Load Bearing Beams: A Movie Podcast

Roth Stokes
  • 5.0 (25)
  • TV & FILM
  • UPDATED WEEKLY
Load Bearing Beams: A Movie Podcast

One host loves a movie, the other has never seen it. They watch. They discuss. Why do we call it a Load Bearing Beam? Because it's a movie you love so much that it holds up the foundation of the very structure that is you. Laci Roth and Matt Stokes are a married couple that needs to find stuff to watch together. On this show, they take a look at movies loved by one but unseen, disliked, or forgotten by the other. With open hearts but exhausted and cynical minds, they will get to the bottom of whether or not the movies they love so much are actually good.

  1. 2D AGO

    Jurassic Park (with In Love With Horror) (Summer of Spielberg Re-Release)

    It is with heavy hearts that we have to push back our release schedule one week. Actually, no, our hearts are light and full of joy. A new baby has been added to House Stokes in the form of past guest Elliott (from the Home Alone 2 episode) and his lovely wife having a baby. Said baby was just very inconsiderate in arriving at precisely the time we were set to record our Fast Five episode. So, it'll be here in a week. All will be well.   In the meantime, we're flashing back to last summer when it was the Summer of Spielberg, and we're giving you one of our most popular episodes, the Jurassic Park episode featuring AJ and Kristie from the In Love With Horror podcast.   The Summer of Spielberg continues as Laci and Matt were able to buckle their seatbelts in time for their helicopter to land on Isla Nublar, where they meet up with AJ & Kristie from the In Love With Horror podcast to talk about Jurassic Park (1993). The four team up for a rollicking podcast so good it’ll have you shouting “Hello John!” at total strangers.   First of all, this famous action/horror/sci-fi/disaster epic has like 50 incredible lines of dialogue! So we just spend some time saying these lines at each other. But eventually we get into it, talking about the history of Michael Crichton’s novel and its adaptation by Steven Spielberg. Then we take a close look at the movie, wondering just how bad of a boss John Hammond must be and what exactly is the nature of his relationship with Ian Malcolm.   Also, apparently John Hammond was originally intended to sing a song explaining how Jurassic Park works? Instead they did the Mr. DNA thing, but we would love to hear that song. Who knows... maybe we will.   Please check out the great In Love With Horror podcast on Apple Podcast (https://apple.co/4b80RX2), Spotify (https://bit.ly/3KYfbXe), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/4btwtqp), and support them on Patreon (https://bit.ly/3VV0jzy).    Watch this episode in full: https://youtu.be/o2RueFt2rC8   Time stamps: 00:09:41 — Our histories with Jurassic Park 00:30:05 — History segment: Career overview of Jurassic Park author Michael Crichton; overview of Spielberg’s career since 1982; and a brief overview of the production of the movie 00:48:16 — In-depth movie discussion 01:13:14 — John Hammond's deleted musical number 01:54:35 — Final thoughts and star ratings   Artwork by Laci Roth.   Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC).   Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Summer of Spielberg” - https://youtu.be/yglAqqLEaoI  “Winston-Salem” - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM   “Snake Drama” - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ   “Summer of Spielberg” theme song credits: Words and music written by Matt Stokes Performed by Wade Hymel (drums/guitar), Laci Roth (vocals), and Matt Stokes (vocals/guitar/bass) Produced by TJ Barends, Wade Hymel, and Matt Stokes Engineered and mixed by TJ Barends at Bare Sounds Studio in Ponchatoula, Louisiana   Sources: Steven Spielberg: A Biography by Joseph McBride - https://amzn.to/3xzYOx1 “'Jurassic Park' screenwriter David Koepp reveals the origin of the film's most quoted line” - by Tom Butler | Yahoo! Entertainment (2019) - https://yhoo.it/3VySSwv

    2h 6m
  2. Jurassic Park Franchise Rankings + Godzilla (2014)

    JUL 4

    Jurassic Park Franchise Rankings + Godzilla (2014)

