1 00:00:02,670 --> 00:00:03,650 Speaker 1: Life Audio. 2 00:00:04,510 --> 00:00:08,789 Speaker 2: Thanks for joining me. Neil McDonough, actor and filmmaker who 3 00:00:08,810 --> 00:00:11,410 Speaker 2: stars in a new movie, Angel and the Bad Man. 4 00:00:11,460 --> 00:00:15,100 Speaker 2: The plot summary says, a wounded outlaw finds unexpected mercy 5 00:00:15,220 --> 00:00:18,880 Speaker 2: in the care of her rancher's daughter. Also stars Zachary Levi, 6 00:00:18,900 --> 00:00:20,580 Speaker 2: who portrays the outlaw on the run. It's an Angel 7 00:00:20,600 --> 00:00:24,590 Speaker 2: Studios movie. Neil, you portray Laredo, a man who is 8 00:00:24,650 --> 00:00:28,930 Speaker 2: chasing after the outlaw. Court Evans, you're also executive producer. 9 00:00:28,970 --> 00:00:30,430 Speaker 2: Tell me what attracted you to this film. 10 00:00:31,550 --> 00:00:35,360 Speaker 1: Angel Studios. You know, when Angel says, we've got this 11 00:00:35,400 --> 00:00:37,200 Speaker 1: great Western we want you to play the bad guy in, 12 00:00:38,090 --> 00:00:40,729 Speaker 1: I just got so excited. You know, and then they said, 13 00:00:40,810 --> 00:00:43,030 Speaker 1: Zach Levi and Tommy Lee Jones. I was like, come on, 14 00:00:43,050 --> 00:00:46,729 Speaker 1: are you kidding? And we had the greatest time here 15 00:00:46,770 --> 00:00:49,029 Speaker 1: in Santa Fe doing the film. And, you know. 16 00:00:49,110 --> 00:00:49,890 Speaker 2: I love Westerns. 17 00:00:49,950 --> 00:00:52,050 Speaker 1: I'm a big horse guy. I've always been that way. 18 00:00:52,250 --> 00:00:54,660 Speaker 1: And to be part of the Angel family where I 19 00:00:54,670 --> 00:00:57,240 Speaker 1: get to stay with all the Western motifs in what 20 00:00:57,300 --> 00:01:00,980 Speaker 1: I write or what I act in, it's just, you know, 21 00:01:01,040 --> 00:01:03,460 Speaker 1: my wife, Revae, and I had a pretty... four films 22 00:01:03,500 --> 00:01:05,970 Speaker 1: for them now. We've got two more coming out very soon. 23 00:01:05,980 --> 00:01:08,890 Speaker 1: I couldn't be happier. I'm so blessed to be part 24 00:01:08,930 --> 00:01:12,150 Speaker 1: of Angel Studios, what they put out there, and to 25 00:01:12,170 --> 00:01:14,190 Speaker 1: be part of that family is just incredible. 26 00:01:15,170 --> 00:01:19,850 Speaker 2: What is it about Westerns, Neil, that attracts our souls? 27 00:01:19,970 --> 00:01:21,870 Speaker 2: I mean, it's almost like I watch that movie and 28 00:01:21,910 --> 00:01:24,350 Speaker 2: I just want to sit on the couch and watch 29 00:01:24,390 --> 00:01:27,210 Speaker 2: it for hours and hours, but there's something about it. 30 00:01:28,230 --> 00:01:29,300 Speaker 2: What attracts you to Westerns? 31 00:01:30,130 --> 00:01:32,530 Speaker 1: I think it harkens back to our childhood where, you know, 32 00:01:32,550 --> 00:01:34,620 Speaker 1: there were so many Westerns made so many years ago. 33 00:01:35,300 --> 00:01:37,100 Speaker 1: So I was saying earlier, whenever I come back from 34 00:01:37,140 --> 00:01:40,660 Speaker 1: church on Sunday, it would be Three Stooges and Straight 35 00:01:40,680 --> 00:01:43,380 Speaker 1: into some John Wayne film. And that was my Sunday 36 00:01:43,420 --> 00:01:46,860 Speaker 1: afternoon of watching television. And I just loved it. And 37 00:01:46,920 --> 00:01:49,720 Speaker 1: I love playing in the motifs of this black and 38 00:01:49,740 --> 00:01:52,610 Speaker 1: white characters, but they're really dealing with gray areas. And 39 00:01:52,630 --> 00:01:54,650 Speaker 1: the gray areas of life, to me, that's the dramatic 40 00:01:54,670 --> 00:01:55,130 Speaker 1: part of life. 41 00:01:55,150 --> 00:01:58,030 Speaker 2: You know, there's a hero, but that hero isn't always perfect. 