Patrick Replies – The Digital De-Aging Episode
Patrick Willems Presents
0:00 Hello everyone.
0:01 Uh, happy new year and welcome to Patrick Replies,
0:05 the show on the second channel where I,
0:07 Patrick, reply to your questions and comments about the latest video.
0:12 Once again, we're catching up on these.
0:14 Anyway, anyway, I am shooting this on January 1st, 2026.
0:19 I haven't shot one of these in a while.
0:21 It was a busy last few months or so, especially December, but I got through it.
0:29 I had a lovely Christmas.
0:31 The Christmas Q&A with Mary is out and hopefully you've watched that.
0:36 And so now I am uh taking a break from the videos.
0:41 Uh the season's done.
0:42 I got to figure out what I'm doing for the next season.
0:44 And while I'm chilling out,
0:46 the the the one non-chilling thing I'm doing is catching up on these.
0:51 But but these these are pretty chill, right?
0:54 I think the these these are fun.
0:56 The thing that I'm really excited about with this episode,
0:58 so uh you know, keep watching to the end.
1:02 Look at this stack of mail.
1:04 I'm going to open all of this in this one episode.
1:07 I could have, you know,
1:09 rationed it out and opened a bit of mail in like each subsequent episode.
1:14 No, I'm greedy and I'm impatient and I've been staring
1:17 at this for so long and I want to open this mail.
1:20 So hopefully the the questions and comments
1:22 are like easy and quick to get through.
1:25 because I want to open these.
1:28 Anyway, let's just dive right on in and take a look at these.
1:31 First, as always, we will be looking at comments
1:35 pulled from the YouTube comments section uh by Elliot Gammons.
1:38 So, hopefully Elliot picked us some some good comments.
1:43 And now I got to remember whatever I was thinking
1:45 about digital deaging when I shot this in like god,
1:49 was it like August or something?
1:51 It was a while ago.
1:53 It would.
1:53 Yeah, it it feels like an eternity ago,
1:56 even though it was less than six months ago.
2:00 Up first, we have a comment from Jack Campbell,
2:05 who says, "A couple years ago, Zelda Williams, daughter of Robin Williams,
2:09 posted about how her family has to constantly
2:12 fight studios from doing this to her dad's likeness.
2:15 I think about that every time a resurrected actor is put in a movie." Yeah,
2:20 that is an insane situation to be in.
2:22 I guess it's a thing where like Robin Williams' likeness it's probably like
2:27 the the the rights to all that are
2:30 probably different for every project he was in.
2:33 You know, I know in a lot of these cases,
2:34 whether it's like Harold Ramos or Ian Holm or whatever,
2:37 you know, or or Peter Cushing, they always tell us, "Oh,
2:41 and we consulted the family and the family gave
2:43 their approval." And I believe in all those cases they did.
2:47 But yeah, I I will say props to, you know,
2:50 Robin Williams' family for not wanting this to happen because yeah,
2:55 that I mean I I'm I'm sure it would be like, you know,
2:58 weird and unsettling and unpleasant for them and I don't want to see it either.
3:02 So yeah, it all sucks.
3:04 Chew Wars says, "Better Call Saul proved that with enough time audiences will
3:10 get used to older actors playing their younger selves all the time." Yeah.
3:14 I mean, I don't even know if Better Call Saul needed that much time.
3:17 A smart thing that show always did was like it, if I remember correctly,
3:22 it never told us exactly how many years before Breaking Bad it was set.
3:27 It's just like it's a prequel.
3:28 It's set at some point before it in the 2000s.
3:33 And I I think that was like to give them room so like
3:37 the show could go as long or as short as they wanted it to.
3:40 You know, Vince Gilligan doesn't give a[ __] about that stuff.
3:43 It's like when they made El Camino and, you know,
3:46 Jesse Plemens was like 50 lbs heavier than he'd been in Breaking Bad.
3:51 It's like, yeah, whatever, man.
3:52 They're they're actors.
3:54 You know, the audience can suspend their disbelief.
3:56 If the performances are good and the story is compelling, then like, you know,
4:00 a slight visual continuity error in an actor's appearance,
4:04 like it doesn't matter.
4:06 It doesn't matter.
4:07 You know what?
4:08 It also saves a lot of money.
4:09 So, more people should be like better call Saul.
4:12 I mean, in a lot of ways, it's one of the best shows ever.
4:15 Jay Collivera says, "To me,
4:18 the very worst offender of using deceased actors as props
4:22 in a movie is what was done with George Reeves in The Flash.
4:26 They zombified an actor that took his own life,
4:28 in part due to being forever associated with that same role.
4:32 It's beyond ghoullish to do something like that." Yes.
4:34 I mean, that entire sequence in the Flash is just so deeply weird.
4:39 Like this one is is like not like offensive or ghoulish in the same way
4:43 because you know the actor was like
4:44 actually kind of involved and gave his approval.
4:47 But like the Nicholas Cage one is just so weird because like
4:49 that only makes sense to people who watched the DVD an Evening
4:52 with Kevin Smith and heard Kevin Smith tell the story about writing
4:56 Superman in the '9s for producer John Peters who wanted a giant spider.
5:00 It's like like all of that is weird.
5:02 It's just so many CGI people and Yeah.
5:06 And it's just like kind of like the ultimate
5:08 example of the the the terrible disease modern fandom has, which is like, well,
5:14 like like since we just have like unlimited technology,
5:18 we can just make every little like no,
5:21 you know, nerd thought we've ever had a reality.
5:24 Everyone can meet everyone and be in the same thing.
5:28 And like don't do that to George Reeves.
5:31 Dr.
5:31 Forester says, "One thing I never got about just recasting in Star Wars.
5:37 You have the Star Trek fandom, the most nitpicky fandom outside of Tolken.
5:42 They handle recasting just fine.
5:44 For all the complaining about the Abrams movies are the new Trek shows,
5:48 casting has been incredibly wellreceived and not drawn much fanboy criticism.
5:53 While Star Wars fans are complaining about
5:54 a minor character being recast in Andor, Trekies are just like, "Wake up, babe.
5:59 A new Spock just dropped.
6:01 Yes, 100%.
6:02 I like I don't know why I didn't bring this up in the video.
6:07 I think I had the thought like a couple days after I
6:10 released the video like ah[ __] I should have brought up Star Trek.
6:13 Star Trek.
6:14 It's like it's a perfect counterpoint to Star Wars because like yeah,
6:17 there are like what three actors who've played Spock, something like that.
6:22 Like three actors or so who've played Kirk.
6:25 Yeah, it doesn't matter.
6:26 They've been doing this for years.
6:27 they're presumably going to keep on doing it.
6:30 Uh, it works just fine and once again costs way less
6:35 money and is way less creepy and unsettling to look at.
6:39 Rentless says, "You know how they deaged Kurt Russell
6:42 for the Godzilla TV show no one actually watched?
6:45 They cast Wyatt Russell.
6:46 Best idea ever." Yes.
6:48 While I must admit that I also have not watched Monarch Legacy of Monsters,
6:54 which I should because like Matt Fraction created the show.
6:57 I love Matt Fraction.
6:58 His Batman run right now.
6:59 Uh there's only like four issues out, but like like he he's killing it.
7:04 Is that show good?
7:05 Should I watch it?
7:06 I'm not going to read the comments, but like I don't know.
7:08 Tell me on other platforms if I should watch Monarch Legacy of Monsters.
7:13 Blue Marcales says, "I have always found it works in Tron.
7:18 I assume Tron Legacy being that Clue's whole issue is that he can't move on.
7:23 He's perfect because he simply refuses to change.
7:27 So yeah, I I did mention this in the video about like, you know,
7:32 Tron Legacy kind of gets away with it
7:35 because Clue is an artificial computer program.
7:40 But once again, intron legacy, the digital deaging weird CGI face is also used
7:45 on like flashbacks to just like regular Kevin Flynn,
7:49 like regular Jeff Bridges with Clue while him being
7:53 a computer construct kind of excuses a little bit,
7:57 kind of handwaves away some of like the the weird plasticity of the CGI face.
8:03 Also, what would be cool is if you didn't
8:05 have to excuse it because there was just like
8:07 a real actor and there was no issue
8:09 with that at all and it just like looked good.
8:14 Up next, Lysurgic Serpent says, "I'm sure this has probably been said
8:20 a million times about a six-year-old movie,
8:23 but it's really crazy that Scorsesei didn't bother to cast
8:26 a younger actor to play young Bob Dairo when one
8:29 of Dairo's breakout roles 40 plus years ago was being
8:33 cast as a young Marlon Brando in Godfather Part Two.
