Black Rain: Ridley Scott's Neo-Noir Triumph

In this episode of Almost Classic Movies, we dive deep into Ridley Scott’s 1989 neo-noir crime thriller Black Rain. We explore the film’s intricate storytelling, its atmospheric score composed by Hans Zimmer, and standout performances by Michael Douglas and Andy Garcia. The discussion covers the film’s slow-paced start, the cultural challenges depicted, and its lasting significance in Scott’s directorial legacy.

We also delve into the character dynamics, particularly focusing on the impact of Garcia’s character’s death on Douglas’s arc, and examine the portrayal of Japanese culture, highlighting Scott’s dedication to authenticity despite production hurdles. The episode touches on the influence of Black Rain’s filming locations, such as Osaka’s Dotonbori, and reflects on the broader trend of director's cuts, including parallels to the Snyder Cut of Justice League.

Additionally, we share trivia about the film’s budget, box office performance, and behind-the-scenes stories, including Yusaku Matsuda’s final role, unfinished scenes, and unexpected filming locations like Napa Valley.

Join us for an engaging exploration of Black Rain, packed with fun facts, film trivia, and a deep appreciation for one of Ridley Scott’s crime classics. Don’t forget to subscribe, leave a five-star review, and share your thoughts with us!

Transcript

Jon: [00:00:00] Maybe I don't wear my own deodorant.

Hello and welcome back to another episode of almost classic movies, almost as classic as the events that took place during Oppenheimer. And if you know, you know, if you don't, you should probably take history class again. But that's pretty relevant to what we're talking about right now. 

Don: That's not where I thought you were going with this.

What did you think I was going to say? I, like, I don't know. I really didn't know what to expect. I had no preconceived idea of how you were going to intro this episode. 

Jon: So I actually thought about after, uh, as I was driving home after our last episode, I was thinking, like, I really need to, like, Work on like this should be part of my note taking is like, what's my thing going to be?

Cause this is a [00:01:00] thing now. It's a thing. Um, yeah, coming on episode five next time. Yes. That means like we're kind of in the throes of building a routine. So this is becoming a routine. Anyways, yeah, production stuff. Anyways, uh, I was saying I should start working on that. And I thought about it today when I was washing some dishes and I'm like, is that going to go too far?

Cause I'm like, I was originally going to say, The actual thing, but I'm like, that's a pretty to like direct. I 

Don: liked how you alluded to it with referencing an almost classic movie and I appreciate it. Thank you. 

Jon: The whole thing is about being very layered. So it was, it was very tasteful. You're okay. Thank you.

So you're, yeah. Thank you for approving. Cause I need affirmation when it comes to a controversial statement like that. Cool. So anyways, um, quick housekeeping. I don't really like doing housekeeping for this type of stuff, but if I sound nasally fighting over a cold, if we record it on Monday, we usually record on Mondays, but we're recording on [00:02:00] Wednesday.

Well, I say we, we plan on usually recording on Mondays, but we've been usually recording on Wednesdays. Anyways, we were going to record on one Monday. I sounded like Batman. That could have been cool, but I got so tired from just talking. I don't know how Christian Bale did that. Uh, so here we are. If I sound nasally or congested, I am not sorry.

Can't help it. Um, so that's the only housekeeping we have. Otherwise, uh, you could also, Oh, you could also housekeep our podcast page by. Liking, subscribing, following. You can help us 

Don: keep our houses by five starring. Well, we're not that far into this yet, 

Jon: but I'm 

Don: speaking. I'm 

Jon: speaking it 

Don: into existence. 

Jon: If this is an evergreen podcast episode and you're listening to this five years from now, we're still doing it and we are.

Don: Yeah. 

Jon: Getting money off of it. Yes, you are correct. 

Don: Mm hmm. 

Jon: But as of this recording, that's not true. [00:03:00] So, um, yeah, doing all the things help us out by doing that, sharing that, et cetera, et cetera. So, uh, yeah, speaking of Oppenheimer, we are going over the movie again. If you know, you know, we're going over the movie black rain today.

Yes. Starting off our series on Ridley Scott directed Films gearing up for what movie again gladiator 2 

Don: in About a month from this recorded from from our recording date. Yeah. Yeah that we so we have a couple More Ridley Scott films three episode or three more movies. Yep. Three more movies this one So a total of four.

Yep. Thank you. Before we, uh, before gladiator two comes out. And that's, that's a big deal for gladiator 

Jon: two to come out. I don't want to call it like a nostalgia beta or movie, but like, that's [00:04:00] a very big breath of time. 

Don: 100%. 

Jon: So, but if it's a really Scott movie, it's going to be great. 

Don: Oh, it has to be. It 

Jon: has to be great.

I mean, Napoleon, Was good if it was teased properly. Yeah. Yeah. So we're doing a black rain today and really Scott Michael Douglas, Andy 

Don: Garcia, Andy Garcia, music by Hans Zimmer. When I saw that, I was like, Oh, I 

Jon: didn't realize he was doing music in the late eighties. Yep. I think I actually wrote down in my notes.

Uh, The soundtrack sets the stage in such a unique way. I love it. Yeah. Where it's like 80s, but still has that little, like, tinge of like cinema for real, bro. Like, this is epic. In a great way, but still, like, accessible and digestible for the time. Yeah, the music of, [00:05:00] 

Don: like, the 80s, like, late 80s movies, the soundtracks were incredible.

Don (2): Oh, 

Don: 100%. Like, I'm thinking of, one of my favorite movie soundtracks is Highlander with Queen doing the music for that, No One Lives Forever. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Like, that's Epic soundtrack. Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. And you get that with, I forget who did the opening song, but it was still a good song. Mm-Hmm.

it like, it, it fit the movie. Yeah. Who was that? This was Han Zimmer's first movie. Yeah. I didn't know that. 

Jon: Mm-Hmm. until just now. I, I think I saw that when I was doing some of the trivia research, but, Mm-Hmm 

Don: mm-Hmm. . 

Jon: I didn't write that down. 'cause I'm kind of like, huh. Glad you brought it up. 

Don: Yeah. 

Jon: Um, so yeah, the movie Black Rain, for those who don't know, it's a, like, crime thriller noir type thing.

So noir meaning, [00:06:00] like, detective, grungy. It's a very. Dark film like loose cannon cop who doesn't play by the rules type thing like yeah They break protocol because it's for the job as opposed to you know, like screw protocol I'm doing like a bunch of bunny ears right now. No one can see me but You know like Chris Farley like maybe I don't wear my own deodorant kind of thing But good reference.

