Midweek Mention... Project Hail Mary

Project Hail Mary

Dan: [00:00:00] Yeah.

Sidey: Oh, that was a good one That

Dan: Oh, that was a good one. That was a good one. Black. Um, with these little things, though,

Sidey: Yes ... um,

Dan: where did you get them? How much did they cost?

Sidey: Uh, Amazon. Something like 350, I don't know.

Dan: all of it? Or- Yeah

Sidey: I could look afterwards. With

Dan: four kind

Sidey: Yeah. 'Cause it comes with that and two, and I had to buy an extra two.

Dan: But you don't need an extra-

Sidey: only need one of those Right.

Dan: which comes with it.

Sidey: have a feeling you m- might be able to connect eight mics to it. Eight But that could be bollocks. It might just be four Should we start? Yes. Hi, guys.

Dan: we start? Mm-hmm. Yes. Hi, guys. Hi.

Sidey: Been, um,

Cris: bit, bit,

Sidey: like,

chaotic at Podcast Mountains recently, 'cause we didn't pod last week.

No.

Dan: First time in a long time. No,

Sidey: I was away on holiday, um-

Dan: And it all fell down.

Sidey: at the start with Riggs. Riggs and I went to watch The Streets- Yeah ... at Alexandra Palace. [00:01:00] Yeah. Was fucking brilliant. Okay. Uh, me, Riggs, and a friend of the pod, Coiney- Yeah ... went to see that. It was absolutely fucking brilliant.

Um, Pete would've loved it.

Dan: Yeah, he's

Cris: Oh, he would've

Sidey: immediately looked up flights 'cause they're playing in Iceland in November, so, um, got the green light for that. Okay. Nice. Don't think it will be as good 'cause it's very British-centric music- Yeah ... you know. Um, I dunno. I think people will still enjoy it, but not as, not as rowdy a crowd as you get at home.

Um, so that was good. And then I was in Malta, which was fucking hot. Strong would not recommend. Yeah.

Cris: They... I'm, I'm surprised. I mean, it's mixed reviews generally, but people say... There's some people that love it, absolutely love it there, but you didn't really.

Sidey: No. I think if you go, like, do the ferry trip over to Gozo, the Key Master or whatever his name is- Yeah

um, that's really picturesque. But I just found it, like, fairly ugly looking and really fucking hot.

Like- Oh, Yeah, it was way too fucking hot, so couldn't even really properly relax, [00:02:00] and no cold beers. Um, yeah. Just wasn't, wasn't vibing with it.

Dan: Any opportunity to watch anything out there?

Cris: Uh, what

Sidey: we did do is, um, every night...

Because w- it was family trip, so, like, extended family, in-laws trip, so there was nine of us. So there was our three, and then, um, brother-in-law, sister-in-law and their two three-year-olds, and then mother-in-law, father-in-law. Um, so it would tend to be quite early nights. We'd have dinner, and then everyone would sort of, like, flake.

Then the twins would go to bed dead early and whatever. And 'cause we were in a hotel, it wasn't like... I would've preferred to be in a villa, then you could kinda put the kids to bed, and you could still all be- Yeah ... together, but you, they kinda had to put the kids to bed and be in

Dan: have to put the kids to bed and be in the room then. Of course, yeah.

Sidey: So we would do, like, pretty much movie night every night. In bed we would just, like, stick on a movie. So we might, for the Friday episode, possibly talk about the MonsterVerse, 'cause we watched all the Godzilla movies- Oh ... 'cause Madeline fucking loved that. We did fall out about her, um, I'm not gonna say hatred, but her lack of enthusiasm about Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark.

She [00:03:00] made me turn it off after half an hour. Said it's boring. Wow. So very disappointing on that front. Okay. Okay. How was your week, Dan? You been up to anything exciting?

Dan: Um, no. Quiet. Uh,

Sidey: no. Quite, uh- No, I did,

Dan: go and, um, have a couple of beers with Peter yesterday, um, that ended

Sidey: pretty uneventful? Just pretty boring?

Dan: Yeah. Yeah.

Sidey: in the sun. We- we- a few beers in the sun-

Dan: we... A few beers in the sun, straight home. Um- That was nice ... no dramas. Um, I did go to watch, um- Scorsese's Goodfellas at

Sidey: Oh, yeah, you said,

Dan: Yeah, on the big screen. It's brilliant- Where are you? ... on the big screen. At the

Sidey: cinema. Okay. So there's a whole s- thing there. Yeah, the Scorsese season. Nice.

Dan: Casino they're gonna show. Scorsese

Sidey: that recently, yeah. And,

Dan: I think Cape Fear's coming up soon

Sidey: Yeah. You, you put the list on, yeah. There's a list. Yeah. There's a

Cris: there's a few good ones on

Sidey: I call it up? Martin

Dan: films, so there's, there's lots of good ones in there. But I was particularly pleased to have gone... It's been just long enough- There

Sidey: you go. So we, we've already had Taxi Driver.

