EPISODE 111 — Hercules in New York: LIVE!

[JulyDiaz 2797]

Recorded LIVE from Irving Plaza in New York, Abbi Jacobson of Broad City joins Paul, June, and Jason to discuss the story of Pretzie and Arnold Strong aka Schwarzenegger in Hercules in New York! They’ll cover everything from Arnold’s awkward flirting, Hercules vs. the bear in sneakers in Central Park, the moment of clear genius during the chariot race scene, and Pretzie’s ending monologue. Plus, everyone in the crowd shows off their best Hercules impression during audience Q&As!

 

People of the internet: Check out June in Grace and Frankie available on Netflix, all the episodes of NTSF:SD:SUV:: on HULU for free, and ScheeRL on YouTube here:

[Themovieguy12345 9]

Yissssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss

[wyldride 285]

So, how does the depiction of immortality in this and Zardoz compare to the Q continuum depicted as an endlessly looping highway and a gas station?

[Smigg 1488]

I love this movie, and actually bought it, and I consider it the best 74p I have ever spent, I'd have spent double on it.

[Bleedat 7]

The new theme song never sounded better. My first and favorite podcast. Fuck HIMYM.

[Smigg 1488]

There's something very fitting about Jason saying that Arnold Stang should have turned into an animated animal, because Arnold Stang was actually the voice of Top Cat.

[wyldride 285]

It's kinda hilarious that normally they use all the Greek names, except Hercules which is Roman(should be Heracles). However in this they use the Roman names, except for Zeus(should be Jupiter). I don't know if there's ever been a production that's consistently used one or the other.

 

Really, it's pretty standard to start from a point of an unhappy character wanting a different life, but not understanding what that entails. Of course, normally you'd expect that character to progress from there. I guess in this case, Hercules is already perfect. Of course, in Greek mythology, the gods just come to Earth and slum it and don't really care about the mortals they mess with. So that's accidentally consistent.

 

Instead of trying to pimp out one of the goddesses, Herc could totally just get his buddy Cupid to do the arrow thing for Pretzie. I mean, that's not better, but at least it's consistent with the mythology.

[devscoots 2561]

Thank god they're all back together

[SeveralCircles 426]

Never heard anyone lose their minds more than this audience.

 

"(Unknown consonant)OOOOOOOO

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO"

*screams continue forever*

[SeveralCircles 426]

I love this movie, and actually bought it, and I consider it the best 74p I have ever spent, I'd have spent double on it.

 

You wacky Brits, talking about 'p', and spelling words like 'boght' and 'doble' with a 'u' LOL

[Cameron H. 23786]

Wait a second...it's Friday already? There's a new HDTGM? And it's the first episode since Tango and Cash to have Paul, Jason, AND June for the full episode?

 

Well, fuck...

 

[firsttimecallerlongtimelistenr 3590]

paul was really pumped for this episode

 

[Missy Chrissy 40]

Arnold's Hercules beating up a bear is nowhere near as impressive as Lou Ferrigno's Hercules beating up a bear and then throwing it into fucking outer space.

[klemjohansen 748]

My reactions to this fucking thing:

 

1) The best part of Hercules in New York is that they found a way to repurpose the mandalinish/zitherific The Third Man soundtrack.

 

 

 

 

2) Holy shit at 33 minutes in I think you can hear the director off camera say "scream" to the actress to get her to scream.

 

 

3) Finally, this movie is Crocodile Dundee with muscles. So here is a better poster:

 

[Molly L. 99]

I was at this live show! It was honestly one of the best things I've ever witnessed, and relistening to it I'm realizing there's so much I forgot about already...

 

I was confused by the use of Greek/Roman names in this movie - I know almost nothing about Greek mythology (probably as much as the people who made this movie), so perhaps I'm wrong, but is it weird to refer to some gods (e.g. Zeus) by their Greek names, but others -- in fact, almost everyone else -- by their Roman ones, especially if you're making SUCH a big deal about being on Mount Olympus (unless that's also where the Roman gods chill)? It just seems like an odd choice, especially because I tend to think of the Greek names as being more recognizable, generally speaking. I, for one, had to look up who Juno and Pluto were, because I had the same question as Jason (regarding Zeus being married to Juno), and the movie ALMOST made a modicum of sense when I realized they were basically Hera and Hades, respectively....but maybe it's because I'm really bad at Greek/Roman mythology.

[SeanM.Corkery 16]

I thought a great alternate title for this film would be Broadway Pretzie Rose.

