Transcript
Popcorn Picks and Holiday Flicks (Hour 2)
Nite Lite with Pete Schwaba and Greg Bach · Thu Dec 18, 2025
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Welcome back.
Tonight Lite.
Great to have you here, folks, on this Thursday night as we kick off the second act here.
Conrad Krieger is working the board tonight.
Conrad, how you doing?
I'm doing good.
Yeah.
Excited about hour number two?
Oh, yeah.
Yeah.
Popcorn pick, always.
Popcorn pick, baby.
James Ronde will be here at 635 to make the popcorn pick of the week where we give you a movie recommendation by way of our guests.
James is a Madison based filmmaker and musician, very talented guy.
I've known him for several years now and I'm very anxious to see what he picks actually.
So if you missed the first hour, we talked about giant Santa Clauses.
We talked about Conrad's heat.
Being way too hot in his apartment.
He doesn't know how it happened
85 degrees when he woke up 64 when he went to bed something's a foot I think you got to look into that you might want to get one of those ring cameras What what would freak you out the most if you got one of those cameras to record while you were sleeping?
you saw something like your landlord just walked in in a bathrobe probably turned it all the way up this counter is no good
And then he just stood over you in his bathrobe and watched you sleep.
You take legal action, right?
a robe.
It's fully within his rights.
With no question.
Checkmate, that's what I would say to that.
So we talked to Matt Doherty, first hour as well, about a really cool event happening in Oshkosh, more accurately, Brilliant, Wisconsin this weekend.
The world snow shoe championships are in Brilliant this weekend.
So there's all kinds of information out there.
If you are so inclined, if you want to race or watch, it's going to be cold on Sunday, I think, right?
But not Saturday.
It should be OK.
Saturday
get that smushy snow under your snowshoes.
And then in hour number three, Sam Waragula will be here.
He is one of the members of Radio for Pets.
We've had them on the show previously and they just rock.
They are such a fun band.
These guys, most of them from Marinette Menominee, living in Green Bay now.
This is what I love about Sam.
He's such a good guy.
And I said, hey, because we had a fallout for tonight.
I said, hey, I need somebody.
What are you doing, Sam?
And he said, well, come down.
I got a new comedy troupe I want to talk about.
I was like, great.
I said, you don't have to drive all the way to Green Bay, though.
You can just come out over the stream of the phone.
It's like an hour drive.
And he goes, what else do I have to do?
So apparently there are a few holes in the radio for pets schedule.
So if you want to book radio for pets, check them out there.
Great.
But Sam will be here in hour number three.
Very excited to have him here in the studio.
I think as time kind of ran, we refresh people's memories about the 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.
Question.
Questions.
Who's your favorite character from a Christmas or holiday movie?
Buddy the elf is strongly in the driver's seat tonight.
We haven't had a ton of responses.
I thought we would get more.
I thought people would go nuts for this question.
get
I want to address, so let us know folks, 855-752-4842-8557-5CIVIC.
You can also text us on the app or drop us a stream comment if you're watching the radio on YouTube, Facebook, or X. That is where Terry Barr said, you guys even like bathrobes.
We also talked about bathrobes at the end of the first hour too.
And we heard a funny Jim Gaffigan clip.
You hear all of this, folks, if you want to go to civicmedia.us, all the Nightlight episodes are catalogued as podcasts.
And that might be a good question of the night, bathrobes, because I would really, truly be curious as to how many people wear bathrobes.
and paper out and tally it.
We'll do a poll, maybe.
Can we do that kind of thing?
Is that crazy?
All right, we'll do that.
And if you do want more information on the Snowshoe World Snowshoe Championships, folks, erinsnordic.com, a-r-i-e-n, s-n-o-r-d-i-c.com.
Check it out.
Okay, so I saw this.
This is kind of funny, do you?
Are you into astrology and stuff, Conrad?
Yeah, do you ever read your horoscope?
No.
Okay.
I don't really either, but there are a lot of birthdays today, the celebrity birthdays, and it got me thinking.
I think if you're born in December, at this time of year, you're a Sagittarius.
And it was this great thing I saw on, I think it was USA Today.
