Onscreen Offscreen
Josh Dietrich and Konlin Gappmayer discuss their media consumption, new and old. They discuss the good, the bad, and the impact it has on their lives
Onscreen Offscreen
Life of Chuck
Life of Chuck
Helldivers 2, Silksong, Lord of the rings, This bed we made, Elio
00:00 - Helldivers 2
10:13 - Silksong
16:11 - Fellowship of the ring
22:24 - This bed we made
33:42 - Elio
42:58 - Life of Chuck
Hey guys. It is onscreen offscreen. We talk about the movies book, TV shows that influence our lives, and we're looking for the good stuff. And speaking of good stuff, we've got Lauren and Josh a million and they're the greatest. I'm sorry that I missed last week. I was incredibly lame. So because of that, they made me run this episode. I'm super grateful for everybody and for them covering me. Um, it's, it's awesome. With that, let's start. Lauren's new obsession, I, I hear that you've been playing a game until three o'clock at night, multiple nights.
lauren_1_09-09-2025_161709:Yeah, I think I've, I've mentioned this last week too. It's literally all I've been doing this week. Um, I've just been playing hell divers too. My brothers got me into it. And then. All then they like couldn't get on to play. And so then I was like, fine, I'll just play by myself. And so, um, yeah, I've literally spent, I. was like all day yesterday. There was one night where, uh, Josh was like, yeah, you, you were still playing when I went to bed. And he is four hours behind, uh, Utah. So, uh, yeah, IWI was playing until 3:00 AM with my brothers and then. Uh, I just started playing by myself because no one else could play. And then, yeah, whoever is on, I'll just like start spamming them to come play with me on the diaper because I'm not good yet. I'm like level 20, so I can do like medium missions by myself. Um, but yeah, I, I don't know what number super hell dive is. Does it go up to 10 or is that eight?
josh-dietrich_1_09-09-2025_121710:10.
lauren_1_09-09-2025_161709:Yeah, so super Hell dive goes up to 10. I'm only at a three, so I'm not good at all. just trying to like get my levels up so that I can help my brothers and not be as much of a liability because they're like 150 and I am. Yeah, I'm a 20 and claim to be an Xbox person because Xbox just barely got onto hill. So everybody thinks I'm an Xbox person, but no, I have, I'm playing on my computer.
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:Josh, what level do you get good.
lauren_1_09-09-2025_161709:You get
josh-dietrich_1_09-09-2025_121710:Uh, it's not level dependent actually. Um, it's more about like. Unlocking more capabilities. So Lauren was telling me like she has to have her brother call in a jump pack for her to use. When she gets up to a higher level, she'll gain more experience, which she could spend to then be able to do that herself. What makes that really hard is it's on a cool down, so her brother has to choose jump pack. Then he has to call down one for her, and then he has to wait three minutes into the game and then he can call one down for himself. Or if he's like me and he thinks the jump pack is stupid, uh, he would have to sacrifice one of his abilities to, to give her that ability.
lauren_1_09-09-2025_161709:Yeah, but now I'm to the point and it's, I think it's level 25. Basically, you unlock everything that you
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:Hmm.
lauren_1_09-09-2025_161709:get, but then with like experience points, you get to buy more strateg gyms, so like you can buy the jet pack or things like that. I now have the jet pack. Um, I just don't have any access to any mes and stuff like that, so, um, I have enough things that my brother doesn't have to call Strategem in for me anymore. But I don't have like specific things. I have all the things for the bugs, so there's bugs, these aliens, and then these robots. And I don't have good stuff for the robots or the aliens yet. all the good stuff for the bugs. So when people wanna play different uh, areas, I'm like, Hey, can you calm me down Something that I can like shoot this. So it's like it, yeah. You become very dependent on the people who have like a niche. If you're playing with a group. So, not dependent on the bug area because I figured out how to take down a dragon roach before my brother did. So just gonna say that
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:Nice.
lauren_1_09-09-2025_161709:I, the, the dragon roaches are new. They're very, like, they're big bosses that, um, they spew acid and fire. Um, and the only reason I keep living through that is'cause I got armor that gives me a 50% chance. To live through something that's supposed to kill me. So yeah, it kept killing my brother and he kind of raged quick last night. So.
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:That's awesome. But
josh-dietrich_1_09-09-2025_121710:So here's,
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:a freaking ton of fun. What were you gonna say, Josh?
josh-dietrich_1_09-09-2025_121710:oh, I was just gonna say, that's what I wanna talk about is like originally. Lauren was like, this game sucks. I have to do a freaking secret password to do anything. This is so stupid. Uh, and now she's like, this game is awesome. It's so awesome. I'm gonna play it by myself till three in the morning. So Lauren, why don't you walk us through the enlightenment that you have come to.
lauren_1_09-09-2025_161709:Okay, one, I first was playing with a keyboard and mouse and that was way harder to play for me. Um.
josh-dietrich_1_09-09-2025_121710:Strong disagree. Continue.
lauren_1_09-09-2025_161709:Because I switched to controller and it clicked way faster for me. And I can, it's way faster for me to, um, play with controller. and it's funny'cause I have a brother who plays with the keyboard and mouse and a brother that plays with a controller. So. Uh, they, like when I first came on with the keyboard and the mouse, my one brother's like, yeah, the superior way to play. And then I switched over to the controller and my other brother was like, yes, she's on my side. but honestly, moving from to a controller made it more enjoyable for me, um, because it didn't feel like as much was going on. Um, and then. First, the first time I played, I didn't realize that they were just having me do super hell dives. So I was just dying immediately all the time. And then this last go, they actually put me on a level where they, like, it was very slow for them, but it was chaotic for me trying to figure out everything. But um. It was to my level to where I could understand how to play the game. Uh,'cause yeah, I didn't know how to call the strategum down because I didn't know how to pull the, the cheat sheet down to see what your strategum things were. So I
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:Oh wow.
lauren_1_09-09-2025_161709:memorized it immediately and I was like, this is insane. No. Like, I can't memorize all these strategies. Um, and then with the controller, it's just a right bumper. It'll tell you all the strategum that you can call down, and I'm like. That that is so much easier. So yeah, it was just, I didn't understand the game beforehand and then now my brother's like actually showed me how to play it. So it's, it's fun. And I normally don't like shooter games, but I mean, my accuracy is 50%. So suck, but.
