Laura and Xhafer have a little car talk and discuss the final film in the BSG starter pack. Laura recounts a college experience. Xhafer is down for a Bob Dylan Tom Bombadil movie. This episode covers Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Discord: https://discord.gg/MUHKDDk6TN

Merch: https://www.etsy.com/shop/WhatHappenedHerePods

Welcome to "Who Are You?"

2

This is a reasonably well-done sci-fi

watch cast hosted by two former strangers,

3

now friends, who are currently watching…

4

Well, today we're watching

5

I'm Trefor,

6

Laura: And I'm Laura.

7

Xhafer: and it's been over a

month since we've recorded.

8

Laura: Has it really?

9

Xhafer: so I checked the dates on my last

notes, 'cause I circle the notes, the,

10

the date on the top of my notepad, and

it's been a month and two days since the

11

last time I took notes, and usually I do

notes within 24, 48 hours of a podcast.

12

Laura: Ja, ja.

13

Xhafer: So reasonably ex-

expectation-wise, it's been a

14

little over a month since we

last recorded, which is crazy.

15

I mean, we knew it was gonna be a gap.

16

That's why we built up the stuff

that we did, is so that you could

17

focus on your doctorate finals

thing, your prac- practica.

18

Yeah, those things.

19

So we knew it was gonna be a thing,

so we just recorded well into advance.

20

And now this episode airs in three days.

21

Sorry, Aaron.

22

Laura: Yeah.

23

We, we-- a lot has happened in that month.

24

Like, I

25

Xhafer: Yeah.

26

Laura: exams.

27

I found out I passed the comprehensive

28

Xhafer: Congratulations

29

Laura: Thank you.

30

I went on vacation immediately

because of the comprehensive exams.

31

Xhafer: Yeah.

32

Laura: And yesterday I just bought a car.

33

Xhafer: Hell yeah.

34

What'd you buy?

35

Laura: Well,

36

Xhafer: you don't mind, I mean

37

Laura: Uh, I, I had had a 2012 Toyota

Prius that I have driven for 14 years,

38

Xhafer: Oh, that's same as Beth.

39

Laura: I know.

40

We've talked about it.

41

Mm-hmm.

42

Xhafer: Yeah.

43

Laura: You know, it was the first

car that I got once I graduated

44

with my accounting degree,

45

Xhafer: Mm-hmm

46

Laura: uh, I basically have

driven it into the ground.

47

Like, it…

48

Not the ground-ground.

49

Like, a Prius, the first major problem

you're gonna have is the battery, right?

50

And I'm

51

Xhafer: Yeah.

52

Laura: it's battery time.

53

It's 14 years old and 150,000 miles.

54

Like,

55

Xhafer: It's battery time

56

Laura: probably battery time.

57

But that started going out on me before

finals of the last semester, I was

58

like, "I just can't deal with this.

59

I just can't freaking

60

Xhafer: Yeah

61

Laura: this right now.

62

I have too much, too im- many

important things going on."

63

my parents always go out

of town in the summer.

64

So my dad was just like, "Well, you can

drive my car while I'm out of town."

65

Um, so I've been driving Dad's car and

getting through my really important

66

stuff, and I was just like, "I'm,

I'm gonna think about the car later."

67

And we decided it was time to go

electric, and we got a Toyota bZ.

68

yeah, I'm excited.

69

I've, I've driven it a little bit.

70

It had 30 miles on it when, when I

71

Xhafer: Nice.

72

Laura: So

73

Xhafer: Awesome

74

Laura: yeah.

75

It's, it's a cool car.

76

I'm excited.

77

Xhafer: Yeah.

78

The pre-orders for the

Slates just went out.

79

Laura: I don't know the slate.

80

What's the

81

Xhafer: s- the s- it's-- the

Slate is a fully electric truck

82

Laura: Oh,

83

Xhafer: that costs $25,000

84

Laura: That is a good price.

85

Yeah

86

Xhafer: It is, it's got a, like

a 200-mile range, and it is

87

bare bones as fuck on purpose.

88

It's literally blank slate is the

reason the company's named Slate.

89

Laura: I see what you did.

90

Xhafer: Yeah, um, like does not

have power windows, does not have

91

an infotainment system or anything.

92

Like none of that stuff.

93

It is, it is a bare bones, but it

is fully customizable by design.

94

Laura: Yeah.

95

Xhafer: So you can…

96

There's like pivot points in the back.

97

You can take out the truck bed, move it

back, move like the, the stuff back for

98

the end of the cab, put in an extender

over the truck bed and have a four-door.

99

And like you can do anything with it.

100

They're completely customizable.

101

I've seen videos of them taking a car

like from a truck to a Jeep in 10 minutes.

102

Um-

103

Laura: sounds like the

opposite of the Cybertruck.

104

Xhafer: Yes, they don't come painted

105

Laura: Okay

106

Xhafer: They're designed for

vinyl wrap jobs and like,

107

it's, it's like, it's crazy.

108

They're super customizable.

109

It's fun.

110

Um, I was planning on getting one.

111

Laura: This is cute.

112

Yeah.

113

Xhafer: I bought in on

the list a long time ago.

114

Laura: Okay

115

Xhafer: it was just a $50 deposit

that's refundable, and I bought

116

in probably two years ago.

117

And so I'm early on the delivery list,

but I'm actually-- I didn't reserve one.

118

I didn't, I haven't bought one,

119

Laura: Okay

120

Xhafer: because my-- I've had

121

It has-- I just broke 50,000 miles on it.

122

Laura: Yeah.

123

Nice.

124

Xhafer: I'm only putting, you know,

I have an eight-minute commute that

125

I make three times a week for work.

126

Laura: Yeah.

127

Xhafer: Like,

128

Laura: sweet.

129

Xhafer: it's nice.

130

So I don't, I don't-- It's,

you know, 10,000 miles a year.

131

It's not getting a ton of use.

132

It's in great shape.

133

It's doing fine.

134

Laura: Mm-hmm.

135

Xhafer: then Beth has a got

a newer Prius last year,

136

Laura: Mm-hmm

137

Xhafer: and it's not brand

new, but it is doing great.

138

And it's just like, I can't

justify a car right now.

139

I-- There's absolutely no need for one.

140

Laura: Yeah

141

Xhafer: and it'd be nice to have a

truck to do hauling and moving of

142

things, but like, I can't justify

purchasing another vehicle right now.

143

So my-- I, I kept my spot so I can reserve

one later, but I did not like buy in on

144

a delivery date and do all that stuff.

145

I could've had one in early

146

And maybe, maybe in a year or two,

maybe in a year, I'll put in for

147

one and get it sometime in 2028.

148

But it's just right now, there's no reason

149

Laura: Yeah.

150

I mean, that Prius, like, I literally

had not a single problem with it in the

151

Xhafer: Yeah.

152

Laura: I drove it until the

day that I was like, "Oh, no,

153

something is horribly wrong."

154

Xhafer: Mm-hmm.

155

Laura: And I mean, I

couldn't have been happier.

156

We, we took it just for

tire rotations, oil changes.

157

Xhafer: Yeah.

158

Laura: That's it.

159

That's it.

160

And our…

161

We have a hybrid Highlander as well.

162

We've been hybrid for s- like,

just hybrid-only cars since

163

2019 when we got the Highlander,

164

So I'm, I'm excited to be an electric

person now and see how that goes.

165

It's a 280-mile range on the BZs.

166

Xhafer: That's solid

167

Laura: yeah, it's solid.

168

My parents were like, "Oh, well, that's,

that's not enough for long trips."

169

And I was like, "How is this

gonna be my long trips car?"

170

I have two children that we need the

Hi- we, we take the Highlander for long

171

Xhafer: Yeah.

172

Laura: 'cause it's got the big back.

173

Like, the, the…

174

I d- I need it for my commute, and my

commute is a little bit longer, but it's

175

not like I'm gonna exhaust my 280 miles.

176

Xhafer: Yeah.

177

Like, I mean, I've thought-- I've--

They've got electric chargers

178

in the garage I park at at work,

179

Laura: Uh-huh.

