The discussion surrounding 'The Legend of the Stardust Brothers' unpacks the film's intricate blend of humor, music, and social commentary. The podcast delves into the film's narrative mechanics, noting how it challenges traditional storytelling by presenting a series of loosely connected musical numbers that explore the rise and fall of its characters. The hosts reflect on the film's cultural significance, particularly its critique of the pop idol system in Japan, and how it mirrors the real-life pressures faced by aspiring artists. Through a lively exchange, they dissect memorable musical performances, the film's quirky characters, and its surrealistic moments that keep viewers both entertained and questioning the nature of fame. The episode encapsulates the essence of the film as a dynamic exploration of stardom, identity, and the often harsh realities lurking behind the glitz and glamour, inviting listeners to reconsider their perceptions of pop culture and celebrity.

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Join us for the Anomaly Film Festival November 6-10, 2024 at the Little Theatre in Rochester NY!

Mentioned in this episode:

Sweet Pea Plant Based Kitchen

Based in Rochester, NY @sweetpeaplantbased is a plant-powered kitchen creating transformative ways of wellness. Harnessing the power of food as medicine, we help you realize your happiest, healthiest self. Use promo code Lunchador15 for 15% off your order! https://sweetpeaplantbased.com

Joe Bean Coffee

Joe Bean Roasters Joe Bean Coffee (@joebeanroasters) - Coffee that lifts everyone. Use promo code Lunchador for 15% off your order! https://shop.joebeanroasters.com

Mind of Magnus

Artist Magnus Champlin Interviews guests sharing the stories and life adventures with the goal of expanding minds.

Punches & Popcorn

The masters of Couch Potato style Mike Huntone, Jason Bills, and Dr. Dominic D’Amore take a deep dive into the best and worst of martial arts films. https://punches-and-popcorn.captivate.fm/

The following footage is certified PG.

Pretty great.

It's anomaly presents with your friends, the podcastronauts.

Sounds like a lot of supernatural baloney to me.

Supernatural, perhaps baloney, perhaps nothing.

Hello and welcome to the Anomaly Presents podcast.

I'm leaving that in there forever.

I love it so much.

Forever.

It's us.

It's us so much.

But like, 100% baloney.

100% supernatural and baloney.

Another t shirt idea.

1 second.

Yeah.

God, I would wear the shit out of that shirt.

Yeah.

So welcome.

This is anomaly presents, the podcast about the genre movies that, uh, inspired the genre film festival, the Anomaly Film Festival in Rochester, New York, this year, November 6 through 10th, at the little Theater in beautiful Rochester, New York.

Uh, also, we have a little pit stop over at the Dryden Theater.

They're.

They're letting us, uh, come and muck up the joint for a night, uh.

Cheer the curtain rising.

That's why.

Yeah.

The entire time.

Yeah, do some, uh, breathing exercises.

It takes longer than you think.

Yeah, work on that oxygen level because it does take a little longer than we anticipated.

You take a breath.

I'll clap.

And you take a breath.

It had been a hot minute since I'd seen that curtain go up.

And boy, oh boy, did it just get funnier and funnier.

It was like three minutes for that thing to get to the ceiling.

Yep.

My name is Matt Austin.

I'm joined by our podcastronauts.

We've got Megan Murphy.

Yay.

It's me.

I'm back.

I'm always here.

I'll never leave.

Yes.

That's why we love you, Kristen Pacheco.

Good evening, everybody.

I'm also here.

I just wait.

I sleep.

I just sleep here.

I'm in this little box waiting for you all to come back.

Then the light comes on.

Hey, it's time.

Oh, yeah.

Like the monkeys all over again.

We're exactly.

Oh, no.

We're in a monkey box.

We are.

We are in the monkey box.

We are the podcast.

Or not.

We are the scum of stars.

We are here to talk about the legend of the Stardust brothers, a film that.

This is interesting.

I didn't.

I don't do we do this on purpose?

I don't remember because this is now our third of three podcasts where it's about the.

The trials and tribulations of.

This one is not on purpose.

Yeah, yeah.

We were gonna do four accidentally on a row, I think, but one.

One got the bump for right now, so one's on pause.

I know Spice world and head was on purpose, but I don't remember us having a conversation about Stardust brothers because I think this got moved and it just happened to.

It works.

Slot in.

Yeah, it's slotted in.

Stop trying to plan stuff.

We should just not plan because then it works.

It's a good lesson for us to learn.

Everybody don't plan anything ever.

That's right.

Not even a film festival.

No, it'll happen.

It's fine.

It'll all be fine.

Don't worry.

If you don't plan it, then you have nothing to be disappointed about.

Passes are on sale now.

Not yet.

Oh, no.

Take it back.

Just give me the money.

Yes.

If you see any of us on the street, just throw $110 at us and we'll make sure you can get through the movies.

Yes, I'll make a note.

So, yeah, this is our third of three movies about the trials and tribulations of being a prefabricated band.

We started with Spice World, which was kind of the.

The more fun version.

I guess that was the most fun you could have as a prefab band.

Yeah.

And then we had the very angsty head, the monkey's magnum opus, which is kind of what we thought was the dark mirror image of being the prefabricated band.

And then the legend of the Stardust brothers, which is a japanese film that, um, people stayed home in droves for.

I think when it came out, if I recall correctly, as I looked into the history of this thing, they weren't ready.

They didn't know.

A masterpiece right in front of them, right there.

It got re released maybe four or five years ago.

And I mean, if you know, you know, I guess is kind of the thing with this one.

But it is also the story of kind of the prefabricated band, two guys put together to become, I guess, pop idols.

Is that kind of how it goes.

The teen idols, the two japanese guys, they're out there, they're chosen.

