Tessa 0:18 Welcome to monkey off my backlog the podcast where we exercise our pop culture demons by tackling our media to do lists one week at a time. I'm your host, Tessa Swehla and with me are Dr. Sam Morris. Hello, and Andy Bowman. Sam 0:37 Hello. Tessa 0:38 Joining us today is longtime friend of the pod and first time guest, jack. Hi, everyone. We're so happy to have you on. I'm happy to be here. So we were inspired by Sam's reviews of Chungking Express and fallen angels a few weeks ago as well as by Tony learning's brilliant performance and Shang Chi and the legend of the 10 rings. So we decided to dedicate an episode to the brilliant and unconventional Wong Kar Wai, a master of Hong Kong cinema, known for his lush visuals and overall extravagant vibes. Yes, I did make up that phrase myself. You're welcome world. Wong Kar Wai has an enormous influence on filmmaking. So this episode, we're going to discuss three of his films. So let's go ahead and dive right into the first film we're going to talk about today, as tears go by, which I just watched for the first time, a couple of nights ago. So as tears go by, is one car wise directorial debut. It is a 1988 Hong Kong crime drama film, it stars Andy Lau Maggie Chung and Jackie Chung. The film focuses on wha an enforcer and debt collector for a mob and his relationships. As he grows closer with nor a different a distant relation by marriage, he starts to see a life for himself outside of the mob, but his wild protege fly keeps needing his help to get out of trouble dragging him inevitably towards a dark fate. Alright, let's go ahead and start with you. JACK. Have you seen as tears go by? Unknown Speaker 2:17 I have and what I can say is, or my question is, is it the better 80s movie that plays take my breath away? Tessa 2:29 So Sam has a entire rant about how Take My Breath. You described it as a rant earlier. Sam 2:39 I said it was a monologue. Tessa 2:41 He has a monologue. Let's just put out a dramatic monologue about how Take My Breath Away is used in that soundtrack. Are we ready to hear Sam's monologue? Or do we need to build up to it a little bit? Sam 2:53 You need to talk about the film. Tessa 2:55 Okay, let's talk about the film first. So jack, this is I was surprised because even though this is his first film, it is very different than In the Mood for Love, which we're going to talk about and 2046 it's definitely leans into that crime drama aspect of it. And I turned to Sam after the film was over, and I actually said, I think this is better than Scorsese. What do you think about that statement? Unknown Speaker 3:22 I it's definitely a big statement. I for it being his first, like basically his first film, and I think it's definitely a really good gangster movie inspired by the works of Scorsese, and others that you're definitely I've always found his movies to be different genres and I think that's a play a gangster movie but not enough people I've seen so Andy 3:56 I don't think you're completely wrong. And Jackie shared this is not the name of a of an American soap opera. As tears go by just sounds very much like a soap opera. Sam 4:06 And definitely has that feel. Andy it isn't the title of a soap opera but you know what it is the title of what a Rolling Stone song now that's That's it? That's what that's a lie. Andy 4:21 You're lying. Sam 4:21 It is not it is very much not a rhinestones isn't Andy 4:24 isn't even a real band. Come on. Sam 4:27 Well, okay, you got me there. Andy 4:31 I know you. Tessa 4:32 Surprisingly though. I learned this just today. And I know that you've read more about Wong Kar Wai than the rest of us have jack but I learned today that he did actually start out writing and soap operas before he went into films. I think that that lends itself to the relationships in his films, which are always so poignant and so relatable, even the like the most dysfunctional relationships and His films make sense. And I think that in this film, even though why and nor have this, like, they have nothing in common with each other, but you still really believe that they belong together or that they really love each other. And part of that is, of course, the soundtrack. But I was wondering what you thought about that central relationship in the film? Yeah, Unknown Speaker 5:25 once you kind of get over, like the fact that they're kind of avoided. I think it has kind of a soapie, but also feels like a realistic relationship. His ability to tell romance is probably somebody that just always draws me to his movies, they even if the plot isn't necessarily romantic, there's always romance in his stories. Andy 5:52 And like wordless romance to at least in the one we'll talk about later, it blew me away. Tessa 5:58 We also get to see a very young Maggie Chung in this who of course, will also be in the mood for love. I wasn't expecting her in this movie. I don't know why I didn't realize that she was in this movie at first, but even at this point, she still has the looks down. Like I feel like there's a lot of looking in Wong Kar Wai films and you can start to see it here even though it's not quite as evolved as it'll become In the Mood for Love. Unknown Speaker 6:28 I've seen another movie that she's in from this time period in her life club Police Story. It's a Jackie Chan movie and she plays his wealth interest in that so she her be able to look at people as makes her a very an actress that has a lot to bring to the table. Sam 6:50 My opinion. Really quick question Which movie is better Police Story or super cop? I have not seen super cop so I can't. We were We were in the Bronx about that when the other day. That's