[00:32:42] So with Iron.

[00:32:44] So 0203, that was pretty much the busy year where he was just coming in, reshifting movies.

[00:32:52] I take it you saw the 2003 version of SWAT.

[00:32:56] No, actually, that one I did not see.

[00:32:59] Okay.

[00:32:59] Well, so long story short, you know, I didn't see it back then because I kind of thought

[00:33:03] the trailer was kind of lame and critics weren't too crazy about it.

[00:33:06] But then when I saw it kind of being evaluated by Roger Ebert and it was constantly on TV,

[00:33:13] I kind of gave it a chance and I didn't mind it.

[00:33:17] It's just it's kind of one of those.

[00:33:19] It's a slow burn Sunday night kind of movie.

[00:33:21] It's way more lethal weaponish.

[00:33:24] It does have a cameo by martial artist Jeff Wincott.

[00:33:27] And it does make good use of Michelle Rodriguez and LL Cool J.

[00:33:32] But it was just interesting because like, apparently the early draft of the script was considered very similar to kind of Die Hard 2, you know, where a group of criminals are trying to get their leader, you know, broken out of.

[00:33:48] And Colin Farrell's character was written to be very similar to Keanu Reeves' character Jack in Speed.

[00:33:58] But yeah, it spawned two unrelated sequels.

[00:34:02] And then, you know, it was based on the 70s show, which I was never big on.

[00:34:06] But it's now Neil H. Moritz, who, you know, was also the producer in Fast and Furious, later reshuffled it and made it be a 2017, you know, rebooted show with Shamar Moore.

[00:34:16] And that one is also very fun.

[00:34:18] But this one, I think I just dug because it got sent.

[00:34:22] It I felt like this actually did something for Colin Farrell's career, because I know everyone's like, hey, I like Colin Farrell.

[00:34:29] But back in 03, he was kind of like Ben Affleck, where people like to kind of mock his bad movie choices.

[00:34:34] You know, and I felt like kind of like Vin Diesel in A Man Apart.

[00:34:40] He kind of grew here.

[00:34:41] He knew how to be kind of subtle and kind of a smart ass.

[00:34:46] And a decent action star.

[00:34:48] So then this brings us to Harsh Times, which I've seen people describe as Christian Bell's taxi driver.

[00:34:57] Yeah, that movie, I mean.

[00:34:59] You can't take your eyes off it.

[00:35:01] You're watching all these despicable guys and much like training day, they're in the car a lot.

[00:35:06] Only this time, you know, he's a former army ranger, you know, from the Gulf War.

[00:35:11] He's on his luck.

[00:35:13] He's suffering from PTSD.

[00:35:14] And he pretty much offends everybody with his motor mouth.

[00:35:19] And his best friend is trying to find him work.

[00:35:22] And he's basically failing every test.

[00:35:25] Yeah, yeah.

[00:35:27] And yet, you somehow are wondering, maybe he's going to redeem himself.

[00:35:32] Oh, he just got in a fight with a bunch of gangbangers.

[00:35:35] This is not going well.

[00:35:39] Real quick.

[00:35:41] Sure.

[00:35:42] Have you heard of that movie called Dirty?

[00:35:45] Yes.

[00:35:46] In fact, when that came out around the summer time, I was always looking at him like, is it by the same people?

[00:35:54] No, it's just got a similar style.

[00:35:56] But yeah.

[00:35:57] Yeah.

[00:35:57] I mean, that movie was okay.

[00:35:59] I remember when I first watched it, I enjoyed it.

[00:36:03] But it's obviously trying to copy training day.

[00:36:09] You know what I mean?

[00:36:10] Oh, yeah.

[00:36:10] And one critic even noted how the visuals are very much like Man on Fire, where there is a very hard-paced music video kind of style, kind of in your face.

[00:36:20] And it can be a little headache-inducing sometimes, where you're like, okay, I get it.

[00:36:25] I get it.

[00:36:26] Yeah.

[00:36:27] I mean, it's still not a bad film.

[00:36:28] No, no.

[00:36:29] It's good.

[00:36:29] I just...

[00:36:31] It's like Training Day Light or something, you know?

