Continuing the earful tour of 2008, we dive into the glitz and glam of Barry Levinson's "What Just Happened" (2008); we will discover what it is that just happened, and report it to you

Follow us on #WJH21

#WhatJustHappened #UmmThatJustHappened #WhaHoppen #TheHappening

Hi, I'm Hervey and I'll be commenting on this movie

Hope all the HappenHeads are out on twitter tonight, feel free to join us #WJH21

Hi, I'm Alan and I'll be commenting on this movie. #WJH21

I've pressed 'play'. #WJH21

Tell us more about these particle effects in the DVD menu

They're lovely and stylish and stylishly lovely.

There are also raining movie tickets

Subdued title typography

We are establishing that this movie is about "POWER", with this word being spelled out in giant letters and De Niro commenting on "power" #WJH21

The fake movie 'Fiercely' looks great. Could we get a screening of that? #WJH21

De Niro's flop of a movie was called "Fiercely"

Bad title, never use an adverb #WJH21

Making a movie about movies ... Sounds like Oscar bait

It worked perfectly

[Originally embedded, the IMDb "awards" page for "What Just Happened" (2008), which shows zero Oscar nominations, and in fact only one nomination whatsoever, for the AARP Movies for Grownups Awards. -ed.]

Lot of people talking during this screening of 'Fiercely'. Very rude. #WJH21

This movie (WJH, not "Fiercely") is very loud and antic, with a bunch of frequent super-close-ups of faces

I'm feeling more claustrophobic than I thought I would #WJH21

Review of "Fiercely":

GOOD: Well-done explicit shots of a dog's head exploding, very visceral

BAD: end-credit typography is bad

#WJH21

'Fiercely' seemed to have lackluster cinematography, editing, and acting, but the plot seemed engaging and I'm a sucker for a sudden tragic ending. #WJH21

They're taking a G5 to Cannes. That's the life, baby. #WJH21

Wait, "Fiercely" just used "Man with a Harmonica" from OUATIH in its soundtrack? That's unacceptable

#WJH21

Driving home while listening to Once Upon a Time in the West from the soundtrack of your unreleased movie is a MOOD. #WJH21

On one hand, I think it's unacceptable to re-use this track, but in fairness, it was just re-appropriated well in the movie "What Just Happened" (2008) #WJH21

Good fast shot of De Niro moving through traffic. I like it. #WJH21

He's gotta book that ADR session. #WJH21

"It's the Rose Bowl Parade meets The Da Vinci Code" - Stanley Tucci's character

...This movie is pretty pleasant so far, but it's hard to get away with how derivative of "The Player" it is so far #WJH21

Wow, just like "Jumper", we have a surprise Kristen Stewart appearance #WJH21

De Niro walking in while on his Bluetooth headset and echoing on the speakerphone in the room is absolutely fantastic. #WJH21

The bluetooth-earpiece-douchebag era was so perfect, and we let it disappear, how #WJH21

I've gotta get me a 2008-era Bluetooth headset. #WJH21

Wow, audience reaction B for "Fiercely", we have a hit on our hands #WJH21

Release the Jeremy Cut. #ReleaseTheJeremyCut #WJH21

Jeremy's a real artist #WJH21

Long phone ring. Very useful. #WJH21

2008 was a simpler age, of longer phone rings

...Reaction so far: this movie operates entirely within the regime of "petty people dealing with minor stressors", which is hard to screw up; it's pretty pleasant and funny as yet #WJH21

De Niro checking his watch while hugging the director is very good. #WJH21

De Niro still needs to book that ADR session. #WJH21

Tucci with the ARGYLE SOCKS. It has to be him. #WJH21

The ignition for De Niro's keys is on the left side of his steering wheel, I've never seen such a thing #WJH21

Bruce Willis is a bit of a loose cannon. #WJH21

This movie does phone conversations pretty universally well. Very enjoyable. #WJH21

De Niro should stop trying to pretend he can be a family man and instead embrace his pure love of work. #WJH21

A producer is forced to be a family man even though he doesn't really care, just to prove to others in the business that he has excess capacity to be good at business #WJH21

Stanford shout-out. Go Cardinal! #WJH21

The Porsche Cayenne is the true star of this movie. #WJH21

Wow, that harp glissando is actually his diegetic alarm clock sound? Very crisp and clean #WJH21

This whole movie is such a good showcase of top-of-the-line phone options of 2008 #WJH21

Good coffee and Red Bull spread before lunch. #WJH21

A true modern-day 8 1/2. #WJH21

Are you saying that just b/c there's a prominent Campari ad in that scene? #WJH21

They have changed the tone of "Fiercely", but the closing credit typography is still lacklustre #WJH21

Martin Denny music in the background! #WJH21

I love how much of this movie revolves around Bruce Willis' beard. It's so blatantly self-indulgent, it's fantastic. #WJH21

It's fine, I think movies that feature actors playing "themself", but as a scumbag/weirdo/rageaholic/whatever can be a bit trite, but this movie moves around enough, it's mostly just a neutral plot element and not a necessary material for comedy #WJH21

This movie started all that. #WJH21

A famously influential movie #WJH21

I'm betting no beard. #NoBeard #WJH21

I am also betting no beard #NoBeard #WJH21

I'm not sure how we score this one #WJH21

Half beard! #HalfBeard #WJH21

This is my new favorite film. #FavoriteFilm #ILikeWhatJustHappenedALot #WJH21

I would not go that far, but it's pretty pleasant #WJH21

Wow, 'Fiercely' opening Cannes. Mon prestige. #MonPrestigeLeFiercely #WJH21

I wonder if we'll get closure on the logistics of this switcheroo, it sounds elaborate to pull off #WJH21

THINGS CHANGE. #ThingsChange #WJH21

Airport security a bit lax, a person just broached the barriers #WJH21

At the end of this movie, I am only left with one question #WJH21

Very pleasantly self-indulgent film. I enjoyed it. #WJH21

Low stakes jockeying over minor hurdles with a brisk pace, general pettiness... what's not to like

Not the most fundamentally *interesting* film, but it's pretty good

Not a great earful movie

#WJH21

Years later, we finally got it. #FierceNotFiercely #WJH21

[Originally embedded: movie poster for "Fierce: In the Company of Strangers" (2020) -ed.]

And a "What Just Happened" for a new generation #WJH21

[Originally embedded: movie poster for "What Just Happened" (2018) -ed.]

For the record, I knew that Quiet Village was Arthur Lyman and @bufordsharkley convinced me it was Martin Denny. The error is his and only his. #corrected #WJH21

I first said "it's Arthur Lyman" (b/c it sounded like Lyman), but it was Quiet Village (which I didn't realize Lyman covered), and it seemed unlike Lyman to incorporate the animal sound effects

Sue me

#WJH21

"What Just Happened" (2008) closing credits probably the worst parts of it, very loud, and with sonic elements that only lasted for a minute or two

Films are judged by their closing credits, and this is a red mark against #WJH21