Thank you, but love Chris Farley bringing that back So it's a crime thriller They say neo noir on it, so I don't quite know what they mean by that, but it is a noir film for sure. Um, and the whole premise of it is basically like Michael Douglas and Indy Garcia see something happen, go down in a diner in New York City.

They catch the guy, they exchange him in Japan, all of a sudden someone did an oopsie, and now Michael Douglas and Indy Garcia are in Japan. Figuring out [00:07:00] what the heck is going on and the more they go into it, the greater the scale it grows. And by the end of it, you don't really actually know what entirely is happening.

Don: Yeah, that's a very interesting point. I didn't feel 

Jon: that when I'm watching it. Well, it feels very like if you're actually like sitting down and thinking about what's going on, you're like, this is kind of like a weird slice of life situation I'm experiencing. Like I'm just watching two guys like.

Following tiny cookie trails or whatever trails of crumbs or whatever, um, breadcrumbs breadcrumbs. If you will, if you will, I will. And, um, you're like, I don't really get it, but this is kind of cool. And things are like, enough things are happening that are keeping me pulled together. And then he meets. The guy that says the thing the movie is named after and you're like, I got it.

Yes. And then it all goes down in the last 15 [00:08:00] minutes. 

Don: Yeah. Um, that's a great way to give a spoiler free recap of this movie. 

Jon: Thank you. Thank you. I'm actually a sucker for these kinds of movies, so I don't ever think about watching them, but when I watch them, like. Oh yeah, I love this. Uh, that's probably why I like Batman.

Not as like a dweeb about it, but I'm like, that's why I like Hot Take, in case no one knows. I like THE Batman. More than, again, Hot Take. I'm delaying this because you already know what I'm saying. I know, and I Listener, Christopher Nolan's Batman. But that's because I like the detective version of Batman.

That's he I understand. It is a hot take. Does that mean that Christopher Nolan's Batmans are worse? Absolutely not. I just like the take. That's all. Um, so anyways, that's the spoiler free review. Um, I feel like I've been talking for a little bit. I was going to go into the production angle of it. What do you have [00:09:00] anything you want to add or I eat or take charge?

Don: I was going to. I had a bunch of stuff to say about like, like, the whole movie kind of just, it felt like it started slow for me. Definitely did. Like, you get to know Michael Douglas character and it feels, in the beginning, the character feels, for every sense of the word, shallow. Yeah. Like he, I thought it was really interesting that he's like, he chooses to ride a motorcycle even though he has a family because a motorcycle is inherently a lonely vehicle.

Like it's meant for one, maybe two, but most of the time you're riding solo. 

Jon: I fully agree. I feel like I wrote down somewhere of all the characters I'm invested in, he's not one of them. I couldn't agree more. Yeah. Which is funny because Michael Douglas [00:10:00] was like, An important piece to getting this movie moving.

Don: Yes, uh, and he was, at the time, he was the bankable star. After this movie, he was coming, like, this was one of his first movies. This was his next release after winning the Oscar for Wall Street. 

Jon: Oh, I didn't even Yeah. Okay. So I'll, I'll be very candid. I'm not as Knowledgeable on Michael Douglas's career, I looked at, I actually wrote down.

Oh, Michael, hold on. I wrote down. I never clicked who Michael Douglas was dot, dot, dot. It shows me what I know. Oh, Hank Pym. 

Don: I was going to say, like, I literally, 

Jon: that's the only reason I know 

Don: Michael Douglas. He's not known for these movies. This is probably like the only movie like this he's ever made.

Okay, he's more into Like serious character studies like Wall Street. He done like he did [00:11:00] Basic Instinct, which is a thriller, but it's not like an action thriller like this one He also did fun. I guess you would call them action movies, but they're more like adventure movies in romancing the stone Which you may have never seen, but none of these 

Jon: I'm familiar with, except I know of Wall Street.

Don: Well, Basic Instinct has That one does sound familiar. That's because It has the most common paused scene of all time. Oh, that movie. Yes, yes, yes, yes, 

Jon: yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. So, uh, to put that nicely. I had a friend that had that scene as a t shirt. But you didn't see the lower half. You just saw her and it was just the implication.

Yeah, you knew what it was. Like, that actually is a pretty good t shirt. Again, it's if you know, you know. That's a 100 percent if you know, you know. 

Don: Uh. Like Oppenheimer, right? It was so, [00:12:00] uh, and Andy Garcia was young in his career. Yeah. I saw him and I was like, I didn't, 

Jon: that didn't register 

Don: because I, I need to double check this 

Jon: real quick.

He was hilarious in this movie, by the way. Oh. He's probably my favorite character. Him and Ken talk Kura. They're, they're vibes. I ship them like I want them to be the couple them 

Don: singing karaoke. Beautiful scene. So wholesome. Like that was a wonderful moment and it really stinks that the next scene or like one of the next times you see him.

Jon: I had a question about that scene, your opinion. 

Don: Uh, 

Jon: but we can get to that later. Yeah. 

Don: No, you know, your next scene like hurts. Right. So yeah, I, I don't really feel the need to talk a whole lot about. Yeah. The beginning of this movie, because it, it's, you're very stereotypical, very slow script, very [00:13:00] slow moving.

Jon: Uh, it's really just a platform to get you to Japan. 

Don: Yes. 100%. It's a long plane ride. 

Jon: Yeah. 

Don: That punch. So good. The, the yawn and punch. It's like, Oh yeah. Yeah. So funny. I'm putting that in my arsenal. That's a good one. That's going to my toolbox. Yeah. 

Jon: Sitting there. I'm going to put that in my back pocket.

Don: Yeah. But I feel like Andy Garcia's character was probably my favorite character and he hadn't done Godfather three yet. This came out in 89. Okay. Godfather three came out in 90. So like he wasn't. One year later. Yeah. It came out the next year. So he wasn't, like, a lot, like, he, he was known, but he wasn't, like, probably super well known at that, up until that point, yeah, because he wasn't in.

Godfather three. Yeah. I do want to talk about, while we're still talking about Andy Garcia, I do want to talk about his death scene because yeah, [00:14:00] speaking of spoilers, speaking of spoilers, I w I watched a YouTuber talk about this movie and they're like, this is a very classic 80s trope that like people who like are 80s action fans like expected him to die.

