O Brother, Where Art Thou? / Maker's Mark Cask Strength

0:00 In the year, 2000, the Coen brothers in Star. George Clooney gave the rotor winding tail. The man determined to find his way back home in 2023. We take a return trip to Kentucky, for some Cask strength. Goodness, the film is O Brother. Where Art Thou? The whiskey is Makers, Mark? Cask strength and will review them. Both. This is the filling whiskey podcast. Welcome to the film and whiskey podcast, where each week, we review a classic movie and a glass of whiskey. I'm Bob book, I'm Brad G and this week Brad were kicking off three weeks of the Coen Brothers. Specifically Of their broad kind of farcical comedies when you pick a directing Duo, like, the Coen Brothers, it's kind of hard to narrow down.

1:08 They have such a great filmography. I think this is our third Coen Brothers film on the show and so because of that we'd already knocked out Fargo and No Country for Old Men and we were like, well let's do some of the comedies. I'm really excited to get into these because if I'm being frank I think the Cohen comedies are the ones that I struggle the most To put into context. I don't know if that makes sense, but like, with their dramas, they're very clear about what the message is. And with the comedies, it just always seems like they, they're worshiping Randomness and chaos and chance. And at the end of every one of these movies, just like at the end of every Shakespeare comedy, everybody gets married at the end of every Coen comedy, somebody just like throws their hands up in the air and says, like, what was this all about?

1:56 And someone else's like, I don't know. And then the movie ends He's like, I don't get it is the movie about the randomness. Is that the point? And, and so yeah, I'm rambling at this point, but I'm excited to watch these three movies and try to figure out what it's all about, Brad. Yeah. I mean, the ending of this movie as we get into spoiler territory very quickly here, it's just perfect the way you know, most Adventures are like hey somebody gives you a quest and you know, in this case it's go get our wedding ring. And he goes and gets it and, you know, Anders this flood. And so it actually wasn't in the roll-top desk where I told you, it was it was, it might have been under the mattress or something, but we can't get married until you get it.

2:43 Yes, it's brilliant. And and funny. And this is going to be a recurring theme. As we talk about the cohens, but one of the themes of their whole filmography is the importance of Randomness and chance. And the way that Double things happen to you know, the best laid plans, go awry, it happened in Fargo, it happened in No Country for Old Men. Like it's very obviously, the Coen Brothers calling card but it's it's so interesting sometimes to watch them. I don't know. Try to have it both ways where they like worship chaos, but they also have like a very clear moral point to make. And I think this movie, it definitely, like, if those are the two extremes, it definitely Falls more on the randomness and Chance side. Like there are definitely some, some morals to the story here. But at the end of the day it's kind of just like, yeah, we're just going to make a farcical adaptation of the Odyssey and set it in Mississippi and it's going to be really funny. And that's good enough.

3:44 Yeah. I mean, I think there might be a little more to the film than that. Sure. But, you know, we can get into that as we move ahead. All right. Morejon into the unknown. I, you know, I feel like I've already gotten us off track here a little bit. How are you doing, man? Oh dude, I'm doing killer. Yeah, it's it's early January. We've gotten all the holidays behind us, my wife and I are like as most people do, we are dieting. We are staying away from sugar or like staying away from spending money because we're just like for us depriving yourself of every good thing in life right now. Yes. Because starting on November 2nd.

4:26 We go birthday birthday. NG birthday wedding anniversary. Christmas New Year's. Oh gosh, yeah. And it's just two straight months of about decadence, it's just, it's just a lot. So January is a nice nice month to, like, not travel anywhere. Not talk to anybody. Don't spend any money, it's a good time. Well, I'm glad you're making time to talk to me and to filmin Whiskey Nation, on this fine evening, Brad it. Before we jump, Into America's favorite segment, which we call Brad explains. I want to give a quick plug for our patreon patreon.com film whiskey, where you can support the podcast. Listen, guys.

5:10 It is, it is not free for us to produce this podcast, we're buying whiskies were, we're expending our time. It takes me about five hours to edit every episode of this podcast and if our show is bringing value into your life, if you listen to us, you know, weekly or even if this is your first time, we would really appreciate it. If you took a moment to check out the three different tiers of sponsorship or our show, you can sponsor us at a 35 or seven dollar a month tear at each level, you get tons of bonus perks. You get access to a special discounted server that Brad and I are on literally every day talking to the members of film and whiskey Nation. So please for 3 bucks a month, you too can become a member of the most exclusive Discord server.

5:52 There is check his check us out on patreon.com film whiskey. Bob if there's a First-time listener out there. That has listened to us for five minutes. Hmm. They were like, you know what I'm gonna do now? Three bucks a minute, he's guys money. Then I, you can, I will be flabbergasted. Yeah, yeah, but but it's going to happen. I'm going to speak it into existence right now, man, dude. Yea, you speak your truth pop. All right, let's get into Brad explains. This is the part of the podcast, where Brad breaks down the plot of the movie that he has just seen often for the first. Time. Brad. This was not your first time seeing O Brother Where Art Thou and I say that because we've had some discussion about this movie before. Yeah.

6:38 I the first time I ever saw this movie, I was pretty. This is one of those experiences where you go over to like family's house and they put on a movie and your parents are kind of like probably didn't want you to watch it but they're not going to be like sticklers you know, while there with your cousins and stuff. So I remember being in Grade size, probably ten, I'd probably just turned 11 years old. Actually I had because we were in California visiting my cousin and it had been the first time I've ever flown and it was just this awesome trip and we watched O Brother Where Art Thou? And let me tell you Bob as an eleven-year-old this movie makes little to no sense. And yet I still remember going back to it in college at some point with a ton of fond memories, I just remember thinking this is a really Funny movie. So all that to say, this is probably my third or fourth time watching it and I, I just this is probably one of my higher-rated comedies.

