Life Through the Big Screen

In today's episode I talk about my thoughts of Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. This is the most layered film I've ever seen and I talk a little about just how layered it is. I also give my rankings of all ten Spider-Man movies. _________________________Please be sure to check out my other podcasts, Hollywood Horrors, about two kids who get sucked into a classic movie. The season 1 finale recently came up for air (it's about Jaws). And my newest podcast called Toying with Faith, where I talk about heavy faith-based issues in a light way.

I start this episode off with a call for help. I pursuing full-time podcasting, but I need your help. I get into a little bit of my current situation. Then I spend the rest of the show doing rapid-fire reviews of the movies I've watched this year. And yes, it's only part of the list. I watch a LOT of movies. Please be sure to check out my other podcasts, Hollywood Horrors, about two kids who get sucked into a classic movie. The season 1 finale recently came up for air (it's about Jaws). And my newest podcast called Toying with Faith, where I talk about heavy faith-based issues in a light way.And one last thing. I've written a script about the world's most iconic 20th century figure. I've been hunting down investors and podcast channels, and even though each one of them has told me this thing will be big, no one has been willing to prove it with financial backing. One agent even said it would be better suited as a film, but the point of doing it as a podcast is to keep costs low. I know writers and actors are on strike, and I have no cat in that fight, but there are lots of actors and writers like myself who will still work, even now. I picked up a couple of extremely talented people at my church to help me out with the voices for this demo I put together. If you like movies like The Hill and other inspiring biopics, then this is an audio drama that I feel would be beneficial to that same demographic. Please. If you know an investor or a friend of a friend of someone who might be able to drop me a name, please email me at author.andrewtoy@gmail.com, or message me on Facebook if you can find me, and get me in touch with that person. Without further ado, here is the demo reel, if you will, for my podcast audio-drama extravaganza, Fowling Up: The Colonel Sanders Story. If you want to be on the show, or have an idea or suggestion, email me at author.andrewtoy@gmail.com. 

Today is a special episode as I discuss faith and movies and hardships with the director of the new Dennis Quaid movie, The Hill, and joining us is the subject of the film himself, Major League ball player, Rickey Hill. As of now it sets at 100% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, and after watching a screener of the film, I really enjoyed it all the way through. We don't get so much into the technical side of the filmmaking process during the interview, but we do discuss the movie's genre and what demographics the film is for, etc. I had the opportunity to speak briefly with Jeff and Rickey before and after the recording, and they are just as kind and humble off camera as they are during the interview you're about to hear. It's guys like these two that give me hope for those who have a taste of celebrity. I tried to ask unique questions that they may have not been asked a hundred times before. For instance, I didn't ask what it was like to work with Dennis Quaid, because we all know the answer is going to be that he was a kind and generous man. Whether that's truly the case or just for PR, I wasn't here to talk about Mr. Quaid, as great as I'm sure he is. I wanted to get inside the director's head, especially in a time when Christian movies are starting to figure out how to fit into the culture and have mass appeal. But, the director will argue that The Hill is not a Christian film, and I can see his point of view on the matter, and I respect it. After all, so many churches and pastors call Braveheart a Christian film, considering that it was written by one of our brothers, but that doesn't mean it has to be labeled as such. Men and women of faith are more than capable of putting out gripping, secular entertainment. Talking with Rickey was such a blessing, and I wish I had so much more time with him, as I kind of feel myself in the middle of a story that's similar to his. I'm not a ball player, and I don't have his strength, but if you've followed my journey, you know that my family and I have been drawing the short stick for a long time now. I will admit there is a point in the conversation where I abruptly change the subject when the conversation was starting to go into deeper wells, and that's not because I was shying away from the emotions it was causing, but I wanted to be mindful of their time, and honestly, I felt like nothing else needed to be said on the matter. Whether that was the right instinct or not, that can be up to you to decide. But I just wanted you to know that I'm very aware of that decision to do so, and I'm at peace with it. But enough of my babbling. Let's cut to the interview, and whether you're a Christian or a baseball lover or not, may you truly be blessed and encouraged by this conversation. To learn more about Mr. Hill's story and the Rickey Hill Ultimate Wellness Kit, visit his website at RickeyHill.com. Epilogue:I hope you enjoyed that conversation. And please, please go see The Hill while it's still in theaters - it really is an old-fashioned sports movie that rarely gets made anymore. Please be sure to check out my other podcasts, Hollywood Horrors about two kids who get sucked into a classic movie. The season 1 finale just came up for air today (it's about Jaws). And my newest podcast called Toying with Faith, where I talk about heavy faith-based issues in a light way. Links for both shows are in the show notes below. And one last thing. I've written a script about the world's most iconic 20th century figure. I've been hunting down investors and podcast channels, and even though each one of them has told me this thing will be big, no one has been willing to prove it with financial backing. One agent even said it would be better suited as a film, but the point of doing it as a podcast is to keep costs low. I know writers and actors are on strike, and I have no cat in that fight, but there are lots of actors and writers like myself who will still work, even now. I picked up a couple of extremely talented people at my church to help me out with the voices for this demo I put together. If you like movies like The Hill and other inspiring biopics, then this is an audio drama that I feel would be beneficial to that same demographic. Please. If you know an investor or a friend of a friend of someone who might be able to drop me a name, please email me at author.andrewtoy@gmail.com, or message me on Facebook if you can find me, and get me in touch with that person. Without further ado, here is the demo reel, if you will, for my podcast audio-drama extravaganza, Fowling Up: The Colonel Sanders Story. 

Finally, after waiting and waiting and waiting, I finally got to see Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part 1. Yes, Tom Cruise is still the king of Hollywood, and this is still my favorite franchise, BUT ... is this the best Mission:Impossible movie ever made? Find out as you chill with me talking about the greatest action franchise of all time. And stay tuned for a special announcement and sneak peek at another podcast I'm working on, that you should definitely put on your *cough, cough* bucket list. 

I apologize for the audio quality in this episode, but the conversation was so good I knew we couldn't organically replicate it. Daniel Cobin joins me (you'll remember him from the Batman Begins episode) to talk about our love of John Wick. To learn more about Evan and Ruthanne: https://instagram.com/everyday.england?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Chick flick? Action film? Disaster Film? Drama? Soft porn? This movie is truly everything, and even the humor throughout truly do land, for me, at least. After my high school years when I finally grew up, I was able to freely admit that Titanic is not only one of the greatest films ever made, but also one of my all time favorite films. My top 10 can change on a daily basis, but usually, this one stays up there pretty consistently. I'll never forget when this movie hit theaters at the end of 1997. My sister was either visiting from college or was about to go off to San Diego in the spring. I was in junior high and she had her own life, so the family wasn't together much in those days because, well, that's how it happens when you start to build your own social groups. That whole week leading up to our showtime at Regal Edwards Stadium in Valencia, CA. The memory is so close to me I can reach out and just about touch it. We might have grabbed dinner at our favorite Mexican restaurant, Don Cuco's first. But I remember it was night as it was mid-December and the streets lights were lined with Christmas lights and Christmas wreaths. So I was already pumped full of excitement for Christmas just around the corner, but I think I might have been more excited for Titanic. All week I'd been glued to the news watching live interviews of people walking out of the film, absolutely praising it to high heaven. Women were in tears, teenagers were glowing, young boys were hooping and hollering. The world was right because the Titanic was once again afloat majestically on the sea of the silver screens across the world. Jack Dawson was alive forever, no matter what the movie tried to tell us about his fate. I remember all four of us in our gold Toyota minivan, those vans that looked like an Orca whale, I always thought. My dad, at one point early on the trip, exclaimed like the captain of a ship: "Ahoy! Away we go!" My sister rolled her eyes, I giggled with excitement. I may have been growing out of childish things, but I would never grow out of the thrill of a new movie that was about to change the world. Granted, I didn't know James Cameron going into Titanic. I wasn't yet aware of Leonardo DiCaprio or Kate Winslet or even Kathy Bates of Billy Zane. This was a totally new cast to me. It was akin to a monster movie anyway, you show up for the monster, not the actors. The monster in Titanic, of course, was a gentle giant gliding though the Atlantic like battle-ready seraph seeking to bring all onboard to the safety of the New York port. I just wanted to get to the safety of the movie theater, my butt planted, my bladder empty, and a ship-shaped box of popcorn in my lap that would likely be eaten before the final preview ended twenty-five minutes after the lights dimmed. The movie happened, and thought I don't know the names of everyone in that crowded theater, I can tell you that no one was the same that night. Titanic wasn't a mere movie to kill 90 minutes with like Mouse Hunt playing for the kids and poor parents next door. Jack Nicholson was yucking it up with racial slurs in As Good As It Gets in the theater across the hall. For those who got to the box office after the last Titanic ticket sold out, Spielberg's ship movie Ammistad was playing as another sea voyage option. Pierce Brosnan was shooting it up in his second Bond outing at the time Titanic was in theaters in Tomorrow Never Dies. Hollywood never looked better than 1996 and 1997, and we were still in for plenty of surprises in 1998. Quality would Peter off in 1999 and then for the next decade or so moving forward. But for now, life - at least life through the big screen - was good. And now, 26 years later, I've been making it a point to watch Titanic annually for the last few years, because it's too good of a movie to just let slip through your fingers. I'm not sure how many people out there love it as much as I do. Sure, the CGI people on the wide shots of the ship's deck are super obvious, but that can easily be overlooked because the script, as simple of a love story as it is, is so tightly written and the characters are so engaging (perhaps because you know their fate going into the film). You may not realize it, but James Horner's score does to this movie what John Williams' does to Star Wars: It elevates a great film to an excellent film. The Southampton track alone is enough to rival E.T. and Jurassic Park. And yeah, it was overplayed in the late 90's, but you've got to admit, when you hear Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On," your mind is taken instantly to snapshots of this film. That's what a great feature song is supposed to do. I hadn't seen Aliens or Terminator 2 when I first saw Titanic. These are earlier films directed by James Cameron. These are movies I finally got to experience as an older teenager. Sure, I'd seen the motor bike chase scene in the wash a bunch of times on TV, but the commercials would come on and force my hand to change the channel back to Fresh Prince. Aliens and T2, of course, are both classic movies whose appeal to older teens and sci-fi/horror buffs will never die. So of course I was excited to see Avatar after Cameron came out of hibernation, but that movie disappointed me so bad that my viewing party unanimously agreed to turn it off with about 40 minutes left to go (and this was after speeding it up several times). Most people who like Avatar really only like it because of the visual effects. I'm sorry, but the visual effects have never been enough for me to keep me invested in what I paid for - the story and characters. No amount of crayons and digital paintings can keep me watching if the story sucks. If I wanted to watch pretty pictures move around I'd go to an art gallery and have my kids run around with the paintings. I haven't seen Kate Winslet in many other things other than Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, and admittedly I need to go back and re-watch that film since I don't remember it much - I guess it's become spotless in my mind. But I'll focus here on the other lead. I've since gained much respect for our dear Leonardo DiCaprio. He did this and Romeo + Juliet (a film you couldn't pay me to watch), and like a college kid exploring drugs, he did it and moved on. He moved on from the pretty-boy image to more serious, grown-up rolls. I first took notice of his range and ability in the masterpiece Catch Me If You Can. From there he went on to do The Departed, The Revenant, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, just to name a few standout films. You can tell Leo is still earning his acting legs in Titanic, but he really does keep up with his more experienced ensemble here. I mean, holding the stage with the great Kathy Bates cannot be an easy task by any stretch of the imagination. I don't have time to go into every actor's role here, but let's just say, everyone is at their best here. And I've heard that many people are annoyed when Billy Zane is chasing Jack and Rose down through the lobby of the sinking ship shooting at them with a pistol, but I loved that extra bit of tension. It shows just how deranged and vengeful he is, that he's not content to leave their fate up to the unforgiving ocean. He has to kill Jack himself, even at the cost of his own life. That's what I'm talking about: James Cameron packs in as much excitement and tension and human drama as possible to make this sinking ship even more exciting and visually stunning than it already is. Over the past few months I feel like I've been on a sinking ship, and it has not felt stunning or glamorous at all. I've been waiting on doctors to give me a date and POA about my heart surgery that's been looming over me for nearly a year now. I got fired from my job that I absolutely loved. Internal family issues have been a big source of our growing sadness. I've learned things about certain people in my past that I cannot overlook. Have you ever felt like you're in a sinking ship? You're like the captain, and you look around and realized there's nothing you can do but wait for the water to crash in through the windows and swallow you up for eternity. One of the greatest things about Jesus is that He practically promises that life is going to suck and things will be hard. Never, ever does He say if you trust in Me, your life will go well. He doesn't even promise an easy life for those who reject Him. Life is going to suck for everyone at some point or another. And for some, the ship will just continue to sink from birth until the day they die. Others might experience a righting of a capsized ship for a time. But there's still water in the galley. Damage has been done. It's still going to go down. But the beauty of this film is that it does't end there. Not for Rose, anyway. When the elderly Rose remembers the Titanic in the final frames - Okay, I do hate the part where Old Rose goes "Oops" and drops the necklace in the ocean, that was awkwardly delivered like it should have been in a sitcom. But that's nothing compared to what the ending could have been. Do me a huge favor. After you're done with this podcast, go on YouTube and look up "Titanic - Alternate Ending." This will shock you, it will crack you up, and you will absolutely be stunned. You'll also be grateful someone had the courage to talk James Cameron out of letting this be the final version of Titanic, and I can almost guarantee that if this were the ending, we would not be talking about this magnificent film today. Not to mention, goodbye, Oscars. Anyway, the beauty of this film is that it doesn't end with the ship going down. At least not for Rose. When the elderly Rose remembers the Titanic in the final frames, she remembers it as it once was, with the warm lights, the smiling faces, the classical ambiance in the background, the hot steaming shrimp platters and broiled chicken. Children looking over the edge, gazing at the endless black ocean which they thought they'd never touch. Couples walking hand in hand.When I look back on the darkest of days, there was always a friend or two. People bringing us food, sending Bible verses, long conversations over chips and salsa, or phone talks aimed at pointing me in the right direction. A hug from my wife goes father than anything else in the world in the darkest of days. My kids saying "I love you," or making a pop-up card with Spider-Man drawn inside can light up the darkest recesses of my heart, if I let it. Yeah, Jesus promised life would suck. But He also promised we'd never be alone, those who trust in Him. And let's just say that everyone you love gets blown up by a raid from Russia and you're the only survivor. You'd still have the Holy Spirit working inside you. I bet if you look back on your most difficult times, you weren't really alone ever. In fact, you might have had too many people pestering you to offer you care and support. Everyone's on a sinking ship. It's called mortality. Not one valuable thing is going to last in this world. Not the Heart of the Ocean. Not your iPhone. Not even that Chinese stickman sitting on your shelf that's supposedly a family heirloom from when your grandfather fought in Vietnam. Life sucks, nothing lasts, but like the movie Titanic, all will end well for those who believe in Jesus as their savior. How do I know this? Can I prove it to you? I mean, I can show you a bunch of Bible verses, but ultimately it just comes down to childlike faith. I've been in the place where I had nothing and nobody, and I had no one else to turn to but God. It was a tough pill to swallow because I really, really hated Him. I cursed Him out on a daily basis, I mocked my wife for believing in Jesus. I despised church and everyone who worked for it. Either way, my ship was sinking. So did I want some help or not? I called on God and asked Jesus to help me. Parts of my life got better, sure. But ultimately, life still sucks. The bills keep getting bigger, the economy still crashed, I still lost my job for reasons 100% outside my control, I still fight with my wife and kids. But now at least, I'm not doing any of it alone. The thing I hate about talking about Christian stuff is that sometimes it just sounds like meaningless platitudes. You've heard people saying forever that some pizza is the greatest pizza in the world. But you truly don't understand how good a Chi Chi's Pizza is until you actually try it. You don't know what great, epic, 90's filmmaking is until you watch Titanic, or Braveheart. Or, like the elderly Rose at the beginning of the movie says after the bearded guy on the ship describes how the Titanic went down with the use of 90's computer graphics. She says, "Thank you for that fine forensic analysis, Mr. Bodee. Of course, the experience of it was ... somewhat different." I can tell you as someone who hated God, Bible verses were like pois on to me. I inwardly reacted to anything Scriptural the way Superman does to Kryptonite. But it's a very different experience when you enter into the faith and family of Jesus. Suddenly, it clicks, and the words of Scripture aren't just meaningless Hallmark well-wishes. They cut deep, speak to your soul, mend wounds that no words from mortals can utter. Your life, like mine, is a sinking ship. Soon, we'll each be buried, some scattered at sea. We hit the iceberg the second we were born. There's no escaping the rising waters. There's no slowing down time. But we can certainly build good memories while there still is time. Though the water may be rising around us, we can choose to focus on the ones we love, our family, our friends, those who speak truth into our lives. Much in the way Jack told Rose that she was better than the life she was born into - that she didn't have to continue on in that way, that she had a choice, she could turn from her life and experience something freer, more exhilarating. Just look around for one minute on Twitter, and you'll see quite clearly that the world is sinking, whether its by political disputes, ongoing systemic racism, or quite literally global warming. Jesus promised it would happen. He warned us about the icebergs. We were unable to steer clear. He's provided enough lifeboats to abandon ship, but unfortunately not everyone gets on. Thank you for listening. I'm your host, Andrew Toy, and I'll see you next time on Life Through the Big Screen. 

