Does The Matrix Hold Up? - Movies with Mikey

Does The Matrix hold up 20 years later? No one can tell you what The Matrix is, but you can follow Mikey down the rabbit hole as he examines why The Matrix was groundbreaking in 1999 and still is today.
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[@ryantherebel]

"Art is never static." That is something more film geeks need to take to heart.

[@Raguleader]

It's great to understand the context something was created in, and how it applies at the time to the intended audience by the author etc. It's also interesting to see how that changes based on the contexts of newer audiences with different perspectives (Star Trek runs head-first into a lot of this when you try to get folks to watch the old shows nowadays. Very progressive in the 1960s. Kind of conservative throwback in the 2010s.)

[@1986jamesa]

@@Raguleader I feel the same way about the new godzilla movie.

[@wes8424]

"sToP MAkInG mOViEs So pOlITicAL!" ~ morons devoid of nuance/critical thinking

[@commandercaptain4664]

@Roseki Music changes. It ceases to exist in the moment, always in perpetuity.

[@Trilingualeks]

You celebrate the Wachowski's work without making a spectacle of their private lives, at the same time admiring the allegory to their private lives. Subtle, respectful and all about the contribution, not the controversy. Indeed, it is all about love, in the end. ❤️

[@Trilingualeks]

@Madalin Grama Agreed.

[@bobpolo2964]

@@Trilingualeks What is love?

[@finnwilliams8404]

@@bobpolo2964 Love is Free.

[@bobpolo2964]

@@finnwilliams8404 True, but what is it? How do we define it? What's its source?

[@justanormalhooman]

I love the Wachowskis so I appreciate this so much

[@ExpectoDeleto]

As someone who didn't actually know that the Wachowskis had transitioned, this just set off an explosion in my understanding of this film. Like, the long Tetris block finally queued up and slotted into place. Holy shit, thanks Mikey.

[@valsptsd814]

Mike B second that. I had no idea, the thought never occurred to me. I was an adult when this movie came out, and have seen it resonate itself through different phases of my own life. From 9/11 to religion, to conspiracy theories. This, however, makes sense, also. Great stuff.

[@AudioGardenSlave123]

Mike B I know right. I really got the themes of mental illness and the inability to accept one's objective material self from the film.

[@katherynjohnson7285]

@@AudioGardenSlave123 Yeah it becomes much more evident in the sequels they actually had a hand in writing.

[@brettd2308]

@@katherynjohnson7285 The case you're referring to (Sophia Stewart's) was actually dismissed out of court. In other words, she lost because she refused to provide evidence of her claims - which were that her story "The Third Eye" had been ripped off by both The Matrix and The Terminator. Here's some fact checks on it: www.snopes.com/fact-check/sophia-stewart-matrix-lawsuit/ newsfeed.time.com/2013/11/22/inside-the-billion-dollar-matrix-lawsuit-one-of-the-internets-most-pervasive-hoaxes/ A quick glance at Sophia Stewart's website will show you that she's essentially just trying to piggyback on the popularity of The Matrix and The Terminator to make a quick buck. She uses their names for her url, lies about owning their copyright, markets her story "The Third Eye" as if it's an official Matrix story, and has even written a Matrix/Terminator crossover she calls The Matrix 4. Describes herself as: "Writer of the Terminator and Matrix movies Child prodigy, prolific writer, poet and creative genius". But her actual writing is horribly amateurish and it all looks like a giant scam to me.

[@casthedemon]

Lol yeah I still know them as the Wachowski Brothers.

[@ralliman320]

"...at its most basic level, it's about being who you truly are when the world tells you no, because the world is *wrong*." And I cried. Damn, man. I didn't realize how much emotion and tension had been building up in me through the whole video until that sentence hit me like a punch in the gut. Thank you once again for being you, Mikey, and to you and your whole team for repeatedly punching me in the proverbial gut of my head-jelly.

[@Luinta]

Feel it. Feel it in your jellies.

[@AngelicRamen]

This is where I broke down crying as well

[@Shapes_Quality_Control]

And here is the issue because the whole idea that the world is wrong and can’t tell you who you are is something addressed in the sequels and is really what throws all the “metaphor for trans thing” out the window. They made sequels addressing that just because the world is wrong that doesn’t mean your right. Neo was always just another system of control and if we take the metaphor to its logical conclusion so are these synthetic gender identities people create for themselves. It’s the vision of the anointed all over again or as Tyler Durden would call it “premature enlightenment.” It’s why the enlightenment fails. It’s why humanism failed, it’s why nationalism, socialism, and communism failed. In the Matrix the people in the “real world” are underground sewer rats waiting to be exterminated thinking they are resisting the system. They are playing into it. Everyone is playing shadow puppetry snd thinking they know what’s real. We know nothing.

