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Ira and Louis celebrate 250 episodes of Keep It and discuss Angela Lansbury’s legacy, Cate Blanchett’s performance in TAR and the already stacked Best Actress race at the Oscars, the definition of a “cult classic,” and Beyoncé’s yet to materialize visuals for Renaissance. Plus, Paul Reiser joins to discuss his new series Reboot, how sitcoms have changed, why we need Eddie Murphy doing stand up again, and more.

 

TRANSCRIPT

 

Ira Madison III And we are back with our 250th episode of Keep.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, my God. We’re now getting to when you spin the wheel on Wheel of Fortune, the amounts you can spend. Actually, now it’s I think 500 is the lowest, but you used to be able to spin to 50 anyway. That’s how big we are.

 

Ira Madison III Mm hmm. You know, in the days when America hadn’t printed enough money.

 

Louis Virtel That’s right. Correct. Wow. Your Salon.com, essay right here. Okay.

 

Ira Madison III The Wheel of Fortune as a metaphor for American capitalism.

 

Louis Virtel Yes. You do not want Pat Sajak to weigh in. I guarantee it.

 

Ira Madison III I forgot that he’s crazy now.

 

Louis Virtel I it really is unfortunate because he’s so down the line. I would say hilarious on Wheel of Fortune. And then you see a picture of him and Marjorie Taylor Greene and it’s like, I, I don’t know, another Republican who’s that like on the level funny on one hand, like for real and like smooth and then seemingly demented otherwise, you know. It’s like Dennis Miller. You can kind of see the demented ness anyway.

 

Ira Madison III Mm hmm. I would say that. I mean, are we. We’re never shocked when we find out that, like, those Republicans or, you know, conservative types are the they really want it to work in like the industry.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, right. Oh my God Kelly Anne Conway.

 

Ira Madison III And that it didn’t happen. Yes. Right. Right. Her standup, her famous standup. And I truly feel like Marjorie Taylor Greene, like she’s probably like watching like Pat Sajak being like she wanted to be Vanna.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, God. Well, that’s it you just said something bone chilling. I absolutely, absolutely cannot even consider that reality. And you said something very triggering to me.

 

Ira Madison III So I’m imagining an All About Eve with Vanna White and Marjorie Taylor Greene.

 

Louis Virtel By the way, they’re already is it all about Eve with Vanna White? Because Pat Sajak daughter Maggie Sajak. Sajak is their social correspondent and she is always wearing an evening gown and lingering behind the letterbox. You can go on her socials and she gives you the inside scoop on certain episodes. Vanna, you got to watch your back.

 

Ira Madison III Oh, I care. I was going to I was going to start this by saying I’ve said and we’re back 250 times. Yes. I mean, I haven’t done 250 total episodes of the show.

 

Louis Virtel Oh that’s true. So, yeah, this is this is actually an uneventful episode altogether. But yeah.

 

Ira Madison III I love the I’m imagining like the keep it Wikipedia like a sitcom Wikipedia where it has like Ira Madison like, Louis Virtel, and it has like the number of episodes we were each on.

 

Louis Virtel Right. I wonder if I more than you then. I guess I am.

 

Ira Madison III You are. I think you’re like 248 or 249. Wow. You rarely miss an episode.

 

Louis Virtel No it’s sort of like ER where you realize like oh I don’t know who you would be on ER. Ah, Anthony Edwards. And then I like I’m the Noah Wiley who is secretly there way more.

 

Ira Madison III Um. And speaking of sitcoms, you know, we have the fantastic Paul Reiser on our episode.

 

Louis Virtel And he is as as rad as you would expect. I just want to say. So we taped his segment before this. He does get one thing wrong that I didn’t want to correct him about. He says that Alan Arkin was nominated for Wait Until Dark. He was not. He was nominated for the Russians are coming. The Russians are coming. Which he did get right. And also the heart is a lonely hunter, which is so boring. I can’t sit through it. Go ahead.

 

Ira Madison III You’re not a Carson McCullers fan.

 

Louis Virtel Not not these days. No. Actually, Carson McCullers is the member of the wedding, right? Julie Harris, 1952. That’s a good performance.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, well, I literally have the heart as a lonely hunter sitting on my kitchen table.

 

Louis Virtel The weird choice.

 

Ira Madison III To read it. I got it to read it for the first time because a friend of mine, I think we were talking about Truman Capote, and then he was like and, you know, like Carson McCullers and the relationship. And he was like, well, you’ve never read Carson, though, so you should you should read Heart is a Lonely Hunter and Member of the Wedding. So I bought both.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, okay. Well, report back when we can get into our Southern Gothic offshoot. Keep it.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah.

 

Louis Virtel Not really.

 

Ira Madison III Gothic. I’ll do it. I’ll do a Sugarbaker monologue. It’ll be great.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, good, good, good. That’s what the kids like. I thought that’s like a modern reference for us, you know, Delta Burke, we’re up to date.

 

Ira Madison III Speaking of reporting back, I need to let you know that I experienced one of the most insane things of my life this weekend.

 

Louis Virtel Which was?

 

Ira Madison III And that is BravoCon.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah. The reports back, it was giving Altamont. I was worried. I was like this might be the end of Ira’s life. Yeah.

 

Ira Madison III So I it was a so it’s a three day convention for Bravo the network. Which is.

 

Louis Virtel Correct.

 

Ira Madison III I don’t think there’s been anything like this since like I don’t know, like going to see WWE, like, a convention dedicated to, like an entire network. Seems weird. Like, where was TGIF con when we were kids?

 

Louis Virtel Right. Though I feel like those people like that maybe did things like mall tours, but it was never as organized as this. Never as like we’re packed in this fucking room and it’s like the the Lula ro pants of conventions where, like, superstars show up.

 

Ira Madison III But I feel like the WWE thing is apt because, you know, we watch Real Housewives and these things on Bravo and obviously, you know, it’s reality TV and they’re playing themselves, but they’re also playing a role with one another or, you know, and so producing and, you know, doing storylines, etc., it is another level. Seeing them do reunions after, you know, they film the season where they’re able to comment on like how people watch the season and like storylines that came up, etc.. But it’s another thing to watch that happening on a stage with a live audience, cheering, booing, chanting like their favorite quotes. Like it truly felt like a wrestling match. Yeah. Like Jerry Springer into. Yeah. People turning into heels and faces, like, before your very eyes. And it was so surreal. It was very surreal to watch.

 

Louis Virtel Were the women of those shows prepared for that, do you think they knew it would be that they were?

 

Ira Madison III They were. I think that they feed off of it, too. You know, one of the funniest things is like you will be walking through the convention center and like the regular convention center is just like it’s set up with just like booths and things. Because let me tell you, if you’re on Bravo, you’re selling something right where the weather with its fake weather is face wash or wine or just merch with like one of your cats quotes on it. So everyone has a booth. And you know, the funny part is the varying differences in quality. It’s like 20 20,000 years to get she by sarray out there and the quality varies so much you know, like she by sarray is giving shine by. Sure. But then there are some people who are like, Oh, these products are good, you know, like that. That’s always shocking. But one of the weirdest things is like you’ll be in the convention center and obviously, like the housewives and people like have to get from like panel to panel or, you know, like they’re going to their booth and they’re like being flanked by security, depending on how big they are. Just random points. Throughout the day, you’ll hear screams like screams of elation. And you look over and it’s like you would expect to see like the fucking Beatles, you know, like being like usher through like it’s Beyonce. People are screaming and you look and it’s like. Countess Luann.

 

Louis Virtel Again, I’ve invoked this quote before. Grace Helbig, former YouTuber, saying the definition of talent is changing. And when when people are screaming for cowardice, lou-ann, I mean, it’s I mean, it’s just so funny. I mean, it’s like I get that she’s an institution at this point. I just remember when she debuted on this show and she was sort of the most obviously pretentious of them, you know, like, like, oh, who cares, etc.. And now she’s been there so long. It’s like the grande dame of the show.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. I mean, and there was the grande dame herself, Karen Huger from Real Housewives of Potomac. And you know what? I call them my favorite franchise. I think they’re, you know, like having seen years of these other Bravo women, like, morph through to what they need to become, they’re the show that’s most adept at, like, adapting and like being like they’re they’re having real fun where they argue with each other like some of the other women, like they truly do hate each other. And that, like they cut those fights are deep, but the Potomac House is more so like wrestling where like they’ll battle with each other, but they’re like on the panel, they were specifically being like, but we’re good now. But, you know, like, we know what we have to do for the show.

 

Louis Virtel Right. Right. I see. I see.

 

Ira Madison III Um.

 

Louis Virtel I guess. I guess Drag Con would be kind of similar, you know?

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. Like that. Um, speaking of the concept of talent changing, Lewis, I wish you’d been there with me, because let me tell you something. I felt like Sally Field in the mall, in soap dish.

 

Louis Virtel The amount of the crossover.

 

Ira Madison III Well because like the there’s a big percentage of keep it fans who are also Bravo fans right and the I was stopped constantly. Louis Our fans are lovely, but the fact that they are like could spot me through like a crowd of people and they’re like, That’s Ira.

 

Louis Virtel I have to say the times, like I get recognized from the podcast, it’s super. Flattering because of course you can’t see a podcast, so it means they’ve done the homework to look up who we are. Anyway, I think it’s maybe the most ideal way to be quote unquote recognized. You know, people just they know who you are. They’ve done the homework and they come up to me and they bring up like, Hey, I’m a big fan of Tuesday Weld, too, or some actress. Yeah.

 

Ira Madison III You know, what’s interesting is that they would, um, you know, they’d ask about you, of course, but they did ask about specific topics that we talk about. But I also forget that it’s not just listeners, you know, because now that we have YouTube and Snapchat and everything, I encounter more people now who are like, I watch keep it every week.

 

Louis Virtel Oh yeah. Right now I forget that we’re visual stars where, you know, real Carol BURNETT show coming on here.

 

Ira Madison III We started as a radio drama and now.

 

Louis Virtel We’re like Guiding Light. Yes, right. We started we started in the 1870s and finally were canceled mercifully in 2008.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. By literal reference was going to be Guiding Light. So thank.

 

Louis Virtel You. I do have a little bit of soap opera, too. A little bit. I know that’s your department, but I’ve got I’ve got a I’ve got a foot in that.

 

Ira Madison III We’ve already said we’ve got Paul Reiser here and unfortunately, sadly, truly, as soon as we finished recording last week, Angela Lansbury died.

 

Louis Virtel I just want to say, there’s nothing that happens with actresses of a certain age passing away where people ask if I’m okay. Like, guys, I’m not, like, on the brink. It’s like.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah.

 

Louis Virtel Though, funny enough, we’ll get into this. I had I officiated my cousin Brianna’s wedding in the Twin Cities and I was flying back and on the way back. This is a week and a half ago, I was watching National Velvet, which Angela Lansbury is, and, and I had the thought, it is crazy. There is a living adult cast member of this fucking movie. And then I so in a way I do feel like cursed at. So apologies to Africa.

 

Ira Madison III You were her people magazine cover.

 

Louis Virtel Yes. Right, exactly.

 

Ira Madison III So we’re going to talk about Dame Angela Lansbury, an actual dame. I feel like I put that title in front of British people all the time.