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:Do you feel like you're getting better at them from playing this?
lauren_1_09-09-2025_161709:No,
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:No,
lauren_1_09-09-2025_161709:I,
josh-dietrich_1_09-09-2025_121710:She is.
lauren_1_09-09-2025_161709:I I just spray and pray. I have a machine gun that's just all, there's, just keep sweeping the horizon until they're dead.
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:I wonder if playing this and having you get better and better at these shooters will have you upgrade what games you like and we can leave things like Sims in the past.
lauren_1_09-09-2025_161709:Sims is always goaded. I'll never leave the sims. Uh, speaking of the Sims,
josh-dietrich_1_09-09-2025_121710:Can we not say that? Can we just, I, I mean like I get you like the sims. Okay. I can accept that. Can we not call it goated? Like can we.
lauren_1_09-09-2025_161709:Nope,
josh-dietrich_1_09-09-2025_121710:we not say that?
lauren_1_09-09-2025_161709:I won't say it in your presence, but I'll forever say it.
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:Lauren, it's just wrong. It's just wrong.
lauren_1_09-09-2025_161709:I don't see why you guys hate it so much. I get that it's not like you're cup of tea, but like I don't understand the absolute like hate for
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:wasn't even hating on it right though. He just like, not goaded. I think that is completely fair.
lauren_1_09-09-2025_161709:guys are just saying that like, I should not play this game and I should steer away from that game, but I don't understand why you guys like hate it. I understand not wanting to play it, but like the absolute you guys have for this
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:I think mostly we just give you crap for it. I dunno, Josh might disagree. He might be like, it's truly the devil. I hate everything. Sims. Sims is the worst thing since I don't know. So hell was invented.
josh-dietrich_1_09-09-2025_121710:it's just fun to hate on.
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:That is fun. Eight on,
josh-dietrich_1_09-09-2025_121710:Oh,
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:go. I'm glad you're
josh-dietrich_1_09-09-2025_121710:it's just doesn't hate on.
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:it. What do you rate? Hell dollars.
lauren_1_09-09-2025_161709:Josh says, I rate it 9.9 outta 10. He wrote that in the notes.
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:What do you actually rate it?
lauren_1_09-09-2025_161709:Um, I would probably say it's a nine outta 10 right now, so.
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:Okay, so isn't that what you gave Sims? Hell Divers is as good as Sims guys. Hell as good as Sims.
lauren_1_09-09-2025_161709:Sure.
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:That's pretty awesome. Oh, cool. I'm glad that you're having a good time with that. That's absolutely awesome. Um, let's go to our next game. One. I'm very interested about Josh. Let's hear about Silk Song.
josh-dietrich_1_09-09-2025_121710:Okay. Um, I'm going to make a claim. I will never make. For any game ever,
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:Okay.
josh-dietrich_1_09-09-2025_121710:and that claim is guaranteed success,
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:Okay.
josh-dietrich_1_09-09-2025_121710:I can guarantee that this thing is going to be extremely successful, and that's not something I would say about any other game ever. Why can I say that? Well, it's. More Hollow night and hollow Night is great. Conlin doesn't love hollow night quite as much, but he likes Hollow night. How would you like more Hollow Night? A little bit more challenge and have it only be$20 new day of release. They could have charged$60 for this game. They didn't. They're charging 20.
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:20 seems almost too
josh-dietrich_1_09-09-2025_121710:Hollow Night with better music?
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:That's
josh-dietrich_1_09-09-2025_121710:would you like hollow night with better visuals? How would you like hollow night with more diverse villains? How would you like Hollow Night with more challenging bosses?
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:Uh,
josh-dietrich_1_09-09-2025_121710:That's what it is. And again, it's only$20. It is way more challenging. It is significantly more challenging if you struggled with hollow night like I did.
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:I did.
josh-dietrich_1_09-09-2025_121710:You are really gonna get frustrated with these bosses, which I am,
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:fair challenging so
josh-dietrich_1_09-09-2025_121710:but it's fun.
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:Okay. Okay.
josh-dietrich_1_09-09-2025_121710:The biggest challenge for me is that they changed the downward strike to an angle. So it takes a lot more skill.
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:Okay.
josh-dietrich_1_09-09-2025_121710:Just takes a lot more skill.
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:why do you think they charged$20? That's very weird to me. I find that weird. They've been working
josh-dietrich_1_09-09-2025_121710:Because they're an indie developer. It was made by a group of five people.
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:Okay.
josh-dietrich_1_09-09-2025_121710:It's just them cha charging what they would want to pay for it. They made a game that they wanna play. They're charging what they would want to pay for it. I love it. I think it's astounding. I think they know they could have charged 60. But said, no, we don't want to be doing that just because we can.
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:Yeah, I still
josh-dietrich_1_09-09-2025_121710:So they charge 20?