7:40 I think this movie is so so funny. Well, I have many things to say, but before we get into those things Brad, you have 60 seconds on the clock to try to break down the sheer. I don't know chaos of this movie and go go read The Odyssey man. Just do it real quick. Have you ever read The Odyssey? I have not read The Odyssey and the funny thing is neither had the Coen brothers, when they wrote movie. So I got like, 30 seconds left. Yeah, go ahead. George Clooney is trying to escape the prison yard and he brings his chain gang mates with him and they go on adventures and they get betrayed by a bunch of different people and they make a bunch of money along the way and lose it, and they somehow become famous singers, and in the end. There is no treasure to be found. Other than that of George.

8:33 Finding his way back to his wife and kids. The real treasure was the friendships. We've made along the way. Am I right? I mean that actually, that actually might be the case here. Okay, I want to go back to something. We said before, Brad explains. And then you got to remind me to come back to the thing about the Odyssey. So, okay, earlier, you were talking about, you know, seeing this movie when you were like 11 years old. It came out, you know, when we were, I guess 10. And all I remember about this, Is that it didn't make a ton of money at the box office but it kind of like snaked its way into white people culture in a very interesting way that things used to do in the late 90s and early 2000s, like do member for a year when everyone got really big into like swing dancing again in the late 90s and that science. Remember that song like Zoot Suit Riot that came out like everyone was into swing dancing for like a year and then everyone was done with that and then it was like, yeah. Ricky Martin came out and we were all into like vaguely Latin sounding music.

9:35 And then this movie comes out and the soundtrack to this movie goes freaking bananas. It gives nominated for a ton of Grammys and actually might have won album of the year at the Grammys. I can't quite remember but, you know, I'm a man of constant sorrow ends up, getting radio, play on on mainstream radio stations. It was a very weird time. It hit number one on the billboard. Yeah dude, yeah, so that's what I'm saying. All I remember about this. V having not seen it. When I was young was the weird cultural impact that it had far after the movie was out of theaters because it was not like an Oscar e movie. So the pop culture impact was mostly from the music of it.

10:17 And I just like, every time I think about this movie, I think about the fact that like, I felt like I was surrounded by it in every facet, except for the movie itself, dude, do you want to know why the music got? Bueller. It's really good because it freaking Slappy Birds really good. Yeah, absolutely incredible. Do you remember it having like a moment there in pop culture? No, I had zero connection to pop culture. I don't remember the Ricky, Martin moment, I don't remember the swing bands year of 98, Bob, apparently, remembers it quite fondly. I do I do I was there at their swing dancing? Yeah.

11:00 No, I must not be quite as connected to pop culture. Has you Bob? All right. Well, I just made a really long rambling .44, no payoff. Awesome. You're welcome tell me about the Odyssey. So this is the thing. I've never read The Odyssey and I'm going to be honest about that. It's one of those things that I probably should have read at some point, but, you know, you know, the general bones of the story and the word Odyssey has entered into the vernacular. Like we understand what it means. Hmm. No interest in researching the movie. I remember that. There is a cyclops in The Odyssey and I remember the sirens and so, like I can tell what the beats are that they're hitting, but having not read The Odyssey. I was really tickled to see that the cohens very prominently said, hey, we also didn't read the Odyssey, we just kind of figured like everyone knows this stuff. So we're just going to make a story based on that and to the point where the only person on set that had read The Odyssey was the actor, Tim Blake Nelson.

11:58 So they were kind of just like Bouncing ideas off him like Hey does this sound vaguely? Like the Odyssey and I think it's so great because the cohens are in a lot of ways. I think the great chroniclers of American stories. And I don't mean like quote-unquote like the Great American novel but all of their stories seem like these American fables or fairy tales where the average person gets taught, a moral lesson. Lesson or there is some sort of like, you know, the the dim-witted person gets in over their head and it becomes a cautionary tale. Every single one of their movies deals with life in America in a really unique and honest way. And I think that it is hilarious, that the American adaptation of the Odyssey is quintessentially American in that the guys who are adapting.

12:55 It never read The Odyssey, like what could be more American than that. I mean you are 100% correct. The Odyssey is a wonderful story Bob and you should go read it sometime. Okay, cool. Now I in my ninth grade English class. I kept telling my teacher mrs. Fitzsimmons that the books. We were reading. We're crappy and said she was like, fine. If you go read The Odyssey and The Iliad, then all LED and write a report on each one, then I'll just let you not. Eat anything else, the rest of the semester and I think she thought it would take me the rest of the semester read them both.

13:36 I read then each in like a week and wrote my report and didn't have to do anything. The rest of my English class that is how the most Brad G story I've ever heard right now. You know where you told the person who was more educated than you, hey, the things, you pick our crappy? Where have I heard that before? Who's to say? All right, man, let's get into talk. About the movie itself. And I guess let's start with the performances because we're going to talk about the Cohen of it all here in a little bit. The star of this movie is George Clooney. This was his first collaboration of for to this point with the Coen Brothers, George Clooney. One of the most charismatic and delightful screen.

