Returning guest Ethan Vestby, a contributor to The Film Stage, joins the pod for a discussion of All Things Wahlberg, including Mark's brand new project, the faith-based comedy/drama Father Stu, based on a true story, co-starring Mel Gibson and directed by Gibson’s girlfriend Rosalind Ross in her feature debut.

Father Stu is the kind of studio movie we don’t see a lot of these days, a personal project aimed at Catholic audiences that Wahlberg partly financed himself along the lines of Mel Gibson’s The Passion of the Christ but unlike most entertainment aimed at the religious market, this one is loaded with sleaze and profanity and easily earns its R rating. What does this tell us about the changing world of faith-based entertainment in the new world of the MAGA-influenced religious right and their sudden opposition to “cancel culture”?

Plus we talk about Mark Wahlberg’s business ventures including the Wahlburgers chain, his HBO reality series Wahl Street, and his prolific partnership with the director Peter Berg.

Patrons of the Junk Filter podcast receive at least two additional exclusive episodes a month: some of our notable previous guests include Jared Yates Sexton, David Roth, Bryan Quinby, Sooz Kempner, and Jacob Bacharach. More to come! Sign up at https://www.patreon.com/junkfilter

Follow Ethan Vestby on Twitter.

Trailer for Season 1 of Wahlberg's HBO reality series Wahl Street

Trailer for Father Stu (Rosalind Ross, 2022)