42 00:01:58,190 --> 00:01:59,690 Speaker 2: He has problems. He has baggage. 43 00:02:00,250 --> 00:02:03,310 Speaker 1: And this one, this is a fantastic Western because there's 44 00:02:03,350 --> 00:02:05,990 Speaker 1: Kurt Evans, this outlaw. And he gets shot up and 45 00:02:06,010 --> 00:02:10,040 Speaker 1: he lands at this rancher's house. And they fix him up, 46 00:02:10,050 --> 00:02:12,590 Speaker 1: they bandage him up, and he starts to realize, wait 47 00:02:12,620 --> 00:02:14,900 Speaker 1: a minute, there's so much more to life than being 48 00:02:14,940 --> 00:02:17,380 Speaker 1: an outlaw and shooting people. There's also family and love 49 00:02:17,419 --> 00:02:19,780 Speaker 1: and all these other things. And he finally has something 50 00:02:19,840 --> 00:02:21,880 Speaker 1: to stand up for, something to protect in his life 51 00:02:21,900 --> 00:02:25,380 Speaker 1: for the first time. And to see films like that 52 00:02:25,419 --> 00:02:27,280 Speaker 1: where you get to say, okay, I may have been 53 00:02:27,310 --> 00:02:28,869 Speaker 1: a knucklehead in some things in my life, but there's 54 00:02:28,889 --> 00:02:30,609 Speaker 1: always a chance that I can be better. I can, 55 00:02:30,930 --> 00:02:33,110 Speaker 1: I can do the right thing starting right now at 56 00:02:33,150 --> 00:02:35,110 Speaker 1: this moment. And those are the things, those are the 57 00:02:35,130 --> 00:02:36,950 Speaker 1: motifs that Westerns play with. And I, and I just 58 00:02:37,010 --> 00:02:39,670 Speaker 1: love it. And then of course the big backdrop, the 59 00:02:39,790 --> 00:02:42,430 Speaker 1: vistas of Westerns and that, and the mountains and the 60 00:02:42,730 --> 00:02:45,900 Speaker 1: horses and everything else. I just, it's always my favorite 61 00:02:45,960 --> 00:02:47,720 Speaker 1: and I'm so blessed to be part of them. Yeah. 62 00:02:47,740 --> 00:02:49,740 Speaker 2: I think, I think folks who live in cities watch 63 00:02:49,780 --> 00:02:52,419 Speaker 2: Westerns because they, they want to be in that location. 64 00:02:52,440 --> 00:02:55,200 Speaker 2: I think that's one thing that happens sometimes. You know, 65 00:02:55,220 --> 00:02:59,450 Speaker 2: that this, this, Westerns often deal with justice, forgiveness, and redemption. 66 00:02:59,470 --> 00:03:03,850 Speaker 2: Themes grounded in scripture. How does Angel and the Bad Man, 67 00:03:04,030 --> 00:03:07,639 Speaker 2: how does that film wrestle with those themes in this movie? 68 00:03:08,300 --> 00:03:12,700 Speaker 1: Well, one of my favorite things about Angel Studios is 69 00:03:12,740 --> 00:03:16,820 Speaker 1: that they do kind of, I call it faith adjacent. 