Holiday Hijinks and Movie Mania (Hour 2)

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who's had a paper route for 25 years, but never collected.

Pete Schwabba.

Welcome back, folks, to act two of tonight's edition of Nightlight, a Tuesday night version.

It is a beautiful balmy day in Wisconsin, a gorgeous day here for, especially when you consider it's late December, gorgeous weather today.

And you must have been happy, Conrad.

You don't like the cold but you still choose to live in Wisconsin.

So I remember remember last week when I said I woke up sweaty And it was because my apartment was at 85 and I I kind of thought about it.

I was like wait I don't have my heat on but I do have someone who's a little older You know and who's below me in my apartment building?

Yeah, so I'm guessing yes the heat cranked and what does he do in rises?

Oh, wow, so I had my heat off for two days, okay?

This morning was at 82 and your heat was off completely off

What you could say boo boo bucks?

Getting

the old

coot below to turn his heat up like that.

That's

so yeah It was a nice day, and I opened up my windows a little bit.

I was like, and you could please escape That's

fantastic.

Um, are you done with your Christmas shopping?

I actually finished it today.

Yes

You know, I got some gifts and I was like, well, I could maybe get a few more.

So I went to, I went to Dick's and they have some, they have some nice deals going on there.

Yeah.

So I went there and I actually shopped in person, which is weird.

Yeah.

Who knew?

That's pretty cool.

So I finished mine today too, and I'm notorious for giving print-ups.

Like I save everything to the last minute and I realize the shipping can't get there, so I'll print up a picture of what I got you and say it's on the way.

I thought I'd done that like twice over the years, but apparently I'm that guy.

Like my kids are going, what, do you need ink in the printer,

dad, for your

gifts for us?

Well, brats.

So that's what I, that's my thing.

But hey, welcome to Nightlight, folks.

If you missed the first hour, it was a lot of fun and you can catch it at civicmedia.uk.

where all the shows are catalogued as podcasts.

We had 7,000 apart in the studio, John and Amelie.

They're so much fun every time they're on the show.

Very talented music duo who split time between here in Green Bay where they met in high school and in Stockholm, Sweden.

You good?

Conrad's getting the bell, okay.

I thought he took a powder.

He just kind of disappeared there.

And then we talked about a really cool story I read about Bill Murray, who I think has life figured out and it's so much fun to read Bill Murray stories.

If you just go to the Google and type in Bill Murray stories, they come up in abundance, but this in particular,

was a really fun one, so it's all in the first hour.

Oh, I also talked about how I brush my teeth with a hair on my toothbrush, because

I was in- Yes.

You know, you could have just taken it off.

What do

you do when you find a hair?

Like, let's say you order a pizza, and there's a hair in it, and you're starving.

You know, I'm not going to eat that slice.

But you're going to still go back in.

I'll go around.

It's tough.

Maybe I'll eat up to the hair.

Like, if you're- I'm

just kidding.

If you're starving though, like-

I've done that like where I if I get a burger from a fast food place and there's a hair in it I'm not eating any part of the burger, but

I will eat something else

because I feel like I feel like even if you eat the burger with the hair in it It's probably not a very sanitary person who's made your food to begin with there's probably

a

sneeze in there

Whatever maybe

he flossed with the lettuce and threw it on there.

I don't know but I don't I don't do that, but on pizza.

I probably what I would probably go around

Yeah, I mean

Let's I worked in a pizza place before and now I've there's I've heard people complain that there is maybe not for my making but yeah other people making the pizza like yeah We found a hair in it.

Can you please remake it?

And did you?

Well, yeah, we had the customers always right, you know

Yeah, but did you were you mad?

Did you pull out more hair?

It wasn't you know, I was like, it's not me so I'm not gonna yell that I'll just remake this pizza.

Okay

It doesn't take that long to make one.

There's an establishment in Marinette, Wisconsin that I went to once and found a very tiny, gross hair.

And it's the kind you would think came from a part of the body that should have been nowhere near a breakfast burrito.

However, I worked around it, whatever.

I was like, this is horrible.

I hope that's from a chest as opposed to below the equator.