the one that Michelle yos in. Tessa 7:04 Yeah, that's when she talks about right and where she kept doing stunts. Sam 7:08 I'm trying to get Tessa into some some of the Jackie Chan movies there. Andy 7:13 What Operation Condor to that's the Sam 7:18 that is the one with the Nazi wind tunnel, isn't it? Yes, I was. I was just Tessa was I'm not just telling you the other day about the movie that I like to call. Fun in a Nazi wind tunnel. I don't know at the time. Remember what the title was? Tessa 7:37 Yes, super COP is the one where she said she's talking about working with Jackie Chan. And she said that there's a stunt she does in that one where she like, jumps a motorcycle on top of a train. And Jackie Chan told her to cool it with the stunts because every time she did a stunt he had to do one that was better than her because he's Jackie Chan. So I thought that was funny. Andy 7:59 Oh, and just remember Jackie Chan is a well known also. Tessa 8:04 Well, Michelle Yeoh apparently puts him in his place. So as she should, what do we think about? I think there's so many like things and as tear goes as tears go by that I think grow into the later films of Wong Kar Wai. But what about sort of the I'm trying to think of the narrative this film almost seems tighter than the narratives of previous or the other films that I've seen. And I wonder if it's because this is a more traditional crime drama. But to me, there's sort of an element of fate in this film like the idea that like fly like the Godfather tells was the beginning like fly is going to get you killed someday. And like the idea that like he's torn between nore and fly as these two separate like possibilities, but like, it's also inevitable that he's always gonna choose fly. I thought that was really interesting, especially considering the themes in In the Mood for Love. Unknown Speaker 9:05 Yeah, I would say looking at filmography is probably one of the more straightforward in terms of having the most plot of histories versus mood and moments and so it and I agree on the faith thing, the the kind of push and pull but you kind of always know where he's going to end up. Probably because we've seen stories like that before. Tessa 9:32 It seems more like a classic tragedy in that way. Yeah. All right, Sam. Andy 9:38 Did he not do this when we covered one car why the other week? No, Tessa 9:41 this is a deep dive. Andy 9:43 This is all new. Andy it's all all new. All new. All right. So is this going to sell me on making as tears go buy the next one car wife Oh my watch because right now. A certain website can is helping me find the the proper cut of The Grand Master. So all right, you got to sell me on the same. Alright, what exactly about this movie is good? And why is this needle drop better than the amazing needle drop in the mood for love? Sam 10:12 Alright, so go ahead, strap in, buckle up. Give me five minutes. And I've got you convinced. All right. So here we go. All right In the Mood for Love may in fact, be the best one car why movie, I'll give you that. It is not my favorite. And it is not the one that you should start with. But if you've already seen in the mood for love, as tears go by, is the next one to watch. Like I said, it's my favorite. And here's why throughout human history, Andy 10:42 wait, did you just pull up cue cards? Sam 10:45 I didn't. This is all up here in my head. This is what goes on. So throughout human history, as long as we've been doing written stories are most of the time we've been doing them through poetry, right. And you can't use a lot of words with novelists, they use all the words, and that's why it was considered low art for a long time. But, you know, poets, people who tell stories with very few words have to do things to generate ideas and emotions. You know, Shakespeare kind of had to work around by just saying, alright, this actor is just going to talk about his feelings for a while it's a cheat. But most of the time we use things, you know, like imagery and illusions, and all that kind of stuff, right? So when we get to film, once we get into the silent era, right and into the beginning of the talking era, one of the big improvements in film that we get that allows us to pack a lot of story into a little bit of time is the montage. Right? We get that from Eisenstein. And people like Capra use it, we get the newspaper headlines and all that stuff. And then when we started using non diegetic music, in films, it really wasn't anything. It was just orchestral stuff that gave emotion, right? Andy 12:01 Define non diegetic. Sam 12:03 So that's a very good point. diegetic sound is sound that is on the screen. It is natural to the screen. Like in Chungking Express, which you haven't seen the Mamas and the Papas plays diegetic she pushes play on the tape and it starts playing, it then gradually becomes non diegetic because we hear it but it isn't in the scene. So that's what non diegetic music is, if you watch a classic film, which Andy I know you hate. That's the orchestral music going on in the background of all those early black and white movies that you don't watch. Now, it isn't until a little bit later that we actually have entire things being written for movies. And you know, you think about something like the graduate, which is where we start to really get pop songs as soundtracks for movies. You know, Simon and Garfunkel wrote a ton of stuff for that movie. And then we started to combine things like combining the montage. And the soundtrack in the Rocky movies are the best, best place to talk about this. Because you can pack so much emotion into a couple of minutes. With a