Her (2013) / Old Elk Infinity Blend Whiskey

·1 hr 9 min·5 clips

Spike Jonze's 2013 film 'Her' explores a man falling for his AI, paired with Old Elk's Infinity Blend whiskey that touches the infinite.

The episode begins with Bob and Brad introducing 'Her', a 2013 film about a man named Theodore Twombly who falls in love with an AI named Samantha, voiced by Scarlett Johansson. They explain the podcast's season theme of evaluating modern classics based on criteria like box office earnings or award nominations. Brad gives a timed plot summary, highlighting the film's exploration of depression and artificial relationships. The hosts compare 'Her' to other films such as 'Lost in Translation', 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind', and '500 Days of Summer', noting similarities in themes and pacing. They debate specific scenes, including a phone sex sequence with Kristen Wiig and a date with Olivia Wilde, discussing whether these moments fit the film's tone. Performances are analyzed, with praise for Joaquin Phoenix's versatility and Scarlett Johansson's voice acting, while Amy Adams' role receives mixed reviews. The film's aesthetic, including its color palette and high-waisted fashion, is discussed as both predictive and timeless. In the second half, the hosts review Old Elk Infinity Blend whiskey, describing its nose of cinnamon apple cider and caramel, palate notes of vanilla and leather, and finish with brown sugar and pepper. They explain the whiskey's blending process, where each year's batch incorporates the previous one. Bob and Brad score the whiskey and discuss its value at $150 MSRP. The episode concludes with a game of 'Two Facts and a Falsehood' about the film's production, a segment called 'Let's Make a Double' pairing 'Her' with other media, and final scores for the movie.

As heard by us

A lively Her reappraisal that uses casting history and performance debate to test its modern-classic status.

Film And Whiskey revisits Spike Jonze's Her as part of its recent-films-as-modern-classics run, pairing the 2013 movie with Old Elk Infinity Blend and weighing what still makes it feel durable. Bob Book and Brad G.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

You want a Her episode that settles into the modern-classic question, then lets Amy Adams and Samantha's recasting spark the sharper debate.

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

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