14:17 Presences of the last, I don't know 40 years, like he's just when I, when I watch a George Clooney movie. Now, I realize how far we've come or How Far We've Fallen. Alan I guess in the last 10 12 years of Cinema that like we just don't have Leading Men anymore. No, no. And who could be in this movie today? That would have the sort of Charisma of a George Clooney. I mean, Chris Hemsworth made. No, not Hemsworth, who's the main bad guy in the first knives out. Oh, Chris Evans Cabin and he's too, he's too pretty and I mean George Clooney's pretty too but he makes himself a buffoon. I don't Chris Evans, making himself a buffoon. Yeah, I agree.

15:06 I think that the interesting For me about George Clooney, is that, you know, I grew up watching a lot of older movies with my dad and that included. A lot of Cary, Grant movies. And I do, you know, because there's a lot more actors in general than there used to be. I don't know if George Clooney is quite, as big of a star's. Cary Grant was, but I feel like he is our closest analog. I'm letting like Cary Grant in the modern era. Yeah. And that's that's the any charming and beautiful and has an incredible Credible stage presence and is self-deprecating. That's the things like Cary Grant was able to to do a pratfall or to you know, to look like the idiot in a scene. I was just watching North by Northwest again the other day and the scene at the beginning of the movie, right after he gets mistaken for the spy and they dumped a whole bottle of bourbon into him and he plays drunk for the next 15 minutes of the movie.

16:04 It's just delightful, he's so good. And yeah, you're right George Clooney. It like is frequently compared And called this Generations, Cary, Grant. And I think for good reason because he's equal parts, Dapper and ridiculous. And I love that about him, dude. The way that he takes the hit from good, John Goodman, like he just kind of sits there. It is like, so utterly confused as to what's happening. He's like wait a second. We were having a conversation, and that's where I when he did when Bell when Goodman hits Tim Blake Nelson with The hit the branch and he was eating corn. And he goes, what's going on big, Dan?

16:44 Wait, we blink. And then the way that that tip Blake Nelson like runs after him screaming like a banshee and like jumps onto this. George is just sitting there watching the whole thing. Oh man, it's brilliant. So I think that's a good, you know, we're still talking performances here, but I think that's kind of a good place to talk about the structure. The movie a little bit and because it is, you know, I guess episodic is the right way to describe it. Like it's just a collection of little vignettes of them stumbling into a town or upon a person and you watch their little storyline play out with that person and then they say goodbye and then they go on to the next thing and this is something that the cohens will come back to time and time again.

17:31 They do it, I guess the most explicitly in their most recent movie, The Ballad of Buster Scruggs which is just, I don't know how many six or Seven, completely unconnected vignettes and and like you kind of get that here a little bit. And I think that's why, that's why it's so hard for me to feel like this movie has a point and yet, it provides so much great comic pay off because every scene or every vignette kind of builds to a punch line or some kind of ridiculous slap sticky moment. And in a lot of cases, you know, Clooney and or Tim play, Nelson. Are the people that execute that? Yeah, Tim Blake.

18:14 Nelson is just incredible in this movie. I think he might be my favorite performance. He just has a way of being so incredibly sincere with every delivery that he has, for every line that I just, I love him. I think John. Turturro also does a spectacular job but I don't know, I guess. Yes, if I just had to boil it down. Bob, I think that these three actors Turturro Clooney and Nelson are incredible together. Oh, absolutely. It's such a great pairing. I think this is only our second John Turturro movie after do the right thing and which really sucks because he's such a great actor and he's been in so many good things.

18:59 But it's so good to see him again here. And he's one of those actors that has such a distinct look to him. That I don't think he gets enough credit for how. Currently he plays each role like you're so used to being like Oh it's John Turturro he looks like that he's like you know he's like a tall stretched out, Steve Buscemi like here, just suck, you know what I mean? And he and both of those actors I feel like have so much nuance and depth to their performances but because, you know, they just look like what they look like in the last movie, you kind of forget how much Nuance is there. And it's kind of the same thing with Tim Blake Nelson to they're just really, really good actors and yet the cohens play Up The Oddities of their physical appearance here as they do in a lot of their movies.

19:46 Yeah, that's something that Haley said to me a few times. She's like, do you think that these people just know that they are not very attractive people, especially in the in the hogwallop scene where Turturro is there with his cousin. Yep. And she's like she literally just said, she's like, do you think they just put out a casting call for like tall skinny ugly? Amen. And I was like, yeah, I probably did. Dude, your wife pulls absolutely no punches, like, no, she doesn't think someone's attractive then, like, it is a fact that that person is ugly. Yeah. No. She is a little bit ruthless. Truly.

20:27 All right. So that's our main Trio and then there's a whole cast of supporting characters who I don't even know if I want to call him supporting characters because they're mostly like cameos. We've already mentioned one of them and it is frequent. Collaborator with the cohens John Goodman I think Brad. This is our first-ever John Goodman movie, which is even crazier to say because I don't think we've reviewed Monsters Inc on this podcast yet. And so that was the only other one that I could think of John Goodman is a guy that every so often. You know, when I'm scrolling mindlessly on Twitter that somebody just reminds the rest of the world, John Goodman's never been up for an Oscar. John Goodman's never won an Oscar, he's one of our great living actors. And this is this is no different. This is John Goodman playing ridiculous and playing intimidating and it is just wonderful. I think he has one of the best voices in Hollywood. Like he just has this this depth and rumbling this to it that just like reverberates through your soul and it's absolutely incredible.

