Second Emulation

The Strange World of Raising Arizona

Shawn Juarez Episode 77

Send us a text

Buckle up for a wild cinematic journey as we explore the absurdity of the Coen Brothers' 1987 cult classic, Raising Arizona. This comedy defies all expectations, constantly shifting between romance, heist, action, and supernatural thriller without warning or apology.

Young Nicolas Cage stars as Hi, an ex-con who falls for Holly Hunter's Ed, the police officer who takes his mugshot. When they discover they can't have children, they make the questionable decision to kidnap one baby from wealthy Arizona quintuplets, setting off a chain of increasingly bizarre events. The film's standout scenes include Cage's physical comedy masterclass as he attempts to wrangle multiple crawling babies during the heist, and the inexplicable appearance of a Ghost Rider-like bounty hunter who brings destruction wherever he goes.

What makes Raising Arizona truly fascinating is how it builds a moral universe where serious crimes have virtually no consequences. Despite kidnapping, armed robbery, and various other felonies, characters face no real repercussions for their actions. This creates a dreamlike quality where the normal rules of society simply don't apply.

We dive deep into the film's portrayal of lower socioeconomic classes, questioning whether its use of poverty and criminal backgrounds as sources of humor would be acceptable in modern filmmaking. Despite these concerns, the magnetic performances from Cage and Hunter (both in their early 20s) help ground the film's outlandish elements, giving viewers something to connect with amidst the chaos.

Ready to experience this strange, genre-defying classic? Listen now and join our conversation about one of the most peculiar entries in Nicolas Cage's extensive filmography. After this episode, you'll never look at baby kidnapping, convenience store robberies, or roof-mounted infants quite the same way again.

Hey there, podcast pals! Need a morning boost? Look no further than Dunkin' Donuts! Our freshly brewed coffee and irresistible donuts are the perfect way to kick-start your day. From classic favorites to new flavors, there's something for everyone. Join DD Perks for exclusive rewards with every purchase. Swing by your nearest Dunkin' today and treat yourself to something special. Dunkin' Delights – making mornings brighter, one sip at a time! 

 Hey, everyone! Like, super exciting news! Fan mail has been added to our podcast! We totally love hearing from you, so if you have any questions, comments, or just wanna say hi, click the link above the description. We might even feature you in an upcoming episode! So, don't be shy—click that link and share your thoughts. Okay, now back to the show

Want more of Second Emulation? Stay connected with us by following our social media channels! By clicking the link below to stay up to date with us on our socials and Game review streaming channel.

https://solo.to/secondemulation






  📍 Hi, hello, and welcome to Second Emulation! Oh my God, you guys, I’m so excited for you to listen to this episode—like, it’s going to be so good! Your amazing host is about to take you on a deep dive into all things movies, anime, gaming, and pop culture. Seriously, it’s, like, the best way to spend your time. So, grab your favorite drink, maybe a latte or something cute, and get ready to have the best time. Okay, love that for you! Here’s your host!"

Hello everyone. This is Sean Juarez and my co-host who's my wacky sibling. Kylie. Kylie, 

I'm not going to last. Name's not needed. 

Oh yeah, I did that by mistake. Welcome to Second Emulation podcast where talk about movies, video games, a lot of different stuff, but you're going to listen to another journey through.

Nick Cage's filmography with this particular crazy film. Raising Arizona. 

Yeah. So we're gonna discuss everything there is to know about raising Arizona. 

Yeah. And I'd like to read off the summary for this film provided by Letterbox 

that came out in 1987. So before either of us were born, Nick Cage has been acting for more than we've been alive.

Yes. And there's a lot of tags with this movie. So I'm gonna read those and then read the summary for this film. So there are, their lawless years are behind them, their childre rearing years. Lay ahead and then here comes the summary. So when a child is couple, an ex-con, an ex decide to help themselves to one of another family's quintuplets, their lives become more complicated than anticipated, which I feel like this is where Nick Cage like created the character for.

Con Air. 

Oh, you kept saying that. Yeah, I kept saying that that it was the prior, actually, I don't know if it probably was before Con Air, if I'm thinking about It wasn't Con Air early nineties or late eighties or something like that? 

It was late eighties. No, it, this came out first before Con Air.

I'm gonna look real quick. Yeah. Oh yeah. Con Air was 1997, so maybe this was like his research for the role, but this is a very young Nick Cage and a very young Holly Hunter. John Goodman was in it too, which I didn't realize. So that was surprising. And then they have, it's directed by the Cohen Brothers who make all those movies that people always talk about that are weird.