And I did not expect him to die. 

Jon: Yeah, I didn't. That's interesting. That's a very cultural. Yeah, I didn't know. Interesting point I never thought about. I didn't know that. Okay, so my question about it was What is your, this might answer it, but like, what is your opinion as to why that happened? Oh, why did 

Don: it happen?

Jon: Yeah, so like, I'm saying, you might have already answered it because you said it's like an 80s trope, great. But I'm curious as far as like, the lore goes, because you even said so too, like, and I agree. They just, like, completed the [00:15:00] arc of Andy's purpose to, like, have Nick, Michael, Michael Douglas, Nick, like, work and be okay with this culture that he's in, fish out of water.

Yeah, fish out of water scene or movie scenario. Yeah. Ken's character, um, it's not Sato, what is it? Moss. Moss. Um, nickname. Uh, Moss, Ken Takakura's character. Uh, being, okay, being in the fold of that crew. 

Don (2): Mm 

Jon: hmm. Like, the pieces are all coming together. As far as like, cool, we have a unit. We're happy. I wrote down.

This is so wholesome. I'm in love with their interactions. And then like almost next moment, he got slashed like two minutes later. 

Don: Yeah. Uh, literally decapitated. Oh yeah. Yeah. Which like, is it like going back and like rethinking about it? [00:16:00] That's savage. Yeah, and it's a gruesome death. Like, this is not a gruesome movie, except for that scene.

Like, and Ridley Scott did it well. 

Jon: Yeah, the only other gory part is that you saw the beginning at the diner in New York, the guy's head getting cleaved off, or not cleaved, he got slashed, but he wasn't decapitated. And I thought. His decapit did not get potated. 

Don: I thought the end scene, when he cut off, When Sato cut off his finger, like that just looked so real.

Like the effects in this movie hold up. Ridley Scott's really good at that. I mean, yeah, I think you're asking a very interesting question and I didn't think about it until you asked it. So culturally trope, it's a trope. Right. But for the script, I don't think Nick and Sada, Nick and Moss become as close as they [00:17:00] do.

That's what they needed. If Charlie doesn't die. 

Jon: Because it was over. Cause then it'd be a weird thing. Third wheel awkward scenario. Well, 

Don: I mean, and that happened, those kinds of things happen in the nineties, like in the lethal weapon movies. So like, it's, it wasn't like, it's not unheard of to have that happen, but that's a different vibe than this movie.

But like, Nick doesn't get his gun from Moss if Charlie doesn't die. Yeah, Moss isn't ready. Moss doesn't, doesn't feel like he's ready to Step that far out of line because even like but now he has a reason but now he has a reason to like I like there's there's there is an aspect eyes are all great revenge 

Jon: for Moss.

I feel yeah Cuz now because up until that point it's just kind of like I just got [00:18:00] assigned to these things Two weirdos. They clearly don't like the Japanese police department clearly don't want them around Yeah, just a throwaway They don't 

Don: respect like Nick doesn't respect Japanese culture at all Yeah, Charlie's trying to but like where it where he sees it false like he calls it out on the carpet but like he also Is trying to work within it by bringing them together at the club.

Yeah, he's 

Jon: just, yeah, yeah, yeah. Okay, cool. No, I fully agree. I was curious. I couldn't piece it together right away. So I was just like, I wonder, I wonder what the deal is. It's an, 

Don: I think it's an excellent question. The one thing that people keep asking online, and I still can't figure out the answer, is Joy Joyce's 

Jon: character.

Oh, . Yeah. Like, uh, Steven s Spielberg's wife . [00:19:00] Yeah. I forgot her name. I didn't know 

Don: that was Steven Spielberg's wife. I just saw that she was a temple of Doom and I'm like, oh, that's really cool. Yeah, like I didn't, I haven't watched Temple Do do Temple Dom? 

Jon: Yeah, there's like a gray family guy joke about it too, but I can't remember it off the top of my head.

She's just here 'cause. She's banging the director, something like that. Something like that. That's funny. Um, yeah, that's But, like, Joyce's character Steven Spielberg's wife. She moved, like, 

Don: she's there to move the plot along. 

Jon: But, 

Don: like, 

Jon: that's it. I think in terms of tropes go, when you say 80s, that's a noir trope.

Oh, for sure. And I think that's really all she's there for is just to like, okay, let's, let's go. Like even the kiss at the end is just so cringy, not needed, uncalled for. Right. Cause like, there's no chemistry except the fact that she's a dancer and a guy's attracted to it. Right. 

Don: Right. [00:20:00] And like, and so they did it and they did a really good job of like, setting up her independence, like to be a, a strong female character, like to be like, and when I say strong female character, I mean like for her to not need, there's no motivation there for romance whatsoever.

And then there's, The necessary kiss at the end, 

Jon: like, I really think it's, I really think it's, she is there. She's a trope component for the tropes that are involved with new our films. Yeah. And that is. You have the one resource between the protagonist and the antagonist and that is like the through line [00:21:00] manifestation that the viewers can associate with.

That's fair. And that's like all fair. But the way that they like wrote her in, it's like just say she is a immigrant, she's trying to figure out her way. Yeah. And she happens to find connections to these Americans. 

Don: Yeah. 

Jon: That's it. You don't need to make it in the broad sense. You don't need to have it, like, sexualized in any way.

And I say that again in the broad sense. Like, they don't need a kiss. They don't need to, like, have interests with each other. It's just like, it could even be like, Hey, you're a dancer and you have information. Can I get you money? 

Don: Right. 

Jon: What's the information? Because if it was You go and do the thing.

Because it's still a detective thing to do. Sure. That doesn't need to be 

Don: I, I agree 100 percent that her character is [00:22:00] incredibly trope y and like this movie played to its tropes. Like this movie was supposed to be Which is totally fine. Yeah. This movie was supposed to be a Popcorn. Popcorn. Box office popcorn movie.

Yeah, that's what this movie. Yeah, nothing wrong with that. And so like she gave Nick the information to get to the end, but I do feel like we need to talk about the scene where he was Talking with um, oh shy. I think that's the character's name the old Oh guy from the Yakuza like I felt that that was probably the most Uh, impactful scene, like his monologue, 

Jon: it is 

Don: the, 

Jon: yeah, sorry to interrupt.

