ONE HOT TAKE: Idiots w/ Jedidiah Ayres

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2:02Ladies and gentlemen, welcome back to one hot take on your host Blake Howard. This is the show on one heat mid-a-bred actions where we talk about new releases, stuff that we're actually genuinely excited about. And our hot takes mostly are positive. And today, I'm actually thrilled because my friend who I usually, who's been sprinkled in season throughout every show that we've done, is usually someone I turn to when I need like long, thoughtful, you know, well-researched stuff. And now I'm making him confine himself to a very short podcast to give me just his spiciest take on a terrific movie. The movie is called Idiots. My friend who is not an idiot is Jettadayah. He has a great author and writer and you're seeing a lot of his great writing about movies coming up in great physical media releases. But we both love the man making Blair as a director and as an actor and as a creative

3:05person. And so when the opportunity to talk about idiots came up, we were like, let's get together. Our city, it's talk about these idiots. Everyone listen to the trailer because if you're in the States, you can see it. If you're in Oz, you're going to have to wait unless you meet. Then Jettadayah will come back and talk all about it. You're a shrapnel, you got me! Get out of my car! Oh, boy! Oh, oh, oh! You know what we do here? Drive rich kids to rehab. Suit driver choice. I'm going to ask it over 20 times. Oh, baby! Legally insane! Condition! I didn't know that the man was locked! I buried him to get a heart heart heart heart. Be very careful.

4:06We treat all of our clients with the utmost care. Yeah, you're going to be fine. I mean, we can hook up him. I get the media! He's famous for it. What happened? Shit, I'm so sorry. I was born to fuck up. Are you familiar with the philosophy that everyone's just doing the best they can? I'm going to just toss your pants. Yeah, sure. Thank you, but she appreciates you, man. We're all doing our best here, sir. Oh! Oh! Oh! So you were like, oh! Oh! So you were like the transporter? Yeah. Yeah, I am like the transporter. Oh! Oh! Oh! Oh! Hello, my friend. Nice to see you, Fesley. So nice to see you, sir. You're looking quite good.

5:07I'm liking seeing that you're catching up to me a little bit. The gray and the beard is, uh... The wings start to come in. The wings come on strong from the jet. I could fly on a windy day. It's, yeah, like, it's kind of a little trimmed, but when they, when the, when the, when the beard, especially, I know it kind of seems antithetical, but like in Australian summer, um, when I'm at work less, because it's our big school holidays, like for, you know, my kiddos are obviously still young, but like, the wings come out, because I just don't shave. And the white is just, it looks like a shock of white. Like I'm playing Ebeneez's Scrooge in a school play or something. Like someone is just like doing wacky do stuff with my face. It's just, I don't know why it doesn't, but yeah, there's a lot more. But you let me know when your hair stands, like mine, and I'll, I like you even more. If that was possible. Um, tell me, tell me about your experience of idiots, because like, I guess I'll kick it off. The spiciest thing I can say is, you know,

6:07making Blair has been, when he is making movies, um, uh, he's had like, a kind of sniper scope, view of America in his crosshairs. And every one of his movie seems to be really in touch with, but like not in such a like, don't act like preachy kind of way, but like in touch with what America is doing right at that very moment. And it feels to me like the world he's created with idiots is, if you're rich, you just get to do whatever the fuck you want with that consequences. And in the woods is the great Walter from, uh, the big Lebowski. Everyone else can shut the fuck up because you're out of your element. And he does that with such glee that I think that this movie is really quite excellent. Dave Franco is the star, Mason Thames, the kid who is in the live action, um, how to train your dragon is probably the most,

7:07people are most familiar with, but the person who steals the movie, a guy who's like comedic timing and sensitivity is just unbelievable to me. Every time I see him in a movie, whether it's long shot or in good go, goes west or whatever it does is Oshay Jackson, Jr. I just think he was like my highlight, highlight, highlight of a movie that had lots of highlights. But what did you think about this, this terrific little movie idiots? Well, you spoiled it. I thought it was terrific. I thought it was so good. I was, uh, so, you know, I've been, uh, I remember seeing Blue Run and just being blown away in what was that 2013? Like 13 years ago. Uh, really blown away. Obviously was very excited about Jeremy Sonye, who's continued to deliver, uh, really excellent directed films. Uh, and then a couple years later, making Blair shows up as the writer of, uh,