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:Well, good for them. I guess. Hopefully it doesn't screw
josh-dietrich_1_09-09-2025_121710:Yeah,
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:in future developments. I just want'em to have the money to be able to make a third one.'cause people, people
josh-dietrich_1_09-09-2025_121710:they already do. They already do Conlin. This is so popular. It crashed The Steam Store, the Sony store, the Xbox store, and the Epic Game store.
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:That's crazy. That's crazy.
lauren_1_09-09-2025_161709:every time I've been on Hell Divers, you've been on Silk Song, so.
josh-dietrich_1_09-09-2025_121710:Not every time, but yeah, it's, it's a great game. It's a ton of fun. I'm really liking it. I'm not very far into it'cause I am struggling. I do suck at the game, but so far, so good. And I don't know.
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:Okay.
josh-dietrich_1_09-09-2025_121710:I, I've beat the first one. The first one has the indie charm. You know, the things that do it, there are not, like, there are some stuff in it in silk sunk that's not great. Um, they've changed some things around that I'm not necessarily loving. I can see why they did it. It does feel like it stands on its own because of it. I don't know. We're just gonna have to see right now. I would probably say, yeah, it like with tears of the Kingdom, it's, it's gonna become a, well, why would I go back and play hollow night when I can play Silk song? Why would I go play the the first one Breath of the wild when I can play tears of the kingdom?
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:do you think this
josh-dietrich_1_09-09-2025_121710:That's just what I feel like it's gonna be.
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:Are different enough that if you learn the mechanics of this one, going back and playing the first would be difficult. Like it's, to shift. Do you get what I mean?
josh-dietrich_1_09-09-2025_121710:No,
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:No. Okay.
josh-dietrich_1_09-09-2025_121710:Yes, but it's, it's, it's not different mechanics, it's just a smaller skill window.
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:Okay. Okay.
josh-dietrich_1_09-09-2025_121710:So like.
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:That makes sense.
josh-dietrich_1_09-09-2025_121710:Pogo is still the way to play. It's just you have to adjust to going to an angle instead of straight down all the time.
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:of straight down every single time, which is, that's way harder. That's way harder.
josh-dietrich_1_09-09-2025_121710:Yeah. Yeah.
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:That sounds like fun. What would you rate it right now?
josh-dietrich_1_09-09-2025_121710:It's nine out of 10,
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:I have, what was your, the first one to you?
josh-dietrich_1_09-09-2025_121710:like a nine out of 10.
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:Okay.
josh-dietrich_1_09-09-2025_121710:It made my honorable mentions list. I love the, the first one. This one is just more of that
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:And if you
josh-dietrich_1_09-09-2025_121710:with some changes. Makes it stand on its own, makes it unique.
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:Fantastic.
josh-dietrich_1_09-09-2025_121710:I, and like it's a highly anticipated game. I've been waiting like five years for it. People have been waiting up to seven years for it
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:Yeah. Very
josh-dietrich_1_09-09-2025_121710:and we got it. It's only$20. So far so good. That's what I really hope to say about it. It's, it's a good time. It's worth playing.
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:awesome. awesome, my man. That's cool. Well, let's go to my first topic. I finished the first Lord of the Rings book and I was listening to a podcast where they were talking about the movie or the book better? And I think the person who thinks the book is better is crazy. Even though the book is amazing, the problem with the Lord of the Rings books versus the movies is a lot of the character development. So at the very beginning, like Marion Pippin feel like they're developed characters already. Eric Goren is like, well, I really need the sword because I'm gonna become the king. So can you make me the sword? They make him the sword and then he carries the sword with him to be part of the fellowship and he is like, I'm gonna become the king and I really need the sword. It's just not nearly as compelling as like know. He's going to become the king, but he doesn't really want to be, but he like has to be. It's just, more compelling that way. Um, do find the world to be pretty freaking amazing when they go to the tree Elves. Um, the, uh, this Lady of Light Tris area, described gorgeous. Like it is absolutely beautiful. The way that he weaves the words is, is amazing. Um, and I don't, I think that they, people give'em too much crap. I've heard my entire life that this book is just three pages of describing trees, and I didn't feel that at all. I never was bored with it. always flowed to me. I really enjoyed that. I think there are improvements in the book. I think Frodo is better in the book. There's the part where in the movies they run across the river and then the horses come and sweep away the nozzles. Right. in this one, Frodo Frodo stands up for himself, which I really, really appreciated.'cause in the, in the movie, he's kind of feels like a passive character. And this one, he feels like. He's fighting for his, his self, and I appreciate that. In the book a lot, there are these really good moments. There are moments where it's worded really well. but the, the development of the characters is not as interesting. And to me that is such an important part of the story. How do I develop and how do I connect with these characters? What is their journey? And the journey hasn't been quite as satisfying. I am going to continue reading. There's a lot of greatness. I can understand why people love it. world is crazy developed. The fact that he had to create what an ORC was in people's mind is nuts. Like he, it's, it's, it's amazing. It's astounding when you think about what he had to create to be able to bring this story to life. so far, movies are better, in my opinion.
josh-dietrich_1_09-09-2025_121710:Do you think the reason that you don't think it's three pages of describing a tree because you're not actually reading it?
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:It is possible, but I really tried to pay attention to that. I was like, does this feel over descriptive? Because there are, there are old books that feel over descriptive. The man in the well, or whatever it's called, fills over descriptive. Um. The one where they're hunting for the well, incredibly famous, what is it called?
lauren_1_09-09-2025_161709:Moby Dick.
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:Moby Dick. so overly deri described. It's not even funny. The tale of two cities feels over described to me. There's a lot of old English that time period that feels over described. did not to me like I got a picture of what it was. It was a beautiful picture. They moved on, kept the story flowing. I never felt like I was like. Okay, let's get to the story. Let's go, let's move. I never felt that way.
josh-dietrich_1_09-09-2025_121710:Okay. Do you think the other part of that might be that you're listening to the abridged version?
