Carrie the Desperate Housewife === Claire Fisher: [00:00:00] I had a really terrifying moment the day before I watched this movie. Katie Marinello: Oh. Claire Fisher: Yeah. I had an intrusive thought and it really scared me. Katie Marinello: Oh no. What was the intrusive thought?? Claire Fisher: Maybe I need to buy a slip cover. Suburban housewife transformation complete Katie Marinello: Mm, Claire Fisher: hello and welcome to Carried Far, far Away, a podcast project where we are watching and reading everything that Carrie Fisher did during her short life and storied career. I am Claire Fisher Katie Marinello: I am Katie Marinello Claire Fisher: and today we are talking about Katie Marinello: The Burbs. Claire Fisher: The Burbs. First though, we should mention our listener mail Katie Marinello: just meaning my group Text. Claire Fisher: Yes. Somebody texted you that our last episode made her day. So thank you for the positive review. Katie Marinello: Hi Liz. We are up to like 400 listens total for 24 episodes. So Claire Fisher: We're coming up in the world. Katie Marinello: coming up in the world, we might hit 500 before the end of [00:01:00] 2026. Claire Fisher: All right. Well, today we are talking about the Burbs came out February 17th, 1989, which means it is the first one we have watched that is within your lifetime. Katie Marinello: I was gonna say that, yes. We finally hit my lifetime. I was two months old, just about two months old. Claire Fisher: indeed. This was actually number one in America for a few weeks, so we actually have a hit here. I mean a February hit. Katie Marinello: confused by that because I had heard of the Burbs Claire Fisher: Yeah. Katie Marinello: genuinely did not know what it was about. I thought I knew what it was about and it was not that. But so I looked it up 'cause I was like. Why do I know this movie? And it said it had developed like a cult following, but it did not say that it was commercially successful. Claire Fisher: Yeah. In those days, a February release did lower numbers than a summer release. So it was like a modest hit financially, [00:02:00] but did really well on home video. So, it has developed a loyal following when it was, out, it was number one for a couple of weeks, but a close second was Rainman. And then a close second for the last few weeks was actually Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure. So Katie Marinello: this was ahead of Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure? Claire Fisher: Yeah, Katie Marinello: Wow. Claire Fisher: when those two movies came out in theaters at the same time. Katie Marinello: Interesting. That feels okay. That feels right Claire Fisher: Yeah, well shout out to our sister podcast. Cool Breeze over the mountains. Katie Marinello: As always. Claire Fisher: think Bill and Ted's excellent adventure was actually like their 10th maybe a little later in their run. So yeah. That's sort of what was going on very end of the eighties here. Would you like to tell the people what this was about in 54 seconds or less? I. Katie Marinello: certainly try. Carrie Fisher plays Carol Peterson, suburban housewife whose husband and [00:03:00] neighbors are slightly going insane because a new family has moved into the neighborhood. And they haven't seen them. They only seem to come out at night. They don't seem to, want to interact with the other neighbors. Granted, these neighbors include some pretty colorful characters that I might also not want to interact with on a regular basis. Carol tries to rein in her husband Ray antics, as well as the antics of his neighbors, insisting that they actually go over and introduce themselves unfortunately, Ray, His friend Art and their neighbor Rumsfield have convinced themselves that the Klopeks are murderers, and so they find themselves doing more and more elaborate slash illegal things to try and catch them which ends in disaster for everybody. Claire Fisher: all right. So the screenwriter Dana Olson has said [00:04:00] he was inspired by a family in his own neighborhood who let their lawn grow long and were never seen outside. They just were normal people who happened to work the night shift, but, you know, he just wondered, gee, what are they hiding over there? And this came out. It's also hard not to read a little bit of real world paranoia in here, given that Satanic panic had kicked off in 1980 and would reach new audiences in 1990 with the publication of Michelle Remembers the idea that all your neighbors were up to something, Katie Marinello: mm-hmm. Claire Fisher: something creepy specifically, Katie Marinello: Mm-hmm. Claire Fisher: definitely underlies this movie's plot. Katie Marinello: Absolutely. And I have, I could do a deep dive into Michelle remembers, but we shall not. Claire Fisher: No. Katie Marinello: do recommend You're Wrong About for that though. Claire Fisher: The other thing to note is that it had to be rushed into production because there was a writer's guild strike going into effect. During a writer's strike, [00:05:00] you would halt production of anything that doesn't have a finished script. They rushed the script. and then just started filming on the same day the strike began, which was May 19th, 1988, Three days before our parents' wedding actually. Katie Marinello: Yes. Claire Fisher: During photography they couldn't do any rewrites, which is why Katie Marinello: it. Claire Fisher: there are actually, they filmed at least two different endings for this movie, and neither one is the one that was in the original script. Katie Marinello: I did look that up 'cause you told me to make sure that I watched the alternate ending and so I read about the original ending in the script and then two watch, the two endings. Claire Fisher: The block where it's filmed is also Wisteria Lane from Desperate Housewives. Katie Marinello: I. Claire Fisher: and the house where Cory Feldman lives is also the Munster's house. And the house. where Tom Hanks and Carrie Fisher live is also the Leave it to Beaver house. So this was a suburban block on a back lot that's got a lot of [00:06:00] mileage over the decades. Katie Marinello: that again Wisteria Lane, The Munsters, And leave it to beaver Claire Fisher: Yes. And the burbs. And the burb, Katie Marinello: That is, yeah. That is a Claire Fisher: yeah. Katie Marinello: If those lawns could talk, Right. Claire Fisher: In other words, if you called central casting and said, send me a suburban cul-de-sac, this was what you got. So, yeah, that's the burbs and it's weirdly hilarious despite being about people committing like a lot of crimes Katie Marinello: Right. Claire Fisher: in an attempt to expose their neighbors Katie Marinello: Yep. Claire Fisher: who, it's not really clear what the neighbors are guilty of until the very last moments of the film. Katie Marinello: last moments Claire Fisher: Yeah. Katie Marinello: So, So I did not know what this movie was about. I couldn't tell if it was a, like that episode of the Twilight Zone where everybody freaks out 'cause one house gets their electricity back. Claire Fisher: The Monsters are due on Maple Street. Katie Marinello: Yes. Or if [00:07:00] it was actually sci-fi. Right. Like, I couldn't tell, Claire Fisher: Oh, like Katie Marinello: I Claire Fisher: are they secretly aliens or whatever. Right. Katie Marinello: Like, are they aliens, are just strangers? You know, they have an accent. They're not the best at keeping up their house, Claire Fisher: So at the beginning it seems like they might just be immigrants, Katie Marinello: Right. Claire Fisher: like poor Katie Marinello: poor. Yeah, exactly. Claire Fisher: and Katie Marinello: like. Claire Fisher: immigrants, maybe not quite used to life in the suburbs yet, you know? Katie Marinello: Maybe moved out from the city, that kind of thing. The whole reason that the suburbs exist. Right. Which is white flight. Claire Fisher: yeah. Katie Marinello: So there's this idea that they, I mean they, they're not racially different, but they are different in some way, right? Ethnically? Claire Fisher: So should we briefly mention our relationship to the suburbs and suburbia? Katie Marinello: Yeah, absolutely. I think we are both defenders of suburbia Claire Fisher: Well, Katie Marinello: to some extent, not Claire Fisher: I mean, we. Katie Marinello: of