737 avsnitt • Längd: 45 min • Veckovis: Torsdag
Home to The Playlist Podcast Network and all its affiliated shows, including The Playlist Podcast, The Discourse, Be Reel, The Fourth Wall, and more. The Playlist is the obsessive’s guide to contemporary cinema via film discussion, news, reviews, features, nostalgia, and more.
The podcast The Playlist Podcast Network is created by The Playlist. The podcast and the artwork on this page are embedded on this page using the public podcast feed (RSS).
English filmmaker Gareth Evans has made a name for himself with visceral, kinetic action that redefined the genre, particularly with cult classics like "The Raid" and "The Raid 2." With his latest film, "Havoc," the Welsh filmmaker brings his hard-hitting, bloody vision to Netflix, enlisting Tom Hardy for a gritty, bruising descent into a seedy criminal underworld. The film follows a bruised detective (Hardy) who must fight his way through a criminal underworld to rescue a politician’s estranged son while unraveling a deep web of corruption and conspiracy. The film also stars Forest Whitaker, Jessie Mei Li, Luis Guzmán, Timothy Olyphant, Justin Cornwell, and Yoko Miyamoto.
In the latest episode of The Discourse, Evans joins the podcast to discuss the long-awaited thriller, how he brought Hardy into his action sandbox, and why he might be warming back up to the idea of returning to the world of "The Raid."
The Rogue Ones: A Star Wars Andor Podcast is back for season two, and so is series creator and showrunner Tony Gilroy. In the first episode of the revived podcast, host Mike DeAngelo and The Playlist’s Editor-In-Chief Rodrigo Perez break down the first three episodes of Andor Season 2 — which hit Disney+ this week — before welcoming Gilroy to reflect on the final season’s big themes, major tonal shift, and what it means to build a revolution brick by brick.
Created by Tony Gilroy and starring Diego Luna as Cassian Andor, "Andor" is a prequel to "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" (which Gilroy co-wrote and famously helped reshape during reshoots). Set five years before the events of Rogue One, the show focuses on the origins of the Rebellion and how ordinary people — not just Jedi or Chosen Ones — stand up against oppression. Season two picks up a year later in the first three episodes and jumps one year ahead with each block of three afterwards, leading directly to the beginning of "Rogue One" by the end. (read our review of season two here)
On this episode of Bingeworthy, we’re heading to the grimy, drug-running underworld of “Dope Thief,” a gritty Apple TV+ miniseries based on Dennis Tafoya’s novel, which airs it's finale on Friday, April 25th. The show follows Ray and Manny, two longtime friends and low-level criminals from Philadelphia who impersonate DEA agents to knock over drug stash houses. But when one job unexpectedly exposes a hidden narcotics pipeline along the Eastern Seaboard, their small-time hustle spirals into a life-or-death game of survival and consequence.
Brian Tyree Henry stars as Ray, a recovering addict struggling to escape his past while trying to stay one step ahead of increasingly dangerous enemies. Wagner Moura plays Manny, a charming but unpredictable wildcard whose deep bond with Ray is tested by every bad decision they make. The series, written and created by Peter Craig (“The Town,” “The Batman”), also stars Marin Ireland, Nesta Cooper, and Ving Rhames, with executive producer Ridley Scott directing the first episode.
On the latest episode of Bingeworthy, host Mike DeAngelo dives into the violent and dysfunctional criminal underworld of "MobLand," the new hit Paramount+ series that blends London gangster drama with Shakespearean tragedy. The series stars Tom Hardy as Harry Da Souza, a streetwise fixer trying to hold his mob family together as rival clans threaten to tear everything apart. The show also features standout performances from Helen Mirren, Pierce Brosnan, Paddy Considine, and more (read our review here).
While the opening scenes showcase Hardy's character executing brutal clean-up jobs with unnerving calm, the show slowly peels back the layers of its characters, revealing deep family wounds, conflicting loyalties, and a criminal hierarchy on the verge of collapse. As Hardy described it, "It may be wrapped up in a gangster genre, but there's a lot more going on… It’s like 'Game of Thrones' in Bermondsey.”
On the latest episode of The Discourse, host Mike DeAngelo welcomes filmmaker Alex Garland and retired Navy SEAL-turned-director Ray Mendoza to discuss their latest co-directed collaboration, 'Warfare'—a harrowing and unflinching war film based on Mendoza’s own real-life experiences in Iraq. The film stars Will Poulter, Joseph Quinn, Cosmo Jarvis, D'Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Kit Connor, and Finn Bennett as members of a Navy SEAL unit plunged into a brutal, immersive firefight [read our review here].
Set across one intense battle, the film throws audiences into the boots of a SEAL team locked in combat. It’s stripped of cinematic sheen, raw in emotion, and deeply grounded in the lived experience of soldiers in the field. While Garland’s previous film, 'Civil War,' used speculative fiction to examine the horrors of conflict, 'Warfare' pulls from memory, reality, and lived trauma. No plot, just tense, all-out war.
On the latest episode of The Discourse, host Mike DeAngelo steps into a high-concept, near-future world of moral quandaries and psychological pressure with the sci-fi drama "The Assessment." Directed by Fleur Fortuné and starring Elizabeth Olsen, Alicia Vikander, and Himesh Patel, the film follows a couple evaluated by the government over seven increasingly intense days to determine whether they’re worthy of having a child. Think of a creepy, contained "Children of Men" by way of Ingmar Bergman and Charlie Kaufman.
The film recently premiered at the Berlin International Film Festival and hits VOD on April 8th, delivering a minimalist but emotionally potent take on societal control, intimacy, and parenthood. To talk through it all, we sat down with both stars to dig into the emotional challenges of the project, their collaborations with Fortuné, and what kind of psychological strength it takes to survive the film’s titular assessment.
On the latest episode of Bingeworthy, host Mike DeAngelo heads back into Taylor Sheridan territory with the second and final season of “1923”, the Yellowstone prequel that brought new layers of trauma, tragedy, and grit to the Dutton family tree. This time, the fight for legacy grows more urgent as Jacob (Harrison Ford) and Cara (Helen Mirren) hold down the homestead, while Spencer (Brandon Sklenar) races home from across the globe. But some of the most painful blows come from closer to home—especially for Michelle Randolph’s character, Elizabeth, who endures brutal loss and finds herself unexpectedly alone by the series’ final moments.
Spoiler alert: we’re diving into the Season 2 finale.
Joining the show to reflect on Elizabeth’s powerful final scenes, Michelle Randolph opened up about the emotional and physical toll of the role, the empowering transformation of her character, and how she found strength in the pain in the final episodes.
On today's Bingeworthy, we're trading Hell’s Kitchen for hell itself with Prime Video’s latest genre mash-up, "The Bondsman." Blending supernatural horror, dysfunctional family drama, western grit, and country music—yes, you read that right—this new series follows Hub Halloran (Kevin Bacon), a bounty hunter resurrected by the devil himself to hunt down escaped demons. But beneath all the blood and brimstone lies an emotionally charged story about family, regret, and second chances.
If it sounds wild, you're not alone. Kevin Bacon admitted it was one of the craziest pitches he'd ever said yes to—but that was exactly what drew him in.
“It was pretty wild,” Bacon laughed. “But if you've done as many dudes as I have, it's hard to find something that's truly like, ‘Wow, okay, I haven't walked in these shoes before.’ So that was a big plus.”
On the latest episode of Bingeworthy, host Mike DeAngelo heads back into the fists-first world of “Reacher”, which just wrapped its action-packed third season on Prime Video. Based on Lee Child’s novel “Persuader,” this season sees Alan Ritchson return as the titular wrecking ball, going undercover to extract an informant—and settle an old score along the way. But while Reacher does plenty of punching, it’s the emotional gut punches that make this season stand out—especially those delivered by new cast member Anthony Michael Hall.
Yes, that Anthony Michael Hall—the ‘80s teen comedy icon from “The Breakfast Club,” “Sixteen Candles,” and “Weird Science.” But here, Hall plays Zachary Beck, a Boston arms dealer with a complicated past and even more complicated parenting instincts. What might sound like another mustache-twirling villain role turns out to be anything but.
On the latest episode of The Discourse, actor Will Poulter and writer-director Alex Scharfman joined host Mike DeAngelo to discuss their new A24 horror-comedy "Death of a Unicorn," a twisted genre mash-up that brings unicorns into the Spielbergian creature-feature fold. The film also stars Jenna Ortega, Paul Rudd, Téa Leoni, Anthony Carrigan, Richard E. Grant, and Sunita Mani, and tells the story of a tech billionaire's lawyer and his daughter who accidentally hit a unicorn with their car and attempt to cover it up at an elite corporate retreat. Magical madness, death, and more unicorn action ensue!
Poulter, having taken a break from comedy in recent years, said he relished playing Shepard, an Ivy League-bred man-child desperate for approval and woefully out of touch. "It’s really fun to be conscious of the fact that everyone’s going to be laughing at you, and never with you," he said. "You sort of feel like he's never really left the various ivory towers that his family own around the world, but thinks he's superior to everyone around him.”
Despite his delusions of grandeur, Poulter was careful not to strip Shep of all humanity. "I don’t want to absolve him of wrongdoing, but ultimately what it boils down to is the child-parent relationship," he explained. "What Shep really wants more than anything is approval from his dad, and he wants his mom to be more honest with him than she’s ever been."
On the latest episode of The Discourse, Aaron Paul and Eiza González join host Mike DeAngelo to talk about their new mind-bending sci-fi thriller, "Ash," directed by musician-turned-filmmaker Flying Lotus and written by Jonni Remmler. The film follows Riya (González), who wakes up on a desolate planet only to find her entire crew slaughtered. Things get even stranger when Brion (Paul) arrives to "rescue" her—except neither of them knows if they can truly trust the other. Tension, terror, and a whole lot of eerie sci-fi visuals follow. The film also stars Iko Uwais, Kate Elliott, Flying Lotus, and more.
Paul and González had nothing but love for Flying Lotus, whose artistic vision shaped every aspect of the film. "Music is like the heartbeat of so many films, right? It really sets the tone," Paul said. "He had a lot of music already created even before we started shooting, and he shared it with us early on." González agreed, adding, "The music was a character. The lighting was a character. The wardrobe was a character. Everything was so carefully thought through. And you just knew he was meant to be directing movies."
After four seasons of glorious absurdity, televangelist satire "The Righteous Gemstones" is wrapping things up—and it’s as hilariously chaotic and surprisingly heartfelt as ever. Created by Danny McBride, the series follows the Gemstones, a wealthy televangelist family whose constant bickering is matched only by their love of greed, fame, and—occasionally—each other. The final season stars McBride, John Goodman, Edi Patterson, Cassidy Freeman, Adam Devine, Tony Cavalero, and Walton Goggins and introduces new faces like Megan Mullally and Sean William Scott.
READ MORE: The 75 Most Anticipated TV Shows Of 2025
Joining Bingeworthy for a hilarious farewell to the series is creator/star Danny McBride, alongside Cassidy Freeman, Adam Devine, and Tony Cavalero. The conversations covered everything from emotional goodbyes and surprising cameos to the genuine friendships behind their characters' bizarre antics.
After redefining blockbuster cinema with "Avengers: Infinity War" and "Endgame," the Russo Brothers are back—this time with a sci-fi adventure that swaps superheroes for sentient robots, a road trip, and some retro-futuristic ‘90s nostalgia. "The Electric State" follows Millie Bobby Brown as Michelle, a teenage runaway navigating a post-apocalyptic America filled with abandoned AI machines, scavengers, and a looming government threat. Her only companions? A quirky robot named Cosmo and a smuggler played by Chris Pratt, who may or may not be in this for the right reasons. Think "E.T." meets Pixar meets "Mad Max"—or if Spielberg and Zemeckis had made a dystopian buddy movie with a lot more existential dread. (Read our review here).
The Russo Brothers and their longtime writing partner Christopher Markus joined The Discourse to talk about adapting Simon Stålenhag’s graphic novel, balancing family-friendly adventure with darker themes, and, of course, their return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Prolific writer/producer/director Steven Knight has a habit of turning historical grit into must-watch television. From the streets of 1920s Birmingham in "Peaky Blinders" to the daring real-life SAS soldiers of "Rogue Heroes," Knight’s work thrives on characters who push against the limits of their status. His latest series, "A Thousand Blows," is no different. Set in post-industrial revolution London, the show follows best friends Hezekiah and Alec as they get swept into the city’s brutal underground boxing scene while crossing paths with local legends, and the notorious all-female gang, The Forty Elephants. The show stars Malachi Kirby, Erin Doherty, Stephen Graham, Jason Tobin, Francis Lovehall, and more.
When Knight sat down with Bingeworthy, the busy writer was quick to admit that he doesn’t watch much TV. "If anything, sometimes if I do watch stuff, I think, 'Oh God, this is so good. Why can’t I just make it this simple?" he joked. That might explain why "A Thousand Blows" is anything but simple. Instead of focusing on one story, the show weaves together multiple narratives—including Hezekiah’s rise in the ring, The Forty Elephants’ criminal empire, and a quiet, burning revenge arc with Jason Tobin’s Lao.
