📍 📍 Welcome to Second Emulation, the podcast that explores all things pop culture, from movies and TV shows to the latest anime releases. Join us as we dive into the world of entertainment, sharing our thoughts, opinions, and insights on the latest trends and releases. With a focus on what's hot and what's not, we're your go-to source for all things pop culture. So sit back, relax, and let's get started
I'd like to thank Emily for bringing us in, and, Kiley. Together.
Yeah, that's Kiley. You gave him, you gave him, you said my name for me and that's fine.
Yes, I'm, it's been a long day. I'm Shawn. And I'm Kiley. And this is actually an interesting one. The movie we just finished watching is Ghost Rider.
Yes.
Ghost Rider, and for those of you who don't I don't know what that movie is about. I thought it was always part of Marvel until you told me that it was not originally a part of Marvel.
Yeah, it was so this is kind of like we were still in high school and this was kind of like the the stint This was like the stint of like right after I believe Blade and Spider Man and the X Men it was around that time that Marvel was like outsourcing their properties And so ghost rider was like the next step of that and for like a 2007, you know, it wasn't that bad, but it also wasn't that
great Especially when you think two years later about two years later comes Iron Man and that was a whole other level like I've really set Marvel on to the stage of success but before we get into all that Let's just, I'm gonna read this synopsis, like their actual description because I think it's funnier than me describing it, but literally, it's Ghost Rider, came out in 2007, directed by Mark Steven Johnson, starring Nicolas Cage and Eva Mendes before she, you know, was in all her really, her really famous work, but also after being in that Will Smith video.
Anyway, the synopsis says, Hell is about to be unleashed. In order to save his dying father, young stunt cyclist Johnny Blaze sells his soul to Mephistopheles and sadly parts from the pure hearted Roxanne Simpson, the love of his life. Years later, Johnny's path crosses again with Roxanne, now a go getting reporter, and also with Mephistopheles, who offers to release Johnny's soul if Johnny becomes the fabled fiery ghostwriter.
So that's the synopsis.
And this movie was like, the tone was done like a western.
Yes, it was, they had Sam Elliott, who's also in the movie. Narrating. Yeah, narrating the
film like Tombstone. Yeah. He's from Tombstone, which I don't know if I like the direction, but for those who don't know, like Ghost Rider is like from the song Ghost Riders in the Sky.
you know type of thing. So it was a western theme thing. So I felt like the motif, like what they were trying to do was give it that feel, but the comic book ghost rider is not really like Western. He's more like, I guess you can say goth, punk, grimy, sup more supernatural in the sense there was, it was supposed to be like, they're, they're.
I guess, doorstep into the more supernatural Afterblade. And so which wasn't, I guess, taken very well because this movie didn't had mixed reception.
And yeah, which we could get into more. I forgot to say there are a bunch of other people in this movie, too, before we move into to our favorite parts. I didn't realize that the guy that plays.
Mephisto or Mephisto, I don't know how you say that, is it Mephisto? Just say Mephisto. Mephisto, thank you. He's, it's Peter Fonda, which is Jane Fonda's older brother. And then you also have Wes Bentley, way before he was famous, playing the, Mephisto's son. You've got Sam Elliott narrating. And then you've got that guy who's like literally in everything.
I think his, it says his name is Donald Logue. He was literally in Blade. Yeah, he's been in like everything. He was in Jerry Maguire. He was in, Runaway Bride. He's been in a lot of movies and a lot of shows. So I think he's, he's one, like he's the kind of person you see him, you know, who you know, you've seen him before.
You just don't, you don't know all of his stuff, but he's A lot of things. But yeah, I mean, what are some of your favorite scenes from the movie?
I have to think, so my, one of my favorites is that just the fact that Nick Cage is a stunt performer, like he's a, a cyclist, like I guess you could say he's a daredevil he's an evil keneval so something that doesn't exist anymore Where he's jumping through flights of, just jumping over stuff
It might exist, but I don't think it's very popular if it does But yeah, it's something that I guess was probably considered more popular at one time than that it is now
So my favorite scene For me, personally, is that, I have to say, is Nick Cage eating jelly beans or candy from Martini Gass.