180

Xhafer: so I've thought about it for that.

181

Laura: yeah

182

Xhafer: Yeah.

183

And I'm just like, I thought about it,

and then I realized that I've had three…

184

I've had to fill my gas tank three

times since the war with Iran started.

185

Laura: Yeah.

186

Like,

187

Xhafer: don't use it.

188

I just don't drive enough.

189

Laura: yeah.

190

Xhafer: It's fine.

191

You know?

192

I'm just, it's, it's hanging out.

193

Um, all right.

194

Laura: It does feel a little bit…

195

Oh, I've got a segue for you.

196

Xhafer: Okay, go for

197

Laura: little bit like a space pod.

198

Xhafer: it.

199

Ahhh, okay, cool.

200

We got there.

201

Laura: we're there.

202

We're back in 2001

203

Xhafer: So we're talking about

204

We're talking about this movie because

when you became a director for "Battlestar

205

Galactica," they sent you three movies.

206

This is the third of those

movies that we're now watching.

207

We did put this one off a lot.

208

Laura: it's, it's a bit of

a, a mountain to climb, so

209

Xhafer: Uh, I'm gonna go ahead

and call this out right now.

210

Normally I'm like, "Oh,

this shot was so pretty.

211

Oh, this shot," when we're

talking about TV shows.

212

Laura: pretty, it's all

213

Xhafer: This whole

movie is gorgeous shots.

214

If I don't-- I'm, I'm not gonna call

it a single one because it's every

215

single, every single shot in this movie

I could talk about how pretty it is.

216

Laura: Yeah.

217

Xhafer: That is what this movie is.

218

It is a primarily non-verbal

experience by design.

219

There's very little dialogue in the movie.

220

Laura: Mm-hmm.

221

Xhafer: it's meant to be more

communicative in other ways.

222

a very visual movie.

223

We'll talk a lot about that, I'm sure.

224

But yeah.

225

So it's, it's kinda, it's kinda

difficult to podcast about, I think,

226

Laura: Sure,

227

Xhafer: because it is like, so

like, yeah, what am I gonna do?

228

Describe pictures of

scenes to you for hours?

229

And it's a, it's a two-hour,

40-minute movie, so it's not, ugh.

230

And the plot is heady, and there's some

stuff that we'll talk about that's like…

231

I tried to find things that I thought

I could bring to the table w- to

232

talk about this movie with, because

there's gonna be a billion better

233

podcasts and YouTube documentaries

about the, o- the meaning and the

234

reasoning and the production of this.

235

That is not what I am here for,

and listener, I don't think

236

that's what you're here for.

237

So I tried to find fun facts, spoiler,

almost none of them are fun, about

238

people in the crew and production.

239

Just like I tried to find the most

random shit I could about people

240

tangentially related to this movie.

241

And I wanna start with the

director, Stanley Kubrick

242

Laura: Okay.

243

Xhafer: misogynist.

244

I'll just get that out of the way.

245

Um,

246

Laura: Yeah,

247

Xhafer: know that Universal Artists

got the rights to the cinematic

248

"Lord of the Rings" in the '60s,

249

Laura: I didn't know that

250

Xhafer: and The Beatles

had a movie deal with them?

251

The Beatles wanted to make a "Lord of the

Rings" movie, and when they first started

252

talking about it, the first person they

talked to direct it was Stanley Kubrick,

253

Laura: Okay.

254

Xhafer: who outright refused.

255

He's just all like, "No, fuck off."

256

"I don't wanna do a movie

off of a famous book.

257

Uh, I don't wanna do those comparisons.

258

I'm not interested."

259

Laura: That feels very Stanley Kubrick.

260

Xhafer: Yeah

261

Laura: imagine a Fellowship of

the Ring that is The Beatles?

262

Xhafer: they cast themselves

as part of the pitch.

263

Laura: Okay,

264

Xhafer: was Frodo,

265

Laura: Okay

266

Xhafer: Paul is Frodo, Ringo

is Samwise, George Harrison is

267

Gandalf, and John Lennon is Gollum

268

Laura: I, mm, okay.

269

I

270

Xhafer: They wanted to do one…

271

They, they're, they were gonna do one

animated movie that did the whole story

272

Laura: Okay

273

Xhafer: And they, after Kubrick

turned them down, they started to,

274

like, take it a little bit more

seriously, and they started to do some

275

production, and they talked to J.R.R.

276

Tol- Tolkien.

277

And

278

Laura: Uh-huh.

279

Xhafer: Tolkien hate- hated pop music,

and in particular, hated The Beatles.

280

Laura: no.

281

Xhafer: Famously hated The Beatles.

282

Uh, He described them as, quote,

"Indescribable noise made by a young band

283

practicing near his house in Bournemouth."

284

So he had encountered them before

they were famous because they

285

were in the same area of England

286

Laura: Oh.

287

Xhafer: held a grudge against them

288

Laura: Oh, no.

289

Xhafer: and refused to let them

make the movie, so they made

290

"Yellow Submarine" instead.

291

Laura: I mean, I like Yellow Submarine.

292

Xhafer: But they wanted to do

a, like, psychedelic pop rock

293

version of "Lord of the Rings."

294

Laura: Okay, no.

295

I just wanted to see

them as the four hobbits.

296

Xhafer: Yeah.

297

Laura: definitely no,

none of the pup rock eats.

298

Well, maybe some, I don't know.

299

I don't know.

300

Now I'm try- now I'm taking Yellow

Submarine in my mind and, like, putting…

301

here's the, here's the part

where I have a quibble.

302

I don't think you can do that whole,

the whole three books in one animated

303

Xhafer: Well, you, you

cut out the Fellowship.

304

Laura: Yeah

305

Xhafer: a reason why it's

these four characters.

306

Gandalf sets them off on the journey.

307

It's the two, it's Frodo and Sam

and Gollum for most of it, with

308

Gandalf intervening when needed.

309

And you do just that bit

310

Laura: Okay.

311

I guess you could turn that into

an animated movie, but it does lose

312

a lot of the charm of the story.

313

So I'm with Tolkien

and Kubrick here, like,

314

Xhafer: Yeah.

315

I mean, maybe you get, like, Tom

Petty to be Bombadil or something.

316

Like, you,

317

Laura: That

318

Xhafer: the…

319

Laura: pretty

320

Xhafer: Or probably Dylan.

321

You'd probably get Dylan,

actually, thinking about it.

322

They were friends with Bob Dylan.

323

You'd probably get Bob

Dylan to be Tom Bombadil.

324

I, I'd watch that movie.

325

I'd watch a, a movie of Bob Dylan being

Tom Bombadil just apropos nothing else

326

Laura: Great, great.

327

Um, so my, my encounters

328

Xhafer: Yeah.

329

Laura: like, "Okay, what do,

what can I bring to the table?"

330

And it's all

331

Xhafer: Mm-hmm.

332

Laura: people, people

know out there, right?

333

Xhafer: Yeah

334

Laura: um, I was gonna tell

you more about the music stuff.

335

Xhafer: Oh yeah, I would, I'd

be, I've got some stuff to talk

336

about with the music for sure.

337

Laura: Yeah.

338

Yeah.

339

And starting with, you know, the, the

famous opener of Also Sprach Zarathustra.

340

Xhafer: Yeah.

341

Laura: there's a whole

piece that follows that.

342

Xhafer: Oh, yeah.

343

Yeah, this is

344

Laura: poem that we

don't, that nobody knows

345

Xhafer: It's like a 40-minute

tone poem by Richard Strauss,

346

Laura: Richard Strauss, thank you.

347

Xhafer: Sorry?

348

Laura: Richard Strauss.

349

Mm-hmm.

350

Xhafer: Ricard.

351

Oh, that actually makes sense, yeah.

352

Laura: Yeah.

353

Xhafer: given it's 1800s Germany.

354

Inspired by Nietzsche's classic novel?

355

Laura: Question mark?

356

Xhafer: Question mark.

357

the book's themes as, and hence the

tone poem's themes are dense as fuck.