Netflix’s latest political thriller, “Zero Day,” is a chilling deep dive into cyber warfare, misinformation, and the terrifying power of perception. Led by Robert De Niro in his first television series, the six-episode event follows former president George Mullen as he’s reluctantly pulled back into the political fray to investigate a devastating cyberattack. But as the layers of the crisis unravel, so do the hidden forces manipulating the narrative, turning Mullen into both a hero and a pawn. The series, co-created by Noah Oppenheim, Eric Newman, and Michael Schmidt, features a stellar cast including Jesse Plemons, Lizzy Caplan, Connie Britton, Joan Allen, Dan Stevens, Gaby Hoffmann, Matthew Modine, and Angela Bassett.
Director Lesli Linka Glatter helms all six episodes, bringing her experience from “Homeland” and “Love & Death” to craft a nail-biting, visually rich thriller that feels eerily prescient. She joined Bingeworthy to chat about what drew her to the project, collaborating with De Niro, and why truth itself is a weapon in today’s world.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe gets a fresh jolt of paranoia and political intrigue with "Captain America: Brave New World," a thriller that sees Sam Wilson (Anthony Mackie) trying to define his place as the new Cap while dealing with international chaos, rogue superhumans, and some very questionable allies. Directed by Julius Onah, the film doesn’t just bring back some familiar faces—it makes them part of a tangled political mess of past sins and present-day power plays. Tim Blake Nelson’s Leader resurfaces with a grudge, Carl Lumbly’s Isaiah Bradley adds emotional weight, and oh yeah, Harrison Ford steps into the formidable shoes of Thaddeus "Thunderbolt" Ross, who may or may not be hiding a very big, very angry, very red secret.
Director Julius Onah joins The Discourse to talk about all of the spoilery details on Marvel's latest, including what he thinks won him the role of director. In his pitch, Onah sought to explore a more grounded and cerebral take on what it means to be Cap in a world that isn’t sure it needs one. "It was about a point of view more so than anything," Onah explained about pitching the film to Marvel.
"They were familiar with my last film, a small indie film called 'Luce,' and I first had just a general conversation with Nate Moore and Kiana Davidson at Marvel. We talked again, more generally, about theme tone and character. And, for me, it was sort of a gut check moment of like, you're going to go down the road with people. Are these people that you would even just love to have a conversation with about movies?"
Can you hear that? It's the sound of a demonic monkey drumming up death and quite possibly the most fun you'll have in a theater all year. In this episode of The Discourse, host Mike DeAngelo sits down with writer-director Osgood Perkins to discuss his latest film, "The Monkey"—a twisted and darkly comedic horror adaptation of Stephen King’s short story. The film follows twin brothers Bill and Hal who, as kids, stumble upon their father’s old monkey toy in the attic. What follows is a series of gruesome deaths seemingly connected to the cursed object.
Years later, after growing apart, the brothers are forced back together when the monkey resurfaces, bringing more chaos in its wake. The cast includes Theo James, Tatiana Maslany, Elijah Wood, Rohan Campbell, and Colin O’Brien.
What do you get when you throw sci-fi, romance, action, horror, and a touch of espionage into a blender and hit "puree"? You get"The Gorge," a high-octane, emotionally charged ode to action B-movies and Italian horror that refuses to be put into a single box. Written byZach Dean, the film also starsSigourney Weaver andWilliam Houston in a wild, visually stunning story about two elite operatives on opposite sides of a classified conflict who are forced to work together when a terrifying presence emerges from the depths of a mysterious gorge. In this episode ofThe Discourse, hostMike DeAngelo sits down with directorScott Derrickson to talk about his latest genre-bending project, working withMiles Teller andAnya Taylor-Joy, and why the film’s audacious mix of tones and styles is exactly what drew him to the project.
Irish sheep farming, deep-seated family tensions, and a brewing conflict between neighbors—sounds like the setup for a quiet indie drama. But in"Bring Them Down," the upcoming revenge thriller from first-time directorChris Andrews, those elements fuel a gripping, morally complex battle of wills.
In this episode ofThe Discourse, hostMike DeAngelo sits down with actor Christopher Abbott to discuss leading the film, producing it, and why he was drawn to a story steeped in generational trauma and rural survival. The film also stars Barry Keoghan, Colm Meaney, Nora-Jane Noone, and more.
For Christopher Abbott, the chance to dive into such a layered role was too intriguing to pass up—even if it meant embracing the challenges of an Irish dialect.
“I think I have a little bit of a knack for accents,” he admitted, though he knew even Irish actors would struggle with the script’s use of the traditional Irish/Gaelic language. “It was always going to be a challenge for anyone.” Despite the difficulty, Abbott was drawn to the project for the same reason he takes on most of his work—it keeps him engaged. “I get bored easily,” he said. “I like challenges that keep my focus.”
Nothing says romance like flowers, chocolates - and a masked serial killer terrorizing young couples. Welcome to "Heart Eyes," the latest horror-romantic comedy hybrid that slashes into theaters on February 7—just in time to make Valentine’s Day a little bloodier. In this episode of The Discourse, host Mike DeAngelo sits down with director Josh Ruben to talk about the challenge of blending rom-com sweetness with slasher-movie carnage, his deep love of horror, and why this story stands apart from others in the genre. Written by Christopher Landon, Phillip Murphy, and Michael Kennedy, "Heart Eyes" follows a masked killer who has made February 14 a date night to die for, quite literally. The film stars Olivia Holt, Mason Gooding, Devon Sawa, Jordana Brewster, and more.
During the interview, Director Josh Ruben details the delicate balancing act of making “Heart Eyes” work on all fronts. “I didn’t want it to be too funny—I wanted it to go darker, gorier,” Ruben admitted. But at the same time, the romance had to feel genuine. “If I could find two leads with real chemistry, I could pay loving homage to the rom-coms I grew up on—'Pretty Woman,' 'Defending Your Life,' 'My Best Friend’s Wedding,' even 'Big.”
On this week’s episode of The Discourse, host Mike DeAngelo sits down with Nicholas Stoller, the filmmaker behind "You're Cordially Invited," a star-packed wedding comedy hitting Prime Video on January 30. Stoller, the mind behind "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" and "Neighbors," returns with another laugh-out-loud project, this time revolving around two weddings that are double-booked at the same venue. Will Ferrell steps in as the devoted (and increasingly unhinged) father of one bride, while Reese Witherspoon plays the protective, take-no-prisoners sister of the other? As expected, wedding warfare and chaos ensue. Rounding out the ensemble are Geraldine Viswanathan, Meredith Hagner, Jimmy Tatro, Rory Scovel, and Leanne Morgan.
With wedding comedies being a well-worn path sub-genre in films —"The Wedding Singer," "Bridesmaids," "Wedding Crashers"—Nick Stoller had no intention of simply rehashing old formulas. In fact, he didn’t even think of it as a “wedding movie” at first. “I just thought [Will and Reese] would have great chemistry together,” Stoller explained. “I’ve always been obsessed with Will, but I was also obsessed with Reese and really wanted to see her do a hard comedy again. She’s just so funny.”
In this week’s episode of Bingeworthy, host Mike DeAngelo is torn between love and duty when taking on "The Agency." The excellent high-stakes espionage thriller culminates its first season with a finale airing on January 24th on Paramount+ with Showtime. Based on the French series "Le Bureau des Légendes," the show follows a CIA operative’s struggle between duty and desire. The series stars Michael Fassbender as Martian, an undercover agent called back to London Station after years in the field. Romance reawakens when the love he left behind resurfaces, sending him into a dangerous game of love vs. international intrigue. The cast includes Jeffrey Wright, Katherine Waterston, Jodie Turner-Smith, Richard Gere, and more.
Joining the podcast are Jeffrey Wright and Katherine Waterston, who play Henry and Naomi, two key figures in the series whose layered relationships with Martian reflect the show’s balance of personal and professional stakes. Wright, who has played his share of spies and operatives, spoke about what drew him to Henry and how the series offers a grounded perspective on espionage. “Henry intrigues me because he’s a by-the-books guy,” Wright explained. “He’s a company man, but at the same time, he’s human. It’s interesting to explore what that duality does to someone—how they shut off parts of themselves while navigating this very real and recognizable world. This isn’t James Bond—as much as I love having been a part of that franchise—it’s not fantastical. We’re drawing from today’s headlines, exploring geopolitics and the challenges of the modern world.”
In this week’s episode of 'Bingeworthy,' host Mike DeAngelo starts a revolution when diving into the world of "Silo," the Apple TV+ dystopian thriller based on Hugh Howey’s bestselling novel, "Wool." The series takes place in the not-too-distant future when humanity is clinging to life deep underground in a colossal silo, where secrets are as dangerous as the environment outside. The star-studded cast includes Rebecca Ferguson, Steve Zahn, Tim Robbins, Common, Harriet Walter, and more.
Joining the podcast this week are Graham Yost, the Showrunner and Producer for the series, and Steve Zahn, who joins the cast this season to bring Solo—a beloved character from the books—to life. During the chat, they share insights into the adaptation process, the incredible multi-level sets, and what makes this cast and story so special.
In this week’s episode of Bingeworthy, host Mike DeAngelo gets his hands dirty while discussing the gritty Paramount+ drama “Landman.” Co-created by Christian Wallace and Taylor Sheridan (“Yellowstone,” ”1883,”“Mayor of Kingstown”), the series dives into the world of West Texas oilfields where roughnecks, wildcat billionaires, and corporate interests collide. Starring Billy Bob Thornton, Jon Hamm, Demi Moore, Ali Larter, and more, the show captures a boom so big it’s reshaping everything from local economies to geopolitics.
Joining the podcast are Christian Wallace, the showrunner and co-creator whose podcast “Boomtown” inspired the series, and Billy Bob Thornton, who stars as Tommy Norris, a brash and seasoned landman navigating the dangerous and volatile oil industry.
During the interview, Wallace shared how “Landman" grew out of his life experiences and his 2019 podcast, which chronicled the oil boom in the Permian Basin. What began as a niche story quickly drew widespread attention and eventually caught the eye of Taylor Sheridan.
In this week’s episode of Bingeworthy, host Mike DeAngelo ventures away from the desert sands of Arrakis and into the unknown with showrunner Alison Schapker, who helms the HBO series “Dune: Prophecy.” Set 10,000 years before the events of “Dune,” the prequel series explores the origins of the Bene Gesserit, following two Harkonnen sisters as they combat threats to humanity’s future. Starring Emily Watson, Mark Strong, Olivia Williams, Travis Fimmel, and more, the show blends political intrigue, sprawling family dynamics, and the grandeur of Frank Herbert’s iconic universe.
Joining the podcast, showrunner Alison Schapker reflected on the magnitude of adapting such a revered franchise and the daunting but rewarding process of bringing “Dune: Prophecy” to life.
In this week’s episode of The Discourse, host Mike DeAngelo returns to the past to investigate supernatural thrills while chatting with David Koepp about the 25th Anniversary 4K release of his cult-favorite film, “Stir of Echoes.” The 1999 psychological horror film stars Kevin Bacon as a man who, after being hypnotized at a party, begins experiencing disturbing visions that lead him to uncover the mystery of a missing neighborhood girl. Directed and written by David Koepp ("Jurassic Park," "Spider-Man," "Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny"), the film also features Kathryn Erbe, Kevin Dunn, Illeana Douglas, and Zachary David Cope.
During the chat, Koepp reflected on the enduring appeal of “Stir of Echoes” and revisited it decades later for the special edition release. He credited the film’s success to a rare synergy of creative talent.
In this week’s episode of The Discourse, host Mike DeAngelo rewinds to a pre-digital apocalypse while chatting with Kyle Mooney about his upcoming film, “Y2K.” The comedy follows two high school outcasts determined to crash the biggest New Year’s Eve party of their lives on December 31, 1999 - the dreaded eve of Y2K. When the clock strikes midnight, the night spins wildly out of control in ways they never expected. Written and directed by Mooney (“Saturday Night Live,” “Brigsby Bear”), the movie stars Jaeden Martell, Rachel Zegler, Fred Durst, Julian Dennison, Kyle Mooney and more.
During the podcast, Mooney shared how his long-standing fascination with the Y2K phenomenon and teenage nostalgia led to the creation of “Y2K" and much, much more.
In this week’s episode of The Discourse, host Mike DeAngelo accidentally invites chaos into the holidays while chatting with Peter and Bobby Farrelly about their upcoming comedy, “Dear Santa.” The film follows a young boy who mails his Christmas wish list to Santa with one crucial dyslexic spelling error, summoning a satanic figure to wreak havoc on the season. Directed by Bobby Farrelly (“Dumb and Dumber,” “There’s Something About Mary”) and written by Peter Farrelly, Dan Ewan, and Ricky Blitt, the movie stars Jack Black, Keegan-Michael Key, Brianne Howey, Ethan Dillon, Post Malone, and more.
