Exploring Single Fatherhood and Vulnerability with 'Guys Night' Creators

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You know, that's what we all
love about movies that, you

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know, when you just sit there
and you just and you used a

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great word, absorb.
You know, I just want people to

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be able to absorb this movie.
And but yeah, you want to make

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something that's meaningful and,
and, and that really changes

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people and effects them and
makes them cry, makes them

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laugh, that at all.
I would, I would second all of

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that.
Maybe just add that you have to

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show people that even in the
rough times, there's still

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positivity to be found and
within yourself, within your

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family, within your community.
So hello and.

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Welcome to Real Men Feel, I'm
your host Andy Grant.

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Today we're diving into
fatherhood, vulnerability, and

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what it means to be a man.
With the creative team behind

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the upcoming film Guys Night.
I'm joined by writer, producer

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and actor Nico Vitaco, director,
editor and sound designer Dave

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Eicorn and producer Andrew
Baird.

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Together, they're bringing to
life a story based on Nico's own

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experience growing up with a
single dad, exploring the

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emotional journey of a man
learning that true strength

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comes from presence, honesty,
and heart.

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We talk about divorce, emotional
openness, masculinity, and why

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it's time for more stories that
show men feeling and healing.

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And if these conversations
resonate with you and you want

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to go deeper, I invite you to
join my new private online

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community, Authentic AF.
This is a safe space to be raw,

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real and supported.
No masks, no macho BS Check it

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out at realmenfeel.org/group.
Let's do it.

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Hello guys and welcome to Real
Men Feel.

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Hey, lady.
Great to be here.

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Thank you for having us.
I'm going to throw this up to

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all of you.
And we'll, we'll.

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Start at the start.
Tell me what inspired guys

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night.
Oh, hey everybody.

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My name is Nico Vitaco.
I'm the writer, producer and the

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actor of Guys Night.
It was inspired by my childhood

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growing up.
It's a it's a heart filled

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coming of age film inspired by
my real life growing up with my

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two brothers single dad in 1980s
Hometown, IL, which is the real

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name of a town called Hometown.
When our mom left, my dad, who

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had no road map for raising
three boys on his own, started a

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weekly ritual called Guys Night,
which was every Friday night.

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We'd rent VHS tapes, we'd grab
our favorite chips and pop and

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just stay up late.
Just be together and just be

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together.
It wasn't perfect, but it was

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his way of saying I'm here and
I'm not going anywhere.

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At its core, I feel like this
story is really about

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fatherhood, divorce and
resilience.

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It's about the battles that we
fight as parents, or sometimes

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you have to lose a few to win
the war, which is raising your

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kids rights.
It's a very funny, nostalgic and

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full of 80s heart.
But it's also honest and healing

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to tribute to every father who's
tried their best, to every son

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who's needed more than when his
dad knew how to give into the

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power of just simply showing up,
even when it's hard.

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Why is it important that this
story be told now?

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I think, I think it's important
it's told now because in

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general, universally, I feel
like men haven't been given the

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full support through single
fatherhood that women have been

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given, which they're very
deserved to have been given.

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Women are very deserving of the
full support that they've been

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given.
But I feel like men haven't been

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given that full support.
And a lot of men universally,

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even me growing up were taught
to bury your feelings, not

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taught to bury your feelings,
but we were taught to not

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express and wear our emotions on
our sleeve.

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My father was a very stoic man,
did just that.

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He loved deeply with his with
his heart, but he didn't know

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how to express that, especially
to his sons, especially to the

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one son who needed it express
the most.

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So I think it's important to
tell now because just for me

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personally, writing this script
has just been therapeutic to get

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out because I never knew how to
deal with my own family's

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divorce and who I became as a
man.

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It, it shaped me, but I wanted
to learn how and why it shaped

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me.
And I wanted to be able to

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express that and see if me
telling my personal story would

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resonate at all with any other
men, women, father, son, just

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anyone who's been through a
similar situation.

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I think it's just, I think it's
important to show men that we

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can be different than what we've
been perceived to be.

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Yeah, I I can't agree more.
I wonder, since this is so

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autobiographical, has there been
a really surprising moment of

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emotional vulnerability that
that's that's that's kind of

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shocked you during this process
anywhere along the way?

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Yes, yes and no.
I think I learned a lot.

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Well, I learned a lot about my
dad that I didn't know prior to

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all this stuff.
I mean, I, I had to separate

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myself as the sun and bring in
myself as the writer, producer

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of this.
But still, it's, I'm, I'm

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attached to it all emotionally.
So there are some things where

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seeing my dad be so vulnerable
and really open up about his

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life and his marriage with my
mom and what he thought he was

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doing.
The what he thought he was doing

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was the best he, he could do at
the time.

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Was, was really, I wouldn't say
shocking to me, but it was eye

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opening to me.
It, it let my guard down.

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It's showing how vulnerable he
was.

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It showed me a different side of
him on how he had wished he had

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been different than growing up
or, or raising us.

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So I think throughout the whole
process there have been like

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moments, roller coasters of
vulnerable moments where I've

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just really, I've given myself
fully to the project and to the

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discoveries that I've made
throughout the the, the journey

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of it.
I was gonna add to it just on

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the emotional connection side,
outside of Nico's family story,

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it's just the emotional
connection of the town itself,

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of hometown.
I'm sure we'll probably get in

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this a little bit, but it's just
cool to see this community that

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Niko grew up in still exists in
all of its glory.

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And it's just, it's once we've
been bringing this, you know,

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going to Hometown here and there
with the story, with the script,

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what we're trying to do.
It's just cool to see the town

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come together like how can we
help you?

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We love this.
We want to get hometown out

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there.
So just to see just that

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emotional connection to just
thinking on the the other side

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of just this town is really,
really cool and and uplifting.

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Andrew, for people not familiar
with the world of movie making,

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what's the role of a producer?
Oh, it depends on the day you

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ask me.
Is my my real answer to that?