It says someone matched the vibes of Christmas songs and zodiac signs.
Like a Leo is all I want for Christmas is you by Mariah Carey supposedly your sign has a Christmas Carol that suits you So what is your sign?
This dude, I don't know I'm not What is it?
What is your birthday in June?
just tell me your birthday dude Gemini.
All right.
You're just
The Little Drummer Boy is your song by Frank Sinatra, though.
So you got a good crooner.
That's a good one.
It says, leave it to a Gemini to fail to bring a gift for a newborn demigod and improvise with a drum solo.
Pure mutability, rumpa pump.
I don't think this is for me.
USA
You would not play the drums?
I don't know if you want to give a baby a piece of chocolate.
No, that's the gift for the dogs.
Okay.
That's even worse.
Here's a cool one.
Last Christmas by Wham.
That's a great kind of a more modern Christmas song.
That's Cancer.
June 21st to July 2nd.
The late great George Michael was a cancer king, and this Christmas banger is positively awash in those cardinal emo waters.
I don't think this is USA Today.
yeah, because it doesn't really make sense And it's even the way to describe it a Christmas banger last Christmas like that's like a fun nice song Still lamenting a doomed love affair an entire year later.
That's total cancer apparently, okay Leo is July 23 to August 22nd all I want for Christmas is you Mariah Carey, you know, I love that song.
I've taken a lot of favorite I've taken a lot of heat for liking that song on this show Because it's a polarizing question
We don't really do politics on this show, but we find different ways to be polarized.
And this year it's Mariah Carey.
It's Mariah Carey is all I want for Christmas is you.
So Leo is the sign of royalty and her Royal Highness Mariah Carey is the uncontested Queen of Christmas.
Well, that was all very glowing.
Okay.
Virgo, August 23 to September 22.
My wife is a Virgo.
My son is a Virgo.
White Christmas by Bing Crosby.
That's a good one.
A holiday without blemish or upset.
a covetable kind of Christmas for the purifying Virgo.
I don't even know what these descriptions mean.
So I'm in Aries, I'll go Father Christmas by the Kinks.
Oh great, song I've never heard of.
See if you can find that.
Father Christmas by the Kinks.
When we go to the break.
Conrad is gonna get a talking to after the show.
It says, quote, Aries is punk rock energy.
Yeah, baby.
Coming out of the gate with an axe to grind, a fire to start, a sneer to share, and a mall Santa to rough up.
I've never done that.
I've never just started wailing on a mall Santa.
Taurus, April 20th through May 20th.
Christmas in Hollis by Run DMC.
That's a good one.
Another New Age Christmas song.
Libra, September 23rd, October 2nd, 22nd, I'm sorry.
Happy Christmas, war is over, John Lennon and Yoko Ono.
I am glad I'm not a Libra.
I don't need to ever hear that song again.
Mr. John Lennon, the most famous Libra in musical history, singing an earnest anti-war duet with an appeal for peace and inclusivity in troubled times alongside his wife and the Harlem Community Choir.
Yeah.
It's fine.
It's a good song.
They play it way too much.
And I think they only picked it because John Lennon is a Libra.
Scorpio, October 23rd to November 21st, River by Joni Mitchell.
I don't think I know that song either.
So there you go.
I think we got all of them.
Cancer, Libia.
There you go.
But let us know what you think, folks.
If you are not happy with your Christmas Carol that goes with your sign, you can certainly vent here.
Lil' Irv on the stream says, Bill Murray in Scrooge
is his favorite.
Oh, so
good.
That is a good one.
More than Jack and Family Man, Lil' Irv?
Terry Barr says, if you want one, are you buying your own or asking for one as a gift?
I love when Terry listens to the show, because she kinda grills.
You know what she does?
She holds my feet to the fire.
I guess I'd want a new one, Terry.
Right.
Because I don't know if you've ever seen the onion headline where the guy's in the pool and he's like looking up the camera smiling and it says, guy has bathing suit you can borrow that's touched his penis.
use bathrobe.
Yeah, it's like sitting on a hotel couch.
No, thanks Bridget from the 818 says I love a warm soft fuzzy bathrobe See, that's what I would do.
