SPEAKER_03 0:00

Welcome to Sisters Cinema Squad, the podcast where two sisters work through their backlogs of movies they haven't seen. I'm Emily Bateman.

SPEAKER_01 0:07

I'm Kate Kabala, and I finally want some zombies.

SPEAKER_03 0:21

Uh-huh. Zombie movies for kids. But not how you think.

SPEAKER_01 0:28

What?

SPEAKER_03 0:29

It's crazy.

SPEAKER_01 0:31

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_03 0:33

Oh man. Yes, if this is not obvious, this was my pick. Uh-huh. For anyone that's not familiar, it is uh DCOM, Disney Channel Original Movie Zombies came out in 2018, baby. So uh gosh, Kate, uh, how did how did you miss this movie?

SPEAKER_01 0:54

Because I, you know, a crazy thing, I wasn't watching a lot of Disney original movies in 2018.

SPEAKER_03 1:01

What?

SPEAKER_01 1:02

Yeah, I was uh I was busy. Um, I think as as we have talked about before, um 2018, I was working all of the jobs and I was very tired. Um, and I also I feel like my my husband works for a cable company, and so we have had cable for a while. And so like every now and then I'll like, you know, like I've been familiar with like cartoons that are on, and I've been familiar with like other stuff. And for whatever reason, like it's always been like the animated stuff and never the live action things that I'm like, what's going on with this? Like, I just I don't know. It's just never really like it's not the thing that both of us like, I guess. And so it was kind of like I but like you know, I've liked a lot of like newer Disney cartoons. I think for whatever reason the live action stuff, I was like, this maybe I don't I didn't feel like it was for me. Maybe I was like, you're in your mid-30s, like maybe this isn't maybe this isn't for you, maybe you're not the target audience, and I was like, that's correct, but but you know, oh yeah.

SPEAKER_03 2:11

Oh yeah, I guess you did turn 30 already. I was like, were you 30 in 2018? I sure was. Ah, forgot. Yes, that is totally fair that you did not see this movie. Um I think I because you're only two years older than me, but I was so invested in high school musical that I was like, oh, Disney Channel original musical movies like have some worth.

SPEAKER_02 2:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 2:39

You know, and they they're they're worth something to see. Um, yes, I was married and and working a real adult job. Um but I if I remember correctly, get off our back. We saw it maybe a year or two. I don't remember if that was the year that Disney Plus came out, or maybe the year after.

SPEAKER_01 2:57

Oh man.

SPEAKER_03 2:58

Um because I think we we definitely didn't see it live.

SPEAKER_01 3:02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 3:03

But I think we watched it on Disney Plus like within that year.

SPEAKER_01 3:06

Oh wow, okay.

SPEAKER_03 3:07

Um, but also I we were from Chase and I, my husband, were familiar with McDonnelly because she was on a TV sitcom that we were watching um before. And we can we can get all into that in like you know, a couple minutes about the the actors, and I figured you would know none of them.

SPEAKER_01 3:28

No, truly, no. I honestly I I did the thing that you usually do and resisted looking anything up, but her name sounded familiar, so I wasn't I wasn't positive.

SPEAKER_03 3:37

She's big now. But this is the sitcom is where she started. It was started in 2016, and then two years later, zombies came out.

SPEAKER_01 3:46

Oh, good for her.

SPEAKER_03 3:47

But the sitcom was through ABC, so she's a Disney, Disney lady.

SPEAKER_01 3:51

Oh, got it. Okay, okay.

SPEAKER_03 3:53

So yeah, so I think I think within like the year, I was like, oh, you know, this seems cool. I was probably watching some Disney channel because we had cable at the time. I was seeing ads for it or something, and I was like, okay, I'll I'll watch a move, uh, a movie musical. That's fine. Um, and then since then have watched all of the sequels. The third one came out after my daughter was born. Um, so she she has now watched them all as well. And then the fourth one just came out last summer.

SPEAKER_01 4:28

Okay. So so I will say, I having not seen this movie, I have seen a lot vaguely around this movie, just by the virtue of like still watching Disney Channel sometimes. Yeah. Like like commercials. Like I know that they do a lot of like the animated whatever, like the like the short versions of it. The TV stuff, the shorts. Yeah, but also like the like I think there's like an animated series based on this too. And then like I've seen some of like the ads for the newer ones, and I'm just like, that what's I don't know what's happening. It's like okay, like they're uh like you know, they're there are aliens, and there's like wherewolves werewolves question more. I don't know, truly, and and that's the thing because I'm just like wait, what? And I and also the the fucked up thing is having watched this movie that answers fewer questions. I have more questions after seeing those those trailers. It's not like oh okay, that makes sense why there would be aliens. I'm like, no, no, no. Yes. What what do you mean?

SPEAKER_03 5:38

So so we'll it looks like we don't have so we'll we'll just fully get into it then.

SPEAKER_01 5:42

Yeah, bring it on.

SPEAKER_03 5:43

So it came out uh 2018. It came out in February of 2018. So this was not a movie that I think they put a lot of stock in um being successful originally because it was not released during the summer, it was not a holiday decom. It was none of those. It was like February of 2018. So I think originally they weren't really sure what was gonna happen, so they just kind of left it at like the end. They like buried it a little bit, kind of not necessarily buried, but I think just weren't preparing for a sequel. Oh, you're right. It wasn't like in cliffhanger, like yeah. Yes. So then, oh god, I should have pulled this up. The the years between the first two. Oh, yeah. Because that would be more telling. Because right now they're literally alternating between zombies and descendants sequels.

SPEAKER_01 6:42

I also got an ad for the new descendants movie. I'm excited about it.

SPEAKER_03 6:46

It's so I am very excited about it. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 6:52

Partially just because it's all Alice in Wonderland, and I fucking love Alice in Wonderland, and so I'm like, all right, let's go.

SPEAKER_03 6:58

That is definitely cool. Um Zombies to okay, it was 2020, so two years later.

SPEAKER_02 7:06

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 7:07

Um, not sure when they um worked on uh like producing it or like filming, yeah. Um but they do film in Canada, so that could also have something to do with it too. Yeah, see, and then the third one, 2022. Okay, fourth um was 2025. Okay, so a little bit longer between those.

SPEAKER_01 7:35

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 7:36

Well, like that makes sense.

SPEAKER_01 7:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 7:39

Pretty consistent, actually. So so that was that was the plan, I guess, Disney. Yeah. Um so let's see. Uh we've got starring Milo Manheim. This was his true breakout role. This was the biggest thing he did as early as he did it.

SPEAKER_00 7:55

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 7:56

Um, Meg Donnelly was on the sitcom American Housewife. And it was about um, it was really, really funny and really well done. And she was the oldest daughter. Okay. Um, it was about a family living in like this ritzy town, but like being like the lowest income family. Um, and like the three kids, uh, because Meg was the oldest daughter, and then they had a middle son and then a youngest daughter, who I think she was the reason they moved because she needed a lot of like therapist help and stuff like that. Um, she would probably be neurodivergent. Um, but at the time it was just she's just quirky. So, yeah, so she was in that in 2016, also through ABC, so already on the Disney Dockets.

SPEAKER_01 8:43

So had the connection and then and then got cast in this.

SPEAKER_03 8:47

What's funny is that they brought in Milo Manheim as a possible romantic lead for Meg Donnelly on American Housewife.

SPEAKER_02 8:55

Oh.

SPEAKER_03 8:56

The same within the same year of Zombies Coming Out. Oh, that's so funny. Okay, it was after the movie came out. Um it was like she already had a boyfriend and he was like the guy, like he ended up being a bad guy. Okay, trying to steal her away from her really fun boyfriend.

SPEAKER_01 9:12

Oh, that's so funny.

SPEAKER_03 9:14

So that was really fun to see.

SPEAKER_01 9:15

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 9:15

Trevor Torgeman, who's Bucky, okay, has done a lot of Disney shows before this. Like he is full-on Disney shows.

SPEAKER_01 9:23

He looked familiar, but I could not tell why. Because I don't know. He's I think he's just got one of those faces. He kind of looks like the kid from Wizards of Waverly Place. I say kid, this is a it's a he's a grown man now, I'm sure. David Henry? Yeah, him. Yeah, he kind of looks like him a little bit.

SPEAKER_03 9:40

A little, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 9:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 9:42

Um, but yeah, he was on like like Disney sitcom before this.

SPEAKER_01 9:46

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_03 9:47

Um, apparently, you know, can sing in very athletic.

SPEAKER_01 9:51

My God, yeah. Like the amount of times where it was just like, here's a crazy backflip. Oh no, it's the actual guy. I'm like, fuck. Okay. Yes.

SPEAKER_03 9:59

Kylie Russell, who played um Eliza. Okay. She was actually in uh Jump In, that very old Corbin Blue. Oh my god. About jump rope.

SPEAKER_01 10:11

Okay. And uh, okay, so how old was she in that movie?

SPEAKER_03 10:17

She is older. Fun fact in the third one, she's not really there a lot, and it's because she was pregnant with her first child. Oh my god. So she is the first, I think, I think it was this weird fact of like original, she's like the first decom actress to be like pregnant during a movie or something, like filming or something like that.

SPEAKER_04 10:39

God, that's so funny.

SPEAKER_03 10:41

Yeah, so she's very, very Moni Coleman, who was like much older than everyone else in uh high school musical. Yeah, she is. I did not look up her age. I should look that up, but uh she she's definitely older. Oh, that's so funny than uh then let's see.

SPEAKER_01 10:57

Yeah, like being in that one, I'm just like, girl, what? Like, what do you mean?

SPEAKER_03 11:01

1996. Maybe it's just you maybe she was just really young.

SPEAKER_00 11:05

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 11:06

Jim Bern was still.

SPEAKER_00 11:08

Oh, so she was like, she was a kid.

SPEAKER_03 11:11

Little.

SPEAKER_00 11:11

Okay, that that makes more sense. I think I'm I was thinking I say little, she's probably, you know.

SPEAKER_03 11:16

Oh, um, so also Disney. Really, nobody else, I figured number one that you would know, and also that like stood out as far as like something else that they had done. A lot of them, it's like this is the big thing.

SPEAKER_01 11:26

Yeah, I like even with like the parents and stuff, like I know the adults really didn't Yeah, like oh god, uh Addison's dad seemed kind of familiar, and I was like, I don't know what I'd know you from. I truly, I was like, I'm not even digging, I don't, it's whatever. Yeah, not really many like standout like background pay. No, the football coach. I I know I've seen him in something else, but I have no idea what.

SPEAKER_03 11:51

Jonathan Langdon. Let's see what he's done.

SPEAKER_01 11:54

I have no idea what I would have seen him in.

SPEAKER_03 11:57

He does some, looks like some voice work. He does a lot of voiceover stuff.

SPEAKER_01 12:03

Ooh. Good thing.

SPEAKER_03 12:04

Well what you know him from before.

SPEAKER_01 12:07

I think it's also like what I would know his face from. I don't know. We're getting too much.

SPEAKER_03 12:10

I know that's what I'm trying to find.

SPEAKER_01 12:11

Yeah, it's it's totally okay.

SPEAKER_03 12:13

Trap? What is Trap? Is that a scary movie? It looks like a scary movie from like two years ago.

SPEAKER_01 12:18

Oh, hang on.

SPEAKER_03 12:20

Do you know that?

SPEAKER_01 12:21

I think I might. Oh shit.

SPEAKER_03 12:23

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 12:24

Like, hang on. I did see Trap. Trap was Trap was dumb. Trap was really stupid, I think.

SPEAKER_03 12:30

Um that's what he was in.

SPEAKER_01 12:32

I oh, I feel like it's gonna be like one specific thing. He does a lot of horror movies though, too. I don't know. There's like a lot of just stuff.

SPEAKER_03 12:40

Um horror movies and kids' voiceover stuff.

SPEAKER_01 12:44

Okay, so with this, like I said, I did not look up anything. Is this Kenny Ortega choreography?

SPEAKER_03 12:50

No.

SPEAKER_01 12:51

Oh it is Kenny Ortega flavored.

SPEAKER_03 12:57

It is. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 12:58

Uh I don't know if I'm gonna do the name of like, you know, who actually choreographed it. I think it's just I think it just has such like a lasting like impression and legacy where it's like, well, yeah, it's you know, he's involved on shows.

SPEAKER_03 13:13

It does. And like Kenny Ortega is also usually the director of his own stuff, too.

SPEAKER_01 13:18

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_03 13:19

Choreography, Christopher Scott. And then we have Melinda Smith as a dance double. Uh-oh. That's interesting. Who are you a dance double for? I don't want to know. I was gonna say, come back. No, I don't want to. Come back, come back. No, I was gonna say, well, I don't I don't know who wasn't really dancing. I don't want to know. Um Christopher Scott, let's see. Yeah, right?

SPEAKER_01 13:40

Who's not trying their best?

SPEAKER_03 13:42

What have you done? I should probably I totally oh fuck, he's done Wicked. Girl. And In the Heights. Well, I was more focused on the director who also had some very interesting information. Oh, okay. He's done Kiss of the Spider Woman, Strictly Come Dancing. Oh, I heard that was Heights.

SPEAKER_01 14:00

Okay. Okay.

SPEAKER_03 14:01

Uh he did the first zombies, but that's it.

unknown 14:05

Oh.

SPEAKER_03 14:05

He did Now You See Me 2.

SPEAKER_01 14:07

Oh, hell yeah.

SPEAKER_03 14:10

I don't know what choreography he needed for that.

SPEAKER_01 14:12

I I wonder if it I don't know.

SPEAKER_03 14:15

Oh, he did, okay. So in between high school musical and uh zombies was Teen Beach movie.

SPEAKER_01 14:25

Oh, I remember that. Okay.

SPEAKER_03 14:27

Where the kids get sucked into the the the surf greaser movie.

SPEAKER_01 14:31

Oh my god, yeah, okay.

SPEAKER_03 14:33

So he did both of those.

SPEAKER_01 14:34

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 14:35

Um he did a step-up movie, good for him. Yeah. He did uh was on Conan O'Brien for an episode, okay. Um he did Lemonade Mouth, another decom.

SPEAKER_02 14:47

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 14:48

Um okay, so he's he's had a good connection with Disney, but then has gone on to movies and has done both Wicked.

SPEAKER_01 14:54

So it makes sense that he did zombies and that it was like, hey, you wanna do, you wanna do the big time? It's like, okay, yeah, yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 15:03

Although, like, it looks like he did two. Oh, he did the Christmas Chronicles part two. So the one the Netflix one with um Oh god, Kurt Russell. Yes. Yeah. And then immediately did In the Heights, and then was like Being the Ricardos, which is about Lucille Ball. Oh yeah. Uh Wicked, Kiss of the Spider Woman, Wicked for Good.

SPEAKER_01 15:25

Alright. Well, good for him.

SPEAKER_03 15:27

So yeah, I'm so sorry I did not have that before.

SPEAKER_01 15:29

No, you're fine.

SPEAKER_03 15:30

Um, I focused on the director, who is Paul Hohen. Okay, and he is best known for directorial work on basically all kids' stuff, Nickelodeon and Disney Channel movies. Maybe he also, I tried to pick out the ones that maybe you would know.

SPEAKER_00 15:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 15:47

Uh TV show. He did The Secret World of Alex Mack. Oh my god. I know.

SPEAKER_01 15:53

Vintage.

SPEAKER_03 15:54

Yes. He did a movie called Luck of the Irish. Do you remember that one?

SPEAKER_01 16:00

Yes, I'm familiar with that.

SPEAKER_03 16:01

Okay, good. I'm so glad. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 16:02

He did Jump In. Okay.

unknown 16:04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 16:05

He did The Cheetah Girls One World, which is the one that Raven isn't into.

SPEAKER_01 16:09

Yeah, okay.

SPEAKER_03 16:10

He did Camp Rock 2.

SPEAKER_01 16:12

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 16:13

And he's done all four of the Zombies movies, in addition to many other Nickelodeon Disney TV shows in the stuff.

SPEAKER_01 16:18

Oh, that's so funny.

SPEAKER_03 16:18

He did Cousin Skeeter. He was like some girls.

SPEAKER_01 16:21

Oh god, I haven't thought about that in a thousand years.

SPEAKER_03 16:24

Yeah, so he is like fully in on like the kids' channel stuff.

SPEAKER_01 16:29

That's honestly, that's amazing. I love that.

SPEAKER_03 16:32

Yeah, it was I looked him up kind of to just kind of see. And I was like, oh, you were like a wealth of like Disney channel and Nickelodeon creation. Yeah. Like he's done so much, and I had no idea.

SPEAKER_01 16:44

So funny. It feels like when we would look up like directors from Game of Thrones, and it was just like, yeah, this guy's directed one episode of every TV show in the last 10 years, and you're like, fuck, okay.

SPEAKER_03 16:54

That was another thing. It's like some like he would just be like one episode on a thing, and I was like, okay, not worth mentioning, but also like how? How is this like yeah?

SPEAKER_01 17:02

It's like the one episode of like every single thing that was going on. Oh, that's crazy. Exactly.

SPEAKER_03 17:08

Oh, what uh what really the fun facts really came out from is the writers, which I also didn't expect. Okay. Oh, the writers are David Light and Joseph Rasso. So as a duo, they have written lots of stuff together. It says that they have written and sold a lot of comedy pilots to numerous um channels.

SPEAKER_01 17:31

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 17:31

They also worked on uh Yu-Gi-Oh as writers.

SPEAKER_01 17:35

Oh my god, I love it.

SPEAKER_03 17:38

And so how this was created, because I was looking at the writers and it says the writers of this script, and it said also the writers of Zombies and Cheerleaders, and it says adapted from, and I was like, what is this?

SPEAKER_00 17:50

Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_03 17:51

So Zombies and Cheerleaders was a an unaired pilot that wasn't picked up by Disney in 2011 that they had written.

SPEAKER_02 18:01

Oh, wow.

SPEAKER_03 18:03

Yes, so this was supposed to be a TV show.

SPEAKER_02 18:06

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 18:06

The story is almost the same, like the names are the same. Key differences basically is that, you know, it's a series, so some things would be more prolonged. Like Addison didn't immediately fall in love with Zed.

SPEAKER_02 18:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 18:20

Um, but that was going to develop over time. Yeah. They had Bucky as more of like a jock guy. Okay. And like not related to Addison. Okay. There was another character named Jerry, who was like a nerdy guy who hung out with the zombies, who they just totally got rid of. Yeah. Because I think we wanted the zombies more isolated. Yeah, I was like, we don't have time.

SPEAKER_01 18:43

We don't have time for them to like bond more.

SPEAKER_03 18:45

But in our TV show, you knew yes. Yeah. Um, let's see, Eliza at the time was more of a goth instead of an activist.

SPEAKER_02 18:54

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 18:55

And the school colors were different. It was like blue and green versus like the insane pink and green that it is now. Like the names are the same. Like, of course, all the actors are different. Um but and it also wasn't uh musical to my knowledge, but like this was fully a thing on like the cutting room floor that just like they didn't pick up and then became this great chance now. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 19:19

So I yeah, I think that's really interesting because 2011 was just on the downslope of peak zombie zeitgeist from like 2004 or five up until about 2010. That was listeners. Um, I studied Pride and Prejudice and Zombies for my master's thesis, and so I did way too much academic work about zombies. And so this is the thing that I actually know a weird amount about and feel strongly about. Um, hello. Fun facts. Um, but so having this not get picked up in 2011 makes sense because that was that down slope. Like that was when we were getting tired of the zombie things. That was when we were like, all right, we're we're okay. Like it was it was like, yeah, it's like Pride and Prejudice and Zombies had come out, and then everyone was like, we're gonna write a monster book too. And everyone was like, shut up, we don't actually want all this. You did good.

SPEAKER_03 20:23

We have also already done Twilight by that time. Like the Empire thing had already happened.

SPEAKER_01 20:28

Exactly, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 20:30

So it was like we don't need zombies for kids, exactly.

