Mega64 Movie Club: The Substance
Added 2025-02-15 04:59:02 +0000 UTCEver wanted a younger/better version of you? Do you like movies with a bunch of gore and nudity? If you said yes to any of these questions We got JUST the movie for you.
Comments
I saw some parallels to steroid abuse in this film.
Chris Varnado
2025-03-26 04:46:56 +0000 UTCSame, I struggle with being to hard on myself all the time too. It resonated with me when Shawn brought it up.
Ferby Gengar
2025-02-16 21:37:58 +0000 UTCWhat Shawn said was super relatable, about saying cruel stuff to yourself you'd never even think about another person. I just had two different people in the span of a month pull me aside privately and tell me I'm too hard on myself lol. Self-hatred is an actual living Hell.
Garrett Vacation 🔪💖🩸
2025-02-16 19:38:00 +0000 UTCI totally get the length complaints. I really felt the run time in the finale act - but I appreciate Rocco defending the theme/messaging of those moments because I do think they were instrumental and really drove home the tragedy of the whole situation. I find it interesting too how differently people react to Monstro Elisasue. Some people took it as straight up comedy and others noted that the moment of her getting ready was so heartbreaking! I also agree with another comment that the lack of shared memories or consciousness between Elisabeth and Sue reflected their self loathing, like they can’t even recognize the worth or dignity of the other and must compartmentalize and view them as a separate entity. I think that’s the tragic flaw in the movie, that anyone (in this case Elisabeth) who would want to take the substance would be fundamentally incapable of respecting the balance and accepting that they are the “same” person. Also with the body horror, weirdly for me the most gut punch/scariest moment was the slow creep of the finger being aged rapidly and then the leg…something so little but so permanent and you really feel the heart sinking moment of “I did this to myself” right before it pivots to “she did this to me” Excited for the next movie club!
Ranty
2025-02-16 05:06:51 +0000 UTCSubstantial elements of a crisp, clean MP3 file are scattered all over this—the pinnacle of encoding is coming. I listen to your shows while driving back home from work, also to work from home because I’m commuting, and each single VBR gives me the power to keep going. Also, a great sample rate—44,100 Hz is the way to go.
LPB
2025-02-15 19:37:31 +0000 UTCI basically agree with Rocco. It was almost a 10/10 for the first half but it overstayed its welcome for me. I like a movie that provokes and prods at me as an audience member but after 140 minutes I’m like, fuck off. Enough already.
Jason Cryer
2025-02-15 14:35:13 +0000 UTCSame opinion that movie had MAYBE 90 minutes worth of a good movie. Go back and watch thr first half: look how many times they REPEAT THEMSELVES FOR NO REASON. And EXPLAIN THINGS OVER AND OVER FOR NO REASON. The movie is written as if the audience is brain damaged. THERE ARE FLASHBACKS TO FIVE FUCKING MINUTES AGO. Why spend FIVE FUCKING MINUTES ON HER SEWING HER BACK UP? This shit is just masturbatory. Learn to fucking edit, christ. That being said, Demi Moore deserves an oscar just for the juxtaposition of her getting ready for the date and her running around as a shriveled hag in monster makeup. About at the fight scene I began getting flashbacks to another unneccessarily drawn out comedy horror movie and I realized that, like Tire, this is a French film and it all kind of made sense. One small thing I loved was Demi Moores face frozen in the back of Monstro. Every time it cut to her I had a legitimate belly laugh. This movie won best script at Cannes, I feel like we can safely ignore that category from now on. At one point in the final reveal to the audience scene, an audience member stands up, points at the stage and screams “THE MONSTER”. Someone who doesn’t speak english wrote this AND YOU CAN TELL. A perfectly adequate movie. But the fact its Oscar nominated is kind of depressing. I think Oscar voters just love things about Hollywood no matter the quality tbh.
marathedemon
2025-02-15 14:00:29 +0000 UTCElizabeth and Sue do indeed share all the same memories, them *seeming* to not remember what they have done as the other version is I think commentary on how easy it is for us to lie to ourselves and do things that will jeopardise our future just for momentary pleasure. Additionally, to Shawn's point about them lying naked on the bathroom floor, I see that as another visual representation of self loathing. Sue/Elizabeth know that it would be nicer to be clothed somewhere comfortable, but they are disgusted by themself and essentially self-harm.
Thomas
2025-02-15 13:47:41 +0000 UTCThis movie was recorded in gooner vision
Sam
2025-02-15 08:56:52 +0000 UTCMovie was good but definitely overrated.
Matt
2025-02-15 08:10:17 +0000 UTCReally hope this movie and Demi win for both best picture & best actress, and shoutout to Shawn for enduring this film❤️
Michael
2025-02-15 06:02:19 +0000 UTC
