#60 - Hero at Large

[00:00:00] This summer, we enter a new era of Star Wars. You mean the dawn of the Star Wars Canon Timeline podcast? Yeah, yeah sure, that too, but I was obviously talking about the Acolyte. We've got to cover that on the Lorehounds.

[00:00:18] Oh, but the Star Wars Canon Timeline podcast is exactly at that point in the timeline, the end of the High Republic, 100 years before the prequel trilogy. We've got to cover it there. Why not both? Okay, deal. It's the first live action Star War outside the Skywalker saga.

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[00:00:52] Wherever you like to listen a couple of days after each new episode is released. Welcome to Properly Howard, a podcast that reviews classic films and other old fiction. Today we look at the 1980 film Hero at Large.

[00:01:36] Starring John Ritter as a down-on-his-luck actor, this movie probably didn't have to be made. With me to discuss this film as always is Dr. Anthony Ladon. You chose this film, Steve. I did. I did. Now that you've seen the film, how did you feel about that choice?

[00:02:01] It's I mean, when you get a chance to say when you see something that you've never seen, like this is the worst car chase I've ever seen in my life. In this movie. So that in and of itself is special, right?

[00:02:13] Like if one car goes down underneath and one of them stays on the surface and then it just created and then it just completely flips over. I don't know even know how the car flipped over.

[00:02:25] It is it's amazing, the whatever the opposite of the car chase and bullet is, this might be it. I mean, it is. Why does he how did he get the taxicab? Like does he doesn't drive a cab? Yeah, he does. When earlier.

[00:02:46] I'm an expert on this film now. So earlier when she asked him what he does for, you know, if he acts professionally, he says sometimes and she's like, well, what do you do other times? And he says, I drive a taxi.

[00:03:00] And that turns her off because she's she really wants her man to be that sort of that turns her off that. Yes, she she's not impressed with him because he lives on the wrong side of town. He's an out of work actor who drives a taxi cab.

[00:03:22] I like I like that they brought that in. I like that little extra detail. Like what does he do for actual money? Well, he's not working, but he doesn't use that taxicab money to pay rent. Obviously, he's only trying to pay rent with residual checks from his

[00:03:41] commercial. I my sense is that he's not great with money. That is my sense of this. I was going to ask you if you had an elevator pitch. Well, I have an idea of what the elevator pitch was simply John Ritter's really hot right now.

[00:04:01] And that's it like I mean, there is this movie does there is no reason to have John Ritter in this movie, like the whole appeal of John Ritter at this time is that he's slapsticky. He's he's goofy. He can he's got good comedic timing and there you go.

[00:04:19] What if we made a movie that's a comedy, but he does none of those things ever? In fact, we're going to have him be like mostly like breathy and subdued, like he's in an old timey movie trying to settle down a hysterical woman. Now, wait a second here.

[00:04:34] Wait a second. You didn't find any of this funny. I thought he I thought he was charming in this film. I thought he was. He had a couple great lines. Maybe I like this film more than you do.

[00:04:47] My favorite part is whenever he's doing, like the acting scenes, he portrays the actor like he cut. He kind of does this over the top fist clench thing. But then when he's in like a dramatic scene,

[00:04:57] he does the fist clench thing that he was kind of mocking like. So it's I mean, like nothing happens. It's crazy to me. Look, I feel like nothing. Nothing happens. I feel like you're not giving this movie the credit it deserves.

[00:05:18] I mean, even when something happens, like nothing's happening. OK, here's my elevator pitch for the movie. What if Batman? Had no muscles, no money and no brains. No, yeah, nothing. That would be honestly kind of interested. Kind of interested.

[00:05:38] A poor Batman who's given no thought to his body armor and it is not too bright, not too bright. There's a point where like. He's when he's like working out and Captain Avengers on. TV, he's just he's just like miming along with him. He's really into the part.

[00:06:03] He's an actor. He's he's trying to imagine. No, but he looks at it like in that role, he's slipping into the skin of Captain Avengers. See, that's the thing is he doesn't strike me as he wants the role. He just is like he's a child.

[00:06:20] Which is which is all right. So here's an interesting. All these here's the thing is all the elements that like I'm like, oh, so he's kind of like maybe he's not OK. And I'm like, this would be an amazing dark comedy.

