Out of My Mind, Creature Commandos, ReAwakening & LOTR: WOTR

Full transcript of Out of My Mind, Creature Commandos, ReAwakening & LOTR: WOTR.

0:00KT: It's another week in the For Your Reference household and it is another turn of the festive season, Oti. We can be your friends, lovers and your family. Friends and lovers. Um, you know, this time can be a lot of joy, but there can also be a lot of pain as well. So we extend our splooshes and our catalog friends and lovers go and watch some films and giggle gaggle with your best friends and lovers. Let's get on with our last Ref Max before our Christmas special. Wow. Hey, friends and Mr. Hanky lovers, welcome back to the For Your Reference podcast. You got your host, KT.

0:43Oti: Oti.

0:45KT: thank you again to, um, you know, the relationships that we've built in PR, whether it's like independent distribution or the big mandom studios of it all. Um, we've had, uh, a big year, but last year was a massive, we did like 150 reviews. This year we've done about 50 with obviously way more interviews, but thank you so much to the relationships we've built, um, PR and also indie film peeps. We're all just trying to get it together and have meaningful conversations because we're more than film buffs and we would never desecrate Denzel Washington.

1:24Oti: wow

1:27KT: You can you can do all your think pieces, but he was white and that's why he did what he did.

1:33Oti: Jeez, no context is going in there

1:37KT: Yeah, I have the same energy that that grown man had for that little kid in It's a Wonderful Life. just out here smacking your film buff mouths.

1:46Oti: One of the best movies one of the best Christmas movies

1:49KT: And one of the best insights to why Oti is who Oti are. But yes, um, when it comes to the Christmas special, there's a lot that we haven't covered in regards to review requests. So we might do a quick hit list, um, when we get to our Christmas special, but for now we have a sumptuous tasting platter, friends and lovers. We also have some exciting stuff coming up for the podcast in 2025.

2:15Oti: Ooh, the year of Chucalissa.

2:17KT: The year of Chucalissa, we better get P-Valley. Bruvs!

2:22Oti: It to come out next year. I don't want to hear about them finishing filming again or production or something. I don't know

2:28KT: the stars account like my Um, but yes, friends and lovers. And while we're saying it here again, if you're looking to have some company, some nasty splooshy company over the, over the season, check out our Reference Degustations. We cover directors and very quickly Oti, do you want to give a sneak peek of who we'll be covering in 2025?

2:51Oti: Spike Lee.

2:56KT: out our Patreon friends and lovers. We have the films that we have committed to as a minimum, but let's get into, uh, today's Ref Max shout outs to the team at scenario PR. This is a Disney film, which is available on Disney+ right now, and it's called Out of My Mind. I'll give you my non spoiler thoughts. Oti hasn't had a chance to watch it, so, um, it'll just be a very quick summary of the film. Thank you.

3:22KT: A coming of age film that centres the experiences of a young girl with cerebral palsy. There is a lot of care and compelling storytelling methods to convey Melody's emotional

3:34Oti: Okay, that's sweet.

3:36KT: Yeah, one of those storytelling methods is having your best friend, Jennifer Aniston, narrate. Yeah.

3:44Oti: See, if you'd led with that, I would have cleared the agenda.

3:49KT: I'm sure Jennifer Aniston wouldn't want to lead to it because it's about Melody's journey. Um, I believe it's also based on a book, but what I really enjoyed about this film is because our protagonist is nonverbal. I guess you would wonder, you know, how we would be able to latch on to her emotional journey, not just the story of what Melody is going through, but when she feels frustrated, when she can't communicate. Um, there, there are some great sort of devices in regards to whether it's Jennifer Aniston's character or, you know, just letting the scene play out and we can watch, Um, a shout out to Phoebe-Rae Taylor, the actress that plays Melody. She also has cerebral palsy as well.

4:35Oti: okay,

4:35KT: Get out of here, Sia. Representation is important and it's important for these sorts of matters. And also, if you guys are fighting Marissa Bode in regards to Wicked, I will fight you. I got time. But I just, I really loved it. You know, coming of age, sometimes it can be like a bit too angsty for an adult sort of audience. And, you know, Even having a story with, you know, a young girl with cerebral palsy, you would wonder, is this something I can connect to? But I absolutely loved it. Like, I love the way that it was portrayed. Um, even trying to make friends and they're not necessarily bad.

