Civil War And What's Making Us Happy

Civil War And What's Making Us Happy

Released Friday, 12th April 2024
 1 person rated this episode
Civil War And What's Making Us Happy

Civil War And What's Making Us Happy

Civil War And What's Making Us Happy

Civil War And What's Making Us Happy

Friday, 12th April 2024
 1 person rated this episode
Rate Episode

Episode Transcript

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0:00

This. Message comes from Npr sponsor

0:02

Hulu based on shocking true events.

0:04

The new Hulu original series Under

0:07

the Bridge tells the story of

0:09

a savage murder in a small

0:11

town starring Riley Keogh and Lily

0:14

Gladstone. Under the Bridge Premier's April

0:16

seventeenth Streaming only on Hulu. The

0:23

new film, Civil War depicts contemporary America

0:25

torn apart by a military conflict between

0:27

the Federal government and an alliance of

0:30

secessionists states. Small band of journalists led

0:32

by Kirsten Dunst, shaded war photographer embark

0:34

on a harrowing journey to the heart

0:36

of the conflict and countering brutality and

0:38

bloodshed along the way. I'm going Weldon

0:40

and so they were talking about Civil

0:42

War on Pop Culture Happy hour from

0:44

Npr. Joining me today is Npr Politics

0:46

correspondent Daniel currently been a Danielle England

0:48

Will come back. Also with this is

0:50

writer and critic Walter Chow hey Walter

0:52

Good Morning. And out the panelists film

0:55

critic and senior film programmer at the

0:57

Jacob Burns Film Center. Monica Castillo, Hey

0:59

Monica, Hello hello, let's get to it

1:01

In Civil War Kirsten Dunst. Please leave

1:03

a famous war photographer hardened by the

1:05

violence she's seen abroad and more recently

1:08

in America, where a Civil war rages

1:10

on. Along with a colleague job play

1:12

by Wagner Mora and Sammy played by

1:14

Stanley Mckinley Henderson, she sets out on

1:16

a dangerous road trip to Washington, D

1:18

C. They're covering the war as the

1:21

Secessionists factions including and alliance between Texas

1:23

and. California push towards the White House.

1:25

Li also reluctantly agrees to allow a

1:27

young aspiring photographer named Jesse to join

1:29

them. She's played by Kaylee Spain A

1:32

writer. Director Alex Garland hints at the

1:34

causes of the conflict, but the film

1:36

seems more concerned with capturing the brutality

1:38

and cruelty of war especially were taking

1:41

place on American soil and the ways

1:43

that journalists covering such conflicts would find

1:45

ways to survive both physically and emotionally.

1:47

Civil War is Alex Garland fourth film

1:50

as a directory previously made x Mckenna

1:52

Annihilation and Men. Civil War is

1:54

in theaters now. Walter. Kick

1:56

ass off each other's a while ago.

1:58

What? you think? I really love it.

2:00

I really love that I loved it

2:02

even more the more atomistic about it

2:04

honestly as he gets the kind of

2:07

movie that for me anyway needed to

2:09

see them, I needed to marinate in

2:11

it's juices. For a Watson, it reminded

2:13

me of a movie called medium Cool

2:15

by Haskell Wexler in that it's more

2:17

about the journey a war photographers and

2:19

the question of truth in documenting history

2:21

that movies could be the Chicago Democratic

2:23

Convention that went haywire. a guy who

2:25

actual footage from it in a long

2:27

passages of Civil War reminded me of

2:29

that. Song results almost improvisation always.

2:32

they're going through and discovering things

2:34

along the way ways that our

2:36

country has been falcon Eyes days

2:38

and suddenly changed it. I just

2:40

thought the sense of uncanny this

2:43

and sadness and ask really. Got.

2:45

Me to a place where started wondering

2:47

if truth so exhausted us is the

2:50

notion of truth as an objective arbiter

2:52

of our reality was even a possible

2:54

thing anymore after all of his ears

2:56

of the enough fake news and thanks

2:58

this people distrusting of evidence of her

3:01

own eyes seems like Nineteen Eighty Four

3:03

has come true and so good I

3:05

really loved her sober it was in

3:07

that respect and the boys sat with

3:10

said some ways to get his house.

