Oddball Films & Secret Likes: Ranking 90s-00s Foreign Films with Vanessa!

[00:00:00] Join us as we welcome the fabulous Vanessa from the Best Week Ever Podcast. Together, we're diving into the creme de la creme of nostalgic foreign films, ranking the absolute must-sees from 95 to 2005. And in true Amelie-style, we're spilling our quirkiest likes and dislikes – those little things that make us, well, us. So grab your popcorn, tune in, and let's get quirky!

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[00:01:12] This week on the No More Late Fees Podcast, we're joined by Vanessa from the Best Week Ever Podcast. Welcome, Vanessa.

[00:01:20] Hi! So glad to be here.

[00:01:23] We're glad to have you on, finally. First of all, we love your podcast. I was lucky enough to be on. Jackie still needs to go on because it's a great time.

[00:01:33] And it's just, you know, we missed those VH1 shows back in the day. And now you're giving us that. We can talk about the things that were cool in pop culture this week or the things that weren't so cool.

[00:01:47] What made you decide to start the podcast? And how did you come up with your theme?

[00:01:53] Well, I started the podcast right after the pandemic. A little, a year later, I was also a new mom with a firstborn.

[00:02:04] She was like not even a month old before the lockdown happened.

[00:02:08] So like isolation and postpartum really hit me hard the first year. And I've always been chronically online.

[00:02:17] And I have so much fun talking to when Twitter was fun back in the day, you know, talking to like Ira Madison or Danny Pellegrino or like Hannah A. Brown.

[00:02:28] Like I had like such a great algorithm and connection with all these like writers and comedians that I was just like, you know what my favorite show back then as a tween in middle school was best week ever.

[00:02:42] And I would love to bring that back where I just rank pop culture, what happens daily, weekly, and we rank them who has the worst, who has the best.

[00:02:53] And I also asked my guests what their favorite song is in the early 2000s.

[00:02:58] Because music is such a big impact and big deal in my life that I also feel like in the 2000s to 2010, it's like the best question to ask.

[00:03:11] Like, what was your favorite song during that period? Because it will be a different answer every time.

[00:03:17] I had such a hard time answering that question when you asked me on the show.

[00:03:21] I was like, oh, God, I don't I think it's even harder than what your favorite movie is to pick a song.

[00:03:27] Just one. I think I had like five.

[00:03:31] And honestly, like if you ask me what's my favorite song in like the 80s, it'd probably be a Tears for Fears.

[00:03:38] Like in the 90s, it's always different on like different eras to just like, oh, my God, I remember when I first, you know, heard LMFAO, just like a band on the top of my head where I'm just like I was there when like, you know, culturally, like, it's historical for me.

[00:03:56] I know. One of the things that I find interesting is that like the recession pop era, I was I was living in New York.

[00:04:06] And so it's like a very poignant moment in my brain.

[00:04:11] But now we're starting to see some of the pop stars come back and people are like, oh, we're going into recession.

[00:04:19] That that recession pop is hitting.

[00:04:21] I think Meg Donnelly released a new song that's trending on TikTok right now.

[00:04:28] And it is very much recession pop vibes.

[00:04:33] I love that.

[00:04:34] I mean, I think about when I grew up new kids on the block, like Jordan McKnight, I'll never forget my aunt just being like, I used to listen to them with new kids in the block, like in her 80s.

[00:04:45] And now I feel very much like, oh, I love Joey Patone, who's like on Masked Singer.

[00:04:52] It's just like I am like it's a it's a cycle.

[00:04:55] Yeah, well, we have a game.

[00:04:58] If you're ready to play.

[00:05:00] I'm excited.

[00:05:03] So there were a lot of really great porn films from 95 to 2005, the time frame of this podcast.

[00:05:11] And so we're each going to come up with two that we really loved from that time frame.

[00:05:17] And then we'll all work together to rank the six that we come up with.

[00:05:22] Oh, I like that.

[00:05:24] That's fun.

[00:05:25] Vanessa, what were your foreign film picks?