it, [00:08:00] obviously. Claire Fisher: we. grew up in a town that was suburban, but shading to rural. It wasn't like a very densely populated town Katie Marinello: Mm. Claire Fisher: Then we both moved to various cities, including Hartford, Boston Amman,, Cape Town and Brooklyn. All of which were massively densely packed and a lot of fun. Somehow the suburbs have a way of just when you think you're out, Katie Marinello: back in. Claire Fisher: they pull you back in. Katie Marinello: for you it made sense because you got engaged and immediately moved back to New Jersey as one does. Claire Fisher: my husband didn't like Brooklyn, so he convinced me to move to the suburbs and become a commuter, Katie Marinello: And I moved 200 miles away and ended up in suburban Maryland. Though if you come from further south, where I live is the city. Claire Fisher: Yes, that's true. Katie Marinello: if you move here from Brooklyn, it is not. Claire Fisher: But you ended up there because [00:09:00] our ancestors had settled there in the fifties when suburbia was being invented, right? Katie Marinello: Yeah. Absolute. The town I live in is the town that our mother grew up in, our grandparents built a house, and there were no other houses around it when they first built it. And then over the, what is it, 60 years that she lived there, Claire Fisher: Yeah. Katie Marinello: more and more houses came in, Claire Fisher: Mm-hmm. Katie Marinello: Some of them were brought in Claire Fisher: On trucks. Katie Marinello: which Pop-Pop is quoted as saying like, you know, I thought I'd see one house moved full, Claire Fisher: Let, Katie Marinello: you know, on both sides. They were moved from somewhere else. but yeah, so they literally saw like the growth of the suburbs, right? Claire Fisher: yeah. Katie Marinello: was farmland. Everything was farm when they started. And even since we started coming down here 30 some odd years Claire Fisher: Yeah. There was a lot more farmland, right? Katie Marinello: But [00:10:00] yeah, I mean there's suburbs and then there's suburbs right? Like we grew up in a very wealthy suburb. The front lawns were different, right? Everybody had different front lawn. It wasn't like the square Claire Fisher: Right. Katie Marinello: of like the very square um, there were no sidewalks, which I think is so weird. Claire Fisher: I now live in what's sometimes called a bedroom community, because the people who live here are commuting to work in one of the cities that's nearby. So a traditional suburb, Katie Marinello: you can see, the city pretty much from Claire's house, so like see New York City from. So it is very much a Claire Fisher: you can see two cities from this block. If you count Hackensack, Katie Marinello: Sure. Hackensack, a city that everybody listening to will have heard of. Claire Fisher: they will have, if they've heard Billy Joel's Moving Out. Billy Joel: Who needs a house out in Hackensack! [00:11:00] is that all you get for your money? Katie Marinello: Oh, well there you go. Claire Fisher: Yeah. Anyway so this means that Katie and I both have a lot of experience with small town politics Katie Marinello: Oh yeah. Claire Fisher: and personalities. Katie Marinello: Oh yeah. Claire Fisher: We, are fond of remembering the night that a mayor called our house to say that I needed to get down to the community garden and get my pumpkins off the vine because he thought it was gonna frost that night. And when he was there getting his pumpkins off the vine, he noted that I had some pumpkins that we could still save if we came down right that minute. And I was eight, so our father had to drive us because we can't argue with the mayor. T Katie Marinello: No. No, you cannot. I am, you know, on a first name basis with the mayor of my career in town, and you go to church with everybody on your city council. Claire Fisher: mayor is also my state senator, is also someone who goes to church with me, as are all of the council people. So, if I need something done or [00:12:00] undone in this town, there is a solid chance i can grab someone on the way back from communion, which I will have served to them because I'm a Eucharistic minister. Right. Katie Marinello: I went to get coffee with a new friend. This was a couple years ago, and she was like, is there anyone in this town that doesn't know you? Because I ran into like four different people Claire Fisher: Yeah. Katie Marinello: said hello to me. a lot of people know me and I don't necessarily remember them, but people are good like that. I always say small world, small town. Claire Fisher: Yeah. Katie Marinello: Even though this town. is actually. Population wise, bigger than where we grew up. Claire Fisher: Oh yeah. Katie Marinello: kind of small town feel. Claire Fisher: Well, my town is literally a small town in the sense that you could fit every man, woman, child who lives here in Madison Square Garden with room to invite the two adjacent towns. Katie Marinello: Right. You could like lay down and Hit the whole town. Claire Fisher: Yeah, exactly. Katie Marinello: have a small, Claire Fisher: So we are very familiar with the burbs and with the kind of neighbor [00:13:00] who has to know your business at all hours of day and night. And now sometimes it's just friendly stuff like, oh, did you guys get a new car? 'cause they see a new car parking in your driveway. But like once in a while, it's a woman from the Rosary Society walking up to you at church and saying, lately I see your husband taking a lot of walks by himself. It was like, yeah, I've been commuting more days this semester. Thank you for noticing. And the next time I need to do something privately, remind me to walk the opposite direction from your house. Katie Marinello: Right, And everyone, oh, so I live kind of on the main drag in my town, so I get a lot of, oh, I saw your car wasn't there, or, oh, like, you know I haven't seen you in a while and I noticed your car wasn't in your driveway, you know, oh, your cleaning lady's still there. Or like that kind of stuff. Claire Fisher: Right. Katie Marinello: On the other hand, I encountered my neighbor, who I had never really spoken to before, while [00:14:00] carrying a large cathouse into the, the backyard, through her backyard. And she said, hi, do you need help? Claire Fisher: So there's a bright side and a dark side to life in a, Katie Marinello: did need help 'cause it was very heavy. Claire Fisher: yeah. Well, and so, okay. Someone to help you carry the house for stray cats, that you were in a totally normal turn of events installing in your backyard. That's the benefit. Katie Marinello: you can't get to my backyard because it's attached to other people's backyard. So I had to walk around her house. Yeah. Claire Fisher: Yeah. Mm-hmm. That's a totally normal, like neighborly interaction. totally A normal thing to need and have. But the downside is I at one point, they were resurfacing our street, Katie Marinello: Mm-hmm. Claire Fisher: parked one block over, and so I was heading to that car to go see our parents, and I was carrying some stuff that I needed to return to them in a suitcase. And a person was like, Claire, are you going away without your [00:15:00] husband? Katie Marinello: Oh, Jesus. Claire Fisher: And it occurred to me that if I had needed to get out of a bad situation. Katie Marinello: Right, Claire Fisher: I couldn't have walked to my own damn car Katie Marinello: right. Claire Fisher: without this woman definitely calling my husband. Now as it happens, he was actually away with his side of the family that week. So like I don't know how she would've gotten in touch with him, but yeah, this is definitely like, okay, so you can't get away with nothing. Right? Katie Marinello: So what kind of suburb does this movie take place in Claire Fisher: Well it's interesting. I guess it's a cul-de-sac. I guess it can't be too far from the A city because they eventually say that the Klopeks work for a university, so they can't be too far away from like an academic town. Katie Marinello: Well, which, I mean, technically I live in a college town, Claire Fisher: okay. So maybe it's a college town. It's unclear, it's interesting. And nobody in this movie [00:16:00] goes to work and only one character gets the explanation that he's having a staycation. Tom Hanks' character Ray has a staycation going on. It's summertime, so there's a possibility some of these people work for the education system and so they're actually off, I mean, Lieutenant Rumsfeld, which is Bruce Dern is just running around all day. And Ray calls him the arms dealer So maybe he runs some kind of like survivalist mail order gig. Uh. Katie Marinello: the impression that he was retired or disabled Claire Fisher: cause he, yeah. Okay. So maybe he is a disabled veteran, but like then Walter at the end of the street is definitely like an old retiree widower With a fluffy little dog that sort of drives people nuts. And then Corey Feldman's character, Ricky Butler is home alone. 