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Episode 25

Inception

Episode 25: Inception

Hosted by: Marc Diette & Terrence Jordan


Guest: Adam Macaluso

Do you want to be an old man filled with regret, waiting to die alone, or do you want to listen to The Double Take talk about one of the most thought-provoking blockbusters of the last 15 years? We don't need to plant the idea in your head for you to know the answer. Join Marc, Terrence, and Adam as they peel back the layers on Christopher Nolan's modern masterpiece. This isn't a dream within a dream within a dream. This is The Double Take: Inception!


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Transcript
Host:

All right, everyone.

Host:

Well, welcome to the Double Take podcast.

Host:

We have a pretty cool show for you today.

Host:

You know, you have to bring some intelligence to this show.

Host:

This is.

Host:

This is not your average popcorn movie that we're doing today.

Host:

Not your average brochacho film, if you will.

Host:

Right?

Host:

So today we're doing inception, which is an incredible Christopher Nolan film.

Host:

With me, as always, is Terrence.

Host:

Terrence, hello.

Terrence:

What's up?

Terrence:

Mark?

Terrence:

Are you trying to imply that you don't need to bring your intelligence to our, like, Uncle Buck and Ferris Bueller episodes?

Host:

I mean, I'm not.

Host:

I mean, you said that.

Host:

I didn't say that.

Host:

But you can, you know, get.

Host:

Sit back and, you know, relaxed for the ride on these ones.

Host:

On those other films.

Host:

Some of the other films.

Host:

This one, you're.

Host:

You know, you're rush hour traffic in a big city.

Host:

Like, you really got to pay attention to the road in this one.

Terrence:

This one's a step up.

Terrence:

And I want to ask you, we've got a special guest with us today, Adam.

Terrence:

He was on with us for Hook, which is kids adventure movie Peter pan.

Terrence:

A little bit of a step up now to inception.

Terrence:

So, Adam, if we were to do this, if we even could do this podcast, I need a guarantee.

Terrence:

How do I know that you can deliver Terrance?

Adam:

I can't imagine this podcast with all its complexity, all its perfection, all its imperfection.

Adam:

We're gonna have to make it work.

Terrence:

Love it.

Host:

Well done, sir.

Terrence:

We'll do it.

Host:

Here we go.

Host:

That's just a taste of what we'll get into here.

Host:

So, anyway, welcome, Adam, by the way, welcome back to the show again.

Host:

We enjoyed you on the hook or hook.

Host:

Not the hook.

Host:

I got you on the hook, bro.

Host:

No, we.

Host:

George, unhook.

Host:

And I think that when you.

Host:

You know, when we asked this, we talked about, like, doing another movie.

Host:

This kind of came out of your mouth, and I don't think you finished saying inception before.

Host:

Terrence was like, yes, like, we'll do that.

Host:

So Terrence is a huge Christopher Nolan fan.

Terrence:

Oh, yeah.

Host:

I mean, everybody is, right?

Host:

This guy makes.

Terrence:

I don't know, some people try to act like they're above it, like he's, like, fake science.

Terrence:

He's making up his own stuff.

Terrence:

But, yeah, I'm drinking the Kool Aid.

Host:

Yeah, you're in.

Adam:

Well, that's where Mark was right about.

Adam:

You got to think, because you're experiencing this movie, the movie isn't being shown to you.

Adam:

You're experience.

Adam:

You're participating in the movie.

Terrence:

Yeah, I may be just a huge nerd.

Terrence:

But I finished watching it, unlike my rewatch here, and I think I actually said out loud the words, man, what a movie.

Terrence:

I love this movie.

Terrence:

It's an achievement, this movie.

Terrence:

Yes.

Host:

That's cool.

Terrence:

Can't wait to get into it.

Host:

That's awesome.

Host:

So we got the two years with us today.

Host:

Fun fact, we were supposed to finally get an appearance from Pete, but no joke, that boy is in Switzerland.

Host:

He's hanging out in the alps this week, so we're going to have to.

Terrence:

Even though we've said on the podcast before, once you've seen one alp, you've seen him all.

Terrence:

So he's spending, like, eight days there.

Terrence:

So I don't know how many he's planning on seeing.

Host:

Maybe he's got a little side thing going on up there, like a little side piece.

Host:

I don't know.

Host:

I don't know what his situation is.

Terrence:

But it's better not knowing.

Host:

So we're.

Host:

We're delayed on the Pete appearance once again soon.

Terrence:

Don't worry.

Host:

So.

Host:

But we're working on them, so keep it.

Host:

Keep the hope alive, keep your fingers crossed, and pray for me.

Terrence:

If we can smuggle them back through customs.

Terrence:

We'll make it happen.

Terrence:

Don't worry.

Host:

Yeah, for sure.

Adam:

We'll keep them in our hearts, always.

Host:

So, Terrence, my challenge for you here.

Host:

Okay.

Host:

So I'm gonna ask you to.

Terrence:

I knew this was coming.

Host:

Yeah.

Host:

Okay.

Host:

My ask for you is to give me a quick synopsis.

Terrence:

I'll do it quick.

Terrence:

Yeah, don't worry.

Terrence:

This is.

Terrence:

I don't want, but I don't know.

Host:

If you can do it in 30 seconds.

Host:

But.

Host:

And it's okay if you don't pull that cord.

Host:

Let it rip.

Adam:

Is this a spoiler synapse, or is this a basic.

Host:

Oh, if you're listening to this, you have to have seen this.

Terrence:

Well, yeah, otherwise, this whole podcast will make no sense to you if you haven't seen the movie.

Terrence:

But, yeah, I think I can do this one quick because, you know, we'll get into all the deepness of it.

Terrence:

But inception is a term that means basically implanting an idea in someone's mind.

Terrence:

And Leonardo DiCaprio is the main character.

Terrence:

And his job is to kind of go into people's minds and usually steal ideas.

Terrence:

But inception, he's trying to plant an idea to give them an idea, to make them think that the idea is their own.

Terrence:

And he's got a team that helps him do that.

Terrence:

They essentially put themselves to sleep.

Terrence:

They go to different levels it's dreams within dreams, and it gets pretty complex, but that's the gist of it.

Terrence:

How'd I do?

Host:

That was well done.

Terrence:

There we go.

Terrence:

I was ashamed.

Terrence:

After Princess Bride, I've been.

Terrence:

Every time.

Terrence:

Before we start, I got to give myself a little pep talk.

Terrence:

Like, okay, don't.

Host:

I feel like if you were not writing this movie, I would have just understood this movie in a world where.

Host:

But, I mean, I've watched this movie a few times, and you explained it better than I understood it.

Host:

Watching, like, you know, you get them.

Terrence:

Glad I can help you.

Host:

So I'm good.

Host:

Like, we can wrap this up.

Host:

Like, I got guys.

Host:

Yep.

Host:

I'll pause the listening.

Host:

All right.

Host:

So, Adam, why don't you start with a little just kind of your personal thoughts on this film, right.

Host:

Because I know it's one of your favorites.

Host:

Right.

Host:

So what is it about this movie that grabs you?

Host:

What do you dig?

Adam:

So I love the types of movies where there are two stories happening at the same time.

Adam:

And I don't mean two perspectives.

Adam:

I mean, the same story is two separate themes happening.

Adam:

And this seems, at the start of it as, like, a heist movie.

Adam:

But that's only the front end of what's so great about it.

Adam:

It's also a man coming to terms with his regret movie, and it's really the second time I've seen it.

Adam:

I recognize how it's all about.

Adam:

I'll just say, cobb coming to terms, and the heist is kind of just a means to get to that end.

Adam:

I love those double layer movies where you have to think, and it's a reverse heist.

Host:

Right.

Host:

Like, because they're planting.

Host:

They're not taking a thought.

Host:

They're planting them.

Terrence:

Yeah.

Adam:

It's so smart.

Adam:

It's so thought provoking.

Terrence:

Yeah.

Terrence:

This is one of those movies that the.

Terrence:

Every time you watch it, you.

Terrence:

You realize more things.

Terrence:

It makes you think about things you hadn't thought before.

Terrence:

You realize it goes a layer deeper than you originally thought.

Terrence:

Like, I've probably seen this movie, I don't know, seven, eight, nine times.

Terrence:

And re watching it recently.

Terrence:

I actually.

Terrence:

I don't normally watch the movies twice that we do on this because they're movies I've seen a ton, and I'm very comfortable with them, but this one's got so much going on.

Terrence:

I watched it, and then I watch it again today.

Terrence:

I finished my most recent rewatch about an hour and a half ago because I'm like, I need this fresh in my head because it's just so much happening.

Terrence:

I don't want to be on point with all of it.

Host:

You give a definition of inception.

Host:

I, without looking it up, I was like, my definition of inception was more to confuse and entertain all at the same time.

Host:

You know what I mean?

Host:

That was my takeaway from this movie, because that's what you get out of it.

Host:

My opinion, this movie is not as high as you guys are.

Host:

I enjoyed the movie.

Host:

It's not my favorite, but it's not even my top ten of all time, to be honest with you.

Host:

But I enjoyed it for what it is.

Host:

We'll get into Christopher Nolan in a minute.

Host:

And why I appreciate him as a.

Host:

He's not even a director.

Host:

He's a filmmaker.

Host:

Like, this is a film.

Host:

Like, this isn't just your high action movie and it's got some comedy.

Terrence:

He's not just rolling the camera on a couple people talking in a room.

Host:

Yeah, that's what I mean.

Host:

So this is a thinking man's movie, which maybe that's why I struggle with it.

Terrence:

Right.

Host:

But it's.

Host:

You have to be in the mood to watch it.

Host:

You have to be in the mood to really want to pay attention to it and to just to, like you said, there's different layers, there's different things going on at all times, and you have to figure that out.

Host:

You know, my.

Host:

My first take was, yeah, I thought it was probably a little longer than it needed to be, but I think because some of it, it was.

Host:

I think in a movie, if it takes too long to explain it, then you failed.

Host:

Right.

Host:

I'm not saying this one did that necessarily, but they were.

Host:

At times, I was like, maybe they could have, you know, I find areas where they could have trimmed it a little bit.