scene that takes place over a long period of time. With a track that's meant to evoke a certain emotion, it's cheap. It's easy, it works. What makes one car why so good, is he doesn't need the montage. He can just show you a scene or a couple of scenes, and do more with that. And a good song than most people can do with a montage and a song. That's what the version of take my breath away in. As two years goes by does it packs in that emotion? But here's the other thing. It's also very clearly an allusion to Top Gun. You're supposed to remember that scene. There are other allusions to Top Gun into as tears go by hurling stuff into the ocean. That's from Top Gun, right? Okay, your wing man supporting your wing man above all else that's from Top Gun. Andy 14:15 And if someone in this podcast hasn't seen Top Gun, how would you describe Top Gun? What is Top Gun about? Sam 14:23 I'm gonna choose to just push on and ignore that. here's the here's the thing, though, that when I first saw as two years go by, I lost it. It was the first one Kar Wai movie I saw. I lost it in that scene. It was just it is one of the best scenes in film of all time for me because of that needle drop. Because I hate the term needle drop but I'm using it anyway. But because of that, and it just keeps going. You think okay, it's one scene and you He just keeps bringing it back. And it's so so great. But here's what I think is really incredible about it. So that's seen as two years go by is an illusion the Top Gun scenes that weren't originally in Top Gun. They were reshoots done six months after the fact. They tested the movie, there were a couple of different things that went into it, but they dragged Tony Scott in to reshoot this film. And it's so awkward because both of the actors had moved on to other things. That's why Charlie in Tompkins wearing a ball cap and they shoot the epic love scene that is scored to take my breath away, in shadow with low light because you can't, it's hiding and it's terrible. And it's obvious, just shoehorn this love plot into Top Gun. And one car wide knows this, and still uses it as the emotional reference point. Because in a lesser directors movie, this love scene is also shoehorned in. Because it it's meant to create an emotional connection to this character. It's supposed to give it that tragic element. But unlike in Top Gun, he sells it. He sells this other version of Take My Breath Away that starts off in this weird key. And when it goes into the key change goes into a weirder key and it is somehow more emotionally affecting than its original referent. When you can do all that in your first movie. I don't know what else there is to say that's that's somebody who just said, All right, I'm gonna make a movie and I'm gonna make it better than just about everybody else does. First time out. And he did the end. Andy 16:46 So but this is that the only song I know from Top Gun is danger zone. So is is that the one you're talking about if I just been wrong about the title of the song? Sam 16:56 No, you haven't. Although Fun fact. Danger Zone was originally supposed to be recorded by Toto, the folks who brought you Africa and Rosanna but there was a rights dispute towards the end. So Kenny Loggins stepped in and did Archer proud. Tessa 17:13 All right, anyone want to add anything else about as tears go by after that lovely plug by Sam. Sam 17:23 Today? It was a long day. Okay. I don't think so. I think we kind of covered it all. Tessa 17:29 All right. So let's talk just really briefly about how we all were introduced to Wong Kar Wai jack, how did you first encounter this director? Unknown Speaker 17:40 I threw the trailer for my blueberry night, which is his one English speaking film. I was a big Norah Jones fan and came across this trailer and it's like, what is this? I didn't end up seeing the movie but it's just curious what it is and then but the name stuck out and then I be in a movie person saw that in the mood for web is concerned one of the best movies of the century. So I blind bought it and watched it and fell in love and have been watching his movies ever since. Tessa 18:15 Sam How were you introduced to one car Why? Sam 18:19 I did mention this on the podcast last time so I'll just say again, it was a documentary made by Jonathan Ross, British personality in you know he just talked about his favorite Asian directors and on Chi was on that that's how I also discovered Mr. Old Boy himself. So a lot a lot of good. That did me it was a good time. Tessa 18:42 Andy, what about you? Was it our benevolent influence on your life or had you encountered one car why before? Andy 18:50 But Neverland? That's that is a word I just not the one I would use. So there is a YouTube channel called cinefex I really love cinefex it is now cinefex IGN movies and TV because they got bought out by IGN. But they make amazing top 10 lists like really really good top 10 lists. So In the Mood for Love was mentioned as one of their top 10 most emotional films of all time, and one of their top 10 most beautiful films of all time. So because of that I added one car why to the list, and that is pretty much it right there. With with it's not most beautiful, its best use of color. Tessa 19:29 Yes, and we're definitely going to talk about that here in a second. Mine is pretty boring in comparison. I too also saw that Wong Kar Wai was in a lot of Best Film lists best needle drop list as Sam mentioned, but it really wasn't until the last couple of years that I really tried to start watching a lot more Hong Kong cinema. And Sam was definitely like longer why we have to. We have to hit Wong Kar Wai on this