In this week’s episode of Bingeworthy, our TV and streaming podcast host Mike DeAngelo gets stuck in the background while discussing “Interior Chinatown.” The Hulu series follows a waiter stuck in the background of a crime procedural show who dreams of being in the spotlight. The series stars Jimmy O. Yang, Ronny Chieng, Chloe Bennett, Lisa Gilroy, Sullivan Jones, Diana Lin, Tzi Ma and more.
Joining Bingeworthy to discuss the series is producer/director Taika Waititi, author of the book the show is based on, and producer and showrunner Charles Yu. While it’s become more common to see Authors come on to adapt their own stories for television, it’s not so common to have an Oscar winner offer to direct. During the interview, Waititi discussed being instantly taken by the story and the unique world Wu created.
In this week's episode of Bingeworthy, our TV and streaming podcast host Mike DeAngelo attempts an underworld power grab while discussing “The Penguin.” The Max series follows the events of “The Batman,” when Oz Cobb makes a play to seize the reins of the crime world in Gotham. The series stars Colin Farrell, Cristin Milioti, Rhenzy Feliz, Deidre O’Connell, Theo Rossi, Clancy Brown, Michael Kelly and more.
Joining Bingeworthy to discuss the series is show runner, Lauren LeFranc (“Impulse,” “Agents Of S.H.I.E.LD.,” “Chuck”). During the interview, LeFranc discussed getting the job and meeting “The Batman” director Matt Reeves for the first time.
In this week’s episode of The Discourse, host Mike DeAngelo attempts to make it to higher ground while discussing, “Elevation.” The film follows a single father and two women who attempt a rescue mission in a post-apocalyptic world filled with alien monsters. The George Nolfi (“The Banker,” “The Adjustment Bureau”) film stars Anthony Mackie, Morena Baccarin, Maddie Hasson, Danny Boyd Jr. and more.
Stars of the film, Anthony Mackie (“Captain America: The Winter Soldier,” “Twisted Metal,” “The Hurt Locker”) and Morena Baccarin (“Firefly,” “Deadpool,” “Greenland”) join the podcast to discuss their roles in the thriller and what ultimately drew the two longtime friends to the film.
In this week’s episode of The Discourse, host Mike DeAngelo looks to find the "true religion" while discussing, “Heretic.” The film follows two young Mormon missionaries that are drawn into a game of cat-and-mouse in the house of a stranger. The Scott Beck & Bryan Woods (“A Quiet Place,” “65”) film stars Hugh Grant, Sophie Thatcher, Chloe East, Topher Grace and more.
Writer/Director Scott Beck and Bryan Woods join the podcast to discuss their buzzworthy religious horror film. During the interview, the longtime friends and collaborators detail the film's surprising decades-long origins.
In today’s episode of Bingeworthy, our TV and streaming podcast host Mike DeAngelo goes deep undercover while discussing “Lioness.” The Taylor Sheridan-created Paramount+ series follows a CIA operative who leads a top-secret team meant to infiltrate and execute the most dangerous targets around the world. The tense, action-packed series stars Zoe Saldana, Nicole Kidman, Morgan Freeman, Michael Kelly, Genesis Rodriguez, and more.
Joining Bingeworthy to discuss season 2 of the series is one of the stars, Michael Kelly (“The Penguin,” “Jack Ryan,” “House of Cards”). During the interview, Kelly discussed landing his character off of what he thought was a failed meeting with Taylor Sheridan for another project.
In this week’s episode of The Discourse, host Mike DeAngelo has a crisis of faith while discussing “Conclave.” The film follows a Cardinal tasked with leading one of the world's most secretive and ancient events, selecting a new Pope when he finds himself at the center of a conspiracy that could shake the very foundation of the Catholic Church. The Edward Berger (“All Quiet on the Western Front”) film stars Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, Isabella Rossellini, Carlos Diehz, and more.
READ MORE: ‘Conclave’ Review: Ralph Fiennes Smolders In Slow Burn Vatican Thriller [Telluride]
One of the film's stars, John Lithgow (“The Crown,” “3rd Rock from the Sun,” “The Old Man”), joins the podcast to discuss his role in the thriller and what ultimately drew him to it, which was seemingly everything.
In this week's episode of Bingeworthy, our TV and streaming podcast host, Mike DeAngelo, ignores all training and ethics when discussing “Shrinking.” The Apple TV+ series follows a grieving therapist who decides to “Jimmy” his way into his patients’ lives. The hilarious and heartfelt series stars Jason Segel, Harrison Ford, Jessica Williams, Michael Urie, Luke Tennie, Ted McGinley, Christa Miller, and more.
Joining Bingeworthy to discuss season 2 of the hit comedy series are two of the show's co-creators and producers, Jason Segel (“How I Met Your Mother,” “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” “Winning Time”) and Bill Lawrence (“Ted Lasso,” “Scrubs,” “Bad Monkey”). During the interview, star Jason Segel discussed his character Jimmy and the goals for this season now that the character has gotten his life back to normal.
In today’s episode of Bingeworthy, our TV and streaming podcast host Mike DeAngelo makes sure not to step over "the line" while discussing “Teacup.” The Peacock series follows a group of neighbors that must put aside their differences and unite in the face of a mysterious and deadly threat. The horrific mystery series stars Yvonne Strahovski, Scott Speedman, Rob Morgan, Chaske Spencer, Boris McGiver,and more.
Joining Bingeworthy to discuss the thrilling genre-hopper is star, Yvonne Strahovski (“The Handmaid’s Tale,” “Dexter,” “The Tomorrow War”). Strahovski talked about loving the multiple-genre approach, but there was a key element at the center of it that drew her to “Teacup” specifically.
In this week's episode of Bingeworthy, our TV and streaming podcast host Mike DeAngelo is putting out a hit on other shows to discuss “Tulsa King.” The Paramount+ series follows a former Mafia capo exiled to Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he builds a new criminal empire with a group of unlikely misfits. The crime dramedy series stars Sylvester Stallone, Andrea Savage, Martin Starr, Garrett Hedlund, Jay Will, Frank Grillo, and more.
Joining Bingeworthy to discuss season two of the hit series is writer and showrunner, Terence Winter (“The Sopranos,” “Boardwalk Empire,” “The Wolf of Wall Street”). Winter took over the show early in season one's development for creator Taylor Sheridan (“Yellowstone,” “Wind River”), who was overrun by all things "Yellowstone" and its related projects. After season one rumors began spreading that Sheridan and Winter butted heads over the direction of the series, Winter quit the show, but was ultimately convinced to return for season two. During the interview, Winter cleared the air and explained the situation in his own words.
In this week’s episode of The Discourse, host Mike DeAngelo is bitten by the latest Stephen King adaptation, “Salem’s Lot.” The vampire film follows an author who returns to his childhood home of Jerusalem's Lot, hoping to find inspiration for his next novel, only to uncover that a bloodthirsty vampire is terrorizing the town. The Gary Dauberman (“Annabelle Comes Home”) film stars Lewis Pullman, Mackenzie Leigh, Bill Camp, Spencer Treat Clark, Alfre Woodard and more.
READ MORE: 2024 Fall Film Preview: 50 Movies To Watch
Stars of the film, Lewis Pullman (“Top Gun: Maverick,” “Outer Range”) and Makenzie Leigh (“The Knick,” “The Assistant”) join the podcast to discuss their roles in bringing the beloved Vampire novel to the screen for modern horror lovers. During the chat Pullman discussed loving the novel and taking this on as his first lead role.
In this week’s episode of The Discourse, host Mike DeAngelo has no words to describe the apocalyptic thriller “Azrael.” The film takes place in a silent world where a devout matriarchal society relentlessly pursues a young woman, Azrael, who has escaped their captivity. Once recaptured, she faces a grim fate—destined to be sacrificed to an ancient force lurking in the wilderness. The E.L. Katz (“Teacup”) film stars Samara Weaving, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Katarina Unt, and more.
READ MORE: 2024 Fall Film Preview: 50 Movies To Watch
Star of the film, Samara Weaving joins the podcast to discuss her role in the religious survival film. While Weaving is no stranger to survival horror (“Ready or Not”), she admitted that “Azrael” enticed her because it brought a whole new set of challenges to the table.
In this week's episode of Bingeworthy, our TV and streaming podcast host Mike DeAngelo is on a mission to discuss “The Old Man.” The FX and Hulu series follows a former spy who is retired and hiding from the agency that once employed him; his life is suddenly upended by a man he hasn’t seen in thirty years. The spy series stars Jeff Bridges, Amy Brenneman, John Lithgow, Alia Shawkat, Bill Heck, and more.
Joining Bingeworthy to discuss the underrated spy thriller are the show's stars, Jeff Bridges and Amy Brenneman. Bridges has spent his career almost entirely in film, and, outside of a couple of exceptions, he doesn’t return to characters often, but with “The Old Man,” it just felt right.
In this week’s episode of The Discourse, host Mike DeAngelo goes back in time over and over again to discuss the sci-fi indie, “Omni Loop.” The film follows a woman who goes lives the same week over and over in order to try to save her own life. The Bernardo Britto (“Los Espookys”) film stars Mary-Louise Parker, Ayo Edebiri, Hannah Pearl Utt, Chris Witaske and more.
READ MORE: 2024 Fall Film Preview: 50 Movies To Watch
Stars of the film, Mary-Louise Parker and Ayo Edebiri join the podcast to discuss their roles in the existential time travel film. During the interview, both actresses discussed jumping onboard Britto’s feature after having the same reaction to his script and other work.
In this week’s episode of Bingeworthy, our TV and streaming podcast host Mike DeAngelo pops in his earbuds and hits the audiobooks to discuss the Audible Original, “The Best Man’s Ghostwriter.” The audible original podcast follows a speechwriter who makes a living ghostwriting best-man speeches and gets entangled in the often ridiculous world of male friendship. The Audible Original stars Glen Powell, Nicholas Braun, Ashley Park, D’Arcy Carden, Lance Bass, Lukas Gage, Alex Wolff, Debra Messing, George Takei, Jack McBrayer, Nicole Byer, Jason Mantzoukas, and more.
READ MORE: Jenna Ortega To Star Opposite Glen Powell In J.J. Abrams’ New Film
Joining Bingeworthy to discuss the Audible Original Podcast is the star and producer of the show, Glen Powell, who plays the ghostwriter, Nate, in the podcast. Powell’s career has been on fire with hits like “Anyone But You,” “Twisters,” and “Hit Man.” Audiences may be surprised to hear that he’s decided to produce an audio podcast series, but no one was as surprised as Powell himself.
Jeremy Saulnier is one of the most exciting filmmakers working today. Unfortunately, it’s been quite a while since we’ve seen some of his work. Thankfully, that’s about to change as Netflix readies the release of his latest feature, “Rebel Ridge.” But it wasn’t smooth sailing to get to this point. And in this episode of The Playlist Podcast, we talk to Saulnier about the long journey it took for “Rebel Ridge” to get released.
In this week’s episode of The Discourse, host Mike DeAngelo uncovers a new monster in “Cuckoo.” The film follows a 17-year-old girl forced to move with her family to a European resort where things are not what they seem. The Tilman Singer (“Luz”) film stars Hunter Shafer, Marton Csokas, Dan Stevens, Jessica Henwick and more.
READ MORE: ‘Cuckoo’ Review: Hunter Schafer Thriller That’s For The Birds
Dan Stevens joins the podcast to discuss his role as the sinister Herr König, the owner of the mysterious resort. During the interview, Stevens discussed jumping on board Singer’s second feature after being impressed with “Luz,” the director’s first low-budget hit, for a lesser thought reason.
In this week's episode of Bingeworthy, our TV and streaming podcast host Mike DeAngelo hits the books to discuss “Lessons in Chemistry.” Set in the 1950s, The Apple TV+ series follows Elizabeth Zott and her dream of being a chemist, which is put on hold when she finds herself pregnant, alone, and fired from her lab. The Emmy-nominated limited series stars Brie Larson, Lewis Pullman, Alice Halsey, Rainn Wilson, Aja Naomi King, Beau Bridges, and more.
READ MORE: ‘‘Lessons In Chemistry’ Review: Brie Larson Anchors Ambitious Adaptation Of Hit Book
Joining Bingeworthy to discuss the series is one of the stars & executive producers of the show, Brie Larson, who plays Elizabeth Zott. During the interview, Larson discussed being on the project from day one—which was actually years before the book was even published— and talks a little about her Marvel role as the superheroine Captain Marvel.
Welcome back to Deep Focus. In this week’s episode, host Rodrigo Perez, also the Editor-in-Chief of The Playlist.net taslks to Michael Sarnoski, the writer and director of “A Quiet Place: Day One” which is now available to rent or buy digitally from Paramount Home Entertainment.
Sarnoski, as you probably know launched his career with the quiet and delicate indie “Pig” which featured a beautifully nuanced performance out of Nicolas Cage. For his “A Quiet Place” spin-off prequel, when John Krasinski, the writer/director of the previous two franchise installments called Sarnoski to pitch him the project, he wondered if the filmmaker would want to bring his “Pig” touch to the franchise.
Sarnoski went away, thought about it a bit, and pitched his take on the movie, something epic in scale set in New York, but in many ways, deeply human, character driven and subverting a lot of blockbuster tropes in the meantime. And they all went for it. And when Krasinski said he wanted some of that “Pig” touch brought into the ‘Quiet Place’ franchise, well he got exactly that and maybe more.