Host:

Cause I think, what was it, two and a half hours or something like that.

Terrence:

I couldn't imagine only watching this movie once and never seeing it again.

Host:

Right.

Terrence:

And then, like, thinking about it five or ten years later, like, it would just be a jumbled mess in my head.

Host:

I watched it twice this week.

Terrence:

Nice.

Host:

Also, because I was like, you know what?

Host:

I want to give it its due attention.

Host:

I had to, like, try to.

Host:

I won't keep up with you guys with it, but I wanted to at least understand it more and say, all right, let me see if I can dive into this.

Host:

Let me give it its.

Host:

You know, it's rightful, you know, flowers or whatever.

Host:

Whatever the kids say these days.

Host:

Right?

Terrence:

So one cool thing, though, is, like, you, if you want, you could just kind of turn your brain off and forget all the deep meaning and layers to it and just enjoy, like, that crazy hallway fight scene and the skiing, snowboard snowmobiling, the shooting on the snowy area at the end.

Terrence:

Like, there's a lot of cool, just action set pieces.

Terrence:

There's great actors doing their thing.

Terrence:

Like, you could enjoy it without really getting philosophical and diving in.

Adam:

Yeah.

Adam:

To the point of those scenes.

Adam:

Christopher Nolan chose to pick movies that he enjoyed and was entertained by.

Adam:

I don't remember which Bond film is in the snow, but that's where he got that scene from.

Adam:

And the gunfights in the streets he got from the movie heat and the hotel scene from the shining.

Adam:

And a bunch of movies that he enjoyed is he wanted to use as inspiration for these scenes so you could passively watch this movie and enjoy each of the separate scenes for what they are without understanding the entirety of the movie.

Terrence:

Definitely.

Terrence:

I think my.

Terrence:

Well, not.

Terrence:

I think I know my two favorite, like, modern directors and maybe just all time.

Terrence:

I mean, I'm not as well versed in old Orson Welles and, like, I've seen some Hitchcock movies, but, like, all the old ones is Christopher Nolan and Quentin Tarantino.

Terrence:

And the two of them both have a lot of inspiration and homage to past movies and scenes and things that they loved.

Terrence:

And they were really formative to their understanding of film and entertainment and everything.

Terrence:

So I think that's a great point that Christopher Nolan is.

Terrence:

He's big on that, but he can put his own twist on it.

Terrence:

He can elevate it, whether it's with really cool effects or just, like, a deeper story that has, like you said, like, you can look at it from two angles and come to different conclusions about it.

Terrence:

So I don't know.

Terrence:

I must be a sucker for that kind of stuff because those are my two favorite directors and they're probably the most notorious for doing that.

Host:

Their attention to detail is second to none, I'd say.

Host:

I mean, it's just the little things that they put in these movies.

Host:

And, you know, I got a couple of tidbits that I pulled out of there as well that I was like, okay, this is.

Host:

This is kind of cool.

Host:

They can make movies with CGI if they wanted to, but they choose to make them.

Host:

I forget, what's the word?

Host:

Like?

Terrence:

Practical.

Host:

Practical, yeah.

Host:

Thank you.

Host:

But, yeah, because they can, like, that's a.

Host:

The Steven Spielberg way, we'll say definitely.

Host:

You know what I mean?

Host:

Like, you're building these set pieces and you're.

Host:

You're delivering with how it works and you have the experience and the confidence to pull it off.

Adam:

Christopher Nolan, in this, chose to use less CGI, maybe for cost savings.

Adam:

It's not for me to say, but think about the hotel scene where the gravity turned off her name.

Adam:

Ariande's hair was in a bun so that they didn't need to address that in zero gravity.

Adam:

And the bed sheets were all tucked in so that they didn't have to deal with that.

Adam:

And the curtains were ironed down so that they could use it with.

Adam:

Just hanging from.

Host:

Absolutely flipped the room.

Terrence:

Yeah, they really did pay attention to every single detail when it comes to that kind of stuff.

Terrence:

It was cool reading about.

Terrence:

I normally, sometimes with the podcast I do where I'm doing my research, but typically if I watch a movie, I finish.

Terrence:

I like to read, like, some discussion online, just about, like, what people thought about.

Terrence:

If they liked it, they didn't.

Terrence:

If there was any ambiguousness to it, what their theories are.

Terrence:

But I don't typically get into, like, behind the scenes.

Terrence:

Like, how was the movie made?

Terrence:

Like, it doesn't necessarily ruin the magic for me, but, like, for this one, I hadn't really dove into most of it, but now I did.

Terrence:

Like how they did.

Terrence:

The hallway was like.

Terrence:

It was this centrifuge thing that they actually turned it.

Terrence:

And Joseph Gordon Levitt was there with a wire and him and the other guy, and they were actually doing all this stuff.

Terrence:

It wasn't CGI.

Terrence:

Like, they used CGI.

Terrence:

Obviously, you got, like, the city folding up on itself and some of that stuff.

Host:

No, that's real.

Terrence:

That part was real.

Host:

I saw that once.

Terrence:

But, yeah, like, any chance they could.

Terrence:

They did practical stuff, and it was, like, real, like, just like the movie.

Terrence:

It's, like, really smart, really well considered.

Terrence:

And then they implemented it and pulled it off on camera.

Terrence:

It's just really impressive to me.

Adam:

Christopher Nolan shot each of the scenes, which isn't normal for a director to do.

Adam:

Normally a director has, like, a sub director say you shoot these side scenes that I don't need to be there for.

Adam:

But he was personally involved with the filming of each scene because first off, he thought that each of them matters, and also because he wanted to make sure that everything was done.

Host:

Does that happen?

Host:

Like, really, like, I thought the director would be every scene because they're the director.

Terrence:

Yeah, there's a name, a title for I can't think what is.

Terrence:

But, yeah, there.

Terrence:

There is like, kind of a secondary director or whatever.

Terrence:

They're like.

Terrence:

Like the b roll or whatever they call it, but, yeah, like, Adam, you talked about the bar scene.

Terrence:

Like, Ellen Page's hair was in a bun.

Terrence:

And I read that they had that built on, like, a yemenite.

Terrence:

It could tilt, like, 25 degrees each way so that they could show, like, the glass.

Terrence:

Like, the water in the glass was, like, tilted and, like, things were kind of unreal.

Terrence:

And they even, like, had to try out the extras.

Terrence:

Normally, I guess, extras just show up and they're in the scene.

Terrence:

They actually had to try out the extras because it said, like, a certain percentage of them were so, like, disoriented by the shifting thing that they, like, couldn't stay in character and, like, just stay unobtrusive to the whole thing.

Adam:

I didn't know that.

Adam:

That's great.

Terrence:

Yeah, I didn't until.

Terrence:

Until today.

Terrence:

It was pretty cool.

Terrence:

Hey, everyone, this is Stacey.

Terrence:

And I wanted to tell you about an awesome podcast with Mark and I.

Terrence:

It's called marriage and mayhem.

Terrence:

We've been together for, like, a thousand years, so we have the same number of stories to talk about.

Host:

If you'd like to laugh, have a.

Terrence:

Good time, or maybe just poke fun at us.

Terrence:

Give our podcast a try.

Terrence:

Marriage and mayhem, and you can find us on any podcast platform or find us in the show links listed in this episode.

Adam:

Now back to your podcast.

Host:

So, I know we've been talking about Christopher Nolan and his moviemaking abilities.

Host:

Terrence, remind us of a couple other movies.

Host:

So if you're not sure, like, what are some of his works?

Terrence:

Well, he just won best picture and best director.

Terrence:

Right.

Terrence:

For Oppenheimer this past year.

Host:

Okay.

Terrence:

The whole atomic bomb movie was amazing.

Terrence:

Interstellar is my personal favorite of his.

Terrence:

I think Inception is a close second because this movie is incredible.

Terrence:

Interstellar, I think, is a little more.

Terrence:

People either love it or hate it.

Terrence:

Like, I think more people like inception, probably, but I.

Terrence:

Interstellar is, like, top five all time for me.

Terrence:

I love that movie.

Terrence:

Matthew McConaughey.

Host:

Yep.

Terrence:

He's done the prestige, Dunkirk, the whole Dark Knight trilogy, the Batman movies.

Terrence:

Like, arguably, maybe in arguably the best superhero movies ever made.

Terrence:

I think most people agree on that.

Host:

I think it's, hands down, has the, you know, the best villain in any Batman.

Terrence:

Oh, Joker.

Terrence:

Heath Ledger.

Host:

He's legends Joker.

Host:

I mean, like, I know that's more heath ledger than Christopher Nolan, but we'll give him credit because he's so good.

Terrence:

Yeah.

Terrence:

The whole trilogy, honestly, like, that was it.

Terrence:

The Dark Knight is the second one, and that's the one everybody holds up is, like, the best one.

Host:

Yeah.

Terrence:

Batman begins is just as good to me.

Terrence:

We'll.

Terrence:

Maybe we'll get into that someday.

Terrence:

Another piece.

Host:

I do love that movie.

Terrence:

That was incredible.

Terrence:

It just gets overshadowed because the sequel.

Terrence:

So good.

Terrence:

But yeah, every movie he's made, I've really, really loved it.

Terrence:

Whatever he makes next, I'll be there day one on the biggest screen possible.

Host:

Season ticket holder to all Nolan stuff.

Host:

There you go.

Terrence:

Five seats.

Host:

Yep.

Adam:

Christopher Nolan does a great job of bringing the people that he works well with, works well with to his next film.

Adam:

Right.

Adam:

What we would notice about the Christopher Nolan movies is that he brings Michael Caine, Killian Murphy, any of his movies.

Adam:

Killian Murphy.

Adam:

Now, the thing is, is that Killian Murphy led in Oppenheimer.

Terrence:

Yeah.

Adam:

And normally they're not like the lead.

Adam:

The lead is a one off.

Adam:

Christian Bale.

Terrence:

Right.

Terrence:

Or Leo.

Terrence:

Yeah.

Host:

The cat McConaughey.

Host:

Yeah.

Adam:

But the rest of the team of actors, he's bringing, this group.

Terrence:

Yeah.

Terrence:

Tom Hardy shows up in a couple of them.

