The Letterboxd Show 3.36: Five Festive Favorites

Episode notes

GEMMA Before we chat with the Letterboxd podcasting crew today, we have to mention that this episode is brought to you by Paramount Pictures’ Babylon. Damien Chazelle’s new film opens in theaters December 23, and stars Brad Pitt. Margot Robbie and Diego Calva.

SLIM Gemma, let’s be honest with each other, please. The buzz for this movie is off the charts. It’s on 116,000 Letterboxd watchlists, and it’s about early Hollywood decadence, and depravity that you have to see in theaters to be a part of a conversation.

GEMMA But Babylon isn’t just a chronicle of reckless extravagance, Slim. It also charts early artistic innovations within the film industry. We love it. Movie lovers love movies about movies with big movie stars. So see it in theaters December 23. And now, on with the show.

[clip of Eyes Wide Shut plays]

GEMMA Hello and welcome to The Letterboxd Show, the podcast about movies people love watching from Letterboxd, the social network for people who love watching movies. I’m Gemma, he is Slim, she is Mia, they are Mitchell, he is Brian. And today, we have a Yuletide cracker of festive podcast delights. It is our four holiday favorites... Plus one!

SLIM Yes it’s the great quintuple fist-pump high-five ing of the podcast forces here in the Letterboxd studio. We have the hosts of The Letterboxd Show. We have the hosts of Weekend Watchlist. And we have the hosts of our soon-to-launch new limited awards season series podcast, Best in Show. Three podcasts, five hosts, five Christmas movies, one gloriously chaotic final episode of The Letterboxd Show Four Favorites for 2022.

GEMMA Should we crack in? For the listeners benefit and for our own, so we can who each other is. Could you please state your name and the holiday fave you are going to be discussing today...

BRIAN Hello, I am Brian Formo. I will be a co-host of Best in Show. My holiday pick is Carol—I’m even wearing my Carol sweatshirt for this.

GEMMA Glorious.

MIA Oh, Brian. I am loving your Carol sweatshirt. I am Mia—you may know me from Weekend Watchlist, but I will also be co-hosting Best in Show. And my holiday pick is Bridget Jones’s Diary.

MITCHELL I am Mitchell Beaupre—I was weirdly, I was not invited to co-host Best in Show, this is the first time hearing about some new podcast, no idea.

GEMMA Anytime you want to put me on Weekend Watchlist, Mitchell, you can have a turn on Best in Show, it’s all yours.

MITCHELL Interesting, it sounds like I will not be on Best in Show at all according to what’s being foretold here. People might know me from Weekend Watchlist, which Gemma is available and you know able to come on anytime she wants. I don’t I’ve heard the discussion that she’s not been invited. That is not true or that has been fabricated. But yeah, my holiday pick is Eyes Wide Shut, which will not be controversial, and nobody here has any opinions on, I’m sure.

SLIM I didn’t realize that but you’re right, Best in Show could be Gemma’s long game after some kind of like, slight that she feels she got. We’ll dig into that post-show in a podcast meeting. But you might know me, Slim, as co-host of four faves, weekend watchlist, and my pick—it’s not even one of my favorite movies, but I feel like it’s going to be a lot of fun, it’s Batman Returns. So that’s my movie.

GEMMA It’s me, Gemma Gracewood, the original host of The Letterboxd Show, the first. And as Four Faves winds down for this season, I will in fact be co-hosting Best in Show with Mia and Brian. And my pick, bringing it all back home to the North Pole where Christmas all began, it’s nothing to do with some baby called Jesus, is Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

SLIM Wow our Savior Rudolph. So at the onset of this recording we mentioned that this the season finale of the four faves theme for the letterbox show but in the new year we’ll have something new and it’s play something brand new. And it’s going to be called Best in Show a podcast focused on award season. So Mia you’ll be anchoring that show and it’s probably safe to say that it would be ideal for folks who love award season but I’m guessing it’s probably also say for just movie lovers who don’t pay attention to awards whatsoever.

MIA Oh absolutely. This is for this is for everyone Best in Show is is for everybody. It This is a limited podcast series brought to you by letterbox. It is going to be hosted by me and all of these beautiful people. Well, not all Oh,

MITCHELL should I just, oh, I don’t need I don’t need to be here honestly I can.

GEMMA I mean, you did choose Eyes Wide Shut. So like, if you’ve got things to do, it’s fine with

MITCHELL a pointed show choice.

MIA So the main reason why you should be listening to Best in Show is because we have the letterbox data. Yes, that’s right, we have the letterbox data we’re going to be peeking in and what the community thinks about all these wonderful films out. And we’re going to be using that data to inform our discussions about the Academy’s opinions and why they are right or little bit misguided. We’re also going to be interviewing and interrogating hardcore interrogating insiders about the role of awards in the film ecosystem. And then lastly, what we are going to do what we always do, which is celebrate cinema, so please us. All of you, Please, Michel included,

MITCHELL I’ll be I’ll be listening.

GEMMA I’m so excited because it’s not just about the Academy Awards. It’s about the letterbox here and review. It’s about the critics guild. It’s about the SAG Awards. It’s you know, it’s the BAFTA is my faves. The best is it’s not all about the Oscars, the Oscars get a little too much attention and award season. We’re gonna be giving other awards from left to right.

SLIM The BAFTA is that’s like the British Army awards or something. I have no idea what

GEMMA the awards given by the British Army for the movies they love the most well on bass

SLIM 19. One in two years in a row somehow. So Brian, you folks might know Brian, former senior producer as our ASMR King from those weekend watch lists episodes, but it’s probably safe to say that award season in general, can be something of like a sports season for so many movie fans, right?

BRIAN Well, it’s sports season for me now, because my beloved Seattle Seahawks are currently backsliding out of the NFL playoffs.

GEMMA Got the mic cut. The

SLIM Mitchell just ed out. Mitchell’s unconscious.

MITCHELL I wasn’t told this was gonna have sports involved with this.

MIA I don’t know what any of that means, Brian.

