Synopsis: “Clint and Austin wake up in a pool in the Midwest with no memory of how they got there or why they’re both wearing heavy ponchos. After Clint’s partner, Lindsey, helps them escape, Austin receives a call from a director whose name rhymes with N. Kite Babylon – he shares a prophecy (aka a veiled threat): “High on Hollywood WILL return or the world must forever watch After Earth.” Hearing that, Clint and Austin get to work immediately. N. Fight Shabbython’s call sparks the idea to discuss Unbreakable (2000). Hilarity ensues.”
HIGH ON HOLLYWOOD DIARY #1 – “NOTES ON A NEW BEGINNING”
Well, we said we would be back – and we’re staying true to that.
Yes, it may not be September anymore but there’s something so incredibly appropriate about our triumphant return coinciding with Spooky Month.
For one, I get to turn a year older this month so that’s cool.
Secondly, Clint and I are both big fans of the Halloween season. That may even be understating it to a certain degree – Clint once described Halloween to me as his “Christmas,” so you can imagine how important this time of year is to him.
I simply love everything: the change in weather, the visuals, the smells, the sounds, and yes, the perfect excuse to start cozying up under the blankets with my favourite horror movies onscreen and a hot mug of coffee or cocoa.
I find myself transported to the sleepovers of my younger days when my friends and I would show each other horror movies we’d never seen.
The thrill of it all!
And, interestingly, our first review for this new iteration of High on Hollywood happens to be directed by a certified new-age horror vet, M. Night Shyamalan.
Crucially, however, this is one of his first digressions from the horror genre early-on in his career – a film which Quentin Tarantino lauded as, “one of the masterpieces of our time.”
I am, of course, referring to Unbreakable (2000).
I won’t dive too much into the specifics (since you’ll hear them in the podcast) but this is still one of my favourite films of all time.
Beyond that, the “Unbreakable Trilogy” – including Split (2016) and Glass (2019) – is one of my favourite comic book inspired trilogies of all time!
It just works for me on so many levels, from the meta commentary on fandom to the film’s exploration of morality as a spectrum versus the dichotomy we normally see in comic book stories… and then Shyamalan just keeps building on it all.
Pair Shyamalan’s script with top notch performances across the board thanks to, really, the entire principal cast.
Obviously, the marketing and everything surrounding the film centres Bruce Willis as the main protagonist but it’s arguable that Samuel L. Jackson’s Mr. Glass is the true protagonist – especially given the “twist” at the end.
But that’s all I’ll write about that here.
I’m excited about what’s coming and you should be too – there’s so much more Hollywood to get high on (for lack of better phrasing)!
So, what does this all mean? What can you expect from us?
Well, for starters, a nice ol’ reliable bi-weekly upload schedule coupled with zany and increasingly ridiculous ads. That’s just the start.
Moving forward, keep an eye on our High on Hollywood Facebook page as we dust off our page admin skills and actually post content there among other things.
Finally, Clint and I are working on separate projects that you may or may not see bleed into and out of this podcast so keep your eyes and ears peeled for all that jazz (smooth, smooth jazz I might add – nothing crazy dissonant, I promise… this isn’t ska!).
As a fair warning: we do sometimes swear, we definitely make awful jokes (not offensive just silly), and we are both HUGE nerds.
Enjoy, at your own risk.
Final disclaimer: the audio is a bit crunchy on this first episode but I promise things only get better from here! Stick with us and you will not be disappointed.
This is the Froninja, signing off… until next time.
thatfroninja. 