21:36 What do you think of the actual performance here? I think he does a great job. I think that with the small role that they gave him, he really has a way of just drawing you in and sucking the camera away from Clooney. Hmm. And, you know, and he says it from the start, he basically tells him that he's a fast talker that he sells Bibles that, you know. He the thing that I didn't understand I was like, I don't know how often this would happen, but like the idea of somebody coming up to you and be like, hey, do you want to just take your lunch out and have a picnic with Me. Hmm. It's seems like a strange type of thing but in the Coen Brothers World why not? The know I think I think Goodman is really really wonderful in this. I just don't think they give him a ton to work with, right? I do have a question for you, though. Bob.

22:25 Yeah. Go for it. Pappy O'Daniel. Yep. Is, is he in Monsters Inc? Charles Durning. Yeah, I feel like he's the bad guy in the end. Now that runs the company. No, that's James Coburn. That's the guy that was in The Great Escape that plays Waterloo. Yeah. So, Charles Durning, this is probably like our third, or fourth Charles Durning movie, great character, actor, you might remember him as like the head cop or FBI guy, From Dog Day Afternoon, he is also the head cop that they kind of screw over at the end of the movie. The Sting, I don't know if you've seen the movie Tootsie, he has a great role in that as well. Yeah, I think he's so good in this movie, in fact, Brad, I was just looking as you were, as you were talking here to try to find the other guy like the guy he's running against Homer Stokes. Yeah, I'm his name is Wayne Duval. I actually think he might have been my favorite. In this whole movie because he is, he's so believable in that role of super slimy politician.

23:32 Hmm. And and like to the point where it's not even a funny farce of a politician. It's like a believable. Slimy politician. Yeah. The when he grabs the mic and starts like, you know, telling the crowd that they need to arrest the Soggy Bottom, Boys. You just feel the booze just the Like like coming off of him to a point where you're like, oh I could see a politician in 1930s, Mississippi saying these exact say it like this doesn't feel like a movie anymore. Alright, so because there are so many people to talk about, I guess the only other one that we probably should mention is Holly Hunter who plays George Clooney's, estranged wife, she is freaking wonderful. We will see her again next week and Raising Arizona where she gives one of the best Cohen performances. Ever.

24:24 She's really good in this movie but again, you're right. Brad. I don't even want to say that these actors are not given a lot to work with because they are given fully-realized characters. It's just that they're asked to make a cameo and then say goodbye. And so like I actually think it's like to the credit of the actors. They leave quite an impression but they leave a five-minute impression if that makes sense. No 100%. I think that what the Coen Brothers do best in this film Because the use this almost a serialized, then yet structure, they allow each section of the movie To Shine for what it needs to be.

25:06 And they give each actor in those sequences opportunities to really dig their teeth into the parts that they have and then they move on and, you know, and they're totally fine. And I think that the Coen Brothers just really masterfully weave their way through the story with all these different Really phenomenal. Actors. If you had to pick like which vignette or which, I don't know Cameo, what part of the movie is the funniest subplot to you. Oh man. What's the funniest subplot? I don't know if it's necessarily subplot but the the way the Dapper Dan hairnet, every time he wakes up good Voom hair my hair back, that kills me Ways as damn we're in a tight spot over and over over. Those are literally two of my notes. Like I'm crossing them out now because I don't need to mention them and the whole being in the drugstore we're here. I don't want fop, damn it, whatever. Damn man, it's so good.

26:13 I like I happen to like the fragrance of my thing. That's half the reason I use it. I think one of my favorite lines in the whole movie and I guess subplots then is, when they get picked up by By the bank robber and they're driving down the road with them. And it's the day after Delmer, and Pete have gotten saved and baptized and, and they're just like sitting next to a giant bag of money and he's like, oh, I guess you guys aren't bad men? And he's like, well, we used to be bad men, but now we're saved. He's like, Ah, that's nice and he's like, leans out the door and says, hey, give me that gun. He's handing the gun out the window to him and he goes, what line of work are you in George? And then they just cut to a shot of him, shooting him machine gun at Police officers don't like them. It made me laugh so hard and I love that. I love that the cohens when they're not being mean to their characters because I feel like there are a couple movies that they make where I struggle with how mean they are, to the characters.

27:11 Hmm. But this is not one of them, I feel like they have a light-hearted fun with how dim-witted these people are. But there are certain aspects of their personalities that they take really, really seriously and You know, we'll talk about that a little bit in the back half, but I think it's, especially poignant the way that they really take Pete and dull MERS morals and convictions. Seriously, even if they are, the dim-witted ones, and they show that Clooney is the one who really has no beliefs and no convictions, and he's suffering the most because of it. And so I love that they balance out the sort of, dim-witted one-liners with a real respect for and care for the people behind Those lines. Yeah, I mean when whenever it and Del Mar, you know, finally reunite with Pete, who's back on the Chain Gang and they free him and they bring them out like, the the remorse and anguish that John Turturro shows, you know, because his character has ratted on his friends, it brings the entire movie together, it makes all of these Journeys that they've been on feel. I'll authentic because he really hates the fact that he ratted out his friends and I think that you're right that the cohens allow their actors to portray their characters in such a sincere and honest manner that.

28:42 The funny parts are funny because it's who they really are and yet the serious parts are are serious and important because it really is these characters embodying. In the world that they're living in. All right man. I think before we get too far down this Rabbit Trail of doing deep deep analysis on this very silly movie we should hit pause. And let's drink some whiskey today. We've got Makers Mark Cask strength in front of us. So what do you say we dive into this bread? Let's get to it. Alright. Today, we are checking out Makers, Mark, Cask strength, Brad. I think this is the third expression of Maker's Mark that we've had on the show. We, we've done regular makers.

