FMC 102: Robocop Directed by Paul Verhoeven

Full Episode Transcript
This episode of Filmmaker Commentary Paul Verhoeven's 1987 sci-fi action classic "RoboCop," discussing its production, themes, and legacy, alongside recent news and trailers from DC Fandome, and current watchlist recommendations.

Introduction to RoboCop and Recent News
Reginald Titus Jr.: Filmmaker Commentary, episode 102. Welcome to Filmmaker Commentary, where we give you insights from our favorite filmmaking commentaries. These commentaries can be heard on your DVD and Blu-rays of your favorite movies. We'll show you how you can use these commentaries and apply them to improve your video production and filmmaking techniques. All of this here on Filmmaker Commentary. I'm your host, Reginald Titus Jr.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Thank you for tuning into Filmmaker Commentary. I'm Reginald Titus Jr. I'm joined with...
Casey G. Smith: Casey G. Smith.
Reginald Titus Jr.: RoboCop. Welcome to Filmmaker Commentary.
Casey G. Smith: Good to be back, sir.
Reginald Titus Jr.: All right. In today we are talking about 1987's RoboCop, directed by Paul Verhoeven.
Casey G. Smith: Affirmative.
Reginald Titus Jr.: RoboCop got an award, award, won an Academy Award for special, what was it? I forget.
Casey G. Smith: Special achievement in sound editing.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Oh. Okay. RoboCop had a budget of 13 million and a box office of 53.4 million. I think that's a win.
Casey G. Smith: Oh yeah.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Before we talk further about RoboCop, let's talk about news and movies watched.
Casey G. Smith: In the news, an event took place this weekend as of the recording of this podcast called DC Fandome, where in light of so many conventions not happening this year, DC decided to hold their very own, highlighting all the different kinds of media that they're involved with from movies, to comic books, to video games and a couple of surprises in between. This was an eight-hour event with panels and directors and an international host from all over the world as they switched out throughout the different panels. It was really well done.
Casey G. Smith: And so they talked about everything from the Wonder Woman 84 film and the cast there, Patty Jenkins and Gal Gadot and Chris Pine and what's our guy who's playing Maxwell Lord, Pedro Pascal. There we go. And Kristen Wiig. They were all there on the panel to again, some video game reveals like Gotham Knights, to there was a panel for Shazam. There was a brief panel, I didn't get to watch it, but with Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and the Black Adam film, the long-rumored Black Adam film. They did a nice little kind of like animatic for that with his voice over. They also of course had something for The Flash.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Okay. For its own movie?
Casey G. Smith: Yeah, which they've been working on for years. That's a film. Yeah, Ezra Miller still going to be holding it down, but they have been working on that for years.
Reginald Titus Jr.: I will sign up to watch that. I like the way they did the special effects in the movie, the Justice League, yeah. I enjoyed that. So, I just like, I've been a fan of The Flash for a while.
Casey G. Smith: Same here.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Since I've been a child.
Casey G. Smith: Yes, sir.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Uh, but I like, I like how the effect looks, the running effect how they got it in the movie. So, I'll sign up just for that.
Casey G. Smith: Very nice. Okay. And they're going to be adopting the Flashpoint storyline. So that's that's got me very, very excited. That's a very fun storyline. Um, and apparently Ben Affleck is going to come back to reprise his role as Batman just just in that, just in that film.
Reginald Titus Jr.: I'm a hater of Ben Affleck.
Reginald Titus Jr.: You know he's dating, right?
Casey G. Smith: Yeah, I do. Okay. Yeah. I'm like, man, Ben, Ben's got all the smoke.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Ben's a winner.
Casey G. Smith: Yes. Ben Ben is. He's got the juice.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Nothing sticks to him.
Casey G. Smith: It's like, man, this guy is Teflon. How does he do that?
Reginald Titus Jr.: Wouldn't you like to know?
Casey G. Smith: Yes, he's Batman. This guy really is Bruce Wayne. But, um, yeah, so, uh, so The Flashpoint film, then of course, you know, Zack Snyder's Justice League, it is coming to fruition, which is should be impossible. It should be impossible this happened because originally when Justice League was being shot, obviously it was a Zack Snyder film. And his name is still on there as director. But,
Reginald Titus Jr.: He had a tragedy.