[00:36:34] Oh, absolutely.

[00:36:35] In fact, Triple Nine.

[00:36:37] I don't know if you ever saw that one.

[00:36:38] Anthony Mackie and Woody Harrelson.

[00:36:40] It's kind of a very Training Day-influenced.

[00:36:43] A bunch of preview cops.

[00:36:45] I have not seen that one.

[00:36:46] Well, but tell me how this doesn't not sound like Training Day.

[00:36:50] A bunch of LA Vice Squad guys still from the Russians and have to pay them back by midnight.

[00:36:57] Yeah.

[00:36:58] I saw that in theaters with friends, and we enjoyed it a lot.

[00:37:01] But at the same time, we were kind...

[00:37:03] It was very tragic.

[00:37:05] So we were just kind of like, ooh, you know, that didn't make...

[00:37:08] That was fun, but it doesn't make you feel good at the end.

[00:37:11] Yeah.

[00:37:14] So, Street Kings, I know it's a mixed bag for many.

[00:37:20] Do you feel like Keanu Reeves grows in this role?

[00:37:24] Well, it's hard for me to say, unfortunately, because I only saw it once.

[00:37:28] And, I mean, I'd have to watch it again to really be able to answer that question because...

[00:37:35] I think it delivers this Tom Ludlow.

[00:37:37] In fact, one Dallas Morning News critic, I think, described it best, where instead of trying to ape other movies like The Departed and Serpico, this one is kind of more no one is safe kind of approach.

[00:37:49] And you could kind of at least see that Keanu is kind of going to...

[00:37:56] Trying more for just kind of...

[00:38:00] He's actually better in his quieter moments here versus other ones where he's, you know, still surfer dude.

[00:38:05] You know, I'm from Point Break, you know, in Bill and Ted.

[00:38:09] I saw that Kurt Wimmer was also one of the writers on this, and you might know him from doing other action movies.

[00:38:16] Like, he worked with...

[00:38:18] On Law Abiding Citizen, which also David Iyer rewrote, as well as Salt and Equilibrium.

[00:38:23] And I felt like he delivered similar kind of cool action scenes in this.

[00:38:28] Oh, yeah.

[00:38:28] Yeah, I knew the name.

[00:38:30] I was, like, thinking where...

[00:38:32] But it's Equilibrium, yeah.

[00:38:34] Yeah, yeah.

[00:38:35] And Jamie Moss was also one of the co-writers, and he's gone on to do other movies like the sci-fi action Netflix movie, Spectral, the adaptation of Ghost in the Shell, as well as the Gerard Butler submarine film, Hunter Killer.

[00:38:53] But, yeah, this was Iyer's first time in the directing chair, and even though he wasn't the writer, you know, he could have fooled me.

[00:38:59] You know, I just was like, this is an Iyer joint, you know?

[00:39:04] I really dug Common in this, and as many times as I had seen it, I still have to shuffle it all together.

[00:39:11] I don't think it's incoherent, but long story short, you're having to, without giving it all away, you're having to figure out who are the bad cops versus who are the imposters, you know, dressed as cops versus who are the other criminals working for the dirty cops.

[00:39:31] And Forrest Whitaker, as the captain, I really thought was just a ballsy performance, because by that time he had already done The Shield, which was a very similar show to Training Day.

[00:39:44] You know, I just, and I recommend that for anyone who hasn't seen it.

[00:39:51] But this was, I felt like by the time Iyer got to this in Harsh Times, he was just ready to rock and roll.

[00:39:57] It's like, see, like many filmmakers now, you're not trying to emulate all these people you love, but you have your signature style.

[00:40:06] And I think I just like Iyer because I don't feel like some of these other Scorsese knockoffs, like he's trying to see how many F-bombs he can put in the script.

[00:40:16] I really think he's just game to do a very intense movie.

[00:40:22] No, you know, once you mentioned that, it reminded me, like, a long time ago, I'd shown one of my friends End of Watch.

[00:40:33] Sweet.

[00:40:33] Sweet.

[00:40:34] And she's actually from California.

