Story Hour

Chris Paul and Burning Bright break down Wes Anderson’s The Phoenician Scheme, a visually striking film packed with symbolism, geopolitical parallels, and a surprising spiritual backbone. They explore the movie’s Trump-like billionaire protagonist, his battles with global power structures, and the deeper themes of sovereignty, faith, manipulation, and systems versus individuals. From assassination attempts and rigged markets to father–daughter dynamics, moral transformation, and the film’s sharp commentary on global elites, the hosts connect Anderson’s surreal storytelling to real-world politics, cultural shifts, and the ongoing struggle between sovereign actors and entrenched systems. With sharp insights, humor, and a few man-flu jokes, Chris and BB unpack why this movie resonated so deeply and why it feels far more prophetic than quirky. Tuesdays at 8:55 PM ET Episode Archive: https://rumble.com/playlists/PSp_1cx3i7s Discussion of entertainment, movies, and storytelling through the lens of one host from Hollywood (Chris Paul) and the other from the publishing industry (Burning Bright). Leave a Badlands Boost: https://badlandsmedia.tv/boost Sponsored by: • Cancelled Club http://badlandsmedia.tv/CancelledClub • Tamarac Garden https://TamaracGarden.com Promo Code: BADLANDS • Soft Disclosure https://SoftDisclosure.com Promo Code: BADLANDS Merch: https://badlandsmedia.tv/merch Follow & Support Badlands Media: https://linktr.ee/badlandsmediatv Our Daily Schedule: https://badlandsmedia.tv/schedule GART: Tickets/Information https://badlandsmedia.tv/events Interested in promoting your business? [email protected] Badlands Story Hour is: Burning Bright: https://twitter.com/reBurningBright https://truthsocial.com/@BurningBright Chris Paul: https://truthsocial.com/@imyourmoderator #ChrisPaul #BurningBright

Burning Bright and Chris Paul break down Margin Call, a film that captures the cold, calculated collapse of Wall Street’s moral compass. The hosts dissect the movie’s depiction of greed, systemic evil, and the psychology behind financial power, drawing parallels between the 2008 crash and the controlled demolitions shaping today’s world economy. They unpack the symbolism behind Jeremy Irons’ “moral relativists,” the engineered volatility of markets, and how this film exposes the illusion of complexity that shields corruption. The conversation moves from macroeconomics to modern geopolitics, connecting Trump, China, and the Sovereign Alliance to the real-world financial “margin calls” happening now. Sharp, cinematic, and intellectually loaded, this episode turns a film review into a masterclass on power, perception, and financial warfare. Tuesdays at 8:55 PM ET Episode Archive: https://rumble.com/playlists/PSp_1cx3i7s Discussion of entertainment, movies, and storytelling through the lens of one host from Hollywood (Chris Paul) and the other from the publishing industry (Burning Bright). Leave a Badlands Boost: https://badlandsmedia.tv/boost Sponsored by: • River BTC https://badlandsmedia.tv/River • Trezor Crypto Wallet https://badlandsmedia.tv/trezor • Soft Disclosure https://SoftDisclosure.com Promo Code: BADLANDS Merch: https://badlandsmedia.tv/merch Follow & Support Badlands Media: https://linktr.ee/badlandsmediatv Our Daily Schedule: https://badlandsmedia.tv/schedule GART: Tickets/Information https://badlandsmedia.tv/events Interested in promoting your business? [email protected] Badlands Story Hour is: Burning Bright: https://twitter.com/reBurningBright https://truthsocial.com/@BurningBright Chris Paul: https://truthsocial.com/@imyourmoderator #ChrisPaul #BurningBright

Burning Bright and Chris Paul dig into Godzilla Minus One, Takashi Yamazaki’s striking 2023 take on the iconic monster. At first, the film feels like a standard kaiju entry, but it soon unfolds into a powerful character study and meditation on postwar Japan. The hosts break down Shikishima’s arc from cowardice to redemption, drawing parallels between his personal journey and Japan’s struggle with honor, shame, and survival in the shadow of humiliation. They highlight Yamazaki’s stunning visual effects, achieved on a fraction of a Hollywood budget, and the film’s refusal to explain away Godzilla—embracing him instead as a force of nature and a metaphor for existential threats. From kamikaze culture and engineered narratives to the lingering scars of national identity and the dangers of nihilism, Burning Bright and Chris Paul unpack why Godzilla Minus One resonates beyond its setting, offering lessons for sovereignty, resilience, and the fight against dehumanizing systems. A thoughtful and timely discussion that elevates a monster movie into a commentary on civilization itself. Tuesdays at 8:55 PM ET Episode Archive: https://rumble.com/playlists/PSp_1cx3i7s Discussion of entertainment, movies, and storytelling through the lens of one host from Hollywood (Chris Paul) and the other from the publishing industry (Burning Bright). Leave a Badlands Boost: https://badlandsmedia.tv/boost Sponsored by: • River BTC https://badlandsmedia.tv/River • Trezor Crypto Wallet https://badlandsmedia.tv/trezor • Soft Disclosure https://SoftDisclosure.com Promo Code: BADLANDS Merch: https://badlandsmedia.tv/merch Follow & Support Badlands Media: https://linktr.ee/badlandsmediatv Our Daily Schedule: https://badlandsmedia.tv/schedule GART: Tickets/Information https://badlandsmedia.tv/events Interested in promoting your business? [email protected] Badlands Story Hour is: Burning Bright: https://twitter.com/reBurningBright https://truthsocial.com/@BurningBright Chris Paul: https://truthsocial.com/@imyourmoderator #ChrisPaul #BurningBright

