
Transcript
Packers Passion: From Tokyo to Lambeau (Hour 2)
Nite Lite with Pete Schwaba and Greg Bach · Tue Sep 30, 2025
Broadcasting live from the Civic Media Studios in Green Bay.
This is Night Light with Pete Chwaba.
Your inside source on everything entertainment from Wisconsin to Hollywood.
And now a guy who still likes to build a fort.
Pete Chwaba.
Welcome to Night Light, ladies and gentlemen.
Oh, we got a great show tonight.
So it's good that you're here.
It's a Tuesday night here in the beautiful state of Wisconsin.
Kind of a... Kind of a toasty day-to-day con, don't you think?
Yeah, just a little bit.
You could tan out there if you wanted.
No, I freckle.
I couldn't get a tan.
I can get a bronze if I try really hard, but it's just not worth it.
You know, this is the first year where my, like, arms actually kind of got a little color.
It just didn't burn.
Yeah, you probably burned too, right?
You got that kind of fair skin.
I was told by, you know, when I went in to get my haircut the other day that my brown hair turned a little light brownish.
From sun?
Yeah.
Oh, wow.
All right.
You ever dye your hair?
When I was like 12 or something, I put blue highlights in my hair.
That's a but it didn't last like long at all.
So
that was kind of thing when I was a kid, too We would we would put it was called a product called sun in or you put lemon juice in your hair and it was supposed to lighten it I think it did some Sun and once I kind of looked sort of like an albino didn't really turn out that well That's an insult to me not albinos.
So anyway Hey, I notice you put on the sheet We every we have a show sheet folks and we put guests on all that kind of stuff and then we always list the days of the years
You updated this, I did not.
What is Stroop Waffle Day?
Oh, Stroop Waffles are amazing.
Okay.
It's those little like, you know, like those little waffle things that you can like dip in coffee.
Oh, yeah, like a cookie, really.
Kind of like a cookie.
Yeah, that's what it is.
That's a Stroop Waffle.
Yeah, they're so good.
And they have a national day.
Yeah, they deserve it.
Apparently.
Take your right to flavor country.
All right, very good.
Well, happy Stroop Awful Day to Conrad and all.
That is Conrad Krieger working the board.
I am Pete Schwab.
It is great to have you here, folks.
A really fun show tonight.
We're going to cover two topics I love.
Obviously, I love entertainment, and I love all things movies, TV, comedy, music, everything.
And I love sports.
So we're going to talk about all of that tonight.
At 635, Chris Foran, the recently retired Conrad, did you know that?
I did.
He wrote for the Journal Sentinel down there in Milwaukee, Wisconsin for years and years, I want to say decades, and did great work there.
Chris was the guy who, he did an article on Nightlight.
When we launched the show, it was on, I didn't even know Chris at the time, and he just said civic media.
is putting on an entertainment show hosted by Pete Schwab.
It was great.
It was a little publicity.
So I thought, you know, I bet he'd be a good guest.
And Chris has been on the air with us now for close to two years, lots of fun, very informed, and a big fan of movies and TV.
So Chris has also seen the movie I went to see today, one battle after another.
And I cannot wait to talk about it with Chris.
I'll give you guys the highlights in just a minute, but really solid film.
Maybe my favorite of the year.
It's probably between that and Sinners.
I haven't seen everything though.
So we'll talk to Chris about that at 635 and some other things.
I might ask him for a fun story he covered over the years.
And then at 720, Nightlight Sidekick, Sean Hannish will be here.
Sean's been on the show a lot.
He's great.
He's so much fun to talk to.
Nightlight Bestie.
Nightlight Bestie, for sure.
Sean is the director of Just A Bit Outside, the story of the 1982 Milwaukee Brewers.
And now Sean finds himself kind of in the distribution business a little bit.
He got behind a film.
I don't technically know how it happened, but we'll talk to Sean about this.
He got behind the film, No Packers, No Life, which we've discussed on this show with the film's director, Craig Benzine.
He's been on the show two or three times.
And Craig goes by the YouTube handle, Wheezy Waiter.
He's got over a million followers.
I think this is Craig's first film, No Packers, No Life.
really fun film about Japanese Packer fans.
And we've talked to Craig about it, and now we're gonna talk to Sean about it because the film is coming to Marcus Theaters in a couple weeks.
And Sean is kind of the driving force behind getting the film into, or on the big screen, so to speak.
So it'll be fun to talk to Sean and catch up, and we'll tell you what also is happening with Adjust A Bit Outside.
So the Brewers have a buy, right?
Yeah.
And the Cubs are, they already won today.
I thought so.
I saw they were winning.
But is that a best of three?
Yes.
Well, actually, they got a one.
Yeah, best of three.
Best of three.
They got to win two games.
Then they'll play the Brewers.
Then they'll play the seven game, right?
That's a five.
That's a five.
And then
it's seven.
And then seven.
Sorry.
We know we're on opposite sides of the glass here, literally and figuratively.
As a Brewer fan, the Brewers kind of walked away with the division, but the Cubs won the season series.
What do you think what would you be more comfortable with Conrad a five game series or a seven game series?
I like the you know, honestly, I I hate that they do this stupid For the first wild wild card, you know, it's like all right.
Yeah,
you can do best out of three But I think it go it should go right to seven.
I'm not a fan of the five and then seven and seven
I Would think a seven would favor the Brewers because I think they have a better
Well, they have better pitching, right?
Yeah.
It seems like a seven game series would.
I don't know.
It should be interesting.
It's it's just going to be a dynamite series.
Yeah.
I 94 series.
I love it.
That'll be fun.
Assuming the Cubs can get.
Well, yeah, we gotta stop on the brakes.
You know, I'm already buying my tickets.
Get Chris Morrill on the blower.
I want the loge.
The Brewer tickets.
You can't do that for the playoffs probably.
Yeah, I don't think so.
All right.
So there you go, folks.
Fun guests tonight.
Chris Foran and Sean Hannish, two swell guys.
It's kind of a Milwaukee show, too.
Sean is a native Milwaukeean, and Chris has lived there for many, many years, so he got a big Milwaukee slant.
You
know, tomorrow we kind of have a little Madison, too.
I know.
Sometimes it works out that
way.
Now it's rivalry, right?
Yeah, although Dan Davies is from Appleton.
He's got big news.
That's why Dan was on the show a few weeks ago, but he's got big news.
So we're going to bring him on for a quick segment tomorrow night after 7 30.
And Catherine Lake is going to talk about the Godfather of Green Bay screening.
And Greg Bach is going to talk about the Milwaukee Comedy Festival.
There you I just pitched all of tomorrow night show here.
And we've got so much to get to tonight.
I can't waste that kind of time.
Did you see this?
Yachty kidnapper hoax.
And you know, I saw the,
you know, the
collect bait kind of thing.
Yeah, Instagram.
I didn't click into it.
But it is a true.
No, it's a hoax.
That's why I said hoax.
No, I, it's so weird because I saw this and the guy is just a strange looking guy.
He's got, you know, like the bowl hair, the dumb and dumber haircut.
He's got fire engine red hair and a weird expression on his face.
And it says he kidnapped 27 people to play Yahtzee for 36 hours.
which doesn't even make sense.
If this were 20 years ago, I would have thought, oh, it's a joke.
That's an onion headline, whatever.
But the way things are now in the world and how weird and crazy people are acting, I bought it.
I was like, oh, that's really weird.
That's a big Yahtzee game.
It's a huge Yahtzee.
That's a lot of Yahtzee.
That's a lot of, you're going to hear dice.
No
wonder why it was 36 hours.
You can hear dice in your head for a week.
But anyway, it was a hoax.
Kind of a funny hoax.
But the 27, you got to aim a little smaller.
That's what made it a little implausible.
Five, five people.
Five people, and made them play Yatsu overnight.
That I could buy.
So it wasn't true, so that's good.
Hey, I think it's time, Con.
We got to get to the nightlight question of the night.
Let's talk about the question.
Okay, question.
Question.
Question.
Pregunta.
Question.
Question.
Okay, I have a question.
Questions.
This question.
Domanda.
Question.
Questions.
When you think mediocre sitcom.
What show comes to mind?
Let me know what you think folks.
It can be a bad sitcom, but I'm looking more for the like milk toast kind of.
Like you see the ad on TV and you're just like, whatever.
I'm not watching that.
Like when even the trailer is just kind of barely evokes a smile.
And that's supposed to be the funniest stuff.
So that's the nice question.
When you think mediocre sitcom, what show comes to mind?
8-5-5-7-5-2-4-8-4-2-8-5-5-7-5 Civic.
