26 Comments
Apr 15Liked by Janie Haddad Tompkins

I love my new shirt! It’s the perfect blend of fabric woven with magic I’m assuming. It’s fits like an old best friend. If your old best friend were a tshirt.

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Apr 15Liked by Janie Haddad Tompkins

Definitely using that discerning line the next chance I get. Thank you.

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Apr 15Liked by Janie Haddad Tompkins

You mentioned THE TRAITORS here too! My wife and I are also obsessed. Maybe that needs a podcast -- or just a season recap discussion.

AND -- whenever someone says "I know you!" I also think of that SNL short. (My second favorite part is when Christopher Guests says "You're under water and I am too but this is just pretend...)

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Apr 15Liked by Janie Haddad Tompkins

“The lack of realism of someone on their couch for movie night in modern times”… nice one Janie, Modern Times is a Chaplin movie I believe

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Apr 15Liked by Janie Haddad Tompkins

I, (though admittedly have and will not seen the movie), completely agree with Paul's feelings over the Civil War film. When I saw the early promo image of a POC with nail polish holding a pink gun, I was interested. Then the trailer dropped and it's very much centering characters that do not appear aligned with the promo image. To me...there's already been more than enough cishet, white coverage on that topic in film.

I have been disinterested ever since, but if you two see it I'd love to hear a review/thoughts on it in the future.

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Apr 15Liked by Janie Haddad Tompkins

Ok I need a hand - why is Opposable Thumbs such a great title? I’m in the UK so while I get who S&E were/are generally (and have listened to some of their arguments) I don’t get the reference… or is it just that they gave movies thumbs up/down and were opposed to each other? It brought PFT such joy!

(While I’m at it, I have some deep cut Neighborhood Listen references where I can’t tell if they’re funny because they’re just weird or if they’re cultural references…)

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Yes! Their whole thing was a “thumbs up or down” movie rating and they were famously colleagues publicly at odds with one another.

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Excellent, thanks!

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OMG reading this made me realize I had mixed up Siskel and Ebert and Penn and Teller.

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Thanks for sharing that and I like this a lot. From recent Weekend Water Podcasts, I get the sense PFT doesn't poke around here too much, but I feel like he would get a chuckle out of this totally human thing brains will do.

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Apr 15Liked by Janie Haddad Tompkins

What a great way to start my Monday! I’m in such a good mood.

Can’t wait to see Varietopia in Cleveland!!!

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please tell Paul how much I value him posting about the ongoing genocide when so many celebrities are afraid to do so. I know things are ugly and scary, but knowing that one of my fave comedians values human life means alot to me

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I got so much joy hearing the reference to “hey you, I know you, I know you!”, since it plays in my head I hear any phrase similar or see someone point!

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I was thinking about the movie Civil War, which my partner is taking me to see this coming weekend, and the apolitical component really grinds my gears. We will see how it’s done; people are really liking it, but I just can’t appreciate the fact that there are Christofascists at the ready to take over our country, but we need to stop fighting and be nice to each other because 💙neighbors💙??

The first civil war was for a really important reason, I’d definitely protect women, trans lives, immigrants, and our gay community in a second.

Okay, rant endiiinnngg BYE 😂

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I still haven’t seen it. The commentary I’m reading about it was leading me to think it’s more of an anti-war movie instead of an anti-ideology message. It sounds like it’s deeply provocative based on people’s reactions to it. I can relate to a filmmaker wanting it to hold up to scrutiny in twenty years. It could come across as dated if it doubled down on one pervasive ideology, and I do think there could have been a desire to have a broader appeal instead of a message in a (liberal? conservative?) echo chamber? I hate I’m excusing a film I haven’t seen! I think I’m just into the idea of what kind of art can transcend the conflict in the moment we’ve found ourselves in — to keep (fight for) our humanity. But maybe the setting of DC just can’t extricate from any message?

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You make a great point about it needing to last beyond this moment in time. My only worry would be that we had a chance to warn people en masse but we didn’t take the shot. But I guess that’s not the point of this director’s work, and who am I to tell him what to do with his theme?

Anyway, I’m going to see it Friday. It has amazing reviews.

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Apr 17Liked by Janie Haddad Tompkins

I randomly watched Gaslight for the first time last week! Ingrid Bergman has a fantastic monologue near the end that levels up the whole film. I think it's worth a watch-along!

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Apr 20Liked by Janie Haddad Tompkins

Glad the “I’m not crazy I’m discerning” discussion returned because that’s evergreen. Please continue to workshop that line.

Also, Paul’s thoughts about cursing in front of his mom were relatable for me… my parents weren’t religious but there was definitely “fear of being in trouble”. I was a goody-goody, though… never dared to say the S- or F- word at all and I never heard them say those either. I often swear now, though!

What is your friend’s explanation for the fear of wet corners? You said she explained to you and it kinda made sense, but we didn’t hear what the reason was.

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My guess about the wet corners is, that water doesn’t circulate through the filter the way the water in the middle does. Just a guess. I don’t think I’d ever considered that before!

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I also grew up with a MORTAL fear of getting in trouble, so I felt Paul's inability to enjoy the movie after cursing in front of his mom in my BONES. I can't enjoy things if I think there's a slight chance someone is upset at me. (My parents and most of the authority figures in my life were and are kind and wonderful, I just have horrible anxiety and am also a goody-goody. In some ways I think it'd have been easier if I'd gotten in mild-to-moderate trouble and seen that life goes on.)

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100%! I’m also the type that worries someone is upset with me. There are dozens of us!

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For me at least, it's easier in some ways if someone comes right out and says they're upset! Part of me still worries they'll never get past it, even if it's a teeny little thing, but when I *suspect* but don't know for sure my brain just iterates all of the worst-case scenarios.

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Apr 20Liked by Janie Haddad Tompkins

Also thanks for continuing the pod, I realized it’s been four years now! Time flies.

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Apr 20·edited Apr 20Liked by Janie Haddad Tompkins

TAXI was James L. Brooks' post-Mary Tyler Moore show, (with Stan Daniels and Ed. Weinberger)

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Apr 22Liked by Janie Haddad Tompkins

Gorky Park is one of my dad's favorite books! I enjoy it a lot too, but I haven't revisited it nearly as many times as he has.

Also, Paul, I know you're conscious of not wanting to bring the mood down, but I appreciate it when you're honest about feeling doom-and-gloomy. Hearing two people whose work I like talk about how shit is scary and sometimes just straight SUCKS can be really validating. It was nice to hear in 2020/2021 especially, it helped me deal with the crushing isolation that came with that time, but is kind of an evergreen sentiment.

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Jun 10Liked by Janie Haddad Tompkins

Just wanted to send a *BIG* thanks to Paul for a wonderful show in Minneapolis. There was so much joy throughout the entire show that my wife and I both left with a big smile on our faces. The inclusion of John Moe as a callback from the Wits days was especially sweet. A spectacular time and we look forward to your imminent return! Thanks to the podcast, I was all prepared for the Rocky Theme!

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