Onscreen Offscreen
Josh Dietrich and Konlin Gappmayer discuss their media consumption, new and old. They discuss the good, the bad, and the impact it has on their lives
Onscreen Offscreen
August Rush
August Rush
Fablehaven / Dragonwatch, Nothing to envy, Fall Guy, Morning Star
00:00 - Fablehaven / Dragonwatch
22:50 - Nothing to envy
35:30 - Fall Guy
46:09 - Morning Star
55:55 - August Rush
everybody. It is onscreen offspring back with another good week. We are looking for those movies, books, TV shows that really influence our lives and change who we are and the way that we think. We've got Lauren. She is the best. She's the kindness, and she's always looking for that good material, especially in her fan fix.
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:Gosh,
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:then we got
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:only the best.
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:a good guy. And is always trying to lift everybody up and make, make their days a little bit better. Josh is really good at that. So with that, I'm gonna start with Lauren actually this week. What do you got?
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:Okay, so I normally listen to Fable Haven by Brandon Moll every summer. um, I kind of missed the past few summers, so like the past five summers I missed it. But like, ever since they'd come out I would listen to them. Um, and on my re-list and this time I think I've gotten older because I started like listening to it and I'm like there especially'cause I would listen to Fable Haven and then Dragon Watch. Um. And to spoilers, anybody, uh, who's read Fable Haven, it follows like these 14 year olds, um, this 14-year-old girl, and I think her like, I think he's 11 in the first book.
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:I think too.
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:Yeah. And the course of Fable Haven actually is only like two to three years of the first five books. And then. whole next five books of Dragon Watch happens like in just months. Um, and. I'm like, they put a lot on a 14 and 11-year-old in this because there, there are adults in this and they're very prevalent in this series and they're like, yeah, it's fine that the 11-year-old comes along on this death mission. They have cool powers, guys, so they're coming. Um, I think I finally started like. Catching on to Brandon Mo's writing style of some things that kind of bothered me. Um,'cause I realized that. I need to find this text that I sent, um, Ellie.'cause I was like this. I was like, hi, my name is, um, I'm going to introduce this character you'll never see again because they need to give you exposition and then they're gonna die immediately. And it happened like five times in one book. And I was like. You need to find a new plot device, sir, because I was like, I'm like, these are really cool characters that he is like they are just here for exposition or to do this one thing that none of the other characters could do. And then I'm gonna kill'em off because they're actually probably op and I, I just, oh, it drove me nuts. Um, and then the way he describes beautiful people. Um, so when he describes the fair folk or if there's somebody who's attractive, he always calls them a rock star. He's like, they're like, rock star pretty. I'm like, and I'm thinking like Afro spike, like I'm thinking like punk rock and stuff whenever they say that. So in my mind. Just whole bunch of punk rock because he calls him Rock Star pretty, and I'm like, or he'll say like, oh, this person belongs on the front of a magazine. And I'm like. I didn't like that. I was like, I would rather you like, give me like details about stuff instead of being like, whatever you think is gonna be on the front of like a magazine or whatever, or, um, it was like just little things like that that were driving me nuts. And then especially in the Dragon Watch series, there's a character called Calvin that is a Nipsey. That with his little group, they make him grow bigger to be a hero, to follow with Seth. So he's just slightly bigger than all the other Nipsey, but he's still small and he will tell you that bit single time. He is mentioned
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:Every time.
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:every time, and I was like, I like Calvin as a character, but if he explains one more time that he's a giant Nipsey. Like, I wanna put him across the room, like,
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:drove me nuts.
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:yes. And like, yeah. So that, um, I feel like there's so much lead up to all of these other things, especially in Dragon Watch. I feel like the first five books, it would've been fine if we would've left it there. Um. I mean, I was such a huge fan of the Fal Haven series, um, because I think Fable Haven is what got me into reading specifically. We talked about how like Ink Heart got me into like the creative mindset. Fable Haven got me into reading. So, um, it was funny'cause I remember reading the Harry Potter series and then I got this bookmark that said like. you're done at school, at Hogwarts, come to the summer in Fable Haven. And so me and my mom would listen to Harry Potter all the time. And so I like went up to her and I was like, we have to go buy this book because it's like Harry Potter. And that's, I thought I was getting another Harry Potter. It's a little different, but I still loved it because it was like a book that I found that my whole family liked. Um.
josh-dietrich_2_08-13-2025_132807:And that's written better, has a more complete series, has less plot holes, is more appropriate,
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:Yeah,
josh-dietrich_2_08-13-2025_132807:a better. magic system. That makes sense.
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:yeah, yeah. So, and I, yeah, I really liked, I really like how Brandon Mole can bring in the Fable Haven series. He brings like whimsy into our world where like. If I was reading this to like, um, my nephew or whatever, they could be like, I'm gonna go drink milk and see if I can see fairies. You know, like, oh, that was the wrong milk. I'm gonna find the milk. Like it could happen. Or like, oh, all these books are fairies or whatever. Like, it brings all of that little whimsy into your everyday life. Um. And then it kind of like makes like storms and stuff. Cool.'cause they're like, oh that could be a dragon or whatever. Anyway. but yeah, I was, yeah. Yeah. I really like this series. I think it's really good. I think I've listened it to it to death and I think I need to give it some breathing time before I listen to them again. Um,'cause the first five books. I, I re-listening to those. Um, but then when I went on to Dragon Watch, I was like, I can't suspend my disbelief that they're putting these two kids in charge of a dragon sanctuary, like the one that has the dragon king in it. but yeah, it was, uh, I enjoyed re-listening. But I did notice that I was getting a little bit more annoyed with those little nitpicky things, and they are nitpicky, um,
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:I think
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:than Calvin.
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:the first five books are brilliant,
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:Mm-hmm.
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:some of the best children's fantasy ever written, period. Hands down. dragon Watch was one of the most disappointing series I've ever read, period, hands down. I think the first book is actually quite good. I think they did a pretty good job and they make Seth and Kendra like grow up I feel believable up and
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:Yeah.
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:in the next book, they're back to being little kids who like need their handheld and it drove me nuts. Like I
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:Mm-hmm.
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:it. I think they should have. Had it bounce forward more. I think Kendra should have been like 19, 20, maybe even 21.
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:Mm-hmm.
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:they're trying to establish that she's really falling in love with, like somebody she's gonna be with
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:Yeah.
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:have her be that age.
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:Yeah.
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:would be really cool. And then, and then is still like, he's an older teenager and he is got some rebelliousness to him and he is like sick of people telling him what to do and he wants to be an adult, like have him be. That age,
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:Yep.
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:don't make sense for the story you wanted to tell,
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:Mm-hmm.
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:it kind of goes nowhere. And the cousin character is freaking annoying. I really, I do not like that character at all.
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:Yep.
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:and it's just such a shame because the first series is so good, and I will never, ever, ever, ever re-listen to a dragon watch ever again. Not worth my time.
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:Yeah,
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:felt like I wasted my time.
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:there is a part that I actually was just listening to last night when I was trying to go to sleep, it's the part where Ronan like captures Kendra or whatever, and he's like, in two years you marry me or whatever, and I'm like.
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:It's weird.
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:It is weird. And then she brings up that, that's weird. And then he's like, oh, time's just a con, like goes off about, he's like, I'm basically like younger and older than you. Like time doesn't matter. And he is like, you should be grateful that I'm giving you these two years. And I'm like,
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:It feels like the parody where people make fun of twilight for the ancient guy who's in love with a girl. But like he
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:yes.
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:purpose and it's weird.
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:yeah,
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:It's weird.
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:it, yeah.
