Amy Brown of Holiday Harmony on Her Debut Movie Role + Movie Review: The Menu + Trailer Park: Emancipation

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Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome back, or if you are new, welcome to Movie Mix Movie Podcast. I am your host Movie Mike. I'm a guy who loves talking about movies and that's what I do every single week. I talk to actors, directors and give you spoiler free reviews on all the latest movies and breakdown movie trailers of movies coming to you soon streaming and in theaters. Today, I'm talking to my friend Amy Brown, who is going to be in a new HBO Max movie called Holiday Harmony. In the movie review, i'll talk about a new comedy thriller called The Menu that I just watched in theaters, and in the trailer park, we'll talk about Will Smith's return in a movie called Emancipation and how we feel about him starring in a movie since the oscar incident. Thank you for being subscribed. If you're not, hit that subscribe button to get brand new episodes every single Monday. And now let's talk movies. In a world where everyone and their mother has a podcast, one man stands to infiltrate the ears of listeners like never before in a movie podcast. A man with so much movie knowledge, he's basically like a walking on him with Glasses from the Nashville Podcast Network Movie Movie Podcast about to get into my conversation with Amy Brown, who is going to be in a new movie called Holiday Harmony that is hitting HBO MAC this Thursday. The movie is about a character named Gayl who is a singer songwriter who lives out of her van, performing all across the country trying to make it as an artist. She finally lands the opportunity of a lifetime getting to perform at an I Heart Radio Christmas Eve concert, but then takes a bit of a detour on the way as she breaks down and Harmony springs Oklahoma. It's a story about Christmas. It's a story about following your dreams. But now let's hear from Amy on her debut movie role. I am in studio now with Amy from Holiday Harmony. How are you doing. Oh, I'm Amy from Holiday Heart. That is who you are, not Amy Brown or Amy from The Bobby Bone Show or Amy from Four Things. You're here as an actress today. I know it's kind of crazy. So well, I am an actress that in the movie, I'm playing myself, but you still act in the movie. That is true. I did have to act. I'm nervous because well, you've seen it and you're going to give a review, and I have to be honest with that. I have the same link that you have for pre screening, and I can't bring myself to watch it. No, I can't decide if I just want to experience a Thanksgiving day like everybody else and watch it with my kids and everybody be there, and then, you know, probably close my eyes whenever my scenes come on. Why do you think that is that you're so nervous to watch yourself back? Is it that you don't feel like you did a good job. You just cringe at the thought of seeing yourself on screen. I think it's new to me. I have not ever done anything like this, and with the movie role, I was very nervous but also excited. So I don't know if I'll be one of those people that just can't watch themselves on screen. Maybe I think part of it is Mike. I wish I would have taken some acting lessons before, and then I would have gone in with a little more confidence. So you're saying you're used to being on a stage, Yes, You're used to talking to a microphone and the radio show, yes, So for you. I feel like you're a natural performer, Like you can just walk into your room, you can start a conversation with anybody. You have that about you. When you felt and you were on set doing this movie, do you feel like that came out? There was like a switch in your brain. I tried to turn it on. I definitely told myself, Okay, you're here. This is something that you've dreamt about but never really thought would ever happen. That's what being in a Christmas movie is something that I just said I would enjoy one day, like that would be cool. But would I ever really do it? I don't know, And it would come up casually here on the show or in talking with friends. Oh, I would love to be the barista at the coffee shop where the two main characters fall in love or whatever in the small mountain town and it's snowing outside, and I would have a small role, just because those Christmas movies make me feel good. I love everything about them. I have since it's sort of they gained notoriety on Hallmark and then Lifetime I think started making some and then now they're everywhere. Netflix crips them up. Yeah, h ours is on HBO Max, which is one of the coolest of the coolest places. I think that there is to stream something so there's more and more of them out there, which is awesome. But I have always loved them, and I know a lot of people have. But I think it's because how they make me feel, and they just feel they're feel good stories. I love the holidays, I love the coziness. I love the same storyline over and over and over. It's so predictable, but I don't care. Although Holiday Harmony took a different twist, especially with like the singing and her career and kind of where she was going. I know bits and pieces because I read some of the script, haven't watched it yet, but I obviously know where she's coming from. What my what my job was as her guide in a way in the bathroom, that was my job. I had that one scene that was a pivotal