Transcript
Madsen, Movies, and Mischief (Hour 1)
Nite Lite with Pete Schwaba and Greg Bach · Tue Jul 15, 2025
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Welcome to the Nightlight.
Ladies and gentlemen, great to have you with me on this Tuesday night.
And man, are you in for a treat.
We have a great show tonight, folks.
We're gonna talk a little comedy.
There was a passing of an actor about a week and a half ago called Michael Madsen, who was in a lot of Quentin Tarantino films.
If you don't know who he is, you'd probably know his face if you saw him.
He was a great character actor and at times a leading man.
And we are gonna talk about his life and his career a little bit at 635 with a very funny guy who idolized him named Mike Schmidt who has been on the show several times before and is very funny.
That's at 630 and then at 720.
Oh man, Conrad, we gotta treat.
for the
fine listeners, for the couch
potatoes.
7000 Apart joins us here in the studio and they will perform live at 720.
Those are two, I mean, come on.
That is an evening of entertainment right there, folks.
And what better show to have such guests on than a show like Night Light that talks about entertainment on a nightly basis as well as all the fun stuff happening in our communities.
Conrad, how are you tonight?
I'm doing
Yeah.
You have, all right, this is funny.
We were talking about nudism last night.
It was a national nude day, and our question was something to the effect of where would you streak if you had to go streaking?
Streaking is kind of a lost art.
You said what to that?
And your phone is
want to streak it.
But did you, I mean, do you think your phone picked up on that conversation last year at this time of the year?
And that's why it's sending you that.
I mean, I know last year you signed up for the cruise and they ran out of space.
They said no thanks.
But seriously, like what?
Do you think it, because phones do that all the time with Alexa and Siri and our microphones are on.
You get all these ads all of a sudden.
It's ridiculous.
So what do you think that's from?
Yeah.
then
Here's some titleists for sale.
It's everywhere.
You cannot escape consumerism.
The ads now on Prime, here's what they're doing because I've been watching the show Ballard, which is a Bosch spin-off, and it's on Prime.
So when Prime does ads, they put a little box in the corner.
Buy this now.
Click here.
It's like, get out of my
Yeah.
like I'm waiting for like
And here's what they do.
Here's why I think they're clever, because they'll do like two minutes of ads.
And it's like, oh, my God, like it's just it's.
It's merciless because now we're used to no ads or we sort of gotten used to no ads But then they'll do a commercial that's only like 15 seconds.
Oh, this isn't bad.
Okay, then you got three minutes next time Like I feel like they're just toying with us, you know, you
You're
You get like, nervous energy, trauma.
That's the voice of Conrad Krieger, folks.
He is our producer tonight who is working the board.
And did you have a good day, Conrad?
I did, you know.
I think my
where it's starting to peel.
We never really talked about the tattoo.
I gotta say it looks really sharp.
It's very colorful.
It is, yes.
Tell the fine listeners what you're working with there.
Well, you know, so the day before I got my tattoo last week on Friday, I did a dumb mistake and I looked up on TikTok.
Where's the most painful spots?
Oh, come on.
I don't know why I did that.
Don't ask me.
I was a little nervous to get my first tattoo and I looked at it.
Originally, I was gonna get this tattoo on my calf.
And
But how long are you really in pain for you said when you got it at a certain point?
It really started to hurt, but how long were you in pain when they were working it?
What's the sugar do just to give you energy?
Because so you don't feel faint or yes
Okay,
I
it like the outline or whatever?
Needle
to oh
So
that's where I
Come back again So we got a great show tonight folks as I just mentioned a comedian and podcast host of the podcast 40-year-old boy Mike Schmidt will be here at 635 One of our favorites 7,000 apart Amelie and John will be here at 720.
They are a Swedish slash Green Bay rock duo
And they are fantastic.
And we've had them on the show since the show's inception, really.
We've had them several times here in the studio.
They will be here tonight at 720 Rock in the Studio.
That will be fun.
I think we should, without further ado, get to our question of the night.
Let's talk about the question.
OK, question.
Question.
Question.
Pregunta.
Question.
Question.
OK, I have a question.
Questions.
This question.
Domanda.
Question.
Questions.
in honor of his 83rd birthday.
What is your favorite Harrison Ford movie?
That's a good one.
Who doesn't love Harrison Ford?
