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Two Blokes Talking Tech

Movies: Trading Places

27 Jun 2026

Transcription

Transcript generated automatically by AI and may contain errors.

Chapter 1: What is the main plot of Trading Places?

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I'm gonna make him an awfully good one. I feel the need, the need for speed.

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16.116 - 21.224 Stephen Fenech

He's watched every movie more than once. He's Stephen Fennec.

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Go ahead, make my day.

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28.055 - 33.784 Trevor Long

He's watched the latest Disney movies with his kids, but that's about it. He's Trevor Long.

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35.502 - 42.29 Stephen Fenech

You talking to me?

42.31 - 46.074 Trevor Long

Together, they bring you the best movies you've never seen.

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I will look for you. I will find you. And I will kill you.

61.861 - 69.233 Trevor Long

Rent BioStream the latest and greatest movies on fetch. Watch on a big screen Hisense TV.

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Say hello to my little friend!

Chapter 2: How did the idea for Trading Places originate?

213.13 - 235.783 Stephen Fenech

Yeah. And even went so far as in his, within the production, pre-production, offered $100 to anyone who could come up with a better title. And that's Trading Places became that title. Yeah, good move. Yeah. He later, though, directed, you know how he directed the music video for Thriller, John Landis did. Did he do Black and White as well? He did Black and White as well.

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236.003 - 243.995 Stephen Fenech

So he went on to do that in 1991. Black and White. Was that the one with Macaulay Culkin? Yes. Yeah, the boom box at the start. Yes. Great.

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One of the great video clips of all time.

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246.378 - 262.644 Stephen Fenech

Remember how it was using the morphing? Yeah, the morphing. So the woman would morph into someone else. I only remember the start and the end of it. Okay. Yeah, it's when they're banging on the door. Yeah. I remember whenever I used to listen to that, I thought someone was actually banging on my door.

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Yeah, yeah, yeah.

263.024 - 284.082 Stephen Fenech

It's crazy. Great song. Now, one of the things that director John Landis explained, he said that this film was produced by Paramount, right? So that was the studio behind it. And he was trying to – he wanted Jamie Lee Curtis in the movie. Yep. And it was a tough sell for Paramount.

284.102 - 308.588 Stephen Fenech

They thought, you know what, she'd done Halloween and those sort of horror films, but wasn't really a known quantity when it came to comedy. Okay, so this is early days, right. But he admitted that she would be willing to perform topless. And boom, that changed the executives' minds after they saw a photo of her in a bikini. They went, hire that woman. And that's how she got it.

308.969 - 329.391 Stephen Fenech

Later on, I'll tell you, she has got a response later, I'm pretty sure I've included it, of what it was like at the time. Is she proud of this? Should she have done it? I'll explain that later. Oh, I can't wait to hear that. But had you heard of this? Any idea of this? I feel like the title rings a bell, but no, this is completely foreign to me.

329.411 - 343.621 Stephen Fenech

Okay, this is a perfect example of a movie you've never seen that everyone knows very well except me. I think it's also a perfect example of a large part of this audience Might not have been born in the 80s, let alone were young like me. I was still at school when this came out.

Chapter 3: What challenges did Jamie Lee Curtis face in her role?

343.641 - 370.562 Stephen Fenech

I was seven, so maybe six, depending on the date. So I think that there's a lot of people who are my age, and we're now 50, and might not have seen this movie. Yeah, it could have slipped through the cracks. Absolutely. It was nominated for one Oscar. Really? Best Music Original Score. Music score. Elmer Bernstein. Okay. Now, good old Roger Ebert weighs in. 3.5 out of 4 stars.

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370.822 - 390.403 Stephen Fenech

That's huge for Roger. It is. This is a good comedy. It's especially good because it doesn't stop with sitcom manipulations of its idea. It doesn't go only for the obvious points about racial prejudice in America. Instead, it develops the quirks and peculiarities of its characters so that they're funny because of who they are.