Oh, brother Wear Art Thou I remember that one. Yeah, I was 

gonna say burn 

after Reading Hale Caesar. They're like funny. They're like black comedies almost. And then I think they did no Country for old men too, which was not thought comedy. I thought you were just going to 

Name them and then just not list anything else.

No, I know some of 'em because I always see, when they get marketed now they're like Cohen brothers. This is like the start almost and at the start of their career. 

To be honest, I didn't know who they were. That's 

fair. They existed before we were born probably. 

Yeah. But also I, films like this particular one have something unique to them and we got to experience that with a opening sequence that we assumed was just a movie starting.

Not a lot of films do that now, where they have an opening sequence depending on. Where they are in their craft. But this totally caught me off guard is that the movie starts we're about, I wanna say I think 20 minutes, was it 20 minutes? Maybe less than that. I say 20 minutes into a movie or maybe less than that.

10. Yeah. And then credits pull up onto the screen. 

Oh, you mean the title of the film and stuff? Yeah. Yeah. There was a whole intro before that showed up. I feel like that's getting more and more, or that was. It's less and less common this day and age for people to do that, but I feel like the older movies do it sometimes.

But yeah, it was quite a big I honestly forgot it didn't show until the show. Yeah. And 

it, it wasn't like it farther 

in the movie and I was like, wow. I whoa, so much has already happened. 

Exactly. And it felt like pointless, but you're like, whoa, this is, and it just wasn't, it wasn't like, there wasn't any music behind it.

It just showed the title and then it should. Just showed you like the names of the actors in the film and then it continued. So it's like it, I wouldn't say it was like a jump cut, it just stopped. Played that, and then it continued and it was just really oddly place to put it. But I forgot that we didn't see a title until that popped up, and I'm like, oh.

Maybe that's late. 

Maybe it's so that you don't know a movie you're watching until you're already in it. I'm kidding. No, it's probably just some weird, it's probably some sematic things that they do. But yeah, it was, it's an older film for sure. Sorry, my eyeballs at shape.

No, you're fine. But also with this, I would like to set the record straight. I didn't know what this movie. While watching was going to be about. Yeah. 'cause it seemed like it was reaching for any type of genre. For this one, it was 

wacky 

and I felt like 

wacky to backy. The 

directors were like you know what, we only have a limited funds.

We, we put it all on the actors. Just have fun with it. Just that's why I brought up their other 

movies. 'cause from what I hear from the trailer for Hale Caesar and Oh Brother War Art, that those are also that crazy movies that follow absurd plot lines and crazy things happen.

But that that's like the joy for them. 

Just creating chaos on screen. Yeah. I will, you have to I 

will say, I, it was told this was a rom-com and I was like, I don't. I guess there was romance, and I guess there was comedy, but I wouldn't call it a romcom. So yeah, 

I also felt this is where Nick Cage also got his inspiration for Ghost Rider, which Oh, yeah.

Shadowing We don't like. He hasn't been realized that he'll play that. Get that 20 more years. But I felt like for some reason there was a character in spoilers that you'll, they'll be introducing this movie that really gives off the ghost writer vibe. And I was confused. I'm like, wait is?

Is that like a ghost rider type character because he dawned the outfit. He had everything that would insinuate that's what he was. But no, just regular person. But it confused me because as my sister said, this movie was portrayed as a romance and it felt like it went through the phases of romance, comedy, action, dispen, like it hit on.

Every genre. 

Yeah. Oh, I forgot about that guy. So yeah, so it's basically, as you said, a movie about two people that fall in love. He's a long time criminal, and she's a policeman and they get married and she is barren, and they decide to steal a baby from someone who just had quintuplets. And that baby's last name is Arizona and that's why it's called Raising Arizona.

And then everything else ensues. Did you have any favorite 

Yes. Parts of the movie? My favorite part of this film was actually the couple Nick and I think you said Sarah or. Hunt. 

Holly 

Hunter. Holly Hunter. They just go on a drive and they go on a drive because they hear like this profound furniture salesman has quintile plates and they go on a drive at night and they end up at his place and they have the idea, we're just gonna, Nick's gonna walk right in and take a baby and.





More like 

he climbs up it, but Yeah. Yeah. 

But like the. The people were, I guess the tone was, people were just so carefree. And maybe it's during the times that, Nick Cage was able to climb through a window and for the amount of time that he stood there in the baby's rooms where he got to touch the, like he got to grab and hold and I could rearrange the kids and figure out which one he wanted.