[00:40:37] I mean, not, she wasn't from L.A., but she was from Ontario, California, which is like, not super far from L.A.

[00:40:45] I think it's like 30 miles or something.

[00:40:48] But it's out there, yeah.

[00:40:51] And I remember she mentioned to me, well, let me back up.

[00:40:58] First of all, I first recommended this movie to a co-worker of mine who happened to be this old Russian guy.

[00:41:09] Oh, wow.

[00:41:11] And he had watched it.

[00:41:12] And keep in mind, this is a guy who swears all the time.

[00:41:16] He uses the F word all the time.

[00:41:19] And then when I asked him, like, did you like it?

[00:41:22] He said, like, he liked it, but there was too much swearing.

[00:41:25] And I was thinking, like, that's kind of weird.

[00:41:29] So I brought it up to this other girl.

[00:41:31] Maybe it made him feel dirty or self-aware.

[00:41:33] Oh, that sounds like me.

[00:41:35] She knew this guy.

[00:41:37] And I was like, yeah, he said there was, like, too much cursing and kind of laughing, you know.

[00:41:41] And then she was like, well, actually, there is a lot of it, you know.

[00:41:45] I guess technically there is.

[00:41:47] But it depends on how you focus on it.

[00:41:49] Like, at least the profanity sounds like it belongs versus I want to get an R rating.

[00:41:56] No, I agree with you.

[00:41:57] I mean, I never felt like, and maybe it was biased because I liked the movie, but, you know, there are movies where you feel like, okay, they just put in the F word five times.

[00:42:11] Some of today's comedies are big offenders where we're not sure how much of that was already in the script versus it's the comedian improvising.

[00:42:21] Right.

[00:42:21] I mean, with End of Watch, I mean, I think it gets, to me, it didn't feel forced.

[00:42:28] It didn't feel like it was, that was excessive, but it wasn't, it didn't feel like forced.

[00:42:34] It didn't feel like somebody was trying to be cool or something.

[00:42:38] Fun fact, this was a big hit for the Emmett Furla production company.

[00:42:44] You might know them as also being the producers on NARC, Street Kings, and The Irishman.

[00:42:51] They recently had to close down their production company because they made a lot of very infamous movies with Bruce Willis, Mel Gibson, and Robert De Niro and Morgan Freeman.

[00:43:03] But they apparently were treating their workers really awful.

[00:43:06] Like, and this was around the time Bruce Willis actually retired.

[00:43:12] But this was a big hit for Fox.

[00:43:15] And I felt like this was cool because this kind of, I started recognizing the logo Open Road, where they produced a lot of stuff like Machete and.

[00:43:26] Oh, yeah.

[00:43:26] Just other summer movies that are very heat and training day like, where's, and whenever I see them in Styx films, I know I'm going to see some kind of 80s, 90s inspired Cops and Robbers movie.

[00:43:42] But yeah, no, this made me take Jake Gyllenhaal more serious.

[00:43:46] You know, I always thought he was just going to be the kid from October Sky.

[00:43:49] You know, he's in some chick flicks and Brokeback Mountain.

[00:43:53] And then when I see him in this and Prisoners, I'm like, OK, you win.

[00:43:59] You got me.

[00:44:00] You got my trust.

[00:44:04] Good role for Michael Pena.

[00:44:05] You know, I've been a fan since, I think, Crash and Shooter.

[00:44:09] And by the time he was in this and then in other ensembles like The Martian and Ant-Man, Cesar Chavez, I was like, OK, you know what?

[00:44:19] He's going to keep surprising me with all his roles because.

[00:44:24] At least he's doing something different.

[00:44:26] He's not just playing, you know, smart ass guy in the background anymore.

[00:44:33] No, I mean, that this is a movie that, you know, you could watch it again and again.

[00:44:37] I mean.

[00:44:40] And by this time, Cleese, say he'd Sloan, who.

[00:44:46] He's been in all of Iyer's movies since Training Day.

[00:44:51] I don't know if you recognize him.

[00:44:55] What's his name?

[00:44:56] Cleese, say he Sloan.

[00:45:00] I don't recognize the name.

[00:45:02] I'd have to look him up.

