Alicia: Hey, just a heads up the episode.

You're about to listen to happy death day
directed by Christopher Landon and written

by Scott Lobdell includes descriptions of
violence against women drowning, burning,

stabbing, bullying, and fatphobia, and
our hosts of rank this movie as scary.

If you'd like to learn more, please
visit our website progressively

horrified.transistor.fm for
show notes, relevant links and

transcripts of each episode.

After the spooky music, we'll
talk about the episode in full.

So be forewarned, there will be spoilers.

Now let's get on with the show.

.

Jeremy: Good evening.

And welcome to Progressively Horrified:
the podcast where we hold horror to

progressive standards it never agreed to.

Tonight, we're talking about
the Groundhog Day of Horror!

That's right.

It's Happy Death Day.

I am your host to Jeremy Whitley.

And with me tonight, I have a
panel of cinephiles and Cenobites.

First, they're here to invade
your house and find queer content

in all your favorite movies.

My co-host, and comic
book writer, Ben Kahn!

Ben, how are you tonight?

Ben: We should all aspire
to the work ethic of the 10%

off with your student ID guy.

That man was the legend
10% off your student ID.

Fucking yes.

Work that hard and no harder what, no
matter what job, unless it's a surgeon

in which case probably work harder.

Jeremy: Smarter at least, you know?

And we picked her up at the
spooky crossroads of anime

and sexy monster media.

It's co-host and comic
book artist, Emily Martin.

How are you Emily?

Emily: I'm wondering if this college
needs a graphic designer for their new

mascot, because my Alma mater went from
the Cosacks to the sea wolves not knowing

that, sea wolfs were their own problem.

But I don't think aside from the racism
problems, I think that baby is the

worst mascot I've ever seen in my life.

Ben: Wait, what's racist about sea wolves.

Are they not just like wolves-

Emily: Nazi, submarines.

- Ben: That live in the ocean?

Oh, I just thought that was
just mean aquatic doggies.

Emily: That's what the actual
mascot, is supposed to be.

Ben: I was just imagining a pack
of just Navy seal wolves who

are just like fucking, yeah.

We're swimming.

We're going through the ocean.

We are gonna some, I don't
know, swordfish there.

Yeah, that, that sounds like
something aqua wolves would go for.

Emily: Yeah.

Like I'm down with the furry mascot.

Like I'm down with that.

It's just unfortunate.

Jeremy: I did know, but Wolf

Ben: I'm learning something
new about Nazi sub Marines.

Aren't you glad you
listened to to this podcast?

Jeremy: In 2022-

Emily: The "edutainment".

Jeremy: We all learned something
new about Nazis every week.

Unfortunately.

Katy: Every day.

Ben and Emily: Yeah.

Jeremy: Yeah.

And our special guest tonight - comics
writer and reptile rescuer, Katy Rex.

Katy, how are you?

Katy: I'm great.

And I thought I actually had
the weirdest high school mascot.

We were the ponies.

Not kidding.

We were the Stillwater ponies.

So I'm really glad to know that not only
in the movie world, but also in the real

world, you guys have some weird mascots.

Ben: My high school mascot,
we were called the Hilltoppers

and apparently that is a goat.

Goats top Hills.

Katy: I dunno.

It sounds pretty sexual.

Emily: It does sound sexual.

Jeremy: Yeah.

I think I've been hilltopped before.

Yeah, mine was just warriors and it was a
straight up racist Native American mascot.

Like, it was a very like Regal majestic
version of racist, Native American

uh, mascot, but it was still just
like our symbol was an arrowhead.

Like it was that kind of deal.

Emily: Yeah.

Ben: So more Chicago Blackhawks,
less Cleveland Indians.

Katy: It's good that there's a spectrum.

Ben: Our, our spectrum of
professional racist sports mascots.

Katy: Yeah.

Jeremy: The name wasn't actually, you
know, an ethnic slur, like the Washington

football team used to be, right?

Yes.

I guess they're The Commanders now.

Ben: Hilltoppers feels like a racist
term, but something people from the UK

would call other people from the UK.

Katy: Oh yeah.

Emily: Yeah.

Like a derogatory term for a
Scottish person or something.

Ben: Yeeeeeaaaaahhhh!,

Jeremy: Alright, uh...

Emily: The Fighting Hilltoppers.

Jeremy: Like we said tonight, we're
talking about Happy Death Day.

This movie is uh, directed by Christopher
Landon, who uh, you might remember

if you've listened to the podcast, a
bunch also directed Freaky uh, which

actually came out later than this.

It has a very similar, I think,
feel to it in a lot of ways.

He did not write this one.

It is written by Scott Lobdell.

Yes, that Scott Lobdell.

And I think it's worth mentioning at
this point, because I think we've done

the same thing for other directors.

Scott Lobdell uh, is mostly a comic book
writer and in recent years has been well

known as having had several allegations of
abuse, both of a sexual nature and just of

a bullying nature towards women in comics.

So, not great.

Emily: Who doesn't like that?

Jeremy: Yeah.

But it is worth noting that
this movie feels a lot more like

Christopher Landon wrote it than
it does Scott Lobdell wrote it.

So I'm not sure how many
changes it went through process.

Ben: I have heard this movie went
through significant rewrites.

Though, because of Hollywood, legally
is like, he is still accredited writer.

My understanding is that it,
uh, was pretty significantly

rewritten from his initial draft.

Emily: Well, good because
it's not a bad movie.

I enjoyed it.

Ben: No, it's, trying to be quite a
number of things and unlike most movies

that try to bite off that much uh,
it succeeds at being all of, of them.

It's both a good slasher film
and a good uh, time loop film.

Katy: And frankly a pretty good rom-com.

Emily: Yeah.

Ben: Okay.

I'll tell you by far the biggest plot
twist, and maybe this is cuz I've

been watching a lot of Scream movies
lately, is Carter not being the bad guy.

Katy: Fair.

Emily: Yeah.

Jeremy: Not being a bad guy, period.

Like he's.

Ben: Yeah.

Jeremy: He's genuinely a decent dude.

Which I feel like when you get
introduced to a guy like this in

a movie like this often he is not.

Ben: Often every time!

Katy: I mean, in real life.

Ben: Every fucking time.

Jeremy: Yeah.

Emily: Right.

Yeah.

Ben: Scream.

Ready or Not.

At least two other movies we've done that.

I'm not remembering right off the bat.

Jeremy: And honestly, with a
couple exceptions, this movie

is uh, has a pretty even-

Ben: Promising Young Woman - that's three.

Emily: Katy you're saying?

Katy: Oh, just that in real life
he would be kind of a skeeze.

Emily: Oh yeah.

Katy: Like the dude that's like, oh,
Hey, super sexy older woman who is

fall down drunk, come sleep in my bed.

Emily: Yeah, that's a bit of
a soft boy move, honestly.

It was cool that he didn't
take advantage of her.

Yes.

Yeah.

But at the same time, like there's
definitely an implied expectation.

Katy: Mm-hmm!

Ben: The only way I can, that it can make
sense to me to not be skeevy, and this

is maybe giving him more credit since
we don't see any of this is if she was

just so fall down drunk, she couldn't
even say like what her address was.

And no one else was like around even
like, know where it was she lived.

Emily: I assume that was the scenario.

Katy: She knows everybody.

And she has friends.

Like her friends all suck.

Yeah.

They exist.

And they do spend time with her.

Jeremy: Yeah.

I mean, they are absolutely the
kind of friends at least her main

ones at the beginning of this
movie, the kind of friends who would

just let her go home with a guy.

Just because it was funny.

Cuz he was a loser.

Ben: Oh no.

I'm assuming all of Tree's
friends are just no.

I really like the character development
Tree has, but man, when she starts

this movie, she is just, she hates
everybody and everybody hates her.

Katy: Deservedly.

Everybody should be her.

She is trash.

And not trashy to be clear, this
is not a socioeconomic thing.

She is a human piece of garbage.

Emily: Yes, yes.

Ben: Yes.

Jeremy: Absolutely.

Ben: You can be trashy and still be
the most kindest, wonderful, soul.

That is not Tree.

Tree is trash.

Katy: Mm-hmm!

Jeremy: She's a bad person.

And IMDb says, on this one, a college
student must relive the day of her

murder over and over again in a
loop that will end only when she

discovers her killer's identity.

Which is, yeah, it's a pretty good
description of what happens in this.

And it gets pretty wild pretty quickly.

If you've seen the movie Groundhogs
Day, it is very much that, but a

murder mystery to the point that,
you know, the movie calls that out.

At one point somebody asks her, she
is describing what's happening to her.

And somebody asks on if she has
seen groundhogs day and she has not

they begin describing it to her.

Emily: Yeah.

It's actually the outro of the film, which
I think is the best place that they can

have that discussion because otherwise
then you're just gonna be comparing it

scene for scene for the rest of the movie.

And of course the guy is like,
you haven't seen Groundhog day.

You haven't seen all these nerd things.

How dare.

Ben: Um, I used to do that all
the time and now I hate it being

like you haven't seen blank.

Look, you haven't seen
My Dinner with Andre?

The most important small talk,
like friends reconnecting over

a dinner film of all time?

Emily: It's hard.

It's hard to not have a reaction when
somebody hasn't seen something that you

love, but I wanna reiterate to everybody
I know, to everybody I have yet to

know, to everybody I don't know: if you
haven't seen some thing, my reaction.