[00:06:32] Like if you know what I mean, like every done, like he's just he's he's kind of a simpleton and and he because because of what I think is interesting is that like I was under the impression based on

[00:06:44] like sort of the tag and everything that like maybe he accidentally stopped a crime. And no, in fact, I want you to listen to this. If I drop in, he never feels as alive as when he's actually Captain Avenger. And he thinks I'm wearing a superhero suit.

[00:07:13] These two shop owners, these two old shop owners, they need someone to step in and menace these street toughs. Why not me? I've got a visor. I have a visor. It's very reminiscent of the RoboCop scene where RoboCop comes in

[00:07:33] and stops the guy who wants to rob the place. It's a little more violent, a little more interesting. Mind if I drop in? I mean, like that's the thing is that he's that like Ritter never like that's the most animated he gets.

[00:07:44] Like the rest of time, he's just, hey, it's just oh, unless he's doing like an offensive Chinese affect. But otherwise, he's he's he's just always like everything is so breathy and like oddly sensual. And it's it's a it's a really odd performance in a movie

[00:08:03] that like could have should have been. In my opinion, a lot more like over the top kind of goofy and fun because he's a fake superhero. But instead, it's like almost plays itself like at times like maybe this is a drama. No, no, no, not with those shorts.

[00:08:20] This is a particular time in moviemaking history where it's not enough to just have a comedy and it's not just enough to have a romantic comedy. You also have to make some kind of social comedy with it.

[00:08:33] You have to talk about sort of like, you know, the goodness at the heart of the people of New York City. And maybe if we could just draw it out by tapping into their better angels, the entire city will be a better place.

[00:08:47] That's a very common thing with movies of this period. And, you know, if this was made today, it would sort of make fun of the entire thing. But I think that the more you know, make fun of the entire thing.

[00:09:01] But I think that the movie really wants you to like him, which if you want a character who's likable, who's better than John Ritter? It makes perfect sense to get a likable guy like a John Ritter who can play this role. But like I said, it's like,

[00:09:20] remember the movie Opportunity Knocks? Because we all know that your major life decisions aren't made in the boardroom. They're made in the bath room. It was Carvey's first like lead role, right? Like he'd been in movies, but this is his first.

[00:10:00] Sort of like an excuse for him to do impressions. Exactly right. So they have a plot. It's it's kind of interesting. It's you know, it's a little bit formulaic. But ultimately, there are plenty of opportunities where he's going to do a George Bush impression,

[00:10:17] or he's going to do a Mick Jagger impression. He's going to do a lot of these things that like the reason that you like him are going to be on display. That's why I'm like, I go back to this. I'm like they didn't do any of that.

[00:10:26] Like you why have Ritter? Why pick Ritter? I mean outside of just likability. Why pick him to do this role, but then be like hey don't fall over one couch. Not on one couch. All right. But here's the let me let me push back on this.

[00:10:41] He does fall over a fair amount. A good physical comedy. He bangs him into a doorway. And then he spends a lot of the film in a woman's apartment. And half naked, half naked in a woman's apartment. And who does that better than John Ritter?

[00:11:03] I mean, what I love, one of my favorite things about John Ritter and when you see him in almost any film is he is a hairy, hairy human being. And he's always had, regardless of whether it was in skin deep or you know,

[00:11:18] what have you, whatever he's got a shirt. He always has that shave line. That shave line that like goes around like the shoulder to upper like collarbone. And it's just like a real clean shave line there. Like he does work when he gets ready in the morning.

[00:11:35] All I heard was that John Ritter is really hot right now. That's what I heard. Let's talk about John Ritter. I know no one else on planet Earth who is a greater appreciator of John Ritter than you are.

[00:11:53] My guess is that you're most interested in the fine work he did on the love boat. Is that right? Amazing work on the love boat dressed as a woman because that's how he was able to sneak on because there was no other tickets left.

[00:12:09] But I think a woman was the range on this guy. Yeah, and Captain Stubing was immediately smitten. Which I mean, he's a man. Love boat often inspired by Looney Tunes episodes. Exactly. Yeah, so as a Ritter fan, I was actually like, all right, let's see this.

