Sh*t Show Podcast: Cats (2019)

[@srayj]

I absolutely love your podcast! You are hilarious and you have such good chemistry with each other. I also appreciate the fact that your purpose is never malicious. You always seem to wish the production had been successful, yet you’re able to point out the flaws in a funny way. I can tell that you all love films, which is why the critiques are also coming from a place of love. Lastly, I think Ian’s thorough research really adds legitimacy to your commentary on the full scope of the productions and shows that you aren’t critiquing other people’s work from a place of hate, but rather as a genuine examination of what can go wrong on a film and why. Great job and keep it up!

[@ItWasAShtShow]

Thank you SO much! We often get requests to cover movies simply because they were bad movies. But I’m glad you and others like you know that it’s not about trashing films. It’s about understanding what happened.

[@TheHunterBolton]

They edited out all the buttholes?! I’m calling shenanigans. James Corden is definitely in this movie

[@justinstoll4955]

When you're 30 minutes into an episode, and then Ian says "this is where the shitshow begins" you know this is going to be good

[@ItWasAShtShow]

That’s good. Because I get worried if that doesn’t happen soon enough. Like people start wondering why we’re even covering the movie.

[@justinstoll4955]

​@@ItWasAShtShowBoy, that last 30 minutes was one of the biggest shit shows covered: buttholes, laid off people, a bomb, a crazy director, etc. It had it all.

[@AmareloStudios]

​@@ItWasAShtShowdon't worry, the best shit comes from a big meal before hand

[@Overflight01]

Taylor Swift claims that scene where she drops catnip on the crowd and they all start going crazy was her dad's idea. Hooper apparently had no idea what catnip was and Swift's dad had to explain it to him. That and the rest of this movie IMHO is pretty compelling evidence that Tom Hooper doesn't know what cats *are*. As a musical, an animal or even a *concept*.

[@SmashPortal]

2AM is a great time of day to listen to a podcast.

[@alexanderborschel2135]

😊😊😊😊😊

[@mopar1969ful]

"Oh boy, 2am!"

[@moosetasticbombastic1998]

It's literally 2:30am rn. Hell yeah!

[@samzilla567]

Friendly reminder that Tom Hooper had no idea what catnip was or what did to cats when Taylor Swift suggested using it for a bit in the film. Everyone on set just awkwardly laughed, thinking he was just joking around. He wasn't. The director of CATS, everyone.

[@michaelmellen7437]

Memory is the song that the character Summer (Miranda Cosgrove) sings briefly in School of Rock when the students are being assigned different roles in the class band

[@ItWasAShtShow]

I only saw it twice but I don’t remember that.

[@artofgnomes]

This is how I know of Memory as well. It was bizarre to listen to the real song much later on in life and understand just how badly Summer actually sang it (other than just being generically mediocre-sounding).

[@DityDan]

I worked at a movie theater when this released, can confirm absolutely NOBODY saw this compared to Star Wars. However, I did see ONE group in full cat costume, and I had to respect it

[@MusicDecomposer]

7:53 Yes, it _was_ referenced in something that a lot of kids watched. School of Rock, and also Diary of a Wimpy Kid 2.

[@ItWasAShtShow]

Maybe School of Rock. But I only saw that maybe twice.

[@keithwoodcrest]

Just commented the same thing! I'd seen school of rock way back when it was in theaters and never again until recently. Never could pinpoint how I knew that song until my wife was watching school of rock and it all clicked

[@skenzyme81]

I refuse to believe the butthole cut does not exist. The visual effects directors' vision MUST have included them - only to be cut last minute by a sane producer. 🐈

[@ItWasAShtShow]

We basically say that exactly in the episode.

[@cthellis]

RELEASE THE BUTTHOLE CUT

[@cthellis]

The Sideways “is Worse than you Thought” videos for Les Mis and Cats are must-listens. Reveals the utter insanity (and, frankly, abuse) of Tom Hooper in regards to all of this.

[@marshalhammel5065]

He also gave a way better summary of the plot than that guy in the interview.