I would do the fuzzy something you could ensconce yourself Like a
Listen, if it was in the comfort of my own home and it was comfortable, I would wear that.
It's hard to see into our house.
And believe me, people have tried.
Bridget from the 818 also says, grandma Peg says, Scrooge, I say George Bailey, two great Christmas characters.
Thank you, Bridget and Peg.
The 715 says, hands down, a favorite Christmas movie character is Heat Meiser from the year without a Santa Claus.
Her was done dirty poor thing.
I don't know that movie.
Do you come?
I do not I don't I don't know that Folks if you are going to the theater this week There are some great movies opening and there's a really big one.
This is one of the biggest blockbusters of the year and I'm gonna tell you about that after a very short break Our Christmas of the hour Christmas our question of the night is
What is your favorite, or who is your favorite Christmas movie character?
I see Clark, Clark Griswold, Conrad said,
It's the wet bandits.
You were not
I'd rather be a wet bandit.
think
I've never seen Home Alone 2 though.
Would you tell people to watch it?
It's supposed to be one of them is terrible.
I heard.
in the hotel.
You told him he was the best actor ever.
It's the first time I've ever
I probably sound like someone else trying to do Trump.
Let's cut that out of the podcast.
We don't need to hear that or the name.
So I'm going to tell you about what movies are opening this weekend.
And I'm going to give you my opinion on a new show.
I'm not going to give it away.
No spoilers.
Billy Bob Thornton.
But it's not doing it for me.
We'll talk about all of that next.
And then James Ronde is here at 635 to make the popcorn pick of the week after the news.
It's Pete Schwabba and Nightlight on 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.
This is Nightlight with Pete Schwab.
Great to have you with me on this Thursday.
The Popcorn Pick of the Week is just a few minutes away after the news.
James Runde will be here, a Madison-based filmmaker and musician.
He will make this week's pick.
And we've got our question of the night is, who is your favorite Christmas movie character?
Let us know and I will be happy to read that on the radio, folks.
So there's a big film opening this weekend.
Maybe it will probably be the...
Biggest grossing film of the year.
You were going to see it today.
And I'm talking about, of course, Avatar, the new installment, Firenash.
Yeah.
So you've seen the first two.
Yeah, it's that last one was The Way of Water, I think.
Yeah.
And it was like, rarely do a movie's effects keep me interested, but avatars do.
And the story was good.
It wasn't like it was a bad story, but I loved.
It was like hypnotic.
Yeah, exactly.
It was great.
So I'm excited to see this.
The three hours, like I was just talking yesterday about this film I watched on Netflix called Train Dreams.
And it covered a guy's life beautifully in an hour and 40 minutes.
A movie does have to be three hours and 12 minutes long.
But, you know, I guess they want to show off the effects and stuff.
I love
a trailer
Because there's only the trailer available in the theaters.
Yeah, this is the first one You can't get like a synopsis somewhere online or
I get that.
So that's Avatar Fire and Ash, obviously.
I, my prediction, and I don't, I'm just guessing based on its previous grosses in this franchise, but will probably be the highest grossing film of the year, I would imagine.
And it's long.
Pack of lunch.
Three hours.
Three hours and
you're gonna get
The Sawbuck's thing?
it?
No, beat it into the ground.
That's the joke is, it needs to be beaten into the ground.
Especially Sawbuck, it's gold.
So that will make a lot.
There's also, if you have kids, the SpongeBob movie is hitting theaters this week.
Love SpongeBob.
If there was a SpongeBob Christmas movie, he would probably be my favorite character in a Christmas movie.
Love SpongeBob.
That's this weekend.
Pretty good reviews too.
And then if you want a thriller or horror film, you've got Sidney Sweeney and Amanda Zyford.
The film is Housemade and it's rated R, obviously.
And it looks creepy.
It does look creepy.
We made this joke about Sidney Sweeney.
Like, I think you said it has to be an erotic thriller if Sidney Sweeney.
I just think if Sidney Sweeney's in the movie, it should just be rated R. Even if she's like, it should just be rated R.
Because that's how guys look at
It's not right.
But, you know, she's also not starving.