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:That is a possibility. And I don't know about that. That's a possibility
josh-dietrich_1_09-09-2025_121710:Okay.
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:real.
josh-dietrich_1_09-09-2025_121710:Well, what would you rate the first book on a scale of one to 10?
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:let's give it like. And eight still really, really
josh-dietrich_1_09-09-2025_121710:Okay.
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:The movie's just a nine and it's, it's not, not that good. I think, like I said, there are little parts that I, I do like better, like Gandalf, when he faces the ball rock, I, I actually like it better in the book. I think they do a better job in the book. Um, I like the visualizations and it was written so well that, that one part of the book. I didn't just see. The actor who plays Gandalf. I didn't just see the screen, I didn't just see that moment. I actually saw the book and how they were describing it, which is really cool. Like the fact that he was able to do that is amazing because that is such a famous scene. And the fact that it was more pronounced in the book astounding, but there's just a lot of cohesion that they did with the movies that I thought were, that I thought were better. Um, and. There. There's a lot of moments in the books that I, that I think are solid, but the books, the movies are so impressive because they took this script and they took a lot of these famous lines completely changed when they show up, but they still work so well. And in the movies they wrote lines that people think are token, but they're not. And that is astounding. But it fits into the movie so well, and it fits into the voice of the original author amazingly. Like it's incredible.
josh-dietrich_1_09-09-2025_121710:Very cool.
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:Yeah.
josh-dietrich_1_09-09-2025_121710:I'm excited to get through it myself.
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:yeah. You'll have to let us know what you think. I think you, you'll still like it. I, it's still very well done. Um, with that, let's go to you guys' shared topic. This bed we made. We can, Lauren, go ahead. Go first.
lauren_1_09-09-2025_161709:Um, well, I don't wanna like ruin it for you because we want you to play it.
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:That's totally fine. You're not gonna ruin it for me.
lauren_1_09-09-2025_161709:Um. It is interesting because like is like, oh, it's a cleaning simulator, and then the first thing that happens is you walk into a police station. And I was like, yeah, I knew there was gonna be a twist when he was like, oh, I just want you to play this. No other reason than I want you to play this. And so, uh, I actually did really like the cleaning aspect of the game though. Um. And like having been a custodian for so many years. I was like, it was funny, Josh was watching me play it and I was like, oh, all of their toilet. I'm like, they all have their toilet paper. And he is like, what? And I was like, it says on the thing that I need to replace the toilet paper if it's out toilet paper. And they didn't give me a chance to replace the toilet paper. I wanted to be the best cleaning lady there was. And so, uh, it was, but like it has a lot of, it has a lot of reading in this game that I, wasn't aware of, but I am not mad about. I really liked reading all the mysteries.'cause you're going into these rooms and you're reading about all of the people that you're cleaning the rooms for. And I was like, I'm, I'm. I, I like being a snoop apparently. Um, and then, yeah, I just kept playing, trying to get a hundred percent of this game because there's several different ways it can end. Um, like there's a lot of things that you do that influences what happens in the game. I think I read online that there's 27 different variations of the end. Um,
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:Wow.
lauren_1_09-09-2025_161709:so it's, it's fun. Uh, there was one character that Josh was like, are you gay? Did she turn you gay yet? And I like, uh, rejected that
josh-dietrich_1_09-09-2025_121710:She turned me gay.
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:She turned half gay. Is that what you said?
josh-dietrich_1_09-09-2025_121710:She turned me gay. She turned me lesbian for her.
lauren_1_09-09-2025_161709:Yeah, because your character is a girl and there's uh, yeah. Another character that's, um, a lesbian and she like, falls for you so you can like, but I, I, uh, dodge that while Josh was watching. He is like, how dare you, how dare you reject her?
josh-dietrich_1_09-09-2025_121710:She chose her as her ally and then rejected her by saying, I'm the lesbian, just not for you.
lauren_1_09-09-2025_161709:No.
josh-dietrich_1_09-09-2025_121710:Which is just messed up,
lauren_1_09-09-2025_161709:because it was like,
josh-dietrich_1_09-09-2025_121710:messed
lauren_1_09-09-2025_161709:I don't feel that way. And then at the end I was like, oh, maybe I can reconcile. And so she is like, oh, actually I am lesbian. And then she's like, cool. And then they just stayed friends. I was like, okay, well, well, I mean, if it was any better, I went to jail that time anyway, so I wouldn't have been able to be with her. Uh, it's, it's pretty interesting. It had me like wanting, like, I think I replayed it four times in a row, like trying to get all the
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:Wow.
lauren_1_09-09-2025_161709:things. So yeah, it's, I really like that this game. Anyway,
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:Cool. Yeah.
josh-dietrich_1_09-09-2025_121710:So to get more of the story, I came across this on TikTok and the talker was like, when you thought you were playing a cleaning simulator, when, and it shows the bathroom with the pictures.
lauren_1_09-09-2025_161709:Hmm.
josh-dietrich_1_09-09-2025_121710:And I was like, okay, so this is gonna be a cleaning simulator. You're gonna discover that there's this mystery and it's gonna be a little bit more. And so I thought to myself, I bet that that experience would be made better if you had a similar experience where you thought you were just playing a cleaning simulator. So last week I was like, Hey, Conlin and Lauren, or not last week, two weeks ago, I was like, Hey, Conlin and Lauren. You guys should play this game without looking into it. Little did I know. The very first thing that it shows on the scene is this words thing that's like, just so you know, every decision you make is going to make an impact. And then it's the main character walking into a police station to talk to a detective in an interrogation room. So I was like, okay. So the person who made that TikTok is either. Misleading people or a moron because if they thought they were playing a cleaning simulator after that, they're, um, that being said, this is like a four hour at most game
lauren_1_09-09-2025_161709:Yeah.
josh-dietrich_1_09-09-2025_121710:with 27 variations of an ending.