8:36 I see what you mean here.
8:39 And while I don't think the deaging in The Irishman is perfect,
8:45 in Godfather part two,
8:46 Vento Corleone is already played by multiple actors because you first meet him
8:51 as a child and then you see him like age up into Dairo.
8:55 And so it's not it's not it's not quite a one to one.
8:58 And also like the real like point of the Irishman is the like the continuity
9:04 of performance of like watching one guy
9:08 like change like over decades and decades.
9:13 And also in the Irishman, Dairo at his youngest is like I don't
9:19 know like 40s late 40s 50 something like that.
9:21 Like he's never he's never like a 20some.
9:24 it it's still like a you know a messy conversation
9:27 where there's like there's no perfect answer to any of it.
9:30 I don't think that the Irishman should
9:33 have had a different actor playing younger Dairo.
9:37 It's it's I don't know what the solution is there.
9:40 Honestly, I think the movie is great and that it does transcend the deaging.
9:45 There are, you know,
9:46 parts of it where it could have been executed better, but yeah, in general,
9:50 I think the larger creative choices are probably
9:53 the right ones for that movie, but that's just me.
9:56 Potludgum Pludgum says, "I really liked the approach of Looper.
10:01 Just two different actors with makeup goes a long way, and for the audience,
10:06 it's always fun to see someone else do
10:08 an impression of someone you know very well." Yes,
10:10 another one that I just should have brought up uh in the episode.
10:14 It's also like, you know, putting that makeup on on Joseph Gordon Levit to like,
10:18 you know, pretty significantly change his face.
10:20 That's that's a bold move because he's a recognizable
10:23 well-known actor who doesn't look anything like Bruce Willis.
10:26 And it works.
10:27 You know what?
10:28 It works.
10:28 A lot of it is once again suspension of disbelief,
10:32 good performances, compelling story, and that that gets away with it.
10:36 I mean, like, can you imagine that movie with Bruce Willis playing
10:40 both roles and just like being daged to like his like that?
10:43 That sounds like a nightmare.
10:45 God, that would suck so bad.
10:47 Mick Boss says, "I'm so glad you brought up Indiana Jones because we
10:52 have a perfect example of young Indie being played by another actor, Troy Baker.
10:58 You should look up his performance in The Great Circle.
11:00 He perfectly pulls off a young Harrison Ford impression.
11:03 Despite being a video game,
11:05 his performance is more convincing than the actual blockbuster movie.
11:08 It's a perfect example of what you bring up in the video.
11:11 Also, about young Luke Skywalker, the craziest part about the CGI replacement is
11:15 that the body double actor looks just like him.
11:18 They literally could have just had the guy act and it would have been perfect.
11:21 Okay, if you're watching this, you
11:23 probably maybe have watched the season finale,
11:25 which is on Nebula right now, where I play cinematic video games.
11:29 So, I am kind of back into gaming a little bit.
11:32 I'm going to I'm going to do a little bit
11:33 of gaming this month while I'm I'm I'm taking a break.
11:36 And I've heard that Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is good.
11:40 I've I've generally heard it's good.
11:42 Should I play it?
11:43 Is Is it worth my time?
11:45 And I've seen some clips with, you know, Troy Baker playing indie in the game.
11:49 And it it is a good Harrison Ford impression,
11:53 but that also only works in the context of video games
11:58 because they can still like digitally have the likeness of Harrison Ford,
12:02 but then another actor play him and then you still get
12:06 into the weird thing that I discuss in the season finale.
12:09 go watch it with these hyper realistic like CGI graphics
12:12 that are like trying to look like a live action movie,
12:15 but like that kind of thing.
12:16 Like we're not going to go to a movie theater to watch a a CGI
12:21 animated Indiana Jones movie with like super
12:24 realistic graphics with someone playing Harrison Ford.
12:27 Like that doesn't work there.
12:29 But video games being this weird in between
12:32 thing with like like cinema melded with games,
12:36 you can kind of get away with it there.
12:38 That game also isn't a replacement for like the newer movies because Crystal
12:42 Skull and Dial of Destiny for all of their problems do really want
12:47 to be about exploring Indiana Jones like at a later point in his life
12:53 while The Great Circle wants to be like a classic peak Indiana Jones adventure.
12:58 And so they have different goals.
13:00 Anyway, I don't even know what I'm getting at here,
13:02 but I'm just like maybe I should play Indiana Jones and the Great Circle.
13:05 And also the Luke Skywalker of it all,
13:08 the actor playing him or like the body double
13:11 playing him in like Mandalorian and Book of Boba Fett.
13:13 Yes, he does look a lot like young Mark Hamill.
13:18 It is pretty uncanny.
13:19 I have no idea how he is as an actor.
13:22 I don't know what his voice sounds like.
13:24 So, like visually, yes, he looks the part.
13:27 Performance-wise, I don't know if he would be the guy to do it.
13:31 But I will say that just an actor playing young Luke Skywalker as opposed
13:37 to what they have done would just be so much better in basically every way.
13:44 Sir HeavyHitter says,
13:46 "I think the young Wolverine clone in Logan is the best one I've seen.
13:51 That was a fully digital head replacement against real Hugh Jackman,
13:55 and the whole point was that he was encountering this unreal,
13:58 terrifying version of himself." Yes, that is a great point.
14:01 Another one that I just forgot about and should have mentioned,
14:04 the clone of Wolverine in Logan, but just once again proving that when
14:08 the deaged character is meant to be uncanny,
14:12 pun intended, uh, and unsettling, that it works,
14:15 that you can get away with it because we're always going to notice it.
14:19 Arthur Briand Briand says,
14:21 "My other problem with the Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
14:24 intro is that they tried to mimic 1989 Indiana Jones, but in 1945.
14:30 Last Crusade is supposed to be in 1938,
14:32 so they shouldn't have taken the 89 Harrison Ford, but the 1996.
14:37 They should have taken Harrison Ford from Air Force 1.
14:40 That way, the transition to Crystal Skull is less jarring.
14:43 Otherwise, Indiana Jones barely aged during World War
14:46 II and then went through a rough 12-year patch.
14:50 Yes, thank you.
14:51 That is such a good point that I don't
14:54 see enough people bring up because I clearly they they
14:57 wanted like the the wow moment of when they
15:00 pulled the bag off his head and were all like,
15:01 "Oh my god, it's young Harrison Ford." And they wouldn't have achieved
15:06 it like to quite the same degree if it was 96 Harrison Ford.
15:11 But yeah, the continuity of his appearance does not make sense.
15:15 Unless it's supposed to be that taking that sip
15:20 from the Holy Grail in Last Crusade did make him age slower.
15:26 Except then, why in Crystal Skull and Dial of Destiny does
15:31 he look like just naturally the age he would be there?
15:34 I I don't know.
15:35 Anyway, this is just further proof
15:36 that the digitally deaged Harrison Ford in Indiana
15:40 Jones and the Dial of Destiny was a mistake and does not work.
15:44 Stinky Buster, I can't wait to see what Stinky Buster has to say.
15:48 Stinky Buster says, "I completely disagree that old age makeup
15:52 isn't distracting in the same way as the deaging is.
15:56 I'm judging whether they look like a real old
15:59 person instead of following the scene." You're welcome to disagree,
16:04 but uh let me give you a few reasons why I feel differently.
16:08 So, one thing that I already said in the episode,
16:10 which is that like the difference with practical effects versus
16:13 digital effects is that it's basically like theater versus animation.
16:17 And I think with something like makeup,
16:19 while the initial appearance of it might be a little bit jarring,
16:24 we then tend to accept it and get used to it quicker
16:26 because it's just a physical thing in the scene that we're looking at.
16:29 And again, it's basically a form of theater.
16:32 Suspension of disbelief is easier when we know we
16:36 are looking at a real tangible thing that is there.
16:39 But also, in terms of old age makeup, allow me to mention some examples that I
16:44 think you'll probably agree are pretty effective.
16:47 Way back in the 70s,
16:48 Marlon Brando in The Godfather and Max Vonidau in The Exorcist.
16:53 both so iconic that I think most people
16:56 forget that they were not actually those ages
16:59 in those movies because they're just like accepted as like
17:03 iconic characters and the makeup is very effectively done.
17:06 Same thing with Maggie Smith in Hook.
17:08 She's aged up like 30 years from like how old
17:11 she actually is in that movie and I bet you've
17:14 never thought about it before because it's just like really
17:17 good work and you know we all just accept it.