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:And then like Seth, everybody wants him to do some cool stuff. Like the, everybody who has read the original series is like, I wanna see Seth Sling in some powers. And they do. It is so disappointing. I was so disappointed. They even spend time like teaching him and
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:Mm-hmm.
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:nothing happens. It's a waste.
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:Yeah, I, I actually really liked the part where he lost his memories. I loved that. I was like. We're getting consequences now. Uh, and then like showing how Seth is good to his core and stuff. Uh, even when like people were trying to make him not, and were like trying to persuade him to do other things. Um, but yeah, I feel like there, there was so much that could have gone right with Dragon Watch and I felt like it was, yeah, I feel like there should have been that time. Skip. I feel like there should have been. A lot more put into it. Um, like they kept mentioning this dragon skull, like the first dragon skull ever that is supposed to keep, um, humans or mortals not to see the magical world. And they kept mentioning it and so I thought they were like gonna get to that point where like somebody discovers it and they have to like protect it or something.
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:nothing.
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:There was like so much grandeur that was like build up and then it was like nothing. And also, here's an allegory of Seth getting baptized again.
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:Yeah. And they, I feel like the, the Witches were another cop out with the last book. Um, I just, the only part of the story that I actually like, like the only thing I can think of is the tiny warrior guy. I kind of like his conclusion,
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:Mm-hmm.
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:that's it. There's like everything else was, oh, you have some cool ideas here and you aren't completing any of them and you have them being children again, and I just
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:Yeah, it also had kind of a men in black ending with like the sisters and hum bugle and I hated that.
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:me too.
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:I hated that so much. I was like, I'm, I'm, I don't, we're not reading this, this end.
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:I got to the fourth book and I was like, you know what? I didn't really like this book very much, but I've, I've read nine books. I'll read the last one
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:Mm-hmm.
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:read it, and then my already really low expectations were not met. Like I,
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:Oh,
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:I really don't like Dragon Watch. The Dragon
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:no.
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:bad enough that unless someone like you. Or Brandon, one of our friends says that one of his books is just slam it outta the park. Good. I will never read Brandon Mole's new stuff ever again.
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:Mm, I
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:like Dragon
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:I don't think I'm gonna read any of his add-on stuff, but he is coming out with a new series that I am excited to read.'cause it's, it's not on, it's not based off of previous works, but.
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:if you get to the end of it, whenever he ends it and it's great. I will read it. I like, I swear right now I will read it. My problem is like, besides Fable Haven, there's no book series that he's had where I feel like he actually finishes it well. Um.
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:You didn't like Beyonders
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:I thought Beyonders, I, I liked Beyonders, but I thought the ending was kind of lackluster, not ruin it bad, but lackluster. Um, what are some of his other ones? There's one in
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:Shop War. Um,
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:one I just didn't
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:five Kingdoms was awful.
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:the biggest one. I really, really, really like. The first part of five kingdoms and the end of it is a train wreck.
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:Yeah, he was going through a divorce and he said it several times. He's like, I'm really sorry guys. Like, he's like, now. He's like, I shouldn't have let that like creeped into my work. But it did.
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:Yeah, he, he should rewrite the end of that series'cause
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:I agree.
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:awful.
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:it was a really good start. It was a really good start.
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:think the first like three books I think are really, really, really good.
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:I agree.
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:yeah, uh, that's the only way I will ever go back to Brenda Mall. Unfortunately.
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:good.
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:isn't about me. This is about you and your enjoyment. Fable.
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:Uh,
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:break. Let's break it up. Fable Haven for me is like a nine. I genuinely think it's that good. You don't think? You don't think so, Josh?
josh-dietrich_2_08-13-2025_132807:No,
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:hater.
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:a
josh-dietrich_2_08-13-2025_132807:I like Fable Haven, but it is not even a top five middle grade fantasy.
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:oh, I think it is. anything that I would put. Uh, I don't know if there's anything I would put in contention for better than it for middle grade fantasy. I think it
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:Uh,
josh-dietrich_2_08-13-2025_132807:Percy Jackson.
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:I think this is better.
josh-dietrich_2_08-13-2025_132807:There's no way.
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:Yes. Like
josh-dietrich_2_08-13-2025_132807:There's no way.
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:better.
josh-dietrich_2_08-13-2025_132807:No way.
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:I think it's, there was like the big three or whatever it was. The Lightning Thief, um, fable Haven.
josh-dietrich_2_08-13-2025_132807:The first Cherry Potter book,
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:What was,
josh-dietrich_2_08-13-2025_132807:Gregor the Overlander.
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:I feel like Harry Potter was like in a different thing. I feel like there was like three series that were coming out at the same time, which was Lightning Thief. Um, let's see. Rein.
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:Like, I think The Hobbit genuinely has contention for being better than this.
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:Oh, um, this was mine personally. Uh, Ranger's Apprentice. Love that series.
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:probably a little bit better, but that's close. That one's close.
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:I,
josh-dietrich_2_08-13-2025_132807:Aragon
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:is
josh-dietrich_2_08-13-2025_132807:Artemis Foul Lion Witch in the wardrobe,
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:I like this better than that.
josh-dietrich_2_08-13-2025_132807:Spiderwick.
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:In middle school, it would've for me in cart. I liked more.
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:the Chronicles of Pride in which you both of you have probably never read. It's a older middle grade fantasy. It has a lot of nostalgia for me, and it might, it's probably one I like a little bit better, but as far as quality, I don't know. It is, it's like old hobbity type language versus this one's more of a modern fantasy.
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:Is that the one with like the books with the stones and, and it's a different stone. Each book for like the belt. Oh, there's this book I read the first one of, and then I've never heard of it again, but I love the first book and I've been trying, I've been trying to find this book, so if anybody who's watching or listening knows what I'm talking about, please comment. I'll read it and I will review it.
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:have you heard of the Black Cauldron,
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:yeah.
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:this is the book series that that is based off of,
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:Oh, okay.
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:and it is, the books are way better and they're way different than the movie.
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:Mm-hmm.
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:But I genuinely love them. They're very, very good.
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:I think I, my teacher would read just the first of books so that we would read the rest of the series and he read the first book of that series.
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:Cool. like that one a lot, but it's also nostalgia. I don't know if it's actually
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:Mm,
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:Haven.
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:yeah. It was.
josh-dietrich_2_08-13-2025_132807:I think you're giving Fable Haven way too much credit.
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:I really don't, man. I think Fable Haven is excellent.
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:I think it's
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:excellent
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:for middle
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:four middle graders.
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:Yeah, it is tier and I know a lot of my stuff is nostalgia for why I am putting it so high. Because, okay. Um, so this was the beginning of Facebook. Um, Brandon Moll had a Facebook profile and before he knew what PR was, uh, I would Facebook message him and he would answer me.
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:That's really cool.
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:was so cool. I was like one of his first friends that he had on Facebook. And so since like. He got like a PR and like blew up and stuff. I was then unfriended and put to a fan page and I was like, no.
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:Dang it.
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:I was like, we had conversations and like I remember my dad being like, he's answering you. I was like, yeah, isn't it cool? And I was trying to, I was trying really hard to get him to come speak at my school. Um. But then he is like, oh yeah, get ahold of Kathy. Kathy, I don't wanna say I hate you on the internet, but something adjacent because she never scheduled me.
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:Kathy. Freaking Kathy. So
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:so bad.
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:do you rate Fable Haven?
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:Um, I think after this listen through. Probably an eight.
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:Okay.
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:Um, before I did this listen through, I would've been really quick to say like nine 10, because this has so much nostalgia for me and I less have like listened to it over and over and over again. Um,
josh-dietrich_2_08-13-2025_132807:And now you're realizing how rough that first book is.