It's the, it's the, it's such a weird scene in, in a good way. Um, where in my opinion, I was like listening to it and watching it. And I was just like, where [00:23:00] is all of this coming from? This is very like random to me. I wasn't expecting it. But, so that's the weird part, but it was really cool to make it like, oh, this is no longer, bad guy does something bad, good guy looks for bad guy, bad guy gets arrested and goes to jail, by any means necessary.

Now it's like, whoa, we're in the 80s, this is fresh off the heels of Japan, like, recovering from a horrible thing. Yeah. That was very like, Not even like for the sake of like, you know, an entire city being wiped out and now like an entire government and establishment needs to like Go in and resuscitate it by all means necessary Now it's also One component that I feel like a lot of people don't really think about too much when it comes to that aspect is like also Americans are [00:24:00] going in and now like culturalizing them and telling them to do Hey, you need to do X.

Hey, you should say Y. Hey, you should do this, that, and the other thing, and now they're, like, running, like, across coals, trying to, like, recoup not just from that, but also doing what Americans say they should do. Yeah. And so you see this guy in the 80s, like, he's, like, he's a very sympathetic character if you're actually, like, paying attention to the entire, like, context to the story.

Don: Right, like, he want, like, he wants to bring. His grandson, I think Sato was his grandson, Sanjay, yeah, just to bring him back into the family. Sato. Sato. 

Jon: Sorry, I kept laughing at that. 

Don (2): Yeah. 

Jon: It was really funny when they were like saying Sato, and when they were saying that, I kept thinking like, no, it's Sato.

But then finally, like, people Started correcting him. Started correcting him, [00:25:00] so I'm like, thank you. It would, it brought some levity into this. Dark movie. 

Don: Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt you. No, no, no. You're fine. I, I wrote down that, like, that Japanese culture, like, feels very community focused. And one of the reasons that, like, it felt like Nick couldn't understand Japanese culture is because he, he set the precedent that he wants to be incredibly isolated.

That like he is. He rides motorcycles. Yeah. He, he 

Jon: rides motorcycles. He 

Don: rides, he's, 

Jon: he's a very lonely gal. Yeah. Yeah. He's wife and kid. But he does things on his own. Yeah. Goober. I'm on a goober. Uh, but, 

Don: yeah. I thought, I thought that, I agree that, that acting, the level of acting in that monologue scene in between.

It was very intense. Yes, it was very intense. It was shot really well. It was very dark. It was incredibly intentional. [00:26:00] It almost felt out of place in a movie like this to be like that. It was very whiplash. Yeah, it was good. It was great. Yeah, I thought it was. I again, I think it's one of my 

Jon: favorite scenes of the movie that could have been like pulled out.

And just like, that is like a scene on its own. Yeah. In a vacuum. It was very good. Yeah, like when he was just, even when he said, Oh, I can't, I didn't write the quote down, but I mean, it's when, It's that moment when you're like, oh, he said the thing. He said, he said the name of the movie. He said the name of the movie.

Yeah, uh, I forgot what he said specifically, but when he was, When he was talking about, like, Hiroshima, right? Yeah. Being bombed, and then all of, like, like, it rained black that day or something like that. Yeah. I was like, 

Don: whoa. Like, the intense, like, I, yeah, like, I felt it. Mm hmm. It was incredible. Yeah. And then, you go from that to a unique, I wouldn't say it's like a stereotypical action ending, [00:27:00] but it felt very 

Jon: stereotypical action ending.

Yeah, I mean, it was just, the only thing I felt like that wasn't, Okay, well it did bug me that it was like, Oh cool, they're riding motorcycles now. This brings purpose to Nick. The beginning. Riding a motorcycle at the beginning, not just for character development. But also, he can ride a motorcycle. 

Don: But it's the same jump, like he did the same move.

Jon: Same, yep. I did think though it was cool when they did the fist fight, which I appreciated seeing, because that means that the guns weren't, they were needed for part of the fight, but it's like he just always wanted the gun, he always needed a gun. That was a very, like, American cop thing to have. Like, it was an identity.

Which I, you know, politics aside, doesn't matter in this context, I get it. But like, Japan, they don't, like guns are strictly illegal. And him adapting to [00:28:00] Japanese culture where he's fist fighting to detain. Sato. Sato. Sato. Uh. It's Sato. Um. That was really cool. Also, too, the cut from, like, pushing him onto, like, the running motorcycle wheel.

Yeah. It was really cool. My butt clenched. Uh. But then it was just a cut to, uh. Okay, here's the guy, like, handing him off to the cops. I 

Don: thought that 

Jon: cut was so jarring. I liked it a lot. 

Don: It was really cool. I was just kind of like, he 

Jon: didn't kill him? Like But it also proves, though, that that's a Japanese Well, from my understanding, that's a Japanese thing.

That's very inter So, I have two things to say about that. It's American, too, but like, in the scope 

Don: of, like, the story. Right, well, no, in the scope of the story, I have two comments off of that. Yeah. One, is it a Japanese thing and Nick, at the conclusion of the movie, [00:29:00] respecting Japanese culture? 

Jon: It could be totally coincidental.

Don: Or, is it Nick's character growth? Like, cause you know It could be both. Like, I feel I like the idea of both. I like the idea of both as well. Because, like, like, he admits in the middle of the movie that he's a dirty cop. So And 

Jon: so so corny, but 

Don: he admits to mass over over a bowl of noodles that like he's a dirty cop.

Jon: Yeah. I sold money. 

Don: Yeah. 

Jon: Yeah. 

Don: What are you going to do about it over an ocean away? Um, yeah, but that cut, like it was so jarring. It was very 

Jon: noble thing to 

Don: do. Right. But it almost. Like it, I'm not like, there's reason in the script for it to make sense. While I'm not a fan of the script as a whole, I think it is a very trope y thing.

lackluster script. There are very, but when [00:30:00] it's good, it is. When it's good. It's great. 

Jon: I agree with that sentiment actually. Yeah, 

Don: but I thought I thought overall this was a really Entertaining movie and yeah, and and so with that I'm ready to learn how this movie was made John 

Jon: I can tell you I was gonna quickly agree sure by saying I wrote down the movie I fully agree with everything you're saying sure when it hits strong.

It's like really strong When it hits low, it's very cliche. I wrote down the movie is always like five degrees off the trope of noir slash crime movies. Like I found the sequence of the hideout. It wasn't like too cliche, but it was like close enough, which we already talked about all that, you know, like, Oh, they could have done a gunfight and they did, but they ended up with a fist fight.