 

One omission I noticed was the lack of praise or even mention of the great James Karen of The Return of the Living a Dead (1&2) fame. Not to mention Congo!

[LTL 154]

When Atlas and Samson is sent to help Hercules in the barrel factory .. why is Samson there?: Samson is a BIBLE character not from Greek mythology.

[PlanBFromOuterSpace 3138]

Arnold's acting combined with his inability to speak clear English gives any scene where he has to string more than 6 words together a serious "video of a doped-up kid on the way home from the dentist" vibe.

[Bugs Meany 69]

I'm risking my life here...but did anyone else find this one of the most boring episodes yet? They're just making fun of a cheap B-movie. Too easy.

[Cameron H. 23786]

Fantastic episode!

 

I do think I have an answer for why the mobsters are driving a beat up station wagon. Simply put: they are the worst gangsters in the world. Now I don’t know much about illegal sports gambling, but I’m pretty sure the key isn’t to put an odds on favorite athlete under contract and then have him compete honestly. They are shocked when Pluto puts 20 grand on Hercules to lose—what a god needs with money, I guess we’ll never know-- but what would the payout be if he were to win? A couple of hundred dollars? Wouldn’t the better scheme be for them to put their money on Herc to lose and then have him take a dive? This would then better explain their anger when Hercules’ hubris doesn’t allow him to do so…

 

Also, when they try to buyout his contract, Pretzie tells them they don’t have a formal arrangement. At that point, why are they still willing to give Pretzie money? Couldn’t they just tell him, “Sorry about your luck” and save their money? And they say there’s no honor among thieves….

[PlanBFromOuterSpace 3138]

Fantastic episode!

 

I do think I have an answer for why the mobsters are driving a beat up station wagon. Simply put: they are the worst gangsters in the world. Now I don’t know much about illegal sports gambling, but I’m pretty sure the key isn’t to put an odds on favorite athlete under contract and have he compete honestly. They are shocked when Pluto puts 20 grand on Hercules to lose—what a god needs with money, I guess we’ll never know-- but what would the payout be if he does win—a couple of hundred dollars? Wouldn’t the better scheme be for them to put their money on him to lose and then have Herc take a dive? This would better explain their anger when Hercules’ hubris doesn’t allow him to do so…

 

Also, when they try to buyout contract, Pretzie tells them they don’t have a formal arrangement. At that point, why are they still willing to give Pretzie money? Couldn’t they just tell him, “Sorry about your luck” and save their money? And they say there’s no honor among thieves….

I may not be to this part of the show yet, so maybe it gets brought up, but remember that this movie is pre-Godfather. From what I understand, that movie seriously inflated the egos of these kinds of guys to where they started putting forward that kind of more glamorous image that hadn't really been there before.

[BeingAllFishies 99]

Wow, you guys covered the hell out of this amazing movie. Good episode.

 

One tiny, hilarious thing: during the chariot chase, all the Olympian gods are watching, and then there's a few close-ups just of Zeus' face (obviously added later when the other actors weren't there). At one point it cuts to him, he looks around in befuddlement and says, "Where is everybody?" Then cut back to the chase.

 

From his confusion, I expected to see that all of the gods had left Olympus, and maybe gone down to help Hercules? Nope. A few minutes later we see them all still there, standing around Zeus. So what the hell was he saying? Was he hallucinating that everyone was gone? Maybe he was commenting on the fact that the chase happens in Central Park and there's only, like, 3 extras in the background.

[klemjohansen 748]

Here's the bear fight cued up (or is it queued up? idk) to the part where it sounds like the director shouts the instruction "scream!" at the actress and somehow it made it into the final edit:

 

 

 

Right before "beat him up!"

[Cameron H. 23786]

I may not be to this part of the show yet, so maybe it gets brought up, but remember that this movie is pre-Godfather. From what I understand, that movie seriously inflated the egos of these kinds of guys to where they started putting forward that kind of more glamorous image that hadn't really been there before.

 

 

I get you, but my point was less about their image and more about how they are conducting their business ass-backward.

[WalkTheMoves 3]

Not having Jason in the last full ep made his return this week jarring.

 

He made fun of an actor with a 60+ year career -- which Jason should be so lucky to have, was a complete dick to the audience -- a shtick that's more than worn itself out, called the women in the audience bitches, and just proceeded to yell over EVERYONE -- audience and hosts alike.

 

If I have to choose between not having June at a live show or not having Jason, I'll kick Jason out any day.

 

Someone take the cocaine away from him before the live shows PLEASE.