Latest / Best/Most / Michael Espinach/ What is the MOST emotionally or psychologically disturbing film?
Transcript
- Jose: Hi, before we start the show, we do have a few spoilers for A Clockwork Orange, Requiem for a Dream, Welcome to Best Most. I am your host Jose Jogo Gonzalez. This is the podcast where we ask the questions what is the best or what is the most? Killing of a Sacred Deer, Hereditary, Mulholland Drive, and the Machinists. That being said, enjoy the For example, we ask questions like what is the most selfless animal deed in a film? Or what is the best song to eat dinner to? Before each episode, I ask our online community a question that our guests had chosen as our topic. I then go over the community answers with our guests and we also discuss our own answers. You can check out and answer the questions on the best.most.pod Instagram page. Join the conversation. Today's guest is a songwriter, musician, singer, and has had four full length LPs along with eight EPs. At this point a Long Beach music scene staple. Also a hot sauce entrepreneur. Welcome to Best Most, Mike from Breather. Yo bro. BREATHERRR 999: Hey. Hello, hello, hello, hello, hello. How's it going? Good. Jose: Pretty good. Pretty good. On this ⁓ memorial morning. BREATHERRR 999: Mm. Jose: So today answer the question what's the most emotionally or psychologically disturbing film? Our guest chooses the question for each episode BREATHERRR 999: Thank you. Jose: Mike, made you choose this one? BREATHERRR 999: I mean even off the like the concept of the podcast it's like it's so much to it 'cause it's such a superlative to say like best and So it it's interesting to think in terms of like movies that Especially like best or most like psychologically or emotionally disturbing, 'cause that entails so much more than ⁓ that's like not casual viewing. ⁓ And when I think of movies that are using the word disturbing, it's like ⁓ like greatly affecting. And it just it it brings up a lot of conversation as to why something would be ⁓ disturbing, why it ⁓ affected a person at a certain time in their life. what did it do to you? Did it was it like a gateway drug sort of movie where it's like you watch this and then now you've opened up to other movies? Is it like a is it almost like did you get jumped in? ⁓ Like like almost like a like a coming of age. ⁓ did you watch yet? ⁓ it'll it'll like break your brain. Jose: Yeah. BREATHERRR 999: And especially since I love horror but it's funny to movies aren't quote unquote horror. Like they're not really tropes of horror, but the ramifications and narrative what's going on is perhaps even ⁓ than horror can be, just because it's not It's not a ⁓ it's it's not tied to anything beyond like some sort of grounded reality and a deviation from that. And I think that that's when it's like that's when things can be psychologically or emotionally ⁓ horrific is like, Jose: Yeah. BREATHERRR 999: but I thought it was this way, and then it's not this way. that's a scary thing to to sort of explore and be kind of trapped in for like hours or whatever. Jose: cool. So ⁓ let's go into our community picks. We'll ⁓ we'll go back and forth on them and ⁓ feel free. BREATHERRR 999: ⁓ so there was a movie that was mentioned to me called Saint Maud, which I've seen before. and there was ⁓ a few works that were mentioned by the director ⁓ ⁓ Michael Haneke. and one of them a teacher. then another one, actually the hat. It's ⁓ this movie called Possession. It's probably one of my my favorite movies. and ⁓ yeah think was that was it for the stuff that people ⁓ mentioned. There was ⁓ some that were mentioned that were also ⁓ ⁓ my picks. So I'll I'll see what you got Jose: Okay. BREATHERRR 999: your list. Jose: Roho Locomotion chose Melancholia. BREATHERRR 999: ⁓ okay. Yeah. Melancholia, it's funny 'cause like I did have not necessarily my ⁓ top pick, but the work of Lars von Trier who did Melancholia, his name definitely came up when I was considering some movies. I haven't seen like Dancer in the Dark. I heard that that's like really rough. ⁓ Jose: It's it's good. It's really good. BREATHERRR 999: yeah, I do want to see it. one movie I did consider, but didn't really crack the top was like Antichrist Jose: ⁓ yeah. BREATHERRR 999: by by Vontrier. ⁓ And ⁓ yeah, that was one of those movies that's like you you watch it and you're like day is like changed. ⁓ Jose: Yeah. BREATHERRR 999: But he he has a tendency to do that though. I the only th the only reason why I didn't necessarily go with his picks is like I feel like there's a sort of maybe resentment or an ⁓ anger towards the viewer in the sense of like I'm going to make you feel bad, like I want you to feel bad. Jose: Hmm. Yeah, I could see that. BREATHERRR 999: so there I feel like there's a l there's a a tinge of cruelty to his stuff I I guess the movies that I picked there was something a little bit more than like ⁓ being antagonistic. Maybe antagonistic sword, but Jose: Mm-hmm. BREATHERRR 999: ⁓ melancholia, yeah, I remember that movie being like I think by the time that I seen Melancholy as me and my second or third Von ⁓ and I I was like, yeah, this is a bummer of a movie. ⁓ but it didn't I don't feel like it disturbed me. Like it didn't it didn't bother me as much probably because I was like already jumped into his stuff. But it was cool to