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[0:00] Jesse McAnally: Hello, I'm Jesse Mackinac. And I'm Alan Seales. And I'm Liz Esten. And welcome to Carrey'd Away, a podcast where we explore the films and television shows starring the one and only James Eugene Carrey. And today, we can't waste any time because we have an extra special guest, and we actually mean it this time. Yeah, take that, Alex Brightman. This week, join me in welcoming entertainer, husband, parent, and man starring as Louis Armstrong in the brand new Broadway musical, A Wonderful World, the Louis Armstrong Musical, opening November 11, 2024, James Monroe Iglehart!

[0:56] Alan Seales: Alrighty then, we're gonna start off with the wonderful insults to Alex Brightman, who basically is just a guy who, if you say his name three times, he does evil crap. Where if I, you call me, I'll grant your wishes. That's the difference between the two of us. Also, the color of our skin. Do you guys often get, like, called in for, like, the same roles? Like, see each other in the audition?

[1:14] James Monroe Iglehart: The funny thing is, Alex and I have never been called in for the same roles.

[1:17] Alan Seales: Really? Never.

[1:18] James Monroe Iglehart: Never. Well, I learned recently—

[1:22] Alan Seales: Well, today you have.

[1:24] James Monroe Iglehart: I learned recently, you were, like, almost not called in for Genie, to audition for Genie.

[1:29] James Monroe Iglehart: Yeah, that almost didn't happen.

[1:31] Alan Seales: Right.

[1:31] James Monroe Iglehart: That almost didn't happen. But you said you were, like, they interviewed every other black guy on Broadway. They interviewed every other brother but me.

[1:37] Alan Seales: Yeah.

[1:37] James Monroe Iglehart: I was literally in the third, they had, I was in the third round of people. And when I, you know, when I found out I got the call to come in, I was very happy. When I found out I was in the third round, oh, that hurt. I was like, Mr. Aladdin, sir, what will your pleasure be? Let me take your order, jolly dell, you ain't never had a friend like me.

[2:03] Alan Seales: Now, now, now, have some—

[2:07] James Monroe Iglehart: Well, that drives me to the next question is, you're going to be the first round of Ace Ventura the musical, right? Like, you are the only choice, right?

[2:10] James Monroe Iglehart: Listen, no, that one I know will probably be taken, you think it'd be by Alex Brightman, and they're probably going to go for Michael Urie, and I'll be pissed off because they'll never call me. It'll be Michael Urie or Taron Killam. All of us who were in Spamalot together, I know. No, you know what they'll call me in for? I'll be called in for Tone Loke's character.

[2:34] Alan Seales: Oh, I forgot he's in that.

[2:35] James Monroe Iglehart: This side. And when they call me, I'm going to desperately tell them, like, you know what? If I'm going to play Tone Loke's character, you're not going to give me a gospel song. You are not going to do this musical. You're not going to do this white musical with one black dude and make that black dude sing that. Nah, matter of fact, I'm singing the biggest ballad in the musical. I'll give a damn. I'm not, no. We ain't doing that no more.

[2:54] Alan Seales: Well, the 11 o'clock number is going to have everyone talking out of their butts, so it doesn't really matter.

[2:57] James Monroe Iglehart: Right. Asshole of me. Oh, asshole of me. Yes, that's going to happen. And the score will be written by Jason Robert Brown. In case you haven't picked up what we're throwing down, this week we are talking about the 1994 classic in giant quotation marks, Ace Ventura, Pet Detective.

[3:15] Alan Seales: He's the only one there is.

[3:17] James Monroe Iglehart: You really love animals, don't you?

[3:19] Alan Seales: If it gets cold enough. Now, the mascot of the Miami Dolphins has been kidnapped.

[3:24] James Monroe Iglehart: Alrighty then. And he's on the case of a lifetime.

[3:28] Alan Seales: Listen, pet dick, how would you like me to make your life a living hell?

[3:32] James Monroe Iglehart: Well, I'm not really ready for a relationship, Lois.

[3:36] Alan Seales: Jim Carrey is.

[3:40] James Monroe Iglehart: Do not go in there.

[3:43] Alan Seales: Ace Ventura, Pet Detective.

[3:46] James Monroe Iglehart: Yes, yes, yes. So Ace Ventura, Pet Detective was released February 4th, 1994, starting Jim Carrey's year of ever-ending triumph that failed just the next year. It was written by Jack Bernstein, Tom Shadyac, and Jim Carrey, but mostly Tom Shadyac and Jim Carrey. Starring Jim Carrey, Sean Young, Courtney Cox, Tone Loke, and Dan Marino.

[4:07] Alan Seales: Put them all in a room. It was directed by Tom Shadyac, and the plot is he's Ace Ventura, Pet Detective. Jim Carrey is on the case to find the Miami Dolphins' missing mascot and quarterback, Dan Marino.

[4:16] James Monroe Iglehart: The Dan Marino.

[4:18] Alan Seales: The Dan Marino.

[4:20] James Monroe Iglehart: James, what is your history with Jim Carrey? I'm sure it goes all the way back.