SPEAKER_01 20:33

Yeah, we were phasing into other monsters, we were getting into other things because monster movies all follow different zeitgeists based on what the cultural fears are, and it's interesting. And I have this is why I have 12 pages of notes because I have a lot to say about zombies, specifically the choice to use zombies here and not a different kind of monster. And so I'm really interested in like you know, hearing about the other ones. I think if they had done it in like 2009, I think they would have been okay and it would have been picked up. But like, God, like when did um god, when did Warm Bodies come out? That was like around this time, I think. Because that, like, like you know, oh my god, I love that zombie rom com. Like, and it, I think it was based on 2013. 2013, yeah. And it's like based on a book, I believe.

SPEAKER_03 21:19

Yes, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 21:20

So with that one, it's like we're kind of like zombies aren't scary anymore.

SPEAKER_03 21:23

A 2010 novel. Oh, okay. So right within that time frame.

SPEAKER_01 21:27

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And then we had like, you know, World War Z, which was like, I think 2002, I want to say. Um, if I had to guess. God, if I'm right.

SPEAKER_03 21:37

2013 film. Oh, the film. When was the book?

SPEAKER_01 21:39

The movie's really bad.

SPEAKER_03 21:41

That's what I've heard.

SPEAKER_01 21:43

Yeah, don't say it.

SPEAKER_03 21:44

2006 novel.

SPEAKER_01 21:46

2006, damn. That was awesome. Max Box. Oh, yeah. Um, Melberg's son. Amazing.

SPEAKER_03 21:51

Um did not know that.

SPEAKER_01 21:54

Yeah, yeah. Okay. I know, it's crazy. But yeah, I think I think zombies are such an Interesting choice for 2018 because we got away from that kind of as a culture. And so seeing like zombies sort of get back in the, you know, in the limelight there in such a drastically different way is just it was very interesting. And like, you know, it's funny, especially with, you know, zombies, like two years later we have, you know, a global pandemic, and it's like, hey, what if you like I, you know, there's a lot of allegory here. What are we gonna talk about? Contagion and things. Yeah. Um, but yeah, I don't know. I think that's so fascinating that it was like they pitched it and then just tried again.

SPEAKER_03 22:37

Yes, yeah, as a different format. Well, and also within um the the decom movies, we had um, as far as what else was big at the time, was villains. So we had Descendants in 2015. Um, then we had Descendants 2 2017, so this was 2018. Oh 2019 was Descendants 3, and then that, you know, because of uh one of the actors passing, they they kind of you know dropped off from that franchise a little bit, but then continued with uh the zombies one.

SPEAKER_01 23:10

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 23:11

And then picked up Descendants again in 2024.

SPEAKER_01 23:15

Yeah. Oh, that's so interesting.

SPEAKER_03 23:18

So we're we're into like the the the darker it can you be gritty in Disney? Not really. Um but like the villainy monstery kind of of uh movie stuff.

SPEAKER_00 23:31

Yeah, like the like the bad guy.

SPEAKER_03 23:33

Like Disney goth, if you will. I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 23:36

Yeah, it no, it really is because it's like I think between the two franchises, it's very much like bad guys are, you know, maybe misunderstood, but also they're real cool and they have good aesthetics, and you're like, okay, I like it.

SPEAKER_03 23:47

The best colored hair, all the fingerless gloves you could ask for. Oh my god.

SPEAKER_01 23:51

Oh my god, yeah, the cooler dance moves, like let's let's go, man. Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_03 23:56

Dope, dope, dope.

SPEAKER_01 23:57

That's so funny.

SPEAKER_03 23:59

Yes. So that had no idea. Fascinating.

SPEAKER_01 24:02

No, I love it.

SPEAKER_03 24:03

So that's that's like the biggest cool fun fact. Let's see, I've got a few others, and then there is not that much. I tried the Disney wiki, I tried to Google it and got some really lame YouTube videos. I got, you know, I am like it was this is indicative, it was, and I don't know if this is indicative of most Disney movies, because this is I believe this is our first Disney movie.

SPEAKER_01 24:26

Um we well, we had Llio, but I feel like that's a different animal at this point.

SPEAKER_03 24:32

Yes, I feel like that unusually had a lot going on for it.

SPEAKER_01 24:36

I think so, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 24:37

Um and maybe also because that was in theaters, I'm not sure. Because this is because they learned their lesson with high school musical three and stuck to bringing things back to Disney Channel because I think they can do they can do better for it.

SPEAKER_01 24:50

Yeah, I think I think you're right. I think it is probably the the made-for-tv movie of it all. Like I think that's just why you're not gonna get as much trivia. But like something that that expanded as much as this. It is surprising that it doesn't have more, I think.

SPEAKER_03 25:04

And maybe if we got into more of the sequels, and you're right, there is an animated series. Yeah, and there are um also like the the Chibi Sh my god, yes. Uh, and I've I've watched it all.

SPEAKER_01 25:20

You're well versed.

SPEAKER_03 25:21

Yes, I am. My kind of lame fun facts. Um, if you didn't notice, all the zombie characters have Z in their name.

SPEAKER_01 25:28

Oh my god, what?

SPEAKER_03 25:29

Yeah, that's crazy. Let's see. It says, and I don't even know, it says the cheer audition section was modeled kind of after the Grease hand jive competition where they like boot them out and they take their numbers and stuff.

SPEAKER_01 25:43

I mean, I get I get it, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 25:45

I yeah, I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 25:47

I'm really bottom of the barrel with those.

SPEAKER_03 25:50

Yes, I'm so sorry.

SPEAKER_01 25:52

No, you're fine.

SPEAKER_03 25:53

The set designers came up with the zombie language, and that the alphabet is based on human brain shapes.

SPEAKER_01 26:01

I was gonna ask. That's really cool. Okay. Hell yeah.

SPEAKER_03 26:04

That was cool.

SPEAKER_01 26:05

Literally, I was gonna ask if it wasn't in there. That's fascinating. Okay.

SPEAKER_03 26:10

And then uh Meg Donnelly is a natural blonde, but obviously had to wear wigs for like the entire production. And that poor girl and her sad wigs. Like, my god. They're not good. They're brutal. Yeah. I mean, obviously, one is better than the other. I mean, yeah, but like looking at it, uh, I think I was I wasn't looking for it the first time I watched it. And then I'm just like, oh my gosh, yeah, like that's brutal. Yeah, they're so good. And then um this is our our book end of fun facts. There are, in fact, three other movies that have fully come out, and there is a fifth one set to come out, I believe, next year. And we can kind of do quick synopsis of those because synopses because we introduce a different quote unquote monster race, something something in each one of them. And that's kind of the gimmick of each of the series.

SPEAKER_01 27:13

Emily and I were talking just before we started recording. I have been vaguely aware that other monsters are introduced in these later movies. Um, I have even more questions about that after watching the first movie, unfortunately. Um, I was hoping that I was like, okay, I know there are other monsters and aliens and whatever the fuck. And I was like, okay, well, maybe after I see this first movie, it will make sense why all these other things are just drawn to this place. And it's like, oh, I have even more questions and fewer answers at this point. So I can't wait to hear.

SPEAKER_02 27:49

I can't wait to hear about what the fuck.

SPEAKER_03 27:52

They kind of just build onto the lore each time and the little cartoon thing that they do. They're just like, okay, there's more.

SPEAKER_01 28:00

Oops, we forgot to tell you. Okay, good, good.

SPEAKER_03 28:02

That did you also know that there's something happening in the woods?

SPEAKER_01 28:07

No, they didn't talk about the woods.

SPEAKER_03 28:09

Nope.

unknown 28:10

I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 28:11

God, you honestly watching this movie, you would not think that there are fucking woods.

SPEAKER_03 28:15

Yeah, because you see a beach. Yeah, it's very Barbie, it's very, yeah, it's really like it's funny that it came out that much before, but um Yeah. Oh yeah, crazy.

SPEAKER_01 28:28

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 28:29

Okay, that's pretty much it. I don't know. It was I struggled. No, you're fine. I but I feel like we'll have plenty to talk about.

SPEAKER_01 28:36

Yeah, I feel like there truly was not like I wasn't expecting anything like crazy, like super mind-blowing with the fun facts. The fact that it was, you know, initially that it was pitched and turned down and then picked up later, like that's I think is interesting.

SPEAKER_03 28:49

Um it is, it is, yeah. That was honestly better than I thought I was gonna find. So that's nice.

SPEAKER_01 28:54

A treasure. Um notes for an hour and a half long movie, but here we are. Oh no. It's me. You know it's me. I after after like a page.

SPEAKER_02 29:07

I have four.

SPEAKER_01 29:09

Well, yeah, like for me, I was like, I started writing, and then I was like, oh shit, I have to talk about what happens. So I do need to actually say, here's what's happening, here's what's happening. That's okay, I can help you.

SPEAKER_03 29:19

Yeah, I I I remember things.

SPEAKER_01 29:20

Um, yeah, but uh, but yeah, so this is um Disney Channel original movie zombies. Um, we open on an animated opening of just a cookie cutter suburbia of Seabrook, and everyone looks the same. Little boxes on the hillside, everyone is in a shade of pink or green, basically. Um it's very Edward Scissor hands, very Edward Scissor hand. Yeah, all pastels. Um, but then apparently at the Seabrook power plant, uh, someone spilled a lime soda on a keyboard, and so the power plant exploded, and there then a contaminated green haze blew to the west side of the city, and it turned people into zombies.

SPEAKER_02 30:07

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 30:08

And this this is the beginning of my questions. Oh no. Luckily, my question at this point is just what the fuck? Um, the fact that I really did not realize that they were like, no, for real, they're zombies that eat people. I thought it was just like, oh, they're like, I thought they were gonna like kind of glaze over that and like kind of hand wave it a little.

SPEAKER_03 30:34

No, they're gonna make it kid friendly.

SPEAKER_01 30:36

Yeah, it's like, no, they are breaking into houses and eating brains. I'm like, oh, what the fuck do you mean? So I'm watching now. I'm I'm watching the first couple minutes going, What are these kids okay? Yeah, no, they're they're really not. Um, so apparently what the uh gated now gated community of Seabrook does is built a wall and got back to their perfect lives. And then and now we are cutting to the present day quote unquote, which is 50 years later, when okay, just to confirm, this is the first time that zombies are allowed into the the Seabrook High School, like after 50 years, this is like okay, okay, this is like the first okay, so this I this is this is apartheid. This is just like racial segregation. Yes. There are many points in the middle of this where I'm like, man, this would be even crazier if they were just black or a different race, like, or if they were like a different culture, or if they were, you know, any like you know, difference than the norm. I'm like, these would be crazy things to be saying if this was an actual race of people. It's who boy.

SPEAKER_03 32:02

Yes, and I um it was something that I read with a director where I feel like he was praised, or maybe it was the writers that were like praised for like the allegory of racism, basically. Like this is I I think this is fully intentional.

SPEAKER_01 32:18

Yes, and I get that. There's no way you could do this the way they did it and not be intentional. There's no way you could accidentally make this a race allegory. Absolutely not. But it just, I think at times it was just so like very clearly like we're not talking about a race, but we could be. Like it just who boy. Like I and and don't worry, I have flagged them. Um, but yeah, it just felt it felt crazy saying, don't worry, 50 years ago we just built a wall and now we're building a very small door in this wall so they can go to school.

SPEAKER_03 32:54

It's also unclear why they are all of a sudden letting the kids in, because the principal is very much against it, and Addison's mom, the mayor, is also against it. So that is I think I saw somewhere it's like, why is this happening?

SPEAKER_01 33:09

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 33:09

We don't know.

SPEAKER_01 33:10

You're absolutely correct. Maybe someone was like, 50 years seems like enough time. Let's go.

SPEAKER_03 33:15

Yeah, this feels right. However many generations that is later. Exact.

SPEAKER_01 33:18

And honestly, like one. Like barely.

SPEAKER_03 33:22

Well, okay. So that was like two, I guess. Yes, was bitten by a zombie.

SPEAKER_01 33:27

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 33:28

So if he was like I guess two, a kid, they would be the third, right? Yeah. The kid Addison, because it's grandfather, parents, kids.

SPEAKER_01 33:35

Yeah. I forgot how generations work. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 33:38

It happens sometimes.

SPEAKER_01 33:40

No, that makes sense. But yeah, so uh in this sectioned off uh uh area, uh zombie town. I was gonna say it's not zombieland because that's a movie, but then we get into that later and we say zombie land a whole lot. And I'm like, copyright? Okay. Um nope. No, of course not. Um so we are introduced to Zed, who is our zombie main character. Um, fourth wall breaks abound. We are talking to the camera a lot. Um my notes several times a lot say uh tells the camera. Um yeah, he's like, uh yeah, I'm a zombie. We're really cool, actually. What about it? Exactly. Yeah, he's adorable. He is, you know, peak Disney Channel star. He's very charming and charismatic. Um, but we hear about what life is like in Zombie Town. Um, apparently, they have to wear like government-issued coveralls and uniforms, and they have a cur a citywide curfew. We are also um introduced to the concept of a Z-band, which is basically like a smartwatch situation um that delivers electromagnetic pulses to curb violent impulses, essentially. And so the government has that figured out, and it's all good. Um, but now they are allowed to go to regular high school. And said is very excited about this because he's excited to try out for the football team. So that is our that is our introduction detail. Um, we cut to a hot pink and black house, and there is a girl, Addison. Um, she is blonde and she is practicing cheerleading for her first day of school. She's gonna break the fourth wall, too. Um, she is so excited to try out for cheerleading, but she has another secret as well. She wears a blonde wig because her hair is white. She was born with it. She can't dye it, she's tried before, so she has to wear a wig because people in Seabrook don't like anything that are different. And that felt so Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer to me immediately. It was just like, just cover it up, you're fine. And then her parents are basically just the same way. It's like, it's fine. Um, yeah, so so this is our introduction to Addison, who's not like other girls.

SPEAKER_03 35:51

Yeah, she's different.

SPEAKER_01 35:53

Yeah, she's so different.

SPEAKER_03 35:55

Not in like a cool way, not in Seabrook.

SPEAKER_01 35:57

No one would ever understand, not in Seabrook. God. Um, so then we uh we meet Zed's little sister, Zoe. Um, she is adorable. Um, she wants to get a dog, um, but zombies aren't allowed to have pets because some people still think we'll eat them. And this is the thing. I said, oh my god, this is crazy to hear after the fucking, like literally like within this year, like the accusations of immigrants eating dogs and the fact that you know the government is like, oh, that's crazy. You know, it's like you should keep your pets away from these people, and it's like, what the what what the fuck are you why are you making shit up like this? Crazy to say this about a Disney Channel original movie. It's wild to hear this and have it be even more relevant in this political climate. I hate this.

SPEAKER_03 36:48

Yes, almost 10 years later.

SPEAKER_01 36:50

Yeah, I hate that there's a political climate in which I need to view Disney Channel original movies, but here we are. It feels wild. Um, but it's very cute because um the Zoe has a little stuffed animal dog instead. Um, and then Zed pretends to be a dog and barks at her. Um, and she's very cute. Their dad um made vegan brains out of cauliflower. Apparently that he's terrible, but it's totally fine. Um, this is just, you know, what life is. The dad is uh worried about Zed trying out for the football team. He says, you know, it's a lot that you guys are going to school at all. I worry that, you know, you trying out for football is too much. Zed is not worried about it. He's like, it's gonna be fine. I'm gonna, you know, I'm gonna have a great time, and everyone's gonna like me.

SPEAKER_03 37:35

And I he's way too confident.

SPEAKER_01 37:38

He's so confident. He has no reason to be. We love this for him, but my god, he's you know, I I don't think he's ever experienced the real world, and this is kind of where we're at. Um, he's about to, unfortunately. Um Addison's parents are so intense. We find out that her mom is the mayor. Um, she says, uh, now that the zombies are allowed in schools, we need cheer more than ever. Um, there is so much weight put on cheerleading as just religion. Oh my god, it is it is religion. It's literally like prayer in school at this point. It's like we need cheer more than ever. Um, except no one is southern. I just made that voice because that's it felt right though. It does, right? Um so uh her mom uh tells her that she has to make the team and win the cheer championship, that she like legally has to, like threatens her kind of. Um her parents both remind her that she needs to keep her wig on and look super normal. Um, they do a family hands-in and a go team before they all leave for their respective jobs. That I was like, this has hairspray vibes at this point. Um it's it was very much like like that sort of put-together family and like like clearly modern, but also like kind of 50s style, like a lot of like a lot of like you know, that style clothing too.

SPEAKER_03 39:02

Um yes. As far as clothing, one thing I'm gonna note um, because uh I pay I I was able to pay more attention to costumes and clothing and stuff throughout the uh the movie. Yeah, I will say this is one of one of the few times that Addison wears blue instead of pink.

SPEAKER_02 39:17

Oh.

SPEAKER_03 39:18

And I I believe the other time that she very clearly wears pink or blue is at the end of the movie as well. Um so they're kind of like bookended blue, but mostly throughout the entire thing. It's like shades of pink.

SPEAKER_01 39:32

Oh, interesting.

SPEAKER_03 39:33

Because I I think it's when she's at the cheer competition. She wore, that's right. She wore like blue pants leggings and the um like the it's all like powder blue. Yeah. But it's blue versus like her very stereo, what I always think of her in as pink.

SPEAKER_01 39:47

Yeah, no, you're right. Oh, that's so interesting.

unknown 39:50

Well, I love that.

SPEAKER_01 39:52

We you know, we love a color story, we love to see it. Um yeah, so then we have um every like both groups. We have the the humans and the zombies getting so excited to uh go to school. Uh they're all starting their freshman year and saying, This is gonna be my year, it's adorable. Um we meet our first song. We love it. We love a musical.

SPEAKER_03 40:14

Um did you like the songs?

SPEAKER_01 40:17

I thought they were really cute. Um, I did think they were fun. Um, I love the choreography, like it was very fun. I liked it a lot. Um we meet Zed's friend Eliza. Um, she is specifically that you know, this is kind of stupid that we're just going to school. Um, she's very much an activist. She said that zombies need to stand up and revolt against, you know, the power structure. Um, we meet Zed's other friend Bonzo, who only speaks zombie language, which just has a lot of Z's in it.

SPEAKER_03 40:48

Um I and G's, a lot of G's.

SPEAKER_01 40:52

Yeah, lots of Zs and G's. Um, I love him. I I he's awesome. I will talk more about it as we go. Um, I love him. I was like, what's your deal? And then I was like, you're my you're my favorite. You're perfect. You're the best one, you're the perfect man. My God. He's amazing. He's great. Um, but yeah, so we have um still in the same song, we have a dance break in front of the like exploded power plant, which is just a thing that no one's ever fixed. It's just here for 50 years. It's totally good. Um, it felt very fallout, like it felt very much like the cobbled together, like like we're making do in like the the the shell of a bombed-out house, kind of like it had a lot of those vibes. Um a lot of rust colors and metal and yeah, a lot of string lights as as functional lights.

SPEAKER_03 41:42

Yes, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 41:42

Uh we get a dance break on the beach because this is Barbie, apparently, too. Um I feel like we don't see the beach ever again. I we never see that beach again. That was brought in for this.

SPEAKER_03 41:54

Remember the sand, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 41:55

No, no, absolutely not. I was just like, this, okay, are we gonna go to the beach? Like, where are we? Unconfirmed, basically. But yeah, uh, as we are dancing up to the school, we meet um Addison's cousin, Bucky, who is already on, he's like the head of the cheerleading school.

SPEAKER_03 42:11

He's the cheer captain, yeah. He's at least a couple years older than her, I believe.

SPEAKER_01 42:16

I was gonna say, it's clear that he's like older, but like not how much older.

SPEAKER_03 42:20

Um, but yes. Maybe two years, I'm not sure. Because he's in school for the the better part of these movies.

SPEAKER_01 42:26

Oh, okay, good to know.

SPEAKER_03 42:27

And it seems like they, I don't know if they're like freshmen or sophomores or something. It might be freshmen. Yeah, they're freshmen. If it's her first time, okay, then yeah.

SPEAKER_01 42:35

So easy for film franchises when it's just like this is your freshman year. You have four movies to go. Let's go. Like it. I mean, obviously with this one, like, you know, maybe they weren't planning on a sequel, but it does, it is that easy entrance point of like we have four years locked in, we know what we're doing for those ones.

SPEAKER_03 42:52

Mm-hmm, for sure.

