M3GAN 2.0, The Story of Souleymane & King of the Hill

Full transcript of M3GAN 2.0, The Story of Souleymane & King of the Hill.

0:00KT: It's another week in the For Your Reference household, and we have another Ref Max, friends and lovers we are still catching up from and during the time of Sydney Film Festival. So, um, hopefully you've had a chance to watch what we're covering today. We also don't have Bring Her Back on the list, but you've actually watched it since the media screening that I went to Oti. So, um, and that also just came out in the UK. So there may be some titles that haven't come out where you are in the world, friends and lovers, but we also hope you're well, isn't that right? That, Oti?

0:36Oti: Mm-hmm.

0:39KT: Um, also, if you miss the other episode, if you're not on our socials, uh, great exciting news. We did get approved individually. As critics, meaning if we venture out of the podcast, um, we can also contribute to the tomato meter. It doesn't just need to be on the podcast. Oti, do you have any just, uh, Bluesky? Um, we need to get onto that app a bit more, but any, but like any sort of things that you might want to, whether it's written or podcasts that you might want to do. Um. Like in general that it might break the format of what we have, or it might just be something more anime, I

1:21Oti: guess.

1:22KT: Okay. Hmm. I love that.

1:24Oti: Yeah.

1:25KT: Um, speaking of friends and lovers on the horizon, we are planning another anime Ref Max, which is one of our more popular episodes that we did recently with all of the anime. So, um, there was the Dan Da Dan film. That came out. Shame on you, Oti, for feeling shame to go and watch it in public. Uh, if you're watching the series, we we're caught up. So the, the what was covered in the film were I think one or two episodes from that. So I went to go and watch it, uh, when it came out as a screening. Uh, we've also watched Conan the Detective, which is out in cinemas in Australia. Friends and lovers. Um, the Jujutsu Kaisen film is coming out soon, so we'll be covering that. Um, and there's a whole bunch of anime that we're watching now. Gachiakuta, is that how you pronounce it? Mm-hmm. And then there's the other one with the ani, like I call them the big demon daddies.

2:19Oti: Yeah,

2:20KT: if you've seen it, you've seen it. Um, but yeah, we're watching a lot at the moment. We're always watching anime, friends and lovers. So tap in if you're looking for all of our thoughts and that sort of thing, but shall we get onto it? My love let's, I, hey, friends and lovers. Welcome back to the For Your Reference Podcast. You've got your individually Rotten Tomato approved critics, KT

2:48Oti: and Oti

2:49KT: on the Tomato Meter approved podcast. That's that one. Two Mike Tyson Blow to the face, like 96 ho with the bass. Wow.

3:02Oti: Just because you've done 700 minutes of,

3:05KT: you are the one that quoted clips, uh, on your own volition in the last episode for the first time. But friends and lovers, we have, um, again, films that came out. Even before June. We're catching up. We're getting there. Um, make sure you get your snacks. It's always gonna be spoiler free. Anyway, we have M3GAN 2.0, 28 Years Later, Final Destination Bloodlines, actually, they're all like franchises. Mm-hmm. And they're all sequels. Um, The Story of Souleymane, that's me. Mm-hmm. With my, not necessarily sad, but in my indie bag, friends and lovers, and we have. King of the Hill. Yeah. We got all 10 episodes, but you know, we're not gonna spoil it all. So let's start off, um, shout out to the team at Universal. We are talking about M3GAN 2.0. We also did a full review episode, did we not? Mm-hmm. Or was it a Ref Max? We're getting old. A

4:05Oti: full episode.

4:05KT: I need an upgrade. Um, Leigh Whannell. Check out our Leigh Whannell, uh, Logan Marshall-Green, and most importantly Betty Gabriel. Um, I think that was our third episode of the podcast, Oti. Um, yes, check out our, um, Upgrade episode, but we have a M3GAN, uh, review and this is M3GAN 2.0. Um, we've got our first impressions. Again, there's not gonna be any spoilers. Oti, take it away.

4:37Oti: In trying to broaden its appeal, M3GAN loses some of the bite that made the original pop. Still, its campy energy delivers just enough to keep it entertaining.

4:48KT: It was not campy it,

4:50Oti: it had some camp.

4:53KT: Just because you see ladies, you are that Jason in the bushes. Scanning the horror genre, M3GAN is still processing to form an identity of her own. While there are enhancements in maturity. The bug for overall tone remains when the story isn't tethered to real world implications with overly optimistic ethics. It's a fun, wild ride.

