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 this week, our version of “comfort watching,” 1999’s Fight Club.
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, and Nathan.
Kathryn
Our Blue-Ray copy of this does something clever.
It looks like you’ve gotten the wrong movie on the home screen (“Never Been Kissed”) And then it blinks over to the main character’s apartment with all the floating labels for where everything was bought.
Hannah
heh, that’s kind of nifty
Kathryn
Which slowly blackens in a fire and then turns into his and Tyler’s falling-down hovel.
Elizabeth
Hee
Just about ready….
(George Foreman grill is almost done with my grilled cheese sammich)
Kathryn
I’ve poured me the last of Saturday night’s championship so that will do for my snack 
Elizabeth
Hee, I too would like a glass of championship
Kathryn
Fuck
*champagne
Hannah
I can’t believe I didn’t even see that
Elizabeth
Ready when yall are!
Kathryn
Ready to his play
Elizabeth
his play what?
Hee
Hannah
Whose play? 
Kathryn
CRAP
This phone, I swear
Elizabeth
Playing!
Hannah
playing
Nathan
Just starting the 20 century fox logo
Hannah
oooh I got a THX Dolby sound thingy
Elizabeth
just fished the 20th c logo here
Hannah
I’m a scoche behind sounds like
Kathryn
Yikes, TOO LOUD
Hannah
just started
(movie proper)
Nathan
Everyone pause when the credit end so we are all synced
Hannah
So on Norton’s face?
Nathan
Sure!
Elizabeth
Paused!
Nathan
Paused.
Hannah
Elizabeth
Kathryn
Hit play?
Hannah
yes
Elizabeth
Yes!
Kathryn
Good old Chuck Palahniuk, what’s the most recent thing he’s done?
Hannah
Smolder and Rubble, the stars of the X-Files
Elizabeth
heh
Nathan
Have any of you seen Mr. Robot?
Hannah
no
Elizabeth
Not the most recent season, but everything else
Nathan
It’s inspired by this.
Only seen the first season myself.
Kathryn
Subliminal Tyler spotting!
Hannah
I always loved David Fincher just for the visuals of this movie
Nathan
Recognize Cornflower Blue, Elizabeth?
Hannah
“What kind of dining set defines me as a person?” whoo boy that line shifted some of my consumerism
Nathan
Hannah
I’ve been taking melatonin recently. I like it
Nathan
I take that occasionally. Works well.
Need to get some more, in fact.
Kathryn
Another subliminal Tyler spotting!
Elizabeth
Another split second Durden sighting!
Jinx 
Hannah
blink
Kathryn
I’d forgotten how often that happens
Elizabeth
Never realized how often that happens
JINX
Kathryn
Jinx
Hannah
STOP JINXING
Nathan
I’d do anything for love, but I won’t do that.
Hannah
Boobs were long and lonely in the cold dark night
what is this music I wonder
Kathryn
I love the penguin’s voice here.
Hannah
Elizabeth
It’s not the same actress is it?
Hannah
I doubt it–must just be a cute kid thing
Princess Margaret in the hizzy
Elizabeth
There she is!
Kathryn
Blink
Hannah
blink
heh
I think about that shot of him on the couch often
Kathryn
Really sums it up doesn’t it.
That little cigarette tap at just the right moment
Elizabeth
Perfect cigarette toss and reaction too
Kathryn
“YES, I’m selling some clothes.”
Hannah
I also always think of this movie whenever I hear “SEA-TAC”
Kathryn
Man, and I think about this accident stuff every time there’s a new story about an auto recall.
Elizabeth
Saaaaame
Hannah
yuuup
Heh Brian today was complaining about his truck, had to think about what the problem was. It was the rear differential
Elizabeth
heh
Kathryn
Timely.
Elizabeth
“..a MAJOR one.”
Kathryn
This crash scene STILL startles me.
Elizabeth
Brad Pitt ain’t perfect, but I do love his voice.
Kathryn
One of my coworkers from Argentina had the oxygen masks deploy in a flight. She was looking forward to the pure oxygen “It’s not true, it’s just air!”
Elizabeth
hahah
Hannah
heh
Elizabeth
“the ass or the crotch” I literally think about this every time I’m at a theater.