SPEAKER_01 42:53

Yeah. Um, so then we get to we all of the groups finally get to the entrance of the school. There is a fence dividing the entrance of the school. I was like, separate but equal. Let's go.

SPEAKER_03 43:06

It says zombies and normals.

SPEAKER_01 43:08

Yeah. Oh my god, I miss that.

SPEAKER_03 43:11

I've I was able to look. No, I love it. It's like normals. I was like, oh.

SPEAKER_01 43:16

Not humans, just normals.

SPEAKER_03 43:18

No normals.

SPEAKER_01 43:19

Jesus Christ. Oh, amazing. Um, but yeah, so at the end of the song, um, Zed sees Addison through the fence. Um, it's love at first sight. He's infatuated, he thinks she's so pretty. Um, Bucky immediately like, like, sort of stunts at the fence and antagonizes. Um, Bonzo growls at him through the fence and scares him. Um, and a security guard immediately steps in and is like, is there gonna be a problem? Um, Zed intervenes and uh de-escalates the situation. He's like, No, no, no, it's totally cool. We're good, we're fine. Um, so we kind of immediately get what Zed's role is going to be. It's like, okay, we're, you know, everything's chill. We are smooth. This over. We get um Addison and Bucky walking into school. Bucky is taking some very strong stances. He says, We can't let monsters change this town. Ew. Just it's he's such a diva. He's such a diva, but also I just I really thought he was gonna be more evil. I thought he was funny and but with like that potential to flip at any point in time to like, no, I'm gonna do a bad thing. So Addison says, Well, they're just trying to go to school like us. Um, we get the backstory that zombies tried to eat their grandfather, and Addison's like, they just bit him, and I'm like, okay, so is I'm like, so so is he a zombie now? Like, is it do they just eat people? Do they turn people? And that and this is when I'm getting into the weeds about like, okay, there's zombies that eat people, but is there a like turning people like component to it? Is it just devouring? Because I feel like that's the thing that differentiates zombies from just fucked up cannibals. Oh no, but I don't think we want to call them fucked up cannibals.

SPEAKER_03 45:13

I yeah, I don't, I don't, I don't want that.

SPEAKER_01 45:15

That's yeah, I don't want to either.

SPEAKER_03 45:18

There is no instance of anyone catching a zombie virus and being bitten. Yeah, there's no in any of the movies. But I meant like like throughout the entire thing.

SPEAKER_01 45:29

Like wild.

SPEAKER_03 45:30

And I've never thought about that until you just said that.

SPEAKER_01 45:34

Okay, yeah. So the fact that there's no contagion aspect of it, I was like, Okay, so like what and I know that there's like like the like the thing with zombies, it's like it is like undead eats flesh. I I guess in this case it's like, you know, super strong, but also it's like, you know, they're not like I guess they're faster. Super violent. Yeah, yeah, like, you know, violence and stuff. But also it is like like one of the core things is the the contagion, like the spread. Like, and and the funny thing, I don't remember where I write it like later in my notes, but one of the funny things about this is the fact that one of the main threats in zombie media is contagion, and the fact that it's assimilation and that zombies will make you just like them, like everyone else. The threat of a zombie like outbreak and invasion is that it takes away your individuality and makes you just like everyone else. And so the fact that the zombies are the ones who are cool hip individuals and and you know do their do their own thing and have their own styles and want to stand out feels crazy to me.

SPEAKER_03 46:51

That's totally fair, yeah. And it also the the you're right, because it it's not spread by like a bodily virus, it's literally a haze. And also the fact that it is transferred through generations. I'm like, you had zombie kids. Yeah. Like you weren't born 50 years ago. So like what changed your DNA that you were undead but still able to have a baby?

SPEAKER_01 47:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 47:20

Like what so so yeah, that doesn't, by all accounts, it doesn't make sense.

SPEAKER_01 47:25

No, it absolutely doesn't. Also, the mom's not in the picture. Do they do do how we don't know what happened to her? Well, we'll never find out.

SPEAKER_03 47:33

I don't know. What I I don't know. Yeah, it just Oh, are you seriously being like Twilight on me?

SPEAKER_02 47:39

No, where it's a human okay No, no, no, no. I was waiting-dare.

SPEAKER_01 47:44

No my god. I was like, do zombies reproduce asexually? I don't know. Oh I don't know. Do they like dig up like you know, it's like are these like you know, reanimated corpses? It's like this is my son now. I'm like, I don't know. Exactly, but also they grow. So I have no idea. I don't know. It's it in that regard, zombies are a wild choice of this monster to to be the indication of we should be able to express ourselves and do our own thing, you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_03 48:19

Yeah, yeah. What would be a better one?

SPEAKER_01 48:22

I feel like God. The thing is, I feel like the threats that different zombie media or like different like monsters represent are all sort of what we don't want to become like them. And so it feels like being human is the individualistic. Like with vampires, it's the threat of of the upper class and the aristocracy. And it's like, oh, okay, well, like that's like you know, the the rich sophisticated people. And it's like, well, rich, sophisticated people are scary. We don't want those. And that's why when, you know, like depending on like different, you know, economic trends, like vampires get more popular. I think with werewolves, it's like changing, and like I think partially it's like like you know, things hidden, like hidden within the society, but also it's like you know, the threat of the unknown, a lot of like wilderness and like transformation, like fears. Um, it's like changing you into something you don't want to do.

SPEAKER_03 49:19

Hiding in plain sight, kind of also.

SPEAKER_01 49:22

Yeah, it's like any of you could be one of them, like that kind of fear.

SPEAKER_03 49:25

Interesting.

SPEAKER_01 49:26

Um, yeah, and then aliens, it's just oh, we're it's like something that we have no control over is coming and they're gonna take over. Because normally with aliens, it's like it's invasion, and it's like they don't care about us, they don't want to get to know us, they want whatever we have, and it's scary, and it's like, oh, okay. Um, but yeah, it's it's thinking too hard about this. I was like, I have questions. Um, we do get introduced to the fact that the school's mascot is the mighty shrimp, and that's a beautiful thing.

SPEAKER_03 49:58

Yeah, um, yeah, yeah, yeah. I I it's bright pink and bright green.

SPEAKER_01 50:03

Big fan, big fan of the school colors, big fan of the shrimp. Um, so bad. Yeah, so good. Um, so we meet a very enthusiastic girl named Brie, who is um trying out for the cheerleading squad too. Um she has she is so cute. Um, she is dreamed of being a flyer. She wants to get like, you know, the be the person who gets tossed in the air and does flips. Um, she and Addison bond immediately over their shared knowledge of cheerleading history, um, which is so cute. I love a I love a day one best friend. Um, it's really cute. Um meanwhile, we go back out to the outside of the school. Um, this the same security guard uh opens the doors for all the zombie kids. Um Zed is excited and trying to hype everyone else up. He's like, that's okay, at least we won't be taking classes in a dingy basement anymore. Oops, they go to the basement of the school. Um it is it is the dingy basement in the school. Um we are introduced to Principal Lee, who says, We are thrilled to be forced to have you here. Emily brings up a good question. By whom?

SPEAKER_03 51:05

We're not sure.

SPEAKER_01 51:06

Whom has forced you to have zombies here? I I don't know. I feel like it just there are bigger questions of like the government? The government. There's such a bigger question of like if mayor is like local government, like what's you know, state government, like national, is this a thing that happened in other places?

SPEAKER_03 51:25

Other places, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 51:26

It's like how widespread is this? I don't know. Is this just an island nation that just has like the one town? I don't know. Seems pretty, pretty localized. It's very isolated, like they they play against other schools, but like come on, like where are those other schools?

SPEAKER_03 51:43

Pretty sure it was the same school as well. I think so too.

SPEAKER_01 51:46

Yeah, I think there's maybe one other high school, and that's about it was Eels. Yeah, oh yeah, and it doesn't say visitors, it just says Eels. There's one other team and they play them, and also they're the same competing cheer people as well.

SPEAKER_03 52:00

It's also the Eels.

SPEAKER_01 52:02

Yeah, it's yeah.

SPEAKER_03 52:03

This this is I mean, I'm sure there's supposed to be other schools, but like every time I looked, it was the same uniform.

SPEAKER_01 52:08

Yeah, it's it's a microcosm, truly. Um, so yeah, I don't I don't know, it's a whole separate can of worms. Um, but so uh Principal Lee explains that uh they are not allowed to leave the basement. This is where all of their stuff is. Um Zed asks about how they go and get involved with extra extracurriculars because he wants to try out for football. Um Eliza is interested in the computer club. Um Bonzo is an artist. He uh specifically wants to join music. Um he is hilarious and has a tuba.

SPEAKER_02 52:44

Has a little riff.

SPEAKER_01 52:45

Yeah, he has a tuba and then just scream sings, like a euphonium, kind of. Yeah, I was thinking euphonium. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Like a euphonium, and then he just screams, and she's like, That's good. Nope, we're we're done with that. Please stop. Yeah, please stop. Um so basically, uh it's like how how do we how do we do those if we're not not allowed to leave the basement? She goes, You don't. Goodbye. Their teacher is a janitor who got promoted 45 minutes ago. Um, things are bad. Things are pretty tough. Yeah, they're not being set up for success here. Um, so Zed just leaves. Uh, and he's like, Well, I'm gonna find out where football tryouts are. Um, Zed says the store can't stop me because I don't want to read it. Um so he uh is leaving and is like, I it's like, you know, it's totally fine. I am very stealthy and I'll be I'll be fine getting around here. Um he immediately runs into something, makes a really big noise. A student comes out into the hall and screams, um, and she pulls a she says rogue zombie. Yeah, she says rogue zombie and pulls an alarm. Um and everyone panics. Uh Zed starts getting chased down, um, like chased through the halls. Uh, meanwhile, in the basement, um, all the kids are panicking. Uh, the the janitor teacher is doing a very bad job of reassuring people. Um, Bonzo is uh communicating that he is worried that it's a fire alarm. Eliza is is trying to calm him down and say that it's not actually a fire alarm. Um we get the zombie fear of fire, which feels a little bit more Frankenstein, I think, thanks for.

SPEAKER_03 54:19

I said the exact same thing.

SPEAKER_01 54:20

Yeah, yeah, it's more of a it's more of a Frankenstein thing. Um, but that's okay. They're both green, I guess. Um uh the security guard comes down. Um, this same fucking security guard. We only have one. She's well, no, they have more later, but she's the one who's right. Got their fucking number the whole time. Um, Eliza uh pushes back, says that the drills are offensive and um uh contributing to zombie phobia, which she is not wrong. Zed ducks into a quote zombie safe room to hide. Um Addison uh ends up following behind him. Um and then once she gets inside, the door locks behind them for security. Um by the time she gets in, uh she realizes that someone is in the room. Zed is at the very back of the room, so she can't really see him. Um, they start making small talk, talking about how they're both trying out for stuff and how they're both excited.

SPEAKER_03 55:13

She's kind of ready to kick his ass first.

SPEAKER_01 55:15

She's ready to fight. She's like, Who are you? He's like, I'm chill. It's fine.

SPEAKER_03 55:19

And like, oh, you're a guy, don't, don't, don't do anything funny. Yeah. Good for you, girlfriend.

SPEAKER_01 55:25

Yeah, yeah. She is standing up for herself. She is very spicy, and we love that about her. Um, so Zed says that uh his, you know, he's excited to try out for football, but his dad doesn't think he's gonna make the team. Um Addison immediately is like, oh, I'm sure you're gonna make the team. You just need someone to cheer for you. They are getting closer to each other, and it's a cute moment, and then the lights come on, and she screams and punches him right in the face. Immediately. Um, but then she immediately apologizes and she's like, I did not realize that, you know, you were, I didn't realize that you were a zombie. And then she says, My parents have always taught me that zombies are disgusting, dead-eyed freaks, but you're not hideous at all. And this is the first time I wrote, oh my god, imagine this being said about an actual human culture or race. Okay, like like verbatim. I'm like, I like I they are really using the fact that this is a metaphor. I'm like, oh okay. But yeah, um, just so just then, as they're, you know, starting to have a little bit of connection, um, Bucky and his squad burst through the door to save Addison. Um, tells Zed to stay away from her. Um, and Zed says, this is progress. And I'm like, yikes, I hate this.

SPEAKER_03 56:47

Um I love Bucky.

SPEAKER_01 56:49

He's just like, yeah, he's God, he's so he's so intense and terrible. Um I like him more now that I don't that I realize that he wasn't like straight evil. Like I was like, you have the power to do very bad things, and I'm like, oh, you didn't actually do the worst things.

SPEAKER_03 57:06

Like he didn't go, he he didn't go full villain mode, for sure.

SPEAKER_01 57:10

Yeah, I think I like the whole time I was like holding my breath waiting for him to be like capital V villain, and then I was like, oh no, you're you're too dumb to even do your own plan. Like you're fine.

SPEAKER_03 57:22

Like he's like he's lower than Sharpe, I would say. He's like goofy villain. Like, even in like, you know, the next couple ones, he is still like like antagonist kind of sort of like the anti-monster whatever. Like, not the white guy, but like, you know, the the guy on the like the afraid of change guy.

SPEAKER_00 57:44

Yeah, okay, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 57:45

Um, and like does fight against it, but like I'd say this was the one where he looked like he could be the most like truly villainous and mean from from my from my memory. That's interesting. But I mean, a lot of the time, like he he's just comedic. Like he's just kind of like there for like comic relief a lot of the time.

SPEAKER_01 58:05

Yeah, I think I think that's so interesting. Like, especially spoilers, but like you know, especially after like the happily ever after of the ending, like it's surprising that there's still like it's like wow, racist, we didn't solve racism. It's like, oh man, like the fact that the fact that Buckley Bucky still has some internalized racism, like that's you know, real. Like that's interesting.

SPEAKER_03 58:27

Well, yes, also, but it's like it's always usually about whoever's introduced next.

SPEAKER_01 58:36

Oh no, so it's like zombies are cool, now these are the ones that are bad. Yeah. Oh no, Bucky.

SPEAKER_03 58:44

Well, it's not just him. That's fair. Like and like, you know, still some people still have never like you know, completely like come over to zombies or whatever. It's it's I mean, it's very a la uh I mean it does remind me of Sharpay a little bit in the like at the end of each of the movies from high school musical, she's like, you guys are okay, but then the next one she's like, I still want to like be on top or whatever. And then at the end of it, she's like, okay, you guys, and then it's like it's a little cyclical.

SPEAKER_01 59:10

I see. Okay, that makes more sense. God, that's so yes, that's so interesting.

SPEAKER_03 59:15

I I mean, I feel like if you're you know, you kind of like But he's he's no he's no mastermind whatsoever. Like he's just like a man, I I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 59:25

Yeah, it's like I'm here to mostly make jokes, and it's like, okay, that's fine. Yes, yeah, yeah, definitely. As soon as I was like, oh, you're not like a villain villain. Like, I think it's I was able to find him a little bit funnier and not be like scared of like, what the fuck are you gonna do?

SPEAKER_03 59:40

Sure, to step back and be like, this guy's ridiculous.

SPEAKER_01 59:43

Yeah, yeah. I think towards the end I'm just like, oh you, okay. Right, exactly. Yeah. Um, but yeah, so we uh we are going to uh football trials. The coach is talking to the team. Um, coach is not doing great. Uh coach is not in a good place, like emotionally, uh, but he's saying, um, our football team is terrible, so we are not gonna win this year, and I'm probably gonna lose my job. He says, but everyone made the team, except for Zed, who's not supposed to be here. And Zed is like, well, that's it's like, well, why not? Like, you know, you could let me on the team anyways. Um, the coach is like, I'm not gonna do that. He says, I'm no trailbazer, I'm more of a follower. And I'm like, Oh, come on, man, really. Um, which sucks. Unfortunately, we uh Zed goes back to the basement. Um, Eliza says, Well, it's fine, football's stupid, anyways. Um, Zed uh tells him about Addison's, like, I think I think she likes me. Eliza is specific, is like that's you know, you don't need to get involved with her. Um, she says, humans are bad, but cheerleaders are monsters. And I think I think it's interesting that we end up with like these, like the actual, like, like it's not just humans, it's cheerleaders as a subset of humans.

SPEAKER_04 1:00:57

Um yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:59

Uh they're, you know, Zed, you know, thinks that that's a little closed-minded of Eliza. Um, we see uh some graffiti on the wall that says no zombies, um, like N-O. Um Bonzo changes it to no K-N-O-W zombies. Um and this is where I wrote, I actually really like this guy. Yeah, I describe he's he's precious. I love him. Um so we it is time for cheerleading tryouts. Um we have Bucky leading them. Um we he introduces us to his squad. It is Stacy, Lacey, and Tracy, the ACs. The ACs. I was like, this is so stupid, and then I do refer to them as the ACs frequently. Um it is actually Obviously, you have to. It is so convenient that they just had a squad name. I'm like, oh thank god, this makes my notes so much easier.

SPEAKER_03 1:01:47

Um And it's like a running joke through the movie. It's very funny.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:51

I like it. Um yeah, uh he basically just sets up to be say, you're already not good enough. This is gonna be really hard. You gotta give it your best. Um, he asks for a very complicated move that sounds like it's probably fake. Um Addison asks for clarification confidently, um, and it's like, I know what you're talking about. Um he uh ends the the introduction with a cheer until it hurts. And I feel like cheerleading is like I don't know anyone who is like who was a cheerleader. Like I'm not really like I don't have any close friends who were cheerleaders, but I feel like there is something about like the way media portrays cheerleaders that I'm sure it can't be like this in real life. I'm sure it can't be. But I also don't know. Like I feel like I think, you know, bring it on and shit. And I'm like, I know, you know, I knew that people were cheerleaders. I'm like, I don't think you are practicing for hours outside of school. I don't think that's real, but I also don't know. We also we didn't go to a good school for cheerleading, like we were not, we didn't have a football team. So, like, you know. No, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:03:03

I think um I cannot remember the name of it, but I watched that um documentary on Netflix. Oh, yeah, I forgot about that. About cheer. I don't know if it was called cheer or something. It was pretty intense, but it might have been also because of like the physical demands of like all the formations and things, and like the trust you need to have in a lot of the people, as far as like, you know, your hands and my foot or what like what all this stuff.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:03:31

And like the competition schedule also seems really crazy. Yeah. But yeah, that what he said made me more think of like what people say about like ballerinas, where it's like, oh my gosh, like they're they're like toenails fall off, and like all this stuff, like it's so rigorous and so like you know, so hard on your body.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:03:53

Um, so I don't but I have done neither of these things. I also think of gymnastics with with how physical they are, but like these are not my expertise at all.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:03

Yeah, so that's that makes sense. I feel like I I feel like I'm thinking about it in terms of like how I came to anything in high school where I was like, I'm gonna try real hard. That's not gonna consume me. I'm gonna try, but I don't know.

SPEAKER_03 1:04:16

That's fair.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:17

Yeah. So then actual cheerleading tryouts start. Um they are yeah, song. Um they are weeding people out, not kindly. Um, they are uh basically just anyone who slightly messes up or doesn't look the part, um gets taken out. Um towards the end of it, Brie takes herself out of the tryout. She says she's never gonna get in, um, which is so sad. At the very end, um Addison gets on the team. She is, you know, uh Bucky is so proud of her. Um immediately Addison uh advocates for Brie. Um she's like, hey, uh she's got a lot of potential and she she should really be on the team. Um Bucky says that uh cheerleading needs to uh requires perfection, um, and says that uh Brie can't hide under a wig like Addison can. And this is where I was like, mmm, Bucky, you know her secret. Are you going to use her secret against her? And this is where I I the whole movie I was like, this is gonna happen. He's gonna like he's gonna do it. Yeah, it's like he's gonna throw her under the bus. And like it's like, but she is just like them. And I'm like, that's not what that is, but okay, sure. No, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:05:29

That's probably why he didn't know.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:30

Yeah, I it's not the same. Um, I don't know what this is. Thank God at least he uh he understands like these are on different levels. I know this.

