Latest / Pete and Hannah’s Watchlist: / AFI Top 100 Movie 100 Ben-Hur

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AFI Top 100 Movie 100 Ben-Hur · Pete and Hannah’s Watchlist:

• 0:00
  Welcome to Pete and Hannah's watch lists and we're presenting the AFI Top 100.
• 0:06
  I'm here with my great co-host Hannah.
• 0:09
  Sup.
• 0:10
  Hannah, we are doing the AFI Top 100 where we watch, re-watch all the 100 movies of the
• 0:17
  American Film Industry 10th anniversary.
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  So that's five times really fast.
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  And we give our usual reviews and we talk about the film and why it's on the list.
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  Why are we doing the American Film Institute?
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  Well it's a curated list of 100 movies so that's cool.
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  But also it's just, we also love movies and especially American film.
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  In fact it's everywhere.
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  And this is basically saying this is what humanity's got to offer.
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  Like aliens are going to see this, this is our top 100.
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  And we kind of just want to see are they any worthwhile?
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  Like are they actually good?
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  Another thing is like you weren't into movies like heavily until COVID.
• 1:02
  Yeah, I would also say the thing is like I have, you know.
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  A lot of these you haven't seen.
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  The greats.
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  Yeah.
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  This considered great way before my time.
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  So during COVID when we, everyone was locked down, we started watching television shows
• 1:17
  and we started watching movies.
• 1:19
  We first started, we watched West Wing.
• 1:21
  So you've been indoctrinated into that, which I loved as a kid.
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  And then now love as an adult watching it every year and now you're all.
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  And we also started watching, rewatching movies.
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  And then we started this channel and then we thought, okay, we need something to, let's
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  go back to what we were doing during COVID and watch a movie every week from an old movie.
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  And then you picked the top 100 movies from the American Film Institute and the 10th anniversary
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  revisited, which no one's really talked about much.
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  They talked about the first job in 1997, but the 2007, how much discourse about it?
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  I would like to see, like, cause to revisit and update the films on that list is an interesting
• 2:03
  thing.
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  Like it hasn't been updated since.
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  It probably will eventually.
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  It definitely will be.
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  And then not only that, it's the, going through this list, it's very interesting to see like,
• 2:14
  again, it's the American Film Institute.
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  So they choose a lot of American films and stuff.
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  So it'd be interesting to see later on down the years if they actually add.
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  Another thing is like, there's a lot of movies that have been added to this list that weren't
• 2:27
  new movies.
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  They were, they found 1930s movies and they added to this.
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  So it is quite amazing that the list changed so much.
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  And also it's an update of values too, cause there's like, there's some films on there
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  that, honestly that I consider classics by just any means, but now it's like, oh yeah,
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  of course they're important to film, not just as a good film, but as they're an important
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  part of history.
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  Well, we're starting with a huge one today.
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  The hundredth movie on the list of American Film Institute is one of the best movies of
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  all time.
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  It's won countless Academy Awards.
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  It was nominated for 13, won 111.
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  It's actually a record because there's some wins that Gone With The Wind had that were
• 3:18
  just automatically given to them.
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  This is actually categories that were fought.
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  And there's also categories in Avatar, Titanic, that weren't actually existed back in when
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  Ben Hur.
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  So Ben Hur won categories, a better strike rate basically.
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  So it's Ben Hur, it's a 1959 remake of the 25 movie.
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  So basically how we'll do this is we rewatch the movie and then we put the movie into categories
• 3:47
  which we'll learn.
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  We'll add names, funny names to each category.
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  And then we'll just put it through the usual Pete and Hannah's review show, a ringer with
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  the elevator pitch, reasons to, reasons not to.
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  And then we'll talk about where it sits on the list.
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  And then we'll finally ask the real question that everyone wants to know, would we watch
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  it again?
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  And should it be on the list anyway?
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  From people not part of the film.
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  Okay so let's start.
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  It's number 100.
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  It's Ben Hur 1959.
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  Had you seen it before?
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  Nope.
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  I saw this one when I was a kid.
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  So it was big on rotation in Australia when Footy, so our footy in Queensland where we're
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  from is Rugby League.
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  And so when on Sundays it was huge, they'd play a big biblical movie.
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  So you'd get either Ben Hur or you'd get 10 Commandments.
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  You get like a long movie.
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  So it covers all the day.
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  It always used to be on Channel 9 for some reason, which is the main station over here.
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  And it was before the cricket started.
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  So I think there was three seasons when it came to television in Australia growing up.