BRIAN Well, that’s okay. Because Slim is correct. It is movie sports for movie lovers because everyone has a committed rooting interest whether it’s for a specific film filmmaker, actor or just rooting against specific films, filmmakers and actors. And it is the length of a sports season. Basically it goes on and on and on and it either gives you a dopamine hit if your taste is vindicated at the end, or it makes you question why you spent hours and hours of your valuable time. If it goes south and as a sports apologist, I am a sports apologist. I can’t say that those are the exact feelings similar to sports. Like at the end you’re like why do I do this to myself but you keep coming back every year with with fresh hope and rooting on those you love.

GEMMA And one of the things I love the most about having Brian on the team is that he is already bringing the goods we just as a little taster teaser, we can tell you that we have Roger Deakins coming up on Best in Show

SLIM no true story begins.

GEMMA People will finally be able to you know know the answer to does Roger Deakins. The mild mannered cinematographer ever lose his rag? On set? We’re asking the hard questions on best in shower we may well God

MIA we’re gonna interrogate it’s like single lamp spotlight shining right in their face. It’s a dark interrogation room we have a good cop bad cop. It’s intense.

GEMMA And casual might be feeling a little left out at this at this stage so much Oh,

MITCHELL no, never is.

GEMMA It’s Christmas, your favorite time of year? And is it because of the amount of physical movies that get gifted to you?

MITCHELL Oh, sure. That’s a great question. It’s a good time. I mean, people are pumping out gift guides all over the place. We’ve got one on letterbox. If people scroll down to the bottom of the site, we’ve got a gift guide there are on the app you can find it in like the search function. We’ve got a gift guide of all the goodies out there for the film lovers in your life, which does include me i As everybody on this recording knows I am moving at the end of this week and I am fiendishly preparing to pack up all of my movies and somehow transport them I like I keep asking my mom to bring me more boxes from her job because she’s like, I’ve given you so many already. You still need more and I’m like Mom, I have gotten like a third of my movies packed up so far. Like please more.

GEMMA Do you know we learned last in last week’s episode of four favorites with Aaron Yep, our head of social that he stores his DVDs in the order in which he purchased

MITCHELL them No, that’s fascinating.

GEMMA So Mitchell, I’m wondering in your new house, how you are going to order your blu ray DVD collection.

MITCHELL So I go I’m more boring with mine I have considered lately I’ve considered organizing it by label and buy like release order of each label. So like a section for like criteria and subsection for like Kino Lorber section for Arrow, but right now I just have it I have all the criterias in one place the criteria is are alphabetically ordered but section by four k’s and then regular blu rays and then DVDs. And then my other Nan criterions are also organized alphabetically first by four k’s and then buy regular blu rays and then buy DVDs but it’s all alphabetical and I will it is technically all alphabetical but I at least like three times a day. Have a moment where I’m like, Oh, that’s not in the right alphabetical order. I messed that up and then I have to like move something around. So it’s kind of alphabetical it’s more or less alphabetical order.

SLIM The intricacies of that rival Brian bring up football for a second. I feel like when you ed out Brian could have easily ed out during that but the the zany structure that you were setting up I can I can

MITCHELL go I can leave.

GEMMA own more than three DVDs. I think I would order them in order of most rewatched

MITCHELL that’s I mean, that’s also that’s also good, good. A good way to do it.

GEMMA Which speaking of rewatchable movies, we’re not wasting any more time today.

SLIM We have no time.

GEMMA Let’s work through these films in reverse chronological order. We’re going to dive right on in, we’re gonna lose our gloves at the toy counter. Or as Anna writes on letterboxed it’s time to sigh and cry. That’s right, it is time for Carol. Step on down Brian formo for Todd Haynes is 2015 Christmas masterpiece based on Patricia Highsmith’s novel 117,000 litre bucks have pressed the little hat for Carol. Maybe that’s not enough.

SLIM This sounds like a lot I will I’ll I’ll be the idiot and said I’ve never watched Carol before this week. But there was a lot more hearts on the movie than I was expecting. incorrectly, obviously. But Brian Why did this jump to the top of your list for for your holiday pick.

BRIAN Gemma you mentioned Christmas but let’s not forget New Year’s as part of this as well. That is when they first hook up. So it is the whole holiday season. It’s my favorite my favorite, I should say and Best in Show we do have some size and sound effects. And maybe we need a sigh in there can add that slim

SLIM Note to self drop, drop in psi mp3 file.

BRIAN But it’s my favorite holiday movie because it’s poetic film first and foremost. And it has basically everything that I love about cinema in it which is longing glances. camera shutter closes, desire being known through your body posture, magnificent costumes, quotable dialogue. And I love that. We already mentioned the gloves, but I love that the thrust of the film is it is kind of psychological granting the power of an object to do what the body wants. And there is a cross between genres here too, because even though it’s a melodrama, it also has some noir elements. So it just does a lot of things that I love about movies altogether. And I guess I should bring up the holidays and why I like it as a holiday movie as well. I in my formative years, I spent a lot of Christmases outside the family or on road trips with budding new romances. So this film is important for the holiday, the holiday experience where it’s not like the agony of getting the family together, which is a lot of Christmas movies. This is very much about new beginnings having hope. And it is important to to note that even though this is a period film, there is a hopeful ending so like the indie the final shot makes my heart sore and like what else do you want from a Christmas movie? This is even though it deals with gay gay romance in a different time period. It has hope at the end and it’s gorgeous and beautiful. And I love it. I love it so much that I made I made sweaters for it. I don’t do that.

SLIM Me. What about you? What are your thoughts on Carol?

MIA Oh, of course. I love Carol. Oh, oh, of course. It’s Todd Haynes. Portland’s own Todd Haynes. You got Cate Blanchett you got Rooney Mara, you know, I care. I’m very cast oriented in my film selection. So I mean, you have Kyle Chandler there as well. Coach Taylor coached Exactly.

GEMMA Speaking of Portland, do you have Carrie Brownstein? The moment when Carrie Brownstein from Sleater Kinney like appears at the party. I was like wow, how did this film To get 1,000% Better

MIA they did that for the lesbians. Like truly like this is a movie that knows their audience because they’re Paulson’s in there exactly, exactly. Oh my god. Yeah. I love Carol for its impeccable casting and performances that that’s my main. That’s my main reason. Yes.