SPEAKER_03 1:05:39

But I can still use this as leverage.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:41

Exactly. I I can held this over your head. Did you like the cloches with the pom poms? Yes, I love that. The the very dramatic reveal of you made the team. Yes. Um so then after Addison asks, um, uh Bucky agrees to let Bree on the team as a stand in. She's not in the starting lineup, and she's like that. That's fine. I'll take it. Uh Bucky talks to everyone, to the the new the new cheerleading team. Um he says that cheer is being threatened. And I'm like, okay, bud, I don't I don't know what we're saying. Um so they are going to their um cheer initiation. Um so we are uh we are back in Zombie Town. Um there are the string lights everywhere, it's very cute at night. Um and then a hot pink van pulls up on the one street in Zombietown that we're familiar with. And it is the official cheer van with Bucky's face on it, like every fucking other thing they have. It feels crazy. Um Addison, uh Addison and Brie climb out of the van and look around at Zombietown because they've never been here before, they've never seen it. It's interesting. Um Addison just kind of marvels at it. But then uh Bucky says, Every year for cheer initiation, we like to remind zombies that we don't accept freaks in this town. And I wrote, you're not in your town. You crossed the line into their town. Like you Yeah, I well, I think they're still part of Seabrook, though. I think so, but it's like it's labeled as zombie town. So I don't know if it's like I don't know. Like it they're the lines are squishy. I'm not sure. Yeah, but no, it's it's definitely dumb. Yeah, either way, I'm just like, hey man, like that's not the take. Um he hands Addison and Brie a carton of eggs to throw at a house. Uh Addison immediately is like kind of hems and haws about it. Um, and then a zombie woman appears in the car in the other car window and says, You look lost. Uh, Bucky and the ACs all scream and drive away very quickly. Um I was hoping that they were going to talk to this woman. Instead, Addison and Bree kind of freak out and go hide um around a corner. Um, I'm a little sad, but at the same time, like learning more. I was like, oh, this is like fully new. This isn't like, oh, they're new at our school. It's like this is a fully new experience. Um I I under I understand the xenophobia a little bit more, but at the same time, it's like this seemed like you know, maybe a chance to take a step.

SPEAKER_03 1:08:09

You're supposed to be better than this.

SPEAKER_01 1:08:10

Yeah, I was like, Addison, I I wanted more for you, but it I don't know. It it's too early.

SPEAKER_03 1:08:14

She takes the whole movie to get that.

SPEAKER_01 1:08:16

Exactly. Yeah, it's like it's too soon, it's too soon. I understand. I I you know I put a lot on her too early. Um so uh turn we had such high hopes for you. I really I I I have high expectations for her, and unfortunately, I I set them too high too soon. That's on me. Um, but yeah, so it turns out the uh place that they are hiding is right outside of Zed's house. Um Zed comes out and looks around, he turns around and sees uh Addison and Brie hiding there. Um his dad comes out and says, Hey, you know what's going on. Zed lies to cover for them and says, Oh, there's no one out here, and just goes back inside. Um, Addison tells Brie that she didn't realize that zombies got harassed as much as they did. Um, she's realizing, hey, this actually really sucks what people are doing. Um, so they throw the eggs away and they walk home, which is doable, I guess. This is not a big town. But yeah, so in between this, we I am getting ads. Um, I got an ad for the new Descendants movie, and unfortunately, I am hype. I'm very excited for it.

unknown 1:09:19

I got ads?

SPEAKER_01 1:09:20

I yeah, I get ads. Um, yeah, it's oh, is this on Disney Plus? Yeah, it was on Disney Plus.

SPEAKER_03 1:09:25

Oh, okay. Oh my god, the table, how the turntables.

SPEAKER_01 1:09:29

Oh yeah, yeah, because that was your whole struggle.

SPEAKER_03 1:09:32

I forgot. Oh my god. It was on HBO. My goodness. Yeah, we uh I definitely pay for no ads on Disney Plus because that would be wild for a five-year-old to sit through ads in the middle of a movie.

SPEAKER_01 1:09:43

Truly, too many ads, too many ads for like sell your stuff online or like insurance. I'm like, I why? Like anyone who is watching anyone who this movie is for does not need car insurance. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:09:57

Yeah, I don't know. It's because it's all under the ABC Hulu Plus umbrella now. And like you have to specifically choose, like, I just want stuff from Disney.

SPEAKER_01 1:10:07

Right, right. That makes sense.

SPEAKER_03 1:10:08

And it's very annoying, especially even under the kids' profiles. Wild.

SPEAKER_01 1:10:14

And that's the crazy thing. Yeah, I don't we've talked extensively about this. If you want to hear us talk about this, uh go listen to Game of Grounds.

unknown 1:10:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:10:21

The later seasons.

SPEAKER_03 1:10:23

Yeah, so many ads. Yeah, it was the uh the Dragon House ones.

SPEAKER_01 1:10:28

Okay, yeah. Yeah, it was his later one.

SPEAKER_03 1:10:30

Like the most dramatic points in the fucking show.

SPEAKER_01 1:10:33

And now I have a cliffhanger for no fucking reason for a minute and a half.

SPEAKER_03 1:10:37

Yes, and then it was like with the general or something from Shaq. Yeah. Get it. Get out of here.

SPEAKER_01 1:10:43

Go away.

SPEAKER_03 1:10:44

Okay, so yes, Descendants, July 16th. I'm very excited.

SPEAKER_01 1:10:47

Yeah, we're um we're excited. Uh, this episode will have uh come out before then. Um, so hey, uh let us know if you watch the descendants movies this coming weekend. So we get uh the next day, um Addison confronts Bucky about the initiation. Um she says that basically picking on the zombies isn't right, it's mean and they shouldn't be doing it. But then Bucky says zombies distract people from what's really important, like cheer, us, me. And I'm like, I wrote that down too. And I was like, I don't yeah, and so here he like she kind of like, okay, well, that's you know, not great. And then Bucky basically just like tells her not to not to question things. Um, and this is the this is the point, like he kind of like like strokes her hair in a villainous way, suggesting that he knows that her hair is different. And I this is where I wrote, I feel like he's gonna expose her hair secret. I don't trust him, and I feel like he's more sinister than the comedy suggests. I didn't think he was bad. Um, and then turns out he's not, he's not that sinister. He's not, he's not.

SPEAKER_03 1:11:47

Yeah. He's talking about it. When I wrote my notes and I was like, oh yeah, he was pretty, pretty devious in this first one. Like I always I I just see him as like this this bumbling kind of bad guy that doesn't get with the times, but not like uh I'm plotting against everyone. Yes, kind of thing.

SPEAKER_01 1:12:08

Like he's just the way he said.

SPEAKER_03 1:12:10

He's there for conflict, but not yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:12:12

Yeah, like the way he said this, it's like, oh, you know, you shouldn't question things. I'm like, do you have a master plan? No, absolutely not. He has to pray for it. Yeah, yeah. Oh my god, we'll get there. Yeah, he's yeah, no, he's he's talking a big game and he he cannot fucking cash those checks that he's writing. He doesn't know what the fuck he's doing. So uh so then we get um Zed at school talking to uh his friends, um, saying he he's like, Oh, you know, I thought Addison was different. Turns out cheerleaders were all terrible. Um, but turns out Addison followed them down into the basement. Um, the uh the janitor teacher is like, hey, what are you doing here? Um someone threw up at the cafeteria and he goes, All right, I'm still the janitor and has to leave. I was like, that is kind of funny. That's that's that's also just you know underfunding in public schools. I'm like, oh no, buddy. Um still real, yeah. Yeah, too real. Um so uh after the the teacher leaves, um Addison apologizes to Zed. Um she says that that was it wasn't her idea to go there. It was tear initiation, but that doesn't make it right. Um she you know wants to keep talking to him, um basically saying that that wasn't her, like that wasn't her idea. Um Zed says, uh, what if Bucky sees us talking? And she says, Well, we'll just make sure he doesn't. And I'm like, that always goes well. That that's never that's never gone wrong ever. Like, you guys are gonna be fine. Nope. Um they smile at each other, it's very cute. Yeah. Um uh so Addison asks if uh he's gonna go to the pep rally. Uh Eliza pipes in and says that zombies don't do pep rallies. Uh Zed's kind of looks at Eliza to tell her to chill out. Um, says Addison tells Addison that they'll think about it. Next, we get them, the cheerleaders getting ready for the pep rally. Addison tells the camera that she's not surprised that Zed's not coming. That would be serious drama if the zombies came. And then Brie yells that there are zombies at the pep rally. Addison is so hyped. Yeah, it's so good. I I love Bree. She's she's such a sweetie. I know. She's so cute. They look out to see not just the core three that we know, but like a bunch of zombies coming to the bleachers to come sit down for the pep rally, um, which is exciting. Um, Bucky is mad and says to bring out the spirit sticks. And we don't know what that means yet. And I was like, what the fuck is that? Um we get we're gonna hit them. Exactly. We're gonna hit them with sticks. Any questions?

SPEAKER_03 1:14:46

With lots of spirit fingers.

SPEAKER_01 1:14:48

Yes, my god. Um, I will say at one point earlier in the movie, he says jazz hands, and he just holds his hands up and doesn't move them. And I'm like, those aren't jazz hands, yeah, those are just hands. Like you need to you need some wrist action, yeah. You need wrist action for jazz hands or spirit fingers. We also bring it on. That's what it is. Like it's yeah, I I was like, I don't know. I have notes on on your your style bucky. Um, but that's okay. He's pretty cool in this. So yeah, he does he does a good job. He's good at it, you know, the performance. Like he's good at what he does. Um, so he uh burst through a banner of his own face. Um there's a giant, yeah, just gigantic banners of so god, their print, like the school's print budget is through the fucking roof. They have so many like two-story banners of Bucky's face, it's incredible.

SPEAKER_03 1:15:43

I never thought one would top what was in high school musical three, which was like Troy and the other team, like on the um in the cafeteria. This is like by far surpassed.

SPEAKER_01 1:15:55

They're keeping a local print shop in business, like truly. Like that's like there's someone who's like, oh hell yeah, Super Kai's back in. Let's go.

SPEAKER_03 1:16:04

They just have pink and green ink, like that's all they need. Exactly.

SPEAKER_01 1:16:07

Yeah, it's like do you do you have Do you do C MYK? No, we do not. No, we have these two PMS colors. What do you want from us?

SPEAKER_03 1:16:16

That's it.

SPEAKER_01 1:16:16

It's all digital, exactly. Um, so uh so after the performance, um Bucky says that they're um they're gonna win the state tier championship again. Okay, so this I took a picture of my screen. There are no high schoolers in this crowd. I swear to god, there is a man who looks like he is 45 years old. I'm gonna, I'm gonna no, I'm gonna text you this picture. There is not a single high school aged person in this crowd. I'm gonna send him to- is this Grease? Yes, I swear to God. Grease is the word. Have you heard?

SPEAKER_03 1:16:57

It's got groove, it's got meaning.

SPEAKER_01 1:16:59

Well, yeah, I just I just sent it to you, and um, I cannot wait to hear what the fuck you think. Um no. This this man in the middle who is just not thrilled, who's kind of frowning, he's honestly this looks like AI, but it's not. It does. No, these are it was almost 10 years ago. Yeah, and that's the thing. Like everyone is it like a real actor. There's this woman in here, she looks like Leslie Mann. She's got like this. But she's got like the weird braid. Yeah, she's got well, she's got like the ridged like headband thing, like you know, like the circle scrunchy headbands. Oh, is that what that is? That's what it looks like. I don't know.

SPEAKER_03 1:17:38

I thought it was like a braid crab.

SPEAKER_01 1:17:39

Maybe it is. Oh, yeah, it is. It's like braided bangs. Um, yeah, but no. So like young hairstyle, but like old face. Yeah, no, truly. No one in this picture looks like they are under 25.

SPEAKER_03 1:17:51

Except for the core zombies.

SPEAKER_01 1:17:53

Yes, that's it.

SPEAKER_03 1:17:54

Yeah. Um for sure. No, you're totally right. That's why.

SPEAKER_01 1:17:57

Yeah, those those two guys in the middle. I was just like, You're you have mortgages. You have mortgages. Why are you here at this pepper alley? Who let you in? You should be at work earning for your family. Yeah, I'm just like, bro, is this your lunch break? What are you doing? They don't even go here. Don't even go, none of them go here. He doesn't even go here. Yeah, it's God, so fucking funny. I was like, I I could not wait to get it.

SPEAKER_03 1:18:21

And then like interspersed with the bright green, uh, the bright pink pom-pom.

SPEAKER_01 1:18:25

Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_03 1:18:26

It's like it's like these adult faces.

SPEAKER_01 1:18:28

It's so stupid. Yeah, but not a single high schooler in this crowd. Um, but yeah, so we're they're performing, it looks great. Um, I wrote, Bonzo is having a good time. Um, he and um he and Zed are absolutely in it. Um, Eliza looks very skeptical. Um, the Spirit Six, as it turns out, are sparklers, specifically brought out to trigger the fire fear in zombies. Um, and then I wrote Bonzo is no longer having a good time. Um yeah, he uh gets startled by it. Um Zed tries to calm him down. Um he ends up pushing Zed away, and Zed's Z band gets hit against the bleachers and gets damaged. Um, and we see it flicker to I think it says unstable across it. Yes. Yeah. And in that moment, so much happens. Um Bonzo uh pushes through the crowd, he runs out of the gym and away. Um he pushes the uh group of cheerleaders who are about to catch Addison, who they have just thrown up into the air. Who has been tossed, been tossed into the air. In that moment, Zed sees that that has just happened, that Addison is still in the air because she has incredible hang time. She's just up there.

SPEAKER_02 1:19:36

Gravity, defiant.

SPEAKER_01 1:19:37

Yeah, exactly. Um, Zed uh runs and shoves the other football players just straight across the gym. The football coach is very impressed about that display of strength. Um, and then Zed uh ducks under and catches Addison at the last second. And as he catches her, we see that his Z-band unglitches and it says that it's stable again, it's normal. Um, and they have this great moment of like, you saved me, and it was really cute. The coach is very excited and uh immediately brings Zed to the principal's office and says that he wants Zed on the football team. He says literally that this is gonna turn his life around. He's very excited. He's gonna move out of his mom's basement, he's gonna get a cat. He's so excited about what his life could be. I'm so invested in this coach. I think he's hilarious.

SPEAKER_03 1:20:27

I know. And every time he talks, he adds on layers to it. Because I know you mentioned he was gonna get a cat at one point. He's gonna get his ex-wife back.

SPEAKER_01 1:20:34

Yeah, I'm gonna start wearing slacks. Get get pants with my pants that don't stretch. My ex-wife loves the slacks. Like, just great. Like so just delightful. I love this guy. Zed uh tells the camera that he's very excited, um, but reigns it back in and says that you know he'll he'll accept and he'll be he'll join the football team as long as there are changes. He has some he has some conditions. He wants full integration with the rest of the school. The principal's like, I don't know. You need to follow through. You haven't won a game yet. So we need some actual things to happen before we actually change anything. She at this point says that they can eat in the cafeteria and they will go from there. And with that, Zed says, you know, at the start, that's enough. And so he accepts. The coach hugs him. Um, Zed hugs the principal. She says, like, okay, that's fine. Everything seems okay. And I was like, that felt too easy. I felt like I feel like the principal got one over real quick. I did not trust her the whole time. I was like, I don't know. You were the one who said, I'm, you know, thrilled to have been forced to have you here or whatever. And I'm like, You're yeah, you're chill, like you're okay. Um, but then we pan down.

SPEAKER_03 1:21:45

As soon as she sees what she can earn from him, yes, you're just like, Yeah, you might be alright. Right.

SPEAKER_01 1:21:50

Yes, this is a hundred percent transactional. There's nothing else in there. Um yeah, but uh, but yeah, uh after this, we also pan down and we find out that Bucky was eavesdropping and Bucky knows that this is gonna happen. So then we get the uh the cafeteria. The principal announces over the loudspeaker that the zombies can eat in the cafeteria. All the students groan, and she says, just deal with it. Just deal with it. And I honestly love that. I'm like, that is that's the way to to handle that. It's like, hey, just suck it up.

SPEAKER_02 1:22:16

You're just teenagers, just deal with it.

SPEAKER_01 1:22:18

Yeah, I think you're 14, you're an idiot.

unknown 1:22:21

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:22:22

So they um so then the uh door, the separate door from the basement area um gets opened up. Um, all these zombies uh come into the cafeteria. Everyone looks very, very concerned. Um, Zed and Addison smile at each other as they walk by. Um, the zombies get really gross-looking food, and there's one shitty table in the corner that's near the trash, and they're like, This actually rules. We're excited about this. Um, we love this. Yeah, it's like this is great. Um, Bonzo is juggling apples. He brought a toolbox as a lunchbox. I said, Unfortunately, I think I love him. He's he's great. I just stand every time I saw, like, every time he was at a scene, I was like, I love you more. You're you're great. By the end, I was just like, you can do no wrong. You're my hero. He's so good. Um, but yeah, uh, so we get um Addison staring across the cafeteria um at Zed, letting Brie ramble just about anything. Um Addison's ass is not listening at all. Um, she realizes that she like likes Zed. Um Brie is like, oh, our like it like for real, like you like him. And Addison immediately is like, oh, this like is bad. My parents will freak out. She asks Bree if they're still friends. Um Brie is like, no, I have your back no matter what. I love it. It's very cute.

SPEAKER_03 1:23:43

Love her.

SPEAKER_01 1:23:43

Yeah, she is ride or die so fast, and I love her.

SPEAKER_03 1:23:46

Um I know, and it's just like the best, truest, purest friendship.

SPEAKER_01 1:23:50

Yeah, like there's no amount of like, you should actually maybe tone it down a little bit. No one tells Brie not to be herself, and I love that. Like, especially sometimes in like these movies, you get like the really intense, animated, like dramatic friend, and part of it is like even the people that they're very close to like will kind of roll their eyes when they're too much. And Addison never does that, and I love that.

SPEAKER_03 1:24:15

Like, I like yeah, they're just just good for each other, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:24:18

Like, even from like the very start, it's like she met Bree's energy, like that they were both so excited. I'm like, this is good, like this is like really a healthy friendship.

SPEAKER_03 1:24:30

Yes, yeah. I will. This is a total tangent, but since I was re-watching this movie, I was able to look at the food. Did you look at how bonkers the food was?

SPEAKER_01 1:24:42

I glanced at it.

SPEAKER_03 1:24:44

It looked like there was pizza with like radishes. It did not look like pepperoni, it looked like fucking radishes. Oh no. They were cupcakes with fruit loops in the icing.

SPEAKER_01 1:24:56

I did notice the cupcakes, did not notice the fruit loops. That's crazy.

SPEAKER_03 1:25:00

Yes. Okay. And then like the whatever green vegetable looked like just like raw Brussels sprouts in the cup or something. It was just like and of course nobody's eating anything for good reason. Because it just looked insane. And then at the same time, one time when we look over at the zombie table, Gonzo has a huge apple peeler that he is cranking.

SPEAKER_01 1:25:22

Oh no! Like one of the ones that like clamps you didn't like clamps onto the table?

SPEAKER_03 1:25:26

It clamps on the table, and he's just like that's how they got the apple peel later. It's because he was peeling them with that thing. Oh, I didn't even notice. Oh, that's so funny. I think it was kind of quick when I was like, that's what it was in his toolbox. I'm like, why does he have that?

SPEAKER_01 1:25:45

Why did he have that already? So they got security guards, but like they're just like, hey, don't don't snarl at other people, but like yeah, you can bring a gun. Like, I don't fucking weapon, I don't fucking care. Like, yeah. Whatever. This feels crazy.

SPEAKER_02 1:26:01

Not a metal detector.