But if it's it, it should be rated R. But this movie is rated R. But it's getting an 80 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, which is pretty good.
And it does look creepy.
And Amanda Zyford is great.
She's a really good and Sidney's Weenie is a good actress.
So and then if you can wait till Christmas Day, I'm excited about this song sung blue.
hits theaters and it tells the story of the Milwaukee couple.
I think it's the Sardinas played by Hugh Jackman and Kate Hudson.
You know what they did, Con?
They formed a Neil Diamond
tribute
band.
And it's kind of a hard luck story, but I think it's a feel good story.
I've read a little bit about it.
I'm trying not to read too much because...
I don't know.
I kind of want to be surprised.
I really want to just see the story unfold and it sounds like it's excellent.
at
It's like getting crazy good reviews, I believe.
Let me pull that up because I think, yeah, Marty Supreme.
I think so.
Table tennis
Yeah.
Well, here's the...
Here's the Rotten Tomatoes synopsis.
Marty Mauser, a young man with a dream no one respects, goes to hell and back in pursuit of greatness.
Part of that is he has to date Gwyneth Paltrow.
Oh, okay.
So, and then by all her, by all her goop products.
But it does look good, and it's getting a 96%.
Oh, no,
that.
Absolutely.
So that's Christmas Day.
You've got... You
So that means it'll be free if you have HBO Max.
Yeah, so that's coming
And that's a long movie too, but if that's one of those movies, it gets by solely on story and performance.
No special effects.
It's a great movie.
And I honestly thought that was my front runner for the Oscars this week people love and I think the Academy loves Paul Thomas Anderson But I would be okay with train dreams and actually sinners might be the front runner because that's just the whole package It's got weird.
It's got vampires.
It's got it's a period piece great music.
So It's gonna be really interesting.
I think it's gonna come down to those three films based on what I've seen so far So when is that drop on HBO?
I
You got to check
I'm sad I did.
I'm jealous because I have friends that are seeing it on 70 millimeter and 35 millimeter and all that kind of stuff.
But it'll still be good in your living room.
All right, we are coming back, folks.
News, sports, and weather is next.
And then we do the popcorn pick of the week with James Runde.
This is Nightlight with Pete Schwabba on the Civic Media Radio Network.
Welcome back.
It is the Popcorn Pick of the Week.
This is Nightlight.
I am Pete Schwabba.
So glad you're with me on this wonderful Thursday night.
Christmas is just a week away.
Very exciting time of the year.
And I'm very excited to welcome my next guest, who is going to make
Folks, by the time this interview is over, you will have a movie pick that you can rush to your local theater if it's new or stream it right in the comfort of your living room and watch it because my next guest is going to give us a pick.
He is kind of an aficionado when it comes to movies.
Very learned.
And he joins us now over the stream.
Madison based filmmaker and musician James Runde.
Hey, buddy.
How are
you?
Good.
None of that's true, by the way.
It's all true, and you know it.
What is the background there?
Where are we?
Where are we?
This is a friend's kitchen who has a much better design taste.
I like that.
Very colorful, yeah.
Nice.
Well, it's good to see you.
How are you?
Yeah, it feels like I'm in Florida or something, but I'm just in Madison.
It feels like you're kind of in the late 70s.
And
I think the lamp adds a lot to that.
I love it.
I absolutely love that.
How's it going?
Pretty good, man.
How are you doing?
I'm, I'm well, I'm glad you were able to do this because, you know, it's, it's fun to have people on this segment who don't really watch movies that much and they might only have a few, but then it's also fun to have someone who like movies are everything to them.
Like,
like, I don't know, man.
I feel like I oscillate between those two people.
Well, I'm not saying that my most, most of my movie viewing right now, I'll be real with you.
Pete is happening on a, on a VCR.
TB combo unit which I've set up in the corner of apartment.
I'm trying to kind of rehabilitate.
Oh, okay fairly gutted at this point So I'm down to you know, I have all my boxes kind of huddled into this unit that I'm fixing up and so I'm pulling old VHS tapes out of there at random and Putting them into the little unit while I fall asleep.
Let me get this
straight.
You've got
VCR
and a TV attached in the same machine?
Yeah, it's like one.