358

The main thing to take away is the book is

they talk about the Ubermensch, the rise

359

of the eventual successor to man, right?

360

Laura: Mm-hmm.

361

Xhafer: the evolutionary

moment that will lead to it.

362

And so whenever we hear

this song, it's that theme.

363

It's, you know, okay,

this is the dawn of man.

364

This is the discovery of tools.

365

This is the evolutionary epoch,

366

Laura: Uh-huh.

367

Xhafer: Made into a single moment, and

then at the end of the movie, it plays

368

again at the next evolutionary epoch

369

Laura: Yeah.

370

Yeah.

371

The space baby.

372

Xhafer: Space baby.

373

Laura: Yeah.

374

Xhafer: God, what an ugly

space baby, by the way

375

Laura: I was actually very

impressed at the effect of

376

it because this is the 1960s,

377

Xhafer: Yeah

378

Laura: and I was like, "This

thing looks pretty good for, like,

379

1960s whatever we had to do CGI?"

380

Question mark.

381

Xhafer: No.

382

Everything in this is I'll talk a little

bit about the filming of the Stargate

383

scene when we get to it, but it's insane.

384

Laura: Yeah.

385

I, I thought it looked great.

386

I was

387

Xhafer: Yeah

388

Laura: you know, and it, to

me it even looks like Dave.

389

Like

390

Xhafer: It does look a, the

baby does l-look like Dave.

391

Laura: him look like Dave to me,

392

Xhafer: Yeah, it's animated,

but yeah, it's very well done.

393

Laura: The other anecdote I have for

394

Xhafer: kind of an ugly baby though.

395

Yeah

396

Laura: is, so famously I've mentioned many

397

way through until I read the book, right?

398

Xhafer: Yeah.

399

Laura: I would fall

asleep every single time.

400

But I did have an encounter with

this movie my freshman year of

401

college in my world geography class.

402

Xhafer: Huh?

403

Laura: know why, but it was his, his

first day opening, he made everyone

404

watch the beginning, the Dawn of Man part

405

Xhafer: Okay.

406

Laura: and,

407

Xhafer: Okay.

408

Laura: and pointed out every s-

uh, uh, well, not even, it was

409

more than just the Dawn of Man.

410

It goes into the space

scene just a little bit.

411

And

412

Xhafer: Yeah.

413

Laura: out every single

phallic image in this.

414

And now that I'm looking back on that,

you know, when I'm a freshman and I'm

415

like, "Okay, I guess, like, this is

college now, and we're doing the deep

416

thinking and, and what have you,"

now I'm like, that was really weird.

417

Xhafer: That is really weird.

418

Laura: geography class?

419

Xhafer: Yeah.

420

Laura: to have your opening salvo

421

Xhafer: Look at all these painters.

422

Welcome to college

423

Laura: It's penises all the way down.

424

I was just like,

425

Xhafer: Am I in the right class?

426

Laura: So now I kinda wonder

that professor and if he

427

should have been teaching.

428

Xhafer: As you should

429

Laura: I mean, if it was a film

studies class, I feel like that's

430

one thing, world geography.

431

He was just making the point

that, like, is built by m- men

432

and their penises, I guess.

433

And I was like, "Okay."

434

I don't know.

435

That's, that was my first college

encounter with this movie, but I

436

did have a better one later, so

437

Xhafer: Okay.

438

Laura: Good thing

439

Xhafer: While we're talking about the, the

movie and the book real quick, they were

440

written and produced at the same time.

441

The book actually came out

shortly after the movie.

442

Laura: Mm-hmm

443

Xhafer: they went on…

444

There was a sequel, 2010, which

was based off the second book,

445

Laura: Which

446

Xhafer: and then there's, and there's,

like, no more movies after that, but

447

there are, like, four more books.

448

Laura: Correct.

449

Yeah

450

Xhafer: It keeps going.

451

and I don't know if we just, like, know

the ending now because of those books,

452

like what is actually going on here.

453

Like, it's hard for me to understand

how ambiguous the ending of this movie

454

is because I know what everything

represents because Arthur C.

455

Clarke told us in the other books

456

Laura: I, I feel like I understood it.

457

I've only read the one.

458

I've

459

Xhafer: Yeah.

460

Laura: 2001, feel like

I understood it then

461

Xhafer: Okay

462

Laura: having read that book.

463

maybe there's more in the

other books that you get.

464

I think my dad has them, but I've

465

Xhafer: Yeah.

466

Laura: I've never tried.

467

Xhafer: Yeah

468

Laura: I got everything I needed out

of the one, just like Stanley Kubrick.

469

I was like, "I don't see

why we need to do more."

470

Xhafer: Yeah.

471

You got some more books.

472

Laura: My dad was obsessed with 2001.

473

He, it came out when he

was, you know, a teenager,

474

Xhafer: Yeah

475

Laura: he told me a couple fun

facts, that it was based…

476

Kubrick picked this up with Arthur C.

477

Clarke based on a short

story that Arthur C.

478

Clarke had, published that was

"The Sentinel" was the name.

479

Xhafer: Okay

480

Laura: it was basically we went to

the moon, and we found something

481

that an alien race had left there,

s- because basically they had decided

482

that when we could get to the moon,

that's when we were worth talking to.

483

Xhafer: Okay.

484

Laura: they took that story, and they just

kind of it out and made it more stuff.

485

But that was the basic premise that

Kubrick liked and teamed up with him for.

486

Xhafer: Okay

487

So we should probably get

into the movie itself.

488

I say knowing that I'm

gonna detour us immediately.

489

Uh, The Dawn of Man, that we see

a bunch of people in ape suits

490

Laura: Mm-hmm

491

Xhafer: where they get

uh, attacked by a jaguar.

492

They get driven from their

watering hole by a rival tribe.

493

This is all choreographed by

Daniel Richter, who was a London

494

mime, a part of a mime troupe

that performed all of these apes.

495

They went to the London Zoo

496

Laura: Uh-huh

497

Xhafer: watched the apes forever.

498

I looked into Daniel Richter

because when I saw the photo,

499

I thought it was Roy Schneider.

500

Laura: Oh, okay.

501

Xhafer: "Roy Schneider was the ape?"

502

And then I clicked it and read and it's

like, no uh, this is Dan- Daniel Richter.

503

But in reading about Daniel Richter, I

learned that he was actually going back

504

to The Beatles, buddies with John Lennon.

505

He lived with John Lennon

and Yoko Ono in the '70s,

506

Laura: Wow

507

Xhafer: and was also John Lennon's

heroin dealer in the late '60s.

508

Yeah.

509

Laura: Okay.

510

Xhafer: That's the ape guy.

511

Yep.

512

Laura: Huh.

513

Xhafer: That's what you

came here for, listener.

514

Laura: Yeah

515

Xhafer: in Beatles references.

516

Laura: It was really fun when w- I, I

watched this with my son, my 12-year-old

517

Xhafer: Yeah.

518

How'd he take it?

519

Laura: He was interested.

520

He, he wanted to watch it.

521

Xhafer: Mm-hmm

522

Laura: just like he

happened to be in the room.

523

and he did ask me, "Are those, are

those real people, or is that CGI?"

524

And I was like, "No, it's,

it's people in monkey suits."

525

Xhafer: Yeah.

526

Laura: um, this, this movie

is very practically done,

527

Xhafer: Yes

528

Laura: he was, he was impressed with that.

529

And lot of the stuff that is set

in this Dawn of Man scene has this

530

music behind it that is spooky dooky.

531

It is from György, I hope

I said that right, Ligeti.

532

Do you know anything about György Ligeti?

533

Xhafer: No

534

Laura: Okay.

535

Well, he was a Hungarian-born composer

536

Xhafer: Okay.

537

Laura: in Hungary, in communist

538

And under the communist regime, you

could only make certain types of music.

539

Musicians were very censored.

540

Xhafer: Mm-hmm.

541

Laura: had to do things that,

that were full of, like, Hungarian

542

traditional pride, like folk

543

Xhafer: yeah.

544

Laura: loved fucking folk songs

in the communist regime, right?