and I have just been obsessed with him this past year. His films have definitely been getting me through this very difficult time and I plan on watching more of them probably before the end of the year. So let's move on to the one that he's probably most famous for as, as we have mentioned in the mood for love, which is a 2000 romantic drama written, produced and directed by Wong Kar Wai and stars The one and only Tony learn in perhaps his most famous role. And Maggie Chung. It focuses on a relationship between Shama won a journalist and su li Shen, a secretary who our next door neighbors and realize that their respective spouses are having an affair with each other. JACK, tell us about this movie. Unknown Speaker 20:44 I mean, it's hard to describe it. Just very central without ever acting on it. It's definitely a movie full of desire. And the when I was reading a book recently about his movies, I there was a quote from him about this movie. And he actually described it as a Hitchcockian suspense movie, in terms of and includes the fact that the romance but basically the movies kind of like a detective story in his mind, and who they just kind of fall for each other while they're trying to figure out this mystery, which I thought was very interesting description of the movie, because I hadn't ever thought of it that way. But it made total sense. There's gorgeous color, gorgeous music, and watch sexual attention. Tessa 21:36 Lots of sexual tension, lots of logging in this film. Andy, you had never seen this film before. Andy 21:43 They call it Tony learning, Tessa 21:45 Tony learning. I also found out this week because of Shang Chi that Tony learn in China is known as the man who speaks with his eyes, which is the perfect nickname for him. Just perfect. Andy, you had never seen this movie before. What were your thoughts? You and Sarah? Oh, Andy 22:05 you think she saw this movie with me? You think? You think I didn't watch this with my mistress instead Tessa 22:11 with your mistress? Yes, it was Bart, wasn't it? You watched it with Bart. Andy 22:16 I did watch it with my Corky. So this this, this movie was phenomenal. And it's a movie I really wish I had seen at an earlier point in my life when I was in a relationship similar to the one shown here, I won't delve further in to that, because it makes me seem like a bad person. So Matt is, first of all, the way that one car, why frames every shot is phenomenal. Many of the times that we're here, the way in the way it's framed, we're actually not in the same room, we're looking through a curtain or a window, or some bars were looking into an alleyway. We as the viewer are outside staring into this relationship. Oh, and these two people who have both a crazy sense of humor about the fact that their spouses are cheating on each other, but also a genuine affection for each other and, and well wishes. And it's difficult to really talk about how I have no idea what 1960s China was like, I really have no idea what 1960 China was like, I do not know what the terms of marriage were normally there, right? Like if people if it was arranged marriages, if it's a marriage of convenience, if it's a marriage, for love of marriage for affection, like I don't know the state of this, but then the decision to not show the spouses who are cheating on each other of these main characters. It just blew me away. And somehow it is sexy, but it's also claustrophobic. Unless the two lead characters are in their little maybe love nest maybe not. I don't know, you never really know if they've done anything if they've actually had an affair or is this an emotional thing? Are they just playing this out in their heads to see what it was like how it all started? It's so great, and it just felt like going through a pool of warm water. Tessa 24:36 Sam, what do you think of In the Mood for Love? Andy 24:39 Well, while Sam is getting back to me come back to you. Yeah, yeah, well, Sam is getting thoughts. I want to mention that it also uses a Spanish language version of the theme song for the Steven Moffat show coupling at just the right time, and I had watched coupling at a time in my life and at that time in my life Life. So it was a very surreal experience. It was also the perfect needle drop. for that moment, I do not know the name of the song It goes perhaps perhaps perhaps Sam 25:11 you just or that is what it is called. Okay, well, I named it the song. I know, Andy 25:17 I nailed it on the head there. Yeah. Phenomenal, Finn. Phenomenal use of that song when it hit. And just the sense of humor, like, such a dry sense of humor. to, to the way he's looking at this couple as they're trying to figure out life and then yeah, yeah, just so sad. And it's it's like, it's like one of those French movies with the smoking. Except it's good. Sam 25:43 You know, I'm not one to agree with a nd. But I was just before you said that. I was like, it's one of those other kinds of, but it's good. And I can't believe you said that. I mean, I think that's the that's one of the best takeaways of this movie. It's like, it's such a downer of a movie in a lot of ways. But you don't really feel that way. You know, he does this good job of kind of tricking you into falling for it for falling for those those emotions that aren't aren't great, but he makes you feel differently about them. And by the way, I just, you know, a PSA. You should never drop your needle on a record. There's a little slider that you can use on most good record players that just allows it to ease into place, you'll hurt your record. If you drop the hard pointy thing directly on it. Don't drop your needle friends. But