[00:12:25] That's kind of why I wanted to give this a little look. See, because he doesn't mean he has a filmography. He does tend to like lean more towards the sitcoms. How many times have you cycled through Three's Company as a rewatch? It's almost impossible to calculate.

[00:12:42] You know, but like this filmography, you've got like Problem Child and Stay Tuned. Famously in Sling Blade. Famously in Sling Blade. Skin Deep. Skin Deep, which I think he's a little bit more, like a lot more of his physical stuff is on display.

[00:12:59] And it's interesting because he plays like kind of the scoundrel, you know, with the glow in the dark condom lightsaber fight. When did you first start watching Three's Company? I don't know, like eight or nine. I was not allowed to watch Three's Company.

[00:13:15] And so it was always a little tricky because there were shows that I could watch. Like I Dream of Jeannie, Bewitched. You know, these were sort of shows that were on reruns that I would cycle through. But then I would always have to leave the television

[00:13:33] whenever Three's Company came on. And the reason for this is that this is a guy living with two girls in a house. None of them are married. And so they're clearly living in sin. We are not going to allow Three's Company in this house, young man.

[00:13:51] So clearly your mom didn't have those scruples. She was fine with this, this this entire debauched scenario. Yeah, I mean, being a latchkey kid, I could kind of watch whatever I wanted. But I was just drawn to it. I mean, we all enjoyed it.

[00:14:10] I mean, you know, there were certain things I didn't get at the time. You know, like the marijuana episode, I really didn't understand. But the nude beach stuff, I was like, OK. But it was, you know, at the time, pretty racy, I suppose.

[00:14:24] And scandalous for that era. Sure. So, yeah, so John Ritter is like the it guy. And famously, people that go from sitcoms to like their first film, like it usually isn't great. You know, I mean, I know people that weren't able

[00:14:37] to make that like constant leap to the to the screen for whatever it is, like Shelley Long, you know, so David Caruso, like all these folks have eventually come make their way back to TV, it seems like. Right. So I got a different theory on this.

[00:14:50] I mean, it could be that as well. But my sense is that a quality film usually wasn't going to be offered to a television actor. You know, back to the future being the notable exception here. But usually, if you had a film that had a high quality script

[00:15:09] and you had a great director on the project and it and it had some money behind it, you're not going to go for a TV actor back in the day. You're going to go with a movie actor because they were just a class above, or at least that's

[00:15:25] so the industry thought back then. So it used for a television actor. It was usually like if I could just eke my way in to a film that does OK, maybe I could make that jump from television actor to film actor.

[00:15:43] But it was not an easy jump to make. And so I wonder if the options available to someone like John Ritter would have been fairly limited. Hmm. Interesting. Maybe you would think you would, you know, have opportunity to capitalize on some already built in in star value.

[00:15:59] But I think maybe that's that you might be onto something in terms of like there might still be a delineation in terms of caliber of actor. Like if you're that good, you wouldn't be on TV. Sure. Right. And there was level, you know, there were levels

[00:16:13] to this kind of thing. You know, maybe if you were on prime time, you know, Thursday night, NBC, you had that kind of heat behind you. Then maybe it's easier to make the jump. Right. Maybe it's easier to to go from

[00:16:30] cheers to three men and a baby or something like that. Sure. I don't know. I mean, when does Three's Company end its television run? Probably like an 82, 83 maybe. And then and then he goes on to then they do the spin off. Three's a crowd. Right. And that was.

[00:16:50] It was so poorly received that that kind of thing put a dent in the in his workload, I think. I mean, Three's Company is one of these shows where I kind of feel like it went on maybe three years too long.

[00:17:06] Yeah, because after after Suzanne Summers leaves, right, it sort of changes it up a little bit. Right. You bring in Terry and it kind of changes the dynamic. It still goes on for a little bit, but like it definitely doesn't have

[00:17:16] the same the same chemistry, the same vibe. I mean, it survives the the Ropers leaving for their own show. And Mr. Ferley comes in and actually some might argue elevates the relationship from the landlord to the tenants. That's how good Hero at Large is, is that we're spending

[00:17:32] most of our time talking about Three's Company. Now, I don't want to assume that people listening to this took the time to watch Hero at Large. You know, it could be that they. My wife did not. In fact, I didn't even get to watch it on the TV.