[@dwylaw]

Omg, every time I read or hear something new about Keanu Reeves, he seems like more of a living legend XD

[@TheSefirosu200x]

I know, that's how I feel! I didn't know the stuff about his spine until watching this, only about his dedication to the John Wick role, which made me respect him way more than I ever had. Then, I watch this video and I respect him so much more that it shouldn't even be physically possible.

[@jennifervalentine8955]

Yeah this recontextualizes a behind the scenes/making of bit I saw, where he was having trouble doing the triple jump kick against Morpheus. It makes sense now why he might have had a lot of difficulties executing that move.

[@ericholmes5741]

He's actually a vampire, so more like 'undead legend,' but yeah.

[@instinkt900]

God damnit. Just once I'd like to end a MwM without having to fight back tears...

[@patrickcrews3977]

I second that thought Another great video! ✌🤙🚫🥄

[@CyberYork123]

Why would you want do that? It's human to be deeply moved by something profound, true and inspiring. Tears are okay, Matthew Cotton and Old Man Crews.

[@BustedHeart]

Dont ever fight the tears. They are joy and love.

[@fakethefun]

So true...

[@FreakinTheComments]

Rewatched the trilogy recently, wow all the films are great. In a post-Endgame, MCU-dominated world, I feel like the creative risk of the sequels are ripe for appreciation I'm also trans, and I'm still shocked to this day that this film has had so much to say, even though my world has change so much.

[@jasonblalock4429]

Totally agree about the sequels. They're not AS good as the original, but I do think they're under-appreciated and overdue for, at the least, a new round of analysis. As you say, the number of creative risks they take, alone, means it's really unfair to just dismiss them out of hand - especially when so many of the harsh criticisms of them boil down to "they didn't do the safe\expected thing." I'd love to see Mikey tackle them at some point.

[@inciaradible7144]

To me, the sequels are just superfluous; they server to tell the end to a story that is really unneeded and may ultimately only be a detriment to the original story. The Matrix stands well on its own and I do not feel that the sequels really add anything of substance; they are more about the plot and the resolution of the original storyline, when those are, in my opinion the least interesting aspects of that film.

[@wes8424]

@@jasonblalock4429 Just Write did a great video on rewatching the sequels. Worth a look.

[@iwrestledabear1s]

*BUT DID YOU KNOW?* The character "Switch" was originally supposed to be male IRL, and a female while in the Matrix. Also they and Apoc were in a romantic relationship. [Edit 3/22/01] Alright kiddies, calm down and keep this shit off my comment. I will absolutely delete this entire thread. It's just a fuckin' fun fact, sorry I don't remember sources. You want specifics, look it up yourself. You got something to say about the "other", go tweet about it. Keep it off my post.

[@CEWThree]

Which is why Switch's last words in the Matrix are, "Not like this."

[@iwrestledabear1s]

@@stayshift If I'm not mistaken, the reason it was changed is because Joel Silver thought people "wouldn't understand it". Same reason Blue Pills were changed from being used as processing power for the machines into batteries.... Apparently we're too stupid to understand.

[@combogalis]

That makes SO much sense. Thank you. The batteries thing always bugged me, but it originally being processing power makes SO MUCH sense. Thank you. But yeah, in the 90s (even today), a lot of people probably wouldn't have understood what processing power meant without a lengthy explanation that would ruin the pacing of that scene.

[@iwrestledabear1s]

@@combogalis Not necessarily. Though in 1999 it would have been more difficult to explain in technical terminology. All you need is a good analogy. Even the battery thing could have failed with a lengthy technical explanation, but it was just yada yada'd away with the phrase "combined with a form of fusion" and the simple visual analogy of the Duracell "copper top" bit. So the original idea could have easily been explained.

[@gamongames]

thats a very repeated narrative that no one has found evidence for.

[@peterwalker8466]

I was having a less-than-fantastic day, and I was so happy to come home to a Movies with Mikey. And for all 17 glorious minutes, I got to both remember how awesome this movie was the first time I saw it, and experience it anew from Mikey's perspective. Without a doubt, a superb video, just like all of the others. You keep makin'em, I'll keep watchin'em.

[@ruthielalastor2209]

Not to intrude, but I wish your next coming days to all be happy, man. 🌟

[@darzog666]

Despite this being a "not rare" interpretation of The Matrix, I had somehow missed this viewpoint. Thank you for opening my eyes to it so brilliantly.

[@darzog666]

@@NeoSoldner Awwwwww... precious snowflake... are you THAT threatened by this interpretation?

