Joshua Noel and TJ Blackwell dive into the adventurous world of "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom", marking the grand finale of Systematic Geekology's Summer Drive-In miniseries. In this episode, they explore everything from the movie’s iconic heart-pulling scene to its place among the beloved Indiana Jones saga. Their banter flows as effortlessly as Indy dodges traps, reflecting on how the film's prequel status adds depth to the character development we see in "Raiders of the Lost Ark". With a laid-back vibe, they also touch on the film's cultural commentary and its playful critiques of action tropes from the era. Plus, they can't resist sharing personal anecdotes about their love for the film, making it clear that "Temple of Doom" holds a special place in their hearts as they wrap up this summer's cinematic journey.

Diving deep into the adventurous escapades of "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom", Joshua and TJ's discussion is a delightful blend of nostalgia, critique, and humor. Right from the start, Joshua shares his passion for the film, positioning it as a cornerstone of his cinematic experience alongside "Star Wars: A New Hope". They set the scene of a summer Drive-In series, where the atmosphere is ripe for reminiscing about how films like Temple of Doom shaped their childhoods and influenced their understanding of different cultures. The conversation flows seamlessly as they dissect memorable scenes, such as the iconic heart-ripping moment, and reflect on how certain elements of the film have aged both well and poorly over time.

The duo does not shy away from addressing the film's more controversial aspects, particularly the portrayal of Willie Scott as a stereotypical damsel in distress. They explore how her character serves as a parody of other action films, which leads to a broader discussion about the role of women in cinema and how these portrayals reflect societal attitudes of the era. On a lighter note, Short Round's character is highlighted as a source of joy and comic relief, with both hosts sharing fond memories of his antics and the zest he brought to the film. Their witty banter keeps the conversation engaging, with TJ’s remarks about Indiana Jones being a “better Rambo” eliciting laughter and nods of agreement.

As they wrap up the episode, Joshua and TJ delve into what kind of drink would best represent the film’s adventurous spirit, landing on ideas that reflect their humorous take on pairing beverages with cinematic experiences. The hosts encourage listeners to engage with their own memories of the film, making this episode not just a review but a heartfelt celebration of the magic of movies and the lasting impact they leave on our lives. Through their relaxed and witty dialogue, Joshua and TJ create an inviting atmosphere that resonates with fans of the film and newcomers alike.

Takeaways:

• Joshua and TJ reflect on their love for Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, discussing its significance as a prequel that adds layers to Indiana Jones's character.
• The duo highlights how this film stands out for its unique portrayal of indigenous cultures compared to typical depictions in action films of its time.
• Short Round's character is praised for bringing humor and depth to the film, making him a standout sidekick who positively influences Indiana's personality.
• They delve into the film's critique of the 'white savior' trope, noting how Indiana Jones both saves and is saved by characters from the cultures he encounters.
• Joshua shares a personal anecdote about how the film sparked his interest in different religions and cultures, emphasizing its impact on his childhood.
• The episode wraps up with a light-hearted discussion about what flavored tea or lemonade would pair well with viewing Temple of Doom, showcasing their playful banter.

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Listen to the rest of our Prequels Summer Drive-In:

https://player.captivate.fm/collection/c59b93c5-6aed-48ee-8e63-200ce912ffaa

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Listen to more of our other film reviews:

https://player.captivate.fm/collection/6a01e00d-cfd7-4041-a7a4-1fd32c545050

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Check out other episodes with Joshua:

https://player.captivate.fm/collection/642da9db-496a-40f5-b212-7013d1e211e0

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Don't miss any of TJ's episodes:

https://player.captivate.fm/collection/f4c32709-d8ff-4cef-8dfd-5775275c3c5e

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SG on Fourthwall

And glory worth dying for. Well, today we're going to find out if we're talking about Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, one of my all time favorite films.

Back with the last episode this summer for the Systematic Ecology Summer Drive In. Really excited for this. You know, each year we have five different bonus series that we do on Fridays, usually shorter segments just for fun.

At the end of the week we have our Halloween drive in, our Christmas drive in, we do an icon series. At the beginning of the new year, we have a spring bonus series that changes yearly what it is.

And then of course we have the one that started all a classic, the summer Drive in series where we just kind of pretend like we went to a drive in. Talking about a movie for the first time. I'm really excited. Today we're talking about Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.

