EPISODE 111 — Hercules in New York: LIVE!

[Dedre_NvR 30]

Please leave the show Jason, you insensitive douchebag.

 

The fact that this is your first post makes me assume you were in the audience. Can you straight up take a joke please.

[Sirrah 0]

omissions:

I was obsessed with the girls crazy hair - every single scene she has her hair done so that it covers her ears. June is right, she is totally weird, she's like Aunt Martha from Sleepaway Camp's little sister.

Finally, I had no idea what her name was after watching the movie, so I looked it up. It was Helen. Like Helen of Troy. Well done, Aubrey Wisberg (who apparently never worked again after this film).

[ConorMurphy 2]

Corrections and Omissions, yo: How is it possible that you forgot to mention that Hercules is a reference to The Hunger Games?!

[JoeSchiffenhaus 1]

Is it just me or does that one greek "goddess" look like a mob wife that Lorraine Bracco is making fun of in Goodfellas?

[JoeSchiffenhaus 1]

Please leave the show Jason, you insensitive douchebag.

[RayDog 1]

I have a theory about how Hercules and Pretzie managed to find a random chariot in Manhattan.

 

Earlier in the movie, when Hercules is on one of his dates with the professor's daughter, they see a poster advertising a show about Hercules—a poster that prominently features horses and a chariot. Later on, when Hercules and Pretzie are on the run from the mobsters and steal the chariot from the guy wearing that weird leopard print outfit, I figured that they were in the area near where the show was being performed and happened to stumble on the horses and chariot which were hanging around until they were needed for the show. The guy buying the hotdog is the actor playing Hercules in the show (why else would he be wearing that weird leopard-print outfit?) that the real Hercules was so offended by when he saw the poster. It's a beautiful moment of the two Herculeses of the movie meeting.

[GregDerAnanian 2]

Everyone's Arnold impression was awful. Forget the "I am" part; the only thing you need to do is, rather than saying HERcules, say HAIRcules. Try it at home for hours of family fun.

[grog1138 60]

I was disappointed that June didn't talk about the scene when Arnold took his shirt off complaining about the "Hercules" movie poster. Hercules date was extra insane in that scene. Was that the first time the actress saw Arnold with his shirt off? Actually was that the first time she saw a man with his shirt off?

 

[PlanBFromOuterSpace 3138]

I don't know why I didn't think of it until now, but Schwarzenegger's perfect, over-privileged, fish-out-of-water character in "Twins" is basically a newer and improved take on his Hercules. BAM. What do I win?!?

[Cameron H. 23786]

What do I win?!?

 

Three free lessons from the Austrian Bodybuilder's Correspondence School of Improv! You can expect your first premise in the mail in approximately 2-3 weeks.

 

Congratulations!

[PlanBFromOuterSpace 3138]

 

 

Three free lessons from the Austrian Bodybuilder's Correspondence School of Improv! You can expect your first premise in the mail in approximately 2-3 weeks.

 

Congratulations!

"Yes, I am HEAR-cue-lease, and..."

[Adam G 3]

Jamie Foxx's portrayal of Electro in The Amazing Spiderman is eerily similar to Pretzie, Spiderman being his Herc. I really hope Jamie Foxx based it off Arnold Stang's role. Also... Hair Curlies

[PlanBFromOuterSpace 3138]

Hair Curlies

That certainly works! It's no Stellar Skateboard though...

[seemonster 13]

Does anyone else remember Arnold Stang's last line in the movie. It's something like "Well, I think I'll go eat an apple." END. OF. SCENE. At first I thought it was a callback to an earlier moment. Nope.

 

I can't believe they didn't mention this in the episode! Especially when they played his whole sad monologue leading up to it. It's like the writers didn't know how to end scenes, so they would just have characters say "I'm going to take a shower," or "I think I'll eat an apple."

 

Also, Hercules so clearly seems to have the mental capacity of a five year old. I would love to see the dubbed version with the same dialogue but a fancy British voice saying this childish/mentally handicapped stuff.

[CoryDuclos 1]

I though the car chase scene deserved some more discussion. 1) Herc and Pretzi run to hide from the gangsters, 2) The prof. and her daughter leave in a car to try and distract the gangsters, 3) the gangsters follow the prof. and daughter thinking Herc is with them. 4) Herc starts following the gangsters to rescue prof. and daughter.

 

So why do the gangsters keep chasing the prof. and daughter? They clearly see Herc.

 

Pretzi is my co-pilot.

[Cameron H. 23786]

 

I can't believe they didn't mention this in the episode! Especially when they played his whole sad monologue leading up to it. It's like the writers didn't know how to end scenes, so they would just have characters say "I'm going to take a shower," or "I think I'll eat an apple."

 

Also, Hercules so clearly seems to have the mental capacity of a five year old. I would love to see the dubbed version with the same dialogue but a fancy British voice saying this childish/mentally handicapped stuff.

 

While I agree with both you on the "Apple" line, I do have a theory.

 

If I were to hazard a guess, Pretzie's health/physique --especially in comparison with Herc's--was supposed to be a runner throughout. So basically, after his impassioned soliloquy espousing the wonders of Hercules and he says, "I think I will eat an apples" he's more or less saying, "I'm turning over a new leaf. I'm going to be more like Hercules." The reason the line comes off particularly clunky is that it feels like a punchline that doesn't have a set up.

