MEAN GIRLS PODCAST
Get ready to relive the hilarity and heartache of high school with the cult classic "Mean Girls" as we dissect the film's enduring allure and its vibrant journey from screen to stage to screen again. Join me, your host of Cinema Judge, as we unpack the layers of Tina Fey's razor-sharp wit that turned this movie into a teen phenomenon. Step into the halls of North Shore High once more as we examine why audiences continue to quote every "fetch" line and what makes Cady's social navigation a resonant tale for the ages.
Feel the beat of "Revenge Party" and other musical numbers that breathe new life into the Plastics' world with insights from the incredible creative duo behind the latest adaptation, Samantha Jaynee and Arturo Perez Jr. We'll celebrate the blend of original cast nostalgia and fresh faces, as the talented new ensemble reimagines the iconic characters we love (and love to hate). Hear directly from Tina Fey and cast members like Jaquel Spivey and Auli'i Cravalho about stepping into their roles and contributing to the "Mean Girls" legacy.
Wrap up with a heartfelt discussion on the importance of female empowerment and the film's timeless message of women supporting each other, which remains as relevant as ever in this new adaptation. With a special focus on the behind-the-scenes craft, including choreographer Kyle Hanagami's storytelling through dance, we reveal what goes into creating moments that are sure to become instant classics. Don't miss this episode where we go beyond the pink and into the heart of "Mean Girls," exploring every angle of this beloved cultural touchstone.
MEAN GIRLS PODCAST
Get ready to relive the hilarity and heartache of high school with the cult classic "Mean Girls" as we dissect the film's enduring allure and its vibrant journey from screen to stage to screen again. Join me, your host of Cinema Judge, as we unpack the layers of Tina Fey's razor-sharp wit that turned this movie into a teen phenomenon. Step into the halls of North Shore High once more as we examine why audiences continue to quote every "fetch" line and what makes Cady's social navigation a resonant tale for the ages.
Feel the beat of "Revenge Party" and other musical numbers that breathe new life into the Plastics' world with insights from the incredible creative duo behind the latest adaptation, Samantha Jaynee and Arturo Perez Jr. We'll celebrate the blend of original cast nostalgia and fresh faces, as the talented new ensemble reimagines the iconic characters we love (and love to hate). Hear directly from Tina Fey and cast members like Jaquel Spivey and Auli'i Cravalho about stepping into their roles and contributing to the "Mean Girls" legacy.
Wrap up with a heartfelt discussion on the importance of female empowerment and the film's timeless message of women supporting each other, which remains as relevant as ever in this new adaptation. With a special focus on the behind-the-scenes craft, including choreographer Kyle Hanagami's storytelling through dance, we reveal what goes into creating moments that are sure to become instant classics. Don't miss this episode where we go beyond the pink and into the heart of "Mean Girls," exploring every angle of this beloved cultural touchstone.
Because we now have the Cinema Judge Music. Hello, hello, hello and welcome to the Cinema Judge. I hope my voice finds you well. To all my regulars out there, welcome back. If you're new to the show, welcome aboard. Approach the bench. Today we have to film Mean Girls. Now here's the plot to the story. Katie is a hit with the plastics in A-list. Click at her new school. But everything changes when she makes the mistake of falling for Aaron, the ex-boyfriend of the alpha plastic, regina George. Here's a trailer for Mean Girls.
Speaker 2:Music oh hell no.
Speaker 3:Music Bitch move hey PG-13 please. Music.
Speaker 2:What was that? Oh Lord, it's the queen bee.
Speaker 4:Regina George, don't look her in the eye.
Speaker 5:You could be really hot if you changed like everything.
Speaker 6:Music Welcome to health and human sexuality.
Speaker 7:We'll be getting abstinence, of course, then followed by the spring condoms and choking.
Speaker 8:You're learning things now that I don't know how to teach.
Speaker 2:Are you okay in there? We're gonna tell you to either do drugs or have a toilet, baby Ew.
Speaker 3:Music. We, as women, have to be able to support each other. Get in loser.
Speaker 9:Welcome, Katie. You're never gonna believe what I found this morning your burn book.
Speaker 3:Mom go make snacks For sure, for sure, regina, yeah, music.
Speaker 10:Do you like gum Sure? Oh no, I don't have any, I was just.
Speaker 4:You're a mess. We will help you. Catty Music.
Speaker 11:Why are you dressed so scary? It's Halloween, Katie. If you don't dress slutty, that is slight shaming us.
Speaker 12:That's just unprofessional.
Speaker 5:Music, what, what's this?
Speaker 12:Music.
Speaker 9:We're gonna make her pay.
Speaker 2:Music. Probably done is make Regina hotter and revive the wet look Dance break Music who wrote all this junk Music Music.
Speaker 5:Music Katie Pushter Music.
Speaker 13:Music. Look at this thing. I can't even see it Like a face brush.
Speaker 10:Music Dream of her Katie Incorrect. You have to pick a French name.
Speaker 2:Chanel no, celine Dion no, beyoncé Music.
