What are Two Unemployed Actors Watching? Episode 93

Max Belmonte 00:12
Welcome back to Two Unemployed Actors. I'm Max.

Sam Folden 00:15
I'm Sam

Max Belmonte 00:16
And we just made it through the door five minutes late, we're already late. I mean, it's Friday
afternoon here and we normally put the episode out on a Thursday... we being me, but hey,
you know life happens and a few tech issues nothing a generous glass of red wine can't handle,
and I'll tell you if this episode is one of our like, 40 minute

Sam Folden 00:37
I just finished a glass.

Max Belmonte 00:40
Yeah, that's awesome. Well, the bottles within my reach. So if we go too long, the last few
minutes are gonna be really interesting. But this episode, we're gonna talk about some great
recommendations of what we're watching. And before we get into that, something exciting
happened yesterday, last night, and industry event like a real one like in person, like with a
movie and then a q&a. Just like the pre pandemic days. It felt so good. The drovers wife,
written, directed and starring Leah Purcell. Fantastic Writer, Director. She's directed clever
man. She's directed a few other bits and pieces here and there. But this is one of like a passion
project. Basically. It's a famous Australian poets short story that she's used as inspiration to
come up with a play, which she put on maybe 2016. Yep, and great reviews, like it was
amazing. And then unlocked finance to make the movie. And the movie like, oh, look, I really
enjoyed it. I mean, the ending, okay, I probably thought it could have ended a bit sooner and
like just leave you hanging a little bit just just to make it a bit more gritty. But then funnily
enough, in the q&a, she mentioned that that's where the play finished. And the movie allowed
her to do a few things to wrap it up nice and neatly at the end, which sometimes is okay, but I
don't know, I kind of liked it not knowing that I want to ruin it for anyone, by all means go and
see it, it's great. But, but she also was able to create the town evidence to be able to show you
a bit more of what life was like as a as a, you know, your average Australian back in 1860s
1890s, whatever it was 18th century. But the other thing she did was introduce a couple of
characters from London, who really it's kind of a way to reach more commercial audience. It's
sort of helping us connect and helping people who aren't familiar with Australian Outback
stories, and particularly indigenous ones. Because she's Part First Nation, she's part Indigenous
Australian. So there was a lot of that influence. But those two characters sort of as they sort of
discover the village life and her it's kind of us, you know, discovering life and her so it helps us
get a sort of weigh in. But lots of inspiration from her personal life. And I really love that. Not
waiting for opportunities, just actually creating it and then going out and doing it and it's
already well not it's about to be picked up as a serial as well. So make a mini series so I mean,
it's just it's great guns, it's like she just released Well, let's say the it went from because the
producer was there one of the producers was there and said for the play he invited the person
responsible for Screen Australia funding. So the Australian Federal body for funding film and
the new set Create New South Wales person who was responsible for the New South Wales
level of funding. Oh, cool. So a bit risky. But opening night was amazing. Seven minutes
standing , five on cause it was it was perfect.

Sam Folden 04:20
And did you stand for seven minutes.

Max Belmonte 04:21
No, no, this is for the play. So he went straight into negotiations with the money people to like,
Okay, well, let's let's get on to the movie. And there was a gap of I think 1.7 mil which they they
they bridged through private investment and philanthropy, , oh wow. I probably would have
been able to say that better with... before my red wine, but anyway, philanthropic endeavors, a
private investment.

Sam Folden 04:49
Thats your fifth glass we're looking at isnt it?

Max Belmonte 04:50
Oh bottle. Mind you, my day started at 6am it's now almost 6pm. 6am Because I had to go to
the dentist this morning. I mean, you know, the glamorous lifestyle takes a lot to keep this up.

Sam Folden 05:02
Yeah,

Max Belmonte 05:02
Sam as you know, driving all over the place doing chores,

Sam Folden 05:06
Mine started same time, work and all.

Max Belmonte 05:07
Yeah, no, I'm not good before like noon. Just felt like it's raining. It felt like a winter's day and I
should just stay in bed and probably...

Sam Folden 05:17
Lke why did yopu go to the dentist so early?

Max Belmonte 05:19
Well, it's been a while and I put off the last appointment because I was busy like moving and
then I'm in for like June. And then something opened up and like, Oh, come on in on Friday. I'm
like, Yeah, Friday, I'll do that. And then realize that to get there at 830 in the morning and
Sydney means I have to get up at six on nights do the drive down and then breakfast in town
and then get the dentist attacking you which was a lot of fun. Let's just say over this red wine.
Yeah, yep. So but yeah, and of course last night driving in to see the AACTA event with Leah
Purcell produces the great movie, unlike it just, it helps inspire us to create more original
content really. And it's great that we're able to go back to do more. I think they mentioned
there's a couple other events coming up Baz Lurhman finished his epic on Elvis.