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:like the first Fable Haven.
josh-dietrich_2_08-13-2025_132807:Yeah.
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:Okay. Um, here's, here's how I listen to them. I start on the second book first.
josh-dietrich_2_08-13-2025_132807:You are calling it a top tier, middle grade, and you don't even read the first book because it's so rough. Like, I'm sorry, I will die on this hill. Like I get it. My personal favorite is Gregor the Overlander and then Percy Jackson, but like. Calling all of fa. I think Fable Haven when it's at its peak is a nine, but that first. book is really rough and there's a couple of other lulls throughout that series too.
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:Maybe I need to reread the first book'cause it's been probably five years since I read this series. I don't remember it being that bad.
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:you didn't let me finish. I just start with the second book and then I end it on the first book.
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:She ends with the best.
josh-dietrich_2_08-13-2025_132807:Oh
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:this is such a weird,
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:book.
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:this is such a, I I love the third one. I think the third one's the best.
josh-dietrich_2_08-13-2025_132807:yeah.
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:but the reason, this is a really dumb reason, but the reason why I listen to the first one is because I get sad when it ends. And so then I realized. It doesn't make sense, but that's how I do it
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:What? What
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:because there's no fan fix of Fable Haven. Okay.
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:she just has to keep reading'em to find happiness. So what, what about Dragon
josh-dietrich_2_08-13-2025_132807:read Gregor the overlander or the Among the Hitted books.'cause those are genuinely really good all the way through.
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:the Hidden are actually quite good. dragon Watch, what would you rate that one? Mine would be a three.
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:I have a lot of problems with Dragon Watch, but I still re-listen to it with my Fable Haven re-listen. So I would have to say it's either a six or a seven. So,
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:enough.
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:but yeah.
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:Um. I will do mine first.'cause mine's depressing and yours is not depressing. Yours is good. So I did not, I read nothing to envy. Um, and it is v just sad. Um, it's about a. It's a, it's a of a documentary style book sort of where they are interviewing different people from North Korea that have escaped North Korea and across across the border to get into South Korea and telling their stories of their lives. what is really interesting to me, there's all, they interview this one particular girl and she's telling this love story and go to the movies together. And yes, all the movies are propaganda. But they start to, they're from different classes. They're not supposed to interact. It is very much Romeo and Juliet kind of stuff that happened to this girl, and she's connecting with this boy over these movies again and again and again. And she, he finds her beautiful, but knows that if he marries her, he might lose his status. She. Wants to marry the, wants to marry this boy just'cause she likes this boy. But they're from different classes. Their culture won't allow them to be together. They're always, they're always separated and the only place that they can be together is when they sneak away for a weekend and they spend some time together or at these movies. So they go to the movies every single week and they get closer and closer. all society says, no, you cannot be together. And I find it interesting, and I told Josh this, I don't think about people being alive during these kind of events. And it talks about how like her grandma was alive when North and South Korea were one Korea. So she, they remember cousins that are still alive, that are in the other Korea, but yet they're so separated and the people in North Korea absolutely believe that they're in the right. And that this is the way that you're supposed to live. And communism is great and they're gonna come together and the people in South Korea are drifting further and further away. So you have this older generation that still wants to reunite with their long lost cousins and sometimes even closer family that are right across the border. have the younger generation that's like, that's North Korea. We don't remember any of them. They're not our family. We don't want to connect with them. We wanna stay away. And it, it's a very interesting dynamic. this point in time, they estimate that if they were to connect all the Koreas together, it would cost$1.2 trillion to be able to recombine the Chos. um, North Korea just keeps getting worse and worse and worse. And at some point people think that it will collapse, but they don't know when, and they've been thinking that it will collapse for 20 years at this point, with both sides having very, very, Having, having to deal with a really hard question and you follow these people as they're crossing the borders and as they're swimming. And it will talk about how there's a city that's on the, on the, the, um, border between North Korea and China and across the river. This is like the nineties. You can see people with and cars and they're driving and everyone has their own car. that's how they're thinking. And then you have the people on the North Korean guides side who have never seen a car in North Korea, this is the nineties. Um, people are still like pulling horse and buggies and you're, you're thinking, okay, they keep telling me that this is the right way, that communism is the right way, follow the great leader. it's going through the history. China and Russia were both. Kind of fighting for North Korea to be able to have control over it. So they were giving lots of money to North Korea and propping up the entire economy. Slowly that starts to drift away and these people get poor and poor and poorer, and they literally made frogs extinct in North Korea because they ate all of them they were starving to death. So it's getting worse and worse and worse. And right before the last of the funding comes from Russia and it fades away literally that week. Um, Kim Jong-un, but his father dies, and then all of a sudden everything collapses. So all of these propaganda pieces of the world is gonna get worse and everything's gonna get worse if we don't follow. Our great leader seems to come to fruition because their great leader dies, and then all of a suddenly everything goes terribly. And everybody's like, oh, we just need to follow the great leader's son. We need to follow the great leader's son. We need to have enough faith in him. And then everything will get better the food will come back and everything will be okay, but it's not being okay. they have to go into black market and start doing seems like commercial capitalism trading be able to feed themselves. And men aren't supposed to. Men are more focused on, so they're supposed to go to work. They're very like organized. They're very structured. So the women will sneak away and they'll do these black markets. And the women actually are the ones who are the big breadwinners for people in North Korea because there's just not enough food be able to, or not enough work and not enough money to be able to get paid correctly when you are actually working a normal job. So you have to do these black market things, which are against their society and against capitalism, against communism because they're so capitalistic in nature. And you have so many different layers of just layers upon layers upon layers in this really unique, super interesting culture. One of the parts of the book that I found most heartbreaking was this relationship with this wo young woman and this man, they've been dating on and off basically in secret for years, and she's about to leave North Korea. She doesn't want to be here anymore. She would rather be a like. in China, then stay in North Korea after being, after seeing the cars just across the river. She doesn't want to be there anymore. So she's going to leave and she can't trust him enough to know that he wouldn't rat her out and keep her in this place. So she doesn't tell him. And she goes, and she
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:Hmm.
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:gets to South Korea, but she doesn't know where this guy is. He's in North Korea. It's completely, isolated. They have no communication. He could be dead, he could be married, she doesn't know. But she had to get outta North Korea so bad. She literally didn't tell her family, she didn't tell her friends. She didn't tell anybody because she didn't want anyone to stop her from being able to leave. And that's what's required to be able to get out of this hell hole.
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:Hmm.
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:book was when, when we talk about things that are eye-opening, um, we talk about cultures that we don't really know. And I don't, I did, this is a part of the world I didn't really know. And I found absolutely fascinating as I read this book. Uh, Josh is a big history buff. He looks at a lot of different cultures. He probably knows more about this than I do. For me, this was extremely eye-opening about what is really out there in the world how lucky we are here in America to, to live the lives that we do. Fascinating book.
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:Yeah, it's, yeah, it's really funny to me realizing like how different people's lives are elsewhere. Um,'cause like I remember, uh, kind of like complaining to my dad one time with like, how I was like, it feels like the world's ending. And he is like. Well, you know, great-grandpa thought the world was ending when World War II happened. So like that, like we still hear everything about like World War II and like the atrocities and everything of that. But like, it's funny'cause I think about that a lot whenever I am thinking about like how awful I think things are happening or like when you have fearmongering happening on social media and stuff of being like. Okay. There's a lot of people who probably think like what you mentioned, like, um, Koreans being like, oh, the leader's dead, and now everything's crumbling. When it's like the world isn't ending, but this thing is ending. And like over here there is like, yes, that sucks for everybody, but that just goes to show you that everything's different depending where you are in your perspective.