3:12

That particular sat well with me he

3:14

said or monica. You also saw this a while ago

3:16

had it's it with you. I. Wish is that as

3:18

well as it is as well Sir

3:20

Ah says and I have that reaction.

3:22

I this kind of trying to keep

3:25

things vague and details you know sort

3:27

of ambiguous is wanting to be a

3:29

political but being about a political topic

3:31

and using similar language and things like

3:33

that I may may have just kept

3:35

asking more questions I say for something

3:37

like medium cause I knew the context

3:39

of which sites that sell is taking

3:41

place. I knew where the setting was,

3:43

what the politics were at that time.

3:45

We don't have those answers. I don't

3:48

feel like the World Building gave me

3:50

enough detail to be able to enjoy

3:52

unplugging them that a story and really,

3:54

you know, enjoy it the way that.

3:56

Other folks may be able to hurt you,

3:58

don't You are a. Analysts? Were you sitting

4:01

with this with your enough. I do feel

4:03

that I need to merit a more

4:05

this. This film. I believe it requires

4:07

marinating. I don't I found it. And

4:09

I mean this in a very good

4:11

way. I found it deeply upsetting. Sarah

4:13

Lane. Visceral. I mean, it's and fully

4:15

believable. I mean, I was watching it

4:17

and feeling. Like I said upset

4:19

to new there is a moment where tier

4:21

Sundance By the way, she's incredible in it.

4:24

Here's another play, The War Photographer and this

4:26

film and as she talks about covering for

4:28

and conflict zones and she says something to

4:30

the effect of every time I sent a

4:32

photo home from a war zone. it was

4:34

a warning I was trying to warn people

4:37

don't do this That really seems to me

4:39

like the thesis statement of the film. And

4:41

yes, the movie. I'll be honest, I saw

4:43

the trailer and I thought god that's heavy

4:45

handed. I'm gonna hate the snow This movie

4:47

is beautifully made and beautifully. Acted and

4:50

I think it accomplices. It's goals

4:52

and trying to be harrowing and

4:54

visceral, but. I came

4:56

away wondering why did I sit through

4:58

that? I didn't even if it was

5:01

beautiful even if it was well done.

5:03

I mean if the point is it

5:05

could happen here and war is bad

5:07

it I fully agree and at that

5:09

really upsets me but I I'm not

5:11

sure I needed to. Have

5:13

nine thousand jump scare had

5:15

does have my heart. Ache for

5:18

two hours would really appreciate had been

5:20

of the was the idea of of

5:22

their some people hear about from secure

5:24

about it enough to put their lives

5:26

on the line to collect with whatever

5:28

and read about people we Miller Robert

5:30

Chopper for James Nachtwey is war photographer

5:33

that were there for the liberation of

5:35

Doctor are that were there for Vietnam.

5:37

Going to these places there's of senses

5:39

ambiguity in as the Simpsons of not

5:41

knowing with moods even for them in

5:43

the very moment. but the go there

5:45

because we believe that the things. Will

5:47

be document the man we record

5:50

other people. Journalists.

5:56

The. We really can read it out. When I was

5:59

on the sofa. The address get away

6:01

with everything else and yet here these people

6:03

on this film for have or nihilistic it

6:05

feels it's unpleasant and a does It kills

6:07

all things tears. These people that it's following

6:09

these war photographers who believe that it matters

6:12

to be there to document these moments because

6:14

the evidence that they collect will matter at

6:16

some point of it as a matter of

6:18

this moment. And that's. Strangely.