    Hey folks, we're off this week, but we'll be back next week with our Fast Five episode, as the Summer of Rock rolls on! In the meantime, enjoy some samplings from the additional bonus material available on our YouTube channel (https://youtube.com/@loadbearingbeamspod).  Time stamps: 1:30  — Top-Five Jurassic Park Movies (excluding Jurassic Park) 9:06 — Revisiting Gareth Edwards's Godzilla (2014)

    26 min
  3. 164. Tooth Fairy (Summer of Rock)

    JUN 27

    164. Tooth Fairy (Summer of Rock)

    Well, a movie finally broke us. Horror and mortal terror have a face.   In the absolutely dreadful “family film” Tooth Fairy (2010)—quite possibly the worst movie our podcast has ever covered—Dwayne Johnson plays Derek Thompson, a hockey player who specializes in knocking out opponents’ teeth. He has a lot on his plate: He’s dating Ashley Judd, who has two kids: An adorable little girl who loves him and a punk teenage boy who thinks he’s full of crap (Because he is.). At the same time, Derek has some hotshot new competition in the form of Mick “The Stick” Donnelly, a hot-shot new prospect who is described in the span of 25 seconds by the team’s coach as both “the future face of this (minor league) franchise” and “only here for a cup of coffee before he makes the NHL.”   Then he becomes the Tooth Fairy. Hilarity ensues.   Next week: We're off! We return on July 11 for an episode about Fast Five (2011).   The Summer of Rock is our summer 2025 miniseries covering the movie career of Dwayne Johnson through nine movies, presented in chronological order. Starting with his attempt at crossing over from the world of wrestling, The Rock’s career got off to a bumpy start before finally taking off in the 2010s. But it wasn’t long before the bumps returned, and we’ll be telling the story for you all summer long!   Bonus video: Matt explains how director Paul Verhoeven could predict how the future would feel, through examining three of his movies: RoboCop, Total Recall, and Starship Troopers. Watch it on YouTube: https://youtu.be/pzK6CiMUMxM    Subscribe to our Patreon, Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition for $5 a month to get two extra episodes! patreon.com/loadbearingbeams    Time stamps: 00:09:30 — History segment: The Rock’s wrestling career winds down in 2003 and 2004 as he turns heel and embraces his “Hollywood Rock” persona; his acting career sputters as he tries a number of lead roles that don’t work out; he pivots to family films, where he becomes much more successful; genesis of Tooth Fairy under writer Jim Piddock and director Michael Lemdeck  00:36:15 — In-depth movie discussion 01:59:45 — Final thoughts and star ratings   Source: “Interview with THE TOOTH FAIRY's Jim Piddock” by Clint Morris | Geek Week (2010) - https://bit.ly/4kVx6hL    Artwork by Laci Roth. Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC).   Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Summer of Rock” - https://youtu.be/dvRY72jNIEE  “Winston-Salem” - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM “Snake Drama” - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ "Summer of Rock" theme song credits: Words and music by Matt Stokes Engineered, mixed, and mastered by TJ Barends | Bare Sounds   Personnel: TJ Barends - backing vocals Wade Hymel - drums/guitar/backing vocals Laci Roth - vocals Matt Stokes - vocals/guitar/bass   Follow Wade on Instagram: @wadealready Follow TJ on Instagram: @baresoundstwitaj     Follow the show! Twitter: @LoadBearingPod | @MattStokes9 | @LRothConcepts Instagram: @loadbearingbeams TikTok: @load.bearing.beams | @mattstokes9 Letterboxd: @loadbearinglaci | @mattstokes9 Bluesky: @loadbearingbeams.bsky.social

    2h 7m
  4. 163. The Rundown (Summer of Rock)