[00:17:47] I had to watch on my computer. So it could be that maybe you haven't seen this. I watched it on Tubi. You can also watch the entire thing for free on YouTube. And I don't mean YouTube TV. No one can.

[00:18:01] It's just it's just a webcam of some guy watching it. The basic storyline is that John Ritter playing a character named Steve Nichols is an underemployed actor who's been hired to promote a movie. So he's not actually the main actor of the movie Captain Avenger.

[00:18:25] He's just hired to go to various places around New York City and hype up the movie. At one point, you see him on the bus with like, I don't know, 30 other Captain Avengers who are all hired to bust that has a Captain Avenger on top.

[00:18:40] That's right. That's right. So the publicist for this thing is part of the narrative from the very beginning. He'll come in a little bit later. John Ritter is trying to make it in New York as a stage actor.

[00:18:54] He's also trying to ensorcel the woman who lives next door, who's not all that impressed. But one day after his little promotional job, he's wearing the Captain Avenger suit. He's walking home. He goes in to get some milk and he stops a robbery from happening.

[00:19:17] And this becomes big news. It becomes news parallel to this. New York City is a buzz with this news. He's having to run around to tell people to watch it and like nobody is parallel to this.

[00:19:35] The mayor is running a reelection campaign and he can't get any traction. The publicist happens also to work for the mayor. And he decides he's going to get these two together. Can he bring you the election in a box gift wrapped? Can he do that, Calvin?

[00:19:53] What are you talking about? Captain Avenger. That's what I'm talking about. How do you like what's been happening? How would you like him to keep it up? How would you like it if he stayed in action right up until election day? What's the point?

[00:20:09] The point is when the people feel good about the city, they feel good about the administration, right? Well, the people feel good about the city today because of him. A comic book hero. Read the papers, Calvin Watson. New York loves Captain Avenger. So the premise of this is

[00:20:34] this is the exact opposite from Batman. Gotham hates the idea of Batman. Well, maybe the maybe the people like Batman, but the police hate him. And the politicians hate him, too. They don't want to be known for having a vigilante around.

[00:20:52] But this particular mayor decides he's going to lean into it. He's actually going to write the coattails of Captain Avenger to political victory. Here's my question to you, Steve. Which is the right approach? To vilify the vigilante or to actually use the vigilante for political benefit? Wow, that's.

[00:21:18] Well, that's that's a really deep question. And I'm glad that here at large has brought this to the forefront. You know, I think well, the answer is got to be somewhere in between. Right. I mean, I mean, a vigilante,

[00:21:33] I think you have to go with the former, right? I mean, as soon as the as soon as you start using a person in a in a costume who you don't even understand their motivations for political gain. That seems like a problem because. Batman, you think so?

[00:21:52] So Batman typically, you know, Batman's a billionaire, obviously, but like his his motivations, you know, might not necessarily be justice. It might actually be a little bit of revenge. It could be just trying to deal with his own psychosis. In the case of Captain Avenger.

[00:22:08] I don't I don't think he's OK. So you don't think it's it's politically advantageous for the mayor of New York to ally himself with a caped crusader? Well, and that's the thing I think is interesting about this is that

[00:22:24] is that it doesn't play like the movie doesn't know what it wants to say. Right. It doesn't like. It becomes really does it saying that the people of New York City are deep down, they're they're good. They care about things like hope and justice.

[00:22:40] Yeah, which is not true. And just categorically untrue. So that's that's that's easy. And then but the other part of it is, is like he's I kind of understand where why he gets reluctant all of a sudden. Right. Like he's. He makes no sense ever.

[00:23:01] My favorite was when he gets shot and he says, well, if the criminals are going to start using real bullets, I'll retire. Yeah, you've done two things. My impression is that criminals use live bullets all the time. Well, the first people he went after used live knives.

[00:23:21] He just didn't get stabbed. He's armed with nothing but a weird visor that there's no way that he could have done that. That there's no way that it's good for you. Like, I don't know what the visor the visor only is to tint if you look up.