[00:05:29] Well, City of God was one of the biggest foreign films that I've seen.

[00:05:35] I think that was the film that made me be like, oh, my God, I want to edit just like cinematically and aesthetically.

[00:05:42] It was so appealing and different at my time.

[00:05:47] And yeah, who doesn't want to go to Brazil?

[00:05:50] Like even with all the drugs, like the gangs and whatnot in the movie, I was still like, I want to go see Rio so bad.

[00:05:58] And then, of course, I don't know if this is considered foreign, but to me, it kind of is.

[00:06:05] At the time, I love Michel Gondry as a director.

[00:06:10] And even though people love Eternal Sunshine, Science of Sleep is like one of my favorite Michel Gondry films.

[00:06:17] Because Gael Garcia Bernal is just like, to this day, still one of my favorite male foreign actors.

[00:06:26] He's just so playful.

[00:06:29] He can literally play any type of character.

[00:06:32] And I love him in a rom-com.

[00:06:35] And this was a really cute one, too.

[00:06:38] I have to see that one.

[00:06:39] I don't think I've seen it.

[00:06:41] Well, Jackie, what are your choices?

[00:06:43] My two, the first one is Life is Beautiful.

[00:06:47] Roberto Bonini, just the way he told that story was so enchanting and so heartbreaking at the same time.

[00:06:59] And him accepting the Oscar was everything.

[00:07:03] It's just, it's such a beautifully done movie.

[00:07:07] And it's so heartfelt.

[00:07:10] And my second one is Run, Lola, Run.

[00:07:12] And this is kind of like a sleeper German film.

[00:07:17] And it's kind of like one of those films where it's cut up into three different sections.

[00:07:22] And it's like the path you take versus the path you don't take.

[00:07:26] And so it kind of shows if you choose option A, kind of like sliding doors, this is what will happen.

[00:07:33] And then it rewinds to the beginning.

[00:07:35] And then it's option B, option C.

[00:07:36] So it's just a really fun movie.

[00:07:38] Very high energy.

[00:07:40] Shot very much like a music video.

[00:07:44] It's just a lot of fun to watch.

[00:07:47] You're so right.

[00:07:48] It is shot like a music video.

[00:07:50] I think that's why I love it.

[00:07:53] It's like Trent Reznor made the soundtrack, kind of.

[00:07:56] Yeah.

[00:07:57] Like just handy cams, like just running through the streets of Germany.

[00:08:02] It's just, it's chaotic and bright and colorful and really interesting to watch.

[00:08:10] Well, I chose In the Mood for Love.

[00:08:15] Which is like, I think it's the first movie in a trilogy of movies starring Tony Leung and Maggie Chung.

[00:08:25] But just like visually, the clothes, everything, the aesthetics remind me of like Amelie in the sense that it's just gorgeous.

[00:08:37] It's like a feast for your eyes.

[00:08:39] But just their chemistry and the storyline.

[00:08:43] It's definitely one of my faves.

[00:08:44] And I hope we can do it eventually on the podcast.

[00:08:47] And then the next one I have, I think, I don't know if it's a swimming pool or the swimming pool or just swimming pool.

[00:08:56] But it's a British film.

[00:08:59] And it was one of those random ones that I picked up blockbuster.

[00:09:03] And it was just super good.

[00:09:05] And it was one of those kind of like a thriller, but it fucks with your head, you know, and you think about it like a lot afterwards.

[00:09:18] But it's pretty cool.

[00:09:21] It's like, and also it has like the friendship between an older woman and a younger woman, which was nice.

[00:09:28] So if you haven't seen it, I definitely would recommend.

[00:09:31] I'm not going to say anymore because like, it's kind of cool to go in blind.

[00:09:38] Okay.

[00:09:39] So we have our six.

[00:09:41] What are we thinking ranking wise?

[00:09:43] Anything that stands out as a number one to anyone?

[00:09:47] I know City of God was one of my top picks too.

[00:09:52] It's just a really gritty, interesting movie to watch.

