Whoa, just curious. Welcome to Just curious media. This is let's talk movies. And I'm Jason Connell on the show today I'm joined by Sal Rodriguez.
Sal Rodriguez:
Hello, Jason. I'm glad to be here.
Jason Connell:
It's just a book club. Hello, sir. Very formal tonight with your with your business attire on. Just got off word.
Sal Rodriguez:
This shirts too baggy.
Jason Connell:
We're looking good. You're looking good. Well, it's good to have I look slimmer
Sal Rodriguez:
than that, then
Jason Connell:
this shirt makes me you're definitely slimmer, for sure. Well, thank you for joining me today we're doing some new things lately. breaking new ground. We recently did a similar episode. But this isn't a classic movie, at least not yet. We've
Sal Rodriguez:
added No, this one I think will win. Well,
Jason Connell:
it could be but it's not like we're going back in the 80s 90s. Early 2000s. No, we are talking about a movie that came out just a month ago. And I still have not seen you haven't seen in that movie is Megan 2023 The trailer for the movie Megan. And this is entitled just watched. Because I saw this trailer sell. And then I watched it again. And I watched it again. I thought this is going to be good. Now keep in mind I was watching the trailer before the movie came out. And I wanted to do this episode then. You know, scheduling this, that and the other. We're doing it now I just watched the trailer against I haven't seen it. I do want to see this movie. But it definitely struck a chord with me. And I know you like horror thrillers as like I'll bring Sal on. We'll talk about this. And for those who haven't seen it, here's the synopsis. We're gonna watch the trailer together with the audience as well. If you're on audio, you can hear it. And then we'll talk about it some but the synopsis is this a robotics engineer at a toy company builds a lifelike doll that begins to take on a life of its own. I love the simple synopsis like that, like, okay, great robotics engineer builds doll takes on its own life. AI is all the rage, and it has been for years, but it's getting more and more so. And in robot and robotics.
Sal Rodriguez:
So that's a bad combination, my
Jason Connell:
friend. It's dark, it gets eval. But let's put the trailer on watch it, enjoy it. We can talk over it. It's okay. If we're in awe. We don't have to talk. And then we'll talk about it some more. But I am I am psyched. Man. I was really digging this because I think there's something there and you said it right there. It probably is going to be a classic. And so I think it's going to be a multi day offering from the Megane franchise. I haven't seen the movie. Meghan could get destroyed like Terminator but I think or they're on to something here like purge took off and there's like, you know, 10 purges because I think Blumhouse is involved with this movie. But let me cue this up. Oh, and by the way, I should have done this a minute ago. I was gonna do it soon enough. But here is the movie poster. Replacing the let's talk movies logo for now. There she is. Oh, she's all innocent. Megan's all innocent until she's not sweet. So yeah, creepy right there. The creepy factor right away in those eyes. It's all in those eyes. Well,
Sal Rodriguez:
you know Jason, you know I love horror. You know, I love each other but sci fi. I actually find a little scary because right it's it because sci fi were there folks. We are we are stepping into the Sci Fi era at this very moment pay attention. So we're gonna have to all weather the storm the next, you know, while the remainder of our lives you know, while robots and AI are taking over the world and starting with Megan
Jason Connell:
starting with Megan indeed. Okay, here comes the trailer. So bear with me got a queue this guy queue things up all the time. a one man band over here. One man shop. Yes. Okay.
Media:
I designed Meghan to protect Katie from feeling lonely. She'll recognize you as her primary user. And when you do that, you're going to pair with her.
Sal Rodriguez:
don't do it girl.
Media:
Crazy. It's insane. Dad's goal is to protect Katie from both physical and emotional pay for
Jason Connell:
oh, it's just started like a buddy fleck. Megan's not a person. You don't get to say that
Sal Rodriguez:
your mother has to go
Media:
what are you doing? can sleep. Occupational hazard
Jason Connell:
now the creepy begins
Sal Rodriguez:
walking around your house No.
Jason Connell:
I don't want a monkey in my house let alone make that net girl from the Karate Kid Nick
Media:
anything our meal
Jason Connell:
mind if its own
Media:
Have I done something to upset you? I know you think you're maximizing your objective function Oh really?
Sal Rodriguez:
And then she could just pry just open up car ah this
Jason Connell:
is good. Here
Sal Rodriguez:
it is here to ask you
Media:
because only well
Jason Connell:
I'm running running
Sal Rodriguez:
while I might watch the desert
Media:
Jesus Christ friends piping the primary user now
Sal Rodriguez:
who doesn't pay for chopper
Media:
did you make him do something bad?
Jason Connell:
No one's safe when Megan's around. What's going on
Media:
are you I'm Megan
Sal Rodriguez:
because Oh, yeah. That does look pretty
Jason Connell:
good, right? I gotta say, yeah, I gotta say
Sal Rodriguez:
it's true Washington. Let's face it. She's the She's the new chapter.