8:08the small crimes, the adaptation of the terrific Dave Zeltserman novel, uh, directed by E. EL Katz, whose, uh, whose film, uh, Chief Thrills had come out. Was it the same year as, uh, let me tell you, Blue Run, um, but, but Chief Thrills, uh, really thrilled me and, uh, Blue Run really sent me a 2013 to, yeah. Yeah. Uh, so both of those were, were huge for me, small crimes, both as a follow-up, uh, to Chief Thrills, and as an adaptation of a novel, I, I really loved. And, and loved, loved, loved, small crimes. And I was like, okay, this making Blair, who obviously shows up in a, in a small role. And the film is also, a writer to pay attention to. And then a couple years later,

9:08I don't feel at home in this world comes out. And, you know, it, it just really, you know, it couldn't have landed at a better timing. I mean, obviously it, I've been looking for a while in, in his brain, but talk about a, it's like a galvanizing moment in, world, affairs, but, but certainly in, in US history as, you know, the rise of, of Trump and, and what that's meant for America and, and the world, I don't think it's hyperbole for me to say that movie. And going back a couple years earlier, to cheap thrills, those two movies really kind of capture the feeling of the last 15 years for me in America. That's, you know, nobody, the two classes that understand

10:08capitalism and understand American democracy, the best are the Uber Rich and the very poor, yeah, you know, and they understand it so well. And, and, you know, the, obviously one of them has power and the other does not, but I love making Blair as well as people like Jeremy Sanyay and David Gordon-Grein, Killy Reichart, Jody Hill, and I'm going to make these movies about people in the cracks, the people in America, specifically, who have, you know, most of the world is totally blind to them. They're usually at the bottom. It's like, you know, how you say where you've got, like, selective hearing, you know. They're the people that you selectively,

11:08they just, they become periphery, you know? Like you just want to walk past them quickly. You know, you don't have to worry, but you don't have time to hear it, and making Blair is the guy who like, persistently stops. Like, what the fuck's going on with this guy? You don't know, like, he just wants to look at that guy. He loves that. It's a beautiful instinct. I want to say, I don't feel at home in this world anymore. He is a 2017 movie, and the Decade Project for 2017. Did you, is this on the list? Uh, yeah, I started to. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Should be. I was going to say, you're, you're, that's yours. That's yours. Sorry. I wanted to double check while you're on the call. I'm like, I know I put that on the list somewhere that Jed and I are talking about that. So that's, you know, slight spoiler for, um, next season's Decade Project. But I'm like, that, I can't miss that opportunity to talk to you about that, maybe. Well, this has all been set up so far.

12:08To me as a creative person is. A, I mean, aside from someone who's obviously loves movies, movie history is very affectionate toward a lot of the same. Stuff that I am, buddy comedies and crime films. And, you know, so he's like, he's somebody I just, I gravitate toward because of his, his tastes. Um, but, uh, you know, I enjoyed toxic Avenger, uh, especially when I rewatched, I went to the theater to see it. I watched it on DVD again with the commentary track. And that was, that was fun. But idiots is the movie that feels like the proper spiritual sequel to. I don't feel at home in this world anymore. And it's, it's kind of like, oh, shit, 10 years later. Are we still in this moment? Is this moment still? Is it ever going to end? And, you know, it's the, the, the, the, um, Mason Thames character.

13:08Uh, Sheridan. Is this, uh, you know, online influencer type. But basically he is, you know, Uber Rich consequences are never, ever going to touch him. And, uh, he, the, you know, what, what. It's not cynical. Because it's happening all the time. But the, the, you know, the cautionary note in this, uh, film is that, uh, you know, look, he just empowers. So many people to be their worst selves. Yeah. You know, he inspires them to be horrible. And, uh, because he's never going to suffer consequences. And, and all these other folks kind of rise up. They, you know, worshipping him. Uh, and, and going, look, he'll never be touched. I'll never be touched. This is great.

14:08I can live exactly, you know, my worst impulses out. And I'll never be touched. But they're not so rich and powerful. Uh, they're, they're going to be touched. You know, the, the convention years coming out of the motel, you know, half dressed just thrilled that they've been able to, uh, you know, who knows how many lives were burnt down that night of partying, uh, with him. But they are, you know, this army of crunchy, middle aged white dudes who, you know, they're just, their lives have actually been touched by this character. And they're, you know, there's this army, uh, ready to fight for him. Of course, the, uh, Nicholas Braun and Peter Dinklage, uh, uh, kidnappers, one of the great on screen pairings. Yeah. Yeah. The super tall and the, the, the, the, the, the, the good guy and the tall guy.