Okay.

I

think that's still

bad.

It's horrible.

I don't want, I don't want any

Whatever, but then I forgot or someone suggested we go back to the same place.

It's like a year later and What might have been the same hair somehow it looked I was like, oh my god I totally forgot I was here a year ago found a hair in my food and here I am like an idiot back here at this place again, and I have not it's been three years I will never go back there.

Yeah, that's that's you know, that's a Pete Ben place

It's Pete Fand.

I think we got a new list.

We're starting there.

So, fun hour number one.

Let's refresh everybody's memory though, Conrad.

Here's 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.

Question.

Questions.

What is your favorite pre-Christmas activity?

I should say pre-holiday activity, because different people celebrate different things, whether it's Kwanzaa, Festivus, Hanukkah, whatever it is, folks.

Let us know what your favorite pre-holiday, because the buildup is the fun part.

I said putting up a tree, lights, except outside lights.

I don't enjoy putting them up, but I do.

And just having music on, until I get sick of it, which I am.

And what about you, Con?

What did you say again?

You know, I said, well, I said getting a nice couple of Joe and watching a film.

But I did add that, you know, just buying gifts for someone.

Yeah.

Seeing, you know, seeing how they enjoy it after they open it.

Absolutely.

I am very excited.

I got my wife a gift today and I think she's going to like it.

Yeah, it is more fun to give than to receive especially as you get older you get sucky gifts anyway It's not like you're gonna get a new bike or

a video games It's like there's nothing that that feeling when you were a kid and you got that boy, right?

There's nothing better than that or

you saw that present wrapping you're like that could

be Atari or

you know a Sony PlayStation and it's not it's a box with a bad sweater

But anyway, so there you go folks.

Let us know 855-752-4842, 855-755-CIVIC.

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So I think we need to get to this quiz.

Time is of the essence.

Well, it's a short quiz.

It's just scenes from classic Christmas movies, and you just have to guess it.

I have to guess the movie, okay?

Like I said, I'm

not... I should know... I should be more versing Christmas movies, but I'm willing to put myself out there.

I think you'll get this.

Okay.

You ready for number one?

I'm ready for number one.

You got

the

bell?

Yeah.

Let's see what happens.

Here we go.

All right.

What

is

it?

I can't put my arms down!

A Christmas story.

And you know what it was?

I didn't recognize the lines.

I've only seen that once.

But it was the music.

The

period music that was the giveaway.

Well done, Schwabba.

Yeah, there

we

go.

One

for one.

One for

one.

Your brother Harry Bailey broke through the ice and was drowned at the age of nine.

That's a lot.

Harry Bailey

went to

war.

He got the congressional medal.

Two for two, yeah.

It's awesome.

I love that movie.

All right, here we go.

Ah, but you should not use your Kringle name.

It's dangerous.

Not call myself Kringle?

What other name would suit me?

There is one.

You were wearing this when we found you as a baby.

See what it says?

Clause.

It

has to be Santa Claus is coming to town, right?

I knew it was of that era.

I couldn't remember.

Okay.

Wow, I'm crushing.

Isn't it viewed, Audrey?

She'll see it later, honey.

Her eyes are frozen.

Yes.

Christmas vacay, baby.

I love that scene.

Her

eyes

are

frozen.

I like what he says.

Some of the little lights are not twinkling, Clark.

He's like, I know, Al.

Thanks for noticing.

See?

Elf.

See,

I know Will Ferrell's voice.

Because I've only seen Elf ones, too.

It's me, buddy.

It's me.

Hey, buddy.

Hey, dog.

The fake sense like yeah, hey buddy.

I love how you keep playing the clip after I guessed it cuz you like the

movie so much All right, all right here we go.

I'm

five for five.

Yes, five for five

many Christmases ago.

I went to buy a doll for my son I Reach for the last one they had but so did another man as I rain blows upon him.

I realized there had to be another way

It was destroyed

Uh, Seinfeld.

That was the season nine episode, right?

We have a great clip.

We'll play that in the third hour

of

Savannah filming Wilson's thing.