You can text us on the Civic Media app, or you can drop us a stream comment at YouTube, X, or Facebook.
So, I'll go first.
I'm gonna say the show Dharma and Greg.
Those ads would come on in the 90s.
And the 90s was a good time for sitcoms.
Streaming wasn't around yet.
There was tons of opportunities, tons of variety on the networks.
You had the big three networks, but you also had the UPN network, the WB network.
Fox had just kind of started like in the late 80s, whatever, putting out entertainment like The Simpsons.
And I just remember whenever Dharma and Greg would come on, it was Thomas Gibson and Jenna Elfman.
And I was just like, oh, she's the quirky hippie and he's the straight lays.
It just never.
And I did check it out a couple times.
And man, was it mediocre.
My runners up are mad about you.
Anything with Scott Baio.
And this might be a little bit controversial.
Not because of Bill Cosby, just because I think a lot of people considered Cosby a good show.
I liked the pilot a lot.
I was excited.
And I liked Bill Cosby stand up.
When I was a kid, I had the albums and I would listen to them.
And I really liked him as a stand-up.
This is before anybody knew he was a creep.
But Cosby, I just, I kept watching.
I'm like, this isn't that funny.
Like they tackled serious issues.
Wasn't a huge fan of home improvement either.
But I would say Dharma and Greg is my front runner.
That is my most mediocre sitcom.
You got one, Con?
Yeah, and I say this goes out to kind of, it branches out to different shows too, is any show that was really popular and they branch off to a different show after.
After the fact that that show is done.
It's like a spin-off and it's absolutely terrible Just ruins kind of the the show that was popular.
Yeah,
and I think one that comes to mind is Netflix.
Why did you make a?
spin-off of that 70 show
So that was I saw your answer here on social media that 90s show it is so bad I never even heard of that I knew they they did that 80s show and that didn't last long either
That 90s show is you know how when SNL does a skit and it's like they try to do bad acting Yeah, that's how that whole show is
terrible Um When and that was a Netflix show
that wasn't even like a Netflix has made some stinkers.
Oh,
yeah, they made a They made a Rob Schneider show that's called real Rob
stinkeroo Can't imagine like Rob Schneider he's a little crazy now, but back he was a good stand-up
like in the late 80s Rob Schneider was a very good stand-up but anytime they put that guy in a movie it's like oh my god he either has the worst representatives or just can't carry a movie or something but man is he bad
yeah no that that show was so bad it
was
supposed to be like a family comedy like him going with his family and stuff like that but it's just terrible
Let us know, folks, what you think, what comes to mind when you think mediocre sitcom?
That's our question of the night, 855-752-4842.
Text us on the app or drop us a stream comment.
We got a text last night from Bud in Jamesville who is out and about between four and six a.m.
down in Madison.
He says, hey, Pete and Conrad, I knew that.
Don't you think, though, I could at least get thrown into the basket for a chance at the grand prize?
Chance, of course, was last night's keyword.
And he says, tolerating your show.
Wink.
Bud from Jamesville.
He's not happy.
He doesn't qualify.
Well, he just needs to, you know, listen to any shows on the Civic.
Got to set that alarm.
During those times.
I know.
So Bud, of course, is referring to the Civic Media multi-state text-to-win contest.
Go for the green and gold.
I'll give you details on that as we progress here in hour number one.
And of course, the keyword coming up in hour number two.
We are coming right back.
Lots of fun tonight.
Coming up next, folks, I'm going to tell you about a movie I saw today that is outstanding and I can't miss.
It's Pete Chihuahua in Night Light on the Civic Media radio
network.
It's civic media's go for the green and gold multi-state text-to-win contest folks.
We have Four more nights of it if you include nightlight here Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday it ends on Friday It's our go for the green and gold multi-state text-to-win contest such a fun time So many and did you hear earlier today like a lot more people are doing it this time Conrad the numbers are way up And it's very exciting we have great prizes
All you have to do, folks, and we'll give you the keyword after the top of the hour and hour number two, a few minutes after, is text in the keyword.
You just have to have the Civic Media app in order to do it.
So I'll give you the keyword in hour number two, text that in, and then when you get a confirmation link, click on that and sign up for Civic Media today or the newsletter or our social media platforms and you will heighten your chance to win 200 bucks cash and gold jewelry.
How cool is that?
And it will also...
Even a daily entry will make you eligible for our grand prize of club level tickets.
Have you ever set club level?
I have once.
Just once?
And it was a lot of fun.
Yeah.
Those are good seats.
For November 23rd at noon, it'll be the green and gold taking on the purple and gold.
And that's professional football, folks.
Right here in Green Bay, it's a $1,500 plus value because we're throwing in gas money, too.
Very exciting.
So keyword coming up in hour number two.
I came down early today.
We don't have matinees in Marinette where I live.
Movie matinees after the kids go back to school.
We have them during the summer.
But like September 1st they go away.
So I have to come down to Green Bay to do my movie watching during the week and I've been talking about this movie a lot on the show because it was a Highly kind of anticipated movies Paul Thomas Anderson great director.
It got incredible reviews.
I think a 98% and rotten tomatoes Sean Penn Leonardo DiCaprio Regina King Taiana Taylor Benicio del Torre and this newcomer
Is her name Infinity Chaser?
Chase Infinity.
She's excellent.
So the movie is outstanding.
And Chris, Foran and I are gonna talk about it at 630, but I cannot recommend this movie enough.
It's got a 96% from critics.
It's two hours and 40 minutes long, and it's one of those films that's long, but I wanted it to keep going.
There's all kinds of parallels to Star Wars.
I think that was Joe.
When Joe was on the show Friday, my son, he gave a quick review of it because he had seen it Thursday night.
And I totally see those similarities.
We'll ask Chris, if he noticed those as well.
But really fun action.
And remember, Con, how we talked about, for me, action comedy usually is a recipe for a bad movie.
I never feel like the comedy delivers.
The action's cheesy.
This is an action thriller first.
And there's no jokes.
It's just the comedy comes.
very organically out of the situations and out of the characters.
They kind of take shots at everybody.
Those on the left, those on the right.
It's a really good movie.
Very excited to talk with it, about it with Chris Foran, but I can't not, I can't recommend it enough.
So our question of the night is when you think mediocre sitcom, what show comes to mind?
Let me know.
Oh, that was.
Okay, so Conrad, I just asked Conrad too.
This is kind of cool.
So that's our question tonight.
Let me know what comes to mind when you think mediocre sitcom.
Tony Bennett was indicted, inducted.
I'm having one of those days where I have not talked to anybody today.
I lead a very solitary existence during the day.
And then I go to a three hour movie.
Yeah, sometimes in those movies, you just got to talk.
I think I do.
You got to warm up the pipes.
If it was a bad movie, I might have.
Tony Bennett was inducted into the National, was not inducted, what is he?
Oh, he was inducted into the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association, Hall of Fame.
All right, that's cool, because I guess he played at Preble.
I thought he played high school ball in Stevens Point.
Obviously, his dad, Dick Bennett,
coaching legend here in Wisconsin, coached at Stevens Point, coached at Green Bay, then coached UW Madison, went to the final four in like maybe 0-2, 0-3.
Tony was part of that team.
And then, man, did I want him to come back here and coach the Badgers a few years ago.
But he stayed in Virginia.
And this is really interesting.
This is kind of the sign of a good coach.
His team was the first team to lose as a number one seed to his 16th seed, I think.
First or second, that's always a good thing.
OK, that's a bad thing.
It's infamous.
It's infamy.
And I felt bad for Tony Bennett because I liked him.
Well, guess what?
He comes back and wins the national championship.
Yeah.
So he totally erased that scar on his record.
And it's almost even more impressive that you overcome adversity like that.
Love the guy.
We still love to see him coaching in Madison at some point.
You know, it's March Madness, you know.
Anything can happen, so.
Absolutely.
So let's go to the text line.
Do we have a text counter?
I gotta keep up.
We do.
Let's read our social media text first.
Let's do that because people put these out throughout the day and I love kind of peeking and seeing what people say.
Daniel Wheeler says, night court.
He says mediocre because I'd watch it but never looked forward to it.
That's a great answer And I don't disagree with you Daniel.
I I didn't watch night court much if I remember correctly must see TV on NBC on Thursdays in the 80s was Cosby Family ties I think then cheers and then night court Cosby was like the number one show on TV
I think and then cheers came along but those first three were ratings beneath and I think night court did well too because it had great lead-ins But I kind of agree with you Daniel.
I never thought it was that funny Although we do like John Larriquette Jay on social media says according to Jim or any of the clones of that That's great.