No, it's well, you know, they used to sell those little mini guys.
I know.
We actually my family used to take them in.
like the van on a road trip, you could hook up the N64 to them and stuff, you know, while you were in the car and or watch, you know, VHS tapes in the backseat, bungee cord it to the passenger seat, you know, and put it on the cooler.
There is so much about this conversation that is so right.
VCR TV combo van.
This
is like what do they call those mad libs or whatever where you gotta like the words and fill them.
You
got any more of them?
They're mountain do's in that cooler.
We're about to fire up the band at seven.
The lonely sandwiches, you
know.
Exactly.
Do you have a favorite character from Christmas or holiday movie, James?
Wow.
I mean, you know.
Many, I'll say that to start, but I think if I had a narrative, if I just had a narrative down to one, and this is so lame, I'm just a classicist with this answer, but it's, um, it's, uh, Ralphie from Christmas Story.
Oh, that's a good one.
Yeah.
I mean, like, and maybe I'm also thrown in the fact that he has an, the narrator, you know, cause the boys ever is really him as an adult.
but just that whole movie I just think is so funny and spot-on and every Christmas I know it's overplayed and most people probably rolled their eyes at that but like I went and saw it on the big screen actually like a number of years back and I like you know I went with my girlfriend at the time and we were rolling and laughing you know what I mean I think that movie first if you grew up in the Midwest with like some hard A I don't know if we can swear on this
Hard ass?
You can say hard ass.
Hard ass.
Okay.
Hard ass.
Yeah, you can say hard ass.
Hard.
If you grew up with some hard ass parents, then that movie resonates, you
know.
Absolutely.
That's, it's funny because we have been talking about Christmas movies a lot over the last couple of weeks.
And that one really hasn't come up.
And I know it's a favorite of people, but people tend to gravitate towards it's a wonderful life or Christmas vacation or.
I do love it's a wonderful life, but it's
It is great.
Actually, that was another one I watched on the same TV, VCR combo unit a couple of crisps.
Christmas is back.
It like pulled my eyes out.
But then I watched it again thinking I was going to have the same experience and it didn't quite hit as hard as it did the first time I had seen it.
You know, I had seen it obviously many times as a kid and stuff, but this is like the first time I revisited in a long time and maybe I had just had my surgery or whatever.
Some reason it broke me down that night, but I haven't been able to quite recall that feeling with that movie since.
The first time you saw It's a Wonderful Life is what you're referring to, right?
Well, the first time I had seen it in a while.
Right.
Okay, so I had that same experience.
James, I was about 22.
I just started dating my girlfriend who eventually became my wife and she couldn't believe I hadn't seen that film.
So I
sat down and I was watching it and the scene where Jimmy Stewart is
Just squeezing his daughter and so scared I Lost I wasn't even a parent.
I don't know what it was about that moment that like triggered that reaction But but the same thing I can't get that back like it's still a beautiful moment.
It's a great movie But yeah, I don't I'm kind of with you there
Yeah, that moment definitely gets me and then the then also the moment at the end when everybody invests in him
Yeah, like everybody wants to bring back the money or whatever do it together.
It kind of like gives you that it takes a village sort of feeling,
right?
I don't know.
It's
great point.
It's great.
It's a great movie.
All right.
But yeah, the thing I like about Ralphie is just he has to put up with his idiot father always kind of like wrapping those knuckles against him.
And what?
Yeah, it's just a narration.
What do you say to people who look at Darren McGavin's character and just think he's a jackass?
And other people, yeah.
And other people are like, he's, he's the hero.
You know, he's kind of a jerk to
his kids.
And it's like, he's kind of a complicated character.
He is a complicated character because he actually is like, by the standards of the time, he's a loving, sweet father, you know, I mean, I would say even maybe by the standards of now, I mean, he, he's pretty good natured.
He can mostly take a joke.
Some dads can't take a joke, you know, and it can blow up and be a whole ugly thing, you know.
right.
So he can, not to get real.
It was
like, where is
he
going
with it?
No, that's not my father.
He's always listening.
My dad can take a joke too.
But no, he's sweet and stuff.
He's just like, he can't, he doesn't know the word fragile.
