The Steves talk about the 1999 American Blockbuster, Fight Club, while breaking almost every one of it's rules, along with what's making them happy in pop culture today!
What's Making Us Happy?
Movie Discussion Topics Include:
Ending- Any music or audio clips were borrowed from the original source material.
The Steves talk about the 1999 American Blockbuster, Fight Club, while breaking almost every one of it's rules, along with what's making them happy in pop culture today!
What's Making Us Happy?
Movie Discussion Topics Include:
Ending- Any music or audio clips were borrowed from the original source material.
Hello, returning happys and new listeners. This is Steve Bennet-Martin,
Stephen:and this is Stephen Martin-Bennet. And welcome to a lifetime of.
Steve:The podcast where we take you on our journey through some of the movies, TV shows, and other bits of pop culture that are helping to keep us happy will hopefully bring a smile to your face along the way. And
Stephen:today we're going to break the first rule of fight club. As we talk about the 1999 American classic white
Steve:club. That also means we're breaking the second rule of fight club because
Stephen:the second rule of fight club is don't talk about fight club. Yes. But
Steve:before we don't talk about fight club, what's been making you happy. My love. Okay.
Stephen:So it seems to be a very controversial opinion, but I actually really enjoy the Netflix series, resident evil mm-hmm it takes place 20 to 30 years. It takes place in two timelines, 20 years and 30 years after the first two games. And first two movies. However you wanna look at it. Yeah. And You know, there's been complaints. Oh, it's just a bunch of teen angst. Oh, they can't act, which I disagree. They were actually quite good actors. Yes. I thought the story was compelling. The villains, especially the woman that ran umbrella. Yeah. Quite terrifying. Yes. Very terrifying. And, but my favorite scene of the whole series is Albert Wesker in the school principal's office. getting his daughter out of trouble when she actually shouldn't be in trouble. Yeah. But laying down the law, it was the first time I've ever rooted for a west car. Yes. And, but I loved his demeanor, his manipulation and just his wording. It was fantastic.
Steve:It was a fantastic scene. Yeah, I really enjoyed that series as well. I know that we pretty much love almost everything, resident evil, even the controversial parts of it. Yep. but it's a great series that I would love to have a season two of agreed. And I think that love island season three is making me happy, but I'm like, I'm not entirely sure whether
Stephen:is it because so far the men on the show are pretty awful. They're horrible. Yeah. usually there's one guy you're like, oh, he is totally here for love. Yeah. I'm not so sure. Maybe Tim maybe and most of the women are pretty decent. Yes. Most of the women are pretty decent. I'm having a hard time finding one of the guys that is,
Steve:I know it's very difficult, but
Stephen:it's this summer
Steve:trash. It's still summer trash and. I don't know whether we love it because of all the love that we see eventually happen or whether we love it because of the train wreck it is right now. But I think it's a little bit of both.
Stephen:I mean, we fell in love with it originally because of the narrator calling them out. It changed him. Yeah. They went back to the original British narrator. The original's not always better. No. And I know the he's a big hit on the British version. Yeah. Which is the original. But I loved. Our narrator on the USA version.
Steve:Well, speaking of the narrator, yes. Fight club is summarized in IMDB as an insomniac office worker and a devil maker soap maker for an underground fight club that evolves into much more.
Stephen:Okay. So this is one of those summaries where less is more because if you actually tried to explain it, you would give it away. So. They could've written anything. And I would've said that's fine. Yeah, because you can't actually say what the movie's about just in case someone hasn't seen it. Spoiler warning. If you have not seen SP fight club. Stop. Now, this is your only warning we are about to spoil the shit out of it.
Steve:Yes, exactly. It also came out like over 20 years ago. So if you haven't seen it, you probably
Stephen:never would. I know, but just in case, yes. It's one of those things. There is a twist. If you don't know the twist at this point. Congratulations. Stop listening. Go watch it. Come back. We'll be here.
Steve:Because it was also fun going through the twist, knowing at this time, or kind of remembering it halfway through, cuz I forgot it first. I was gonna say, you forgot it. I forgot it first. But then when I read it, I was like, oh that's right. So, but yes. Why do you love the movie so
Stephen:much? Okay. It's funny. It's thought provoking it's well acted. It's well shot. So I didn't get to see it when it came out in the theaters. I don't remember if it was because I wasn't totally interested. Or exactly what it was, but I didn't see it. Back then you had to wait six months for it to come out on VHS to rent it. So I've talked before, like whenever I would start to get sick in college, I'd run myself over to blockbuster rent, five or six movies come back. And I had one of those blockbuster accounts where you could keep things for five days and. so I got back to my apartment, our friend lean was there. Just seeing how we were doing, she was talking to my roommate. She saw what movies I rented. I clearly said, I have not seen this. Then she proceeds to tell me the twist. I had made it six months and 20 minutes before I was set to watch it. She tells me. I got mad. I told her to get the fuck out of the apartment and I would tell her when, and if she was allowed to come back, was she ever welcome back? She was I actually, haven't spoken to her in 20 years. I've been trying to track her down on social media. Can't find her. Yeah, none of us can. Anyway, that's not part of this story. She, she
Steve:spoiled the wrong movie to someone. Yeah.
Stephen:Somebody, somebody went real serious. Yeah. About her spoiling the movie. Yeah, but. Like, you know how I feel about spoilers mm-hmm and back then it was more word of mouth because internet forums and stuff like that, weren't as big of a thing or Twitter for that matter. So, you know, it was easier to make it without hearing it. And just to know that someone that claimed to love me knew that I didn't know, the spoiler just told it to me. That's shitty. Yeah. So why do you like it?