Thank you Jay and I agree Chicken are the egg photography.
We know Chris.
He says American dad does animation count it absolutely counts Chris
I mean chicken or the egg photography.
Thank you for the text.
My pal Boris says the single guy Jonathan Silverman.
Yeah, agree with that one too.
Civic media zone Tony Zimmerman.
Hey Tony.
He says Superstore never watched it but always felt like they were trying to recapture the magic of the office and Parks and Rec.
100% agree Tony.
I might even say
Parks and Rec.
I didn't love as much as the office.
All right, we're coming right back with our pal, Chris Foren, formerly from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, talking movies.
It's Pete Schwabba and Nightlight on the Civic Media Radio
Network.
Welcome back to Night Light.
I'm Pete Schwabba.
Great to have you with me on this Tuesday night edition of Night Light.
We are asking the question tonight, folks.
When you think mediocre sitcom, what show comes to mind?
I say Dharma and Greg with a couple of, with a couple of runners up and mad about you and Cosby.
I said it and anything with Scott Bale.
Conrad says that 90s show.
Just why?
Yeah, I didn't even know what was on, so that must be mediocre at best.
All right, it is my pleasure to welcome to Back to Nightlight, one of our frequent fliers here.
He is the former entertainment reporter for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, and he joins us periodically to talk movies and TV, and now he's retired, so we'll see if he's slowed down at all in his opinion, but I doubt it.
Mr. Chris Foren, hey, Chris.
Hey, Pete, how are you?
Good, how is retirement finding you?
Um, I'm going to box this quote.
I, I, I, I quote philosopher, Freddie Prince, Jr.
From, uh, from she's all that where, uh, says, I don't know what I'm going to do next, but I'm kind of liking the idea.
Okay.
Um, it's, it's okay.
It's, um, but I've got two very young grandchildren.
So I've been spending a lot of time having acid flashbacks for how challenging it is to spend a lot of time with three year olds.
Well, congrats
on a long career.
How long were you at the Journal Sentinel?
Well, this time I was there for 30 years and I think 11 days.
But I had worked, I had freelanced for the old morning paper at the Sentinel as a concert reviewer mostly in 81 and 82.
And then what I described as the lowest form of human life, I was a replacement intern.
They had an intern quit and needed a body, so I got hired for that in the summer of 83.
And then I made the transition to being a clerk on the paper's business desk.
And I did that for about a year.
OK.
And
then I went to grad school and worked at the business journal for a while.
I came back and worked at the business journal for a while, and then I ended up at the journalism.
So it doesn't sound like you're done yet, though.
You sound like you are open to doing something else.
Maybe.
I'm trying to keep my head working.
That's to be helpful.
I have no problem doing nothing.
There's a lot to be said for being lazy.
It should have been a sign to me that it was time to go when Ozzy Osbourne died.
My first concert, my first writing for money was reviewing Ozzy Osbourne at the Riverside in Milwaukee in May of 1981.
Oh
my gosh.
Wow.
Oh, that's kind of cool.
That's a nice
That's that's that that that that's before internet and what we used to do for concert reviews is we would Because we often reviewing shows that no one ever bands with no one ever it reviewed before So we go over to the great record store downtown called radio doctors and we would look at the albums for song titles and things like that
So that's so great a little easier
now.
It's so it's easier now, but I have to say There's nothing wrong with waiting overnight to see how a concert was
Reading about it the next day, you know, we don't need that's the kind of information we don't need immediately, right?
Right.
Well, I think our experience was that that the people who really wanted reviews, especially in print, were people who went to the show, right?
They wanted that print validation that they actually were there, you know, right?
Not a friend of the show, you know, Piat Levy just does a great job.
He does.
reviewing concerts and putting it all in context and, um, he, he, he makes them accessible for even for bands that, that I haven't heard of.
I understand what he's talking
about.
Piano is so great because he, sometimes you just meet someone, I don't know him well, but, and you go, this guy is doing exactly what he should be doing.
He's very passionate about reporting about music.
He's great at it.
Well, he's, he's very engaged and, and, and in that kind of, in any kind of,
arts or entertainment criticism, it's easy to get jaded or in a rut.
And, you know, they're, they're, you know, like they're jazz writers who will say, well, this is what defines jazz, you know, that kind of thing.
And Piat is open to anything.
And, uh, he's a fan of everybody from, you know, the newest act to, to here come the mummies to, you know, he gets, he's engaged on a basic level, personal level.
Chris, when you, I didn't, uh,
an interview recently at my hometown paper in Marinette.
And I remember going in there and there used to be 20, 25 people in there.
It looked like a newsroom like anywhere else.
It's certainly not as big as yours or Madison or even Green Bay, but there was activity and there was a buzz.
And I've seen other newsrooms where it's just depressing.
What was the journal set in the like when you left?
Like, was it still kind of humming?
I mean, it's much bigger than Marinette or even Green Bay, but or did you notice a huge drop off?
inactivity.
No, I would say that the paper now is as active and vital as staff is when I started.
There's a lot fewer people.
So that world is gone.
But there's been a really impressive group of especially young reporters and writers like Piat who are really engaged.
and and care about the community and care about the things they cover and which is this is a bonus and this is not always true.
They care about each other
and
then they look out for each other and you know and then in that business that's tough you know especially if you're you know for the if you're a woman reporter they get this the amount of abuse they get sometimes and some of those beats is unbelievable and I know I am my dad I
I was born into the business.
My dad had been at the old journal afternoon paper years before.
And he and I have a long-running conversation about how we don't cover things.
I say, yeah, we do.
It's right here.
And I think it's a little different now than it was even 15 years ago because we have the ability to work remotely.
And so you don't always have a full compliment in the office.
I think it's just as vital a place as it was before.
That's great.
Do you have a story before we move into some movie talk here that sticks out over the years, like maybe it was your favorite to cover other than the launching of Nightlight, of course?
Or an article you wrote that you're really proud of or something that a memory you can share?
You mentioned that.
There are a couple.
Particularly for this show.
I didn't do as much celebrity interviewing as some of my colleagues did.
But I remember, I don't know, four years ago, I think I interviewed Carol Burnett.
And it was just like the most lovely conversation ever, you know, and she was exactly as you would think she would be.
And I was telling a colleague about this, I interviewed Jane Fonda once.
For shoes gonna be coming to town to do some speaking engagement.
She's been in Milwaukee issues when she was in more activist Person in the early 70s.
She'd been a walkie a couple of times and at the end of the con any interview I she has said I Don't know what this I don't know what to call this
this conversation.
I said, well, I think we're going to have a conversation.
You said, no, the event I'm speaking at, I don't know what to call it because I don't know what it is.
And they ended up canceling it.
So maybe that was a good idea.
But when you mentioned that question, one of the first ones that comes to mind, and I've told this story among my colleagues many times, one of the things I first thought of was an interview I did at the Business Journal in Milwaukee, probably
35, maybe more years ago, it was a story about, because it is actually relevant today, it was a story about there was some mystery buyer buying up properties along Water Street on Wisconsin, off Wisconsin Avenue at the heart of downtown.
It's what is now the, I think it's so-called 100 East Building, but at the time it was just somebody who's buying up all these properties.
I just cold calling businesses to find out what they had heard and I talked to a woman named Lorraine Smuggler, who in addition to being the best name ever, she owned a women's professional women's clothing store, close for women to wear to work, such thing in the 80s, called Milwaukee Cloak and Suit.
And she said, yeah, this guy called me.
And he wouldn't say who he is representing.
I think I thought it was going to be Donald Trump, at least.
And this is in 1988.
After thanking her for giving me my lead, I always think of things like that.
I've been lucky to do a lot of different things.
The last couple of years, I've been doing a lot of history stories.
The last I did a couple.
worked ahead because we worked on these ahead of time.
The last one I believe is running next week and it's basically a deep dive into a photo that one of my colleagues, Bill Schultz, who does great archival mining of our photo libraries, found of just a staged photo of 10 beer schooners, you know those big goblet type things.
Along a bar and each of them is holding a small puppy.
And it ran on the front page of the local section on a Sunday in 1953.
And it was almost no information.
And so I started digging into trying to find out where it came from.
And it was really clear that the guy had set it up to promote as he had a bar on National Avenue on the south side of Milwaukee.
And the caption on the picture, which ran across the bottom of a page, didn't mention the guy's bar, which I thought was really great.
They mentioned the guy, but not like, oh, this is his bar.
Go have a beer there.
And it was fun doing that kind of things.
Those were fun to do to kind of investigative history type stuff.
That's so great.
That's kind of sounds like an improv game, like just a puppy and a big goblet write a story around it or create something.
