Least Important Things
A podcast about movies, friendship, and finding meaning in the most important of the least important things in our lives.
Least Important Things
Ocean's Eleven
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“Do you think we need one more? Do you think we need one more… Okay, we’ll get one more.”
We’re assembling the crew and heading to America’s playground to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Steven Soderbergh’s effortlessly cool heist masterpiece, Ocean's Eleven.
Host Luke Ferris is joined by his own "Rusty" and "Linus"—Andy Warsen and Mike Wynne—to break down why this movie is one of the coolest and lasting pieces of pure movie-star entertainment.
In this episode, we’ll dive into:
- Pranks and Behind the Scenes Lore: How George Clooney recruited Julia Roberts with a $20 bill and more on-set shenanigans.
- The Standard of Cool: Andy and Luke share why seeing this movie at an impressionable age set their standard for what’s “cool.”
- Rusty Ryan Honorary Bestie for On-Screen Eating: From shrimp cocktails to jelly beans, we track Rusty's impressive cinematic diet.
- Did Mike Watch the Movie?: Andy and Luke track to see if Mike is conning them, and actually sleep through the movie.
- The Longest Segment We’ve Ever Had: The guys reference the most quotable and numerous lines from the movie.
- And much more…
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Sources for this episode:
- Royalty-free music and sound effects via Artlist.com
- Ocean's Eleven (2001) Official Trailer
Catch new episodes of Least Important Things every Tuesday wherever you get your podcasts or on YouTube.
You can email the show at leastimportantthings@gmail.com or reach out via social media at the links below.
Theme song by John Ferris
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Mike. Do you think we need one more? Do you think we need one more? Okay, we'll get one more. Andy Warson is here on the podcast for Oceans Eleven. Coming up next on least important things.
SPEAKER_09Do it already. Doors closely back to the active studio. Oh shit. 11. You're either in or you're out.
SPEAKER_05Welcome to a podcast called Least Important Things A Show About Movies, Friendship, and Finding Meaning in the Most Important of the Least Important Things. I'm your host, Luke Ferris. In today's episode, yes, it is Oceans 11, one of my favorite movies of all time. 25th anniversary this year. And of course, with me today are my rusty and linus, Mike Wynne and Andy Wilson. Welcome, gentlemen.
SPEAKER_01I think in this context, I'm definitely not rusty.
SPEAKER_05I said the same thing. I think Andy is definitely rusty, but we had to it worked well with the line on the cold open. I am I am wearing the shirt. You are wearing the shirt. I'm wearing a shirt. I thought you would be eating some like chips and cheese or something. That's what we did.
SPEAKER_07That would have been a great prop to bring in.
SPEAKER_05It's a really disgusting burger. Gentlemen, how are you?
SPEAKER_01Good. I'm I'm actually getting over being sick, so I'm a little tired.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, you it's okay. The energy will get up as we get talk about this movie. You're here in the studio. We're first time in the studio, right?
SPEAKER_01First time in the studio, second time in the house.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it was Christmas last time I was here.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, we did record, but we did hadn't set up the studio yet. So it's exciting. Andy, the first time in the studio. Welcome back.
SPEAKER_07This is great. Last time I was here, you're bagging a hundred things, tons of leaves.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, I know. It's crazy. Time flies, man. I'm really excited to talk about this movie. Same here. Mike, you too. Yes. Uh Mike, you did bring something. So can you share with uh the listeners who are either watching on YouTube or or listening to I have a bourbon guy?
SPEAKER_01Um so I sent him a message. I said, Hey, I need um a bourbon that kind of um elicits heist vibes. Yeah, heist. Right, yeah. So uh this is what my bourbon guy, his name's Claude, sent back to me. Um, he said, This is Ocean's 11 in a bottle. Here's the case it's understood, it's understated on purpose. No flashy label, no screaming proof, just a clean, classic bottle that doesn't need to announce itself because it knows something you don't. That's heist energy. Small batch, heat cycled barrels, obsessive quality control. This bourbon is methodical. Every detail is thought through and advan is thought through in advance. Uh, tasty notes of caramel toasted oak and a hint of fruit, like a pre-heist dinner at a nice restaurant. That's very nice. Gentle spice mid-pallate. Things are getting tense. Yeah. Long, warm, satisfying finish. The crew walks away clean. It's the bourbon you pour while reviewing the blueprints, sophisticated without being showy, confident without being loud. The guy in the corner who hasn't said anything yet, but everyone's watching him. And this is Mitcher's US one small batch. Wow. Thank you, Mike. This is very fitting. Um, this is the extent of all of the prep I've done for this episode, which is a lot, which is a lot more, frankly.
SPEAKER_07Oh, yeah. Yeah, you're really bringing it to the table.
SPEAKER_05I know you're overcoming illness, but you're you're here, you're in the studio, bringing the heat. Uh, should we place our orders? Yeah, what do you guys? How do you guys want it? What do you want?
SPEAKER_03I want a whiskey.
SPEAKER_05Okay.
SPEAKER_03I I want a whiskey and a whiskey.
SPEAKER_05Okay, got it. Well, friends, well, Mike's pouring that. Um, I am suited up, by the way, for those listening. Uh I just felt like it was appropriate. You guys came over. I wanted to bring bring the energy. I love a good suit. And this movie reminds me that when you're wearing a suit, it just it just is different.
SPEAKER_07And suits come in all different sizes, shapes, and colors, and colors, yes.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, at one point I think Brad Pitt is wearing a suit with the like the lapel is so big that it's over the collar of the actual jacket. I was like, I need to pull that out for a wedding this summer, maybe. Thank you, Mike. I don't know if that will show up in post at all, but cheers. Cheers to the heist.
SPEAKER_01To the heist.
SPEAKER_05To Terry Benedict.
SPEAKER_01Oh, wait, no, no, no, no. To Benedict Arnold.
SPEAKER_07There we go. Mike, did you excuse me, did you steal the bourbon? It's only appropriate. Yeah, I figured you did you heisted it. You swiped it from the counter.
SPEAKER_01Gentlemen, I can neither confirm nor denote. That's very good.
SPEAKER_07Right. True con man.
SPEAKER_05Well, gentlemen, before we start getting into this conversation where it's it's going to be loaded and jam-packed, uh, thank you for being here. Thank you for watching, listening, friends of the show. Please subscribe on YouTube or wherever you get your podcast. And you can follow us at the social links in the show notes. Join us on Patreon. As a free member, you'll get updates and exclusive content for the cost, and this could be inaccurate, for the cost of a Bellagio chip, you can become a friend of the show. I don't think actually it would be much cheaper to get you to be part of our Patreon where you can get a sticker, specialist prizes, and a note from me. Uh, your support helps us make more episodes like this one. You can visit us on Patreon at patreon.com/slash least important things. Most importantly, this is an independent podcast, and the best way you can help the show out is by recommending it to somebody. So please, whether you're attending a Las Vegas fight or killing time while watching a live feed of your colleagues Robbie Naval, please recommend least important things. Gentlemen, as you know, all of our rewatch episodes are sponsored. Um, and I will not admit I will not have a sponsor unless I truly believe in their value, what they bring to the consumer, because I don't want to misguide as much as this is about a heist and conning it's for the listeners. I want to give them a good product, and I'm not gonna have somebody sponsor an episode without it being quality, and that's why this episode is sponsored by Nevada Used Cars. Take a look at our lot of the finest quality vehicles to meet your needs. Just just give Billy to Tim Denim a handshake and drive away satisfied. Billy Tim Denim is one of the best. Denim like a gene. Find him at Nevada Used Cars. He's got some lovely hands.
SPEAKER_01Is that the name on the dealership?
SPEAKER_05So last night I was going frame by frame and trying to see if they actually had the name of the dealership. They had like used, they had like advertisements, and then I saw Nevada behind in the background of Billy Tim. There's it just says Nevada. So I'm I'm assuming it was like Nevada's used car. Okay. That was my best effort besides texting Steven Soderbergh.
SPEAKER_07If you want to buy a car and then have such a soft handshake. Soft handshake.
SPEAKER_00Love the hands. Love the hands. The perfect spot for you.
SPEAKER_05All right, friends. It's onto the back of the VHS or DVD. This film came out in both both mediums. Andy, you were telling me that you guys grew up watching this on the show. I first saw it on DVD. Correct. My parents owned it. And I had both. We had a VHS and a DVD. Our VHS of Oceans 11, my brother and I, we had an old TV VHS in our in our room growing up, which is pretty cool. And so I would play the VHS of Oceans 11 before I would go to school. I would just play the final high sequence. So we played that at VHS nonstop.
