Water Cooler: Recursion, As Told By Ginger, Mamma Mia!, and a Bleak Read of Blink Twice's Ending

On the September 4, 2024 episode of /Film Daily, /Film editor Ben Pearson is joined by /Film editor BJ Colangelo to gather around the virtual water cooler and talk about what they’ve been up to.

In the Water Cooler:

• What we’ve been Doing:
• BJ has been redecorating (by using Laserdiscs as wall art)
• What we’ve been Reading:
• Ben read Recursion by Blake Crouch.
• BJ has been reading scripts she signed NDAs for but can talk about the experience of reading scripts.
• What we’ve been Watching:
• BJ watched Pretty Poison, all of As Told By Ginger, & attending the Heathers 35th anniversary screening (with writer, director, and the last remaining Heather)
• Ben watched the first few episodes of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power season 2 (which he’ll talk about more later), the first two episodes of Only Murders in the Building season 4 (agree with Brad), and watched Mamma Mia! for the first time.
• What we’ve been Eating:
• BJ has decided Roast Chicken is the best flavor of Maruchan Instant Lunch
• What we’ve been Playing:
• BJ has been playing the Impulse Brain Trainer app

Listener email:

Dear Ben and BJ,

First, I just want to say how much I enjoy the show. I have been listening for a couple years now and always enjoy your commentary as well as the other members of /film, particularly BJ Colangelo. In fact, my teenage daughter and I went to see the film blink twice based on your enthusiastic review.

After listening to the episode reviewing blink twice, as well as hearing BJ discuss the film on The Filmcast podcast, in addition to reading your article about the ending of the movie, I had to write in.

My daughter and I are both big horror movie fans, and really loved the film, so thank you again for the recommendation. However, I was fascinated when we walked out of the movie as she saw the ending very differently than I did…. when the camera shows Frida talking to Sara outside in the grass, looking at the burning house, and then slowly pans to Slater king as Sarah says, do you wish you had made a different choice?…. My daughter Violet read that as Frida deciding to save King rather than Frida, but obviously having mixed feelings about that terrible choice, which she would’ve had to make quickly while the house was burning down. So I guess she read it as a much darker ending, with Frida, abandoning the sisterhood, saving king and then subjugating him, and taking over his empire. But obviously having a little bit of conflicted feelings and guilt that she should’ve saved Sara instead (hence, briefly hallucinating a conversation with Sara, calmly questioning the choice that she made, reflecting Frida‘s conscience).

She had the darker take, which she thought was indicated by seeds laid earlier in the film, such as Frida not believing and respecting her friend Jess’s worry that things are not right when just wants to leave the island. And of course, the Geena Davis character.

I just thought that was an interesting read on the ending that I’ve not seen discussed. Again, love the show, and keep doing great work on the website as well!

Take care

Jennifer (from San Antonio)

All the other stuff you need to know:

• You can find more about all the stories we mentioned on today’s show at slashfilm.com, and linked inside the show notes.
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