I think it's my favorite movie. Sometimes I switch between it and Star Wars A New Hope, but usually I think I'll say Indian Jones and the Temple of Doom.

I'm Joshua Noel here with the one and only pot almighty, TJ Tiberious. Juan Blackwell. Good to have you, tj.

Thank you.

Yeah, I mentioned this is the last one for the summer, so we're excited. We this summer we've been doing prequels to go along with the annual theme on systematic ecology of the faces behind us.

We've been talking about prequel films. This summer we've talked Star Wars, Revenge of the Sith. TJ and I did. We didn't do line Q1 2. Somebody else did. We did some other Disney one.

Ah, Monsters University.

Yep.

Monsters U. Yeah, yeah, we, you know, we had a lot of fun ones this year. Alien, Prometheus, one of those was on there. Something like that. And next week there's going to be a bonus. We recorded an extra.

So if you're a member, even a free member of our show, you can hear Kevin Schaefer and myself talk about Rise of the Planet of the Apes. So come back next week for that. As long as you're a member or a free member.

You can hear one more drive in after our last one that we're doing today on Indiana Jones in the Temple of Doom.

Couldn't possibly be more excited, tj, if we just left the drive in and this was our first time ever seeing Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom or any Indiana Jones film for that matter. What do you think would be your first reaction? Like, what's the first thing you say? You turn to me and you're going to say, What?

I have no idea. I can't imagine seeing it for the first time.

Yeah.

Like, if I've never seen another Indiana Jones film, the best guess I have is I probably look at you and be like, damn, I knew Harrison Ford was going to be the better Rambo.

Yeah.

Like, best Rambo.

Here's the best movie of all time.

Like, yeah, could just be stunned. Like, that was. Maybe I'd be like, you think they're going to play it again next week? Come back.

It's like one of the. It's like they so rarely make movies that give you that feeling anymore where you leave theater. Like, holy crap.

Yeah.

And this.

You feel like you just accomplished something. Yeah, yeah.

Like Project Hail Marrying. I think that was the last time that I kind of felt that way.

That was. Imagine that would be. Yeah. So, yeah, there's just no words. That's the name of the episode that's.

Like, That's a classic. I'm gonna watch that forever. Yeah.

Yeah. So Indiana Jones, Temple of Doom, it is a prequel. The first Indian Raider of the Lost Ark chronologically happens after the events of this film.

And then you have the third movie, Indian Jones Last Crusade.

And then Crystal Skull.

And Crystal Skull, then Indian Dial of Destiny, which I actually do really like Dial of Destiny. But this is the only one that chronologically happens out of order. It's kind of weird.

I do love this film because it's religion other than like what I grew up with. So to me, it was a kind of mysterious growing up. And I was like, oh, this is fun. I don't know anything about this people group. And it was whatever.

And then you get older and you're like, oh, I don't know if that was great.

And then you get even older and you learn some of the history of Indiana Jones and how all of Indiana Jones was actually a parody and it was meant to comment of other films at the time. But then you watch it again and you're like, I just have so many thoughts, so many unending thoughts and questions about how they handled it.

Yeah. The contextualizing the movies adds a lot because. I don't know, I'm kind of big on it recently.

But, like watching, you know, a murder mystery and then watching it again and you're like, oh, yeah, I'm not. I could have figured that out.

Yeah.

It wasn't impossible. I'm just stupid.

That's what some of the paranormal ones bother me because it's like a mystery. And I'm like, yeah, I wasn't gonna figure that out. Y' all just invented the rules at the end of the movie. That irritates me. But that's different.

Yeah. So for this movie, I wanted to do it. That's who picked it. And it was gonna be me, you and Justin. Reverend Justin had some other things to do.

It's a great time. Usually we throw some of these up on Facebook for people to vote on, too. With Summer, we just let the host of run with what we want to do.

Yeah, we do this for ourselves a little bit. Sometimes we just enjoy hanging out and talking about movies.

My relationship with Indiana Jones films, I've watched them like every year since forever. I was talking with some cousins last weekend.

My first reoccurring nightmare I ever remember having was about this movie where the guy pulls out Indian Jones heart. I remember being like a kid and I would wake up with that nightmare. And as an intelligent child, my first thought was, I should watch that now.

So I would just watch in the middle of the night because I woke up with a nightmare about it. I guess just go see that.