SPEAKER_01Is this movie early enough to where there would be some like HD ROMs out there? I don't know. That's a good question.
SPEAKER_05Maybe I feel like this was right at the edge where maybe it was not what were the other Laserdisc? Laserdisc, this is way past for Laserdisc. This is right when the DVD conversion starts to happen. So this would have been probably a year or two old.
SPEAKER_01I think the first DVD I ever watched, Panic Room, Jody Foster, Stewart.
SPEAKER_05What a poll. Yeah. Yeah. That's big. That's big. Uh well, speaking of the back of the VHS DVD, Mike, will you read the back of the VHS? And to listeners, this is it. If you're at a Blockbuster video, a family video, and it's 2001, 2002, and you're looking for a fun Friday night movie with your family, and you're walking around, oh, George Clooney, Brad Pitt, wow, Matt Damon, Julia Roberts. This is gonna be a great movie. You flip it around, this is what you would read.
SPEAKER_01The plan is set. The rules are clear. If all goes right for Danny Ocean's grifters, the payoff is $150 million divided by 11. You do the math. Ocean's 11 brings the filmmaking talent of Academy War Academy Award-winning director Steven Soderbergh and enough star power to light up the Las Vegas strip to this classy caper. George Culini plays Danny, defying the odds in a high-tech, split second heist of three Vegas casinos, all owned by a stone cold magnet, Andy Garcia, who is dating Danny's ex-wife, Julia Roberts. A fixer, Brad Pitt, a pickpocket, Matt Damon, a blackjack dealer, Bernie Mack, a film, uh, a flim flammer, Carl Reiner.
SPEAKER_04Very specific.
SPEAKER_01They got me. That one got me. I had me at Flim Flammer. Uh, and others and others in well-defined roles are with Danny in his gambit. Are you in or out? Jackpot, baby. Yeah, Mike Wynn still got it.
SPEAKER_04Flim Flaming.
SPEAKER_05That was good. The Flim Flam. You've done a lot of cold reads. That was pretty good. And Flim Flam has not been on uh the back of the VHS. I tell you what, that's like peak back of the VHS comic. I think listeners believe I read those cold. I believe so. You're a very intelligent man. You would also find the back of that VHS that was written by Ted Griffin. Of course, this is actually a remake, it's based on a 1960s movie, uh starring the Rat Pack. Uh it is is an interesting movie. I don't know if you have you guys seen the original. No. It's uh I like to watch it around New Year's because it's set the heist is set on New Year's Eve, which is interesting. So there's there's a few things that are connected to this one, but outside of Danny Ocean and just the idea that they're robbing something, they're robbing uh casinos in Las Vegas. There's a uh it's a lot of it's different, and it's it's actually better. This the 60 movie ends, there's an interesting ending, like a very abrupt, interesting ending.
SPEAKER_01Worth a watch if you like want to it's kind of that's kind of true of movies of that era, yeah. This genre, like the sting right has kind of that same stuff, yeah.
SPEAKER_05Very abrupt at the end. It it has a little bit of that sting vibe to it. Not not police sting, no, thank you for the thing. No, no, no, not I'll be watching you. Uh no, the the movie. You will be watching this movie, yes, you will coming soon to a DVD. Yes. Uh the cinematography is by Peter Andrews. Do you guys know who Peter Peter Andrews is? No chance. It's a pseudonym for Steven Soderbergh. He he actually shoots all of his movies, which is uh if you look at his like his history and past, he actually likes to make his movies really quick.
SPEAKER_01Did he start out as a cinematographer?
SPEAKER_05I don't know that, but he he uh he shot this movie, which is pretty amazing because it's a big budget, huge movie. But he loves to shoot like and be on the camera. So if you watch the behind the scenes, he's like up on the camera, just like actually holding it, which is really unique for a director. But I think it adds to the the the whole look and feel of this movie. You kind of get it because he's a more of a au tour director, indie director. He was an Oscar-winning director. And his interviews, he was like, I just wanted to make a fun movie, and it's and it's like, Great, thank you, thank you for your talents. This movie was produced by Jerry uh Weintrubb, who is in the movie, he is one of the high rollers. He talks to Saul and he says, I wouldn't get into Terry Benedict for too much money. Uh, he worked with Sinatra. Most of like most of the connections in Las Vegas to make the movie were through him. Like they they he like convinced everyone to like be able to shoot into the Bellagio. He's he's like this legendary character.
SPEAKER_01What were obviously the Bellagio is one of the big casinos and scene in scenery in the movie, but what were the other two casinos? Mirage and the MC.
SPEAKER_05Jim Grand. But they shot mainly in the Bellagio. They closed down one of the I don't I don't know the casino terminology, but one of the pits or like one of the areas was closed down. They closed down the valet at one point for that final shot at the end of the movie where Tess goes out to get Danny, which is pretty crazy to like shut down a casino. So this old school like Hollywood guy had these connections. Uh, he actually appears in the second and third movie as well. He's got some interesting characters, but uh George Clooney called him the Pope of Vegas. Uh, and it really he's like the reason why this movie got made and why this series continues, which is really cool. All right, Mike.
SPEAKER_01Oh, he's the reason why it continues.
SPEAKER_05Yes, got it. You're like, he's the one to reason. Uh this is starring, of course, George Clooney as Danny Ocean, Brad Pitt as Rusty Ryan, Matt Damon as Linus Caldwell, Julia Roberts as Tess Ocean, Andy Garcia as Terry Benedict, Don Cheadle as Basher Tar, Bernie Mack as Frank Catton, Casey Affleck, Oscar winner, did see that coming. This movie is like has aged so well, it's crazy. Uh, as Virgil Malloy, Scott Kahn as Turk Malloy, Carl Reiner as Saul Bloom, and Elliot Gold as Ruben Tishkoff. What is stands out to you about this cast and these group of characters? Obviously, like the main big ones, but is is there any like surprises when you rewatched it this time? I just I miss Bernie Mack. He every time I watch him in this movie or any of the series, he's it's he's so electric. We we lost him way too young.
SPEAKER_01You know, Bernie, you know, Bernie Mack. Never mind.
SPEAKER_07Okay, I was gonna say Carl Reiner for me is one of my favorites, R.I.P. But yeah, his performance in this one is is second to none, both in the con and just as as the acting.
SPEAKER_05As the actor, yeah. And he was really the the elder statesman in the behind the scenes they talk about. Obviously, they hung out a lot, like they gambled, and it was a real hangout dudes dudes vibe, but they would just talk to Carl Reiner and ask him old stories of Hollywood, and you get you feel that in the characters as well. There's so much respect for for Saul as a character. Yeah, this this cast is incredible. I think just Don Cheadle, Matt Damon. Obviously, when we we see Matt Damon, we see Matt Damon, and he had just come off of winning an Oscar. So he he wasn't a nobody, but he wasn't this was right before Born.
SPEAKER_07Wasn't yeah, he wasn't Matt Damon.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, yeah. It was so it's like it's really interesting that if they had somebody different that was like a hot young actor, they actually thought about Mark Wahlberg in that role, which I think would be interesting, but I think that it just wouldn't I couldn't see Mark Wahlberg being that playing that like kind of nerdy younger brother energy with the glasses on when he's faking it. Yeah, I just wouldn't work. It just wouldn't have worked. I just love Matt. I think this is it's it's hard to say this, but I think this is my favorite role for him out of anything. Wow, wow, hot takes. There's gonna be more. All right, let's move on to facts that you can fact check. I'm not gonna do the work for you, Mike. How quickly are we have we lost you? Was that it? When I was breaking down that Steven Soderberg shot it, maybe that was it. Okay, hang on, Mike, we'll get there. Okay, facts that you can fact check. Uh Oceans 11 opened on December 7th, 2001. That weekend you could have seen Harry Potter behind enemy lines and spy game. Really amazing year of cinema. I recently was on the Stuck on Sorna podcast. It'll be probably coming out later this summer with Daniel talking about 2001 as a movie year. Space Odyssey? Not Space Odyssey. Um, JP3 came out that year, but incredible. Lord of the Rings, yeah, claw mark. Lord of the Rings also came out. It was just actually, I was surprised when we were talking about 2001. I was like, this is an amazing movie year, and to have Oceans 11 at the end of the year is just a treat. Uh $85 million budget, which that's a lot of money to a lot of people. That's a that's for uh for Oceans 12s fans. That's a quote. Um, but think about this the salary of the cast, like it on paper, they would have cost quadruple the amount.