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:That's
josh-dietrich_1_09-09-2025_121710:Um. Every single decision you make does matter from how much you clean to what you do with the pictures in the bathroom and what you do with the stuff in the safe and how you solve puzzles, whether you solve puzzles, what you do things, uh, you can even have variations during the game. So while I was watching Lauren play, we discovered that during a certain puzzle. If you do something specific, it will knock the lights out. I did not have that experience because I solved the puzzle correctly the first time because I am smart. No, I'm just kidding. Um,
lauren_1_09-09-2025_161709:I was cutting corners and accidentally found this.
josh-dietrich_1_09-09-2025_121710:yeah,
lauren_1_09-09-2025_161709:me out.
josh-dietrich_1_09-09-2025_121710:freaked her out, but she was telling me about it and I was like, I have no idea what you're talking about.'cause when she told me the lights went out, I was like, okay, she's at the end of the game. No, she still had like a quarter left. Because she had triggered this thing to happen that I didn't get to experience. Um, charming, charming, little like single play through. You just get to sit down and enjoy it. Um, the cleaning itself is satisfying. Um, mostly'cause they don't make you scrub toilets or anything disgusting. It's just like, do, do, do, do. It's done. Click co trash and I've cleaned up, gather the cups, go put'em on the cart, right? So I really liked it. Um, I would say it's like a stepping stone. If somebody doesn't wanna sit and play through, like Detroit become human.'cause that's like 30 hours, you could be like, Hey, here's this game we can sit and play through together. That's only a few hours and Right. Like you could sit down with Sid and you guys could have fun snooping into people's stuff, reading about their lives, trying to figure out what's going on and, and have fun with it. And it would take no more than a night or two. And that was a good,
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:That's good.
josh-dietrich_1_09-09-2025_121710:and then you can come to me and be like, Hey, did you have this happen? And me be like, no. I did not. That's crazy.'cause you know, there's really ultimately like six different endings, but each one has its own set of variations, um, which is kind of cool too. Um,
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:That is cool.
josh-dietrich_1_09-09-2025_121710:but yeah, it's, it's a good time. Huh.
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:Okay. What are your ratings guys?
lauren_1_09-09-2025_161709:Like replayed this and replayed this all in one go, but I don't. Think now that I've feel like I've gotten all the endings, um, I feel like it would be a while before I replayed this game. Um, I would give it probably like an 8.5,
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:Okay,
lauren_1_09-09-2025_161709:so.
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:Josh.
josh-dietrich_1_09-09-2025_121710:I am gonna give it a 9.5.
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:Wow.
josh-dietrich_1_09-09-2025_121710:I think it's great for what it is. I think it's the perfect length. If it was longer, things would drag out. If it was shorter, there wouldn't, you wouldn't really get invested. Um, it's perfect for what it is. Yes, Lauren's right. It's not going to be one that I'm going to replay, but it's such an easy recommendation. Hey, do you have$3 and want to spend four hours on a pretty interesting mystery that involves your character that you can replay over and over and over again because of all the different endings that happen. So you can just, oh, I've got a few hours to kill. You can just like, it's perfect for what it is.
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:Cool.
josh-dietrich_1_09-09-2025_121710:It doesn't need to be replay all the time, but you can just give it a shot and Lauren played it for like three days in a row or two days in a row, and
lauren_1_09-09-2025_161709:in a row. Yeah.
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:Super cool.
josh-dietrich_1_09-09-2025_121710:different times or something. Like, I don't know how to give it less than a 9.5 when it gets that kind of reaction, right? I mean,
lauren_1_09-09-2025_161709:I
josh-dietrich_1_09-09-2025_121710:it was great.
lauren_1_09-09-2025_161709:bumped it down because when I was trying to get the a hundred percent, it was like very unclear of how to get this one thing, and it was like very. Like a hundred percent, you have to play it through at least four times. And so that's why I knocked it down.'cause now I've started realizing I liked to hun 100% games that I like. And so I was like, it was really hard to 100% it, um, like more hard than I think it should have been to 100%. And that's why I, I brought it down, but.
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:Okay, cool. I will give.
lauren_1_09-09-2025_161709:weird. That was, sorry, but like the saving things is weird. You can't have, like, it will save through your one play through, but if you start another play through, you're starting a new play through and your old play through's gone. At least that's what happened with me. So just those little things is what brought it down for me. But gameplay and like game. Yeah, it's great.
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:Awesome. I will play it for sure. That sounds fantastic guys. Sounds fantastic. Alright, let's go to my final topic. Um, I think, did you review this last week, Lauren?
lauren_1_09-09-2025_161709:Yes.
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:Okay. I'm reviewing elo. I missed last episode. What was your, like, general thoughts on it?
lauren_1_09-09-2025_161709:Hated it. I'm just kidding.
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:Okay. Okay. I was like, we even disagree again. Woo-hoo.
lauren_1_09-09-2025_161709:I liked it. Um, I think we were talking about like, where it fits in the Pixar, uh, and I said it's like at the bottom of my favorites, so.