17:20 Are you really arguing against like all makeup effects?
17:23 What about the work of Eddie Murphy and and all
17:27 of the movies where he plays multiple characters in intense makeup?
17:31 Are you watching like Coming to America being like, "This is so distracting.
17:35 I I can't buy into this because I'm just comparing, you know,
17:40 the old man that Eddie Murphy is playing in the barber shop to like like how
17:44 a real old man would look." I mean
17:47 like like Tilda Swinton in the Grand Budapest Hotel.
17:51 There's so many great examples of old age makeup.
17:53 Great performances done in old age makeup.
17:55 It's like Gary Oldman won an Oscar for Darkest
17:59 Hour under like a ton of prosthetics playing Winston Churchill.
18:03 I think that's pretty damn effective.
18:07 Holly Anne McCann who says, "Can't believe Florence Pew as Young Amy and Little
18:12 Women didn't make the cut for Do Nothing.
18:15 Another great point.
18:17 So, Florence Pew as Amy in the 2019 Little Women,
18:21 a perfect example of do nothing.
18:23 And also the choice to do nothing here and have
18:28 Pew play Amy for the whole movie, I think,
18:31 is one of the things that makes that the the far
18:35 and away the best version of Little Women ever.
18:38 So, back in 2020 when we made the episode about uh Greta Garwig's Little Women,
18:43 I watched like every other movie version
18:46 of Little Women and even like miniseries version.
18:49 And in almost every version, what they do is they cast one actor like a child
18:55 as younger Amy for the earlier sections of the story.
18:59 And then when the story like moves further and like Amy goes to Europe,
19:02 they cast an older actor.
19:04 Like even the beloved '90s version with Winona
19:07 Ryder and Christian Bale that does the same thing.
19:09 And I understand why it's always done that way.
19:12 But the issue with it is that like you're invested in Amy and you know
19:16 her and then suddenly Amy is like a brand new person and you have to like
19:21 recalibrate and adjust to this new actor playing
19:25 this character you've known for uh for the whole
19:27 movie while all the other characters are
19:29 played by the same actors the whole time.
19:31 And so for me that has always hurt
19:34 Amy's storyline in other versions of Little Women.
19:38 But in the Greta Gerwick version,
19:40 Florence Pew through just a good performance and really good
19:44 styling by hair and makeup and wardrobe uh just plays
19:47 her for the entire thing and Amy ends up I
19:50 think being one of the best parts of that movie.
19:52 It works.
19:53 It's great.
19:54 That movie is the best.
19:57 I love it.
19:58 Do nothing.
19:59 It works.
20:00 Toxic Snails says Furiosa did another interesting deaging effect.
20:06 George Miller cast a young actress to play little girl Furiosa and every
20:11 X minutes Miller morphed the girl's features
20:13 digitally to look like Ana Taylor Joy.
20:16 So when they switch over to Joy, it looks as if she grew up on camera.
20:20 Clever.
20:21 This is one that I thought about bringing up
20:23 and then just decided it's such a unique case because yeah,
20:27 this isn't regular deaging.
20:29 This is very very subtle effects work to basically
20:32 like you know give the appearance of a child aging.
20:36 Also what really helps with this is that the young girl
20:38 they cast as like really young Furiosa is like unknown to us.
20:44 So it's not like taking an iconic actor and then changing their appearance.
20:48 It's like well I haven't seen this girl before and now her, you know,
20:52 appearance is is like you know very slightly and subtly
20:56 changing in a way that I'm I'm barely perceiving.
20:58 I don't think anyone even noticed in the movie.
21:00 It wasn't until, you know,
21:02 like interviews and behind the scenes stuff came out that we're like, "Oh, damn.
21:06 That's really wild." And uh, you know what?
21:08 It worked.
21:14 M.
21:14 Robinson says, "Probably the only bit of Men in Black 3
21:19 I frequently think about is Josh Brolan playing a younger K.
21:23 It was so fun and charming and settled so
21:25 quickly you could try to retain investment in the story.
21:29 Yeah, I have not thought about Men in Black 3 much.
21:33 I saw it the one time in theaters in 2012,
21:37 but I remember like when the movie was announced and for me
21:42 the the thing that really got me interested in being like, "Okay,
21:44 I'll see another Men in Black was the announcement
21:47 that Brolan was playing young Tommy Lee Jones." And also
21:51 there was the fun of them having done No
21:52 Country for Old Men together a few years earlier,
21:55 but it just seemed like so obvious and made
21:58 so much sense and you're just like, "Oh, right.
21:59 Yeah, yeah, he would play young Tommy Lee Jones." And then in the trailer,
22:04 just like that first reveal of him playing the part,
22:08 it just like it hit really hard.
22:10 And like what you get from casting another actor as the younger
22:13 version of the character is you
22:15 get another actor's interpretation of that character,
22:18 but also that actor's interpretation of the original performance.
22:23 And so what Brolan is doing is in conversation and like a commentary
22:26 on what Jones was doing and even like Tommy Lee Jones's legacy as an actor.
22:32 That's that's not like a great movie,
22:34 but that is by far the most interesting part of it
22:38 and kind of makes me want to watch Men in Black 3 again.
22:42 Punished Russells says, "Apparently,
22:45 it's a lot easier to make a young person look old than an old person look young,
22:50 which is why for Prometheus,
22:52 we had Guy Pierce in old man makeup for the entire movie just
22:56 so they could have a promotional trailer
22:58 with normal Guy Pierce set decades prior.
23:01 despite young guy not even being in the movie at all.
23:05 Yeah.
23:06 When it comes to old age makeup,
23:08 I do think one of the weirdest recent examples is Prometheus because yeah,
23:14 in the actual movie, you never see young guy Pierce.
23:16 He is only really old Wayland the whole time.
23:20 And in Alien Covenant, he's in the opening scene and he's not as old,
23:25 but he's still aged up.
23:27 So, it's it's only that like promotional video that was released
23:30 online where you see young Wayland with Guy Pierce looking normal.
23:35 And so, I've always wondered,
23:37 was Ridley Scott's plan to make Wayland like a bigger part going forward,
23:41 but with like more flashbacks to when he's younger?
23:44 Were they going to make an android young Wayland?
23:47 Like, like why cast Guy Pierce?
23:50 Although, I don't know.
23:51 I guess it's the same thing you could say about Colin Frell as the Penguin.
23:55 Why?
23:55 Why?
23:56 Why put him under all that makeup instead
23:57 of just casting someone who looks like that?
23:59 Well, you want Colin Ferrell to give her performance
24:02 and so you just like change his appearance,
24:04 but then that great actor is still giving the performance.
24:07 But I don't know.
24:07 Like Guy Pierce doesn't have a ton to do in those movies.
24:12 I do not know.
24:13 I do not know.
24:14 It has always confused me.
24:16 It's always seemed weird.
24:17 And we may never know.
24:19 Or I don't know.
24:19 Ask Ridley Scott.
24:20 Jared Mlelen says, "To your point,
24:24 I was so happy during The Conjuring 4 when the opening
24:27 scene was a flashback and they were just normal young lookalike actors.
24:32 I don't know why, but it gave me such nostalgia for different times.
24:36 Also, Monarch ruled by just casting Wyatt Russell as young Kurt Russell.
24:40 A Gmove on all fronts.
24:42 Hey, once again, people people are shouting out Monarch Legacy of Monsters,
24:47 a show that uh I am increasingly thinking I should check out.
24:51 I never actually got around to seeing The Conjuring 4.
24:54 Yeah, I I I enjoy The Conjuring movies, mostly the first two.
24:57 The third one was okay if I recall correctly.
25:01 But I'm I'm just I'm always very glad
25:03 to hear when when movies are casting young actors
25:07 for flashbacks and doing it the classic way
25:10 because sometimes the classic way is the best way.
25:14 Lynn Hermione who says quote just replace that old man who is still alive
25:19 with someone younger because a two shiny face is creepy is a hell of a take.
25:25 Digital zombies are gross,
25:27 but wanting people to lose their jobs doing characters they
25:31 made iconic just because of their age is discriminatory and agist.
25:36 I will not watch any Indiana Jones that is
25:39 not Harrison Ford or any Luke that's not Mark Hamill.
25:43 The latter got a bad enough deal being basically unable to land any
25:46 jobs for y'all to want him to lose the only one he has left.
25:50 Okay, there's a lot to dig into there.
25:53 I am being accused of wanting to take jobs away from aging actors.