do drop the needle into the grooves properly have a Andy 26:50 I had something then I thought about ketamine and I just decided to to be to be quiet because Tessa 26:59 just by thinking about it, hmm. Andy 27:01 But the phrase needle makes me think of ketamine. I'm sorry. Okay, I Tessa 27:04 see. I see. I would describe this movie. It's just so beautiful. You want to live in it? Like it's just like it feels like or what? No, Andy 27:13 no, it is too hot. They do not have AC there. It is summertime right now. I want to live in that. No, no, no, no. You saw how small those apartments are? No, no test. Tessa 27:26 Oh, gosh, I love this scene where they're trapped in his room. And the with the Mahjong game that just has like the rotating group of people that like they're they've keep playing this game. And people are like leaving to go to work and like coming back from work and they go out to get food and they come back like I just that is such a great scene it the two apartments just they get me. But I was doing a little bit of reading about this. And apparently Wong Kar Wai was trying to recreate 1960s Hong Kong to the best of his memory because he had really great nostalgia for 1960s Hong Kong. And he refused to use any like special effects or pre built sets. Like he just kept trying to find places in Hong Kong where they could actually just shoot it and make it look like it was 1960s. And apparently Tony learning and Maggie Chung both had issues because both of them were slightly younger than welingkar Why didn't actually remember the time period as well as he did. And he was trying to recreate it so faithfully, but honestly, it does feel like stepping into a different era, a different world. But I say that in the sense that the world feels very lived in like, I've never been to Hong Kong. I wasn't alive during the 60s. But I felt like I knew this place Andy 28:50 that he sounds like you're trying to cover up Tessa, preemptively for when my body is found in Hong Kong. Tessa 28:59 I have never been there. Also, what's up with the color green in this movie? Andy 29:04 I didn't watch the I didn't watch the criterion cut so I didn't get the green. You Unknown Speaker 29:09 didn't watch the remaster? Andy 29:11 Yeah, I'm fine with that. Tessa 29:12 He worked hard on that remaster, Andy. Andy 29:15 The cinematographer did not like the remaster. Tessa 29:18 What did you think about the difference between the original cut and the remaster jack? It's a point of contention. Apparently. Unknown Speaker 29:25 I was gonna said that when this the box that came out this year, that was something that he said he like went through all the movies and said what was being tweaked. And some of the coloring was changing because some of the footage like the original footage wasn't preserved as well. I just find the use of colors throughout his films. Gorgeous so I just kind of broad within. It didn't bother me as much it's it seemed to bother other people that I've seen online. Tessa 29:58 It just feels so fine. Brent all of his films do like they're just they're almost like crawling out of the screen sometimes. Like the grudge no Andy van could you made a horror film? What would that even look? Andy 30:14 Sorry the ringgo not not not the garage. I've never seen either one of those so I don't I don't know. It was it was beautiful. I would love to see this like even better. remastered in full like HDR dynamic lighting, but chances are we'll probably never actually get that because film is fickle mistress. As far as preservation goes, Tessa 30:41 it's true. All right, favorite Wong Kar Wai tropes. JACK, what are some of your favorite things that you've noticed that Wong Kar Wai does in his films. Unknown Speaker 30:53 I read as much as I'd love it. The obvious thing is obviously the his use of music as just kind of as breaking the action. But I will choose the kind of shaky camera when he's showing action or like, movement, I find that very interesting and kind of unique to him. So I will say, the sense of movement is movies. Tessa 31:21 And you've only seen one film but Andy 31:24 right and I can give you all my favorite tropes from that film. Okay. Yeah, I like that he had I liked that he cast all Asian actors. Tessa 31:32 representation matters, Andy. Andy 31:34 Right. It? It does. I like the use of Asian cuisine. I okay. I, there was one. One background actor who I looked at and I just knew I'd seen him in a ton of other things. And he's, his actual credit is like the man living at Mr. Cooper's house. Like he doesn't even have a name. So so like, like that. That was really cool. I really, really loved the way of just the how the camera made us look into this. I'm hoping that his other films have have play with this camera thing a lot. But yeah, you're right. I have not seen his movies. So I can't tell you the tropes. I can only imagine them okay. I imagine that the the judgmental landlady neighbor, I think she was like, I don't I don't I don't know if it's a weird setup. I I'd like to think that that exact same character pops in everywhere, right? Like, like in every single I mean, you're talking about even like the Grandmaster, the martial arts film, like, like, I just, I don't know this. It felt like a I felt like I was watching the farewell again. And Unknown Speaker 32:51 it was really good. Andy 32:54 I got nothing to say I Why would you let me talk about the tropes You shouldn't have. Let me talk to us. All right, Sam 32:59 we'll edit it out. Don't worry. Andy 33:01 So they're not going to edit. Sam 33:05 Well, so, jack, if you'll be if you if you were so kind to defer the musical