Adam:

Yeah, exactly.

Host:

Well, if you look at the cast of this movie, right.

Host:

Besides Leo, all these guys were in his other movies before.

Host:

Right?

Host:

Well, I don't know about Kenna Boo Sado Watanabe.

Terrence:

Yeah.

Terrence:

Batman begins.

Terrence:

He was like the.

Terrence:

By a fake Ra's al Ghul, right?

Terrence:

Yes.

Host:

Okay, so fake Ra's al Ghul.

Host:

Joseph Gordon Levitt was awesome in Batman.

Host:

Cillian Murphy was.

Host:

Is it Cillian?

Terrence:

Scarecrow.

Terrence:

Killian.

Terrence:

Yeah.

Host:

Killian.

Host:

Killian.

Host:

Sorry.

Host:

Yeah.

Host:

But Scarecrow also Oppenheimer.

Host:

So a couple there.

Host:

Michael Caine, obviously the girl, Marion Colliard.

Host:

She was in the third Batman, the rises.

Terrence:

Yeah.

Terrence:

She was Talia al Ghul.

Terrence:

Right.

Host:

Same with Tom Hardy.

Host:

He was, he was obviously Bane.

Host:

Bane, yeah.

Host:

This was, well, Elliot Page.

Host:

Now, this was her first, I think, appearance in one of his movies.

Host:

But they said you probably saw the casting on her.

Host:

Like, she didn't even audition.

Host:

She, they had someone else in mind for the role, and then she sat down and had coffee with them.

Host:

And he just liked, like, how she handled that.

Host:

So very similar to how Cobb recruits her by having her draw a maze.

Host:

Like, she had a very similar experience when she actually got the role so she didn't have to audition like everybody else.

Host:

She just.

Terrence:

Interesting.

Host:

He liked what she brought to the table and was like, all right, cool.

Host:

Like, here's the script.

Host:

Read it up.

Host:

And then, um, you know, small appearance by, uh, you know, our boy Pete postowit.

Host:

You know, he was the dad.

Host:

Yeah.

Terrence:

The flower shop.

Host:

He's the, he's the.

Host:

The florist.

Terrence:

Clip your nuts.

Host:

Yeah.

Host:

I got other chemical way.

Host:

So real quick, just to backtrack for one moment.

Host:

The, uh, you know, you mentioned how it.

Host:

Potential cost savings.

Host:

The budget on this was 160 million.

Host:

Apparently he came in under budget, which was great.

Host:

Great for him.

Host:

I don't really care about his budget, to be honest.

Terrence:

You don't stay up at night, Mark, worrying about crunching numbers.

Host:

I got spreadsheets all over the place.

Host:

The box office did.

Host:

It was like 840 million.

Host:

So it made its money back.

Host:

It's probably might even be more than that now.

Host:

If you think about streaming sales, whatever.

Terrence:

But I mean, I had to pay another $4 to rent it.

Terrence:

You just contributed, so.

Terrence:

Yeah.

Host:

Nice.

Host:

But yeah, as far as the, the cast that goes.

Host:

I mean, obviously Leo was the one who got the starring role.

Host:

If you.

Host:

Sounds like you did some behind the scenes stuff.

Host:

But he went out and he was the first one he got, so he got, once he got Leo signed in, he, he made a point to only cast people that looked younger than him because they didn't want.

Host:

Not, sorry, not younger than him, but they didn't want anyone too older than him to make him feel like he was young, like, like he was too young to play this role.

Host:

So you notice his supporting cast is all around the same age, I'd say.

Terrence:

Yeah.

Host:

I mean, with the exception of Michael Caine, who I don't care how old.

Adam:

He is, his father.

Host:

Or put him in every now.

Host:

Yeah.

Terrence:

Yeah.

Host:

That was part of the casting for him.

Host:

And then I think the rest of it was probably he's just, he's going through his phone, you know, hey, Tom, what you doing?

Host:

You know?

Host:

Hey.

Host:

Yeah.

Host:

Killing.

Host:

What are you doing?

Host:

You know, or whatever.

Host:

So, yeah, good.

Host:

I mean, obviously the cast is what makes a movie, in my opinion.

Host:

We talk about this a lot.

Host:

The supporting cast helps move the story along.

Host:

If this was Leo and a bunch of nobodies, it's not the same movie, in my opinion, because the supporting cast in here, like, I like everybody's a lot better.

Host:

You know what I mean?

Terrence:

When marrying Cotillard, like, gives you that, like, evil look, like a chill goes through my butt.

Host:

That's good.

Terrence:

Yeah, she does that like three or four times.

Adam:

That's a.

Adam:

Yeah.

Adam:

Big scene.

Adam:

Or those moments.

Terrence:

Yeah.

Adam:

Significant moments like that was.

Adam:

I felt the moment.

Terrence:

I'm getting it right now.

Host:

You don't want her.

Terrence:

It's like a horror movie for a second.

Host:

You don't want to show up in your dreams.

Terrence:

No.

Terrence:

Oh, God, no.

Terrence:

Dreams, reality, whatever it is.

Host:

You'll choose Freddy Krueger over this one, right?

Terrence:

Yeah.

Host:

I really like Joseph Gordon Levitt in this.

Host:

I think that, I mean, he's been acting for a long time.

Host:

He was on, like, third rock from the sun or something as a kid.

Host:

Right.

Terrence:

And then angels in the outfield.

Terrence:

Yeah, we watched that not too long ago.

Host:

But I liked him in the last Batman movie that Nolan did.

Host:

And I like, it's too bad.

Host:

Like, that was the end of it.

Terrence:

Because, yeah, he could have taken the.

Host:

Robin mantle, but this one here, like you guys mentioned, the hallway scene that spins.

Host:

I was gonna mention this later, but hands down my favorite scene in the movie.

Terrence:

Same here.

Host:

Yeah, I like that scene a lot.

Host:

He did his own stunts for the first time ever in this movie, so it was a good growing experience for him.

Host:

And I just like him on screen.

Host:

Like, when you just think back of the things he's in, he just.

Host:

He crushes it, man.

Terrence:

So, yeah, I'm a big fan.

Adam:

I completely agree, and I'm glad that they did choose Joseph Gordon Levitt, who came as the second interview for the role of Arthur.

Adam:

The first one was James Franco, and then they decided when Joseph Gordon Levitt walked in wearing a suit, Christopher Nolan was like, that's the look I'm going for.

Host:

That's my guy.

Terrence:

That's a good choice.

Adam:

And he's got a tight suit.

Adam:

Tight, not necessarily meaning close to your body, but looks real good.

Host:

But looking good.

Adam:

They are firm quarter bounce off, but it's.

Adam:

He looks sharp the whole time.

Host:

Yep.

Terrence:

He just strikes me like he's played a lot of different roles, but he's almost got, like, that real professional kind of Persona.

Terrence:

Like, James Franco is great in a lot of things, but he's got a little bit of that, like, I might go crazy at any moment energy to him, which I don't think works for Arthur.

Terrence:

Like, he's kind of the non risk taking one.

Host:

Well, that's the thing, too.

Host:

Like, if you think of Joseph Gordon Levitt in, like, looper, like, he can play that.

Terrence:

Yeah, we mentioned that during die hard.

Terrence:

Right, because Bruce Willis.

Terrence:

Yeah, yeah.

Host:

But he can pull up.

Host:

Like, that's the range that I like about him, you know?

Host:

And I was going to say the same thing.

Host:

Like, as we get to like Tom Hardy, I becoming a bigger Tom Hardy fan, the more I see him, because you just see him doing a lot of the same things.

Host:

Like, you see him playing different roles.

Host:

Not necessarily.

Host:

Nothing.

Host:

Not like I don't need him starring in movies.

Host:

I don't ever really need to see him the star.

Host:

I like him as the second third.

Terrence:

I do, too.

Terrence:

Yeah.

Host:

You know, like warrior we talked about.

Host:

I mean, he's got.

Host:

I'm not list all his movies, but even as, like, bane, right?

Host:

Like, he was just.

Host:

You're the villain, you're the number two guy in there, maybe the number three, depending how you look at it, right.

Host:

And fantastic, you know, necessary role, sure.

Adam:

But not the lead.

Adam:

Let you be a good supporting actor.

Host:

For the role and be okay.

Host:

And be okay with that.

Host:

Like his ego's at the door, you know what I mean?

Terrence:

Even Mad Max, he's the title character, but he speaks hardly at all in that whole movie.

Terrence:

He's kind of a side story to it.

Terrence:

Yeah, yeah.

Terrence:

I like when he shows up, you.

Host:

Know, instead of getting into all these characters, we kind of talked about this a little bit.

Host:

I know you guys have a lot more to dive into, so let's spend some more time on some of these categories.

Host:

Cause I think there's a lot more kind of lore and theory to this movie.

Host:

So let's dive into some of that stuff here as far as, like, unanswered questions besides the entire movie, I guess maybe you know something there.

Host:

Is there anything that stood out to you?

Host:

Because I will tell you what.

Host:

I'll start with one.

Host:

And maybe I missed this.

Host:

So you guys can tell me.

Host:

I never caught on why Cobb couldn't go home.

Host:

Like, was he.

Host:

Did he quit some crimes or did they ever discuss that?

Host:

Did I miss it?

Terrence:

Yeah.

Terrence:

Yeah, I think you missed that.

Terrence:

So, Mal, who was Marion Cotillard's character?

Terrence:

His wife.

Terrence:

Yeah, she killed herself.

Terrence:

She jumped off the ledge, right?

Host:

Yeah.

Terrence:

So she told him that she had, like, told the lawyers that he had threatened her.

Terrence:

Like, she basically blackmailed him into trying to kill himself also, right.

Terrence:

So he would come with her.

Terrence:

And because she thought that was not reality there, that was going to release them.

Terrence:

That was going to give him the kick, the term they used, like, to get back to their reality.

Terrence:

So almost like blackmailing him into also killing himself because now he couldn't get the kids, he'd be on the run from the law.

Terrence:

So that's why he had to frame for her murder.

Terrence:

Yeah, essentially, she framed him for her suicide.

Terrence:

Yeah.