Right.
Oh, sure.
Well, sure.
Yeah, they used to do that, you know, write the caption for crazy pictures.
Yeah.
Well, congratulations, Chris, on a great career.
I'm glad I got to know you at the tail end of it, and I look forward to whatever it is you do next.
But I hope you'll still come back and talk to us about movies and TV periodically, because we
enjoyed it.
Absolutely.
One thing of some priority is sneaking in movies and more movies when I can.
Oh, there you go.
Well, let's start there, because...
I saw it's funny.
I had an ulterior motive when you said I live in Marinette.
I come down to Green Bay.
There are no more matinees in Marinette when the kids go back to school.
So I had to come down to Green Bay to see my movies a little early.
And I just didn't feel like coming down early today.
So I said, did you see one battle after another?
And you said, yes.
So I thought, all right, I got to get off my butt and go see this movie today.
And I did.
And I loved it.
What are your overall thoughts?
I should preface it by saying, for movie people, there is a cult of Paul Thomas Anderson, who's the writer and director of one battle after another.
He is one of those brand-name directors for a certain group of people because of the movies he made, especially Boogie Nights and Magnolia.
Like they really made him out to be this kind of almost mythical figure.
And I honestly have not been a huge fan.
I, I, I feel like he'll have a great idea.
A lot of people love they, there will be blood, for example.
For me, a lot of his movies, they, they go in a direction and then the end is like, is almost a different movie, you know, like, yeah.
I mean, it almost makes sense to be kind of this weird reigning of frogs and things, but.
you know, like at the end of there will be blood where one character beats another character to death.
And the soundtrack is like, you know, I'm not seeing the humor here, you know, and that was not the I was I went to see this because I thought I should a lot of talk and it would be important to see it.
And I had a window, which is usually how I go see things.
And I was I was pleasantly surprised that it didn't have that problem.
I thought it was it moved very fast for a movie that's two hours and 45 minutes long.
Good, good car chase scenes, great performances, pretty coherent.
It's it's it's based on but not like an adaptation of a Thomas pension novel from 1990 called Vineland.
He made Paul Thomas Anderson made a movie about an out of another pension novel called Inherent Vice a couple years ago.
And that one was set
was written in 1990, but it was set in 1984, where there's a group of radicals who do something.
Their plot goes off the rails, and then we flash forward into the future.
Chris, we've got to do a quick thing here.
Let's pick up right there.
We're going to do a very short break.
Chris Foren, formerly from the Milwaukee Journal of Sentinel, is here.
We're coming right back on Nightlife.
I'm Pete Schwab, and this is Nightlight.
Our question of the night is, when you think mediocre sitcoms, what show comes to mind?
Vince Moranto on social media says, anything with Tim Allen in it.
Totally agree, Vince.
Especially the later stuff, snooze and drama.
I didn't even love Home Improvement that much either.
I mean, it had a couple laughs, but and it was highly rated.
I just didn't think it was that great.
Rachel on social media says, Seinfeld.
Oh, we're going to talk to Chris about that.
Either way, Rachel, that's fine.
And my pal Boris says, Joey.
Yeah, that show sucks.
Any of the friend spinoffs are bad.
That's a great one, though.
Thank you, Boris.
My guest is Chris Voron, formerly of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
He joins us here every so often to talk movies and TV, and he was in the middle of telling us about, Chris, you were telling us about your thoughts about one battle after another and Paul Thomas Anderson.
Yeah, I was going to say,
TLDR version.
I enjoyed it as a movie.
It would, like I said, a lot more action than you see in a typical Paul Thomas Anderson movie.
His last movie was Licorice Pizza.
It was kind of a mess, I thought, and I thought this was a lot more coherent, great, good performances.
There's some
some goofy.
One thing I thought was really interesting is that a lot of people are focusing on the idea of this underground revolutionary group and battling fascists basically and looking for modern day parallels.
And I thought it was really interesting that the two central organizations that you see in the movie are both under the radar, like super secret societies.
Right.
One.
you know, the power elite and to the other one, you know, that even the group that Benicio del Toro leads, sanctuary city, helping undocumented immigrants, the premise is, yeah, these things are there, you know, and it's not shocking.
It's not like, oh, wow, this is a revelation.
It's like,
yeah,
it's just part of the landscape.
I thought that was, I thought that was really interesting.
It was, it is a lot of time, but I think it's, I thought generally it was worth it.
I noticed the New York Times keyed on some of the soundtrack choices, which I thought were pretty good.
Yeah, same.
He always picks good music.
You'll
see Steely Dan and the Charelles in a movie too
often.
Right.
I noticed my son talked to me about Star Wars parallels, which was interesting with the Death Star and the Rebellion.
And even, you know, I said to him today, I said, what was with the bathrobe?
Why didn't Leo DiCaprio take the bathrobe off at some point?
He's running all over the place.
And then I realized he's got the bathrobe on in a ponytail because he's a hippie.
And he kind of looked like Qui-Gon or something in one of the Star Wars.
I wonder if there was a parallel.
Or, or, or.
the dude or the dude
exactly.
Yeah, he's an anti hero like the dude.
He's kind of a stoner.
He's placed into this thing where he has to sort of try to be the hero.
Yeah, I really liked it.
I thought it was good.
Yeah, no, it's definitely I mean, it's going to get a lot of a word of attention.
It's deceptive because those all the movies are going to be at the end of the year.
10 best they're all coming out now.
I mean,
the
next couple of weeks are already movies that
Even this week there'll be movies are gonna be in theaters that are all that's gonna be on everybody's nomination.
Yep Well, it's interesting.
I liked I like the film and I like when I like Paul Thomas Anderson I like him a lot I thought punch drunk love was kind of forgettable loved boogie nights loved hard eight liked Magnolia and I'm kind of with you on there will be blood I was just sort of waiting for I don't know what it was about that movie.
I just thought it was just very okay
Yeah, I would agree.
Yeah, it had Daniel Day-Lewis though, so that's good.
Right.
So, all right, so the other movie I want to ask you about, well, there's a few, but is the movie Hymn?
I know Jordan Peele is one of the producers.
It had a lot of kind of buzz about it, and it just kind of took a nosedive with critics, but you saw it.
I have not seen it.
I don't know that I will, at least anytime soon, but
what
was
the
problem with it or did you love it?
I didn't love it.
I went to see it today, actually.
And a big caveat is I'm not a big horror guy, although I realize, realize the other day that I've seen a lot more horror.
Usually I only see a couple of horror movies and theaters a year.
I watch Wait for Throne to be on streaming or whatever.
It's just not my thing.
It's a very ambitious movie.
Jordan Peele described it as an anti-sports horror movie,
which
You know, as, as
the
low soul Wisconsinite who is not a football fan, I, I was okay with that, you know, and, and, um, I've always said that the deal deal, there's no organization in America that hates its employees or its customers more than the national football
league.
But, um, and, and, and there's a lot of that.
Then it kind of goes in some directions that I didn't quite get.
I guess maybe I'm not smart enough.
Um, and it is.
very grizzly in that sense.
I mean, it makes this point about, you know, the desire for competitive to be competitive and you have to sacrifice everything to be, you know, be a star or sports, whatever, but.
Yeah, it wasn't it wasn't my jam
We have a bottle can we keep you through the news Chris?
I have a couple more movies I want to ask you about and I want it we're watching the same TV show on HBO I want to ask you about that too, but in about a minute Can you tell me what you liked about weapons?
I liked weapons a lot, too And you just said you're not a horror guy, but that that's obviously when you
yeah, I What I liked about it.
I liked I liked the different point of views points of view of the story.
I Honestly, I thought the last
story that they told was the least interesting of the three or four
and
if they had put them all together it would have made that they would have not been as interesting a movie I thought.
It was an innovative way to tell that story I thought.
Interesting.
All right.
Chris Foren is here, folks.
He's going to stick with us through intermission and for a few minutes of Act II, I will give you contest details when we come back and the keyword closer to the end of that first segment in hour number two.
Our question of the night is when you think mediocre sitcoms, what comes to mind?
What show comes to mind?
By the way, Conrad, Aunt Carla is back.
Did you know that?
Yeah, I saw the text.
She kind of ditched us for a while.
No, I'm kidding, Carla.
She says, get to listen to you two again while driving home from work.
That's awesome, Carla.
Thank you.
And we'll read some more mediocre sitcoms, too, in hour number two.
Keep those texts coming.
It's Peach Wabba and Nightlight on the Civic Media Radio
Network.
Broadcasting live from the Civic Media Studios in Green Bay.
This is Night Light with Pete Schwabba.