[@RosesTeaAndASD]

I miss Sideways :(

[@lokidiscordia2548]

"Get me a cockroach dancing in a cancan line" "Like this?"- puts in copy of Joe's Apartment

[@theassortedhobbyist]

Every time I think about Cats, whether it be the musical or this movie, my mind always goes to Hal Prince's reaction to the score for the first time: "I listened to it all and I said 'Andrew, is this something I don't get? Is this about Queen Victoria? She's the main cat and Disraeli and Gladstone are other cats? And then there are poor cats and...am I missing this?' And he took a terrible, painful long pause and said 'Hal, it's about cats.' And we never discussed it again."

[@brodycdxx2554]

This episode was the wrong episode to watch during work but the best episode to watch during work at the same time, love the pod, Clint should host an episode

[@ItWasAShtShow]

I’ve tried…

[@shenloken2]

The trailer told us this movie was going to be a disaster. But who’d have thought the movie itself told us 2020 was going to be a disaster?!

[@ItWasAShtShow]

An ill omen indeed.

[@canaisyoung3601]

That seems to me to be a coincidence. A disturbing one, but a coincidence nonetheless.

[@yohansong3207]

You guys have no idea how much I've been waiting for a new episode.

[@tajklair]

I remember my English teacher said look how cringe the trailer is. It was so relatable.

[@Barnaclebeard]

I have a similar expression; perfect is the enemy of good, good is the enemy of done

[@kevincarter3753]

16:48 CLINT

[@jman1939]

Speaking of Musical disasters, Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark was a fascinating trainwreck of a show. Might make a good episode.

[@ItWasAShtShow]

Very much on the list. But we’d have to find some bootlegged recording of it…

[@jman1939]

@@ItWasAShtShow there may a few of those floating around on the interwebs. Lol

[@watumutiz]

Clint being so s@#£ faced by the time the Amblin logo comes on. What is that a bike????? 🥴🥴. I died!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@JamesWjRose]

I was at the Broadway Museum a couple of days ago and noticed that it was stated "actors do their own make-up, including Cats" - I've seen a number of shows, but never Cats. Still not seen the movie, though I will catch the RiffTrax version. Thanks again for your show.

[@fafanir82]

Cats should have never been a movie.

[@priyasinha3889]

Your podcast makes being drunk a BILLION times better! Having a really great evening, thanks guys :)

[@cthellis]

Missed opportunity to point out that the Meow Mix commercial was a better musical than this.

[@ItWasAShtShow]

Accurate. We’ll flog Clint for missing this egregious error.

[@munohlow]

I think Andrew Lloyd Webber said he never wanted a cute animated adaptation, they aren’t supposed to be actual cats, they are always meant to look like half human freaks (I’m paraphrasing)

[@maxlights1]

1:05:36 a different ken levine than the writer of bioshock, but if that movie/series ever comes out i’d love to hear abt what happened (and the BTS of the games could be its own episode as well)

[@ItWasAShtShow]

Definitely a movie banished into development hell.

[@ZidaneWarner]

Cats would’ve never worked as a film regardless if it was made by Tom Hooper or Steven Spielberg. There just isn’t enough of a plot to make it compelling in the film medium. That being said. The only thing this movie will ever do now is Hollywood never allowing Tom Hooper to make another musical ever again. He has no understanding how musicals work.

[@ItWasAShtShow]

It could work by adapting it… with Muppets.

[@chasehedges6775]

There just isn’t enough of a plot to make it compelling in the film medium Exactly

[@michaellamb4001]

Given his track record, idea for a episode, it was a sh$t show: James corden

[@50shadesofbeige88]

I wasn't sure if I'd like this one at the beginning, but it wss very entertaining. Well done!

[@kevincarter3753]

0:07 Clint never looks bad!

[@jl.7739]

47:27 min. That video exists. It’s called: Joes Apartment

[@megshep]

Okay winter depression got the best of me so I fell off a bit, but I am back meow and purrrrrrfectly appreciating this episode. Klint with a K, I am going to have to request a themed catsuit for every episode now. So uh...you gonna do the timely thing and talk about Titanic now? 😅

[@ItWasAShtShow]

Was gonna do Titanic recently but decided to hold off until Avatar 3 comes out.

[@megshep]

@ItWasAShtShow Apparently I'm waiting until December 2025 for that episode then. Clint, you'd better have the Heart of the Ocean in your closet!

[@keithwoodcrest]

The "Memories" song is sung by Miranda Cosgrove in School of Rock! I also didn't know where I knew that song from and one day my wife was watching School of Rock and that scene came on and it all came together for me

[@alexgeurin6159]

We all know the song ‘Memory’ because in School of Rock, that was the song Miranda Cosgrove started terribly singing before Jack Black went “Stop. Stop.”

