Movies on the Side

Stephen Robles:
Hello and welcome to Movies on the Side, this is Stephen Robles.

Nate:
And this is Nate Baranowski.

Stephen Robles:
And Nate surprised me by literally dressing in a suit for this episode, which is why you need to go to youtube.com slash at movies on the side to see it because we are reviewing John Wick, the first chapter from 2014 starring Keanu Reeves, chapter four is in theaters now. Nate,

Nate:
Yes.

Stephen Robles:
John Wick, do I should I call you John? Should I just call you

Nate:
No,

Stephen Robles:
John for this episode?

Nate:
no, not at all.

Stephen Robles:
I feel like I also want to address, are you going to talk like that the whole

Nate:
No,

Stephen Robles:
episode?

Nate:
no, that's the last time.

Stephen Robles:
I think you should keep doing it. Number one, I'm standing up to record this which is is strange

Nate:
Oh, you're

Stephen Robles:
and exhilarating

Nate:
still standing,

Stephen Robles:
all of this.

Nate:
even after our

Stephen Robles:
I'm

Nate:
bonus

Stephen Robles:
too

Nate:
episode. I love the

Stephen Robles:
You

Nate:
energy.

Stephen Robles:
know cue the Elton John song. Yes. I'm still standing because I was standing desk now So if you're listening, you should go watch this episode

Nate:
Looking like a true survivor, feeling like

Stephen Robles:
Thank

Nate:
a little

Stephen Robles:
you.

Nate:
kid.

Stephen Robles:
Thank you very much. Also, I feel like this episode we're gonna talk about John wick There's two other John wicks. We could talk about there's another one in the movies There's a lot of John wicks out there

Nate:
So many.

Stephen Robles:
and you know, there's some things to say about this movie about Keanu Reeves because

Nate:
Yes.

Stephen Robles:
I feel like John Wick is Keanu Reeves is John Wick. You

Nate:
That's

Stephen Robles:
know what

Nate:
correct.

Stephen Robles:
I'm saying?

Nate:
That's correct.

Stephen Robles:
That is correct and I also I want to thank friend of the show Jared Young. He actually got me this book a long time ago and is now finally coming into play. He actually got me for your consideration a book about Keanu Reeves

Nate:
Oh, so good.

Stephen Robles:
and I don't know if we'll get to it. We can leave time for it. But there's actually a quiz in this book where you can answer ten questions that what kind of Keanu you are.

Nate:
Oh, I would

Stephen Robles:
And

Nate:
love that.

Stephen Robles:
we

Nate:
I would

Stephen Robles:
could do

Nate:
love

Stephen Robles:
that. Maybe

Nate:
that.

Stephen Robles:
we'll save some time for that. But anyways, okay, we'll talk about the book. But anyway, John Wick, I had not seen it until like last month. This came out, what, nine years ago, the

Nate:
2014.

Stephen Robles:
first John Wick.

Nate:
Yep.

Stephen Robles:
And honestly, I never even heard much about it until, as we've discussed on many bonus episodes, TikTok. The first exposure I had to John Wick were the memes about the dog.

Nate:
Mm-hmm.

Stephen Robles:
All I see are these memes are

Nate:
Right.

Stephen Robles:
like such and such, a dog and now like out whatever and then John Wick shows up so I don't know did you

Nate:
Right.

Stephen Robles:
see this when it came out is this a recent phenomenon

Nate:
I

Stephen Robles:
for

Nate:
did,

Stephen Robles:
you

Nate:
I actually saw it pretty early on. It got one of, if I remember correctly, it was one of those, I think kind of a chill release. Like it wasn't like crazy

Stephen Robles:
Right,

Nate:
popular,

Stephen Robles:
right, wasn't big,

Nate:
but

Stephen Robles:
right,

Nate:
then like

Stephen Robles:
right.

Nate:
it gained as people started watching it and it became one

Stephen Robles:
Right.

Nate:
of those like, it kind of like Taken, kind of sort of hit everyone with like a, whoa, this is cool. And then

Stephen Robles:
Right, right.

Nate:
just like Taken, they're like, let's make some sequels.

Stephen Robles:
Sure, sure.

Nate:
and bigger and bigger and now we're at four?

Stephen Robles:
We're at four, chapter four is in theaters. I feel like John Wick is really a vehicle for action. Like there is

Nate:
Oh

Stephen Robles:
some

Nate:
yeah.

Stephen Robles:
story, there's some cool thing, but it's literally just a vehicle for action, which I want to say before I forget, I've watched many Keanu Reeves interviews,

Nate:
Mm-hmm.

Stephen Robles:
as you do, and he does all his own action.

Nate:
Right.

Stephen Robles:
He's very specific, like in all his, he does his own action. So all the fight scenes are Keanu Reeves until he like falls off a building and that he leaves to the stuntman.

Nate:
Right. Right, right.

Stephen Robles:
building stuntmen do that but he's doing all the action which is impressive like especially as you get to John Wick 2 and 3 that's a lot of fight scenes like it's a lot of choreography

Nate:
Right.

Stephen Robles:
and it's good it's good action i like it

Nate:
It feels

Stephen Robles:
it's fun

Nate:
like the kind of movie where someone, I don't actually know the behind the scenes. I have not done much research on this movie, but it feels like the person who was involved in making it was maybe had a stunt, choreography background, a fight choreography background or something because it did feel like, well, actually movies out there with guns, like they're not realistic to how someone who actually would fight off 20 guys would

Stephen Robles:
Right.

Nate:
be like. so viscerally different than everything that you had seen, maybe up until that point, that

Stephen Robles:
maybe.

Nate:
I feel like that was one of its biggest wow factors was, this is not James Bond. This is

Stephen Robles:
No.

Nate:
very, very different. And I need to put right up top here while I'm still wearing the suit, because I'm about to take it off. Because

Stephen Robles:
Nate's about to take the suit off as we

Nate:
I don't

Stephen Robles:
record.

Nate:
wear a suit. I don't wear a suit. Is we did everything everywhere all at once.

Stephen Robles:
Yes, we did.

