‘The Holdovers’ and ‘The Hunger Games.’ Plus: Eli Roth!
Nov 20, 2023
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Sean and Amanda review the Hunger Games movie and Alexander Payne's latest feature. Eli Roth joins the podcast to discuss his movie 'Thanksgiving' and his interests within the horror genre. They talk about the state of modern IP horror and Roth's future plans.
Eli Roth discusses his passion for the horror genre and his process of creating slasher films.
The review of 'The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes' explores the film's strengths and weaknesses, including its box office performance and storytelling.
The review of 'The Holdovers' praises the throwback style of the film, but notes the lack of a central big idea.
Roth emphasizes the importance of balancing violence and audience expectations in horror films to elicit a positive response.
Deep dives
The Wedding Scammer podcast overview
The Wedding Scammer is a true crime podcast that follows the hunt for a con man. It covers various schemes, heartbreak, and even offers tips on how to put on a wire. The podcast aims to entertain, challenge, and engage listeners in conversations. Hosted by Justin Sales, the podcast provides an opportunity for people to listen in on conversations that are both fun and thought-provoking. The Wedding Scammer is available on various podcast platforms.
Upcoming horror film 'Thanksgiving'
The podcast episode features a conversation with Eli Roth, the writer and director of the upcoming horror film 'Thanksgiving.' The film, which is a long-awaited return to horror for Roth, originated as a fake trailer in the 2007 movie 'Grindhouse.' Now, after 16 years, 'Thanksgiving' is finally becoming a reality. The podcast episode is a fun chat with Roth and includes discussions about the origins of the film and its evolution.
Movie reviews: 'The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes'
The podcast episode features a review of the new Hunger Games film, 'The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.' The prequel to the Hunger Games trilogy explores the origin story of the character Coriolanus Snow and his rise to power. The film attempts to capture the magic and success of the original franchise, but with new young cast members. The review discusses the film's box office performance, its strengths in depicting violence and action sequences, as well as its weaknesses, including a confusing storyline and excessive world-building.
Review of 'The Holdovers'
The podcast episode provides a review of the film 'The Holdovers', directed by Alexander Payne. The movie follows the story of a prep school instructor who becomes the caretaker of a group of students over the Christmas holidays. The review highlights the film's throwback style to quirky 70s dramedies and 90s prep school movies. It praises the performances of Paul Giamatti, Divine Joy Randolph, and Dominic Sessa. However, it notes that the movie lacks a central big idea or ambitious plot. While it is well-acted and enjoyable, it may not resonate deeply with every viewer.
The Making of Thanksgiving: A Passion for Horror Filmmaking
Eli Roth, renowned horror director, shares his excitement for the horror genre and his love for creating slasher films. He discusses the process of writing and directing Thanksgiving, a horror movie centered around the holiday. Roth emphasizes the importance of delivering the right level of gore in kill scenes and the balance between humor and high stakes. He also talks about his affinity for the mystery and guessing game aspects of slashers and the influence of classic horror films on his work. Overall, Roth expresses his passion for horror and his desire to continue creating original horror films.
Navigating the Limits: Balancing Violence and Audience Expectations
Roth explains his approach to balancing violence and audience expectations in horror films. He highlights the challenge of finding the right level of gore and avoiding overindulgence that could lead to a negative audience reaction. Roth cites examples of horror classics like Pieces and Sleepaway Camp to illustrate the importance of not going too far and maintaining the appropriate level of gore to elicit a positive audience response. He emphasizes the need to satisfy the audience while also surprising and entertaining them with unexpected twists and turns.
The Art of Slaying: Creating Memorable Kill Scenes
Roth discusses the creative process behind devising memorable kill scenes in horror films. He talks about the importance of having a repertoire of ideas for kill scenes and how they often serve as the starting point for building a horror movie. Roth emphasizes the significance of finding a balance between shock value and audience enjoyment, drawing inspiration from classic slasher films like Black Christmas, Mute Witness, and Silent Night, Deadly Night. He also discusses the importance of listening to the audience's reactions and adjusting the level of gore and violence accordingly to create a satisfying horror experience.
The Masshole Factor: Capturing the essence of Massachusetts
Roth reflects on the unique charm and characteristics of Massachusetts, particularly the Boston area, and the influence it had on his film Thanksgiving. He discusses the importance of capturing the authentic Massachusetts accent, humor, and attitude in the film. Roth highlights the role of casting actors from the area who naturally embody the mass-hole spirit and the joy of depicting the local culture and mannerisms. He shares his fondness for Massachusetts-based films, past experiences with Boston sports fans, and the appreciation for the mass-hole culture in his work.
Sean and Amanda review two divergent releases from this past weekend—a continuation of the Hunger Games intellectual property, ‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes’ (1:00), and Alexander Payne's latest feature, ‘The Holdovers’ (30:00). Then, Sean is joined by writer, director, and actor Eli Roth (1:07:00) to talk about ‘Thanksgiving,’ his feature-length follow-up to the fictional trailer of the same name, which first appeared in the 2007 film ‘Grindhouse.’ Sean and Eli discuss Roth’s particular interests within the horror genre, the state of modern IP horror, and what he’s interested in doing next.
