Podcasts about Ebert

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 […]

Superintendent Jhone Ebert has led education systems from Nevada to New York and now oversees 300,000 students in the nation's fifth-largest school district. She joins the WC Podcast to share the journey that shaped her and the vision she is driving at the Clark County School District. This episode uncovers the moments, challenges, and decisions behind one of the most influential roles in public education. Clark County School District: https://ccsd.net

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.

Sports journalist and professor J.A. Adande joins Chuck Todd for a wide-ranging conversation on how money, media, and power are reshaping the world of sports. From the Big Ten’s potential $2 billion private equity deal to the rise of The Athletic and the collapse of local sports coverage, Adande explains how financial literacy has become essential for sports reporters — and why sports journalism remains one of the few thriving corners of the media industry. They dig into how gambling, influencer culture, and social media are transforming how fans consume sports — and how shows like Around the Horn and PTI paved the way for today’s single-voice, personality-driven debate model. Adande also reflects on the increased diversity in sports media, the tension between advocacy and escapism, and why issues like Latino discrimination and trans inclusion in sports are becoming defining cultural flashpoints. He also explains why the sports world has gotten out of the social justice advocacy business… and likely won’t be coming back. It’s a candid look at how sports coverage mirrors — and sometimes predicts — the shifts happening across American journalism. Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win! Timeline: 00:00 J.A. Adande joins the Chuck ToddCast 01:00 Big Ten seeking $2 billion dollar private equity infusion 02:15 Money would keep current Big Ten setup for 2 decades 03:30 Knowledge of finance & business is a must for sports reporters 06:00 Sports journalism is one of the only growth areas in journalism 08:30 Why ESPN was a better option for J.A. than Sports Illustrated 09:15 The Athletic is the final destination for sportswriting 10:30 The role of sports journalism in rebuilding local news/media 12:00 The Athletic is evolving into a national sports outlet 13:30 Local sports reporting doesn’t scale 14:30 Where do sports fans go to now for localized coverage? 15:30 It’s more efficient for teams to leak stories to one national reporter 16:30 There is plenty of localized sports discussion, but not breaking news 18:30 There’s no FOIA in sports coverage, reporters aren’t entitled to access 20:00 Teams can shut out journalists and still get word out to the public 22:00 The impact of the pandemic on journalism and in-person access 23:00 Sports is one of the last places where people are debating the facts 24:00 Sports talk has become formulaic and like pro wrestling 25:15 The template for PTI was Siskel & Ebert 27:00 Around the Horn premised on winning a subjective argument 29:00 There’s a huge audience for fake, manufactured competition 30:00 Sports talk moving to the singular influencer model 30:45 Cutting production costs is reason for centering shows on one talent 32:00 News will likely move to the sports talk, licensing model 33:45 Streamers haven’t moved to pick up sports debate shows 34:30 Podcasts are a more intimate experience for the audience 36:15 The impact of the infusion of sports gambling into sports journalism 37:15 Journalists have to be more precise with gambling coverage 39:00 Newspapers would discourage gambling & still publish lines 41:00 Sports gambling journalism is a form of service journalism 42:15 Far more gender diversity now in sports journalism schools 44:15 There’s never been a better time to be a woman in sports media 46:45 There’s been a retreat from social commentary in sports media 48:15 Trans women in sports debate is dividing women 49:30 Baseball should be leading the fight against latino discrimination 51:30 Latino integration or expulsion will be a defining fight of our time 55:00 Sports will not be at the forefront of fighting for social justice 57:15 Sports as a source for escape vs a source of advocacySee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of the Chuck ToddCast, Chuck dives into the chaotic new reality of Trump’s second term — one defined by self-interest, spectacle, and staggering corruption. As the president literally tears down the East Wing of the White House to build a grander event space, Chuck explores how the optics reflect a leader consumed by vanity rather than governance. From meme coin millions and Gulf state real estate deals to the blatant abuse of the pardon power, the episode unpacks how Trump has turned the presidency into a personal profit machine. With billions made, laws bent, and supporters still loyal, the question looms: is there any line Trump can cross that will finally cost him his base? Then, sports journalist and professor J.A. Adande joins Chuck Todd for a wide-ranging conversation on how money, media, and power are reshaping the world of sports. From the Big Ten’s potential $2 billion private equity deal to the rise of The Athletic and the collapse of local sports coverage, Adande explains how financial literacy has become essential for sports reporters — and why sports journalism remains one of the few thriving corners of the media industry. They dig into how gambling, influencer culture, and social media are transforming how fans consume sports — and how shows