The Undercurrent Movie Podcast

Anaconda is a modern reimagining of the classic jungle thriller, following a group of travelers drawn into the Amazon by a sense of nostalgia and adventure. What begins as a throwback-inspired journey quickly turns into a fight for survival when they become the target of a massive, deadly anaconda, forcing them to confront both the dangers of the wild and the illusion of the past they were chasing. As they chase their dream a huge snake chases them.  This movie was surprisingly fun and took me on a trip down memory lane to the 90s. In this episode I sit down with Adison Wolf and we discuss where we were in the 90s and early 2000s and talk about some of the our passions we had as kids growing up. The question I have for you is, what was a passion you had as a kid and would you attempt to chase dream again today? I hope you enjoy. 

"Children of Men" is a gripping dystopian thriller set in a near-future world where humanity faces extinction after two decades of global infertility. Society has collapsed into chaos, and governments have turned authoritarian in a desperate attempt to maintain order. The story follows Theo played by Clive Owen, a disillusioned former activist, who is unexpectedly tasked with protecting a miraculously pregnant woman—the first in years. As they journey through a dangerous and unstable world, Theo must rediscover hope and courage in a time when both seem lost. In this episode I sit down with Vitaliy Prokopets and we talk about life and family and Hope. I hope you enjoy. 

Welcome back to the undercurrent movie podcast season three. Now I’m Had kicking this season off by doing something a bit different this time. I’m going back to a movie that I’ve already covered but not for the reason that you think. In this episode, we are jumping back into the matrix but we’re not doing this to cover what we’ve already know. we’re actually going back in to find a completely different perspective than mine.  I welcome Harold Bain onto this episode because of his interest in movies and because of his completely different perspective on this specific movie.  This episode was a lot of fun. We smoked cigars, drank a little whiskey and made a lot of jokes. We talked about politics, faith our past and how this movie changed the both of us, but from completely different viewpoints. this podcast is not only to share my viewpoint, but to hear someone else’s story.  if you have not seen the matrix yet I don’t know what to tell you, but you’re missing one of the greatest movies that has ever been made. This movie came out in 1999 and has truly stood the test of time. I hope you enjoy our time together.

Collateral Beauty (2016) is a drama about a successful New York advertising executive, Howard Inlet, who falls into deep depression after the tragic loss of his young daughter. As he withdraws from life, his friends and his work, he begins writing letters to Love, Time, and Death—abstract concepts he blames for his pain. Concerned for both him and the company, his friends devise an unusual plan that leads to unexpected encounters. Through these experiences, Howard is confronted with grief, healing, and the hidden connections that bind people together in the midst of loss. This movie reaches emotional depths most people don’t want to talk about and has a few twists along the way. The question I have for you is, if given the opportunity to talk to Love, Time and Death what would you say? In grief, would you accept their advice or would you ignore them altogether. 

Would you steel a loaf of bread to feed your family?  Would you rob a bunch of little banks to end the generational poverty in your own family even though it could mean jail time or death.  Hell or High Water is a gritty, character-driven modern Western that follows brothers Toby and Tanner Howard as they rob a string of small-town Texas banks. Their crimes are not driven by greed, but by desperation—Toby is trying to secure his family’s future and prevent the bank from foreclosing on land that has been passed down for generations. Tanner, volatile and reckless, brings danger and unpredictability to every robbery.   Pursuing them is veteran Texas Ranger Marcus Hamilton, a sharp-witted lawman nearing retirement, partnered with his deputy. As the chase unfolds across dusty plains and struggling towns, the film paints a bleak picture of economic hardship, corporate exploitation, and the fading ideals of the Old West. Tense, emotional, and morally complex, Hell or High Water blends suspenseful action with thoughtful commentary on justice, survival, and the cost of desperation. The question I have for you is that if you were desperate, what lengths would you go through to feed your family. 

What would you do if you stopped aging at 25 and could live for centuries but, everything you had to buy was charged in minutes. Would that make you pause with what you spent your time on? In Time is a sci-fi thriller set in a future where time has literally become the currency. People stop aging at 25 and must earn, borrow, or steal time to stay alive. The rich can live forever, while the poor struggle day-to-day. The story follows Will Salas, played by Justin Timberlake, a man from the slums who is gifted a century of time and becomes entangled in a larger fight against the unfair system. With Sylvia Weis, played by Amanda Seyfried, a wealthy young woman turned ally, Will races to challenge the powerful elites who control time itself. In this episode I sit with James Crouse and we discuss everything from politics to how long we would want to live to asking the questions is it better to have too little time or too much time to truly enjoy life. I hope you enjoy. 

