iTunes Exclusive Episode The Birth Of A Nation

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Greetings Empire member and or members.
If you are hearing the sound of my voice it means the following conditions have been
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At least once in your life you have listened to the clubhouse podcast your one stop shop
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you subscribe to the show on iTunes because it's time for another attoons exclusive
the 243rd one of these things ever closer to that big milestone.
My name is Rob I am the executive producer of the clubhouse podcast and our next couple
are going to be both basically hot button topics based on actual events so be ready
for that.
Joining me for this particular edition across the desk is the official fact checker of
this show and a man that's actually seen the film we're going to talk about today a
little bit more recently than I had but that doesn't mean I've forgotten a bunch.
You may know him is fun don go but his mom and even don't ford I'm going to call him
don't ford welcome sir.
Yeah we were lucky that we got that second screening opportunity indeed so I was able
to see it because we did the split duty when you saw this one when I see in the
other problems and saw the different films yeah anytime we do this it is to review something
this is no exception right now we are about to review for you the brand new film from
writer director producer actor caterer the guy's done it all he is Nate Parker it is
called the birth of a nation for we start this whole thing yes sir we've got to think
Austin and everybody at Sly Fox doing anything see me see me see me see me some of our
favorite people in the world love that group a bunch of people thank you guys so much
for giving us the opportunity to screen this so that we can talk about it to our audience
here's what you need to know the birth of a nation is not the same film from
1915 it was this name was chosen to invoke emotion because of that film but this is a
brand new film it is the story of Nat Turner and the Nat Turner rebellion but here's
the thing there's a lot of shall we say hype going into this film yes there is this film
premiered Sundance earlier this year on the spot Fox search light paid 17.5 million
dollars which is an absolute all-time record for a film bought at the Sundance film
festival so there was a lot of hype going into this it gets really it's finally
getting its release by the time you hear this it will be available for you to see
it takes place turn up into these 17 to the 1800s talking about Nat Turner we see
him as a child and he sees the horrors of slavery in Virginia and as he
grows up he's actually brought into the what they call the main house where he's
taught to read and write in ways taught to read and write is through the Bible and
through church but as as the master of his house passes away he wills it that
Nat returns to the fields because Nat is a grown man after doing so the son that
he used to play with as he was a child Samuel played by the great army hammer kind
of takes him under his wing and they decide they're gonna make extra money for
the plantation by making him a traveling preacher to the slaves of the
slaves of other plantation to try to build up their you know spirits and stuff
like that partially but more or more so to reinforce to them that they need to obey
their masters yeah something he actually ends up convincing Nat Nat played by
Nate Parker convinces Samuel to purchase a slave at an auction who he would end up
marrying and through some unfortunate events combined with all of the
conditions he sees of these other slaves dealing with Nat kind of gets fired up
and convinces some of his fellow slaves to rebel and that's about as far as I want
to go with it if you know your history you know your history yeah so a couple
things up front for Nate Parker this was a huge candle I don't know how
might how deeply you went into this number one he put up a hundred thousand
dollars of his own money number two this was a seven year project for him number
three I don't know if you looked through the credits but some of the producers on
this film were former Dallas Maverick's player Michael Finley really from the
San Antonio spurs Tony Parker wow was a producer on this also a producer on
this was former Tampa Bay Buccaneer Derek Brooks now was when it's
independent at the time trying to get it made basically right he's yeah
I mean he didn't have all the big money so he was trying to do it on his own
David S. Goyer the guy that was responsible for helping write the script for
that man begins the dark night and the dark night rises was a producer on
this he got a lot of heavy hitters to shell out some cash on this Tony like we
talked about Tony Parker earlier from the San Antonio spurs Edward Zwick a very
very well known producer as well so there was a lot being gambled going into
this I mean Nate was passing on other projects because he was making this film so
going into opening weekend I think there's a lot of expectation there's
probably a lot of nerves going around right now even though Nate was able to
pay back all of his investors and everything there's still a certain level
of expectation that Fox searchlights gonna have because I want to say he ended up
making the movie for about eight million and Fox searchlight paid over double
that add to that the budget for advertising and promoting and marketing this film
is it going to live up to the hype here's my thing on this film I liked it I
didn't love it it's a solid two hours I don't I don't want to use the word
miss marketed but you mentioned something in your written review which is at
www.clubhouse podcast.com which is oddly enough our website and I kind of
want to do cover this just a little bit because you actually spoke to this in
your written where I really didn't when you talked about what the feeling you got
after the trailer versus actually seeing the film well if you look at the
trailer and how they did market it it's more you would I thought it was
misleading because I thought that when you watch the trailer you think it's gonna
be more about the revolt more about what happened more about the the big event
but when you watch the movie that's only about the last half hour the last quarter
of the film when it comes down to it the first hour and a half is basically the
story of him and what he goes through and what kind of makes him kind of
snap but I think they overdid that part well here's the thing about it but
and I do want to see at the end even it said here's what kind of happened to
him at the end and it's a couple of writing so I think they kind of really
rush that in part and the revolt more than anything I agree with you but the
further up the way the further away I got from it the more I thought about it
and what people have to understand is the natural rebellion was two days that's