5:16KT: Like kids, but you can also see them not wanting to engage meaningfully. The mother is a very understandable mother because she wants to protect. Like there's, there's an instance in the film and this isn't a spoiler, but there's an instance in the film where, um, Melody's, uh, you know, the, the teachers and the helpers that are in the class see potential in her for her to be able to not full time, but take a couple of classes, you know, in the standard sort of classes. Right. Um, and the mom's like, no, no, you, we can't do this. We can't do this. And that's like, she's got potential. She wants to do it. Like she's expressed that she wants to be able to do it. And the mom's like, well, when it all falls apart, you have to deal with it. It's very, um, if

6:05Oti: Reminding me like a typical

6:06KT: I was going to say typical cause it's like, it's like a cotton wool baby sort of thing. So it's understandable, but it's also, she's a young, like, and there's also moments in the narration where she's like, I just want to wear sparkly things and talk about boys. You know what I mean? So, I don't know. It was very emotional. I felt very emotional, um, watching it. So I would recommend it. Friends and lovers, uh, for anyone

6:30Oti: Well, I, I'm glad that you said, because I think when you read or you said what it was about, my head went to, you know, Uh, Tell Them You Love Me, remember the Netflix documentary around

6:42KT: my goodness. That was non verbal as

6:44Oti: Yeah, and I was like, oh my god. I hope it's not that and those yeah good

6:49KT: It's still Disney, bro. Well

6:55Oti: You see how things are shifting into you know, darker themes you get your Fresh Prince now being you know,

7:04KT: Yes. No, you're not going to see a sad

7:07Oti: Okay, good.

7:08KT: Um, but yes, thank you again, friends and lovers. It's, I wouldn't say it's necessarily feel good, but it's real and it feels nice to be seen in a real way.

7:20KT: Um, speaking of being seen in the realest of ways, even before we get to the quotes, friends and lovers, thank you to the team at Binge and Binge has been so great. Because it's kind of our world into like HBO Max and Max Plus. Um, so I will just say right now, Creature Commandos has, has been the most anime in a Western entertainment I've ever seen.

7:43Oti: Yeah,

7:44KT: So let's get into our quotes. I don't even know if we need quotes after that. Um, but kick us off Oti, also, obviously non spoilers, it's available on Binge. If you're in the US it's available on Max. It's come out just. Maybe the second episode is out. We've watched it all, friends and lovers. But again, we're not going to spoil it. So grab a snack.

8:07Oti: James Gunn delivers a character driven, emotional, and effortlessly fun experience with Peacemaker energy at its core. It's both engaging and easy to watch.

8:18KT: Many do it better, but we

8:36Oti: Not many do it better indeed.

8:41KT: to do the theme song for the next season. Yeah, woman commando

8:49Oti: sure,

8:49KT: All right, well I already said it it's you know when you say full metal This is full anime and that's the biggest compliment From the weebies of the world in the For Your Reference household friends and lovers You don't have to pick up on that quote, but I want to hear your uncut or cut Um thoughts and feelings about Creature Commandos

9:09Oti: I really enjoyed it. I think especially when I struggle to get into things more recently, felt like a palate cleanser

9:21KT: because it feels like a malaise

9:23Oti: I could deep dive into the ridiculous, uh, gory, funny, you know, it's gallows humor. It's, it's, it has everything for everyone. And I just loved every bit of it. You know, we get to delve into the characters and each episode sort of focuses on an individual character where you're like, Oh, with the backstory like you find yourself rooting for them.

9:49KT: Oh yeah.

9:51Oti: And, and that's the biggest thing you can do with this. And just, muah, chef's kiss.

9:58KT: It was so much fun. I had the best time watching Creature Commandos. And if, if I relate more To the alien looking motherfuckers, then so be it. So be it to the Rick Flags of the world. Maybe I'm just a Weasel after all. Um, I, I loved it. I loved exactly what you're saying. I think it took me a beat to realize that. It is very much Suicide Squad, Suicide Squad in the sense of the government don't want to really necessarily risk in quotes, real human lives. So they just throw these others. in the midst. So I guess that templating can make a lot of sense. You could also hearken to Guardians of the Galaxy as well.

10:44KT: Um, but I needed to realize that like, sometimes they just don't have powers and sometimes they're not useful at all because there were moments where I'm like, Nina could be doing a lot more, but then we found out Nina's backstory and I'm like, go on baby.