trope, I'll pick that up for you. So I you know, my, my favorite trope from the films is the gently put the needle down on the vinyl using the intended record mechanism trope, which, you know, so we've already had the cover of take my breath away. There is also Wait, Andy 33:37 wait is take my breath away another way of saying suck my kiss. Sam 33:41 Have you ever been to a concert by the California punk rock band The Red Hot Chili Peppers? Never. Okay, well, you're going to hell for lots of other reasons. But that's neither here nor there. So you have to take my brother weigh in as tears go by. You have the the dual drop in Chungking Express of California dreamin by The Mamas and the Papas you also have dreams by the cranberries in, as you mentioned already in the mood for love. You have the Nat King Cole key tasks. And I have been assured that there is in fact, a version of the turtles happy together in his film happy together, which is the next one I want to see. So I'm already looking forward to that advance. Unknown Speaker 34:27 Do you know who sings the Virgin of dreams? And Chungking Express? Sam 34:33 Wait a minute, is that is that one I'm trying to remember is is that one that one's a cover two, isn't it? Unknown Speaker 34:40 Yep. And do you know who's covering it? No, I don't. It's a one who's playing the person in the scene. Sam 34:47 Okay, that's cool. Yeah, that's cool. That's really cool. Tessa 34:51 Also great use of jukeboxes, that kind of goes along with what you were just saying. But there's so many jukeboxes, like there's one and fallen angels that That gets pressed a couple of times. There's one and as to your scope by just really good, Unknown Speaker 35:07 Chungking express in the bar. Tessa 35:09 Yes, yes. Andy 35:11 JACK. So So I've seen the Mood for Love Sam seems to think I should be watching fallen angels was it Sam as Tessa 35:18 tears go by as tears go by Andy 35:21 as okay As the World Turns jack, what what what should I watch next what what what would be a good Unknown Speaker 35:31 I think if you've already seen in the mood for a while Chungking Express would be my number two suggestion. Sam 35:39 Andy, who you gonna listen to? Are you gonna listen to me? your podcast co host? Are you gonna listen to jack and Quentin Tarantino? Who are you gonna let Okay, listen to Andy 35:48 Okay, okay. Okay, I'm going to I'm going to go on the record here is saying something kind of controversial. Sam. I'm not going to take any of your recommendations into account. Because I feel like Tessa is going to manipulate you into making my life miserable. If she gets the chance, because I Sam 36:07 need her help for that. Andy 36:08 Because I am correct about the quality of trekking stars or whatever it's Tessa 36:16 called. You know, last week was a good week. We had a lot of fun. We had a lot of laughs It's time to move on. Sam 36:24 Yeah. You're right. Yeah. We're not here to talk about sci fi or any kind of futuristic storytelling. Do you see what I did? Yeah, yeah. Okay, good transition. Thanks. Andy 36:38 That is actually really good transition. But also, I In the Mood for Love. I did jump up when I saw that the room number that their love nest is 2046 Tessa 36:50 Yeah, the 2046 he has like a little I hate the term easter egg because it's so overused now. But like Sam 36:57 easter eggs a needle drop. Tessa 36:58 Yeah, Easter. Oh, gosh, is that the name of a sparks brothers album or sparks album? easter eggs and needle drops? Yeah, so 2046 2046 is the 2004 spiritual sequel, very loose spiritual sequel to In the Mood for Love is also a romantic drama with a science fiction twist. It follows the same character Chow, Mo Juan, who's played by Tony Loring. Still, after he becomes a science fiction writer, and navigates his inability to commit after the end of his relationship in the mood for love. Spoilers. This is literally the beginning of the film. And the narrative is transposed with images and narratives from his cyberpunk science fiction novel which is entitled 2046. The film also which we didn't mention this when we talked about in the mood for love, but it also pulls on one of the tropes from In the Mood for Love where chama Juan is telling her about whispering a secret into a tree and then covering it with mud. 2046 literally begins with someone whispering a secret into a tree. Andy 38:12 So so I'm gonna be a pedant here that that scene In the Mood for Love is him talking to his old man friend, not her. Tessa 38:19 Oh, well, you've seen him more recently than I. But yeah, looks like giving giving the gig telling the secret to a tree or to a wall and then like covering it up. That is also how 2046 begins. JACK had you seen 2046? Before this last weekend when he watched it for the pod. Unknown Speaker 38:38 It was my second time but the first time was only like two months ago, or maybe a month. So it was a more recent watch for me. I once I kind of figured out what it was trying to do. I really liked it. It was definitely it's hard to be a sequel to a movie that is many consider one of the best movies of the 21st century and maybe even more. So I think it had hard work to fall. And I think once you kind of realize what it's doing, it's a very solid movie. Tessa 39:15 And when I say that, it's like the spiritual sequel. It is the same character. And it does allude to the events in the mood for love. But it's not. It's not really continuing that story. Very much. It's like Andy 39:31 sorry, you're saying it's like momento in The Dark Knight Rises? What? momentum The Dark Knight Rises. The cinematic Dr. Christopher Nolan. Right, right. The The Doctor Who says to