It was a lot of time that passed for that particular scene. And then, when he decided to grab a conscience, I'm gonna go back. This is wrong. Yeah. And then his wife then tells him, I ain't gonna need that baby. Yeah. He goes back in there. There was a lot of time that passed that made me wonder if they were gonna get caught or seen.

And they weren't, and he was able to just baby nap that quickly. And I'm like, that sounds about right. During those times where, stranger danger didn't really exist back then, 

ripe in the time of murder, serial murders, technology wasn't what it was Now. She didn't 

lock their doors or close their windows.

They didn't 

lock their doors for sure. Or close their windows. I would say that it. Is not a as much shocking that they didn't close their windows considering the babies were, he brought a ladder. They were up on the second floor. I don't even know. He only knew which room they were in, but what was more alarming to me?

I guess this, my favorite scene is also one of my favorite scenes. Also, that one too. But what's more alarming to me was that they had all quintuplets who probably were less than a year old. I, because, or just around that age. 'cause they couldn't walk yet. But like our niece could walk around one. So I would say probably a little bit younger, they could crawl.

So they weren't, their heads weren't heavier than their bodies. But like he kept putting them on the ground and they kept escaping. And I was like, are you trying to take 'em all? Why don't you like take one at a time? Why are you taking them all out of the crib? And then chaos ensues. They're trying to escape.

They're making noise. You're trying to, you're trying to, he's freaking out. 'cause he is oh my god, one's gone this way, one's gone that way. I gotta put him back in the crib. And he's chasing them down, trying not to get caught by all the people that are in the house. I was gonna say one of the most alarming parts is they've got five kids who are apparently under the age of one in a crib upstairs, not even near the parents.

They're just upstairs, which I think is so interesting because I feel like that's such a far distance to be away from your kids. And they don't seem to have the baby monitors or anything. So I was like, how do you know if your kid's gonna, something's happening to 'em. I. 

And probably someone will double check is, I don't know.

I mean they probably existed, they're probably expensive. 

Yeah. But this family is wealthy. They had help. 

Yes. But that's also why they also had their babies upstairs. 

Yeah. 

Because to be away, like even though it's, I'm not saying that all families are people who. Rich would do this, but it's it almost felt like they were not like an object or they could, they were seem like a status.

I think You mean an accessory? An accessory. That's what we, 

people have said about the wealthy now where they carry around puppies or like when they have babies, they carry them around as an accessory. So they 

were I guess in that moment they were seeing like an accessory.

They are a necessity, but because. They didn't need to be in proximity of the mom and the dad. And they had 'em so high up that they're like no one's ever going to climb through the window and take our kids. That kind of mixed gui of eh we're safe, we're untouchable. 

Aside from perverts, and crazy I guess, 

but I don't know if they're.

Baby monitors exist. I'll have to look it up. 

It's neither here nor there. Yeah. I'm just saying even if you have a baby monitor, that's a far place to run to get to your kids. I, maybe it's just, I'm not a mother, so I wouldn't know. And, but I can, I have a reoccurring nightmare of my niece underneath could getting stuck underneath a bed.

So I just feel like I wouldn't be able to have that much distance. 

And where was the mom? I, 

she was right next to him. The dad. The dad and the mom were right next to each other sitting downstairs and they're like, Barka, loungers, he was reading a paper and he at one point is like, 'cause they hear noises up there.

'cause obviously Nick Cage is trying to, not to get the kids. He's trying to make sure they don't escape. One gets into the hall one, like they make noise. He's trying not to have them make noise. So he's being quiet, he's sweating. He's trying to avoid running into people and I think they hear something and he tells her to go check on the babies upstairs.

And so she goes up and that's when the mom goes, you also don't look 

like distressed or haggard. No, 

they don't look anything like that. 

That's also for anyone who's a first time parent, you're, you go to the mors, like you sleepless nights, you're tired even if you have help. If they have help for, you have, especially the 

mom that's she gave birth to five babies.

Yeah. 

There that is no 

joke. 

There was no signs of stress. Or, sleepless nights across, they just looked comfortable, which also made it seem odd, but that's neither here nor there. But that scene, the whole juggling and climbing in the kind of exchange that hi him, his wife have, and then proceeding into the, those 

babies definitely were older than what they were portraying them to be.

But that's one of my favorites. 

Not that matters, I just think movie magic 'cause they can't from what I hear a lot of the time or what I've learned, they try to hire most of the time. Like twins or triplets or babies that were born premature because then they can look, they'll be smaller at a younger age, which is the age that babies are allowed to be wor work.