5:29Oti: Oh, you wanted ethics, eh?

5:33KT: I wanted Tethics, that's a Silicon Valley as well as South Park reference, friends and lovers. Um, yeah, we, I I guess just to give a bit of context, friends and lovers. When the first M3GAN came out, we were perplexed because we live in a world of Chucky that camp, by the way, Oti.

5:57Oti: Oh wow. If

5:57KT: it ain't Glenda,

5:59Oti: so you're the camp police

6:01KT: can't blender. I'm on my Cochran shit. Um. No, but we live in a world where we embrace and love Chucky as a franchise, right? And I don't really know about Annabelle. I never really got, like, when it starts to become that, like if you go into an old person's house with their, Werther's Originals and those licorices that have probably lasted all the world wars and you see a doll in the corner. That's too real for me. I, it's like what the Catholic, uh, horror movies do to you. I'm like, I can't play with that shit. I didn't even get friends and lovers. You can Google the archives. I, I didn't even get a Baby Born. My sister got a Baby Born and I got whatever the knockoff version of a Baby Born was. Do you know what a Baby Born did? Did it make it to Kenya?

6:55Oti: No. Just sounds like a ball born.

6:57KT: It's like a reverse. Angelina Jolie. It's a reverse, Sandra Bullock, so you can be a brown baby raising a white baby. But I, I didn't get the. Branded version. I got the off cut. So whatever that Annabelle is, um, I just don't play that. But I guess when we did our review for the first M3GAN, it was a bit confusing 'cause we're like, hmm, we're cool with going wild with it. You know what I mean? And I think that's part of what you see with, you know, different horror films where maybe it is easier when it's like. Uh, Damballa, for example, in Chucky or even Evil Dead, where they're speaking to in a lot of cases like indigenous law or even Pet Sematary for example, I think it's easier to embrace that shit is just gonna get wild, right? I think there is a wave of horror. Sometimes becomes thriller where it leans on technology. Maybe that's where you feel the rigidity of not embracing the breadth and, and the, the expansiveness you can have in horror. But there was something about M3GAN that just didn't work, that still didn't work in this one for me.

8:19Oti: Hmm.

8:21KT: Because I don't think. I don't know, like I am a very pragmatic, realistic person, but when it comes to films and, you know, shout outs to the Wachowskis, you know, even they talk about how movies are like mini matrixes, right? So even though I'm a very realistic, pragmatic person, when I'm watching a film, you tell me what your world is and what the rules are. Right. So for M3GAN to become, I, I guess it makes sense that she becomes like an asset for the government, a, a weapon of mass destruction. I think they even refer to her in, in so few words. It's like, uh, like you are the one holding yourself to that. But even when they do it is very Tethics. It's very, um, it's very Gavin Belson, um, hot kisses and cold ice cream, you know, sort of view. I don't think it needed to go that quote unquote realistic, you know what I mean?

9:24Oti: Yeah. It still needed to have some energy that it brought into the first one while going full balls to the wall. They tried going balls to the wall in this movie, but just broadening the genre of what this is. Mm. It just felt, it just felt like they're trying to get a lot of people watching it rather than just making a good M3GAN movie.

9:48KT: Yeah.

9:49Oti: Um, and I think the first one that was its downfall sort of, and then to do this on the second one, like, come on bro.

9:57KT: But I wonder if we're potentially the problem, because there was a moment in this film where I feel like the scene went a bit too long, and maybe this is the camp you're referring to, but I think what people really loved, and I didn't mind it in the first M3GAN, but was how she would start singing and there was a scene in this film where. I was like, okay, fine. But she's sang like all three verses a bridge and a hook and it's like, bro, we get it. We get, we get it. Maybe that's the camp you were talking about, but I'm just like, but the whole crowd was laughing, so I was like, maybe I'm the problem. I don't know. But yeah, I don't feel like M3GAN knows what she wants to do and, and what

10:50Oti: she wants to be.

10:52KT: Yeah, but even the big bad, like, and you know, we even talked about this actually in How to Train Your Dragon. I don't think it needed to have a moral quandary because they didn't, How to Train Your Dragon being like, oh, dragon bad. Get rid of the dragons. And that's, this is pretty much what, how you see it on the other side of like, humans are useless. Why are you helping the humans? And I'm like, Ugh, can we just have fun? Can we just, um, yeah, I don't know. How did you feel overall with the experience Oti?