He's like America's actor.
He's a good guy, just a wholesome dude, always has dressed to the nines fashion sense you could set your watch to.
as I like to say.
He turned 83, I believe on Sunday.
So in honor of his 83rd birthday, what is your favorite Harrison Ford movie?
Let us know.
855-752-4842-8557.
Five Civic, and you can text us on the app if you're listening on the app, like most of our listeners do.
And if you are watching the radio on the stream on Facebook, Twitter, X, or YouTube, you can text us on the stream, your favorite Harrison Ford movie.
If you got a comment about Harrison Ford, that's fine too.
I'll say this, he should not be allowed to fly ever again.
And maybe they took his pilot's license, but remember he had like...
Within like a two-year period he was crashing into a golf course then in the car like this guy should have Should not be allowed to fly a plane, but he's still a good actor.
really
Are you gonna
Okay.
Oh yeah.
don't care about
No, he is arguably, well not arguably, he is one of the greatest movie stars of all time.
His films have made money, he's a good actor and he-
you know, he's done these big blockbuster films where he was the star and a movie star, but he's also a great actor.
And I, on social media, we've been posting the question every day.
If you're there on Facebook or Twitter or wherever, give us a like or a follow if you're so inclined.
But we post the question of the day every day on Facebook.
And I chimed in today on Facebook and I said, American graffiti, a fugitive is probably
his most renowned role, I think he was Oscar nominated for the fugitive.
I love the fugitive.
It's one of those movies, I think we talked about this recently, when it's on in a hotel, you can't turn it off, as are a lot of Harrison Ford movies, are like that.
But I'm gonna change my answer, because I forgot he was in The Conversation, which I just watched about a month ago.
Francis Ford Coppola, one of his first films, Gene Hackman is the star, and Harrison Ford plays kind of the heavy.
for the Robert Duvall character, but not a major role, but he's really good in it.
And he's just a fantastic actor.
So let us know.
Do you have a favorite?
Oh, well, let's just go to the social media answers, shall we?
Let's read those first.
Conrad Krieger, oh, look at you.
How'd you get to the top of the list?
Is that because you produced the show?
I think so.
OK.
Favorite Harrison Ford performance is Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back.
Love I have a feeling that would be one of the most popular.
a start of
Oh Yes, I would never have guessed that I didn't know that
Love him in that
So he's
And Jason Siegel, right?
Yes.
The other guy.
Daniel Wheeler says, the fugitive is a classic.
I can rewatch it anytime.
Yes, that's a great film, Daniel.
Thank you.
And he's Sarah Jean Rosenberg.
Given Daniel some props and says, Daniel Wheeler, so good.
Agreed, Sarah Jean.
Thank you for chiming in.
Pete Schwab, I said, American graffiti.
I've changed my answer.
It's the conversation.
Paul Vander Plaas from Wonderfully Wisconsin.
He'll be on the show Thursday, correct?
For the popcorn pick.
Popcorn pick of the week.
That's right.
Can't wait to have Paul back on the show.
Check out Wonderfully Wisconsin folks on Facebook and probably Instagram, right?
Not Instagram actually Facebook and
and tiktok wonderfully, Wisconsin a great follow if you like Wisconsin food and Paul just does a great job But he says he has many fantastic movies, but I've always really enjoyed regarding Henry now.
That's an offbeat one.
That's a great choice Paul Or should I call him wonderfully, Wisconsin?
He's not posting is Paul.
He's posting wonderfully
Wonderful.
Mr. Wonderful.
Thank you, buddy.
We'll see you on Thursday night.
Matt Cassane, a Chicago comedian, says he was great in Apocalypse Now.
Another great one.
Yes, Matt.
Thank you, buddy.
Caroline Thompson says, I loved him as Indiana Jones and in The Fugitive.
Can I go wrong?
You don't remember reading about Harrison Ford when, like in People magazine or something in the mid-80s when all the Indiana Jones films were coming out.
He could bench 375 pounds.
What that was a thing in the 80s is what you could bet I mean it is kind of now, but that's almost in the 80s That's like how you identified yourself if you were a guy I mean that's a lot more important than your social security number, but it is a lot of weight He's very in shape guy Laura and Wright says author or lent
Laura Enright, a previous guest on the show, says, the Indiana Jones movies are classic.
