#103 - "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" (1988) with Bethany Wells, Chris Adams, and Chad Sheppard

Attendees: Bethany Wells, Chad Sheppard, Chris Adams, Timothy Williams

This transcript of the full unedited recording was computer generated and might contain errors.

Timothy Williams: This 80s comedy classic is one remake that actually surpassed the original the plot is simple two con men with differing styles of grifting make a bet to see who can out Swindle a wealthy Eris on the Glamorous French Riviera from slapstick Antics to razor sharp with Steve Martin and Michael Caine deliver a master class in comedy as they pull off one hilarious scheme after another trying to outsmart and outcome one another so slick back your hair dust up on your accents, and don't forget to put the corks on the forks as Bethany Wells Chris Adams Chad Sheppard and I discuss Dirty Rotten Scoundrels from 1988 on this episode of the 80s flick flashback podcast.

Timothy Williams: Welcome in everybody. So glad to have you on this episode of the 80s flick flashback podcast. I know I say it every time but I mean at this time we've got a good one tonight. This is gonna be a fun episode not only because it's a great movie in one of my all-time favorites, but because of the Rogues gallery of hosts we have tonight who are not Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, but they still decided to come on here. so first up, love She is the wife of Laramie Wells, but she also is her own person, and we appreciate that. It's Bethany Wells.

Bethany Wells: Fellows last year I made about three million dollars, but this podcast was the most fun I've ever had.

Timothy Williams: I love it. And then from retro life for you podcast Mr. Chris Adams. How you doing, Chris?

Chris Adams: Doing great couldn't wait to get to this. I watched the movie again earlier refresh my memory, he's been a while and it's still as funny as ever and I didn't do this before I left but I have to go to the restroom.

Bethany Wells: I almost did that one.

Timothy Williams: Of course. But yeah the pause and…

Bethany Wells: But again the site gag part of it.

Chris Adams: Thank you.

Chad Sheppard: All right.

Timothy Williams: the facial expression is great. And then last but definitely not least Mr. Chad Sheppard, how you …

Chad Sheppard: Oklahoma, Oklahoma

Timothy Williams: my goodness. Yeah, I you.

Chad Sheppard: Shout out to my father-in-law that's his favorite part of the movie.

Timothy Williams: That is so I had a friend of mine that would just scream that all the time after he watches, Oklahoma. …

Bethany Wells: I'll do that.

Timothy Williams: he's gonna love the Wide Open Spaces.

Bethany Wells: I think I do that whenever someone mentions Oklahoma, which thankfully is not very often. I'll just and sometimes I forget that that's the movie it came from until I was watching this. I was like, yeah, it's Steve,…

Timothy Williams: Yeah, that's right,…

Bethany Wells: Martin good, Oklahoma.

Timothy Williams: let's jump in and ask our questions. So when did you guys see Dirty Rotten Scoundrels for the first time? I will start with Chad since it was the last one to be introduced.

Chad Sheppard: I saw this in my 20s, but I remember going to the bathroom joke. when I was very young my parents love that they loved the movie and…

Timothy Williams: Yeah.

Chad Sheppard: They did that joke a lot for some reason. I don't know but I was in my 20s when I saw it. Yeah.

Timothy Williams: Yeah, that thing I think was Heavy in the commercials and we'll get into trailers because there was no real trailer for this one.

Chad Sheppard: Yeah.

Timothy Williams: That's either trailer, but we'll get to that a little bit later. but I do remember they are very abbreviated portion of that scene. They used heavily all at the TV ads or when it was on cable like I showed that one a lot so

Chad Sheppard: Yeah, that's not my big memory of the movie before I even saw it. So yeah, definitely.

Timothy Williams: So how did you see the first time Chris was this a theater watch or VHS?

Chris Adams: It was not theater. It was probably VHS. Yeah, I had a friend of mine.

Timothy Williams: Yeah.

Chris Adams: It was really big into it. He said have you seen Dirty Rotten Scoundrels? I'm like, no. I've not seen it Jailer what you were gonna watch it this weekend. You've got to see this. This is hilarious. And I was little iffy on it first because when I was younger, I wasn't really big into Steve Martin. But as he kind of grew me over the years you could say.

Timothy Williams: Okay.

Timothy Williams: Yeah.

Chris Adams: The biggest thing in Uber Steve Martin when I was younger was the King Tut song he did from Saturday Night Live.

Chad Sheppard: Yeah.

Timothy Williams: That was out alive.

Timothy Williams: Yeah Classic. How about you Bethany? When did you see it for the first time?

Chris Adams: Yeah, that was.

Bethany Wells: So the movie came out the year I was born but my Dad loved Steve Martin and…

Timothy Williams: Of course.

Bethany Wells: so I was kind of raised on Steve Martin. So I was like the opposite of Chris he was like I was Die Hard fan. And so we had this movie on VHS. I was two young to understand a lot of the jokes, but I remembered loving it.

Timothy Williams: Yeah, yeah.

00:05:00

Bethany Wells: I love him peeing on himself hilarious so good. And just all the other gags throughout it again Steve Martin. A+ and in my book

Timothy Williams: Very cool. Yeah, I think I saw this one that in the theater, but it wasn't like when out. I think I was in Maryland when this came out. So I was living on base and they had I've talked about another episodes where they had the theater on base that would show Second Run movies kind of like a dollar theater. It was only two or three dollars to see it. They only had it for a weekend and I remember going and seeing and loving it and I was kind of already a Steve Martin fan probably from some of the Saturday Night Live stuff. My dad was a big Steve Martin fan. So I hadn't seen the jerk or some of his rated, comedies from the 80s. I hadn't seen any of those but I had seen Little Shop of Horrors that he was in and there's probably one or two other ones that I've remember. I just remember his face and knowing him but I know when it came on video and on cable I've watched it over and over and over and over again. I mean, I'm you a lot of this movie pretty much by heart.

Timothy Williams: Even rewatching it. So how long has it been since you rewatched it for the podcast? I'll start with Bethany this time. We'll go the other way.

Bethany Wells: and I was talking about this before we started recording but when the hustle came out, we watched that and…

Timothy Williams: Right, right.

Bethany Wells: then it was enough similar for me to go I think I want to go back and watch the original and I looked in the hustle came back and came out in 2019. And so it's probably been about five years now.

Timothy Williams: Okay, okay. What about you Chris?

Chris Adams: I was earlier today. And we watched early. I always try to watch the day over the day before when I do podcast…

Timothy Williams: Right, but before rewatching it…

Chris Adams: if again.

Timothy Williams: how long it had been since you watched it.

Chris Adams: Gosh back when I was teenager. For…

Timothy Williams: Okay, so it's been a long time for you.

Chris Adams: Yeah. I was probably a freshman or sophomore in high school. That was around,…

Timothy Williams: Okay.

Chris Adams: after it had VHS so he come out and wait an 88. I think he came out.

Timothy Williams: Yeah 88 Yeah Christmas of 88.

Chris Adams: so I was a freshman in probably 89 or 90. I watched it the first time. And then you just here recently again.

Timothy Williams: Okay.

Chris Adams: I hadn't watched a lot over the years though.

Timothy Williams: Wow.

Chris Adams: other Steve Martin films I've gotten into I'm pretty easily…

Timothy Williams: Mm-hmm

Chris Adams: although Three Amigos and stuff

Timothy Williams: yeah, three me goes. That's probably the one that I probably remembered him the most from before this one. Yeah.

Chris Adams: Yeah in a sergeant Bilco and things of that nature. But yeah, I hadn't watched it in quite a while. I couldn't believe we were watching today. It's been so long since I've seen that laugh so hard.

Timothy Williams: How about you Chad how long it had been since you rewatched it for the podcast?

Chad Sheppard: It's about the same. I kind of watch it the one time and I don't know…

Timothy Williams: Wow.

Chad Sheppard: why I love Martin and it's a good movie. I watch it yesterday and I watch it today. And I was like why haven't I watched this more this good movie.