Nate:
I said, dear parents, don't watch this movie. Then we jumped to

Stephen Robles:
Like

Nate:
Big

Stephen Robles:
our

Nate:
Hero

Stephen Robles:
parents.

Nate:
6.

Stephen Robles:
It's not that if you are a parent you shouldn't watch everything everywhere.

Nate:
Our specific, we're

Stephen Robles:
Our parents.

Nate:
narrow casting.

Stephen Robles:
Our mom. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Nate:
Yeah,

Stephen Robles:
Gotcha.

Nate:
I'm gonna

Stephen Robles:
Yeah.

Nate:
go, and then we did Big Hero 6, for all. E for everyone.

Stephen Robles:
He ran everyone,

Nate:
And

Stephen Robles:
that's

Nate:
I go back

Stephen Robles:
right.

Nate:
to John Wick here, we're back

Stephen Robles:
Right

Nate:
here.

Stephen Robles:
don't watch it. Don't watch

Nate:
This

Stephen Robles:
it.

Nate:
movie is very, very violent. Not

Stephen Robles:
very

Nate:
scary,

Stephen Robles:
violent.

Nate:
not horror movie,

Stephen Robles:
No, no,

Nate:
but

Stephen Robles:
no,

Nate:
very,

Stephen Robles:
no, not

Nate:
very

Stephen Robles:
scary at

Nate:
violent.

Stephen Robles:
all. It is also right on the edge of my limit for viscerality or like goriness,

Nate:
Ooh,

Stephen Robles:
you

Nate:
wait,

Stephen Robles:
know what I mean?

Nate:
this movie's particularly, or

Stephen Robles:
Well,

Nate:
John

Stephen Robles:
not

Nate:
Wick

Stephen Robles:
John

Nate:
3,

Stephen Robles:
Wick 1,

Nate:
when a guy

Stephen Robles:
John

Nate:
gets a

Stephen Robles:
Wick-

Nate:
knife through an eye slowly.

Stephen Robles:
That one, trigger warning.

Nate:
Yes.

Stephen Robles:
I don't know if I need to cut that out. But yeah, John Wick 3 was right on the edge. I imagine John Wick 4, but it never crosses. Like it never goes into, which one of the guys in this movie is, what's his name, Theon Greyjoy. I've never seen that show. But,

Nate:
Alfie Allen.

Stephen Robles:
Alfi Allen is in this. But, you know, it doesn't go to the level of like those shows, gruesome.

Nate:
Mm-mm.

Stephen Robles:
You know, and I think, I think John Wick keeps it quick, than I would, yeah.

Nate:
It's not this first movie, this is like how Fast and Furious was while it was still about car racing

Stephen Robles:
I thought

Nate:
and not

Stephen Robles:
you were

Nate:
about

Stephen Robles:
going to say, well, it was

Nate:
superheroes.

Stephen Robles:
still good.

Nate:
While it was still, I would say that probably somewhere in the middle, we'll talk about Fast and Furious later,

Stephen Robles:
You

Nate:
but I would say in the spectrum of things from the beginning to now, they

Stephen Robles:
Yeah,

Nate:
found

Stephen Robles:
yeah.

Nate:
like I think my perfect Baranowski line right around four or five.

Stephen Robles:
Right, right, right.

Nate:
this is really cool too. Let's see what new things we can do to John wicks now on a horse shooting people and now he's on That sort of thing

Stephen Robles:
Which is an awesome scene, not this movie, but I was down for that scene. But

Nate:
But

Stephen Robles:
I love

Nate:
we're

Stephen Robles:
the word

Nate:
returning

Stephen Robles:
building.

Nate:
to the beginning

Stephen Robles:
Yeah.

Nate:
of John Wick

Stephen Robles:
This

Nate:
while

Stephen Robles:
is

Nate:
it's

Stephen Robles:
the beginning.

Nate:
still quasi-realistic. I think it's real, like this one is like

Stephen Robles:
Yeah.

Nate:
more realistic. Maybe the amount of

Stephen Robles:
Yeah.

Nate:
punishment and stuff he takes and then not the hotel, but we have not

Stephen Robles:
Right.

Nate:
yet delved into the lore of John Wick like the other movies do with like the super

Stephen Robles:
right.

Nate:
secret circle of eight and whatever thing

Stephen Robles:
The

Nate:
that

Stephen Robles:
high

Nate:
comes

Stephen Robles:
table,

Nate:
into play,

Stephen Robles:
the high

Nate:
the high

Stephen Robles:
table,

Nate:
table. This is still

Stephen Robles:
which,

Nate:
just

Stephen Robles:
yeah.

Nate:
a man's taking revenge

Stephen Robles:
right.

Nate:
and everyone around that guy who

Stephen Robles:
Right?

Nate:
was involved in killing his dog, who his wife gave him

Stephen Robles:
deceased

Nate:
as,

Stephen Robles:
wife gave.

Nate:
his deceased wife gave as a, I don't know, once.

Stephen Robles:
Like

Nate:
I don't know exactly how you

Stephen Robles:
a companion,

Nate:
do

Stephen Robles:
it's

Nate:
that

Stephen Robles:
a companion

Nate:
transaction,

Stephen Robles:
gift.

Nate:
but how do you do that transaction? You like

Stephen Robles:
I mean, she

Nate:
go to

Stephen Robles:
was...

Nate:
the shelter and you say like, hey, when you see

Stephen Robles:
You

Nate:
this news,

Stephen Robles:
deliver this

Nate:
ship

Stephen Robles:
dog

Nate:
the dog,

Stephen Robles:
on this date. Yeah, ship the

Nate:
Okay,

Stephen Robles:
dog. Yeah, it

Nate:
ship

Stephen Robles:
triggers a

Nate:
the

Stephen Robles:
duck

Nate:
dog. It did seem like

Stephen Robles:
ship.

Nate:
it came in like a box. FedEx, my dog.

Stephen Robles:
Fenix, the dog.

Nate:
It's a beautiful dog.

Stephen Robles:
It's a great dog, but you literally

Nate:
Alright, I'm

Stephen Robles:
just

Nate:
done

Stephen Robles:
summarized

Nate:
in the suit.

