(The scene begins with a finger tapping an app on a smartwatch as it opens a portal, and the 1994 American Gladiators plays as the scene cuts to a hand, and it cuts to different images of James as the characters he’s played until it cuts to his face and the credit of “James Faraci” is shown as it cuts to “The Last Of The Americans'” current iteration then slides away to different images of Paulo Fonseca, Brenda Fonseca, Rebecca Yaun and Nick Yaun and Doug Yaun as the characters they’ve played until it cut to their faces and the credits of “ Doug Yaun, Paulo and Brenda Fonseca & Rebecca and Nick Yaun” is shown as it then slides away to different images of Andrew Beach, Eric Kurtzke, Renee Miller and Olivia Horvath and the credits of “Andrew Beach, Eric Kurtzke, Renee Miller, Olivia Horvath” is shown as the 0:00-0:21 mark of the theme song plays. Everything becomes a swirl of Reds, Whites, and Blues as the credits “Produced by First Choice Productions. Edited by Eric Kurtzke and Paulo Fonseca. Written and Directed by James Faraci” as the 0:21-0:26 mark of the theme song plays. We then see an outlined image of James as he morphs into “The Last Of The Americans” and lands with half of his team on his right. The other half on his left is on a white background, and the title “THE LAST OF THE AMERICANS” is shown Lazer etched into Titanium as the last six seconds of the American Gladiators 1994 theme song plays. Cut to James sitting in his office)
TLOTA:
I'm James Faraci, The Last Of The Americans, and the stories you're about to hear are some of the craziest events that happened while making these reviews. That's right—these events occurred while doing these reviews, and the stories told are by the people there! Brace yourself for ten of the craziest and most outrageous Behind The Stories from the eleven years of The Last Of The Americans.
(Cut to every single intro of James Faraci The Last Of The Americans as they intercut to the right time and paced with the 1994 American Gladiators theme song as it goes to the logo and the words Ten best on top of the logo and at the bottom are the words Behind The Scenes stories and then a card showing the number, then a title card of the review.)
10) The Mighty Crusade, The Day Of The Hero (The whole story), and The End Of Mankind (The whole story) (Cut to James Faraci)
James Faraci:
Holy Shit, those three tied? Well, where to start? I Better start at the beginning. It was right after the second of the trilogy made by those fegulahs. I told the asshole (Doug Walker) about this idea I had been working on for years as a project for him and his team at that time, and he was interested. (Cut to Lewis "Linkara" Lovhaug)
Lewis "Linkara" Lovhaug:
The first thing James did after contacting Doug was to contact me, Allison, Phelan, Paul, Kaylyn, Mathew, and everyone he could find and tell us his idea. I wanted to keep the anniversary movies going even when we were together on that site; however, Doug wanted to get "To Boldy Flee" done first. (Cut to Allison Pregler-Porteous and Phelan "Phelous" Porteous)
Allison Pregler-Porteous:
I remember James talking to us about giving us more screen time, allowing us the ability to adlib, etc
Phelan Porteous:
One thing James gave me credit for was being great with the computer effects to make the project look less than the nickel-and-dime bullshit that someone would find at a dollar store. (Cut to Mathew Buck)
Mathew Buck:
James had me in mind to be in a storyline in which I was trying to come to terms with The Critic's passing and everyone still treating me like "The Kid" of the team as if I was utterly helpless, which in real life is not the case, (Cut to Erod, The Blockbuster Buster)
ERod:
I was just a newbie member then, but James wanted me as a secondary character for this project because he liked my work. (Cut to Christy Romano and Annelise Van Der Pol on the set of "Big Names.")
Christy Romano:
James had made out a check for me with Channel Awesome's watermark. It said "Mermaid/Acting Services Rendered," and it was three times the usual residual from a Kim Possible episode rerun and twice an Even Stevens rerun residual.
Annelise Van Der Pol:
So it was a good payday.
Christy Romano:
Hell no, it was just so I could get him out of my life. He is a nice guy but can be a pain in the ass. He said he was working on it as a project for me to be my breakout project. (Cut to James Faraci)
James Faraci:
And I was two-thirds of the way through re-writing it to fit into the same model they were used to without The Nostalgia Critic; that's when Doug started to screw me over. (Cut to "The Review Must Go On" as James does a voiceover.)
James Faraci (V.O.):
I had not gotten word about Doug's return to The Nostalgia Critic, and when I saw "The Review Must Go On," I dropped at least a hundred f-bombs when I saw it, and that meant all that work, while not entirely down the drain it really meant that I had to rework everything I could. (Cut to Mathew Buck physically)
Mathew Buck:
James sent me an E-mail with a video saying that he had to change the story arc because of The Critic's return. James was apologetic throughout the entire video. And James, if you're watching, I accepted the apology years ago; please stop starting every production meeting when we work together with "I'm Sorry!" Everything is okay. (Cut to Chris Lee Moore)
Chris Lee Moore:
It was an interesting shoot because James took the reigns behind the scenes when we started production. (Cut to Christy Romano and Annelise Van Der Pol.)