11:05Oti: Oh, for sure. I think just the blend, even the voice acting alone. Um, what can you do?

11:13KT: do but have a splooshy good time? It's so interesting, friends and lovers, and I think the last time we felt this was The Penguin, where we know we're having a good time, but it's like you wonder what the audience sort of reception would be.

11:30Oti: Because you're always thinking. I, this is sort of the perfect weekly sort of show to have because we sort of watch it in a sitting and part of me is like, uh, I wanted to, if, if I would experience this on a week to week basis where we'd get to like discuss it and just, oh, anyway,

11:53KT: Well, technically we could have watched a week to week but we were too We were too delighted by the senses Yeah. Yeah, there were absolutely some moments where we're like, this is going to be a meme. Like this is going to be a meme and we're going to see it all over the internet. Um, and it's being used in the most delicious and may I say political, um, of ways, which I think is always a lot of fun. Favorite character. Of I, I like a, I like a lot. Um, I kind of like the Bride of Frankenstein. I know I said she's a tough bitch, but so am I. So it's that tough bitch solidarity. Why are you being so decidedly quiet?

12:42Oti: No, 'cause I agree with you.

12:46KT: Are you not saying that you aren't Frankenstein following me through all the centuries?

12:50Oti: Ah! Ha Ha Ha yeah,

12:55KT: you didn't say no, did you? It was cool to see Viola Davis.

13:00Oti: Yeah, Her voice be her voice though

13:03KT: Her voice be voicing. And her voice is none too pleased, that's for sure. Alright, well let's continue friends and lovers. Thank you to the team at Sony. Finally, finally, finally. We got our first screeners for an anime. And we had our first interview for an anime. Thank you so much to the team at Sony and also to Aleks for his time. We are covering Solo Leveling, the ReAwakening film.

13:34Oti: A thrilling return that expands the world and deepens our connection to Sung Jin-woo. The emotional core remains strong, while the action is amped up to new heights. A must-watch for fans of the series and newcomers alike.

13:50KT: Nice. Okay. All right. I'm tapped in. Reawakening covers much ground with introducing new audiences, recapping existing and enticing all with what's to come. Mm hmm.

14:32Oti: I was excited. I was like, okay, this is weird because we've gone through the whole journey of him strengthening up and then this whole new thing happens. I was like, what are we doing? Is it just going to go back to zero? Is it like, and then reawakening comes and we get to see the first two episodes? And I was blown away. We get to see the growth. Um, we get to see, uh, in a state. We've not seen him before. He has this commanding presence. He's emboldened. He's stronger. his more handsome, like, I don't know.

15:19KT: Smells, smells like burner in here. It

15:22Oti: It does. I like a lot of the times, even when, like, we see how, um, you have your protagonist, protagonist and how they interact with, um, the other characters, you know, we didn't see this side of Sung Jin-woo in the first season and That's just the aspect that I really loved about it watching the movie and I cannot, it's set up and I think the most annoying thing is Once we get to the seat one season two drops we would have already seen the first two episodes and I'm like damn it

16:04KT: Well shoutouts to Crunchyroll, they said they've got some screeners for us over the period, so let's

16:09Oti: Drop, drop, drop.

16:11KT: Ya damn. Ya necromancy. I echo everything, um, friends and lovers, our schedule has been very busy, and it is unfortunate that we only have Naruto and Demon Slayer. Um, but we were hoping to do a full review of Solo Leveling. This is just for the film so we can put the pull quotes up. Um, but I absolutely loved it. We were watching it at the time of Kaiju No. 8, I believe. And also Apothecary Diaries,

16:43Oti: Yep.

16:44KT: non weebies need not apply. Friends and lovers go to bed. Weebie mommy and daddy is speaking. Um, but I, I absolutely love Solo Leveling. And like you said, there's a lot of intrigue. Um, throughout the season, but also at the end of season one, um, I am compiling my daddy anime list, friends and lovers and bakers on their ST only. If you're nasty, I'll see you on Jeju Island. Um, we will get to all four of you eventually. Um, but I do want to ask you, Oti. We always talk about watching in subs. We watch the dub version because we're learned. friends and lovers to prepare for the interview. How did you feel watching the dub version? Do you have any hot takes? We can keep it for the full review. I just want a quick snapshot.

