After Dark: A Defense of Skeleton Crew, Den of Thieves (2018)
Added 2025-01-10 05:27:28 +0000 UTCThe Filmcast: After Dark is the bonus show where we talk about a variety of random topics that didn't make it into the main podcast - including your questions and what's going on in our lives.
In this episode, David and Jeff are joined by Daanish Syed, who mounts a spirited defense of Star Wars: Skeleton Crew. Then, it's time for the crew to see if Jeff Cannata enjoyed the original Den of Thieves.
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Comments
I just watched Den of Thieves because of their glowing review and I gotta say, I don’t get it. It was like the Meg 2 of heist movies - kind of entertaining, mainly because you’re eating popcorn, but definitely not something I’d recommend to someone. The 41% on rotten tomatoes seems about right.
Secunda!
2025-01-19 06:04:28 +0000 UTCOk, I have this theory about this specific point in Den of Thieves. (¡¡Spoilers ahead!!) The ladies ordering Chinese food were actually in on O’Shea Jackson Jr.’s crew and the job— or at least one of the ladies, the one who doesn’t mind eating the (3 day?) old Chinese food. At the very end of the movie, at the new bar where Jackson’s charter is seen bartending, it looks like she is sitting with the rest of his crew having drinks. It would make a lot of sense for his plan also, if she was in on it.
Alexander Sanchez
2025-01-15 04:22:57 +0000 UTCI only saw Den of Thieves since y'all were talking about it on the after dark.. wow what a movie! Heat rip-off or not, I'll take more gourmet cheeseburgers if they're as deliciously messy as this one. I appreciate the discussion of the chaotic text on screen in the beginning of the movie, I had the same thoughts - is Merriman a place or the name of that dude?
Justin Moy
2025-01-14 19:44:10 +0000 UTCDoes anyone know what book Jeff is referring to when talking about Skeleton Crew? I know he mentioned it a few episodes ago, but I can't find which or the timestamp.
hector yanes
2025-01-14 18:18:33 +0000 UTCOn the 'Skeleton Crew is bad StarWars' thing: I think Jeff (& others) may be setting a bar that is just too high. ie "creators should explore & expand the SW universe, but only if the output is just like previous SW productions." Seems like an unfair ask, to me. (eg You're happy with an 'ice planet' or a 'desert planet', even a 'city planet', but a 'suburbs planet' is somehow too much?) I agree that Skeleton Crew is not great TV (& Andor is, so far) but it can still be StarWars, IMHO, & I'm happy creators are at least trying to expand the envelope.
Andy Vickery
2025-01-14 18:13:00 +0000 UTC100000%!!! Also, it’s critical to frame discussion of this movie as you guys did: steak versus hamburger. Not every movie NEEDS to be There Will Be Blood level of gravitas and profundity. Sometimes it’s ok to just crave well executed junk food. You can’t eat Chateaubriand every meal Dave! Resist the temptation to qualify your enjoyment of this movie by saying “I like it, [but it’s not good]” They weren’t trying to make a movie as epic as Heat. They were making a fast food version of it and it’s delicious.
Jon See
2025-01-14 10:30:54 +0000 UTCI'm enjoying Skeleton Crew. Like Andor, it is something different than the same old Star Wars story. It's not my favorite, but I am entertained and getting my (streaming) dollars' worth lol I don't get why people say "it's not Star Wars!"? What makes us the keepers of Star Wars Lore? It's the story that those specific creators want to create. Let them create! LOL
Jerry Mudd
2025-01-13 19:44:09 +0000 UTCJeff - the reason you recognize the older guy at the bar who’s constantly tallying things up is because he’s soap legend Eric Braeden, who plays Victor Newman on The Young and the Restless. Eric Braeden is Christian Gudegast’s father!
Tyler Appleby
2025-01-13 17:48:19 +0000 UTCThank you. Also, to be fair, I was pretty annoying during this one
Joy o Napping
2025-01-12 21:03:00 +0000 UTCLol Dexter Jester is an Albanian alien guy who works at a 1950s new jersey diner.
Cardassian Vexillology
2025-01-12 18:31:24 +0000 UTC*Daanish
Reynaldo K. Cruz
2025-01-12 06:51:36 +0000 UTCMy main issue with Danesh’s assertion is that the FIRS THING WE SEE IN STAR WARS IS “a long time ago in a galaxy far far away.” Immediately it is fantastical. Nonsense to claim otherwise.
Reynaldo K. Cruz
2025-01-12 06:22:36 +0000 UTCSomeone on Twitter called it Room Temperature and I’ve been thinking about it since
Rob
2025-01-12 06:03:20 +0000 UTCWasn't the food lady at the london bar and in on it? That's why she made the call?