 

Louis Virtel Just. Yeah. Yeah. Dame Ed Westwick. Not yet.

 

Ira Madison III Because he’s still waiting. Get out. Right, Prince. Prince Charles might be the one to give Ed Westwick that title.

 

Louis Virtel That’s true, right? It gets a little dicey over there.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. And then also, we’re going to talk about the critical responses to TAR and general responses to critics and their reviews. So should be a fun episode.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah. Lots to talk about.

 

Ira Madison III Lots of special guests. There are no special guests.

 

Louis Virtel But though I do want to say I actually wanted to start this episode by lamenting that Taylor Hale is not here. We will do everything in our power to bring her back because literally in the middle of the episode between segments, I leaned in over Zoom and said to her, I just want you to know I’m having such a good time. So just to let you know, we love her as much as you do.

 

Ira Madison III We love Taylor to the tape. Taylor was a fantastic co-host. People are like Taylor Hill full time. I’m like, I we don’t want to bore Taylor Hale. Right. When we start talking about things like. Like Angela Lansbury.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah. Like Bedknobs and broomsticks. Yeah.

 

Ira Madison III It would be like you’ve seen Bedknobs and broomsticks. She’s like, you know, I was actually in the Big Brother house for my entire life, so no, I’ve never seen that.

 

Louis Virtel And we’re going to find out. It was a Truman Show situation.

 

Ira Madison III Yes. All right. We will be right back with more Keep It.

 

[AD]

 

Ira Madison III Dame Angela Lansbury, the icon of stage and screen, passed away at age 96 last week. Best known for her roles in my personal fave, The Manchurian Candidate. Yes. And also Beauty and the Beast Murder. She wrote Sweeney Todd. She was a decorated Broadway actor, humanitarian and truly like we throw the word around, we throw the phrase gay icon around a lot. But she was that I mean, she had. She got us into Disney. She got us into Sondheim. She got us into being in your neighbors business and solving murder mysteries. Yes. And with The Manchurian Candidate, you know, all the Oedipal shit going on. What gay man doesn’t relate to that?

 

Louis Virtel No, you’re right. Everybody has an in. Somehow, someway. As creepy as until she also has that thing that I think a gay icon should necessarily have, which is there’s a broad appeal to what they do and even like a familial, comforting thing. But if you lean in a little closer, you realize there’s a real saucy wit going on there. Like for those who care, there’s something there’s a there’s an eyebrow raise for those who are paying attention. And she routinely had that throughout her career. I mean, something that’s come up a lot this week is the movie Gaslight, which she debuted in. This is 1944. And we just talked to Isabella Rossellini. It came up came up then because her mom, Ingrid Bergman, is the star. Charles Boyer, one of the great creepy men of cinema, is gaslighting. Ingrid Bergman. And then Angela Lansbury comes in and plays the Cockney maid, who is sort of instrumental in driving Ingrid to the brink. But man, for that to be a first performance, because first of all, nothing about that character says be 19 years old, which she is in that year. It’s so assured her kind of blank, kind of brutal take on the lines, but that also has humor in it. She’s sort of unfazed by what’s going on and then also indicating she’s willing to participate. It’s just one of the great debut performances ever, and that was the first of her three nominations. She was also nominated for the picture of Dorian Gray the next year. And I want to say about that movie, I mean, watch it. If you’re not familiar with the Oscar Wilde original tale picture of Dorian Gray. But there are a couple of Easter eggs in it for people who want to get to know Angela Lansbury. First of all, I think that was the first time she ever sang So You Can See Her. I think it’s called The Little Bird is the name of the song, but you can see her debuting her singing chops there. And they are stellar. It’s a very old fashioned song. And two people forget that Angela Lansbury was the daughter of an actress, and she’s in that movie with her mom, Mona McGill, who plays the Duchess.

 

Ira Madison III And another snap. Oh, baby. That’s right.

 

Louis Virtel That’s what this is. You just stop celebrating her and stop celebrating this hack. But it’s my least favorite of her three nominated performances. But that it’s good to revisit for that reason.

 

Ira Madison III I mean, Donna Reed is in it.

 

Louis Virtel So no love the cast. And then literally at the time, the guy who plays Dorian Gray, Hurd, Hatfield, not a genius performance. I mean, this is what he’s basically known for altogether, but he was an icon of that time. I remember my grandfather constantly bringing up Heard Hatfield strangely. So check it out.

 

Ira Madison III It is hard to discuss. Angela Lansbury just sort of like in this context now because like you said, there’s so many fucking entry points for this woman. Mm hmm.

 

Louis Virtel Absolutely.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. I mean, I discovered Manchurian Candidate, I think, around, like, high school, and that’s truly one of my favorite films ever and.

 

Louis Virtel One of the first true, great, paranoid thriller movies.

 

Ira Madison III Yes, I missed the era of paranoid thrillers. And, you know, there’s the seventies era, like, you know, Three Days of the Condor and stuff like that. But there was there was something really there’s something really just fun about like a black and white era paranoia thriller like that, like Shadow of a Doubt, you know, like there’s something about the acting and those just just feel so, I don’t know, visceral and it’s heightened. It’s yeah, tight. I mean, like, you know, like we talk with Paul Reiser a bit in a bit about sitcoms of his day, you know, like my two dads and stuff where it was very much focused on the face. And those are films that focus on the face, you know, like actors. She as Lansbury came up in the era of acting where you had to have a good face that people wanted to look at and an emotive face. Okay. Like it was the Botox here. Yeah. People had to move their face and like you were moved by someone’s face.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, I would. I would almost call it based on the level of drama they had to bring stage acting for the screen, you know, you know, just that level of like. Maybe the last movie to do that extremely well was Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, which is all dramatic close ups and people bringing you like the fire stairs and the, you know, the chattering and all the things we love in Close Up.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, well, that ends if you were working at Equity when Patti LuPone announced her membership.

 

Louis Virtel Well, a lot of choice ups. Yes. Patti LuPone dropped out of equity and her last line of the tweet is figure it out. So my friends and I have been obsessed recently with saying grow up to each other and I feel like figure it out is the new iteration of that.

 

Ira Madison III I mean, I love a throwback to Summer Sanders. Oh, my.

 

Louis Virtel God. Yes, by the way. Okay. We need to not talk about figure it out right now. But Summer Sanders on that show was like 24 years old. I can’t get over that. I thought of her as like, you know, an older adult, you know, helping us fill out belly. The answer had together. But no, she was barely out of college, basically because she was an Olympic gold medalist right before them. Anyway, Angela Angela Lansbury, she really has that Julie Andrews quality of being both. Immediately knowable, like someone you feel like is in your family, but at the same time so transcendent and untouchable. Like there’s you almost can’t define what that space is in between those two things. And she really exhibited that well. And I mean, one of the crimes of the century is that she never ended up getting the Emmy. She was nominated 12 years in a row for murder. She wrote, I want to say I can name all six of the women she lost to, which are both Cagney and Lacey. Sharon Gless, Tyne Daly, Kathy Baker from Picket Fences. See the award from Sister, Sisters, Patricia Wedding from Thirtysomething and Dana Delaney twice for China Beach. So I think all of those actresses should speak up and say that they are sorry because history has a hole in it thanks to them.

 

Ira Madison III Well, not Miss SEAL Award, okay? Not too much on Civil War.

 

Louis Virtel We do love Miss SEAL Award. When SEAL Award reappeared appeared in Gone Girl. That’s when I screamed. Then I was gone, girl. See.

 

Ira Madison III Honestly, I mean, not. Not to divert on her for a minute too, but I feel like Cee Lo word we need to. We need to keep it appearance in zero three. I have a lot to say to see the. It’ll start with a pop. This is a potential mother.

 

Louis Virtel I have to say. Ever since you posted this meme of some. I don’t know who this woman is on housewives saying this is a potential get more. I say every I say it every fucking day. I’m obsessed with them. All right. Now, the new season on Netflix, which we brought up last week. Every time Avery, who is like sort of the girl we’re rooting for on the show, appears. I’m like, this is a potential mother.

 

Ira Madison III My grandmother literally just texted me while we were recording. I think Avery is the mole. What’s your guess? Because we used to watch the original mole with Anderson Cooper together. We would watch it every week together. And so I texted her every Friday. I’m like, there are new episodes of the mall. You need to watch it so that we can talk about it.

 

Louis Virtel While you’re watching it with your family. Anybody who starts watching that show, by the way, it gets addicted. So just be prepared. It could happen to you. I have literally watched all the existing episodes of this season twice, and I cannot believe I have to wait three more days for it’s Tuesday right now, three more days for this episode to come out.

 

Ira Madison III But speaking of that and mysteries, do you know Angela Lansbury final role is in Glass Onion, right.

 

Louis Virtel And she’s playing herself along with Stephen Sondheim. Stephen Sondheim, which means this was filming way earlier than I thought it was.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah.

 

Louis Virtel So because Angela Lansbury, as I noticed, did not appear at the Tonys this year where she got that lifetime tribute and I suspected something was awry at that moment. I was calling doctors and I don’t know many, so I was like two. And then she left. So I hope she’s sensational. It was so nice seeing her in Mary Poppins returns at the end.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. I mean, for Queen Elizabeth. Can I. I was I was queuing I was queuing in Times Square to say goodbye to Angela Lansbury. And I was an absolute.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, we should be like I should be dimming this ring light right now.

 

Ira Madison III Yes. One of the films that I feel like people brought up a lot after she passed was Bedknobs and Broomsticks, of course, obviously, because and that is that is such an interesting one because. It is a film that, you know, came out in 1971, but it feels like such a staple of my childhood and I’m sure yours probably just because, you know, Disney being omnipresent as we were kids, but like I feel like it re-aired on TV. But also at some point I definitely had, you know, like we were talking about those boxy VHS that Disney used to put out last week with Taylor. I definitely had Bedknobs and Broomsticks, and I watched that movie constantly, and it’s obviously better than the one that’s just like it. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. Right.

 

Louis Virtel Right. Well, also, it’s just one of those movies like like Willy Wonka that somehow came from that era and and just survived. Like we kept watching it. Like, I don’t remember a time in my childhood without it. It’s also like one of the few movies your parents passed down to you, I think, like, Oh, that safe for the watch or whatever.

 

Ira Madison III But it’s wild that it’s not. It’s wild that that film has no that it only has the staying power of the film itself. You know, you bring up Willy Wonka or something like and there’s multiple versions of that. And like even the new one coming out with Terry Salomé and it’s like it’s weird that no one has tried to reboot or do anything else with Bedknobs and Broomsticks, there was a musical adaptation like like early 20 tens.

 

Louis Virtel But no, you’re right. Like if we get to Hocus Pocus two, you’re telling me we don’t get a Bedknobs and broomsticks also? What are we saying? They will review reboot.

 

Ira Madison III It was you probably had an ironclad agreement with Disney. We’re not rebooting that shit. Right? And now that she’s gone. Now that she’s gone, Kevin Fay is putting the bedknobs and broomsticks in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

 

Louis Virtel Well, it’s funny that you say that, because she famously objected to the reboot of murder. She wrote right with Octavia Spencer.

 

Ira Madison III Remember when that was supposed to happen? And truly, one of the instances where I feel like tweets actually did doom a reboot, like they they ended that shit very quickly.