SLIM J has this movie logs 11 times I’ll read the first one from 2015. Do yourself a favor and watch this film and be saved. One of the best movies of 2015 and one of the best romance films I have ever watched. Carol delivered intense feelings in between subtle glances touches and wordless yearnings without being sappy and nauseating. Whilst painting a charming imagery of the 1950s every scene was breathtaking without being political Carol is evidence that love is a universal feeling. Regardless of orientation, what a review from Jeff,

GEMMA but Jays 11 times doesn’t come close to matching ECS 164

SLIM Oh, my gosh, what are we?

GEMMA What are we doing? I mean, look, it’s all in Ryan Moncrief, short, imperfect review. Most of my favorite Christmas movies are like this about how cold dark and horny the winter is. I also thought Mia, you’d really appreciate grace, who who saw Carol recently, for the very first time, which feels like you? I don’t know. I feel like I was the only one of us here who was working at litter box the winter that Carol came out and it was like every single day that movie was just on the front page of letterboxed it was an ad twitter feed that was just everywhere. So It’s bonkers to me that people are seeing this for the first time like slim, but grace saw it at the cinema. I mean, how fantastic to be able to see it on the big screen and writes, you’ll love this man. They also played the tar trailer before the movie. And as a Cate Blanchett, and Joya, I was living my best life.

MIA Lydia tar is so different from *Carol*l. I want them in a room together.

BRIAN I do feel like the the the first dinner with the cello is is a nod to the diner scene and Carol for for sure. Well, let’s when Carol is sussing out whether Rooney Mara is maybe which which way she swings, which is the same

GEMMA way Lydia says to Olga do you do like fish?

BRIAN Which I have to I have to note that Gemma had to explain what that meant to me. Brian,

GEMMA Brian formo Is it true that you have done film tourism in the name of Carol the movie?

BRIAN It’s partially true in that Cincinnati Ohio where they shot most of Carroll was an hour and a half away from where my wife and I were for actually Columbus, Indiana. So the setting of a different movie Columbus the architecture film from Kakinada and we were going to Cincinnati anyway so I was afforded I was told I could only go to one of the places that they shot Carol because they shot like all of Carol around there. The Christmas tree where the shopping the department store everything is there. So I did choose to go to the diner. Cuz you know, I mean that’s the location where you can get a meal.

SLIM Mitchell I’m looking to see what your rating is for Carol, Can you are you ready to reveal it now? Before we move into Bridget Jones’s Diary.

MITCHELL I think it’s a four I think it’s a four I have a weird I have like a hot take ish on Carol which is that my the thing that holds me back and maybe from loving it as much as other people do. I don’t think that Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara have chemistry really like I don’t by their kind of connection at all. But I also in a weird way, the movie still works for me because of it. Like I think that they’re not right for each other and they’re kind of using each other and like a really odd way that I think is very compelling. And so Brian talking about the ending being hopeful for me I read the ending is very tragic. But I also that’s like, just to be in my own world making up my own Carroll theories that are clearly not what everybody else gets out of the movie, but I like it still works for me. But just in a different kind of way. I like it. My mom fell asleep in the theater when we saw it, but I also I blame that because we double build it we saw The Danish Girl first so I think my mom was just kind of worn out by The Danish Girl and fell asleep like 20 minutes into care. I had a double bill and I was like you slept during you slept during the better one you made during the first one

BRIAN also careful Mitchell because I am going to be the biggest Eyes Wide Shut defender on this podcast but I don’t know the four stars for Carol don’t believe in their love.

MITCHELL I believe In the love of Eyes Wide Shut stronger than than the

SLIM state Stay tuned. We’re not. We’re not there yet everyone calm down, calm down.

GEMMA Speaking of film tourism, Mia, do you have five Vidale street London on your must visit places in the world? It is the location of the Greek restaurant in Bridget Jones’s Diary.

MIA

Oh my god that needs to be a historic landmark like this is where Mark Darcy and DanielCleaver fought to the death of her Bridget show. No, I need to visit there. I’m actually I’ve been visiting Hugh Grant rom comm locations. I’m in New York right now. I’ve been to a couple of places that he goes to Music and Lyrics. So yes, that is very much up my alley. But we are not here to talk about Music and Lyrics. My favorite movie in the world. We’re here to talk about my other favorite movie in the world. Bridget Jones’s Diary. Yes, any Bridget heads in here

SLIM kick the door down to a party that was dead. And she’s trying to get everybody up to go another round.

GEMMA It’s raining men.

MITCHELL Here my Bridget

GEMMA Okay, I’m gonna I’m gonna I’m gonna kick this off. This is 2001 is based on Helen failings. brilliant novel directed by Sharon McGuire. I’m going to kick it off with a review on ladybugs from Phoebe. Hugh Grant rowing a boat saying fuck me. I love kids. And then emerging from a pond and a wet buttoned down shirt with a wilted cigarette in his mouth is the female gaze. Meow, your comments. So this was

MIA the first R rated movie I ever saw in my life. Because I like begged my mom who’s also a fellow Hugh Grant freak. Because she did this to me. She gave me the disease by showing me Music and Lyrics at a young age. And then that made me go like I need to see every movie made with this man. So yes, I agree completely Phoebe. This is this is legendary. I mean, his look. He’s got the floppy hair. He’s so suave. I mean, okay, I’m actually very curious to know who here. Are you Team mark, or Daniel?

GEMMA I’m just gonna reply in the words of another letterboxed member Calarco if this was a Gen Z movie, she could have both.

SLIM Oh, my

MIA so true. Both. Yeah.

SLIM I haven’t. I mean, if this was a if this happened today, I feel like he would he would be suffering a lawsuit at some point from the HR department. For the taxes and

MITCHELL nails that are shared, that would be the word and I’d read in some sort of printed out

SLIM beta, some will be redacted by the legal team.

GEMMA Okay, okay. I’m going around the group of men if you had to choose between Mike Darcy and Daniel Cleaver, Brian.

BRIAN No, he would stay single. I think I think that Colin Firth is so boring and Bridget Jones, I’m sorry. No, I agree. Hugh Grant is a rat. So she, yeah, she needs to actually okay, I’m gonna I’m gonna choose dolly wells. That’s who I am choosing.

MITCHELL Oh, yeah. Nice to say I’m 100% team, Jim Robin. Yeah, it’s

MIA an excellent team to be on.