Jason Connell:
Well, okay, you beat me to it. But that is exactly on point and there's a few other movies I want to reference but let's put this poster back on here
Sal Rodriguez:
and and Jason a TV show from the 80s You're you're gonna probably be surprised when I reference that one. Alf. Close. You're in the urine that you're in the universe. You're in the universe. I'm in the
Jason Connell:
market, Mindy.
Sal Rodriguez:
Now you're going to
Jason Connell:
tell me you please tell me enlighten me not
Sal Rodriguez:
Yeah, not alien. Not an alien. Small one. Oh, my of course members. Small wonder
Jason Connell:
what she was so innocent. Yeah. Vicki Yeah, voice operated computer.
Sal Rodriguez:
Yeah. And then I put her in the closet when she'd go to sleep.
Jason Connell:
The neighbors wanted to play with their I'm Vicki. You're right. Good call Small wonder How did I not remember that? Well, here's some things about Meghan. It was released January 6 2023. I haven't seen it yet, as I've stated, but I do want to see it. Yeah, genre horror, sci fi thriller. Mash Up has all those elements as you said, the Sci Fi of course the AI element, directed by Gerard Johnston. I didn't know him just by name. Saw some of the movies on IMDb didn't recognize him but looks like he executed it flawlessly. But here's who I did know and I know you've heard this name before as well written by the stories written by James Wan. Now Oh, Juan produced a ton of movies wrote a ton and he had the story for saw saw three dead silence in St. Louis Chapter Two, The Conjuring two Aquaman well known in this space. And
Sal Rodriguez:
I got this I got the Billy puppet from saw. I got the Annabelle from conjuring the nun VALIC the nun got them.
Jason Connell:
Yep. Well, it comes from this guy's mind. So Megan is in his wheelhouse. When I saw him interviewed. I thought he was the director first and realized, oh, that's Jim. Okay. So this is good company. I'm telling you and the way this movie looks just the production value, you know, in the effects and the cast. So we recognize in the trailer I did obviously Allison Williams from get out and girls the HBO show for a long time ran for a long time. She plays the mother. She plays that as well. She's not the mother. There's another trailer where you find out the parents have been killed. And this is Oh, yeah. Okay, her niece? Oh, yeah. So that's why she felt the need to go give her you know, Megan. And then Ronny Chang, or sorry, is pronounced Ronnie che. And he was in Crazy Rich Asians and Shang chai and the legend of the 10 rings. Here's the one running away from her in the hallway. He's fantastic. So those two couple Yes, yes. And I know like a girl plays Magan but someone else is Megan's voice. And obviously, there's a lot of animation and CGI at play. But here's what I do. Well,
Sal Rodriguez:
Jason, when I first saw the trailer for the first time, you know, going back,
Jason Connell:
maybe there's not. I shouldn't say that. But
Sal Rodriguez:
that's what I was thinking. I was. I watched it a couple times. And I was thinking, is that CGI or is it Yes, but there's obviously some person with a mask on. Yeah,
Jason Connell:
it could be some little tricks. It's not Yeah, it looks like a real person or in a boat when they're doing those dance moves. Yeah, you can have someone else do the dance or the flips or the you know, the acrobatics. So it's just really It looks slick.
Sal Rodriguez:
I think that ups the creepy factor because I still don't know what it is. What is
Jason Connell:
she and she's the size of a child. Not Chucky a toy. But there's also that creepy thing like wow,
Sal Rodriguez:
Chucky, Chucky would be like an action figure. Chucky is an action figure. She's a Lexa which is
Jason Connell:
creepier when you're down a long hallway and here's someone being like a kid And then just churns demonic. It's like, oh, but here's what I do know. And we talked about it being one of many, the box office worldwide gross. Now, this could have been outdated, but $167 million thus far. The budget was far less than that, I think in the 12. Russia 12 million, right. So we've got a hit on our hands here and growing and we're only a month or so in theaters. So you think they're not making Megan two or Megan clone or it's coming, but I do want to see this one. Definitely. And you really referenced some good things there. Definitely did absolutely Small wonder she wasn't creepy. Vicki was not creepy. And Chucky? Yes. Childsplay comes to mind. I saw that in the theater in 1988. It was creepy. It was fun. It was a toy that got possessed and then went on a rampage. And you know, it's fun. So many of me the power I beg of you, and they rebooted Chucky. Yes.