Yeah, [00:04:00] it's

Cris: a while for me as well,

Sidey: yeah. We've had Taxi Driver and Goodfellas. Oh, tonight is Raging Bull. Shall we fuck this off and quickly leg it down and get Raging Bull?

Dan: get down to watch

Sidey: Wednesday next week is when... No. Week Wednesday is Cape Fear, King of Comedy, Wolf of Wall Street.

Shutter Island, I don't like. And Casino. Wow.

Cris: and Casino.

Sidey: Oh, Raging Bull on the big screen would've been good. Fuck. Yeah.

Dan: Yeah, that's happening tonight.

Um, I may go and watch The Odyssey as well, 'cause I-

Sidey: Yeah, I wanna see that

Dan: it's one of the... Have yous not seen it? No.

Cris: I've seen it. I, I went to the cinema last Monday when we were away, and we were meant to be here, and I just went by myself. Went to Pablo's, which is a shout-out to Pablo's because

Sidey: Oh, the dog place? I don't know

Cris: place?

I don't know if it's a dog place. You can get wine.

Sidey: Is it, uh, is it just a bit further round from the- Yeah, yeah.

Cris: it look, it looks like a tapas- Yeah

Sidey: I think it's, I think the guy's got a dog, and you can take dogs in there or something.

Cris: yeah, he, there's loads of people that you can get your dog and you can wank your dog or whatever.

But it's-

Sidey: I don't think you have to. No.

Cris: you can do.

Sidey: can. Okay. It's [00:05:00] optional.

Cris: and, um, went in, had a glass of red. Nice. Then went and watched the film. Oh, nice. Yeah. Uh, not, uh, a bad shout. But there's an IMAX in Bucharest, and I'm going on Sunday. I'm going to Romania for a week to see my family, and I'm gonna go to watch it in IMAX as Christopher Nolan intended, so...

Apparently.

Dan: th- this is it. My, my mum and nephew went to, in London to watch it, and it was the IMAX 4.0, where the s- seats shake-

Sidey: Yeah, yeah

and water comes out- Oh, 4D, right

Dan: everything, like, all, you know, so- It's

Sidey: scenes are quite horny,

Dan: I imagine. Um, but yeah. I'll, I'll probably go and see it if you fancy it.

Sidey: fancy it, yeah. Reid fancies it as well. No Reece tonight, by the way, 'cause he's ill. He's ill.

It's sad

Cris: we send our best wishes

Sidey: recovering from the streets, I think.

Cris: Probably,

Dan: that would be. It takes a lot out of a man.

Sidey: I'm liking what I'm-- haven't seen it yet, but what I'm enjoying about "The Odyssey" is how much it's annoying all the, like, anti-woke wankers on the internet get really upset about it. Like, "Oh, it's, like, so unrealistic." Like, well, they'd all be having, like, massively gay [00:06:00] sex if you watched like- Yeah

they're all

Cris: you want it really realistic ... they'd all

Sidey: be banging each other. Do you wanna watch that? No. Shut up.

Dan: Yeah. I think, um, from the reports and-

Sidey: and

Dan: people telling me everybody's enjoyed it.

Everybody, even my

Cris: I loved it. I loved it

Sidey: you

Dan: loved it. I loved it ... mum said she really enjoyed it. It's probably the first time she's been to the cinema in ages. Definitely the first time she's ever been into one of those where, you know, the

Sidey: Yeah. I've never been to an IMAX. Criminal, really, but we don't have one here, so. No, we don't have- We went... When we were in London for the streets, uh, we were at a loose end in the daytime, and I was gonna suggest that we go 'cause I just fancied going to an IMAX.

But, um, it just never-- We just got p- really pissed. Yeah.

Cris: Which is always

Sidey: the case.

Dan: The afternoon, so I wouldn't know,

Cris: I

Sidey: wouldn't know- Yeah,

Dan: I wouldn't know about them doing that. Um, but yeah, uh, this film that we're gonna talk about, Hail Mary, was one that I'd seen a, um, a little while ago

Sidey: Yeah, same. Um,

Dan: so you might have to forgive my-

Sidey: were gonna talk about it [00:07:00] last week.

Yeah. You guys were gonna talk about it while I was away, but we just couldn't make that happen. Mostly 'cause I had all the recording stuff at my house and not here. Um,

Dan: not here. Um- You may have to forgive my memory- But- ... or just help me along with

Sidey: You did watch it recently, Chris, didn't you,

Cris: You did. Um- Yes, I watched it four last week,

Sidey: I saw. It was Comic-Con. Did you see that last, this last weekend? No. All the, like, mega nerds get together and, like, wank off about

Cris: I've heard about that, but- Where was that? Uh- LA

Sidey: I can't remember where it was. It's basically where Marvel and other people-

Cris: DC

Sidey: or- ... they tell all their news about what nerds can jerk off about. Um, and Ryan Gosling, apparently this has been going on for ages. There's been loads of fan-- and he's been clamoring to play Ghost Rider.