As you may already know, ‘Day One’ flashes back to the first day of the invasion by deadly creatures who hunt by sound in one of the loudest places on Earth: New York City. Lupita Nyong’o and Joseph Quinn give emotionally devastating and riveting performances as strangers who embark on a harrowing journey through the eerily quiet streets of Manhattan in order to just get a slice of pizza.
I spoke to Sarnoski all about the pitching of the film, the creation of the film, working with John Krasinski, Jeff Nichols’ version of the script—he was the first filmmaker on the project but bowed out—whether he would ever attempt more ‘A Quiet Place’ sequel and his upcoming next film, “The Death Of Robin Hood” which will star Hugh Jackman and Jodie Comer.
In today’s episode of Bingeworthy, our TV and streaming podcast host Mike DeAngelo powers up to discuss “The Umbrella Academy.” The Netflix series follows a group of former child superheroes that must reluctantly reunite again and again to save the world. The final season stars Elliot Page, Robert Sheehan, Tom Hooper, Nick Offerman, David Cross, Megan Mullally, and more.
Joining Bingeworthy to discuss the superhero series is one of the stars of the show, Robert Sheehan, who plays Klaus. During the interview, Sheehan discussed first joining the show despite having become well-known in the UK for playing a superpowered character who, like Klaus, was also basically immortal.
In this week's episode of Bingeworthy, our TV and streaming podcast host Mike DeAngelo bonds with bots while discussing “Sunny.” The Apple TV+ series follows Suzie, an American woman in future Japan, and Sunny, a domestic robot, as they uncover the dark truth behind her husband and son's recent mysterious plane crash disappearance. The show stars Rashida Jones, Joanna Sotomura, Judy Ongg, Hidetoshi Nishijima, and more.
READ MORE: ‘Sunny’ Review: Ambitious, Creative Sci-fi Dramedy Defies Expectations
Joining Bingeworthy to discuss the ambitious sci-fi mystery series is Executive Producer and Star, Rashida Jones. During the interview, Jones discussed jumping on board the project late in the process but being thrilled by the wealth of material showrunner Katie Robbins had compiled to visualize the series.
Showrunners Jon Hurwitz, Josh Heald, and Hayden Schlossberg joined Bingeworthy to discuss spoilers (yes, SPOILER ALERT) for Season 6, Part 1 of the hit series. During the interview, the team discussed their goals for the first five episodes of the epic final season after the fall of Cobra Kai and Terry Silver in the previous season.
“As you saw in that first episode, it's about bringing everybody back together,” Hurwitz shared. “Most of the dojo is all in one place and it's bringing them together. And then having Johnny, Daniel, and Chozen go, ‘Okay, we need to figure out our dojo name,’ and what's their path going forward?"
Much of the initial five episodes of this final season are spent gathering the six team members who will represent the new, united LaRusso and Lawrence dojo in the much-anticipated Sekai Taikai tournament in Barcelona. The showrunners discussed the process of narrowing down the team and constructing a satisfying journey for fans.
It’s that time of year again—San Diego Comic-Con! It’s the time when the West Coast becomes nerd Mecca and studios trot out their best projects to help create some hype. And on this episode of The Playlist Podcast, we talk about the upcoming event and what we might expect will be announced. And yes, a lot of the discussion centers are Marvel Studios.
In today’s episode of Bingeworthy, our TV and streaming podcast host Mike DeAngelo, keeping with the trend, ponders the Roman Empire while discussing “Those About to Die.” The Peacock series follows the many types of people who entertained the masses in the Roman Empire - from Emperors, criminals, the wealthy and powerful, down to the lowly horse wranglers. The show stars Anthony Hopkins, Iwan Rheon, Jojo Macari, Sara Martins, and more.
Joining Bingeworthy to discuss the epic historical drama is Director/Producer Roland Emmerich (“Independence Day,” “The Day After Tomorrow,” “2012”). During the interview, Emmerich discussed his desire to narrow the focus of the series and not just make it a show about the Roman Empire, but the importance of sporting events as a tool to control the masses.
Released almost 30 years ago, “Twister” has stood the test of time to be a favorite among film fans. Now, decades later, we finally get a sequel to the original, titled "Twisters." And filmmaker Lee Isaac Chung has joined The Playlist Podcast to talk about it.
In this week’s episode of The Discourse, host Mike DeAngelo finds redemption in “The Convert.” The film follows a preacher sent to British-occupied New Zealand in the 1830s and caught up in the middle of a Maori tribal war. The Lee Tamahori (“Mulholland Falls,” “Along Came a Spider,” “The Devil’s Double”) film stars Guy Pearce, Tioreore Ngatai-Melbourne, Jacqueline McKenzie, Lawrence Makoare, Antonio Te Maioha, and more.
Guy Pearce joins the podcast to discuss his role as the preacher, Thomas Munro, and his long relationship with director Lee Tamahori despite being unable to find a project to work on together until now.
In today’s episode of Bingeworthy, our TV and streaming podcast host Mike DeAngelo returns to the multiverse of “Dark Matter.” The first season finale is available to stream now on Apple TV+. The series is based on the Blake Crouch book of the same name and follows a college professor who is abducted into an alternate universe and has to fight his way back to his old life and real family. The show stars Joel Edgerton, Jennifer Connelly, Alice Braga, Jimmi Simpson, and more.
Joining Bingeworthy to discuss spoilers the mind-bending sci-fi thriller (Yes, SPOILER WARNING) is star Joel Edgerton and Writer/Showrunner, Blake Crouch. During the interviews, Edgerton and Crouch finally dove into “Dark Matter” spoilers for the series, but not before Crouch initially discussed the initial intention to make “Dark Matter” into a film instead of a show.
In today’s episode of Bingeworthy, our TV and streaming podcast host Mike DeAngelo gets killed off in episode one while discussing “Scott Pilgrim Takes Off.” The Netflix series is based on the Bryan Lee O’Malley Manga book series and the Edgar Wright-directed cult hit film of the same name and follows an alternate take on Scott Pilgrim falling in love with Ramona Flowers, only to find that he has to fight her seven evil exes. The animated show sees all of the film cast returning, including stars Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kieran Culkin, Chris Evans, Anna Kendrick, Brie Larson, Alison Pill, Aubrey Plaza, Brandon Routh, Jason Schwartzman, and more.
Joining Bingeworthy to discuss the hilarious new take on Scott Pilgrim are the co-showrunners, Bryan Lee O’Malley (Creator of Scott Pilgrim) and BenDavid Grabinski (“Happily,” “Are You Afraid of the Dark?”). During the interview, O’Malley and Grabinski discussed the origins of the series.
In this week’s episode of The Discourse, host Mike DeAngelo goes on a joyride with one of the stars of “The Bikeriders.” The film follows the members of a Chicago-area biker gang from their innocent inception in the 1960s to their descent into a darker underworld. The Jeff Nichols (“Mud,” “Midnight Special,” “Take Shelter”) film stars Austin Butler, Jodie Comer, Tom Hardy, Michael Shannon, Norman Reedus, Boyd Holbrook, and more.
Jodie Comer joins the podcast to discuss her role as Kathy, a woman who stumbles into the world of the biker gang through her relationship with one of the members. The film is primarily seen through Kathy’s eyes, with her being the primary narrator. During the interview, Comer discussed taking the role due to the amazing script from writer/director Jeff Nichols.
She also spoke about her time on "Killing Eve," how the fans reacted to her character's death, Danny Boyle's "28 Years Later" which she is filming now, and being slightly miffed that she's become good friends with Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds, but was not invited to be in "Deadpool & Wolverine."
In today’s episode of Bingeworthy, our TV and streaming podcast host Mike DeAngelo rides his dragon back to Westeros for “House of the Dragon.” The show premiered the first episode of season two on Max this past weekend and follows the internal war within House Targaryen 172 years before the birth of Daenerys Targaryen. The show stars Matt Smith, Emma D’Arcy, Olivia Cooke, Rhys Ifans, Fabien Frankel, Eve Best, Steve Toussaint, Ewan Mitchell, and more.
Joining Bingeworthy to discuss the hit Game of Thrones prequel series is showrunner, Ryan Condal (“Colony,” “Rampage”). During the interview, Condal openly discussed the bleak ending to the season 2 opener, which treated many fans unfamiliar with the “Fire and Blood” book to a dark, bloody conclusion. But was it too dark? Did they not go far enough?
this week’s episode of The Discourse, host Mike DeAngelo goes back in time to realize not much has changed with the film, “Firebrand.” Directed by Karim Ainouz (“Invisible Life,” “Futuro Beach”), the film follows Catherine Parr (Alicia Vikander), the sixth wife of Henry VIII (Jude Law), who finds herself fighting for survival when the paranoid king grows more suspicious of her actions. The film also stars Eddie Marsan, Simon Russell Beale, Erin Doherty, and more.
During the interview, Law and Vikander discussed their parts being filled with “so many colors to play” that the roles were almost irresistible and so many other aspects of their career.
Not only did they discuss "Firebrand," but Vikander's time on the 'Tomb Raider' franchise, Jude Law's tenure on Marvel and the upcoming 'Star Wars' project 'Skeleton Key,' but also almost appearing as Superman in a version of the film with Colin Farrell and Brett Ratner from almost 20 years ago.
In this week's episode of Bingeworthy, our TV and streaming podcast host Mike DeAngelo powers up to take on “The Boys.” The show is premiering its fourth season on Prime Video on June 13th and follows a group of vigilantes who set out to take down corrupt superheroes who abuse their superpowers. The show stars Karl Urban, Antony Starr, Jack Quaid, Erin Moriarty, Chace Crawford, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, and more.
Joining Bingeworthy to discuss the hyper-violent, filthy take on superheroes is Writer, Creator, and showrunner Eric Kripke (“Supernatural,” “Timeless”). During the interview, Kripke discussed this fourth season being the darkest yet, but for a very real reason.
In today’s episode of Bingeworthy, our TV and streaming podcast host Mike DeAngelo gets all of the answers while investigating “Under the Bridge.” The true crime Hulu series follows two women, a cop, and a reporter, who attempt to uncover the truth at the center of a young girl’s murder. The show stars Lily Gladstone, Riley Keough, Vritika Gupta, Chloe Guidry, Izzy G., Javon Walton, and more.
Joining Bingeworthy to discuss the thrilling true crime mini-series is Lily Gladstone (“Killers of the Flower Moon,” “Fancy Dance”). During the interview, Gladstone discussed this being the first part written with her in mind.
Pixar Reportedly Considering Reboots Including ‘The Incredibles’ & ‘Finding Nemo’
How times change. There once was an era when Pixar just didn’t think it needed sequels and could just go from original story to original story. In fact in 2016, Pixar’s president Jim Morris said there were no Pixar sequel plans after Brad Bird’s “The Incredibles 2,” something of a response to the underwhelming reception to “Cars 2” and to a lesser degree, “Toy Story 3.”
“Most studios jump on doing a sequel as soon as they have a successful film, but our business model is a filmmaker model, and we don’t make a sequel unless the director of the original film has an idea that they like and are willing to go forward on,” Morris said at the time.
While Pixar has certainly tried to stick to that—six of the ten movies they’ve released since the summer of 2016 have been original— since Morris’ remarks, they’ve released “Toy Story 4” (even when they said ‘3’ was the finale), the spin-off “Lightyear,” and this summer’s upcoming “Inside Out 2.”
A “Toy Story 5” is in the works, and now a new report from Bloomberg— discussing many of Pixar’s recent layoffs and woes— says not only are sequels still game, but Pixar is considering rebooting some of its classic films.
According to the Bloomberg piece, “Every hit of yesteryear is being considered for a reboot, with Finding Nemo and The Incredibles regarded as particularly strong candidates for new titles.”
Pixar’s new strategy to turn around their financial problems” involves balancing original movie ideas with sequels and spinoffs, the better to remind audiences what they once loved about Pixar.”
The new aim is apparently to make three new movies every two years, which is historically much less frequent to their usual, one film a year cadence, “with every other title a sequel or spinoff and the rest standalone concepts or potential seeds for new franchises.”
This also sounds a lot like Bob Iger and Disney’s less is more approach and their dialing back at Marvel and Lucasfilm.
On May 21, Pixar announced the company’s largest restructuring, cutting 175 jobs as the studio refocuses on big-screen films instead of Disney+ projects—also not dissimilar to the way Marvel and Lucasfilm are heading, back to the big screen with a deemphasis on Disney+ programming.
It's a sign of the times, unfortunately, and financially they are not great at the moment, a trend that is affecting the entire industry. Will they follow through? This industry is fickle, so we shall see, but if the box office of 2024 is any indication, these alarming trends may just continue to dominate for the foreseeable future.
In this week’s episode of The Discourse, host Mike DeAngelo roams the forest in search of his next victim while discussing “In A Violent Nature.” The movie follows a resurrected killer through the woods as he stalks his victims, all while searching for his stolen necklace. The film is written and directed by Chris Nash and stars Ry Barrett, Josh Lucas, Andrea Pavlovic, Cameron Love, Reece Presley, and more.