Yeah, because he doesn't, he doesn't
drink. He doesn't drink alcohol, he doesn't do anything, like he, like his body's a temple. And it would make sense, because when you find out how many Instant kills that this individual has performing these stunts on this grand tour that he's been doing. It would make sense that he would have, he essentially died multiple times, like instant death.
And so, and this all goes back to, you know, to the synopsis that he sold his soul.
Yeah, so what basically he, his dad is a cyclist and they have like a show that they do together. Yes, they do. And when he finds out that his dad has cancer, he sells his soul. Not, I don't even know if it's intentionally because his finger gets cut and that like counts.
So he's not, he, he does it, but I wouldn't say like the intention is there. And I don't even think he thinks it's real until, until his dad all of a sudden better. But then of course, because you're making a deal with someone who deals, as we know, always have like a catch. If something seems like it's free it's because you are the product.
And so he, his dad ends up dying in a cycling accident, in a stunt. Which we'll get into that later. But, but and then he goes on to do it himself. And he leaves his, the girl that he's in love with behind. And because he's now, you know, ghost writer, but doesn't realize that he doesn't die. Like he gets involved in all these accidents and he stays alive and that's because the guy wants to use him later down the line.
And I think he does it because he's trying to kill himself. Maybe,
I think maybe he's trying to like test the waters because he does do some crazy stuff. He, there's one where he, he, goes across, rides his bike and jumps across, freaking football field. There's no way. The way that it, it accelerates and the way that it doesn't decline when you're watching it visually, it's absolutely no way.
But, that is a story for my weakest parts of the movie. Yeah. I guess, wait, what did you say your favorite scene?
Yeah, it was the, I already
said my favorite scene. Oh, the jelly beans. I, I like that too. I would also say, one of my favorite scenes is probably when, clearly they like paid to get him in shape.
Like Nicolas Cage is in tip top shape in this movie. Like you just see abs for days. But he when he's eating his jelly beans and he's like watching TV and he's talking about like the monkey thing that he wants to see. I thought that was really funny. I thought that was really funny. Also when he's like trying to give himself a pep talk.
I thought that was funny too. So I thought those were good scenes. What else? Honestly, I really enjoyed Sam Elliott narrating because he's got a really nice voice. So I guess that's my other one. But do you have any
other favorites? Yeah, my other favorite thing is him with like his catchphrase or his gimmick where he like he sticks his hands out.
And he's like, like he's, he sticks his hand like he's shooting a fireball, which is kind of like synopsis will like foreshadowing what's to come. Yeah, that's true. So like, it's because this whole thing, like Johnny Blaze, he's like, ah, fire. Yeah. So it's like this whole catchphrase, which. You know, we all know he, he's going to become Ghost Rider at some point, which is funny because he's surrounding himself with fire doing all this other stuff.
It just is weird that he just has a catchphrase and that's it. He just sticks his hands out like Johnny Blaze. Johnny Blaze. Yeah,
he does that a lot in this movie. So that is also very humorous. I would say that's a good, that's a good one. I guess One of my other favorite parts is them trying to get us to believe that him and Eva Mendes are the same age.
They do not look the same age. He's 10 years older than her in real life, but he looks like 20 years older than her in this movie. Just because it's, it's very obvious, like, that he's, I think, probably in his 40s and she's in her 30s. Like, they look very different. They, I'm pretty sure they dyed Nicolas Cage's hair, it, it seems like it, but yeah, it seems like they're both supposed to be teens in the beginning and those kids look to be the same age, but then you cut to them and they don't tell you how much time has gone by at all, I don't think they ever say, and so we're not really certain how long it's been, but I'm like, are they, are they truly supposed to be the same age?
Cause they don't look the same age.