see Kirsten Dunce. It's been a while since I've seen it, but was cool to see Kirsten Dunst Jose: Yeah. BREATHERRR 999: You know, like I had such a major crush on her from Jumanji. And then so it's like ⁓ Jose: Mm. BREATHERRR 999: you know, and then as I grew up and she like grew up doing, you know, new movies and blah blah blah, and she was like Mary Jane and fucking so like, you know, and then even seeing her in like Civil War, you know, a couple of years ago, which is like a very serious movie, like very tense movie. Yeah, ⁓ by ⁓ Alex Garland. Jose: ⁓ yeah, yeah, that's right. Yeah, that's a good one. BREATHERRR 999: ⁓ yeah, so seeing her in melancholia and seeing her in this very dramatic depressed ⁓ role was like it was definitely interesting. Yeah. I can see how it bothered people though, for sure. It's it's a heavy movie. Jose: ⁓ next one is Emilio J. Merga chose a clockwork orange. good one. we may or may not go into it later. Maybe, who knows? next one is Cass underscore Chavez underscore fitness. She also chose a clockwork orange. She said one of my favorites, ⁓ and Donnie Darko as well. BREATHERRR 999: ⁓ Yeah. Yeah, Donnie Darko, ⁓ I feel like that was one of those coming of age movies. I actually revisited that, ⁓ like ⁓ I'd say ⁓ Jose: Yeah. BREATHERRR 999: maybe about a year ago or something like that and ⁓ I watched it on a it's a Sun ⁓ yeah, Sunday afternoon and it was raining. It like the best time to watch that movie. But it is like it's a fucking heady movie and it will kinda you know, especially if you're a Jose: Same here. BREATHERRR 999: When it came out I was you know, in my late teens or whatever, it's like it's a brain breaker for sure. ⁓ Jose: Yeah. Have you seen the the director's cut? BREATHERRR 999: I think yeah, I did watch the director's cut the most recently, yeah. Jose: a I feel like it's a totally different vibe. Like it adds a whole lot of something to it. Like with where it shows like the book, like the chapters. ⁓ I was like, ⁓ is I don't know if I like this. This is kinda weird. BREATHERRR 999: Mm-hmm. Yeah. For sure. Yeah, I remember seeing it and ⁓ there was there was a bit more like I don't know if exposition would be the right word, but like ⁓ yeah, I think it was it was definitely giving Jose: It's less ambiguous, really. BREATHERRR 999: y exactly, yeah. I do think though that that scene of them getting out of the ⁓ school bus were they smoking pot in the school bus? I don't know. Anyway, they get out of the school bus and it's to Tears for Fears Head Over Heels. so that whole sequence with Head Over Heels and blah blah blah blah When I think of that movie, I think of that part before anything else, before all the wormhole shit beh you know, Frank the Bunny. I always think of that Tears for Fears part. Jose: Yeah. So my friend the Jason or the Ja Fivon, he chose Ex Machina, which I watched couple nights ago just to kind of re re rewatch it. BREATHERRR 999: ⁓ yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Jose: really good, really holds up. ⁓ I remember watching in the theater the fr when it first came out, and then re watching it this time, I kind of didn't really remember a lot of it, but it is pretty disturbing. what the possibilities of AI are. BREATHERRR 999: yeah, Alex Garland ⁓ got he does have a flavor to his stuff there's a it I feel like not ⁓ cruel about it, but there is a bleakness ⁓ to it. Like even you think about the end of Civil War, like there is a thing of like, it's it's the movie's done. But is that like it's not tightly like the the resolution is not a tightly wound bow. everything kind of ends with an ellipses and it's it's generally not a great feeling. so I definitely respect it ⁓ I respect his work, but I always feel like I have to kinda like mentally prepare for whatever he has. Jose: Yeah. so Mr Sam Slick, he said, Ooh, threads is a tough one. Really stark depiction of nuclear fallout in eighties Britain, just totally bleak and feels unavoidable when you watch it. And then Kat Rider, she chose happiness, directed by Todd Salanz. BREATHERRR 999: Happy writer. Jose: Have you seen Happiness? BREATHERRR 999: Happiness ⁓ I think so. Jose: That one? Okay, so just going off of everything you're saying right now, you should watch Happiness. BREATHERRR 999: Mm-hmm. Jose: it's starring Philip Seymore Hoffman. BREATHERRR 999: ⁓ Okay. Jose: But ⁓ there's all these other people in it, but it's really good and very fucked up in general. BREATHERRR 999: ⁓ cool. Jose: yeah. It's before watching that movie and and after watching that movie. So yeah, BREATHERRR 999: ⁓ Jose: happiness is pretty nuts. BREATHERRR 999: Nice. Jose: Ultra Events, he chose Requiem for a Dream. Edro DiCarmona, he chose a Clockwork Orange, watched it in high with a friend who loved that movie, mentally me as a young lad. What the hell am I watching? A close second where we am for a dream, also kids is up there. Made not want to have sex without a condom. No to AIDS. BREATHERRR 999: I've never seen kids. that is definitely it's been on my list, but it's like it's not streaming anywhere ⁓ and you have to buy it physically from somewhere. I do wanna make a quick shout out because I didn't say who entered movies to me. ⁓ Alex Jean, close friend and ⁓ collaborator. She was the one who brought up some movies and my friend Phil I I I don't have his