Sam Folden 06:16
Yes.

Max Belmonte 06:16
So there might be an event where we get to preview that. And a couple other bits and pieces
but ya know, it's it's been it's been good. I tell you what, when it comes to what I've been
watching, apart from my my mad dash to Sydney, for a movie time. I've been watching a lot of
stories based on real life.

Sam Folden 06:43
Yeah, they're cool.

Max Belmonte 06:43
Because because, first of all, let's just... let's just single out Ozark and how amazing how much
we love Ozark and I binged those episodes as they dropped and I'm literally like, shutting out
the entire world until I know how it ends. Yeah, and love the ending. I hear it sort of in mixed
but I mean, it's hard when the it's four seasons of a series you love you're never gonna make
everyone happy with how it ends, right? It's hard to finish shows like that. And without spoiling
too much I just love the way that everything's about protecting the family every season every
episode protect the family, keep them... keep them safe....

Sam Folden 07:28
Like Animal Kingdom

Max Belmonte 07:28
Yeah sense protect the family keep them safe and get out of this world you know, to a safer
world. Yet at the final episode The finale you see the family drag well and truly into it as the
gun goes off, you know, and very much still a part of that world and and unfortunately
intertwined with with that with that world, just absolute gangster finish love it. But I've got this
huge Ozark sized hole in my viewing habit. So I, I managed to watch a couple of episodes.
When I was in LA of the Uber television series, super pumped. I think it's super pumped. I think
that's what it's called. It's coming actually released today in Australia on I think it's paramount.
Plus, I've only watched the first couple episodes and that was after a few drinks. So you know, I
probably could do with what you did. I did enjoy them. I'll see them through a whole new light
next year understand what's going on. But I've watched we crashed about the the fantastic rise
and spectacular fall of WeWork. And the founders, we crashed it's just amazing. It just I mean,
it's a story that's so bizarre. It needs a television series to explain it. Okay. And then The
Dropout, The Dropout, which is based on the woman who started up that tick health start up
where you just need a drop of blood and they could test for everything. Where and it was all it
was all scandal was Yeah. Yeah. The the writer who broke the story, John Carreyrou, you I read
his book on it. And obviously the books got amazing detail, and it's well worth a read. So I've
got him fully informed. But yeah, Amanda Seyfried I've just like amazing performances from
everyone. I can't even say that any one person. It was just fantastic. I really enjoyed the way
they showed that world because people would go well, why didn't you just say, you know, it's
fake or why don't you just, yeah, just just go to the authorities, you know, like in this perfect
world where you can put your hand up and go authorities, you know, help me, but the amount
of security the amount of segregation between the teams so you'd imagine what You're
working on makes sense in the big picture because someone else is working on the tech that
works. Yeah, the whole time the tech didn't work. Not only that, when they were negotiating to
put actual units inside, in stores, and people going in, like, test my blood, they were shipping it
to the head office where they would test on other machines that worked that were proven, and
then say it was their machine. I mean, the level of subterfuge if it just all because do you want
it to be this Steve Jobs type complete with an effective voice like really deeper than it is. And
black skivvies and on the whole tech startup and I swear, and amazing names on the board and
billions of dollars. Like it's just incredible. It's ridiculous how people invest without and it never worked.

Max Belmonte 10:52
It's stupid. It was great idea. But it never works.

Sam Folden 10:57
God I've watched I watched the Tinder Swindler a couple months back as well. How good was
the hash? That was great. And what an asshole when I watched it he I read that he was in Bondi

Max Belmonte 11:10
wouldn't surprise me. I mean, he's, he got out of prison. It was in prison in months or something
Israel for a year, not not very long

Sam Folden 11:18
thing ridiculous. And he should have been in there longer. It's just he found an absolute
loophole where all these women have have had taken money out in their names. So

Max Belmonte 11:29
the issue the issue also is Which country do you bring charges because all he spent the money
in one country that was from a woman from another country spent on a credit card that's in like
in someone else's name and another card like it's just it's complicated to try that

Sam Folden 11:48
was that was insane together. True, true story and crazy. Got anything or whatever.