545

So he gets out of that and moves,

546

Xhafer: All right.

547

Laura: and he just goes

fucking nuts, quite clearly.

548

He didn't like making that

stupid folksy communist slop.

549

Um, so he does stuff like this, and

I think that there's three different

550

pieces that we hear pieces of throughout.

551

Um, Atmospheres is the

name of one of them.

552

His Requiem is another, and there's a

third one that I think is escaping me.

553

it's all very atonal.

554

He, he went hard on that

555

Xhafer: Yeah

556

Laura: Like, not doing anything, like,

structured, traditional that we did.

557

I don't know how you perform this stuff.

558

Like, I'm sitting there listening to

it, and I'm like, "I don't know how

559

as a singer I would be able to that."

560

I don't know if it's just 'cause my

mind is very, like, trained in the

561

Western classical, very structured,

562

Xhafer: Yeah.

563

Laura: everything is,

is on major or minor.

564

Like, uh,

565

Xhafer: mm-hmm

566

Laura: know how they do it,

and it's very interesting.

567

Maybe Conductor Kristen in the Discord

has some experience with any Ligeti music.

568

But it's spooky-ooky, and it's very good.

569

It's very

570

Xhafer: Yeah

571

Laura: movie.

572

I-- I think I've talked

about it on pod before.

573

I don't know if it's been recent, but

574

Xhafer: There's 250 hours of us

talking on the internet, Laura.

575

Decent chance

576

Laura: least once.

577

Xhafer: it's come up.

578

Laura: But in your, like, your little

research, did you come across that this

579

music, everything in 2001, was stuff that

Kubrick put in show the composer of the

580

score what I want the music to be like?

581

And then Alex North

582

Xhafer: Yeah.

583

Laura: and Kubrick listened and

was like, "Nah, I just wanna

584

use the things that I did."

585

" The things

586

Xhafer: What an ass.

587

Laura: So he did not use Alex North's

score, and he did not tell him.

588

So they did compensate him, you know,

they paid him for the score that he wrote.

589

Xhafer: Yeah

590

Laura: But he goes to the

premiere and it's not his music

591

Xhafer: Oh my God, I'd be so mad.

592

Laura: He was pretty mad.

593

And I thought that was and fascinating,

and I-- One, one Christmas I'm looking

594

around on Amazon and I see, oh, hey, there

is a CD of the music that Alex North wrote

595

for "2001" that was not used in "2001."

596

Xhafer: Yeah.

597

Laura: And since my father's obsessed

598

I'm gonna get him this CD, and

599

Xhafer: Yeah

600

Laura: what the guy actually wrote."

601

And my dad's review was, "Yeah,

it was not, not very good."

602

He's like, "It was way better as it

is," which, I mean, it is pretty iconic.

603

Um,

604

Xhafer: Mm-hmm.

605

Laura: his not telling Alex North

that he was gonna use the other music,

606

also did not tell György Ligeti.

607

He did not properly license the music

from György Ligeti, who is a living person

608

Xhafer: Yeah.

609

Laura: at this time.

610

so Ligeti goes to the premiere

and is like, "Hey, what the fuck?"

611

So he sues,

612

Xhafer: Yeah

613

Laura: and they settle it, and I-- my

belief is, what I read, was that Kubrick

614

actually, like, apologized and made

sure that the compensation was good.

615

then he actually used Ligeti's

music in two more movies.

616

He

617

Xhafer: Okay

618

Laura: "The Shining" and "Eyes Wide Shut."

619

And when "Eyes Wide Shut" premiered in

Germany, you know, Kubrick died, I think.

620

Xhafer: Yeah, right around then.

621

Laura: the production?

622

Xhafer: I think it had to have

been right after, 'cause he

623

finished that movie, so…

624

Laura: But he, he was,

like, on his way out

625

Xhafer: Yeah

626

Laura: Ligeti escorted Kubrick's

widow to the premiere in Germany

627

Xhafer: Oh.

628

Laura: So, like, they must have

629

Xhafer: They made amends, yeah

630

Laura: So it's nice.

631

You don't, you don't often hear

that sort of thing happening in

632

Hollywood, and then people being,

like, cool and chill together

633

Xhafer: Yeah.

634

Laura: so

635

Xhafer: if you admit you fucked

up and you made it right, like,

636

you can heal from these things

637

Laura: So like Kubrick may,

may be famous like curmudgeon

638

and sometimes bad person, but

639

Xhafer: Mm-hmm.

640

Laura: he at least took

care of our boy Ligetti

641

Xhafer: All right.

642

so the apes have to leave

their watering hole.

643

They wander, they find the monolith

644

Laura: Hmm.

645

This is

646

Xhafer: elevating their brains and

giving them the discovery of tools.

647

This evolutionary moment is scored

once again by Also Sprach Zarathustra.

648

The use of the cudgel spreads quickly.

649

They start killing and eating the

herd animals that they had been

650

sharing their lives with before

651

Laura: Yeah.

652

W- famously we saw them sitting by the

watering hole with these pigs that now

653

Xhafer: Yeah

654

Laura: we can crush their skulls

655

Xhafer: The evolutionary

moment leads to violence.

656

This will be repeated later in the movie.

657

It's important.

658

They reclaim their watering

hole through violence as well.

659

And then we fast-forward a few

million years to the bright,

660

optimistic future of 25 years ago.

661

Laura: No, it was

662

Xhafer: Fuck.

663

Laura: we, we cut it to the, to the

Blue Danube and the future, present,

664

Xhafer: Yeah

665

Laura: I do like this business

where we, we transition,

666

Xhafer: Yeah, our second Strauss.

667

Laura: Mm-hmm, yeah.

668

Johann and Richard were not related.

669

Just wanna show, throw that

670

Xhafer: Yeah

671

Laura: everybody.

672

Strauss was fir- or Johann Strauss

was first, and then Richard Strauss

673

was later, but they are not related.

674

But the, the scene we get, the, you

know, lots of little visual nuggets here

675

Xhafer: Yeah.

676

Laura: we're on Pan Am spaceliner,

677

Xhafer: Yeah.

678

Laura: we've got an IBM

computer in the cockpit,

679

Xhafer: Yeah

680

Laura: we've got the Hilton and

Howard Johnson's right next to

681

each other in the space station.

682

Xhafer: Yeah.

683

I'm gonna use this AT&T

long distance video phone

684

Laura: Yeah.

685

Xhafer: This was a whole thing because,

like, this is not, like, product

686

placement in the traditional sense.

687

And when we see this now, we're like, "Oh,

God," like this garish product placement

688

because marketing has ruined movies.

689

But this was n- like many things

in this movie, novel at the time.

690

Most of the time you did not include

real companies in your movies on purpose,

691

Laura: Yeah.

692

Uh-huh

693

Xhafer: uh, before this.

694

Because one, you would have to pay

that company to use their stuff.

695

Laura: Ага.

696

Xhafer: w- worked the other way around.

697

And also it would, like, lock it into a

time and, like, and that was something

698

that people were worried about.

699

Laura: Yeah, we want it to feel like

it could be now, it could be timeless.

700

Xhafer: Yeah.

701

Laura: not laughing that Pan Am died,

you know, over 50 or 60 years ago.

702

Xhafer: Yeah.

703

So, it's a, it was a choice

to make the movie feel more

704

grounded by using real brands

705

Laura: Mm-hmm.

706

yeah, that think it's an excellent choice.

707

It's fun.

708

It's

709

Xhafer: Yeah.

710

It's, it's fun.

711

Yeah.

712

Laura: Did-- So was it that Kubrick had

to pay for use of those brand names or

713

Xhafer: So he was coming off of Dr.

714

Strangelove

715

Laura: Yeah.

716

Xhafer: when he made this.

717

It was a very famous, well-received movie.

718

Kubrick had already earned

his reputation as an auteur.

719

Laura: Mm-hmm.

720

Xhafer: He, he had a…

721

I don't, I don't-- Not to say that he,

his legacy was cemented before this movie.

722

It definitely wasn't.

