The Equalizer (2014) is an action thriller starring Denzel Washington as Robert McCall, a retired CIA agent who uses his skills to help those in need while exacting justice on criminals. The film explores themes of karma, where McCall's actions create a cycle of cause and effect, and humanity, as he sees people as family rather than victims. The movie balances 1970s film aesthetics with modern action elements, featuring Denzel's stoic performance and practical action sequences. The film's central message emphasizes that doing good for others and being an agent of karma ultimately leads to positive outcomes, as demonstrated through McCall's relationships and the pay-it-forward dynamic with characters like Chloe Grace Moretz.
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What's up everybody? Welcome here to Pop Culture Philosophers. Welcome here to PCP Movie Night. I'm your host Rockin Robbie Bills and tonight we're talking about 2014's The Equalizer, which is starring Denzel Washington, directed by Antoine Fugua. We're going to be talking about this movie tonight because we are in the midst of Crew's Choice, and it is today Gelan's birthday. And this is Gelan's pick, The Equalizer. A movie I've never seen. Now I have seen it.
This was the start of at least two today, a threepart franchise. There may be more. You never know what Denzel's going to do. But it is Gelani day. It is Gelani's pick for Cruz Choice. So, let's introduce him at the head of the panel.
It's my man. Happy mother effing birthday to my favorite mstepper of all time, Gelani Penny. What is up, homie?
How you doing?
station, man. Yeah. Happy birthday to me. Thank you for inviting me for this lovely, lovely discussion on Cruise Choice. Um, I am so glad to be here. I'm so glad that there's a panel talking about a movie that I have enjoyed for many, many years. And, uh, hope they enjoyed it, too. Hopefully, we don't have a weird funhouse situation with our with The Equalizer. We will see. But, I I uh love this movie. It's one of my It it it came at a time. It hit me the right way. I really wish I could have been like bold enough to make a a trilogy. Uh would be like, "Let's watch all three." They're basically the same.
>> I would be like, "Even though it's going to be your birthday." Nah, man. We ain't doing a franchise review, man. Come on, man.
>> Let's get my birthday.
>> Y'all already complain all the time about how many franchise reviews y'all have to do a year. Hey, this is a trilogy, buddy. This is a trilogy.
>> Trilogy is a little bit easier to get through.
>> No, man. I'm super excited, dude. I've never seen this movie and so this was a great excuse to watch it and a great opportunity to hang out with you on your birthday on Gelani Penny Day. Man, I'm super excited for that. We got some uh homies joining us, including Matt from Heroes for Hire. He's been a new homie of ours. So, this is his first birthday celebration with Julie. Matt, thank you so much for being here. I'm honored to be here for Gelanie's birthday. Happy birthday, Gelanie.
>> Um, it's been it's been a pleasure getting to know you and um it's actually one of my favorite >> it's one of my favorite movies as well.
Denzel Washington probably one of my top five favorite actors of all time.
>> Heck yeah. Heck yeah. All right. All right. The next guest is somebody Gelani knows very well. In fact, me and this guy when we first met kind of had we were like besties and we were also best villains. We were kind of like Dr. Dr. Doom and Reed Richards, but I feel like over time >> you've become more of his Dr. Doom, Gelanie. But let's bring him in. The man, the myth, the legend, Brooks, here for Gelani Day. What's up, man?
>> What's up?
>> Just it just feels like, you know, I'm I'm not transitioning to Jane. I'm just kind of like, you know, I'm giving a little more attention than I used to.
I'm kind of splitting between you guys now.
>> Yeah. Yeah. It's like, you know, you start thinking about uh red cars. You see red cars all the time. It's because you've trained your subconscious to pay attention to them.
>> Exactly.
>> Exactly. So smart.
>> Yeah. In fact, this is how this homie has wound up on the show. Honestly, I had no idea who the hell this guy was and somehow he just kept willing it to happen. I guess he put it out in the universe enough and now Metal Elf Collectibles. It's Chad. Chad is here as part of the crew. What's up, homie? How you doing? Hey, what's up? Bottle of Caps. Uh, except for Gilani. You are valuable. Dah, just because it's your birthday.
>> Happy birthday. I'm honored to be here.
>> Uh, no, I'm just kidding, man. I love you guys all. You're all valuable.
>> It's all good.
>> Thank you.
>> Hell yeah, man. We're all happy to have you here, too, man. Especially since you're like part-time. And right now, as we speak, Matt, uh, Chad is at work air traffic controlling, right? So, like if you if you hear that in the voice, that's what it is, man. Okay.
>> No, no, I'm not air. I work at Wendy's.
Can I take your order? Okay. Drive to the next window, please.
>> Matt, let me tell you something, man.
You don't sound like an air traffic controller. Chad does. And you, Matt, definitely none of y'all sound like the drive-thru person out of Wendy's because I can't understand that [ __ ] Oh my goodness. I was somewhere recently.
There was a drive-thru and it was an automated I think it was a Taco Bell. It was an automated [ __ ] like AI voice or some [ __ ] dude. And I was like, this was way better than talking to the the ass hat usually working at 1:30 a.m. at Taco Bell. Speaking of the ass hat working at Taco Bell at 1:30 a.m. or lost in the drive-thru. It's stilling people for their microphones, huh?
That's Yeah.
>> Yeah, that's what I do, man. I shoot people for their microphones, man. You know what, though?
>> Everybody else sounds great right now.
Chad, though, you'll sound great next time. You know what I'm saying?
>> He's gonna pay attention to it. He's gonna pay attention. Chad, I'm just joking. You sound You sound great. Ste, great to see you.
>> Good to be here. It's an honor. Happy birthday, Galanie. I hope you uh you remember the first time we were on a show together and I called you Galani. I don't know if >> Yes. No, for three days.
>> I think I may have done that, too. I'm sorry.
>> And then uh it's the common term for it.
Yes, it's the common way to say it.
>> Also, I hope Yeah. I hope you listen to a great >> album when we get off stream tonight, man.
>> But it's it's great to be here with you, brother.
>> Yeah.
>> Heck yeah. All right, >> we are all here for Gelanie and in an attempt to make me nicer tonight, let's all throw our cups up. Poor Gilanie. You out there in the chat, say happy birthday. You out here. I got some tequila. What you got, Galanie? You got some Jameson.
>> I got some Jameson. The year.
>> What you got, Matt?
>> Water.
>> What you got, Brooks? some water.
>> Natural light.
>> Natty light.
>> Natty light, buddy.
>> I love that Matt says water. Everybody's like respectful. You say Natty Light, everybody. What? What?
>> Chad, what you got?
>> Don't judge me.
>> I got some herbal tea, man.
>> Herbal tea. Ste, what you got?
>> Some IPA. IPA.
>> Hell yeah. Everybody throw it up to Delaney.
>> Cheers, Delaney.
>> Cheers.
But I may or may not have had an edible, so I'm already good.
>> Hell yeah, brother.
>> Yes. Speaking of this for you, >> that butt is for you. All right, we're talking about The Equalizer from 2014.
This is movie I've never seen, >> but I watched it for the first time.
I've heard about it. There's there's been three of these [ __ ] out there, right? Like, there's three of them. And I love Denzel Washington, man. Like, what's my favorite Denzel Washington movie? That's a whole conversation for another day. But instantaneously in my head, I think of Malcolm X. I think of Training Day. I think of Glory.
Honestly, I really love Glory. I haven't seen him in Gladiator 2 yet. Very excited actually to see that. I have a homie who's a professional photographer, right? who got to he didn't photog he didn't photograph Denzel but he got to photograph a model in a house that he then found out while he was there was owned by Denzel Washington because he's going y'all see these [ __ ] pictures what's up with these pictures of Denzel and and all these random people in this house like are they obsessed with him is that he's their cousin or something they were like oh no this is Denzel's house he's like oh my god I'm in Denzel Washington's house like like are you serious? This is crazy. Right. So, I was really excited to check this movie out. I didn't quite know what it was. I knew it was based on the 1985 television series. Yeah.
>> Which ran for about four seasons, I believe. Um I vaguely remember this show from when I was a kid. It wasn't something we were into. I remember more of the Rockford The Rockford Files, which is crazy because that book or that show was already, I guess, in syndication and done, right? But the equalizer wasn't something that was on my radar. But when I watched this movie, first thing, Denzel slays like he always does. He's amazing in this movie. And they wanted to make a superhero type film for Denzel playing a regular guy.
Mission accomplished. That's what you did. This dude is a superhero. He's Batman. You know what I'm saying? but he's also just a regular guy trying to have tea and and and talk to the community and find some kind of connection with people. I really really loved his character in this movie. I don't remember the TV show, so I don't know how comparable this character's version is to the television show >> or how even this whole concept, right?
But we'll get to that, right? But what I loved about this movie was Denzel's performance. And I also learned how earnest the movie felt. And it also really took time to build. And I appreciated that. It felt like a movie from the 70s, >> like a new a new a new Hollywood era movie. Something Freakin or Copala would have done in the early 70s. It feels like that, right? French Connection, Godfather. It has that kind of a pace with the structure. The problem to me with this film is it kind of tries to do that, but it also tries to do what was new and hip at that time, which at honestly, I'll get to this. I think this movie, so it's trying to it's trying to balance two different styles. I think the movie it's okay. It's solid. It's not mindblowing, but it's really good.
But then when I started thinking about it, the first thing I thought when I after I watched this movie, when did John Wick come out? Looked it up. John Wick came out I believe >> I believe John Wick came out a month after this movie.
>> So >> there are similarities meaning a retired somebody with a past we don't quite know and the wrong [ __ ] done [ __ ] with them. You know what I'm saying? But there's there's differences too because like with John Wick, this dude wants we'll get into this more later, but John Wick and what's the character's name in this movie? Roger or something? What whatever.
>> Okay.
>> So, both characters live in isolation, but John's not trying to connect with people after the death of his wife. This character, Denzel's character in portrayal is. So, there's a difference, but there is something similar. But also at the same time, this is not like all of the John Wick ripoffs we've gotten that use neon lighting, the same cinematography, the same action sequences. This movie is different. In fact, I used to think John Wick might be one of the most important modern action films as far as influence in current day modern action films. I think it's John Wick and The Equalizer.
And then we can go back, we could tread both of those influences all the way back to Man on Fire, right? And we >> Taken like I feel like Taken was a big one too.
>> You know, there's a lot there Taken and in the Eco and the Equalizer all together would be the best super group ever made.
>> All right, so these are some ideas that I'm putting out there in the ether in case anybody wants to help tackle my thoughts about the movies tonight. But honestly, I really loved it. It was a great movie. It was really solid. I would watch this again. I want to watch part two. I want to watch part three.
This is setting up a franchise. It's making Denzel Washington a superhero.
And thank God it's not a Marvel or a DC superhero, but he is a superhero. He's a vigilante. Not really, cuz he's Here's another difference between him and John Wick. John Wick's on revenge. This dude decides, I can't stand to watch this happen to this woman. He's about what the equalizer truly represents. And I love that at no point in the movie does he say, "I am the equalizer." If he would have done that, this movie would have dropped a whole big. I'm telling you, Jane, >> you picked this movie. What do you think about it? Happy [ __ ] birthday.
>> Thank you.
Yeah, he was never going to say that in this movie. He's too badass. Um I I love this movie. That's why I picked it. Uh, I was going to I've been trying to pick Blues Brothers for my cruise choice for many many years now and I don't know why I haven't picked Blues Brothers for us to talk about cuz the music is all I want to talk about in that film.
>> If you would have picked Blues Brothers, we would have gotten another across the board five you dig rating. I guarantee you, man. But Gelani saving that for the right year, man.
>> Oh my god.
>> Yeah. I don't know what it is, but it's it's going to be wild when I do it. Um, but the equalizer, god dang it. Uh, I just wanted an action movie. I wanted a pure action film with with tones in it.
The Equalizer. Well, the when Denzel plays Equalizer, he reminds me of my dad. Um, it's what if my dad was a crazy like Marine CIA agent that retired and just became a regular dude. and he he's got so many just dadisms in him. And the fact that they set it up so calmly that he's a regular guy and then he and then you start to find out there's something deeper cuz even his his co-workers are like they're guessing who he is. They're like, "Man, you a pimp. You're this.
You're that." And like he he he's still hiding it, but he still has that wherewithal. And then when you finally see him like go off and then this movie just takes off after that. It's one of the films that I wasn't expecting it to be good, but then I was shocked how good it was. Like and I didn't watch it in the theater. I I this was a period of time where I wasn't just going to the theater for just anything. I was just like, you know, Marvel movies, whatever.
They're good.
>> Yeah. 2013. your lady's there for Marvel movies and he's there to go watch the newest Zack Snider movie so we can complain about it.
>> Well, or be forced to watch it cuz they were trash. And I was correct. And by the way, Ben Affleck was a terrible Batman neer. So, uh, that being said, the equalizer is awesome. Uh, I love it.
I hope you guys loved it. Uh, it's it's it's paced well. I like the characters.
I like uh certain aspects of what he is and how practical he is because he's not just someone that just uses a gun and just does it. Now, he does, especially in the other movies, but he he's intelligent. He reads the room and utilizes the tools that are in his dis at his disposal to take you out. And it's so impressive to me that he's like this because I watched the TV show when I was a kid. I don't remember a damn thing about it. I remember Edward Woodard and I remember the music the theme song and he was standing >> so funny. What was that movie we were talking about where where uh [ __ ] what's his name? Rob Reiner was all complaining because somebody called him during the equalizer. We just covered it. What movie was that?
>> Yeah, it was just uh this is Final Tap.
>> No, it was it was Oh yeah, Wolf of Wall Street. Like I was like, this is so funny because the Yeah, it was the last week. So I was like, "Oh, this is hilarious. The next movie we're talking about is The Equalizer."
>> Like we have these unintentional connections on PCP movie night, man.
It's really great. It's a magical place to be, Julie. So you like this film, man.
>> When So you watched it after, you didn't watch it in the theaters, you watch after the fact, but you like it and you you've watched the entire franchise.
>> I've watched the entire franchise and basically it's the same movie all three times. It's just better twists and and and cooler murder. And Pedro Pascal is in the second one and the third one is just random Italian goons.
>> Okay. I've heard that Pedro is really good in part two.
>> It's It's excellent. It's really It's Yeah, it's like members of his old old unit that he's going against.
>> They started diving into the past and [ __ ] right, >> bro? And then they got a finale showdown on the hurricane. So, when does he get the bulletproof [ __ ] fancy ass?