moment for her, so I knew I had to turn it on and show up and do my job. Even though it was excited eating, I just still was nervous too. It's just all the things, Mike, all the things. I want to get back to your scene here in a bit. But you said this was always a dream of yours. Was it an instant yes? When the role was offered to you, when this opportunity came with it, an instant yes, instant. I was over the moon. I don't I didn't even know many details at all, whatsoever I think I heard would you ever be interested in doing a Christmas Yes? Yes I would. I don't even think so. Before you knew like how much it paid, how much time committment it was going to be, it was just automatic, yes, automatic, Yes, that's it, like I mean there are Yeah, you didn't have to twist my arm. I just was thankful that it worked out with the show. Obviously, Bobby always works with us if we've got something cool going on, like he'll figure it out. But this was interesting too because it was part of My Heart Radio and one of our bosses in New York, Tom Pullman, was the one that was given the script, and so I guess I was probably shocked too that he read the script and then thought, oh, would Amy Brown be interested in this? And then Sissony from Ryan Seacrest Show, she's also considered. I think they wanted two females in radio, but that my name made the shortlist. Or the list or that I came to mind for him. But I was totally flattered and honored and said yes right away. So you get the part. How intimidating is it once you get your lines and you see how much you have to learn? Oh, I was studying it. I got out highlighters and pins, and they said, you know, we'll have you'll have freedom to make it your own, but this is what we would like to see happen. But also when the cameras are rolling, if other things come out, that's okay. Don't feel like you have to stick just to this script. And there was some things where I was like, oh, I don't know that I would say it this way, and so I would start just practicing it and the way that I felt most comfortable with, but also was still in their parameters. I didn't want to go completely row well, I actually think that the story line or the the scene or my part of the script should go like this. I didn't deviate too much, but I tried to make sure, especially since I was playing myself, that it sounded like something I would authentically say. I think that is what came across in your scene and when you came on screen, I got really excited, and then when you started acting, I was like, I know, she is being Amy Brown right now, but I felt there was some genuine acting there and I could see that. So that I wondered if all that was like the lines like you said, or it was some of you adding in like how you would say it, because that came across like perfectly. Well. So they needed my character to have an agent and to have an experience of having other people try to tell you who you're supposed to be in the spotlight, and that felt a little weird to me because I don't have an agent, and so that's where I struggled. So that part was the acting. The I don't really think are my position on the Bobby Bones Show. No one's ever forced me to be anything that I'm not. So I felt very fortunate in that because I know that's not the case for a lot of people that have jobs, whether they're an on air personality, they're on TV, they're on stage performers, you know, they sometimes are put in really crazy positions where they're altering a lot about themselves or they feel like they have to change in a certain way. And so I was trying to tap into that of what would it really feel like if someone had ever told me I couldn't be who I was? And ultimately that's what's happening with Gail. You know, she's suddenly doesn't even recognize herself and she doesn't feel good in her skin because she she wants to be Gail. Trevor is up there, and she's not able to be because of the label. And so that was that was what I had to tap into. That was the acting because you know, you know, you've worked with me for years. We're not told you, oh, you need to be more country, less country, more girly, less girly, which was my line and I had, but I had to say to her, Hey, I get it, I've been where you are. But I also know other pressures. So I tried to just think of those and what I would genuinely say to a coworker or anybody here on the show if I ran into them in the bathroom, What what would I say to them? And that's sort of what that that scene was. I mean, we were literally in the I Heart Radio bathroom. Well, I thought that scene was great, and like you said, it was a pivotal moment in the entire movie. There was no way they could cut you out. No. I mean that I think was was my saving grace. Just in case I ended up being terrible, they would have to completely reshoot the scene with somebody else because the it changes the trajectory of what she does. So I'm curious about the filming process and all the different roles of the people on the movie. So when you get on set, what exactly does the director do? Do you get to meet with him? I do. He came up and introduced himself to me right away, and I I don't know if this is on every set. It can't be, because you know, you hear horror stories. But every single person was so cool, and I was I was a little bit shocked that multiple producers, directors, writers came up, shook my hand, knew my name, knew exactly