Airplane! – All Oveur the map

Full transcript of Airplane! – All Oveur the map.

0:00KT: Welcome back to another week in the For Your Reference household. Sorry for interrupting your inflatable blowie, but you also turn this on, which means you're super nasty. As we delve into the cinephile world of film, we absolutely love this film. So feel free to tweet, DM, and also email us on other classics that you believe we should dive into as well. Priority given to our beloved patrons. Mhmm. Let's get on with the show. Hey, friends and lovers. Welcome back to the For Your Reference podcast. We got your host, KT.

0:00Oti: Hello, Tee.

0:00KT: Golly.

1:04KT: Hold on to your bosom jelly, and allow me to break the fourth wall. Your tithes are due at the church of reference consciousness. Join us this week, friends and lovers, as we discuss the all encapsulating perfect film Airplane! Mhmm. What a thrilling experience, Oti.

1:04Oti: It was.

1:04KT: And I'm I'm I'm fucking sick of you supposed friends and lovers, you know, suggesting, oh, you need to watch Whiplash. It is common modern cinema. Give me Airplane! Why isn't anyone recommending this film? You should watch Uncut Gems. It is unrelenting in its tension. Fuck off. That's what I say.

1:54KT: But welcome, welcome, friends and lovers. If this is the first time, what a tantalizing, albeit crash landing. It will be a lovely time while we are up in the air. And for those that have perused our catalog, welcome, welcome, welcome. We love you guys so much. We didn't really know much aside from the fact that this was a classic and I would recommend that's how you go into this film. So this is to say spoiler, spoiler, spoiler, otherwise, golly, golly, golly. Very much available for voice acting opportunities, friends and lovers. Mhmm. Alright.

2:38KT: Well, let's get into stats and general information because I cannot wait to get into this film. And if you've listened to our podcast, there is absolutely a difference between film and movies. Released in 1980 in way of directors, we have Jim Abrahams, David Zucker, Jerry Zucker, same credited for writing. In the way of the main cast, we have Robert Hays, Julie Hagerty, as well as Leslie Nielsen.

3:08Oti: Mhmm.

3:09KT: I am feeling good Oti. How are you feeling?

3:09Oti: I'm good.

3:09KT: Wow. Let's get into first impressions. This is the first time that both of us have watched it, which is a rare and most Splooshy occurrence because usually Oti has watched pretty much everything. You know, even an hour in, he forgets that he's watched something. So there you go. So tell us what you knew about it, what was in your periphery, and how did you generally feel watching this film?

3:09Oti: It's always been my periphery, I think.

3:42Oti: A lot of the time, I've always wanted to watch it. But for one reason or another, we always kept on pushing you back. Mhmm. And up until today, like, there's the Shirley quote. I didn't even know it was from Aeroplane. Yeah. We unlocked that achievement. Yeah. Underbudge today. But, wow. It was it was definitely something that I did not expect. I think once we started watching the film and we have the PA announcers talking to each other,

4:09Oti: That conversation, you know, it was like, okay. They kept on telling us about the red and the white zones. I was like, cool, cool, cool. And then a sudden flip and it was talking about abortions. I was like, what the hell? I knew from then on that I'm going to watch something really, really good. And it did not disappoint from then on.

4:09KT: Oh, yeah, absolutely.

4:27KT: And I also made a note that the couple arguing over the PA was first evidence of a podcast. Let's go into my first impressions. So I've always been aware of this. I think one of the first, like, direct sort of references I remember was from The Office of Michael Scott talking about Shirley, but he always used the referencing correctly. And far be it from me to be the reference patrol, but he used the reference incorrectly. Too too much comedic effect in The Office. But wow,

5:02KT: Oti. You know, we we recently watched Legally Blonde, and that will come out whenever it comes out. Maybe just on Patreon, but it will come out whenever it comes out. But, you know, I I talk a lot about it is possible for me to buy into ridiculous premises like Rush Hour, for example. And once I'm bought into a premise, I'm all the way in. And this is exactly how I was with Airplane.

5:02Oti: A 100% agree. I think

5:29Oti: the ridiculousness of it, unashamedly so. It earned it though. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And I found myself chuckling throughout. Yeah. I found my I had a good giggle, gaggle, cackle around the town. Yeah. And then there were moments where I just passed out laughing because of the sheer ridiculousness and the effectiveness of it.

5:29KT: It wasn't from your inflatable blowie?

5:29Oti: Oh, that too. That too.

5:50Oti: But it was it was one of those things that I felt like I didn't know what I was watching. I felt I felt like I was cheated for my whole life for not having to seen this before. Yeah. And then like, what what is every other offering? Right?

5:50KT: I gave a lot of praise to Office Space in the sense that it provided a blueprint

6:10KT: for workplace sort of comedies. And I also gave Fatal Attraction the same sort of accolades for that sort of Fatal, you know, genre thriller, if you will. But throw those all out the window. Just keep just keep Airplane because not only is it a blueprint, but it is a wholly satisfying film in and of itself. It had a formula of playing it straight and then expecting a joke. It got to the point where we predicted to expect a joke and it delivered on every instance.

6:43Oti: It it really did. It really did. And I think the best sort of a mod you could say for this movie is that you can cut up the movie into parts and it would be an amazing Key and Peele sketch throughout. Oh, absolutely. Absolutely.