Speaker 1:Now, just to catch you up, in case you were unaware. This was first made or not first made, but they made a Mean Girls in 2004, starring Lindsay Lohan, and it became a phenomenon, staple amongst a generation, quoted constantly. New words were created from this movie and recently, while they did that, they wanted to make it feel timeless so we could use it in any decade. It wouldn't feel dated if you watched it 5, 10, 15 years later, because they created their own dialogue, for lack of a better word. Tina Fey Brilliant, what I mean. Just look at what she's achieved as a writer, actress, you name it. This woman is just incredible. What I wouldn't pay to sit down and talk to her, because imagine the knowledge, the wealth of information she could share with us. Wouldn't that be just incredible? And I realize somebody like that. They can't talk about all the stuff that she's done, but my word, what an incredible talent. Because not only did she make that write that movie and she starred in it, she also then made it into a play, a musical, and this movie is kind of a version of the musical.
Speaker 1:And an interesting little fact that's not said anywhere in here, but I heard somewhere else they specifically didn't promote it as a musical. You can see in the poster. There might be a note on the poster there somewhere. But they know musicals are treated differently. They have a different perception. People perceive them differently so they might approach differently. They might not even see it if they know it's a musical. So they kind of they hid that little note. Sorry, I didn't even try to do that, but they hid that little note. They didn't necessarily hide it, but they didn't just come out and say, wow, it's a musical. They said mean girls, check us out. And then you get there you're like, oh, I could appreciate it for what it is. They did do it differently and they have new terms, new dialogue, new things to make it more current for this generation, and that's not easy to do.
Speaker 1:So during the show we're going to have several featurettes, along with interviews too. But in these featurettes there's movie clips on a set footage intertwined with interviews. So if you ever want to, in a couple of days this will be online to watch whenever you want, on demand, 24 hours a day, because I always make this a TV show first, then I do this as a podcast. So if you want to, they have some really fun footage.
Speaker 1:But one other side side note in these featurettes, every once in a while they use little snippets of a long interview that you're going to hear later on that they just put together just to fit that particular moment. I just wanted to let you know that you don't think I'm just being a lazy bum, but that's what you're going to hear. A little redundancy sometimes within the featurettes and or the interviews that follow them. Without further ado, our first featurette. We're going to have people talking about the impact of the original. First you're going to hear from Tina Fey, renee Rapp and Gory Rice, christopher Briney, ali Kravilow, jenna Fisher and Jack Will Spivey. So I'm just going to let it rip.
Speaker 3:In 2004,. We made the original Mean Girls.
Speaker 13:Get in loser.
Speaker 3:Over the years, I've realized that these characters and this story have had a much longer shelf life than anyone anticipated.
Speaker 5:Shut up, I didn't say anything. 20 years later it's just as poppin' as it was when it came out.
Speaker 12:It's so iconic and so timeless it's become such a part of all of our lives.
Speaker 3:Everyone knows the trio in pink Because bitches For this new movie how can we surprise and delight people who are already familiar with the story? It felt like we could have the best of both worlds with great music. Look at this thing. New jokes.
Speaker 13:I can't even see it. It's sexy Like a face breast.
Speaker 3:And the look to be updated, but also nods to the original. That is so fetch. What is fetch?
Speaker 11:It's like slang from an old movie.
Speaker 8:They nailed the comedy I like your shape, thanks.
Speaker 10:It smells like sausage from the last time I wore it All of these characters are familiar.
Speaker 7:This fall we'll be getting into abstinence condoms and choking.
Speaker 2:But there are some twists.
Speaker 11:It's cool to see me and girls made for a modern day. It's hot.
Speaker 10:It's smart and it's funny and it's really f***ing cool. I think people will be surprised.
Speaker 1:Now, as we previously discussed, this movie has been a movie, broadway, musical, a slew of different kinds of this version. Briefly, now we're gonna hear from Tina Fey giving you a rundown, a rundown in a proper order and then we're gonna have another feature for you, and in that feature at this one's is called revenge party. There's clips from the movie that kind of sum it up in a nutshell. So that's what you're gonna hear. You're gonna hear a bunch of scenes, kind of get you a feel for the movie.
Speaker 3:Again, that little feature is called revenge party and then, sometime around 2017, 18, we made the musical, the broadway version of the musical of main girls, and then the national tour has been out on the road and now we are working on the main girls movie.
Speaker 12:May have everyone's attention please. We have a new student.
Speaker 1:Are you trying to make the best of this field?
Speaker 10:I'm not trying to, it's just happening.
Speaker 2:Dear god woman.
Speaker 4:Get in, louisa. Regina George is a scum sucking life burner. Why is he by our table? I? Can hear you by the way, can you hear me now?
Speaker 9:We're gonna make her pay.
Speaker 7:Girls are made deranged by what's called hormones.
Speaker 5:What is going on?
Speaker 13:Don't worry about it. Dance break.
Speaker 4:What is?
Speaker 10:this so tight. I mean, you've had it since the sixth grade. You're probably maturing.
Speaker 3:We, as women, have to support each other.
Speaker 8:If you need to talk to me about anything, boy troubles, blackheads are alcohol poisoning.
Speaker 3:I have been through it all.
Speaker 8:Rachel Hamilton bills her inhaler with vodka.
Speaker 13:Oh, that's how you use that Sled queens.
Speaker 3:Play like no one's watching, but everybody's watching because you're gorgeous.
Speaker 2:A Lee Freilinger has what's this?