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No, I mean the role of a
producer, like I said, it's

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tenfold.
You'll see a bunch of different

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credits on the screen as they
roll, right?

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Executive producers, producers,
Co producers, associate

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producers, and they all had do
have specific roles to them.

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EPS are generally more finance
side things.

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Co producers and APS are people
that maybe have connections to

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the production side but are
maybe just getting started or,

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you know, getting that credit to
be based on what they've

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contributed to the script.
But the producer himself or

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herself is, I guess someone is
kind of the outside of the

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director Dave here, the glue
that kind of helps to hold the

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production together and to keep
it moving in the direction it

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needs to go so we can get a
successful final product.

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That can mean anything from
negotiating with vendors to cast

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and crew to I always joke that
I'm the onset therapist when

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we're shooting.
So a lot of fires always happen.

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So it's like, OK, cool, what
fire are we going to deal with

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today?
In a good way, right.

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You're not not in a bad.
It's always a.

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It's a problem solving role for
sure.

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I remember in the beginning when
we were talking with Andrew, he

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had said he, he mentioned, he
said expect the worst thing to

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happen because like it, it will,
especially in indie filmmaking,

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like the some things will be
thrown at you.

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They're so unexpected.
And that that's just it.

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So you know he is the role of
like the problems.

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Can I say expect the worst thing
or just expect the unexpected?

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Sorry, expect the unexpected.
Yeah, I'm sorry.

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The best not expect the worst
thing.

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Expect the unexpected to to
happen.

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Which always happens, yes, no
matter how well your plan.

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Yeah, things going to go.
It's so true too, yeah, and it's

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so different.
And it's usually just fine, so.

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See how Nico?
It's interesting to see how your

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brain works.
Expected, unexpected, and you

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went.
Very negative, Like Oh no.

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What's the worst thing I can
ask?

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So, so Dave, you're the director
of Guys Night and you've worked

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on some major productions in
your career.

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What What drew you to this
project?

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Oh man, you know, when I read
the script, I loved it.

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It's just a great story, you
know, actually fits right into

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the real men feel paradigm
because the main character is

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who Nico's going to play is
Anthony.

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It's his father.
He's playing his own father.

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And this man is going through a
divorce, but is very, as Nico

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likes to say, stoic.
He is he, he, he buries all of

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his feelings as men do.
And, and, and for two reasons,

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because he wants to show his
kids that everything's OK.

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And because he's just not
developed enough to, you know,

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he has that mentality that he
learned, don't show your

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feelings, you know, don't be
vulnerable.

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Just he's really closed up.
And I like that story.

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And this man goes on an arc, an
emotional arc where he learns

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through throughout the course of
the film to to feel, you know,

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that's what, you know, the name
of this podcast.

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Real men feel right.
And it's it's really right up.

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That's that's what this movie is
about in large part.

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Yeah.
So I, I, I like, I just I I've

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never worked on a movie about
divorce.

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You know, I'm a child of
divorce.

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I've had divorce around me.
But since I was like, since I

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was born basically like uncles
and grandparents were divorced.

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And so I grew up with that and
then my parents got divorced

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when I was 11.
And so it really studies that

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great way in a great way.
And so I know Nico, in writing

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this, it was kind of therapeutic
for you, Andrew, has has your

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involvement proven to be healing
in any way?

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In a, in a, in a sense I've,
I've definitely found again,

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it's such a a powerful story and
heart warming story where I

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think that's kind of the beauty
of it.

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No matter who is reading it or
watching it, they can find

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something in it to really take
away.

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I mean, I've luckily not a knock
on wood child of divorce, but

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there has been divorce in my
family.

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So it's been kind of AII
definitely connect with the

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stoic part of it 'cause we're
very stoic family on my dad's

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side.
My, the, yeah, pretty much my

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dad's side.
So it's been nice to kind of

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connect to that part of it
going, oh, wait, hold on a

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second.
It is nice to OK to be more

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vulnerable and, you know,
express our emotions more and

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more.
So definitely in that case been

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involved in this project has has
really hit home for me.

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Yeah, it, it explores
dysfunction, you know, and, and

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that that always interests me
too.

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Just just dysfunctional family
drama.

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And those are the kind of movies
I like to watch.

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You know, watching the healing
process.

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I think it's it's, and that's,
that's another thing about this

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movie is it's, it's, you know,
families and kids and mothers

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and fathers are going to get a
lot out of this because it's,

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it's, it's what's the word
cathartic to watch others going

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through what you're going
through, you know, and seeing

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how they deal with it.
And it makes you feel like, oh,

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wow.
So OK.

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It's normal.
Yeah.

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And this is, yeah, it's, it's
healing.

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Is production underway?
Is production completed?

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Where we're out?
Where are we in that?

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Cause so production is in, we're
in a late development stage

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right now.
We are just to give you a little

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00:11:40,240 --> 00:11:42,280
bit of a back story.
We were set to go into

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production early in 2023.
We had a financier on board.

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00:11:47,760 --> 00:11:51,920
The actors and writers strike
kind of put us on pause in the

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meantime.
And then after the strike was

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ratified, our financier had some
hiccups with other things going

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on.
Ultimately, we lost our

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financing and that route.
And so we kind of put our brains

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00:12:05,400 --> 00:12:09,320
together and found new momentum
on how to still push forward

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00:12:09,320 --> 00:12:12,520
because obviously we want to
tell the story what we want to

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00:12:12,520 --> 00:12:15,640
share and get it out there.
So we've been working with in

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00:12:15,720 --> 00:12:18,200
putting different feelers out
there, working on in different

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00:12:18,200 --> 00:12:20,720
avenues to get ourselves into
production.

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One of those being we've teamed
up with a fiscal sponsor with

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Independent Film Alliance
Chicago to receive 100% tax

239
00:12:29,240 --> 00:12:35,480
deductible donations to raise
our initial 25% equity because

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we also have a debt partner
who's lined up to trigger the

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rest of the financing if we do
raise that that initial equity.

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We have so many people so much
support in this.

