Lets get weird.

Good morning Consumers. This is please consume, the film newsletter that will never pay full price for Peacock.

This is what we got for today 👇️ 

• Christian makes the case for a pet that’s made of *checks notes… medal.

• The staff gives you their picks for what you should be watching this weekend.

• Netflix has a new #1 show.

Let’s get rolling…

The Iron Giant (1998)

Written by Christian Boyd

Yes, I am selecting The Iron Giant for Pet Week. And before you jump all over me and say that it doesn’t count as a pet movie… Re-watch it!

The film’s relationship between Hogarth and The Giant is clearly a metaphor for a boy and his first dog. In fact, I also got my first dog by finding him crash-landed from outer space in the woods behind my house.

All jokes aside, this is one of my favorite movies from my adolescence and one that still holds up as a 5-star flick.

Let’s dig in.

I Heart Brad Bird

Brad Bird was originally known for helping bring The Simpsons from one-minute shorts on The Tracey Ullman Show to a full-fledged pop-culture hit.

You likely know him for directing classics like The Incredibles or Ratatouille.

But before he would work on those Disney classics, he actually used an anti-Disney message to hype up his crew of animators saying:

“ I don’t want to have any apologies or excuses for this thing at the end of it. I honestly think that we can kick royal ass and stand right up to Disney with a lot less money and time. And say we are f***** here. Deal with us.”

In the late 90’s Warner Bros. was trying to keep pace with Disney animation. They hired Brad because he said he could make a hit for them with half the time and half the budget.

Brad then proceeded to pull together a small group of animators. They were cast-offs from Disney and finished the film in 2 1/2 years and a 40 million dollar budget.

For reference, Tarzan (which came out the same year) had a 5-year runway and a 130 million dollar budget, not to mention 40 more animators than Brad's team.

The fact that Brad was able to pull this off is an effing miracle.

It makes me love the film all the more.

Im not crying, Your Crying!

There are many reasons why I love this movie:

I was in prime nostalgia age the first time I saw it.

It’s a beautiful hand-drawn piece of art.

The relentless pacing has you hooked on every story beat.

But the thing that keeps me bringing me back to the film is its themes.

I mentioned before that Brad Bird won the right to direct this film based on his ability to pull it off cheaply and quickly.

But there is another reason.

It was his ideas on theme and story. He was able to boil the movie down into one simple sentence.

“What if a gun had a soul?”

Can something that was made for harm actually change its course and be used for good?

Today’s Scene

Here are some selections from our staff for what you should watch this weekend.

Stop the endless Netflix scroll and let us pick for you.

Christian’s Pick

Young Frankenstein - on MAX

Young Frankenstein is a classic and you likely have seen it.

For those who haven't, I beg you to give it a shot.

You will finally understand why Gene Wilder is one of the stars of his generation.

WATCH NOW

Tyler’s Pick

TRIPLE FRONTIER - on Netflix

Do you love a dad movie? I mean like a real dad’s dad type of movie. I’m talking Collateral, I’m talking Fury, I’m talking Jack Reacher's Never Go Back, and I’m talking Black Hawk Down.

If that’s the kind of cinematic goal you’re looking for then you need to stop what you’re doing and watch triple frontier. Guys being dudes, a world of consummate professionals where a moment of unprofessionalism is what’ll get ya killed.

Lush colors throughout the film and different greens show off different conflicting worlds. A stacked cast including Ben Affleck, Pedro Pascal, Oscar Isaac, and in the funniest joke casting in a long time: Charlie Hunnam and Garrett Hedland as brothers.

It’s a wild ride that will keep you satisfied from nuts to butts and you can take that recommendation all the way to your money laundering safe house.

WATCH NOW

Tom’s Pick

Bullitt - on MAX

Steve McQueen is a stony-faced detective tasked with protecting an important witness. As you can imagine, things definitely don’t go as planned.

If you’re skeptical of an old police thriller, don’t be. It features one of the most famous car chases in cinema history as well as an amazing brown cardigan worn by McQueen.

WATCH NOW

Caleb’s Pick

Matrix Reloaded - On Max

This may seem like a silly pick. But this movie rules and I think it deserves a reappraisal. Throw it on this weekend and enjoy!

WATCH NOW

Here is some of the latest news that we found interesting…