Speaker 1:Good lord, and, by the way, that was Tim Meadows in there, and you also hear John Hamm. This movie does have a lot of stars in it and it's just a lot of fun. Now coming up next, we're going to hear from both Tina Fey and Lauren Michaels. Lauren Michaels is the guy who fronts, is the mastermind behind SNL Saturday Night Live, and he also serves as producer. You're going to hear from Tina Fey talking about where they are now and I think it's safe to say we could call it the mean girls universe, since it's so sprawling. I think that's a safe term. What do you guys think?
Speaker 1:And then also, lauren Michaels talks about how this movie is the same as the other but also different. And then we have a featurette. In the featurette it focuses on the directors, samantha Jane and Arturo Perez Jr, and in that featurette you can hear from Renee Rapp and Gori Rice, christopher Briney, then the co-director, samantha Jane, and then Arturo Perez Jr. And then we go back to Samantha, then Tina Fey, then Avantika and Bebe Wood, and they all discuss the directors or what they're trying to go for, what the feel they're going for. Now I should also point out if you don't want to watch this, maybe on the whole version of it with all the interviews. If you don't have much time, you could also go to TikTok. I only have, like I think it's, five of the featurettes on there. So if you're just interested in some of the featurettes, you can go to TikTok, look up Cinema Judge and you could watch those featurettes. But like I said earlier, the whole TV version will be out on demand soon, just like you watch all the interviews and all that good jazz.
Speaker 3:Now we're here making the film version, and the idea of taking the Broadway show to the film version was exciting to me because it felt like we could kind of have the best of both worlds. We could have this great music while still being able to kind of live with our characters in a close-up, to be able to have new jokes and new moments that are surprising to people. I think that over the years I've realized that these characters and this story have had a much longer shelf life than anyone could have anticipated, and so to get to do something new with them, I think people will be surprised.
Speaker 7:Social media is a big part of it and as it is a big part of high school, so and I think Tina did a really good job on that and the music gives it a whole other edge too. But the characters remain what they were. You know, regina's Regina and Katie's Katie, and the rest kind of fall in, but they're they're interpreted differently, so that, because it's another time, the look of the kids was completely different and the generational thing was completely different and obviously way more diverse and and it had to look like today and I think the director did a great job on that because it does- Sam and Art are incredible visionaries.
Speaker 7:They're so good and action.
Speaker 9:The story is still so relevant.
Speaker 6:It's not a remake. It's like a rediscovery.
Speaker 9:That is tits. She means that's great. The original was so well done, but we wanted to go deeper into the journey of these characters, and musicality just allows me to do that.
Speaker 5:They know how to shoot music really well and with like a fresh take.
Speaker 10:They wanted to feel like something we had never seen before.
Speaker 3:They had incredible ideas for the movie to feel dynamic and exciting.
Speaker 1:Every take and every scene. They come in so much energy.
Speaker 13:A power dynamic.
Speaker 11:They're amazing Creative geniuses, to be honest, so true.
Speaker 6:This movie. It's a good time.
Speaker 9:It's super fun. The audiences will really enjoy it.
Speaker 5:You could be really hot if you change like everything. Oh no, she didn't.
Speaker 1:Now, just a little fun fact. That means nothing at all, but just a little fun fact. The directors in real life are married. I just thought that was a fun fact because you know, working with somebody and going home, you know you got to wonder how does that work, how does that balance of work life and home life work when such major decisions have to be made? Being able to flick that switch and go, okay, we're at home or at work, that must be an incredibly challenge. But they must have incredible communication to make that work. I tip my cap to them. Now.
Speaker 1:Coming up next, we're gonna hear from Tina Fey and she talks about how much she really enjoys whether it be on a film, a play stage, whatever it is the idea of bringing people together to make a cast. What a what joy that gives her. And I can see that in my mind's eye. Here you are, this is your baby in your head. You know what this story says or the movie wants to be, and you have to find that person to be that part. That must be incredibly rewarding challenging, as I'll get out, but rewarding also. And she talks about bringing on and Gory Rice, who plays Katie, and then we're gonna hear from Katie. She talks about what the original meant to her and just a little bit more about her involvement in this film.
Speaker 3:Bringing together cast of actors is one of my favorite parts of the process, whether it's in film, television, stage. I love getting a chance to be a part of it and I'm so thrilled about this cast that have come together and Gowrie Rice plays Katie, and Gowrie is a very, very smart, talented Australian actress that people will know from many things. She had that kind of deep intelligence that Katie needs to have. Katie needs to be very smart and then Gowrie really just delivers that and has great timing and is just kind of radiant on screen. So that's our Katie.
Speaker 10:I'm a huge fan of the original Mean Girls movie. I actually had it on DVD growing up and it was one of the only like. We had maybe three or four DVDs and that was one of them, and my sister and I we had this little portable DVD player, so when our parents, would you know, go to work we'd sit in the corner and watch Mean Girls on this DVD player. So some of my earliest memories are of watching Mean Girls just over and over and over again, and when you watch something that many times when you're that age, it just gets stuck.
Speaker 10:I loved working with Tina. She's incredible. She is so witty and so clever and one of my favorite parts about working with her is that she was on set and she would give us outlines to say just before we went for a take, which was so fun because to sort of have that spontaneity of a new joke that you would just say and sort of see how people react. So I loved that freedom in comedy that she had and she was always thinking of new jokes, new ways to make the scene funnier or more interesting or different. So I love that creative passion and energy that she has.