Terrence:

She even said that she went to, like, three different psychiatrists and had them declare her totally sane and competent.

Terrence:

So, like, it couldn't make it look like she was crazy and killed herself or anything.

Terrence:

So, like, she had every loose end tied up.

Host:

Let me cross this off the list as now it's answering question.

Terrence:

There we go.

Adam:

Can I dig a little bit deeper into that?

Host:

I would love it.

Adam:

So that's one of the things that I love about this movie is that second storyline that's happening.

Adam:

Underneath is Cobb overcoming with his regret and his guilt.

Adam:

So you see, when he and Ariadne go down the elevator you're seeing all of the things that happened.

Adam:

He tells one moment about how he didn't get to say goodbye to his kids.

Adam:

Why did he have to leave them?

Adam:

Because the other thing that happens that we discover later in the movie while Cobb and Mal were in the dream into the third layer of dream while they were building that whole environment themselves together they knew that they were in a dream.

Adam:

Cobb was very confident of it, but Mal was not very confident of it.

Adam:

She started to accept this as reality.

Adam:

So he had to convince her, using inception, that this is a dream and you need to wake up.

Adam:

And that convinced her to kill themself lay down on the train tracks and have the train run over them which is only a second and a half in the movie.

Adam:

And so they wake up.

Adam:

They wake up literally 10 hours later in the real world.

Adam:

But she doesn't believe that she's fully awake because he did the inception, that.

Terrence:

She still has that thought in her head.

Terrence:

It doesn't go away.

Terrence:

Just when she.

Adam:

So while they're alive with their kids in the real world she believes she's still sleeping and she needs to die to wake up.

Adam:

But she doesn't want to die without Cobb.

Host:

Did she not have a little, like, a piece?

Adam:

She did.

Adam:

So we'll get to this probably in a moment.

Adam:

But her piece is the thimble.

Adam:

The top, the spinning top is hers.

Host:

Okay.

Adam:

Not Cobb's.

Adam:

And so we'll touch on that probably in a minute to get in a little bit deeper.

Adam:

But.

Adam:

So she's around and she's.

Host:

Why go to right now?

Host:

Like, this is an unintended question, for me, at least.

Host:

Yeah.

Adam:

All right.

Adam:

So let's get to that.

Host:

So her.

Host:

So her.

Host:

The top was.

Host:

Was her.

Host:

What's that called?

Terrence:

It's not the totem.

Host:

The totem.

Host:

We call it a piece, but, yeah, the totem.

Host:

Okay.

Terrence:

So.

Terrence:

And they never make it clear what Cobb's totem is.

Terrence:

He's carrying around hers because didn't.

Terrence:

He broke into her safe place to get it.

Terrence:

And that's how he incepted the idea that they were not in actual reality.

Terrence:

And everything Adam just said.

Terrence:

But we don't actually see what his is and there's different theories on what it is.

Terrence:

I saw Adam motioning that his wedding ring is considered by a lot of people theorized to be his totem.

Terrence:

And the big argument from this film, like, kind of, and this is almost more just like the surface level thing.

Terrence:

We can go a lot deeper, but at the very end, the top is spinning.

Terrence:

He goes to be with his kids, and it cuts to black with the top still spinning.

Terrence:

It looks like it maybe wobbles a little, maybe doesn't.

Terrence:

You can't tell, but it doesn't actually fall.

Terrence:

And the whole idea of it was that it would keep spinning if they were in a dream, and it would fall if they're in reality.

Terrence:

So.

Host:

I see.

Terrence:

So it was not his totem.

Terrence:

We don't know what his was.

Terrence:

But in that final scene, he's not wearing his wedding ring, but he has it on, I believe, the rest of the movie.

Terrence:

Right.

Terrence:

So people have theorized that he's still in a dream.

Host:

Yeah, he's makes sense.

Terrence:

Or, well, he doesn't have the ring on, so now he's back to reality.

Terrence:

This is reality.

Terrence:

He is back with his kids because the ring is not on.

Terrence:

He's got it on in the dream.

Terrence:

He's got it through the whole movie.

Terrence:

He's going through all these levels of.

Host:

Dreams, going to, isn't the totem something you have in real life, though?

Host:

Not in the dream.

Adam:

It's the other way around.

Adam:

The totem functions specifically in the dream in a way that only you know how it functions.

Adam:

So no one can, can copy it and lie that you're in the real world versus a dream.

Terrence:

Yeah.

Terrence:

Like, Joseph Gordon Levis character says early on, he's got a loaded dice, loaded die.

Terrence:

So I guess it'll always come up on certain numbers, something that only he would know.

Host:

Okay.

Terrence:

So that way, somebody else couldn't take it.

Terrence:

That's why Cobb is always, I mean, he breaks his own rules throughout this whole movie, over and over.

Terrence:

But he says, like, he doesn't want.

Terrence:

You can't tell him what the deal is otherwise, like, ma will know or, like, he'll get in.

Terrence:

Like, you got to kind of keep those rules to yourself.

Terrence:

When Ariadne's designing the maze, she goes to show him to try to get some help.

Terrence:

He's like, no, no, no.

Terrence:

Don't show me.

Terrence:

Like.

Host:

Right, because it'll be his subconscious that she.

Terrence:

Yeah, I'll populate it with things from my memory and my subconscious, and it'll all go to hell, basically.

Terrence:

So, yeah, it's.

Terrence:

It's complicated, but, yeah, I think the theory is his wedding ring.

Terrence:

You see it on him through the whole time.

Terrence:

And he's going through all these dreams.

Terrence:

And even at the beginning when he doesn't think he's in a dream, he would be in a dream in this theory, because he's got the wedding ring on.

Terrence:

But then at the very end, when he does see his kids, he sees their face for the first time.

Terrence:

He sees them throughout all these dreams the whole time.

Terrence:

But they always have their back to him.

Terrence:

Yeah, and he never sees their face.

Terrence:

But in this one, they see him, daddy.

Terrence:

They turn around, he sees their face, they run into his arms, they hug, and the movie ends.

Terrence:

And you don't see if the top falls over.

Terrence:

But he doesn't have that ring on.

Terrence:

So the theory is maybe that is reality, but there's competing things and his reasons to believe.

Adam:

Well, wouldn't the opposite true?

Host:

Like, if the top never falls, wouldn't that mean it's.

Host:

It's.

Host:

It's malls still in a dream, and yes, there.

Terrence:

But it cuts off before we know it's spinning for what, 10 seconds?

Terrence:

Yeah, it looks like it maybe wobbles a little, but then Nolan just ends the movie.

Terrence:

It's almost like the Sopranos.

Terrence:

Well, let's not spoil sopranos.

Terrence:

Friendly hasn't caught up on that.

Terrence:

But cut to black and leave the audience to draw their own conclusions.

Adam:

But the beauty of those last 10 seconds of the film is that Cobb turns his back on the spinning top.

Terrence:

My man, you, you're.

Terrence:

You're on.

Terrence:

We're on the same page.

Terrence:

Go ahead.

Adam:

The fact that he walks away to his kids kind of for the first time, instead of checking and double checking whether the top is still spinning.

Adam:

So the truth of it being whether it's reality or not, the thing that matters is that he doesn't care.

Terrence:

He's accepting this as his reality.

Adam:

Right.

Host:

Whether he's dreaming or not, he sees his kids.

Host:

That's all he ever wanted.

Terrence:

Yeah.

Terrence:

The first thing everybody asked when they left this movie, Washington.

Terrence:

Well, was the top about to fall?

Terrence:

Was it not?

Terrence:

Is it real?

Terrence:

Is it fake?

Terrence:

And I think the real moral of the story is it doesn't matter.

Terrence:

He's come to grips with.

Terrence:

He spent two and a half hours chasing this and being consumed with guilt and memories of Mal and their life together.

Terrence:

And like, he can't be happy.

Terrence:

He can't get things right.

Terrence:

He's going to be an old man that dies alone.

Terrence:

And he just, at the end, it's like, you know what?

Terrence:

Maybe these are my kids.

Terrence:

Maybe they are perfect and imperfect.

Terrence:

Maybe they're nothing.

Terrence:

But I'm okay with it.

Terrence:

Like, I'm just.

Terrence:

I'm gonna accept this as my reality and turn my back on the totem and the dreams and going a level deeper and.

Host:

Okay.

Terrence:

All that.

Terrence:

So, yeah, I think me and Adam are on the same, you guys are conclusion.

Host:

Okay, was there anything else that you guys didn't figure out?

Host:

Like, as far as, like, unanswered pieces of this, or did the.

Host:

With exception, the ending, like, you just went through that.

Host:

Right.

Host:

So what, that might be something.

Terrence:

The cool thing is, like, that's one interpretation, but there you.

Terrence:

There's tons of interpretations you could have that are plenty plausible.

Terrence:

Like, there's signs that point to a lot of different things.

Terrence:

One.

Terrence:

One theory I read online that was a lot of fun that I need to think more about was that Cobb was dreaming and Mal was not.

Terrence:

Like, the whole time, she was correct.

Terrence:

Yeah.

Terrence:

Adam just sat up in his chair there.

Terrence:

I did the same thing when I read it.

Terrence:

So, like, she was right because she says early on, like, no, we are in a dream, or you are in a dream.

Terrence:

And, like, the theory is that she was right, he was wrong, and he's been going through all these dreams the whole time, but actually she was right the whole time.

Terrence:

And, like, all the time she appears, she's angry and murderous and doing all these crazy things whenever she appears in his was like, the way to get out of a dream is to die.

Terrence:

If you die, you come out of the dream, you wake up, you're kicked out of it.

Terrence:

She's so murderous in all the times.

Host:

You see her because she's to wake him up.

Terrence:

She's coming in to get him to wake him up.

Terrence:

If she kills him, she thinks she'll wake him up and he'll be back in reality with her, whereas he has not been theory.

Host:

I'll be honest.

Terrence:

I like that one, too.

Host:

Yeah, better.

Host:

You know what I mean?

Host:

Like, that makes more sense because, I mean, that's kind of like when you take a Leo movie, right?

Host:

Wasn't shutter island very similar to that, too?

Host:

Like, yeah, not to like the track.