723

But he had enough of a reputation where I

don't think he had to do much work here.

724

Laura: Yeah.

725

Xhafer: think it was mostly

the lawyers saying it was okay,

726

and the company signing off.

727

It's like, "Oh, sure, you want

to throw us into your movie?

728

I, I guess.

729

Yeah, go for it.

730

Yeah, that's fine."

731

Laura: But we're not paying

for that placement yet.

732

We're not

733

Xhafer: well, we're-- Yeah,

that, that, that's not how

734

it was working at this point,

735

Laura: Yeah.

736

Xhafer: least to my knowledge.

737

yeah.

738

Fun little stuff there.

739

Laura: We got Dr.

740

Floyd going up to the

741

Xhafer: yeah.

742

Laura: onto the moon

743

Xhafer: This is all…

744

I want to call out they're all using

centrifugal anti-gravity technology,

745

Laura: Very

746

Xhafer: is the same as our

destroyers in Babylon 5.

747

The Earth Force destroyers all use

centrifugal artificial gravity,

748

Laura: Mm-hmm.

749

Xhafer: it also makes sense.

750

Like, it's in The Expanse

a bit too, I think.

751

Laura: Okay.

752

Xhafer: I think they used

some centrifugal there?

753

Laura: think in the books,

yes, they mention some

754

Xhafer: know a lot of it

is uh, when we see some

755

propulsion-based anti-gravity too,

756

Laura: Yes.

757

Mm-hmm.

758

Xhafer: centrifugal would makes more

sense for space stations and stuff.

759

But uh, there's lots of cool

shots with, like, the spinning.

760

They do-- They take every opportunity

to be all like, "Well, I, this…

761

Oh my God, she's walking upside down now."

762

Like, she just walked in a half circle

763

Laura: We're rotating

the whole room around her

764

Xhafer: Yeah

765

Laura: that.

766

Like, they rotate the room and the camera

767

Xhafer: Like yeah, the camera is

attached to a fixed point in the room

768

Laura: Uh-huh

769

Xhafer: then they rotate the room

and the camera at the same time

770

around the actor doing the shot

771

Laura: Yeah.

772

Xhafer: how they did this.

773

And they, I wanna say, invented

that technique with this movie

774

Laura: Mm-hmm.

775

Xhafer: that is then

used all over the place.

776

I mean, the roots of this are felt past

this through, through like Jamiroquai's

777

Virtual Insanity video and stuff.

778

Like it became a thing for decades

uh, doing weird shots by moving

779

the room around with the camera

attached is like a well-established

780

technique now, which is fun.

781

But you know, at the time there's

everything in this movie is a practical

782

effect of some variety or another.

783

Sometimes it's hand-drawn stuff

sometimes, but most of the time it's

784

crazy light painting of some variety.

785

Weird stuff with exposure times.

786

We'll talk about that more

in the Stargate sequence.

787

Yeah, Dr.

788

Heywood Floyd here he's passing by.

789

He's gonna stop for breakfast.

790

He's got his layover in space

before he goes to the moon.

791

He makes a quick Zoom call home.

792

Laura: Mm-hmm

793

Xhafer: this is Shirley Kubrick.

794

Shi- Shirley Kubrick?

795

Vivian Kubrick.

796

Stanley Kubrick's youngest daughter.

797

This is Vivian Kubrick

798

Laura: I think I remember hearing that.

799

Yeah

800

Xhafer: Yeah.

801

So, you know, like, she

was a young kid here.

802

You wanna know what she's been up to?

803

Laura: Do I?

804

Xhafer: No, you don't.

805

Laura: Oh, no.

806

Oh,

807

Xhafer: no, it's okay.

808

It's okay.

809

This is-- I think this ends very funny.

810

Laura: Okay

811

Xhafer: but she got super

alt-right, QAnon, anti-vaxxer

812

during COVID, the whole deal.

813

So she's in these circles, right?

814

She's in the big conspiracy theory circle.

815

Laura: Mm-hmm

816

Xhafer: But isn't that kind

of funny given who her dad is?

817

Because what is one of the most

famous conspiracy theories?

818

Stanley Kubrick faked the moon landing

819

Laura: Oh, yeah

820

Xhafer: So she has to deal with constantly

people telling her that her dad faked

821

the moon landing while making this

movie because all these moon shots…

822

This movie came out within a

year of the moon landing, right?

823

Laura: okay.

824

I hadn't put that together in my head.

825

Xhafer: And so, like, he's in Tunisia

using colored lighting to make it

826

look like the moon for the monolith

scenes out, you know, on the Martian

827

landscape or on the-- not the Martian

landscape, the moon, the moon landscape.

828

And he does such a convincing job

that when people see the moon landing,

829

they're like, "Well, this is clearly

830

you could make it look like it's

the surface of the moon," right?

831

They look too similar.

832

Now, Kubrick was working with NASA for

four years before making this movie,

833

learning everything he could about how,

where this technology was going and the

834

aesthetics and the science behind stuff.

835

He would sit in mission

control during missions.

836

He had, like, literally secret ac-

level access to NASA's projects at

837

certain points because he was so curious

about how things were working and

838

progressing and going, all to make this

movie more convincing and realistic.

839

And so Vivian has to go, "No, that's

the conspiracy theory that's not real.

840

No, the moon landing was real.

841

My dad didn't fake it, guys,

but also vaccines cause autism."

842

That is her life, and I think

that is fucking hilarious.

843

Laura: It,

844

Xhafer: is A-plus level irony to it.

845

Laura: It's got a poetry.

846

I still hate it.

847

Xhafer: Yeah, that's fair.

848

Laura: Oh, man.

849

Wow

850

Xhafer: Yeah, you can find her Twitter

and see her occasionally having to

851

debuff someone who's claiming the

moon landing was faked by her dad

852

Laura: Wait.

853

Okay, so she really does that on Twitter?

854

'Cause I was afraid it could get,

like, ugly and she'll be like,

855

"Yeah, I don't know where dad was

all the time," blah, blah, blah.

856

I

857

Xhafer: No, no, she really…

858

No, this is a thing.

859

This is documented.

860

Laura: Whew.

861

Ah.

862

Xhafer: Hilarious.

863

Um,

864

Laura: a bit about my

865

Xhafer: also how bad is this

acting job from this child?

866

Laura: I don't know.

867

I was like, this is

kinda how little kids are

868

Yeah.

869

If you want more about how I feel about

conspiracy theories right now, Cool

870

Girls is gonna be back, and our first

episode is gonna hit that pretty hard.

871

So,

872

Xhafer: Yeah, I heard you guys

recording it in the other room.

873

Laura: the eventual return of Cool

Girls Don't Look At Explosions.

874

Um, but

875

Xhafer: recording has resumed.

876

Can confirm

877

Laura: Mm-hmm.

878

Yeah.

879

No, I thought, I thought the,

the … This is how little kids are.

880

That was all fine.

881

I did have a good laugh when

he, like, hangs up the phone

882

and it says it was $1.70

883

to call from space.

884

Xhafer: Yeah.

885

Laura: like, "Huh."

886

I … For a second there, you

know, at the end, she's like, she

887

tells her daddy she wants a bush

baby for her birthday, and I was

888

Xhafer: Mm-hmm.

889

Laura: the fuck is that?

890

And am I gonna be really

horrified when I look this up?"

891

Xhafer: Did you look it up?

892

Laura: I did.

893

It's just, like, a little

rodent thing, so thank God.

894

Xhafer: Oh, okay

895

Laura: I was a little worried

it was gonna be something weird

896

Xhafer: I heard it and I'm all like,

"That sounds like a racist doll,"

897

and just moved on with my life.

898

Laura: it?

899

Yeah.

900

Okay.

901

I'm glad I'm not the only one who had

that thought, but no, it's just like a

902

little rodenty thing with like big old,

big old eyes, and it's pretty cute.

903

Xhafer: Big old eyes.

904

Laura: Yeah

905

Xhafer: Oh, like a little,

um, sugar glider or something?

906

Laura: Yeah, kinda like that.