MITCHELL Why not? Yeah.

MIA Yeah. Now I realized,

MITCHELL listen, I’m coming in with a high tech

SLIM show. The tastes are too hot, so that we can show it can’t be contained.

MIA They believe in the love between Bridget and her father, but

MITCHELL guitar did nothing wrong. I’ll say.

BRIAN Speaking of emails speak.

SLIM So true. I will say that Colin Firth is he’s a wet sock in this movie. He’s got nothing going on. He’s zilch. He looks tremendous. I love Renee. I think she’s great. And this is shocking. First time watch for Olsen here and other first time watch. I’ve avoided this one for years. And a lot of fond about it was very funny. I did not see anything in Colin. I want to call him to just be shipped out gone. He needs to eat he’s got nothing going on. He could be replaced by a broomstick in the first three quarters of this movie. You know like he’s got nothing what would what would ever attract a

GEMMA slim I’m gonna give you a little bit of history. Just to give you some context. I don’t think it’ll change your mind, but I think it matters. I am old enough to . The first time we all were introduced to Colin Firth as a six part 9095 He played Mr. Doubt the Mr. Darcy Pride and Prejudice, BBC adaptation, in which he appears wet in a lake in a sea through white cotton shirt. It is. It is a moment like the moment in the pond from A Room With a View. It is it was all that anyone talked about for several years. And so the casting of him as a different Mr. Darcy, albeit a buttoned up one. It was very, very, very deliberate and as part of the reason that people went in droves to Bridget Jones’s Diary, and it made squillions $280 million worldwide at the box office. I’m also old enough to the controversy when Renee Zellweger was cast as Bridget Jones because it was shocking that it was a non Brit. And everyone was like, how she going to do the accent and also she’s tiny and Bridget Jones is fat. She’s a Heffalump she’s giant. She’s as big as the whale. Oh my God, what’s she going to do? And terrible, horrible years where we had to suffer. Every second goddamn tabloid reporting on Rene Zellweger as weight loss regime after gaining 100 million pounds to play Bridget Jones. Oh my God. What a bit so. Yeah, anyway, so there’s just a little bit of history for you.

SLIM He’s still he’s still a broomstick.

BRIAN Can I toss out a sexy Colin Firth recommendation? That’s fleas die 295

GEMMA Oh, I thought you’re gonna say that’s the one with Stanley Tucci.

MIA Crazy Supernova you know, I saw

BRIAN direct to video sexy movie called Playmaker . I mentioning this because it is it’s a it’s a great erotic thriller, but also it’s going to really spice up our thumbnails when we when we drop the movies mentioned in this episode, but yeah, Colin Firth 1994 In Playmaker. You can’t tell if he adding to watch

MIA list right this second.

GEMMA Does it make it to slims men are Slist

BRIAN actually, I believe there’s a shower but I believe there’s

SLIM a need that shower but

GEMMA okay me and finish us off Bridget Jones’s Diary, top three moments,

MIA obviously the fight scene. We’re gonna talk about that in a moment. But I also need to say something something controversial. Is it

MITCHELL that Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara did not have already been said me and somebody?

MIA Everybody watched his Love Actually around the holidays for the thing I know. Well, Gemma, that’s exactly what I propose is that we replace Bridget Jones as the Hugh Grant holiday movie. I agree I’d have loved actually had this is just so much more fun. It’s like Love Actually is a disease. I watch it. I keep watching it. And I don’t like it every single time. I’m like, This is terrible. But I like trick myself. I’m like maybe no, this time I’m actually going to really like it like this time. It’ll be really good. No, it never is. But Bridget Jones every time I watch it, I am enraptured. So that is my proposal is that we, we this is the new holiday movie because also, like we mentioned with Carol, it also begins on New Year’s Day, technically, it’s technically New Years is when she meets Colin Firth in the reindeer jumper. So it’s post Christmas anyway, so it has all of the holidays. And that’s why it’s perfect.

SLIM We’ll take this comment under advisement.

GEMMA I agree. I accept.

MIA Thank you. And now I just need to say that the fight scene is my favorite fight scene in history because they improvised it Hugh Grant and Colin Firth. Oh, did you know this? It looked improvised? Yeah, well, obviously those boys have never fought in their lives their posh boys. So they just like made up on the spot how they would fight and I think it was very accurate. It was very sad to watch which I like when men are pathetic in the name of women.

GEMMA It’s amazing. I just looked on a run sheet and I see the eyes wide shatters next to me. Can you tell me another 10 to 15 things you love about Bridget Jones’s Diary. I

MITCHELL don’t appreciate what’s

SLIM 1999 Eyes Wide Shut Stanley Kubrick. The legend for Dotto average. This is Mitchell’s Peck for the holiday faves. Let’s see it and let’s see what the synopsis has to say about this. After Dr. Bill Harford’s wife Alice its to having sexual fantasies about a man she met. Bill becomes obsessed with having a sexual encounter. He discovers an underground sexual group and attends one of their meetings and quickly discovers that he’s in over his head

MIA how many times that they have to say sexual.

SLIM So this is Mitchell’s pick. I watched this for the first time a couple of years ago, and I hearing about this movie as a kid. And in my head it was like Tom and Nicole a sex call and things get crazy. And that was not really the case. So Mitchell why pick this one for your holiday phase.

