Perfect Movie Time! - Ep. 16 of Intentionally Blank

[@PetrSojnek]

"I can't take literature seriously, unless there are dead cats in it." - Dan Wells 2021. Here now you've been immortalized :)

[@The_Drof]

I really appreciate how Dan plays a supportive role like a healer in a raid to help Brandon open up. And, I appreciate how Brandon is graceful yet leads this podcast framework the way it was intended.

[@KatieGimple]

Intentionally Blank is still the best possible title, but if it absolutely has to be changed at some point, pre-emptive tangents has that same ring to it and works really well. Maybe the sequel podcast could be called that.

[@rockandrolljew89]

To be fair, Buttercup is still an improvement to how she was in the novel, where her stupidity was basically on par with her beauty as her defining characteristic.

[@MeemBeen]

I can't help but laugh maniacally at Brandon Sanderson exuding major "Jamie pull that up" energy. Ya love to see it.

[@andrewclarke3463]

My James Bond head-cannon is that when 007 is eventually caught, killed, or retires he is replaced. The replacement is a trainee ready for double 0 status who is waiting for a slot. That trainee is instructed to take up the name, mannerisms, and personal history of the prior James Bond. This feeds to plausible deniability: "We never heard of that person you caught stealing government secrets, all our top agents including are accounted for. Stop annoying us or you'll see how hard a real agent is to deal with". Casino Royale's opening scene is Daniel Craig replacing Pierce Brosnan after he messed something up. Also "The Rock" is an authentic James Bond film where MI6 wrote off Sean Connery Bond. He could have made it back to caretake the Skyfall property :)

[@TheLordofMetroids]

The biggest issue with this is On her Majesty's Secret Service, which is the George Lazenby film, which is than follows by the Last Sean Connery film, Diamonds are Forever. In this film Bond is clearly effected by the events in the last film, despite it allegedly happening to a different man.

[@andrewclarke3463]

The opening sequence of that movie includes Lazenby breaking the fourth wall and saying something like "this never happened to the other guy". I'll admit I'm calling on some pretty flimsy fan logic to support my pet theory though :)

[@explosiveanger2024]

We share head-cannon. This is pretty much how I’ve viewed James Bond my whole life!

[@c.a.mcdivitt9722]

Third comment! And I agree on the Princess Bride- the worldbuilding and plot just completely sneak up on you. Edit- I would argue that a perfect movie is not a perfect movie unless it can be watched on a tiny screen at terrible resolution, and still be perfect.

[@TheLordofMetroids]

I disagree, as there are some Animated films on my "perfect movie," list and they are on there at least in part because of their animation.

[@c.a.mcdivitt9722]

@@TheLordofMetroids I would argue that animation, like special effects, may showcase the time, skill,and effort put into a production, but it doesn't make the story any better or worse. And the story is what sticks with people.

[@TheLordofMetroids]

@@c.a.mcdivitt9722 While you are correct that Animation does not make the story any better or worse, for a lot of amazing animated films, the story kind of doesn't matter as much when compared to the visuals. For example, when you think of Spirited Away you don't think of the plot, which in many ways is a cultural rehash of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. No, you think of the jaw-dropping visuals, gorgeous animation, striking character design, and beautiful soundtrack that elevates it all to a masterclass of animated filmaking.

[@DanielLopez-ob9jz]

@@c.a.mcdivitt9722 I would argue otherwise, spirited away for example puts so much subtle worldbuilding into its animation and some scenes wouldn't have been nearly as good if they weren't as well animated. Chihiro eating rice balls was one of the best scenes in the movie and that was almost purely because of the way her emotions showed through the animation. So no, I'd definitely argue that animation plays a very large part if it's just that good. I'd also argue that with many many other animated shows and movies.

[@hecksnek6158]

Secret of nimh is probably what I would Consider a perfect movie. Even though a lot of plot threads don't really go anywhere, the atmosphere, characters and animation are all amazing.

[@Thukad]

What plot threads didn't go anywhere?

[@chrisrussell1106]

"A million markets cried out, and then were silenced." ~Brando San Kenoberson ; Brilliant chat, highly entertaining.

[@gordo6908]

19:49 idk man. the variability in movement, introduction, and status of gods in the bronze age always felt like proto cross overs and shared universes to me

[@PureMagma]

"Shut up, witch!" "...I'm not a witch--I'm your wife!"

[@deana7310]

Almost every fencer I know says that Princes Bride's fight scene inspired them to try fencing. They can see that it is not a fight between two masters - but is still one fun fight to watch.