like Around the Horn and PTI paved the way for today’s single-voice, personality-driven debate model. Adande also reflects on the increased diversity in sports media, the tension between advocacy and escapism, and why issues like Latino discrimination and trans inclusion in sports are becoming defining cultural flashpoints. He also explains why the sports world has gotten out of the social justice advocacy business… and likely won’t be coming back. It’s a candid look at how sports coverage mirrors — and sometimes predicts — the shifts happening across American journalism. Finally, he answers listener’s questions in the “Ask Chuck” segment, and gives his weekend college football preview. Got injured in an accident? You could be one click away from a claim worth millions. Just visit https://www.forthepeople.com/TODDCAST to start your claim now with Morgan & Morgan without leaving your couch. Remember, it's free unless you win! Timeline: (Timestamps may vary based on advertisements) 00:00 Chuck Todd’s introduction 03:30 Trump is tearing down the entire east wing of the White House 04:15 Optics of the White House demolition are extremely jarring 05:30 Trump more consumed with himself and his image than voters 07:15 Over time, Trump always manages to wear out his welcome 08:30 Trump is not putting America first 09:45 Trump shaking down his own DOJ for over $200 million 11:30 WH needed a bigger event space, but not without permission 12:30 Trump has entered “Let them eat cake” territory 14:00 Trump family has made billions on meme coin 15:30 Meme coin purchases could be straight up bribery 17:00 Trump has made millions from settlements 18:15 Trump family has made multiple real estate deals with gulf states 19:30 Trump’s personal fortune is now between 5-6 billion dollars 20:00 Trump’s abuse of the pardon power has undone the rule of law 21:00 Pardoned J6’ers have gone on to commit crimes 22:30 Trump has pardoned scores of Republican politicians 24:15 Claiming “political persecution” earns you a pardon from Trump 25:45 Trump has traded America foreign policy for personal gain 27:45 Trump is testing the premise he can do anything and not lose support 31:30 J.A. Adande joins the Chuck ToddCast 32:30 Big Ten seeking $2 billion dollar private equity infusion 33:45 Money would keep current Big Ten setup for 2 decades 35:00 Knowledge of finance & business is a must for sports reporters 37:30 Sports journalism is one of the only growth areas in journalism 40:00 Why ESPN was a better option for J.A. than Sports Illustrated 40:45 The Athletic is the final destination for sportswriting 42:00 The role of sports journalism in rebuilding local news/media 43:30 The Athletic is evolving into a national sports outlet 45:00 Local sports reporting doesn't scale 46:00 Where do sports fans go to now for localized coverage? 47:00 It's more efficient for teams to leak stories to one national reporter 48:00 There is plenty of localized sports discussion, but not breaking news 50:00 There's no FOIA in sports coverage, reporters aren't entitled to access 51:30 Teams can shut out journalists and still get word out to the public 53:30 The impact of the pandemic on journalism and in-person access 54:30 Sports is one of the last places where people are debating the facts 55:30 Sports talk has become formulaic and like pro wrestling 56:45 The template for PTI was Siskel & Ebert 58:30 Around the Horn premised on winning a subjective argument 1:00:30 There's a huge audience for fake, manufactured competition 1:01:30 Sports talk moving to the singular influencer model 1:02:15 Cutting production costs is reason for centering shows on one talent 1:03:30 News will likely move to the sports talk, licensing model 1:05:15 Streamers haven't moved to pick up sports debate shows 1:06:00 Podcasts are a more intimate experience for the audience 1:07:45 The impact of the infusion of sports gambling into sports journalism 1:08:45 Journalists have to be more precise with gambling coverage 1:10:30 Newspapers would discourage gambling & still publish lines 1:12:30 Sports gambling journalism is a form of service journalism 1:13:45 Far more gender diversity now in sports journalism schools 1:15:45 There's never been a better time to be a woman in sports media 1:18:15 There's been a retreat from social commentary in sports media 1:19:45 Trans women in sports debate is dividing women 1:21:00 Baseball should be leading the fight against latino discrimination 1:23:00 Latino integration or expulsion will be a defining fight of our time 1:26:30 Sports will not be at the forefront of fighting for social justice 1:28:45 Sports as a source for escape vs a source of advocacy 1:30:30 Chuck's thoughts on interview with J.A. Adande 1:31:15 Ask Chuck 1:32:15 Why aren't we mandating watermarks on every piece of AI content? 1:36:15 Where was the No Kings energy on election day? 1:41:00 How can you have meaningful debate when you can't agree on facts? 1:47:45 Why have Hegseth, Bondi and RFK Jr. been able to cement their roles? 1:51:30 Why not do a "Where Chuck was right/wrong" segment similar to Cowherd? 1:55:45 How can Democrats uphold core values without sounding preachy? 2:00:15 College football previewSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