Terrence:

But similar DNA in that movie.

Host:

Yeah.

Host:

So, but that's the, that's the range of Leo.

Host:

Like, we're like, that's why he is good at what he does, you know, he sells it.

Terrence:

Yeah, yeah.

Terrence:

That's a great movie, too.

Terrence:

Maybe we'll do that one day.

Terrence:

Scorsese, right?

Terrence:

Director of that one, I believe so.

Adam:

There's another theory that I do want to touch on as well.

Adam:

And I.

Adam:

This is the one that I found most enjoyable.

Adam:

For me to follow the, what, third time that I watched it this month.

Adam:

Right.

Adam:

And this theory is that.

Adam:

So Cobb is the focus of the inception, not Fisher.

Terrence:

Yeah, read that.

Adam:

Oh, you read it.

Host:

This.

Terrence:

Go on.

Adam:

So this theory suggests that all of his friends.

Adam:

Right, which somehow includes Ariadne and.

Adam:

Well, yeah, I guess.

Adam:

Certainly Saito and.

Adam:

And obviously Arthur.

Adam:

But for some reason, it doesn't include Nash, who was in the first.

Terrence:

He was the architect.

Terrence:

That was like.

Terrence:

They gave him up initially.

Adam:

But for some reason, if he's not in the second, why maybe just at impact.

Adam:

And I'll tell you, Mark, what this theory is is that all of his friends got together in order to help Cobb get over his guilt of Mal.

Adam:

But how can we get.

Adam:

How can we make him get over it?

Adam:

We need to perform an inception on him deep in his.

Adam:

Or somewhere so that it.

Adam:

Deep in his mind, he will overcome and get rid of the guilt about Mal which happens all the way deep down in his dream when all of the things that have been happening not told to him but happening to him in the upper levels of the dreams.

Adam:

He then finally goes to Mal and says.

Adam:

And closes out his relationship with her.

Adam:

The way that he does that is she says, we were supposed to grow old together.

Adam:

Which she says several times throughout the movie.

Adam:

But he never responds back until doubt.

Adam:

Deep in the dream, in Purgatory, whatever the bottom dream was called he responds back, we did.

Terrence:

Yeah, it actually happened.

Adam:

So then he finally pushes back on his subconscious saying, we did grow altogether.

Adam:

It's time to get over that and move forward.

Adam:

And then he comes up from the dream and up from the dream until.

Adam:

Until everyone in the airport is looking at Cobb, smiling seeing that he has now overcome this whole problem for the.

Host:

Last sports because now he's getting back in the country or whatever which was the goal from the beginning.

Adam:

So that's my favorite theory.

Adam:

To try and find.

Terrence:

And as far as the airport when he gets back.

Terrence:

That's the thing.

Terrence:

You can interpret multiple ways too because there's these projections, he calls them like, it's basically like a brain's way of protecting itself from being invaded by somebody trying to get in and steal something or incept something in their dreams.

Terrence:

And whenever they're in these dreams and if they do something wrong or they make a misstep people start coming after them.

Terrence:

They try to kill them at first.

Terrence:

They start looking at them like they're getting more attention than they should.

Terrence:

And I really noticed in this watch when he gets off the airplane there's a lot of people just looking at him that don't necessarily need to be looked at.

Terrence:

He's just a guy that disembarked the airplane and is going on his way.

Terrence:

And there's a lot of people just kind of staring at him like, oh, are these projections from a dream?

Terrence:

Is he in a dream state still now, even though he believes he's.

Host:

And because it's a Christopher Nolan movie, it's not like you ever see, like, happy Gilmore, where there's not a Christopher Nolan movie?

Terrence:

Yes.

Terrence:

Right.

Host:

What I mean is like, there's.

Host:

There's scenes in there where, you know, they're filming stuff with Adam Sandler and he's, you know, golfing, doing his thing.

Host:

But all the people, like, they're supposed to just be like extras in the background.

Host:

They're all standing watching, like.

Host:

You know what I mean?

Host:

Like, it's very obvious that they're not just there to watch golf, they're there to watch Adam Sandler.

Terrence:

If we would have seen Chubbs and Abraham Lincoln and the alligator in the airport looking at his cop, that would have really, really been interesting.

Host:

But anyways, that's the attention to detail that Nolan brings.

Terrence:

So, mark, let me give you just one.

Terrence:

Just because you use that particular phrase, attention to detail.

Host:

Okay.

Terrence:

So the song that they play to kick them out, it's a.

Host:

This guy's falling out of his chair here.

Host:

He's so excited.

Host:

You're about to say this.

Adam:

Je ne regret rien.

Terrence:

Yes.

Terrence:

Basically means like, I regret nothing.

Terrence:

And it's about like, memory and giving up the past, which is a major theme of this movie.

Terrence:

That song.

Terrence:

Edith Piaf, famous singer from way back when.

Terrence:

The song is two minutes, 28 seconds long.

Terrence:

This movie is 2 hours, 28 minutes long.

Terrence:

And it's like you could read it on just a whole deep, total meta level of we, the audience are in a dream and this.

Terrence:

We are being kicked out of it as the movie ends.

Terrence:

Because.

Terrence:

The same way.

Terrence:

Because they play the song, when the song ends, you're kicked out of the dream.

Terrence:

It's the same.

Terrence:

Obviously.

Terrence:

It's minutes and seconds compared to hours and minutes.

Terrence:

228.

Terrence:

They're both 228.

Terrence:

The movie ends and now we wake up and we're out of our dream state that Nolan has.

Adam:

That's incredible.

Terrence:

I didn't know.

Adam:

I do know that theaters put the runtime of the movie as nine days or 9 hours and eleven minutes, which is the amount of time that elapsed inside the dream.

Terrence:

If you were on like that first level or second level.

Terrence:

Yeah.

Terrence:

Cuz.

Terrence:

Cuz time elapses slower on each level, you go down.

Adam:

Yeah, that's an important part to mention, too, but.

Terrence:

Right.

Terrence:

Yeah.

Terrence:

Well, I mean, let's get into a little bit, like, the final.

Terrence:

The way they come out of it all.

Terrence:

They end up going three dreams deep.

Terrence:

So it starts out like you just go in someone's dream.

Terrence:

You can steal something or whatever.

Terrence:

This is such a complex operation.

Terrence:

Inception, they're like, oh, inception is impossible.

Terrence:

There's no way to do it.

Terrence:

They're like, I.

Terrence:

Well, we got to go use these super sedatives, these deep drugs, to go to a second level and then to a third level.

Terrence:

But the thing is, each level, you go down.

Terrence:

Like, kind of the science and the rules to this world that Nolan has built, well, it's something like whatever time is in the real world, let's say three minutes elapsed in the real world.

Terrence:

We're asleep.

Terrence:

We're in a dream ourselves that are in that first dream state.

Terrence:

It might take 20 minutes.

Terrence:

If we go into a dream within a dream, it takes an hour if we go another level down.

Terrence:

It was like it ended up to where it was, like, three minutes, 20 minutes, two months, and ten years.

Terrence:

They were like, we could be trapped in here for ten years because there was so many levels deep.

Terrence:

But, like, when they wake up, like, it's like no time at all had passed, practically, because time was there.

Terrence:

That's something he explore.

Terrence:

We're interstellar, too, where they're on that one planet where the time is moving different on the ship compared to the planet.

Terrence:

But he.

Terrence:

Nolan likes time.

Terrence:

That's a continuing theme with him.

Adam:

Yeah.

Adam:

Simply to put it, the way that it works is, while you're asleep, think about it now for yourself as the listener.

Adam:

While you're asleep.

Adam:

An entire dream happens in 15 seconds, and the whole thing happened even though barely any time in real life has transpired.

Adam:

So Christopher Nolan took that and just built on it and said, what if we can control those 15 seconds to turn it into an hour's worth of events that happens in a dream?

Adam:

And so he built a whole movie off of that.

Terrence:

Yeah.

Terrence:

And like that end sequence, the van is plummeting off the bridge.

Terrence:

It's in super slow motion, and from the time it goes off the bridge to the time it actually hits the water, it's probably got to be like half an hour of actual runtime in the movie.

Terrence:

Yeah, but it just keeps interspersing it with those other levels.

Terrence:

Arthur's fighting in the hotel hallway, and that's going on.

Terrence:

And then they're on the snowy mountain fight and they pull off this entire operation in the time it takes a van to fall.

Terrence:

Yeah.

Terrence:

5 seconds from the bridge to the water.

Terrence:

So, yeah, just kind of the different.

Terrence:

It's like a pyramid.

Terrence:

Like it's just deeper and deeper.

Terrence:

Gets more and more.

Terrence:

Longer and longer.

Terrence:

Yeah.

Host:

So what did you think about.

Host:

So we talked about the actors in this movie.

Host:

What do we think?

Host:

Was this any actors?

Host:

Best movie, right?

Host:

Like, I know we love them in all different movies.

Host:

We've already established that.

Host:

Right.

Host:

But is this.

Host:

Is this Leo's best movie?

Host:

Is this Tom Hardy's best movie?

Host:

You know what I mean, Leo.

Terrence:

I'd go Wolf of Wall street is my favorite performance of his.

Terrence:

And I mean, a lot of people might say Titanic is a huge one.

Host:

Would say that.

Terrence:

Not you, but.

Host:

But a lot of people would.

Host:

You're right.

Terrence:

Yeah, but.

Terrence:

But as far as just my favorite performance, what I think of them with.

Terrence:

I would go wolf of Wall street for Leo.

Terrence:

What would you say?

Adam:

Favorite movie of Leo's?

Terrence:

Or what do you think of what was the first movie?

Host:

Let me rephrase the question because I don't really care what you like is his favorite movie.

Host:

I just want to know if you think.

Terrence:

Yeah, that is the one that I think.

Host:

Yeah, sorry, Leo's a.

Host:

No, this is not the bay.

Terrence:

No, Leo on this one.

Adam:

No, I can't say that I find any actors role in this movie being outstanding.

Adam:

I think that they all did a wonderful job, all of them as a group.

Adam:

As a group and as a story and as a director.

Adam:

All of these ingredients came together to make a delicious.

