Cringe with Marc van Bulck

Andy Leviton, Associate Editor of "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse," sits down to share some of the behind-the-scene secrets of the new Golden Globe winning animated film.  Andy walks us through the creative process of how this big-budget animated studio film got made (from the editor's point of view), what different versions of the story almost looked like, and whether movies like "Into the Spider-Verse" and "Venom" are considered canon in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. SPOILER ALERT: We do give away a LOT of huge spoilers about the movie in this podcast, so if you haven't seen the film yet, be warned that you might want to wait until after you watch it first.  You have been warned!

David Lawson is a storyteller who has been performing one-man shows across the country for over ten years.  His shows cover a wide range of topics from insomnia, to retro nerd culture, to his experiences working in Time Square.  We talk about the struggle artists have prioritizing work and relationships (and ministers, too!), how a one-man show is put together from the concept to the stage, and the state of cinema today.

The Rev. Dr. Margaret Aymer Oget joins me to talk about Marvel Studios' film, "Black Panther."  She is the First Presbyterian Church, Shreveport, D. Thomason Professor of New Testament Studies at Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary and an active speaker and lecturer.  We discuss many issues that intersect in the movie: genre, fantasy, science-fiction, race, feminism, liberation, and yes, even theology.  We also discuss the dangers of allowing the success of up-and-coming directors like Ryan Coogler and Ava DuVernay to lead to tokenism.

"Weird Al" Yankovic and his band are currently touring with "The Ridiculously Self-Indulgent, Ill-Advised Vanity Tour," and a few of the band members sit down with me over the phone before their show at the Playhouse Square in Cleveland.  Guitarist Jim "Kimo" West shares stories about recording Al's first albums, and his early days performing with bassist, Steve Jay (with whom he's also touring this summer). Jon "Bermuda" Schwartz returns to this program for the second time to talk about his work on Al's completely remastered boxed set that came out over the holidays and even shares an "inside scoop" or two about the new tour!

Walter Brueggemann returns to discuss the topic of Sabbath as a form of rebellion against a society that has been co-opted by the culture set forth by Pharaoh in the Old Testament.  We discuss the need to treat Sabbath as a serious spiritual discipline (not just a childish luxury) and other necessary subversions such as the #MeToo movement and young people speaking out against gun violence.