[@minako134]

@@NeoSoldner A lot of people read Lord of the Rings as WW2 allegory, and JR Tolkien said that he "disliked allegory in all its forms" but that doesn't stop their interpretation from being "real". It's still an interpretation that a lot, A LOT, of people have. So stop burying your head in the ground. :P It's just an interpretation there's nothing wrong with that.

[@Vorfalath]

Thank you This movie and it's sequels were so, so important to me in my teenage years and they're probably the most formative media I've consumed in my life. They have gained and transformed in meaning over the past 20 years and I can't tell you how much it means to see people still loving, or starting to love, these films and find their own reasons and meanings in loving them. Thank you so much Mikey.

[@timeneses]

#takebackthematrix

[@4Everlast]

What abut Sophia Stweart and the theft of her material by J.Cameron and the Wachowsky brothers?

[@alexclaxton143]

@@4Everlast Unfortunately, those claims are false and are merely internet rumors.

[@4Everlast]

@@alexclaxton143 How so? The lady said so her self, so they are not just rumors. She's using the same title for her books, of wich she has 4 out by now, the book cowers even have Neo on it, you think she can afford the wrights to it? Don't know man Hollywood is known for suing folks left and right and making deals, thefth is a traiditon in Hollywood, they call it being inspired by...

[@alexclaxton143]

@@4Everlast Mainly in numerous investigations into her claims there is no supporting evidence other than she sued, and didn't show and didn't provide sufficient evidence for the courts to rule in her favor. But she has been running a sick online game in order to drive sales of her books. And at the end of the day anyone can claim they came up with X, but without evidence of that claim it's just words. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[@TrashHeapCustodian]

I swear to god you could make a video that's six hours long and I'd watch the whole thing, wondering afterwards how the hell it got dark so fast. Excellent work as always, Mikey. :)

[@willinwoods]

Bloody. Slow. Freaking. Clap.... Awesome, you nailed it. I thought your collab with Willems would be peak Mikey, but no, you're still killing it.

[@ChiaroscuroxX]

William colab?

[@willinwoods]

@@ChiaroscuroxX collaboration w/P H Willems

[@ThatOneGuy7550]

@@ChiaroscuroxX Patrick WIllems This video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ipq5dauFpbehgLs

[@jennifervalentine8955]

I'm trans, and hearing how Neo in the Matrix has a ton of trans issues amazed me. Especially how Smith keeps taunting him with his old name.

[@Dorian_sapiens]

I'd heard people allude to trans themes in the Matrix before, but this was the first time anyone had spelled it out for me. It was really moving seeing one of my all-time favorite movies through a whole new lens.

[@lilybatterham6050]

Rewatching it since both sisters transitioned... like, damn. It makes a lot of sense.

[@eliasapollo4131]

Yeah same. As a trans dude, that scene where Smith 'deadnames' Neo and he persists on being called his new name... really resonated. I'll definitely look for more trans subtext next time I watch the film

[@chinaski6593]

It's really amazing to look at a film and see so much more than before. I'm sending you a big Hug. My sister is a trans person and i know how hard life can get. Greetings from Chile :)

[@honestiago4738]

It was only when Lana came out that I realised the trans subtext. Afterwards I couldn't believe I'd missed it.

[@AnonymousFreakYT]

Welp, I haven't had a good cry today - oh look, a new Movies with Mikey.

[@berribeans6593]

Same 😅

[@DJKento]

Once again Mikey's beautiful words about a beautiful film have brought me to tears. I'm weeping over my breakfast... worth it.

[@RachelKelly]

A tear to my eye, Mikey, that you let Lilly close the video, with her own brilliant words. This video is SO good.

[@Brunoxid0]

Every video you make makes me happy. Thank you for creating.

[@gatling216]

So, I was a kid when this came out. It was a few years old when I saw it the first time, and it blew me away. I still watch it from time to time, and it never stops being relevant. The message that it's okay to be yourself even when the world was groundbreaking. I'm not trans, so that allegory went over my head for about a decade, but the message was groundbreaking for a strange nerdy kid growing up in a deeply conservative area where intellectualism and being different were grounds for an ass beating. More importantly, the Matrix taught me that it was okay to fight back. To this day, after 12 and a half years in the army, whenever I go to the chow hall, I only get a knife and fork. Why? There is no spoon.

[@mycenaeangal9312]

I am trans and the allegory still went over my head for a really long time :p

[@Luinta]

@@mycenaeangal9312 Same. It's really easy to miss when the world has beaten the a cisnormative "reality" into you as the way things "really are". Afterall, freeing minds after a certain age becomes difficult because they have trouble letting go. Because they've adapted to the reality they've been shown and internalized it. It's why representation is so important for countering that before it sets.