[4:24] James Monroe Iglehart: Oh, my history with Jim Carrey started with In Living Color. My history started with In Living Color. And it was one of those moments where it's like, you're a young African-American kid, and there's this new comedy show on Fox. And Fox right now is the redhead stepchild of television. So everything they have is edgy. And it's NBC, ABC, and CBS can't do any of these shows. So they've got Married With Children. They've got the Tracey Ullman show. They've got The Simpsons. And then they come out with this crazy moment of In Living Color. Damon is doing shows, doing his comedy shows, and says, hey, there's this white dude that's really, really funny and absolutely insane, and we'll do anything you need to hire him. Jim goes and auditions, gets into In Living Color, and then the rest is history.

[5:03] James Monroe Iglehart: So I saw Jim Carrey do these amazing characters, surrounded by these incredible African-American comedians. And he was hanging with them. Not just hanging with them, but banging these sketches out. And what made him really funny was he was so doggone fearless. And he was not afraid to, he never put himself in a place, like usually when there was white comedians at the time, they never wanted to be uncool. And in Jim Carrey's uncoolness, it made him so damn cool, because then he got to play characters that just changed. I mean, when we came to high school, we would talk about men on films, which is also controversial. But then he would also do Fire Marshall Bill, and we would all be going, let me show you something.

And it was just crazy. After In Living Color, they were trying to find a spot for him, and this Ace Ventura thing came up. And I loved Jim so much, so me and my three homeboys went to go see Ace Ventura. And we saw it, I think at like four o'clock in the afternoon. And the movie starts, the driving, he's driving, and all of a sudden, like a glove, gets out of the car, got a package, got a package, people walk through the thing. And then he finally gets the dog, but he gets back to the wife. We laughed a little bit, we snickered, ha, ha, ha, ha. But it's when she looked at him and she says, can I take you down your pants? And he goes, yeah, sure. And his arms swing up, and he's swinging, he goes, whoa.

You feel friendly around here? That part right there, from that moment to the end of the film, me and my friends could not breathe. We were screaming. Can I ever repay you? Well, a reward would be good. If there is some damage to my car, it's a high-performance machine, so I had to fill it with premium. Would you like for me to take your pants off instead? Gee, let me think. Um, sure. Whoa. Pete! What a real friend laid around here. Because it was so damn funny. It was so funny. I went home, you know, we didn't, cell phones weren't that big back in '94. And I told my mom, I'm like, you've got to go see Ace Ventura. So I took my mom, like two days later on a Friday, to see Ace Ventura. I saw it in the theater three times.

I loved this. I just couldn't believe how ridiculous it was. And I love improv. So you can tell when Jim was just making crap up. And I was like, oh, this is ridiculous. So I'll shut up now, because I can talk about this film for years.

[7:35] Alan Seales: No, no, that's fine. Did you re-watch it for the show? And do you find it's aged as well as you remember it?

[7:38] James Monroe Iglehart: The funny thing is, I haven't re-watched it. I just know it by heart. And has it aged? Hell no. It has not aged well. No, no, no. I, no, the comedy, the comedy, if you're just talking about just straight comedy, yes, it has aged well. If you're talking about the line of what is good and what is bad, now that the years have changed, now that we've got, you know, over 20 years, now 20 years of this film, no, it has not aged well. There are so many jokes that you couldn't do now without offending someone, without making someone go, oh, oh no. You know, I mean, just the scene I spoke about, the scene I spoke about, now we're objectifying women. The first, she doesn't have any money, so she decides to do something sexual.

Strike one. We're in the first 15 minutes, baby, strike one. Alrighty, this film is going to be protested. And then our, the person that's supposed to be our villain, our villain is trans. And every, and once every guy figures out that they have maybe kissed a person who was not what they thought, it becomes a negative. And they have a whole scene. I mean, they have a whole scene about this. No. Funny? Yes. Aged well? Hell no.

[8:56] James Monroe Iglehart: But I guess, the thing is, would I be able to show it to people, kids, and would the joke still land as they did for me? Because I was, I grew up on the TV edit of this because I was in the old days where you record something off TV and that was your copy of the movie.

[9:12] Alan Seales: Um, yeah, go ahead, Alan.

[9:13] Alan Seales: No, I was just going to say, I don't think so. I don't know if I would feel comfortable showing that to my kids. My kids are eight and nine right now, eight, nine and a half. And I'm like, I don't want to, I don't want to show them the punchline, which, you know, revealing that everyone feels disgusted that men kissed another guy. If the lieutenant is indeed a woman, as she claims to be, then my friend, she is suffering from the worst case of hemorrhoids I have ever seen! That's why Roger Podacter is dead! He found Captain Winky!

[9:58] James Monroe Iglehart: Good night, everybody! I've got a wonderful audience. I'll be here all week. Be sure to tip your waitress. I would not be embarrassed to show the film, but what you have to do is when you show films from a different era, you can't just show them. You can't just show people younger. You can't, especially nowadays. Yes, I'm an old person. I'll be 50 next month. You can't show old things to young people without giving them context. Because if you do, they're offended by everything. Not in a bad way, not in a bad way, but they are offended very easily. And also, older people who want to seem cool and don't want the young people to jump on them are all of a sudden offended by crap that they weren't offended by, but all of a sudden now they're offended by.

And you're like, really? I get the young people. I get everybody 30 and down. You, sir, 35 and up, I don't want to hit. I don't want to hit. I don't want to hit. Stop. Stop your lies. Stop trying to act like you're in the know. Like, you know, they not like us. No, no, you like the old people. Relax.