Your inside source on everything entertainment from Wisconsin to Hollywood.
And now, a guy whose house has an actual wiggle room, Pete Schwabba.
Welcome back to Night Light, ladies and gentlemen.
You might just be here on the best day of the week.
Tuesday has a feel as far as I'm concerned.
It's great to have you.
I am Pete Chihuahua, Conrad Krieger, riding shotgun tonight here as we kick off act two on this beautiful night from gorgeous downtown Green Bay.
And Chris foreign is here formerly from the Milwaukee Journal Central.
How long am I going to say formerly Conrad?
It's like saying Happy New Year three weeks into the new year at some point
after
tonight.
I think we won't say that anymore.
But we will be back to Chris in just a minute.
I have Sean Hannish is coming up at 7.20.
He's the director of Just A Bit Outside, the story of the 1982 Milwaukee Brewers.
Sean is also behind another film that will be hitting Marcus Theaters in a couple of weeks called No Packers, No Life.
The director is Craig Benzine.
Craig has been on the show a couple of times and made this great film.
And you will be able to see it on the big screen very soon, thanks to people like Sean Hannish, who is helping get it out there.
We'll talk to Sean at 720.
Our question of the night is, when you think mediocre sitcom, what show comes to mind?
I said Dharma and Greg.
Conrad said that 90 show.
Please be part of the show and text us on the text line at 855-752-4842 or on the app.
Or you can drop us a stream comment at YouTube, Facebook, or ex Twitter.
Folks, this is exciting and you know it.
You've been following it.
It's our outstanding go for the green and gold text to win contest.
It's our multi-state contest here at Civic Media and it is happening through this Friday, October 3rd.
Our daily prizes are 200 bucks cash and gold jewelry.
And if you play on a daily basis, that will make you eligible for the grand prize, which is two club level indoor seats to Green Bay versus Minnesota.
That's professional football.
It's a Green Bay home game November 23rd at noon.
And we're even throwing in a gas card to help you get there.
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So keyword coming up in about 10 minutes.
Lots of fun.
Good luck, everybody.
Right now we have a few more minutes with my current guest, Chris Foran.
Chris, we were talking about weapons and...
I really want to ask you, there's a couple films I want to ask you about before we let you go.
One is Highest to Lowest.
I thought that film was coming out in wide release.
I went to see it opening weekend.
It's Denzel Washington and Spike Lee.
It got great reviews and I couldn't find it.
At least not in Marinette, Wisconsin.
And it seems like I would have had to drive to Milwaukee to see it.
Do you know what happened?
Did they pull that at the last minute or what?
No, it was it's it's the it's the world that we live in now is it was produced by Apple TV plus and It had they had a plans for a limited theatrical run for a went-on Apple TV plus and I Was it's a crapshoot.
You're ever gonna get those movies like
I think last week another Apple TV movie The Lost Bus with Matthew McConaughey opened in theaters in Milwaukee and I think in other parts of the state too.
It's on Apple TV next week.
I didn't expect to see it.
When you look at trailers for Netflix movies they'll always say you know
select theaters this date and then streaming.
What they really mean is that it's theaters that Netflix owns in New York and Los Angeles so that they can be a qualify for Oscars and stuff like that.
And so I was surprised that we got highest lowest here in Milwaukee and the Oriental did a great thing and the Milwaukee film runs the Oriental Theater.
They also showed the original Kurosawa movie
that's based on high
and low.
Which is really, it's one of my favorite cars, always.
Yeah, I enjoyed it.
I mean, I, you know, I don't have Apple TV, so I always have to rush to see those if they're going to play.
Yeah.
Um, but that's what happened.
I don't think, I think what happens is that because there's that, that, that layer of local coverage of this stuff is gone.
Like, you know, there aren't not a lot of film critics anymore.
Not a lot of people even covering that stuff anymore.
That it around the state, you know, most states of Wisconsin is one of them.
that they don't, all you see is the ad on television.
You think, well, it's coming to theaters and so no.
And that's, it's a shame, but that's, that is the ecosystem we're in.
It's, it's interesting to me that they're even doing movies on streaming services because you never hear, no matter how good the movie is, you almost never, anybody buzz about a movie on a streaming service.
They always buzz about the TV shows.
Right.
And, you know, and there's, I was looking at the list of movies coming out this fall and
There's a ton of really good movies coming out on Netflix.
The first one, even this next month, House of Dynamite about nuclear warhead coming for the United States.
If you look at their trailers, they say select theaters October 10th on Netflix October 24th.
We won't come to theaters here.
I'm sure
the weird thing about that was I hear what you're saying about highest the lowest, but
It was listed like it was going wide.
That's why I was surprised.
I thought they pulled it the last
Yeah, and that's just that's I did like it.
Okay.
I mean, it was It got a lot of knocks from people who thought that it was kind of a like a stuffy movie for Spike Lee and and With the notable exception of do the right thing I I tend to like the Spike Lee movies that he didn't It's not original stories from him My inside man is one of my favorite
movies
of that
decade.
And I thought you had a great job with Clockers and a bunch of other movies.
He did a good job with it.
And Washington, you know, Denzel Washington is great.
When you get let him do what he does.
He does.
He's great.
Yeah.
Okay, here's a film I did not see Downton Abbey.
My parents who are in their early 80s were split on it.
Now they watch the show.
I didn't watch the show.
I'm probably not going to see the film, but they've got rabid fans.
But I thought it was funny that my dad really liked it.
And my mom was like, yeah, who's fine, whatever.
Tell
people who might be fans of Downton Abbey what they can expect or what you thought of it.
If their fans, if their fans of Downton Abbey, I'm sure that they will enjoy the movie.
It is very much.
It's much more like the movies than the TV show, you know, than the TV show.
I am actually not a huge fan of the guy who created it, Julian Fellows.
I think it's kind of, a lot of it's pretty lazy, you know, the one sister always says the wrong thing and the Mary always puts her foot in it like in a major way, you know, and comes out okay.
And the servants are all upstanding and, you know, and
It was okay.
It reminded me of the, I'm talking about, I know a lot of people think of it as a mediocre sitcom.
I do not.
The show How I Met Your Mother had a, had, it was one of my favorite sitcoms.
And it had a recurring plot line where they were watching a show called Woodworthy, or Woodworthy Manor.
And the big, the big plot that they were building up to is who, who over watered the gooseberry bushes, you know, and that, and that's sort of.
You know, nothing happening is sort of a lot of what happens in this movie, but it's okay.
It's pleasant.
It's very pretty.
Okay.
Um, last thing for you, buddy, the, uh, we're both watching task on HBO, uh, Jamie McShane is a good friend of mine, the guy who plays the top bad guy.
And I think he's great at it.
Um,
and I
like the show.
I do.
I love Mark Ruffalo.
Uh, really like the guy who plays, uh, Robbie.
kind of the bad
guy
and my pal Jamie's great in it.
But what do you what are your thoughts on it?
And also, how do you compare it?
I know the I can't think of the creator's name now, but he also created Mara from East Town, which I loved.
And I thought that was almost a flawless show.
I really liked it.
And I like task a lot.
I don't know if I like it as much as Mara from East Town.
But obviously, we've got a few episodes to go.
What are your thoughts on the show?
Yeah, it definitely fills that HBO thing where everyone's got
Demons that are just overwhelming them and It's bleak and everybody there's there's an informer and we sort of know who it is, but
right
And I think it's really well acted and it's really well written I it's not that I'm not a big fan of a lot of those shows, but I do like I say I like workflow and And I do like
I'm interested to see how they get to where they get to.
Because obviously it's going to resolve it one way or another.
Sometimes
it's so easy.
It is grim stuff though.
Yeah, it is.
Like on a lot of those shows, like in Mare from Easttown, my wife always has to root for someone.
And I'm like, yeah,
I get
that.
I feel like at least they have to be interesting, but ideally I'd like to root for somebody.
But it's also easy to pick out, like when they say there's a leak and task, it's like, well, I don't think that actress would have taken the role.
Had we only known the scene she was in she they got to give her something else to do So it's those kind of clues you can kind of figure it out, but I hope they keep us guessing a little bit.
I do like it so far
All
right, hey buddy, this is fun always fun come back soon enjoy your retirement kick your feet up make an old-fashioned and enjoy those grandkids
I will if they don't wear me out.
It could happen.
I need to get, I need, I had to retire because I need to get in shape to
keep
up with my grandchildren.
There you go.
All right, buddy.
Thanks.
Have a great night, Chris.
That's a thanks to you too.
Chris
Warren.
Thank you, sir.
Appreciate it.