Speaker 1:Now you might be asking yourself where have I heard from her before? I've never seen her in stuff. Well, let me tell you she was in a 2016 movie, the Nice Guys, which is pretty darn good. If you've never seen the Nice Guys, check it out. She was also in Spider-Man Homecoming in 2017. The Beguiled, in 2017 also, which was a remake of a Clint Eastwood movie that he directed Also a great movie, the original, these Final Hours. And then the last thing he told me, just to name a few.
Speaker 1:And just one funny note and this is not my thought, I'm borrowing this from somebody else have you ever noticed if somebody from Australia, england or wherever an actress or an actor can easily switch gears and speak into an American accent for lack of a better word but when an American tries to go the other way, it never sounds quite as natural. There's always a slight oh that sounds contrived and forced. Not all the time, I'm not saying that, but it's just so weird how they could just flip that switch so much easier from others from Yonder, and if they come and do a American-made film, you can't even tell they're from somewhere else like Australia, england or what have you. Again, that wasn't my thought it was somebody's a lot smarter than me, but it was just a funny thought Now coming up.
Speaker 1:Next we're here, tina Fey talk about Beebe Wood that when she saw her tape boom knew instantly she was Gretchen. And then we're gonna hear from Beebe talking about the role and I love the interview when she talks about Her first acting gig. It all comes together. It's just kind of a really cool set of interviews.
Speaker 3:Bebe Wood is Gretchen and Bebe her tape just left off the screen when she auditioned for the movie. It just was immediate to me and to Lauren Michaels. We were like there's Gretchen, that's our Gretchen. Gretchen also has to be very intelligent, but have this kind of core of fragility, that still has to be comic. And Bebe just understood that from John.
Speaker 11:I was such a big fan of Mean Girls, such a big fan of Mean Girls growing up I don't even remember when the first time I saw it was. I think it is just kind of like a pillar in everyone's lives. It does feel that way. I'm not sure if that's like true, but it really does feel like everyone kind of has their own relationship with that film, regardless of your age or your gender. Like you're going to have a relationship with the film because I think it really just honestly encapsulates what being a young person is. The reason that the movie is so relevant still is because it's just so honest. I think the 2004 version perfectly encapsulates the time. I think it perfectly encapsulates society and culture during that time and I think what was so special to see and I think integral to making the movie work today, is making it honest to 2024.
Speaker 11:I knew that Tina Fey was involved. Obviously she wrote the original movie and the book for the musical and she obviously wrote this, and so I was really excited by that prospect because one of my first scene partners as a professional actor was Tina in 30 Rock. I started acting professionally when I was 10 or 11. And I got cast in an episode of 30 Rock when I was 10 years old and basically my first scene partner as a professional actor was Tina and it was amazing. She was the nicest, nicest woman. I remember being this little 10-year-old. That was like she's incredible. If this is what acting is, if this is who actors are, I want to be around them, I want to learn from them. I want to do this.
Speaker 1:Put yourself in her shoes, your first acting gig, and you're on the set of 30 Rock and Tina Fey is your scene partner. Talk about striking gold. Learning from somebody of that quality. You're like, hey, is this how it's always? Like? Obviously not. But to start off, your first scene, first screen partner, tina Fey Come on, that'd be pretty awesome. And now look at her now, a grown woman still working with her Not a bad road trip. Now, speaking of about Tina Fey, we have her talking about Avantika and then we're going to hear from Avantika.
Speaker 3:Avantika plays Karen and similarly we were like there's Karen Just the moment we saw her tape. She is stunningly beautiful. She has this kind of innocent, kind core that Karen kind of needs to have and she has that warmth.
Speaker 13:I was a huge fan of Mean Girls. It was just such a massive movie for us and fashion wise. All the actresses went on to do such amazing things. There's a character in Mean Girls for everyone and I think it speaks to the good in everyone and a little bit of the bad, the means that's in everybody, and I think it embodies, like the hopes and dreams of all high school girls to become this like beautiful, popular girl in school.
Speaker 13:And it was just great to see it on screen. And it's pink and who doesn't love pink? Everything about it was so perfect and timeless and it resonated with so many generations and I think even to this day it's still just as relevant as it was. We've updated the fashion and we've updated, you know, the people who are in it as well. I think the cast and the whole environment feels a lot more inclusive. Tech Talk is so, so relevant today and such a massive, such a massive thing, and so I think incorporating that into how people are bullied and how people are coming out of bullying and using the platform to kind of reclaim the narrative is also very, very relevant in this film.
Speaker 1:And she really makes a great point. I can't even imagine being somebody young in school today. That whole world is wildly different than anything I ever experienced, or my parents experience or whatever with the internet, communication, 24 hour news cycle, it is a wild world. So I salute everybody out there, whether it be a parent, a young kid, whoever. You are navigating that minefield. I can't even fathom it and I often think imagine. This would be a really kind of cool movie.