25:59 So, I'm just gonna say that like let's use Harrison Ford as an example.
26:06 I think Harrison Ford is doing pretty well.
26:10 I think he's got a very comfortable life.
26:12 I think he got paid a lot of money to play President Red Hulk.
26:16 It's like you're saying if Harrison Ford doesn't
26:18 get to play Indie in that flashback scene,
26:21 he's not going to be able to pay rent next month.
26:24 Harrison Ford is fine.
26:26 He's on a hit TV show.
26:28 He is making lots of movies.
26:31 He does not need to play Indiana Jones forever.
26:35 And in the case of Mark Hamill, yes,
26:37 we can all agree that in the 80s following the original Star Wars trilogy,
26:41 he did struggle a bit with his career
26:43 because that role loomed so large over everything else.
26:48 But in the last like I don't know 35 years or so,
26:53 Mark Hamill's been doing pretty well.
26:55 His career is going quite well both as a voice actor and as a liveaction actor.
27:00 And also in like the Mandalorian,
27:03 he's not actually playing Luke Skywalker there.
27:06 That's not Mark Hamill playing Luke Skywalker.
27:09 That is a body double and a CGI face and an AI voice.
27:12 He already does not have that job.
27:15 Like like yeah, I guess he's like, you know,
27:17 consulting a little bit on it and like overseeing things,
27:20 but I'm sure if they just had a regular younger actor playing that role,
27:24 he would also be consulting on it because
27:27 uh that is his role that he originated.
27:29 So yeah, I don't really appreciate being called
27:31 agist and discriminatory just because I'm saying, hey,
27:35 maybe in that one flashback scene in Ant-Man,
27:39 maybe instead of deaging Michael Douglas,
27:42 they should have just cast a younger actor.
27:45 Or maybe just don't do the flashback scene.
27:47 I'm not saying don't put Michael Douglas in the movie because
27:50 for the rest of the movie when he's old, yeah, totally fine.
27:52 That's that's that's totally good.
27:54 Again, these are all incredibly rich movie stars.
27:58 If anything, it seems agist to me to be demanding that like 80-year-old Harrison
28:03 Ford still have to like run around and do stunts and be Indiana Jones.
28:09 Like, just let the man rest.
28:11 Okay.
28:13 Going to take a drink.
28:18 Okay, that does it for the comments from YouTube.
28:23 So, now we jump over to our Discord questions.
28:26 I will now say what I am legally
28:28 obligated to say in every one of these episodes.
28:30 So, we have a Patreon that goes a long way toward supporting the channel,
28:35 paying all the people who work on it,
28:36 such as, you know, the person editing this video right now.
28:40 And beyond just the satisfaction you get
28:41 from supporting this thing that I assume you enjoy,
28:45 there are perks that come with the Patreon,
28:46 such as access to our Discord server,
28:49 which is a lovely place full of nice people.
28:51 It's a nice community.
28:52 We hang out and talk about movies and stuff like that.
28:55 But also in the Discord, there's an Ask Patrick channel where
28:59 you can submit questions about literally anything.
29:03 If there are questions about the latest video,
29:05 I will answer them in one of these.
29:06 And if they are questions about any random
29:09 thing like you know what am I drinking here, I will answer them on Discord.
29:14 And also one other thing about the Patreon,
29:16 there are certain goals we have for when we reach uh certain numbers
29:19 of patrons and we are about 200 patrons away from our next goal.
29:26 Uh, at which point I will finally,
29:28 and people have been asking me to do this for years,
29:31 I will finally make a video going through my entire
29:36 giant shelf of graphic novels explaining everything that is on there,
29:41 which might seem like a weird thing to want, but also a lot of people want it.
29:46 So, if you want a video that will probably be a solid like 2 hours long,
29:51 if not longer, of me just talking about comics on my shelf,
29:56 you can make that happen.
29:57 But anyway, let's see what we've got here.
29:59 So, first up, James Graham says, "One of the things I found interesting about
30:04 this episode is that a lot of the Daging
30:07 technology shown here on the small screen
30:09 actually looks better than I remember them being
30:12 watching on the big screen." Do you think that one of the problems might be
30:16 that what looks great in the editing booth
30:18 just doesn't work the same way at the cinema?
30:20 So, if you thought shots in the video looked better than you remembered,
30:24 I think that's for a couple reasons.
30:27 So, first of all, you're looking
30:28 at this on a small screen with YouTube compression,
30:31 you're not seeing it under like the full scrutiny of like super high like
30:35 perfect resolution on a giant screen where
30:38 flaws and imperfections will just be more noticeable.
30:42 But I think the real reason,
30:44 and I kind of said something about this in the actual episode,
30:46 I think when I was talking about Dial of Destiny,
30:49 which is that like if you pause on any random frame, it looks good.
30:55 It looks totally photoreal and perfect.
30:58 But then when you're watching it in the actual context of the scene,
31:02 in motion, in dialogue scenes, having to actually emote,
31:06 that is when something feels off.
31:09 That's when it gets distracting because you know
31:12 the whole time that you're looking at an artificial thing.
31:15 And so in the video when you're watching
31:17 just like a 5-second clip with no sound, you might be like, "Oh,
31:21 that actually looks pretty good." But but then
31:23 I think if you were to go and watch that full scene that I just took the shot
31:27 out of, it would not work quite as well.
31:31 I think that's what it is.
31:32 Sam Arinau says, "Dear Patrick,
31:36 even if Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within flopped,
31:38 why do you think we've accepted this kind of pseudo realism in most video games?
31:43 Obviously, there are instances of motion capture in a lot of higherend games,
31:47 but they're still not the norm.
31:49 Have we as a society simply embraced suspension of disbelief
31:53 for this technique in one medium, but not another?
31:56 And do you think it could have gone differently?" Well, Sam,
31:59 I know you left this comment in August, but I am shooting this video in January.
32:04 And it just turns out that exactly what you were asking about,
32:07 as you might have already seen, I discuss at length in the season finale,
32:13 can video games be cinema, which is currently on Nebula,
32:16 which will be on YouTube at at some point.
32:18 And so if you haven't watched it yet,
32:20 I would really recommend you go watch the season finale
32:22 to see a lot more discussion about just the weird
32:27 topic of hyperrealistic graphics in video games and what we're
32:31 supposed to make of that because it's a weird topic.
32:34 And honestly, I don't really have an answer,
32:36 but I do think we all need to be talking more about how
32:39 odd it is and how odd it is that we've all just accepted,
32:43 oh yeah, that's how AAA games look.
32:46 Peter says, "This episode had me thinking about Mike Flanigan's Dr.
32:50 Sleep adaptation.
32:51 I remember around the film's release,
32:53 a lot of people online were actually disappointed that they didn't get to see
32:57 a digitally deaged Jack Nicholson make a cameo as the ghost of Jack Torrance.
33:01 Instead, they recast the role.
33:04 Since the movie underperformed,
33:05 maybe the studio is regretting not pushing Flanigan to do
33:08 the deaging route as a gimmick to attract audiences.
33:12 Combine that with all the Star Wars fans who
33:14 sung the praises of the digital young Luke Skywalker
33:17 being a badass they expected instead of the sad
33:19 old man in the Last Jedi that they hated.
33:21 Do you think there's any hope of studios pumping the brakes
33:24 on this trend if there's clearly a demand for it?
33:28 Hm, let me think about this.
33:29 So, Dr.
33:31 Sleep came out in was that like 2019?
33:37 2019, I think.
33:38 I only saw it the one time in theaters
33:41 and I should really watch it again because
33:43 I remember generally liking the movie and in terms
33:47 of the stuff with like Jack Torrance in there.
33:49 I was glad that they didn't have like a deaged digital Jack Nicholson.
33:54 But honestly, I remember what at the time threw me a little
33:58 bit about those moments where they just like recreate moments from The Shining.
34:02 it is just that like it is so identical to like to the original.
34:08 So it'll be like a shot forshot recreation of The Shining
34:11 but then with an actor who looks slightly different.
34:15 What I remember thinking at the time and again this is 6 years ago.
34:18 I was glad they didn't do like a digital DHE thing,
34:21 but it was still like in terms of the framing
34:23 and everything like so close to those moments in The Shining
34:28 that it still took me out of it a little bit
34:30 because it was like almost the exact same but slightly off.
34:35 And you know, and at the time I I wished it had just all been more different
34:40 like they they hadn't done the exact same
34:42 costumeuming and styling and like framing of the shots.
34:46 But yeah, that's like it's a tough balance to strike.
