Afleveringen
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This week Iâm joined by Amy Nicholson, the director of the documentary Happy Campers, which is now available for rental or purchase on VOD at Apple. We discussed the ragtag oceanside community Amy documented, how she came to find herself in a position to tell their story, and some of the stranger reactions to the filmâs decision to be less didactic and more emotionally compelling. If youâre intrigued by what you hear here, make sure to check out the movie. And if you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend!
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This week I talked to Steven Watts about his new book, Citizen Cowboy: Will Rogers and the American People. Rogers was a fascinating figure, one who straddled Americaâs status as a largely agrarian, frontier-expanding nation to the more urban, cosmopolitan nation we have today. He helped people manage the cultural change with his humor and became one of the most famous (and beloved) men in America by riding the new mass media wave and gently sticking it to politicians of all stripes. If you want to learn more about Rogers, make sure to check out Stevenâs book. And if you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend!
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Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
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On this weekâs episode, Iâm joined by John Magary, editor of the new film Between the Temples. We discuss how he got into the editing business, the role of the editor in building the rhythm and flow of a picture, the aesthetic choices an editor can make in shaping the meaning of a movie, and a little about his work with the Criterion Channel. If you enjoyed this episode, try to find a theater playing the movie near you; itâs in 500 or so screens, which means thereâs a decent chance thereâs a showing somewhere in your neighborhood. And make sure to share it with a friend!
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My guest this week is Valentina El Harizi, an 18-year-old first-time filmmaker who has an entry at the DIFF Shorts Film Festival. (If you get this email early enough and happen to live in the Dallas area, you can head over to the Angelika Film Center Dallas on Mockingbird Lane and catch the film; the âHigh School Shortsâ program starts at 3PM local time.) We discussed her film, âBehind the Scenes,â as well as the difficulties of growing up in a world where social media is the first, second, and third option most kids have to interact with each other. If you enjoyed this episodeâor think someone with kids surrounded by social media should hear itâplease share it with a friend!
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On this weekâs episode, Iâm joined by Robbie Whelan, who covers the wide world of Disney for the Wall Street Journal. We talked about all the stuff Disney rolled out at D23 (Sequels! Theme park additions! New Cruise ships!) and discussed the ways in which the softness in Disneyâs âExperiencesâ division (which includes, among other endeavors, the theme parks) may suggest general economic softness thatâs hidden by the success of movies like Inside Out 2 and Deadpool & Wolverine. If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend!
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This week I met with novelist (and Bulwark+ member!) Brad Thor in a shadowy location (upstairs at Dallasâs magnificent flagship Half Price Books) to discuss his latest book of international intrigue, Shadow of Doubt. We also talked about the idea that men donât buy novels, smuggling real-world ideas into the universe of his fiction while maintaining their entertainment value, and a potential adaptation of his Scot Harvath novels into a streaming hit. If youâre looking for a late-summer read, make sure to pick up Bradâs book. And if you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend!
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Iâm joined this week by Thomas Doherty, Brandeis professor and author of Hollywood and Hitler, 1933-1939, and Maria Elena de las Carreras, lecturer in film studies at the UCLA School of Film and Television, at the CSUN Department of Cinema and Television Arts,* to talk about the recent restoration and Blu-ray release of two documentaries by Herbert Kline: Crisis: A Film of âThe Nazi Wayâ and Lights Out in Europe. Doherty and de las Carreras provided commentary tracks on the films and were kind enough to join me to discuss the historical import and context of these two important films, which chronicled the German annexation of Czechoslovakia and the beginning of Hitlerâs assault on Poland.
Both movies are available on one Blu-ray directly from Flicker Alley (or Amazon), and they are must-owns for folks interested both in documentary film from the period and World War Two more broadly; Iâd heard of Crisis before but had never seen it, and it was a real treat to finally get to watch it.
* Maria Elena de las Carrerasâs title has been corrected. -
This week Iâm being rejoined by the Los Angeles Timesâs Ryan Faughnder to discuss the sale of Paramount to David Ellison. What does this mean for the various arms of Viacom? Then we discussed the collapse of Redbox and the state of the box office. If you enjoyed this episode, please sign up for Ryanâs newsletter, The Wide Shot, here. Itâs free! And if you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend!
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On this weekâs episode Iâm joined by Jennifer Esposito, the director, writer, and star of Fresh Kills, a mob movie told from the perspective of mob wives and mob daughters. We discussed her career in the movies and how that helped prep her to stand behind the camera, why itâs hard to find audiences for original movies telling stories aimed at adults, how social media is helping build a base of support, and the powerfully feral performance of Odessa Aâzion. You can watch Fresh Kills right now from the comfort of your own home on your preferred VOD provider. And if you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend!
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Often, when people discuss television viewing these days theyâll conclude their chat with something like âBut we just donât know what people are watching.â That is an increasingly outdated view of the data, however. On this weekâs episode, Iâm joined by Dierdre Thomas, the Chief Product Officer for Nielsenâs Audience Measurement business unit. We talked about the evolution of Nielsenâs business measuring market share, how the company captures what people are watching and where, and how overall viewing habits have changed in the streaming age.
