Binge-Watchers Podcast

Bad Romances: I Love You To Death

February 24, 2020 Johnny Spoiler and The Binge-Watchers Season 16 Episode 5
Binge-Watchers Podcast
Bad Romances: I Love You To Death
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Show Notes Transcript

“Kevin Kline as an Italian. What a different world 1990 was.”

I Love You to Death is a 1990 American black comedy film directed by Lawrence Kasdan and starring an ensemble cast featuring Kevin Kline, Tracey Ullman, Joan Plowright, River Phoenix, William Hurt, and Keanu Reeves.

The screenplay by John Kostmayer is loosely based on an attempted murder that happened in 1983, in Allentown, Pennsylvania, where Frances Toto repeatedly tried to kill her husband, Anthony.  She spent four years in prison for attempted murder and was released in 1988.

--->
Watch I Love You To Death <---

Tracey Ulman is killing it in the movie; well, at least trying to kill her husband anyway.
Her husband runs a pizza joint and cheats on her with his side slices until she discovers the infidelity and plots a hit on him.

Dave mentions Tacoma F.D. and John hips you into V.F.W, in theaters now.


---> Watch I Love You To Death <---

Here is the Chicago Tribune article about the real crime

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Binge-Watchers is a late night show for your ears with entertainment news, film history, philosophies based on movie plots, hear the adventures and successful failures of our host, JOHNNY SPOILER joined by his buddies he has known since film school, DANGEROUS DAVE, NICKY LATES, and sometimes, their friends from TV, Film, and Music come along for the ride. One epic binge-watch after another. You could say this crew are professional binge watchers because they are movie fans that grew up to try to make some films of their own as they navigate the industry, day jobs, and real life.


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spk_1:   0:02
I

spk_0:   0:02
got the remarks. Hey, we got the romance

spk_1:   0:09
correct. Open a coal box of wine. All pull something cold on eyes because it's the binge watches.

spk_0:   0:43
I'm not making fun of Italians. Lawrence casting is making fun of Italian things, moving 1990 with Kevin Kline playing an Italian and it's called I Love You to Death. Essentially, his Yugoslavian wife finds out her Italian husband cheating on her, and her and her mother conspired to kill him. The guy can't die. Um, yeah, exactly. They tried to kill him, like, three or four times, and it's got a great ensemble cast. I mean, that's what caste is known for. He gets like he doesn't have a main character. He has, like five main characters. I mean, you know, from the Big Chill, Grand Canyon, a handful of the Star Wars movies. He's a really good writer. He's an okay director, but he's a really good writer. What's funny is he has his son. And like all of his movies like like all those movies include a little kid and it's usually his son, you know? I mean, I was busy making movies, making the reason, like the eighties early nineties. So here's this movie. I love you to death. Basically, order a pizza shop, gets calls from ladies while he's flipping pizzas and everybody's onto it. Except for the wife is like, oblivious to it or, like, can't accept that it's reality. I don't know, or she's really that naive or something she doesn't really seem to like catch on. But it's also clear that, like the bus boy is in love with the wife, you know,

spk_2:   2:02
Right, Really? Phoenix. Yeah,

spk_0:   2:03
that's right, Man River Phoenix. You know who was like Everybody will say, even walking will say, Oh, yeah, my brother's a better actor than me. Like like River Phoenix was like leaving the clan as faras the actors in that family quality. But he's kind of under utilized in this movie, you know. But then again, what is the bus boy? Does he really have to do? But thes characters are based on real life people like, I guess I should probably back up until the whole scenario, right? Like in Allentown, Pennsylvania, this lady tried to kill her husband four or five times and enlisted like her body from the restaurant and then, like his cousins to get the job, done it in the movie. The cousins were played by counter reason. Will you hurt? Yeah, um, the names are all different, but, um, it was like Francis Toto, when her husband was named Was Anthony Toto. I don't know if he had a chance to look up like the real story.

spk_2:   2:56
No, I said yes.