29:26 I think I know we did Makers 46 with, like one of our very first episodes ever. Yeah, I don't know if we've ever done regular makers, I know. Okay, yeah, I remember doing 46 but that might be it. Huh? Well. Okay, so maybe this is just the second expression. Of makers that we have done now, it's been a long time is what I'm saying. This is probably the most popular weeded bourbon on the market. Now, it's not the most sought-after that would be Weller, obviously or Pappy. But this is, I would say pound-for-pound Brad like or dollar for dollar the the most popular one. This stuff is always on store shelves. It's flying off the shelves and beam suntory got themselves into playing with the big boys here by releasing a cask strength version of this. It's an ongoing release of this is not any sort of special release, but it does always kind of Jump Around in proof point. I think it's like somewhere between 108 and 114 all the time.

30:22 The, the barrel that we are sampling from today comes from our friends Bourbon and stuff. They sent us this sample, gosh Brad a year and a half two years ago. Now, we've been sitting on it for a long time and this one clocks in at 110, .9 proof. So I mean, just say 111 at this point Akers Cask strength, carries a 70% corn, 16% wheat 14%, malted barley, Mash bill. It's not an age stated, so we're going to guess that it's at least four years old. Brad. I have no more to say about this. You have drunkenness, I have not, let's get into trying it man. Yeah. The, the nose on this has a lot of caramel, it gets into those beautiful weeded notes of like Cherry Cola vanilla. And then, for me, it all Smelt like I took a handful of votes out of like the the Quaker Oats I was going to say 10 but it's a cardboard cylinder.

31:25 It's like you took out a handful of loads and just shoved your nose in it. Yeah. This is real floral. And really dusty, it's kind of what reminds me of like the what I used to call the Willett Funk. Like it's just got that really. It just seems like if you could seal up, rose petals in a really dusty. A house. That's what this kind of reminds me of. It's not like musty it doesn't smell dank or anything like that but those Cherry nodes are definitely there Brad and it's not like a jar of cherries in syrup. It's like a fresh dark cherry really really nice. Tons of wood on this too. I wouldn't necessarily even say that it gives off like an Okie sent. Maybe it's cherry wood, who knows? I have no idea but it's would, it's Cherry. It's really floral and it's dusty. I like it a lot.

32:08 I'm going to give it an eight and a half on the nose. Yeah. I I give it a 9 out of out of 10 on the nose. As I got into the palette, the Cherry Cola continued throughout for me. But then I got some dark chocolate almost like a raisin, e feel and then a little bit of caramel to mix in with all that. I thought this is a really great palette. Bob, I gave it an eight and a half. This is really good man. I don't know how to explain this but it's really oily and also kind of thin, I don't know. Like man. How do I one way? One might say that that's antithetical yeah, it doesn't seem super viscous. Okay.

32:48 Like it. And it's one of those things where the alcohol is so prominent that you know how like the the really alcohol heavy pallets seemed thinner because they've got that like like spiciness to them it's like that. But then after I swallow it's not a Aggressive finish and it like, coats my tongue again, so it's almost like The Best of Both Worlds. I will say that the alcohol in this really does. It's really prickly. However, Every note you gave is a fantastic. Note like that raise any note you got? I almost get a little bit more prune than just like straight from reason. But again it's like unsweetened cherries and wood.

33:29 And man, I'm trying to pinpoint. What? This reminds me of. I don't think it's it's Noah's Mill. What is this? It's super duper good and like this is significantly better than I remember. Regular Maker's, Mark being? Yeah, I'm going. It was a 9 out of 10. Yeah for me it reminds me of tiny bit with all the Cherry going on of like a Widow Jane. Mmm. But yeah I really like this Bob on the finish, the oak started to really come through. Cherry was still there vanilla and then it almost got a little bit like almost like a Sarsaparilla low beer kinda kind of tanginess going on the house.

34:16 A really Big fan of and I stuck in an eight and a half. That's a great note because it doesn't actually taste like root beer but it tastes like what happens after you swallow a Big Gulp of root beer. It's really weedy and it's Tangy 10. He's a fantastic word for this like the oak doesn't turn bitter. It turns Tangy and there's like almost a wisp of smoke that comes out of it to on the Finish. But again like a never turns bitter and I think that's something that the last few whiskies I've had over the last few weeks, I feel like the oak on the on both of those Whiskey's whatever they were, they turned bitter. This one doesn't turn bitter, it turns weedy and I really like that. I'm once again I'm going to give this oh gosh an eight and a half out of ten.

35:03 Yeah on balance. I'm gonna give it a 9 out of 10. I think this is really complex and flavorful throughout the entire experience. Bob, I am such a big fan of this. Yeah man, I'm right there with you. I think I'm also going to give it a nine. I'm almost tempted to give it a nine and a half. This is really, really good. Super consistent throughout. I would say that I would guess that this was higher than 110. If you just put it in front of me and didn't tell me the proof, it's a little bit aggressive with the alcohol, not harsh, but just really prominent like it leads with the alcohol. So if you're used to, your high-proof alcohol is being more of a slow burn. This is not that this is like a firecracker and And I really like it but I think I'm trying to give it a bit of a disclaimer here so it's not dinging anything for me.