[@infenity23]

That episode was beautiful. Thank you so much for your time and effort in creating something of true value.

[@justmusicart725]

My week wasn't the best so far. All of a sudden, my favorite Movie Man makes a video about the best movie, man! Thank you!

[@Damionxmarious]

Mikey, You killed it in this episode. This was absolutely fantastic! I really hope this episode gets some serious exposure because this has just flipped my depression INTO hiding. I will always remember that "there is no spoon". Thank you!

[@marcelinecook4990]

As a the writer of the Mary Sue article you show - thanks. The Matrix is so important to trans women, the message of self acceptance runs throughout it.

[@rottensquid]

I read that article when it came out. Great work!

[@SubjectE57]

I fully agree, whenever you find something personally offensive (in this case transgenderism) it's never right to push your ideologies upon them and try to force the way they think. Doing so would just be damaging and not at all constructive. I'm glad writers at the Mary Sue feel the same way.

[@jamesduffy7549]

how sensitive do you have to be to be personally offended by someone transgender? christ I thought people like me were supposed to be "snowflakes"

[@mduckernz]

I hate that "being redpilled" has been so misused. It's widely used by the very reactionaries that so hurt the intended target audience. Gah. There should be a strong effort made to take it back.

[@ceresta1732]

@Marcy Cook Oh you're a writer for the Mary Sue? Neat! Quick question: www.themarysue.com/alita-battle-angel-fanbase-mra-trolls/ Is there nothing about that movie that didn't somehow deeply offend everyone in your team? I felt that the review was propping up quite a worrying amount of unfounded accusations of every hate-crime conceivably imaginable, but only after what I can only describe as the most desperately jerry-rigged assemblage of half-baked conjecture... and then spouting the most hateful, alt-left interpretation as lawfully true, without any kind of research, critical thinking or second-opinion. It's almost, and I apologize for this is merely conjecture on my part... but it's almost like someone on your side of the political spectrum had... already decided that the movie was guilty of the crime, and you needed to find every and any excuse to justify that verdict, regardless of facts or common sense. It takes me back to middle school when my English teacher decided that "Lord of the Flies" was full of symbolism and assigned us a 10 page report on what symbols we found and what they mean. I hot-aired my way through 20 pages, got and A+, and never told the teacher that I knew it was all BS. You're not the only ones who can pull mental gymnastics for a fake cause. But anyway, that's just my opinion. Thanks for your time.

[@SunflowerSpotlight]

I just... love everything about this. I’m so happy I found this channel.

[@jdzencelowcz]

Also, the albino lady, Switch, I think, was supposed to B a dude in real life, but a woman in the matrix, due to a glitch in the system #Symbolism, but they ended up changing that & we wouldn't get to see it until Ready Player One.

[@jennifervalentine8955]

Yeah the studio basically said hard no to it, that it was too weird for a movie with AI robots taking over and humans in grow tubes jacked into the most immersive 3-d video game ever.

[@michaelbushee3968]

That makes total sense. I actually always got that vibe from them.

[@ChucksSEADnDEAD]

@@jennifervalentine8955 they also thought it was too weird for humans to be used as computing power... So they became batteries.

[@hugosowder4474]

This and your review of Mad Max. God damn inspiring and thought provoking work. Never stop challenging the way we see our art.

[@foalan]

I felt this one deeply, thank you so much

[@tommyross7529]

So good brotha! Love you and your work!!!

[@ashemcc1340]

Thank you, I needed this today. Easy to feel alone sometimes

[@Dorian_sapiens]

💜

[@Luinta]

You're not alone ^_^

[@rudetuesday]

Thanks for this wonderful love letter of a video, and for encouraging an online space I actually want to scroll down to. I'll rewatch The Matrix soon. I never get tired of it.

[@crowsephonedangerzone]

been a long while since a video essay has moved me to such joyful tears. thank you so much for this.

[@KnightFallProd]

That's beautiful work Mikey. Kudos

[@martianwoodpecker]

20 years old and about the only thing that dates it is the cellphones. And a few of the effects shots.

[@Kvantum]

Also the CRT monitors on their desks. Assuming you believe the desks to be real at all...

[@jman8904]

@@Kvantum There is no desk

[@gamongames]

not even those things date it, since it is stated in-universe that the matrix itself is desgined after the early 2000s, and since it routinely gets reset it probably stays like that. all of that tech is dated by default.

[@alanguile8945]

I still love the cellphones, I remember watching and thinking I WANT ONE OF THOSE1

[@aussiejed1]

I'm CIS and never looked at The Matrix this way until you opened my eyes. I now have even greater respect for it and the film makers. I've shared this video with a friend who has a teen trans son, in the hope it speaks to them.