Timothy Williams: Yeah, this one of those me and my dad would watch this is one of our movies that we love to watch together because my dad was such a big Steve Martin fan and Michael Caine is great and it's a PG movie there, it's not too many those around anymore. And I mean, even though I had some adult themes it's fairly clean. So leaving us like Bethany said as a kid, there's a lot of stuff that went over my head, but there's enough in it that it would keep me entertained as a kid. Of course. My dad's laughing at it from other reasons and I am but we'll get into favorite scenes and I'll probably the scenes that are my favorite because those things I related to the most when I was younger, but All cool for me how long it had been what I've seen it since I've watched it, as a kid, but it's probably been I think the last time I watched it was actually with my dad. I think it was at their house and it was either coming on cable or

Timothy Williams: I think he had the VHS out and he said a vcr and I was like, what I don't care if it's because it's a VHS. We're gonna watch it around because I hadn't seen in a long time and we rewatched it on VHS and this was probably Within the last 15 years to know Hannah have been born by that point. So it's probably 10 or 10 or 12 years ago when we watched it on VHS, so watching it again this weekend and I bought the Blu-ray a couple of months ago and I still in Bethany before so I was like I've been wanting to watch it since I got as I know I'm gonna wait and so right before the podcast but now I'm like, I wish I would just watched it five or six times since then to enjoy it even more but it's been fun. All right. let's jump into story origin and pre-production. I know some of you may have already jumped into some of this and if you want to add anything, please feel free. I tried to keep it brief. There wasn't a whole lot there, but

Timothy Williams: We'll get to it. So the movie was originally intended to feature Mick Jagger and David Bowie who had previously collaborated on the dancing in the street video in 1985. Bethany's face lets me know that she did not know that fact before we started.

00:10:00

Chris Adams: he

Bethany Wells: I'm just wanting a picture that now. which one was Michael Cain and…

Timothy Williams: yeah, yeah I'm assuming Bowie was going to be the Englishman and…

Bethany Wells: which one was Steve Martin?

Timothy Williams: then Mick Jagger they're both British. So I guess that's kind of weird, but I could see Mick Jagger being more of The crass American or the crass character and Bowie. I don't know they could really both.

Bethany Wells: It could.

Timothy Williams: Who knows. Yeah. So the studio bosses were impressed with their work and…

Chad Sheppard: Yeah.

Timothy Williams: approached Dale launner to submit ideas for a movie featuring The Duo longer suggested remake of bedtime story after seeing it on television. So if you don't know what story is bedtime story is the movie that this movie is actually a remake of so bedtime story or also known as his first title King of the mountain which I thought was a much better title than bedtime story. Not that either one of them are great, but not

Bethany Wells: It not that either one of them give you any idea about what the movie is about.

Timothy Williams: No, no.

Chris Adams: right

Timothy Williams: So the 1964 movie is here's the synopsis the crash Freddie Benson played by Marlon o. that Marlon Brando enjoys setting up elaborate ruses to seduce women the Suave Lawrence Jameson played by David Niven likes to pose as a prince to Swindle the wealthy when the two men meet, they perceived the other as a threat and upon the arrival of vacationing soap areas. Janet Walker played by Shirley Jones the two sweet talking Scoundrels compete to trick her out of both her clothes and her Fortune.

Timothy Williams: So 1964 and in the 64 version it was more about betting her than the money they added the money portion. I think more for this version. interesting enough So eventually Boeing Jagger dropped out because they wanted to do a movie with Martin Scorsese because they were looking for quote unquote a more serious project though. I think Bowie later regretted it and said that when they actually saw the script or when they saw the movie it was a much better script and thought it was gonna be interesting enough, Eddie Murphy's production company also asked monitor rewrite the script if they could get the rights to the movie from Universal because Eddie Murphy had seen a bedtime story on the recommendation from his uncle go figure

Timothy Williams: So longer tried to sell the film to Paramount Pictures with Eddie Murphy attached but John Cleese was also approached for a role but declined Richard Dreyfuss was sent the script but misunderstood his role and prepared for a different character Steve Martin read his part instead and impressed the director Frank Oz who offered in the role? Michael Caine was eventually chosen for the other role when Cain asked why they were remaking a commercial flop the director. Oz explained there was no point in remaking and successful movie with they could to bring that back today.

Chad Sheppard: Do that now? Yeah. seriously

Timothy Williams: Yeah, Frank Oz then tempted Cain with the offer of a villa and the south of France for the three-month period of the shoot which was conveniently situated between the Villas of two of his old friends, sir, Roderick Moore 007 himself and composer Leslie brucusei.

Timothy Williams: Michael Caine paid homage to David Niven by sporting A Thin Mustache slickback hair and double-breasted blue blazer. He was a big fan of David Niven. So that was his way of homage him from the original so That's how this movie was made. But yes, Eddie Murphy had wanted to do it and then it didn't pan out for him Bowie and Jagger and I think that's probably best.

Bethany Wells: I'd be interested if we would be talking about it on a podcast if it had been Bowie and Jagger.

Timothy Williams: Yeah, I don't think it would have been the same movie or even as successful maybe for other reasons. It might have made a money best on their namesake but not be as memorable as this one is

Bethany Wells: I'll tell you what. My dad would not have had it on VHS.

Chris Adams: I don't know if I would have watched it when either I mean I saw the dancing Street video.

Timothy Williams: Yeah. Right. No.

Chris Adams: It was nothing good.

Chad Sheppard: have

Chris Adams: I mean it was pretty much three or four minutes of them dancing around making kissy faces and everything and…

Timothy Williams: Mm- You mean being Mick Jagger and…

Chris Adams: that's about all it was.

Timothy Williams: David Bowie?

Chris Adams: exactly being themselves, so

Chad Sheppard: Have you seen the video of that video, but without the music. It's even more kissy face than you actually think yeah.

Chris Adams: No.

Timothy Williams: No.

Timothy Williams: So watching it on mute is not making better.

Chad Sheppard: It's pretty you YouTube that later. Yeah, …

Timothy Williams: There's our homework for next month.

Chris Adams: Yeah.

Chad Sheppard: it's interesting.

Timothy Williams: Or anything else you guys want to add to production any research you guys did? And if you didn't it's okay.

Chris Adams: No research, but you said they attempted him with the Villa to take the role.

Timothy Williams: Yeah, yeah. yeah. Yeah.

Chris Adams: Which is hilarious because he said the only thing Jaws 4 got for him was a new house. and he claimed nothing else from it,…

00:15:00

Timothy Williams: Right. Yeah.

Chris Adams: but that

Timothy Williams: Yeah, I think he was somewhat selective back then but I think it was more about vacations. let's be honest. It's not bad Adams Sandler has made a career of going to expensive locales. I think he goes to this is my family wants to go on vacation to Africa.

Bethany Wells: it's like

Timothy Williams: Do you have a movie we can set in Africa? have you heard about this movie Blended?

Bethany Wells: No. Adam Sandler goes to his own Production Studio and says I'm going to Africa write a script for my friends.

Timothy Williams: right

Timothy Williams: Right, right. right

Bethany Wells: Bye and…

Bethany Wells: it goes and jumps in a different pair of pajamas.

Timothy Williams: right Or basketball shorts. Yeah. So yeah.

Bethany Wells: Yeah.

Timothy Williams: Yeah, I didn't think that was interesting too the Villa was what kind of Of him on this one and then yeah knowing that. right

Bethany Wells: I would seal the deal for me. It would be like I'll get you a condo in Florida by the beach and…

Timothy Williams: Yeah.

Bethany Wells: I'll be like sign me up.

Timothy Williams: Yeah, there's a behind the scenes feature out on the Blu-ray that I have where Michael Cain was talking about when he was approached about the movie. He was like I want to make it's set in the French Riviera. I want to make sure I'm not gonna be in Istanbul and pretending to be the French River. I was like, I want to make sure it's a real location. And so…

Bethany Wells: It's fair.

Timothy Williams: but yeah, but also fun fact, which I didn't write this down later the beach scene that they have where when Steve Martin's characters trying to throw himself in the water that whole funny scene so they had to actually put sand on the beach…

Bethany Wells: Yeah.

Timothy Williams: because there were all Stone they didn't have sand on the beach. and they said where there was sand for you to have a beach scene. It was too crowded and it's all topless beaches there. So they couldn't do was gonna be a little problematic for them.

Chad Sheppard: 

Timothy Williams: I think so. Yeah.

Chris Adams: But no problem. they could have done that.

Timothy Williams: It wouldn't have been a PG movie but it's hard to have that kind of a scene in the crowded, Beach like a public.

Chris Adams: It could be real quick and they say oops, it can still be PG or…

Chad Sheppard: We'll see.

Chris Adams: something you.

Timothy Williams: All Right Moving On Let's jump into casting. All right, so we talked a little bit about rtin. I'm the only other Steve Martin movie. I think I've covered so far on the podcast is Three Amigos, so I'm sure some of this may be a repeat but it's brief as well. But Martin first came to public notice as a writer for the Smothers Brothers comedy hour for which you won a prime time in the award in 1969 and later as a frequent host on Saturday Night Live. He became one of the most popular us stand-up comedians during the 1970s performing his own brand of Absurdist comedy routines before sold out theaters on National tours. He went on to Star and film roles in such films as the jerk and 79 dead men. Don't wear plaid and 82 a good forgotten. He's flick right there the Man with Two Brains and 83 All of Me and 84 Three Amigos and 86 Planes Trains and Automobiles at 87 LA Story 91 both finger and 99 and Looney Tunes back in Action 2003.