34:48 I will say I don't know how studio execs felt,
34:53 but I don't think having a DH Jack Nicholson would have made
34:56 the movie more of a hit because also like those characters don't
35:00 show up until so late into the movie after you've gone through
35:04 like 2 hours of a movie that is very different from The Shining.
35:09 Anyway, I don't think it really would have done much.
35:11 But in terms of like how other studios are feeling,
35:14 obviously the digital Luke Skywalker like got
35:17 a lot of attention when that came out.
35:19 But I don't know, have other examples of this gotten nerds as excited.
35:25 I don't think like Ghostbusters Afterlife like, you know,
35:29 made a ton of money because of digital Harold Ramos.
35:33 I mean that I think that movie was like a like moderate success.
35:37 So, like, so yeah, I'm not trying to give studio execs any credit,
35:40 but I don't think they're pressuring directors
35:44 to to add more digitally daged characters to their movies,
35:48 but also, I could be totally wrong.
35:50 I just hope they're not.
35:53 Jott says, "Hi, Patrick.
35:56 You talked a lot about Star Wars in the digital deaging video,
35:59 but I'm curious about your thoughts on deaged
36:02 Stellin Scarsgard in season 2 of Andor.
36:05 Did you find it as distracting as earlier examples in Star Wars?
36:09 Ah, yes.
36:09 My beloved Andor and Luan Rail.
36:12 So, yeah, in one of the last episodes of Andor,
36:14 one episode has like a few flashback
36:17 scenes going through Luan's history with Clea,
36:21 like how they met, how he brought her into his world of revolutionaries.
36:25 And uh Scarsgard is deaged a bit.
36:27 I don't hate it.
36:28 I I I I think I think it's okay.
36:30 It's like a little distracting,
36:31 but the deaging work is like the deaging may be like 15 20 years,
36:35 so it's fairly subtle.
36:37 And also, there's just not a lot of it.
36:39 It's like a couple brief scenes.
36:42 And so, like, you know, they're not doing like the huge emotional
36:46 climax on like 30-year-old Cell and Scarsgard.
36:51 So, yeah, you know, it's there.
36:53 It's okay.
36:54 I'm not going to complain about it.
36:56 Okay.
36:57 Fantastic says Patrick question for your digital deaging video.
37:03 The one instance of it in a film that I
37:05 found and still find amazing is in the Two
37:07 Towers when Gandalf breaks Sauron's spell on King Theodin
37:11 and you see Bernard Hill deage in real time on screen.
37:15 It seems to me that digital deaging is at its best in stories that are
37:19 explicitly fantasy or have magic/s supernatural elements
37:23 that already require the viewer to suspend their disbelief.
37:26 But instead, filmmakers today seem to insist on using it in films grounded
37:30 in the real world with no greater ambitions
37:33 than to make some older star look younger.
37:36 Do you think it's something to do
37:37 with our current Hollywood and/or viewers demand for realism?
37:41 Or is it that the filmmakers most likely to use
37:44 digital deaging are the least likely to make fantasy stories?
37:47 Okay, so first of all,
37:49 uh the Two Towers example with Theodin, uh super effective,
37:53 and that's just a great example of like having
37:56 a lot of makeup put on the guy to like to age him up and then pulling it back
38:01 to like the actual age he is in the scene.
38:04 Really good, really effective.
38:05 Love it.
38:06 But yeah, I would agree that a lot
38:07 of this does stem from the obsession with realism
38:11 that has become such a thing in movies from the past like 20 years or so.
38:14 But yeah, like you look at the way that cinematography has changed
38:17 and now so much of like lighting in movies has to be like no,
38:21 this has to like look like it would really look.
38:24 Every light has to be motivated and look realistic.
38:27 Uh which means that like night scenes are just like
38:29 pitch black or like every interior scene has to be
38:32 lit dimly because like you know that's how it would
38:35 actually like be lit like you know in the real location.
38:39 things have obviously like moved away from a sort of like the the like you know
38:42 kind of glamorous like you know unreal like
38:46 like movie appearance that like you know movies
38:49 always used to have and so yeah like the I think comes from the same place
38:52 which is like I I guess this this weird shift where people making movies and I
38:58 guess audiences to some extent it's like
39:02 you know either like filmmakers are like afraid
39:05 audiences can't suspend their disbelief or maybe they
39:08 they They they want to make it so like what if audiences didn't have to suspend
39:12 their disbelief and then and I do wonder if all of this has had an impact
39:18 on you know hurting audiences suspension of disbelief.
39:22 But then the other really big part of it is just technology and and just
39:27 the fact that like the tools now exist to like make stuff a reality.
39:31 I mean it it's just like you know it's just
39:34 the Jurassic Park quote of your scientists were so preoccupied with whether
39:38 or not they could they didn't stop to think if they
39:40 should where it's like oh we have the technology now to deage
39:44 actors so we can now take that old actor and now
39:47 we can have them look exactly like they did 40 years
39:50 earlier and not stopping to be like wait but but but maybe
39:55 it it feels weird and and there are like issues there.
39:59 So yeah, it's technology.
40:00 It's the obsession with realism and I don't
40:03 know hope hopefully people grow out of this.
40:12 All right, our final question from Discord comes from Modin Modin who says,
40:18 "Hi Patrick, hope I haven't missed the cut off to ask about the deaging video.
40:22 Don't worry, you have not.
40:24 You mentioned Furiosa as an example of why it's better to recast characters,
40:28 but I think it's more nuanced than that.
40:30 While the film did recast Charlie's Throne with Ana Taylor Joy,
40:33 it also used digital effects to alter the face of Aya Brown,
40:37 who played the child version of Furiosa, to more closely resemble Taylor Joy.
40:41 Do you feel this is a more acceptable use of the technology,
40:45 or is it still kind of the same thing as normal deaging?
40:48 So, I I talked a bit about this earlier, but yeah,
40:51 I I do think this is more acceptable because it's basically invisible.
40:55 Like Ayla Brown, I mean, this is basically aging her up.
40:59 And I already talked about how like aging actors like
41:03 whether with makeup or digitally like usually tends to be better,
41:07 but it's done so subtly here.
41:08 And also with like an unknown child actor
41:11 that we don't have the issue of like, you know, a famous older actor,
41:16 but then their younger self walks in and we know we're looking at a fake person.
41:20 Because I think my main point in the episode
41:22 was just that this is distracting because we know we're
41:27 looking at a fake person and it becomes harder
41:29 to like engage emotionally with the scene and get past this.
41:34 And like in Furiosa,
41:36 I did not know anything was being done to the character's face.
41:42 Uh, and so there's nothing distracting for me there.
41:44 And so, yeah, again, this is all subjective.
41:46 It varies person to person, but it's like, look,
41:49 if you don't notice it and it doesn't distract you, then it's working.
41:55 And in Furiosa, I didn't notice anything.
41:57 Modrin Armadrren also says also the film
42:00 did use digital effects to resurrect actor Richard
42:03 Carter who played the bullet farmer in Fury
42:05 Road but died before production started on Furiosa.
42:09 Apparently there were also plans to do the same
42:11 for Immorton Joe at one point as well.
42:13 I find it interesting that there wasn't
42:15 much fanfare made about this in comparison
42:17 to Ian Hol and Alien Romulus or Harold Ramos in Ghostbusters Afterlife.
42:22 Why do you think that is?
42:24 So, I can really only answer for myself,
42:26 but I will say in regards to the bullet farmer,
42:29 there's a big difference from how that character shows up in Furiosa,
42:32 which is it's a pretty small role.
42:35 Like, I I I can't really remember much that he does in there.
42:39 And and also, I don't think I knew the actor was dead,
42:41 so I didn't know anything was being done to resurrect him.
42:45 Uh, so once again, if you don't notice, then then I guess it works.
42:48 But also like in Alien Romulus with Ian
42:51 Holm and Ghostbusters Afterlife with Harold Ramos,
42:54 uh the reveal of each of those characters,
42:56 there's like it's it's such a big dramatic moment
42:59 where the filmmakers want you to go, "Oh my god,
43:02 it's them and be amazed that this actor who is not
43:06 alive anymore is here in the movie, which is, you know,
43:09 just it just kind of takes you out of the movie." And in in Furiosa,
43:13 it's just like, well,
43:14 there's there's the bullet farmer just like he normally would be.
43:17 and they they they don't want it to be like a big reveal or like a big effect.