[00:09:56] I actually watched it for an anthropology class.

[00:10:01] I mean, City of God was amazing.

[00:10:04] That was a really good movie.

[00:10:07] With number one?

[00:10:09] Yeah.

[00:10:10] I love Run, Lola, Run.

[00:10:13] That's a really good one.

[00:10:14] I've never seen Life is Beautiful.

[00:10:17] Really?

[00:10:18] I feel like Life is Beautiful because it got nominated.

[00:10:21] It was like so Oscar everywhere in the pop culture.

[00:10:25] I just remember it being on E! News all the time too that year.

[00:10:29] Yeah.

[00:10:30] I personally was too young to watch it, but I did see it a few years later.

[00:10:35] And I kind of get it why it was a craze to watch that movie that year.

[00:10:41] It's so weird.

[00:10:42] When it comes to Oscar movies, if I don't see it before it wins the Oscar, I'm most likely not going to ever see it.

[00:10:50] But I never have an interest.

[00:10:54] I have to have seen it before and then I'm like, oh, the movie I saw is now nominated for an Oscar.

[00:11:00] That's how it works for me.

[00:11:03] I need to start doing that because I'm all like, oh, this was nominated for an Oscar and I should see it.

[00:11:10] And then I end up sleeping for half the ones that get nominated.

[00:11:13] Yeah, it's like, look, every now and again they get it right.

[00:11:18] But most of the time I'm like, this is boring.

[00:11:21] Yeah.

[00:11:22] It's true.

[00:11:24] Okay.

[00:11:25] What do we, have you guys seen any, well, I'm trying to see.

[00:11:33] I haven't signed either one of your movies, Danielle.

[00:11:36] Okay.

[00:11:37] I did look it up though, In the Mood for Love.

[00:11:40] I can't believe this was a 2000s movie because it looks exactly like 1962 where the setting is supposed to be at.

[00:11:49] And I'm like excited to actually watch this film.

[00:11:52] And The Swimming Pool, it's, I'm sorry.

[00:11:55] The Swimming Pool is a remake, right?

[00:11:57] Of a French film.

[00:11:59] I think so.

[00:12:00] Because I feel like the main actress, I think she's French.

[00:12:05] Yeah, I think it is a remake of a 1969 film.

[00:12:10] But I'm not sure.

[00:12:12] Oh yeah, she's in Dune part one and part two.

[00:12:15] She plays Mother Moyham.

[00:12:18] Charlotte, obviously.

[00:12:19] Yeah, Rampley.

[00:12:22] Yeah, and the Lannister guy from Game of Thrones is in it too.

[00:12:28] Daddy Lannister.

[00:12:30] He always pays his debts.

[00:12:33] Or number two.

[00:12:35] It's hard when you guys have seen most of these I haven't seen.

[00:12:40] Well, since we've all seen Run, Lola, Run, should we put that at number two since we all enjoyed it?

[00:12:46] The biggest mistake the Bourne Identity films made with not keeping that actress on.

[00:12:53] Because I was excited to, I didn't know anything about Bourne Identity until I saw that she was going to be in it.

[00:12:59] And I was like, oh, I want to see it.

[00:13:01] Because I liked Run, Lola, Run.

[00:13:03] Am I wrong though that they still use some scenes of her in the beginning of the second movie?

[00:13:10] Like they just, it's like cutaways from the first one?

[00:13:14] I think so.

[00:13:15] I think you're right.

[00:13:15] Yeah.

[00:13:16] I hope she got paid for that.

[00:13:18] I'm sure she had to.

[00:13:21] I would, I definitely would say In the Mood for Love or Life is Beautiful.

[00:13:26] I don't know which one.

[00:13:28] You guys both saw Life is Beautiful.

[00:13:30] In the Mood for Love at number three.

[00:13:33] I would too, just because reading the synopsis, I'm like intrigued.

[00:13:40] Life is Beautiful at number four.

[00:13:43] Signs of Sleep and The Swimming Pool both sound really intriguing.