[@markbowser3978]

I can't imagine The Princess Bride ever being remade better in any way. That's why I think of it as a perfect movie.

[@zacharyanderson6836]

One of my favorite memories around The Princess Bride is when I showed it to my daughter, and was soon as credits hit, she asked to watch it again. I also think this movie can never be remade, unless it is by the Muppets.

[@zipperzee]

It's not a remake but I found Stardust to be a spiritual successor

[@zacharyanderson6836]

@@zipperzee I need to rewatch it, I don't have a lot of memories of it, or I may have missed it completely.

[@TriForce84]

I think Dan just came up with the podcast title, "I can't even remember what I was going to say, but I'm sure it wasn't brilliant." I love "Intentionally Blank" though. Thanks for the content Brandon and Dan. Its been enjoyable.

[@CalaCrisp88]

I love the question "How different would our modern world be if the godfather had taken over?" without the context of movies

[@celchroma]

I love the dig into parallel discussions have been needing one ever since this topic was brought up on one of the streams/writting excuses podcast. Eternally grateful.

[@Sybato]

I always thought Shardblades were kinda like Keyblades when I read about them coalescing in the air.

[@tanyam928]

The Princess Bride is my favorite movie! Loved it since I saw it as a kid. Any movie can be remade, but when I hear rumors of remaking it it just doesn't seem possible to improve on it. Even with better graphics or things Brandon mentioned, it wouldn't have the same charm. Another set of similar premise movies coming out close together was The Illusionist and The Prestige... like how does that happen? I can see the example of Brandon's Reckoners and The Boys being a reaction to dark superhero content but other examples like the bug movies or apocalyptic movies or magic movies that just come out so close together is crazy.

[@dusbus2384]

As if I didn't already like Sanderson enough he rocks a R.A.F.O T-shirt to support one of his big fans' youtube channel and takes my appreciation for him up a notch. GJ Sanderson.

[@Altonahk]

That's brandon's own merch.

[@dusbus2384]

@@Altonahk kzbin.info

[@Altonahk]

RAFO is Robert Jordan's thing. When being asked a question that would be a spoiler, he answered RAFO. When Sanderson finished WoT he inherited RAFO, and continues to use it. If you ask him a question in person that gets a RAFO, he gives a RAFO card.

[@Altonahk]

So the RAFO channel is a fan channel using that term.

[@benhatch9261]

I loved the cameo type stuff, like as a teen seeing Fizban from Dragonlance show up in deathgate cycle

[@NarfiRef]

Yeah, cartoons and toys based on R-rated movies was certainly a weird thing in the 80’s and even the ‘90s.

[@rossmorton7002]

Now we're getting R-rated movies based on characters created to entertain children.

[@vampirelogan]

I was a huge fan of Road Warrior as a kid probably too young to watch it. I could totally see that being the Star Wars replacement because I once took all my Star Wars figures and a few other ones and recreated the whole tanker truck chase scene. I had a milk carton on its side as the tanker truck. I cut two holes into it and inserted 2 empty toilet rolls for the turret positions. I created piecemeal armor out of the silver mesh from the inside of cigarette packs. I made the dune buggies and bikes out of old car model sets. Then I got some of my mom's red food coloring for blood and used various spears and swords that used to be used for cocktails to hold the olives. Some of them I broke off and taped onto a figure to represent someone shot by the spear launchers. After about an hour of my setting up and playing through the whole scene, my mom came to see what I was doing. She took it in stride but I think she was a little worried about me and often sent me out to play more with other kids, lol.

[@aprilw2287]

I love the discussion on alternate cinema history. I might think about this for a long time to come. I definitely wanted to live in the Star Wars universe when I was younger. Heck, I still want to.

[@mdwesquire]

I love listening to you guys talk.

[@thedanielhicks]

Did not know pastiche was a real word. Now I do.

[@kendots6654]

Parallel evolution, or Stand Alone Complex as Ghost in the Shell coined it.

[@ssenkcalb]

I DO have to point out... the princess may be seemingly helpless and not able to even fend off a rat with a stick... HOWEVER. She does not hesitate to hurl herself down a steep incline after hearing "aaaasssss yyyyoooouuuu wwwwiiiissshhhhh"

[@ninjabreadman1993r]

I mean, to be fair, the criticisms of Buttercup aren't really criticisms because that's the *point* of the character. Both the book and the film are satires AND homages of the genre (that being Fairy Tail / Swashbuckling Fantasy), so Buttercup's general uselessness is kind of the *point* in both instances.