spk_0:   2:58
Look, back in 83 she tried to kill her husband. Like I said, and then they really want a pizza place. But then he actually he, like, took a mortgage out on the pizza place to try to pay her bail here under jail because he decided that like it is really, really. He decided that he had so much passion for him that he should forgive her for killing, trying to kill him. You tried to get her out of jail, so he lost his business. I had to take a regular job and like, spent more time with his kids and then tried to get her out of jail. And but she was in jail for four years. I think it's like so it happens a three. And she doesn't get out of jail to 88 but the movie's more has more of a fairy tale ending. Spoiler alert folks like it's gonna go a slightly different way. And the part of movie that you don't think it couldn't possibly be true is like the most true is part of the story. Like I figure what the first do you remember? The first attempt to kill the guy is you remember the first temp on the husband like it

spk_2:   3:59
wasn't like she hired some guy. Don't go beat him

spk_0:   4:01
about the baseball bat. Yeah, okay, so that doesn't work. But then, like, she's like, put Kirsten up sleeping or she's smashing sleeping pills into his like pasta. Spaghetti? Yeah. Getting so in the movie. Spaghetti In real life, it's chicken noodle soup or something like that. But then, yeah, I guess the guy consumes enough of it. And here's where I thought the movie just made this up. He, um, is, like, high on the sleeping medication and in and out of consciousness and then, like the bus boy shoots him in the head and he did it and he just lay there in bed. Doesn't even know that he's been shot. And, uh, and I was reading. It happened. She likes slow down his like blood loss through his metabolism. And that's what kept him alive in real life. And like in real life, he got shot in the chest and managed to wake up and walk to the restroom and didn't realize he'd been shot. The police were there, were telling him, Dude, you've been shot. If he's like, What do you mean? Yeah, he goes to the hospital recuperating, really accept the reality that his wife shot him or had somebody shoot him and then and then proceeds to think, Oh, this woman must really love me if she's willing to kill me and they, like, mend their relationship in real life And, uh, and then as the movie goes like, she actually doesn't go to jail, she gets an Agiel. The bus boys pissed off because he's in love with the wife. But, um, you know, and then the beginning move. You think like the wife's one has like running to his hook ups or whatever, cause, like, what's her name? Heather. Underground? Yeah, Heather Graham was open and go. Okay, Here you go. This is gonna be like a major plot point, and then she's like, Go on, if you like She looking one scene just like Hi. How you doing? I want to rent the department and then see you later. Um, but, I mean, you get the idea that anybody who runs his apartment's isn't next hookup. You know, he's basically just filling in the apartments with young blonde single ladies, right? Yeah. Um, with the exception of Phoebe Cates, we tries to hit on in a nightclub. Um, but I mean, his toolbox has condoms in it. Like, how does his wife never see his toolbox? Like he's doing chores around the house. Or he's fixing something at the restaurant. She's never gonna see notice the condoms that are inside of his toolbox.

spk_2:   6:24
I took it. She's very night. You like? Yeah. I don't know. Maybe that was just the convenience of writing, but,

spk_0:   6:32
hey, forget he's never looked better

spk_2:   6:36
now that Yeah, I could have gone for a big bowl of spaghetti after watching that.

spk_0:   6:40
Yeah, there's a wood fire stove. Pizza would've been good. Um, what you can't do is ah, you can watch the movie with us. We actually have a partnership with Amazon What you could do is grab early on the podcast notes. You get over there on Amazon, you'd be able to watch, uh, I love you to death. Tracey Ullman, William Hurt Calories In a very weird part. Who said Kevin Kline starring Crazy Oldman? She's not so funny, but you kind of take you. Take her seriously. She played the wife pretty well.

spk_2:   7:14
Yeah, and

spk_0:   7:15
I think you said David Gold Star for being a bad romance film. I think Dave's at tops tops for the series so far.

spk_2:   7:22
All right. I really like this. Anybody close it out? Yeah, especially can Reeves Can Reeves killed Mia's? Ah, Marlon. Drug addict? Yeah,

spk_0:   7:31
the cousins names or Harlan and Marlon. I don't know if it ever established his cousins in the movie, but they're based on a pair of cousins in real life.