But most of, if they don't do that, the babies will often look bigger than what they are. Like if that lady gave birth to those five kids recently. There is no way five kids would be very small like at that time. But you know what, who cares? I'm not a doctor. Oh. And to 

also 

1980s, it doesn't even matter.

It's not even a movie that I should even be like judging its accuracy on because it's, the whole thing is not, is meant to be nuts, 

but also to hammer onto that point that you brought up, like they, Hollywood only hires twins or triplets. That brings me back to the Sprouse Brothers, Dylan, and.

Dylan Sprouse, the ones who were on, who left s Yeah. Cody. They've even commented on the fact that since they've now moved away from doing acting a bit, that they might not, they don't want to come back into it full swing. And the reason for it is because the only rules that they would be able to get would be like for twins, 

that one guy was on Riverdale. 

Yes. But that's like now if they go back, the roles that they were only able to book would be like rows of twins. 'cause no one wanted to hire them individually. 

Oh, you mean after Sweet Life of Zach and Cody? Yes. Because they made their name together. Like Mary Kay and Ashley, they made their name together.

So you always think of them together so they, you don't wanna do one without the other. 

Yeah. So that's why they fizzled out. Acting. He goes, 'cause they would only be hired for this, the exact role like of twins. And then it's only because people would want 'em to do the, he said the sequence would be, have one sort of sentence and then have him finish it.

And he goes, and that's just. Not what they want. Yeah. 



And I get 

that's completely unrelated. I know 

it's unrelated, but I thought it was like, like she mentioned then that, that popped into my head. I'm like, oh, but we're going off track. 

Yeah. So my, I would say another favorite scene I had, which is just another way, so already you've got like the craziness of this guy's a criminal.

Every time she takes his picture, they. Love that way. She has to, leave her job, I'm assuming for him because I think she says that at one point because he's a criminal. And that in that impairs them being able to adopt of course, because they're likely not gonna get approved. And or so they say, who knows, there are some people who've committed crimes who still up.

As foster parents. But anyway and then they can't afford in vitro or things like their surrogacy. So they obviously the next step is to steal a baby. So this is already going off the rail. So they take that baby, they seem very happy with it. But at one point hi, his name is Hi, HI.

He goes, they forget diapers and they go to the store to pick some up and he just decides to rob the store and is I'll take the money and also these diapers. And he goes on some bad crazy chase 'cause she leaves him. And they go on a crazy chase where somehow all these other cops know he's the robber.

And chase him around and shoot at him in a fucking grocery store, and he's shot at. I just thought it was so funny. He just puts an nylon over his face and is I'll take these. And the money, it's ridiculous. It is ridiculous, but it was funny. It made me laugh. 

It's, yeah it's ridiculous because that same type of setup gets used again in the film.

My favorite scene is actually when High Ne Cage's character gets propositioned by a family friend of a. 

It's not, I don't know if it's a family friend. You mean the people who escaped John Goodman? 

No. It's they get Proposition. 

Oh, that one guy, the Swingers? 

Yes, the swingers there. It's a friend, his boss.

Okay. So his boss, who he works for, has a wife and they come over and they they like that he has a kid. And even though they got kids of their own. While they're out talking, he propositions them like, Hey, let's do a wife swap. You could have mine, I could have yours. And it was totally outta left field, wasn't really expecting it.

I'm like, what the hell's going on in this movie? And then Nick Cage Hyde. Reacts exactly how you expect him to. He is, angry, upset. He wants, he literally punches out his boss and loses his job and loses his job later. But he tries to tell his wife, like, why did he do that? He is, I don't know if he actually mentions he propositioned me or No, I don't think he says it.

He doesn't tell her no, he just doesn't tell her. But like the fact, like that happens, which I'm like, your boss had the hots for your girlfriend and your wife, 

not 

your 

girlfriend, 

your wife, mom. I'm wondering like how long they've been communicating and working. Yeah, because they've had to known that they were together, so I'm like, yeah, we don't, we, they 

have so many kids.

We don't know the length, but it's just weird. Doesn't tell him, ask, congratulate him how he's doing. Just straight up propositions him. And I find that's my favorite scene because it, it doesn't need to be there, but it is there. But it's almost how in some workplace you have someone who like uses, their leverage of a position of power. And it felt like that's like his boss was like he's a convict. I'm his boss. And there's no other upside for him than to just Yeah. Agree with this type of thing. Yeah. And 

then when he beats him up and loses his job, then he comes back later to blackmail him into keeping the kid that he now realizes is the stolen senator or governor's.