MITCHELL Why not slim? I mean Eyes Wide Shut. It is like the first movie that I think of when I think about the holidays, especially nowadays because I, my partner, Sam and I, we’ve been together for like five years now. And what the first, like holiday season that we were together, they were like weren’t super into movies when we first started dating, they are now we all blame myself for that. But we’re all better off. Everybody loves movies. But the first like one of the first movies that we connected on that they had seen before we started dating was we both loved Eyes Wide Shut. And that was kind of like one of the reasons that we connected. And so the first holiday season when we started dating, they were playing Eyes Wide Shut on 35 at the Philadelphia Film Center. And so we drove like an hour to go see that, like I was so hyped. And it was one of getting there was one of the worst experiences of our life. Like we laugh It was like we had to leave at rush hour we left like half an hour late we were driving like freaking out Sam’s like on the GPS, like we’re not going to get there. And I’m just like, I’m so stressed that I’m like, completely shut down, like zoned in on driving. Like it’s raining. I’m just like, it’ll be fine. It’ll be fine. They’re like, how is it gonna be fine? Like, you know, it’s not gonna be five. We are not gonna get there on time. Like they got trailers. Like we’ll be all right, like, everything’s gonna be cool. And so we’re super stressed and then we get there. And this dude’s chump, like throwing down popcorn in front of us like the loudest dude I’ve ever heard we have to move to another seat. And it was just like the worst kind of going into a movie experience you ever want to have and the movie starts within five seconds I like every bad thing leading up to that had completely left my mind I was totally locked into the movie just like completely transfixed by it I had seen it like six seven times before that but I was just totally lost in it and as somebody who like being in a theater somebody you know three seats or three like rows down from me on the other side of the theater will pull out their phone and like check their like text and I will like that will completely pull me out of the movie because like I just like I have such like a bad attention span. My OCD is like if somebody pulls out anything if there’s any distraction I’m like completely lost. You know the movie not ended anymore. But being totally won over by Eyes Wide Shut and like locked in after having such a horrible time getting there. It really speaks to the power of the movie for me on the hypnotism. I am like, watching Eyes Wide Shut. I am like Tom Cruise looking for a sexual encounter and the night like I I’m, you know, feverish, I’m looking for it. I’m glued in like I’m locked in. I can’t, nothing else can pull me away from my mission, which is to watch Eyes Wide Shut and vicariously experience of everything that he’s going through.

SLIM Right. And you’re and you’re like him throwing around his his doctor papers. Yeah, he’s a police officer getting his way with anyone just because he’s a doctor in this movie. Never seen anything like Hey, buddy, it works those works. I think I see Brian, you have this logged as five stars as well. Do you have a same memory of seeing this one and, and being glued into this movie when it’s when it’s showing for you?

BRIAN Well, the first time I saw I had to leave halfway through because my date didn’t like it. That was that was me in high school. It was actually someone I’d been wanting to take out for like two years. We didn’t really date beyond that, that that evening, smart notice. I did I did go back and rewatch it on my own. Which also kind of felt good, because I was also nervous the whole time about like, I know there’s gonna be an orangey I know there’s gonna be an orgy and like, what, how am I going to how long is it going to be? What do I What do I do on a date when

MITCHELL the worst you have to figure out what your face is going to be while watching the orgy. So I have a look over you. You don’t look too excited. But you also don’t look too put off. Right Amanda? Like yeah, this is this is a normal thing to be watching. This is fine.

BRIAN So I went back and I watched it by myself. I sat in the back where nobody could see me and I loved it. I loved it. And I’ve actually only appreciated it more as I’ve gotten older actually. And I think that part of that. I mean, when I when I saw it when I was younger, and I loved it, it was more like it was funny and it was dark. But the funniness was like the world’s biggest movie star can’t get laid basically like it’s just him repeatedly trying to have an affair and all these things that are stepping in his way. But it is something that when I saw it the first time the final scene didn’t really hit me as hard but like now as I’ve gotten a little older and gotten married, that is one of the best movie endings ever. Right up there. It’s even better than Carol as a movie ending I’m going to say

MITCHELL right put it on the record Brian said is why shot better than hell we heard that everything you know we can just end the episode I think

SLIM it is it is an insane ending. I agree with you Brian. As an older person I feel like that’s one of the best endings you could possibly have. It makes perfect sense. I love that. And as I rewatched it today, someone in the 70 millimeter discord made a comment about how I finished Eyes Wide Shut before noon, and it was like the most insane flex for rewatch this

MITCHELL I rewatched this like last week at seven o’clock and the more I woke up at seven o’clock in the morning, I was like alright, let’s put on

GEMMA this review from Gillian on later bucks. Watching this on the living room TV at night made me feel like a teenage boy watching porn on the family.

MITCHELL You don’t want somebody to walk in on you watching it.

SLIM No, no, you you scramble for that remote. you’re juggling the remote in your hand.

MITCHELL To Tom Cruise movie. It’s a Tom Cruise.

SLIM I look back at this era and I think it’s a crazy era because it’s Tom Cruise in a Stanley Kubrick movie. I feel like that’s such an insane sentence to say looking back.

GEMMA It’s Nicole Kidman and Stanley Kubrick

MITCHELL with Nicole Kidman owning this movie devouring bear

SLIM she’s she’s been many great movies with like great directors. I feel like it’s interesting for Tom to do that because he’s settled into that like action star persona where you’re not waxing poetic about Tom and other Stanley Kubrick’s that doesn’t really exist it never really happened after this. Joseph Kaczynski

MITCHELL slam from slim right now listen.

SLIM Soundtrack Bolivian is dope.

BRIAN wax poetic about Mission: Impossible and Tom Cruise that’s like new Charlie Chaplin to me.

SLIM Yeah, yeah.

GEMMA Can we just talk briefly about how Nightingale the blindfolded pianist, as the writer and director of TA does, he

MIA doesn’t tar herself. Isn’t she one of the voices that the orgy

SLIM what? Yeah, no. Makes me and what do you think of Eyes Wide Shut? Where do you stand

on this is a holiday fav?

MIA Oh, I effing love it. I am so glad Mitchell picked it. I also when I watched it for the first time a couple of years ago, and I reviewed it saying something like, Oh, I love like it’s lit by Christmas lights. I think that’s so interesting. And somebody commented, they were like, Oh, actually, those aren’t Christmas lights. Those are just lights around New York. It’s not really it’s not really a Christmas movie. I was like, What are you talking about? So then, but I was like younger so it gas lit me into thinking like, oh my god, I’m wrong about Christmas lights. I don’t know anything about Christmas lights. But now I know I know a lot about Christmas lights. Things have changed.

GEMMA It’s like when it’s like it’s like being in class and the teachers like what’s two plus two and you go for and they go Are you sure? And you’re like suddenly second guessing yourself about things you actually know to be true. Like bays wide shut as a Christmas movie shutters that cave

MITCHELL now honestly. They doing now?

MIA Let’s go find them.

GEMMA I know you’re friends with Timmy added to eBay and so I was wondering if you were one of the people sitting next to him when he wrote this review of Eyes Wide Shut. last scene made me horny while while we were sorry for the friends I watched this with it was still next to me. And we’ll have to learn that from reading this review.