Uh, there was- Right ... I think maybe two Ghost Rider films with Nick Cage. Nick Cage, yeah. They're awful. Yeah.

Cris: I've definitely seen one of them,

Sidey: anyway. And then there was in, I think it's Marvel's

Cris: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.,

Sidey: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D., there's a different guy plays Ghost Rider. 'Cause I think there's different versions, different person [00:08:00] becomes Ghost Rider.

And I'm like, that's a real tough one to make l-look good in a film. Yeah. But Ryan Gosling and-

Dan: If anyone can

Sidey: oh my God, the guy's name who directed all the-

Cris: Deadpool

Sidey: movies and did the-- He's got a Star Wars film coming out, Ryan Gosling, uh, The Last Starfighter, which is directed by the same guy.

Cris: I wouldn't know,

Sidey: His name- Oh, I wouldn't know

his name will come to me. Um, so they're again teaming up to do the, it was announced the other

Cris: Oh, right. So he's gonna do a Ghost Rider. Okay

Dan: Uh,

Cris: Ghost Rider movie. I'm like, okay, well

Sidey: maybe it'll be good, but I don't know. It's a hard one to,

Cris: He's been good in most s- things that he's done though- Yeah

Sidey: he's done, though.

Yeah. He's... I, I really like Ryan Gosling- Tim Miller? ... 'cause he-- Hey?

Dan: Tim Miller?

Sidey: No. Um, it's Shawn Levy. Shawn Levy is the guy. Oh, okay. Um, my missus loves Ryan Gosling. I also like him 'cause he can do the blockbuster, but we've seen him do with stuff that we've done on the pod, he's done, like, loads of,

Cris: Oh, yeah, the one that we did with Bangkok, when he's in Bangkok

Sidey: one. God Never Forgives, or [00:09:00] Only God

Cris: Only God Forgives, yeah,

Sidey: yeah.

And he did the sex doll one. Um, have you seen that, an early one? It's really good. Okay. Um, where he's got a sex-- So just as a com- like, as a companion. He's not, like, shagging it in the film. It's just like- Right ... he's had a bit of a men- mental troubles, and he sort of gets this, um- Okay

sex doll as his, as his girlfriend, like introduces him to his brother and his wife and stuff like that. So he can do like, you know- Okay ... he can do lower sort of more, you know, thought-provoking films, and he can do blockbuster stuff and make that really cool. My missus wa- has watched The Gray Man about fucking 10 times.

She loves it.

Cris: Yeah. It's a good film though. I, I enjoyed that too ... he

Sidey: he can do the big blockbuster stuff, so hopefully that'll be good. But he's in this film that we watched. Yeah. Okay. Project Hail Mary. Project Hail Mary. Which you can watch on Prime, everyone.

Dan: I was gonna say, I've not actually seen The Gray Man.

Is that a good one?

Cris: It's good. Yeah?

Sidey: Yeah. They're trying to, I think- It's also fairly long ... I think- But

Cris: it's good

Sidey: trying to get a kind of maybe a franchise thing going. Right. Yeah. Um, so he is the kind of James Bond-y type character, or it's like James Bond/Jason Bourne. [00:10:00] Yeah. He's a, like, Black Ops kind of hitman guy.

Okay. Ana de Armas is in

Dan: I don't know why I just-

Cris: Chris Evans

Sidey: played a baddie. I've seen it, but I don't know why I just kinda got- You'd definitely enjoy it. It's like a- Yeah ... turn your brain off action

Cris: You- you're not gonna... It's not gonna win any...

But it's good fight

Sidey: Looks cool.

Cris: good, he's funny,

Sidey: drone shot in near the beginning where it goes through a load of fireworks. It's fucking really cool. Um- Right ... so recommend for that one. Um, and hopes were high for Project Hail Mary.

Dan: Yeah. Um-

Sidey: It's the guy, the dude, um

Dan: The dude, the man,

Sidey: amigo

Dan: amigo The guy who wrote

Sidey: same guy what done The Martian

Dan: Ah. What, that wrote the book? Yes. Who is it?

Sidey: Drew Goddard? Nope

Cris: Andy Weir? Weir.

Sidey: Weirmeister Yeah It's the Weirmeister Richie Weir So I enjoyed... Yeah, the, the referee. He's also ... He's actually an author, so good man, me.

Dan: he's also a [00:11:00] walking- Yeah

football referee.