17:32Oti: Uh, it, it, it, it, it feels experience. Even just how you feel like in, in, in the sub version, you get to hear how something will operate to like, get a whole different perspective when it's Aleks. And you're like, Oh shit, he's doing his own thing rather than just trying to mimic what we've just read or heard. And kudos because it sort of makes it, it didn't feel like, it felt like a whole new experience watching it.

18:09KT: Yeah. It's very Americanized as well though. And that can be derogatory or positive. However you want to take that.

18:17Oti: Yeah. And I guess I can see why that is, but it is very Americanized.

18:21KT: Yeah, um before we head into our final review, Oti, I just want to get your thoughts. I haven't even checked the ratings since the last time I looked on Solo Leveling ReAwakening. But it's actually currently rotten on Rotten Tomatoes

18:35Oti: who hatchu people? Who hatchu?

18:40KT: Stop edging and release the boner.

18:44Oti: I can't understand why this would be low because we still got everything that we want. So with anime movies, you get sort of a recap of what happened the previous season and then they show you like the first two episodes or whatever of what's coming up. That's how it's always been. I enjoy it because then you don't have to go back, rewatch and remember shit that you've already forgotten. It's just a whole nice package of shit. Oh, this is an anime that I love watching and this is what I enjoy.

19:31KT: Well, let's get into a film that I guess we'll see whether was appreciated in the For Your Reference household and by whom. We have Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim. Thank you to the team at Universal, friends and lovers. If you're not aware, it should be just above the podcast feed. We had interviews with Arty and Phoebe, who are the screenwriters of the film, as well as the, the, the Miranda Otto. Take us away, Oti.

19:59Oti: With Miyazaki-esque charm, Hera proves a strong and capable leader. Wulf brings unexpected heart, making him a surprisingly rootable antagonist. Well-paced and deeply resonant.

20:11KT: taking the lead. Is that another boner, Oti?

20:17Oti: Or tea?

20:22KT: Interesting addition to a well beloved series with cool animation and focus on the Rohirrim. The story is enough to carry the intentions but layering the motivations of the perceived 'good' or 'bad' parties could have elevated the film. See, and I'm not the horny boy talking about Wulf. But I feel that way.

20:46Oti: I think the hill people are my people. So why are you agreeing so staunchly?

20:54KT: A tribe called Hill Tribe Quest.

20:58Oti: Hill people are my peeps. I would

21:01KT: we're brown, but we can share.

21:04Oti: Regardless, I was like, come on, Wulf. Come on, let's, let's do this. So again, and this is where like my mind. fucking goes into a different direction because as soon as you have a protagonist you have an antagonist that you can actually root for or what they stand for is something you're like exactly you should then I can't sit here and be like that Killmonger in Black Panther, oh hell

21:37KT: All hail King Killmonger.

21:39Oti: right like it's And that's why, like, watching this, I found myself conflicted because at the end of the day, you're like, oh, Hera, do your thing. Wulf, do your thing. But you know, it's only ever going to end one way.

21:56KT: need to lean with it and rock with it at the same time.

21:59Oti: And, and I guess that's the nuance that this show sort of brings. I guess what I would've, so

22:08KT: saying the nuance was present in this film?

22:12Oti: They, they tethered the balls of the nuance that I wanted

22:17KT: shaft of integrity? I

22:21Oti: I want, that I wanted more. episode. That I wanted more of, I guess just in that aspect. It sets up a good jumping point from where we can pick off this. And hopefully we can get to delve deeper. You know how you're like, um, you know, your second wind. meal. This is full plate and the whole, the whole show. No, but I enjoyed myself. I think going back to the Lord of the Rings sort of realm and, uh, you know, You have Miranda Otto narrating and Yeah, and you're like, Oh, you know, The Two Towers, one of my favourites, and you just like, you get lost in the world and even seeing it animated.

23:10KT: Okay. So riddle me this Batman routine. As far as I understood, because we rewatched Two Towers in the lead up to, uh, watching this film and doing the interviews, right? as far as I understood, the people of Rohan, the Rohirrim people, or because we're Habibi, we say Roharim, um, as far as I understood, they were the ones in the trenches that were fighting the good fight in the Two Towers. And it's interesting to see, and I don't know, Oti, feel free to inform me. And it's not a spoiler, friends and lovers, but it was very tangible. Very interesting, very choices that in 2024 we had the noble people that were milky white that could never do any wrong that told everyone to fall in line like the little girl Raya and the Last Dragon wondering why people are crying over rice. And then we have the hill people who are brown, who are poor, who are rowdy, that just want a little bit. They want a little taste. Give us an illusion of freedom, my guy. It's just interesting. It's interesting that they had the, the not so, uh, I guess the rebellious, um, some would say the, the, the fighting for a revolution.