6:57KT: And and that's exactly it because I felt like, I feel shortchanged on the offerings of comedy that we have now. We love the gratuity. We love some nasty. So it's it's not necessarily if something is vulgar, it puts us off. If anything, it it puts us on in every way. Right? But there was a way that this film was able to deliver, you know, to always have us expect a joke at the end of every instance of dialogue is is very intimidating.

7:30KT: And with a lesser pen, it would have fallen flat on its face. But this film delivered every time. And there were so many marionettes, you know, sort of of puppets at play. Right? In those being these characters. Yeah. Right? I even wrote down that the little Jesus statue had more character development than the Jesus in The Passion of the Christ. Woah. He even got himself an umbrella to shield himself from the rain. He did. He did. But, yeah, there's absolutely,

8:03KT: you know, a formula that abs like, when a when a film works, it works. And I don't ever remember being so pleasantly surprised

8:12KT: after watching a film.

8:12Oti: I think one of the things also for me was that this came out in 1980, and I had that in the back of my mind. And the things that would speed up, we'd have quite early in the movie. They bring a kid into the cockpit. Yeah. And

8:29Oti: Have you ever seen a grown man naked before? Yeah. I was like,

8:33Oti: what is happening here? It's o hashtag over is over party. But before I could even get my faculties right, we moved on to the next thing, and it was just on and on and on. I was like, I'm

8:46Oti: being titillated without having a release or a moment to enjoy it a bit more or to even get my bearings straight.

8:46KT: But that's what makes it work. Right? That's absolutely what makes it work. I love the I love the the styling and and the pacing of this film because, like you said, it doesn't let you marinate. It says the joke, it's shocking, and then you move on. And there's so many, like I said, marionette, you know, sort of characters

9:15KT: that there's so much interplay. Right? So while you're thinking about asking a kid if they've been to a gymnasium, they just completely move on. Right? And that adds to the comedy of it. And if I will, it has been a while, 30 Rock. 30 Rock does very well in in sort of comedic writing and having a lot of dialogue, three jokes, bam, bam, bam in in in one character, having dialogue going back and forth between another.

9:42Oti: Yeah. And I think one of the things that also got my attention was that it's not only the dialogue that we focus on, like the whole scene. Yeah. There was something that talks about the moment they're in or trying to expound it or even make it funnier. There was so much to dissect in this that I've

10:00Oti: not enjoyed a movie like this in a while.

10:00KT: Oh, absolute. I absolutely agree.

10:00Oti: Even the movies that I felt like, oh, mate, this is a solid nine.

10:00KT: Because you had no tax on this. I think that's the point. You had no tax and you still loved it.

10:00Oti: Yeah. You know, I'm not putting my Oti tax on it, but woah. Woah. I'm I'm I'm impressed, man.

10:00KT: Yeah. And and emphasis

10:21KT: on first impressions. We were very impressed with this film. We were not expecting it to continue to deliver and and and, you know, raise the octane every time. I absolutely agree. I think the pacing was great. Also mentioning 30 Rock again. I love 30 Rock even though I don't understand a lot of the references, especially the stuff about Mickey Rourke. But even though I don't understand the historical or cultural references in Airplane, it didn't get in the way of me wholly

10:53KT: immersing myself and loving every minute of it.

10:53Oti: Oh, great. Fully agreed. Because, like, there are moments. You know? We don't have to watch NBA or follow the Lakers to enjoy the the the the back and forth between Kareem and the kid. Like, it was and to us, it was quite clear at the get off that he was actually Kareem, even though we hadn't seen him before. So to fans who knew at the time who he was or even now, then that's just even more tastier for you. It's more tantalizing payoff. Absolutely.

11:25KT: Absolutely. And what I really loved about this film is it had a really great way of priming us as an audience. What do we love? What is our what is our, you know, first tier on Patreon? What do we love in this household, sir? A firm foundation. And this film absolutely lays and continues to build on a firm foundation for all of the characters and all of the jokes. Yeah. And I'll preach this to the highest mountain.

11:54Oti: If you get the story, the writing, and the casting straight, me, there's there's so little that can go wrong because I think the performances of Julie, Leslie Nielsen was like, he stood out for me. He he seemed like he commanded the scene every every beat he was in. But, like, it it was a it was a

12:16Oti: respectful exchange. Right?

12:16KT: Yeah. Everyone got their chance to shine. And everyone did shine. Yeah. Just wow. Is this what is this what virgins feel like after getting their first inflatable blowy?

12:30Oti: Maybe it is. Maybe it is. I'm yet to find out.

12:35KT: We get very close. We get very close,

12:39KT: friends and lovers.

12:39Oti: Don't call me edge lord for nothing, mate.

12:44KT: What I will also say, you know, we talk a lot about social class or at least I make Oti make us talk about social class a lot. Like, I do like being aware of the world and films that we watch to be conscious, if not living in the realities of our realities. I do enjoy that. But man, this film did so well to deliver every comedic punch, but it never felt like it was punching down. Right? You know, on Patreon, we talked about the Coming to America sequel

13:22KT: and the unfortunate barbershop scene that really shouldn't have been continued and how they were punching down on the trans community for no reason. Right? And I think that happens a lot in, like, modern comedies and maybe even in the eighties.

13:35KT: But, like, you just know that someone in the writer's room had an agenda and just randomly put it in there. This film, everyone was free game. Like, there wasn't anything that they wouldn't make fun of, which I I think is is you know, I tip my reference hat off to you. But they also it also didn't feel like they were punching down specifically.