spk_2:   7:41
It just felt like it suited Chiana, uh, quiano at the time. Very well. His speech pattern, just everything, like they utilized him really well.

spk_0:   7:51
Used to be like him. Like a bombed out surfer guy is like What candle was like Be typecast him. Yeah. You all right? This half baked surfer guy? Here's Kano. He's ready to go. You know, it's kind of like his whole stick back in the day. Right? You've seen, apparently.

spk_2:   8:06
Yeah, whatever.

spk_0:   8:07
Um, yeah. The other thing, folks, I wonder what you know about is if you thinking about starting a podcast. Guess what? It's a great way to start. You know why you can follow you on our show notes bus Proud. It's gonna give you the hook up if you sign up with our leak. You also get a $20 Amazon gift card. You send it for a P plan. Tried out, and that's actually gonna help support our show. You started podcasts, and you help us out as well. It's pretty cool. Click it. Get the $20 gift card. Other than that, that's it. We're not gonna advertise anymore. Promise we'll continue with the show. It, uh, man a little rusty on the ads, but whatever. Um oh, William Hurt's character. So they were saying he's almost a throwaway character, but he played it with such emphasis that he's actually like, riveting as ah Harlan, the other guy. I want to see, like, a movie with just them, like their little misadventures. Whatever. Yes. What other criminal enterprises that they involved with, you know, But

spk_2:   9:08
they're willing to kill guy for what, 400? Yeah,

spk_0:   9:11
you know what? In real life, it was five. That's everything I said. Okay, Okay, okay. I said, ahhh! It can't be for 400 bucks. That's everything. I looked up. The Chicago Tribune article that I found is incredible. I'm gonna put that in the notes, folks, like if you or on iTunes or cast box, or maybe Spotify to some of the pod catchers, which you're where you can listen to podcasts. We'll have these hyperlinks. But sometimes the hyperlinks don't work of throwing like 1/3 party Web site that place podcast. They may not be applicable, but you can always copy and paste them. But if you just don't like apple podcast, you'll be able to click through my notes and see this article that I'm talking about. It's like the Chicago Tribune wrote this article when the movie came out and wanted to relate. Like the stuff in the store in the movie too, you know, like the real life couple, right? Yo, um, talks about that. The cousins, which have these weird names, but their last name was bad lip. Like what? That sounds like a movie character name right there. Bad luck Be a d l I p s sounds good, gangster, you know. Anyway, but they Yeah, they were like they requested 500 bucks to do this job, you know? So it's really funny. Yeah, I don't know. But again, like just a movie about those two would probably be, like, pretty exciting stuff.

spk_2:   10:23
Yeah, they were the best part.

spk_0:   10:24
You think so? Like,

spk_2:   10:26
I mean, I like this movie. Don't get me wrong with the, uh I don't know. They can. Reeves particularly had me laughing out loud the most. Um I don't know. Why didn't

spk_0:   10:36
he come with you, Stone? And I know he's the rascal. But I was watching Kevin clients the whole movie, basically.

spk_2:   10:45
Oh, he's great. I like I'm not taking anything away from Kevin Kline, but I don't know something about can Reeves Character just tickled me.

spk_0:   10:52
You know, what's weird is like in the big chill. He plays somebody that gets cheated on. And in this movie, he's the cheater.

spk_2:   11:01
Mmm.

spk_0:   11:02
But same filmmaker, right? Casden, you know? Yeah, and cats and pops up in the movie with a freaking hearings. What? Oh, yeah, you can recognize him. He looked kind of curly hair, but he's the guy that had the little jewels, and his is here.

spk_2:   11:18
All right. Missed it.

spk_0:   11:19
Oh, yeah. He pops up in the movie

spk_2:   11:21
for,

spk_0:   11:21
uh, stare like the courtroom, like all the like, you know, prosecuted. Yeah, it's towards the end. It's funny that you say you were riveted by Harlan Marlin because I was actually not even asleep at that, like when they came on. Oh, really? Yeah. So I'm missing. Probably. I missed, like, 10 minutes of the movie

spk_2:   11:44
of them. It was like he was my favorite part.