By Walt HickeyWelcome to the Numlock Sunday edition.This week, I spoke to Alyssa Rosenberg, Sunny Bunch and Peter Suderman, the three panelists of the outstanding film podcast Across the Movie Aisle. I really enjoy the show and have been a longtime fan of their individual work.I think that they're a group with genuinely diverse opinions but who have a lot of love for cinema and as a result have some of the most deeply interesting conversations about the art form of any show I listen to. The show just split off from The Bulwark's network and is striking it out independently. Do check them out!This interview has been condensed and edited. Hey, Across the Movie Aisle. Thank you so much for coming on Numlock. I really appreciate it.Absolutely.Thank you for having us.Yes, this is the first three-on-one conversation that I've ever done here, so we're gonna have to juggle a bit. Either way, I am just such a fan of the show. I really, really enjoyed it, subscribed to the Bulwark for it when I heard that you guys were going independent. I was really excited to see what was motivating that, what opportunities you were seeing out there. It's just such a really fun program, and I think it's so unique in the space.Before we get into talking about the movies, do you wanna talk a little bit about where this show came from, where it started, then what you would say your perspective on the film industry is?Sonny: Sure.Alyssa: Who wants to tell the story?Sonny: The origin of the show was back in 2019. I started working for an independent film studio that's based in Dallas, where I live now. I moved here for the job. The pitch was, “it's like Fangoria,” but for action movies and thrillers and heist movies, that sort of thing. And one of the things I wanted to do when we came over was a little podcast network. We were gonna have some shows, some storytelling things, et cetera. And one of the things I had wanted to do for a while (and hadn't really had an outlet for) was a show I had envisioned as like Crossfire or McLaughlin Group or something like that, but by way of movies.So Across the Movie Aisle — I've always shorthanded it as Siskel and Ebert meets Left Right Center. And the idea here is that I am a conservative. I don't know how other people would describe me, but I still think of myself as a center-right person. Alyssa is the center-left person.Peter: Would you even say that you are a neoconservative?Sonny: Well, I'm a neoconservative with libertarian tendencies, which is a funny thing.Peter: “You work at the Weekly Standard,” is a good way to think about your politics? And they basically haven't changed since you worked at The Weekly Standard. Is that fair? That's the long and the short of it.Sonny: Then Peter is whatever Peter is. I'll let him define himself. But the idea here was you have three people with differing political views talking about movies and other stories about movies. The show has two segments. The first is called Controversies and Nontroversies. The second is a review. And the Controversies and Nontroversies segment was initially thought of as we tackle some dumb internet outrage of the day and decide if it's really worth being mad about.And that evolved into something slightly different, right? Right, guys? I feel like it's now more about the business of Hollywood.Alyssa: Yes, exactly. But I think it's worth noting that our story actually starts way before 2019. The three of us were all critics in some respect or other. I was over at ThinkProgress running their culture and sports verticals. Sonny, were you at the Weekly Standard when we started or were you at the Free Beacon then?Sonny: I think I was at the Washington Free Beacon when we met. So it must've been 2012 or 13.Alyssa: The three of us were going to screenings every week and somehow just gravitated towards each other. We would sit together. We were the people who were hanging out and hashing things out together after the screening ended. When I moved to the Washington Post, I ended up bringing Sonny over as a contributor to the blog that I was working on there. They were invited to my wedding. We were authentically contentiously friends years before we started the podcast.I think that's been a little bit of the special sauce for us, right? We are capable of having conversations that are somewhat harder to have elsewhere because (even before we started working together) there were five, six years of trust built up in in-person conversations and discussions over beers at the really terrible bar near the former AMC in Friendship Heights. Nobody is here on this podcast to blow each other up. But it's also not like “We're friends for the camera!”I think the show has always been like both a reflection of our dynamic. It's also the way that we hang out every week, even though Sonny lives in Dallas, and Peter lives in Boston some of the time. So for me, it's like my night out.I mean, as a listener, I really find the appeal to be exactly that. I think that having different perspectives on something as universal as film makes the show super compelling to listen to, even if I don't always necessarily agree with the perspective on it. What makes movies just so good to view from multiple different angles? There are lowercase “c” conservative films, there are lowercase “l” liberal films, that stuff. How do you guys find approaching the current state of the film industry from these different points of view?Peter: Alyssa talked about how our story goes back even before 2019, when the podcast started. And just for people who may not be familiar with the dynamic of Washington that all of us came up in in our 20s, Alyssa was working for ThinkProgress, which was the journalism arm of the Center for American Progress, which is this leading democratic or democratic affiliated think tank. Sonny was working for the Weekly Standard and then for the Washington Free Beacon, these feisty, conservative journalistic outlets.I