13:55KT: And I really enjoyed that because, you know, there are moments where you try to like, you watch Scorsese, like The Departed, and then he uses terrible words about black people and you're like, oh, you know? It wasn't even just using like, it it felt I was being attacked from both sides. Like, it felt insistent. Yeah. The captain say it and say it and say it. I'm like You would get it. Cool. Me. Because

14:17KT: there's also of course, there are people that talk like that. And then at some point, it feels like you're getting off yourself putting this in. So I I guess my point is with Airplane, I just love the fact that it delivered in every way and it didn't feel like it was unnecessarily out of nowhere punching people or particular types of people. And I guess what I wanted to come to in regards to the writing style, what I mentioned before was the priming. Right? So there there are some things that aren't as nuanced

14:47KT: where we have Oveur just asking a kid if he's ever seen a grown man naked. I'm pretty sure that was the actual first question. Yep. He didn't bury the lead as much as I think he wanted to. I wrote it down. He was pilot Peter Kennedy. That's for our Inbetweeners friends and lovers or our bum da hwankers. But

15:09KT: like, they really didn't bury the lead there. Like, he right out said it. So we're like, oh, shit. Okay. He he's he's into kids in a way that he shouldn't be. Right? So there was no nuance there. He just said it. But there were moments where when they were getting into more perhaps dicier sort of moments where like that metaphorical frog in the pot and we're slowly being simmered. Right? You don't just throw us straight into a hot pot. Right? And I guess on a smaller scale, an example of that was McCroskey

15:43KT: because he was like, oh, this was a terrible week to quit drinking. Right? And it continued to escalate. It was smoking, drinking, amphetamines, and sniffing glue. We worked our way up to the joke. And that also brings me to the point of Ted, which very like, we'll get to Ted specifically as a character, but I just wanna focus on this example. He went through some shit. He did. Right? We'll

16:11KT: we'll get to him in a second. But in in regards to the writing device of priming the audience to be able to laugh at something instead of just saying it out in the open, was when he started to share stories with various passengers on the plane. And it started off with the old lady, which to be fair was kind of like, in regards to trauma was like the mildest sort of touch. Right? And he's sharing the story of when he first met Elaine.

16:40KT: Right? And he's having this moment and obviously it's for the audience to be able to get a bit more about his character as well as Elaine, and he's sharing a lot of it. And I guess also because this has been used a lot in in in recent times, you can predict that it's about to happen, but also kudos on the fact that they did it very effectively in 1980. Yep. But then it it pans to her and we see that she hung herself. Not funny, but in this context, funny. And

17:10KT: it was shocking. And I was like, I wonder if this was shocking in 1980, but it wasn't the worst. Right? And then obviously the scenes interlay with different characters, but then we see other iterations of various soldiers killing themselves, which makes it more effective because we were primed as an audience. I guess friends and lovers, if you feel that wasn't effective, feel free to let us know. There was only one instance where I was mildly offended, but we'll come to that maybe later

17:41KT: in this review. But, yeah, if if you feel like it still didn't work, feel free to reach out. If you agree with us and you feel like the priming was effective and and perhaps our defenses, you know, were down and we were well satiated for it, then let us know. But that yeah. There were many instances of this writing style all peppered throughout this film where we have the extreme joke being worked up to, aside from pilot Peter Kennedy.

18:12Oti: Yeah. A 100% see that. Like, yes, the moments that in the movie, felt I felt apprehensive a bit. Mhmm. But in context and just fully outside myself, it it was it was quite you could see where the joke was coming from. Know? It's nothing malicious. It's just enjoyable. Oh, yeah. To me, at least. And, wow, like, I really did not expect the level of details in every aspect, be it the writing, the setup, the the delivery. Mhmm. It was just all ace.

18:12KT: Oh, I absolutely agree.

18:48KT: But this film isn't a 100% highbrow. There are some ridiculous, really stupid Yeah. Moments in this film, but they earned it because they delivered very early in the film. Like you said, one of the first moments was them arguing over the PA, the red zone, the white zone, and it it comes to the point of abortion, which I I would imagine would be very shocking in 1980. Fast forward to the twenty twenties and you have Borat Subsequent Very Good Movie Film where they have their take on abortion. So, you know, obviously,

19:28KT: the mention of it, I guess, depending on how conservative audiences are, isn't necessarily shocking in the twenty twenties, but it was effective in informing to us what sort of film we were going to be watching. Yeah. It wasn't just a very personal serious issue of abortion. It was also put and framed in a way that was comedic. So it really primed us again with our cajones inflatable and otherwise, what we were going to get into. Yeah. Yeah.

19:59Oti: I think even with the abortion thing, you know, but even in 2021, there's still a lot of apprehension around abortions.

20:08KT: Yes,

20:09KT: Oti.

20:09Oti: It's always it's always when they went there, I knew exactly that they were not gonna hold anything back, and they're gonna go for it. Be it as you know, and and with everything that we usually say, taking risks and putting yourself out there is the best form. That's where you you can get to comedic nirvana.

20:29KT: Oh, why thank you, Oti. Wow. There's there's nothing better to say for that. We in the For Your Reference household are all about sexual freedom and not demonizing abortion. Mhmm. And then I guess we'll start a fight to make it comedic, which is pretty much this whole fucking podcast. Is it not, sir?

20:29Oti: It pretty much is.

