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Speaker 2: How you doing today?
Speaker 1: Absolutely fantastic. How are you doing today, sir?
Speaker 2: Excellent? Thank you very much.
Speaker 1: Well, you've got a movie on your hands here that's
going to create a serious amount of conversation because it's
been a long time since I've seen a movie that
actually relates with every generation. I mean, I've sat here
and talked with more people about this movie and everybody's
going just tell me more. Where can I find out more?
What can we learn from this? And because it almost
activates us to get involved in the in the community.
Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's a great film. We were we
had a screening year a lot in DC. Last night
I'm in d C four at the Naval Museum and
so many veterans in words were coming up to us,
going this movie has changed my life.
Speaker 1: Yeah, don't you see a movie like this as being
that one thing that really is because we were all
searching for the needle in the haystack, and when a
movie like this comes along, it's almost like there, it
is right there, It's right there. Let's get the ball bouncing.
Speaker 2: Yeah.
Speaker 3: Yeah, this is definitely one of those films. I was
so happy when I when I saw the first screening
of it, it was just like wow, just just blown away.
You know, the movie guys have to smile on you.
It's very difficult to make a good movie, and so
I was very happy to be a part of this film.
Speaker 1: I'm so glad that you brought up the movie people
that create the movies. And the reason why is because
I'm so addicted to watching the behind the scenes documentaries
because I just I love how many people is required
to tell a story and then here comes the actors.
In fact, I heard it quote the other day saying
we were here because we were invited to play out
these roles. But it required this entire team to make
this role a part of you.
Speaker 3: I like that it takes an entire the entire team
to make this really part of you. Yes, it is,
it takes. It takes it definitely takes a very large village.
Even on an independent, small film like this, you know,
still there. I don't know how many people on the crew.
And of course Steven it took. It was a fourteen
year journey of for he and Matt to interview people
and talk about folks and try to get the movie made.
So it definitely takes a number of people, the work
that goes into it. And then then you know, picking
the perfect cast. I mean, you know, then the movie
gods have to smile on you that that there's chemist street,
that you know, the actors are all, you know, giving
their best, and gel you don't feel people are out
of our miscast. So yeah, this is this is a
this is a good one, This is this is this
is a gym.
Speaker 1: Well, there's something very authentic about this movie. And you're
gonna think I'm crazy for bringing this up, but the
way that the movie sets were put together, because first
of all, the thing that really started grabbing my heart
it's in a yellow house and the rooms are very tiny.
That to me is reality because when I go back
home to Montana, my god, yellows in the house and
the rooms are very tiny. What is it, dude? Do
houses shrink as we get older.
Speaker 3: Yes, they do. I give him my grandmother's house. I
thought it was massive, you know, then I drive by it,
you know, when I'm in Michigan and see my grandma's eyes,
is like, wow, that's so small.
Speaker 1: There's a quote inside this movie that I know is
going to resonate in every one of us in the
way that through any walk of life. The quote is,
you can't pretend what it's like to be in combat.
And how many times have we bumped into people that
pretend they know what's going on and they do not?
And this movie faces that.
Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, it's so true. You can't unless you walk
in another man's shoes. Yep, you know, you have no idea.
And the thing about that about that is all you know,
he's referred to you in combat, and you bring that
combat back home.
Speaker 2: That's or you bring the war back home.
Speaker 3: Sometimes not everybody, but you know, in the case of
this guy, yes, and the case of many veterans, yes,
you got seventeen veterans committing suicide a day, and so
you haven't been there. We kind of you know, it's
only one half of one percent serve it now, and
so many people have no idea. They don't even know.
Speaker 2: Anybody who's in the service, right you, Now.
Speaker 3: So and and and so many are misunderstood.
Speaker 2: You come home and you're a different person.
Speaker 4: Yeah.
Speaker 1: Well, the one the one thing that I that I
keep running into is that when when I see the
T shirt or I see the hat that they're sporting around,
I know there's pride in that. And when you thank
those that have dedicated their life to our nation and
then they go, it was just a job. But in
my heart, it was not a job. It was a conviction.