One is kind of a crooner, the other one's a punk rocker.

They come together to form the Stardust brothers, the scum of stars, which is maybe my favorite lyric in the whole goddamn movie.

And it comes together in a film that it is, I think it's primarily like a collection of music videos with some very tenuous connective tissue in between, which sounds kind of goofy, but they are so stylistically interesting.

Scum of stars is very guarcoted.

You're right, Salador.

That is 100% right.

But it's quite the exploration of how pop stardom, celebrity, uh, propaganda, like it's it's a real.

It's a real deep, deep dive into celebrity culture.

Yeah.

Like sexism in there.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

And all that.

And then never being famous enough.

Yeah.

It's a fun movie, though.

It's fun.

It's fun.

I promise.

It's fun.

It's dealing with a lot of stuff.

Put in a very fun, uh, early MTV aesthetic.

Yeah, I was gonna say, we're describing it like it's a star is born.

And it really isn't.

Like, it's a musical.

It's a musical.

We get an animated section.

Like, there's a stop motion.

There's creatures.

I keep forgetting about them.

I gotta talk all about, like, shingo's multimedia horror breakdown.

Yeah, it was incredible.

Yeah.

But so this is directed by Makoto Tezuka, who is the son of legendary manga creator behind.

Yeah, yeah.

Ozaka Ozaki.

And it's Astro Boy, if you're familiar with Astro Boy.

That's the director's dad.

But he did this all on his own.

There was really no tagging into daddy.

Yeah, I read an interview because someone asked him, hey, the animated sequence did your dad was involved?

And he's like, no, he had other things to do, which reads a lot.

Like, he wasn't interested.

Completely disinterested.

No, he's busy.

He didn't want to dip his toe into this.

A man who is known as the Walt Disney of Japan in some circles, probably, maybe didn't want to, like, put his style on this.

Fair enough.

Basically, I think that's kind of how it boiled down, was like, yeah, I have a little bit too much prestige for this, but you go ahead and make your thing.

I hope he does okay.

Yeah.

Doing just fine.

It just took 40 years.

I think the story was the director ran into the musician that wrote all the music for this.

He liked it and wanted to make it into a movie.

So here we go.

Oh, it was a concept album, which I think going in, if you go, oh, it turns out most of these songs were pre written for a concept, and then they made a movie.

You're like, okay, yeah, I got.

That fits.

That fits tracks.

I mean, like, we're telling a story, but, I mean, there is a plot.

Like, it's happening.

Things jump a little bit.

Yeah, it's song to song.

It's a song with a little bit of thread, which is all I need, really.

Yeah.

It's kind of the.

The precursor of the modern jukebox musical, except, you know, the songs in the jukebox musicals and this one you don't so much, but they're fun.

They're good songs.

I know these songs.

I love crazy game.

What a great song.

London Booth.

London Booths was great.

That one surprised me.

I was like, they both.

I mean, I think I was just surprised.

I think the first song, I was like, okay, this is more standard fare.

I don't think it's that.

It's not bad, but then it's like, oh, okay, we're doing something here.

Like, you start with, like, a punk and then a new wave.

Like, okay, these are your characters.

The punk guy and the new wave guy.

Yeah.

Tale is oldest time you tag together the punk rocker with the new waver.

Yeah, I'm already starting.

Can is way too tightly wound, I think, for, like, any sort of lead singer.

Like, if you're new wave, you're supposed to be cool in that, you know you're cool.

He does not know this, and he cannot prove it to himself.

So he's just like this.

Like me, like me as he sings.

Oh, is that me?

Is it shingo?

Oh, sorry.

I met Shingo.

Yeah.

He's like, ah, like me.

Like me.

Or Kant's like, I know I'm awesome.

Thank you.

At no point is he ever shook about how cool he is.

Yeah.

It sincerely makes me wonder how much of this the mighty boosh guys saw at any point.

Oh, my God.

It's this.

It's the same, like, friend.

Oh, my God.

Rivalry.

They don't become friends until about the end.

Yeah, yeah.

Like, the cool guy and the tightly wound dude.

And even.

Even look of Ken is very close to what.

What Vince noir's look is for a season or so of the hair.

The opening number, cat.

It is like a continually his hair, the entire song.

Like, I was watching it this time.

I'm like, I don't think there's a moment where he stops, like, combing his hair.

No, I like.

I like when I know where it's a little bit ahead, but when they're doing, like, their montage to get them ready to be idols and they're cutting his hair, I was like, yeah, it's the same.

Yeah, yeah.

There's no difference.

You don't mess with perfection.

He knows what he's doing.

Yeah.

So what?

They open.

We're following the plot.

So they.

Yeah, so it opens on that opening song, which is essentially kind of the setting the stage for what the Stardust brothers are kind of the word.

We're answered for it.

We'll get there.

It's bookends, right?

So yeah.

Kind of describing, you know, how it all started.

The two guys singing about being the Stardust brothers.

That, in front of a request, somewhat receptive, but mostly not audience.

Also completely in black and white, which.

I found really cool.

I thought that was a nice little touch.

It already starts aesthetically interesting where you're like, I'm trying to figure this out.

Everything's like, oh, no.

Then they show up and they're in full color and, like, shiny suits.

I'm like, okay, what's happening here?

What's happening?

I'm already like, I don't know what's going on and I like it.

Yep.

Yeah.

Full on silver Lemay suits.

Yep.

Very.

It's a great intro.

There's a Stardust brothers.

Do you remember us?

It's been two years.

Do you remember us?

Like that.

Smoking and like.

Yeah.

Did I pay for this?

Like it already?

