In the Land of Saints and Sinners, Boy Kills World & Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero

Full transcript of In the Land of Saints and Sinners, Boy Kills World & Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero.

0:00KT: It's another week in the For Your Reference household and it is another Reference Max, our combined review format. Let's get on with the show. Hey friends and top 10 UK sexiest man lovers. You won the poll Oti.

0:22Oti: Mm.

0:22KT: I don't even know how that works, but I'm also not going to disagree. Welcome back to the For Your Reference podcast. You got your host, KT

0:29Oti: and Oti.

0:30KT: Shout out to all of the PR that, have reached out to us for review screeners. We have a delightful selection for us today. We have a grounded story in the other referred to Motherland. We have some fun narration and action as well as the heart of a musician of a concert. We're going to be starting off with In the Land of Saints and Sinners. Thank you to Rob and the team at Prodigy. In the Land of Saints and Sinners is already available out now. Oti, thank you. Give us your thoughts and impressions. Also, non spoiler.

1:11Oti: In the Land of Saints and Sinners delivers a quaint yet captivating storyline. Watching Liam Neeson and Jack Gleeson bounce off each other is a true highlight, making for an engaging experience.

1:24KT: Okay. All right. Joffrey Oti. In the Land of Saints and Sinners offers a dynamic setting and is energised by performances from emerging and veteran talent. Nice. It's interesting. No, it's a very precise, it's a very to the point review. Headshot of the year!

1:49Oti: You better walk around like Daft Punk!

1:53KT: Hehehehehehe I'm a wanker in many ways, but flowery languages isn't necessarily my thang. your quote was interesting, it had the word quaint in it.

2:03Oti: It was, wasn't it? I thought it was.

2:06KT: Rolling around in the IRA, is that necessarily a quaint thang?

2:10Oti: It felt like I was so far removed from everything, just living their farm, the best farm life.

2:16KT: Okay.

2:17Oti: It's like they're playing Coral Island and everything else happening around them.

2:21KT: Okay, I can see that.

2:22Oti: And I thought that was just, you know, I see this for Liam Neeson.

2:28KT: I guess so. But there was a lot going on there. Shout out to Kerry Condon. She, she, she took my whole pussy away

2:35Oti: and a whole lot more.

2:37KT: Yeah. I hope I can get it back, but it's okay. If it stays with her,

2:41Oti: very good in Rome.

2:43KT: There's so many interesting sort of dynamics that really build to a satisfying payoff in this film. I think there are definitely some moments of, and, you know, excuse the Irish reference, but of Jenny, the donkey, we have a different type of Gleeson, in The Banshees of Inisherin, friends and lovers, but it was so interesting because there was a lot going on at the same time, not in a bad way, but it all kind of contributed to the crescendo.

3:15Oti: Yeah, it did. And I think with every sort of, and this is what got me with this movie. For some reason, I expected it to be Retribution, and I'd gone there with my arms crossed, and I was so happy, and that's why my quaint thing came into the picture,

3:35KT: compared this

3:35Oti: to Retribution. This is a, this is a nice warm cuddle, and I was there for it.

3:44KT: I guess if you compare it that way, like who's going to compare under the car seats, but there you go. I was hoping to get The Guard,

3:53Oti: a bit of

3:53KT: Gleeson, a bit of

3:54Oti: Cheadle.

3:56KT: but it was so good. It was so good. I do. I don't think that you need to give an apology, Oti, but I do think we need to spend some time praising Jack Gleeson because he did very well in his role.

4:08Oti: Yeah. It must've been the blonde hair in Game of Thrones.

4:12KT: Because it took it took a while, but I clocked it. I'm like, that's our Joffrey fella.

4:16Oti: Yeah, he wasn't as punchable. He didn't look as punchable.

4:21KT: Everyone looks less punchable with a pint, Oti.

4:24Oti: Uh huh.

4:28KT: But this work, this film works like it works in all the best ways. If you're looking for great dialogue, if you're looking for great performances, intrigue, storylines, that sort of thing, this is a great one to dive into.

4:42Oti: A hundred percent.

4:44KT: Well, let's move on. Uh, Boy Kills World. We did, have the opportunity to interview Moritz Mohr, the filmmaker and the writer of Boy Kills World. Uh, and we can finally do our review now. First impressions Oti?

5:02Oti: Boy Kills World.