Steve:I like it for all the reasons why I thought I was going to hate it. Like the whole fighting thing in general, like kind of turned me off because I don't like confrontation. Yeah. I don't deal well with really
Stephen:you don't like confrontation. I don't like it
Steve:at all. And so the idea of getting into a physical altercation and someone in with someone in like real life, like absolutely terrifies me. But because it makes me so uncomfortable. And so much of this movie makes me feel uncomfortable. It's also like that kind of uncomfortable. You can't look away, even when you make me watch the chemical burn part twice, cuz you're so mean. And you knew that I was squirming me out or I,
Stephen:whenever we had to stop it and go back to it later, I couldn't remember exactly what scene we had left at all. I know it was torture
Steve:But yeah, I, it just, it it's one of those movies that makes you feel uncomfortable, but that's also the idea.
Stephen:very much so. Yes.
Steve:And it was directed in by David Fincher, who we also know from seven, which is a movie I've never seen, but I know a lot about, yeah. Curious case of Benjamin button, another movie I haven't seen, but I hear a lot of people talk about and then go girl, which I did see. And I did read the book and I did love do you
Stephen:know the, the thing that is also in seven and Benjamin button and fight club, Brad pit. Exactly. David Fincher likes working with Brad Pitt. Well,
Steve:there we go. Yes, Brad Pitt is in it. I know him as the guy from Mr. Mrs. Smith, but apparently he's been in a
Stephen:couple other movies interview with the vampire in glorious bastard. It's ocean's 11 oceans, 12 oceans, 13, like he's been in a lot of she. Yes. And
Steve:Edward Norton is one of the hulks.
Stephen:Yes, he was incredible. Hal. He was the first M C Hulk. Rumor has it. He was not pleasant to work with on set. And they replaced him.
Steve:Well, that happens. Yep. And then there was also Helen, a Bonham Carter in this movie who we love. Yes. And we talked about her in depth in our Tim Burton movie episodes. Yep. So go back and check those out.
Stephen:Now it's based on the 1996 novel of the same name by check Pook. Chuck pollac. Okay. And did you
Steve:read this book or other books by
Stephen:him? I read fight club and
Steve:choke. I read choke. I did not read fight
Stephen:club. So I actually got a little confused by this book because I was thinking it was the same author as the American psycho mm-hmm and things like that. It's not cuz I was like, oh yeah, I've read most of his. Different author. Oh, okay.
Steve:yes. Well, I, I found it fascinating when he first came up with the idea for this novel, after being beaten up on a camping trip, when he complained to some nearby campers about the noise of their radio, when he returned to work, he was fascinated to find that nobody would mention or acknowledges injuries instead saying such commonplace things as how is your weekend? Pollac concluded that the recent people reject. Or reacted this way was because if they asked him what happened, a degree of personal interaction would be necessary. And his workmates simply didn't care enough to connect with him on a personal level. It was this fascination with this societal blocking, which became the foundation of the novel. Yeah. And the movie.
Stephen:So whenever you see someone ask how they are, most people actually don't wanna know. Yeah. The proper interaction is hi, how are you? Good. You doing great. And all of this is done while both parties are still in motion. Going in opposite directions without slowing down. I'm sure you've done this numerous times at work. Yes, because it has this type of interaction is the same emotional weight as waving to your neighbor. As you're walking down the road, while you're walking your dog, it's being civil and courteous. It has nothing to do with actual empathy or compassion. And so whenever I read that, I was like, oh my God, that society, no, because if. Or saying, Hey, how are you? And somebody goes not. Your first reaction is, oh shit. Now I have to listen because you asked
Steve:yes. I try not to ask but on the bright side, that also means that the people that I do ask, I genuinely mean it. Yes. But yes, I, I do know exactly what you mean and I can honestly say I remember, and I'm sure we'll get into it more, but like the one time that I did have a black eye. Yeah. Like. No one at work, no, like reacted to it. I was like, so terrified and so insecure. I was like, oh no, I'm gonna have to tell the story again and again and again and again, and like, Nope. It just, everyone ignored it. Well, if
Stephen:I had been there, I would've made sure you had concealers, so no one would've seen it. Well, thank you.
Steve:Yes. Like you do now with all my bruises. We
Stephen:don't
Steve:talk about those. Just kidding. but yes the movie opens with the narrator, an automobile recall specialist feeling unfulfilled by his job and possessions and suffers from chronic insomnia. When you lack sleep for that long, he says that it makes your life a copy of a copy of a copy. Hear this. He attends support groups, posing a sufferers of different diseases. His bliss is disturbed when another imposter Marla singer begins attending the same groups. Even the testicular prostate one. Yep. and the two agree to split which groups they attend. Now, the movie starts with a flash forward of the climax of the movie. Do you feel like it is needed or required?
Stephen:So I originally said not really, but I think it's done to throw off the viewer from the beginning so that they always feel like they're playing catch. But also to make us feel like the narrator is our hero. Cuz the first thing we see is someone putting a gun in his mouth and immediately we're like, well, whoever has the gun is the bad guy. The guy with the gun in his mouth is the good guy. And so from the beginning we see that the narrator and Tyler are together and the flash forward. So it helps to trick us as the movie goes on. Even though there's a clue in that scene when he says, I know this because Tyler knows this.
Steve:and yeah, it, it was really interesting cuz even at this point, I didn't remember the twist the, this time around. And it was really clever the way that they did it. But you convinced me cuz originally I was like, this wasn't really necessary, but if the entire movies to make you feel uncomfortable, starting off feeling like you don't know what's going on is a good way to start it. Yeah. Now I deeply related to his Ikea lifestyle, because that was like my dream, when I was in college, I thought Ikea was like the Chi of chic yeah. Cheap chic that I could get at that time. And you like, and it was such a thing growing up of like every change of season, we'd go up as a family to Ikea and we'd get the cinnamon rolls to take home. And it was such a thing.