Well, the first three.
I don't think it would have worked if anyone else played that character.
Correct.
Very well said, Laura.
Thank you.
And then my pal Brenda Socia says, witness and the fugitive.
Yeah, witness.
Do you ever see witness?
I don't think I have.
Oh, he hides out in Amish country.
Great movie and a good drama.
We're coming back.
We'll read your text and.
What else are we going to do, Conrad?
I mean,
We got to talk about the Emmys.
Some great shows nominated and great TV for you to watch.
Great color television for you to watch if you haven't seen any of them.
We'll tell you what you should be watching next.
On Nightlight with Pete Schwabba, you're listening to the Civic Media Radio Network.
You're listening to Civic Media.
Stay up to date on the latest news and information for your local community and Wisconsin by signing up for our free email newsletter.
Visit civicmedia.us slash email to get started.
Peach Wabba, this is Nightlight with Peach Wabba.
Conrad Krieger, the kid working the board.
Great to have you guys with me on this beautiful Tuesday night.
I was driving down here, it was at 90 degrees.
My car thermometer said, is that true?
Was it 90 in Green Bay today?
Let some fresh air go through it.
First of all, let me say that that is true laziness, but if you're too lazy to remain sitting and drive 20 more feet I think it's just pushing the button.
That's
Yeah, I could see where that would be taxing We've got Mike Schmidt coming up at 635 Mike and I are gonna talk a little bit about the legacy
Michael Madsen left behind with his acting work.
He was a staple in the Quentin Tarantino movies and a really good actor.
He is the brother of Virginia Madsen who is also a fine actor and she has been seen in films like Sideways.
They are siblings.
Virginia is still around, but Michael Madsen passed away about a week and a half ago.
And Mike Schmidt will memorialize him as only Mike Schmidt can.
And maybe Mike will even have a story for us.
His stories are outstanding.
He's a very funny comedian and the host of the 40-year-old boy podcast.
And then at 720, 7,000 Apart invades the studio with song, with lyrics and music.
And it's going to be an absolute joy to reconnect with Amelie and John.
Our question of the night is what is your favorite Harrison Ford movie?
He just turned 83 and I just finished watching him in 1923 season two.
He's still riding a horse.
I mean, the guy is like a specimen at 83 years old.
So what is your favorite Harrison Ford movie?
That's tonight's question.
Let's go to the text line and see what they have to say.
Rob from Green Bay says, witness.
Yeah, witness.
You gotta check out witness con.
He he hides the young Amish boy who witnesses a murder in Philadelphia and then Harrison Ford hides out I think he gets shot and he has to hide out on the farm and there's a love interest with Kelly Kelly McGillis a kind of a love story brewing But a good cop movie too to be honest the love story element I don't think is that great, but there's some funny scenes where he's trying to assimilate
with the Amish and coexist with them, and they're hiding them, and there's those cultural barriers that are kind of funny, but it's a good movie, a very good movie.
Tom from New Berlin says, morning glory, a great anchor, but is difficult, plus 42 playing Branch, Ricky Chadwick Boseman, a lost artist.
I don't know what Tom means there, Condue.
42 was the movie.
Morning glory a great anchor, but is difficult plus 42.
Yeah, you play branch Ricky.
Well done.
I did not know that.
Thank you.
I'm gonna look that up.
I kind of forgot about that.
I did see the movie Steve from Florida says I believe Harrison Ford's best acting movie was regarding Henry Did we who else said regarding Henry?
I think there's a social media social media.
Yeah, you know, I've never seen regarding Henry.
I I haven't either.
It's supposedly some fantastic acting.
I think that's the one where he
I think his character, I think he gets shot in the head and has to go to therapy and come back from it, but I'm embarrassed to say I have not seen him.
He gets
Right.
But it's a drama, right?
Kind of a stark drama.
I don't think he kicks any ass in it like he often does.
Tom from New Orleans says, Shane, or shame, I think he means Shane.
Here's the problem too.
Harrison Ford has so many acting credits.
Yes, he does.
I can't even, like, can we Google that and see if he was in Shane?
I'm pretty sure he was.
Thank you, Tom.
Mark from Prairie Dissac says, how much can you bench great exchange in boogie nights between Dirk and Reed?
I love that Mark knew both their names.
Like, I knew Dirk.
