Podcasts about Ebert

For the first show of the New Year, we're sharing a couple of previously unaired live conversations: Adam with Matt Singer about Jeff Nichols's TAKE SHELTER, recorded at Filmspotting Fest; and with Michael Phillips at the City of Chicago's 50th anniversary celebration of Siskel & Ebert about John Sayles's 1996 western noir LONE STAR. This episode is presented by⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Regal Unlimited⁠⁠⁠, the all-you-can-watch movie subscription pass that pays for itself in just two visits. (Timecodes and chapter starts may not be precise with ads.) Intro (00:00:00-00:01:55) Take Shelter with Matt Singer, Live at Filmspotting Fest (00:01:56-00:26:45) Next Week / Notes (00:26:46-00:29:33) Lone Star with Michael Phillips, Live at Siskel & Ebert 50th Anniversary (00:29:34-01:04:25) Credits / New Releases (01:04:26-01:05:44) Links: -Filmspotting Fest ⁠​​https://www.filmspotting.net/filmspotting-fest⁠ -Siskel & Ebert 50th Anniversary https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/dca/provdrs/chicago_film_office/news/2025/october/siskel_ebert.html Feedback: -Email us at ⁠⁠⁠feedback@filmspotting.net⁠⁠⁠. -⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ask Us Anything⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and we might answer your question in bonus content. Support: -Join the Filmspotting Family for bonus episodes and archive access. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://filmspottingfamily.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -T-shirts and more available at the Filmspotting Shop. ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.filmspotting.net/shop⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/filmspotting⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://letterboxd.com/filmspotting⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://facebook.com/filmspotting⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/filmspotting⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/larsenonfilm⁠⁠  ⁠https://letterboxd.com/larsenonfilm⁠⁠⁠⁠  https://www.facebook.com/larsenonfilm ⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/larsenonfilm.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Send us a text*If you missed our Best Of episode, it's on your feed! It dropped on Wednesday*5:59 We Bury the Dead17:17 The Dutchman24:12 The ChoralHappy New Year!It's a rare 3-movie week here on 'Roger (Ebert) & Me,' the only comprehensive 'Siskel & Ebert'-style review show out there. A film criticism podcast. Please rate and review on Apple Podcasts. Even if you're on Spotify or YouTube, jump over there and throw us 5 stars. We can't get on RottenTomatoes until 200 people rate it!   'Roger & Me' is a movie review podcast covering all new releases, both theatrical and streaming, every Friday, modeled after 'Siskel & Ebert.'   Hosted by Mark Dujsik of markreviewsmovies.com & Brett Arnold of Yahoo Entertainment and The New Flesh podcast, a show about horror movies that is currently celebrating its tenth year.Support the show

Send us a textAnother year is in the books! Thanks for listening to us keep the 'Siskel & Ebert' spirit alive every week.On this special year-end episode, we count down our favorite films of 2025, pausing to highlight the best supporting and lead performances of the year as well as movies that were overlooked.Mark's top 10 list can be found at markreviewsmovies.comBrett's lists are on Yahoo here and hereSupport the show

It's time for our year in review episodes! In this episode, we've got lists for our stinkers of 2025. We've got the worst of lists of movies released in 2025 and what we had to review from Siskel and Ebert this year. Are we talking about The Smashing Machine? Eddington? LITTLE MONSTERS?! Listen and find out!

This week we tackle the review of Siskel and Ebert on the film BETTER OFF DEAD. Lane Meyer (John Cusack) is a teen with a peculiar family and a bizarre fixation with his girlfriend, Beth (Amanda Wyss). When Beth dumps Lane, he decides to kill himself, making bumbling attempts at suicide. Outside of his morbid endeavors, Lane spends time with his oddball buddy, Charles (Curtis Armstrong), and befriends Monique (Diane Franklin), a visiting French student. Eventually, Lane resolves to race Beth's obnoxious new beau on the ski slopes, with unexpected results. SUBSCRIBE TODAY!Visit thecultworthy.comVisit https://www.themoviewire.comVideo: https://www.youtube.com/@back2thebalcony

Send us a text6:55 Anaconda14:45 Song Sung Blue27:07 No Other Choice36:36 The Testament of Ann Lee42:38 The Plague50:16 Father Mother Sister Brother58:34 Goodbye June01:04:49 The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarepantsIt's an 8-movie week here on 'Roger (Ebert) & Me,' the only comprehensive 'Siskel & Ebert'-style review show out there. A film criticism podcast. Please rate and review on Apple Podcasts. Even if you're on Spotify or YouTube, jump over there and throw us 5 stars. We can't get on RottenTomatoes until 200 people rate it!   'Roger & Me' is a movie review podcast covering all new releases, both theatrical and streaming, every Friday, modeled after 'Siskel & Ebert.'   Hosted by Mark Dujsik of markreviewsmovies.com & Brett Arnold of Yahoo Entertainment and The New Flesh podcast, a show about horror movies that is currently celebrating its tenth year.Support the show

Junk Food Dinner returns for our annual holiday celebration and this year we're feeling particularly nostalgic! Up first, The Muppets gang crashes at Fozzy's mom's house for the holidays and they're bringing all their friends, even the Sesame Street and Fraggle Rock crew, in the 1987 TV special A Muppet Family Christmas. Then, we revisit one of Sean's favorite holiday traditions; we see what movies and electronics film critics Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert were recommending folks pick up in the Siskel and Ebert's 1990 Holiday Video Gift Guide! And finally, in the summer of 1992, one of biggest films was the blockbuster sequel Batman Returns. Tim Burton and Michael Keaton returned but this time Batman squares off against The Penguin (played by Danny DeVito) and Catwoman (played by Michelle Pfeiffer). But is it a Christmas movie? You bet your Batmobile it is! All this plus holiday cheer from our buddy Peter, tributes to some fallen heroes, Sean's epic new video mix tape and much more!LISTEN NOW:MP3 Direct DonloydAlso, if you like the show, please take a minute and subscribe and/or comment on us on iTunes, Stitcher, Blubrry or Podfeed.net. Check us out on Facebook and Twitter! We'd love to see some of your love on Patreon - it's super easy and fun to sign up for the extra bonus content. We'll keep this podcast going with your love and support.

Send us a text7:28 Avatar: Fire and Ash20:10 Marty Supreme29:36 The Housemaid35:06 Is This Thing On?42:39 The Voice of Hind Rajab47:25 Cover-UpIt's an 6-movie week here on 'Roger (Ebert) & Me,' the only comprehensive 'Siskel & Ebert'-style review show out there. A film criticism podcast. Please rate and review on Apple Podcasts. Even if you're on Spotify or YouTube, jump over there and throw us 5 stars. We can't get on RottenTomatoes until 200 people rate it!   'Roger & Me' is a movie review podcast covering all new releases, both theatrical and streaming, every Friday, modeled after 'Siskel & Ebert.'   Hosted by Mark Dujsik of markreviewsmovies.com & Brett Arnold of Yahoo Entertainment and The New Flesh podcast, a show about horror movies that is currently celebrating its tenth year.Support the show

The Big Lebowski is a cult classic, one of the Coen Brothers most popular films and is the fav film of at least one of our dads. But what do us jaded millennials think of this Gen-X classic? Well we talked about it for almost three hours. We talk about: Luke Brings A World Of Pain, Far Sector, Baby Steps, Skate Story, Girls From LETHAL, The Good The Bad And The Ugly, Art Wrestling, Dead Rising 3, Persona History, Bad Posters, Walter, Lil Lebowski, Walter The Mod, John Turturro, Daddy Issues, Ashley's Limo Connection, Toe Problem, Walter Is Right, Sam Elliot, Hoid Casting, Prostate Exam?, Kid Interrogation, Bowling Porno, The Big du Bois, RIP To Donny, Pulling Guns, Siskel & Ebert, Labowski the Gathering, Chainsaw Man, Walter Vs The Devil,

Send us a text8:48 Ella McCay20:52 Silent Night Deadly Night27:56 Dust Bunny37:26 Dead Man's Wire44:32 Resurrection52:10 Influencers59:21 AtropiaIt's an 7-movie week here on 'Roger (Ebert) & Me,' the only comprehensive 'Siskel & Ebert'-style review show out there. A film criticism podcast. Please rate and review on Apple Podcasts. Even if you're on Spotify or YouTube, jump over there and throw us 5 stars. We can't get on RottenTomatoes until 200 people rate it!   'Roger & Me' is a movie review podcast covering all new releases, both theatrical and streaming, every Friday, modeled after 'Siskel & Ebert.'   Hosted by Mark Dujsik of markreviewsmovies.com & Brett Arnold of Yahoo Entertainment and The New Flesh podcast, a show about horror movies that is currently celebrating its tenth year.Support the show

Nick Ebert ist der einzige Spieler unserer 1. Männermannschaft, der im Jahr 2025 in allen Liga-Spielen auf dem Platz stand. Das allein zeigt die Bedeutung des Mittelfeldspielers, der über den SV Rangsdorf und Grün-Weiß Deutsch Wusterhausen zum FSV Admira kam, und von da aus 2023 als frisch gebackener Kreisoberliga-Meister an den Wüstemarker Weg wechselte.In der 123. Episode des Podcasts „Die Eintracht im Ohr“ spricht Nick über das Jahr 2025 mit seinen vielen Gänsehaut-Momenten wie dem „Wunder von Seelow“ und dem 8:0 gegen Eintracht Peitz, mit dem die Eintracht den Aufstieg in die Brandenburgliga perfekt machte. Und nicht zuletzt geht es um die starke Hinrunde in der höchsten Spielklasse des Landes Brandenburg mit einigen Überraschungssiegen, dem sensationellen 3:1 gegen Spitzenreiter MSV Neuruppin am Schluss und der Kabinen-Party danach. Kein Wunder, dass Nick 2025 als das bislang beste Jahr seiner Karriere bezeichnet.Aber auch von schwierigen Phasen ist die Rede, etwa von seinem ersten halben Jahr bei der Eintracht, als er über einen Abgang nachdachte, oder von der Niederlagen-Serie im November. Nick verrät außerdem, wie wichtig seine Eltern als Begleiter und Ratgeber auch in sportlichen Fragen sind – und warum er eigentlich nie verletzt ist.

Marty returns for his second game - this time in search of questions on food and Kevin Smith movies. Spoiler alert: he does find at least one of those categories. Enjoy!Stuff From This EpisodeWhat's he been up to?Fantasy football!What does he recommend?PeacemakerWhat is he looking forward to?The winter.Where does he quiz?Kid Rips in Runnymede, NJ#######JOIN THE DISCORD!!!The best way to get the latest updates about the podcast and the Tuesday night Twitch stream is to join the Discord server. It's easy to do by clicking this link: https://discord.gg/z95CZGQrKQWant to build your own game of Tangents?All you have to do is pick a date that works for you: https://calendly.com/triviaworkshop/ And be sure to check out the other Trivia Workshop links here:https://linktr.ee/TriviaWorkshop New Start Time for the Tuesday Night Live StreamStarting October 14, 2025, we'll be moving the Trivia Workshop Tuesday night stream up to 7:30 pm Central. Unless the bottom falls out for viewership, we'll probably stick with this time.Thank You Patreon Crew!This podcast wouldn't be possible without your support. Thank you all - and welcome to our newest member, Scott Anglemyer! If you'd like to join, it's easy! Just go to https://www.patreon.com/TriviaWorkshop for your options.And as always, thanks to the entire Patreon Crew - Andrew Buxbaum, Anne Putnam, Asha Ouseph, Brandon Fellows, Brian Irving, Brock Kwiatkowsky, Bryan Nash, cheyenne fletcher, Chris Collins, Christian Hernandez, Claire Bancroft, Dalton McGhiey, Danielle Fields, Ian Schulze, Jane Hansen, Jay Borsom, Jeff Clear, Jillian Hawkins, JJaz, John Liu, Kevin Kuschel, Leslie Hyman, Luc Leavenworth, Madeleine Garvey, Martin Ebert, Matt Lamia, Nabeel Bader, Nanci Skinner, Nicole Bates-Rush, Paul Paquet, Quizmaster Caleb, Samantha Kuchar, Sarah Collins, Scott Anglemyer, Scott Barber, Shaun Bernstein, Skilletbrew, Steven Beningo, StitchinStacey, Tamara Morgan, The Professional Left, Tim Robert Gomez, Tony Schmit, Wendy Curtis, and Will GilbertTHIS ONE IS FOR MABEL. R.I.P.