And I think, the reaction that I want
someone to have when I haven't seen

something is like full excitement.

Like, okay, we have such
sites to show you, um.

Katy: What a wonderful opportunity!

Emily: Yeah.

It's like, oh awesome.

Now we get to bond over
this and talk about it.

And this is why I like
being on this podcast.

Jeremy: Do you have two hours?

All right.

Yeah.

Get on that.

Ben: The one innovation, this movie adds
to the time loop formula, which it kind

of really has to, is it does give us a
countdown or ticking clock type element

with the notion that Tree's injuries are
slowly sticking with her death to death.

And eventually the time loop will
run out and she'll be killed too many

times and won't be able to come back,
which the movie really kind of needs

just to have any kind of stakes.

Otherwise there's just no stakes as
why she can't just try infinite number

of times to just rip the mask off.

And then next death will be like, I know
who you are killing you right on the spot.

Katy: Well, and they, they
did posit that as well.

Right.

They were like, what if you
just fucked around every time?

And just never even tried to find
out what if you just had fun with it.

And they had that whole montage where
she was just like, It doesn't matter.

Nothing matters.

I'm gonna live today again.

I'm never gonna I'm I'm gonna die.

I'm gonna also never die.

It's kind of like
imortality, but also not.

Ben: Oh yeah.

We like, you gotta love
the time loop like Whee.

I can fuck around no consequences,
but I feel like since it is all a

slasher move, be the movie needed to
be like, no, she actually can die.

There are actually stakes here.

Jeremy: Yeah.

Like before we like jump
into the actual plot.

I do wanna say, I think Jessica
Rothe who plays Tree is fantastic.

Like she-

Emily: Absolutely.

Jeremy: Her charisma is the only
thing that can keep this movie

afloat and it does so amazingly.

Like even when she is horrible in
the first, you know, few rounds,

she is so in an entertaining way.

As the movie goes on and she gets
better, you really start rooting for her.

She's funny, she's interesting.

She's you know, especially in these, these
later runs, when she is having a good time

with it, like she's really entertaining,
which is what makes this film work.

Ben: It is not easy.

Playing a character who is as awful,
a person as Tree while still being

an engaging an endearing protagonist.

And Jessica Roth really pulls it off.

Katy: Mm-hmm.

Jeremy: The one thing I didn't wanna talk
about before we get to the actual movie is

there is nothing I love more than a good
title card gimick and this movie has the

like Universal logo with the Universal
music and it starts rotating around.

It gets to a certain point and
then reverses and starts over.

Ben: That was delightful.

Jeremy: Fantastic.

Ben: As another appreciator
of a good title gimick, that

was a good title gimick.

Emily: It already set me off.

I was like, uh, oh.

Jeremy: I think we had one
of those fairly recently.

I think Us was the one where it's
reversed when it, when the universal

logo comes out the first time.

Ben: Oh yes.

I think that's right.

Jeremy: Yeah, so we, we open
with our Marin character Tree.

She wakes up in a strange
bed, belong this guy, Carter.

Uh, After having partied too hard the
night before we discovered that this

day is her birthday, Monday the 18th.

The thing is she keeps getting murdered
and keeps waking back up right here,

starting the same day over and over again.

She's being killed by a killer in a
baby mask who is following her around,

killing her through a variety of means.

And she keeps starting the day over.

Ben: Because creepy baby
is the school's mascot.

Emily: Yeah.

Jeremy: Yeah, yeah.

And the creepy baby mask pops up as sort
of a red herring, several other places

because it is the mascot of the school.

Ben: Do they ever say what team name
actually is or are they actually just

like state university creepy babies.

Go fighting Creepys.

Katy: I feel like they said it.

I feel like they said they
were the fighting babies.

Emily: I think they were.

Jeremy: There's, like, they
definitely say it at some point.

Ben: Actually you think it
give, be something dumb, like

fucking Hilltoppers being goats.

It's like, we're the New Yearsies.

Like, we got Baby New Year's.

That's our team mascot.

I don't know.

My college mascot was the Quakers.

That's not very intimidating either.

Emily: I mean, it depends if you are like-

Ben: It feels like-

Emily: Sex Before Marriage.

Ben: Ben Franklin playing a
joke that we're still paying for

400, however many years later.

Emily: Also, if you're like oats.

Katy: Yeah.

Ben: If you're allergic to
oats, that's fucking scary.

Katy: And I, I went to college
with the, uh, The Fight Oats.

I did not.

Emily: Okay.

Katy: No, but I do really like
The Fighting Babies as just

like one of the many ways in
which this movie is absurdist.

Emily: Yes.

Yes, absolutely.

It's definitely like upsetting
in the perfect way for this film.

I mean, it might as well be
like the fighting slashers.

Katy: Yeah!

Jeremy: Yeah.

And it, the sort of expression that
the baby face always has of this

sort of G whiz one tooth baby look
it's sort of perfectly dopey and also

incredibly creepy in, in this setting.

There's a lot of little bits of mechanics,
I think, that go towards making this

work that I wanted to put at the top.

And no one else is experiencing the cycle.

It's marked by a series of the same, like
random occurrences and the same dialogue

from other characters, uh, and actions
delivered by other people in her life.

Her interactions with these events
changes, but the actual events,

unless she does something about
them state pretty much the same.

So we're gonna make references to like,
the same inconsequential events that

happen sort of over and over and over.

But yeah-

Ben: Just the name of
that, The Baby Face Killer.

Emily: Hey, it's The Baby Face Killer!

Jeremy: The Ghostface
Killer, The Baby Face Killer.

You need a heel killer, eh, to go along
with The Baby Face Killer, you know?

Emily: Jason.

Jeremy: Uh, so she wakes up, she's
desperate to get back to her house.

She makes her way through the
quad and we get the same of like

things that happen every morning.

She gets a call from her
dad that she ignores.

She leaves Carter's.

Runs into Carter's roommate who,
uh, has some, dialogue to, to drop

about her as you know, she's coming
in, not realizing she's still there.

There's a weird swaggering guy
in sunglasses who has never comes

back or has any consequence except
for this uh, repeated scene here.

There's an environmentalist girl.

Who's trying to get
her to sign a petition.

The sprinklers, come on and, you know, get
a whole bunch of people on the quad wet.

There's a car alarm,

Katy: The goth dude!

Emily: That's the swaggering
guy with the sunglasses.

Yes.

Jeremy: Yeah.

Katy: Oh!

Emily: Yeah cuz he peers
over his sunglasses that like

he's fucking Andrew Eldritch.

Katy: Yeah.

Ben: 80s vampire movie reject.

Emily: Yeah, he is carrying a portfolio.

Jeremy: He's a character playing
Johnny Depp playing another character.

I feel like.

Ben: He's cos- he's cosplaying
Johnny Depp's OC from lost boys.

Jeremy: We also get the, the singing
frat pledges who have been, uh,

they've been forced to stand and
sing 99 battles of beer on the

wall for a long period of time.

Uh, one of whom collapses.

Ben: You've got the abusive of, uh,
frat hazing with the pledges just

forced to sing for what was that?

26 hours did they say?

How many hours is it?

Emily: A lot of hours.

I can't remember, but yeah, it was.

Woof.

Ben: That one guy just passes out
and they give him no medical help.

Yeah.

Jeremy: I loved it before anything

Katy: You weren't, You
weren't in fraternities.

Sororities?

No?

Cause that's normal.

Jeremy: I mean, I didn't
pledge anything, but-

Ben: I was, but that's just because
my weed dealer gave me a discount

if I pledged the house and I
needed a place to stay senior year.

Emily: I didn't know that was the case.

Cause you told that story about
how you like set up the intro

to the fraternity like as it,
like it was a cult or something?

Ben: I just wanted the creepy horror
room in the basement with like a rusty

sword dragged on the ground behind
you as you walk through blindfolded.

Katy: Nice.

Emily: You didn't tell us about that.

Jeremy: Oh, that was Ben
did tell us about that.

Emily: Maybe it was cut outta the
show cuz I yet have immediate like

forgetfulness unless it's still recorded.

Jeremy: And then she runs into
her boy, her not boyfriend,

her previous hookup, Tim.

And they have a, always a series
of interesting interactions.

Tim always beginning of this
movie seems a little creepy.

Sort of sets off some alarms early on.

And then she gets back to her
sorority, uh, you know, runs into

the same girl sitting on headphones,
trying to be nice to her outside.

You know, is trying to seek
in and gets caught by her-

the, the head of her sorority.

And then she rolls into her
bedroom and gets the same.

Finally she rolls in from
her roommate every time.

So what in that series of, of
things that happens every day

is, is your guys' favorite?

Emily: We've already talked
about the goth guy, so.

Ben: He had nice sunglasses.

Emily: I look at that guy
and I see his entire life.

Like I can see, I can read his thoughts.

I have been that guy.

I know that guy that guy's
picked up on me, like that's...

Jeremy: I mean like Dr.

Manhattan in this moment, you're like
seeing you being that guy and seeing

that guy hitting on you and seeing.

Emily: Oh yeah, no, like
I see four dimensionally.

When I look at that guy, like I could
see his, his past and his future.

And like, if he walks up to me, like
I would be able to say the same things

that he like, just basically follow
along, word-for-word, what he says to me.