43:22 You know, I I've got to rewatch the movie to see
43:24 like how much the Bullet Farmer is in there because again,
43:26 I didn't know they were resurrecting a deceased actor,
43:29 but I can tell you that I don't recall it taking me out
43:33 of the movie or annoying me the way that the other two examples did.
43:38 And I'm glad they didn't do that with the Morton
43:40 show and they just recast because that worked just fine.
43:44 Okay, and that does it for all
43:47 of the questions and the comments from YouTube and Discord,
43:50 which means finally it is time to tackle
43:53 our giant stack of mail that I'm so excited about.
43:57 In case you don't know, we have a PO box.
43:59 The address is in the description of every video, including this one.
44:03 And so, if you want to send me anything for whatever reason,
44:06 send it right there.
44:08 And in case it's like a secret thing and you don't want me to open it on camera,
44:12 just write do not open on camera.
44:14 Otherwise, I will open it in one of these videos.
44:17 So, here, let me put this over here.
44:20 Put the big stack here.
44:23 Okay.
44:23 So, here's what we've got.
44:24 We have a letter from Houston,
44:27 Texas that actually this one arrived very recently.
44:31 So, we have several handwritten pages.
44:37 So, I'm not going to read the entire letter
44:39 right now because that would take a really long time.
44:43 I will say this is from Rory.
44:47 Okay, so dear Patrick H.
44:49 Williams, longtime viewer, first- time writer.
44:51 Actually, this is my third time trying to write a letter.
44:53 So, let's see if I actually follow through
44:55 and get this this over the finish line.
44:58 I mean, congratulations.
44:59 You clearly have.
45:04 Okay, so I just read that whole letter.
45:06 So, Rory's Letter is basically is basically just an essay
45:10 about the movie Eternity and things like bureaucracy and the afterlife
45:16 and the way stories deal with a concept like eternity
45:21 and also ties trains in there as well, which I love.
45:24 Rory, I was just going to say I think you've
45:26 basically got the bones of quite a compelling essay here.
45:31 And while you sent this to me, I'm not going to turn this into a video.
45:34 And I would encourage you to go, you know, write this into something,
45:39 whether it be a video essay or just an essay,
45:42 because I think this is cool, and I appreciate you sharing it with me.
45:45 Also, I enjoyed the movie Eternity quite a bit.
45:48 Thought it was quite charming, and yeah,
45:49 you presented me more stuff to to chew on in in regards to that movie.
45:53 So, thank you.
45:54 Okay, up next we have Ooh, this is a letter from the Netherlands.
46:02 I was there over the summer.
46:06 Oh my god, it's a Christmas card.
46:08 This is This is lovely.
46:10 Dear Patrick, happy holidays and the great new year.
46:13 I've thoroughly enjoyed your videos this year,
46:15 and you are by far my favorite uh sorry,
46:18 and you are by far my favorite man giving his opinions to a camera on YouTube.
46:23 Yes, keep on being interesting.
46:25 Best wishes, Mock from Holland.
46:29 Thank you, Mock.
46:30 I'm so sorry if that's not how you pronounce your name.
46:33 I don't speak Dutch.
46:34 I'm very sorry, but this is such a nice card.
46:36 Hey, Christmas cards.
46:38 I love them.
46:39 Okay, let's see.
46:40 What do we have next?
46:43 Okay, we've got some little some mini movie
46:46 posters for Operation Secret Santa and Christmas Sleigh.
46:52 Uh, and then we seem to have a card here.
46:54 Dear Mr.
46:55 Williams, as a longtime fan of your show,
46:57 we wanted to send a Christmas card to you and your team.
47:00 We love to have themed cards and spend way too much
47:04 time every year putting our collective art degrees to the test.
47:07 Sadly, this is one of the few times each
47:09 year we get to blow it all out art-wise.
47:12 Please enjoy this year's Operation Secret Santa
47:15 and our 2019 one that was horror themed.
47:19 Each time we researched movie posters to figure out our desired look
47:23 and vibe before figuring out how the hell to make it happen.
47:26 Anyway, please hopefully enjoy our two movie themed concoctions,
47:31 happy holidays and happy new year, Christina and another Patrick.
47:36 These these are just Christmas cards,
47:38 but they're but they made them movie posters.
47:41 I thought these might actually like be advertisements for like indie movies,
47:45 but no, these are actually just Christmas cards from Patrick and Christina.
47:51 This is now two Christmas cards in a row we've gotten.
47:55 I love this.
47:56 I I mean look I you know I famously love
47:59 Christmas but also you know we don't usually receive Christmas cards
48:02 from viewers and for you know 12 months from now feel
48:06 free to send Christmas cards because I will always appreciate them.
48:11 All right we've got another another envelope here.
48:14 I think this one is from Washington.
48:18 We've got another handwritten letter.
48:20 Dear Patrick, I'm writing to you urgently.
48:24 This is from October 10th.
48:26 So, I'm very sorry.
48:27 Hoping that you will get this before the next
48:30 Patrick replies episode makes my question here old news.
48:34 I want to ask you what you think of the life of a showgirl
48:37 as in the new Taylor Swift album and the the fate of Oilia music video.
48:43 Please get into all the detail possible,
48:46 especially what kinds of filmmaking craft you
48:49 see or don't see in the music video.
48:53 My general quick take on the album is that it's a fine generic pop album
48:57 that I enjoy listening to, but I am
48:59 really disappointed by its lack of creative ambition.
49:02 She's got a firm reputation and infinite resources.
49:05 Taylor Swift could could do anything she wanted.
49:07 I wish she was making big choices and taking risky creative swings,
49:12 but instead she's just playing it safe.
49:14 Also, I want to tell you that I have learned so much
49:17 about criticism in the academic sense over the years watching your videos.
49:21 Watching your work has made me a more
49:23 thoughtful and more articulate viewer and listener.
49:26 Thank you for teaching me cool things, Brett.
49:29 Brett, thank you so much.
49:30 This is such a nice letter.
49:32 But so to answer your question, I think I saw someone ask this same
49:35 thing in the Ask Patrick channel on Discord recently.
49:39 There's like Patrick, we we we want your life of a showgirl takes.
49:44 So I I don't really have big takes.
49:47 This was kind of It kind of got the most mixed
49:50 to even negative reception of any Taylor Swift album in several years.
49:56 It is honestly it might I think it's
49:58 my least favorite album of hers in quite a while, but I don't think it's bad.
50:03 I think it's okay.
50:05 I was excited about this one because this was like
50:08 her back working with Max Martin and Shelbach who were
50:11 like two of the best pop producers in history and have
50:15 worked with her on a lot of her best songs.
50:17 And I was really thinking, okay,
50:20 after the long sad like diary dump of Tortur Poets Department,
50:26 this is going to be a like full
50:28 like super tight like wallto-wall bangers pop album.
50:33 and then it wasn't.
50:35 It It kind of felt to me like kind
50:38 of just more of like what the last two albums were, like a bit more upbeat,
50:44 like not as sad as the last couple,
50:46 but in terms of sound and overall vibe, it didn't feel that unique.
50:51 Uh, what I I agree with you here,
50:53 like this did not feel like a distinct era to me other than, you know,
50:57 like the the promotion for it with with all
50:59 like like the Vegas themed Showgirl stuff,
51:01 but also like the album itself like sonically
51:04 didn't didn't really feel like it reflected the artwork.
51:08 So, yeah, I wanted more bangers.
51:10 I I I really did.
51:12 Like I think there's like, you know,
51:13 like like perfectly like solid good like like pop songs on there.
51:17 And I want to be very clear.
51:18 I'm not saying like, oh,
51:20 she needs to be sad and heartbroken to write good music.
51:23 I don't agree with that.
51:24 I'm fine.
51:25 I'm glad, you know, she she's happy and and in a stable relationship.
51:30 But yeah, it just like it didn't feel like
51:32 the album had a lot to say other than,
51:36 you know, stuff about Travis Kelce's dick,
51:38 which I don't really care very much about.
51:41 So, yeah.
51:42 Again, I think it's fine.
51:43 I I I I didn't listen to it as much as I usually like.
51:46 take a listen to her albums.
51:47 In terms of the the the fate of Oilia music video,
51:51 which I only watched one time,
51:52 I did feel like that was another step up in terms of film making
51:56 for her, especially like each part of it
51:59 basically being like an elaborately choreographed like one shot.
52:03 I think that was another step forward
52:04 for like what she's doing visually as a filmmaker.
52:07 And again, I'm just like Taylor, let's get going on that movie.
52:11 Come on.
52:12 I'm impatient.