907

Mm-hmm.

908

Xhafer: cool.

909

Laura: Yeah.

910

So, phew everyone, there wasn't like

a secret racism we glossed over.

911

No, it was, it's an actual rodent.

912

Xhafer: Dr.

913

Floyd makes his way down to

Clavius, which is the moon base,

914

Laura: Oh, do you wanna talk about

his Russian friends we talked to

915

Xhafer: Oh yeah, he hangs

out with some Russians.

916

That's fun.

917

Laura: Uh-huh.

918

That's

919

Xhafer: such good friends.

920

Laura: time,

921

Xhafer: 100%, yeah.

922

Very novel at this time

923

Laura: They, they go to each

other's houses and swim in

924

each other's pools and stuff.

925

Xhafer: Yeah.

926

Laura: But the Russians wanna know,

like, why Clavius is shut down.

927

Xhafer: Yeah.

928

Like, "Hey

929

Laura: us on Clavius, and we

were, we had an emergency, and

930

they said there was an epidemic,

931

and they don't take calls.

932

what's the fuck up with that, Dr.

933

Floyd?

934

" Xhafer: Yeah, that's weird.

935

Laura: Yeah.

936

Xhafer: You want, you wanna

explain that a little bit?"

937

And he's all like, "No.

938

I'd really rather not,

actually, thank you."

939

Laura: Yeah, but he's gonna

tell the people of Clavius

940

why they're having an epidemic

941

Xhafer: Yeah, he arrives, he congratulates

them on their massive scientific

942

discovery, the cover story of the pandemic

on the base being awkward but needed,

943

and then they travel to the discovery,

noting that it was deliberately buried.

944

They have evidence it was

deli- this, this monolith was

945

deliberately buried on the moon

946

Laura: four million years ago too?

947

I wrote that down, but I don't know why

948

Xhafer: They do say four million years

ago a handful of times in reference to

949

that monolith, the implication being that

it is the same monolith that the a- man

950

apes enc- countered in the opening segment

951

Laura: they, the, the dawn of man

apes like all touchy, touchy the

952

monolith and get some stuff out of

it, and then it just chills up on

953

the moon for four million years.

954

Xhafer: Yeah.

955

It's like, "Yeah, you'll

get up here eventually."

956

Laura: Yeah.

957

very interesting.

958

And then we get more Ligeti music

here at the moon site where we go.

959

we're…

960

I, I love that we're like,

you know, we're just walking

961

around the monolith, showing Dr.

962

Heywood Floyd this cool thing we

found, and we're about to take

963

Xhafer: Yeah.

964

Laura: photo in front of the

965

Xhafer: Mm-hmm.

966

And then my tinnitus got really bad

and I missed what happened in the movie

967

Laura: Me too.

968

It's weird, and I don't

usually have that problem.

969

I did,

970

Xhafer: I do.

971

Laura: did worry.

972

I was like 'Cause the movie

doesn't tell us if Dr.

973

Floyd and his team are okay.

974

okay?

975

Xhafer: It's ambiguous

976

Laura: I can't remember from the book

if they were okay or if it told me.

977

Xhafer: They're okay.

978

Laura: cool

979

Xhafer: Um, Floyd, Dr.

980

Floyd is the main character of 2010,

981

Laura: Oh, okay.

982

Xhafer: Where he is in fact played by

I said his name already, Roy Scheider

983

Laura: Oh, okay.

984

Xhafer: Which is why I was all like,

"Ray Schneider's in the first one?

985

I thought Ray Schneider

was in the sequel."

986

It was the reason for, like the

impetus for me digging in, 'cause

987

I was like, "That can't be right

988

Laura: But the sound that comes out of

this monolith is so ba- it's bad sound.

989

Bad sound.

990

Xhafer: I legit have tinnitus.

991

Laura: Is this the

992

Xhafer: I like, I c-

993

Laura: your head?

994

Xhafer: this 100%, yeah.

995

It's louder than normal,

but this is the sound.

996

this is like, I can't watch medical dramas

997

Laura: Okay.

998

Xhafer: because all of the beeping

in like the background of the

999

ER scenes sets off my tinnitus.

00:40:14,825 --> 00:40:20,305

I have problems with lots of procedural

dramas where there's like lots of

00:40:20,305 --> 00:40:23,445

sirens and stuff for the same reason.

00:40:24,555 --> 00:40:24,915

Yeah

00:40:25,134 --> 00:40:25,604

Laura: Yeah.

00:40:25,774 --> 00:40:27,874

Does the bad sound set off your tinnitus?

00:40:29,801 --> 00:40:30,311

Xhafer: It did.

00:40:30,521 --> 00:40:34,361

I had to legitimately pause and,

like, do an inner ear reset.

00:40:35,282 --> 00:40:35,512

Laura: Oof.

00:40:35,871 --> 00:40:36,251

Xhafer: Yeah.

00:40:36,272 --> 00:40:36,632

Laura: Oof.

00:40:37,441 --> 00:40:38,431

Xhafer: Eh, it is what it is.

00:40:38,592 --> 00:40:42,442

Laura: but it is such a, like, upsetting

sound that you could believe that

00:40:42,569 --> 00:40:42,939

Xhafer: Yeah

00:40:42,952 --> 00:40:45,152

Laura: like, died because of it

00:40:45,395 --> 00:40:45,935

Xhafer: 100%.

00:40:46,805 --> 00:40:50,095

Um, I had the advantage of

watching the first half of this

00:40:50,125 --> 00:40:52,955

on my desktop instead of a TV.

00:40:53,305 --> 00:40:56,285

So I had these headphones, the same

headphones I've got on right now on.

00:40:56,575 --> 00:40:59,575

So when the bad sound started,

I was just like, "Oh, okay.

00:41:00,295 --> 00:41:01,435

Can't hear shit now.

00:41:01,605 --> 00:41:02,425

This is fine.

00:41:02,825 --> 00:41:05,265

Let me do my inner ear

reset and come back."

00:41:06,420 --> 00:41:10,300

Laura: So we cut straight from bad sound

to just like, "Oh, hey, now there's

00:41:10,310 --> 00:41:11,770

some people on a ship to Jupiter."

00:41:11,770 --> 00:41:13,740

I think it's 18 months later they say?

00:41:14,494 --> 00:41:15,994

Xhafer: 18 months, we see Dr.

00:41:15,994 --> 00:41:19,404

Frank Poole running laps

around the cryopods.

00:41:19,864 --> 00:41:24,084

This is Gary Lockwood, who should look

familiar, Star Trek fans, because it's

00:41:24,094 --> 00:41:26,194

Gary Mitchell from the original series.

00:41:26,456 --> 00:41:26,826

Laura: Yeah.

00:41:26,914 --> 00:41:27,774

Xhafer: Second episode.

00:41:28,096 --> 00:41:28,906

Laura: You wanna know something

00:41:29,204 --> 00:41:29,714

Xhafer: you know, we-

00:41:30,046 --> 00:41:31,486

Laura: before we go too far?

00:41:32,034 --> 00:41:33,244

Xhafer: Oh, I have something fun too.

00:41:33,284 --> 00:41:33,924

Go ahead.

00:41:34,046 --> 00:41:34,646

Laura: maybe we have the

00:41:34,854 --> 00:41:35,984

Xhafer: I wonder if we

have the same fun…

00:41:36,444 --> 00:41:37,414

That'd be funny

00:41:37,466 --> 00:41:40,266

Laura: telling me last night when

he was doing his info dump about

00:41:40,276 --> 00:41:45,646

supposed to be on their way to Saturn.

00:41:45,676 --> 00:41:49,036

It was supposed to be one

of Saturn's moons that

00:41:49,546 --> 00:41:49,896

Xhafer: Okay.

00:41:49,946 --> 00:41:51,366

Laura: Monolith is hanging out at

00:41:52,276 --> 00:41:54,006

Xhafer: Why'd they change

to the Jovian moons?