[@superiorgo2368]

Sean Connery as Bond is like having aged Captain America at the end of Endgame be played by Stan Lee. It sets up so many cool things to marinate on for years to come.

[@joshbascom8618]

Preemptive tangents! Hilarious! Good stuff guys!

[@TheLordofMetroids]

I love that Brandon did the same thing as Brent Weeks twice, it's clear from looking at them that Warbreaker and Lightbringer are not at all similar from a story perspective, or even in the base Idea of the magic system, but it's strange how that happens. Another weird one with Brandon is there is a web serial called Worm that is a deconstruction of the superhero genre. That Idea is nothing new, but it is downright shocking how many core worldbuilding plot ideas in the Reckoners Trilogy are also core worldbuilding tenants in Worm. P.S if you would like a dark deconstruction of the Superhero genre, I recommend checking Worm out, it's completely free, and while it clearly needed an editor (It's about as long as Stormlight currently is, and vary much could be cut down by a lot) but it's a great read.

[@andrewberenson5717]

What if Tron became the cultural phenomenon that Star Wars became?

[@pinpunk13]

Wait, did Brandon just say that people are working on the Mistborn film (36:48)?

[@edwinleskin3112]

Think he brought the script in house?

[@smashgambits]

0:15 Have never been a bigger fan than this moment.

[@katiewright3309]

The second you mentioned The Princess Bride, I liked the video.

[@AndrewDMth]

Very much agree on the Old Caretaker. The lines were obviously written for Connery.

[@shubhamyadav8309]

Brandon and dan you both are awesome. Please never stop writing books. Did brandon just said there is a mistborn movie in the making at 36:48 ?

[@scootskute]

@3:59 - Iconic shot, even if one of them was a cardboard cut-out of himself, and could only blink because the eye holes were cut out and he put his own eyes there to blink.

[@PixelHunter100]

Actually there is a Russian fantasy writer Aleksei Pekhov who did shared universe in his books around 2003-2005 His debut series "Chronicles of Siala" was even translated to English (first book - Shadow Prowler). In this series main character discover himself as a deity of some sorts who have the power to create worlds. Pekhov's second series "Ветер и Искры" (Wind and Sparks I guess, but I don't know if it was translated) takes place in a completely different world with a different characters, and at some point someone very similar to protagonist of Shadow Prowler appears to help main characters. There is no clear statement but we can say that the world of Khara was created by protagonist of the first Pekhov's series.

[@charlesallen]

You could say the Universal monsters were the first shared universe, so I'd go earlier than 70's.

[@ericweinzettle5010]

I love the insight that Star Wars and Harry Potter have a more rabid fanbase because people are allowed to cosplay themselves in the world rather than just cosplaying a character from that world. You even mentioned the 501st and how even though a storm trooper is more uniform, there are plenty of people who throw themselves into the role. I don't know if y'all have seen Bad Batch, but with the introduction of autonomous and unique storm trooper characters, we may see an increase in this cosplaying fanbase because of this canonical individuality.

[@LMJeffJones]

Please do a review or at least briefly talk about "Star Wars Visions"! Really interested in your opinions on it!

[@LMJeffJones]

Especially regarding “the ninth jedi”

[@adrianestrada5736]

That anthology series, as a whole, is fantastic! 😁👍👍👌 A couple of the episodes I didnt really care for, but thats why anthologies are good. Different styles for people with different tastes.

[@AncalagonTheBlackMetalHead]

Speaking of an old Bond, have you two heard of the theory that Sean Connery's character in "The Rock" is James Bond after being imprisoned in America for espionage?

[@mycroft8344]

The rock is a great movie.

[@antenna_prolly]

As a would-be game dev/furry/musician who hoped to make a JRPG inspired by the heavy hitters of my generation, I'm too brUTally familiar with the phenomenon of "the market crying out for something to be a fan of" with something inevitably slotting in and making one man wealthy with all lesser beings chasing his coattails.

[@aneonfoxtribute]

Oooh I loved I Hunt Killers as a high school student. I always thought it was funny that you two had books with similar premises.

[@brianlinden3042]

Speaking of parallel story evolution, the similarities between the anime Gurren Lagann and some of Brandon's works are pretty remarkable. It's basically what you get if you take the themes of Mistborn Era 1 and put it in the setting of Skyward.

[@deandickens2203]

Ok so I'm late to this thread, but imo Star Wars became as popular as it did because it told a deeply mythological story. Same with Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter. These stories are part of our modern mythology.