Not only did, Mephisto steal his soul, but he took away his time. He took away time
too, yeah. Just, just waiting, apparently. So I would say that's one of my other, my other favorite ones. Anytime they try to make that romance happen, it's, I think it's hilarious because it's bad.
Yeah, it, it, it. It seemed odd, but I'm like, at the time, who would've else played that role?
For his, his lady?
Not for the lady, but just like for the, I guess for like, for Johnny Blaze and Roxanne.
Well, you know. Okay. So I guess that would bring us to like the weakest parts of the movie in a way. Do you have any other favorite scenes?
No, that I, yeah, I would say. Honestly, I don't think that Nicolas Cage was a bad ghostwriter, which I know, I seem to criticize him a lot. I don't think he was bad, I think the material was bad, and the direction that they were going was bad, and the CGI was bad. Like, they went through the whole western theme, which I don't understand why that, that, I feel like it should have been completely separate from that.
Cause you didn't need it, you didn't need that. You didn't need that aspect. I don't think that they really developed or tried to develop his relationship with Roxanne or even Mendez's character because Like you said in a past review you could just plop her right out and the plot would not be any different It would not
change Exactly now I'm thinking
about it.
You could just plop her right on out and you know what else you could plop the dad Right on out too because they don't give him enough time Building and showing the relationship or the impact of his dad having cancer has on him. Like he's in and he is out. Yeah. He literally finds the paper is distraught and then sells his soul immediately and like his dad's better and he's like, yay.
And then like two seconds later, his dad's dead all our five minutes. And so, I mean, I get it. I get you have to do the, the, those stories fast. But because it's his origin story, you would think. for example, it's been done so many times, but Spiderman they spend the whole like the whole A large portion of time getting to his relationship with his uncle before he dies.
Or even in the newer version You've got a built up relationship with his aunt before she dies So it like feels more impactful for that character and for you when you're watching it and I just feel like they just went through it really fast because they wanted To get to the cool stuff. They could have saved us time and removed all that that Western stuff And we would have had more time for other things
Yeah, and you know what?
I now know what this movie feels like, End Days, Arnold Schwarzenegger. I don't think I remember that movie. Yeah, it's like, the, for those who don't know, End Days is a similar move, plot point where, like, the devil needs a soul to To prevent the end of the world type of situation. And so the main character has to stop the, the devil from getting a soul, a plot point, ghosts rider, Nick nicages character has to prevent Mephisto from getting, or Blackheart, both of them from getting those.
This contract of all these souls That were, an area People who did all these deals from ruling the world I guess They, I don't know what that meant But it didn't make any sense for the characters Black heart was like a one and done type of thing, but, they could have went a different route, like you mentioned take the mom, not take the mom out, but take the dad out, take Roxanne out.
We could have easily gotten a ghost writer movie as an origin with him in it. Already Ghost Rider and dealing with it. And then him like, you know, travelling through as a nomad going through town that like, and then just him, his dad, him reminiscing as flashbacks of like that would have been a perfect like origin, like him, you know, trying to outrun the deal he made.
And then along the way, you know, you know, deterioration of world's crime scene china. him coming and then him stumbling on to like this whole situation that would have been perfect like him traveling him having to leave him doing this stuff because it's almost synopsis like with the Hulk he ghost riders also a nomad he has to leave you know at night in the presence of evil he turns into the ghost rider so they could have done that For me the weakest part for me was just like
How they did that they did the dad dirty They did his dad so quick. Like it wasn't even like a believable death scene. It's
like He like doesn't even make it to the end of the thing yeah
like he they show you so they show The younger version of him watching his dad from like behind the curtain. He gets ready and he doesn't I don't think he even makes the jump or no
he like
crashes yeah he he like he gets there and then the bike tips over, and then Crashes.
And I was like and he's dead and he walked he like his son runs up to him and he's like he holds them and then he dies sounds like and Then it's like gold. No, he he tips over and goes up in flames to show you like the devil's got him
And then there's Mephisto. Mephisto. He's there like, ha ha, gotcha sucker.