Max Belmonte 11:55
The pretend bodyguard noise. I mean, the thing is, you know, you get taken by these people,
because their whole game is to take you whether it's the billions in Silicon Valley,

Sam Folden 12:07
I wouldn't send anyone like 50 grand for, you know, like, but that's my point. He had all these
loans and stuff, but I guess I guess like they were in love that sort of

Max Belmonte 12:21
fancy machine. He doesn't put the hooks He doesn't ask for anything. Right? He's gone to
1....2...3 dates, and we're talking private planes, luxury hotels, the bodyguard in tow type
dates. So when he says, Oh my God, my credit cards, there's an issue with the banking or
whatever the story of the day was 10 grand doesn't feel like much when you've just been on a
private plane. It's like we'll say that these people are experts at taking they can pick out like
prey and absolutely extract them. The thing is, you know if he was supposed to be this
diamond merchant, I mean, what's the easiest way to to get money across borders? It's
diamonds, right? Yeah, it's hilarious. Yeah, he was like, I can't I can't get money out other
countries like your whole business is diamonds apparently. But but he might see justice
because the very wealthy family that he was trying to impersonate as though it was the actual
owners of the diamond cup of tea are starting to take action and build a dossier on him and go
to town because obviously it's negatively impacting their name. Suddenly, their names\associated with this swindler got

Sam Folden 13:32
Netflix and stuff. Yeah, it's massive. I also Jess and I started a show recently called Our Flag
Means Death.

Max Belmonte 13:41
That sounds like a lot out of rom com.

Sam Folden 13:44
It's on Foxtel or one of the episodes was Directed by Taika Waititi, I think he has something to
do with it all. He's brilliant. And he also plays Blackbeard in it and it's about um, it's, it's a
comedy and it's actually quite funny. Like it's about a wealthy landowner who kind of has a
midlife crisis and decides to build a ship and become a pirate captain.

Max Belmonte 14:10
So somewhat eccentric Yeah. And

Sam Folden 14:12
it's played by I think I think you pronounce his name Rhys Darby or whatever. A lot of kiwi
actors in it, which is great to see like, you know, supporting all those those guys and stuff. And
there's only 10 episodes at this point. But it's super cool modernisation of like, pirates in the in
1717, or whatever it was. There's a lot of knowledge through community glances and all this
stuff,

Max Belmonte 14:38
right? Our flag means death.

Sam Folden 14:42
Our flag means death. Yeah, it's super funny. On my list, you kind of explores the relationship
between stayed is the character's name that Rhys Darby rise and Blackbeard.

Max Belmonte 14:53
How do we not hear about this, especially with Taika in it?!

Sam Folden 14:57
but it's only on binge and Foxtel? It's not on any of the streaming services.

Max Belmonte 15:01
So I wonder where it is in North America then as well. Well, let's it's interesting because I follow
his I've been tracking him through my IMDb Pro, and I can't, and I missed it.

Sam Folden 15:11
Well, maybe because I looked at that. I don't know if he actually had anything to do with the
writing. So maybe that's why you did direct one of the episodes. I mean, he's obviously a big
name in that show. But it's it's a nice show to watch. And not have to think back instead of

Max Belmonte 15:26
escape. Right, watch that.

Sam Folden 15:29
And in other exciting news, Love Death and Robots season. coming out soon.

Max Belmonte 15:34
I know right how exciting

Sam Folden 15:35
is so freakin good.

Max Belmonte 15:37
It's good. It's like it's like a black mirror but with a bit of a spin. I love it.

Sam Folden 15:41
Yeah, well, it's similar. Have you seen oaks? Oaks productions? Oak? productions? It's like a
similar thing. It's an anthology series. But soup. Is it on Netflix as well? Worry. Yeah, I think
Netflix Yeah, super gory, Will. Actually.

Max Belmonte 16:00
I rewatched it one episode from love death and robots. And the last series. Yeah, this week
actually. So funny. She mentioned it. It was the customer service one where it's the cartoon
and she's trying to save the dog because she accidentally set the robot cleaner to purge.

Sam Folden 16:17
Oh, yeah. That's all of them are so creative and let you watch it and appreciate the cartoons.

Max Belmonte 16:23
There's elements of truth to it. It was hilarious. It was scary loved. On the on the true stories. So
we crashed the dropout. I'm in the middle of two more. Yeah. Gaslight. Yeah. Which has Julia
Roberts and Sean Penn, although it's hard to recognize Sean Penn in the fat suit. Based on the
Watergate scandal and how they got caught and how that came about. In Australia, it's on
Stan. So it's probably Hulu, Hulu or something like that in the States. But really interesting,
really good. Really well written really, really smart. I love it. It's. Yeah, it's so crazy, but it's like,
but it really you have to keep reminding yourself that this really happened. It's just so have you

Sam Folden 17:13
Also Bad Vegan. Some Yes. Another true story about quite a successful woman who opens up
plant based restaurant and then like, meets a guy and he's weird as hell.

Max Belmonte 17:28
I think I've watched a bit of that. Yeah,

Sam Folden 17:30
it's a bit of a weird one

Max Belmonte 17:31
she lost her money somehow and got associated,

Sam Folden 17:34
same ideas... for the money.

Max Belmonte 17:36
And lastly, but certainly not least, The Offer

Sam Folden 17:41
The Offer with Miles Teller!

