In this special crossover episode, the Movie Memory Machine smashes headfirst into the Grunt Work feed for a tag-team takedown of Redbelt (2008), the only dramatic performance in Tim Allen’s catalog that doesn't involve a dog costume or a Santa suit. Join Landon and Truman as they dive into David Mamet's mixed martial arts noir drama starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, grapple with Mamet's obsession with honor, and ask the big question: how did this become a Tim Allen movie?

Topics Covered:

• The surprise crossover between Movie Memory Machine and Grunt Work

• Plot breakdown of Redbelt (sort of)

• Chiwetel Ejiofor's excellent performance in a movie that seems allergic to explaining itself

• David Mamet’s style: clipped dialogue, elliptical storytelling, macho codes of honor

• Tim Allen as a dramatic actor: how does he hold up?

• A discussion of why this movie might have ended up forgotten

Key Takeaways:

• Redbelt is either a brilliant anti-sports movie or a baffling puzzle box of stoicism and scams.

• The movie's moral code is rigid, but the plot isn’t afraid to spiral into chaos.

• There’s not much actual fighting, but plenty of emotional jiu-jitsu.

• Tim Allen shows up, smokes a cigar, and kind of mopes around. It’s... a choice.

• You don’t have to love MMA to enjoy an elliptical drama about belts, blackmail, and betrayal.

Did Redbelt win you over, or did it tap out early? What do you think Tim Allen's "black belt" would be in? Let us know on social media using #MovieMemoryMachine or #GruntWorkPod.

Support the Show! You can support both Movie Memory Machine and Grunt Work through:

1. Becoming a Patreon supporter – As little as $1/month gets you bonus content and keeps us ad-free and artist-owned. Join at https://patreon.com/gruntworkpod

2. Leaving a positive rating and review – Wherever you listen, especially Apple Podcasts, it helps new listeners find us.

3. Liking, following, and sharing – We're @MovieMemoryPod on Letterboxd and @MovieMemoryMachine on YouTube.

4. Telling a friend – Word of mouth is the best way to grow our community.

5. Joining our Discord – A film-loving space where you can vote on whether forgotten movies stay in modern memory. Access via https://www.moviememorymachine.com

Follow Us: 🌐 Website: www.moviememorymachine.com 🎥 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MovieMemoryMachine 🎦 Letterboxd: https://letterboxd.com/moviememorypod/

Hey Gruntheads!

We wanted to give you a preview of our new show Movie Memory Machine, a podcast dedicated to forgotten movies.

If you like what you hear, subscribe to Movie Memory Machine wherever you listen to podcasts. New episodes drop every Friday.

Movie Memory Machine is a forgotten movie podcast. Each week the Machine sends us backward and forward through time and forces us to watch a wide release film that history has forgotten, then decide if we should send it back to modern memory or leave it drifting in the ether of space.

This episode the Machine sends us to August 4, 2006 to watch the Nickelodeon animated film Barnyard, with voices by Kevin James, Courtney Cox, and Sam Elliot.

The animals at a sleepy little farm deep in the country have a big secret: whenever the farmer isn’t looking, they all walk on two legs, talk, and engage in all sorts of lighthearted shenanigans. The leader of the animals is Ben (voiced by Sam Elliott), a tough and stoic Holstein cow who keeps all the others in line, makes sure humans don’t find about their anthropomorphic lifestyle, and defends the farm from the vicious coyotes that lurk beyond the fence. His carefree son Otis (voiced by Kevin James) is more interested in goofing around with his friends than learning the principles of leadership - until Ben dies in a coyote attack, and it falls to Otis to lead the farm. As he struggles to balance his inner party animal with the new responsibilities that have been thrust upon him, Otis relies on the wisdom of his friend Miles the Mule (voiced by Danny Glover) and flirts with Daisy (voiced by Courtney Cox), a widowed pregnant cow who has just arrived on the farm.

Written and directed by Steve Oedekerk.

Support the Machine to keep it running for as little as $1/month over at Patreon.

Movie Memory Machine is part of the Grunt Work Podcasts network. For more information on today’s episode, visit moviememorymachine.com.

Theme song by Porky’s Groove Machine.

Special thanks to Nate DuFort.

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Transmitting April 26, 2024 — subscribe now on your favorite podcatcher or visit https://www.moviememorymachine.com/

Movie Memory Machine is a podcast dedicated to films that are forgotten but not gone.

Each week the Machine sends us backward and forward through time and forces us to blow the dust off a wide release film that history has forgotten to decide if we should send it back to modern memory or leave it drifting in the ether of space.