Yeah, like, I was like, damn, this actor, I mean, you gotta get a paycheck, but I was like, damn, he, he had to make it believable, like, oh, this is all I got.
All right. All I have, yeah, I mean, that's a, that, yeah, I agree with that. I would say for me, another weak area is, Mephi, Mephisto's, in Marvel.
Intentions? Ah And I would say the continuity of the story. I'm not a huge comic book person. But even I, and that, let's be honest. I did fall asleep at one point during this. Yeah? Yeah I fell asleep, and I came back too, and other parts, don't feel like I missed anything important still. No, no. But I will say that for example, and I mentioned it when I was watching it The freaking, I don't understand the like, continuity and, Mephisto's intentions of the ghost rider because he he at one point says like, I need someone to do my bidding and offers to, I guess, give him back his soul so that if he becomes ghost rider to like, hunt evil or in the presence of evil, but This Mephisto is also evil.
So I don't understand why he wouldn't just turn to Ghost Rider when he's there Also, yeah, I guess he has him what to fight his son to mm hmm It the impression that they give is that there's only one at a time But then Sam Elliott's character turns out to be the one who stole this list of names from him ages ago and he can still turn into a He doesn't have the power to send anyone back to hell, but he can still turn into a ghostwriter.
And he does it while riding the freaking horse. Yeah. And he rides with, with him to where he's gotta go. And I'm like, that doesn't make sense either. And then at the end, the same guys like, there's a bunch of other people, other souls to sign, other, to take on this burden. There's many other blah blah blahs.
I'm like wait, how many of these fucking ghost writers are there? Because I thought there's supposed to be one. He's supposed to be one
Yeah, they they may seem like there is multiple but in comic book lore There's only one and it's it's an abomination Spirit that MEO created, that it's essentially he's bound to, it's a twisted angel that's essentially It is.
So he corrupted a twisted angel. And I'm, some people might correct me, but it, it's an angel that he was able to corrupt and, so he's bounded to him like a, almost like a demon or spirit of sort. And so he created it. So it needs a vessel. And It's bound to him. That's why I get this body guard and Evil Essence.
So because he's the master, it's the servant. I can't turn against him. So It has to obey him. Because you know, The will of whoever it is Sometimes can be stronger can I guess, you know, adjust its alignment kind of like how Bruce Banner when he's Hulk, when he's angry, if he can focus the anger on something else, I assume it's like the same thing Like if Johnny Blaise can focus it to something else he can like, you know, do something it's kind of like that But yeah, this movie was their first chance of doing something they, It left a lot of questions, you know, for that.
Definitely for that. And I kept wondering, what's the, like, like you said it, I guess he can tip the scale of what he considers to be evil, which makes more sense. Cause I was like, what does he consider to be evil? Demon? Someone who's just a bad person? Like, it's not very clear. And if it's any time he's in the dark, like he's at one point in the shadows and he turns into him.
So it doesn't. It doesn't make sense if it should just be at night time. You know, and so it's just, they didn't really do a good job setting that up. I
think it's like corrupted souls. So, I think it's like when he's in the presence of evil, whatever that might form that might take corrupted souls So I think they didn't go further in describing, but I think it's corrupted souls, demons, people, humans, corrupted souls The rider takes over and then at that moment the rider can judge people and like Condemn them and bring them to hell, you know, like burnt soul There's a thing called the pennant stare that he did Which, like, just kills them or whatever.
Well, essentially burns their soul, essentially, like stains them. I, I, I, I, I, it's a whole thing. It's a whole thing, but I have to, it's a whole thing. I'm not even as much of, like, I don't know too much about Ghost Rider other than this movie, and I know he was in like the TV. of shield. So I'm not very up to date on it, but I know that he's a supernatural being like blade.
And this was supposed to be like another point of entry into that. Like kind of like how we got, Dr. Strange and magic. It was supposed to be like
that. Yeah. And I guess another, actually, I just thought of a favorite scene. It's someone's rebel Wilson, and, I would say two more things for weak points for me.