11:28Oti: Uh, it was a good day out. I enjoyed that experience. Um, the movie in itself, like you said, there was some sluggish parts in it, um, could have been tighter overall. An okay watch, not something that I'd run to go and watch M3GAN three or even want to entertain the idea of that.

11:52KT: And it's, it's very much social mediary. It's very much training the algorithm because, you know, they had like, obviously media, walls and stuff and there was a little, uh, mirror thing where it said, hold onto your vaginas. And I was like, okay, that's fine. But then when you watch it in the context of the movie thematically and like mature wise, it didn't really warrant that line to be said.

12:21Oti: Mm-hmm. It was, it was a thrower line. Um, to make it as a marketing pull thing,

12:27KT: you gotta cushion the pussy. Yeah. Right. You can't just leave it flapping in the breeze. You need to, you need to build a world around the pussy, I guess is what I'm saying.

12:36Oti: I, I thought it would be like, impactful, like, um, the water, c word from, uh, what was the Hacks? The Other

12:43KT: Two?

12:46Oti: Was it all Hacks was No, the other

12:47KT: white comedy. Yeah. The, it's called The Other Two. All right. Well, let's move on to potentially a more successful, um, sequel into a franchise 28 Years Later, I must admit. I don't remember. It's been a long time since I've watched 28 Days Later, so I don't think I can recall it so much. Um, but you know, if it's a great film, it should be able to stand on its own. So 28 Years Later, Oti,

13:17Oti: 28 Years Later delivers some gruesome moments and striking visuals, but sluggish pacing and shaky character motivations dull its impact.

13:28KT: Right?

13:29Oti: Mm-hmm.

13:30KT: Yes. Can I copy your quote?

13:32Oti: Mm-hmm.

13:33KT: All right. 28 Years Later leans more on shocking scenes to convey sharp emotion in brackets, derogatory that won't be in the pull. A solid ensemble that sometimes didn't have the space to explore the deeper themes hinted at.

13:54Oti: Mm-hmm.

13:56KT: You know, the only, the only place I currently give a pass is House of the Dragon. There were three fucking pregnancies in one episode. I feel like that was still excessive, but that was enough. I don't think I would give credence to many other TV or film. The pregnancy scene in this film. I'm not gonna hint at the plot or whatever. It was disgusting. Even people that love their children say that childbirth is disgusting. So fair, right? There's a lot of disgusting scenes in this film. We're not covering Bring Her Back today, but that was also very disgusting as well. Like, I don't know, how is that different than just going outside and like looking at roadkill or looking at, you know, a bird that, that, that's decomposing. Like, what do you get? Is that art? What's, what do you get out of that? Like, I don't even understand, is it just for you to look through your fingers and, and you know, try to attempt to look at it? I would hope that's the case. I wouldn't want to see someone enjoying, um, those scenes. But I just, for me, a heart feeling person, I don't get anything out of this. And even if I did get something out of the film, there wasn't enough. Like I said, it was just sharp emotion. Jodie Comer always going to deliver, but even her character was very sharp. We got to the most. Sharpest shortcut to get to where they wanted to emotionally manipulate you. And I'm saying manipulate because I don't think it did the groundwork for it.

15:47Oti: You know what it felt like? Mm. It felt like a Seth Rogen sat there thinking, we need a movie. Oh, we've not done 28 Years Later in a while. Oh, we've not type down the 28th series in a while.

16:01KT: Put Ice Cube in it.

16:02Oti: Put Ice Cube in it. Yeah.

16:04KT: Uh, let's,

16:05Oti: let's think of a compelling thing. Oh my God. The bond between mother and kid.

16:11KT: Yeah.

16:11Oti: And then

16:12KT: like, like Last of Us work, so let's do,

16:15Oti: and then everything shock fucked up in between and bam, we've got your movie.

16:19KT: Yeah. Do you remember how disgusted you were with House of the Dragon and all the pregnancies? Let's put a pregnancy in this.

16:25Oti: Uh, there's a lot of weird decisions made by characters that you wonder. What the hell? It's either it was edited post or the story was modified because it just didn't make any sort of sense. Yeah, and even the direction towards the end of the movie, once the final reveal, it's like, go away. It's like, what the fuck? Go away. It doesn't make sense. We've sat here for. Whatever, how many minutes for that?