Bruce Wayne's knee is the same doctor for momento. Sure. No, it is played by Thomas Lenin. He has he has confirmed they are the same character. Tessa 39:54 Okay, all right. No, it's it's a little bit more connected than that. Andy 39:59 But are you Cuz you said loose, that's pretty loose, I came up with something pretty loose. They're testing. Tessa 40:04 But it's not like, like you're not seeing the continuation of like that relationship you're seeing like the after effects on a character but it is a very different film as far as like tone and narrative, I guess. What did you think of the cyberpunk sequences? jack? Unknown Speaker 40:26 They were very, they felt true to one car wise vision and way of making films and that they were sci fi that I'm kind of like not on a big budget minus the kind of CGI effects but like when you see the visuals of the novel, it's kind of just made in a way that you wouldn't see in like a Hollywood movie kind of felt perfect for him. Tessa 40:59 I thought they were really beautiful. Like you said they weren't super expensive or high tech, but it was at the same time. Just Just a strange cyberpunk world and I it's what I wanted cyberpunk 2077 to be. But we didn't really you don't really spend a lot of time there. You just still receive these glimpses of this world. And the things that are happening in the novel that sort of parallel Ciao mo Juan's relationships and the stuff that's going on in his life. So it's almost like it's being used very judiciously although I did also find it interesting that the dialogue in the cyberpunk scenes are in Japanese, whereas the dialogue in the rest of the film is is in Cantonese. They Unknown Speaker 41:46 think actually all create the main women are speaking a different language, if I remember correctly, he's always speaking. I think in Mandarin, but the women I think are speaking different languages. Andy 42:02 I need to go but I have to drop this pun before before I leave, because I know that this movie isn't considered one on one car wise best. So is it his cyber funk? No, no. That's a good pod. Unknown Speaker 42:19 Yeah, so Mr. Chow speaks Cantonese, veiling speaks Mandarin and talk speaks Japanese, even when they're talking to each other. Tessa 42:26 Yeah, I just found that so interesting. Because it's not that he has really shied away from using other languages before. I mean, we definitely see the use of English in some of his films. But this one seemed to really embrace like multi lingual filmmaking. And it did it in a way that didn't really feel awkward. Like there's even a scene in as tears go by where somebody it's played as a joke where somebody says something in English and he's like, you know, I don't speak English very well. But this, like, it actually took me a minute to realize that they were talking in different languages. And I only knew it because of the sound like I was like, Oh, yeah, that's not. That's Japanese. And so I thought that that was really interesting. Unknown Speaker 43:09 I mean, we're not talking about as an in depth, kind of somewhere and happy together, where they're speaking Spanish speaking, Mandarin, and then speaking in some English tude, and they just don't wait for it. They just kind of go in between the languages very fluidly. Sam 43:28 I'm really glad that Andy left, because I'm gonna say something. Every time I think about 2046 it takes me about 30 seconds to remember we're not talking about Ang Lee's movie lust caution. It's just I wish I guess that tells you I think that one's a better movie. And I'm going to watch it to God. He's still here. Anyway. I just you know, so the thing. I think that's wrong with 2046. I actually thought about it and I realized what the problem is. You remember how Chungking Express and fallen angels were supposed to be one movie, but then he split it up and added the other part to fallen angels. That's what 2046 is. It's actually what if he took three stories and slammed them together in a two hour plus movie? It doesn't work, at least not this version of it. So I think that's part of the problem because I look at the look at the the plots. I like that part. I like that part, too. I like that part, too. Why didn't I like this movie? Last caution, I think is longer. I liked it better. But you know, I just think it's not constructed correctly. Maybe he was onto something with splitting up Chungking Express and fallen angels. Tessa 44:45 Oh, no. Well, I mean, I think one of the big criticisms that some people have of Wong Kar Wai is that he kind of refuses to accept the three act structure like the the traditional plot narrative and I think that this movie, it feels more episodic than it does like a traditional plot. And you kind of have to just relax into it. But yeah, I don't think it's as perfect of a film as In the Mood for Love is, but it is still very, it's still like highly enjoyable, especially if you're just kind of there for the vibe, right? Everybody's smoking too much and listening to music and like how beautiful Hong Kong is, like, there's a lot here and if you like the cyberpunk aspects to Unknown Speaker 45:30 totally agree, and I also just found his, it was interesting to see his relationships evolve with each of the romantic interests to from where they start. And Firstly, where they end, and they kind of his relationships will feature them kind of ends a little differently from each other. So that was kind of nice to see. Both he changed and the relationships change. Tessa 45:58 I also think, too, that I don't know how I would have felt about this movie if I hadn't seen in the mood for love first, because I think