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390.383 - 401.02 Stephen Fenech

This takes a whole additional level of writing on top of the plot manipulation we usually get in popular comedies, and it takes good direction too. But what's most visible in the movie is the engaging acting.

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401.541 - 423.637 Stephen Fenech

Murphy and Aykroyd are perfect foils for each other in Trading Places because they're both capable of being so specifically eccentric that we never just look at a black and a white that would make the comedy unworkable. They both play characters with a lot of native intelligence and to go along with their prejudices, peculiarities and personal styles. Great alliteration there from Rog.

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424.398 - 444.471 Stephen Fenech

It's fun to watch them thinking. The supporting cast has also been given detailed attention instead of being assigned to stand around as stereotypes. Jamie Lee Curtis plays a hooker with a heart of gold and a lot of T-bills. Amici and Bellamy have a lot of fun with the Duke brothers and Denham Elliott successfully plays butler to both Aykroyd and Murphy, which is a stretch.

444.451 - 468.723 Stephen Fenech

The movie's invention extends all the way to the climactic scenes which involved not the usual manic chase but a commodity scam, a New Year's Eve party on a train and a gay gorilla. Boom. A ringing endorsement from our man, Rog. That's a great review. Well, this is your last exit before the freeway. We're going to do some trading of our own and dive right into Trading Places.

468.784 - 486.647 Stephen Fenech

If you haven't seen it, you can catch it on Fetch. Because Fetch is your all-in-one entertainment service offering great value entertainment so you can enjoy more for less with flexible packs at simple monthly prices. More content in one place. So you've got all the live TV channels, monthly movies, streaming apps and games in one easy menu. And of course, it's smarter and easier to use.

486.687 - 494.927 Stephen Fenech

So find what you want to watch faster with an intuitive interface and universal voice search. There's the movie box, the movie store. There's...

494.907 - 519.48 Stephen Fenech

thousands tens of thousands of movies that you could be watching on any given day some of them free some of them to rent or buy some of them part of your subscription existing services it's an all-in-one box for that reason and it's a great way to enjoy your entertainment no matter what format it is you can get fetch at major retailers uh you can get it as a telstra customer and of course you can find out more and buy it at fetch tv.com.au right here you've now watched a

Chapter 4: How do the characters Billy Ray and Lewis evolve throughout the film?

530.302 - 546.875 Stephen Fenech

Did the name give it away? What were you thinking of the name? What did this mean? No, I hadn't given it. And again, this is for people that are going, what are you talking about? You've got to remember, I don't watch promos. I don't even pay attention to the poster board when it comes up. Like, I just get straight into it. And so I had nothing.

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547.336 - 565.994 Stephen Fenech

And so it wasn't until you, like, I'm left guessing until, like, the moment that they have that first conversation. For some movies, that's a good thing. I think so. Yeah, just let it unfold on its own. I think it lets me enjoy every part of the opening, too, because I'm trying to discover what it's about. And you have zero expectations about it either. That's right. That's good. Okay.

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566.014 - 589.515 Stephen Fenech

Well, what's your social media post for this one? On this one it is, with a comedic twist, Trading Places takes a look at a moral issue and a question of life with money at the centre of it all. It's actually a fascinating story and funny all through it. Righto. I did not see this at the movies. No. This is controversial. Yes. Because I was in year 10 at the time. And I was grounded.

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590.176 - 610.065 Stephen Fenech

I did something and I wasn't allowed to go with my mates to see it. Oh, what did you do? I can't remember what I did. I must have stayed out later than I should have. I was only 15, I suppose. I was just sort of starting that part of my life. Yeah, I can remember my mates saw it, but I couldn't go with them because I was grounded. And I remember watching it on video for the first time.