24:35KT: Well, I guess we would say that maybe other audience film buff film bro audiences wouldn't say that. But it's interesting that they're brown. And it's very obvious to me, that these noble people that tell you to be grateful for your crumbs, love Brian Cox, but he went around beating up every brown person. He was like Liam Neeson's in film form. He was going around, he was beating them up. Oh man. And don't get me started on that cousin that was Samuel Jackson in Django. Do you think you're different? Who's going to tell him? Who's going to tell him that his family tree fell from the hill tribes?

25:17Oti: Madness. Um. Yeah, I think because if I remember correctly in The Two Towers and how we saw the hill people to me, they looked more like leaning towards orcs. I don't know.

25:35KT: Okay,

25:36Oti: That's some rough looking people. So not

25:39KT: being human is better than being black or brown. That

25:46Oti: That's some, that's some lotions I've not been used for. Um, but

25:54KT: few months. Well, either way, I

26:01Oti: I think there's, there's themes that we get to delve into this movie that I, I had hoped that we would have gotten a little bit more deeper. Um, you know, Hera covers a lot of the things that are happening and we get to see a lot of the things that are happening to other people through her as well. And they all, now that's a spoiler territory, but I think just casting sort of the lens on Hera alone felt like we're missing a whole different angle because I

26:37KT: Like, she's the hero because we're focusing on her

26:40Oti: Yeah. So like I felt Wulf sort of had a more intriguing

26:47KT: Oh, absolutely. He was the Denzel Washington Gladiator II in this movie.

26:53Oti: Oh my God. Exactly right. Far out.

26:56KT: There's your pull quote. If you want it, it's right there. Friends and

26:59Oti: all he was missing was a versai gab and. It's done. Yeah. Um,

27:04KT: on my scalp. But

27:08Oti: but yes, yes.

27:09KT: But I absolutely agree with you because I guess if you want to, if you want to take the color aside, even though it was very obvious looking at it, but if you want to take that aside, there was a moment where I think when they were like adolescents or they were young, they were young adults at the time of the film, but let's just say the adolescence, right? You have Hera and you have Wulf and she's so snarky that she beat him in the sword fight. And it's like, babes. like, I know you're very powerful and you've learnt how to fight in combat, but Wulf didn't go full wolf on you.

27:41Oti: Oh, you think that's what it did?

27:43KT: Yeah, it's a full moon, let the wolves out, I've been a dog.

27:46Oti: Interesting, cause I saw it as if to show Hera was just more skilled.

27:52KT: That's what it was to show, but to my eyes.

27:58Oti: No, because because we we get to see like and and that's why my my thought was like we get this Miyazaki sort of character in Hera where can do it all because why not but overall, I just think Hera was a cool character. You know, just took me back to, I think even watching, um, what was the Miyazaki's first film when, the WWF won?

28:23KT: Nausicaä. Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. Shout out to the guy, the voice actress. She, she cited as an inspiration.

28:30Oti: Nice took me back there, you know, and and we know how much you love films we

28:41KT: very exciting, but who, who, who, thank you so much, friends and lovers for joining us another week in the For Your Reference household. We don't usually do our pairings before your reference, but just thinking about Creature Commandos, I would recommend you go and watch Mad Heidi friends and lovers.

29:01Oti: Yeah.

29:01KT: It's an independent film. Um, so you can, you can buy it. There's also Bullet Train. Like if you just want to have a lot of fun.

29:08Oti: Yeah. And if you're watching Mad Heidi and you're a lover of brie cheese, warning.

29:14KT: Yeah. Warning. To the brie cheese lovers and the click they claim. Um, if you want to find us on the socials, on Twitter, Instagram, Bluesky, we're on Spill and Threads, we're @ForYourRefPod.

29:26Oti: Write us an email, hello@fyrpodcast.com.

29:30KT: And we'll see you guys for Christmas.

29:36Oti: Yeah. See ya.