Casey G. Smith: Yeah, halfway through the production, you know, unfortunately, you know, uh, his daughter committed suicide. He and his wife, Deb, who's also the producer on the film, they left the film. Joss Whedon came in to take over. And what we got was is not Zack Snyder's vision of Justice League. Drastically different, drastically different. If you get a chance, I encourage you all to to watch the the trailer that he dropped.
Reginald Titus Jr.: It looks unfinished. Not the trailer. Um, the film looked unfinished when I watched it. I was kind of disappointed. I was like,
Casey G. Smith: Yeah, a lot.
Reginald Titus Jr.: But but at the time he didn't know if he was going to come back to the film in the first place because it's such a traumatic situation. So it was like,
Casey G. Smith: That's very true.
Reginald Titus Jr.: It's, so it makes sense that they made a concession for this.
Casey G. Smith: Well, here's the interesting thing is that fans started clamoring for, you know, there were rumors that there was a a Snyder cut. And fans started clamoring for it. And actually on this, uh, during the panel, he actually brought in a fan that was like from China, who she, when she saw the film, she she knew that it was like unfinished. It seemed just like missing pieces this and that. And so she like petitions started, and that wasn't enough. So then she started a website. And in the midst of all this, the cool thing is that all these fans have also raised like awareness for suicide prevention and raised a bunch of money for that cause. Um, and then certain fans began to figure out kind of how the game works as far as, you know, production and reaching studios, and they began to take those kinds of inroads to us getting to the point we're at now where HBO Max in 2021 is going to release the Zack Snyder cut of Justice League. So right now, they're all editing like in in Zack's house,
Reginald Titus Jr.: I love it.
Casey G. Smith: They're editing and working on this thing.
Reginald Titus Jr.: So did he, when he had to bow out, was he done shooting?
Casey G. Smith: I think so. Yeah. I I want to say yes, now I I don't think they're going to go and shoot some more. I don't think. I don't, I I could be wrong. Don't quote me on that, but yeah, but so this thing's going to be four hours. Four hours. So I think it I think you could watch it episodically, but if you want to take it all in, you know, one sitting, you can. So you got you got your options, you know, how you want to take it. But four hours worth. And because again, with the film, Cyborg, he's he is the center of the film. And you think about how little he was in the version that we saw. He's the heartbeat of the film. His whole backstory, when you go back and watch the original trailers for Justice League, there are scenes of a guy playing football. That's Vic Stone, aka who becomes Cyborg. That's his thing. Like there are a bunch of clips that are in the trailer, original trailer, that are not in the actual film. Like quite, you're like, oh,
Reginald Titus Jr.: What happened here?
Casey G. Smith: Yeah. So, you know, Darkseid is full blown in the film, which makes sense. Uh, especially when you go back to Batman v Superman and the the vision that Batman has, you know, where, you know, Flash, you know, appears to him, you know, it's like, oh, yeah, there's a lot missing. So, I'm I'm very excited. So, that is dropping for sure.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Did they say what month in 2021?
Casey G. Smith: Uh, to be continued. Yeah, to be continued. I don't I don't have that offhand, but no worries.
Reginald Titus Jr.: But they did they officially drop like, they said the year, but what did they have an official date or is it kind of like the Batman one?
Casey G. Smith: No, no, they said 2021. It is sure. It's coming 2021. So, But it's a lot, you know, a lot of editing and so,
Reginald Titus Jr.: Heck yeah, it is. More editing than producing.
Casey G. Smith: And people even talked about like stylistically, like there was like a certain hue they said is like within Justice League that's just like not consistent with Zack Snyder's style as far as how Anyway, I'm uh yeah, very, very excited. But yeah, if you get a chance to watch the trailer, the the trailer that he showed, it's not even a it's like a it's like a it's like a tease because it's not a a trailer, but this is a bunch of clips that are not that are not in
Reginald Titus Jr.: Is it are they exciting enough to make you be like, okay, I'll wait around for this?
Casey G. Smith: For me, for me they were. Uh, because I'm like, all right, I know I know there's someone. I'm a I'm a Zack Snyder fan, but I knew that there's just so much more. And just the tidbits that he shows, it's like, wow, some are some are emotional beats, some are reveals of characters, some are introductions of characters who were totally cut out of the original, uh,
Reginald Titus Jr.: Interesting.