Sidey: so I enjoyed The Martian, uh, so hopes were high for this, like pedigree and cast that I like.

So, uh, I was hoping that... And the vibe was kinda like it's not gonna be super fucking s- it's not scary, you know. It's just gonna be like, probably like quite a nice one to sit and watch- Yeah ... and enjoy. Um, so I was looking forward to seeing this.

Dan: Well, I,

I was as well. I like the, um, the title, you know, the Hail Mary. Um, when I was a, a kid you'd watch the American football- Yeah

and that's where it kinda came from, where it was just that long throw or- Last chance ... last chance Slinging

Sidey: it and hope

Dan: into the... Everybody just crowd the end zone, and you hope that you came out on, on top, and- Mm ... occasionally, um, that's what happens, and the Hail Mary throw, um, would be successful. But that's exactly what is this because, um, the world is dying.

Um, I think-

Sidey: a sort of galactic problem. Yeah. Well,

Cris: he [00:12:00] wakes up,

Sidey: kind of- Yeah. You

Cris: wake up in the... You wake up, he... The way he, the film starts, he wakes up in a, in a pod, you know.

Yeah. So

Sidey: it's giving us sci-fi vibes, and we've seen this before where people wake up after a, a long period of stasis- Yeah

and not all of the crew have made it. Hypersleep. Yeah, actually I think it happens in... Does it not happen in Alien or Aliens? Or- Yeah, yeah ... does it happen in Alien? And I'm sure it happens in 2001 as well. How the fuck Solaris

Dan: is the only way that humans would ever be able to travel the vast distances of space.

Sidey: is the only way that humans would ever be able to travel the vast distances in space.

'Cause this is not just going to another planet. This is, I think, another solar system or another- Yeah ... it's, it's fucking light years away. Galaxies, yeah. So it's, it's, um, it's made... Not initially, 'cause he's, he doesn't remember who he is or why he's there. Yeah. So he's gotta, like, piece

that back together.

Cris: is a, a kinda like a, a computer kinda guide person saying to him- Like a Hal ... "You need to do this. You need to do that." But he just ignores it and kind of stumbles around and-

Dan: got obviously his hair has continued to, to grow, so he's got a real caveman beard and, um, hair and everything.

Cris: wakes up in 2032. [00:13:00] That's when it's basically

Sidey: it's been going a little while. Um...

Dan: he's getting kind of flashbacks, um, and we, we find that, um, space-eating microbes are-

Sidey: it's called astrophage ... eating the sun up. Yeah. Phage. It's also being used to power the ship that he is on

Cris: Yes.

Potentially

Sidey: problematic- Yeah

if you're trying to get rid of that stuff. So what it is doing is not just for our world. It, like all through the galaxy it seems to be growing- Yeah ... and it absorbs the sun's energy and eats the sun's e- and not just absorbs but eats it, and actually reduces- Yeah. Him and the, yeah ... the sun's output, so we will not be able to survive because the, you know, the light, the r- you know, the light from the sun is not gonna be there.

And, and this is the problem that's happening everywhere. Apart from one, they've established that there is one planet they can see that

Cris: Tau Ceti system, and it's a Tau Ceti

Dan: this

Sidey: is not happening [00:14:00] to. Um, and so they have ide- so Ryland Grace, that is Ryan Gosling's character. That is Ryan He's a previous

Cris: Uh, he is molecular biologist.

Sidey: molecular biologist, now a teacher. Yeah.

Dan: Super clever guy, but now he's just doing high school science. Yeah. Um-

Sidey: But they're gonna- Middle school more than high school ... they're gonna... Yeah, so they're gonna use him to train the crew. Yeah. Um- Actual astronauts ... and, uh, it transpires that this is actually a suicide mission.

There's no coming back from this. You're gonna be going out to research around this, um, Tau Ceti system, send back whatever you find- Find ... out there that is stopping the astrophage, but you ain't coming back. Yeah.

Dan: Yeah.

Sidey: Um, and so he's like, "Well, fine, I can train these people, but I'm not going, so

Dan: yeah. Well, he, he's not, he's, um, he's really, you know, has to be taken by [00:15:00] the,

Sidey: the

Dan: scientist who's got all the FBI, CIA men with, uh, um, security. Uh- Eva

Sidey: Eva Stratt.

Dan: Yeah. And, um- And she's kind of r- running a really tight ship and makes sure that, you know, everybody understands the, the kind of consequences of not doing this.

This is their Hail Mary. This is their last

Sidey: that's what they call the ship, don't they? They're

Dan: the, yeah, they're the ones that... So, um, he, yeah, Rylan Grace, he plays, didn't he? Um, the, this teacher, and, um, he's knows like, um, loads from his microbiology- Yeah ... kind of background and becomes like the head guy, the head science guy, because he has managed to make some kind of prototype in which there is a small kind of element of success, which they're trying to build on.