Okay, so I'm six for six.

I'll tell you, Max, I don't know why I ever leave this place.

I've got all the company I need right here.

Hello!

Hello!

How are you?

How are you?

I asked you first.

Grinch?

Oh, wow.

That was really mature.

See, I'd feel good about myself, but I think the last quiz you gave me, I did so poorly on, you're treating me like I'm a congenital idiot right now with some of these, but some of them I had to piece together.

So all right, I'm doing

okay.

Who is it?

It's little Nero, sir.

I have your pizza.

Leave it on a doorstep and get

the hell out of

here.

Okay.

Well, what about the money?

What money?

Well, you have to pay for your pizza, sir.

That effect.

How much do I owe you?

Uh, that'll be $11.80, sir.

Keep the change, you filthy animal.

Cheapskate.

Hey, I'm gonna give you to the count of ten to get your... Hold on one.

Yellow.

No good keester off my property before I pop your guts full of lead.

One, two, ten.

That

wasn't

very fair.

Well, am I eight for eight?

Yeah.

This is insanity.

Okay.

Thought I'd kiss there.

How much is it?

It's two hundred and seventy pounds.

Die

hard.

All right.

I'll have

it.

Christmas movie or not a Christmas movie.

It's

a Christmas movie.

It's not

die hard,

though.

Gift wrapped.

Yes, all right.

Let me just pop it in the box.

Can we be quite quick?

Certainly, sir.

Ready in the flashiest of flashes.

That necklace there, how much is it?

It's 270 pounds.

It's Alan Rickman, right?

Alright, I'll have it.

Lovely.

Love, actually.

Would

you like it?

Is that what it

was?

Yes!

Got it.

I should get like a half a point for that.

Took

you a second that was pretty that was like a little curveball there because it was Alan Rickman

Yeah,

he's not Hans Gruber.

Is it Gruber?

All right, here's

I'm the polar

express

That was a fun scene.

Yes, you got it.

Is my 9 of 10?

9.5.

9.5 out of 10.

Alright, alright.

Here's another one.

This one's a short one.

Alright.

So if you get it.

Honey!

I'm home!

Wait, what?

Do that again.

Honey!

I'm home!

Is that Bobcat

Goldway?

Sorry, what'd you say?

Is that Bobcat Goldway?

I don't know.

Maybe the actor, I don't know the actor, but...

I

don't know what that is.

It's a, it's a famous... Scrooge version.

Scrooge'd?

Oh, it's from Scrooge.

I

bet that is Bobcat Goldway.

Alright, last one.

Last one.

Alright.

Here, you're as healthy as a horse.

Yeah.

Clydesdale.

Okay, look.

So, what?

You put on a little

weight.

A

little

weight?

Does

this look

like a little weight

to

you?

Oh, that says the same puns.

Weight can fluctuate.

I've never even done as that good on a test in high school or college as I just did on that test.

Would you get 10 and a half out of 12?

10 and a half out of 12, I'll take that.

All right, we are coming right back, ladies and gentlemen.

When we come back, we're going to tell you all about Cruises in Lake Geneva with Ellen Berling.

She will be here from Lake Geneva Cruises and it's a pre-recorded interview.

She's going to tell us all about their really cool Santa Cruises.

Then Ben Reiser at 635.

It's Peach Wabba and Nightlight.

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.

Have fun and be safe.

It is so fun.

To be in Wisconsin, this

is the Christmas State, no matter where you live and our fantastic state.

We are broadcasting live from downtown Green Bay statewide.

So our reach is big and it goes all the way down to Lake Geneva, if you can believe that.

And that is where our next guest joins us from.

She is the general manager of Lake Geneva Cruise Lines, Ms.

Ellen Burling.

Hi, Ellen.

Hi, thanks for having me.

Oh, it's great to have you.

How are things in Lake Geneva?

They're great.

We are about halfway through our Santa Cruz season and I'm looking forward to the next few days leading up to Christmas.

But as always, Lake Geneva is a bustling place.

It's busy all the time.

You know, we spent, I think it was 2016, my parents renewed their vows on their 50th wedding anniversary and we stayed at, I think the Grand Geneva or something like that.