'cause his parents went away on vacation without him. Now he is a teenager, so like Hmm. Okay. In the eighties they did that so it seems to be a cul-de-sac of people [00:17:00] who really have too much time on their hands. Katie Marinello: Yes, absolutely. absolutely. And who are, Yeah. just bored. Claire Fisher: Yeah. Yeah. Katie Marinello: Like too much time on their hands and just bored. I mean, Claire Fisher: Mm-hmm. Katie Marinello: the main character Ray, right? Who is Tom Hanks, he's decided to take a week off from work. His wife, Carol, Carrie Fisher, is like, great, let's go up to the lake. So they have a lake house, it seems, or a lake cabin of some sort that they own. And he is like, I don't wanna go up there. know, it's so much work to get up there and then you'll be eaten by mosquitoes or whatever. Claire Fisher: Yeah, his break is too short to really justify going away, but it's long enough that he thinks he can just hang out around the house, and her whole role in this plot is to be the adult in the room. That's literally what Brian said when the credits were rolling. He was like, she's the voice of reason. Katie Marinello: the only adult on the block Claire Fisher: Yeah. Katie Marinello: they're, of the wives are not there, Right. Claire Fisher: Right. Katie Marinello: the [00:18:00] parents of the teenager are away. The wife of art is Claire Fisher: Mm-hmm. Katie Marinello: And then the lieutenant is married to a much younger woman I would say she does come around to kind of being a voice of reason along with Carol. But when you first encounter her, she's of like the fluffy dog, Claire Fisher: Right. Katie Marinello: she's wearing those like ridiculous quote unquote slippers that have heels and, scantily clad and, gardening kind of thing. Claire Fisher: Yeah. So all of this is established in a very quick montage, really at the beginning of the movie Katie Marinello: Mm-hmm. Claire Fisher: the people are awake at night staring at the Klopeks house because they can see that lights are going on and off in their basement and, Katie Marinello: sort of noise, right? Claire Fisher: there's some sort of noise and they don't know what's going on over there. I'm looking at it thinking like someone's having some kind of trouble with their circuits something, right? But apparently they're very suspicious. So come the morning as [00:19:00] Ray is trying to say to Carol we should move arms dealer across the street, crazy person down it. And then we have these next door neighbors. These new neighbors who neglect their lawn. Katie Marinello: Right. But it's funny because he says that, but immediate scene before that, he's watching all this go down, right? So there's this long running, apparently rivalry between, Walter, with the fluffy little dog and the lieutenant. And he sends the dog over to the lieutenants to shit on the lawn. And she says, Ray, what are you doing Awake? And he says, Walter's dog, just shit on the Henderson's lawn again. Claire Fisher: Yes. as if that's important. Yeah. Katie Marinello: Rumsfelds. He is yes. Rumsfelds Lawn again. And she Claire Fisher: Yeah. So I know we didn't, I know because there's a lot of random one-off characters. We didn't wanna do a ton with the actors, but I will mention that. Walter is Gail Gordon who's most famous now for having been on. Here's Lucy and The [00:20:00] Lucy Show, and having been Lucy Ball's radio husband before she got her actual husband to be part of. I Love Lucy. Yeah, so there's actually a picture of him and Lucille Ball in Walter's house. It just implied that she's his late wife. Katie Marinello: Aw, I love that. Claire Fisher: Yeah. And then Lieutenant is Bruce Dern. Yeah. Katie Marinello: Known for Coming Home, Nebraska, and just decades of roles. He's definitely someone I recognize, but don't know where I recognize him Claire Fisher: Yeah. And then Cory Feldman. A teen star of the eighties. Katie Marinello: Yep. Yep. One of the Coreys known for the Goonies, which I think I might've thought this was the Goonies Stand by Me and The Lost Boys among others. Claire Fisher: And um, Cory Feldman's also notable as having been an early whistleblower who tried to raise the issue of sexual abuse in Hollywood to public attention way back in the early nineties, a long time before the whole Me Too thing. Katie Marinello: Yeah. Um, so he has for years, alleged that he, and. [00:21:00] Corey Ham, the cos uh, victims of rampant se sexual abuse, in the eighties. He's named some people by name, but obviously none of them have been to justice, which does not mean they're not true because victims and the entire society was set up to protect predators. Claire Fisher: Right. Well, uh, I guess that's all we can, Katie Marinello: a nice, Claire Fisher: I Katie Marinello: I hope he's having a nice day. Claire Fisher: suppose that's all we can say about that We wish him well. Now Bonnie Rumsfeld is Wendy Shaw known for inner space. And 390 Episodes of American Dad. So she's apparently a actress now. Yeah. Katie Marinello: Okay. Claire Fisher: The next guy to come on the scene is Art Weingartner eccentric friend of theirs. Friend of the Petersons Ray. And Carol. Katie Marinello: The way he comes in is by coming through the backyard with a shotgun to try to Claire Fisher: it's a BB gun. Katie Marinello: Yeah, okay. [00:22:00] Fine. BB gun to try to shoot the crows that have been weighing down his wife's bird feeder ray's like art's got a gun Claire Fisher: Yeah. And. Katie Marinello: then he's, know, he's sitting there eating breakfast with them. Right. So you get the impression that he is over there a lot to mooch their food. Claire Fisher: He is Rick Ducummin also known for Groundhog Day. Katie Marinello: Yep. Claire Fisher: So he says, you wife's away, he's having a bachelor week. Hey, can I eat your pancakes? But he has also decided that he hasn't met the Klopeks yet, but he also thinks their maniacs because the realtor mentioned their previous house burned down. Katie Marinello: Mm-hmm. Claire Fisher: And Ray at this point is kinda like, oh, well maybe they just wanna keep to themselves Art, which, Katie Marinello: is funny because until this point, you would think that Ray would be the crazy conspiracist, but when Art comes around, he becomes the straight man. Right. And Art is like obsessed with this, granted nothing to do. Right. His Claire Fisher: yeah. And then the Peterson son actually says well, I saw them digging in their yard [00:23:00] too. Katie Marinello: Three of them. I saw them dig. They only come out at night, Claire Fisher: The first obvious thing would be you could introduce yourself to your neighbors, and they think about that, but when they're all outside and they see somebody come out onto the Klopeks' porch, they don't get up there to say hi because they're arguing over which of them should. Katie Marinello: The person goes inside then they do go up to the front porch to ring the doorbell, and they're attacked by bees. Claire Fisher: Yeah. they're they put a foot through a rotten floorboard on the porch, and Hornets come out and Bruce Dern is spraying Art and Ray with the hose to get the hornet scent off them. And Ray spits out a hornet. Katie Marinello: I have. Many questions about this house because it's established that they moved in a month ago. Was the house already in disrepair? Claire Fisher: It must have been. Katie Marinello: Or is it just that these people showed up and immediately started rotting the house? Like Claire Fisher: No, they bought a fixer upper, Katie Marinello: right. maybe Claire Fisher: Maybe. Katie Marinello: They say that the people before were like, they kept to themselves, but