I did my worst and best films of 2022, enough of the past, now let's look into the future! The 2023 films I'm looking forward to! This doesn't mean I'm going to see every one of them, because for several of these I only read a synopsis, and if the trailer looks bad, then I'm not going to see it. Or, if the trailer looks stellar and I do plan on seeing it, but everyone across the board who sees it hates it, I'm not going to waste my time or money. Don't look at me that way - I'm going to be like that until I can start monetizing this podcast, okay? Or, it could be that a movie looks great, and people love it, but it's only on Hulu or something, a service I don't have. Then, in that case, it sucks to be me. There's also going to be those movies that jump out and surprise me in the middle of the year that I never would have considered just by reading the premise on paper. All that to say, this is not a comprehensive list by any means. And just so you know, this isn't a Top 10 list, this is just running through the release dates from January to December, so here we go!The first film up is You People. Don't know a thing about it except that it's a buddy comedy (I like buddy comedies - like, is there really a better kind of comedy than that?) which stars Jonah Hill and Eddie Murphy. I don't care much for Eddie Murphy outside of Beverly Hills Cop, but I'm a big fan of Jonah Hill. He always makes me laugh. Knock at the Cabin is an apocalyptic psychological horror film directed by M. Night Shyamalan. What can I say, the man's having a resurgence of sorts with Split, Glass, and I actually enjoyed Old. So I say keep bringing it, my man. I've still got faith in you. I'm still a fan. Winnie-the-Pooh: Blood and Honey is coming out next year, and um... yeah, it sounds silly enough that my interest is piqued. Is it going to be any good? Doubt it. Will I watch it? ...Doubt it. But it's on my list if I ever happen to come across it. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania. Sigh. After last year's Thor: Love and Thunder and all the Marvel shows that no one can possibly keep up with, I'm kind of done with Marvel. Way I see it, Marvel ended with a bang with End Game, and then Spider-Man: No Way Home was like the end-credit scene to all of Marvel. It was the icing on the cake, the last hoorah, the final farewell. To be fair, I haven't seen Wakanda yet, but I'm skeptical because it doesn't have Chadwick Boseman or Michael B. Jordan (though I've been told that Jordan does make an appearance). Anyway, I like Ant-Man, but this will likely be one I wait to come on Disney+. Speaking of Michael B. Jordan, Creed III is my first highly anticipated movie. I love Rocky, all of his movies, and I love the follow-up series, Creed, just as much. I know this film, which is also directed by Michael B. Jordan (following in the lines of Sylvester Stallone), is going to be a knockout. Scream VI is one I'm not dying to see, because these movies don't ever touch the brilliance of the first film, but I'm committed. I'll see it. Adam Driver stars as an astronaut who fights dinosaurs. Sixty-five is a movie that was written by the guys that gave us A Quite Place movies. My daughter is heads-over-heels in love with Kylo Ren, so she's probably going to want to see this one with me, even though she'll only be 9. We'll see what Mom says. But even if she can't, I'll definitely check this one out as long as the reviews are positive. Shazam! Fury of the Gods! Bring - it - on!! I'm a big fan of the first movie - I find it original and touching and hilarious. I'm a little concerned that it won't just be Shazam as the lone super hero, but all his siblings will be fighting by his side, so I'm hoping it's not a Hobbit situation where there's too many characters on screen that we don't know what to do with them. Still, I'm highly optimistic about this movie and it's been on my radar for a very long time. Also on my radar is John Wick: Chapter 4. I mean, what can I say? It's one of those franchises that I think gets better with each installment. The action in Chapter 3 was just *Phew!* mind-blowing. So I can't wait to see what they come up with for this film. Champions is a film directed by Bobby Farley, one of the Farley brothers, and stars Woody Harelson. I don't know anything about it beyond that, but that sounds like a winning team if you ask me. The Super Marios Bros. Movie is one I'm really, really looking forward to, and that's coming from a guy that doesn't really like animated movies all that much. But this one looks like eye-candy as far as just how cartoony the characters look, and I love the trailers and clips they've shown for it as the movie will make the Mario world as we know it, come to live, and actually make sense. Guardians of the Galaxy 3. This is easily one of my most anticipated movies by far. I've watched the trailer 12 times by now, and this is one of two exceptions I've always planned on making for my Marvel viewings post-Endgame. This movie looks like it's really going to break my heart, just like it did when Gamora died. Spider-Man: Across the Spider-verse isn't one I'm as hyped to see as everyone else is, because it's not like I didn't like the first one, but I just feel like it's a tad bit overrated. Don't get me wrong - it's a great, great film, but it just didn't hit all the notes for me as it did for everyone else. Nonetheless, I do plan on watching this one, without a doubt. Transformers: Rise of the Beasts. My kids, especially my son, is very excited to see this. And to be honest, I'm not dreading it in the least. It looks like it's part of the Bumblee universe, and if that's the case, then I'm all in. Elemental is the new Pixar movie about fire and water. Their last installments were just so bad (except for Soul), and I didn't even bother with Lightweight. But with Bob Iger back at Disney's helm, there's reason to think this could be good, depending on how late into production they were when Iger made his triumphal return. Asteroid City is a Wes Anderson film that stars Tom Hanks and Steve Carrell, Margot Robbie, Scarlet Johnson, and everyone else in Hollywood it seems. So... yeah, sign me up, even though I'm a little over Tom Hanks at this point. Indian Jones and the Dial of Destiny. Need I say more? I only hope that the film finds some way to make fun of Kingdom of the Crystal Skull. If it does, I guarantee you that's going to be a moment where people applaud in the theater. And hopefully this movie provides a lot of those moments. The bar is high for this one, so we'll see. Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One. Yes, Toy Story is my favorite franchise of all time. But Mission: Impossible is right there (minus MI:II). This movie has been delayed so many times. It was supposed to come out for my birthday this year, which I was so excited for, but good things come to those who wait, and I've been waiting soooooo long for this. This is my number one movie to see in 2023. Then Guardians Vol. 3., then Creed III, then Shazam!. Oppenheimer is a Christopher Nolan film about the creation of the atomic bomb. I mean, who's not at least intrigued by that? I'm definitely not missing that one. The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. I put this on my list, honestly, because my wife really wants to see this one. I love the original Hunger Games books, and I really love Catching Fire the movie. So I'll probably take Sarabeth out to see this. Untitled Ghostbusters: Afterlife Sequel. The kids and I really liked the first one which came out in 2021, so I know we'll probably go see this one. This has been a lot of fun looking forward to what's coming out soon. I'd love to hear what you're most looking forward to, so email me your list or make fun of mine at author.andrewtoy@gmail.com or message me on Instagram where you can find me at LifeThroughBigScreenPod. In this interim where I'm the only one doing all the talking and not having guests, I'm still trying to shape how I want my show to look going forward, so bear with me as I might experiement in subsequent episodes, and feel free to give me any feedback or offer suggestions. Please review my show and leave a comment as that's supposed to help it grow. I look forward to hearing from you and I'll see you next time through the big screen! Email me your favorite films of 2022, especially if there's one that I missed that you think should be on my list. But also feel free to argue with me on any of my choices. Not maliciously, of course, because I have a fragile ego. Keep it spirited. My email address is author.andrewtoy@gmail.com, or message me on Instagram where you can find me at LifeThroughBigScreenPod. Happy New Year! Follow Life Through the Big Screen on these following pages:InstagramFacebookTwitterThis episode was sponsored by Spur Creative

Alright, it's the podcast you've all been waiting for: For all, three of you who listen, anyway. Today I'm going to name call and gush on my top films of 2022, so let's get right to it. The bottom of my list and number 17 is Joradn Peele's Nope. I believe it's his third movie. He made Get Out, which I wasn't a fan of, but I know I need to rewatch, and Us, a movie that I absolutely adored. So Peele was already batting 50% with me. When I saw he was tackling aliens, I was all in. So, before I go on, I want to give a disclaimer that I may be biased against this film because, well, I wrote it. You heard me. Years and years ago when I was striving to become an author, I came up with a concept and wrote the first several chapters of a book where flying saucers descended upon a Western-type ghost town. Yup, with the flying horse and people getting beamed up, and even the rain water cascading down around the flying saucer to create the illusion that you were inside a circular waterfall. Except in my version, there was going to be literally thousands of spaceships that covered the face of the earth, blocking out the rain and the sun while the alien residents lived above us where their saucers formed a sort of landscape for them to live their lives on while the rest of us died from lack of sunlight and earth essentially became their underground sewer system. So, Peele's movie didn't go quite the way I planned the story, but there were enough similarities that I kept being taken out of the movie. I'm not saying he stole my idea or whatever, because I realize there's only so many good ideas floating around in the ether for us to grab hold of. He just got the idea and made a movie about it. So I say good on him. Though this isn't may favorite film of the year, it's still an enjoyable watch, and I'll probably revisit it one day. Number 16 is Lost City. This one stars Sandra Bullock and Channing Tatum, but I'll be honest, it was Brad Pitt who was the true star in this movie. My gripe with it is that it did that thing that most comedies do, where the first half is really funny, like it knows it wants to be a comedy, but then the second half completely forgets to tell the jokes. So this is a half-and-half movie for me. I recommend watching the first half, for sure, at least everything with Brad Pritt, but if you turn it off halfway through, you're really not missing much.Number 15 is Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers. That's right, it's the Roger Rabbit sequel we never got, but it's certainly a good companion piece. I remember I laughed quite a bit toward the beginning, and the mystery element held my attention throughout. Also, kudos to Disney for not pumping this cute little film with any woke crap. None that I saw, anyway. I think if you never saw the original cartoon it's based off of, some of it will be lost on you, especially the nostalgic scenes, but I think overall it was a creative, out-of-the-box concept that was executed quite well from people that clearly, CLEARLY loved and embraced the original source material. Father Stu is a movie that I think had a theatrical release, but you can catch it now on Netflix. It's number 14 on my list. This one's got Mark Whalberg and my very own Mel Gibson. These two respectable gentlemen are men of faith in real life -- you can keep that anti-semitism crap to yourself, I won't hear it -- and so they were able to pull from real life experiences to tell this true story of a boxer-turned-priest. It's low on my list because it was filmed in the most conventional of ways where it felt like I'd seen it all before, but I still respect it for what it is, and I love that faith-based movies can still be made accessible to the general public.  Number 13 is Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio. I did not want to see this movie, but the reviews convinced me otherwise. That's probably what's going to happen with Avatar: Way of Water. But this movie was a pleasant and unexpected surprise. It was pleasant because the characters were special and life-like, and it was unexpected, because this wasn't the same Pinocchio story we've been told a million times. There are several deviations from the source material that don't compromise the source material's intended morals or values, or even the story itself. So if you're a fan of the Pinocchio story in any way, but want something different from the characters, this is definitely the right movie for you. Nic Cage stars as Nic Cage in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, and this is movie number 12 on my list, though honestly, I could have thrown this movie anywhere below my top 5 and be happy where it landed. I just kind of stuck it in there at random. And though Nic Cage is why you go see this movie, Pedro Pascal is why you stay. Pedro Pascal, you'll remember him as Mando from the Mandalorian, is the true star and heart of this movie. I'd even go so far as to say he delivered one of the best performances of the year, because he just won you over with his sweetness and charm. It was like watching a cute cat video and you can't take your eyes from it. Go into this movie blind, like I did, and I think you'll have a lot of fun, especially if you're familiar with a lot of Nic Cage's work. If not, you'll still have a good time, because you'll just assume that they're referencing another one of his movies. Also, Face/Off is his best film ever. The Adam Project is another one of those films that's 50/50 for me. This one's number 11 on my list. It ought to be much lower because the fighting and sci-fi stuff I didn't care a lick about, but the stuff between Ryan Reynolds and his younger self and his parents was really emotional for me. It's been a long time since I've seen this movie, but the parts that they were trying to be sentimental really hit me deep. I just wish they stretched that stuff out more than the action stuff, because it would have brought it from a good movie to a great movie. Ryan Reynolds is, as usual, wonderful and charming. Number 10 is Where the Crawdads sing. Like The Adam Project, you can find this on Netflix. This movie had me guessing the whole time. I thought the lead actress, Daisy Edgar-Jones was astonishing as Kya, a girl who is suspected of having murdered a man. She had many hats to wear as that character, from hopeless romantic to a reclusive hermit to a woman staring at death row. I loved the story and the setting as it had a very Harper Lee vibe to it. And man, oh man, was it great to see David Strathairn again! You'd recognize him from Memphis Belle, A League of Their Own, and one of my favorite suspense movies: The River Wild. He really hit it out of the park as a lawyer anyone would trust. Oh, and yes, the ending of this movie surprised me, so that gave it some extra points.Weird: The Al Yankovick Story lands at number 9. Honestly, I could have interchanged this with Where the Crawdads Sing as I liked both the same. But this movie was so ... brave in doing what it did. They sold it as one type of movie, but then you get something else entirely, and for once, that wasn't a bad thing. The movie lives up to its title as it is weird, but it's a good weird. It had me smiling all the way through. And Danielle Radcliffe -- way to shed the Harry Potter image, my man! He's no longer JUST the boy who lived. He's now the boy who lived who can also sing and do a really go impression of Weird Al. This next one I'm going to get some flack on because you're probably going to insist I move it much higher up on my list. But number 8 is Everything Everywhere All at Once. This is a film I highly respect for its ambition, its daring, and it's originality. This is also a film I would never have wanted to edit - can you imagine that monumental task? It was just so smart how it was told, and of course it was great to see Short Round back at it. But I've got to say, I'm watching this movie not knowing Short Round was making a comeback, and until I finally looked it up on my phone, I though it was Jackie Chan, but they'd de-aged him. And no, that's not because I think all Asian actors look the same - so don't even. I mentioned Memphis Belle earlier, I get all those guys mixed up too, so it goes both ways. Anyway, if you haven't seen this movie I highly recommend it just so you can experience having your senses assaulted in the best possible way. The only reason it's not higher up on my list is because the themes just didn't apply to me, that's all. And damn, those rocks. When the rock thing happened, I thought I'd be the only one moved by it, but it turns out, everyone talks about those two rocks. So I'm glad I wasn't alone there. Michael Bay is BACK!! You know, The Rock, Armageddon, Bad Boys, that director! Ambulance is number 7, and I'm so glad it was good. I mean, I knew it would be. I cannot be any happier that Michael Bay seems to be done with the Transformers and Ninja Turtle crap. I weep to think of what could have been if he didn't make so many of those stupid movies. He was may favorite director all through high school and college, and I'm not ashamed to admit it. Yes, shit gets blown up, the camera never stops, and the action is over the top. Uhhhhh.... Who became king of Movies and said that was a bad thing? Ambulance was a great heist movie, that has a to-the-point bank robbery scene, a fantastic setup for an unintentional hostage situation, and it all pays off. It might be a little bloated time-wise, but that's part of the package of a Michael Bay film. The three leads, Jake Gyllenhall, Yayhya Abdul Manteen II, and Eiza Gonzalez gave it their all in a silly action film, and the whole thing was just a blast to watch. Now we're at the portion of the list where the following six movies are just so good that they could really be shuffled and I'd be okay with the outcome, because these are the standout movies of the year for me and I'll tell you why. But first, a word from my sponsor. Number 6 on my list of best movies of 2022 is A Christmas Story Christmas. When I first heard this movie was coming out, I was cautious. And they didn't start advertising for it until a month or so before Thanksgiving, which was all the more reason to worry. Sure, it's a dumb title, but what are you going to do when the knockoff sequel stole the tittle "A Christmas Story 2"? Peter Billingsley reprises his role as Ralphie Parker, and it's shocking to see how much like the little boy he still looks, especially when he's gazing upward indulging in a daydream. I love how this sequel wasn't a cookie cutter remake of the original (though some can argue that it was), but it followed a storyline that was appropriate for the aging characters. I'll be honest, this movie had me tearing up more than once. As a father, the dad is my favorite character in the original, and he's not in this one because he passed away, but you can still feel his presence in almost every scene in this very special Christmas movie that I'll be sure to revisit with my kids every year from now on. And side note: How crazy is it that it's been almost 20 years since we got a Christmas movie worth its salt (I'm referring to Elf being the last one)? Jackass Forever made number 5 on my list. Is this a masterpiece? Ehh... part of it were, actually. Is it award-winning? It should be. But most importantly: Is it funny? No, it was hilarious. These guys set out with one job and one job only, and they pulled it off. Their job was to make people laugh harder than anyone has in a very long time. The laughs came in quick and hard. There were part of this movie where I was in so much pain. Only The Office and Dumb and Dumber can do that for me. Do me a favor: Set aside your supposed maturity for 90 minutes and just indulge in some low-brow sophomoric pranks and stunts. Allow yourself that treat. We're all so freaking uptight most of the time, and this movie asks if it's really worth it to be that way all the time. Four is Fall. This is another one that's not a masterpiece by any means, but it's the second scariest movie I've ever seen, period. The first scariest movie for me is United 93 because that stuff actually happened and the tension through that movie is just tight as a belay. Speaking of belays, Fall is the second scariest movie I've seen. Like, now I know what some people feel like when they watch a shark movie. It finally clicked with me! See, I don't scare easily. Horror movies often bore me, so it's one of my least favorite genres. And to be clear, this movie isn't meant to be a horror film. And when I say it scared me, what I mean is that it kept me in a state of perpetual queasiness. I wasn't necessarily scared for the girls trapped on this 2,000 foot tower in the middle of nowhere - I kept imagining myself up there and how often I would just freeze, or maybe even black out. I can handle heights as long as I'm strapped in, like in a plane, or hell, I'd even go hang-gliding. But my wife and kids will tell you, I can't even climb up a ladder without coming really close to peeing. I think that's just a significant amount of lack of trust in my body and its ability to hang on. So if you're scared of heights, this movie will definitely scare the shit out of you, and may even make you puke. It follows the lines of The Shallows and my personal favorite, 127 Hours, where you're just stuck with the main character in one spot for over an hour. Oh, and Phone Booth, let's not forget about that one - I love Phone Booth. But a word of warning: I was planning on showing this to my daughter because she loves climbing so much, but then as I'm watching it, I realized, this movie's rated R. A soft R, because of several uses of the F-word and some pretty intense gross-out scenes and lots of blood toward the end. Well, it's not actually rated R, but it's PG-13. That's just a head's up for you parents. I guess they're allowed to show blood and say the F-word more than once now and still get a PG-13 rating? It's not a complaint, I'm just passing the information on. Oh, boy! We're down to my top three best films of the year. You might remember an Adam Sandler film coming out on Netflix earlier in the year. You may or may not have watched it. You might have heard about it and saw that it was about basketball, and you were like, "There's never been a good basketball movie made, except for Hoosiers." And you'd be right, at least until Hustle hit the screen. I am not hard pressed to call Hustle one of the best sports movies ever, and I know that's a really high bar. But you've got to watch it! It's a lot more positive and happier than Uncut Gems, another Adam Sandler winner. And yeah, it's another one "of those" sports movies, but it's just so damn good, it hit me in all the right places. Number 2 is Top Gun: Maverick. If you're one of the two people who haven't seen it yet, stop everything in your life and watch it right now. At this point, there's no excuse. This is Tom Cruise at the top of his game like always. And the funny thing is, I wasn't even looking forward to it because the original Top Gun is so ... meh, expect for the soundtrack. If you haven't seen it, believe the hype, because it's one of those extremely rare movies that lives up in every way. I've seen the movie three times already, and I can watch it again right now. I'll probably show it to my kids next summer. So as surprising that it is that Maverick isn't my number one pick, you must be wondering what is. My number one movie of the year is one that was made just for me. Like, I firmly believe the filmmakers and everyone involved were thinking about me through ever step of the moviemaking process as they executed this film from start to finish. And if you look at all the movies I've brought up prior to this, we've been in the jungle, visited World War II, and saw the future. We've ridden on swamp boats, been slung out of giant sling shots, climbed the highest towers and took our jets beyond Mach 10. It seems like the only thing we haven't ridden is a train. And that's what my number 1 movie is all about: Bullet Train. Brad Pitt is his usual charming and hilarious self in this heist/mystery/comedy/action film. It's directed by David Leitch. Imagine the director of Deadpool 1 & 2 making a Quentin Tarantino film, more accurately, a volume of Kill Bill, with Brad Pitt thrown in. The dialogue is so sharp, the situations are extremely funny, and the action is eye-popping. I film never bored me - the only emotion I didn't feel while watching it was sadness, because there's just nothing sad or depressing being offered here. This movie is the highest of recommends, so much so, that David Leitch, who also brought us John Wick and Hobbs and Shaw, is quickly becoming one of my favorite directors. Now I'm going to go watch Atomic Blonde. Thank you for joining me on my super-long diatribe as I gushed over my favorite films from this year. I never got to Avatar: Way of Water, though I was planning on it and things got kind of complicated. Marcel with Shoes On was another one I missed, I'll be watching Sonic the Hedgehog 2 with my kids shortly (I got it for them for Christmas). Other films I missed but wanted to see were Moonfall, Confess Fletch, The Fablemans, Glass Onion, Violent Night, and The Whale. But I think I still saw a pretty good number of films. Thanks for listening and may your new year be filled with love, spiritual health, and blessings. Email me your favorite films of 2022, especially if there's one that I missed that you think should be on my list. But also feel free to argue with me on any of my choices. Not maliciously, of course, because I have a fragile ego. Keep it spirited. My email address is author.andrewtoy@gmail.com, or message me on Instagram where you can find me at LifeThroughBigScreenPod. Happy New Year! Follow Life Through the Big Screen on these following pages:InstagramFacebookTwitterThis episode was sponsored by Spur Creative