Yeah. It's,

Sidey: all they've got though. I mean, [00:16:00] there's, it's like this or

Dan: Yeah. And, and it gets taught in school that, you know, the kids put their hand up, "Well, what's gonna happen?" And they go, "Let's not talk about it." Um, and they try and put it off, but it

Sidey: comes- Don't look up basically.

Dan: Don't Look Up was the movie.

Sidey: it's- It's game over

Dan: the next sort of 15, 20 years. Uh-

Cris: in

Sidey: the next sort of 15,

Dan: 30 years. 30 years he says ... yeah. And, and all that, that kind of brings that desperation in humanity as well, in which, um- You know, there, there's gonna be riots and famines and, and killings and- All sorts, yeah

and sort of chaos. Um, and the entire world, all the governments and things are pulling together for this because we're all in it together, right? So it's

Cris: that's when you see the panel, no? When he gets into the, like, the headquarters- Yeah ... of whatever, and there's all these people from all these countries that they're just like, "Should we brief him?

Should we brief him?" And they're all like, "Yeah, why do you think

Sidey: it's kind of non-linear, isn't it? We see him on the ship, but we also see flashbacks to- Yeah ... and it's framed that he's the [00:17:00] volunteer. Yes. Initially. We don't... And when we learn, as we go further into the film, that actually whilst he's been training these specialists, there's been a catastrophic- Accident

fuck up. Yeah. They're all killed, and then basically we learn, and he remembers/figures it out, that he didn't fucking volunteer. He's been drugged and fucking

Cris: put on, yeah

Sidey: launched out.

Dan: is it. So we, we find out sort of partway through the, through the film that the, the brave astronauts that were meant to be going up were tragically killed.

Yeah. And they appeal to his better nature as, like, the, the last chance, and he goes, "No. No, I don't, I really don't wanna go." And they have to, um-

Cris: They sedate him,

Dan: they, yeah, they have to find him, put a jab in him, put him on a rocket and send him up and, um, yeah, he's really not

Sidey: He's a bit miffed.

Yeah.

They

Cris: of are the same because this is all not a n- this a kinda nonlinear story- Yeah ... because of flashbacks and where he is. I think [00:18:00] this is kind of about the time when the, the other ship docks- Yeah ... next to him.

Sidey: this fucking cool-looking ship.

Cris: Yeah. The Xenon... Xenon, I

Sidey: made out of some Xenonite. They call it Xenonite,

Cris: I think it's called...

it's the, the actual,

Sidey: um,

Cris: thing is called Xenon.

Sidey: Right. Yeah, yeah,

Cris: and then he, he dubs Xenonite, and it's a, it's a r- Then there where we meet Arid. Yeah. Because I think that's what he calls it, or that's what his

Sidey: where he's from.

He's from Arid. He

Cris: Oh, Arid.

Sidey: calls him Rocky.

Dan: Rocky because he looks like a rock. Yeah. Which is, I say he looks like a rock. The, the person that's driving this other spaceship is an alien, um, and they have this kind of funny moment in just checking each other out. Um- Well,

Sidey: yeah, there's initially, like, no one attacks anyone.

Yeah. So you'll be like, "What's going on?" And it's like, who can take the first step? Yeah. And he sort of pings the,

the

Cris: the

Sidey: ship, just pings this over like

a,

like a tube of whatever. Yeah, but

Cris: But it, yeah, it's

Dan: it's like

Sidey: a-

And he's a bit like, "What?" So [00:19:00] he goes and gets that. And eventually, you know, it's just like who...

You know, can they build up enough trust to, you know, start

Cris: Enough trust and also enough understanding- Yeah

because the, the,

Sidey: He speaks in notes like a musical kind of melody type thing. Yeah. Bit like, um, Close Encounters. Na, na, na, na, na. Yeah.

Dan: and he's super clever, and he manages to- piece together a language eventually. They've got this funny kind of tunnel between the ships that is, is made, um, by the alien.

Um- They

Sidey: exist in different atmospheres, don't they? Yeah. Well, they need... Obviously, um, Ryland needs his, you know, Earth-like atmosphere, and the planet Erid obviously has a completely different makeup- Yeah ... and it's high pressure, I think.

So he has to- Yeah, it's hot ... stay, like a vacuumy almost. So they can't ever physically meet, although they can get right up close, up and to the point of-

Dan: Yeah, like the skin, the, the, the

Sidey: can kinda see Rocky scuttling around. It's, um- He's like a spider almost.

