Meatballs… Huh.

Intro: 0:00

Take a time machine back to before the world went to hell, around the year 2000.

Chad Bishoff: 0:07

The 80s and 90s were so rad.

Adam Wintz: 0:10

The movies, the music, the TV, the games, that's what I want to talk about.

Intro: 0:14

Like and subscribe on your favorite podcast app and continue the conversation on Facebook and Instagram. And if you're cool enough, join the show on Patreon for exclusive bonus content. And less than 2000 with Adam Wintz, and Chad Bishoff.

Adam Wintz: 0:37

Less than 2000

Chad Bishoff: 0:39

Now part of the hyper X Podcast Network. Hey, man, I know you don't really want to do this episode today. But I mean, I think we should.

Adam Wintz: 0:48

Man. I don't I I don't want to do this episode today. I don't want to do this topic today. I don't really want to do this topic. So that I don't want to do an episode. I just don't really want to do this movie.

Chad Bishoff: 1:00

I mean, you watched it right? I mean, you at least you did do your homework. Like you at least watched it right?

Adam Wintz: 1:05

I did watch it. I did do my research. But it was it was really hard to get through. It was I was in a bad mood when I watched it. And then and then I stopped halfway through. And and I was like, I'm not having fun. I need to give this a good shot. I'm gonna come back and watch the rest of it tomorrow night. And so that's what I did. It took me two sittings to get there an hour and a half movie.

Chad Bishoff: 1:30

Okay, I can kinda see this? Well, you know what, I took some Liberty i this morning after I was getting ready. I was reflecting on the day, which had nothing to do with the show. But then I became inspired and I wrote, We never do this. I actually wrote what I think will be the shownotes for the episode. I must have sensed you weren't going to want to do this. So let me let me just get into this because I think maybe this maybe you'll see things a little differently.

Adam Wintz: 2:00

Okay,

Chad Bishoff: 2:01

so for this episode, Adam and Chad embark into a movie never seen before 79's Meatballs, directed by the late great Ivan Reitman, with Bill Murray starring in his first feature film, the boys debate this National Lampoon style, very PG movie, trying desperately to give some praise were due to the man who brought us some of the most iconic films of the 80s and 90s.

Adam Wintz: 2:32

Those are great show notes. I'm glad. I'm glad you wrote the show notes for the episode. Because

Chad Bishoff: 2:39

cuz that's the most praise we can give.

Adam Wintz: 2:41

Yeah. I would've been like Adam and Chad struggle to get through Ivan's first one. Thank God. He didn't start with Ghostbusters because it wouldn't have turned out as well as id did.

Chad Bishoff: 2:55

Or could have Adam and Chad desperately seeking any redeeming value in this movie that took Adam two viewings and arguably listen, I mean, I the movies not great. And it's not good. Really. Like I'm not I'm not here to say meatballs is like some groundbreaking film. I don't think I don't think anybody could ever say groundbreaking and and meatballs in the same sentence. However, I will say, anytime you watch comedy in a bad mood, you're not really like, it's you're gonna kind of think the movie isn't good. But what's interesting is, I was in a great mood, and I still didn't think it was that good. But I wanted to do the episode because I know, I know. We paid tribute, you know, to Ivan Reitman. You know, I had recently told you the story about how I had met him one time not knowing sadly until years later when I went, Oh my God. But he gave us some of the of our favorite cinema of all time. So I don't think we could go through, you know, life and the show and not not bring it up because, believe it or not, this is the last of Ivan Reitman's Canadian funded films before he went on to do stripes. And then of course, Stripes started his massive, long career. So this is like pre Ivan Reitman. This is this is pre, you know, really getting into America and getting going. But Bill Murray's first role. The movie seems like a massive, massive cliche. Everything in it was like, like a massive cliche. But is it a cliche, because it's now been copied so many damn times? Like the jokes weren't original to me because everything seems like it had been done before. But were they pulling from this movie? Was it more? I almost said the word groundbreaking. I promised I wouldn't do this. Was it ahead of its time and certain things or, and you are always the master at Wikipedia and all that. I was so iffy about this film. I actually looked stuff up. Chad did research on this. And I went to Rotten Tomatoes. And I couldn't believe that even Rotten Tomatoes have really good reviews for this movie. Because I'm thinking No way. Is this not getting trashed?