[11:00] James Monroe Iglehart: So I think that if you're going to show this film, I think you'd have to tell the context. I think you'd have to say what year it was. I think you'd have to say the mindset. And then look at the kids and say, look how ridiculous these beliefs are. Look how far we've come. Look how far we've come that we can now look at this and go, wow, there was a time when men actually thought kissing another man was disgusting and something to be offended by. No. And then that becomes the joke. You're laughing at those men instead of the situation.

[11:34] Alan Seales: I agree with that. I'll take that. I think that'll be a lot easier for me personally. I tend towards the younger side. Me and Liz are like in our mid to late 20s. That'll be so much easier and say 10, 15 years when the rights of trans people are a little less in flux and things are low where this will feel a little less violent and a little less mean. I'm really excited for that opportunity because I feel in my bones. Maybe it's not because I'm not part of this community, but I feel like someone's going to take back Einhorn as trans representation done right as a strong trans female in a comedy.

[12:09] James Monroe Iglehart: Congratulations. You've done some fine detective work.

[12:20] Alan Seales: Ace.

[12:21] James Monroe Iglehart: I'm sorry. Could you speak into my good ear? I thought I heard you call me Ace.

[12:26] Alan Seales: Maybe I was wrong about you. Maybe you are more than just a pet dick.

[12:39] James Monroe Iglehart: Your gun is sticking into my hip.

[12:42] Alan Seales: What's wrong, Ace? You want me to ring you, right?

[12:47] James Monroe Iglehart: Maybe later. What I'm hoping for is that there, okay, there was a time when, you know, I'm a big professional wrestling fan. I'm a huge pro wrestler. Alan knows I'm a huge pro wrestling fan. There was a moment in time where if you were an African-American, if you were anybody of color, Latin, Asian, you never wanted to be the heel. You never wanted to be the villain because they already, because folks, the society already looks at you crazy anyway. So you didn't want to be the villain. Right now, trans people can't be the villain, but I hope that they can be the villain. Trans people can't be the villain, but I hope that there comes a time where we are all so equal that we can look at Einhorn and go, yes, we have a trans villain who tried to destroy the Miami Dolphins as they should, because if you're any kind of football fan, you should root for the Bay Area. But then that's just me by myself. I hate the Miami Dolphins.

[13:37] James Monroe Iglehart: A trans woman who's a great kicker.

[13:39] Alan Seales: A trans woman who's a great kicker.

[13:41] James Monroe Iglehart: Except for that one time, but okay.

[13:43] Alan Seales: Except for that one time. The one time in there.

[13:45] James Monroe Iglehart: Lace is out.

[13:46] Alan Seales: And it's not only that, but she was able to seduce the entire male population of that time. And nobody else put their hands where they would have discovered that.

[13:56] James Monroe Iglehart: Here's the fun part. They had an answer for that.

[13:58] Alan Seales: There's not a hole.

[13:59] James Monroe Iglehart: Every time they did it, Jimmy had the joke. Oh, that must be my gun is in your hip. Yeah, my gun is in my hip. And I was like, ah, that's how they didn't know. Did you notice on Einhorn's desk, there was two apples and a banana placed to look like a penis?

[14:13] Alan Seales: I did not notice that.

[14:14] James Monroe Iglehart: All I'm saying is she could have tucked. It's possible. You can tuck. I've seen enough drag racing.

[14:19] Alan Seales: She tucked at the end.

[14:21] James Monroe Iglehart: When she was just standing there at the end, dumbfounded.

[14:24] Alan Seales: I know, but you can tuck further. Trust.

[14:27] James Monroe Iglehart: Trust.

[14:28] Alan Seales: Speak for yourself, Liz.

[14:35] James Monroe Iglehart: Ace Ventura.

[15:05] James Monroe Iglehart: Ace Ventura.

[15:35] James Monroe Iglehart: Ace Ventura.

[16:05] James Monroe Iglehart: Ace Ventura.

[16:35] James Monroe Iglehart: Ace Ventura.

[17:05] James Monroe Iglehart: Ace Ventura.

[17:35] James Monroe Iglehart: Ace Ventura.

[18:05] James Monroe Iglehart: Ace Ventura.

[18:11] James Monroe Iglehart: Ace Ventura.

[18:26] James Monroe Iglehart: Ace Ventura.

[18:35] James Monroe Iglehart: Ace Ventura.

[19:05] James Monroe Iglehart: Ace Ventura.

[19:35] James Monroe Iglehart: Ace Ventura.

[20:05] James Monroe Iglehart: Ace Ventura.

[20:35] James Monroe Iglehart: Ace Ventura.

[21:05] James Monroe Iglehart: Ace Ventura.

[21:35] James Monroe Iglehart: Ace Ventura.

[22:05] Courtney Cox: Ace Ventura.

[22:35] Courtney Cox: Ace Ventura.

[23:05] James Monroe Iglehart: Ace Ventura.

[23:35] James Monroe Iglehart: Ace Ventura.

[24:06] James Monroe Iglehart: Ace Ventura.

[24:18] James Monroe Iglehart: Ace Ventura.

[24:24] James Monroe Iglehart: Ace Ventura.

[24:39] James Monroe Iglehart: Ace Ventura.

[24:53] Courtney Cox: Ace Ventura.