During the interview, Chris Nash discusses not only the obvious homages to '80s slashers like “Friday the 13th” but also the less-expected influences that just as heavily influenced the tone and approach to his first feature film.
In today’s episode of Bingeworthy, our TV and streaming podcast host Mike DeAngelo delves into the underworld to wrestle with the emotions of “Eric.” The Abi Morgan-written Netflix series follows Vincent, a neurotic puppeteer whose son goes missing, leading him to attempt to solve the case with his son’s imaginary friend - a monster named Eric. The show stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Gaby Hoffmann, McKinley Belcher III, Dan Fogler, Ivan Morris Howe, and more.
Joining Bingeworthy to discuss their harrowing mini-series are Benedict Cumberbatch (“Doctor Strange,” “The Power of the Dog”) and Gaby Hoffmann (“Girls,” “Now & Then”). During the interview, both described what brought them to the show; however, Hoffmann noted feeling conflicted at first for a very understandable reason.
In this week's episode of Bingeworthy, our TV and streaming podcast, host Mike DeAngelo dives headfirst into “Outer Range.” The mysterious and compelling Prime Video series follows a rancher who discovers a mysterious hole in his pasture, leading to land wars, family drama, and time-jumping mysteries. The show stars Josh Brolin, Imogen Poots, Lili Taylor, Lewis Pullman, Tom Pelphrey, Will Patton, and more (read our review here).
Joining Bingeworthy to discuss the second season of the metaphysical Western sci-fi drama are two stars of the series, Josh Brolin (“No Country for Old Men,” “Avengers: Endgame”) and Imogen Poots (“Green Room,” “Vivarium”), as well as new showrunner Charles Murray (“Luke Cage,” “Sons of Anarchy”).
During the interviews, much was discussed about the showrunner change from creator Brian Watkins to Charles Murray. Some, including Imogen Poots, are close friends with Watkins, which could have potentially created an awkward situation, but it seems like Murray pulled the transition off with a great amount of class.
In today’s episode of Bingeworthy, our TV and streaming podcast host Mike DeAngelo ventures into another universe to discuss “Dark Matter.” The Apple TV+ series is based on the Blake Crouch book of the same name and follows a college professor who is abducted into an alternate universe and has to fight his way back to his old life and real family. The show stars Joel Edgerton, Jennifer Connelly, Alice Braga, Jimmi Simpson, and more.
Joining BingeworthyBothto discuss the mind-bending sci-fi thriller are two stars of the series, Joel Edgerton and Jennifer Connelly. During the interviews, both actors discussed "Dark Matter" and many aspects of their careers during the interviews. For Edgerton, it was his directorial career. For Connelly, it was "The Rocketeer" and films like "Top Gun: Maverick" and "Only The Brave," both made by filmmaker Joseph Kosinski.
In this week’s episode of The Discourse, host Mike DeAngelo gets swept up in the whirlwind romance at the heart of “The Idea of You” with writer/director Michael Showalter (“The Big Sick,” “The Eyes of Tammy Faye,” “Wet Hot American Summer”). The movie is based on the book of the same name and follows a forty-year-old woman reeling from a divorce who stumbles into a romance with a twenty-something singer from the world’s biggest boy band. The film stars Anne Hathaway, Nicholas Galitzine, Reid Scott, Ella Rubin, and more.
In this week’s episode of The Discourse, host Mike DeAngelo goes undercover to discuss “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare” with star Cary Elwes (“The Princess Bride,” “Stranger Things,” “Saw”). The movie is based on real events and dives into the origin of the Special Operations Executive, a small group of highly skilled men recruited by the British military to strike German forces behind enemy lines. The high-energy action film is directed by Guy Ritchie (“The Gentleman,” “Snatch,” “Sherlock Holmes”) and also stars Henry Cavill, Henry Golding, Alan Ritchson, Alex Pettyfer, Eiza Gonzalez, and more.
Elwes also discussed many of his other projects, past and present, including "Rebel Moon: Part Two," the "Knuckles" spin-off series from "Sonic The Hedgehog" and, of course, the classic "Princess Diaries" comedy.
In this week’s episode of The Discourse, host Mike DeAngelo grows out his handlebar mustache and puts on a southern accent to discuss “Blood for Dust” with star Kit Harington (“Game of Thrones,” “Eternals”). The movie follows a struggling salesman with a troubled criminal past who is pulled back into a string of crimes by a former colleague, leading to a trail of blood...and dust. The film is written and directed by Rod Blackhurst (“Amanda Knox” “Night Swim”) and also stars Scoot McNairy, Josh Lucas, Nora Zehetner, Ethan Suplee, Stephen Dorff, and more.
Harington also talked about many of his other film and TV projects, including working on "Game of Thrones" and the "Jon Snow" spin-off that's no longer happening, plus his experience on Marvel's "Eternals" and whether or not we'll see him return as the character The Black Knight.
Listen on for more.
In this week’s episode of The Discourse, host Mike DeAngelo pursues the truth while discussing “Civil War” with star Wagner Moura (“Narcos,” “Mr. and Mrs. Smith”). The movie takes place in the near future during a second Civil War in America and follows a group of war journalists and photographers on a quest to interview the president and capture the war before the battle ends. The A24 film is written and directed by Alex Garland and also stars Kirsten Dunst, Cailee Spaeny, Nick Offerman, Stephen McKinley Henderson, and more.
During the interview, Moura discussed securing the role of Joel in the film after missing out on another Alex Garland project, his Hulu series, “Devs,” a role that coincidentally went to "Civil War” co-star Nick Offerman.
However, he was ultimately drawn to the role due to his love for films that balance political themes and popular filmmaking elements.
Moura also talked about Garland stepping away from directing for now, working with filmmaker Kleber Mendonça Filho and directing his own film, "The Last Night of the Lobster."
In this week’s episode of The Discourse, host Mike DeAngelo crosses into unfamiliar territory to discuss “The Absence of Eden” with star Zoe Saldana (“Avatar,” “Guardians of the Galaxy”) and her husband and first-time director Marco Perego-Saldana. The film follows multiple characters from both sides of the U.S./Mexico border and revolves around the dilemmas faced in dealing with the many hardships brought on by immigration laws and the enforcement of those laws. The Marco Perego-Saldana-directed film is produced by Martin Scorsese and stars Garrett Hedlund, Adria Arjona, Tom Waits, Chris Coy, and more.
During the interview, actress Zoe Saldana talked about the unusual path her husband and director, Marco Perego-Saldana, took toward creating their immigration-centered drama. Primarily known as a painter and sculptor, Marco Perego-Saldana first tackled the topic in another medium.
The actress also spoke about many of her franchises, the possibility of more "Star Trek," "Guardians of The Galaxy," and "Special Ops: Lioness," her Taylor Sheridan-run CIA/espionage series she says is in conversations about returning for a second season.
In this week’s episode of The Discourse, host Mike DeAngelo digs into the film “DogMan” with writer/director Luc Besson (“The Fifth Element,” “Leon: The Professional,” “Taken”). The film follows Doug (Caleb Landry Jones), a young, crippled, abandoned man, beaten down by a tough life who has a supernatural connection to his canine companions. The film also stars Jojo T. Gibbs, Christopher Denham, Grace Palma, and more.
During the interview, Besson talked about the real-life story that inspired his latest twisted action opus.
He covered plenty of other topics, too, including Natalie Portman's recent criticism of "Leon: The Professional," a potential "Lucy 2," giving Quentin Tarantino the idea to retire after ten films, the possibility of doing more "Valerian" films and much, much more.
In today’s episode of Bingeworthy, our TV and streaming podcast host Mike DeAngelo attempts to sail through murky waters when discussing “Shogun.” The FX/Hulu series is based on the beloved book of the same name and is set in 17th-century Japan. It follows multiple characters in a struggle for power & freedom after a British vessel is found marooned in a small fishing village, leading to political unrest and potential war. The show stars Hiroyuki Sanada, Cosmo Jarvis, Anna Sawai, and more.
READ MORE: ‘Shōgun’ Review: FX’s Lavish Action Samurai Period Piece Reshapes Beloved Original
Joining Bingeworthy to discuss the gorgeous and immersive ten-episode mini-series is one of the stars and producers, actor Hiroyuki Sanada (“John Wick 4,” “Mortal Kombat”), along with showrunners Justin Marks and Rachel Kondo. During the chat, Kondo and Marks discussed why they felt the beloved novel and miniseries needed a modern reimagining.
In this week’s episode of The Discourse, host Mike DeAngelo stays up late to discuss the film “Late Night with the Devil” with producer and star David Dastmalchian (“The Dark Knight,” “The Suicide Squad.” The film follows a fledgling late-night host (David Dastmalchian) who decides to invite some spooky guests on his struggling 70’s late-night show to boost ratings - unleashing evil in front of the whole world. The Colin and Cameron Cairnes-directed horror movie also stars Ian Bliss, Laura Gordon, Ingrid Torelli, and more.
During the interview, Dastmalchian talked about the unusual source that earned him the role of Jack Delroy, host of the fictional 1970s Late-Night show Night Owls, in “Late Night with the Devil."
The actor also talked about his work with Christopher Nolan on "The Dark Knight" and "Oppenheimer" and Denis Villeneuve on "Prisoners."
In this week’s episode of The Discourse, host Mike DeAngelo weaves through memory to discuss the film “Knox Goes Away” with director and star Michael Keaton (“Batman,” “Beetlejuice”) and co-star James Marsden (“X-Men,” “Sonic the Hedgehog”). The film follows the story of Knox (Michael Keaton), a seasoned contract killer whose life takes a dark and unexpected turn when he’s diagnosed with a degenerative brain disease while also needing to help his estranged son (Marsden) before he loses his mind completely. The film also stars Marcia Gay Harden, Al Pacino, and more.
On top of discussing their work together in the excellent 'Knox Goes Away,' Michael Keaton talked 'Batman,' and 'Batgirl,' and a little bit of the upcoming 'Beetlejuice' sequel with Tim Burton.
For his part, Marsden teased "Sonic The Hedgehog" three, a little bit of 'The X-Men,' and danced around a potential appearance in 'Deadpool & Wolverine.'
Joining Bingeworthy to discuss the mysterious mini-series is one of the stars, actor Sam Neill (“Jurassic Park,” “Peaky Blinders”). Neill, who has mostly been known for his work in film, revealed what drew him to taking another chance on TV after some lackluster past experiences.
But that's not all, Neill also spoke on and shared stories about "Jurassic Park" and "Jurassic World," his fun cameos in the "Thor" movies and his great times working with filmmaker John Carpenter.
In this week’s episode of The Discourse, host Mike DeAngelo embraces the absurd to discuss the film “Problemista” with director and star Julio Torres (“Los Espookys,” “Saturday Night Live”) and co-star Tilda Swinton (“Doctor Strange,” “Michael Clayton”). In the A24 comedy, Alejandro (Torres) is an aspiring toymaker who loses his job and falls in with an art-world outcast (Swinton) to maintain his work visa. The film also stars Greta Lee, RZA, Isabella Rossellini, and more.
Swinton also talked about her love for experimentation and that the first big studio movie she was asked to be part of was "Constantine" with Keanu Reeves, which she said was very experimental for its time.
In this week’s episode of The Discourse, host Mike DeAngelo powers up to discuss the Netflix film, “Code 8: Part II” with producers and stars Stephen Amell (“Arrow,” “Heels”)and Robbie Amell (“Upload,” “The Witcher”).
In the sequel to “Code 8,” Connor (Robbie Amell) is out of prison and working as a janitor at a community center, having cut ties with his former criminal associate Garrett (Stephen Amell). Connor’s attempt at staying out of trouble is destroyed when he’s forced to help 14-year-old Pav escape from a pack of corrupt officers led by Sergeant King. King uses the newly launched robotic K9s to track Pav down, while Connor finds himself once again reaching out to Garrett and his crew for help, but can he trust the man who landed him in prison in the first place?
The film also stars Alex Mallari Jr., Sirena Gulamgaus, Jean Yoon, and Aaron Abrams. Jeff Chan directs a script he co-wrote Chris Paré, Sherren Lee, and Jesse Lavercombe.
During the interview, Robbie and Stephen Amell discuss the experience of seeing the first "Code 8," "Suits: L.A.," the CW's Arrowverse, and much more.
In today’s episode of Bingeworthy, our TV and streaming podcast, host Mike DeAngelo investigates Max’s hit series “Tokyo Vice.”
Based on the book of the same name, the series follows the true story of reporter Jake Adelstein, the first American to join the staff of a prominent Japanese newspaper, The Yomiuri Shimbun, in Tokyo, Japan. He quickly gets wrapped up in a story of corruption & murder with the Yakuza and falls in with a local detective. The show stars Ansel Elgort (“Baby Driver,” “West Side Story”), Ken Watanabe (“Godzilla,” “Inception,” “The Creator”), Rachel Keller, Sho Kasamatsu, and more.