>> Oh, dude. It's got a It's got a a badass scene where he's talking. He finds out that guy is bad, right? He's like, "It's it's a shame that I can only kill you once." That's what you >> Damn, dude. Maybe we should have done the franchise review with the >> Yeah, >> there's no way I could fit it in this week. But, man, that that maybe that's something we should uh put on the table on the back burner for the future going in. So, this is directed by Antoine Fugua, who Denzel worked with on training day. This guy also did the Replacement Killers, y'all. So, I said, "Let's look into this guy's filmography a little bit, right?" Replacement killers. Y'all remember that movie Bait?
He did that.
>> That movie's okay. Then he did Training Day. Tears of the Sun.
>> I love that movie.
>> Underappreciated Bruce Willis war movie, right?
>> Oh, Bruce Willis. That's right.
>> He did the King Arthur movie. That That sucks, right? If y'all remember that.
But then this is what really got my attention. He did shooter.
>> Y'all remember that movie Shooter?
>> Yeah. With Mark Wahlberg.
>> Mark Wahberg. That movie was actually >> TBS. Love that [ __ ] >> Yeah, that movie is better than people think. And he did that recent remake of uh The Magnificent Seven. And uh he did The Equalizer one, two, and three.
Southpaw. I haven't seen that one. I've heard good things.
>> Southpaw's brutal. Yeah, Jake.
>> That's Jake Gyllenhaal.
>> Yeah, that's a that's a great movie.
And this movie has a budget.
>> Director, >> I love it. I love it. The reported budget is somewhere between 55 to $75 million. What? Like like just give us the [ __ ] number. But it made just shy of $200 million, which is obviously why they did another one. Gelani loves it.
I'm ready to talk about it. Uh Jelan's already shared his thoughts, of course.
He's going to elaborate on those throughout the night. Matt, what do you think about this movie overall?
That's some one of my favorite like Denzel movies just like is you know like you know we know Man of Fire was Man on Fire was uh kind of like this movie and Denzel's good at playing like the stoic kind of badass dude you don't know he's a badass or everybody else doesn't know he's a badass and um the man's just trying to live his life. his wife's gone, you know, and like I feel like also though he feels a lot of guilt for some of the work he's probably done, >> you know, and I think like he finally just had enough like seeing the bad stuff happen to good people or people trying to do better. And I did some research on this too. The defense, he worked for the Defense Intelligence Agency and Defense Clandestine Service.
And I looked this [ __ ] up earlier and uh you probably don't want to know what these guys do. I mean they they like infiltrate terrorist organizations and [ __ ] So um and they they do wet work if you know what that I don't know if you know what that means but it means they they kill people.
>> Political assassination.
>> We've all read the Wills Potio comic book. Man >> I just like like for that scene when he goes in there and that guy's trying to talk [ __ ] about him and rushing and he doesn't act like he knows what it and then he goes like he takes his watch and sets the timer. He's like visualizing what they're doing and he sticks that corkcrew right to that guy's like chin. I'm like, "Oh my god."
>> Like >> the most cold bloodooded line in the movie is when he sits down next to the guy bleeding to death and says, "Your life going is your life's going to end on this funky ass floor.
>> This This [ __ ] is Michael Myers with a stopwatch, man."
>> Yeah. And like he's already like figured out like who he's going to take out first. like who's the immediate threat, which is what they train people like that to do. So, they try to make a little bit of realism, although it is over the top. I don't know anybody can take out eight big ass Russians like that. But like, also, it's so satisfying to see all these people get killed because they're all horrible people.
Like, even David Harour is good at playing like a sniggle little little [ __ ] you know? He's like, "Oh, you ruined my life." He says, "You ruined your life already, pal." You know, I just I just love this movie. Um >> Yeah.
>> And like it was like a whole line of these kind of movies. And like you're right, Robbie, it does remind you something William Freak William Ferin may have done, you know, in 70s. Also something Michael Man may have done in the 80s. I don't know if you ever seen the movie The Thief with James Khan. It kind of reminded me some of the stylized stuff and it kind of reminded me of that. You know, >> this [ __ ] says, "I don't know if y'all have ever seen The Thief."
>> We covered it last year, man. Great movie. Great movie. Great. Willie Nelson.
That's uh Michael Man like really great.
Um >> that's his first that was his first film, right? Thief.
>> I think it was.
>> Yeah, it was. Yeah. Somebody sent it to me and we covered it, man. Blew our minds, man. Blew our minds.
>> And the best Michael Man movie that Michael Man did not direct was Risky Business in my opinion.
But you like this movie. And the reason why we were talking about >> Yeah. Yeah. And the reason why we were talking about risky business was because ju Brooks had to pick that for Cruise Choice one year when we did Tom Cruz picks only. And he was like, I don't [ __ ] know. And I was like, well, you know what's about the one with him dancing in his underwear, man? Pick that one. That was a good one. Brooks, though, this is your first time watching The Equalizer as well as me. What did you think about it overall?
>> Yeah. Like, yo, uh, I I really enjoy this movie. Like this isn't my first, of course, wouldn't be my first Denzel experience. My first Denzel movie was Virtuosity way back in the 90s. Talk to him, bro.
Let's go, bro.
>> I love Virtuosity, man. That's >> why have to pick that for Cruz Choice.
Let me just say, >> Russell [ __ ] Crow. Like, come on, man.
>> Unbelievable. Yeah, but like like I've always loved uh Denzel's style like you know he has this way of where he's you know he's got he's very stern and very serious but then he like smiles and he like he becomes like so amicable like a but then he can like go back into it you know he can like he kind of like takes you on a roller coaster ride sometimes that's like that's makes a good thing for like an action star you know because like you can like be walking up to a villain and be like you know be all stern and then like you know smile and put him off his guard and like you know go back to being stern again like >> also We all got that person in our life who can like say something that's like a joke, like an insult, and we're just like, "What?"
And then he just like looks at us and we're like, "I'm my soul is crushed."
And then he just goes, "My man." And then you're just like, "It's all good."
Like he's he's got that kind of like I can be stern.
>> Yeah.
>> He's like the best >> teacher slashprincipal we've never had.
>> You know what I'm saying? You know, if they remake Lean on Me, >> get Denzel to play more of a Freeman's character, man. Like same dynamic.
>> What else is great about him when he when he looks like he's in a situation that's stressful, like those guys we're talking about earlier, it seems like he plays it like his pulse didn't even jump up above 80. You know what I mean? Like he's just like, I'm not even worried.
>> Hell yeah.
>> That's kind of the thing about this his character is like he's so cold. like he reminds me of uh the of Taro Sakamoto from Sakamoto days anime. It's kind of like, you know, he's kind of retired guy, but he's like so badass. And, you know, I like the fact that uh, you know, like unlike Sakamo, he Sakamoto's thing is he has a family. Like Denzel, not so much. He kind of has like, you know, friends, but he's he's still kind of like a lone guy, but he's still he's doing like I like his motivation is like, you know, you know, he sees all these bad guys around. I was like, why don't I just, you know, use my skills that I've acquired to, I don't know, kill these guys like, and you know, I think that's, you know, vigilante justice is kind of a complicated thing, but like, you know, in Denzel's case, I think his character has kind of like, you know, he's a good he's good enough judge a character where I'll let it slide, you know, that he's like basically going around like murdering guys. And like I think the biggest problem with this movie, like you know, as much as I love it, like I think the villain's pretty weak. Like the guy, he's like he feels like he's almost into the Walker Texas Ranger like strata, but he doesn't quite make it there.
>> Throughout this whole movie, I kept going, is this Doug Ray Scott? Cuz this is the worst villain I've seen since Mission Impossible 2.
>> His ex is terrible.
He's like, you know, he's a badass, but like, you know, he's he's a very bland badass. Like, I think uh Denzel deserves better, but like I do love how his like, you know, the creativity. He's like a he's almost a Kevin Mallister in a way where he's got like booby traps set up and you know, >> dude, the third the third act of this movie is Home Alone.
>> Rambo Last Blood >> in Home Depot.
>> Yeah. the guy that the guy that plays the that plays uh the bad guy Nikolai.
That's the same guy from Triple X if you remember Ben Diesel.
>> And he's a New Zealand actor, but they always have him play like a Russian guy in his movies in >> Yeah.
>> with a terrible accent. It's terrible.
>> I don't I guess he looks Eastern European to them, I guess, when they cast him.
>> I dig the accent.
>> So, Brooks, you're saying that you like it, but there there's some faults. Is that what you're saying? like I thought I thought it was a pretty solid movie like you said, but uh it does have it it slight shortcomings, I think.
>> Okay. All right. Speaking of shortcomings, Chad, what do you think about uh this movie? First time watch for you as well.
>> Great segue. Thank you. Uh yeah, first time. First time. Um I really liked it, man. I I didn't know there was a TV show other than what the Queen Lativa one, the recent one. So, I didn't know.
That's a And that's a spin out of like that Queen Latifa show is a spin-off of this this movie series, right? Isn't it?
>> I think so.
>> Okay.
>> Is she in part two or three or some [ __ ] >> Wait, then how's it spin-off?
>> I think it was.
>> It's always Robert Call in a different location doing different [ __ ] >> This is Roberta Ball. Is that what's going on in this?
>> Yeah. Like it's probably probably spun out of this because they were like, "Well, the show we made all this money off these movies, you know, the the first guy was like American anyway that he was like British, I think, the guy the original series."
>> Huh. All right. Sorry, Chad. Go ahead.
I'm sorry.
>> You introd You you always take us off track when you mention Queen Latifah. No matter and it doesn't matter the movie review. If you mention Queen Latif has that effect.
>> Yeah. All of a sudden it be like set it off is way better than people realize it is. 91.
>> Also, what was that [ __ ] sitcom she was on?
>> Living.
>> Living Single.
>> Living Single. Oh my god.
>> Single.
>> Like, like, well, I'm going to be serious. Hot take. Living >> different world.
>> Living Single is better than uh Martin.
>> Oh, I agree.
>> I don't know if I'm ready to say that, but then like, can we celebrate both?
Can we celebrate them both?
>> We should. When we gonna do those television franchise reviews, man, we're just gonna watch the whole all five seasons of Martin or whatever the hell it is. However, however long Living Single went. [ __ ] >> Oh my god.
>> Let's do it. Boy Meets World, man. Let's start off there, man. Who knows? Perfect Strangers. That's the one we should start with. Anyway, Chad, go ahead.
>> What do you think about Perfect Strangers? What do you think about A Different World? What do you think about Set It Off? And what do you think about Living Single and This Movie? Go ahead.
>> Okay, that's way too much. So, I'll just go with this. Uh, I really liked it. Um, yeah, I wasn't it wasn't really on my radar. Um, just just by the title alone and and the, you know, thumbnail or whatever of the movie, I never uh got around to watching it, but I'm glad I did. I had a lot of fun with the movie.
Um, I thought visually it was it was pretty cool. Um, the creativity of the kills was cool. Um, I thought all the actors, the performances were were pretty solid. Um, I'm a big fan of Denzel Washington. Um, even personally, like, and I I have to say that's very few actors that I can say I've watched interviews with and I actually respect words.
>> I was about to be like, you just said I like him personally. I was like, tell us the story. How did you meet Denzel?
Like, what? Like, >> well, we went to we were in this uh boy camp together. We were in a [ __ ] roller coaster line at Six Flags in LA together.
>> Yeah, >> we were in a sweat lodge together in Arizona.
>> That [ __ ] could get away.
>> You don't know. You don't know.
>> Yeah. Um I I had a lot of fun. Um yeah, I don't think it's a perfect movie, but I I really enjoyed it. I'm going to watch it again for sure. Um, and I'm I'm looking forward to watching the sequels. Like I was ready to dive into that if I hadn't have been so busy.
Um, so that shows you something. And I'm still thinking about it. Like I'm still thinking about it a day later going through things. So >> yeah.
>> Hell yeah, man. Dude, that's awesome, man. First time watch. You want to watch the sequel. Brooks, do you want to watch the sequel?
>> I definitely watched the sequels this month.
>> Yeah.
>> Yeah. Me, too. So it got the job done kicking off a franchise. Stu, you are familiar with this kickoff of a franchise. What do you think about The Equalizer overall?
>> Yeah, it's it's incredible. I mean, the movie that made Denzel an action star, it's great to see him in this role being physical, being a badass. Um, yeah, I love the whole nature of it. the way they set him up as a a guy you could empathize with, a guy who wanted to see other people win and help other people and then like the the brutality and the uh the violence kind of creeps up on you. Uh you know, once we get to that first scene and from there it's kind of mayhem, but yeah, all the way to the end. Some of it's a little bit hokey, but at the at, you know, in the especially in the the the Home Depot, but like regardless, I I still love everything that he incorporates in that showdown. I love the performances. We got Chloe Grace Verrettes. Um I I thought, you know, Homeboy is uh Nikolai really brought it. He He's He's just great in that role, and this one I think was like uniquely suited to him. And uh yeah, I thought it was a great directing job by Fukua. Like the the cinematography was incredible. Like the even in um some of the slow moments, the way the camera moved around, kept your attention. Um it was great. And I just love the way we we really buy into his character, the OCDness of like the way the the the the stopwatch is like a competition with himself. He doesn't really need it.
>> Yeah.
>> Like necessarily. It's just is so incredible. So, um, yeah, I I I love this performance clearly enough to to build on the on the franchise and like eventually give us a trilogy. And I dare say, you know, round two is is just as much fun, if not better. So, yeah. All right. It's it's it's awesome to see uh Denzel in this role and to get to have this chance and and really succeed at it.
>> You know, we're we're not ready to really get into the technical stuff yet.
We'll get to it, but you mentioned the cinematography. uh Maro Fiora or Fior who did Avatar, right? But then also did Madame Web but not Avatar 2 or three. So I don't know what that's saying about his career or where he's gone.
>> That's all over the place.
>> Damn.
>> I know. I mean, damn. All right, let's talk about the cast before we get to the technical aspects of the film. Uh the movie's got some great cast. Obviously, there's one that overshadows every [ __ ] buddy in this movie. Delaney, it's your pick. Your birthday. You get to go first. Who you want to highlight in the cast?
>> Damn it.
>> I'm trying to be nice, so I'm not picking Denzel. I'm going to be nice.
>> Bro, it's Laney Penny day. You don't have to be nice, man.
>> Take him, bro.
>> Yeah.