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00:12:46,680 --> 00:12:49,840
Like you said, I, I feel like
just this story alone and the

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story we want to tell resonates
so much with so many different

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groups, organizations and, and
people.

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00:12:55,440 --> 00:12:59,920
We've linked up with a ton of
men's mental health groups,

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00:13:00,640 --> 00:13:04,360
men's support organizations,
divorce support, parenting

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00:13:04,560 --> 00:13:08,680
organizations, and that's just
like that that that community

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00:13:08,800 --> 00:13:12,920
who are helping to spread the
word and extend our reach within

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00:13:12,920 --> 00:13:16,000
their network as well.
We have, like Andrew mentioned,

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hometown, which is this small
4500 person town 20 minutes

252
00:13:21,720 --> 00:13:26,200
outside of the great city of
Chicago There in there's huge,

253
00:13:26,520 --> 00:13:28,160
immense about amount of support
there.

254
00:13:28,240 --> 00:13:31,440
Everyone from the mayor and the
police chief who was who's all

255
00:13:31,520 --> 00:13:35,240
spreading the word, trying to
bring in the biggest thing we

256
00:13:35,240 --> 00:13:37,440
need, which is the, the
financing, the money.

257
00:13:37,440 --> 00:13:43,280
But I feel like this route that
we're on now, I'm in a way

258
00:13:43,280 --> 00:13:46,480
thankful that the film didn't go
into production in 2023 because

259
00:13:46,480 --> 00:13:47,880
it would have been too easy for
us.

260
00:13:48,240 --> 00:13:52,000
I feel like this path we're on
now has such more, has so much

261
00:13:52,000 --> 00:13:55,920
more meaning to it.
I didn't realize the depth and

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00:13:56,720 --> 00:14:00,480
the healing that this story
could could tell and, and could

263
00:14:00,480 --> 00:14:03,400
do for people.
And I didn't realize the, how

264
00:14:03,520 --> 00:14:06,720
the community that it could
bring in and, and the, the, the

265
00:14:06,720 --> 00:14:09,280
amount of groups and people it
could, it could touch and, and

266
00:14:09,280 --> 00:14:11,920
who would come on board to help
support it and get the word out

267
00:14:11,920 --> 00:14:14,000
there.
And that's really powerful.

268
00:14:14,000 --> 00:14:17,320
And like, that's like, that
fills my heart so much.

269
00:14:17,560 --> 00:14:21,000
So I love this longer path.
As much as I want to go into

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00:14:21,000 --> 00:14:24,440
production soon, and we will, I
know we will, I feel like this

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00:14:24,440 --> 00:14:28,960
is the right path to be on.
And so it's up to, it's up to

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00:14:28,960 --> 00:14:33,080
God to decide when it's going to
happen.

273
00:14:33,080 --> 00:14:35,240
It is going to happen.
But it's, you know, I've, I've

274
00:14:35,240 --> 00:14:38,400
released that control on trying
to decide when it is.

275
00:14:38,440 --> 00:14:42,640
I just I, I give it to God in
the universe to to decide when

276
00:14:42,640 --> 00:14:45,840
that's happening.
You you did mention that this

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00:14:45,840 --> 00:14:48,720
project has helped you kind of
understand or get to know your

278
00:14:48,720 --> 00:14:52,640
father better.
I wonder what what other ways

279
00:14:52,640 --> 00:14:56,400
has this project influenced all
of your relationships with your

280
00:14:56,400 --> 00:15:00,600
families?
For me, it's influenced it.

281
00:15:00,600 --> 00:15:04,120
It's actually helped my, my own
life.

282
00:15:04,120 --> 00:15:06,960
Like I'm, I'm married for 19
years this August.

283
00:15:07,120 --> 00:15:12,320
I don't have any kids of my own.
But I think for me personally,

284
00:15:12,320 --> 00:15:15,800
like my story growing up and
seeing what my parents went

285
00:15:15,800 --> 00:15:19,800
through, seeing the aftermath of
it all that my, my brothers and

286
00:15:19,800 --> 00:15:24,160
I dealt with and how we dealt
with or didn't deal with with

287
00:15:24,200 --> 00:15:28,760
the, the, the divorce, it
influenced my own relationship

288
00:15:29,080 --> 00:15:30,680
and especially with, with my, my
wife.

289
00:15:30,680 --> 00:15:34,560
We dated for about 5 years
before I proposed to her.

290
00:15:34,640 --> 00:15:37,800
And it wasn't because I didn't
love her or anything.

291
00:15:37,800 --> 00:15:40,880
I loved her tremendously, but I
was scared.

292
00:15:41,080 --> 00:15:44,200
I was scared to make the same
mistake as my parents did.

293
00:15:44,560 --> 00:15:48,520
I saw how it tore them apart,
how it tore our family apart.

294
00:15:48,520 --> 00:15:51,760
I saw how each of my brothers
dealt with it differently.

295
00:15:51,880 --> 00:15:56,480
You know, truthfully, like we've
each dealt with this, their this

296
00:15:56,480 --> 00:15:58,760
divorce so much differently from
each other.

297
00:15:58,880 --> 00:16:02,000
And my older brother's still
struggling a lot with it.

298
00:16:02,280 --> 00:16:04,840
My younger brother is a very
stoic guy.

299
00:16:04,880 --> 00:16:10,760
I love them both so much, but he
buries a lot of it and it it, it

300
00:16:10,760 --> 00:16:13,560
hasn't hasn't really like tapped
into to deal with it.

301
00:16:13,880 --> 00:16:18,320
I found that talking about it
and writing this really helped

302
00:16:18,320 --> 00:16:21,560
me personally see it from
different perspectives than just

303
00:16:21,560 --> 00:16:24,080
my own.
And I think that was important.

304
00:16:24,080 --> 00:16:27,880
I was able to see from my, my
dad's perspective, obviously,

305
00:16:28,160 --> 00:16:30,040
but also my mom's perspective
too.