Stephen:So in 1999, I had not heard of Ikea. I just assumed it was some New York store or something like that because we didn't have them in West Virginia. It wasn't until 2001 or 2002 that on the same day, my friend Leslie introduced me to DSW and Ikea, and it was a magical day full of magical things. I was stunned. I tell you Stu. My favorite line from whenever he's sitting on the toilet, ordering Ikea, and then you go through his apartment and you can see it building itself with the things from the catalog. And he's like, and it makes you ask what kind of dining room defines me as a person. And like, I remember when I fell in love with Ikea and I would go through it and I was like, oh, I'm definitely a Boff person, not agan Perkin person.
Steve:Yeah, it definitely is a lifestyle in itself. Yes. Now what are, what are your thoughts on the whole idea of him going to support groups like that? He technically doesn't belong in like, is it fucked up to attend?
Stephen:Okay. So he does it for release because he is emotionally constipated. And somehow these groups let him cry, which lets him sleep. He's not there for the right reasons, but he's not harming anyone, not even poor Chloe who just wants to have sex before she dies. I know. And I, whenever he says they cried harder and then I cried harder. And so yes, he is not there at all for the right reasons, but he's not making fun of them. He's not really exploiting them because he doesn't share anything of. Outside of the groups, he's there for the belonging. And I, you know, my new favorite quote, some pain is only released by the gentle warmth of belonging. Yeah.
Steve:Yeah. It was something that like my gut reaction was like, oh, that's. Messed up. Yeah. But like, as I was watching the way that he conducted himself in the meeting and that it was working for him and that he was taking it seriously. Yeah. It's the same way. Like, you know, the 12 step program that I go to is probably the most popular one, but people will come to it when they have other issues that they're dealing with, that they don't have large fellowships of people there to support you. Mm-hmm So, you know, someone might show up with like one addiction that has nothing to do with the addiction we're talking about, but we can identify. Not compare to the feelings that were going through. And so that's what he was having trouble doing in his life was identifying and not comparing himself to others. And he was able to find that in these groups. So I came around to thinking that it's it's okay.
Stephen:We also got another interesting clue. Yeah. Is whenever he's at the doctor and the doctor says, oh, you know, just chew some Vallor root. And if you want to see real pain go to these support groups. Yeah. But he says that he'll nod off, wake up somewhere else and has no clue how he gets there. Another important clue.
Steve:Uhoh should I be worried that that happens to me sometimes?
Stephen:No, I actually wait until you're asleep and I just move you
Steve:around the house. Okay. That sounds, that sounds right now
Stephen:he calls Marla a tourist. Yes. But that's also what he's doing. Yeah. Do you feel
Steve:like it's different the way that she does it in the way that he does it?
Stephen:Yes. He does say, you know, her lie reflected my. But she does it for entertainment because she sets it's cheaper than a movie and they have free coffee. Yeah. She's
Steve:not inve emotionally releasing or she's just
Stephen:spectating. She is be, it's kind of ish on her part. Yeah. Now my favorite thing from the whole exchange between them, that they both feel. is when they say, when people think you're dying, they really listen to you instead of just waiting for their turn to speak. Mm-hmm you have that a lot. Like in real life, you can be with a certain group of people and you can be telling something and you can look at certain faces and you realize somebody's queuing up in their head. What they're about to talk to, which doesn't relate to you probably. Yeah. Instead of getting ready to interact with what you're talking about. So I find that fascinating. Yes.
Steve:And she's also introduced just to seem like she doesn't have a care in the world, like between the way she was like, just leave a conversation, the middle apparently, or just, yeah. From place to
Stephen:place. She's brutally honest and flippant. Like whenever he's like, I need this and she says, candy Stripe, a cancer ward. I
Steve:don't. Yeah. And she said she, she might die at any moment, but tomorrow the real tragedies that she
Stephen:doesn't. Yeah. And like she crossed busy New York streets without looking. Yeah. And like didn't because she didn't care and mm-hmm, I've never met anybody like that. I don't think there is anybody
Steve:like there is. I think that person would not survive very long in this world. Yeah. now on a flight home from a business trip. The narrator meets soap salesman. Tyler Durden, the narrator returns home to find his apartment and hu all his belongings have been destroyed by an explosion disheartened by the loss of his material goods. He calls Tyler and they meet at a bar. Tyler tells him he, he is trapped by consumerism, a byproduct of the lifestyle. Obsessed. In the parking lot. He asked the narrator him and they have a fist fight. They find the experience cathartic and agree to do it again.
Stephen:Two interesting things that happen with this. Yes. One he's delayed at the airport because his suitcase was vibrating. Mm-hmm The delay means that he gets home after his apartment is blown up two. When he calls Tyler, nobody picks. but then the phone rings back and he answers and Tyler's there again, another thing that we know that he couldn't call someone and Tyler would pick up, like, it had to be a thing of, he hears the phone ring and Tyler's on the other end. Yeah. I find that really fascinating. Mm-hmm
Steve:yeah, it certainly is. Now, do you think that the narrator's problem is consumer. Or something else. So I
Stephen:think he has zero idea what's he wants to do with his life. And he's going through the motions of what the world and our families tell us what that we're supposed to do. Like there's that preset odor of school, job, marriage, baby, little league coach, et cetera. Yes. Like,
Steve:and he's failing at that
Stephen:and he's failing at that, but he's going through the motions because that's what he was taught. That that's what he's supposed to do. What about you? Yeah.