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  There was Rugby League, then there was epic movies, and then it went into cricket.
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  So that's my three loves of life.
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  So that's what you chose a little bit about me.
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  Elevator pitch.
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  So Ben Hur is betrayed and he seeks revenge through chariot racing.
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  Now who's Ben Hur?
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  So he's a Jewish person that's living in Judea under Roman occupation.
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  The first year of existence.
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  So one BC.
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  Yeah.
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  One, one after Common Era.
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  Yeah.
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  Yeah.
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  After.
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  So you can mix it with all the after death speed.
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  Yeah.
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  Especially because this movie ties in.
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  Yeah.
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  It ties in with religious angle.
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  There's some, some Jesus stuff in here.
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  So the maker studio was MGM Grant.
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  So one of your favourite studios.
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  Well, yeah, they love throwing money in like really big movies.
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  Well Hannah, when you say that they were going broke at this stage in 1959.
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  They were in big trouble.
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  And so they took a big part on this movie.
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  Now the original budget for this was $7 million.
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  But that pulled out to $15 million.
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  Now that doesn't sound like much now, but it quite, it quite into our money.
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  That's $150 million.
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  Now for a business that's nearly going broke.
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  Yeah.
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  Can you believe that?
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  I will say MGM have a habit of, you know, putting money into a movie and then the movie
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  exceeding that limit.
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  Yeah.
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  Things like Gone with the Wind and Wizard of Oz have done that in the past.
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  So the bet paid off.
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  It was one of the highest grossing movies of the fifties.
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  It was just behind Gone with the Wind and Ten Commandments.
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  If it were equated to today's money, it would have cost $150 million.
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  Inquited in today's money, it would have made over $1.5 billion.
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  Oh wow.
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  Yeah.
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  Okay.
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  Yeah.
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  So it hits money back.
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  $75 million are made.
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  So it had a huge theatrical run as well.
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  So back in those days, there was only one or two movies that made it a cinema, especially
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  in Australia and that played for a year.
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  So now if a movie like look at Marvel's that came out recently that lasted a couple of
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  weeks, you know, we're getting movies that last one or two weeks in the cinemas and then
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  it goes on to a streaming service.
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  It's harrowing.
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  But you go back to like a movie like say Back to the Future, right?
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  Yeah, that was in the same.
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  That was in cinemas for 18 months and it had a run where it was number one and then six
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  months later it was number one again.
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  Like it'll never happen here.
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  It never happened here.
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  It wouldn't happen again with movies like that.
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  No.
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  So the story behind this movie, it was originally a book written in the 1800s.
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  It got turned into a movie in 1925.
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  It was much story when it came out in 1925.
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  People had been trying to remake it for years and years and years.
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  The biblical Pixar had been huge hits like Ten Commandments was a huge movie starring
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  Charles M. Heston.
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  And so they looked at Lee Wallace's book and it was a spawning epic.
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  And when they tried to remake it, it was going to be a four hour movie.
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  So they brought this director on William Wyler.
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  Now this guy is he makes bangers after bangers.
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  Roman a Holiday.
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  Oh, funny girl.
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  Oh, you know what?
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  This guy is amazing.
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  Yeah.
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  Yeah.
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  So he also directed Wuthering Heights as well.
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  Oh, wow.
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  Yeah.
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  Okay.
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  So he did everything great.
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  He he he he didn't want to do it at the start.
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  He really didn't want to do it.
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  Because he was Jewish.
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  And so this movie is heavily Christianity.
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  Yes, heavily.
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  It's like Christianity.
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  But then he later said that he you know, you bring a Jew on to make a real Christian movie.
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  So he was he had a little bit of humor about this guy.
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  But he said he only wanted to do it if it was going to be a three hour movie and not
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  a four hour movie.
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  Okay.
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  Oh, okay.
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  He also said that he didn't want to skip on budget.
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  So he said, well, the producer was Steven Zeppeles.
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  He said, well, it's going to be seven million dollar budget.
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  He goes, well, I think it's going to need to be more than that.
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  And so it ended up being 15 million dollars.
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  Yeah.
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  He had a lot of choices to for actors and the Judah Ben Her role.
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  Okay.
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  So he he ended up going with The Great Child in the Heston who was in The Ten Commandments.
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  A lot of actors he was he went off to Paul Newman.
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  Paul Newman.
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  Paul Newman said, no, I wouldn't look good in a skirt.
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  Kirk Douglas really wanted this role, but he was too old because he really wanted to
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  play it because he's Jewish.
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  Yeah.