Max Belmonte 17:42
amazing. Oh, how good is it? Have you seen it's so good? Yes. It's amazing. It's got it. So
basically, for those who don't know, it's the story of The Godfather. How it was made, right? You
took the words out of my mouth. Yeah. So basically, it's, it's because I've read the book by
barrier boot. So and obviously, I mean, the movie is just amazing. But the story behind how the
movie got made is just so bizarre. It's again just like gaslight you have to keep reminding
yourself this actually happened it's actually happened yet. Because it is hilarious. And yeah, it's
just also you know, a great insight into the world of producing but But wow, have you seen him
elected? Yeah, two episodes? For I think four three.

Sam Folden 18:34
It's a series is it? Yeah, I didn't realize I thought it was a film is that it's on Netflix now or Stan?
No, it's on Stan.

Max Belmonte 18:42
I think it's on Stan I can't remember. Yeah, okay. But really interesting and the latest episode
just dropped it I think Friday is the day for gaslight Sunday. Look at the end of the day just get
stuck into it get stuck into it some great stuff my television based on real story. Yeah, that are
just so bizarre. They need a whole series to explain it's full on

Sam Folden 19:05
last till is amazing. He's he's probably one of my favorite actors because he can play so many
different characters but in such a real way. There's such subtle differences, because that's what
people are are they're all like we're all people.

Max Belmonte 19:16
His character in the offer is amazing because you do get to see his range. I mean, you get to
see the naive that not the naive stars in the eyes persona that starts that then becomes almost
tyrannical in some meetings to try and just and subterfuge to try and get deals done and and
get things like so you do get to see the character change depending on the situation as well as
over time. It's really it's a really great character really great art to target and based on the book
written by the producer. So I think I think he's executive producing I thought he might have
written but don't think he wrote For the offer but is AP. So you know, from the actual person
who was there who it's based on, I can't remember the producers name. That's why I'm stalling
but still three three sips of wine ago would have just remembered it straightaway. But yeah,
yeah, we're only human. You know what I forgot? The most bizarre and true story.

Sam Folden 20:25
Yeah.

Max Belmonte 20:26
The staircase. The staircase, the staircase now, now you have to do it in this in this order. Okay,
Sam. Okay. You have to watch the Docu series on Netflix. Yeah, it was one of the first in the
early days of the true crime Docu series stuff that that really made that a true huge genre on
Netflix. And because it the the French filmmakers who are making the documentary, have
unprecedented access into both the room where the accused, famous author whose wife is
found at the bottom of the stairs, is charged with murder and you're in that room as they
progress. And you're also in the in with the prosecutor about how they're approaching the case.
Yeah, right. And, and watching the twists and turns is just phenomenal. Like I remember that I
think was episode three or something. And all of a sudden, he mentions that his previous wife
was found at the bottom of stairs. We and everyone's life story. Yeah, you're watching it
happen. The cameras in the room and you're like, What did you just say? And then it's like,
continued next week. And it was so watch the series is amazing. And I kinda think he's
innocent, but I don't know. And then the and then the moment the staircase. I think it's on
Foxtel for us. Has Oh my God, let me just get this Toni Collette yet. And I have to I have to
Google it because I feel so bad. Yeah. I feel so bad now talks about so much. But yeah, you
have to watch at least get through a couple of episodes on Netflix of the actual the actual, like
deliberations day by day with the man accused of murder and his legal team. And then the
prosecution. It's like, it's fascinating. Colin Firth plays, plays. He's awesome. The the, the
accused murderer he was, I think, no, he was fit. I don't want to ruin it for you. But get into it.
Absolutely amazing. Like if you if your love your mystery, new true crime. It absolutely keeps
you guessing. And then the staircase television series with Colin Firth, and Toni Collette sort of
adds another layer to it by showing how it unfolds. Because I'm wary things like that. Things
like The Godfather. Things like The Dopout.

Sam Folden 23:19
Yeah,

Max Belmonte 23:19
Where I'm so familiar with the stories and personalities. I'm sort of approaching the television
series sort of tentatively going, is it really going to do anything for me?

Sam Folden 23:30
Yeah.

Max Belmonte 23:31
But it does. It's just amazing the way it approaches it. So in a way it's built for when you're
familiar with the actual cases.

Sam Folden 23:39
Okay, well, I'll do it that that order

Max Belmonte 23:42
that you have to test

Sam Folden 23:43
I will

Max Belmonte 23:44
I will test you next week. I think we've gone long enough. Any longerI'll start to make even less
sense but plenty of recommendations there and great to see more industry events. So I'm
looking forward to reporting back on exciting Q and A's and movies. As we progress through a
finally what looks like a normal year. Yep. And make sure that you follow you download and you
listen because next week we have an interview with a very special guest, Paige Walker, who is
a great voice coach when it comes to different dialects, improving your voice as an actor. Make
sure that you follow download and listen to to unemployed actors. I'm Max.

I'm Sam,

and you'll
hear us next week bye!