6:21

Bracing to me. I would say i

6:23

totally get what you're saying as well. I

6:25

it strikes me is. Sad. Funny

6:27

because the movie cemented mine. I

6:30

listen to some degree but this

6:32

one is a notable. Things about

6:34

this movie to me is like

6:36

the journalists are the complicated heroes

6:38

of this movie and you see

6:40

them out there just ceasing truth,

6:42

ceasing the photo chasing the story

6:44

that I've never been the conflict

6:47

zone but yes all feals true

6:49

to life. Also they are very

6:51

much bubble wrapped from the effects

6:53

of their reporting. The only that

6:55

I recall incident of anybody talking.

6:57

About. Consuming news is

6:59

that a woman in a shop who tells

7:02

them yeah from base of Y C on

7:04

the news? I just try to stay out

7:06

of it and we over and over here

7:08

about family members back home who pretend the

7:10

Civil War isn't happening and. That.the

7:13

in the gut of a thing that

7:15

you know I feel when I'm out

7:17

at a Trump rally or wherever going.

7:19

What is the story gonna do? He

7:21

added this movies. I'm not even

7:23

sure it's intentional. I hope it is by

7:25

me like really kind of subtly gets out.

7:28

Why are these people doing it? Is what

7:30

they're doing. Changing anything? Yes, you can look

7:32

at them. As heroes but

7:35

are they know. It

7:37

I have jobs feelings of sadness

7:39

and pleasure. To see that's so interesting

7:41

Because again, water to your point where me

7:43

Abstract: Yes, this is a heartening some about

7:46

people who strongly believe in what they're doing.

7:48

And to your point, Danielle: Sometimes what they're

7:50

doing can be called an addiction. so maybe

7:52

there's some a dark purpose to it as

7:54

well. But I kind of coming down on

7:57

T. Monica, I think because I felt it

7:59

hovering between. Wanting to

8:01

be an urgent warning cry this blistering

8:03

screed against authoritarianism, right? Yeah, and in

8:05

execution and up kind of both sides.

8:08

The this is what happens when we

8:10

don't communicate disingenuous wet noodle. I read

8:12

the press materials after I saw the

8:14

film and the said the stood up

8:17

to me. for all it's radicalism, Garden

8:19

simply hopes that viewers enter with an

8:21

open mind, leave without feeling alienated and

8:23

perhaps consider our own political predicament within

8:26

this context. He can have all those

8:28

things. But I mean, Leave

8:30

without feeling alienated is with struck out to

8:32

me. Because. If you're shooting

8:35

for relevance to comment on current

8:37

events, shouldn't you risk. Alienating

8:39

that section of your audience that your

8:42

stencil be trying to warn us about.

8:44

Shouldn't they feel specifically implicated Called out?

8:46

Not this. This is. War.

8:48

Is bad and we're all guilty, right? Monica? As

8:50

it's I was dying for this movie to say. Something.

8:53

Says it's more than just war is

8:56

that? I mean, you know I really

8:58

wanted it to go farther to explore.

9:00

I like the potential political implications or

9:02

even just explain why the Civil War

9:04

that we're watching right now happened at

9:07

all. I know it's. Kind. Of

9:09

interesting to just jump into the

9:11

deep end by war from nothing

9:13

F feels very strange. To me

9:16

and I get the impulse behind that right?

9:18

Because you don't preach to the choir, You

9:20

don't to be ham fisted. You don't just

9:22

do nothing but reassure your audience of their

9:24

absolutely right in the can. be smug about

9:26

it because that is the trap of the

9:28

Adam Mckay from Don't Look Up Fell Into

9:30

Back and Twenty Twenty One. That was be

9:32

very overt climate change analogy about a comet

9:34

colliding with earth. Yes, you don't do that.

9:36

Yes, I thought about don't Look Up This

9:39

whole movement Still Look Up is one of

9:41

the worst movies I've ever seen hands down.