Casey G. Smith: Vision, like Iris West. Um, she is not in the theatrical cut at all.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Yeah, I I only seen that once and, uh, I think I watched it again, but I go just for the Superman sequence when he wakes up. That's my favorite part of the film. That's what I watch.
Casey G. Smith: Uh huh. Mm. And so there's going to be this everybody's going to have so much more.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Okay. All the characters.
Casey G. Smith: Fleshed out.
Reginald Titus Jr.: I can see why it's four hours.
Casey G. Smith: Yes, sir. And then of course, um, at this event there was the uh, Matt Reeves of Planet of the Apes fame.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Mm hmm.
Casey G. Smith: He did a panel and it was just him talking with just with one other person. Uh, Aisha Tyler, actually. Yeah, the comedian Aisha Aisha Tyler. Um, yeah, she does a lot of like nerd nerd-related stuff, but also
Reginald Titus Jr.: She like doing television or anything like that?
Casey G. Smith: Yeah, she's actually on The Talk, which is a an afternoon show that comes on several ladies. So she she wasn't there pretty consistently, but she might may not be on there anymore. But, um, and also she's the voice of one of the characters on Archer, if I'm not mistaken.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Oh, like voiceover work. I got it.
Casey G. Smith: Yeah, but she's a comedian, too. But yeah, she'll probably do different nerd-based events and she hosts quite a bit. But, uh, but yeah, it was just her and Matt Reeves talking. And Matt Reeves, man, you talking about somebody just prepared. Like this dude, this dude knows Batman.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Notes.
Casey G. Smith: Seriously. I was like, yo, I mean, he was deep cutting. And when he's talking about the film, like the vision for it, so, you know, Robert Pattinson, of course, is playing Batman. And it's like, this this film is set in like Batman's second year of being Batman. So it's not a year one origin story. But it's like, okay, he's in his second year of in of being Batman and still finding his way. So he's still making mistakes.
Reginald Titus Jr.: I was, um, when I'm listening to you, um, he's obviously directing the film. So,
Casey G. Smith: Yes, sir.
Reginald Titus Jr.: I I was I was unaware. I was like, what? Who is he playing Batman? What's his what's his association? Who cares if he knows Batman?
Casey G. Smith: Is he producing?
Reginald Titus Jr.: He better know Batman. Yeah, he better know. That's why I was like, because I haven't been in the in the loop in regards to that world yet. So so for for some of our, you know, listeners that may not be in that world.
Casey G. Smith: Yeah, this dude knows. Gotcha. Yeah. So Matt Reeves is directing The Batman. And they've shot about 25% of the film before COVID hit and they had to obviously stop. And so now they're getting to a point where they're going to get back into production. But man, if you all haven't seen the trailer for this, it's yeah, it's I I I dug it. And it is it's going it's going to be dark.
Reginald Titus Jr.: I watched I watched it. Um, I don't know. Are we covering this in the trailers or are we covering it now?

The Batman Trailer, Other Trailers, and Watchlist
Casey G. Smith: Well, this this segues lovely lovely into trailers. This is all the news that we had. So let's talk trailers. What are your thoughts on The Batman?
Reginald Titus Jr.: Okay. I need to watch it again. You know what I mean? Because I watched it quickly, but I'm just like, it's dark, just like the Chris Nolan dark.
Casey G. Smith: Okay. It's darker than Nolan. Yeah. Yeah. Just from a from a brutality standpoint, right? Um, spoiler alert for the trailer. Spoiler alert for the trailer.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Yeah.
Casey G. Smith: When those guys are laughing like, who are you supposed to be? And you see how pop pop pop pop breaks that dude's arm. The arms didn't get broken in I mean, a back got broken, but like, you know, but it wasn't that kind of
Reginald Titus Jr.: But you're just talking about the graphic nature of what they're going to show. But I was just mean like just from a look standpoint, not even from
Casey G. Smith: Oh, visually?
Reginald Titus Jr.: Yeah. It was that's the only thing you can change. I mean, it's hard to like how where's this being grounded in, you know, is it more fantastical?
Casey G. Smith: No, this is going to be less less fantastical. Because they said like his suit, his suit's supposed to look like something like he actually made. Um, the Batmobile will be seen like something like like like something that he made and or modified. So it's supposed to be like super grounded. And again, his partnership with the Gotham Police Department. And this this there's a lot of corruption. And this this film will partially deal with that, but they're also going to make an HBO Max series that that deals with the first year of Batman, but told from the perspective of Gotham City police, of corrupt Gotham City police.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Interesting. Um, is this, um, connected to the Joker at all, the film?