SPEAKER_01So are you telling me that this movie more almost doubled their budget with the heist that they pulled off? That's right. Yes, yeah, that's right.
SPEAKER_05I mean, what what an incredible success for the studio. Yeah, and it made 450 million. So it it it this movie another 150 right on top of it. I know, I know it doubled the heist dollars. Obviously, Clooney Pitt, Damon, and Julia Roberts most importantly took pay cuts uh to really make this movie happen. Um there's a story, and I don't know, there's a lot of lore around these movies because there's very much a prank culture and there's all these tall tales. Oceans 12, they all hung out and lived at George's house on Lake Como. Like there's there's this lore that they were. I don't I don't know how much I can believe George Clooney and Brad Pitt. But I want to believe it. But the the one that I believe the one that I want to believe is that George sent Julia a $20 bill in the mail and said, I heard you're making 20 a picture because the a story had just come out that she had a $20 million clause for any movie. So I I George Clooney, if there's anybody that can do that to Julia Roberts, it it's him. But lots of banter and pranks. Another prank was apparently they were hanging out in the casino, and then um Clooney he stole Brad Pitt's keys and he couldn't get back because yeah, and and then he told security to like not recognize him, so security was trying to kick him out of the casino, and uh I don't know if I believe that one. They also pranked Julia Roberts with a 5 a.m. wake-up call, uh, which is a reference to Notion's 12. So it's it's pretty funny. We had some casting what ifs. Apparently, Luke and Owen Wilson were gonna be the Mormon twins. Wow. And Bruce Willis was potentially Danny Ocean, which I cannot see Bruce Willis as Danny Ocean, not at all. And then the fountain scene, another fun behind the scenes on that, that was all kind of done improv and having Carl Reiner as the last one they just found on the day, and it was one of the last things they shot.
SPEAKER_01So it's bringing what do you mean they found Carl Reiner on the day?
SPEAKER_04Like they just needed somebody, they needed somebody to play this role. He walked out on the line Hey, that's Carl Reiner.
SPEAKER_06He'd be perfect.
SPEAKER_07All right, we're moving on to the have either of you guys been to the fountain? No, I've never been to Vegas. Have you have you to the Bellagio Fountain? To the Bellagio Fountain.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, that's pretty much the only thing I've seen in Vegas. You flew into I flew into Vegas to go to Zion. And so before we left to drive up into Utah, we you reenacted. We went into the Bellagio lobby and went to the conservatory and then watched. Oh, you are a fan. He is a big thing.
SPEAKER_07You are a fan of this movie. Uh I went there a number of years ago, but that was like top of my mind was I gotta get a picture in front of this fountain. It's gotta be nighttime.
SPEAKER_05It's man, I I think that's the only reason I want to go to Vegas is because of this movie.
SPEAKER_01The only thing I remember about Andy going to Vegas, because I was I was working with him at the time moving to Vegas, is Andy came back and I asked him how it was, and he was like, I am not a Vegas person.
SPEAKER_05Uh that's just not me. I think that's the hard part about Vegas, is I've heard so many stories, and this movie is entertainment and it is fantasy. Like, yeah, if you hear why they they wanted this movie to feel like the golden era of Vegas, and they wanted it to feel like it was almost in the 70s, and they it was obviously mystique about it. It's it's not that way. Like, there's one they do a one shot, I think, in the Elvis Presley song montage of a bunch of people walking around, and that's like the only time you see like people in shorts. It's like and like actual tourists, everyone else that it would that they shoot in the casinos, they intentionally wanted everyone in suits and it to feel like really classy and and high roller. But uh, is that not the Vegas experience you had?
SPEAKER_07Well, it wasn't my trip, it was uh Buddy's Batcher Party. Oh, okay. Yeah, didn't do any major shenanigans, it just wasn't my cup of tea.
SPEAKER_05I just feel like a lot of people go out there for conferences, and I was like, what a horrible place to go to a conference. Terrible excuse for whatever else they're doing. All right, let's move on to a special segment that you know and love. It's called the Brie Paradox, and we're so glad to bring it back here. This is the moment for folks that don't know, is when your partner or friend that you're watching in a movie with or they're sitting next to, or maybe they're in the in the kitchen, when they look up from their device or distraction and actually pay attention to the movie, both good or bad. This is named after Andy's partner, Brie. So we of course have to have the segment. Andy, what was the Brie Paradox for Oceans 11?
SPEAKER_07Yeah, so we watched this. I was out of town this weekend, as you guys know. Yeah. So we watched it separately. Yeah. Wow. Thank you, Bree. I actually I actually guessed what her Brie Paradox was. You nailed it? I nailed it.
SPEAKER_01Can we start? Can we start guessing what her pre paradox was? Okay, yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_07Let's get a maximum of three guesses.
unknownUh
SPEAKER_07I just want one guess.
SPEAKER_05Okay, one guess. Is it related to uh Alisti coming up? No. About the female female screen time.
SPEAKER_01No. No. My my guess is what what what I what is my preparadox, which is um that uh they would have been flagged for having stolen that giant power the the pinch thing.
SPEAKER_05Or uh I would say maybe Rusty Conning basher out of getting arrested, maybe. It was neither one of those.
SPEAKER_07Okay, what was it? It was uh very personal because uh my wife, sorry, partner, uh, grew up grew up in Chicago. How dare you! Um, and so in at one point after school, she lived on the north side of Chicago, yes, just just south of Wrigley. And the train that we used to get to and from the downtown was Kimball. The Brown Line. So when they flashed to the recruiting scene of Linus, the first thing you see is a sign for Kimball with the with the L train. And so yeah, that was so that's beautiful.
SPEAKER_05Uh, my wife and my partner and I uh watched it last night, and she took the brown line down to her work every day for over two years in Chicago. And I that scene after living there, especially it and I wrote in my letterbox review if you want to check it out at Luke H. Ferris. It's crazy to me that modern movies would never go to Chicago in the dead of winter to shoot like a one-off scene of recruiting Matt Damon. And not only that, shoot on the L and a CTA station and a dive bar. It just is like movies don't do that anymore.
SPEAKER_07Yeah, plus it was like a weird camera, like it was like a funky moving as if you were walking alongside of them. It just feels like Chicago.
SPEAKER_05It's like actually perfect. Now uh George Clooney's not on uh the brown line every day, um, but or Matt David, but it really felt that way, like how tight it is, like during peak rush hour, it gets that tight. Like my wife has stories.
SPEAKER_01Um I think that this occurred during uh what maybe is the next segment, which is Mike's nap check-in. I don't remember this. You don't remember this?
SPEAKER_05No, no, it's right right after the line in the cold open.
SPEAKER_07So you're telling me you napped through the recruitment scene?
SPEAKER_01I napped through parts of I can't tell you what I napped through.
SPEAKER_03Oh no.
SPEAKER_01Because I napped through okay.
SPEAKER_05We got our work cut up. I guess we gotta go beat by beat through the whole thing. Okay, all right. Let's move on to overall thoughts. Uh, I know Mike might not have video overall thoughts. Okay, Andy, I want to know the history. We've talked about a little bit off off camera and off mic that you love this movie growing up, you had it as a DVD. Like, but what's your like history with this movie? Do you remember the first time you watched it or the first couple times?
SPEAKER_07Yeah, I was just north of I was in double digits and age, but it was one of the first PG 13 movies that my parents allowed me to watch. Same on DVD. I and I I very vividly remember walking away just being like dumbfounded at yeah, the plot. The heist, yeah, which the final thing. And then we're older now, so it's much less confusing, confusing. But like at the time, I was like, this is the craziest thing I've ever seen. And I wanted to be a con you like, you want to be a con artist after watching the movie because it's just so cool. I just the movie to me was just the coolest thing. All you want to do at that age is be cool, right? You're in middle school, right? And the music that this was one of the first movies where the dialogue, like the speed, the pace, and the way that the characters interacted with each other was quick and different, and it it just played with the movie. So I just remember it being like super cool and mind-blowing, and every time I watched it, I got the same feeling of like awe, shocking awe.
SPEAKER_05I still feel the same way, and that was the same way for me, and that's why like I would play the final recap of the heist over and over again because I wanted to figure out what was actually happening, and that's why I loved re-watching it because every time you rewatch it, you get it a little bit more, and that's I mean, like Danny Ocean is just a really cool name, like all their names are everything's cool, ocean is cool.