I forgot what John C. Riley's name was in boogie nights, but that is a classic line.
And I think, Mark, if I remember correctly,
I think Dirk or Mark Wahlberg's character does like a cannonball off the diving board at a party at someone's yard and John C. Riley says, that's pretty good.
Let me show you what you did wrong.
Like really passive aggressive.
But I do remember that.
What do you bench?
Just great.
Great 80s stuff.
Sue from Verona says regarding Henry as well.
I have to see this movie.
I'm embarrassed people.
David from Richland Center says Blade Runner.
Another one for Blade Runner.
Great movie.
with... You hear that Conrad?
You know, someone from downtown Green Bay has a loud car.
Go figure.
That's really a surprise.
Beautiful.
But I think Blade Runner, yeah, I think Daryl Hanna and Rutger Hauer also in Blade Runner.
Great stuff.
Tom from the Berlin says wrong text.
So I was reading the wrong text and we were trying to interpret Tom's text and relate it to a Harrison Ford movie, but we weren't supposed to be doing that.
Well...
There you go, Tom.
It was still interesting.
So the Emmy nominations came out, and boy, I gotta tell you, there is so much content.
All I could think about was all the shows.
I've seen a lot of them, but there's a lot of them I have not seen.
And that's how it is now.
I'm just watching the Queen's Gambit from 2020.
And all these shows slipped through the cracks, but the great thing about the Emmys is it kind of tells you what to focus on.
If you want to watch the show that everybody's talking or the shows that everybody is talking about So have you seen a lot of these?
You know, I didn't know I thought nobody wants this was from
Well, we had Adam Brodeon in 2024 before the election before the election
Well, it's sometimes they air them and then they qualify for the 225 awards like the Oscars, you know
Okay.
Yeah, I got to check that one out too comedy series.
You got Abbott elementary the bear hacks
Great show.
Nobody wants this, haven't seen it.
Only murders in the building.
Gotta go back to it.
Shrinking, haven't seen.
The studio, haven't seen.
the
What we do in the shadows.
Oh,
said that on Facebook again.
Yeah.
He did a reiteration.
But these are all great shows.
Abbott Elementary liked the bear.
I've only seen the bear like season one.
I got a lot of catch up.
I got a lot of color television to watch.
All right.
When we come back, folks, comedian and podcast host of the 40-year-old boy, Mike Schmidt joins me.
And we're going to talk about Michael Madsen and Mike's going to have a story for us.
It's Peach Wabba and Nightlight on the Civic Media Radio Network.
Hi, this is Danny Slate, and you are listening to Night Light with Geet Swabba.
Welcome back.
Great to have you with me on this Tuesday night as we broadcast from beautiful downtown Green Bay statewide over the gorgeous summer night.
that we are, that we have tonight.
Our question of the night is, what is your favorite Harrison Ford film?
It was his 83rd birthday on Sunday.
So we're talking about one of the greatest movie stars, you know, probably ever, I would imagine in terms of accolades and box office, he's been able to generate an absolute legend.
Jim Denney on the, he's watching on the stream says, Harrison Ford, my favorite, the first one that popped into my head is Blade Runner, a true classic with him and Rutger Hauer.
Great one.
You know, it's weird.
The second one, I can barely, the remake, I can barely remember anything about it.
I was probably playing like video poker while I was watching it or something, but the original, I really remember, and I especially remember Wrecker-Hauer.
Dave also watching on the stream says, Indiana Jones, fugitive is great, the Jack Ryan character, clear and present danger.
Dave seems like a fan.
Thank you, Dave.
He says, I forgot about that one.
He's probably talking about regarding Henry.
Regarding Henry, yeah.
A lot of people, that's gotta be the front runner.
Hey, before we bring Mike on, you were, what did your brother text
This show?
This show?
Yeah.
It's not him watching it.
It's mom and dad, you know.
Why can't your brother listen to the show?
You got too many tattoos or something?
I think so.
Come on.
All right, this is exciting folks.
One of my favorite guests is about to join us here at Nightlight.
He's always a blast to have on the show.
He's a hilarious stand-up.
He's an hilarious stand-up comedian and the host of the 40-year-old boy podcast, Mr. Mike Schmidt.
Hey, buddy.
Hey,
Pete.
How are you?
I'm doing very well.
How's it going?
Good.