Adam:

Whatever you want to call it.

Adam:

But I don't think that there's any one flavor in that recipe that is out as, but stood out more.

Host:

Okay.

Terrence:

The real star is the story and just the layers of everything.

Terrence:

Like this whole world Nolan built.

Terrence:

But, yeah, I agree.

Terrence:

I like if there was an award for the ensemble, it could win that because everybody's so good.

Terrence:

But yeah, nobody.

Terrence:

It's like, this is not the first line on their resume that they're in this movie.

Terrence:

I don't think for any of them, honestly.

Host:

Like, as you start looking at the names, you're already thinking of something else that they're in.

Host:

Like, we talked about all the other Christopher Nolan movies they're in that might be more memorable than this.

Host:

But I.

Host:

Okay, yeah, I think we all agree on that.

Adam:

Then I could even suggest to the negative, to the contrary, there are moments in the beginning of this movie.

Adam:

Now, Mark, you mentioned earlier that the movie felt a little bit long while at the same time, I feel like there was so much that was densely packed in the introduction of the movie.

Adam:

So when Arthur comes in and starts talking about dreams he spends 30 seconds and just has a word vomit of saying, dreams are like this.

Adam:

And then the Escher staircase.

Adam:

And then it's like, oh, my gosh, what happened?

Adam:

Same thing with other actors, other characters as they're introducing themselves.

Adam:

The concept of the architecture and her moving that giant mirror in order to create the long pier happened.

Adam:

I think, really, a lot of information happened really quickly that it would have required more time to give it more courtesy to have a story be flowing.

Adam:

They needed to chop that up in order to save time and put in this complex universe into these short introductions.

Adam:

So the acting felt a little disjointed in order to make it less than a third.

Terrence:

Yeah, there's so many cuts between the different layers.

Terrence:

And you go long periods of time without seeing two characters interact with each other because they're really focused on different layers and everything.

Terrence:

But, yeah, I agree with you.

Terrence:

I think.

Terrence:

I think that really overrides it.

Terrence:

Like the.

Terrence:

Nolan's whole production design and the script and everything over the actors themselves.

Terrence:

Even though, yeah, they did do a great job with everything they had.

Adam:

I'd be willing to see a Lord of the Rings extended cut, five hour version of this movie.

Adam:

And I might be alone in that.

Host:

But no, that's the only version of Lord of the Rings I watched, by the way, the four hour versions of all three movies.

Host:

You know, although, again, there's still some things that I'm okay that they did cut.

Host:

But there's a lot of things in there that they should have never cut.

Terrence:

Listeners can't see.

Terrence:

But Mark is actually wearing his Gandalf costume right now.

Host:

I mean, it's.

Host:

I had to take the beard down.

Host:

It's hard to talk.

Host:

Yeah, the hat stays, the hat smells.

Host:

So I was looking at this.

Host:

We talked about some.

Host:

Some favorite scenes in this.

Host:

And I think, Adam, when you were.

Host:

You were running through some scenes at the beginning and you basically listed, like, the action scenes that you could just watch without knowing anything else about the movie.

Host:

And they're all incredible scenes.

Host:

So me and Terrence had said, hey, we like that.

Host:

The spinning hotel hallway scene, to me, was one of my favorites.

Host:

But I hit me with another one.

Host:

What's one that besides that one?

Host:

Adam, what stood out for you?

Adam:

So I mentioned only a few minutes ago how much or the scene of when Ariadne was building her first dream, and they were walking along a pier, right?

Adam:

So she's creating the world for the first time while being in it.

Adam:

And a bridge pops up.

Adam:

A walking bridge pops up, and she goes under an overpass and she pulls a mirror and creates an extended walkway when it breaks, I think.

Adam:

And that was incredible.

Adam:

I think that was in Paris, to be honest, because that's where also the world curved cafe.

Terrence:

They were sitting there and everything.

Adam:

And that was an explosion going on.

Terrence:

That was practically done too.

Terrence:

I read that they had these air cannons or something.

Terrence:

They called them that shot debris, confetti, whatever.

Terrence:

All around the actors, it said they added some more in post, like, with CGI, but, like, it was actually, they're sitting there and stuff was exploding all around him.

Terrence:

I thought it was very cool.

Adam:

That was an incredible scene, an incredibly shot scene, if you're interested in filmography, while at the same time a vitally important scene to the story to understand how manipulation of dreams happens.

Adam:

So that's overwhelmingly my favorite scene, I'd say.

Terrence:

I think Nolan always, in just about all of his movies, has, like, a cup, two, three, four, like, wow moments where it's like, man, I've never seen that before.

Terrence:

Like, I can't believe he did that.

Terrence:

Like, this has the hallway scene and everything that happens in Paris with Ariadne, like, Oppenheimer's got the whole launching.

Terrence:

The testing of the bomb was unbelievable.

Terrence:

Interstellar, all the outer space.

Terrence:

Everything's incredible.

Terrence:

And that, like, he is a very visual.

Terrence:

He's got such a.

Terrence:

Such good writing and story.

Terrence:

And, like, like, he really thinks hard about these things to turn it into, like, all these layers.

Terrence:

But, like, visually, like, there might not be a better director out there as far as, like, give me something I've never seen.

Terrence:

Give me something that's amazing to look at.

Terrence:

And, like, that I'll be talking about.

Terrence:

You could talk about the story when you leave the movie, but you're also talking about, like, man, that shot was sick.

Host:

Well, you take, you mentioned, like, within Paris, the buildings start folding in half.

Host:

You know, Marvel stole that for, like, doctor Strange.

Terrence:

Yeah.

Host:

And into this, like, the Spider man, you know?

Host:

So, like, when I saw that, like, first thing I thought of was Doctor Strange, but this movie did it first.

Terrence:

Yep.

Host:

So it was very well done.

Host:

Uh, you defined inception earlier, so I guess I'm guessing that, as usual, you can't.

Host:

There's not a better title for this, like, inception.

Host:

Like that.

Host:

That.

Terrence:

Yeah, no, this is spot on.

Terrence:

Yeah.

Terrence:

Keep it simple.

Terrence:

One word.

Terrence:

I like that.

Host:

And it's just I think there's enough mystery around it where, like, you know, you have to.

Host:

You almost have to watch it to be like, what.

Host:

What's inception?

Terrence:

I'm actually.

Terrence:

I wish I thought of this before we got together, but was that a word before this movie?

Terrence:

Like, is inception a word, or is that just a concept he created?

Host:

You're the writer, man.

Host:

You're supposed to.

Terrence:

Yeah, I'm trying to think.

Terrence:

Like, I can't remember a time before that was a word.

Host:

Parents.

Host:

Was this a word before this movie?

Terrence:

I'll look it up when I go home.

Terrence:

Once we post the episode, maybe I'll put it in the notes.

Terrence:

If it is or not.

Adam:

We're gonna have to leave that as an open ended question among the three of us.

Adam:

But I do wonder.

Terrence:

Yeah, I can't even think.

Terrence:

What.

Terrence:

Like, I'm, like, questioning myself, just like.

Host:

So your definition, you said at the beginning of the show, that's the definition from the movie.

Terrence:

Yeah.

Host:

Oh, I thought you looked it up.

Host:

Because I didn't look it up.

Host:

I just assumed that.

Terrence:

I mean.

Terrence:

Yeah, that's just from the movie.

Terrence:

And, like, people use it in everyday parlance, the parlance of our times, as the big Lebowski would say.

Terrence:

Yeah.

Terrence:

I don't know if it was actually a thing before this or not.

Host:

I love it.

Terrence:

I kind of hope it wasn't.

Terrence:

He just invented it.

Terrence:

Like, it's like Shakespeare.

Host:

I think.

Host:

It wouldn't surprise any of us if you.

Host:

No, yeah, I think that's good for him.

Host:

Good for him.

Host:

I think we'll agree.

Terrence:

We'll get back to you, listeners.

Host:

Yeah, I think we'll agree to.

Host:

There's not really any bathroom break scenes in this movie.

Host:

Like, this is more.

Host:

You don't want to miss anything.

Host:

Right.

Host:

I mean, if you're watching it for the fourth or fifth time, like, you.

Host:

You know the spots, you can.

Host:

But like I said, there's no b rolls here.

Terrence:

Yeah.

Terrence:

And, like, with how complex the story is, if you miss something, it could just ruin everything.

Host:

Get it?

Host:

If you had to, like, go, yeah, more popcorn or something, you're missing a good three, four minute chunk, and there's not really a three, you know, I mean, I would argue that.

Host:

I think some scenes could be cut down, but in its important, though.

Host:

Yeah.

Host:

It's current state, no?

Terrence:

And then even after you know the story, you've got all your theories and everything.

Terrence:

Like, you don't want to miss it because visually, it's just so cool to see.

Terrence:

So.

Terrence:

Yeah, that's fair.

Terrence:

Not to this it's two and a half hours, but, yeah, I'm, I'm staying in my seat for this one.

Host:

You know, we're not a big fan of, like, the sequels and prequels.

Host:

I mean, this definitely.

Host:

No, it's not really room for that in this one.

Host:

I mean, maybe just a ten minute interview with Christopher Nolan to figure out what was the actual ending.

Terrence:

But I like that he left it ambiguous.

Terrence:

I know sometimes people, like, want to throw something at their screen with that, but, like, me and Adam, are we.

Terrence:

I like our interpretation of, like, it didn't matter.

Terrence:

He left that behind.

Terrence:

It didn't matter whether it was gonna fall over or not because he had moved.

Host:

Yeah.

Terrence:

Past that and accepted that this is whether it is or not.

Terrence:

This is the reality he's gonna go with.

Terrence:

So.

Terrence:

But, yeah, as far as sequels and prequel stuff, like Nolan obviously did the Dark Knight trilogy and that's comic book.

Terrence:

And Batman's got a long, storied history, but, like, all of his other movies are just all original cool ideas.

Terrence:

He hasn't made any other sequels or prequels or anything.

Terrence:

Right.

Adam:

So I wouldn't want to follow any of these characters again, especially not Cobb.

Adam:

I want to.

Adam:

I finished his story and I enjoyed it.