[@kathykummer]

You mentioned that you didn't know why you knew of CATS and the song, "Memory." As a kid, I remember seeing the commercial play constantly on TV.

[@kathykummer]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/n5qccqmfodWLsLs

[@ItWasAShtShow]

Someone pointed out that old VHS trailers advertised the recorded Broadway performance all the time. I think that might be it.

[@skunkjo3195]

I came back to this because I think it's the one episode I never finished - I'm ten minutes in and omg I must be a Cats fan in denial because I can't stand the slander! I was obsessed with the '95 (?) pro shot growing up, we had it on VHS. And to this day if skimbleshanks comes up on my musical theatre playlist... I won't skip it 😂 like I wouldn't play them for anyone to HEAR... hence the denial. But its so hard to listen to bc I just want to defend it - now I know how hardcore fandoms feel! Who would've thought I was a cats stan 😭 (don't tell anyone) (obviously the film was trash and I fervently hate tom hooper) (still love you guys! Keep up the amazing work)

[@emb5048]

Do these ever have video to go along with them?

[@aethersurfer6793]

I have to be honest, I don’t think I’ve managed to watch the whole thing. The cringe factor makes me stop the film from mutual embarrassment for all those involved.

[@222LoneWolf]

I might have missed it if it was mentioned in this episode, and I'm not sure if it's actually verifiable anywhere, but here's one of my absolute favorite anecdotes I've heard about this movie floating around the net: Tom Hooper apparently did not know what catnip was, and was only taught about it while they were in the middle of filming Taylor Swift's scene, which prominently involved her character drugging everyone with catnip, by Taylor Swift's own father, who had somehow gotten permission to visit the set that day to see how filming was going. I suppose Taylor Swift's dad never got the memo about Hooper not speaking to anyone who wasn't a supervisor. If anyone can verify this story, I think it really explains a lot about the finished film.

[@EonStormcrow]

Cats was the 1st play I ever watched. It made me a theater kid. This film... I'm sorry you guys had to suffer through it. #ReleaseEmpiresOfTheDeep

[@ItWasAShtShow]

All for you guys!

[@EonStormcrow]

@@ItWasAShtShow and we love you for it.

[@TheloniusMUnk-DrUnkPhD-]

To address the “you’d have to be high to enjoy it” can confirm, took a couple hits of acid and thought it would be funny to watch it ironically… like, preposterous premise for a movie. Sure let’s give it a shot: Made it about 9 minutes, 15 absolute tops. And my god it was so awful; just the first few minutes that it was just unbearable to finish. Even on acid. Thank god it was during Covid and it was streaming… or we’d have either walked out of the movie… or suffered through it and felt awful for the rest of the trip. I cannot fathom seeing it sober. Or on drugs.

[@ItWasAShtShow]

Seems like it would be too terrifying.

[@joshbrown8756]

You probably learned of the song Memory from School fo Rock

[@finlaylavery8408]

"Hal... It's about cats..."

[@nbctheoffice]

School of Rock featured Miranda Cosgrove’s character singing a section of the Memories song.

[@The_Mimewar]

We know the song from the commercial in the 80s when Cats came to America

[@AmareloStudios]

Clint rules

[@ItWasAShtShow]

Who?

[@cortisolsoup]

this is my favorite movie

[@ItWasAShtShow]

Ironically?

[@cortisolsoup]

@@ItWasAShtShow i don't use the irony shield these days. i was enthralled with it from the moment i saw it and i could talk about it for hours- which i plan to do in a video essay (or a regular essay) some time in the near future because my feelings/opinions are pretty complicated. i'm glad that it exists, for sure!

[@denim_ak]

Missed you guyssss

[@docscott189]

@ItWasAShtShow Not to mess with the format, but have you ever considered dream recasting for these? Like how epic would it be if instead of Ian McKellen, Christopher Lee was cast instead.

[@ItWasAShtShow]

I guess if the situation arises, we do say who would be better.

[@moritzzz1]

I always thought that oscar roast was directed at Tom Hooper. The effects were solely his responsibility and after the financial disaster of Cats he lost all credibility in Holywood

[@ItWasAShtShow]

If it was, they missed the target.