they were like quote [00:24:00] unquote normal. Right. But they don't really explain what the difference is. I guess that they came around and like introduced themselves, Claire Fisher: I don't know. Katie Marinello: I don't know. like I, maybe this is the New York in me, but when I moved into this house, I didn't talk to the people who share a wall with me for a year. Claire Fisher: Well, okay. Times have changed. You no longer just go around to everybody, but Yeah. Katie Marinello: And I didn't know the lady to on the other side of me until my cat fell out of the window into her yard. Claire Fisher: But when we were growing up, remember when people moved in next door to us, they actually pulled into the driveway and really came up and introduced themselves Katie Marinello: I remember when we were very young that happening, but I remember it Decreasing as people moved out and in, out, and in. Claire Fisher: yeah, well, times have changed, but in the eighties, yes, it would've been normal if they had gone around and introduced themselves. Katie Marinello: Yeah. Claire Fisher: So then Art Weingardner Lets [00:25:00] Ray smoke on his lawn when he doesn't want Carol to see him smoking. Katie Marinello: Mm-hmm. Claire Fisher: Cory Feldman, sorry. Ricky Butler, who's played by Cory h Feldman since his parents are outta town, he's drinking on Mr. Wein Gartner's lawn. And Mr. Weingert decides to tell them the local story, the local urban legend, Katie Marinello: that everybody has, Claire Fisher: yeah, Katie Marinello: suburban town has this Claire Fisher: suburban town has a story. I remember dad telling his version of the Hook Man and having a specific street. It was set on, . And then years later on a true crime forum, I found out someone actually had gone missing on that street. Dad, is that why you put the Hook man on that street? And he was like, I don't think I ever told you the Hook Man story. Well then where did I hear it, dad? But anyway, This one is about somebody whose house starts smelling in the summertime and it turns out he's murdered his whole family with an ice pick and has been going about his business. You know, there's a tiny bit of truth in television to this, like actually some horrible crimes have been committed in suburbia, in otherwise normal houses. Katie Marinello: One of the most famous ones happened in New [00:26:00] Jersey Claire Fisher: Yeah, yeah, Katie Marinello: a podcast Father Wants Me Dead, where the guy killed his entire family, turned the, the heat down so that they wouldn't decompose and just hightailed out there and lived a whole other life for decades Claire Fisher: yeah. Katie Marinello: caught him. Claire Fisher: John List. Yeah. Katie Marinello: Westfield, New Jersey Claire Fisher: Although this has sometimes happened in suburban towns, every suburban town has a rumor about which one of you it was gonna be right. Like this is the it's probably an artifact of like when we all moved outta the cities, so we couldn't hear into each other's apartments anymore. Katie Marinello: Right, Claire Fisher: there was this idea , oh, you could be getting away with a lot in there. And certainly, you know, certain terrible human trafficking cases where it turned out people were being held captive in the basements of suburban houses would lend some credence to that theory that actually there's a lot of scary people living in the suburbs. Katie Marinello: right, Claire Fisher: Or maybe there's just a lot of scary people,[00:27:00] Katie Marinello: right. Claire Fisher: but. Ray says, I'm gonna go do something productive. I'm gonna watch television. And he and Carol sit down to watch Jeopardy and I noted, I don't know if you noticed, but the Jeopardy clue that we hear was already outdated in 1989. So they had an old rerun and Ricky Butler meanwhile has invited his girlfriend over to watch the neighbors because he's just like. Katie Marinello: Watch, trust me. This is better than anything that's on television. Ricky Butler (Corey Feldman): Check it out. See the guy with curly hair, that's Mr. Peterson. Now he's like the skeptic. He's basically grounded in reality and he doesn't want to believe his neighbors are up to something strange, you know? 'cause if they were, he'd have to deal with it. Right? Okay. Now see the fat guy, that's Mr. Weingarten, he thinks the Klopeks are really evil and that they're like building a dungeon in their basement. So he and Ms. Rumsfield decided to do a little, uh, snooping around and this should be good. Claire Fisher: [00:28:00] interesting, he's supposed to be some teenager, but he seems to really have the firmest grip on what's actually happening on this block. Katie Marinello: absolutely. He is very observant and you know, he's got that kinda stoner voice that all teenagers in the eighties had to have on in movies, but he is very keyed in. Claire Fisher: Well, this was on, this was in. theaters against Bill and Ted, so he is Katie Marinello: same, like, Claire Fisher: of the bill and Ted, yeah. Katie Marinello: Right. And like Bill and Ted, you never actually see them smoking. They just have that stoner Claire Fisher: they're not stoners, they're just space cadets. Katie Marinello: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Claire Fisher: Art is trying to signal Walt to come outside during jeopardy because Rumsfield has gotten out his infrared sensor and is snooping on. And Ray says Ray: I just think things have gone off the deep end a little bit. I mean, infrared night vision scopes. What are we gonna do next? Tap their phone line. Lt. Rumsfield: Well, that can be arranged. Ray: Then all we have to do is burn a cross on the front lawn. Katie Marinello: Another [00:29:00] one of those , that was probably like less reference back then. Claire Fisher: No, it was a horrifying reference and he's definitely making a dark joke out of it. Katie Marinello: In 1989, KKK wasn't marching through town like it is Claire Fisher: They were marching through Skokie, Illinois and the American Nazis. We saw that in the Blues Brothers. Katie Marinello: right? True. Claire Fisher: So then something weird does happen. Katie Marinello: mm-hmm. Claire Fisher: But it's unclear how weird is weird Katie Marinello: Right. So the, somebody comes out of the house, their garbage in their car, drives the garbage to the end of the driveway, which is, again, this is like a suburban sound stage. So the, the driveway is like the, the length of the car Claire Fisher: Mm-hmm. Katie Marinello: and then starts hitting his, his garbage, puts it in the garbage can, starts hitting it with a stick, Claire Fisher: Yeah. Like a a rake handle or something. Katie Marinello: And [00:30:00] then just goes back inside. Claire Fisher: Right. And art starts narrating the true crime report. He says, I can see the news coverage now. Katie Marinello: So quiet to themselves. Claire Fisher: Right. And Ray says, God, it's 11 o'clock at night. And I'm like, wait, you were just watching Jeopardy. In most markets, it's not even nine, but okay. Right. Katie Marinello: right, right, Right. Some it's four. Claire Fisher: Yeah, exactly. Well, anyway, okay, Katie Marinello: long Were they standing outside, Claire Fisher: but maybe he and Carol had taped jeopardy or something. But anyway, okay, so then the next day they, the camera gets the bright idea to search the Klopeks' garbage. Katie Marinello: Yes, but the, but it starts raining, so they're not gonna do it. They'll, they'll meet at first light. Claire Fisher: Yeah. So this means we get the garbage man, or. Katie Marinello: yes. You are talking about like, oh, come to this like self-help seminar, or, so Claire Fisher: Yeah. Crystals and laying on a, yeah. So Dick Miller and Robert Picardo are our garbage men. Katie Marinello: Mm-hmm. Claire Fisher: Picardo has come up before he was in Amazon, Women on the Moon. [00:31:00] He will go on to a lovely career in Star Trek, Voyager, and Star Fleet Academy, and Stargate Atlantis among other hits. I know nothing at all about Dick Miller, so do not ask. Katie Marinello: okay. Claire Fisher: So. Art and Lieutenant Rumsfeld start ripping apart this garbage. And meanwhile, Ray has a problem closer to home because Carol has loaded their son into the car and is we're going up to the lake cottage. Like, I have had enough of your nonsense. he starts