what I was going to be doing. That it was. It was set up that way even before I met them in l A. Because they were all on the emails. They could just tell they were very involved, and I'd be like, Wow, I can't believe they're taking the time to email me right now. You would think they would have an assistance assistant or somebody doing it. I don't know. I just had this Hollywood image in my mind of what communication would look like. Um, but it couldn't have been more personal. And so yeah, super friendly staff everyone, even you know, Laurence Swickard. She pulled me aside. She's one of the writers on it and a producer. She even has a few scenes in it as well. But she pulled me aside outside the bathroom before I went in, and she said, just say it to me, now, how you plan on saying it once you get in the bathroom, And I have to say too, we'll be back up walking into the bathroom. The acting of just casually walking into the bathroom because I followed her, that's I struggled with that. That's not even words. You're just having to walk in a room. It's supposed to be natural, but sometimes doing something natural and camera like totally amplified because there's sound guys, there's camera guys. You're you know. I I tried to be like, okay, just be cool'd be like, you're walking into a bathroom, but I also was sort of putting myself in a situation. Nobody invited me to the bathroom, so I knew I needed to be hesitant in my approach because it's not like I was just walking into the bathroom with a friend. I was walking in the bathroom as someone that picked up on something. My intuition picked up on something, and I went in to be a guide, and so I had to kind of cautiously walk in. It's not like she's my best friend either, you know, I'm more of someone that she's just working with in the movie. So anyway, that walking was acting, so we'll see. I don't know if you picked up on any weirdness with my walking. I don't think it looked weird at all. Okay, well, my bathrooms line outside of their outside of the bathroom, Lawrence sick Ward went over them with me and she said, Sam, Sam, how you plan on saying them? And so I did it, and she said, okay, that's good, but I want you to think about it this way, and I want you to try to use this tone. And then she would voice the tone to me of what like softer, like almost you know, less country, more country, more a whisper. It's more like I was just talking them because I was talking the lines out with a with a friend, and she's like, you need to be more. I don't know. I can't even remember the words she used to describe it. But whatever she told me in that moment was so helpful. And having her mimic it like her do it and then me mimic her was incredibly helpful. And that was right before we went into film and we filmed it probably you know, four or five takes, and I don't know which ones they ended up going with or if they patched certain ones together. I don't know how it came together because again still haven't seen it. Well again, I think the scene is great. I think a lot of what I picked up on from your acting is that sometimes when I see early actors doing their work, it's very apparent that they're reading lines. And with you, it felt very natural, like it was like you being you and they came across. My jaw just dropped. Because you watching critique movies well for a living, but even before you had this podcast, you did it for fun. This is your path, like movies or your thing, and so that really means a lot coming from you, because you watch a lot of things, and you're watching for things that I maybe wouldn't even ever see. I watched for that, and I just wanted to see how you would do. And I was really surprised and really happy for you, Like I got excited. And so now I wonder what is next for you? Like what do you want to do with this? I know you've had this kind of moment of your taking acting classes now and you had this kind of struggle of like who am I? Like, what am I doing taking acting classes? Where is that going? Now? So I left l A. It was a whirlwind of a day, every little experience on set, from the trailer to the makeup to the lunch time, which I'm sure some of that would die die off the more you do it, but for me, it got it. We were not supposed to be there that long. I think it was supposed to be a four or five hour day, and we were there for so long. And when I left there, I was energized, and I went to bed with just this extra pep in my step when I should have been exhausted. And so I just sat with that for a while, and what does that mean? And what could this mean? And and the first thing that popped in my head when I was asking myself that is, well, maybe it means this is something that you would actually really enjoy doing and that would fill your cup up and bring you joy. And then that thought was immediately followed with another angel devil. I don't know what you want to call it, but like the counterpart of my brain that's like, oh, but you could never do that, and why would you even think you can do that? And you're forty one years old? And but when I got into radio, I had never done radio either. And now here we are, almost seventeen years later, and I didn't want to keep myself from that. What if twenty years from now and I'm sixty one, I maybe have a few movies under my belt and not I don't. I don't know that. I have this vision of me being some main character in any