9:43

Id posted that film that part of it

9:45

is because like that even if you agree

9:47

with don't look off and like yeah I

9:49

agree climate apocalypse is coming in at scary

9:51

you don't wanna hear someone yell at you

9:53

for two hours about as it just gets

9:55

tiresome right? even if you agree with and

9:57

this movie. Takes. The opposite

9:59

path. There they've. Paid

10:01

ambiguous about what caused the war. And on

10:03

the one hand, I like ambiguity in a

10:05

movie like this because the movie is presuming

10:07

that you are smart enough to sit and

10:09

think about it, That you are smart enough

10:11

to draw connections. You are smart enough to

10:13

take away what you're gonna take away. But

10:15

I would argue there's a happy medium to

10:17

be reads. I mean, I don't. He would

10:20

argue there's a happy medium to erase. I

10:22

don't know if this movie could but gesture

10:24

more pointedly at current events and still be

10:26

watchable. I think it's as good as it

10:28

could have been. Oh yeah, it's it had

10:30

Been a sermon. It would have been worse

10:32

but this is Matt. I still don't

10:34

find this treatment of. The subject optimal

10:36

I guess two points and you know

10:38

and really agree with a lot of

10:40

when of would say that we do

10:43

know that it's a three term president

10:45

yep disease said costuming choices with you

10:47

see certain language and references to Charlottesville

10:49

Francis but our ethics. a danger that

10:51

we fall into is that we all

10:53

bring in a lot of stuff like

10:55

I am so terrified Other the stakes

10:57

are high for people who look like

10:59

me in this movie actually clarifies exactly

11:02

the kind of peril that are Asian

11:04

Americans might be entering an Civil war.

11:06

I don't know that there's an answer

11:08

sort of to larger points. Danielle in

11:10

work like this be just often things

11:12

and agree with you the most to

11:14

the most harm to your size. I

11:16

quit because all of a sudden the

11:18

other side of like look at all

11:20

the orders, these proselytizing, these hysterical be

11:23

whatever and in I would say movie

11:25

doesn't deal with that, it's as work.

11:27

we don't actually know what's going to

11:29

happen in November, just like Medium cool

11:31

didn't know. So we're kind of in

11:33

the middle of this period of intense.

11:35

Fear and paranoia and stressed of the

11:38

other. And here's some is really about

11:40

okay. Here's these people who believe that

11:42

they can make a difference. These people

11:44

aren't giving up and I look at

11:46

that much in it's a good reminder

11:48

for me nobody else that people do

11:50

care met our voices actually do mattered.

11:52

We could maybe change one person's mind

11:55

and them to people's minds just by

11:57

telling the truth. Documenting will be pleased.

12:00

The truth either. Here's a movie that doesn't

12:02

spoon feed me an easy solution but rather

12:04

says have you ever considered that without say

12:06

boss has equal but seen that we are

12:08

responsible a little bit for the Balkanization of

12:11

our country. Out of we reconstructs us how

12:13

do we come back from this? Yeah, I've

12:15

never seen a way through these people believe

12:17

there is one even if they don't say

12:19

what it is a to be a simple

12:22

seeking a picture of the right time I

12:24

think assumes that it's strongest when it is

12:26

about the immediacy of war, when it's about

12:28

survival when somebody gets pinned. Down they don't

12:30

know what side it's onto the soldier make of

12:32

put him at very impressive. seemed like it doesn't

12:35

matter who the some either side they're trying to

12:37

kill me I'm gonna try to kill that's my

12:39

issue I think and I figure issue is when

12:41

it clear that notion he want to widens out

12:43

is where harrowing scene featuring the journalists being interrogated

12:45

by a soldier and it's trying to say I

12:47

think the scene is trying to say that in

12:50

the day to day reality war, ideologies and politics

12:52

gonna go away and what what emerges is the

12:54

worst of humanity like basic human evils like racism.

12:56

But if that's the case then why do we

12:58

have all this waving about our political. Nominate All

13:00

I mean. a film opens with the President

13:02

of United States composing a speech to not

13:05

only falsely declare victory, but to declare the

13:07

biggest victory in the history of the world.

13:09

Guess that's not even code it. We're meant

13:11

to see that as Trump is. Know whether

13:13

it's impossible not to run. Monica might come

13:15

on now. Now now I'm totally on

13:17

the same page. I mean at right.