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  He ended up making Spartacus work and he became Spartacus.
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  Wow.
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  Yeah.
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  That's it.
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  A lot of the other actors.
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  So the actor that played Ben Her's mom, it was only actually three years older than Charlton
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  Heston.
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  And earlier, earlier he she had played a young mom of the baby Moses in The Ten Commandments.
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  So it's a big turnaround that she's playing the old, the mature lady.
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  So the reaction of the film at the time, critics went wild for it.
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  Of course.
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  Of course.
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  It was a huge, highest grossing.
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  It won heaps of awards.
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  It was just, it swept the Oscars.
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  It won best director.
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  It won best picture.
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  It won best actor.
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  It won best supporting actor.
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  Now that's...
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  This is where we could argue one of the things that don't make sense in the past.
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  The role of the sheik was played by a Welsh actor.
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  Now not the greatest thing you've ever seen, hey.
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  No.
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  You could say they're better ideas.
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  Let's be honest.
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  There was Blackface.
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  Yeah.
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  No.
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  And it's when you get to these older films, they weren't really looking for people that
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  looked like the people they're supposed to play.
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  They just worked around a metaphorical bush and just was like, oh, you know what?
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  You're pretty good.
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  Let's just throw something on and have a day.
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  So I was played by Hugh Griffin and he won the best supporting actor.
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  He didn't accept it at the Oscars as well.
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  He played Mutiny.
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  It was in The Mutiny and The Bounty.
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  It was How to Steal a Me and he was in heaps of movies.
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  And he was also in Oliver.
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  Oh yeah.
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  Yeah, so he storied actor, won an Oscar, but yeah, he did.
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  He didn't want to accept it.
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  Someone accepted on behalf.
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  Yeah.
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  William Wallace accepted on his behalf.
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  Yeah.
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  It's an interesting choice for best supporting because I feel like there are some other greater
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  best supporting.
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  Well, there's another probably better supporting actor in it than I would say the sheik.
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  He only plays like a really a minor role.
• 12:17
  Yeah.
• 12:18
  Well, you're talking about the Masala who played Masala who was played by Steven Grubb.
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  He a lot of people wanted to play that role.
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  He there was a bit more meat on that bowl.
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  Do let's talk a little bit more about the movie and we'll come back to that.
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  We'll come back to the theme that you want to talk about majority of this award.
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  How I like to enjoy the movie.
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  Yeah, it's wow.
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  So Hugh Griffin was up against Arthur Connelly in Anatomy of Murder.
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  George C. Scott, they probably cross each other out.
• 13:03
  Robert Vaughan in The Young Philadelphians who just died recently.
• 13:07
  Edwin and Dario the Frank.
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  So I've seen I've seen the Anatomy of Murder and I've seen Young Philadelphians.
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  I'll surprise that Hugh Griffin actually won after watching this movie.
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  Yeah, I think he doesn't he doesn't play in nowadays.
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  His role one you wouldn't have it because yeah, of course, but his my he doesn't really
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  add anything to this like to the plot.
• 13:32
  It doesn't mean I wouldn't say he he does a good job acting but I wouldn't say he's
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  you know, putting on a performance that supports I guess the main actor in it anyway.
• 13:42
  So we're not a huge fan of like sites of critics and stuff like that.
• 13:47
  So we as people who have watched our show before we don't really give like a score we
• 13:54
  give like a sort of funny rating and sort of like we're not like and we like to also
• 13:58
  showcase what we liked and what we disliked about it.
• 14:01
  Yeah, because we we know there's things to like about it even if it's you know, considered
• 14:08
  film lovers not film critics.
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  So so just to go through some of the metrics, it's 85% of Rotten Tomatoes was 8.1 on IMDB.
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  Like yeah for that for what it is.
• 14:20
  That's high that's high praise, you know, so yeah, especially a movie to you know, it's
• 14:24
  been a long time to still gonna praise even to this day.
• 14:30
  Does it does it does it deserve a price?
• 14:35
  Does it deserve all the price it got?
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  Now I think at the time, everything about it is so amazingly well done.
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  At the time.
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  Yeah, definitely when you look at it now compared to some you look on it and some of the sets
• 14:49
  you're like that looks like a set or they had to recently they retouched they did a
• 14:55
  remaster not long ago and so everything's got a little bit you know, sometimes the siege
• 15:00
  they like drawn pipe drops and they just added some textures and stuff and I'll give you
• 15:06
  a little bit of background.
• 15:07
  So the battle scenes were filmed but with miniatures which is the job of the time.
