13. The Matrix
The Matrix (1999)
Director: Lana Wachowski, Lilly Wachowski
Starring: Keanu Reeves, Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hugo Weaving, Joe Pantoliano
Synopsis: Coming soon.
Bechdel-Wallace Pass? Yes
“I think it’s gonna hold up. I think it’s gonna be awesome. This movie is awesome, you guys.”
The Episode
Put on your sunglasses and leather trench coat, we recall the most awesome action film of 1999, The Matrix. We discuss awesome multimillion dollar fight scenes, awesome special effects, and the awesome philosophy behind the film. Did we mention this movie is awesome? Plus, the very important discussion on whether or not we see Keanu Reeves' butt.
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The Ratings
Data to Come
The Trailer
Totes Regrets
By Molly Chase
As Beth and the Dans will tell you, I am a chronic re-teller of stories. Producer Beth has patiently edited out my re-telling of The Matrix pod-goo story in a number of unrelated movies, including The Little Mermaid.
The way I've been telling it is Keanu Reeve's body double nearly died from hypothermia while filming the "wake up from the Matrix and get flushed out of your pod of goo" scene.
This is not true. Nope! First of all, Keanu Reeves did NOT have a body double for that, and boy oh boy did I underestimate the physical demands and acting chops needed to endure and sell that scene. For one thing, Keanu Reeves lost 15 pounds and shaved his whole body so Neo would look emaciated. For another, this straight-up behind the scenes video shows what a badass actor and patient goo-tolerator Keanu is: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vrkF-nzht8 [2:29]
He had to breathe through a mechanism while hunched over in a coffin-shaped sack of goo, and then act his way through all these tightly choreographed segments so the Wachowskis could get the shots they needed. All after recovering from spinal surgery.
Nothing would make that pleasant, but heated goo probably helped. And for that we get to the part of my story that's actually true! A "breathing mechanism tester" we may never know by name suffered hypothermia in under eight minutes during their initial test. But probably wasn't close to dying, just terribly miserable. That story is in a book and everything! (Not only on basic cable television.)
P.S. In other corrections, The Matrix was the second movie from Lana Wachowski and Lilly Wachowski, who at the time were credited as the Wachowski Brothers, but now collaborate under the banner The Wachowskis. Their directorial debut was Bound.