[00:45:03] OK, let me show you a photo of him real fast.

[00:45:06] Sure.

[00:45:06] If I show you a photo, you're going to be like, oh, he's the guy who gives the gangbanger who gives Jake the gun in the finale of Training Day.

[00:45:18] Oh, that guy.

[00:45:19] Yeah, yeah.

[00:45:20] I know exactly who you're talking about.

[00:45:21] Yeah.

[00:45:21] He's now an activist, but he used to be a gangbanger and he's been in all of Fuqua and Iyer's work.

[00:45:29] Yeah.

[00:45:30] No, I know exactly who you're talking about now.

[00:45:31] Yeah.

[00:45:32] Yeah.

[00:45:32] Because he was he was in End of Watch.

[00:45:34] He was in Training Day.

[00:45:36] It's just interesting how they just kind of keep reusing him and you never know where they're going to show up.

[00:45:41] I think he was even in the Replacement Killers.

[00:45:44] I think he was.

[00:45:45] I think that was his first how he got his SAG card and then he continued from there.

[00:45:51] He's also in Suicide Squad and Bright, I think.

[00:45:54] But fun fact, in The Tax Collector, which a lot of people didn't see, but is a like it or hate it kind of movie, very similar to Harsh Times.

[00:46:06] He actually replies as his character Bone from Training Day in that.

[00:46:12] Yeah, this one, I did see The Tax Collector.

[00:46:16] But yeah, no, I'm with you.

[00:46:18] End of Watch is so unrecognizable for everybody.

[00:46:20] You got freaking ugly Betty herself, America Ferreira.

[00:46:23] You got Frank Grillo from Captain America and the Purge movies.

[00:46:27] You got David Harbour.

[00:46:29] Everybody is just so unrecognizable.

[00:46:35] And I think it's just the dialogue gels.

[00:46:37] We just have time to.

[00:46:39] These guys are not playing by the rules, but for once, they're not.

[00:46:42] Bad cops.

[00:46:43] They're just antiheroes versus the other ones who, you know, there was a good cop, bad cop.

[00:46:51] And I like how, once again, Ayer makes use of having them showing how one minute they're bored, the next minute they got their adrenaline pumping while they're stopping a 911 call.

[00:47:01] And they're former Marines, so they're kind of a battalion in a way.

[00:47:06] What did you think of Sabotage?

[00:47:09] I, you know, despite as divisive as it is, I think I dug the serial killer angle and how unrecognizable everybody was.

[00:47:20] Sam Worthington, Terrence Howard, Joe Managello, and Muriel Annos.

[00:47:24] I understand that it's not easy to get on board with everybody because they're all bastards at the end of the day.

[00:47:31] But I kind of dug how it just gave Arnold a chance to stretch himself.

[00:47:36] Yeah, this is another one.

[00:47:38] I remember the ending was pretty cool.

[00:47:39] But for the most part, I felt like, you know, well, I saw it in the theater when it came out.

[00:47:44] I thought like, it wasn't because at that point I said, hey, I got pretty high expectations.

[00:47:51] You know, this David Ayer movie with Arnold in the lead.

[00:47:55] Yeah.

[00:47:56] Cop movie.

[00:47:57] Like, I thought like, man, this one could be something pretty special.

[00:48:01] But, you know, unfortunately, it turned out, I thought it turned out below average.

[00:48:07] But the ending was pretty cool.

[00:48:09] If you remember when Arnold, I think it was like, it might have been down in like Mexico or somewhere.

[00:48:13] But Arnold had the cowboy hat on and stuff.

[00:48:16] Yeah, he goes to Mexico and he bribes a crooked cop to help him identify the man who murdered his family.

[00:48:28] And he decides to kill the guys there.

[00:48:31] And then he knows they're going to be coming for me the rest of my life.

[00:48:36] But I get it.

[00:48:37] It's gloomy.

[00:48:39] It's it's pretty much a Sam Peckinpah kind of Western in a way.

[00:48:43] Like just showing how all these guys like their either turned on all the time, you know, running high on drugs and doing all these sometimes illegal by squad raids for the DEA.

