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Watchcast Schedule for September 2024: A Wonderful Universe of TANG
🕑 Added 2024-08-29 20:34:33 +0000 UTCHey, everyone! Been a good long while since I've had the chance to write up one of these, but with Twin Peaks officially completed and the schedule returning to the monthly film themes, I'm here again to give you the lineup you can watch along with us through the month of September.
This is one of those themes we've had written down pretty much since we got it in our heads to do the Watchcast in the first place. These are movies about video games, but not based on video games. These films range from cynically produced commercials for Nintendo products that we nonetheless harbor nostalgia for (The Wizard) to grotesque nightmare visions of virtual reality where the flesh and the avatar become intertwined in increasingly horrific ways (Ready Player One). Here's the full lineup we've got for you.
Monday, September 2nd: The Wizard (1989)
This is the movie that sparked off our discussion of doing this theme in the first place, both because it's easily the most "about a video game" movie from our youth, but also because we all have a strong desire to reconcile our own nostalgic memories of the thing with a stinging dose of cold, hard reality. Ostensibly a family film, The Wizard is mostly about a trio of latchkey kids who wander the American west on their way to a video game competition, and the parade of wildly irresponsible adults who barely regard them. Crude and cynical in several different ways, The Wizard nonetheless represents a key moment in both Nintendo's nascent attempts to break into other entertainment mediums, and one of the most blatant examples of product placement driving the entirety of a film's creative process. No, this is not a good movie, but it is a fascinating one, and we have a great time talking about it.
Monday, September 9th: Tetris (2023)
This is a rare one for a couple of reasons. One, this is now the most recent film we will have done for the Watchcast. Two, this is a case where both Vinny and Brad have seen a movie, and I haven't! What can I say? I don't watch that many new movies these days. But I have been curious about this one, and I'm glad Brad made it his pick. Less about the development of Tetris than the story of the mini cold war that went on behind the scenes as efforts were made to secure the game's license, Tetris sounds like a fairly Hollywood-ized version of the story, but entertaining nonetheless. Mostly talking about it here just makes me want to stop writing and play some Tetris. I'll keep writing, though.
Where to Watch (Note: This is an Apple movie so it's only currently available on their streaming service. I'm including the Where to Watch link anyway just because you never know these days. Five years from now? We could be watching Apple movies on Amazon, Netflix originals on Criterion Channel, Discovery Plus shows on Tubi, cats and dogs, living together, and so on and so forth.)
Monday, September 16th: Cloak & Dagger (1984)
This one's my personal pick, and I went with it for a couple of reasons. One, Brad and Vinny both picked more recent films, and two, Dabney Coleman, dear friend of the Watchcast, passed way earlier this year. So what better way to celebrate the memory of a terrific actor with a movie he's actually really good in? No disrespect to his work in Dragnet, but this is a terrific example of what a fun, versatile actor he could be. Here he plays the dual role of a depressed widower who struggles to relate to his 10-year-old son (E.T.'s Henry Thomas), and the aforementioned 10-year-old's imaginary friend, Jack Flack, the hero of his favorite Atari game. I haven't had the chance to watch this in at least 25 years, so this is my excuse to finally watch the 4K edition Vinegar Syndrome put out pretty recently.
Monday, September 23rd: Ready Player One (2018)
Goddammit, Vinny.
I told him we'd do whatever movie he wanted, and he wanted Ready Player One. I am not about to go back on my word.
Here's the thing: I have never completed any version of Ready Player One. I tried the book, and could not stomach it for long. I have tried to watch this movie on two separate occasions, and tapped out quick both times. Now I have no choice. I am going to have to complete the film, at least. I suppose I could try to read the book, too. Would that help, do you think? Would you want me to read the book too? Is that a sacrifice you think I should make for this podcast? Sound off in the comments below. I'll do it if you demand it. I might die, but I'll do it. I'm not reading any of Cline's fucking poetry, though. That bridge I shall not cross.
Anyway, I think we'll probably have a lot to say about this one when we get to it.
Monday, September 30th: eXistenZ (1999)
What better way to both close out this month and get people ready for the obscene bodily horrors of October than with David Cronenberg's sci-fi horror thriller, eXistenZ? None that I can think of. Cronenberg's name has been tossed around a few times lately as we've talked about directors we'd like to explore more on the show, and while I don't think eXistenZ is his greatest movie by any stretch, it might be the best of his '90s output (really depends on where you land [heh] on Crash), and it's about as polar opposite from where we're starting the month as you can get. Plus, finally, something from that Jude Law sci-fi theme we kept talking about and then never did. As with all things Cronenberg, I'll just lightly warn that this is not for the squeamish. The biomechanical body horrors are most definitely present.
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And that is September's schedule! As always, thanks for listening and watching along with us, we'll see you at the movies!
--A
Comments
disproportionately massive dwayne johnson from the end of furious 6
god help me
Peter Hire
I’m looking forward to Ready Player One in particular- I know it’s a divisive movie (at minimum), but for some reason it was one of my top two movies of 2018. I’m not sure what that says about me (the other was Crazy Rich Asians. Also not sure what that says about me). It’ll be fun to listen to the crew rip it to shreds at least.
swiftdraw
What would be worse: Ready Player One or Grandma’s Boy?