The Count of Monte Cristo. It’s an adventurous drama made in 2002 based on the classic novel by Alexandre Dumas. It follows Edmond Dantès (played by Jim Caviezel) a young sailor who is falsely accused of treason by his best friend (played by Guy Pearce) and betrayed by those he trusted. Imprisoned for years on a remote island, he uncovers a hidden treasure and escapes, reinventing himself as the wealthy and mysterious Count of Monte Cristo. With his new identity, he seeks justice—and revenge—against those who betrayed him, leading to a story filled with intrigue, romance, forgiveness and redemption. The question I have for you is that, is there something in your life that has kept you in prison. Is it bitterness, envy, revenge? Have these things kept you from being who you’re supposed to be? 

In this episode we discuss the movie “Signs”. “Signs” is a science fiction thriller written and directed by M. Night Shyamalan. The 2002 film follows Graham Hess (played by Mel Gibson), a former priest living on a Pennsylvania farm with his two children (played by Rory Culkin and Abigail Breslin) and brother (played by Joaquin Phoenix). When mysterious crop circles appear in their corn fields, the family begins to experience increasingly unsettling events that suggest a global alien invasion may be underway. As the tension builds, Signs explores themes of faith, loss, and the search for meaning in the face of fear and the unknown. In this episode we discuss our favorite Halloween movies, what makes a good scary movie, is there such a thing as free will and how much is God in control. 

In this episode we tackle the epic film “No Country for Old Men” made in 2007. This movie is a neo-Western crime thriller directed by Joel and Ethan Coen, based on a novel by Cormac McCarthy. Set in 1980s Texas, the story follows Llewelyn Moss (played by Josh Brolin) a hunter who stumbles upon a drug deal gone wrong and takes a suitcase filled with drug money. He is pursued by Anton Chigurh (played by Javier Bardem), a cold, remorseless hitman with a coin-tossing moral code, and Sheriff Ed Tom Bell (played by Tommy Lee Jones), an aging lawman struggling to make sense of the escalating violence in the world. This film explores themes of fate, morality, and the changing nature of evil. It won four Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Supporting Actor for Javier Bardem. The question I have is, can we change the nature of evil and more importantly, how? I hope you enjoy.

Moneyball (2011) is a sports drama  based on the true story of Billy Beane, the general manager of the Oakland Athletics baseball team. Faced with a limited budget, Billy Beane takes an unconventional approach to building a competitive team by using something called sabermetrics. What it is is a data-driven analysis to evaluate and recruit undervalued players. With the help of a young Yale economics graduate, Peter Brand. He challenges traditional scouting methods and reshapes the way professional baseball teams are built. The film stars Brad Pitt as Billy Beane and Jonah Hill as Peter Brand, and it explores themes of innovation, risk-taking, and challenging the status quo. In this episode we discuss topics like baseball it’s self? Is baseball truly fare and can you mix sports with politics. 

Contact (1997) is a science fiction film directed by Robert Zemeckis, based on the novel by Carl Sagan. The story follows Dr. Ellie Arroway, a determined astronomer played by Jodie Foster, who discovers a signal from an extraterrestrial intelligence. As she works to decode the message and navigate political, scientific, and personal obstacles, Ellie embarks on a profound journey that challenges her beliefs about science, faith, and humanity’s place in the universe. The film blends emotional depth with cosmic wonder, exploring themes of connection and discovery. What if we received contact from somewhere in he universe. Would it strike fear inside of you or wonder. Would it force us to ask questions like, who are we, what is the meaning of life, what happens to us when we die, are we alone in the universe and aren’t these religions questions.  The question  I believe the movie poses is, is there something in your life that you can not touch, taste, see, hear or smell and still believe wholeheartedly. Something as simple as love.  I hope you enjoy. 

 In this episode, I sit down with my good friend Vitaly Prokopets to talk about the movie there will be blood.  There Will Be Blood (2007) is a dramatic epic directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, based loosely on Upton Sinclair’s novel Oil!. Set in the early 20th century, it follows the ruthless rise of Daniel Plainview, a silver miner turned oil tycoon, portrayed by Daniel Day-Lewis in an Oscar-winning performance. As Plainview builds his empire, his ambition, greed, and mistrust of others—particularly a young preacher named Eli Sunday—drive him to moral and psychological ruin. The film is known for its haunting score, stark cinematography, and powerful exploration of capitalism, faith, and isolation. In this conversation, we touch on subjects about fatherhood about friendship, people and obsession.  Is obsession a good thing or bad thing why or why not?  Is there something in your life that you would trade everything for in order to achieve?  Is there something in your life you would be obsessed over and would it actually get you the thing everyone truly desires? Relationship. 