13:19

They suit Nick Offerman a little bit

13:21

like Trump's The stuff that he says

13:23

is very much like Trump's there are

13:26

you now mentions to and T Fast

13:28

and Bnc a massacre. There's all these

13:30

different little codes and things like that.

13:32

To think, bring up some political angle.

13:34

I will say something nice about the

13:36

self says I can. Mostly negative. I

13:38

really hung on to the mentorship. Roles

13:40

that the different characters get to share over

13:42

the course of the film Because when. You.

13:45

Are covering those really incensed situations? Sometimes

13:47

your colleagues are the only people who

13:49

have your back. Some the stuff that

13:51

Kelly Spain his character goes through as

13:53

a young com reporter you know, kind

13:56

of covering her first war and the

13:58

as tips and tricks then coaching that

14:00

league gives terrorists is so important in

14:02

a I I really I was my

14:04

favorite part of the selves. So I

14:07

wish maybe we spend. A bit more time

14:09

with that vs all the all the different

14:11

political same success in. A. Really lovely. Mention

14:13

the mentorship aspects of the because you

14:15

know you ask the question of who's

14:17

listening. She was listening as a little

14:19

little girl friend were watching stuff in

14:21

the world. Right now we're journals are

14:23

being assassinated in the dozens and dozens.

14:26

There's always more. There's always another person

14:28

will say i'm probably going to die

14:30

today, but a Buddha Documents thing. I

14:32

don't know what's going to talking to,

14:34

but I believe that there's important to

14:36

this mission. Yeah, that reminds me of

14:38

Carlin's in in a Library of a

14:40

Dilation more than anything else you know.

14:42

Didn't want. To be much of a war

14:44

movie, I don't think it wants to be a

14:46

political movie Beyond the large blue question of why

14:48

do we you killing each other and how do

14:50

we? how to come out from this and who

14:53

chronicles, yes, the records and that. that. That's all

14:55

interesting and important stuff. I see. How can we

14:57

find that middle ground that we were talking about?

14:59

I. Want to back up to

15:01

one point that Monica made about

15:03

Nick Offerman as presidential. I think

15:06

the casting of him as a

15:08

President who is Trump coated is

15:10

absolutely genius. A reminded me of

15:12

the movie promising young woman's and

15:14

I will the Emeralds An outcast

15:16

sweet guys like Bo Burnham and

15:18

cost some to be like low

15:20

key and then not so low

15:23

key creeps. Similarly, we have the

15:25

lovable Libertarian from Parks and Rec

15:27

who everybody likes before from the

15:29

T. V who is now whole?

15:31

Who is now this authoritarian I thought

15:33

that felt like an intentional wings and

15:36

a very smart went to make i

15:38

apologize for playing dartboard hereby of one.

15:40

Other. Point that gets back to see what Walter

15:43

was talking about in terms of a in. Terms

15:45

of these journalists be heroes and pursuing the

15:47

truth at all costs. We haven't really mentioned

15:49

that this movie is a road movie, a

15:51

disease, reporters trying to get to Washington Dc

15:53

and sort of the things I see along

15:55

the way. and one of the things they

15:57

see as they stopped at a gas station.

16:00

Oh. And young tuber particularly

16:02

Seine. what she saw was

16:04

to. Looters. Who have

16:06

been tortured and are kind of. Restrained

16:09

and they have been tortured. And

16:11

a guy follows her out back and

16:13

detention in that scene that seen captors

16:15

to me better than pretty much the

16:18

rest of the movie. Like why journalist

16:20

do what they do because Kaylee Spain

16:22

he is wondering oh god what we

16:24

do do we help these people in

16:26

here Sundance senseless young soldier. Who.