With 2022 behind us, I'm sure you've experienced some ups and downs like I have, but nothing was more bumpy and unpredictable than the movies we got this year. This is going to be a two-part podcast, where part 1 will be on the top worst movies of 2022 and the second part will be a bit more optimistic being about the best movies of the year. Now there's a film critic who I often like named Chris Stuckman, you've probably heard of him, but he has a philosophy of not sharing his worst movies of the year because he believes that the filmmakers worked hard on their projects and he doesn't want to pass off bad judgment. I respect him for that, but I wholeheartedly disagree. I think filmmakers need to be held accountable for the material they present to the world. Many of them get paid more than most of us, and we're not only entrusting them with our hard-earned money, but two, or two and a half hours of our valuable time. And if a movie robs me of either of those, I want to warn those in my circle - you guys - to stay the hell away. Now, please bear in mind that these two lists are purely subjective. I'm not trying to start a fight, although if you want to come on the show and debate me on any of these choices, I invite you to bring your A-game and I'll spar with you, but we have to agree to end it amicably, even if we can't agree on the film. Deal? So that brings me to number 10 on my top worst movies of 2022.  But before I start, know that what I did was simply make a list of the 25 movies that were released this year and I ranked them from best to worst. Then I meticulously drew a line separating the ones I'd watch again, and the ones I really don't care to. With that in mind, the first four I'm about to mention, I'd be willing to give them another chance if the mood presented itself, but overall, I was disappointed after my first viewing. So the the number 10 worst movie of 2022 is The Batman. Like a few other movies on my list, I really struggled with this one, because there's the whole movie that I actually enjoyed quite a bit, but then the ending just really ruined it for me. Spoilers if you haven't seen it, but I just feel like Batman just turned into this Disney character at the end where he was grappling with dumb morality issues that he should have figured out when he was twelve. I understand that in today's violent and angry culture it's good to see a superhero lay down his arms and focus on defending the weak instead of fighting the baddies - hell, that's what I teach my kids. But I go to the movies to watch the baddies get beat up and their heads blown off. As a moviegoer that brings me joy and it's fun to watch. Because I'm mature enough to know that it's fake, and in any real life situation, we need to avoid violence at all costs. I loved Collin Ferrell as The Penguin, I thought Robert Pattinson was a more than passable Batman, but a little weird and spooky to be Bruce Wayne. Jeffrey Wright was an impressive Lt. Gordon. Paul Dano nailed it as The Riddler. And I was even impressed with Andy Serkis's take on Alfred. However, no casting lineup can possibly outdo Christopher Nolan's Batman characters -- particularly Michael Caine's Alfred, which will never ever be matched. Like I said, I'd be more than willing to give this movie another try, especially since I'll be able to brace myself for the ending, and perhaps ease into it with a little more acceptance. Number 9 is Elvis. This was a fun movie, filmed in a very loud and obnoxious way. I'm not familiar with any of Bad Luhrmann's work outside of this one, but I just didn't feel like the style necessarily fit the story being told. That's just my opinion, and I'm willing to say I'm wrong about that. Can you tell it takes me a while to adjust to anything new? I thought Austin Butler was astounding as Elvis. I of course loved the music, and it was fun to finally have a film that gave us a peak into his life. It was a bit jarring to see Tom Hanks be in the antagonist role, but at least he wasn't just being Tom Hanks again. I feel like from 2019 and to now we're stuck on the Polar Express where it's just Tom Hanks everywhere we look. Number 8 out of the gate is Scream 2022. Not really called that, but if you're going to give your movie the same title as its originator, then I'm going to attach the release year to it. On any other day, I would actually put this as number 10, or at least the bottom of my Best Of list. My problem with this horror flick is quite obvious - it just didn't come close to capturing the magic of the 1996 original. That '96 film is so special and funny and original, that of course none of its sequels ever had a chance. But I want to be clear, this is easily the best of the Scream sequels, and the more I talk about it, the more I want to rewatch it, because honestly, I watched it so long ago that I don't remember a thing about it. I do remember that Courtney Cox's facelift made me keep mistaking her for Ghostface. A word to anyone who's aging: Don't get plastic on your face. It makes you look like a secondhand Barbie doll trying to come to life. Number 7. This one's bound to give some people hot flashes, and the controversy is welcome. But Thor: Love and Thunder underwhelmed the absolute shit out of me. Thor: Ragnarok and the Infinity War movies set the precedent for Thor going forward. But the entire movie just wasn't funny. And it's not like I went into it with crossed arms, making the movie prove itself to me. My arms were wide open and I was welcome to whatever good humor was to deliver me, but it failed miserably. Not only was it not funny, but I felt like there was not much of consequence for most of the film, like I had to slug through the first 3/4 to get to the meat of the movie. And I'll be honest, I enjoyed the ending. I'm anxious to see Thor interact as a bumbling father in the next film. I was impressed that (spoiler) Marvel had the balls to kill Jane Foster, and it looks like it's a permanent death. And Christian Bale - do I even need to echo literally every other person who saw the movie? - he crushed it so hard as an incredible foe who's nearly as great as Thanos. It was a shame that he died, because I'd love to see him again, or maybe we'll get a prequel or a Marvel miniseries? But yeah, this one hurt me deeply because I was so looking forward to it. My only hope is that Guardians of the Galaxy 3 doesn't pull this same bait and switch nonsenses. Now we're getting to the portion of the list where I just don't ever want to revisit the following movies because of how trashy and dull they were. Number 6 is Disney's Pinocchio 2022. There I go again adding the year of release. This weirdo film is not to be mistaken by the 1940's Pinocchio, one of the greatest technical and cinematic achievements in the history of film. Can you tell I have quite a love for that movie? Pinocchio 2022 basically copied the original shot-by-shot, Lion King style, but not nearly as pretty, and it made changes that weakened the story altogether. For instance, in this version, Pinocchio actually goes to school, but he then gets kicked out because he's different. What kind of message does that send kids? That if you get made fun of, you're allowed to just go off and get into trouble? Or what's with Pinocchio having to lie again to get out of the trouble he caused himself by lying? The whole point of the scene where he's in the birdcage is for him to ask and receive forgiveness by the Blue Fairy. It's character growth, because it shows that he's starting to feel remorse for his wrongdoings. And don't get me started on the whole subplot they shoehorned in with the girl and her puppet. Every time that happened I went half asleep. And it's funny too, that this CGI Pinocchio had only a quarter of the personality and charm the original Pinocchio had. Now I will say that the voice of Pinocchio was really impressive, and Joseph Gordon Levitt absolutely crushed it as Jimney. And I did really like the Easter eggs with the wooden clocks. Tom Hanks was fine, I guess, but I would have preferred to see a newer actor in that role. Like, Geesh, Tom, there are other actors hungrier that you - give them a chance. Number 5 is the Ethan Hawk movie Black Phone. I went into this like I do for almost every other movie I watch, which is completely blind. I refuse to watch trailers if I can help it. But if it's just a teaser or It's far enough out that I'll forget, then those are the only times I'll treat myself. But I went into this stone-cold blind. And honestly, it was very forgettable. It was a run-of-the mill indie horror film that really didn't shock or awe me in any way. I only watched it two or three months ago and I can only tell you it's about a boy who gets kidnapped and he's being held captive in a guy's basement. I remember snippets of the end, but that's it. So that's the problem with doing these best and worst of podcasts I guess: Maybe I need to start taking notes on every new movie I watch so I can remember what the hell I watched several months ago. I have such a bad memory as is, so it might be worth doing. The Bob's Burgers Movie is number 4. This one is kind of a cheat, because it was late at night and my wife was asleep, so I had to keep the volume down super low, and I didn't have my glasses at the time because they were broken, so I couldn't see the subtitle very well. I went into this movie never having seen an episode of Bob's Burgers, but I figured it was like the Simpsons. The jokes that I did see or hear were pretty funny, the song was catchy, but when it got into the whole murder mystery aspect, I really didn't care about it. So I'm just being honest when I say that I actually fell asleep before the movie ended, probably because my eyes were so tired from straining, but I also didn't care enough to go back and rewatch what I'd missed. That's a really bad sign, so it went pretty low on my list. The Simpson's Movie, though, that's a different conversation that I'd love to have with a guest one day. My high school and college self would never believe it that there would be a day when a Pixar movie would be amongst the worst movies I've seen. Now, I do have some explaining to do, so bear with me. Turning Red is number 3 on my list. First, let me just clarify that I know I'm not the target audience for this coming-of-age movie. I get it. But the problem is, Pixar never needed a target audience in the past. They had the ability to reach every single person whatever the story was. So that's one major strike agains this weird film. Also, I'm not one of those people who say this was an inappropriate movie for my kids. Sure, it was a little early for them to watch, seeing as it dealt mostly with puberty and periods, but I think it stayed well within the bounds of acceptability, and for that I give it credit. I think the idea for the story is actually pretty great. But it just felt so rushed, like the movie was trying to get to the big explosive climax as quickly as possible. I don't know, maybe it's just me and my inability to connect with moms and grandmas and daughters all fighting it out dressed as giant red pandas. So for me this film is firmly toward the bottom of my list, but I get it if it's higher on your list. All I'm saying is, and I don't know if I influenced them or not, that my kids even though it was a weird movie. Pixar is better than this. They should know better. But I will say, I forget when he did or said (there's my bad memory again), but the dad totally stole the movie for me. Two left. Number 9 is Uncharted. This movie was boooooring. It was predictable in the absolute worst way. It was unfunny, even though I really like Mark Wahlberg - I just had the sense that he didn't want to be there. Tom Holland was still Spider-Man in every way. Did I mention this was the most predictable movie I've ever seen? The screenwriters weren't even trying to shock us, and I say shame on them. If you can't give us something new, then don't write. I will say, the flying ships as the end was pretty cool, so I would recommend you YouTube that, but skip the rest of this trash pile movie. And that leaves us with number 10, the absolute worst movie of 2022. But first a word from my sponsor. It pains me so deeply to say this, but Jurassic Park: Dominion sucked, sucked, sucked so bad. One of the guys I was with was ready to walk out 15 minutes in. This movie did EVERYthing wrong. Absolutely everything. So much, that I don't even know where to begin. But first, how did we get from the majesty and glory of 1993 Jurassic Park to this toilet water? I mean, how is it possible that these two films are even related? In my mind, they're not. Not even close. It's like comparing Goodfellas to Clifford the Big Red Dog. What's so bothersome about Jurassic World: Dominion is that it had the blueprint laid down for it. It's like one of those situations where I get to yell, "You had ONE job!" Except, I never get to yell that, my wife does. But they couldn't even pull off a movie about dinosaurs chasing people and eating them. No, they had to do this weird mosquito subplot, with chicken dinosaurs (okay, the chicken dinosaur was the one cool thing in this movie, but it was so freaking brief), and some stupid thing about a little-girl clone. Did ANYbody ask for this movie? Actually, yes. Everyone wanted what Universal had been advertising for over a year. Remember that short film called Battle at Big Rock? Check that shit out! That 10-minute film was better than Fallen Kingdom and Dominon put together. It gave us what we were promised and what everyone on literally planet earth wanted. Did I put "literally" in the wrong place there? That's how flustered I am. Guys, I have a whole podcast on just how much of a shit-show this movie was. Check it out: It's episode 14. But all we wanted was a movie about the dangerous world of dinosaurs and humans cohabitating, but instead we got some idiot-ass movie about an underworld where they needed something, that I can't even remember. And as far as I can tell, not one single animatronic. What made them think 100% CGI was the way to go? I'll relent, I think the raptor heads were robots, but that's about it. I mean, they had the original cast handed to them on a golden plate with a sign that said: "You're welcome, have fun!" But even they were delegated to the most asinine and pointless storyline. They had Laura Dern say, "You can slip into my DM's." Was this movie written by a bunch of brain-dead millennials? I don't say this often, but every writer and unit director and producer needs to be fired or banned from Hollywood for five years. But that won't happen because people out there liked it and kept going back to see it to give this nipple-circus money. So! How's that for ending on a positive note? Sorry folks, I can't do it today. I've had a terrible week and I've been forced to revisit Jurassic Park: Dominion in the dark recesses of my mind. But the silver lining is that the next episode will be all about the best movies of 2022, so it'll end on a real head-lifter, and no, Top Gun: Maverick is NOT the number one movie on that list, surprisingly, though it was close. I'm talking, splitting Tom Cruise's beautiful hair. Yes, I have a huge man crush on Mr. Curise and also on the A-lister who's in my number one movie. If you have a movie you want me to review, old or new, email me at author.andrewtoy@gmail.com. I'd be super honored if you'd leave a review and rate my show because I've been told that's what helps the show grow. Although as of now, 11 people have rated my show and only one has left a review. And that one was my wife, and I'm pretty sure she was responsible for at least five of those 11 reviews. To be honest, I'm a bit butt-hurt by that. I see the downloads, the downloads are kicking in like crazy, so I know people are out there listening. I just can't believe that everyone out there is Switzerland and have no opinion. Write in, let me know what you think. Oh, and I'm going to leave you with a question I want you to answer for me. Call or text; I might play your answer on the next episode. The question is, what are the top 3 worst movies you saw last year? And they don't even have to be made in 2022. It could be something from 2002 you picked up from the library, you've been told for the last 20 years that it's the greatest movie ever and when you watched it, you began to question society as a whole. Text your answer to 863-303-6268 and leave your name and where you live. Remember, for every bad movie out there, there's half of a good movie somewhere else. Have a great Christmas break, and I'll see you next time on Life Through the Big Screen! Follow Life Through the Big Screen on these following pages:InstagramFacebookTwitterThis episode was sponsored by Spur Creative