Joining Bingeworthy to discuss the series is Creator/Showrunner J.T. Rogers (“Oslo”) & director Alan Poul (“Six Feet Under”). During the chat, Rogers, an award-winning playwright, discussed knowing Jake Adelstein, the real reporter on which the series is based, since childhood and much much more.
In today’s episode of Bingeworthy, our TV and streaming podcast, host Mike DeAngelo flies high for Apple TV+’s Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks-produced series (“Band of Brothers,” “The Pacific”), “Masters of the Air.” The series follows a group of airmen with the 100th Bomb Group that risked their lives in World War II, flying bombing missions in Europe. The show stars Austin Butler, Callum Turner, Barry Keoghan, Anthony Boyle, Ncuti Gatwa and more.
Joining Bingeworthy to discuss the prestige mini-series is one of the stars, actor Callum Turner (“Green Room,” “The Boys in the Boat,” “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them”). During the chat, Turner discussed his long, topsy-turvy journey towards winning the role of Maj. John “Bucky” Egan.
Sure, we’re already in February, but there’s still 11 whole months left of 2024, and that’s a crap ton of content coming to TV screens still to come. So, join us in Part 2 of our two-part discussion on The Playlist Podcast, where we talk about some of our most anticipated projects that are coming to your screen of choice this year.
Sure, we’re already in February, but there’s still 11 whole months left of 2024, and that’s a crap ton of content coming to cinemas still to come. So, join us in Part 1 of a two-part discussion on The Playlist podcast, where we talk about some of our most anticipated projects that are coming to theaters and your screen of choice this year.
Matthew Vaughn is no stranger to spy films, having previously directed three ‘Kingsman’ movies. But even after a decade of working on those movies, he can’t seem to let the genre go, as his latest film, “Argylle,” is yet another fun romp in the world of superspies. And in this episode of The Playlist Podcast, Vaughn talks about his love of spies and why he’s not only sticking around to continue to work in the genre, but also why he wants to bring them all together in one big universe.
Not many actors-turned-filmmakers will swing for the fences in such a big way with their directorial debuts as Daniel Kaluuya has done with “The Kitchen.” Instead of making some small indie drama, Kaluuya, alongside co-director Kibwe Tavares, decided to go with a full dystopian sci-fi drama. But you better believe this is a film filled with a ton of heart at its core. And in this episode of The Playlist Podcast, Kaluuya, alongside lead actor Kane Robinson, stop by to talk about “The Kitchen.”
In this episode of the Deep Focus podcast, Playlist Editor-in-Chief Rodrigo Perez talks to Mexican filmmaker Issa López, the writer and director of 'True Detective: Night Country,' the 4th season of HBO's acclaimed blockbuster crime series.
López is the filmmaker behind the acclaimed horror 'Tigers Are Not Afraid,' and she certainly imbues this new 'Night Country' season with frightening chills, eerie spectral vibes, and haunting moods from the nether world.
In her 'True Detective,' Lopez doubles down on all the phantasmal, cryptic, and otherworldly elements of season one, arguing going far beyond whatever creator Nic Pizzaloto did with that inaugural season and yet still staying very true to the spirit of the show.
Academy Award-winner Jodie Foster stars alongside indie actor Kali Reis in a new shadowy mystery that centers on a missing group of scientists who suddenly vanish from their research facility, but also connects to a case of unsolved murders involving many indigenous women of the Alaskan region.
'True Detective' is truly back with the engrossing 'Night Country', and that's pretty much due to López, who is such a commanding cinematic and auteurial voice.
In today’s episode of Bingeworthy, our TV and streaming podcast, host Mike DeAngelo falls for Netflix’s final Mike Flanagan (“The Haunting of Hill House,” “Doctor Sleep”) collaboration, “The Fall of the House of Usher.” The series follows two wealthy and powerful Pharmaceutical magnates whose family dynasty begins to wash away as their heirs start to meet horrifying ends. The series can be streamed in its entirety on Netflix and stars Bruce Greenwood, Carla Gugino, Mary McDonnell, Henry Thomas, Rahul Kohli, Willa Fitzgerald, Zach Gilford and more.
Joining Bingeworthy to discuss the series is one of the stars, actress Carla Gugino (“The Haunting of Hill House," “Watchmen,” “Gerald’s Game"). During the chat, Gugino, a longtime collaborator with writer/director Mike Flanagan, described jumping on board the project almost instantly and talked about her career at length.
A lot of people only think of Jake Johnson as the comedic actor who has shown up in a number of big projects over the years. But before all of that, he got his start as a writer in New York City. It’s just his time as a writer got overshadowed by his growing acting career. But for “Self Reliance,” his new Hulu film arriving this week, Johnson is not only returning to writing, but he also directed the film, as well. And in this episode of The Playlist Podcast, I spoke with Johnson about stepping behind the camera for "Self Reliance."
In this week’s episode of The Discourse, host Mike DeAngelo gets in the driver’s seat to discuss “Ferrari” with director Michael Mann (“Heat,” “Collateral,” “Ali”). The film is based on the real-life of Enzo Ferrari, founder of Ferrari - the Italian luxury sports car manufacturer, who is played by Adam Driver. It focuses on a very specific point in Enzo’s life in 1957 when the bankruptcy was looming over the company, and the always-composed Italian carmaker was also experiencing heightened drama in his life due to hidden secrets coming to light. All of this occurring while Ferrari bets it all on a must-win, 1000 mile race in Italy. The film also stars Penelope Cruz, Shailene Woodley, Patrick Dempsey, and more.
During the interview, director Michael Mann discussed the long road to getting “Ferrari” made - a journey that started all the way back in the ’90s and also discussed the possibility of "Heat 2," a sci-fi film he wants to make and admiring one franchise with the Marvel Studio system.
In today’s episode of Bingeworthy, our TV and streaming podcast host Mike DeAngelo dives back into the mystery of Apple TV+’s latest mystery series, “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters.” The show follows multiple characters in different eras on a twist-filled journey to uncover the mysteries of the organization at the center of the Godzilla MonsterVerse films. The show stars Kurt Russell, Wyatt Russell, Mari Yamamoto, Anders Holm, Kiersey Clemons, Ren Watabe, and many more.
Joining Bingeworthy to discuss the ten-episode series are its leads, Kurt and Wyatt Russell, the two actors (and father and son) who play the same central character in the story at different points in his life, Lt. Lee Shaw. So Wyatt plays the younger version of the lieutenant in the 1950s, and Russell plays the character as a much older man in the modern day. And it turns out it was this very unique concept that hooked the duo.
In today’s episode of Bingeworthy, our TV and streaming podcast host Mike DeAngelo attempts to find out whodunit in Hulu’s new series, “A Murder at the End of the World.” The series follows a young amateur sleuth (Emma Corrin) who is unexpectedly brought to Iceland and finds herself at the center of a dark, tense, winding murder mystery. The show also stars Clive Owen, Brit Marling, Harris Dickinson, Alice Braga, Raúl Esparza, and more.
Joining Bingeworthy to discuss the seven-episode series is one of its stars, Harris Dickinson (“Triangle of Sadness," “The King’s Man” “Where the Crawdads Sing"). During the chat, Dickinson talks about what led him to choose the murder mystery as his next project.
Steve-O is getting older. However, he’s never been happier or healthier. And in his new comedy special, “Steve-O’s Bucket List,” viewers get to see all sides of the comedian. ‘Bucket List’ is a comedy experience like no other, as Steve-O tells his own personal love story with a series of insane stunts serving as a backdrop. And in this episode of The Playlist Podcast, the “Jackass” star talks about his life, his recovery, and why now is the time to check all the things off of his own personal bucket list.
In today’s episode of Bingeworthy, our TV and streaming podcast, host Mike DeAngelo uncovers the mystery of Apple TV+’s latest mystery series, “Monarch: Legacy of Monsters.” The show follows multiple characters in different eras on a twist-filled journey to uncover the mysteries of the organization at the center of the Godzilla MonsterVerse films. The show stars Kurt Russell, Wyatt Russell, Mari Yamamoto, Anders Holm, Kiersey Clemons, Ren Watabe, and more.
Joining Bingeworthy to discuss the ten-episode series is Director/Executive Producer Matt Shakman (“WandaVision," “Game of Thrones,” “The Great,” “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia"). During the chat, Shakman talks about his journey from small-time television director on things like “It Always Sunny in Philadelphia” to “Game of Thrones” and “WandaVision.”
To say that this year has been rough for Marvel Studios is a bit of an understatement. The studio that was once thought to be invincible has shown that it has weaknesses and audiences are starting to take note. Look at the two most recent releases, “The Marvels” and “Loki” Season 2, for example. The former is the lowest grossing opening weekend in the history of the studio, and the latter seemingly shut the door on the main villain for the next several years, leaving the future uncertain. Thankfully, The Playlist Podcast is here to parse through those two recent releases and take into account all of 2023 to answer the question on everyone’s mind— Is Marvel Studios on the verge of irrelevance?
In this week’s episode of The Discourse, host Mike DeAngelo reloads to discuss “John Wick: Chapter 4” with director Chad Stahelski (“John Wick” 1-4). The fourth installment of the beloved action franchise follows Mr. Wick (Keanu Reeves), recovered from the final events of Chapter 3, and back in the crosshairs of The High Table, who turns old allies into ruthless enemies. The film also stars Bill Skarsgard, Donnie Yen, Lawrence Fishburne, Ian McShane, Rina Sawayama, Lance Reddick, and more.
During the interview, director Chad Stahelski talked about being shocked that he's gotten this far, seeing as he thought the first “John Wick” film might have ended his directorial career.
The filmmaker also talked about his work with Marvel as a second-unit action director his upcoming 'Highlander,' a potential 'John Wick 5' and much more.
In this week’s episode of The Discourse, your host, Mike D’Angelo and Playlist Editor-in-Chief jump on the mic to talk with Joanna Robinson, one of the writers on the new book “MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios” co-written by Dave Gonzales and, Gavin Edwards.
Given everything that’s happened/happening to Marvel this year, this all and this weekend—the flop of “The Marvels,” the Studios lowest-grossing opening ever and their first major failure in, well, forever—the book and the conversation, is timely.
Robinson is a veteran journalist who has worked for Vanity Fair, many other outlets and currently works at the Ringer. For the book, her Gonzales and Edwards interviewed over 100 people and sources to tell the Marvel Studios story, from the early days of Stan Lee and producer Avi Arad, the pre-inception of Marvel Studios (when Marvel had movies and characters scattered all over at places like Universal, Paramount and of course 20th Century Fox), the big gamble of making Marvel Studios with Kevin Feige, all the risks they took and more.
In this week’s episode of Bingeworthy, our TV and streaming podcast host Mike DeAngelo saddles up to discuss Paramount+’s latest Taylor Sheridan-produced series, “Lawmen: Bass Reeves.” The show follows Bass Reeves (David Oyelowo) on his journey from Civil War-era slave and forced Confederate soldier to the first Black U.S. Marshal in history and one of the greatest frontier heroes of all time. The show also stars Dennis Quaid, Donald Sutherland, Barry Pepper, Lauren E. Banks, and more.
Joining Bingeworthy to discuss the eight-episode series is showrunner Chad Feehan ('Ray Donovan,' 'Rectify,' 'Banshee'). During the chat, Feehan talks about his journey to being hand-picked by Bass Reeves himself, David Oyelowo (“Selma,” “Silo," “The Water Man”), to helm the show, working with Taylor Sheridan and much more.
Even though it didn’t make a billion dollars or score any awards, there’s no denying Damien Leone’s “Terrifier 2” was one of the most successful horror films of 2022. And for this special Halloween episode of The Playlist Podcast, I’m sharing a recent interview I conducted with Leone, the writer-director of one of the most successful horror films of the last year, “Terrifier 2.” Why am I interviewing a filmmaker about a movie that came out a year ago? Well, the film is actually getting a re-release in theaters on November 1, and the new version will feature a special teaser for “Terrifier 3.”
Horror has always been a great testing platform to new, interesting genre mashups. That’s showcased, to great effect, in the new film, “Suitable Flesh,” from filmmaker Joe Lynch. And in this episode of The Playlist Podcast, I speak with Lynch about his new film that mixes gruesome Lovecraftian horror with a good ol’ ‘80s/‘90s erotic thriller.
In this week’s episode of The Discourse, host Mike DeAngelo pops in a tape to discuss “V/H/S/85” with director Scott Derrickson (“Doctor Strange,” “Sinister,” “The Black Phone”). The sixth installment of the beloved horror anthology series follows five sinister found footage tales that delve into the grim underbelly of 1980s America. The film stars James Ransone, Freddie Rodriguez, Jordan Belfi, Dashiell Derrickson, and more.
During the interview, the modern horror master discussed joining the V/H/S franchise through his wife, Maggie Levin, who had done a short for “V/H/S/99.” Derrickson also spoke about leaving Marvel's 'Doctor Strange 2' over creative differences and 'Ghost Rider.'
In this episode of Deep Focus, your host Rodrigo Perez sits down to chat with Grant Singer, the director of the crime thriller/drama, "Reptile."