En Côte d'Ivoire, en 2023, le ministère de la Femme, de la Famille et de l'Enfant a identifié plus de 16 300 enfants vivant dans la rue dans une dizaine de villes ivoiriennes, dont Abidjan. Ils dorment sur les trottoirs, survivent de petits boulots ou de mendicité… Des enfants livrés à eux-mêmes et exposés à la violence et aux abus. Mais depuis peu, les choses changent. Grâce au Programme pour la protection des enfants et adolescents vulnérables, des équipes sillonnent les quartiers pour leur tendre la main. Entre missions de rue, écoute et réinsertion, ces acteurs sociaux tentent de redonner une chance à ces enfants oubliés. De notre correspondant à Abidjan, Ce matin-là, des agents du Programme pour la protection des enfants et adolescents vulnérables arpentent les rues d'Abidjan. À bord de leurs véhicules, ils avancent prudemment, scrutent les trottoirs, les marchés, les dessous de ponts et les feux tricolores. Leur mission : repérer les enfants livrés à la rue. Parmi eux, Seaty Ebert, conseiller d'éducation. « Ce sont les mineurs qui sont recherchés. Celles qui vendent l'eau, qui ont l'âge d'aller à l'école et qui sont dans la rue. Et puis au niveau des jeunes garçons, ceux qui sont entre les véhicules en train d'essuyer les pare-brise. À vue d'œil, on les reconnaît », explique-t-il. Prise en charge des enfants au centre d'écoute et d'orientation du programme Quelques minutes plus tard, deux fillettes en train de mendier, un petit vendeur de chips, et un garçon fiévreux couché à même le sol sont identifiés. Embarqués dans le véhicule, les enfants se montrent d'abord méfiants. Ebert tente alors de les rassurer. « N'ayez pas peur, ne pleurez pas. On ne va pas vous faire du mal. C'est compris ! Votre place ce n'est pas dans les rues. » Direction Yopougon, au centre d'écoute et d'orientation du programme. Ici, les enfants mangent, reçoivent les premiers soins, puis sont suivis par des psychologues et des éducateurs. L'intérêt est de comprendre leur parcours, de recontacter les familles quand c'est possible, ou de préparer leur réinsertion. « Chaque enfant est un cas spécifique pour nous », précise Mamadou Touré, responsable dudit centre. « Si c'est un enfant qui a été déscolarisé, on a des écoles partenaires où on place l'enfant. Pour ceux dont l'âge excède 18 ans, on a des centres partenaires. On essaie de déceler le talent qui est le sien et on l'envoie vers cette formation. » Un réseau d'exploitation d'enfants découvert Le dispositif a permis de sortir plus de 4 000 enfants de la rue ces deux dernières années, assure le ministère ivoirien de la Femme, de la Famille et de l'Enfant. Mais les causes restent profondes : pauvreté familiale, violences domestiques, ruptures sociales. Pour certains enfants, revenir dans un cadre strict n'est pas une chose facile. Le sociologue Bini Koffi explique les résistances. « Un enfant qui s'est autonomisé dans la rue, qui a l'habitude d'agir seul et qui est libre de ses actions, si vous le remettez dans une situation familiale, que ce soit dans sa famille, ou dans un centre où il doit être orienté en terme de comportement, il est évident qu'il y aura un clash et il ne peut pas supporter. » Les maraudes ont aussi permis de mettre au jour un réseau d'exploitation d'enfants à des fins de mendicité, provenant de pays voisins. Fin 2023, 18 adultes ont été interpellés. Une enquête a été ouverte par le procureur de la République. Les enfants, eux, ont été confiés à leurs ambassades à Abidjan. À lire aussiCôte d'Ivoire: sortir de la rue

Send us a text7:15 Five Nights at Freddy's 218:01 Kill Bill: The Whole Bloody Affair32:00 Fackham Hall41:13 Merrily We Roll Along48:19 Jay Kelly58:10 100 Nights of Hero01:03:08 Reflection in a Dead Diamond01:09:23 Man Finds TapeIt's an 8-movie week here on 'Roger (Ebert) & Me,' the only comprehensive 'Siskel & Ebert'-style review show out there. A film criticism podcast. Please rate and review on Apple Podcasts. Even if you're on Spotify or YouTube, jump over there and throw us 5 stars. We can't get on RottenTomatoes until 200 people rate it!   'Roger & Me' is a movie review podcast covering all new releases, both theatrical and streaming, every Friday, modeled after 'Siskel & Ebert.'   Hosted by Mark Dujsik of markreviewsmovies.com & Brett Arnold of Yahoo Entertainment and The New Flesh podcast, a show about horror movies that is currently celebrating its tenth year.Support the show