5:03KT: You just did a smirk.

5:05Oti: I did. Boy Kills World is an exciting, fast-paced thrill ride. While the final third may feel a bit overstretched, the action and acting remain captivating throughout, keeping the adrenaline pumping.

5:20KT: Oh, okay. Interesting. I get the smirk now. Boy Kills World thrives when it taps into the playfulness of the world through H. Jon Benjamin's distinct narration, impressive action from Bill Skarsgård and its stacked ensemble. Oh,

5:42Oti: Mm hmm. Stacked indeed.

5:46KT: Tell me about your quote. Tell me about your first impressions.

5:50Oti: It got to a point in the movie and I thought, Oh, the movie was fun. I'm ready for the credits to roll and I can get out of here. The credits didn't come when the story continued. I was wondering what the hell is going on.

6:05KT: Okay. Is that, was that runtime? Was that pacing? Was it lack of care for particular characters?

6:14Oti: I don't know. I felt for me that I had reached a point where I can't take any more action and I can't continue on with the journey. And I felt that that was the best moment to offload everything because I had felt that the movie had come to its natural conclusion, but he hadn't. And I had to, we had to continue whilst according, you know, I wouldn't complain, you know, it was enjoyable up to the point. But it took the extra to just get through a little bit more of it.

6:44KT: So you're saying when you're done writing and you're ready to release, you're ready to go.

6:48Oti: Yeah.

6:51KT: This cowboy is ready to dismount.

6:55Oti: You didn't feel the same way.

6:57KT: I think. It is a delicate balance as much as I love and sploosh H. Jon Benjamin. I, I do think at times it kind of relied on the narration, whether to carry the comedy or to carry some exposition. I think it was a choice to make, you know, our main character deaf and mute. And not to necessarily say that it could have been done differently because again, I don't really rework films. I accept them as they are. I'm Wyclef Jean that way. But there were definitely moments where even just like straightforward storytelling could have sufficed.

7:40Oti: Yeah.

7:41KT: And, you know, we, we talk about not having spoilers, but this has been heavy on my mental, Oti.

7:48Oti: Oh, how's it?

7:49KT: so we identify that we have the protagonist that is deaf as well as mute. But he is able to navigate the world, whether it's with Sharlto Copley, whether it's with Andrew Koji, you know, there's quite a lot of people that he can understand and he can process what they're saying. But there was a particular character that he wasn't able to understand, almost as if he was talking jive.

8:20Oti: The lips move differently.

8:27KT: Oh, Oti Kills World. Am I right? I just want to get your thoughts on it.

8:34Oti: Yeah, it was strange. I didn't understand why.

8:36KT: Cause once or twice.

8:39Oti: Exactly. Cause clearly those speaking the same language as everyone else, because everyone else could understand him.

8:45KT: Exactly.

8:46Oti: So it felt weird, just nothing again, you know, with thick thighs comes thick lips and all that.

8:59KT: We're just in a fantasy playground right now. What did you think about the action in the film?

9:04Oti: Oh, so good. So good. It was very reminiscent of The Raid. well, yeah, notably. Yeah. Right. And, you know, Raid 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, plus 5!

9:17Oti: I'm there for it.

9:18KT: I don't know what barbershop 2 CD DVDs you've been buying. We're like the ink is running out. So it's like a green cover.

9:30Oti: No, but action, action was meant. I think Skarsgård did such a good job in this.

9:37KT: Yeah, and we haven't even had time to talk about Bill Skarsgård, but we'll come to him.

9:41Oti: I think I can't see this movie with anyone else other than him. It was that good.

9:46KT: Right?

9:47Oti: Yeah.

9:47KT: I don't want to rank Skarsgård because I think they all deserve their merit. but like I said, in the interview of Moritz, like Bill Skarsgård is one of the reasons why film lovers like myself get out of bed in the morning because we get to see him in exciting roles.

10:06Oti: That and the poster you have of him.

10:08KT: Mind your business. What I do on my side of the room is my business, Oti.

10:17Oti: Yeah. Oh, so good in this movie. I felt that, you know, even though we couldn't hear him talk or anything, everything else he delivered to the max.

10:28KT: You know, between that and Pennywise, I'm starting to forget what he sounds like.

10:34Oti: Washed Pennywise out of my memory, but yeah,

10:38KT: friends and lovers, we all have trauma. We're working through it, Oti, and Pennywise is a, FYR canon.