70 00:03:17,700 --> 00:03:19,720 Speaker 1: It's really just more to amplify light than it is 71 00:03:19,760 --> 00:03:23,630 Speaker 1: to hammer home or be preachy. But by doing so, 72 00:03:23,870 --> 00:03:28,870 Speaker 1: in the background, There's subliminal messages going on about through God, 73 00:03:28,889 --> 00:03:31,010 Speaker 1: everything is possible. You can do the right thing if 74 00:03:31,030 --> 00:03:34,520 Speaker 1: you have faith. And instead of hammering the audience, they 75 00:03:34,560 --> 00:03:37,540 Speaker 1: let the audience kind of find these things themselves. And 76 00:03:37,560 --> 00:03:40,660 Speaker 1: by doing so, it allows the characters to really find 77 00:03:40,740 --> 00:03:44,440 Speaker 1: themselves and find true redemption in the piece. And sometimes it's, 78 00:03:44,920 --> 00:03:47,900 Speaker 1: you know, the villain finds some redemption as well. You 79 00:03:47,940 --> 00:03:51,010 Speaker 1: see Laredo three quarters away through this film, you think, oh, 80 00:03:51,750 --> 00:03:54,070 Speaker 1: This poor guy, I kind of like him. And then 81 00:03:54,090 --> 00:03:55,650 Speaker 1: all of a sudden he just says, nah, I don't 82 00:03:55,670 --> 00:03:58,730 Speaker 1: really need the redemption. And he suffers because of it. 83 00:03:59,430 --> 00:04:02,290 Speaker 1: I love playing in those areas. And to do it 84 00:04:02,310 --> 00:04:04,770 Speaker 1: with Angel Studios, I'm the luckiest guy I know because 85 00:04:04,810 --> 00:04:06,970 Speaker 1: I get to produce these films alongside my wife, Revae, 86 00:04:07,030 --> 00:04:09,890 Speaker 1: and play with some of the greatest actors like Zach 87 00:04:09,910 --> 00:04:11,190 Speaker 1: Levi and Tommy Lee Jones. 88 00:04:12,010 --> 00:04:14,500 Speaker 2: But the theme of people can change for the better, 89 00:04:14,520 --> 00:04:17,400 Speaker 2: that's a powerful theme. I mean, I don't know if 90 00:04:17,420 --> 00:04:20,000 Speaker 2: you have any thoughts on that. And I think a 91 00:04:20,060 --> 00:04:22,979 Speaker 2: lot of films that you've been in have been grounded 92 00:04:23,020 --> 00:04:24,539 Speaker 2: in that theme, even though, of course, you've played the 93 00:04:24,560 --> 00:04:28,740 Speaker 2: villain many, many times. But yeah, that's powerful. This is 94 00:04:28,779 --> 00:04:31,720 Speaker 2: a remake of the 47 film starring John Wayne. Do 95 00:04:31,740 --> 00:04:33,430 Speaker 2: you know if there are any differences in the plot? 96 00:04:33,490 --> 00:04:35,490 Speaker 2: I haven't yet to watch the 47 film. 97 00:04:36,250 --> 00:04:38,870 Speaker 1: No, it's pretty darn true to it. The difference is 98 00:04:39,110 --> 00:04:43,490 Speaker 1: John Wayne's performance is one way, and Zach Levi, the 99 00:04:43,510 --> 00:04:46,690 Speaker 1: thing that Zach does, as well as any actor in Hollywood, 100 00:04:47,510 --> 00:04:49,550 Speaker 1: he figures out a way to bring this kind of 101 00:04:50,150 --> 00:04:53,740 Speaker 1: levity or humanity in a time where it really wasn't 102 00:04:53,750 --> 00:04:55,330 Speaker 1: supposed to be in the script or in the, in 103 00:04:55,360 --> 00:04:58,720 Speaker 1: the film. And by doing so the audience gets to 104 00:04:58,779 --> 00:05:01,580 Speaker 1: really like him more or actually care for him more 105 00:05:01,640 --> 00:05:04,680 Speaker 1: and root for him more. Zach's an incredible, you know, 106 00:05:04,800 --> 00:05:07,800 Speaker 1: when it comes to technique on camera, he knows exactly 107 00:05:07,820 --> 00:05:10,000 Speaker 1: what he's doing and he did such a phenomenal job 108 00:05:10,060 --> 00:05:11,280 Speaker 1: in this film. Yeah. 109 00:05:11,320 --> 00:05:12,520 Speaker 2: He was in a movie in the past couple of 110 00:05:12,540 --> 00:05:14,219 Speaker 2: years that kind of was, was set in the West. 111 00:05:14,260 --> 00:05:15,940 Speaker 2: I forget the name of it, but it was really good. 112 00:05:16,339 --> 00:05:18,640 Speaker 2: So I think, That's it. That's it. Yeah. And it 113 00:05:19,040 --> 00:05:21,090 Speaker 2: was incredible. If folks like that, maybe they're going to 114 00:05:21,110 --> 00:05:21,850 Speaker 2: love this one, I think. 