[@Luinta]

If you're interested in more trans related narratives, I highly recommend the anime Wandering Son which follows both a trans boy and a trans girl and can be a huge source of insight. Or the one hour retrospective The Pedantic Romantic did for it that details all of that. Having a trans person breaking down the trans narrative presented in a story where the trans characters and their experiences are the focus, was a really incredible.

[@xhyipslaugw5407]

Great video, this opened my eyes to a lot of thing I had no idea about!

[@OneMetaLLica420]

Mikey you’re the reason I’m taking film analysis college classes. Thanks for the inspo!

[@ChrisAkaMastermind]

yep, its time for a rewatch! absolutely amazing video! thank you!

[@sgtsnokeem1139]

Loved the first and still do. Second is fun but shallow and made for money. That's a Saturday night with mates and booze movie. Third? My brother and I walked out of that movie afterwards saying... "Put ALL the theories we just heard in the audience into that movie and it would've been awesome!"

[@HAVOK586]

Loved that ending! Happy pride!

[@theresaivy7274]

Ok, I literally have no words. I just subscribed.

[@clintmcbride7830]

You make such amazing content. It's not hard to find a video that discusses a movie, but you take that to an entirely new level. You put so much care and thought into these videos because you are passionate, not just about the movies themselves, but how they reflect and affect us. You care about movies very deeply because they are more than just entertainment, they are art, allegory, information, perspective, and so much more. Thanks for another amazing video Mikey. Can't wait to hear you spill out your passion for the next movie.

[@The_RedVIII]

Hey Mikey, can you make a video about the movie Constantine? Because I think this movie is hella underrated and not a lot of people talk about it.

[@tommclaughlin5360]

I've tried watching that movie four times because people keep saying that. I tried twice when it was in theaters and twice since it came out at home. Walked out/turned it off every single time because of how unbelievably awful it was. I don't get the draw for this movie.

[@irosencrantz882]

@@tommclaughlin5360, I am in the same lane there. Keanu [or as Mikey says, KeanO (it drives me crazy)] was horribly miscast for that role. Matt Ryan (from the NBC show) was a better fit, if for no other reason than he's actually from the UK like the character. The best thing about the film was Tilda Swinton's Gabriel.

[@michaelkenner3289]

Even though I think some parts of it didn't quite work, that film had some great moments. I'd never heard of the character Constantine before that movie and watching it got me interested enough to check out a lot of other Constantine stuff.

[@d3edlo1s]

@@irosencrantz882 i can totally agree that Keanu was perhaps not the best choice for John Constantine, but most of the other castings were top notch, and some of the visuals were just jaw droppingly awesome. I've always loved that movie (despite the fact Keanu doesn't know how to smoke).

[@greatturning]

@@tommclaughlin5360That means you didn't get to see Peter Stormare's depiction of Lucifer! Or Tilda Swinton's heel turn. So many good scenes in that flick, it's a shame it didn't work out for you. What do you think of the source material though?

[@stephenmcknight2330]

Wow... I've really missed the point for so damn long. Thank you Mikey, for illumination.

[@pogotheclown6088]

My name... Is Neo-con!

[@esa2419]

Very late to the party, but happy pride (ace folk at your service 💜) and another amazing job, man 👍🏼

[@carpemkarzi]

As always you rock!

[@MellowGaming]

This is one of those films that I dissected an insane amount when it first came out but still keeps gaining new meaning now. I don't think you're wrong about how it holds up better than almost any other 90s films. It's not just the quality of the film itself but the layers of meaning and relevance it continues to gain. Can't think of many other films that have been shaped by what we learn of their creators in later years than this. At least not in a positive manner anyway.

[@dbates314]

What is the music closing this video? I'm kind of in love with it.

[@3ternalOne]

It's from the Great British Bake Off

[@AngelicRamen]

I watched this video 4 years ago, and cried my eyes out. I hadn't started my transition, and I often doubted myself. Now again, well into medical transition, I find myself crying my eyes out. This video profoundly makes me feel unalone.

[@surfohio1173]

Thank goodness for new Movies with Mikey since I binged watched all the other videos.

[@pdahandyman]

You just slayed me, Mikey. Utter destruction. Simply astonishing work.

[@rhias237]

I don't know exactly why, but I'm crying? That was awesome. Thank you Mikey.

[@mathieuleader8601]

what a pretty dachshound you've got Rhi

[@rhias237]

Mathieu Leader thanks for the reminder to change that old dp I haven’t looked at in years! She’s much bigger and more annoying these days, but thank you anyway.