Chris Paul and Burning Bright dive into Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation, unpacking its themes of alienation, paradigm shifts, and fleeting human connection. They explore Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson’s unlikely bond in Tokyo, debating whether the film’s ambiguity makes it profound or pretentious. The hosts tackle Coppola’s directing choices, the infamous opening shot, and the controversy of Johansson’s age during filming, weighing how Hollywood’s “male gaze” and art-house ambitions collide. From existential dread to pseudo-intellectual musings, they contrast Murray’s weathered perspective with Johansson’s youthful searching, examining how both characters project fantasies of freedom while feeling trapped in different ways. Along the way, they connect the film’s commentary on identity and artifice to the decline of the modern movie star, social media overexposure, and Hollywood’s struggle to create new icons. The episode closes with reflections on ambiguous endings, fantasy vs. reality, and next week’s pick, M. Night Shyamalan’s Split. It’s a thoughtful, critical, and often humorous exploration of a movie that lingers long after the credits roll. Tuesdays at 8:55 PM ET Episode Archive: https://rumble.com/playlists/PSp_1cx3i7s Discussion of entertainment, movies, and storytelling through the lens of one host from Hollywood (Chris Paul) and the other from the publishing industry (Burning Bright). Leave a Badlands Boost: https://badlandsmedia.tv/boost Sponsored by: • River BTC https://badlandsmedia.tv/River • Trezor Crypto Wallet https://badlandsmedia.tv/trezor • Soft Disclosure https://SoftDisclosure.com Promo Code: BADLANDS Merch: https://badlandsmedia.tv/merch Follow & Support Badlands Media: https://linktr.ee/badlandsmediatv Our Daily Schedule: https://badlandsmedia.tv/schedule GART: Tickets/Information https://badlandsmedia.tv/events Interested in promoting your business? [email protected] Badlands Story Hour is: Burning Bright: https://twitter.com/reBurningBright https://truthsocial.com/@BurningBright Chris Paul: https://truthsocial.com/@imyourmoderator #ChrisPaul #BurningBright

Burning Bright and Chris Paul break down Andrew Niccol’s dystopian thriller In Time, where life itself is currency and timekeepers rule like central bankers. They explore the film’s on-the-nose parallels to fiat money, inflation, usury, and the Cantillon Effect, comparing its “time chain” to Bitcoin’s fixed protocol. The hosts connect themes of Darwinism, generational wisdom, and the emptiness of immortality to broader cultural critiques, highlighting how elites manipulate scarcity to control society. From Occupy Wall Street echoes to Trump’s populist judo flips, they frame the movie as both a cautionary tale and a mirror to our financial and political systems. With sharp insights, humor, and plenty of rabbit holes, from diamonds to decentralization, this episode shows why In Time still resonates as a metaphor for the theft of human energy and purpose. Tuesdays at 8:55 PM ET Episode Archive: https://rumble.com/playlists/PSp_1cx3i7s Discussion of entertainment, movies, and storytelling through the lens of one host from Hollywood (Chris Paul) and the other from the publishing industry (Burning Bright). Leave a Badlands Boost: https://badlandsmedia.tv/boost Sponsored by: • River BTC https://badlandsmedia.tv/River • Vanman https://BadlandsMedia.tv/Vanman • Soft Disclosure https://SoftDisclosure.com Promo Code: BADLANDS Merch: https://badlandsmedia.tv/merch Follow & Support Badlands Media: https://linktr.ee/badlandsmediatv Our Daily Schedule: https://badlandsmedia.tv/schedule GART: Tickets/Information https://badlandsmedia.tv/events Interested in promoting your business? [email protected] Badlands Story Hour is: Burning Bright: https://twitter.com/reBurningBright https://truthsocial.com/@BurningBright Chris Paul: https://truthsocial.com/@imyourmoderator #ChrisPaul #BurningBright