15:08And two guys who have a gift, I, I say this about Dinklage's, firstly, uh, just to go back to go forward, that's sort of kind of like semi slow motion beat. I know it doesn't, it's not in slow motion, but it feels like slow motion of middle aged, frumpy guys running down the street trying to chase down a car like their Robert Patrick from Terminator 2. And their knees just not even allowing them to stride in their runs. Sheskis. Firstly, one of the great shots of the movie. Secondly, the surprise of Dinklage. Um, the, the surprise of, of, of Dinklage. And their little crew that becomes part of that. They, like, Dinklage's face is so insanely expressive, like as in, in the microgestures that he's just such a hypnotic and beautiful guy to watch. Like, no matter what's happening in the screen, he has a gift of like,

16:09your eyes are drawn to him. Like, what is his face? What is he thinking? Nick Braun is such the funnest freak, he little freak. I love Nick Braun. Like he is such an underrated actor. He will do anything for you. Um, and it's so heartening to hear, make and talk about him about like the dedication that he had in the ideas he brings and go on full wackadoo for the role in loving it. Yeah. Just, just, well, they brought it. So, that those characters in other movies would be. Just funny. They'd just be toss off little, you know, funny side notes. But the lingering that making Blair allows to happen insists on happening here turns it, you know, it really sours. It curdles. It gets so uncomfortable and not just like cringy, comically uncomfortable, but really uncomfortable to the point where you know,

17:10you start to realize these guys have to live in their skin all the time. All the time. All the time. And, you know, these are the types of people that are recognizing something in, you know, something aspirational in this, this, uh, this shared in character, uh, that, you know, they just really admire it. And that they feel like, uh, this is. This part of me that I feel like I have to suppress all the time. I, you know, if I could, if I could be that way all the time and be recognized for it, it would be incredible. And, uh, you know, that, that's all they want out of life. And it's so, you know, it's such a. It's a great moment when, uh, when Peter Dinklage is, I don't know if it's his wife or, uh, girlfriend comes home from, you know, she's the one like, hardworking. Not, not, not your Bradley plays Crystal Dandry in this.

18:10And. Yeah. She's the kind of matriarch of this chaotic house. And you can tell that literally she is the only reason that it, the house hasn't burnt down. And she comes back in and it's just. Just watching her, like, like pop of their delusion bubble. Was so fun in this movie. Like, it's just, and like she can't even hold them completely together. But it's just so nice to be like, what are you doing? Like, what are you doing? Like, you get a character in the movie that gets to say what the audience wants to say. Exactly when the audience wants to say it is just like it's, it's very well orchestrated. Now, well, it's, it's just, it's one of those, one of those things that I really respond to in, in his work, his fascination for these oddball characters. And, and, and yes, they're laughable. And yes, they're sad.

19:10And yes, they're scary. Yeah. And, and they get to be all those things in these movies. And I really appreciate that. And I haven't even brought up Dave Franco or Ocea Jackson Jr. or Curen and Shipka yet. But, and who is the woman who played the grandmother? Her name is yours so funny. This is why you and I are friends. Lynn Wannliss plays Baba, whose Kiernan Shipka's grandmother in this movie. And I couldn't take my eyes off her. She was unbelievable. Incredible. And he's like, she's incredible. She just turned up, did the Ukrainian accent. They're all blown away. They came back for ADR. And she was this beautiful Southern lady. Had this thick Southern accent. And he's like, hold on. What the hell? Like, she was just that good. She just came in in the zone rocking. She said her and it make and told me in the previous pods. So you guys are hopefully listening. There's two great chats. One is obviously great. Jet and I and the other is Makin and I talking about this movie.

20:10But he laughed at me for liking that woman. And now I get to say, no, there was something about her that just got me in this movie. She was excellent. Excellent. Absolutely great. And you know, and I guess that's another thing about. Makin and Jeremy and you know, all these filmmakers have brought up. Is they they're bringing mugs back. Yeah. You know, I mean, there are movie stars in these films. But they're just they they they spot faces, you know, the. You know, the. And the. The. The. Safety brothers are the same. Yeah. And they're, you know, just incredible. Casting of in of small roles and large roles. But. You know, great faces on screen. And people who really, who really pop who make. Indelegible impressions. With very small parts. And, you know, everybody is.