[@JP-ph4sq]

"I don't take literature seriously unless there are dead cats in it" - Dan must love Murakami's Kafka on the Shore then!

[@Kabissz]

The thirst of lore nerds is deep and difficult to quench.

[@Wizardously]

Podcast name suggestions: Intentionally tangential Tangentially blank

[@Halrax_38]

Only a few minutes in, but the Princess Bride was Robin Wright's first major film (or at least, it had "Introducing Robin Wright" in the end credits)

[@ChristmasLore]

Indeed...before, she was in Santa Barbara...🎋

[@tap836]

There were a lot of ridiculous computer things in Skyfall, but to be fair, the dropping the train into that underground room I don't think was a computer thing. I just re-watched the movie last night, and it appears to just be a remotely triggered bomb opening a hole to the subway tunnel.

[@michaelgrimm5389]

WAIT You're just going to drop "people working on the Mistborn film" so nonchalantly?!?!

[@michaelarnold1150]

I said the same thing...

[@DanAdiletta]

@@michaelarnold1150 You could Dan checking with Adam, nervous that the tidbit slipped.

[@Florkl]

I looked it up and it’s evidently something Brando has been working on for a while. Coppermind cites a press release from 2010. This is just nice to hear that it’s not dead, though whether or not it’s still in development hell or progress is now being made is unknown.

[@littleripper312]

Love the 4k

[@kaotikkk1]

As a Thousand Worlds GRRM fan these shared universes have been around since the 70's atleast

[@meselfsen]

Podcast Title, "Excited by the Idea"

[@areeweblind]

Episode title from the last line "I can't remember what I was going to say but I'm sure it want brilliant"

[@pisoprano]

Regarding Dan’s claim at 39:50, yep, 100% there has been a marked increase in people wearing brown fedoras LTUE and it is his fault. At one of the panels or presentations (I’d need to double check my notes to pin down when), he tells everyone in the audience about how having a memorable feature-such as always wearing a brown fedora-aids in people in remembering you. This advice would get repeated by other panelists/presenters in subsequent years and very soon it was clear that a lot of people heard the advice as “wearing a fedora is awesome” (which, fair, it is) and now there are so many people in fedoras that it is no longer noteworthy. So I f you want to be actually memorable at LTUE, what you *actually* need an elaborate steampunk hat.

[@mathewgale935]

Love the podcast 😍

[@Kk-fj5tn]

I could 100% agree that puppets age better than any CG. It's a suspension of disbelief thing....

[@samiam.402]

Okay I am going to demand more of these. Five a week as a start and I'll be happy.

[@TonyRobetson]

pre-emptive tangents lol you guys are clever

[@elizabethgordon7838]

Such an interesting conversation. I will say right now the thing that's sweeping us culturally right now is elevated horror. Also for other worlds and cons where people can go as themselves but in that world is pokemon.

[@latterdaycovenantliving]

Podcast title: We did have a topic

[@neveragain125]

Im impressed by the card carrying Fan!

[@neveragain125]

kek

[@30Huckleberry]

I would love to know what they think of the Evil Dead. So over the top, so fun to watch.

[@dylanfinlayson5556]

DAN, LOOKOUT! THERE'S AN ELDRITCH ON YOUR SHIRT!

[@Manoplian]

If you're still looking for a podcast title (and you see this comment) I think you should go for "And Things Like This". I think it captures the meandering nature of the podcast and is a somewhat famous Brandonism.

[@neveragain125]

"Pet Semetary" is the name of the podcast lol

[@Dyvion]

The Princess Bride is indeed a perfect movie.

[@NarfiRef]

Star Trek also gives fans a world they imagine themselves in and has been doing it before Star Wars.

[@hernandezpaul5910]

I'll try and throw a name in, seeing as I'm still watching these. "Amusings." Maybe "A-musings"? Or either without the -s

[@hbenensky]

Brandon you do not need to murder cats in your books to get Dan interested bc you murdered a small clutch of axe hounds in Words of Radiants that were pets. Dan has no leg to stand on, you just need to fire it back at him next time XD

[@ViperChief117]

Would rather see practical effects in film rather than CGI any day of the week. But that’s just my opinion as an adult. As a child I would have said the opposite. Lol

[@l.b.7825]

Podcast title: We Don't Murder Cats.

[@hiltrud2001]

I love Battlestar Galactica and I love the ending❣Have you donated to Michael Hogan?