Child, one of the Quint Ts. So he comes back to threaten high Nick Cage into giving them that kid that they just kidnapped. I was like, this is bananas. Meanwhile, my the, his friends, I can only say friends or ex people, he was in the joint with, I dunno, inmates, cons, inmates con like people who he committed crimes with fellow, fellow individuals in the penitentiary.

Who knows? They escape from prison or jail, like through the ground. Like it's, it was crazy town. And they get a bunch of, what was it? Po pa Pomade. Pomade. They're putting way too much pomade in their hair. Butch is fine, but that's George. John Goodman comes in and then they go to his house and it's literally the day after.

Him and Ed, who is Holly, he's character, have kidnapped the baby. So you've got people on the run who come to his place. You got his boss who's propositioning him and then fires him and then threatens him for the baby. And then you got the baby that they stole. He loses his job. And then those people are like, let's create a, let's go Rob a freaking, was it a farmer's like ration store where you get seeds or something? 

I don't know. I think it was, that's what it was, but the places were like like an everything mart, I believe Mini Mart of some sort. I. All I know is that it seems like people here don't work, are just robbing people. You're robbing for like their source of income.

Oh, that was gonna bring me to my fav, my, my next favorite scene is they decide to take the baby because they also realized the two inmates who escaped, they also realized that that the that the baby is the stolen a child of this. This prominent figure just from the newspaper and the news by the way.

Which good on them because that takes a lot of work to see that in those old informative sources. But then they take the baby and they're gonna think about holding him for ransom, I'm pretty sure. To get like money from the person. But then they're with him for not even that long hours at best.

And then they fall, they start to love him and they wanna keep him like with him forever, but they keep forgetting him on the top of their car. Which is that's what the movie portrays. But every time they forget him on the top of the car and they come back, he's on the ground, like as he's supposed to be.

And if they sped off driving and he was on top of the roof, he would've flipped and not been alive, baby. I'm gonna just say they, they must have left him on the ground and drove off, which I think, I thought it was funny every time they did it, because I'm like, how do you forget a baby?

I know you don't have one, but if that's like your main bargaining chip, how do you keep forgetting the baby? And then I think they get chased at one point by that guy who we, I forgot about again. The ghost writer guy. 

Yeah, I have to say. Man. Could I, that could be another favorite scene, 

Might as well.

This is a wacky movie. Yeah. 

So my, my other favorite scene or just favorite, I think. Yeah, it would be fair of seeing our character. It's like the introduction of, I thought it was a dream, like it was portrayed as a dream sequence like Nick Cage or Hyde, every time he goes to sleep, like the guilt of, everything he's done.

Oh yeah. He like 

has visions. 

Yeah. He's he's, he has a nightmare slash dream and he's, way on the guilt and it's like a vision or nightmare. But I thought like the character that we see is like a manifest, manifest, manifest manifestation of all that guilt coming for him. No, it's just some random.

Dude, bounty hunter that just collects and hunts people down. He's just, he's armed from head to toe like the ghost rider and has like a baby head, or no baby's booties, just strapped to his. His waist as like a key chain, and he's supposed to be the most badass person and no explanation whatsoever.

Just other than that. Wherever he goes on the highway just destruction follows. There's no things, just turn a blade. And I'm like, when did they introduce Ghost Rider into this movie? 

He was intense too. He was. He was like, what is that one guy dog, the bounty hunter? But. Crazier. I think at one point he's like doing all these crazy things to catch him.

Like with g like trying to kill him almost. It seemed like it was. 

Yeah. Like that was my favorite part was like the introduction to segue to him because 

he did seem he did seem like ghost writer 

because the only time they fully introduced him was when Hi was asleep or having some type of night where.

Night dream sequence. And it wasn't until this thing shows up and it's oh, he is not a dream. He's real, but yeah, it was, that was pretty, pretty interesting because that also again, changes the narrative of the genre of this film. 

It's it, once again, it's changed. And then, they go back and they bring back the baby.

And the guy thinks that they're just good Samaritans bringing back the baby before he realizes that they actually were the ones who took the baby and then they, he chooses not to charge them. I think the bounty hunter dies. And I think the two people who escaped go back into prison themselves, they go back in themselves.

The series 

of events for this movie from start to finish doesn't make sense. And also the characters they introduce also their motives don't make any sense. Clearly every day hide and are just committing crimes. Also, the inmates that escape are just also committing crimes while being sheltered at high and Ed's place.

And then you have hides boss who's also committing a crime. Crime. Yeah. And so 

maybe the whole point is how easy it is for everyone to succumb to. Different to to cross the moral code maybe. I don't know. Actually. I think the point of this movie was just to give you a romp and good time.