>> Make one of us have to talk about that half ass villain, man. Make one of us have to talk about him. You know what I'm saying?
>> Right.
Denzel Washington is a character once again like I said is like it's like if my dad was a badass DI DIA officer.
He's just that guy. He's just he's that dude and he's so common collected and like it feels like he he he actually played this character so well like all he wants to do is help everyone around him and help everyone improve and make themselves better. And when he sees that someone is hurt, he not only helps that person out, he takes out a [ __ ] Russian mafia doing it. And it's so impressive that he gets to one level and then moves to a completely different level.
>> I'm just gonna kick all of them out.
>> Let's just get everybody. [ __ ] Not just not the guy that beat her up. We're going to kill the enforcer guy that sent after him.
>> Everybody. Let's just >> Are you telling me you just killed Denzel Washington's dog and stole his car? Is that what you're telling me, man?
>> It's It's crazy. I've never seen a character like that until, of course, John Wick right after that. And I did watch John Wick in the theater because I wasn't expecting that to be awesome. But, uh, his movies his movies got to be oddly repetitive, too, especially four. We should talk about this. Uh, I think we are somewhere. I think I think Fable and I are we're talking about the John Wick quadrilogy.
>> Yeah. When we did the John Wick franchise, there were only three, >> right? There's four. There's four now.
And the fourth one is kind of >> counter TV show and all that stuff.
>> Yeah.
>> Yeah. Yeah. And and the fourth one should have had Halle B and it would have fixed it. But skipping back. Yeah.
And John Wick needed a spin-off TV show with Queen Latifah. Um, >> if Queen Latifah was in the Continental >> and it was kind of like a mix of living single and John Wick, that would have been [ __ ] awful.
>> Could you imagine for it too much single black women godamn [ __ ] holding the world of assassination culture >> and we could have had Steve Martin, her co-star, and bringing down the house in it. It been great.
>> Yes.
>> Yes. Yes.
>> And we're bringing Gina back, man. She's a character and she's the actual character from Martin.
>> Damn, Gina.
Damn.
>> But yeah, it's >> and then we kill her off and then she's playing the character from House Party.
Anyway, moving on. Go ahead. We've never done House Party, by the way. That's a >> party. We should do House Party, >> two or three of the crappy remake.
>> We should just do one and two.
>> Let's just do one and two.
>> Like, hey, House Party one and two anyway.
>> We just do a double feature night for House Party. Anyway, so are you picking Denzel, right?
We can all talk about this. It's my birthday. So, everybody say something nice about Denzel while you have your pick.
>> I think we already What you got?
>> He's [ __ ] fire. He's fire in the movie. He is the equalizer.
>> He's a man on fire, bro.
>> He's a man on fire.
>> You wish I wish you had more time.
>> Jenzel's just that dude. And and I'm I'm impressed by his performance in this. I love how he's just an everyman who turns into a badass. It's kind of like the other movie uh that came out a while back. Nor not normal.
>> Was it normal with Bob Odenkirk?
>> Yeah.
>> Or something like that.
>> Nobody.
>> Nobody's normal. I think >> we'll be talking about normal at some point soon in this family of channels and we can't really talk about it yet. I almost I almost spilled the beans, Chad.
I'm sorry.
>> Almost.
>> But yeah, Denzel. business and [ __ ] in this movie there. I would talk about more things in this movie with him in it doing all the things that he does, but I want other people to talk about him too as long as with their pick. I want >> this your birthday. That's how we're going to do it. And that's a great pick.
And I'm glad you picked this movie because I don't think we've done a Denzel Washington movie on this channel.
No. out of all these years, five plus years of doing the live version of PCP movie night and I don't think we've ever done a Denzel Washington movie. So, Matt, your brief thoughts on Denzel in this movie and then another performance you want to highlight.
>> Well, as usual, Denzel in this movie, like in every other movie he's in, even though I saw somebody in chat say it, even if it's not a it's a subpar movie, his part's always good. He's like Jean Hackman. He's just solid. Like if I I see Gene Hackman in a movie, I'm like, "Yeah, it's going to be good."
>> Um or at least he's going to be good in it, you know. Um I would say a thing about Ed Harris, too. But uh with Denzel, yeah, he's just got this cool demeanor. He plays it cool. I think maybe maybe he was barring a little bit from Book of Eli, you know, a little bit too because he played a badass before, you know, uh Creie, you played Creasy Bear and u Man on Fire. Yeah. This uh >> and like he's just so calm like no matter what the situation is, nobody really you never see him get really angry at somebody like >> furious like but like what I love about and that that thing is kind of like almost like the Terminator like how do you stop this guy? He's these guys that have are the killers of men. You know what I'm saying? These guys are not wussies and they're scared of him at the end of it. I love it. I just love the um I don't know. It's just like he's kind of I don't know like I said earlier he's stoic in it. Sometimes he's a man of few words in the movie but like what shows uh credits him as a what a great actor he is is he can he can get his point across about a lot of words. He doesn't have to have like a lot of like I say like I call it Kevin Smith dialogue or Tarantino dialogue where it's like >> three pages of dialogue >> some Chris Claremont [ __ ] is what you're saying.
>> Hell yeah. I mean, I love Claremont.
>> Yeah. Sometimes Claremont gets a little bit worried.
>> Um but um yeah, but so like I just like that like because it just shows you like a lot of people don't realize that it's not about how just how you deliver dialogue. It's the way you carry yourself when you're in a scene or the way >> Yeah. And a big part of his performance actually is working with the writer and telling the writer. The writer says in the bonus features on the uh the Blu-ray there's like a making of [ __ ] that I watched on YouTube and the writer was like, "Dude, it was like a writing course because Denzel goes, >> I don't need to say this, I can show that. I don't need to say this, I can show that." And so he kept cutting it down. And that's one of the things that brings about that stoic nature in the character. And once again, a comparison with John Wick. Both very stoic characters, both very, very different characters, very different takeoffs from your typical stoic action movie character. They're all different.
Personality still infuses what Denzel's doing in this movie. I love what you're saying. What's another pick you got?
>> Um, I'm going to go with the actress Melissa Leo. She plays Susan Plameumber.
>> Hell yeah.
>> Um, McCll's old friend that he worked, you know, he worked with.
>> Oh, yeah. Okay. And um I just like her cuz she's a good friend.
>> She's like she comes to her, she could have been like, "I can't help you.
You've got yourself in some [ __ ] now."
But no, she's just like ride or die.
She's like, "All right, I'll let you know what's going on." Tells him what's going on, what needs to be done, like who these people are. And so she uh kind of like his uh I guess she's kind of like his M, I guess, like James Bond's M, I guess, or something.
>> Yeah.
>> Something like that. And like like what I like about it is because like I like to think I could be a friend like I'm a friend like that. Like and I like friends like that are like >> you come over and go hey help me get rid of this body. You know they're like okay let me go get a shovel.
>> You know what I'm saying? That's a ride or die.
>> I love Matt you spotlighting that man.
It's like good people have good friends.
>> Yeah.
>> That's why everybody here on this panel right now needs to take a look around and then take a look inside deep. Be like who are we deep inside? Should we be better people? Look who we were with.
Um, anyway, that's a great pick. That's a joke.
>> I've been around long enough. I've been around you long enough to know that >> you're joking.
>> That's a joke, man. I I was talking about me, too. I'm a bad person, man.
I'm like, if I'm your friend, y'all, you may be like, look inside and be like, maybe maybe next time be like, Rocket Robbie, maybe I don't want want to [ __ ] with PCP Movie Night, man. Maybe anyway about laughing my >> laugh, dude.
>> The only reason why nobody would want to [ __ ] around with PCP movie night.
>> It's It's Brooks, obviously, this negative [ __ ] down there. So, Brooks, why don't you uh tell us briefly what you think about Denzel for Gelani's benefit and also uh highlight another performance.
>> Yeah, like you know, I love Denzel's character in this movie. Like I said, you know, he's he's he's kind of like, you know, he does remind me of like of the Sakamoto in a way, but like, you know, it's different because he's he's he seems to be kind of like withdrawn at first, but like, you know, he's also he's reaching out at the same time.
Like, you know, he's forming a community and he's starting to like, you know, he's finding something worth fighting for again, I guess. And that's kind of what sets the whole thing off. So, like one of my favorite characters aside from Denzel, of course, was uh his uh his buddy who works with him who was uh trying to be pass guard test.
>> I thought that was kind of a cool thing.
>> He's like, you know, uh trying to get this this kind of schlubby guy and kind of like whipping him into enough shape to be a uh to be the ever important security guard. I swear to God, dude, just in the cookie cutter way they usually do these kind of movies, I was like, "This guy's got to have some Netflix standup special. He's a comedian, right?" Like like why is that not like It feels like that's a role for a standup comedian in like a typical movie, man. Yeah.
>> Yeah. He's definitely like schlubcoded to say the least.
>> Schlub coded.
>> He's all right in the movie. And maybe one of my problems with the movie is as soon as he showed up, I went, "All right, I swear to God, y'all, I'm watching this movie."
>> I'm like 15 minutes in, I'm like, >> "So, whatever [ __ ] goes down in this movie, it's going to end with this dude being the security guard at like a hostage situation at this Home Depot or Lowe's or wherever the [ __ ] they're at, right?" Like, it was a little was a little predictable. You could kind of pick it out with with some of the other characters because Denzel is incredibly written and incredibly performed. I would say that maybe some of these other characters are underwritten and a little cliche and that will do.
>> When Denzel's shining his light upon you, of course, you're going to look a little less bright by comparison.
>> Bro, let me tell you what, if we all had Denzel Washington every day telling us, "Yo, what? No potato chips today, bro.
>> Move this."
>> The way he makes that man break down a sandwich, he's like, "I want all the ingredients."
>> I don't want to like I don't want to have that stern gaze upon me. No potato chips. If we all if we all had a Denzel in our lives, >> we might have better friends.
>> Yes.
>> I love how >> we might be [ __ ] around.
>> You thought he was going to get you thought he was going to get away with the potato chips? Really? Like come on, man.
>> I'd be like that crunch is some really crispy romaine lettuce I just picked up today, man. Some good.
>> Slap that [ __ ] out of your hands, bro.
>> Dude, I love crunch, man. You can replicate that, man. Cucumber, radish, man. Go for it. Slice it thin. Pile it high. Get that crunch in your sandwich and make it clean. Speaking of clean and crunchy, Chad is clean and crunchy.
Chad, I love that alliteration. Just that was the Holy Spirit. Anyway, Chad, what do you think about Denzel and what do you also want to highlight performance-wise?
>> Well, clean and crunchy. I mean, obviously, right?
>> That sounds good, dude. That sounds like how you want to live life. Clean and crunchy, man.
>> Clean and crunchy. I like that.
Yeah, Denzel's performance was awesome. Um, yeah. Uh, the the watch thing to me, I wanted to Yeah, I'm going all over, man.
The watch thing to me um wasn't a competition. Like, it was about um him plotting basically. Like, that's his job. Like, he was meticulously plotting out to the second. Even when the guy's bleeding out, he knew how many heartbeats it was.
>> He's OCD, right? That's kind of the bit you get, right? He's got one fork, one plate, one like spoon, one knife. Like >> he's very He's like not a great movie.
It tries too hard, but pay it forward.
The way Kevin Spy is in that movie, like very rigid, very like, you know what I'm saying? He's like OCD. He's like got his own like little method and [ __ ] like that. It it goes into his killing, right? And like not in like one of those silly ways of talking about OCD, like legitimately like this dude is like detail oriented to a [ __ ] tea, right?
They they show that throughout his entire life. He's got like little patterns that he and he sits down, he does this, he folds his napkin this way, puts his book right there, brings his cup right over. You know what I'm saying? Like all that [ __ ] right? Like that's a that's a real thing to show how particular he is about every little detail, dude. He's like Stanley Kubri.
If Stanley Kubri was an assassin, he would be Denzel Washington in this movie, right?
>> I I mean, I can definitely see how it can be taken that way. I mean, for sure.
And that can definitely be the case, but also you're talking about a service member, a special ops member, they have no need. They're on the move. They're there to kill.
Um, and like what disturbed me at the ending was it just for a second was that like Realy had been shot. Um, and then he just kind of walked off, but then I remember he knew everyone was going to die like down to the second. He was treating him his own wounds. Um, like he he probably knew that Ralphie was going to be okay if he could run that far. And and then I was like, "Okay, let it go.
Cool. No, you a great point. So like maybe the idea of like his obsessive kind of compulsive ideas, they're not something that's like it was ingrained in him through that training cuz he has to be aware like no wasted movement.
>> Hyper aware.
>> Like the way he kills somebody is the way he sets his [ __ ] teaag at his [ __ ] dinner table, >> you know?
>> Absolutely. I I love that like bit where he hit he like uh was heating up the oil and you thought it was he was going to use it on the enemy splash on somebody's face and he uses it to like cauterize his wound, right? Like I thought that was that was super dope.
>> Yeah. I thought it was going to be hot oil he was going to throw it down the stairs, you know?
>> Right.
>> Super cool. The subversion of that.
>> Yeah. Yeah. And then I mean they they do it really quick, but before he sets his watch, he's panning around the room really quick. what he's going to use.
Like he's planning this out. He's hyper aware >> like to a degree that we can't even [ __ ] fathom. He's trained to >> um and and his stoicism caring and all of it. It just solid performance.
>> It's like that training ingrains every part of his life. And it even leads you to it even leads you to the subtextual idea that there were issues with his him and his wife before anything that caused the divorce. Well, like because here's here's a question I got to ask real quick. Real quick. Sorry to interrupt again, but if I'm drinking, the PCP movie night runs a little bit longer.
I'm just going to tell y'all that. I've learned that, man. It's a lesson I've learned.
>> I'm okay with it at this point.
>> Drinking tonight. But uh so anyway, I want to know like is his wife actually dead? Cuz isn't there a bit where they're like your wife was like you had a good funeral or something like that like >> like did his wife actually die? Is that something they elaborate on on his >> Well, he had to fake his own death so maybe.
>> No, he faked him basically.
>> Yeah. No, I think she's she's gone like he also faked his own.
>> Yeah.
>> Okay. That's what I was confused about for a moment in this movie. I was like I >> like No, Bill Pullman or whatever has this line where he's like Susan would have missed you. that at first you don't know who you're who they're talking about like >> because I think you learn it's it's like his friend from the the government with the government contact or whatever like later on like I'm pretty sure you're like who are they talking about?