 

Louis Virtel That reminds me of when there was supposed to be, I think, an adaptation of that book about Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon and Carole King. And Taylor Swift was initially initially in talks to play Joni Mitchell and Joni Mitchell, who, by the way, if you watched some Joni Mitchell interviews, I mean, the woman is unsparing. She’s unkind to several of her own contemporaries. Says to says about Taylor Swift’s better sound. A blond girl with high cheekbones like wolf. She was not confident in her ability to bring Joni to the screen.

 

Ira Madison III Oh, I want to say, I want to do a quick side note, too, and say that I saw a tweet or I think it was a tik tok actually. Ah, that reminded us Amy Winehouse and Taylor Swift were nominated for Best New Artist in the same year at the Grammys.

 

Louis Virtel That seems crazy. That’s 27 because I would have been in college. Yeah, Taylor Swift has been around that long.

 

Ira Madison III It’s wild because you forget that her country era when she was like, you know, like 15, 16, like was predates, you know, the poppier era. So she was around. Yeah. And, you know, people are listening. Like, I feel like. Oh, I remember she covered rehab and Amy Winehouse went to a show of tailors. Like they met each other.

 

Louis Virtel And then that’s when she chose to pass away. Isn’t that something?

 

Ira Madison III She’s like, I’m hanging out. Actually, I’m sure they’re going to barter you.

 

Louis Virtel Taylor has done a bunch of kind of good live covers over there. One time, Taylor covered a sort of fairy tale by Tori Amos that I respect.

 

Ira Madison III Hmm. Yeah.

 

Louis Virtel Anyway, back to Angela Lansbury. Sorry. Yeah.

 

Ira Madison III Obviously, the big Disney one that we know Angela Lansbury for is just her voice. Mrs. Potts and I. I mean, who as a kid, especially of U.K. one, like, didn’t recreate that voice saying, you know, like Taylor’s all the time, exactly how she did. And honestly, one of the most heartwarming, like mother son relationships for me on set in cinema ever is Chip and Mrs. Potts.

 

Louis Virtel Totally. I think she almost single handedly is the elegance that elevates that movie to something that should be a best picture nominee. And it was, you know. You know, that’s what sets it apart from all the other Disney movies that time. Why? It’s still there’s something still crystalline about Beauty and the Beast, even compared to Aladdin, which was, you know, a similarly super successful or The Lion King or whatever. Mm hmm. No, she’s a magical voice talent. Now, what’s your favorite, Angela Lansbury musical performance?

 

Ira Madison III You know. It’s it’s, you know, like a lot of a lot of the gays we’re talking about, ma’am. Hmm. This weekend. But for me, it’s still Mrs. Lovett and Sweeney Todd.

 

Louis Virtel I would be surprised if he.

 

Ira Madison III Didn’t say that. Yeah, there’s a reason. That’s my favorite musical. And it is because in college, I saw, you know, the stage production that they filmed, and I’ve never been able to get that show out of my mind.

 

Louis Virtel I saw a clip that went viral again after Angela died, where she’s watching an old clip of her and gypsy, I believe. And first of all, it’s awesome just to watch Angela Lansbury watch herself because she really has a sort of diagnostician eye while she’s doing it. Like it’s she is a bit emotional at the end, but she’s mostly watching it like a scary drama teacher, analyzing a student. So that’s fun. But man, you forget like the gale force power of her again. It’s like it’s something that sets her apart from someone like Julie Andrews, who I think through and through was pretty delicate with whatever she did, even in something like Victor Victoria. But Angela Lansbury will freak you the fuck out and she will like, you know, make you stand back. And I think it’s as a quality about her that people underestimate.

 

Ira Madison III No. Also, I want to say, speaking of name, unfortunately, I have never seen Mame on stage. And so my Mame to me is Lucille Ball.

 

Louis Virtel Which is one of the most shocking things you’ll ever see in a movie. You do have Bea Arthur there to soften the blow. But watching Lucille Ball be not Lucy and be man.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah.

 

Louis Virtel Is I mean, it’s just not right. I mean.

 

Ira Madison III It’s just the movie’s actually horrified. And I think it’s actually why I don’t like the musical.

 

Louis Virtel Well, it just colors what you think of it. Yeah.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. But no, no one is thinking of. No one’s thinking of the king and I. Let’s be honest.

 

Louis Virtel Right, right, right. But we should just drop the trivia fact that Angela Lansbury daughter narrowly escaped being a manson cult member. They, in fact. Okay, that’s it for.

 

Ira Madison III That this week, too. And I need. I need. Anyone but Ryan Murphy to get their hands on the rights to that story first. I cannot do it. I cannot deal with Manson being on Netflix, the number one show for 50 weeks or whatever. And it’s about, you know, like from like Angela Lansbury and like saving her daughters lives perspective. Like, I’m not going to do it.

 

Louis Virtel Though. You know what? I do think Sarah Paulson could play Angela Lansbury from around that time. I will say that.

 

Ira Madison III She absolutely could. But you know what? Let someone else cast her.

 

Louis Virtel Okay. So. All right. All right. Okay. That’s true. Other people are avail.

 

Ira Madison III So escape the Ryan Murphy ghetto. Sarah Paulson. Or when I tell you that I turned on Netflix and I saw the watcher and I was like, Oh. Like, another new show is number one. And then I looked and I saw another Ryan Murphy production. Like, who’s watching her?

 

Louis Virtel I’m right. It’s interesting. No. And for a while I thought at Netflix he wasn’t doing that well. And now he’s like the king of Netflix somehow.

 

Ira Madison III It’s like he recorded 50 things and like it’s Tyler Perry Productions over there.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah. Right. Every day, something new. How is that even possible?

 

Ira Madison III Ryan Murphy also grew up homeless in his car and is best friends with Oprah. So, you know, same.

 

Louis Virtel Thing works out. Anyway, Angela Lansbury. That’s about as long a life as you can expect from a living legend and also as much time as you can expect from someone to give grade A material. This is somebody I saw perform in Blithe Spirit and in my thirties. So, I mean, that’s fucking crazy. So that she was also a costar of Charles Boyer. Once upon a time, a costar of Dame May Witty, you know. So thank God we got as much time with her as we did. And I just want to say, I brought up National Velvet earlier. My favorite parents in the film are Donald Crisp and Anne Revere, who won an Oscar for that movie in National Velvet. Watch that movie for the best parents ever.

 

Ira Madison III What’s your favorite sort of like unexpected Angela Lansbury role or something that, like, people haven’t really been bringing up this week?

 

Louis Virtel Well, we talked about Manchurian Candidate quickly. I think that still is the answer. I also just like the way she I mean, abuses that kid, Laurence Harvey, who plays the person in question. Interesting actor because he burned really hot for a few years and then died somewhat suddenly, I believe, of alcoholism and all sorts of other vices. But he’s somebody who is basically known for great performances alongside even greater female performances. So he was in room at the top of Simon Signore. She won best actress for that. He’s the man in Butterfield eight with Elizabeth Taylor, which is a daffy movie that she is sensational and do not let anybody shade that Oscar win for you. It has been shaded over time.

 

Ira Madison III And also Butterfield eight, by the way, has like last through pop culture, through drag race.

 

Louis Virtel Yes. The the lipstick on the mirror is essentially from Butterfield eight. And he’s also in Darling with Julie Christie, which she won best actress for anyway. But Angela Lansbury is so throbbing, intense and kind of frightening in that movie. So I would say that. What would you say?

 

Ira Madison III Death on the Nile. I mean, Manchurian Candidate is.

 

Louis Virtel Death on the Nile. I love Death on the Nile.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, but death is like a close second. So, I mean, the cast is stacked. We always talk about Mia Farrow in that film. But, you know, Maggie Smith, Betty Davis.

 

Louis Virtel Betty Davis, who’s just, if I remember correctly, sitting by herself on a layer of the boat that nobody else can get to. Like she’s like.

 

Ira Madison III Sex.

 

Louis Virtel In the sky somehow. And yet the actual mystery of it is very labyrinthine. The ending is crazy, but still makes way more sense than murder on the Orient Express. I’m sure you guys have seen the two reboots by Kenneth Branagh. Stick to the originals.

 

Ira Madison III He is. I am. He’s making a new one. And I’m I’m sort of I’m sort of like accepting the fact that we’re going to get a mid Agatha Christie adaptation from Kenneth Branagh like every two years now.

 

Louis Virtel At least this new one I haven’t seen done before. So maybe there will be some novelty in letting the story unfold, because I’m not like an Agatha Christie scholar, anything. I just know, like the main ones. So, yeah, Tina Fey is allegedly in it, right. I just have to say, I get a little nervous about Tina Fey when she’s in things she didn’t write, because I saw a couple of those movies and I forgot that I was a huge Tina Stan watching them.

 

Ira Madison III Why did you make me remember Whiskey Tango Foxtrot?

 

Louis Virtel That’s what I’m talking about. This is where I leave you. There was, like, an ensemble cast, and I was like, what Tina was was was Jennifer Aniston unavailable? You know, one of those, like.

 

Ira Madison III The morning show is very it’s very time consuming. So but Jennifer is not available.

 

Louis Virtel I guess not. Yeah.

 

Ira Madison III All right. When we are back, we’re joined by the fantastic Paul Reiser.

 

[AD]

 

Ira Madison III Our next guest you have seen in things like Aliens Mad About You, Whiplash, most recently Stranger Things. But now his new show Reboot is out on Hulu. We are delighted to welcome to keep it the great Paul Reiser.

 

Paul Reiser The great. That’s special. Thank you. Pleasure to be here.

 

Ira Madison III Great is apt.

 

Louis Virtel You said that in the traditional Paul Reiser withering way which we appreciate also.

 

Ira Madison III Thank you. I want to say that first off, my name is Ira. But having grown up in Milwaukee, where I didn’t encounter anyone else named Ira until like I went to college, the only other time I heard the name was watching Mad About You.

 

Paul Reiser Cousin Ira. Well, we did that for you. We wanted you to be included. Because, yeah, you know, there are certain names that they just you don’t see a lot of them for a bunch of years like now in 2022. Are there babies being born named Howie? I don’t know. I don’t know if that’s because they’re they’re names that are so old that they become cool again, you know, or Murray or, you know, old guy names. But how he hasn’t been around long enough to be an old guy there. So now why were you named Ira? Was there. Oh, there were three. There were two before you.

 

Ira Madison III There were three. Yeah. So it was a thing.

 

Paul Reiser it was sort of written in the stars. No way out of it.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah.

 

Louis Virtel I heard names that I still associate with quote unquote. Young people are not named. Nobody names them after. Like there are no Jessica’s anymore. I feel like that cycle has really sped up, which I feel like they’re going around. Yeah, like there’s no Lindseys anymore. There’s no Lindsays anymore. Yeah.

 

Paul Reiser I don’t know of a new. Of a new Stewie. Just ugh. But anyway, Ira, I’m glad I’m glad to have helped you in your. In your childhood.

 

Ira Madison III Thank you. Thank you. And I mean, speaking about that show, you are in Reboot, which is about rebooting a sitcom. And you were just in recently a reboot of Mad about you both, though technically not a reboot. I always I’m always forgetting the exact words. It’s a return,.