Steve:And also, I mean you know, consumerism. I'm a fan of well, of, to a certain extent. Yeah. And so I also feel like there has to be at least some form of depression, severe depression, anxiety. I'm not someone in the position to diagnose someone else, but I definitely think that he suffers from some, like,
Stephen:I mean, he wouldn't have insomnia for six months if he didn't have something going wrong. Yeah, exactly. And he wouldn't get off on crying with strangers. If there wasn't something else going on. I think
Steve:that's just natural. now tears of grays.
Stephen:Yes. The narrator refers to the people you meet on a flight as single serving friends, because everything on the plane is single serving. Now I remember back in the nineties and early 2000. I was more likely to talk to people on a flight, but these days I just wanna read and play games and ignore all the people that are around me. Ha have I changed or has society changed? Do you, do you think people still have singer single serving plain friends? I
Steve:think it is depending on the person. I have never been that person. So. I'm very polite if someone tries to talk to me, but I also try to shut that shit down. I don't know. That's just me. I it's probably something I should work on a bit, but I'm okay with it. I don't know. I
Stephen:mean, are we expected to be made friends with somebody that is man spreading and taking up both arm rest?
Steve:Only if you're sitting next to me, babe. Because I did that. I got you.
Stephen:You got me. I almost choked on my soda was not expecting that. yes.
Steve:So now I was also speaking of something you weren't expecting, have you ever been punched?
Stephen:I have. Was it cathartic? No. So I had left below zero in Cincinnati with Brady and a guy I was seeing at the. And this homeless guy was out there as we were walking to our cars there below zero was safe. I never worried about it. And there was always a homeless person, no matter where you were in Cincinnati asking for some change he was like, do you have any money? And I said, no, that's the reason we're leaving. I ran outta cash. And he's like, come on. Just anything, even a dollar. I said, I'm sorry, you don't have. And he goes even a quarter. I said, I really don't have anything. And he goes fine then and punched me in the eye. That's not fun. No. And then Brady chased after him and the guy pulled a knife and Brady stopped chasing after him. And we reported to the police, the police came, we described the guy's shoes because they stuck out cuz they were bright, bright red mm-hmm and the cops were like, yeah, we know who that. and either like, do you wanna press charges was like, no, he has enough going on. Oh. What about you ever been punched a
Steve:mess? You breakup with an ex resulted in each of us punching each other in the face and it was not cathartic.
Stephen:No, it doesn't sound healthy.
Steve:That was also my mess year drinking days.
Stephen:yes. Well, but it wasn't you, it was not me. Yes. Yes. Just, just so that we're clear to the audience I've made my amends as well.
Steve:Okay. But yes when the narrator hits Tyler Durden in the ear, Edward Norton actually did hit Brad Pitt in the ear. He was originally going to fake, hit him, but before the scene, David Fincher pulled him aside and told him to hit him in the ear. After NorAm hit him in the scene, you can see him smiling and laughing while pit is in pain, like actual pain.
Stephen:So that is a funny anecdote, but I also know that. You can cause someone real actual forever trauma. You know, I love soap Popps yes. And they slap people. And one of the actors on there also had a career in singing on the side and before the scene he told the actress just don't hit my ear. Yeah. Because like, yeah. And she accidentally hit him in the ear. And his ear rang for two days and he was afraid he was not gonna be able to hear music the same way anymore. It went away and he was fine, but so David venture could have caused Brad Pitt severe permanent damage. I'm okay with that. no, Tyler is also interesting because he has a few interesting side jobs. He's a projectionist, you know, changing over the film reels. And he also splices in one frame of porn. Into children's movies and which was a funny scene to see yeah. That the parents and people like did, did I see what I saw? He was like, yes, you saw it. Yeah. And he was also a cater waiter where he enjoys putting bodily fluids into food. Yes. Also
Steve:gross. Yes. Now the narrator moves into Tyler's home, a large DAP dilapidated house in an industrial area. They have further fights outside the bar, which attracts growing crowds of men. And when you look back on that first one, before anyone joined, knowing the twist, it's quite interesting to watch and
Stephen:that people joined in. Yeah. Instead of being. Dude.
Steve:Yeah. Yeah. The fights move to the bar's basement because they keep attracting growing crowds. Yeah. And they form the fight club, which routinely meets
Stephen:now in the there's a short scene where Brad pit and Edward Norton are drunk and hitting golf balls. It was a real scene.
Steve:Yes. They were really drunk. And that really hitting golf balls right into a side of a catering truck.
Stephen:yeah. I doubt that they had enough talent while they were drunk to hit over into an industrial complex is glass windows. Yes. That house though,
Steve:Is the thing of my nightmares. It's right out of like, I'm like, okay, we're in a horror movie now, is this where we live right now? Is this the upside down?
Stephen:What about it bothered you so much?
Steve:The brown water coming out of pipes. Okay. I just can't handle that. The, the smell that they described, just it was not a good
Stephen:smell. I just, the leaking everything.
Steve:Yeah. Turning off power whenever it
Stephen:ranged, because it would've shorted the whole house and probably killed them. Yeah. And
Steve:no cable.
Stephen:No, that's the
Steve:loose of it. Oh no, it's just this, like I said, that'd be a punishment for me. No. do
Stephen:you use something in your life, like fight club that you were always looking forward to?
Steve:Not as intensely as fight club right now. Right. But I definitely, like, there are days where like my, my nightly 12 step meetings are what I'm looking forward to. Like, I'm like, I need to get through the day and then I'll be with my people tonight. Yeah. And I'll be okay.