Which 

they definitely gave a time, I would say. Did you have any least favorite scenes? 

Yes. And I'm gonna contradict myself as well here, because I think my least favorite was the. Essentially shootout, like the whole, we got like a, this, again, this movie's listed as a romance, and yet we get a gun firing shootout action sequence.

That made no sense. Like it, it re, it literally made. No sense as why it had to be there for the third, the final act, but it was, I felt like the Cohen's just needed to utilize this character. It was like we got the actor here. We gotta use him. What better way is to have him fight Nick Cage and Yeah, a young 

Nick Cage I saw.

Yeah. 

Young Nick Cage. And lo and behold, Nick Cage was getting his ass beat. 

He really was getting his ass beat. Yeah, I think that's probably what the whole point was just to give you some batty scenarios and have this person get his have them getting to a dual almost, 

because I felt like.

If you eliminate that character, then the rest of the film should run as it should be exactly what it is. Yeah. 

You eliminate that character. It doesn't really change the way of the film. 

So what, that's my bad take on it, is that. Even though this character was cool, he fell out of place.

Yeah. And it was like, I 

would say the same about the boss too, because they granted him losing his job is supposed to be what turns him back to crime when he robs the convenience store. But his friends also realized that the, that first of all, he turned back to crime when he sold the baby, but his friends also realized that it's that baby too.

And then. Use that and attack him and tie him up to steal the baby. So like the movie still could have gotten to where it got without the bike or the bounty hunter and without the boss and her friend. So it could have done, it could have gone without both of those, they added them.

Some 

I feel like the Bounty hunter was like the spirit of the Coen Brothers director maybe because maybe he was just made no sense. Yeah. But there was two, we got two action scenes. 

Yeah. I prefer the action scenes and face off. Pow. 

Yeah. Also, 

this is the same year that Moonstruck came out.

It, she's like very peak young Nick Cage. He's handsome. 

Yeah. So that's nice. Widow's peak. So that's my least favorite, the 

tropical shirt that he is wearing. This my least favorite, I wouldn't say like a scene necessarily. I do think they were there was no really no point to it.

I guess what my, some of my least favorite parts just in general is I feel like. I know it's meant to be silly. And maybe I just haven't seen enough of their movies, but I think that they're using like people who are clearly like impoverished and in lower standing and considered lesser.

As like comedic points. Like the reason why they could, they. The whole thing is supposed to be, the reason why they kidnapped this baby is 'cause they can't afford adoption or they can't do any of those things. So it's like this prompts them to do that. I feel like that's a really like cheap way to be, to do it.

And to be funny. It would've been more interesting if they had chose. They did. They weren't, that wasn't the reason why. They were just, he was just a criminal and it was easy or something like that. So I feel like they did that. They did that a lot where they were like. Going into those stereotypes.

His friends, one of 'em does not seem intellectually bright. I don't think that they, or either of them seemed very bright. And that was meant to be like a funny too, for the blue collar crime. And it was funny. I maybe it was just a different time, but I didn't really necessarily love that tone of it.

Because as we know, like a lot of people that end up in. In the system are people who are raised in poverty. And it's not necessarily like they do go hand in hand, but they're, it's not that they're stealing babies so yeah, it was a whole thing. I just thought they could have, it was a little, it made it a little cheap, the humor.

So that would say, I would say that's one of my least favorite themes of the movie, 

I think for me. Oh. It's not necessarily a scene, but it's also a theme. My least favorite theme, or just like the conclusion of everything was that there really was no consequence, yeah. For hide and ed, like they.

We're able to essentially just right off the wrong that they had and still live their life. With everything that had happened. The father, was like to have this, their baby back, but they still committed a crime and so someone has to pay. And so there, there was no real like consequences for neither party the parents.

No consequence for once they captured and found out who did the crime. The consequences for the people who broke out of prison, like we don't know what happened to them, they're still on the loose. And then his boss, and then you know, essentially for hide and ed, they got to go back to their life.

Pre, taking the baby. And then 

he talks about having a dream where they seem to have kids. 

He, the, some foresight, like maybe, ed is able to like, conceive a child or they adopt and like this imaginary scenario he has that creepily thinks oh, we in spirit form, I can watch, Arizona become great at football, but it's just weird.

Like 

It is a little on the, and not to say that I believe in certain things within our, obviously all clubs are bad. And like our. Justice system, quote unquote isn't always necessarily about justice, but there are some things that happened then there that you're like, I'm pretty sure they committed murder of the bounty hunter guy.