way, but just being a part of the process and that being another layer to creativity and something that I like to do. And I thought so I thought about that. I thought about how I'd never done radio, but I gave it a go and it just took Bobby believing in me, and I feel like the Lauren Swickard in particular, she was on my podcast. The episode will go up this week on Thanksgiving Day, when when the movie comes out it'll be on four things. But she I feel as though she was genuine when she said, you you do have something. So and apparently my name has come up in some meetings that they've had for other films. I don't know for what, because she didn't elaborate, but I don't think she would have said that out of nowhere. But it just gave me that extra little piece of validation. So anyway, all that to say, I wanted to be able to know that when I'm sixty, at least I gave it a try. Maybe it works out, maybe it doesn't, and I don't have a few movies under my belt, but at least i'll know that I tried. And so that's when I decided to book acting lessons. Well, I can see it in you, and I hope you do another movie. I think you could easily translate into another holiday movie like this with a similar role. I mean, I think if you're taking the acting classes, why not go for like a supporting character. Well, okay, I just need to get up my confidence and I need to audition for things I think, and I'm okay with rejection to Obviously, nobody wants to be rejected, but I know that that's how I'm gonna That's gonna be me putting myself out there, and I'll be proud of myself for just doing that. And then from each rejection, I can grow and and learn or know that that wasn't the right fit or maybe I could have done it a different way. But I'm I'm gonna continue working with my coach and see where that goes. Some of my acting lessons though Mike, have been very therapeutic. She does. Her name's Bridget and she works with working with Laney Wilson, you know in her yellow Stone stuff. And you know John Party was in here not too long ago saying he got auditioned for some stuff, but he had been working with Bridget. So I knew that she was good, but I didn't know the different things she was going to be able to bring out in me. But I just heard multiple things about her around town, So I honestly was shocked that I was able to get in with her. And when she sat down with me, she said, you know, you really kind of have to go from deep within yourself when you're tapping into a character, and that you're able, like you can use different feelings and emotions you have inside you as long as you're able to tap into them. And so she said that we've done some work. She's like, hm, I'm sensing like a lot of anger. It's like, oh, maybe I need to get find an angry character. But at at that day, the day that I met with her, it's crazy. I really did have some anger things going on and some stuff I was processing and that's genuinely what I was feeling. And so she worked with that and we did a few exercises and I started bawling, crying, and she does a lot of breathwork and then and then after we do all of that, then she hands you some scripts and we run lines. But it's like she wants you to tap into what's going on with you before you even pick up a script with her. So it's been really cool, isn't it though, Like she's good, I'm excited to see where it goes. And I'm I've even you know, you kind of have to pick and choose. I don't have all the time being a mom and doing the different the shows and the podcast and uh, I also am in therapy as well. But it's been so therapeutic for me that I've stopped some of my other therapy appointments so that I can prioritize this, not only just time wise, but financially. Like I'm like, okay, we need to see where I'm spending money. But that's how that's how cool this process has been to me. It's worth putting something else on the sidelines to invest in this and see where it's going to go. So you haven't watched him. It comes out this Thursday. How are you going to sit down and watch it? Because I think holiday movies, I feel like there's this setting I like to put myself into, the tree is on, just have this cozy environment. How are you finally going to sit down and watch this movie? I am going to be in Austin for Thanksgiving with I'm having Thanksgiving with my best friend from high school, Andrea, which shout out it was her dad's coll verse that I even met Bobby at in two thousand five. So if it wasn't for Andrea, Mike, you and I would not be sitting here talking. You know. I assume maybe we'll all gather around like after we finished Thanksgiving, And she said that her parents. She lives two houses down from her parents, so I'll be with them as well, and that her parents have like a little movie room, and so we may all gather in there with blankets and popcorn and yeah, hot Coco. Make it a whole thing, a holiday thing. Get the kids be like, all right, kids, Mom's big, big screen debut. That is how I see it happening. But I don't no for sure. I'll have to tell you afterwards what we ended up doing. But that's the plan right now. Well, I think people are gonna like it. I think they're going to be pleasantly surprised when they see you and see your scene. I am one. I told you Christmas movies are my least favorite. Dying I know it's like, oh great, well, no, I'm extra nervous. But I ended up enjoying the movie, and I thought that did your