Um, And I wrote down, [00:31:00] overall, and I'll give my rating if you want to give yours, and then we'll go. Yeah, sure. I said, overall, this was a fun, campy noir. I didn't mind it, but there were moments where my eyes were rolling out of my sockets. Yeah. Six out of ten. I said that Because I don't believe in sevens.

Right. I, 

Don: yeah, yeah. I, this, this movie doesn't, it answers all of the questions it asks. Oh, that's a good way of putting it. It doesn't, it, like, it doesn't leave you wanting more. It doesn't leave you wanting less. Like, You're just, you've enjoyed the ride that the movie puts you on for better or for worse.

Yep. 

Jon: Um, you're on a roller coaster and it made it back. 

Don: Like some of the movies we have, you're right. Some of the movies that we have spoken about, like have themes. I don't really feel that there's like a theme in this movie. Like this is for me, the definition of a popcorn movie. Yeah. [00:32:00] Like you're just putting this on, on a Saturday 

Jon: afternoon, might put some white cheddar on it.

Yeah. Yeah. Or put a little like spice in it. Yeah. Like, I mean, you know, my goal. make a little zest. Yeah. Zest corn. But I also agree. This movie is a six out of 10. And Andy Garcia is my favorite part of this movie. We agreed. Yes. Hilarious. All right. So yes, my big thing about this movie, and I was telling this to Donald before we, uh, started recording my big thing that distracted me a ton about the movie was more about the production of it.

Sure. Which is more of like my perspective on movies. Like, I enjoy watching, like, the themes, and I think Donald, you challenged me about watching movies for those themes and how, like, the writing is really, like, piecing it together. That's where I really feel stretched, but I'm like, how is this happening on a logistical level?

So, Couple fun things to think about. Well, actually I was going to talk about casting, but I want to talk [00:33:00] about the filming first because the casting is just fun. Uh, so filming, it started on October 31st, 1988. Super timely right now, actually, uh, as we're releasing this right before Halloween, like a week before Halloween.

Uh, production was initially scheduled for October 15th, but was delayed due to the writer's guild strike that was going on at the time. 

Don: Wow. 

Jon: So scripts, maybe, maybe they had to write some tropes for the cost. Uh, you know. Skimpin by whatever the phrase is. The, uh, high cost and red tape involved in the filming in Japan prompted the director, Ridley Scott, to declare that he would never film in that country again.

In one instance, while filming in a steel mill, Ridley Scott was interrupted mid take by an official who Placed his hand over the camera due to strict firearm laws in the country, which is where my brain was going the entire time of this movie. Due to the strict firearms law in the [00:34:00] country, the production also had difficulty using prop firearms and were prohibited from firing blank ammo.

After ruling out shooting in New York or Hong Kong, Ridley Scott was forced to leave the country and complete the final climatic scene. This bugged. Heck out of me, by the way, and I'm glad this answer that film, the climatic scene in Napa Valley, California, rice fields do not look like that. And it drives me nuts.

Yeah. Rice fields that rice fields are flat, super flat. And if you look closely, those are, that's a vineyard. Drove me nuts. 

Don: I'm like, that is not a rice field. That's interesting. I didn't know. It fell out of place. Like, I noticed, I'm like, oh, they're in a vineyard. I didn't realize that. No, rice fields have to 

Jon: be so flat.

So flat, so swampy. Because it needs to be still water, right? Still water. Yep. Yeah. And you see people all the time planting [00:35:00] rice or rice seeds or whatever. Like, they're all over the place. There's no one in the field. Yeah, there's no one working. No one, which you could, you could chalk that up to being like, well, it's meant to be like a facade for this, that, and the other thing, and da da da da da, I'm like, doesn't matter, they're on a hill.

Yeah. So, anyways, I found that really interesting. I, I'm very heated about it just cause like, I got excited where I was like, that's not right, where are they? Napa Valley. Oh, that makes sense now. 

Don: Yeah. 

Jon: Um. So, early departure caused additional problems, deals with Japanese actors had to be renegotiated and some of the actors needed visas to complete their roles in the U.

S. Some of the Japanese actors who were playing in Japan needed to be replaced with look alikes. I don't know why that was hard for me to record. Uh, in contrast, others were just cut straight from the film. Uh, various props and vehicles had to be duplicated or sent to L. A. Two Japanese propane fueled cars were shipped over, but they did not meet [00:36:00] U.

S. safety standards and were destroyed once filming ended. Uh, the unfavorable working conditions also caused original cinematographer Howard Atherton, sorry if I mispronounced that, to quit early in production, and someone else, can't pronounce the name, uh, sorry again, replaced him. Atherton is credited with additional photography because of this.

Don: That's very 

Jon: interesting. Um, while you're talking, you can find that all on Wikipedia, by the way. 

Don: So while you're talking about production, I want to talk a little post production stuff real quick. I don't know if you have any, uh, no, go for it. So apparently, uh, Ridley Scott originally had a two hour and 50 minute cut of this movie.

Don (2): And 

Don: then, but back then you had to have a movie sub two hours. Like that was what the studio really is. That's what the studio wanted was like a sub two hour movie And so he went so he [00:37:00] showed it to the cast cast was like, this is great We are super excited about this movie. Like there's so much more depth to it.

And then he came back to the studio execs with a one hour and 50 minute cut. How long was it again? The original two hours, two, two hours and 40. So he cut 50 minutes out of the movie and wow. And the studio execs were like, this is bad. And he's like, well, this is the one hour and 50 minute cut. Like, this is what you guys, like, this is what I was told, like the movie runtime had to be, and the studio execs were like, You make the movie that you want to make and so he came out with the cut that we have That is why there is no director's cut of this movie.

This is the director's this is the director's cut So like even for Blade Runner, there's like the director's [00:38:00] cut then there's like the final cut but for this one There's not an additional cut 

Jon: Wow. That is very interesting to me Release the theatrical cut is what I'm hearing. 

Don: Yeah, but like this happens all the time.

So like, yeah, like recently, like there's like the Snyder cut, which is a four hour version of the Justice League in the Russo brother said that they have a four and a half hour of cut of end game. Whoa, that they could release. Oh, like there's imagine and Disney will never let that up. Can you imagine an extra hour and a half?