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:even just here, like if you've ever read the book Educated, I would highly, highly recommend it. It's great. Um, it's a girl who's in Idaho and she grows up in a very, very, very conservative Mormon family, like super, hyper conservative, homeschooled kind of a situation. And she is literally told like the Lord is coming, the Lord will protect you. And this is 2000. So they have that big 2000 millennial world's gonna end thing. And every single time the world's gonna end, the Lord is gonna come. It's gonna be the second coming. And she gets afraid every single time there's a general conference that's a, the LDS church comes together and look at and listens to the leader because she thinks that one of the leaders is going to say that the, uh, the apocalypse has started and the second coming is going to start. So every single time the general conference starts, she gets. Literally terrified that the world is going to end over and over and over again.
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:Yeah.
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:just, I mean, and, and that's, that's me and Lauren live in Utah still. And that's next door, like the, she lived four hours away. I know somebody that knows her brother, and four hours away and she constantly was in the fear of the world ending. And there's just so, there's so many. Nuances to the culture that it surrounds us
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:Yeah.
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:many different people and so many different thoughts, you know?
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:Mm-hmm. And yeah, and for those who don't know, the LDS conference happens twice a year, so she's fearful that the world's gonna end twice a year. That's no fun.
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:no, that sucks.
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:it's interesting'cause I
josh-dietrich_2_08-13-2025_132807:It's gotta have been better than the conferences she was actually listening to though.
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:What do you mean?
josh-dietrich_2_08-13-2025_132807:Have you ever gone back and listened to like the conference from the nineties?
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:No, I've never done that
josh-dietrich_2_08-13-2025_132807:It is unbearable. the Saturday session. is literally just a sustaining.
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:the entire
josh-dietrich_2_08-13-2025_132807:They call'em. Yep. They just call'em out by name and vote and call'em out by name and vote. Yeah.
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:Oh gosh.
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:So like Elder
josh-dietrich_2_08-13-2025_132807:Of the 70,
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:B.
josh-dietrich_2_08-13-2025_132807:names then all 12 names, then the prophet. Yep.
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:Oh, dang.
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:Um, it's an, sorry, what were you gonna say?
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:I was just gonna say, different cultures are super, super interesting and,
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:Um.
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:a book I'll talk about next week talks about the FLDS and like, again, in my neighborhood, I didn't know almost anything about it. think it's just so many different avenues to explore and so many people to explore and like. I've got two amazing co-hosts on here. They both have incredible backstories and histories and I know quite a bit about Josh. There's a lot of things about Lauren that I don't know, and I know that she's, uh, I know I say is weird to say incredible Lauren.'cause I know you've gone through a lot, but that's, that's a form of incredible,
lauren_2_08-13-2025_172804:Yeah, that's true.
konlin-gappmayer_2_08-13-2025_172803:there's a lot of, there's a lot to be shared there and we should understand each other and understand the world a little bit more if we can. Yeah. this book, uh, was very, very enlightening to me. Very interesting.
konlin-gappmayer_4_08-13-2025_180400:All right. This book was very eyeopening to me and I would probably give it an eight
josh-dietrich_4_08-13-2025_140403:So why did you start so negative? That's my question. You said you weren't very positive. Um, you wanted to delay my topics, but you give this innate so.
konlin-gappmayer_4_08-13-2025_180400:because it's sad. North Korea is a sad thing. If you're not sad by North Korea, Josh, you have no soul. North Korea is a sad thing.
josh-dietrich_4_08-13-2025_140403:Well, I believe in balanced pros and cons. There's good and bad to everything. Uh, like, it's not like you hate, like you had a good experience with this book. You learned something new.
konlin-gappmayer_4_08-13-2025_180400:That's
josh-dietrich_4_08-13-2025_140403:That's way more than I can say about my topics. Yours made you a better person.
konlin-gappmayer_4_08-13-2025_180400:Okay. Maybe, maybe North Korea is just so much more positive than what Josh has to talk about. Way more positive. No, I get, I get what you're saying, Josh. I get what you're saying. Like I did have a good experience with the Bo, with the, with what I was learning, even though North Korea is obviously not a happy sunshine place.
lauren_4_08-13-2025_180401:Yeah, it was like a rough topic that you got something good out of.
konlin-gappmayer_4_08-13-2025_180400:Yes, exactly.
lauren_4_08-13-2025_180401:Yeah.
konlin-gappmayer_4_08-13-2025_180400:All right, Josh, let's go through your topics.
josh-dietrich_4_08-13-2025_140403:Okay, I'm gonna start with fall guy. Um, this wa was a movie. I was very excited when it was coming out. I remember watching the trailer and being like, I really like Ryan Gosling. This is gonna be a funny movie. I'm really looking forward to it. And then I remember it coming out and nobody really talking very much about it. Uh, recently one of my very good friends. Uh, got engaged. So I took them and Conlin out for sushi. We had a great time and he said that this might be one of his all time favorite movies, and I was like, oh, yeah, I still never have seen that. Um, I, I think the name is part of the problem because there's the other movie with Brian Reynolds that has a similar name, but. It was a very different movie. Um,
konlin-gappmayer_4_08-13-2025_180400:free guy.
josh-dietrich_4_08-13-2025_140403:free guy. Yeah. And so I was like, okay, well let's watch it. Um, I really had a good time with this movie. Um, I have two notes for it. Um, and they are problems. I wish that they were smaller problems. Um, the first one is a kind of a nitpick I will grant. Um, I wish that the, his accident was just an accident.
konlin-gappmayer_4_08-13-2025_180400:It would've been better.
josh-dietrich_4_08-13-2025_140403:I liked the idea that, yeah, sometimes bad things just happen.
konlin-gappmayer_4_08-13-2025_180400:Me too.
josh-dietrich_4_08-13-2025_140403:Uh, my second is not a nitpick. It is a big flaw in the movie. The motive of the antagonist is terrible.
konlin-gappmayer_4_08-13-2025_180400:It's really stupid.
josh-dietrich_4_08-13-2025_140403:Um, Lauren, have you seen it?
lauren_4_08-13-2025_180401:Mm-hmm.
josh-dietrich_4_08-13-2025_140403:Okay, so the main antagonist, this big famous actor guy that's very clearly Tom Cruise, but not Tom Cruise, is jealous. Of his stunt guy for getting all of the attention. What? There's no way that that would turn you to murder or even be remotely true if you accept that big flaw. Uh. This movie's entertaining. I love all of the action sequences. I love the idea of it being this stunt guy. I love how they handled the romance and like how men behave when they feel like they're embarrassed in front of somebody they care for and love, and know that that changes how they are viewed as people. Um. I love that they didn't ignore that from the female side, which is very easy to have the female character be like, oh, I never, I never changed how I thought of you because of that thing. Uh, she acknowledged it and they grew together as a couple, and I was like, holy crap. Healthy relationship. Would you look at that? I was expecting to be really mad at this romance because. They were gonna screw it up, but they did a great job. Um, the comedy was really good. The stunts were really clever. None of it was so far out of reach that it was beyond belief. Um, the only stunt I actually have a problem with is the one where he fakes his own death the second time, um, with the boat because he's covered in gas. So like. He, he would've caught on fire and would not have walked away fine. He probably would've survived with the water, but like significant burns probably, I think, um, his clothes definitely would not be in perfect condition, but you know, they did what they did. That's, that's a nitpick. But I'm totally okay with that because it was just exciting and it was fun and I didn't have high expectations for story, but I got a really. Good one. Um, very fun movie. If you haven't seen it, please watch it. I think it is better than Free Guy, even though I do like Free Guy. Um, free Guy is more of a like, ha ha ha. That's the Captain America Shield and Chris Ams. Uh, Chris Evans going, what the sh You know, like it's just a fun movie. This one is a really fun movie with some great. Story elements to it and a pretty good overall story if you can ignore the antagonist. So, um,
konlin-gappmayer_4_08-13-2025_180400:part is the part where he is trying to apologize and he has to go through the stunt over and over again and Emily get a bunch of snakes and can
josh-dietrich_4_08-13-2025_140403:yeah,
konlin-gappmayer_4_08-13-2025_180400:and
josh-dietrich_4_08-13-2025_140403:yeah,
konlin-gappmayer_4_08-13-2025_180400:It's great.