Yes. Or at least severely. But he also attacked them, so I guess, but it was worked out, 

but it was in public because Yeah, it was, there was 

so much stuff that happened. The two guys who robbed the, that store and robbed the convenience store, like they robbed the place. Where they put, got the money with the thing that blew up in the bag.

They were able to, they made the choice to go back into jail themselves through the way they escaped, as if the people wouldn't have noticed that they escaped. Like it wasn't like anything that, that they did actually had a, like consequence. It all had reactions, but they weren't consequences.

Which is interesting. 

Yeah. So like the film itself, those are, that what I consider as my take for this is that from beginning to end, everything should have a consequence per its action. And we just didn't see that it, it actually just seemed make light of the situation. Yeah. And play it and shrug it off eh, we know you.

Ha committed a serious crime, but we're gonna overlook this, and it could be the tone of the movie. 

I think that's probably the tone of the movie, and I think that's the moral of the story. If you follow your heart, even if your heart leads you to stealing a baby, I. Okay. 

But the title of the But the, I'm 

just kidding.

Don't still Babies? 

No, but the title of the film also makes it confusing. 

Oh, because they're raising Arizona. They raised him for one day. 

He was, they didn't even raise him. They like, they didn't know how. I 

gotta be honest, I don't even think they fed him, but I didn't see 

him eat at any point. I don't think his diver was changed, he and babies, we eat. A lot. I think from what I gathered from the film, was like the baby was used as a prop throughout, depending on who took him and had him at the time. Oh so raising him was the least of what they were doing. Oh, that 

they were doing. Also, there's no way a lot of things.

Okay. You could maybe convince me like, oh, okay, sure. That makes sense. Sure. I support a person, trying to live their best life and whatever. But I don't think that there's any way that a person who's child is taken. Will not have you immediately arrested, especially a wealthy person after you bring the baby back.

Like I would be very concerned about that home if he was just like you brought the baby back so you're okay. No, I don't know about that. Yeah. That's so fishy. Yeah. 

That's so 

you don't even know what the fuck they did to your baby. 

Exactly. I don't know if the, if that light kind of light tone would for film, I.

Would exist today. If they were to make that remake, that film today? I don't think it would go very well. 

I think film hu I think humor has changed so much with time. Like especially there are so many things that people found funny or that you were used for humor. Homophobia or things like that, that are just not used anymore.

Or people, trans individuals, transphobia. Like those types of things that are just not funny anymore. Or at least society just doesn't feel like they're funny anymore. So I don't know if this movie would be made the way that it was today. 

Okay. Yeah. So what would you, what are your final thoughts and your rating of this film?

I would read this film a two and a half. A two and a half out of five of the Quinn. 

I, okay, I see what you do there. Not 

unfortunately, like that means a half a baby is somewhere, but that's, that would probably be my reading. I would give it that because I thought it was amusing and I think it's definitely like a movie you can watch to escape the day to day you, but you shouldn't think too deeply on it, and I don't know if I'd watch it again.

Okay. I would give it a one out of five babies. Oh, really? Yes. I was generous. You weren't, yeah. You were generous and my reasons like overall it wasn't. It was an entertaining film. It's one of those films you have to turn your brain off and just be present in and not really think too much about because with everything's going fast, pace and all the different, themes in this movie or just 

a bunch of cocaine and just ran outside Yeah.

With people and they're running like that 

and they haven't slept in three days. That's what it felt like. 

Yeah. So like essentially it's a good. Not a lot of thought. Just entertain yourself type of film. And that's why I gave it that one. There's a lot of stuff in there, but if you don't think about it too much and just go watch it blind, you should be fine.

And that kind of brings me up to our next section where we both read reviews from user at letterbox. We both selected two, I would go for, or you 

just say that the general consensus for this movie is a 3.9 out of five, so people really like it. So maybe we're just harsh critics, but who knows? Or maybe it's a lot of boomers out there.

Let me know, someone find me. If you're a boomer, let me know if that's the case. 

Okay, yeah, that's the consensus I got was that maybe a lot of people just liked younger Nick Cage and how wack is, and like just the dynamic between the two 

IS dormant was in it, but I can't even think about that.

That's crazy though, so I'll go first. Okay. Mine is from user Evan, and he writes, Hey Nick Cage haters just cut it out and gave it four stars. And that just by that review alone, he didn't even review the film. He just gave his opinion about Nick Cage and all the haters. And it seems like that's a consensus.

Like people really at this point really love Nick Cage. He can do no wrong. 

He is very young and he is got a great mustache in this movie. Mine is gonna be from Jenna. They gave it four out of five stars. They said, pretty annoyed that no one is overwhelmingly in love with me, to the point where they'd steal me a rich man's baby.