yelling at her, threatening to have the house completely spotless. By the time she comes back, Ray: Look, look, you go up to the cottage and get a tan. Take David with you. I don't care. I'll eat takeout. I'll do the laundry by myself. I'll vacuum. The house will be spotless when you get back. Fine. Katie Marinello: But she doesn't go right. Claire Fisher: she ends up not going because what interrupts this is they find Walter's dog, Queenie Katie Marinello: Right. Claire Fisher: outside all alone. Mrs. Rumsfield finds her Katie Marinello: Mm-hmm. Claire Fisher: Walter's not answering the door. Katie Marinello: Right. Claire Fisher: So they actually. Katie Marinello: they [00:32:00] immediately decide that he must be dead in the house somewhere. But they walk into, or they break into the house. Rumsfeld cuts one of the, panes out of one of his windows, and not a whole lot of urgency to find him. Claire Fisher: Well, the TV is still on. A chair's been turned over and Walter left his toupee behind. So there's some signs that Walter has left in a hurry. But Ray is still trying to draw a line. We've broken enough Laws getting in here. Katie Marinello: Yeah. Let's Claire Fisher: Let's just leave. And then he realizes he's still holding the toupee. So he stuffs it in through the mail slot. And then he writes. Katie Marinello: So he was trying to write a note that was like. We found your dog. He's staying with me. and then he just writes, I have your dog, which I immediately clocked as creepy. Claire Fisher: So, so now Ray, the closest they come to acknowledging the real world subtext here is that Ray and Art go into art's basement. And Art goes on a whole rant about [00:33:00] Demonology and Satanists and how the Klopeks probably sacrificed Walter. Katie Marinello: Right, Claire Fisher: And Ray says, I should have listened to Carol and go to the lake. And Art says, Art: listen to your wife who listens to their wife. Listen, you gotta listen to me. Katie Marinello: right. Oh, such classic boomer humor. Claire Fisher: So the next morning, Carol is refusing to let Ray leave the house Art and Rumsfeld ring the doorbell. And she says he can't, Katie Marinello: no, he can't, come out and play basically. Carol (Carrie Fisher): He can't come out until he resembles the man that I married. Art: Carol, we don't have that kind of time. Katie Marinello: Right, right. Yeah. She's like, this has gotten outta hand. I don't know what you guys are doing. You're Going through garbage on the street and they keep going, but please, Carol, we've got a Claire Fisher: The dog, the Peterson's dog. So they have Queenie, the dog, and they also have their own dog. And those dogs are playing in the backyard and one of them digs up a bone from under the fence. Katie Marinello: like a bone. Bone. Claire Fisher: Now you could try calling the police, Katie Marinello: Mm-hmm. Claire Fisher: for [00:34:00] example. No one in this movie, this is the one thing about suburbia that doesn't ring true. And there's one person in the whole movie who calls the police and it's the person who's actually guilty of something. Actually, in suburbia you are calling the police all the time because the police also live in your suburb. And if you need any help. Katie Marinello: have the institutional fear of the police entirely white suburb that you might have in the city. Claire Fisher: right. the fact that they at no point try to summon the authorities. Katie Marinello: Carol doesn't even mention, well, why don't we just call the police because she doesn't think anything's going on. That's the thing. She's very clear that this is there's nothing happening, and they're very clear that if it is happening, it's something huge in demonic and cult and et cetera, et cetera, et cetera, and so therefore they need to handle it themselves, I guess. Claire Fisher: so it's interesting what Carrie's playing in this movie in some movies about, men running amok in the suburbs, of which there are [00:35:00] actually a surprising number. The wife exists to be the shrewish. Oh, don't do that. Don't do this. Stop having fun. here She has an excellent point Katie Marinello: yeah. No, Claire Fisher: that Katie Marinello: absolutely right. Claire Fisher: when she says, let's stop this nonsense. Carol (Carrie Fisher): Now, before somebody falls off a roof or sets themselves on fire, I think we should go over there, knock on their door, and invite ourselves in for a nice neighborly chat. Get to know these people like we should have done a month ago. Bonnie Rumsfield: That's a good idea. And I'll make brownies. Claire Fisher: And lo and behold, later in the movie, people fall off the roof and set themselves on fire. Right? So Katie Marinello: right, right. Yeah. Claire Fisher: she had an excellent point here. Katie Marinello: So she, is it her idea to go over to there, or is Claire Fisher: Yeah. So she and Mrs. Rumsfield come up with a plan. Go girls. Yay. Katie Marinello: Will make brownies and we will go knock on their goddamn door. Claire Fisher: the power of suburban house wifing they're going to go figure this out. Well, what they, Katie Marinello: Real Housewives of the Burbs Claire Fisher: what they actually do is show up, ring the doorbell, invite [00:36:00] themselves in and manage to freak out The totally confused teenage boy who answers the door, his name is Hans. Katie Marinello: just like walk in immediately. And then Hans is like very strange. Claire Fisher: Yeah. But he's trying to be nice. He actually offers them coffee. He introduces them to his uncle Ruben. Katie Marinello: Mm-hmm. Right. But they're both, like both Reuben and Hans are a little offputting. kind of stare a little too long or a little bit like just kinda, eh. Right. Like, but then they say, well, is there anyone else here? And then the doctor comes in. Claire Fisher: Well, okay. They're a little, eh, they have accents. Katie Marinello: I know. Claire Fisher: They serve weird snacks like sardines and pretzels, I think is what they're offered, right? Their house isn't really decorated the same way as everybody else, and they're having an unusual reaction to people showing up at the door and intro inviting themselves in. So in other words, this could be a [00:37:00] completely innocent culture clash, right? Katie Marinello: Absolutely. Claire Fisher: And Carol keeps the door open to that possibility by refusing to let Art come. So Lieutenant Rumsfield, Mrs. Rumsfield Ray, and Carol went in through the front door. Art is climbing over their fence in the backyard, Katie Marinello: Mm-hmm. Claire Fisher: it's like, Ooh, the immigrants Katie Marinello: Right. Hundred percent. Claire Fisher: watch out for the immigrants. Katie Marinello: as I like, would argue that even, you know, they're meant to look off-putting Right. Whatever, Claire Fisher: Mm-hmm. Katie Marinello: but then the doctor comes in, he's very charming. Claire Fisher: So he comes up from the cellar shadow first, a la the Cabinet of Dr. Caligari or something. Right. German expressionist film and is perfectly sweet. says, oh, I'm so sorry we didn't introduce ourselves earlier. We've had to move several times in the last four years. I was just saying, oh, maybe we should meet our new [00:38:00] neighbors. And Katie Marinello: And unfortunately, tomorrow we're gonna have to go up to the university and talk about another transfer. Claire Fisher: yeah, Katie Marinello: he is already talking about moving out of the neighborhood. Claire Fisher: but Lieutenant Rumsfeld at this point loses his nerve and starts yelling, what have you got in the cellar? Katie Marinello: Yeah. Claire Fisher: Yeah. And then Their Great Dane escapes from one of the rooms where they had him. They had put him away so he wouldn't bother the company. And it jumps out, runs into the yard, chases Art up the fence, and over the fence. And Dr. Klopek is just saying, I'm so sorry. Sometimes our dog frightens people because of his size. Katie Marinello: right. Claire Fisher: Right. Which reminded me, 'cause in the suburb where we grew up, there was a great Dane Katie Marinello: Mm-hmm. Claire Fisher: and he had figured out the trick of running through the electric fence real fast. Katie Marinello: Mm-hmm. Claire Fisher: And so sometimes he would just turn up at our house, right and one time our uncle went to go