josh-dietrich_4_08-13-2025_140403:for sure. Um, I.
konlin-gappmayer_4_08-13-2025_180400:enjoyable.
lauren_4_08-13-2025_180401:I was gonna say it. I wonder, I can't remember if this is true or not, but when they're trying to get the world record for the number of flips, think that actually they actually did get the world record of number of flips for that stunt,
konlin-gappmayer_4_08-13-2025_180400:That's really cool.
lauren_4_08-13-2025_180401:when they did it for the movie. Which was cool. And then also, um, I think it's Youngblood does the cover of, the song where he fakes his death.
josh-dietrich_4_08-13-2025_140403:Mm-hmm.
lauren_4_08-13-2025_180401:Really good.
josh-dietrich_4_08-13-2025_140403:Yeah,
lauren_4_08-13-2025_180401:Really good.
josh-dietrich_4_08-13-2025_140403:I love that it was a movie that was actually dedicated to stunt guys. Um, so like the whole ending sequence was just like famous actors with their stunt doubles doing stuff. Um. I came across a, just the other day, it was a TikTok of the new Spider-Man, what's his name? Tom Holland. And when he thought he met Robert Downey Jr. And was acting all awkward, he was actually talking to Rd j's stunt double. And it took him like,
konlin-gappmayer_4_08-13-2025_180400:awesome.
josh-dietrich_4_08-13-2025_140403:RDJ walked into the room to realize that that's what was going on. Um. So just like, I loved all of that. It was like, it felt like a love letter letter to those unsung heroes of stunt doubles. And it wasn't like valiant where you're like, where did that come from? Like it was genuine, like really good stuff. I was, I was thinking about it afterwards and I was like, you know, I wonder if Ryan Gosling's. Stunt double had more screen time than Ryan Gosling in this movie because of all of the action sequences and stuff. And they were showing clips of it being his stunt double and all that stuff at the end. And I was like, it's probably pretty close. Um, so yeah, really fun, really good. Watch. All of the stunts look really, really good. Just a couple of little nitpicks, one kind of big problem, but it doesn't matter to me because this movie's just fun.
konlin-gappmayer_4_08-13-2025_180400:And what would
josh-dietrich_4_08-13-2025_140403:It doesn't ruin it all. Um, I don't think it's best movie of all time quality, um, because it does have those issues and stuff. For me, it's like an eight out of a 10. Um, it's one that is like, yeah, I'll probably rewatch this and like. Uh, a couple of years, probably. Definitely not a yearly rewatch, but really, really good. If somebody wanted to watch it, heck yeah, I'd be down.
konlin-gappmayer_4_08-13-2025_180400:Cool.
josh-dietrich_4_08-13-2025_140403:Like this would be a really good social watch too. So
konlin-gappmayer_4_08-13-2025_180400:Mine
josh-dietrich_4_08-13-2025_140403:it's just good.
konlin-gappmayer_4_08-13-2025_180400:Been in eight when I first watched it, it sied down to like a 7.5 just'cause I don't find myself wanting to re-watch it. But I, I don't really have a reason why. I just, I don't know, I just don't find myself wanting to re-watch it. But it's still a great movie. Really
josh-dietrich_4_08-13-2025_140403:But when was the last time you watched it?
konlin-gappmayer_4_08-13-2025_180400:uh, two years ago, something like that. When
josh-dietrich_4_08-13-2025_140403:Yeah, I'm gonna guess this is like a five year movie.
konlin-gappmayer_4_08-13-2025_180400:Okay, cool. That's
josh-dietrich_4_08-13-2025_140403:Right, that's, that's where I would predict, like, yeah, initially I might rewatch it again next year or the year after, but probably it will average out to be five, six year kind of movie. Something that it's like, oh yeah, I haven't seen that in a while, and I don't remember everything about it. And I like Emily Blunt and I like Ryan Reynolds, or not Ryan Reynolds. Ryan Gosling. Yeah. I'll turn it. I'll have another good time with it. Really, really happy. I watched it.
lauren_4_08-13-2025_180401:Um, did you see the promotional where, um, they're in, they introduced Ryan Gosling, but then it showed him jump down onto the stage and it showed his stunt double, and then he came out of the, the curtain. Oh,
josh-dietrich_4_08-13-2025_140403:Uh, I haven't seen it. That sounds like a good proportional for it. Um,
konlin-gappmayer_4_08-13-2025_180400:That's awesome. All right,
josh-dietrich_4_08-13-2025_140403:What would you give it, Lauren?
lauren_4_08-13-2025_180401:Uh, I would probably give it like an eight. Um, really enjoyed watching it. If I see it pop up on a streaming service that I have, I'll probably watch it.
konlin-gappmayer_4_08-13-2025_180400:Cool.
josh-dietrich_4_08-13-2025_140403:It's on bugs. Um, there you have it. Audience, I think this is the first time all three of us generally agree,
konlin-gappmayer_4_08-13-2025_180400:Yeah,
josh-dietrich_4_08-13-2025_140403:like we're all pretty much on the same page on this one. I think it's the first time.
lauren_4_08-13-2025_180401:I was gonna say, I think we've agreed on some hate stuff. I think we've all hated on one thing together. I can't remember what it was, but
josh-dietrich_4_08-13-2025_140403:I pr. Probably not to the same degree though.
lauren_4_08-13-2025_180401:Oh,
josh-dietrich_4_08-13-2025_140403:Like if we had talked about Lost Jedi, I would hate on it more than both of you,
konlin-gappmayer_4_08-13-2025_180400:Do you what?
josh-dietrich_4_08-13-2025_140403:but we all hate it, but like not to the same degree. This one, we're all really close about this. Yeah.
lauren_4_08-13-2025_180401:Hmm.
konlin-gappmayer_4_08-13-2025_180400:That's a big deal.
josh-dietrich_4_08-13-2025_140403:I could be wrong, I could absolutely be wrong, but I feel like,
konlin-gappmayer_4_08-13-2025_180400:I can't
josh-dietrich_4_08-13-2025_140403:I guess we all agree on Black Panther,
lauren_4_08-13-2025_180401:That's true.
josh-dietrich_4_08-13-2025_140403:uh,
konlin-gappmayer_4_08-13-2025_180400:but that's
josh-dietrich_4_08-13-2025_140403:and we all kind of agreed on Idiocracy, but
konlin-gappmayer_4_08-13-2025_180400:We're all pretty close.
josh-dietrich_4_08-13-2025_140403:not,
konlin-gappmayer_4_08-13-2025_180400:more and more similar in our taste apparently,
josh-dietrich_4_08-13-2025_140403:uh, no.'cause
lauren_4_08-13-2025_180401:No.
konlin-gappmayer_4_08-13-2025_180400:because
josh-dietrich_4_08-13-2025_140403:pride and prejudice and zombies, like we could go back over those topics again.