[00:48:57] And other times they're, you know, they're just waiting to they're having to watch their back because they know they got a target on their back.

[00:49:06] And all of them had at some point stolen all this cartel money.

[00:49:14] I get it.

[00:49:15] It is very bleak.

[00:49:16] And it's not not everyone's likable, really.

[00:49:20] Yeah, I mean, Arnold is always likable.

[00:49:23] You know what I mean?

[00:49:23] Like, yeah, even if he's the bad guy, he just can't help it.

[00:49:25] He has too much charisma.

[00:49:26] You can't put Arnold in a movie for me personally, like he's just infinitely likable.

[00:49:33] So it's like but but a lot of the other characters weren't.

[00:49:37] Yeah.

[00:49:39] Yeah, very true.

[00:49:40] I just I think I just dug how some of them were just all very unrecognizable, especially Harold Perenau from Oz and The Matrix as the internal affairs Atlanta cop investigating them.

[00:49:56] But yeah, I mean, I just at least just love how fast paced it is and.

[00:50:03] How by the end of it, all pretty much half the D.A.

[00:50:07] Dirty, you know, agents are all trying to kill each other and get their piece of the money.

[00:50:12] And Arnold's like the only one who's like, oh, my God, guys, I gave you the world.

[00:50:17] Why are you trying to kill each other?

[00:50:21] And I mean, we took down all these bad asses.

[00:50:24] We broke some rules and we took their money.

[00:50:28] My family got killed by all these by this cartel.

[00:50:31] And one of them happened to be a serial killer.

[00:50:33] And you guys are still trying to kill one another and bribe and ransom.

[00:50:38] So I if I had to rewrite it, I think I would have just had to be more focused on Arnold and had more of the team.

[00:50:46] Maybe just had there be like free members of the team instead of that because there were a lot to keep track of after a while.

[00:50:53] I'm like, who's who?

[00:50:54] Oh, shit.

[00:50:56] That guy.

[00:50:56] I'm glad that I'm glad looking back.

[00:50:59] I'm glad that the last stand was like Arnold's comeback movie for his, you know, after he was the governor, because that one was.

[00:51:09] It was fun.

[00:51:10] That was a fun movie.

[00:51:11] You know, I mean, it wasn't like, oh, it wasn't like it's true lies or commando or anything like that.

[00:51:17] But it was like a racer.

[00:51:18] It was fun kind of comeback vehicle for him.

[00:51:22] And then after he did that.

[00:51:24] Yeah.

[00:51:24] OK, let's sabotage.

[00:51:26] You know, if that had been the comeback vehicle, that would have been not not the best choice.

[00:51:33] But I think he did it in the good order to do the last stand first.

[00:51:38] Right.

[00:51:38] Before going back to Expendables and Terminator.

[00:51:42] Yeah, I do recommend Maggie.

[00:51:45] It's more just a sci fi drama.

[00:51:47] But I think I saw that one.

[00:51:49] Actually, yeah, it was like a drama.

[00:51:51] Yeah.

[00:51:52] Wasn't there something to do with like zombies in it or something?

[00:51:55] Yeah, it was zombies, but not even in a Resident Evil or George Romero way and more of a just what would you do if you knew kind of like I am legend in a way.

[00:52:03] It was like, what would you do if your, you know, beloved daughter was infected?

[00:52:08] Yeah.

[00:52:08] And there's nothing you can do to stop her except easier pain.

[00:52:11] Yeah, I did see that one.

[00:52:13] Yeah.

[00:52:14] And I think a lot of people, again, critics didn't really see it.

[00:52:19] They just gave him some good reviews and his fans were kind of disappointed.

[00:52:23] Oh, we want to see him, you know, take out a gun.

[00:52:25] And I'm like, it's not that kind of movie.

[00:52:26] Well, right, right.

[00:52:30] One movie, you know, not to get off topic again, but one movie I want to revisit of his is Collateral Damage because.

[00:52:39] I sadly, I don't think it's held up very well.

[00:52:42] It's kind of like Colombiana where it has a cool premise, but it kind of squanders it in cliches.

[00:52:47] But I do.

