"This is really exploitation." The Conductor (Simon Helberg)
"No, not really." Henry (Adam Driver)
"Sure it is. This is really exploitation." The Conductor

A moment when Annette sings and the camera floats around the audience, catching the entranced faces of several kids in attendance. Wide eyed and innocent. It's particularly painful and adds more nuance to the entire arc and theme of don't exploit kids. Because I remember being a little kid and loving Home Alone -- hell even Wizard of Oz for a time. It makes you wish that all kid actors could be a dedicated team of puppeteers.

This really clicked more for me on a rewatch and it also severely bummed me out more than I already was so, yay? "Yes, laugh, laugh, laugh."

"Witnesses to his violence, subjected to his abuses, and his anger! His anger!"

Notes & Quotes: (probably there's some vague spoilers but it's kind of difficult to spoil this wild ass movie tbh)

- Adam Driver the entire movie: [angry face emoji]

- annette being entirely practical really does give this a deeper emotional core. the actors genuinely seem to have love for her and that's a credit to the pupeteering and the engineering of her facial expressions

- oh yeah that's real fuckin safe having your literal baby riding in front of you on your motorcycle

- "Think of Annette!"

- omg these back up singers are dedicated like there's no way lol

- "bitten, bitter, cradle"

- "You probably will not
Choke! Choke! Choke!
(Kick the Bucket, Kick the Bucket, Kick the Bucket)" Henry and his v talented back up singers

- it'd be fucking wild if you went to a show in vegas and the stand up comedian just full on had a nervous breakdown on stage with pantomime tickle killing his wife though

- simon helberg is really hot when he's conducting. or i just think conductors are hot. i love how he's like monologuing and then "excuse me just a minute" and then just goes full on conductor mode with the hair even in it

- "'Mr. Henry McHenry is not allowed to make the public laugh to death'"

[Lamp drop]

Okay I'm done I could go on forever.

P.S. Don't sleep on that mid-post credits sequence it's a damn delight