SPEAKER_01So, okay, so this was one of the first movies, PG 13 movies you saw. So, how old do you think you were 28?
SPEAKER_05Probably like just north of 10, yeah, 10, 11.
SPEAKER_01How old do you think you were when you first saw it?
SPEAKER_05Uh, I was probably nine.
SPEAKER_01Okay, I think I think I've discovered what happened here and why you guys love this movie, and I think it's okay. I saw this movie when I was like 19.
SPEAKER_05This is the common story with you when we have we have a big gap in movies that we like, is that you you you see them when you're at a different time at a different time. You don't see them at the most impressionable ages, so you're like, oh yeah, it's I so I get that because it's like the nostalgia of this movie. Like me seeing Brad Pitt and George Clooney as a nine-year-old is like, this is who I need to be. Yes, I need to everything. My goal in life from here on out is to be as cool as these guys, and I'm still I'm still striving. I did find out that Brad Pitt and I have the same triangle tattoo, it's almost exactly the same.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, so I'm getting there because I remember like uh Oceans 11 uh maybe not coming out, but like I certainly remember it being in the zeitgeist, and then like I remember Oceans 12 coming out and Oceans 13 coming out, and I remember when Oceans 13 came out, I was like oh, you didn't go to the theater on opening night and clap at the end?
SPEAKER_05You didn't do what a weird go.
SPEAKER_01No, I did not. I did not see it in theaters. I I don't know, maybe me and you just do the rest. I don't know that I've ever seen Oceans 13. Yeah, it's it's good. Wait, you haven't seen I don't know that I have. Have you seen Oceans 12?
SPEAKER_05Maybe. I as a nursing fan on TV all the time, so like I've seen parts of each of them. Okay, okay.
SPEAKER_07But that does make sense why have a different movie.
SPEAKER_05It does it does. And I think that's like a lot of movies. It it is if you don't see this at as an impressionable age, I was obsessed with this movie. It still is probably like Star Wars is really important to me, Jaws is really important to me, but I would say this, this movie, Lord of the Rings, like that, those like five or six movies. I would say that this one's on my Mount Rushmore. Yeah, same, same for me.
SPEAKER_01Really? Yeah, I kind of want to go into the Mount Rushmore. What I mean, what else is on the Mount Rushmore? Like, what else? Yeah.
SPEAKER_07So again, my Mount Rushmore is it. I don't want to get into it. We're dovetailing, but no, it's okay. It's it's it's it's got into literally the whole podcast.
SPEAKER_06He got out of the seat. He got out of the seat.
SPEAKER_07It's a combination of like rewatchability, yes. Um, how much I just frankly enjoyed the movie. Um don't explain it to me, just tell me what they are. Would be Ocean's Eleven, okay, The Dark Knight, okay, Inception, okay, and Goodwill Hunting. Oh, those four. That's great. Okay. Those are my four. They're all like kind of similar, also in the same vibe. Like I love dialogue. Yeah. Like they're not.
SPEAKER_01I think what's interesting about your Mount Rushmore is not the other movies on it, but the fact that Oceans 11 is on it.
SPEAKER_02I just love the movie.
SPEAKER_05I don't think so, because I would mine would be mine would be pretty similar.
SPEAKER_01No, it's not because your mo your your Mount Rushmore is literally in your letterboxed.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, but I switched that. But I mean, I would say either Inception or Dark Knight, they like they're one on one, one of those Nolan movies. The Fellowship, um, Jaws. I gotta give a Star Wars movie in there, but then Ocean's Love and it's all it's it's right there. It's like it's kind of a hybrid.
SPEAKER_07It's under two hours. I rewatch it like every time. That's the great thing about this movie.
SPEAKER_05It's this this is like exact I think it's exactly two hours or two, like it's it's uh I thought it was like it wasn't like uh 101, wasn't it? Or is it yeah, it might it's right at it's right at that perfect sweet spot. Yeah, it is.
SPEAKER_00What's your amount with Rushmore, Mike, since you I don't know okay, moving on to keep going leasties and besties.
SPEAKER_05Oh, we got some good ones, guys. We got some good ones. Okay, you'll like this one. This will be fun for you. Um, team member least likely to succeed if they didn't get recruited by Danny, Basher, Livingston, the Mormon twins, Rusty, or Yen. Least likely to succeed if they didn't get recruited by Danny.
SPEAKER_01I have an opinion on the twins. Yeah, I think they're a bit of like idiot savants. They are that is that is a great way to describe them. I didn't know how to describe it, and that's perfect. That's perfect. So, like, I kind of see them like like backing their way into success.
SPEAKER_05Rusty says, and I noticed this last night. He says, I think they're having trouble filling the time. So that actually adds to your theory that like they're brilliant guys, but they're kind of just yeah, slacker bum, brilliant.
SPEAKER_01I think it's uh in my opinion, it's uh the the basher. It's basher, yeah.
SPEAKER_07The obvious answer is basher because he would have been in prison had Rusty not been there.
SPEAKER_02Oh, they then uh you tusses, you tusses, yeah. What jump to do? And it's that wasn't great. That wasn't great.
SPEAKER_05And the Audrey actually brought up a good point. She's like, oh, he's excited because he's Mary Hope. Audrey, uh my partner. Um she was a she was like, oh, he's really excited to be with Robert. Robert Criminals again. Yeah, because his team stopped.
SPEAKER_02Robert criminals again.
unknownThat's what he said.
SPEAKER_02It's from the movie. That's what he says. Like, didn't we? We did not watch this movie. I do remember it now. We're gonna we're gonna read off best lines.
SPEAKER_01Mike's people who are gonna so funny. The people who like this podcast, we may think it's they're gonna think it's funny that like the whole episode is them trying to convince Mike this is a fun movie.
SPEAKER_05Or or listeners, let us know if you think my Mike actually watched the movie or not, or just use Chat GPT. I had a case for for Rusty. I think Rusty needs Danny. I think Rusty and Danny, they they work so well together as a team, as like partners.
SPEAKER_01And I mean, look where he finds them, right?
SPEAKER_05Yeah. Uh God, I'm bored.
SPEAKER_07You look bored. You get the cookies literally, Mike. You look bored.
SPEAKER_08Get the cookies SN.
SPEAKER_05Do you have it? Do you okay? Least plausible we can move on. Least plausible con moment. You'll like this one. Yeah, this is right up Mike's alley.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_05Uh, so this is things that are the least plausible in this movie, which there's a lot. All right, Danny's timeline in and out of the vents. That one always stood out to me, like how he got back in time and super good crawler. Yeah, really good at crawling. The amount of outfit switches the Mormon twins do without being noticed. I mean, they're in that casino a lot, and all they do is switch their jackets. Speaking of the Mormon twins, convincing the security guard to put the case into the vault when he's like, Oh, I forgot my badge. It's magic stuff. It's his stuff. Now it matches the look, the look, but I that was one of the things I was like, okay, I don't know if they would actually like take their word for it. Uh, the pinch technology, which exists, but the whole idea like that it could knock out a city, I think is not real. Uh, I don't uh I don't think Linus and Zerger uh would have both fooled Benedict on the same night. So I don't think Saul doing Zerger and Linus doing the commission guy would have fooled Benedict. And then I thought about it. I think Benedict knew something was up and maybe he was trying to like fish it out, solve it. Yeah, because I Andy DeGarcia does a really good job because you kind of don't know what he's thinking. You know he's a really smart dude. Like, we know this character is ruthless and a fierce person.
SPEAKER_01I I have a question that kind of goes into this least plausible thing that you're describing. Like, so in the movie, when they say that Danny's out, yeah. I struggle to understand what was Danny's role supposed to be.
SPEAKER_07That's a good question. His role, I think his role was supposed to be what he ended up doing the whole time.
SPEAKER_05Yes, I think that's what it was. They con line us as a way to like the rest of the crew. Yeah, like it's kind of to it's kind of initiate initiation.
SPEAKER_01I mean that that makes sense from the fact that like if that's not true, then the movie breaks down because if if the idea was Danny was gonna be was gonna be the gaming commission person, like he was going to be immediately recognized by Terry Benedict.
SPEAKER_05So here's okay, so here's the confusing. I think this is where we don't really know, and that's kind of the fun of this movie, is when Rusty pulls him out and he's like, Tell me it's about not about screwing the guy and screwing your wife. Yeah, that I think that's an authentic conversation.