• 15:12
  I miniatures when miniatures are used I think that when they're done really well, you'll
• 15:17
  never notice that and it's brilliant.
• 15:19
  Well Oppenheimer recently yes, Nolan is a huge lover of his he did it with the dark
• 15:25
  knight trilogy like any like when you see behind the scenes Batman begins like the whole
• 15:30
  train thing was miniatures like that's incredible.
• 15:34
  So they tried to film in Libya but when they found out this movie was about Judaism and
• 15:41
  Christianity not a thing.
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  So they started filming in 1957 it was a long shoot nearly six months.
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  The chariot scene the famous chariot scene was six weeks alone.
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  Horses died no one died as in people.
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  Oh no one died?
• 16:01
  Yeah it was near fatal but no one died.
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  But horses did.
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  So animals were harmed during the making of this film which deserves to be said in a taste
• 16:12
  of time but that chariot scene alone and like you could even though again horrifying it
• 16:18
  is a impressive thing they were able to achieve even though we could definitely argue that
• 16:23
  sometimes those laps were long and sometimes they were very short for some reason.
• 16:28
  So yeah he so what he did was William Wilder he did one big crane shot of when they came
• 16:36
  at the start now that wasn't from the book and that wasn't historical when they came
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  in all together like that the chariot as they all came in but he wanted to do that for a
• 16:45
  reason to give it scope because most of the shots were really close when you're going
• 16:50
  around corners.
• 16:51
  No yeah this I think some of the really like unique shots he likes to do he really wanted
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  to scale this movie that's the whole.
• 16:58
  So filmed in Rome Spain like it just goes to show like they were filming back into locations
• 17:07
  back then why can't we do it now?
• 17:09
  I know right even when some of them look a little bit off.
• 17:12
  Yeah the sets weren't like the sets probably were great for back then but they weren't
• 17:18
  great.
• 17:19
  But he definitely like there were shots in Rome where like you when you go to Rome and
• 17:23
  it really he likes to draw you out like yeah as it almost has this moment where he where
• 17:30
  Judo has saved someone's life and they're accepting something and it's almost like this
• 17:35
  is like that Star Wars moment when they accept the medals like it harkens.
• 17:39
  A lot of directors have seen this movie and I wouldn't be surprised.
• 17:43
  On Letterboxx like it's a lot of famous actors and famous directors favorite movie.
• 17:47
  Yeah because it's just it is a pretty epic scaled movie that yeah I think.
• 17:53
  Do you want to go into our usual review?
• 17:56
  Yeah I think let's start with that because I'm ready to talk about.
• 18:02
  Reasons to see him.
• 18:04
  Reasons to see it it's pretty epically well done this movie.
• 18:08
  In a sense that it's amazing it's like a really great idea of using revenge and faith in
• 18:16
  one movie which is you know never really like faith and revenge don't really go hand in
• 18:21
  hand with each other but in this movie it's a big part.
• 18:24
  Yeah he's learning a lesson through it.
• 18:27
  He's a lot yeah he's learning a lesson it's an interesting tale about it and.
• 18:30
  Well he starts off as like a huge big deal.
• 18:33
  Yeah he's like a.
• 18:34
  And then he gets wrong for something he didn't commit.
• 18:37
  Yeah and he gets punished and then he comes back to try and take punishment onto the person
• 18:42
  that punished him.
• 18:43
  Yeah he's seeking revenge he just wants.
• 18:45
  And then he sees a lot.
• 18:46
  He has to go through so many like different trials and stuff and there it's an epic scale
• 18:52
  and scope.
• 18:53
  Talk about the real reason you think to watch this.
• 18:55
  Okay so Charles Heston has great chemistry with anything he's on screen with.
• 19:01
  For some reason he's got chemistry with the horses he's got chemistry he just like immediately
• 19:06
  when he likes a woman he's just sizing her up and you're like wow this guy is already
• 19:10
  on.
• 19:11
  But um um what's his name?
• 19:16
  Steven Borde.
• 19:17
  Steven.
• 19:18
  Massella.
• 19:19
  Massella.
• 19:20
  He's the villain but originally these two were friends.
• 19:24
  And the moment they meet they're like bonding they're in love with each other.
• 19:28
  So I'll give you a great story behind the scenes.
• 19:31
  And so this was rewritten to make it a little bit shorter by Gourvardel.
• 19:38
  And Gourvardel noted Rochonter.
• 19:44
  He's told the Stephen Borde character to play it homo erotica because he was he was he said
• 19:56
  he was a childhood friend he would have been um kicked back by Charlton Heston was a little
• 20:03
  bit more popular.