Annelise Van Der Pol:
Now, were there guys there when you got your fins and tail?
Christy Romano:
The only guy allowed to be there was Thom Shouse, who designed the tail and top; James made sure the rest of the team was female. (Cut to behind-the-scenes photos of Christy Romano becoming Emmalina as a mermaid behind the scenes as Christy Romano does a voiceover)
Christy Romano (V.O.):
James had heard that it would take hours separately for me to get made up with the hair, makeup, and tail. However, James said that he wanted A) Female make-up artists to work on the mermaid costume team and me to see if they can work in synchronistic timing and B) to get me as comfortable on-screen and off. (Cut to Christy and Annelise physically)
Annelise Van Der Pol:
What happened when you needed to do your business?
Christy Romano:
There were adult diapers; thankfully, the tail was easy to get in and out of, enough for me to use a toilet when needed. (Cut to Todd In The Shadows.)
Todd In The Shadows:
All our problems while working on the last few projects were immediately present. However, James became our voice; even when Doug, Rob, and Mike blew James off, he made his presence known that he was not going to fall in and would continue speaking for the rest of us, and he was going to be getting what we wanted to have happen in the production. (Cut to a clip of James saying that we need craft services and water and Mike Michaud blowing James off and James confronting Mike Michaud and James saying that all Mike had to do was pay James' brother for his services and James cursing at Mike. Mike Michaud got angry and almost made physical contact which allowed James a Will Smith to pimp smack Mike Michaud, and then Mike had to be restrained as Mike Michaud called James a R-----, which sent James' then live brother Rob to stand and curse Mike out. Cut to Todd In The Shadows.) Yeah, James has his family to back him in case he needs help, and even when they're not, James makes it clear he's not one to be fucked with. (Cut to James Faraci)
James Faraci:
Working with Doug Walker was about as impossible as Chinese Arithmetic. (Cut to James and Doug Walker having a disagreement as James says, "I must speak fucking Hebrew or some shit!" Doug replied, "I heard you, James. Just trust me." Cut to Allison Pregler-Porteous and Phelan "Phelous" Porteous)
Phelan "Phelous" Porteous:
James edited one scene, and we liked it; Doug didn't, and he re-edited it to be more humorous. James didn't like it and went on a tirade against what Doug had done. I was sure Doug would need many colostomy bags after James got through with him. (Cut to Christy Romano and Annelise Van Der Pol)
Christy Romano:
I sided with James on what I felt needed to be done, and Mike Michaud threatened to fire me because I agreed with everyone else's wishes. James and Brendan said that if Michaud did fire me, they'd file a whopping lawsuit, citing unlawful termination.
Annelise Van Der Pol:
What? Shut the front door!
Christy Romano:
And that kept Mike's mouth shut. (Cut to Kaylyn Saucedo)
Kaylyn Saucedo:
James is the nicest guy and stepped up to protect and speak up for many of us. (Cut to Mathew Buck)
Mathew Buck:
Many people I've met in this business have a "Hello, how are you, etc.." and with James, it's "Hi." Like we were old mates from schooling catching up. (Cut to ERod, The Blockbuster Buster)
ERod:
James is like that brother you want to have who is nice and warm when he greets you; he'll play around and let you know what he's doing. When we are on the job, James works an extra hour longer than others, and he is highly professional, with the odd prank to give us a break when the work day gets long. (Cut to behind-the-scenes moments where James punks Doug Walker, and Doug doesn't see it as everyone laughs. Cut to a behind-the-scenes moment in which James & Chris Lee Moore (Rowdy) spiking Doug's drink with enough hot sauce and Horseradish to burn iron, Doug drinking the beverage and then screaming in pain. Cut to Kaylyn sitting down on a whoopie cushion. Kaylyn sits on her mark, smiles, and says, "Good one, James." Cut to Allison Pregler-Porteous and Phelan "Phelous" Porteous.)