It was the whole family.

It

was so much

fun.

And I went there as a kid and I forgot how beautiful it was.

Being

back there

as an adult, it was just such a, such a beautiful picturesque place.

Are you a native?

I am actually.

I grew up raised and grew up and raised in Lake Geneva and went to school and high school there and everything.

I lived just a few miles away now in Burlington, but obviously I spend a lot of time in Lake Geneva for my job.

Has it grown in terms of population?

I know you get a lot of vacationers there, but year-round, has the city itself expanded by a lot?

I wouldn't say by a lot, but they always used to say that the population triples in the summer.

A lot of those are just visitors, of course, but I think this town itself has grown a bit.

There's certainly some new subdivisions around in that type of thing.

um... but it's it's still kind of a you know for those of us who grew up there it's still a small town except when it gets on those busy weekends and it's a whole different place

all right so tell us a little bit about this uh... this great Santa Cruz

so uh... the Santa Cruz kinda came from an idea that the owner of our company um... had when he visited quarterly in Idaho where they have a boat company there that does um... i don't think they call it the Santa Cruz at the christmas cruise or something along those lines but it's very

uh... similar to what we ended up doing but i'd art is developed in a little bit different direction in that it's also part of a fundraiser so it started in two thousand seventeen and i have to say at the beginning he was a little bit of a struggle because we just work just did it without a lot of thought without a lot of planning and uh... since that time it has really developed into something that we're kind of runs like a well-known machine obviously uh... we have

people in every division of our company that help work whether it's parking or safety crew being on the pier or whatever it happens to be so when when this idea came about it had it had developed to something even better now because of what what we do is um the boat we do leave from Williams Bay as i mentioned before so even though our company is primarily located in the city of Lake Geneva this particular event

takes place from Williams Bay, again, just a few miles from Lake Geneva.

So what they do is we get people on the shoreline to allow us to put up some big lighted displays.

Many people will say, why aren't the houses decorated?

And, you know, if you've been to Lake Geneva, you probably know many, many of the homes are summer residences.

Even the big mansions and the states aren't always occupied year round.

So

What we do is put up about 30 different lighted displays along the shoreline and kind of tell a narration of sort of a fanciful story that goes along with what they're seeing and play Christmas music and that type of thing, all leading up to where Santa has his winter hideaway before he gets ready to go out and deliver his gifts.

We tell the story that he's sort of escaping the toy factory and he's taking a rest at his

his little hideaway on Lake Geneva.

So partway through the trip, the boat slows down and stops in front of Santa's hideaway and he comes out and his voice can be heard on the boat.

He reads the names of all the good kids, all the nice kids on the boat.

So it's very, very cool to see the anticipation of the kids wondering if they're

Gonna be on the night list or not you know and and they all get boarding passes kind of lanyard that they wear and if they're on the night list of they get punched you know they have a punch a nice or naughty we do all night we don't do any naughty you know i you know so that i'm from what everybody always says is the part they love the most is when.

the kids see Santa and then hear their name.

It's a really, really neat experience.

It's something that they always remember.

What a great experience, I'm sure.

That sounds like so much fun.

I was looking at your website too, and it just looks so beautiful, like the way you have it lit up.

I am curious, it says the boat deck is heated, but how cold does it get out in the water?

I'm sure people I would assume have to bundle up.

Yeah, you know, we have big heaters on both decks and the areas where they're seated are all enclosed.

So we, you know, definitely you need a jacket, but I don't, it's not cold at all.

I mean, it's probably not like being inside a building per se in a heated house or something, but

It's comfortable.

My guest is Ellen Berling.

She is the general manager of Lake Geneva Cruise Lines.

They offer this outstanding Santa Cruz.

This sounds exciting too.

You've got beverages for children and adults, which is important

for

everybody there at Santa's bar, which looks fun.

And then you've got a crystal, you've got a raffle that gives you a chance to win amazing prizes.

What can people win?

Right, right.

