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I think that movies are a beautiful art form that can take us away into other worlds and other hearts and minds and create something magical.

Sunday, October 5, 2014

Live Blog: National Treasure (2004) featuring Matt Robinson

What's a Live Blog? Well, I decided to try something different and do a "live blog" entry. Basically, the idea is that I watch a movie and make comments during it and post them up here. (Think Live Tweeting)

This live blog entry was done with my good friend Matt Robinson who runs the blog: Red Flag Movie Productions. As he describes himself on his page "Writer, Filmmaker, Stand- Up Comedian. Lover of: films, comics, the 90's, women, travel, books and good food." He's one of my best friends and we have some of the best conversations not to mention he's hilarious. Here is a link to Matt's Blog: Red Flag Movie Productions make sure you check out his page, it's wonderful, nerdy and awesome.

So basically Matt and I recorded our complete audio commentary for the film and I was hoping to post it on here for your additional listening pleasure but was having trouble putting the file on my computer. :( Next time though, there will be a complete audio file for those willing to listen to our comments while you watch the movie yourself. Or... if you want to pay Matt and I a decent sum of money we will talk through a movie for you in person.... as long as you aren't creepy about it.


Ah the best line in movie history


Matt and I live blogged "National Treasure" because it truly is a national treasure of a movie. We carefully chose this film by constantly flipping a coin until we dwindled it down to a reasonable amount of movies to choose from. (Runners up included Frozen, Fantastic Four and Tomb Raider).

*J is me, Jenn and M stands for Matt


National Treasure


J: National Treasure

M: I actually haven’t seen this in a good amount of years

J: What year is this movie?

M: I remember watching this on VHS in high school… or maybe it was on DVD at this point. We didn’t have a dvd player at my house for a long time. We didn’t have cable until I was 17, my parents really wanted to remind us that we were working class.

J: Do you still have your VHS movies?

M: Of course, do you?

J: No, I’ve moved too many times…

M: 2004!

J: Wow 10 years, happy 10-year anniversary

M: This came out Nov. 19 2004. Almost 10 years to the day



Stable Boy: It's Jason Earles from Hannah Montana!


J: What if you were that stable boy who had to wake up in the middle of the night and drive someone in the rain to the white house?

M: You could’ve died of pneumonia

J: Right, there was not advanced medicine



In a deserted ice plain

J: Maybe they’re standing over Captain America

M: What a twist! I think we found something!

J: Still Disney

M: They could George Lucas all their old movies



"I've found something!"

M: It might be a treasure or a frozen hand… or The Mummy

M: Way to go Justin Bartha the henchman is smarter than you, why are you even on this team?

J: Most of this movie consists of them trying to escape from Sean Bean’s traps



M: Stock Footage!


National Archives Building, Also stock footage


J: Why don’t they just do a close up of the title of the building instead of having a title card?

M: I guess in movies they want to have a consistency. The pamphlet in the next scene actually says “National Archives Anniversary Gala”

J: Oh I wonder where they are!



Diane Kruger in her office, notice birth control diaphragm


J: Wow that one girl has really high eyebrows!

M: That’s what the cast department said they needed… look there’s Diane Kruger!

J: She’s talking on the phone she must be important

M: She’s wearing a suit

J: She gave him the finger too… not the middle finger, the one-minute finger

M: She’s WEARING that suit

J: He’s still creepy

M: I just don’t feel like what universe Diane is in she’s like yeah, Nic Cage

J: Look at all the images of woman power in her office

M: Yeah, Rosie the Riveter.

J: She’s a strong independent woman who don’t need no man!

M: Especially no treasure hunting man

M: Behind her it looks like her birth control diaphragm

J: She’s organized, you men can’t control me



Suits


M: His suit looks like the pattern they put on public buses

J: Is Justin Bartha wearing velvet?

M: He’s wearing a tie that’s the same color as his suit! That’s a fashion faux pas… dammit Riley.

J: Nic Cage looks sloppy

M: Why don’t you learn to wear a suit like Diane Kruger?


Outfit Number ??


M: How many outfit changes did she just go through?