Bethany Wells: It look…

Timothy Williams: Know why that had to be added?

Bethany Wells: if you're gonna mention Looney Tunes, you might as well mention My Blue Heaven, which is one of my favorite Steve Martin movies.

Timothy Williams: Right. Yes, Tim and…

Timothy Williams: Tim and Rick Moranis for sure. Yep.

Bethany Wells: Yes, so good.

Chad Sheppard: A sequel to Goodfellas right sorta. Yeah.

Chris Adams: I was thinking the exact same thing.

Timothy Williams: that Maybe a prequel.

Bethany Wells: prequel Maybe that movie affected the way my dad pronounced the word vegetables for years.

Timothy Williams: Yeah, exactly.

Chad Sheppard: Pretty cool. Yeah.

Timothy Williams: but yeah, I forgot we

Bethany Wells: He still will say its this very Southern Man look a vegetable.

Timothy Williams: right

Chris Adams: Would it be a sequel because it wouldn't he hiding at that point. So it would be like a sequel basically because he's in hiding from what he's done.

Timothy Williams: Goodfellas is sit in the past.

Chris Adams: I think Goodfellows is when that character was doing all his running with all the bad guys and everything and then when I guess he instantly turned evidence on them. They put him into. And the witness protection and…

Chad Sheppard: when its protection Yeah.

Timothy Williams: I have a

Chris Adams: that's the thing. He didn't win this protection don't know how to act. that's who Steve Martin's playing. It was a Ray Liotta's role from Goodfellas, I believe. But that character.

Timothy Williams: I have a confession to Seeing Goodfellas.

Chad Sheppard: I've never seen.

Bethany Wells: same

Chris Adams: I have a confession for you. I had neither…

Chad Sheppard: it's not the 80s.

Chris Adams: till I did it just last year.

Timothy Williams: for your podcast So…

Chris Adams: Exactly. Yes.

Timothy Williams: but yeah, but Steve Martin is great. I forgot a plane strains online bills. I had seen before this came out. So I was a big fan of three Migos and Planes Trains and Automobiles and it's fun fact. I did see dead men. Don't wear plaid in the theater. My mom took me and my sister when I was way too young to see that movie and I did not understand anything that was going on. And then when I watched it back as a teenager, it was hilarious because it's just a send-up of old gangster detect them Noir movies where he splitsing himself into old movies like Humphrey Bogart and stuff. So it's actually pretty funny. But yeah, I did had no idea what was going on and that movie when I saw it and 80. Yeah 82 I would have been under 10 years old. So yeah, I was not Amused but anyway. Moving on Michael Caine Michael Caine is Michael Klein.

00:20:00

Bethany Wells: Michael Klein

Chad Sheppard: my coconut Yep.

Chris Adams: We were all thinking it.

Timothy Williams: Yeah as Lawrence Jameson often playing a cockney cane made his breakthrough in the 1960s with starring roles and British films such as Zulu in 1964 the IP Chris file The Italian Job 1969 and Battle of Britain in 1969 as well during this time. He established a distinctive visual style wearing thick horn Rim glasses combined with sharp suits and electronic vocal delivery. He was recognized as a style icon of the 1960s. He solidified his starting with the roles and Get Carter and 71 the last Valley in 71 the man who would be king in 75. The eagle has landed in 76 and a bridge too far and 77. his other he's been Oscar nominated for Skip us. Sorry no, no.

Timothy Williams: He received two academy awards for best supporting actor for his roles as Eliot and Woody Allen's comedy Hannah and Her Sisters 96 and as Dr. Wilbur Larch and lasts in The Cider House Rules in 1999. His other Oscar nominated films included Alfie and 66 sleuth and 72 educating Rita and 83 and The Quiet American in 2002. He's also known for his performance as Ebenezer screwed in the Muppet Christmas, Carol 92 and…

Bethany Wells: the best Christmas Carol movie

Timothy Williams: Forest. That and for his comedic roles Miss congening.

Chad Sheppard: as debatable

Timothy Williams: Yeah, Miss Congeniality. Let's not fight children Miss Congeniality in 2000 Austin Powers and Goldmember 2002 and Secondhand Lions in 2003. So

Bethany Wells: Makes me cry.

Timothy Williams: He was funny as Austin Powers my father. Was pleasure.

Chad Sheppard: larger

Chris Adams: Plaza That's funny.

Timothy Williams: Azure yeah.

Chad Sheppard: your partner

Chris Adams: My daughter calls me all the time. She'll say father. I have a question for you.

Timothy Williams: So yeah, I think this was one of Michael Caine's First comedy roles if it might have been his first comedy role I think. But he was good but he's a great straight man.

Bethany Wells: very

Timothy Williams: I mean you need that straight man, and the wild cardisted Steve Martin, so it was good to see a good pairing for sure.

Bethany Wells: They had really good chemistry between the two of them it was and…

Timothy Williams: Yes. Yes.

Bethany Wells: it's surprising if you didn't know this movie existed and you thought Steve Martin and Michael Caine together, it's kind of just like I don't see the connection but seeing them together they work so well.

Timothy Williams: Yeah, I agree. All right moving on the list. We got Glenn Headley as Janet Colgate The soap princess or the Soap Queen? What is I forgot so Queen?

Bethany Wells: so clean recognized

Timothy Williams: Yeah. she was cast in several smaller films including Nadine and 87 Making Mr. Right and 87 and paper house in 88 as well as Lonesome Dove for a television which she received her first of two Emmy nominations for best supporting actress, but this was her breakout film performance this led to her being cast in the Blockbuster comic strip movie Dick Tracy in 1990, which she portrayed the girlfriend test True Heart. She went on to appear in the films Mr. Holland's Opus in 1995 with Richard Dreyfuss Mortal Thoughts in 91 with Demi Moore two days in the valley and 96. What's the worst that could happen in 2001?

Timothy Williams: And Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen in 2004 on television. She had a recurring part on ER and Monk and was in the short-lived sitcom Encore Encore with Nathan Lane. Glenn and Bill Paxton played the parents of Emma Watson's character in The Circle in 2017. The film was released in April 2017. Bill Paxton died in February of that year about two months before the films released and Glenn died from complications from pulmonary embolism in June of that year less than two months after so I didn't realize that she had passed away…

Bethany Wells: Wow.

Timothy Williams: until I was doing the research and so I never really liked talking about Actors that pass away on the podcast but sometimes it's just like I feel like she needed to mention. Because she was yeah,…

Chris Adams: I didn't understand.

Timothy Williams: She was a great actress.

Chris Adams: Do you know the other? Steve Martin film. She was a part of

Timothy Williams: It's not on my Note so then no.

Chris Adams: Susan Sergeant Bilko. She played the role of Rita Robbins.

Timothy Williams: Yes. Yes that I did read that I didn't have that down. So, yes, she Sergeant Bilko and that when he was trying I think there's a scene and that one where he's trying to convince her that he can't walk and Sergeant Bilko as well. So not know if that was on homage to this movie or just a happy coincidence, so

00:25:00

Bethany Wells: She was also the mom to Ben Wyatt on Parks and Recreation. shout out Parks and Rec. Yeah.

Timothy Williams: That's That's right. I'm a big parks and…

Chad Sheppard: boom

Timothy Williams: rec fan. So yes. Then why it?

Bethany Wells: Me too.

Chris Adams: I've never seen it before.

Timothy Williams: My God.

Bethany Wells: Highly recommend it power through the first season.

Timothy Williams: highly Yes.

Bethany Wells: You got a power through that first season and…

Chris Adams: I'm sorry.

Timothy Williams: Yeah. Yeah the first season of stuff.

Bethany Wells: then once you hit the second season, it's only six episodes and you need it to know where know a lot but once you hit season 2, they really start hitting their stride. They stop trying to be like the office. This has nothing to do with 80s movies except that Glenn Headley is in it.

Timothy Williams: That's Yeah, if we can get more listeners to watch Parks and Rec that I haven't like Chris then it's all been worth it the podcast has been worth. Yeah.

Bethany Wells: It is so good I quoted daily. I've got a little button on my desk at work. It looks like a stack of waffles and when you push the pat of butter, it gives you a Parks and Rec quote. It's not.

Timothy Williams: I need to find that on Amazon. That's awesome. Yeah, I don't.

Bethany Wells: Ask Laramie. It was a gift he gave me.

Timothy Williams: I will yeah, Chris I didn't watch Parks and Rec when it came on I discovered it much later because of friends of mine told me about how and I wasn't a fan of the office. So I was like, I don't want to watch it and…

Chris Adams: And what office either?

Timothy Williams: same thing they were like if you can get to the first season you'll love it and it's become one of my all-time favorite comedy shows. It's so fun and…

Bethany Wells: It's a comfort show like I will sit and…

Timothy Williams: It is it is. Yeah.