Thank you.
Never has the word, the words, I'm so excited meant less.
quite frankly, like, I'm so excited to get now to my friend and people are like, no, absolutely
not.
No, no, no.
Listen, dude, if they've heard you before on the show, I mean, people talk about your appearance is very funny.
And the last time we were here, my immediate supervisor who's no longer here said that guy was hilarious.
So
And that's why they fired him.
That might have played a part into it, but I'll be honest with you, Mike.
So they moved him down the road.
They sent some edgy things.
They didn't like that you and your friends trounced those girls at basketball.
So all right, let's jump right in, Mike.
I have to ask you, you were the first person I thought of when I heard about Michael Madsen's passing, only 67.
And you and I joked a little bit about, not joked, I was being serious.
You thought I was joking when I said sorry for your loss.
But to be honest, I mean, these are our heroes.
I mean, we're in the entertainment business.
We were comedians, actors, these people that have done things that we thought were so cool.
And I joked that when Springsteen dies, I don't know what I'm going to do.
I'm going to be a blubbering idiot for a month.
Like these people mean a lot to us.
So I really did mean that.
But tell us your thoughts on his passing.
Yeah, I did think you were teasing because, again, nobody takes anything seriously anymore and everybody busts balls and that's that.
But I.
I was shocked to hear about it.
I was driving at the time and I have a, you know, I got the Tribune app on the phone and so little, the drop down menu is always giving you news and it's always bad.
So I never read it right away.
Like I'm just like, I can't imagine what's been done now.
But it dropped down and I saw Michael and I didn't, I couldn't make it out cause the sun was shining on the screen of my cell phone.
And Michael Madigan in Chicago has been undergoing, he's in trial and he's for taking bribes.
So I thought it had to be something else about Madigan's trial.
And then I kind of scrolled really fast because I'm literally driving going 70 miles an hour.
And I saw Michael M and I thought it was Madigan.
And then I saw Reservoir Dogs.
And I'm not kidding.
I just knew.
I knew because what else are they going to tell me?
Michael Madsen in Reservoir Dogs loved his performance.
Like
the Chicago
Tribune.
40 years later.
He decided to chime in now or maybe they're just directing it directly to me now.
Um, and I, I had to, it sounds ridiculous.
I pulled into a grocery store, uh, and I started crying and I, I didn't mean to, you know, it wasn't like a thing, but, and, and also, cause I, I get hit, you know, when, when, you know, Eddie Van Halen, guys like that, Prince, they just, they laid me low in a way where, and also I have a, I'll speculate on this and you're going to, this is going to get too dark for your audience, but let's do it.
Um,
When I my dad died when I was a kid and I was told in a not a gentle way Where somebody broke the news to me like right in my face.
Hey, your dad's dead like that kind of thing and it just it just happened that way and so now whenever I see Like you know someone someone whom I cared about a performer and it's it's dropped on me like that or not gently broken
because it
is always just it's immediate news because it's a celebrity It makes me it kind of puts me back in that place
And so I immediately, you become 13 again and you just kind of fry up or you're like, well, you know what I mean?
News you weren't expecting, it's a shock.
And then you also were overwhelmed by the fact that it's something you loved.
And so I just pulled into the grocery store and I just, again, I literally, I'm not uncontrollably sobbing, but just tears and having to, I had to sit there.
When he was Mr. Blonde in Reservoir Dogs, is that what?
I mean you're kind of a guy you're tied into music and movies and all that kind of stuff Did you know about him before that or did you it was that kind of where you discovered Michael Madsen was in reservoir?
Well, I know I knew him from He was in the natural, you know And so I knew him from that which I had to watch later because I walked out out in the theater.
Don't ask the don't ask me why Because
of the movie or
no, yeah when he struck out when he struck out the Whammer
I said this is dumb and I got up and I walked out Being a baseball fan.
I was I wasn't gonna take that kind of pablum shovel down my throat.
I'm getting the hell out of here, man 17 year old me takes a powder on the natural.
I can't stand this
Walks out one thing and you get used to forget it.
I'll show
it's early in the I paid I paid to see the movie walked out
Didn't do it beautiful left the bowling brook plit in my way So he knew he's on there, you know, he played I think his name was bump if I remember correctly, I don't remember her butt
Yeah, I remember that
too.
Yeah, I think bump.