tag on here, but ⁓ he entered some movies as well. and also DJ Kirby hit up with a movie but it w was my pick, so we'll get into that when it's time. Jose: Cool. Thanks guys Heck yeah. ⁓ we're gonna go into our individual picks. ⁓ so how we're gonna do it is you go with one, I'll go with one, we'll kind of go shoot back and forth. BREATHERRR 999: Okay. Jose: we Okay. So Mike from Breather. What's the most emotionally or psychologically disturbing film? BREATHERRR 999: My pick and this is with the caveat that I am aware that there is a iceberg, you know, the film iceberg where it's like you whenever you bring up a movie, there's always like you say a fucked up movie and then everyone's like, ⁓ well you clearly haven't seen Clown Vomits emb2. ⁓ But this is ⁓ Jose: ⁓ BREATHERRR 999: broad strokes, my top pick was Requiem for a Dream. ⁓ I ⁓ rewatched it the other day just to verify ⁓ my choice. that was a movie that don't know if ⁓ I even knew the context of it going into it but I I'll never forget watching it it was a Saturday afternoon and I remember by the time it finished there was like it was afternoon sunlight it's like going into evening so like my the ⁓ the room that I was in had like this dark orange hue to it and I remember seeing that movie and like immediately ⁓ I had to like call someone. I called my cousin Jill. I was like, I I just need to talk to somebody. Like and I don't even remember if I really talked about the movie. I was just like, I need to talk to somebody 'cause it like completely emptied me out. At least that, you know, that initial viewing Jose: Yeah. It feels like leaving a funeral BREATHERRR 999: ⁓ i yeah, you know, rewatching it, ⁓ I'm gonna quote my my ex-roommate Bobby, ⁓ it's incredibly bleak. That's what he says about about movies and shows, but Jose: Yeah. BREATHERRR 999: re-watching it the other day, I got to watch it more objectively 'cause I knew what was gonna happen and this and that. And I got to also appreciate for like its production value and what they're doing and like The editing is amazing. The soundtrack is amazing. Like cinematography is amazing. Jose: Mm-hmm. Yeah. BREATHERRR 999: but yeah, it is by that I would say to from that half, the the back half to the last third ⁓ is ⁓ a it's just like like punch after punch after punch that just like relentlessly like It is not gonna get better. It is only gonna get worse from from here on out. Jose: Yeah. Yeah, a build, sure. BREATHERRR 999: I I think also with you know, that movie's dealing with addiction that at least like on surface, ⁓ it's dealing with a addiction. you know the other day I like Why'd they call Requim for a Dream and then I'm watching this movie? It's like, ⁓ yeah, they all of them have this this fantasy of what they're trying to get to. Some of it is like nostalgia, some of it is like ⁓ like a new life, but they're they're trapped by ⁓ addiction and ⁓ This thing that like is almost promising or gives the illusion that they're getting closer to where they want to get to is actually bringing them is taking them further and further away from it. so not only that, but I think the the thing that's even ⁓ more ⁓ which makes it scarier beyond it just being addiction like on this individual level. Is that systemically it is built into just like when ⁓ when the mom, like a a great example is when the mom is ⁓ she wants to lose weight because she wants to fit into this dress because she's gonna be on TV and it's gonna make her feel like you know, she has this conversation with Jared Leto where she's like the the dress gives her something to up to. To wake up for and be excited about because her her husband's gone, her son is not there. And it gives her s something to dream about, to be hopeful for, but she wants to lose weight. So she goes to the doctor Jose: Yeah. BREATHERRR 999: and she's like, Yeah, I wanna I've heard about this diet pill, blah blah blah. ⁓ And when the doctor walks ⁓ into the office with her, he does not look up from his clipboard, he never looks at her. He's looking at his clipboard, he's essentially like, What do you want? She's like, I want diet pills, and he's like, Okay, cool. Like, essentially, ⁓ yeah, we'll we'll get that taken care of. And he walks out. He doesn't even look at her. So it's not even a matter of like the systemic aspect of it is it's not about the individual. For this guy, he could just it's just a paycheck to him and and it's like a quick fix. then later on in the movie when she's like she's ⁓ like lost it. ⁓ the people that are handling her, that's a that's what it is, like they're handling her. they're not even paying attention to her. They're having a conversation about some bullshit. She's signing off on stuff. When she's out of her mind and the the doctor knows that she's out of her mind and she's just signing off on this thing. And it's like so yeah, on the surface it could be about addiction, but y you kind of wonder how much of it is about distraction in general. You know, if you look at social media, if you look at just being on our phones, not to be that guy, like in a real sense, it's like as long as we're distracted. you kinda wonder how ambivalent we are to like the ramifications of things. And there are people in power that are going to ⁓ take advantage of that opportunity, not give a shit about that opportunity. We're