I think he's only got five legs maybe

Dan: he's a funny looking

Sidey: Yeah, he, he's a funny-looking thing ... Sky. I was saying to [00:20:00] Riggs, 'cause we were chatting about it, um, I remember when I was a kid, just probably just l- finishing primary school, one of my birthdays, I had toys that looked almost exactly like Sky. It was like a really shit, lazy version of Transformers where they were rocks- Yeah

but they transformed into robots. Yeah . I'm like, "It's so easy." But it just really reminded me of it. Uh, I can never for the life of me remember what they were called, but, um, it give me a little flashback to my youth. Um, so they very quickly build up a rapport. Establish a connection,

Cris: and you can see that Ryland makes the thing where whatever noises, uh, Rocky makes, he initially gets them written down on his iPad- Yeah ... and then he'll find a way to put them into voice rather than- Yeah ... just written. Which that's quite a funny interaction

Sidey: Yeah, when

Dan: they get to try all these different languages, including Scouse for one of them, doesn't he?

He's like, "Right then." He's like And-

Sidey: And he's- ... Rocky's got exactly the same problem.

Yeah. But I think his has already gone maybe. Oh, no, not yet. No. No, 'cause he does go back. Yeah. Um, but, uh, but, like essentially [00:21:00] exactly the same situation. Their, their universe

Dan: Oh, there you-

Cris: also said that there was some other, uh, crew members on his ship as well

Dan: they'd, they'd died as well. Yeah. They died, yeah.

Cris: yeah

Dan: Um, and because there was crew members on, um, Grace's ship, but they, they died.

Sidey: Yeah, yeah. yeah. He had to

Dan: them out, doesn't he? Yeah. So, um, he's, uh, so he's the, the only one. Um, and yeah, they, we find out that Rocky is there for the same problem, that they also need the sun, and they need this kind of-

Sidey: But

Cris: they need to figure out, because this Petrova Line is connecting the sun to Tau Ceti- Yeah

and they need to figure out how does the environment and the atmosphere on Tau Ceti not gets eat, get eaten or

Dan: Yeah, what, wh- what's going- Yeah ... so good there- Yeah ... that, um... And can it be replicated? So they've gotta do these series experiment, including picking up some, um, some samples.

So they have to do this [00:22:00] kind of risky, um, uh, like dr- down and drop and, and kind of scrape along- Yeah, like, yeah ... the planet- Scrape along ... um, surface to, to get some data and get some samples in which to, to pull their experiment together. Um-

Sidey: Which they do do.

Dan: They do do do. And,

Sidey: turns out that this particular area has this predator of the astrophage,

Dan: of the astrophage,

Sidey: which they christen a taumoeba.

Dan: Yeah.

Sidey: And it basically eats the astrophage. Um-

Dan: Which is why it's not happening on

Sidey: planet Which is why this is the one place where this occurs. Um, so they need to be able to, like, recreate it or find a way to grow it and

Dan: show- That's right, yeah

Sidey: yeah But, uh, we've mentioned earlier, one of the problems that Rylander's gonna have is that his ship is sort of powered in some way- By it, yeah

by this stuff. So, [00:23:00] um, having something that eats your power source, um, when you're that far from home is suboptimal. It

Dan: is suboptimal, but they, they say their goodbyes and

Sidey: and

they

Cris: no, sorry. There, just before that, there, there is when they leave Tau Ceti, there's the thing when they spin and Rocky saves his life. Mm. So, so you- Ah, yeah

Dan: Ah, yeah. That, that- ... that

Cris: where it kinda makes sense for later- Yeah ... when ... Because f- for now, whenever

Dan: it's a risky maneuver,

Cris: Whenever Rocky's on his ship, he's in that ball of xenonite, so it's kinda like creating his own atmosphere while he's walking around. And then in order to save, uh, Grace and to kind of wake him up, he gets out into the Earth's atmosphere in the ship, and then he, when Grace wakes up, he finds him almost dead really.

Yeah. Yeah. Uh, and tries to get him resuscitated and he-

Dan: that's right. In, in saving Grace's life, Rocky's risked his own- Yeah ... and had to bust out of his atmosphere and he's looking pretty sick [00:24:00] and,

Cris: And then slowly comes back to life. He recovers, but also then they're like, "Look, well, we got what we needed.

We've ..." They, they kinda do the breakthrough where they find out how they can contain this and why-

Dan: Yeah

Cris: the astrophage works

Sidey: they're trying to grow it, but they also realize that it needs to work for their own specific conditions back home.

So the same stuff that they would make for Earth wouldn't work-

Cris: In, in Erid,

Sidey: the atmospheric conditions. Yeah. So they, it's different variables. It's all quite complicated. Yeah,

Dan: they're b- they're two scientists working in different languages, um, to come together, um, despite all their differences and make something that's gonna save and be a win-win

for, for everyone. Yeah.

And beyond that, they've got this kind of connection of, say, humanity or, you know, just, um, just obviously Rocky's not human, but they've got this connection of- respect and, and love for each other, I guess, for life, this, the sanctity of life.