Speaker 1:What would have happened in the 60s or World War Two or anything like that, if the internet was invented? Then could you imagine? Would that have changed the outcome of things without have changed attitudes? What would have happened if all these things that are out there right now existed in World War Two or even before that? How would that have changed the world? Anyway, it's just sometimes I think about that because it's you know. Look how relatively new it is in the time of times I suppose you could talk about, but just stay, dream if you will. How would your world been I'm talking to the older people out there like me how would our world been, our parents been, if they would have had internet?
Speaker 1:Just something to ponder. Come up. Next we're gonna have a couple interviews I'm gonna play back-to-back because you don't need me interrupting every time we're in here from Tina Fey, and she's gonna talk about Jack well Spivey and then we're gonna hear from him and he has a really cool interview about how that first went around and how he first got his first interview with with her and it's just kind of fun, you know, getting a little peek on that reality of how does somebody get the role or start, you know, talking to the big shots about it. And then we're gonna hear from Tina Fey again and she's gonna be talking about Ali Krabbelow and then we're gonna hear from Ali Jack well Spivey is playing Damien.
Speaker 3:I had seen Jack well in strange loop on Broadway and immediately thought, like this guy is incredible, he's carrying this whole show. It's will be a surprise to no one that he's incredibly talented and hilarious and also has that kind of the warmth underneath Damien that you hope for him to have. Damien really does care about his friend Janice, he he cares about his friend Katie and so, yeah, chiqual's amazing.
Speaker 2:I was told by my team that Tina Fey wants to talk to you and I was like, oh, I love a little prank, I love a little joke, I'll go along with it. And I joined a zoom calling Tina Fey, sitting right there and she started telling me about the project and Seeing if I had any interest, which I definitely did.
Speaker 3:Ali Krabbelow is playing Janice and she it's awesome. She is also one of the most I don't know if you say telegenic, if it's for film, is she's synogenic, but she is one of the most beautiful actors on screen. Her face is just you could just watch dailies of her for hours and she brings the kind of fierceness that that Janice needs to have, the underpinning of of resentment of what's been done to her in the past. And you I, you know you fully believe that she is an artist, because Ali is an artist. You know in her in her way and, yeah, she's killing it as Janice.
Speaker 4:I remember walking around being like. My name is Regina George, you know like there's a posture, there's a stance, and everyone knows the trio in pink, and so that's immediately who came to mind. And it's so fun having this adaptation, one for a newer audience If it came out in two, two thousand four, like it's truly another generation that gets to watch this film. I play Janice, and what initially Drew me to her was because she was so very different from any character I'd played before. That's always what I'm looking for and I liked that, although she's a side character, she has her own arc. So I'm excited for people to see it and I hope people like also my take on Janice, because she's been done so beautifully before, like adding my own spin on her and adding the camp and the queerness that Sam and art also fostered and encouraged through Through filming now we have a couple more cool interviews coming up with Tina Fey and it's all about the casting and how people get found.
Speaker 1:And I love these things because first we're gonna hear from her talking about Renee rap, because Renee rap, she auditioned for the musical back in a day but Renee was like I don't know, I'm kind of want to do my music career and then get this. Both Tina Fey and Lauren Michaels, they pretty much tell her come on, we want you in this this. You know, just give your music thing up a bit of a pause, but this would be really important for you to do. I mean, seriously, those two icons come up to you and they're pretty much begging you to be part of their project. I'd be like, uh, I'm there yesterday, you know, obviously she did it, but in my mind's eye like, wow, what a boost of confidence, but also that shot of terror going they actually believe in me this much. That's wonderful. But wow, that these be mind-blowing, I think my mind.
Speaker 1:And then we're gonna hear from Renee rap, and I just love her interview. She has so many cool things to say. And then we go back to Tina Fey, talk about trying to cast the mother of Katie and how she came about this decision. I laughed my butt off when I first heard it, because Tina Fey is a huge legend, but she says what would make my kids want to watch, or whatever it. You'll see what I'm saying, and it's Jenna Fisher, and how she came about that decision is awesome. And then we're gonna hear from Jenna Fisher also asking why would they think of me? Here it is the Queen B.
Speaker 3:Regina George Is a person that I've had the pleasure of working with in this role before, which is Renee rap, and Renee Did the show on Broadway. I met Renee when she was 19, I think, and we had seen her audition for the Broadway show and she wasn't sure if she wanted to do Broadway. And Lauren Michaels and I Basically invited Renee to his office and we're like you need to do this. You're you'd be wasting your talent if you don't do a run at this before you launch your music career. And Thank goodness she said she would like to. So she did an amazing run on Broadway as Regina George and then has now launched her incredible music career, which is only gonna continue to explode.
Speaker 3:I believe she's Already a fan favorite. You know people love her, they love Her voice, they love her presence, they love her core self, which Her TikTok presence, which I think is good, because you know Regina has to be a three-dimensional villain and so you can't, you don't want it to be a two-dimensional person that you hate and you kind of watch Renee come into these scenes and be scary, but she's also kind of enthralling and you get the thing of like I do want her to like me.
Speaker 5:Does she like me? I think it's like the perfect time for a movie like this to come back in a in a new way with like a new life. But yeah, it was just. It was such a big deal and it remains such a big deal, which I think is like a huge testament to like how well done the film was that like 20 years later, it's just as poppin as it was when it came out when I was a kid, I was so excited.