Adam Wintz: 5:38

Let me just jump right to this scene. There was an extremely creepy and uncomfortable scene with Bill Murray.

Chad Bishoff: 5:48

Can I guess what it is? Can we play this game?

Adam Wintz: 5:51

Yes, please.

Chad Bishoff: 5:52

I made one note. And it was about Bill. And I just simply wrote it wasn't ranchy was family friendly. Except for Bill Murray's sexual assault scene.

Adam Wintz: 6:05

Yeah. Yeah, dude,

Chad Bishoff: 6:07

literally what I wrote. I'm like, I don't know how else to describe it. I was sitting there alone in my family room watching the movie. Very uncomfortable. like it was like beyond the like, friendly. Like, you know, haha type of stuff.

Adam Wintz: 6:24

Yes. She was a Get off me or I will scream and she meant it. And then and then he kept going and then pulled her on top of him and acted like she was sexually assaulting him.

Chad Bishoff: 6:39

Yes. And then there was the other guy who was attacking me and saying like attacking me.

Adam Wintz: 6:44

That was that was that was very uncomfortable.

AD: 6:50

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Adam Wintz: 7:41

And you know me I love to find the the Gene Siskel or Roger Ebert reviews because let's face it, they are the authority of especially at the time, and I mean, if I'm going to quote Roger Ebert on a Beavis and Butthead episode, you know, I'm going to quote one of them Gene Siskel on this movie, and I think, he is, quote is pretty good. It is pleasant as can be, but there's hardly a belly laugh in it. Murray plays a nice guy counselor who befriends a lonely camper. It's all very sweet, but funny? Not particularly. And that's kind of how I feel about it. Like, look, I didn't find a lot of laughs in this. I did not, you know, the PA stuff where he's on the PA every morning. And that's kind of serves as a transitional connective tissue to the whole film. He he did I think it was we talk about waskly wabbit or something like that. He you could see he was developing the character that was going to become the character from from Caddyshack. There were glimmers of Bill Murray. You know, just his classic cockiness, just that air of like, too cool for everything. It was was definitely apparent that that, you know, you saw Venkman and basically everything else he's ever done. You know, you could see him developing his totally his chops. Basically, other than that, I don't see there being a whole lot like memorable or redeeming about this,

Chad Bishoff: 9:21

the only redeeming aside from the very terrible sexual assault scene. I remember I I did belly laugh out loud once. Hmm. And it was at the very towards the very beginning, when they're getting everybody on the bus, and they're doing the whole typical thing where they're introducing all the different characters by the bus and all that and the news reporters there. And he starts interviewing Bill Murray and Bill Murray kind of like takes over and starts doing his Bill thing, you know, And it starts out as like very typical, like, so what sets you guys apart? You know, and he's just kind of like, well, you know, we have All these games do this. And then he starts like, saying just the most awful stuff in the world. Like, I can't even remember the bit. But it was like, you know, and then on Tuesday, we're going to be doing our, you know, or hookers and blow routine, and then we're going to be doing this and then we're gonna have the Save a whatever I mean, literally, like all of this really funny stuff. And I remember I just laughed out loud. And I'm pretty certain he was probably improving that, like, so I think the funniest thing in the movie was him probably improving that interview. And they're like, We got to put this in here. I have no, no, I mean, can't quote that. But that's what it seems like but it was just him going on and on and on. And I chuckled out loud. That was the only time I laughed out loud.

Adam Wintz: 10:46

Yeah, the part that I didn't laugh out loud, but the part I thought was the part that I thought was funny was when he was running with Rudy his his little protege, I think was the first time they went and running. And, and and tripper is that's Bill Murray's character name Tripper is just gassed. And he is like huffing wind, and he's cramping up. And, and Rudy is like, running right along with him and not even fazed. And Bill Murray is telling him tripper's telling Rudy, like, yeah, you gotta run however many miles a day to stay in, you know, peak physical shape and all this stuff. You know, in here, he is completely gassed. And he's telling this kid like, what he needs to do to be in shape. And I was like, okay.

Chad Bishoff: 11:36

yeah, that was pretty funny, too.

Adam Wintz: 11:38

I didn't laugh, but I didn't hate my life at that moment.