Yes, it’s a crime film, superficially—a hardened detective investigates a mysterious murder— and resembles, in some respects, the grim mood of a serial killer procedural in the vein of, say, David Fincher. But it’s also a character-driven drama and murder mystery—featuring excellent and consistently surprising supporting turns by Alicia Silverstone, Justin Timberlake, Michael Pitt, Eric Bogosian, and more— that maybe more resembles something like Denis Villeneuve’s “Prisoners,” mixed with the system-is-rigged futility of “Chinatown.” This is high praise, obviously, but it’s deserved.
Singer makes his feature-length directorial debut with "Reptile" which is co-written along with Benicio del Toro, and we spoke about what del Toro brought to the project, both as an actor and writer, the process of getting him and dive deep into its many themes of shedding skin, dreams, broken dreams and more.
It's an underrated movie and you should check it out asap.
Brian Duffield has only directed two films, so far, but he’s already starting to carve out a specific niche. He’s a filmmaker who loves to take these character-driven, emotional stories and put them against the backdrop of genre. This is seen with the love story at the center of “Spontaneous,” a film were teens are literally exploding or in his new film, “No One Will Save You,” which is truly a film about a young woman feeling isolated and alone and has to deal with an alien invasion. And in this episode of The Playlist Podcast, Brian Duffield talks about integrating genre into his “Sundance dramas” and much more.
In this week’s episode of The Discourse, host Mike DeAngelo brings back directors Adil El Arbi & Bilall Fallah to discuss their new film “Rebel.” The dramatic musical thriller follows a Muslim Belgian family as they are slowly ripped apart by Islamic extremists through various devious radicalization techniques. The film stars Aboubakr Bensaihi, Lubna Azabal, Tara Abboud, Amir El Arbi, and more.
During the interview, Adil El Arbi & Bilall Fallah discuss how personal the film is to them as it mirrors many experiences they had growing up in Belgium. They also cover the topics of their canceled "Batgirl" movie, whether or not they'll be a "Ms. Marvel" season two, and what's on tap for "Bad Boys 4" and possibly beyond.
It’s not very often we get a teen comedy that feels fresh and new. Thankfully, this week has the release of “Bottoms,” a teen comedy that subverts expectations and flips the script on a genre that can often feel stale. You can thank filmmaker Emma Seligman for that. And in this episode of The Playlist Podcast, Seligman joins us to discuss their newest film, “Bottoms,” and what makes it feel so different from other films that have come before.
In today’s episode of The Discourse, host Mike DeAngelo is resurrected by director Laura Moss to discuss the film "Birth/Rebirth." The thriller follows a pathologist (Marin Ireland) who is attempting to cure death and receives a chance to test her experiment on a human being, forcing multiple lives down an increasingly dark path. The movie also stars Judy Reyes, Breeda Wool, A.J. Lister, and more.
**NOTE: THIS INTERVIEW WAS RECORDED PRIOR TO THE WGA AND SAG-AFTRA STRIKE**
In today’s episode of The Discourse, host Mike DeAngelo talks sibling hood with actors, Michael Cera (“Superbad,” “Barbie”) & Sophia Lillis (“IT,” “Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves”). The duo is promoting their latest film, “The Adults,” which follows three siblings coming together after being estranged for some time and the awkward dance of reconnection that follows. The Dustin Guy Defa film also stars Hannah Gross, Anoop Desai, and more.
In today’s episode of Bingeworthy, our TV and streaming podcast host Mike DeAngelo returns from the stars to discuss Marvel’s latest Disney+ series, “Secret Invasion.” The show follows Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) as he beams back from outer space in order to stop a rogue faction of Skrulls that are hell-bent on taking Earth for themselves. The series also stars Emilia Clarke, Kingsley Ben-Adir, Don Cheadle, Martin Freeman, Olivia Coleman, and more.
In today’s episode of Bingeworthy, our TV and streaming podcast host Mike DeAngelo puts back on the badge to talk about “Justified: City Primeval.” The show follows Raylan Givens (Timothy Olyphant) as he gets pulled into a case in Detroit after a chance encounter along a Florida highway. The series also stars Boyd Holbrook, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Adelaide Clemens, Vondie Curtis-Hall, and more.
READ MORE: ‘Justified: City Primeval’ Review: Raylan Givens Returns In FX’s Fantastic Limited Series
Joining Bingeworthy to discuss the show is Raylan Givens himself, Timothy Olyphant, who is reprising the beloved U.S. Marshall for the first time since the original series completed its 78-episode run in 2015. Many fans are wondering what exactly brought Olyphant back to the character, and it seems like that may have been the plan all along.
Even though the body is still a bit warm and only just buried, it’s time to officially close the book on FX’s “Mayans M.C.” And what better way to do that than with an extended interview with the creative mastermind behind the series, Elgin James? And in this, the final episode of Templo Talk: A Mayans M.C. Podcast, James joins me to discuss the end of ‘Mayans’ and how the highly emotional fifth season was created.
After five years and 50 episodes, it’s time to officially say goodbye to FX’s “Mayans M.C.” All throughout the final season, Templo Talk has covered the cheer-worthy moments, the heartbreaking deaths, and everything in between. And now, as we watch ‘Mayans’ ride off into the sunset, we are joined by Clayton Cardenas—and a special surprise guest!—to talk about the devastating end to one of the best shows on TV, period.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, despite being a show about macho biker guys, “Mayans M.C.” has some of the most layered and interesting female characters on TV right now. And perhaps no character exemplifies that more than Emily, played by the wonderful Sarah Bolger. And in this episode of Templo Talk: A Mayans M.C. Podcast, we discuss the newest, penultimate episode of the FX drama and also get the chance to speak with Bolger about the complicated life of Emily Galindo.
In today’s episode of Bingeworthy, our TV and streaming podcast host Mike DeAngelo explores the mind of a criminal in “The Crowded Room.” Created by Akiva Goldsman (“A Beautiful Mind,” “Star Trek: Strange New Worlds,” “I Am Legend”), the show follows Danny (Tom Holland), a young man who is arrested for a violent crime in 70’s Manhattan, and the complex case that arises from the accused man’s unique condition. The show is inspired by a true story and also stars Amanda Seyfried, Emmy Rossum, Christopher Abbott, Sasha Lane, and more.
Joining Bingeworthy to discuss the show is creator and showrunner Akiva Goldsman. The show has been met by critics with mixed reviews, and Goldsman has a theory as to why. In the most recent episodes, the show has finally revealed that Danny (Holland) has multiple personality disorder, and many of the characters you’ve met are actually Danny’s personalities. Goldsman believes the reviews stemmed from a request from Apple TV+ and Goldsman regarding these specific details.
One of the unique aspects of how showrunner Elgin James crafts “Mayans M.C.” is the way he allows his actors to explore other creative ventures within the series. Danny Pino and JD Pardo have both directed episodes of the series. Now, actor Vincent Vargas has transitioned to a writer for an episode. Not just any episode either, but one of the final episodes of the series and the emotional crescendo for his own character, Gilly. And now, Vargas joins Templo Talk: A Mayans M.C. Podcast to discuss his desire to become a screenwriter, as well as his mission to showcase the issues facing military veterans today.
Believe it or not, it’s already been 10 years since the release of James DeMonaco’s breakout hit, “The Purge.” The micro-budget horror film would go on to earn a massive box office and devoted fanbase, spawning four sequels and multi-season TV series. And in honor of the film’s 10th Anniversary, DeMonaco joins The Playlist Podcast to talk about his 2013 hit and how a fractured country inspired him to make a film about people killing each other for sport. Oh yeah, and he also teases what might come in the future.
As we speed towards the end of the final season of “Mayans M.C.,” we knew eventually the body count would rise. And in Episode 7, “To Fear of Death, I Eat the Stars,” boy, oh boy, does the body count grow. It’s clear the FX crime drama is going to wrap things up in a very, very bloody way. In this episode of Templo Talk: A Mayans M.C. Podcast, we discuss the tragic events of the latest episode of Season 5, as well as feature an interview with someone affected by the bloody events, Joseph Lucero, aka Creeper.
It says a lot about a character when she’s surrounded by macho biker guys who regularly get in fights and kill people and somehow she’s still the most fierce, scariest person there. But that’s how you can describe Adelita, aka Louisa, on “Mayans M.C.” She’s a rebel leader and a killer, but she’s also a caring mother and protector. And in this episode of Templo Talk: A Mayans M.C. Podcast, Carla Baratta, who plays Adelita, joins the show to talk about the final season of the FX series and what makes her character one of the most interesting in the ensemble cast.
In today’s episode of The Discourse, host Mike DeAngelo speeds his way through the DC Universe with director Andy Muschietti & producer Barbara Muschietti (“IT,” “Mama”). The talented duo is promoting their latest film, “The Flash,” which follows Barry Allen (Ezra Miller) discovering that his speed unlocks the ability to change the past that has haunted him and, in turn, plunges him into another timeline where many of the heroes he knows do not exist. The film is in theaters now and also stars Michael Keaton, Sasha Calle, Ben Affleck, Michael Shannon, Ron Livingston, and more.
We are officially at the halfway point of the final season of “Mayans M.C.” And in this episode of Templo Talk: A Mayans M.C. Podcast, we discuss the most recent episode and the absolutely thrilling scene where we finally see the two sides of a massive war collide. Oh yeah, and we also learn why Michaelangelo’s David sculpture isn’t very well endowed. In addition, there’s a new interview to share with the amazing actor Frankie Loyal, where he talks about Hank and how he’s become one of the beloved characters in the series. Needless to say, there’s a lot to cover.
If you’re a fan of “Mayans M.C.,” you’re well aware of the work of actor JD Pardo. As EZ Reyes, the lead in ‘Mayans,’ Pardo has imbued his character with complicated emotions, so many different layers, and a charisma that has made this series one of the best on TV. Now, as the series rides off into the sunset, Pardo is able to add a new dimension to his work on ‘Mayans’—as a director. And in this episode of Templo Talk: A Mayans M.C. Podcast, JD Pardo talks about the final season and how he was able to make his directorial debut with Episode 4.
In today’s episode of Bingeworthy, our TV and streaming podcast host Mike DeAngelo gets to reclaim the dark saber with Disney+’s hit series, “The Mandalorian.” Created by Jon Favreau (“Iron Man,” “The Lion King”) & Dave Filoni (“Star Wars: The Clone Wars,” “Star Wars: Rebels”), the show follows the adventures of a lone Mandalorian bounty hunter (Pedro Pascal) as he fights to protect a child in the outer reaches of the galaxy far, far away. The show also stars Carl Weathers, Giancarlo Esposito, Katee Sackhoff, and more.
Joining Bingeworthy to discuss the show is Katee Sackhoff (“Battlestar Galactica,” “Longmire,” “Riddick”), who plays the heir to the Mandalorian throne, Bo-Katan Kryze. During the chat, Sackhoff reflected on her journey to joining the series in Season 2, which started as a joke between friends.
Rob Savage isn’t a household name in horror, yet, but if you look at his most recent work, this is a guy who seems like he is destined for great things in genre filmmaking. And in this episode of The Playlist Podcast, I got the chance to talk to Savage and discuss his newest film, “The Boogeyman,” which is based on a short story by Stephen King.
In today’s episode of Bingeworthy, our TV and streaming podcast, guest host Joe Scott explores the lives of star-crossed lovers as well as love-crossed country music stars in the award-winning Showtime miniseries "George and Tammy."
Created by Abe Sylvia ("Nurse Jackie," "The Eyes of Tammy Faye," "Hap and Leonard," and "The Affair"), all six episodes of the miniseries were directed by Australian filmmaker John Hillcoat. A veteran helmer of music videos, Hillcoat first broke out in the world of cinema with the brutally austere 2005 western "The Proposition," a movie many critics compared to the Cormac McCarthy novel "Blood Meridian." Interestingly enough, McCarthy agreed with these comparisons, going so far as to give the director permission to adapt his then-unreleased novel “The Road,” which Hillcoat translated to the big screen in 2009.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
Dating back to the “Sons of Anarchy” years, the universe that “Mayans M.C.” lives in is overrun with big, macho biker guys. But there are also such great female characters. These women are often more badass and capable than their male counterparts. And we see that quite a bit in Season 5, especially in the character of Letty, played by Emily Tosta. And in this episode of Templo Talk: A Mayans M.C. Podcast, we discuss the latest episode of “Mayans M.C.” and speak with Tosta about the five-year arc Letty has been on and how she has grown into this incredibly layered character.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
A great villain is a necessity on a show like “Mayans M.C.” This is a series where the lines between bad and good are constantly blurred, and you are just rooting for what might be the lesser of two evils. Thankfully, actor JR Bourne plays an incredibly hateable villain with his portrayal of Isaac, the rogue leader of the Sons of Anarchy in the fifth and final season of ‘Mayans.’ And in this episode of Templo Talk: A Mayans M.C. Podcast, we discuss the first two episodes of Season 5 as well as have an interview with Bourne where we dig deep into the psychology of his villainous character.