Chris Paul and Burning Bright dive deep into The Northman, exploring its grim aesthetic, Norse mythology, and literary roots in the legend of Amleth, the same myth that inspired Shakespeare’s Hamlet. They dissect the movie’s portrayal of fate, trauma, and identity, examining how the protagonist becomes a tragic vessel for vengeance after being spiritually and emotionally programmed by his father’s deathbed ritual. With nods to MK Ultra, paganism, and berserker myth, the hosts question whether Amleth ever had free will or was doomed from childhood. They contrast the film’s brutal worldview with Tolkien’s mythic optimism and explore the cultural shift from rooted moral frameworks to modern-day spiritual voids. The discussion expands to themes of slavery, regime control, and historical parallels, culminating in a sharp critique of pagan ritualism in both ancient and modern forms. This is one of the darkest and most complex entries in the Story Hour series, unflinching in its dissection of narrative, power, and spiritual warfare. Tuesdays at 9:00 PM ET Episode Archive: https://rumble.com/playlists/PSp_1cx3i7s Discussion of entertainment, movies, and storytelling through the lens of one host from Hollywood (Chris Paul) and the other from the publishing industry (Burning Bright). Leave a Badlands Boost: https://badlandsmedia.tv/boost Sponsored by: • My Fireside https://BadlandsMedia.tv/Fire • Loaded Gun Coffee https://badlandsmedia.tv/loaded Promo Code: Badlands Merch: https://badlandsmedia.tv/merch Follow & Support Badlands Media: https://linktr.ee/badlandsmediatv Our Daily Schedule: https://badlandsmedia.tv/schedule GART: Tickets/Information https://badlandsmedia.tv/events Interested in promoting your business? [email protected] Badlands Story Hour is: Burning Bright: https://twitter.com/reBurningBright https://truthsocial.com/@BurningBright Chris Paul: https://truthsocial.com/@imyourmoderator #ChrisPaul #BurningBright

Hosted by Burning Bright and Chris Paul, this episode revisits David Fincher’s 2011 film The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo with fresh eyes and hard questions. The hosts break down the film’s grim narrative of elite depravity, ritualistic abuse, and generational corruption, connecting it to real-world stories like Epstein, media psyops, and the weaponization of sexual crimes for cultural engineering. They examine how the film’s bleak view of masculinity, its heavy-handed depiction of Nazis, and its graphic scenes of violence and assault blurred the line between storytelling and exploitation. Alongside reflections on Hollywood’s complicity and the rise of the “strong female lead” archetype, the conversation veers into how narratives were shaped to seed public demoralization and prime the MeToo era. The hosts also debate whether such stories are cautionary tales or deliberate attempts to normalize the monstrous. As the discussion moves from film critique to cultural analysis, the episode offers a deeper look at how popular media can shape, distort, or reveal uncomfortable truths about the powerful. Tuesdays at 9:00 PM ET Episode Archive: https://rumble.com/playlists/PSp_1cx3i7s Discussion of entertainment, movies, and storytelling through the lens of one host from Hollywood (Chris Paul) and the other from the publishing industry (Burning Bright). Leave a Badlands Boost: https://badlandsmedia.tv/boost Sponsored by: • River BTC https://badlandsmedia.tv/River • Vanman https://BadlandsMedia.tv/Vanman Merch: https://badlandsmedia.tv/merch Follow & Support Badlands Media: https://linktr.ee/badlandsmediatv Our Daily Schedule: https://badlandsmedia.tv/schedule GART: Tickets/Information https://badlandsmedia.tv/events Interested in promoting your business? [email protected] Badlands Story Hour is: Burning Bright: https://twitter.com/reBurningBright https://truthsocial.com/@BurningBright Chris Paul: https://truthsocial.com/@imyourmoderator #ChrisPaul #BurningBright

In this episode, Burning Bright and Chris Paul dissect Michael Bay’s 13 Hours: The Secret Soldiers of Benghazi, blending film critique with a deeper exploration of the narratives surrounding the 2012 attack. They examine how the movie subtly undermines the official story, portraying the CIA not as saviors but as the true antagonists, hoarding information, obstructing help, and prioritizing their own cover-up over American lives. The discussion explores whether Ambassador Chris Stevens’ death was a tragic accident or a deliberate assassination to bury evidence of weapons transfers and clandestine deals. They break down inconsistencies in the narrative, like the tidy explanation for Stevens’ cause of death, the dubious claims of resource shortages, and the suspiciously well-prepared mortars that struck the annex. Through thoughtful analysis, they argue that incompetence is often a convenient cover for malice, and they challenge listeners to follow the trail of contradictions to see where it leads. With references to Hillary Clinton’s infamous “What difference at this point does it make?” remark and the CIA’s “heroism” awards, this episode pushes past surface-level hero worship to question whether the real story was hidden in plain sight. Tuesdays at 9:00 PM ET Episode Archive: https://rumble.com/playlists/PSp_1cx3i7s Discussion of entertainment, movies, and storytelling through the lens of one host from Hollywood (Chris Paul) and the other from the publishing industry (Burning Bright). Donate to this Show: https://badlandsmedia.tv/boost Sponsored by: • Conscious Strength https://BadlandsMedia.tv/Blue • Loaded Gun Coffee https://badlandsmedia.tv/loaded Promo Code: BADLANDS Merch: https://badlandsmedia.tv/merch Follow & Support Badlands Media: https://linktr.ee/badlandsmediatv Our Daily Schedule: https://badlandsmedia.tv/schedule GART: Tickets/Information https://badlandsmedia.tv/events Interested in promoting your business? [email protected] Badlands Story Hour is: Burning Bright: https://twitter.com/reBurningBright https://truthsocial.com/@BurningBright Chris Paul: https://truthsocial.com/@imyourmoderator #ChrisPaul #BurningBright