It was dedication, loyalty, perseverance, It was a you know,
just just a sense of leadership in their life that
is protecting us.
Speaker 3: Yes, yes, yes, it's not. It's thank thank you for
allowing us to continue our way of life. Yes, yeah,
thank you for your country.
Speaker 2: You know. It's every body is not interested in that.
Speaker 3: Everybody's not everybody meant so many people are interested in
serving themselves, right yeah, and not that that that that altruistic. Uh,
you know, I care about my country and I want
to do something to help.
Speaker 4: Please do not move. There's more with Vondi Curtis Hall
coming up next. The name of the movie Sheep Dog
starring Vandi Curtis Hall. How do you prepare for a
role like this, because I almost feel like it's the
movie gods that have selected you to say we need
you to show up and to create that conversation beyond
that movie theater screen.
Speaker 3: M Yeah, for me, Uh, it's really about many of
my friends, people that I personally knew I came out
of high school because this is my era.
Speaker 2: I was. I was saying to someone else.
Speaker 3: Half of my friends coming out of high school, I'm
from Detroit enlisted and you know so and then the
other half.
Speaker 2: Uh uh, the other half you know, went to college.
Speaker 3: But half of the half that enlisted died, didn't come back.
Speaker 2: My best friend didn't come back. Uh. And then the
other the other.
Speaker 3: Half that came back over carrying some sort of wounds.
Be it mental, be it addiction, be it be it physical. Uh.
Speaker 2: You know, I have a friend who's got.
Speaker 3: Cancer now from Agent Orange, and the government's giving him money,
you know, to try and you know, compensate for that.
And so that was what I drew from the stories
that people told me. Uh, you know, the pain that
they they felt coming home without a ticket Tate Parade,
coming home and saying, well, they act like it was
our fault.
Speaker 2: You know, we're the bad guy at home. You know,
the Vietnam.
Speaker 3: Vets, of course, and there's a distinction between the Vietnam
bets and of course, you know those who served in
Iraq and Afghanistan and the more recent wars. But for
those guys, you know, they were not happy about about
how they were treated and when they came home.
Speaker 2: See.
Speaker 1: And that's one of the points I wanted to bring
up about this movie Sheep Dog, and that is is
that in my heart, and I said in these conversations
and I talked about that this movie actually brings together,
it ties together the generations of war Vietnam versus Korean
because the men and women of the Korean War, they
know that it's the forgotten war. But you know what,
if you listen to their stories, oh my god, they
still get inside your heart.
Speaker 3: Yeah, uh yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutely absolutely.
Speaker 2: And some and then you know there's some that.
Speaker 3: That don't talk about it, you know, like my father didn't.
My name is after the person who is my father
made me after the person who saved his life in
the war, and so you know, but he didn't really
talk about it, you know. So, so I think now
it's still difficult to get get vets to talk about
their experience, but I think it's getting better now. And
I think there's so many many There are a great
number of veteran support services that were at our screening
last night, and you're just amazed at the resources that
are out there, and and so it's just about getting
those getting the world out that this help the things
that things that.
Speaker 2: Are working.
Speaker 3: Great technology now for our veterans, that that are accessible
through the VA and other great organizations to support our veterans.
Speaker 1: See, that's why this is so important. And and you
know this is all part of the continuation because your
father was in Italy, you're sharing this story today. This
is what I love about how we bring it forward
through the generations, is that if we don't start sharing
those stories of those before us, it's going to get lost.
And then we're really going to be lost as we
step into a big old bucket of mud.
Speaker 3: Yes, absolutely, Uh, you're so right, you're.
Speaker 2: Right, you're you're right on, you're right on, you're right
on the money with that.
Speaker 1: Now, what would be the next step after this, because
you know there's going to be men and women who
have served this nation, as well as families. Because my
father was the one that served in World War Two.
I think this movie really does help me. I'm the
second generation and and and it's like you're trying to
piece it all together and understand their journey while keeping
your journey. Where we are in this world today, What
is the next step?
Speaker 2: Do you know?
Speaker 1: Is there a website for these soldiers and families to
go to. They're going to need help, they know they
need help.
Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, there there's so many great organizations.
Speaker 2: I will start with the VA.
Speaker 3: Yes, and people at the VA gets a little bit
of a bad, bad rap, you know, because they say
they're underfunded, they're this that that is true, but they
still have great They're on our panel last night was
Linda I can't remember last night. She heads the v
A now uh uh, and she she talked about all
the resources they now have to support and then they
refer you to all these different organizations.
Speaker 2: I'm off the top of my head.
Speaker 3: But but, but, but there's but there's so many that
next step. The next step is make a phone call.
The next step call your buddy, Call your buddy. You
served with us, Say how you doing.
Speaker 2: How's it.
Speaker 3: Let's go have a beer this weekend. You know, are
you okay? Brother you know? Uh, reach out to each other.
Don't bottle it up, don't keep it, don't keep it.
You know, locked in and you know where they're acting
out and there things are spiraling. Don't feel as though
there's no hope. There's there's post dramatic growth. That's what
this film is about, post traumatic post traumatic growth.
Speaker 2: It doesn't have to end. There's a way out.
Speaker 1: I was gonna say, because what you're saying right now
is exactly what a theme is that I picked up from.
It is fighting for your country versus living for your
country and living for your country, to me is what
I felt inside this Sheep Dog movie.
Speaker 3: Yes, yes, I think one of our our panelists now
our host, I mean the person who was asking our questions,
Jennifer she's from Fox, I can't remember, was.
Speaker 2: Saying that was her favorite that was her favorite.
Speaker 3: Quote in the movie that you know, those who fought
for the country, but now it's time to live this.
Speaker 1: In the Country's it yep, yep. And and I mean
one of the things that I find so inspiring is
how the brotherhood still gets together because we have a
VA hospital here in Carolina and to go and be
with the men and women of this VA hospital. I
wish the community would come to these celebrations they have
so that when you hear the PTSD stories, you understand
it and it's not just something you read on the
front page of the CNN or or some sort of
New York Times.
Speaker 2: Right.
Speaker 3: Yeah, And that's the thing that's the genesis of this
of this movie.
Speaker 2: You know, of course, a.
Speaker 3: Person who served of who's telling his story to Stephen
as they were driving as card broke down three hours
outside of LA and he's driving with a tow truck
driver who tells him his entire life and his struggles
with his wife, his family, the medication he's taking because
of because of his servant, and saying, I never told
anybody this. I have told my wife, I haven't told
therapist anybody. But I think Steve was saying because he
felt he was never going to see this guy again,
he just was able to speak. But as you say,
you know, when you hear these stories in fourteen years
of well eleven years before he started shooting, fourteen years
to it's coming out now of interviewing and talking.
Speaker 2: To people and being at the VA.
Speaker 3: Steven spent a lot of time at the VA in Detroit,
which is where my father died. In the VA, you know,
we had a lot of great hospitals in Detroit around
not far from where I lived. My father would always say,
take me to the VA. Yes, I want to go
to the and but hearing these stories so so you know,
the speeches that I give in the movie, so many
of the speeches were things that he actually heard people say,
Oh my god.
Speaker 2: See.
Speaker 1: Yeah, where can people go to find out more about
this movie? To support this movie and and to get
them to understand although the title is sheep Dog, oh,
it's more than just what they assume it is. Do
not judge this book by its cover.
Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, yeah, you know, we're coming out on the
sixteenth in theaters theater near you.
Speaker 2: Sheep Dog dot Com.
Speaker 3: I believe, and and Trum try to follow us and
and then you know, the movie doesn't end just because
of this weekend. You know, Uh, uh, find find some organization.
Speaker 5: But we we we are hope hopefully are trying to
do more tours uh for vets around the country after
uh just talk to people.
Speaker 3: So uh then talk about the movie. So see the
movie so we can all have a conversation about it.
Speaker 2: I love it.
Speaker 1: Well, please come back to this show anytime in the future.
The door is always going to be open for you, sir.
Speaker 2: I appreciate you. I appreciate y'all.
Speaker 1: Will you be brilliant today?
Speaker 2: Okay, sir, thanks so much.