SPEAKER_01 1:26:02

Yeah, that's true. Yeah, there's no metal detectors. Like, what the fuck are they gonna do? I don't know. Jesus Christ. Oh, that's that's so funny. Yeah, it was really funny. No, I love that. Um, but yeah, so um, we get the great little bit zombie phobic line from Bree of I don't want anybody to break your heart or devour it. And I'm like, okay, we're we're getting there. Progress is progress, it's okay. But uh Zed calls to Addison from across the lunchroom. Um, she comes over. Um, she tries to say hello and zombie. It is uh bad gibberish, um, but she is not uh daunted. She tries again, she, you know, says welcome in English instead. Um, Bonzo has made her a rose out of apple peels. Um, it is very cute. He's the perfect man. I love him. Eliza is immediately defensive, asks what uh what she's doing at their table. The ACs immediately uh scoop up Addison and drag her away. Uh when they ask what she's doing, she says, I'm fighting against intolerance. One of the I oh god, I think it's Lacey is the the blonde one. She says uh she fought and t she she fought intolerance by uh stopping eating dairy, um which was a great line. Just real good. I was like, this is so stupid. That's pretty good. I was like, it's pretty good, it's a good joke. Um but uh we get the line that uh cheerleaders don't support freaks. But apparently um we get the uh vague mentions like, oh, Bucky said there was something different about you. Addison's like, nope, super normal. That's me. Nothing weird here. Um I'm the samest person you ever met. Yeah, yeah, the samest person you've ever met. Um so then they, you know, they they back off. Um Addison leaves the cafeteria a little bit upset. Um, Zed follows after her. We get Addison staring at the the cheer championship trophy case. Um, Zed meets her over there, and uh Addison apologizes for for bailing. Um Zed says he understands. They're both excited about how the pep rally turned out. The fact that, you know, Zed got into the um onto the football team because of it. Addison uh tries vaguely empathizes about how, you know, how she understands how it's hard not to fit in. Um, Zed's like, how would you know you're perfect? And then she tells her her deep dark secret is that she wears a wig. He's like, Oh, well, can I see your hair? She's like, No, you can never see my real hair. And I'm like, okay. I mean, she told him pretty quick. That's pretty good. Tell him pretty quickly. Um, but yeah, so it's just, you know, it's like they would never understand. Um, they hear other people coming, so they go and hide in the in the little the zombie safe room again. Um, she says, Oh, this is where we first met. And Zed said, This is where we had our first punch, and it was very cute. Um, they do a cute little duet about a future of acceptance, um, where they can call someday someday when they can just be together. Um they when they leave the safe room, they are still singing, keeping like just enough distance, and it's very cute because we get the non-diegetic music of like them singing, like as they're like close enough, but not quite there. And I'm like, this is nice. I like this. Um, like in the hall.

SPEAKER_03 1:29:12

This was great choreography. And it's really good. Probably one of my favorite choreography songs, especially of like a duet. They have such good chemistry.

SPEAKER_01 1:29:22

Yeah, it was really sweet. I like it a lot. But yeah, and the songs are really cute, like they're just they're they're fun. So we get uh it's the first football game. Okay, is Zed the captain of the football team? Because he seems to be like leading a bunch of like the huddles and stuff, but I don't understand like exactly what's what the dynamic is.

SPEAKER_03 1:29:44

I don't know if he's just I'm not good with football. Um, but I think later in the movie when he's talking to the dad, doesn't he say he's a running back?

SPEAKER_01 1:29:56

Or no, he's um uh oh god. A fullback? Yeah, he's a fullback. Like, but like so that's like that's his position on the team, but like as far as like he's you know saying like, all right, guys, let's go. Like he's trying to hype everybody up and like in the huddles and stuff. I don't know if that's just him.

SPEAKER_03 1:30:13

Normally I would attribute that to like a quarterback. And so I'm like, well, he's not the quarterback.

SPEAKER_01 1:30:19

I he's the I don't know anything about football.

SPEAKER_03 1:30:24

He's just gonna get so mad at me.

SPEAKER_01 1:30:26

Don't cancel us because we don't know about football. Y'all didn't sign up for football knowledge. Y'all know what you signed up for. We haven't seen things. That's why we're here. We don't know things, and that's why we talk about them.

SPEAKER_03 1:30:37

Um no, I I think uh maybe it's because he's the only one that's like excited to play. You know, yeah. I don't I don't think he's the captain. I think he's just trying to hype people. I think so too. Yeah. Because everyone else just like made the team because they feel like they're gonna lose. Yeah, no one else. There's no hype.

SPEAKER_01 1:30:58

Yeah, everyone else is just like on the team because it's gonna look good on the transcript.

SPEAKER_03 1:31:02

I think so. But you're right, it does it just feel very, very captain-esque. Yeah. Or like a star quarterback to be like, yeah, we got this. It's like you're you're you're not even that. You're a guy just hitting people.

SPEAKER_01 1:31:16

Yeah, but we get like the the great, like the the very first hype line is there's no iron team, but there is an iron zombie. That's not the point. It's very cute. Um, but we instead of you know, instead of a lot of success, we get scenes of Zed getting taken out by the other team over and over and over again. Their team is losing badly, but also the other people on the team are like, hey, go for it. I don't give a shit about this guy. Um, and it really sucks. Um so yeah, uh Zed's dad and sister are there to cheer them on. Um, there are anti-zombie protesters in the crowd. Things are bad. Um, we get to halftime, and uh the coach is desperate, um, telling like just drawing out on the map that or like the the charting out the plays is like you just need to move forward. There's nothing back there for you. Don't go backwards.

SPEAKER_03 1:32:09

Don't look back.

SPEAKER_01 1:32:10

Yeah, it's really just so desperate and sad. Um he's like, we're not gonna win, so let's just get out there and lose better. Uh as they're all leaving to go back out in the field. Um the coach uh grabs Zed and is like, hey man, you're letting me down. Zed's like, well, the rest of the team is just letting me get my ass kicked, basically. Um the principal appears from around the corner to also give him shit and say, Hey, you're not holding up your end of the deal. Um, and then it picks at the coach and is like, Well, you you wanted him on the team, like, you know, this was your idea.

SPEAKER_03 1:32:39

Um now people hate us and we're losing.

SPEAKER_01 1:32:42

Yeah, it's like now people hate us and we're losing. It's like, okay, everything sucks. Um, so the coach is like, hey, where it's like, where's all that strength and and everything from the pepper alley? And Zed starts to explain that his, you know, his Z band wasn't working. And coach says, Great, use that. And Zed's like, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, no, that's not what I meant. Um, so very quickly, Zed goes to ask Eliza for her help to hack his Z band because apparently Hacker mode. Yeah, hacker. Um, because she apparently jailbroke hers in order to play video games. And I said, they're not allowed to play video games. What is what is this existence? This feels crazy to me.

SPEAKER_03 1:33:18

But also it's well, I think it's more like when you have like the TI83 that had like games on it in school. I don't think it's like you can't have video.

SPEAKER_01 1:33:26

Oh my god, you're right. Okay, that makes sense. That makes way more sense.

SPEAKER_03 1:33:30

Yeah, I don't think they're allowed like fun things. It's just this is a government-issued medical device. Don't put games on it.

SPEAKER_01 1:33:37

Now she can play centipede on or something.

SPEAKER_03 1:33:39

Yes, exactly, or Tetris.

SPEAKER_01 1:33:41

That makes so much more sense. I understand. Um thank you for clear, thank you for clarifying. I felt really stupid. I was like, what? How? And also, how does that work? But it's different. It's yeah. Um, so basically, uh she um raises the limit on the band a little bit. So basically, like he can it like turn down the the amount that it's inhibiting his power. Um so she says, you know, you can only swipe to the left to you know turn it off. Um you can't swipe to the right or it will corrupt the software. I love a hand-wavy technology explanation. I love it. It's great. This is like, here's what the thing will do, and I'm like, okay, I like it.

SPEAKER_03 1:34:25

I I don't do this, or else something bad will happen.

SPEAKER_01 1:34:28

Exactly. Like for me, this is like exactly enough like explanation where I'm like, I'm not gonna be like, well, wait a second. Now, how did I'm like, that's great. I like a second. I'm like, this is perfect, thank you. I understand. You're smarter than me. So we get um Zed trying to lead another huddle. Um, no one responds at all. Um, this is where I wrote, did they make him the captain too? Because that feels insane. Um, they didn't. I think he's just excited to be there, and no one else is. Before the second half of the game starts, he swipes on his Z band to give himself a little boost of power. Um, and then they start winning, and things are going great. Um, Addison keeps cheering as the game goes on. Bucky keeps trying to get her to stop. Um, she is like, well, you know, they they need our help to win. Um if we cheer, you know, if we cheer them on, maybe they'll win. Um and Bucky says that uh, you know, optimism has no place in cheer. It's like this is not what this is for. And I'm like, all right, bud, okay. I don't know. But they end up winning the game. And then he is able to, uh Zed is able to turn off the the little power boost. Um immediately I was like, well, he swiped it to the right to turn it off. And I was like, is that the bad one? But how is he supposed to turn it off? Like that doesn't make sense. And I was like, it's different, it's fine.

SPEAKER_03 1:35:46

Um I was I'm pretty sure when it's like correctly working, don't go the other way. Yeah, I think it's because he does that later anyway.

SPEAKER_01 1:35:55

Yeah, I think for me, I was like, Did you already fuck it up? Because I was worried, like if it was the kind of thing where it was like, oh, you know, like the like the more you use it, like the worse it is. And I'm just like, I don't understand.

SPEAKER_03 1:36:06

Yeah. For someone who loves practical effects, how did you feel about the zombie mode being anything but that?

SPEAKER_01 1:36:16

I I thought it was fine. I okay yeah, I truly I was just like, all right, like I'm along for the ride. And especially for something like this. Like it's just I feel like it was interesting having like the variations of like, here's what zombie mode is. That I'm like, all right, like I'm just I'm along for the ride. Like just letting sort of the lore of like what this what this sort of magic system is just wash over me. I'm like, okay, okay, cool. I don't know how y'all would have done this otherwise. Like, let's go, you know.

SPEAKER_03 1:36:47

No, I don't I don't know how this plot would have worked out. Um okay, cool. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:36:52

No, I think it's it is all good. Um but yeah, so um uh they have won the game, and Addison runs over to congratulate Zed and hugs him. Um, so then we get things are things are going well because they won the game. That one little sad flower in front of Zed's house is blooming. They're taking down the fence of the school, they're announcing that, you know, they have like zombie pride merch, and also the cheer champion cheer championship is happening. Bye. Like, truly, it's become an afterthought. They actually give a shit about football now, and that's kind of exciting. So, this is the point where I came back to the the um the allegory of it all, and I was like, this is creating the problem of the model minority, and it's it's basically like you know, trying to trying to fight for you know acceptance and integration and like not assimilation, but like, you know, being able to, you know, coexist because it's like, oh, okay, well, you're you're you know, one of the good ones. It's like, well, you're doing it the right way. Well, you're you know, not like the other ones. It's like, well, you're trying to fit in.

SPEAKER_03 1:38:00

Like it's the you know the fact that you're doing our activities, you're helping our team. Exactly.

SPEAKER_01 1:38:06

Yeah, the fact that because in in this, it's like, you know, Zed's one of the good ones because he's you know not fighting against the system, he's trying to join the system. Yeah, and it's like he's he's changing it, but it's like, okay, well, you're changing it the right way. It's a conversation that like happens like you know, a lot with like you know, different cultures and races, and like like a lot of getting rid of like you know, like laws against segregation and stuff, and just then also just like the cultural idea is like, well, you like talking about immigration, it's like, well, if they did it legally, it'd be da da da da. It's like no, but like the you know, they're still people, and also the system is set up for people to fail. Like, you know, you it's not like it's it's the idea of you know, oh make it easy, exactly. Yeah, it's like, oh well, you know, these people followed the rules, and it's like you made the rules stupid. Like it's you know, I don't I don't know. Um, there was last fucking day of pride this year. Um, there was an uh an uh New York Times article, um or it was like an opinion article, some man wrote it. Um, but it's but specifically he was like the title of it is is I'm gay, not queer. It matters. And basically saying, like, well, yeah, you know, I'm gay, but that doesn't mean that I'm it's nice that I can get married and stuff, but I, you know, I don't need to be like, you know, really wild about it. Like, I, you know, I think that other people are doing too much, and it's you know, we don't need to basically like saying, like, hey We're tearing each other down from the inside, exactly. And it's like, hey, you know, we you know, maybe we should tone it down a little bit. It's like you realize the people who didn't tone it down to the reason that you can get married, bud. Right, yeah. So it's it's a lot of oh my god, but that's the thing. Like it's it's like talking, like if you ever hear about like, you know, very conservative people who are like, oh, well, you know, I know a gay person, and it's like, yeah, but they're you know, like friends with you know, someone more conservative, and so maybe they like tone it down, and it's like, oh, well, they're you know, one of the good ones, like they're not, you know, waving flags and protesting and stuff, like they're just you know, they're just my neighbor, and it's fine. It's like, yeah, but you know, they're they're not interfering with my peace. Exactly, yeah. Whatever, yeah. Yeah, it's like, well, you know, it's it's not it's like they're not throwing it in my face, and it's like, well, okay, yeah. Yeah, but I think like specifically with that, like the mentality that like especially hearing in the movie, hearing Eliza talk about like, you know, we need an uprising, we need to, you know, do something. We that like you know, being an activist, and Zed kind of saying, We can, you know, we don't have to go crazy, we can all get along. It's like, oh, Zed, you're kind of play it's like it works out in the end, but it's like you're kind of playing into the system, man. Like, I don't know.

SPEAKER_03 1:40:46

Yeah, and that's that's pretty thematic for him. Yes, he he is a middleman, but like I would say is definitely I I know she she struggles, but I'd say Addison is the best proponent of change throughout this series, uh like continuously.

SPEAKER_01 1:41:06

Oh, that's so interesting. I love that.

SPEAKER_03 1:41:08

And so it's it's definitely it's a conflict between her and Zed sometimes as well. So because like they they kind of see it in two different ways.

SPEAKER_02 1:41:17

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:41:18

Um, and he he likes to protect his piece, but she wants to welcome everyone. And so it's it's very interesting that you're pointing that out now that yeah, he is complacent and like he does want progress, but he wants it like kind of just on his terms, yeah. He doesn't he doesn't want to rock away. No, yeah, no, not at all. And it's like you know, you you've kind of got to to really make a change. Yeah. So yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:41:46

I think that's so interesting that that's fuck. Now I'm gonna watch these other movies. Now I'm I'm God, you keep doing this to me. It's like, here's this, and I'm like, God damn it, I'm fascinated now. I got it, wee! You said I'm in.

SPEAKER_02 1:42:05

Oh, god damn it. You pulled me back in.

SPEAKER_01 1:42:08

Um, yeah, that's no, that's that's great. Like, I I love that. I think that's really interesting. But yeah, like seeing like the start of this, I'm just like, I like that they're being accepted, but I'm like, I don't know if this is the best idea.

SPEAKER_03 1:42:19

And then the movie It's not the West, no, it's not the right way.

SPEAKER_01 1:42:22

Yeah, it's like, and then you know, as the movie goes on, it's like I I get that point. Um, but yeah, so uh the zombies are the kind of popular now um that in the cafeteria, like people are like deciding to go sip with them. Um Addison gets up to go sit with them as well, but Bucky stops her, um, asks her to uh choose if she is pro-cheerleader or pro-zombie. Um she immediately uh she backs down and chooses cheerleading. Zed uh waves at her and she uh tearfully leaves. Um she just uh gets out of there. Bucky talks to his, you know, his VIP table section, um, and said basically says the zombie trend will pass and that they're not gonna keep winning games, and then they keep winning football games. Um they had uh they we see them, it looks like playing against the same school uh five five times. At this point, no one gives a shit about Bucky anymore. Um it's cheerleading is is not the not the main focus. The football team is actually worth something now. Um Eliza is in computer club. She's like, I think I'm happy. This is weird. Um, but it's exciting. Uh Bonzo is in music class. We love this for him. Um students are uh other students are dressing, kind of dressing like zombies now, like not, you know, as as cookie cutter, you know, dress, you know, sort of uniform. Um, but they're like, they they have style now. Meanwhile, the ACs are forcibly keeping Addison away from Zed, like physically keeping her away. Um, however, we see that Zed has a note in his locker from Addison, says she is cheering for him on the inside, which is really cute. Um we get the great um line from the did you write it down too from the announcer saying the Mighty Shrimp have scampied their way to a perfect season. Oh no, I didn't know. There were so many shrimp puns with the announcer for the football games, and just they scampied their way to a perfect season. It made me laugh real hard. It was a good one.

SPEAKER_03 1:44:27

I mean, no notes. I love it. Perfect pun.

SPEAKER_01 1:44:30

We uh Addison at the um uh side of the football field, um, Bonzo runs over to her, hugs her, and gives her a note. It's very cute.

SPEAKER_03 1:44:39

But did you see that he's like he's making it a bird, not looking at her and like, oh, a paper bird fell on your shoulder. Oh no, I look down. I I looked down to write the fucking scampied line. I missed it. Oh, okay. You should you should because he like looks away, he's like like whistling like a bird, makes it fly to her on her other shoulder, and then she takes it and then he gives her a hug and then like runs away. So it's a really god, it's so fucking funny. I love him. But just like totally out of left field. Like, why was that your choice? You were very obviously what's happening?

SPEAKER_01 1:45:16

God, what a delight. I love him.

SPEAKER_02 1:45:19

But yeah, it was the note from from Zed. Um you should find that rewind with it.

SPEAKER_01 1:45:24

I will definitely do that. Um, but yeah, so it is a it's a note from Zed who uh tells him tells her to meet him at the barrier tonight, and they're gonna go, she's gonna go into Zombie Town, um, and they're gonna hang out. She is sneaking out of the house. Um, so we I thought they were just gonna go to his house and she was gonna like meet his dad or something. Um, it wasn't that. No, it wasn't that. Um, so they're in a freight elevator question mark. Um, Zed uh tells her his secret that he has to mess with his Z band in order to win games. Um she immediately sounds worried, asks if that's dangerous. And he's like, Well, I have to keep winning games. This is the only way we're getting progress. And she, you know, acquiesces. She says she understands. Um, so then the elevator gets to where they're going, which is to a club, which is the upper level of the power plant, I think.

SPEAKER_03 1:46:28

I'm sure I feel like where else would they go?

SPEAKER_01 1:46:30

What else has an elevator? They're not they're not going anywhere else. Yeah, um, so it's a big uh it's a party. Um, I think was it called a zombie mash? Like a monster mash, but not? Okay, cool. Yes, it's a zombie mash. A monster-specific mash, I see. Addison asks if it's a celebration for them, like winning football games. And Zed says, Well, no, it's a it's a win for all of us. Like it's just, you know, uh, we really needed a win as a group, like they're sort of banding together to celebrate that anything really good is happening for them, which is great. Um, we get a glimpse of the zombie written language, which is the one that I was like, I truly did not Well, you notice it's on their shirts and too, like it's on their clothing.

SPEAKER_03 1:47:12

Oh. No. A lot of the time when Zed is wearing a t-shirt, it's three. I don't know if it's supposed to be his name, but it's three symbols.

SPEAKER_01 1:47:20

Oh, I did not realize that. Oh, right. Yeah, like on the collar. No, you're right.

SPEAKER_03 1:47:25

On the collar, yeah, yeah. And then um I think it's more subtle, like this is where it's like very obvious, but it's more in it's in subtle places of just like on their clothes or something.

SPEAKER_01 1:47:35

It's so cool.

SPEAKER_03 1:47:36

Um around the around Zombie Town, it's on signs and things like that too.

SPEAKER_01 1:47:39

So yeah, this is truly the first time that I'd really like clocked it.

SPEAKER_03 1:47:42

I I don't Yeah, they don't really make it obvious. They they talk about the language, but not the symbols.

SPEAKER_01 1:47:48

Yeah, I yeah, like seeing the you know, painted up. Um so they he says, um, it's like, oh, you know, this is our our written language. Um they make the joke that they have uh 23 different words for brains, and I was like, all right, man. Um and this is also where I wrote um, this is really hard to parse with actual zombie scholarship because the whole point of zombie invasion narratives is that they don't have a culture. It's all homogeneity and consumption. The fear that you stop being an individual and become one of the masses that has invaded your life. That's the thing. Um, so it's interesting for them to be like, we have our own culture. And I'm like, I didn't expect I was like, oh, I didn't expect any of this. That's crazy.

SPEAKER_03 1:48:27

Nope. Yeah. Oh god, what did you expect this movie to be? I don't know. I really I'm just yeah I don't I wasn't sure if there were any preconceived like it is football and cheerleaders or like it is something like I knew I knew that it was cheerleading, did not know about the football part of it.