SPEAKER_01It has to be because it's just between the two of them, yes, as it came up, like it's us as the audience and them.
SPEAKER_07And and Danny at the end of that goes, if everything goes to plan, I won't have to make that call.
SPEAKER_05So Danny in his head, he knew, and Danny's the mastermind. Like he's been sitting in his cell for four years. Like, this is all about getting his wife back when it comes down to it. Like, this the whole thing is about getting his wife back, plus 160 million. Doesn't hurt a few other uh plot least plausible con moments. Uh they wouldn't get found out like immediately, but the sequel kind of covers that. Um, Benedict not recognizing Rusty's voice in the vault as the SWAT guy. Because he had just talked to him on the phone.
SPEAKER_07Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, I thought that was a little bit. I think it's really for me the least one is is Danny's timeline in and out. I think that whole thing in what we're talking about, like Danny exposing himself to Benedict, yeah, and then them like working it out, and then also like conning Linus, like you wouldn't add that to the complexity of you would never in reality. I'm not a thief, but you would never make an additional con within your own crew. Yeah, I think just to like, just to like nurture the next the next generation.
SPEAKER_01I think I'm willing, I'm willing to accept the explanation you guys did about them conning Linus. Um the thing that I think is the most like implausible is you liter they literally stole like probably a one-of-one. Well, they describe it, it's a one-of-one piece of technology. Immediate red flags everywhere, like an APB out across the nation, and they aren't doing it in masks. So, like, there's definitely security cameras, and they definitely have pictures of these guys, and every casino in Vegas would see he makes a strong argument.
SPEAKER_05It's good, it it's true, but I don't really care because it's one of my it's one of my favorite scenes. I'm not touching, I'm not touching you. I'm not touching you.
SPEAKER_06You're putting it evil Kinevil.
SPEAKER_05Are you human? Yes, 19. That's a good one. That's a I think that wins, Mike. You're right, you're right. Well, we'll give you that one. Okay, the Corky St. Clair leasty for least realistic, but somehow perfect name for a character. Bastard people. Uh Bastard Tar, Rusty Ryan, Turk and Virgil Malloy, Terry Benedict, Ruben Tishkop, or Linus Caldwell. What's your favorite name?
SPEAKER_01What's the name of the category?
SPEAKER_05The Corky Sinclair leasty.
SPEAKER_01You can't catch that.
SPEAKER_02That's why I said bastard people. The corky Sinclair leasty for least realistic, but somehow perfect name for a character. Bastard people.
SPEAKER_01Nobody listening to this podcast actually listened to our podcast on that. They will not understand. Yeah, now they will be a whole podcast.
SPEAKER_02They're gonna listen to that.
SPEAKER_07I got my answer. Okay, yeah. Thank you. So my answer is Terry Benedict. I think Terry Benedict is perfect. It's a great name to say it's Terry Benedict. Benedict.
SPEAKER_01It's like first name, last name, kind of thing.
SPEAKER_07Yeah, and it's so it's strong and intense. Strong and intense. It's just like the human. He walks a million miles an hour that's for no reason everywhere. Doesn't matter where he's going. He's a short man. He is a short man, he's a short king. And he's like made out to be the villain. He's too tall for her. But he's also not a villain. Like, I don't know how to describe it. Right.
SPEAKER_05Like he's he's doing his job. Right. But but there's like these subtleties where they imply that he's he's associated with a mob.
SPEAKER_01Like he's he's kind of a well, you were on a casino, you definitely associate with the mob. So hit a guy, whack you, you're done. But with Benedict.
SPEAKER_02We'll get to this.
SPEAKER_05What were the other names? Uh Basher Tar, Rusty Ryan, Turk, and Virgil Meloet. Yeah, yeah. That's Basher, otherwise. I love Ruben as well. I just love and I think Linus Caldwell, it sounds nerdy, and uh it works well for that character. All right, the leasty for the least amount of female screen time outside of the main heroine. Uh, not a lot of women in this movie, uh except for one, except for really one. But there are some women in this movie. Um, we have Molly Marie Combs as hot uh uh she is the actress and charmed. She's playing herself at the poker table. She has one line. Um, call. Oh, she says two things. She's I think she says call twice.
SPEAKER_07Yeah.
SPEAKER_05And then she but I think that's all that's it. Um Kelly Atkins as Charmaine, the dancer. Um her mom's coming on next.
SPEAKER_04Brad Pitts look with this with the sucker.
SPEAKER_05Oh, that's great. Uh uh Rose Lynn, who played the Jack Black Dealer before Frank, uh was played by Lori Galinski. Uh, three she had three lines, um, which was nice. The review board member, number one, that's the actual character's name, uh, had two to three lines. The rollerblader with the dog. That was a woman, I believe. Um, I think she said watch out. And then there was a few cameos. Angie, uh, Angie Dickinson was actually in the crowd at the fight, and she was in the the first for the first film. Um, we don't select one. That's I just wanted to list out uh this might be a new award for least amount of female screen time outside of the new. I don't know if you're gonna beat it, but the one woman they had was great. So um they no that's part of my day. Well, we'll cut that out. Okay, let's move on to the besties. The Rusty Ryan, honorary besties for on-screen eating and drinking. This is just like we'll always be if if we like a movie where someone's eating on screen, it's rusty Ryan. Ticonic. So this was Brad Pitt's choice. He wanted to do this. This one in his character discovery, he just felt like he should be eating, and they just kept going. I'm gonna list out all the things he eats in the movie. Andy and I did some work on this. So that's about half Luke Finish. Yeah, yeah, we did. This is teamwork. The chips and cheese outside of the poker game, great, like looks like a really crappy chips and cheese. Terrible chips and cheese. It looks awful, but he's just like the stadium chips and cheese.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, like but he's just like the way he's eating it, and the way he like moves his most of this food is awful for him.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, coffee and tea at the diner, and I I put that on there because the way he goes, I'll try to do it. You want to rob three?
unknownUh oh.
SPEAKER_05Like it's it's it's it's incredible. The popcorn and candy at the circus, the sherbet sitting with Saul at the dog track. Amazing. This is which is the weirdest choice. Salad while talking um through the IT debrief with Livingston. Um, uh salad at Rubin's as well. So there's two salads, two salads, two salads. So he has some health stuff in there. Probably the most iconic one is the shrimp cocktail with the napkin over his hand when he's talking to Linus right before test shows. Uh, I think I during Yin's uh demo, I think he has an energy drink. I couldn't figure out if it was a Red Bull when he's like saying you gotta get from the floor to the door and and without touching anything. And I think he's drinking an energy drink in that one. We have the ice cream when Linus and Danny get back from getting the pinch. Notice this one, the oh, we both had this one the jelly beans when he's debriefing Linus. I believe they're jelly beans. Audrey and I were like yeah, some sort of she's like she said that it they sounded like they weren't like they actually made a noise, like they were rocks, so it felt like they would have to be yeah, a hard candy of some sort. I don't know if you caught that, Mike. Were you paying that? No, okay. Um, and then do you like jelly beans? The fast food burger waiting for Danny at the prison, and uh that's when he burps everything up. Incredible to have Brad Pitt do that. Do you have a favorite one of those, Andy?
SPEAKER_07Oh, it's the end with the cheeseburger. That's why I'm wearing the shirt. Ted New Juju. Ted Newjuic calls wants his shirt back. Like that that ending scene. I'm like, that burger looks gross and amazing all at the same time. I know.
SPEAKER_05I love how he doesn't finish it and just wraps it up and throws it.
SPEAKER_07It's a quarter eaten. He's like he's like, oh, I probably shouldn't finish this.
SPEAKER_05Oh that is the Rusty Ryan honorary bestie for on-screen eating and drinking. All right, best con character. So this is when our team members are playing a character in the con. So it's not them as a character, it's they're playing a character, a bunch of them. Uh, Rusty has two. I don't know if this is the actual name, but this is how I always say it in my head. It's peck at F.
SPEAKER_02I don't think that's what it is. I should have got the subtitles.