And I, you know, it's funny because Chris told me earlier today he's not.
huge part or he's not a part of the Paul Thomas Anderson cult and there is a cult I think but like I said when his movies are good they are really good and I loved one battle after another so Sean Hannish is coming up at 720 folks right now we're gonna read some text here if I can if I can figure this out we've got how we doing on Texcon what do we have my way behind
we got a decent amount
all right let's tear into these babies huh
So we've got Todd or Billy, I find that funny, from the 414.
He says, this is Todd or Billy.
I think Frazier was mediocre.
Oh, listen, I said Cosby, the Cosby show.
So I like that you said Frazier because I'm with you, Todd or Billy, if that is your real names.
I don't, I never thought, I loved Frazier on Cheers.
I loved that character.
But leading the show, I just kind of wanted to... I didn't like it.
You watch Frasier?
Never seen it.
My dad loves it.
And he always will bring it up and he'll say, well, that one time on Frasier, like he's trying to kind of sell me on it, or he's just making a dig because he knows I don't like it as much as he does.
But I'm with you.
That's a great one.
Semicontroversial, Todd or Billy.
Steve from Florida this Conrad's dad says three his company was a great show, but the spin-off of the Ropers was really bad I did like the original night court, but the new night court is terrible.
I have not seen the new night court Steve I probably won't get a chance to check it out.
There was actually another spin-off of three his company too I remember it might have just been called the Jack tripper show or something he owned a restaurant called Jack's bistro and The girls weren't on the show anymore, and there was like a surfer guy who was like his
I don't know.
Thanks for the text, Steve.
Edward from the 4014 says FYI.
What do you make of that?
Oh, he's telling me how to say Benicio del Toro's name.
He spelled it phonetically.
Benicio, not Benicio del Toro.
You know what?
I've had enough of that guy's attitude.
I'm going to say Benny's name, however I want to.
It's it's your show, you know, I actually kind of knew that and if I said Benicio I Don't know Benicio.
Yeah, that's true.
All right Edward fair enough Monica from Mount Horrib.
She's in the 608 says Melissa and Joey with Melissa Joan Hart and Joey Lawrence.
Yeah, that's bad All right, folks.
It is time for me to give you the keyword for tonight's Civic media go for the green and gold text to win multi-state contest tonight's keyword
Text us in on the app and on the app only folks.
Tonight's keyword is laugh.
L-A-U-G-H.
L-A-U-G-H.
Laugh.
Text it in and good luck.
We are coming right back with just a bit outside director, Sean Hannes, who is going to tell us how we can see a really cool new packer film in theaters.
After this, it's Pete Schwabba and Nightlight on the Civic Media radio network.
Welcome back to Nightlight.
I'm Pete Schwabba for those of you in downtown Green Bay.
It's a very sad day tomorrow.
The last farmer's market of the season will be taking place on Broadway, but the farmer's market on Washington will continue through much of October, which is good news.
So that kind of means we'll find parking easier.
Conrad's on the phone.
He's calling his mom or something.
Speaking of Conrad's mom, we just got a text from Conrad's mom.
Paula, who says, Joni loves Chachi.
Yeah, that's really mediocre.
That might not even be mediocre, Paula.
But I appreciate the text.
I said earlier, anything that Scott Baio was in is pretty bad.
We have a phone call.
We could take a quick call.
Then
we'll get to our guest, Sean Hannish, who is waiting patiently.
Who do we have?
Ali from the Northwoods.
Ali, how are you?
I'm fine.
You stole my very first guess was Dharma and Greg.
That was the first thing that popped into my mind when you gave the question of the night.
But another one that I could not get into was Wings.
It had some good actors in it.
Tony Haluw and Tyne Daly.
And I also like Kelsey Glamour.
Graham Hurr, even if you
didn't
see
it.
No, a lot of people.
Look, I'm on an island.
I
know Frazier was hugely popular.
Thank you very much for the call, Ollie.
We are kindred spirits with our choice of sitcoms.
But have a great night.
You take care.
You got it.
Thank you very much.
And Wings is so funny because the Simpsons used to rip on Wings.
In fact, one time Homer was watching TV and you heard the TV voice go, next on Wings.
Ah, who cares?
And with that in mind, let's bring on one of our favorite guests.
This gentleman is joining us over the stream from Los Angeles.
He is the director of Just a Bit Outside, the story of the 1982 Milwaukee Brewers, as well as other films Return to Zero and St.
Judy.
He is a Milwaukee native son, Mr. Sean Hannish.
Hey, buddy.
Hey, how you doing, Pete?
I'm doing very well.
So, all right, so I have to clear something up.
This guy, Mark Cass,
who I think I know, emailed me about this movie about the Packers and Japanese fans.
I'm like, but he didn't name the movie.
And I'm like, wait a minute.
Is that Craig Benzene's movie?
Like, I've talked to this guy.
There's no way Sean has a movie about Packer fans.
And then we eventually put two and two together.
So I'm glad this worked out.
And you said last time you were here, you had news about something coming up.
Obviously, this is it.
So very cool stuff.
Thanks.
This
is
the news.
By the way, I think also backstage is my producing partner, Paul Geconi-Berry, who's hanging out here, I think.
Oh, cool.
I don't know if you're going to bring him on.
Oh, let's bring him on.
Conrad, let's bring him
on.
I didn't know Paul was on the call.
Yeah, Paul, if you can hear us, could you turn your mic on?
Thank you.
All right, now he's in.
Hey, welcome, Paul.
Hey, how you doing?
Doing very well.
Thank you.
It's great to have you guys.
Thanks.
It's great to be here.
I mean, Pete, yeah, I mean, last time we were talking and I do feel like, again, I think I feel like I'm Doc Severinson to Johnny Carson.
I come by every couple of weeks, you know, play a few tunes and then you disappear.
That's OK.
You dress more casually and you're more laid back, though, than Doc Severinson, which fits the show perfectly.
So.
Well, you know, and you don't want to hear me play trumpet.
So.
But yeah, the really great news.
And by the way, I.
I'm not at Paul Talk for a while because he's really smart and incredibly articulate as opposed to me.
But I did want to say that we're so excited because here at Cannonball, it's such a great success with the fans in the state of Wisconsin with just a bit outside, you know, the Brewer's documentary, that when I saw this, and when I saw you in spring at the Wisconsin Film Festival,
saw this film, No Packers, No Life.
And it is such a joyful film about what it means to be a fan and how teams, especially the Green Bay Packers, bring people together even from halfway around the world.
So did you happen to see it when you were at the festival?
I did not see it.
I had a conflicting screening while I was there, but I had Paul on my PBS show, PBS Wisconsin TV, and I interviewed Paul about the film, and I've seen a lot of clips from it.
And then I've had him on this show twice to promote screenings.
And then I think the last time he was supposed to be on, he said, hey, I can't.
I thought I had an announcement, but I can't say anything yet.
And now it all makes sense.
But he's a great
guy.
That was us.
yeah well sorry we got a bit involved and we got our friends at marcus involved and they're uh you know two weeks from from friday on the 17th we are opening the film uh throughout the state of wisconsin they're in green bay applesand, mawaki, madison, lacrosse, wasa all over the state through marcus theaters so we're so excited to bring this movie to everybody
It's very exciting.
So let me ask you, before we get more into the film, you guys, do you have an actual distribution company?
Because, you know, we'll tell us about, I think you said cannonball, right?
We do now.
So, yeah, but listen, just a bit outside, we distributed ourselves.
which wound up being the best way to get it out to the fans of the Brewers and then out to the wider world.
And we said, hey, what else is there out there that sort of catches that same niche, right?
That isn't that same place for these amazing Wisconsin fans.
And I have to say, Sean Hannish, son of Milwaukee, I'm California native.
But I feel like I have been adopted by Wisconsin.
I've spent more time in Wisconsin the last couple years than, well, anywhere else other than my home.
So we just thought, you know, what else can we bring to the people of Wisconsin?
And then Sean saw this film and said, you know, you should take a look at this.
I think there's something here.
And I think he put it best.
The joy and the beauty of this film is how it
It's a window and really a mirror up to the state of Wisconsin and the joy that the people of Wisconsin get from the Green Bay Packers and how that joy spreads all over the world and brings people together from, well, literally halfway around the world.
So we're unbelievably excited to be getting this movie in theaters and sharing it with the world.
Like I said, we saw it and we're like, hey,
What can we do?
So here we are.
All right.
Very cool stuff.
We're going to break for the news.
We're going to come back.
Paul, I'm glad you're on the call.
Sean is a writer-director.
Now he's a distributor.
I think he's in welding school, too.
There's nothing Sean is not adding to his resume.