You know, he can't read fragile.
You know, that's, that's lovable, you know.
That's great.
My grandpa can't read too good.
So I can kind of, you know, for a man of that generation, that that's kind of normal, I would say.
Yeah.
Well said.
James Ronda is my guest.
He's here to make the popcorn pick of the week, and we are just having a fun talk.
We haven't even gotten into the popcorn question.
So let's do this, James.
Let's talk movies.
How do you prefer to watch a movie at home or in the theater or on
a
VHS TV gizmo in a
van?
I mean, yeah, that suffices, but definitely in the theater.
Is the best way and and to me if I had my druthers, maybe I would say the only way but of course obviously, you know, we don't live in a perfect world and we have to watch it on TV VCR combo units, but You know the theater is a great way and and really you know the thing I want to stress about the theater experience is Not only the large screen because that is obviously people are you know part of going to the cinema is voyeurism and people the pleasure in looking people love to see the big You know the big screen but big sound
And I
have to say
like another way to create a theater experience on the cheap is just to invest in a really nice sound system or get the hi-fi out and hook it up to the TV.
If you've buried it away or stashed it away, it's worth bringing it out and playing.
I used to have it where I would have that TV VCR combo unit hooked up to my big hi-fi.
So if I had something on VHS like
it,
still give it theater quality sound, you know.
You know, and not that the sound was ever great with those old TVs, but it was much better than what you get.
Like I have friends that have humongous screens and not a soundbar.
So you're getting that tinny kind of, and I can't watch stuff like that.
I'm with you.
I'm like, I need decent sound at least.
No, yeah, there has to be some type of low end.
You got to feel stuff like, because the sound is the key to the heart.
You know what I mean?
I always think like the image is the key to the head.
You know, you can communicate things.
People love looking.
Obviously humans are very visual creatures, but sound is such a much more emotional primal thing.
You know, you get dropped into a soundscape and it can be real.
And then the other proof of this is, you know, you're watching a horror movie and you turn off the sound and it's suddenly not scary anymore.
Oh,
that's
interesting.
Yeah,
that's so
funny.
You say that when I used to watch The Walking Dead, I was so desensitized.
Or I have been since I watched it what got me was I knew someone was gonna get like a knife in the eye And if I would turn it down, you know, it didn't bother me, but you're right.
It's those horrible sound effects.
Yeah, that's a great idea It creates tension.
Yeah, for sure.
What is your favorite genre James?
Well, like when you go to the movies, what are you typically going to see?
No, man, I mean, you know
Probably if I had to be real, I'd probably say I've seen the most dramas of anything So that's kind of a boring answer But I will say but my my gut wanted to say comedy because I because I want to throw my head in the ring for comedy because we don't see a whole lot of good comedies coming out Hardly ever anymore and and that used to be kind of more of a bankable genre for Hollywood and You know, we're kind of in this period where it's like what is Hollywood gonna be going forward.
I feel like so, you know and
I mean, yourself.
I mean, you're a comedy filmmaker, you know what I mean?
And you've, you know, that was kind of your, you're a comedian.
That is like your trade, right?
Right.
And they don't make those types of movies typically.
No.
I mean, unless you have Ben's or whoever the new stars are, you know, attached, they're just not getting made.
No, they aren't.
You know, the one I can think of is the one with SZA and Kiki Palmer.
God, I can't
remember.
Oh, yeah.
but
that was like a good like buddy comedy sort of in the vein of something like clerks or whatever you know yeah slacker comedy
one of them days one of them days really gonna bother me all night because i i never got to see that and i got good reviews i was it was on my list um
but i'm thinking like other big comedies lately you know it's just kind of like and you know i it kind of makes me it reminds me of so like
or like, and I'm not sure if Godfather of Green Bay was like this, but like, there used to be sort of a genre archetype where, hey, we have a funny stand-up comedian.
We're gonna kind of just like make a movie based on his persona or kind of something that works for, you know what I mean?
Something that's kind of relates to their act or what their sort of bit type is.
We'll kind of let them have their own movie.
Yeah, and I feel like that used to kind of be a sort of pocket genre for comedy and now you really don't even see that, which I feel like it's kind of like a bankable movie.