Stephen Robles:
the whole plot. John Wick's wife dies of some disease before the movie starts. She gives him a dog. Nate is literally getting undressed right now as we speak. He took the jacket off. He's taking the tie off. Wait a minute, was that a polo shirt? I thought

Nate:
Mm-hmm.

Stephen Robles:
that was a dress shirt. Now he's golfing. Now he has a hat on. He's got the polo shirt on. He's now at Tiger Woods. What was that movie with Shy LeBouf? Wasn't there a golf

Nate:
The

Stephen Robles:
movie?

Nate:
greatest game ever played?

Stephen Robles:
Yeah, it sounds about right. We've had to do our run tomatoes run tomatoes for John wick. Did you know did you look? You don't

Nate:
No.

Stephen Robles:
know okay. It's actually pretty good. What do you think critics gave John wick

Nate:

Stephen Robles:
the first?

Nate:

Stephen Robles:
86 critics gave it 86

Nate:
Audiences

Stephen Robles:
audience

Nate:
93.

Stephen Robles:
Well, not yet 81.

Nate:
Okay.

Stephen Robles:
I have a feeling the the later John wicks are gonna be a higher

Nate:
It grows.

Stephen Robles:
higher deal

Nate:
Right.

Stephen Robles:
but like literally this the whole plot of the movie is just John wicks dog gets killed by these

Nate:
Mm-hmm.

Stephen Robles:
him just taking revenge. But I have to

Nate:
Yep.

Stephen Robles:
say like it I watched some scenes again in preparation to record this and like it is so cheesy how they build his like oeuvre of an assassin. Like the Russian

Nate:
Baba

Stephen Robles:
guy,

Nate:
Yaga. Baba

Stephen Robles:
the Russian

Nate:
Yaga.

Stephen Robles:
guy whose son killed his dog, he knows that John Wick is coming for his son now and he calls John Wick and

Nate:
So

Stephen Robles:
John

Nate:
good.

Stephen Robles:
Wick says not a word.

Nate:
So good.

Stephen Robles:
And then he hangs it. He's like, please don't kill my son basically and John wick says zero This is after he's like breaking apart his basement to get all his weapons He and then John which is hangs up the phone and then this guy's crony says what did he say and the Russian guys like? enough That's the whole So

Nate:
This

Stephen Robles:
cool,

Nate:
movie

Stephen Robles:
though. It's

Nate:
does

Stephen Robles:
so cool

Nate:
such a good job of having other people recognize him and talk about

Stephen Robles:
Yes.

Nate:
him in such a way that like, you don't wanna get this guy, he's out of the game,

Stephen Robles:
Don't

Nate:
but

Stephen Robles:
mess

Nate:
if

Stephen Robles:
with them.

Nate:
you mess with him, you're done, everyone's done. And they do that before John Wick has

Stephen Robles:
So good.

Nate:
any violence, he's not

Stephen Robles:
He

Nate:
doing

Stephen Robles:
does nothing.

Nate:
any

Stephen Robles:
He gets

Nate:
violence

Stephen Robles:
beat up.

Nate:
yet, he's

Stephen Robles:
We've only

Nate:
just

Stephen Robles:
seen

Nate:
like,

Stephen Robles:
him get beat up. That's it.

Nate:
right. So he

Stephen Robles:
He

Nate:
just,

Stephen Robles:
got beat up in

Nate:
but

Stephen Robles:
his house.

Nate:
like, much like

Stephen Robles:
Yes.

Nate:
he is the one they go to kill the boogeyman and like it is so good because everyone treats him

Stephen Robles:
It is fun.

Nate:
like his name means something to

Stephen Robles:
There's

Nate:
them like

Stephen Robles:
there's literally

Nate:
he is

Stephen Robles:
a

Nate:
like

Stephen Robles:
suit

Nate:
Batman

Stephen Robles:
up scene When he's literally putting on his suit we get like

Nate:
It's

Stephen Robles:
a

Nate:
a

Stephen Robles:
slow-motion

Nate:
Batman scene.

Stephen Robles:
belt that he gets the belt through the loops his cufflinks

Nate:
Yeah.

Stephen Robles:
Pretty epic also. I just want to say this is basically a Christian movie because he's got a cross

Nate:
Mm-hmm.

Stephen Robles:
tattooed on his back with prayer hands

Nate:
There

Stephen Robles:
So

Nate:
you

Stephen Robles:
I feel

Nate:
go.

Stephen Robles:
like this is right in line, you know with

Nate:
Speaking

Stephen Robles:
all of that

Nate:
of

Stephen Robles:
just

Nate:
its

Stephen Robles:
in time

Nate:
family

Stephen Robles:
for Easter.

Nate:
friendliness,

Stephen Robles:
He's really yeah

Nate:
speaking of its family friendliness, I do wanna talk

Stephen Robles:
Yeah

Nate:
about fathers here, because we're both dads. And

Stephen Robles:
We are,

Nate:
I was thinking

Stephen Robles:
we

Nate:
about

Stephen Robles:
are.

Nate:
this movie. What's his name? Vigo, the main bad guy. He's got

Stephen Robles:
The Russian

Nate:
his

Stephen Robles:
guy,

Nate:
son,

Stephen Robles:
yeah,

Nate:
his son who's just

Stephen Robles:
killed

Nate:
a real

Stephen Robles:
the dog.

Nate:
piece of work, a real

Stephen Robles:
Right,

Nate:
punk of like

Stephen Robles:
right.

Nate:
a young kid. I don't know.

Stephen Robles:
Yes.

Nate:
Anyway, and he gets so mad at his son, but he's like

Stephen Robles:
Yes.

Nate:
the criminal master guy and then his son

Stephen Robles:
Right.

Nate:
is like the entitled rich kid but also like up to no good, does all the dirty work.

Stephen Robles:
Right.

Nate:
He is so disappointed in his son that he

Stephen Robles:
Yes.

Nate:
would mess with John Wick and he was like, you're a shameful, shameful, blah, blah, blah. I do have to say this. I do think that the main bad guy is not a great dad and he is somewhat to blame for raising a son I mean, he's not

Stephen Robles:
Yeah,

Nate:
a good dude. Like,

Stephen Robles:
yeah.