Diana revisits a former interview with the late Dave Ebert, who went to be with Jesus in July 2024. His wife, Bobbie Ebert, joins the conversation to discuss their unique ministry. The couple uses improv comedy as a tool to help survivors of sex trafficking rediscover their voice, improve communication, and build confidence. Bobby shares her personal story of overcoming abuse and finding faith, while Dave discusses their journey into full-time ministry and their goal of creating a residential facility to support survivors. The episode also touches on the importance of laughter and joy in the healing process and provides details on how listeners can support their mission. 00:00 Introduction: Comedy and Sex Trafficking? 00:23 Sponsor Message: 7 5 3 Academy 01:11 Welcome to The Wounds of the Faithful Podcast 01:42 Introducing Dave and Bobby Ebert 02:12 The Power of Improv Comedy in Healing 04:48 Dave's Ministry Journey 07:50 Bobby's Testimony and Healing Journey 15:38 How Dave and Bobby Met 24:16 A Surprise Proposal 25:29 The Significance of the Ring 26:07 Life After Marriage 27:11 Transition to Full-Time Ministry 28:11 Using Comedy to Heal Trauma 29:24 The Missionary Journey 32:16 Fundraising and Support 32:48 Future Plans and Goals 35:06 The Power of Laughter 41:17 Final Thoughts and Call to Action The website is still up after his passing. Bobbie may be keeping the ministry going in his place. www.gifts4glory.com   Website: https://dswministries.org Subscribe to the podcast: https://dswministries.org/subscribe-to-podcast/ Social media links: Join our Private Wounds of the Faithful FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1603903730020136 Twitter: https://twitter.com/DswMinistries YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxgIpWVQCmjqog0PMK4khDw/playlists Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dswministries/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DSW-Ministries-230135337033879 Keep in touch with me! Email subscribe to get my handpicked list of the best resources for abuse survivors! https://thoughtful-composer-4268.ck.page #abuse #trauma Affiliate links: Our Sponsor: 753 Academy: https://www.753academy.com/ Can't travel to The Holy Land right now? The next best thing is Walking The Bible Lands! Get a free video sample of the Bible lands here! https://www.walkingthebiblelands.com/a/18410/hN8u6LQP An easy way to help my ministry: https://dswministries.org/product/buy-me-a-cup-of-tea/ A donation link: https://dswministries.org/donate/   Dave and Bobbie Ebert [00:00:00] What does comedy and sex trafficking have to do with each other? It's not what you think. We have my guest, Dave Ebert on the show again from the first season of the show to talk to us about his ministry once again. So find out the answer to my question next on The Wounds of the Faithful podcast. Special thanks to 7 5 3 Academy for sponsoring this episode. No matter where you are in your fitness and health journey, they've got you covered. They specialize in helping you exceed your health and fitness goals, whether that is losing body fat, gaining muscle, or nutritional coaching to match your fitness levels. They do it all with a written guarantee for results so you don't waste time and money on a program that doesn't exceed your goals. There are martial arts programs. Specialize in anti-bullying programs for kids to combat proven Filipino martial arts. They [00:01:00] take a holistic, fun, and innovative approach that simply works. Sign up for your free class now. It's 7 5 3 academy.com. Find the link in the show notes. Welcome to the Wounds of the Faithful Podcast, brought to you by DSW Ministries. Your host is singer songwriter, speaker and domestic violence advocate, Diana . She is passionate about helping survivors in the church heal from domestic violence and abuse and trauma. This podcast is not a substitute for professional counseling or qualified medical help. Now here is Diana. Hello friends. Welcome back to the podcast. I'm so glad to be here with you. We have a great show for you. More Dave Ebert. If you didn't hear Dave's first interview, please go back and listen to it. It was excellent. He told his personal [00:02:00] story and then how he started his ministry. He's gonna bring his wife tonight because they're doing this together. So you wanted to get the answer to the question that I posed in the beginning. The power of improv comedy in healing and growth. Reverends Dave and Bobby Ebert are on a unique mission to minister to survivors of sex trafficking using the power of improv comedy. With their help survivors find their voice, tap into their creativity, improve communication, and rediscover confidence as US missionaries. They use their unique calling to help those in need and bring light to the darkest of situations. So there areas of focus on their webpage here. Use comedy to break down walls and find the good soil for the seeds of God's word to be [00:03:00] planted. Rebuild confidence through fun, creative games and challenges. So these survivors are better prepared to reenter society. Provide a needed respite from the challenges of healing and recovery by creating a safe, fun, and laughter rich environment. Demonstrate the love of the father and share the redeeming power of Christ to encourage forgiveness of those who inflicted the unimaginable trauma. So I think you're gonna really enjoy Dave and Bobby. I mean, what, what could go wrong with comedians, right? I know that you're going to be blessed with their stories and their vision to help sex Traffick victims to heal. So without delay. Here's my conversation with Dave and Bobby Ebert. Please welcome back to the [00:04:00] show, Dave Ebert, and we also have his wife Bobby, on the show with us tonight. Welcome both of you guys. Thank you, Diana, for having us back or having me back. And then first time guest, long time listener. Bobby, thanks for having us. This is gonna be great having, uh, comedians on the show again, and you're on episode 12 of season one. So I definitely wanna see what you've been up to since then and you have some updates for us today. Yeah, absolutely. Did you want us to start? There's, there's a lot to cover. Yeah. Just remind the folks what you do, and then I'll have Bobby tell the folks a little bit about herself and what role she plays in the ministry you have there. Awesome. So for the last, decade, I've, run an improv ministry based here in Chicago where we sp spring the, light of Christ into various rooms using comedy to bring people together. [00:05:00] Most of our shows have been either ministry to the homeless or it's been fundraisers where we've raised funds for everything from animal care shelters to people who lost part of their home in a fire. To camps for foster kids, and it's all about bringing people together and uniting them in laughter. 'cause I truly believe that laughter is a gift from God because he knew that things would get stressful and science bears out that laughter is such a stress reliever, such a healthy benefit for the body that there's no way that happened by accident. God designed laughter as a gift to help us, kind of deal with, the things that are stressful and help us forget the things that really aren't our burdens to carry. And part of that ministry included for the last four and a half years have been working at Salt and Light Coalition in Chicago, working with survivors of sex trafficking, using improv as a way to kind of break down the walls that they've had to put up to just to survive because mm-hmm. Frankly, they've [00:06:00] been through hell on earth. And to survive you've gotta develop some calluses and around their heart, around in inside, there's just so many calluses and walls that are up and the gift of laughter kind of unlocks that and allows them to really advance in their healing. Mm-hmm. I'm such a big supporter of what you do, Dave, and, um, when you talk about. Oh, God created humor. I, I really wished in scripture there was more of like Jesus laughing or Jesus telling jokes, don't you? Yeah, I would think that the human experience would tell you that you get 13 men just camping out, walking the water in wilderness. They're gonna crack some jokes. They're gonna make some funny things like James and John teased Peter, oh, help me Lord, I'm drowning. Help me. And he would fire back, Hey, at least I got out of the boat. And the whole, the verse where, Jesus is talking about is easier for a camel to get through the eye of a needle. To me, that's. [00:07:00] That could be taken as a sarcastic moment, like just Jesus in front of everybody, just like making this comment, which is so ludicrous. It could easily be interpreted as being of a funny comment. Like, I mean, camel obviously can't pass through a needle. So I think that there are moments you can find in scripture that, that are funny. It wasn't his focus. Mm-hmm. But. Proverbs 17:22 says, Lightheart is like good medicine. Some translations say laughter is like good medicine. So I think mm-hmm. If it's covered at least once, then we can stick to it. 'cause the Bible is true from front to back. But yeah, it would be kind of fun to hear like open night in Jerusalem, open mike night. Yeah. That's awesome. So Bobby, why don't you tell the folks about your background and how you met the Lord maybe, and how you met Dave. Yeah, so [00:08:00] I am Bobby Ebert, Dave's wife. We've been married for eight years and. My testimony starts in my childhood is through a series of abuse growing up all the way from junior high all the way through high school. Um, it became pretty serious. The police ended up being, getting involved and just a wide variety of things that happened with. All of that and being severe trauma, the Lord revealed to me in a vision, my sinful nature. And so how that happened was I was in a counseling session at a crisis center, and it was in the middle of that crisis center session that. The Lord gave me this vision of a Santa Claus list where it has one size, all naughty and then a nice, but instead of it being naughty and nice and who's on that list, and it was all of my sins and I could read [00:09:00] them and I just remember like staring off in this what would look to other people as if a day I was in a daydream and I was just feeling mortified. About myself and the counselor had no idea what was going on. I was just looking off and the car ride home, I was just very silent. I was staying with my best friend and her family, and so they were my transportation, obviously, and I would just start repenting and just like asking Jesus to forgive me for salvation and. So one thing that I had a hard time wrapping my mind around was how does the blood of Jesus actually cleanse us? That is a dirty substance. How does that actually cleanse us? And I could not wrap my mind around that until that moment of [00:10:00] salvation and that veil was, it came right off and I just had like this instant understanding. So that was pretty amazing. And fast forward through. A few more years of going through like hope and healing and some other counseling sessions like the Lord did a really huge work in my heart and in my spirit, and even in my mind, like just completely renewed me and healed me. There is one Wednesday night I went to a church service where I was attending at that time. Happened to be at the back of the subdivision where I grew up and my dad still lived. In our childhood home at that time and on the way to church that Wednesday night, the Lord convicted me and told me three times, forgive your father. Mm-hmm. And I said, no, I am not. And after that third time I said, fine Lord. I will forgive him [00:11:00] if I drive by his house. I see the lights are on and he is up and awake. So after service, I drove by and I pulled in front of the house, and of course all the lights are on, doors are open, windows are open. He is watching tv. So I'm like, Ugh. So I arrived unannounced. And he let me in and we chatted and I had no idea why I was there. And finally I get up to excuse myself so I can travel home. It was a 45 minute ride to where I was living 'cause I had since moved in with another family member. And as I'm walking out the door. I literally have my body half in and half out of the door. And I turned and I said, I forgive you. And I was walking out that door and he says, hold on a minute. You get back in here there bubble. [00:12:00] And he says, what is this a 12 step program you're going through? So I came back and I sat back down and I just told him I could give you everything that has ever happened in my childhood, everything that you've ever done, and all the, I went on and he is like it created this special moment where he opened up and started talking about his childhood and the trauma and different things that he experienced, and he was still very unrepentant. Still is to this day, still denies everything that has. Ever taken place mostly 'cause he is protecting himself and from being vulnerable and having to actually repent. But it created this beautiful moment that had I disobeyed God, my dad to this day would [00:13:00] not be open. To hearing about Jesus. He doesn't always wanna hear it from me, but he'll ask me questions. He'll ask me questions, and he'll ask Dave questions and Dave has his. Unique way of being able to create this bond with my dad, where my dad's more open to speak with him versus me. And that's okay. Yeah. Uh, because he's still gonna get the gospel. Totally. So I'm glad that he's open and he's been. Open for 15 years now, and now he is just starting to do a Bible study with a friend. So God will use anybody and it doesn't have to be me. I planted, I watered seeds, but God gives an increase and he'll use anybody and I just pray, Lord. I don't care who it is, I just pray for his salvation. Mm-hmm. And he's, really into the chosen. And the chosen brings the word to life in a way that ma most people [00:14:00] haven't even thought of before. And so the chosen has been really powerful and getting him closer and closer to taking that final step and like, yes, Lord, I'm yours. So it's been really exciting to see over the last eight years to see, her dad really grow in that way. And, get closer and closer. He's in a crockpot right now. Yes. And a few more hours he'll be ready. Wow. I've talked about the chosen on the show before and some of the guests, and I don't necessarily like some of the liberties they take with some of it, who am I? If the show is getting people to get in the Bible? Mm-hmm. To come to church or to start asking questions. Or renew their relationship with Jesus. So I just let God do what God does, right? Yes. And I think that's a healthy place to be, is that you don't have to think that they're getting everything perfect or doing it right. I, and you know, there are times that we've looked at each [00:15:00] other like, maybe they could have done it differently, but like you said, it is getting people excited about the word and prayerfully people are not forming their entire doctrine and faith based on a TV show, but at least getting their appetite wet for more of the living word. Yes. Awesome. I really just love your story, Bobby, and that you are obedient to what God had called you to do, even though it maybe you were a little afraid to approach your father, but it looks like God's blessing you in that way, and even the healing from the trauma that you've gone through, that's a journey too. Now, how did you meet Dave? I was previously engaged and after that engagement broke off, I was like, Lord, like it's just you and me. And some of that was just a couple years of healing and being able to move on from that previous engagement. [00:16:00] 'cause it was a long-term relationship. We were together for over five years, so. I've been told by a counselor in the past that when you have something happen, you count how many years you've experienced that, divide it in half, and that's about how long it takes to like be able to move on from that, to heal from that. And it was probably about that halfway mark that I really felt like I was ready to move on and I. The Lord was blessing me to move on and to be open to dating again. And there's a few people who presented themselves, and Christians and non-Christians and the non-Christians. I was like, well, you're gonna be wasting your time and you're gonna be wasting my time. Mm-hmm. Yeah. But. Even the Christians who presented themselves, they weren't, they still weren't the right ones that God wanted for me.[00:17:00] And I am grateful because the Lord really showed me to be more discerning. So fast forward, I one day was like, I've always been against. Online dating, meeting people through dating websites and stuff. But I was like done. I was tired of being single and crying my eyes out in my pillow every night and I said, Lord, I don't care I doing this. So I signed up for Christian Mingle that night, and the next day I met a friend of Dave's and we got together and. We kinda. Tested things out for a couple of months and it wasn't a right fit to. But during that time I met Dave. He was actually dating somebody else that he had met, ChristianMingle. And actually I met her on Plenty of Fish. [00:18:00] Oh, sorry. Free site. Well, you were on Christian Mingle though, so the free version. I paid. Alright anyway, so we would all hang out as a group of friends and his relationship ended. My relationship ended with his friend and. Fast forward about three, four months. It's December, and the guy I was dating, he was having a Mark Schultz concert at his church and he needed help and I was like, you need some help. So I'm like, I volunteered to help as concert because he really. Volunteers. And so it was when we were there that Dave in showed interest in me and inquired like, so what is going on between the two of you? And he gave his blessing for Dave to make his move. And whoa, Dave and I [00:19:00] was, he friended me on Facebook along with some other people I met at the church that night. So I was like, okay, whatever. It's just people that I've met. Friending me on Facebook. But then we would start chatting on Messenger for hours on end, and he would try flirting with me. And I was like, Dave, stop. You're like, you're flirting with me. Stop. And I would use his cheesy line, be like, Hey, I can't help it. I'm a Libra, I'm a hopeless romantic. What would you say, Dave? Give us one of your best lines here. I would just say she had a nice smile, just simple, flirty stuff, trying to make her laugh through Facebook Messenger. Yeah. I don't really even remember any of my deadlines. I honestly don't remember either. But fast forward, come March, he asks me to go to a concert. Oh, he is asking me out on a date, and I wasn't for that. And so I assume like a bunch of your guy friends are going and he is like, well, actually mm-hmm. [00:20:00] It's just one friend of mine, my sister, and I'm asking you, and I was like, crap. So I agreed to go and it was so awkward. How do I connect with these people? His sister ended up not going, so it was just me and his friend that he had started to improv the group with. And finally after the concert, his friend started talking about. Moody Radio, moody Church here in Chicago. Okay, here's a point of connection. Here's something to strike up a conversation. And so we started to converse about that and Dave was freaking out thinking, oh no, they're connecting, but we really weren't connecting like that. So he walks me to the train after I protested. 'cause the train was literally right across the street. I could walk myself and. It is Chicago is late at night. At night, [00:21:00] and you're not letting her walk by herself to the train. Mm-hmm. No. I've been to Chicago, but I'm not afraid of the city. So I've had plenty of experiences on my own and as a young kid in the city in some rough neighborhoods. So I am pretty confident. But anyway, I let him walk me to the train, and I have this anxiety about making sure I'm on the trains right away. And so I'm not missing my trains. So I get on this train and he's literally like, what? No hug. All right. So for context, I walked her all the way to the platform of the train. We're talking, and as soon as the doors opened, like literally as soon as they came apart, she was gone. No. So the lamest of lame ploys, I'm like. What, no hug. So she came back out, gave me the side bro hug, and then came back to the train. And here I am leaving this date thinking like, [00:22:00] man, I am in the friend zone. And then know what the friend zone is. So the next day we are talking on the phone and we're talking about this. Concert and what happened, and so to give some back info, the movie Courageous, if everyone has seen that at the end, they're doing the Father's Day speech and they're listing off all the I will declarations that they will do as fathers and men of the home and husbands. When that movie came out and I saw it, I was like, okay, Lord, whoever I marry really has to follow all of those declarations. And so we're on the phone discussing this date and at the, towards the end of the conversation, he starts saying all of these declarations. And he had never seen the movie. And so it was like literally God [00:23:00] was slapping me upside the head and I literally was on my couch like. Oh my. This is my husband. Well, okay Lord. So then it went from there. We dated for seven months, got engaged and got married seven months after our engagement. And now here we are eight years later. I propose at the end of church service. Yes, I had coordinated with, our pastor and I asked him to say, set it up as like a testimony stay. 'Cause it was two weeks before Thanksgiving, set it up as like, do you have any Thanksgiving testimonies? So a couple people shared and then when I realized that nobody was gonna go after, go next, I, that's when I started my testimony and then stood up to the platform and proposed and I was like, wow. Yeah, so, but it's funny though, because he stood up in his seat, well, not on his seat, from his seat, [00:24:00] and started to talk to the congregation, introducing himself and stuff. Okay. But then when he moved up to the front of the church, oh my gosh, Dave, this is not one of your comedy shows. You don't have to stand in front of everybody. You had no clue, huh? Yeah. And so one of the men in the church, he kind of thought it was funny too, and he is like, well, what is this? Like some kind of proposal happening. And as soon as he said that, I started backing up. 'cause I'm on the platform as part of the worship team. I interpreted. The worship in ASL. So I literally was backing up to the wall as far as I could go, and he starts his proposal and you hear the gasps and stuff, and I'm like, oh my goodness, because I'm not. Usually comfortable being center of attention and all [00:25:00] eyes were on me and I was no pressure freaking out. Were you happy that he proposed? Yes. And he will tell everybody that when he. I asked, will you marry me? That I never said yes, but I did several times with my head buried into his shoulder and in his ears. But what is true, I did not give her the ring. She snatched it out of the box. I did. But this is what is really cool. And so God ordained is the ring that he proposed with is his mom's ring. But it also happens to be the same exact ring that I used to look at in the old Sears and service merchandise catalogs when I was a kid. When I was a kid. Mm-hmm. So it was a sign that, yes, this really is of God and this, it really is your [00:26:00] husband. I've never heard that before. That is, yeah. That is something else. Yes. Wow. Years later, and I don't remember. You don't have any children, right? Not yet. Not yet. Not yet. Okay. We're working on it. Not right now though. Yeah. That'll drive up the ratings, the tmmi ratings, because it's been a few years. I didn't wanna assume, but sorry. No, we just go with it here. Yeah. And yeah, I can't make this stuff up. Right, right. Now you were doing the comedy, the improv, like part-time, right? And you were pastoring, weren't you, Dave? We were co children's pastors and have been together basically since we got married. And so that was, that's part-time unpaid volunteer here. [00:27:00] 'cause we've been at small churches. Mm-hmm. And building up rewards in heaven. Yes. Yeah. The economy was part-time and we get paid every once in a while, but it was never an income generator. So I've had a few different jobs that paid the bills, but what's different now is in October of 22, I got laid off and the Lord showed us through several circumstances that it was time to get into full-time ministry. And so this September we went through missions training and we are now a US missionary candidate. And we'll be doing what I've been doing in salt and light full time, which is working with survivors of trauma, using comedy and improv to unlock their creativity and their communication skills and remind them that it's okay to laugh, it's okay to, mm-hmm. Let your guard down and find joy in life. Yeah. So we've been working with specifically trafficking survivors, and the need is [00:28:00] they need to know that. There's hope for them and there is a future for them, and that their hope is in Jesus and that their future is in Jesus as well. So through the comedy, what we do is like the improv workshops with them, and through that we're able to break down the walls in their hearts and turn stone hearts into hearts of clay, and we're able to share the love of Jesus with them. And what's really awesome and was the unwritten benefit and the unwritten aspect is that I, I am a man coming in with these women who survived being abused and just put through literal hell on earth by men. So they're getting a chance to see that, number one, there are. Healthy men that you can trust. Mm-hmm. And also because we're married, Bobby's been able to come to a few of the workshops now, and they're [00:29:00] able to see that there is a possibility of a healthy marriage. And we get to model those things while we're also having fun and seeing God really break down a lot of walls. You lost your job in 2020. I lost my job in 2022 also. It's just amazing how God moves us in a different direction and it's definitely changed my life. And you might remember from our first conversation, Dave, that I was a missionary for 13 years Baptist ary as a church planter. Now that process of becoming a church planter, it's probably different than the process that you're going through to become missionaries, or you just went through candidate school and what does that look like? So it started in January with the application very in depth, had to find 10 references, which to me was like they're serious because especially for guys, we don't have that many close people. We're [00:30:00] just like, we have, Jesus had like really three close people. Mm-hmm. Then he had the 12 disciples, but he had three. And it's like, how am I supposed to have three times as many friends as Jesus, but we got the re re it calling people. Right? And this is Dave, um, Dave Ebert? Yeah. Yeah. The comedian. Oh no. Yeah, that, that's me. And so it was kind like trying to find a groomsman for the wedding. Calling up people from third grade, Hey, uh, what are you doing this weekend? What's your dad doing this? I heard from him for 10 years. Right. And usually when you hear somebody out of the blue after 10 years and they talk really friendly, usually they're trying to get you in some MLM. Right, right. Hey, hey, you wanna buy my tell you about what I'm doing? Yeah, exactly. Yeah. doTERRA unto others as you would have doTERRA unto you. But, so there's application [00:31:00] process and there were interviews with the head of missions, then interviews with the people who would be over my specific department. Several testing a lot of forms that fill out Yeah. Psych tests. Psych tests, psych tests, and then, yeah. Yeah. Make sure that. We can at least lie well enough to, no, I'm kidding. No, to make sure that we're ready because Yeah. When you walk out into full-time ministry, especially with missions where you're responsible for your own fundraising and support raising. It takes a toll and you have to be healthy. You have to be in a good position also. You have to be in a place where you're not like escaping the world to say, oh, I'm just gonna be a missionary and get away from stuff. Mm-hmm. So they do a very good job of vetting and making sure that you're healthy and ready. Yes. And then the candidate school, the orientation was six, 10 hour days of. Learning about fundraising, about how to, honor the [00:32:00] gifts that people give, and also the different rules and regulations that we have to follow because we are accountable to our home church, to our home district as well as to the national assemblies. So a lot of training, a lot of prep, a lot of numbers. And now we're hitting the road calling every pastor we know. The churches that we visited for fundraising with the comedy team, we're connecting with them and just asking them for support. Because what we're gonna do is we're serving organizations that don't have a budget to hire an improv coach. So we wanna go and serve them free of charge and just rely on the body of Christ to make sure that our cats don't go homeless. The goal is to also eventually open our own facility. Wow. So like a home, like a residential home? Yeah, like a residential facility for survivors, men, women and children. And to offer [00:33:00] them a comprehensive therapy as well as job training skills and things to get them on their feet so that once they're on the, in this place where they're ready to start over. If they're ready to start over and start building a life, instead of many trafficking victims when they come out of trafficking, unless they have an organization that walks in hand in hand, they either fall back into drugs, they fall back into that lifestyle again. Or worse, they fall into depression and impossible suicide because. They end up escaping, but they have a record. Yeah, because they're, they've probably been picked up by the police several times. They've also probably got a drug record because either the people that they were quote unquote working for or by their own desire to survive, they. End up on drugs, just trying to cope. Mm-hmm. In many cases, and courts really don't care why you're being arrested for being intoxicated or on drugs. [00:34:00] They just know that you are. And so that makes their lives really hard once they escape, because who's gonna help them? They've got a rap sheet, they've probably got no place decent to stay. Mm-hmm. They might have kids that are now in the system, so they have a lot stacked against them when they get out. We want to be another or be an organization that gives them all the tools they need to not only escape and survive, but to actually start to thrive. Mm-hmm. They can leave their past behind and it will be just a beautiful testimony to share of God's goodness that no matter what you're going through, God can redeem it and heal it. And, we wanna do our own facility here in Illinois and we also wanna reproduce what we're doing because. We believe it's valuable and it's unique, and it helps kind of fill in some of the gaps that traditional therapy might leave. Mm-hmm. Because a lot of the times these survivors have felt betrayed or felt like they can't trust people, [00:35:00] and so traditional therapy doesn't always work. It doesn't always help them free themselves from their past. Yeah. So when comedy is entered into the picture. We can kind of till that soil a little bit so that now therapy is a little bit easier because now the, some of the calluses and the walls are torn down. Yeah. So then you open doors for other types of healing methods once you get through that big block wall. Right. It's been amazing 'cause we've seen women open up publicly for the first time and share their stories where. Traditional therapies may not have worked in that way, if that makes sense. They find more freedom when they start to laugh. When you laugh in a room with other people, there's like this bond that happens where you feel safe because now you have all admitted something about yourselves. If you go to a comedy show and you hear a group of 500 strangers laughing, they're not strangers when they leave that comedy show because in the midst of that, [00:36:00] they laughed and admit they have something in common. And when you admit that you have something in common with 500 other people, now you don't feel alone. Now you feel a little bit of safety and we've seen these women, , find that they are, feel safe enough to share their story for the first time in any kind of a public setting. And as once you shed light on your pain and shed light on what you're struggling with, it doesn't seem quite as big and as daunting and shedding light on it allows you to give it to God and let him finish the healing. Like you say, the laughter is so powerful because it makes you feel good, and then the laughter makes you feel better because all those endorphins and the serotonin levels are. Where they're supposed to be. And you look on the world in a different perspective. It's crazy. Like I, 10 minutes ago I was depressed and now I think I'm gonna make it. And here's something I like to talk about is. When you laugh, when you have like a deep [00:37:00] laugh and you're like truly just enjoying the moment, you naturally lift your head up and automatically your eyes are lifting up. Mm-hmm. It's almost like it's a form of worship when you have a good laugh. Wow. Because you're looking up to where your help comes from. Wow. And. It's just a beautiful sign because when you're laughing you just, you're letting this energy go, whether it's stress or it's just, you're even fatigue. When you let it go, suddenly your shoulders lift up. Suddenly your blood pressure drops and you're reminded that there's more than what's here right in front of you. You lift your eyes up and you realize there's so much more, and that's just a beautiful thing to see. Let's also think about it. God is our father, and what good father doesn't take joy in laughing with his kids. And when you see a healthy father and child relationship, they have moments of giggles and cackles and tickle fights. So [00:38:00] what Good father him doesn't take joy in laughing and enjoying the presence of his kids. So I think that when we laugh. In those moments of where it's pure and it's just joy. He laughs with us. And I think that those, like I said, are moments of worship in a way because we're reminded of his goodness. Yes. God give us a gift. I think that. People outside the Christian community, they, they view us as fuddy daddies and stuffed shirts and that we don't ever have any fun. And we're serious all the time and we're about reading our Bibles and praying all the time and that we don't have any fun. But I like your perspective. Of showing the world that it is a gift from God. And we do have fun. And like I said earlier, talking about Jesus and the 12 disciples, you get a group of guys together that they're gonna goof off, they're gonna laugh. And the adoration that the disciples have for Jesus less Judas is [00:39:00] scar, the adoration. That does not happen when it's just a militant leader saying, thou shalt, there has to be moments of levity, moments of bonding, and pure joy. That's more than just. A rabbi teaching his students the love that they had, the love that they felt for him to be willing to die for him for his name. That doesn't happen in a military setting that happens in relationship where there's moments of levity and laughter, and I can't wait to eventually be and be in heaven and hear Jesus tell some jokes. That'd be amazing. Like why did you really call them Sons of Thunder? Right. Probably farting around the campfire. Ah, yes, exactly. Jesus. Pull my finger. Some people have like checked out at this point. Oh [00:40:00] man. Love it. I'm so glad you're gonna create a center as a goal in the future after the show, I definitely wanna give you some folks to connect with that. I know I've got a lot of connections, but we have the Dream Center here in Phoenix. Okay. And I've gone to a few of their fundraisers and they're an incredible place. They have this center for trafficked women and. And men, and we're very close to Mexico, so we get a lot of trafficked people here in Phoenix. And there'd be somebody to connect with for sure. 'cause they could show you how to create the facility and what not to do, and what to do and what they've learned. They create like apartments for these girls. They're like designer rooms. They're not just like bunks and dorms and stuff. I've seen these rooms. They're incredible. They treat the girls like they're princesses. It's really. Wonderful. And they do teach the skills of how not to go back on the streets and finding your worth in Jesus and your [00:41:00] value. You're not just a piece of meat to be used, you are a daughter of the king. And so yeah, I'll definitely give you their contact information. Do you know Mark Sowersby? Oh yeah. Mark. He's, he's been, uh, on my podcast before. He's a survivor. Yeah. Big time. So. I know that we talked about a lot of different things. Was there anything that we didn't cover today that you wanted to share with the audience? Yeah. So if the Lord is leading you and you feel like, feel like the Lord's saying, support this ministry and uh, give us the opportunity and the tools to go out and reach more survivors of trafficking. 'cause we're working in Chicago right now. And there, there's a plenty of harvest there, but there's also other places that we want to serve as well. Yes. You can go to, partners.gifts fork glory.com and that'll take you right to the, ag website where our, page is. And you can log in and, or you can sign in as a donor. And if you can do one time gift, [00:42:00] if you can do a monthly gift, or if you wanna do the faith promise, which is just your promise between you and the Lord of what you're. Willing to commit to support us. Anything is gonna help us get there. The website is partners.gifts for glory.com and whatever the Lord puts on your heart is gonna be, well appreciated and is gonna be used to serve many survivors. And you know, part of what we're doing is also doing podcasts. 'cause we wanna raise awareness that this is an issue. Mm-hmm. And we are hoping that between working with survivors. Doing advocacy by going, on podcasts or media that eventually we'll work ourselves out of a job and that there will be no more trafficking, there'll be no more slavery. That would be the biggest blessing of all is if we could work hard enough and the Lord would move enough that we would see an end to it. Mm, amen. Yeah. Even if you don't have the money right now to support. Dave and Bobby, you can definitely share this episode. Tell your friends [00:43:00] about the ministry. I definitely have that in the show notes, and we're gonna share the podcast episode like crazy and anything else you wanted to share. If you're listening or watching, be sure to subscribe to the wounds of the Faithful. Check every episode out and I'll go back and see how much I've changed in the last two years since the first time I was on. Yeah, I'm gonna put the episode of Dave's testimony, his story in the show notes, so you guys can just click on that and listen to that. This was great. Had a lot of fun and laughter and learn some things, and you guys are always welcome to come back on the show and give us an update. Absolutely. To see how you're doing and when you open your center up in the future someday. Then I'm gonna come and cut the ribbon. Absolutely. I've been in Chicago a few times. It's a nice city, so God bless you guys, and we wish you the very best. Thank you so much for having [00:44:00] us. Yes, Diana, thank you so much for having us. We love you and we love the show. Love you guys too. Thank you for listening to the Wounds of the Faithful Podcast. If this episode has been helpful to you, please hit the subscribe button and tell a friend you could connect with us at DSW Ministries dot org. Where you'll find our blog, along with our Facebook, Twitter, and our YouTube channel links. Hope to see you next week.    