Phelan "Phelous" Porteous:
James is similar to George Lucas, yet different enough. If he liked something I did with the digital effects, he smiled and told me I was on to something good. (Cut to James Faraci)
James Faraci:
About six months after "Crusade" was completed, Michaud sent an Email Stating, "Okay, we need the first draft for the sequel," and I replied, "What?" and then I panicked for a moment and figured Mike Michaud was rock stupid, which, thankfully, he is. I had done some work, and Noah Antweiler was back somewhat in good graces as far as Mike Michaud was concerned. Michaud told me to write Spoony, but he never specified my dialogue with Spoony. Around that time of a mini exodus, a person with a yellow hat who, while "Crusade" was in production, was looking at my twin nieces WAY too closely ended himself. I wanted to hire a new actress to play Emmalina because I chose to be the nice guy and let Christy Romano be free of me. (Cut to Christy Romano and Annelise Van Der Pol)
Christy Romano:
James called me and said, "Christy, a part of me would LOVE for you to stay on, but if you don't want to work with me, I understand." That is how friendly James is; he gave me the option to work with him on future projects, and I said I would like to, but not at the same level as "Crusade," so that led to James writing out "Emmalina" from the other two of the three projects and led to where I am now. (Cut to Lea Michele)
Lea Michele:
I met James while he was in California while he was working on something, and I was on break from "GLEE" around the time Corey Montieth, my then-boyfriend, died. He said that what he was working on would be helpful in the healing process, and thankfully, he was partly right because I could play something more idyllic than how I was at the time. (Cut to Chris Colfer)
Chris Colfer:
James was very insistent on me making references to James being an N--i because of his association with the Republican party, but that was not even close to who James was as a person when Mike Michaud called me an F--got; James almost went postal on the guy and I said to James "I could defend myself against assholes like him." and James' response was "I am atoning for sins I did against the LGBTQIA+ Community because I had disavowed a cousin of mine for being LGBTQIA+, I have reconnected with my cousin, and I love my cousin the way I love my family, so know that I am the straight ally that will throw down with you against the haters and the neanderthals." and at that moment, I felt that I knew the real James Faraci. (Cut to behind-the-scenes of "The Day Of The Hero" as Chris Colfer and Lea Michele do voiceovers.)
Chris Colfer (V.O.):
We saw Bruce Campbell on set, and I was in love. Everyone was fanboying him, asking him questions about everything, including "The Evil Dead" movies, "Hercules" and "Xena," "Burn Notice" and all of his other film and TV work. James was professional enough to wait until filming was over before doing all the usual fanboy work, and I remember seeing a ticket inside his costume. Bruce told me, "Doug is such an unprofessional asshole that the second filming is done, and I am wrapped; I am out of here. Nothing against the rest of you, but if I ever work with Doug Walker again, it will be because I had done a do-it-yourself lobotomy with a chainsaw!"
Lea Michele (V.O.):
I remember Mike Michaud trying to be nasty to me, and James wouldn't let him get away with it. I admit I was a diva behind the scenes of "GLEE," but I had my reasons, and James let me know that the diva act wouldn't fly while we were working together. Mike Michaud threatened to "Slap my Ass and fire me if I didn't do what he asked of me." James stepped up, and there was a near fistfight between James and Mike. (Cut to James Faraci)
James Faraci:
I looked over the contract after we had finished "Hero," before I got to work on the final of the three, I discovered a clause that would allow me total control of the final project. I told Mike I was exercising that clause, and one of the things I did know that I had control of the finale was to ban him from being on set and being near the project in any way; I am directing this, and whatever I said would go. (Cut to Chris Lee Moore)
Chris Lee Moore:
James has a "Three-take" rule when filming. The First take would be a lot looser, the second one had to be the ones where we were more professional, and if they took that third take and didn't work, James would always take whatever he could from the first two takes and work it out; otherwise, he would have to tell them that we need to shorten the lunch break to get the shot right and it would come out of their pay. It's one of the multitude of times James had to crack the whip because when Doug directed them, they did it with a "(Ugh) I hate this asshole!" James layed down the law and cracked the whip, but he was twice as hard on himself. (Cut to James Faraci)
James Faraci:
As a director, you have multiple jobs, especially if you're acting in the project. As much as Autopiloting when you make a movie might be easy, it only sometimes means it works or will be good. (Cut to behind-the-scenes of "Mankind" as James does a voiceover.)
James Faraci (V.O.):
Multiple scenes were shot on the same day at the same time, so if anyone noticed that certain people had cameras while we were filming, that was because I paid them an extra hundred dollars to help with the filming. I also ensured that certain movie portions were filmed, especially when I wanted to avoid working with certain people. I also used the script to ensure it sounded the way it should. (Cut to Lewis "Linkara" Lovhaug)
Lewis "Linkara" Lovhaug:
James's style differed from Doug's because he was willing to listen to us, especially when we went upstate towards Rome, Herkimer, and the Hamlets in that area. James ensured that we knew what we were into when we arrived in that area. (Cut to Lea Michele)
Lea Michele:
We recorded all our lines the way James thought they should sound in a travel trailer to make sure that even though we would have a generator muting a lot of the dialogue when we were in the Hunting Camp, James had gotten access to film for that weekend and that we would be back by Monday. (Cut to behind-the-scenes of "Mankind" as Lea Michele does a voiceover)
Lea Michele (V.O.):
James and I also decided to work out the story so it would end the way it did because I did find a person I fell in love with, and James was okay because of his professional attitude towards how he wrote the scenarios. I remember when we finished the moments in which James and I had to meet each other after the events in the project's finale, James was okay while filming. I heard from his mom that James cried hours afterward until the following day and that James' father told him that it would be fine after a few months without her on your mind; the next time I saw James was when he was working on his musical review for "The Producers" and wondered if I would cameo. He asked nicely, which was why I did that and the cameo for the "X-Men Days Of Future Past; Different Cuts." (Cut to Lea Michele)
Lea Michele:
I hope James is the best in his professional and personal lives. (Cut to James Faraci)
James Faraci:
Working on these projects was the equivalent of enjoying the Stockholm Syndrome you suffered while being kidnapped.