20:29KT: And, you know, like and when they mentioned the the cult, I'm gonna call it a cult. Let's call a spade a cult spade. Yeah? The Church of Religious Consciousness.

20:59KT: You know why I am all about cults. I'm all about religion. So as soon as they put that and they framed it in a comedic way, that was like, yes, yes, yes. You were earning all of my Splooshies, and I will be at your altar at midnight in every time zone. Right? Yeah. So I guess to come back to it, there was so much there was so much layers. There was so much dimension. There was so much anticipation

21:26KT: for what we were going to dive into into the film. We didn't know what we were getting into, but once we started it, we were all the way in. Yeah. Mad Max: Oti Road. And because they

21:26Oti: With Charlize Theron though.

21:26KT: Yes. Mhmm.

21:26Oti: Just just making it clear.

21:26KT: Yes. Mhmm. Thank you, the Oti guard.

21:26Oti: You're welcome.

21:26KT: We love Charlize Theron. But because it did the dutiful groundwork of laying a firm foundation, it earned the ridiculousness of the Saturday Night Fever scene. That

22:01KT: that was my first cackle of this film. Don't think I've ever laughed so carelessly. I don't think I left all of my troubles at the door until that scene. I don't think I've ever lived until that fucking scene came on because it was so stupid.

22:16Oti: It was. It was. But the buildup was there. And when you get to that, like you said, they've earned it. Yeah. They've earned it. Yeah. And from then on, everything that ensues is just one or, you know, it's it's and and credit to you, you're like, mate, Saturday Night Fever.

22:16KT: Yeah. My head was still rumbling around and trying to laugh and just

22:39KT: compose myself a bit. Yeah. But wow. Wow. Wow. Wow. And and speaking of the Bee Gees, I do wonder if they needed to pay for Jive Talkin' because because we had one Bee Gees song, but I am almost certain just in the way that they delivered, they should have paid for Jive Talkin' as well. I think that's where you got your cackles. Let let I'll let you have the floor, my love. I yield my time.

23:12Oti: So we get introduced to this two black characters in the plane. Uh-huh. And they're talking. And then subtitles appeared, and I was like, For a second, I thought some rando just put you know, we'd got in a dodgy copy or something. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And then quickly realizing that, oh, wow. They're actually translating for the audience. Yeah. And that's where you go. Like, oh, that shit, man. Oh, golly.

23:44KT: Oh, I I don't think I've ever laughed my head off that much. Oh, it was so good. And again, that comes to the priming as well because if you had a white woman come out of nowhere and start translating for them at the start of the film, it wouldn't have been effective. And I think that's what a lot of films do now. They just try to get straight to the punchline. Yeah. But this film, yeah, we we had a couple of scenes where we could just live in the translation

24:11KT: and watch the stewardess just get a bit confused and try and understand what's going on. And then it leads to the whole, I speak jive. But then Fuck. Oti Oti kept looking at me too much during those scenes. I I thought I felt it was gonna be problematic.

24:29Oti: The minute I saw a white lady Yeah. An old white lady. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. There's some concern about important there. Approach and be like, hey, ass pick John, man. I knew I was like, I had to pause. I'll be like, are you are you ready to listen to this? Because I didn't know how it's gonna unfold. Oh, we watched that like five times. Bloody ridiculousness. Yeah. Oh, dear.

25:02KT: Dear. When works, friends and lovers, it fucking works, man. This is this is what we get. I really don't know how comedy has deviated

25:13KT: from this formula.

25:13Oti: And that's why I was like saying before, when when the boundaries are set Mhmm. And we prevent ourselves from going too close to them, then you get this stale monotone monochromatic sort of landscape and comedic performances that you just don't hear. And when someone or something brave that you're either tithering on the bloody line Mhmm. Then that's where you can actually get to see things that will not only push your senses, but make it make it payable, especially when it's written and delivered and directed properly.

25:54KT: Oh, I absolutely absolutely agree. This is just a love fest, and I am here for it, Oti. Sometimes we don't like it. Most of the time, if we don't like it, we won't record an episode on it. But I love the scenario where we don't know what we're gonna get into and it becomes our favorite thing and probably my personality on Twitter for the next couple of weeks. Mhmm. Wow. And I like, it's it's one of those things where we're just gonna continue to pull moments out of the film. One of

26:25KT: the funniest moments was the doctor while they're trying to land successfully. He's like, I just wanna tell you all good luck. We're all counting on you while they're in the middle of landing. And then he comes and says it again. It's the egregious ridiculousness

26:41KT: that I am here for.

26:41Oti: Even after they landed successfully,

26:45Oti: they still came in and did the same thing.

26:45KT: I also have the second evidence of podcasting in this film was when Kramer was starting to share his sad life story to no one. When everything ended at the film and Ted and Elaine has already skipped off into the sunset. And he's just there sharing his sad life to nobody. Is not is that not the first instance of podcasting, my love? It is.

27:16Oti: It is. Like, everyone has their archetype. Like, he had he had McCroskey, you know, he'd quite a substance that week. We all have a vice. You know? Mhmm. We all have vices. But he was so into his, oh, I'm gonna give commands. Even when the wife called, he was still like, put the baby to bed. It was the most hilarious thing that I've seen in quite a long time.