Since our old friends Siskel and Ebert reviewed 3, count em THREE, different Nutcracker movies, Mike and Ryan have decided to break them up into their own mini episodes! In this first one the boys discuss the movies they've watched that week, Maurice Sendak, and how dark this version of The Nutcracker is

Send us a text5:31 Zootopia 217:16 Eternity27:38 Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery38:36 Hamnet47:42 The Thing with Feathers51:48 The Secret Agent56:02 Left-Handed GirlIt's a 7-movie week here on 'Roger (Ebert) & Me,' the only comprehensive 'Siskel & Ebert'-style review show out there. A film criticism podcast. Please rate and review on Apple Podcasts. Even if you're on Spotify or YouTube, jump over there and throw us 5 stars. We can't get on RottenTomatoes until 200 people rate it!    'Roger & Me' is a movie review podcast covering all new releases, both theatrical and streaming, every Friday, modeled after 'Siskel & Ebert.'    Hosted by Mark Dujsik of markreviewsmovies.com & Brett Arnold of Yahoo Entertainment and The New Flesh podcast, a show about horror movies that is currently celebrating its tenth year.Support the show

Matt Singer, editor and critic at ScreenCrush, and author of ‘Opposable Thumbs: How Siskel & Ebert Changed Movies Forever,’ joins John Williams to talk about the 50th anniversary of the TV show starring famed movie critics Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel. Matt explains how Siskel and Ebert impacted movie criticism, their influence on films in […]

Matt Singer, editor and critic at ScreenCrush, and author of ‘Opposable Thumbs: How Siskel & Ebert Changed Movies Forever,’ joins John Williams to talk about the 50th anniversary of the TV show starring famed movie critics Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel. Matt explains how Siskel and Ebert impacted movie criticism, their influence on films in […]

Matt Singer, editor and critic at ScreenCrush, and author of ‘Opposable Thumbs: How Siskel & Ebert Changed Movies Forever,’ joins John Williams to talk about the 50th anniversary of the TV show starring famed movie critics Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel. Matt explains how Siskel and Ebert impacted movie criticism, their influence on films in […]

Director Edgar Wright's latest, THE RUNNING MAN, is an update of the Schwarzenegger-starring ‘87 sci-fi action film (and the ‘82 Stephen King novella). Josh finds just enough to recommend it, but Adam has a hard time finding the Wright in it all. And Michael Phillips joins Adam for a review of Richard Linklater's Paris ‘59-set NOUVELLE VAGUE, with both agreeing that the director's making-of-”Breathless” is “charming as hell.” Plus Massacre Theatre and more. This episode is presented by⁠ Regal Unlimited⁠⁠, the all-you-can-watch movie subscription pass that pays for itself in just two visits. (Timecodes and chapter starts may not be precise with ads.) Intro (00:00:00-00:04:23) The Running Man (00:04:24-00:39:08) Filmspotting Family (00:39:09-00:43:04) Nouvelle Vague with Michael Phillips (00:43:05-01:22:10) Next Week / Notes (01:22:11-01:33:20) Massacre Theatre (01:33:21-01:44:21) Credits / New Releases (01:44:22-01:47:45) Links: -Poll: Actor/Director Duos Since 2000 https://poll.fm/16260111 -Siskel & Ebert at 50: Lone Star with Adam and Michael https://luma.com/pwlqid75 -Fear Not! (50% Off + Free Shipping; code CONFSHIP, select Media Mail) https://wipfandstock.com/9781666738520/fear-not/ -London Meetup w/Josh on Dec. 11 https://forms.gle/rUcgUKicTddzwFBs5 RSVP:  Feedback: -Email us at ⁠⁠⁠feedback@filmspotting.net⁠⁠⁠. -⁠⁠⁠Ask Us Anything⁠⁠⁠ and we might answer your question in bonus content. Support: -Join the Filmspotting Family for bonus episodes and archive access. ⁠⁠⁠http://filmspottingfamily.com⁠⁠⁠ -T-shirts and more available at the Filmspotting Shop. ⁠⁠https://www.filmspotting.net/shop⁠⁠ Follow: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/filmspotting⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://letterboxd.com/filmspotting⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://facebook.com/filmspotting⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/filmspotting⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://letterboxd.com/larsenonfilm⁠⁠  https://www.instagram.com/larsenonfilm  ⁠https://bsky.app/profile/larsenonfilm.bsky.social⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Send us a text5:35 Wicked: For Good 21:40 Sisu: Road to Revenge28:46 Train Dreams36:14 Rental Family43:34 Zodiac Killer ProjectIt's a 5-movie week here on 'Roger (Ebert) & Me,' the only comprehensive 'Siskel & Ebert'-style review show out there. A film criticism podcast. Please rate and review on Apple Podcasts. Even if you're on Spotify or YouTube, jump over there and throw us 5 stars. We can't get on RottenTomatoes until 200 people rate it!  'Roger & Me' is a movie review podcast covering all new releases, both theatrical and streaming, every Friday, modeled after 'Siskel & Ebert.'  Hosted by Mark Dujsik of markreviewsmovies.com & Brett Arnold of Yahoo Entertainment and The New Flesh podcast, a show about horror movies that is currently celebrating its tenth year.Support the show

Our exit today has us talking about some cows and Farmer's Bounty. This week, we are ending our season by looking at a double feature of romantic comedies starring Hugh Jackman. First, we are going to talk about Someone Like You, written by Elizabeth Chandler and directed by Tony Goldwyn. Then we will talk about Kate & Leopold, written by James Mangold and Steven Rogers and directed by Mangold.Along the way, we talk lots of Hugh Jackman, but also the power of Ebert & Roeper at this time, Greg Kinnear, New York movies, Ashley Judd, HBO movies, Wolverine, and more.Thememusic by Jonworthymusic.Powered by RiversideFM.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠CFF Films⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ with Ross and friends.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Movies We've Covered on the Show⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Letterboxd.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Movies Recommended on the Show⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on Letterboxd.

Paul Durica, Director of Exhibitions at the Chicago History Museum, joins John Landecker to discuss the 50th anniversary of “Siskel & Ebert,” revisiting their favorite “hidden gems” and celebrating the critics who put Chicago on the film map.