Ben: That guy's past is being the
variant baby, Billy Joe Armstrong

that was killed in Jennifer's body.

Emily: I was gonna say, I was surprised
that Carter wasn't a chip in this movie.

He was like,

lovely not- like un-Chip like "lovely-ly".

I don't know how to make it more
of an adverb than it already is.

It was refreshing.

Jeremy: Nice guy.

Ben: Everything about Carter is too
good to be true, but apparently is.

I know the movie's over, but I still don't
trust that he's not somehow the bad guy.

Emily: Yeah, it's gonna-

Katy: He's in the sequel.

Emily: Is there a sequel?

Ben: I haven't seen it yet, but there is.

Emily: Really?!

Ben: Happy Death Day 2U.

And it's with the number 2.

Katy: It's like if Prince wrote the title.

Emily: Sounds good.

Katy: Yeah.

Ben: Like, the novelized sequel
to the Nickelodeon movie Good

Burger, Good Burger 2 Go.

Katy: Beautiful.

Ben: Where they traveled to Europe in
order to give a man his change back, cuz

he didn't bring his change from a burger.

So they follow him to Europe.

Jeremy: I love that Katy thought it's
as if Prince had written the title.

And I thought it's as if Olivia
Rodrigo has written the title.

Says something about our lives I think.

Katy: You guys do need
to see the sequel soon.

Cause there's a third one coming out soon.

Emily: Okay.

Jeremy: Yeah.

I I've, since I saw this the first
time, cause it came out right

after I saw it the first time.

I do wanna talk a little bit about Tim
cause this interaction she has with Tim

is both cruel and funny to some extent
uh, because he is uh, upset that she

hasn't called him since they went out.

She points out that he shouldn't
expect a call back considering he took

her for their first date to Subway.

And he doesn't have a foot long.

Um.

Emily: Rude.

Ben: Now did any, now did y'all have like
a first date go spot in your college days?

Emily: I I wanna say no.

I mean, I don't think so.

Jeremy: I mean, we had a coffee shop
that had board games on, uh, Franklin

street so, you know, right off of campus.

That was usually the, the first
place to like go hang out before it

became like an official thing, right?

Ben: I feel like there was a Panera bread
near campus that was like, this is casual

enough while not being totally trash.

This, This strikes the nice balance
of being too mu well, not being

nothing without being too much.

Jeremy: It's the Olive
Garden of breakfasts.

Ben: Exactly.

Katy: I think uh, in Menomonie,
Wisconsin, people really just

uh, hung out in frat basements.

So yeah.

Jeremy: It sounds sounds correct.

Emily: Especially considering the elements

Katy: Dirty.

It's dirty.

It's very dirty always.

Emily: Oof.

Katy: It was.

It was Wisconsin basements.

Jeremy: Yeah.

I would figure either a basement
for something involving cheese.

Katy: You know, they can, you
can bring cheese into a basement?

Jeremy: That's legal now?

Emily: That it is.

In Wisconsin.

Ben: Man.

What a world.

Finally legalized cheese in basements.

Hell yeah.

Katy: But not a Subway though.

I will say, frat basements,
probably a step above Subway, maybe?

Emily: Definitely a step,
above a subway station.

Just right in terms of
depth from the street.

Katy: Yeah.

Jeremy: Mm-hmm.

Katy: Sea level.

I get you.

Jeremy: Okay.

So, okay.

back on track.

Roommate gives her a cupcake,
uh, wishes her happy birthday.

She's not supposed to know it's
her birthday, but she does.

And, uh, we find out has tipped off
the rest of the sorority, uh, later.

She says she's made it from
scratch, which instantly struck

me as the creepiest fucking thing.

Who makes one cupcake from scratch?

Ben: This fucking creepy ass
nurse girl or doc pre-med girl.

Emily: I mean, she's not-
she doesn't start creepy.

Katy: It is very weird to
make one cupcake like you-

Jeremy: You make cupcakes or a cake.

Right?

Katy: Yeah.

Ben: Yeah.

Katy: Or even a mug cake, even a mug cake.

If it was in a mug, I
would totally accept it.

Ben: Well, I feel like,
okay, can we talk spoilers?

Are we talking?

Emily: Oh yeah, yeah.

Yeah.

Always!

Ben: I feel like this movie tried
to set up a lot of really...subtle?

Clues around the roommate
being the killer?

And then also just what one really big
glaring, obvious clue where she looks Tree

straight in the eye and goes, there will
be consequences for what you're doing.

Jeremy: Yeah.

Uh-

Ben: That was a bit of a tip off.

Emily: I mean, yes,

Jeremy: They have a strange relationship.

Ben: -The part where she's the-
She's the most prominent character

who isn't on the list of people I'm
going to disprove are the killer.

Emily: I, I gave the movie a
little nod for making that decision

because there were so many like
very probable red herrings.

At one point I was convinced that
the whole time skip thing was the

result of like some weird experiment
that the douchey professor was doing.

- Spoilers we're already there.

There's no explanation for
the times, skip at all.

It's wonderful.

Jeremy: Just as in Groundhog
Day, there is no explanation for

Emily: why it's happening.

Yeah.

Ben: What the little I know of the
sequel is that the sequel explains

why the time loop is going on.

I wouldn't go that far.

Okay.

I mean, I assume it's still like, they
just unlocked the scientific formula

of like Bill Murray's exact level of
douchiness that like causes time to skip

like a ne like a record on a needle.

Emily: Is- wait.

Ben: Did I say Bruce
Wilson said of Bill Murray?

Jeremy: You said Bill Murray.

Emily: No, he said record on a needle.

Ben: I don't know how technology works.

Katy: Isn't that how that works?

I'm very young.

Ben: What am I a machinist?

Do I look like Christian Bale?

I assume that's what that movie's about
just a guy who does machines real good.

Emily: He works on a lathe, which is
kind of like a wax cylinder, which is

the progenitor to the vinyl record.

So.

You know, we got a few
steps of separation there.

We can make some connections.

We're good at that.

Katy: Way to be accidentally correct!

Ish.

Emily: A little bit.

Yeah.

Ben: I mean, that's my, that's my
signature accidentally, correct- ish.

The Ben Kahn Special.

Emily: You should have
that on your website.

Ben: I'm stumbling.

Jeremy: That's the name of your webcomic.

Ben: Where I get sort of close
to where I was trying to be.

Jeremy: Um, so she, uh, importantly
throws the cupcake in the trash without

even tasting it because she's horrible.

Uh, She leaves to be late to class uh,
where this professor doesn't say anything

to her when she comes in late to class.

Also they have a house meeting where
she participates, uh, in some fun

fat shaming for people eating food.

Katy: She missed breakfast.

Jeremy: Yeah.

They want to eat food.

Ben: Did anyone else-

Jeremy: It's horrible.

Ben: Feel like this professor's
deal was like Cary Elwes isn't

the right age for this role.

Get me someone as close to Cary Elwes
when he was right for the role as you can.

Emily: Right?

Yes.

That is exact what I thought I was
like, oh, it's a Black Christmas,

Cary Elwes, but not it's like Cary
Elwes is body double from anything.

Jeremy: Just like Saw Age, Cary Elwes.

Yeah.

Katy: What's his name?

What's his name?

That um, plays, uh, Kristoff in Frozen?

Ben: Oh.

Katy: And also King George in Hamilton.

Ben: Oh, Jonathan Groff.

Katy: Yeah.

He's a Cary Elwes.

Ben: Yeah, he is.

He's got the Cary Elwes look,
but he's got a way different

ene- he's got his own energy.

Emily: He a'ight.

I mean, it could be applicable.

Ben: It could be.

I'm just thinking about King George's
spitting in your face every word.

Katy: Yeah.

Ben: That's on, that's on me
not having a good imagination.

Jeremy: Although, you will remember
that he was also the new Agent Smith in

the, uh, in the new Matrix in which he-

Ben: Yes, Where the, the version
of Smith where he is like, why yes.

I am gay.

But I'm still evil.

Emily: Gay and evil?

Jeremy: Those two things are not
related, but they're both me.

Ben: I know I'm going completely
off topic, but I really love the

idea of just like an Agent Smith
who's come to terms with that.

He hates Neo, but also
really wants to fuck him too.

Katy: Who doesn't?

Ben: I really like the new Matrix movie.

Emily: I haven't seen it yet.

Ben: And I don't care about any
straight person's opinion of it.

Emily: I mean, that's valid,
but I haven't seen it yet.

Jeremy: I also really like it.

It's very good.

Okay.

Well,

Ben: I guess Jeremy, you are
the one straight person who's

opinion I care about for Matrix.

Emily: Yay!

You should put that on
your website, Jeremy.

Katy: Put it on!

Ben: So, we know Tree is a bad person
for all the mean that she's been doing.

I can't even fathom like the sheer
level of intense, not giving a fuck

about another human being for someone
to be like, I made this for you and

for you to just be like, get fucked.

Crush it in my hand.

I even get being like, Ooh, I
don't really want to eat this.

So I'll find a way to be like, oh, thanks.

I'll eat it on my way out.

And then toss it aside.

But just like right in front of her,
not even breaking eye contact, be

like, fuck you and fuck your cupcake.

Emily: I mean, I can imagine a very
close friend of mine doing that as

a joke, but that's a, that's like a
totally different level of relationship

than these two characters have.