lauren_4_08-13-2025_180401:You
josh-dietrich_4_08-13-2025_140403:We've had some disagreements. Yeah. Um, okay. My next topic is Morningstar. It is the third book in the Red Rising Series.
konlin-gappmayer_4_08-13-2025_180400:Hmm.
josh-dietrich_4_08-13-2025_140403:This one is the Roughest Start. Uh, all three books follow the same plot. Main character goes through bad thing and becomes weak. Main character has to learn. Well, he has to think beyond just himself a lesson that we really need to learn as a society. But like he has to learn it three times and he actually learns it twice in Morningstar'cause he gets kidnapped again and loses all of his control and power and has friends die again and. After the second book, I was really hoping we could, you know, move forward in the plot.'cause like even in the second book, I was like, we already had him lose everything. We don't need to have him lose everything again. And then twice in the third book, he loses everything again. And I'm like, come on, let's. Please move. Please just learn a different lesson, please. Um, I am very grateful that Mustang didn't end up being the one who betrayed him, but I, that I do hate that she left him the way that she did on Mars. Um, I hate that she turned to Cassian. Even though that was just her playing the game, I think that that's scummy and I don't like it. Um. I love that. At the end it was a fake kidnapping. I was literally listening to it and I was like, a third time in this book, he is getting kidnapped and losing everything. Are you kidding? I was about to rage and that it literally turned into like a fake kidnapping and I was like, oh my gosh. Thank you. We are good. He learned his lesson. He knows to get kidnapped on purpose. Now he's basically Anakin Skywalker. Um, I love the fake death, uh, because I totally bought it and, and I'm really tempted to just stop this series right here. Because I think this is just a whole complete story. Like I know more goes on. I know that there's still more battle to be fought, but like we've tied it all together. Mustang and him are finally on the same freaking page and they are no longer playing games with each other. And I'm like, yes, you're a great couple. Just be that way. Um, I hate that she held. She didn't tell him about his son. I think that's a scummy thing to do, but like I could let that go because it was such a wholesome, like, feel goody moment for me. Um, this is the most mis born one esque book I've read where I think the beginning is fine. The middle part is really rough, and the ending is just fantastic. I feel that way about this book too. The beginning is fine. A little bit frustrating. Why do we have to go through this again? Middle is kind of frustrating. Like, okay, we're losing our power again and we're doing this again. Let's move on. And then the ending is like,
konlin-gappmayer_4_08-13-2025_180400:is
josh-dietrich_4_08-13-2025_140403:it's so wholesome, so good. I'm like, let's just, let's stop the series. Let's just. Not keep reading. I know there's two more books out and a third coming this year, but like I just love this story the way it is. If I could just leave it alone, I will be very happy with this series and they can't ruin it any further.
lauren_4_08-13-2025_180401:I just love, love.
josh-dietrich_4_08-13-2025_140403:I do, I do love, love.
konlin-gappmayer_4_08-13-2025_180400:love is great. I love the final battle in this and how it ties back to like he is and like ev, everything about, I think the final battle is so. Cool. So cool.
josh-dietrich_4_08-13-2025_140403:It is like the ending is exceptional. Uh, the only thing I feel like is missing
konlin-gappmayer_4_08-13-2025_180400:Mm-hmm.
josh-dietrich_4_08-13-2025_140403:is what Cassian saw on the record. That is my only thing that I'm like, why did you not tell me what it was that he saw that changed his whole outlook on Darrow? Because like
konlin-gappmayer_4_08-13-2025_180400:That's
josh-dietrich_4_08-13-2025_140403:get that they didn't tell you so that you bought it when he like kidnapped Darrow. I understand. Like after the fact, could you not have put a little appendix that was like, Hey, by the way, this is what happened to him in the cell. This is what changed his mind. Um, I'm very, very curious as to what it was, but like, like I said, right now I feel like I have a whole complete nice little package. That is a great series. I really love it. I know that the next book follows his son's per point of view and no longer his point of view. I also know. That it drops about a point to two points on the next two couple of books in ratings, so.
konlin-gappmayer_4_08-13-2025_180400:I wouldn't blame you if you just stopped here. To be completely honest, I love the second book in this next trilogy. I think it's fantastic, like really, really, really good. the book after that kind of undoes everything that he does in the second book, and it makes me. I'm gonna see how red God goes. But if you wanted to wait and see what I thought about it, it might not be worth starting quite yet'cause I, I'm shaky on whether this is gonna end up being worth. The read for the second series,
josh-dietrich_4_08-13-2025_140403:Yeah,
konlin-gappmayer_4_08-13-2025_180400:series I think is brilliant, straight up. I
josh-dietrich_4_08-13-2025_140403:I mean
konlin-gappmayer_4_08-13-2025_180400:like it more than you do.
josh-dietrich_4_08-13-2025_140403:the next two books still have good ratings. Um, they're still three and four outta five stars. It's just the first three books have four and five star books.
konlin-gappmayer_4_08-13-2025_180400:Yeah,
josh-dietrich_4_08-13-2025_140403:So like I know it's not gonna be as good. And yeah, Conlin likes the second book better Than Me, which is crazy'cause the first book is just the best book of the trilogy.
konlin-gappmayer_4_08-13-2025_180400:you are the only person that thinks that
josh-dietrich_4_08-13-2025_140403:I'm not the only person that like look on good reads. It has the highest rating. Yeah.
konlin-gappmayer_4_08-13-2025_180400:that's shocking to me.
josh-dietrich_4_08-13-2025_140403:Uh, I would highly recommend this trilogy. Uh. I know I kind of raged on the second book and I was about to rage on the third book.'cause I, I think it's totally valid to be like, we don't need to learn this lesson four times.
konlin-gappmayer_4_08-13-2025_180400:That's fair.
josh-dietrich_4_08-13-2025_140403:but it's still really, really good. Um, it is all about hope and perseverance. Those are two things that I absolutely love. Is it the best sci-fi fantasy book ever? No. Is it. Good enough. You should read it. Absolutely. Yeah.
konlin-gappmayer_4_08-13-2025_180400:What is your favorite sci-fi fantasy book?
josh-dietrich_4_08-13-2025_140403:I don't even know off the top of my head like I would, I would. We were just talking about middle grade books. Like I Love Gregory The Overlander. I really like Percy Jackson. Those are two that I would absolutely reread. Uh, hit Dungeon Crawler. Carl probably is my favorite'cause it's phenomenal.
konlin-gappmayer_4_08-13-2025_180400:It is phenomenal.
josh-dietrich_4_08-13-2025_140403:But it's not done yet though.
lauren_4_08-13-2025_180401:Would you say that Dungeon Crawl Carl is middle grade, even though it like drops the F-bomb and stuff
josh-dietrich_4_08-13-2025_140403:No, it's not. No,
konlin-gappmayer_4_08-13-2025_180400:would,
josh-dietrich_4_08-13-2025_140403:uh, I was saying Percy Jackson and Gregor, the overlander are
lauren_4_08-13-2025_180401:Oh, okay. Okay, okay.
josh-dietrich_4_08-13-2025_140403:dungeon crower. Carl's absolutely not middle grade. It is not safe for middle grade readers. Uh. It stars a middle-aged man who swears and there's lots of violence. It is not middle grade. It's not young adults.
konlin-gappmayer_4_08-13-2025_180400:and prostitutes.
lauren_4_08-13-2025_180401:that's true.
josh-dietrich_4_08-13-2025_140403:yeah. No, it is not middle grade. I was just saying, we just talked about middle grade, which reminded me of Percy Jackson and Gregor the overlander.