[25:00] Courtney Cox: Ace Ventura.

[25:07] Courtney Cox: Ace Ventura.

[25:24] James Monroe Iglehart: Ace Ventura.

[25:33] James Monroe Iglehart: Ace Ventura.

[25:43] James Monroe Iglehart: Ace Ventura.

[25:54] James Monroe Iglehart: Ace Ventura.

[26:03] James Monroe Iglehart: Ace Ventura.

[26:13] James Monroe Iglehart: Ace Ventura.

[26:23] James Monroe Iglehart: Ace Ventura.

[26:33] James Monroe Iglehart: Ace Ventura.

[26:43] James Monroe Iglehart: Ace Ventura.

[26:53] James Monroe Iglehart: Ace Ventura.

[27:03] James Monroe Iglehart: Ace Ventura.

[27:13] James Monroe Iglehart: Ace Ventura.

[27:23] James Monroe Iglehart: Ace Ventura.

[27:33] James Monroe Iglehart: Ace Ventura.

[27:43] James Monroe Iglehart: Ace Ventura.

[27:53] James Monroe Iglehart: Ace Ventura.

[28:03] James Monroe Iglehart: Ace Ventura.

[28:13] James Monroe Iglehart: Ace Ventura.

[28:23] James Monroe Iglehart: Ace Ventura.

[28:33] James Monroe Iglehart: Ace Ventura.

[28:43] James Monroe Iglehart: Ace Ventura.

[28:53] James Monroe Iglehart: Ace Ventura.

[29:03] James Monroe Iglehart: Ace Ventura.

[29:10] James Monroe Iglehart: I'm ready to go in coach. Just give me a chance. I know there's a lot riding on it but it's all psychological. Just got to stay in a positive frame of mind. I'm gonna execute a button hook pattern super slow-mo and what's really funny is you can tell, I don't know how many times they did it but the part they put in the movie when he runs towards the doctor, the doctor cannot hold it. That's why they almost never show the doctor. Go back and watch the film. The doctor is trying to stop a smile but once Jim hits him and says I'm gonna do that in reverse and goes you see the doctor begin to laugh and Courtney laughs. That camera switches to Jim so fast when he's out in the field and he goes I'm open.

I'm open. The doctor cannot hold it. These are the best shots they could do to put in the movie which means the rest of the shots they got where he broke. You know he must have broke. It's just so outlandish but Jim is so dedicated to the bit and after it's the moments where they're talking and he goes halftime and then slams his head on the bench. They are done and so was I. That is my favorite scene in the whole doggone film. I noticed that exact moment and I could because they cut to Courtney who was like I feel like it was authentically her holding back a laugh and be like he's good like that for like 20 minutes. I just make you wonder like how many takes how many takes did they do of this scene where they had to go cut cut cut cut the other one is very small and it's insignificant to anyone else but me and my brother.

I don't know do you guys have siblings? Yes. Okay there's always a joke that you and your sibling have that no one else gets. That's just the two of you. For my brother and I it was Ventura. Yes Satan. Oh Mr. Cricket Ants I thought you were someone else. Ventura. Yes Satan. Oh I'm sorry sir you sounded like someone else. Never mind the wisecracks Ventura. You owe me rent. So to this day I walk behind my brother and go Ventura and he goes yes Satan. Oh Mr. Cricket Ants and then I got to meet the actor who played Mr. Cricket Ants. He has done so many films so many tv shows and this dumbass fan walked up to him filming Gotham the tv show and I said I know you've done so many things but I loved your days Ventura and he looked at me like dumbass I was in that film for like five minutes.

That's what you want to talk to me about? He was so sweet. God rest his soul he was so sweet but he looked at me like ah Jesus I've done Shakespeare and this fool is talking to me about my five minutes in Ace Ventura. But when I saw him I literally called my brother like Mr. Cricket Ants is here. I like him in Breaking Bad that's that's one of my favorite roles. That's what I'm saying you know what I mean? Mr. Cricket Ants.

[32:25] Alan Seales: Well is it time for our letterboxd game?

[32:32] James Monroe Iglehart: It is time it is time for the letterboxd game.

[32:37] Jess McAnally: I'm losing this.

[32:39] Alan Seales: Oh I always lose so. All right so this is your first episode that probably but probably is true for a lot of you because this is a well-known movie so welcome to the show. This is the letterboxd game where I pulled a real one in five letterboxd reviews for Ace Ventura Pet Detective and James and Alan have to guess if they're positive or negative with very little context or sense.

[33:01] James Monroe Iglehart: Yeah sounds like it because Liz has gotten good at reading these usually it's me against Jesse yeah and she's gotten very good at reading the bad ones with a positive attitude to put that spin on it.

[33:12] Alan Seales: All right I'll go first with Alan so that you kind of get a vibe of how this goes back and forth. All right Alan you ready?

[33:16] Alan Seales: Yes I am.

[33:18] Alan Seales: Can we talk about how hella fine Courtney Cox was in this movie? Is that a one-star or a five-star review?

[33:21] James Monroe Iglehart: I would oh god I I mean for gut says five I'm going with five.

[33:29] Alan Seales: That was a one Alan.

[33:31] James Monroe Iglehart: I knew it I knew it. She was.