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:I thought this movie was, is wildly underrated, like this should have been much, much bigger than it was. It's a lot of fun. My only problem with this movie really is the ending because at the end I was like, you kidding me? you finally found a family that accepts you. technology to be able to beam back to earth, whatever the heck you want. It's not like you're saying goodbye to your aunt and you get, be the freaking leader of Earth, and you're like, nah, peace. I'm gonna go shovel manure on earth, or whatever he's gonna do. I don't know.
lauren_1_09-09-2025_161709:I did find it funny that I was like, oh, you know,'cause she definitely defied orders in a government setting, so she's probably gonna go to jail.
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:For sure.
lauren_1_09-09-2025_161709:I was, I thought that they, she was gonna stay with Elio on the spaceship and that they're just gonna travel the stars together because she always wanted to be an astronaut.
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:was my thought
lauren_1_09-09-2025_161709:that would make sense. Yeah. So I agree with you there. The ending did not make sense in that aspect.
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:Yeah, I was like, you wanna be an astronaut? Like that's your whole goal. That's your character arc is being an astronaut and being a new mom to this kid. Why would you not fulfill your character arc and be the mom to the new leader of Earth? That'd be sweet.
lauren_1_09-09-2025_161709:Mm-hmm.
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:And I, I don't know what lesson they were trying to go for at the end, like. You create your own home or something. But if Opportune comes knocking, go create a home over there. That's awesome. Anyway, she, I'm, I'm sure Earth, go do like you, you have an opportunity. Go for it. I'm sure Lauren talked about what the story is, but basically it's a kid who loses his parents and gets adopted by his aunt, and he wants to be taken by aliens. He wants to be able to get away from Earth. He wants to be able to be free. And it spoke to like the little nerd kid in me of like wanting to find a place to belong. they, they've done the wanting to belong story a million different times. Pixar is very common with that, but it's very satisfying. Like the entire time you, you're just bought into this story, you bought into the adventure. I love the adventure aspect of this. I don't think. As it goes along, he gets kidnapped by these aliens. He convinces them that he's the leader of earth and then this group of other aliens who's a warlike alien race, they're going to attack and it's up to ELO to convince them not to attack. He becomes friends with this alien dictator son, and they have a good buddy relationship. That I don't think is as satisfying as what they did with the one with the Merr people. What is it called? Luca? With Luca. I think Luca is better done with the, with the Mel relationship that we don't see very often, but I still appreciate the fact that they had a male friendship when a lot of movies just don't do that, or they do it very, very poorly. This one felt good, just not quite as good as what they did before with Luca. It's, the animation is absolutely gorgeous. I talked about, uh, did you talk about animation on all Lauren? You probably did.
lauren_1_09-09-2025_161709:I actually don't think I went into detail, but I mentioned that like it was really good.
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:The part where he goes back down to earth and the moon is on the, on the ocean. blew my mind. I literally watched it twice. I was just like, how did they do that? The way the light cascades off the waves. I thought it was astounding. The music is really good. Um, uh, I liked all the characters. Everything was endearing. It felt like a good Pixar movie. It's not up with the greats of like a toy story to a car's. but for me it's like, it's pretty close to like a monster's ink, is a pretty big deal. I liked it about that much.
josh-dietrich_1_09-09-2025_121710:That's insane.
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:I'm not as big a Monster Ink fan as a lot of other people are. I'm just not. I still realize it's a great movie. this one is close to that.
lauren_1_09-09-2025_161709:I think Monster thinks better.
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:That's fair. IEE
josh-dietrich_1_09-09-2025_121710:talking about male friendships. Name a better one than Monsters, Inc.
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:You're right.
lauren_1_09-09-2025_161709:on.
josh-dietrich_1_09-09-2025_121710:In Pixar.
lauren_1_09-09-2025_161709:Oh.
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:Pixar.
josh-dietrich_1_09-09-2025_121710:Okay.
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:the best one. That's fair. That's fair. I don't, why don't I like Monster Zinc as much as I, as other people do?
josh-dietrich_1_09-09-2025_121710:Go watch it again. I bet you haven't watched it in a while. I bet you watch it now and you'll be like, oh yeah, this is way better than Elio
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:Okay.'cause I haven't watched it in a long time, but everybody loved it when we were kids and I, I, I liked it, but I didn't, blow me away or anything. I liked it, thought it was good. It
josh-dietrich_1_09-09-2025_121710:Monsters. Zinc is a great Pixar. It is up there with cars. And Oui.
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:Okay.
josh-dietrich_1_09-09-2025_121710:the three best Pixar projects.
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:Okay. Maybe I need to rewatch it. I need to rewatch it. Obviously I haven't seen it in, uh, a long time, long, like junior high. It's been a long time.
lauren_1_09-09-2025_161709:Yeah, the thing that you mentioned of like it's find where you belong type thing. I think what, other than Lilo and Stitch, this is like one where the parents, I feel like were brought into why they felt alienated of like not belonging. Um.
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:a really good point.
lauren_1_09-09-2025_161709:So I think that's why that worked and why it was good because it showed the parents, like, the thing that I liked about this movie was it wasn't really up to the kids to try to, uh, fix the relationship. You saw the parents trying to like, fix the relationship with the kid instead of the kid saving the day. Uh
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:you're seeing the stress on both sides of the equation instead of just one. I love that point. That's a great point.
lauren_1_09-09-2025_161709:Yeah.'cause like I liked with the aunt when she noticed that EE wasn't Elio and was the clone, she was like trying to act like everything was cool. But then she was staying up all night, like trying to figure out what is wrong with this kid, because she's like, that's not my kid. And uh, it's, and then like the dad too, like he real of the worm. Uh, he knew that his son was like this kindhearted thing and he was like trying to protect that for a while, but like the kid didn't understand, like the kid wanted to be, make his dad proud, but the dad knew that the kid wasn't really it and was letting him be that worm for so long. But there was like that little bit of miscommunication that was happening. So, yeah, I think those, I'm kind of. up more than what I did last week, and I am actually thinking that I like it more now that I'm realizing these little aspects of it. I
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:I love that.
lauren_1_09-09-2025_161709:it speaks so much and why I was telling Josh I cried at the bit where, um, the dad like breaks out of his armor to like go hug his son,
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:It's amazing.
lauren_1_09-09-2025_161709:is so good. I bawled during that and I loved the choice that you could, there was no dialogue. I loved that choice, so there was no dialogue there.