Cardassian Vexillology
2025-01-12 04:04:16 +0000 UTCThey can't steal a full truck because the serial numbers havny been deleted from the fed reserve database. So if they use that cash secret service will descend on the location.
Cardassian Vexillology
2025-01-12 03:28:47 +0000 UTCMy housemate and I have the same saying when we hear people asking questions about the movie as it goes: ‘we’re watching the same movie’. It’s become a bit now. But the way she was like ‘I know information will come’ was very funny
Jay Wood
2025-01-12 02:03:44 +0000 UTCI’m of the opinion that Andor and the first 2 seasons of Mandalorian are the only Star Wars TV worth watching (live action anyway). Everything else has been mediocre to terrible
DarmineDoggyDoor
2025-01-12 01:50:39 +0000 UTCDaanish, if we are talking unnecessary storylines in Heat how about ‘Waingro is also a serial killer working his way through LA’s prostitutes’
Mark P
2025-01-11 21:22:51 +0000 UTCI just think don’t listen too much to the hosts.
Mountain of Conflict
2025-01-11 15:34:51 +0000 UTCThis is what I did recently. I was 10 in 1977 and my film fan mother and I saw the first movie probably 4 times in the theater, unheard of for us, waiting in hour+ lines each time. It was basically 100% of the discussion and play subjects of me and all my friends for at least a year. I got excited for the prequels…nope. Got excited for the sequel trilogy, only clicked with VIII. Got excited for Mandalorian…loved it as that ten year old kid that’s still in there somewhere. Loved Andor. Tried to watch Kenobi and even my man crush on Ewan McGregor couldn’t get me past the second episode. Boba Fett? Plodding. I am absolutely day one excited about Andor season two but as far as everything else in the new SW universe it takes a pretty strong recommendation from the boys on this show to get me to check one out and even then I go in with a finger on the remote. Star Wars *can* tell stories the adult me is interested in, but I see those as a rare bonus.
Don Wood
2025-01-11 15:33:34 +0000 UTCI do think Jeff’s assembly point wasn’t heard out here, I do think he is right. It’s not the timeless English countryside like hobbit, or the vague ‘desert’, the skeleton crew really is going for that 80’s schtick. It’s a time and a vibe. I’ve continued with the show, and I don’t think it does very much, but I do think you can see the construction/assembly of what the show is attempting to do quite clearly. I do think it’s a fair push back to want to watch STAR WARS, a fantastical world in a galaxy far far away, and not feel like you are watching an 80’s pastiche from earth
Jay Wood
2025-01-11 14:23:24 +0000 UTCDave: It’s ludicrous! It’s ludicrous! Me: No, it’s 50 Cent.
Eric Trapp
2025-01-11 13:37:42 +0000 UTCThank youuuuuuuuuuuuu!
Reynaldo K. Cruz
2025-01-11 07:44:28 +0000 UTCI will say the Season 2 Finale "Twilight of the Apprentice" is up there as one of the best Star Wars events.
M. R. Turnage
2025-01-11 04:46:44 +0000 UTCJust this week I finally gave Skeleton Crew a chance. Seeing that suburbs in the Star Wars universe was jarring, and I too thought "I guess this isn't for me." I gave the second episode a try anyway, and ended the night watching all 7 episodes, and then went "I have to wait for the 8th episode?!" I really like this! So yeah, the actual premise starts on Episode 2, and I'm enjoying this show a lot from that point. Needless to say, you don't see the suburbs as much as you expected.
Albert VergeldeDios
2025-01-11 04:40:58 +0000 UTCAs somebody who grew up with Star Wars being born in the 70s, Star Wars Rebels is my most favorite Star Wars of them all. I love that show and it's characters so much.
Albert VergeldeDios
2025-01-11 04:34:19 +0000 UTCI guarantee that Jeff's son will not enjoy the first 30-40 mins of A New Hope. I think it's a great film, but even I thought it started kind of slow, watching it over 20 years ago on dvd. Maybe consider warning the boy upfront that it gets better after the desert part. Don't get me wrong, I hate the lego star wars comment too, but sometimes you guys really lean into the rose-tinted glasses for these modern classics. It felt this way in the Gladiator vs Gladiator 2 conversation too. (I would wager the kid enjoys Gladiator 2 more as well, whenever he's old enough)
James Moon
2025-01-11 01:50:41 +0000 UTCI agree with this!
Daanish Syed
2025-01-10 20:42:58 +0000 UTCWell…if you didn’t like all the Michael Mann in the first movie you’ll be happy to know they spice it up with some Frankenheimer in this one.