Like, this is just straight up.

Jeremy: It does literally drive
her to chase her down and stab

her with a knife several times.

Emily: Yeah so.

Ben: That's true.

Katy: That's not the inciting incident.

That's really just a symptom.

Emily: Oh yeah.

We're just talking about like,
aspects of the relationship.

Jeremy: The movie makes it clear
that like, she had intended

to kill her with this cupcake.

And when the cupcake doesn't work
out, she turns to unleashing a serial

killer and herself stabbing this girl.

Because as, as we'll find out here
shortly, she is uh, hooking up

with this professor slash doctor.

She goes to his office in the hospital to
hook up with him in the middle of the day.

Her roommate tries to tell her not
to do it because it's morally wrong,

which is the wrong argument for Tree.

Ben: Which also, I don't
know, be being pre-med.

So I of maybe completely off base,
they're supposed to be undergrad.

Do they let undergrads work in hospitals?

Maybe they do.

I don't know, but she's wearing
scrubs and everything that, that

seems like medical students stuff.

Katy: I wore scrubs when I,
uh, volunteered at a wildlife

rehabilitation center and cleaned
up duck poop for six hours a day.

You can wear scrubs for anything.

Ben: Fair.

Emily: She's probably like
a phlebotomist or something.

Ben: I don't know what that word means.

And I refuse to look it up.

Emily: That's a person that, draws blood.

Ben: I just-

Jeremy: I'm sure-

Ben: I learned that against my will.

Emily: I'm sorry.

Jeremy: Also I'm increasingly sure
that hospitals will not pay anybody

to do something that they can.

If they cannot pay her to do intern
paperwork stuff or, you know, push people

in wheelchairs around the hospital.

Oh, they will.

They'll gladly not pay her to do that.

Emily: Yeah.

Katy: She'll gladly do it.

Cause she's a hard worker.

Emily: Yeah.

Ben: Yeah.

Jeremy: They're interrupted in
their making out by the appearance

of the doctor's wife who then she
just cold, straight up, walks out.

Was like, oh, hi bye.

To the doctor's wife.

And she goes back to her sorority
to get ready for this party.

Uh, they're supposed to be having
a party at one of the fraternities.

There's a power outage.

That's sort of a recurring thing
throughout the movie at a certain time,

before she goes out to this party.

And on the way she finds herself in a
pedestrian tunnel where there is a Happy

Birthday music box that has been left that
is playing weird, creepy music box music.

Emily: It's a happy birthday song.

It's just slowing down.

Ben: In general.

If you're walking down a tunnel
and there's just a creepy music

box that starts playing on
its own just go another way.

Just fucking- you fuck
right off of that situation.

Emily: Or lean into it
and just start dancing.

Find the, the closest tarp, make
sure that it's, doesn't smell like

urine and then just wave it around.

Like it's your death cowl.

And just dance around that music box.

Or just like, I don't know, put a
bundle of sticks around your head.

So you look like some creature from
Silent Hill and, uh, yeah, you're good.

Good to go.

Katy: I'm not sure you
can out-crazy crazy.

Ben: I believeTree can out crazy crazy.

Emily: Tree can like, just out
bitch, anything at this point.

Although I don't know if she
can out bitch Danielle, who has,

been established to be like-

Katy: Oh my God.

Emily: The worst, like her she's a
couple things this is in, and this

is in the uh, trigger warning area.

She does a, deaf impression.

And she talks about how she's
like yuck out by the, uh,

the special needs, art fair.

So yeah.

Like she makes Tree look slightly better.

Ben: Yeah, she makes Tree look
like a human being and not just

like a monster horrible, like
just a mean person, monster.

Also with Danielle.

Man, uh, we can't forget her
favorite hobby, bullying people

into having eating disorders.

Emily: Oh yeah, no, she's also the one
who like puts the, their frat or their

sorority sister on blast for having
like a milkshake or something because

Ben: No, not even a milkshake.

Chocolate milk.

Katy: No.

Emily: Oh yeah...

Chocolate milk.

Jeremy: Yeah, danielle, the head of
their sorority is the absolute worst.

She won't do the killing in this case
though, because, uh,Tree is investigating

the music box and someone in a creepy
baby mask shows up with a knife.

What I admire about Tree as the
protagonist of this story is

she always gets one good dodge.

Like the first time that the, the
baby killer tries to stab her, she at

some point manages to duck, dodge, or
punch her way out of the first one.

Even though she ends up getting
caught, you know, almost every time.

Ben: Well, it's very rare to have a
slasher movie where someone fails.

And then still gets multiple attempts.

Katy: Yeah.

I also feel like for somebody who
appears to be like four feet tall,

she has so much fight in her.

I feel like if somebody came at
me with a knife, I would just die.

Jeremy: Just save him the trouble.

Be like, hold on, hold on.

I, I got this.

Emily: Yeah, just you just fall over.

Jeremy: Mm-hmm.

Ben: I feel like by the timeTree
is two drinks into a night.

She is ready for like the high
heels and earrings to come off

and like rings to get thrown.

And she starts the night two drinks in.

Katy: I'm not sure she's
taking those heels off.

Emily: That's why I'm saying like,
she can walk on turf in heels.

Ben: Stilettos.

Emily: Yeah.

Like if she could walk on
turf and heels, then she's got

like some sort of superpower.

I know a lot of women can do that.

They all have superpowers
and they are still special.

I am not one of them.

I cannot, I like, if I get in heels,
I feel like I'm a velociraptor

and I should move like one.

And I definitely can't walk on turf,
like on soil, cuz then I'd just be

like, all right well, I live here now.

Because I am rooted to the ground.

Ben: I just feel glamorous in heels.

Emily: Like, you know what anybody with
heels has that, that can pull those off.

I'm sorry.

I, limited to women cuz there's
women in this movie where

were doing such a great job.

And I was like, wow.

As someone who was expected to be
able to walk in heels, I can't.

Katy: I used to be able to.

Been so long.

Emily: I can walk in Doc Martens.

I can walk in Doc Martens a lot?

Anyway.

Jeremy: What an accomplishment.

Uh, So yeah, she, she
dodges the first one.

Tries to run away, gets cut off at
the pass by the murderer uh, and gets

stabbed to death and wakes up in Carter's
bed again exactly where she started.

They go through the
whole running into the-

Ben: Rigmarole!

Jeremy: Yeah.

Ben: That's the word you're
looking for: Rigmarole.

Jeremy: All this stuff in the, the
quad is happening again, but it's

slightly creepy this time because it's
all happening exactly the same way.

Ben: Yeah.

Tree is reacting exactly the way you'd
expect someone to react at the beginning

of act two of a time loop movie.

Emily: Yeah.

The, uh, the process is pretty great.

Once we get into the,
pattern, it's so fun.

Just watching this, ebb and
flow of her, stages of grief.

Katy: Mm-hmm.

Emily: Um, which is a lot of what,
you know, whenever, see the time

like Groundhog day had a bit of that.

All of the, the dynamics with
the various characters, it

never really got tired for me.

It was still funny and fresh and
like her the way she reacted each

time and they still managed to
get fresh humor out of each round.

Jeremy: And Basically
everything unfolds the same way.

She reacts more or less the same way,
but a little scared all the way up to

getting to the tunnel and seeing the music
box and deciding to note the fuck out.

You know, she goes to the party
a different way and in this

time she makes it to the party.

It turns out it's a surprise
party for her birthday.

And she then proceeds to hook
up with Danielle's boyfriend.

Katy: Is he her boyfriend?

I think he's just the guy she's into.

Emily: I think she's the, yeah,
he's the guy that she's into.

Jeremy: Okay.

And is it is important that they
have at least a history, if not,

something currently going on.

But he, he will not live long because in
this scenario he gets murdered first.

She doesn't even realize it's going on
until it's uh, it's too late because

of the incredible setup of his room.

Emily: It's the pleasure dome.

Yes.

Jeremy: He's a veritable Quagmire.

Ben: I love the guy who, walks in
and it is just defeated expression

and then walks right back out.

Like just that guy was just big.

Oof.

Emily: There were a lot of big oofs.

Ben: Murder is happening and
he is just like, uh, yep.

This is some pleasure dome stuff.

Bye!

Emily: You guys are
holding a rave in here.

Jeremy: I've lived in a fraternity
long enough to leave this room.

Emily: Yeah.

No need to put a sock on the door.

Jeremy: Yeah.

he, He gets killed and then she, uh,
after making a couple of good Dodges,

takes a broken B to the face this time.

It's a real nasty way to-

Emily: A college way to die.

Ben: And they say weed never kills anyone.

Emily: I mean.

Some of them do.

Ben: Put that in your
drug, PSA and smoke it.

Katy: Don't smoke it.

Jeremy: Not a good drug PSA.

Emily: You wouldn't smoke a drug PSA.

Ben: You, yeah.

I'm like, I was gonna say, well, I
didn't say it was a good drug PSA,

but I'm like, what is a good drug PSA?

Emily: The Ninja Turtles
told me not to smoke pot.

Katy: Did it work?

Emily: Uh, Well, I didn't for a
while, but I was also in third grade.

Katy: Yeah.

Ben: The sheer gall of them trying to
claim that Michaelangelo says "no" to pot.