Adam:

I really liked the universe and the fact that you could dig into dreams and there's, like, the opium den where we saw Youssef.

Terrence:

That's the only way they could dream again.

Terrence:

Yeah.

Adam:

The only way they could live again is in their dream.

Adam:

I would, I wouldn't mind coming back to this world, but I don't want, I don't need, and I don't want any of the same characters.

Terrence:

Yeah, I'm with you.

Terrence:

Yeah.

Terrence:

It's a very cool universe he created here.

Host:

So that could be a cool, like, tv show.

Host:

You know what I mean?

Host:

Like little:

Host:

You bring in Michael Caine.

Host:

Right.

Host:

Because he's a student at the, at the university or whatever.

Terrence:

Yeah.

Terrence:

Could branch off of that.

Host:

Yeah.

Host:

And then it's like he just makes a quick little appearance just to, just to tie the knot there and then.

Terrence:

Yeah.

Host:

And then it goes.

Terrence:

It's like, like George Lucas created Star wars and it's all like the Skywalker saga and everything.

Terrence:

You're focused on that, but it's a huge galaxy and universe and, like, they've started to explore that with different shows and you got.

Terrence:

And, or all these different.

Terrence:

For better or worse, but, yeah, your mileage may vary.

Host:

Yeah.

Terrence:

But, yeah.

Terrence:

Like, it's.

Terrence:

It's a whole cool universe you created that you could do a lot of things with.

Terrence:

You definitely could do a lot with this.

Terrence:

Yeah, yeah.

Adam:

We've seen this investigator, or other types of investigator, even like a police officer show using inception where you.

Adam:

Maybe there's criminals or.

Adam:

I don't know, that's just.

Host:

Well, as a fun aside, I did watch this week.

Host:

I watched time cop.

Adam:

Okay.

Host:

Right.

Host:

Like, as we're talking, that's time travel, so a little different.

Host:

But as you just said, it made me think of it.

Host:

Cuz you're right.

Host:

You could have.

Host:

How do you police people that, that are inceptioners?

Host:

Inceptionists.

Host:

I don't.

Host:

I don't even know.

Host:

What do you.

Host:

What do you call someone who inceptions?

Host:

One who inceptions.

Host:

I don't know.

Terrence:

The inceptor.

Host:

Yeah.

Host:

Well, again, I'm going to defer to the literary.

Host:

Literary.

Host:

Literary major.

Terrence:

Yeah.

Terrence:

The English major.

Terrence:

Yeah.

Host:

Terrence.

Host:

I'll just call you Terence.

Terrence:

Well, you know, on that note, you know how much I love movies.

Terrence:

Just any kind of entertainment.

Terrence:

If it's a good tv show, a good movie, and I enjoy almost everything.

Terrence:

And like, a movie like this, I just really love.

Terrence:

There's very few things that.

Terrence:

And I don't do a lot of creative writing, like, like, as far as, like fiction and stuff like that, but there's, there's very few things.

Terrence:

But there are some out there where I'll watch it, and when it's done, I'm like, man, I could never write that.

Terrence:

I could never have written that.

Terrence:

Like, almost makes me angry.

Terrence:

Like, damn, that's so good.

Host:

I thought I read it.

Host:

Took ten years to.

Host:

To write this.

Host:

He's been, he's been putting pieces, had.

Terrence:

The story kicking around.

Terrence:

Yeah, that's what I read, too.

Host:

So I don't think you could sit in a room for a month or two and you come out with inception.

Terrence:

Yeah.

Host:

You know what I mean?

Host:

You got to be some sort of.

Host:

You to be at the opium den a little bit.

Terrence:

Yeah.

Host:

Going deep into your mind, you know.

Terrence:

Maybe once the kids are off, I'll.

Terrence:

You could invest in it.

Host:

Yeah.

Host:

Yeah.

Adam:

He wrote the script and the story.

Adam:

Does that mean he wrote, like, the words of the.

Adam:

What.

Adam:

What words were said?

Host:

I think the screenplay, they.

Host:

That's when they bring people in.

Host:

I think he probably has the outline and then he sits down with a couple of writers for, like, the dialogue.

Terrence:

I think it's him and his brother, actually.

Terrence:

Or do the.

Host:

It wouldn't surprise writing.

Host:

It's him that does most of it.

Terrence:

Right.

Host:

Because if this is your.

Host:

Your baby, like, if you're doing Batman and John.

Terrence:

Okay, here's.

Host:

Here's the whiteboard of what Batman is.

Host:

You don't need to write down the conversations between, you know, Gordon and his officer.

Terrence:

What I read was he had the idea of this world of inception and everything.

Terrence:

And I.

Terrence:

It took him a while to actually finish it because he didn't know how to, like, tie it together.

Terrence:

Like, and the way he solved that was Cobb, Leo's character.

Terrence:

Like, the whole thing with Mal and his kids and coming home to that and, like, trying to resolve their story, that was.

Terrence:

That became, like, the baseline for him.

Terrence:

That got it across the finish line, basically.

Host:

Okay.

Terrence:

Yeah.

Adam:

What I heard was that with Christopher Nolan's former movies, he's very methodical, very, like, computerized, and there's not much emotion in it.

Adam:

I.

Adam:

And so while Leonardo DiCaprio was working with him about his character he was able to really personify the character and put emotion into.

Adam:

This is a person, not just a story.

Adam:

And he was able to do that.

Adam:

And that's one thing that I like about the introduction of all the characters being so unique, how Arthur is very robotic.

Adam:

That's something I empathize with.

Adam:

Right.

Adam:

And that is a.

Adam:

Words don't make sense there.

Host:

Okay.

Adam:

But, so Arthur is very robotic and Ariadne is very trusting.

Adam:

While maybe being skeptical.

Adam:

My favorite line of hers is when she's working with Cobb and she asks him, well, why can't you go home?

Adam:

And he says, because they think I killed my wife.

Host:

And then that would have answered my question.

Terrence:

He says, thank you.

Terrence:

Right.

Terrence:

And she says, why do you thank me for not asking me if I did it?

Host:

Exactly.

Adam:

And that was such a big scene to me.

Adam:

Or big line to me.

Host:

Interesting.

Terrence:

Yeah.

Terrence:

One other interpretation scene, as we're talking about Nolan writing and everything I don't know if it's necessarily a theory.

Terrence:

Like, you could just choose to interpret it like this.

Terrence:

But I know Nolan.

Terrence:

People have talked about how, like, all his main characters are sort of like, versions of him.

Terrence:

Like, Leo even looks like him with the slick back hair and everything.

Terrence:

And one way to kind of read this movie is like, the process of filmmaking.

Terrence:

Like, like Eames, who is Tom Hardy's character.

Terrence:

He's the one that, like, impersonates.

Terrence:

He impersonates Tom Behringer like, he looks like him.

Terrence:

And various.

Terrence:

Well, this is.

Host:

Can I touch upon that a little bit?

Terrence:

Yeah, please.

Host:

So I'll just.

Host:

I'm just gonna run through it quickly because I think I saw something similar where this was a.

Host:

I don't know if metaphors the right term, but you're making.

Host:

So.

Host:

So Cobb was the director.

Host:

He's got the vision.

Host:

Arthur's the producer, is not Adrian.

Terrence:

How am I pronouncing Ariadne?

Host:

Thank you.

Host:

She's the production designer.

Host:

Yeah.

Host:

Ames is the actor.

Host:

Right.

Host:

He's the forger.

Host:

He's acting.

Host:

Right.

Host:

Saito is basically the studio.

Host:

Right.

Host:

He's financing pretty much everything.

Host:

And then, you know, Fisher is the audience in this case, because he's, you know, with exception to the theories you guys brought in, he's the mark.

Host:

You know what I mean?

Host:

So he's the ones that you're trying to fool.

Adam:

And Youssef is like the staff.

Adam:

You're gonna make mistakes.

Adam:

You're gonna not pee before you go into your dream.

Adam:

You're gonna make mistakes, but you're still vital.

Adam:

We can't do this without you.

Host:

Right.

Host:

Of course.

Host:

Of course.

Host:

But.

Host:

Yeah, you're right.

Host:

That was.

Host:

It's interesting when you tie it like that, too.

Host:

And I don't know if that's a Christopher Nolan setup or if that's more of, like, a.

Host:

Like, another fan theory.

Host:

Like, we love fans.

Host:

Fans are great.

Adam:

Right?

Host:

That's.

Adam:

That's a Christopher Nolan thing.

Adam:

When he puts himself into his films, he put himself thoroughly into this film.

Host:

Okay.

Host:

I mean, we love the soundtrack for this.

Host:

Obviously.

Host:

Hans Zimmer is a booming base.

Host:

I mean, he's just.

Host:

He's just awesome.

Terrence:

Rattle your speakers.

Host:

Yeah, he.

Host:

But.

Host:

But just, like, the tone of it.

Host:

All right.

Host:

Like, to go along with the set pieces, you just.

Host:

You know, if there was no volume, like, it's still good to watch.

Host:

But, like, the sound designs, everything.

Host:

Yeah, yeah, it's.

Terrence:

And the soundtrack, I'm sure you guys read this, too.

Terrence:

Like, that Jenna regret Rien song.

Terrence:

The whole soundtrack is based off of that.

Terrence:

It's, like, slowed down and sped up and different notes from that and, like, kind of what I talked about, like, how that's 228, the movie, two to one.

Terrence:

Like, it kind of permeates the whole movie.

Terrence:

The whole soundtrack, basically, is just that song, hans Zimmer just toying with it and playing with it and modifying it in certain ways.

Terrence:

So it's a whole well thought out production, this movie.

Host:

Did you ever wish, like, you were that smart, where you could, like, you just hear things differently?

Host:

You know what I mean?

Host:

Like, in his case, it's music.

Host:

Like, you just.

Host:

You know, you could just.

Host:

You hear it and you could just break it down to yeah, it's pretty incredible.

Host:

It's a talent.

Host:

Yeah, I don't have it.

Adam:

And he uses silence just as effectively as he uses sound.

Adam:

You pointed of how when Mal turns and looks at Ariadne in the elevator.

Adam:

That was creepy.