outside and screamed, there's a bear on your porch. It turned out to be just the Great Dane from up the block. Katie Marinello: And, somebody says like, they keep a [00:39:00] horse in something like that. Just a very large dog. But so that, that particular visit ends in disaster, Claire Fisher: But Katie Marinello: both because of Art and because of Rumsfeld Claire Fisher: Ray reveals that he found Walter's toupee on an end table in the house, and he thinks this means the Klopeks broke into Walter's house. Because I know I put the toupee back through the mail slot and he says, Katie Marinello: they had all, all Walter's mail Claire Fisher: yeah. He says, tomorrow I'm going over that fence and I'm not coming back till I find it. But dead body, hang on. Time out. You broke into Walter's house. That's how you know his toupee was in the mail slot. Katie Marinello: Yeah, exactly. Claire Fisher: meme? I saw her at the Devil's Sacrament. Bitch, what were you doing at the Devil's Sacrament? Katie Marinello: right, right, right, right, Claire Fisher: So now Ray gets the idea he's gonna send Carol and their son Dave away to visit her sister for the weekend, and that he, Katie Marinello: Or for the day it Claire Fisher: yeah. Katie Marinello: comes back that night. Claire Fisher: Okay. [00:40:00] But actually he and Art and Rumsfeld are going to break into the Klopeks' house 'cause they know the Klopeks. Katie Marinello: Are gonna be at the university Claire Fisher: Right? Art climbs the utility pole to knock out the Klopeks' power and then falls through the roof of the shed with electrical burns. And Ricky Butler has invited all his friends over. They're gonna have a party and watch the show, and so he shouts up to Rumsfeld, what are you doing on the roof with a gun? And Rumsfeld says, shut up. This ain't your goddamn house. Well, what Rumsfeld is doing on the roof with the gun is watching people break into somebody else's house. So he is not in any position to criticize, right? Katie Marinello: Rumsfeld is, Rumsfield is interesting. We keep calling him Rumsfeld. I don't know what his name is. that is a character that I feel like doesn't really exist anymore in, because we don't have the draft. Right. Claire Fisher: How do you mean? Katie Marinello: Well, I'm thinking about Mary Poppins, they have the guy who's never left the war, right. And his [00:41:00] house is like Claire Fisher: Mm-hmm. Katie Marinello: a ship. And then this guy's probably Vietnam veteran, right? he is still very much in that mode. And I don't know that you would see that, well first of all, we have a better understanding of PTSD now, Claire Fisher: Mm-hmm. Katie Marinello: but I don't, I just don't think you see that kind of stock character anymore. Claire Fisher: I think there's two things to it. One, our army just got smaller, Katie Marinello: right? right. Claire Fisher: So there's plenty, Katie Marinello: there's no mandatory draft you and there's a smaller army. Yeah, Claire Fisher: we have traumatized veterans in suburbia, but there's just fewer of them. And the other thing is survivalism, which is what Rumsfield is doing, having all this gear and stuff in his house and having crazy survivalism plans that's now sort of a mainstream industry. So like you don't just do that at your house. There's actual warehouses where you can go shopping for this gear. Katie Marinello: True. Yeah. Claire Fisher: Yeah. Katie Marinello: Plus you can [00:42:00] just order like a backpack off of Amazon. Claire Fisher: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Those are shit though. Don't, don't trust them. I may or may not know some survivalists Katie Marinello: Yeah. Claire Fisher: personally very well. The best man at my wedding may or may not have been the man who taught me the word go bagg. while he was hugging his, I might note Katie Marinello: Anyway. Claire Fisher: anyway. Anyway. So, Art and Ray, they try to dig up the yard, but that turns out to be work, Katie Marinello: well, Ray tries to dig up the yard. Claire Fisher: Yeah. Katie Marinello: kind of sits around. He's like, why don't we come back when the sun goes down? It's very hot. Claire Fisher: So they, Katie Marinello: Reminded me of you and I putting up the tent in the backyard. Claire Fisher: oh, and Katie Marinello: Oh, no, I don't wanna do that. It's a lot of work. Claire Fisher: so you just watched me. Do I, which of us had the back injury at the time Katie Marinello: Eventually, we both did it after the tornado Claire Fisher: Eventually, we both had back injuries. Yeah. Katie Marinello: right. Claire Fisher: But yes, we did have to wait for the tornado warning to clear before we could pitch the tent in [00:43:00] the backyard, which we, Katie Marinello: we learned the valuable lesson that you should just pay the people to do it for you, Claire Fisher: well, we didn't have a lot of money. Katie Marinello: and they didn't have that option because you cannot pay someone to come dig up your neighbor's backyard. Claire Fisher: Well, maybe you can't. Katie Marinello: can pay someone to come dig up your backyard. Claire Fisher: But whereas our story ends with your godmother giving a touching toast about how great it is that we pitched a tent for our parents' anniversary. Katie Marinello: Mm-hmm. Claire Fisher: This story ends with Katie Marinello: Then breaking into Claire Fisher: them breaking into the house instead. Katie Marinello: Yep. Claire Fisher: And in the basement they find a bunch of weird batteries, contraptions wired up to an antique furnace and it makes a weird noise, which causes Rumsfield across the street to drop his gun, fall off the roof, and shoot out his own windshield to a round of applause from the party that Ricky Butler is throwing. Katie Marinello: Yes. Claire Fisher: And this must go on for hours because the sun goes down, it's nighttime. Katie Marinello: Right, Claire Fisher: since it's summer that takes a while. Right. Katie Marinello: right, right, right, right. Claire Fisher: And apparently the power is [00:44:00] out to the whole south side of town. Art and Ray are tearing up the basement and the Klopeks pull down the block, see that something weird is going on and turn around and leave. And Rumsfield, who's supposed to be the lookout, does not walkie talkie Art and Ray to get out of there, Katie Marinello: Right, Claire Fisher: even though what's obviously happening is that they've left to go find the police. Katie Marinello: right, Claire Fisher: And in the middle of this, Walter comes home. Katie Marinello: right. And that's when he, radios Claire Fisher: Yeah. Katie Marinello: problem, Walters Claire Fisher: Yeah. Katie Marinello: the whole, like the thing that's, that I guess tipped them over the edge into paranoia. Right. Where they had been suspicious before was Walter's disappearance, right? He would never leave his dog. I would have to say it is weird that nobody came to take care of the dog. Claire Fisher: Right. Katie Marinello: It turns out that he'd been in the hospital Claire Fisher: He got sick a few days earlier while watching TV Katie Marinello: Mm-hmm. Claire Fisher: in such a rush to get [00:45:00] help that he knocked over his chair while calling his son. Katie Marinello: Came and took him to the hospital, which again is why I think it's weird that they didn't then come get the dog because they clearly would know that their father had a dog. But anyway, Claire Fisher: anyway, the police, the Klopeks come back with the police because they drove in and all they saw was someone's in our house and we haven't been home all day. So they left to go get help and the police come. And meanwhile, Ray has hit the gas line in the basement. So the police arrive in time for the house to explode, and Art Katie Marinello: gets out and Ray should absolutely be dead, right? he was standing in. Well, no, he does say I hit the gas line, get out. Claire Fisher: right. Katie Marinello: he's not in the hole that he's dug in the basement. But yeah, the whole thing goes up in, in fire and then he just kind of walks out. he does look pretty rough Claire Fisher: The teenagers say [00:46:00] Ricky sure knows how to throw a party, the next thing you know, Carol is pulling up, she's left Dave over at her sister's house, but she came back to check on Ray and she has to slip past the