Welcome back to Movies that Make Us. This week we are going back into the archives to talk about the 1990 Tom Cruise film Days of Thunder. Tom Cruise plays Cole Trickle, a hot-shot driver who enters the high-pressure world of Nascar racing. He’s got a fast car, a hot temper, and a desire to win at any cost.  Did you miss the video premier of this episode? Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel, and then click the little bell to receive notifications when we add a new video or go live. You can also follow our Facebook page so you can receive notifications for new audio or video of ..read more

It’s time for another episode of Movies that Make Us episode and we’re diving into the cultural phenomenon of 2023 that generated memes and huge box office results…Barbenheimer. We start the episode with our thoughts on Oppenheimer, where we all agree about the strength of the film on a technical level, but Valerie enjoyed it more than Jake and Tracy. Barbie comes next with all of us thinking the film is great and Valerie and Jake discuss how their daughters reacted to the film. Next week, we’re going back to the vault and discussing the Tom Cruise film “Days of Thunder” so make sure you tun ..read more

Welcome back to another week at Movies that Make Us! We’re back from our trip to Disneyland where we successfully completed a 10k (6.2 miles) of running through the parks, and raising money for American Cancer Society. We recap a bit about the race and then we dive into a movie you may have overlooked in The Holdovers.   A curmudgeonly instructor at a New England prep school remains on campus during Christmas break to babysit a handful of students with nowhere to go. He soon forms an unlikely bond with a brainy but damaged troublemaker, and with the school's head cook, a woman who just lo ..read more

Welcome back to Movies that Make Us. This week, we are releasing an episode Jake and Tracy recorded while at Januarty 2024 a few weeks back. This was a fun little event to attend and be a part of. This episode is audio only, and in it Tracy and Jake talk a little bit about the event, a quick recap of their Disneyland trip and some of the movies they have enjoyed recently and what they are looking forward.   What are your thoughts? We want to hear back from you! You can also follow our Facebook page so you can receive notifications for new audio or video of our episodes. As always, than ..read more

Welcome back to another week at Movies that Make Us! We hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving and now that the holidays are in full swing and all the delicious treats are on the table, we’re discussing a movie full of sweets in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. We talk about the original film with Gene Wilder, the remake/reimagining with Johnny Depp, and what we expect to see with the prequel starring Timothy Chalamet. We want your feedback, so be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel, and then click the little bell to receive notifications when we add a new video or go live.  You c ..read more

Welcome to the latest edition of Movies that Make Us. This week we are celebrating our 200th episode with a look back at the best films from the year 2000. This episode will either break up our team, or bring us together even stronger as Tracy picks a film that shocks both Valerie and Jake. Will our heroes come back for episode 201?  What are your thoughts on films from the year 2000? We want your feedback, and as always, you can reach us at podcast@moviesthatmakeus.com Did you miss the video premier of this episode? Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel, and then click the little ..read more

Click here to donate to our fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. We appreciate your support! Hello and welcome back to Movies that Make Us. This week, we’re bringing back our Staff Picks show where each of us select different movies based on a theme. With Halloween right around the corner, we discuss our favorite creatures. Some of these creatures are friendly like Jake’s selection of ET, while some are straight out of nightmares like James Cameron’s Alien Queen that Tracy selected. Val explores the creatures that exist in The Mist and the monsters that hide inside the hearts of men ..read more

Welcome back to Movies that Make Us. This week we are going back into the archives to talk about one of the classic films of 1983, War Games. High school student David Lightman (Matthew Broderick) unwittingly hacks into a military supercomputer while searching for new video games to play. After starting a game of Global Thermonuclear War, lightman accidentally has the supercomputer activate the nation’s nuclear arsenal in response to his simulated threat as the Soviet Union. Once he realizes the danger he’s created, Lightman must work with his girlfriend (Ally Sheedy) to alert the authorities ..read more

Help us raise funds to support the American Cancer Society! Every dollar goes to help the fight against cancer. Donate here: https://secure.acsevents.org/site/STR?fr_id=106335&pg=team&team_id=2685834 Welcome back to the latest episode of Movies that Make Us! We’re excited to be back after missing a few weeks! Val is on the road at a convention in Portland, but Tracy and Jake discuss the Salt Lake FanX event that happened over the weekend. We were both on several panels and discuss what the show was like during the SAG and WG strikes that are happening. We got to meet with a few fans ..read more

We are raising funds for the American Cancer Society- donate here: https://secure.acsevents.org/site/STR?fr_id=106335&pg=team&team_id=2685834 Welcome back to the latest episode of Movies that Make Us! This week, we are talking about a powerful little film in Lion starring Dev Patel, Nichole Kidman, Sunny Pawar, and Saroo Brierly. Based on a true story, the film is set in India where a young boy falls asleep on a train and it takes him 1,000 miles from his home where he struggles to survive and doesn’t speak the regional language. After escaping from several dangerous situations, he i ..read more