actually started writing movie reviews for National Review for a couple of years. When I moved over full-time to Reason Magazine, which is where I've been for more than 15 years now, and also to the Washington Times, which is someplace that both Sonny and I wrote for. It's a conservative-leaning paper that has undergone many transformations. If you live in Washington, your social circle and your conversations and your life are so frequently segmented by politics.What we liked about being friends with each other and seeing movies with each other was that we saw that it didn't have to be the case. Movies and art and pop culture, even disagreements about them, were ways that we could come together and maybe not even agree, but like learn about each other. We're really good friends, but we also like each other's minds. This is something that is really important and drew us all together. I have learned a lot about movies from Sonny. I have learned about culture from Alyssa. I don't know if they've learned anything from me. Maybe they've been annoyed about how I'm fine with A.I.Having those perspectives, it's not just that it's like, “Oh, that's nice that you're a little different.” This is a learning opportunity for all of us. It also makes the act of watching movies together much richer. When you're watching the movie, if you're watching it next to Alyssa, I know what she's thinking. Maybe not what I'm thinking, but it's like having another set of eyes. If you're a critic, if you're somebody who likes movies, if you are somebody who likes movies for the social aspect of them, seeing them with somebody else and talking about them afterwards just makes it so much more enjoyable. The fact that we then get to have that conversation in public for an audience that seems to enjoy this is really rewarding.Alyssa: I have a very hard time with certain kinds of violence in movies. But I can sit in a theater with Peter, and he can tell me when I need to cover my eyes, but also when I'm gonna be okay when it's over. And he's always right, right? And that's the thing that we get.Peter: But also when we see the Taylor Swift movie, I show up, and Alyssa has friendship bracelets for us. Everybody's bringing something to the party here.Alyssa: Peter, you joked about whether or not we've gotten anything from you. And I actually think that in some ways, I'm the one of us whose politics and aesthetics have changed most as a result of doing the show with both of you. I came up in an era of lefty cultural criticism when there were real incentives for tearing things apart. And I think I, in some ways early in my career, helped advance a fairly doctrinaire vision of what political conversations about art should be. And I have some regrets about some of the things that I wrote and some non-regrets too. I did a lot of work at that point in my career that I liked a lot.But one of the things I've come to believe in my conversation with these guys is that art is at its most politically powerful not when it affirms an agenda or a worldview that is defined by a political movement, but it is at its most powerful and interesting when it creates space for conversations that are not possible in conventional political formats and political venues. I think the unpredictability of movies and the inability to shove movies neatly into a partisan schema is where their power comes from.It is not in being subordinate to an agenda, but in opening the space for new possibilities. And I think that having a space to come to that conclusion made me a better critic and a better person. Maybe less employable as someone who writes about this stuff full-time in a predictable way. But I really enjoy seeing the world through the lenses that Peter and Sonny helped me apply to all of this.Peter: And just to underline that really quickly, a little bit more. One of the things that brings all of us together is that we are all three people who moved to Washington to work in political journalism, to work in discourse about politics. We have very strongly held beliefs. At the same time, I think all three of us come to movies, to art and to culture thinking, “You know what, you can make good art. You can make a great movie that maybe I find doesn't in any way align with my beliefs, right?” It has nothing to do with my political world or is even critical of my political worldview, but it's still a great movie.And this is a thing that you see very rarely in Washington and political discussions of art and film, but also in criticism. You have so much criticism that is out there, especially in the movie criticism world, that is just straightforwardly, politically determined. I don't think that that is the best way to approach art and to live a life that is about art because. Of course, it engages with politics. And of course you have to talk about that. And of course, you have to deal with that, but it's not just politics. If what you want from a movie is for it to be an op-ed, then what you want isn't a movie, it's an op-ed.I think that's really interesting. And actually, let's dive into that real quick. We'll go around the horn, perhaps. Peter, you brought it up. What is an example of a film or a piece of media that maybe either subverts or goes upstream compared to your personal politics that you nevertheless enjoyed? Or you, nevertheless, in spite of where you were coming from on that, really tended to like?Peter: So we all had mixed reactions to Paul Anderson's, P.T. Anderson's One Battle After Another, which is quite a political film, just came out. All of us thought that on a micro level, scene