52:13 So, there you go.
52:14 Okay.
52:16 Moon Pig.
52:17 I don't know what Moon Pig is, but yeah, if you see there, Moon Pig.
52:25 Whoa.
52:26 Whoa.
52:27 Okay, this is a card and it's got ROM from RR on the front.
52:32 That rocks.
52:33 Hi, Patrick.
52:34 Sorry I couldn't afford a present.
52:38 I You did not need to send a present.
52:39 I hope the picture of the best shot in RR will suffice.
52:43 It absolutely does.
52:44 My name is Chris and I live in Queensland, Australia.
52:47 I have been watching since 2016's Marvel color grading video,
52:51 the very first video essay, but I'm really enjoying the novels era.
52:55 [laughter] 2.0 was my first Indian movie,
52:59 but RR changed my life in 2022 just like it changed everyone else's.
53:03 It was earlier this year on my fifth watch that I thought maybe I should be
53:07 watching more than just RR and have now
53:10 watched 30 Indian films at the time of writing.
53:13 Hell yeah, dude.
53:14 I have not even seen 30 Indian films.
53:17 I'm hoping that there will be a sequel
53:18 to the Bollywood video focused on South Indian cinema,
53:21 especially seeing on Letterbox that you enjoyed two
53:23 of my top 10 at the time of writing, Jaylor and Bahubali.
53:27 But for now, could you please tide me over by answering four questions?
53:31 Number one, do you have any South Indian movies you are eager to see?
53:35 Or should I say ega to see?
53:38 Yeah, look, I I still need to see the rest of Rajaali's movies,
53:41 and I have to see EGA.
53:42 I have not seen it yet.
53:43 So, EGA's at the top of my list.
53:45 Maybe this January I will watch Ega.
53:48 Number two, may I recommend Eggga,
53:50 a Rajimali movie about a fly seeking revenge and the recent Loca Chapter 1,
53:54 proof that Mallayalam cinema is the future of superhero movies.
53:58 Okay, I've clearly got I'm I'm sold.
54:00 I will watch Loca Chapter 1.
54:02 Number three, is Doctor Who a masala show?
54:05 It needs more musical numbers.
54:07 Number four, if you ever plan to delve into Australian cinema,
54:11 may I recommend that you don't?
54:13 Okay.
54:14 Otherwise, The Castle from 1997 is strangely our nation's pride
54:19 and Baz Lurman Strictly Ballroom is pretty great as well.
54:22 Okay.
54:23 Interesting.
54:23 Because I have previously gotten a package
54:25 here of Australian DVDs from other Australian viewers.
54:29 Thank you very much for your Bollywood
54:30 recommendations and all the the entertainment
54:32 and I can't wait to hear more about your Indian cinema journey.
54:36 Kind regards, Chris.
54:38 Chris, thank you so much.
54:40 This is such a cool card.
54:41 Such a thoughtful note.
54:42 I And I love that you got into Indian cinema.
54:45 That rocks.
54:46 Okay.
54:46 Ooh, we have a padded envelope from Kansas City.
54:54 There we go.
54:55 Okay.
54:56 Well, we we have here a DVD of eight short films.
55:00 And we have a letter.
55:01 Hello, I'm a DIY amateur filmmaker.
55:04 I want to share these short films with you as part of my art.
55:08 They're strange, creepy, and made for the thrill and art.
55:11 Made for those who still believe in the power of physical media.
55:14 These short films were shot with a cheap camera to give them a gritty look.
55:19 Feel free to keep this DVD for your collection.
55:22 Thank you.
55:22 The So, these are these are from Abraham, but Abraham did not sign this.
55:27 Just eight short films.
55:29 And the DVD says eight short films.
55:32 On the back it says short films.
55:35 Uh, well, Abraham, thank you very much.
55:38 I'm excited to check out eight short films.
55:41 Okay.
55:42 Wh Okay, we have another letter here.
55:45 This is from Allison in California.
55:49 Okay, we have another handwritten letter on notebook paper.
55:56 This is from October.
55:57 Patrick, exclamation point.
55:59 I had to write this to you the second I finished your music
56:02 biopic episode and this has a better record of reaching you than a comment.
56:06 You are correct.
56:07 As an extremely lowlevel Hollywood insider intriguing your joke about
56:14 a movie of Michael Jackson's pet monkey very nearly happened.
56:19 I should say we will get into this when when
56:22 we do the Patrick replies for the music biopics video,
56:26 but I a lot of people have reached out to tell
56:29 me about the Bubbles the Monkey movie that almost happened.
56:32 When you said it, I couldn't tell if it was
56:34 a joke since I knew someone that was working on it.
56:37 It was going to be a stop motion film and my friend said the script was great.
56:41 This is confidential here on please don't add
56:44 details below in video stuff above is fine.
56:48 Okay, I'm now going to quietly read the stuff that is secret.
56:51 I'm sorry to everyone else.
56:55 Okay.
56:56 And now, and now I can uh read this part.
56:58 Like you, I am also incredibly scared for the MJ biopic.
57:02 I do remember hearing slashreading that they're
57:04 doing so many re-shoots now because
57:06 the original third act did in part revolve around the sex abuse court case,
57:10 which is somehow even more horrifying to imagine.
57:13 A flowery biopic covering that.
57:16 Amazing videos as always.
57:18 I do love when you return to do an update on a prior topic.
57:21 Are there any other updates you've been thinking
57:23 of or think you could potentially do one day?
57:26 Best to you and extra best to Emma.
57:29 I think I will order a Kilm shirt.
57:31 Allison S.
57:32 Uh Allison, this is this is a lovely letter.
57:35 Thank you so much.
57:36 in terms of like doing updates or like on past videos or revisiting them.
57:41 I mean, we did the music biopics one mostly because like I just wanted
57:45 to talk about Betterman because I thought
57:46 that was so interesting and really like, you know, warranted like its own video.
57:51 In terms of other stuff, there are none currently planned.
57:54 It really would have to be something where kind of like
57:58 when you know I I I did I mean it's been years
58:01 but like when I did part two of what do we want
58:04 from a Star Wars movie like this is like six years ago.
58:08 It has to be something where I I cover a topic
58:10 and then with that topic so much new stuff comes out
58:15 to like change the conversation that I I I simply have
58:18 to give an update and I'm not aware of any situations like that.
58:23 But if there is anything that you think really
58:25 needs like a followup or a sequel, let me know.
58:29 Let me know.
58:30 Okay, we have a padded envelope here from Holy Oak, Massachusetts.
58:36 And there's a lot of tape on this, so we're taking out the knife.
58:46 Okay, what do we have in here?
58:51 Wh dear Patrick, been following your channel for a few years now,
58:55 and I have to say your videos keep getting better and better.
58:58 I think the topics you pick and how
59:00 you approach them are unique and very thoughtprovoking,
59:02 especially compared to so many others on YouTube doing similar things.
59:07 Your perspective and insight has made your work something special in my opinion.
59:11 I especially enjoyed your videos on deaging, when movie stars become brands,
59:15 everything is content, AI, and sweaters to name a few.
59:18 The list goes on.
59:19 Thank you so much.
59:20 I've recently gotten back into comics, and I'm loving Batman dark patterns.
59:24 It's a 12-issue miniseries focused on the city of Gotham,
59:27 its history, and the people that inhabit it.
59:29 Lots of murder mystery stories with just a tinge of supernatural.
59:32 The panel layouts by Hayden Sherman are incredibly dynamic,
59:35 especially in the story where Scarface takes control
59:38 of a lowincome tenement building with Batman trapped inside, Allah Dread.
59:42 Based on what I know you love about Batman, I highly recommend it.
59:45 Uh, I will just say I have to catch
59:48 I have all the issues of Batman Dark Patterns,
59:50 but uh I haven't caught up on most of it.
59:52 So maybe in the next few days I'm gonna read the whole thing and I'm excited.
59:57 Enclose is a Batman themed book holder I made.
1:00:00 Just place it on your thumb and it helps spread the pages for waiter reading.
1:00:06 Hope you enjoy it.
1:00:07 Keep up all the great work.
1:00:09 Hold [snorts] up.
1:00:10 Hold up.
1:00:15 not stained.
1:00:16 Made from torified white oak,
1:00:18 which means it was it was toasted to give it the dark appearance.
1:00:22 Look at this.
1:00:23 Look at that.
1:00:28 This is so great.
1:00:31 I am absolutely going to use this when I am reading this rules.
1:00:36 Peter, thank you so much.