Speaker 5:I was so excited and I felt like excited to be able to like do that Roll again, because I think it's seldom do you get to like Revisit things and I also get to revisit it in a different medium, right, like I think doing it on stage is its own beast, but like I Really love acting on camera now and that was something I hadn't done ever before when I was doing it on Broadway, so it was exciting to feel like I could do that. You don't like say like Mean girls and like no one knows what you're talking about. You know what I mean. So I think like there's an incredibly high standard already on the project, based on how massive it was and also like the level of work and talent and like skill that went into making something like that and having it.
Speaker 3:You know, have the longevity that it does when we came time to find and Galerie's mom in this case, I Thought who is the only living, who are the only living actors that my own children care about, and that is anyone affiliated with the office? I did think like if I could get Jenna Fisher to play and Galerie's mom, my children will finally respect me, and thankfully Jenna wanted to do it. And the other thing that's sort of crazy is I do think that and Galerie and Jenna really look related. They really could be related. And again, you know, to take on Anna Gaster's part like that, you need someone who has proper comic timing and also that you have to believe they're intelligent the way Anna is. You have to believe that they are a scientist in the field, and I think Jenna pulls that off as well.
Speaker 8:Tina Fey wrote me an email, a lovely email, and asked if I would want to join. The cast Is Ms Herron, and you know what, when Tina Fey writes you an email, you write back. Yes, I mean, what a fun project. I, of course, was a huge fan of the movie when it came out, seen at multiple times, and so this is super exciting for me.
Speaker 8:It's funny, when they offered me the role, I thought how, why did they think of me for this? You know it's been a while since I've been on camera. I wonder how, why did I pop in their minds? And then I googled and Galerie, and I was like oh, that's why we look identical. She actually looks like a grown-up version of my daughter. It's I could imagine my daughter growing up to look like her. So, yeah, it's very, very similar. The first day that we were shooting together, we ended up talking about soup making and bread making. I mean, we have the same sort of off-camera interests as well. So we got along great from the beginning and she is just a phenomenal actress. She is so real, she's so emotionally available, she's so ready Every take, and it's just been an absolute dream getting to work with her.
Speaker 1:And I think she might think the same thing about you. I love what you guys, but Jenna Fisher Just has this incredible kindness to her. It seems so natural and authentic. But casting her, I think, was just a great idea. What a perfect match.
Speaker 1:Now coming up next, a little bit more about casting. We're gonna hear from Tina Fey talking about Casting busy Phillips as the mother of Renee wrap, because when you look at Renee wrap in this film, she has the same energy as busy Phillips and you're gonna hear Tina talk about that. But they both have that same oomph and it's just a perfect match. And then we're gonna hear from busy Phillips after that. And then we go back to Tina Fey about her reprising her role Because, like she points out, teachers could teach for a long time, so it's not a big exaggeration to think that her character back in the first one Couldn't still be working today. So it's not like a massive stretch.
Speaker 1:And then we have a feature at that talks about the cast and, like I said earlier in the show, some of these interviews, you're gonna hear snippets of what you've already heard or little nuances of them. So that's just how it is. It's just a pre-package thing that talks about the cast and I'm just gonna blow through some of the names that you're gonna hear in this feature at Tina Fey, arturo Perez Jr. Tina Fey, samantha Jane, jackal Spivey, vantica, beebe Wood, in Renee wrap. So here's that feature at a both a cast.
Speaker 3:My friend, busy Phillips, had the balls of steel that it required to say yes, I'll play Mrs George, I will follow in Amy Polar's footsteps and I have Amy's blessing. I was about to do this. We should do that, but I did get Amy to bless the choice and she's like. I think that's a great choice. And again talk about a familial resemblance, I really feel like busy and Renee wrap could be related.
Speaker 1:Tina Fey is an icon and Trailblazer and a person, and I have looked up to my entire Career as long as I can remember.
Speaker 3:I am reprising my role as Ms Norbury because we thought, well, teachers work for a long time, so it might make sense if Tim and I did it. And so I called him and I was like will you do it? I'll do it if you do it, but it's been really nice to get to work with Tim again. I'm so thrilled about this cast that have come together on me girls.
Speaker 6:Everybody showed up and brought it.
Speaker 3:And gowry rice plays Katie. She really delivers in this role.
Speaker 9:She embodied this character so fully. You really feel everything through what she's expressing. You're really gonna get noticed around here. The plastic they're a tall order to live up to and I think these girls put their own twist on it fierce as hell.
Speaker 3:Queen B, regina George is Renee Rapps already a fan favorite.
Speaker 9:Fierce, phenomenal talent she's powerful.
Speaker 13:She's sexy, get in loser.
Speaker 2:Avantika plays Karen the way she makes her look so fierce, yet so stupid, is so smart as an actor and so innovative.
Speaker 3:Beebe would is Gretchen. She makes Gretchen so much fun. When she auditioned for the movie we're like well, they're Gretchen. That's our Gretchen. Chris plays Aaron. Chris doesn't know this, but I did take some independent surveys of teens. He's a unanimous choice to play Aaron. Oh, my gosh. Jackwell Spidey is playing Damian. He's incredibly talented.
Speaker 5:He brought so many things into the film. Like there's a fan in the gym scene and you're like this is brilliant, Like how did you just do that?
