[{"_1":2,"_99":-5,"_100":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6223073,"mediaKeyId","3577180-551136d1d42876a66da72585a6faac44","parentId",3577180,"title","Student director Aaron Burke screens 20‑minute horror‑western \"Treasure of the Unholy\" and fields Q&A","audioSeconds",1715,"startMs",1716000,"endMs",3431000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3577180-551136d1d42876a66da72585a6faac44&start=1716&end=3431","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3577180-551136d1d42876a66da72585a6faac44/thumbnail_1716000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6223073/Missoula/Missoula-County/Montana/Student-director-Aaron-Burke-screens-20minute-horrorwestern-Treasure-of-the-Unholy-and-fields-QA","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6223073-da3a84d234ca5e553b805807f21fb50f/orig.mp4?Expires=1773537015&Signature=VuqBdot5mmFzWC5l1RA9H5RLwBvcgdEgW2i0njn485NZETEbEzKPrqztui~jczMBsLxjuSywd-b-3rOvSrIGYC6mJAAjdwh316FtpHAt5MPR10TyhBBViUFbuvZYgfafrYOnxMUCcyJyH3RO9Nm9Ulu6FuGZM8w2NHO4DjwcTSQCeosjnJiXqx0S0ljRKZ4Qe-eEfBoDvc8b4tEBtTPLNcTA~gOc4DwF52l470PXNOjJDU49fHa9o5RQan0nhZZwYPK1xplRsSm4CHxLMVlKjpjW-igZwZI58T6dUbM32RhVg-iZM2aiEedQ1uVxspf00DHEutoBmxBzU9xHeRWA8w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Missoula, MT","date","2025-05-28T21:38:19Z","article","On a special edition of The Big Picture podcast, hosts Brad and Ben hosted director Aaron Burke and actor Chad Griptentrop for a screening of the 20‑minute student film Treasure of the Unholy, followed by an on‑air conversation about the production.

Aaron Burke, identified on the show as the film’s director, described the project as “a period piece set in the late 18 hundreds. It's a western, but with a added horror element,” and explained the basic premise: an artifact with a demon soul travels from Europe to the Americas and is unleashed in the Wild West. The hosts screened the film and then asked Burke about influences and production choices.

Burke said the film evolved during development — originally conceived with a tribal curse backstory and later simplified into a chain‑gang and treasure‑map conceit — and acknowledged stylistic influences from Sam Raimi and Peter Jackson. He said the decision to make the treasure map demonic grew from that simplification. Burke also confirmed the runtime to hosts: “20 minutes long.”

Actor Chad Griptentrop, who appears in the film, described a demanding on‑location shoot in Pony, Montana, and said of the production pace: “Aaron flipped out on us a couple times, but it was alright.” The hosts noted that Justin Sperandeo, one of the credited prison‑guard actors, was not present for the broadcast; the on‑air discussion referenced his absence and earlier plans.

Why this matters: the segment documents a student production’s creative choices and local filmmaking logistics, including stated influences and on‑location challenges. The exchange included explicit on‑air acknowledgments of homage and stylistic borrowing and a brief description of the shooting environment.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","The Big Picture #9","oneSentenceSummary","On a special edition of The Big Picture, director Aaron Burke introduced and discussed his 20‑minute student film Treasure of the Unholy; hosts and the director spoke about influences (Sam Raimi, Peter Jackson), filming in Pony, Montana, casting and a brief production Q&A.","taxTitle","Missoula, Missoula County, Montana","taxId",4050,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6223079,"Hosts criticize contemporary \"female westerns,\" contrasting styles and casting",478,967000,1445000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3577180-551136d1d42876a66da72585a6faac44&start=967&end=1445","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3577180-551136d1d42876a66da72585a6faac44/thumbnail_967000.jpg","/articles/6223079/Missoula/Missoula-County/Montana/Hosts-criticize-contemporary-female-westerns-contrasting-styles-and-casting","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6223079-d4dfde1721b770ee6bb2abec3185405e/orig.mp4?Expires=1773537015&Signature=BOMFfqdy0HW6qEocz8E523J5xxMowHqnhQu9QLFJKucy0WiKPiNDcgDUd3YANLFbmo87xalkNprlmPIsabksEfyjJkrnWwbA3j9tWerjAYxHtsxnLAzCeicRyzCDi9jRYw2AnbeRjUji83eMXOSvzcYbF0B88roG8EjNJe5PzPW13K6vmCIDUKuos38DEgHQmiCxHhbo6GKMOWXl1iragtal0BglnlG3DlJgBPeUh4kLNj3~QBKd53ousOmMKgc7OTcDm9GZ-4agy4DLrBl--ZmrpiGAqi4ak1kMUNZDFAa~~JsUyDjpmft91fVCPBxW32JUGIjUd~bWrRtQHr~tgw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Brad and Ben, hosts of The Big Picture podcast, devoted a portion of the show to what they called “female westerns,” naming The Quick and the Dead, The Ballad of Little Joe, Bad Girls and Even Cowgirls Get the Blues as examples. The hosts debated whether casting established actors (in particular Sharon Stone) and shifting genre conventions produced worthwhile films.