Bethany Wells: watch it over and over. I started watching it when I was in college. It was still on the air and my roommates and I binge watched what was on Netflix and then we would have watched parties on Thursday nights when it came on.

Timothy Williams: very cool All right back to our regularly scheduled program.

Bethany Wells: Sorry.

Timothy Williams: That's good. we'll convert Chris eventually to Parks and Rec so

Bethany Wells: My plan is to convert the world.

Chad Sheppard: Yeah, I first.

Timothy Williams: Yeah.

Chad Sheppard: Yeah, I first remember her in Dick Tracy. like that

Timothy Williams: Yeah, that's probably the bigger role that she's probably known for more so than this one, but I definitely remember her in this. Yeah, and I was a big fan of ER. So I'm sure I saw her on that as well. only so that those are the only other two actors. I'll mention only because of either I recognize them immediately, which I'm sure you'll know who that is and the other one just because I recognized her and I was like, I know she's been other stuff and she's been a bunch of stuff. So the first character playing the butler of Arthur we all was Ian mcdermand. Who gained prominence portraying Emperor Palpatine or darthus in the Star Wars franchise starting with Return of the Jedi 1983? He was also in Gorky Park in Sleepy Hollow in the lost city of Z in 2016. So he's done more than just be Palpatine and the butler in this movie. but yeah as soon as

Chad Sheppard: I was so glad to see him.

Timothy Williams: Yeah Associates like Palpatine properties.

Bethany Wells: He's gonna be the big villain.

Chad Sheppard: when Steve Martin handed them is his stuff and…

Timothy Williams: Right, right.

Chad Sheppard: said hey, can you follow my clothes and stuff about maybe he's gonna lightning Bolton?

Timothy Williams: Right, right, but he is kind of says shut up like he and…

Chad Sheppard: Yeah.

Timothy Williams: insults Steve Martin all the time.

Chris Adams: He tells him about his VCR though.

Timothy Williams: So yeah.

Chris Adams: Send me the model of your VCR and I'll send you a checking account. Shut up.

Timothy Williams: Yeah. Yeah,…

Bethany Wells: shut

Timothy Williams: very good good to see him there. So the only other actress our person in the castle mention is Dana Ivy as Mrs. Reed her first of film appearance was in Joe Dante's 1985 science fiction fantasy film explorers with Ethan Hawke and River Phoenix. Her first major screen appearance was in Steven Spielberg's adaptation of Alice Walker's The Color Purple litter that same year among other film credits our Postcards From The Edge Home Alone 2 lost in New York, which probably where I recognize the most from because I just watched it this past Christmas the adams' family Sleepless Seattle Adams Family Values Legally Blonde to Adventures of Huck Finn Orange County Rush Hour 3, the Leisure Seeker The Importance of Being Earnest and a Sandra Bullock's mother Ms. Kelson and two weeks notice. In 2011. She also played the role of Grace Higginbotham in the critically acclaimed film to help.

Bethany Wells: Amazing. I love her so much. anytime she shows up.

Timothy Williams: Yeah.

Bethany Wells: I'm just like, we know who the bad guy Got it.

Timothy Williams: yeah, which other play the bad guy in this one, but she does typically play those roles so Yes.

Bethany Wells: No. In The Color Purple. She's pretty heinous.

Timothy Williams: Yes. Yeah. All right any.

Bethany Wells: To be fair class the characters in The Color Purple are pretty anus.

Timothy Williams: Yeah, Not too many. Good guys. Anybody else in the cast that I skipped over that you wanted to mention? I don't think there's really that many.

00:30:00

Chris Adams: No, not with me. Amy mcdermotts do that to me enough. I figured you would say him so

Timothy Williams: Yeah couldn't leave that one out. let's jump into iconic scene when someone says Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, what's the first scene that pops in your head Chad?

Chad Sheppard: Please. to the bathroom

Timothy Williams: I had a feeling you're gonna say Chris…

Chad Sheppard: Thank you.

Timothy Williams: how about you saying?

Chris Adams: What scene Pops in my head when they say the first visual I get is Steve Martin with the patch on his eye. And he's holding the fork with the court.

Timothy Williams: Yeah, yeah. Yeah.

Chris Adams: That's not the funny you seem to me, but that's the one that I first comes to mind when someone brings it.

Timothy Williams: Yeah. What about you Bethany?

Bethany Wells: It's the big final scene where you learned the twist is that she was the Jackal the whole time and…

Timothy Williams: Yeah.

Timothy Williams: right

Bethany Wells: has pulled the wool out from under them and just I was watching it and I didn't watch it with the girls. But I got to that scene and Ruby walked into the room and I had to pause it and I was like, okay, let me tell you everything that's lit up to this moment and then let you watch this scene. And even…

Timothy Williams: right

Bethany Wells: though she had not watched any of the movies she watched it and then as soon as she realized that she went. what? It's so good it takes this silly comedy and…

Timothy Williams: Yeah.

Bethany Wells: turns it on the edge it makes it extra clever in a way that at first glance.

Timothy Williams: Yeah, yeah. Yeah and…

Bethany Wells: You don't think it's gonna be

Timothy Williams: true I would think this is one of those first movies you would call with a twist ending quote unquote.

Bethany Wells: Yeah.

Timothy Williams: That wasn't the buzzword back then. For me the iconic scene for me. Is most of the rubric scenes like the Cork and the fork and him running with the pots and pans? Yeah.

Bethany Wells: Oklahoma, Oklahoma

Timothy Williams: and then the poster is emblazing in my mind the two of them standing there with the champagne glasses and just It's like the marketing. They didn't really have to do too much. It's like you got Steve Martin you got Michael Caine a title Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. You want to go see it? I mean just that It was all right there. You didn't need a whole lot of plot to be pulled in but what about favorite scenes? Bethany I'll let you go first this time.

Bethany Wells: Honestly, so one of the scenes that I always find just a hilarious is when Dr. Schiffhausen is trying to pretty much catch Freddy the lie that he can't feel his legs.

Timothy Williams: Yes. Yes.

Bethany Wells: Like beating him senselessly. and…

Timothy Williams: Yes.

Bethany Wells: Steve Martin does such a great job of not showing anything and then at the end, he's like I'm gonna help you.

Timothy Williams: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

Bethany Wells: And he's just got tears. Just I die laughing every time it's so funny.

Chad Sheppard: Yeah.

Timothy Williams: meaning

Bethany Wells: It's where Michael Caine gets to just be a touch silly. He's still got that facade of being the you…

Timothy Williams: Yes, yes.

Bethany Wells: the doctor and…

Timothy Williams: The doctor. Yeah.

Bethany Wells: but he's also like feeding this man's legs senseless with a fire poker something no doctor would ever do even if you don't have any nerve feeling in it. You could still break bones.

Timothy Williams: Right, right.

Bethany Wells: He's still doing it.

Timothy Williams: Yeah. Absolutely. Yeah, I had that one written down as one of my favorite scenes for sure yet.

Bethany Wells: Yeah.

Timothy Williams: I'd rewatch that scene before we recorded because I just wanted to get refreshed some of the scenes and even rewatching it. I was still bust out laugh.

Bethany Wells: so funny

Timothy Williams: Like you said the facial expressions when he hits him that lady runs at him and hits him. And Steve.

Bethany Wells: so ridiculous

Timothy Williams: Yes, Steve Martin holds his temples and doesn't open his mouth and you're like, he's in pain and…

Bethany Wells: Of milk,…

Timothy Williams: then he hits him four times. if my name is it doctor then who's Eisen? Yeah, the third yeah,…

Bethany Wells: has it the third.

Chad Sheppard: the Third

Timothy Williams: that's the third is the last one that really got me. Yeah, that's perfect.

Bethany Wells: It and honestly, I mentioned this before the musical that is a music number is him beating him.

Timothy Williams: My gosh.

Bethany Wells: And so it's really great.

Timothy Williams: My goodness. All right, Chris. What about you? what are your favorite scenes?

Chris Adams: One of my favorite scenes I'm gonna go with one differences. I've already talked about the can I go to the bathroom bid at the dinner table of when Michael Caine is introducing Steve Martin.

Timothy Williams: Yeah.

Chris Adams: From the bedroom and he's misbehaving. And he says what do we do when we have company and he immediately throws on this rubber glove and looks like he's putting some kind of lubricant on it.

Timothy Williams: Yeah.

Chris Adams: He's like no after that. we go apologize.

Chad Sheppard: after

Timothy Williams: Yeah.

Chris Adams: But what's he getting ready to do? No.

00:35:00

Timothy Williams: mmm

Chad Sheppard: it's like

Bethany Wells: We all know…

Chris Adams: but right

Bethany Wells: what he's getting ready to do.