(Cut to every single intro of James Faraci The Last Of The Americans as they intercut to the right time and paced with the 1994 American Gladiators theme song as it goes to the logo and then a card showing the number, then a title card of the review.)
9) Jim vs Jem
(Cut to James Faraci)
James Faraci:
My initial reaction to reviewing it was simple, There was NO way in hell I would do it! Then Traci Hines and I were working on a review when I noticed Traci in another review. (Cut to Traci Hines)
Traci Hines:
James showed me the review of the 2015 "Jem And The Holograms" by The Blockbuster Buster. James became inspired to have me play Synergy from the Jem And The Holograms cartoon for the review when he and I saw this. (Cut to James Faraci)
James Faraci:
Pre-pandemic, the shooting schedule was three days. The first day was the bulk of the review. The second would be the sketches, and the third would be the day to fix any mistakes. (Cut to Eliza Dushku)
Eliza Dushku:
We were about to film day one when James made a mistake that cost us a day. (Cut to the Day One of "Jem And The Holograms"(2015) review of everyone just shocked and unsure of what to do as James does a voiceover.)
James Faraci (V.O.):
I found a video of Eliza's old "Bring It On" Co-Star Kirsten Dunst singing "Turning Japanese," we didn't know how to react. We just stood there for a day wondering what we watched, and by the time we were coherent again, I had enough time to set up a modified schedule for Days Two and Three. (Cut to James physically)
James Faraci:
And we had no time for any mistakes. So, if any were made, they were honest mistakes. (Cut to Traci Hines)
Traci Hines:
James met Olivia while on the live Facebook streams of the CONtv. (Cut to Olivia Horvath)
Olivia Horvath:
What interested me about James was his desire for accuracy. I started working with James in early July 2016, starting with him on the "Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie" review. When James said he wanted me to be a part of the series, I immediately said, "Absolutely." (Cut to James Faraci)
James Faraci:
Like everyone else, Olivia has been vital, and I always do my best to let them know that they mean everything to the series and me.
(Cut to every single intro of James Faraci The Last Of The Americans as they intercut to the right time and paced with the 1994 American Gladiators theme song as it goes to the logo and then a card showing the number, then a title card of the review.)
8) "Breaking" The Curse of "The Twilight Saga" (Cut to James Faraci)
James Faraci:
I remember meeting Paul while working with those guys, and at that point, he was burning out, and his wife Elisa was warming up as "The Maven Of The Eventide" (Cut to Elisa Hanson-Schuler)
Elisa Hanson-Schuler:
James wanted me to work with his friend Chris "Rowdy" on a Halloween Crossover on his series "TV Trash" for a review of a vampire-based series. There were too many to count, and I didn't want to film on my wedding day. James said, "We'll film it before you leave." but again, schedule conflicts happened, and I said, "I'll film, and you can film and edit it in time for your October work." Then came the fact I was expecting my son, and we did what we did, and so when it was finally time for me, Paul, and my son to travel safely, we had finished filming the third of James' trilogy, and James said to everyone if we can stay a few days more and we were all willing to wait. (Cut to Eliza Dushku)
Eliza Dushku:
James met Traci and me at a convention. He said, "I'm James Faraci, and I wanted to wonder if you would join me for a review series I am doing called The Last Of The Americans. " This series films in blocks, and it would allow me and everyone else to work for a few months together. The rest of the time would belong to me for whatever I wanted. (Cut to behind-the-scenes of "The Twilight Saga Breaking Dawn Part Two" review as James does a voiceover.)
James Faraci (V.O.):
While in Monticello, NY, I discovered what is now "Marshall's." Back then, it was an abandoned movie theater. I shared my memories of watching movies there, including my experience with "Twilight." with everyone there. (Cut to James telling about how people in the theater were groaning over the movie being bad, and the rest were having sex while the movie played, and it left many of the people who had heard it laughing, including ERod, who laughs until he breaks, for a couple of minutes on screen. Cut to James Faraci)
James Faraci:
We had the most elaborate moment up to that point, which was the final fight based on "Blazing Saddles." (Cut to Jon "JonTron" Jafari)
Jon Jafari:
James said, "You know, because of that distinct voice you have, I think you'd make a great director for the scene I had in mind." (Cut to Asaliari)
Asaliari:
I had gotten on James' bad side when I called out "Rowdy" for being annoying, and James gave me all sorts of cain for it. However, James regretted it and said I might need you elsewhere. Before I knew it, James told me, "You're going to kick JonTron in the nuts." (Cut to the practice take of Asaliari saying, "Piss on you! We're with James Faraci, The Last Of The Americans!" and JonTron screaming "Not in the face!" and Asaliari actually kicking JonTron in the nuts and he collapses and James cuts it as he sees JonTron coughing up blood. Cut to Asaliari). It was something I was not yet proud of. I've wanted to kick someone in the nuts; I just didn't think that it would hospitalize someone for a day or two. (Cut to James Faraci)
James Faraci:
I remember thinking that if I had seen "Breaking Dawn Part Two" in theaters, the sketch of one of my friends torching the theater wouldn't have been a sketch, and I would be in prison for destroying a movie theater. However, I loved filming this one.