Emily: Oh, yeah.

No.

Ben: Get the fuck outta here.

Jeremy: So she wakes up
in, in Carter's bed again.

This time uh, she tries to explain
to her roommate what's happening

and decides that she'll actually
stay in and survive that way.

So she's not gonna go to the
party, so she won't get killed.

Uh, but wouldn't, you know, it, the
killer ends up in her room and she's

trapped in with him cuz she's pushed
the dresser in front of the door.

And she gets stabbed again.

Finally the fourth time she wakes up in
Carter's bed and explain, tries to explain

to Carter what's going on and Carter being
a good boy, who's watched a lot of movies

is like, oh no, we can figure this out.

We can work this out.

He offers to help her.

They decide that the key is to
find out who is trying to kill her.

But the rest, the list is ridiculously
long because Tree's a horrible person.

Emily: Yes.

Jeremy: The part where she starts
explaining all the people who

might be trying to kill her.

And it includes like her barista
at Starbucks and all of these

other people who, probably have
good reason to try and kill her.

So Carter is someone who suggests
she starts using her lives to work

her way through the possible killers.

Ben: This movie is legitimately funny.

Emily: Yes, absolutely.

Ben: There's solid comedy
work being done in this movie.

Like, the futility of Tree
trying to make an enemies list.

Jeremy: Yeah.

It's basically everybody who's
breathing is on Tree's, enemy list.

Ben: We eliminate our first suspect
because Tree doesn't know about bi people.

And just sees the guy, she went on
a date with watching gay porn and is

like, well, he is not into ladies.

Sexual orientation is entirely binary.

Nothing to see here.

He can't be the killer, he's gay!

Katy: I had a lot of problems with that.

Emily: Yeah.

Katy: Didn't you know that every closeted
gay person also is just waiting for some

sorority chick to tell him it's okay?

And then he's just gonna come
out and it's gonna be fine.

Jeremy: One thing I appreciate about
her reaction to that is her seeing him

watching the gay porn and going "Nice!"

Emily: I thought it was less of a
"nice" and more of like an "ohhhhhh."

Ben: I thought she was
excited about the porno.

Which is like, nice.

That's a good porno.

Jeremy: Notoriously, the gays
love taking dates to subway.

So that's how you should explain it.

You know,

Ben: Something, something
foot long joke, blah.

Emily: She did make the foot long joke.

Um, And that dude looks like he does
have a foot long, honestly, but you know.

Katy: Is he a Jonas?

He looks like a Jonas.

Emily: A Jonas?

Katy: Yeah.

I thought he was a Jonas.

Is he a Jonas?

Jeremy: Let's see...

This is Tim...

Ben: I don't believe so.

Katy: Okay.

Ben: Might be a secret Jonas.

I hear they're just out there.

Like there's the three they tell
you about, but you know, that's

just the tip of the iceberg.

Jeremy: Caleb Spillyards.

Emily: That's a good name though.

Jeremy: Not a Jonas.

Katy: I had been assuming
this entire time, so.

Jeremy: He is, it seems,
a stunt man, mostly so.

He does stunts for, into the Badlands
and the last ship and Hawkeye.

Ben: I appreciate, that
it's not the same death.

That she's just not
getting stabbed each time.

That we have like her
getting blown up in a car.

We have her getting drowned,
like, you know, the one time

she hangs herself in it.

Like, I like that it's different deaths.

Things you can only say as a horror movie
fan, but you know what, it's true, what

they say: variety is the spice of life.

Jeremy: Or death.

Ben: Or death.

Variety is the spice of death.

Emily: When you have to do it constantly.

Now, I'm gonna just take
a jump forward here.

Cuz we have all of these, these sections
of the film, we have the investigation

section and you know, again, stages of
grief bargaining, I guess maybe for this.

And then, uh, Cause we have denial-

Jeremy: The Looney Tune stage of grief.

Emily: Yeah.

The Looney Tune bargaining.

Cause you know, it's, it can be there.

Jeremy: I do appreciate that in, in
these kills, in the middle, how she

wakes up, depends on how she get killed.

Like when she gets drowned she
wakes up, you know, vomiting

water on Carter's floor.

Emily: Yeah.

Ben: So I think that's really important
just because it shows and sells this like,

oh, each death loop is not a total reset.

Things are getting carried over.

There is a finite number
of times she can do this.

Jeremy: Yeah.

Which is, is really delivered on in
the last kill and the section where

she dies by taking a bat to the head.

And when she wakes up , she
starts to get up to go through the

whole thing again and passes out.

And, uh, Carter has to take her to
the hospital to find out what's going

on and we learn via the, you know,
same doctor she's sleeping with that.

Uh, she has all of this scar
tissue accumulating from all

of these ways that she's died.

Obviously the doctor doesn't know why
all this is, but he says, you know,

these injuries that she seems to have
the scar tissue on from should be fatal.

But somehow she's still alive.

Emily: Yeah.

So we have, we have this-

Ben: She did The Time Warp again.

Emily: She jumps to the left.

And then there's a point where she
starts the Groundhog day thing where she

starts trying to, become a better person.

There was a couple points where she's
like so done where like she goes out naked

and just accepts that she's gonna die.

Cuz she, she realizes that she
still can't find the killer.

Jeremy: She wakes up in the
hospital after having passed out.

And despite the fact that she is not in
her room, she's not going to the party.

She's not doing all these normal things.

She would be.

She still gets chased
down in the hospital.

And this is also one of the cases where
we see that there is a security guard,

guarding somebody in the hospital.

You know, he's there earlier in the
movie, but they do, they do the best

to really draw attention to it here.

Ben: We get some of
that good foreshadowing.

Emily: Yeah.

We're starting to, and that's a
nice thing about the repeats is

that there's nice little nuggets
of, foreshadowing here and there.

Ben: Did anyone else think for parts
of it or unsure if they were implying

at times the serial killer that was
in the hospital killed Tree's mom?

Katy: That's what I thought.

Jeremy: Yeah.

Katy: They never said it, but I
totally felt that the whole time.

Ben: Okay.

Emily: I didn't even think, I didn't know.

Actually I was too busy, like
math memeing about something

else at that point, I think.

Jeremy: Yeah cause they never say
how Tree's mom died and when she

sees the, killer on the news, she
has a big reaction to it, an outsized

reaction to seeing that this-

Emily: Okay.

Jeremy: Killer has escaped.

And it comes right after the scene, in
the diner where we learn that her mom

has died that we learn why her dad is
trying to get up with her is that his

birthday is both hers and her moms.

And that's why her dad is calling her
and why she is avoiding it, because

she doesn't want to think about her
birthday because it makes her think

about her mom and she is avoiding being
depressed by compartmentalizing this.

Emily: Yeah.

Jeremy: And I think that all comes
after this death at the hospital cuz she

she's in the hospital and the the doctor
tries to convince her that she needs

to stay so that she can be observed.

She knows if she does
that she's gonna die.

And she's attempting to
sneak out of the hospital.

We get sort of the red herring of
maybe her doc, maybe her boyfriend

doctor is the killer because he has
a baby mask, but then he is shortly

thereafter murdered in that same bit.

She escapes the hospital by stealing his
car and the uh, the guy, the killer gives

chase all the way to the parking deck.

And then she is escapes and gets pulled
over by a cop and uh, is trying to

convince this cop to take her to jail when
the killer shows up, runs over the cop.

And doesn't have damage to her car
that it begins leaking gasoline.

And then the killer, uh, lights,
the gasoline, and blows up the

car by using a birthday candle.

Which I think is maybe the
most blatant foreshadowing of

who the killer actually is.

Emily: Yeah.

Ben: Mm-hmm.

I do love Tree with the cop being
like, wait, so you'll just arrest me?

Like lock me up in a cell.

Oh, I'm drunk.

I'm the, a drunkest most
high you've ever met.

I did.

I, I just did all, all the
drugs, like did 'em all.

Emily: I'm on everything.

Ben: Oh, that's definitely one
of the most intense deaths.

I think one of the things that...

And I think the movie didn't have a choice
about it because of the whole nature of

the time loop in one of the loops Tree
gives herself this awesome fucking pink

hair dye look, and it looks amazing.

Emily: Oh yeah!

Ben: We only get in the movie for like
a minute, cuz then she dies immediately

after and then she doesn't like spend
two hours re-dyeing her hair, every loop.

Emily: Well she like does it
for like a for camouflage???

Ben: She does it during
the fucking around montage.

Emily: Okay.

Katy: I thought it was just for fun.

I think she just also then later
coincidentally, camouflaged herself.

I didn't think those were related.

Emily: Well, she dressed up in
like a weird camouflage in order

to stalk the party and see who was
trying to kill her at some point.

And I thought that that was also
like where she had dyed her hair.

But I don't know.

I, it all kind of blends
together at a certain point.

Ben: I just think it was a
really cool style and I wish it'd

been in the movie for longer.

Katy: Mm-hmm.

Emily: Um, I do have a
question about this hospital.

One, is it on the same
grounds as the college?

I assume so, right?

Ben: Yep.

Katy: I think so.

Emily: But does it have a bell tower?

Jeremy: It presumably it, it has a
bell tower which has been shut down

and needs to be renovated because
that will come up in, I think the next

round after she learns that this guy is
the killer, she's gonna go try and...

and murder him.