306
00:16:30,520 --> 00:16:34,240
Talking to her about it, getting
her blessing and, and sharing

307
00:16:34,240 --> 00:16:38,760
with her the story I wanted to
tell, but also telling her story

308
00:16:38,880 --> 00:16:40,840
truthfully and authentically
along with that.

309
00:16:41,560 --> 00:16:47,400
So it's just been, it's been
helpful for me to approach my

310
00:16:47,400 --> 00:16:51,120
current marriage too, and to
keep that strong and, and and

311
00:16:51,120 --> 00:16:54,680
tight and open to communication,
but also like other

312
00:16:54,680 --> 00:16:57,080
relationships with anybody I I
interact with as well.

313
00:16:58,000 --> 00:17:00,400
Dave, how about you?
How has this impacted your

314
00:17:00,400 --> 00:17:03,520
family relationships?
There's not many of us left, you

315
00:17:03,520 --> 00:17:08,319
know, my brother and sister are
pretty much all the stuff to my

316
00:17:08,319 --> 00:17:10,760
family.
They live we're we're we're not,

317
00:17:10,960 --> 00:17:16,000
you know, super close.
So, I mean, I don't really have

318
00:17:16,000 --> 00:17:20,079
a story about that.
You know, after the film is

319
00:17:20,079 --> 00:17:24,480
made, it'll be a great thing.
And, you know, I mean, in this

320
00:17:24,480 --> 00:17:28,079
business, I go from, I go from
job to job and, and it's, it's

321
00:17:28,079 --> 00:17:30,640
always good to just be involved
on a film because that's,

322
00:17:30,640 --> 00:17:33,520
that's, that's, that's the goal.
You know, that your family work

323
00:17:33,520 --> 00:17:35,680
in the industry.
I mean, the, the film industry,

324
00:17:35,680 --> 00:17:37,400
Yeah, I've been in this 3 1/2
decades.

325
00:17:37,400 --> 00:17:38,880
It's what I do.
It's my bread and butter.

326
00:17:38,880 --> 00:17:43,520
So yes, I'm just, I'm just
thrilled to to be a part of

327
00:17:43,520 --> 00:17:45,320
this.
Yeah.

328
00:17:46,800 --> 00:17:50,240
I would say definitely the power
of kind of reflection is the

329
00:17:50,240 --> 00:17:52,400
biggest thing for me kind of
reading a script like this and

330
00:17:52,400 --> 00:17:56,320
just the beauty and power that a
character and the character arc

331
00:17:56,320 --> 00:17:57,720
that we've been talking about
can have.

332
00:17:58,360 --> 00:18:00,560
Reading it in a script is one
thing, and then seeing it on the

333
00:18:00,560 --> 00:18:03,520
screen, it can come across
entirely differently in, you

334
00:18:03,520 --> 00:18:05,160
know, a great way, in such a
positive way.

335
00:18:05,160 --> 00:18:08,600
So I am pretty lucky to be close
with my family.

336
00:18:08,800 --> 00:18:12,680
I'm actually a triplet.
So it's fun to, yeah, have two

337
00:18:12,680 --> 00:18:14,960
people the same age of me out
there, you know, out there, a

338
00:18:14,960 --> 00:18:19,000
brother and a sister.
But yeah, just again, in terms

339
00:18:19,000 --> 00:18:22,240
of reflection, it's just that
you, you can always be so close,

340
00:18:22,240 --> 00:18:25,440
but then sometimes just also not
have ideas of kind of what's

341
00:18:25,440 --> 00:18:27,320
going on with some of your
family members.

342
00:18:27,320 --> 00:18:31,560
So it's just a reminder to ask
and check in sometimes and just

343
00:18:31,560 --> 00:18:33,280
really, you know, stay
connected.

344
00:18:34,880 --> 00:18:39,720
Once Guys Night is complete and
audiences are seeing it, Nico,

345
00:18:39,720 --> 00:18:43,160
what's your biggest desire for
what people take away from it?

346
00:18:44,400 --> 00:18:51,000
My biggest desire is for people
to see this as a way to connect

347
00:18:51,000 --> 00:18:55,480
with themselves, to reconnect
with their own family in, in a

348
00:18:55,480 --> 00:19:00,880
sense to, I want this to serve
as, as somewhat of a way to, to

349
00:19:00,880 --> 00:19:07,040
help heal and to show that, you
know, I, I think I wanted to

350
00:19:07,040 --> 00:19:09,960
relate somehow to, to people, to
have them feel like, you know

351
00:19:09,960 --> 00:19:14,560
what, like it's, it's OK to
watch, to experience somebody

352
00:19:14,560 --> 00:19:19,040
else's trauma, family trauma and
to know that it's very

353
00:19:19,040 --> 00:19:21,160
universal.
How, you know, everyone's trauma

354
00:19:21,160 --> 00:19:24,280
is, is different and
dysfunction, family is, is all

355
00:19:24,280 --> 00:19:26,480
different.
But my biggest take away is that

356
00:19:26,480 --> 00:19:29,400
I hope that it, it provides a
sense of, of healing to, to

357
00:19:29,400 --> 00:19:31,360
people, whether it's within
their families, within

358
00:19:31,360 --> 00:19:34,120
themselves, within a, a
community.

359
00:19:34,400 --> 00:19:38,040
We want more than just this film
to be on screen and to do well

360
00:19:38,040 --> 00:19:41,800
in festivals and to get picked
up by network or streaming.

361
00:19:41,800 --> 00:19:45,720
We wanted to, we want to extend
it to organizations that are

362
00:19:45,720 --> 00:19:51,520
already doing the work and have
this serve as a tool to, to, to

363
00:19:51,520 --> 00:19:55,000
help and just to implement in
their work that that they're

364
00:19:55,000 --> 00:19:58,880
already doing just to show a, a
visual because I feel like there

365
00:19:58,880 --> 00:20:01,400
aren't many visual tools out
there like.

366
00:20:02,000 --> 00:20:04,640
Feature films that people can
really just absorb.