it like it wasn't full blown war yeah it didn't take very long for reasons
you'll find out if you don't know when you see the film yeah adequate was
longer than that so I get where Parker was going with this because he didn't
want it to seem like this long drawn out thing it didn't take long yeah but
even what happened but I agree with what you're saying I agree with that you're
saying in the fact of the trailer portrays it in a certain way and I think if
you go back and you watch the trailer after seeing the film you see more to it
but you don't going into it and that didn't bother me so much I think for me
after going and doing some reading and doing some fact checking on this film they
play up his wife a little bit more than they probably should in this play by
Ajahnay Omeeking who does a great jack don't get me wrong which I give her
shadow but there's no writings of him having a wife that he adored and loved
like she's portrayed in this film there she is a catalyst that pushes him to the
dark side for what some looked for the dark side otherwise they were leaving
the rebellion to the to the darkness in his head because he's coming from
he he has these visions that he feels God gives him that leads him to the
revolt and you don't get to really explore that very much either but that kind
of took me out of it a little bit knowing that going in that really that that part
of his marriage was kind of played up for the script but I can't say it
completely took me out of the film again I liked this film a lot I think it's
gorgeously shot yes the cinematography in this is absolutely amazing but I don't
know I can't say that I love this film I I can't either but the weird part
is which I put my view again is that I think when he wrote this thing
and directed it especially when he wrote it it was curtailed around him being
as the actor I really think I can say you really did a lot of stuff with him
being in mind as the character so he could have that role and he could play the
role and let's be realistic here there are some things that the over exploit I
think I think that a couple of more graphic scenes well I wouldn't say that no
that's not the issue I think that it I think it over portrayed the harshest
versus reality of what really was and I don't want you to put a call in that
or anything like that right now it's just that historically here's what
happened but in this movie kind of showed it in a different light to kind of
get different maybe get a different feeling out of people now I you have to
form the empire this thing's brutal lot of graphic yeah there there was one
scene and I was with somebody in basically it put a tear in that person's eye I
actually had to look away yeah in so did what I thought was coming when I
realized what was going in what say I'm talking about the exact same thing
absolutely yes I had to look away because I was just like oh dear god and I
mean to me I don't think that part was done up I mean people at that time
were treated absolutely horribly and it breaks my heart I appreciate the
commitment by by the filmmaker by you know to to just say you know what this is
we're gonna do this and we're gonna go all the way with it I respect yeah I
do I just wish we could have seen more like I said I don't I hate to use the
term the dark side because he believes in what he was doing and he was leading
people to try to lead him to freedom which I you know I love that but I wish
we and friend of the show Kevin Daniels of the movie brothers we are UCHAS.com
by the way that's their website he and I went saw this together along with his
broadcast partner Anna we talked a lot about after the film knowing that he
had what he called these visions from God I would have liked to have seen that
played out a little bit more which would have given you to me a better look
at his motivations my plus one found that real confusing the the vision she
could say but will they never show divisions well you know how it had those
certain scenes where he was saying that like the Lord will send you sign and
me that kind of did this visual thing so that so they could have done more and I
think well in the brutality part I understand why he did it because it's a lot of
brutality put together in a short amount of time but it had it had to be done to
kind of show why he wanted the revolt why he said this is enough why he realized
you know even as a boy he realized that things weren't right but he's
spending so much time away from the fields kind of he didn't he as his
formative years had but once he became a man and back in the fields and he
started to see it again and he could just kind of just I'm going to be a man
of God I'm going to be a man of God I'm going to be a man of God but that other
side of I've had enough I can't take it anymore when it finally engulfs him
after some things that happened to friends of his and happened to his wife by
the way Jackie or Haley in this I love Jackie or Haley could but can we get him
to play some roles where he's just not creepy you know I love this man and I
want to root for this man but if you take your roles and I can't root for
him in but and and I'm saying all these things and you've heard me say twice
now I like this film I didn't love it there is a a certain intangible that I
can't describe that to me this film is lacking and I can't I can't articulate
it there's just that thing that would push this over the top that's not
there and I really hope that people can go and see this film and with an
open mind because there's going to be a lot of people that are going to
compare this to a film that came out last year that I have not seen I'm
actually going to watch it this weekend but I want people to go into this with
these compressions you're gonna have to go you know one the best picture not
right but you're before right yeah so yeah best picture too let's go say a
best picture winner yeah okay I really hope people can separate those two because
we even talked about and I get I haven't seen it I'll be watching it this
weekend and I'll be probably doing some comparing and contrasting myself but I
want people to see these as two completely separate films so that they can
because that film took the world by storm and that might set the bar to high for
people going into this now I will also say this if this film releases a year
ago it it it drowns yeah in the sea of amazing films last year this year I
think it's a better year for a film like this because I think this film can get
more recognition because the field is a little bit thinner this year also this
is this film gonna be Oscar bait yes it's gonna be your tells Oscar bait
everybody knows that but let's be reality what you're saying it's missing
something I don't think it's that Oscar bait quality that says this has to be
nominated for best picture because it's just lacking that's something special I
