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Movie / TV

It's a Wonderful Life

Referenced in 19 episodes

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#219: Deanna Belos #3

May 15, 2025

Deanna Belos, lead singer of the band Sincere Engineer, discusses her new documentary "No One's Gonna Do It For You" which covers the first 10 years of her band. The documentary was made to catch up new fans on the band's history and origins, and features interviews with band members about their experiences. Belos also discusses her solo European tour plans for October and an upcoming July show in Elgin, Illinois.

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#218: Bethany Dwyer

May 9, 2025

Bethany Dwyer discusses her multifaceted career as a standup comedian, writer, filmmaker and self-help author with the hosts of the Lifers podcast. She explains how her experiences with fear and seeking her authentic self led her to write the book "Break Free From Fear" to help others conquer their fears. Dwyer also talks about her views on conspiracy theories, her band Haunted Air, and movies that had a profound impact on her worldview such as The Matrix and The Wizard of Oz.

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🎸 Replacements

#213: Jim Healy

March 28, 2025

Jim Healy, a film programmer and curator, discusses his career programming films at the Chicago International Film Festival, George Eastman House, and the Wisconsin Film Festival. Healy and the hosts discuss favorite movies about filmmaking, including The Bad and the Beautiful, Contempt, and Boogie Nights.

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#203: 203. The LIFERS Podcast presents LIFERS: A Local H Movie (live in Hobart, IN - 01/02/25)

January 8, 2025

Scott Lucas, frontman of the band Local H, premiered his concert film "Lifers" at a movie screening in Hobart, Indiana. The film, which Lucas directed and edited himself, captures a complete Local H show at the Metro in Chicago while also incorporating fictional narrative elements. After an acoustic set from Lucas, the film was shown, followed by a Q&A with Lucas and his longtime collaborator Gabe Rodriguez.

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#202: Christmas with The Effigies

December 20, 2024

Steve Economou and Paul Zamost, the bass player and drummer from the Chicago punk band The Effigies, discuss the early Chicago punk scene in the 1980s and playing shows at the Metro. They also talk about carrying on as a band after the tragic death of their guitarist John Kezdy in a biking accident last year. The Effigies are playing a show at the Metro in Chicago with the Bollweevils.

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#181: The “Stick To The Music” Episode

July 26, 2024

In this episode, the hosts Scott, Ben, Gabe and Steve discuss politics and whether it should mix with music and entertainment. They debate online arguments about fascism and share their views on the upcoming US election. Each host also picks a favorite piece of political art, including songs, movies and books like One by Metallica, All the President's Men, and Idiocracy. Overall, they explore the intersection of politics and pop culture.

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#151: 2023: And SCENE!

December 29, 2023

Scott is in Austin, Texas to play some shows with his band Local H. The hosts discuss various topics from this past year including interviews they conducted, movies and TV shows, and some notable celebrity deaths. They also talk about their upcoming New Year's Eve plans to perform comedy shows together in Chicago.

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#149: Road Report #18

December 15, 2023

Scott, Gabe and Ben discuss Christmas songs and movies while Scott is on tour with his band Local H. They each share their top picks for best Christmas songs, debating the merits of traditional favorites versus more alternative selections. The lighthearted conversation also covers 70s and 80s pop culture nostalgia.

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🤘 Iron Maiden

#148: Joel Spencer

December 8, 2023

Joel Spencer, formerly of the band Menthol from Champaign, Illinois, discusses his music career and current work as a librarian. Menthol recently reunited to play shows after disbanding in the late 1990s when they were dropped from Capitol Records.

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🤘 Iron Maiden

#107: Jim Rota

March 3, 2023

Jim Rota, member of the band Fireball Ministry and producer who has worked on Dave Grohl's documentary projects, discusses his career path from getting a record deal in the late 90s to working in TV and film post-production. He shares stories of touring with bands like Dio and Motorhead, meeting Dave Grohl through mutual friends, and pioneering digital workflows on films like The Chronicles of Narnia. Rota emphasizes the importance of authenticity, building genuine relationships, and encouraging the next generation to pursue their passions in music and film.