Timothy Williams: so funny you bring up that scene because I was watching something else before we started recording and it was the editor of the movie talking about how sometimes it's very difficult to edit the movie because Steve Martin and Michael Caine ad lived a lot or they created some of those scenes that outrageous scenes they kept adding things to the script and so he's like, you have them just being themselves and it's so funny, but he had to cut away to other people reacting to it and said trying to find how much is too much and how much is not enough. He's so like happy accident who said in that scene. He said when Rupert hugs her and then he kind of takes her in the back behind the curtain or whatever and then he runs out.

Timothy Williams: He said that was actually a longer scene the scene went where he in behind the curtain he kind of does to her the same thing. He was doing to Michael Caine on the bed trying to roll over on or whatever. but when he jumps back out, he said Frank Oz came in the scene is too long. We need to cut something. He's like, what cut the rubber glove and all the women and the editing Bay said keep the glove. Cut out the thing with him trying to do it to the girl the lady and…

Bethany Wells: Yeah.

Timothy Williams: and Frank I was like, okay, it doesn't matter to me. Whichever one you guys think is best and so he was it makes no sense and it's very like offbeat of that for that scene. He said but it was happy accidents where that's the scene all the women were like no keep that take out the other scenes like whether they really like that scene or not. They just didn't want the scene of him trying to mount the woman behind the Curve.

Bethany Wells: I think I mean, it's just you've already seen him do it to Michael Caine and…

Timothy Williams: Yeah, yeah, it's redundant. Yeah.

Bethany Wells: it's funnier that he does it to his brother Michael Caine than it is that he does it to this poor woman who's just trying to marry a prince.

Timothy Williams: Right, right. Alright What about you favorite scenes?

Chad Sheppard: I like the Montage of him like training him.

Timothy Williams: Yes, yes.

Chad Sheppard: And he tried to do the leg crossover. He slid down the pole yeah.

Timothy Williams: And the poor little pole.

Bethany Wells: Yeah.

Timothy Williams: Yeah. Yeah.

Chad Sheppard: That was hilarious.

Timothy Williams: Yeah, that was when I was gonna mention was the whole montage is really funny and I like that When he's trying to put his hand in the pocket, it keeps showing Michael Caine doing it.

Chad Sheppard: Yeah. right

Timothy Williams: So perfectly like sliding that hand in the pocket and then he misses the pocket and…

Bethany Wells: every time

Timothy Williams: then Falls. Yeah the amount of goop or gel that he puts in his hands to Slick his hair back just gross to me out and I was like, what in the 80s that's probably how much I would have put in my hair because I wanted my hair to be slicked back like that was not a good look for

Chad Sheppard: He also as what I was watching with my wife today, and she's like, I remember that hair gel. that's a lot like for…

Timothy Williams: Yeah. Yeah, it was way too much.

Chad Sheppard: for what he had to do with his hair way too much.

Timothy Williams: But yeah, but for me, all of my favorite scenes are the rubric scenes and they're on the other scenes that are great. But those are the ones because as a kid those are the ones that I related to because it was just so goofy enough offbeat and predict Radia the slapstick the physical color.

Bethany Wells: Which is so slapstick.

Timothy Williams: Yeah the physical comedy but going back and rewatch again. I mean, I love the scene on the train when you first meet Freddie and he's doing the con to the lady about getting it's like we know I just want to see my grandma, …

Chad Sheppard: his

Timothy Williams: I'm gonna get our operation I'm saving up and I just have this water and…

Bethany Wells: Yeah.

Timothy Williams: she's like no no. I can't do that. No, no and she's like no, please insist. Y'all have the steak and the guys order on a party planned out.

Chad Sheppard: language triggers But look at three.

Bethany Wells: Two bears. Do you want a bear?

Timothy Williams: Yeah. Yeah three years.

Bethany Wells: You can have three beers.

Timothy Williams: Yeah. Yeah.

Chris Adams: but

Timothy Williams: I just love that introduction of him and then their interaction the setup is great because Michael Caine can see that he's not as good as thinking he's not as good of a con man. It's him and I love it when there's a line which is the same line used in the bedtime story as I found out where Steve Martin says don't you know what it feels like to take 20 bucks from a random stranger. He's it's a little below my class or out of my class, which is such a great line…

Bethany Wells: Yeah. Yeah.

Timothy Williams: because he's not telling him who he is, because who he is. It just makes that scene even better and then To have him set him up with the lady at the stop, thinking he's gonna get rid of him. is great and I love them trying to outwit each other as The Story Goes On every time they think when he thought he had him having the sailors throw him in the back of the truck.

Bethany Wells: Yeah, there were six Sailors in that van.

Timothy Williams: which was Yes.

Bethany Wells: No, there were seven.

Timothy Williams: Right. I'm part of the royal Navy,

Bethany Wells: And then that just hilarious moment afterwards where he's in the hotel room and…

Timothy Williams: yes, yes it is and

Bethany Wells: he's and it looks like he's actually had a good time. He's like, could you hand me that to get the super glue up so good?

Timothy Williams: But yes, typically solve it. Yeah, his hand is super glued to the wall, which is great. Yeah. And it's funny because the two Sailors like the one guy that talks more he seemed familiar, but I couldn't find him when I put up his IMDb. He wasn't somebody that I'd recognized but yeah, that was a fun part. So any other scenes we want to talk about before we jump into trivia.

00:40:00

Timothy Williams: I guess not.

Chris Adams: Yeah.

Timothy Williams: They will think of some others as we're going but I mean so there's a lot of great scenes so there's a lot of physical comedy that you can't even describe…

Bethany Wells: Yeah.

Timothy Williams: because Steve Barton is so fantastic with the facial expressions and the timing it's just great. so

Chad Sheppard: of falling down the

Chris Adams: When the whole movie away right would leave some imagination for the people to go watch the movie probably.

Timothy Williams: If you listen to the podcast you watch the movie yet. You should know better by now. plus that's Bethany's already spoiled the ending for them.

Chris Adams: Good.

Timothy Williams: So it doesn't matter.

Bethany Wells: I have spoiled the ending this movie is 30 had you not finished watching it yet, Chris.

Chris Adams: Yeah, thanks a lot. Thanks all. I was gonna spend this podcast the people that I know…

Timothy Williams: up

Chris Adams: who have not seen it, but now I can't do

Timothy Williams: No, you can't just rather watch the movie first. Yeah.

Bethany Wells: It's 35 years old, so. That's on them.

Chris Adams: Yeah.

Bethany Wells: It's really easy to get.

Chris Adams: Call her phone. Tim says you're not invited back anymore.

Chad Sheppard: him

Timothy Williams: Did not say that.

Chad Sheppard: Yeah, my wife came home while I was watching the ending and she sat down and I was trying to guess what the ending was and she looked at me. She's like have you not seen this movie? I was like, yes I have but I did not remember. The part about her being

Timothy Williams: Yeah.

Chad Sheppard: she was and I thought it was like everybody else.

Timothy Williams: Yeah.

Chad Sheppard: I thought I was Steve Martin who was talking about but

Bethany Wells: They yeah.

Timothy Williams: Yeah it go ahead Bethany.

Timothy Williams: Go ahead.

Bethany Wells: I part of the reason…

Bethany Wells: why I remember the ending is I was obsessed with the musical when it came out in 2006 and it's just such a great story and that ending it's so good. And then I was also telling y'all earlier I'd watched the hustle a few years ago.

Chad Sheppard: gonna watch that

Bethany Wells: It's fine. It's not terrible. It's just not as good and it's fine and It's Anne Hathaway and…

Chris Adams: Who was in the hustle? I don't remember that.

Timothy Williams: and Rebel Wilson

Bethany Wells: Rebel Wilson. and…

Chris Adams: Okay.

Bethany Wells: I did not realize that Glenn Headley had passed before that movie came out. because there's I don't want to spoil that movie because it is only five years old. But there is an illusion to her character and…

Timothy Williams: Okay.

Bethany Wells: I remember the first time we watched it Laramie and I going why isn't she just not in the movie? Why do they have her she's clearly not too busy to be in the movie. We haven't seen her in anything alongside and we looked and laramie's like she's dead. I was like oops.

Timothy Williams: What twist? Yeah. Yeah.

Bethany Wells: Yeah.

Chad Sheppard: Is that something that you briefly mentioned that we hadn't really talked about is the director of this movie.

Bethany Wells: Yeah.

Timothy Williams: Yeah, yeah, I guess I did kind of skip over that part. So yeah Frank Oz of course is legendary.

Chad Sheppard: Yeah, I love frank on. Yeah.

Bethany Wells: made a movie with no puppets

Timothy Williams: That was my first trivia. This is the first movie directed by Frank Oz it is not feature puppets and…

Bethany Wells: Unless you consider Steve Martin just like a human puppet kind of looks.