35:50 But I think I am just going to give it a 9 out of 10 on the balance. Yeah and then that nine out of ten that'll show them. Just Justin. I'm just a nine Bob. This whiskey will set you back in the Grand Old State of Ohio, $45. This is a fantastic value at $45. Yeah, I gave it an 8 out of 10 on value. I can't really think of a lot of Whiskey's that retail for less than 45, or at 45 that I think are better than this. Like this is exactly right in line. With the wild turkey Rare Breed never have read. That's the only other one that I mean, because even like old Forester 1920, that's like $60 now.

36:33 Yeah. And this is, at least as good as that is. And it's yeah, twenty dollars cheaper or Dollars cheaper. I'm going to give it a 9 out of 10. This is damn good. Yeah, I'm 100% with you 9 out of 10. I am coming out to a 44 out of 50 Robert. I am coming out to a 44 out of 50 brat. Oh my gosh it's pretty rare that we hit the exact same number. Yeah this might be the third or fourth time. This is really freaking good. Yeah yeah and I was just I was just asking you Afer. This isn't a single barrel, right? I know it's called Cask strength but it doesn't say Single Barrel. This is a, this is a blend. I don't know how big the batch is our but that actually encourages me because if this was a single barrel I mean I would still obviously recommend buying and trying but now that I know that it's a batched whiskey like I assume that this is kind of what the palette is going to be like or the flavor profile is going to be like pretty consistently. Yeah.

37:36 Yeah, dude. I'm Under percent in on this. Go buy yourself some Makers Mark a strength everybody. Yeah. 88/100. One of our highest rated whiskies of the Season Brad. Yeah. If for a while I would say this is. But here's the thing not only is it one of our highest rated whiskeys. I think it might be one of our highest rated and most readily available with these. That isn't going to be overpriced like you're not going to see this in a, you know, non-controlled state for like $120. Right? And so I'm like this seems like an easy pickup for anybody to keep on their Shelf at all times. All right man we are in a really good spot after this whiskey.

38:18 Let's get back into talking about O Brother Where Art Thou what do you say? Yeah, let's get to it, man. All right, everybody. That was Makers Mark. Cask strength. A damn good whiskey. Very much. So yeah, I was man. I'm I am very good right now. Yep. Yeah. Well, if you want to keep being pleased, you might not want to participate in our next segment to vaccinate a falsehood two bags in a falsehood where I had to bring in the world's leading expert on James Cameron to help me win last week. Hey you got it though, man. I got it. I do what it takes, man.

39:03 All right, everybody, this is the section of the podcast where I Brad G present, you Robert book with two facts and one falsehood. But you think that they're all true and you usually guess the wrong one that's going to say. So I usually think none of them are true, that's the hard part. Yeah, I've actually just been making up all three facts for months now Well, luckily I brought both Joel and Ethan Coen into the room to help me sort these out. I go from the world and the world's leading James Cameron expert to just actually getting the directors in here with the world's leading Coen Brothers expert. The Coen Brothers. Alright man, hit me with these two facts in a falsehood? Let's see if I can parse out which one is false. Alrighty, originally fact, number one. Originally the Coen Brothers, wanted to write a skit. A script based on a work Of The Brothers Grimm. However, after being stuck for a little while, their longtime collaborator Carter Burwell suggested Homer's Odyssey to them, which as, you know, Bob they had not read but they took that idea ran with it and the script was quickly finished after that fax number two, JK Simmons auditioned for multiple Parts, but backed out when one of the characters are when the, the character that the cohens were leaning towards casting him as was two similar to a racist character. He played on the HBO show Oz.

40:31 Fax number three, Sheriff Cooley is a tribute to boss. Godfrey, played by Morgan Woodward, the Sinister Chain Gang boss. In Cool Hand, Luke, like, Godfrey, coolies eyes are never seen and is mirrored sunglasses reflect his surroundings often fire in Cool Hand. Luke boss. Godfrey's were referred to as the Devil by several of the prisoners. Mmm. I'm going to go with three as a fact to sounds very plausible. I'm leaning towards one, is the falsehood, and the only reason why is in researching this movie, it seemed like the idea to make this be. The Odyssey came about more accidentally, like they were trying to just plan a three buffoons escape, a prison gang, and then it became like, hey this is about their journey to go back home. Let's just make it be the Odyssey. And so, when you talk about them trying to do a Brothers, Grimm thing and then flipping to the Odyssey, the other thing there is that Carter Burwell I believe is the composer of a bunch of their films.

41:34 He's the, he's the musician that he writes the music as so I don't know if they'd be going to him for advice on scripts. They might be and I'm sure Carter Burwell is a very educated man but number one is sticking out to me as probably the falsehood I'm going to say ones the falsehood Brad and go ahead. You are correct. I did it. Yeah nailed it. I'm so happy. We had a really good whiskey and then I won. This is like it's a great day. The day to beat all days. I can't great start to the new year, was gonna say I can't remember the last time that we had, a really good whiskey followed by a two facts, in a falsehood win for me. Ed.

42:20 That's it's probably been a while box. This is the reason the Buckeyes lost. Oh, you know, I couldn't have all three things. It had to be. Yeah. All right, yeah. All right man. Let's get back in the cockpit about good episode. Yeah, right. It's gonna be sad and drink more whiskey. Let's get back into talking about O Brother. Where Art Thou Brad we talked a little bit about some of the deeper themes that are going on here. Right before we went to break, I mentioned that I really liked that they portray, you know. Oh, George Clooney's compatriots as people, who have real convictions and, you know, they're, they're impulsive decision to go. Get baptized seems like it's being parodied in the moment, but then pretty immediately, they have this great scene where they're all laying out by a campfire at night. And they're talking about like oh what are you gonna do with your share and its really reminiscent of like Treasure of the Sierra Madre and they go around and talk about like what are we going to do?