SPEAKER_05Peck ATF. Rusty as anyone call for a doctor with the wig. Amazing. Apparently, that is a Austin Powers wig. I don't believe that's true. I that's what I want to believe that's true. Is they they found that on the lot, the Warnerwood lot, or something. Your thoughts, Mike? Sure. Linus says Sheldon Williams Sheldon will as the gaming commission lackey. Absolutely the best. So good. He's got a record as long as it's a long. Saul as Lyman Zerger. Lyman Zerger. My name. I uh one of my favorite lines that I noticed on the rewatch was when is he in the hotel, like the guys are in the hotel suite, like talking, and he's still in character. And Rusty says to turn it off, and he's like, I'll turn it off when I'm ready to turn it off.
SPEAKER_06Saul, Saul. Okay, okay, okay, okay.
SPEAKER_05That's so in his normal voice.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_05Danny as clueless Danny at the end. We talked about his like plain, like, I don't know what, I don't know, Benedict. I don't know what you're talking about. Um, then we have the the Mormon twins. Virgil as the Bloom Boy and Turk as I just like the douche, the douchebag. Virgil and Turk as Zirger Security, Virgil and Turk as waiters, Virgil and Turk as vault carriers, Virgil and Turk as EMTs. Uh, and then the last one is Frank Catton as Ramon Escalante as Frank Catton. May as well call it White Jack. Him and Matt Damon going back and forth is super I gotta shout out eight. Uh, Andy Garcia for not breaking. Andy Garcia has to play it straight, and these two guys are just hamming it up. It's such a good season.
SPEAKER_01You missed one. Which one? Danny Ocean as Danny Ocean.
SPEAKER_05I said that one. What? I said Danny as clueless. Sorry, I took a nap at the end. Okay, you took a nap to the what's your favorite connach checker in this one? Mike Snapchaker. What's the best one for you guys? Mike? You gotta have a good one. Balloon Boy?
SPEAKER_01I think the Doctor was the funniest one for me. Yeah.
SPEAKER_05It's a great line and it's a great laugh.
SPEAKER_01Breathe, damn it, breathe.
SPEAKER_05We've lost him. Yeah, we've lost him. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. That was good.
SPEAKER_05How much fun would this movie be if you're if you're at that like peak of your powers movie star and it's like, okay, play the cheesiest doctor from like an ER show and just have fun and wear a terrible wig.
SPEAKER_01I think I know what that wig is, what character that wig is from. I don't think it's Austin Powers' wig. I think it's a wig from a character in Austin Powers. And I'm thinking of the character in my mind right now.
SPEAKER_05Dude, do you do the research? Uh Andy, what's your favorite con character? No, you go first. I'm curious what you have to say. I love Sheldon Willis of the Nevada gaming commission. I I think it's that's why this is I when I gave that hot take of this is my favorite Matt Damon role. Him nervous right before he talks to Benedict. It's one of the great lines by Rusty, too. Yeah, it's like, hey Rusty, can you hey Rusty, can you help me?
SPEAKER_02Whatever you do, don't under any circumstances. Hey Rusty. Rusty, can you take a look at this?
SPEAKER_05Yeah, sure. It that and then him like right before, and then Livingston, who doesn't like get as much credit as a character being like the IT nerd. Yeah, but he's like, You're a great kid, you're a natural, but don't screw it up.
SPEAKER_07Can I ask you a question about that? Because he says a line that I actually still don't understand. I could have looked it up, but I wanted to save it for the pod. Okay. He is asked by Benedict what happened to so and so, and he goes, not since he died last year, and I've never understood that.
SPEAKER_05We talked about it last night, and I always thought that I in my head it was like he's being funny. Like I I always say that line as a joke, but I think it's either one Linus did his homework and like and Benedict's trying to test him, or Benedict's bullshitting him, and so he's bullshitting him back. It's one of those two things. But I think what actually is happening is Benedict is testing if this guy's legit, and Linus like he on the spot, like acts very natural, like not since he died last year, like in his con character. Yeah, but it's a good question. I I've always thought about that too. Like, what what's actually going on behind the scenes? Never understood.
SPEAKER_07But I liked uh Rusty's first con, getting Basher out. Yeah, it's so good. Hey, what can you do with uh something I just slipped you? Yeah, it's done. It's done. Find Greggs. Will you tell him you need to see him?
SPEAKER_04Who? Just find one, will you?
SPEAKER_05Amazing. Okay, best role. This is a great one. Andy added this one. Best role in the crew you would want to play, assuming you could do it. So either Danny uh leading it, Rusty, Ops, Manager, Con Man, Linus, Pickpocket, Con, Frank, Inside Man, Ruben, who's funding it, Dasher, explosives, Saul, Con Man, old school, uh, Livingston electronics and surveillance, Turk and Virgil are our dirty work, Mazingen as the Grease Man. What would you want to do, Mike? Or what if you could do it? What would you do anyway? What do you think you would do?
SPEAKER_01So this is assuming I could do it and and we're successful with this. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I mean, it's Danny Ocean because he gets the money and the girl.
SPEAKER_07That's a fair point.
SPEAKER_05Nice. I I could see you too because you are a very analytical thinker. I think you would have a really good plan and calculated, and you would leave a motion at the door.
SPEAKER_07Yeah. Andy. I always think Ruben has the best gig in this whole thing. Yeah, yeah. He's got the best gig in this whole thing. He just slaps down a big check and then kind of just gets to sit back and watch it all go. Like him at the one of my favorite things I picked up re-watching this is at the fight. Yes.
SPEAKER_00When the lights go out and Benedict turns to him and Ruben goes, I don't know what's going on.
SPEAKER_02This is crazy. I think like that would just be the best. That would that that that that split second would just I don't know if I could hold it together.
SPEAKER_05No, he is he's one of my favorite characters in this in this movie, in the series. He it well, you haven't seen 13, but it pays off in 13 as well. Like he gets a really good moment. Um, I think for me, I I I probably being Virgil and Turk, one of the two, just like always running, changing characters. I don't think I could do a sustained con. Like what Saul does, like he's fully immersive in character. And everything's really on him. Like he's got to deliver those quote unquote diamonds because that's the explosive. Yeah, it gets him in the vault. It hinges, everything hinges on that. Like, and it's a long con. Like it's multiple days where he has to be this character. I don't think I could do that. I think if I was running around and being a waiter and pretending to be a balloon boy, they have a lot of variety of my brother.
SPEAKER_07The jobs are are hard, but they're not that hard.
SPEAKER_05Yeah. Yeah.
SPEAKER_07Relative to everybody else.
SPEAKER_01I think the idea is you know, I don't assume that the skills for criminals are very high.
SPEAKER_05I think it's the idea that this is such an elaborate con, and there's all these cons happening all the time. Like even their ground lit, like groundwork where like the brothers are are checking the times and they like start arguing about the the clocks. Gonna watch that works. Uh, is it's it's really fun because there's all these little cons that are happening with each each character gets their moment to really shine.
SPEAKER_07Their their roles increase too throughout the yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_05So I think I'd be one of the one of the Mormon twins because I think I would be better, like just kind of on the move. Like, whatever you need, I'll drive, I'll like I'll con I'm gonna drop you like third period French. Third period French. Great line, great line. It's really funny. In the behind the scenes Scott Conn, who he he's just shits on Casey Affleck the whole time in any of his interviews. He just they keep it going, it's so good. Okay, then Nicholas Cage, caster Troy Bestie for going for it, acting choice, Don Cheadle as basher, uh Barney Rubble trouble. Uh that his accent is so crazy. Um, I also love when he covers his crotch before he lights the pinch, fires off the pinch. One of them, like as a nine-year-old boy watching that, yeah. It's it's peak comedy. Yes, peak comedy. Elliot Gould as Ruben. I mean, everything, every line that he delivers is out of control. Um that's your Bobby's Caldwell's kid from Chicago, right? You like it there? That's wonderful. Get in the goddamn house. So good. Bernie Mac has Frank in the van negotiation scene.
SPEAKER_07I mean, just letting him cook. It's the best, it's it's the best scene that Bernie Mac is in the whole movie by far.
SPEAKER_03I'd be afraid that would interfere with a little bit of my social agenda.
SPEAKER_01He's so good.
SPEAKER_02He's the best part of the whole movie.
SPEAKER_06Shouting out a Betty from Saratoga.
SPEAKER_02Uh Betty from Saratoga.
SPEAKER_05So uh and then Carl Reiner playing Lyman Zerger, uh, which is which is great. What's what's your favorite bestie for going for it out of all those?
SPEAKER_01I don't really think that there's anything here that's really worthy of a caster's caster troy.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, yeah. Caster's face. No, that's tough to beat. But it's in the spirit of the spirit. In the spirit. I think Don Cheadle wins it in the spirit because he's playing for it. A cockney accent.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. Yeah. Falls on his face a little bit.