wife watch it? Yeah, she watched it too. We both liked it. And she is the one who has kind of changed my opinion going into movies like this, because I realized now that it's a lot of the stuff is predictable, but it's that kind of journey and that comfortability and just knowing that exactly what it is going into it, that that's the joy people finding these movies. That took me a long time to kind of understand. I like to watch movies to have my mind challenge, but I realized sometimes you just need to put a movie on feels comfortable, you sit down with some family and friends, and that is at the core of what really makes a movie special. So I think holiday movies do that, and I think that's what this movie is going to be. Yeah, you're gonna feel good after you watch it, like it or any holiday movie, because you know that somehow there's going to be joy there at the end and it's gonna work out. So that's what that that predictability part. I'm there with you on that, and I'm thankful that you've been You've been able to realize that and now you can enjoy them with us. The hardest part for me probably is like grasping on too, like the love interest scenes, like that's just hard for me to like find enjoyment in. So I think in that regard, this movie probably isn't entirely for me, But I can see somebody who does love those types of things and love those type of themes will enjoy. Would you think of Analese the main character will Her character name is Gail, but in real life her name is Analyze. I thought she was great. I thought she was perfect. Yeah, she was in West Side Story, the one that they redid the Stevens Bielberg one. Yeah. I thought the music at like, having the music at the forefront kind of made me a little bit more interested in it because I kind of grasp onto that a little more than, like I said, like the Love Story. Yeah. Yeah, there are a lot of funny characters in the movie. And I was just waiting the entire time for your scene to come up, and I thought it was great. How much is left after the bathroom scene till it ends. It's like your scene is probably in the last twenty minutes of the entire movie. Okay, and that's a that's a pivotal point in the movie. That is where you get to the final lag, the final thing. Yeah, okay, so it's yeah, if people want to watch, you gotta wait, you gotta watch all the way, watch the entire movie to the end to get there. This has been great. I love talking to you as the actress. Not Amy Brown from the radio show, not Amy Brown from Four Things, the actress. Well, you're my first interview, So sorry if I was stumbling a little bit. I swear to you, I'm nervous, and I don't we talk all the time, so I don't know why that is, but maybe it's because, yeah, this is a new space. But nerves are good. Nerves are good, so I'm trying to lean into them. And I would just say to other people because I had that thought in my head, oh, maybe I should take acting lessons. And then it was immediately when I tell you, Mike gets like that fast that the other thought pops into my head. And I'm sure other people have that too, but it could be regarding another type of job or another decision that you need to make, or a hobby you want to try, or a side hustle or something in life that you want to do, or school you want to go to, or whatever it is. Just that's I think that's when, if you're really paying attention, you'll notice how quickly it happens. And then you maybe used that to be like, okay, because my brain just did that to me, I'm freaking going to go do the other thing that I was scared of. And I picked up that technique after I when I was in eating disorder recovery. I would want the oreos and I would be at the grocery store and I knew would be okay for me to buy the oreos, but I never trusted myself to buy oreos before, and I'd be like, oh, I'm gonna get Oreos, and then instantly my head be like, no, you can trust yourself that those you can't have the oreos. And then now I just if if I have that thought, if I can't have them, then I grabbed the oreo is gonna throw them in my car? Like it's normal. It's it's it's called as if, as if it's normal, So like as if do it? As if you would just do it without that negative thought that pops into your head right away, and so you can apply it to all kinds of things in your life. But I'm thankful that I was aware of it, because I think there was a time in my life, maybe before some of this therapy and other work that I've done, that I would have left that negative thought rule and it would have shut everything down and be like, okay, yeah, end of story. I'm forty one, Why would I even try this? Who cares? You? Suck? Goodbye, and then that would be the end of it, you know, and I wouldn't be sitting here with you because I'd be like, oh, why would you want to interview podcast? So here we go. I don't know. That's just my also tidbit takeaway. I know it has nothing to do with movies, but I just it's something that's served me well the last couple of years. Well, I think that's inspiring. I think everybody should watch Holiday Harmony on HBO Max on Thursday or whre never you're listening to this podcast, go watch it for the holiday season because how long does it stream. I don't know. It should be on there like forever. It should be on the Sometimes HBO Max takes off old titles, they get rid of them. Yeah, but that's why everybody should go watching now. They may take