 

Louis Virtel A continuation.

 

Ira Madison III Sequel. I tell you, I said.

 

Paul Reiser I get mocked mercilessly by my cast mates on a reboot because whenever this issue comes up and I and I make a point of saying, Mad about You wasn’t a reboot, because in my mind, reboot is let’s go back and pretend that it’s the same, but we’re just going to do it again. And then Mad about Use Case, we were very specific. No, we’re not at all trying to pretend it’s 1992. We’re not pretending we’re 29 and 30 again. Now we’re coming back because we haven’t seen these folks for 20 plus years. So it’s actually picked up now. Where are they? They are older. They walk slower. They don’t hear as well. Their kid is a pain in the neck. So it was definitely where would they have been 20 years later. But yeah, whatever. It’s a reboot. But reboot the show reboot is indeed in fact, in fact a show about a cast trying to come back. Although within our show, the new young writer is trying to make it different and and socially conscious and more lifelike. And the fun of it is that my character plays the guy who wants to keep it sitcom, cutesy, old, jokey. And that’s a big part of the generational divide there.

 

Louis Virtel How appealing was a show that gives people a glimpse behind the scenes and into perhaps the cynicism of making a TV show? Did you read the script and think, Oh, these are some of the thoughts I’ve had about making TV at any given point in my career?

 

Paul Reiser Well, it’s funny, you know, one of the concerns that we hear all the time is like, were you worried it would be too inside baseball? And the truth is, it’s not because the show is really about these characters who could be in any workplace they could be in, you know, in an office, they could be in the post office, they could be whatever. You know, they all have human problems. They just happened to be on this show. And yes, there are a couple of things. There are a couple of lines here and there that I go. I don’t know if anybody’s going to understand that, but it doesn’t diminish your enjoyment. You know, there are a couple of things that as somebody who’s been in television, you go, wow, that’s a sentence I only hear in a writer’s room. There’s one line where somebody comes in. And this is. Do you want us to work on the tag or Blue Sky? The next episode of Blue Sky. I don’t know. I don’t never even use that word. Work on the tag. And I thought we had a tag is something you only have an F hours that comes. But it was very appealing because it is sort of like having your cake and eating it too. For me, he’s like, I wasn’t particularly I’m not eager to do another multicam sitcom and I don’t imagine I would, but you never know. But this was sort of about that. But it wasn’t that. So it was the reverse angle. So you see, it’s about the writers and the actors, and it’s not about the show at all. And in fact, you know. People say it’s mocking the half hour traditional sitcom, but in a way it is. It’s poking fun, but it also it’s very affectionate because all of us involved have had experience and success in the half hour sitcom world. So we’re not you know, we’re not going at it to bite the hand that has fed us.

 

Ira Madison III What’s interesting about, I guess, you in the half hour sitcom world is you have experienced different sort of iterations of it. You know, I have to imagine that my two dads was a lot different than the experience of making sitcoms around the Mad About You era. And then even now, you know, working on something like has had something about what about making sitcoms. It sort of changed for you for the better. And is there anything that you sort of miss from? I don’t know. Like that first show where you feel like I missed this era of sitcoms or like something that we used to do?

 

Paul Reiser No, I don’t. I don’t I don’t miss that. But, you know, you know, I was somebody, you know, in the world of streaming, now everything’s available all the time forever. So you never you never say, oh, gee, I missed that. And I realized I missed missing. I guess I missed it. I was like, well, now that’s just doesn’t come up. Oh, you know, there’s no dress, there’s no uniform feel or talent to it just to have our comedies. So in the eighties, there were sort of these family oriented shows, but then there were other shows that had different tones. And in the nineties where we do a Mad About You Friends was not really the same as Mad About You. Seinfeld was its own sensibility, and it was still making shows like Full House and so on, you know, that were conventional. So there was it was always it was never either or. There always were these things, you know, when Mad About You, we were very aware we were a half hour television show and we did it in front of a live audience. So we wanted to get those people, but we were also very our sort of mission statement was the characters themselves are not on a TV show. We know it’s a TV show, but we want them to look like life. So a lot of times we would have someone pitch a great joke and, you know, sort of to sounds like a joke. It sounds like somebody on a sitcom would say it’s funny and it’s a great line, but it’s going to pop the frame. It’s going to make, you know, one of us look like, you know, because it’s sitcoms. You know, somebody said, we’ll send a zinger and the other person, oh, just sort of takes it. And then you realize there’s somebody said that you go to hell. Why would you say that? You know, so. So you know and I think it was funny in reboot is the character played by Rachel Bloom comes into this wanting to make it more life like you know and say well characters wouldn’t say that. There’s a line. And I think one of the early episodes where I said, Well, what if he comes in and trips out something and she says, Well, you know, people don’t do that in real life. They don’t just trip exactly when you need them to trip. And the character says they can. If you write that, that’s like, yeah, they can kind of do whatever you say, but if you want to look real, perhaps they don’t trip on the Ottoman every time.

 

Louis Virtel Speaking of zingers, something I was thinking about just what I like watching about you specifically. And I feel like you were one of the great reactors to someone saying something crazy, are saying something provocative like you will then retort with something hilarious, you know, like Matthew Perry is another good example of that or, you know, the entire show. Seinfeld And obviously, we associate that skill set with you and Helen Hunt. But do you have a favorite costars that you’ve gotten to sort of react to? And they throw something weird out and you get to come back with something funny or unexpected?

 

Paul Reiser Well, you know, with Helen Hunt, it was such a we were lucky. We just you know, when when I was just writing the show, I met her and I just had this instinct and I think her and she wasn’t at all what I looked what I had in my mind. I was thinking my wife, who doesn’t look at all like Helen and but there was something about her and we just really clicked. So the, the give and take was always there and sometimes it was in quick repartee, sometimes it was just in that, that reaction. And it is really fun when somebody says something, it’s. In real life. You may take a second to go. Let me let that stay in the air and let you hear what you just said. One of my favorite laughs. It was early on, one of the first maybe ten or 12 mad about use. There was a. A really wacky idea. We always we used to always joke that it’s a show about the small things. And then once in a while we’d have some crazy, crazy ass premise and go, Yeah. Not so much the small bit. But anyway, this one, the show was it was about virtual reality. And I went and invested with Cousin Ira in this crazy at the time, the 93 futuristic virtual reality show. So it was very kind of high tech. But the best, most fun scene, the most fun to write and play was the scene of coming home. And we’re in bed and it’s just the two of us. And the two had two shot. And I have to explain to my wife why I just invested a big chunk of my bank account into this crazy thing. And she said and I said, Oh, it’s great. You can you can put yourself in any situation. You can do any activity. You could fly, you could, you know, climb Mount Kilimanjaro. You can do anything. And she’s warming up to you. What did you pick? And I said, I got a massage from Christie Brinkley, and you just had just turns ever so slightly to the side, like. Hmm. Then the audience really went. I went. That was, to me, a landmark. I thought, we are where we want to be. The audience now knows what’s coming and what she’s feeling and what trouble I’m in, you know? You know, you think Archie Bunker and those silences, you know, just a cock up ahead and you just go, oh, I you know these guys so well, it’s funny, if you ever watch all of the family, sometimes it’ll come up on TV and the shots are so tight. Yeah, they’re just the head. And you go, That’s enough. Like, I, I don’t need to see Archie Bunker’s waist. I this is where the funny is. This is where and, and you know them so well. So when in that little closed environment, if meet had said something that’s going to bounce off Archie you can feel it or you know. And so those reactions I know on TV, you get to see them even more so than theater, right? You’re you’re put the camera where you watch so you can see a raised eyebrow and and go back to sort of answer your question, you know, what’s different? Because there are now comedies that don’t have audiences and laugh track, but they’re absolutely equally funny. It takes the pressure off them being jokes and you know, you don’t need to hear laugh, laugh, left, left, left. So, you know, we did Kominsky method and Chuck Lorre created that. He’s the master. He’s got, you know, a thousand shows on multi-cam shows. But on this show, he admitted he acknowledged that one of the things that he learned was, you don’t have to write for the joke. You can get the joke, you can get the funny in the pause and then the reaction. And so that has freed it up to be a little bit more cinematic and a little bit more realistic that you can see. Let it land and let it let a moment play without reaching too hard for a joke.

 

Ira Madison III Hmm.

 

Paul Reiser You know what I just said? That makes sense. Feel free to use it.

 

Ira Madison III I want to ask you a bit about your turn in Whiplash, which I thought was really a fantastic performance from you. And it’s such a film that I feel like people are still talking about Whiplash. I feel it’s one of chazelle’s a bit of my favorite. I think.

 

Louis Virtel It’s my favorite of his.

 

Ira Madison III Actually. Yeah. And sort of. What was that experience like for you doing the sort of like dramatic role that was also just sort of there’s so much. I think there’s sort of like a lot of longing in that role, but sort of a lot of anger to.

 

Paul Reiser Yeah. I just. I just saw a really funny clip. I don’t know what it’s from, but it was Sir Ian McKellen and Ricky Gervais and Ian McKellen explaining what acting is.

 

Ira Madison III And he says.

 

Paul Reiser What I do, you know, the whole thing is like it gets a big secret. Just what I do like in in Harry Potter, I’m not a wizard or Lord of the Rings, whatever it is. I’m not a wizard or Harry Potter, is it? But I pretend.

 

Ira Madison III You.

 

Paul Reiser And the words are written and it just feels like there’s no magic. Just hears the words you pretend to be that I’m not actually but in in whiplash, you know he had Damien Chazelle was 26 I think when he made that 24 when he wrote It pisses me off and.

 

Ira Madison III Just.

 

Paul Reiser Crazy talented and really sweet guy. And I had read the script actually before I read the script I had seen, he made a sort of a short a sample of the movie just as as a sales tool to raise the money to make whiplash. So he shot like 11 or 17 minutes or something like that in the middle of a scene where that first time you see the J.K. Simmons, you know, throw the chair and you just go, oh, my God, this guy is out of his mind. And in this little film, it was it wasn’t Miles Teller was a different young actor, but J.K. was in it, and it was great. It was just a demo film, you know, he made it for, like, $11. And I my thought was like, why is he making this into a full feature? This is great. And there was no father. It was just that scene. I went, Wow, this is beautiful. And so then I read the script. I said, Oh, there’s, there’s more to this story and there’s a father. And it was just really written beautifully and suddenly and you know, I have two kids of my own, two boys who are now in their twenties, but they were younger when we made this, obviously. And one of the things I don’t know if either of you have kids. Ira you have kids?

 

Louis Virtel We just have this podcast.