It starts that thread of, like, desperation and fakeness that is in most of the songs up until a point which I'll talk about later.

But, like, all the songs are kind about, like, fame, not creation.

Do you remember me?

Not like, I like this song and I want to sing to, you know, convey anything, but I'm really cool and I want to be cool and famous.

Yep.

Yeah.

The intro song, it always reminds me of the vaudeville, the old vaudeville joke where it's.

Yeah, you know, you're doing a bit.

You only play this club twice in your life.

Once on the way up and once on the way down.

And I just like to say, it's so nice to be back.

Yes.

That's the energy.

Yeah, yeah.

Exactly.

Yep.

It's that very, like, sweaty Vegas style version of these pop idols.

And then we kind of go into the flashback of how the Stardust brothers became the Stardust brothers, which they.

It's essentially they're approached by big, fancy music producer.

Yep.

Yeah.

For atomic records.

For atomic records.

Telling them that they are both.

Don't worry about it.

They're both musical genius.

They could be stars within a week, but they have to work together.

Yeah.

Because they have separate bands and different styles and they hate each other.

Well.

Oh, yeah.

Shingo hates Ken.

Ken doesn't kind of give a crap except to push back a little.

Exactly.

Well, and then the thing about Shingo that kind of cracks me up is with this guy is so, so, so, so desperate and.

Oh, my God.

But.

And so he's, you know, beating on his bandmates.

He's like, I'm not super close for a.

Then the 50,000 like the check just.

Goes, oh, my God.

It was so good.

We saw in his head.

And it's money.

And.

Yeah.

I think they established the characters really well.

Here we get the feeling of like who they are.

What their deal is.

And like.

Again how desperate.

Particularly Shango is for fame.

That's what he wants.

He wants fame.

He wants fame.

And money's probably second.

Yeah.

And then third.

I'm making a good song.

I don't know.

It might not be third.

It might be farther down.

It's on the list somewhere.

Yeah.

Somewhere.

I loved his band's matching outfits with like the sweaters like those stripes and the white shorts.

I'm like, oh, look at them.

I feel bad for them.

They're trying real hard.

Yep.

They were not like he deserves.

They were not bad.

No.

No.

They did fine.

They deal with this dude all the time.

Just projecting.

Yeah.

Yeah.

And then what?

Then that's when we cut to the next day and they're at the.

Or whenever they go for the meeting at atomic records.

Yeah.

That sounds right.

Yeah.

And they're.

What?

They can't.

They don't know where they're going.

And then that's when they meet.

What's her name?

Marie Moe.

Yes.

Yeah.

Who's just trying.

She just wants to be a singer.

She keeps breaking it.

But apparently I don't know how historic this is that they just weren't interested in a girl singer because I know there was like women idols.

So I don't know if that's supposed to be just this company or is it historical thing?

I don't know.

Because that's basically what she's told is that, you know, you're a girl so you can't do this.

And.

Yeah.

Yeah.

I couldn't get the sense if it was that's just not what they were looking for or just they had enough women singing so they weren't into it or there was no real context to it.

But be that as it may.

She was offered a position as their fan club manager instead of a performer.

Well.

They negotiate that first.

We can't forget the goons.

Okay.

These guys.

These.

Yes.

We love goons with style.

And there are many goons in this.

Movie with pumpkins with the metal bat.

And they get bonked on the head.

They do a lot of bonking.

Plus I love that Ken is calling Remo a turtle because she's dressed in green and kind of like curled down.

And then they shot to a beat where she has a turtle shell.

Just so we visually understand where he's coming from, I think.

And also, it keeps coming back.

Like, later.

Well, yeah.

We find out she has a superpower.

It involves being a ball.

Yes.

Katamaris herself at a certain point.

It's amazing.

And twice she does.

Yeah.

Amazing.

I was like, why didn't we know this before?

But I like that because I kind of sets it up.

She just.

She does kind of go into a defensive ball.

Yep, that did crack me up.

And then that's.

Yeah, she's camera.

Yeah.

And that's when they go into the.

The meeting and they bring her with them.

Like, yeah, yeah.

They also.

You can tell they both kind of like her.

Like, both like, oh.

Like, she has cool energy and she's been in this building before, but also, like, she's cute.

And also, oh, yeah, they're both like, uh.

Oh, that's a little bit of heart.

Eyes going on.

Yes.

That won't be a problem later.

Never.

Never is never.

No jealousy here.

No, we can't just have thruffles.

They go into the meeting with the executive.

Oh, my God, I love him so much.

He's so cool.

Because, oh, God, did I write down his name?

Because that guy is an actual, like, japanese crooner.

Like, that guy is very well known.

Like, they cast him specifically because, like, oh, God, the sideburns.

Like, if you look at album covers of his at certain time, it's just all, like, sideburns and lighting.

Oh, my God, I was looking up and he's my boy from house.

Oh, yeah, he is.

Okay.

Uh, kehiko Ozaki.

Yes, yes, yes, yes.

I love everything about him in this film.

Oh, yeah.

Oh, my God, I gotta go back.

I love that.

Okay.

I can go back and watch that.

Cuz I'm like, look at him.

That's my boy.

I love, because he's got the glass.

He looks a little like Jim Jones, if Jim Jones ran a record company, which I'm like, that's gotta be on purpose, right?

All white suit, these mirror glasses, which are amazing.

Slick hair.

As I said, sideburns, very important power burns.

Yep, yep, yep.

And he's just mysterious because, like, his eyes are always covered.

He only reflects you.

He's in a desk with, like, a bright triangle.

Yeah, he's like, behind.

Yeah.

Oh, it's so great visual, like, oh, this guy's, uh, no joke.

Yeah, he's no joke.

Yeah.