The thing that makes us different from the other Santa Cruz that I mentioned, where the idea came from is that

we do have a charity aspect of this event and we work with an organization called the 531 fund which is 531 for Wellworth County that's our zip code prefix and it's right now it's six local charities and they set up a booth each of them on their own booth to decorate a Christmas tree and fill it with all the different decorations and prizes they can win so you know there's there's boats there's trips there's

gift bags all different you know really cool things that they can win and the 531 fund all staffed by volunteers comes staffed every night and sells the raffle tickets so as you're waiting to board the boat you walk through and look at the different booths that the charities have set up and enter your raffle tickets for the drawing that they do in the beginning of January and since we started this event

It has given over a million dollars to local charities, so it's a big, big accomplishment we're very proud of.

Well, Ellen, keep up the great work.

Merry Christmas.

Happy holidays.

Happy New Year.

Have a great season.

And let's definitely talk again.

Absolutely.

Thank you so much.

I appreciate it.

You're very welcome.

All right.

That's Ellen Berling.

Check out Lake Geneva Boat Cruises.

Cruise lines.

Lake Geneva Cruise Line.

So much fun.

We are halfway through our last live show of the week folks.

We will be off Wednesday.

You're off too, Con, right?

I am.

Yeah, you're not just gonna be here like doing stuff.

I'll just be looking at your seat.

No show.

I really miss Pete.

So all right, this is exciting.

We've got an hour number three.

Steve March Torme will be here.

Steve is a band leader.

He's got a 13-piece outfit called Steam.

They travel all over the place.

He is a very accomplished musician, regardless of genre.

And he is the son of Mel Tormé.

That'll be fun, too.

And Steve is going to perform here in the studio, which will be fun.

It's kind of a book-ended music show.

But right now, to...

to just kind of change things up a little.

It's my pleasure to welcome back to Night Light, one of my good friends.

He is one of the programmers at UW Cinema Tech and for the Wisconsin Film Festival, and he drops by here to talk movies and TV from time to time.

And we love it when he does, Mr. Ben Reiser.

Hey, Ben.

Hey, Pete.

How are you

feeling?

How you doing?

I feel like crap,

but I'm here for you.

I appreciate it.

And you feel like crap.

You're not even in your own stomping grounds.

Are you still in New York?

No, no, I'm back.

Oh,

you're back home.

Okay.

That's good.

Madison's a good Christmas town or holiday town.

I should you celebrate Christmas or or Hanukkah or

both?

I celebrate both.

I was in New York celebrating Hanukkah.

Now I'm back in Madison getting ready to celebrate Christmas.

I'm actually I am.

I just came back from Jim Healy's house.

Oh, we're we're having a holiday dinner with our families.

Lovely.

But I said, you know what, you guys.

Have some dessert without me.

I got to go talk to Peach Twalla.

We're looking for an out and you knew it.

And I provided said out.

Well, you said it, not me.

That's a lovely evening.

I'm sure with the Healy's.

Love Jim Healy.

And best to your family as well.

Your wife is from Stevens Point, correct?

You are absolutely right.

That's where my daughter goes to school.

So I had that conversation with your wife.

And you have a wonderful family, Ben.

Is

your whole family home for the holidays?

Yes.

As of a couple of days ago.

They are now.

So it's, it's just, I mean, you just can't, uh, it's weird when they're gone and then you start to fall in love with the quiet.

But

then when they get

back, there's like a day

or two of

adjustment because we're all emotional, crazy people.

And then we just love it.

It's like old times and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

It's

great stuff.

It's true.

It's true.

Yeah.

Um, and my kids, my kids, the holidays are the only time of year where my kids will sometimes let me show them a movie or two.

So that's exciting for me.

We watched the last couple of nights.

Joe, my son Joe, who you know, got to pick the movie Sunday night.

He wanted to go down memory lane.

So we watched the Polar Express.

Oh my goodness.

And

then my daughter Kate picked the Santa Claus last night, which my two good friends wrote.

So I hadn't seen that in like 25 years.

So we watched

that.

My question to you is, who's got the deader eyes, the CGI motion capture people in Polar Express or Tim Allen in Santa Claus?

Yeah, that's a tough one.