Timothy Williams: it's the third. A human puppet, that's pretty close. Yeah, but It's the third of five collaborations with Steve Martin the others were both finger and 99 house sitter and 92 Little Shop of Horrors 86 and the Muppet movie in 1979. but yes.

Chad Sheppard: I have a special place in my heart for a little shop. So

Timothy Williams: Yes, yes.

Timothy Williams: But yeah,…

Chad Sheppard: The red dots all over the floor. Sorry.

Timothy Williams: so frankly.

Timothy Williams: So yeah, but Frank Oz was a great director. It hasn't really directed anything recently. He's still alive, I didn't do any research on Frank Oz I feel bad now. You called me out on it.

Bethany Wells: on how pause don't

Chad Sheppard: Alright in 15.

Timothy Williams: Yeah, pause I mean, let me pull up IMDb real quick.

Bethany Wells: He's alive.

Timothy Williams: All right,…

Bethany Wells: We're good.

Chad Sheppard: in 15 or…

Timothy Williams: good I can also.

Chad Sheppard: 17 Forget which one it was. I just did a whole deep dive on him apparently because I was trying to do research. He directed a documentary called Muppet guys talking.

Timothy Williams: Okay.

Chad Sheppard: And it's him David Dave.

Timothy Williams: Okay.

Chad Sheppard: The guy did Gonzo Dave. Bob because last name Jerry Nelson before he died bill

Chad Sheppard: the government Pappy Braun and the lady who does Prairie Dawn Do a little documentary that I'm talking about…

Timothy Williams: Okay.

Chad Sheppard: how it was? About how the Muppets is the only living original Muppet performers. I was trying to find it.

00:45:00

Timothy Williams: Gotcha.

Bethany Wells: You guys I did not realize Frank Oz directed Death at a Funeral the British one. That's amazing.

Timothy Williams: Yes. Yep, was that the British winner? Was that the remake?

Bethany Wells: British one

Timothy Williams: Alright. Alright. Yes, let me do a quick little mini bio of Frank Oz because he is worth mention Of course as a teenager. He worked as a Apprentice Puppeteer at Children's Fairyland amusement park. He is one of the primary puppeteers responsible for the development of Jim Henson Sesame Street and the Muppet Show as well as over 75 other Muppet Productions. George Lucas originally contacted Hinson to play the part of Yoda in Empire Strikes Back, but he recommended Oz for the pardon instead he developed the characters trademark syntax returning to voice and puppet the Jedi Master in Six Return of the Jedi and Star Wars Episode 1 The Phantom Menace Oz voice the computer generated Yoda and episode two and three supporting the transition of the characters rendering to digital

Timothy Williams: Yada, he began a career of behind the camera puppet and live action filmmaking by directing The Dark Crystal 92 with Hinson. He went on to direct them up. It's Take Manhattan 84 Little Shop of Horrors and 86 Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. 88 What About Bob in 1991 the ending of the cupboard and 95 Bowfinger and 99 the score in 2001 The Stepford Wives in 2004 and Death at a Funeral in 2007.

Bethany Wells: I didn't know he directed Indian in the Cupboard. I loved that movie.

Timothy Williams: Yeah. Yeah.

Chad Sheppard: he also did in and out with Kevin Kline.

Timothy Williams: I'm sure there's more than what was listed there but here and…

Chad Sheppard: Yeah.

Timothy Williams: we've covered little shop before we've covered a couple of John Landis movies and they like to pop up on each other's movies. So Frank Oz he's in trading places as a cop. He's in Blues Brothers as a cop. Which are both directed by John Landis?

Chad Sheppard: You ever see what these things this stuff does the children? PCP

Timothy Williams: Right. That's BCP angel dust. and the Muppet Show character fuzzy bear is actually not named after Oz as a widely believed Fozzie Bear is named after Muppet Show Builder fazakis. in case you're wondering Yeah,…

Bethany Wells: That names made up.

Chris Adams: What a name.

Timothy Williams: I think it's Frank Oz the IMDb is wrong. was

Bethany Wells: But that Frank Oz also does the thing that you just said that that guy does that's just his other job.

Chad Sheppard: It Frank hasn't a wig.

Timothy Williams: There you go. waka waka waka

Chris Adams: he

Timothy Williams: Alright moving on. We're seeing the trivia. So according to the DVD commentary when Freddie is in jail trying to remember Lawrence's name the entire scene, which is another favorite scene was improvised by Steve Martin director Oz was crouched out of camera range and tapped Anton Rogers on the foot to interrupt Martin when Oz felt that they had gone far as it could with Improv. This thing was that is a great scene where he's like trying to remember his name. It's so funny.

Bethany Wells: you just

Timothy Williams: Yeah.

Chad Sheppard: James jetterson Lawrence Lawrence and

Bethany Wells: Me it.

Timothy Williams: Yeah.

Bethany Wells: There's justerson.

Timothy Williams: right According to Michael Caine's autobiography the tall straight black-haired girl dancing next to him in the disco scene is his real life daughter Natasha.

Timothy Williams: so I don't have a whole lot of trivia here, but This was interesting in a test screening the scene where Freddy gets up from the wheelchair for Janet didn't get many laughs to the surprise of Frank Oz and the editors Steven A rotter and William S Scharf loner then had an idea he suggested laying in some inspirational music something hugely dramatic thus fake Zara throughstra or Handel's Messiah Holly of course, and they tried it played it and it got a good solid laugh. So I will say that is the most outrageous scene.

Bethany Wells: It's so dumb.

Timothy Williams: Yeah, and It's kind of like is she really that? Dance like that naive that's better word.

Bethany Wells: that naive

Chris Adams: You're not gonna let me down.

Timothy Williams: She's really that naive. Yeah. No,…

Chris Adams: Are you?

Timothy Williams: I'm not gonna let you down.

Bethany Wells: You go. further

Timothy Williams: Yeah. Yeah,…

Chris Adams: he

Timothy Williams: no by the bed. yeah, so

Chad Sheppard: And then she did that was so sad.

Bethany Wells: What I love though,…

Chad Sheppard: Sorry.

Bethany Wells: is that I think was the moment where she was like, okay, I'm done. it's time to end this yeah.

Timothy Williams: Yeah, yes, I've taken them as far as I could take. Yeah. But yeah, we talked about earlier about not knowing about the twist ending at the end. I'm kind of like Bethany because the ending I remember that's one of the reasons why I love the movie so much was that there was this big shocking reveal that it was her the whole time counting them. going back and watching it now. It's been a couple of years. I'm trying to pick apart those parts where you're like, it should be given away at this point. But I love the scene where she comes to Michael Caine crying and he stole all of my stuff and…

00:50:00

Bethany Wells: So good.

Timothy Williams: I don't like and it's like she's doing the college the con is right there. You see it. He's like no, I'm gonna pick cover the fifty thousand dollars and here's a little bit more and then she's on the plane. She's like, I can't take your money helping us all that I need and of course in the bag is Steve Martin's clothes because

Chad Sheppard: his clothes

Bethany Wells: Is close. she didn't say she couldn't take the money when she gave it back to him. She goes I can't take this. It doesn't belong to me and…

Timothy Williams: Yeah.

Bethany Wells: then He didn't lie.

Chris Adams: Right, right.

Chad Sheppard: She wasn't lying. right

Timothy Williams: Which is…

Timothy Williams: right, which is why she was the Jackal which I love that, it's kind of mentioned at the beginning and they don't really reiterate it too much Along the movie I comes up I think Steve Martin is it towards the end, but I do like that's kind of dropped her a lot of they're looking for the Jackal and they automatically assume it's another Not a con woman, which I think was really smart as well that being like the twist that it was her that was conning them the whole time.

Chad Sheppard: Today they would call it a con person. inst

Bethany Wells: I yeah.

Timothy Williams: Not sure. can't human

Bethany Wells: What I love so much about this. Is it I don't care how much Michael Cain makes himself how much Lawrence? Tries to put off this air of superiority of I only steal from corrupt women, but you still lie and…

Timothy Williams: Right, right.

Bethany Wells: definitely steal. a lot of money from anyone And then,…

Timothy Williams: Yes, yes. right

Bethany Wells: Freddy Steve Martin's character. He doesn't care. He will steal.

Timothy Williams: right

Bethany Wells: He will still $10 just as quickly as he will still $10,000. He does not care.

Timothy Williams: Right, right.

Bethany Wells: He has no Scruples. They are both genuinely Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, and It's because they're so Charming that you're kind of along for the ride.

Timothy Williams: right Mm-hmm.

Bethany Wells: That's what makes it so delicious when they're the ones that get. con It's like haha.

Timothy Williams: Mmm, yeah, yeah.

Bethany Wells: You think that because you're these Suave better than everybody else gentleman. That you can snatch money from women do you deem undeserving.