115 00:05:22,110 --> 00:05:22,270 Speaker 1: Yeah. 116 00:05:22,950 --> 00:05:26,630 Speaker 2: You've been a producer on several films now, Neil. What 117 00:05:26,650 --> 00:05:28,850 Speaker 2: do you enjoy about being on that side of the 118 00:05:28,870 --> 00:05:32,420 Speaker 2: creative process and having a greater role in the stories 119 00:05:32,440 --> 00:05:32,890 Speaker 2: that are told? 120 00:05:42,800 --> 00:05:45,550 Speaker 1: Oh, it's simple. I get to work alongside my wife 121 00:05:45,610 --> 00:05:48,169 Speaker 1: every day, you know, so it's, For Ravay and I 122 00:05:48,210 --> 00:05:50,310 Speaker 1: to build our company together, now we're about to produce 123 00:05:50,330 --> 00:05:54,250 Speaker 1: our 15th and 16th film in the last five years, 124 00:05:54,430 --> 00:05:57,960 Speaker 1: whether executive producing or full-on producing. If we're going to 125 00:05:58,000 --> 00:06:00,120 Speaker 1: put our names on a film, we want to make 126 00:06:00,160 --> 00:06:01,700 Speaker 1: sure that we can find the best cast, we can 127 00:06:01,740 --> 00:06:05,080 Speaker 1: find the best directors, find the best distributor, whom obviously 128 00:06:05,160 --> 00:06:08,039 Speaker 1: is Angel Studios, who we have our first look deal with. 129 00:06:08,820 --> 00:06:10,740 Speaker 1: We don't take that lightly, and we don't take the 130 00:06:10,760 --> 00:06:12,479 Speaker 1: Guild lightly. We want to make sure that the Guild 131 00:06:12,520 --> 00:06:14,850 Speaker 1: is happy with what we're writing. or what we're producing, 132 00:06:14,900 --> 00:06:16,330 Speaker 1: or just what I'm acting in, whether I'm the good 133 00:06:16,350 --> 00:06:19,210 Speaker 1: guy or the bad guy. So I love Angel Studios, 134 00:06:19,310 --> 00:06:21,250 Speaker 1: and there's an importance to what we do to make 135 00:06:21,290 --> 00:06:24,610 Speaker 1: sure that the audience is, in fact, entertained and learns 136 00:06:24,630 --> 00:06:25,969 Speaker 1: a few things and they watch our projects. 137 00:06:27,230 --> 00:06:30,650 Speaker 2: Many people get into filmmaking because it's something they're passionate about. 138 00:06:30,710 --> 00:06:33,120 Speaker 2: Others get in it because they think that what needs 139 00:06:33,150 --> 00:06:36,360 Speaker 2: to be made isn't being made. In other words, Hollywood's 140 00:06:36,400 --> 00:06:41,320 Speaker 2: not making products that we need in our society. Where 141 00:06:41,339 --> 00:06:43,600 Speaker 2: do you land on that? Is it a both... are 142 00:06:43,660 --> 00:06:45,859 Speaker 2: both of those answers where you stand? 143 00:06:46,420 --> 00:06:48,839 Speaker 1: Yeah, I guess that there's the validity to both of those. 