Stephen:And I'm the same way with my different things with wild ginger, whether it's my full moon or new moon or Bridget. Angel healing or whether it's one of the sound healings or something like that. It's, you know, it's something to look forward. Everybody needs something to look forward to.
Steve:Yes. And they have lots of questions about who they would theoretically fight, like for celebrities who would be Ernest Hemingway or William Sater
Stephen:and historical figures like Gandhi or Lincoln. What about you? If you could punch one person in the face living or dead celebrity, historical figure, who would it be? Mm I know mine. And it would be Senator Mitch McConnell, because a lot of the shit that we're dealing with now yeah. Is because of him. Okay.
Steve:I would probably do Nick cage just cause I don't like his face.
Stephen:fair enough. Fair enough. Now there are specific rules if you're gonna be in fight club. Yes. The first
Steve:rule of fight club is you do not talk about fight club. The
Stephen:second rule is you do not talk about fight club.
Steve:Three. If someone says stop or goes li the fight is over
Stephen:only two
guys
Steve:can fight only one fight at a
Stephen:time. Bare knuckles, only no shirts or shoes. The
Steve:fight will go on for as
Stephen:long as it has to. And if this is your first time at fight club, you have to fight. So would you join that fight club? No, I don't want to end up scarring my face. I, I spend too much time painting it and making sure my hair looks nice and everything I'm a Libra. We don't mess with the pallet and the, you know, we don't do that.
Steve:Yeah. I would think that I'd be too afraid to go, especially cuz of rule eight. Like I could see myself going if I didn't have to participate. But knowing that the first time that you go, you also have to. Yeah, I has to be like going through some things to think that that was a solution for me.
Stephen:Yeah. I, I kind of hate to admit that if there was a spectator sport. Yeah. I would do it like whenever it's well it's like watching boxing. No, because you never know with those things, if somebody. Is taking a hit yeah. Or something like that. Like, or if it's theatrical, like when we went to midget wrestling. Yes. Or that was
Steve:real babe.
Stephen:it was real, it was real for that one that accidentally hit the railing and had to go to the hospital. Yeah. But yeah, like I'd probably go watch the fight club.
Steve:I know. I was just wondering, like, what would it take for me to feel like that's like the solution, cuz it is kind of like. Like BDSM. If you're like into pain stuff.
Stephen:I, I prefer meditation. Okay. well,
Steve:Marla overdoses on pills and telephone's the narrator for help. He ignores her, but Tyler answers after he walks away and goes to her apartment to save her, they begin a sexual relationship, much to the narrator's irritation. And when the narrator tells her to leave, she is stunned by his behavior
Stephen:later saying you are such a nutcase. I can't keep.
Steve:Tyler warns the narrator, never to talk to Marla about him, the narrator blackmails his boss while beating himself up to have his company support fight club with contributions for the violence. oh, now did Tyler take advantage of Marla or was she playing at him
Stephen:too? No, she, he did not take advantage of her because when she was over there, she wanted the sexual relat. Whether she took the pills or not, we actually don't know most likely it being Marla. She did. Yes. But when she's at the house, she goes, you'll have to do something to keep me up all night or I'll die. And so they have sex all night long. She at that point, that's what she wanted. The narrator later says if only I had spent a few or more minutes to go watch Marvel singer die. which that's
Steve:dark. Yes. Now you also really loved her rant on the phone, right? Yeah.
Stephen:This is a real suicide. Thing's probably just one of those cries for help. Have, have you ever heard a death rattle before? do you think it'll live up to its name or will it be a death hairball?
Steve:Yes. Quite dark
Stephen:yeah.
Steve:Also dark, but in a much funnier way is the pillow talk that they have and there's actually a story about the original pillow talk. Do you wanna share?
Stephen:No, you share. This is so good. I'll giggle through the whole thing. Yeah.
Steve:Originally the scene said from Marla telling Brad Pitt, I want to have your. this was objected to by Fox 2000 pictures, president of production, Laura Ziskin. So when she approached David Fincher, he said he would change it on the proso that the new line couldn't be. This skin agreed and wrote the replacement line. I haven't been fucked like that since grade school. when this saw the new line, she was even more outraged and asked for the original line to be put back. But as per their deal, he refused.
Stephen:So we loved this line in college and we would try to come up with our own. And my favorite one that I ever came up with was I haven't been fucked like that since the family reunion.
Steve:Oh no, that's not good.
Stephen:We thought it was hysterical. Oh no, not my family. I mean, Rodney and Anthony. Yeah.
Steve:I was like, I'm sure. Mom and dad would love that joke, especially being from West Virginia. That's why it was funny. Yes, it was. I think we should just be cousins. thank you, Trinity. And Brad and Elena spent three days recording sex sounds for what we hear going on in the apartment that
Stephen:I think is hysterical because. Like it's really loud and it's really varied. Yes. So, because it's not. Like there it, for both of them, it was really out there. So I appreciate that they put the time and effort into making it that good. Oh yeah. I mean, what a career?