J: 3 at least

M: BTW I just remember this scene of some guy checking out Diane Kruger’s backside and I just remember my mom saying don’t do that to women


J: More stock footage

M: I like how they have Sean Bean after the Watergate footage because you know… Watergate


M: Wow Diane Kruger’s in another outfit already

J: She’s the only woman in this movie


Party people

M: Someone needs to make a gif of Nic Cage trying to avoid Diane Kruger as someone trying to avoid an ex


J: I feel like you could just print out a copy of the declaration on the internet, why would you spend $35 on a replica?


Legit food truck

J: Don’t stop and talk to her at the van? Just hop in the back and drive off. He was chillin in the van… she’s in high heels, it takes her a while to get him

M: To be fair it is Diane Kruger

J: There is something on the side of Sean Bean’s van!

M: This was before food trucks were even in vogue; they are so ahead of the curve

M: It’s even topically themed for the mall, they’re geniuses

M: Olympus!

J: Greek food maybe?

M: That sounds good

J: I wonder if they stole it, that’s a legit food truck

M: Yeah, there’s a pot and everything


Ben's dad assumes she's pregnant. Check out this sexual chemistry


M: Why was that his first thought? Is she pregnant?

J: Why would that get him in trouble?

M: Right, aw man I knocked this girl up.

J: You’re a grown adult; you’re not a teenager

M: If I went to my parents and said I knocked up Diane Kruger they would say, who? Then, nice but wrong


M: Jon Voight had a whole pizza for himself

J: He hadn’t touched it while he was watching Jeopardy

M: He was having a “treat yo self" day


Dat Robe


M: I need to invest in a robe

J: Jon Voight rocks it

M: I feel like you have to make at least 40,000 a year to get a robe


Clues!


M: Their sexual tension created a clue

J: That should be their tagline, they did it for America

M: Aren’t you proud of me?!


PS Harvey Keitel is in this movie

M: Disney threw in a PG thing about Gates sleeping with a lot of women, it doesn’t even make sense for his character. Diane Kruger is like, yeah I’ve banged people in my office before. I mean she does keep her birth control on the wall

J: Gotta keep it safe

M: I can’t miss a day, it’s happening so much now


New Clothes are a must when out on the run

J: Is this her 5th outfit now?

M: No, 7th?

J: Are we only half way through the movie?

M: I feel like Quentin Tarantino saw this film and saw her feet and said I’m hiring her for Inglorious Bastards



J: These people look like they’re dressed in the 90s


Being a detective

M: Gates using a gate! I thought the other guy would’ve used the gun to blow up the door but no…

M: Ooo! Now Gates' trapped by a gate!


Mid Chase scene


J: Climbing opened staircases never makes sense to me when escaping from people with guns

M: They always miss, they always hit the rails


M: History teachers and archeologists are always badasses


Once Diane Kruger is safe she tells Nic to "hang on"

J: Why does the person who’s safe always say, “hang on” to the person falling? They aren’t doing anything to help so like shut up!


M: This is a great hideout for an all guys club


Entering the treasure room

M: Wouldn’t it be funny if they went in there and it was just a McDonalds? They were looking for treasure but what they found was something greater, it was a different kind of gold. Look at these golden fresh cut fries! On a sesame seed bun!

J: $1 for any size soft drink

M: National Treasure 3: The search for the last Roy Rogers in America


“The Declaration of Independence is not a bargaining chip”
M: Diane Kruger just got so turned on by that line


Sean Bean and his crew

J:  I don’t think that’s how that works, that someone else can just go to prison in his place?

M: Well I think that when the feds ask who’s the criminal? It’s Sean Bean and his crew. I mean Nic found the treasure so he’s fine.

M: Of course when Sean Bean doesn’t die it’s actually a win


Final Outfits.... "I drew you a map"

J: ...to my vagina

M: It’s totally a map to her vagina



M: All that money and they still can’t dress well

J: All of them!

M: All of them

J: She looks like a librarian

M: I have money now I don’t need to show my cleavage




Well, there you have it, some of our commentary while watching National Treasure. Hope you enjoyed it!