And they will end up in the bell
tower where in this case, Carter,

who is trying to help her gets killed
by the serial killer who has been

set loose at the hospital who she
thinks is responsible for her murder.

Katy: It's kind of true.

It's the best red herring: a
partially true red herring.

Jeremy: Yeah.

Emily: Yeah.

I mean, it does fit into the
plan as we find out later.

Jeremy: Yeah.

He does kill her at least
once in, in this story.

We'll find out later that he is set
free by the roommate who is the one

who's really trying to kill her.

She just happens to be a convenient target
for this guy who likes to kill people.

Ben: Yeah.

The movie did do an effective
job, I thought, of making me go

like, oh, maybe he is the killer.

I feel like this is adding up time wise.

Mm-hmm bit of a disappointment
I, I had in my notes.

Oh, I wish it had been
Lori as the killer instead.

Emily: Nice.

Excellent.

Was it your birthday when you wished that?

Ben: Oh man, but no, but I did wish upon
a star and then a fucking cricket showed

up and started guilting me about stuff.

Emily: So judgey that cricket.

I think I've met that cricket.

Ben: Uh, judgey, judgey cricket.

Emily: Yeah.

Ben: Not letting me go run away
to carnivals or I don't know.

I don't know what else the
hell else happens in Pinocchio.

It has been at least 20 the years.

Since I've seen that movie.

Emily: He becomes a literal jackass.

Jeremy: There's racism.

Emily: There's there is
definitely several racisms.

Ben: So he becomes a racist jackass and
he is still not sure if he is a real boy,

Jeremy: He's not a real
boy, but he is a Republican.

Um-

Ben: Nah-nah-nah-nuh-nah nuh.

Let's let's get back to Happy Death Day.

Jeremy: So yeah this round, she
gets Carter to help her out.

Carter gets killed trying to
stop Tombs the serial killer.

So she decides, even though she has the
upper hand and could kill Tombs at this

point, and she thinks in the whole thing
that she's going to kill herself and do

it all again, so that Carter can survive.

She hangs herself in the clock tower.

Ben: Yeah she has all this development
with Carter that Carter has no memory or

knowledge of, but she is the development's
pretty much just been Tree going.

I am as dubious about
you as the audience is.

And then just slowly going like,
oh, you are genuine as you seem.

Like, oh my God, that line when she-
part of the time loop is Danielle

being like, were you out with a
boy last night and Tree being like,

nyaaah I'm not telling you stuff.

And then the one loop where she comes
home and is like his name is Carter.

And if I survive this day,
I'm gonna have his babies.

Jeremy: Yeah that's that's this
loop because she, she can comes

back, wakes back up in Carter's bed.

She knows what she needs to do.

She knows what's gonna happen.

So this time she decides that
she's going to do everything

right and make the world better.

She encourages the environmentalist girl.

She steals the sunglasses
from the golf guy.

She warns people about the sprinklers.

She puts a pillow under the pledge's
head so that he doesn't, you know,

hurt himself when he falls down.

Not, not stopping all of that
harassing, but, you know.

Ben: It's a very nice, sweet moment and
it's earned, like Tree has gone through

a lot of character development at this
point, and it's really satisfying seeing

her do this, but also this isn't the
last loop and she doesn't do any of these

nice things on the actual last loop.

Emily: Yeah, the last loop, she is
just, very myopic about like, okay,

I gotta take care of this situation.

Gotta take care of the,
the serial killer guy.

I got assault an officer, all

this kind of stuff.

The last loop she's very drink.

She's like, what the fuck?

I did everything right.

I survived.

Why does it still happening?

And so she's all dis oriented.

And as a result, the real tragedy,
Tim is still in the closet because

he didn't get encouragement from
a straight lady to be himself.

I had

Jeremy: figure it out.

She tells Tim on this round that she
knows he's gay and he should embrace it

and go out and get himself some man ass.

She-

Ben: Oh yes, this is on the
second to last good loop still.

Sorry.

I'm skipping ahead to the,

Katy: so, so importantly though, she like
figures out her whole thing with her dad.

She talks to him, she like resolves
all of her family conflict and drama.

It's this really important cathartic,
like just it's it's so crucial.

I can't believe that they
didn't ever do it again.

Jeremy: They kind of cover their
bases on that, which is like, at the

end they have like the dad call her
and she's like, oh no, I'm, I'm fine.

Like, cause he heard about, you
know, this stuff on the news and

she's like, we should, you know,
meet up and talk about this stuff.

But that'll by the last presumably
happens after the movie.

Ben: Yeah.

She's like, Hey dad, I know
it's my day and diner, but I

just threw a lady out a window.

Yeah.

So, or no, like she kicks
it outta the window.

Doesn't she?

Yeah.

Jeremy: Actually kick this girl
out the window because yeah.

So she'll go to the
hospital in face Tombs.

She gets thrown around, but
she does finally kill him.

She goes back in her room to celebrate
with Carter and finally eats the cupcake.

Emily: And it's not until she eats
the cupcake that she figures out who

the killer is because as part of her
redemption day, she eats the cupcake and

she saves it for the last thing of the day
and celebrates her birthday with Carter

like it's fucking 16 candles, but there's
only one candle cuz it's a cupcake.

Jeremy: At which point she goes to bed
and then wakes up again in Carter's

bed and starting the whole thing
over again, she's frantic and angry.

Uh, and she can tell she's getting weaker.

She can't escape this thing
and she's really freaking out.

And she goes back to her room
where she runs into her roommate.

Her roommate is like weirded
out by how weird she's being,

but then she figures it out.

That the last thing she did on this
night in question was that she ate

the cupcake and then she died in her
sleep because the cupcake is poisoned

because the roommate is the real killer
that's been trying to kill her since

the beginning, because not just because
she's an awful person and a terrible

roommate, but specifically because she
is sleeping with the doctor who her

roommate wants to be sleeping with.

And it's all about a dude which
Tree finds incredibly disappointing.

Ben: Importantly, part of the reason
why Tree able to figure out this is

the first time in all of the loops uh,
during her little 16 candles moment

with Carter mm-hmm, actually actually
ate the cupcake and in every single, in

every single time loop before this, she
throws the cupcake away in front of Lori.

Emily: Or well, or forgets it.

Ben: Or forgets yeah.

Or just doesn't.

Yeah.

So that's part of how it is, is
that she's never eaten it before

until that 16 candles loop.

Emily: Yeah.

Ben: Oh man.

Jeremy: Yeah so, Lori is,
telling her that you know, she's

crazy, none of this happened.

So she, tells if Lori that's the case
that she should go ahead and eat it.

At which point, Lori confesses,
and attempts to kill her anyway.

As they, you know, kick and fight,
and then finally, uh, Tree kicks her

out the window and where she lands
on the pavement in front of the, this

poor girl with the headphones, who
has never done anything to anybody.

Ben: Well, let's not undersell it.

Tree shoves the poison
cupcake into Lori's mouth.

And then, and then while Lori's panicking,
fucking kicks her out the window.

Katy: It was epic.

It was an epic moment.

Emily: Yeah.

There anything with a window,
someone diving out a window.

Ben: It's really cathartic and satisfying
and Tree at this Act Three stage is a

really fun protagonist because like she's
had her character arc and her emotional J

journey, but she still has all of like the
take no shit like willing to throw down

qualities that made her endearing and fun
to follow when she still was a bad person.

Jeremy: Now she's a bad
person with nothing to lose.

Emily: Yes.

Ben: Yeah.

Jeremy: Well, a better
person with nothing to lose.

Yeah.

So she then gets to go have
lunch with Carter and explain

everything that's happened.

She reschedules her, you know, lunch with
her dad so that she can reconnect with

him and solve all this family trauma.

And they do a, a fake out ending here
where she wakes up in Carter's room and he

pretends that she's back in the loop and-

Emily: That's so fucked up.

Jeremy: That is...

Carter.

Carter.

Emily: Fucked up.

I mean, I know he wasn't there for
all of that, but still come on.

Like, that's how I know that
Carter isn't like the perfect

dude and she is definitely not
gonna have all of his babies.

That's the little that that little
Ray of reality as Katy was talking

about, dude is not everything
that he's, uh, set up to be.

Although, you know, I hope that they
have a good time for just a little bit.

I haven't seen the sequel,
but, I hope that he's the best

thing for her at that moment.

She does go through a lot and the fact
that we didn't end on the redemption

arc, I thought was actually a good move.

I thought it was a bold
move for the movie.

And I think that does establish that
she is capable of all of those things.

Now she has learned a lesson and
it also, it's not as simple as like

a one day fix where you're like
going around and, you know, signing,

petitions and, being cool one day.

Like you, these, these are
damages that she's going to

have to work on for a while.

And it's, again, it's not as
simple as a single turning point.

Um.

Jeremy: You've gotta be decent every day.

Katy: Mm-hmm.

Emily: Yeah.

Yeah.

And so does your partner.

Carter.

Jeremy: I don't know, did
this is the end of the movie.

Everything is good.

It, it fades out with them talking
about the movie Groundhog Day.

Did any of you guys watch the
there's a alternate ending?

Emily: No!

Ben: No, I'm sorry.

What?

Jeremy: So there's an alternate ending,
uh, that they, they cut thankfully where

she, uh, has just been through this fight
and she's in the hospital getting, checked

out and, um, the nurse is giving her an
IV and she's like, oh no, I'm, I'm fine.