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:Two.
lauren_1_09-09-2025_161709:but yeah, anyway, so it was good. I think people should watch it. I don't think, like you said, I don't think like it's one of the greatest things to ever grace the earth, but I think people should watch it
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:Yeah, I think it's an above average and the best one that they've had uh. I don't, I don't
lauren_1_09-09-2025_161709:out
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:know. Soul, probably soul.'cause I, I really like soul. I like soul a lot. it's been, it's been a long time since they've had one that, was this, this good? And nobody's seen this movie. This did not get, one went to the theater for it. Nobody saw this movie. That's a shame. Um, I am going to give it just below an eight is where I was at. I was like 7.8, something like that. Just below. I thought it was quite good. I would re-watch this movie. And with that, let's go to our shared topic. And Josh? No, Lauren. Lauren. Who suggested this topic? It was Lauren, right?
lauren_1_09-09-2025_161709:I just suggested it. I've already reviewed it on the podcast,
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:Oh, I don't remember that. Okay. We'll go with Josh first.
josh-dietrich_1_09-09-2025_121710:Such care and attention coming from Conland.
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:Absolutely.
josh-dietrich_1_09-09-2025_121710:I don't really know what to fully say about this movie. Uh, I'm kind of really torn between two thought processes on it. Uh, one, uh, it was a very good choice to do the three parts in reverse. Two, it was very cool to have the narrator and everything else going on alongside this, this movie. Uh, the writing was pretty good. Um, it was not at all what I was expecting when I saw ads for this. I saw Tom Hiddleston doing some dancing, and I thought that this was going to be a positive, happier story to tell about the life of Chuck, and instead I got, what was my other thought process on it? On it's just another grief story. And at this point in my life, I'm really sick of grief stories. They get made all the time. Is this the best grief story? No, it's not even the best. Um, it's the newest, but, and like, I get it. Grief is something that literally every single person deals with in their lives. Every single one, but. I, I don't want to have every single piece of media be about it just because it's an easy target at the same time, um, it was okay. I don't have anything to nitpick and call out at this movie as being terrible or awful or bad. Um. I think that there was a little too much going on. I thought that the whole payoff with what was in the room in on the top floor was not necessary. They could have just cut that whole plot line out and it would've been a better movie for it. Um, because after it I'm like, okay, what about the people who bought the house? How come they're not freaking out about going upstairs and seeing dead people all the time? Um. So, yeah, that's where I'm completely torn between. It was well made. It was pretty good. I liked the dancing. I liked that Tom Hiddleston wasn't the main focus. I liked the way that they structured the film. I thought the writing was pretty good. I liked all the acting. I liked the actors that they chose for all of these roles. I love all the intertwined stories. I thought the overall message was okay, but I'm also on there with like, and it's another grief story,
lauren_1_09-09-2025_161709:Hmm.
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:Interesting.
josh-dietrich_1_09-09-2025_121710:that, that's where I'm at. Conlin, what did you think?
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:before I about it?
josh-dietrich_1_09-09-2025_121710:Six out of.
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:Okay. I'm gonna start by saying it is a shame that Matthew Lillard doesn't done more serious roles. Because my favorite part of this entire movie is the moment where he's freaking out about the end of the world. I think he acts that so freaking well, and I, I loved it. I thought it was great. And the entire time I was at the beginning of this, I'm like, this is the chillest apocalypse movie I've ever
josh-dietrich_1_09-09-2025_121710:Oh, that's backwards.
lauren_1_09-09-2025_161709:What does that
josh-dietrich_1_09-09-2025_121710:I wrote, my only notes I wrote down during this movie was, I don't like seeing Matthew Laer depressed. He de deserve, he does a great job. I just don't like it. Be happy Shaggy.
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:No, I loved it. I wish we would see some like,'cause he is always the goofy, goofy dude, and I've never seen him like that. And I was, I was blown away. Um. At the beginning of this movie, I was like, this is the movie I've ever seen.'cause I hadn't seen anything about it. I didn't remember Lauren talking about it. I didn't remember an ad. I remember nothing. I was like, I don't know what this is about. And then they're having an apocalypse. I was like, why is there a freaking dancing guy on the cover? Like, what is going on? What I watching? Um, the entire world is falling apart. And the idea that. Something really dies when somebody dies. I loved, and I love the artistic portrayal of that. is the most artistic, artsy type movie I think that we've ever reviewed. It feels very artsy. Um, the idea that you have all of this inside of your head and you are, you are many, you are expanded, you are more well done and it was well portrayed in a form that. Work to portray it like this wouldn't, I actually don't think this would've been as good as a book, even though it is. I would kind of wanna read it, but I think that they would do better with a visual medium because it portrayed this idea you being part of something bigger as part of this expanse. then you get past this first act and you're like, okay, what's going on? And the second act is a little slow to me, to be completely honest. I was like. Okay. There's times where I want this to expand a little bit more, and I wanna find out a little bit more about what's going on. There's times where I just kind of want to go and move a little bit fa faster it becomes this uneven flow, but it's still really good you're, you're trying why does, why does everything that we just noticed matter? And the idea is that this world is inside of his head and the idea and the person is dying. And that that matters. And then you get to, you get to the very end of the movie. And one, mark Hamill very good, does a good, a great job in this movie. It's a little bit different than things I've seen him before. Was impressed.
josh-dietrich_1_09-09-2025_121710:Still a better Luke Skywalker than the sea.