It's like, okay, this person has like a pretty hot stand up special.
A lot of people click on their, you know, I'm thinking about that.
I went and actually saw the one with Mike Berbiglia.
I don't even remember what it was called, but this is like 2014 or 15.
And he was like a comedian of the time, you know what I mean?
And they just gave him like an hour and a half little movie to
And I feel like we need more movies like that.
It's funny because when I remember when a comic got big, I never made it to that point.
Like I got a few meetings, people are like, hey, what are you looking to do?
That kind of stuff.
But when they get really big, it seems like...
these people will just fawn over themselves to find something for them to do so they can cash in and I thought Seinfeld nailed it perfectly when they were you know the NBC execs come up and say we you know do you have any ideas for a show and George is pitching they you're an antique dealer and someone comes in and you get involved in their lives he's like so somebody comes in to buy a lamp and suddenly I'm getting them out of a jam and it's that kind of thing like I feel like that's not that far off you know right
James.
So what's your favorite movie snack when you go to the movies?
What are you getting?
Oh, man.
I mean, I'm not really a sweet guy.
So that's just kind of I'm always going to go for the salt.
So to me, it's just popcorn.
Although I will say that like nowadays, you know, you can go to a lot of these smaller like, you know, Flix Brewhouse in Madison or, you know, I'm sure Green Bay.
Yeah.
A theater similar to this where it's like, you know, people are realizing, you know, we don't need the huge rooms for some of these other more, you know,
boutique movies, you know, we can, we can get away with like maybe half a room, but we'll provide full service.
You know, you can have a beer and a meal there.
And it's easy to kind of go off, you know, it's like, okay, Tuesday's my movie day.
Okay, we'll go to the theater and get like a meal and just have dinner and a movie there, you
know, absolutely.
All right, let's pick it up right there.
We're gonna do a really short break.
And when we come back, James is going to give us his popcorn pick of the week.
It's Pete Schwab and nightlight on the Civic Media radio
network.
You're listening to Civic Media.
Find the latest news, information, and archives of all your favorite shows on the Civic Media website,
of our popcorn pick of the week segment.
I'm Pete Schwab.
This is Nightlight Conrad Krieger working the board tonight.
My guest is James Runde.
He is a Madison-based filmmaker and musician, and he is helping us weed through some dialogue, if you will, James, so we can get to our pick.
When you eat at home, James, do you have a different snack or do you have a favorite cocktail for movies?
Oh, you're
muted, James.
Oh, I'm sorry.
There you go.
OK.
Versus at the theater.
Yeah.
I would say.
I don't know.
I think it pretty much, you know, at the theater, they don't put hot seasoning in the popcorn.
Yeah.
That's not on hand.
That would be one thing I would change about theaters is like, can you get some like Cajun seasoning or something with popcorn?
Totally.
So that's maybe one wrinkle that I would do at home that the theater wouldn't offer or at least not one up in the north.
So far as I found.
Um,
what about a
cocktail?
I can't think of anything.
I mean cookies they sell cookies They should Do
you have a what about a cocktail?
Do you like like when you have a drink at the theater or a drink at home?
Are you
kind of a beer guy?
I have to say like I wish I you know cocktails and movies do go well together I think maybe I would be more inclined towards red wine in a film.
Okay, um Especially if it's black and white
something about that just seems to fit.
Yeah.
But yeah, you know, if I were going to do a cocktail, maybe I would do like something with a tiny little bit of like bourbon or mascara, you know, I mean, something just kind of smoky and light because I can't have too much alcohol, you know, I'm on blood thinners.
I know.
How are you feeling?
By the way, do you want to tell people what happened or I don't want
to?
Oh, I mean, yeah, I had a number of open heart surgeries.
I mean, that's maybe what I'm referencing.
But
Yeah.
So after that, I got the artificial valves and that means that you're on warfarin, which is actually discovered at or a pint patented at Wisconsin alumni research foundation.
Hence the name.
Hey,
look at that.
That's
kind of cool.
The sort of standard blood thinner.
Many know that story, obviously.
Well,
I'm glad you're you look good.