Healing Through Laughter: Dave Ebert on Comedy, Faith, and Overcoming Trauma In this episode, Diana rebroadcasts the interview of the late Dave Ebert, who passed away unexpectedly July 2, 2024. He discusses his journey from struggling with depression and contemplating suicide to becoming a renowned improv coach, pastor, and comedian. Dave, who founded Gifts for Glory Ministries, shares his early love for entertaining, the personal struggles he faced, and how faith and comedy became his tools for healing and helping others. He also explores his work with the Salt and Light Coalition, helping survivors of sex trafficking through improv, which aids in their communication skills and self-esteem. The episode delves into the importance of connection, trust, and the transformative power of laughter in overcoming trauma and finding hope. We hope you enjoy hearing Dave's legacy and timeless advice.  You will hear the second interview of Dave and his wife's missionary work next episode. 00:00 Introduction and Sponsor Message 00:47 Meet Your Host, Diana 01:34 Introducing Dave Ebert 02:51 Dave's Childhood and Early Love for Comedy 03:45 Struggles with Family and Faith 07:30 Turning Point: Finding Faith and Purpose 10:57 Battling Depression and Suicidal Thoughts 21:04 The Power of Presence and Support 24:25 A New Beginning in Chicago 26:32 Starting a Faith-Based Improv Team 27:32 Creating Clean Comedy for All Ages 29:10 Using Comedy as a Ministry Tool 31:50 Connecting with Salt and Light Coalition 33:12 Teaching Improv to Trafficking Survivors 36:20 Stories of Transformation Through Improv 44:18 Current Projects and Online Improv Shows 47:16 Offering Support and Contact Information 50:47 Final Thoughts and Podcast Information   Website: https://dswministries.org Subscribe to the podcast: https://dswministries.org/subscribe-to-podcast/ Social media links: Join our Private Wounds of the Faithful FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1603903730020136 Twitter: https://twitter.com/DswMinistries YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxgIpWVQCmjqog0PMK4khDw/playlists Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dswministries/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DSW-Ministries-230135337033879 Keep in touch with me! Email subscribe to get my handpicked list of the best resources for abuse survivors! https://thoughtful-composer-4268.ck.page #abuse #trauma Affiliate links: Our Sponsor: 753 Academy: https://www.753academy.com/ Can't travel to The Holy Land right now? The next best thing is Walking The Bible Lands! Get a free video sample of the Bible lands here! https://www.walkingthebiblelands.com/a/18410/hN8u6LQP An easy way to help my ministry: https://dswministries.org/product/buy-me-a-cup-of-tea/ A donation link: https://dswministries.org/donate/   Dave Ebert  [00:00:00] Special thanks to 7 5 3 Academy for sponsoring this episode. No matter where you are in your fitness and health journey, they've got you covered. They specialize in helping you exceed your health and fitness goals, whether that is losing body fat, gaining muscle, or nutritional coaching to match your fitness levels. They do it all with a written guarantee for results so you don't waste time and money on a program that doesn't exceed your goals. There are martial arts programs. Specialize in anti-bullying programs for kids to combat proven Filipino martial arts. They take a holistic, fun, and innovative approach that simply works. Sign up for your free class now. It's 7 5 3 academy.com. Find the link in the show notes. Welcome to the Wounds of the Faithful Podcast, brought to you by DSW Ministries. Your host is singer songwriter, speaker and domestic violence advocate, [00:01:00] Diana . She is passionate about helping survivors in the church heal from domestic violence and abuse and trauma. This podcast is not a substitute for professional counseling or qualified medical help. Now here is Diana. Hello everyone. Thanks for joining us today. You know, I've been telling you there are many paths and tools for healing and comedy is one of them. I think you'll enjoy our podcast today, friends. Our guest, Dave Ebert is the founder of Gifts for Glory Ministries. Dave is an improv coach, speaker, pastor, actor, and improv performer with his wife Bobby, residing in Chicago, Illinois. Gifts for Glory is ready to provide high quality, clean family friendly entertainment and professional [00:02:00] improv coaching to survivors of sex trafficking. Hey, welcome to the show Dave. Hey, thanks so much for having me. I'm, uh, really looking forward to having our conversation. Your bio is so impressive. I had trouble. Uh, shortening it for the intro. I'm sorry, I, I try to provide enough information, but, uh, I, I could have probably shortened it, but maybe it's because I'm a pastor. I just like to embellish and go on for a long, long period of time. So we're gonna fill in the blanks here and throughout our time together, and I can't wait to hear some good jokes. We will. We'll see what comes up. I'm an improviser, so nothing's ever planned. So if there's a moment of funny, yeah, I just give God the credit and if there's not, it's just, I don't know. We'll see. So tell us about your childhood. Were you always funny or into comedy? I really [00:03:00] was, uh, one of the earliest pictures of me other than, you know, baby pictures, uh, was a old Polaroid of, uh, me flexing, like I was in a bodybuilding contest because we we're at the city pool. There was an actual, like a swimsuit or bodybuilding competition going on on the other side. And my parents and their friends were just there at the pool and I was like, no, they're not gonna get the attention. I'm gonna get the attention. So there's this picture of me flexing my little chubby 2-year-old arms and it was like, I, I love to entertain and I love the attention and trying to, uh, get people an opportunity to laugh. So yeah, pretty much my entire life, um. Uh, I, I just liked it. I enjoyed, and I lived off of people's laughter. Now, did you experience any trauma in your life? There were, um, there wasn't any like one singular event, like a, a massive. You know, tragedy. But my dad was in Vietnam. He was in the [00:04:00] Vietnam War, and he got in contact with that chemical agent Orange that, uh, I've heard about. And, uh, that just ravaged his body. You know, when he hit 30, he was, you know, a healthy, strong 30-year-old guy working in the trades, and he was disabled by the time he was. 37, 38, um, from heart attacks, from just loss of, uh, dexterity in his hands and uh, and losing his ability to even walk. And it was all, uh, just complications and, and complications from the agent Orange. And so we were living in Chicago at that. You know, when I was first born and then when he'd had his third heart attack, we had to move out of the city and get away from the fast pace of Chicago and went down to Virginia where it's a lot slower lifestyle, a little bit easier for him to handle that kind of stress. But over the next 20 or so years as his health failed, there were a lot of conflicts in the home [00:05:00] between he and mom, between he and myself, and, um, so it was. It wasn't a tragic event, it was just this long period of watching my dad lose his ability to do the things that men do, like work with their hands, play with their son, hang out with their son, things like that. And, uh, you're not able to handle that because we really didn't have a strong faith. Base. So there was nothing kind of anchoring us in that storm. Mm-hmm. And so it was over, you know, two decades that, you know, there's just a lot of little traumas. Little fights, uh, big fights and, and things like that. We said we were Christian and we went to church. Um. Uh, fairly regularly, uh, mostly for holidays and potlucks. Uh, but um, we, uh, we said we were Christian, but it kind of [00:06:00] only existed from 11 to 12 on, on Sundays. Uh, we lived decently. We weren't out killing people. We weren't doing drugs and like that, but, um, but we weren't really like practicing. We didn't say, you know, grace at meals. We didn't pray together. We, I don't think I ever saw an either of my parents actually open a Bible. So we were kind of Christians in name only. Um, we had the, the membership card went to the meetings, but we didn't actually do a lot of practicing outside of church. So kinda like Chris and dumb. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Kind of, kind of creases with a little bit more regular attendance because the church I grew up in, uh, or at least as a kid, they had a lot of potlucks. It, it was almost like the one way to guarantee people would come. It was like, yeah, we're gonna have a potluck to celebrate this this weekend. And I love the potlucks because there's always at least five to sometimes six, uh, different varieties of mac and cheese, and that's my favorite. Favorite. Yes. [00:07:00] Yes. Mac and cheese. Yes. Mashed potatoes. Mm-hmm. Mashed potatoes, uh, all sorts of desserts. And, uh, for your, your listeners, they won't know this, but if they see, you know, my headshot or whatnot, I, I'm not a small individual and I will put the blame firmly on that church. Where all the potlucks, oh, they fed me, but not spiritually. Oh. That's funny. So when did you meet the Lord for real? Well, my story's kind of unique or maybe it's not. Um, but for me it depends on what your personal theology is to interpret it. I. Going into my sixth grade year, uh, that, that summer before my sixth grade year, I went to a summer camp and I, uh, went, you know, we had devotions each night at a campfire. And I remember on Thursday night, the day before, the night before we're leaving. [00:08:00] Something at the devotion spoke to me and I said, on my way by myself, said That little sinners prayer of Jesus coming to my heart. I want to make you Lord. Um, and you know, I remember the prayer, I remember walking up that gravel driveway up towards the cabin. And, but like I said, it kind of hinted at there wasn't a lot of discipleship for young believers at my church. So. It was like, oh, I accepted Christ. What does that mean? What do I do with it? And so from that year. For many years after, I never really got truly discipled to understand what it meant to be a Christ follower. And through my depression and the, you know, just some of the choices I made, I kind of walked away from that. So if you believe that you can walk away from salvation, then you could say that I walked away from it. Uh, some believe once saved, always saved. So you can either choose that summer or you can look to, uh, January, 2013 when. Uh, [00:09:00] still wrestling, depression, still looking for purpose in life. I was walking to work, uh, on a Saturday morning and. There were these two kids from a local Bible college out there looking for people to witness to, uh, they had the, uh, tract, which, uh, for anybody that doesn't know tract is a small graphic novel that, uh, kind of tells the gospel story. And, um, so they were out there and there's really no reason for them to be there 'cause it wasn't a very populated area. Um, so there really wouldn't be a lot of people out there on a Saturday morning. So it was obviously a divine appointment. They gave me the track and they offered to pray for me, but I didn't, you know, I kind of blew them off. Said, yeah, I'm a Christian, I'm saved. Yeah, I'm good, but I gotta get to work. But because they were there, they passed out the track and because of a lot of stuff that was leading up to that moment, it was like, okay, God, I'm ready to submit. I'm, I'm ready. So that night I, uh, opened up my, uh, Rick Warren, purpose Driven Life. I started reading [00:10:00] my, uh, dollar General, uh, king James version Bible got all the way through Deuteronomy before. I was like, I need something simpler. Uh, yeah. But, uh, yeah. Um, those two kids, I don't know if I'll ever see them again, at least not in this life, but they were kind of the straw that broke the camel's back to where I made the decision because I was still wrestling with depression and I was literally at this place where I was on top of, I, I described it as I was on a peak of a mountaintop where. I was still considering, you know, taking my life so I could either go left and just take my life and, and end it once and for all, or I could go right and give my life and fully submit to God. And that was kind of the moment that kind of clenched it for me to take that step towards God and really for the first time, pursue a relationship with him. So that was in, uh, January of, uh, 2013. So let's unpack the. Part where you talked about you wanted to end [00:11:00] your life. What happened there? It was a, a culmination of a lot of things. I, I had a lot of dreams and ideals of what life should look like, and this started in, uh, junior high and high school. Um, and then, uh, you know, combine that with, uh, this struggle with my relationship with my dad. Um, you know, not ever quite being good enough because he always had, sometimes these. Surreal expectations and, and when I didn't meet them, I felt like a failure and, you know, just all these different things. Um, it just added up to one night. I remember, um, I was pursuing this, this young lady to date her in high school and you know, for the first time I was like, this might be the one that I actually get her to date me. And then, um. Afternoon, after I talked to her in the morning, I saw her walking, holding hands with somebody else, and that was. [00:12:00] Kind of the straw that broke the camel's back the other way, uh, to where I entered into that depression. And, uh, it just kept getting deeper. The more my dad and I fought, the more my mom and dad fought. You know, it just got deeper and through, um, my junior year, senior year high school, all through college, after college for many years, uh, through my first marriage, you know, just. That voice was always in the back of my head, you're not worthy. Um, no one's gonna truly love you. Um, might as well end the pain now. And so I just, I really wrestled with the idea of suicide. There were times that I was ready to do it, but I cursed myself for being too weak or too afraid to commit. But looking back, it was that, as the Bible calls it, the still small voice. That was, you know, just kind of coaxing me to don't give in just yet. Don't give in just yet. So looking back, obviously God was [00:13:00] there with me the entire time. It's just I didn't realize who that voice was or why I was not able to fully take that next step. It was because God was there trying to yank and pull me back from the edge. Wow. I'm sure a lot of our listeners can relate to, um, the things that you're saying right now about wanting to end it all. Now, did you cover up your depression, your feelings? Did anybody else know about that? I covered it. Um, as I mentioned, I love to entertain people, make people laugh. So it started off very, when I was very young. It was just this pure thing of enjoying the laughter and enjoying giving that gift to people. But when I entered the Depression, it became a defense mechanism where I would keep people from seeing what I was feeling and also try to prevent them from feeling the darkness I felt. If I could do that, if I could make somebody laugh, if I could [00:14:00] entertain somebody, if I could make somebody feel better, then I was able to justify living for the next week or the next day or what have you. And so comedy or making people laugh was where I found my worth and my value. And if I went too far and I offended somebody, if I hurt somebody's feelings, uh, or if I said something that just kind of embarrassed me. It went into the spiral where it was like, see, even the one thing you count on for value you fail at. And so it would spiral me and it was like, man, I just, I need to drive my truck off this cliff, or I need to, um, do this or that other thing to myself just, and I always wanted to leave it as an ac, you know, make it look like it was an accident. Um, whenever I really contemplated, uh, suicide because I didn't want the embarrassment. I didn't want people to judge me and say things about me, and I also didn't want the judgment to follow my [00:15:00] parents or anybody else because I didn't want them to be punished for what I was going through. So I always tried to make it or plan out to look like an accident. Um, one night I in particular, I remember driving home late at night through the mountain roads. It was maybe three or four in the morning, and I just was at this breaking point and I prayed. I said, God, if you don't want me to do this, gimme a sign. Do something. And if you think about Pure Flix movies or a Hallmark movie, you know, you think in that moment, all of a sudden the sky opens and the lights shines, and the angels come down. And, but in that moment, it felt like it got darker. It almost, it felt like, like God actually got quieter. Than, than I felt he had been. And so I got mad and I got angry at God. And I, I think I probably said a few curse words at him and, and said, you know, whatever. And I got mad and I drove [00:16:00] home. But here's the, the thing about it, I drove home. I didn't drive to the left off that cliff and. I, I say that that was a moment where God knew what I needed. It's not conventional, it's not what you would expect, but it's what I needed. 'cause he knew I'd go mad or I would get mad, and he knew that he would have to take some barbs from me in that anger. But it was God laying himself down for me in that moment so that I would go home instead of, you know, take my life. And that's just another thing that I look back on and say, wow, God was there this whole time. Wow. I've never contemplated suicide myself. I've had some really dark times with my, abuse history. Mm-hmm. Now I've had depression before. Mm-hmm. But it wasn't so much that I needed to take medication. Um, it was just this cloud of darkness and like [00:17:00] sitting in a pit. Yeah. That you can't get out of and it's no amount of positive thinking is going to do it. Right. It just took a long time to crawl out of that. These brilliant people, you know, we're talking about comedy and the most brilliant comedian was Robin Williams. Sure. And he was so funny. And, yeah. When he took his own life after battling depression, um, I really mourned his death. 'cause Yeah. Yeah. It, and that's one of the things where it shows that fame, fortune, having everything at, at your fingertips, it's not a substitute for. Anything because you look at Rob Williams, you think about even, you know, they don't classify necessarily as a suicide. You look, but you look at somebody like Chris Farley, uh, John Belushi, um, the lifestyle that those two guys [00:18:00] chose and the way that they treated their bodies was kind of a long term suicide because they did not take care of their bodies. And I'm not talking about being heavy. I'm talking about the drugs, the drinking, the things like the partying. For hours upon hours on end, it was they were trying to fill something in their soul that they couldn't fill. Um, so for, and I don't say these things as judgment. Mm-hmm. I say these things as warnings. Um, heads up. If you see somebody that is trying to fill their life with partying, find the time when they're sober and talk to them. See if there's something going on. Uh, and like you look at somebody like Robin Williams. It's a very hard thing to know how to handle that because you don't know what his family life was like. Did he have somebody in his, in his corner that knew what he is wrestling with and they were just happened to be gone in an, in the instant that he was the weakest? Um, [00:19:00] for me, I think one of the, the biggest things is if you see somebody or know somebody that could potentially be similar to where Robin Williams was at. Pray and ask for God to show you how to reach them, um, and be willing to pursue it. Um, it's, no, no two depressions are the same because no two people are the same. There's no blanket there, a, b, c methodology that's going to, like, if I do these three or four things, I'm gonna pull my friend out of what they're at. Because there's different triggers, there's different experiences, there's different chemical imbalances in the mind. So don't ever feel like a failure if you try to help somebody and you can't see results. Because some people, it takes time, some people it takes the miracle of God flipping a switch and healing whatever chemical imbalance is in the mind. Um, so my advice is always just keep [00:20:00] pursuing, um, because. Eventually there's gonna be a breakthrough it because somebody that's in that mode is going to see that they're not gonna give up and that's going to fly directly in the face of so many of the inner voices or, or the self-talk of, I'm not worth it, nobody's gonna really care. Or I, I'm a burden. But when you're continually pursuing, you are speaking against all that and you're giving evidence against that case. And we all know, especially, uh, as Christians, that those voices are of the enemy. So they're all mm-hmm. Of the king of lies. Yes. And when you can step in and bring the truth and bring the light, the enemy has no footing left. So that's always my advice, is just to keep pursuing him. It's worth it. It's worth being able to pursue somebody and give them [00:21:00] a chance to hope and a chance to fight against the lies of the enemy. Um, I never know what to say to somebody that's struggling with depression. I'm always afraid that I'm gonna say the wrong thing. Right. Um, so those, those suggestions are really, valuable because. I don't wanna push them too far, but I want them to know that I care. So, yeah. And, and here's the thing, and this is something that I, whenever I talk to people, I, I try to take this burden off your shoulders. It's not your job to save them. It's not your job to rescue them. It's your job to be there and let God do the saving. It is not, it's not your job. So whatever words you say, whatever things you say, it's not gonna matter because it's not gonna be really remembered. The mistakes or, or the, the bad choice words or whatever you say that doesn't [00:22:00] work, quote unquote work, it's not gonna matter. What's gonna matter is that person that you're pursuing, that you're fighting for is gonna remember that you were there. They're gonna remember your presence, not so much your words. Now, there'll be some times where God will give you wisdom and they'll remember those words of wisdom, but for the most part, part, they're gonna remember that you were there. Just like when you go to a funeral and you talk to the people that are grieving, uh, whether it's the widow or the widower, or maybe it's, uh, the child that lost their parent, whatever the case may be. They don't remember the words that you said as you go in the line. They remember your face, they remember the, the calming touch on the shoulder, on the hands. They remember that you were there and it was, it is very much the same for somebody that's in the dark pit of, of depression. If you're there constantly showing them love, willing to let them have [00:23:00] what I call verbal diarrhea and just get whatever they're wrestling without. They're gonna remember that you were there and they're gonna remember that, and it's going be that evidence to say, Satan, shut up. Amen. You're not telling the truth. This person is here. They see me as valuable enough to fight through this. So you're lies of I'm not worthy. Nobody loves me, nobody will miss me. Those are lies straight from the pit of hell, and that's where you belong. That's right. Wow. No, that's, that's really helpful comparing it to, um, a funeral. 