367
00:20:05,160 --> 00:20:06,800
So I that's, that's the biggest
hope.

368
00:20:06,800 --> 00:20:10,320
I want this to extend just
beyond the screen and serve as a

369
00:20:10,320 --> 00:20:14,200
tool for for healing.
Dave or Andrew, anything you

370
00:20:14,200 --> 00:20:16,400
want to add on top of that for
what you hope people take away

371
00:20:16,400 --> 00:20:18,840
from this?
I, I just want to second what he

372
00:20:18,840 --> 00:20:20,080
said.
That's a big one.

373
00:20:20,360 --> 00:20:22,720
I mean, Academy Award, I mean,
come on.

374
00:20:22,720 --> 00:20:24,600
That's that's what we that's
what we want.

375
00:20:25,360 --> 00:20:31,080
But no the just to to affect.
The academy's listening is is.

376
00:20:33,440 --> 00:20:35,400
Affecting people, I mean, how
powerful is that?

377
00:20:35,400 --> 00:20:37,880
You know, and that's, that's
what I that's what, you know,

378
00:20:37,880 --> 00:20:39,960
that's what we all love about
movies that, you know, when you

379
00:20:39,960 --> 00:20:43,320
just sit there and you just and
you used a great word, absorb.

380
00:20:43,400 --> 00:20:45,880
You know, I just want people to
be able to absorb this movie in.

381
00:20:46,200 --> 00:20:49,800
But yeah, that's you want, you
want to make something that's

382
00:20:49,800 --> 00:20:52,840
meaningful and, and and that
really changes people and

383
00:20:52,840 --> 00:20:56,360
effects them and makes them cry,
makes them laugh that at all.

384
00:20:57,200 --> 00:20:59,120
I would I would second all of
that.

385
00:20:59,120 --> 00:21:02,320
Maybe just add that, yeah, to
show people that even in the

386
00:21:02,320 --> 00:21:05,400
rough times, there's still
positivity to be found and

387
00:21:06,120 --> 00:21:08,320
within yourself, within your
family, within your community.

388
00:21:08,320 --> 00:21:10,640
So don't, don't look away from
all of that.

389
00:21:10,640 --> 00:21:13,040
And I hope that people realize
that once they do watch this

390
00:21:13,040 --> 00:21:15,280
movie.
And you've as a child of

391
00:21:15,280 --> 00:21:17,880
divorce, was there anything in
the script or anything that's

392
00:21:17,920 --> 00:21:22,160
that's been shot thus far that
really mirrored your life and

393
00:21:22,160 --> 00:21:25,120
made you go like, wow, how did
how did we both have the same?

394
00:21:25,120 --> 00:21:26,880
Experience.
Yeah, I mean, as a matter of

395
00:21:26,880 --> 00:21:29,480
fact, it and I didn't realize
this until I thought about it

396
00:21:29,480 --> 00:21:31,880
after some time.
I had guys night too.

397
00:21:31,880 --> 00:21:38,640
I mean, you know that our my dad
moved out and I lived with my

398
00:21:38,640 --> 00:21:42,040
mom and my brother and for the
first time, you know, he was

399
00:21:42,280 --> 00:21:45,760
busy trying to make a living and
not home a whole lot.

400
00:21:45,760 --> 00:21:48,280
It was a it was a good dad.
We had a nice tight family

401
00:21:48,800 --> 00:21:53,160
structure, thank goodness.
But like I said, at 11, parents

402
00:21:53,160 --> 00:21:55,320
got divorced, dad moved out, got
his own apartment.

403
00:21:55,320 --> 00:21:58,840
And suddenly on weekends, we
were going over to dads having

404
00:21:58,840 --> 00:22:02,400
slumber parties and he was
taking us us out to play pool

405
00:22:02,400 --> 00:22:05,080
and movies, you know, saw a
bunch of it.

406
00:22:05,200 --> 00:22:10,280
It's like it was a blast out to
dinner, just my brother, my dad

407
00:22:10,280 --> 00:22:12,360
and I.
And I realized that that was and

408
00:22:12,360 --> 00:22:15,280
that went on for years.
It was very, very cool.

409
00:22:16,320 --> 00:22:18,520
And it's just something that
hadn't happened before, you

410
00:22:18,520 --> 00:22:21,080
know?
And so in in effect, that was

411
00:22:21,440 --> 00:22:25,280
basically guys night.
So, yeah, I could relate.

412
00:22:26,320 --> 00:22:28,720
And it it, it was very, it was
just healthy.

413
00:22:28,800 --> 00:22:33,200
You know, I didn't get too
disturbed by the divorce because

414
00:22:33,200 --> 00:22:34,880
again, I thought it was, you
know, this is fun.

415
00:22:35,320 --> 00:22:38,120
My brother's a little older.
He was 14 at the time, and he

416
00:22:38,120 --> 00:22:41,400
seemed to go very deep.
I think it really bothered him

417
00:22:41,400 --> 00:22:45,640
and he's a quiet guy.
So I, you know, I, I, I don't

418
00:22:45,680 --> 00:22:50,880
know how badly, but I, I don't
think it affected him as happily

419
00:22:50,880 --> 00:22:52,760
as, as I, I thought it was
great.

420
00:22:53,800 --> 00:22:56,680
We were having fun.
You resonate with any character.

421
00:22:56,720 --> 00:22:59,040
The youngest son, probably.
He's just like I get.

422
00:22:59,360 --> 00:23:01,880
I think so of everything. 2
birthdays.

423
00:23:02,000 --> 00:23:05,200
Exactly.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.

424
00:23:05,800 --> 00:23:08,440
Yeah, so my parents divorced.
That was 50.

425
00:23:08,440 --> 00:23:10,960
Wow, the holidays, Earth Days
made it kind of.

426
00:23:10,960 --> 00:23:12,920
But yeah, I have.
I have no memory of my parents

427
00:23:12,920 --> 00:23:14,960
being together.
Oh, like I just don't.