    JUN 20

    163. The Rundown (Summer of Rock)

    Dwayne Johnson followed up his debut lead performance in The Scorpion King with The Rundown. Released as Welcome to the Jungle outside America, The Rundown might be his very best movie. Along with Seann William Scott, Rosario Dawson, and a deliciously hammy Christopher Walken, The Rock is firing on all cylinders as both a physical and emotional actor. He can be funny when called to be, but leaves most of the humor to Scott and Walken, and he really shines as a stoic badass.   It's no mistake that Arnold Schwarzenegger makes a cameo at the beginning of this movie, passing by The Rock and telling him to "have fun." It was his world now. As The Scorpion King was The Rock's version of Conan the Barbarian, The Rundown was his version of Commando. Unfortunately, the world had changed since the 1980s, and the public appetite for throwback action-adventure movies was waning.   We were robbed of a world where he made a movie of this quality every year. But we’re also robbed of a world where dozens of movies like this get made every year. We had it all, we just didn’t know it.   The Summer of Rock is our summer 2025 miniseries covering the movie career of Dwayne Johnson through nine movies, presented in chronological order. Starting with his attempt at crossing over from the world of wrestling, The Rock’s career got off to a bumpy start before finally taking off in the 2010s. But it wasn’t long before the bumps returned, and we’ll be telling the story for you all summer long!   Bonus video: The Rundown should’ve had a sequel! The Rock and Seann William Scott have excellent chemistry, and their partnership could easily have fit into all kinds of different sequel scenarios. Really, there should have been 10 Rundowns. We name a few other movies we think should’ve gotten sequels as well: https://youtu.be/PlL4FK8U8J4    Subscribe to our Patreon, Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition for $5 a month to get two extra episodes! patreon.com/loadbearingbeams    Time stamps: 00:04:40 — Our personal histories with The Rundown 00:14:00 — History segment: The Rock’s wrestling career in 2002 and 2003, including his feud with Hulk Hogan and the fans turning against him; brief history of the production of The Rundown under director Peter Berg  00:32:20 — In-depth movie discussion 01:20:30 — Final thoughts and star ratings   Source: “Man of Action! ** Former Bethlehem resident The Rock is on a roll with ‘The Rundown’” by Amy Longsdorf | The Morning Call (2003) - https://bit.ly/4kNkxoz    Artwork by Laci Roth.   Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC).   Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Summer of Rock” - https://youtu.be/dvRY72jNIEE  “Winston-Salem” - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM “Snake Drama” - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ   "Summer of Rock" theme song credits: Words and music by Matt Stokes Engineered, mixed, and mastered by TJ Barends | Bare Sounds   Personnel: TJ Barends - backing vocals Wade Hymel - drums/guitar/backing vocals Laci Roth - vocals Matt Stokes - vocals/guitar/bass     Follow Wade on Instagram: @wadealready Follow TJ on Instagram: @baresoundstwitaj   Follow the show! Twitter: @LoadBearingPod | @MattStokes9 | @LRothConcepts Instagram: @loadbearingbeams TikTok: @load.bearing.beams | @mattstokes9 Letterboxd: @loadbearinglaci | @mattstokes9 Bluesky: @loadbearingbeams.bsky.social

    1h 26m
  5. 162. The Scorpion King (Summer of Rock)