'cause, uh, I just lost my brother December 5th and, yeah, and some people, they don't know the right things to say and, but you're right. I remember that. They cared about me. But yes. The fact that they took time to say, I'm praying for you, or let us know if there's anything we can do to help you meant a lot. So I appreciate that [00:24:00] advice for sure. Let's switch over something a little funnier. Sure. Okay. Than a funeral. Um, so speaking of Robin Williams, he was a guest on. Whose line is it anyway, and it was my favorite episode ever. And you started a Christian version of that show. Tell me more about that. Absolutely. So when I, uh, rededicated my life to the Lord in January of 2013, I knew that performing and being on stage was my calling. God was going to. Keep me in front of people, keep me entertaining people, but he's changing and he changed the reason why, instead of trying to hide how I felt and hide myself, I was now gonna use comedy as a way to reveal who he is. And I had no real opportunities, uh, in Beckley, West Virginia. Nothing against West Virginia. Uh, [00:25:00] I have a lot of friends back there. I had a lot of great experiences, but it wasn't where God wanted me. And so I was like, so God, where do I go? Do I go to Roanoke, Virginia, which is about three hours west in, uh, west in, in west in Virginia. Excuse me. And, uh, that's where my mom lived. Do I just move in with her and start over? And it was kind of like. You could, but that's not really where you belong. So I kept, like reading Rick Warren's book, I kept reading the Bible and finally in a, in a conversation, my sister, who doesn't really have a relationship with the Lord, but he used her. She said, well, if you want to, you can move up here to Chicago in, in, uh, start over here. And I said, are you sure? 'cause she was going to college at the time and I would be moving in on staying on her couch in her studio apartment. And I was like, are you sure? She's like, yeah, if, if you need. A new, you know, new start. And so six weeks later I left, uh, [00:26:00] West Virginia, everything I could pack in my truck I brought up. And I started completely over in, um, in March of 2013. And it was shortly thereafter, I started pursuing acting opportunities and opportunities to be in front of people. A couple of mo short films I got into, I realized after accepting the part, I shouldn't have done this role. Uh, this will be something that if I ever become famous, will be one of those things that they play to, to tease you when you get like a lifetime achievement award. Oh, yeah. Um, and then through Craigslist I connected with a, a, a guy, um, named Ryan McChesney. And he and I, uh, discussed, you know, doing, uh, movies together or something like that, uh, faith-based, and we said, well, we both like improv. He had gone through the second 30. Second City, Chicago Conservatory. I had, um, done a few classes at Second City, but uh, most of my acting and performing training [00:27:00] came from eight years of, uh, pro wrestling in, uh, West Virginia and Virginia. Um, so we thought, well, what if we started a faith-based improv team? There's nothing like that in Chicago. And we thought that there was almost nothing like that in the rest of the world. So, uh, we decided to start trying to cast and we, uh, brought two more people on. And my church at that time was, uh, very, uh, gracious in allow, allowing us free reign to use a building for rehearsals or anything else we wanted to do. And so we just started, uh. Creating an improv team and for anybody that's not really familiar with improv, uh, uh, Diana, as you mentioned, uh, whose line is it anyway, is kind of the same kind of improv that we do where it's, uh, game base where they'll give us a game with a scenario and certain rules within that game to follow, and the rest we make up. We make up the characters. The dialogue is completely made up. And the idea is not to try to be funny, but just to [00:28:00] try to respond in the moment because that's where the funny's gonna come from, is that just that creative mind that we have. It's going to find things that are funny in our natural reactions. And so what we do is we just create scenarios. It's basically like. A more organized way to play, pretend. Uh, we create characters, voices, points of view. And so we, and we don't do it based on the Bible because we don't want to ever. Get careless and misrepresent the Bible or say something. Oh, okay. That's fair. Uh, we don't wanna ever come across as a Christian improv team that is, uh, disrespecting the Bible. So we just do clean comedy that's accessible for all ages, whether you're five or 105. Um, we want you to be able to come and enjoy and laugh. And, um, we kind of filter it through [00:29:00] Philippians four, eight, whatever's pure and lovely and praiseworthy. If it kind of fits along that, then, uh, then we're good. Um, and we just, um. We go out and use it as a ministry tool. Uh, either we open for a speaker and use laughter as a way to tear down some walls and, and make people comfortable enough that they can hear it. Mm-hmm. Or we just do pure comedy with the love and the joy of Christ and allow our presence and the fact that Christ is coming in with us to somehow reach them on a spiritual level to where they'll either ask us, why are you guys clean? Why don't you curse? Or Why don't you do innuendo or blue? Right. Or they track us down on social media and they're like, oh, they're Christian, and they're funny and they're creative. Maybe God is more than I thought he was. I'm not naturally funny. Um, my husband is, and that's the, the thing [00:30:00] is. You don't have to be funny to be good at improv, you just have to be willing to listen and respond naturally. 'cause most of what's funny in our improv at least, is that people recognize either weird quirks, uh, about themselves or about people that they know or they recognize weird characters that they're like, that's Samantha from work. Oh my gosh. Um, and, and it's that recognition of, of the human experience because. We are so much alike. There we're, we are all more alike than we are different. Mm-hmm. And when we share those experiences, we realize that we're not alone. That we're not this weird thing in the middle of the world that has no connection. When we get a room with people laughing together, even if none of them know each other. They connect, uh, on this really interesting level. When they laugh together, they don't feel alone in that room. And that's why comedy is so important and effective in [00:31:00] speaking and in ministry. If you can get, get them to laugh, there's a wall that comes down to where now they're able to receive, uh, some information or receive the word or receive the message. And, uh, you know, that's what we love to do is to either. Set the ground for, uh, the speaker to bring the word, or to just simply be a light in that room to where there's a question, why, why are they different? And, um, that's what we do now. Uh, we've been, uh, this team has been running since, uh, July of 2013. Um, we've had a lot of changes, a lot of turnover, but the, the mission has always been the same is to just use comedy to bring people closer to God. So you can, definitely use comedy to heal people in their pain. And you got connected with, salt and Light Coalition. So tell us more about that. Sure. Uh, Salton Lake Coalition [00:32:00] is an organization that works with, uh, women who have survived sex trafficking. Um, many of the women that they serve, uh, were sold into trafficking by their parents at a young age. So many of them either have a very short, if. Or maybe a non-existent childhood to, uh, draw from. So they're very stunted in ma many areas as far as emotions, uh, uh, especially the ability now to trust people. And so, and most of them obviously have been hurt. Used and abused by men. Mm-hmm. So the fact that me as a guy was asked to come in and serve the weight of that is not lost on me. But I also see absolutely see benefit because here is a man in a healthy relationship with his wife, who is in a healthy relationship with the Lord, who can come in and bring that. As a model for these women to show that it is possible that [00:33:00] not every single man is a creep that's going to hurt you. Right? So, and I, I value that ability to, and that opportunity to bring that example, uh, to them. And I teach improv as a way to improve their communication because, uh, many of them, like I said, had, are stunted either, um. Educationally, either they were, they had to drop outta school because they were doing what their handlers or pimp or whatever you wanna call 'em, were making them do. And so I go and help them improve communication. Uh. Find and develop their self-esteem. Because when you're learning improv and you're creating stuff together, you're starting to realize, wait, I have a voice. I have something to say, and the things that I say can be valuable, and that only helps to improve the self-esteem. So they start realizing that all the stuff that I've been through in the past is my past and all the work that I'm doing [00:34:00] now to get back on my feet and rebuild my life. I'm worth it because I have something to say. I have something to contribute. So we do that through improv and, and at the end of the day, they get an hour where they can laugh like kids either for the first time or laugh like kids again because. And, and it, I don't say these things to brag on me. Mm-hmm. God put me in this position. There was, there's been several times where the women have, or a couple of the women have come in and you could see that they are literally carrying their world on their back. The burdens are there, the brow was furrowed. The, you could see in their eyes that they're waiting for somebody to say that one word so that they can explode on them. Mm-hmm. And part of what they have to do is they have to participate even if they're not feeling it. So they, they still get in the circle, they still participate in the games, and you can see literally. The, [00:35:00] that facade, crack and fall, you literally see them crack up and within five minutes of participating, the burden is gone. The, the fierceness in their eyes, the the anger or the frustration, or the hurt. It fades away. And they get to forget that and realize that there's hope, that there's something bigger than what they're wrestling with in that moment. And that has been such a huge blessing for me to be a part of that for the last couple of years. And, um, and like I said, it's, it's such a blessing to, to be a man in that position, to kind of be an ambassador, literally an ambassador for Christ, to show that it's okay to. To trust again. And I, and I love doing that. That is incredible. You know, I've had some training in sex trafficking, with Mending the Soul We have a program called Princess Lost. [00:36:00] Princess Found. Oh, okay. And I didn't know anything about sex trafficking before that, or at least I thought I did know. Mm-hmm. I, I thought of what the rest of the world thinks about, you know, prostitutes or sex workers, but it really, that training had opened my eyes. Do you have a story of one of those tough nuts that crack open with your comedy improv class? Yeah. Um. Specific, I can't mention names, obviously. No. Yeah. But, uh, the one lady I think of in particular, she's a single mom. She was, uh, sold by her mom into trafficking, for sex because her mom needed a. She needed a, a fix. And so she gets involved and then she gets traded, bought, and sold. Um, and the thing wa the thing that a lot of people don't realize is [00:37:00] people who are in that life, who are stuck, who are, who are trapped, they're not always stuck in some shady building off in the corner of, of the city, right? They're, they're still out walking around, they're going to the store, but. They're in such a way that they don't think they can escape and they don't know who they can trust. Mm-hmm. They don't know if the person that they're gonna talk to to say, Hey, I need help, is connected to this person that they're, that they're, uh, enslaved by. So they feel like they can't trust anybody. Even though that they're out walking around, they're, they're stuck. And they're also, many times they're forced to take drugs. Yes. So people will dismiss them when they see 'em. Like, oh, she's just a junkie. There are a lot of junkies, but there's also a lot of women and, and some men that are on drugs, either because they're trying to cope with what they're being forced to do, or it's part of what they're required to do in [00:38:00] order to survive. Um, and, and the, the, the pimps know that when they're on drugs and they're high people will dismiss them and won't really give them two looks. So all that to say is this, this young lady, she's, I think she's in her mid twenties now. Mm-hmm. Uh, single mom struggling to get her kids back because in, in the eyes of the court system, she's just a junkie. She, it, it doesn't matter why she was on drugs, it doesn't matter what caused her to be arrested for these different things. All that matters to them is that she, you know, you were high, you were on drugs, you have this in your system, you're not fit to be a mom. So she's trying to rebuild her life, trying to get her kids back and one day, I don't know, I don't know the details 'cause I don't really talk to get to know them much, just because they're trying. You don't wanna protect them. 'cause the fewer people that know the stories, know where they are, where they're [00:39:00] from, the better for them so that they can avoid getting. Found by the people that are looking for them. Mm-hmm. Because when a woman, escapes sex trafficking, that's property in the minds of the people that quote unquote own them. Yes. And they don't like to lose property because they're losing profit. So. You know, I know very little about them. I know their, I know their first name. I know a little bit about their story. Some of their stories come out as, you know, part of the improv, but she's trying to get her life back together. She comes in and she's the one that I always envision when I talk about the cracking up. She came in and I swear, I I, there was a moment where I was worried, it was like, is she gonna fly off on me if I say the wrong thing? 'cause she just looked angry at the world. Mm-hmm. And, uh, fortunately, and obviously they're not gonna leave me in the room alone, so there's a couple of the Salton light [00:40:00] volunteers there just to supervise and to coach and say, Hey, you need to go ahead and get in a circle and, and participate. You know, this is part of the program. And so. She came in, arms are crossed and she's just looking down at the ground. And so I just changed my plan and I opened up with, uh, a warmup that I knew everyone enjoyed. Um, and it's a silly game. It's called Bippity bippity bop. And, and so this game, uh, somebody's in the middle of the circle, they go around the circle and it's, it's a quick response game. I'll look at you and, and if I say Bippity bty bop, you just have to say the word bop before I get to bop. And then there's other layers to that game. So I start the game and say, all right, so we're gonna warm up with bip bippity bop. So I go around the circle and there are a couple times where like, as I'm going around the circle, I look at her like, I'm gonna give her the, you know, [00:41:00] the, the, uh, interaction. But then I go past and then I come back, and then I get her the first time it's like pip bop. She, you know, obviously wasn't ready 'cause she's not. Fully into it. So she goes, all right, un crosses her arms, walks in the circle, starts doing it, and as soon as she starts participating you, that's when it starts cracking up. And she starts laughing and, and having fun. And she became, she was two people. The first five minutes, she was one person. And then once she started to laugh, she was a completely different person. And it's like. God, this is why, this is why I'm here. And again, it's not, Hey, Dave Ebert's wonderful. You know, toot the horns. It's like, God put me in this position to use my testimony, my story to, and my experiences to try to help in the healing process of, of some women that desperately need healing and desperately need to know the love of [00:42:00] Jesus. I love that story. You know, the biggest thing I learned in, in my training that I went through was a lot of these women are in this predicament. At no fault of their own, they were mm-hmm. They were groomed or they were kidnapped, or they were, you know, trafficked by somebody that they trusted. Mm-hmm. Or they should have been able to trust and that these, these ladies and some gentlemen, by the way, are people. Valuable people, loved by God. They're not trash and not somebody that we throw away or toss aside, they are, they are children of God and they need Jesus too. Yeah. And, and these are all people that, and I, I don't like think, or in my heart, I don't believe that Jesus means this. In his language, but he's talking to us in our language when he talks about the least of these. Mm-hmm. Because he loves us and [00:43:00] God loves us equally. And there is no true least in God's kingdom. But I think it's, it's Jesus dumbing down the language so that we would understand. And that's why he is like what you do to the least of these you do to me. So yeah, there are people who. Are out there who are high on their own accord, doing their own thing, that are just throwing their lives away because they think it's fun. But you don't know until you know. So don't, I would just ask, never dismiss somebody because they look like a junkie. Mm-hmm. Or they look like they've made some bad choices. 'cause maybe they have, or maybe they're stuck in a situation. And I would always encourage, if nothing else, pray for them. Mm-hmm. And maybe in that prayer time, God's like, Hey, that that's somebody that needs you. But if you're willing to just dismiss everybody 'cause they look like they're scarred from injections or they, their face is broken out from different [00:44:00] things, if you just dismiss 'em automatically, then you're blocking God from reaching you to tell you, hey, they need your help, and God's just gonna have to find somebody else. And you're gonna miss the blessed opportunity to reach somebody that needs the love of Christ. Amen. What are you up to now? You have any new projects in the works coming down the pike? When you said, what are you up to now? I was gonna say six foot two. Um, yeah. Right now, uh, because of, uh, the global thing that's going on and I'm in Illinois, so. Theaters aren't open. We're not doing much as far as the comedy. Um, you know, so everybody's kind of focusing on their family. One of the things I have been doing is connecting with other Christian improvisers and, uh, we're, uh, doing. Semi, uh, maybe once a month. Uh, comedy shows where we just get together and we've never practiced before. We've never rehearsed, but we're gonna [00:45:00] put out, uh, some shows where people can just watch online, watch us improvise and participate. Uh, those, uh, will broadcast live on my Facebook page, and I'll advertise those that you know about a week in advance once we get people able to commit to a date. Um. And the, our first one that we did, we had somebody from West Virginia, somebody from Arkansas, two people from Texas, and Oh, had one person, uh, from Ohio, I believe. So we had like a conglomerate of people from all over the, the nation coming in. Uh, we've never practiced before, but we did improv and. Improv and Christianity are so much alike because to do good improv and to be a good Christian, quote unquote good Christian, you need humility. You need to be willing to support the other person, and you need to be willing to love the other person so that they're successful. Um, so when you come into an improv stage as a Christian [00:46:00] improviser. I mean, you've got all the tools just built in. And so we go, we perform online, we're willing to support each other and it makes it really fun. Now, the way we do it, we don't have crowd, you know, reaction, but because we're together, we kind of know what's funny and we're like, okay, this is, you know, we can laugh at each other. And, uh, just really a lot of fun. It's nothing like the real improv of being on stage and no. Intimate experience, but it's a good substitute. It, it's a good gap filler until we can get past all of what's going on. Yeah. Saw your, your post on, Christian Creatives are on the same group. Yeah. And I'm gonna see if I can try and watch that. That'll be fun. This has been great. I, I so appreciate you coming on the show today and putting up with the, uh, the Zoom demons earlier, and I know you don't do this for, [00:47:00] reward or pat's on the back, but. From me to you, thank you so much for what you do for the Lord and what you do for these ladies, because you are changing people's lives and making a difference. So thank you very much. Thank you. So tell the folks how they can connect with you if they wanna know more information about your ministry. Sure. Well, I actually have three primary things that I'm involved with. GIF for Glory is the kind of the umbrella over everything. Uh, you can find us on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook at gifts, the number four, glory. And uh, that's where my podcast is. That's, uh, kind of the over um. Corp corporate umbrella over, um, my personal, uh, speaking in improv coaching where you can find me at, real Dave Ebert. Um, there's actually another comedian who's also from the Midwest, uh, not a Christian, [00:48:00] uh, who's, his name is, uh, Dave or David Ebert. So, uh, so I beat him to the punch and I took the real Dave Ebert. Oh, glad you mentioned that. Um, which is hilarious. 'cause on Twitter I'll often get tagged in things that. I have nothing to do with Christianity or ministry, and it's like kind of embarrassing. Totally. And so I'll respond and I'll be like, Hey, I think you meant this guy. Um, but uh, thanks so much for the shout out. You don't want the credit for some dirty joke. Right, right. Yeah. I mean, I, I. Unfortunately, before Christ really took over my life there, I did say quite a few dirty jokes, especially in wrestling locking rooms. Um, but uh, that's washed by the blood and forgiven and mm-hmm. Um, but yeah. Uh, so at real, Dave Ebert is how you can find me. And there is one thing I do like to, uh, share on any every interview. Is, um, if there's somebody out there that hears this podcast and you're [00:49:00] somebody that's wrestling with depression or considering suicide, uh, my email box is open to you, uh, 24 hours a day. Uh, it goes directly to my phone, and this is an email address. I'll always keep active. So if in 2035 somebody picks up this podcast, that email will be available barring rapture. Um. Yeah, and I say that tongue in cheek, but, uh, if you're somebody that's wrestling, I really want to hear from you and wanna walk you through it. Uh, my email address is Dave at gifts, the number four glory.com. dave@giftsforglory.com. And, uh, I'm not gonna preach at you. I'm not gonna just copy and paste a bunch of scripture. I just want to hear what your story is and I wanna walk with you through it. I know that. In my depression. For me, I feel like had somebody had that option where I could talk to somebody that didn't know me, that didn't have preconceived ideas, that I'm, I would've been willing to just open up. And I'm [00:50:00] hoping that, uh, even one person, if you need that and you just, and I refer to it earlier, that verbal diarrhea, just like, let let it pour out. Uh, my dad was a military man. I was in wrestling for eight years. There's not a curse word I haven't heard. So if you need to curse in your email, don't feel like, oh, he's a pastor. I gotta edit. No, don't worry about that. Just tell me what you're want. A safe person, uh, yeah, and I wanna be there and I want to help in any way I can. If it's just listening and reading your email and just sending a few words back, that's what I wanna do. So that's open for you for, and if you're somebody that knows somebody that's not able to ask for help, uh, you know, contact me and I'll be happy to, uh, to do what I can. That is so awesome. Thank you so much for, for being a resource for, for the listeners, and I hope those that are listening will take advantage of that opportunity. And I love your podcast. [00:51:00] I listen to your podcast every week and you have some great guests on there. And we seem to agree on a lot of, um, things that I won't mention. I don't talk about politics on the show, but yeah. We seem to be on the same page on a lot of things. So thanks again for, for coming on the show tonight. Thank you so much. You as well. And, uh, I hope that, uh, uh, DSW Ministries takes off in the new year and that, uh, you meet every goal that, you've, that you've set forth. God bless you, Dave. Now I'll put all of his information in the show notes for everybody. You are never a victim when you choose to take action. Remember that friends, so we will see you all next week. God bless. Thank you for listening to the Wounds of the Faithful Podcast. If this episode has been helpful to you, please [00:52:00] hit the subscribe button and tell a friend. You could connect with us at DSW Ministries dot org where you'll find our blog, along with our Facebook, Twitter, and our YouTube channel links. Hope to see you next week.