(Cut ERod continuing to laugh uncontrollably, cut to every single intro of James Faraci The Last Of The Americans as they intercut to the right time and paced with the 1994 American Gladiators theme song as it goes to the logo and then a card showing the number, then a title card of the review.)
7) The Top 13 Charmed Episodes (Cut to Holly Marie Combs)
Holly Marie Combs:
Shannen Doherty called me, Alyssa, Rose, and Brian about appearing on a review for a cold opening for something called "The Last Of The Americans." I was intrigued by what we were given, that is, until we heard about Allison Pregler, and I thought to myself, isn't that the annoying ass bitch who made me sound ridiculous? And James told me she would be on her best behavior while on the set with you guys. (Cut to Brian Krause)
Brian Krause:
James made sure that the sooner we got it right, the smoother the production would be, and to my surprise, he was right. (Cut to Rose McGowan)
Rose McGowan:
I remember reading my side, and while it encapsulated where I was then, I had to ask about my last lines: Why is it repeatedly just Blood and Kill? James said, "Rose, everyone thinks you're a cuckoo when the truth is that you are doing what you need to heal your pain, so you're going feral after breaking out of your confines and trying to kill me because I'm a guy, is a part of that healing process!" Even when I was at that point in my life, I would never basically kill a man unless it was one perv in particular. (Cut to James Faraci)
James Faraci:
I didn't know then that it would be one of the last united performances of the core cast from "Charmed," I'm talking about Brian, Holly, Rose, Alyssa, and Shannon in the same place. (Cut to filming of the Cold Opening of "The Top 13 Charmed Episodes" as James does a voiceover.)
James Faraci (V.O.):
I also knew Allison Pregler would be in town for another job, so I asked if you had a few hours to film the cold opening. I told her what I wanted from her as long as the core cast of Charmed was on the set. (Cut to Allison Pregler-Porteous and Phelan "Phelous" Porteous)
Allison Pregler-Porteous:
I was in town when I saw all the cast members of "Charmed," I said, "I am available to be there for an entire day of filming, and James told me to behave myself because they were aware that if I were to act the way I did when I was when I talked about the show, I would not have the appearance. Which I did, by the way. (Cut to Holly Marie Combs)
Holly Marie Combs:
I was so glad James brought us together one last time. It was worth spending time together outside of the podcasts and convention appearances.
(Cut to every single intro of James Faraci The Last Of The Americans as they intercut to the right time and paced with the 1994 American Gladiators theme song as it goes to the logo and then a card showing the number, then a title card of the review.)
6) The Lost Review: Professor Monstrous' Sing-Along YouTube Video (Cut to Johnny Berchtold)
Johnny Berchtold:
I remember James pitching the idea of me playing a "Doctor Horrible-esque" character and that there would be a musical review in the vein of "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog." That was at the tail end of 2018, and it would take time to get it right. (Cut to behind-the-scenes of "PMSAYTV" as James Faraci does a voiceover.)
James Faraci (V.O.):
The plan was that in 2020, I would direct the musical and work on the movie. Those two things didn't happen, and I was forced to hold off on the film for a while; when we got back to work in 2021, I decided to direct the review and that the movie would be in developmental hell, leading to where it is right now. Knowing I had very little faith in those who had worked with Alex in the past, I did whatever I had to do to get the bulk of the review done so I could edit the Fercockt thing. (Cut to James Faraci)
James Faraci:
Of course, Chad Narducci was an irritant on par with being around loud construction equipment at least six inches away from your eardrums. (Cut to Chad Narducci)
Chad Narducci:
James and I were fine outside of work, but it was terrible when we had to get to work together. (Cut to James and Chad as the two argue on the set of "PMSAYTV" as Chad Narducci does a voiceover)
Chad Narducci (V.O.):
While we argued, we eventually found ourselves laughing about what it was after filming. It was never a nasty situation we couldn't have worked out. We were under time and financial constraints, which made things complicated, but we cooled off after the filming wrapped, which made our working relationship good enough for us to do what needed to get done. (Cut to James Faraci)
James Faraci:
When I saw what had happened when it was done and we finally posted it, I received comments saying, "Congrats, you made one of the worst reviews since "The Nostalgia Critic's The Wall" review." and "This is an hour I am not getting back!" Yeah, it was not good! It's not something I ever want to talk about again!