by scene, as a piece of filmmaking, it's genius. But on a macro level, its big ideas are kind of a mess. I go back to another Paul Anderson film from the aughts, There Will Be Blood, which is fairly critical of capitalism and of the capitalist tendencies that are deeply rooted in America. And it's not just a polemic, just an op-ed. It's not something that you can sum up in a tweet. It is quite a complex film in so many ways. And I'm a capitalist. I am a libertarian. I am a markets guy. And it is, I love that movie.Sonny and I frequently have arguments over whether There Will Be Blood is the first or second best movie of the last 25 years or so. Sonny thinks it's maybe the best. I think it's the second best. This is a movie that I think offers a deep critique of my ideology and my political worldview. But it is so profound on an artistic character narrative, just deep engagement level. I could talk about it for a long time. It's a movie I really love that doesn't support what I believe about politics in the world.Yeah, Sonny, how about you?Sonny: Bernardo Bertolucci's The Last Emperor is commie agitprop, but it's also very good. It's one of those movies where the lesson of the movie is literally “The elite overclass needs to be taught how to pee correctly in a bucket, so as not to annoy the normals.” But it's a beautiful movie, including the bucket. You don't have to agree with a film's politics to recognize that it is a great movie. It certainly doesn't hurt. I flipped through my rankings, and a lot of it does line up.But another one is JFK. Oliver Stone's JFK is a movie that is nonsense as history. If you look at it as a history text, you are reading the film wrong. What it excels at and the way that it is great is that it's the absolute perfect distillation of sitting next to an insane conspiracy theorist and hearing them ramble. The way that Oliver Stone edits together all of these disparate ideas — the way he edits is like hearing a conspiracy theorist talk.The way a conspiracy theorist talks is that they overwhelm you with information. They will just throw out random things and be like, “And this is connected to this, and this is connected to this.” And you are not able to actually judge these things because you have no idea really what they're talking about. You're not steeped in this stuff like they are, but it all sounds right. And all of a sudden, yeah, I believe that the military industrial complex murdered JFK at the behest of a fascist homosexual conspiracy, which is just another amusing little element to JFK by Oliver Stone.Those would be two examples, I would say.I love that. Alyssa, how about you?Alyssa: I would say Dirty Harry. I did a huge project about 10 years ago on depictions of the police in pop culture. And the ways in which law enforcement, as an industry, has actually really shaped their depictions on film. And look, I don't think the police always get everything right. And I think that shooting people is not a viable solution to a crime, especially without a trial. But God damn, does Clint Eastwood make like a sweater and a blazer and a real big gun look awesome, right?Sonny: Those are things that look awesome. Of course, they look awesome on Clint Eastwood.Alyssa: Of course, they look awesome, but they look especially awesome on Clint Eastwood. And they look even more awesome when he's shooting a crazed hippie who has commandeered a busSonny: Full of children.Alyssa: Yes, a bus full of children. The evil hippie deserves to get shot, and Clint Eastwood is the man to set things right. The thing about aesthetics is that they can get you to set aside your politics momentarily in a theoretical way. But I also think that good movies can get you access to spaces and mindsets that you might not have access to otherwise.When you asked that question, the movie that I immediately thought of, not necessarily of challenging my politics, but like bringing me a place I can't go, is Alex Garland's Warfare from earlier this year. It is one of the best movies I've seen this year. And also a movie about (both as a social and cultural environment) an all-male combat unit in the US military and a situation (the war in Iraq) that I have no access to. I cannot go there. My being in the space would fundamentally transform the space. And that opening sequence with this platoon watching this music video in a weird, sexualized group bonding ritual, I just found fascinating and oddly touching in a way that I think is interesting to watch, especially if you're steeped in left-leaning critiques of traditional masculinity in all-male spaces.And I found that movie, despite how harrowing it was, kind of beautiful and tender to watch in a way. And I just felt very grateful for it.Awesome. Yeah, again, I really appreciate how much thought goes into viewing not only movies as cultural entities, but also their space in politics, but also how the culture can overwhelm that. I really think that you guys have such fun takes on this. I wanna back out a little bit and talk a little bit about this year and this moment. I think one thing I really enjoy about your show is that it's obvious how much you guys really enjoy going to the movies, enjoy consuming this stuff. I know that there's a lot of fairly understandable doom and gloom sometimes around the movie industry, around the exhibition industry. A lot of that, I think, comes from some of the more industry side of things and infects the viewing public's view.I'll just throw it to you. What is a trend or something going on these days within movies or Hollywood that you actually think is a good