Casey G. Smith: No. So consider like the multiverse.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Ah, shucks.
Casey G. Smith: Well, no, because that that won't work because that is set, you got to consider that that's set where that Joker is a grown man when Bruce Wayne is still a child. The fact that Joker is interacting with Thomas Wayne, there's there's no way because he would once Bruce, yeah, no, it won't it won't work. Yeah. That's a different it's a different universe. This it's like like a multiverse.
Reginald Titus Jr.: It won't work.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Oh, Lord. So,
Casey G. Smith: Okay, I got it.
Reginald Titus Jr.: But fans are ready to handle that.
Casey G. Smith: But fans are fans are ready. They understand, you know, it's multiverse. So, but yeah, so this kind of at this point stands stands on its uh on its own.
Reginald Titus Jr.: It would be cool though if it if it did connect some kind of way, but I like I said, it's impossible, so.
Casey G. Smith: Yeah.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Because I'm just looking at it from a movie standpoint. It's like, oh, man, that was actually pretty good. How does this continue?
Casey G. Smith: Yeah, yeah. Who knows if if if if uh, Joaquin will come back for, you know, a a a second. But yeah, I'm stoked for I'm stoked for The Batman. I I did watch it. I did watch twice and I was like, yeah, this is
Reginald Titus Jr.: I think I'm about to watch it again.
Casey G. Smith: Yeah, they're they're doing some things there. They are doing some things. So, and again, there's there's a a fight kind of within him because he's trying to fight between, okay, because he says, I am vengeance. You know, he's not not necessarily, you know, are you about justice? Are you about vengeance? Like, how how do you know you're not going to cross that line? And,
Reginald Titus Jr.: Mm hm.
Casey G. Smith: So yeah. But yeah, The Batman.
Reginald Titus Jr.: The Batman.
Casey G. Smith: Uh, other trailers. Well, it wasn't completely whack. So it was just I was just I need to watch I need to look at it again.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Yeah. I think it's it's definitely worth the another watch.
Casey G. Smith: Then there's uh, another trailer that came out during DC Fandome, as I mentioned earlier, Wonder Woman 84.
Reginald Titus Jr.: I did watch that one.
Casey G. Smith: What'd you think?
Reginald Titus Jr.: I'm a fan of the Wonder Woman series in general. So, even the teaser, when it came out, I don't know how long ago when the teaser came out. I was like, yeah, I'll sign up for it. I think they kind of gave, um, to me it felt like a little too much in the trailer.
Casey G. Smith: Mm hm. Yeah, like six months ago or something.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Just for the unveiling of Steve Trevor coming back.
Casey G. Smith: Yeah.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Yeah, I was like, man, it's too much going on. Even like with the, who's the wolf lady, the cat lady?
Casey G. Smith: Cheetah.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Cheetah, I'm tripping. Um, I was like,
Casey G. Smith: In the teaser or or or within this new trailer?
Reginald Titus Jr.: This new trailer.
Casey G. Smith: Okay.
Reginald Titus Jr.: I just feel like it was they could have held back a little bit.
Casey G. Smith: Well, see, I felt that because you got to consider this movie was supposed to come out this year. It was it was supposed to come out in the summertime. Right. So now you have this delay. So, I think you got to give something to to kind of renew that interest. Now people going to come out and see Wonder Woman regardless, but the fact that it's been delayed so long, um, and again, not everybody would know like who who's Kristen Wiig, but like it's kind of, you know, it's not it's not it's been known that she was going to be Cheetah. And so I think eventually you have especially with a an actress like Kristen Wiig, who's largely known for comedic roles, eventually you have to see her.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Right. Under the summer. Yeah.
Casey G. Smith: You have to see Yeah, you got to see her not only being uh, able to stand with Wonder Woman, but you got to get a feel of how is she going to What is Cheetah going to look like? So they had to they had to give you something. Yeah. Did Cheetah look finished to you? The CGI?
Reginald Titus Jr.: Yeah. as Cheetah. Yeah.
Casey G. Smith: Um, it was pretty quick. So, I guess. I don't know.