police. Cordon. Katie Marinello: can't go in there. She is like, but this is my house. Claire Fisher: Right. Because there's ambulances there, there's police there, there's a gas company there. And Art is still trying to convince the police. Art: I'm telling you, officer, there's a body buried in that house. Police officer: The old man, Mr. Cesnik right? Art: Yeah. The old guy who's sitting here is buried in that house. Claire Fisher: this man's mail while he was in the hospital. Dr. Klopek is a very respected pathologist. And Ray, you're gonna be charged with Narrator: Destruction of private property, destruction of public property, three counts of criminal trespassing, harassment, assault, vandalism, and that poor old man claims. He's got a ransom note that says you kidnapped his dog. Do you hear me Okay, Mr. Peterson? Claire Fisher: The only thing I knew about The Burbs [00:47:00] is that towards the end. Tom Hanks has an epic rant Katie Marinello: right. Claire Fisher: we are the crazy ones, right? Ray: They didn't do anything to us. They didn't do anything to us. All right, so they're different. So they keep themselves. Can you blame them? They live next door to people who break into the house and burn it down when they're gone for the day remember. What you're saying about people in the burbs are people like Skip. People who mow their lawn for the 800th time and then snap. Well, that's us. It's not them. That's us. We're the ones who are vaulting over the fences and peeking into people's windows. We're the ones who are throwing garbage in the street and lighting fires. We're the ones who are acting suspicious and paranoid Art we're the lunatics us. It's not them, it's us. Claire Fisher: He then picks up his own gurney and flings himself into the, into the. Katie Marinello: is like, all [00:48:00] right, Claire Fisher: Ambulance and Carol says, honey, I'll just find out what hospital they're taking you to and I'll follow right along. So Katie Marinello: yeah. Claire Fisher: home to literal chaos. And she's still gonna be like, , we can get through Katie Marinello: I'm just gonna follow behind. So then he is in the, Claire Fisher: Ambulance. Ambulance. Yeah. Katie Marinello: and who comes in, but klopek And he says, oh, sorry. As soon as I get out of prison, I'm gonna help you rebuild your house. I, you know, I screwed up. I overreacted, whatever, whatever. And what does The doctor say? Claire Fisher: The doctor it turns out was hiding something in the basement, in the furnace, not buried under the floor. And he now needs to know if Ray saw the former owners of the house are in the furnace. Katie Marinello: but he doesn't need to know whether Ray saw it, because he is gonna kill him anyway. Claire Fisher: thinks Ray has seen it and he's here. Katie Marinello: saw what is in my furnace. Claire Fisher: And [00:49:00] Ray realizes Hans is who's driving the ambulance, the teenager from early. So, Dr. Klopek tries to strangle Ray, Katie Marinello: Mm-hmm. Claire Fisher: but then the pizza delivery van that the party at Ricky Butler's house ordered, he shows up. Han swerves the ambulance, it actually crashes into Art's house. The door pops out, the gurney goes flying, it hits the Klopeks' car, their trunk pops open and skeletons fall out. Katie Marinello: Yes. Claire Fisher: And for Katie Marinello: Ricky points out that their entire Trunk is filled with skeletons Claire Fisher: Apparently this means that all the crimes Ray committed are just laughed off. 'cause the next thing you know Katie Marinello: wash now. Claire Fisher: Yeah. The cops are arresting the Klopeks Ray is saying to art, your wife is home and your house is on fire. So that art will have, Katie Marinello: wife was home. Claire Fisher: and Ray says to Ricky Carol and I are gonna go up to the lake house keep an eye on the place for me, and Ricky Winks at the camera. God, I [00:50:00] love this street. Katie Marinello: Yes. Claire Fisher: So that's one of apparently four potential endings to this movie, Katie Marinello: right. Claire Fisher: two of which were actually included on this DVD one of which was filmed but never released, and one of which was in the original script. Katie Marinello: alternate ending I didn't think was that different Claire Fisher: So the other one that's on the. DVD is very, very similar, except instead of a giant car crash, it's just that everybody walks in on Dr. Klopek of trying to kill Ray. Katie Marinello: right. Claire Fisher: then Dr. Klopek makes sort of a speech about how stepping out of lines in the suburbs is fatal. Dr. Klopek: You are not quite right about the suburbs. No, no. Here. All you have to do is take one step out of line. You paint your house the wrong shade of pink, you buy the wrong kind of car. You make one or two human sacrifices. Then, then when you walk down the street, everybody says, oh, there it goes. The weirdo. Ray: Why? Why did you come here? Dr. Klopek: I [00:51:00] came as you did, for the quiet. The privacy, the good life, the convenient shopping with always plenty of apple free parking, but everywhere. Everywhere I met, only suspicion and distress. Hans: It's true. In LA nobody ever said anything. Claire Fisher: So that's the alternate ending that's on the DVD, but it still ends with Ricky winking and saying, I love this block. Right? Apparently the script had the Klopeks killing Ray and getting away with it. Katie Marinello: Yeah. Claire Fisher: But then they tried another variation where the Klopeks turned out to be completely innocent, and the whole thing really was just a mass hallucination. Katie Marinello: Which is what I thought was gonna of Claire Fisher: I I, wish they'd stuck with that one, maybe then having the hero of your movie go to prison wasn't as funny. Katie Marinello: Right. Yeah. That would've been difficult. But yeah. 'cause I mean, it does validate all of [00:52:00] Art's delusions Ray's delusions but Art, we didn't mention is that as Ray says, all right, we're going up to the lake, I'm done with all this crap. Art is like, but there's gonna be reporters here and there's gonna be, you know, a movie and we're gonna be famous. And he's like, giving all these interviews and stuff. So like he is really buying into the whole Claire Fisher: he, Katie Marinello: Uh, Claire Fisher: is gonna be a true crime. Katie Marinello: it. Claire Fisher: Personality Katie Marinello: He's gonna lean into of it. Exactly. Claire Fisher: Right. The reason I did not see that final twist coming with the Klopeks actually being shady is that the whole time I'm watching it, I'm thinking about how these days we're being told to turn in our neighbors for being immigrants. Katie Marinello: Right. Claire Fisher: looking at these immigrants who are in a suburb in the eighties and I'm thinking this is totally just a message about xenophobia being wrong. Nope. Katie Marinello: 100 percent. Claire Fisher: Turns out your Eastern European new neighbors who are a little weird are in fact serial killers. Katie Marinello: Right. Yeah, Claire Fisher: Okay. Katie Marinello: I agree that like he has that really [00:53:00] epic speech about how all created this mass delusion, because a little different and then, yeah, it's weird and like. They killed the Nabs to get to take their house, but then to have their trunk full of skeletons elevates it to a level of cartoonishness, right? It definitely undercuts the supposed moral of the story, I Claire Fisher: right. So thinking about this now, I was thinking, you know, we now live in an era where , you really don't introduce yourself to the neighbors all that much. , So we don't necessarily know our neighbors, at least not very well. and it's no longer routine to investigate your neighbors, but online people are investigating strangers all the time. Katie Marinello: Right. Claire Fisher: The existence of. The word transvestigation, the existence of are we dating the same person groups? Katie Marinello: Mm-hmm. Claire Fisher: existence of, uh, doxing as a [00:54:00] word. Katie Marinello: Mm-hmm. Claire Fisher: the existence of purity test as a, a like people will dig into your whole life in order to find some reason why they should hate you, Katie Marinello: Mm-hmm. Claire Fisher: Online. So I don't know if it, this was been more or less funny to people who had never been on the internet but had