I'm glad you're feeling good.
That's fantastic.
Yeah.
Yeah.
All the results have come back spayed or, you know, spayed so far.
So.
Well, I'm kind of with you too.
When I watched a cop movie or a film noir, I used to love a glass of whiskey.
I haven't had a drink now in over three years, and I'm not really sure I feel directionless.
Like, what do I do?
Do I just stop forever?
Or do I eventually have fun again and have a drink?
So I'm kind of in this weird limbo, but I do miss having good whiskey during a cop movie.
Or like you said, red wine during an old black and white film.
Sure.
So
all
right,
I still I'll even say that I'll even go so far as to say that was like I used to smoke cigarettes.
It's been many years for but even in those old black and white movies, it's hard when they're all puffing away.
It's like something about the cloud and the lights in the film.
I'm
so with you and I was joking to my wife recently and I said, you know, if I started smoking at my age,
It would never catch up with me.
Like I'd be fine.
I'm not, you know, and it is cool.
And she just looks at me like I'm
crazy.
40 years.
Sorry, Pete.
Right.
40 years of looking cool.
You know,
exactly.
All right.
I think we are ready to get our pick Conrad, if you please.
James Ronde, what is your popcorn pick of the week?
You know, I thought long and hard about this, Pete, but I'm going to have to go with rock and roll high school.
because I play in a punk band and come on.
And plus also Popcorn Pick just made me think like a movie that's just fun to watch.
It's something like you can get like a group of friends together or whoever.
I mean, maybe family might be a little much, but like it's definitely kind of a sexy movie, but it's just fun.
It's about goofing off in high school.
It's about punk rock.
It's about burning the school down, you know, getting your first kiss.
It's about all the fun things and short.
It's it's really funny did not run towards brother in it as the sort of yes matchmaker Sort of whiz kid who's got like a he's like a mafia guy who runs his ring his cartel out of the boys bathroom
That was like one of the first movies, like when HBO came out and people had cable and you
had
access to rated R movies in your own living room, but my parents weren't cool enough to have HBO, but I would go over to my friends and watch like nudity.
That was- And the Friday night fight or whatever.
Yeah, I remember that because PJ Souls, who was also in Stripes was in that and I had a big crush on PJ Souls, but that's a great pick, James.
And the Ramones, I mean.
And the Ramones.
It's stars, one of my favorite bands of all time.
So
I love that.
And they're in it.
So it's one of those movies where it's like the star is so gorgeous and like the Ramones are so ugly that it's almost got like this beauty in the beast type thing going on.
Like when he's trying to like kiss Joey Ramone, it's like
that's a great pick.
When's the last time you've seen that movie, James?
And does it love it with my band?
It does hold up.
OK.
And like, and it was a coed.
band viewing of this film.
Because to be fair, it does, there are a number of scenes with like, you know, young ladies and leotards and stuff.
It's of its era.
But at the same time, it's like, it's centered around this, you know, two ladies in high school who are, you know, friends and like songwriters, basically, and their favorite band is the Ramones.
And it's really follows their relationship.
And it doesn't really have much to do with them.
Like, and boys, honestly, actually, it's kind of like a pretty, I think from like even
You know, from a feminist perspective, it kind of holds up, you know?
At least that's the vibe that our band viewing came away from.
You know, for a schlocky late 70s movie, you could do a hell of a lot worse.
Let's just say that.
Do you remember the name of the high school for extra points?
Hell yeah.
Vince Lombardi High.
How can you forget that if you grew up a pack or a little
tie into Wisconsin?
That's fantastic.
All right.
James Runde, folks, his, uh, his rock and roll pick, his popcorn pick of the week is rock and roll high school from 1979 starring PJ souls and the Ramones and the setting is Vince Lombardi high school.
Definitely worth the look.
Can you hang for a few minutes after the news, James?
Oh, of course.
All right.
Fantastic.
We'll find out what James is watching.
And, uh, did you see train dreams by any chance?
I didn't, but I heard about it.
I'm itching to talk
about this film with somebody, but we'll get into a few things with James after the news, which is next.
This is Peach Wabba and Nightlight on the Civic Media Radio
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