10:45Oti: Yeah. Oh, Don Mancini. He needs to get him as, Chucky.

10:49KT: I'm very excited for The Crow, as well, friends and lovers, before we move on, I want to talk a little bit, actually, mostly, I just want to commend and sploosh over the tone for a second, you know, in, in a world of easily consumable, I might say drivel, you might say known IP, it's exciting to get films that are different and have texture and, you know, You know, really have the balls to try something different.

11:16Oti: Oh, a hundred percent. We're living in a time where we get to see things like Mad Heidi.

11:23KT: Yeah. Shout out.

11:24Oti: you know, so I am happy that we're actually getting, creators out there wanting to push something new.

11:31KT: I think so. And I, I think that goes a long way. If I can speak for both of us, I feel like that goes a long way. for films that really do try and say something different, try different textures, whether it's through narration, whether it's through animation, or just expressive sort of storytelling, just a lot of kudos for that. And we are going to be wrapping up with. Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero, shoutouts to Nixco. It is currently available on digital platforms.

12:00Oti: Voice.

12:02KT: Thoughts, Oti?

12:05Oti: Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero offers a fascinating glimpse behind the scenes of his concerts and personal victories, supported by his family. While the film captures his persona well, it teases deeper layers of Montero, the boy, the man, that remain unexplored. And leaving us wanting more.

12:28KT: Wow, is that Crossroads Britney Spears or Crossroads Bone Thugs-n-Harmony? Ha ha!

12:34Oti: Both!

12:37KT: That was really nice, I like that. We were offered glimpses of Montero through a willing lens and healing heart. While this documentary focused on the persona, the tender moments will be the lasting memory.

12:50Oti: Um, because it's, what was clear about this going in, I felt I was going to get to know more Montero, the man, and I got to know more about Lil Nas X. Which isn't bad, you know,

13:10KT: it isn't bad, but it, it isn't something we would have already been able to fill the gaps already knew about.

13:16Oti: Yeah. Like to see his process and to see everything that he does to get himself into performing all this concerts and what he meant to him and the support he has or doesn't have, that's what I don't know. You know, like throw away lines in there in between that I didn't really I didn't know if I could clinging to them as something that they wanted to delve deeper.

13:40KT: Yeah.

13:41Oti: Or just throw away comments. Mm-Hmm. . And these are the stuff that I wanted us to explore more about Lil Nas X. I wanted to know Montero the man.

13:49KT: Mm-Hmm.

13:49Oti: and Montero, the boy we were shown Montero the boy. Yeah. Throughout the whole, throughout the whole sequence. But it was merely used as a, as, as just a visual thing rather than anything else.

14:05KT: I would argue that we didn't necessarily even get Montero the boy. I think it was more like Jesus. We kind of skipped over the puberty part. It's just like there were glimpses of his childhood and then there was him now. but I think before we even continue the conversation, I didn't, I wasn't even across it. He's 25 years old, Oti.

14:24Oti: Right.

14:25KT: So. I think that gives me a bit more perspective because in our big age, you know, there's time to reflect, there's, there's, there's time to, I guess, just ruminate over moments in both of our collective lives and also, you know, our lives together.

14:44KT: But I would say there was a certain reluctance that was in this documentary and it's hard to tell whether it was from, Lil Nas X, Montero himself, whether it was from the directors, whether it was a cutting room floor decision to have more set pieces of the concert. but I think one of the most beautiful things and you know, where we really get to the heart in documentaries is the ability to really go there.

15:16KT: And I am excited to have many more documentaries, maybe not like a Seven Up series of Lil Nas X, but you know, even just, you know, he referenced Little Richard, like even. At Little Rich, Little Richard's age. Like what would a documentary of Montero be like? You know what I mean? There's a lot of love, but there's also a lot of hurt as well.

15:40KT: and I think by building himself, there's still some unlearning and unbuilding that needs to be done in his past. I think, and I don't necessarily think that's work that he has to do specifically on his own. but I do feel like there is a reluctance to go there, which is such a stark juxtaposition to how, you know, how just free and how expressive his production and his tour is.

16:14Oti: Yeah, you can tell he's surrounded himself with people that support him, which is very important. But I still have that inkling of clinging onto this comment, be it throwaway or not. That there was something more and there was something deeper and that's why I wanted to delve into because that's who he is as a person and not necessarily him as his persona.