[@mathieuleader8601]

@@rhias237 I used to have a dachshound called Louie till febuary he died he was 13 still miss him

[@mrmorganiser]

I wish I could like your videos more than once. You are one of the best creators on this platform. Thank you Mikey ❤

[@zybitico]

Wonderful! Thank you Mickey and happy pride!

[@kampfkeks6619]

Rage Against the Machine in the background made me so happy

[@jd.8019]

Mikey is a national treasure. Mikey 2020!

[@Squeekysquid]

I don't think he is of age to run for the big office. However I do agree with your sentiment.

[@llandor]

Once again I'm reminded why I joined Patreon to support your work, excellent as always :) (Btw, what's the song at 02:10?)

[@beezygrey9]

Thank you, Mikey. This was beautiful. Happy Pride.

[@kuritech]

Another beautifully written video, love the work keep it up my dude

[@noblegas7073]

Wonderful and unexpectedly heartwarming video. It was not until fairly recently that I even heard about the trans allegory in “The Matrix”. I had always loved the film as a creative, action-packed, anti-establishment film. However, this revelation has had a profound impact on my appreciation of the film. A truly remarkable piece of cinema and art that I’m so glad to have experienced.

[@chrisanschau8169]

mikey, your analysis of movies is second to none, all your videos are insightful and in depth. you always understand what directors are going for and its awesome! ive been loving all your stuff since i found you a few weeks ago. thanks a lot for your work, its incredible

[@DrySushi]

Another home run, Mikey. Thank you, your essays are always reinvigorating.

[@kahldrialeighsun1208]

I needed this. Thank you. I am moved, and a bit speechless. It's all about the love. Nothing like almost dying, to transform the human soul. I get that. :)

[@enkays_den]

Mikey pulled out all the stops for Pride Month

[@governor_explosion]

Mel Kuan I was so happy at that ending. I still hear people deadname or misgender Lana and Lilly, and as a queer person/trans ally, it always hurts to hear people disrespect these wonderful ladies. I mean, the movies are still the same films you grew up with. People need to stop treating LGBTQIA people like they can’t relate to us or consume our work. I know it’s not related, but I also credit Lana and Lilly for sort of helping normalize anime into the mainstream. I feel like The Matrix got a lot of people into anime (a big influence on The Matrix) and live-action martial arts films that wouldn’t have otherwise watched them.

[@skewed8661]

okay so this is mainly directed to Mikey but this series is my all time favorite series on youtube period. like this is what I rewatch over and over again to get me out of low periods in my life so I just wanted to say thank you. keep up the amazing work. ☺

[@lilbits1053]

i don't usually get teary eyed for retrospectives but.. well done

[@mindscene2008]

Love your videos man. Could watch a new one every day. Incredible content creator

[@deasphodel3700]

I need to go re-watch the matrix now

[@imransuhail82]

Do it! I watched it literally yesterday on Netflix

[@OniricChef]

Google Matrix Dezionised. Best version

[@deasphodel3700]

@@OniricChef thank you for this!

[@calliph]

@@OniricChef Ohh I didn't know this existed! I love me a good fan edit. Anywhere I could download/ stream it?

[@OniricChef]

@@calliph torrent

[@bjaarki]

Fantastic man, thank you for the continued amazing content

[@Rossatron]

Well, there goes my Matrix video essay! Amazing job Mike.

[@lorcannagle]

The Wachoskis tell a story of their pitch session for Bound with Dino DeLaurentis. Wachowskis: "So, uh, there's this woman, she's a thief, and she gets out of prison, and meets this other woman, a gangster's moll, and..." Dino: "Hold on a second. This first woman, is she a lesbian?" "Wachowskis: "Uh, yeah" Dino: "And this second woman, is she a lesbian?" Wachoswkis: "yeah" Dino: "Wonderful, we're making a movie"

[@simonbesner5395]

First time commenting, your videos are simply majestic Mikey, they inspire me to inspire other people with art

[@sidneyraz]

Well done, sir

[@desmondstallworth2934]

I think you just became my favorite youtuber! ❤️❤️❤️

[@TonyHighwind]

So. Wait. Would the Carrie-Anne-aissance be THE MATRIX's... Second Renaissance?

[@AlfredAmeneyro21]

The Mummy with Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz. Please.

[@robpaul7544]

I'd dig that. Brendan Fraser holds a special place in my heart 😊

[@blcdrg]

that's just amazing, great vídeo mate!

[@anthonywheeler2082]

All good things come back to love. Great job Mikey!

[@RumtumtuggerTB]

There’s also a interesting trans reading of Speed Racer to be made.

