The Hero is a great film full of top-notch lessons. We follow Lee, an aged Western film star who has been riding the tail-end of his career for some time. With work only coming in the form of commercial voice-overs, Lee does not have much to look forward to. With a dire diagnosis, Lee starts to take inventory of his life, his situation, and what having a future really means. The cast ensemble is amazing. With Sam Elliott leading the charge, Laura Prepon, Kyrsten Ritter, and Nick Offerman join in for an incredible experience. Primary lesson in this episode is show don’t tell. So much incredible voiceless acting, with strong direction and constant movement it makes for a great watch and something to aspire to in filmmaking and writing. Support the Podcast Visit our website

This episode we confront The G, a thriller starring Dale Dickey. An elderly woman and her husband are immorally thrust into a care center under the ‘care’ of a guardian. The message of the movie confronts a terrible reality of what can only be called a form of elder abuse, but judges and the court system granting guardianship over elderly folks who have no say in the matter. The G, Dickey’s character, reaches out to some darker family connections to exact revenge on her guardian and his minions. Our only criticism about this film is how it was presented in the trailer and other media. We were expecting a balls-out ass-kicking ride of retaliation, but that never came. Overall we liked the movie and it has some great lessons, we just wish it had been presented a little closer to its true form. Support the Podcast Visit our website

PLEASE see the list below if you are dealing with trauma and you need help. That is the primary lesson behind this episode. Saint Bernard is a fantastic art-film that takes us on the downward spiral of Bernard, an orchestra conductor who is overcome by trauma. The visuals in this movie are stunning, uncomfortable, emotional. There is very little dialogue. On the technical side everything about this film is a valuable lesson. All of it. It may not be for everyone, but it is definitely a movie you will not forget if you watch it.  Listen up and decide for yourself. If you are suffering through trauma please, please make use of one of the numbers below. If you know someone who is suffering, take this list of numbers and make the call with that person. No one should ever have to handle it alone. You are not alone. Trauma Support Numbers (USA): In case of emergency dial 911 In case of mental health crisis dial 988 National Mental Health Hotline: 866-903-3787 Child Sexual Abuse. Stop It Now! Phone: 1-888-PREVENT (1-888-773-8368) National Center for Victims of Crime. Phone: 1-855-4VICTIM (1-855-484-2846) Dating Abuse. Love is Respect. Phone: 1-866-331-9474, TTY: 1-866-331-8453, or Text LOVEIS TO 22522 National Domestic Violence Hotline. Phone: 1-800-799-SAFE (1-800-799-7233), TTY: 1-800-787-3224 Missing and Abducted Children. Phone: 1-800-I-AM-LOST (1-800-426-5678), or National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. Phone: 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) Rape and Sexual Abuse. Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network. Phone: 1-800-656-HOPE (1-800-656-4673) Runaway and Homeless Youth. National Runaway Safeline. Phone: 1-800-RUNAWAY (1-800-786-2929), or Text: 66008 Suicide Prevention. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Phone: 1-800-273-TALK (1-800-273-8255), TTY: 1-800-799 4889 Support the Podcast Visit our website

Yes, it’s another shark horror this episode.  Doll Shark is brought to life by the very same group that gave us Camp Blood: Clown Shark, which we covered in the last episode.  The stuffed plushy Doll Shark is cute, and gives a couple of good laughs.  The lighting is way off kilter.  The script is just as loose and meandering.   The story is yet again seemingly a mishmash of random things thrown together with a stuffed shark in the frame.  The lessons are once again way more what NOT to do than what to do.  The watch was painful, and the craftwork from A-Z is just bad. Support the Podcast Visit our website

Camp Blood: Clown Shark has so much going for it in the name.  It was a wild concept but the writing choked out the wild and gave us instead bleh.  The ridiculous special effects are the key factor in keeping up the fun of watching.  The plot holes and deviations help to exercise your brain as you try to figure out what in the hell is going on.  Unfortunately at the end of the ride all you get is some befuddlement over the plot and unanswered questions.  Lessons are mixed in this one, but probably a little more leaning on the what not to do of it all. Support the Podcast Visit our website

Strap in B-siders.  Christmas Bloodbath is a frustratingly wild ride.  It does take place during Christmas, and there is a bath, but there is not a lot of blood. We dive into this earnest effort Indie film that gives us puppets, obscure plot devices, endless narration, and a whole lot of stuff that just does not make sense. There are some positive points to be made, but overall seeing this more than once is a labor. We clocked in two and a half views, which is more than enough for a lifetime. Lessons, laughs, and more lessons. Support the Podcast Visit our website

Interview with Eric Miller – Episode 177 Continuing the train of interviews, we talk with Eric Miller, author of the book Whatever Happened to Uncle Ed, screenwriter for Ice Spiders, Night Skies, Swamp Shark, Mask Maker, and so much more.  Join us for a very fun, very informative talk about his work, experiences, some funny stories, and just a full-on nerd fest for writing and movies. Also be sure to check him out on IMDB, his website, and his new book on Amazon. https://www.ericmillerwrites.com https://www.amazon.com/Whatever-Happened-Uncle-Eric-Miller/dp/B0DTF5LVHW/ Support the Podcast Visit our website

Once again we have friend Hilton Ariel Ruiz on the show to do some catching up on things. We talk about how the pandemic changed filmmaking for him, indie film, and possible futures. There is a lot of great advice in here. We also talk with Hilton on changes to FilmHub and how these kinds of changes will make it more difficult for new Indie filmmakers in an already complicated business. Come and dive in for the fun and follow along as Hilton has to move from room to room in his house while we chat. Support the Podcast Visit our website

We have the pleasure of speaking with Michael Dahan, writer and director of Yes Repeat No. Please join us as we discuss a number of things ranging from filmmaking, identity, and the politics of wanting to help a people but staying out of it. It is a very heartfelt and frank conversation. Michael’s journey from concept to completion of the movie is a fantastic listen. We thoroughly enjoyed this talk and we think you will as well. Support the Podcast Visit our website

Yes Repeat No is an amazing film to start off 2026. Written and directed by Michael Dahan, this experimental film is about three actors auditioning for the role of Palestinian-Jewish actor and activist Juliano Mer-Khamis. The film is amazing, but we could not cover it using our regular beat-by-beat formula. Instead, we give some bits and pieces of the film’s progression but we talk more about the technical aspects of the film. And politics. You will not be able to watch this movie without delving into politics, and that’s good. The lessons are abundant, but more importantly we talk about how art can deliver a message that reaches you through the deep recesses of emotion and thought. Amazing film, amazing lessons. 2026 should yield more movies like this. Amazon Apple TV VUDU Google Play YouTube Support the Podcast Visit our website #bravoforthebside #bmovie #bmovies #indie #independentfilm #indiefilm #screenwriting #filmmaking #movies #independentfilmmaker #directing #producing #acting #yesrepeatno #michaeldahan #julianomerkhamis #experimental #drama #amazingfilm  @ApplePodcasts