Binary System Podcast – Watch Party #11 – Men In Black

It’s time yet again to Social Distance the heck out of this epidemic and watch a movie together while still staying in three different states: North Carolina, Florida, and California. Next up for the Tri-State Watch Party, a favorite with this family (even those who say they “don’t like sci-fi” ahem MOM) it’s the original Men In Black!

The Netflix Watch Party app ended up being a little complicated, so we just set a time to hit “play” and then chatted through instant messenger. Click the jump to read some highlights from the conversation.

The Players: Elizabeth, Hannah, Kathryn, Nathan, and the parents (Parents represented here by Marian, because Dad would chisel a message in a stone tablet before typing anything on a phone.)

Hannah
Where are you streaming MiB?

Elizabeth
It’s available for 3.99 on amazon, but I own it 😀

Hannah

Elizabeth
Ready when yall are!

Nathan
Same here.

Hannah
Ready

Elizabeth
Hitting play!

Kathryn
Pressing play

Elizabeth
Can’t remember the last time I saw this.

Nathan
Everybody pause!

We have issues!

Elizabeth
Paused!

Kathryn
Whups

Rented the movie and it started at the end credits.

Elizabeth
Heh

Nathan
Where’s everyone at?

Elizabeth
29 seconds

Hannah
Amblin

Kathryn
Last person who rented the tape didn’t rewind.

Play!

Elizabeth
Playing!

Hannah
Danny Elfman get in my veins

Kathryn
Danny Elfman score and Tim Burton style credits here.

Elizabeth
I was convinced it was a Burton film for ages

Nathan
One of the best opening credit sequences, IMHO.

Elizabeth
Agreed

This was based on a comic book? How did I not know that?

Hannah
Goddamn bugs indeed

Kathryn
Duolingo is at least letting me recognize most of this Spanish.

Elizabeth
Heh, protecting us from the dangerous aliens..

Nathan
He sounds like Jabba the Hut.

Hannah
Yeah Mom’s just gonna giggle through this

Elizabeth
hee

Nathan
They should have cast Stan Lee in this role.

Elizabeth
Aw

Hannah
Neill Degrasse Tyson would have some words about those stars

Nathan
😄

Elizabeth
Oh I’ll bet

Kathryn
“FREEZE MEANS STOP!”

Elizabeth
“It just be rainin black people in New York..”

Hannah
Guggenheim?

Elizabeth
Yes!

Nathan
Yep.

Elizabeth
Never noticed that before

Kathryn
Been there. WEIRD museum.

Hannah
Heh Breaking glass like that makes me think of Fight Club

Kathryn
Ah, Vince Vaughn.

Crap, I got that wrong.

Nathan
Vincent D’Onfrio.

Hannah
Jess on Best Pick talking about how good Vd’O is in this

Nathan
He’s good in everything.

This is the thinnest I’ve ever seen him.

Hannah
Egger wants sugar water

Kathryn
He was in The Cell. With Vince Vaughn, which probably why I’m ALWAYS MIXING THEM UP

Hannah
“I’ve never seem sugar do that”

Nathan
😄

Elizabeth
Vincent plays the psychos, Vince plays the college friend who stays too long on your couch

Nathan

Hannah
“Walk like there’s a massive cockroach inside you” is a helluva improv game

Kathryn
“The hell you talking about I AM half the man you are.”

Elizabeth
for some reason the .hand flappy gesture. “he was out of breath” always cracks me up

Hannah
This was my first Tony Shaloub impression. Mad props

Elizabeth
Hee, love the high pitched voice

Hannah
I love how much they play up “weird New York”

Kathryn
That fan is a sound to go insane to.

Elizabeth
Aw, Rip Torn.

Kathryn
I’d have failed this bit, no question

Elizabeth
Oh, same, I’d be the doofus trying to write on the side of the chair

Kathryn
The second I made that much noise I’d have apologized and bolted for the elevator.

Hannah
“You’re everything we’ve come to expect from years of government training”

Kathryn
“You’re everything we’ve come to expect from years of government training.”

Elizabeth
jinx!

Hannah
JINX

Kathryn
Jinx

Aw you brought that tall man some flowers..

Elizabeth
Hee, I love those little guys

“A person is smart, people are dumb, panicky animals and you know it.”

Timely.

Nathan

Will Smith’s wardrobe is the most dated thing about this film.

Kathryn
I really love the fact that you could write a whole story around each one of the aliens in this hall

Elizabeth
Tommy Lee delivering these lines totally straight is the best

Kathryn
The twins names being a great example

Elizabeth
Aw, kitty!

“Humanoid?” “You wish, bring a sponge.”

Mr. Hong from Star Trek?

Nathan
And also Twin Peaks.