Check out this super adorable episode where I talk with my daughter Katherine about Home Alone and why she likes it so much. Follow Life Through the Big Screen on these following pages:InstagramFacebookTwitterThis episode was sponsored by Spur Creative

Whew, this was a very heavy miniseries to get through! There is so much here that is admirable and, dare I say, enjoyable? Engrossing? Fascinating? Bear with me. The first episode flew by rapidly, even though it was filmed at the pace of molasses. I remember checking the time while watching it (not out of boredom, mind you, it's just a habit I have). I honestly thought I was only ten minutes in and it turned out, there was only 10 minutes left in the 45 minute episode! I can't break each episode down individually, so I'll talk about the show as a whole. First off, this show is nauseating to watch, so I absolutely had to spread the episodes apart by a few days, because I could only take so much. Binge the first seven episodes at your own risk. What's astounding is that Dahmer: Monster: The Jeffery Dahmer Story (I'm going to call it Dahmer from now on) is not too gory, or even that violent. There are some very gruesome things shown, to be sure, but those moments are quick and rare. This was the TV-Y version of what Dahmer actually did to his victims, as a majority was off-screen. Yes, it's verbalized by his neighbor and news reports in terrible detail, and there was one scene toward the end of episode 7 (I think) that visually disturbed me to my core. Do they make you sympathetic toward this monster? Ummm.... I think so. Honestly, the jury's still out on that one. But aside from the murders, the show spends just as much time, if not more, focusing on the families of the victims. The grief, the horror, their declining mental health as they see Dahmer everywhere they go. This movie genuinely honored the victims and their families. Dahmer (played by Michael Scott's nephew), was particularly creepy as Dahmer. It took a while for me to adjust from the Joker serial killer I'm so used to. Michael Scott's nephew played it cool and calm all the way to the end. Of particular interest to me was Niecy Nash, the actress who played Dahmer's heroic neighbor. Mind you, every actor was a standout, but I'm definitely going to keep my eye out for more of Nash. The last episode is of particular disturbance, as Dahmer claims to find salvation before his death. This raises innumerable questions, and the show doesn't shy away. Does he deserve salvation after what he did? Was God's forgiveness still available to him? I mean, these are really difficult questions to answer, and the whole of the last episode focuses on these dilemmas. If you don't think you can stomach the killings, I do recommend you watch the last two episodes as he's already detained and the story focuses on the victims and Dahmer's (?) redemption (?). Of course it angers me to think that there's a chance Dahmer is in heaven. But what business is it of mine? Who am I to question God? After all, he saved me. If he loves me despite all the terrible things I've done in my life, then who am I to judge others? The silver lining is that if God can save someone like Dahmer, cannibal that he was, then you are not beyond saving, either. But, according to what that last episode showed us, we can still be left to wonder if his remorse was genuine. After all, salvation is having a relationship with Jesus Christ, not the act of baptism, and if he was only trying to save himself and not pursue Jesus, then would that be a valid redemption? So many questions! But that's what I loved about this show. It made me think. It made me wonder how I would respond as a father if I learned one of my kids grew up to commit horrendous crimes. Dahmer gives a lot of focus to his parents. I strongly recommend this show if you can tolerate serial killer stories. If you frighten easily, stay away, because this show will mess you up and give you unexpected nightmares.Follow Life Through the Big Screen on these following pages:InstagramFacebookTwitterThis episode was sponsored by Spur Creative

It's hard not to be romantic about baseball. Just like it's hard not to be romantic about this movie. I feel like I say this a lot at the front of my podcasts, but hot damn, this is one of the greatest baseball movies – no, one of THE greatest movies ever made. This is one of those movies that just kind of snuck up out of nowhere and took all that watched it by complete surprise. Moneyball was nominated for best picture in 2012, and normally I wouldn't mention that, but this was in a small window of time post-LOTR where the nominations actually meant something and moviegoers actually knew what the movies were. (As a reference point, The King's Speech won the year before and it was up against the likes of 127 Hours, The Social Network, and Toy Story 3.) We'll see what our guest says today, but I don't really see this as a sports movie. It's instead a highly compelling thinking-man's drama. Or, taken even further, it's a business and money movie. But the title does sum up exactly what it is. It's about the dollar bills generated by MLB and how the finance side of it works. But it's also about taking chances and putting your neck on the line for something you believe in.  Brad Pitt's performance is nothing less than masterful, and to see a reigned in Jonah Hill is quite refreshing, yet he still shines as the comedic relief. This movie rests very easily in my top ten films of all time. Others may shift and come and go, but this one has a permanent spot. If you haven't seen 2011' Moneyball, get your ass into gear and treat yourself to one of the greatest dramas of your life.  Moneyball stars Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Robin Wright. Finally, a movie where I can pronounce all the names! It's based off the book by Michael Lewis, and written for the screen by Steven Zallian, Aaron Sorkin, and Stan Chervin. It's directed by Bennett Miller. On Rotten Tomatoes, Moneyball holds a 94% critics score, and an 86% audience score – one of the few times ever I find myself siding with the critics, yet I'm baffled why this isn't at least 98% on both fields.  Today I have with me an old, old, old friend of mine – and I don't mean age, because he's the same age as me, as we went to junior high and high school together – Brett Moore. Brett, it's been over 20 years since we've spoken or even seen each other in person, so I'm looking forward to catching up with you and swapping some memories as we discuss this flawless film. Share with us who you are, what you do for a living, and for fun. Questions About the Movie: The solution that Billy Beane implements seems so obvious in hindsight. Didn't anyone else see the importance of getting players on base before this was put into practice in 2002?  This movie is incredible in that it makes work meetings interesting. Beyond that, the whole movie feels unscripted and very real. Is that because of the writing by Aaron Sorkin, do you think, or because of the performances, particularly Brad Pitt's?  This isn't a sports movie - it's a business and economics movie. Are there any business movies that are as entertaining or well done?  Bill James is mentioned frequently in the movie as well as in the book. The movie says he was a security guard for a pork and beans factory. Can you tell us more about this man and how he really was the impetus of changing the game.  Questions for Application Peter Brand (Jonah Hill) says, "There is an epidemic failure within the game to understand what is really happening. And this leads people who run Major League Baseball teams to misjudge their players and mismanage their teams." What other institutions would you say have this same problem?  Billy was deeply haunted by his past. Is this what caused Billy to want the hard truth from Peter when he asked if he would have picked him for the draft? How can hearing the hard truth about ourselves really help us in the long run?  Is there anything you put your whole being into and failed? How did you come back from it? What's the best baseball stadium you've been to?  Follow Life Through the Big Screen on these following pages:InstagramFacebookTwitterThis episode was sponsored by Spur Creative

Hi, I'm Andrew Toy, welcome to Jackass on Life Through the Big Screen! We're going to do things just a tad bit differently on this episode since Jackass isn't really just a one and done movie with a traditional plot and so memorable lines and life lessons and so on. Instead, we're going to be talking about Jackass as a construct dating back from the first episode of the show, which aired on October 1, 2000 all the way up to this year's Jackass Forever, which was released on February 4, 2022. My history with this show goes back to 2000 as a Sophomore in high school. Jackass played a HUGE role in the lives of me and my fiends - especially me, as I was hardly ever seen without a video camera hanging at my hip. My friends and I were so inspired that we created our own Jackass knockoff called FOOLS, an acronym for Faked Our Own Looser Stunts, and then later the sequel FOOLS Thuh Collige Yeers. Of course none of us were as ballsy as the real Jackass crew. In one sketch, for instance, my friend Kyle and I - you can listen to him talk talk with me about Heavyweights in episode 2 - we padded up and geared up with our roller blades and poorly used skate boards to the skating park. The hilarious part about that video shoot wasn't just how clumsy our stunts were or how mental our costumes were - but how everyone at that skate park was five or seven years younger and much better at the sport than we were. Our favorite, of course, was what we called street surfing. This is where we stole food trays from Carl's Jr. - that's Hardey's in the Mid-west - and we would hitch a waterskiing rope up to the back of a pickup truck and surf all around vacant parking lots. We caught some pretty nasty spills on camera, and it's quite impressive we all came out of high school alive. The Jackass movies and show star and are written by Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O, Chris Pontius, Dave England, Jason "Wee Man" Acuna, and are directed by Jeff Tremaine. The latest Jackass movie, Jackass Forever, received an 86% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes and a 91% score from audiences. Today I'm speaking with a Jordan Goings, a member of the church I attend, and he was really excited to come on this show and discuss a movie with me, so we agreed on Jackass. I'm anxious to hear what he has to say about this franchise. So Jordan, if you can share a little bit more about who you are, what you do for a living, and for fun? Questions About the Franchise: What is your history with Jackass?  Did you and your friends ever attempt any of their stunts?  Who's your favorite cast member? Can you share any information about the cast members and how they relate to each other on and off set? Your favorite stunts/pranks?  Questions for Application Do you think the show and these movies are at all beneficial to society, or would we/kids be better off without their influence?  What could we learn from the Jackass franchise?  Are the cast members stupid, brave, or inventive?  How far should we push ourselves in terms of trying new things?  Follow Life Through the Big Screen on these following pages:InstagramFacebookTwitterThis episode was sponsored by Spur Creative

Crying helps me slow down and obsess over the weight of life's problems. And boy does this movie make me cry! I was watching this on my phone in the doctor's waiting room and I was biting my tongue go hard trying not to spill tears. When this movie came out in 2015, my daughter was about 18 months old, too I've resonated with this movie from the beginning. I was also a big fan of Pixar Animation Studios back then, as they were still consistently churning out solid emotional hits as good as Toy Story and Ratatouille. Re-watching this movie now, seven years later, it was probably even harder to watch as my kids have collected their own core memories and developed their own behaviors and personalities. I can tell you which emotion rules their inner headquarters - just as I can tell you which one rules mine and my wife's. Some movies are timeless, some are flawless, but this one is the only one I can think of that I consider to be pure ingenious. Not only is it one of the most emotional movies I've seen, but it's the smartest. Physchologists love this movie, as it puts words and images to something so hard to explain to anyone young or old - our emotions. If you haven't seen this movie, go fix that this vey minute. Prepare yourself for one of the most unique film experiences of your life. And make sure you're alone, unless you don't mind crying in public. Inside Out stars the voice talents of Amy Pohler, Phyllis Smith, Mindy Kaling, Bill Hader, and Lewis Black. It was written by Pete Docter, Ronnie Del Carmen, and Meg LeFauve. It was directed by Pete Docter and co-directed by Ronnie Del Carmen. On Rotten Tomatoes, Inside Out has an impressive critics' score of 89% and an audience score of 89%, which I consider to be strangely low. With me today, I have with me Doctor Michele Wright, who was the USA Today Woman of the Year for Arkansas, winner of the Global Leadership Award for Nations of Women Change Makers in 2021, amongst many other accolades and accomplishments. If I were to list them all, we'd be here all day, so Michele, please introduce yourself to our listeners by telling everyone a little about yourself, what you do for work, and for fun. Questions About the Movie: Tell me a little bit about the process of getting the Water Tales made, and how it had to do with the movie Inside Out.  What about Inside Out speaks to you the most?  Anger, Disgust, Fear, and Sadness tend to all be negative emotions. Isn't it interesting that the one positive emotion we have is Joy? Yet, that's the one we're all chasing after. Can you explain how we can find positivity in all the other emotions?   This movie is filled with lasts. Riley's last goofy moment with her parents, her last hockey game in Michigan, her last time playing with her friend... we often miss those last moments in our own lives. Is there any way we can clock those for posterity?  The scene with the mom and dad's differing emotions and thoughts is pretty hilarious and accurate to my life. In what ways do you and Terry have different trains of thought where you're not communicating properly? How do you go about correcting this? Without any pun intended, this is a highly emotional movie. What part, if any, moves you the most? Questions for Application Did you go through any life-changing seasons like Riley did in the movie? How did you respond to the changes?  There are no antagonists in the movie, but at one point Mom says, "If you could keep smiling it would be a big help." How can sentences like this be damaging to children?  Did you have an imaginary friend like Bing Bong? If so, do you think imaginary friends are beneficial to children?  This movie is about rejoicing with those who rejoice and weeping with those who weep, which is a Bible verse taken straight out of Romans. How do you see this pertaining to real life?  I finish up this episode by asking Michele 5 questions about the movie. You can check out Michele's Water Tales podcast here. And you can find more about Michele and The Water Tales here: www.mywaterbuddy.comMichele's InstagramFollow Life Through the Big Screen on these following pages:InstagramFacebookTwitterThis episode was sponsored by Spur Creative