Steve:Just spending a folded like three days in a row just in there, just moaning
Stephen:and fine. I mean, do you think that they like, okay, I need a coffee break and I had to go pee and then we'll be back in 15. Okay. 15, like, yeah. Do you think that they thought part of it was funny or was it just part of their day? Like, those are things I wanna know. They
Steve:must have had fun with it during a, like, you know, a total of 24 hours. Pretty much probably. Yeah. That's a lot of sex
Stephen:noises. Yeah. now the narrator learns that his condo was blown up. On purpose that it was arson. Did you suspect Tyler Durden
Steve:right away? I didn't, I didn't remember the connection at the time, but I was like, it kind of doesn't make sense because he had like, the apartment went on fire before he knew Tyler. And
Stephen:so, except that they had met on the plane. And Edward Norton was delayed at the airport because of the vibrating suitcase. And then by the time he got home yeah. And he saw Tyler leave the airport before him. It makes
Steve:sense now for
Stephen:sure. Yeah. But it's, but then it's like, he, you also know how it had to work in advance that it didn't matter if he was delayed at the airport and, or not. It was. Set up before he left. Yeah, exactly. Yeah. So they find this in, in all of the weathered, watered down books and things, they find that one of the previous owners had written all of these essays as if they were body parts of Jack and Jill. Like I am Jack's MedU, Agata. And so you here, the narrator use that different times throughout the. And right before he's beating himself up with the boss. He does the, I am Jack smirking revenge. And when he is beating himself up, he says, this reminds me of my first fight with Tyler. Huge clue. Totally missed it. Yeah, because
Steve:he was also beating himself up that time. Yeah. that? Yeah. We also learned the disgusting way that they make soap and both Brad pit and Edward Norton learned the entire process on set so they can actually make soap. So
Stephen:we had seen this movie by the time, Ronnie and Monika a were living in the schoolhouse. And Monika and I wanted to use the sucked out fat from Ronnie's liposuction to make soaps for everyone for Christmas presents, but he was very rude and not a very good friend because he wouldn't even ask his doctor if he could bring it
Steve:home. That is so rude. If I ever get lipo section to let you use the fat to make the candles.
Stephen:Thank you. You. Yeah. Like we even volunteered to use like sharp knives in the vacuum that we have there to like get some of our own. And he said that that wasn't sanitary. No,
Steve:probably not. now the chemical burn scene, as I mentioned earlier, just like is like the type of body horror that I can't take. Like I can watch slasher movies. I can. People get blown up, like all of that's fine, but like actual body torture. So like take someone's fingernail off, kill the chemical burn on the skin. Like all that, just
Stephen:like the hostile movies you have
Steve:issues with. Yeah. I have issues with just the body H torture horror. It just is not my type of horror. And I really don't like
Stephen:it. So I like Tyler first kisses the top of his hand. And I didn't realize why he was doing that. Cuz it looked sweet. And things, and then he puts lie on it. Well, he had to kiss it and you see him suck his lips in and lick his lips before he does it because it needs moisture for the lie to work. And then it just starts burning. And the narrator keeps trying to use this guided meditation, but Tyler keeps smacking him in the face to make him be present. And Tyler says, it's only after we lose everything that, that we're free to do anything. Now I don't agree with that line. But it does go along with Tyler's thing to break the narrator out of his consumerism mindset and be willing to look at life and sacrifice in a new way where Tyler says, you know, we're working jobs. We hate to buy shit. We don't need. I'm not sure about the shit we don't need. I know you're in the same mindset on that. Yes. But if we do look at it, I did the math on this. Okay. They're 168 hours in a week to be healthy. 56 of those are spent sleeping 86
Steve:for me. no. All right, go
Stephen:on 45 of those are spent working five to six. More of them are spent getting ready for. Are driving to work possibly more. That leaves us with some time on weekends and about four and a half hours every day for ourselves. That balance seems often my book, when you're talking about work life balance, and we work this hard for things in our life that we don't have that much time to enjoy. Like, so I get Tyler's thing with this. We're working jobs that we may or may not like for the rest of our lives, but it's interesting that if you dis, if you put, take sleep and work into this calculation, there's not much time left for you. You pretty much are working and sleeping and that's our lives. And that's kind of
Steve:sad. Yeah. I guess. But I also am just in the process of leaving a sales job that took up even more time out of my life. Yes. To get a regular job that will only take that, you know, eight to nine hours a day. Yeah. Now more members joined fight club, including Bob Paulson, a man with testicular cancer, whom the narrator had previously met at one of his
Stephen:support groups. And he is played by meatloaf famous rock singer and also actor in Rocky horror picture.
Steve:Yes. And Bob speaks of the creators, a fight club. As a type of God, the narrator feels pride. Then Bob says it's Tyler Durden. And the narrator feels
Stephen:jilted, which it was interesting to see that look on the narrator's face. Cuz Edward Norton has this look of pride. And then all of a sudden to be like, have you met Tyler Durden? And then Edward Norton's face to be.
Steve:The fuck. I know, although Tyler did definitely take the, the reins on it. Yeah. He also recruits their members to a new anti anti materialistic and anti corporation agreement or organization. Yeah. Words are hard, babe. When they're big. Like that, that was a
Stephen:whole bunch of Salles anti disestablishment Arianism yeah.
Steve:Project mayhem without the narrator's involvement through the use of homework
Stephen:assignments. Yep. The group engages in subversive acts of Vandal. Increasingly troubling the narrator. My favorite, one of the vandalism is that they there's a giant globe. Yeah. And a fountain out front of an office building. They blow up and detach. The globe, it goes down the fountain S and rolls into a Starbucks. It's brilliant how it happens. Yes. It was
Steve:almost worth Bob's life
Stephen:Yeah. And one night lost in a haze during the. The narrator ends up going too hard on Jared Leto who is angel face in the movie. And after the narrator complains that Tyler has excluded him. Tyler says you decide your own level involvement clue. Mm-hmm this isn't about us. We aren't special stop trying to be in control. Just let go. Yes. And then Tyler reveals that he was the one who calls the explosion, that the narrator's condo,
Steve:which again, no surprise. But Tyler goes extra while taking a beating by the owner to defend their right, to use the basement. He then challenges everyone with those like random assignments. The first of which was actually kind of funny when you think about it picking a random fight with, with someone that like, you let them win. Oh
Stephen:yeah. And you pick a random fight with somebody and you have to lose. Yes. And I love that the guy out in front of the Auto body shop yeah. Is hosing people. And that the one that ends up fighting him is the preacher
Steve:I know that was, it was really funny and it was really good. But could you do that, like pick a fight with someone until they punch you?