lauren_4_08-13-2025_180401:Okay. With Percy Jackson did. There's like the main series and then he has another series.
josh-dietrich_4_08-13-2025_140403:I've only read the main series.
konlin-gappmayer_4_08-13-2025_180400:Main series is
josh-dietrich_4_08-13-2025_140403:I have not read any of the other ones.
konlin-gappmayer_4_08-13-2025_180400:I don't
lauren_4_08-13-2025_180401:Because
konlin-gappmayer_4_08-13-2025_180400:one.
lauren_4_08-13-2025_180401:I, I've only read the main series and I was thinking about rereading the main series and then reading the second
josh-dietrich_4_08-13-2025_140403:So there's three series in the universe. There's the original series, which everybody kind of agrees is the best one. There's the one that switches over to the Egyptian gods that people kind of think is like not as good, and then he switches back to the Greek gods and it's like,
lauren_4_08-13-2025_180401:to Roman?
josh-dietrich_4_08-13-2025_140403:I don't know what it is. I haven't read them. I'm just saying in general, the consensus is that second series is really rough and it gets better when it comes back to the Percy Jackson
konlin-gappmayer_4_08-13-2025_180400:I read the
josh-dietrich_4_08-13-2025_140403:side of things.
konlin-gappmayer_4_08-13-2025_180400:back to the Percy Jackson. I, I thought it was okay. I didn't think it was great. I like, I like the original series a lot. It's good, Jason.
lauren_4_08-13-2025_180401:Okay,
konlin-gappmayer_4_08-13-2025_180400:Anyway. guys, with that, let's go to our shared topic. want to go with you, Lauren. What did you think of August Rush?
lauren_4_08-13-2025_180401:so last time. I watched this movie. I was a very young child that liked Robin Williams. I now understand what was going on in the movie, and hate Robin Williams in this movie. I was like.
josh-dietrich_4_08-13-2025_140403:Wait, you liked Robin Williams character as a kid?
lauren_4_08-13-2025_180401:As a kid, I'm like, it's Robin Williams, so of course you should go with Robin Williams. I didn't understand what was going on. I was not paying attention to the plot. I think I was like, when did this come out? Like I was a wee, a wee child, um, for this. But
konlin-gappmayer_4_08-13-2025_180400:time ago.
lauren_4_08-13-2025_180401:yeah, so, um, I think. Yeah, I just remember being like, I was rewatching this, I was like, wait, Robin Williams isn't the good guy. Um, but it was funny'cause I think the things that I wrote down was I was like, stop playing the guitar like that. Robin Williams is the bad guy. And uh, I just have like, so much anxiety of like. All the times that like, people were like miscommunicating or like didn't know this or didn't know that, and I was like, one phone call, one phone call people, we could just get this all sorted out. But, um, I, I did like the music in it. if I could get over how he played the guitar at the, you know, like when he's like slapping the guitar, I remember watching this with my dad. Um, the first time, and my dad's a guitarist and he was so angry at how this kid was playing the guitar. And I remember as a kid I was like, it doesn't matter. It is cool. And then now me watching as an adult, I'm like, that's so stupid on how he's playing the guitar.
josh-dietrich_4_08-13-2025_140403:He actually played the guitar that way though.
lauren_4_08-13-2025_180401:Did they
josh-dietrich_4_08-13-2025_140403:Yeah, he's actually, that's really him doing it. It was based on, there was a famous musician that they were like, oh, that's a cool, unique way. He plays the guitar. We want to teach our actor how to do that.
konlin-gappmayer_4_08-13-2025_180400:Yeah.
lauren_4_08-13-2025_180401:very first part where he's just like smacking the guitar, though I see later he's like pushing in and like actually hitting it, but like the very first part where he's just like slamming it and it's doing like the perfect tune. No,
konlin-gappmayer_4_08-13-2025_180400:That's fair.
lauren_4_08-13-2025_180401:but then I did see later him actually putting the fingers down on the parts. But those first few smacks.
josh-dietrich_4_08-13-2025_140403:Well those first few snacks are him learning music'cause he is a child and is a prodigy who doesn't know anything about music. So.
lauren_4_08-13-2025_180401:Yet somehow they strum the perfect notes. Uh, that's just a really big nitpick of mine. I, I mean, it is a small nitpick that I'm making big. Um. Yeah. Other than the anxiety of me just wanting them to be together as a family. Now that I understood the plot, uh, I liked it and I was mad at Robin Williams.
konlin-gappmayer_4_08-13-2025_180400:What would you rate it?
lauren_4_08-13-2025_180401:Um, probably like, just for like rewatch ability.'cause I probably won't watch this. It's not gonna be on my like rewatch list. 6.5,
konlin-gappmayer_4_08-13-2025_180400:Okay.
lauren_4_08-13-2025_180401:so
konlin-gappmayer_4_08-13-2025_180400:what about you?
josh-dietrich_4_08-13-2025_140403:I absolutely love this movie. I wanna take full credit. This was my recommendation that we all watched. It is. Amazing. It's really well put together. Uh, the plot makes sense of like, they actually give a reason why they can't just make a phone call and that's, he runs away and is not a phone call lay away.
lauren_4_08-13-2025_180401:I
josh-dietrich_4_08-13-2025_140403:Um, and the two parents lose each other's phone numbers. It's not like, oh, it's just like, because it like. All make sense and they all have different goals, and she has the pressure from her dad and he has the, he gives up on his hopes and his dreams because it's not really working out and it needs to be more serious. And he doesn't know about the child and she thought she had lost the child and all of that kind of stuff. Um, it is so wholesome and so hopeful, and the music is so good and it's all about. Looking up, um, something that I had to learn again in my life. I watched this when it first came out on DVD with my family and really liked it. Um, but like when I got a motorcycle, it was all like, you have to like look up and see where you're going. You can't just be like going along. And I started to notice like, hey, when you cross that hill. On University Avenue and you see Utah Lake, like that's gorgeous. A road I had driven hundreds of times in my life, but doing it on a motorcycle made me look up. And this movie is just that, right? It is listening to the music that is out in the world and looking up and stopping and smelling the roses along the way and. Given people chances. And yeah, some people like Robin Williams take advantage of you, but most people are good. And you have that amazing little girl with that angel voice and like, what a phenomenal performance she gives. And like all the music in it is real music played by the actual actors. Um, they didn't fake anything or dub anything. I don't. I absolutely love it. Um, fantastic movie. Will Rewatch again. Absolutely loved it.
konlin-gappmayer_4_08-13-2025_180400:What will you read it?
josh-dietrich_4_08-13-2025_140403:8.75.
