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The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast
The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast

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S6E5: Nothing Anywhere All at Once

Depleted and listless from a nearing Shards deadline yet still basking in the unabashed spectacle of Maverick, Bret Easton Ellis struggles to care about anything else he's watched so far in 2022. Bret then fields questions submitted by Platinum listeners.  

S6E5: Nothing Anywhere All at Once

Comments

Mrs Maisel is annoyingly anachronistic.

Mark Schatzberg

We are watching Irma Vep and absolutely loving it. I wonder if Will Arbery will ever make an appearance on the podcast?

Audrey Rouget

Finally watched ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ — have to say I was more moved by ‘Elvis’. The mission/finale scene in Maverick was pretty cool though. The movie has its moments but is way overhyped.

Thomas Matich

pta sux

Steven

What was the Criterion films he recommended?

Steven

Interesting getting Brets views on Cronenberg. I went back to Dead Ringers this week and it is fantastic film. Unbelievable frankly that Jeremy Irons wasn’t Oscar nominated for the double performance. One of the best depictions of drug addiction I’ve seen and the way the Bev twin goes back to a kind of infantile behavior and regresses into his shell at the end is shocking and disturbing. I completely agree The Brood is terrifying and Cronenbergs scariest film. Shivers is also a fantastic example of how a low budget film can still be well made and effective. I would have thought Bret would have found Videodrome more interesting but then again it is an acquired taste.

David Willis

Unexpected gem of an episode.

grainpulp

Pynchon would be quite the guest. I'm not sure there's ever been a written interview with him let alone an audio one.

Alex Waller

he could never top the greatest lead performance ever before 1990 ✌🏼✌🏼

Neil G.

I watched ‘Elvis’ yesterday - Bret needs to review this. It’s got fireworks baby. Nothing more America than Presley. Go watch it!

Thomas Matich

Inherent Vice is my favorite PT Anderson movie. It’s also my favorite Thomas Pynchon novel. I think he hit his peak in his 70s. Any chance of snagging an interview with old TP?

Morgan Hobbs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=67HCdYAU2VE

Ben

Yeah, Smooth Talk is based on that story. Treat is brilliant in it as a super creep. I don't want to give away the ending, but it would be interesting to talk about interpretations of his character in the movie version. I don't know why he didn't take off. I think his career was only heading in a strong direction from the late 70s to the mid 80s, and then after that it was supporting roles and basically B pictures. Maybe he wasn't always the most compelling actor, but he did play a wide range of characters successfully.

Ben

There is no monoculture. And the future bums me out.

Brian Rooney

Maybe u should have a podcast every other week

Marresmarre2

I always wondered why Treat didn’t have a bigger career. Why do you think?

Mary Walker

Yes! The last ep before the break was devastating. The writing on the show is the top of its craft. Nine days to go!!

E

Yes!!! I concur! For some reason the other day, I was struck with the urge to listen to about 7 or 8 interviews with Tom O'Neill in a row. It would be fantastic if you had him on, at some point.

J...

Bret you gotta finish Severance!

aaron weisblatt

Oh wow, its based off the Joyce Carol Oates story? That story floored me when I read it in college.

Alex Waller

Did Bret watch The Staircase on HBO Max? It was compelling even though I basically knew what was going to happen.

William Mendoza

Bret a stan for HBO stuff, surprised no mention of We Own this City. Better than most other stuff out there.

Charlie C

Yeah, I've always been a Sidney Lumet fan, but hadn't gotten around to watching this movie. I like that it subverted every expectation you have about how crooked cop movies are supposed to play out. I also recently caught Treat Williams with Laura Dern in Smooth Talk a while back, which is on Criterion Channel at the moment. Worth checking out.