Speaker 3:He is so funny how the acrovalo is playing Janice she just brings this rawness and truthfulness to Janice.
Speaker 1:Yes, bitch, there's like so many really cool, really talented young people everyone brings something new to the table.
Speaker 11:So many people actually Park.
Speaker 6:John Hamm.
Speaker 3:Jenna.
Speaker 10:Fisher, busy Phillips, tim Meadows and Tina Fey. It's the coolest thing ever amazing actors, insanely talented. It was really special.
Speaker 3:Bitch move, hey. Pg-13, please.
Speaker 1:Now that's quite a cast. Now try to direct not just a huge cast, but then a musical. Try to combine all these elements in this legacy, pretty much that so many people know about this movie and or universe I know it's not a universe, but I'm gonna say it anyway Trying to put all that into a movie. No pressure, no pressure at all. So we're gonna hear from Tina Fey and she's gonna talk about these two directors and then after that we're gonna hear from the directors Samantha Jane in our Turrell Perez Jr.
Speaker 3:Art and Sam really talked about the need for the movie to be surprising. And in what ways could it be Unexpected? Could just literally to surprise the audience, who have seen the original movie so many times and they have some incredible ideas of how to do that and how to shoot it that way. They come from music video, so for the ways for the songs to feel dynamic and exciting, it's been great to see them In their element. I mean massive fan of the original.
Speaker 9:Yeah, I mean, I grew up knowing every word. It was huge in high school when it came out. So my friends and I would just be repeating every single phrase from it, like just In its own language. You know, you can just speak mean girls. So I Was Unbelievably thrilled when this opportunity came around. These are High school girls, you know. They're experiencing these big emotions, oftentimes for the very first time.
Speaker 9:So to be able to explore that, dive deeper and Explore that cinematically is a really cool thing. I mean, the original has such a good message of Women should support other women. You know, we shouldn't bully each other, we shouldn't hear each other down, and I mean that message is is Great 20 years ago, it's great a hundred years ago, it's great a hundred years from now. You know, it's a message that's always important to talk about. So I feel like if we can create a version now that connects to today's audience and kind of Allow them to have a good time, you know, because it's about having a good time and having that message be kind of like the medicine, so it's like the spoon of sugar that helps the medicine go down.
Speaker 6:It feels like we're we're doing what we're supposed to do and I think that what we we've done 20 years later is is kind of like I Think it's it is a new twist. The first thing that we did was just meet with Tina in person and you know to To collaborate with Tina is a lesson in how someone should collaborate. She takes the best of everybody's ideas with her own and Mix something new.
Speaker 9:the idea could come from anywhere, it doesn't matter who it's like, just the best idea wins and that's infectious, you know, and it's it really helps, like the project the fact that she's able to be so open and warm and such Such a great collaborator and open to collaboration when this has been her baby for, you know, over 20 years, you know it's. It was really astounding, and it was. It was really humbling to be able to work with somebody like that.
Speaker 1:I mean, I can't even imagine that having to work with these legends must be Just an incredible honor in a huge responsibility have to take on. Because, again, it's not just a movie, it's a musical with massive dance sequences, so you got to really pay attention. Who's your choreographer?
Speaker 3:So finding the right choreographer is essential, and she talks about that with Kyle Hanagami and then we're gonna hear from him, and then we have a feature at, and in this feature at, we're gonna hear from the cast Talking about all that the other person that I think is really defining the look of this movie is Kyle Hanagami, our choreographer, who's genius and has had such an incredible sense of of Using dance to tell the story of finding moments of humor within the numbers of finding moments that people. Maybe people will want to try this on tiktok, or they will Think this is like something cool they haven't seen before. He's been just invaluable.
Speaker 12:I was Told that the directors had put me in their original pitch for the movie. I had never met art and Sam before, but they said that they had been fans of my work for a very long time and so I met with them and the producers and Tina and Jeff and people at Paramount and they brought me on to the project. It's I mean, it's mean girls. Like I was so excited to be a part of this one. Mean girls is definitely a cult classic, like it's just. It was kind of the first of its kind to speak to a new generation, and so In creating this movie, we're kind of keeping that in mind and making sure that we aren't trying to remake the old one. We are trying to Create something that speaks to a whole new generation that can be appreciated by both the new generation and the original fans of mean girls. It's been equally creative. And choreography, because I feel like when most people think choreographer, all they think are dance moves and there's so much creative and planning that goes behind, goes on behind the scenes, kyle.
Speaker 3:Hanagami. Our choreographer had such an incredible sense of how to tell the story In a way that's new and surprising to people. He's incredibly talented.
Speaker 12:It's mean girls. How do you create new twists and turns with something that was so iconic?
Speaker 5:Get in loser.
Speaker 12:But also hadn't been done before. We've got to create our own rules in this world. The Christmas number.
Speaker 4:So much fun why is it so tight?
Speaker 10:I mean, you've had it since the sixth grade. You're probably maturing.
Speaker 12:This is its own thing, its own comedy and its own tone. This movie speaks to a whole new generation, but also the original fans of mean girls so excited to be a part of this one.