Almost put you in the mind of swan from Phantom of the paradise a little bit.

Yeah, a little, a lot.

You know, I love my swans.

Yeah.

So, of course, signing a contract with this guy would, I'm sure is fine.

Like, visually, it doesn't look terrifying or a bad idea at all.

No, it'll work out fine.

Yeah.

Basically what they.

So they negotiate the terms.

Khan tries to, like, he's like.

Tries to get Marino.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Like a deal.

Tries to bring his band.

So I think that also helps paint a better picture of, like, who he is.

Like, oh, yeah.

Khan's always.

Yeah.

A little bit more.

More connected.

Yeah.

Compassionate.

Yeah.

Plus, I love it.

So the most important part about what they're agreeing to is they have to work together.

But not just that.

There.

There's a story of them.

They are now to play twins whose father was a pop idol.

And it's important for the story.

Like, like, that's what, that's what he says.

Like, you have to be these characters.

You will be long lost brothers brought together.

That's what we're gonna sell.

That's who the Stardust brothers are.

And it's just made up.

It's just a made up story, y'all.

Yep.

Made up.

It's just.

It's just fantasy.

Fantasy.

Yep.

Yeah.

It's not real, this one.

Not real.

No, it's not.

Desperate attempt at atonement by somebody.

Not at all.

Okay.

And they go right into that montage of, okay, perfect.

Yeah.

Because then I think things get fuzzy for me in the order with which they occur.

But I was laughing because I'm like, okay.

Yeah, it's your typical montage.

Until it's not.

Then they literally have them acting like dogs.

Like they're just carrying them.

They're circus animals at one point.

Yeah.

Jumping through hoops.

They have them.

One of them is barking, like, on his hands and knees.

I just.

I'm like, oh, yeah, I believe they're told you will be stars in a week.

And this company is not joking.

And the movie is not being subtle about manufacturing.

These are.

They are being manufactured.

They have no voice in this montage.

They are just put through one room, another room.

Photos are taken.

They're trained.

They're told, this is the music you're playing.

You know, they're just slotted in.

And that's the price of this fame, is we're making you.

But ramos there, and she's like, she's like, I've been doing, like, fan stuff for seven years, and she is there.

She knows the power of fans, and she's, like, handing out flyers and getting all the youth.

I love her because she's like, okay, well, I guess if I'm doing this.

I'm doing this.

Yep.

Strongest team in the game for Maremo.

Like, she's out there throwing the flyers out.

She gets a gear made.

She's got, like, the shirt.

Right.

With that bonus.

Yeah.

Serious business.

Yeah.

And I would appreciate.

Yeah.

They established about her characters she's not doing this because she thinks this is the road to her singing.

She would like to, but they say several times, like, oh, no.

Like, I'm taking this seriously.

I will be your number one fan.

I'd like to sing, but I'm not sure if I can sing and like it, you know, as we go later on, it takes a surprise, like an accidental moment to get her to.

To.

To happen, you know, to get her to sing.

So I think they established that she's the character right now who loves the music.

For the music, you know, which you need that, uh, that, uh.

To compare to everybody else at this point.

Right.

You need that.

That baseline.

That kind of.

This is the purest form of fandom is that you're in it for.

For the music and also for, uh, shingo and Khan as people.

Yeah, yeah.

She genuinely cares.

Yeah, yeah.

You need that baseline.

And then it all goes sideways, of.

Course, because I think, like, because it's the system.

Right.

So is it.

They get super famous at this point.

Right.

And then given into that hedonistic lifestyle.

Yeah, yeah.

Big time, big time.

And then is this where the nightmare fuel comes in?

I think a little bit, because we see that can is buying into a little bit, but not as heavy as Shingo, who, because of his self esteem issue.

And he starts seeing that, oh, I think Maria might like my can better.

So that's eating Adam.

So then he goes like that next level hedonism.

He sees that, like, woman who I'm trying to figure out is if she's real, because I'm trying to figure out if she has visual manifestation of him going, well, I guess I have to be this mess now.

The american woman, stay away from me.

Right?

Because she never talks and nobody else seems to interact with her.

And honestly, she looked like Priscilla Presley to me.

So I felt like that was kind of where.

Where that was a woman because he.

Was living that whole.

Yeah.

Elvis fantasy where he's in, like, the.

The hotel suites and, you know, even those terrible little cigars he's smoking.

Those were the Elvis cigars.

Like, that was the whole.

Oh, yeah, yeah.

I like how there's both full booze bottles and those tiny little travel ones and a couple fake marble busts and, like, a leopard print skin like rug, the whole deal.

It was hedonism in a room.

It was, yeah.

The absolute perfect, perfect encapsulation of everything you'd think of in a medium sized rock star.

And we got shots of, like, during that montage of marimo kind of pulling away a little.

She's seeing them be taken by the fame instead, the music.

And I'm like, look at her face.

She's so sad.

She does sad face, so I'm gonna cry looking at her face.

She's just so disappointed in them.

But, yeah, that's when he's.

He's in the hedonism room with the american woman, when he's all like, I'm gonna tell you a secret, which is something we need to know later, that his heart is on the right side.

Right.

He's trying to be I'm special.

And he considers that the thing that make it, like, a thing that makes him special.

But.

But then whatever substances he's been putting in his body all bloom.

So when he goes to kiss this woman, who might not be real, her face splits open, and then it's just a brain with a pair of lips, and boom.

We are in the, what, maybe the wildest part of this movie.

Oh, it is.

To be sure, the wildest part of the movie.

It's about 20 minutes of just an absolute psychedelic nightmare.

Yep.

Yeah.

Just like, he's got, like.

He gets fans, but they're zombies and they're tear apart.