(Cut to every single intro of James Faraci The Last Of The Americans as they intercut to the right time and paced with the 1994 American Gladiators theme song as it goes to the logo and then a card showing the number, then a title card of the review.)
5) The Two Part musical review of "The Producers" (Cut to James Faraci)
James Faraci:
My initial idea was to play "The Last Of The Americans" version of James as the "Leo Bloom" of "The Producers," and Eric was going to be the Max Bialystock in the review. However, I also had a berth of plenty of local talent, as well as the cast and crew of "Life As A Mermaid." and bringing in talent from Manic-Expression.com for the review. (Cut to Antoni Matteo Garcia)
Antoni Matteo Garcia:
Having seen James' reviews, I felt honored to be a part of his "Power Rangers (2017)" review, I said, "If you ever need me for any future reviews, let me know, and I will help out." and James immediately said "I need help with something, I just finished working on two musically based reviews. One was based on "The Rocky Horror Picture Show," and the other one was for "The Producers."" James asked me which one I would like to work on the most, and I chose "The Producers." I saw the role of Calvin Chia, and I was excited. (Cut to behind-the-scenes of "The Producers" review as Antoni and James do voiceovers)
Antoni Matteo Garcia (V.O.):
I remember meeting James' cousin Circe and someone just being obscene to her, and James threatened to beat the guy within an inch of his life if he did that again. I think it was Campbell who was like that, and having worked with James on the "Power Rangers (2017)" review, I thought he was short with bigots, racists, and basically the scum of humanity. I wondered why, and he told me about how his political beliefs; while Conservative towards certain things, including guns and nature, however, if something is morally wrong, like treating someone or something inhumanly, James would be the first one to call them out for their attitudes and would fire them.
James Faraci:
My cousin Circe and I rehearsed every time she'd hit me with the tail, so even though it hurt, it wasn't as bad as it looked. (Cut to James Faraci)
James Faraci:
One day, while we were filming, Circe asked, "Why are you taking so many hits from me and the other stereotypes that you asked me to help show in a positive light?" and I said, "I am paying for my sins against you and the LGBTQIA+ Community and every hit I get, it is me paying for a fraction of the sins." I also remember just so much of the shoot being very tough. (Cut to behind-the-scenes of/ Deleted Scenes of "The Producers" review as James does a voiceover.)
James Faraci (V.O.):
We had to cut A TON of footage out just to get it to the two-parter point. I was half coherent while working on the ending. Thankfully, I did have my attorney to help be my legal aide in creating the crowdfunding project and how someone could do that. (Cut to Antoni Matteo Garcia)
Antoni Matteo Garcia:
Helping James direct and work as an on-screen entertainer was an experience I will never forget.
(Cut to every single intro of James Faraci The Last Of The Americans as they intercut to the right time and paced with the 1994 American Gladiators theme song as it goes to the logo and then a card showing the number, then a title card of the review.)
4) The Fox Kids Review (Cut to Chris Lee Moore)
Chris Lee Moore:
I wanted to do a "Disneycember-esque" retrospective on "The Disney Afternoon" until Doug Walker trashed it by reviewing it in one review! (Cut to James Faraci)
James Faraci:
I was trying to talk Chris off his ledge when I suggested "The Fox Kids" for a review in the same vein as Doug's. (Cut to behind-the-scenes of "The Fox Kids" review as James and Chris do voiceovers.)
Chris Lee Moore (V.O.):
Getting my mom, James' mom, and Paulo and Rebecca's mom in the same room was a unique experience. James' mom, Paulo's, and Rebecca's mom knew each other from church, and my mom had many of the same thoughts when it came to us working together, which was an enjoyable experience. Filming took half a day because it was basically the body of the review was set in the lobby with that horseshoe-shaped couch, which I heard James had worked with a local upholsterer to make it easy to put into that shape and, if need be broken down into smaller parts. Seeing it was an interesting sight.
James Faraci (V.O.):
This one had the least mistakes on screen and behind it. We did talk about whether or not to talk about that Power Rangers film with Katie Sackhoff and James VanDerBeek, but I felt that it would age the review if we didn't say what it was we needed to say by that point; it would never get said. In doing so, we had to rewatch it for the sake of the "Fox Kids" Review. (Cut to James Faraci)
James Faraci:
One of the things I was glad to say is that we beat Doug Walker to reviewing it. I will have this on my wall of success, which is insignificant. Still, it is a good enough wall of success.
(Cut to every single intro of James Faraci The Last Of The Americans as they intercut to the right time and paced with the 1994 American Gladiators theme song as it goes to the logo and then a card showing the number, then a title card of the review.)