Adam:

There was a silence right there.

Terrence:

Yeah.

Adam:

So he uses silence as effectively as sound.

Host:

As we near towards the end of this, any kind of fun facts or kind of things that we like.

Host:

I know you guys had long lists to go on, but in the interest of, you know, we'll call this inception, part one, if we need to.

Host:

Right.

Host:

So, Terrence, what else might we be missing from this?

Host:

Anything that I think we've managed to get into.

Terrence:

Just about everything I was hoping to talk about.

Terrence:

Like, I know, whatever you didn't.

Host:

Whatever you had, Adam already had it and vice versa.

Host:

You guys were.

Host:

You guys were lockstep on this one.

Terrence:

Yeah, I mean, we went through a ton of different theories.

Terrence:

All the different practical effects they did.

Terrence:

Like, the actual making of and some of the cool details about, like, the time and using the song and everything like that.

Terrence:

Like, I think I've got about everything.

Terrence:

You got anything, Adam?

Adam:

There's a few neat Easter eggs that you might or might not notice.

Adam:

While Cobb was sneaking around, trying to be secretive in the first dream, in Saito's dream, he shoots with the silence gun and he catches the cartridge so that it doesn't fall down.

Adam:

That's a neat thing.

Adam:

That's cool, right?

Adam:

So he's making no sound as he's walking through despite mal being in the dream and coming and just ruining everything.

Host:

Get him anyway.

Adam:

Yeah.

Adam:

Cobb's got a thing with trains.

Adam:

The train that comes in the middle of the street has.

Adam:

The number on the train is the same as his room number, like 528.

Host:

Or something like that.

Adam:

So additionally.

Adam:

So the number on the train is:

Adam:

ed from the other building is:

Adam:

That's a number that haunts him.

Adam:

So trains haunt him because that's the way that they exited the dream.

Terrence:

So he already got killed by the.

Adam:

Train and he brings it into the middle of the street in that first or second level.

Host:

Lairdream there was another thing with numbers where, like, the hotel rooms they were in.

Host:

I don't know if I wrote it down because I was fact checking what I was reading and it didn't match up to me.

Host:

But some of the same numbers appear.

Host:

I don't know what the significance is.

Adam:

To the characters, but, yeah, those numbers come from when they were.

Adam:

They needed to be created by Fisher.

Adam:

So Fisher come up with random numbers.

Adam:

And so they started there.

Adam:

And then in the next level of dream, those numbers were reinserted into his mind, or they were kind of coming out of his mind, actually is more accurate.

Adam:

Okay, so the first hotel room number was 528.

Adam:

The one below was 491.

Adam:

Those were the six numbers that he came up with.

Adam:

Those numbers also were the telephone number that the blonde lady gave him at the bar before the bar started.

Terrence:

Yeah.

Terrence:

He's like, oh, phone number is not six digits when he comes up to.

Adam:

Those numbers also were used as the code key to get into the safe in that third layer.

Adam:

And funny enough, those six numbers, if you use them as a hex code for colors on whatever digital color tool you use, Photoshop, they are the color that inceptions theme color.

Terrence:

Mark.

Terrence:

I don't really have any other things, but we didn't actually say our favorite quotes, if you want to do that.

Terrence:

It's not like Uncle Buck, where there's tons of one liners and stuff like that.

Host:

Yeah, go ahead, hit me with one.

Host:

I actually didn't have any.

Host:

I didn't come through here with anything that stood out to me.

Host:

I thought it was just a well written movie.

Terrence:

Yeah, there's not a.

Host:

Nothing reduceable.

Terrence:

There's a couple that I like and Adam, you said the one about, like, just.

Terrence:

Thank you.

Terrence:

Like, why?

Terrence:

Because you didn't ask me if I did.

Terrence:

I love that one, but the other one is.

Terrence:

And it kind of ties into my whole understanding of how the movie ends.

Terrence:

And what we take from it is the.

Terrence:

You're waiting for a train.

Terrence:

A train that will take you far away.

Terrence:

You know where you hope this train will take you, but you can't know for sure yet.

Terrence:

It doesn't matter.

Terrence:

Now tell me why.

Terrence:

And the answer is because we'll be together.

Terrence:

So, like, his.

Terrence:

That's him fully buying into that quote at the end, like, leaving it all behind.

Terrence:

Because it doesn't matter where you're going.

Terrence:

It doesn't matter where you are because you're together.

Terrence:

You're back with your.

Terrence:

Your family.

Host:

And so what I've discovered about you, Terrence, is that you're kind of a romantic.

Terrence:

I am?

Terrence:

Yeah.

Terrence:

I'm a hopeless romantic.

Terrence:

Absolutely.

Host:

Well, not hopeless.

Host:

It's.

Host:

You're hopeful.

Host:

You're happily a married man.

Terrence:

I am.

Terrence:

Yeah.

Host:

That's it.

Host:

All right.

Host:

If you could be one of the characters in this, like, who would you be?

Terrence:

I wrote down two, and they're pretty wildly different.

Terrence:

Arthur Joseph Gordon Levitt's character because he's, like, just kind of the steady line.

Terrence:

Get things done.

Terrence:

He's got your back.

Terrence:

He's like the wingman, the right hand Mandy.

Terrence:

But I also really liked Ariadne.

Terrence:

Like, just the creativity of what she could do.

Terrence:

Like, she jumped in.

Terrence:

Like, I love the scene where you first see Michael Caine.

Terrence:

And he's like, I need someone as good as me.

Terrence:

He's like, I got someone better.

Terrence:

Like, she comes in, she draws the maze.

Terrence:

It takes her the first two maze attempts she makes.

Terrence:

He gets immediately by the third one, she's made one.

Terrence:

He's like, wow.

Terrence:

Okay.

Terrence:

That's what I'm talking about.

Terrence:

And she's in, and she designs this, and she picks up on everything so quick.

Terrence:

Like, this is such a complex operation, and she's ready to roll.

Terrence:

And she does.

Terrence:

Incredible.

Terrence:

And so I really liked her and the whole creative outlet of her, like, creating this world and all the details in it and, like, the shortcut to the center of that compound at the end, all these different things she's putting.

Host:

You want to be that person, right?

Terrence:

Yeah.

Terrence:

I like.

Terrence:

I like the creative aspect of it.

Host:

The will hunting of the world.

Terrence:

Right?

Host:

Nice.

Terrence:

Well, you got.

Adam:

Yeah, you brought up the two that I would have responded with, but you like Ariadne kind of for a different reason.

Adam:

It's not the creativity.

Adam:

It's the fact that she can build on someone else's idea.

Adam:

All right, great.

Adam:

You've given me sand.

Adam:

I'm gonna make a sand castle with it.

Adam:

But I can't collect the sand myself.

Adam:

And that's for a metaphor.

Adam:

But my favorite, though, is Arthur.

Adam:

I really enjoy.

Adam:

He may not be smart, but he is knowledgeable, whereas Ariadne is smart.

Terrence:

He is, though, too.

Terrence:

Like, his whole thing.

Terrence:

He bundled all the bodies together.

Terrence:

They're in zero gravity.

Terrence:

He bundled them together, got those c four charges, put them in the elevator.

Terrence:

He's like, how can I get a kick with no gravity?

Terrence:

And in, like, no time, with no time to prepare, he figured out it was, like, pretty incredible thinking on your feet moment.

Terrence:

Otherwise, this all falls apart and nobody ever comes out of this thing.

Host:

Yeah.

Terrence:

So, yeah, he was a smart dude, for sure.

Adam:

Resourceful.

Terrence:

Yeah.

Host:

That final, like, it might be half hour or so of, like, when they keep jumping to all the different layers and he's wrapping them up and twisting them in that no gravity.

Host:

Like, it was just a cool, cool.

Host:

Like, it was a long sequence, but it was.

Host:

It was.

Terrence:

The editor did an unbelievable.

Host:

It was fun to watch that part.

Terrence:

That part to be a nightmare.

Host:

Yeah.

Terrence:

To splice this all together the way they did.

Terrence:

But they.

Terrence:

They nailed it.

Host:

The one thing that I picked up on, too, was, if you see the license plates in this movie, they're not for any state.

Host:

It says the alternative state is what it's listed.

Terrence:

It actually says that on.

Host:

Yeah.

Terrence:

Wow.

Terrence:

I didn't notice that.

Host:

So it's not like New York or.

Terrence:

You know, maybe more indication that it's a dream the whole time?

Terrence:

I don't know.

Host:

Yeah.

Host:

Yeah, definitely.

Adam:

Yeah, I heard that.

Adam:

And, yeah, the alternative state is another state of mind while you're in a dream theory, but probably what he meant.

Adam:

Yep.

Host:

For sure.

Host:

Awesome.

Host:

Listen, you guys, your knowledge of this movie is incredible.

Host:

You're making Pete proud today.

Host:

Just so.

Terrence:

That's all I want.

Host:

That's.

Host:

I mean, that's a win.

Host:

That's a win right there.

Host:

We all get the w.

Host:

Any closing thoughts for you, Adam?

Host:

Anything that we missed?

Adam:

Oh, no, there's nothing more that I could add that we haven't even.

Adam:

That we haven't touched on.

Terrence:

Yeah, I'm happy how much we're able to pack into about an hour here.

Terrence:

Yeah, we spin the top and find out if this is real or not.

Host:

Spin it and end it, right.

Terrence:

Yeah.

Terrence:

Cut it off before it falls.

Host:

I love it.

Host:

All right, everybody.

Host:

Well, listen, thanks for checking out inception on the double take, and we will see you next time.

Host:

It.

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About the Podcast

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The Double Take

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About your hosts

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Marc Diette

Podcast Enthusiast, I have 4 children, 1 grandchild, Lover of Nachos, and I speak fluent sarcasm.

Host of Casual Nonsense
Co-Host of The Double Take
Co-Host of Marriage and Mayhem
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Terrence Jordan

Hey all, I’m a writer from Raleigh, North Carolina (originally from New York). For me, there’s nothing better than going to the theater and catching a great movie with the butteriest popcorn imaginable. Check out my movie podcast with my friend Marc Diette, The Double Take, where we talk about some of our all-time favorites!