And I will say the Polar Express, I hadn't seen that in ages.

Half of that movie is a snooze.

Yeah, the CGI is bad, but just that train.

It's like, I was telling Conrad, it's like 15 minutes of filler where the ticket flies out the window, and then it's like, what am I watching here?

And

it's

okay when they get to the North Pole, but yeah, and if you can stop MacTim Allen, he's not terrible.

in the movie, but he's just Tim Allen.

He's not gonna give you that extra level, you

know.

I was just reading an article with a bunch of quotes.

All the roles that Chevy Chase either turned down or tried to get,

but

didn't get, and he turned down the Santa Claus.

So if not

for Chevy Chase

turning down the Santa Claus, we may never have had Tim Allen in such a huge national movie star spotlight.

I think Chevy Chase also turned down Toy Story.

What,

as woody?

No, not as woody, probably boo.

Oh, you got a poltergeist

happening in there.

Wow, look at that.

Yeah.

One of my ceiling lights just sort of like collapsed and it's like swinging.

I think it's weird that

Chevy Chase, like he had just done, well, a few years before Christmas vacation.

And I remember hearing about this because Ben Vanity Redneck, the writers, it was a big deal when they sold this.

And when it got made because it made so much money, the studio had to pay them their net points, which almost never happens.

But Tim Allen, luckily, it was his first movie.

And his salary wasn't too huge, so they couldn't hide the money anywhere.

And they had to pay everybody, which I think is kind of fun.

Yeah, that's great.

All right, so let's jump in.

First of all, I want to ask you, I saw one of your Facebook posts, Ben, I think, that you got to see one battle after another on 70 millimeter.

Is that true?

Not only that, 70 millimeter IMAX, which apparently is different than 70 millimeter.

Even I don't really understand all these formats when they get up that high in the stratosphere.

But yeah, 70 millimeter IMAX, which I believe is the biggest gauge of actual film.

And then also the biggest screen.

This was at AMC Lincoln Square in Manhattan.

And my daughter, we were sitting in the fourth row.

I've been, you know, as you know, I've been seeing one battle after another basically almost every other day for a couple months.

I

remember you

saying that.

This might have been my seventh time seeing one battle after another.

I'm out

of my

mind.

You know, and part of it is because it's in all these different formats and so, but...

But also I'm trying to get other people to see it and I literally have to drag them there like my daughter doesn't want to go to the movies and so I Dragged her to see it.

We were sitting in the fourth row and it was as immersive as a movie can get it was

Wow, I Am envious I would love to see that on I mean, I think where I live it was there for two weeks on crappy whatever

it

was screen they had but But that's I want to ask you because I think I enjoyed that more than sinners I did but

In terms of a movie being kind of all-encompassing, it's hard to argue sinners.

Maybe you didn't like sinners.

I don't remember what your take was on it, but like, it's got everything.

The music, the costumes, the period piece, the gimmick of Michael B. Jordan playing, you know, and really well-directed, and it's got, I don't know,

that's a tough

one.

Well, we did have this conversation.

I'm not a sinners fan.

Okay.

I hear what you're saying It does have a lot of stuff, but the stuff it has I don't like that much like music We talked about this I feel like the soundtrack to sinners should be this really great authentic sort of blues score, but it's like this It's some European dude who's like, you know, sort of faking the blues

But I but I would argue that one battle after another is another is a movie that also has everything one battle after another is is an action movie, but it's also a comedy.

It's kind of a heartwarming family drama in some ways.

You know, and it's got satirical and, you know, yeah, it's

got I agree with you.

It's and I love it.

I think it's my favorite movie of the year.

But I thought I

If Sinners ends up winning, I don't even know if it's between just those two.

We'll see when the announcements come out.

But like, I could see why Sinners would win, I guess is what I'm saying.

And I did enjoy Sinners, but not as much as the other one.

Yeah.

Well, I know a lot of people like Sinners.

I guess I should watch Sinners again.

I was psyched for Sinners.

I just, I don't know, Irish vampires.

I forgot about the Irish

element.

I

forgot

all about that.