Nate:
he's presented as having some sort of code or honor, but really, he doesn't. And

Stephen Robles:
I mean, he's... yeah, no, no, no,

Nate:
I'm just

Stephen Robles:
no.

Nate:
saying he shouldn't be that hard on his son because he's the one who maybe was an absent criminal mastermind father and wasn't there to help Yosef.

Stephen Robles:
The fact I did not have dad corner on my bingo card for this episode. I did not

Nate:
Mm-hmm.

Stephen Robles:
think you were going to talk about the dad, but yeah,

Nate:
He's

Stephen Robles:
I agree.

Nate:
not a good dad. He's not

Stephen Robles:
He's

Nate:
a good

Stephen Robles:
a bad

Nate:
dad.

Stephen Robles:
dad.

Nate:
Can I say that?

Stephen Robles:
He's

Nate:
He's

Stephen Robles:
a bad

Nate:
a bad

Stephen Robles:
dad.

Nate:
dad.

Stephen Robles:
He's a bad dad. That's all it is. He's a criminal mastermind bad dad. That's fine.

Nate:
He's, and then, and

Stephen Robles:
Yeah.

Nate:
the guy who you deal with mayhem, the,

Stephen Robles:
Mayhem,

Nate:
what's it,

Stephen Robles:
the man from

Nate:
the mayhem

Stephen Robles:
the commercial

Nate:
guy,

Stephen Robles:
is literally in this movie, Dean

Nate:
he's

Stephen Robles:
Winters.

Nate:
playing the role.

Stephen Robles:
He's playing the role, which is amazing. But listen,

Nate:
I loved

Stephen Robles:
William

Nate:
him every

Stephen Robles:
DeF-

Nate:
time. I just wanted him to turn at the camera and said, you could be better protected from mayhem.

Stephen Robles:
Willem Dafoe is in this movie. We have Adrienne Policki, I think, as Mrs. Perkins, the other assassin. So

Nate:
Yes.

Stephen Robles:
much good action, so many good assassins.

Nate:
Lance Reddick, who tragically passed away recently, is the hotel manager,

Stephen Robles:
That's right. Oh.

Nate:
is, I love his character.

Stephen Robles:
I love, yes, the hotel, like the idea, so the idea of the hotel in this movie is that all of these assassins are a part of this like cabal, this circle of assassins. And like, at any point, anyone might be fair game to be assassinated.

Nate:
Mm-hmm.

Stephen Robles:
But this one hotel is like the home base in Tag. Like if you as an assassin can get to this hotel, which John Wick does very speedily on a motorcycle, and

Nate:
Right.

Stephen Robles:
then in other subsequent movies in other ways, can get inside this hotel you are supposedly safe like it is against the code to do any killing

Nate:
It is

Stephen Robles:
in

Nate:
home

Stephen Robles:
this

Nate:
base

Stephen Robles:
hotel

Nate:
and tag, absolutely.

Stephen Robles:
I love

Nate:
Time

Stephen Robles:
just

Nate:
out,

Stephen Robles:
that

Nate:
time out,

Stephen Robles:
idea

Nate:
time

Stephen Robles:
of that

Nate:
out, time out,

Stephen Robles:
yes

Nate:
time out. Don't kill

Stephen Robles:
yeah

Nate:
me.

Stephen Robles:
oh yeah I thought you were telling me timeout I didn't know threw me off anyway I love all that yes the hotel manager is amazing Lance Reddick I just love everything about that and I think in later movies it even is used to to greater effect but I don't know I feel like I want to talk about Keanu Reeves What do you want? What do you think?

Nate:
I wanna talk a little bit more about the plot. Just a little bit more.

Stephen Robles:
Okay, I feel like

Nate:
Because.

Stephen Robles:
we've discussed the entire plot, but go ahead.

Nate:
Well, the plot is so very simple,

Stephen Robles:
Yes.

Nate:
but this is a movie with a ton of action scenes. But the

Stephen Robles:
Yes.

Nate:
time between the action scenes, I think it does a really great job of having slow, melancholy

Stephen Robles:
Yeah.

Nate:
moments because what is kind of lost in later movies, but is very present in here, is the mourning the loss of his wife. And so he's got

Stephen Robles:
That's

Nate:
these

Stephen Robles:
true.

Nate:
slow times,

Stephen Robles:
Yeah.

Nate:
and at the end of the movie, I'm not gonna

Stephen Robles:
No,

Nate:
even

Stephen Robles:
it won't

Nate:
say

Stephen Robles:
spoil

Nate:
spoiler,

Stephen Robles:
it. No, no, no, it

Nate:
that's

Stephen Robles:
won't spoil

Nate:
the plot.

Stephen Robles:
it.

Nate:
He gets a

Stephen Robles:
That's

Nate:
new puppy,

Stephen Robles:
all. Right.

Nate:
he gets a

Stephen Robles:
Right.

Nate:
new dog. And there are these sweet moments in between

Stephen Robles:
Yeah.

Nate:
him doing 85 headshots, and I kid you not, the body count in this movie is

Stephen Robles:
So high.

Nate:
so,

Stephen Robles:
So

Nate:
so high.

Stephen Robles:
high.

Nate:
So, so high.

Stephen Robles:
No, but

Nate:
And,

Stephen Robles:
I agree.

Nate:
but, oh, sorry, go ahead.

Stephen Robles:
No, I was just gonna say I agree and I think you do feel that because supposedly he got out of the assassin game Like he wasn't

Nate:
Right.

Stephen Robles:
wanting to kill people. He was happy just living in his house He was sad his wife died, but he wasn't gonna go back into the business And so the fact that this drags him back in I don't know, but I believe it I believe that he is so mad about the dog and his car It was his dog and his car

Nate:
Mmm,

Stephen Robles:
because they

Nate:
right.

Stephen Robles:
stole his car

Nate:
Right.

Stephen Robles:
that he he literally kills hundreds of people in a single movie

Nate:
John

Stephen Robles:
I believe

Nate:
Leguizamo

Stephen Robles:
it.