Stephen:Again, I don't wanna be punched in the face. I don't
Steve:wanna be punched in the face either, but, but I could do it. Yes. But I know that I could do it. I think I have a way with words where if I wanted to get punched in the face, that shouldn't be too hard. Oh
Stephen:yeah. You have a very punchable face, darling. Thank you. I appreciate it. So applicants begin showing up at the house and you know, Tyler and the narrator are supposed to sell them. They're too old, too young, too fat. But if you stay for three days with no food, no shelter and no encouragement, they can move in and begin being trained. As part as project mayhem, Bob shows up and begins to leave after Tyler tells him off, but the narrator convinces him to stay and tells him what he needs to do. I really like, it's a small thing. But the narrator has genuine feelings of warmth for Bob. Yeah. And I like
Steve:that. I do like that too. And do you feel like project mayhem is the natural evolution of fight club or could it have remained a small club about fighting?
Stephen:It could have remained a small club about fighting this. Yeah. This isn't like
Steve:the natural way of progression. This is summer with an agenda
Stephen:and mental health issues. Yes. So there's an interesting. Where Tyler and the narrator go into a convenience store and they take the worker outside, put him down on his knees, hold a gun to his head and tell him they find out that he used to wanna be a veterinarian. They say, if in six weeks you are not on your way to becoming a veterinarian, I'm going to kill you. And the guy. Like we never really find out, but
Steve:we assume that it becomes one. I mean, wouldn't
Stephen:you? Yes. And Tyler says, you know, tomorrow will be the most beautiful day of Raymond's life. And then the narrator sees that the gun didn't actually have any bullets in it. It was just a prop for that moment to get Raymond, to change his life for the better and all the horrible things. That Tyler is doing. What are your thoughts on this?
Steve:I think that it's a really fucked up thing that probably works, which is, I think also fucked up what I want to go through that. No, I don't think anyone would want to go through that, but if I had to go through, it could have gave me the kick that I need to follow my dreams. Yes. Does that mean people should do it? I don't think
Stephen:so. Well, I remember back when I used to, like, if I would be sick home from school, Sally, Jesse Raphael and ma Povi would have scared straight episodes. Mm-hmm where parents would send their delinquent teens to a boot camp in the woods with this type of behavior. And then they would bring them back and see if the child had changed and whatnot. So it kind of happens in real life and. supported by network television.
Steve:I know. And I, I, I do remember seeing those types of episodes as well, too. And it just, again was like, not for me. Yeah. I luckily was never that bad where I needed to be scared straight, although my mom would, of course threaten me all the time, just
Stephen:because of the straight part, probably. Yeah, exactly.
Steve:Now Tyler disappears one night and when Polson is killed by the police fleeing from a sabotage operation, the one you love so much. Yeah. The narrative tries to halt the project. He follows a people trail through cities that Tyler has visited. Discovering project maam is spread throughout the country in one city, a project member addresses the narrator as Mr. Durden confused the narrator calls, Marla and discovers. She also believes he's Tyler.
Stephen:What, what's my name? What are you talking about? Hello? What's my name? Tyler. Tyler Durden. Yeah. And she he's like. Ladies and gentlemen, the cabin has lost pressure. Yes And Tyler then appears in the hotel room with a different haircut and clothing and reveals that they are disassociated personalities. And the narrator assumed the personality of Tyler. When he believed he was actually sleeping. Whenever you were first watching this, when did you figure out the twist?
Steve:when I was first watching it Uhhuh I went in oblivious. So I didn't figure it out until like, that was all happening this time around. I remembered probably around the time when I was trying to logic, why he would or why and how he would blow up his house.
Stephen:So whenever I was first watching it, Leanne had told me, but then there's the scene after this, where they're in the basement of the building. And. There's the thing with the bomb and I'm starting to think, wait a minute, was she just throwing me off? And was she lying to me? Because that interaction with the bomb you're like, this really does seem like they're two different people. And then you see the security camera and it is just one person on the camera. Yeah. Solidifying that it is, there are so many hints that we have, and I'm sure there are many, many, many more that we have not spoken. J J and probably some that we missed even, but there's enough hints there that if you're watching carefully and even if, I don't know, I don't know if you're watching it, not knowing that there's a twist to figure out that you would figure it out. Maybe you would, but if somebody said, Hey, there's a twist, figure it out. I think you could. Yes.
Steve:Wow.
Stephen:Cult mentality
Steve:kicks in. Yes. That is always fun with cults. Mm-hmm and the, what the rules, the project mayhem and the way they handle the death of Bob Paulson, like chanting his name. When do you think someone goes from being just an avid believer of something to a cult follower?
Stephen:I think it kind of goes whenever beliefs, valid, normal beliefs that they've held for a very long time. They stop disregarding because someone in the cult told them it's no longer necessary that their other belief system is not real. Things like that. I think it's, whenever you start turning your back on true and real things from everyday life.
Steve:So does that mean that we know a couple cult members?
Stephen:I wasn't going to name names, but yeah, we sure do. Okay. That that's
Steve:what I was getting from it. So just making sure that I was reading behind the lines, I'm like, I think we know a couple people like that.