konlin-gappmayer_4_08-13-2025_180400:Okay, so the reason that I, I asked to run this episode, um, we try to find. that shape us and change us and make us into something different. Um, this was one of those movies for me. I think Lauren some right points, and I don't, I'm not against anybody who doesn't like this movie because there's some cheese to it. There's some conveniences, the very end where their hands touched and they haven't talked in like 10 years and all of a suddenly they're holding hands again. I'm like, yeah, right. Um, I think Robin Williams, honestly, I'm being super critical about it, this is the only role I've ever seen where I felt like he phoned it in a little bit. I don't think he's that good in this movie. I don't care. When I watched Rati for the first time, it made me want to connect with art, and at the very end of the movie, the critic is talking about how he had all this expectations and how easy it is to judge other people, but. This experience that I had, he wrote last night, I experienced something new, an extraordinary male from a singularly unexpected source. To say that both the male and the maker have challenged my preconceptions about fine Cooking is a gross understatement. They have rocked me to my core, and this movie rocked me to my core. was absolutely engrossed the entire time. Uh, Freddie Highmore is incredible. And every accolade for this movie. In my opinion, this is the greatest typical Christian type movie that you've, I've ever seen. In Christian movies, you have the God figure who guides the entire story and things happen that somewhat aren't, aren't believable, but you come together and they're wholesome. Anyway, it's every single Christian movie and this one, the music is that God figure and he is guiding Freddy to something greater to his parents that he has lost. My probably biggest fear in life is that I won't ever find a place that I belong and I won't ever find a place that I feel whole and I won't ever find a place that I feel connected. And Freddy going through this story and he's listening to the music and he's trying to find a place where he belongs. He's trying to find his family and he is using this talent to be able to reach out and find something more and keep reaching. And I, I thought about the parable of the talents, where you have the person who uses his talents and they expand, and they have the person that buries his talents and stays the same. That's not what really happens. When you bury your talents, you lose them and you lose yourself. And Freddy has this opportunity to expand, to grow, and to become something more. And you have this character played by Robin Williams that is trying to get everything from him and is really. He is having him use the talent, but not to his full extent it would crush what he's capable of becoming. He's capable of being more, there's so many people in this world that crush themselves and they lose what they're capable of. They lose the magic that's inside of them. You look at a small child and everybody wants that child to be, to exceed and to grow and to be something more. But how many people just tell them to put their head in the sand and stop, and then they lose themselves and they become sad, lonely, and they become isolated, and they don't know where to go. Freddy could have had this happen to him, but he listens to the music and he keeps going. I was watching this movie and I was thinking to myself about all the times where I've stopped myself, where I've stopped from growing, where I've stopped from going forward. How many times have I listened to that character? And not been the best version of myself, been something more, followed the music, followed the calling, followed something larger than me. Um, it's funny because last week we, we watched another movie with Carrie Russell that I didn't like very much, and I knew that she was capable of acting. You can see the motherly love that's inside of this. And, uh. When she finds out that she lost her son and the son is out there and she listens to the music too and she goes for it. If Freddy wouldn't have gone for it too, the dream doesn't happen. I sat and I stared at the ceiling for hours after I watched this movie and just thought about it. This movie shook me. It moved me. Um, I thought about it all day. I literally can't get this movie outta my head. And it makes me want to be a better person. This is like the movie that I think the entire year that we've been doing this channel, this is the one that demonstrates what we were trying to do with onscreen offscreen. Finding something that shifts who you are, that shifts, that moves you deep. It is this, um, I wanted to give it a nine because of the few little nitpicks, but I have to give this a 9.5 because it like it literally. Shook my me to my core. Thank you for choosing this. Josh. I loved not, not liked, loved this movie. This is like the OUIs or the Bravehearts, those movies that I go to the end and there's like something that almost feels hollow, but hollow in a good way. When you're done watching it, movies that like you wanna be a better person, then make you want to reach out and make you want to become something that was this for me. I loved it.
josh-dietrich_4_08-13-2025_140403:It sounds like a 10 outta 10 for me. You just don't wanna say it.
konlin-gappmayer_4_08-13-2025_180400:I probably I don't know. I probably should give it that,
lauren_4_08-13-2025_180401:9.75.
konlin-gappmayer_4_08-13-2025_180400:it's just
josh-dietrich_4_08-13-2025_140403:Yeah. My only.
konlin-gappmayer_4_08-13-2025_180400:loved it.
josh-dietrich_4_08-13-2025_140403:Argument to you is, I don't think Robin Williams phoned it in, but just don't love the direction. Like he had a weird accent and, but I don't think that was necessarily all him,
konlin-gappmayer_4_08-13-2025_180400:Yeah,
josh-dietrich_4_08-13-2025_140403:but.
konlin-gappmayer_4_08-13-2025_180400:I don't know. I, those were me trying to be as critical as possible because I understand the people who can be critical of this movie. Like I get it. It's got some of the Christian movie stereotype things that I can be off-put. sure. I just don't care. This movie could have a glaring flaw and I would not care with how, how impactful it was for me.
josh-dietrich_4_08-13-2025_140403:Okay. I'm glad.
konlin-gappmayer_4_08-13-2025_180400:Me too.
josh-dietrich_4_08-13-2025_140403:It's a great movie, Lauren. It's a great movie.
lauren_4_08-13-2025_180401:Okay. I just wanna defend myself a little bit with the, I was like so anxious that like I wanted the family together right away. I knew that they couldn't just call each other, but I'm like, if they had the numbers, it would've been so simple and I was just so anxious that they were apart the whole time.
josh-dietrich_4_08-13-2025_140403:But it didn't, didn't it pay off at the end when they got together? Like.
lauren_4_08-13-2025_180401:still just like, I think it, it got in my head a little bit too much that I wasn't able to enjoy the like and get that message. Like I wish I had that experience that Conlan had, but I was just so worried about wanting them together right now and they shouldn't have been apart. But yeah, it is like the, um. Like wouldn't be a story if they were all together. Like that's the whole point. But like whatever reason in movies where it's something like near misses or like there's just one little thing that if that one little thing didn't happen, then everything, I just like spiral in my head. So I think if I didn't have that problem, it would be higher on my list. But. I'm glad you had the experience that you did conlin, that, that sounds awesome.
konlin-gappmayer_4_08-13-2025_180400:The, and that was really
lauren_4_08-13-2025_180401:So, and I think this is a good movie. Um, I just remember that it took me so long to like rewatch it that I was thinking like, am I honestly, am I gonna rewatch this soon? And I was like, I didn't think that I was. But then after hearing conland, like all of that stuff, I'm like, now I kind again and stop spiraling about them not being together.
konlin-gappmayer_4_08-13-2025_180400:I don't know if it will hit me like magic ever again. Like it might be a one time like. Perfect moment in my life.
lauren_4_08-13-2025_180401:Hit you right time.
konlin-gappmayer_4_08-13-2025_180400:me with a hammer over the, like, it was just perfect. Um, I don't know if it'll ever happen again, but for one time it did. And if I get to later on and it annoys me, I will never drop this movie below like a 7.5. Even if the movie became cringey to me, I wouldn't do
lauren_4_08-13-2025_180401:Hmm.
konlin-gappmayer_4_08-13-2025_180400:of how impactful it was.
lauren_4_08-13-2025_180401:Very
josh-dietrich_4_08-13-2025_140403:But you gave it a 10. Outta 10, so we're not worried about that.
konlin-gappmayer_4_08-13-2025_180400:it a 9.55. Five five. Five. Five. Five. Five. Five five.
lauren_4_08-13-2025_180401:I heard 10 that that's
josh-dietrich_4_08-13-2025_140403:That's exactly what I heard. Yeah. At five and five together, 10.
lauren_4_08-13-2025_180401:I agree. I agree. I agree.
josh-dietrich_4_08-13-2025_140403:Yep.
konlin-gappmayer_4_08-13-2025_180400:Okay, guys, I hope that you find something, whoever's watching this, listening to this, that moves you, that inspires you, and that if there's something. Going on in your life or a thought that you have to be able to take a chance, make a move, do something different with your life, forward, that you take it. Um, I was thinking about this and I was like, what would you do? What price would you pay for one really good year of life? And I think a lot of people would do that. Everybody's like, I'm too old for this. I'm too old for this. Even when you're like 27 and you're not too old for this, but people do that, what price would you pay for one good year of life? And I think a lot of people would pay out very hefty sum. For one good year of life, go towards that. Make tomorrow better than today. Make today better than yesterday. appreciate you guys watching. If there's any, any movies, anything that you want us to talk about, please let us know. We're grateful for you. See you guys. Bye.