just numbers. And ⁓ yeah, I think it's a brilliant movie that like it explores addiction, but from like every level of it from you know Like even Jared Leto, he's realizing with his mom, he's like, dude, you're on like uppers. And she's like, How do you know more than the doctor? It's like, yeah, and he's like a p he's like a pusher. So it's like he is he is no better than the doctor, or the doctor's no better than him. They're everyone is playing the exact same role. And ⁓ yeah, it's like ⁓ it's a very, very heavy movie Jose: Yeah. BREATHERRR 999: it's gut punch after gut punch and it it feels incredibly bleak. There's no ⁓ there's no resolution. Yeah, it's it's just ⁓ it's tragic. It's a it's a heartbreak for sure. I didn't cry, but yeah, ⁓ fucked up. Jose: No give at all. I'm I'm re I'm really glad that they also included that character, the mother, ⁓ and her her experience. Because ⁓ if it if they didn't include her, the addiction only kind of applies to people who are who are playing the game. Yeah, just drug people drug users, right? But having her included, it kind of like shows like, okay, this could affect you too. This could affect other people who are not BREATHERRR 999: ⁓ yeah. Undra no right, right. Yeah. Jose: quite intending to be drug yeah. I thought that was cool. BREATHERRR 999: Recreational. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. They she's taken a yeah, she ta I mean, in a in a sense, there's a recreational aspect to it because it's like it is like it's like a cheat code sort of thing, like, ⁓ I need to lose weight. I ⁓ I wanna keep eating my creamy bagels, like how do I how can I keep doing that? ⁓ but yeah, I mean Ellen Burston Jose: Yeah. True. BREATHERRR 999: not only did she like destroy in that movie, but it's like the scariest parts of that I re You know, even rewatch it the other day, it's like I knew that the part was gonna come up, but like she's like starting to hallucinate and like she's having visions of the people in the TV ending up in her in her room, like in her living room. And even when it came on the other day, I like immediately like got that sinky feely, like, ⁓ fuck, I forgot. And it yeah, it's ⁓ yeah, it it's i it hits harder than like any slasher flick. And that's not hating on slasher flicks, it's just more of like, it's truly scary for sure. Jose: So my main ⁓ is a Clockwork Orange from seventy one starring Malcolm McDowell plays Alex, Warren Clark plays Dim, James Marcus, who plays Georgie, Michael Tom, who plays Pete, writer Stanley Kubrick, Anthony Bur and Anthony Burgess, based off a book by Anthony Burgess. I a IMDB ⁓ A synopsis by someone named Nikki Carlyle says Alex DeLarge is an ultraviolent youth in futuristic Britain. he's arrested and convicted of murder. While in prison, Alex learns of an experimental program in which convicts are programmed to detest ⁓ violence. If he goes through the program, his sentence will be reduced But Alex's ordeals are far from over once he hits the streets of Britain. I have just a couple of points here ⁓ what is disturbing is the home invasion scene where droogs rape and beat the residents. also the cavalier ⁓ way these young men view the world and the violence in it along with their own violent actions, they don't have any sympathy and just just do and only feel ⁓ put out if they are caught. I think that's very, very common with a lot with a lot of young people, but also just people some people in general. I think they just do things. ⁓ They have there's no BREATHERRR 999: Mm. Jose: ⁓ idea of ramifications. If they got away with certain things in the past, they're just gonna continue to do it. But ⁓ BREATHERRR 999: Mm-hmm. Jose: This is like obviously like a heightened version of that. but I think yeah, that's probably the most that to me that's the most disturbing thing of the film. ⁓ and it definitely, you know, their behavior BREATHERRR 999: Mm. Jose: like that lack of ⁓ empathy or anything manifests itself in the actions of the rape scene. And that scene is just crazy disturbing. I'm not I'm like any rape scene, I'm like checked out. I I really BREATHERRR 999: Mm-hmm. Yeah. For sure. Jose: Yeah, I hate watching anything like that. But it's definitely an effective tool in this movie where you're just like you see how emotionally checked out these young men are and just don't give a fuck about anything really. They just they just kind of like, Hey, this will be fun. And that's that's their that's their compass, really. BREATHERRR 999: Yeah. Yeah. For sure. I mean, Kubrick in general had this ⁓ there's a dryness to how he approaches, know, it's like, you know, obviously Shining is like this, shining example. ⁓ You it's like such a classic film. But you know, y yeah, Clockwork Orange. funny because Jose: Yeah. BREATHERRR 999: you know, and I think the fact that the protagonists, like the the kids that you're following, it's like ⁓ are the villains. Like are terrible people. ⁓ but there's this level of like just jovialness and like this sort of like whimsy to it. that it's like kinda disarming. but yeah it's very sobering in the sense of like who are these people that I'm like you know if it's protagonist you're you have this natural inclination to like want to root for them or whatever. And then that happens and you're like who am I with now? Who am I following? You