428
00:23:15,080 --> 00:23:16,560
Remember that.
Time.

429
00:23:17,520 --> 00:23:20,960
Movies were a big deal, like I,
my dad would pick me up every

430
00:23:20,960 --> 00:23:23,960
Sunday and I don't say I want to
see this movie and love it was

431
00:23:23,960 --> 00:23:27,720
to escape my life, but I wanted
to live someone else's life.

432
00:23:27,720 --> 00:23:30,760
And but yeah, the big screen
always just a welcoming place

433
00:23:30,760 --> 00:23:34,640
and I'd see everything possibly.
That yeah, it's just a cool like

434
00:23:35,040 --> 00:23:36,600
bonding time I.
Think this?

435
00:23:37,800 --> 00:23:40,680
Well, my, my dad was a smoker
then, so he'd smoke and to go

436
00:23:40,680 --> 00:23:42,400
walk, smoke and move and I come
back and I had to give him an

437
00:23:42,400 --> 00:23:44,040
update.
So I'd like become a film critic

438
00:23:44,040 --> 00:23:46,480
and be quietly, you know,
getting up to speed every time

439
00:23:46,480 --> 00:23:50,080
we saw a movie.
And this movie fan, is there

440
00:23:50,080 --> 00:23:52,840
anything coming out this summer
or this year that you guys are

441
00:23:52,840 --> 00:23:56,320
excited to to see yourselves?
Today I'm excited to see

442
00:23:56,320 --> 00:23:58,360
Superman.
I don't have tickets today.

443
00:23:58,360 --> 00:24:00,920
I'm one of those where I'm like,
I'm not, I'm going to wait till

444
00:24:00,920 --> 00:24:02,080
the rush is over with a little
bit.

445
00:24:02,080 --> 00:24:04,280
I know it's bad because they've
liked that first weekend box

446
00:24:04,280 --> 00:24:06,560
office.
I'm excited to see that I just

447
00:24:06,560 --> 00:24:09,400
as a kid, like I grew up like
that was my favorite superhero

448
00:24:09,400 --> 00:24:11,640
of all time.
Christopher Reeves will always

449
00:24:11,640 --> 00:24:15,200
be my Superman, But I just love
the the story of it.

450
00:24:15,200 --> 00:24:17,960
And I mean, there's plenty of
pictures of me as a child in my

451
00:24:18,200 --> 00:24:20,560
my favorite Superman shirt
wearing all the time.

452
00:24:20,880 --> 00:24:26,200
And I think that that actually
like the idea of Superman of

453
00:24:26,200 --> 00:24:27,720
like wanting to be the
superhero.

454
00:24:27,720 --> 00:24:33,800
This Superman always gave me the
hope that I could like be super

455
00:24:33,800 --> 00:24:37,720
or grow or as a kid thinking
silly, thinking I could fix my

456
00:24:37,720 --> 00:24:41,560
parents, fix their their
divorce, or I just wanted to be

457
00:24:41,560 --> 00:24:45,400
strong so I can mend our broken
family back together.

458
00:24:45,640 --> 00:24:49,400
So I think like the kid in me
when I heard Superman was coming

459
00:24:49,400 --> 00:24:52,360
out was just like, heck yeah.
And then they dealt with me.

460
00:24:52,360 --> 00:24:55,200
It was like, hell yeah.
I don't think you'll see that

461
00:24:55,520 --> 00:24:57,040
because it's Superman.
It's just awesome.

462
00:24:57,040 --> 00:25:00,000
So by far, like that's like the
one that stands out to me

463
00:25:00,000 --> 00:25:02,360
immediately.
By the way, another cool thing,

464
00:25:02,720 --> 00:25:05,920
a cool thing about this movie is
it takes place in 1985, most of

465
00:25:05,920 --> 00:25:07,960
it.
And how fun is that?

466
00:25:07,960 --> 00:25:09,880
I mean, we're going to be
shooting, you know, I mean, it

467
00:25:10,200 --> 00:25:13,440
adds a whole lot of complication
to the shoot, but we will pull

468
00:25:13,440 --> 00:25:14,680
that off.
So nostalgic.

469
00:25:14,720 --> 00:25:18,800
I mean, yeah, it's nostalgic and
it's it's so we're shooting it

470
00:25:18,800 --> 00:25:22,400
in the same town right near the
house where Nico grew up,

471
00:25:22,400 --> 00:25:25,360
actually.
Small neighborhood and at the

472
00:25:25,360 --> 00:25:29,200
same time placing it it's it's
very, very cool so it's.

473
00:25:29,560 --> 00:25:34,240
Going to give the the old 80s
just like feel good or just that

474
00:25:34,240 --> 00:25:36,680
old 80s vibe like like those old
80s films.

475
00:25:36,680 --> 00:25:38,560
Just going to give it that that
feeling again.

476
00:25:39,320 --> 00:25:41,080
Yeah, and everyone's coming out
of the woodworks with all of

477
00:25:41,080 --> 00:25:43,200
their classic 80s decorations
too.

478
00:25:43,200 --> 00:25:44,520
It's great.
Oh my God.

479
00:25:44,520 --> 00:25:46,760
Bars I mean.
Like, oh, that's perfect.

480
00:25:46,760 --> 00:25:49,080
That takes us straight.
Back to the yeah, we have so

481
00:25:49,080 --> 00:25:52,280
many people who are willing to
to donate a lot of of props and

482
00:25:52,520 --> 00:25:55,160
vehicles.
Even we have a group in hometown

483
00:25:55,800 --> 00:25:59,720
that runs a car show and we
already have a lot of their

484
00:25:59,720 --> 00:26:02,520
vehicles that we're going to be
able to use some late 70s, early

485
00:26:02,520 --> 00:26:05,080
80s vehicles.
We'll be able to use just a

486
00:26:05,080 --> 00:26:08,200
place throughout certain areas
and and hometown itself.