you do bring a lot of investment to the character of child no one in this movie, knowing what happened to him. And I think it reads almost more like a, like the aftermath of trauma, right? Like the aftermath of something terrible happened to him and he can't love again, he can't trust anyone. He can't have that, you know, relationship the way that he had with her and it's just, I don't know, that's the other thing about this movie is that like, I can't go back and and watch In the Mood for Love and then watch this movie. And so I do wonder. I mean, you almost do have to watch them together. Sam 46:42 I mean, it's it's hard when you've been alive for 1000 years. Tessa 46:46 Oh, gosh. All right. Okay, so let's do some rankings. So jack, have you seen all of one car wise films, as at this point? I Unknown Speaker 47:00 have. I've seen all of them including many at least half of them twice. Tessa 47:05 Whoo. Okay, so this should be a good ranking. Let's hear your your Wong Kar Wai ranking. Unknown Speaker 47:12 I'll start I'll go from 10 to one. So 10 is my blueberry nights the English speaking movie with Norah Jones. I should number nine of ashes of time Redux, which is his attempt. I love big epic. Number eight, I have fallen angels, which is his second template, a gangster type movie which as Sam mentioned before, was supposed to be part of Chungking Express and got separated. Number seven is days of being wild. Which includes a small preview for in the mood for wife if you catch it, most of these movies so fallen angels days of being wild as tears go by are all four stars for me out of five. Number six, as tears go by, I really liked it but it's just hard when the top five are as good as great as they are. Number five, I've 2046 I thought it was very visually interesting. And kind of a is attempt by sci fi while keeping also romance. Number four happy together is queer movie about a toxic relationship and also a movie that takes place in South America, which was his first movie outside of Hong Kong. Number three at the Grandmaster specifically the Chinese version is the story of the guy who the man who taught Bruce Lee martial arts and it is awesome. Number two is Chungking Express, which is my personal favorite of his movies. I just think that in the mood for what is his best movie, but I Chungking Express is one of my favorite movies of all time, kept talking about it enough. And as I mentioned before, number one in the mood for love. Tessa 49:09 Chungking Express is so good. I love that movie. That's a good ranking. Sam, do you agree with his ranking? Do you rank one car why films a little differently? Sam 49:19 I think you know that I do. And I don't think I've changed from when we talked about this last time. I as tears go buys my favorite In the Mood for Love underneath that Chungking Express after that, I think fallen angels and then 2046 and I'm not really certain my blueberry nights is at the end of the ones I've seen. It's just I haven't seen it in a really long time. I don't feel badly about that movie at all. So yeah, that's it. Unknown Speaker 49:49 I mean, I gave it three and a half stars just everything else. After the time three half stars. Everything else is just foreign stars, four stars and above so it's Tessa 49:58 hard when all of your movies are good. Like how do you terrible? Yeah, how do you? I mean, like all of these movies, dear listeners, you should watch like I am planning on watching the rest of them. All right, I think mine is a little bit closer to Jax I have so I've only seen five of his films, fallen angels is at the bottom for me over that is 2046 and then as tears go by Chungking Express and then at the very top is in the mood for love, although like jack, I actually think that I liked Chungking express more that I liked In the Mood for Love but I think as a film In the Mood for Love is one of those few perfect films like there's nothing about it I would change so it's it's hard to it's hard to really compare those two All right, tune in next week Sam reviews High School Musical the musical the series All right, where can you find us online jack? Where can people find you online and Do you have anything you would like to plug I Unknown Speaker 51:03 have nothing to plug i just i buy great guests on podcast I don't or host any I can be found that on twitter at jack tweets life. And then at letterbox at jack Webb cinema Tessa 51:19 Are you a jack of many podcasts But Master of None. Why would you do that? One might say that I couldn't I couldn't help but I'm sorry. That's that's that's on me. That's on me leaves for five Sam 51:30 minutes. You just make all the jokes yourself. Tessa 51:35 Say where can people find you online? Sam 51:38 asleep on twitter at Sam underscore Morris nine. Tessa 51:43 Wait, so are you asleep on Twitter? Like are there videos of you asleep on Twitter? Sam 51:50 No. Tessa 51:51 Okay. You can find me on Twitter and letterbox at suela TESSA suelos spelled SW e HLA. Send us your thoughts about the monkeys we talked about today? What pop culture you've clot. What pop culture you've crossed off your list lately. That is a tongue twister what you'd like for us to talk about on future episodes or anything else that comes to mind. Find us on Twitter and Instagram at monkey backlog. Email us at monkey off my backlog@gmail.com our theme song is hot shot by Scott Holmes and can be found on Scott Holmes music calm please rate review and subscribe on iTunes. Follow us on Spotify, Stitcher, Amazon podcast, Google podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Get that monkey off your back Transcribed by https://otter.ai