Don Wood
2025-01-10 20:39:22 +0000 UTCJust a note to Jeff - My kid actively fought against any movies (especially 'Star Wars') that I tried to force upon her. But she fell in love with the 'Star Wars: Rebels' cartoon and, to this day, refers to it as "my Star Wars," as opposed to the OT which is "Dad's Star Wars." No, it has not worked out how I would like it, but I finally have a kid who loves Star Wars and that is worth it to me. All I'm saying is maybe your kid will love Skeleton Crew.
M. R. Turnage
2025-01-10 19:45:40 +0000 UTCAt this point, the expanded Star Wars universe of films and TV is no longer something for Jeff. And that's ok. He should probably recognize that and back away 😅 I've enjoyed Skeleton Crew and would love for my younger nephews and nieces to watch it.
Rick C
2025-01-10 18:19:36 +0000 UTCJust finished this as I found my seat in the theater for the next installment in the Panteraverse! Very excited to see this along with…the other guy in the theater. (Friday 1pm)
Don Wood
2025-01-10 18:01:44 +0000 UTCI loved the way The Ringer frames the “Heat Ripoff” debate. They said they think of it and movies like it as the “sons of Heat” : The Town, Triple Frontier, Widows, Ronin, Triple 9, Miami Vice, Sicario, even The Dark Knight - all of them owe something to Heat. They also ask Why is this a bad thing??? “Oh no - you’re emulating Michael Jordan!”. They proclaim - and I agree - we need MORE movies like Heat, not less.
Daanish Syed
2025-01-10 17:00:47 +0000 UTCDave explaining how numbers work… That was just such a brilliant line had me cracking up
AJ Karim
2025-01-10 16:56:43 +0000 UTCHope to hear what devindra thoughts on den of thieves next week before the review for den of thieves 2. I thought the movie was pretty good dad-core junk.
Jonathan Lee
2025-01-10 16:16:12 +0000 UTCI know!
Daanish Syed
2025-01-10 14:48:24 +0000 UTCJeff complains about an aspect that is not even 10% of a show.
Mountain of Conflict
2025-01-10 12:34:16 +0000 UTCForce Awakens, Rogue One, Andor, Boba Fett and Mandalorian were maybe not made for you but definitely for Gen X.
BananaJoe
2025-01-10 11:45:46 +0000 UTCAs someone from Gen X, I feel like there hasn't been any Star Wars content that was "made for me" since the original trilogy. I think that's why, like Jeff, I have basically abandoned the entire property (franchise? whatever it is). I was someone who used to wait hours in line for the new Star Wars films and now I literally have zero interest in any of it. That's totally fine though, it's always appealing to new fans, I guess. Hopefully they can get something out of it.
Stranger2Reality
2025-01-10 10:23:33 +0000 UTCI only saw Den of Thieves once, in theaters, and thought it was mostly OK. But its biggest issue it is an absolutely shameless rip off of Heat. And because it is so desperately begging to be compared to Heat, it ends up suffering a great deal with that comparison. The sequel looks absurd, like it's trying to replicate the Fast and Furious saga, which itself started as a shameless rip off of Point Break. Although I guess in that case they had the... decency? to change it from surfers to street racers, whereas Den of Thieves just keeps it as high end bank robbers, complete with an armored car robbery to start the movie. This sequel looks like they're jumping ahead to Fast 5 though, which I guess is smart because F&F 2-4 were total dogshit. Although by skipping ahead they don't have all the ridiculous "lore" that we got by suffering through those god awful F&F sequels before 5 was actually a decent film. If you just went straight from The Fast and the Furious to Fast 5, you'd miss out on the characters who made up the team. This Den of Thieves sequel looks like it's just bringing back an uninteresting character and an absurd character, and everyone else will be new. This new movie looks like the action heist movie equivalent of a million shitty horror movies that draw in people who are suckers for literally any action or crime movie the way stuff like The Bye Bye Man gets horror fans to show up just cause it's a horror movie. This definitely looks like a "it's January so it's time to dump our cinematic garbage" type film. Oy.
Stranger2Reality
2025-01-10 10:18:36 +0000 UTCIt seems hard for star wars fans to accept that some content is not made for them. Skeleton crew is the first live action Star Wars content rated PG since episode 2. This is not a show solely made for adults and that should be considered when evaluating a shows quality.
Eric
2025-01-10 07:47:39 +0000 UTCSo good to finally hear your thoughts on Den of thieves!
Nick Daughenbaugh
2025-01-10 06:56:45 +0000 UTCWhen I tell yall I seriously missed you when no episode dropped earlier this week.
hexum311add
2025-01-10 05:51:40 +0000 UTC