know, with this thing? And like Jose: Yeah. BREATHERRR 999: he didn't really have a realization until like they break into that lady's house and he like kills her with a fucking like that penis ⁓ you know, seat, whatever it is, he has that final realization like, ⁓ shit, this is very real. ⁓ Yeah, y you know, there's a lot of stuff in that even like I think it's like the ⁓ I don't know if it's his counselor or it's like someone from the school, but they end up at his house and he's just like Mm ⁓ Malcolm McDowell's character is just like hanging out in his tidy whiteys and this like counselor like touches his dick Jose: Mm-hmm. BREATHERRR 999: the the way that they're talking to each other, there's a sinister going through the whole thing that is ⁓ you know, w down to Beethoven's being ⁓ used, Jose: Yeah. BREATHERRR 999: ⁓ I don't if it's like the cleansing or brain brainwashing scene the ⁓ eyes. It's like it's a it's a very shocking movie, for sure. I think it's that thing of like Jose: Yeah. BREATHERRR 999: I never felt emotionally attached to the character. Like ⁓ it was mostly like it's like I said, it's that protagonist thing where it's like, you wanna see what happens with this person that you're following. But ⁓ you're just kind of like, ⁓ wow, this is this is fucked up. Like it's just like it just kinda messed up, Jose: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Yep. BREATHERRR 999: Yeah, thinking about it shiny it's like, yeah, it doesn't that movie does not feel good like at all. It's a different kind of horror, than like shining or whatever. Jose: what's your next pick? BREATHERRR 999: I went with Maholland Drive ⁓ by David Lynch. think that with that movie, ⁓ that was another one of those movies. So just setting scene, I think I was like twelve and my stepdad had rented it. I had never heard of David Lynch. So I was like, ⁓ I'll watch this movie. ⁓ And ⁓ it absolutely like like wrecked my brain and it it left it almost introduced me to that feeling of like that sinky gut the sink feeling in your gut. I think, you know, piggybacking off of ⁓ Requiem for a Dream, a lot of what Mulholland Drive is about is like ⁓ it's a very surreal movie, but there is a grounded thing that's You know, essentially like be careful what you wish for or you know, like or the things that you're dreaming for, like the horror of thou those things being unattainable, you know, with ⁓ Naomi Watts, ⁓ spoiler, spoiler, but like yeah, she's like, you know, you're you're you're following her ⁓ and ⁓ This other woman, as like, you know, Naomi Watts is supposed to, you know, she wants to try out audition for these movies, ⁓ and she has this person with her that she believes that she's helping, she's trying to help this woman in trouble. But it gets revealed by the end. that it's actually the other way around. She's been having like ⁓ she's been hallucinating and like she's the one who actually needs help. She's the one who's envious. I think that I mean Lynch has this ⁓ to ⁓ inserts ⁓ into reality, and it's so jarring ⁓ when happens you can't help but be taken aback. It's like it's like having a ⁓ and you know, that surrealism of a if that was to seep into your reality, it's like If you'll if you've ever w had like a lucid dream, it feels weird. Like it doesn't it feels strange. ⁓ it feels very alien and he has a a way of doing that. But I think that that movie ⁓ there's this like real darkness to it that is ⁓ I think is so relevant. Jose: Yeah. BREATHERRR 999: just to know Just the things in in general, the the effect of envy and jealousy, fantasy, and the the reality or like the the prospect of the things you really want to happen just never happening and kind of being stuck in a cycle of coveting like that that's that's horrifying in and of its own. That's like that's sort of a trap. ⁓ it's almost like the fantasy is a drug I I started to notice that with with my picks was that ⁓ I think that's that's when things at least I guess for me become like psychologically or emotionally disturbing is when it is like grounded ⁓ in reality very very real concepts and very real emotions ⁓ and how it's very easy ⁓ for the things that you want to be taken away from you or to le or to self sabotage, I think that that's ⁓ horrifying, ⁓ because that ultimately it's like Jose: Mm-hmm. BREATHERRR 999: you know, It's a it's a fact that like we don't have control over anything be besides like ourself, like and how we view things. but you don't have control over how things shake out. ⁓ And the idea almost the idea that's like the one thing you have over yourself, you let that slip away. ⁓ so it's almost like it's your that things don't work out. That's that's a horrifying thing to ⁓ to consider. yeah, I I think conceptually with Maholland Drive, like what talking about ⁓ and just how he delivers it is ⁓ very chilling. But i ⁓ it's definitely of my favorite movies. ⁓ And I would say with Requiem for our Dream and B Mulholland Drive, when I saw them, time of my life, ⁓ you know, being a kid, being early late teens ⁓ for Requiem, being like 12 years old for Mulholland Drive, those were like those jumping in movies. Like you j you just got jumped into like a new, ⁓ you know, a before and after sort of thing of like There was reality before this and then there's reality after watching this movie. ⁓ and it it