it away, Yeah, they may take it away, and then if you stream it, that's awesome if you're looking for a way to get it free. That is, if you don't have HBO Max. I know, if you have Hulu, they have a seven day free trial, So if you get it now, you'll have it for the next seven days at least, and you can watch Holiday Harmony you can watch all the episodes of Friends. You can watch White Lotus Hacks, what other things to be like on HBO Max Righteous Gemstones, Righteous Gemstones. Don't watch that with the kids. Yeah, so there's other reasons to hop on the HBO Max train. But I know for some people, if you're not subscribed to it, maybe if you do have hul you can get it free. And I think when it comes to just being a movie fan, it's one of the strongest ones that has a lot of good movies. That's one of my go twos. Yeah, so to have you now on HBO Max, it's kind of cool's huh, Well, thank you Amy for being on the podcast. Thank you for having me. I could talk to you all day long. If you can't tell I think you've tried to wrap me up like three times, and I'm like so much. I'm good. We'll see you next time you do your next movie. Okay, Yeah, happy to come back. We're thinking positively, we're manifesting that. Let's go. Let's get into a spoiler free movie review now. I want to talk about The Menu, which is out in theaters now. And this movie had me intrigued from the trailer, but it was unlike anything that I was expecting. I honestly had pretty low expectations going into this movie, so maybe that's why I ended up enjoying it as much as I did. But the movie is about all of these rich people who pay twelve hundred and fifty dollars to go on this remote island to have this very exclusive dinner from this chef, and then things start to get weird, and then they realized that maybe not all of them will survive the evening. So before I get into this full review, here is just a little bit of the menu trailer. This menu, the pictures us disgustless thing, this entire evenings, just it or its stage crowd has been painstaken. When we planned this is realistic? What the hell is going now? We're gonna do this. So the movie revolves around this couple. You have Onya Taylor Joy's character and Nicholas Holt. They are going on a date to this island and the guy she is dating is a very big foodie and he's telling her all these things about this very famous chef. And they get on this boat and there's all these other famous people, rich people who have all paid this incredible amount of money to go and experience this dinner. They get to the island, they get to the dinner, which is supposed to be a few hours, and then pretty soon after that, once the meal starts, there's a lot of theatrics, and they're trying to decide whether or not the things that are happening are all a part of the experience or they are in for more than they bargained for, and they all start to question whether or not they are all going to survive this evening, and it escalates pretty quickly. I think one of the things I enjoyed the most about this movie is how it blended horror, comedy and suspense. It was like this thriller at the core of it, but there were moments that I felt like it was a traditional horror film and some of the things that were just out of nowhere. To where it starts to get very intense, I was like, Wow, I really wasn't expecting this level of violence going into this movie, but that really tied in with a very subtle dark comedy in this movie. It is unlike any other horror comedy I've ever seen. It's nothing like Shaun of the Dead or anything like that, so don't go into it expecting that. I just felt like this movie was very novel and there aren't very many films that I can compare it to. It kind of has that knives out vibe, but there's no real murder mystery here. It has a little bit of like a black mirror element to it. It also kind of reminded me of Saul when you realize all of these people are there for a very specific reason and the chef has hands selected every single one of them, and you find out why. And the entire movie really plays into the idea of this menu and the fact that this entire night has been so orchestrated, and every scene and every act takes place in courses, just like a meal would. So whenever the first course comes out, something crazy happens. The next course, something else crazy happens, and it goes all the way to the dessert. So that was just a really cool, fun way to structure this entire movie and also keep the pacing going and going along, because as the viewer, you're just waiting for the crazy thing that's gonna happen next, the crazy thing that's going to elevate it even more and on top of that, since is following this whole menu format, if you're a fan of food, you're going to love this movie. And I'm a vegan, but they were making some meat in this movie that looked delicious, and I wanted to be in that restaurant. I'll take all the crazy things happening just to try some of that food. And that's coming from somebody who eats basically plants all the time. I wanted to eat what they were eating. And a very well rounded cast with Ray Finds really carrying this entire movie. Have Baltimore in one of his most sinister roles I've ever seen him in, and he plays it perfectly. Probably could have only been him to do this part. You mixed that with Anya Taylor Joy, who I love her and anything she's in now except maybe Amsterdam, which I don't really