thing, that you're actually enjoying? Or a transitional moment that you think could be fun? I guess, Sunny, I'll start off with you. I don't know.Sonny: That's a hard question to answer because everything is bad right now.Alyssa: To be clear, this is Sonny's default position about all eras and all things. All things.Peter: He's a cheerful man.Sonny: All things, really. No, everything is bad. But if I were looking at a few green shoots, I like the rise of the draft house style theater, a combination of dining, bar, movie space. I know some people have issues with the waiters scurrying back and forth. And it's not my real cup of tea either, but that's all right. You mentioned this question right before we started taping. I was trying to sketch something out, so I didn't have nothing.But I do think the rise of the boutique Blu-ray and 4K UHD retailers has been a good thing. I don't know that it's enough to save physical media in the film context, but the rise of your Vinegar Syndromes. Criterion, of course, is the longest player in this space, and they've been doing it since the days of Laserdisc. They're very good at what they do, and they have a great catalog.But even smaller places, like your Vinegar Syndromes or your Shout Factory and your Scream Factory. The studios themselves are getting into it. Lionsgate has their Lionsgate limited thing that they do, which is just sucking money out of my pockets. A24 has also been good in this space. I like the idea that there is a small but committed cadre of collectors out there. And it's not just ownership for the sake of ownership. It's not the high fidelity, “the things you own matter. So you should show them off so everybody can see them and see how cool you are” kind of thing. There are actual quality differences to having a disc as opposed to a streaming service, which always come in at lower bit rates, and they look and sound worse.But this is so niche. Very few people who collect this stuff (Blu-rays, 4Ks, et cetera) really understand how niche they are.If you look at the monthly pie chart of sales of discs every month, it's still 50 percent DVD, 20 percent to 25 percent Blu-ray, and then 25 percent to 30 percent 4K, depending on what's out at any given time. But 50 percent of discs are still being bought by people browsing Walmart shelves, like “Ooh, I'll watch this new movie for $5. Sure, why not?”Yeah, having something for the sickos is always something viable, right? Peter, I'll throw it to you.Peter: So, on this podcast, I have probably been the biggest MCU, Marvel Movie Universe booster. What I think is a good thing that is happening right now is that the MCU is in a decline, or at least a reset period. It's not overwhelming Hollywood in the way that it was throughout the 2010s. It's hurting theaters and exhibition because those movies are not performing the way they used to, and that's a downside for real.But what it is doing is creating a space for young filmmakers and for young acting talent to rise up without having to immediately be sucked into the MCU or something comparable, like the DC movies that were trying to start up and never really got going. Now they've rebooted the DC universe with the James Gunn Superman film. But, it really felt like in the 2010s, anyone who was in their 20s or 30s and was a really promising actor or a really promising director was gonna make one or two movies. And then they were gonna get sucked into the Marvel or maybe the Star Wars machine, one of these big franchise things.It wasn't like even 25 years ago when Sam Raimi was making Spider-Man films, and they were very distinctly Sam Raimi films. I mean, you watch the Dr. Octopus POV sequence in Spider-Man 2, and it's the same thing he was doing in Evil Dead, except he had $150 million to make that movie, right?These weren't even altruistic superhero films. They were just being brought in to lend their names a small amount of flavor to whatever it was they were doing. And now, in an era in which the MCU is not gone, but is diminished, a lot of acting talent and a lot of directing talent are going to be free to spend that formative period of third, fourth, fifth, sixth movies to make the things that they wanna make and to experiment.Like I said, this does have downsides. This is not great for theatrical exhibitors who are suffering right now because there are fewer movies and because the big movies are not as big. But in that space, you get the opportunity to try new things. And I love seeing new things, and I love watching new talent develop.That is cool. I like that. Alyssa?Alyssa: I'm glad you said that, Peter, because what I was gonna say is I am delighted to see some of the directors who did time in the MCU or other franchises coming back and making original movies. Obviously, Sinners is one of the big success stories of the year. It's also a success story because Ryan Coogler is not only making franchise movies.I saw Seeing Fruitvale, which turned Fruitvale Station, at the Sundance Film Festival. It was like a seminal moment for me early in my career as a critic. I was like, “Holy God, this guy is great.” Even though I like what he did with the Rocky movies and I like the first Black Panther, I just felt this sense of profound regret for him getting diverted from telling these original stories. I'm really excited for Chloe Zhao's Hamnet. I expect to be emotionally incapacitated by that movie. Honestly, it is great for people who love movies that Immortals was just such a disaster.Peter: Eternals.Sonny: Eternals, that's how good it is we can't even remember the title.Alyssa: Yes, Destin