>> It's interesting what Chad was saying about like how he's assessing threat levels and situations cuz that's exactly what they do. So, I had a friend who served in Afghanistan and Iraq >> and um they're used to the IEDs and stuff like that, you know? So, like if you be riding on the road with him, >> he's always kind of if he's in the passenger seat, he's always looking around.
>> Yeah.
>> Scanning.
>> Yeah. Or like somebody with like anxiety like in a like social anxiety in a social situation, you see him like looking for exits and just making sure if they're safe and where people are.
>> He had Yeah, he definitely had PTSD. So, like they Yeah, they think about stuff like that.
>> Yeah. So like in this movie, so is the idea then that like his wife died but wanted him to change and after the death of his wife is when he retires and fakes his death and like >> Yes.
>> basically goes into hiding or something.
>> That's what happened.
>> Interesting. Interesting. Chad, I'm sorry. I stepped all over you. Um >> sorry, Chad.
>> Oh, no. I'm glad actually because I was confused about that [ __ ] too. So, it got cleared up. So, thank you.
>> Yeah. Yeah.
>> Cool. Well, they they elaborate more on his backstory in in the sequels, I'm assuming. Right.
>> Have some like flashback sequences or some [ __ ] >> He once again Robert McCall is Robert McCall in all three movies. They just put him in different situations.
>> But do they do they don't do like any flashbacks or elaborate on anything?
>> Nope.
>> No. They keep it they keep it mysterious like you know like >> Yeah.
>> So it's kind of I think it's cool.
>> Yeah. Secondly, not to spoil anything.
Go ahead. I just say I think it's cool like that because it's like with like a Jaws like we don't see the shark a lot.
>> Yeah, you got that.
>> That was only because that was only because the shark >> I know. I know. But >> Denzel Washington works in this movie, man.
>> No, I'm talking about like the same thing with Michael Myers. Like you kind of see him in the shadows a lot. Like they don't want you know everything about him. It makes him scarier, I think.
>> Right, >> dude. That's why I'm telling y'all when they they when they really want to do a Punisher movie for real, Punisher is not the main character. He's the Michael Myers of the movie, >> right?
>> That's what you should do for punch.
>> Yeah.
>> All right, Chad, what's another performance you want to highlight?
>> Well, first, uh, this isn't my favorite Denzel role. That would be American Gangster.
>> Uh, love that movie.
>> Frank Lucas. Um, and if you want to read a book without pictures, there's a book called China White written by a retired CIA um, person that wrote a fictional historical um, basically backs up American gangster.
Like this [ __ ] happened and this was written back in like the late 70s, early 80s. So, I don't know if they they combine that with Anyways, cool [ __ ] Um, great guy, great actor. And then on here, uh, you picked Ralphie, right, Brooks?
>> Yeah, >> pick.
>> Security guard guy.
>> Yeah. Yeah.
>> Yeah.
>> Okay. I'm gonna go with uh Teddy, the kind of Russian contract killer guy.
>> Nikolai. Yes. Nikolai.
>> He was Teddy though. But yes, >> Tevy. You mean Tevy?
>> Sure. Tevy. I thought it was Teddy.
>> Oh, Teddy. Oh, Teddy. The main villain guy. Yeah.
>> At least that's what IMDb said.
>> Yeah, it's Teddy. It's Teddy.
>> Okay. Yeah, >> Teddy.
>> Like the dude was menacing, like cold.
the the way a sociopathic killer I I would think would have, you know, someone who was traumatized and has no empathy for other humans, like it's just a job killing people, uh, would act like he just acts like a pure badass. Um, so I'm going to go with him.
>> No, he's pretty good, man. Honestly, like they have to show a lot to make us feel that he's threatening, but he does he's able to hold his own with Denzel.
That's not an easy thing to do, y'all.
Right. Yeah.
>> It's not easy to be on screen with Denzel Washington. Imagine how you would feel >> if all you had to do was go, >> "Here's your invoice, sir." And hand a paper to Denzel Washington.
>> We would all be fired.
>> I would be like I would be like, "What's his name?" in Wonderman. Like I don't think I'd be fired. Like they' be like, "I'm sorry. We're going to go in a different direction with the guy that hands Denzel the >> I would look at the director be like, I renounce my wish. I don't want to be in a movie with Denzel Washington.
Steve, what do you think about Denzel?
And what's another performance you want to highlight?
>> Man, Denzel's incredible. Um, just love all the the little things, right? Like the old man in the sea, reading that at a diner. Uh, what happened to your hand? I hit it on something stupid. Um, like so many great lines. I love that conversation with with uh Nikolai when he goes back and talks about his childhood, right? and breaks and kind of like breaks him down.
There's just like so many brilliant scenes like that. So, um yeah, he just brings that that stone cold uh awareness. I love the premeditation.
Um just such a badass character, man. I just kind of like love that he's this lone wolf off the grid. Um you know, he can be found and and kind of tracked down, but you know, does that really matter? Him him.
>> Yeah. Him in a room. and in a room like room versus 20. It it doesn't matter.
So, it's incredible. I'm gonna shout out for my secondary performance, David Harbor, in this [ __ ] awful accent.
You want to talk about an awful accent?
>> Boston? Are you from New York? Where the [ __ ] are you from?
>> At first, I thought this [ __ ] was Russian, man. And I was like, "No, that's supposed to be a Boston accent."
>> [ __ ] place. I was like, >> "We're from Wall Street.
He's like Brad Pitt trying to be Italian and englorious bastards manual and he had some decent moments. I loved his desperation and the car scene and stuff like that but like that that accident that that accident took some work to the stomach man.
>> I was like bro you're lucky to get Stranger Things my G. Like >> I hope this one wasn't in the highlight reel.
I would say Ben Affleck and Matt Damon who are both from Boston watch it like, "Oh, Jesus Christ."
>> Yeah.
>> That's why he did. That's why he wasn't cast in the town.
>> Exactly. Or like any other movies. Yeah.
>> Hell yeah. I love it whenever I watch anything before Stranger Things and I see David Harour in it and I'm like, "Yo, >> hell yeah. He's good in it." Even though that's that's a bad [ __ ] act. Like I remember every time like there was a time I I decided to rewatch the newsroom at some point and I was like, "Oh my god, I forgot David Harour was in this."
Like he's in so many things that we haven't seen or that we have seen but we forget that he's in him, you know, and now that we know that he's now that his he's iconic as a Oh [ __ ] what's his [ __ ] name in Stranger Things?
>> Uh, hey, I got I got a question.
>> Is is David Harper's Boston accent worse than count English accent?
Jesus.
>> Hey, Robbie. Is is David Har's Boston accent in this film worse than >> uh Kiana Reeves's British accent and Bram Stoker's Dracula? Nothing is worse than Reeves.
British accent. It's the castle.
>> Van Heling Dracula. I was in his castle, bro. Like that's I mean >> I really dude the only re the only way I can make BM Stoker's Dracula really work for me and I love Francis Ford Copela for the most part.
>> I love that movie though.
>> I should say I love Godfather 1 and two and half of part three and I love Apocalypse Now, >> right?
>> And with Dracula, the only way it makes sense is that's literally Ted time traveling and stuck in that position and he doesn't know what the [ __ ] to do. So he's just going >> I love this movie from Bill and Ted. You know what I'm saying? Yeah, I was right in it though.
>> That's how I have you ever heard Alpuccino's British uh accent in that one [ __ ] film? I forget.
>> No, I can't even imagine what the [ __ ] British Alpuccino >> Yeah, look it up trumpets.
>> No, it's it's like I don't I don't even know how to describe it. It's incredible.
>> Oh my god. All right. Um >> Chloe Grace Morettes, >> she's great in this film. She's really solid. I want to shout out her. She's good. And uh Bill Pullman, I love him.
Was his character meant to be called Brian Plameumber or were they were just like, "Bill, we understand. You haven't done this a lot lately.
We'll just keep you illiterative to your your actual initials and just make it easier for you." You know, like every [ __ ] Jack Nicholson movie, his name is [ __ ] Jack. Why is the Joker named Jack Napier?
>> Because he's his Jack in every [ __ ] movie, man. Yeah, I don't whatever.
>> Were those like was that scene even that necessary?
>> Like the whole like him him going out there and getting permission or >> let's be honest, man. I just love seeing Brian Pullman. And part of the way I make this movie work is I feel like he was a former president who was president during the alien invasion in 1996.
>> He led us. He's led us to the >> He led us an hour independence day. All right.
>> I think that that part was was uh was important though because she helped him get intelligence on these people he was dealing with and he got you know that's what I think.
>> All right.
>> Let's talk about vision and sound. Let's talk about the technical aspects of the film. We're talking about the writing. We're talking about the cinematography, the editing, the sound design, the the score.
Anything technical you want to talk about, now's the time to bring it up.
Gelanie, what do you think about The Equalizer? Technically speaking, >> it's pretty basic. Um, I I I like the cinematography in the movie. Uh, it really comes down to the third act and how everything is shot and placed in in the Home Depot at the end. I know it's like a Hallmark, but it it's Home Depot.
And it it it is so cool. Like there there a few scenes. The first one to me is the one where he stabs that guy with the the spear while he's looking at the trap of the guy that died by the um by the barbed wire hanging.
>> Dude, that's some Jason Borhees [ __ ] man.
It's like a horror movie in the Zelda.
>> Yes.
>> Like he just looks like he's looking at him. I'm like, "Oh my god, you sick, man." It's so random. And like I I just love that. I love the rain or the sprinkler system going down on his face and and it's dope.
>> He's got the nail gun and that music is fire.
I'm like, hell yeah. And it it's like that that music is in all three movies and I'm like oh my god this is just your theme. This is when you're like, I don't give a [ __ ] And it I I like how he stares down Teddy in the sprinkler system in the water. It shows his eyes.
It shows uh Teddy's face as he's looking up and he's like, "Kill me." You know, he's just like, "Put it in me." And he's like, "All right."
It's it's so good the way that's shot. I love the the scene when he's threaten assessing the room for the Russians at the very beginning and he he he he hits the door like three or four times before he closes it and locks it and he looks around and the way it's shot and it shows the room and then it shows each person and what they're holding and what they're doing at the time he's about. He's going to be like, "Okay, I can kill this guy with this thing. I can kill this guy with this thing. I can use his weapon against him and kill this guy, you know, and I know who has the gun. I loved all the spots before it happened there. It It's so crisp how that's shot and it it always it's always it's in every movie and it impresses me every movie how well it's done. Andh it's just it's so nice. It's a tightly packed movie. Uh, it's in and out. It's an action film. Um, it can drag in parts, but it's the dragging is the buildup uh to what is going to happen.
Like, you know, he's training Ralphie to be a security guard and he's teaching him how to like lift heavy objects. He's like, you know, you're going to have to one day you're going to have to grab me and and move me. Maybe you're going to have to move something in the future that's heavy that you're going to have to survive with. And then he after he has the fight with that kickass rushing with that mustache and and he's laying on him and he throws him off and he's like really [ __ ] up and Ralph is right there and he grabs him. I love that scene where he's being shot the way he's shot laying on the ground and he reaches up and grabs his throat and he's like, "Oh, it's me. It's me, Mr. McCall." You know, and and he drags him out. So it it's like a cause and effect. It's the karma you put in what you get out.
That's more of the thing I was going to get to, but it's what you put in that you get out. Um, and I I love how all of these these scenes just they they they're slow builds, but there's a reason for them. And when you see them all the way through this film, I really appreciate them. I don't know why. Like at the end when you're just there and Teddy's just [ __ ] dead and he just walks away like nothing happened. Like you don't even know like what the aftermath of that was.
>> There's not even an emotional resolve.
That's what's badass about this character, right? It's just the job is done.
>> Clock out.
>> Right. Yeah, >> dude. Love what you said. I I love what you were saying. I I agree with everything you say, including you said the pace drags a little bit. I think it is like I think you kind of mentioned it a little bit. Act three.
>> Act three is where it slows up too much.
This movie is over two hours long >> and it shouldn't be. This movie should be a little bit tighter and it's that third act and it's usually the third act is too rushed or brought on apart. It's usually the the usually the problem we have with third acts is usually set as a problem in act two. Right. Right. But act one and two are great in this film.
It's act three. It's like they have that buildup. They want that pace of that 70s vibe like we were talking about like freaken, right? But then you lose it by also trying to be modern. And I honestly, there were times in this movie, Gelani, where I'm like, I swear to God, if we go into this motherfucker's eye one more time, >> his eye, >> I'm out, man. I'm just going to go to the bathroom and let the movie play for five [ __ ] minutes, man. And then watch the badasserie happen. But, uh, no, great points, man. I love what you're saying there. What do you think, technically speaking, Matt, about the film? Um, I kind of like the way the music, uh, like Johnny was saying, kind of kicks in when he's getting ready to do some equalizer stuff, I guess you could say. Uh, but Antoine Pukqua is a very stylized kind of director, you know, action. Like, if you watch Tears of the Sun or any of those movies, Training Days, the way you could tell, uh, I can almost tell in his films though sometimes. But like another thing I do like about it was the the scenes filmed at night because sometimes directors don't some people don't have a good director photography or something because sometimes it's too damn dark.
>> Mhm.
>> You know, you can't really see what's going on. I don't know if that's intentional sometimes or sometimes you'll get the bad 60s movies where they film night in the daytime which is really bad. But in this one though, like it's >> everything's got that blue shine.
>> Yeah, it's got this shine to it. It's weird. weird. Uh, but no, it's really the cool night and like Johnny said with the rain scenes and the water and I there was a part where it does kind of drag. But I like the first of it though cuz it's kind of like building up to this moment where he's just getting ready to explode on these people, you know, and uh and it kind of builds from there and then like it does kind of drag a little bit there at the end >> until we get to the final scene in the Home Depot. And uh but yeah, it's got some of those those classic uh action film tropes in it though, like like Johnny was also talking about the security guard. He's like helping him out and then him telling him all this stuff that comes back to help him later, you know, and um >> but like yeah, it's just uh I don't know. I enjoyed it. I that's the only thing technical aspect I can think of.
So I'll be brief. I know it's a shock me being brief, but there you go.
No, like technically it's a very sound film.
>> Yeah, it's >> it's shot very well. It's lit very well.
In fact, I just watched >> for the first time, we don't want to get I'm not going to get too into this because I don't want to derail it anymore. I just watched for the first time last night centers, >> Ryan Cougler, >> whoever his cinematographer is, they do not know how to handle dark scenes.