Reginald Titus Jr.: No, I was just asking. I'm going to assume that you that you did not.
Casey G. Smith: No, I was just it was it it was quick, so I was like, I need to I was like, maybe not yet. Maybe it was
Reginald Titus Jr.: Gonna frame for frame it.
Casey G. Smith: I might have to. But it wasn't too convincing. It's not as convincing as Lion King. But, uh, I watched it listen, there you go.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Okay. Maybe not yet.
Casey G. Smith: Still still Lion King. Black is more. No, but I'm I'm I'm I'm
Reginald Titus Jr.: I I'll sign up for it, though.
Casey G. Smith: Yeah, I'm I'm definitely down. I'm and I'm very interested in Pedro Pascal playing Maxwell Lord. Very interested to see I got some theories in my mind. I won't I won't go on on on on air. But I'm very curious to see what his yeah, because he's a he has a he has abilities in his own right. And so it's going to be curious how they how they play those things. I'm very curious why Steve Trevor or how Steve Trevor is back in the mix because that's a mystery in and of itself for those who have seen the first Wonder Woman. Um, but I liked how I like I like Kristen Wiig's swag in this. How and how she is she is progressing into this, right? That she eventually becomes that cheetah. Like what the process she goes through to get there. Yeah, because that's a yeah, that's a thing. It's like, okay. And that's that's one of one of Wonder Woman's top foils is is Cheetah. So, and when she when Wonder Woman tried to do her her bracelet thing and Cheetah's like, get out of here with that. I was like, uh oh,
Reginald Titus Jr.: On the online.
Casey G. Smith: Yeah. So to see her actually challenge, I'm like,
Reginald Titus Jr.: Okay.
Casey G. Smith: When she got the little lasso and she's riding the lightning with that, I was like,
Reginald Titus Jr.: Yeah. That's a next level. How do you how do you stop that?
Casey G. Smith: I didn't sign up for this. Uh, any other trailers that you've checked out?
Reginald Titus Jr.: No, no, no.
Casey G. Smith: Anything you've been watching, sir?
Reginald Titus Jr.: Watching, I got a chance to watch one movie since we talked. Um, it's on Netflix, Project Power with Jamie Fox.
Casey G. Smith: Man, I've got like halfway through that. I got to I got to go back and finish it.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Ooh. Pretty darn good.
Casey G. Smith: I I I I Yeah, you need to finish that.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Yeah. Yeah, you need to finish that.
Casey G. Smith: Yeah, with Jimmy Fox, Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Yeah, man. It's, uh, you haven't, people haven't seen this before. It's there's a lot of tropes. I mean, like from an X standpoint, we've seen pretty much everything, yeah, we pretty much seen everything. But as far as seeing African-American characters in certain roles, you don't see that on a regular basis. And this is very important. Especially for like, uh, for women. Um, so, yeah, I definitely recommend seeing that. I hoped you had watched it so we could talk about it further.
Casey G. Smith: Yeah, man. I got I realized, cause I started watching it and again, I got about a third of the way through because the day it came out, that last Friday, I started watching it, got late, I fell asleep and then I forgot to go back to it. And it wasn't until I was preparing for this, I looked, I was like, man, I haven't finished that yet. And it totally had slipped my mind. I was like, dang. Yeah. I'll have to watch by next time though, for sure. I'll be ready.
Reginald Titus Jr.: What?
Casey G. Smith: Ready to chop it up.
Reginald Titus Jr.: I had to at Jamie Foxx on Twitter and I was just like, I see what you're doing, bro. You got Mercy. You got this joint. You're about to do the Mike Tyson thing. By the time you do Spawn, you're going to be an official action person. Official. You're already a movie star. But like, action. I see where you're going. I see what he's doing. And this is going to line up perfectly if all these movies hit.
Casey G. Smith: Okay, okay.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Oh, man. Oh my God.
Casey G. Smith: I watched, I did watch, I have been watching also, uh, Umbrella Academy season two.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Mm hm. Pretty good.
Casey G. Smith: On Netflix. Yeah. Very, very
Reginald Titus Jr.: I've been seeing some of the marketing for that.
Casey G. Smith: Did you watch the first season?