16:54KT: Yeah.

16:54Oti: Like, I don't know. It, it, it, me it was very

16:57KT: much, it was very much, you fucked me now. Fuck you. Yeah, because really, I don't know, like, maybe, and it's always interesting 'cause sometimes I will have a very strong reaction negatively, and you will enjoy it. Right. But I guess, you know, it's, it's a sweep. It's a sad sweep of what the fuck. But I don't know. I think it, I think it is more of a preference thing. I do like campy, I do like campy shit. I like, um, even if it's a horror where it doesn't take itself too seriously, I think this film took itself way too seriously. Plus there's no redeeming

17:38Oti: quality

17:39KT: of Aaron Taylor-Johnson, the father,

17:41Oti: even in any character.

17:42KT: Yeah, well, the kid, he is a kid. Let him be a kid. He

17:46Oti: can be a kid, but he can still, it's as if you watching Game of Throne and being like, oh, Joffrey is a kid.

17:54KT: You leave Gleeson boy alone.

17:57Oti: We saw

17:58KT: him in the Land of Saints and Sinners. He was very good in, that was really good. Yeah, he is in, you know, we saw him in something recently.

18:04Oti: Sandman.

18:05KT: Sandman. He has a face by God. He has a face. But we love him. We love you. Gleeson, Brendan Gleeson. Hope you're well. Um, but yeah. Uh, what's, what's our Voldemort's name? Ralph Fiennes, he was fun. He was a fun character. Um, spoiler not gonna get into detail. It's been out for a while now. But it was supposed to be a sh He, he, he, but Remic is in this film.

18:36Oti: Mm.

18:37KT: But this is where it cuts the tension because they announced. Or because it was logged on IMDB or whatever it is that there's gonna be three films. So what felt like such a long laggy sharp emotion movie? Oh, did they say it could have been a nice and tight It's be in three movies for this? Yes. Oh. But it could have been so nice and tight if you just shove remic like a third of the way into the film, or even like halfway through the film. Right. It makes

19:05Oti: sense why the decisions they made, you tease them

19:07KT: at the at the end. And it's like, come on man. I didn't

19:12Oti: really even care about Remic. Like that didn't do anything for me. It's more the 90 minutes prior. I was like, wow. No, but even if he

19:22KT: did do something, he should have done it sooner. Like, not him, but just the film, the pacing of it. But no one gives a fuck anymore because they want to double space that shit. Um. But, uh, but again, this is more me, and maybe I'm getting into my old bones, big age, but seeing the way that they used, and again, I don't know enough about Pacific Island, the history, so maybe there are places in the Pacific, maybe even my own people that I don't know, pre-colonial. But just the way that they had human bones and the way I, I, I don't wanna spoil it if people haven't seen any imagery of it, but it just didn't sit right in my spirits.

20:04Oti: It's a bloody poster.

20:06KT: And then I had to watch a, a, a big broccoli dick swinging throughout the movie. I'm like, please, please,

20:16Oti: why did you put a spoiler? Because

20:20KT: unfortunately, motherfuckers be showing their dicks without any warning. A

20:25Oti: Oh wow.

20:27KT: Up top

20:27Oti: OG.

20:32KT: Alright, well, um, let's continue friends and lovers. We do have an interview, um, for Bloodlines so please make sure you go and check that out. It was, you know, we've talked a little bit about interviews. This was a very tight press junket that we were very, um, happy and lucky to be on, but it was, they say for five minutes, it ends up being four minutes if you're lucky. Um, but because of that, we know we're not gonna get a lot of questions hopefully too, because we always have a question we ask at the end. Um, but yeah, most of it was just Tony Todd. Um, at Oti you've had a chance to watch it, uh, since you know all of the interviews and the screening. So we've both watched it. Give us your quote, Oti.

21:25Oti: A good send-off for Tony Todd and a fresh twist on the formula. Bloodlines takes the franchise in an unexpected direction and it weirdly works.

21:36KT: I love that. Yes. Filmmakers Zach and Adam harness the charm of the franchise and honours the legacy of Tony Todd as Bludworth. A whole meal film with heart, thrills and camp. We back baby. Hold onto your nipple rings.

22:00Oti: Oh wow. Is the world ending tomorrow?

22:04KT: Sure.

22:06Oti: I was channeling my

22:06KT: Black Christmas.

22:08Oti: I see that. Um, this was a fun movie. Uh, I,

22:13KT: and we watched all of the Final Destinations leading up to this.

