Download MP3 In today's episode Nate and Austin compare Shane Black's best and worst rated films, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005) and Iron Man 3 (2013), respectively. Nate is tired of generic super hero films, Austin talks about RDJ, and they both can't believe how expensive some of these movies are. Check back next Sunday at 7pm PST where we will compare J.J Abrams' Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) and Mission Impossible III (2006), his best and worst rated films. Also check out this interview with director Shane Black about Kiss Kiss Bang Bang: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vdKap1z_9L4

Iron Man 3 Notes

Worst Rated

PLOT: When Tony Stark's world is torn apart by a formidable terrorist called the Mandarin, he starts an odyssey of rebuilding and retribution.

• Ratings: IMDb 7.2 | RT 79% C / 78% A
• Released: 2013
• Director: Shane Black
• Writer(s): Drew Pearce & Shane Black (screenplay by), Stan Lee and Don Heck and Larry Lieber and Jack Kirby (based on the Marvel comic by), Warren Ellis and Adi Granov (based on the “Extremis” mini-series illustrated by)
• Cinematographer: John Toll (Braveheart, The Last Samurai, Cloud Atlas)
• Notable actors: Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce, Rebecca Hall, Jon Favreau, Ben Kingsley, James Badge Dale, Stephanie Szostak, Paul Bettany, William Sadler, Dale Dickey, Ty Simpkins, Miguel Ferrer, Xueqi Wang, Bingbing Fan
• Budget: $200 million
• Box office: $1.215 billion

• Fun Facts:
  • The first cut was three hours and fifteen minutes long. The final cut was two hours and ten minutes long.
  • (at around 5 mins) Near the beginning of the movie you see Tony Stark strike a mook jong or wing chun wooden dummy. Robert Downey Jr. has been training in Wing Chun for several years under Sifu Eric Oram, and has also used it in Sherlock Holmes (2009). He has also stated he will be testing for his black belt soon.
  • The ring on the Mandarin's right pinkie is the same one Raza wears in the first Iron Man (2008) film.
  • The idea that "Happy" Hogan's favorite television show is Downton Abbey (2010), was at the suggestion of Jon Favreau, who is actually a big fan of the British series.
  • The Mandarin bears a tattoo on the back of his neck of Captain America's shield with an anarchist "A" symbol in the center instead of a star.
  • Robert Downey Jr. pushed to get Gwyneth Paltrow to have some action scenes, and Kevin Feige approved: "We are bored by the damsel in distress. But sometimes we need our hero to be desperate enough in fighting for something, other than just his own life. So, there is fun to be had with 'Is Pepper in danger, or is she the savior?' over the course of this movie."
  • This is the first film in the Iron Man franchise not to be directed by Jon Favreau, who turned down the offer for this movie, in order to direct Magic Kingdom and Jersey Boys (2014). He later admitted that not directing allowed him to have more fun with his character "Happy" Hogan, saying that he was like "a proud grandfather, who doesn't have to change the diapers, but gets to play with the baby."
  • The first Iron Man movie to gross over one billion dollars, and the second Marvel movie to reach this mark, with The Avengers (2012) being the first.
  • The first day Robert Downey Jr. and Sir Ben Kingsley met on-set, they snapped a photo together to send to Director, and mutual friend, Sir Richard Attenborough.
  • The film was originally budgeted at one hundred forty million dollars, but after The Avengers (2012) became a huge hit, Marvel Studios and Disney upped it to two hundred million dollars, in order to allow Shane Black to make the best movie he could.

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang Notes

Best Rated

PLOT: A murder mystery brings together a private eye, a struggling actress, and a thief masquerading as an actor.

• Ratings: IMDb 7.6 | RT 85% C / 87% A
• Released: 2005
• Director: Shane Black
• Writer(s): Brett Halliday (novel) (in part), Shane Black (screen story), Shane Black (screenplay)
• Cinematographer: Michael Barrett (Ted, Bobby, Zookeeper)
• Notable actors: Robert Downey Jr., Val Kilmer, Michelle Monaghan, Corbin Bernsen, Dash Mihok, Larry Miller, Rockmond Dunbar, Shannyn Sossamon, Angela Lindvall, Indo Falconer Downey, Ariel Winter
• Budget: $15 million
• Box office: $15.8 million

• Fun Facts:
  • As a sign of support to Robert Downey, Jr.'s recovery from alcohol and drugs, Val Kilmer refused to drink during the entire production.
  • Val Kilmer met Robert Downey, Jr. for the first time at a Hollywood party. A week later, he received the screenplay for this film, and agreed to do it before he'd even finished reading it. Upon agreeing, and much to his delight, he was informed that Downey had already been cast.
  • The film was given a standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival.
  • Val Kilmer had to quickly lose the fifty pounds gained for his plump role in Alexander (2004), in order to play his fit GQ character for this film.
  • The film was originally titled "L.A.P.I.", then "Bang!", but Val Kilmer suggested to Director Shane Black that "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" would have more appeal.
  • Val Kilmer's depiction of Gay Perry is generally considered to be the first openly gay character to front a Hollywood action movie.
  • Val Kilmer walked around in a five hundred dollar pair of Louis Vuitton driving shoes, and wore nail varnish, while experimenting with several variations of speech patterns for the role. Kilmer also noted this was done much to his son Jack's chagrin.
  • Shane Black had been suffering from writer's block. It ultimately took him over a year and a half to write the script for this film. He then had enormous trouble trying to sell it. His former cachet, as being the highest paid screenwriter, meant nothing when he was shopping his screenplay around. Eventually, he took it to Producer Joel Silver, who gave him his first break back in 1987 when he bought Lethal Weapon.
  • The film grossed far more outside the U.S., accounting for just over seventy percent of the film's worldwide gross.
  • Co-Producer of the film, Susan Downey (Susan Levin), is Robert Downey, Jr.'s wife.

Intro music by Eric Lynch