• 20:04
  That's the reason why he saved his life as a child.
• 20:07
  And you need to play it like this and Charlton Heston had no idea why he was playing it like
• 20:11
  that.
• 20:12
  Now so why you picked up on that thing that this is well known.
• 20:16
  Now you know that there's fan fiction out there.
• 20:18
  Yeah I literally wanted to look it up.
• 20:21
  It's small but it's there and I bet I could find more of a.
• 20:23
  It's a great reason to see but he didn't just have chemistry with Stephen Boyd and Marcella.
• 20:30
  He had he had chemistry with the horses.
• 20:31
  There's these four white horses that he deals with.
• 20:33
  He like lovingly pats and he's like hey and they're like they're like these horses are
• 20:38
  like nipping at him and stuff and he's just like hey you know.
• 20:41
  He has more chemistry with Marcella and the horses than he does any woman in this movie.
• 20:47
  Yeah I would say but he like size them up to start and then eventually he's just like
• 20:51
  yeah but I'm in love with my horses.
• 20:54
  But the fact that Stephen Boyd was told to play it like that.
• 20:57
  I yeah I was so enthralled because they were they were tight and then once they he used
• 21:03
  him as a basically just you know to condemn him.
• 21:06
  It was like an interesting it added so much tension to this plot.
• 21:10
  I was just like enthralled with what was going to happen next.
• 21:14
  Reasons not to look I think the start of the movie is a bit slow.
• 21:21
  Then when you get into the battle on the boats amazing.
• 21:25
  Boats.
• 21:26
  The rowing there's like 10 minutes of just rowing.
• 21:28
  There's so many moments where he's just doing one action simply and it's just many different
• 21:33
  shots.
• 21:34
  Was Channels just trying to get in shape?
• 21:35
  Yeah I was like I was like he's trying to show off here.
• 21:38
  It's actually great it's entertaining.
• 21:41
  The fact is I'm on the edge I'm like really enthralled.
• 21:43
  I'm like what is gonna happen here.
• 21:46
  I would say yeah and then the last 30 minutes.
• 21:49
  He was like in his 30s when he made this movie.
• 21:52
  I think he was just trying to get in shape.
• 21:53
  Like he knew he was gonna have to play an astronaut on a planet of eight so he needed
• 21:58
  to get in shape.
• 21:59
  You know even though it was eight years later.
• 22:01
  What a career Charlton Heston had.
• 22:02
  Like Ten Commandments he had this.
• 22:06
  He had a Planet of the Apes.
• 22:09
  Like he had the Ometa strain.
• 22:11
  Like he had the movie with Citizen Kane director Orson Welles Touch of Evil.
• 22:21
  Just amazing.
• 22:22
  What an absolute banging career and then he finished it with being the head of the NRA.
• 22:28
  No political talk here.
• 22:32
  Another reason not to see it.
• 22:33
  Like it builds everything up to the chariot scene.
• 22:35
  So they talk about the chariot scene when he's in Rome.
• 22:38
  Like he's like a great chariot racer.
• 22:40
  And they tease their absolute hell out of it.
• 22:42
  I'd say that yes.
• 22:44
  Which by the way.
• 22:45
  Because in the trailer you see the chariot scene in the trailer.
• 22:47
  I would also say so it's presumed.
• 22:51
  Could we fast forward once he gets to Rome it cuts to a couple like months ahead.
• 22:55
  And he's apparently been like.
• 22:57
  He's killing it.
• 22:58
  He's the best driver in the world.
• 22:59
  Yeah.
• 23:00
  He's the Lewis Hamilton Max Verstappen of chariot racing.
• 23:04
  If you put this movie in the 80s we would have gotten like a 20 minute montage of him
• 23:10
  learning the ropes.
• 23:12
  Not the 80s now.
• 23:13
  We would have got 100%.
• 23:14
  There is a little bit with the horses when he's trying to train to take on.
• 23:18
  Yeah.
• 23:19
  No.
• 23:20
  But I meant a full long one.
• 23:21
  I would say it's building up to that chariot race because it's also the moment where he
• 23:26
  claims his vengeance.
• 23:28
  Do you know the underrated thing is the scene where.
• 23:34
  The scene where they're putting the bet on.
• 23:38
  Yeah.
• 23:40
  Hugh Griffith trying to draw Masala out and trying to.
• 23:43
  Probably this is where he got his escape from.
• 23:46
  So you had that bet that he was having in today's terms with the four to one odds of
• 23:52
  the thousand scarabs.