Today in 1959, the premiere of the show we know today as Rocky and Bullwinkle. It was an extremely irreverent show, especially for its time… and that's why one of its jokes ended up getting the producers in trouble. Plus: Chicago is celebrating 50 years of its famous film reviewing duo, Siskel and Ebert. Watch the Banned Bullwinkle Bumper That Had Kids Ripping Off TV Knobs & Parents Furious (Movieweb)Siskel & Ebert at 50 (Choose Chicago)Hey kids, go tell your grownups to donate to this show's Patreon page or you'll pull all the wires out of the TV!

Nick welcomes Nell Minow, The Movie Mom, back to the show for a lively mix of politics, pop culture, and film talk. They break down the latest political headlines from D.C., including reactions to the recent elections and Elon Musk's absurd pay package, before diving into Nell's brand-new book, Low Information. Nell also shares insights from her interview with the composer of the new “Knives Out” movie, her article celebrating the 50th anniversary of Siskel & Ebert, and her thoughts on a slate of current releases. Later, Esmeralda Leon joins Nick for another nostalgic pop culture deep dive — from Bond movies and a bizarre “Suddenly Susan” episode featuring Warren Zevon, to some truly forgotten relics of 90s TV like Northern Exposure, Two of a Kind, The Sifl and Olly Show, and the inexplicable MacGruder & Loud. [Ep 404]

The holidays aren't a time to power down—they're a chance to power up smartly. Learn how top earners stay consistent, create momentum, and use the holiday season to build connection, joy, and growth that carries into the new year. LifeVantage does not guarantee success. Consultants will earn incentives depending on individual diligence, work effort, and market conditions. See qualifications for additional information.   Since the beginning of the program in 2018, approximately 230 Consultants have earned the My LifeVenture award by achieving EC2 and maintaining that rank for 6 consecutive months within the 18 months of advancing to EC2. The average number of active consultants over this period of time is 62,407.    The average 12-month earnings of a typical US Consultant who earned in 2024 are $683. These earnings represent gross income and do not account for expenses incurred in building a business. Visit the LifeVantage Income Disclosure Statement for more details.

For their fourth film together, Yorgos Lanthimos and Emma Stone get weird and go bald in BUGONIA with Jesse Plemons as Stone's conspiracy-obsessed kidnapper. Adam and Josh discuss, along with reviews of Lynne Ramsay's DIE MY LOVE starring Jennifer Lawrence, Kelly Reichardt's THE MASTERMIND with Josh O'Connor, and film-of-the-year candidate IT WAS JUST AN ACCIDENT, the latest from Jafar Panahi.  This episode is presented by⁠ Regal Unlimited⁠⁠, the all-you-can-watch movie subscription pass that pays for itself in just two visits. (Timecodes and chapter starts may not be precise with ads.) Intro (00:00:00-00:02:36) Bugonia (00:02:37-00:30:40) Die My Love (00:30:41-00:48:44) Filmspotting Family (00:48:45-00:51:48) The Mastermind (00:51:49-01:14:08) Mastermind Prize (01:14:09-01:17:49) It Was Just an Accident (01:17:50-01:34:18) Next Week / Notes (01:34:19-01:45:55) Polls (01:45:56-01:56:08) Credits / New Releases (01:56:09-02:00:04) Links: -Poll: Actor/Director Duos Since 2000 https://poll.fm/16260111 -Siskel & Ebert at 50: Lone Star with Adam and Michael https://luma.com/pwlqid75 -Fear Not! (50% Off + Free Shipping; code CONFSHIP, select Media Mail) https://wipfandstock.com/9781666738520/fear-not/ -London Meetup w/Josh on Dec. 11 https://forms.gle/rUcgUKicTddzwFBs5 RSVP:  Feedback: -Email us at ⁠⁠⁠feedback@filmspotting.net⁠⁠⁠. -⁠⁠⁠Ask Us Anything⁠⁠⁠ and we might answer your question in bonus content. Support: -Join the Filmspotting Family for bonus episodes and archive access. ⁠⁠⁠http://filmspottingfamily.com⁠⁠⁠ -T-shirts and more available at the Filmspotting Shop. ⁠⁠https://www.filmspotting.net/shop⁠⁠ Follow: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/filmspotting⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://letterboxd.com/filmspotting⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://facebook.com/filmspotting⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/filmspotting⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠https://letterboxd.com/larsenonfilm⁠⁠  https://www.instagram.com/larsenonfilm  ⁠https://bsky.app/profile/larsenonfilm.bsky.social⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

  Our adventures in film review webcasts continue with our look at On Cinema at the Cinema, Seasons 1 and 2 (from 2012-13)! It's a comedic riff on Siskel and Ebert from Tim Heidecker and Gregg Turkington. But will Parker Bowman, noted Tim skeptic, give it five bags of popcorn? Or only four? Also! We chat about the good/bad/ugly movies that Tim and Gregg reviewed over a decade ago! So #DonloydNow and enjoy this bite-sized Junk Food Supper. We got all this plus Parker's Survival Status vs his Thriving Rate, faintly sweet memories of a sticker (puffed), struggles to sleep while the rooster crows, Sean Byron's patented Star Trek Chats segment, the amazing directorial career of the director of the sequel to RZA's Man with the Iron Fists movie, sneezes, blank stares, gleeks and so much more!! Direct Donloyd Here Got a movie suggestion for the show, or better yet an opinion on next week's movies? Drop us a line at JFDPodcast@gmail.com. Or leave us a voicemail: 347-746-JUNK (5865). Add it to your telephone now! JOIN THE CONVERSATION! Also, if you like the show, please take a minute and subscribe and/or comment on us on iTunes, Stitcher, Blubrry or Podfeed.net. Check us out on Facebook and Twitter! We'd love to see some of your love on Patreon - it's super easy and fun to sign up for the extra bonus content. We'll rewatch The Hobbit for your love and support. With picks like these, you GOTTA #DonloydNow and listen in!

Send us a text6:00 Now You See Me: Now You Don't17:16 The Running Man27:11 Keeper35:47 The Carpenter's Son43:02 Playdate48:56 Nouvelle Vague55:53 In Your Dreams01:00:25 King Ivory01:06:24 Bunny01:10:41 The Things You KillIt's a 10-movie week here on 'Roger (Ebert) & Me,' the only comprehensive 'Siskel & Ebert'-style review show out there. A film criticism podcast. Please rate and review on Apple Podcasts. Even if you're on Spotify or YouTube, jump over there and throw us 5 stars. We can't get on RottenTomatoes until 200 people rate it!  'Roger & Me' is a movie review podcast covering all new releases, both theatrical and streaming, every Friday, modeled after 'Siskel & Ebert.'  Hosted by Mark Dujsik of markreviewsmovies.com & Brett Arnold of Yahoo Entertainment and The New Flesh podcast, a show about horror movies that is currently celebrating its tenth year.Support the show

The two rival newspaper critics began their landmark pairing on Chicago public television.