Reginald Titus Jr.: Mm mm. Stayed away. You can, um, you can kind of give me a synopsis again, like,
Casey G. Smith: So think, uh, think like X-Men. Like that that's like a lot of people when they watch it, they think, man, this is like the X-Men. So you got eight kids. I want to say it's eight in total. They were born, they were adopted by an eccentric millionaire, raised together at an academy, and they became a superhero team. And they were technically doing their thing in the in the 80s and 90s and it gets kind of into the 2000s, if I got my timeline right. It could be off on that. But they all have, you know, unique abilities. Um, one's super strong. One can can say to you, I heard a rumor and then you're under her control. You can say whatever after that, you know, I heard a rumor that you punched yourself and you you will punch yourself.
Reginald Titus Jr.: That's terrible.
Casey G. Smith: Um, but anyway, all that to say, one one one can teleport through space and time. And, uh, anyway, they get into their given shenanigans and they end up with the start of the second season going back through time and ending up actually in Dallas.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Hey.
Casey G. Smith: In in a couple just a week before the assassination of of uh, of Kennedy. But they all they all arrive, well, I'm sorry, not they don't all arrive at the same time. Some arrive like a year, some somebody arrives two years prior. So they're all they all arrive at the same spot but at different times, a year, one year, a week before that. Yeah, and then the one who has the power to travel, once he gets there, he he he arrives like a week a week after the assassination of Kennedy and he sees something that then makes him have to go back. And it's yeah, but so far the season has been it's been it's been it's been very, very good.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Lord.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Okay.
Casey G. Smith: I'm like, wow, okay, Umbrella Academy. So, and it's a very unique group of people. But it's it's got it's got it's what people would want to see in an X-Men show. It's got it's got the powers, it's got the relationships, the complications and uh, it's well done, man. It it it is well done. So,
Reginald Titus Jr.: So they got to live that year out leading up to that event.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Okay. Yeah, the marketing looked good. I just nothing pushed me. What, uh, is it like kind of like rated R, is it PG-13, is it PG? What is this?
Casey G. Smith: It's uh, like TV-14.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Okay. Yeah. Okay. So, I mean there's no there's no like there's no nudity. Uh, language is
Casey G. Smith: Okay. So, I mean there's no there's no like there's no nudity. Uh, language is
Reginald Titus Jr.: Language. Yeah. I scan through Marvel, uh, I forgot which one was that, was it Civil War?
Casey G. Smith: Oh, yeah. Age of Ultron.
Reginald Titus Jr.: The Age of Ultron, okay. Language. Yeah.
Casey G. Smith: Um, yeah, the violence is, yeah, violence is cool. Again, not too over the top. You you'll there'll be some blood here and there. Yeah. But it's it's not like it's not like it's not MA. It's just TV-14.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Yeah. I need some I need some graphic.
Reginald Titus Jr.: You know when we were talking about The Boys, you know, from Amazon, whenever that drops, I don't know if they gave us given us a date yet. But
Casey G. Smith: Uh, September.
Reginald Titus Jr.: It's September. Yeah, that's September. Okay. So when that corner. So when that drops, that's like the superhero joint I'm looking forward to watching. That will be binge watched like we like last time.
Casey G. Smith: Coming around the corner.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Like a like a weekend. Yes, indeed.
Casey G. Smith: That's like it'll be like 10 episodes, right? I think the last season was like 10.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Yeah, it was pretty quick.
Casey G. Smith: Yeah, you can digest it. Yeah, that's some brutal stuff. But no, I think I think uh,
Reginald Titus Jr.: You dig it.