Of endgame. I wonder what it would be. I don't, I could not fathom what they could add unless if it's an hour and a half of Captain America reputting all of the infinity stones back in time. 

Jon: That would only be like 15 minutes. We're talking about a whole extra feature film that they cut. Yeah. Oh, [00:39:00] this would be a really fun discussion to have on the side.

Don: But there's um, 

Jon: like, and we'll probably do an endgame episode someday, at some point. Yeah. 

Don: There's, but like, Sergio Leon's Once Upon a Time in America. They filmed that movie for two years and it was a ten hour cut. Cool. That he cut down to like four and a half, four fifteen. And then the studio cut it down to three thirty.

And it's a three and a half hour movie that feels cut. Like 

Jon: it, like, it feels jumpy. Oh, interesting. Yeah. Isn't that crazy to think about on the whole that something that's three hours long feels like that? 

Don: Yeah. Yeah. Because I mean, we're talking about 30 percent of what he envisioned is what 

Jon: made the screen, but I guess my point is, yes, but my point is more like someone's mental energy and [00:40:00] storytelling capabilities is able to flesh out 10 hours of storytelling that is so compelling, but your, I mean, that's basically like a season of TV, but my point is more like, That's a season of TV that's like just straight through but that's beside the point but you're cutting it down to a point That is for theatrical quote unquote theatrical release that feels jumpy because you didn't have the breadth of time 

Don: Yeah, 

Jon: that is Yeah.

I mean, you can also say like, well, he cut it down to four and he was comfortable with that. Four hours is still a long time. 

Don: He 

Jon: wasn't cat comfortable with 

Don: four and a 

Jon: half 

Don: hours, 

Jon: but 

Don: like, this is like 

Jon: the best I could do. He chose. Yeah. He chose that saying I am comfortable isn't the right word, but I'm comfortable enough to present.

This yeah, that level of comfort could mean Jack squat like he could still be a nervous wreck, but yeah, he's still [00:41:00] presenting it. Yeah. So that's very compelling. Interesting. 

Don: Yeah. 

Jon: Interesting. So unless you have anything else to share, I like to talk about locations and then we can kind of go into my, my ending portion that we normally kind of go over and you can add to that too, if you would like.

So again, for those who don't know about me, I And the worst, uh, at keeping secrets in regards to me being a weeb, for those who don't know what that is, or an otaku, that is a Japanese culture nerd. Uh, I like manga, I like anime, I study, uh, Japanese as a second language, hilariously enough, or at least, I think my wife laughed when I said this, some of the parts in the movie where they spoke in Japanese, but they didn't caption it.

Subtitle it actually understood like a quarter of what they were saying graduation. So [00:42:00] my point is saying that is I'm very fascinated by this stuff So I have a section of my notes called locations again. You can share this on Wikipedia Honestly in future episodes, whatever I read that sounds like I'm reading off a script.

I'm reading off of that. So That way I don't have to keep saying that every episode Um, for those who give us a five star review and say he sounds like he's reading off of something that I found on Wikipedia, please reply to them saying you're right and thanks for the five stars. Um, so first note, large parts of black rain were filmed in Osaka.

Although some of the locations have changed somewhat since the late 1980s when production took place, the original intention of Ridley Scott was to film in the Kabuchicho nightlife district of Shinjuku, Tokyo. However, the Osaka authorities were more receptive towards film permits, so the similarly futuristic neon infused Dotonbori in Namba [00:43:00] was chosen as the principal filming location in Japan.

My speech in saying Japanese words, by the way. I'm going to be defensive is not great because I can read it and I can hear it. I don't know how to speak it. That's interesting to me. I'm a big nerd for Osaka. I would love to go there someday because they say that that is the food. That is the kitchen of Japan.

A lot of street vendors, really good food. You can find food, really good food, really anywhere in Japan because Japanese food is awesome. And chefs there are crazier than, you know, grand for millennia for those who are foodies. But I found that very fascinating. Uh, if you look up photos of those places. It looks very futuristic.

Um, an aerial shot of Osaka Bay at sunset with the Esu, Etsu areas, I can't read today, of the Yodogawa, Kanzaki, Kanzakikawa, Gawa, excuse me, and Ajigawa rivers. Frames the opening sequence of the arrival into [00:44:00] Japan. I actually found that very interesting. So the shot that they're referring to is when the plane is going into Japan.

It's all like red and it looks really intense. There's a lot of smokestacks 

Don: and whatnot. I thought it made it, it made Japan look incredibly industrial. And it is a manufacturing place, but it's not what we associate Japan with today. 

Jon: I don't associate Japan with that at all. I feel like it's one of those things where If you're into Japanese culture, you think of, like, Mount Fuji, you think of onsens, you think of, which are hot springs, uh, you think of, like, 

Don: Mount Midoriyama.

Jon: Nice, I respect that Yes, ninja warrior You think of There's like a lot of beauty that you see in it like the actual like historic Japanese integrated with like modern perceptions like, you know strong [00:45:00] photography strong videography And if you kind of think of it in the tourist aspect, you think of like the big skyscrapers, bustling towns, you think of the Great Shibuya Crossing, the cross streets.

Yeah. And if you're into like anime, then you just think of. Anime. Anime. Big giant robots. Zoids. Oh, nice. Yeah, you're, you're on it. See, you're, you're a fan. Um, yeah, so it's very interesting. I'm kind of curious if the perspective of that is one, to give an, an opposition feeling. Like you're getting really into, opposition meaning like you're, like they're trying to be imposing.

Um, that's not the right word then, opposition. They're trying to be like imposing like you're in Japan. 

Don: Yeah, I have a, I have a question for you. Was that a sunrise or a sunset that they were shooting? Like I think it's sun. Okay, because [00:46:00] that makes a lot more sense because if it was a sunset, I would not like that as much because it is the land of the rising sun.

Well, they did take a right eye, 

Jon: didn't they? They're playing their, their flight in might've been, and it looked more golden like the sun. I don't know. It looks like a sunrise. I don't 

Don: see enough sunrise. I think they took a, 

Jon: no, I think they took a red eye over. I'm pretty sure it's a long flight. So yeah. Um, so yeah, anyways, the, uh, primary filling, filling location in Osaka is by the Ebisu Tsubashi bridge.