144 00:06:48,860 --> 00:06:52,260 Speaker 1: I don't really think that way. I think, okay, I 145 00:06:52,300 --> 00:06:55,000 Speaker 1: have one boss and that's God. So what can I 146 00:06:55,140 --> 00:06:57,780 Speaker 1: do to make my boss happy? What can I do 147 00:06:57,940 --> 00:07:02,640 Speaker 1: to spread his word through entertainment? And, you know, always 148 00:07:02,700 --> 00:07:04,970 Speaker 1: trying to come up with new ideas, always trying to 149 00:07:04,990 --> 00:07:07,029 Speaker 1: come up with what's the right idea, always trying to 150 00:07:07,089 --> 00:07:10,210 Speaker 1: jump on board projects that have those thoughts. It's important 151 00:07:10,230 --> 00:07:12,110 Speaker 1: to me. It's important to my wife, Revae, that we 152 00:07:12,150 --> 00:07:14,870 Speaker 1: make sure we give glory to him in our projects. 153 00:07:14,970 --> 00:07:18,000 Speaker 1: And again, it isn't just for Christians. It's for Christians 154 00:07:18,060 --> 00:07:21,520 Speaker 1: and Jews and Muslims, agnostics, Buddhists. We want to have 155 00:07:21,580 --> 00:07:23,840 Speaker 1: morality plays so people can sit there in the theater 156 00:07:24,200 --> 00:07:26,980 Speaker 1: with their popcorn and their Coke, watch a great movie, 157 00:07:27,000 --> 00:07:29,100 Speaker 1: and then talk to their family after and say, okay, son, 158 00:07:29,120 --> 00:07:30,540 Speaker 1: what did you think of that? Daughter, what did you 159 00:07:30,560 --> 00:07:32,230 Speaker 1: think of that? Honey, what did you think of that? Husband, 160 00:07:32,250 --> 00:07:34,890 Speaker 1: what did you think of that? And that's what cinema 161 00:07:34,930 --> 00:07:36,930 Speaker 1: is supposed to be. Cinema isn't supposed to be, I 162 00:07:36,970 --> 00:07:38,490 Speaker 1: want to see a movie, I'm going to go home 163 00:07:38,530 --> 00:07:39,290 Speaker 1: and not talk about it anymore. 164 00:07:39,750 --> 00:07:39,970 Speaker 2: No. 165 00:07:40,510 --> 00:07:42,860 Speaker 1: Cinema is supposed to be let's go watch a movie 166 00:07:42,880 --> 00:07:44,940 Speaker 1: together as a family or as a bunch of friends. 167 00:07:45,480 --> 00:07:47,100 Speaker 1: Let's go watch the movie and then go have a 168 00:07:47,120 --> 00:07:48,880 Speaker 1: cup of coffee after and talk about it and see 169 00:07:49,100 --> 00:07:50,860 Speaker 1: what were your thoughts. What did you pull from that? 170 00:07:50,880 --> 00:07:53,360 Speaker 1: What were the things that you really liked or didn't like? 171 00:07:54,080 --> 00:07:56,780 Speaker 1: That's a forum that we're supposed to do as humans. 172 00:07:56,820 --> 00:07:59,320 Speaker 1: We're supposed to get together and do things as a community. 173 00:07:59,940 --> 00:08:01,800 Speaker 1: And movies are one of the true things where you 174 00:08:01,820 --> 00:08:03,940 Speaker 1: can be a community and be in a theater with 175 00:08:03,980 --> 00:08:05,600 Speaker 1: a bunch of people you've never met before and you'll 176 00:08:05,640 --> 00:08:08,380 Speaker 1: never see again and laugh and cry and enjoy. And 177 00:08:08,420 --> 00:08:09,860 Speaker 1: it's kind of an escapism. 178 00:08:09,900 --> 00:08:11,340 Speaker 2: So I love film. 179 00:08:11,700 --> 00:08:13,800 Speaker 1: I love what Angel Studios is doing. And I love 180 00:08:13,820 --> 00:08:15,610 Speaker 1: that we have the opportunity to tell the stories that 181 00:08:15,620 --> 00:08:17,610 Speaker 1: we want to do that give glory to him. Yeah. 182 00:08:17,630 --> 00:08:20,210 Speaker 2: And we need elements in society in which people who 183 00:08:20,390 --> 00:08:23,310 Speaker 2: disagree on other things can agree and they can get 184 00:08:23,370 --> 00:08:26,930 Speaker 2: together and watch and enjoy something together. I think that's what... 185 00:08:26,470 --> 00:08:27,950 Speaker 2: You know, streaming movies is great. 