[00:13:47] Okay.

[00:13:48] So our list is number one, City of God.

[00:13:51] Number two, Run, Lola, Run.

[00:13:53] Number three, In the Mood for Love.

[00:13:56] Number four, Life is Beautiful.

[00:13:58] Number five, Science of Sleep.

[00:14:00] And number six, The Swimming Pool.

[00:14:03] Nice.

[00:14:04] Solid list.

[00:14:05] Okay.

[00:14:06] So I have a question for all of us.

[00:14:08] In Amelie, each character is introduced by sharing some of their quirky likes slash dislikes.

[00:14:14] What would a narrator say are your likes and dislikes?

[00:14:19] Okay.

[00:14:19] Vanessa, we'll start with you.

[00:14:21] What are, let's start with the likes.

[00:14:24] What are your quirky likes?

[00:14:27] I love and like the sound of snow being stepped on, like the crunch sound.

[00:14:33] Oh, I like that.

[00:14:35] I like the smell of Play-Doh.

[00:14:41] It's like one of my favorite childhood smells, I guess.

[00:14:45] And dislikes.

[00:14:47] It was really hard for me to figure out my dislikes because I'm always trying to be so.

[00:14:52] So I wrote the cult of Trump.

[00:14:55] I love that answer.

[00:14:59] And whenever I see the cyber truck, it really ruins my day.

[00:15:03] Like I know someone tweeted that and I was like, no, that is such like a true, true tweet.

[00:15:09] Like every time I see it, I'm just like, like, so that's one of my dislikes.

[00:15:15] Those are excellent dislikes.

[00:15:17] For my likes, I have clicks of a mechanical keyboard.

[00:15:22] I love the clickies.

[00:15:24] Walking into a library.

[00:15:26] It just makes me peaceful.

[00:15:29] The smell, like everything being nice and quiet.

[00:15:32] Everything's organized.

[00:15:33] I can just find a cozy spot and just sit.

[00:15:36] It just makes me so happy.

[00:15:38] And then this is a weird one.

[00:15:41] When you get under your blankies and I do like this cricket thing with my feet where I

[00:15:46] rub them together under the blankie.

[00:15:48] I do that too.

[00:15:50] Thank you.

[00:15:51] It's so.

[00:15:52] I like rub it like friction makes it warm.

[00:15:55] Yeah.

[00:15:56] That's so funny.

[00:15:59] And then for my dislikes, number one dislike of all time strollers at amusement parks.

[00:16:04] I hate them so much, especially when the children are not in them and they're just using it to push like all the merch they've bought and stuff around.

[00:16:16] Like it drives me crazy.

[00:16:19] Motorized like scooters don't, but the strollers do.

[00:16:23] I think it's because the people are driving the scooters have more control than like a parent not paying attention and ramming a scooter or stroller into you.

[00:16:33] And then my second one, my second dislike is loud dad sneezes.

[00:16:39] Like it fills me with so much rage.

[00:16:42] I can't explain why.

[00:16:47] Dana, you got yours?

[00:16:49] So my dislikes, and I'm going to say this kindly.

[00:16:56] If you hear me say I will dislike things, please do not send me pictures and DMs and stuff.

[00:17:05] I like it.

[00:17:06] Some of this is an actual traumatic.

[00:17:09] I don't like them.

[00:17:12] So it's not funny.

[00:17:14] Thank you.

[00:17:15] PSA armadillos.

[00:17:17] I am definitely afraid of them.

[00:17:20] It's not even funny.

[00:17:22] Please don't send them to me as a joke.

[00:17:24] Mouth noises.

[00:17:26] Shayla knows.

[00:17:30] You would not like my dog.

[00:17:32] Just any mouth noises.

[00:17:35] Like when people go smacking up.

[00:17:41] I'm ready to fight.

[00:17:43] And bags on bed.

[00:17:46] Yes.

[00:17:47] I'm very particular about outside clothes and bags on beds.

[00:17:51] I will freak out.