27:16KT: You were very shocked

27:42KT: by her sleeping with the horse. We got into some bestiality in this. Not to say that I wasn't shocked, but I'm like, dude, we just saw pilot Peter Kennedy, like, five times. Well, we all hear about obitos and all that in the news and whatever. I didn't know you had a timeshare with Herbert the Pervert. Oh, Chris.

28:03Oti: You have some kind there.

28:06KT: Does it sound like Kyle Barker from Living Single? Oh, wow.

28:11Oti: But we never get anything about bestiality. I mean, no shit is out there. And this

28:18Oti: is nineteen eighties, man.

28:18KT: Well, it's like, why is there a rule in it in the bible if people weren't doing it?

28:26Oti: Yeah. Yep. Exactly. We'll just leave everyone's folder called financial learning. Don't don't ask that question to your pastor though. Shit never gets answered.

28:36KT: We're gonna cover Spotlight one of these days. Sure. Surely. Surely. Surely. Of really, you know, no nuance, no burying the lead. We have the two little kids where where the boy comes over to offer some sort of hot beverage. I'm pretty sure it was coffee. Yes. It was coffee. Oh, dear. Yeah. I remember that. Yeah. Yeah. I feel like this was the first iteration of South Park where you're having kids saying things that are ridiculous that is the payoff for the adults because she said, I take it black like my men.

29:13Oti: I don't know how that slipped my mind. I think with everything that happened and that's why and that's why this movie worked. Yes. There's so many things that even I could forget that there were two kids that a a little girl saying how she takes a coffee. It was She

29:28KT: likes the men. This film is a clusterfuck of happiness.

29:32Oti: Oh, yikes.

29:34KT: Immortalize me in that quote, Oti. Wow. What a film. What a film. Comedy in general, but like you were saying, sketch shows definitely need to take a note. Yeah. Yeah. And if they have been taking a note, why?

29:51Oti: Why? Like, we've seen a lot of sketch shows currently, and we've not been best pleased, but Not been best pleased. Alright, Joffrey.

30:01KT: Game of Thrones.

30:02Oti: And it's one of those things that when you see such effort and such writing being done and you wonder, what the fuck? Like, the things out there that you could that could guide you, like, use as a template to make sure that you're delivering this Because you're given a platform as a comedy, then you need to be able to deliver that within, what, five, six minutes of each. Oh, yeah. Absolutely. It's just yeah. Man, this can be that. It could be chopped up and it could be delivered

30:32Oti: on the streaming site as that, and it would work.

30:32KT: It also shows how SNL isn't as actually, in the most recent years have been one of my favorite years in regards to SNL. I think because they got a new injection of writers. But, yeah, just generally, we were accepting of the fact that, you know, as much as we love sketch comedies, even though, like, and Phil, I would say is our top. Right? Yeah. But even then there were misses. No. A lot of misses. Hard misses.

31:00KT: But we accept that. We accept that with the genre. But now that I've watched Airplane, I feel like

31:06KT: I just wanna send it back to the kitchen. It's not cooked enough, bruv.

31:06Oti: No. I feel like it's cooked. I think I think they did it quite well. There's the Chappelle's Show, which, you know, at the time, it was it was quite funny and hilarious. And I think a lot of the people doing it now draw their inspiration from it.

31:23Oti: But when you see this, you know, and there's also been the one in Netflix, which doesn't get enough attention. Astronomy Club. It's you know, there's a lot of misses, but when they get it, they fucking get it. Yeah. And it works. I I also don't want to take specific shots at anyone,

31:41KT: but it it does feel like, you know, a lot of comedy is really stupid and gratuitous or it's overly woke by some quirky writer.

31:53Oti: Which isn't earned. Yeah. You know, we we not you've not edged us to anything for us to appreciate the the climax,

32:01KT: even if there is. But in in the realm of edgelordom,

32:06KT: isn't the responsibility and onus on thine self, sir?

32:06Oti: It is on thine self, but when we are viewers watching and consuming, it's the writer's job, the director's job to paint that picture, to make us move with every pen stroke, with every motion in the picture that that makes us informed of what's happening. So when the joke is being delivered and it hits, then we are already there with them, not being woke or or or being ridiculous for just for the sake of it.

32:06KT: So friends and lovers, in summary,

32:38KT: please email us, Oti particular,

32:41KT: for edge jobs.

32:41Oti: There's quite a lot.

32:46KT: He's on the lookout. I love the zany ridiculousness. There's so much going on in the background, even like near the end of the film where they were trying to get the coordinates and making sure that Ted was landing okay. There was some motherfucker in the background getting his washing out of a laundry machine. It's like there's so much detail. Right? There's attention to detail and their commitment

33:13KT: to the bit. Committing to the bit that made this an absolutely perfect film. I don't think I indicate if I'm ever going to give a 10 out of 10 until we get to Christmas, but there we are friends and lovers. I cannot fault this at all. Maybe if it was like, you know, relentlessly punching down on a particular community or in particular people, but no. This this film is perfect. This film is perfect in every way. Yeah.

33:13Oti: Even even the character Johnny, who was like the

33:44Oti: ridiculous person in this movie Yeah. He worked as well. He had a bit touch and go moments, but, yes, he he was okay. Yeah. Like, I found his moments, like, you know, it's it's it's already ridiculous. Yeah. But to add on top someone more ridiculous than the scene Yeah. It was like, oh, wow. Wow. But it worked. Yeah. And but it's it it it all culminates

34:07Oti: together. Right?