Uh, I'm trying to think of a really good way to imagine what that looks like, but, you know, Editor Dan would know this. It looks a lot like, um, uh, Yakuza video game stuff. So, fun little plug there. Uh, listeners, you probably don't know what that means. The Futurist Kirin [00:47:00] Plaza building, the, uh, I beat Tsubashi and the famous neon wall overlooking the Dontobori canal creates the Blade Runner esque mise en scene.

Yeah. And you, 

Don: and you get that feeling and that's what a lot of people have reference to because he did Blade Runner in 82 and this came out in 89. That's right. That's right. And he really, and then he did two movies in between this. He did legend and he did someone to watch over me, which are, you know, new war films, but not in, they're not in low.

I believe they're not in locations where you get that kind of, you can get that futuristic feel that you can get in Japan in a large cities. And this was, and those two movies were down for him. Like he did Blade Runner, like one of these top 100 movies of all time. Talk about it. Yeah. It's one of the greatest [00:48:00] movies of all time.

And then he came out with two kind of duds, according to critics. Again, I haven't seen them. And then he came and then he came out with black rain trying to recreate may have been trying to recreate some of the secret sauce that he had with Blade Runner. 

Jon: Yeah, definitely. You can definitely see some of that.

Don: And, and you do, and, and critics did see that. Well, at least the because this movie was nominated for two Oscars. Oh, I never caught that. Oh, interesting. So this movie, uh, so Best Sound, which would probably, I don't know, that's, that's not music. So, it was nominated for Best Sound, and Best Effects, going to Sound Effects and Editing.

Jon: Okay, so it was a lot more post production. Yeah. Okay. This movie was edited. I could see that. There was some pretty strong, like, I was [00:49:00] very absorbed by the, Sound I mean I being an audio like guy that would be kind of a no duh But no, it really stood out to me like music was very was a bit of a standout.

I mean, I was even thinking about like the motorcycles were very like strong. 

Don: Well, going to like to that point, going to Andy Garcia's Charlie's death scene. 

Jon: Oh, I was imposed because of all the motorcycle sounds. The 

Don: motorcycle sounds, but also the subtlety of him rattling the cage that he's behind, adding tension to that, but not like it there being that sound being there enough to feel and but not for it to be.

overbearing when You're watching the motorcycles, but you still hear the chains being rattled, even when he's shooting it from a distance. Yeah, for sure. So. 

Jon: All right, so, um, we can do, we can get into money and then we can kind of wrap it up if you want. Sure. All right, cool. So, [00:50:00] um, I have my next section called money, money, don't know why, but budget for this was 30 million dollars.

Whoa. Which is interesting actually to really think about because all the travel and logistics that you hear, it's like. Could have been a lot more, but 30 million could be a lot. In 30 million in 89 nineties. Yeah, that'd be like, yeah, late eighties, but the box office was 1 34 0.2 million. So it definitely worldwide, uh, it never said.

Okay. But I would assume that's still on the scale of how Blade Runner did. Yeah. Not great. But that was still great. Right. For a 30 million dollar budget. Like, everyone was still financially winning off of that movie, relatively speaking. So, alright, now we are on to the final portion. We are going to call Trivia Reign.

I thought of a alternative name, but I didn't like it. So we're going [00:51:00] with Trivia Reign. I like Trivia Reign. Good, because that's what we're doing. So, uh, Yusaku Matsuda. This is his last film. That is Sato, I believe. Yes, it is. This was his last film role. Matsuda. Knew he had bladder cancer and that his condition would be aggravated by acting in the movie, unbeknownst to director Ridley Scott, he elected to do so anyways, reportedly saying, this way I will live forever.

On November 6th, 1989, less than 7 weeks after the film's American premiere, Masuda died of his cancer at the age of 40. The film is dedicated to him. At 

Don: least he got to see the premiere. Totally. Like, that's huge. Yeah. Yeah. And good for him, like that kind of gives That's a bold, like Right, it gives. That's empowering for him.

It gives Chadwick Boseman vibes for Black Panther 2. Not [00:52:00] Black Panther 2, but like his Black Panther roles. Well, yeah. Yeah, what he knew he was Like he knew he was gonna die and like if you watch what if season one like he voiced it there. That's his last role. Yeah. And you hear it. You hear the weakness in his voice, but it's still, that's still T'Challa.

Jon: Yeah. Um, all right. So Ken Takakura was well known in Japanese cinema for regularly playing Yakuza gangsters while. Yeah. Yusaku Matsuda was known for periodically playing detectives in this movie. They switched? They switched. Takakura played a cop, Matsuda plays a yakuza. And Ken Takakura, when I saw that he was in the movie, I was like, Whoa, that's really cool.

I'm actually currently reading a manga where the lead protagonist, the girl in it, is a huge fan of Ken. So that's how I knew him originally. Oh. And then [00:53:00] I saw him show up and I was like, Wait. Wait. That's timely. Cool. Sweet. All right. That's a, another fun fact about me. Yay. All right. When the crew ran even a few minutes over the allotted filming time at any given location in Japan, not only were they told to leave, but a man physically walked in front of the camera and forbade them from continuing to film.

I already talked about that a little bit, That's annoying. They do not. Go soft over there. No. That's all I got to say about that. All right. Um, I already talked about this too, a little bit, but I thought I'd give a little bit more logistics on it. The winery where the final battle occurs is not in Japan, but in Napa Valley, California, we already talked about that.

The reason why though, is that the filmmaker's visa expired and that is why they did that. Ridley Scott's. Visa expired. I guess so. That's what IMDb says. Wow. Yeah, so, uh, apparently too, by the way, the plot for [00:54:00] this movie was supposedly meant, was supposedly meant for Beverly Hills Cop 2. Oh. That's what IMDb says.

Again, everyone, you hear this? Someone says, five star, he's just reading off stuff from IMDb. Reply saying, Yes. Thank you for the five stars, and you are correct. 

Don: Uh, I didn't know that. 

Jon: I don't know if I like this for Beverly Hills Cop 2. I'm glad it didn't do it. No. No. Because it's not in Beverly Hills, it's in Osaka, Japan.

Don: Yeah. 

Jon: Osaka, Hills, Cop 2. Yeah. Well, I mean, the counterfeiting aspect of this movie makes sense. I'm sure it's one of those, like, they took the essences of things. You know, little, little nuggets of stuff, and they were like, cool, let's like, 

Don: Well, and that makes sense because, you know, going back to Beverly Hills cop, someone always dies in Beverly Hills cop for him to like feel motivated to do the thing, [00:55:00] but they die with the trope.