count that one against her, but she is just such a great lead. I love John Lukasamo and all of the other supporting cast. And it also had a lot of my other favorite elements when it comes to a movie, a movie that and also had a lot of my other favorite elements that I indulged in, like a movie that takes place entirely in one day. This movie is basically just one evening and really only has one location on this island, most of it taking place inside that restaurant, so you have to know, if there aren't a whole lot of set changes, not a whole lot of other things going on, the actual action has to pack a punch, and that's exactly what this movie does, and even though it's not a straight on mystery, it keeps you guessing and thinking of what's going to happen next, what the big plan here is the entire time, and the movie does end up making the commentary on class and how food ties into that and how wealthy people can have nicer things. And there's also the other side of it of the people working at this restaurant represent the people who work in the service industry, so there's also this message of this clash of classes that I thought made a pretty strong point. So I thought the movie was great from beginning to end. At about an hour and forty five minutes, this movie doesn't weigh any time to get going, has great action, has some great visuals, has some pretty brutal scenes depending on your level of queasiness and how you deal with violence, maybe make you gasp a little bit. There were even some scenes that I, who, I'm totally numb to all this stuff. I have been desensitized since I was a kid to watching crazy things. Some of it was still surprising to me, and I think even if you're a person who doesn't like horror movies, it's not really scary in any way. I would say it's just more shocking. And the thing I was just most surprised about is I wasn't expecting this movie to end up being one of my favorites out of the entire year. Maybe when you go into something with as low expectations are really no expectations whatsoever, only a movie like that could do it for you. I don't want to overhype this movie, but just the fact that it felt so unique to me, it was unlike anything I had seen in a very long time. That's what really made me enjoy it. So if I had to rate the menu, I would give it four point five out of five Kitchen Knives. If you're looking for something suspenseful to watch in theaters, look no further than the menu. It's time to head down to movie Mike La Paul. The movie is called Emancipation. It stars Will Smith. It is his first role since slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars, and I think that's where everybody's mind goes to right away. It was gonna be whatever role he had following that incident that would be the one that people would talk about the most. It's interesting because this movie looks so good that I think that is the reason people are even split on this movie. I think before that it would have been an instant like, oh, Will Smith is in another great movie about a very powerful subject. But everything I see about this movie is people debating whether or not they will even watch it. So we'll get into all that. But the movie is about Peter, who is a slave that flees a plantation in Louisiana after he was whipped within a niche of his life, and now he has to outwit these hunters who are out to get him in the swamps of Louisiana as he travels north trying to find his family, and then he also joins the Union Army. So before we get into all of that, here is just a little bit of the Emancipation trailer. I find him, They beat me, they whipped me, they break the balls in my body more times than I can call, but they never never break me. So, first of all, this trailer looks stunning. The cinematography in this is top notch, and that's usually what you get when you watch a movie that is an Apple TV Plus original. Cinematically they look so rich. They don't really have the biggest titles at that I think, oh, you need to get Apple to watch all these great movies. But as particular as I get with how a movie looks just very crisp and clear, like, I'm just so into that, probably a little bit too much that I just love Apple TV Plus for that. And in this movie it is scaled in black and white with a little bit of like these rush tones. So I just love the look and feel of this movie. Even the big drone shots of capturing the swamps of Louisiana I think look magnificent. But aside from that, I feel like this is about a very powerful subject and a story I didn't really know a whole lot about, but the more I read about it, I really want to see this movie. So Will Smith plays Peter and it's based on a true story, and in this trailer you see him get ripped away from his family. You see him getting beaten, and you see him escaping and trying to find salvation as he travels north. And then also towards the end of this trailer, you see him fighting in the Union Army. And just by the looks of this trailer, it looks like some of the most powerful acting that Will Smith has ever done in his career. We had King Richard last year, which we got a peak of how well he could handle drama. I mean, he's been doing it his entire career, but that took it a step higher. It got him the Oscar, and now this movie seems to be the same caliber of acting with a more intense subject, with a more intense character. So it would almost be easy