>> We Black Panther 2 and Centers, there's some issues there, by the way. loved sinners. Loved sinners. Thought it was maybe a tinge overrated, but that's mostly because I've had to live through a year and a half of everybody telling me how much I'm going to love this movie. So, I'm I'm I can't really I can't really judge that film until I watch it a second time, I believe. Right. And like get to sit with it for a bit >> clouded by hate.
>> That's Well, the way I got to to really appreciate my friend Brooks who I've known for over 25 [ __ ] five years at this point. The way I got to uh learn to appreciate Brooks was not taking my initial reaction or response or judgment, but sitting with him for a while and letting letting like a second time with Brooks, a third time, and by the 69th time I hung out with Brooks, we were best buddies forever. So, Brooks, what did you think about the technical aspects of this film?
>> Well, I like this movie overall. I think it's it's got a pretty uh it's pretty crisp as far as run time. But I think I think it main flaw is in the fact that it spends too much time with the villains and not enough with Denzel's character.
But, you know, that being said, it's it's like they're trying to they're kind of they're trying to keep Denzel's character very mysterious. So, I kind of get it. But, you know, I do wish they'd have given us a little more about him, you know, like a little more hints, you know, a few more breadcrumbs, you know, sprinkled for us to follow.
>> Maybe if they would have spent less time with the villains, but you really I it's it's a weird It's got to be a weird thing technically speaking, like editing wise with this film because you got to make sure that everybody, like I said, I mentioned before, it's hard to be on screen with Denzel Washington. Imagine how nerve-wracking that is. Imagine trying to make sure in a movie everybody like your villain feels as badass as Denzel Washington. Do you know what I'm saying? Like that's got to be >> like editorially speaking.
>> Yeah, it's not the crow, right? He just just Maybe it should have been. He just blazes through these [ __ ] That's one thing about this movie. I never felt this [ __ ] was in danger.
>> That's what I'm saying. Why didn't we get a final showdown? Like the nail gun was cool, but like we should have had a knockdown dragout fight. Like it was cool that he had it with Dude, don't get me wrong. That was a great fight, but like that's been the badass villain the whole time and he just got like the nail gun nail gun. I don't know.
>> Yeah, >> we could have reversed that scenario.
>> It's when his friends are in danger.
That's where the suspense comes from because like you know they can't equalize.
But you know they ain't going to kill these [ __ ] like >> you know they're not >> you know what save save everybody.
>> I kind of like that aspect because like this guy was like I don't Okay, these guys that he's up against are used to just like destroying people's lives and just get getting away with whatever they want and they run across the wrong [ __ ] >> Right.
It's very satisfying. very satisfying.
Yeah, that's what makes a movie like this so satisfying because like it's like Man on Fire that he was in. You don't feel any bit of pity for any of these people for what they've done.
>> Well, and the big difference though in this one is it feels like this is the first time that he's decided >> to do this. It feels like he's >> we don't know the history, but it feels like he's had many opportunities to step in and chose not to.
>> This is his origin story.
>> Yeah.
>> Yeah. In fact, all Denzel and Antoine talk about in the the the making of special feature is this is a superhero origin story for Denzel Washington.
>> Yeah, >> this is Denzel's superhero and I'm like, yeah, I'm here for it. That's why I'm like, let's watch the [ __ ] rest of it, man. Brooks, anything else you were saying about style and structure and sound?
Yeah, the style is very 20110s, which is both a positive and a negative in in in a in a way, but uh the sound the soundtrack it kind of reminded me a little bit of Batman Begins at times, you know? It had that kind of like uh a kind of a uh mood, I guess, to it.
>> I could see that.
>> It's got a good little like soundtrack score to it, man. And it's got that like electronic delayed like >> I love that.
>> It's very subdued but like it goes.
>> Yeah.
>> It's got a mood to it though. It it adds a tone and an atmosphere that I think actually help the movie find an identity more so than help it not. Right. I feel like >> even the times where the movie is slow, the music actually helps carry its identity. I would say a little bit there.
>> Honestly. A little bit. A little bit.
>> Hell yeah. Chad, clean and crunchy. What do you think, man?
>> Clean and crunchy. Uh, clean and crunchy. Um, I think stylistically it it looks sharp. Um, there were quite a few shots even um like the slow pan in the beginning with the the street uh wires and coming down into the uh uh the neighborhood. I thought that looked really good. Um the it was kind of a oh [ __ ] the rain scene where it was like a refraction kind of a mirror image. I thought that looked really cool.
>> Yeah. Yeah.
>> Um when when uh Teddy there was like going to sleep. I don't And he's kind of spread out on the bed like that and he was kind of doing like almost like a snake kind of thing. Um or Bruce Lee and Enter the Dragon like he was >> Yeah. showing off the tattoos and [ __ ] By the way, what the [ __ ] is up with Denzel and Antoine and the Russian mafia?
>> Training day.
>> The Russians Russians are always >> Was this a revenge for training day?
>> Was uh was Macau was that was that Alonzo's brothers?
>> There you go.
That would be dope. That would be dope.
saw that Sammy Universe or something.
>> [ __ ] They ain't got nothing on me.
>> Yeah, they had nicknames. One was Smoke, one was Stack. Anyway, what about you, Chad? You want to continue on, man?
>> Yeah. Um, so where it slowed down in the structure for me was I thought it was pretty well paced and I'm with you guys in the in the third act. Where it kind of fell apart for me and lost um the the momentum was when he went to go see his his friends. Like I think they they went too long on that. Too many scenes >> um lingering on him. Like I get it. It's the calm before the storm, the big battle, but it was so much. And then coupled with the confusion of his wife, it's like they could have just left it at he faked his death and moved on.
Yeah.
>> You know what I mean?
>> Yeah. They they took too long to build like they took long enough to build into this story.
>> Yeah. Yeah.
>> And then they they needed to shrink it later on, I think. Right.
>> Like, how much of the budget did they use on the helicopter shot? You know what I'm saying? Like that was >> And let's be honest, Bill Pullman didn't even have to be in this [ __ ] movie, man. That's 250 G's right there. Just gone. You know, >> could have just been add Melissa Leo cuz at the time Melissa Leo was hot [ __ ] and they were like, "Oh, we could get Melissa Leo for a scene for this movie."
And she like she won an Academy Award and like cussed in her acceptance speech for something. Who the hell is she? I can't remember.
>> She's she's Bill Pullman's wife.
>> Yeah, >> Bill Pman's wife. Yeah, >> McCall's uh uh friend, >> a central feature in this movie, but it's it's she's um >> I forgot what else she was in, but she won an Academy Award and when she was up there giving her speech, she said like [ __ ] or something in her speech and then she was like, "Oh shit." And then, you know, it it kind of went downhill.
>> Oh, [ __ ] I'm so [ __ ] sorry. That's what I should do. If I ever win an Academy Award, that's what I'm going to say.
>> Yeah. So, but that's what she was known for for a while, but she hasn't done much since. So, that's how the the Academy Awards go.
>> But yeah, >> [ __ ] We all just keep stepping on Matt.
I mean, Chad, I'm sorry, man. I'm sorry, Chad.
>> Sorry.
>> Yeah.
It's all good, man.
>> Yeah. Continue.
Sorry.
Crunch, crunch, snap, crackle, pop.
>> Oh, yeah. She was in a um the fodder.
>> Yeah. Hell yeah.
>> Yes, that's what it was. The fighter.
>> Absolutely incredible.
>> So, Chad, you want to wrap up your thoughts?
>> Sure. Sure. So, I even thought the action scenes were really good. Um I I thought they were shot well. Like, you can shoot action scenes really boring.
And I think that's part of the reason it was satisfying was it was shot well.
like you almost could feel the impact, you know what I mean? Um, it was shot well. The the rain scene you guys mentioned and I also highlight the music like you guys you mentioned it, Robbie, like it it added a weight and a and an emotion to like the slow scenes where he's just getting ready or or building things. Um, so it it it was good, man.
>> Hell yeah. Hell yeah. Stu, what do you think? Um, love the style of it. Love the style of a Fukua film. Always here for it. You know, whatever he's doing.
Um, gritty and real or whatever.
>> We should do Replacement Killer sometime, right? We should do Replacement Killer sometime.
>> He's got a bunch of bangers. He's got a bunch of bangers. But, um, >> I think one of my favorite payoffs front to back in the movie was the Glattus Nights of the Pip joint, right, with him like dancing and then I was like, let's go. Let's go. time.
Perfect placement of a soundtrack song, right?
>> It was. That was money well spent. That was money well spent.
>> You're gonna die alone is still awesome to me. I love that song.
>> Yeah.
>> I wouldn't be surprised if Denzel was like, "How much does it cost to uh get this song?"
>> Jump it from my salary.
>> I'm the one on the right. He's like, "You don't even look like you."
>> Um Yeah. I love the like how it turned into a horror movie in that last sequence. all the all the set piece kills, like how he's getting creative [ __ ] around the store. That [ __ ] was awesome.
>> Um, so like it was cool to see him and his like his crazy brutality early on. I um my my problem was it was a little bit too long, right? I think like the robbery scene was a botched a botched opportunity. Like I don't know what really happened there and that like whole bit with him grabbing the sledgehammer and then replacing it just didn't really hit. So >> they say that they wanted to like be like it's like a horror movie. That's what they said. It's like a horror movie.
>> It's like what you don't see is scarier, but I'm like but you're about to get into it. So like >> they >> and like bro he as long as he took that woman's ring like I want to see that [ __ ] go down.
>> I know. But like Yeah. It would have like as long as they took to like build this character, they could have like shaved some [ __ ] off from like visiting Bill Pullman and what's her name? Right.
chasing [ __ ] there and even in the Home Depot home home alone depot that's what Jeffrey uh Jeremy John's calls it right and he's a home alone depot but like imagine like where you built up a little bit cool and like you could like before the [ __ ] happens with Chloe right you that happens so now we know oh [ __ ] oh [ __ ] you know what I'm saying like it's weirdly it could be structured better, >> right? Just like slightly. It could just be slightly structured better. I think even the runtime it has if like if that was moved sooner >> like before he decides to avenge or defend but then the whole point is I don't know because that it it almost undercuts something because he doesn't he's not a vigilante. He doesn't go out and cause violence. He goes out and c like offers he offers repentance to people. They cause the violence, right? Maybe we should have seen that with that scene before he goes after the Russian mobs to save Khloe's character, >> right?
>> Well, he gave them all a choice, right?
He gave them all a choice.
>> Yeah, but we're led to believe that he doesn't, I guess, in that point, right?
Like, and we're like, we don't know what happened there. And like I don't know, maybe maybe that could have I don't know.
>> The mallet the mallet thing. I thought that was actually kind of genius to me because he's using something and then he's got no trace of it, right? Like a lot of this a lot of what he's using is just parts he salvaged. Like it's not traceable back to him in any way.
>> Well, he's he uses what's in his environment, >> right? I guess that's the whole Home Home Alone ending.
>> But like imagine imagine Okay, but then imagine if we actually go and see him find that dude. He's holding the hammer.
He goes, "I'm going to give you a chance to make this right." Cut.
Then we see him come in, hang up the hammer, he's got the bloody hand. I hit it on something stupid. Then we're enticed more. Right. I I don't know. I think it could have been structured a little bit better.
>> Yeah. I kind of like the the way it be like you're kind of like, whoa, what the hell did he do to that guy?
>> Yeah.
>> Yes. No, I just felt like it was like they were trying to do like they were trying to It was really like the security guard story, right? Like he kind of like botched the job. He felt bad about it and like he wanted to have his redemptive art. So, it kind of felt like they were trying to do something with that, but it just felt like I don't know. Like when he went out and we had that that great shot of the he went out of the store and there was like that great blinding light shot and you know he's tracking the car. I don't know. I'm just >> honestly that whole bit could have been cut out.
>> I like that bit >> that whole bit could have been cut.
That's 10 minutes out of the movie right there.
>> I like the bit where he's [ __ ] with >> where he's [ __ ] with those two dirty cops. I like that bit a little bit. He's got >> Yeah, I like that.
>> I'd like to report a crime officer. I mean, I I think they're trying to set up the weight of of why he's going to go back and save his co-workers because it's like a story of each one that's been kidnapped, >> right?
>> You know, but again, it's not essential really.
>> It's almost like but but it's like is the point like is this where he snaps and goes back to this or has he been doing this [ __ ] the whole [ __ ] time?
>> Right. Is this been his life for five years? Like I don't know. It feels like this is the first time because it feels like he comes out of hiding when he goes sees his friends and [ __ ] >> right?
>> There's a part >> during the scene when the robbery happens >> and he's going to go full ham. He's like he's going to go ham on this [ __ ] in this store in front of people and he's going to do it like he's he's going to slam his head or do something to get that gun. He's going to do it right then. as he's about to do it, he sees kids walk in the store with their mom.
>> Yeah.
>> And he's like, "I'm not gonna do this."
And it's kind of like he sees it and he's like, "Fuck, I was going to go ham on this fool, but I can't >> because they're fans for >> Yeah, you're right.
>> He's so attentive to everything.
>> He's so attentive, but he's a very >> Yeah.
>> Yeah. He's calculated, but he's also calculated to do the right thing.
>> Right.
>> Right. Yeah.
>> Yeah.
>> Right. And then get to the point where it goes to Chlor.
>> I'm sorry, Ste, but >> No, you're good.
>> When she's beat up when she's beat up >> and and he sees that like these suck and he could have done something for these sucker-free suckers, but he didn't do it. and and uh he was like, "Oh god, I could kick these fool's asses now and just be done with it."
>> But he doesn't do it then. And then she actually gets her ass beat and then he's like, "Oh, hell no." That's when he switches on.
>> That's when it turns on and it goes straight to let's blow up the Russian mafia. So it's it's a pattern. He he's he's restrained.
>> I almost just until he does it. I just I almost want to see more of him restraining before he finally unleashes, you know?
>> Yeah. What the >> I just want to see a little I just like I don't know. There's just a way it could have made it like >> cuz this is not John Wick. It's not about one thing that happens. It's about It should This should be about a sequence of things happening in his life that he's always ignoring, always letting slide. And then one day he sees this woman with a black eye.
No, we're done.
>> Well, I think I think also there's like a guy that's coming out of his shell like >> he normally wouldn't have talked to a girl like that like like Chloe played the movie.