And he's a.

He's picturing Remo and Khan, like, as, like, enemies.

As terrifying as trying to eat him, as trying to, like, take him apart.

We're really seeing inside his head, and it's ugly.

Yeah.

I don't know.

Skin slip was so fucking high during that part.

Oh, so that part where, like, they literally go into the mouth and then.

Oh, my God, they built that.

Yeah.

And then it's like, sucker thing, like, pops up out of the throat.

And I was like, no, it just keeps happening.

Aliens over the weekend.

I don't need this.

Oh, and then we see that whole animated part where now he's anime for a little bit.

Yeah, that part was.

I like that part.

It was fun.

Yeah, the.

The anime slash aha.

Take on me.

Kind of sketchy.

It was really.

Yeah, yeah.

I mean, I love that part.

It's.

It is freaky as hell in the best way because you're like, oh, this is, you know, like, oh, I see.

They're about to fall apart.

This is.

This is not sustainable.

Fame.

Turns out fame probably isn't healthy for him, and yet that's all he's ever wanted.

Zachary well, you have no support system, right?

Because, I mean, you have Marimo there, but he still doesn't like, like, him and Khan do not like each other.

Yeah, yeah, they haven't yet.

He's alone with his thoughts, which is the most dangerous thing for Shingo to be.

Yes, 100%.

But what I like is we're seeing the start of their, like, the breakup, which is about to happen.

But there's also something else that is going to be a pressure point because, you know, so they're doing a great job of themselves, kind of like falling from the top.

But also, you see, that's when the government officials come to meet with the record head and are basically like, hey, hey, are the government, like, you know, we know how powerful pop culture and music is, and we could really use some support for, you know, the support for the prime minister.

Yes, yes.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

So they're like.

And, you know, these guys are a little, like, you know, they're not.

We want peace and love, which cracks me up.

We want people to think about peace and love, and it just.

Hell happens.

It's so weird.

It's so weird.

But, like, the prime minister's son is kind of a musician, and, you know, maybe, perhaps.

Perhaps, like, he's what we're looking for.

If you want to, like, you know, take him on, you know, with this big briefcase, like, money and power, you know, it's just so weird.

It's a coincidence.

It's a coincidence that the prime minister has a son who wants to be.

A musician, wants to be the big pop idol.

So, yeah, he ends up buying his way in.

Buying his way in and becoming the most hurt.

Yeah.

Ursa David Bowie in the process.

Oh, my God.

I'm like, is this goes absolutely just David Bowie.

Like, aesthetically, it's a.

It's great.

I tried to then wake Duke David Bowie.

It's terrible.

Yeah, I tried to queue up because most of these people were music, like.

Yeah, musicians.

So I tried to queue up.

Yeah, most of their songs, and I queued up one of that in one of his, and I was like, no, this is not for me.

I don't know what it was, but it was not for me.

Well, I love the movie.

Right before this, they're having that song where it's just like, all three.

All three of our main characters kind of frolicking, I guess, enjoying the fame.

But the whole song, the lyrics are about once you reach number one, you just go down.

Yeah.

How you just sing the same song forever?

I just.

Another one of those.

Like, the music's the.

The music's poppy, but the lyrics are all like, this is all fake.

This is Mary Fair.

This is garbage.

This is.

Yeah.

So again, like, every song up so far has been like, sounds fun, but it's like, we're miserable.

This is unsustainable.

This is a bad system.

Yeah.

So now we're reaching that point of the big concert, and Shingo is out of it because he just.

Oh, man.

Had a drug induced freak out.

He went through that whole od situation, which turns into a musical number of trying to get him revived.

Yeah, I kind of like that you.

Have, like, the more goons.

The suited goons now.

Suited goons?

Yeah.

The record label executive.

And the goons just try to, like, literally shake him, pill him, put him together to just don't push them.

Yeah.

The bucket of water on him.

Oh, my God.

The drugs that he has there.

Yeah.

They're just that classic.

Like, you just gotta go on stage.

And I like how we see a little of Khan where he's like, oh, you know, he's talking to Marie Mo, and he's all like, I don't need him.

Right.

But even though he's susceptible to that too, we later see he's like, I can't go on without him.

Like, again, you see that he.

He isn't as tied to the fame thing, but, like, it gets him a little sometimes.

Yeah.

You know, but, like, they're at the point where he's like, I.

He's not here.

I can't.

I can't go on without him.

So then he's like, marie Mo, you have to go on.

This is her phoenix moment.

This is her phoenix moment from family of the paradise, where.

Yes.

Oh, crap.

You go out there, and it's because Kalik does believe in her and want.

You know, he wants that for her.

And then she goes out, and it's the first, I think, song that actually means something, that it, like.

It's the first, like, song from the heart that we've had in this entire musical.

Cause it's.

She cares.

It's a nice love song about, like, you know, if you open the door and my heart will be together, like, know me, you know?

And I was like, there we go.

So she's, like, the true music.

If we're talking about, like, authenticity.

She's doing it for the love.

She's doing that to help them out on the stage.

And this is a song that she's had because she's just, you know, she's my remo.

She's the authentic one of this film.

Yep.

And it's like a sweet, like, kind of star moment.

Yeah.

It's beautiful.

And it really is that Phoenix moment because she sings it and absolutely connects with the audience in a way that you haven't really seen.

Yeah.

It's a real reaction.

There's real reaction.

Yeah.

The idol reaction that you got from the stardust.

Yeah.

Yeah.

I really like how that moment hits.

And I love.

I love how I love catch.

Trying to stop Shingo, who showed up at this point, drugged out of his mind from, like, climbing onto the stage.

He's like, no.

And.