[33:35] Alan Seales: Yeah she does look great in this movie. Can we can we can we just really talk about like the best and worst sex scene in the history of movies? It's pg-13.

[33:41] James Monroe Iglehart: Yeah it's the it's the fact that you know you don't see anything but it's the animals moving that makes you know what's happening as you get the parent okay let's bob in their head move on Liz yes what is the question all right James are you ready?

[34:03] James Monroe Iglehart: I am ready.

[34:04] Alan Seales: Courtney Cox takes a cop played by Tone Loke hostage at gunpoint and nothing happens.

[34:08] James Monroe Iglehart: Oh that is a bad review.

[34:10] Alan Seales: Most of these aren't reviews.

[34:12] James Monroe Iglehart: Oh is it a one-star five-star that that is I would say that's a two-star that's one or five that's the only options oh okay it's a binary choice then I will I then I will say that's a one that's actually a five wow yeah see what I deal with here you see this okay okay I see where we're going tricky let's go Alan you ready Jesse I am

[34:29] Alan Seales: oh no okay I think I know which one you're looking at

[34:36] Alan Seales: I watched this with daddy it was silly I like the animals I went to sleep after 10 minutes I'm just a baby for context uh this person's user is literally just a picture of a baby um so I think that's their shtick when they review I don't like it I don't like it I don't like it but I knew I had to say it um they went to sleep after that usually isn't a good thing but maybe they laugh so hard they went I'm going with five again that is correct you're on the board Alan that's not fair I'm trying to make you lose yeah I don't need to lose okay I was I wasn't gonna choose a five when the tail's like that sounds like okay okay are you ready James I am ready

[35:18] James Monroe Iglehart: if everyone dressed like Ace Ventura we live in a real society I know I'm wrong but I'm gonna say it's a five star that's actually correct all right I would have gone with that I would have gone with five Alan you ready uh-huh bro got mad game though like what the fuck um is this is this person jealous or happy but it's not about the movie though I'm going I'm going I'm going one one one one that is incorrect that was a five I will say this after watching next sex scene I don't want to be near Ace Ventura in a bedroom setting so that's just me I mean he's because she doesn't she says she goes whoa three times he goes I'm sorry I must be he goes I usually go longer oh ready to go again he's like oh my god yeah it's yeah it's a lot it's a lot

[36:14] Alan Seales: all right James are you ready yes fucking Hector is in this holy shit

[36:20] James Monroe Iglehart: we just talked about him um I'm gonna go one star that's actually a five

[36:27] Alan Seales: all right one last round these hurt these hurt I know they're hard I'm so sorry

[36:31] James Monroe Iglehart: we're tied we're tied yeah so this is our last round so someone's gotta leave a winner or it's gonna be a tiebreaker Alan yes why am I attracted to Jim Carrey

[36:43] Alan Seales: I mean you've given me two ones in a no there was a five then one I'm going five again I'm going five that was a one Allen so James you could win here okay are you ready yes Ace Ventura Florida man that's a five it's actually a one damn it oh we gotta do a tiebreaker okay okay whoever basically free-for-all scream out the answer you think is right here here's the review I'm so scared of him five five okay we gotta do another one you both were wrong

[37:18] Alan Seales: all right no matter what just choose the opposite of the other person because 50 50

[37:23] James Monroe Iglehart: okay I just like to see Jim Carrey smile five I'll go with one

[37:31] Alan Seales: oh yeah Alan you won dang it against all odds against all the odds he did everything to make his own show he has so many times he needs to start losing no that's not true Jesse always wins I don't always that's not true Alan according to records you win most of the time really yeah all right I like this record see Alan's a wiener you were talking

[37:49] James Monroe Iglehart: all right I guess I guess the next question I have like I love the idea of an Ace Ventura musical James they come to you and they're like all right free-for-all how would you adapt Ace Ventura the character into a musical you don't have to do one-to-one with this movie but and of course you would lead because that is the one obvious casting

[38:07] James Monroe Iglehart: no no no I would I would not lead I would direct uh you would okay you would all right all right what's your pitch me your vision if you're going to do this is hard it's very hard if you're going to do Ace Ventura you this is a uh this is a bio this is a bio musical of how he becomes Ace Ventura this is how he learns to be it's an origin story this is this is you almost have you almost have like it's like a flashback musical like he like the first scene he's up against some kind of rhino or something or elephant and it knocks him out yep that's me you're probably wondering how I ended up in this situation you find out right as he's coming in the first song is how he's lost Courtney Cox like he doesn't have her anymore they broke up but yet he's still out here trying to save the animals in the midst of this animal he gets hit in the head by like a rhino or an elephant and he's like oh my god my life's over but he gets reflective how he got to where he is and then he and then he watched this child go through being bullied but you know there's a some there's a kid there's a kid who's trying to beat up a cat and he saves him and then when he's has a chance to go out with this high school girl but her dad like is a hunter and he steps in front of it and that you know this coming of age story like he realizes oh my god it's really just about the earth that me and the animals but it's all of the where does the quirkiness come from he's got to hide behind something so he builds this character of Ace Ventura and once he finally realizes him you know he goes through all these you know dips and dabs and he even goes through a slight thing of the movie just to give the fans something to see probably that moment in the um in the asylum we can redo that and turn it into a big dance number where everybody's in tutus and they're tap dancing with footballs in their hand and all of a sudden then he gets we get to the second act and finally he learns it's okay and that's when he realizes I am Ace Ventura and when he starts singing that's when the rhino or elephant stops and he realizes that's what he was putting this earth to do there's someone has to be able to speak for the animals and as he says that he realized not just that we are all animals and that's what gives him the gumption and the testosterone to go back and get his Courtney Cox back because he's surrounded at her apartment surrounded by tons of animals people dressed up like Lion King animals everywhere and she goes oh my god Ace and they sing and it's over you gave it and it doesn't win the entirety of Ace Ventura Jr that's honestly impressive and the funny thing is it doesn't win a Tony it doesn't get good reviews but it's no it doesn't win a Tony it doesn't get good reviews but it's funny as fuck and it stays open for 10 years and every reviewer is so pissed at it they're just so mad they sit in the audience and they go you know I am sick of these movie musicals coming to Broadway destroying this art form that I know it's pedantic it's re they're just redoing it he's not even acting the songs are stupid and it makes a million dollars point six every freaking week and these old reviewers are just highly pissed off oh wait am I talking about Aladdin no wait okay