Where one it doesn't really make sense why he doesn't have him become Ghost Rider immediately like he signs over so many immediately kills his dad Hmm like why wouldn't he? He make him be ghost writer then he just lets him go on his merry way And he who's collecting souls in that time who's doing that deed that job I guess all the other people are It just made it seem like he wasn't as needed until, you know, a moment came up, I guess.
And then the other one, again, is the, is, is Eva Mendes character. She's definitely, a good actress. I mean, she was great in the other guys, like, she's great in Hitch. You've seen her in some stuff, she's, she's good, but I don't think there was anything here of note for her. Her character is supposed to be a reporter, but she doesn't really do much reporting.
She doesn't seem very good at it. And she, again, you could just take her right out of the film and you wouldn't even know. But she did make me laugh when she was drinking all that wine when they were waiting for their date. So, I thought that was funny. But yeah, that didn't make sense. I don't even, yeah.
The
weak point for me too, was the villains. Like essentially like the type of threats that you had to deal with seemed like they were like elementals and they were easily dealt with. They, they didn't put up much of a fight. And so you're like, you know. Black Heart so called summons like these fallen angels.
They were elementals and yet they were giving Ghost Rider the business and then all Ghost Rider had to do was like he controls hellfire and all he had to do was like grab something it, it becomes an actual hellfire. He swings it around a couple times, they're gone. They're, they're eternally burned and they no longer exist on this earthly plane or any plane ever.
And I'm like, They were easily taken out one by one. I was like, so they, and that goes to show like how powerful he was, but like at the same time these, the villains weren't that powerful. Like the way their entry was like, Oh yeah, the ghost fire he ain't, you know, he ain't shit, but yet here he is simply taking you guys out, one by one, not putting up a, like.
easily not putting up a sweat himself, which I thought was funny. Like he was just dusting these guys off left and right,
He didn't seem that bothered by inevitably about being ghostwriter and his like I'll stay it. Which, I don't think should have been included in the movie either, but, yeah, I, would agree.
The villains were like ho hum, hul hum villains
Something a little bit better. Would have been would have been great.
The decision to stay it. Like, if you kind of think it from like his point of view was that. Could he allow someone it's like the human part. Like, could he allow someone to be subjugated to that again? Be bound?
And apparently there are hundreds of them.
Apparently, well, well, in this, you know, who knows if there's in this universe?
It's wild. I think if they were to remake it, which I hear that they may be, so I don't know if they remake it or whatever they decide to do with it, it would greatly benefit from better CGI as well. There, they have Marvel money, so there's no way like to me That that that quality was what what it was There
was a sequel and guess Eva Mendes then make it to the second.
Well,
she wasn't in the second Ghost Rider Yeah, oh
Yeah, it was called
the Spirit of Vengeance. Yeah, see? And that one, it definitely came out after they already had a lot of Marvel money. So, it's just, it was a lot of choices. I think they had the, the opportunity to be good. I think that Nicolas Cage, I don't think he was the wrong choice.
And I think if it had been a better movie, he would have probably sold it. He did his best to sell it. Eva Mendes did her best to sell it. And Sam Elliott did his best to sell it. But it just was not. It was, it, there was a lot of, These are the places it just didn't hit. Which is disappointing more so than it was a, you know, a bad movie.
It was just more disappointing because you like wanted more. The trailer looked cool when we were kids. Yeah, it did. And I remember we went to see the movie, and the funny thing is I fell asleep in the theater when this was on too. So apparently that is my thing. I just fall asleep during it.
Alright, what would you rate this movie?
You know what, I would give it a 2 ironically, just because the pointy thing that the Nick Cage does made me laugh every time. And I also thought the catchphrases of the Ghost Rider were funny. And the fact that, oh, you know what they could have done, they could have had his relationship be about his friendship with his manager guy who just dies, and he doesn't even like seem to care, it's this guy who's looked out for him his entire fucking, career being a stuntman and he's just like, well, I guess, he's dead now.
