I Have Some Notes

Ducan Jones' follow-up to Moon dropped, it barely made a sound. It remains one of the many Netflix original misses that have been scarcely seen – must less heard – by anyone. But hey, we were looking for a noir cyberpunk movie, and this one fits the bill!

Laena Anderson of Quantum Kickflip fame joins us to give a stronger voice to Mute. They deftly adjust the challenges the protagonist's disability would present in an ableist future, while Scott looks to change the film's protagonist altogether. Gregg tweaks a single scene, again, and Liam…well Liam may not have even watched this one.

• 15:57 – Plot Summary

This week we pitch modern remakes for the O.G. horror flick: The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. A classic of the Weimar Germany era of expressionist films, Dr. Caligari left an indelible mark on the horror genre with its haunting score, trippy hand-painted lettering and sets, and unique film tinting. I can say with confidence I've never seen a movie like it. You can watch it for free here.

Liam and Gregg propose remakes that are essentially artistic love letters to a classic, while Scott zags in the other direction creating a techno horror/thriller that pays homage to the original.

If you are interested in checking out the short films that inspired Liam's remake, here is a list of links:

• The Periwig Maker – Stop motion short from 1999, based on Daniel Defoe's novel A Journal of the Plague Year (1722), narrated by Kenneth Branagh.

• https://vimeo.com/94166448
  

• https://www.nfb.ca/film/flying-sailor-the/

• https://youtu.be/H9InaUJm0A8?si=YYRPkdorPUKxiCNp

• Love Death and Robots - Season 2 Episode 5

• Available on AppleTV+

Ti West's X is honestly a pretty great horror/slasher movie, but would we let a quality film from A24 get in the way of our Monday morning screenwriting? Hell no!

• 10:46 - Film Discussion

Originally a Patreon exclusive, we've unlocked this special Side Notes episode for all to enjoy: How to Watch Movie Good.

Making I Have Some Notes over the last eight years has really pushed us to become better cinephiles and media critics. Punching up movies week after week isn't easy, particularly if we hope to create interesting pitches that meaningfully move these screenplays in a better direction.

So we thought it would be good to share with you our individual journeys from average moviegoers to seasoned cinephiles. The result was a great conversation that traces our roots from working at video stores, to writing about movies, to developing a love for film theory and artistic philosophy.

As mentioned in our last episode, we intend to ride out the Hollywood strikes in solidarity with the WGA and SAG-AFTRA, so we may not be punching up American superhero movies for a while. Fortunately, this presents a perfect excuse to hit the road and explore imaginative superhero movies abroad, like Shin Kamen Rider.

Kamen Rider is a storied Japanese hero who is as much a cultural touchstone in Japan as Superman is in North America. The franchise spans hundreds of hours of television and a dizzying number of feature films. It is also responsible for the popularization of the "transformation" scene that became of hallmark of anime shows like Sailor Moon.

We try work rework the break-neck speed of Shin Kamen Rider to something that is admittedly more accessible to us Canadians who have yet to ride with the masked grasshopper hero before.

• 09:00 - Plot Summary

Did you miss us? Cause we definitely missed you! We're stoked to be back for another season of punching up movies, although this season will be slightly different.

As you know, the Writers Guild of America and the Screen Actors Guild are currently on strike due to unfair pay and poor working conditions. To show our solitary, I Have Some Notes has chosen not to promote any struck work from movie studios that are unwilling to sign a fair deal with artists. They are the lifeblood of the industry and for the countless hours of entertainment they have given us, writers and actors deserve the opportunity to earn a comfortable living.

So the question is: what movies can we review?

Enter The Brain That Wouldn't Die, a 1962 sci-fi/horror B-movie that just happens to be in the public domain. No fat cat executive is profiting from this one, baby!

But instead of our usual punch-up routine, we decided to have some extra fun and violate our one single rule. That's right, we're doing page one rewrites! Specifically, our goal was to remake this classic for a modern audience.

So grab your headphones and listen in as we repitch The Brain That Wouldn't Die!

• 08:53 – Plot Summary

For our season finalé, we really felt we wanted to get to the center of a science fiction film. You know, really drill down, bore out all the flaws, and mine some truly creative solutions.

Additional core puns.

Robin Taylor (Cinematological) joins us for the conclusion to Season 8 of I Have Some Notes aiming to rewrite 2003's THE CORE. The crew struggles a bit with this one but ultimately pitches multiple fixes including throwing an Adam-McKay-esque satirical blanket around the entire plot. 

Thank you to all our listeners and Patreon supporters this season. Because of your support, the show is now completely independent and self-sustaining. This show is a blast to make, and we're so grateful to be able to keep recording into Season 9 and beyond.

We'll be back in September, but if you're a Patreon supporter keep an eye out for some bonus content in July and August. Have a great summer, armchair screenwriters!

Hollywood has a long dark history of discriminating against and abusing women, an issue thoroughly analyzed by the revealing 2018 documentary THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING. When Anita recently watched this doc, it affected her so completely she was compelled to bring a panel of women together to discuss it.

As such a panel is no place for three white dudes, Anita, Glenna, Danica and Erin take over the show for an insightful conversation about gender disparity in Hollywood. Take it from the man who edited it together, there are plenty of things said in this episode that are tough, but necessary to hear.

It's fair to say the consensus amongst critics is that Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness needed more verses and madness, and that's a given in all of our notes. However, where MoM really struggles is in its character development, particularly of its villain.

We work our way through the multiverse punching up Wanda's arc while sprinkling in some Marvel lore that could have made jumping from dimension to dimension much more fun.

Bullet Train was not well received critically. When it sits at 54% on Rotten Tomatoes you can understand why we would look at it and say "Hey, the perfect movie for our podcast." And yet, this movie is mostly rad, leaving us a bit stunned and at a loss for how to go about our usual repitching shtick.

We soldier on, of course, but the rewrites are of a very minor variety. Still, it was fun to talk about a pretty good movie this time around.