[43:07] Alan Seales: very familiar yes you don't people don't understand sometimes a musical is just a musical sometimes a play is just a play sometimes a movie is just a movie I'm always surprised when the film that comes out that has the biggest weekend Ace Ventura came out and destroyed 1994 and Jim Carrey went on to make Dumber and Dumber which killed it and The Mask and he's he was up for an Oscar when he did a serious film you're gonna tell me that his best work is in these serious films when he has made millions laugh on all these crazy stupid moves one of my favorite things is one of the most offensive jokes he's ever done in liar liar this guy walks past him he goes he goes what's up you're cholesterol fatty I'm a fat person and that shit was funny to me because everybody has wanted to say something so off the wall to someone and people look at comedy and they go oh my god that's not real acting those aren't real those aren't films those are movies so Oscars go to films that nobody has freaking seen or Tony's go to shows that nobody and they mama saw but the shows that are still running and everybody from all around the world and from pooduck whatever comes to see it and they want to look at these shows like they aren't good no no no no the shows you picked you theater freaking snobs you movie freaking snobs those are the films that deserve the awards not the film that you know this oh I spent 10 years writing about me and a mouse locked in a room and how I feel that fuck forget you man Ace Ventura, Wicked, Lion King come on that those and Juliet yeah thank thank you today we celebrate our independence day

[43:20] Jess McAnally: Liz you better you better insert some big applause oh there's there's so much applause

[43:24] Alan Seales: so much applause so much applause but now what that that reminds me of something that I I almost brought this up when you were talking about how he leaned into who he became when he started uh in living color because he was he was so far off the scale like committed to the bit right he wasn't trying to be

[43:45] James Monroe Iglehart: Anything that was cool to fit in with anybody or not, he just went out there and gave zero shits and just created this persona, these mannerisms, these affectations that have only been imitated ever since.

[44:02] Alan Seales: Yes, and what the funny part is, there are moments in comedy. I love stand-up comedy. And there are moments on the comedy tree where someone does something so different that people start comparing them to people because they don't know what else to do.

[44:14] James Monroe Iglehart: Jim Carrey came out and people didn't—there was nobody to grasp onto. So they just grasped onto Robin Williams because of the absurdity of it. They are nothing alike. As far as comedy is concerned, they are nothing alike. Their trajectory is interesting because here are two comedians who are so outlandishly funny in their own way that then you realize how brilliant they are.

[44:39] Alan Seales: Because someone said, can you stop being funny? Be serious for a second. And everybody goes, oh my god, you're so brilliant. No, it's the brilliance of that they did a form of comedy that no one else had done.

[44:49] James Monroe Iglehart: Jim does, "This is your dog." This is your dog. And he put water in his mouth, and water spread over the audience. But they laughed because that was it. That was the punchline. He put water in his mouth and just spit it over the audience. They were like, "This is your dog." You're like, "What? What?" But he took that and made this Ace Ventura character. He is in a class by himself. He's also in a class by himself because he, as an actor, gives no Fs. He will stand on his own morality. He doesn't let Hollywood—where everybody else was like clapping for Will Smith or whatever—he was like, "Why are we doing this?" He's done that when he won an award. He's still in his own morality. But just like Robin.

Robin was like, you have guys who are brave enough to go, "Now that I do have a platform, I mean, I was always sitting on my own in my own stuff, but now I do have a platform. I'm definitely not gonna do what everybody else is doing. I need being on my own path is what made me a star. So why would I jump off it now?" I think what's interesting about this film is that it is a classic for its time. It's a classic for its time because times have changed. It's a hard sell. You know, I think that, like I said, if there wasn't that central through line of if Einhorn was just trans, it'd be fine. But it's the fact that all the guys at the end—that last scene kind of kills it. But I will say it's still damn funny.

There's so many moments. There's so many moments that he says something that has nothing to do with what was asked or him. And that's what—oh, that's such—oh, that's—that's the thing. Oh my god, that's what makes the film. Now I'm gonna go back and watch it. The porpoise line. I mean, the asshole, the meal Assad Amiya. I mean, oh, but there's so many moments. Jesus.