34:07KT: You need to be able to set the framework. You need to have you need to have a lot of straight characters. Right? You need to have a lot of characters that that have a lot of conviction and they're serious in what they're saying. And then you have ridiculous characters around them. Like, that's pretty much the formula that we get to. Because Elaine isn't necessarily the sort of character. She plays it very straight in a lot of senses, even though there's that there's that helplessness in her. She, like, she

34:38KT: she took my breath away. Every time I saw her, she absolutely stole my eyes, my attention, and my if I if it exists, my soul. Right? It also proved to me that attractive people can be funny and they can deliver comedic performances even though I still don't know how I feel about Ryan Reynolds.

34:38Oti: Oh, is he a comedian now?

34:38KT: I just went through the pin coil of Ryan's. And I got lost.

35:11Oti: Wow. Yeah. She she was great in this. Mhmm. She was great. I think a lot of her scenes when it's it's the innocence that she brings as well. Like Yeah. You feel you feel like, oh, shit. What what would she do in that such a ridiculous scenario? But she copes and she brings a sort of comedic chops to it as well.

35:11KT: Oh, yeah. Absolutely agree.

35:33KT: I also made a note here, Murder on the Orient Airplane beating the hysterical woman. That was that was one of the moments that I think we weren't expecting a payoff, but it was absolutely great. Because you had the moment where,

35:49KT: you know, certain characters were taking over, and it's like, okay. Don't worry about it. I'll take care of this. And you think they're going to calm her down. No. They just keep fucking shaking her. Right? Yeah. And once they get through, like, two characters, they pan out, and you see it's like a Murder on the Orient Express. They're all in on it. Everyone with a weapon of choice. Shit. I just spoiled it. Read a fucking book, friends and lovers. But yeah, like it it was that moment and I'm like,

36:15KT: this movie does not who gave you permission to be this fucking great? Wow. Yeah. And and you can't spoil Agatha Christie bad out, man. Like Yeah. No. This this is it's all out there. She's not Dr. Seuss level, but there was there was definitely reworking of her popular literature Mhmm. For many reasons.

36:34Oti: A lot.

36:39KT: I I can't be sure, but I'm almost certain that Seth MacFarlane drew inspiration from Airplane because peppered throughout the series of Family Guy, there are some golden chestnuts. And it does have a chaotic formula to it where you have interplay between characters. And obviously, there's ridiculousness that goes on as well. Like, there is a formula there. So I I wouldn't say that Family Guy is succinctly what Airplane is or captures it, but I I did see the periphery of inspiration from Airplane into Family Guy because

37:18KT: I do enjoy Family Guy. We make a lot of Family Guy references.

37:22Oti: We do.

37:24KT: Yeah. Even though you don't care for American Dad?

37:24Oti: No. I do not.

37:24KT: But we both love The Cleveland Show.

37:32Oti: Yeah. I enjoyed it. I don't know what what everyone else was watching.

37:38KT: Script flips. Woo hoo. Everything about this film is absolutely tantalizing. And also it's not like and I'm gonna come for Coming to America again, the original one. It's not like you watch it and you're like, okay, but for the time, fine. This we're living in a different time. Fine. Right? And you do the same thing watching The Departed. You know what I mean? This film works today. Yeah. Most of it. Most of it does. Please elaborate,

38:13KT: sir.

38:13Oti: No. Like, we have what was it? Like, I appreciated how they did the the when they went to Africa and the the the commentary about what happens and how it all gets portrayed.

38:26KT: I would contest that though.

38:26Oti: Oh, contest away, please.

38:26KT: I I believe you're referring to the Mulumbo?

38:33Oti: Mulums.

38:34KT: Yep. Yep. Actually, does sound African now that you say it.

38:34Oti: It is.

38:34KT: Mulumbo?

38:34Oti: Malombo.

38:34KT: It sounds like it's from the Pacific Islands now.

38:34Oti: No, it doesn't.

38:34KT: Well, some of them look like they could have been from the Pacific Islands is what I'm saying. But then again, I'm sure they were building off the stereotype of basketball. So maybe you're right. It's African. But you you try to claim everything.

38:34Oti: I do, but I only claim what I know is right.

38:34KT: Oti is the movie colonizer.

39:04Oti: I'm justified. Alright. So I I just feel like, you know, come in, take what they need. Mhmm. Pretend that they've done so much. They've changed lives. They've made

39:20KT: everyone. They weren't aware of athletics until I came along with their athletic bodies. With their athletic bodies.

39:28Oti: They didn't even know how to do shit despite them clearly having their own sort of way. You know, it doesn't have to be the westernized way for it to be the only way.

39:28KT: Oh, yeah. Absolutely.

39:39KT: And I I guess the reason why I was thinking of the Pacific Islands is, oh, friends and lovers. It was either Richard Dawkins or Christopher Hitchens in one of their books, they talked about how a tribe in Vanuatu worship Prince Philip because according to their frame of reference, they had never seen a white man before, so believed him to be some sort of God or something to be worshiped. So that's also why I thought maybe it was the Pacific Island.

40:08Oti: Yeah. Well, world's fucked up, Where you feel like you can watch a Prince Philip? Man.

40:17KT: But I I guess coming to the Molombo, that's also another example where, you know, we laugh about colonization, but it's like the Astronomy Club just trying to get through the trauma. Deal with the ramifications actions of the elite. But anyway, this is also another example of why I love this film. And I take you to one of the earliest stories that Ted talks about, and one of his ending quotes is war is hell. I didn't know I could enjoy a scene in a war psychiatric ward with PTSD soldiers,

40:54KT: but somehow this film made it possible.