Hannah
YEP
Kathryn
“I suppose these things happen…”
Hannah
“a house full of condiments and no food” Oh dear I think about that a lot, too
Elizabeth
Same!
Nathan
I remember the doorman from a show I used to watch as a kid.
He hasn’t aged a day.
Hannah
I am so paranoid about pilot lights from this, too
If only eating had been a decision Brad Pitt made about this particular role instead of ALL OF THEM
Kathryn
Boy, isn’t THAT the truth.
Elizabeth
Yeah he tried to get to clever with that
Kathryn
“Whatever else happens I’ve got that sofa problem fixed.” I sure wish that was true. If you have cats it just pushes the sofa problem down the road a few years.
Elizabeth
I caught how he mentioned the string green sofa that the Narrator mentioned at the beginning
Hannah
Oh god, digging around in a payphone and then grabbing your cigarette GERMS
He’s way too good at flicking a cigarette
Elizabeth
Oh yeah, I hear he and Aniston used to smoke like chimneys
I’ve seen the cigarette burn in so many movie theaters
Hannah
heh the only thing I know about that was that when Rachel was pregnant, people assumed Anniston was pregnant, and she’d be smoking away at a cafe and had to be like, “IT’S JUST A SHOW”
Elizabeth
Heh
Kathryn
Tyler’s shit-eating smile there…
Elizabeth
And this is why I don’t send my food back at a restaurant..
Hannah
Punch me anywhere but not the solar plexus
Elizabeth
In the EAR
Kathryn
Who else wants a giant derelict mansion to camp in?
Elizabeth
I mean it sounds horrible but I just want to spend a weekend in it
Hannah
I would like to be able to chuck a beer bottle down the road, but otherwise, I’m good
I have shared a pretty nice air BNB with a bunch of hockey teammates, THAT’s what I’m talking about
Elizabeth
Niiice.
I love that “…hey man whadaya reading” ding ding
Kathryn
Security guard from DEVS there as his boss.
Elizabeth
THAT’S where I know him from
Kathryn
“My nice neat flaming little shit.”
Hannah
I have been here, except instead of bloody mouth it’s glove hands
Kathryn
Man I love this song here.
Hannah
what is it?
Elizabeth
Soundhound says Tom Waits!
Kathryn
Tom Waits from his Bone Machine album
Elizabeth
I love how he says “…good answer..”
Kathryn
God I think I could take just about anything except broken teeth.
Carter’s delivery of every one of her lines is just masterful
Elizabeth
“Limber though..”
Hannah
This music
Elizabeth
“I am Jack’s raging bile duct.”
Nathan
I haven’t been fucked like that since grade school!
Elizabeth
hahah
Hannah
Apparently an alternate line for that was, “I wanna have your abortion”
Also this house could be a ride at Disney World
Elizabeth
The rubber gloves!
Hannah
“found the cigarettes”
Elizabeth
“I am Jack’s cold sweat.”
Kathryn
Any idea which philosopher Tyler is quoting there.
Hannah
not here
Nathan
Nope.
Elizabeth
Such a good fakeout with the “my parents pulled the same thing for years”
Love how she was framed in the doorway
Kathryn
I do wonder if someone has actually made soap with this particular…ingredient
Nathan
I’m sure someone thought about it after this scene.
Elizabeth
This scene simultaneously grosses me out and fascinates me
Hannah
I love the certain point in the river story
For all the times Felix has asked if something is acid or base, has anything ever been base?
Kathryn
Good question
Hannah
That relief is pretty visceral
Elizabeth
Extremely
Kathryn
That’s such a fantasy, to just terrify someone in power to the point where they can’t even respond
Hannah
I think if you find a lump in your own boob, it doesn’t help to have someone who’s not a professional check it
Elizabeth
No, but if you’re not going to go to a doctor I guess it’s not worse than nothing?
Hannah
heh, if it puts your mind at ease, if nothing else
Fucking 30 Seconds from Mars in the background
Kathryn
Palahniuk has always been annoyed that some people think they’re supposed to BELIEVE all the stuff Tyler is spouting here. But really, it’s pretty damn convincing.