I'm sure Paul is multi-talented as well.
We are coming right back to talk more about this really cool film, No Packers, No Life, that you can check out in two weeks.
It's Pete Schwabba in Nightlight on the Civic Media Radio Network.
I'm Pete Schwabba, this is Night Light.
Beautiful night here in the state of Wisconsin as we broadcast live from beautiful downtown Green Bay.
Our question of the night, you still have time to get in on the phone.
When you think mediocre sitcoms, what show comes to mind?
Also tonight's keyword in our go for the green and gold text to win multi-state text to win contest is laugh, L-A-U-G-H.
Text that in on the app and on the.
app only folks and then when we send you a confirmation link click on that and sign up for Civic Media today or the Civic Media newsletter or our social media outlets and you will increase your chances to win 200 bucks cash and gold jewelry that's the daily prize and when you text in the keyword you are also eligible for the grand prize two club level indoor seats to Green Bay versus Minnesota that's professional football and it's a Green Bay home game November 23rd at 12 p.m.
And we're throwing in a gas card, too.
It's a $1,500 plus value.
That's some good walking around money right there.
So good luck, everybody.
Right now, joining me here at Nightlight is our pal, Sean Hannish, and our new pal, Paul.
Paul, tell me how to say your last name again.
Sure.
Jaconi Beery.
Jaconi Beery.
That's a great name.
All right.
Well done.
It's great to meet you.
And this is so funny because I made this film years ago called The Godfather of Green Bay, paired myself up, this Midwestern boy with my friend Brian and his brother, Josh, Brian and Josh, Eddie, who are from the valley.
And it's funny how Midwest people always go, oh, everybody's so weird out there.
I think people that grow up
Out there are fine.
They're like everywhere.
It's the people that move there from Chicago or Milwaukee or Minneapolis that feel like they have to act a certain way.
Honest to God, my experience is like, oh, God, they're just like valley kids.
You know, it's like, I don't know where you grew up, Paul, but
I had a
lovely experience with Californians.
We're great.
All
right.
It is great to have you guys here.
We're talking about a movie that Paul and Sean are helping or have helped get into theaters.
It opens in a couple of weeks called No Packers, No Life.
The director is Craig Benzine.
Tell us a little bit about the movie itself, you guys.
Well, I'll jump in.
The movie is it's a very simple story.
but so resonant when it comes to friendship and community.
Really, the story is about Time Morse, who is the producer of the film.
He's also one of the stars of the film.
He has traveled to Asia well over 100 times.
And a number of years ago, he was on a trip and he was in Tokyo, which you know, has this big crossing called Shibuya.
And it's the big one with all the crosswalks.
It's in all the movies and you see it.
He was crossing the street and he actually saw a Green Bay, somebody wearing a Green Bay Packers jersey.
And he'd never seen this on
any
of his 100 trips.
He'd never seen anybody with a Packers jersey.
So he goes up to him and he says, go back, go.
And the
guy
turns around and he says to him, he goes, go back, go.
And the two of them start going, go pack, go back and forth until they're in the middle of this crossing going, go pack, go.
And the guy that was really, they were both so excited, but neither of them spoke, Tai doesn't speak Japanese, and this gentleman doesn't speak English, but they spoke Green Bay Packers.
So one would say Donald, and the other would say Driver.
Wow.
One
would say John, the other would say Coon.
So.
And this guy was on his way to go and watch the Packer game with all of his buddies and what what Ty found is there is this group of passionate Packer fans in Tokyo that call themselves the Japanese Packers cheering squad and They have been cheering on the Packers since the early 90s.
So, you know
since about the time of, you know, the first days of Brett Favre and Reggie White when they started televising the NFL over, you know, in Japan.
And so they became huge fans.
And so he stumbled into this really great, you know, passionate group of Packer fans half a world away.
And so he goes back to Green Bay and he says to his buddies, he was like, you know, I think we should bring him over to go to a game at Lambeau.
And
They make room in all their houses.
His father-in-law has three rooms.
A buddy down the street has two beds.
And so they ended up bringing over and hosting almost 30 Japanese Packer fans.
Wow.
and took them to Lambeau Field.
And this is a documentary about that experience, about that trip, about the friendships that were made, and really about how amazing it is to be a Green Bay Packer fan, whether you're in Green Bay, Wisconsin, or you're in the middle of Tokyo.
So that's kind of the nuts and bolts of what the film's about.
But it doesn't quite capture just the spirit of what it's like to be
really from Wisconsin and a Wisconsin sports fan because that's what it makes it like the baseball movie is both of these movies are about the fans of Wisconsin and how special we all are.
I heard that I think Craig told me that these people in these Japanese people would watch VHS tapes of old Packer games like
I don't even do that with my teams.
And I, you know, that's why do they do that?
Do they not have access to the live games all the time?
Or do they just like to relive these great memories?
No, they have access.
Yeah, they go, they show up at a karaoke bar two in the morning, Monday morning to watch the game live.
But then they have these regular get togethers where they watch their favorite game.
So they're watch at the end of the season, they'll watch their favorite game of the season.
And then, you know, in the off season, they'll have these regular tape viewers.
And I think, you know, you're almost talking about how this movie connects to just a bit outside.
And for me, what really connects here is it's about community, right?
And it's about how sports and teams build community.
And whereas just a bit outside is about, you know, the building up of Milwaukee over the course of that magical season.
This is about the creation of community around the world.
Yeah.
And how sport can bring people together across boundaries of language, across boundaries of culture, across boundaries of history, across, you know, a dozen time zones, right?
So that's, that was the magic for us is that this has something really beautiful to say about the power of the Packers in sports generally to bring people together.
And it's really a film about joy.
and about friendship.
And so, you know, we really also felt that, like, right now, that kind of film, like, there's very much a place for that film, for all of us, I think.
I think we could all use a couple hours of just joy and connection.
So that's why we're here.
That's the voice of Paul Giaconi-Berry and Sean Hannish's with us, too.
They are executive producers and distributors of the movie No Packers, No Life, which opens in Marcus Theatres in a couple weeks.
Sean, compare what you expect out of the audience if you had to draw a parallel between just a bit outside and the reaction you got with that film in theaters to what you think it will be like for No Packers No Life.
I think people are going to be a little happier about the ending.
Oh, you hope so, right?
I mean, I mean, the ending of I'm so proud of the ending of the first film is
very
profound.
But this one's really about, you know, I think if the film's about anything, it's really about, you know, finding your passion.
And I think, listen, you know, whether it's 1982, the summer of 1982 in Milwaukee, where the city just became and the state became electric by this group of players that we all felt like, you know, we'd meet in the parking lot and have a beer with or, you know, they just felt like part of the community.
This film is similar in that, you know, the Packers themselves feel part of the community.
I mean, maybe, you know, some of the listeners out there took their bike, you know, when they were kids to, you know, the practice facility and had the players in, you know, when they were in their, you know, camp, you know, ride their, ride the bike over, you know, I mean, the Packers is a community.
It's a community of, I think what is kind of cool about this film is it gives...
us and I say us because I'm born and raised in Wisconsin and I've been a Packer fan since I could remember my first word is that it really shows us what we have is so incredibly special that people that grew up in a one of the people that live in one of the biggest cities in the world would find the fact that there's an NFL team in a city of 110,000 people in the smallest market in all of pro sports that would have such a huge
footprint kind of on American sports culture and world sports culture so it kind of holds up a mirror and in a way I thought wow you know we are really lucky we're so lucky to have this team I mean it's such a crazy thing to think that this team even exists and that's what I get through watching the Japanese fans talk about
what it's like to be a Packer fan, but also what it's like to visit Green Bay and Wisconsin, one of the lines that I love from the trailer.
And one of the Japanese fans when they came over said, Wisconsin is human.
Wow.
And I think that's really beautiful because it's true.
Wisconsin is human.
We try so hard to make everybody else feel at home and feel comfortable, maybe not Viking fans, but other than them, we try to make everybody feel at
home.
It's definitely, it's so unique because of what you just said, the size of the city.
I think, you know, if Green Bay had 800,000 people or whatever, it might just be, you know, still a popular franchise, but you're right, the size of the city makes it so, like people that don't have teams, I think, in America.
And even overseas tend to gravitate towards the Packers just because of the story behind them the city owns the team It's the only team in the city and and it makes me think I cannot believe they used to play half their season in Milwaukee Like how did that?
You know and it was a good thing for the people in Milwaukee was still the Green Bay Packers But I don't know why you would give up those four games.
Certainly they don't anymore, but
it was actually Lombardi's idea to start
taking
down to Milwaukee because they needed the money
When he
came, they needed the money.