think it's possible yeah but again if this was in last year's field it would
have it would struggle this year's field is a little thinner so I think it has
the opportunity to stand out a little bit yeah I think it will get some
recognition I don't think this is going to be the end all be all I really hope
that Parker gets some recognition for this film because of a what he put into it
be what he delivered because you think about you think about an eight million
dollar budget to shoot this film yeah that's that's cheap for this and it looks
amazing yes I mean the cinematography looks great the effects look great there's
just something lacking in it that I can't put my finger on and again great
performances by everybody yeah powerful performances and I this movie will make
it's money there's no doubt in my mind I just not sure it hit me like I
almost like I wanted it to hit me you know what I mean like I wanted to
expect it so moved on a molecular level it did do a certain extent but not
to the extreme that I thought it would and let's just talk reality when it
comes to the wards coming up next year at the beginning of next year there's
going to be controversy with this film due to outside advances I'm going to say
no you're absolutely right in a animal that hindered that with the academy but
possibly nobody no matter what your affiliation no matter who we are no matter
where you come from no matter who your mama is don't let that stop you know
no no no because it is an excellent film but I can't put it in the pantheon of
film right now and if you had to choose the best five best picture nominees of a
year this would not be one of them I'm not prepared to make that statement yet
because we've still got two and a half months to go I just have this feeling
that some of these studios have films up there sleeve that are going to take
us by surprise and I think that's to the detriment of a film like this
because I think this film was released at a time where people can go and
appreciate it and take it in and discuss it and have it be in the in in the discussion
come award season again it's a good film I don't know that I'm gonna put it on
the pedestal that I was hoping to two questions huh first off the watch first
I'm looking at my watch we were 45 minutes in so that's a good bar that's a
very good thing because again it's past very well the story is told very rich
I have to disagree because it was just too much of the build up and now I'm
half in the boom I thought but again I think it's because of the trailer the
trailer portrays it in a certain way that when you understand the build-up
it's like all of a sudden you just this is enough but here's my other
question to you I know how you kind of keep that list of your favorite and
unfavorite is this in your top 10 right now not right by much okay I mean it's
not in there by much it's just outside my top 10 right now so what do you say
the top 15 to be safe at this moment at this moment right now as we record
this yes it is in my top 15 okay I don't know if it stays there because we've
still got more of this for the end of the year yeah but it's you know as of
today I think I've seen 54 films this year sure other somewhere in that
neighborhood yeah so to be in that top 15 you're you're in good company yeah
yeah but again I don't know what I'm looking to see between now in December
30 and it's not gonna win them when the metal it's not gonna metal this year
no it's not going to metal at this point but it's you know it's it's above
average by far oh yeah that being said it will go ahead and go to the final
analysis the way we do the final analysis on this show we're not gonna give
you thumbs up thumbs down we're not gonna give you stars we're not gonna give
you letter grades we're not gonna give you numbers anything like that our
audience whom we affectionately refer to as the empire they want us to dig deeper
we're going to dig deeper two questions question number one is would you see
this again if the answer's no then we're done here but if the answer's yes
the question then becomes how far are you willing to go to see it here is the
spectrum from best to worst full price to the theater twilight matinee early
morning second run at the dollar theater red box Netflix cable don would you
see this film again yes how far are you willing to go between matinee and
twilight so you're almost at the top of the spectrum on that yeah the
base like like I said the too much of the buildup I thought in rush at the end
but that's still but yeah it's a good film I'm gonna highly recommend it yes
see it but it's not gonna get that coveted now think it would be it's not
gonna make my top ten of the year there's no way around it you know it's still
good some people are gonna get upset by this thing agreed yeah the
person who has with got upset but but but not upset and like it was an
emotional thing yes yes which is what it's supposed to do and I would see
this again I'm going to go the red box route with it okay I think this is the
film that's a great film to open a dialogue which I think is the intent of
this film there's going there are going to be people that are going to use this
film as a platform which I don't agree with but this is a film that should
open a discussion but again a lot of people are saying why are we seeing all
these kinds of films right now because we have to be reminded of our
history we have to be reminded of our history because the old saying says those
who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it it's uncomfortable but
sometimes discussions have to be uncomfortable we have to be able to have a
dialogue on our path so we didn't have a future so use this film as a
discussion point and not as a platform because that's to me that's not what this
film is see this film have a group of people with you and then after the film
sit around and just openly discuss the things that this film deals with the
things like race relations where are we where can we be because we have to be
able to talk about these things and I think Nate Parker does a very very good
job in portraying the story I know you did say that and I get that but you
also understand it's about him I know but it's about no not not not turn it
but Parker I'm talking about but he's playing the character I know I think he
wrote it too much with him being the main character him as him as Parker I
think it wasn't written as much for turner as it was for Parker see I just I
don't see that I kind of do but that's your opinion I respect it I'm just
saying I personally don't see it it is the birth of a nation again we have to
think Austin or bad Sly Fox see me thank you thank you so much let's do the
plug shall we by the time you hear this you will be able to see this film by the way
visit our website the aforementioned www dot the clubhouse podcast.com find out
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