3) The "Power" of The Internet (Cut to James Faraci)
That's an interesting transition, going from Fox Kids and the 2015 "Fanslashfic" Power Rangers movie to the 2017 movie that was okay at best. I had thought it would be as divisive as the 2016 "Ghostbusters: Answer The Call." so I decided to treat how the fans would react. (Cut to Paulo Fonseca and Brenda Fonseca)
Brenda Fonseca:
James had me dress as a nun and my husband as a Rabbi, and at the time, I was expecting a child, so it was so hidden that I couldn't believe it when I saw the results.
Paulo Fonseca:
What was crazy was how much I remember from the People who always came to Sullivan County, NY, in the Summer, and I loved James' use of the production value (Cut to Chris T. Ian)
Chris T. Ian:
I remember James saying to me, "I need you to dress as a student at Synogouge, and I was wondering if you would say a certain line." (Cut to Chris T. Ian saying his line as laughs are heard and Chris T. Ian is wondering what it is that is humorous. Cut to James Faraci)
James Faraci:
The guy was so funny that I had to stop filming him. I just had to set it up so that Paulo could say the lines I had set for Chris to react to. I love you, Chris, and may the Lord bless you! (Cut to Amy Jo Johnson)
Amy Jo Johnson:
We met at a convention, and James told me he would list the top ten worst and best seasons of Power Rangers. He wanted to ask if you could step back in front of the camera for this one project with my fellow Rangers and Jason Frank. God rest his soul. He said it would be a good idea for us to sign on, and around the same time, the Power Rangers 2017 movie was getting more hyped. So, while we were working on James' reviews, Jason told me about the cameo in the film we would have, which was back in 2015 when we made the top ten best/worst list. And I don't know if that was an incentive for James to review it or not, but by the time James started working on the review, myself, Jason and Lewis "Linkara" were in town. (Cut to Lewis "Linkara" Lovhaug)
Lewis "Linkara" Lovhaug:
We were not fully available when James filmed the reenactment parts; we were there when James started filming the review part and the in-review sketches, and James had just filmed and edited the finale scene, and we were in agreement that it sucked. (Cut to James Faraci)
James Faraci:
I remember Linkara and Jason Frank being the most vocal about how much it didn't work. Linkara had his Green Ranger costume on, and he said, "Let me go off and see if it will work." I was willing to oblige. (Cut to behind-the-scenes "Power Rangers 2017" review in which Jason Frank thinks Linkara's Green Ranger Suit looks good on him just as he's ready to say his rant. "Okay, Linkara, you're wanted on set!" James yells in the background. Cut to Amy Jo Johnson.)
Amy Jo Johnson:
I remember the last time I thought about Jason Frank, before he died. I was glad to have met him again because of James and his reviewing materials.
(Cut to every single intro of James Faraci The Last Of The Americans as they intercut to the right time and paced with the 1994 American Gladiators theme song as it goes to the logo and then a card showing the number, then a title card of the review.)
2) The "Gigli" Review (Cut to an incredulous James Faraci)
James Faraci:
Wait, what?! My review of "Gigli" charted? Where? (The interviewer off-screen says, "The number two spot," which has James laughing as it cuts to Rebecca Yaun)
Rebecca Yaun:
I remember James telling us we would review Ben Affleck in a block from January to March. Either Paulo or I said that one of the movies James should review was Gigli. James immediately said, "If I do this, it will go dark!" Sure enough, James was right, and when I read the script, I found having to shudder at one part in particular. (Cut to James Faraci)
James Faraci:
While watching the movie, I was so enraged that I needed to vent my rage about how abhorrent it was. I had to figure out who deserved it the worst, and sure enough, it was one of the biggest targets of my ire, and it just so happened to be abusers of women and children. (Cut to behind-the-scenes of the "Gigli" review as James does a voiceover)
James Faraci (V.O.):
I remember having to talk to some of those types of people as to why they did what they did, and hearing it made me want to see them die a painful death. They are detestable and loathsome, and since sometimes they escape justice, I decided to hurt them so they could feel something besides joy in doing their odious actions. Being covered in their blood was both gross and refreshing, as knowing that most of them are burning in hell for what they did is possibly the only balm that helped me get through that review and through the day.
(The scene begins with a finger tapping an app on a smartwatch as it opens a portal, and 1994 American Gladiators plays as the scene cuts to a hand. It then cuts to different images of James as the characters he has played until it finally cuts to his face. The credit of “James Faraci” is shown as it cuts to “The Last Of The Americans'” current iteration, then slides away to different images of Paulo Fonseca, Brenda Fonseca, Rebecca Yaun, and Nick Yaun and Doug Yaun as the characters they’ve played until it cut to their faces and the credits of “ Doug Yaun, Paulo and Brenda Fonseca & Rebecca and Nick Yaun” is shown as it then slides away to different images of Andrew Beach, Eric Kurtzke, Renee Miller and Olivia Horvath and the credits of “Andrew Beach, Eric Kurtzke, Renee Miller, Olivia Horvath” is shown as the 0:00-0:21 mark of the theme song plays. Everything becomes a swirl of Reds, Whites, and Blues as the credits “Produced by First Choice Productions. Edited by Eric Kurtzke and Paulo Fonseca. Written and Directed by James Faraci” as the 0:21-0:26 mark of the theme song plays. We then see an outlined image of James as he morphs into “The Last Of The Americans” and lands with half of his team on his right. The other half on his left is on a white background, and the title “THE LAST OF THE AMERICANS” is shown Lazer etched into Titanium as the last six seconds of the American Gladiators 1994 theme song plays and then a card showing the number, then a title card of the review.)
