BFG Podcast #116: 'Ashoka,' 'Bottoms,' and 'Gran Turismo'

This week's BFG podcast is a load of fun! Host Neal Pollack invites Scott Gold in to talk about 'Ashoka,' yet another Star Wars offering from Disney+. Scott is about as much of a Star Wars nerd as we could possibly have on retainer, so he has consumed all 104 hours of The Clone Wars and Star Wars: Rebels, animated series that will give you the advanced degree required to understand everything that's going on in 'Ashoka.' Neal thinks the show is good enough to watch, but is definitely kind of at sea with the plot line. Scott is a fan, and he is feeling well-serviced.Everyone loves 'Bottoms,' the new Ayo Edibiri/Rachel Sennott high-school lesbian sex comedy. Kristin Clifford joins Neal Pollack to talk about the show, which Neal says is the spiritual heir to 'Superbad,' 'Mean Girls,' and 'Heathers,' with some modern gender politics. It's also quite violent and really funny. Both Neal and Kristin marvel at the comic stylings of Marshawn Lynch, the NFL's Beast Mode himself, who plays the only fleshed-out character in the movie, a homeroom teacher who has some seriously hilarious issues with woman. And, as Kristin points out, this is the rare high-school comedy that doesn't involve drinking or drugs–at all. Though there is plenty of violence.On the more man-leaning end of the movie spectrum. we have 'Gran Turismo,' a two-hour commercial for Playstation and Nissan masquerading as an auto-racing movie. Nevertheless, Jack Helbig, who has never played the game Gran Turismo, joins Neal, who has also never played the game, to talk about the movie based on the game. Jack hasn't seen a car-racing movie for decades, and is surprised that the emotional beats are still the same in this formula. Neal then reveals his secret automotive past, and you thought he couldn't be any cooler.A great program this week, enjoy.