But it's all worked out on the
end.
Absolutely.
What do you guys have in store next?
This is your second sports movie.
You had different roles on this one, but you're still an integral part of it.
What's next?
What is next, Paul?
Gee,
that's a good
question.
There's like 10 different things.
It kind of depends, you know?
We're actually, you know, on the distribution side, I will say this.
We're developing this little distribution business and we have been in conversations with a number of other filmmakers about bringing their films into the world.
So along with our own projects that are currently simmering at various stages, we're also hoping to get a few more films out there in the coming year.
And really, you know, help help folks find an audience, you know, because that's why we do this.
We do this so that so that we can find an audience and share stories with them.
So so that's that's been a little bit of our focus for the minute.
Can you talk about any more Wisconsin sports movies like you seem to hit a niche here that's that, you know, there's a demand for it.
Well, it's you know, we've had a lot of people reach out since just a bit outside and you know We've talked to a number of people people that you'd know about you know potentially doing other documentaries, you know one about a different one about the Brewers a different one about the Packers You know, I think It's the fans of Wisconsin are so special Like I feel like we could you know continue to bring all these stories and people will continue to show up
as long as they're good, but this
is a
good movie.
And, you know, those who saw just a bit outside would agree that was good too.
I mean, one Wisconsin sports story that Paul and I have been writing is, and I think I mentioned this at a previous show, we're writing a story of the early days of Vince Lombardi and
Tom
Landry.
That's great.
Can you guys stick around for a couple more minutes?
Absolutely.
All right.
We're going to do a really quick break.
We'll come back and close things up.
We'll have a few more minutes with Paul and Sean, and we'll finish up your text.
And I'm going to ask you guys what your most mediocre sitcoms is, too.
So think about that over the break, too.
We're coming right back.
It's Nightlight with Pete Schwabba on the Civic Media Radio Network.
Hey, this is John Gries, also Uncle Rico, and you're listening to Nightlight with Pete Schwabba.
Welcome
back to Nightlight.
I'm Pete Schwabba.
We've got a few more texts here.
We'll get to from the 920 Caroline in the City.
No name, just 920.
That's interesting because Caroline in the City had a character.
It was from Pestigo, Wisconsin, which is like six miles from where I live right now.
So Carolina in the city.
Yeah, kind of forgettable though.
I'm with you.
Melissa from Willie Street says two broke girls.
That's the second text for two broke girls tonight.
And then John in the 608 says my three sons.
Oh, okay.
We have another text from steady Eddie and John.
We will get to shortly right now.
One more reminder folks tonight's keyword is laugh.
L-A-U-G-H laugh So get your get your keyword in on the app.
Good luck We have a couple more minutes here with our guests Paul Gikoni, Berry and Sean Hannish They are the executive producers behind no packers.
No life which opens in Marcus theaters in a cup.
What's the exact date you guys?
October 17th.
Okay.
Will you guys be here for at
any of the screenings or?
We're going to be there that whole week.
We're going to be there for the opening on the 17th.
But we're also going to be there for the VIP premiere, which is going to take place at the Majestic, Marcus Majestic in Waukesha.
Oh,
nice.
And that's Wednesday, October 15th.
Pete, you should come down for it.
It's going to be fun.
We're getting some of the some great Packers are going to be joining us.
We just confirmed that George Coons, Super Bowl champion George Coons
is going to be
joining us.
We're
gonna have a few
other folks that will be announcing along with the filmmakers and one of the film one of the producers was Jay de Merritt who is a captain of the US men's national soccer team back about 15 years ago, so it's gonna be a really fun night and
Yeah, it'll be the premiere screening of the film.
I would love
to go.
I'm
not a very important person, so I don't know if I qualify for the VIP, but you could just give me an AP ticket, like a person.
Pete is, you know, sitting
in that seat.
The
Euker seats.
And tickets are available.
There are a limited number of tickets for the public if they want to attend the VIP screening.
They're available at the website, nopackersnolife.com.
Great plug.
They're going quick for anybody who's interested.
And as Sean said,
We're going to be announcing some additional Packers legends over the coming days and weeks will be joining us
there.
That's outstanding.
Well, I wish you luck, guys.
Keep keep bringing these great movies.
You know, it's so refreshing.
I just saw the movie one battle after another today.
Loved it.
But there are so few films like on, you know, on a bigger scale, like they come out like sinners or that one that aren't.
superhero franchise, whatever.
I really think there's like a market for these kind of local heightened interest films about sports.
It's so great that you can go to the theater to and have that experience.
Well, that's that's kind of what we want to do.
We want to test this out.
And if you know, we just think people still want to go to the movies, you know, and have a good couple of hours of escape.
Absolutely.
Alright, before we let you guys go, I have to ask you, what are your, what show comes to mind?
And I have to be careful because these guys are both writers.
So don't say anything they might have worked on.
It's like
looking at your
IMDB pages before going, all right, don't insult the guest, but you're not on there.
And I know you only do awesome work.
But personally, I'd love to be, you know, if someone's heard of my sitcom and they trash it, I don't care as long as the check's clear.
But what do you guys, what do you think of when you think of mediocre sitcoms?
Don't take mine, Paul.
I don't think I'm going to.
You go first.
Alf.
Oh, interesting.
You're a bit younger.
Yeah, Alf.
I thought Alf was, you know, it went four seasons on NBC, you know, mid, mid, mid late 80s.
And, you know, I was just reading there's a little controversy about the ending.
I guess the puppeteers weren't getting along with the actors.
Anyway, I think there's more there to impact.
Alf walked out during the.
Mine's a slightly deeper poll.
When I was a high school student, I had the opportunity to be in the audience of Golden Palace, which was a spinoff of the Golden Girls, where they got two of the Golden Girls and they ran a hotel in Miami, and it was very mediocre.
I don't even remember that one.
And the Golden Girls was great.
It's so funny how you can have that big of a drop-off, you know?
Like, it's like Joey or the Friends has been off, or whatever.
You lose the Stelgetti.
It's all over.
Absolutely.
Guys, thank you so much.
Best of luck with the screenings.
Keep me posted.
And Sean, I'll probably see you with the rest of the band very shortly again here on the show.
I'm looking forward to it.
Thanks, Pete.
Thanks,
Pete.
Paul Geconi, Barry, and Sean Hannish.
Go to that.
What's the website again?
Real quick, guys, for the tickets.
NoPackersNoLife.com.
Outstanding.
Have a great night, guys.
Thanks so much.
All
right.
Thanks so
much.
Thank you.
You got it.
A couple more texts here.
Jim from Appleton says, my mother, the car, early TV sitcom.
I kind of remember that name, but I've never seen the show.
But thank you, Jim.
John Murray in Madison says, Mary Tyler Moore's spin-off Rota gave me issues and I abandoned it at like age 12.
Best show ever back then, Bob Newhart, but his ski mountain spin-off was Daryl and Daryl and not much more.
Why?
Why, Bob?
Even Sheldon was not down with that business.
I don't know, I like, I like both Bob Newhart's, but you know what, John?
You're a savvy guy to reach his own.
I really appreciate the text and I, yeah, that's a tough one.
I remember liking Mary Tyler Moore.
I don't remember much about Rhoda.
But I did like Bob Newhart.
But we can agree to disagree.
John Stettietti says, I loved, hey Pete, I loved Downton Abbey, the TV show, the continuing story, the writing, the actors, the music, the costumes, the settings, and the cinematography were all wonderful.
I looked forward to watching it every Sunday night.
Steadfast Edward says, Pip Pip Cheerio, Downton Abbey, and nicely played.
The first movie was only okay.
I think there were too many characters in the TV show for the movie to do them all justice.
Wow, that's a well thought out text.
Thank you, Steady Eddie.
He adds a post script Conrad.
He says, I have already forgotten the names of many mediocre TV sitcoms.
Hey, great show tonight.
Thank you to Sean Hannish, Paul Gikoni, Barry, and our pal Chris Foran.
Thank you, Conrad.
Conrad, thank you seriously.
Thanks for coming in tonight.
Yeah, you're welcome.
Oh, great stuff.
Thank you for all your texts.
Good luck in the contest.
We'll be back tomorrow night to do it all again with some great guests.
Katharine Lake will be here to tell you about a godfather of Green Bay Screening in Madison coming up.
Our pal actor Dan Davies and Greg Bach will talk about the Milwaukee Comedy Festival at 635.
So great show, jam packed show again tomorrow night.
We'll have a great question for you.
Please join us again on behalf of the lovable producer Conrad.
I'm Pete Schwab.
I was saying good night
Wisconsin.