[46:58] Alan Seales: Okay, let's find out what came out the week that Ace Ventura came out. Jim Carrey had a little bit of a name. It wasn't a big name. But I remember going that when it opened that day with my friends. Actually, we went on a Friday, my friend, my mom went on I think a Sunday or yeah, we took a sick church. All my friends were talking about it the next—we were talking about it the next day. We were talking about Ace Ventura. Have you seen this? Everybody came in doing everything, the like a glove? All right? Yeah, I mean, like, you know, the door, the door, the buttons, the doors, the handles. Driving it all righty then. And you know, the—you know, the—you know, this is supposed to be the ace. I mean, just like the things that he did. Everybody came back to school acting like complete idiots. You know, none of us did our scenes right because we just see—it's like, this is what's comedy is.

[48:23] James Monroe Iglehart: The people that went the first weekend started talking about it and said, "Look, you've got to see this. Trust me, it's stupid. You've got to see it." And people said, kept going and going and going and going. All of a sudden, next thing I know, Jim Carrey's on Entertainment Tonight. Everybody's talking about how crazy Ace Ventura is.

[48:38] Alan Seales: I was 13 in '94.

[48:42] James Monroe Iglehart: I was negative one years old.

[48:44] Alan Seales: I was negative two.

[48:46] James Monroe Iglehart: I was 13.

[48:49] Alan Seales: Yeah. So like it was either—what was it?

[48:51] James Monroe Iglehart: I was a freshman in high school at this point.

[48:55] Alan Seales: Yeah. And everybody—everybody would like—it was high school. Like you had the older kids coming back and getting the younger kids to do it. And then everybody just—you couldn't get anywhere in high school without everyone going, "All righty then."

[49:09] Alan Seales: All right. We are at that point in the show where we have to say our overall thoughts and whether we are giving this an all righty then or a no spank you, James. I think your first overall thoughts on Ace Ventura, Pet Detective, and all righty then or no spank you.

[49:24] James Monroe Iglehart: An overall thought is for a wonderful time capsule film from that era of the '90s and that from the 1960s to the early 2000s form of comedy. I say all righty then. To look at it in this space, I would have to say, you know, I can't give it a no spank you. I have to give it all righty then and just say, look, it's a part of its time. It's a part of its time.

[49:48] Alan Seales: That's what I'll say. Alan, you're next.

[49:51] Alan Seales: I have not watched—had not watched it prior to yesterday.

[49:56] James Monroe Iglehart: Really?

[49:56] Alan Seales: In probably 15 years.

[50:01] James Monroe Iglehart: Okay, it's been a while.

[50:03] Alan Seales: And aside from the cringy ending, I can like it. I think our perspective, having started at the literal beginning of his career on this podcast and getting to where we are now, this is the turning point where we start to recognize him as Jim Carrey, what we know now. So it has a bit of nostalgia. I remember being 13. I remember all of this. And, you know, it's still cringe. It didn't age very well. But I'm going to give this a good all righty then.

[50:33] James Monroe Iglehart: Liz, you want to go next?

[50:35] Liz: Sure. They're going to be contrary. They're always kind of honest.

[50:38] James Monroe Iglehart: I'm not always contrary.

[50:39] Liz: I'm going to fight. Okay, no one punched me. I have never seen this movie prior to this recording session.

[50:47] James Monroe Iglehart: That's crazy.

[50:49] Liz: I didn't—my family didn't want to watch it. It didn't show up. I'm watching The Number 23 more than I've seen this movie, to be perfectly honest with you.

[50:55] James Monroe Iglehart: That's crazy. My sister loves The Number 23 for context.

[50:58] Liz: She loved it as a kid. It's not—it's a bad movie, but not very bad. But I love it. I love everything about it. So I never seen this movie and I've spent basically my entire life hearing this is one of the best comedies of all time. It changed lives. It did all this stuff. And then I put it on on a Monday and I'm like, "What am I watching?" I mean, it's funny enough. It's a good time capsule of the time. And like the transphobia is really bad. And that's like the crying game joke. No one my age is going to get that. I get it because I've seen The Crying Game. I'm a film nerd. Of course, I've seen The Crying Game. But most people who are like my age or younger are not going to get the goddamn crying game joke.

It's weird, but because of how culturally important it is and like how much it changed Jim's life and like culturally impacted the '90s and comedy in general, I have to give it an all righty then. Is it my favorite comedy of all time? Probably not. But like, I can't hate it fully. I can hate it partially, but I can't hate it fully.

[51:59] James Monroe Iglehart: Yeah, that was good. Yeah, that was well—you wrote that line.

[52:03] Liz: I definitely wrote that before we recorded.

[52:06] James Monroe Iglehart: Definitely. I didn't just make that up right now. Definitely.

[52:11] Alan Seales: All right, Jesse, I can see it coming. I can feel it coming.

[52:15] James Monroe Iglehart: You read the actual script too, so he's like, yeah, he read the script.

[52:18] Alan Seales: Yeah, yeah. He did too much research.

[52:20] James Monroe Iglehart: He's got to give us a one star.