So, [00:25:00] um, yeah, as you say, his, Rocky's saving Grace, um, in that way, risking his own life, later comes back. So yeah, yeah. Because they, he heads off home, don't they? They both say, "All right, yeah, see you later. Brilliant. We're, we're on our way. It's going good." Um, but, uh, Grace discovers, um, there's a problem within the, the samples that he's got, and it's gonna impact on-

Sidey: gonna fuck his, it's gonna fuck, uh, Rocky's ship

Dan: fuck Rocky's ship up, and he knows that if he goes to tell Rocky this, um-

Cris: There's no more fuel for him ... he,

Dan: he's, it's a one-way trip for him home. Um, if he had a chance, he hasn't got any chance now. Um, but he makes that call. He thinks, "Right, well, I'm, I'm gonna send the data back home to Earth."

Sidey: Yeah, done my job. "So it does that. I've done my job." And also, fuck those pricks because they sent me

Cris: here on this

Dan: yeah, maybe. Um, "And I'm gonna go and spend life with Rocky." Or, you know, he probably thinks, "Well, I'm gonna die, but I'll [00:26:00] hopefully save Rocky."

Cris: Yeah. And his planet.

Sidey: And he,

Dan: he does some kinda maths bit and pieces, and- Quick maths

he, he

he realizes,

"Oh, if I head in this direction at this speed, I'll head

Cris: be the

Dan: 'Cause they, they've talked about, obviously, his home planet and where they can find it and everything.

Sidey: So

Dan: he, um, he uses remaining fuel to go and save Rocky. Yeah. And Rocky's, um, I think, has he worked that out as well by the time he gets there?

Um, he knows something's wrong. Yeah, yeah. He- But they need both of them together again to, to work

Cris: get back to... Yeah, yeah. Yeah.

Dan: And, uh, yeah, they, they get the probes, um, and, you know, on Earth, and they're able to cure the son's infection of this- Yeah ... kind of, um- And Rylan's- Uh, an, an amoeba

that's

Sidey: holiday home in, uh, in Erid

and, yeah,

Dan: and he's got like, [00:27:00] um, a, a dome, isn't it? It's a big kind of bubble in which

Cris: They've replicated his atmosphere because there's a few things in, a few scenes on the ship where he's got this little room where he can be in London, he can be by the beach, he can be in a field.

It's like, it's

Dan: a- Yeah ...

Cris: holiday deck, whatever you call it. And, and there's like screens everywhere. Like he's

Dan: build- ba- his kind of building materials can just throw anything together. He's got this kind of weird,

Sidey: Yeah, they seem to be more advanced- Yeah ... scientifically than us. Yeah.

Dan: Um, even though they're only rocks, um, or rock-looking.

Um-

Sidey: And then it ki- like, later on, Rocky is able to, he's discovered or he's learnt that Earth has survived, and he, he's able to tell Ryland that. High fives all round.

Dan: Little like rock fives. Yeah.

Sidey: Yeah. And he becomes the teacher again, Ryland. It's full circle.

He, yeah. Teacher on-

Dan: they, they say, don't they?

"Oh, w- yeah, Earth's been saved. Brilliant." And, and then you, you go to him and he's like in this cave, and there's all these tiny little rocks-

Sidey: are all

Dan: that [00:28:00] are, are all kind of jumping up and down and, and asking questions about Earth and asking, you know- Mm ... questions about different... And, um, he's just doing what he was doing on Earth, but this time with rocks, and he isn't in any particular rush to leave there either, 'cause they did say, "Oh, we fixed your, your, your ship."

His ship, yeah. Um, it's ready when you wanna go, and he's like, "Oh, no big rush." As you say, he probably thought, "The lot that jabbed me,

Sidey: And sent me to my death, yeah.

Dan: you to your death ... and sent me to my death." Um-

Sidey: Although, in their defense, what the fuck else could they do? What else-

Dan: what else could they do? Yeah. And he came through.

And it's just a really feelgood factor film. Um, as you say, there's nothing to be scared about in this. There's no jump scares. There's no kind of, um-

You know,

real high tension bits, but there is good pacing and good, uh,

Sidey: like, it's a similar vibe to "The Martian," and it's, like, a scientist guy figuring shit out. Yeah. You know, in that one it was, "How do I survive on a planet with no food? I just do," you know-

Dan: I grow potatoes [00:29:00] and out my own shit

Sidey: Do... Yeah, ni- night fertilizer. Yeah. Um, and this one's like, "How do I solve this scientific problem?" You know, different problem and different location, but sort of really similar vibes.

Dan: really similar vibes.

Sidey: that

Dan: But also that message of people from completely different planets- Yeah ... from completely different situations coming together to work together to work on

Sidey: a problem- People from different cultures coming together.