Yeah. My first nightmare was about sunshine. I don't know if you've ever seen sunshine. Not.

Not nearly as popular as Temple of Doom, but there's a scene they have like a sun room.

I thought you meant literal sunshine.

No, no, no. I hate this. I hate this so much. But yeah, horrifying. Horrifying scene for like a six year old. They have like a sun room.

Their mission is to nuke the sun. So after a certain point they're like, hey, don't go in the sunroom. It'll kill you. You'll die.

Yeah.

And someone does, and his body is covered in burns. And that used to horrify me.

What's weird is I do remember one nightmare I had before, the Indiana Jones one. It involved Donkey Kong, but it wasn't a recurring nightmare. This one happened somewhat regularly and I just kept watching it.

And I still watch all the Indiana Jones movies, like once or twice a year. So was that kind of like you have you just like growing up and a Jones has just always been there, right?

Yeah, yeah.

I mean, it's kind of weird. Like, what's your relationship with this movie like? I don't know, man. I'm an American. I was born after it came out. I'm seeing these movies.

It's like 15 years older than I am. Yeah.

If you had to summarize the movie, though, like what happens in Temple of.

Doom, I think you should do it. I think you should see if you can do it in a minute.

I don't think I can. I'm pretty confident I can't. Indiana Jones is a better James Bond on the run. His airplane goes down and proves that he's a better Rambo.

Helps some indigenous people to India by restoring a relic that was a stone. Gets his heart pulled out in the meantime, but he's fine. That's pretty much it.

Yeah, sure. Yeah. That wasn't even 30 seconds.

Yeah. You know, that's a lot better than I thought I was going to do. I watched this movie a lot, though. Unfair advantage. I mean, you do. I missed a lot.

I hate summarizing. Summarizing big movies like this because, like, you miss, you know, you miss all.

The fun action because you're like, yeah, don't take that. Like, that's not the movie. Watch the movie.

Watch the movie.

Yeah. Why?

You don't need a summary. You just need to watch it.

Correct. So, you know, our annual theme this year on Faces behind us.

So while we're doing prequel movies, we kind of want to look at some of the characters that maybe. We learned a lot of the prequels that helped show, shape the character in the original film.

The only two I can really think of that might have shaped Indiana Jones is the female lead, Willie Scott. Then classic character, Short Round. Amazing. Best. I don't know, man. He's not protagonist. Sidekick.

I don't want to say sidekick because he's short Round.

He's a sidekick.

Yeah, but it's Short Round. I don't know. Yeah. So anyway, how do you think Willy and Short Round influence Indy by the time we see him in Raiders arc? I don't know.

That's hard for me because, like, I don't watch these movies all the time. To me, Indiana Jones is Indiana Jones. He is a turn.

Yeah.

You know, fair, unflappable, unshakable.

So you probably don't like Dial of Destiny.

I haven't seen it.

Well, he's shakable, but, oh, no, I mean, shakeable.

You know, he doesn't like snakes.

Yeah, I. I don't know. I think Short Round, it's hard to say. I really don't. I don't know. I mean, Short Round is just cool.

I feel like he probably wasn't that funny, you know, Indy wasn't that funny before this movie. Probably. Yeah.

Made him lighten up a little bit. Short Round made him lighten up a little bit. Yeah, Willie. I think. And, man, I don't know how to say this in a way that's not just Awful.

But I feel like being with girls like Willie because, you know, Indiana Jones is kind of a promiscuous character for the most part.

I think being with girls like him allowed him to be more open to whenever he goes back and he sees Miriam and all them and the other films and eventually does find the love of his life and things happen, you know. But I think without girls like Willie, I don't think he ever finds himself, you know?

Yeah. Yeah, I can see that makes sense.

That's the best I got. Sorry, guys.

Yeah, I mean, it's Indiana Jones. Who's he influenced by? Harrison Ford.

Correct. So one of the cool things, though, so I mentioned earlier what Indiana Jones are supposed to do is comment on other films of the time.

So as much as we all like to hate on Crystal Skull, films at the time were heavily focused on aliens. So they said, hey, if we're gonna be continuing to do what Indiana Jones does, we have to parody some sci fi films. And I think it was fair game.

Was it the best film? No, but I think with that context of what the films are supposed to be, it kind of makes sense.