And shingle punches Ken out.

Knocks him out.

Yeah.

Clocks him in the.

In the staircase.

Yep.

Yeah.

Knocks him out the stairwell.

Going to the stage.

Cause shingles.

Like, it's my moment to shine, baby.

I'll do a new number.

Staggers past maremo in the.

At the wings of.

Yeah.

Just crushed it.

Destroyed.

And then crawls out on the stage.

Yep.

Sees the woman no one else sees who's encouraging him to.

Yeah, you should do.

Do your new number.

He can tell this, like, this, like, song about, like, it's like.

It's like no love and there's no connection.

And things a lot as he starts to strip on to the point of just mooning the audience.

He.

Which is interesting because it mirrors a little bit the first performance because he, like, rips the shirt off.

Yeah.

First meet him.

But, yeah, I was like, he's not.

He's not gonna take his pants off, is he?

And then he's like, no, no.

Oh, yeah.

This is a full breakdown.

And now in public.

Yep.

Right after we've heard, oh, they're dangerous.

We don't want them out there.

Yeah.

Yeah.

They really helped.

I don't know if they would have hung on longer because.

No, we.

Knowing what we know now about the record executive and, you know, by this point, they can't.

The next shot is that it's in, like, sepia toned.

They're, like, on a corner, and they only have one cigarette between them.

They break.

It gives him a choice between.

Yeah, he gives him the no filter part.

Filter versus.

Notice that.

Notice that.

Here you go, buddy.

You deserve this.

Yeah.

It definitely tells you the kind of person Khan is that he gave away the no filter piece to the other guy.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Here you go.

Here's more for you.

Yep.

Yeah.

You know what?

You need it, buddy.

It still won't be enough.

Khan's still selfless in this moment.

Yeah.

And then we see the rise of.

It's Karu.

Yes.

Our David Bowie.

Yeah.

Here's the worst part.

I love peacemark baby as a song, and I love.

It's great.

It's a bob.

And I just love that they said, like, oh, hey, I'm all about love.

And then instantly, like, oh, no.

Turns out he's a maniac.

Oh, yeah.

I just love that.

I just love that.

Like, that back into, oh, it's all about peace and love.

And, of course, showing the.

This is with the government, and this is him, and this is.

It's all bullshit.

And just what is he smoking a cigar and he's drinking.

Is that the part where he's doing that?

Yeah.

And then, yeah, he's, like, roughing up the handler.

Yeah, yeah.

He's showing his true color.

His true colors.

And then, like, one of the people who working on sets, like, hey, hey, I'm gonna go.

And he's like, oh, hey, I can't wait to work with you again.

I love you, buddy.

Door closes he's roughing the dude up again.

Like, give me that cigar back.

He pops the cigar's mouth so nobody sees him.

And they're kind of, I think, establishing again that, like, he and Maremo, who's now got some fame, they are.

They are teen idols.

They are kind of four teens.

So they have to be clean.

They have to be like.

They have.

Yeah.

As clean and chaste as possible.

Yeah.

Another, like, false thing in this, like, manufacturing factory is like, okay, you're this kind of person, and that's it.

And that's what you're gonna be.

He doesn't like it because, again, I.

Total psychopath.

He's like, I need a woman.

And then he's like, he wants to create a scandal.

I don't understand specifically what the scandal is.

That they're dating each other, basically.

Yeah.

He's trying to subvert.

Like, that.

You don't have a boyfriend or a girlfriend situation.

Yeah, yeah.

By going, it'd be scandalous if they were dating because they're supposed to just be for the fans.

Yeah.

And his popularity plateaued and he wanted to be more famous.

Yeah.

Kind of the driving factor there.

This is the entire reason.

Not that he's not famous.

He just thinks he can get more.

Famous because Maremo at that point, was more popular than he was.

Yeah.

Trying to knock her off with the handler so he could get ahead.

Because if she's got a boyfriend, then she's not chased.

Yeah.

We lose our fan.

Yeah.

So evil.

So they had been.

They had been surveilling them.

Right.

Because we see.

We kind of skipped over that part because they're all.

Yeah, I.

When Khan and Shingo are having their moment, they're sitting on the stoop.

Right.

And it's her stoop.

I love fashion.

What are you guys doing here?

Oh, yeah.

And they actually.

This is when they become friends and have their heart, literally.

And they're like, yeah.

And they're like, we're gonna start anew.

We're gonna do this the right way.

Yes.

And she's like, I'm cheering you on.

Let's do it together.

And I was like, yes.

But then there's a camera, and you're like, where is this camera?

They can surveil you from everywhere because we see that they are being watched, but they're just.

They're outside on a stoop.

There's too much power.

Yeah.

Oh, my God.

Exactly.

Yeah, but I like that because it doesn't have to make sense.

It's just supposed to be because we have this combination of, like, capitalism and the government and all of this, like, oh, yeah.

They can watch you wherever you are.

There's probably a pigeon with a camera in their eye.

Exactly.

That's the answer in my head.

Right.

Oh, wait, we almost skipped a part.

I like, just visually, because you have that, like, Shingo and Khan have been, like, doing smaller clubs and they do that club that, where it is raining the entire time.

And everyone who's at the club has an umbrella.

Except the bad.

It's everything.

Yep.

Yeah, yeah.

And they're singing about issues, about gasoline raining from the sky.

And I was like, yeah.

They're like, getting back in touch with, like.

Like, it feels like they're actually doing a song that matters.

Yep.

And like, the crappiest club, though, here's the thing.

I would totally go to that rain club.

Yeah, yeah.

You got a little umbrella.

All the.

All the waiters have the umbrellas with the drinks.

It's amazing.