1:00:38 This this rots, what a nice letter.
1:00:40 What did I like a Batman themed page holder?
1:00:42 This is so cool.
1:00:44 Okay, there's so many packages.
1:00:49 Okay.
1:00:49 Oh, this is an international one from the United Kingdom.
1:00:54 Oh my god.
1:00:56 Wow.
1:00:57 I love opening mail.
1:00:59 Okay.
1:01:00 To open on PR, then I will.
1:01:05 Hi, Patrick.
1:01:06 I've really enjoyed your stuff for a while now.
1:01:09 It's gotten me through some tough times.
1:01:11 Two years ago, I experienced an extremely difficult
1:01:13 family tragedy that I won't go into detail about,
1:01:16 but suffice to say, it was bad.
1:01:18 But something I remembered a couple of days
1:01:19 after it all happened was sitting down to play a game while watching your Who
1:01:23 Killed Cinema video that had just come out.
1:01:26 Despite being such a small moment,
1:01:27 it sticks out in my head because it was the first time I'd
1:01:30 been able to take a breath and sit down to think about something else.
1:01:33 In hindsight, that meant a lot to me.
1:01:36 So, thank you.
1:01:37 I've included the exact copy of the game I was playing at the time.
1:01:40 I know you're not much of a gamer,
1:01:42 but it's more of a sentimental gift than anything.
1:01:44 It comes with the classic prerequisite for any pre-owned game in the UK.
1:01:48 Massive price stickers from CEX that you can't get off.
1:01:52 Seriously, they are so annoying.
1:01:53 Thanks so much, Alistister from Scotland.
1:01:56 Alistister, this is this is so nice.
1:01:59 Thank you so much for sending this letter.
1:02:01 I'm I'm you know I I I I never like would
1:02:04 have guessed that that anything like this would happen but like
1:02:06 I'm so glad that you know a video like that any
1:02:11 video could help in any way during a difficult time.
1:02:14 That's like that's just that's just really cool.
1:02:17 That's that that's really cool and I I really appreciate you reaching out.
1:02:20 Okay, let's see.
1:02:22 There's Hey, it's Resident Evil 4 Wii Edition.
1:02:28 I have played Resident Evil 4.
1:02:31 I truly have.
1:02:32 This is back in the days of me playing games.
1:02:35 I played it for the Gamecube and I had such a great time playing this game.
1:02:40 I got scared at the beginning of it.
1:02:42 I got freaked out in like the village at the beginning when like the guy
1:02:45 with the paper bag on his head cut my head off with a chainsaw.
1:02:48 And I went and I got my sister and her friends who were sleeping over
1:02:51 to just come hang out with me and keep me company while I played the whole game.
1:02:56 And they got really into it.
1:02:57 and we just like uh like the four of us just um just sat there,
1:03:00 you know, going through Resident Evil 4 and yeah, that's just a nice memory.
1:03:04 So, Alistister, thank you.
1:03:08 Okay, we've got an an envelope here from California.
1:03:16 There's something wrapped up here.
1:03:22 Oh, I recognize this from Philip Mis.
1:03:26 Merry Christmas, Patrick.
1:03:28 Congrats.
1:03:28 You hold in your hand the second best Oasis thing to happen to you in 2025.
1:03:34 Feel free to share with any librarians you happen to know.
1:03:39 I think I know one.
1:03:40 Be well, Phillip.
1:03:41 PS.
1:03:42 I saw Oasis at the Rose Bowl in September.
1:03:44 The reviews are all correct.
1:03:46 It was[ __] amazing.
1:03:47 So, Philip has sent me one of these before.
1:03:49 This is book two in the Gallagher Brothers mystery.
1:03:52 This is the book What's the Story?
1:03:54 Dead and Glory.
1:03:56 The cover is a riff on the What Story Morning Glory, you know, album cover.
1:04:00 It says on the back, maybe they're going to solve another [laughter] mystery.
1:04:04 This is This is so This is so much fun.
1:04:07 I love this dedication.
1:04:10 This one's for you.
1:04:10 Remember, this is history.
1:04:12 This is history.
1:04:14 I can't wait to put this on my bookshelf next to volume one.
1:04:17 Phillip, thank you so much.
1:04:19 This rocks.
1:04:20 Got a little box here.
1:04:23 Okay.
1:04:24 All right.
1:04:25 We have something in bubble wrap and we have a letter.
1:04:28 Hi, Patrick.
1:04:29 First time mailer, longtime fan.
1:04:32 I've been enjoying your content for quite a while
1:04:34 now and was especially excited to watch your Speedraer video.
1:04:37 My dad was a huge fan of the cartoon as a kid
1:04:40 and took me to see it in theaters when I was 10.
1:04:42 I loved it.
1:04:43 He hated it.
1:04:44 You mentioned in the Patrick Replies episode
1:04:45 about the Speedraer merchandise filling up landfills,
1:04:48 so I searched my parents' house to see what I could find.
1:04:51 I've included some here for you.
1:04:54 Hope you enjoy them as much as I once did.
1:04:57 Sincerely, Jonathan.
1:04:58 P.S.
1:04:59 If you like, give me a follow on Letterbox Cal Kent.
1:05:03 Okay, let's see what we've got.
1:05:08 Oh, damn.
1:05:11 Oh, what?
1:05:12 What?
1:05:13 What?
1:05:13 Wa!
1:05:15 Holy moly.
1:05:16 We've got here we have a Lego Speed minifigure.
1:05:21 I'm sorry that that will not focus.
1:05:22 Then we have three cars.
1:05:26 We've got a Mach 4, a Mach 5, and the Mach 6.
1:05:32 Look at that.
1:05:32 Look at that.
1:05:33 These are so cool.
1:05:35 These are just going to go right here now on my desk.
1:05:39 Jonathan, thank you so much.
1:05:41 That is awesome.
1:05:44 Okay, I actually I don't think this is meant to be opened in one of these videos
1:05:48 because this is just like literally from a friend
1:05:50 and they just sent it to my PO box, but I'll open it here anyway.
1:05:53 Uh anyway, this is the graphic novel Lake
1:05:56 Yellowwood Slaughter that is written by Alejandro Arbona,
1:06:00 drawn by my friend Gavin Gidri.
1:06:02 Uh and and literally I was talking to Gavin
1:06:05 at New York Comic- Con and he was just like,
1:06:07 "Oh, we got to send you a copy of the book." A little letter here.
1:06:10 Patrick, what a pleasure when Gavin asked me to mail you this book.
1:06:14 Hope you've been well and I hope you like it.
1:06:16 Best Alejandro.
1:06:17 Alejandro is a great guy who I met through my friend Kevin Church.
1:06:20 And Gavin is just a great comic book artist.
1:06:22 He's the new artist on the Flash and we just uh became
1:06:25 friends like through like meeting at New York Comic-Con a few years ago.
1:06:28 And yeah, and this is like an 80s slasher style graphic novel that they made.
1:06:33 And I am Oh man, look Gavin's so good.
1:06:37 I'm I'm really excited to read this.
1:06:40 Okay.
1:06:41 Okay.
1:06:41 Okay.
1:06:42 That's enough of that.
1:06:42 I will not spoil myself at all, but this rules the final box.
1:06:51 No idea what this could be.
1:06:54 And it doesn't have a name on the box.
1:07:08 It says Patrick H.
1:07:09 Williams.
1:07:09 Please don't read on YouTube.
1:07:16 It's a really interesting way to end one of these videos.
1:07:19 This was not what I expected it to be.
1:07:21 But anyway, I'm going to go just kind of mull over what just happened.
1:07:26 I'm sorry to be, you know, so elusive in here, but I just want to, you know,
1:07:31 respect the privacy of whoever sent that because
1:07:35 there is not a name attached to it.
1:07:37 To everyone else, thank you so much for watching.
1:07:39 Thank you so much for sending in all of this stuff.
1:07:42 Like truly an insane collection of mail.
1:07:45 This was all so generous and so thoughtful.
1:07:47 And we have the best viewers.
1:07:48 We have the best viewers.
1:07:50 And uh this is great.
1:07:52 It's going to be a good year.
1:07:53 It's going to be a good year.
1:07:54 And I am going to catch up on the rest of these videos very soon.
1:07:59 So stay tuned and I'll see you back
1:08:01 here for what's the next thing we're talking about?
1:08:04 I think music biopics.
1:08:05 Music biopics.
1:08:06 Yeah, I I think so.
1:08:08 Music biopics.
1:08:09 See you then.
1:08:09 Bye.