I mean, wow.

Dan: it was just the

Sidey: I know. Who coulda thought it?

Dan: isn't it? And so it's just a nice message in that, isn't there?

Um, and it probably needs more of that nice messaging around, uh, more than ever these days. Um, but really enjoyed it. He, he's, he's fantastic again. Um, some really great comedy moments in, um, with Rocky, but also on Earth when he's getting ready. Um, there's, um-

you

know, tho- those moments on Earth when they're all singing the songs and things like that,

Sidey: it, [00:30:00] it... You

Dan: can see that there's a lot riding on the- Yeah

um, on the result of it all. Um, and all the kids and everything at home. But yeah, overall it was a, a really decent couple of hours. I enjoyed it. Yeah. Yeah.

Cris: Yeah. No, it was good. It was good. And for a, uh, for me, especially for a sci-fi that I don't, I'm not really-

Dan: not huge on them, are

Cris: Not huge. Not spaceships and aliens and all that. It's not really my thing. And for, to be honest, this is... I enjoyed it more, I think, because of the flashbacks.

Mm. Because if it would've been just him in space... I, I enjoyed the one that we watched for the pod with Sam Rockwell where he multiplies and does that. I remem- I remember really enjoying that one. I enjoyed Interstellar. But these, uh, sci-fis for me, there's very few of them that I can

Sidey: you know- Where it's a kind of optimistic and feelgood one.

Quite often they're- Yeah, they're quite- They can be quite- Bleak and quite- ... desolate

Cris: Yeah ... and it's also the, the color in which they're filmed and all that. Whereas this one is, it's got the, the- Trying to [00:31:00] remember ... the tunnel and the, and the,

Sidey: the, uh, xylophones- It's like crystal almost

Cris: lights- Xenon ... and all that.

Sidey: all that. And- Yeah ...But

Cris: but then it's got the room where he can see the sea and all that, and then he's got a flashback with how he was with the, on Earth and what they- Yeah

he did. So, so it's,

Dan: You say flashback, they last sort of a little while, don't they? Tell a bit of the story. Yeah, yeah. They bring the plot along. It's

Cris: of a story. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Yeah. It's, it's a bit of a story. Yeah. So, so I think that kinda made it for me more, more of an appeal, and it's still a good two hours, so it's still fairly long.

Yeah. But it's good. I enjoyed this. And again, happy ending. It's all everyone's happy. Yeah. I like that. It's funny with the little rocks and then it's, it's a nice story. Uh, and, and you know, when you see him going back, it's like, "Fuck, don't go back." But then you think, "But he should go back." So it- Mm. Yeah, it's good

Sidey: good.

Dan: No, there i- there is that point in there, you think, "Oh, that's it. He's, he's, he's gonna

Cris: I do have to say though, he must be the best looking biochemist or b- or teacher that's ever

Dan: I loved his jumper. A really nice jumper there. Um-

Sidey: Yeah, I, I enjoyed this too. I would... It would [00:32:00] be, um, good to have heard Riggs. I know, like, Riggs

Cris: books, so

Sidey: has read the book, so it would be nice to know-

Dan: How faithful it

Sidey: I'm sure. I reckon it's probably pretty faithful to be honest, but it would've been good. I, I know Riggs is a, is a fan of his work, so, um, strong recommend no doubt from him, as it is from me.

Cris: Have you seen at the box office what they've done?

Sidey: I sure have.

Cris: Because I think it's been... I, I'm, I've seen it already, but they've done really well I think.

Three times, is it? Three times the- Yeah

Sidey: Production budget's- ... times maybe ... estimated at 200 million US and, um, worldwide box office closing in at the time of my notes at nearly 700 mil. Yeah. Um- Cost

Dan: 200 million to make this?

Sidey: Yeah.

Dan: Bloody hell. That's quite a lot, isn't it? I mean-

Cris: built the whole thing apparently.

The whole- Did they shoot

Dan: in space, did they?

Cris: No, but the, they built the whole Hail Mary inside filming room. Right. They built everything in, in the UK in the somewhere. I'm

Sidey: Gosling takes home a few shekels as

Cris: well. Well, he's a, he's a- Producer ... producer I [00:33:00] think on it, yeah. So-

Dan: so he's double bubble. He'll get producer wage and he'll get, um-

Sidey: Yeah

Dan: actor wage,

Cris: that's what they do, the big ones these days, no? They-

Dan: I don't know if they give percentages or they-

Sidey: all whatever you can negotiate, isn't it? Yeah.

Dan: Guess it is. And he can negotiate more and more. He makes good choices though generally, um, which- Agreed

Sidey: Hard agree ... uh,

Dan: is hopefully going to continue.

Sidey: Yeah. Strong?

Cris: Strong. Strong. Yeah. Strong