I'd be afraid of, like, apparently it is electric equipment on stage, but that doesn't seem to be an issue, so.

Which is surprising, because if anybody remembers Tom York on that MTV spring break where he almost killed himself when it was raining outside the pool there.

Yeah.

Well, that.

Cuz.

Cuz this is a movie, Tom.

That was real life, buddy.

I love that part.

It's showing that they are starting to do that.

That work.

Kind of trying to maybe find their actual voice in fact, the interesting thing is Shingo isn't singing at all.

Yeah.

And he always sees himself as the lead singer and he let can do it, which I thought was a really nice sign too.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Like, look at them, they're, they're maturing.

Look at them.

Look at our boys go.

Yep.

And then the interview.

Yes.

I was getting worried.

They had me sweat.

I was like, oh, don't hurt my girl.

Like, yeah, cuz that, because that, because that, that lackey sets up like, okay, I guess I gotta help, uh, set this like, uh, gossip thing up.

And he sets Maria off like it's an interview.

The only other thing we forgot, too is when he's smoking and drinking, he like, has a seizure.

He has that weird seizure.

Oh, yeah, yeah.

And they say like, oh, don't do that.

Like, don't give into excess or whatever.

Stop drinking.

Yeah, yeah.

And then because it ends up being a thing the next.

During the interview.

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

Because it's not an interview.

She goes into the room and, and there's fake David Bowie on the bed, being a drink, being a sleazeball.

He's all in like black, you know, like his hair is just getting wilder.

In fact, he starts looking like some sort of weird warlock vampire as it goes on.

Nosferatu vibes.

Yeah, like the Klaus Kinski Nosferatu pops up.

Yeah.

It's because when he's having, and I might have to go back when he's having the seizure the day before, his face turns whiter.

Yeah.

And then when he's back up, it goes back to normal.

And so that's probably the him turning.

I was like, oh, he's an addict.

So that's what you're showing.

Or maybe also a vampire.

Who knows?

Yeah, pork Nolos does.

Yes.

So you're like, oh, no, he's gonna do something to.

We're very concerned.

Look at.

I love her.

She pulls the sheet when he's up on the bed, knocks him on his ass and then takes off.

And that's only the first time we see her with her special power, which, when she's falling down some stairs, she turns into a ball.

Like a literal ball.

Did everybody else go, wait, what?

Yeah.

I was like, the colonel powers have come back.

I was so concerned for her.

I'm like, oh, good, she's escaping.

Wait, what?

I went back and want, like, I rewound it.

Yeah, yeah.

And that's when, uh, because Shingo and Khan are looking for her.

In fact, they, uh, they, they encountered the goons at the record.

Yeah, yeah.

And got it out of them.

Yeah.

They kind of like.

Again.

Yeah.

Like, where is she?

So he told them.

So they're there and they're like, they're gonna rescue her.

So that's the start of a very long, I think, three song car chase.

But we get them on foot first.

Right.

And then they get in the car chase.

Yeah.

Cuz he don't say no to fake David Bowie.

And he's got a car full of goons and they're all just the same style.

And he's in full, like, at this point, his hair is wild, his face is gaunt, dead, like, you know, has, like, the dark makeup under his cheeks.

He's got, like a black cloak.

He looks insane at this point.

Just completely silent movie villain.

Yeah.

But our three protagonists are together again.

And they're like, nuh uh.

This is gonna happen.

Not on our watch.

And they're having fun in the car chase, don't they?

You think they get away and they're, like, waving bye bye and they're like, playing cards.

There's a part where she's playing cards.

I think with Shingo, it's like, what is happening?

It reminded me of a young ones episode.

Yes.

It had a very much wacky, like, we're running away, but also silly stuff's happening.

And of course, we finally get them.

Like, when they're hiding in the store window with the bridal stuff.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

We're mannequins.

I know we're not.

We escaped.

But then you also, I guess, thematically, these three people, because you have two brides and a groom, or at least two suits in a dressed.

And they are in those for, like, a good chunk of the end where you're like, these three are together in some sort of relationship that they probably can never figure out.

But they are a unit.

Yes.

I like that.

Like, they are a unit.

You know, whatever's going on is going on.

And then, oh, then my favorite song, crazy game comes on, which is one of my favorite ones.

But that's when they get in the car and they push that button.

Yep.

Yeah.

And at the same time is when the record executive is being brought in by the government people to the office of the prime minister, whose chair is turned around, his chairs turned around.

This is very important.

You don't see him right now.

And they're basically like, listen, this is working great.

Would you like to be almost like a part of the government?

Another arm of the government?

They're basically offering him money and power to produce the music that they need him to.

Cuz, you know, oh, God.

Governments are kind of icky, right?

Who?

Who would do that?

Who, who would do that?

And then the chair turns around.

There's none of us.

And we're all like, who's gonna say it?

Would you like to know who?

The prime minister in this movie.

Oh, it's a melted Hitler.

It is a terrifying latex Max mask.

I don't think it's supposed to be a mask.

It's supposed to be his face.

Hey, everybody, Hitler's back.

And he.

And he's in the music production now.

Tracks, though.

It's at that point I feel like, you know, our music executives, like, oh, wait a second.

Like, you see a little bit like, uh oh, this might have gone too far.

And just at that moment.

Yeah.

And at that moment, apparently hitting the button in that car opens up a portal into this very office under the desk.

Because all of a sudden, out pops Shingo and Kaidenhe.

Yeah.

And Maremo.

And then everybody else that was in the other car and career.

Everybody.

Everybody's in this room now.

And then a crew looks goes, dad.

Yes, yes.

Our fake David Bowie's dad is Hitler.

This is important knowledge, which everything now tracks.