22:17Oti: We did. There's some rough ones in there. So.

22:23KT: Oh, you let me sing it. Okay.

22:25Oti: Yeah. So to get this one, it felt refreshing and the fact that they sort of did a script flip.

22:31KT: Yeah. I, I, I was like, okay,

22:33Oti: I'm here for it.

22:34KT: Shout outs to Oti. That's a Cleveland Show reference, by the way, friends and lovers find you a film podcast that still references the Cleveland Show Friends and Love. It

22:44Oti: was a good show. I was stunned by it.

22:48KT: It was so good.

22:49Oti: Yeah.

22:50KT: You know, I feel like when you think about horror franchises that need to reboot reshift, uh, retcon, whatever it is, even though I will always say. LL Cool J, Halloween H20. No friends and lovers, just when you think, I forgot, I'm gonna mention it every time. Um, but the Halloween, like the, the three films at the end of the franchise, um, with Halloween Ends, Halloween Kills, et cetera. It was okay. It obviously was very indulgent. Um, but I feel like it worked here. If we're talking about the format of matrixing, the world. And I guess trying to tap the glass, so to say, um, on the franchise, I really enjoyed the way Yes, no, I'm just,

23:45Oti: you said it was such a straight face, but I know part of you was thinking bloody talent the creator.

23:50KT: I know it's past Pride month, but you don't need to call out my straightness Ute. Uh, yes. So. I enjoyed it.

24:00Oti: Mm.

24:00KT: I enjoyed the paranoia. You know what, Oti? Actually, I feel like motherfuckers aren't paranoid anymore. Whether it's real life or whether it's in films. Never rest Easy.

24:15Oti: Hmm.

24:17KT: Right. And I really enjoyed that we were following this family and like the literal bloodlines of it and not getting into too many spoilers, but the name should suggest the entirety of the film. Um, I think that song shout will always stress me out. Um, but there's so many intricacies and even like. The deaths in this film, some of them are so farcical and ridiculous, and so you just wanna like have a little talking to that little kid. Like you just wanna like, you know. But there are some very satisfying kills in this, but it doesn't have to, it doesn't have to mean more than what it is. And it doesn't have to be realistic. It doesn't have to be. Um, you know, trying to right a wrong of the government, like M3GAN 2.0, you know what I mean?

25:18Oti: Yeah.

25:19KT: Like we can just have a great time and that's what absolutely. What Bloodlines was. Um, I. It was really sad having Tony Todd, you know, like knowing that this will be one of his final films and, you know, having his speech there. And I, um, you know, in the lead up to the interview I went to like a smaller screening, like just for those that would be interviewing. Um, so it's a smaller screening than the usual media screenings and, uh. It was really emotional. It was really emotional. Watching Tony Todd, I think just in general, um, you know, for his legacy, but also ' cause we watched all the films leading up to it. And he is very character embodying the necessity of death and also the inevitability, but also the beauty of death. As well. I think I might have hinted it, uh, in the interview, but like death isn't necessarily a bad thing and it can be a celebration as well. So it was, it was a lot of mixture of feelings, you know, seeing Tony Todd as Bludworth and, and that in memory, in like in loving memory at the end of the film, it just whew.

26:40Oti: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Indeed. Uh, we, we get. Characters that we want to see how they'd go just because of how hateable they are or finding, seeing what interesting ways they'll get people to get got this time. Mm-hmm. And they don't disappoint. And this is the thing with the franchise, even in it's sort of when we watching from one till um, four, was it those, the Sam just. Not great movies. Mm. But the interesting bit of how they get, yeah. Okay. Let's talk about favorite scenes.

27:22KT: Let's talk about favorite scenes. Um, my favorite one, sorry, I don't remember which film it was in, but it was when, uh, the fellow won the lottery and he was in the kitchen. And he was cooking. I think when it's like very innocuous everyday shit. When I say it's my favorite, it, it's my biggest fear. Like it's, those are the ones that like, I'm like, ooh, not the ridiculous, um, towing truck chain and like, not all of those, those ones are a bit like I had a lot of

27:54Oti: 3D effects. Yeah. But

27:56KT: those are a bit Sharknado-y to me. But the ones that are like. Grounded and real. Those are the scary ones to me. What were your scary slash favorite ones?