 

Although...let's run through this again...

 

A strange, charismatic man comes down from Heaven and picks up a group of followers. His actions are an inspiration to some, but also upsets the status quo. He is plagued by temptation, but ultimately resists. People accuse Him of being crazy because of His radical ideas. One of His closest followers betrays Him, which leads to the people violently turning against Him. Afterwards, He ascends to Heaven, but briefly returns to console his Apostle and assure him that He will always be with him. Comforted by His words, His Apostle begins the process transforming his life...

 

Holy Shit, guys! There's only one possible answer to where this movie goes from here: St. Pretzie sets up shop in Times Square and becomes the first pope of Hercules' new church!

 

Wow, God really should sue the writers of this movie for plagiarism...

[TheMightyZog 10]

Some thoughts:

 

-Did the plot remind anyone else of Thor? Arrogant son of a god goes to Earth, is a dickbag to everyone he meets, finds a lady whose dad is a professor, learns some sort of lesson... well, okay, Hercules didn't really learn much, and he just abandoned both the woman and his "best friend"...

 

-I had the same notion that Pretzie was going to kill himself. There's a perfect moment for it, right after he gives his sad little monologue and turns on the radio, some jazz starts playing, then BLAM! and blood sprays all over the radio. Pan back to Pretzie slumped over the table holding a smoking revolver.

 

-The Samson thing definitely doesn't make sense, but neither does sending Atlas. I mean, he's basically an Olympian POW cursed to hold up the sky (NOT the Earth) as punishment for siding with the Titans. And if Atlas is helping Hercules, WHO THE FUCK IS HOLDING UP THE SKY, ZEUS?

 

-Those giant rolls of paper in that cardboard factory would be super heavy. Like, need-a-forklift-to-lift-them heavy. Hercules straight up murdered those gangsters by toppling those things down on top of them. Hooray?

[DavidNedrow 0]

I have to admit, when I read the description for this episode, my first thought was "weird, they spelled Arnold Stang's name wrong."

[CollinLorraine 0]

Hey Paul,

 

A few of the comments about Herc's sudden and abrupt departure from his new Earth buddy Pretsi are pretty spot on, as it turns out there was a farewell scene that was shot between Stang and Schwarzenneger, which was cut out of the film. I learned this and a bunch of other tidbits about the filming from Arnold's Autobioagaphy "Total Recall" Check out this excerpt:

 

 

 

 

"On the second-to-last day, I finally felt it, what acting is about.

We were shooting a sentimental scene where Hercules and Pretzie are saying good-bye. I really got into it, just like they always talk about in acting. The director came over afterward and said, "I got goose bumps when you did that."

 

Big Arnold fan, huge fan of the podcast too. Thanks for doing this movie.

 

Collin

[chadchadwoski 0]

Hercules picking Pretzy as a sidekick (or vice versa) seems so insanely random that it reminded me of a famous Twilight Zone episode. In it, a man is chosen at random, by a couple of aliens, to be given the strength of 100 men. He uses his powers to prove he isn't worthless, and just as he is about to make it on top, the aliens take away all his powers and is ridiculed. As the episode closes, a couple of different aliens decide to give him infinite knowledge, and presumably this goes on and on.

 

My pitch: Pretzy is the main protagonist for a franchise where he is paired with gods from various religion. There's Quetzalcoatl, starring Pretzy and Danny Trejo. There's Vishnu, starring Pretzy and Kumail Nanjiani. There's Buddhavista, starring Pretzy and Lucy Liu. And then L. Ron Hubbard, starring Pretzy and Nicholas Cage.

(The casting was just the first people of the corresponding heritage that I could come up with.)

[FisterRoboto 7499]

I re-listened to this today, and I do think Jason might have been a bit much with the talking over others. I've kind of noticed he tends (probably unintentionally) to steamroll over others more when they're women. I still love Zouks, but there were several times where I was like, "Could you let Abbi/June make her point? It's possible for us to enjoy both their insight and whatever dick joke you're about to make"

[SenorPez 2]

How did anyone make it past the very first line of this movie? "Back when myth and history combined to make mystery."

 

At that point, I broke out the gin, because I knew this was going to be terrible.

[firsttimecallerlongtimelistenr 3590]

so, are we expecting turtles 2 next week or will it be fast 7? anyone know where in the world adams been lately?

[PlanBFromOuterSpace 3138]

so, are we expecting turtles 2 next week or will it be fast 7? anyone know where in the world adams been lately?

Filming a movie in Ohio called "My Blind Brother", co-starring Nick Kroll and Jenny Slate! I worked on it about three weeks ago, and it's wrapping up shortly if it hasn't already.

[ManishMathur 33]

Have to admit I found Zouks kinda over the top in this one. I love him and his humor but I'm not a fan of the "tell the audience member to shut up" joke when it's done to every audience member. and he does talk over everyone all the time.

 

also CORRECTION: it's pushing TEA - dealing marijuana, wtf was the silent T/E thing? Ground tea leaves sort of looks like pot so that;s where that comes from

 

West Side Story lyric:

"My daddy beats my mommy, my mommy clobbers me, my grandpa is a commie, my grandma pushes tea, my sister wears a mustache, my brother wears a dress... goodness gracious that's why I'm a mess!"