[@realxized]

We need to take these films back from fascists. We really do. We owe them to its directors. And to ourselves. These movies were always for us, not for those who took them away from us.

[@TheBehenaught]

GeT ReDpIlLeD cUcK! -idiots who completely missed the point

[@camipco]

For me, this points to a limitation of the ideology Mikey identifies in the Matrix. Yes, I'm totally on board with reject the system and be the real you as a trans metaphor, or more generally a metaphor for oppressed identities. But what if the real you is a fascist asshole, which, it turns out, is the real you of so many people? And what if part of what the system does is hold back the most extreme forms of assholery, which, it turns out, it did? I'm not sure The Matrix, or for that matter the progressive left as a whole, provides a compelling answer to this. So the point that the fascists got from this movie was that they should be their authentic selves and ignore / fight against the structures telling them that self was socially acceptable? That's absolutely in the movie. And all the metaphor is great (and I'm not blaming the sisters for this, they had the tools they had), but the lead is still a cis straight white (yes, *) dude, whose main positive characteristic is his ability to perform violence against other bodies. Which works for me as more powerful as a trans metaphor because it universalizes that experience. But it also isn't completely unexpected that other cis straight white dudes who like hitting things identify with the character on a shallower level. You'll notice there's no fascist appropriation of Nomi Marks, is I guess my point here.

[@jennifervalentine8955]

@@TheBehenaught It's even more hilarious as MovieBob points out, because it's a black dude telling a white dude the world isn't what he thinks it is, and it's all part of a group of multi-ethnic feminists. Like, MRAs/white power people, I think you missed ALL the subtext in that scene. I'm pretty sure there's a reason all the Agents are white dudes as well.

[@briankoontz1]

@@camipco This is completely on-point. The message "the world is wrong" is all-encompassing - it means *everything* is wrong, including the anti-fascist hegemony. Anarchism seems exciting, until you realize that anarchism breaks *everything* down, including all of the good things that humans have built over the years. Fire doesn't discriminate - once it starts raging both the good and the bad become ash. Rather than say "the world is wrong" it would be far better to pull way back on that, to dissect precisely why trans people are oppressed, and, like a surgeon, to *cut out* the oppression. Otherwise, like a raging fire, we end up with an enormous amount of collateral damage. The world is not wrong. The world is both wonderfully and terribly corrupt. We need to keep the wonderful corruption and get rid of the terrible corruption. Fires are a terrible tool to achieve that end. Intelligence, solidarity, and hard work lead to effective results. Let's not start a fire that we can't control.

[@Luinta]

@@camipco It's more that the manosphere and alt right took the red pill idea of "reject what people tell you is right and know the truth" to say that they should reject anything they didn't ALREADY think was true. They missed the point. So they reject "SJWs pushin their agendas and makin me feel all unconfortable" and instead of learning then push back against Facts with "common Sense" aka "I'm right cus I think I'm right, and you all are brainwashed cus I think you're wrong" aka "taking the red pill". Essentially they got behind it because it makes them feel smarter than everyone else. The same folks that tell trans people "Science say there's only two genders" and other horseshit, while ignoring or avoiding the ACTUAL science that says otherwise, are the type of people getting behind the "red pill" mentality of "I think it's right therefore it must be right" and completely missing the point. To say "What if being a fascist asshole is jsut who they are" in a way that seems to ask "Why should we tell them thats wrong" is a bit of a misleading argument. It's not that people who go around declaring the "science" of white supremacy have anything to stand on, and were just being held back from being assholes before. It's that they were never interested in facts to begin with and only wanted more excuses to say "HA! SEE! I KNOW IT WAS RIGHT" and will grasp at any straws for it. Being a fascist asshole is just plain wrong to begin with. When you're "opinion" or ideology is founded on oppressing or hurting others, it does not deserve to exist, letalone be handed any legitimacy at the table. The "redpills" that askew the meaning, are jsut that, intentionally skewing the meaning. To ask "Waht if they really are jsut assholes" misses hte point that if they really are jsut assholes, they never needed the justification to begin with, and the result is the same: they are still just as wrong now as they always were.

[@cecilhester]

Well done, video.

[@michaellautman]

From one Mikey to another, you've done it again! You are so damn smart and you tell such good stories about the stories we love. Thank you.

[@DanceOfDawn]

i love the matrix to the moon and back. this story, this movie has given me so much and it never fails to amaze me everytime i watch it.

[@barnabyjones3708]

Does anyone know if, in newer home releases of the original Matrix, the directors are still credited as the "Wachowski Brothers"? Or have they changed it?

[@mycenaeangal9312]

I hope they have

[@MrThetrue23]

this was amazing. always A+ mikey!!