16:28

Is very proud of having strong up these looters

16:31

Hey. Let me take your

16:33

picture like you own this sir. You did

16:35

this. Use the and proudly they are and

16:37

I'm gonna take your dang picture. That is

16:39

why journalists do what they do and I

16:42

bad as the scene that's gonna. Stick with

16:44

me from this movie. Ever say? You

16:46

know. I'd. The to movie

16:48

that I really love of Alex

16:50

Garland is Annihilation An ex mocking

16:52

us and. Two of those benefit

16:55

I think from being and the Psi phi

16:57

worlds where he really got to get creative,

16:59

where he really did get a kind of

17:01

removed himself from our day to day what

17:03

we're going through what we're dealing with. I

17:05

almost kind of wish this movie. Could.

17:08

Have taken place a little bit more

17:10

far the removed seen a little bit

17:12

more done, a little bit more with

17:14

that without all the different political baggage

17:16

that comes with trying to talk about

17:18

to day one. Other thing that I

17:21

did. When a bring up and I don't

17:23

know if anyone else felt this way was

17:25

Isis that the needle drops were. So if

17:27

not more like a record scratch. Than

17:30

actually complimenting the mood or building the

17:32

mood all the sudden it is says

17:35

like a crescendo like oh my god

17:37

who is Stereo just went off it

17:39

just. Felt. Counter to whatever emotion with

17:41

on screen and maybe that's the feeling he's trying

17:43

to elicit, but it every time it's just took

17:45

me out of the movie. If the goal

17:47

was to be disorienting the that for yes

17:50

and I I think the goes probably to

17:52

be deserted to get some cases. Oh yeah

17:54

well you heard what we have to say

17:56

You can tell is a really fascinating some

17:59

to talk about. Civil War is in

18:01

theaters now up next. What is making us

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mass limited by state law. Notice.

20:00

time for our favorite segment of This

20:02

Week and Every Week. What is making

20:04

us happy this week? Monica Castillo kick

20:06

us off. What's making me

20:08

happy this week is the movie

20:10

Riddle of Fire, which premiered at

20:13

Cannes last year. It's a neo-fairy

20:15

tale that's like really scrappy set

20:17

in Wyoming. And it's these

20:19

three little kids that you don't just want to

20:22

play video games, but their mom gives them a

20:24

quest to build a pie for

20:26

her because she's not feeling well. And then

20:28

only then can they play their video games.

20:30

So of course, this launches an epic little

20:33

adventure. They have to get very specific ingredients.

20:36

And it's so charming. It looks marvelous.

20:38

It's I think shot on 16 millimeter. It

20:40

looks like nothing else out there right now.

20:42

I just fully in love

20:44

with this movie. And I hope other people will get

20:46

the chance to check it out. All right,

20:48

so that is Riddle of Fire. And it's available

20:50

on VOD now. Thank you, Monica. Daniel

20:53

Kurtzleben, what is making you happy this week? What's

20:55

making me happy this week is a

20:57

show on Apple Plus. It is called

21:00

Palm Royale. It stars Kristen Wiig, Allison

21:02

Janney, Carol Burnett is in it. It is

21:04

a bunch of women who are not in

21:06

their 20s and 30s, but

21:09

just having a blast. It is

21:11

frothy. It is fizzy. It is

21:13

the opposite of Civil War.

21:15

It is good, silly fun.

21:17

Kristen Wiig plays a woman in the...

21:21

This takes place in the late 1960s,

21:23

a woman who wants to be a part

21:25

of an exclusive club in

21:28

Palm Beach called the Palm Royale. And she wants

21:30

to fit in with all the rich society mavens.

21:33

And there's a subplot about a women's

21:36

consciousness raising group. I didn't even mention

21:38

Laura Dern. Laura Dern is

21:40

the leader of that group. And her wig. And

21:42

her wig, that's fair. It's silly,

21:44

frothy fun with excellent costumes. I

21:46

am always rooting for both Kristen Wiig and

21:49

Allison Janney. They're two of my favorites. Is

21:51

it great TV? I don't know yet, but

21:53

it's a blast. It's

21:56

a blast. And that is Palm Royale on Apple TV

21:58

Plus. Thank you very much. Danielle Kurtz-Labin, Walter

22:00

Chow, what is making you happy this week?