Megan Percy joins me on the show this evening to discuss the first movie of one of the greatest trilogies ever made, The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring - or is it Rings, as I keep calling it? I'm going to be honest, we mostly spend the whole hour gushing about how perfect this movie is, but Megan does come in and drop some pretty cool knowledge about the films and the books and how they may or may not relate. Here are the notes I had for our episode:You shall not pass! Unless you're listening to my podcast about The Fellowship of the Rings. Welcome to Life Through the Big Screen. This movie needs no introduction except to say that, like Ratatouille, when I revisit it, I'm constantly asking myself, "How is this not automatically considered one of my favorite movies of all time?" This is a great movie - and 21 years later, it still holds up as though it were made alongside the MCU. This is one of those rare movies - well, trilogy, really - where everything works perfectly: The acting, the music, the effects, the sets, the script, everything is pure perfection and I have very little complaints about the entire trilogy as a whole. Like most people, I saw each of these movies upon their release, which was always the week or so before Christmas, so these were perfect Christmas treats for the world to enjoy. Thank you, still, Peter Jackson, for the memories. I knew nothing about TLOTR going into my first viewing of Fellowship, but I did read the books years after seeing The Return of the King. I may get burned by many of you, but this is one instance where I believe the movies are better than the books. I beg your forgiveness. I do like the extended versions of the movies, though! But for this segment, we're just going to discuss the theatrical release. Oh, and pro-tip: If you have access to the extended versions, you HAVE to take the time to watch the behind the scenes documentary - that story alone is just as exciting as the movie itself, I kid you not. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring stars (and this is a partial list): Elijah Wood, Ian McKellen, Orlando Bloom, Sean Bean, Sean Astin, and so many more. It's based off the book by J.R.R. Tolkien, and written for the screen by Fran Walsh and Philippa Boyens. It was directed by the great Peter Jackson - the true Lord of the Rings. On Rotten Tomatoes the film has a critics' score of 91% and an audience score of 95% - both scores I consider to be rather low, actually. This evening I have with me Megan Percy, a friend and neighbor and avid Lord of the Rings fan. So Megan, if you could please share with us a little bit more about who you are, what you do for a living, and for fun? Questions About the Movie: Tell us about your history with this trilogy. When did you first read the books, and are you old enough to have seen the movies in theaters?  Would Tolkien be proud of this recreation of Middle-Earth?  This movie is 21 years old this year. Why do you think it still holds up so well, where other movies of this time just fade away into cheesiness?  Did the prologue explain everything it needed to in order to set up the story?  Couldn't Elrond have killed Isildur, who took the Ring from Sauron?  The Star Wars prequels were coming out during these movies' releases. Say what you will about them, but they kind of groomed audiences to settle for bad acting and mediocre effects and convoluted stories. Do you think TLOTR, because the acting is so superior to anything we'd seen in an epic since perhaps Braveheart or Titanic, the effects are practical and hold up, and the story is relatively easy to follow, audiences were glad for an epic that worked on all four cylinders? In short, did the Star Wars prequels help with the success of TLOTR?  What is your favorite sequence in this whole movie, and why?  Questions for Application To you, what does the Ring symbolize?  What can we expect with this Amazon series, The Rings of Power? Will we get to see the origins of the Nazgul?  Gandolf says, "It is in men we must place our hope." Is Tolkein speaking to the goodness of men?  Galandrielle says, "Even the smallest person can change the course of the future." Do you believe this? And how so? Once we finish up gushing and slobbering over Fellowship and Peter Jackson, I ask Megan five trivia questions about the film and have her name three desert island movies and three desert island books. Follow Life Through the Big Screen on these following pages:InstagramFacebookTwitterThis episode was sponsored by Spur Creative

In this episode, podcast host Jeremiah Stewart joins me to talk about 1954's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. He works with mental health students and so we spend a lot of time talking about the mental state of Captain Nemo and what drives people to be as mad as him.Jeremiah and I met on a rampage for my favorite movie podcast, Now Playing. Here's the link to that show.You can find Jeremiah via the following links below:Twitter: @FanitariumPodFacebook: @LetsTalkandTheFanitariumYouTubeFollow Life Through the Big Screen on these following pages:InstagramFacebookTwitterThis episode was sponsored by Spur Creative

Thank you for being patient with me as I took a couple of weeks off from podcasting due to a new job and COVID plus other health issues. Batman Begins ushered in a new era of superhero movies - where now they're grounded in reality. I speak with Daniel Cobin, a manager at a call center and a board game enthusiast. We discuss the best Batman/Bruce Wayne portrayed on screen. And we hold up Michael Caine as the best Alfred, hands down. Daniel shares a little bit of his knowledge from Batman lore from the comics, and I verify some myths that I've heard, not being a comic book reader. I confess that Ra's Al Ghul is not my favorite Batman villain, and how much I prefer Joker like most everyone else. Is Batman Begins scary enough? Should it have been scarier? Especially considering Scarecrow (sort of) the main villain?? And what about the villains in the Batman movies? They seem to just want fairness in a corrupt city. That, or their view of the world has been tainted by all the corruption, so is overturning the establishment so wrong? Is it worth starting from scratch? I like Daniel's answers to these questions. We also talk about how much our lives have been shaped by key things our fathers said to us as kids - like Thomas Wayne passing on advice to his son that shaped him into the Bat we now know. I mention the Truth Over Tribe podcast and their discussion about Christians and violence. Here's the link for that: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/truth-over-tribe-christian-takes-on-culture-news-politics/id1580807177?i=1000558010766Drop me an email at author.andrewtoy@gmail.com or leave a comment down below. You can follow Life Through the Big Screen on Instagram or Facebook or Twitter, all that stuff is in the show notes below. Here's the video talking more about the history of the MPAA: The History of Hollywood Censorship & the Rating SystemFollow Life Through the Big Screen on these following pages:InstagramFacebookTwitterThis episode was sponsored by Spur Creative

Please note that I there may be some adult content in this episode as I discuss different reasons for film ratings. The second half of this episode is purely subjective -- I fully expect my listeners to have differing opinions, and that's okay. These are just the guidelines I go by when choosing to show my kids certain movies. Welcome to season 4 of Life Through the Big Screen. Typically I've been keeping my seasons six episodes long, so being 4 seasons in isn't as impressive as it sounds. I do think that I'm going to start expanding the length of episodes per season eventually. I just love creating new introductions - and speaking of, which one has been your favorite so far? Give me some feedback. A little update about my personal life, because I let you in on it on my last solo episode: my open heart surgery is no longer scheduled for late in July - it's been pushed back to September or October. I'm not thrilled that it might overlap with the holidays - but it is what it is. It was pushed back because there's fluid in my lungs from possible COVID that needs to completely clear out before they cut me open. So I do appreciate that the doctors are taking extreme precautions. I also got a job! It's my dream job of marketing and content creation. It's for a super cool retirement firm who seems to always want to be on the cutting edge of unique ideas and new ways of reaching their target demographics. I start a week from the time of this recording. And if Zach, Dylan, and Larin are listening to this, my highest gratitude goes out to you for taking a chance on me.And thank you, listeners for continuing to take a chance on this podcast. I know your time is valuable and you dozens of other podcasts you could be listening to right now, so I am honored that your spending your time with me. I do my best with the tools I have available to bring you the best quality podcast I can. And with time I hope to continue to get better. I'm also open to hearing your feedback and any suggestions you may have, so feel free to email me at author.andrewtoy@gmail.com or leave a comment in Apple podcasts. As you know, I open up each season with me gabbing about a particular topic that I feel I want to discuss for a little bit. As you know my kids are seven and eight at the time of this recording and that means that they're becoming of age to start watching more movies that fall outside of the Disney catalogue. This also means that my wife and I can find more common ground on what we can show the kids - or at least that it's easier for her to allow more space for me to show them what I think might be appropriate, because they're no longer tiny children. They're growing kids, who, as long as they know what's on screen is fabricated with great skill and masterful imagery and film magic, they can take in what I allow to be placed in front of them. They know too that movies are meant to be vessels of enjoyment and pleasure. And Sarabeth knows that movies are my best way of connecting to the kids. The same way that Tim Taylor was obsessed with his tools and wanted to pass that love on to his boys, that's how I am with movies and my kids. It's also fun debating with them, for instance, which of the Star Wars movies are superior. My daughter claims that Kylo Ren is a great villain, but I get a little overzealous when I try to explain to her how he started off as a great character, but went downhill quickly as Disney executives started listening to the angry mobs rather than focusing on telling a great story, thus his character was ruined for time immortal. I'm looking at YOU Kathleen Kennedy and Ryan Johnson, and whosever idea it was to make Ray-lo a disgusting reality. But I do thank you on behalf of my daughter. Yesterday my son said that The Empire Strikes Back is his least favorite Star Wars movie. When I pressed him, he said it was because Yoda was boring. I'll be interested to see if and when his opinion changes on that. So what is the MPAA? You'll know it as soon as I say one color: Green. That's right, when you go the theater and that green screen with a bunch of random words nobody has ever read pops up on the screen - and if you were cool like me, you yelled "Green!" when you were in high school. The words state that the following preview - or trailer - has been approved for all audiences by the Motion Picture Association of America. The MPAA. These are the people who have been telling parents which movies they can or cannot take their kids to see. You already know by the title of my episode that I'm not going to speak very favorably about the MPAA, and I'll explain why they're full of crap, and always have been. But first, a little history on the MPAA. According to motionpicture.org, the MPAA was, and I quote: "Established in 1968, the film rating system provides parents with the information needed to determine if a film is appropriate for their children." This sounds like it had good intentions. "Ratings are determined by the Classification and Ratings Administration (CARA), via a board comprised of an independent group of parents."Before I read a little about the history of the MPAA, I'm going to breeze through a quick refresher course of what the individual rating are today: If a film is rated G, that means it's approved for general, or all, audiences: Nothing that would offend parents for viewing by children.A PG rated film stands for Parental Guidance. Where parents are "urged to give “parental guidance.” May contain some material parents might not like for their young children." A PG-13 film is not only the most common film rating, but it's also the newest. This means that parents are strongly cautioned. Some material may be inappropriate for children under 13, so parents are urged to be cautious. An R-rated film means "Restricted." This type of film contains some adult material. Parents are urged to learn more about the film before taking their young children with them. Under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian. And finally NC-17 means that no one under 17 is admitted. I can't recall a mainstream film being given this rating and being shown in a local movie theater. So we're not going to touch on this one for the purposes of this podcast.Now MotionPictures.org makes this beginning part sound much moralistic than it really is, and for a good video on what went on to REALLY inspire the formation of the Motion Picture Producers and Distributors of America (MPPDA), check out a video called The History of Hollywood Censorship and the Rating System by Filmmaker IQ. I'll put a link to that down in the show notes. But this organization was formed in 1922, basically to protect the rights of corrupt elitists in Hollywood. In 1945, the organization changes its name to what we now know it today as the MPAA. In 1968, the film industry sought artistic freedoms and the removal of strict limits on certain content. The result? The MPAA created the film rating system (G, PG, PG-13, R) we use today. I got a little curious about the rating system, so I looked up some interesting stats. I looked up the most inappropriate G-rated movies. Screencrush gave me a list of 15 suggestions. I'm going to list just 10 of them. 2001 A Space Odyssey - I haven't seen this movie yet, so no comment. But according to the description it has some pretty violent deaths it it. And 3. 1968's Planet of the Apes, and 1970's Beneath the Planet of the Apes. These I haven't seen, either but apparently Charlton Heston gets shot in the throat and bleeds to death, Tarrantino-style, and entire planets of people die. Sarabeth cannot stand blood, but these movies did not traumatize her as a child, so I'm sure it's fine for kids today. 4.   Dracula has Risen From His Grave (1968). I promise you I've watched movies before, but I also have not seen this. Maybe I just tend to stay away from G-rated movies as a rule. But I'd think any Dracula film rated G is a little suspect, unless it's those Adam Sandler cartoons. 5. Romeo and Juliet from 1968 is also rated G. Not sure I'd care to watch a G-rated version of this story - and yes, that was my adolescent self talking. 6. The Andromeda Strain (1971) - Didn't see this either, but I read the book. The book was bull crap with 0 suspense. Can't imagine the movie being any different. 7. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971). Sure it was a little unsettling when Violett turned into the blueberry, but I don't think this film is outside the range of being G-rated. My kids like it. 8. Gone with the Wind - I can get on board this one not being G-rated. This is a dark, dark movie, filled with corpses, attempted abortion, child death, racism, a lot of traumatizing stuff here. Still one of the greatest films ever made, to be clear. 9. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea - I'm in the middle of reviewing this for an episode. So far, nothing very unsettling. 10. Old Yeller. I mean, it gets pretty freaky when they show Old Yeller baring his teeth like he's about to rip Travis' throat out. Moving along with the stats: There used to not be a PG option. The rating system actually began with four categories: G, M (for Mature audiences, which changed in 1969 to PG), R, and X. I couldn't find the first PG movie, but the first Disney-released PG movie was the Black Hole, which came out in 1970. Most people know this, but I'll talk about the history of the PG-13 rating briefly here. This is the newest on the rating system, even though it's the most populated. In 1984, parents were outraged at the PG rating of Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom (remember, at that time it went from PG to R). And I believe Gremlins was also part of the outrage as it was PG as well, as a little holiday horror classic with bloodthirsty puppets ravaging the small town of Kingston Falls. (But I think the most traumatizing part of that movie is when Phoebe Cates talks about her dad suffering and dying in the chimney that might have justifiably resulted in the PG-13 rating.) So after the outrage from parents, the PG-13 rating was invented and thus Red Dawn, starring Patrick Swayze, was the first to earn the most popular rating in the system. A movie called Greetings, which was released in 1968, was the first film to earn the R-rating. The Wolf of Wall Street, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Jonah Hill, held the record for the number of the uses of the F-word at a count of 569. It has been beat by two other films since then, but neither are R-rated. And finally, here is the list of the top 10 highest grossing R-rated films of all time as of July 2022: Number 10, is Fifty Shades of Grey, followed by The Hangover 2 (bad start). Then we get into better territory with The Passion of the Christ at number 8 and Logan at number 7. Number 6 is Defective Chinatown 3, whatever that is. Number 5 is appropriately It from 2017. Number 4, The Matrix Reloaded, sure whatever. And the top 3 are appropriately Deadpool raking in $78.6 million, followed by the superior Deadpool 2 at just about the same amount of earnings at just a few million more. And the highest grossing R-rated movie is also the only R-rated film that has earned its spot in the billion-dollar movie club, Joker, at just over a billion dollars. When we come back I'm going to talk about how to break movies down when deciding what to show my kids. *Commercial Break*One thing the MPAA has improved on is that now they'll actually list the reasons a film is rated what it is. That wasn't always the case. Our poor parents would take us to Blockbuster and see that Mr. & Mrs. Smith, for instance, was rated PG-13, but it wouldn't state why. Was it sequences for action/violence? Sensuality? Sexual references? So you see, the rating, without the reasoning, is pretty useless. Take for example The Lost World: Jurassic Park and Twister, two PG-13 movies that came out within a year of each other. Both have the same ratings, but for very different reasons and to extremely differing degrees. If you're the kind of parent who doesn't want their kids seeing people die on screen, The Lost World: Jurassic Park won't be the movie to watch with your kids. Peter Stormare gets savagely attacked by the compys, Arliss Howard gets toyed and played with by a baby T-rex before he's eaten by it and the mommy T-rex. My favorite character in the movie, played by Richard Schiff gets the worst death in the Jurassic Park trilogy when the two T-rexes flip him in the air and rip his body apart. Not to mention several deaths of people in the camp and in the *sigh* San Diego scene. It also has more blood than the first movie, but it's not nearly as scary. Twister, by contrast, has an unusually low body count, especially for a disaster film. Helen Hunt's dad dies his needless death in the movie's opening, and no one else dies except for Cary Elwes much later in the film, and it's sort of off-screen. Those are the only two deaths in the entire movie -- everyone else lives happily ever after, and completely bloodless. Yet, despite the high body count and flowing blood, I'll show The Lost World: Jurassic Park to my kids before I show them Twister. Why? Because Twister, as silly of a movie as it is (though don't knock it too hard, because it's my favorite natural disaster movie), is based off of real-life threats. Living in the mid-west, or south, we get tornado warnings pretty regularly. When I showed my kids the original Jurassic Park, they didn't go to bed afraid that they'd be attacked by dinosaurs. Real life disasters, however, might have a different affect on them. I could be wrong, but I know from experience when my parents had me watch Unsolved Mysteries or Eyewitness News, I sometimes had a hard time going to sleep because I knew the things were credible, though distant. Now let's compare a couple of R-rated movies to some PG-13 ones and I want you to tell me which one you'd rather have your young kids watch with you. Would you rather watch Swimfan with your kids, or Mel Gibson's The Patriot? If you said The Patriot, that's R-rated for "strong war violence." But that strong war violence is momentary and brief. But Swimfan is PG-13 for mature thematic elements, sexual content, disturbing images, and language. Would you feel more comfortable showing The King's Speech to your kids, or The Dark Knight? Can you believe that The King's Speech is the R-rated one, and The Dark Knight is deemed appropriate for children as young as 13? The King's Speech has a few F-words, which is always meant for humor. My kids have heard Sarabeth and I use much harsher language. But for those of you who've seen The Dark Knight, you'd agree that that movie could be scarring for young audiences. And the MPAA reasoning is only half-truthful. It reads that the Dark Knight is PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and some menace, but it makes no mention at all of terrifying imagery. I'm sorry, but Two Face is much scarier than any monster I've seen depicted in an R-rated film. Let's do one more comparison, shall we? Would you rather show your kids the PG-rated Poltergeist, or the R-rated Planes, Trains, & Automobiles? The MPAA has not bothered to go back and re-rate 1982's Poltergeist, despite the moderate use of violence, and severe and frequent use of frightening and intense scenes. Planes, Trains, and Automobiles, however, is only appropriate for adults, according to the MPAA, because Steve Martin cusses out the car rental lady. So are you starting to see what I mean when I say ratings mean nothing? My kids' first PG-13 theater experience was Ghostbusters: Afterlife and it was for my son's 6th birthday and my daughter was 7. Felix got a little freaked out during the big climax, but I told him to hang in there, and before he knew it, it was over, and now he wants to own the movie and watch it again. Some people may say that the rating system is completely subjective, but I say it's not subjective enough. There's no board of parents anywhere that can predict or dictate what would be okay or not okay for my kids to watch. Sometimes it's not based off the content at all, but more about the message being delivered. I've told you that I've shown my kids the first two Jurassic Park movies because 95% of the human relationships are people helping people. There is very little human infighting. The struggle is between man and creature, and the overall idea is people depending on the kindness and bravery of others. That's a good message that I want to subconsciously sink into my kids' heads. But I'll skip the first beginning part of Home Alone where Kevin is a complete asshole to his mom. "Content-wise" and I'm doing air-quotes, it's acceptable, because it lacks violence or sexuality, but the message behind it is something my kids aren't ready to see because if they watch that part enough, they'll think it's acceptable to talk to their parents the way Kevin does. Also, he doesn't really get punished for that particular crime - his punishment, if you want to call it that, is unrelated to the way he treats and talks to his family. (Best Christmas movie ever, by the way.)I know this is sort of a lot, and I hope you're tracking with me. I hope this helps you see past just the rating system that the MPAA offers. Another example is this. The Lord of the Rings, compared to Jurassic Park, is relatively bloodless. However, it's going to be many years before I show that trilogy to my kids. Why? It's action and adventure and fantasy, you'd think it'd be a great candidate to show the kiddos. Well, it never let's up. Pretty much once the hobbits leave the Shire within the first 30 minutes of Fellowship, it's nothing but heartache and stress and nightmare visions until the last 30 minutes of Return of the King. And there's no comic relief to relieve the heavy tension. Also, it gets pretty convoluted and drawn-out. So even if the stress didn't get to them, I don't want them to get bored on their first viewing and not have an appreciation of the films from the start. I want to make sure their brains are developed and mature enough to be able to grasp the magnitude of the story beyond just the sword fights. In the previous episode about Spider-Man: No Way Home, Dean Letini brought up a great point that there are many movies in the MCU that he has yet to show his 9 year old, notably Winter Soldier because some guy gets kicked into the propeller of a helicopter. PG-13. You know what else is PG-13 in the MCU? Ant Man. That's right. The giant Thomas the Train bouncing off the tracks in the little girl's room warranted the same rating as Winter Soldier, or The Sixth Sense. Why? It's one word, and it'll come as no surprise: Money. You better believe that the studio execs at Disney know full well that if they release an MCU movie with a PG rating, it'll lose a lot of money. When's the last time a G-rated movie snuck into theaters? I don't know either. Frozen is PG. Ice Age is PG. Zootopia is PG. They're all PG because it's a chance that it'll get more butts int he seats - those kids teetering on adolences who might be skeptical going to see an animated movie. You know what's rated G? Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. Pinocchio. All Dogs Go to Heaven. Those movies are nightmare-inducing! Pinocchio was banned in Germany for any child at the time of its release - it had an equivalent of an R-rating. But what kid do you know that got a single nightmare from Moana? So the rating system is stupid. Lightyear is PG, but I don't give a crap because I'm not taking my kids to see a movie where lesbians are normalized. That doesn't make me a bigot and I'll tell you why. Sexuality is complicated enough without a million different influences and ideas barraging our kids. Sexuality needs to not be discussed in front of or around kids for the simple reason that kids need to be kids. We need to keep their minds clear of all that stuff. They've got the rest of their lives to figure it all out, and wrestle with it and grapple with what sexuality is and what it means to them. If we're in such a hurry for our kids to grow up, why the hell not hand them over the keys to our cars? Put them to work in the factories? Take out a portion of their allowance for taxes? Actually, that last idea isn't half bad. But please understand what I'm saying. Once human beings are of age, where their brains are fully developed and they can reason on their own and take in entertainment with critical thinking and they've been properly educated on the basics of sexuality, then we can loosen things up a little bit.I'm not a bigot because Oscar is my favorite supporting character in The Office. Those two guys in Modern Family? They were hilarious. The fact that Negasonic Teenage Warhead has a lesbian lover in Deadpool and the way Ryan Reynolds plays it is awesome. Deadpool himself is practically bi or A-sexual or something, and I love him anyway. But my kids don't need to see any of that because they barely know how a mommy and a daddy make a baby. They're still at level one knowledge. There's absolutely no reason for them to know anything more than that at this age. And I understand that they're likely not going to turn to me and ask why two women are married and kissing in a cartoon movie, but the thought will stick with them, and it will grow overtime the more they see that. My religion teaches that it's wrong to be in a same-sex relationship, and I'll teach my kids the same, but when they're of age, it's ultimately going to be their choice. All I can do is teach them what I know to be morally right and to love those who don't see it that way. So the rating system is based off of 4 or 5 main elements. Violence. We spoke pretty extensively about violence so I won't go over it again except to add that there are different styles and different degrees. I'll let my kids watch people get eaten by dinosaurs (and keep in mind, they know that it's fake), but I won't be showing them any Tarrentino-style movies any time soon. That's a style of violence that I don't think would be good for my kids to see - with blood squirting out of arteries and flooding the ground. Not because it's realistic, but it's just a lot. And most of it is caused by human on human violence - that goes back to the message behind the movie. I don't want my kids thinking we applaud or glorify humans murdering one another. Just as there's different styles of violence, there's also different degrees of it. Yes, I'm okay with my kids watching dinosaurs or creatures eating people, but even that can be taken too far for them at this age. I wouldn't dare show them the bear attack in The Revenant, for instance, because that's way too realistic and could be traumatizing. Or even the pig-creature attack in Annihilation, or any of the Alien franchise just yet. Why? Because that's a level of gore and creepiness that's above Jurassic Park. It's also prolonged. When someone gets eaten in Jurassic Park, it's usually pretty quick and the movie movies on. I admit that this is all purely subjective. You may think Jurassic Park is too gory for your kids, and I won't tell you you're wrong. Only you know what your kids will be able to handle. We've talked about sex, in movies. It's not that my wife and I are sensitive to the subject. No, it's that we're unabashedly over-protective of our kids when it comes to it. And when they're ready to talk about it, we'll be ready to lead them in a frank and honest discussion that we're not afraid to have with them. The point here is that we want to be the first source our kids get that information from. Thankfully there are a lot of movies - PG, PG-13, or even R that don't mention or show anything sensual. But be weary of the PG movies from our youth. We turned on a random movie from Disney + not too long ago. It was a movie that starred Jonathan Taylor Thomas and Chevy Chase called Man of the House. Now to be fair, I remember watching it as a kid and it didn't affect me, but we turned it off 15 minutes in, first because it was boring, but secondly, it seemed like all they were talking about was how JTT didn't want Chevy Chase to sleep with Farrah Fawcett. It was just a little TMI in this JTT "family comedy." Air quotes again. And honestly, even when my kids do come of age, there's a ton of stuff I'll be uncomfortable watching with them. I'll never forget how awkward it got watching Friends with my parents on Thursday nights - especially the later episodes - and particularly when I learned how to *ahem* do certain things, and the show addressed that more and more. So, so awkward. As far as language goes in movies, this is sort of a funny story, and it's not to shame my kids, but to celebrate their innocence. They've seen plenty of PG-13 movies where there's cursing throughout - I even showed them the PG-rated Back to the Future films which are basically just damn and shit every other line (that's not a fundamentalist complaint, by the way, that's just an observation). But you know where my kids have heard the majority of cursing? That's right, from their mom and dad, during our dark days leading up to our separation and even a bit afterwards on some bad days. And we use every word in the book and then some. Thankfully it's not like that any more, but if any kid had reason to mimic curse words, it would be ours. But recently we asked them to list off some bad words they know - we did this with wry smiles and curiosity - they could only come up with "stupid" and "dumb." I wonder if they know more than they're letting on. I showed them Raiders of the Lost Ark not too long ago and Harrison Ford goes, "God Damn it," at one point, and of course my son laughs because of the line delivery and he goes, "He just said God damn it." Sarabeth promptly explained that that's not something we say, and he hasn't since. Every movie is going to have cursing. You're going to hear cursing when you take your kids to Taco Bell or to the beach. It's everywhere. Just remember, it's not a sin for them to hear it. And I believe when they're older, it's not even a sin for them to curse. I curse all the time, though I do try to limit it in front of the kids. Lastly, ratings can be determined on drug use, and now tobacco use. I've really got no reason to show my kids Pineapple Express or any stoner movie. And seeing Peter Pan smoking a bong never made me want to go out and try it myself. Nor did the racist depictions make me think racist thoughts against Native Americans. But really, are the Indians in Neverland REALLY Native Americans? Shouldn't they be called Native Neverlandians? All that to say, the MPAA can look like they're nit-picking things and trying to be more protective, but in my opinion, they're nitpicking the wrong things. It's up to each parent to decide what's important to restrict from their children, because only each parent knows their children. Not the MPAA, and certainly not Hollywood. Thanks for tolerating this little lecture about my thoughts on movie ratings. If you have different thoughts or opinions, I'd love to hear them. Drop me an email at author.andrewtoy@gmail.com or leave a comment down below. You can follow Life Through the Big Screen on Instagram or Facebook or Twitter, all that stuff is in the show notes below. Here's the video talking more about the history of the MPAA: The History of Hollywood Censorship & the Rating SystemFollow Life Through the Big Screen on these following pages:InstagramFacebookTwitterEmail: Author.andrewtoy@gmail.comThis episode was sponsored by Spur Creative 

Dean Lentini joins me in this episode to discuss the most current movie I've done on the show, Spider-Man: No Way Home. I open up the discussion by urging my listeners to go watch this movie if you haven't already because, well, spoilers are about to happen, and you don't want this movie, of all movies, spoiled. Dean is a Youtuber (TheoLive) a father, and church planter in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan in Canada. (I found him via his video "Should Christians boycott Disney?") But for all intents and purposes for this podcast, he loves Spider-Man, and has been for as long as he can remember. I plan on learning a lot from this avid Spider-Man fan. I asked him off the bat about J.K. Simmons playing J. Jonah Jameson in Tom Holland's universe. Dean claims that the MCU has answered this question with the multiverse, with the 616 (he explains what this is). Basically, everyone exists in some way in this universe, and sometimes they happen to look like other versions. I really want to know if Peter Parker's reasoning for wanting the spell to be cast is a strong enough reason to set the plot in motion. Dean concedes that it could have been stronger, plot-wise, but we both fail to come up with an alternative on the spot, mainly because we recognize that the crux of Peter's problems need to be grounded in real-life adolescent issues that we all faced as kids - that's the heart of Spider-Man after all. I share my experience seeing Spider-Man (2002) for the first time and how I got to show it to my kids on its exact 20th anniversary earlier this year. Spider-Man 2002 is also a very special movie for Dean, so much so that he still has his ticket stub. I have him share what made the movie so special for him. There are parallels, obviously in Spider-Man: No Way Home and Spider-Man 2002, one of them being the death of Peter's father-figure (Marisa Tomei's Aunt May and Cliff Robertson's Uncle Ben). I'm curious as to which death was more impactful for Dean. He speaks highly of the performances during Uncle Ben's death, but Aunt May's death hit a very raw nerve with him. Of course, we geek out over having all three Spider-Mans together and how they brilliantly played off each other for emotional support as well as for laughs. That's easy to gab about and gush over, but we also talk about the villains. My, oh my, the improvement this movie makes on our favorite Spidey villains - especially Green Goblin. But what about that ending? I ask Dean if it's tragic enough, being unsure myself. I feel like his explanation deepens the significance of Peter's choice and breaks my heart just a little bit more, the way the movie attempted to do. But I do have one burning question that hopefully the sequel will explain, and that's this: How does Happy Hogan know Spider-Man, but not Peter Parker? Dean does his best to answer this, and I applaud him for his valiant attempt. We talk also about what Spider-Man represents - getting knocked down, but always getting back up, and how inspiring the man and the legend are to people all around the world. I end the conversation with five Spider-Man related questions and I ask Dean to list his three desert island movies. Here is where you can find Dean Lentini, I highly encourage you to check out his stuff as this guy is definitely on a role.YouTubeTwitterInstagramAnd this is the video that inspired me to reach out to Dean to be on my show, and it's called, "Should Christians Boycott Disney's Lighter?"Follow Life Through the Big Screen on these following pages:InstagramFacebookTwitterEmail: Author.andrewtoy@gmail.comThis episode was sponsored by Spur Creative 

Nathan Arant is a husband and father from Baton Rouge, LA. He's a marketer for a software company and an old movie buff. You'll get a kick out of me messing up most of the names on this film's cast and crew list, but Nathan is gracious to me (even after I nearly mess up his name). This is seriously one of the coolest dudes I've ever had the pleasure of befriending. We catch up from old times and when we dive into the film, we end up talking a lot about how this old movie has inspired just about everything we enjoy today from Pirates of the Caribbean to A Bug's Life, Matrix: Revolutions, Django Unchained, and many more. It's also inspired several remakes. But Seven Samurai is considered one of the first modern day action films. As an action movie fan, thank the Lord for this long, old movie. We discuss how the director, Akira Kurosawa, was a perfectionist and how it's so evident in this film where he executed every angle and shot in a very precise and specific way so that if the film were made today, each frame could be screenshot for a background wallpaper. I thank Nathan for having me watch this long film, as recently I've noticed that my attention span has been eroding, not being able to follow slower films as patiently and not being able to finish the books that I used to be able to stick with. This film, as he points out, is a discipline to get through. But over time it gets easier, he says. Nathan is also an incredibly talented musician, so we talk a little bit about music in film and how great film scores have become a dying art form. I absolutely love his theory as to why this is the case. I keep bringing up how this is a three-and-a-half hour long movie (for some reason I just can't let that go, even though I love a good three-hour epic), but I ask him what could have possibly been cut, and the marvel of this film is that every scene is pretty pivotal. Nathan provides a lot of background trivia about this movie, which really is fascinating, and we compare old Japanese movies to old movies from the West and who copied who. We discuss how each decade brings about new types and batches of movies. This is such a fun episode, folks. I close out with my usual trivia and ask Nathan to list three other desert island movies. Follow Life Through the Big Screen on these following pages:InstagramFacebookTwitterEmail: Author.andrewtoy@gmail.comThis episode was sponsored by Spur Creative

Ray Buffer and I sit down to discuss the 1978's Superman: The Movie. Ray is an actor, voice-over artist, singer, director, producer, and comic book collector.  Though I recognize the significance of Superman being the first big screen comic book movie, it's certainly not my favorite. But there's a generation gap between Ray and me, so I ask him questions about the movie to help me see what it was like to see it for the first time when it was in theaters. I also ask him to compare the movie to the comics, which he knows a lot about. But the heart of this conversation is centered around Ray's own adoption story, which he mirrors with Clark Kent's, and how he was raised by "salt of the earth" people, and because he was also into mysteries, he went on his own quest to hunt down his birth mother and other blood relatives. We close the discussion out with five Superman-related questions and he names his three other desert island movies. You can find Ray Buffer in the links below: RayBuffer.comIMDBInstagramFacebookAnd follow Life Through the Big Screen on these following pages:InstagramFacebookTwitterEmail: Author.andrewtoy@gmail.comThis episode was sponsored by Spur Creative

Thank you to everyone who's tuned in, subscribed, downloaded, and shared my show. You're what's keeping me going. But this show isn't supposed to be all conservative or Christian. While most people happily have accepted an invitation to come onto the show, a couple of people who I reached out to with differing views declined coming on. I ask why, if I'm providing a platform for them to express or explain their views. The last thing I want to do is debate. You might notice I don't sound myself in this episode. That's because I'm undergoing some health issues which will be resolved with open heart surgery later this month. The Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v Wade has taken the country by storm in the last week. Well, I believe there's a very specific reason for that. I play a clip from my pastor who addressed this from the pulpit last Sunday. And finally, I share what kind of episodes to look forward to in the upcoming weeks, but ask for forgiveness if I miss a week or two because I'll be recovering from open heart surgery. Also, I'm looking for a job in digital marketing, so if you know anyone, please pass along the word. Thank you, and I'll see you next time through the big screen! 

On this episode I'm joined by a jack of all trades, Patrick Miller. A pastor by vocation, but also the co-host of the podcasts Truth Over Tribe and Ten Minute Bible Talks, amongst other things. He's also the co-author of an upcoming book called Truth Over Tribe: Pledging Allegiance to the Lamb, Not the Donkey or the Elephant. I talk to Patrick about what prompted him and his co-host Keith Simon to start Truth Over Tribe, and he shares the background there. The two of them really wanted to know if we could talk about our most pressing cultural issues without becoming polarized. Jumping into the movie, which is directed by Steven Spielberg, we discuss whether he's lost his magic touch. Patrick draws some very tight parallels between RPO and his childhood favorites, Jurassic Park and Close Encounters of the Third Kind (both Spielberg films). And the parallels are much tighter than just mere references throughout RPO. We linger for a bit of time on the ending of the movie where the Oasis is closed down on Tuesdays and Thursdays (the Chick-fil-a of the digital world as Patrick puts it). We talk about how fascinating it is that a mainstream Hollywood movie would incorporate the importance of a Sabbath-like living in the real world and cultivating real relationships outside of what consumes our time and minds the most. Patrick discusses how he's not so much attracted to the idea of the alleged upcoming metaverse, but he's instead a pragmatist, and really just wants to see Christians ready for it when it comes. As a result of us not being ready by the phenomenon of social media and iPhones, we're now having to battle and confront troll farms who claim to be speaking on behalf of Christians, but we still have no idea how to put up a fight. In short, Patrick is strongly suggesting we put Christian programmers in place now to start preparing for the inevitable metaverse. We then dive into the present day and talk about those troll farms that are spreading misinformation with the sole purpose of dividing us. Here's the link for How to Prevent Yourself From Misinformation and Disinformation, an article Patrick wrote for The Gospel Coalition. In the movie the players are all searching for three Easter eggs that the creator Halliday has dispersed all around the Oasis. I ask Patrick what he thinks the real-life Easter eggs are that we're all chasing after today. His answer hits close to home for all of us as we are conditioned to want what our parents had - and is that because we really want it, or because that's just what we've known? Why do we get caught up in these rat races? And the races that take place on the mimetic machine of social media? Anger and sex, he goes on, are the two things that keep people so fiercely engaged on social media platforms. And just like we want to buy a home because our parents bought a home - we get outraged because we see people like Ben Shapiro and Rachel Maddow get outraged, so it justifies our actions and words that may otherwise have been out of character for us. He concludes by saying that what we want does't matter, it's the model we're after.  Which is why it's so important to train our hearts to desire what Jesus desires. Speaking of Jesus, we talk about this strange correlation of close proximity to celebrities who now, with Instagram, can present themselves as "normal people," and how intoxicating that can be. The reality is, everyone everywhere, all the time, is performing. And that's truer even still on the Internet. But not only are we constantly performing, we're performing differently for every person or group of people. So the question isn't as simple as "Who am I?" It's more complex, like, "Who am I's?" And, according to Patrick, that's not necessarily a bad thing. This begs me to ask the question, "Was Jesus different with everybody?" The major takeaway for me from Patrick's answer here is when he says that only one time does Jesus describe himself in the Bible - one time. And yet we're obsessed with self-expression. We do have some fun talking about what vehicles we would have driven in the Oasis, but then we get into why people will stay in the metaverse once they enter into it, and what will the temptations be, once there? Patrick discusses that there's an ad out there that suggests we make ourselves into our own image, and that there's a show called Alter Ego where people create avatars and that's how they present themselves on stage in front of the judges. Patrick co-wrote an article about the metaverse for The Gospel Coalition, and in this interview he takes us a bit deeper, commenting on two different types of realities: The virtual reality and the augmented reality. Overall he sounds optimistic about the upcoming metaverse and he even reflects on how, even now, we can have coffee with coworkers every day even though they live 2,000 miles away, thanks to our long-distance video cameras. But lest we think we're in the metaverse every time we log online, Patrick explains that we're still in the zygote stage; it's yet to be born into its fullness.I close out our interview by pressing Patrick on how Christians today can urgently prepare for the metaverse. Good news - his answer is not as daunting as you might think! And it all comes down to the bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ. Patrick's Twitter Preorder Truth Over Tribe bookTruth Over Tribe podcast10-Minute Bible Talks podcastGary Gulman on How the States Got Their Abbreviations - Conan on TBSDon't forget to rate and review. Here are the socials you can find me on:InstagramFacebookTwitterEmail: Author.andrewtoy@gmail.com

I watched Jurassic World: Dominon, and this is my review of the film. But I lead off by sharing my brief thoughts with every Jurassic movie leading up to it. Warning: I get very (overly?) passionate about this latest movie. You'll have to listen to hear my final thoughts on the film. I'm sure you'll have your opinions, so feel free to share them in any of the socials below. Here's the official Jurassic Park episode I did with my friend Ricky. It's a love fest: Bonus Episode: Jurassic ParkHere is the prologue Universal promised to us be we never got in the movie: Dominion PrologueHere is the short film that was released a while ago, which is so much better than the actual film we were given: Battle at Big RockDon't forget to rate and review. Here are the socials you can find me on:InstagramFacebookTwitterEmail: Author.andrewtoy@gmail.com

In this episode I have with me Aaron Gomez, who asked me to watch and talk about the new Rescue Rangers movie on Disney+. I watched it, but I couldn't find much to say about it for an entire podcast episode, so I asked if he'd like to come on the show and discuss A Goofy Movie, instead. Because I can talk about A Goofy Movie all day long. Don't ding it! Read on!Aaron and I don't remember each other from high school, but we clearly ran around in the same circles. We reminisce a little about high school, but then jump into talking about the new Rescue Rangers movie found on Disney+. I suggest it's a replacement of Roger Rabbit, but he says it's a compliment of that movie. He's right. And it's astounding how many other properties from other movie studios populate this little movie. Who would have written the checks? Universal or Disney? And can you imagine if movie studios really combined their powers and merged worlds? So Rescue Rangers and A Goofy Movie share origin stories - and they were both born out of Disney Afternoon, a series of cartoon shows that aired after school during the week. The lineup consisted of Chip & Dale Rescue Rangers, Goof Troop (what A Goofy Movie was born from), Darkwing Duck, Tale Spin, and Duck Tales. I shock Aaron by informing him that A Goofy Movie is not part of the golden era of Disney animated movies. It's a one-off, completely separated from Beaty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, and Lion King. My assumption is that A Goofy Movie is evolving better than any of those others because it appeals to dads now and us dads are showing this simple masterpiece to our kids. A Goofy Movie was smart in knowing what a teenager was like and what they go through. Every teenager can relate to Max, and it turns out, a lot of dads can find kinship with Goofy. Aaron and I share our stories about trying to woo our childhood crushes - both failed attempts. We may be ultimate geeks, but we marvel at how cool Powerline is. Is Pete actually a good guy in this movie? Aaron surprises me with his knowledge of Goof Troop - a show I haven't seen since I was a kid. But his memory of specific episodes is really impressive.Also what's impressive is how this movie changes when you get older. As a kid, you side with Max and want Goofy to take him to the Powerline concert. But as an adult, we side with Goofy. Either way, Goofy is the best TV/movie dad ever. Aaron tells a really funny story about how he got sent to the principal's office. I question if his consequences were a bit harsh, but his prank was really funny nonetheless. He also talks about the bond he has with his father figure, and the reason this movie is close to him is because it reminds him of this man whom he still speaks to. We talk about how much a parent should trust their child.And is Pete a drug king? Otherwise, how does he afford that monster RV? I make a confession to an old childhood friend whom I hope tunes into this episode. Aaron gets quizzed about the movie and he shares his three desert island movies. Please don't forget to leave a review and rate my show. Below you will find all the links to my social media pages. InstagramFacebookTwitterEmail: Author.andrewtoy@gmail.com

In this bonus episode, I invite my brother-in-law Evan MacRae back onto the show (from ep. 4 - Joker: The Sinister Rise of America) and we discuss, as promised, the intricacies of comedy in film. What's the difference between good humor and potty humor? How subjective is comedy? How different are our tastes from one another? I start off by listing a few honorable mentions, which include The Hangover, Shrek 1&2, and The Other Guys. We each give our two cents on these films, and the actors that helmed the projects. Then we get into listing our top three funniest movies. Evan starts with Tommy Boy, and - "Son of a - " - that's also my number three. Evan's number two, I don't consider to be a comedy, but - people see different things in a good film - is Stranger Than Fiction. My number two is Anchorman. Evan's never seen it, so he isn't able to comment much except that he thinks he might find it pretty funny, and I point out that there's definitely something for everyone in that film. Evan's number one is a British buddy-cop movie, Hot Fuzz. Great film, not much complaint from me except that it's my least favorite of the Edgar Wright trilogy. My number one, obviously, is Dumb and Dumber. 'Nuff said. Enjoy this bonus episode, and I'll see you next time ... through the big screen. InstagramFacebookTwitterEmail: Author.andrewtoy@gmail.comThis episode was sponsored by Spur Creative

I don't know how Silence slipped underneath my radar as much of a Martin Scorsese fan as I am, but thankfully my pastor, Kevin Jamison, brought this film to my attention. Kevin didn't grow up in the church and he learned that the Bible isn't what he thought it was growing up, so he became a pastor, and now leads the congregation I'm apart of at Sojourn Church in Louisville, Kentucky. Despite Scorsese's gratuitous and violent film history, Pastor Kevin believes he might be a Catholic and at least a man seeking faith and what faith is. These show notes are going to be slightly different from my others. In these show notes, I'm simply going to list the questions I ask Pastor Kevin, and I'll leave you to listen to the show to hear his answers. 1. The movie centers around priests, but they're claiming to be Christians. What's the difference here between Protestants and Catholics?2. Do denominations matter? Is Catholicism part of the Christian sect? 3. How do you explain the silence of God as a pastor? 4. How can we specifically pray for the parents and family members of the victims of the Uvdale, Texas shooting? 5. We talk so much about Jesus taking on our sufferings and being a Man of sorrows, but what good does that do us?6. How fearful of authority could the disciples have been?7. Isn't blasphemy the unforgivable sin? Yet, isn't that what Peter did three times the night of Jesus' death?8. This is basically a religious film, but it was well-received by critics and audiences. Why? 9. If we shouldn't abort babies, isn't that better than them growing up to be destined for hell? 10. Why is faith, of all things, so paramount to God? 11. What is the end game for persecution? 12. Explain the ending of this movie. Please don't forget to leave a review and rate my show. Below you will find all the links to my social media pages. InstagramFacebookTwitterEmail: Author.andrewtoy@gmail.comThis episode was sponsored by Spur Creative

Sure this can be argued that this is a holiday movie, but I'm releasing it early because 1) I couldn't wait to share this one, and 2) I don't have room on my hard drive to retain it until November. James Richardson is my best friend's younger brother, and probably grew up quicker than I did!He runs outreach and missionary care in a church in Omaha, Nebraska. He shares a little bit about his mission work in Mexico City. About Hook, I ask which is better? Hook or Pirates of the Caribbean? We pretty much decide that the sets in Hook alone elevate it over the more recent pirate franchise. How cool is it that this movie morphs over time, like how as kids we relate to Jack and now as adults and parents we associate more closely to Robin Williams' character as Peter Banning. And not only did we all grow up to become Peter Banning, but like our own parents. We spend some time reminiscing about old days and our perceptions of each other, and how a lack of communication led to a lot of missed opportunities. We discuss how a lot of children don't have dads that go off and find themselves in Neverland, and how children and their parents can reconcile. How traumatic was the kidnapping scene? I think it might have scared me more than it did him.And what the heck caused Peter Pan to grow up to be an alcoholic father? It makes sense that people want to chase away the passage of time by drinking away the idea of aging. Who's the real antagonist in this movie? Peter? Hook? Or is there something else at play here? And speaking of villains, what's with that stupid taxidermic crocodile?? And what about when we as parents become our kids' bad guys? How do we deal with that? Peter tells his kids to grow up. Wendy tells them, "No growing up." I ask James who's correct. Has the pendulum swung the other way, where our parents' generation wanted us to grow up, and now as adults, we want to stay young, thus we encourage our kids to not grow up? I ask a very raw, personal, and difficult question of James: Is there any fear that would keep you from saving your kids? His answer is deep and profound and heart-breaking. Mine... is a bit different. Here is the link to the Adam Young podcast I recommend about diving into your trauma to find yourself: The Place We Find OurselvesWe finish off with a few trivia questions about Hook and James shares three other movies he'd want with him if he were stuck on a desert island. Don't forget to rate and review. Here are the socials you can find me on: InstagramFacebookTwitterEmail: Author.andrewtoy@gmail.comThis episode was sponsored by Spur Creative

My wife Sarabeth joins me as we rewatch and discuss the Disney/Pixar classic, Ratatouille. Man, how stupid this movie sounded when we first heard about it, right? But this movie defied nearly expectation and became an instant classic, and I argue, a masterpiece. I point out how this movie is so much more superior than any other movie of its type - but IS there a movie of this type? We spend a lot of time discussing what the message of this movie is, and we discover that this answer is much more complex than it seems. Sarabeth disagrees that this movie appeals to adults. Also, why does everyone have a French accent except for Luguini and the rats? How far should one go to pursue their passion? Is it wise or kind to risk yourself and others to fulfill your dream? Sarabeth's answer is pretty funny. And then we get really controversial. We examine if Disney and Pixar have sold out like Chef Skinner, by caving to the woke culture. This topic certainly plants a stake about what I feel about forced inclusivity in movies marketed to kids, but Sarabeth corrects a few words that I don't know how to pronounce. We then talk about child and parent relationships as it pertains to Remy and his controlling father. We dissect Anton's review and what we think it's trying to say, and then close out with five movie trivia questions and Sarabeth wriggles out of answering my desert island question. Here are my links. Please don't forget to rate and review my show. InstagramFacebookTwitterEmail: Author.andrewtoy@gmail.comThis episode was sponsored by Spur Creative

Confession: I was not excited to rewatch this movie. I felt like it's the most overrated movie ever, but it turns out, it holds up! So I'm thrilled that Jonathan "Coach Jon" McLernon suggested that we revisit this spectacular film. Coach Jon is a husband and a father as well as a nutrition lifestyle coach. Shawshank Redemption is a very human film to Coach Jon, because of its story of perseverance and theme of integrity. And let's not forget about the friendship between Andy and Red - a relationship that transcends the movie screen. We discuss whether the Warden is representative of very many Christians today, and Coach Jon shares who the Warden really reminds him of. He then goes on to talk about what a real Christian person is. It's never beneficial to lump one person into a group, because each person is so much more than the sum of its parts. And isn't it odd that a movie based off of a Stephen King property decides to censor itself so much and shy away from showing violence? Coach Jon relates this to how everything seems to be shown on camera now, and makes the tie between British humor and American humor. I, of course, ask him if likes the American version of the Office or the British version better. Coach Jon then tells his story of being a survivor of attempted murder and how he found his way back from that trauma. He puts to rest my notion of masculinity and causes me to rethink one of my fantasies about being in a fight just to see if I could survive. This takes us into a conversation about toxic masculinity, which then leads us down a darker road that revolves around child trafficking and how that issue is a "man" issue. It's a problem with today's men. Coach Jon recommends the book, "Men, Fight for Me" by Alan Smyth. The link for that book is below. We talk about how the real world, as perceived in the movie, is a much scarier place than the prison itself. I ask Coach Jon to tell me about his personal prisons he's had to escape from. The answer? It might challenge you. But Coach Jon had a lot of help getting to where he is today, and it's because someone showed compassion on him. His words on compassion and the difference between that and empathy is striking. There is always the hope for something, and so we talk a lot about hope, what it is, why we need it, will it "drive a man insane" as Red suggests? Coach Jon reminds me that human beings are nothing if not resilient. And that statement alone gives me hope. My final question to Jon challenges his take on the rehabilitation process in the prison system. What is a better way to rehabilitate as opposed to what's displayed in the movie? We close out with five movie trivia questions and Coach Jon names three other desert island movies. Here are all the places you can find Coach Jon and the stuff he brought up in this show:Coach Jon's InstagramCoach Jon's TwitterBetween the Before and AfterCoach Jon's Youtube ChannelIt's Not So Black and WhiteA sample podcast by Coach JonAnother Sample podcast on Deep Health Academy TwitchHere's the link again to the book, "Men, Fight for Me"And here's all my links:InstagramFacebookTwitterEmail: Author.andrewtoy@gmail.comThis episode was sponsored by Spur Creative

Join me as I discuss the classic Steve McQueen film, The Great Escape, with my good friend Patrick Stewart. Patrick served in the marines and has lived all over the world and has stories too numerous to mention here. One of the first things I ask my globe-trotting buddy is where is the best place to visit in all the world? I thought he'd say New Zealand, but I get a different answer. (Apparently he likes ostriches on beaches.) Patrick talks about how The Great Escape is one of the most popular movies in Europe. I bring up a great Christmas movie set during World War I called Joyeux Noel. Here is the IMDB page for that film.Patrick and I discuss if the prison in the movie was too soft, and why on earth the prisoners wanted to escape so bad? I would have been perfectly content riding out the war in that semi-country club. Some great background is given on the actual escape itself, thanks to Patrick. Turns out it's even crazier than the film suggests! And guess what? Some Germans were actually complacent in aiding the POW's with their escape. I love those types of redemption stories! "Who is today's Steve McQueen?" I ask. I end up providing the answer. It's hard to disagree with me, especially now in the wake of Top Gun: Maverick. (Forgive me, because I provide false information about the film.) Patrick, my very nice and honest friend, says that he would love to be the scrounger and blackmailer in a POW camp. And the movie is so dark! The ending is just depressing, and I wonder if today's audiences could handle this dark of a movie today. However, we do agree that this film, under the right direction, could be remade today - as long as that stupid, yet catchy, music is replaced. Is it Christ-like for POW's to foil their captors to try to escape? These POW's get set back time and time again. So to apply it to our lives, at what point do we know when to give up or when to keep pressing on? Patrick offers his take on this timeless question. And how are we supposed to process it if we pursue our passion or our joy and it doesn't work out? What happens then? I ask Patrick how we reconcile tragedy, citing George Floyd and random children getting hit by cars. (This is where I would have brought up Robb Elementary if it had taken place by the time of this recording.) Speaking of tragedy, does God allow evil to happen? We close out with some trivia questions and Patrick names three other desert island movies. InstagramFacebookTwitterEmail: Author.andrewtoy@gmail.comThis episode was sponsored by Spur Creative

I'm back! Welcome to season two of Life Through the Big Screen. In this episode I spend a few minutes gushing over Tom Cruise and his newest adventure, Top Gun: Maverick. And speaking of, I felt it was appropriate to dive into the world of sequels and franchises to open up this second season of my show. I compare the sequels we grew up with from the 80's and 90's to the ones made today, and ask which ones are better. Have studios learned how to continue a story? I don't name every franchise, but I'll touch on the Beverly Hills Cop trilogy, Thor, Jurassic Park/Jurassic World, Mission: Impossible, Bill and Ted, Toy Story, Scream, and a few others. From there I give a little preview into the season you're about to embark on and point out the underlying - and unintentional - theme of the next five episodes. Join in the conversation by leaving a comment on my show, and check out the links to my social media pages below: InstagramFacebookTwitterEmail: Author.andrewtoy@gmail.comThis episode was sponsored by Spur Creative

Welcome my old friend Ricky Brackett to the show where we discuss his (and mine) favorite movie, 1993's Jurassic Park! I couldn't resist dropping a bonus episode in between my first two seasons because I'm so excited about Jurassic World: Dominion. Sure, we gush about the film, we share our memories about our first encounters with this worldwide phenomenon. Is this a horror movie or an action movie? We look at it from those angles. Why and how does it still hold up? Do we believe in old earth or new? Where are the dinosaurs now? We also get in a little debate about practical effects versus CGI. And, we share glimpses of our opinions on the sequels throughout. As usual, I end up asking Ricky 5 Jurassic Park-related trivia questions and have him name three other desert island movies. Enjoy this bonus episode, and I'll see you next time ... through the big screen. InstagramFacebookTwitterEmail: Author.andrewtoy@gmail.comThis episode was sponsored by Spur Creative

Please welcome comedian and cover band member Pete Wolynec to the show as we discuss his movie choice, Trainspotting. Yes, that drug movie. And though Pete wasn't huge in the drug scene, he did come from a home life filled with chaos, and so he's able to resonate with this very chaotic film. Pete drops some great tips on how comedians who are just starting out ought to be working their bits and stitching them together. I also learn about the history of opium through Pete, though he doesn't offer much insight into the film's strange and lofty title, Trainspotting. We briefly discuss the glory days of 90's grunge. And from there we talk about the Will Smith copy cats and how hecklers now take it to the next level. Bob Dole once called this film a pro-drug movie, but it turns out that he never even saw the film when he said that. Turns out also, according to Pete, that Bob Dole is a pretty cool guy when he's not politicking. We finish up our interview discussing the #metoo movement, its humble origins, and the effects it has left on the world. The same goes for cancel culture, and getting the perspective of a comedian is definitely a fresh take. In conclusion I ask Pete five Trainspotting-related trivia questions and have him list three of his desert island movies. Stick around until the very end, after the end credits, if you will, to hear a clip of Pete's guitar skills. This episode concludes season 1, and I look forward to seeing you next season ...through the big screen. Follow Pete on Twitter and InstagramInstagramFacebookTwitterEmail: Author.andrewtoy@gmail.comThis episode was sponsored by Spur Creative

Moe Clark is one of the pastors of my church, and though we both live in and met in Louisville, Kentucky, we grew up in Southern California, but very different parts, and with very different lifestyles. Welcome him to the show as we discuss the movie he chose: Boyz n the Hood (1991). Moe chose Boyz n the Hood because that's the time and era he grew up in, and it's a movie that speaks to the harder side of culture. We analyze whether the film is accurate to real-life South Central Los Angels. I ask Moe about the Black cop in the movie who seems to despise all the other Black residents. He gives his personal observation on this sometimes strange dynamic. In time for Father's Day, we spend a lot of time speaking about fathers and sons in this episode, and the importance of young men especially, to have father figures in their lives, because, as Moe points out, we are always being formed by something, and what we choose to mold us can be paramount to our future, and even our morality. But unfortunately, even if we choose the right path, if we're in the wrong place at the wrong time, we're not exempt from our surroundings. I invite Moe to walk me through systemic racism from his point of view. He parts the curtains on why there are so many gun shops, liquor stores, and Planned Parenthood facilities in impoverished neighborhoods. Moe highlights the problems with boys growing up without positive male figures in their lives, and how boys are constantly seeking approval, and it will be found from either a father-figure or from the streets. Moe shines light on how we can be positive models for young people in need. I conclude our interview with a personal question about how to handle racism and diversity with my kids, and my preconceived notions are slightly and happily disturbed. I ask Moe a few movie questions relating to Boyz n the Hood, then ask him three other desert island movies. Check out this video where Moe talks specifically about the George Floyd murder with our lead pastor and worship leader. InstagramFacebookTwitterEmail: Author.andrewtoy@gmail.comThis episode was sponsored by Spur Creative

Who would have known 2019's Joker was a family movie? Well, maybe not in the conventional way, but I showed this to my family member, Evan Macrae, the man who married my wife's sister. We're brothers-in-law from estranged mothers (but we don't get into that here). Out of the gate I hit Evan with the controversy surrounding director Todd Phillips' departure from comedy and his thoughts on comedy as it stands today. But his liberal views of comedy leads him to one of the most embarrassing moments of his life, which he hilariously shares in this episode. I ask Evan the hard question concerning Joker: Who's the better Clown King, Joaquin Phoenix or Heath Ledger? His answer surprised me, but I get what he's saying. You don't need to worry about spoilers if you haven't seen the film yet, because I do drop a fair warning at the right moment, as I'm doing here in the show notes. Evan gives his opinion on whether Joker was born out of an act of self-defense, and whether or not Joker went dark enough. We touch on whether this is a necessary movie for society, reflecting on the plight of those who suffer from mental health. Since the Bible prophesies that things will get worse before Jesus returns, I ask Evan if Christians can expect things to get any better than they are. Hot take: As an anglophile, Evan challenges the American Revolution and questions whether waging a war for our freedoms was really worth it. Evan challenges my perspective on how we should handle authoritative figures that we don't agree with, and reminds me that even the Bible commands us to submit to our rulers. I close out our interview with five Batman-related trivia questions. He chastises me for finding The Lego Batman Movie funny. And then he names his three desert island movies. InstagramFacebookTwitterEmail: Author.andrewtoy@gmail.comThis episode was sponsored by Spur Creative

Welcome Dan Smouse to the show. I haven't spoken to Dan since he was my junior high youth group paster from 1995-1997 (Now you never have to wonder how old I am!). He currently lives in Nikiski, Alaska where he shoots not only hunting guns, but pictures of nature and of people. A true fisherman, he is the lead pastor of a church. This evening we talk about the 1986 sports classic, Hoosiers. Dan reveals how it's much more than just a sports movie, but it's a love story as well - on more levels than you'd think. He also talks about how this movie helped bring him out of a dark place by giving him a realization of something he desperately needed. His recounting of this story inspires me. Dan also recalls his leader and mentor who stated, "I don't care if you like me. I care that you're godly." Dan reflects on this statement and how it has impacted him over the years. From there, we discuss whether Gene Hackman's character, Coach Dale, is a Christ-figure, and what we could learn from that, both from a leadership perspective and from the perspective of a follower. We also talk a bit about idolizing and worshiping people, and why we do that. We talk about the heartache that comes when our idols fall, and how we should handle that ache. And having worked a lot with youth, Dan answers the question of how far we should push our young ones in terms of athleticism. Also, are inspirational films damaging in the sense that they give false hope to those who just can't cut it? We close out the interview with five Hoosiers-related questions and Dan names three other desert island movies. You HAVE to check out Dan's photography on his Instagram PageHere's Dan's blogThe Truth Over Tribe podcastJohn Crist on Rehab and Getting CancelledInstagramFacebookTwitterEmail: Author.andrewtoy@gmail.comThis episode was sponsored by Spur Creative

In this episode I sit with Kyle Richardson, a creative director who lives just south of Nashville, Tennessee. He's also my best friend of over 25 years. Join us as we discuss his all-time favorite movie, Disney's Heavyweights (1996). Kyle also is the owner of the Heavyweights Instagram page.This is a movie he's loved since he first saw it on video back in junior high, because he knew it as the follow-up to The Mighty Ducks. Even all these years later, we agree that this comedy still holds up. Aside from the jokes, Heavyweights captures the magic of childhood spent at summer camp. Kyle is a big Ben Stiller fan, and he argues that this is Stiller's absolute best role. Being such a big fan of the movie, Kyle shares some interesting behind-the-scenes trivia, including a hilarious deleted scene that Disney would NEVER allow into one of their family-friendly movies. We discuss how parents tend to shuffle off their children's problems to other institutions to take care of, or cure. But what's nice in this movie is that the fat kids just don't care. Camp Hope is a place where they can all gather together and be themselves. Kyle also recounts the humorous story about the first time he cooked a frozen pizza and how that moment became such a milestone in his life. Also, is Heavyweights too politically incorrect for Disney+? Am I the only one who's shocked to find that it's available? I ask Kyle's opinion on this, and that inevitably leads us into a conversation about cancel culture and it's effects on comedy as we know it. Does Heavyweights fat-shame, or does it glorify obesity? Listen in as Kyle offers his opinions. I close out the interview with five Heavyweights-related trivia questions. See if you can beat him to the answers. Kyle then lists three other desert island movies. Ben Stiller ClipI highly recommend Will Smith's autobiographyInstagramFacebookTwitterEmail: Author.andrewtoy@gmail.comThis episode was sponsored by Spur Creative

In this episode, I walk you through my life journey from open heart surgery as a baby, to deep dark tragedy, and finally to redemption. I also discuss why movies are such a bedrock to me and how they're not so much an escape for me, but rather a way to connect a little deeper to the world. If you're interested in my show I encourage you to listen to this episode as I explain how the show will work, by inviting guests to discuss their favorite movies and how they were affected by those films. You don't have to be religious to listen to my show. You don't even have to be a movie buff. You don't have to be a parent or any particular race. I truly do believe that movies are a universal safe place, where we're free to express our own opinions. So join the conversation and let's discover, together, life through the big screen. FacebookInstagramTwitterAuthor.andrewtoy@gmail.comThis episode was sponsored by: Spur Creative

Here's the trailer to what you should expect from my show. In short, I'll have a guest come on each week to talk about a movie of their choice and how it affected them. We'll then take the conversation much deeper and discuss things such as politics, religion, culture, or wherever the contents of the film may lead us. My guests will be people from all walks of life, so there'll be a different flavor per episode. InstagramFacebookAuthor.andrewtoy@gmail.com