Nate:
is in this movie as like the car guy and he's like, here's John Wick

Stephen Robles:
Yes.

Nate:
and he's like, get out.

Stephen Robles:
Yes.

Nate:
I don't want this.

Stephen Robles:
I find Keanu Reeves fascinating as a

Nate:
Okay.

Stephen Robles:
person, as everything. I'm going to try and do something fancy, okay? This is Zappropos of nothing, but he did an interview on the, what is it, the Late Show with Stephen Colbert. And I just find, and again, I feel like this character, John Wick, like is Keanu Reeves. I mean, he doesn't have to have it, he doesn't have a especially

Nate:
now.

Stephen Robles:
the later movies. Like he says like just a few words, he's literally just

Nate:
Right.

Stephen Robles:
action all the time. But I don't know, it just feels like, but anyway. Keanu Reeves is fascinating. This interview with Stephen Colbert, he asked him a question. And let me see if I can actually, let's see if this actually works. Let me show you what he says. I don't know if it's gonna. Oh, yeah, here we go. Like. Like Keanu Reeves, he's amazing. Keanu

Nate:
Hmm.

Stephen Robles:
Reeves is amazing. And I wanna read as just part of this book because there's many like conspiracies about Keanu Reeves. Are you familiar with any of these? Okay.

Nate:
No.

Stephen Robles:
Keanu Reeves, some people think Keanu Reeves is a vampire because he seemingly doesn't age, even over decades. Related, they think he's immortal. Some people think Keanu Reeves is a time traveler life. You know, he doesn't really give a lot. There's also, I don't know if you're familiar with, there's, if you see Keanu Reeves in pictures with fans who

Nate:
Mm-hmm.

Stephen Robles:
are

Nate:
Mm-hmm.

Stephen Robles:
girls, he never touches them. There's actually

Nate:
Mmm.

Stephen Robles:
articles that have like pictures of Keanu Reeves and if he has his arm like around a girl, his hand is open, not touching the person. Even Dolly Parton. He has a picture with Dolly Parton and I will put it somewhere in the show notes. He just he always has his hand like flat out like

Nate:
Uh huh.

Stephen Robles:
just does not even want to whatever

Nate:
Yeah.

Stephen Robles:
chance anything and I don't know just there's a whole bunch of weird theories about him, but I don't know I just find him fascinating as a character. I don't know. I don't know what else to say

Nate:
character

Stephen Robles:
about it. That's just

Nate:
or a person

Stephen Robles:
that

Nate:
or both

Stephen Robles:
Both

Nate:
as a

Stephen Robles:
but

Nate:
kid

Stephen Robles:
that's

Nate:
as a

Stephen Robles:
because I feel like John wick is Keanu Reeves like those are said at the beginning like he is this character

Nate:
hopefully with much less murder,

Stephen Robles:
I

Nate:
like

Stephen Robles:
don't

Nate:
a

Stephen Robles:
think

Nate:
little,

Stephen Robles:
he kills people in real life. No, I don't

Nate:
in

Stephen Robles:
think

Nate:
real

Stephen Robles:
he does

Nate:
life,

Stephen Robles:
that.

Nate:
but other

Stephen Robles:
But

Nate:
than

Stephen Robles:
like

Nate:
that.

Stephen Robles:
the just the brooding, like he does feel deeply like you were saying, the plot

Nate:
Right.

Stephen Robles:
of this movie, like he feels deeply about the wife he lost, about the dog he lost. And so he feels deeply. He's very loyal, you know, loyal. We see in later movies like to the the thing that he's a part of or whatever,

Nate:
Mm-hmm.

Stephen Robles:
but also to the people that he has made

Nate:
Right.

Stephen Robles:
promises to. So

Nate:
Right.

Stephen Robles:
I don't know. I I like this movie. I like him in this movie. Yeah, I don't know. Huh.

Nate:
I think he's so, for a guy that at the end of the day, they make a movie about an assassin, he feels like the good guy. And he's definitely

Stephen Robles:
No, he's

Nate:
like,

Stephen Robles:
a good guy.

Nate:
you think

Stephen Robles:
He's

Nate:
he's a

Stephen Robles:
a

Nate:
good

Stephen Robles:
hundred. A

Nate:
guy?

Stephen Robles:
hundred.

Nate:
He came from a life of being an assassin. You can't be an assassin to be a good guy. I think he's so, for a guy that at the end of the day,

Stephen Robles:
He's not the bad guy.

Nate:
Well, I mean, in this movie, he's the good guy. But ultimately, they make

Stephen Robles:
Right,

Nate:
someone

Stephen Robles:
right, right.

Nate:
whose life is not a good guy life and turn it into, obviously, he's the good guy. You root for

Stephen Robles:
Okay

Nate:
him.

Stephen Robles:
okay

Nate:
But

Stephen Robles:
but.

Nate:
you always want that the people that he offs in this movie, which is everybody,

Stephen Robles:
Now listen, now

Nate:
you,

Stephen Robles:
listen, listen.

Nate:
in your mind, you say to yourself, they're all part of the bad criminal world. It's like

Stephen Robles:
rather than.

Nate:
the way that you see, his black Adam but I assume when he kills a lot of guys and you're supposed to say these are bad dudes

Stephen Robles:
But I also feel like Keanu only kills bad dudes. Like

Nate:
Piano?

Stephen Robles:
he only... He only killed people that...

Nate:
Or John Wick. Wait, hold on a second. He

Stephen Robles:
That's

Nate:
is...

Stephen Robles:
right, both and. John is Keanu is John. That's right. He only kills people that were trying to kill him except for the one dude he was trying to exact revenge on which was Theo Greyjoy, the son.

Nate:
Right.

Stephen Robles:
Like that was the only person he was after and whatever

Nate:
He didn't

Stephen Robles:
crew

Nate:
even let

Stephen Robles:
like

Nate:
him

Stephen Robles:
beat him

Nate:
talk.

Stephen Robles:
up.

Nate:
He didn't even let him explain anything. That was all

Stephen Robles:
But

Nate:
business.