Send us a text7:46 Predator: Badlands21:02 Die My Love27:54 Christy34:59 Nuremberg42:43 Sentimental ValueIt's a 5-movie week here on 'Roger (Ebert) & Me,' the only comprehensive 'Siskel & Ebert'-style review show out there. A film criticism podcast. Mark did 15. Show-off! Please rate and review on Apple Podcasts. Even if you're on Spotify or YouTube, jump over there and throw us 5 stars. We can't get on RottenTomatoes until 200 people rate it!  'Roger & Me' is a movie review podcast covering all new releases, both theatrical and streaming, every Friday, modeled after 'Siskel & Ebert.'  Hosted by Mark Dujsik of markreviewsmovies.com & Brett Arnold of Yahoo Entertainment and The New Flesh podcast, a show about horror movies that is currently celebrating its tenth year.Support the show

Wisconsin honey producers are wrapping up their season by making sure their bees are prepared for the winter. Kiley Allan visits with the current president of the WHPA, Tracy Malterer from Iron Ridge. Malterer says the erratic weather gave beehive managers some problems throughout the year. It's led to lower honey output overall, and continued concern over hive health through the winter. Snow will be a part of Wisconsin's landscape by the end of the weekend. Stu Muck details where the snow will fall and what we can expect by Monday. Fortunately the harvest is about wrapped up in Wisconsin. Dean Ebert, sales manager for Helena Agri in West Bend joins Pam Jahnke to focus on the information stream that's been rolling in from fields. Ebert says that's the data that will drive decisions on next year's purchases, and he wants to help you parse it down. Paid for by Helena Agri. Food giant, Walmart, has announced that they'll remove about 30 food ingredients from their Great Value brand by January of 2027. That's sent a ripple of reaction through many food companies - and that includes our artisan Wisconsin meat processors. Dr. Jeff Sindelar, UW-Extension Meat Specialist, tells Stephanie Hoff that the goal of a "clean label" to allow consumers to understand what's in a product isn't always easy to attain. He explains that for whole muscle cuts like pork chops and steaks, there's little processing. However, brats, summer sausage and the like are reinventing their recipes using things like beet powder!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Send us a textThis week on the show!Only Monsters play God in Del Toro's:Frankenstein (that's in limited theatrical release right now but releases on Netflix Nov 7th.) Who took Riley Brennan in: Shelby Oaksand finally It all starts with something Magnificent Emma Stone stars in:Bugonia*Support the show by leaving a review on Apple podcast or Spotify! *You can now listen to The Movie Wire on YouTube! Listen and subscribe here!Make sure you check out The Gaming Views PodcastListen Here followed, or subscribed to The Cultworthy Cinema Podcast and The Movie Wire's crossover show Back 2 the Balcony, now is your time, because this week, we shake things up with a quiz show! This week I quiz Antonio with some memorable Siskel and Ebert reviews to see if he can guess the movie! Listen HereSupport the show

Columnist and film critic Richard Roeper joins Bob Sirott to talk about complaints about smoking on the CTA and how they would address a smoker in that situation. He also shares details about a celebration honoring Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert and how he will participate in the events.

This week we bring back the SISKEL AND EBERT QUIZ SHOW!It's Justin's turn to quiz me - he brings a handful of clips from the tv show and I get to guess what film they are reviewing!How did I do??SUBSCRIBE TODAY!Visit thecultworthy.comVisit https://www.themoviewire.comVideo: https://www.youtube.com/@back2thebalcony

If you've ever caught yourself thinking, “I'd love to expand my team… but where do I even start?” — this episode is for you.Rachel sits down with Ashley Ebert, founder of The Abundance Group, to unpack what it really means to move from solo hustler to confident leader. Together, they dive into the mindset, systems, and steps behind building a supportive, values-driven team that helps your business (and life) flourish.In this episode, you'll learn:

The Lord has spoken to us in the written Word. This revelation is worthy of diligent reading by His people with every effort they can muster. This book, in a fundamental way, attempts to teach the student of Scripture how to observe, interpret, and apply the meaning of the Biblical texts. The author contends that the end of all Bible reading is joy in the Lord and enjoyment of His Son. If you wish to be like the Blessed Man of Psalm 1, learn to read and love the Bible. Jared Ebert is married to his gracious wife, Mykala, and they have two children. God, by His grace, saved Him at the age of 7. He graduated with a Master of Divinity, with an emphasis in Biblical Languages, in 2023. He is a Master of Theology (Th.M.) graduate, having completed his studies at Covenant Baptist Seminary. Jared is the lead pastor at Mt Carmel Baptist Church.

The Lord has spoken to us in the written Word. This revelation is worthy of diligent reading by His people with every effort they can muster. This book, in a fundamental way, attempts to teach the student of Scripture how to observe, interpret, and apply the meaning of the Biblical texts. The author contends that the end of all Bible reading is joy in the Lord and enjoyment of His Son. If you wish to be like the Blessed Man of Psalm 1, learn to read and love the Bible. Jared Ebert is married to his gracious wife, Mykala, and they have two children. God, by His grace, saved Him at the age of 7. He graduated with a Master of Divinity, with an emphasis in Biblical Languages, in 2023. He is a Master of Theology (Th.M.) graduate, having completed his studies at Covenant Baptist Seminary. Jared is the lead pastor at Mt Carmel Baptist Church.

Spooky Season is officially over, and the boys are trading ghouls and goblins for birthday cake! It's Ryan's birthday, and he got to pick any two movies he wanted. Staying true to his Siskel & Ebert roots, Ryan went bold, choosing two of the only three movies Gene Siskel ever walked out of. (Don't worry, we're saving the third one for a couple weeks from now!) Neither of these movies are officially on the Two Thumbs Down list, but they still capture the spirit of Siskel the curmudgeon.

We're talking about Alexandre Aja's film High Tension in our first step into New French Extremity! Items included are: Conversation about whether the film is homophobic, talking about how much Ebert hated this one, and a hearty dose of Muse in some chase scenes.Roger Ebert: https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/high-tension-2005Follow us on social media!https://casualhorrorpod.comhttps://bsky.app/profile/casualhorrorpod.comhttps://www.tumblr.com/casualhorrorpodhttps://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/casual-obsessionOur website!https://www.casualhorrorpod.comFollow the hosts on their individual accountsEmma (They/Them)https://bsky.app/profile/jellyfwitch.bsky.socialhttps://letterboxd.com/emmapanadaNina (They/Them)https://bsky.app/profile/ninawolverina.bsky.socialhttps://www.tumblr.com/ninawolv3rinaNoah (He/They)https://letterboxd.com/Bubbadabadhttps://bsky.app/profile/bubbadabad.bsky.socialhttps://www.tumblr.com/bubbadabadJade (They/She)https://www.tumblr.com/whatisityouprayforhttps://letterboxd.com/thefakestfan

Send us a text5:58 Ballad of a Small Player14:36 Hedda21:23 Stitch Head27:11 It Was Just An Accident33:23 Anniversary39:06 Violent Ends45:03 Radu Jude's Dracula54:02 Self-Help59:28 If I Had Legs I'd Kick YouIt's a 9-movie week here on 'Roger (Ebert) & Me,' the only comprehensive 'Siskel & Ebert'-style review show out there. A film criticism podcast.  Please rate and review on Apple Podcasts. Even if you're on Spotify or YouTube, jump over there and throw us 5 stars. We can't get on RottenTomatoes until 200 people rate it!  'Roger & Me' is a movie review podcast covering all new releases, both theatrical and streaming, every Friday, modeled after 'Siskel & Ebert.'  Hosted by Mark Dujsik of markreviewsmovies.com & Brett Arnold of Yahoo Entertainment and The New Flesh podcast, a show about horror movies that is currently celebrating its tenth year.Support the show

Send us a text6:27 Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere21:48 Bugonia33:23 Shelby Oaks42:10 A House of Dynamite54:57 The Hand That Rocks the Cradle01:00:38 Queens of the Dead01:07:04 In Our BloodIt's a 7-movie week here on 'Roger (Ebert) & Me,' the only comprehensive 'Siskel & Ebert'-style review show out there. A film criticism podcast.  Please rate and review on Apple Podcasts. Even if you're on Spotify or YouTube, jump over there and throw us 5 stars. We can't get on RottenTomatoes until 200 people rate it!  'Roger & Me' is a movie review podcast covering all new releases, both theatrical and streaming, every Friday, modeled after 'Siskel & Ebert.'  Hosted by Mark Dujsik of markreviewsmovies.com & Brett Arnold of Yahoo Entertainment and The New Flesh podcast, a show about horror movies that is currently celebrating its tenth year.Support the show

In this episode of the Second in Command Podcast, Cameron Herold sits down with Ebert Grobler, COO and co-founder of Ruby Digital, one of South Africa's top-ranked digital agencies now expanding across the globe.Ebert shares how his company has achieved near-perfect team retention and why their internal mantra—“Grow People, Grow Global, Grow Profit”—has fueled both performance and culture. From developing a system called The Ruby Way to empowering every team member to operate like an entrepreneur, Ebert breaks down how Ruby Digital builds sustainable high performance without burnout.He also explains how they've turned retention, trust, and human connection into a competitive advantage in a saturated market and why premium service is still one of the rarest differentiators in the U.S. marketing landscape.Timestamped Highlights [00:01:45] – Why Ruby Digital is expanding from South Africa into the U.S. [00:05:25] – The surprising gap in the U.S. market: quality and retention. [00:08:12] – How Ruby Digital achieves 95–100% staff retention. [00:10:20] – Creating “The Ruby Way”: an operating system built on trust. [00:12:45] – Letting employees act like entrepreneurs without the risk. [00:16:00] – “Step Up”: the six-month advancement model that keeps people growing. [00:18:30] – Guardrails against burnout: scorecards, balance wheels, and wellbeing KPIs. [00:22:40] – Why culture drives premium client delivery. [00:25:05] – How Ebert measures success: Grow People → Grow Global → Grow Profit. [00:27:15] – Ruby's philosophy: manage risk, not just marketing. [00:30:10] – B2B growth: focusing on long-term relationships, not quick wins. [00:33:25] – The “SMC client” model—serving sophisticated, mature companies. [00:36:10] – How much companies should invest in marketing (and why most don't). [00:41:10] – Ruby's 15% marketing reinvestment and in-house client mindset. [00:45:30] – Turning unused leads into referral revenue. [00:48:10] – The biggest lesson from failure: trust is earned, not given.Resources & MentionsSmart Marketing 2.0 Podcast – Co-hosted by Ebert GroblerScaling Up by Verne HarnishGood to Great by Jim CollinsAbout the GuestEbert Grobler is the COO and co-founder of Ruby Digital, a global performance marketing agency headquartered in South Africa with hubs in the U.K. and U.S. A former communication-science student turned “human-systems engineer,” Ebert is known for creating organizational models that blend business growth with human sustainability. Under his leadership, Ruby Digital has been recognized as one of the Top 20 Companies to Work For in South Africa by the U.K. Sunday Times and continues to redefine what it means to run a people-first, performance-driven company.

Madagascar Environment is at the center of this engaging conversation with Dr. David Ebert, a world-renowned shark scientist and co-host of Beyond Jaws. In this episode, we uncover the unique challenges and opportunities that Madagascar's marine ecosystems face, from biodiversity conservation to the pressures of unsustainable fishing. Shark science takes on a new dimension as Dr. Ebert shares his experiences conducting fieldwork in Madagascar and how these insights contribute to our global understanding of marine species. This episode brings together conservation, local community needs, and international collaboration to highlight why Madagascar's environment plays a vital role in ocean health worldwide. Dave's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@lostsharkguy Join the Undertow: https://www.speakupforblue.com/jointheundertow Connect with Speak Up For Blue Website: https://bit.ly/3fOF3Wf Instagram: https://bit.ly/3rIaJSG TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@speakupforblue Twitter: https://bit.ly/3rHZxpc YouTube: www.speakupforblue.com/youtube    

March 2-8, 1996 This week Ken welcomes comedian behind the comedy special "Bougie on a Budget", Denise Winkelman. Ken and Denise discuss pouring rain in New England, growing up in Minnesota, Ken confusing Minnesota with Michigan, the coldest spot in the country in the Winter, growing up in a very rural town, the magic of cable bringing Pro Wrestling to your home, Wrestling magazines, local wrestling, mad scientists, how Wrestling is basically an improv group, NYPD Blue, nudity on television, Dennis Franz, CSI, David Caruso, Christine Baranski, the legend of The Marlboro Man, ads that work with any tag line, the 90s trend of "one of the guys" girl who smoke cigars, creepy mail order dolls, American Girl Dolls, Empty Nest, American shows CBC ran, The Kids in the Hall, WKRP, Walker Texas Ranger, wrestling alligators, Powers Booth and Peter Coyote, forbidden love, why everyone can't be the wacky neighbor, High Incident, when the whole neighborhood watches you, communist Russia, Eastern Europeans, comedians who become politicians, Hallmark Entertainment on Fox presenting In the Lake of the Woods, Bette Midler, John Travolta, French and Saunders, Joanna Lumley, the US phenomenon of Ab Fab, The Comedy Awards, Richard Pryor, The Jim Henson Hour, trying to do the Muppets without Jim Henson, Michelle Pfeiffer, selling your soul for the corporate dollar, The Babe with John Goodman vs Babe with a pig, 1996, roided baseball hits, Siskel and Ebert, and how it's never appropriate to Jeer Bob Balaban.   

Paul Thomas Anderson's latest film has car chases, explosions, secret societies, and and confused ex-revolutionaries...but did it make Drea cry? Find out the answer, plus our favorite underground cabals from film history, on this episode with special guest, noted critic Michael Phillips.What's GoodAlonso - Brian Earl's Of Christmases Long, Long AgoDrea - COVID booster/Worm Charming ChampionshipMichael - being with us (and Gov. Pritzker)Kevin - The Big Show at The EarlITIDICThe Tilly Norwood situationLA Times Editorial: Oscars International Feature Category Is Broken; No Easy FixStaff PicksAlonso - Smashing TimeDrea - FairylandMichael - SpartacusKevin - Apollo 13Check out Michael's appearances on Filmspotting and his piece on Ebert.com Follow us on BlueSky, Facebook, Instagram, or LetterboxdWithKevin AveryDrea ClarkAlonso DuraldeProduced by Marissa FlaxbartSr. Producer Laura Swisher

Fr. Daniel Ebert is a priest in Copenhagen, Denmark fighting the good fight. In this incredible interview he shares his conversion story and journey from the wrong team, to God's team. Thank you to Wild Alaskan for sponsoring this episode! Get $35 off your first box of wild-caught, sustainable seafood—delivered right to your door. Go to: https://www.wildalaskan.com/EXFILES.Go to shopremi.com/EXFILES and use code EXFILES at checkout for 50% off.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.