Ep. 895 - Digger

David Chen (0:20)

Hello, everyone, and welcome to The Filmcast, a podcast about movies.

I'm David Chen, and first we had Jack D. Ripper, now we have Digger Rockwell. What's next? Gordon Gekko?

Jeff Cannata (0:35)

Wow.

David Chen (0:35)

I'm still working on it, guys. Okay, anyway.

Jeff Cannata (0:37)

Yeah, no, you should still be working on it.

David Chen (0:39)

I was going to say, maybe Michael Clayton? Okay, joining me today is Devindra Hardawar.

Devindra Hardawar (0:45)

I also know what it's like to be an Indian guy trying to keep a group of powerful white men from doing something stupid.

David Chen (0:50)

It really resonated with me. And Jeff Cannata.

Jeff Cannata (0:56)

This is a movie about trying to reckon with climate change or as I like to call it, Mission Impossible.

David Chen (1:06)

Those are all vague and oblique.

Devindra Hardawar (1:07)

The final, final reckoning, as it were.

David Chen (1:11)

Those are all vague and oblique references to the fact that today in the podcast, we're going to be discussing Digger, newest film by Alejandro González Iñárritu, starring Tom Cruise. And before we get to that, of course, we've got a little bit of what we've been watching for you. We've got a little bit of film news for you.

But let's start with this email from Bob, writing in to slashfilmcast at gmail.com.

Bob writes in, I was wondering if you guys were going to cover the new DreamWorks film, The Forgotten Island. Probably not as a review, but I'd love to hear your thoughts on what we've been watching. As someone with Filipino roots, working in animation, I was very excited to see a big animated film about Filipino mythology being made. After the success of K-Pop Demon Hunters and Neja 2, surely the bigger animation studio would put its full weight behind this, right? Surely DreamWorks would do anything to have their own Pacific Island success story that could rival Moana, right? It seems, however, that the marketing completely botched it, and the movie has been largely forgotten, so to speak. When I asked my friends who are fellow animators to come see it with me, they haven't even heard of it. It's a little heartbreaking to finally see my cultural heritage being represented in a gorgeous animated film, and then not hearing anyone talk about it. I found the film itself a little too hyperactive, but the actual story and visuals were great. Me and my friends all had a good time, so I'm doing my part to promote it and humbly ask you to give The Forgotten Island a chance. Keep up the great work with the podcast. I've been listening since 2009

Jeff Cannata (2:42)

2009 Can I tell you guys a funny story about this?

David Chen (2:45)

Yeah, sure, go ahead.

Jeff Cannata (2:46)

I was very excited about this. I heard about it from a number of people. I don't know really what it's about, but I was excited that it's a family-friendly animated movie.

I told my whole family, hey, we're going to watch this this weekend. Everybody gather around. We got popcorn. We got ourselves situated, turned on the streaming services. And then went, wait, they're releasing a DreamWorks movie in theaters?

David Chen (3:15)

So basically, you are part of the problem, is kind of what I'm gathering for the story.

Jeff Cannata (3:19)

Well, I just was so unaware that this movie was in theaters.

Devindra Hardawar (3:22)

I think they really failed to sell this movie. It's a sad, sad state of affairs because it looks badass. It's also a busy time for movies. It's timing bad, marketing bad. I really want to see it.

Jeff Cannata (3:33)

I assumed it was a streaming movie. It's like, this is not the movie they put in theaters anymore. And I'd heard zero about it as far as I just assumed it must be a streaming movie. So my kids literally gathered around the television while I watch.

Devindra Hardawar (3:51)

Incredible.

David Chen (3:52)

And then, of course, after that, you immediately then went out to the theater to see it, right, Jeff?

Jeff Cannata (3:56)

Yeah. Well, we would have. I mean, we literally suggested that, but it didn't work out in time.

The screenings, the timings didn't work for the for it was like, oh, the next one's at 730 No, that's when my kids, my daughter goes to bed. So that was the next one that was who he sat down at like five to watch it.

David Chen (4:13)

This movie has a 95 percent in Rotten Tomatoes, a 96 percent popcorn meter. It has been extremely well reviewed, well regarded.

I have gotten several messages sent to me personally being like, why aren't you talking about this? I'm really pissed at you, David Chen, which is fun. It's nice when people are pissed about a movie I'm not talking about, you know, like usually it's something I am talking about. And so-