>> Yeah, but he but but the thing is I think he he earns for he yearns for connection because one of the differences between him and John Wick is after the tragedy, John Wick wants to they both are live an isolated life.
John Wick doesn't go to a [ __ ] diner, order hot water.
Do you know what I'm saying? And like >> he's there because he doesn't want to be alone.
>> Well, he does seek that connection.
That's the difference. Don Wick doesn't do what he does for the service of other people. That's why he's not a That's why he's not a vigilante, right? Cuz it's not about vengeance or revenge. This is about >> equalizing.
>> I think also this man's probably seen some stuff. He knows how he's always there late at night because it's over 24 hours a day. He always can't sleep in the middle of the night and he goes out there and reads.
>> Yeah. So, he's probably haunted by stuff like >> Yeah. And he's probably done stuff that like he's not happy he did or not proud of it >> and now he's like, you know what? I got this certain set of skills now >> that I could I know that was >> Yeah. Yeah. But I mean, he's he's been trained to kill, but like >> he's I could actually do something with these skills to help people, >> you know? And like I think it's like a a switch flipped in him and he's just like, "Fuck it. [ __ ] it."
>> It is. I just wish I saw that that that tick a little, you know, like the ticking clock.
>> Yeah, I see.
>> I wish I would have seen that a little bit more. I think that scene and the with the the the robbery, the attempted robbery or the robbery, I guess, that actually went through um I feel like we could have built whatever, you know, I'm not we're not sitting here trying to correct the movie because the movie is what it is. We had our issues with it, right? But I do love what you were saying about like like what's making him make this decision, right? like where where are we getting with because I think it leads into the theme and there are multiple themes that we can pick throughout this movie.
>> So Gilaney >> this is your movie. This movie obviously speaks to you in some kind of way for you to pick it for cruise choice and not just your cruise choice pick, but a cruise choice pick on your birthday before you have officially picked Blues Brothers, which I know is your like personal favorite movie of all time.
It's like the Gelani Citizen Cane. You know what I'm saying?
>> Inter.
>> So, what what does The Equalizer speak to you?
As I was saying before, um I see a lot of my dad in the equalizer. Um it's it's someone who is holding back from something. But my dad is my I bring up my dad because, you know, he he's my superhero. He's always been my superhero. Uh he he's the guy that like stood up and and and stood for what's right and he's always right in his situations except when he's trying to give money to homeless people. I gave this story before. I'm still bad at that [ __ ] Um, Dad, calm down. Not everybody needs your money for crack. Um, it just bothers me. Anyway, but the whole thing is my dad is a very religious man, but at the same time, I I also want to bring up karma about how you do good for others and others and it comes back to you in some way. It always does, especially when when Robert is is teaching Ralphie to be a security guard and and become a better person for his family and to do the the right thing and it comes back to help him and saves his life. It comes back um it it's it's him equaling equalizing the playing field.
Um Chloe Glaze Marit is beaten within an inch of her life. She is on death door.
But she was nice to him in a diner when he wanted he he wanted a connection. He found this connection and the connection is broken. And he feels that he needs to write that. And he does in an epic way.
And I think it's what you put in is what you get back. And I think even at the end of this movie when she goes up to him and she's like, "I somehow I have 98 uh I have $98,000 or I'm sorry, I have $9,800 and I want uh and a bus ticket so I can get out of here and do something better with my life instead of being a Ha." And it it it it changes her her perspective on life. the fact that he he was able to give to her and now she is gonna I guess we're gonna say it she gonna pay it forward and become a better person cuz hey she's not none of the characters in this movie other than probably Melissa Leo are in this and Bill Pullman are in the next movie. You know what I'm saying? So it's not really once again it's McCall going to another place but in each movie it's karma in three it comes back in a huge way what for what he put in he gets back and it's it it starts him on a whole new path again. So it it's it's always karma it feels to me you have to put do good in this world for good things to happen to you. You do bad things in this world and you get a you get a nail in your neck like like Teddy in a sprinkler system in the middle of a Home Depot. And it it's it's really worth it to to see, >> you know, the way he takes him out is actually very clever, >> right? When you think about it, right?
>> No guns. No guns.
>> No guns in this movie. That was one of Denzel's thing. I love what you're talking about karma, dude. Denzel in this movie, Robert Beall is an agent of karma. We talk all the time because we're comic book people.
>> The Joker is an agent of chaos.
How about an agent of karma? That is what The Equalizer represents. Gelani, I love what you just said. Thank you for picking this movie. Matt, what does this movie speak to you? Uh >> Gellaneie uh actually spoke to me there.
He's talking about his dad because uh my dad's my hero, too. He was a Marine He was in the Marine Corps.
um he was in Vietnam and then he was he served 20 years in the National Guard, retired as a first sergeant and uh he's kind of a stoic guy. He's got a lot he's a uh got a lot of faith, but he's also kind of guy that's like quiet and if he uh but you got to watch him because I I seen him do some things before like Okay, we were at my house.
This is quick story. When I lived with him, I saw these like four coyotes coming through our backyard, right? We have dogs. And if you know anything about coyotes, they're bad to have around dogs. They're not they're scavengers. They kill anything they can.
And uh so I told, "Dad, there's there's coyotes out there. Check it out." I go back to my room to drink some coffee and wake up and I hear bam, bam, bam. He had took a for a 38 or 357 and stuck his out the window and shot three of them.
Like I like dude I don't want to [ __ ] with this guy. You know what I'm saying?
And like I saying uh and like he also was like and scared the [ __ ] out of some punk kids one time that were trying to go around the family cemetery and threw them around and they got the [ __ ] scared out of him. But he was like one of these people he's not violent but if you [ __ ] with him or his family you're in trouble. So your dad's like Clint Eastwood and Gran Torino >> basically >> without the without the without the racism. Don't don't get me the wrong way. I'm not saying I know what you mean. I know what you mean. But also the thing is about this movie, it's like uh Denzel's character is MCL.
He just sees the people. He doesn't see what they do. Like the girl Khloe Grace Morettes, she's a prostitute, but he just talks to her like another human. other people in that diner just go some prostitute. they just do her go do you know whatever I'm not going to get involved I don't care about she she laid she made her own bed let her lay in it kind of thing people because you know there is a lot of people especially now they have a lack of empathy >> and um but like MCL like he tries to talk to her encourage her he doesn't say and he doesn't try to be like Captain Sabaho like I need to get you out of this he doesn't do that immediately because he's like just you know just leave her where she's at I can't do nothing about it but then he sees what she's in danger and like it's the same thing every time he sees somebody he cares about danger like security guard the lady that got her ring stolen that he worked with he just can't stomach it no more you know >> right >> so like and he's I don't know but I think it's about like I don't know I think it's about seeing people I think it's about doing the right thing even if what he even when he does the right thing it's some bloody work but um it's also I think like like you said Robbie about karma All these people had it coming.
It's like I said, satisfying. It's It's a very satisfying. Just like John Wick, just like Man on Fire, all those movies like that with Revenge. Even Death Wish with Charles Brson, I would say.
>> Hell yeah. We got Death Wish.
>> All these people like Yeah. I don't have >> That's a franchise.
>> Yeah. Well, it gets a little weird.
>> It gets a lot of [ __ ] weird.
There's a lot of there's a lot of first appearances in those movies. Jeff Goldlum.
>> Yeah. Hey, but I would say this though.
If you're going to be a Death Wish, don't be Charles Bronson's girlfriend or wife cuz in every movie they die.
>> That's as bad as being the drummer in Spinal Tap, man. You know what I'm saying? What about you? Nicely put, by the way, Matt. What about you, Brooks?
What's this movie speaking to you?
Well, I think a big fan of this movie is like, you know, putting your talents to to the best use that you can. You know, I think like the idea that, you know, he's kind of like he's put his he's retired, I guess, in a sense, but you know, he has these skills and he like, you know, he finally finds some a where a place where he can put them to use that like for the greatest good. This movie, in a way, it made me think like, you know, this is the movie that Double Down should have been. Oh [ __ ] >> Yeah. If Neil Green's character had actually like, you know, used his badass [ __ ] skills to like, you know, go against people who deserved it, like the movie would have been way better. I think that's what this movie does, you know, and it's it's also like, you know, the idea like it's not enough just to punish evildoers, you know. He also he helps him out in other ways, you know.
He returns the ring. He gives he gives her the money to, you know, start over.
You know, it's not just about, you know, being the punishment.
>> He's not doing this for revenge or punishment. Yeah, it's like a it is kind of businesslike to him like you know it's not just about you know the job isn't just to like you know go out and punish the evildoer. The job is to like you know >> help the person and like you know he's correcting wrongs.
>> Yeah. He's like he's writing wrongs.
He's equalizing.
>> He's equalizing.
>> Exactly man.
>> So [ __ ] I guess that's why the movie's called the [ __ ] equalizer.
Thank god this [ __ ] did not at any point go I am the equalizer.
>> Yeah, there a couple of opportunities too shows up in a goddamn superhero costume.
>> Can you imagine this [ __ ] shows up in a Home Depot superhero costume e on this [ __ ] [ __ ] That's [ __ ] that'd be hilarious, man.
>> I love what you're saying there, man.
No, you're 100% right, dude. It's like it's >> I love that [ __ ] man. I had something to say and I forgot it, but it's okay.
I've been drinking tequilas. Chad is uh crunchy, he's crispy, and he's uh clean, and he's also conscientious.
So, why don't you tell us what this movie is saying to you, my man?
>> I think you guys hit it um with the karma. Um to me, like what he's doing is service work. Like he he sees a wrong and his his skill set. you guys kind of mentioned that too, like and then even when he goes and sees his CIA friends, she's like, "This is who you are. This is what you're made to do." Um, so it's almost like service work protecting his his new family in a way.
>> Yeah. Yeah. And Chad, real quick, step on you one final time tonight. Um, what I was going to say was exactly that, right? Like this movie states it in the beginning with the book that he's reading, The Old Man in the Sea, and when she's talking to him. Did you catch the fish yet? Did he catch the fish?
>> He's like, and that's what he says.
Sometimes you just a man's got to be what a man is.
>> Exactly. Right. And that's a lot of movies. If honestly, if you're really if you're if you're writing a [ __ ] report for college or high school or some [ __ ] on film, they usually tell you what the theme is in the first 10 [ __ ] minutes. Some character will say it and Denzel says it through that book, Old Man in the Sea, which I've never read. So anyway, go ahead, Chad. I'm sorry. That was my last time I'm stepping on you tonight. I promise.
>> Promise. Just kidding. Um the other one I would say is change. Like that that is stated in different ways in really profound sayings. Um to me that stood out. Um like when he's trying to train uh Ralphie to be a security guard, he's talking about progress over perfection, right? like the the incremental steps to keep going to change, right? Like he left that old life behind and he's trying to be of service. Um and then the other one was when he's talking to uh Terry or Alan Alana or uh what her name is. Um and he says, "You don't like your world? Change it."
Right? And you kind of mentioned that in the beginning about me manifesting being here. you to know who the hell I was.
Um, when when the pain of what you're going through is is more than you want to bear and you're willing to do whatever it takes, including change your belief system and do the work that it takes to get there with some help. You can do it. You can change. You believe you can do it.
Goddamn Chad felt like you were speaking to me personally there for a second and I really appreciate that, man. That was That was >> That was really awesome. That was really [ __ ] good, man. I'm not going to lie, dude. That was really [ __ ] good. If you want to be somebody else, change your mind. Sister Hazel, everybody. Um, that was really good, Chad. That was really good. [ __ ] dude. Ste, follow that, man. What you got?
>> Well, you've already taken my [ __ ] with the old man in the sea.
I thought that was fascinating, him talking about that, you know, old man in the sea, unl unlucky fisherman, goes out, catches the marlin of his life, tries to bring it back to shore, fights off and murders a bunch of sharks in the process, and ultimately comes home with a skeleton. Right. And I think you know that like you guys said like that that um innate desperation to kind of fight off but then eventually accept uh who you are at your core I think is a big thing about what going on here. And I also like the the um second chance aspect, right? Like he's despite what's in his past and despite what's in his future, he choose he chooses to uh to like, you know, lead with love and lead with light uh and his day-to-day life and and try to affect the lives around uh him in a positive manner. So, you know, I think those both are prevalent themes which I picked up on my viewing.
>> Isn't it nice to review a movie sometimes where it's like makes you feel good about humanity?
>> Yeah, man.
>> So, don't worry.
>> Sometimes you just got to murder a mother.
>> Don't worry. Horror Fest is coming up in like two and a half months. So, like, you know, that's not going to last long.
But, uh, >> no, this is this is good, man. And I I this has been profound like what we're talking about this movie, man. We can we can say like, yeah, it's got some issues technically, scriptwise, structurally, cuz we move some things around. There's this, it looks good, style's great, but thematically, this movie is super sound, dude. Right? Like, there's too much bad in the world. Let's be some good. Let's equalize that [ __ ] Let's be the equalizer. Let's be the agents of karma.
Karma is it's not just about what what what goes around comes around. And it's about the energy of everything producing the energy of everything, right? So, we got to be agents of karma and change the energy of everything. We There's way too much negative bad [ __ ] in the world.
Let's be the good. Let's be the light.
Like you were saying, >> change you want to see, right?
>> Exactly, man.
>> Exactly. And that means leads me back to another thing we say at the end, which is a repeated phrase throughout the film. Who do you see when you look at me? What do you see? Right? This movie is about perspective. It's about the perspective of a lot of different people, but in particular, let's talk about the perspective of Nikolai, aka Teddy, right?
He sees people as victims. So does the rest of the the mafia family. A lot of people in this movie see people as victims. Uh persons to exploit. Uh >> bottle caps, he calls them.
>> Exactly.
What does Denzel see when he looks at someone?
>> He sees humanity. And what is humanity?
Humanity is family.
>> Potential family.
>> That's he's he sees family because he is he is a man who has lost his family and yearns for it. Bro, there's a reason this dude that military upbringing the the the very simple matterof fact like like the way he lives his life, right? That manufactured quick no wasted movement type [ __ ] right?
He could just sit in that apartment all night long reading his book, but he goes to a public place to read his book because he longs for family. He sees family and humanity. That's why he stands up for it. We are all the same.
We are all brothers and sisters. We are all connected. We should all strive to be the equalizing force because there's too much bad in this world. Let's be that equalizing force of good. That's what Denzel and this movie represents.