487
00:26:08,600 --> 00:26:12,000
For people that don't know it's
set, it's still dated and set in

488
00:26:12,000 --> 00:26:14,640
the 80s.
Most of it is, you know, it's

489
00:26:14,640 --> 00:26:18,280
like Dave was saying, it's it's
challenging because for any

490
00:26:18,400 --> 00:26:20,480
period film, you have to be able
to shoot it, right?

491
00:26:20,480 --> 00:26:21,800
But that's the beauty of
filmmaking.

492
00:26:21,800 --> 00:26:24,640
You know, you can frame it and
cinematography set up with a

493
00:26:24,640 --> 00:26:27,240
director and a cinematographer
can capture an image and

494
00:26:27,240 --> 00:26:29,280
everything else around it.
You would see like it's like

495
00:26:29,640 --> 00:26:35,160
2025, but just that image, that
frame will show 1985.

496
00:26:35,440 --> 00:26:38,040
And it's going to be like, it's
really exciting just to kind of

497
00:26:38,040 --> 00:26:41,320
like, go back.
Can't get any smartphones in the

498
00:26:41,320 --> 00:26:42,600
shot.
We can't have anything in the

499
00:26:42,600 --> 00:26:44,760
background that's like a a
modern car.

500
00:26:44,760 --> 00:26:46,440
Anything after it.
I mean, think about it just

501
00:26:46,440 --> 00:26:47,400
like.
We really have.

502
00:26:48,520 --> 00:26:51,200
You know, be precious about what
goes in that frame.

503
00:26:51,240 --> 00:26:53,560
So that's the fun of it.
The whole 80s vibe.

504
00:26:54,360 --> 00:26:56,000
Yeah, as far as it's still going
strong, it's.

505
00:26:56,160 --> 00:26:58,600
Amazing people, people love it
and that's a big thing too.

506
00:26:58,600 --> 00:27:02,080
I feel like if anything, the
nostalgia of the the film will

507
00:27:02,080 --> 00:27:06,120
will kind of tap people into to,
to the actual true story, you

508
00:27:06,120 --> 00:27:08,760
know, behind it all.
So that will be enjoyable.

509
00:27:09,440 --> 00:27:11,320
So if anything, they'll get some
nostalgia out of it.

510
00:27:12,240 --> 00:27:16,000
And and how can listeners
support help out, contribute to

511
00:27:16,000 --> 00:27:18,120
guys?
Night, well they can.

512
00:27:18,800 --> 00:27:22,560
You know, I would say that if
the story resonates with you, we

513
00:27:22,680 --> 00:27:24,960
love your support.
As I mentioned earlier guys

514
00:27:24,960 --> 00:27:28,200
Night is fiscally sponsored by
IFA Chicago.

515
00:27:28,720 --> 00:27:33,360
They are A5O1C3 organization.
So that means all donations are

516
00:27:33,360 --> 00:27:38,400
100% tax deductible and every
dollar just brings us closer to

517
00:27:38,400 --> 00:27:42,400
production.
So you can donate at a website

518
00:27:42,400 --> 00:27:47,960
calledgivebutter.com/guys Night.
You can also, I'm going to hold

519
00:27:47,960 --> 00:27:51,040
this up here too if that's cool.
You can scan this QR code.

520
00:27:51,040 --> 00:27:54,600
Can you guys see it?
You can scan this QR code.

521
00:27:54,600 --> 00:27:58,840
It'll take you to that site
which has our pitch video on it.

522
00:27:58,840 --> 00:28:01,880
It's a great video which
explains our entire story from

523
00:28:01,880 --> 00:28:04,400
where we started to where we are
now and where we want to go in

524
00:28:04,400 --> 00:28:06,560
the future with this, with this
film in this project.

525
00:28:06,840 --> 00:28:08,480
And there's our donor portal on
there as well.

526
00:28:08,480 --> 00:28:11,680
So as I said, every dollar
brings us closer to productions.

527
00:28:12,080 --> 00:28:15,320
In addition to that, for those
who may be looking to go a step

528
00:28:15,320 --> 00:28:18,920
further, we also offer some
investor opportunities with a

529
00:28:18,920 --> 00:28:23,600
promising ROI potential thanks
to our Illinois tax credit

530
00:28:23,600 --> 00:28:27,080
approval and our already secured
distribution.

531
00:28:27,760 --> 00:28:30,200
We're working with the
distributor Freestyle Media

532
00:28:30,440 --> 00:28:32,120
already who've who've come on
board.

533
00:28:32,240 --> 00:28:36,360
We can create tailored proposals
across different equity tiers so

534
00:28:36,360 --> 00:28:39,800
that if that is of interest to
anyone who wants to potentially

535
00:28:39,800 --> 00:28:42,200
invest, you can reach out to us
directly at

536
00:28:42,280 --> 00:28:48,440
info@guysnightmovie.com.
So whether you donate or invest,

537
00:28:49,160 --> 00:28:52,360
you're helping to bring a
healing, heartfelt story to

538
00:28:52,360 --> 00:28:56,560
life, one that reminds fathers
and sons everywhere that it's

539
00:28:56,560 --> 00:29:00,160
never too late to connect, to
open up, and to love a little

540
00:29:00,160 --> 00:29:03,000
louder.
A a question I ask all guests

541
00:29:03,000 --> 00:29:06,560
how real men feel, and I'm going
to ask each of you today, what

542
00:29:06,560 --> 00:29:09,360
is one thing that you wish more
men knew?

543
00:29:10,240 --> 00:29:11,240
Oh, good question.
Yeah.

544
00:29:11,880 --> 00:29:15,200
So do you want to take it away?
Yeah, who started this one?

545
00:29:17,240 --> 00:29:21,760
Listen, I wish more men would
just listen.