Casey G. Smith: Yeah, there's some cool twists. I I didn't give away any like super, super twists. Just set up some synopsis because especially with the first season, yeah.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Okay. I watched an episode of The Muppets Now on Disney Plus. You know, that's, you know, The Muppets always, you know, try to reinvent themselves, which I I appreciate them going for it and doing that. And, um, the format of the show is very, you know, now. Again, it's it's it's it's the premise of Scooter, their main PA, you know, production dude, literally like grabbing the clips and like uploading them. And as they upload them, you you dive in. You say, oh, we got a panel that's kind of reviewing and giving feedback. And it's those two old men that used to sit in the box seats on the original Muppet Show and oh,
Casey G. Smith: Mm hm.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Man, you're jogging my memory. That was like, it's been a while. Yeah, who are always just I mean, they're trolls, you know. And I was like, man. In my memory, I had to blow the dust off that memory. Yeah, but they they pop up all side in the screen. Was like, oh, no. And they're just like, you know, trolling just like just, you know, just ragging on the on each little episode. But it's it's it's pretty cool how they're doing it. And it's like the the people that are that are making cameos in this stuff with the chef, man, that's because they're doing like it's like a it's a a cooking show competition. It's like him. And then this turkey, she's like the host, but she's very, very refined, you know, and then and then whoever the guest is. And so, today, we're making whatever. And she says what they're making and then, you know, the guest chef, they boom, they start going to work. They showing their ingredients and they you know, these are overhead shots and this and that and they're yeah. And then the chef, he's just just screwing things up, basically. Like he he did something where he put his fingers in like these peppers. And he was just playing around and he and he cut the peppers and he put each one on each finger. And he's like, you know, just doing his thing. And she's like, um, chef, those those are really hot peppers. You should be more careful. He's just like, you know, just like, you know, blowing her off, whatever. And then all of a sudden he like, he touches his face. And his eyes start watering. He just goes it goes crazy. But I'm like, this dude's a hot mess. Chef's always a hot mess, but that the just supposed him against like a real chef. Yeah, it works. It works. So anyway, I've been enjoying a little bit of Muppets Now.
Casey G. Smith: Mm hm.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Okay. Muppets. That's light.
Casey G. Smith: Yeah, it is. It's something that's like, you know, drops on like a Friday. They're like three episodes in, maybe four now. Uh, but it's just
Reginald Titus Jr.: Yeah, that's what I remember.
Reginald Titus Jr.: So is it like continuously continuously dropped?
Casey G. Smith: Yeah, this is like this is like, yeah. They started Yeah. Just they're they're their new thing. Uh, and if it's just a bunch of just segments, right? Basically, just different segments. They got this, you know, this new Muppet who's like a a a lawyer.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Okay.
Reginald Titus Jr.: I think it's, uh, that's important to keep, uh, just keeping your IP updated, you know, instead of just letting it sit, just keep it going.
Casey G. Smith: They did it a couple of years ago on ABC they had a a Muppets show. But it was but it was more like set like a like a late night show. And it was it was but it was done like kind of in that format where the characters, you know, are sitting down being interviewed and they're talking about, oh, this is what Piggy really thought. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Like then that kind of like the office style. You know. They they ran like that. I that that one, man, there oh, man. I hate that it only went like one season. But man, I remember my brother-in-law and I we would watch that. There were some, man, and they and again, every week they had some kind of guest on there and it was yeah, it was pretty funny. But it was all about them getting set, how to prepare for that, the late night show that night. And just the drama. And then Kermit and Miss Piggy had, you know, they had broken up or whatever. So they were estranged. And they had drama going on there. And yeah. It was funny stuff, man. I was like, man. But yeah, so they keep working at reinventing. You watched anything else?
Reginald Titus Jr.: Yeah. Okay.
Reginald Titus Jr.: That is, uh, something kind of boring. I did watch a little bit of reality TV, uh, two shows, um, called Renovation Island. And I think we talked about this before, uh, my wife and I we watched it when we did our little staycation at a hotel. This popped up. Cheesy, normal HGTV type television. This was playing. I was like, oh, this is actually pretty cool. You know, it was just a Canadian family. They go into the Caribbean and they're building out, um, they're retrofitting, uh, a hotel, like a boutique hotel. And so like, they're just going through. Yeah, it's pretty good. It's decent. I mean, it's it makes you really, really think about, you know, what's in the Caribbean, you it also put you down like this rabbit trail of like, how much would it cost to live on the island? And you'd be surprised like how cheap it is on certain islands. But then you kind of from a business standpoint, you start realizing why it's so difficult because of logistics, any time you need something, you it needs to be shipped there. And then it takes time, you know, for literally shipping it there. And that's why if you say, um, you're on island time, when people talk about island time, hey, everything's okay, man. It gets there when it gets there. When it gets there, it gets there. So that's that's just part of the culture. But yeah, it's called Renovation Island, pretty good. We'll watch two episodes, episode four and five. So, halfway there.
Casey G. Smith: Okay. Infrastructure. You need to be relaxed and chill. It gets there when it gets there. So that's that's just part of the culture.