 

Paul Reiser Somebody who does and get them to do this. You know, one of the things the bittersweet truths is, well, you know, this from having been kids is at a certain point, parents can only guide so much and a certain point kids are going to go, I understand, but I do want to jump out of a plane. I do want to you know, I do want to try these drugs. I do want to. So it’s and it was that was in the script in this thing of the father felt the pain and was a horrible thing when your child is going through something and can’t extricate themselves. And in that case, a whiplash is like not just some problem he has of himself. There’s another outside guy fucking with his son. And, you know, short of assassinating the guy, you know, like you have to sort of let this play out and hope that it doesn’t end too terribly. And, you know, and what Damien Chazelle wrote into that also was that the father was not a great achiever, you know, that he wanted to be a novelist and didn’t succeed. And now he teaches high school English. Okay. But a good dad, a good person. And, you know, one of the beautiful pieces of writing and that is and J.K. Simmons gorgeous performance. You know what? He is just sort of acting friendly. And tell me about your Paris and Miles Teller spills all the beans my father teaches. And then 20 minutes later, he uses all that. J.K. Simmons uses all that as weapons goes. Yeah. Your mommy left you and your father’s a failure. Failures like. Oh, Jesus, that’s just so brutal. He just shared this, and now you’re beating him up with it. So it was. So the experience was great. You know, that was one of those things where I knew it was going to be a beautiful film I didn’t know would be a success. You never know that. But I knew from seeing that short Nashville, this guy knows how to make a beautiful movie and the script was so tense and the first time I saw it was at Sundance. And it was. The premiere. It was the opening night, whatever they call that. It was like the the big opening event of the night. In the big theater, there’s one like 1500 2000 seat theater. And I had not seen it and it played like it was The Exorcist. It’s like people were like grabbing each other. Strangers is like, Oh, you know, this teacher just threw a chair at his head. What? And it’s.

 

Ira Madison III Its a very tense film.

 

Paul Reiser All the more tense because it’s not special effects, like, oh, that’s a chair, that’s a guy’s head, that’s oh, and I’m watching a holiday film that really came close to his head. And I remember afterwards we had the screening and the screening was just as good as it could be. And I remember. Yeah. I don’t know what we went to, whatever the next event was or the party. And my wife and I were in the car with Damian and his wife. And Damian is just cool and reserved. And I said, Do you understand that you are in the moment that every aspiring filmmaker wants to be? You just had your film Kick Ass on the opening night in the theater. And there is literally they talk about, well, there’s buzz at Sundance where in that moment he went, yeah, I guess so. I mean. I don’t know, I, I don’t know what I needed from him to show it more. But I was aware, too. You know, I was like, Oh, this is what they talk about. Oh, it was the talk of Sundance. Like, we’re in that moment right now. You just blew the roof off. And the fact that it went on and won, I think five Academy Awards screenplay and Jake and editing was great, you know, and yeah, it was such a great role because in the script, if I recall the ending, it’s just like, you know, sometimes you see one sentence that is supposed to be 15 minutes of film and then there’s a big battle. Yeah, okay. You shoot it. You know, and then it’s a big competition, and then the band is great, like, all right, well, maybe, but how are you going to do that? And, you know, and the last scene is all this tension of who’s screwing, who is Jake? Screw the kid. Oh, the kid is the kid is screwing him. No, Jake is actually a step ahead. And they do it with music and they fade out and they come in. And then the music itself was exciting and all this is unbelievable. You actually made drama and tension out of a jazz band playing at a show that could so easily not be great. And it was great.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah. No. Sonically very memorable. Every year on Christmas, my I, my family and I watch a movie together, and my mom falls asleep during everything. And I was like, I’m going to do whiplash. And I guarantee she will stay awake through it. And that is the one time she died. So, yeah.

 

Paul Reiser Because a parent can’t watch that. I can’t watch the kid getting brutalized by a teacher and not stay awake.

 

Louis Virtel I want to say something about the Kominsky method, which is I can’t think of another show in the past like ten years where the, the level of legend involved is that staggering. And I just think of Alan Arkin in general, who has always been around and has always been amazing. I think he’s the only person who was nominated for an Oscar in the 1960s and the 20 tens, like that level of quality, like for that long, it’s just so. Do you have any particular memories of working with those guys?

 

Paul Reiser Yeah, well. You know, Alan Arkin, there were there were a handful of guys that I idolized. And I was never as a kid, I was never I was into comedians. I wasn’t into acting. So I you know, I didn’t care. You know, I mean, I think that when I was my twenties, you start going, Wow, this DeNiro guy is cool. Al Pacino is great. But I didn’t I didn’t watch and, you know, and watch movies. Oh, James Stewart is, you know, whatever. But a few guys popped that I just loved as an audience. I go, I will watch anything with this guy. And it was Jack Lemmon and Peter Falk.

 

Louis Virtel Of course.

 

Paul Reiser To to to an absurd degree, I adored Peter Fox and Alan Arkin. And I think the first time I saw Alan Arkin as a kid was in The Russians are coming, the Russians are coming. And he played his Russian. It was so funny. And then then I saw Wait until Dark. Oh yeah, he was nominated for that. And he plays this sinister murderer and they go and ask the same guy. And then there’s a movie that I just watched. I watched recently called Papi, where he plays a Puerto Rican landlord, I think. And like I thought I’d get well, you couldn’t do that. You couldn’t have a non Latin play Puerto Rican guy, but he was brilliant in there and there was something always so off in the best way, offbeat, his rhythm, his line readings and I will watch it. Alan Arkin Movie. Just what did he just do with that line? It was so odd and beautiful. And so when the in-laws came out, I go, Peter Falk and Alan Arkin. Yeah, I must have seen that. And and each of them plays to their to their strengths. And Alan Arkin, my understanding is Alan Arkin was producing that and he reached out to get Peter Falk and he thought we’d be funny together. And Peter Falk goes, Yeah, sure. And he goes, I think maybe you should be making trouble for me. Peter Falk Whatever you say. Sure. But it was what Alan Arkin was the put upon stressed guy in that he wasn’t the. He wasn’t the. The. What’s the what’s the word? You know, he wasn’t that I can’t think of the words. He was basically reacting. And Peter, what what I always loved about Peter, he was so funny and then so endearing and so touching. And it could be moment to moment. It would switch off. And in the In-laws, which is a flat out comedy, part of what’s so funny is it vacillates so quickly. You go, well, Peter Fox character, he’s obviously out of his fucking mind. This guy’s crazy. And then a second lady goes, Oh, no, he’s quite serious. He’s he works at the CIA. There’s no oh, no, he’s not. She’s absolutely not. And that push and pull where and Alan Arkin is the guy who to go.

 

Ira Madison III Huh?

 

Paul Reiser And so and I you know, one of the joys of my life is I got to work with both of those guys. I wrote a movie for Peter Falk just because I wanted to work with him. And it was called The Thing About My Folks that 15 people saw, but it was a dream come true. And he was he was just brilliant. He was just great. He was just so great. And I loved him and Alan, you know. So I only got to do one episode of Kominsky with him. In one scene we were in this booth and, you know, just watching him up close and getting a laugh out of him as he was cracking up. And he said, so and you just made me laugh. I take me now, Lord, I make you laugh. But I don’t know that I need anything else of that, you know. But I’ll tell you one of the sort of surprises and surprise. But one thing that was revealed to me, Michael Douglas, I worked two little times with him. You know, I did a movie that he was in and produced called One Night because we had one scene together. And then I had one day of work in the Liberace movie. And so and I met him and I knew, but I hadn’t really spent time. So the first day we’re working on Kominsky and we’re in a car, I think it was the first thing we shot and. Michael was just kind of playing it to what I thought was a little low voice. And in that particularly, he was a little quiet and still. And then my idiot had him go, I don’t think he’s going to like this. He don’t look too good. He’s he’s he’s not doing anything. And then I watch the film, I go, This guy’s a fucking genius. It was so he’s so precise and he knows. Exactly. Yes. Here’s the volume of this scene and here’s you know, he was so in that character and he’s one of those guys I realized. He’s been around so long and he’s been doing it so well for so long that you can almost take it for granted that you don’t notice it. But getting to see how he does it and and how how extensively he prepares and how well prepared he showed up, it’s like, oh, it was actually let go of an acting class. So, you know, so it was it was an education for me to see how you how you how you get to be that good. Maybe, maybe if you’re lucky, if you get to be that good.

 

Ira Madison III I want to ask you about one last actor you worked with. And this is truly when I think about Paul Reiser. Yes. About about you. But when I think about why like my grandmother, like and my mom, like, love you. And I’m like black people love Paul Reiser. And it’s like it’s it truly is Beverly Hills Cop. And you’re in films with Eddie Murphy. And, you know, if you’re an if you’re an Eddie Murphy film, especially the eighties, they will remember you because you’ll also be on TV all the time in our house.

 

Paul Reiser That’s so true. And it’s so funny. I mean, that that, you know, that’s 40 years ago and to this day. People. Yeah, it’s really funny. And I had such a tiny part in, but I was barely in it. And we just shot Beverly Hills Cop four and, you know, so and so.

 

Ira Madison III It’s like.

 

Paul Reiser It’s coming and yeah. And I had, you know, two days of work, got out of losing and it’s 40 years later and we were in and I’m looking at Eddie and when we shot the first one, I already knew Eddie from the comedy club. So it was really I wasn’t, you know, so thunderstruck of like, oh, my God, it’s Eddie Murphy was like, oh, I don’t. One thing I did learn is if you’re on film and I certainly do this and the second one, you’re in a movie with Eddie Murphy. Just stand there and shut up about your original date, like just reacting. There’s a scene where people say, Oh, and they’ll do that scene, Oh, you’re so funny. I go, Yeah, I didn’t say anything. That was Eddie. You’re laughing at that. But they show me.

 

Ira Madison III Looking at him. No.

 

Paul Reiser I get to right in on his little wave because it’s like, Yeah, if you’re with Eddie Murphy, you’re going to look better. So but that’s in Beverly Hills. Cop one, that scene in the locker room. And it was just we had the scene and Eddie, I think we improvised a lot of it and maybe I’m not listening to you and, you know, and I was just supposed to be peppering him and. And then the boss comes in and I went, There’s no exit for me. I don’t know how to get out of the scene and I’m not in it. And so I, I think we improvise on the thing that I’m playing with a locker and I’m listening. And it was like Gil Gil Hill, who was the actual Detroit cop? He actually, in real life was a cop. He says, Yeah, if we get the fuck out of here. And I go, It’s not my life. That is the one thing. Almost without fail, people come over and go, Hey, it is not my luck.

 

Ira Madison III I’m going.

 

Paul Reiser And because we were doing the new one, I rewatched the first one I got it barely even made it in the movie. It was like on a cut because like I said, I know my life and I went, it’s almost inaudible. And for some reason that line people come over. But I didn’t understand it for years. People would come over in an airport and go, Hey, that’s not my suitcase. I go, Oh, Beverly Hills cop, you’re doing the Beverly Hills Cop jet. But that is very sweet. And I’m glad that your.

 

Ira Madison III Mother and grandmother. Yeah.

 

Paul Reiser It’s not a bad thing to be in a movie with Eddie Murphy.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. I mean, truly, that film came out and it was, I think was it like 13 or 14 weeks or something like that? Number one, the box office. So, you know, it’s.