22:02

Well, I am obsessed with

22:05

this coffee table book called

22:07

Alfred Hitchcock Storyboards. It's

22:09

compiled by Tony Lee Morrill. Literally

22:12

that's all it is. You open it

22:14

up and you can see the storyboards

22:16

for the attack of the

22:19

birds on the gas station. You can see

22:21

the push zoom effect from

22:23

Vertigo as it's sketched out. It's

22:25

sort of like this holy grail that I've

22:28

been looking for for years of just one place

22:30

where the storyboards would be collected. He

22:32

was infamous for seeing that. Once

22:35

I finished planning it out and drawing the

22:37

storyboards, the movie is already done. Shooting

22:40

it is just a formality. I've

22:42

been using it as a treat for myself. Every

22:44

time I finish something I don't want to finish, I

22:47

get to go look at the next film. And

22:49

yeah, it's great to lose your storyboards. Alfred

22:52

Hitchcock Storyboards by Tony Lee Morrill. Thank

22:54

you very much, Walter. Great pick. I

22:56

just ordered it. So

22:59

your end of one is successful because

23:01

that's a... Wait, you just ordered it just

23:03

this moment? Hearing him talk about it?

23:05

Oh my gosh. Just the second I just did. Yes, as

23:08

a matter of fact. Oh wow. Well

23:10

done, Walter. Thank you very much. What's making

23:12

me happy this week, The People's Joker, is

23:14

a film you may have heard about when

23:17

it's a planned extended premiere at the 2022

23:19

Toronto International Film Festival was abruptly

23:21

reduced to one midnight showing. It

23:24

stars Vera Drew, who directed and

23:26

co-wrote it with Brie LaRose.

23:28

It is the origin story of

23:30

The Joker. If The

23:32

Joker was a trans woman with a

23:34

very funny, narco-socialist take

23:37

on pretty much everything but

23:39

especially weirdly, the status of

23:41

contemporary stand-up comedy. And if

23:43

Gotham City was a

23:45

combination of crowdsource, green screen backdrops,

23:48

and animation. It is also

23:50

a queer coming of age tale and a rom-com

23:52

with a very thorough knowledge and

23:54

jokes about deep, deep Batman

23:56

lore, especially the Joel Schumacher

23:58

films and voice cameos from

24:01

members of LA's alt comedy scene, as you

24:03

might imagine from that description, everything

24:05

about this film makes the mega

24:08

corporate owners of IP like The Joker in

24:10

Gotham City and Batman very nervous. When

24:13

it was pulled from TIFF, most of us figured we would

24:15

never get to see it. But

24:17

somehow it has managed

24:19

to secure an extremely limited

24:22

theatrical release this month and next that

24:24

is The People's Joker in

24:26

theaters now. And that is what

24:28

is making me happy this week and if you want

24:31

links for what we recommended plus some

24:33

more recommendations, sign up for our newsletter

24:35

at npr.org/Pop Culture newsletter. That brings

24:37

us to the end of our show, Daniel Kurtzleben, Monica

24:39

Castillo, Walter Chow. Thank you so much for being here.

24:41

Thank you for having me. Thank you for having me.

24:43

He was a blast as always. This episode

24:45

was produced by Hafsa Fatima and edited by

24:48

Mike Katzith. Our supervising producer is Jessica Reedy

24:50

and Halokimin provides our theme music. Thank

24:52

you for listening to Pop Culture Happy Hour from NPR.

24:54

I'm Glenn Weldon and we'll see you all next

24:57

week. This

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more at rosettastone.com. On

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the TED Radio Hour, engineer

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Saad Bhamla loves solving biological

25:44

mysteries. Like the strange way

25:46

a bug in his backyard was peeing.

25:48

I was like, hey, there's something happening. There's

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a droplet at its butt and it's flicking

25:52

it. I was like, all right. It's

25:56

accepted, bug. on

26:00

the TED Radio Hour from NPR.

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