MIA Yes, I was there. I was absolutely there. Well, we both were like Oh, that is a hot ending. So don’t worry. I was right there with him. But yes, we did. We did watch this around the holidays. I think two years ago together because it’s the perfect Christmas movie. God damn right. I also is this is this dummies review. Also kidmin should have gotten Oscar for her stoned monologue alone

GEMMA same same review. Yeah, correct. So

MIA it is absolutely agree. Yes,

GEMMA it’s not I mean, she’s got an Oscar for a lot of things but yeah, it’s not the pilots you should should have a trophy

SLIM should Tom have gotten a trophy for this movie? Should Tom have gotten one

MITCHELL I think this is one of the things that I love so much about Eyes Wide Shot is that it is taking like both of their personas at that time like like Hitman has this reputation as being very chilly very you know venomous and Cruz has this persona of like him putting on airs a little bit and like making himself like puffing his chest out you know being the biggest movie star in the world when he is a very small man and like the the seed the constant like people diminutive sizing him the frat boys who bumped him on the side of the on the sidewalk and you know, are calling him gay slurs and everything. Like it feels like Tom Cruise being cooked for, you know, three hours and it feels like that’s like such a great, like a meta kind of commentary on where both of them are at what people would like the public’s perception of them is and I think they both you know, lean into it and really wonderful and exciting ways,

BRIAN which I’m old enough to also like the early early movie, movie internet around this Movie was also doing that to them as a couple like the gossip around this movie and like teaching Tom Cruise how to have sex and the reason why, quote unquote Harvey Keitel was fired etc It was a wild time to be online and interested in in film because the the the gossip on this was insane.

SLIM The hot Goss, if you want more hot Goss, you got to check out Best in Show. By the way I think a preview episode will be coming in in your podcast feeds very soon.

BRIAN Wait that’s the that’s the trailer now.

GEMMA It is time to turn to what Sam kerchief on letterbox calls. The only Christmas movie that matters or, as Adam l writes, Batman forced to work over Christmas just another night at the billionaire’s mask six club. This would make a good double bill with Eyes Wide Shut. We are of course talking about Slim’s best of faith for this episode. Tim Burton’s 1992 Camp masterpiece that man returned.

SLIM I mean, can you imagine Tom Cruise in the Batman costume? This movie

MITCHELL he wouldn’t be able to space it’d be towering over him.

GEMMA Can I use? Well, I know.

SLIM I so we were talking about choosing the faves and I my Christmas. My real holiday faves are Christmas Vacation is one of my favorite movies. It’s a Wonderful Life, obviously. But those have been covered at some point or talked about on the podcast already. And I actually watched Scrooged every year with my wife, Amanda with Bill Murray. And I have like a running joke that that movie just gets worse and worse every year, even even though every year you’re

MITCHELL gonna be especially whereas this year

SLIM has come out and yes, I mean, there’s a lot of great scenes where he just falls on his ass. It’s very funny. So people weren’t interested in that. And then And then we talked about maybe like doing a troll pick like Die Hard. And I every time someone you know rubs their elbow like diehard it’s actually the best Christmas movie, you know, their eyebrows go up like Jack Nicholson waiting for you to react to it. But Batman Returns, I felt like might be a fun discussion because we don’t often cover Batman movies on this show unless I bring it up like a dullard. And it’s not even really one of my favorite Batman movies. The first one is my favorite. So like, I tried to look back as a kid. You know, these movies were like the coolest thing that a comic loving kid could have, like a big screen Batman movie and it’s a Christmas. So in my head, I’m getting a new set of toys like oh god, Batmobile, maybe with some snow on it. Or some kind of Batcave with snow in it, you know, Batman costume, he’s got to wear some kind of thermo suit. So looking back at my childhood is one of the reasons why I like watching this movie, because it had so much of that different era in my life of reading comic books, but getting the toys, and having the movies be the main outlet for some of the stuff that is now exists in many forms like television, HBO, whatever, you can get it anywhere. But one of the things now I look back on this movie as an adult is it’s such a strange thing to exist now like that this movie exists with Michelle Pfeiffer in it. And Danny DeVito Michelle Pfeiffer is probably maybe not probably the best thing about this movie. By far. It’s like her movie and everyone else is just in it. Christopher Walken. I love I was gonna

GEMMA say Christopher Walken with eyeline. It gives me funny feeling.

SLIM Christopher Walken is so bizarre. This is probably my first Christopher Walken movie. And his line delivery blew my mind I think at the time when he he’s like talking to his son chip. And after he realizes that Michelle is still alive. He’s like, I don’t worry about We’ll get her We’ll get her down the line. Meantime, I got betta fish to fry. And then the sea just like ends it’s just so weird. He’s so weird in this movie. Brian, do you have memories of Batman Returns? Were these like, big in your movie watching when it came out?

BRIAN No, I didn’t actually see this for the first I saw this for the first time a year or two ago but I will say but I had Batman memories of the first Batman movie I saw I was going to see Batman and Robin so my movie

MITCHELL nothing my introduction.

BRIAN But Batman Returns is probably my favorite Batman movie. I I just love how horny it is and like I’m just gonna come out and say it like and also like we I didn’t realize this until we started talking. We all chose very horny movies. Except for their views of Rudolph? I can I can. Well, that one I saw as a kid so I can’t see the horniness, but I can be convinced that there’s hardiness and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer but Batman Returns is so much fun. It doesn’t take itself seriously. I love how dark it is Michelle Pfeiffer is great. ate Danny DeVito I can’t believe I’m the first person to mention Danny DeVito this because I feel like he makes the movie in my my opinion and like there’s so many non sequiturs but his delivery is perfect every every time he’s ping pong in from so many different thoughts from Pearsall’s as sex toys to the puzzling he’s looking to see to ing people to vote just like every he’s just all over the place