Stephen Robles:
I love that one moment though where he like pulls up, it was like right before he goes into the bath house

Nate:
Mm-hmm.

Stephen Robles:
to get the guy, he like holds at gunpoint the bouncer guy and he's like, why don't you take the night off? And he's like, thank you sir. And

Nate:
You're

Stephen Robles:
like,

Nate:
right.

Stephen Robles:
he's merciful. It's not like he's just killing for fun.

Nate:
No, it's definitely not for fun.

Stephen Robles:
He's got morals, anyway. Is there

Nate:
Okay,

Stephen Robles:
anything you wanna say about this

Nate:
yes,

Stephen Robles:
movie or should we do this quiz? What do you

Nate:
I

Stephen Robles:
think?

Nate:
want to say about Keanu Reeves.

Stephen Robles:
Okay.

Nate:
I find, I agree with you. I want to say I agree with you. I think that

Stephen Robles:
Sure,

Nate:
behind

Stephen Robles:
sure.

Nate:
the scenes, there are a few actors that I would feel like I would want to sit down and just hear about their life

Stephen Robles:
Yes,

Nate:
from their perspective

Stephen Robles:
yes.

Nate:
more than Keanu Reeves. There are probably a few, but

Stephen Robles:
Yes.

Nate:
there's something about, it kind of feels like he's in the game of Hollywood. figured some things out and

Stephen Robles:
Yes.

Nate:
has his priorities aligned to exactly what he wants them to be, if that makes sense. He doesn't feel like he's wasting life hours doing things he doesn't

Stephen Robles:
Right.

Nate:
want to do.

Stephen Robles:
Yeah, I think you're right. And like, I mean, obviously, he's at a place now where he can do the movies he wants to do, not do the movies he doesn't want to do. He would say he would want to revise his role as Constantine, like of all the roles he's ever done. Stephen Colbert asked him that. And so that was interesting. But yeah, I do feel... Did you ever see the... We talked about the Last Matrix, right? The Matrix

Nate:
Yep,

Stephen Robles:
of

Nate:
I saw it.

Stephen Robles:
resurrections.

Nate:
Yep,

Stephen Robles:
I kind of wish

Nate:
we

Stephen Robles:
that

Nate:
talked

Stephen Robles:
didn't

Nate:
about

Stephen Robles:
happen.

Nate:
it.

Stephen Robles:
But anyway, but that's not his fault. It's not his

Nate:
I'm,

Stephen Robles:
fault.

Nate:
watching this movie made me want to watch more Keanu Reeves movies.

Stephen Robles:
Correct.

Nate:
Have you seen the one where he lives at the house and sends letters through like a magical time traveling mailbox with Sandra Bullock? Lake House?

Stephen Robles:
The... Is it the biggest man? I think we've seen it a long time ago. That's actually one of the questions in this little quiz here.

Nate:
Oh, I might be

Stephen Robles:
So...

Nate:
Lake House Keanu.

Stephen Robles:
So,

Nate:
Anyway,

Stephen Robles:
I mean, I also... I never saw

Nate:
I will

Stephen Robles:
Johnny

Nate:
continue

Stephen Robles:
Mnemonic.

Nate:
watching

Stephen Robles:
Yeah.

Nate:
these. I will continue watching these. I will

Stephen Robles:
Yes.

Nate:
continue watching these movies and I will continue watching whatever Keanu Reeves does from

Stephen Robles:
Absolutely.

Nate:
now until.

Stephen Robles:
I'm not going to see Chapter 4 in theaters because I want the ability to skip forward 15 seconds if he's sticking his thumb in somebody's eye, you know what I'm saying? I want to be

Nate:
Yeah,

Stephen Robles:
able

Nate:
yeah.

Stephen Robles:
to skip just

Nate:
Yeah,

Stephen Robles:
in

Nate:
yeah.

Stephen Robles:
case. I'm not going

Nate:
Just

Stephen Robles:
to see it in

Nate:
in

Stephen Robles:
theaters,

Nate:
case.

Stephen Robles:
but

Nate:
For sure. Yeah,

Stephen Robles:
I'll

Nate:
right

Stephen Robles:
see it

Nate:
at

Stephen Robles:
when

Nate:
the

Stephen Robles:
it streams

Nate:
edge.

Stephen Robles:
on HBO Max. Yeah, I'll see it.

Nate:
I do also feel like Keanu Reeves might be somebody who we're only going to get in acting roles for another eight to ten years and then

Stephen Robles:
for

Nate:
he'll

Stephen Robles:
sure.

Nate:
just retire and just...

Stephen Robles:
He'll just disappear. I mean, he'll literally just

Nate:
Bye bye, Jaga.

Stephen Robles:
float away. Yeah, that's a good name. It's a good name. All right, can we read this movie and do this

Nate:
Let's

Stephen Robles:
quiz

Nate:
do it.

Stephen Robles:
real quick?

Nate:
Let's do

Stephen Robles:
All right.

Nate:
it.

Stephen Robles:
On a scale of zero to five dogs, because I mean, unless you do like bullets, zero to

Nate:
Oh,

Stephen Robles:
five dogs,

Nate:
dogs.

Stephen Robles:
I mean, there's a dog

Nate:
Oh,

Stephen Robles:
at

Nate:
dogs.

Stephen Robles:
the end too. You find dogs. It's a little tough because I've seen the latter ones. And so I think it colors my review of this one. Although this one is pretty good.

Nate:
Oh, by the way, John Wick owes his life to Willem Dafoe throughout this whole movie.

Stephen Robles:
Absolutely.

Nate:
He would be toast

Stephen Robles:
Absolutely.

Nate:
without Willem Dafoe. So as

Stephen Robles:
Absolutely.

Nate:
great as he was, he really needed Willem.

Stephen Robles:
He needed Willem and Willem was great. I enjoyed, I did not know he was in the movie when I went to see it and that was a pleasant surprise. I wanna give it three and a half dogs. Three and a half dogs for John Wick. What do you say?

Nate:
I hate the fact that you made the dog a half. I hate that.