546
00:29:22,560 --> 00:29:26,400
I've learned in my life and my
relationships, I've had a

547
00:29:26,400 --> 00:29:30,520
tendency to want to fix, to just
automatically want to come in

548
00:29:30,520 --> 00:29:35,480
and help and fix and please.
So it's taken a lot to take a

549
00:29:35,480 --> 00:29:40,120
step back and to release that
control that that desire and

550
00:29:40,120 --> 00:29:44,680
just to absorb, like I said
before and listen and then

551
00:29:45,040 --> 00:29:52,000
redirect and figure out how to
how I can be of, of help and not

552
00:29:52,000 --> 00:29:55,000
provide a solution, but to be of
help to whatever the situation

553
00:29:55,120 --> 00:29:58,320
or circumstance may be.
So I think in one word, I wish

554
00:29:58,440 --> 00:30:02,320
more men would just listen,
whether it's to yourself, to

555
00:30:02,320 --> 00:30:06,360
your, to your wife, to your
parents, to your, to your kids.

556
00:30:07,080 --> 00:30:09,520
I just think that's that's the
biggest thing.

557
00:30:10,600 --> 00:30:13,280
Excellent.
And Andrew?

558
00:30:14,320 --> 00:30:16,000
If you want to go, Dave, I can,
I can, I say.

559
00:30:17,120 --> 00:30:21,800
Get get control of their egos be
and be honest.

560
00:30:21,960 --> 00:30:25,320
Those kind of go together
because you know guys, a lot of

561
00:30:25,320 --> 00:30:29,320
guys just BSA lot and you just
don't know and that's just ego,

562
00:30:29,320 --> 00:30:32,680
you know, it's insecurity.
And so, yeah, I just think that

563
00:30:32,800 --> 00:30:37,080
the world be a much better place
if men could just get control of

564
00:30:37,080 --> 00:30:41,840
their egos and just, you know,
stop trying to one up, one up

565
00:30:41,840 --> 00:30:45,760
and and be like, this isn't
bothering me or I got this, I

566
00:30:45,760 --> 00:30:47,520
got this.
It's like, be honest, you know,

567
00:30:47,960 --> 00:30:49,960
like I, I saw you had a T-shirt
the other day.

568
00:30:49,960 --> 00:30:51,800
Vulnerable AFI love that one
too.

569
00:30:54,840 --> 00:30:57,680
And I'll add to kind of
piggybacking up Nico a little

570
00:30:57,680 --> 00:31:01,600
bit, but just, you know, learn
how to empathize with people,

571
00:31:01,640 --> 00:31:03,880
right?
I think that he's a big thing

572
00:31:03,880 --> 00:31:06,000
that has gone for, you know, a
lot.

573
00:31:06,120 --> 00:31:07,120
A lot of people need to learn
it.

574
00:31:07,120 --> 00:31:09,440
But you know, going with
listening and with egos,

575
00:31:09,440 --> 00:31:12,800
especially, you know, our
community to men, I think if we

576
00:31:12,800 --> 00:31:15,800
can learn how to emphasize
better and then communicate

577
00:31:16,920 --> 00:31:19,720
those feelings as well, Not just
internalize them, but

578
00:31:20,320 --> 00:31:24,240
communicate them in a effective
manner that really helps people

579
00:31:24,240 --> 00:31:26,160
understand what you're thinking.
But then also helps you

580
00:31:26,160 --> 00:31:29,840
understand how reasons for why
other people might be acting the

581
00:31:29,840 --> 00:31:32,040
way that they're acting.
So who knows what's happening,

582
00:31:32,040 --> 00:31:34,960
what's going on, but don't make
those assumptions that oh,

583
00:31:34,960 --> 00:31:36,800
they're acting this way because
of XY or Z.

584
00:31:36,800 --> 00:31:40,600
But really take the moment to
emphasize and and understand

585
00:31:41,200 --> 00:31:44,360
just people.
When, when I was a kid, they

586
00:31:44,360 --> 00:31:47,520
were really just two films that
men of all ages were allowed to

587
00:31:47,520 --> 00:31:51,120
have an emotional reaction to. 1
was Brian's Song and the other

588
00:31:51,120 --> 00:31:54,240
was Old Yeller.
So my greatest hope for you is

589
00:31:54,240 --> 00:31:58,920
that you create something that
allows men to feel and that they

590
00:31:58,920 --> 00:32:01,440
do so.
But I want to thank you for

591
00:32:01,440 --> 00:32:04,640
joining me today.
I know independent film can be

592
00:32:04,640 --> 00:32:07,240
years and years and years in the
making and, and you've having

593
00:32:07,240 --> 00:32:09,040
that experience.
So I, I really hope this is the

594
00:32:09,040 --> 00:32:10,360
year that things come to
fruition.

595
00:32:10,840 --> 00:32:13,680
We'll have all the links to
support and contribute to the

596
00:32:13,960 --> 00:32:18,160
the production in the show notes
and I look forward to seeing the

597
00:32:18,160 --> 00:32:19,080
final.
Result Thank you.

598
00:32:19,080 --> 00:32:21,920
Thank you for having us.
Thank you to the listeners and

599
00:32:21,920 --> 00:32:24,280
viewers as well.
And just for the overall welcome

600
00:32:24,280 --> 00:32:28,080
and this and the support we we
hope to be able to provide that

601
00:32:28,080 --> 00:32:32,240
that film to everyone.
Huge thanks to Nico, Dave, and

602
00:32:32,240 --> 00:32:35,240
Andrew for sharing not just
their film, but themselves.

603
00:32:35,760 --> 00:32:39,240
Guys Night is more than a movie.
It's a mirror held up to modern

604
00:32:39,240 --> 00:32:42,960
fatherhood, emotional honesty,
and the evolving definition of

605
00:32:42,960 --> 00:32:45,760
masculinity.
If you're a man who's tired of

606
00:32:45,760 --> 00:32:47,880
pretending you have it all
together and you're ready to

607
00:32:47,880 --> 00:32:50,880
connect with other men that are
keeping it real, join us in the

608
00:32:50,880 --> 00:32:54,960
authentic AF community at
realmenfeel.org/group.

609
00:32:54,960 --> 00:32:58,200
And until next time, be good to
yourself.