Daniel Cretton is working on a Shang-Chi sequel, but he is also collaborating with Ryan Coogler on a project that I think is drawn from their childhoods.Sonny: He's directing a new Spider-Man movie right now.Alyssa: But there's other stuff coming. There's the possibility of life outside franchises. And, I'm excited to see what some of these folks do when they're not in front of a green screen and when they're telling stories about actual human beings. I am excited to just see more movies like Weapons, like Materialists, coming from younger directors who are still figuring things out, but have interesting things to say. And this year, at least, appears to be able to do okay at the box office.I love that. People are recovering from their exile in Atlanta and have a chance to make some cool movies. You guys have been so generous with your time. I do want to just finish on one last note: where do you assess Hollywood's position within the world to be?Obviously, in the States, they've had a lot of pressure from things like TikTok coming from below, things like the federal government coming from above. But even internationally and geopolitically, you've seen international players start to compete with Hollywood at the Oscars. For instance, in Best Animated Film last year, as well as some big markets shutting down for them, like China is not really doing anything. From a political perspective, where do you assess the state of Hollywood right now?Peter: From a political perspective, I think Hollywood is going to start producing movies that read less overtly liberal, less conventionally left-leaning. I think we're already seeing some of that. I don't mean that Hollywood is suddenly going to be MAGA, that it's suddenly gonna be like reading Buckley's National Review or anything like that. I just mean that at the margins, you're gonna see more movies that don't toe the line in the way that you saw movies before. There was a moment, especially right before and right after the pandemic, where it really felt like too many movies were towing a very predictable left-of-center political line. And it was obvious and there was no nuance to it.Again, I do not oppose movies that may have a different worldview than mine, but it felt like they were running scared in a lot of cases. I mean, in sports, if your team is behind, that's the time when you try new stuff. You don't use the same strategy if you are losing. Hollywood's losing right now. They're losing economically and they're losing as a cultural force. While that's in some ways not great for the art form, that is going to be good for experimentation. And that's gonna be formal and craft experimentation. That's going to be talent. We're going to see new and interesting people. And that's also going to be ideas both for stories and for politics and ideology.Sonny: A big question is what happens with the retrenchment of the global box office? Because I do think, for a long time, you could count on basically two-thirds of the box office of a major Hollywood release coming overseas and one-third coming domestically. And those numbers have, in some cases, inverted. It's closer to 50/50 for more of them. It's not universally true. F1 did more business overseas than domestically, which you might expect for something that's based on F1 racing. But the big question is what happens if the rest of the world is like, “We're not that interested in the big Hollywood blockbuster stuff that we have been eating up for the last 15 or 20 years”?This goes hand in hand with Alyssa's point about originals. That's probably a good thing, honestly. It's probably a good thing to get away from the theory of the movie industry being like, “We need to make things that appeal despite language barriers.” Language matters; words matter. And tailoring your words to the correct audience matters. American movie studio should tailor their stuff to American audiences.Alyssa: And also getting away from the idea of appealing to the Chinese censors who controlled which American movies got access to Chinese markets, which was not the same thing as appealing to Chinese audiences. But yeah, I totally agree.My father-in-law works in the foreign exchange industry, and he said something that I've been thinking about a lot. They're just seeing real declines in people who want to come here or feel comfortable coming here. Until July, I was the letters editor at The Washington Post, and it was astonishing to me just how much rage Canadians were feeling towards the United States. I don't know that these will translate into a rejection of American movies. American culture exports have been unbelievably strong for a long time.But I do see an opening for Korean pop culture, which has already been very popular abroad. I think there's a real chance that we will see a rejection of American culture in some ways. And, it will take Hollywood a while to respond to that. It always lags a little bit. But I do think it would be very interesting to see what more aggressively American movies look like. And I think that could take many forms.But scale is in many ways the enemy of interestingness. If there is not and opportunity to turn everything into a two billion dollar movie because you sell it overseas, what stories do you tell? What actors do you put on screen? What voices do you elevate? And I think the answers to those questions could be really interesting.Peter: I agree with all of this in the sense that I think it will be good for the art form, like I have been saying. But there's a cost to this that all of us should recognize. When budgets get