Ben

I’m shocked that Bret didn’t have more to say about the super cringy Just Like That, and even seemed to like it?? That show was such a disappointment. It’s like they had a list of current woke talking points they had to check off. Trans kid, non binary person, minority friend, but without a hint of irony or humor. God, it was brutal, but I was a good girl of a certain generation and watched the whole thing. And I will watch the second season as well and bitch about it.

Phoenix

Prince of the City is a masterpiece

Alex Waller

Any Better Call Saul fans here? I’m loving this final season

Adam Dugger

Super helpful thanks. Checking out that podcast now. I also just bought McGowan’s book and suspect I will have a similar reaction. Have read similar theories online but then typically you find out the writer believes in the Illuminati and Rothschilds eating babies

Keith campbell

Hmm, that’s interesting. Beth as the cowgirl version of SATC’s Samantha ?

Keith campbell

@slimshadyfan666 speaking of gay, I think Bret should do more on the gay cult of Jackass. That part was awesome! I had no idea. “Dudes with great bodies, no women, clothes off, sticking things up each other’s butts”. Maybe he should do the Q&A first and then riff off it for a better monologue. The effects of aging on the Jackass guys’ bodies and his own sense of mortality as a companion piece to his lovely ruminations on Top Gun Maverick and the passing of time. 🫂

Keith campbell

Prince of the City is a great deal-with-the-devil film and the character's descent into wretchedness is unforgettable. But there's a reason Treat Williams did not become a star.

Murphy

Two movies I saw recently that might jive with some of Bret's other listeners are Jacques Demy's Bay of Angels with Jeanne Moreau and Sidney Lumet's Prince of the City with Treat Williams.

Ben

Someone ask Bret if anyone has expressed interest in buying the TV rights to THE SHARDS. It could be an absolutely amazing series if done right. A 80's Cali high school horror thriller masterpiece. I wonder what the rights would go for money wise?

R. M.

Boo! Wasn’t whining…simply made a statement that didn’t disallow anyone from having their “moment”LOL *eyeroll*

Ashley

I found Weird Scenes Inside the Canyon by the late Dave McGowan fascinating but very speculative. He makes some bizarre connections regarding the Laurel Canyon rock scene in the late ‘60s that do raise a chill up your back (government spooks, hippies, rock stars, drug dealers, serial killers, Satanic cults). However, McGowan makes very little reference to his sources. Did he review police and government files? Did he interview people himself? I haven’t read his other book, Programmed to Kill, where he assesses that American serial murder during the second half of the Twentieth Century can be traced to MK-Ultra experiments and the CIA’s controversial Phoenix Program during the Vietnam War, but I have listened to interviews he gave before his death about the subject on radio shows/podcasts like The Opperman Report. Captivating stuff, but I think of it more as food-for-thought. It seems like he went down one rabbit hole, found three more, chose one of those which led him to six other deeper ones. It makes you wonder but it's endless. Subliminal Jihad is a podcast hosted by Dimitri who submitted the question. He and his co-host Khalid did a deep-dive two-part episode on the Eagles. They suggest that beneath the craft and emotion of their music lingers a more ominous tone that underscores the darker occult underbelly of Southern California. For instance, they reference an urban legend that in the group photo inside the vinyl jacket of the Hotel California album you can see what looks like the face of Church of Satan founder Anton LaVey peeking out of the middle, arched window at the top. For Bret and Adam, it might make for a fun listen. Who knows? Bret could respond to it in a monologue. It's available on Soundcloud. Just Google: Subliminal Jihad. In any case, it doesn’t surprise me that these subjects have been on Bret’s radar and filtered their way into his work. From classic French lit to low-budget slasher movies, his tastes and interests run the gamut.

Billy Schafer

There is no longer -as Bret points out- a common entertainment culture. The niches, subcultures, fanbases, never overlap. "Entertainment Press"? Huh? BEE offers all the metadata I need.

Michael Walsh

Tom O’Neill episode would be an instant classic.

