At long last, the video game adaptation Twisted Metal has been unleashed for fans with Peacock subscriptions, and all ten Season 1 episodes are available to stream with engines revving as loudly as possible. The series features a slew of skeevy and suspicious characters, which definitely includes the clown mask-wearing psychopath Sweet Tooth, as portrayed on camera by AEW superstar Samoa Joe, with Arrested Development great Will Arnett providing the voice. CinemaBlend spoke with the pro wrestler about bringing Twisted Metal to life, and you better believe I asked him about filming that “Thong Song” scene with Anthony Mackie, as seen above.
As the first bit of extended footage to be released for fans, Twisted Metal’s “Thong Song” clip was quite the interesting choice, though it certainly signified just how off-the-wall and comedic the adaptation would be amidst all the car chases and explosions. Not to mention just how banging the ‘90s-infused soundtrack is, with Sisqo’s booty-bouncing bop coming in fairly early. And when I asked if he was indeed singing along with the track while filming the scene, Samoa Joe was quick to confirm that he was not only singing, but also going a little too hard with it. In his words:
Oh yes, I was singing the song. Loud very loud. Almost a bit much, where they're like, you know, 'We're having trouble hearing Anthony hit his lines, so maybe you want to back down.' But you know, it's a jam. I don't know what they expect me to do. You can't do 80% on 'The Thong Song.' It's either 100% or you don't sing it.
Not gonna lie, I kinda love the idea of someone as big and hulking as Samoa Joe performing "Thong Song" at only 30% or lower. Just mumbling the lyrics under his breath while slowly backing out of the room. But that's not a reality that Joe lives in, and Sweet Tooth is anything but an introvert, so anyone watching that sequence can now try to imagine both the wrestler harmonizing with Will Arnett's voiceover audio.
Speaking of, check it out below.
I feel like that's the kind of scene I could never pull off with just one take. Doing a "Thong Song" duet with anyone would be hard to keep a straight face for, much less when the other singer is a sweaty behemoth behind a clown mask. Would Sisqo himself be able to?
I brought up how great Twisted Metal's song choices were, with many of them transporting me right back to my teen years, and asked Samoa Joe if he had a chance to actually watch the series and hear all the throwback tracks. Here's what he told me:
I have gotten to see the show. I haven't seen the whole tracklist, and I haven't heard the whole checklist. But I've seen what we've done with the show, and I'm very pleased with many of the musical selections. It definitely cuts out a slice of time that I think a lot of us remember fondly.
It's possible that he would have watched some of the unfinished episodes without all the needle drops at the time of the interview, which took place well before the SAG-AFTRA strike began. Hopefully Joe has been able to catch up with the entire playlist in the meantime, and was able to belt the songs out without fear of drowning Anthony Mackie out.
While wearing whatever kind of undergarments you choose, regardless of their capabilities of inspiring summer bops, be sure to watch Twisted Metal’s full first season now streaming on Peacock. And head to our 2023 TV premiere schedule to see what new and returning shows will be zooming up soon.