I don't need a, I don't need an IV.

I'm.

Okay.

And, uh, then it revealed that the
woman putting in the IV is actually

the doctor's wife who is poisoning
her and murdering her again.

Emily: Lame.

Yeah.

That's- this is the kind of movie that
needs like some kind of happy ending.

It doesn't have to be like
super ideal, but come on.

Ben: Yeah.

I, I, I can see why that
might have tested not great.

Emily: Yeah.

Yeah.

Ben: I I'm.

I think of the two endings
they went with the right one.

Oh, absolutely.

Katy: I like knowing that
this other one exists though.

Emily: Yeah.

Ben: Yes.

Katy: They did.

They did set up the idea that
Tree deserves to be murdered.

Emily: Yes.

But you know, the wife
she needs to move on.

Katy: Yeah.

Emily: She can't- she
shouldn't fall to this level.

Ben: Yeah just...

Just throw the whole ass man away.

Yeah.

Jeremy: Uh, guys, do we think, do we
think happy death day is feminist?

Emily: It tries, it is definitely like, it
has some problems, but I think all in all.

Yes.

I think it's in a step in
the feminist direction.

Katy: I think it's definitely aware
of and responsive to feminism.

Emily: Yes.

Ben: Yes.

Like the movie seems very aware of it
almost like it really helps to like-

a lot of it just- I'm struggling a
little bit because I don't feel like

the movie is particularly feminist and
it definitely does have that like women

pitted against each other over both
of them sleeping with a married man.

But Tree is just such an, uh,
interesting and fun, well rounded

three-dimensional protagonist, you know,
like definitely one of the stronger horror

protagonists we've seen in recent days.

Emily: She's definitely a
disaster, which I appreciate.

Ben: Yeah.

Like this is not your The
Virgin as the final girl.

Like it's very nice seeing our survivor
being an absolute chaotic trash bag.

Katy: And she's strong while being shitty.

Ben: Yes.

Emily: Yes.

Ben: Yes.

Jeremy: Yeah.

I, I really appreciate that Tree
specifically in this movie is given

the sort of character that you know,
as with Groundhog Day, is often

reserved for male characters of
being a bad person who gets better.

Being a Sherlock who, you know, some so
often female characters are sort of locked

in one sort of idea of who they are.

And if they make a change, it is often
directly in response to a male character

and a relationship, which the relationship
is I think very secondary to this story.

And I do appreciate as much as
there is sort of this thing of her.

The actual murders being because of
a, two people fighting over a man

the Tree is so disappointed in that.

She's so into this idea of a serial
killer murdering her, um, because you

know, he's been set loose and he's
chasing her down on her birthday.

However that works, uh, whether or
not it's supposed to have something to

do with her mother, which you know, I
have the same thought as Katy on that

one, but that, like, she's so much
more interested in that story than

what turns out to be the real story.

Because when it is revealed, she goes,
wait, you're been killing me over a man?

Like.

Emily: Yeah!

Ben: Yeah.

You're right.

She's disappointed in the motive.

Emily: Yes.

Ben: Which is a really fun element.

Emily: That.

That's a really good point.

Which is also a, of a step forward
in terms of feminism with the movies

that, that there's, that self-awareness
that like, Alison Bechdel is watching.

Jeremy: Yeah.

I really like both, this
actress and Tree as a character.

I think it really carries the movie
so much because every other character

is so very secondary in this story.

And, And she is just running the show.

And she's so she's so entertaining and so
charismatic, even when she's just awful.

It's really a joy to watch.

And I, I do wonder how much of
the, that comes from the actors.

How much of it comes from the director?

How much of it is in that original script?

I, I do think that uh, it definitely,
has some strong feminist elements,

whether or not like we categorize
that awareness of it as being feminist

or, whether we see it as sort of
having its cake and eating it too.

But I, I think that's really strong.

Somewhere where I don't think
it's quite as strong is on the

sort of racial justice end.

There's not much in the way of
non-white characters in this movie.

Katy: Uh, there's the
girl they fat shamed.

So that's nice.

Ben: Yep.

There's the girl that gets fat shamed.

There's Carter's roommate who just
gets to repeat one, uh, creepy

sexist line over and over again.

Katy: I can't believe we've actually
made it this far into the thing

without any of us saying "fine vagine".

Emily: Oh yeah!

Ben: Yeah.

I was trying not to.

Jeremy: Say the phrase "fine vagine".

" Katy: Foine vagoine", maybe?

Emily: "Foine vagoine"!

I actually kinda like that.

Katy: Yeah.

Emily: Like, I, I mean, I-

Ben: I can do "foine vagoine"
because that sounds like the

title of a Lonely Island song.

Emily: Yeah.

I would be happy to
describe myself that way.

Katy: I would prefer could it not
ever be about me, but it's funny.

Ben: Well, I just wanna know, is
this vanity plate still available?

Emily: There is a controversy right
now going on in this fine country

and this fine vagine country.

That was, yeah.

Yeah.

There's a lot of

Ben: I'm not- I'm not sure how-

Katy: To phrase that.

Emily: That was a phrasing that a
lot of I'm getting a lot of very

incredulous looks about that.

And, um, I will accept that that's an
acceptable response to this thing that

I just said, but there is a controversy
about, plates, uh, license plates, vanity

plates, so to speak with adult content.

So hopefully, maybe we can make
some real progress in this country.

And-

Ben: Is this about the lady who
wants her vanity plate to be fart?

Emily: Yes.

Ben: Let her drive as far.

Emily: Yeah.

I mean, Seinfeld had the Assman.

Katy: Do you guys?

Ben: That's right.

Katy: Do you remember
the, uh, this is awful.

Um, There was a Carlos
Mencia, I think, bit.

Emily: No, I don't remember
that cuz I don't ever, I haven't

ever seen any of his stuff.

Ben: I'm worried.

I'll have remembered that.

And that, that won't reflect well on me.

Katy: I don't know how I remember this,
but I don't recall being a consumer of,

of him, but I feel like didn't, he, and
now watch is gonna be some other comedian

and I don't remember who, but I feel like
he called several DMVs and asked if he

could get racial slurs as license plates.

And they uniformly said no, until he found
certain racial slurs for Latin people.

And then they uniformly said, yes.

Ben: Oh, wow.

That's-

Katy: Did I make this up in my head?

I don't think I did.

I wish I could remember.

I saw I saw it once.

Jeremy: It does appear to be,
uh, a sketch from Mind of Mencia.

Didn't- I didn't know we were gonna
talk about Carlos Mencia today.

Katy: Sorry.

Ben: I didn't see it coming.

Katy: Sorry.

So let's stick with "fine vagine"
and, and not racial epithets.

Emily: Yeah.

Jeremy: My only thought was,
uh, Emily, that this country

currently, the vagine is not fine.

I just-

Ben: Yeah.

That's where I was coming from.

Emily: Yeah.

Ben: Like, I'm not sure I describe
our national vagine as fine.

Jeremy: The vagine is in danger.

Emily: Yes, sir.

I know.

But like, for all those "fine vagines"
in this country, I salute you.

Ben: Yes.

Emily: I'm just gonna say that.

In this country and out
of it, especially, um-

Ben: Land of the free.

Emily: We're all saluting now, Alicia,
can you drop in some like music?

Is the National Anthem public domain?

Jeremy: Here's to you, you fine vagines.

Emily: Yeah.

This.

Ben: Who could possibly, who would we pay?

Do we do is like give America a tax?

Like, is there a National Anthem tax?

Emily: I assume it's public domain.

Ben: I assume.

Everything else is fucking capitalist.

Jeremy: I can't imagine using The
National Anthem in a podcast without

using Fergie's version of it.

So.

I guess we pay Fergie.

Yeah.

Ben: Can we just make My
Humps, The National Anthem?

Katy: Wow.

Emily: What about the Humpty dance?

Ben: The, the silence after
that suggestion was deafening

to the new audiences at home.

For the record, my, the panel here,
not into these Black Eyed Peas, uh,

replacing The National Anthem idea.

Between Mind of Mencia and Black
Eyed Peas, the podcast for all

you, for all you properly cultured
folks out there with fine taste.

Emily: Yes.

Katy: I feel like we might be
dating ourselves a little bit.

Emily: Oh.

I date myself every day.

Katy: Good.

Emily: I take myself-

Ben: Who's ready for some
mid two thousands trash?

Emily: For me.

It's nineties.

Bring it.

Let's talk about sex, baby.

See that's nineties.

I straight up just Salt-n-Pepa'd at you.

Ben: All right.

Jeremy: The way you delivered it is
really the, what makes it special.

Ben: Um, oh yeah.

Oh yeah.

I'm I'm gonna need that
as like a ring tone.

Katy: I think we just saw these,
that we were here for that moment.

Ben: Yeah.

Jeremy: Baby.

Ben: I wish I wish I was in a time loop
so I could experience it again and again.

Jeremy: If she was delivering
Salt-N-Pepa's classic, uh, line

as if she were a mafia hitman in
a, a stereotypical eighties movie.

Talk about-

Emily: That's my brand!

Jeremy: -sex, baby!

Emily: Let's- what a man?

What a man?

What a man.

I'll do it as Christopher Walken.