So even though I applaud that this movie didn't have Denzel say it, I want everybody watching, everybody here to at one point in their life be able to proudly say, "I am the equalizer.
word and then one day everything will be too good and then there'll have to be some [ __ ] ass hat prophesized to come and bring balance to the [ __ ] force.
You know what I'm saying? So, let's not be too good. We still got to have a little bit of [ __ ] assery. Uh, speaking of assery, Gelanie, thank you so much for being here. Uh, let's kick off the ratings to the film. You out there in the chat out of five, you digs, what would you rate the equalizer?
Gelanie, kick us off on the panel on your pick for your birthday. And once again, happy Penny Day.
>> Thanks, sir. Thank you, Station. Back to you as well. Um, I love this movie. I'm sorry. I absolutely love it. It may have its problems. Yes. But I've watched this like so many different times. And now I'm going to bring it real quick to Brooks. Brooks, what was the first thing I did when I told you about this movie?
>> Uh, what did I do? the scene with the Russ the scene with the Russian guys on YouTube.
>> I just showed you the I just showed you the spoiled a huge part of this movie, but it was out of context, so really it didn't hurt anything. Um because of that scene, >> that scene after he offers the $9,800.
>> Yeah.
>> Yeah. The screen murder scene.
>> Nice.
>> That was meticulous as well. every point he was hitting was an artery or a vein if you look where he was hitting.
>> Yeah.
>> And you can see him looking at it. Like even when he's looking at that dude holding up the chick at the uh Home Depot or whatever, he notices the tattoo on his neck where his vein is, right?
Like things to identify him and things to like Right. Like that's >> the guy's uh like right here like a pressure point. You know that >> Oh yeah, I've had that done to me.
>> This motherfucker's Batman, dude. Like, you know, >> I don't I think he could probably [ __ ] Batman up.
>> I don't know. I didn't see him use a grappling hook.
>> Let's not Yeah. Come on. Come on now.
Let's not be ridiculous.
>> Oh, come on.
>> Fell from the moon, man.
>> Batman will be too busy crying about it.
>> You know what I mean?
>> All right.
>> But yeah, but it's such it's such a great film to me and I I've seen the trilogy and in fact, I'm going to watch I'm going to watch two in a few minutes.
Uh, just because I gotta I gotta like get my my equalizer fixed again because I've seen the trilogy because I know how badass Denzel Washington is in all three movies. Uh, I'm giving this movie as a good starter, although I think two might be slightly better as far as comeuppants. Um, yeah, I'm still going to do it. It's my [ __ ] movie. I'm gonna give it a 5.69.
69.
It's my movie.
>> So, it balance out any low scores we get. So, >> all right. This is the only movie Gelani would give a 69 that didn't have titties in it.
>> It didn't have titties.
>> Yeah. So, there you go.
>> If this movie would had titties, he would have went 11.69.
>> 69. Okay.
>> And that's the highest rating possible on PCP movie night. And it's never been achieved for some reason. Um, but now that we know it exists, just wait for it to appear at some point, probably in horror fest. Um, but I don't know. We're doing some Vanam and and Action Fest, so you never know. 5.69 from Gelani. What about you, Matt? The equalizer out of five you digs. What would you rate this number?
>> Um, I'm gonna give it a 4.5.
>> Uh, I like it a lot.
>> Uh, you know what? Actually, since it's Jerelain's birthday, I'll give it a five.
>> Jesus. All right. You don't have to do that, but okay.
>> You got a bump. I like that. I'll take that.
>> No, the geli bump. Oh, [ __ ] Now I'm Now I'm >> Now I'm tempted to give it a geli bump.
>> It's all good.
>> All right. Thank you, Matt. Uh, what about you, Brooks? Uh, what would you rate this film?
>> Well, I like this movie a lot, but I'm not going to like sugarcoat things, you know? It's almost a perfect action movie for me. Like, you know, it almost gets there. And I think, you know, it does set up like, you know, I think there's great potential for sequels. So, like, you know, I am kind of interested to like check out two and three, see if maybe they improve on the formula a little bit. So, I'll give it a four.
I'll give it a four and a half. Like, you know, it's a great action movie.
Definitely definitely something I'm glad I've seen now. And, you know, it's piqued my interest enough to like check out the the trilogy. So, god damn.
Happy birthday, brother.
>> Yeah. 4.5 with the with the Gelani birthday bump. All right. The Bullard birthday bump. What about you, Chad?
>> You're cold and calculating and you are chill and you are crispy and you are crunchy and you are calculated and you are >> a combiner.
>> Charismatic.
>> Combiner.
>> You got that ring.
You're charismatic. Anyway, what do you >> appreciate it?
>> What What do you rate this movie out of five? You digs.
>> So, I I'm I'm right there with you guys.
Um I'm going to go 4.5 um for the simple reason I'm still thinking about it. There was a lot of attention to detail. I I really enjoyed the movie and I'm definitely going to watch the sequels. So, I I was thinking 4.5.
Um, but since uh I'm going to give it the Gelani Gelani Day bump, we we'll put her up to a five. Happy birthday, brother.
>> Damn. Thanks, Ch.
>> Jesus Christ.
>> Yeah.
>> You know what? I was going to say nobody did this [ __ ] for my birthday, but I think everybody gave Night Riders a little bit of a >> [ __ ] We celebrating your birthday for two months.
>> Oh, don't worry, man. Lobby Day is coming up in eight months. Everybody get ready. Get ready.
>> Um Hell yeah. We got We got a lot of perfect This is This is This is cool.
This is cool. I love it. Uh Stew out of five you digs onto.
>> I think I I'd normally go four on this one. I think a little issues with the length at some things we could have dropped, but overall so many uh great things going for it. I mean, you know, the start of a franchise. What What more can you say, dude? And Denzel at the helm really bringing it. Excited for you guys to We all got to do two together because two is [ __ ] badass. So, I definitely want to hear >> hear y'all's hear y'all's reaction to this one. But yeah, I think I go four.
So, I'm gonna give it a birthday bump.
I'll go up to 4.5 for the homie. Happy birthday, brother. Thank you for having me as always.
>> Thank you, sir. Thank you, sir. You're my >> All right. A 4 point. What' you say?
Five.
>> 4.5 with the birthday bump. Yeah, >> with the birthday bump. All right. This is too perfect. All right. For me, I think this movie is okay. I think it's got some I love I've loved this conversation. This conversation has elevated my thoughts on this movie and just the fact that it's Gelan's birthday. I want to give it the Gelanie bump. And I will because I first wanted to say this movie was a three, but I'll give it the conversation and the birthday bump to a 3.5.
Or I'll give it the Gelani bump to a 3.5, I should say. And the conversation bumped to a four.
>> Wait, what did I say? What did I do?
>> Keep going.
>> Oh, yeah. All right. This is what I was gonna say. When I first watched this movie, I said a three.
>> When I first watched this movie, I said a three, >> but I want to give it a conversation bump. This has been a great conversation. A.5. And then I'm going to give it the Gelani bump, which would bump it up to a 4.0.
But then because I am a pass bringing up [ __ ] I remember what he did during funhouse and I'll bring it down.
A funhouse retribution spite negative.5 and I will go with where I really feel comfortable at 3.5 for this.
>> You know what, Robbie, you are the equalizer.
>> I am the equalizer.
>> Robbie just brought balance to the force, I guess. About that brought that hate in.
>> He just went into the Jedi temple.
>> Hey, he just went into the Jedi temple and killed all the younglings in front of us.
>> No, but this is too perfect. This is This is too perfect, y'all. This >> Fun House is trash. So, Fun House is absolutely trash. Never want >> That's fine. I have a t-shirt of Funhouse. You don't have a t-shirt of the equalizer. So, what's more fun?
>> That's That's what >> Okay, buy a [ __ ] Equalizer shirt then. All right. No, no, this is too perfect, though. 3.5 from me, 5.69 from Gelanie, a five from Matt, 4.5 from Brooks, five from Chad. Stu, it was a 4.5 from you, right?
>> Yes, sir. Yep.
>> No lie. That was the equalizer. No lie.
If you [ __ ] add this [ __ ] up, the literal not no [ __ ] PCP average is 4.69 69 for this [ __ ] movie. Yeah, >> that's all.
>> And that's perfect, man.
>> Wow.
>> That cracks me the [ __ ] up, dude. Hell >> yeah.
>> No at all.
>> Yeah, man. All right, so the that thus concludes our movie review of The Equalizer. Next week, Cruz Choice moves on to Mike the Voice Matthews. It's his pick. Will he actually be here? We shall see. We shall [ __ ] see. But we're gonna be covering his pick next week.
It's The Black Coat's Daughter.
>> Never seen this movie, never heard of it.
>> We got a good panel.
>> Yeah, >> we got such a good panel. Let me tell you something. Vero, I believe, is on this panel. And Verno even goes, "Let me guess. Mike picked this one."
>> So, I don't know what that means, but Verno has figured out Mike's picks within Cruise Choice. horror.
>> I'm sure it's an A24 film.
>> Yeah. Is it horror? I wonder.
>> I don't know. I've never seen it.
Anybody here ever seen it?
>> No. I think I've heard of that title somewhere, but I haven't.
>> Who's even on the show? Let's see. It's going to be me, >> Janeie. Mike, Verno, and Joe. Verno and Joe and allegedly Mike are joining us for that. So, >> that should be super fun. So, the Black Coat's daughter next week. Gelanie, thank you so much. Happy [ __ ] birthday. Another quarter of a shot for you.
tell us your final thoughts and what you got going on.
>> Uh guys, thank you so much for participating in watching the equalizer.
Um this was a this was a choice that I I made like very flippantly because I I've seen so many YouTube shorts of uh or even YouTube just videos of the equalizer in the last like few months.
What is it with that algorithm saying?
>> I don't always [ __ ] people up in my YouTube shorts, man.
>> Yeah, I'll watch one thing randomly and it gives me 50 of it afterwards. It's so weird, but it brought up a thing for me because I love this movie and it brings back so many fond memories. It was a 2014 was a good year and I was very excited about that year for some reason.
A lot of good things happened that year.
Um, and on top of that, the equalizer was one of them. So, it brought up something that was very happy in my life during something that was [ __ ] for the rest of the after that. So, I I I'm really glad that I was able to talk to you guys about a really fun film to me.
I love action movies. Action movies are my favorite, whereas Robbie has horror, mine is action. And I love I just really enjoy this. I enjoyed the trilogy of this. And I'm glad you guys were able to share in that. Um, of course Brooks and I do this lovely thing called Go Figure Reviews. We review [ __ ] It's toys. And this time we did the two pack of the Quicksilver and Black Widow uh from the Avengers Earth Mightiest Heroes TV show.
Which was the best one?
>> What bike her on?
>> What bike you have her on? That's cool as [ __ ] >> She That's the black one of the Black Widow bikes. It was like one of the first ones. Remember the legendary riders? Oh, >> they they did they did a rider two pack of her of um Black Widow on with that bike. So, yeah, I still have that bike because I have most of my comic version of her and not the Scarlett Johansson ones which I should have kept.
>> Dude, I'm so glad they're getting into obscure like 90s costumes for Black Widow. Dude, I love it, dude.
>> The the costume's awesome and her like the the body they put the mold they put her on is awesome, too. So, it's it's it's good to talk about. Plus, that Quicksilver is pretty badass. Even though the the Quicksilver is a Sunfire body mold, but >> I was gonna say, even though it's still it's still quicks, y'all, so don't get too excited. It's still just Quicksilver. Like, who's favorite?
Imagine have has and y'all we all read comics. Have you ever heard somebody go, "My favorite superhero is Quicksilver?"
>> No. Not once.
>> Maybe a little bit.
>> No.
>> Well, people really like that Evan Peters Quicksilver.
>> No, Evan Peters is awesome. They should have >> but that's different.
>> And they never made movie figures because of Fox.
>> He was a douchebag is in the comics.
>> But yeah, >> and now they're trying to tell us that's not Magneto's biological son. Get the >> hear like make it like so evident that he's obviously Magneto's son. And it was like, no, he's not.
>> I hope the MCU fixes it so that the then the actual Marvel universe will fix it.
That would be great. That would be great. They will not >> boers like Chad Ber.
>> Everybody, >> if you want to do a solid for Gelani on his birthday, go and sub up to Go Figure Reviews. I see some blue wrenches in the chat. Fable two gun, I need one of y'all two to share up the link right now. I want everybody here, all 11 of y'all, because we always go to 11. Now there's 13 of us. [ __ ] that's bad luck. Anyway, all the people watching now and on the replay, go check out Go Figure Reviews.
Sub up. Where you at subwise right now, Gelanie?
>> We are almost at 850 subs. I'm trying to get to at least a thousand. And >> come on, y'all. Let's get him to 850.
How far away are you from 850?
>> 852.
>> I need two.
>> We can get this done right now. I guarantee it, y'all.
>> Clip. Streamyard clip.
Allegedly, I'm allowed to say that now and it'll clip it out. Um, >> just yell at it.
>> I don't know. Allegedly. We'll see what [ __ ] >> voice activated. Yeah, >> Cliff. It >> is what it is.
>> Next time Cliff is on the show, I'm going to get a bunch of random clips.
Like, what? I didn't ask for these.
>> Go figure reviews. No. No. Fable. You can't just type go figure reviews, brother. You can't just do that.
>> He's like, "Go Figgy reviews."
>> Jay got it, man. Jay's got it right there.
>> Just like, I'm trying my best, man. I'm trying my best. Two Gun got it.
>> Thank you.
>> Oh my god, I love it. All right. Um, everybody go sub up. Go figure reviews if you haven't. If they're not at 850 by the time we wrap up, I'm done. I'm done.
>> It's 8:49. I got 849 subs. Somebody just >> Come on. One more, y'all. One [ __ ] more, man. Maybe I should sub. It's okay.
>> I should I should sub finally.
>> No, I'm doing this for you tonight.
Don't worry. You're going to hit it.
Then you're going to lose seven subs because once you hit something, YouTube likes to go, "Oh, these accounts don't count."
>> Yeah, they we'll take it five more away.
You got 10? We'll take 12 away. Matt, thank you for joining us for Gelani's birthday celebration. Why don't you tell us what you got going on and final thoughts? Well, um, the final thoughts are don't [ __ ] with Denzel Washington.
>> And, uh, another final thought is I'm glad I met all you guys because you're awesome. All right. Um, >> you equalize us, man.