SPEAKER_01 1:48:45

I fair it's not I just knew zombies and human don't I cheerleading. I don't think I realized that I know I've seen pictures of her. I don't know if I ever clocked that she had white hair and not blonde hair. I don't know if it was depends on the iteration, I'm sure. Like I don't I don't know, but um these are all things that came to me while I was watching it and going, no, hang on a second.

SPEAKER_00 1:49:06

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:49:07

No some no zombie. Now hang on. Now what this actually know, and I was just like, what you need to cut it down. I know.

SPEAKER_03 1:49:16

I was like, no, not you. I'm talking about no, I'm talking about like the zombie like having culture, like stop that. Exactly.

SPEAKER_01 1:49:23

It's just like, no, no, no, the whole point is like you're you're you're all like everyone else. Like, I okay, yeah, I don't know. Um, but yeah, so then we get um Addison making a uh a brains joke. It's like, oh, you know, it's like do you you you like a girl who has brains? Eliza's like, hey, that's offensive, and also what the fuck are you doing here? Um yeah, Eliza's like, I don't, it's like, hey, all of this is actually bad. Um, but then it is time for the big dance party. Um, we have like I truly I was like, I don't know what this is. It seems like a weird ritual. Why is there more green smoke? Isn't the green smoke? Bad. Um, wasn't that the zombie thing? I was like, hey man, I don't know really what's happening here. I I've seen too many other monster things where it's just like this is like a weird blood rave. I'm like, and I knew it wasn't gonna be a blood race, obviously, but it's like it's the I don't know. It was like it's industrial. I don't know what happens here. You're all 15 as well, so I'm like, I have no idea of what this is just like a weird, like you know, EDM dance break. It's a dance, yeah. It was it was very fun. Um Eliza is running a catchy song. I know it's a catchy song. Eliza is running tech, Bonzo is is DJing and playing music. Um, this choreography uses a trampoline floor, which is very fucking cool. It's it's a really cool dance situation. Um, I also wrote this music as deeply 2018 EDM, and I love it.

SPEAKER_03 1:50:52

Yeah, I yeah, it's just all like not quite and I mean truly the dancing, like the tutting, the locking, the breaking, the isolations, just oh, I'd love all this.

SPEAKER_01 1:51:01

It's very cool. Yeah, it's it's a lot of fun.

SPEAKER_03 1:51:03

But it it was funny to me. I feel like Milo Mannheim in this was the least talented dancer.

SPEAKER_00 1:51:11

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:51:12

Like he's he's good, but I'm like, this is not your style. Like, this is not you. Yeah. And you're keeping up, but like everyone else is so much more talented, and you're the one that's highlighted.

SPEAKER_01 1:51:23

Like, okay. Yeah, it's yeah, it's really God, it's so funny. Um, but no, it's like it's it's very fun. Like it's a lot of cool visual stuff. Addison joins in and is like, you know, singing and dancing along with everybody else. Um, this is where I wrote, I doubt they made a whole written language for this movie, but it is very fun. And now I find out they did. They made a little thing.

SPEAKER_03 1:51:44

So the symbols, I think at least. Um, as far as like phrases and things, there are only maybe a handful that are um like translated like in wikis and stuff.

SPEAKER_01 1:51:56

Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. That makes sense. So then after the dance number, um, Zed kind of pulls off to the side. Um, his Z band is acting weird, his arm is hurting. Um, he's messing with it more than anyone is supposed to mess with them. Bonzo goes to check on him, and Zed's like, no, I'm fine, don't worry about it. You know, plays it off because he's cool and casual. Um, Addison is walking around. I think I'm sure probably looking for Zed. Um she finds Zoe, Zed's little sister, um, who is cheering. Um Zoe seems very uh sort of embarrassed to be caught cheering, and Addison's like, no, you know, I think it's I think it's really cool that you are doing that. Zoe talks about her her stuffed animal. She ref like pretends like it's a uh real dog. Um Addison uh says something about her actually having a real pet. Um Eliza shows up right then and is like, hey, that's fucking mean. Um you know that they can't have real pets, like we can't actually have real pets. And Addison's like, no, I didn't know that. I'm still learning a lot. Um she says I'm still learning that zombies aren't what I was taught. Um, like actively unlearning all of these assumptions. Um she uh specifically says, like, no, like, you know, Eliza, you are smart and cool and pretty. And Eliza's like, oh my god, you think I'm pretty? And you know me. I wrote, Oh my god, the chemistry. Of course, leave it to me to hope something is secretly a little queer.

SPEAKER_03 1:53:17

No, I mean they do, they do, but they're very sweet.

SPEAKER_01 1:53:19

Yeah, they're they're really cute. Like, I like that, and Eliza seems like one of those characters, like you could see her being opposed to Addison up to the very end of this movie, and then like a begrudging, like, you're alright. Um, and I like that she warms up to her a little bit sooner. Like, I like that she wasn't. I like that she sees that Addison is making progress. And I think sometimes And I like that Addison reached her hand out as well. Yeah, yeah. I think that this is like Addison is a is a good effective ally. Like Addison is a genuinely good example of like, hey, I'm sorry, I'm still learning, not like, oh, like like her. It's funny comparing like her first apology, which is like, I'm sorry, it was, you know, it was tear initiation. That's why I was at your house. But that doesn't really matter. Like, it's it's an excuse. And here it's like I'm not making an excuse. It's like, hey, I'm working on this. Like, I'm I'm sorry I said that. I'm trying, and I want to keep trying. And that's like that's good allyship. Like, she's doing a good job. Um, yeah, yeah. Um, so Zed, um, Zed finds them all there. Um, he is a little frustrated that Zoe's there. Um, uh she pouts a little bit and then he pretends to be a dog again to cheer her back up, and it's very cute. Um, it's the it's the you know, you see he's almost like a little bit embarrassed at first, and then it's like the girl I like is here, and it's like, nah, it's okay, I'll do the thing. It was very cute. Um, so Eliza uh uh scoops up Zoe to take her home. Um Addison says that she and Eliza should hang out. Um it's like, hey, you're really cool. Um Eliza tells Zed that she thinks she's cool too. Um, not just cool for a human, just regular cool. Um, and then she tells Zed you guys look good together. It's very cute. Um yeah, so then uh Zed and Allison or Addison take, why do I keep saying Allison? I don't know why. Um Zed and Addison take a uh romantic walk through the uh zombie light garden, which is like a spiraling staircase with a bunch of a bunch of light bulbs on sticks that is honestly very cool looking. It's pretty cool. It's pretty cool. Um there is a a slow song reprise of their little duet. Um it's very cute. A little bit of at the end of it, um a little bit of Addison's white hair is visible. Um, Zed says it's beautiful, it's really cute. They're about to kiss, and then all the lights go out, and then the fucking cops show up because they're out past curfew. And Addison didn't know they had a curfew. Yeah. And then a cop, Officer Gus, who we apparently know, we'll we'll get to that. Um, uh finds Addison and he says, This is a hotbed of zombie activity. What are you doing here? It's not safe for humans. And this is where I wrote, I think they're making conscious choices about casting non-white actors for some of these roles. Like they gotta make sure that this is not actually a race thing. Like they are actively making sure that it's like it's not all the white people saying, oh, you know, those zombies are real scary. I'm like, okay, I like that we're like not like not making this like for lack of a better phrase, black and white. Like, I like I like that they're like actually making it, it's very conscious. There are so many conscious things that are happening in the casting and and you know, directing and and scripting of this movie, which I did not expect. I'm like, ooh, you're making like actual choices. This is one like wasn't like, oops, we we actually only cast a black guy for this. It's like, no, you did that on purpose. Like that's what this is.

SPEAKER_03 1:57:03

Yeah. Yes, yeah. The diversity of this casting was um, I mean, I'd say for a Disney movie in general, pretty good, you know, because Disney doesn't always have the best track record either. But um, like this, yeah, was was good. And and good people and bad people were were of all colors. It was, you know, non-discriminatory, who's on whose side. It's just zombies versus humans.

SPEAKER_01 1:57:27

So yeah. Yeah, it was yeah, it was definitely well done in that regard. But yeah, so we um officer Gus um brings Addison home, and I said, oops, the dad is the police chief. That's how she knows him. Was that was that mentioned before?

SPEAKER_03 1:57:44

Like I knew that just that her mom was the mayor.

SPEAKER_01 1:57:47

Yeah, I knew the mom was the mayor, and then I was just like, what does her dad do? He just looks like a business guy, but he's not in a uniform, he's just in like a suit with like the like the rank pins on his collar. And I'm like, that's real cash. I don't know.

SPEAKER_03 1:57:59

It's pretty incognito, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:58:01

I was like, I don't know, but officer Gus brings her home. Um her parents are mad that she snuck out. Um, the town is full of monstrous zombies. Um, Addison confesses that she was out with a boy. Um, Gus keeps trying to leave. He does not need to be involved with any of this. He's like, none of this is my business. I gotta go. Um uh her parents are like, Well, we need to meet this boy, or you're never allowed to cheer again. And now she is What a wild beauty. I know. It's it's they have a complicated relationship. Um, so yeah, uh, but it is the uh homecoming football game that's coming up. Um, Eliza uh tells Zed that he needs to stop messing with his Z band, that it is having negative effects. Um, Zed says he's got one more game and then that's it. He's gonna stop using it, and it's fine. But the ACs have overheard them talking about it, so that's bad. Um Zed uh finds Addison, uh apologizes to her for running. He's like, I'm sorry, I ditched you there. I was scared. And I'm like, you don't have anything to apologize for. And Addison tells him, You don't have anything to apologize for, like, you're fine. Um, but she says, Well, uh, my parents need to meet you. They said that I that they have to meet you or I can't cheer. And he's like, That's okay, I will win them over immediately. And she's like, Well, probably not, because they don't know you're a zombie. I don't think so. Yeah. Um, and then we we, you know, get Zed says, I'm sorry for making things difficult for you. And I was like, You don't need to apologize for that. And then I was like, Good job, Addison. You said that. Yeah, Addison's like, it's fine. Like, she is ready, she's like, honestly, like, I don't care. Like, maybe I should just give up cheerleading. Um, she says she wishes she could just flip a switch and make everything different. Um, then she's like, but I can't leave. But that gives Zed an idea. And I wrote three question marks. I'm like, what is that? I don't know. Um, so then we we get Bucky in. I didn't know where this was. I was like, is it a lounge? It's kind of the cheerleading lounge. It's a weird, like it's a glass room, which I think was probably used as the principal's office too. I think they just reused that set. I don't know. Um probably but he is kneeling and praying to the cheer gods. The cheer spirits? Yeah, the cheer spirits to give him a sign. And I at the time wrote, this is not silly enough to counteract the fact that he is straight evil. It is, it's fine. He's not he's not straight evil. Sure. I I have no that's fair. I thought I had his number, and now seeing it again, I'm just like, oh no, you're just you're just a dumbass. Like, you're fine. Um just a goof. Yeah, he's he's just yeah, he's a silly goofy guy.

SPEAKER_02 2:00:49

Egocentric goofy.

SPEAKER_01 2:00:50

Yes, yeah. Um but yeah, as as he is uh asking for a sign from the tear gods, um, the rest of the squad comes and tells him what they found out, and he's like, crushed it. The gods have provided. The gods have provided. Look at me. Um Lord will provide. Exactly.

unknown 2:01:09

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 2:01:09

Um, so then they have a plan. Um, so the ACs are inviting Eliza to go to a spa with them. Um, Tracy kind of negs her and is like, oh, you know, if you, you know, did something with your your entire being, uh, you might be kind of cute. And I said, too late, ask her, and I already told her she's hot. Um, your your uh half-assed compliment means nothing now. Um, so you're not winning her over. But Lacey, uh the blonde, the and this is where I was like, shit, I actually need to learn their names. Um, so I scrolled back up to my notes. Um, so Lacey, the blonde one, um, is like, actually, you should come over because uh my mom has a VR room set up. And that is intriguing enough that Eliza's like, well, I mean, it would honestly be kind of closed-minded of me if I didn't hang out with you. So I guess we should do that. Um, she is distracted long enough for Stacy, uh the one who is not talking there, to sneak up behind her and steal her laptop. Um, as long as as soon as the laptop is gone, Lacey goes, actually, you're not invited by um and leaves immediately. Um then we get all three of them trying to get into Eliza's computer in that lounge. Um is Lacey trying, is is she the one trying to hack into the computer? Because she's the she's the one who says, Oh yeah, there are firewalls and I can't get past it. And I was like, and so I was like, Lacey is the one trying to hack into the computer? I assumed she was the dumb one because she made the lactose intolerant joke. Did y'all give her multitudes? And I don't know if so I don't know if they did.

SPEAKER_03 2:02:49

But I I I'm not sure why she was the one doing it because they don't get into it. Zed's the one that lets them in by switching the Z band to the other side. And but then when we go back to it, I'm pretty sure Stacy is the one doing stuff on the computer at the game. Yeah. So I don't think Lacey actually gets them anywhere with the computer.

SPEAKER_01 2:03:16

But the fact that she knows that it's a firewall and says that word. Yeah, I was like, okay. I was like, did you give her multi-trigger? And they they did a little bit, but then it just A little. Yeah, I was like, I don't, I don't know. Maybe y'all just wrote the wrong AC and then uh forgotten.

SPEAKER_03 2:03:33

That's what I was wondering if it was the wrong line.

SPEAKER_01 2:03:36

That wasn't your line. Oh shit.

SPEAKER_03 2:03:37

Well, we we get out of the front of the computer. You're not supposed to be right.

SPEAKER_01 2:03:41

Yeah, it's like, well, we already recorded it. We can't go back now. It's fine. Yeah, it's whatever, it's fine. But yeah, so uh Zed tells the camera um that Eliza told him he wasn't supposed to swipe left, or yeah, told him to only swipe right on the band and not swipe left, but he's gonna do it anyways. And I was like, Oh, okay, so he was just turning it off when he swiped it the last time. It's fine. Um, so he uh he says, This is gonna hurt, and then it sounds like it does hurt, it sounds horrible. That's crazy. Yeah, um, but as he swipes it, it corrupts the software, which also corrupts the software that's on Eliza's laptop. And I wrote, yeah, all right. I yeah, I'm like, this this checks out as someone who knows half of a computer thing. I'm like, totally, I love this. Um, so then they're like, We're in. The ACs are in. Um so uh Addison is at her house. She is about to tell her parents about Zed. She's straight up gonna do it. She's like, hey, there's something you need to know. And the doorbell rings, and they're like, Yeah, yeah, yeah, hang on, Addison. She they open the door and Zed is there before she can tell them. And he looks human. He has has rosy skin and uh non-green hair and bonds with her dad super quick, and they both love him, and it's so chill and normal. And Addison's like, what the fuck is happening? Um, as uh that and so they're like, Well, have a great time at the homecoming game. Um, he uh as as they are leaving, um her dad says, uh, he's such a nice boy. Where did you dig him up? And I wrote lol. Uh zombie jokes. Um, but uh while they're there, um or they're leaving, um Addison asks, is like, hey, what the hell? And Zed's like, I feel great. I, you know, everything is fine, nothing is wrong. Um, we have time before the game, and I owe you a real date. And Addison is very excited about it. Um, they are going to an ice cream store that specifically has a no zombies sign. The Z band is already acting up. Um, Zed is visibly in pain, um, but he plays it off. He says, Eliza was wrong, nothing bad happened. I am completely fine, which is not not the case. Um stupid. Yeah, he's God, he's trying so hard. Um, they get ice cream. I said, all they have is vanilla. This is an allegory. I was like, like they're not saying it's about being white, but it kind of is. Um I I think how how do you how do you just have an ice cream store that only has vanilla? How how do you are the are you the only ice cream store in town? Like, what's how's that happen?

SPEAKER_03 2:06:22

Well, he did say I've always wanted to come to that's true, so it's been around for a minute then.

SPEAKER_01 2:06:26

They have staying power.

SPEAKER_03 2:06:28

Yeah, all right. Because that's the only thing that people want in Caesar. They're so boring, unoriginal.

SPEAKER_01 2:06:35

That's true.

SPEAKER_03 2:06:35

I've lame God.

SPEAKER_01 2:06:38

They never want anything.

SPEAKER_03 2:06:39

People don't like change or anything exciting. Oh my god. Um, just vanilla, not white vanilla. The worst kind, which is not a synonym for white at all.

SPEAKER_01 2:06:52

No, absolutely not. No. What do you mean? What lines are you reading between?

SPEAKER_03 2:06:58

How dare you? The space is only a foot wide. Let me put my whole foot in the back.

SPEAKER_01 2:07:07

Oh my god, yeah, get in there. Um, but yeah, I yeah, like you said, Zed says he's always wanted to come here. Um Addison feels bad that he's forcing himself to fit in. Um, she's like, this doesn't feel right. And Zed says, well, it's the same thing as you wearing a wig. Why can't I try to fit in? Just it's like, why is it okay for you to do that and I'm not? Um, and Addison says, honestly, I don't like having to do that either. She says, We're changing ourselves, but what needs to change is everybody else. She's not comfortable with the fact that he's had to make all of these changes and that she's worried about him, that he doesn't seem like everything's okay. Um, yeah. Uh so we have um we're in the glass box lounge, whatever. Um, it's the cheer cheerleading team getting ready. Um Addison is uh helping Brie fix her hair, tells her to bring her pom-poms out. And Brie's confused. She's like, Well, I'm not on the starting lineup. And Addison says, Well, I think it's time that things changed. Um, so I'm excited to see what change is gonna happen. Um, so we are seeing the um the football game. Um, they're the the mighty shrimps are holding their own, but there are three seconds left in the game, and they're down by five. And I love just a very quick, like, here, here are the stakes. We didn't need to see a whole game. Here's what needs to happen. Um, I this is where I noticed that Zed's jersey number is just a Z. I said, what the fuck, y'all?

SPEAKER_03 2:08:37

I know I noticed that at one point, but I did forget.

SPEAKER_01 2:08:40

It was really then where it's just like you get a good look at the back of his jersey, and I'm just like, that's not a number. Okay. Is that a Roman numeral? Oh, it might be. What is it, Zeta?

SPEAKER_03 2:08:52

Well, Zeta's Greek. Nope, Z is not a Roman numeral. Uh, well, and Zed is um, you know, a pun on how it's said, uh Z is said in uh Charlotte uh England, right? They say Z instead of Z is a good one.

SPEAKER_01 2:09:08

We're not using the Z word.

SPEAKER_03 2:09:09

Yep, not a thing. Then that's just wild that he they labeled him like that. Like, this is the fucking zombie. He shouldn't miss it. You can't miss a zombie.

SPEAKER_01 2:09:20

Um, but we get the uh the coach is actually optimistic. He's like, I'm gonna, I'm gonna get my ex-wife back. We get more lore about him, which I love. His sad life. I know his sad life, but it's getting better. Um, the principal appears, um, it's like, wow, the people really like him. And then we get some great fucking lines. Uh the principal says, It's almost like he's one of us. And then the coach looks at her and says, He is one of us. And I said, Hell yeah, coach.

unknown 2:09:49

Right.

SPEAKER_01 2:09:49

And then the principal says, You're right, he is. And I said, Okay, I'm all right. No, there's progress. Look at this. Everyone, everyone's moved, you know, the needle's moving. Like it's all happening. Look at us. Yeah, that the he is one of us, like, really got me. I was like, okay, I didn't expect this from you. I love this. It was a good move. Um, but yeah, um, unfortunately, Zed is not doing good. Um, he is struggling. Um, Addison goes to check in with him. Um, she was like, Okay, well, I'm I'm gonna be cheering for for you. Um, she stands up in front of the crowd and starts a cheer of zombie. Like it's like, give me a zombie, give me a B. Um, and Bucky shuts her down and is like, hey, you need to knock it off. He says, You are way too good of a cheerleader to throw your life away. And I said, Oh my god, okay. You know my dad. Yeah, I was like, This is a weird cousin relationship, and I don't like it. Um, I was like, back Bucky, you need to back the fuck off, man. Um she uh she pushes him away. Um he get he says he gives her one last chance and she ignores him. Um and he says, You're off the team, you freak. And this is where I thought the wig was gonna get snatched off, but it didn't.