Brad criticized some contemporary entries for what he called unoriginal or unsuccessful execution, saying of The Quick and the Dead that Sharon Stone “tries to act like she can run the the old West,” and calling the quartet of films “a quadruplet of of crap” in the course of the episode’s commentary. Ben countered that the genre has been male‑dominated historically and suggested that female‑led westerns are an attempt to diversify the genre; at one point he said, “See, that's sexist,” when Brad framed the shift as problematic.

The hosts described The Ballad of Little Joe as a slow, largely plotless film about a woman who disguises herself to fit into cowboy society; Brad said the story resembles Yentl “without the singing.” They also summarized Bad Girls as a film about a group seeking to recover stolen money and described Even Cowgirls Get the Blues as a film with a David Lynch–like sensibility without Lynch’s violence.

Why this matters: the discussion reflects how hosts and listeners evaluate attempts to rework classic genres, focusing on casting choices, narrative pacing and whether films preserve or subvert traditional western tropes. The segment was commentary and criticism; no external actions or policy considerations were raised.","Brad and Ben discussed a set of contemporary films described as \"female westerns,\" including The Quick and the Dead, The Ballad of Little Joe, Bad Girls and Even Cowgirls Get the Blues, debating casting, tone and whether the genre shift is successful.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6223083,"Podcast hosts dispute critic’s take on Spawn, debate plot clarity",173,112000,285000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3577180-551136d1d42876a66da72585a6faac44&start=112&end=285","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3577180-551136d1d42876a66da72585a6faac44/thumbnail_112000.jpg","/articles/6223083/Missoula/Missoula-County/Montana/Podcast-hosts-dispute-critics-take-on-Spawn-debate-plot-clarity","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6223083-43e46550fedfdd07e5c1b16fe26dfe3c/orig.mp4?Expires=1773537015&Signature=RG6TH7y~IUOebQP46U9YIo4OvooXgvvTVPJVcBXYcATdH1ydfgZBHSiv~R16NfGOL0UG34gqz8CyjXZtJ2d5GLKjyIgGlA1CEGm3G4ckvuabCpFvwe2Chivnxfeo9TcrwhZuPya4T0F1LwV~Gocb7RkYL7vjVKZHa0asruY86cpQGrGgVQjTevBp2U5IgeBBqsf-c5CQzF9F~Zi6mEPehswsf~aULzQ-UyuelDwsLJP7cbpj48oAHiycb3tv-SQLJKLSZtznC~batmvc6qi5FtybJ2nOP343KssLIyU2KGXSWlmUU9nRg-KICtRl6leXUc5d2LyfIBvR1PxzzyTSyw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Brad, host of The Big Picture podcast, read a review by critic Brian DeSalvador that called the film Spawn “devoid of logic,” and used it to question how the film explains its protagonist’s abilities. The reading and subsequent on-air debate centered on whether the movie’s storytelling choices were incomprehensible or deliberately presented for the audience to learn alongside the character.

The exchange opened when Brad read DeSalvador’s lines that the plot and backstory are “incomprehensible” and that the film is “devoid of logic.” Ben, co-host, disagreed that the film was unclear, saying the movie explains the character’s arc as he learns the limits of his powers: “when Spawn was on Earth, he was a mercenary. And when he died and he came back, he didn't know what his powers were… automatically, he's gonna use these weapons,” Ben said on the show.

The hosts compared their own viewer ratings during the segment: Brad said he “gave 3 Arnolds,” while Ben said he “gave 1 Arnold.” The hosts noted that DeSalvador’s published assessment was a one‑star review; Brad read several lines from that review verbatim during the program, including rhetorical objections such as “how come he has to use automatic weapons?”

Why this matters: the on-air dispute illustrates how critics and casual viewers can diverge about narrative clarity in comic-book adaptations. The hosts framed the film’s apparent contradictions as either a failure of storytelling or an intentionally gradual exposition that makes sense in the film’s internal logic.

The discussion remained an exchange of opinions and textual readings; no formal conclusions or outside actions were proposed on the program. Direct excerpts of DeSalvador’s review were read aloud and attributed on air.","Hosts Brad and Ben read and contested a review by Brian DeSalvador that called the film Spawn “devoid of logic,” while the hosts discussed why scenes (including the protagonist’s use of firearms) may be presented as they are.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Student director Aaron Burke screens 20‑minute horror‑western "Treasure of the Unholy" and fields Q&A

Hosts criticize contemporary "female westerns," contrasting styles and casting

Podcast hosts dispute critic’s take on Spawn, debate plot clarity