 

Paul Reiser Awesome to see it. I think it must have been stranger things where, you know, it’s in the eighties and they’re in a video store and there’s a big cutout of Axel Foley. And it’s like just the poster for the movie was an icon of that decade. It’s like it was just so huge, you know? Yeah. You know, and Eddie is so singularly talented. And I got to tell us, when I we worked on this recently watching him on SNL, which was so joyful, and that’s what I was getting from him. It’s like watching him. It’s like, Oh, Eddie’s having fun because, like, he’s kind of been saying home a lot. He’s been really content to not be in the pub, which God bless. That’s great for him. It’s disappointing for us who want to see him do his thing. Then on SNL when he came back, you just see over the course of the 90 minutes, he seemed to just have more and more fun. And and part of what’s so great about, you know, his most memorable characters, I think, are the really childlike characters. They’re just, you know, he’s doing Buckwheat. It’s ridiculous, but it’s just so stupid. Funny. I know we would watch it over and over again, crying, laughing, you know, and and we were talking about going back and doing stand up and we said, I want to. But, you know, I don’t know. I could just do it. You know, there’s no as a fan, you know, it was like, oh, you know, and I’m certainly not the only one. People would be lined up around the block just just to see him do it. And I’d be really curious to see what he does material wise. You know, you watch his old specials like, oh, he was so brash and so cocky and, you know, he was 20, 21. Okay. Well, now he’s a father and I think might even be a grandfather’s. Like, you know that we’re in our sixties, which I’d be really love to hear what you come up with. I’d love to hear what’s making your brain and your heart move it at 60. So I hope he does. I hope he gets out there.

 

Louis Virtel I’ve never thought to compare him to Gilda Radner before, but her character, her best characters were always very childlike, too. And you would not think of the continuations, you know.

 

Paul Reiser Well, a lot of comedy is, you know, I don’t know if it was a religion, but I mean, yes, there’s a lot of comedy that being silly is inherently a childlike thing. You know, if an adult is silly, they can look foolish. You know, Jerry Lewis always talked about like all his his memory was, you know, the five year old wasn’t quite a normal five year old. It was a genius. But but in his mind, he was being childlike. And and Lucille Ball, you know, Lucy or there’s a lot of funny and yes because you lose that sense of play you know it Carol BURNETT You know, even I wouldn’t say Mel Brooks it’s childlike, but but the idea of being playful is itself childlike. So, you know, but Eddie, it’s interesting. I mean, to go off on his early tangent, you know, when he started, he was so confident and it was it was kind of staggering. And we were we started out in the city in New York, and Eddie was out on Long Island and he was like, you know, a little bit remote, which was like a satellite to New York. So he fully but we kept hearing is a guy is a kid, man, he’s 16. He’s really funny. His name is Eddie Murphy. And he’s so we hear about like, well, this guy must be good that we’re hearing about somebody who hasn’t even come into the city yet. And the first time he came in, the first time I saw him, I was like, What, are you kidding? He just took the stage. And I remember that that he would get a laugh before just upon me hitting the mic, getting to the mic, because his introduction was Please welcome Irish Eddie Murphy. But it sure and he don’t look Irish and he’d get a laugh. Get a laugh. That’s really funny. But he didn’t seem to ever exude an ounce of insecurity or, you know, he just was so rock solid. But there was so much that was in the beginning, was brash and young. And I can say anything I want and I can curse and I can say and I can make fun of these people and those people and and I can. And he would even sort of joke about that, like, I’m going to tell you a bit. I remember seeing him here in some huge amphitheater eighties and he was make fun of what he used to do when he was 16 on stage. And, you know, it was really sophomoric stuff about, you know, toilet humor, know you making fun of it, but you’re actually getting the laughs. He is still doing it. So he he knew like that was part of his thrill. I can do the silliest shit and get away with it. And he would probably, you know, and he would show the world how great he is. But now the whole world has already told him how great he is. And and he’s 60 he’s 61 or two. So I’m really curious to as a as a fan, as a friend, just to see, like, what are you going to do now? Because you so clearly are a giant. You don’t need to prove that to anybody. And also, you know, people in their sixties don’t have the same drive and energy at 20. So who are you now? And he seems much more mellow and very content with his life. And, you know, he can’t be a bigger success than him. So as just as a comic and as a fan, I would love to know what what comes out of his, you know, next phase as a comic. Maybe we can start something very big here. Maybe he’s listening.

 

Louis Virtel Adi dials up the numbers on the screen.

 

Ira Madison III Thank you so much for being here, Paul.

 

Paul Reiser It was fun, man. You know, I have nothing to do these days, so. Call me any day. We can talk about other things. But this is great. And yes. So I know I’m going I’m out there now doing standup, which is so funny to me that now people I had taken so many years off doing standup, and even though I’ve been back now a couple of years, people go, Oh, the guy from a stranger. Somebody told me they were going to they were they were telling a friend they were going to see me at a theater. And the guy said, you mean the doctor from Stranger Things is going to try and be funny now? No, no, no. There’s only. Maybe I guess it’s are people you know, I haven’t done it so but that’s me. That’s to me, that’s the fun. But that’s part of why I’m so excited for Eddie to do it, because I know how much fun I’m having getting out there. It’s the only. It’s the only thing that’s really fun. Like, the other shows, like Stranger Things is great, but I wouldn’t say it’s fun, but you’re on stage and your people are right there. They’re not even on Zoom. They’re actually there. So that’s that’s been the fun part to me getting out there.

 

Louis Virtel Jennifer Aniston from the morning show trying to be funny. I just don’t know about that. Yeah.

 

Paul Reiser Exactly. Exactly. All right, guys. Well, thanks.

 

Ira Madison III Reboot is out now on Hulu. Coming up next, we discuss the Cate Blanchett and Todd Field masterpiece TAR and more.

 

[AD]

 

Ira Madison III Tar. The latest film from Todd Fields and starring Cate Blanchett, is out now in theaters. Most people are loving it, including us. Obviously, at least one prominent film critic did not. And honestly, that’s fine. But it was Richard Brody. And I want to say, first of all, I love a Richard Brody review. Yes, I honestly do. I feel I feel like the way that he writes about film is still like sort of like a lost art of like writing, like criticism, writing, you know, it’s like it’s actually like writing about the film. It’s like it’s knowing knowledge of film. Even when Richard doesn’t like a film that I love, I’m not mad at it. I, you know, you’ll see. You’ll I will, you know, go home when he finds the twists in. Don’t worry, darling. Ingenious. You know, I feel like the twists and turns in Olivia Wilde’s life are more ingenious than what’s going on in that movie. Okay. Like, maybe Harry Styles was jumping in front of cars to keep Florence from leaving suburbia, from leaving victory in that movie. We’ll be talking about it a bit more. Okay.

 

Louis Virtel That’s true. It’s also just, like, nice to have a contrarian film critic, because that’s something to just like if people are, like, unanimously positive about a movie, it’s nice to have the one person to compare it to. Like, if you were to criticize this movie, what would that sound like? And so you can at least entertain the idea of, you know, I’m thinking another way about a movie. But yes, he writes for the established that. Yeah.

 

Ira Madison III And it’s not like he’s Armond White.

 

Louis Virtel You’re right which by the way let some of those also legendary when Ahmad White step up to be like you know what movie is the best of the year Jonah Hex or whatever so funny.

 

Ira Madison III And that’s sort of what I love about film critics, you know? I mean, it’s it’s it’s honestly very fun when they do have an opinion that’s different from yours and when they at least have the tools to discuss why in their brain it’s not working for them, you know? Mm hmm.

 

Louis Virtel But, yeah, the reason a negative review of Tara would be notable is this is a movie that has on Metacritic something in the nineties. You know, it’s it’s like Carol for Cate Blanchett another that level credits critical success. And I want to say about the movie that first, it is 2 hours and 40 minutes long. So if you’re going to have a problem with it, it’s probably about, you know, if anything could be cut. But. It’s not even fair to call it a good performance or even a great performance. I want to just say it’s a genius performance, which seems trite given that she is playing a genius in the movie, but the levels of what she brings are so surprising. It’s like Blue Jasmine in terms of this character disintegrating kind of times. Black Swan, the the drama, Black Swan Times, Phantom Thread. So you’ve got like a gothic stateliness that follows everything in this movie. And, and the master, the. The mastery of tone, I think, is the real star of the movie that Todd Field is really nailed here. But it’s about a female conductor who is an EGOT winner. And I just want to say that all of Twitter has discussed how that is even really possible. But what she would have in the E and the G and the O and the T, but I’ll accept that. And how she has kind of. Compartmentalized everything in her life, including her indiscretions, including her transgressions. And you watch how all those things kind of catch up with her as the movie goes on and as you get a lot of very intense orchestra scenes. So it’s just a an amazingly symphonic and yet harrowing movie.

 

Ira Madison III Mm hmm. I would even add that it has a bit, not just in subject matter, but a bit of, you know, the fun, intrigue and camp at times of notes on a scandal.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, it’s also very funny. Like, yeah, the dialog is there.

 

Ira Madison III It’s better. Yes, I, I, I truly have never seen Cate Blanchett be better. Yeah, there’s a career best for her and every sardonic line reading from her, it’s just. It’s. It’s it’s hilarious. It’s a hilarious movie. There’s a moment early on where she’s just sort of like sitting in a restaurant, too, and like, it’s the camera is just focused, you know, like on her face, too. And it’s just wondering how many takes she’s doing of a scene like that, because it’s like every moment the camera’s on her face. She’s living in that role.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, yeah. And when I bring up Phantom Thread, a big reason I compare it to that movie is the crackling wit. The devastating condescension of that character is a lot like Daniel Day-Lewis in Phantom Thread, so there’s lots to dig into in this movie. The thing that may bristle is that there’s it’s a movie that is entertaining the world of cancel culture, which even by saying those two words, I feel like a fucking Republican as we know, I hate the words cancel culture. We’ve talked about how it’s consequences culture. We’re all on the same page about that. So by even making a story about it, you’re like, Is there something sinister or slightly right of center going on here?

 

Ira Madison III But and making it a woman, too, you know, it’s sort of like that’s what a lot of the critiques that I’ve got, I’ve heard being like, is this just a MeToo film? But it’s about a woman. So it’s women can do it too. And I’m like, there’s, there’s so much more going on. Yeah. Beyond that, though.

 

Louis Virtel It is interesting. I’ll get to that in a second. So at first you’re like, Yeah, what is the point of view of this? But really, I think the strength of the movie is it’s not saying whether what happens to her is all good or all bad or what or like telling you what to think. It’s saying, here’s a version of what would happen to someone like this. And even even though she has moved everything in her life like a chess piece, you know, like even though she had. You can only master your life for so long before something else takes over, before consequences take over, I think, is part of what the movie’s about. But you’re right. I do think it’s a weird movie to make about a woman because the movie has to basically invent a power structure for her to abuse that doesn’t, I think, exist in real life. Like like in this movie star Lydia Star Cate Blanchett’s character is also is a queer woman and she takes advantage of all these other like queer cellists and violinists walking. It’s like, is this like is is this a parallel with real life? Is there like a queer circuit of cellists I don’t know about?

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, maybe if the movie it was about Jenna Lyons. Yeah.

 

Louis Virtel C Right.

 

Ira Madison III Who, by the way, is now a real housewife of New York.

 

Louis Virtel I just heard that.

 

Ira Madison III They’ve rebooted the and there’s going to be a Real Housewives of New York legacy to keep like some of the older women, the women who’ve been on it before for fans, you know, to still see them like in like another offshoot series. But they’ve completely rebooted Brody with new women. And I was shocked when Jenna Lyons was added into it because I remember how bizarre and interesting we found her HBO Max series. Right. And it’ll just be interesting seeing like, a lesbian with that weird brain on TV doing reality. I think it’ll be fun.