SPEAKER_02 2:11:04

Right?

SPEAKER_01 2:11:05

Wow, I thought this is where he was gonna expose her as a freak, and it's like, oh no, but no. Um yeah, um Addison's like, fuck you, and just keeps cheering, which is great because truly there's nothing he can do. Um, Brie jumps off the bench and supports Addison. Uh and Bucky's like, you're off the team too. And they're both like, okay, we don't care. And they keep cheering, and it's very cute. Um meanwhile, to the side of the bleachers, um, Stacy is done doing whatever she was doing with Eliza's laptop. Um, we see uh Zed's Z band has a little monster face on it. Um, have we seen that little monster face before? Or is it just like it's like a virus, basically.

SPEAKER_03 2:11:50

Yeah, virus face.

SPEAKER_01 2:11:52

Um, but uh then we also see that um so does Eliza's um in the crowd. She looks down, she's like, the sufferer got corrupted. How did that happen? And then she looks up and she's like, God damn it, Zed did the fucking thing that I told him not to do. Um, which is exactly what happened. Um, so Zed looks at the it's three seconds left in the game, and he says, uh, he tells himself he knows he can do this just as regular old me, which has always been good enough. He could just be the regular him the whole time, and then he does, and he scores a touchdown, and they win the game, and it's amazing. Everything's great. But now is when Tracy turns off the Z band entirely, and then he turns into a full zombie and it's bad, and someone sounds the sounds the zombie alarm, and then they uh Tracy goes to the next phase, which is turning off Bonzo and Eliza's Z bands too. And I said, Bucky is pleased. We haven't we haven't written that in a long time, but I was like, Bucky is pleased with this turn of events. Um the three of them are are you know uh snarling angry zombies, and he says, My plan is working, I thought of everything. Um, and then these zombies are and approaching him, and he goes, I didn't plan for this. Oh no.

SPEAKER_03 2:13:04

Um so he Oh no, the consequences of my own actions.

SPEAKER_01 2:13:07

Who could have foreseen this? Um so he sprints away. Um the ACs all throw each other under the bus, respectively. Um, uh blame each other. Um Bucky runs underneath the bleachers. Um Zed follows him, but we see him actively fighting the urge to attack, and he is holding himself back and you know, trying to be better. Um Officer Gus finds them underneath the bleachers, he tases Zed, and that turns him Yeah, it's like turns him back to normal, it looks like. I guess because if it's an electrical pulse, the pulses. Yeah, if it's an electrical pulse, that makes sense. Oh, okay. Um, look at that, the science holds up. Good for them. Um so Addison finds him under the bleachers, um, immediately goes to check on Zed, um, you know, tells him that that it's gonna be okay, but then sees that they are putting him in handcuffs, asks where they're taking him. Um her uh Addison's dad catches up, tells her to stay away and stay back from them. We come out from under the bleachers. Eliza and Bonzo are getting arrested too. Um Addison tries to fight back and says, These are my friends. And Eliza says, We don't have human friends. We just get this moment of betrayal. Um, the uh Addison's parents are telling it's like, we told you that zombies aren't safe. Give them an inch and they'll bite your face off. Um, Zed's dad is there and is like, hey, that's my son that you're talking about. Um we get his last name, which is insane. It's Necrodopolis. Yep. Fiction 50 years. Where did was this their name beforehand? Is this I don't I have questions. I don't understand. Huh? Yeah. Um was it was it something else? And then they it's like, oh, you have to is it like an LS Island thing where when you're a zombie, you have to change the stuff.

SPEAKER_03 2:14:48

I was just gonna say it's an LS Island thing.

SPEAKER_01 2:14:50

You have to change it to to fit in with the with the zombies. The crowd. I don't know. Um but yeah, like we, you know, his his dad, you know, tries to stand up for him. It's just generally a bad situation. Um, Zed looks at Addison and says, Maybe they're right, maybe maybe they shouldn't be together. Bucky sees the damage that he's done. Um, the other zombies are getting booed out of the crowds. Um, just generally everyone has just they won the game, everyone was excited, now everyone is just flipped on a fucking dime. It's like, oh no, like you know, you were bad the whole time. Um, Addison yells at the crowd. She says, This is your fault. You made him feel like he had to risk his life to belong. Y'all, you guys were fine with him doing all of this when he was winning your stupid football games. And it it's so good. Like it makes so much sense. She's she's absolutely right. Yeah, she's yeah, she is correct.

SPEAKER_03 2:15:49

I will say one stupid thing when she's in front of the crowd, and I'll try and find a picture of it later. There was one guy in the crowd that had a sign with like the letters and everything that said zombies go home. And I was like, how did you already have that or change your sign? Oh my god. So I will I will look for that. But I was like, how the fuck did you do that so quickly? Because it was like the the the decal letters and everything too that they all had, but it just said zombies go home. I was like, they just won the game.

SPEAKER_01 2:16:20

Right. Oh my god, that you're right, because all of the other signs were like, yay, go zombie. Yeah, go zombies. Oh no.

SPEAKER_03 2:16:28

Yeah, let me try and find that. But yeah, I was like, that's wild.

SPEAKER_01 2:16:31

Can I tell you the the print shop that's making all the giant Bucky banners? They were just having a sale and they were like, hey, these are these are dual-sided. You tell us what the temperature is on the zombies, and uh, we'll just make you one that says both. Yes. Oh my god, that's so fucking funny.

SPEAKER_02 2:16:50

Sorry. Yeah, I was just like, I have to bring this up.

SPEAKER_01 2:16:52

No, I believe you. That's I because I remember seeing the signs before because it was like in the first game, there were a lot of the protesters. It's yes, they've got to be two-sided signs, those fuckers.

SPEAKER_03 2:17:03

That's what I was moved the letters around. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 2:17:08

He peeled up the decals real quick and rearranged them. Right? I don't know. I'd have to see what the sign said beforehand. Yeah, oh my god.

SPEAKER_03 2:17:16

All right, I will I'll find it eventually.

SPEAKER_01 2:17:18

Um yeah, so so then we get Addison um singing a song about standing up for what is right.

SPEAKER_03 2:17:25

Um called Stand.

SPEAKER_01 2:17:27

Oh, of course it is. I was gonna I was gonna ask, I was like, tell me what these songs are called because I did not look them up. That's perfect. So during this song, um, we are revisiting all of the moments of injustice throughout the movie, and I said a recap like this feels wild for an hour and a half long movie, especially considering that one of them had happened two minutes before.

SPEAKER_03 2:17:48

Yes, but there is a precedence in I would say more recent Disney movies to have a montage of scenes from this movie in a dramatic song.

SPEAKER_01 2:17:57

Really? Oh, this is a trope. Interesting.

SPEAKER_03 2:18:01

It definitely happened at least once or twice in Descendants.

SPEAKER_01 2:18:04

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 2:18:05

And at least this one. I don't know if it happens again, but it was like a very like there's precedent for it.

SPEAKER_01 2:18:10

No, that's so Yes. No, that's totally fair. I get it.

SPEAKER_03 2:18:14

I it is wild, but I feel like they feel like they really have to like just punch it into you, like the message of this song and like look at all the bad things. No, I get it. Like, yeah, what's happening? You know, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 2:18:26

Oh, that's so funny. Yeah, just the idea that it was like, yeah, remember when this happened? I'm like, Yes, I I sure do. Yes, I was there. It's absolutely I was there. This is a two-hour runtime if I'm watching it on TV with commercials. Yeah, I was there, man. It's okay. Um, yeah, uh, but yeah, we we get um Bucky joining in the song, and I said, because he realizes he's been wrong. But then it says his his line specifically is like, What if I don't know where I stand? And I was like, Okay, maybe not entirely. Like, maybe he's like, you know, not he's he's he's a work in progress. Yes, he's he's he's glad he's not dead. Yeah, so he's like, What have I done? Um I here's where I wrote, I do like that this song could literally be about anything. I like it is it is so nonspecific. It's just like I'm gonna stand like I'm gonna stand up for what I believe and do the right thing. And I'm like, which is yes, yes, and say the thing. Um, so then we get at the climax of this song. Um, she whips the wig off. Like, truly, when before she pulls it off, yeah, she reaches so far down her forehead for this wig. I'm like, girl, where is this lace front stopping? Like, what have you where is this glued to your fucking head? Like, Jesus. Um, but also if she's cheerleading, that fucker's gotta be glued the fuck on. Like, I I can't imagine doing anything acrobatic in any of the wigs I own. It would be bad. Um, nope. So as so as she pulls off the wig, um Bucky looks shocked. Her her parents, her dad is staring at her like horrified. Her mom looks off to the side like she's annoyed. Like, not even like disappointed. She's just like, uh, it is God damn it. Yeah, exactly. It just it made me God damn it, Adam. Yeah, it's like motherfucker. It just it made me laugh so hard where she's just like, you like you can hear her sigh. Like you can you just I did not like not go. She's sighing. She's like, oh um, yeah. So this is so this is where I wrote, I know the gesture is an I'm different too, and I don't care, but it does kind of like an arrest me too gesture. And that's and that's very funny. She's like, I'm just like them, take me away. It's like Addison, that's not what this is.

SPEAKER_03 2:20:51

Did not think of that.

SPEAKER_01 2:20:52

That's pretty funny. It's just like I think it's because like they're not quite at like the like the police van yet. It's just like she looks back at them and it's just like I'm here too. And it's like, yeah, you're you're fine. Yeah. And then everyone in the crowd just boos her too. It's so fucking funny. I don't think I knew how much longer was in this movie. Still, I was like, I thought maybe that I mean there is one more song, like I, but I didn't think there was gonna be a ton. And I was like, what the fuck, man? Like, y'all are just like, yeah, no, we're mad at you two, nothing has changed.

SPEAKER_03 2:21:29

This is a dramatic climax, and she's there, she's exactly she's not even like accepted or anything.

SPEAKER_01 2:21:34

Yeah, it's not like, oh, you did a brave thing. It's like, fuck you two, get out of here. Oh my god, it's so insane. Um, but yeah, so uh back it we're back in zombie town after you know aftermath of of the football game. Um, the kids are being re-released. Um, Zed tells the camera that they spent some time in zombie containment. I don't know how much time sometime is.

SPEAKER_04 2:22:00

I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 2:22:01

Um, Zed feels bad because it it's it's you know his fault that everyone got rounded up. It's not. Um, yeah, it's absolutely not. He is internalizing this way too much and he needs to knock it off. Um, but uh now also the government is like, well shit, we need to upgrade your Z your Z bands um so they can't be hacked. They have Wi-Fi now, so he's excited about that. No, yeah, uh Eliza is pissed off that the zombies got blamed for what the cheerleaders did. Um, she's a hundred percent correct. Um, she says we tried doing it the nice way, now it's time to do it my way. Um, she says, you know, we need to create an uprising and force them to make zombies equal. Like we need to force this. Um, I wrote, girl, wait until the cops leave again, at least. They're still right there at the van. Nah, they're not listening. Clearly not. They're just like, okay. Um yeah. So we see uh Liza cross the street and go home. Um, the woman that we saw earlier in the street is her mom who hugs her and says, We were so worried about you. Um, Zed's dad is upset that he put himself in danger. Um he says, You don't have to change who you are. I love who you are. And Zed says, Yeah, but nobody else does. Um, so then they go inside. Um, it is back to normal at school. Um we focus on some patio chairs and umbrellas outside. This school makes no fucking sense. Um the the grounds are just astonishing. Um, I wish I could go to a high school that movies thought high schools were like, you know? East High is a real high school. Yeah, that's true. They actually went two classes, and that was honestly incredible, groundbreaking. So we're back at school. Addison tells the camera that the cheer comp cheer championship is a few hours away. Um, and Bucky is aggressively pruning the squad and kicking out everyone who isn't like fully anti-zombie. Um, the ACs are very concerned um because they are cutting way too many people. Um, Bucky says they need to be perfect, um, which is probably not gonna happen at this point. Um, spoilers. Zed uh tells the camera that they are sending the zombies back to segregated schools. Things are back to, you know, the bad version that they were. Eliza didn't even show up, so Bonzo is cleaning out her locker for her. Um, inside, they find plans to sabotage the cheer championship. Um I don't know how, but it's gonna happen. It is a technical thing, and Eliza's very smart, so she's gonna do it. Um I it we are um we are now at the cheer championship. Um I wrote, Everyone say thank you to Pitch Perfect for giving us the perfect bitchy competition commentators. Everyone else is just trying to be them. Like true story. Truly, I was like, I'm sure that trope has existed before Pitch Perfect, but oh god, what is his name? Is that John David Higgins or something? And Elizabeth Banks, they do that so well that I'm like, everyone's just trying to be you. Like it's just they they peace at that.

SPEAKER_03 2:25:17

Um yes, it's it's the best example and that you know I would say it was pretty consistent over three movies as well.

SPEAKER_01 2:25:26

Yeah, they're just god, they're so fucking funny. Um, but yeah, anytime there's like compet like uh competition like commentators, I'm just like, I see what you're trying to channel. I understand. This is an homage. Um, yeah, so uh while they are off stage, um Bucky is pretending very hard to be confident. The ACs are not confident at all. They're like, it's gonna go badly. Um Zoe is there to just watch the competition, just hang it out. Um, Bree and Addison are there um in the crowds just to watch. Um Addison's parents are there. They look very unhappy that she's there um because Addison is not wearing her wig. Her hair is just the the way God made her. Um Brie uh Brie says that it she feels like her dream of being on the chair team is act was stupid. Um Addison said it's not. Um she said she'll get there once the town gets over itself. Um Addison is still a hundred percent pro, like Brie. She is still ride or die, and I love it. Um uh Brie says something about Addison's parents. It's like, oh, you know, aren't they gonna be mad because they see her see Addison without her wig? Addison's like, I don't care anymore. It doesn't matter if they can't tell me what to do. She hears Zed and Bonzo talking next to the bleachers um and leaves to go chase them. Um the two of them go underneath the bleachers. They find Eliza. Um, she is preparing to sabotage the competition somehow. And Zed says, well, that's not how the way to that's not the way to do it. Ruining the tier championship is only going to prove their worst fears that zombies are monsters. Once again, the model minority trying to say, well, no, you know, we need to make sure that we're still making a good impression. Addison catches up to them and she says, Hey, they already think you're you're monsters. Fuck it. Do do what you're gonna do. She tells Eliza to go ahead. Um, I know. Which is I I was excited. I was like, oh hell yeah, we're gonna burn it down, and I love it. Um, I still have no idea what Eliza's plan was. Um, but uh I don't think she knows. Um, but I you know what? I love I love her impulsive spirit. This is great. Um Zed uh pushes back and said, you know, sabotage isn't who they are. Um he says, I'm not a monster, I'm a zombie. And you're a cheerleader. And I'm like, I I I like that. I like the distinction of like, no, you know, like making sure that that people are seeing him not just as not a monster, but like as like actively what he is and not trying to be anything other than what he is. Um and I think I I think in that it is like you know, it's it's uh you know, it it's effective. Like I like I like what he says in this, in this, you know, in this scene specifically. Like it's it's less like, oh, well, you know, we can make them accept us. It's like, hey, you know, I'm uh the best thing we can do is just keep being ourselves and not, you know, not betray that by, you know, trying to seek revenge or you know, prove anything. It's like, you know, just continuing to be your best self consistently. So he says basically Addison is meant to change the world through cheer and not sabotage. I was like, okay, all right. Um, so they're you know, they're talked Eliza down from the sabotage. They're like, okay, fine, we'll figure it out. Um, Brie comes to uh like yells under the bleachers and tells them that Seabrook is up next. Um, so then they're gonna go around to the side of the stage because there's no security in this place, they don't really care. Um, Seabrook goes up and there are eight people on stage and they're doing bad. Um, because they have no idea what they're doing with so few people. Um, and Eliza says it's the sweetest kind of sabotage, self-sabotage. Um, it's great. Um things are going very badly. Um, this is where I wrote a grown man yells at Bucky to get off the stage.

SPEAKER_03 2:29:34

He does. He very much does.

SPEAKER_01 2:29:37

Just some man is like, I have something to say, and starts the whole crowd is booing. Um Seaburke, they're doing a real bad job. Um but they zoom in on this man who apparently has a lot of weight here. Um uh Zoe is starting to run down the bleacher steps. Um, she sees how bad things are going. Um, she unplugs the sound system. Um, and so the you know, whatever pre-planned music they had stops. Um, she climbs onto the stage and starts leading a cheer by herself. She is so cute. The same grown man tells her to get off the stage. And I just this combined with the pep rally being full of 30 to 40-year-old people is just could be the same. Honestly, yeah, he's probably the same guy at one of those. I saw them at the pepper alley, they were way better. I don't know what happened. Um, yeah, so um, so off to the side, Bucky is uh watching everyone boo this child. Um and uh the our our squad that we actually like. Um Addison says that uh Zoe is changing things by cheering. And uh Eliza says that's not how change works. You can't just change things with one person and a pair of pom-poms. And Addison says, You're right, it's gonna take all of us. Um and we get a lot of like, you know, this the we get the line, zombies celebrate their differences, and I'm like, okay, I can't fight this anymore. I guess this is what it is. Um, so this is what it is. I know, I know, I've accepted it as washing over me. Um so the the squad that we like crosses the stage to talk to Bucky. Um Addison says change is happening and we're not going away. Um Bucky says that he can't handle it. He pulls off his whistle and he leaves. I at this point I said I really thought he was gonna pull off a wig too. I was about to be very hype. I I had I had written this whole I've written this whole separate movie in my head where Bucky was actually sinister but also had his own deep dark secret. He doesn't. He's he is a sh he hates what he is in his. Yes, exactly, but and he's projecting onto Addison. He's like, if if I can't accept the status quo, why can't you? And it's but no, he is a oh my god, I want this movie. I know, unfortunately, he is a shallow puddle. Um, there is not as much depth as I want you to have. No, I know he's a narcissist. I know, yeah. It's a shallow puddle that he can see himself in and nothing else. And he loves it. He's having a great time. But then we get the um an actual cheer performance of the zombies and cheerleaders performing together. Everyone's having a great time. They're doing a good job. Um, Zoe. Lots of callbacks with choreography. Yeah, lots of callbacks with choreography. Um, it's the song that was in the um, it's the song that was the cheerleading um uh fired up. Yeah, yeah, that was the tryout song, right? Yes, okay, cool. Um, I was like, which song was this? I was trying to remember.

SPEAKER_02 2:32:44

You got it.

SPEAKER_01 2:32:45

Um Zoe sees that Bucky is just watching from the sidelines. She's she runs over to him. She says, they're good, right? And he's like, Yeah. Um, and Zoe says the thing, the only thing they're missing is the best cheerleader I ever saw, and hands him his whistle back. And I was like, God, why did that get me? I was like, that's really fucking cute.

SPEAKER_03 2:33:05

Because she's so cute and poignant and sp and pure.

SPEAKER_01 2:33:08

She is so cute. Uh Bucky takes his whistle back. Um, and he tells her, You're good too. And she goes, I know. And it was very cute. Um, meanwhile, back on stage, um, Brie gets to do her aerial flip in the competition, and then Bonzo flirts with her immediately after. And I'm like, Yes, this is my OGP. This is the gang. I'm absolutely here for Brie and Bonzo. That's that's great. Um uh after the performance, um Addison and Zed um talk to each other and it's like, Wow, can you believe it? We're performing together. Um, Addison says something in zombie to him, uh, speaks it correctly, and Zed goes, yeah, me too. Um and I don't know what they were supposed to have said.

SPEAKER_03 2:33:55

It means I love you, I think.

SPEAKER_01 2:33:57

Too soon. They haven't kissed. This is, I know. I just I don't know. I'm sorry.

SPEAKER_03 2:34:03

That's I'm pretty cause it was was it Gar Gar Gaza?

SPEAKER_01 2:34:07

Yes.

SPEAKER_03 2:34:09

I know things.

SPEAKER_01 2:34:11

Oh my god, you've seen this movie before.

SPEAKER_03 2:34:13

Yeah, it translates to I love you. I I can't remember. I feel like they said that at some point. Because like, why else would she know it? I can't remember where.