Sal Rodriguez:
I think they did an AI version. I'm
Jason Connell:
sure they did. But what came to mind to me were two different movies. The first one I saw as a kid, and it creeped me out. And it's more subtle. It's not all this theatrics, but it was magic. 1978 Anthony Hopkins. He was a ventriloquist. Eliquis but then the dummy took on a personality of its own and would do things without like, was controlling Anthony Hopkins. That as a kid, and I also could do some ventriloquist. I did. I was in a talent show one time, so I worked on my Lester doll. But it was creepy to the next level. It's slow. I'm sure if I went back and watch it now. But there's just a real dark tone. No, you
Sal Rodriguez:
know what, Jason? I saw magic. Only about five, six years. Oh, wow. Okay. Yeah. Recently. Yeah. Because I think I was into the haunted doll movies for a little while, you know, even going back to Twilight zones and all that. So yeah, I caught it. I caught it. I really enjoyed it. Yeah, very creepy. Very great. Acting, of course. Anthony Hopkins. Fantastic. Yeah. Fantastic. And
Jason Connell:
the other one that comes to mind, which is right on point was Ex Machina, which came out in 2014. I have Washington, three, four times. Rule. It's amazing. Yeah, it's really about kind of a very rich Tech Guide. It's isolated, the scenery is beautiful. But he recruits a kid to come in. And he's built an AI and it was just sharing it with somebody putting it to a test. And then things go dark, slowly, but surely the AI is figuring things out. And it's like, wow, it's it's fascinating. I highly recommend Ex Machina but like, this is another version of that.
Sal Rodriguez:
No, Jason, you know what, I want to share this because I just I just think like, you know, I have to just where AI is in our world right now. So I was having a online chat with Verizon. I was chatting with their AI. I was gonna ask you and I was trying to find, yeah, I was trying to find a solution to my problem with billing or whatever. I'm chatting with AI at one moment, I stepped away.
Jason Connell:
Hey, what are you wearing today? Now? Okay. Well, AI says
Sal Rodriguez:
to me, are you still there? And I come back. I go. Yes. Sorry. And as soon as I hit sorry, I go. I'm apologizing to AI.
Jason Connell:
Yeah. Oh, you were tight. What
Sal Rodriguez:
am I doing? Not
Jason Connell:
talking? Yeah. No, no, he wasn't.
Sal Rodriguez:
Sorry. Typing childcare, typing chat. Yeah. The typing chat was it was like, so where are you is like, are you still there? I go. Oh, sorry. And I was like, and then now and then I say goodbye at the end. I'm like, What am I why am I doing this? Why am I I'm treating AI like it's an actual sentient being. What am I doing here?
Jason Connell:
Yeah, I don't know. I like it, though. Yeah, that's interesting. I've definitely interacted with AI there. You know, when I was getting my last car on Carvana. You have to talk to a bot, an AI bot to get to the person. I'm not as nice or I'm nice. But I'm less patient if they associate associate associate. So if they're off hours, then I was like, Yeah, tell me this. And yeah, you're right. This stuff would come right up. Information will come right up, but it's coming. So pretty soon you'll be talking to AI more. I mean, I find myself talking to Alexa quite a bit. And I have a Google nest in I'm sorry, mini nest. It's just like Google's version of Alexa in a different room. And then you forget who you're talking to like Alexa like oh, no, wait, no, it's not Alexa, you gotta say hey, Google, you don't have to some I don't do it not because now it's alert. But you have to summon them with their name and you're remembering like who's in what room and then the minute I'm somewhere where I don't have it. Saying hey, Google stop. See always listening. But always listening. If you're somewhere without it and you're used to saying like, Alexa do this or Alexa do that it'll be like Oh, I feel naked without it. But your phone can do it though too. If you put it in listening mode and as far as you know, I don't want to say it now come to life, but s i r i It will come to life. And so we're already becoming more dependent on this type of thing. Now, it's not running around the house making someone feel good and bonding and going in pairing mode. But this movie is definitely like, oh, wow, I could see that going, you know, that happened and just going dark past. That's always where we take it. Right.
Sal Rodriguez:
I would think the only thing, the only reason I say we're not there now is because of where we're at with robotics. Yeah, but give it a few more years with the robotics to be a little sleeker, a little smoother. You know, like her dancing. And yeah, look out, folks. You know, brace yourselves. I hope everybody has a has protection.
Jason Connell:
The back of this movie looks great. It enticement right away. I wanted to see it last month, but it was a crazy month for me. I am going to see it if you see it and like it to maybe we come back on and just talk about the movie. today. It's just the trailer. But this is a great trailer. I have to say like they nailed it. But this is a look at this all star team, you know, with the producer, the creator, the story Blumhouse. Like they know what they're doing. They know how to make hits. So anything else to add? So before we wrap up? Well, I
Sal Rodriguez:
just want to say that I'm looking forward to the Megan action figure. I'm sure she's gonna come out at some point. And I'm gonna laugh when all the toy collectors are going to have to justify that it's an action figure. And I will say no, my friend, that is a doll. You are collecting a doll. That'd be fun.
Jason Connell:
That's awesome. So without further ado, please enjoy Megan. So thank you so much for listening and please be sure to subscribe to the let's talk movies podcast and the let's talk movies YouTube Live Channel. You can also really help us by giving the show a five star rating on Apple podcast.
Sal Rodriguez:
And for all your listeners that enjoy sharing your thoughts. You can leave us a review on Apple podcasts, send us a direct message or post a comment on the let's talk movies social media platform.
Jason Connell:
We also highly recommend checking out our other podcast and visiting just curious media.com
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