The Pestle

Podcast,
88 MINS

Ep 260: “Bad Times at the El Royale”

December 26, 2023

We check in to Drew Goddard’s “Bad Times at the El Royale” and discuss:

  • Cinematography, unmotivated light, motivated coverage;
  • Story & Writing, true faith, honoring the dead;
  • Special Guest Hamish Purdy, set decorator on Bad Times at the El Royale;
  • and other such stuff and things and stuff.

A well constructed plot, therefore, must neither begin nor end at haphazard – Aristotle

Notes & References:
Hamish Purdy (iMDB)
Addendum
: On further reflection, I think “El Royale” is a reference to Pulp Fiction, that thought had occurred to me but I forgot to note it for when we did the show, think it’s important because that makes it more of a homage to pulpy stories. In Pulp Fiction we have a character who pulls all the threads together, Marsellus Wallace, every story thread is connected to him and therefore it all has cohesion (his henchmen, his wife, his paid off boxer). I think in El Royale the motel is meant to serve that central pull, being a character in the film, but since it’s an inanimate object it lacks the same level of intentionality that makes the story obvious/inevitable. – Wes

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