to say that he'd be another shoe in for the Best Actor, but he is now ineligible from the Oscar. So I think where the divide comes with this movie is are you ready to watch Will Smith in another movie again? And I am one that I can usually separate the art from the artist, especially when it comes to movies. We don't know these people in Hollywood. They live on an entirely different planet, it seems like, and I can't base people on the characters they play in movies, it's just that's not them. They're acting, so I try not to associate the real life person with the actor on the screen. There are a lot of actors that I like that I probably would not enjoy hanging out with in real life or also know that they're probably not the nicest people, but I can still enjoy their work. When it comes to what happened at the Oscars and the fact that we're even still now talking about it, seems a little bit like who cares at this point, But I get that when somebody does something like that, it is a reflection on their character. So it does become harder for me anyway to separate the art from the artist. And this being his next movie role to come out, it feels like you almost have to pick a side on whether or not you're going to watch this movie, and I've been thinking about it. I didn't even know if I would include this in the trailer park, but as I rewatched the trailer again and again, I found myself saying that this would be a movie that I would watch, and I can't let that incident influence my desire to watch this movie. So I'm going to watch it and not think about him as the person and just try to hone in on what the story being told here is. It's from director Antoine Fuqua, who also did movies like Training Day, South Paw, and The Equalizer, so he has a pretty good portfolio when it comes to the movies he's directed, and this movie appears to be fairly accurate to what actually happened in this story. There is a part in the trailer where he goes to hand to hand combat with an alligator. I'm not sure if that is historically accurate, but visually that looks like something I want to watch Will Smith fighting an alligator in the swamp. Yes, that does sound Oscar worthy. It's like Leonardo DiCaprio fighting a bear and being completely honest. I think right after the Oscar incident happened, it did take me a little bit too like Will Smith again, because he was a person who banked on his likability, his president on social media of just being a nice guy. That was kind of his brand, and that was taken away from him. And it's kind of like building back trust with somebody who did you wrong. So I would have called myself a fan of Will Smith the actor before that, and I wouldn't exactly call myself a fan of his now, but I'm still curious to watch his work. So I can completely understand if you don't ever want to watch him in a movie ever. Again, that is your opinion. I feel like it's there's some validity there. I think first some it will take longer to separate that, and maybe this isn't the role, this isn't the subject that you want to dive into another Will Smith movie. Again, I am just curious to see in general how this movie is received once it comes out. If it gets now zero or no attention from the award shows, I think that will definitely speak volumes. And to see how Will Smith goes about promoting this movie, doing interviews again, doing red carpets, that will also be interesting to see how he handles that. So again, the movie is called Emancipation. It comes out in theaters on December two, and then is streaming on Apple t V Plus on December nine, this week's edition of Movie Bar and that's going to do it for another episode here of the podcast. Thank you for listening, and thank you for making it to this point of the podcast. If you are new here. What I like to do is give out a secret emoji. So if you enjoy the interview this week, there's always a secret emoji you can comment with on Instagram, on TikTok, Facebook, Twitter to let me know you enjoyed it. So for the Amy Brown interview, go and comment on the picture we took together with the Christmas tree emoji if you enjoyed that. And also at the end of every episode, I like to give my listeners shout out of someone who has showed me support online and listen to the podcast. And this week the listeners shout out is from Instagram and it's a d M I got from Lenz who wrote, I'm racking my brain to try to think of other movies You've given a five out of five rating since the podcast Inception great episode this week. Really like the format and the deep dive into how a movie makes a billion dollars. Well appreciate it Lens for sending me that DM. And since I started this podcast in December nineteen, there have only been three movies I've given a five out of five rating. In those movies are Joker, Spider Man, No Way Home, and last week to Black Panther Waconda Forever. That is it. It is very rare for me to find a perfect movie that I could say nothing bad about. And yes, I am showing my bias when it comes to me loving superhero movies. So thank you Lenz for that. D M, thank you for listening. I hope you subscribe to the podcast. If you enjoyed this week's episode, tell a friend who also loves movies, who loves spoiler free reviews. Just tag me and tag them in your Instant story and I'll repost those throughout the week. And until next time, go out and watch good movies and I will talk to you later.