TBG 53 - Reverse the Curse

Ellen Adair and writer/director/filmmaker Scott Leger discuss the 2023 film "Reverse the Curse," written by and starring David Duchovny. Introduction to Mr. Leger (0:35) and then an introduction to REVERSE THE CURSE (5:39) with cul-de-sac into where Scott and Ellen were when the Red Sox won in 2004, which is not at all what this movie is about, to our surprise. A summary of the film (12:57), followed by discussion of writer/director and other leads. We review the 20-80 scouting scale (17:02), meet Scott's Scouting Director (17:39) and then begin with Amount of Baseball (19:00). Mostly, the lack of baseball has these scouts cranky, plus how this led to Ellen's mammoth discovery of how this is a Trojan Horse of a Red Sox movie, changing literally everything. Baseball Accuracy (30:09) discusses the curse reversal possibility within the film, Harry Frazee's sale of Babe Ruth being erroneously attributed to "No No Nanette," the film failing to reckon with the larger context, ie, 1986 or 1975 and the oddness of it being set in 1978, a rundown of what happened in the Red Sox 1978 season since this movie doesn't really get into it, the Boston Massacre, everything that happened in the 1978 tie-breaking game, background on Ron Guidry and Mike Torrez, context on Bucky Dent, bad blood between Reggie Jackson, Thurman Munson and Jackson and Billy Martin, the origin story of the "Mr. October" nickname, the inaccuracy of the Red Sox final eight games, and the inaccuracy in Marty's final monologue. Storytelling (56:51) dives in on superstition in sports and the equivalence of your team losing an important game and death, along with the utility of the tribalism. They discuss the ways in which the film undercuts Marty's Red Sox fandom, the disappearance of the Eva Gonzalez plotline and the issues this creates, Marty & Teddy trying to get to the tie-breaking game, Marty's attachment to the Red Sox, David Duchovny as multi-hyphenate, this story as novel vs. screenplay, the aging makeup, and the dialogue. An Intermission: Nine Innings with Scott Leger! (1:19:15) The Score Tool (1:26:00) discusses music by Vincent Jones and the album Africa by Amanaz. Acting (1:30:03) considers the performances of David Duchovny, Logan Marshall Green, Stephanie Beatriz, Pamela Adlon, Daphne Rubin-Vega, Jason Beghe, Evan Handler, Santo Fazio, and Bryce Feeser. In Delightfulness of Catcher Character (1:37:06), Ellen talks about Carlton Fisk because this movie does not. Delightfulness of Announcer (1:38:45) weighs Colin Cosell as "Sports Broadcaster" plus Dick Stockton and Ken Harrelson. Lack of Misogyny (1:39:44) discusses the well-roundedness of the love interests and Marty's occasional misogyny. No spoilers on the following segments: Yes or No (1:41:42) Six Degrees of Baseball (1:44:17) Favorite Moment (1:44:41) Least Favorite Moment (1:45:40) Scene We'd Like to See (1:46:23) Dreamiest Player (1:46:52) and Favorite Performance (1:47:22). Find Scott Leger on @scotterybarn on Twixter and Bluesky and @scotbot3000 on IG and Ellen @ellen_adair on Twixter, @ellenadair on Bluesky and Tikotk, and @ellenadairg on IG.  Join: PL+ | PL ProProud member of the Pitcher List Podcast Network