And this one, when you know that, I feel like it really like that beginning scene where you're like, oh, this is just Harrison Ford being James Bond and this is just Harrison Ford being Rambo. I think it does a lot for the film, especially with the indigenous people of India in the Rambo films or films like that.

They're either all bad guys or they're all just so uneducated, not able to do anything. So we have more of a range here. And India doesn't just save the day. There are good guys and bad guys who are from this place.

So, like, there's much to be desired on how it handles, you know, foreign people, but it still sheds a light on how that's handled in other films and how it's not great. So, like, I feel like it pushes the envelope in the positive direction, but there's still much to be desired, you know?

Yeah, it adds a lot, the different lens that it gives you to watch the movie, especially at the time. I can really imagine how, you know, oh, this is. This is kind of like Rambo.

Yeah, yeah. Well, and. And, you know, there is that whole the white savior complex. Like, it's always the white guy has to go save the day.

So it's kind of fun that, like, he gets trapped and, yes, he does save the day, the white savior thing, but he also gets saved. You know, like, they do help him also.

So it's Kind of like they flip the script a little bit, but not so much that I'm like, oh, this is a flawless film. This is exactly how race should be handled, you know?

Yeah. They don't flip the script enough for it to not be a Harrison Ford movie.

Yeah. But they're still obviously pointing out some of the flaws that's in Rambo, even while going, hey, wasn't Rambo awesome? Yeah, Rainbow is awesome.

Yeah. And Rainbow two's extra awesome.

Yeah, Correct.

Because the bad guys are white people, bad guys are cops.

Yeah. I like when Harrison Ford fights the Irish people, actually. Yeah. So I'm just gonna keep making other action film references.

So what is it about Temple of Doom that you really love? What do you. Is there anything you don't love about the movie?

I don't know. Yeah, I'm not a big fan of cults. You know, like the big, over the top, fantastical.

So you're not gonna join me and my. Okay, are you doing, like, human sacrifices,.

Like a reasonable cult? It's fine.

You know, I was just like, I was just gonna see who shows up for the most recordings and who doesn't, and we'll just, you know.

Oh, yeah, it's a super. Not me. You. Christian Kevin.

Yeah, but I mean, you don't show up for the least amount.

I don't. That's true. Yeah. So probably, like, most things I would be around.

Yeah. No, I mean, I think I love almost everything about this film. Even the stuff that I don't love, I still love. And I mean, like, that's. I don't know.

It's hard to explain. Like, Willy's character is annoying. She is incredibly annoying.

But also, again, understanding that this film's trying to parody other films of its style, like, of the time. And I'm like, yeah, I understand why they had an annoying damsel in distress and show you why that's not a character in real life.

And they had to be really exaggerated about it. And I'm like, yep, nope, I don't love the character. But just because I know, like, what the film is supposed to be, I still kind of love it.

It's hard to explain.

Kind of. It's kind of like rose tinted glasses.

Yeah. Yeah. The problem is knowing that it's at least partially parroting things. It's almost like the wrong answer is still the right answer.

It's kind of cheating.

It is cheating and you can't. Which makes it unfair if you're like, oh, yeah, but it's supposed to be bad.

That's one of the signs.

It's hard to critique parody because someone's always there. Like, it's supposed to be bad. It doesn't have to be. I think this is a great example of that. It's not. It's not bad. It's annoying.

Indiana Jones is both a parody and just a good action film at the same time.

Mm.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Which is kind of a lost art. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Honestly, I still love the ripping the heart out scene. Like, I'm like, you know. Yeah.

Of course the visual effects don't live up to today's standards. It's still pretty cool.

Yeah, it is. And I think. I think if we're.

If we're slogging these in with parody films, they exist in an echelon above so many others in terms of good, fun movie to watch. Like, it's at the very tip top of parody film. It is Temple of Doom, Raiders, not as noticeably. And Blazing Saddles.

Blazing Saddles was funny also. I actually like 100 or a million Ways to Die in the West. Whatever it was that was funny.

I don't know if that's a parody as much as it's just straight comedy, but.

Hateful Eight, Adam Sandler. Hateful Eight. I have a soft love for Adam Sandler, so maybe.

Yeah, I do love Adam Sandler.

I think it's also really good.

Yeah. Short Round also is probably why this is my favorite Indiana Jones film, to be fair.