• 23:53
  Yeah.
• 23:54
  That would have been worth eight billion gold.
• 23:55
  Eight billion gold.
• 23:56
  That's ridiculous.
• 23:57
  Eight billion gold.
• 23:58
  Can you believe that?
• 23:59
  That's why they.
• 24:00
  Which makes a lot of sense why they were so shocked.
• 24:04
  Now spoiler alert here for those who haven't seen the movie.
• 24:08
  Yeah.
• 24:09
  Yeah.
• 24:10
  Yeah.
• 24:11
  Well, you've got to spoil it.
• 24:12
  OK.
• 24:13
  Well, Masala dies in the chariot race.
• 24:14
  Yeah.
• 24:15
  Well, not in the chariot race.
• 24:16
  Well, he dies because of the chariot race.
• 24:19
  Does he pay up?
• 24:20
  Does he pay up?
• 24:21
  I don't think he did.
• 24:22
  I don't think he did.
• 24:23
  Where's that eight billion dollars worth of gold?
• 24:24
  I don't think anyone cares.
• 24:25
  I would.
• 24:26
  I love all these little factoids about this movie.
• 24:27
  I think it's interesting because it has been a long time and people just pick up different
• 24:34
  things.
• 24:35
  Again, I think a lot of people get recommended this movie because of, you know, just film
• 24:40
  critics and everything.
• 24:41
  And so different people who watch movies for different reasons will pick up completely
• 24:46
  nonsensical things like me going those two should get together.
• 24:50
  Bound to the bow.
• 24:51
  Wow.
• 24:52
  Yes.
• 24:53
  A lot of people picked up on it.
• 24:54
  The only one that didn't pick up on it was Charlton Heston.
• 24:57
  But he was like, hmm.
• 25:00
  What's happening there?
• 25:02
  So the real reason not to is like once a chariot scene is done, it's just such a life deal.
• 25:07
  It's 30 to 40 minutes of just, of about, it's purely about the Christianity.
• 25:13
  It's purely about the faith.
• 25:15
  Yeah.
• 25:16
  Purely about like we're watching, you watch, you watch Jesus get put to the cross.
• 25:20
  Not to put it back to it.
• 25:22
  Not to keep putting it back to a recent movie about Oppenheimer.
• 25:26
  When you had the Trinity test, you still got Emily Blunt cooking.
• 25:32
  I would still got Robert Downey Jr cooking like this.
• 25:34
  It was very slow burn.
• 25:36
  I would argue that we spent way too much time in a leprechaunal any that I, you know, like
• 25:41
  Oppenheimer, I would go that that last hour is more entertaining than me watching the
• 25:47
  Trinity test.
• 25:48
  Like, like we're our background is Christianity.
• 25:51
  So we sort of know the story.
• 25:53
  But for those who aren't probably, probably don't really, it's not one of the real things
• 25:58
  to sell the movie on is it?
• 25:59
  If your knowledge of, of is from Simpsons, then you've learned all you needed to.
• 26:05
  Let's talk about, so that's one of the reasons not to see it.
• 26:08
  So one of the reasons not to see is.
• 26:10
  Spoke some Christianity.
• 26:11
  Yeah.
• 26:12
  It's aged poorly with some of the moments.
• 26:14
  Just like if you go into the history of the movie or something, I would also go just reasons
• 26:19
  not to.
• 26:20
  Actually, yeah.
• 26:21
  Reasons not to it is long and if you don't love movies about faith and vengeance, having
• 26:25
  a parent like, you know, connecting too much.
• 26:29
  Yeah.
• 26:30
  And yeah, the leprechaunal is like, yeah, like it is just ridiculous.
• 26:34
  It is insane.
• 26:36
  So you talked about the Simpsons.
• 26:38
  Go a little bit more into that.
• 26:39
  I would go.
• 26:40
  So Ben Hurd's definitely infected pop culture.
• 26:44
  Like you can't argue it.
• 26:46
  It hasn't.
• 26:47
  You know, directors and actors and everyone loves it.
• 26:51
  But the Simpsons for me, that's where I'm like, that's all I knew.
• 26:55
  Like I knew Ben Hurd from.
• 26:57
  Knew like a lot of like things that popped up.
• 27:00
  Yeah.
• 27:01
  And there was, there's just a moment I thought that would happen where Jesus gives Ben Hurd
• 27:08
  some water to drink.