[00:23:37] I think the visor is a metaphor for a skewed perspective on reality. Is that what he's looking through the world through turquoise colored glasses? So I think that there's actually an interesting conversation to have here. At some point. Are you sure?

[00:23:50] I'm not sure, but I'm going to try. I like we're kind of flipping roles here because typically, you know, you're the one saying, no, Howard, the duck is dogshit. And I'm like, no, no, no. Listen, at some point, the superhero narrative shifted.

[00:24:07] You went from someone like Superman, who's kind of a friend of the police, who's sort of on the side of America. Like he's a good guy who works for the good guys. And everyone's happy for that. At some point, you move into

[00:24:26] what I would call almost a 1980s cynicism where the superhero might be out to do good things. But the politicians don't like him and the police don't like them. And sometimes they're treated as freaks. It's almost like it's almost this shift to something closer

[00:24:45] to political realism, where it's like if someone really was a superhero, would people actually like them? And this movie clearly is working with the previous paradigm. The politicians want to get on board with this guy. He's a friend of the police.

[00:25:01] He's a friend to the firefighters, the media. He has a fraught relationship with the media. You know, whatever. But that shift hasn't happened yet in superhero movies. You still have this this paradigm where a city like New York will simply embrace a vigilante in spandex.

[00:25:21] You know, no one thinks better of it too much. Is it too much? Mm hmm. You're describing a movie I wouldn't mind watching. Is the A backwards on his? The A bugs me so much. It bothers me so much.

[00:25:40] I'm like, it's for sure flipped like it's mirror image. It's got to go the other way. It has to right or flip it, flip it sideways, maybe just anything. It's really bothersome. It's a big problem.

[00:25:53] I got a lot of anxiety every time I had to see that logo. Listen, you'll never believe what just happened to me. You know that little grocery store on Bleecker Street? Yeah. No, Jerry, that's all right. I'll tell you about it later. Yeah. OK, if I come.

[00:26:13] All right. Yeah. All right. I'll talk to you later. So he's talking to Jerry on the phone. Great, great, important scene to leave in the movie. You not do not edit that out. He's talking to Jerry on the phone. You left in an actual phone conversation,

[00:26:33] just like that's that moved nothing. It just was like, oh, he just I'll call you later. That's that scene gets kept in it. It's left in for a particular purpose, which I want to talk about later. But the reason why I like

[00:26:47] I like this scene is that you get to hear what's happening on Jerry's end of the phone call, too. Right. And to me, I just imagining him being tickled by like four or five people. He's calling in the middle of a slumber party. He's like feathers everywhere.

[00:27:10] They're actually they're actually filming an episode of I'd buy that for a dollar from the Robocop universe. I'll call you later. I mean, everything. Why is he so gentle? Why is he so impossibly soft? He's a good guy. That's that's the thing.

[00:27:25] He's the one you'll never guess what happened on Bleecker Street. He's a good guy. You're supposed to like him. The reason why that phone calls left in is because deep down he's lonely and he just wants to share this. I wonder why I wonder why he's lonely.

[00:27:51] The whole movie is crazy, like the dialogue and the interactions. The whole movie feels like it was written as a musical, and they just didn't put any of the musical scenes in. Like they all build to a part where they're going to start singing.

[00:28:03] And then it just doesn't happen. Can we talk about how he woos Jolene? Has there been a less interested actress in any movie than Ann Archer in this? I mean, she she like owed somebody a favor. I mean, she doesn't even have chemistry with herself.

[00:28:28] I like that she's carrying a plant and he offers to carry it for her in the hallway. She's clearly trying to get rid of him. She can't wait to get rid of this this guy who's hounding her in the hallway. But he's taken her house plant as hostage.

[00:28:46] I guess she was living with Milo before. Is that your sense of these things? Yeah, man, that guy was hideous. And she's decided to leave him, I guess, and move to, you know, a smaller apartment in a more affordable side of town.

[00:29:02] If you're going to take so long between takes, it's going to melt. It has to be a beautifully Claire, OK? The most beautifully Claire in the world. I've got an entire refrigerator full. Would you bring another pastry, Jeff? She's she's working for him.

[00:29:18] And he's got very strong opinions about E. Claire's. Yeah, sure. I mean, honestly, I don't think that this is bad. I think if you're going to do something, do it, do it right. Do it well. You know, if there's going to be an E.