spk_0:   11:49
Um, if anybody's gonna see this movie, it should be our listeners. I think because, Well, I depends. I don't know if they've dropped it and fall along with the other bad romances, but you know what? The standout for me is not this movie like I enjoyed it, But it's not my favorite Kevin Kline movie. And also, like 20. In 1980 you could make a movie where a Caucasian guy like puts on a fake Italian accent and Ripley is an Italian. Today I don't know. Maybe you just went to an Italian actor like an make fun of themselves. I don't know, like, uh, he's a lot of stereotypes. What's funny is like he was going. He kind of broke the accent a couple times. He would get excited. Look, there's a cigar he's in with River Phoenix or driving in his pickup delivery truck or whatever. And we're talking about the wife and, you know, basically d'oh, which is river phase of the bus boy character. It's trying to tell him to chill out, you know, with all the misbehavior. And then, like, he starts getting excited. And then, like all of a sudden, his accent is gone. It's just Kevin Kline yelling and you go, you know, like Oh, you know, Um, also, he's a really long monologue in the beginning in the movie, when he's talking to the priest and that's all. So you could tell he's struggling to stay in the accident, you know, um and maybe that's part of the joke. I don't know that he has a bad Italian accents. Um, he was a first generation American like that was really the guy was like, technically, an immigrant but was really about pro America, Big America stuff, you know, round. But other than that, I don't know what to say. Really.

spk_2:   13:27
It's just

spk_0:   13:29
not It's not very long like its foot. No, no. Like, I had a phone like a fun time watching this. And like I said, I got like, a I got it was entertained by watching Kevin Kline and play this character.

spk_2:   13:41
Yeah, he well, he was a bit of the weak point. Who is performance came. A client is usually he's not phoning it in, but he's a little over the top.

spk_0:   13:51
And, well, if I'm being honest, I'm attracted to trace the Allman. And I've never seen your young before. She's like, What, maybe 30 in this movie? Simply good. Yeah, So she's pretty cute like this. The thing is like, he's running around town, but he's got a cute wife, you know? But there's a lot of life. She hangs out with her mother, and the mother is whatever but doesn't interest in conspiracy like that. Mother was like, Yeah, let's kill your husband. It sounds like a good idea. Right? Uh, okay, Mom. Yeah, like she's oddly superstitious of the bus boys Magic crystal scene where they're doing, like fortune telling, right? But she's not concerned at all that if they try to kill the husband, it'll be bad luck for them or anything. You know what I mean? Yeah. So I don't know. They're God fearing, but then they're like, but we're gonna get our revenge on the husband. So I guess in a lot of these bad romance movies, it's like the guy who has a the issue, right? My favorite of the series that we did is the Jeff Daniels movie. Like, I will go back and re watch. Uh, you know, love hurts. I don't know if I would go back and watch. I love you to death. Is that something home ratings movie is? Of all the movies we watched for the series of bad romances, which ones do you think you'll go back and watching it

spk_2:   15:09
and see for me I'd go back and re watch. I love you to death. I mean, I could see myself watching of Hertz also, but, uh, you know, I really liked it. Yeah. Struck the right chord with me, I guess Brussels

spk_0:   15:29
going on. D'oh! So if anything else recently,

spk_2:   15:33
like I told you, have been ah, kind of binge watching this coma f d show. You

spk_0:   15:38
have to tell me. I know. I know

spk_2:   15:41
why I never heard.

spk_0:   15:42
So that folks, that's me trying to prompt David to tell me about, like, the stuff is watching so we can share it with you guys, and then I kind of already know. But maybe he didn't know that I was gonna give him, like, the little go ahead, nudge in the right direction. Uh, yeah.

spk_2:   16:00
Well, you have been what? I watched the great movie the other night with the lights would call come to Daddy, which is like that. What do you haven't heard about this? No, it's like I don't want to give away too much because it's kind of you can spoil it easy, but it's like Elijah Wood being called Thio to see his dad, who haven't seen since he was a kid. And just shit goes crazy and haywire, like it's very bloody. It's very uh oh, no, it's Ed kind of put me in a spot. I wasn't prepared to talk about it, But the community

spk_0:   16:36
has told us a trader version. That would be fine. Another movie I think people should take a look at because it has, like everybody has, like the guy who was like The Cobra Kai Winn Cause Grove. I think it's his name. The guy lived lead Cobra Kai and Credit Kid. It's got him. It's not Fred Williamson. It's got William Sadler. And it's not the guy who was in this whole movie recently with where you played the blind dude. It was trying a Did you ever see that movie?