    JUN 13

    162. The Scorpion King (Summer of Rock)

    The Summer of Rock begins as Laci and Matt dive into the movie career of Dwayne Johnson with his first leading role in The Scorpion King (2002). The Rock first graced the big screen a year earlier in The Mummy Returns, in a brief prologue in which he plays a character who seemingly has nothing to do with the sturdy nice fellow he plays in Scorpion King. And now he gets to lead a picture. And what a picture. An old-fashioned picture, you might say. One refreshingly free of irony, self-awareness, or any of the oppressive trappings of modernity. This movie’s kinda great, actually. And so is The Rock. Is it possible his career peaked with his first feature? We shall find out in the weeks and months ahead. The Summer of Rock is our summer 2025 miniseries covering the movie career of Dwayne Johnson through nine movies, presented in chronological order. Starting with his attempt at crossing over from the world of wrestling, The Rock’s career got off to a bumpy start before finally taking off in the 2010s. But it wasn’t long before the bumps returned, and we’ll be telling the story for you all summer long!   Bonus video: Matt explains why all movie studio CEOs are basically the exact same guy and why they all make the exact same decisions. Watch it on YouTube: https://youtu.be/MC1dxeLQrgY     Next week: The Rundown (2003) Subscribe to our Patreon, Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition for $5 a month to get two extra episodes! patreon.com/loadbearingbeams    Time stamps: 00:11:28 — Our personal histories with The Scorpion King  00:28:20 — History segment: Brief career overview of Dwayne Johnson; development and production of The Scorpion King and the surprisingly long direct-to-video franchise it spawned  00:47:45 — In-depth movie discussion 01:32:00 — Final thoughts and star ratings   Sources: The Last Action Heroes: The Triumphs, Flops, and Feuds of Hollywood's Kings of Carnage by Nick de Semlyen (2023) - https://bit.ly/4kDH4V3  “Hiding Out with Dwayne Johnson: The GQ Video Cover Story” by Zach Baron | GQ (2024) - https://bit.ly/3HB2Lq4  Review of “The Scorpion King” by Roger Ebert | The Chicago Sun-Times (2002) - https://bit.ly/3SIJ3em    Artwork by Laci Roth.   Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC).   Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Summer of Rock” - https://youtube.com/shorts/nLe3DMwryiQ  “Winston-Salem” - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM “Snake Drama” - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ   "Summer of Rock" theme song credits: Words and music by Matt Stokes Engineered, mixed, and mastered by TJ Barends | Bare Sounds   Personnel: TJ Barends - backing vocals Wade Hymel - drums/guitar/backing vocals Laci Roth - vocals Matt Stokes - vocals/guitar/bass   Follow Wade on Instagram: @wadealready Follow TJ on Instagram: @baresoundstwitaj Follow the show! Twitter: @LoadBearingPod | @MattStokes9 | @LRothConcepts Instagram: @loadbearingbeams TikTok: @load.bearing.beams | @mattstokes9 Letterboxd: @loadbearinglaci | @mattstokes9 Bluesky: @loadbearingbeams.bsky.social

    1h 38m
  6. Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning

    JUN 6

    Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning

    We're off this week, preparing for the Summer of Rock, which starts next week with an episode about The Scorpion King (2002). In fact, here is our schedule for the rest of the month: June 13 - The Scorpion King (2002) June 20 - The Rundown (2003) June 27 - Tooth Fairy (2010)   In the meantime, please enjoy Matt's semi-spoiler-y review of Mission: Impossible - The Final Reckoning. And please follow us on YouTube to get all kinds of bonus content: https://youtube.com/@loadbearingbeamspod

    23 min
  7. 161. I Love You, Man (with Wade Hymel)

    MAY 30

    161. I Love You, Man (with Wade Hymel)

    Friend of the Show Wade Hymel makes his triumphant return to the podcast, and he’s brought with him I Love You, Man (2009).   So what’s up with men, huh? With their man caves, and their jam seshes, and their pizza pies. Can’t live with ‘em, can’t help but love ‘em, am I right?   And how do adults make friends anyway? It’s pretty weird. Somebody should make a movie about it.   Oh, that’s what this movie is.   Hear Wade's amazing album WHO SAID THAT? on Apple Music (https://bit.ly/4kinkpJ), Spotify (https://spoti.fi/3SoQnM3), or wherever else music is streamed. Or you can purchase the album from Bandcamp (https://bit.ly/3I2Syje).   Bonus video: Matt unpacks the story of The Black Cauldron, Disney’s biggest ever flop. Watch it on YouTube: https://youtu.be/rHeypRjToic    Next week: We’re off. Our Summer of (redacted) miniseries begins the following Friday (June 13) with an episode about (redacted… listen to the episode to learn what it is!).   Subscribe to our Patreon, Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition for $5 a month to get two extra episodes! patreon.com/loadbearingbeams    Time stamps: 00:01:45 — Our MAJOR summer miniseries announcement 00:06:08 — Summer miniseries theme song debut 00:10:15 — Our personal histories with I Love You, Man  00:18:20 — History segment: The Male Loneliness epidemic — why is it so hard for men to make friends? We definitively answer the question. Then we talk about the origins of this movie under original screenwriter Larry Levin in the 1990s, and how it was finally brought to life by director John Hamburg in 2009 00:32:00 — In-depth movie discussion 01:59:35 — Final thoughts and star ratings   Sources: “Younger Men in the U.S. Among the Loneliest in West” by Benedict Vigers | Gallup (2025) - https://bit.ly/4kGZcgk  “John Hamburg Says I Love You, Man” by Edward Douglas | ComingSoon.net (2009) - https://bit.ly/3HeoyUo    Artwork by Laci Roth.   Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC).   Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Summer of Rock” - https://youtu.be/dvRY72jNIEE  “Winston-Salem” - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM “Snake Drama” - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ   Follow the show! Twitter: @LoadBearingPod | @MattStokes9 | @LRothConcepts Instagram: @loadbearingbeams TikTok: @load.bearing.beams | @mattstokes9 Letterboxd: @loadbearinglaci | @mattstokes9 Bluesky: @loadbearingbeams.bsky.social