lived through the Satanic panic. But to me it's like funny but also in a terrifying way. Because if you're not actually committing human sacrifices in your backyard, which for the record, I am not. And if you are just trying to mind your own business and live a life in the suburbs, and there is a chance that someone could try to ruin your life because they don't like something you commented on Reddit or something. Katie Marinello: Mm. Claire Fisher: This is a little scary. Katie Marinello: Yeah. Claire Fisher: You, are the Klopeks right? Katie Marinello: In this movie, it's your neighbors, now we're getting it from the top, right? Now the, the power [00:55:00] of the state is, and this happened with the Satanic panic a lot too, where the police got involved and people made entire careers out of identifying demons or, you know, identifying demonic like Claire Fisher: Yeah. Katie Marinello: rituals. And none of it ever happened. Claire Fisher: I mean, at least not the way that it was said to have been happening. Katie Marinello: Right. Claire Fisher: It is weird how long the shadow has been. I was listening to a podcast about the Satanic panic in in Canada and there was a town that everybody said there was a devil church outside of town because there were sheep's skulls hanging in it. And the guy who lived in that shed and had been slaughtering his sheep to eat over the winter still thinks there might have been something sketchy going on at the daycare, like to this day. And you lived in the supposed devil church, Katie Marinello: right. right. Yeah. Again, I don't even know what's real anymore because so people say the Q [00:56:00] Anon is like the Satanic panic, and people who are experts in Satanic panic are like, no, it is the Satanic panic. Claire Fisher: right. Katie Marinello: extension of a Satanic panic. now we're getting all this information coming out. Drips and drabs of, well, both an avalanche and also no context and no real like analysis. And so now I'm rethinking everything. I mean, I obviously don't believe that anyone, well, I I don't believe in adrenachrome Claire Fisher: If anybody ever told you there was no such thing as pedophile human traffickers who exist in plain sight and own private islands and are trafficking people in the dozens or scores and are heavily connected to key political and financial leaders, the world over. And you said, oh yeah. Right. That sounds like you've been, on Reddit too long actually, that was happening. And when Jeffrey Epstein got arrested, I mean, I live near [00:57:00] Teterboro Airport, so like when they arrested him at Teterboro Airport, I was like I'm sorry, who's this guy? Oh, he was broadly speaking my fucking neighbor, Katie Marinello: right. , so Creepy shit is happening, but probably not like, perfectly normal, but slightly different neighbors. Claire Fisher: Or maybe they are, maybe they are actually in, on something like this. Because if there could have been one such conspiracy, why not dozens? Right? Katie Marinello: Right. But it seems to be the world's elite and not like your average Claire Fisher: But sometimes there have been serial killers operating out of rundown homes or people holding women prisoner in their basements in rundown homes. Katie Marinello: Trust no one. Claire Fisher: Trust no bitch, no trust, no one. Get out there and investigate your neighbors. Be like my neighbor who once walked up to me and said, are you enjoying your new house? When I had lived there for five years.[00:58:00] Take note of whether my husband takes his walks with me or without me when he works from home full time and I have to commute, please. Someone should know where the man is at all times. Even if the answer is within half a block of his home, Katie Marinello: I think we may have lost the plot here. Claire Fisher: I don't think so at all. That's the plot of this movie, is that they were right to be paranoid. Katie Marinello: to paranoid. Yeah. Claire Fisher: So, ranking. Carol Peterson, Katie Marinello: All right, Carol. Claire Fisher: the adult in the room. Katie Marinello: the adult in the room definitely does not back down. Like you said, I think this character could have easily been a shrew. But because it's Carrie and because she has so much warmth to her and clearly still cares about Ray, and it's not one of those boomers hate their spouse things it doesn't quite Claire Fisher: Yeah, And she does make some active [00:59:00] attempts to like, just figure out what's going on. You know, go over with brownies, make comments on the interior decor. Right. Katie Marinello: Right. right. And say they're just different. Claire Fisher: Mm-hmm. Katie Marinello: So what would you rank her? Claire Fisher: four. Katie Marinello: Yeah. I think she honestly could be five. It's just that she's not the main character Claire Fisher: No. Katie Marinello: I. In this movie. So like her, way of let's go back to minding our own business, was never gonna win out. Right. Claire Fisher: Right, and it wouldn't have gotten these people caught as serial killers, so, yeah. Katie Marinello: So again, paranoia. Good. Claire Fisher: Right. Katie Marinello: Evenhandedness, bad. go to the lake house. If you have a lake house, you should go up to it. Claire Fisher: Yeah. Actually, I mean, don't let the lake house, go to waste. Katie Marinello: Yeah, exactly. Claire Fisher: So what are we watching next, Katie? Katie Marinello: Something called Loverboy. Claire Fisher: Yeah, exactly. Guess what the plot is, Katie? Katie Marinello: I have no idea. [01:00:00] Claire Fisher: It's about a pizza delivery man who also shtups the lonely women on his route . Katie Marinello: Oh my gosh. It's about every porno ever. Claire Fisher: Exactly, and it somehow got released into mainstream theaters with a rating of only r. Katie Marinello: Oh, interesting. Okay. Well, hopefully it's better than Shampoo, which was a similar I premise. Claire Fisher: I will be so disappointed if the song Back Door Santa is not featured in this movie Prominently. Clarence Carter: They call me Back Door Santa. I make my runs about the break a day. Look here. I make all the little girls happy while the boys are out to play that's what they call Claire Fisher: but until then, Katie Marinello: till then, just remember if my life weren't funny, it would just be true. Claire Fisher: and that's unacceptable. Katie Marinello: Thanks for listening [01:01:00] to another episode of Carried Far, far Away. This podcast is hosted, produced, edited re-edited obsessed over and loved by Katie Marinello and Claire Fisher. You can follow the show on Facebook and Instagram at carriedawaypod You can email us at awaycarriedpod@gmail.com You can follow Claire deadfictionalgirlfriends and Katie katiedaway We are proud to be part of the 12 & 24 network. You can join fans and creators from the Network on Discord by clicking the link in the show notes. All clips used in this podcast are done so under the protection of fair use. Have a wonderful week, and may the force be with you. And now our space, grandma wisdom of the week. Carrie: When people say to you this, I get Princess Leia. Like I'm supposed to go. Yes. Katie Marinello: So one of those weird things that's like, [01:02:00] kismet, I guess we we're talking about this in February, 2026, on February 8th of this month, a TV show based on this movie. That's what. 37 years old because this as old as me. Happens to have come out literally this month. Kiki Palmer is the main character. , so Tom Hanks was on a staycation, she's on maternity leave. Kind of befriends her neighbors to try to solve the mystery of who moved into the Victorian house across the street from them. So all episodes are streaming. I maybe we'll do a Patreon someday. Claire Fisher: Since I had never really done the anything with this movie until a week ago, I heard that they were making a TV show and it just didn't even cross. It wasn't even on my radar. Katie Marinello: I know, it's just, it's just a weird, like a weird coincidence that Claire Fisher: Yeah. Katie Marinello: this movie that's meant so much to so many people for so many years wasn't one that you and I had ever had come across our desk until this moment. And then there's this whole extended [01:03:00] universe now to, to maybe explore. If only we could have Carrie do a guest eye roll.