Everything makes sense now.

And now this room is full of people.

I do not know where some of these people.

There were clowns in there.

There are dancers in there.

And there's a musical number going on.

And it's chaos.

It's chaos in there.

Yes.

But of course, Karu is angry because this has not happened the way he wanted to.

And he has a gun.

Yeah.

And he's gonna shoot somebody.

And you're like, oh, no, it's Shingo in his full bridal dress, in the full bridle.

He's gonna take him out.

And you hear like a bang.

And you have a look on Shingo's face like something horrible happened.

And you look back and everyone's going, oh, shot.

Oh, shoot.

Oh, no.

And they look again.

And there's the record executive in front of Shanga with his all white suit with a spot of blood on the right hand side of his chest.

Yes, he should be fine.

He was shot on the right side.

Yeah, he's down.

And Rainbow's like, he's on the right.

It'll be fine.

And then that look comes over his face.

And then you get a look on because, oh, we forgot that Ken was like, oh, yeah.

Cause he was talking to Shingo.

He's like, yeah.

And we both have our hearts on the right side.

It's not that weird.

I.

So then you start getting that.

Wait a second.

They were both abandoned and they all have their heart on their side.

And then.

And then.

Okay, this might be my favorite part of this film is our record executive gets up and as he is dying and his suit is becoming more and more read, he sings a ballad about how he used to be a pop idol and he loved unfairly and had to abandon his two twin sons.

What a twist.

What?

And then he's like, in this atonement as he's ascending white stairs with dancers on the side, literally, like, going to heaven in a way.

And it's just.

It's just valid.

It's just like sad ballad, but it's a power ballad, and he's singing the hell out of it.

And now the Stardust brothers, they really are brothers and they know it.

And he drops dead.

It's the best moment of the film.

I'm a.

I love it every time.

Like, this is the best part of this film.

Yeah.

The entire time.

And.

Yeah.

Oh, and the best.

He takes off his glasses so now we can see his eyes, we can see his soul.

Yeah.

It's beautiful.

Yeah.

He loves his sons more than money or power.

It turns out he just wanted them to be able to taste what he tastes, have the success.

Yeah, yeah.

Then dead.

And that was it.

Then it goes right back to, like, right back to the.

The stage show that the Stardust brothers are doing at the weird black and white club.

Yep.

Because they say this is weird right there.

Yeah, yeah.

Cuz they're like.

So there's.

There's no resolution.

And then they say as if almost to write their own story because they're still interested in being stars, which is super interesting to me because they've gone through this whole thing and they literally, I forget which one says it, like, well, maybe Karoo is still angry at us and seeking revenge.

And I don't know if that was true before they said it because it feels like they're trying to write a legend.

Mm hmm.

Right.

Because then.

And then.

Because then after that, all of a sudden can't get shot.

And he falls back and shingle thinks it's a joke, but it's not.

And then he stands up and he gets shot.

And then they.

It's almost like they're trying to make.

Legs of each other.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

And you see that he has a vision of like, uh, Marimo and, uh, Khan driving off together because it's kind of intimated that they got together and he's okay with it now, but he's going.

He's walking and shingles.

Like, I'll be in the stars.

And he's walking off into the stars.

Hard cut to their bodies, dead on the stage.

And the first time this audience has reacted and they applaud and they react.

So positively, these two guys are shutting up.

Yeah.

And I was like, there we go.

It's almost like they had to make a legend.

That's the legend of the Stardust brothers.

They had to end it on a legend, which is them getting shot, which is them.

Yeah, yeah.

Which I think is a statement.

Yeah.

Who knows?

Like, I think they put that possibility out there, like, oh, this is a loose end.

Maybe this is what happens and people will talk about us forever.

Yep.

Because that fame came back again.

They kept saying they were going to do small clubs and do it, but it sounds like the fame bug got them in the end because they didn't have to.

They never had to go on that stage and talk about being the Stardust brothers, but they did, you know, they were almost free.

And then, yo, it gets you.

Yeah.

Yeah.

And that is the legend of the Stardust brothers.

What a wild movie.

I love it.

I love the aesthetics of it.

I love that its subtlety is for cowards, as we mentioned before we started.

Before we got on.

Yeah.

We had that conversation about Garth merengue.

Is that.

Yes.

Subtext is for cowards.

Yeah.

And that is exactly what this movie is.

If you want to know what maximalism looks like in a film.

Yes.

But like, low budget maximalism.

Like, you can tell that they were doing the best with what they had.

And I love it.

Yeah.

It's very much in that same range of, like, forbidden zone and all those kind of like new wave.

I'm trying to remember the other one, the Russian.

It doesn't matter, but it's like a russian new wavy kind of thing.

And it's got the same vibe to it.

Yeah.

It's on a show.

It has a lot of that energy.

Yes.

Yeah, yeah.

And then you can really see, I guess a lot for me is I can see the fam of the paradise, like influence.

Like, literally that.

The musician said that was one of his inspirations.

And I'm like, you show these together, it's kind of the same story.

Yeah.

There's a definite through line between them, for sure.

Stardust brothers are Winslow Leech together, two for one.

But like, that same idea of, like, you know, fame.

Fame will bite you.

You think you want it, you know?

But if you're.

If, you know, your whole idea is, like, fame and not music and not creating something but being a thing, and then you let somebody else create the thing, you're gonna be.

There's.

There's not a happy ending there.

People are like, it'll be what the audience wants.

And sometimes what the audience wants is you shot dead.

Yeah.

And that's the echo with.

With the last episode with.

With head.

They couldn't get out of that.

That same.

They're just toys on a shelf to be used for something else another time.

So there's.

Those are your options.

You're just.