Kathryn
Ew ew ew

Elizabeth
Hate the bugs

OH that actress was the maid in Brannaugh’s Much Ado About Nothing

Kathryn
I have zero memory of the conversation in the foreground

Elizabeth
Same 😀

No mamn we at the FBI do not have a sense of humor we are aware of.

Hee, I remember the audience cracking up at the middle finger

Hannah
(Off topic, but I just ate too much ice cream)

Elizabeth
Easy to do

Kathryn
Mm, I want ice cream.

Hannah
Ben and Jerry’s stopped their Facebook advertising as part of a… thing. Now Mom has approved a pint with each instacart order

Nathan

Elizabeth
Oh that’d be dangerous for me…

Nathan
Me, too!

Hannah
“Ben & Jerry’s joins Facebook ad boycott”

Nathan And we just had a power flick!

Elizabeth
Storm?

Nathan
No idea.

Kathryn
Not that I’m aware of

Very subtle reactions by Smith at each new alias

Hannah
Heh

This is really interesting watching after I’ve just binged the Heavens Gate podcast

Bodies as alien “vehicles”

Elizabeth
“No the body.” “Great body.” “The DEAD body.”

Kathryn
The little kitty’s meow here makes me tear up every time

Elizabeth
ME TOO

Hannah
Yes

Kathryn
I also love that the automatic assumption by everyone is that cabbies are aliens.

Elizabeth
“WOULD YOU STOP THAT”

Hannah
“Flashy thing” as a verb is great

Elizabeth
Agreed

Hannah
Most wistful Elfman has ever written

Elizabeth
Right?

Hannah
His delivery of “try it” is Oscar worthy

Elizabeth
“I’ma break this damn thing” has been in my vocabulary ever since.

Hannah
Tow truck drivers and repo men in NY must be amazing

Elizabeth
Oh seriously, I’m sure they’re as bombproof as that dude

Kathryn
I don’t think I noticed the last time that the little alien dudes are singing the National Anthem

And here we have one of the funniest scenes ever

Hannah
Plot twist is solid

Elizabeth
Agreed!

Hannah
Also Egger’s progressive decay is… effective

Kathryn
EW EW EW

Elizabeth
And really subtle too

I didn’t notice it the first time I watched

Time stamp? I had a flicker here too

Nathan
1:13:00

Or thereabouts.

Elizabeth
“He’s in a cab!” Another line that cracked up the audience

Hannah
Not entirely sure about the Sikh stereotypes there?

Kathryn
Talk about a different time…

Elizabeth
3 mile island and staten island are spaceships I take it ?

Kathryn
Sounds like it.

Hannah
Haha I love this with the Elvis

Elizabeth
Yes!

And J’s screaming

Nathan
And an 8-track, no less.

Kathryn
Elvis is not dead he just went home.

That needs to be on a bumper sticker

Elizabeth
“Roaches check in, but they don’t check out.” Do they still use that slogan?

Kathryn
Heh, that little look Smith gives

Hannah
The dirt kickup is great

Elizabeth
The whole crashing scene is the best!

Hannah
Yes!

Elizabeth
“Milk suckers” is such a great insult for an insect to give a mammal.

Kathryn
“…Kay?”

Elizabeth
The sudden skitter to the side when he throws something at it is so creepy and effective.

Nathan
The creature effects are very well done.

And still look good 23 years later.

Elizabeth
Yes!

Kathryn
EW EW EW EW

Elizabeth
Get ready for roaches!!

Nathan
😂

Kathryn
“Y’all look alike.”

Elizabeth
.smile. “too late”

Kathryn
A vat of KY used on this film.

Nathan
That’s a lot of KY Jelly there.

Elizabeth
Jinx

Hannah
And it hurt

Elizabeth
A 9.0 on my weird shit o meter

Hannah
BOOM!

Elizabeth
HAHAH

Just when you thought that scene couldn’t get better

Kathryn
They always end up clean so FAST, and it’s never addressed

Elizabeth
It’s the suits 😀

At a guess, I never saw the 3rd and 4th movies

I never thought about the fact that he trusted J to give him a happy memory.

Hannah
Fucking Ray Ban sponsorship

Kathryn
I always wanted to know what Rodman thought of that line.

Elizabeth
Hee

Hannah
This song is the most dated thing

Nathan
Along with Will Smith’s wardrobe. 😂

Nathan
Great film!

Kathryn
For some reason Starbuck was just fascinated by the end music there.

Elizabeth
Such a great last scene!

Hannah
This sounds like the Ghostbusters 2 song

Kathryn
So cool though, that whole movie really holds up.

Elizabeth
It does!

Hannah
Yes

Elizabeth
Only reason I want to see the latest film is to see Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson pal around, but I know it won’t hold a candle to this one 🙂

Hannah
Heh, Amazon is suggesting Wild Wild West next. I DON’T THINK SO, SATAN

Nathan

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