spk_2:   17:07
I don't know what it is,

spk_0:   17:09
All right, Yeah, I can't think this guy's name, but he's awesome anyway. It's called V F W. And they're like they're like a bunch of Vietnam vets or something in a bar. One of the vets owns the bar. Whatever has this POW post and like then all these drug dealing like punk rockers, thugs like our Treasons Girl, and she's like their assets somehow. Or she has one of their assets, and they need to get it back. And because she wouldn't that bar they snap into, like, well, we have we're like, duty bound to protect you. You know he's trying to kill you So it's like a showdown between these old school guys and the thugs. But it's like a B movie horror like thing. It looks like an eighties punk thrashing movie, you know, like just ridiculously. It looks good anyway. I mean, that's one of those seeds in the theater's air runs down the Man V. F. W Yeah, looks pretty good. I'll do like a mini review. This is like to see it. It's like on my list. Next, couple things to watch. I will get back into that firefighter comedy Washington The episode where they accidentally let in somebody's ex corporate into their house and she likes the guy's car on fire.

spk_2:   18:20
Yeah,

spk_0:   18:22
yeah, I saw that one. It's a little off kilter for me, but it's cool to see the Kevin Heffernan and what's his name? Stephen. Yes, even lemon or whatever. Our Steve Lundy have shows out just into their podcast for a little while. Called like chewing it.

spk_2:   18:41
Oh, you know, they had one.

spk_0:   18:42
Yeah, they interviewed Bill Paxton before guide, but then he was, like, burping through the entire interview. Like, literally like to talk about, like, podcast. No nose like, you know, it was a choke cough during something on air. But we doing stuff all the time, like part of our show. That's the whole thing. So but yeah, this interview. He like Burke, like every three minutes or whatever for, like, an hour, huh? And winner. So Okay, so three, cap, Go watch. I love you to death. If you wanna watch tonight, you can grab our link in the podcast notes. Get over to Amazon and check it out. If you think about starting a podcast, you Graham, our affiliate link. You get a $20 Amazon gift card. If you're on their podcast, plan over bus route for like, two weeks. Boom. You get a $20 gift card. Amazon. That's pretty cool. And we'll be back next week with a whole new Siri's. Davis decided we're gonna do these extreme sports movies from March, which is kind of cool. Plus, we on the radar have a movie is associated with south by Southwest, were supposed to talk to the people that have their movie out at the festival. That'll be awesome. And then we're gonna do all these skater, biker, all these extreme sports movies that you know in love will be like what we're doing. Yeah, yeah, that's what's on the horizon for binge watchers. Also, you could visit us on our Facebook page. We're on Twitter were kind of everywhere at this point. So just Google us, and I'm pretty sure you'll find us. And also tell us the movies you're watching that also makes it interesting is if you give us feedback. Well, you know, we think about the movies that you guys were watching if we've seen them and if not, we'll have to look them up on we'll be this giant community of lecherous speech watchers. No skating. This'd just like this liquid connotation associated with Big Waters is that everybody's like, just like these middle aged slugs, like using behind their computers, just watching all this stuff. You know, that's pretty accurate. The depiction that's the police sketch of avenge water like we think of Edgewater came into the crime. Now, major water couldn't have committed the crime because they would have to leave their house. That's not gonna fucking happen. So if they didn't do it, you know, how do you know we didn't do what we pulled your I P address and they were freaking watching. I love you to death on Amazon at the time that you say that come into the current. That's that's a nice work, you know? Yeah, it's actually the remake that I love you to. Death is the wife can't stand that The husband's a binge washer and just had had enough. I've had enough of it. You've watched tremors 800 times. I'm fucking killing

spk_1:   21:22
Wait.