28:05Oti: Uh, has to be one. Uh, I think one of the first ones where you get to see the guy getting strangled in the bath. That was prolonged. That was gruesome.

28:17KT: Yeah.

28:17Oti: It just felt uncomfortable. And I fear bloody elevators. And every time I go into an elevator, I'm like thinking, don't get stuck with, just don't start free falling. Yeah. And then we had one where the lady was getting decapitated with Oh, like, I can't, I cannot,

28:36KT: yeah. No. Yeah, yeah. Fair. Um, but what a beautiful way to, you know, send off the franchise. Um, I guess while we're here, friends and lovers, we do have a Candyman. Um, episode, so feel free to go and check that out as well. We're moving on, we're going to France, um, oh, France through way of Guinea. Mm-hmm. This is The Story of Souleymane. So this was during Sydney Film Festival, but it wasn't part of Sydney Film Festival. It was a media screening, um, that I. I went to before another Sydney Film Festival screening because I was really keen to watch this film.

29:22Oti: Mm-hmm.

29:22KT: Oti hasn't had a chance to watch it. Um, but I would like to loop back, um, in some capacity. 'cause I wanna have a proper, whole discussion, uh, on this film. But here's my pull quote, Abou Sangaré has an effortless charm that draws the audience into the complex reality and world of Souleymane. A sweet and frustrating days in the life that scratched the surface, but could have delved a little deeper.

29:51Oti: Oh, tell me, tell me about this movie.

29:55KT: I love it. Mm, I love it. I think it was a great film. I think it could have been an excellent film. I think it could have been an exemplary exploration, um, of migration.

30:11Oti: Mm.

30:12KT: If you want to run from the spirit of migration.

30:18Oti: So is the movie about migration trying to migrate from market? No. So

30:21KT: it's. It's about Souleymane. He's from Guinea and he is an asylum seeker and he's applying for a more permanent sort of, uh, residence in France. I don't know what the different levels are or if he's just applying for asylum seeker and he's before that stage. Um, but. Essentially the film, it doesn't necessarily, um, it doesn't necessarily apply ethics and morality of you need to enter the country correctly and blah, blah, blah. It doesn't, it's not necessarily that we're literally focused on him. He is a delivery driver, friends and lovers. If you do remember, there was a very short series that was funded through SBS in Australia. but I think it was available maybe on Sundance or can't. But there was a streaming service globally where you could watch it. It was called Appetite. With the pink delivery driver uniforms. I don't know if you remember it, Oti, but I very much enjoyed that series and I really loved it. And the reason why I'm referencing that while I'm talking about this film is because I don't think people even realize how difficult it is. Whether it's asylum seeking, whether it's, you know, migrants on how hard it is to even get, whether it's documentation or the accounts to be able to work as delivery drivers, right? So sometimes they would have like a hierarchy of people using, like creating an account. But then they've got workers under them. Mm. There's a whole conversation about whether they're getting exploited, whether they're getting fleeced for money, and they become just the workers of whoever the account holder is. There's a whole big conversation that was explored in Appetite. It's also explored in this film as well. So here's a delivery driver and what we have a singular focus in this film, and the focus for him is to be able to. Essentially be granted his visa again, whatever level of visa it is. And we also meet someone that he kind of trains people usually with the same story. Usually with the same script of having to flee, ending up in Liberia, for example, and then making their way to France. So usually there's like a script, there's a story. That they learn for the Visa interview.

33:06Oti: Mm.