Timothy Williams: Right, which is why I love Steve Martin's reaction at the end. he's saying all these things like how could she's so deceitful like dude you're explaining you're describing yourself and…

Bethany Wells: Yeah. Dude, that's you.

Timothy Williams: it's so well done. It's so well done.

Bethany Wells: It's so like I said,…

Bethany Wells: it's delicious. It's just good.

Timothy Williams: Yes, that's a great.

Timothy Williams: That's a great word great word.

Chris Adams: But then Michael Caine's characters looking at he's loving it. He's enjoying the fact it's like Yeah,…

Timothy Williams: Yeah. yeah.

Bethany Wells: Yeah, as soon as he realizes that he's like yeah, yeah.

Chris Adams: that was good your credit.

Timothy Williams: All Glad you guys brought that up before we move forward. So this was cool. I found this out so lawn or the script writer said that the end of the script So at the end of the original script it turned out that Lawrence Jameson knew all along that Janet was the jackal. He'd fallen in love with her. You think he's fallen in love with her because she's so less. So honest so decent and then she takes him and you feel bad for him. But in the end you find out he did fall in love with her not because of her godlessness, but because she was such a good con artist.

Timothy Williams: I think the director and editor saw that it could work either way so they changed it a little bit. Maybe it's better but it's an editing change. It's not that much different actually, so that's kind of cool because you think he'd be upset but it's great. he loved it that she took advantage of them. So it's really a cool twist because you would think that she's gonna end up with Steve Martin because they seem to be the more the pair that kind of fall in love and…

Bethany Wells: compatible

Timothy Williams: it was like, nope. She really were for Michael Caine because they're both just as Dastardly and he loves that about her that she's dastardly,

Bethany Wells: I like the ending that they went with I think I love that it comes about that.

Timothy Williams: yeah, yeah.

Bethany Wells: She is better than both of them put together and then she goes and tells that group of tourists where she's introducing all of them.

Timothy Williams: Yes, yes.

Bethany Wells: And then she introduces Steve Martin she goes unfortunately. He's mute.

Chad Sheppard: It's mute.

Timothy Williams: He's a mute.

Timothy Williams: Yeah. I love it. Yeah.

Chad Sheppard: Okay, and…

Bethany Wells: just

Chad Sheppard: Michael Caine was a Australian. He automatically thought about it in the automatically win that accent so That's great.

Timothy Williams: Yeah. …

Bethany Wells: It's so good.

Timothy Williams: it was great. He did good with the accents. What's that was pretty good, too. And I think he said he made the suggestion about he wanted to do the Russian accent. that wasn't in the script for the doctor to be Russian. he was like I want to do a Russian accent and Frank I was like, you can't do rest next and he's like let me try it. I'll make it even more funny. Yeah.

Bethany Wells: Look, I'll prove it. I'm Michael Kine I could do all the accents.

Timothy Williams: Yeah, exactly. Michael kind right Is not like Sean Connery that will always sound Scottish no matter what.

Chad Sheppard: Mike cocaine

Bethany Wells: One Call

Bethany Wells: I'm Sean Connery.

Chris Adams: right

Chad Sheppard: I must Spaniard. right

Timothy Williams: right I'm also a Russian submarine captain.

Chad Sheppard: How Russian Captain's talk? No, you're Scottish.

Bethany Wells: Hello. Yeah, they have to explain his characters away. It's just like he was Ice in Scotland, but yes, he's from here.

00:55:00

Chris Adams: I can't do accidents at all saved my life.

Bethany Wells: We promise.

Timothy Williams: Right, right.

Chris Adams: If I try.

Timothy Williams: right

Chris Adams: I still have the guy that works at seven eleven every time. It doesn't matter if it's English accent or a French accent or Australia or whatever. I sound like the guy from The Simpsons who has the 7-Eleven store.

Chad Sheppard: Don't do it. You'll get canceled Ben.

Chris Adams: And yeah. But I'm not trying to make it sound like that. You…

Timothy Williams: Right, right.

Chris Adams: I'm but I mean They become better.

Timothy Williams: It just out comes out.

Chris Adams: 

Chris Adams: It all sounds the same doesn't change.

Timothy Williams: We got All right, so I mentioned the trailer. So if you go online you look for the trailer of this movie, there's only one theatrical trailer and it was actually a teaser trailer that they shot separately for the trip. it was too early for them to create a clips of what they had filmed so they decided it was actually a concept that Steve Martin came up with and so they took a entire day shooting the teaser trailer. The trailer shows Benson and Jamieson walking along the boardwalk politely moving out of the way of other people Etc with a voice saying something like there are numerous distinguished gentlemen in the world refined culture but nice men finish as the last few lines are spoken Benson pushes an old lady into the water and Jamison shoves the kids face into his cotton candy.

Timothy Williams: And that was a teaser trailer. It's 30 seconds long and they said that I read something where different trailer companies had cut three different movie trailers to release and Frank Oz didn't like any of them. So he said no, we'll just do the teaser trailer. That's enough. And It worked. All right. let's jump into box office in critical reception Dirty Rotten Scoundrels open wide in American theaters on December 16th 1988 coming in at the box office that weekend. It could not overcome Twins and its second week in number one and Rain Man making its debut at number two. But it still did well, I made a lot of money. Rotten Tomatoes has it at 89% on the Tomato Meter and an 84 audience score IMDb has its 7.4 out of 10 with viewers and a 68 on doggone. Metacritic is always wrong.

Timothy Williams: So where does it land for you guys 90s 70s. I'll start with Chad.

Chad Sheppard: It's a high 80s. and this is not like kept saying I got Other favorite Steve Martin movies and…

Timothy Williams: Okay. Yep.

Chad Sheppard: Frank Oz movies, but this is pretty high up there. So Not high enough that I hadn't really rewatched it.

Timothy Williams: What about you it's there…

Chad Sheppard: So I guess you could be higher. Yeah, yeah. right

Timothy Williams: because you've rewatched it, but it wasn't there before. Yeah. What about you Chris?

Chris Adams: I guess it depends on how the number scores go here. As far as what grades are what like ABCs and D's or whatever but it's like a low 90s for me…

Timothy Williams: Yeah.

Chris Adams: which would still be a bee when I was in school but a high B.

Timothy Williams: We'll get you.

Chris Adams: It's like a high B because there's a lot of movies that I liked. I thought was funnier. That would definitely rank above it and it's probably partly because I wasn't, brought up on Steve Martin as much and watched a lot of the stuff but I do like certain comedy situations. he makes some things just so funny and the rest of them both finger. I didn't really care for both finger too much. but this one in the Three Amigos and…

Timothy Williams: Yeah, that one wasn't what a favorites.

Chris Adams: Bill Co and they just cracked me up. So I would definitely give him like I say in the low 90s, which was like a high beef.

Timothy Williams: What about you Bethany?

Bethany Wells: I'm gonna give it an 87. I feel like it's a high B…

Timothy Williams: Okay.

Bethany Wells: because it's funny. it's clever. It's very clever.

Timothy Williams: Yes. Yes.

Bethany Wells: I think there's things about it that are just kind of With today's lens. You're just calling. But for the most part it still holds up really well, and it's very funny. So I'm gonna give it an 87.

Timothy Williams: Yeah, I think 89 from Tomato Meter is pretty accurate for me kind of the same reasons. You guys are saying There's other movies that are different kind of funny. I mean It's a lot of nostalgia notes for me. And it's one that I can definitely rewatch again. but I wouldn't say it's my favorite Steve Martin movie. It's definitely into Maybe my top up three. Steve Martin movies but it's definitely one that I love and will enjoy watching again it and we talked about before we started recording that I think it holds up pretty well there's some problematic, Parts in the movie, of course, but overall it hold for an 80s movie it holds up pretty well. it's still situational. It's still still works, so

01:00:00

Timothy Williams: But yeah, but I'm anxious. I want to go back and watch Bedtime Stories and Watch Bedtime Stories and…

Chad Sheppard: Yeah.

Timothy Williams: the hustle because I've never finished the hustle. I've started at three times and never got all the way through it and do a real comparison of the three movies together.

Bethany Wells: Yeah, that would be fun. I tried to do that,…

Timothy Williams: Yeah. But yeah.

Bethany Wells: but I just ran out of time but

Bethany Wells: I will say as weird as it sounds considering the fact that the hustle came out five years ago and this came out 35 years ago. the hustles a bit more problematic than Dirty Rotten Scoundrels this

Timothy Williams: I could see that every time I get a lot of the fat jokes for Rebel Wilson.

Chad Sheppard: Wow.