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#89: Road Report #14 : Slurry Road

October 28, 2022

In this episode of the Lifers podcast, Scott Lucas, Gabe Rodriguez and Ben Reiser discuss Rod Stewart's disappointing concert performance, share stories from their recent show at The Metro in Chicago, and debate the best rock and roll voices of all time. They also talk about the new Halloween movie, reminisce about seeing actor Udo Kier at a film screening, and answer listener questions about their favorite venues, songs, and black and white movies.

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#80: Guest Implosion

August 26, 2022

Scott Lucas, Gabe Rodriguez and Ben Reiser discuss the song "Keep Your Girlfriend Away From Me" from Local H's album Here Comes the Zoo. Lucas shares the lyrical inspiration came from the movie In the Company of Men and toxic masculinity, but he feels the execution was clunky and the message may have been misunderstood by listeners. The hosts also briefly discuss and debate the merits of the bands Cinderella, Zebra and Boston.

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#79: Grease 2: Greasy Does It

August 19, 2022

In this commentary track episode, Scott, Gabe, Ben and special guest Gwen Ihnat watch and discuss the 1982 musical Grease 2. Gabe is a huge fan of the movie, while the others are watching it for the first time or after many years. They analyze the plot, characters, songs, and choreography, debating whether the movie is an underrated gem or simply an inferior sequel to the original Grease.

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#62: Road Report #9

April 22, 2022

Scott Lucas, Gabe Rodriguez and Ben Reiser discuss their favorite movies and actors while on the road for their band Local H's "LIFERS" tour. They debate the merits of films starring actors like Bill Murray, Tom Hanks, Jennifer Aniston, Molly Ringwald and Kurt Russell in a free-flowing conversation typical of bandmates killing time together on tour. The discussion reveals the hosts' different tastes in movies and serves as the inspiration behind the band's latest t-shirt design.

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#56: Happy Anniversary!

March 4, 2022

Scott, Gabe and Ben celebrate the one year anniversary of their Lifers podcast by discussing listener feedback on favorite moments and guests from the past year. They reflect on how the podcast has evolved, their own rapport and dynamic, and memorable interviews with musicians like Justine Frischmann, John McCauley, and Scott's dad. Despite not having a clear mission, the hosts agree the podcast works as an entertaining hangout capturing the experience of friends casually discussing music and life.

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#51: Lauren O'Neil

January 28, 2022

In this episode, Scott Lucas and his co-hosts interview Lauren O'Neill, a radio DJ originally from Florida now based in Chicago. Lauren discusses her passion for radio, music and going to concerts, her path from college radio to professional radio, and how she aims to connect with listeners both on-air and in-person at events. The conversation also touches on pop culture topics like the show Queer Eye, thin crust pizza, and karaoke.

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#50: David Yow

January 21, 2022

In the podcast, David Yow discusses his music career with the bands Scratch Acid, The Jesus Lizard, and Flipper, as well as his acting career and work as a photo retoucher. He shares stories about recording albums, touring, and interacting with other musicians.

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#46: 46. It's A Wonderful LIFERS

December 24, 2021

In this special Christmas episode, Scott, Ben and Gabe do an audio commentary while watching the classic 1946 film It's a Wonderful Life. They discuss their history with the movie, point out interesting details and parallels to other films, and analyze its timeless themes and emotional impact. Scott shares how the movie has shaped his worldview and been a therapeutic annual viewing tradition, despite some frustrating changes to the audience experience in recent years.

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#45: Joel Korte

December 17, 2021

Joel Korte, the founder of Chase Bliss Audio guitar pedals, discusses how he got into making effects pedals and the success of their popular Mood pedal. He explains some of the unique features of the Chase Bliss pedals, like the dip switches that allow for customization, and how the pedals are designed to be like a "blank canvas" for guitarists to create a wide variety of sounds.