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610.045 - 626.35 Stephen Fenech

When it came out on video. Yeah. Because at the time, Eddie Murphy was huge. Yeah. And Dan Aykroyd, it was a massive release. How long were you grounded for if you didn't get to see the cinemas? I think a week, I think. Wouldn't it have been an opportunity to go back? I guess your mates didn't want to go back to the movies. No. Fair enough. Yeah, anyway.

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But now, regular rewatching, I now own it on 4K. Of course you do.

Chapter 5: What is the significance of the bet made by the Duke brothers?

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So how do you like them apples, Albert? He's the one my dad grounded me. Yeah, I own it on 4K now. Righto, let's look at the cast. Eddie Murphy plays Billy Ray Valentine. And we've seen him in Beverly Hills Cop 2, which we've done. Coming to America, which we've also done. Dreamgirls and The Nutty Professor. Wow. Yeah.

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653.378 - 662.167 Stephen Fenech

Dan Aykroyd plays Lewis Winthorpe III, and he was in Blues Brothers, which we're going to do. That's a good – have you seen that? I've not seen it. Oh, my God.

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662.227 - 662.307 Trevor Long

No.

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662.327 - 686.619 Stephen Fenech

That's a great movie. There's bits that I know of because it's been unpacked in Mythbusters and stuff, but I've got no idea. Ghostbusters 1, which we've done. Ghostbusters 2, which is good, not great. Jamie Lee Curtis plays Ophelia. Great. She was in Halloween, which we've done. True Lies, which we've done. A Fish Called Wanda. Which we've done. So we're Jamie Lee Curtis fans.

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687.26 - 717.751 Stephen Fenech

She was also in Everything Everywhere All at Once recently. Best Supporting Actor Oscar she won. She's an Oscar winner. Wow, good on her. Don Amici plays Mortimer Duke. He was in Cocoon. You've seen that. I'm absolutely aware of the movie. I think my mum watched it when I was a kid. He was in Cocoon, Heaven Can Wait. He died in 1993, aged 85. Ralph Bellamy plays Randolph Duke.

718.031 - 739.12 Stephen Fenech

He was in His Girl Friday. He was in the Wolfman, the original Wolfman movie. He died in 1991, aged 87. Denham Elliott plays Coleman. Do you recognise him for any other movie? He was in Raiders of the Lost Ark. Remember he was the head of the museum in the start? Oh, he was too, right, yeah. He was also in The Last Crusade, which was the third movie. He was also in A Room with a View.

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He passed away in 1992, aged 70. Wow.

Chapter 6: How does the film address themes of class and greed?

741.944 - 766.378 Stephen Fenech

So, yeah, nice. The legacy of their performances exists to this day. Yeah, that's awesome. Good on them. Before we get to the top scenes and the run-through, let's have a chat about Hisense. And you know what? They've just released their new RGB mini LED TVs. Now, these are the new technology on the market, and they've also – the UR9 range is actually still within consumer's touch.

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766.919 - 790.393 Stephen Fenech

There is plenty of new technology on board, and it's available in 65, 75, and 85-inch. So if you're wanting to enjoy the new tech without having to break the bank, their UR9 series is the one to look at. They've got the new RGB mini LED technology, which is a new backlight technology that produces both the colour and the brightness with amazing detail. Colour accuracy is better than ever.

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791.295 - 810.009 Stephen Fenech

And so giving you the amazing picture quality of all the movies that we're talking about here, you can see them in full colour there, full glory on the Hisense TV. But also... These TVs sound great as well. Out of the box, you're getting 4.1.2 multi-channel surround sound. There's also anti-reflection and glare-free on board.

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810.37 - 831.529 Stephen Fenech

So if you are watching this in your typically bright, open living area, you are not going to get distracted by reflections. You're going to be able to focus on what you're watching. Yes. And if you're a gamer, 180 hertz gaming mode as well. So why not ask for the best screen in the house to play your games as well? The Hisense RGB mini LED range is available now.