I don't know if he does a lot to change Indiana Jones character, but, God, Short Round is just so funny. And he just gives me so much joy watching him go down, like the little cart ride and stuff. And I'm like, yeah, yeah.

Ever since I was a kid, I'm like, I want to do that. And now they're building an Indiana Jones coaster in Animal Kingdom, and I'm like, I'm going to do that.

Yeah.

That feeling has never gone away, actually.

I just hope it matches the movie. Not because. Or particularly care, but because if we go and it doesn't, Josh is going to be like, that doesn't match at all. I'm really disappointed.

Or it would be okay if they were like, didn't try to match the movie. They were like, this is just another adventure Indiana Jones did. That wasn't in the movies. That. That's cool. That's fine. Yeah. Because it is.

But there's like. If there's like a short round cardboard cutout now, that's.

That's going to just make me mad no matter what.

Yeah.

I Love that that actor is starting to get. Go around more, getting more props because it's just good to have Short Round in my life, you know?

Phenomenal.

Whatever ways I can get. Yeah. He's just a good actor. He's the best part. Yeah. Anything else you want to say about Temple of Doom?

The phenomenal classic that we watch at the drive in and we're just speechless after and then recorded 20 minutes of silence for a podcast?

Yeah. I think, to me, when I think Indiana Jones, I think Temple of Doom.

Really?

Yeah.

Wait, are you with me? I'm like, Tipple Doom your favorite, or is it just first one you think of?

It's just the first one.

Okay. Yeah. Because most people like, it's Raider of our. You know, I'm trying to say Ray's Lost Ark or Last Crusade. That's most people's favorite. I love.

Always love Temple of Doom. I. Yeah. Every. Like when he's running across the bridge, the crazy stuff in the river down below, like, every.

Every part of it, I'm like, this is great. Like, I have everything I need from, like, a good spy film and a good Rambo film packed into one in his Harrison Ford and short round.

And I'm just like, every part of this just brings me so much joy. The score is phenomenal. This was the first time I ever learned about other religions outside of Jude. Jewish, Christian stuff was like.

I was like, yeah, what's a Hindu? I mean, it's not portraying things accurately, but, like, it's the first time I saw any of that.

I think it awakened some kind of curiosity in me from a young age, like, I don't know. This film is integral to me as a human.

Also, in case you're not familiar, what we were talking about, KE Huy Quan is short round, like, from Parasite.

That's probably important to throw out. Yeah.

In the Goonies.

Yeah.

Incredible. Incredible actor.

Yeah. Yeah. Well, we could do a whole thing. I did. I was on Ryan Doe's podcast, one of his podcasts, a while back and talked about this.

So maybe I can find that and link it. We could do a full episode if you guys want us to. Just let us know, because I'll do an Indiana Jones series. I'm down. But you guys let us know.

This is just a short little drive in episode, so we do have to wrap this one up. Question we've asked every episode this summer, tj, if we were designing a flavored tea or lemonade to go along with Temple of Doom at the.

At the movie. What tea? Eliminate are you having at the Temple of Doom? Drive in.

I'm going to go with blood orange and or Joe.

Or wait, is that tea or lemonade?

Lemonade.

I feel like it's got to be something native to India, you know? So I'm thinking like mango or something. Jackfruit maybe. Yeah, I could see like a good jackfruit tea or lemonade, but also have some kind of kick.

I feel like we need to have some kind of spice in it or something. Yeah, I don't know, man. Maybe a mango spiced tea.

Chamois, which is Thai, but still.

Sure, why not? Yeah, I feel like it'd be good though. Yeah. All right, cool.

So let us know what you guys think as far as tea or lemonade for the Temple of Doom movies. I'm just kind of curious. I'm down to try any variety of teas and lemonades. Yeah, I just like beverages sometimes.

Yeah, there's a Dutch bros near me.

Now, so go over there and ask them. Yeah. What would you drink if you were about to watch?

You can. They'll answer. I don't know how they find some happy, helpful people to hire.

That's great. I don't have that problem. But guys, if you appreciated this episode, you enjoy Temple of Doom and us talking about it.

Think about rating, reviewing our show wherever you listen. It does help the algorithms and get the word out about what we're doing here. We really appreciate it.

Of course, we need you to remember that we're all a chosen people, a geekdom of priests.