Yeah? Just fucking wild. There goes the show, no good deed goes unpunished. Apparently. Yeah, so I would give it a 2. I thought there was like good actors, and if it had been a better vehicle, it probably could have been a bigger film. But it, it wasn't, so that's fine.
I would give it a two and a half, just a little bit higher up than you.
Like I said, it left a lot to be desired, like plot and characters. And
characters. It might have been better as a TV series, honestly.
Could be, I mean, yeah, the fact that like, you know, you're going to see the devil's bounty hunter on a chrome bicycle in flames. Yeah. Mind you. He was causing a lot of city damage.
Yeah, that's
why I'm like, if there was multiple of them, we would have known. Yeah, like
he was destroying a lot of shit. He
really was. Okay. And I guess that moves us into reviews. Do you want to go first? Technically I went first on the last
one. Yeah, let's see. Alright, so mine is gonna be from Sam. It's even funnier if you just imagine any scene without the effects and you're just watching Nick Cage doing his wild thing on set.
I
saw that review too and it made me laugh. I almost picked it. Because, yeah, it would be the CGI stuff. It would just be a green screen and there would be Nick Cage acting his little heart out. In this role, which I do think he did try. And just, you know, having to sit and be serious through that would be hilarious.
Yeah. Okay. So here's, here's mine by T rex shark. It's the emoticons, Review. And they gave it two stars and they said, everyone acts all cool until a guy with the firy skull that doesn't suit his body says, you guilty. And I think that's the other part that threw me and I just realized his head was too small With the for as when it was on fire for his body
Yeah, that again a lot of things.
They were still workshopping like CGI
guilty.
And I forgot to save a mine. He gave it a one star for that one. So my next one is going to be from a user. Sunny Boba. Everything about this movie is absolutely hilarious. I mean, Nick Cage with a terrible Southern accent drinking jelly beans out of a martini glass is inarguably peak cinema, two
stars, two stars, peak cinema.
Indeed. And he's doing great. He's got apps for days, even though he's a bike rider. Solid, solid choice. My last one is going to be from Anthony. He gave it two stars. and he, they wrote, I can buy a purple Mad Titan going around collecting infinity stones. I cannot buy this film telling me that Cage and Mendes are supposed to be the same age.
I
saw that one, I was going to pick it too.
Yeah, because it's just, they do not look, categorically they do not look the same age. He does look like he spent too much time in the sun. Maybe they put tanning lotion on him, I think that might have been it too.
But, he was, because I think, they didn't say where he was from.
It was like a western film, like, so he was from either like. The, Southern, the South.
They put, they put towning lotion on him. I think he was a little darker. Yeah, he was a little. And it just made him look older. And, and, out of place in the movie, which is crazy. So and she just looked. yonger than him and it didn't make
sense.
And so the reviews that we read are from letterbox for ghost rider which we do we always pick two. Every movie that we review we pick two. As we give our reviews, we like to give a shout out to those who've also watched the film and see what their thoughts and what they rate. And it looks like everyone who's seen this film is probably on the same page as us, you know, overall average is maybe a two to one star of this movie.
Yeah, I would
say they're all pretty much on the same page as us. And people were actually probably harsher. Oh, the general consensus is 2. 3. So in between our two reviews, okay I have a 2 and a 2. 5 and actually yeah, so that's not bad. I think we're pretty on par with the general the general population
Yeah, cuz was it the actual reading yeah, that's actual rating so Getting close to the end here.
Yeah, so Do you have any last words?
As always, I lost my hand! I lost my wife! Johnny has his hand! Johnny has his wife! I'm sorry, I have to do it every time
now. Yeah, that's, that's what you're going to be known for. I feel like at some point we should create a t shirt with like a little emoji counter view saying that.
Saying which one? I lost my
hand. Oh my gosh. Yeah, and most people don't even know why I just shout it out now in random places. I'm just like, I lost my hand. I lost my wife. Johnny has his hand. Johnny has his wife. Iconic.
Yeah. Iconic. And with that, we'll see you guys in the next one. Bye. Bye.
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