[00:52:49] Yeah, I remember like when it came out, I know it was delayed after 9-11 and stuff.

[00:52:54] And then if anything, I think you'd enjoy Eraser more.

[00:52:58] Oh, well, yeah.

[00:52:59] Eraser is a movie that, you know, I've been watching that one for years.

[00:53:04] And that one.

[00:53:05] Yeah, yeah.

[00:53:05] That one is something I showed my wife.

[00:53:09] I showed my wife Eraser a few years back.

[00:53:11] She never seen it.

[00:53:12] She actually liked that one.

[00:53:14] I think just because he's still, he has a good charisma with all the villains and the other heroes.

[00:53:22] Yeah, that was still like, I don't know, like that, like the whole ending, it was still kind of at the tail end of that real like Arnold larger than life type of.

[00:53:39] He was definitely winding down.

[00:53:41] Yeah, yeah.

[00:53:42] Where he was using the two rail guns and, you know, it's just something like something that you wouldn't really buy a lot of other actors doing.

[00:53:53] But Schwarzenegger can do it, you know.

[00:53:55] He somehow was able to carry it, even though if the material didn't work in his favor.

[00:54:00] I think you would dig, if you haven't seen it yet, I think you'll dig FUBAR, which is kind of a, again, playing up the whole true lies kind of formula.

[00:54:08] That one I have not seen.

[00:54:10] Yeah, it's an eight episode show.

[00:54:13] There's a lot of comedians in it who you're going to recognize from everywhere.

[00:54:17] Mindy Project, The Office, Community, even Scott Thompson from Kids in the Hall.

[00:54:26] What did you think of Bright?

[00:54:28] Okay, going back to Ayer, yeah.

[00:54:33] Yeah, that one, I will admit, you know, Suicide Squad is obviously a DC one, not part of this timeline.

[00:54:40] This one felt kind of like many of the Netflix movies where it had a cool idea, but it kind of had some dead space in there.

[00:54:48] And you can kind of tell the budget was limited.

[00:54:51] But I know they announced the sequel and they never really made it, but I felt like it could have been improved.

[00:55:00] Like it could have worked better as a show.

[00:55:03] Yeah, it was like, there were some elements I liked.

[00:55:07] You know, it had the whole LA setting, cops and this and that, but then it was like, it didn't fully mesh with the whole like fantasies kind of thing with like whatever that blue guy was, like an orc or something like that.

[00:55:22] Yeah, I remember that even Will Smith and the others were saying it's Alien Nation meets Lord of the Rings.

[00:55:28] And I just felt like a lot of the rap music was also playing too loud the way it was mixed.

[00:55:34] So you couldn't hear half of what the characters were saying.

[00:55:37] It was like a Netflix exclusive, right?

[00:55:40] I mean, and yeah, I found it watchable, but I can't recommend it to everybody.

[00:55:48] Fury, Fury was good.

[00:55:49] Totally different.

[00:55:50] Oh, yeah.

[00:55:51] You know, World War Two.

[00:55:53] Well, that was a good movie.

[00:55:54] World War Two B-picture.

[00:55:55] Yeah, just everything you like in the movies.

[00:55:59] Saving Private Ryan, Casualties of War, showing that the hardened leader is both heroic and kind of a war criminal.

[00:56:07] And just showing just what, giving you an idea of what it might have been like at the end of World War Two if you were in a tank battalion.

[00:56:17] But yeah, I saw that in the theater.

[00:56:20] With my brother, we were blown away by it.

[00:56:24] Once again, Michael Pena's in this again.

[00:56:26] He's the driver.

[00:56:28] But yeah, Brad Pitt's totally unrecognizable in this.

[00:56:34] And getting even all the other young fantasy actors in this I thought was interesting, too.

[00:56:39] Because somehow, you know, much like many of these filmmakers, Spielberg, Scorsese, even blockbuster guys like Michael Bay, somehow Ayer is able to get these guys out of their shell and have them turn in very unusual but intriguing performances.

[00:56:58] I don't know how he does it.

[00:57:00] Yeah.