definitely shifts your perspective on things. Yeah. Jose: Yeah. I can see that. my next choice ⁓ is pick ⁓ is so it's like the runner up is Killing of a Sacred Deer. it's from twenty seventeen. I go into too of the details of it, but I will go more into ⁓ why I chose it. the movie itself, quickly, is a doctor, a who befriends a young man who is the son of patient who I guess the surgeon had not saved during surgery. ⁓ And the young man is played by Barry Kyogen and the doctor's is is played by Colin Farrell. kid gets upset ⁓ and he kind of creates a curse ⁓ on ⁓ on Colin Farrell you can save one of your kids, in meantime they're both gonna start dying. BREATHERRR 999: Mm-hmm. Jose: so ⁓ makes this movie disturbing is the tone of this film. The delivery is so strange and monotone, not badly acted, but feels uneasy. Barry Kyogen delivers ⁓ staid yet menacing blasé performance. ⁓ the kids get sick, their reactions to their possible demise also feels fucked up and somewhat realistic, but again delivered on in a monotone manner. The whole movie feels off, ⁓ in the best ways. BREATHERRR 999: Mm. Jose: But fascinating. BREATHERRR 999: Yeah. Yeah. Jose: It's it's kind of a crazy movie 'cause it's hard to take seriously at first, but you really, really watch it and you kinda let that kind of cadence sink in and really watch the movie and take in like ⁓ BREATHERRR 999: Mm-hmm. Jose: These kids are are dying and Barry Kheoghan's character is almost kinda like a almost like a little BREATHERRR 999: Mm. Jose: like a devil or like demon just kinda like, you know, entering this guy's BREATHERRR 999: ⁓ yeah. Jose: just the way he he the character. It's it's pretty cool. BREATHERRR 999: Yeah. Yeah, that was my first ⁓ and forgive me for I'm probably saying his name wrong, but ⁓ Yorgos Lanthamos. That was my first ⁓ flick from him. And ⁓ yeah, it like that was yeah, that's I could definitely see that movie as like that that changed my my evening for sure. ⁓ yeah, the cadence of how they're talking ⁓ Idiosyncratic, I think, is what I've heard it referred to as like it has a very specific character to it, and the fact that no it's almost like ⁓ it's like watching like a video game and you're dealing with NPCs, like non playable characters, that are programmed kinda wrong, like nineteen ninety five, like ⁓ yeah. Jose: Yeah. BREATHERRR 999: you know, here's his action game and then like you have these characters that you have to talk to and they all like they're kind of like fucked up and they all like act a certain way and sound a certain way. It's almost like they have the same voice actor and it has this really weird alien quality to it. Yeah and Barry Kheoghan like Jose: Yeah. BREATHERRR 999: he d he has a look that you're like there's something about him that like it's like what's going on behind your eyes And especially for seeing him for the first time in that movie, it's ⁓ it's very jarring. And yeah, they the sort of sterility of it and that that last sequence, you know, where ⁓ where he has to make a or where ⁓ Colin Farrell has to make a choice, and how just matter of fact all of it kind of feels because there's like the sort of absence of sentimentality or ⁓ emotion like externally like at least from what I remember like I don't remember anybody ever ⁓ a sort of like this is horrific what is happening. Like ⁓ just like ⁓ like, all right, I will do the thing. Are you feeling good today? That's great. Like it's so and I f ⁓ yeah, I ⁓ funny 'cause like I didn't watch The Lobster until like I saw a few more of his other movies. ⁓ Jose: Yeah. It's humorous too. It's Yeah, I I love lobster by the way. BREATHERRR 999: But yeah, that one for me it's very interesting. I think that ⁓ I like his movies when ⁓ I Dog Tooth is really s ⁓ strange and cool. ⁓ Lobster didn't hit me as hard, I definitely respect it a lot, like what going on there. ⁓ I think when I saw Poor Things. ⁓ that was like, ⁓ this movie feels like it was made just for me. Like this is like I just sat there with the biggest smile on my face. Like this is ⁓ yeah and it's it's strange and there's a heaviness to it, but there's just the way that it's constructed, how it looks, Jose: ⁓ well. BREATHERRR 999: That one that one struck a chord with me for sure. ⁓ Kinds of Kindness, I really enjoyed that one too. ⁓ but yeah, Killing of a Sacred Deer, that's one where I'll recommend it to people, but with the caveat of like if you want like a heavy, weird movie, give it a shot, but know that it's gonna kinda fuck you up. It's like it's strange. It's very strange. Killing of a Sacred Deer, the language of it, like like literally and like socially, there's there's a sort of like ⁓ sur surrealism to it for sure. Jose: Yeah. And I think you you said it perfectly. It's almost it's like NPC. It's it's pretty much like if you've created a story with NPCs But ⁓ what is BREATHERRR 999: For sure. Yeah. Jose: you have honorable mentions as well, right? BREATHERRR 999: Yeah, ⁓ I think just to you know, bringing up Requiem for a Dream, a Moholland Drive, ⁓ Perfect Blue by Satoshi Kone, I remember seeing that it's an anime film, I think it was ninety-five, and that had a big influence on Aronofsky, who did Requiem for a Dream. and that movie, Perfect Blue, especially for an anime film to be as psychologically ⁓ shifting ⁓ sort of having that gut in your