[00:17:54] I've been yelled at for a bag on a bed before.

[00:17:58] I've yelled at friends, especially traveling.

[00:18:01] And the first thing they do when they go to their hotel is put their bag on the bed.

[00:18:05] I'm like, what are you doing?

[00:18:07] You have contaminated the room.

[00:18:11] You're sleeping on that bed.

[00:18:14] And don't sit on mine.

[00:18:16] Do not.

[00:18:17] Things I like.

[00:18:18] The sound of creaks on a wood floor.

[00:18:23] I love the sound of crackling fire.

[00:18:26] Oh, that's a good one.

[00:18:28] And this one's very niche.

[00:18:31] But I love to smell a pillow that my mom and my grandma was laying on with their smells.

[00:18:41] Especially like if they came to visit me after they leave.

[00:18:44] Like I'll sleep with that pillow that night.

[00:18:48] I have mommy issues.

[00:18:51] I think I have grandparent issues because my grandparents passed away.

[00:18:56] And I only have a t-shirt of my grandpa that has not been washed or anything because of the smell.

[00:19:03] I'm just like, I put it away in a bag.

[00:19:05] And just like I can just smell them like they're there.

[00:19:08] So I'm totally understanding that.

[00:19:11] All right.

[00:19:12] Employee picks.

[00:19:14] So Danielle and I both worked at Blockbuster.

[00:19:17] And so we'd like our guests to be honorary Blockbuster employees.

[00:19:21] And make three employee pick suggestions for our listeners to take a gander at.

[00:19:28] Our time frame again is 95 to 2005.

[00:19:33] Okay.

[00:19:35] That's hard.

[00:19:37] Because I was very internalistically misogynistic at that period.

[00:19:44] Loving the movies that I loved at that time period.

[00:19:48] Okay.

[00:19:48] One that I can name from the top of my head was Garden State.

[00:19:53] Two.

[00:19:55] Another movie that.

[00:19:58] I Heart Huckabees.

[00:20:00] Ooh.

[00:20:02] Oh man.

[00:20:02] Is someone like you in that time frame?

[00:20:06] Yeah.

[00:20:07] Just because it's that time of year where I watched that movie.

[00:20:11] Someone like you.

[00:20:12] Is that the one with Ashley Jed?

[00:20:14] Yeah.

[00:20:15] And Hugh Jackman.

[00:20:16] And the cans.

[00:20:18] Yeah.

[00:20:19] Yeah.

[00:20:21] The cow.

[00:20:22] And she plays like a Diane Story or Oprah kind of a talk show host.

[00:20:27] But she's.

[00:20:28] Pretty prominent actress.

[00:20:31] Yeah.

[00:20:32] I remember that.

[00:20:34] So someone like you.

[00:20:36] Garden State.

[00:20:37] I Heart Huckabees.

[00:20:38] And someone like you.

[00:20:40] Why don't you tell everybody where they can find you on social?

[00:20:45] You can find me on best week ever podcast on Instagram.

[00:20:49] And wherever you stream your favorite podcast.

[00:20:52] It's best week ever.

[00:20:54] And yeah.

[00:20:55] That's where you can find me.

[00:20:57] So far.

[00:20:58] I'm leaving Twitter.

[00:21:00] And joining Blue Sky.

[00:21:02] So.

[00:21:03] Still transitioning.

[00:21:06] And you guys can find us at No More Late Fees on TikTok, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, threads.

[00:21:13] And we do have a Blue Sky account that we will be tweeting or not tweeting but messaging more from.

[00:21:21] And stay tuned for next week for our Divas Christmas Carol episode.

[00:21:27] Super excited for that one.

[00:21:29] And as always.

[00:21:31] Be kind.

[00:21:32] And rewind.

[00:21:33] aniaCast. puntos 1 of prayers.

[00:21:33] react to Part 6 strengths is remaining. Dean

[00:21:33] Blubbbbibbar, Be 아주nimitified. Be

[00:21:34] Thank you.