[00:57:01] And to kind of answer the question you threw out there at the beginning, and I'm sure you would probably agree that he's got his own – he's crafted his own flavor, his own kind of –

[00:57:15] It probably is a military experience being a military experience.

[00:57:18] He's not, you know, the next guy trying to beat Tarantino or something like that.

[00:57:26] Yeah.

[00:57:27] Maybe it's just he's a former U.S. Marine, so he's somehow ready to organize and shout out orders.

[00:57:34] Yeah, and I think he lived out in L.A. for quite a long time, too.

[00:57:38] He did.

[00:57:39] He did.

[00:57:39] I remember he had some cool interviews where he talked about hanging out with other people in East L.A. and getting their thoughts, especially because he wanted to do the city justice.

[00:57:51] He didn't want to have it ever look cartoonish.

[00:57:54] Much like Collateral, he did want it to kind of – the background of the movie is as much a character.

[00:58:02] You know, the setting is just as much in your face as all the characters are.

[00:58:07] Yeah, I think, ironically, I think he's – well, I know Michael Mann – I believe Michael Mann was from Chicago originally, but –

[00:58:17] Yeah.

[00:58:18] I think David Ayer was also originally from the Chicago area, if I'm not mistaken, but –

[00:58:25] Let's look it up.

[00:58:28] David Ayer, born – yep, you're right, and Champaign, Illinois.

[00:58:36] So pretty close, but –

[00:58:37] Yeah, but I would have to, like, read up his bio to tell you –

[00:58:41] Grew up in Minnesota, apparently.

[00:58:43] Okay, Minnesota, okay.

[00:58:47] But, yeah, he spent some significant time everywhere there.

[00:58:51] It's just – altogether, most of these movies are streaming on most platforms.

[00:58:57] You can probably find most of them on Netflix or HBO Max.

[00:59:04] I think everyone should give him a try, even though they're, again, not going to be everyone's cup of tea.

[00:59:12] Right.

[00:59:13] I mean, yeah, you'd have to be – not to say somebody couldn't just wander in and enjoy one of his films.

[00:59:21] You know, and obviously stuff that's, like, theory or whatever, you know.

[00:59:28] I mean, somebody – something that's kind of different from his usual stuff.

[00:59:34] Mm-hmm.

[00:59:34] But, yeah, for, like, those – you know, I think any kind of fan of crime movies, police cop movies, anything like that.

[00:59:47] Especially if you're into Miami Vice, all the Law and Orders, and The Shield kind of shows, you'll like these.

[00:59:54] Yeah, L.A. gang stories, stories that involve, like, that kind of criminal aspect of L.A. and surrounding neighborhoods and stuff.

[01:00:10] You know, it's just something – he does it well.

[01:00:15] He does it really well.

[01:00:16] If you're a fan of all these actors, obviously they're all firing on all cylinders.

[01:00:21] They give very unrecognizable performances, especially – don't get me wrong.

[01:00:25] I've seen plenty of people who will say, you know, Harsh Times or Sabotage, oh, worst movies I ever saw.

[01:00:32] I'm like, okay, yeah, yeah, to each their own.

[01:00:35] But if you like other early 90s kind of just action movies, again, like The Negotiator or even Extreme Justice or some of those other Lethal Weapon but kind of a little more serious, like 48 Hours,

[01:00:50] I think many will like these.

[01:00:53] Harsh Times kind of surprised me because when I saw that, I didn't know who he was.

[01:01:00] Oh, really?

[01:01:01] My first – I sat down to watch it and my first thought was, I don't know if I'm going to like this movie.

[01:01:11] Right.

[01:01:12] It quickly turned it on me, you know, where like – it didn't take very long at all before I was really enjoying the movie.

[01:01:22] It starts off with a war scene.

[01:01:24] I was wrong.

[01:01:24] I was wrong.

[01:01:25] Like, you know, this movie's good.

[01:01:27] To be fair, it is kind of like Dead Presidents where it starts off with warfare and then it resorts to the character returning back home and you're not sure if it's all going to go to shit or not.

[01:01:40] But, you know, but yeah.

[01:01:40] Yeah, Dead Presidents, man, that was a good movie too.

[01:01:44] Oh, totally.