Hey, let's I want to ask you about Train Dreams.

What were your thoughts on Train Dreams?

Well, Train Dreams, there's a movie that I really wish had come around and played theaters.

I agree.

I would have loved to see it in the theater.

I mean, I've got a big TV screen, but I still felt like this is a movie.

Again, I need to sit in the fourth row and like IMAX.

It's really feels like it should be this immersive experience.

And I watched Train Dreams twice.

I liked it quite a bit, but I really was bummed out that I was watching it on Netflix.

And that's what we have to thank Netflix for, which is a big issue.

But I agree with you.

I thought, you know, I liked it so much.

I was like, if this got into the conversation for Best Picture, like I think it might, I wouldn't be, I'd be okay with that.

It's just a very simple, beautiful story about just a random guy and

the things you experience in life and feeling connected.

I just thought it was excellent.

I really thought this year was a terrific year for movies.

So I think the 10 movies that get announced for Best Picture, I'll be surprised if I don't really love eight or nine of them.

So, you know, it's a great year.

Great year.

What else have you seen?

My guest, by the way, is Ben Reiser.

He is one of the programmers at UW Cinematheque in Madison.

If you haven't been there, folks,

Check it out.

It's free.

They play, show great movies and they have great Q and A's and all kinds of fun stuff.

So what else have you seen, Ben, that you could recommend like a gem from this year that maybe that we haven't seen?

Well, the other thing that I saw when I was in New York was the, the recently released Kill Bill, The Whole Bloody

Affair.

Oh

yeah.

Not a new movie, but you know Quentin Tarantino's Kill Bill, parts one and two, smushed together into one big four and a half hour movie with an intermission.

Uh, that was also in 70 millimeter and that was, uh, fantastic.

Uh, so I saw those two movies on the biggest screens possible.

And then the other two movies that I watched while I was, uh, going back and forth to New York or on the smallest screens possible, I watched a couple of movies on the airplane, uh, going back and forth.

I caught up with a movie that I had meant to see earlier this year called relay.

Yeah.

um with Riz Ahmed kind of a great 70s conspiracy thriller kind of movie that probably has at least one twist too many in the third act but uh up until then i thought was pretty good pretty good thriller

i liked it too and i i meant to look this up right before the show uh oh heller highwater it's the same director

right

yeah

and he's got

another

film coming out called either fuse or the fuse about finding an

Well a bomb from World War two in downtown London that hasn't gone off yet.

So I

Yeah, I can't David McKenzie.

Yeah, I can't wait to see fuse either, but yeah, I really liked Relay and Riz Ahmed was great and it's just I I found myself without doing a spoiler the female lead is I'm very unprepared for this interview.

I apologize.

I'll meet you

James Lily James

from

Baby Driver,

who's great.

But I kept thinking, I kind of like how they drew that out, because I really, until the end, I thought, are they trying to get me to think it's her?

Is it really her?

And again, without saying what it is, I really, I like the whole movie, it was great.

Yeah, great movie.

And then I saw this very dark, edgy, I guess it's a romcom, I don't know, called Oh Hi.

OH comma

hi in your text.

Yeah, what's that?

I've got a young couple that go away for a romantic weekend and Not to really spoil that movie, but the guy wound winds up chained to the bed for the whole weekend because the The girl is sort of insecure and feels like maybe he doesn't want to remain her boyfriend Man is this a dark comedy.

I think you would like it

Pete, the godfather of Green Bay.

I feel like, you know, this might be something that's up your alley.

And I think both of those movies are on Netflix now.

I saw them on the plane and I came home and I was like, where are these movies?

And yes, I think they're both on Netflix Relay and Oh, hi, I would recommend those.

But but I yeah, I loved so many movies this year.

The most recent one that I saw was one that we premiered at Cinematheque a couple weeks ago, The Secret Agent.

which is a Spanish language film starring the guy who was the lead in Narcos, which is a show that I never got to see.

Boy in

Holbrook?

Oh.

No, Walter Mora, is that his name?

Huh.

No, no, I'm trying to find it now.

Secret agent, secret agent.