SPEAKER_01 2:34:22

Yeah. Yeah, but the other one she said that she had like looked it up online or something. Um that sound that sounds like the most logical thing. Um, I just I don't know.

SPEAKER_03 2:34:36

Um she picks it up naturally as they spend time together and competitive in zombie tongue. Bullshit.

SPEAKER_01 2:34:43

Fuck you, AI. Get out of here. Yeah. I don't I don't know if she just like picked it up. Like it doesn't, that's I don't know. That feels crazy. She must have heard it somewhere, but I don't know.

SPEAKER_03 2:34:54

Okay, so according to Tumblr, because his response is I you too, then uh so it obviously means I like you, I like you too, but they say Disney is too weak to have that kind of emotional in words, so zombie language.

SPEAKER_00 2:35:13

Honestly, yeah. So get him, uh get him too.

SPEAKER_03 2:35:16

So this just means that Addison just yelled out love or like with no other context because he says I gar gargaze I you too.

SPEAKER_00 2:35:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 2:35:25

And so Zed jumping the gun a little was like, Did she just confess her love to me? My god, man, say something bad. So uh yeah. That's cute though. I think I I think the the general um consensus is that I like you or I love you, and I love you too.

SPEAKER_01 2:35:43

Yeah, okay. That makes that makes sense. That checks out. Um yeah, but yeah, so um, so yeah, we cut back to the crowd. Um Addison's parents are cheering. It's totally good. Um, they Saburg did not win the championship, obviously. That makes sense. Um, but uh they uh tore down the wall. No, not not the whole wall, but like there's uh actual They opened the wall. But they opened Oh, was it was there an actual door in the in the fucking fence?

SPEAKER_03 2:36:15

Oh no, you're right. That was a wall. It was a wall before. You're right, you're right. I forgot.

SPEAKER_01 2:36:19

No, how'd they get the van in there? There's gotta be, there's gotta be because we only saw them leaving through like like a door door, like through a building.

SPEAKER_03 2:36:28

Well, the van probably went in the door that they leave for school, but you're uh yeah, they opened like another part of town, I guess, or something. Because you're right, it was a dead end.

SPEAKER_01 2:36:35

Yeah, I don't know. Um, yeah, but uh the walls are coming down. That's true. Yeah, the walls are coming down. Um, they had a block party. Um, everyone's coming. Addison's parents are fine with everything now. Um, Addison brought Zoe a dog because Did she break the law? I was gonna say, did the law change? Is this just social norms? Is it just racism? I don't know. Like it's her mom's the mayor. That's true. Maybe it's nepotism. Oh my god, but like her mom can't be the one instill like like making laws. Like that woman can't be a lawmaker. Mayors don't do that. I don't know. Maybe maybe I don't know, maybe she got like a permit or something.

SPEAKER_03 2:37:21

Yeah, I'm not sure. Yeah, if just Addison went rogue or the laws changed, that's what we're supposed to infer.

SPEAKER_01 2:37:26

I was like, hold on a fucking second. Like, are you like it are you trying to like are you accidentally breaking the law for them? And then it's like, oh, I didn't know. I'm like, girl, you you you know now. Like you didn't know you knew Eliza told me. Yeah, I was like, no, we talked about this. I don't know. I was like, it's cute as hell, and I love it. Um, but yeah, yeah. So now everyone is friends, there's a big old dance number. Um, everyone is like clothing mashups, and and you know, we're all you noticed. I'm so glad. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 2:37:57

Yes, because a lot uh uh Addison, I'm not sure about the kimono dress, like that felt yeah, wild.

SPEAKER_01 2:38:03

Totally different.

SPEAKER_03 2:38:04

Yeah, I was just like, I but yes, Eliza had the pink patches in her outfit, and then Bree had the cute little maroon zombie card again.

SPEAKER_01 2:38:12

Yeah, yeah, it was cute. Everyone's like it's just combining of cultures, and we are learning from each other, and we're dancing not in one specific style, we're all dancing together, and it's everything's great. Um, but yeah, and that's and that's it. We end on a big old musical number, everybody's friends, um, and we all live happily ever after until they decided that this did well, and we needed sequels. We ended of course, all right. The end, Emily. Tell me about these sequels.

SPEAKER_03 2:38:47

Okay, so here's the earth. Um, so second one, zombies to just have like a tagline or something. Yeah, I'm I'm um, yes, because there is lore. Um, so zombies to werewolves. Okay. Um, so the whole thing with them is that werewolves get power from some big supercharged energy artifact called the moonstone. And they have these necklaces that like help keep them alive and slash werewolves. But you get another cartoon flashback where like uh the founders of Seabrook settlers were like fighting a group of werewolves. So it is in the war, we promise.

SPEAKER_02 2:39:28

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 2:39:29

Yeah, so it's like old, olden time seabrook.

SPEAKER_02 2:39:32

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 2:39:33

Um, so werewolves kind of like come out of nowhere. It's because their moonstones are like losing power and they have to find like the source or whatever. Um, so they venture into like the town to kind of you know search for the power, but they're like, well, we have to kind of blend in. So they join the high school.

SPEAKER_02 2:39:59

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 2:40:00

So that creates conflict um because then people like the zombies but are scared of the werewolf, so they introduce the anti-monster laws again, which also affects zombies. Oh no. Yes, so it they they get lumped back together, but then there's this whole like other plot of since Addison has white hair, there's a tale of like the great Alpha that's like has white hair, whatever, and they're like, maybe it's her. Um, spoilers, it's not, but she gets a really cool werewolf makeover. Okay. This is honestly one of my favorites. Like the werewolves are so fun and cool. Um, and they have great songs, and all of their names start with W. It's pretty neat. Um I love it. So but the at the end of it, they find out that the uh the moonstone is beneath the power plant, and they get it. Why is this this weird thing? And they're gonna tear down the power plant, so they have to go get it. So I think the moonstone has to do with the zombie outbreak, I believe.

SPEAKER_01 2:41:01

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 2:41:01

I think. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 2:41:02

So that's so it wasn't just the lime soda.

SPEAKER_03 2:41:05

I don't think so. I feel like we get more into it each time, but I couldn't remember exactly. Okay. So that's the second one. And then afterwards, like, yay, werewolves are from that. Like everything's fine. At the end of this one, we get a glowing blue meteor falling from the moon, waking up Addison and causing her hair to glow. But she's like oblivious about it. So the third one, we all thought, oh yeah, you know, you've done zombies, you've done werewolves, you're gonna do vampires, rex. No, aliens. No, so the third one? Yes. Aliens is the third one. You're welcome. Nope.

SPEAKER_01 2:41:44

Okay. I thought I thought that was the four okay.

SPEAKER_02 2:41:48

Nope. Nope.

SPEAKER_01 2:41:50

Okay. So, so okay, meteor. So aliens they're coming to get the meteor. That's just to indicate it's like an end credit scene.

SPEAKER_03 2:42:02

Like, that's to indicate, ooh, something's happening.

SPEAKER_01 2:42:04

Okay, so the meteor isn't like the hook from the for the alien part. Not really.

SPEAKER_03 2:42:09

It's more like she's attached to something, like something's going on with Addison. It's one of the things.

SPEAKER_01 2:42:14

Oh my god. Oh my god. It what is her Mary Sue situation where she's just like the actual chosen one of some wait, it no, tell me, tell me, tell me, no, no, no, no, no.

SPEAKER_02 2:42:27

I'm gonna tell you. I was just letting you go.

SPEAKER_01 2:42:29

Emily just shrunk dramatically, listeners.

SPEAKER_03 2:42:31

I did, because I was like, Are you are we gonna find out? Um so it is suddenly senior year. The whole point is they're trying to get into college. Zed's trying to get a scholarship for football. So they skip a year? Well, um, that school year ended in the first one. I guess they're in the second year. Uh so maybe sophomore year or something. Okay, so werewolves the second year, but then it's either they started out in sophomore year, or we just you know, it's been going good for a while. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 2:43:03

Okay. So third one is senior year. They're looking at colleges. There's life outside of Seabrook. It's not an island nation. There's there's a college somewhere. Okay.

SPEAKER_03 2:43:13

Yes, and it's their first zombie slash monster recruiter in college and trying to bring down a barrier for all the monsters. Um, but then a UFO arrives and causes mass panic. Um let's see, the aliens come down. They're searching for an interstellar map to Utopia, and and their um their ship is like, it's here somewhere, which uh can only be found in the most precious thing in Seabrook. And so but they're not telling anyone that they're there for that. So they say, We're here for a national cheer-off, which uh Addison organized. Oh my god. The werewolves don't like the aliens. There's a lot of weird stuff with the aliens. Uh, it gets kind of confusing. You'd have to watch this one, but basically it ends up that um Addison's grandmother on her mother's side was an alien.

unknown 2:44:08

What?

SPEAKER_03 2:44:09

And so her mother actually also has white hair and a wig and never told Addison. What? And so Addison is like a quarter alien and like gains alien superpowers. No, no, I will not and then at the end, um, it's like the moon, they think the moonstone is the map to Utopia, but it's not. And then as it turns out, the aliens realize that the coordinates to Utopia are in Addison's DNA, and so she has to like leave with them to go send them to Utopia. Well, hold on. Oh my gosh. So then she has to like go and leave with them, but then like they realize that Utopia was Seabrook all along, and they Oh my god.

SPEAKER_01 2:45:03

The the real treasure is the friendship we made along the way. Fuck you. Oh my god. Yeah, oh my god, okay.

SPEAKER_02 2:45:11

Cool.

SPEAKER_01 2:45:12

Oh my god. So that's three. So do the aliens stay? Yes. Okay, so they just keep accumulating like it's okay. All right. What the fuck happens in four? Is it vampires finally?

SPEAKER_03 2:45:28

Yes, okay, yes, in a way. Okay. They do it kind of weird. So this is where they're transitioning the core groups out, and they're like, okay, we're gonna bring in a younger generation of monster people to like continue this franchise, a la descendants. Yep, yeah, where it's another group of villain kids. So the fourth one is called Dawn of the Vampires.

SPEAKER_01 2:45:57

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 2:45:58

The whole thing is that oh, so they're they're uh they've all finished like freshman year of college, so this is a whole other year after that.

SPEAKER_01 2:46:05

Okay. I was I was just gonna ask them like, fuck, did they get into college? But yes, okay.

SPEAKER_03 2:46:10

Yes, they're all good. Everything's good. Everything's good, but we only get Zed Addison, Eliza, and Willa, who is the uh the leader of the Rebels, they're the only ones from the original that went to this college.

SPEAKER_00 2:46:25

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 2:46:26

They're going on a road trip. Zed meets a new group of monsters, the Daywalkers. And they have like they have like sun fire powers. And then there's also the vampires, which have wind powers.

unknown 2:46:47

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 2:46:50

And I can't remember, and and they've had like this long-standing rivalry because they're competing over, of course, um, they're competing over a food slash energy source called blood fruit. So they don't drink blood. They don't give me that face. I'm not.

SPEAKER_02 2:47:09

I'm not giving you a face. I'm not. You okay.

SPEAKER_03 2:47:13

So so there's like a uh a conflict over that. There's uh a female leader of the Daywalkers and a male leader of the vampires. Is it forbidden? You know, there's tension. Yes. But like Zed, Addison, Eliza, and Willa, it's like they all kind of turn it into like a camp where they cause because the um the orchard's like locked or something, and they have to like solve all these puzzles to get it open or something. It's very confusing.

SPEAKER_01 2:47:41

Okay, so the one, the one like song that I did see from that was very it was very, it was like like gang war like summer camp situation, and I'm just like, I don't I was like, I don't know what the fuck is happening here.

SPEAKER_03 2:47:57

Um yes, I can't remember how they end up. It's like they meet at the edge of the orchard, uh like both groups, because Zed and Addison they get they get um split up and each one of them ends up with one of the sides and is found and told about the other side and how bad they are.

SPEAKER_01 2:48:13

So so when I so I saw like some of that where it's just like it looked like they were like like transported to totally different places. Like there's something, like there's a beach or something.

SPEAKER_03 2:48:24

I think it's like the opposite, the opposite, I can't remember the geography, but it's like the opposite ends of like a mountain or like the opposite sides of a mountain or something.

SPEAKER_02 2:48:33

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 2:48:33

Because there's another thing here about like a stone, like they they have other, there's more moonstones.

SPEAKER_01 2:48:41

So many.

SPEAKER_03 2:48:42

Yeah, but there's like there's like a sun moonstone and a moon moonstone, and they're like come together. Okay. I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 2:48:49

Oh my god. Okay.

SPEAKER_03 2:48:50

So they unite the stuff. I was gonna say, let me guess they learn how to coexist.

SPEAKER_01 2:48:54

I mean, yay!

SPEAKER_03 2:48:55

Do they all come back to college with them? Um they get the fruit because the fruit's like dwindling, so they they make it grow again with like their stones, and then Zed and uh Addison, it feels like this is like their their they're like the older kids, like their departure, their Sayanara. And then the two new, it's Nova is the girl and Victor is the boy. Okay, um, and so they're like the the newer um leader uh combining groups of people with whatever. Okay, yeah, yes, but then of course we're gonna keep going with this. So, as you know, at the end you see a supernatural water spout form over the ocean.

SPEAKER_01 2:49:40

Of course you fucking do. Are there mermaids?

SPEAKER_03 2:49:42

Yeah, because yeah, yeah, let's fucking go. My god, and that's next year. So I don't really know a whole bunch about that.

SPEAKER_01 2:49:51

That's insane. Okay. I god and to think that they truly were gonna like wrap it up at this movie and be like, all right, here we are, it's like, no, what if there was my god, that's fucking crazy.

SPEAKER_03 2:50:11

Yeah, it's called Secrets of the Sea, apparently. Because I guess after we've added the new the the young bloods, uh, we gotta name them different things.

SPEAKER_01 2:50:22

I mean, it can't be it can't still be zombies, can it?

SPEAKER_03 2:50:25

What's called zombies five secrets of the sea. Let's see. We've got who signed on. I think I saw something. Okay, there's someone that's now Zed's zombie cousin and like transfer student to something.

SPEAKER_01 2:50:41

So okay, so how are there more zombies? Oh, we've got Trevor Torgman.

SPEAKER_03 2:50:50

He's back as Bunny.

SPEAKER_01 2:50:52

Yay, okay.

SPEAKER_03 2:50:55

Ray, Vera, Vargas, Pearl, Finn, Sandy, those sound like Mermaid. I'm not really sure.

SPEAKER_01 2:51:01

Oh my god. Okay. This good lord. I don't know what I expected, but it's none of that.

SPEAKER_03 2:51:07

Everyone expected vampires, and they were like, you know what? Fucking. Yeah, going zombies to werewolves. And that one is very cute. Like, to re to read the synopsis of the third one is more confusing than actually watching. Okay. Like it is entertaining. Um, that's but and and I would say especially and and you are right about um Brie and uh Bonzo, they are uh they are Yeah!

SPEAKER_01 2:51:34

Love wins! Yes, right. They're they're also let's go.

SPEAKER_03 2:51:38

Um yeah, yeah. So so that's all the insanity that you have to look forward to if you want to keep watching. Uh I have not thought about my rating. No, it's okay. Um, do you want to go first?

SPEAKER_01 2:51:53

Yeah, I think, yeah, because if I'm new, I go first. Um I thought this was cute. It's I have so many questions that are more about me as a person than than the movie itself. It's cute. I don't know if I'm the target audience for this, but um, these are they're enjoyable, they're very cute. Um I'm gonna say I'm gonna say I'm gonna say six out of ten. Um six out of ten pom-poms. I think it was good. I think it was it was cute. I like there's more lore in this universe than I expected, but it's you know, it's it's it's cute.

SPEAKER_04 2:52:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 2:52:42

I think I don't see it being a favorite. I don't think like none of the songs are stuck in my head. I don't, I I don't know if it's just because like there are definitely like I have limited exposure to it. Like, I think if I listen to them more, they would probably get stuck in my head, but I don't know. It was cute, it was fun. Yeah, how about you?

SPEAKER_03 2:53:05

That's fair. Um, you're right. This is not like my super favorite franchise, but it is good. And I mean, especially like, you know, during Halloween, I've watched it a lot with my daughter. Yeah, I I like it. I think it's there are lots of questions, sure. Um, but I think the message is is fun and good. And um, I I like a lot of the music. I didn't realize there were so few songs in this one. I feel like they are more like in the later ones. It's a lot of reprises, but you know, it's kind of nice to not have a bunch. I like it. Uh I would say probably eight out of ten wigs.

SPEAKER_01 2:53:43

Amazing. That's very fun. I love that.

unknown 2:53:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 2:53:51

White wigs are they uh well, some of them are blonde. Oh right. I think I was just thinking actors. Um, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 2:53:59

Of actual, yeah, yeah. Her like her crazy like white wolf cut um uh wig, which would be popular now, but not at all.

SPEAKER_01 2:54:06

Yeah, 100%. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 2:54:07

Also don't worry, it changes every movie.

SPEAKER_01 2:54:10

So the idea of having like getting a fashionable cut for your hair that no one in the world is allowed to see seems wacky.

SPEAKER_03 2:54:21

I'm just like well, I think that's the point. Well, I mean, I don't know, it didn't look good. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 2:54:28

Well, yeah, but it's also been under a wig and she's been sweating for however long. My hair looks buck wild when I take off a wig cap.

SPEAKER_03 2:54:35

It's yeah, yeah, it's not great.

SPEAKER_01 2:54:38

I yeah, the idea of wearing like a wig on underneath another wig just as an actor, I'm just like, Jesus Christ, what's happening?

SPEAKER_02 2:54:47

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 2:54:48

Well, thank you for ruining the entire zombies franchise for me. I oops, spoilers. I guess spoiling for like not ruining, like I'm still like, what the fuck do you mean? I'm still gonna watch them, but thank you for thank you for spoiling them for me. That was delightful. That was more than I could have hoped.

SPEAKER_03 2:55:06

The alien one's still the wildest.

SPEAKER_01 2:55:08

I yeah, fucking aliens could not have guessed that. Um I know. Yeah, but um, but yeah, if you if you have seen these movies, um, if you are interested in them, if you have thoughts about zombie lore, if you are excited about the descendants movie coming out um this weekend, uh this coming weekend, when this when this episode comes out, um, you can talk to us on social media. Um, we are Sister CinemaSwap on Facebook, Instagram, Blue Sky, and Letterboxd.

SPEAKER_03 2:55:33

Yes, and we want to thank Jenny Crowley for our really cute artwork, Nick Heredia for our really awesome theme music, and thank you all so much for listening. We do want to let you guys know that um since I did uh recently move and got a little bit behind on some stuff, we are gonna be taking a break for the month of August. So we're gonna have one more episode come out in July after this. So we'll be at 11, and then it'll be uh the month of August off. And then we will return in September with full new episodes for the rest of the year.

SPEAKER_01 2:56:07

We're sleepy and we need a break.

SPEAKER_03 2:56:11

Um I needed, I I just got internet, you guys, like a couple days ago when this by the time this is recording. So and I two days ago I also got out our previous episode.

SPEAKER_01 2:56:21

Hey, you guys, Emily's been uploading these episodes on fucking like hotspot, hotspot mobile data. Say thank, say thank you to Emily. She's trying so hard because I don't know how to edit because I can't do it.

SPEAKER_03 2:56:37

I know. Someday I'm just gonna make you so that I don't have to do it every time. No. It'll just be like I put in music at the end. Yeah. You're welcome. Good luck.

SPEAKER_01 2:56:50

Everyone's like, this one sounds bad.

SPEAKER_03 2:56:52

The weaponized incompetence.

SPEAKER_01 2:56:54

Oops, I forgot. You showed me, but I don't want to.

SPEAKER_03 2:56:58

So I wasn't paying attention.

SPEAKER_01 2:57:01

You do say the whole thing, I wasn't listening.

SPEAKER_03 2:57:05

But yeah, thanks for thanks for dealing with everything, guys. Thanks for listening. Talk to us about movies. We've got uh what I'm assuming is an exciting one coming up. I I haven't seen it, so it'll be a good time.

SPEAKER_01 2:57:18

We'll we'll have fun with it. Um yeah, we'll see you guys. We'll see you guys at the movies.