Speaker 1:I am so happy when I get those kind of interviews from the studio because there's people like that who work so hard To make a movie what it is and give them a voice To share that with us and what what it's all about. I am just, I love it, I love hearing about that and that these people who are often Forgotten about in the normal I'm doing air quotes here, guys in normal world but the people who make that dance sequences happen are highly trained people and I'm just glad that the studios Give interviews like that to people like me to share with you so you get to real appreciate all that's involved in making a movie like this. Coming up next we're gonna hear from Tina Fey and she just talks about what she hopes people get out of this film.
Speaker 3:I think people are going to love this cast and I hope that people will Find moments where they're like oh, I didn't expect that.
Speaker 1:So what do you guys think is this movie that you want to see, might want to rent that I represented properly? I would love your feedback. If you ever want to, please reach out Cinema judge at hotmailcom or I'm on tiktok, instagram, youtube. I love hearing you guys from YouTube, but here's the deal feel, if YouTube is sometimes this, not all the time, and I'm not trying to be, you know, that guy but every once while there's copyright issues for whatever reason on on YouTube, so the version here isn't always a version you get there. So if you want to pure uncut version, always listen to it on your podcast version, whether it's whatever. Whatever platform you have go to, whoever podcasts are at, you will always get the uncut version. But every once in a while if you go to YouTube which I love putting it there because you actually see it sometimes Certain companies won't allow it, like this one. We'll see what happens with all the featurettes. I hope it can be shown, but every once in a while there's restriction, so let's hope not. But anyway, my point is this if you want to get the full show, listen to it on a podcast platform, because I really love listening to how you listen to the show. Some of you guys listen to it, maybe two weeks later, two months later, or maybe you listen to it the day it drops or while you're at work, on break, driving the work. It's so fun to hear how you listen to the show, because here I am, I'm sitting in my basement in the middle of the night and you might be listening to this, you know, two years from now, I don't know. But what I like to do is here is I give a shout out to everybody listen to the last episode. But here's the rub. This shout out goes only the people who listen to it on a podcast platform. If you listen to it on YouTube, you don't get a shout out, and I apologize because that's just impossible to track. And this is only for the last episode. It's not all you wonderful people who take your time to listen to old episodes and there's a couple episodes out there, guys, that you guys listen to in jerovs Almost every day and I'm like, wow, I love to thank you guys, but it's impossible to find out who you are or where you are. Don't think for one second. I don't appreciate that, because when I see something like that, I'm like, wow, whatever it is about that episode People love. So if you want to shout out from where you are, listen to the newest episode and then on the next episode I'll give you a shout out, because I can't grow if I don't know. So your feedback is greatly appreciated.
Speaker 1:And, like I said earlier, I often put film clips on tiktok. So if you ever go to tiktok, look up cinema judge, and I sometimes put up their little snippets of the show. Or if you ever want to talk real time, if you ever go to the metaverse, go to horizon worlds, because I'm often there. Look up cinema judge every time. You know, not all the time, but when I'm there. Sometimes they go to a place called ace of clubs laser tag. It's such a blast. We sit there and just float in the air and laser tag each other. Check it out, ace of clubs laser tag. We could talk movies or not talk movies, I don't care it, just we talk about everything there. It's a great time.
Speaker 1:So now it's time for the shout out to all my listeners in the United States, germany. You guys are incredible every week. Thanks for sharing with your friends. I really appreciate this same thing with Poland and Australia. Minneapolis, minnesota, creffield, north Rhine was folly. I know every week I get that wrong. Guys, I'll work on that one. Aurora, colorado, kc Y N I a, and then KUJ AW, sko, dash POM OR SK IE. Thank you very much. Dresden, saxony, frankfort, am main, hesse, you guys are always there every week. Thank you so much. Bethel, minnesota, port, charlotte, florida, lansdale, pennsylvania, the Moin, iowa, orlando, florida, seattle, washington, melbourne, victoria, las Vegas, nevada, san Diego, california, new York, new York, columbus, ohio, philadelphia, pennsylvania, just to name a few. So to each and every one of you, thank you so much for listening. In this week's bourbon shout out goes all to Micaela. Thanks very much for listening. I really appreciate your time and I hope you're doing well. So cheers.
Speaker 1:Now, if you want to watch the TV version of this, go to bitly Cinema judge. There you can watch this on demand whenever you want, 24 hours a day. It's usually there for a few months, so there you can see all the interviews, the featurettes, everything that comes with it. But the big plus part is this you don't see or hear me at all. All that is is a hundred percent show in interviews and, as I've said many times before, when I'm making the TV version of this, I'm just sitting back cranking tunes because I don't worry about talking or any of that stuff, because I usually fumble around here all the time. But there I'm in my happy place, just me, my tunes, and editing a TV show which becomes this. So when I'm listening, that cranking tunes all over the place.
Speaker 1:So this time I said, well, I gotta find a theme for this one. It's kind of about young women, empowerment, being strong. So I said, hey, what, what else would I listen to? I had to throw on some Taylor Swift. Why not? I mean, she's a legend, she's a great songwriter, speaks for young women and people everywhere. So that's what I threw down. I had to listen to a little Taylor Swift just to get in the right zone for mean girls. Not that she's a mean girl, it's just that she's a strong woman. So I had to throw down a little Taylor Swift. Well, that's it. I'm thirsty. So cheers you into the movies. So until next time, be well, be good, and I'm gone. I'm Jeff. Thanks for listening to the Cinema. Judge you.