I think Rob Thomas wrote about that and gave it a good review.

Yes, he did.

Yes, he did.

Wagner Mora is the lead actor's name.

And this director, writer-director, Kleberman Dosa Philho, made a crazy, crazy movie maybe five years ago.

I can't remember what it's called, but this one is terrific.

Another terrific thriller.

It's a good year for thrillers.

I heard you've been catching up on some thrillers lately.

Yeah, just...

Let's do this.

We're going to take a quick break.

Ben Reiser will be here.

We'll have Ben for a few more minutes after the break.

We'll talk about some of the movies I saw, and it's right up his alley with the 1970s.

We'll talk about all of that when we come back.

And Pluribus, Ben, I can't let you leave without talking Pluribus.

So we'll

do all

that after this very short break.

Do not go anywhere, folks.

Nightlight is coming right back 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,

civicmedia.us.

Coming up folks in hour number three Steve March Torme will be here He is gonna sing a song that his father made famous the Christmas song a cappella.

You ever see anything a cappella can in my shower, okay?

Let's let's keep it.

Let's keep it that way We have a few more minutes with my current

guest.

You've all got

a great mental picture

Ben Reiser is here.

He's one of the programmers of the Wisconsin Film Festival and UW Cinematheque, and he joins us here periodically to talk movies, and we love it when he's here.

Ben, first, let's get to Pluribus.

Thoughts?

Well, I love it.

I love that you love it.

I keep seeing things on these social medias, people complaining about how boring it is.

I don't feel that way at all.

And I also feel this is the same kind of pace and the same kind of dedication to sometimes spending half of an episode doing purely visual storytelling that Vince Gilligan did in his last few shows too.

I mean, if you ask me the first season of Better Call Saul, which everyone thinks is a masterpiece that show, that first season was incredibly slow moving.

If you go back and watch that, I mean, nothing even happens in the first season of Better Call Saul.

It's just sort of putting all the pieces on the table, I suppose.

But mostly I think, I didn't think you could get a fresh take on Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

That's kind of a sci-fi premise.

And for me, this is a fresh take.

Like I'm constantly surprised about the twists and the directions of this show goes.

What about you?

I

thought it was one of the coolest first episodes I've ever seen.

I was salivating before the

second

one came out, and then I thought it got boring, and now I think

it sucks.

I feel like,

I kind of agree with you, like Better Call Saul.

I love the openings of Better Call Saul, where he would take five minutes to set something up, whether it's making coffee and this and that.

I feel like this whole episode is that teaser in the opening, and sometimes they give you a nugget.

leading into the next episode, which ultimately also does not pay off.

And Better Call Saul had Bob Odenkirk, who's funny, and the writing was a little funnier.

This can be funny.

I really like Ray of Seahorn and the woman who also is one of the pod people or whatever.

But

I

don't know.

I hope it closes.

I'm sticking with it because it's Vince Gilligan.

I don't think I would if it was a different filmmaker, if that makes sense.

It's interesting.

Yeah.

Okay.

Yeah.

I mean, you're not alone.

Yeah.

You're absolutely not alone.

And neither are you.

For me, there were two series that I tried to get into recently that I bailed on really quickly.

One of them was the All Her Fault with Sarah Snook from... Oh, yeah.

Succession.

I still haven't seen that.

Succession.

Yeah, which was really just seemed... You know, most TV to me, most normal TV to me seems like...

padded and filled with like these filler episodes

in a

way that for me, for whatever reason, Pluribus doesn't feel that way.

Or if at least it's its padded and filler, it's its own strange kind of pad, not the typical.

And then the other thing was that new Claire Danes and Matthew Rees.

Oh, yeah, I've got that on my list in me.

Yeah.

Oof.

Man, I used to love Claire Danes and now she's just such a.

She's just one big acting tick.

She's just got these things that she does.

No matter what she's doing, if she's saying hi to somebody or somebody just died in her arms, it's the same performance.

So you don't like it.

You don't like the beast in me.

No.

OK.

Because that's on

my

list to watch.

I was kind of, well, we liked Homeland to a point.

And

then,

but she just.