Thomas Matich

Boo! Who cares? I suck Bret Easton Ellis's cock for a living because I'm gay like him!

slimshadyfan666

Yellowstone is extremely gay tbh. Beth Dutton is the epitome of how a gay man thinks a straight woman would behave.

Nikki Ferrari

Please please please have Tom O'Neill on the pod!!

E

I gotta agree about Deconstructing Harry. I don't remember it that well now bc I only saw it once when it came out. Allen did a lot with that movie, I think, where we see his goofball side come together with his Bergman fetish. I'd just discovered Bergman thanks to TCM and I felt like you do when love is new and full of potential. I guess I don't have much to add other than I'm happy others here dig that one as much as I did. Btw, Adam, if you read this, good job bringing up Christopher Hitchens in the podcast before this latest one. I only had the chance to listen to it earlier this week. That bit was the highlight for me.

bpvalentine

I think Yellowstone is too straight for Bret. I could do my own podcast on the glories of Kelly Reilly

Keith campbell

Not sure if I am into bored Bret dismissing boring sounding things for 10-15 minutes .. more content might be leading to looser curation

Keith campbell

Boo! Whiners fuckin' suck. Who cares? Let people have their moment.

Ben

Vvvv

Johannes Holler

Boo! Who cares?

Ben

Boo! The Rules of Attraction is a masterpiece.

Ben

Goddamn. Noo Deconstructing Harry is lowkey his funniest movie, “Only the best blow job this side of Havassa”

Seneca Garcia

will say more after my run

Collin Myers

James Frey’s Bright Shiny Morning should be an HBO limited series. I hope that Franzen’s Purity with Daniel Craig sees the light of day. (Baumbach was suppose to direct the Corrections. Freedom would be excellent.) Great episode!

Brian Rooney

Stray thought: Bret is on a diet now because Friedkin said he didn't look like a Sushi-guy.

Mark Scherrer

Brett have you checked out James Gunn's PEACEMAKER on HBO? First episode is wonky, but it was a lot of fun and John Cena is great,

R. M.

was reding The Rules of Attraction again. not a great novel by any means. bret could have removed 1/3 of the book's length and it would have been better.

slimshadyfan666

What, you don't like listening to people's life stories instead of just getting on with the fucking question so that everyone can have a turn?

Chase

Hey you platinum fucks: ask Bret about Atlanta season 3. Thanks.

Chase

am going to listen on my run. will say more later, after my run

richard owain roberts

I really hate listening to people’s questions

Ashley

I’m now imagining Baz Luhrmann’s “Ulysses”.

Andrew Hearne

Reelgood is a great app to track movies/tv. Chaturbate. 💀

Brad Turner

Halfway through the episode. Great so far. Warning: Don’t start up with Chatterbait. It’s a trap! 😂

Patrick

Yeah... A Little Life has been my go to book recommendation for a while now. And I feel a kind of kinship with anyone who has experienced it on my level. So, welcome to the club. And thanks for the recommendation. I’ll look that up.

Erix Antoine

Erix, I am so glad he answered u as I had asked this in the past and got no response. I loved that book so much. It made me cry several times and I’ve been searching for something similar ever since. The Great Believers is close…have you tried that?

Tara Jean Sulljvan

What’s up podcast dudes , I forget if Bret mentioned this one earlier but “Dawn breaks behind the eyes “ came out of nowhere and really surprised me , would recommend, then went and saw “Black phone “ perfect Saturday afternoon trashy slasher , lthen I watched the Bergman “ persona “ on Sunday and had to sit quietly in a chair for a few hrs and think about …….. Christ everything, any hizzel , love you jerks

alexander barnett

I spit out my drink when Bret was talking about his edible experience. Thanks for that gem!

Thomas Matich

Thanks for addressing my question about A Little Life! But, mainly, thanks for informing me Yanagihara has a new book out. I just looked it up and it sounds wonderful.

Erix Antoine

Thanks to the person who asked the Cronenberg question. Good stuff

M. Nero Nava


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