21:10And you know, they're. Into a, you know, a great tapestry of of characters and moments here. But, you know, as a collection as a road movie as a sort of hybrid of last detail. Like an inverted last detail. And midnight run, you know, I mean, that's absolutely my wheelhouse. I just I just. I said to make. I'm so glad you loved it. I said to make it. And I was like, the way I would describe these guys, they're kind of like Uber eats drivers. But for, they're delivering your shittiest relative to somewhere. And why I say they're like Uber eats is because. Rain hell or shine, they're going through hell. To do a very mundane and underpaid task. And when you're delivering Sheridan, they're really, really terrific. I want to get his name right here. The really, really terrific. Whereas you make some things when you're delivering Sheridan, like it's thankful.

22:13It's a thank, it's a thankless gig. And that's an in this thankless gig because he's a kind of a pot stirring kind of instigator. These guys who are already what seemingly is at rock bottom, learn the new layers of true rock bottom, you know. And it's, but, but at the same time, it's funny. It's heartfelt. These guys are sweet and, and stupid with two O's. And, but I just really, this movie was just a blast. I had a really good time of it's in its unpredictability. In, in, as you said, all of those things, the ability for every single person in time, to be stupid, to be funny, to have sensitivity. And then finally, to kind of like be scary or have the scariest stuff happen to them. Like really truly, it's excellent. It's excellent. It's excellent. It is excellent. The, um, uh, the, I've, I've, I've, I want to push back on just a couple.

23:16I have not really paid attention to the critical response to the film, but I was, I was lancing at a couple of things and I was looking for negative comments because I had so many of my own positive. I wanted to see, well, what's the negative? What, how do people not love this movie? And, and, you know, one of the things, uh, someone brought up was, well, why would this billionaire family hire, you know, this bottom rung service to, uh, to, to do this? And I was like, well, because that's fucking America. That is absolutely it. That, you know, you brought up Uber Eats like these guys are at the bottom of the scale and they have to do so many jobs to survive care and, care and then ship because incredible in is a arena. Uh, you know, and we see, you know, she talks about how many jobs she's done that day. I wait, and the salad dressing.

24:17I got to tell, I got to, I got to not tell you about. I think you and I can appreciate how hard people work to get by in their life. Number one, what we know about each other. I'm not going to tell you where I heard this story. This is like a, this is a story that is legit and I'm just going to give you the slight details and it's from a friend of mine. Who, who went to school in a really nice area and had some very wealthy people that he interacted with and was around and things like that. And he knew a person that had their 18th birthday at their house. So it was originally going to be a big celebration out at some like fancy Sydney something. That, that person then had it at their house. And so people went over there, people helped, people brought things, people did stuff. That person who is in this incredibly wealthy family who had this gigantic house party.

25:21And a person by the way who had people bring stuff to the party, like cater it, bring beverages, etc. Then proceeded to invoice all of the attendees or their attendance to their party. Yeah. That's come on. You're making shit up for people like you and I, I'm telling you like I can't tell any of the names I can't sort of go through. But extremely wealthy family. My buddy was in that social circle by virtue of school and he told me this story and I did the exact thing was like no way that that happened. And he's like, no, it happened. It happened. If you think that a rich person won't underpay for a task, you don't know how that person got rich billionaires pay unders always and negotiate the hardest to maintain their money and status.

26:22They're not paying for a primo service. Like especially when they've had enough of their son, they're just like no, we're paying for this whole thing. Just getting there. Yeah. And they find an opportunity to cut a corner. Yeah. And there they are. Again, the people that understand American capitalism and democracy the best are the people at the very top and the people at the very bottom. And you know, they rely on. And they're just influencing the middle who are just just barely, you know, barely comfortable that, you know, they're the ones who are trying to, you know, just be stable. But everybody else is either hustling multiple jobs. And again, I was going to say that the Karen and Shipka character, she's a singer. And turns out she's a great singer, you know, she's, she's really talented.

27:28And you really, you know, the bit where Oshay Jackson is just, you know, blissed out listening to her, you know, just falling so hard and love with her. You know, we understand it. But you know, that's not her job. Her job is, you know, really demeaning and, but you know, she's hard bitten and hard boiled enough to, to do it. And, you know, with Granny's support. And, you know, they're teaming up together. They're taking it on the world. And, and that's just, they got to get by. And, you know, it's just a really great little observation in the film. Another negative pushback on the film I found when people disconnecting over the, the reason Oshay Jackson gets fired at the beginning of the film for taking, you know, he's like a youth pastor and he takes the church youth group to see Lars Watt truer's anti-crime.

