“In which Jack, Greg, Kerrigan and Cohen take a look at what the world has to say for itself.”
Guests: Jack Morrissey, Greg Yolen, Kerrigan Hennings and Matt Cohen
Annotated by Kathleen @kaybeevee
5:38
Joined by newly minted California attorney Kerrigan Hennings
@kayaytche! CA Bar Exam is one of the most difficult in the U.S.
8:02 Recording at Greg Yolen’s house in Los Feliz. Near Goodwill and Wacko store?
8:52
Team has been traveling. Jack was just in London and Rome while Greg
was in Southern Connecticut. Matt went to Florida (Jewish Mecca),
usually sees movies on Christmas Day.
11:10
Jack’s Christmas Day Movie story. Worked at a theater where Jewish
people watched “A Chorus Line” while wearing fur coats.
12:00
Matt’s Muppet Movie experience. “No magic in it for him.” Too meta/pop
culture. More about the humans than the muppets. Entertaining but not
magical. A Jason Segal movie with muppets in it, not a Jim Henson muppet
movie. 
15: 00 Frank Oz on why he turned down The Muppets: http://www.geeksofdoom.com/
Matt also feels like the Fozzie bear voice was unrecognizable.
Muppet Fozzie Voice Actors/performances: http://www.
Video comparison of Fozzie voice through the years: http://www.youtube.com/watch?
16:58 Matt says go see it and report back everyone!
17:30
Breaking Dawn Part One a big hit! Greg’s first time working on a movie
and being named in the credits. “Assistant to Mr. Condon.”
Discussion
of response to movie, Greg has seen every cut/version of the film and
feels this was by far the best. Secrecy of the wedding scene/dress.
22:50
Location discussions. House was on soundstage in Baton Rouge, all
exteriors in Squamish, Vancouver, BC. Set was on lockdown, had to hand
over cell phones-even Bill Condon (!) Greg being constantly asked for
his I.D. As soon as she came out in her wedding dress there were
helicopters overhead and she had to hide again. Legitimate need for set
containment.
25:40
Privacy was another reason there was not too much market testing, only
one test screening which was very positive and only minor changes were
made to the movie. So when it came out there was not much of a sense as
to how it would be received.
28:00 Straight white male blogging atmosphere has changed. Test screenings don’t matter as much anymore?
30:40 Tron Legacy discussion. Everyone liked it but Matt.
33:45
Breaking Dawn Reviews discussion. The “exhaustion with vampires”
reviews. “Another Twilight movie,” a few exceptions. Two different
classes of reviewers/press. Legitimate press (such as the New York
Times) and then everyone else.
38:00
More discussion of press legitimacy. Still a bit of the “Wild Wild
West” as far as critics out there. Anybody can create a blog and anoint
themselves a critic, public too lazy to make the distinction. Rotten
Tomatoes critics.
42:40
Discussion of Jack’s Facebook wall. Story about a friend Jack had
known for years posting hateful things about the movie AND Bill on his
wall. Unfriended quickly. OK to hate on Twilight? “I like this I don’t
like this.” No justification for their opinion because it’s a Twilight
movie.
47:00 Discussion of Breaking Dawn premiere. Weird Al Yankovic was there? Neighbor of Summit Executive.
Greg’s favorite Weird Al Yankovic song: “When I Was Your Age” http://www.youtube.com/watch?
Greg even went to a Weird Al concert!
50:00 Other random celebrity sightings at the premiere.
Seth Green added to the geek quotient:
So did Mayim Bialik (Blossom):
52:30 Greg talks about the symmetry of the faces of tv show actors.
Case in point:
54:40 Breaking Dawn Part One after party. Unbelievable. Jack said it looked like something Ridley Scott designed.
56:00 Back to reviews. Rotten Tomatoes meter. Unintentionally humorous moments? (grrrr):
57:30 Discussion of David Edelstein (Pauline Kael http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Pauline Kael (photo from library at KBV’s house):
Interestingly, most rave reviews from Breaking Dawn are from “Paulettes”:
“The fourth Twilight film is—like a lot of weddings and births—an unexpectedly primal experience.”
Rotten Tomatoes reviews inaccurate? Tend to pull out lone seemingly bad quotes from reviews of movies.
1:01:59
See the movie for yourself says Greg! A form of movie that is not made
much anymore, “romantic melodrama.” Jack says definitely not made for
men. Greg quote: “ Men/reviewers almost don’t have the language to
discuss it because it’s not something that you see, ever, outside of a
Twilight film.”
1:05:00
Discussion of release. The movie is initially exposed to a test and
then “long lead” press (newspaper and magazine editors) and then junket
press, those screenings played pretty well. Jack sat next to a writer
for the LA Times who loved the movie. Bill was feeling really good after
the press screenings.
1:08:00
Heard early that Manohla Dargis, formerly from LA Weekly and now movie
reviewer from New York Times and were very nervous about that because
she is very outspoken, political and “when she takes a movie out it is
unbelievably cutting.” Also a hardcore “trekker!” Fan of genre film but
have heard that she’s not a fan of Dreamgirls.
Manohla’s New York Times review of Breaking Dawn Part One is excellent: Love!
“Edward may finally change Bella, but it’s Mr. Condon who resurrects her.”
1:12:40
Bill Condon always wants differing opinions as long as they are saying
something. “We know you don’t like it but 2 billion dollars worth of
worldwide fans do. As Jack says, “See you next year with your same boring Twilight review you’ve written FOUR TIMES.”
1:15:00 Moralizing of male twilight critic reviews. Stephen King Twilight quote: “Harry
Potter is all about confronting fears, finding inner strength, and
doing what is right in the face of adversity. Twilight is about how
important it is to have a boyfriend.” He actually didn’t really say that but he is definitely not a fan of Stephenie Meyer: http://www.mtv.com/news/
Actually:
1:16:50
Transformers discussion. “Male porn. It’s boring.” Cleansing through
violence. Studio crap pitched to males of all ages. Kerrigan said “he
saw the Star Trek with the whales.” HA!
Greg bring up the Gum and Nuts Simpsons episode (everything geared toward males 18-49): http://vimeo.com/9372862
Speaking of, Simpsons Twilight parody (Daniel Radcliffe as Edward):
1:19:25
Hypocrisy of critics. “Drive”-Greg really enjoyed it for what it was,
when it’s nothing really new or stylish. Again, “male porn” or movies
basically made for Matt Cohen.
1:21:54
Wolf pack telepathic communication scene in Breaking Dawn. Reviews
can’t get over the fact that the wolves are talking to each other, “yet
we never question your giant fucking robot. WTF?”
Behind the scenes video about the Breaking Dawn lumberyard scene from Tippett Studio: http://www.thedaily.com/page/
1:23:00
Next movie is more action oriented/boy-centric. Plenty of violence. As
Greg Yolen says:“Don’t worry, we’ll jerk you all off next time.”
Yep! Battle scene from Breaking Dawn Part Two:
Infamous
“Haters Gonna Hate” Meme. They have emailed it to each other at various
times ever since Bill agreed to direct the two Twilight movies:
OUT!