I saw that one. Yeah. And I was gonna pick him. I'm like, I don't know. It's too likely a rich 

man's child. I get I, maybe that's the romcom part, that's the romance, is that he loved her so much. He was willing to do that, which I guess is sometimes what the people want. Yeah, 



I feel like that's probably a scary level of obsession, Jenna, and I think you should think on that a little bit.

Yeah. Yeah. Don't think on it too much. 

Yeah. 

And I'm gonna read my second, which is gonna be from User True, better opening Montage than up. And he gave it four and a half stars. He must 

not have cried during that. 

I don't think so. 

That was a, that opening montage really wrecks you. 

I think it's more so like you go, like you weren't.

Sure if it was an opening montage until like it surprised you, it snuck up on you. And I think I got that feeling like the movie starts and we're watching it and we've been conditioned. I'm not sure if you have, we just recon condition. Like the movie starts the trailer and the title and then the movie then starts.

So 

isn't that kind of happen in Lord of War too? There was like a very interesting 

could. It could be, but I think that one was better. Like a mon, like an open montage doesn't really happen. As much for films. It's like the tile screen and he's like narrating 

his life, which is which is, it's not bad, but it was different.

Okay, so this one's from a Bobby Wagner, not to be confused with Bobby Wagner from the Seahawks, but and he or they, excuse me, just watched it literally last year and they gave it five out of five stars and they said Nick Cage and Holly Hunter in a steel cage death match for who can be hotter. I feel like that's the consensus.

People just think they're both really hot. 

Yeah, 

I like her voice. She does Miss Incredible or whatever in the Incredibles movie. She is the mom. Oh. So if you're wondering who Holly Hunter is, think of the voice. That's her. That's her. 

You know what I'm like, where do I recognize this voice from?

It Dawn on me. She's a elastic girl. 

Yeah. She's an elastic girl. She's got a very distinct voice the same way that Will Willem Defoe does. He is got a very distinct style. She's got a very distinct voice. So you usually know when you parent who they are. 



But yeah, I mean they were smoking when they were there.

I think a lot of people were just, they were in it 

for the smoke show. 

Yeah. They had to get people to watch the film and Nick Cage and Holly Hunter were like the, because no one else. Besides John Goodwin, 

but I would say now is a trying time. Do you need things to get you through your day?

Yeah. If you need a little distraction in the form of a young Nick Cage with crazy hair and a wild mustache and Holly Hunter who is, screaming about being barren, like this could be the movie for you. 

And did you mention earlier that this was prior or before Moon Strike or after? They were 

both.

Same year, 1987. So both before we were born. 

But which one came first? This one was, I don't 

know. I didn't, I looked at the year. I'm not gonna That'd be a lot of 

work. Work to look at the, we'll say that Moonstruck, he did Moonstruck and then he rolls into this one 'cause he does have that, that fresh baby face.

Look, 

he still, yeah, he looks very young. In both. I'm sure he is like mid twenties in both of 'em. Actually, let me look up his age real quick. 'cause I'm pretty sure he is. He was mid twenties for both of these. He is 64, so if it came up in 87. Yeah. Or he was born in 1964, so Yeah, he was 23, so right on the money.

23 for both. Both of 'em. Yeah. 

And the thing is he does, he aged pretty well, to be honest. 

Hey, 61. Now, 

not to say like other actors don't age wear, but you don't hear stories about Nick Cage under the knife or plastic surgery. 

He's been married five times. That's a lot. 

You know what that means? The actors from the nineties are just built different apparently.

Also it's a little hard sometimes to reconcile that the things we watched people in that they're as old as they are now because we grew up watching them. So sometimes your brain is I think of them in this way. But it's clear they're getting older, that happens to me sometimes with certain actors, not with Nick Cage.

'cause that man, he is been in a lot of things and he's getting older no matter what I feel. 

Yeah. So the film as a whole, those are our thoughts on the film. You can, get, tell us your thoughts on our social media account, but I feel like you should close us out with some final last words, 

As we all know, speaking of 1987, I lost my hand.

I lost my wife. Johnny has his hand, Johnny has his wife. 

And with that, we will catch you the next one. Bye.

 📍 Okay, wow, that was so much fun! Your host totally nailed it, right? Like, how amazing was that? Don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode—because, honestly, why would you? And if you loved it, leave a review or, like, tell your friends. It’s, like, the nicest thing ever. Thanks for listening, and remember: stay fabulous, stay emulated, and I’ll see you next time! Byeee!