Elizabeth
Jared Leto in the house
Hannah
Part of the genius/problem with the story is that it’s satire without being overblown satire
Or that lots of the satirical stuff is legitimately fun
Elizabeth
“I got it I got it…shit I lost it”
Hannah
hee
Kathryn
YOU DON’T KNOW WHERE I’VE BEEN.
Hannah
covid…covid…COVID
Kathryn
Noooo social distancing of any kind in this movie.
Hannah
this music, too
Kathryn
That shoe flying into the air
Hannah
hee I think I remember from the behind-the-scenes that that guy was so proud of that
Elizabeth
The fact that he got the priest to fight him faster than anybody else did
Hannah
This is one of those scenes the Best Pick people compared with American Beauty, I think?
Elizabeth
I believe it
Hannah
“for some reason”
Elizabeth
Heh
Kathryn
I’m just so impressed with how terrifying this looks for the boss
Hannah
hah yes
Elizabeth
glass in the hands glass in the hands aaaaaaa
We now had corporate sponsorship
Hannah
“…over the urine content of their soup”
“Excrement Catapult” is like a band name from the Simpsons
Nathan
Elizabeth
“Because they give shitty basement apartments letters instead of numbers.”
Is that true?
Nathan
Maybe?
Hannah
Maybe in Baltimore
I have a shitty above-ground apartment with a letter
Elizabeth
Such a cool camera shaky effect
Kathryn
Possibly because apartment numbers usually go with the floor numbers
I told everybody the story about how I accidentally got the tip of my hair in a lit candle when watching this at a friend’s place, didn’t I?
Elizabeth
You told me and the timing was perfect
Hannah
um, that sounds like an Eb Thomas thing so I don’t know…?
[she does so well with this accent but the rhotic stuff is still sometimes tough]
Kathryn
Right at the most freaked out reveal of the twist, my friend turns to look at me and yelped “YOUR HAIR’S ON FIRE!”
Hannah
HAHAHA
Elizabeth
“Why does a weaker person latch on to a stronger person, what do they get out of it?” “What do YOU get out of it?”
Layers and layers
Kathryn
I would fail this test in like the first thirty seconds
Elizabeth
Same
“I’m gonna get a shovel.”
Hannah
Hee
Elizabeth
You’re too fucking….BLONDE
Nathan
YOU’RE TOO FUCKING BLONDE!!
Elizabeth
Jinx!
Hannah
Why doesn’t Leto have to shave his head?
Kathryn
Everyone read the book for this, right?
Elizabeth
Good question
Oh yes
Nathan
Cause he’s too fucking blonde?
Not yet, but I need to.
Kathryn
I don’t know why, but I loved all the details about the fact that they planted herb gardens in the yard to make fragrances for their soaps.
Hannah
The extra was so tickled about catching that beer he had to stop from giggling
Elizabeth
Hee
And all their hands are green
Kathryn
Tyler’s too.
Hannah
I read the book but retained none of it. It was too close to when the movie came out, I couldn’t give it its own space
Elizabeth
Pretty much a perfect translation
Hannah
Heh this is definitely part of a Batman movie
Elizabeth
Shout out to the LA Times
Hannah
Meatloaf loses his pants
Kathryn
Probably one of the most visceral beatings on film.
Elizabeth
Where’d you go, psycho boy?
Hannah
No kidding
Mood-wise, this is such a good transition
Elizabeth
Extremely
Hannah
Escalate but talk about letting go
Elizabeth
Tiny pause before more violence
The quiet putting on of the seatbelts
Hannah
Let go, but also put on your seatbelt
Nathan
Safety first.
Hannah
This scene reminds me of 12 Monkeys
Elizabeth
Love this speech
Hannah
Probably “abandoned superhighway” most of all
Kathryn
“I am Jack’s broken heart.”
The misdirection here…
Elizabeth
“Tyler went away” Knowing what we know that expression on her face makes so much more sense.
And again, an immediate transition
Remind me to send yall one of my favorite Mike Doughty songs after this
Hannah
Any time someone’s surname is something like “Paulson,” I do this recitation
Elizabeth
Heh
Hannah
HER NAME IS SARAH PAULSON
Elizabeth
Hee
Nathan
Kathryn
It astounds me that I didn’t see the twist in this, with all the setup they gave it.
Elizabeth
Pieces were there the entire time
Nathan
But it was the last thing you expected.