40:54Oti: It

40:57Oti: did. It did.

40:57KT: Because it shows you it shows you the trauma in the in in in a in a light humorous way. But I think it's also because people don't wanna talk about it at all. Yeah. There's that avoidance. Yeah. But it's it's also bringing down the barriers because it it isn't great. Right? It is it isn't great, and and we talk a lot wherever we can about soldiers and and those in military around the world that need to be taken care of. And, you know, the the government should do more. Right? But this film addresses it. Right? When other people will try not to, and they do it in a very comedic way. There were very funny moments in that.

41:38KT: Least of not zip.

41:40Oti: Yeah. You know, and it's it's sort of the thing that why Ted Striker works as a character as well. Mhmm. Because all his ridiculousness is based off something. Yeah. His fear of flying is based off something. Yeah. You know? It's all part of a bigger story. And when you're looking at it in a in a more serious aspect of it, you know, it's not just all ridiculousness.

42:05Oti: There are messages you can derive from it. And once you make something hilarious and something that you can talk about, then it brings down the taboo walls that, oh, this is a subject we can't touch. Yeah. You know? So be it pedophilia, be it beastiality, be it war and and how veterans are treated going out,

42:24Oti: it speaks to all those. You know, my grand my granddad went to World War two and he was fucked up. Yeah. You know, we had stories and all that talk and nothing. Like, you get no government help, you get nada. And you're just supposed to be living in life and it actually,

42:24KT: and that that that comes to, you know, if I wanna bring my KT Kyle

42:47KT: from South Park, you know, if I wanna stand on my soapbox for a second, That was something that didn't sit with me at the start of the film because Elaine just wasn't understanding that Ted went through some shit and he continues to be affected by that shit. Right? She said it's not what happened to you, it's how you've been acting after it. That's still part of it, ma'am.

43:08Oti: It is. It is. It is. And I I think that speaks to the misunderstanding.

43:13Oti: People expect you to be fine. Yeah. People expect you to, hey, it's happened to go. Get over it. Yeah. Move on. Yeah. And it's not that easy. It's not as a matter of, hey, mate. You're out of the war. The war was, like, five years ago. You know? Move along. Jog on. Yeah. It's not that. Yeah. And as much as there's no knowledge you can't all blame Elaine because she's coming from a from from an aspect of misunderstanding and not knowing what or how it affects people because there's that there's that gap. Yeah.

43:13KT: My qualm is beyond her. Yeah. Yeah. It's not succinctly at her.

43:44KT: But I stayed in the realm of the film. So in that sense, I was able to enjoy it despite the fact that he had been through some real world trauma. And it's yeah. Again, with a lesser pen, well, we have every iteration that is now. But everything absolutely works and it all landed in the film. One of my favorites I just wanna highlight, it didn't necessarily have anything to do with world building or in regards to the character arc or maybe I wanna talk about Rex Kramer beating people up in the airport.

44:21KT: It felt very Adam West, rest of love and peace and power. Kaboom. Kaboom. And it was beating up all It wasn't just religious people, even though they were like Buddhists, Jehovah Witness. Like, he was just like beating everyone up getting through the airport.

44:40Oti: Yeah. And I I think we saw the Fawcie reiteration of that when Ted was doing that. Yeah. When Ted was walking in trying to chase after Elaine and someone passed away, oh, we've got our church of foundation y. Uh-huh. The church of foundation, Oti. Whatever that church was called. I'm trying to

44:40KT: How form

44:58KT: dare you deviate from the church of reference consciousness? I'll need to audit you. I'll need to Tom Cruise audit you later.

45:07Oti: They can all be be a part of the bigger picture or the bigger church, as you say. But, yeah, like we saw, we all want you to need some semblance when you're walking down the street not to be approached by these people. Yeah. Like, I feel I can't say no to them because I'll take all the pamphlets. Yeah. I'll even bloody donate because I just can't say no. That's not who I am.

45:07KT: I I do have to multiple times a day check-in on what religion Oti currently is.

45:36Oti: It's weird. It's weird. It's weird. And and maybe in my mind, that's all I need to do. Just kapow, kapoom, all of them.

45:45KT: And then you go viral. Yeah. It's our one chance Oti. Go out and spread the good podcast word. Oh, for sure. Speaking of spreading the good word, we have the lady that chooses to cheer up the ill child by playing the guitar. I think every every moment, every payoff reinforced the tantalizing sploosh mountain we were having watching this film. Because once we got to her singing, she was singing so beautifully and they really etched in the context, you know? Every it felt like a like she was fucking in Disney,

46:26KT: not South Park Woodlands, but she was in Disney. And she was singing and everyone was coming around and listening to her. And very absent mindedly, she pulls out the IV tube from the kid and the kid is struggling. It's it's great. Like, it's absolutely great. Obviously, I don't need to explain the same because it executes it in every way, but it's that shock and awe, right, that we feel watching this film. We're like, how much more wild will this get?

46:58Oti: Right? Yeah. It was it was ridiculous. Like, a lot of the things that they did, even when though because they saw, like, was it the doctor Yeah. Phoning the pilot, and they're like, oh, we have a heart for a young little girl. And then you have their heart like I

47:17KT: don't know why I found that so funny.