Casey G. Smith: I did see some reality reality TV also this week. I was at my uh, at my mother's, got a chance to go and see her and um, there was one show about these couples that were getting married, but then they would have their families come and kind of it's not like an intervention, but they would come and they were trying to bring the the families of the two uh, fiancés closer together and just the that'll be drama just by itself. Yeah, exactly. So it makes for, you know, decent reality TV. And then there was another show called,
Reginald Titus Jr.: Interesting.
Reginald Titus Jr.: What network? What network?
Casey G. Smith: Gosh, I don't I don't 100% know. It's like my mom was watching it was on. I was like, what is this? It feels like something you would see on either VH1 or one of the I think maybe one of the BET spin-off channels. Something like Viacom, basically. Um, and the other was like, it was just with these it's like four women, it's like they're streaming from home. But it was one was like a a fashionista. The other was Deborah Cox. Uh, the singer Deborah Cox. Yeah. Uh, one was a trans model and one was she's like an entrepreneur. But they were all kind of just catching up with each other and just like talking this and that. But it's like every week there's a different like four women, uh, and one has invited the other ones to to come on and they just, you know, talk about whatever. But it was fascinating. I was like, huh, it's called, maybe it's called The Catchup or something like that. I don't know. I don't remember the exact name. But yeah, again, I don't normally do reality TV, but you know,
Reginald Titus Jr.: Oh, no worries. No worries. Yeah.
Reginald Titus Jr.: What is this?
Casey G. Smith: My mom had it on. I was like, what is that? But I just I just Deborah Cox. I was like, that's Deborah Cox. That familiar. And I was like, you know that song, you know, how how did you get here? My mom she didn't know. I was like, Alexa, play, you're not supposed to be here.
Reginald Titus Jr.: I'm not familiar.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Playing.
Casey G. Smith: But Deborah Cox still, you know, she's taking care of herself. Yeah, she's still got it together, man. She looks she yeah, she was in shape and she looked she was vegetarian, man, like her face was like real thin, but not like in a unhealthy way. Yeah. She's like she's taking care of herself.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Still got it together. Okay. Okay. Uh, did you ever watch that No Limit? Did we talk about No Limit last time, the docu series for No Limit?
Casey G. Smith: Yeah.
Reginald Titus Jr.: It's on BET. Did we talk about that last time?
Casey G. Smith: Oh, we did talk. We did talk about it.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Did you ever watch it?
Casey G. Smith: I don't think I have I don't have BET. You wouldn't know. Well, yeah, I know I know I would know. Yeah, for sure.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Yeah. But you wouldn't know.
Reginald Titus Jr.: They do have a they have it's a trial. So like if you go online,
Casey G. Smith: Oh, is this where they're their platform streaming platform?
Reginald Titus Jr.: If yeah, if you just go to BET, not even I don't even think on their streaming platform, but if you just go, uh, online, you don't have to put credit card anything like that. But you get only get it for like 24 hours, something like that. It's enough where you can watch enough episodes. Also,
Casey G. Smith: So it's not no limit.
Reginald Titus Jr.: No. Yeah, I don't blame them. Because his eyes are like wide. He's like, you think you're smart, huh? You think you can outsmart a bullet? No.
Reginald Titus Jr.: Oh, dear.
Casey G. Smith: No. You're screwed. And then there's and then his that's it, brother. All right. All right. What are we doing next time?
Reginald Titus Jr.: Yes. So, okay. I don't blame them. But I was like, man, you think you're smart, huh?
Casey G. Smith: Next time, we're going to stick with, uh, main man, Paul Verhoeven. And we're going to get into Basic Instinct.
Reginald Titus Jr.: That's it, brother. All right. All right. What are we doing next time? Next time we're going to stick with, uh, main man, Paul Verhoeven, and we're going to get into Basic Instinct. Okay. And you can catch us where? facebook.com/filmmaker commentary. You can also like, rate, review, and subscribe to us on iTunes, SoundCloud, and Stitcher Radio. You can follow Reggie Titus on Twitter, simply @ReggieTitus. I'm @KCCGsmith32. You can also find us on Instagram, simply @FilmmakerCommentary. We would love to hear from you if there's a movie or film you would like for us to check out. Please make sure it has commentary. And even if it doesn't, we can still consider it potentially. You can also find Reginald on Instagram @ReginaldTitusJr, that's JR. Once again, I'm at KCGC Smith32. Until next time, peace. Respect.