Ben W
Came here just to check eXistenZ made the list! :)
Brad Priller
I was just about to post this exact same thing! Who knew you could MST3K a book, but they do!
Zeemod
Reading this list of movies reminded me of War Games, a classic from my childhood. Might motivate me to do a rewatch for the hell of it.
zhulok
Don't read the book. The reason I think the movie is better than the book in every way is because all of the dumb references that you have to read in the book are just quick blink and you miss them visuals for the movie and that in itself saves the movie from being completely shit. The movie is still not great but at least its only two hours of your life.
Michael Green
My take on RPO the novel is that it's just middling; the voice is competent if uninspired, and the whole thing hangs on the basic idea having a fairly broad appeal. It's a standard potboiler, a bit sexist, and then becomes more offensive to certain nerdish sensibilities because many choices feel like pandering. Not something I would recommend but also not worth the sturm und drang. The movie is also middling, but at least has a smattering of Spielbergian heart. It's mush of no particular nutritional value but is also far from being the worst thing ever.
Daniel Barnett
I kinda hate The Wizard so I thought about skipping that one. But then Ready Player One is on the list, and like Alex I cannot bear to finish it in any form. I don't want to skip more than one, so I guess I'm watching The Wizard. At least theres a body horror silver lining at the end of the month.
Willow Ryan
Very hype for this lineup. eXistenZ is a movie I’ve been meaning to watch for decades.
Chad
Was hoping for Wreck it Ralph. My pick for best video game movie. Always love Alex’s writing.
Curtis Spiva
Speaking as a Librarian, rather than read the book just listen to the "372 Pages we'll never get back" podcast. Its the first book Mike Nelson and Conor Lastowka from RiffTrax read for the show and they get into how bad it is in a much more enjoyable way than having to read it would. One of the segments that it spawned was a real or fanfic guessing game since it was so hard to tell the difference. Its a fun listen and they do go on to read his other books ,including Cline's terrible attempt at middle grades writing "Bridge to Bat City" which seems to have gotten quietly dumped out earlier this year.
Andrew Scagnelli
Every time Cline gets close to having an original idea in RPO, he backs off and gives you a firehose of references instead. The best you get is the stacks (which is a neat idea in isolation).
Limowreck
Hell yeah eXistenZ, also good god no Alex do not read any of the books. Hell just watch that Demi Adejuyigbe song YouTube video... that's basically it. Don't listen to anyone else in the comments saying to read the book(s), they're lunatics :) (And then also after watching the movie you could look up the big uh "set piece" they had to replace due to rights stuff, as what they did for the movie was actually a really good choice I think - despite the movie not being good).
Benji Black
I liked the movie Tetris. I thought using the sale of the game to the west as a metaphor for the fall of the Soviet Union was a smart notion.
Kyle
Now that's a coincident in my favor. The Alamo Drafthouse had a screening of Cloak & Dagger last month that I caught. Hadn't seen the entire film from start to finish in decades and it held up surprisingly well. Similar to the Wizard, it has latchkey kids wandering around a places they probably shouldn't be while while adults show indifference and menace in turn. Though I had forgotten how hard you could go on endangering children in film in the 80s and still get away with a PG rating. The villains in the movie point at *and* shot automatic weapons at kids, knock one out with chloroform, and are just general menaces. Oh, it's also set in and around San Antonio, which I'm pretty familiar with, and some of the exterior land marks haven't changed much. I guess they got permission to film both the outside and inside of the Alamo; take that Pee Wee's Big Adventure (not really, love that film).
Mark Heltman
Less of a nerd Bible and more of a nerd gacha machine. You poke at it a little bit and it just gives you a random nerd reference. Then the reader is supposed to feel good because they know what Knight Rider is.
Sean
eXistenZ! Now that's a movie!
yaoibunga
i like hearing people discuss atrocious media as much as the next guy but i cannot sanction the idea of you reading ready player one. we're only on this earth for so long. even if you are going to read something bad-funny for the bit, there's got to be something more worthy than _that_
Arvid Falk
I have not seen any of these so I'm exited for this month
Joshua Chap
I agree. The book at the time was like a Nerd Bible, but you got to remember it was at a time where not everything was the MCU. That all said, the book has aged like hot milk.
Scott Marshall
I don't think you need to read the book in order to watch RPO, but I am a sadistic bastard. So I vote that you should.
Joshua Chap
This is a wild list of fun and awful. This is going to be a blast. The last few movies have been absolute gems. You've all been on a hot streak with this podcast lately
csl316
This Ain't No Game was one of the reasons I started following GB. "This Ryan fella seems like a pleasant fellow," I thought.
drunken_irishman
The book is better than the movie at least? I'd try to read it first if you were going to, just so you can form your own versions of these terrible characters in your head before you see what actors were cast.
Brian Streleckis
Nice. I've seen eXistenZ and might catch that Tetris movie since I have Apple TV+. Ready Player One I've caught some of, yet not compelled to watch start to finish despite Steven Spielberg directing it. I was half expecting Gamer to be in the lineup.
Hilary Neloms
very excited for the Cloak & Dagger conversation. One of my first memories of ever being obsessed with a movie as a kid.
Mark Heltman
Please do not read Ready Player One. Do not do that to yourself. It would make for good content but what it takes from you is far greater than any content could be worth.