43:16 And it's really clear that John Turturro wants to be the kind of person. That is respected. And in a position of authority, not to be mean about it, but just because it's something he could never have as a person who had no means. And that Tim Blake Nelson wants to go back and buy his family's Farm. Like these are very principled men, dude, that that felt so much like Grapes of Wrath. Oh yeah. Like, he was the man who had the speech given to him about the banks and the yeah, they're in New York. You eat that. Yes. Like, that was Tim Blake Nelson. And then they come back to George Clooney. Uni and they asked him like what do you want? And he's like, I don't really want anything and it really demonstrates immediately that these two guys, no matter how we're portraying them, no matter how George Clooney is mercilessly mocking them as not having any intelligence. They're the ones that actually have morals and have principles and are working towards something and Clooney's the one that's kind of a drift and you can tell has a despair about him and you find out later in the movie that he's been lying about it.

44:20 And he really does have a driving force, but in that moment I really love the way that they really subtly set up, you know the the trajectories of these characters. Well I think that's kind of the whole drive and purpose of this movie is to set up the dichotomy, the the modern argument of Science and, you know, facts and logic versus having faith. And having an experience of conversion and experience of belief in God. And I think that what the Coen Brothers do here is really impressive in that. They don't really give you an answer. They just kind of point out.

45:05 Look, here's here's what it's like to be somebody who has no faith and who belittles people of faith. And here's what it's like to be somebody who does Have Faith, Like You, observe and decide for yourself. And I think it's See a really impressive movie in that regard. All right, so here's my big struggle with Cohen comedies. And I think it's probably why I love Raising Arizona so much because and you'll see this in a few days when we watch it Brad. But Raising Arizona is just like a straight farce, like it is ridiculous and silly, and it never stops being silly. And they're like some really heartwarming moments in it, but it's just a deeply silly film. And I feel like this movie is kind of silly to, but there's, there's something about watching. In movies, like post Fargo, where they have all of The Prestige.

45:55 And you can't tell if the cohens are just kind of like laughing and like kind of giving a middle finger to The Establishment and being like, Oh, yeah, like you want us to make another Oscar winner here, we're going to make the Big Lebowski now and and any can't tell if it's like all a big joke or if they actually want to try to say something deep with their comedies and this is one of those films where it Set these themes just enough that I can't tell if the movies actually about those themes or if it's just a movie that is deeply silly and about being silly, that also happens to touch on deeper things. I don't know if that makes sense. Yeah, I mean I think that the Deep things that they touch on are really important and they have they give the audience an opportunity to engage with them in a way that doesn't shame anyone or make anybody feel bad. Bad and I think that's what the comedic elements of this movie. Do they give you a chance for Relief to let the steam off a little bit as you're kind of wrestling with what does it mean to be a person of faith in a world that is random and chaotic and and sometimes cruel.

47:09 Like honestly if I had to compare it to something, it kind of feels like the Book of Ecclesiastes in the Bible where the the author of this book just continually comes back to life. I don't know man. Everything is Vanity. Everything is like vapor in the wind. Like you can't actually grab onto anything. It's all fleeting and who knows? And you're like, yeah that's that's like the Coen brothers in a heartbeat. They actually borrow really heavily from Ecclesiastes and job in other one of their later films. So it's really funny to hear you mention that. But yeah, I guess that's part of what makes me struggle with this movie. Is that it is such a well made movie. She like just from a production quality standpoint, it is made its Roger deakins cinematography. It was the first major movie to use Digital Color grading after the fact.

48:00 So, like the sepia tone was added digitally. So like, Roger deakins, thanks a lot. You kicked off all this crappy color grading, we have now, but it's done so well and it's like they're pulling from the the deepest bag of filmmaking tricks and not gimmicks, but like really really intelligent Clever homages to old movies and like they're using all of their directorial muscles. And so, when I hold it up against like another comedy, that I think is just kind of like deeply. Silly take a movie like, I don't know, like, Anchorman Anchorman is a really funny movie that's not really about much and it's just meant to be funny and at the end of the day it's entertaining and that's the point of that movie.

48:45 And I think some of the Aesthetics and the directorial choices and the editing reflect the facts that like let's not take this too. Seriously, you know, and now Adam McKay the director is off, making Oscar e movies and it feels kind of like the Coen brothers are making an anchor Manish movie in spirit. But like, pumping all of the artistic and aesthetic qualities of their more serious movies into it at the same time. And so I watch it. And I'm like, surely something with this production. Quality has a deeper meaning and I don't know if it does. So that's why I'm really struggling to get my arms all the way around this. I think you're right.

49:26 It touches on all those things, but is it actually about those things? Yes, all right. Okay. I really do think it is Bob, I think that they continually in every single vignette, they touch on how Everett doesn't have faith that he relies on his wit on his intelligence on his capabilities, to get him through all situations. And yet, you know, hogwallop and Delmar they rely on just the Goodwill of people and their Newfound faith and they seem to find their way through it.

50:08 And in the end, the interesting thing and this is what I think the Coen brothers are no for known for. It feels a little bit nihilistic. Like they went on this long, long journey and now they reach the end and ever it isn't getting what he wants. He, you know, he still isn't able to get back with his wife because she is fickle and wants her specific ring. That's now at the bottom of the lake. And so I think there's there's Has room for interpretation, like, the Coen Brothers want there to be, but I think that the entire movie hinges on that idea of Faith versus logic and reason. All right, well with that, in mind, let's move into our final segment for the day which we call. Let's make it a double.

