Pete Fenzel hosts with Natalie Baseman, Mark Lee, and Jordan Stokes to Overthink our best & worst karaoke experiences, the last part of our 2010 Summer Movies preview, the misleading film titles of Angelina Jolie, and how to decide on a movie when you’re on a date. Don’t blame us when you get dumped over seeing The Expendables.
[A note on the live-stream: we once again experienced technical difficulties (apologies to all of the listeners who got cut off halfway), and as a result, we’re re-evaluating our options for next Sunday’s recording. Be sure to check our Twitter account for the updated plan come Sunday.]
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Heard the first half, will listen to the rest in the morning. But before I forget, could you update those of us *without* Twitter in some other fashion once a decision has been made if you pick something other than Ustream? Maybe I’m being selfish. Sorry. But I don’t have a Twitter. And I’d like to try at least listening to the podcast live once more.
How dare you. The Expendables is a perfect date movie.
“Priest” is probably going to be as “stupid” as the other church-ee action horror movie Paul Bettany had earlier this year, “Legion.” I wanted to see the latter and haven’t (it was in the theater here for less than a month, so I didn’t make it), and I probably won’t see this one, either (for similar reasons). It’s kind of sad to me that Bettany isn’t really doing anything appearing to have *real* merit, given what a good actor (I think) he is. But I like the pseudo-religious horror stuff and realize that even when they’re bad, I think they’re kind of awesome.
As a “girl,” I don’t have a preference for what I’d see on a date. I’m a “girl,” yes, but I think I’m a moviegoer first. I like movies. Genre doesn’t matter. I enjoy movies not for the sake of the movies themselves so much as the experience of watching them, and I don’t need to have other people around me to do this, although having other people around adds another level of enjoyment because of the feeling of shared experience and fellowship. So I’ll see anything with a potential date because I don’t talk during the movie- and since a movie has to be *really awful* for me to not enjoy it at least a little (because I like the movie-watching experience), no doubt I’d have a feeling like Natalie as long as the other person enjoyed it (as in I’d have a decent time with the movie because they did). And I suppose that if we both hated the movie enough, something could come out of that, like when I saw _Daredevil_- saw that with my dad and sister, and while we hated the film and such, we had a blast wailing on it for the next hour.
So, segue: But I actually don’t like movies as the only part of socializing, be it romantic or not. I’d prefer going out for a bite to eat or a cup of coffee to at least be attached before or after the movie (preferably before- less of a time crunch) because there isn’t much opportunity to talk to the person or persons one is at the movie with. Watching movies at a place of residence is a little different, but not much for me, and perhaps this is, again, because I’m such a movie buff. So, given the lackluster list of movies this summer and the fact that I’m not uber-hyped all that much, I doubt I’ll go to very many with people, but instead go hang out with them downtown or play video/board games or something- especially since there is only one movie theater in my town and thus no source of independent theater.
Stokes: And I’d want to go to the football game. We’ll trade tickets.
The only movie I know for certain I’m going to see is “Toy Story 3.”
What about concerts this summer, though? I realize the podcast was dedicated to movies, but summer is a good season for music, too. Right? If I lived in a large metropolitan area, I’d try to go to clubs and coffee shops with live music to scope out local bands with friends. And I do know of one event I’d like to commute to over the Fourth of July weekend (if I can scrounge up the $$ and find lodging)- Lilith Fair. The Overthinkers live in cities with large concert halls and arenas, so I’m sure you’ve got lists of potential big-name artists to go see.
*”preferably after,” not before. Sorry. I fail.
I became a fan of Natalie in this episode. Woo, Natalie!
In terms of Overthinking It diaspora, I think we should claim Israel as our homeland. Nobody else wants it, right?
I do believe in The Other Guys Ferrell is playing a pencil pusher whereas Wahlberg is a cop who got busted down to doing desk work for being a loose cannon. I am fairly certain that’s what the backstory is.