Yeah, I think
then and then he's in the doors Yeah, you know, he's one of the hangers on guy who's like him and Billy like totally egging a Morison on to do a bunch of garbage stuff
But I and I did not see Thelma and Louise.
I found that later, you know, because those were the things he was kind of known for but then dogs is absolutely my introduction to him as the guy I was going to love forever Because I think I've mentioned it on your show and I don't mean to be that guy again But and the people who know me know this it's when I saw reservoir dogs It is literally the first time I ever saw a movie where I felt like somebody made it specifically for me.
That's a great line Yeah,
I I went into it.
I read the review in the LA Times that morning.
I didn't know anything about it
we went to a theater and uh i i this true story i watched it i sat there transfixed shocked because i love fake tough guy stuff tough guys anything and he was the toughest guy of tough guys um blood and and crackling dialogue it was it was something i had never seen before and it felt like it came out of me like it was like in my dna instantly and i walked out of this theater i saw matinee i walked across the street to a right aid i got changed for the payphone
And I called three of my friends in Chicago to tell them about that movie.
And then I went back and watched it again.
Oh, that's so that's so Mike Schmidt.
And that's so great.
It's so fun.
When I saw Reservoir Dogs, that the first scene where they're at the table, you just you watch it, you go, I know I'm going to actually the first two Tarantino films I saw were Reservoir.
Well, his first two Reservoir Dogs and.
Pulp Fiction.
And within five minutes, I'm like, I know I'm going to love this movie.
I love the way he directs, the way he uses music, the dialogue.
And so was Michael Madsen, Mr. Blonde, the one who jumped out at you first in that cast?
Yes, instantly.
Like at the table, because he does, you know, they do all the back and forth and the stuff is happening.
But then Madsen is also beautiful, which doesn't hurt because, you know, you got any bunker who looks like a...
Convict because he was a convict who wrote up right you got Tarantino who looks like he looks weird like somebody pulled his head with forceps You got Kitell who you know, but shemmy's a mouse
you got
tyranny you got all over there And then all of a sudden they cut the meds in and you're like who is this dreamboat you fly?
Wow?
Wow?
Wow?
You know they mean it's crazy how amazing beautifully is and but also oozing malevolence oozing violence ooze and just macho and tough and cool cool He was cool.
Yeah, and at the table.
He does that thing where he's like hey you want me to shoot this guy?
And then he goes, you shoot me to dream, you better wake up and apologize.
And then he goes, and he winks.
And in that movie, again, he was, he was the things I was not.
Like I liked violence and I used to get worked up about stuff, but he never got worked up.
Yeah.
Like even in the, it's again, there's beautiful in dogs.
When he, he shows up with a Coke.
He's got a cop in the trunk of the car, but he stopped for a soda.
Yeah.
All these little things where you're like, man.
And then Kitell's freaking out at him and he does the, you know, you're going to bark all day, little doggy, or you're going to bite.
And if you watch that scene again, Kitell goes, what?
I didn't understand it.
You might have seen it again.
But the best part is Bishemi just looks away like, oh my God, what are we doing?
Like he covers his face with his hand, like, oh, great.
And then he repeats it.
And then as he walks forward to fight Kitell, he gets a big grin on his face.
Because he's not.
He's everything, man.
God, I love
him so much.
My guest is Mike Schmidt.
He is the host of the 40-year-old boy podcast and a very funny standard comedian and a huge fan of Michael Madsen, who passed away about probably 10 days ago now.
We're talking about his career and his performance in Reservoir Dogs.
And Mike, I read something probably right after he died that he just improvised.
There's a scene, for those of you who haven't seen it, where I think he's a cop tied up.
I think he's a cop, right?
Tied up.
Yeah.
this the song stuck in the middle with you from Steelers Wheel comes on and Madsen is holding an ear and he starts doing this little dance and that apparently was improv and Tarantino was blown away by it.
Yeah he does the dance before the ear and
then
after the scene he's holding because he cuts the cop's ear off.
He
straddles under the
camera pulls away and then comes back where he's holding the ear and then he improvised talking into the ear.
Hello.
Hey, you're that cop screaming, bleeding
everywhere.
Dark and horrible.
And he's like doing this fun day.
I mean, it was just that to me.
Like I remembered him from a movie called Racing with the Moon, which is Sean Penn.