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832.17 - 857.155 Stephen Fenech

As I said, 65, 75, and you know what? Go for it. 85 inches. This is the one to look for. Check them out at hisense.com.au. Boom. Boom. Righty-o. We see an interesting little opening montage in the movie, giving you a little taste of Philadelphia. It's set to the music Mozart's Marriage of Figaro, showing the wealthy elite waking up in their mansions and the working class.

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Did I notice an important statue?

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in the montage there as well I did I certainly did that is in my did you notice but yeah we'll talk about it right now the Rocky statue I was so proud of myself I was like oh my god that's a Rocky statue which was released the year before was it Rocky 3 was 1982 wait so oh Rocky 3 yes so what they did when they made Rocky 3 they had the statue at the top of the steps and then they put it down the bottom of the steps but I think at this point it was still at the top of the steps right

888.044 - 914.192 Stephen Fenech

Now it's at the bottom of the steps to the right. I've been there. It's awesome. We meet Lewis Winthorpe III, played by Dan Aykroyd. He's the managing director of a commodities brokerage firm, Duke & Duke. And I love the opening. He's really snob. He's pampered. He lives this extreme luxurious life, managed by his loyal butler, Coleman, who's played by Denham Elliott.

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Yes.

Chapter 7: What are some notable performances in Trading Places?

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How you doing? Once you have a man with no legs, you never go back, baby. I know what you're thinking. You see Paul getting better? We can make it, baby. Me and you. Bitch! Who's that? Who's that?

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951.854 - 958.508 Stephen Fenech

What you want? Police. We've had some complaints about con men pretending to be blind and, uh, cripple.

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Oh, I'd love to help you, man, but I ain't seen nothing since I slept on that landmine in Viet Cong back in 72. It was rough. Very painful. You were in Nam? So were we. Where? I was in Sang Bang, Sang Gang. I was all over that place, basically. A lot of places. A lot of places. What unit were you in?

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976.711 - 987.81 Stephen Fenech

I was with the Green Beret, Special Unit Battalion Commando Airborne Tactics Specialist Tactics Unit Battalion. Yeah, it was real hush-hush. I was Agent Orange. That was my name, Agent Orange.

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Special Agent Orange. That was me. Airborne, huh?

991.184 - 993.848 Stephen Fenech

But then they lift him up and he goes, I can see.

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I can walk.

996.251 - 1013.535 Stephen Fenech

It's funny. I realised how much I love Eddie Murphy during this movie because the kids weren't watching it with me, but I think Vivi was in the room and I did an Eddie Murphy laugh. And Victoria goes, what are you doing? That's pretty good. I went, oh, I can't even begin to tell you. It's just so – I just love him.

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He's iconic.

Chapter 8: What is the legacy of Trading Places in film history?

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Because one of them was reading the magazine.

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1046.645 - 1047.306 Trevor Long

Yeah, he goes on.

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1047.447 - 1064.08 Stephen Fenech

Because remember when- It was like a Nobel Prize conversation. When Winthorpe came with the checks and he goes, oh, hang on, who's this Meeks? And there was a dodgy name. He goes, oh, I'll look after that one, remember? And then- He goes, look, he goes, he's doing a great job. He goes, yeah, we could train any monkey to run this company. He goes, well, prove it, you know.

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1064.12 - 1075.755 Stephen Fenech

And this is the back of their office. They have this bet. The corporate criminal Mortimer believes success is strictly genetic, while Randolph believes it's a product of environment.

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1077.538 - 1080.101 Trevor Long

That man is a product of a poor environment.

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There's absolutely nothing wrong with him. I can prove it.

1083.606 - 1091.24 Stephen Fenech

Of course there's something wrong with him. He's a Negro. He's a Negro. Probably been stealing since he could crawl.

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I'll bet that that man could run our company as well as your young Winthorpe. Are we talking about a wager, Randolph?

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I suppose you think Winthorpe, say if he would lose his job, would resort to holding up people on the streets?

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