186 00:08:27,970 --> 00:08:32,020 Speaker 1: Don't get me wrong. But you can't compare sitting in 187 00:08:32,080 --> 00:08:35,760 Speaker 1: front of a big theater screen, sitting there with everyone's excited, right? 188 00:08:35,820 --> 00:08:37,740 Speaker 1: Everyone's getting ready. Everyone sits in the event and there's 189 00:08:37,820 --> 00:08:41,390 Speaker 1: no talking. There's no cell phones for two hours. There's 190 00:08:41,450 --> 00:08:45,030 Speaker 1: nothing but you watching a movie. They used to do 191 00:08:45,050 --> 00:08:46,390 Speaker 1: that at home. The cell phone rings or the kids 192 00:08:46,410 --> 00:08:48,530 Speaker 1: are doing something. The dogs run around. You don't ever 193 00:08:48,630 --> 00:08:50,670 Speaker 1: really get to concentrate and you don't get to talk 194 00:08:50,720 --> 00:08:53,720 Speaker 1: about it after. That's the beautiful thing about cinema. Yeah. 195 00:08:54,420 --> 00:08:56,500 Speaker 2: When I watch a movie at home, I end up 196 00:08:56,740 --> 00:09:00,110 Speaker 2: going downstairs and washing my clothes. I want to watch it. 197 00:09:00,500 --> 00:09:02,760 Speaker 2: I want to watch it in the theater and have 198 00:09:02,800 --> 00:09:04,760 Speaker 2: no distractions. Quickly, in our final seconds here, give me 199 00:09:04,780 --> 00:09:06,260 Speaker 2: a preview of the movies that you and Revae are 200 00:09:06,280 --> 00:09:09,439 Speaker 2: working on because you have a production company. partnership with Angel. 201 00:09:09,760 --> 00:09:10,580 Speaker 2: What's coming down the pike? 202 00:09:11,450 --> 00:09:14,590 Speaker 1: We're doing this wonderful film in Poland next, this Catholic 203 00:09:14,620 --> 00:09:17,630 Speaker 1: film about Sister Faustina back in the 1940s. Then right 204 00:09:17,650 --> 00:09:19,189 Speaker 1: after that, we go into a New York Minute. John 205 00:09:19,220 --> 00:09:21,480 Speaker 1: Abnett's directing it again, again for Angel Studios. And then 206 00:09:21,490 --> 00:09:23,050 Speaker 1: right after that, we have Riker's Ghost that Neil Jordan 207 00:09:23,080 --> 00:09:24,490 Speaker 1: is directing me, and I'm starring in, and again for 208 00:09:24,520 --> 00:09:26,520 Speaker 1: Angel Studios. And we have a bunch of other films 209 00:09:26,540 --> 00:09:28,030 Speaker 1: that we've worked on, and we've got Jimmy coming out 210 00:09:28,440 --> 00:09:30,160 Speaker 1: in November, the Jimmy Stewart story that we helped produce, 211 00:09:30,170 --> 00:09:32,270 Speaker 1: and I played Jimmy's dad. So We're very busy. We're 212 00:09:32,309 --> 00:09:36,760 Speaker 1: very blessed and go angel. If you liked today's episode, 213 00:09:36,809 --> 00:09:39,180 Speaker 1: please subscribe and leave a five-star review. That's how we 214 00:09:39,190 --> 00:09:40,780 Speaker 1: help more people just like you. 215 00:09:40,760 --> 00:09:42,729 Speaker 2: Find the show. A big thanks to the team at 216 00:09:42,780 --> 00:09:45,120 Speaker 2: Life Audio for their partnership with us on the podcast. 217 00:09:45,570 --> 00:09:47,839 Speaker 2: If you go to lifeaudio.com, you will find dozens of 218 00:09:47,870 --> 00:09:50,550 Speaker 2: other faith-centered podcasts in their network. See you next time.