 

Louis Virtel Which calls to mind? I am very ready for a world of fanfiction about Tara. I want to hear about Tara’s disastrous relationship with Annie Leibovitz in the eighties. I want to hear about her ongoing feud with Fran Lebowitz. I want to hear, you know, this is like it’s a rare character. So like you just want to hear more about her because I can’t think of like what’s the what’s another movie with somebody like that?

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, it’s it’s interesting because when I saw the film by friends who I’m not going to name names to embarrass her but was convinced it was a biopic.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, help.

 

Ira Madison III Me. Because. Because what it does, though, is I think they had heard from someone that it was a biopic and like my other friends were trying to remember who it was about. But the thing is, the character that is created here. You’re right. I do want to hear about her history. I do want to see the fan fic. I would watch Attard TV series, to be honest, because I feel like the character is so well-drawn.

 

Louis Virtel Right. The strength of the movie is, you know exactly who this person is, even though you’ve not seen her in another movie before. I think that’s definitely true. By the way, all the other performances in this movie are amazing. The woman’s how she lives with Nina Fosse. Amazing. That woman from Portrait of a Lady on Fire who’s like her assistant. Awesome. Just Martin’s.

 

Ira Madison III Strongest.

 

Louis Virtel Yes. So and how are you feeling, though, about this best actress race? Because let me tell you, the stans are revved up about Michelle Yeoh, our friend from Keep It In Everything, Everywhere, All at once. And I have to tell you. It’s not that I want her to lose. It’s a very even race, I think. And I would I would start.

 

Ira Madison III To talk about it. It’s hard to talk about it because honestly. You honestly, this is such an exciting year with, I think, career bests from the women in the race right now. I mean, Viola Davis of The Woman King is doing things that I’ve never seen her do before.

 

Louis Virtel She was, you know, invigorating. I wonder if that movie suffers in retrospect from seeming a little pat like it ends and it’s like, oh, she’s the one making, you know?

 

Ira Madison III Yeah.

 

Louis Virtel But like, we’re about to get Michelle Williams in the fatal means. And obviously we’ve discussed how it’s a smallish role that’s being entered in Best Actress. But Michelle Williams has this career of good will going for her. You’ve never disliked the Michelle Williams performance. She was fucking sensational as Gwen Verdon. Sensational in Brokeback Mountain. Sensational was the best friend of Busy Philipps, which is, as you know, the most trying role of all. Actually, we love Busy Philipps.

 

Ira Madison III This is a joke.

 

Louis Virtel But but it’s like, how can you vote against that? It’s a bunch of performances that I can’t imagine voting against.

 

Ira Madison III Mm hmm. And it’s also I will say that there’s the Spielberg factor, too, right? Yes. I feel like. Is there Spielberg fatigue?

 

Louis Virtel Mm hmm. I which is interesting, because it felt like it barely got off the ground with West Side Story, you know, which people refused to go see which.

 

Ira Madison III I loved that. But yeah, it’s interesting, too. It’ll be interesting to see what shakes out in this race. I mean, for me, it’s I mean, it’s Cate, you know? I mean, it’s between Cate. I mean, Cate, Violette and Michelle are like all doing amazing things this year, but it’s like, wow, I’ve just. It’s I love Kate so much that obviously I feel like she could she could and will top this or do more interesting things, you know. But I feel like she’s reached like this is definitive role for her. Right. I totally agree. And I still feel like, you know, as we were like fantastic things, you know, with Sam Sanders and stuff like. I still feel like there is there are definitive roles that have not yet been written for Viola Davis. And I need the industry to give them to her. Like, where the fuck is hurting?

 

Louis Virtel Right? Mm hmm. Yeah. Has Viola Davis played a genius yet? I’m ready for that.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. I mean, you know, it’s it’s weird because it’s like, if How to Get Away With Murder was like a prestige film instead of a series, she’d. That would be sort of be like that character. Yeah. Yeah. Lesbian, alcoholic, you know, manipulative. Like, give her that on screen, you know, give her as a lancer in The Manchurian Candidate, you know, honestly. She would not. She would have done better than Merrill in that reboot.

 

Louis Virtel Which I keep forgetting exists the 2013 Wasteland, namely for Meryl Streep and Up Until The Devil Wears Prada.

 

Ira Madison III And let me tell you something that is a that is a dark spot in the Jonathan Demme universe.

 

Louis Virtel Jonathan Demme is some up and down shit going on over there. You got the.

 

Ira Madison III Truth about Charlie.

 

Louis Virtel That I don’t know. I mean, but yeah, they aren’t all, you know, Melvin and Howard in The Silence of the Lambs or whatever. Amanda, give us Rachel getting married. No, I want to add about Cate Blanchett. You know, people are like, well, Michelle Yeoh is doing Oscar or Michelle Williams is doing Oscar. It’s like, guys, you know what else is do? Kate’s third. So I don’t mean to sound like a bastard about it, but it’s like she is Ingrid Bergman level. She has Meryl Streep level. So all three of these probabilities need to occur at some point.

 

Ira Madison III Okay. She is a potential mother yet. Yes.

 

Louis Virtel Actually, she Petra’s father, if you’ve seen Tara. But that’s one of the best. She confronts a child entire. Anyway, you got to see it just for that allowed.

 

Ira Madison III It is. I need to see the film again, obviously. And it’s so it’s so mesmerizing. And it’s also so interesting in the Todd Fields film Thermography.

 

Louis Virtel Which is now 3D.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. You know, he. He takes a while, but when Todd Field drops a banger. Yeah, it’s a bad guy.

 

Louis Virtel All three of them are great. I mean, as far as I’m concerned, it’s a flawless filmography.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. You know, Todd Field, spit it. Todd Field wrote it.

 

Louis Virtel So in the bedroom, little children, which I thought was never going to be topped. And now we have tar.

 

Ira Madison III So and but it’s it’s that’s interesting that they’re all sort of these, in a way, small human stories that are really just sort of blown up to an expanse of like bird’s eye view. You know, you really get into. A characters like point of view every like their lives. I mean I the cancel culture combo in this is so funny to me because I love just like the the maybe the goofiest parts of the film are the cancel culture moments, you know, like, like the people with the signs, like.

 

Louis Virtel Whatever.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. I’m like, are the people filming her, like, so funny though. Yeah.

 

Louis Virtel And it is like notes on a scandal where she’s, like, surrounded by people eventually. Yeah.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah.

 

Louis Virtel But no. And also specifically, she has this. She teaches at Juilliard at the beginning of the movie. And one staggering scene which is filmed like Birdman, where it’s like 30 minutes in a row or something. And she has this talk with a student who says he can’t get into Bach because he’s, quote, a bad gender person of color. And it’s like, okay, well, at least be fair to like people from that generation who might have objections to being taught, you know, old white people are the best. No one would ever say, I can’t be in the back because I’m pan gender. That makes no sense.

 

Ira Madison III Did he say pan gender?

 

Louis Virtel Yes.

 

Ira Madison III Oh, I thought he was just calling himself a pussy. But, you know, I will say that that scene is so interesting to me because. You are on his side when he’s talking about like why he doesn’t want to get into these old white men. But you’re also weirdly on her side. And when she has her withering responses, you know, and she’s like Negro music, you know, like I forget who she says had said that quote, but it’s like it’s so abrasive. And you’re in with her character and you laugh during it and you’re sort of like, is she right? And then later in the film, when it’s recontextualized to take her down. It’s almost like the audience is entitled to.

 

Louis Virtel Yes. Right. Yeah. I think the audience is sort of put on blast a little bit, which is a strength of the movie.

 

Ira Madison III Two things I will also say, aside from like the petrol scene with the child, there is a scene towards the end which is so funny and will clearly be maimed and it is so wild when it happens. I screamed in the audience.

 

Louis Virtel I wish I had about the very end.

 

Ira Madison III That would note the very end of the film is also a gut punch.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah. And it’s great, but.

 

Ira Madison III But I’m talking about the the scene at like the the Met of course.

 

Louis Virtel Yes.

 

Ira Madison III Right before the ending, you know, before the Epilog. Like that scene, I screamed because you don’t see it coming.

 

Louis Virtel No. And also, it’s one of those things where you thought you knew what was going on in the scene at the beginning of the movie. And you don’t realize what’s actually happening. Yes. No, that’s it’s very it’s definitely the most the movie is very restrained for the longest time. And then suddenly the restraint goes away.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. Also has I don’t know if you’ve seen Barbarian. Yeah. No. Can you.

 

Louis Virtel Believe it? I haven’t.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. And I’m not going to ruin the twist for people, but, you know, like, it’s. It’s still out. Go see it. It’s a I think it’s a wonderful horror film, but it actually has so much in common with Tara because it’s actually about in a way like, you know, like power and light canceling and like, these things, too. And it also just has searing moments of a woman descending into a basement and the scene with the dog and Tara took like took me out. It was horrifying.

 

Louis Virtel There’s there’s lots of strange, divergent scenes entirely. Like, do these all belong? But then looking back on it, I’m like, I love all those moments. I love how scrambled it was. So anyway, go see Tara. Come back. We’ll continue talking about this movie for five months because you know the Oscars and yet.

 

Ira Madison III The race is heating up.

 

Louis Virtel And it’s an actual race. I’m thrilled about it.

 

Ira Madison III It’s a rat race.

 

Louis Virtel No, do not bring up that fucking film to me, especially in this era of caffeine, the Jimi resurgence. Do not do this to me.

 

Ira Madison III You know, I think about Kathy Bates and the squirrels.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, God. It’s just it’s just not right.

 

Ira Madison III We do what the on here and ask her about that movie.

 

Louis Virtel I bet she’d be like I barely remember.

 

Ira Madison III She’d be like I’m I’m I’m closing the zone I’m president presidential baby. I assume you need to get a damn job. Are Whoopi still giving us soundbites on The View all these years later? I would know, but she.

 

Louis Virtel Was never an intuitive choice for that show. And she is exactly right for that show.

 

Ira Madison III And the soundbites are usually just to say this is a side note by the sound bites are usually when someone has said something about her in the press. Yeah, she will. She she will. She will come with the newspaper, with the magazine, with the clipping, with the leg. And she will do a straight address and she will say, You are an anonymous bitch.

 

Louis Virtel She doesn’t read her own press, which impresses me.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah.

 

Louis Virtel I would not be able to say if I were a celebrity about stature.

 

Ira Madison III All right. When we’re back. Keep it.