Hannah
I dunno, if I’m captivated by a movie I’m usually not able to actively try to outsmart it
So when the story sucks you in, it gets to play the tricks, too
Elizabeth
This moment absolutely blew my mind
Kathryn
It only looks obvious in hindsight I think.
Hannah
Yes!
Kathryn
We have just lost cabin pressure
Elizabeth
We have just lost cabin pressure
Jinx
Hannah
Heh
Heh the shot of him leaning forward to listen to noone
Elizabeth
and nobody in the audience has any idea. So meta.
“…little more faith than that.”
Hannah
It’s Ed Polishname from Live!
Elizabeth
NO WAY
Nathan
Wow!
Hannah
Yes! Lead singer!
Nathan
I thought he looked familiar.
Elizabeth
“…may I advise agains the lady eating the clam chowder…”
Kathryn
You’re Dr Jeckle and Mr. Jackass.
Hannah
Heh
Marla Singer camping… nope
Elizabeth
Hee
Kathryn
Hee. That little look when she says he’s good in bed.
Hannah
Yes!
Elizabeth
Asshole tax.
Hannah
Before it happens, there’s a really annoying continuity issue when he uses the bench to break into the glass. The bench immediately disappears
Although I guess with insanity continuity it’s totally fine
“You said you would definitely say that” heh
Nathan
Lead salad!
Elizabeth
Setting him up to run through the city without his pants is genius
Hannah
Hee yes
This
Nathan
Oh, yeah!
Kathryn
Yep, gone.
Elizabeth
Yep, totally gone
Song is “finding the bomb” by the Dust Brothers
Hannah
Did somebody order the neurotic nightmare?
Elizabeth
Oh heavens no not the green one
Hee, Tyler just LOSING it there
Hannah
I love a fight choreographer with a sense of humor
Elizabeth
beating him with his shoe
Hannah
It just occurred to me that the key to falling down stairs is probably the commitment to keep falling
Elizabeth
Agreed
Kathryn
Ah, flashback humor.
Hannah
Heh
Elizabeth
SO meta
The swipe of his hand over his scalp
“Ikea boy”
Hannah
Oof
Elizabeth
OW
Kathryn
Helena really sells that shock when she sees his face.
Hannah
Love the transition to…Pixies?
Nathan
“Where Is My Mind” by the Pixies.
Elizabeth
Perfect choice
Kathryn
Wheeee
Nathan
Great film!
Hannah
Oh, good times, what an escape
Elizabeth
SO GOOD
Kathryn
And the book’s ending is different, but in such a way that you can enjoy the book and the film as their own things.
Elizabeth
Agreed.
Hannah
Does anyone else know more Pixies? I’ve been meaning to listen more for about, oh, 23 years now…
Nathan
That’s the only song of theirs I’m familiar with.
Need to check out some more of their music.
Elizabeth
First experience with the Pixies was that two day drive Kathryn and I and that guy in our dorm did, Florida to NC in the middle of a blizzard
Dude liked him some Pixies
Nathan
Their bass player was the leader of The Breeders, along with her twin sister.
Hannah
Got a Counting Crows/ White Stripes thing I dig
(Obviously those bands were influenced by them)
Elizabeth
Gotta be
Nathan
The singer was known as Black Francis in the band, but Frank Black as a solo artist.
Hannah
Hah, awesome
Nathan
Fight Club Soundtrack on Spotify
Hannah
Ok so while we’re all here, I have a copy of Serpico that I’m pretty sure Nathan recommended to me but I’ve still never watched
In case that would be a good watch party in the future
Nathan
That’s another good one. Been awhile since I last saw it.
Here’s another Pacino film we should watch: Dog Day Afternoon.
Hannah
There are so many 70s/80s deNiro/Pacino films that I get confused and can’t remember which ones are supposed to be good or not
Like up until recently I think I thought Scarface was supposed to be good
Nathan
It’s good, but it’s long!
Hannah
That’s got a Sopranos-intro feel to it (obviously an influence there)
Nathan
Oh, yeah!
Elizabeth
Every time I hear this song I think about Fight Club.
https://youtu.be/QhRWoWpCjjM
Kathryn
Busting up a Starbucks is one of my favorite Doughty songs, right up there with Wishing Well and 27 Jennifers.
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