Ben: What a man, whenever they need
the next, whenever they need the next,

Barney Rubble on the Flintstones like I
know who to suggest for the auditions.

Emily: Oh my God though.

Jeremy: Let's talk about sex, Fred?

Hey Fred!

Let's talk about sex!

Okay.

Sorry.

Speaking of...

what do we think about the
LGBT content in this movie?

Ben: Not good.

Emily: Not great.

I mean like-

Katy: Good transition though.

That was a great transition.

Emily: Yeah.

Ben: Yeah.

Katy: Props.

Ben: This movie, uh, doesn't
know, bi people exist

Emily: Barney Rubble's bi though, right?

We know that?

Ben: Yes.

Katy: I think so.

Emily: Okay.

Jeremy: Yeah.

I, Hmm.

I think that this movie does, in some
ways fall into the same kind of trap

that, Freaky does to some extent, which is
Christopher Landon, as a loud and proud

gay director, I think aims for camp when
talking about gay stuff a lot in a way

that like doesn't land in this at all.

When they're talking about the
character of Tim, being gay in a way

that does totally exclude bi people-

Katy: And does it disservice
to gay people, frankly?

Yeah,

Emily: yeah,

Jeremy: Yeah.

It's weirdly not great for
somebody, for whom that is sort

of right in, in his wheelhouse.

Alright.

I don't think there's a lot
to say here about class.

I mean, it's everybody
is of a certain class.

There's not really much
discussion about it.

In this movie.

Emily: These characters in the sorority
are pretty involved with class and

projecting that image of class.

So there is some very like finite
or like, granular class divisions.

And, the fact that they are depicted
in that way does also, I think,

says what it says about class,
which is, these are basic bitches.

Ben: Yeah.

I, I think it really comes through with
like Danielle, especially with like the

crass cynicism when they're like, when
she's trying to figure out like where

to do their charity event for, there's
definitely a under, I'm not sure how much

of an undercurrent is versus, or just a
current of elitism with this sorority.

That is m ostly under, I think underserved
by the fact that we don't see anyone that

they would be acting elitist towards.

So they just are.

But like, there's definitely a sense that
they are elitist, but we don't really see

it in practice outside of just Danielle
just being the meanest to everybody.

Emily: Yeah.

Just the passing comments that
they have and, you know, speaking

of Danielle, the ableism, there
is like, depicted as monstrous.

Katy: It's beautiful that they, no,
it's beautiful that they do that.

Yeah.

But they're like only a
shitty person acts like this.

Emily: Yeah.

That's cool.

Ben: Yeah.

Yeah.

They definitely do a good job
just showing like, just how vapid

and cynical and mean like these
supposedly elite institutions can be.

Emily: Yeah.

Jeremy: Yeah.

And I think that's basically as
much as it touches on any sort of

disability as well in that, she is
awful about people with disabilities

and causing to people more mental trauma
by, you know, fat shaming and just

being generally horrible to people.

But it doesn't, doesn't really
engage in that too deeply other

than to be like, look, it's a
shitty person doing shitty things.

Don't be shitty.

So that, that wraps up our, points here.

Generally, would we, uh, says this is
worth seeing, should people check it out?

Ben: Oh yeah.

This is a lot of fun.

Emily: Yeah, this is very fun movie.

Ben: If you are a fan of slashers, this
is a very worthy addition to the genre.

Katy: If you like movies that
are good and fun, I would say

she, you should watch this.

Emily: Yeah, yes.

Jeremy: Yeah.

I'd say put it back to back with Freaky
because both those movies have same

director, very similar vibes, and
they're both very funny and very good.

Now, uh, beyond that, uh,
do we have anything we would

recommend people check out?

Do we have anything, uh, we
wanna point people toward

either related to this or not?

Ben: Most definitely.

If you like movies with death
movies, with mystery movies about

birthdays, go see Knives Out.

Emily: Yeah.

A good one.

It's a very good film.

Ben: It's a very good film.

It's got birthday, murder, mystery, all
the things aside from the time move,

but you get Chris Evans in a sweater.

Emily: And Jamie Lee
Curtis is in that film.

Yes.

Ben: Oh, killer cast.

Daniel Craig, Michael
Shannon, Ana de Armas.

Just like, just knock out after knockout.

Katy: It's a really nice sweater.

Ben: Yes.

Oh, it's a great sweater.

And he looks and he rocks it so good.

Katy: Mm-hmm.

Jeremy: Absolutely.

Uh, Emily, did you have anything?

Emily: Uh, well, if you like, stories
with a trash woman, uh, that is to

say a woman who, whose personality
is trash, going on a, a journey of

redemption, just watch The Good Place.

It's good.

It's great.

This movie reminded me a lot of
the good place, especially with the

Tree and her just where she starts.

Ben: Definite Eleanor vibes.

Emily: Yeah, definitely.

Eleanor, you know, this is, of
course there is a, there are some

repeating elements, some patterns
certainly in the show, but uh,

all in all I've watched all of it.

You'll cry at the end.

It is, uh, a lot of fun.

So check that out is another
wonderful, fun thing.

And you know, heavy at
times, but stays upbeat.

Mm-hmm.

Jeremy: Katy, did you have any
recommendations for people?

Katy: I wanna stay plugging the sequel.

It was pretty good.

I will say it is slightly less good
than the first one, but only slightly.

Emily: That's good to know
though, because you know.

Jeremy: Often happens with sequels.

Yeah.

Yeah.

Katy: I mean, sometimes they're a real big
bummer and this is not a real big bummer.

Emily: Awesome.

Katy: Still very fun.

Jeremy: Yeah.

what I wanna recommend, because
it's, I, I won't go as far as

say that this movie is good.

It is written by Christopher Landon.

Christopher Landon started off writing
and moved, onto writing and directing

but one of his first feature length
movies that he directed or, that he

wrote is a, a movie called Blood and
Chocolate which is a, uh, werewolf

movie and has all of the like amazing
quality that you would expect from, I'm

just gonna, I'm just gonna read IMD B's
storyline of this here that they have.

In Bucharest, Romania, the orphan
Vivian was raised by her aunt after

losing her parents 10 years ago in
the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.

Her family belongs to a
bloodline of werewolves.

And Vivian is promised to the
leader of the pack, Gabriel.

When the American cartoonist Aiden,
who is researching werewolves for

his publisher for the next edition
of his magazine meets Vivian they

immediately fall in love with each other.

However, the evil son of Gabriel
and Vivian's cousin Wraith poisons

Gabriel about about the love of
Vivian, forcing her to choose between

her bounds with her bonds, with her
family and her passion for Aiden.

Emily: Doesn't this-

Jeremy: if you weren't already sold.

Aiden is played by Hugh Dancy.

Emily: Yeah, yeah, that, that's what I was
trying to, uh, express because I remember

seeing like baby Hugh Dancy and oof.

Jeremy: Yeah.

It's a heck of a thing.

It is exactly as good as
that sounds like it would be.

So it is, it is entertaining
and, and worth the watch.

I will not again, go as far
as it is good, but it is fun.

So definitely that's worth
your time to check out.

Now, before we wrap up, Katy, can you
let everybody know where they can find

out more about you and your work online?

Katy: Yeah.

Uh, I'm mostly on Twitter these
days at @TheKatyRex that's K

a T Y Rex like the dinosaur.

Emily: Nice.

Jeremy: Awesome.

And of course, for the rest of
us, you can find Emily @MegaMoth

on Twitter and mega underscore
moth on Instagram and mega moth.net.

Ben is on Twitter @BentheKahn, uh, and
their website at BenKahnComics.com,

where you can pick up all of their
books, including the brand new Immortals

Fenyx Rising graphic novel from
Great Beginnings and the GLAAD award

nominated Renegade Rule, graphic novel.

And finally, for me, you can find me
on Twitter and Instagram @jrome58.

That's J R O M E 58.

And my website is Jeremywhitley.com, where
you can check out everything I write.

And of course the podcast itself is on
Patreon, we would love it if you backed us

there, but also you can just check us out
at progressivelyhorrified.transistor.fm

and talk to us on Twitter @ProgHorrorPod.

We would love to hear from you.

Uh, and speaking of loving to hear
from you, we would love if you could

review us and rate us anywhere that
you listen to this podcast right now.

Five stars on that review helps us
find more listeners and get more ears.

So thank you very much for listening and
thank you so much to Katy for joining us.

Katy: Thank you.

This was really fun.

Emily: Awesome.

Thank you so much.

Ben: Thank you so much for coming on.

Jeremy: Thanks for suggesting this movie.

I love this one.

Emily: Yes.

Thank you.

Jeremy: And uh, thank you as always
to Ben and Emily for joining me.

And again, thanks to all of
you for listening and until

next time stay horrified.

Alicia: Progressively horrified
as created by Jeremy Whitley

and produced by Alicia Whitley.

This episode featured Jeremy, Ben and
Emily, along with special guest, Katy Rex.

All opinions expressed by the
commentators are solely their own

and do not represent the intent or
opinion of the filmmakers nor do they

represent the employers, institutions,
or publishers of the commentators.

Our theme music is Epic Darkness
by MarioKohl06 and was provided

royalty free from Pixabay.

If you like this episode, you can
support us on Patreon or contact us

on twitter @ProgHorrorPod or by email
at progressivelyhorrified@gmail.com.

Thanks for listening.