 

Louis Virtel And we’re back with our favorite segment of the episode. It’s cheap. It’s Louis me. You’re going first. I don’t know why they crack me up. My keep it this week is to just a tweet I saw, which is Vogue runway, which I guess is not Vogue saying thanks to Selena Gomez, the eighties cult classic working girl is returning to screens. Now, first of all, I just want to address the reboot or remake, etc. of Working Girl. The politics of that movie are pretty ensconced in 1988, so I’m both curious and pessimistic about what they can possibly do with it to make it harken back to the original. And Miss Carly Simon better be involved. That’s all I know. Second of all, cult classic bitch. Come on. Do you mean it’s a it’s a movie about women. Is that it? Like, it’s it literally is a best picture nominated film from 1988, nominated for all sorts of Oscars, huge financial success, $100 million at the box office. I just feel like if you’re going to write a headline about pop culture, it can’t be someone who refers to everything as either iconic or a cult classic. That’s just not how brains should work. It feels very simple to me, and it’s just not a cult classic. It’s a stone cold classic. It’s on the AFI 100 lists of greatest comedies. You know, it’s like is is 9 to 5 a cult classic? Is it happened one night, a cult classic, you know, just because you don’t see it, the the poster from it every day of your life, the way you might see, like, I don’t know, the seven year itch or something. Is it more of a cult classic? And I just think we need to talk about things not just in terms of sheer recognizability all the time.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, I would say that that is sort of one of the downfalls, pratfalls, whatever word I want to use. Penelope Pitstops of you know. You know, like writing and gearing things towards a younger audience online. It is people are just able to write about things without any sort of knowledge about or you know or you know. And you know. Yeah. And you ignore basic, just, like, common sense to appease like an audience or something. It’s the idea of what a cult, the idea of even just writing that it’s a cult classic. It’s like, has this person ever even seen Working Girl?

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, it sure sounds like they haven’t. Yeah. And also, it’s just write like, who’s the person that would read that and think like, oh, yeah, that cult classic working girl. Like, I don’t even think younger people. Like, either you haven’t heard of the movie or you do know what it is. And you remember it’s a big hit. So it’s sort of like misses everybody.

 

Ira Madison III Cult classic mean girls.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah. I mean, wait for it. Wait for it.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah.

 

Louis Virtel Maybe the definition of a cult classic needs to be redefined to me, because if it just means, oh, a certain amount, a certain kind of person remembers that movie or remembers that thing. That’s just pathetic. I hate that. Yeah, I hate how small people’s memories are. Do you get that sense from me? That’s how I feel.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah, that’s why I only hang out with elephants. That’s right.

 

Louis Virtel Babar. That’s your.

 

Ira Madison III Boo? Yeah. Yeah. You know, that’s why I’m always, always tying a string around my finger. Yeah. Wow.

 

Louis Virtel Good reference.

 

Ira Madison III Of. I feel like Coach Classic used to mean it flopped at the box office, and it did well on either cable VHS or, like, a real cult classic. Ah, like, real, real, real cult classic is it has like midnight screenings.

 

Louis Virtel Yes. No. I mean, you think of, of course, Rocky Horror Picture Show or something, that this is almost a bad example because it’s so ascendant in pop culture that now I feel like everybody knows it. But Clu used to be a cult classic.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah.

 

Louis Virtel So anyway, this is my very Gen X style beef with the terming of cult classic. I’m merely 36.

 

Ira Madison III A millennial version like Jennifer’s Body is a cult.

 

Louis Virtel Jennifer’s body is a perfect example. Yes, that is a cult classic.

 

Ira Madison III What critics. Yeah. You know.

 

Louis Virtel And there’s and there’s and like the critics were wrong sort of thing, you know, so people, like, ended up discovering a lot about that movie. Ira, what is your keep it this week?

 

Ira Madison III My keep it. And this is going to hurt me to say this, but keep it to that ladies album. I am tired of hearing it on repeat at parties at this point.

 

Louis Virtel Ladies Album.

 

Ira Madison III You know what lady I’m talking about?

 

Louis Virtel Oh, I thought literally you were talking about an album called Ladies that. I don’t know.

 

Ira Madison III The thing that lady Beyonce said.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, you’re sick of it.

 

Ira Madison III I’m sick of hearing it at every damn party on that. On repeat. What happened to playlists?

 

Louis Virtel That is true. Because it’s a specific, shall we say, vibe. And so it’s just like now it feels like you’re just like somebody put on a movie you’ve seen 100 times.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. And it’s listen, I still love the album. I just think it’s phenomenal, you know? And, like, I want to listen to it in my own time. I don’t need the vibe of every party. Is it just put out Renaissance from start to finish anymore? It was for a minute. Right. But then the days have gone on and I haven’t gotten a single visual that isn’t tied to a blood diamond. Yes. Oh, no. I mean, baby, I’m really just angry at these fucking Tiffany’s ads.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah. I mean, you really thought she would pull through? I mean, in a way, I respect the blue balling it. You know, she’s like, Oh, you think Rihanna’s got that game on? Like, watch me do it.

 

Ira Madison III Okay. At this point, it seems like Rihanna is going to drop new music before we get visuals from Renaissance.

 

Louis Virtel That’s a really confusing statement and hurtful.

 

Ira Madison III We’re hearing about a tour. We’re hearing like she’s going to probably Rihanna is probably going to be on the What kind of forever soundtrack. Yes. What is going on here, Beyonce?

 

Louis Virtel I’ve got to tell you, if Rihanna gets into that Oscars game, this is going to be a great Oscars. I mean, it better be that good. I mean, all of us are the stars. That’s a nominated song. You know, I hope.

 

Ira Madison III It’s not like. I mean, listen, with all the actresses nominated this year, with Harry Styles vying for a nomination, maybe a Golden Globe.

 

Louis Virtel I would say. I’ll see you at the Saturns Fagot. Okay. Yeah.

 

Ira Madison III But I’m thinking about Lady Gaga’s press tour when she was, like, Oscar nominated for at least for song. Right. But that you’re getting, you know, like Lady Gaga levels of camp and, you know, she’s overselling it and giving you like giving, giving, giving the gays everything they want. Yeah, but there will be a different quality to the proceedings if Rihanna is nominated for an Oscar for a song. Because I’m just thinking. How do you like how do you miss that red carpet? How do you how would you not panning through Rihanna in the audience at the Oscars every chance you get? Because you know what I miss? I miss Rihanna and her shady reactions at like the VMAs and other awards shows while other people are performing. Yeah.

 

Louis Virtel Also, by the way, it would just be you mentioned Lady Gaga, who I worked the red carpet at that Oscars. And when she arrived, I mean, it was that Beatlemania type reaction by people like we’re waiting specifically for that moment for her to arrive at the Oscars. But also just that kind of Oscars moment, you don’t get any more where like Michael Jackson’s there with Madonna. You know that like I am ready. Like when when when a pop star intersects with the Oscars, there is something so explosive and unmissable about it. And, you know, obviously, after last year’s Oscars, there were things about it you couldn’t miss even afterwards. But this is unmissable at a new and kind of cool way.

 

Ira Madison III What’s crazy is that Ezra miller, they’re probably going to break into the Oscars and seal all the statues.

 

Louis Virtel So I would love a caper at the Oscars. Yeah, I know all about. Yeah. So the the perks of being a etc., etc., I guess.

 

Ira Madison III Well, it’s funny that we, we, I remember we critiqued the fact that Ocean’s Eight was about like, oh, here are these women, Robin something. So of course it has to be jewelry from the Met gala. Right? Yeah. But I would not complain if there was a gay Ocean’s Eight and they were stealing something from, like, the Oscars. They were actually. No, actually, they’re stealing. Cate Blanchett.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, my God.

 

Ira Madison III Yes.

 

Louis Virtel And then she can do her famous gay wrist meme during it, pointedly and meanly.

 

Ira Madison III Oh, she. She loves us.

 

Louis Virtel Through it, right? Yeah. She acknowledges us with a courtly clap and accepts us the way we are and and knows we are inferior to her. That’s nice.

 

Ira Madison III You know, I’m like, and I’m thinking about probably won’t be her, but, you know, it was thinking, you know, I saw the Nicole Kidman ad before um tar because I on see Lincoln Square and. I’m wondering if, like, I think I’ve been thinking about the sequel that’s coming. Yeah. So the ad and I’m like. I hope it’s not campy and like makes fun of the first one. I hope it plays it straight. But I’m also hoping that. Someone else’s. And it with Nicole Kidman, someone unexpected.

 

Louis Virtel And somebody else in the theater.

 

Ira Madison III Like like she like, see, you know, like she’s going to get popcorn or something now, but, like, a friend is with her. But who’s the friend? Oh, Kate, I’m Viola Taurasi. Like, I don’t know.

 

Louis Virtel I would love to keep it Australian. I would love to keep it Australia.

 

Ira Madison III Naomi’s working concessions.

 

Louis Virtel Okay. I mean, guys, it’s a good pitch. I kind of think it should be edited.

 

Ira Madison III She won’t have to leave her day job to shoot it.

 

Louis Virtel But it should also be this cruel. It shouldn’t be campy, but should be cruel. To Naomi Watts, how many daytime chats have like disparaging jokes about Naomi Watts, who, by the way, is a fine and great actress?

 

Ira Madison III And she you know, she’s like just the Danny Mendonca, the acting world.

 

Louis Virtel No. Right. It’s just the proximity to Nicole, who is her best friend. Yes.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. It’s we’re not saying put the needle on it and I begin to wonder are iconic, but. Are they light years?

 

Louis Virtel No. Right. And also, those are the only two. So, yeah. So it’s my.

 

Ira Madison III Job to drive.

 

Louis Virtel In the impossible. And that’s about it. Yeah.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. Well, you know, I thought there were 21 times.

 

Louis Virtel Oh, okay. The ring to the ring. So.

 

Ira Madison III Ah, you thought I was going to bring up, like, in 21 grams? I guess I don’t even like that movie. Okay. Yeah. Knock, knock. And it wishes that were blow. And I can’t believe I like blow. A film that I will never watch again. Now, you know, because the. The Scarecrow from the Haunted Hayride is the star of that.

 

Louis Virtel But you at least get Catherine in that. Yeah.

 

Ira Madison III Yeah. All right. That’s our show this week. I hope we delivered enough for ya. Ya’ll have been listening to us for 250 episodes. That is really that is really lovely. I do want to be earnest right now. We got I had a lot of people who were just excited to see me at Bravocon, but also people who are excited to tell me stories about how like they went through like really sad moments in their life over the past five years and listening to us sort of help them through it. I mean, we heard a lot about that during lockdown, but other other moments in their lives that people just, you know, shared with me briefly. Um, it’s nice that this show means a lot to so many people.

 

Louis Virtel And it’s such a gag because we’re just sitting here talking. So thank you so much for making it seem even remotely rad just two, you know, Queen’s babbling so much, much, much appreciate it. And it’s such a blast. So thank you for joining us. And and again, if we’re wrong, tell us. Love it.

 

Ira Madison III The number on the screen, call it.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, right. Call me now for your free reading. But read me. That’s my Miss Cleo shout out.

 

Ira Madison III Thank you again to Paul Reiser for being here. And honestly, I wouldn’t be shocked if he if he just popped into our Zoom one time and was like, you know what? I brought Eddie with me.

 

Louis Virtel Yeah, right. Eddie, I just want to tell you how great you are, I, ugh yeah.

 

Ira Madison III All right. We will see you next week. Keep it as a Crooked Media production. Our senior producer is Kendra James. Our producer is Chris Lord. Our executive producers are Ira Madison, the third.

 

Louis Virtel And Lewis Virtel.

 

Ira Madison III Our editor is Charlotte Landes and Kyle Seglin is our sound engineer.

 

Louis Virtel Thank you to our digital team, Matt DeGroot, Nar Melkonian and Delon Villanueva for our production support every week.