[@geekehUK]

I want to see Trey Parker and Matt Stone, make the next version of this.

[@ItWasAShtShow]

💯

[@faradise3819]

This production on a glance seems like a genuine effort in bringing the theatrical experience of Cats into the silver screen, so I didn't find it that surprising that so many big names signed on this project. Which is to say I have huge respect for Sir Ian and Madame Judi Dench, they're still legends. But damn what an awful movie (and musical).

[@chasehedges6775]

💯💯💯💯

[@ItWasAShtShow]

True. There is a reason people like Idris Elba and Taylor Swift signed on.

[@faradise3819]

@@ItWasAShtShow After I watched the episode, I actually felt guilty calling the movie awful, not considering just how bad the condition for the artists and the crew. Regardless, you guys did a superb research on the topic!

[@harryjackson7502]

You should do a podcast episode on the making of Jaws.

[@ItWasAShtShow]

That one might be a video.

[@harryjackson7502]

@@ItWasAShtShow Awesome,looking forward to seeing it.

[@NIGHTGUYRYAN]

OH MY GOD IM SO EXCITED!!!!!😂😂😂 love you guys - really needed to hear your lovely banter again!🎉🎉

[@NIGHTGUYRYAN]

hahaha, making sure Melissa gives her theatre credentials at the BEGINNING of the episode- oh god you guys crack me up (referencing the food fight episode)

[@russellgill5376]

We're gonna get to it 😂🎉

[@nealwhaley63]

This makes me want a new cat.

[@dr8627]

you were thinking of miranda cosgrove singing memories in the movie school of rock

[@shemjeffs2953]

Ive been wondering for the past few days when you guys were gonna release the next, thanks for getting me through the work day

[@ItWasAShtShow]

Our pleasure!

[@andreasauder2855]

Hearing about this movie made me watch the original musical, which actually worked. Also I think the fact that everyone was a star just made it worse, if no one had heard of any of the actors, it would have been more just silly and dumb.

[@ItWasAShtShow]

True. Not being like “oh poor Judi, how did you get roped into this?” But also doesn’t help that it’s played so serious.

[@nXca1ibur]

I will say that I genuinely love the Broadway musical, but the film is an abomination. I was entirely unsurprised when you said that he had no understanding of the visual effects process, as Les Mis proved he also has no understanding of the scoring process. I don't know how he is able to get anyone to work with him, interviews with the people who have been on his films make them seem like they just got back from a war. The only part of the film version of Cats I remember enjoying is the Skimbleshanks number, which is unsurprising as it was done by a professional dancer (not actor) and he declined to follow Hooper's insane process of basically just winging the songs.

[@tapio_m6861]

I am really tempted to watch this movie now. Like, not even ironically. It's just so... weird. It's the weirdest meant-to-be-serious movie of all time. The Room has nothing on this.

[@chasehedges6775]

Both this and The Room are films that are soooo bad, they’re entertaining

[@ItWasAShtShow]

I don’t know about THAT. Cats can be a real slog at times waiting for a bloody song to finish.

[@tapio_m6861]

@@ItWasAShtShowwell I do hate musicals…

[@theburgerparty5663]

Memory was featured on the live version of “If I had a Million Dollars” by BNL. That’s how I know it

[@ItWasAShtShow]

You’re blowing my mind right now. I LOVE BNL. But Memory isn’t in the song on Rock Spectacle. Is there another one I should look up?

[@theburgerparty5663]

@@ItWasAShtShow it was a live performance in Portland Maine. They’d play it on my local radio. My favorite version kzbin.info/www/bejne/qIC4d4NsptpksLM

[@megshep]

It was also featured in School of Rock, which is where I remember it from. Memory is always in Miranda Cosgrove's voice in my mind.

[@anna_in_aotearoa3166]

I really enjoy the pro recording of Cats stage show I have - seems to be from 1998? (I know there were other shows with much less good costume design!) Thought the dancers, singers & editors all did a great job of expressing feline nature in all its chaos, indolence, raunchiness & surprising moments of solemnity, which is what T.S. Eliot's poems also did. However, the new movie.... 👀 Isn't it interesting how stage costume interpretations of humans as felines can be fun & effective, and yet CGI theoretically doing the same thing can be pure nightmare fuel?! 😅

[@jeepspeedracer]

Now if only the decent sonic movie could inspire a finished sonic game for once.