28:33Which, I, you know, as someone who grew up in the church myself, I can attest. I convinced my youth group leader to show us Ridley Scott's black reign and it nearly got him fired. And I know other people, you know, who, I mean, obviously, I thought you're going to say, I thought you're going to say stigmata end of days, you know, like this. I mean, if there's like ecstasy, you know, like the moment it's like you trying to, this is, you know, semi-religious themes, you know. Right. Now, this was just, I mean, just, you know, this, I mean youth pastor is a pretty thankless job too. Of course. But, you know, I love to. So I, obviously, Antichrist is a bit of a broad, it's a broad, you know, stroke, but it's, but it's rooted in, in reality. You know, I'm sure there's a million of these stories out there.

29:34But I love that this film isn't cynical about O'Shae Jackson's, you know, religious convictions. You know, they, they'd never, the film never, even the characters are, but the film is not cynical about, you know, his, you know, this is the path he's on. This is his heart. Man, when he is praying, he's stoned out of his fucking mind. And he's praying. Just the most honest prayer, you know, he's looking at the heavens, saying, I want to be good. Why won't you let me be good? I mean, it's beautiful touching stuff. And that's the most authentic prayer I've nearly seen in a movie. Yeah, I just want to be good. I just want to be good. Please let me be good. Please let me be good. Yeah. It's, it's beautiful stuff. And, and the, the film treats it is beautiful. I mean, it gets to be funny.

30:40But it's not a cynical, it's not a cynical take on that. And, and the, here in the ship, his line to Dave Franco's mark, arena tells him when, when mark is, is starting to kind of hit on her at one point. You know, she says, I, I'll never date clients and, and his, I forget exactly what he says, but she, you know, he thinks he's being cute and charming and like, you know, distancing himself from the O. Sh. Jackson square character and, and she says, look, you don't understand how close you are to being shared, you know, like, you think you're a man of the people here. But you're really, you know, there's something a lot darker that, you know, allowed to be, you, you, you could, you would, you would, you would, and they, you know, he's in a hot, that's what everyone.

31:40If you just take away your morality, it's there for people and some people want the yearn for it. Yeah. But the, the effect that that has on him is, you know, the really kind of growth. Yeah, part of the, the film for him and I love that, I love that for all the characters, you know, the real affection. And I love that they are written and portrayed with and, and, you know, and that's not, it's not uncritical, but it's not cynical either. So, love, love, love this movie full of heart, full of insights that, you know, are affirming, but they're also, you know, can be kind of not cutting, but, you know, that, you know, just that, we think our self perception and, and the way we, we look to the rest of the world, don't, don't always line up.

32:43And making, making it is a pleasure in that gap. So like, what I want to say is if you're in the States, and you can see this movie, go and see it straight away, it needs your attention. It really is outsized in its achievement versus its budget, you know, it's like a 20 day movie to shoot. It's an indie movie. It's been hanging around for a couple of years. It's terrific. There's some emphatic recommendations from Jed and I, and I'll just close this chat with the great Jed airs, crime novelist, noir expert, physical media, booklet writer. There's a fun joke that Adam Corolla does where he says, like, the common thing between someone who's ultra-rich or ultra-poor, and his thing is, you know the going rate of copper. That joke of like, is like, that's this movie, like the ultra-rich know where it's at and the porno is where it's at. And there's a kind of very chunky diluted middle or lower middle that is being exploited and, and, and being explored here.

33:43I just think making Blair again, it's another sniper shot. It's like a headshot. It's a perfect satire. And really, really fun. And I think something that's going to be a grower, even if it doesn't, even if it doesn't show out of the box office, I think when people discover this movie, they're going to have a great time with it and love the characters and watch it again. And I definitely want to watch it again. So, and it's great to talk to you as always. Thank you so much for chatting to me in this slightly abridged format, the normal, I appreciate you very much. And, yeah, we've got to add, I don't feel at home is in this world anymore for 2017 decade project. Maybe we'll get making along. I'll text him and go, come along. Let's talk you me and Jed about your great movie. He's the best. I would love that. Well, that's, that's, that's what's happening. I'm going to, I'm going to email him at the end of this and say, hey, 10 year anniversary. I don't feel at home in this world anymore. You're coming along to talk about it. Jed, your best folks. Thanks for listening. No, you are. We'll catch you on the next episode of one of one-hate minute productions shows very, very soon.