00:41:54,538 --> 00:41:58,388

Laura: they're, the, specifically

they wanted this moon of Saturn that

00:41:58,398 --> 00:42:01,568

something interesting happens, and

I c- I can't describe it as well as

00:42:01,568 --> 00:42:05,718

he did, but something interesting

happens with, like, the day/night.

00:42:06,945 --> 00:42:09,195

I can't describe, but there

was some lighting thing that

00:42:09,195 --> 00:42:10,615

was gonna be really cool.

00:42:10,975 --> 00:42:11,995

But ultimately, they

00:42:12,031 --> 00:42:12,361

Xhafer: Okay

00:42:12,365 --> 00:42:13,685

Laura: not pull it off.

00:42:14,185 --> 00:42:18,545

They could not do the, the cool

moon thing for the Saturn moon.

00:42:18,955 --> 00:42:22,745

And because that wouldn't be, like,

scientifically accurate if they

00:42:22,755 --> 00:42:25,935

sent it there but they weren't

doing the cool thing, they decided

00:42:25,935 --> 00:42:27,475

to use a Jupiter moon instead.

00:42:28,215 --> 00:42:31,415

But, but the, like, the, the special

effects team kept trying, and they were

00:42:31,415 --> 00:42:36,705

like, "We cannot make Saturn or this

moon look as cool as it's supposed to."

00:42:37,835 --> 00:42:43,655

I th- I believe when I read the book

it was Jupiter that was mentioned.

00:42:43,685 --> 00:42:44,595

So Arthur C.

00:42:44,595 --> 00:42:46,235

Clarke, I think, because

these things were…

00:42:46,245 --> 00:42:48,535

the book was happening in tandem

with the movie, I think he did

00:42:48,535 --> 00:42:51,995

wind up rewriting it that they

went to Jupiter instead of Saturn.

00:42:52,835 --> 00:42:53,735

not 100% sure.

00:42:53,735 --> 00:42:54,955

I read that book 20 years ago.

00:42:54,955 --> 00:42:58,355

But I, all I remember in my

head is Jupiter, not Saturn.

00:42:58,865 --> 00:42:59,175

But there

00:42:59,263 --> 00:42:59,603

Xhafer: Yeah

00:42:59,735 --> 00:43:03,175

Laura: effect they wanted to do with

one of Saturn's moons that they just

00:43:03,175 --> 00:43:06,145

couldn't do it, so they, they just rewrote

their shit and they're going to Jupiter.

00:43:06,890 --> 00:43:07,150

Xhafer: Huh.

00:43:07,827 --> 00:43:08,017

Laura: What's

00:43:08,027 --> 00:43:09,137

Xhafer: Well, I did not know that

00:43:09,187 --> 00:43:10,867

Laura: It clearly wasn't

that since you didn't know it

00:43:11,995 --> 00:43:15,435

Xhafer: Well, we talked about

Vivian Kubrick, who's a nepo baby.

00:43:16,355 --> 00:43:20,355

Not the only nepo baby in this movie

00:43:20,529 --> 00:43:21,999

Laura: of the bodies an hippo baby?

00:43:23,119 --> 00:43:27,479

Xhafer: Well, Gary Lockwood

has a very famous uncle.

00:43:27,553 --> 00:43:27,783

Laura: this.

00:43:28,189 --> 00:43:33,329

Xhafer: You would never know his name,

but he's credited with baby-cut carrots

00:43:33,923 --> 00:43:34,383

Laura: What?

00:43:35,773 --> 00:43:38,633

Xhafer: Yeah, Gary Lockwood's

uncle, creator of baby cut carrots.

00:43:38,643 --> 00:43:41,242

So that makes Gary

Lockwood a nepo baby carrot

00:43:41,375 --> 00:43:41,745

Laura: Yeah.

00:43:42,665 --> 00:43:43,215

Yeah, I like

00:43:43,302 --> 00:43:43,642

Xhafer: Yeah.

00:43:44,645 --> 00:43:45,575

Laura: Huh.

00:43:46,425 --> 00:43:49,965

baby carrots also, like,

famously wasteful when they make

00:43:50,598 --> 00:43:52,748

Xhafer: Yeah, they're

just carrots that they cut

00:43:52,945 --> 00:43:53,165

Laura: trim

00:43:53,248 --> 00:43:55,008

Xhafer: away a bunch of the carrot for.

00:43:55,028 --> 00:43:55,408

Yeah.

00:43:57,478 --> 00:43:57,728

Yeah

00:43:57,905 --> 00:43:58,515

Laura: I try not…

00:43:58,535 --> 00:44:04,095

Once I found that out, that A it's kind

of a wasteful process, and B, you c-

00:44:04,105 --> 00:44:08,475

actually baby carrots are not good for

roasting because they're too moist, I,

00:44:09,108 --> 00:44:09,448

Xhafer: Yeah.

00:44:09,515 --> 00:44:10,475

Laura: carrot carrots now.

00:44:10,911 --> 00:44:13,231

Xhafer: I usually prefer

to cook with car- carrots.

00:44:13,401 --> 00:44:15,921

We'll have a bag of baby carrots

in the fridge for snacking though

00:44:16,073 --> 00:44:17,952

Laura: uh, Pretty good for snacking.

00:44:18,672 --> 00:44:18,972

Hard

00:44:18,998 --> 00:44:20,118

Xhafer: Really good for snacking.

00:44:21,458 --> 00:44:21,948

Yeah

00:44:22,182 --> 00:44:23,142

Laura: They're just so dippable.

00:44:23,587 --> 00:44:24,027

Xhafer: 100%.

00:44:24,394 --> 00:44:25,824

Laura: Gary Lockwood's uncle

00:44:27,508 --> 00:44:33,358

Xhafer: the crew watches a interview on

BBC 12 with Kenneth Kendall, who was a BBC

00:44:33,358 --> 00:44:35,808

News guy at the time and game show host.

00:44:36,278 --> 00:44:36,988

That's fun.

00:44:37,228 --> 00:44:37,588

Yeah.

00:44:38,188 --> 00:44:40,486

I read a bit about him, but uh, the…

00:44:40,546 --> 00:44:44,146

I mean, he is noteworthy for

being on the BBC for forever.

00:44:44,641 --> 00:44:45,151

Laura: Okay.

00:44:45,221 --> 00:44:45,651

Yeah

00:44:46,266 --> 00:44:50,006

Xhafer: he was in the closet for most

of his life, but towards the end of

00:44:50,006 --> 00:44:52,376

it started living openly as a gay man.

00:44:52,606 --> 00:44:55,586

And then when gay marriage

was legalized in the…

00:44:55,616 --> 00:44:59,266

Well, it was civil unions were legalized,

not gay marriage, were in the UK.

00:44:59,316 --> 00:45:01,366

He was one of the first to receive one.

00:45:02,573 --> 00:45:03,523

Laura: Blazing a trail.

00:45:03,626 --> 00:45:06,156

Xhafer: And they lived, they lived

the rest of their lives together.

00:45:07,426 --> 00:45:10,306

Laura: one of the things he's gotta

do on this interview is he really

00:45:10,306 --> 00:45:13,306

00:45:13,430 --> 00:45:14,560

Xhafer: Yes.

00:45:15,288 --> 00:45:18,238

Yeah this AI is real

fucking sure of itself.

00:45:18,238 --> 00:45:20,478

It is incapable of error.

00:45:20,478 --> 00:45:29,268

And man, I have not watched this movie

since pre-ChatGPT, and fucking yikes.

00:45:29,319 --> 00:45:31,759

Laura: sitting there going, "Oh

my God, I've heard this before."

00:45:34,159 --> 00:45:36,049

Recently, from my computer.

00:45:36,378 --> 00:45:38,278

Xhafer: Yeah, from my computer.

00:45:39,868 --> 00:45:46,508

Yeah, it's just all like it's so sure

of itself, and then it's wrong, and

00:45:46,508 --> 00:45:48,578

it's all like, "Oh, you're right, Dave.

00:45:49,217 --> 00:45:49,497

Laura: Do you r-

00:45:49,688 --> 00:45:50,388

Xhafer: I'm sorry."