16:47KT: Cause at the end of the day, we're not owed that, but there is, whether it's rightly or wrongly, there is a sort of expectation from the audience when you have some sort of documentary recounting on your life. You know, you even referenced the Kurt Angle documentary we watched recently.

17:06Oti: Yeah. I think a huge chunk of that was us getting to know Kurt, the person, before wrestling, before.

17:17Oti: His glory in Olympics and everything else. And it got us to understand every decision he made afterwards. So that we, when we got to the point where he is a superstar, he is in, you know, wrestling and Olympic champion, it was easier to peel back everything else with, with Lil Nas X it felt. He's already there and while we veered, or we tried to pick, pick a back at what got him there or what, what, what the process was or what he managed to sort of navigate, it still wasn't that clear.

17:57Oti: And this is right. Like if it was supposed to just be that, then maybe yes, but there were still comments in there that I felt. They tried to tell us more without exactly saying it. And I'm like, just, just go there. Yeah. Go there. You're telling us already. Just go there.

18:14KT: There, there was moments like that. And I think one of the least sort of spoilery ones, and it's at the start of the documentary, Lil Nas X talks about his new home. And it's not necessarily super new. And there was like a couch that he was supposed to get rid of or some piece of furniture he didn't want to get rid of. And, you know, it even pans to all of these suitcases.

18:35KT: Cause he says that he doesn't feel comfortable unpacking because it feels permanent and it feels like a home. And you know, on the recipient end of therapy, I'm like, there's something there, it's like, there's a story there. Like, it's not just the cutesy. Sort of headshot confessional. You know what I mean?

18:58Oti: Cause even his bloody songs, there's some deep shit in there.

19:03KT: Yeah.

19:03Oti: So it's, it's not just, Ooh, this is, this is what I've done. This is who I am. And this is what I'm navigating. It's different when you portraying it in a documentary format and just getting sort of to see him going through the different castles in different places. Which was nice to see, I just really, really wanted to get to know him, a bit more.

19:29KT: Yeah.

19:30Oti: And maybe that's just not the time for it right now. You know, like you said, he's 25. Plenty of time for that.

19:37KT: Absolutely. you know, in our big age, like I do care for him and I hope that he, the people that he does hold close, he is able to be open with as well. It was kind of beautiful seeing how supportive his family was.

19:54Oti: Yes,

19:55KT: but then you can see there's a lot of hurt there as well. So, so to all the love and all the healing life can be very messy friends and lovers, but it's the friends and lovers that we keep along the way. Were there more Lil Nas X songs that you thought you knew?

20:17Oti: Actually, I'm surprised I knew all of those songs. What? Ah, need to, need to get his albums and then. Yeah, I was surprised. I knew all of them. Wow.

20:32KT: Actually, the last thing I want to say is Like, there's so much dimension to Lil Nas X, the persona, Montero, the person. there's a trolling part of him, like, it's playful, at times it can be a bit egregious, but even that wasn't in the documentary.

20:50Oti: 50 Cent level.

20:55KT: 50 Cent is the troll under the bridge level. Gonna jack you up for some beans.

21:03Oti: I troll under the bridge and I just remember South Park.

21:06KT: Well, I guess since we're coming to a close, how do you feel about South Park, creators and Kendrick Lamar working together?

21:11Oti: Great.

21:13KT: I don't know about that. Why not? Cause I know none about that. oh, oh, Oti before we finish. I just want to say shout outs to our Tongan brother, Lelua Junior Kailahi.

21:33KT: Thank you, friends and lovers for joining us another week in the For Your Reference household. we do have a few more, uh, review, requests. Before the Sydney Film Festival, maybe also an interview, as well, but we are very excited to get into our second year of Sydney Film Festival coverage. If you want to fight us, love us, sploosh, narrate all over us on Twitter, Instagram, still Bluesky, TikTok, and anywhere else I'm not scared to be. We're @ForYourRefPod.

22:07Oti: Write us an email at hello@fyrpodcast.com.

22:10KT: We're also on, I want to run away.

22:14Oti: Don't want to lie. I don't want to live. Send

22:18KT: me a gun. Bop, bop. And you can meet Oti on the dance hall, friends and lovers. And we'll see you next week. See y'all. Bye.