smaller and the market shrinks, that is going to be bad for people who work in the industry. And in particular, it's going to be rough for the below-the-line talent, the people whose names you see at the end credits — when these credits now scroll for 10 minutes after a Marvel movie because they have employed hundreds, maybe even a thousand people.And there was a story in The Wall Street Journal just this summer. You mentioned the time in Atlanta about how Marvel has moved most of its production out of Atlanta. There are people there who had built lives, bought houses, had earned pretty good middle-class incomes, but weren't superstars by any means. Now they don't know what to do because they thought they were living in Hollywood East, and suddenly, Hollywood East doesn't exist anymore.We may be in a position where Hollywood West, as we have long know it, L.A., the film center, also doesn't exist anymore, at least or at least as much smaller, much less important and much less central to filmmaking than it has been for the last nearly 100 years. And again, as a critic, I like the new stuff. I often like the smaller stuff. I'm an American; I want movies made for me. But also, these are people with jobs and livelihoods, and it is going to be hard for them in many cases.Sonny: Oh, I'm glad to see the A.I. King over here take the side of the little guy who's losing out on his on his livelihood.Peter: I think A.I. is going to help the little guy. Small creators are going to have a leg up because of it.Sonny: Sure.All right. Well, I love some of those thoughts, love some of those lessons. Publicly traded companies are famously risk-taking, so we're going to be fine, definitely. Either way, I really do love the show. I really, really enjoy it. I think it's one of the best discussion shows, chat shows about any movie podcast out there. It is really, really fun. It is very cool to see you guys go independent.I just want to throw it to you a little bit. What is your pitch? What is the show? Where can they find it? What's the best way to support it? And where can they find you all?Sonny: The show's a lot like this, like what you just listened to.Alyssa: Peter has developed this catchphrase when Sonny asked him how he's doing to kick off the show, and he always says that he's excited to be talking about movies with friends. We want to be your movie friends. You should come hang out with us. Hopefully, we will be going live a little bit more, maybe meeting up in person some. I will hopefully be doing some writing for our sub stack, if you have missed my blatherings about movies and movie trends.But yeah, come hang out with us every week. We're fun.Sonny: Movieaisle.substack.com. That's where you should go. You should I'm I'm I'm sure I'm sure there will be a link to it or something. Movieaisle.substack.com is where it lives now. We'll have a proper URL at some point.Terrific. And wherever you get your podcasts?Sonny: And wherever you get your podcasts!That's great. Peter, Alyssa, Sonny, thank you so much. This is really, really fun. Again, I really dig the show so much. I'm very, very happy for you guys being able to spring out independent. So really, thanks for coming on.Edited by Crystal WangIf you have anything you'd like to see in this Sunday special, shoot me an email. Comment below! Thanks for reading, and thanks so much for supporting Numlock.Thank you so much for becoming a paid subscriber! Send links to me on Twitter at @WaltHickey or email me with numbers, tips or feedback at walt@numlock.news. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.numlock.com/subscribe

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    

Send us a text5:38 Black Phone 217:50 Good Fortune25:54 The Mastermind36:54 Truth & Treason44:30 Frankenstein54:26 Blue Moon01:01:13 Stiller & Meara: Nothing Is Lost01:07:40  Other01:12:19 The TwitsIt'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

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.   

Send us a text6:12 Tron: Ares19:29 Roofman25:51 Kiss of the Spider Woman32:40 After The Hunt42:54 The Woman in Cabin 1048:25 The Perfect Neighbor53:35 John Candy: I Like Me,58:46 Vicious01:05:16 Urchin01:10:14 DeathstalkerIt'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

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

In this episode, the guys engage in a candid conversation with Josh Ebert, a military veteran transitioning into the trades after 20 years of service. They discuss the challenges and opportunities faced by veterans entering the workforce, particularly in skilled trades like plumbing and HVAC. The conversation highlights the importance of experience, teamwork, and the supportive community within the trades. Josh shares his journey, concerns about age, and the steps he is taking to find the right fit in his new career. The episode emphasizes the value of reaching out for help and the various apprenticeship programs available to facilitate this transition.Send us a textSend us your feedback or topic ideas over on our social channels!Eric Aune @mechanicalhub Andy Mickelson @mick_plumbNewsletter sign up: https://bit.ly/MH_email

Martin Ebert is one of the founding partners, along with Tom Mackenzie, of Mackenzie & Ebert, arguably the top golf design firm in Europe. Ebert has been the lead consulting architect, with Mackenzie, for most of the Open Championship courses as well as dozens of clubs in the U.K., Ireland and Europe. They also have… Read More Read More The post Episode 97: Martin Ebert appeared first on Feed The Ball.

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.