Chad Bishoff: 11:42

For that one, two minutes... I think the smart point that you said, on this whole thing is thank God. Ivan Reitman did this movie before Ghostbusters. That's got to be like, like, thee smart point of the episode because you are correct, because Bill Murray got to work out his kinks. Thank God, they got that stuff out. Because then he goes on to do Ghostbusters, you know, as a director, and he directs twins. And in other movies, I mean, Jr. and it was not that great. Stripes, six days and seven nights. I mean, they and then he produces all these other movies in here. Like this stuff. This is the stuff that made me want to become a director. This is the stuff like Ghostbusters are like, wow, you can have action in comedy. And it's funny, and it's for adults. And it's for kids. And we're still we like it then and we're still laughing at it today. You know, so like, the impact that he had was incredible. But thank God, he got his feet wet with Bill Murray on meatballs. That is the Adams smart point of the episode.

Adam Wintz: 13:06

He had to go through this process to get to stripes to get to Ghostbusters. And and it's a it's interesting how tied in Ivan and Bill are I mean, Bill was in his first three movies. And they were hugely successful. And he had to have Bill Murray. And it actually turns out that Bill Murray helped Ivan become a good director during this film. Like, apparently, Ivan was being a hard ass and yelling at people and going off on people. And Bill took him aside and said, dude, you'll get a better movie. If you're nicer to people, if you go with the flow. If you were having a for making a fun little movie, I could see being a director on a shoestring budget, and his first film, being really uptight and worried about things being overly controlling. And that bill Bill helped him relax and become the director that and then he worked with him on his very next film stripes. And then one of the best comedies of all time, just four years later, five years later, so so and that's directly attributable to Bill Murray. And Ivan and growing together as artists, and that's awesome. So that alone is enough reason to cover this movie.

Chad Bishoff: 14:37

Exactly. Exactly. And that's and that's why I wanted to push you to follow through on doing this epsiode.

Adam Wintz: 14:47

I was gonna be like, Dude, we got to just do a Patreon only episode on this because I don't really have anything positive to say I don't want to do this big negative episode.

Chad Bishoff: 14:54

And now you ended up saying way more positive things than I have.

Adam Wintz: 14:57

after Ivan passed away and all This stuff. Let me let me talk some talk some crap about Bill Murray. As I'm about to do as as kind of my brand.

Chad Bishoff: 15:09

This is an Adam Adam point go.

Adam Wintz: 15:12

So he I love the guy. He didn't just like Ghostbusters, just like I guess this is his MO they didn't know a Bill Murray was gonna show up. He didn't show up till day three of shooting. Day one started. They hadn't heard from him. They had no commitment. Day two shooting started. They got a call from his lawyer. They said, Yeah, he likes it. He's in day three, he finally shows up. And I think it was the scene that you were talking about earlier, where he's doing the interview. He, they they literally shot that in the clothes that he just happened to be wearing like, and they have no backup plan. Ivan Reitman was like, this is our guy. This is our star. If we don't have him, this movie does not work. They started shooting before they had a firm commitment. And before he even showed up, and they almost had to stop production without a backup plan,

Chad Bishoff: 16:11

which is exactly what happened in Lost in Translation. I think he got there the day before or something like that. But the same thing happened. in Lost in translation

Adam Wintz: 16:19

same thing happened with Ghostbusters.

Chad Bishoff: 16:21

Yeah, I just that that is just his thing.

Adam Wintz: 16:24

The big thing that came out of this movie, I think the thing that's most like, I don't know, but that I've noticed that people remember about it is the big speech that he gives at the end, Bill Murray gives it the end. When he's trying to inspire his team. They're doing the Olympiad versus camp Mohawk. And they've lost 12 years in a row or whatever, the rich kid camp. And but then he did this whole thing about it just doesn't matter. It just doesn't matter. And then people started chanting. And apparently that was all improv, like, that was not in the script. And Ivan just wanted him to go and he told the extras in the cast to just go go along with it. And that, that it just doesn't matter as sort of a counter, you know, anti establishment sort of reverse inspirational speech. I mean, I didn't laugh, but it works narratively speaking,

Chad Bishoff: 17:28

it does. It does. And that that part is cool. And it kind of ties the whole room together.

Adam Wintz: 17:34

It sure does. I wanted to say I was gonna say maybe the title for this episode should be called comedy has come a long way since meatballs.

Chad Bishoff: 17:43

Interesting.