[@LarryShaddoeEverett]

I think Dan titled the podcast at the end there: "I'm sure it wasn't brilliant."

[@TheMharr]

I feel like what Brandon mentioned about people 'wanting' to live in the world of Star Wars is probably the largest contributor to its success as a franchise. With that said though, I don't think that could be as large of a contributing factor as it is without the parallels to our modern world that are presented in Star Wars. Yes, the franchise is inherently alien, but it does a fantastic job of simultaneously combining that alien-ness with things that mirror our society very closely. The cantina scene in particular comes to mind. If the entire movie took place in space, or on wild alien planets that viewers couldn't relate to on an emotional level, then I don't think the franchise would have taken off in the way it did. Edit: I paused the video to write this comment when it was first mentioned, and then unpaused to see that I basically said what they said in the video. That said though, I feel validated so I'm going to leave this comment up lol.

[@MagnetonJjungle]

I for one would like to see the alternate Peter Brett shared universe.

[@papermoon6102]

First comment! Love these podcasts Dan and Brandon, keep up the good work!

[@kene8285]

It may be too late to change the podcast title, however, may I put forth Brogurt as a consideration. It goes with Dan's episode 1 culture suggestion.

[@michaelarnold1150]

How are we not talking more about the casual comment "talking about with people working on the Mistborn film"?

[@wolfipibe7938]

yes wtf, i just got there and looked at the comments to see if i missunderstood or something

[@MKTraxel]

As a relative noob (starting my second read through now so there may be way more information on this out there) I can honestly see Robert Jordan having been the expanding universe had he survived. The last 4ish books dramatically set up Mat for a spinoff series. An Age of Legends series was so possible, etc. Similar to what Michael J Sullivan is doing with his Riyria/Ages books.

[@jeffreyday84]

Perfect means complete in Latin. I see it as something where it works, you reach diminishing returns with more work, and there's not something that will clearly improve with work. Anything more you do to Princess Bride might be a technical improvement, but any change wouldn't improve the experience of watching the movie.

[@talongeorge3750]

Talk about parallels, I just watched alien last night

[@KahunaPuffin]

Joe vs the Volcano! Also, Jurassic Park.

[@3choblast3r4]

Wait .... Dan writes cyberpunk? I thought his thing was horror books? I'm not really into horror but I absolutely love cyberpunk to death. Guess I'm gonna have to look up the blue screen books.

[@kevingrant5418]

my next con im gonna be the secret love child of these 2

[@Wizardously]

To Dan's pondering about if their definition of a "perfect film" is just "films they love." I would ask, Can you think of a perfect film that you didn't like or don't love?

[@jordanneal576]

I would say that The Princess Bride is perfect by virtue of the fact that it prompts you to ignore its flaws because of how good everything else. So when you experience The Princess Bride you experience a flawless film, despite the existence of the flaws.

[@joejoefred8821]

A ton or 21 tons of 97 dead cats. New podcast title.

[@mhreinhardt]

Dr. Murdercats Or: How I Learned To Start Worrying I'd Lose Half My Fans The Podcast!

[@c.a.mcdivitt9722]

Also, you forgot that the Star Trek movies (including Wrath of Kahn) were because of Star Wars' success.

[@cmdrenfuego]

Star Wars definitely got the Star Trek movie revived. Paramount had cancelled the Star Trek movie just a few weeks before Star Wars came out and had pivoted to doing a new TV series (Star Trek: Phase II). The success of Star Wars and Close Encounters of the Third Kind convinced them a Star Trek movie could be successful.

[@c.a.mcdivitt9722]

@@cmdrenfuego It also saved us from Discovery-prise... for a while. And some of the Phase II plots became the better early TNG episodes.

[@andrewberenson5717]

Where did Dan hear that Andre the Giant could not speak English while filming? It is my understanding he could speak English. I am a wrestling fan. I heard him speak English lots of time. With an accent, true; but English nevertheless.

[@leobarascasanova8077]

As an spanish person, I was very surprised by your pronounciation of Iñigo like I_n_igo

[@markstenquist2315]

Star Wars had a spiritual aspect to it that filled a place in people as society moved from religious to non-religious. The force is why Star Wars became what it was. Without a spiritual aspect, none of the other movies you are talking about would have gotten where Star Wars did.

[@XamuselUzumaki]

Was Dan wearing a shirt based on Cthulhu?

[@30Huckleberry]

Perfect movie… Flash Gordon

[@AlexnoAnder88]

Possible title: Tangential Spasticity