MIA Danny DeVito penguin versus Colin Farrell penguin go

MITCHELL Danny DeVito is penguin is I think of masterclass like this, which is one of the things that I love so much about Batman Returns is just like how, how much they let timber and just be weird as hell doing this movie like the first one comes out the biggest movie of all time. And they’re they’re like, here’s you know, here’s all the money to do whatever you want X and he’s like okay, cool. I’m gonna make this the weirdest shit anybody’s ever seen. And like the call to make these villains especially Calvin and Penguin be just absolute freaks is so like, it’s I like slim. I saw these movies when I was growing up I think forever was that mean forever was the first one that I saw. And then I went back and watch these two and like I just thought that these are like Batman movies. They were fun. I just enjoyed them and going back and watching them now I’m like, How did I watch this as like a seven year old and I mean, I guess I am kind of like a weird person is why shows my favorite Christmas movie so I guess maybe some stuff got programmed in there. But yeah, Brian mentioning the the non sequiturs and stuff the seat my only note that I wrote while watching this was I said, my note is literally sorry, everybody. There’s a scene where penguin sees cat woman laying on his bed and says just the posi I’ve been waiting to see and then talks about his naked sexual charisma. Then a few seconds later asked her as she’s a ed voter. Like it’s it’s like watching just like what is even going on.

GEMMA The local buddy politics representation in this film I’d really appreciate as a as a political as a, as a policy wonk and former government worker, I was all in for the mayoral elections. I was definitely all in for Catwoman. Her costume making montage which felt like it went on forever, and still is not long enough. In my opinion. It is an amazing, amazing scene that that entire transformation. And also a lot of flick flags going on with Catwoman as my child said she was on the heels, and she jumped. That’s right son backwards.

MITCHELL You can do both.

GEMMA There is absolutely no reason for this film to be set at Christmas that I can see. Other than I guess that Oswald Cobblepot ness of it all, you know, the the abandoned baby, how tragic it is that Peewee Herman and his wife abandon. Did you know that I mean it’s such a Tim Burton move right to make also a couple part who was penguin? His his parents. His dad is Paul Reubens who is Pee Wee Herman I love that so much. But I was thinking Mitchell when you were talking about the the Tim bitness of it all. It is. It’s just so beautiful. There’s so many letterbox reviews that specifically call out the Ziering writes the incredible subtle gradients and tones that he draws out of the blues, grays, blacks and purples. I’m hard pressed to think of a movie Britain’s made that has bitter cinematography, from a purely aesthetic point of view. And for me, it was every time and Penguin Xlear when he shoots up through the water. Ah, losing it, losing it at every one of those shots.

MITCHELL The sets are so phenomenal to like watching. It’s like watching like the Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. Like it’s just watching, especially seeing like the superhero movies they make now and going back and seeing something like this just seeing a movie made with like actual sets and like bonkers like constructed sets. It’s really gorgeous. And yeah, it’s just jaw dropping what they did with it.

GEMMA Do you have another quick Batman question? For you slim, so Oh, so I do come from a Batman household. My husband is Batman as his number one all time favorite superhero. I thought he’d be really excited to sit down and watch Batman Returns with us the other night? Absolutely not. Not serious enough Batman and his estimation is serious only and I’m like, I’m sorry. Have you not seen the 1960s television series which to me is the epitome of Batman camp and Batman Returns as a close second. Where do you sit on the burn Ross be serious versus you know, honey, Michael Keaton spectrum slim. I

SLIM can appreciate a good morning Michael Keaton. I think there’s definite nerd camps that fall into he’s not serious enough or too serious, like some that don’t that choose to believe that Batman or Robin doesn’t exist. The 60 show doesn’t exist because depending on who you ask, they might be like offended by those shows. They don’t think it’s their Batman, but as I got older, I’m fine with it. I they they represent different eras of the character. They can all exist in diff We’re in universes and people can appreciate them. But the original 99 Batman was my favorite, I think for many years but the new one, I was levitating in my seat. So um, I think that might be my favorite Batman. And that’s that’s pretty darn serious that

MIA movie. The power of Rob

GEMMA got a five star from from our household. Batman expand he walked he walked out of that cinema Plex just like sweating and going now that is a Batman.

MITCHELL finally did it.

SLIM Now were you saying that when you watch Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, that was a reindeer 1964

MIA Rudolph is my reindeer in a profound way. Yeah,

GEMMA I figured we’d run out of time. And so I just wanted to throw a cute little 51 minute stop motion animation on at the end. It’s it’s like useless. It’s not my favorite Christmas movie. I didn’t even know about Larry Roma’s 1964 Classic. From the best Rankin stop motion geniuses until, I guess until I watched Elf with Will Ferrell, which draws very much from this movie for its whole opening scene, including it has the character of Mr. Snowman in it. And they they had to go through a lot to get the rights to incorporate characters from Real Red Nosed Reindeer into Elf. But that’s when I first learned about I didn’t realize it was a whole thing that was shown on American television every Christmas every year, but I finally sat down to watch it to people know what they’re watching. So this is the story of Rudolph a young Red Nosed Reindeer who’s believed because of his glowing nose because He’s different from all the other kids. And these Hermie who is a sweet Twinkie little Elf who just wants to be a dentist and not actually a toy maker. And so they both have to kind of run away because they bleed out of the town and find themselves in the land of misfit toys. And it’s all narrated by the wonderful bill Ives is Sam the snowman who also sings the famous song itself in several other wonderful Christmas songs. And I just I just love it because it’s weird. It’s it’s sort of demented, but it also feels the most Christmassy, but it’s also it’s also the most kind of like, what is that? What Santa? He actually does nothing all year round. barking orders, the elves do all the work. There’s a lot of othering going on. I don’t know. I just I for some reason that I enjoy just the demented weirdness of it every year. What about what about you?

SLIM Yeah, I grew up watching this. This was on every year at my house. So I have like very fond memories of watching this as a kid and then when you’re right when you watch it after a few years off, you’re like, man, what the hell is going on in this thing? I think I’ve logged it a few times. And I just think Santa is like the biggest shithead in this entire town of like Santa what? What are you doing? You should be kinder to these folks what you’re Santa. And that’s like my impression every time I rewatch it. I think I had that that feeling especially that reindeer coach when like Rudolph’s red nose appears and they he’s the coaches like hey, what’s all this? Ooh, his eyes like bug out and he’s like so embarrassed even be near Rudolph It’s so crazy. What about you Brian? Do you have memories watching this?