1) Star Wars: The Force Awakens (Cut to James Faraci)
James Faraci:
Wow, that was number one! Where to begin? I guess it was when they had finished "The Force Awakens," and I remember seeing it, I knew it would be an all-hands-on-deck sort of situation. (Cut to Eric Kurtzke)
Eric Kurtzke:
While watching the movie, we did not use our usual reviewing style; we were entering more unique territory. (Cut to James Faraci)
James Faraci:
As a fan of Blake's 7, I was thrilled to hear that the late Paul Darrow and Jacqueline Pearce were in town. I asked if they would reprise their roles as Kerr Avon and Servalan for the review. (Cut to behind-the-scenes of "The Force Awakens" review as James Faraci, Eliza Dushku and Traci Hines do voiceovers)
James Faraci (V.O.):
We took about two weeks to shoot and had Darrow and Pearce for three days. Seeing them perform as Avon and Servalan one last time was fantastic. I did everything to accommodate them and make their time on screen brief but memorable.
Eliza Dushku (V.O.):
We shot in New York and the dunes in North Carolina. Paulo, who played Highlo Bet; Nicholas Markin, who played Tenn; Traci Hines, who played Tray; and Andrew Beach and Eric Kurtzke, who played Stormtroopers as well as Resistance fighters in our performance review of "The Force Awakens" acted as the mobile crew for the scenes where we were in North Carolina. I remember James stocking us with food and water, ensuring we were all comfortable even as sand blew everywhere.
Traci Hines (V.O.):
Playing an espy of Daisy Ridley's character Rey was fun. The fact that James had come up with the idea for the "Jem" movie review as we were shooting showed how James thinks ahead, but it didn't negatively affect the current project. We also had a lot of people looking and wondering what we were doing, and James let people know what was going on; we were given a permit to film for two days, and we were done in one. On the second day we were there, we signed autographs, took photos with fans, and then spent the day relaxing. (Cut to Traci Hines)
Traci Hines:
When we got back to New York, Filming went by so quickly that we had no idea it took two weeks. (Cut to James Faraci)
James Faraci:
I had found out, while watching the movie and working on the review, what it was that made Star Wars a phenom and it was the fact that originally meant to be a "Flash Gordon" movie which didn't happen because of Dino DeLaurentis and "Star Wars" became a rewritten fan fic before "Fifty Shades Of Grey" stories was a rewritten fan fic of the "Twilight" stories. (Cut to Steve Kidd)
Steve Kidd:
I remember being on set, just after seeing the movie again and seeing Paulo dressed as Kylo Ren and I needed to be restrained because I was so hell bent that Paulo had to take the helmet off and I was like "OOPS!" and James held onto that moment and said to me while we were working on "The Different Cuts of the Original Star Wars Trilogy" and used it for inspiration for a gag. (Cut to the footage of Steve Kidd threatening to kick Kylo Ren's ass and making him dig a grave. Cut to James Faraci)
James Faraci:
It was a fun shoot, a crazy shoot and apparently the best Behind The Scenes stories to come from these reviews. To which I say, Okay! Even though there are plenty more that are more interesting (Cut to James in his office.)
TLOTA:
Well here's... Who am I kidding, 2025 is just going to be 2020 part five and I can tell you right now that if the last four years have been hell on all of us, 2025 is not going to be a picnic. But I am going to soldier on and bring out my best, until then (Door knocks and James sounds nervous) I'm James Faraci The Last Of The Americans and that's my opinion. (James walks out of his office and walks towards the door pensively. James opens the door everything is from the perspective of the person outside the door.)
A Female voice:
I was once a powerful creature (The female grabs James by the throat!) I was a mermaid with magic and three hundred years of life left before you and Verve told the Queen of what it is I did to strengthen the pod! Now you shall DIE! (The female tosses James across the hallway and lands semi conscious and coherent. Cut to James as he lays there looking at someone)
TLOTA:
Hunter Dino? From "Power Rangers: Dino/Cosmic Fury"? (Cut to Hunter Dino who is looking a little different)
Hunter Dino:
Is that what her name is? Hunter Dino? Well then Mr. James Faraci The Last Of The Americans, at least you know the body that will destroy you! (A Fist lands in James' face with the screen going black and a loud "THWACK!" is heard)