SPEAKER_07Yeah, yeah. But it's it's good. It's good. Yeah. I gotta shout out Ruben though. Oh. The scene, the initial the opening scene. We'll talk about it.
SPEAKER_05We'll we'll talk about it uh coming up next, which is uh the longest segment we've ever had in its best line.
SPEAKER_01Can I strap in, Mike? Can they even come back?
SPEAKER_07Okay, Mike. Actually, I want you to keep record of how many of these- You want me to read the lines? No, I want you to keep record of how many you nap through. Like how many you don't remember from the movie.
SPEAKER_05All right, starting now with Topher Grace. So, okay, for context, I love Topher Grace. Most, yeah, most of these lines I didn't realize. I say these lines constantly in my real life. Yes. Like I'll say them at work and yes, without thinking. Without thinking. Like I'll say them in a meeting, and it's this is how much this movie is embedded into my brain. Yes. And I don't realize I'm saying the line from this movie, it's just part of my subconscious. One of those is all reds.
SPEAKER_04Topher Grace is so good.
SPEAKER_01Uh I think that I I I didn't I know you've got a lot in here. That might be my my winner for the look on Rusty's face, is what up, bro?
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_06We already said this one.
SPEAKER_05God, I'm bored. You look bored, I am bored. How's the clink? Did you get the cookies I sent you? Why do you think I came to see you first? Until that perfect hand comes along, and then you get bed big, and then you take the house.
SPEAKER_07That's another that's that's like one of the more serious moments of the movie, like at the elevator.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, why do this? I mean, that's when you're like, oh, this is a movie star, this is a great actor, and then been practicing the speech, haven't you? I've rushed it a little bit.
SPEAKER_06I know more about casino security than any man alive. I invented it. It cannot be beaten. They've got cameras, they've got locks, they've got watches, they've got timers, they've got vaults, they got enough armed personnel to occupy Paris.
SPEAKER_05Okay, bad example. You send flowers, dated his wife for a while. I already said this one. Go find Greg's tone. I need to see him. Just find him, will you? This is one I say all the time in real life. Hey, I could ask him. Hey, I could ask him. I saw you coming before you even got up this morning. That's all when uh he's talking to Rusty. And then this other one in that scene. You come here to give me a physical. So good. We talked about this one. You're either in or you're out right now. That's like the trailer line. I've seen like you read it in the back of the VHS. This is a more subtle one. This is uh uh this is of Turk Malloy, and he's talking to Saul when they're all at the meeting up in Las Vegas at Ruben's house. I think you dig pro vote. I think you I think you do very well there. And Saul's like, I'll look into it. Please get away from me now.
SPEAKER_06So annoying.
SPEAKER_05Um, we saw this. It's uh it's nice there. You like it getting the goddamn house. That's great. Um, well, yeah, that's uh in response to Saul kind of saying what they're gonna do is just walk out of there with 160 million dollars without getting caught or stopped. Um denim like a gene. You're a balloon boy. They say taupe is soothing. Another one that I say, which is a deep cut, is when uh Livingston and he gets stopped by the security guard and the guy's like, How are those servers? And he says, excellent. I don't know why. I love that line. He's just the way he delivers that. You gotta walk before you can crawl. Reverse that. You scared? You suicidal? Only in the morning. Would you look at this doughnut? Uh that's at the pinch stealing scene, which is great. Uh, this one is my brother and I say to each other all the time.
SPEAKER_03I have a suit. This is uh very nice material. It's imported silk.
SPEAKER_05And then right after that, if you ever ask me that again, Daniel, you won't wake up the following morning.
unknownLove her.
SPEAKER_06Another one. Tess is with Benedict, she's too tall for him. That's such a good inline. Sorry, Andy Garcia.
SPEAKER_02So good.
SPEAKER_06We said this one, not since he died last year.
SPEAKER_05And we also said this one, may as well may as well call White Jack. And then there's a 95-pound Chinese man and $160 million behind this door.
SPEAKER_03Let's get him out of here. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_05You know, you lose focus in this game for one minute with the batteries. We didn't talk about the batteries. I that's that was actually really good. That was super batteries, yeah. But it's very I defend that because it is true to Linus's character. He's so nerdy and so like prepared that he would bring batteries just in case that would happen. And this is this is this is my favorite one. This is when they're all watching the case and them collect the money, and Saul is perched in the background.
SPEAKER_04He says, That is the sexiest thing I have ever seen. And and I I believe this with my whole heart. Don Cheadle is leaning and just smiles, and I that is for sure real. That is for sure real. He's like trying to hold it together. Trying to hold it together.
SPEAKER_05And then we said this one, I hope you were the groom. Ted Nugent calls, he wants his shirt back. Andy, did I miss any? Uh, I think I had a couple down. Okay, please take, go, go for it.
SPEAKER_07She already left me once. I don't think she'd do it again. Just for kegs, yeah. Right at the beginning. Um, so I always love this when they're um when it's the toe for grace when he's walking back with Rusty and he's talking about hey, you can be an LLC.
SPEAKER_02You can go back to the city. That one got me a lot more this time as an adult. Give me a tax write-up. But here's the thing I'd have to pay you my check. Rusty doesn't say a word. Or I'll just stick to the cash, cash chat to find.
SPEAKER_01One of my favorite parts of that this is his thing. Yeah, this is a great part of that. So this is his thing. My tax guy, and this is just his thing.
SPEAKER_02I never really caught that because he's like, this could be part of like research.
SPEAKER_05This would be like research for characters ago. So it's like, uh, it's so good.
SPEAKER_07That was a good one. And then um, when he initially poses the topic to uh to Rusty, Rusty immediately goes, Well, you need a whole host of things a Boskey, a Jim Brown, a Miss Daisy, two Jethro's, Leon Spinx, and the biggest Ella Fitzgerald you ever seen. And like all those mean something, like Boski saw Jim Brown is the staged fight, oh um, between Linus and Ramon. Yeah. And then Miss Daisy is the SWAT team driving in. Two Jethrows, obviously the Mormon twins. Leon Spinx is the distraction, um, which is the the pinch. The pinch. And then Ella Fitzgerald is the taped, is the is the tape.
SPEAKER_05Oh. And so that that that one I really like. That's so good. Thanks for bringing that up. Because I that that is like such a fun.
SPEAKER_07Yeah.
SPEAKER_05There's all this kind of lore that they tell you, like you get little hints of this like con world that they create in the dialogue in those moments. Like, even when in that scene, my wife was like, Where are they? Like, are and I was like, they're in the architecture firm. She's like, How did they get in?
SPEAKER_07And then like the security guard comes, she's like, Oh, I think that's part of the reason I love the movie is because everybody loves Danny and Rusty. Yeah, like they have connections everywhere, everywhere.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, yeah. And it's like we don't know why the security guard let them in. Either they did a favor, he's a he got conned. Um, but we don't need to know. Like, it's it's it adds we already we're we already know that they are the they're the guys.
SPEAKER_06You guys are pros. What am I talking about?
SPEAKER_07You guys are pros. Uh, a couple other ones here. Um, which one is the amazing yen?
SPEAKER_02Rusty goes, it's the little Chinese guy, George George, Chinese guys.
SPEAKER_05Steven Steven Soderbergh talked about this in this behind the scenes. He said, the great thing about working with these actors, they don't need like comedic lines to be funny, just looks are funny. And that look, when George Clooney is like, after Brad says that line, George's face is just like with disdain. Like, are you serious? Like, why are we here? This is insane.
SPEAKER_07I love that one. So good. Um, and then the uh we already mentioned that one, but uh I love when they're explaining the con to the crew and Rusty just knows Chinese. Oh, yeah, says a line, and Rusty's like, oh yeah, that's no no tunneling's out, tunneling's out, yeah, yeah, yeah. They have sensors. They know about it.
unknownWhat?
SPEAKER_05It's a it's a truck that continues on in the series where they all know they all know understand Chinese, but like it's never spoken.
SPEAKER_03It's it's it's a fun little bit.
SPEAKER_07Yeah. Um, and then uh they're still in the middle of the effing desert, yeah, at the end of the Ruben bit. So those are the only ones, but just uh just that's it's incredible, mate.