[00:29:31] Claire in the scene, you don't want to melt it. E. Claire, right? The details that get left in versus what doesn't is just it's remarkable to me. Here's the thing is there is like I said, there are some interesting ideas

[00:29:47] and the movie ops at times to just not do anything about them. Like they'll just have scenes for just no reason that don't do anything with what they're trying to do. Like, I mean, the idea that like they're manufacturing heroics for political gain is actually pretty interesting.

[00:30:06] Like, that's that's that's an interesting idea, I suppose. If you're going to, you know, I mean, I mean, Bert Convy is very convincing as as somebody who might be orchestrating such a a a a politically savvy plan as it is to have a fake superhero stopping fake crimes.

[00:30:29] So but like it takes so long to get there, right? Like he does two things and then he's in a bathrobe for a bunch and he's in a bath, a bubble bath, which, by the way, bubble baths just don't happen. You've got to put the bubble bath in.

[00:30:43] He's not in a hurry. That's a that's a conscious choice when you're at somebody's house and you're kind of squatting for a little bit. And it's like, hey, can I take a bath with the door open? Sure. Why wouldn't you bubble bath, though?

[00:30:53] Do you have a bubble bath? If you are staying as a guest in someone's house and you take a bath. You're a monster. You should be treated like a monster because that's what you are. You don't take a bath in someone else's apartment

[00:31:10] to add bubbles to the equation. This shows you the depravity of this man's soul. I mean, it's so long to fill the tub. And then do you think she finds it charming or do you think that she just feels trapped? I don't think she changes in her expression

[00:31:27] throughout the entirety of the movie. I did not know that Kevin Bacon was that that was a nice little treat. Hey, Captain Avengers. Yes, sir. Let's see you fly. I'm sorry, son. I don't fly. Don't let him shoot you, man. Anybody dresses like that fly.

[00:31:43] You mean he's a fruit? You saw a picture, man. You don't fool around with girls. They're falling all over and then you don't do nothing. Hey, Captain Avengers, can I throw you a missile? Incredible, son. Love me a little early Kevin Bacon.

[00:32:01] Yeah, I thought this must be his first movie. I guess he's he did a couple of movies before this, but clearly pre-Footloose. Yeah, let me just run this idea past you. So I was thinking about Kevin Bacon as a theme for an upcoming season.

[00:32:17] Then I saw Kevin Bacon in this film and I thought, oh, geez, maybe maybe it's Kismet. Maybe I should suggest this idea to Steve that we do a sort of a seven degrees of Kevin Bacon theme for a season of properly Howard,

[00:32:36] where one of us begins with a movie that Kevin Bacon's in. And then the other one has to choose a movie, a different movie that one of his co-stars was in. Gotcha, gotcha. And then it goes back and forth.

[00:32:50] And basically we end up seven degrees away from Kevin Bacon just because we're choosing actors that overlap with those films. Or do we do we try to then get back to Kevin Bacon? That would be interesting if it circles back, right?

[00:33:09] Which I guess it wouldn't be that hard to circle back to Kevin Bacon. I mean, we could we could also put other parameters on this, but I kind of feel like we don't want to put too many parameters on this. That's kind of your thing.

[00:33:22] Yeah, I know. I know it is. I would I would like if it's going to be a Kevin Bacon themed season, I would like him to be in a few different. OK, what if what if what about this? What if we both choose a Kevin Bacon movie?

[00:33:40] If we well, if we really want to complicate it, which I think is deep down, you want is we each pick one. One starts. One is the middle. We have to work our way back to it. And then we can work our way out.

[00:33:54] I have faith that we could probably pull that off. I don't I don't know that these movies will be any good, but that has never that's never stopped before. Well, because we're going to start with Hero at Large,

[00:34:06] which means we have to then do a Ritter or Burt Convy movie. I'm happy to cover this movie again. I feel like there's a lot on the table that we've not talked about. Steve, is there a trope, a cliche or device in this movie that you enjoyed?

[00:34:23] I'd like the I love the crowd turning on. Another actor, the so-called holdup man. This man is prepared to admit that the whole train robbery was staged and it is as phony as Captain Avenger himself. Is it true? Is it fake? Is it fake?