50:52 This is where we pair the movie up with something else to make the perfect double feature Brad. You've clearly been thinking more deeply about this movie than I have. So I'd really like to hear. What are you going to pair this up with? Oh, I honestly it would be so funny to hear you say like Martin scorsese's silence like an examination of faith in the world and how you acted out that would be funny. All right. So you have not thought about this. What you're saying? I have not thought about this at all. All right here's mine and it's like it's you got to squint to see it a little bit but I was thinking about like what's another movie that has this kind of episodic nature. I think Forrest Gump kind of comes to mind. That's not My pic though.

51:34 But it reminds me of like, you know, people weaving in and out of this person's life. A lot of times, it's humorous. I just watched like a week ago, the new gear Mo Del Toro directed adaptation of Pinocchio. Okay, and Pinocchio is kind of one of those stories where this little wooden boy wonders in and out of these crazy scenarios with, you know, in the Disney version like a giant duplicitous Fox and then this island where you turn into a jackass and Go inside the mouth of a whale and it all seems very Mythic and it all seems very random and there is definitely more of a moral to that story than I feel like there is to this story. But I couldn't shake the feeling that the Disney version of Pinocchio with all of the songs that are sung and the moral guides, it just kind of reminded me a little bit of like, you know, Jiminy Cricket is leading this kid through life.

52:28 The way that you know, Dante is getting LED through hell and George Clooney's getting LED through Mississippi. So I'm going to go with a Disney version of Pinocchio, I'm in, man. I don't know if I'll ever watch it, but sure, you've never seen Pinocchio. Well, I've seen the old one. That's what I'm talking about. The old. Like, the old Jiminy Cricket Wish Upon a Star 1940 Pinocchio. Yep. Yeah. All right. I'm in then. Yeah. Pinocchio for my make it a double. I'm going to stick in a very similar era. I'm gonna go with office space. I think you just paired something up with office space like five weeks ago.

53:09 Did I? I don't you at least compared something to office space. I can't remember exactly. But okay. Anyway, go ahead. I'm sorry, we need to start keeping track of how many wins you have and we need to start keeping track of our blood say, gonna double as I guess. Yeah. All right. So let's hear why office space honestly? Because I feel like Office space has the level of nihilism and dark comedy. That makes it feel like. It could be directed by the Coen Brothers. Hmm. I know that it's not directed by them. It's Mike Judge. But that movie just feels dark and funny and has all sorts of similar one-liners and quick dialogue that O Brother Where Art Thou has and I think it'd be a good pairing. It would make for a really fun night. I think I would watch office space first though, right. Before we sat down to record, I said to you, I don't think this is going to be one of our longer episodes, like I don't know if we'll go a full hour on this and we're currently sitting right around 56 minutes.

54:12 So, you know, this movie clearly had more to talk about than I thought it did Brad. I remember, when we first discussed this movie, this was one that you remember from your childhood that you had fond feelings for even if it wasn't like, I love this movie, but you've always seemed surprised that I'm a bit cooler on it than you and I don't Dislike this movie. I really enjoyed this movie. I just really struggled to find much there. Beneath the silliness, and that's not to say that you can't just have a silly movie. I love Monty Python. I love this a spinal tap, but they're not allowed to look this good. Yes, I think this movie straddles, the line between like a movie with no point and a movie. That's trying to have a really deep point and so it doesn't do either one of those things.

54:59 Super well. I think I enjoyed the hell out of it. I would give it like a seven and a half on the enjoyment scale, and I'm really struggling between seven and a half in an 8 because the Aesthetics like there's a shot in this movie where they toss a newspaper into a fire and it burns off the first page of the newspaper so that you can see what's written on the second page of the newspaper. And I'm like how the hell did they do that? How did that scene work? Dude, think about when they're they jump on the the little rail car. Our that's being, you know, pushed and then the camera at you know, when they're done talking to him, the camera just like sits there, slowly pans up.

55:39 You got this beautiful, almost Wes Anderson asked split, you know, right down the middle, by the railroad track, just a gorgeous shot to open the movie with. Yeah, it's a beautiful night. Like it's such a great film Bond. So then I'm like, all right, maybe this is an eight, it's sitting at a 7.7 on IMDb and I actually think that's like the perfect. If I could give this a like a quarter point, it'd be like a 7.75 for the sake of argument. I will give it an eight. I just think that I enjoyed it less than 80, man. I'll give it an eight and a half. Okay, I I think this is really one of my favorite comedies that it's so well-written. There's so many great little moments throughout that. I this is one that I will come back to over and over again. I'm really excited for next week's movie. I've been building it up.

56:29 I'm going to try to stop building it up. In case Brad hates it is. Those are the worst weeks on that on that whiskey. But next week we're checking out the Coen Brothers 1980s. Classic Raising Arizona. Starring The One and Only Nicolas Cage. I cannot wait. Brad Bob, what have we done any? Nicolas Cage movies? Oh man. That is this our first like, seriously is this our first Nic Cage movie? I think it is. I don't think I have ever done Nicolas Cage. Gosh, dude, I'm so pumped, not so exciting. Please tell me that you've seen the community episode, where they have a class on Nicolas Cage at the community college.

57:13 I feel like you showed me that episode, didn't you? I hope that I have, because it might be the best examination of Nic cage that has ever been done. All right, so we'll be back next week to watch Nicolas Cage for the first time on this podcast. But until then I'm Bob book, I'm Brad G. She and we'll see you next time.

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