Burning Bright and Chris Paul dive into Vice, Adam McKay’s star-studded portrayal of Dick Cheney, for a sharp, layered discussion about propaganda, controlled opposition, and how narratives are weaponized across decades. They explore how the film cleverly uses the Bush years to smear Trump by proxy, blending truth with cynicism to rebrand neoconservatives as the “good Republicans” liberals can stomach. The hosts dissect the unitary executive theory, the administrative state’s grip on power, and why Cheney was never just an outlier but a vessel for the same entrenched system driving perpetual war. From the Iraq invasion’s marketing campaign to the hidden hand behind Israel’s influence, Chris and Burning Bright examine how McKay’s film sidesteps deeper truths in favor of a palatable villain story that leaves the real machine untouched. Along the way, they reflect on their own political awakenings, the legacy of 9/11-era narratives, and the recent echoes of Bush-era rhetoric in the Trump years. Part history lesson, part cultural autopsy, this episode is a reminder that the most effective propaganda is the one that feels true, especially when it flatters the audience’s sense of moral superiority. Tuesdays at 9:00 PM ET Episode Archive: https://rumble.com/playlists/PSp_1cx3i7s Discussion of entertainment, movies, and storytelling through the lens of one host from Hollywood (Chris Paul) and the other from the publishing industry (Burning Bright). Donate to this Show: https://badlandsmedia.tv/boost Sponsored by: • My Fireside https://BadlandsMedia.tv/Fire • River BTC https://badlandsmedia.tv/River Merch: https://badlandsmedia.tv/merch Follow & Support Badlands Media: https://linktr.ee/badlandsmediatv Our Daily Schedule: https://badlandsmedia.tv/schedule GART: Tickets/Information https://badlandsmedia.tv/events Interested in promoting your business? [email protected] Badlands Story Hour is: Burning Bright: https://twitter.com/reBurningBright https://truthsocial.com/@BurningBright Chris Paul: https://truthsocial.com/@imyourmoderator #ChrisPaul #BurningBright

In this powerful episode of Badlands Story Hour, hosts Chris Paul and Burning Bright dissect Alex Garland’s dystopian film Civil War, unpacking its scathing portrayal of journalism and propaganda in the modern era. Far from a simple Trump-coded allegory, the film is interpreted as a brutal takedown of war journalists who act as narrative engineers, observers who provoke conflict and wield stories as weapons. Chris and Burning explore themes of morality, reality creation, and the manipulative power of photojournalism, drawing parallels to modern psyops, narrative warfare, and color revolutions. The conversation veers into philosophical questions about government, kingship, and power, making a compelling case that truth is found not in facts, but in intent. A must-listen for anyone grappling with media trust, narrative manipulation, or the deeper meaning behind today’s cultural conflicts. Tuesdays at 9:00 PM ET Episode Archive: https://rumble.com/playlists/PSp_1cx3i7s Discussion of entertainment, movies, and storytelling through the lens of one host from Hollywood (Chris Paul) and the other from the publishing industry (Burning Bright). Donate to this Show: https://badlandsmedia.tv/boost Sponsored by: • Loaded Gun Coffee https://badlandsmedia.tv/loaded Promo Code: BADLANDS • SafeStreets Home Security https://getsafestreets.com/badlands Merch: https://badlandsmedia.tv/merch Follow & Support Badlands Media: https://linktr.ee/badlandsmediatv Our Daily Schedule: https://badlandsmedia.tv/schedule GART: Tickets/Information https://badlandsmedia.tv/events Interested in promoting your business? [email protected] Badlands Story Hour is: Burning Bright: https://twitter.com/reBurningBright https://truthsocial.com/@BurningBright Chris Paul: https://truthsocial.com/@imyourmoderator #ChrisPaul #BurningBright