[00:34:47] No, not at first, but later on. I like that. I like it when a crowd is like, we want Captain Avenger, which is the most clunky crowd chant in the history of crowdchants. And then is it true?

[00:35:04] I like a fight in a subway and I was wondering, like I was thinking, those always work. It's like this thing has got no mind of its own. You're in an enclosed space. You're going to have witnesses. You're going to have interesting things to bounce off of.

[00:35:24] You've got actual poles to swing on. If you're going to film a fight scene, why not do it in a subway car? It's perfect. And then I was asking myself, is that okay? So that's become a trope. But is this the first movie to do it?

[00:35:37] Oh, I don't know. I can't imagine. I mean, this is there's not a lot of superhero live action superhero movies out there at this point. You've got true Superman. It's Superman two out yet. I don't know. I don't know. That's good.

[00:35:55] I feel like that might might not be. And maybe and maybe that's maybe that's part of the problem, right? Is that we haven't really fleshed out all these concepts of superheroes on screen as much as we have now. Right.

[00:36:10] And so so they're playing with things maybe that there in some ways might be ahead of their time. I'm trying to give it benefit of the doubt because there's it doesn't play itself as a superhero movie all that often. No, it's supposed to be a romcom. I suppose.

[00:36:27] I guess. I guess. Like there's no reason for these two to be together or even seem to like each other. It's weird. It's a very weird. Steve, is there a tweak that you'd make to this movie to improve? I mean, I think it's a very weird movie.

[00:36:43] I think it's a very weird movie. I think it's a very weird movie. Steve, is there a tweak that you'd make to this movie to improve it? Oh, yeah. I'd redo the whole thing.

[00:36:53] But I think I think like I said, I the tweak is you have to decide what you are right. Like is is it a commentary on manipulating for political gain? Is there a is it about a guy who loses himself in the role

[00:37:14] because he's he's one of the actor. And so it's like, hey, look, you can be a superhero, but it has to be, you know, you're a fake. You're essentially you're a fraud. Right.

[00:37:23] And I feel like it does all of those things and none of them at the same time. Right. So I think it just it's a matter of just knowing what it is you're trying to prove out, because at the end, like you get this big scene

[00:37:34] where he goes in and he goes to save Johnny, who I thought was a baby. That's how his mother sees him. Because my baby's up there. Where is my son also like, how about check the bathroom next time? Yeah.

[00:37:52] I mean, you know he's not in there, but you're also at the window. Just my tweak would be I would have appreciated like a quirky, nosy, but well-intentioned neighbor. One more guy in the building to bring a little bit more personality to

[00:38:16] all of those scenes, because clearly Jolene needs help. Yeah, there's a lot of like there's a lot of opportunity for good things to happen. Let me ask you this. Does this movie work if it's Tom Hanks?

[00:38:36] Because this is about the same time that Tom Hanks is doing movies kind of like this, right? This is around the time that Splash is happening. Is this movie considerably better with Tom Hanks? Yeah, and this might be a hard part for me to reconcile given my

[00:38:58] Ritter appreciation is I think Ritter's the wrong guy. Because I think or he's just not directed well enough, right? Like I think if he was a little goofier and a little bit more out there,

[00:39:13] like I think he tries to play the charming sweet guy so much that you lose any necessary edge. You know what I mean? And maybe Hanks could have brought a little bit more of that out there

[00:39:26] just naturally because I think of him in Splash and Money Pit and there's like maybe there's a little bit more of an edge, a little bit more of snark that Ritter is just missing. And I think and again I don't know if that's his choice.

[00:39:42] I don't know if that's it's a director choice but like Ritter should have been a little bit more like there should have been more opportunities to maybe be unlikable and like maybe make that transition. Like he's just a sweet guy who's trying his best.

[00:39:58] I like to see him lose his temper just once I want to see him lose his temper. These are bad firemen, right? These firemen are the worst. They're bad. They're like they're real bad at their job. They're like well we're not going into the fire.

[00:40:12] Like that's kind of the oath bro. That's like a doctor going you know what I'm not saying any of my men in there they're gonna get blood on them. It's like you're firemen. This is what you do. You know that there's a child up there.