[@kitkompo]

Very cool. Thanks, Mikey.

[@bradydavis5791]

Does the Matrix hold up? To answer a question briefly, yes. Yes, it does.

[@Thiefree]

i was wondering if the Wachowskis had said anything about this retrospective view of the Matrix. it's a narratively satisfying interpretation, absolutely, but how much of it was conscious at the time?

[@Luinta]

A lot, I would say, considering the intentional consistency of the system deadnaming Neo, while the people who care about him accept him for who he is and help him embrace his real identity. Also there is a scene of him facing down a train, with Smith almost like a devil on his shoulder, wrapped around him, telling him that it's all he has to look forward to before Neo asserts himself, telling Smith exactly who he is and living on. During her acceptance speech at the HRC gala dinner in 2012, Lana opened up about a time when she was still struggling with her gender identity and very nearly killed herself... in a subway... via train. That really sells it for me as to how much of hte movie was written with the intention of of drawing parallels to not jsut a trans narrative, but a very personal trans narrative. Also I would highly recommend watching or reading that speech. It's incredible.

[@Naranek]

Omg… youtube swallowed your channel for a really really long time and I‘m genuinely happy that I‘ve found you again…

[@chefnerd]

Wow - I never saw the movies from that perspective. Great stuff!

[@FuzzyPuppet]

All I can say is wow… And you have a new subscriber! Oh and I also hit the notification bell!

[@VeeTuTonic]

It’s videos like this that make love this channel. Beautiful, poignant and valid.

[@ndowroccus4168]

One of my favorite lines delivered in the 20th century....”It’s the smell”! That’s where the movie clicks something in my soul, triggering the beginning of the ending. Which I never truly grasped how amazing that ending is from the agents telling smith “he doesn’t know” to Neo saying “no”. Thanks again Mikey

[@phyphor]

Thank you for making this.

[@Thyrork]

I... never realised this perspective. Thank you.

[@Falxifer95]

Knowing what we know now of the Wachowski sisters it does put their filmography in a whole different light, even if the only movie Lily and Lana directed I like is well, Bound.

[@stigoftdump]

What's interesting is that they didn't mean to make a trans movie, but simply by dint of being artists and going where their truth took them, they ended up making one anyway and it took 20 years before it was widely noticed. If nothing else, it shows the power of artistic vision; it's like we're all still seeing the puppets on the wall, but art can give those puppets more detail. Did the trans community in the '90s think of The Matrix as a trans movie or did it take real-life events to shine that light on it?

[@Luinta]

@@stigoftdump There were people talking about it before Lana transitioned, but they got brushed off as reading too much into it. It wasn't until after that people started taking the interpretation more seriously. Even then it picked up MORE steam after Lilly came out and it became impossible to ignore. People are realllllly eager to bleach non "typical" (read: cisnormative/heteronormative) ideas if theres any chance they can say it's not like that. SO while it's being talked about more now, it wasn't any less valid then. It's jsut that now it's less ignorable. Also, when was it stated that they DIDN'T intend the trans allegory to be there?

[@stigoftdump]

@@Luinta The impression I get is that the Wachowskis were making a movie more broadly about the nature of reality, both social and personal. The cast + crew were asked to read philosophical texts on the meaning of reality, not the important texts about gender that were being written in the 90s. And Lilly's comments at the end of this video, commenting on the recontextualizing of their work "through the lens of [their] trans-ness", suggests that a trans reading was not something that was on their minds when they were making the Matrix, apart from in the more abstracted, things-don't-feel-quite-right sorta way. I'd be delighted if there were any contemporary quotes to the contrary tho.

[@dekopuma]

I want a part 2. And 3, and 4. Your videos are always wonderful.

[@Skoringo]

Aaaaand that's another Mikey video in the favorites.

[@davecantshutup7446]

Can you do a spin off about movies that have no business being as good as they are

[@neocow2]

Nope, he can't because every movie like that was made with love, dedication, and ridiculous amounts of hard work. Often 'bad' art is the effort of hard labor.

[@davecantshutup7446]

@@neocow2 eh, I see your point, but there are movies that are better than there concept or better than the sum of their parts

[@StayFractalesque]

@@davecantshutup7446 do you have an example? just curious..

[@Keithustus]

Stay Fractalesque, example Stranger Than Fiction. Why is a Will Ferrell movie so tight and with such crisp dialogue?

[@nukethewhalesagain]

7:08 In which I learn I can still recognize the St. Mary's University Athletic Center parking lot I used to skateboard on.

[@haryman222]

I love this. Thank you.

[@monovision566]

GAH I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS.