Stabs of Joy

Season 2 of my podcast--which was formerly called "Aslan's Paw" and is now "Stabs of Joy"--came to an abrupt halt when my father passed away unexpectedly and very suddenly in January 2017, after a brief battle with an extremely aggressive cancer. The event wrecked my world, frankly, and everything stopped for awhile--except for the memorial service tribute to my dad that was recorded and that I published on Jan. 17, 2017 on this podcast.   I'm happy to say that things are beginning to come back to life on this podcast, beginning with my first interview since late 2016. Episode 5 of Season 2 brings you Stuart Hazeldine, the director of the new film "The Shack," starring Sam Worthington and Octavia Spencer.   Besides listening to the interview here, you can also read the written version of it, along with some more details and thoughts I had about the interview, here at RockinGodsHouse.com.

This is a break from the usual programming at Aslan's Paw, and it is something very personal. On Jan. 3, 2017, my awesome, dear dad passed away after battling an aggressive cancer. It was all very sudden and unexpected. The cancer came very quickly and seemingly appeared out of nowhere in late December. The event has put a grinding halt to my work and my podcast, but I wanted to share this tribute--a message I put together to honor my dad--that was recorded at the memorial service on Friday, 1pm, 1/13/17. After my message, the recording also has the rest of the service: stories about my dad told by a few who were in attendance at the service, concluded by a prayer and some of my dad's favorite music, hymns by Dailey & Vincent, that he had enjoyed in recent months before he died. My dad was such an amazing person, and besides providing an easy, practical way to share this recording/tribute with friends and family, I wanted to share the eulogy with the public as well in hopes that it will inspire and bless you in some way. It includes some of my dad's favorite quotes and Scriptures, including quotes from Sir Andrew Barton, Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings, and verses from 2 Corinthians and John 14. My tribute takes up the first 17 minutes of the recording. The rest of the service, the other anecdotes and the closing prayer, is the last 10 minutes.

Legendary Disney animator Mark Henn, the animator who drew iconic characters such as Belle, Ariel, and Jasmine, talks his new film "Moana"--what went into making the incredible water animation, what's unique about the film--and he also talks faith, what he's thankful for this year, and what Christians might find interesting/edifying about "Moana."   You can read a transcript of the interview here.   Aslan's Paw is hosted by Kevin Ott, author of Shadowlands and Songs of Light: An Epic Journey into Joy and Healing.

Luke Smallbone of For King and Country shares his journey from music to film and the amazing true story behind his new film Priceless.    You can read the transcript of the interview here.   Aslan's Paw is hosted by Kevin Ott, author of Shadowlands and Songs of Light: An Epic Journey into Joy and Healing.

Author Kevin Ott speaks on the subject "From the Head to the Heart," about rediscovering our wonder for God and the Gospel.   This was recorded during one of Kevin's events from his book tour for his book Shadowlands and Songs of Light: An Epic Journey into Joy and Healing.

In the first episode of Season Two for Aslan's Paw, Todd Komarnicki, writer of the film "Sully," discusses the film and a range of interesting topics: how his faith in Christ fits into his Hollywood career, how the "Sully" story has inspired him, why the film is timely for our culture, and what it was like working with Clint Eastwood and Tom Hanks. (Todd even shared the inside story behind the little piece of paper that Capt. Sully unrolls at a key moment in the film--one of my favorite moments.)

The new Ewan McGregor film, "Last Days in the Desert," directed by Rodrigo Garcia, releases May 13 in select theaters nationwide. There is also a special event May 12 in select theaters, which includes a conversation with Ewan McGregor and director Rodrigo Garcia. Find out more here. I had the chance to interview Rodrigo for this podcast, and we discussed the making of the film and other themes--everything from Jesus to the Devil to why Christians are strongly relating to this film and finding things to like about it even though it is not strictly a "faith-based" film, but is more of an art house film at its heart. After you listen to the interview, you can read my in-depth review of the film here or read the transcript of this interview in my latest article on RockinGodsHouse.com here.

In my interview with author Nicholas Sparks, he talks about God, broken relationships, and why he loved how 'The Choice' turned out.

The National Geographic Channel’s new mini-series, called The Story of God, starring actor Morgan Freeman, premiers Sunday, April 3, 9/8c. The mini-series tackles one major God-related topic per episode–i.e. exploring one question per episode, such as “What happens after we die?” or “Who is God?”–the big questions. Morgan Freeman has a genuine hunger for these big questions (as you’ll see in the trailer above). He and the crew who traveled with him, including producer James Younger, wanted to dive headfirst into the various religions found on earth (including Christianity) and try to put themselves in the shoes of other people. I had the chance to speak with James about the mini-series, and we had an interesting chat about Jesus and what “The Story of God” is aiming for in its globetrotting exploration of religion.

In this podcast episode I speak with Bryan Williams about his new documentary, showing in theaters one night only (Tues. 3/29/16, this week!) about the Tuskegee Airmen. Here's the intro from my article on RockinGodsHouse.com about the interview and the film: If a Tuskegee airman hadn’t walked into a diner on a certain day and time in 2007, the day that producer Bryan Williams was there for an important meeting–and if Bryan had not uttered a certain prayer only seconds before the legendary airman walked through the door and nodded at Bryan–an amazing series of events would not have unfolded. These subsequent events included everything from George Lucas (yes, that George Lucas, the one who made Star Wars) to bizarrely timed phone calls from strangers, to a rather grueling sit-down with Bill Cosby. And all of that is leading to a monumental theatrical release this Tuesday about one of the most inspiring stories to emerge from the twentieth century. I’m talking about the new documentary “In Their Own Words: The Tuskegee Airmen–the 75th Anniversary.” I had a chance to see an advance screening of it, and it is superb. It covers so much ground: tons of interviews with original Tuskegee Airmen, and it tells many fascinating stories, like when Eleanor Roosevelt ditched her Secret Service escort to fly with one of the African-American pilots (who would become a Tuskegee Airmen) to prove to the world that these men were just as good as any other pilots. It also tells the stories of the white pilots who stood up for the Tuskegee Airmen (and paid a heavy price for it). If you admire the Tuskegee Airmen, the famous African-American pilots who flew in combat during WWII, then you might be excited to know that this year marks their 75th anniversary. And what better way to commemorate their story by seeing this new documentary, which is playing in theaters one night only, Tues. March 29, 7pm local time. (Check the theater listings linked below.) Here is all the info from a recent press release: Fathom Events is partnering with Bryton Entertainment to present “In Their Own Words: The Tuskegee Airmen – The 75th Anniversary” in select U.S. cinemas for the first time ever on Tuesday, March 29, 2016 at 7:00 p.m. local time. This one-night cinema event features emotional interviews, rare photographs, archival footage and computer-generated recreations. Audiences will also experience an exclusive panel discussion captured at the National Air Force Museum with Tuskegee Airman Lt. Col. George Hardy, Former Administrator of NASA Col. Fred Gregory, as well as the producer Bryan Williams and director Denton Adkinson. Tickets for “In Their Own Words: The Tuskegee Airmen – The 75th Anniversary” can be purchased online by visiting www.FathomEvents.com or at participating theater box offices. Fans throughout the U.S. will be able to enjoy the event in nearly 200 movie theaters through Fathom’s Digital Broadcast Network. For a complete list of theater locations visit the Fathom Events website (theaters and participants are subject to change).

Broadcasting from Interstate 70 on a cross-country drive in his mobile studio, author Kevin Ott explores the topic of "Apprehending the Presence of God." He examines the Word, A.W. Tower's "The Pursuit of God," the loss of a "sacramental mindset" in our culture, and how/why the Western world became so distant from God. This episode will challenge you to re-think what it means to draw near to God and experience His Presence. The episode also looks at the theological problem of the Omnipresence of God vs the Manifest Presence of God. Scriptures include Matthew 13:44 and Genesis 28:16.

I recently had the chance to attend the world premiere of the film "Saints & Strangers," which is a two-part movie: Part 1 airs on Sunday, Nov. 22 at 9/8c on the National Geographic Channel. Part 2 airs on Monday, Nov. 23 at 9/8c. At the premiere I had the privilege to interview most of the cast of "Saints & Strangers," including Ron Livingston ("Office Space," "Band of Brothers"), Barry Sloane ("Noah"), Anna Camp ("The Help"), Meganne Young ("The Giver"), Raoul Trujillo ("Apocalypto") and other superb actors. I even had the chance to interview Hollywood power player Teri Weinberg, one of the VPs over NBC and one of the producers of "The Office." This episode shares my audio from those red carpet interviews as well as a mini-review of the film itself, which tells the true story behind Thanksgiving and has a powerful emphasis on the faith in Christ that helped the pilgrims stay the course and survive their brutal journey into the New World in 1621.

Christian recording artist Jordan Feliz has recently topped the Billboard charts with his hit single "The River" from his debut album "Beloved," which combines a unique vintage soul sound with superb songwriting. Even more amazing than his debut success is the story of his faith journey. Kevin speaks with Jordan about his music and his faith and also learns that he and Jordan share some surprising things in common.

In Episode 2 of the Aslan's Paw Podcast, hosted by Christian author Kevin Ott, Dolly Parton speaks with Kevin about her personal experiences with miracles and her belief that Jesus still does miracles today. Kevin then describes a life-changing miracle he experienced years ago, and then shares his email interview with Ian McCormack, the man whose miraculous story is the basis for the film "The Perfect Wave," starring Scott Eastwood (son of Clint Eastwood) and Rachel Hendrix. Kevin ends the podcast by answering this question: if miracles are real, and if Jesus still does do miracles today, how does that fit into the larger picture of our faith? These interviews with Dolly Parton and Ian McCormack were originally transcribed for articles that Kevin wrote for RockinGodsHouse.com.

In the first episode of Aslan's Paw, author Kevin Ott interviews actor David Oyelowo ("Selma," "Lee Daniels' The Butler," "Interstellar") about his new film "Captive" that released Sept. 2015, which tells the true story of Ashley Smith (played by Kate Mara) who, in 2005, as a single mother struggling with drug addiction, was taken hostage in her own apartment by a man named Brian Nichols (Oyelowo) who was on the run after breaking out of jail and murdering the judge assigned to his case. In the interview, Oyelowo discusses the transforming power of God's grace in our lives. He also shares thoughts about his experience playing the role of Nichols, and he shares how God paved the way for the release of "Captive" in some amazing ways. The interview was originally transcribed and published for Christian entertainment site RockinGodsHouse.com in Sept. of 2015. (Kevin is the editor and co-owner of Rocking God's House.)