[00:40:25] Is this movie better worse or on par with a Ron Howard film? Oh Ron Howard would have crushed this film. This is a this is a Howard minus 17. All right I'm gonna say Howard minus three. I actually like this movie.

[00:40:43] I felt like I felt like I had a lot of fun watching this movie. It's got clearly it's got a lot of flaws. Clearly it could have been done a lot better. It gave me good feelings. I enjoyed I enjoyed seeing Ritter.

[00:40:58] I think this is by far the sexiest Ritter has ever been. I like the premise. That's one of the reasons why you like this movie is how sexy Ritter is. He's just off the charts sexy in this movie.

[00:41:13] Which is amazing because this is the worst superhero outfit the least flattering superhero outfit in the history of anything. Yeah I know but half of the movie he was in. He's just in a towel in this woman's apartment. Or in a pink robe. Satin robe.

[00:41:29] Again sexiest Ritter ever. So yes for me this is a Howard minus three. I think clearly it's much better in the hands of Ron Howard. And I think if it's Ron Howard I think it is someone like Hanks. And I think maybe this movie is remembered at all.

[00:41:51] I was going to say remembered more fondly. At all. The only one that remembers this movie. And you've never seen it. Yeah no I know. Yeah it's funny because I do wonder if I would have had a

[00:42:04] different perspective on it if I watched it when I was younger and had some maybe sort of a nostalgic affinity for it. So it was hard. This is a hard one for me to like I watched it and then I stopped it and then I started rewatching it.

[00:42:19] And I got to a point where I'm just like I don't think I can I can find the goodness I wanted to. I really wanted to and so I'm really glad that you you I mean you haven't helped me change my mind.

[00:42:34] But I'm glad that that you have a counterpoint here. I'm not saying this is a good movie. I gave it a Howard minus three. But I will say that it wasn't the worst. It wasn't the worst thing we've ever covered on this one. OK so what was worse?

[00:42:51] Teen Wolf 2? Teen Wolf 2 was pretty bad for sure. I really did not like Dracula. Whoa if you're going to tell me this is better than Bram Stoker's Dracula. This is better than Bram Stoker's Dracula. Wow that's incredible. You might be right but.

[00:43:13] Yeah this movie has a certain charm to it that I appreciated. It's a harmless movie. I want to see that used as a review on the back of the DVD cover. This movie inspires like white noise machines right? Like this is just played in the background.

[00:43:46] Don't feel like you got to watch it. Let's see here reception Robert Ebert gave the film two stars out of four. Calling it a big dumb silly good hearted albatross of a comedy. He said that although the film might appeal to fans of John Ritter

[00:44:02] it did not appeal to him. All right does this film have a half the battle one the grown moment. Yeah don't trust no politicians. Oh I was going to say if you're going to get into bed with politics in New

[00:44:25] York City you got to be prepared to answer at least one question from a reporter. I think you could also take like I mean in terms of like especially now. Take look at this movie look at all the things that go on you know yes

[00:44:43] there's a lot of flaws look he wants to be a superhero. He sort of sells his soul at one point he gets he gets a chance at redemption all that stuff is fine but especially now in 2024 looking at it take time for self care.

[00:45:02] You know you take the bubble bath you know at it take the time you might be locked out of your apartment and have no belongings you may have to stay at a stranger's house. They may offer you a opportunity to clean up they mean shower but if

[00:45:18] they don't specify shower take the time luxury. This summer we enter a new era of Star Wars. You mean the dawn of the Star Wars canon timeline podcast. Yeah yeah sure that too but I was obviously talking about the accolade we've got to cover that on the lorehounds.

[00:46:58] Oh but the Star Wars canon timeline podcast is exactly at that point in the timeline the end of the High Republic 100 years before the prequel trilogy. We've got to cover it there. Why not both. Okay deal. It's the first live action Star War outside the Skywalker saga.

[00:47:17] Nobody can miss this. Listeners kick off your hot lore summer weekends with scene by scene breakdowns of the acolyte found in both the Star Wars canon timeline podcast and the lorehounds mother feed and the lorehounds Star Wars feed wherever you like to listen a couple

[00:47:33] of days after each new episode is released.