The Trace

There is a cliche that horror films are immoral and cheap. Here I explore the ethical value of watching scary movies. How do fear and empathy relate to each other? What good can be found in confronting the darkness both in yourself and in the world?

Eric and Nate Stone were my guests this week on The Trace. Eric wrote and directed the film "Two Pictures". Nate did the score and helped produce the movie. "Two Pictures" has just been released online where it is currently streaming on Amazon Prime. Check out the movie!

I was so upset by Donald Trump's profane use of the Bible as a symbol of fascist authoritarianism that I felt the need to record an response to it. The idea that Trump connects the Bible, and Christianity, to his hateful view of the world is absurd. Trump exposes the biblical illiteracy that plagues Christians across America. If only they actually took the words of Jesus seriously!

Oscar is a long time friend of mine who is a therapist and musician in Tepic, Mexico. We have collaborated on music in the past and always have incredible conversations. Today we discuss life in Mexico during quarantine, what he has learned in his work as a psychologist, and how art can restore a person.

We also talk about his band Monoceros and what it has been like being in a post-rock band in Mexico since the 2000's. Enjoy the talk!

William and I love talking about religion. He is on the the Buddhist path with a great interest in all religion. I am currently reading the Bhagavad Gita which gave William and I the chance to discourse on Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, and other traditions.

The purpose of this talk is to build bridges between religious thought as opposed to debate or competition. I found this conversation to be genuinely inspirational and I hope you feel the same!

Andrew Hiller and I have been friends for many years. He is a musician/artist that I originally met in the late-90's/early-2000's. We have stayed close ever since even though we never live near each other.

He has been making music for a long time with many bands inlcuding Mr Klein and the Wizards of Time, Yairms, Damn Union, Treasure Mammal, and as AlhhlA.

We discuss friendship, music collectives, the art life, religion, fear, and his experiences practicing communal living.

Brian Durkin is an editor and musician from Los Angeles. He is a major movie lover and I had been wanting to have him on The Trace for quite a while.

Every interview I have done on The Trace has been in person but with the current quarantine it felt like the right time to have talks with people in other states and countries.

Brian and I discuss our top 5 films of the 1990's. Everybody needs movie suggestions during this time so hopefully some of these are good options for your viewing pleasure.

We also talk about a bunch of other movies, life in the time of quarantine, and how we are dealing with these strange times.

Back to it here on The Trace with some social distancing episodes. We all need movies to watch, podcasts to listen to, and various ideas on how to best pass the time during this strange season of life.

Today I discuss my top 5 Scarlett Johansson films. She has done so much great work and it's a perfect time to go back to watch some of her best.

A story about a woman who tries to jump off a bridge but is caught by the arm.

This is a breakdown of my favorite albums of the decade and their relation to cultural and political events of our time. This is a subjective list that is more about feel and themes than genre. Check out thetracepodcast.com for the full list of 200 albums.