feeling thing. ⁓ accomplishing that with animated film, that that shook me for sure. ⁓ And I think Aronofsky definitely cited that movie as like his later work, Black Swan. ⁓ but Perfect Blue is another exploration of celebrity ⁓ and and identity. ⁓ that great. Anything by Gaspar Noé, think like, you know, obviously the, you know, irreversible is like considered one the like most disturbing movies out there. I think a lot of his work, ⁓ you know, the first one I saw from him, Enter the Void, you know, ⁓ back in like my Stoner days is like you go on Google and be like, What's the trippiest movies I can watch? And then you go and watch it's like people talk about Enter the Void, you know, it's about guy that does DMT, and then you w from the get, it's like, ⁓ this is wildly depressing because he's like a sensi essentially astral projecting and like viewing life and like trauma. ⁓ yeah, Anything by Gaspar Noah, ⁓ Michael Haneke. I will also mention Safe by Todd Haynes. That movie that was like one of the last movies that I've seen in the recent in the past year. ⁓ that after I turned it off I like I literally had to take a shower just because I was it like it left me with a really really weird feeling and it's about it's with Julianne Moore and she's ⁓ yeah she's allergic to everything and but there's there's an underlying issue of self esteem steam and so you know, and ⁓ just powerlessness to it that's very, very haunting. and ⁓ yeah, I have a longer list but we could jump into ⁓ into you have going on. Jose: see, I have Funny Games, ⁓ remake. I hadn't seen the original. just really on that, pretty much that movie is ⁓ exhausting to watch in in ⁓ in a way that your heart just drops and stays there the whole movie for the most part. Hereditary is one. ⁓ I know we wanted you wanted to kinda go into a little bit too. ⁓ The Machinist was another one that I also ⁓ chose. ⁓ I kind of forgot about this one until ⁓ you know, you chose your question and I looked into it and I'm like, ⁓ the Machinist. That movie was pretty disturbing, you know, in the way that it shows that guilt can really kind of overtake your life and destroy it and once you kind of see why the Machinist, played by Christian Bale, is is like super skinny and and depressed could understand why he's in place he is. But ⁓ as far as Hereditary, ⁓ is one of those movies have a feel of dread And and it really amps up at the end. But ⁓ what did you want to kind of mention about that one? BREATHERRR 999: Hereditary, I feel like that movie funny because when I think of like my favorite films, ⁓ you know, which is often like if I was to a list, ⁓ I ⁓ I always have this weird hang up 'cause I'm like, ⁓ is that movie too recent for me to say that it's like one of my favorite movies? ⁓ But it's but it's also like he ⁓ Ariaster set Jose: Yeah, I get that. BREATHERRR 999: a new benchmark for horror movies that like you cannot deny and he did something very fresh with it. I think I think w it was almost like, you know, he often get this movie gets mentioned in the same conversation as The Exorcist. I think what the I think what the you know, beyond the satanic or whatever thing aspect to it. Jose: Yeah, a hundred percent. BREATHERRR 999: What he what Ariaster was doing and well w William Friedkin was doing was like if you read any or if you listen to inter any interviews with Ariaster, he was like really big on like Ingmar Bergman, Michael Haneke, the guy who did funny games. ⁓ he did ⁓ this movie called Piano Teacher that was also like on my list. They I feel like they were making movies that were ⁓ or they're making movies that it's not tied to genre. It just has elements of genre in it. It has elements of h horror in it. I think the thing with Hereditary is it's like it is for the most part, it's a family drama. The mo the scariest part of that movie is ⁓ Collette's face. Jose: Mm-hmm. BREATHERRR 999: when they're arguing at the dinner table and like and you you empathize with her obviously but like just the the level of rage that she has and frustration and it's like she doesn't she doesn't want to be mad at her own kid but she also can't help but be mad because she just lost her kid. Like ⁓ and I think that you know when William Friedkin did Exorcist Jose: Yeah. BREATHERRR 999: You know, that was like his only like real horror movie, you know, quote unquote horror movie, 'cause like he made thrillers, like like he was just trying to make a good movie, and I think that that is ultimately the power of it was like, you know, and you could even bar ⁓ argue that Exorcist the what's horrifying within what makes it work as opposed to a lot of like possession ⁓ movies, you know, devil movies, blah blah blah. Is that one, she's a little girl, but she clearly has a good relationship with her mom, Ellen Burson. Like, so it's just something that happened, but it's not like it's not like it was born out of this trauma or anything like that. I think you go with hereditary was like the scariest aspect of that and what you start to realize is this family ⁓ never stood a chance. This was this was in ⁓ this was in motion. before probably even before Tony Colette's character was even born, like the mom is part of these demon worshipers and the the family was always on track to be sacrificed for for something else. That absolutely ⁓ but yeah ⁓ I