[@christophernichols4224]

milo and otis is the dog and cat movie you were thinking of

[@ItWasAShtShow]

That’s what I was thinking too but Homeward Bound fits too.

[@christophernichols4224]

@@ItWasAShtShow I can imagine how much jenny would hate that movie. They did unspeakable things to those animals

[@thattroy]

(Formerly Five Easy Pieces) I like to think that Clint was sitting their in the Sean Young catsuit, which still wouldn’t have looked better than this dumpster fire…

[@Raina92]

Great ep!! Please do The Fash next

[@ItWasAShtShow]

Eventually. Probably part of DCEU series of videos.

[@plasticfantastic777]

My comment suggesting films to look at keeps getting deleted.

[@charmedx3219]

I have watched the movie on Blu-ray three times with different friends and family and we all enjoyed it. I still love the stage show way better. But the movie is such fun

[@ItWasAShtShow]

But like legitimately? Or ironically?

[@JustinTrabue]

Clint!

[@diddyknux]

Your timing is kind of creepy. I just watched two videos about Cats (one about the movie, one about the original musical) like a week ago...

[@versebuchanan512]

Oh, was this movie not good? I hadn't heard.

[@1BrknHrtdRomeo]

I...can't believe I'm finally going to watch this movie b/c of you guys haha

[@ItWasAShtShow]

Fascinating. Well it seems like most VFX studios are battling these issues. Glad you’re enjoying our nonsense.

[@singingpepper]

A few cat puns for you: Taylor Swifts song for Cats 2: 2 buttholes 2 furriest would be, Look what you made me POO. Please join the patreon right MEOW. Those animators were not PUSSYfooting around. If you have longhaired cats you need a cLINT roller. Puns aside, it's so wonderful to have y'all back. I missed you three. Thanks for the laughs. 😻

[@CyndiLarper]

Tom hanks big sings Memory to his mom on the phone

[@ItWasAShtShow]

Different song though. You had me for a second!

[@CyndiLarper]

@@ItWasAShtShow didn't mean to troll, I actually thought it was that song till today!

[@hypercomms2001]

Sounds like music should been by 'The but hole Surfers"...

[@Minerdee]

Cat school? Like a-cat-emy?

[@ohasia]

Ok I've watched every episode, some of them, twice. I still don't know if it's jenni-rae or January. *Andy Dwyer meme*

[@ItWasAShtShow]

“November. Your bangs are cute.”

[@callmemich]

Lol

[@andreameani156]

Please do an episode on ‘The Room’ (2003) 🏈 🥹

[@clamum9648]

A rather jellicle podcast show

[@ItWasAShtShow]

Is that a complement? Is that an insult?! What is a Jellicle?!!

[@clamum9648]

@@ItWasAShtShow I don't even know myself homie

[@TheAdamGiles]

Clint.

[@RosesTeaAndASD]

I saw the musical and then saw the trailer for the movie. No. Just no.

[@GBart]

Clint's and my*

[@silentsalami42]

clint

[@nbctheoffice]

Clint.

[@christophergrovender3593]

Clint

[@chasehedges6775]

I’ll give the movie this: The younger actors/dancers did a good job and gave the best performances. The older actors SUCKED

[@ItWasAShtShow]

Agreed. You can tell that some of them didn’t miss the assignment. It’s just the assignment was terrible.

[@2bitnerd]

Again, SO disappointing that this is a podcast.

[@ItWasAShtShow]

All our videos are about truly difficult productions. Stories crazy enough and strong enough to carry a whole narrative. They’re pseudo documentaries. With Cats, it basically boils down to Tom Hooper being a dick to VFX artists. That’s not enough to make a whole video about. And if I did, it wouldn’t be nearly as fun to make or for you to watch as I rarely editorialize in the videos. This movie deserves a good thrashing which I wouldn’t do in a video. Pick your poison. Sorry if that’s not your cup of tea, but that’s the channel.

[@godshand6822]

You know memories because its the song thats in the commercial for cats that played constantly just fyi

[@justinclayton42]

c l i n t

[@LINK67890]

Clint

[@moosetasticbombastic1998]

Clint

[@ItWasAShtShow]

No idea who that is.

[@mobtek]

Clint