>> I try. I try. You know, I try to be uh I don't know. I try to put out, like you said, I try to put out in the world what I want to get back. So, >> bro, and you have And like that. Let me tell you something. We going to get high as [ __ ] at Heroes Con, bro. We going to blaze all the way. We're going to blaze about the [ __ ] nastiest, gnarliest comic books we can find, dude. Me, you, and Scotty. We're going to [ __ ] tear the [ __ ] apart, dude. Just wait and see.
>> I can't wait. Um, and thanks for dropping a link there, uh, Hydra. I appreciate it. Uh um so what I got coming up uh I have a video that just came out today uh where I review uh one of the GI Joe Silent issues of Cobra the Silent. It's about Copperhead. Um I don't know about this one, but if you want to know what I think about it, watch the review. It's It's only like four minutes. I do like little quick hits, you know. I don't want to I don't try to linger too long.
Uh algorithm seems to hate that. But also, I'm doing a new thing. I've got about three videos out, but I got another one coming out Wednesday. Uh, my comic retrospectives, and we're going to be talking about the Justice League International from 1987, issue one.
>> Uh, the league that nobody saw coming.
One of my favorite runs. JMD Matas and Keith Gifin.
>> Uh, over a great team together, you know.
>> Yeah.
>> You know, so it's a really it's a really fun book. I've been rereading >> One Punch Man.
>> Yeah. I like this one because that guy Gardner's trying to run things that Batman just looks up and says, "Sit down." But what I do is like it's my new thing. I I didn't know how to edit. Now I know how to edit. So now I'm doing voiceovers where you look at panels and it's only about five minutes long and I've been having fun with it. So and it seems to be taking off. People seem to like it. So >> nice.
>> But you you got a really cool show coming up on Wednesday.
>> Yes, I do.
>> I wish I could be there, dude. This is one of my favorite movies, man. Yeah, >> this was Delaney's pick like three years ago, by the way.
>> All right. Well, like I wish you guys would show up for it because we're doing a high fidelity by John Kuzak John Black. And I I do think this movie is a love letter to music fans.
>> Yep. Oh, without a doubt. Yeah.
>> It's a Cosby sweater. A Cosby.
It's a love letter to ass hats like us who think they have >> the wherewithal to to to pontificate on pop culture.
>> Hey, you do we look like the type of store that has I just called to say I love you. Go back to the ball.
>> I [ __ ] love that [ __ ] dude. I love that movie so much. When you were talking about it, I was like, "God damn it, can I make it work? Can I make it work?" And I was like, "I don't know if I can make it work, man." I really I love that movie so much, man. Man, I tell you what, I will send you the link >> just in case.
>> Dude, now you're put me on the spot. I already told you. I was like, I don't think I got >> Well, now I got Now I got to do it.
[ __ ] >> No, you don't have to. You don't have to. Okay. I >> Let me take another look at this week's schedule. We'll see. We'll see. We'll see.
>> He's working on it, man. He's working on it.
>> There's a thumbnail I did leave out. Uh, I've been doing these comic book previews series of series that are coming out soon. And I I got one coming out Friday at 400 p.m. Eastern of Absolute the preview for Absolute Catwoman number one. So, >> Oh, yeah. Does Fable Does Fable know that he's not sharing the links right now? Like, I'm just >> Bro, you're just putting his name out there.
>> He's about to go Brooks.
>> Put it out.
>> Magnificent.
>> Just put the name out there. Hey, they'll figure it out. They'll figure it out. I want Instagram. Tik Tok. I got a Facebook group, you know.
>> Hell yeah.
>> I had I had a Discord, but I I 806 it because Discord sucks.
>> Yeah, [ __ ] Discord. All right, Brooks.
What about you, man? Speaking of [ __ ] Discord, Brooks doesn't even know what a Discord is.
>> It's like, you know, when things are not corded, right?
>> I guess >> when things are uncorred.
>> Yeah. It's like it's that guy from the My Little Pony cartoon that's voiced by the the guy who does Q >> Q. Yeah. Yeah. Does do that?
>> John Delansancy.
>> John Lansancy.
>> Yep.
>> But but yeah, like uh I guess Jane mentioned I did go figure reviews and I >> two gun says he wants what Fable's on right now, man. Like whatever you smoking, man. Let us know the strain, dude.
Let us know the [ __ ] strain.
>> This [ __ ] is just like voice the type. Matt, Heroes for Hire Comic Club.
>> I ain't smoked in two months. I want to hear what you hitting favor. Let's do it.
>> Brooks, go ahead. I'm sorry. Final thoughts, man.
>> Yeah, like like I've been doing my figure of the night tonight is uh Black Widow from the two pack.
>> Damn straight.
>> That is fire.
>> That's like right heroes reborn. Black Widow, right? I love that. Yeah.
>> One thing that though, they didn't put the the hourglass anywhere on her outfit, which I thought was strange.
Kind of like a staple.
>> Oh, she didn't have that at the time.
She has that [ __ ] on her her stomach.
>> She got like the spider legs on her rib cage and like on her back.
>> Yeah.
>> Yeah. I figure they would like put one like, you know, over her her chest or something.
>> I can't wait for Fable. I can't f like two days Fable's going to be like, "Well, I wasn't going to buy any of these uh figures, but then I saw Brooks post about."
>> Yeah. He's going to be like, "Blame Fable." Yo.
>> Yeah.
>> I picked up this quick stool for Black Widow, man.
>> Wasn't planning on getting any.
>> Also, these live Transformers you never heard about from three shows you never knew that existed.
>> I love you, Sable.
>> I'm a little I don't know if I'm a face or a heel right now on YouTube, man. I don't know, man. I feel like Roman Reigns right now.
Honestly, >> you're like an anti-hero who [ __ ] >> I'm PCP1.
>> Why is he feel like he is part of your natural person?
>> Hey, don't spoil anything yet, man.
Brooks, did you even watch uh You didn't get to watch Clash and >> I didn't watch Clash and I did watch uh the Triple A El Grande Americana, >> bro. Was that [ __ ] match of the year?
>> Match of the [ __ ] year, dude. Match of the [ __ ] year. I like the main event [ __ ] >> Undertaker needs to run Raw. Undertaker needs to run Raw.
>> He needs to run Smackdown. Smackdown needs more help than Raw. He needs to run Smackdown, >> I guess.
>> All right, we're moving on. Chad, thank you so much for being here.
>> Yes.
>> Fable, type in the chat, Metal Elf Collectibles.
>> Chad Metal Elf Collectibles.
>> Tell us what you're up to, man. Final thoughts.
Um, yeah. Thanks for having me back. I had a lot of fun. Uh, Gelanie, thanks for letting me partake in your birthday.
Um, that was a lot of fun, man.
>> Glad to be glad you're here. You're worth it, dude.
>> Thank you. You, too, man. Um, you can find me on all the regular Meta stuff, Facebook, Instagram, and then I recently I'm setting up a Tik Tok shop for, you know, comics and collectibles and all that. Uh, I have an eBay store and then here on YouTube. Um, I dropped uh well, I did a live yesterday. Oh, wait. Uh, that one's going to be dropping uh this week. That is uh my interview with Sean Carlson. Uh he's an artist friend of mine. He's dropping um let's see, an invincible uh variant cover through Unknown pretty quick here. He's uh yeah, great artist, great guy. I would say give him a follow on Instagram if you like, you know, aliens, comic books, like just beautiful painted art. Yeah, I'm still banned.
>> Yeah, Fable banned me.
>> Nice.
>> I'm bad.
>> I love this guy gets banned before I do, bro. Have you seen me on Fable's show?
I'm unhinged, man. And this dude gets banned. I love it. I love it. It's great.
>> Wow.
>> Yeah, I was talking too much.
>> Too much kind of show where you talk.
Damn, Fable. I ain't saying [ __ ] on on John Wick then.
>> Do you have the the second thumbnail, Robbie? I sent that one later.
>> Oh, [ __ ] no.
>> Oh, >> I'm sorry. Let me Let me Give me a second. Stretch it out, brother. Stretch this out. Come on. Be professional.
Let's go.
>> Fill the dead space. So, uh, yesterday I dropped my my first, uh, solo live. Um, I I got to give any of you guys props who do a live solo. Like, it it's not an easy feat. Multitasking, trying to keep your train of thought while just staring at a screen.
>> Um, I've done >> teaching, public speaking, all of it.
But you can read people's faces, emotions. There's something there, right? You're just staring at a screen.
So, props to you guys. Um, so yeah, I did that one yesterday. That was my first one. I I talked I did a live unboxing from I got a giveaway from Chono Comics. Um, it's a a great haul.
Um, really cool stuff. And then, um, I talked about my stories of meeting, um, Simon Bizley, um, Stephanie Phillips and and other creators and Sean um, at Motor City Comic Con. Um, so I'd appreciate that if anyone, you know, check it out and support it.
>> Well, Jay like actually put up a link to your channel. So, but Fable Fable's got our backs tonight, man. Fable >> Fable is up there in the Bronx right now. Just [ __ ] He's on a He's like Aladdin, bro. He's on the [ __ ] magic carpet, man. He's He's in a whole new world.
>> A whole new world.
>> Yeah. Speaking of a whole new world, >> dude, man. Love having you here, man.
Sorry you had couldn't make it last week. I know you wanted to be here for Wolf of Wall Street.
>> How did the How did the ratings end up on that one? How did we feel about that?
>> They were what? It was like a what was it? A 4.369, I think, is what it was.
>> Okay, >> so this movie got a higher rating only because it was Gelanie's birthday, bro.
I'll be honest with you, man. Fair enough.
>> Goodbye, Mom.
>> But Joe, it's an action movie. You're watching >> is like this is the greatest Spielberg I mean Spielberg this is the greatest scores film of the 21st century and like Joe made me want to rewatch it honestly.
>> No Departed's better. Departed is way better.
>> I don't know. I think Departed is not >> Departed is better than the Wolf of Wall Street. Wolf Wall Street >> I don't know that >> is Jack man. It's Jack. Jack is >> He didn't really pick on The Departed, but he did pick on Shudder Island a lot, but nothing.
>> Okay, that's fair. I mean, >> but we're all like Yeah. We were all like, "That's fair. Shutter Island's not that great."
>> Yeah, but Departed though is [ __ ] >> Departed's good, but it's I always be like, "That's not the one he should have won all those Academy Awards for."
>> I agree. But it was like a It's like a >> You got It's like, >> right? It's like after the fact at that point like Denzel, your greatest performance in your career is training day. And we're all like, "Yeah, what?
Really?"
>> No.
>> Training day.
>> Anyway, go ahead, Steu.
>> Um, uh, I'm at Dunder Doom Club on YouTube and IG. Uh, Incan Insights. Every Wednesday night, 9:30 p.m. Eastern is my live show. Uh me and my homie E going through our favorite new comics. Marvel, DC, Image in the Indies. Uh I'm on Bloodplatter Chatter. I don't have uh Oh, you got one. You [ __ ] sneaky [ __ ] >> bro. You know who the [ __ ] I am, man.
Don't you come on, man. You can't mess with me.
>> Yeah, man. We're going to be going through the trilogy. I can't wait to revisit all these. Uh so, uh yeah, Scary Movie One, two, and three uh this Thursday, 900 PM Eastern. Uh, and then I will be on uh Bla Fable uh if not this week uh every other uh Friday uh 900 PM Eastern. I know the homies Matt and Chad are on there all the time. Our homie Scotty Robbie unfortunately likes to show up [ __ ] unannounced all the time, but that we just got to deal with it, don't we?
>> Yeah. So, um I show up last week everybody's like, "God damn it, nobody told me Robbie was gonna be here."
>> [ __ ] Ste had to dip out, man. Yeah, I get it.
>> But I'm here. Uh, but love y'all.
>> It's too real, man. It's too real, man.
Now you hurt my feelings, man.
>> No. Oh, come on, man.
>> No, I'm crying, man. You didn't see the tear, dude. I'm like that [ __ ] not Native American pretending to be a Native American about the trash on the [ __ ] field in that old commercial.
>> Christopher Columbus.
That was a Sopranos episode. getting there.
>> That's funny as [ __ ] They got you.
>> Thank you, Pedro.
>> Blue light on Fable this week or red light Robbie? I'm not I'm probably not going to be on Fable this week, but he's saying when I'm when I'm healed, Robbie, I should turn it to red.
>> Oh, I like that.
>> The red doesn't look as good.
>> That makes sense.
>> I like the colored idea, though. That's cool.
>> It's not bad. But, you know, I think I've I think I've grown beyond healing face.
I think I'm like a stone cold Steve Austin. I think I'm like a Roman Reigns hero.
>> I think I'm a good tweener. You know what I'm saying? Like a >> stone cold? Really? Are you stone cold?
Are you >> I feel like I'm definitely more the rock than I am Stone Cold.
>> Yeah. I don't know. You're probably You're kind of like the right now you're kind of the heel that everybody likes to root for. Like Ratty Ratty Piper.
>> Oh, that's a Yeah, that's a good one actually. Oh, that's >> that's a good one cuz he's not recognized as the greatest, you know, or nothing, but he's he is one of the greatest.
>> Yeah. See, a prophet's never honored in his homeland, >> but me, I'd rather have my own land. All right, everybody. I really encourage you to check out High Fidelity >> on Matt's channel. Seriously, that's going to be super cool. Check out the stuff that Chad's got coming up. Check out what they're doing over at Go Figure Reviews. Look at that. Uh, I almost said Psylock. Look at that. Uh, Black Widow.
That's great. Ignore the Quicksilver.
Black Widow is the important thing there. You know, everybody's doing great stuff. And seriously, Incan Insights might be the greatest show right now in the community about Weekly Comics. And I'm not even [ __ ] lying.
>> And by the way, Comics will be on the show Wednesday, too. So, >> I will, too. I I forgot. That's a first time watch for me, actually.
>> Dude, that's such a good You never seen it before. Oh my god. That's why I like doing these like cuz I've not seen the equalizer >> dude. High fidelity do high. Have you watched it yet, Chad?
>> No. No.
>> Oh god.
>> So you haven't watched it? Okay.
>> Wow.
>> Don't pump it up for a treat.
>> Don't pump it up, >> dude. It's It's pretty solid. Next week, join us everybody for Mike's pick for Cruise Choice, the Black Coat's Daughter. And for my final thoughts, I'm just going to go I don't know why I did that. That was That made no sense. Was that >> my man?
Heat up here.
Heat.
Heat.
Heat. Heat.
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