00:45:50,467 --> 00:45:57,067

Laura: remember era, like in early Windows

times, like we're talking Windows like pre

00:45:57,364 --> 00:45:59,144

Xhafer: Are we talk-- Are we

about to talk about Clippy?

00:45:59,387 --> 00:46:00,337

Laura: I'm not talking about Chloe,

00:46:00,614 --> 00:46:00,894

Xhafer: Okay

00:46:01,137 --> 00:46:07,997

Laura: like pre-Windows 95 even, maybe

some Windows 95, um, where the…

00:46:08,207 --> 00:46:11,967

And I guess you can probably still

customize your error sounds today, like

00:46:11,977 --> 00:46:14,177

what, what a Microsoft error sounds like.

00:46:15,427 --> 00:46:18,297

One of the limited choices

you had in the early Windows

00:46:18,327 --> 00:46:20,287

was some things that Hal said.

00:46:20,977 --> 00:46:21,517

So

00:46:21,684 --> 00:46:22,014

Xhafer: Yeah.

00:46:22,057 --> 00:46:25,907

Laura: there was an error m- on my dad's

computer, it would say, "I'm sorry, Dave.

00:46:25,907 --> 00:46:27,367

I'm afraid I can't do that."

00:46:28,547 --> 00:46:31,907

And, ugh, what's the other one that

my dad's computer would say sometimes?

00:46:31,967 --> 00:46:33,847

Uh, I th- open the pod bay doors, Hal.

00:46:35,200 --> 00:46:35,640

Xhafer: Yeah.

00:46:36,207 --> 00:46:38,137

Laura: That's, that's not

a Hal, but that's a Dave.

00:46:38,187 --> 00:46:38,667

Um,

00:46:39,600 --> 00:46:39,990

Xhafer: Yeah

00:46:40,157 --> 00:46:43,717

they, I think they were just built into

00:46:43,717 --> 00:46:45,367

Windows that that was some of your options

00:46:46,066 --> 00:46:48,036

Xhafer: I, I don't know that they were.

00:46:48,265 --> 00:46:48,545

Laura: did my

00:46:48,656 --> 00:46:49,636

Xhafer: There might have been a…

00:46:50,526 --> 00:46:52,146

I think your dad just did that.

00:46:53,366 --> 00:46:55,166

Listener, if you re- I

don't remember those things.

00:46:55,166 --> 00:46:56,376

That doesn't mean that they weren't there.

00:46:56,457 --> 00:46:57,607

Laura: if you heard it in

00:46:57,656 --> 00:47:00,136

Xhafer: yeah, if, if you know,

tell us in the Discord please

00:47:00,147 --> 00:47:03,087

Laura: computer also tell you

that it couldn't do that, Dave?

00:47:07,571 --> 00:47:11,371

really sure of itself.

00:47:11,401 --> 00:47:11,771

We do…

00:47:11,801 --> 00:47:16,561

I think we mention in this interview

00:47:17,692 --> 00:47:18,192

Xhafer: Yes.

00:47:18,651 --> 00:47:23,021

Laura: that is, like, also doing

mission stuff at the same time?

00:47:23,909 --> 00:47:26,669

Xhafer: It's, well, I think they're

just, they're running it in parallel.

00:47:26,759 --> 00:47:27,169

Yeah

00:47:28,245 --> 00:47:31,065

Frank gets a video message from his

parents wishing him a happy birthday

00:47:31,394 --> 00:47:32,904

Laura: I wonder if they

had to pay for the song.

00:47:33,954 --> 00:47:37,934

Remember the days when you

couldn't sing Happy Birthday on a

00:47:38,161 --> 00:47:38,641

Xhafer: Yeah

00:47:38,914 --> 00:47:40,344

Laura: because of the copyright?

00:47:40,714 --> 00:47:42,474

But they sing Happy Birthday.

00:47:42,684 --> 00:47:44,534

Like, it's not a, not a fake

00:47:45,177 --> 00:47:47,147

Xhafer: I mean, they're

famously litigious,

00:47:47,584 --> 00:47:47,744

Laura: Mm.

00:47:47,987 --> 00:47:51,817

Xhafer: so I would assume

they either paid or paid.

00:47:52,624 --> 00:47:53,004

Laura: Yeah.

00:47:53,367 --> 00:47:55,137

Xhafer: They either paid

up front or after, but…

00:47:56,034 --> 00:47:56,414

Laura: Yeah, I was

00:47:56,537 --> 00:48:00,377

Xhafer: And I'm gonna guess if

Kubrick is not gonna credit Ligeti,

00:48:02,957 --> 00:48:05,027

that he really didn't think

about "Happy Birthday."

00:48:05,180 --> 00:48:07,740

Laura: you know, he might not have, um…

00:48:08,400 --> 00:48:13,150

Yeah, they, they just wanna wish him

and, it's Frank's parents, right?

00:48:13,150 --> 00:48:14,350

So they're wishing him and Dave all the

00:48:14,673 --> 00:48:15,013

Xhafer: Yeah.

00:48:15,665 --> 00:48:20,725

Laura: yeah, and Hal, Hal wants

to ask Dave a personal question.

00:48:21,925 --> 00:48:22,075

Are

00:48:22,087 --> 00:48:22,507

Xhafer: Yeah.

00:48:22,547 --> 00:48:22,987

He's got some

00:48:23,035 --> 00:48:25,405

Laura: worried about this, Dave?

00:48:25,739 --> 00:48:26,279

Xhafer: Yeah.

00:48:26,315 --> 00:48:26,555

Laura: mission?

00:48:26,969 --> 00:48:28,669

Xhafer: You worried

about the mission, Dave?

00:48:28,975 --> 00:48:29,465

Laura: right, Dave?

00:48:30,279 --> 00:48:32,529

Xhafer: Doing the psych eval

right now and just wanted to

00:48:32,849 --> 00:48:34,899

check in, see how you're doing.

00:48:36,159 --> 00:48:39,049

Yeah he's like, "The circumstances

don't seem weird to you, Dave?

00:48:39,069 --> 00:48:40,929

Because they seem weird to me."

00:48:40,939 --> 00:48:43,139

And Dave's all like, "No,

this is a normal mission."

00:48:43,139 --> 00:48:44,319

And then Hal's like, "Oh, I'm sorry.

00:48:44,319 --> 00:48:44,969

You're right, Dave.

00:48:44,999 --> 00:48:46,069

This is a normal mission.

00:48:46,469 --> 00:48:48,409

By the way, the antenna's broke."

00:48:49,365 --> 00:48:52,525

Laura: Yeah, it's gonna, it's

gonna fail within 72 hours.

00:48:52,575 --> 00:48:54,055

I'm pretty sure about this

00:48:54,838 --> 00:48:56,218

Xhafer: So they're like, "Okay."

00:48:56,428 --> 00:48:59,908

So they go and they get it, and

they don't find anything wrong.

00:49:01,428 --> 00:49:06,478

And Hal's all like, "Okay, well maybe we

just put it back and let it break, because

00:49:06,538 --> 00:49:13,148

I am so certain that it's going to break

that you not finding it is human error

00:49:14,559 --> 00:49:14,989

Laura: Yeah.

00:49:15,482 --> 00:49:16,432

Xhafer: What a fuck.

00:49:16,882 --> 00:49:18,502

I've worked with people like Hal.

00:49:18,872 --> 00:49:20,012

No thanks.

00:49:20,709 --> 00:49:23,209

Laura: But Hal's twin

says the unit is fine.

00:49:23,219 --> 00:49:24,879

That is mentioned, that

00:49:25,522 --> 00:49:26,152

Xhafer: Yes.

00:49:26,269 --> 00:49:30,609

Laura: on Earth is like, "I don't know

what he's smoking, but I think it's fine."

00:49:31,131 --> 00:49:31,671

Xhafer: Mm-hmm

00:49:32,078 --> 00:49:32,418

Laura: Hmm.

00:49:32,718 --> 00:49:37,988

So, at this point, I did have to

cop out of this movie and go to bed,

00:49:38,197 --> 00:49:38,567

Xhafer: Yeah