Adam Wintz: 17:45

Because it has, on the other hand, I see the value of this. I see the inspiration for a lot of things. I see how this is early, Bill Murray early, Ivan Reitman, this is all coming together, it led to some of the best stuff ever. So I'm glad that happened. I'm glad that we as fans of cinema get to go and enjoy the early works, just like people can enjoy our early work, and see how we improve over the years and stuff like that. I know we're being hard on this film. But it's not without merit. I have a hard time recommending that people watch it necessarily. But I will say from doing research, and I know your research revealed this too... a lot of people have a strong connection to this film. There are serious fans about this of this movie, that really have a soft spot in their heart for this movie, and they really like it and defend it and not in a defensive way. But they just say it's a good movie, it spoke to me. It came out in a time of my life that it made sense. I think it's funny. I think it's good. And so this is kind of one of those things like st Elmos Fire where we weren't part of that generation, we miss that boat. It's a generational type film. It we didn't experience it firsthand. So we don't have the connection the way we would with Ghostbusters, or Return of the Jedi or something like that.

Chad Bishoff: 19:16

Exactly, exactly.

Adam Wintz: 19:18

But I respect people who really feel strongly about something like this.

Chad Bishoff: 19:23

I do too. I mean, and that's the thing about art and cinema or music or anything is not everything is going to appeal to everybody at all times. Especially with comedy, because comedy is highly suggestive, ur subjective. And not only is it subjective, but it also depends on your mood. You know, it's like, it's the same reason why it's like maybe we should want some of these comedies together. Rather than separate we probably enjoy them more. Because when we when we reflected... and here's the craziest Reality, because my my alternate on the title was just simply meatballs, huh. But we have laughed more talking about the movie, then I know for a fact, we both did while watching it, we found more to laugh at talking about specific scenes from the movies from the movie than what we actually did while we were watching it. So I find that interesting, I understand why people would back it up. But I think it's again going to be somebody who was seeing something unique for the very first time. That was not us in this viewing. And and we would never be able to have that organic natural love of this movie.

Adam Wintz: 20:49

It does remind me it does bring out some of the memories of when we went to summer camp... specifically, outdoor Ed is what I'm thinking more than our summer camps when I was just boys. But when we were in sixth grade, we went to outdoor Ed, overnight with girls and other cabins and it was very much dislike talking about girls trying to see what they're doing get up to no good. But I It did take me to an extent back to that. There has been so many of these types of movies. And I guess my challenge to you would be, too I think we should do at some point we should do Ernest goes to camp, because I want to compare Ernest goes to camp to this one.

Chad Bishoff: 21:40

Well, Ernest was way more our generation. Yes, that was that was the kind of stupid crap we were looking at watching so I'm so I say stupid crap, but I love earnest. Ivan Reitman, though I didn't know him personally, has affected not just not just my my desire to be in film, but just affected us through so many movies, and even throughout the 2000s being a producer on just some of the most iconic movies. And you don't, until somebody's gone. You don't really go back and think too much about what they meant to you. And especially somebody that you haven't, you know, sat down and had extensive conversations with like I do with you on the show. But when you stop and you think about you're like, wow, he is one of the very few director producers, that that has inspired me for decades. And I just think that's really cool. And and, but it wasn't without him finding his way. You know, him making his early early films him making mistakes and learning from it, him growing in the craft. And and I think that is a statement to somebody who listened to Bill Murray, when he pulled him aside was like, Hey, man, if you're nicer, you might have a lot more fun and get more of the stuff you're looking for. In this film. You know, we've we've all had moments that are learning moments in our careers and being in film. I've I've had, you know, countless moments where you learn something. And, and that's really cool. That's really cool. And I guess I couldn't It was important to me that we did this movie since it was according to Wikipedia, only his first movie as a director, you know, so

Adam Wintz: 23:40

and and that we'd never seen it and that it was it's I feel like we paid good good tribute to to him too. Even though we don't love the movie that I think we gave it its due, we definitely give it a fair shake. And we had way deeper conversation than most people would about a movie called meatballs. So there's, there's another I do want to give a shout out to a YouTuber, or a YouTube channel called good bad flicks. Check it out. It's a short film. It's a short take, I think about five minutes on it called good bad flicks on meatballs. And he's one of the guys that had a connection with this film. And he articulates it very well and helped me appreciate people who appreciate this film. So I'll just give a good a good shout out to good bad flicks and, you know, good bad podcasts.