Stephen Robles:
What's that? Think

Nate:
And

Stephen Robles:
of hot

Nate:
that's

Stephen Robles:
dogs.

Nate:
no good.

Stephen Robles:
Three and a half hot dogs.

Nate:
Oh, we'll do hot dogs, that's good.

Stephen Robles:
Sure, sure, sure, sure.

Nate:
I really like this movie. I was gonna say

Stephen Robles:
great movie.

Nate:
I might do three and a half as well.

Stephen Robles:
Three and a

Nate:
Maybe

Stephen Robles:
half.

Nate:
four, let me think. I'm gonna

Stephen Robles:
I

Nate:
do a

Stephen Robles:
four

Nate:
four.

Stephen Robles:
felt a little like,

Nate:
No, three and a half. This

Stephen Robles:
yeah.

Nate:
movie does everything right that is needed action movie.

Stephen Robles:
Yes.

Nate:
One,

Stephen Robles:
Yes.

Nate:
you root for the good guy a lot. Two,

Stephen Robles:
That's right.

Nate:
the bad guy is super bad and you

Stephen Robles:
Superbad.

Nate:
want him to get it. You want the son to

Stephen Robles:
You want

Nate:
get

Stephen Robles:
it

Nate:
it.

Stephen Robles:
to get

Nate:
You

Stephen Robles:
it?

Nate:
want everyone to get

Stephen Robles:
It's

Nate:
it

Stephen Robles:
true.

Nate:
and you're rooting

Stephen Robles:
It's true.

Nate:
right along and you just you don't mind at all. So that's

Stephen Robles:
No.

Nate:
two. And three, the pacing of it is perfect. It goes super high action and then you get a moment to breathe while John Wick gets his side stitched up or You get

Stephen Robles:
Right,

Nate:
some time

Stephen Robles:
right, right.

Nate:
and then the next scene starts and if you have not seen like a hard, gritty, very violent action movie, this is the one to do it. This

Stephen Robles:
This

Nate:
is

Stephen Robles:
is

Nate:
the

Stephen Robles:
the

Nate:
one to

Stephen Robles:
one.

Nate:
see.

Stephen Robles:
All right, we're gonna find out which Johnny we are. There's 10 questions, I don't know if we'll get to all of them. Do you have something to write down? Do you have your phone? Well, no, your phone's your camera. You have something you can write down? The letter? You literally, of course, you're an artist. You have a literal notepad. I'm sure you have some writing utensil. Nate is going to get his writing utensil. Listeners at home, viewers at

Nate:
Thanks

Stephen Robles:
home,

Nate:
for watching!

Stephen Robles:
if you would like to play along, I'm gonna ask questions. There's gonna be five answers, A, B, C, D, or E. and you are going to choose the letter that most closely you identify with. So I'm going to

Nate:
I'm

Stephen Robles:
ask

Nate:
ready.

Stephen Robles:
a question, read the five responses, write down the letter that you answer, and that will reveal which Keanu you are. Number one, a machine appears to whisk you through time to ensure that you pass your history class. You, A, use it to go back to med school instead of elite super assassin school and specialize in rare diseases, all of them. B, watch it sullenly for any sudden movement cigarette that hour. C. This needs to be brought to the FBI. I assume that's a reference that I don't get. Letter D. Prod it to deduce what manner of device this is. You're sure nothing could go wrong. E. Finally you can act that needlessly complicated nefarious scheme you've always wanted to try, you know, the one with the goats.

Nate:
Boom.

Stephen Robles:
Okay, write your letter. You

Nate:
Yep.

Stephen Robles:
got yours down? Alright, I got mine down. two years in the future and you can communicate with her

Nate:
Lake

Stephen Robles:
only

Nate:
House,

Stephen Robles:
through a mailbox

Nate:
yes!

Stephen Robles:
at your father's lake house in the Chicago suburbs, you a. stare at it in beautiful moody anguish, perhaps while casually garroting someone to pass the time,

Nate:
Hehehe

Stephen Robles:
b. know well enough not to trust messages from the beyond, you leave the Chicago suburbs forever never stopping to wonder what might have been, c. wait for her knowing that nothing not even sociopathic former friends can stop your your thoughts on the queer customs of the locals, why they cross themselves in your presence, and why that eccentric old man keeps on stopping by to stroke your neck. E. Decide to ruin her chances at love with any other by staging an elaborate trickery to besmirch her good name.

Nate:
Done. Ready.

Stephen Robles:
Okay, you got that one, all right, number three.

Nate:
How many of these are there?

Stephen Robles:
There's ten, we might just do five. We'll see.

Nate:
Okay.

Stephen Robles:
Three. Your friend dispassionately confesses to killing his girlfriend and shows you and Crispin Glover her body. Crispin Glover goes into hysterics and makes everyone promise not to narc. You A. Kill the killer and put his body on display. Kill the guys who come to take it down, put their bodies on display too,

Nate:
Ha

Stephen Robles:
stand

Nate:
ha

Stephen Robles:
back,

Nate:
ha!

Stephen Robles:
admire your work. B. Do a quick check of literal D. Place a tender hand upon the killer's shoulder, look him square in the eyes, and a tentative detective of his soul was moved by himself alone or because of a manipulation by an evil man who takes what he wishes from the world, whether he is granted permission or no. E. Smile. Thou shalt use this for blackmail later. That's a weird one. That's tough. Okay. Got it. Number four. Strange things are afoot at the Circle K, which is a gas station if you didn't know, listeners. B. Laugh mirthlessly. C. Stare longingly and with a pent-up desire which you are only beginning to comprehend.

Nate:
Thanks for watching.

Stephen Robles:
D.

Nate:
Bye.

Stephen Robles:
Stutter nervously. E. Flee quietly. Got that?

Nate:
Got it.

Stephen Robles:
Number five, you learn you are the one. You A, were once, now you just want to retire. B, no, and you hate it. C, thought so, and you wish you could do skydiving with a special someone to celebrate. D, gasp, really? You can't wait to tell your girlfriend. E, no, and now dust love it. Hmm, okay, okay. All

Nate:
Good.