33:06KT: Right. And there's so many different people and, uh, you know, 'cause he's asking for help. He is like, help me. I need to, and, and he is just being told. Learn the script. Just say exactly this in this Visa interview. If you slip up, you know, it, it needs to be this level of story. It needs to be, and you know, Souleymane's asking like, help. I need help. And it's interesting because it's so, like, you get it, you know, because then there's also moments in the film where there are, there are young men that are new as well, and they don't even, they, they don't even have they delivery driving that they can work under another account. So they're even, I guess, even newer to the process. And you see Souleymane like struggling. He's struggling to get to where he's going. And he can't help them because he's struggling himself, but he's trying to get help as well. And it, it becomes so frustrating. And for me personally, it was hard not to zoom out at the whole situation of it all because it's so easy to. I guess focus on how unfair it is and I guess you can say it's very, you know, exploiting as well. Um, there was My Father's Shadow as well. Friends and lovers go and check out our interview as well as, um, the review and also go and watch My Father's Shadow as well. Um, but My Father's Shadow as well as The Story of Souleymane, they talked about. Uh, a football game between Guinea and the Ivory Coast. Mm-hmm. And that's why I came over. I was like, oh, is that like a known thing? But they would talk about like, you know, like just, I guess just the differences of like different cultures and everyone just trying to make it in France. It's not even just trying to make it, but just in general. And I really love the way it was done. Um. Yeah, there were moments where he would be struggling to make it to the shelter because you need to make it to a particular time, otherwise you'll have nowhere to sleep. So he was really dealing with a lot. He would also call his mother. I don't wanna spoil too much about it, but you know. We, we learn a bit more about the relationship between him and his mother and the reason why he's working so hard, even though it's already a struggle for him to get through what he needs to get through. There's a love interest in the film as well, and I don't know, t maybe I am a lover gal because I. You know, I don't know if that's something that like we could relate to, but Souleymane kept saying, you need to go and find someone that's good for you. I'm not good for you. And she's like, I'll wait. And he is like, no, baby. Like, you know, if you have, if you have this educated man back home and he wants to marry you. Marry him. And I'm like, no man, you deserve love too. Um, so it was a really great film. I really enjoyed it. Um, I do have a qualm, quarrel and quandary though. Mm. You could tell it was written by a white person.

36:14Oti: Mm.

36:15KT: You could tell it was directed by a white person. No, you don't wanna ask me why and how,

36:21Oti: why and how,

36:24KT: like. It was done with a lot of respect, which is nice. But you know how culturally there are just things that if, like, say for example, if I were to, you don't have to do it, but if I were to say, if our friends and lovers were to close their eyes right now. What would the streets of Nairobi look like? Like what would be the sounds? What would be the smells? What would be the like, what would even be the trees in the background? What would be the color of the mats? Like what would be the paintings of the mats? You know what I mean? Like there's stuff that's so innately in your, in your frame of reference because it's who you are. You understand? So I think in this film. It, it was written well, I think it was definitely acted well, but I feel like there was some flavoring missing. Does that make sense?

37:23Oti: Yeah, makes sense. I hear you.

37:25KT: I hope you watch it. Um, and Abou is like, he was born in 2001, so he's young. A young fine fella. He was very good, very charming. Um, and, but also, 'cause he wasn't an actor before this and he also said, yeah, I'm not doing this again. Which fan? But we can enjoy this film. Well, let's finish off Oti. Mm. This is King of the Hill. Um, thank you so much to the team. Um, at Scenario PR as well as the Disney team also, um, in Australia as well, we did have access. To the 10 episodes, even though we're not gonna spoil anything, um, we're gonna have a very general, um, pull quote. Uh, but it did, it did come out this week. So this is our timely, um, review. And, but I guess what I'll also say is watch it now. Let's get into the pull quote. So

38:28Oti: We all need a Peggy. This revival hits all the right notes, reminding us why we missed this colossus. A king in more than name and it doesn't disappoint.

38:38KT: Wow. Mm-hmm.

38:41Oti: Nice.

38:42KT: I didn't know Hank was the king of Wakanda. Of Propanes.

38:48Oti: He was. Who do you think applies propane to Wakanda?

38:53KT: Propane.

38:54Oti: Oh wow.

38:56KT: The latest season of King of the Hill explores issues of today through the raucous world and beloved characters. A hopeful development of growth in a stagnant reality. Ooh, I don't hope much for people, but if Hank can grow, maybe the rest can. Maybe not Peter Griffin. Maybe there are too many Peter Griffins in this world.

39:21Oti: Mm. That's for sure.

39:24KT: Peggy. We need a Peggy. Really? We need a Peggy. Is she your favorite sitcom animated TV wife? She is

39:30Oti: Really? Who's better than Peggy out there?

39:34KT: Lois? Nah. Sharon?

39:38Oti: No. Not even from

39:39KT: South Park. She barely gets any

39:42Oti: speaking roles.

39:44KT: Well, she needs peace from Randy. Back to King of the Hill. Uh, did you watch it growing up?

39:52Oti: Yeah, but I wasn't, uh, an avid viewer growing up. I think it was episode three and there, um, but later in life I did get to it a little bit more. So it's, it's definitely fun watching it and having to see everyone grown up. You know, um, them coming from Saudi.