BRIAN I have so many memories watching this but I’m wondering You said that you watched it a lot growing up I watched it a lot growing up but I never actually set out to watch it it would just be flipping through the channels and it would be there so I’d always at various points. But I never like actually like sat down I’m gonna watch Rudolph but I still saw it every Christmas. And as a kid The Abominable Snowman scared of the shit out of me. The the commercial breaks are always timed at the scariest parts and I’d always be like I don’t know if I can even though I’ve seen it I’ve seen it at this point a couple times is like I don’t know if I can handle this. I was a big scaredy cat as as as a kid but the abominable and I liked that he was redeemed a little in the end although it

GEMMA because the upon rules no man is the plushy I would want from this that but you know it’s terrible because Hermes, this little elf who wants to just be a dentist and he ends up sorry spoilers pulling all the teeth from the Abominable Snowman I’m like what kind of I’m never gonna you know appointments for me thank you hear me my teeth are fine.

MITCHELL This review our letterbox from John who said the elf dentist removed the Abominable Snowman teeth a little too quick and slick for my liking would avoid that time to sell.

GEMMA But also Cato gives the film five says everyone at the North Pole said we can excuse homosexuality, but we draw the line at dentistry. I did fine with her me until he says he wants to be at the end. This may or what about you have been Abominable Snowman plushy or not,

MIA I was so scared of the Abominable Snowman I also grew up watching this on like the ABC Family 25 Days of Christmas thing and yeah I was very scared when he just the roar thing at them and then it cuts to commercial yeah that I actually understand that completely I this vividly Yeah, this I always watch this one it was probably in my top three of like the stop motion Christmas ones I really liked the year without a Santa Claus because it has the Heatmiser snow miser song. I

MITCHELL that Santa for a year.

MIA That’s also where Santa has been Santas clinically depressed. That is the plot of that special.

SLIM realizes a big jerk this movie.

GEMMA He’s such a weirdo. And this

MIA the Santa storylines they come up with for these were they Yeah, they make him really mean or depressed. It’s interesting. Yeah, I love Rudolph and I love that gay little elf. Oh, yeah, that’s my quote. You can quote me on that.

GEMMA Hey, but look, if I had to pick, I would say a map at Christmas Carol. Every time and if I could just take a moment to call out a beautiful Journal story that we have on letterbox right now. Wonderful piece by Amy Knight. Who’s Who’s as big a muppet fan as I interviewing Brian Henson. Gonzo is assistant Dave goals and none other than Slim’s and my favorite movie composer of all time. Phantom of the paradise is songwriter and the Muppet Christmas Carol songwriter Paul Williams that is on our site right now. Rizzo the rat all the way so resemble a star.

SLIM Do you think Paul Williams is the sex cult in Eyes Wide Shut?

MITCHELL Yes. I don’t know it’s not really a question. I know.

MIA It was sponsored by Swan records or whatever

BRIAN before we go we’re not gonna end it on orgy talk. This is people are going to be listening to this with their families. Mitchell you had mentioned that you had a fun story watching Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer what was that?

MITCHELL Well I mean don’t say we’re not going to end it on orgy talk too quick there. You don’t know what the story is. My friend Darrell wrote a review that said watching Yukon Cornelius lick his pickaxe constantly. It was a defining moment for young gay men everywhere. So I think I think there’s plenty of already going on however this but this was actually my first time watching this movie. Like I guess I’m the only one who hadn’t seen this as a kid. But the this was the bane of my existence for many years working at movie stop the movie store that I worked at when I was like 19 to like 24 because we had a DVD that we played on a loop that was just like 20 movie trailers on a loop so it would play for like an hour and then it would just repeat and play for another hour. And it was you know, the new releases whatever whatever and every single holiday season for November and December the DVD would just be like the Christmas all these ones like on loop over and over again. So I had to see over the course of four years the trailer for Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer at least like 500 times and so I watched this because it is my job. I watched it out of respect for everybody here I watched I watched the whole thing but it felt like I was having some sort of war flashback the entire time watching it. It was it was a lot for me. I heard I heard all the songs I learned about the nose I you know I could have gone into this having no idea what this nose was about. What does that mean red nose but I was in the trailer I saw I saw everything the whole plot.

MIA I can’t believe they gave away

MITCHELL his his incat his you know desperate search for a sexual encounter everything it was all in the trailer.

GEMMA The Island of Misfit Toys could easily be the six club and Eyes Wide Shut could easily be penguin Xlear could easily be the diner and Carol. I mean I’m putting the links together it’s all connected. It’s all connected and it all comes back to Lydia Tar.

BRIAN Yes, everyone just wants their sock stuffed.

[theme song ramps up, plays alone, fades out]

GEMMA Our guests today were Mia Vicino, Mitchell Beaupre, Brian Formo, Slim and... me! Thanks to our crew: Jack for the facts and Brian for booking and looking after our guests, Sophie Shin for the episode transcript, Samm for the art, and to Moniker for the theme music. And also, because this is the last Letterboxd Show four favorites for 2022, to Linda Moulton, our earlier booker. We love you, Linda, we miss you. This podcast will be back after the Academy Awards. Until then, you’ll still be able to hear all five of us in various groupings on Weekend Watchlist, our weekly look at what’s streaming and screening.

SLIM And not just that, Gemma, and our new limited series podcast Best in Show led by award season enthusiast, it would be great if that was an official job title, Mia Vicino and her Best in Show besties, Brian and you, Gemma. I hear you have some pretty hot Academy Award winning guests already lined up. So I’m excited. Please consider leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts as it helps spread the word about the show. You can also rate us on Spotify. And you can always drop us a line at . We love mail. We’ve gotten a few of them already, very kind emails.

GEMMA Yeah, we got an email from Sacha this week: "I love listening to this podcast. It’s so great to hear the four favorites of different notable people and as someone with an oversized watchlist, I also love the Weekend Watchlist episodes so I can add even more movies to my watchlist. The show is so great. I really look forward to every episode. So thank you for doing it." Thank you, Sasha, for writing to us.

SLIM What kind of email. The Letterboxd Show is a Tapedeck production. Merry Christmas and goodwill to all men and women, as the great Michael Keaton once said.

GEMMA Merry Christmas, Slim.

[Tapdeck bumper plays] This is a Tapedeck podcast.