Step Brothers is good, but utterly ridiculous, which I suppose puts it in the same vein as Anchorman. Also like it’s predecessor, it has a tendency to exist more as a series of set pieces than as an actual movie. It just doesn’t happen to be as funny as Anchorman, and in lieu of good comedy relies far too often on gross out and shock value humor.
@Pete: You are quite the overthinker. I recall a podcast where you once said that once you reach a certain age two people of opposite genders should be able to go out to dinner, regardless of the relationship between them, and have the important thing be to just enjoy your meal.
Take that reasoning (and what Natalie said) and apply that to movies and you’ll be fine.
Perhaps this is an area where you should relax and not overthink.
:-)
@Gab, and everyone else interested in the livestream status for next Sunday 6/12: you don’t need to be a Twitter user to get the updates. You can just visit our Twitter page (http://twitter.com/overthinkingit)–you won’t get Twitter cooties, I promise–or just browse to the OTI homepage and look for the most recent status updates immediately underneath the carousel.
@Sylvia: I completely agree. Expendables is a perfectly good date movie, and if you get dumped for taking a date to see it, well, it wasn’t meant to be in the first place. Litmus test!
Lee, are you sure? I mean, I dunno… Cooties are a big deal.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w6ylxWcwkUM
@Sylvia
I have to confess, I was definitely channeling my overthinker on this one — deliberately choosing a topic that one could overthink in the traditional sense and overthinking it for the sake of entertainment and education (edutainment, if you will), even if overthinking it is >gasp< not always the best thing to do in a given situation.
I’d like to postulate the inverse of the “Ghost Ship Moment” – the “Salt Epiphany.” Roughly defined as the moment when the audience definitively realizes that the title of the movie has nothing whatsoever to do with the plot, characters, themes, etc.
Thoughts?
@Tom
I will counter-suggest that disappointing movies at some point enter “Domino’s Time.”
As in, “This movie better deliver in 30 minutes or less, or I want my money back.”
Karaoke: I don’t think the internet made karaoke popular as it is an activity that requires going and interacting in person as opposed to anonymously online. I used to do nightclub promotions and bars simply like karaoke because it is cheaper than hiring a DJ or a band.
Sequels: Not only do certain properties get a sequel when the story doesn’t require one, they get one when the story specifically prohibits a sequel. The original Highlander ended in such a way where there was no way in Hell you could possibly have a sequel. The story was over. Period. The result? Three sequels and two spin-off TV shows!
As for where sequels inevitably go after a certain number of movies: Space! Friday The 13th and Leprechaun are two examples of series that after a certain number of sequels ended up in space. Also, The Hood/Harlem.
The One wasn’t a terrible movie but a major plot oversight ruined it for me. There were like 131 or so alternate universes, and if someone was the last version of yourself left alive, either they would become a God or the entire multiverse would be destroyed. The problem is, even if all 131 versions of yourself live the exact same life, you still won’t all die at the exact same time. Someone will be the last to die, even if by only a few minutes.
Possible Twilight crossover based on shirts I see at sci-fi cons: Buffy Staked Edward.
In the book Masters of Doom about the guys at Id software that invented Doom it was pretty much stated the artist that did the art was a big heavy metal fan and was only into the imagery of demons and gore but not any deeper religious or supernatural context.
@fenzel: Think of ‘The Little Focker’ as Dragon Ball GT, something that takes place in the same universe but is utter crap and the story makes no sense no matter how hard you try to comprehend it.
Karaoke: I did it once with a friend but the song wasn’t in my key and I hate performing in front of crowds so I have no desire to do it ever again. However, if I got properly liquored up I might be persuaded to sing ‘Starlight’ by Muse. I’ve heard the song so many times and Matthew Bellamy’s key in that song matches my own so it wouldn’t be hard to do. And actually karaoke got started in Japan (they *really* take it serously there) and slowly made it’s way over to the US and other places.
Livestream is ON for tonight, 9:15 EST, 6:15 PST.
Pray to the Flying Spaghetti Monster that it goes smoothly!
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/overthinking-it-podcast