do want to say with funny games ⁓ funny games Jose: Yeah, they're they're a means to an end, pretty much. BREATHERRR 999: I never watched it past the first time I saw it because I I was so upset by it. I re I think I saw it once and I was like, that I'm fine with that. ⁓ so I definitely I I concur with that. Michael Haneke in general though, you know, he did this movie Piano Teacher, which I did write down. He has a coldness to his movies that is so ⁓ Jose: Yeah, same here. BREATHERRR 999: there's a brutality to it. and piano teachers, like it's not it's like emotionally brutal with what happens with the characters. ⁓ not not in a way that like affected me like ⁓ I I feel like crying or anything like that. You're just like what they're subjected to ⁓ ⁓ very, very rough. And funny games, ⁓ really did upset me. And it's like, yeah, it's it's kids. Like when it's kids that are like our teenagers that just don't give a fuck and they're destroying people's lives, it that I think that's probably why I I didn't revisit either, 'cause it just pissed me off so much and like you know, yeah, fuck them fuck them kids. Jose: Mm-hmm. Yeah. ⁓ I I hope that's scary. I don't know. I think I I agree because I think that's so real. I think and I'm not saying like kids are killers or anything like that, but I think it's so real as far as the lack of empathy. ⁓ BREATHERRR 999: Yeah. Jose: ⁓ you know, you grow up and something happens and that's when you create, you become empathetic. But at that age you're just like, Woo, do whatever you want to do, who gives a shit? BREATHERRR 999: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Jose: cool. So that has been our our episode. Mike from Breather, thanks for joining me on this journey. on this journey. BREATHERRR 999: Thank you. Yeah, Thank you. Yeah, Jose: Would you like to plug anything you like to plug anything BREATHERRR 999: was a lot of fun. Jose: or give any shout outs? BREATHERRR 999: ⁓ shout out to my homies that hit me up with ⁓ suggestions. and yeah, we ⁓ are currently ⁓ very deep into ⁓ production of next release. ⁓ won't say much about it, but there's definitely not only an audio aspect but visually and the visual world with how it relates to breather in general. I'll say that film has definitely become more and more of an ⁓ important aspect of what we do. ⁓ And that is going to play a part our presentation moving forward. So hopefully all that stuff will be ⁓ shared sooner than later. You know, just everything takes time and you gotta you gotta let things marinate and breathe, but ⁓ no pun intended. But ⁓ yeah, it's ⁓ very, very soon we'll have we'll have something new for for everybody to experience. So yeah, thank you. Jose: And I I do recommend people check out your your I kind of like a concert or show ⁓ video on YouTube. I think it's on YouTube still. The one that the art theater in Long Beach. I I watched that thing. It was really good. Really BREATHERRR 999: ⁓ yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Jose: fucking impressive, dude. fucking impressive, dude. BREATHERRR 999: ⁓ thanks. Thank you. Yeah. ⁓ shout out to Tom Fleming. He shot the whole thing. ⁓ and shout out to Furcast. Everybody involved in that production. It was ⁓ yeah, was a it was a long long ramp up to it ⁓ and it was ⁓ That was one of those things where it's like you're especially as a independent artist, you know, you have to you're producing your own events and I I produced that and it was funny because it's like start the day, you're setting up you know, you have you have your crew and everything, but it's like it's like I'm checking in with sound people, checking in with projectionists, checking in with your merch people, checking in with a DJ. This is this thing needs to happen, this thing needs to happen, and then somebody taps you and you're like, ⁓ We're we're gonna play in fifteen minutes and you're like, Okay. And you go and play the show and then as soon as you get off the sh the stage you're like, Okay, I gotta go check in with merch. We have to close this thing down. So it was like that whole night, it it felt like just this blur of like activity. ⁓ but I'm really glad that we have that document out there for people to to see now and ⁓ yeah, I'm glad you enjoyed it. It was a it was a wild experience. Jose: Yeah. Yeah, dude. You have a you have such a good presence on stage, that's that's for sure. And ⁓ like interesting, i i exciting too, yeah. ⁓ so yeah. Thank you to our online community for taking the time to answer the questions on the best dot most dot pod Instagram page. And again, best dot most dot pod Instagram page. I gotta say the community brought the heat this time with ⁓ the episode answers. ⁓ thanks, friends. BREATHERRR 999: No, thanks. Thank you. Jose: Also, thanks to you, the listener listening right now. You could be listening to anything else, but you're here with with Mike and I talking shop. ⁓ to further support the show, you can share it with a friend. Like, like, comment, rate, subscribe, wherever you listen to the two podcasts, it's all appreciated. And remember, there are no guilty pleasures when it comes to music, movies, and all art preferences. Love what you love and enjoy what you enjoy. That connection is such a gift. Until the next time, take care and take care of each other. Bye-bye. BREATHERRR 999: Bye