• 27:10
  And in the Simpsons, there's a lovely episode called and where Simpsons, the Springfield
• 27:18
  is hosting like a short film festival and Mr. Burns hires a Spanish knockoff of Stephen
• 27:27
  Spielberg, Senor Spielberg, and makes himself out to be Jesus and he gives childless Ben
• 27:36
  Hurd, drink up Judah, Ben Hurd.
• 27:40
  And say it.
• 27:41
  And Burns, you are truly the king of kings.
• 27:45
  You truly are the king of kings.
• 27:47
  We were saying that in the entire film.
• 27:48
  I almost felt like everyone was going to say it at one point and I realised and then it
• 27:54
  comes to a realisation, oh no, that was made up to insinuate that's Ben Hurd.
• 27:59
  So the movie was remade as well in 2016 and it was not.
• 28:06
  I don't think anyone's liked the remake.
• 28:08
  And it was like way too short and yeah.
• 28:11
  I wouldn't suspect anyone because I think for the movie, at its time, it's a piece of
• 28:19
  history for its time.
• 28:20
  And also it is like an artwork, whereas when you try to recreate it and just, you know,
• 28:26
  try to chop it into pieces and make it flushed out and new, people don't, there's no creativity
• 28:32
  there.
• 28:33
  You know, this one, this movie has identity to itself.
• 28:37
  Is it too crass to say should you watch or should you miss Ben Hurd?
• 28:43
  I would, I don't know.
• 28:46
  It is a pretty long movie and if you don't like these themes, I would give it a miss.
• 28:54
  So this AFI top 100 list, when it steals down to it, I've seen most of these movies, probably
• 28:59
  a handful I haven't seen.
• 29:00
  And every question is going to go back to you.
• 29:03
  Should you watch or miss?
• 29:04
  You're the new generation.
• 29:05
  I personally would, I've watched this.
• 29:08
  Like if this was on TV, I would sit down and watch it.
• 29:12
  But I know for a fact, a general audience of anyone in my demographic would be like
• 29:17
  miss.
• 29:18
  Unless you're a film junkie, they do not care.
• 29:23
  It's hard to say so early, but does it deserve to be on this list?
• 29:27
  Does it deserve to be?
• 29:28
  I mean, it's really hard to say because you know, there's so many.
• 29:32
  What about for the Oscars alone?
• 29:33
  I could totally lose it.
• 29:35
  100%.
• 29:36
  There are some Oscars, if you go through Oscar history, there are some Oscars of undeserving,
• 29:40
  incredible.
• 29:41
  This was up against some good movies like Dio, Van Franky is a great movie.
• 29:45
  Young Philadelphians is a great movie.
• 29:46
  And Anatomy of a Murder is a great movie.
• 29:47
  No, but I'm talking about previous ones.
• 29:48
  Like why did Gigi, that's about seducing young girls.
• 29:49
  That one is Oscar.
• 29:50
  That's a take.
• 29:51
  It's not a take, it's the whole movie.
• 29:52
  It's not a take.
• 29:53
  It's not a take.
• 29:54
  It's not a take.
• 29:55
  It's not a take.
• 29:56
  It's not a take.
• 29:57
  It's not a take.
• 29:58
  It's not a take.
• 29:59
  It's not a take.
• 30:00
  It's not a take.
• 30:01
  It's not a take, it's the whole movie.
• 30:04
  Doesn't deserve to be higher.
• 30:05
  So before you say doesn't deserve to be higher, in the original list, it was 28 places higher.
• 30:11
  Oh, interesting.
• 30:12
  And it got dropped down to 100.
• 30:13
  I can see why it's in 100.
• 30:14
  I could see 100% why it's here on the end.
• 30:17
  Yeah.
• 30:18
  Because one, it's like the start of like, oh, look, you know, this is where we start.
• 30:22
  I think for any director, they'll probably put this in their top 10 or top 20.
• 30:29
  Yeah.
• 30:30
  But in reality, to films nowadays, we've evolved a lot more from just like, you know, just
• 30:38
  nice, you know, pretty shots of chariot races.
• 30:41
  Hannah, would you buy this on Blu-ray?
• 30:44
  Now it's not available on any streaming services.
• 30:48
  We rented this on Apple TV.
• 30:49
  Would you buy it on Blu-ray?
• 30:50
  Would you have physical media?
• 30:51
  Would I have physical?
• 30:52
  I think so because I appreciate having, especially older films, I appreciate having them on physical
• 30:59
  media.
• 31:00
  But I have, I collect a lot of older films, especially ones that no one's heard of.
• 31:05
  And they will, they, some of them go out of print.