SPEAKER_05It's it's so good. All right, on to best scene. This is this is a tough one, uh, because I I mean it's the whole movie. Uh, I think a friend of the show, Jacob Felton, on his letterbox, he just re-watched this recently, not because so shout out to Jake. He said, I came to watch sometimes. You watch a movie and you come to just see Casey Affleck with a remote remote control uh truck, and then you stay and watch the whole movie. Like, I think that's the thing about this, it moves so quickly. There's not a scene really where you're like, eh, I don't want to, I don't really want to watch it anymore. Like, it just moves so fast, and every scene is delightful. Okay, I'm gonna throw out some of my favorites and you guys can chime in. The poker game with our movie stars. We have Holly Marie from Charmed, Topher Grace, that 70 show. He was also in Um Crash, uh Joshua Jackson from Dawson's Creek, one of our favorite shows, Mike. Uh Barry Watson from Seventh Heaven, and then Shane West, uh, most famously in a walk to remember. I mean, right at the turn of Millennium, all the stars, all the young actors. That's a great scene. Uh, the Ruben lunch scene. We just said pretty much all the lines right into recruiting the team. So it's that and then recruiting the team. Whole sequence, yeah. It's just the whole sequence. Tess and Danny uh at dinner into Linus tailing Danny. I I really love that scene when George is leaving the dinner and then Linus kind of like is is perched, even though like Danny knows he's there. And I don't know. It's a theme throughout the series. They do a lot of that too. They do a lot of that, but the Tess and Danny dinner is really great. I mean, that's just like two of the best actors of all time going at it. The pinch heist, I just the the Mormon the Mormon twins really make that so good.
SPEAKER_02Don't leave me here with these guys.
SPEAKER_05Frank gets fired scene. You better talk to him. Uh apparently there was a bunch of outtakes, like they they tried a bunch of different things in that in that sequence, and I really want to watch like all the cut scenes of of Bernie Mac's takes. Is it not on like it is like there in the behind the scenes that I watched, they show another lot, like another take that Bernie Mac did, but it's it's such a good scene.
SPEAKER_01I think you could supercut just the Bernie Mac scenes and we might have a better movie.
SPEAKER_05You have a great reel in it, yeah. You would the what really happened montage, and then the fountain scene. Uh any other scenes that I missed, or what's the what's your guys' favorite scene? I think I know yours.
SPEAKER_01Okay, so I before we pick a favorite scene, I kind of want to go back to the first scene you mentioned, which is the um the poker game. Yeah, so you're playing five cards. This movie is made in 2001, shot 1999, 2000. Yeah, and um, so all of those celebrities pretty famous-ish. Yeah, that's at the time. Yeah, definitely the hot young stars. So here's the thing I love about this. It's almost like Steven Soderberg knew what was gonna happen because you get this poker game of like kind of people who are pretty famous, and they all turn out to be kind of only a little famous, right? Exactly. They had their moment in the summer.
SPEAKER_05It's great, and one of my favorite parts is that scene is when they're leaving the back door of the poker game. Topher gets out there, and there's the pop paparazzi and fans, and he's like, Oh guys, okay, I'll talk to you.
SPEAKER_06And then George Bradley, Brad Pitt and George Clooney slide through unnoticed. It is the craziest thing, and it's all as to your point, it's only aged better because it's perfect.
SPEAKER_05It's like you miss Brad Pitt and George Clooney.
SPEAKER_01Like, if any one of those actors had gone on and been like incredible, like won a bunch of awards, it wouldn't hit the scene.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, it's it's better. You're right. It's aged even better.
SPEAKER_01It's better that they've plateaued.
SPEAKER_05And that's why it's interesting because Casey Affleck could have been like, oh, yeah, it's just an Affleck butt brother, but he won an Oscar, Matt Damon became Matt Damon, all those actors. I mean, Don Cheadle was in in all the Marvel movies. I mean Y5O. Y5O, yeah, Scott Connor. That's on my forget. Yeah.
SPEAKER_04So CBS is how I five though. Coming up after 60 minutes. Um America's number one new drama is on CBS. Scott Connor the Malloy twist.
SPEAKER_05Okay, all right. Not as good as his uh his counterpart, but uh, what's your favorite scene?
SPEAKER_07What's your best scene, Andy? It's gotta be the montage of bringing the team together. Yeah. Um, when I got when I rewatched it with this movie or with this uh pod in mind, it reminded me of how much I loved like recruiting the Avengers. Yeah. In a in like a conheist way. Right. Right? It's the Avengers of Heist. Yes. And it's just everybody at their peak of their powers. Um, and so bringing them all together and and the the scenes between uh the transitions between the characters, like when they move on to the next character between Rusty and Um Danny are just perfection. So fun.
SPEAKER_05I could watch it every day. It's so good. Uh all right. Ratings and meetings. What did you rate this on letterboxed, Andy? If you would have a letterboxed.
SPEAKER_07What I so I don't have a letterbox, uh, so I can't. It's a shame for all of us. I guess I should have a letterbox.
SPEAKER_05He needs to. It's the only way I can communicate with my friends outside of putting making them to be on my book. I guess I will be making a letterbox. Yes. Uh, out of five stars.
SPEAKER_07Out of five stars, I have to go whole stars, or is it you can do holes half. I can do half stars.
SPEAKER_05And there's no rules. Follow your heart. Gosh, I gotta get five stars.
SPEAKER_07I don't know what else I'm gonna say. It's on my Mart Rushmore, so it's it's a five star for me.
SPEAKER_05Same. Five star for me. Mike, I'd be curious. Like seriously, you got three and a half. I'll take that. You know what? I'll take that.
SPEAKER_07Mike's a harsh critic. I'll take three and a half. That's really good.
SPEAKER_05I'll I'll take that. Um all right, wrapping up.
SPEAKER_07What does this movie mean to you, Andy? It means that everybody can be whatever they want to be. And a cool carist, maybe that's your path in life.
SPEAKER_05Just be it. Mike, what does this movie mean to you?
SPEAKER_07Stole the Mictors. Nobody knows.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, I mean, not a whole lot. It's a movie that is on TV a lot. Yes. And uh I probably see, you know, an hour's worth of it every two years.
SPEAKER_05Beautiful. Uh, this movie means a lot to me, obviously, if you've listened this far. Uh, this is uh I I I aspire to be as cool as these characters. Yes. I aspire my life to be as cool as these characters. We haven't we did not talk about the soundtrack in the music by David Hollywood. How do we how do we miss this? This was one of the first CDs I bought with my own money was the soundtrack.
SPEAKER_07The music is so perfect for the mood of the movie.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, it just it's every scene has its own special twist, but that's like it's just so cool, it just adds to the to the environment of the movie. And when they do have like real songs, like when Ruben's going through all the history and what's your favorite, and why is it Elvis? It it just with that cross-cutting, it's Vegas. Yeah. Um, I the but the Clair de Loon at the end is so magical. And I I just noticed for the first time Clair de Loon is playing when they first arrive at Ruben's house, like it's very soft in the background, and that was the first time I noticed that. Um, I also love when they Ruben's talking about the heist in the different eras, like the best Las Vegas heist, and the guy who got first was in the 80s, and we have a take my breath away can't cameo for Came. So they covered. He's got like the cigarette like out of his mouth. Uh that's also one of my favorite side note.
SPEAKER_07There, this movie has a theme of uh what do you call it when you're clotheslining people? Oh, you're right. Running through the casino just with clothesline. It happens like after the pinch happens and people are scrambling for chips too. Somebody's trying to run with chips and just gets is that what that's right.
SPEAKER_04Someone does get like fully clotheslined.
SPEAKER_08Yeah, they're fully horizontal.
SPEAKER_04It's awesome.
SPEAKER_06All right, gentlemen, thanks for joining this heist.
SPEAKER_05Thanks for being uh Luke's three, I guess, or two. We've got we've got I get the rusty titles.
SPEAKER_07Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_05You can be's three because isn't Danny one of the Luke three. Yeah, he's one of the 11. Yeah, yeah, it is. Uh we will not be doing this as a rewatch franchise, so I know for listeners, uh, that was vetoed, but um maybe Luke, we can just get together and watch the rest of the I think I think that might have to have to have to have you guys come back. Uh, thanks for being here, gentlemen. Uh it was great. Uh, we we conquered. Now we can now we can go away happy. We can walk away. I thought maybe we could just all walk offset slowly.
SPEAKER_07Yeah, just have some buttons.
SPEAKER_05Yeah, yeah. And uh listeners, edit and post. Yes. Thank you for for listening to our oceans 11 episode. We'll talk to you next time on least important things.
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