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:agree. Um, you get to the end and you've watched this journey of this person he goes into a room. And he sees himself dying he just promises himself that he's gonna live a good life and he is going to do everything that he can to live a good life. And I didn't get a message of grief. actually got a message of hope, like you could die at any moment could. It could be the end at any time. Your grandma could pass away tomorrow. make today matter and promise yourself. Look at yourself in the future. Look at that deathbed. What do you want to be like there? Which is a common idea that we. We express and we research a lot, like we go into a lot, but it's very, very rarely displayed as well as I think it is in this movie of how do you react to seeing yourself die? it horror? it hope? Is it a drive to become something better you? are you gonna react? And I think that's a very human question, and they display that question really, really well in my opinion. There's a, there's problems with this movie. There are times where it's too slow. There's times where it meanders a little bit, but what it was trying to convey, I actually found appealing, very thought provoking, and well dis well, well, well done. Um, I would only still give this about a seven because there, I don't really wanna watch it again, because of the meandering and the fact that it could be edited down, it could be shortened. there's, there's, there's issues here, there's still a lot of good, like a lot of good, might even give it like slightly higher than a seven, but it's right around that range.
lauren_1_09-09-2025_161709:Um, I didn't get either of those messages. Uh, I got the like to not be scared. Is basically not like grief. Hope I get grief, I get, but like what I got from this movie was like, so at first I was freaking out at the beginning because I was ready for a dancing Tom Hiddleston. And very beginning like I'm like, who is this guy? Why? Why are, because it kept announcing in the very beginning, like, uh, 30 or 40 something years with, um, the
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:39 years.
lauren_1_09-09-2025_161709:years. Uh, 39 great years, uh, with so-and-so, but nobody knows who this person is. And they're like, does he worked for the bank? All the while there's like, yeah, this slow, quiet apocalypse happening I knew that it was a Stephen King story, and so I like turned to my friend, we're in the theater and I turned my friend and I was like, did they, did they do like a little flip and try to get people who normally don't watch horror movies to come into a horror movie? So I thought I had gotten, like, tricked into a horror movie, uh, with this because it, it felt very like, okay, the other shoe's gonna drop and then. When all the lights went out and all of a sudden there was like, he was on every window and everything. I noticed that he looked worse instead of the other pictures that he'd been in. And I was like, what's going on? And then the girl, and, um, it was Karen Gill and, uh, the guy that was playing, I can't remember. Anyway, but he was like the teacher, uh, when they were like sitting there, they were kind of scared at the end when like all the lights started going out. Um, and so like that freaked me out'cause I was like, what the heck is happening? I have no idea what's going on. and so I kind of freaked myself out. And then it goes into Tom Hiddleston dancing. And like this point he knew, he was like. Gonna die. But he is like, I'm just gonna take every opportunity I have. And then, um, I totally agree with the whole ghosts in the attic. They did not need to have the ghosts in the attic. I, was like. I think you could have just had the story without the ghosts, other than when he realized when he sees himself dying, he made a choice right then that he's like, I'm not gonna be scared of this end, even though I know it's gonna end this way. Because like his grandpa, or no, his dad, his grandpa. Grandpa was scared of every single ending and was always trying to stop it or, um. And like I feel like in every other story, if people see their ending, they're always fighting tooth and nail and they're terrified of that ending. And he made the choice to be like, I know what's gonna happen. I'm not gonna be scared and I'm gonna live it up anyway. I'm not gonna try to fight it. I'm just gonna choose not to be scared and I'm gonna live my life. And so, like, I think it was very interesting'cause like I was very scared at the very beginning of this movie and at the end I wasn't. And so I, it worked for me because. I was so unsettled at the very beginning of this movie, and then they brought in that piece for me to breathe a little bit, and then in the end it was like, yeah, don't be scared. I can see where you got the grief from. I can see where you see the hope from. Um, but it was especially like'cause of the time that we live in where everybody's always threatening that the world's gonna end every two seconds. Uh, I have anxiety and so I'm always like, yeah, the world is gonna end every three seconds. then I'm trying to adopt the whole thing of like, eh, so what? I'm gonna live up these three seconds. Instead, instead of being, trying to be scared of all the time, uh, is it working for me? We'll, see, I'm still gonna try not to be scared every three seconds, um, yeah, so it was very interesting because I went and watched this with my friend Ellie, and she also had a very different take on this movie. And so that's why I wanted you guys to watch this because I was like, I wanna know what you guys thought of this. Movie. Uh, because so far everybody's had a very different take. Every single that I've talked to. So
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:I assume it makes me like the movie a little bit better.
lauren_1_09-09-2025_161709:good. Yeah.
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:That was cool.
lauren_1_09-09-2025_161709:I think I rated this an eight last time and I'm sticking with that. So
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:Cool. I would have it higher if I just wanted to re-watch it, but I don't really.
lauren_1_09-09-2025_161709:if I wanted to rewatch That's fair. It's um. I don't think that it has much of a re-watch ability for me either, but I like having other people watch it to see what they thought about it.
konlin_1_09-09-2025_161709:That's cool. That's very cool. With that, guys, that's gonna be our episode. We appreciate you watching. We're grateful for you. If there's anything that you want us to watch, anything that you think that will be divisive between us, love these. Deep conversations where we get to talk about what we think, how we react to art. to me. appreciate all of you have a better tomorrow than you did today and just keep going forward. See you guys. Bye.