[01:01:44] That was the Hughes Brothers, right?

[01:01:46] So –

[01:01:47] Yep.

[01:01:48] We could totally do another Hughes special.

[01:01:52] Didn't they do – was it Sleepy Hollow that they made or was it – what was the one movie?

[01:01:59] That was Tim Burton.

[01:02:01] They did Book of Eli though.

[01:02:03] Well, didn't they do – sorry, they did some movie I thought with Johnny Depp, didn't they?

[01:02:10] Oh, they did From Hell.

[01:02:12] Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[01:02:13] That's it.

[01:02:14] Okay, yeah.

[01:02:14] For some reason –

[01:02:16] Yeah, for some reason I get that in Sleepy Hollow.

[01:02:19] Like in my memory, like I confuse those two sometimes.

[01:02:22] I don't know why.

[01:02:23] Back when Johnny Depp did a lot of experimental kind of sci-fi movies.

[01:02:27] Yeah.

[01:02:28] Yeah, I know I saw Sleepy Hollow.

[01:02:30] I don't know if I saw the other one or not.

[01:02:32] Yeah.

[01:02:36] There's all kinds of stuff to revisit.

[01:02:39] I do it too.

[01:02:40] Sometimes I mix up certain movies just because they have similar covers.

[01:02:44] Yeah, yeah.

[01:02:44] That's one of those movies where it's just like for some reason it's like – you know,

[01:02:51] I'm always – because it's been so long since I even saw Sleepy Hollow and I don't remember

[01:02:59] for sure if I saw the other one or not.

[01:03:01] So it's kind of like – you know, it's just one of those movies that gets stuck in my memory

[01:03:08] and then I get it confused.

[01:03:12] Yeah.

[01:03:13] Yeah.

[01:03:14] Yeah.

[01:03:14] Yeah.

[01:03:14] You'll sort it out eventually.

[01:03:16] Yeah.

[01:03:17] Definitely.

[01:03:19] It's been great having you on as always just because when we get into it, it's just kind

[01:03:24] of interesting just seeing just hard to talk about subject matter meets, you know, a very

[01:03:33] atmospheric rap soundtrack meets all these other kind of noir and, you know, popcorn excitement.

[01:03:42] Where can we find you on the interwebs?

[01:03:46] Well, you know, Instagram, Twitter and all that stuff.

[01:03:52] I mean, I don't really use Twitter.

[01:03:54] I used it but I don't really – I use it kind of – I visit it more than I tweet or anything

[01:04:05] like that.

[01:04:06] I mean, I definitely tweet stuff but I don't just – I don't tweet anything that important.

[01:04:12] I just kind of – usually I use it to ask questions and stuff like that.

[01:04:16] Kind of forward some –

[01:04:17] Usually towards Mortal Kombat and stuff like that, you know, but – yeah, Instagram, you

[01:04:26] know, I use that, you know.

[01:04:28] I always use the name Siu Long 1270.

[01:04:33] It was Bruce Lee's name.

[01:04:36] His Cantonese name, Siu Long.

[01:04:38] And then I – my sister used to use that name on like AOL Instant Messenger or something

[01:04:44] like that, you know, back in the 90s.

[01:04:48] So that's where I got that name from.

[01:04:51] Gotcha.

[01:04:53] Because she was – she was the first one, like I'm sure I mentioned before, she introduced

[01:04:58] me to Bruce Lee movies when I was about 10.

[01:05:02] Gotcha.

[01:05:03] And she also introduced me to rap music when I was about seven.

[01:05:08] Oh, sweet.

[01:05:09] Hey.

[01:05:10] You know what I mean?

[01:05:11] Like, so I mean –

[01:05:12] It was something, man.

[01:05:13] From her growing up in terms of what I thought was cool and stuff like that.

[01:05:20] Gotcha.

[01:05:23] Gotcha.

[01:05:24] Gotcha.

[01:05:25] Mortal Kombat as well.

[01:05:26] Yep.

[01:05:27] All the martial arts and video games.

[01:05:31] Oh, good times.

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[01:05:54] Thanks a million for listening.

[01:05:56] It's a jackdome.