Til Death Do Us Blart: 2020

November 26, 2020 7:30 AM

Well pals, it's that time of year again. American Thanksgiving. This year, we're mixing things up with a Paul Blart Mall Cop 2 commentary track designed to be synced with the film. Yes, you read that right, we're ACTIVELY incentivizing the watching of this film.

Current hosts: Justin, Travis and Griffin McElroy, Tim Batt and Guy Montgomery
Where to stream PB:MC2 in your country (change the Streaming In country field).

posted by EndsOfInvention (12 comments total)

As I said in the 2019 thread, I'd planned to watch the film anyway this year, so this is spot-on timing. Will probably watch tonight or over the weekend.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 7:55 AM on November 26, 2020

For the record, it's totally possible to listen to this without watching along, especially if you've listened to all the previous episodes and are as familiar with the film as possible without actually watching it.
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 12:15 PM on November 26, 2020 [3 favorites]

This year, I was struck by a new theory: Lane isn't a ghost! Instead, he's Groundhog Daying! That's why he's so chill throughout it all and happens to bring a snow globe as a gift, etc. He's fine through this all before!
posted by meese at 2:16 PM on November 26, 2020 [2 favorites]

I listened while playing Animal Crossing. Have never seen the movie. Was still entertained.
posted by MaritaCov at 3:07 PM on November 26, 2020 [1 favorite]

I almost watched this on Sunday in preparation. I am so glad I... could only make it to the check-in scene.

I had to recalibrate my mental balance between commentary track and movie watching from something like rifftrax. I caught myself watching the movie (shudder) and missing a tangent occasionally. I should try muxing this in as an optional audio track.
posted by supercres at 1:24 PM on November 27, 2020

My fantasy is to start a podcast about this podcast containing nothing but people who, like me, have never actually seen the movie, and this year might put a spanner in that goal, but my hope remains eternal.
posted by foxfirefey at 7:17 PM on November 28, 2020 [2 favorites]

I enjoyed this years podcast. I did not watch the movie along with it.
I have never seen this movie and I will never see this movie.
posted by Just this guy, y'know at 6:27 AM on November 29, 2020 [1 favorite]

My fantasy is to start a podcast about this podcast containing nothing but people who, like me, have never actually seen the movie, and this year might put a spanner in that goal, but my hope remains eternal.

It would be fun to do a one-off of folks sitting around trying to describe what happens in the movie from beginning to end based solely on information they have learned from listening to this podcast.

I hope in a future year they do a table read of the Paul Blart Mall Cop 2 script, with special guest Clint McElroy reading the stage direction.
posted by Mr.Encyclopedia at 3:37 PM on November 29, 2020 [2 favorites]

Finally got round to watching Paul Blart: Mall Cop 2. I think watching it alongside the podcast helped flesh out some scenes and details I don't think they'd really talked about before, e.g. the staircase bulletproof luggage scene, or the weird layout of rooms and corridors connecting to the bad guys' suite. Was it worth £4.99? I'm not sure, but it definitely kept the podcast fresh.
posted by EndsOfInvention at 7:24 AM on December 22, 2020

2015: This film sucks (Travis: I made a list of the 11 times I laughed).
2016: I remember this film being OK? No, this film SUCKS. Our partners refused to watch it with us. (Travis: I made a list of the 13 times I laughed).
2017: This film is actually pretty funny, also it syncs up with Dark Side Of The Moon (Travis: I made a list of the times Justin laughed).
2018: **Existential despair**
2019: HOW is this film is SO BA- wait, I think we've talked about this before. (Tim: I can only get through this film using hallucinogens).

2020: If good art is used in bad art, is the good art bad? And why is everyone walking around with guns??
posted by EndsOfInvention at 7:42 AM on December 22, 2020 [1 favorite]

It would be fun to do a one-off of folks sitting around trying to describe what happens in the movie from beginning to end based solely on information they have learned from listening to this podcast.

Or, after another 5 years of listening to this podcast but not ever watching the movie to write a script out for the movie and then get other people who have neither seen the movie nor heard the podcast act and direct that script.
posted by Just this guy, y'know at 12:27 PM on December 22, 2020 [1 favorite]

Then someone else can do their own yearly podcast where they watch THAT movie every year for ever.

(and so on....)
posted by Just this guy, y'know at 12:27 PM on December 22, 2020