Yeah, but they die really early. They don't, uh, they don't die halfway through at the end of like act two. Yeah, like immediately became a tragedy and I was really upset. 

Jon: That was deep. I'm, 

Don: yeah, I was. 

Jon: Yeah, um, speaking of deep, Ken Takakura was so popular during filming that Donald is laughing. Uh, was so Popular during filming that fans.

How popular was he? He was so well played. That was really well played He was so Can't get through this now. He was so popular during filming. It's not that funny during What I have to say, it's not that funny. What you did was funny Was so popular during filming that fans would mob the sets to get his Autograph this caused trouble as the film had [00:56:00] stringent timeframes So, uh, all right.

I got two things left to share. Yeah. So fun little fact. I caught this, um, but for those who are wondering at the end of the credits, if you happen to watch this and you see this, the Japanese character seen at the end of the film reads con, which unsurprisingly translates as quote unquote, the end or more roughly completed.

Don: Oh, 

Jon: see that on quite a bit of like Japanese films. 

Don: Didn't know that. 

Jon: Yeah. So fun fact. Um, and then last, but just as importantly, the Osaka steel mill, the Osaka steel mill scene left unfinished due to the crews prematurely from Japan and was completed at California steel industries in Fontana and later used in Terminator 2.

Oh, um, that's all I got for trivia rain. 

Don: Uh, do, do, do. [00:57:00] So in Japan, this movie was. Considered one of the best foreign films of the year. Oh Even though like it was shot in Japan. It was done by you know, yeah American team in a foreign Yeah, and a lot of it took place Well, some of the movie took place and apparently some the ending was shot in America.

Not a rice field y'all, right? So what was really interesting to me and I didn't know like the behind it one of the effects one of like the stunt artists You Who, uh, was in the end battle scene and died. What is also in Die Hard and Lethal Weapon. And that's Al, Al, uh, Al Lang. He's in Die Hard. I think I knew this.

Yeah, I, but like he was just on screen for like a brief second. So he was probably one of like those stunt actors that like, [00:58:00] came like, Oh, actually like a replacement? Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. But he was in Die Hard and Lethal Weapon and that threw me off. Yeah. Yeah. Uh, and then one of the other big actors, uh, Nick's or Michael Douglas's boss, John Spencer.

Uh, you may know him from the West wing and he's also in the rock with Nicholas Cage and Sean Connery, which isn't not doing the rock. John's not doing the rock. Thank goodness. We're talking about the rock as in Alcatraz, the place, not as not Moana. And there's, If we ever do, right, if we ever do a, if we ever do that episode or we do a James Bond episode, I have a.

Fun fan theory to share 

Jon: I would enjoy I would enjoy doing something James Bond related 

Don: Yeah, 

Jon: cuz I'm a pretty big like early James Bond fan. 

Don: Yeah, then 

Jon: you would love this I'm not a big Pierce Brosnan post you would love this [00:59:00] fan theory then. Okay, cool. Yeah, we'll have to talk about that sometime 

Don: Yeah, and then we mentioned earlier Kate Capshaw Temple of doom didn't know that didn't put two and two together Steven Spielberg's 

Jon: wife.

Don't know. I don't know what still together Yeah for them 

Don: the fable men. Good. Good job. Oh, that was a good movie. Yeah, that's his like like that's like Yeah, this 

Jon: is like autobiography Tell me you're a narcissist without telling me you're a narcissist. Oh, you can tell me about just making a whole movie about yourself.

Don: That's nominated for most, 

Jon: a whole lot of Oscars. I know, I was gonna say that, that movie, I watched it and I really enjoyed it. Like, it's just low hanging fruit. 

Don: Yeah. 

Jon: Low hanging. Circumcised fruit.

Please, Dan, do not make this the cold [01:00:00] open. I think he's going to do it now. 

Don: Oh, he's 100 percent going to 

Jon: do it now. Speaking of, you talked about this before. No Dan the Goat in this. There's no Dan character in this movie. That should be like an objective. Who do you think the Dan 

Don: of 

Jon: this movie is? 

Don: Who's the Dan of this movie?

Jon: That's more important than the ratings, I 

Don: think. I, it might, I, part of me wants to say Nick because, Michael Douglas character because he's so convicted to his passions. 

Jon: No, he's convicted to the bit, whatever it is that he's doing. Then, oh, then it's Charlie. What he's doing is, he's telling you I need therapy without actually doing anything about it.

I'm a lone wolf, but I do have a wife and kid, but you're only gonna see him for like a second. Yeah, you're gonna know that they're abandoned. [01:01:00] Plot twist, he stays in Japan. Yeah, Black Rain 2. I was gonna say, I was gonna say, I was gonna say Charlie or Ken Moss. Moss. I'm okay with either. I would say Charlie's gonna be like the obvious one.

Yeah. Because he's like very in your face. Like the character is very large and Ken is very like, sorry, Moss is very like reserved and like takes a step back. But you can see it in full force. When they're doing the singing bit and Charlie's like, I'm going to give you my tie and he like puts it on and you see he's like, very happy about this.

I'm like, that is so cute. It's, it's, it's incredibly wholesome. Precisely. And it's like, There's a Dan in you. I can see it. That's funny. Ha ha ha ha. Alright, on that note. [01:02:00] On that note, we're gonna wrap it up. So, um, yeah, I already said in the beginning, don't forget to follow, um, subscribe. Five star reviews are appreciated.

Even if you don't have anything, uh, wholesome to say, you're probably not gonna give us a five star, but I would appreciate it all the same. We don't always have things wholesome to say. Yeah, obviously with how, uh, Donald just ended that. Um Need I say more? And, uh, what's, what can we expect for the next episode?

Uh, we talked about it. In this episode. Yeah. Is that the hint? That's the hint. Okay, sweet. Sounds great. Cool. So you can expect that next week from this release. So that'd be Thursday from today. If you're downloading it today, or if you're listening to this 10 years from now and we're rich and famous, you can look it up in our catalog, just type in the thing, whatever that may be.

We talked about in this episode, or you can just. Literally swipe up or down one episode and you'll find [01:03:00] it there. So, cool. Uh, no email yet cause we're only four episodes old. Yeah. And if there is one you'll probably find in the footnotes of this episode because we figured it out by ten years from now.

Yeah. If not, jokes on us. Alright, cool. This has been Jern and Dern. Bye.