    2h 4m
  8. 160. Wayne’s World

    MAY 23

    160. Wayne’s World

    Join us at Stan Mikita’s for crullers, dear listener, as we go through one of the very best comedies of the 1990s: It’s Wayne’s World. Excellent.   But is it truly Wayne’s world? How much control does Wayne really have? What does he want? What does he stand for? And will he ever transcend the limitations of his corporeal space? We definitively answer these and so much more, as we cover both the making of the movie (including what sounds like a very difficult experience for director Penelope Spheeris in having to work with Mike Myers) and the movie itself, reading very closely to divine its message. Bonus video: Matt tells you about the ONLY Disney Animated Feature that you won’t find on Disney Plus, and why that is. Watch it on YouTube: https://youtu.be/upu6z3Zyf40 Next week: I Love You Man (2009) with special guest Wade Hyel Subscribe to our Patreon, Load Bearing Beams: Collector's Edition for $5 a month to get two extra episodes! patreon.com/loadbearingbeams    Time stamps: 00:03:00 — Our personal histories with Wayne’s World 00:14:45 — History segment: Mike Myers & the origins of Wayne Campbell on 1980s Canadian television; “Wayne’s World” debuts on SNL with Myers and Dana Carvey; production of Wayne’s World led by director Penelope Spheeris 00:37:57 — In-depth movie discussion 01:52:45 — Final thoughts and star ratings   Sources: "Comedy in the ’90s, Part 1: ‘Wayne’s World’ Starts the Party" by Alan Siegel | The Ringer (2019) - https://bit.ly/3YQzoG3 “Gentle Reminder: ‘Wayne’s World’ Was, and Will Always Be, a Totally Canadian Thing” by Greg Hudson | Sharp (2017) - https://bit.ly/3H2rKlP  “Mike Myers: Man of Mystery” by Josh Rottenberg | Entertainment Weekly (2008) - https://bit.ly/43BD5lD   Artwork by Laci Roth.   Music by Rural Route Nine. Listen to their album The Joy of Averages on Spotify (https://bit.ly/48WBtUa), Apple Music (https://bit.ly/3Q6kOVC), or YouTube (https://bit.ly/3MbU6tC).   Songs by Rural Route Nine in this episode: “Winston-Salem” - https://youtu.be/-acMutUf8IM “Snake Drama” - https://youtu.be/xrzz8_2Mqkg “The Bible Towers of Bluebonnet” - https://youtu.be/k7wlxTGGEIQ   Follow the show! Twitter: @LoadBearingPod | @MattStokes9 | @LRothConcepts Instagram: @loadbearingbeams TikTok: @load.bearing.beams | @mattstokes9 Letterboxd: @loadbearinglaci | @mattstokes9 Bluesky: @loadbearingbeams.bsky.social

    1h 58m
See All (201)

5
out of 5
25 Ratings

About

One host loves a movie, the other has never seen it. They watch. They discuss. Why do we call it a Load Bearing Beam? Because it's a movie you love so much that it holds up the foundation of the very structure that is you. Laci Roth and Matt Stokes are a married couple that needs to find stuff to watch together. On this show, they take a look at movies loved by one but unseen, disliked, or forgotten by the other. With open hearts but exhausted and cynical minds, they will get to the bottom of whether or not the movies they love so much are actually good.

Information

You Might Also Like

To listen to explicit episodes, sign in.

Stay up to date with this show

Sign in or sign up to follow shows, save episodes, and get the latest updates.
Select a country or region

Africa, Middle East, and India

Asia Pacific

Europe

Latin America and the Caribbean

The United States and Canada