Stephen Robles:
right, let's go on. Number six, your local NFL team is on strike, is being assembled to make the playoffs. You A, are pressured via a blood oath that you tried and failed to get out of to kill them all with a pencil. B, smirk, people always have such a problem with their heroes being switched up on them. C, make heart eyes at the coolest member of your new team, the one with the messy blonde hair and zen philosophy. He seems totally trustworthy and is probably your new best friend. D, are not sure what to make of these American ball sports, but shall give it a jolly good try all the same. E, hire someone to knife the striking team whilst they carouse in a bawdy house. Now you are the team and you alone. Wahaha.

Nate:
Ready?

Stephen Robles:
Yep. Number seven, you are trapped on a bus that will explode if it drops below 50 miles per

Nate:
Love

Stephen Robles:
hour.

Nate:
speed,

Stephen Robles:
Love

Nate:
love

Stephen Robles:
Speed

Nate:
speed.

Stephen Robles:
is a great movie. We should do that one. A. Drive the bus, spare the innocents, kill the bad guys. B. Start smoking, you always hated the bus. C. Yes, this is what you were trained to do, you are going to look so cool, though obviously resolving this dangerous situation is what is most important to you. E. Sit back, relax, and watch thy monstrous plan unfold. Okay.

Nate:
Good.

Stephen Robles:
8. Your ability to never lose a case gets you hired at a hot shot law firm in New York City where you learn the literal devil is your father boss. You A. Have faced worse. Papa doesn't last five minutes after your discovery. B. Sigh with resigned exasperation. This explains everything. C. Check if the devil's face is really a mask. This has Bode written all over it. D. Shudder to your core. escape these immortal fiends, those who would drag you to the very pit with their richer desires. E. are delighted.

Nate:
Good, number nine.

Stephen Robles:
Number nine, we can make it. E. Enjoy the moment, then leave him in Italy when your father dies and you stand to inherit.

Nate:
Number 10.

Stephen Robles:
I know these are all movies. Number 10. You must coach a ragtag group of youths to a sports victory to pay off your gambling

Nate:
news

Stephen Robles:
debts.

Nate:
bears is that what this is?

Stephen Robles:
A. Train them in the way of the gun and the sword, the other team won't see it coming. B. Train them to defend themselves against the force of darkness, there are things that are more important than some dumb game. C. Train them with ruthless efficiency on the field and make sure every line is filled out every sheet of their homework. D. Train them to play like gentlemen on and off the field, as this is the best way to prepare oneself for the rigors of life. E. Train them to do your dirty work. The people of the city truly felt that you were safe to care for their youth. Ha ha, the fools.

Nate:
All right,

Stephen Robles:
Okay,

Nate:
I'm ready.

Stephen Robles:
which letter do you have the most of? That is the question. See, I don't know, oh man, I don't know what movie this is from. Okay,

Nate:
I have

Stephen Robles:
which letter do you have

Nate:
three

Stephen Robles:
the most of?

Nate:
C's. That's the

Stephen Robles:
That's

Nate:
most.

Stephen Robles:
the one you have the most of?

Nate:
Uh-huh.

Stephen Robles:
Wow, okay. Three C's, you are Johnny Utah. The raddest John.

Nate:
Oh, is that the

Stephen Robles:
Is

Nate:
guy

Stephen Robles:
that

Nate:
from

Stephen Robles:
a

Nate:
the replacements maybe?

Stephen Robles:
Ben? I'm not sure, we need to look it up. I'm actually D, Jonathan Harker, the Vladist of John. I had the most D's, I'm not sure what that is. Let's go real quick to IMDB and see. I haven't seen these Keanu Reeves movies.

Nate:
Oh

Stephen Robles:
John?

Nate:
point break.

Stephen Robles:
That's the one you are?

Nate:
Yep. Yes.

Stephen Robles:
Point break, I haven't seen that one. I haven't seen that one. Jonathan Harker.

Nate:
He's like the FBI agent that goes in with a bunch of like bank robbers that are also like daredevils, I think.

Stephen Robles:
That's Jonathan Harker?

Nate:
That's, no, that's Johnny Utah. It's me.

Stephen Robles:
Oh, sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry. Okay, I don't know who that is. Okay, well I'll have to look it up. But that's who I was. So there you go. Let us know who you were listeners on Instagram. Go to AdMovies on the side. Let us know what John you were. A was John Wick. If you had mostly As, you are John Wick, the saddest John. Mostly Bs, you are John Constantine, the maddest John.

Nate:
Mm.

Stephen Robles:
Mostly Cs, you are Johnny Utah, the raddest John. I feel like that makes sense for you, Nate. Mostly Ds, you are Jonathan Harker, the vladdest John. I don't know what that vladis means. I have to look that up. Mostly ease. You are Don John the baddest John Those are all the John's

Nate:
Alright.

Stephen Robles:
Tell us what John you are. I'm gonna have to see that movie Tell us what John you are in the comments on Instagram at movies on the side catch our bonus episodes You can subscribe at patreon.com slash movies on the side or directly an Apple podcast talked about Easter candy on this episode Also, I stood up you could watch me live stand up with my standing desk

Nate:
great

Stephen Robles:
And what was

Nate:
standing

Stephen Robles:
the other thing

Nate:
energy.

Stephen Robles:
we talked about? What did we talk about? We talked about, oh, eating in the office. Very important topic, very important. And yeah, let us know what movies, if you want us to do any movie suggestions, comment on Instagram as well. Thanks for tuning in. Subscribe to our YouTube channel too, by the way. At movies on the side is the username. That is all. Thanks for tuning in. And as we always say.

Nate:
So yeah, I'm pretty angry right now.

Stephen Robles:
Wait, is that from John Wick?

Nate:
I think that was, I don't know if the line's correct. Yeah, I think you could say I'm pretty angry. I can't do

Stephen Robles:
You see,

Nate:
a

Stephen Robles:
you started sounding

Nate:
Keanu

Stephen Robles:
like Arnold

Nate:
Reeves

Stephen Robles:
Schwarzenegger.

Nate:
impression.

Stephen Robles:
I sound like Arnold Schwarzenegger.