40:18KT: Geez man, geez, I didn't know you could like, 'cause you know how like mostly Americans will say Iraq. I didn't know you could do that to Saudi

40:32Oti: Peggy. You'll find a way. Um, but it was so much fun. I just enjoy this show. Thoroughly, the fact that it's 10 episodes. I want to go, oh, we gobbled that up. I want to go back to the start. Hopefully you'll join me in this journey and just rewatch the whole King of the Hill again. Mm-hmm. Because it made me, it reminded me of just how much I used to love this, and I wanna go back to that time.

41:00KT: Yes. Mm-hmm. Fair enough. Mm-hmm. Um, I don't, I hope you don't want me to turn into Peggy.

41:09Oti: I've already set up a plan, got a vision board.

41:15KT: I never, um, I never, I never watched King of the Hill. It just didn't do you, you know how you say it. You would see 30 Rock and you would be like, uh, especially 'cause you thought Tracy Morgan would be like a caricature. And then you realize that's just Tracy Morgan being Tracy Morgan. Um, that was kind of me with King of the Hill. Like I knew it was there. I'd never really watch it. Uh, but I'm so glad we got this season and I'm so glad that we watched it. Um, and also. I guess it's funny, like I didn't realize there's so many different types of white people. It's a bloody spectrum out there. Like I didn't know, like honestly, like I just, I found it so fun because even though I didn't watch the show before watching this new season, it made me feel like I was rooting for the show and it made me feel like I was a part of. This show all along, which may be maybe Avid King of the Hill fans wouldn't allow me into the club. Mm-hmm. Um, but I really enjoyed it. I loved, because, you know, we have instances where even movies, but like shows will have new introduce seasons. Like, I don't know how many times your Dexter DOS has come. Like there's been so many iterations of like. And maybe it's because of the ever expansion, um, like sort of streaming, but sometimes shows that came out before that have new seasons, they struggle to find their footing because you're trying to address or not trying, but like you are in a contemporary time. So whatever the issues or the hot topics are, those shows old. Uh, obviously we'll attack, uh, address it or, um, tackle it in some sort of way. And sometimes it comes off as, uh, everyone's sensitive snowflakes, which I guess you kind of see in this. But it does it in such a, a fun way and it does it in a very realistic way. I think even between Hank and Bobby. With the beers Oti. Mm. I think that's when we realized we're more Hank than Bobby. Um, who wants a fruity beer? Who wants a fruity beer? And it's like, maybe if you said it was wines, I'm with ya. But when you talk about beers, I'm like, it makes sense to keep it traditional. Don't touch my hop. They're all hops daddy. Um, and you know, there was even moments about, uh, his hibachi grill. Right. Mm. And wow. What's this about white boys in Japanese culture? 'cause now I'm thinking of Gabe from The Office. Yeah, Gabe and actually the OG white boy, um, with Japanese culture Krieger from Archer.

44:13Oti: Mm-hmm.

44:13KT: With his camika sun pillow. Um. But you know, when they were talking about the grill of charcoal versus propane?

44:22Oti: Mm-hmm.

44:23KT: And you know what I mean? So it's like obviously you would want like fresh commentary, but it always does better when it's done through the characters, you know? And it comes off less preachy. So there are so many different themes that get introduced in this new season that even though I'm not a long time fan, I'm an instant fan out of this season.

44:46Oti: Nice. Nice. Yeah. I, I loved it so much.

44:55KT: Thank you friends and lovers for joining us another week in the For Your Reference podcast. Uh, I don't know, we, we've started the trend. We might as well continue it. Oti, what, what are you watching that you recommend to our friends and lovers in case they're looking for more stuff to watch?

45:11Oti: Uh, we are sort of in our anime bag right now. Um, it's more Sakamoto Days. Yes. Kaiju No. 8. Yes. Uh, what's the other one with the omnis?

45:27KT: I told you the big demon daddies.

45:30Oti: So it's, it's all that just keeping us busy and in between just walk and life, I guess.

45:37KT: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, I'm cool with that. Um, friends and lovers, if you wanna follow us, Twitter, Instagram, Bluesky. Um, we're @ForYourRefPod.

45:52Oti: Write us an email at hello@fyrpodcast.com.

45:57KT: We're also on Oti's the King of the For Your Reference Hill Podcast. If you'd like to leave a rating and review. Um, and yeah, and we'll see you guys. It's either gonna be Superman or it's gonna be our anime. Probably our anime Ref Max coming up?

46:15Oti: Mm. All right. See ya.