• 31:08
  Like I have the last print of something because it's, it's, it's not going to exist anymore.
• 31:12
  So the two things that will end every podcast with is would you watch this again?
• 31:19
  And what is the rating for Ben Her?
• 31:22
  Would I watch this again?
• 31:23
  I watch most of the movie and I wouldn't watch the whole movie again.
• 31:27
  I would probably, chariot scene and then the Marcella scene.
• 31:31
  Like then I'd be calling it a miss.
• 31:32
  And rating for this movie?
• 31:34
  I would, I would say give it a, a golf clap.
• 31:40
  I think it's just, it's definitely what it's trying to achieve.
• 31:43
  This movie does incredibly well.
• 31:46
  And that's what I, when we look at these movies, I like to look at what the movie is trying
• 31:50
  to achieve rather than say put it up against, like I'm not going to put this movie up against
• 31:55
  speed racer because I have a deep appreciation and love for speed racer and it's an incredible
• 32:01
  film.
• 32:02
  If I keep bringing up Pop and Hymen and you keep bringing up speed racer, this is going
• 32:04
  to be a long podcast.
• 32:05
  I'm not going to bring up John Wick because John Wick is a completely, well, Vengeance
• 32:11
  does play a role in John Wick as well.
• 32:13
  Hannah, that was a really enjoyable conversation that we've had about Ben Her.
• 32:16
  I really appreciate it.
• 32:17
  And John Wick, the similarities, Vengeance plays a different role.
• 32:21
  What's next on the watch list?
• 32:22
  So tomorrow on Wednesday we'll drop What's Next, a show where we like to figure out what
• 32:31
  to watch next.
• 32:32
  And we'll be reviewing Napoleon, Cat Person and Royal Hotel.
• 32:36
  And then later the week it's Movie News and we're looking forward to the Australian release
• 32:40
  of Bottoms.
• 32:41
  Yes.
• 32:42
  Oh, so excited.
• 32:43
  I've been wanting to watch this for such a long time.
• 32:45
  You can also catch Kenny Gets A Movie, also our Blockbuster Showdown where we fight to
• 32:50
  the death of movie knowledge.
• 32:53
  Next week, What's Next Week on the AFI Top 100 Podcast.
• 32:56
  So it's number 99.
• 32:58
  And for those playing along at home, you can watch beforehand because it's on Disney Plus.
• 33:03
  And we also have a physical copy of this one.
• 33:05
  It is Toy Story.
• 33:07
  And absolutely classic.
• 33:08
  This is why I think they updated it because movies like this definitely needed to be...
• 33:15
  We'll go into it next week.
• 33:17
  We'll talk a lot more about Toy Story, but thanks for everyone for listening today.
• 33:20
  Such a different Toy Story than her.
• 33:24
  And this is what the joy of the AFI Top 100.
• 33:27
  So much.
• 33:28
  For those listening for the first time, thanks for listening.
• 33:32
  And for those watching on our usual channels, we really appreciate all the support.
• 33:37
  I hope you catch up with the Ridley Scott draft.
• 33:39
  That was great to have Danny there.
• 33:41
  Voting convinces tomorrow.
• 33:43
  Hopefully you vote for me or Hannah.
• 33:45
  We do not want to hear it.
• 33:47
  Yeah.
• 33:48
  He kind of cheated and didn't watch.
• 33:51
  Well, you come in and you start the podcast by saying, is Ridley Scott overrated?
• 33:55
  I just want to kick him out.
• 33:56
  And then he said, Black Hawk Down.
• 33:57
  It's fine.
• 33:58
  Yeah.
• 33:59
  And then he gave nothing.
• 34:00
  He gave absolutely nothing.
• 34:01
  We then went into like all the British white boys in that and then he was like, yeah, it's
• 34:06
  fine.
• 34:07
  It's fine.
• 34:08
  Yeah.
• 34:09
  Oh my God.
• 34:10
  So you do...
• 34:11
  If you vote for Danny, it's a vote for mediocrity.
• 34:15
  Yeah.
• 34:16
  You're just choosing, yeah, I like those movies.
• 34:18
  Of course you do.
• 34:19
  Everyone does.
• 34:20
  Let's like just be...
• 34:21
  Go for the interesting ones.
• 34:24
  Well, that's my lovely co-host, Hannah.
• 34:27
  I'm Peter.
• 34:29
  Until next week, when we take a trip down memory lane with the AFI top hundred, we'll
• 34:34
  catch you for a little later podcast during the week.
• 34:38
  It's bye for now.
• 34:39
  Bye.