Bethany Wells: Yeah, that's pretty much all the punchlines are because if Fred Steve Martin's character, he's trying to get stuff for her big con is she has this picture of This Woman This Very Thin, Western beauty standards form of attractive and she Conns kind of jerk dudes into thinking they're gonna meet her and then she shows up. And when they're obviously disappointed by it. She says obviously that's not who I was gonna be. I was just seeing if you would really love her despite her, birth defect. And they said what's her birth defect and she goes she's a double a cup. And so she cones them into giving them money for breast implants.

Timothy Williams: Wow.

Bethany Wells: And yeah, and that's her whole con is this sister that she catfishes people with and…

Chad Sheppard: Wow.

Bethany Wells: then cons these, bags into giving her money they're not great people either. But the whole joke is that they are disgusted by her.

Timothy Williams: right

Bethany Wells: Because she is fat and they are also discussed by this fake person because she has a flat chest. It's gross.

Timothy Williams: Yeah. I guess that's why I never finished it all three times.

Bethany Wells: Yeah.

Chris Adams: he Yeah,…

Timothy Williams: All thank you guys so much good.

Chris Adams: I'm not gonna lie.

Chris Adams: I'm sorry to be interrupted with.

Timothy Williams: No, no,…

Timothy Williams: go ahead. Quit.

Chris Adams: I'm just gonna say I've never heard of it the hustle honestly,…

Chris Adams: I mean, I know y'all three have I'm not heard of the hell.

Timothy Williams: It did yeah.

Chris Adams: That's why I asked who was in it earlier. I've never heard of the movie before.

Chad Sheppard: I hadn't heard of it.

Chris Adams: I didn't know it was out.

Timothy Williams: It was in the theater for about two weeks.

Bethany Wells: Yeah, it came out. It didn't do well.

Timothy Williams: And it wasn't a big hit. Yeah. it was they

Chris Adams: Okay.

Bethany Wells: I mean, I think it was very openly advertised as a remake of this movie. people pretty much from the jump weren't on board with it and…

Timothy Williams: mm-hmm

Bethany Wells: then There's a lot of jokes that are pretty parallel. I will say the Rupert stuff that Rebel Wilson does it's a little grosser and I don't know if that's just because Her form of Comedy versus Steve Martin's form of Comedy.

Timothy Williams: Right, right.

Bethany Wells: I think her Comedy Works in certain lights, but I don't know just there were parts of it. That just did not work.

Chris Adams: If they were listing it like that it's a remake for some reason and I'm one of those people sometimes too. I can't say and I will admitting it but there's some movies I don't want remade and if you tell me it's a remake of something. I like then I'm automatically not gonna like it.

Bethany Wells: and then yeah, she's fun in her. Own comedy I don't know. It just doesn't quite work in the same way that this movie does. I'm usually on board with a remake. I like to see how does a new group of artists? Look at this movie and interpret it for a more modern lens and a different way. let's see. I'm usually pretty open to it. This one's just kind of

Timothy Williams: Yeah, I'll watch your remake. Even if it's from of a movie that I've seen before that I like but I usually go in pretty low expectations. I don't expect it to be better than the original but I'm kind of like you I want to see how do they try to update it and what works and what doesn't work and Yeah.

Chris Adams: It's telling Footloose you watch the original Footloose. Did you like to remake of Footloose?

Timothy Williams: No, I didn't like the Remake cover.

Bethany Wells: The remake of Footloose is not that bad.

Timothy Williams: It wasn't terrible.

Bethany Wells: It's actually

Chris Adams: Instant it's not bad,…

Timothy Williams: Yeah, it wasn't terrible.

Chris Adams: but it's not great though.

Timothy Williams: It's not the same. Yeah.

Chris Adams: It would.

Bethany Wells: it's not the classic Footloose. It's not gonna replace it, but it's not a bad movie.

Timothy Williams: Yeah. Mm-hmm

Chris Adams: It wasn't bad bunny means but it's just that some people like their stuff they grew up with and they don't want it changed or something. You see it's threatened to be changed then although we shouldn't feel that way something inside. He was like automatically you're not gonna like it because they're taking your thing away from you that you grew up on because then sometimes the remakes are even better than other ones.

01:05:00

Bethany Wells: But I don't view it taking away from it. It's more like let's see how we can flip the story on its side. Let's see how we can reinterpret it. Let's see how we can present it in a new light and I feel like a lot of movies kind of die just because of that attitude of you're ruining my original movie, which it's not true. You're just looking at it differently.

Chris Adams: Big trouble little China they keep saying they're gonna remake Big Trouble in Little China. And at the Rock wants to be Jack Burton.

Chad Sheppard: No.

Chris Adams: I'm like no. All the rocks and everything don't make him Jack Burton. No.

Timothy Williams: right If he hasn't made it by now, he's not gonna make it. I'm not even worried about anymore. But anyway on next week's episode of points and…

Chris Adams: Yeah. No, I'm just

Timothy Williams: Counterpoint, Chris and Bethany. We'll discuss another topic. thank you guys the Hot Topic go ahead Chad.

Chris Adams: haha

Chad Sheppard: Hi, I was just saying you were talking about the remakes. There's another podcast I listened to they said why don't people make remake bad movies and make what? Okay, it's bad. what all is bad? Why don't you change it and make it good and then we release those instead of making you said big trouble with China why we make a good movie. remake

Bethany Wells: Because Studios don't want to bet money on things.

Timothy Williams: On yeah,…

Bethany Wells: That's…

Chad Sheppard: Through yeah.

Bethany Wells: why we're remaking movies is…

Timothy Williams: yeah. right

Bethany Wells: because that there's not new ideas. I've already said this earlier today. that there's not new ideas. It's that studios are not going to give money to new ideas because they want to put money on a sure thing whether the movie is bad or not. A lot of people are gonna go see a remake just so that they can either watch it or maybe find some kind of thing that they like in it, but it's guaranteed to make money and with very little advertising as opposed to a brand new movie. You're gonna have to put a lot of advertising in it convince a huge mass audience. To actually want to go see it. That's a risk that a lot of Studios aren't willing to take.

Timothy Williams: Yep.

Chris Adams: Quite a lot of The Originals now coming out on Netflix and Amazon and stuff. They're the ones put in the original movies that it seems like lower budget films or something. But no good movies, though.

Bethany Wells: I think that's why television is so much better right now.

Timothy Williams: Yeah, there's a lot more originality and Yeah, but they're even franchising me out. Do I need another Chicago, fire rescue and hospital or another in CIS Sydney when they couldn't film in the United States,

Bethany Wells: Yeah.

Chris Adams: Look, I love NCIS, but how many NCIS can we come up with?

Timothy Williams: they had to pull one from the other side of the world. So yeah.

Bethany Wells: Pretty soon.

Chad Sheppard: breaking

Bethany Wells: It's going to be NCIS, Covington.

Timothy Williams: Yeah. It used to be CSI at Sea as CSI McDonough I would thank you guys so much for wrap this one up for joining us for this episode. This week's 80s flick flashback feedback. I'm gonna share one of the reviews we've gotten on Apple podcast. This one comes from ridiculous Patron US1. I think that's how it's spelled or how it said because it's all one word. But anyway, they gave us five stars with a title of fantastic and here's what they had to say about podcast. The breakdowns are superb The Nostalgia definitely took me back really enjoyed how they go to the level of deep detail to mention. There's a man and a naval uniform in the background. That's actually on the projection Clark watches in a movie that was

Bethany Wells: Hey.

Timothy Williams: That's Chris' vacation with Bethany.

Chad Sheppard: Christmas

Timothy Williams: Yes, great perspectives from actors and the hosts have excellent chemistry. It's a must ad so thank you so much ridiculous Patron US1 for that awesome review. Really? Appreciate you taking the time to share that all right folks.

Bethany Wells: Thank you.

Timothy Williams: Yeah. That was episode.

Bethany Wells: That was my episode. I'm really excited.

Timothy Williams: Yeah. Plant, I plan that just right didn't I?

Bethany Wells: Yeah.

Timothy Williams: that's a wrap on this episode of the 80s flick flashback podcast. If you enjoy the show as much as ridiculous does then show us some love by dropping a stellar written review and slapping a shiny five star rating on Apple podcast. Don't forget to hit that follow or subscribe button and spread the word your fellow 80s flick lovers. Do you have burning questions or want to shoot the breeze hit us up on Facebook Instagram or tiktok. And if you're feeling extra gnarly consider supporting the show over at buy me a coffee calm for as little as five bucks a month and why not check out some of our 80s rad fish that why don't you check why one more time? And hey, why not dick yourself out in some rad 80s flick flashback gear check out our online store 86 flashback.com and tpublic.com for all the nostalgic swag your heart desires. Thank you guys so much for tuning in. Thanks for my guest co-host. I'm Tim Williams for the 80s flick flashback. I've got culture coming out of my ass.

Timothy Williams: Will be bleeped out, but that was the quote that I had to use. All…

Bethany Wells: I love it.

Chris Adams: Great.