But I was like, oh, that's that guy.
I didn't know who he was at the time.
And so that's great.
So I will say it again, Mike, I truly am sorry for your loss.
And the movie business is lost.
He has 350 plus.
Credits, that's insane.
Yes, but but a lot of them are like, you know punch me in the morning one and then the four sequels, you know He just he was a dude.
He was an actor like
like
like you like a guy delivering pizzas He delivered movies
up probably worked three days made a hundred grand and split and he wanted you know His real love was he had his kids and he wrote his poems and he was and he loved booze.
I you know, he's that guy
You know, and I just, I have to tell you this, you got to watch Kill Bill 2.
He's in Kill Bill 1 and 2.
He's one of the deadly viper assassination squad.
I need to rewatch,
yeah.
You really need to see the second one because, again, he's an assassin who now lives on his own in a trailer and he's a bouncer in a strip club.
And there's a scene where, in Kill Bill 2, he has a scene with David Carradine where Carradine's talking to him and...
And you can see he plays it in a way where it's like he's filled with remorse for the things that he's done.
So he's decided to live this garbage life to punish himself.
He pawns a samurai sword, which was a once in a lifetime, you know, thing to own.
But he just speaks in these plain tones where it's just, you know, he tells him to watch out for Uma Thurman and Madsen's like, I'm a bouncer in a titty club, Bill.
If she wants to start anything, she come down there, start stuff and we'll get in a fight.
And
just this very plain spoken guy and then he goes to the when he goes to the strip club he's just he's just a hangdog dude but then he gets an opportunity to once again revisit his malevolent past and he takes advantage of it it's great you just you have to see it
so great Mike Schmidt we will be uh we're gonna do a very short break here uh our question of the night is what is your favorite Harrison for movie maybe Mike will answer that when we come back um
That's our question of the night, so let us know.
At 720, 7,000 apart, the rock duo is here in the studio.
Always fun to see John and Amelie.
But when we come back, after this, I cannot stress enough how short this break is going to be, we'll have more with Mike Schmidt.
And this is Nightlight with Pete Schwabba on the Civic Media Radio
Network.
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The Kid Conrad Krieger, run on the board.
Mike, my guest is Mike Schmidt.
He's a comedian and the host of the 40-year-old boy podcast.
We were talking about Michael Madsen, the last segment who recently passed away and was kind of a staple in Tarantino films.
Would he, Mike, would he have, I mean, he's a great actor, no matter how you look at it, and certainly a type.
What did Tarantino do for him in terms of like, how, would he have been?
As much of a I don't know if he's a household name, but would he have been as much of a name without Tarantino?
I don't know because Hollywood got weird for a while and also he kind of took a lot of jobs for money So then that makes people think he shouldn't be in these big productions, but Tarantino was always willing to use him and Wanted to use him and knew how to use him, you know, again, like I said, he's in he's in hateful hate and there's again, it's just he he was
He was evil and malevolent but also charming if there was a way you do it But not also but not like you know Jean Kelly charming But just you kind of he had a dimple and a wink and like a little gleam in his eye But he was also gonna just stab you right in the thigh right in the perfect place where you bleed out You know what I mean?
He says that yeah,
he's not singing in the rain unless he's holding a body part that he just
But yeah, he like a scene again, he's sitting down and he's writing and Kurt Russell approaches him in hateful aid and he goes, what are you?
What are you writing?
And he goes, my life story and Kurt Russell goes, am I in it?
And he just gets this big smile and he goes, you just entered.
And it's one of my favorite.
And I know Tarantino wrote it, but the way he delivers it is so perfect with this smirk and this big cheerful smile where it just he was.
He was cool, but like I said, he also was dangerous.
He just knew Tarantino knew how to put him in those positions.
You know, in both kill boomers, he's even got a small part in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and he chews it up.
You know, he's only got like five lines, but you don't forget him.
You know what I mean?
It's just it's great.
Oh,
yeah.
That and I think we talked about this one in one of your previous visits.
That became my favorite Tarantino movie.
I am so enamored with that film.
Yeah.
When I first
saw it,
I was like, yeah.
And then the second time
I started,
oh, this is amazing.
I'm having deja vu.
Yeah, I think we I think we did talk about that.
But I think Madsen is one of those guys.