Stephen:it's a, yeah. so the narrator blacks out and whenever he returns to the house, he uncovers Tyler's plan to erase all debt. In the world by destroying buildings that contain all the credit card records. So the credit card company before cloud. Yeah, this is before a cloud savings. So servers were stored in the buildings. Mm-hmm So by doing it all across the country, you're getting every visa, every city bank, every MasterCard. all of those things, blowing them all to the ground. There's no, in any backup offsite mm-hmm, they're blowing up as well. Like there is nothing in the sky that they're going to be able to pull down from, like debt will be gone and. That's a fascinating concept in and of itself,
Steve:especially cuz they end up being successful.
Stephen:Right. Which
Steve:is interesting kind of world. Do you live in at that
Stephen:point? Like everyone is equal again, equitable. Yeah. Everything is back to everyone being on the same level. And I don't know. That's something interesting to think about kind of also with the fact that, you know, credit scores mm-hmm. Have only been around since the eighties.
Steve:Yeah. Well, you know, in attempts to get her out of town, he apologizes to Marla and warns her she's in danger, but she's tired of his back and forth behavior. And doesn't listen,
Stephen:you are the worst thing that has ever happened to me.
Steve:Yes. But eventually she does get on the bus. Yep. Doesn't work. Yeah. So, and then the narrator even tries to tell the police, but the officers are members of the project. He attempts to discern the explosives in the building, but Tyler subdued him after that awesome fight in the Gar like the garage. Yeah.
Stephen:And so this is all happening so fast and it's leaving the viewer on their heels because while you're watching this for the first time, you're trying to catch up, you're trying to wrap your mind around what is happening right now, but also your re and especially if you're seeing this in the. Without being able to pause it. You're also trying to replay everything that you've seen and try to put this logic that you know, now contextualize it. Yeah. And yeah. And so it's done really well that it's happening so fast that it's not giving you that time, that you're gonna have to wait until the movie's done and sit there and go. Damn mm-hmm
Steve:Yeah. Yep. And we're right back where we started with Tyler holding him at gunpoint on the top floor. And the narrator realizes that as he and Tyler are the same person and the narrator is also holding the gun. Yep. He fires it into his own mouth shooting through his cheek. And what the fuck? Yeah.
Stephen:Through his cheek and out the back of his, like the back side of his neck. Yeah.
Steve:No, thank you. Very much. Yeah. Tyler
Stephen:dies and the narrator ceases mentally projecting him project. May him members bring a kid Marla into the. They narrat her to Tyler tells Mar them to let Marla go. They reconcile it, hold hands and watch as the explosives detonate, collapsing buildings around him with him telling her everything is gonna be okay. You met me at a very strange time in my life.
Steve:Yes. I would say that's the understatement of our relationship. And after the copyright and warning, unlike a lot of MC movies to say where we'll get a flash forward or a tease. Yeah. There's another warning on the D V D. This warning is from Tyler Durden, and it's only there for one second, but if thanks to the power of Dr. Internet or the power of pause, you can read it. It says,
Stephen:if you were reading this, then this warning is for you. Every word you read of this is useless. Fine. Print is another second off your. Don't you have other things to do is your life so empty that you honestly can't think of a better way to spend these moments? Are you so impressed with authority that you give respect and credence to all who claim it? Do you read everything you're supposed to read? Do you think everything you're supposed to think by what you're told you should want? Get out of your apartment, meet a member of the opposite sex. Stop the excessive shopping and masturbation. Quit your job. Start a fight. Prove you're live. If you don't claim your humanity, you will become a statistic. You have been warned Tyler
Steve:and that is quite Tyler. Yeah. but what are your final thoughts on the movie?
Stephen:It's fantastic. It holds up extraordinarily well after 20 years. Mm-hmm I don't think enough credit is given to Helen a bottom Carter's performance in this movie. Mm-hmm she was a revelation in this. I have, so like, I already love her rewatching. This I have even more respect for her. Brad Pitt was able to go all out and he performed it just so well. Edward Norton did what he needed to do as the narrator character. Yeah.
Steve:And he had that like good personality of like the, the typical office guy. Yeah.
Stephen:And it's, it's well done. Like, I obviously don't agree with all of Tyler's beliefs and things, but there is something to be said for taking a deeper look at your life. So I definitely get that. What about you? Final thoughts?
Steve:I think that I'm more open to the idea of being punched in the face before or since watching it than I was beforehand. I went into it now, but I'm like maybe next week. I'll just be like, I'm gonna start the Sarasota fight club. No, thank you. No. Okay. Well, I guess I won't do that then I guess we'll just have to move on to another month with another bunch of episodes.
Stephen:Do you want to tell them how exciting next month is gonna be in terms of what the theme is?
Steve:Well, because it's the summertime of course we're going to camp.
Stephen:Yes. It's August is time for summer camp and it's not movies set at camp it's campy
Steve:movies. Yes. The one thing that you love more. You know, movies about camps like Beverly Hills?
Stephen:Yeah, like the troop Beverly Hills. Yeah. And things like that. I love campy movies, whether they are intentionally campy or unintentionally campy, and we of the course will be covering the best unintentionally campy movie. Show girls.
Steve:Yes. And we're also gonna be covering intentionally camping movie and getting a signs behind the scenes conversation with one of the great lines behind it, right? Yes, we
Stephen:are. We're going to be talking to peaches Christ from all about evil. Yes.
Steve:So watch it before we talk about it so that you can enjoy all the great content we have coming up in August until that time though. How can they engage
Stephen:with us? So you can get in touch with us on all the socials, whether that is Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or TikTok at happy life. Pod,
Steve:you can also email us directly and tell us a secret at happy life pod, gmail.com
Stephen:and until next time everyone stay happy. Be.