What lengths would you go to escape tragedy?  What lengths would you go to protect your family?  Would you isolate yourself from the world to try to escape harm and is that even a possibility In this podcast I talk with my wife Tiffany about the movie “The Village” starring Joaquin Phoenix and Bryce Dallas Howard.    The Village” (2004) is a psychological thriller directed by M. Night Shyamalan. The film is set in a secluded 19th-century village whose residents live in fear of mysterious creatures lurking in the surrounding woods. The villagers have an uneasy truce with these beings, agreeing never to enter the forest. However, when a young woman named Ivy ventures beyond the village limits to seek medicine, the truth behind their isolated existence begins to unravel, revealing a shocking twist about the village’s true nature. It’s a beautiful story about love and loss. It’s a story about what is the right thing to do to protect the people we love. Would you lie to keep them safe or would you create fake monsters to keep them close.    This conversation delves into discussion on parenting and marriage and why Tiffany would love to become Amish. I hope you enjoy.

What would you do if you could travel back in time to any moment in your life and change what happened.  Would that make your life better.  Would you take more chances  Would you have as much control as you think you do or would it force you to live the life you already have in a more intentional way.  These are the questions this movie forces you to ask.    I sit down with a life long friend Brandon Ummel and we discuss The movie “About Time”  It’s a (2013)  British romantic romcom directed by Richard Curtis. The story follows a young man named Tim Lake who discovers that the men in his family have the ability to travel through time.  Using this power, Tim attempts to improve his life and find love, eventually falling for a girl named Mary.  As Tim navigates the joys and challenges of relationships and family life, he learns that time travel can’t solve everything and that maybe the most meaningful moments often come from simply living in the present.

Limitless (2011) is a sci-fi thriller starring Bradley Cooper as Eddie Morra, a struggling writer who discovers a mysterious drug called NZT-48. The pill dramatically enhances his cognitive abilities, allowing him to access his brain’s full potential. As Eddie rises to success in finance and life, he attracts dangerous attention and faces deadly consequences as the drug’s side effects and the people who want it threaten his life. The film explores themes of intelligence, addiction, and the cost of power. The question I have for you is would you take the pill.  The pill that could potentially get everything you want but in the process might take your life. 

in this episode we talk about the movie Interstellar. Interstellar (2014), directed by Christopher Nolan, it is a haunting and beautiful science fiction epic that follows a team of astronauts who travel through a wormhole in search of a new habitable planet, as Earth faces ecological collapse. The film blends emotional storytelling with complex scientific concepts like time dilation, black holes, and gravity. At its core, it’s a story about love, sacrifice, and humanity’s survival, centered around a former pilot, Cooper, and his bond with his daughter, Murph. As you watch the movie or listen to this episode ask yourself the question  What is love?  Why is love at the base of every decision that you make. Why is love the one thing that connect us even through time and space.   

Would you choose a life of ignorance and bliss or a life of truth and hardship. We talk about the deeper symbolism of the film relates faith and humanity.    We discuss the film The Matrix. The Matrix (1999) is a science fiction film where a hacker named Neo (Keanu Reeves) discovers that the world around him is a simulated reality controlled by machines. He joins a group of rebels led by Morpheus (Laurence Fishburne) who believe Neo is “The One,” a prophesied hero capable of defeating the machines. As Neo learns to manipulate the Matrix, he battles against powerful agents, especially Agent Smith (Hugo Weaving), in a quest to free humanity from the machines’ control. The film is known for its groundbreaking visual effects and philosophical themes about reality and free will.

This episode I sit down with my sister, Angela Landis. she’s a wife and a mother of three a former foster parent. In this conversation, we bring to light of the true battles people fight every single day with parenting and marriage and jobs and how to find inspiration to continue through faith and persistence. 

I sit down with my cousin Tony to talk about his experience in the world of narcotics in Northern California. A great discussion on the Mexican drug cartel and what is the best moral way to defeat it. The movie posses the question to be a bit harder to answer than you think. 

A conversation about the 2016 movie "Arrival" anywhere from the God to life to language.