He's like a Robert Forrester or something.
He's kind of like actor proof.
Like he could be in a big movie, but I don't he seems like he's one of those guys.
Maybe I'm wrong where it's if he does movies for paychecks that are small indies, it's not going to hurt him because he's got such a recognizable face and kind of a brand.
Yeah, I agreed.
But also, as he got older, he looked different, certainly.
You know what I mean?
So because, again, he had a lot of that boy's turn because also, you know, he, like I said, he's in Thelma and Louise and he's the sensitive one.
He's the good boyfriend.
You know what I mean?
So he can play that.
He's also in Free Willy and he's the stepdad.
And of course, you'd think stepdad is, you know, stereotypically evil.
Right.
And yet he
He's there when the kid needs him.
There's a great scene where he shows up for the kid and backs him up in a way that you wouldn't expect a stepfather to do it.
You know what I mean?
And so he could do kind of anything.
You know what I mean?
That was the deal.
But Tarantino used him in the way that he saw fit, which is to use his kind of violence, but also his charm.
That's a
I think other directors certainly could have appreciated it.
I mean, dude, he's in Species, which is a movie I saw at the movies.
He's in both of
them.
Yeah, well was he gonna not take the paint for two Again that like I said this he's the only guy I know he did he does voices in video games And he's in a Michael Jackson video playing a criminal.
You know
what
I mean?
He just he just took dough man, and that's and he was a working actor.
Yeah And he the money's gonna roll in because I was looking at IMDB before he's got a ton of stuff in post-production Isn't that crazy?
I mean he's gonna be on the screen for a while still
Well, our mutual friend Pat told me a story.
He knew somebody who worked on some of those kinds of movie sets and Stallone did did some of them, you know, like Bruce Willis is doing them near the end because he was bananas and he couldn't do real movies.
But no, that's mean to say I love Bruce Willis, but he wanted him getting ill.
I don't think the medical diagnosis was bananas.
You just were a little
bit
sensitive.
Yeah, a little bit.
And again, for a guy I love, I love his work, so I can't see his malignum.
But so Stallone would come in, he would be, you know, because they won his name for the box, for the rental thing internationally.
And so Stallone would work a day.
He'd come in and go, he'd film all of his stuff in 11 hours and make his $2 million and never be seen again.
You know, that's, and I'm sure Madsen did a ton of this stuff.
Like I said, he probably drove to the, hey, really, how close is this to my house?
He drove out to the beach and he yelled at somebody.
and you know, stab somebody in a tent and then went back to his house and had some time for dinner.
You have so many great stories, Mike, about your celebrity encounters.
And maybe we could talk about those after the news for a few minutes, unless you have something else you'd rather bring up.
But what, did you ever meet him, Michael Madsen, or?
I did.
Oh, please
tell.
I did.
Well, there's, I have two stories.
One where I met him and one where somebody met him for like kind of by proxy and did something for me.
So.
I met him at the Virgin Megastore, which was down remember down on sunset.
Yeah, which is now a walkano
No,
it's a sushi joint like you know hit run sushi joint, okay, so But he was there because when they released they finally released reservoir dogs on on as a special DVD They released it in a blue box a blonde box a brown box a pink box and a white box.
Yeah, so
and he was there to sign
the DVDs.
So I went and waited in line and he was at the table and he was, you know, I got, I got to the front and it's a thing where, you know, me, I'm, I'm, I'm going to use a nice word verbose.
Uh, so I mean, I just want to pull up a chair.
Hey, man.
But I know I can't and I also want to be respectful because I'm also intimidated and weird sometimes because I mean, these people don't know who I am and who cares.
But he, and Virginia Manson was with him, his sister.
Oh, she's amazing and
we have to we have to get to the news mic and I feel like this story is going to pick up and I also would love because you're kind of an intimidating you're kind of an intimidating guy too and I would love
I was going to ask you, again, if you have a different story, you want to tell this totally fine, but I love the stories of you talking to John Tesh and Brandon Frazier.
So think about what you want to go into after.
Also
in the Virgin Megastore, both of those.
I thought Frazier was.
All right, Mike Schmidt is here.
We've got more with Mike after intermission here and Civic Media's news team keeps you informed.
This is Pete Schwabba and Nightlight.
We're coming back for Act 2 on the Civic Media Radio
Network.
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