[52:22] Jesse McAnally: If a tapestry only has parts that I love, but those parts are really, really good, do I love that tapestry? Because the whole doesn't add up to what I want it to be. Those pieces, those sequences, like the Finkel sequence and the mob and like the little character pieces, those are like little pieces of it. But overall, it makes a mess that I used to look at fondly, but now it's like I don't much enjoy this anymore. And that's just me growing and finding a new way to look at it. For better and for worse, I can't look at it the same way I did when I was 10 years old, and I wish I could. It bums me out. It is definitely the worst of his three 1994 hits, in my opinion, although I think Dumb and Dumber is only better slightly and The Mask is significantly better.

It is a very, very light No Spank You. While I appreciate a lot of things in it, it is definitely better than its sequel. It is definitely better than a lot of other things we've covered in this. I struggle with a lot of the elements. The pieces are great. The whole is not working for me. And I wish I could say that. I wish I could say differently for it. So that's why I said it. I hope I explained it well enough. I don't just sound contrarian.

[53:44] James Monroe Iglehart: And Alan says, like, I'm just being the anti-Jess to be the anti.

[53:49] Jesse McAnally: I think we've already only agreed completely unanimously—unanimously, like once before.

[53:55] James Monroe Iglehart: Once or now, we agreed completely on In Living Color.

[53:57] Alan Seales: I watched literal porn on In Living Color.

[54:00] James Monroe Iglehart: Yeah. And we—did you say you watched literal what?

[54:02] Alan Seales: Porn. We watched porn.

[54:03] James Monroe Iglehart: Jim Carrey was in some snuff films to begin his career, so we had to watch some porn movies.

[54:06] Alan Seales: Yeah, we're all like, these are bad.

[54:10] James Monroe Iglehart: It was literally called The Sex and Violence Family Hour.

[54:14] Alan Seales: No, it's—the whole thing's on YouTube if you want to torture yourself. But I don't recommend it.

[54:20] James Monroe Iglehart: This was so much fun to talk to you guys about this film because Ace Ventura's meant so much to me. It was just—and thank you for allowing me to be part of this particular one. Because there's other Jim Carrey movies I love, like 23, you know, Truman Show and The Mask. But, you know, like I said, you guys already did The Grinch, so I know I can't do that. But still, you know, that one I could go because the people in that—I mean, you know, I got to meet—I know Bill Irwin now, and I still am. I still—every time he emails me, I think I want to cry. I'm like, oh my god, it's Bill Irwin. So, but thank you because Ace Ventura was so much fun. Also, this was one of the films where we haven't said this. I'll make it quick. A black rapper got to be in the film and not rap.

[55:06] Alan Seales: Yeah, a black rapper. That's true.

[55:07] James Monroe Iglehart: Black—thank you. Tone Loke. Actually, this was the film that let folks know that, oh, Tone can act. He does a song in the soundtrack with Jim Carrey, though, called Aces.

[55:15] Alan Seales: True. Yeah, yeah. It's all for kids, a minimum for tricks. Ace, he's the number one vet dick. No food for a fireman. When your cat's up a tree, he's the one that you hire, man. Known to bring her back alive if your cat scratched or if your turkey got jived. A little loco and cabeza, but still got charm.

[55:29] James Monroe Iglehart: The only thing I will add is justice to the Eagles mascot. I'm from Philly, so I must say this. The Eagles mascot is fucking sweet. His name is Swoop, and he's awesome. And the movie version is awful. Put respect on Swoop's name.

[55:47] Alan Seales: The National Football League would now like to offer a special thank you to the man who rescued Dan Marino and our beloved Snowflake, a great humanitarian, a lover of all animals, Mr. Ace Ventura.

[56:06] James Monroe Iglehart: Get off me!

[56:08] Alan Seales: He did punch the Eagle looking for the dough.

[56:10] James Monroe Iglehart: He did. He did.

[56:13] Alan Seales: And I feel attacked.

[56:14] James Monroe Iglehart: I was just like, this movie's over, and I feel attacked.

[56:16] Alan Seales: I understand. I do. I do understand.

[56:19] James Monroe Iglehart: That's one of those moments where, like, Courtney Cox can hold a cop hostage and get away with it, and on the Jumbotron, Jim Carrey, Ace Ventura can beat up a mascot, and then they're like, "Good job for saving the dolphin."

[56:31] Alan Seales: James, anything you want to promote, social media, any of that stuff, before we wrap it on up?

[56:35] James Monroe Iglehart: Right now, the biggest thing that I'm promoting is A Wonderful World, the Louis Armstrong musical. That is for the adults. And for the little kids, when you're watching Disney+, make sure if you're in preschool age, you can watch me on Disney Junior's Super Kitties. I am the voice of Mr. Puppy Paws. New episodes coming out very soon. As well as for you pre-teens, you can watch me on Disney+, on the show called Kiff. I play Martin. I play Kiff's dad. So for the adults, come check out the musical. Oh, and also for the adults, if you have a certain style of comedy and you want to go on YouTube, you can see me on Helluva Boss as the voice of the demon of lust, Osmodeus. And also as another wonderful god in hell on Has Been Hotel on Amazon Prime. So you can hear me on my voiceovers. And all you musical fans, come check me out at Studio 54, November 11th, and on for A Wonderful World, the Louis Armstrong musical.

[57:31] James Monroe Iglehart: I see trees of green, red roses too. I see them bloom for me and you. And I think to myself, what a wonderful world.

[57:56] Jesse McAnally: This has been a lovely recording. Thank you guys for listening, and we'll see you next time on Carrey'd Away. Buh-bye.