47:20Oti: It's the ridiculousness of it. Yeah. It just worked on so many levels. But you need to earn it. Yeah. Yeah. Fully on, man. Fully, fully on.

47:30KT: Jumping hot everywhere. Oh, man. Like, yeah. Everything everything worked. Actually, let's be balanced, sir. Is there anything that kind of maybe didn't work for you? Even

47:47KT: if it's a baby qualm. Like you got over it, but it was still because I I I'm pretty sure we're not saying anything necessarily negative. So is there anything, even if it's a little baby qualm?

47:47Oti: A baby qualm. I I feel like there's, you could always have qualms. Well, there are moments where I found myself not fully engrossed in what was going on, and I think this was towards pretty much towards the end of the movie

48:10Oti: when they're still trying to land the plane and we go back and forth between Striker and Kramer. I found a bit of that a bit overdone. Mhmm. But it didn't take away from my overall enjoyment. Just found that But that's like they could have done it less.

48:10KT: But that's like forcing you into a corner

48:10Oti: Yeah.

48:10KT: That's forcing. You had to.

48:10Oti: Yeah. If I really

48:31Oti: had to think of something.

48:31KT: I have a legitimate qualm.

48:31Oti: Yeah. Give me the qualm.

48:31KT: I didn't find anything mildly offensive until they started the news reports. Oh. Nondescript Pacific Island reporter playing the drums. And then as you're part of the problem, mate. And then as soon as he got the news update Change of sticks. You're an asshole. But again, it comes back to writing because they primed us. They had, I think, maybe two news reporters before that nondescript Pacific Islander reporter. Right? So so you saw that they were talking

49:16KT: as a part of the normal program, and then they got interrupted with the update, the urgent news report. Right? Yeah. So so we were getting primed and we have been primed all throughout the film, which is very effective. I think it's also the fact that we don't really get a lot of representation as Pacific Islanders in general. So it's like, you actually didn't need to mention us. But anyway, I was already swept away in the film, even though

49:45KT: I still feel a way about it, it's not as damaging to me as one. And I think he asked me

49:51Oti: if if it was, you know, if it was some nondescript African and they started clicking or something, you know, speaking in Xhosa. Who said that? You did. And I was like, you know what? I've seen that in every other fucking movie. Yeah. They do that a lot. I'm sure Coming to America has done it a million times. I was offended. No. I'm just numb. No. Sharp shit happens a lot. So welcome, mate. Welcome.

50:21KT: So instead of instead of fixing the racism, you just pull other minorities down? Let's all build a band. Friends and lovers, if you've seen Airplane! And it's baffling to you why we would've enjoyed it, just remember that tantalizing communal collective racism that Oti encouraged on the For Your Reference podcast.

50:21Oti: It's hard to be outcast

50:50Oti: be an outcast there by yourself. You know? Once you add someone else in the group, you're like, yeah, man. We can suffer together. Hey.

50:58KT: Hey. If we ever get into a Lord of the Fly situation, which the story originated from Tongan boys, but anyway, I will create my own island. I'm not going to have you as my leader. I do not acknowledge you as my Lord of the Fly Spokage. Wow. Okay. This film, Oti,

51:18KT: how long can we wait till we watch it again?

51:18Oti: I reckon about a month.

51:18KT: Wow. And that's that's interesting for you because you don't even like watching it within a two year time frame.

51:18Oti: Yeah. No. I don't.

51:18KT: That's why we still haven't watched Widows again, you motherfucker.

51:30Oti: Wow. Mate, I know you love Kaluuya. I get it. We all do. There's only so much praise I can take. Sure you can love Kaluuya, but are you able to identify him from other black actors? Oh, that is difficult.

51:43KT: That's a general question to all of you guys. I'm holding everyone accountable.

51:47Oti: Well, he could have been in multiple things. One Night in Miami. Who knows?

51:52KT: Who can tell this shit? I guess we're not capable of writing Airplane because we just left it on a really sad real note. Yeah.

51:59Oti: Well, we built you up. Come on, give us some credit.

52:02KT: Well, I guess that's also evidence that you are the edge lord. Now we're just like crawled into a ball on the floor because we didn't reach fruition. Mhmm. Cool down, friends and lovers. Also, the breasts, bare, but also just the breasts with the jello. It wasn't gratuitous and it was used very effectively. Yeah. Effectively in the sense that it just contributed to all of the mayhem. Yeah. I'll take any titty shakes where I can get them. Like now? Yeah. Oh my. Let's wrap this up. We're gonna finish off oh, I'm blushing.

52:41KT: We're gonna finish off in a segment we call, For Your Reference,

52:45KT: Oti.

52:45Oti: I do not even know what to do with this. I feel like you know what? I will reference because we've already done Key and Peele, I will reference Astronomy Club. Go give those guys a support. Nice. They tried and they delivered on some aspect. Give them a go.

52:45KT: Oh, I thought you were gonna do

53:03KT: don't go drinking juice. Oh, you mean Don't Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood. And there we are, friends and lovers. It was at the end of the show, but there's Oti's tax. And I will reference 30 Rock. If you'd like to see Otis Rockefeller on Twitter and Instagram, we're @ForYourRefPod. Write us an email at hello@fyrpodcast.com. We're also on Molombo podcast if you like to leave a rating and review. And we'll see you guys hopefully just as enjoyably

53:40KT: next week.

53:40Oti: Grab your sticks and send us a message. Golly. See you.