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On this weekâs episode, Iâm joined by Stephen Robert Morse and Seth Porges, the producers and directors of How to Rob a Bank. Streaming now on Netflix, the true-crime docâs subject, Scott Scurlock (aka, the Hollywood Bandit), calls to mind Point Break in his commitment to living his life however he pleased and funding it through criminal activities. But, as Porges told me in our interview, How to Rob a Bank is also a subversion of the cinematic trope of the noble bank robber, a rejection of that idealized vision of criminality. Itâs a reminder that what filmmakers portray has some impact on how we seeâand take part inâthe world. If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to watch their movie. And if you enjoyed this episode, share it with a friend!
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On this weekâs episode, Iâm joined by John DeVore, author of Theatre Kids: A True Tale of Off-Off Broadway. In addition to discussing his life in the arts and the different species of theatre childrenâfrom the stage to politics to religion, theatre kids come in all shapes and sizeâwe also talked a bit about the evolution of media in the post-9/11, pre-iPhone age. And we went back to one of my favorite topics: why no one can behave themselves in public these days! Get off our lawns! If you enjoyed this episode, you should pick up a copy of Johnâs book; itâs a quick read with just the right amount of melancholy. And please share this episode with a friend!
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On this weekâs episode, Iâm rejoined by Sean OâConnell to discuss his new book, Bruce Willis: Celebrating the Cinematic Legacy of an Unbreakable Hollywood Icon. Breaking down Willisâs careerâwhich has been sadly cut short following his diagnosis of aphasiaâby comedies, action movies, work with auteurs, and âDie Hards,â the book is an exhaustive look at, mostly, the highs (and some of the lows) of Willisâs career. If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend!
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On this weekâs episode, I invited David Poland on so he could talk us all of the ledge about the state of theatrical exhibition. And while he didnât quite do thatâhis opening words: âItâs, itâs bad! Things are badââhe did highlight why things arenât necessarily disastrous and how both the studios and the exhibitors can help get everything back on track. If you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend!
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This week, Iâm joined by Bobby Miller, the writer/director of The Cleanse, to talk about the filmâs long and winding path to a Blu-ray release. (You can buy it at Amazon or for five bucks less at the great DiabolikDVD.) We discussed getting that film made, the struggle to secure a release, and why owning a physical copy of a movie packed with special features like commentary tracks and making-of docs is a real thrill for a filmmaker who grew up absorbing the extras on features like Boogie Nights. We also discussed his voice-directing and editing work and why he wrote a novel. If you enjoyed this episode, please check out Bobbyâs movie. And make sure to share it with a friend!
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On this weekâs episode, Iâm joined by Sean Fine and Andrea Nix-Fine to discuss their searing look at the assault on the Capitol on January 6 perpetrated by supporters of Donald Trump attempting to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power. We discussed how they got their footage, why the events are being memory-holed by embarrassed Republican politicians, and how you can help spread the word about this documentary so people arenât allowed to forget what, and who, theyâre supporting when they support Donald Trump. If this interview gets your blood boiling like it got mine boiling, you can watch The Sixth on your VOD provider of choice. And if you enjoyed this episode, please share it with a friend.
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Iâm thrilled to have Adrienne LaFrance of The Atlantic on the show this week to discuss her profile of Albert Brooks and more generally celebrate his greatness. From movies like Broadcast News and Defending Your Life, to voicework on The Simpsons and Finding Nemo, to his under-appreciated villainy in Drive, Brooksâs talents have wowed multiple generations of moviegoers and TV watchers.
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This week, Iâm rejoined by Glenn Kenny to discuss his new book The World Is Yours: The Story of Scarface. Among the topics discussed: What a Scarface directed by Sidney Lumet might have looked like; how the movie secured an R rating rather than a commercially disastrous X; and whether or not Scarface is a âpoliticalâ movie. If you enjoyed this episode, make sure to listen to our previous encounter (and pick up his book Made Men: The Story of Goodfellas, itâs a hoot). And please share this with a friend!
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On this weekâs episode, Iâm rejoined by the Los Angeles Timesâs Ryan Faughnder (read and sign up for his newsletter here!) to discuss Netflixâs big data change, why some in Hollywood are hoping for David Ellison to take over Paramount (though shareholders have a different view), and more. If you liked what you heard, share this episode with a friend!
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As readers may remember, The Beekeeper has been one of my favorite movies of the year thus far. One thing in particular I loved about it was the costume design: Itâs an underappreciated artform, conveying character through clothing, and the costuming in this film perfectly conveyed a range of characters, from âtaciturn heroâ to âcrazed killerâ to âcrypto douchebag.â
Which is why Iâm very excited to have Kelli Jones, the filmâs costume designer, on this week to talk about The Beekeeper and her work elsewhere. From previous collaborations with director David Ayer on movies like Bright to the long-running FX biker gang show The Sons of Anarchy to Oscar-nominated biopics like Straight Outta Compton and Nyad, Jonesâs work is a striking example of the importance of clothing in bringing a cinematic world to life.
And I have a favor to ask you. The next time youâre watching a movie, think about the silentâbut very visibleâwork that costume design is doing. Look at the suits, soak in the dresses, think about how fabrics can convey period with a simple glance. - Laat meer zien