In today’s episode of The Discourse, host Mike DeAngelo gets in the weeds with Joel Edgerton (“Warrior,” “Obi-Wan Kenobi,” “Thirteen Lives”). The talented writer/actor/director is currently promoting his latest film, “Master Gardener,” directed by the great Paul Schrader. The film acts as the third and final entry in what Schrader is now calling his “Man in a Room” trilogy, which also features “First Reformed” and “The Card Counter.”
The film follows a scrupulous greenskeeper of a wealthy plantation as he tends to the needs of the grounds and a new understudy who uncovers disturbing details about the gardener’s past. The tense drama also stars Sigourney Weaver, Quintessa Swindell, and Esai Morales.
It’s here, folks. We are finally able to see the finale of the “Fast & Furious” franchise with the new film, “Fast X.” Well, okay, not the true finale. This is just Part 1 of what is scheduled to be a two-part finale, but it might actually get extended to three parts if Vin Diesel has his way. So, really, “Fast X” is part one of a final trilogy of films. And to celebrate, The Playlist Podcast is going to rank every film in the completely ludicrous (no pun intended) action film franchise.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
The final season of “Mayans M.C.” is fast approaching (next week, in fact), and we thought we’d celebrate the end of one of the best shows on TV with a brand-new weekly podcast. Welcome to Templo Talk: A Mayans M.C. Podcast. In this episode, we kick things off with a full recap of the first four seasons of “Mayans M.C.” and how the show evolved from a run-of-the-mill “Sons of Anarchy” spinoff to one of the most daring and beautifully crafted shows on TV.
In today’s episode of Bingeworthy, our TV and streaming podcast host Mike DeAngelo gets to the occasional truth with Hulu’s hit period comedy series, “The Great.” Created by Tony McNamara (“The Favourite,” “Cruella”), the show follows the sometimes true rise to power and subsequent rule of Catherine “The Great” (Elle Fanning) in a chaotic and debaucherous 18th century Russia. The show also stars Nicholas Hoult, Adam Godley, Phoebe Fox, Gwilym Lee, Douglas Hodge, and more.
READ MORE: ‘The Great’ Review: Hulu’s Catherine The Great Series Gets Grim, Stays Good in Season 3
Joining Bingeworthy to discuss the show are stars Elle Fanning (“Super 8,” “The Girl From Plainville,” “The Beguiled”) and Nicholas Hoult (“Renfield,” “The Menu,” “X-Men: First Class”). During the chat, Hoult reflected on the blessing of being able to play Peter III, one of the most delightfully filthy and nuanced characters on television, for yet another season.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
In today’s episode of The Discourse, host Mike DeAngelo gets hypnotized by Robert Rodriguez (“Desperado,” “Sin City,” “The Book of Boba Fett”). The prolific writer/producer/director is currently promoting his latest film, “Hypnotic,” which follows a detective (Ben Affleck) who relentlessly pursues a mystery involving his missing daughter and a secret government program. The film also stars Alice Braga, William Fichtner, JD Pardo, and Jackie Earle Haley.
During the chat, Rodriguez discussed how “Hypnotic” has been a passion project that’s been stirring since the early 2000’s and was born out of his unlikely love for Alfred Hitchcock and one-word titles.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
After two massively successful installments in the “Guardians of the Galaxy” film franchise, James Gunn was ready to work on the third. Then he got fired, went to DC to make “The Suicide Squad,” was rehired to work on ‘Guardians,’ released a Christmas special, and now, years later, we’re here to finally see how the filmmaker wanted his franchise to end. So, is the long wait for “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3” actually worth it? In this episode of The Playlist Podcast, we break down the final film in James Gunn’s Marvel tenure.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
In today’s episode of Bingeworthy, our TV and streaming podcast host Mike DeAngelo dives deep underground with Apple TV+’s new sci-fi mystery series, “Silo.” Created by Graham Yost (“Justified,” “Sneaky Pete,” “Speed”), the show follows the last survivors of a toxic Earth that live in an underground silo and live by strict tenets set in place by the government to ensure their survival. The show stars Rebecca Ferguson, Common, Tim Robbins, Rashida Jones, David Oyelowo, Iain Glen, and Will Patton.
Joining Bingeworthy to discuss the show is star, Rebecca Ferguson (“Mission: Impossible - Fallout,” “Dune,” “The Greatest Showman”). During the chat, Ferguson discussed passing on the lead role of Juliette initially, despite liking the concept. This ultimately led to a role with more creative input and control.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
In today’s episode of Bingeworthy, our TV and streaming podcast host Mike DeAngelo sways to the rhythm of a sweet duet with Showtime’s mini-series, “George & Tammy.” Created by Abe Sylvia (“The Eyes of Tammy Faye,” “Nurse Jackie,” The Affair”), the six-episode mini-series dives into the true tumultuous whirlwind romance between famous country musicians George Jones (Michael Shannon) and Tammy Wynette (Jessica Chastain). The show also stars Steve Zahn, Walton Goggins, Kelly McCormack, and David Wilson Barnes.
Joining Bingeworthy to discuss the show is co-star Michael Shannon (“Man of Steel,” “Waco,” “Take Shelter”). During the chat, Shannon talked about one of the key components he insisted on to get the story right – using Shannon and Chastain’s real singing voices and much more about that acclaimed music series. Plus, Shannon also discussed his (re) appearance as General Zod from "Man of Steel" in the upcoming 'Flash' superhero movie and Jeff Nichols' new movie "The Bikeriders."
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
Decades after he first broke out with “Lock, Stock And Two Smoking Barrels,” film fans probably think they know what a Guy Ritchie film is going to look and feel like. Well, when you bring Jake Gyllenhaal into the equation, Ritchie throws all of those preconceived notions out of the window, and you end up with “The Covenant,” a no-nonsense war film about a life-altering debt and the lengths someone will go to shed a curse, of sorts. And in this episode of The Playlist Podcast, Jake Gyllenhaal and Guy Ritchie discuss their new war film and the interesting relationship that forms the heart of the story.
Guy Ritchie’s “The Covenant” stars Jake Gyllenhaal as a highly decorated soldier, Sergeant John Kinley, who finds himself trying to fight for his life alongside his interpreter, Ahmed (Dar Salim). Through the struggle to survive, the two form an unlikely bond. But when Ahmed finds himself held captive, Kinley has to risk it all to pay back this enormous debt and save his war partner. It’s a Guy Ritchie film that sheds a lot of the filmmaker’s hallmarks and really is a lean, sometimes brutal story about a life-altering bond between two people.
In our discussion with Gyllenhaal and Ritchie, the director talked about tackling a war film for the first time and what drew him to “The Covenant,” in particular, among many other various topics.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
In today’s episode of Bingeworthy, our TV and streaming podcast, host Mike DeAngelo embraces the wacky side of faith and technology with Peacock’s newest series, “Mrs. Davis.” Created by Damon Lindelof (“Lost,” “The Leftovers” HBO’s “Watchmen”) and Tara Hernandez (“The Big Bang Theory,” “Young Sheldon”), the show follows Simone (Betty Gilpin), a nun who has been tasked with tracking down the Holy Grail by an all-knowing and possibly evil artificial intelligence, referred to by many as, “Mrs. Davis.” The truly bonkers, globetrotting adventure series also stars Jake McDorman, Andy McQueen, Chris Diamantopoulos, Elizabeth Marvel, David Arquette, Ben Chaplin, and Margo Martindale.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
Prior to this year’s Star Wars Celebration event, folks were anticipating quite a bit of TV news, as well as the possibility that Lucasfilm would announce one new film. Well, we definitely got that, but even more, as the studio unveiled details about not one, but three new “Star Wars” films from directors Sharmeen Obaid Chinoy, Dave Filoni, and James Mangold, respectively. And in this episode of The Playlist Podcast, we talk about all of the news from Celebration and what we think this means about the future of the franchise.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
There are filmmakers whose work is undeniably singular, even if you look at a single frame of the film. Wes Anderson is one of those directors. But another would be French filmmaker, Quentin Dupieux. And in this episode of The Playlist Podcast, Quentin Dupieux joins to talk about his new film, “Smoking Causes Coughing,” which might be his wildest, most Dupieux-iest film yet.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
In today’s episode of Bingeworthy, our TV and streaming podcast host Mike DeAngelo laughs and cries all over again for Apple TV+’s new dramedy, “Shrinking.” Created by Bill Lawrence (“Scrubs,” “Ted Lasso”), Brett Goldstein (“Ted Lasso,” “Thor: Love and Thunder”), and Jason Segel (“Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” “How I Met Your Mother”), the show follows Jimmy (Segel), a therapist who has gone off the deep end after the death of his wife. Ignoring the advice of colleagues, his schooling, and common sense, Jimmy decides to make big changes to the way he practices and lives his life, resulting in huge victories and even more drama. The series also stars Harrison Ford, Jessica Williams, Luke Tennie, Michael Urie, Lukita Maxwell, Christa Miller and more.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
In today’s episode of Bingeworthy, our TV and streaming podcast host Mike DeAngelo ponders Earth’s future while discussing the new Apple TV+ series, “Extrapolations.”
The show is created by Scott Z. Burns (“The Report,” “Contagion”) and explores eight different stories between the years of 2037 and 2070 as humanity deals with the chaotic rising costs of climate change and the fight to survive. The show premieres its first three episodes on Friday, March 17 and stars Sienna Miller, Kit Harrington, Forest Whitaker, Tobey Maguire, Meryl Streep, Matthew Rhys, Diane Lane, David Schwimmer, Daveed Diggs, Eiza González, Marion Cotillard, and more.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
Prior to “Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,” writer Jeff Loveness worked in the realm of TV for a while and had never written the script for a feature film. Then, he was picked by Marvel Studios to not only write the third ‘Ant-Man’ film but to also write the next ‘Avengers’ film. Needless to say, Loveness has a lot on his plate. Thankfully, he took the time out to talk to The Playlist Podcast about his new film and the pressure of writing the follow-up to one of the biggest films of all time.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
In a world filled with a ton of low-budget horror films, Christopher Landon has already carved out his own niche and separated himself from the pack. With films like “Happy Death Day,” its sequel, and more recently, “Freaky,” Landon has shown himself to be a different breed of horror filmmaker, not scared of mixing comedy and heart with his vicious kills. Well, he’s going even a step further with his new film, “We Have a Ghost,” where he’s embracing the comedy and heart even more with his family-friendly horror film about a poor soul stuck haunting a house. And in this episode of The Playlist Podcast, Landon discusses his new film and his neverending love of the horror genre, in all of its various forms.
In today’s episode of The Discourse, host Mike DeAngelo gets spooky with David Harbour (“Stranger Things,” “Black Widow,” “Violent Night”). The actor is currently promoting his film, “We Have A Ghost,” which follows a family that discovers a ghost named Ernest (David Harbour) in their new home, which leads them to becoming internet sensations while also helping the ghost find peace. The film hits Netflix on February 24 and also stars Anthony Mackie, Tig Notaro, Jennifer Coolidge, Jahi Winston and more.
During the chat, Harbour discussed the unique nature of the script and the film that led him to trust that “We Have A Ghost” would work and much more, touching upon Marvel's "‘Thunderbolts," "Stranger Things,’" and Neil Blomkamp’s "Gran Turismo" racing film which comes out later this year.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
Welcome back to my very irregularly scheduled podcast Deep Focus, where I, Playlist.net Editor-in-Chief Rodrigo Perez, talk long or long-ish with different filmmakers, directors, writers, and actors. Today, my guest is none other than comedian/actor and podcaster extraordinaire Marc Maron. Maron has a new HBO special out, available now on HBO Max called, 'Marc Maron: From Bleak To Dark.' The special is funny, political in the best way, humanist, and also soulful and candid, dealing with a lot of things like grief, mortality, aging, and our current cultural climate.
Maron and I get into all facets of the HBO special, the political content, the humanist content, and all of its various funny, touching, insightful, and barbed aspects. He also opened up to me about the late Lynn Shelton, the filmmaker who passed in 2020 during the pandemic and who was Maron's romantic partner at the time.
Maron even opened up about the screenplay he was co-writing with Shelton before her death and his mixed feelings about reviving it and maybe making it into a movie—the short end of the answer is maybe not and maybe yes, one day, though he did reveal to me that he sent it to indie filmmaker Nicole Holofcener known for “Enough Said,” “Friends With Money” and her most recent Sundance film “You Hurt My Feelings.”
Beyond that, we also got into his own evolution as a human being, which has gone from a grumpy, angry guy cliche to someone who speaks about the "evolving capacity for empathy" that we all carry within us. I think this was a meaningful and soulful conversation, if I do say so myself, so I hope you enjoy and share it.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
For all intents and purposes, even though the films made a ton of money, many fans believe that Phase 4 of the Marvel Cinematic Universe was a disappointment. Well, those films and TV series are behind us, and "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania" is here to usher in Phase 5 and fully introduce the big bad of the MCU going forward, Kang the Conquerer. And in this episode of The Playlist Podcast, we break down whether or not Phase 5 kicks off with a Kang bang or is more of the same disappointment we've seen in a post-'Endgame' world.
In today’s episode of The Discourse, host Mike DeAngelo sits down to talk about con man movies with director Benjamin Caron (“The Crown,” “Andor,” “Wallander”). The director is currently out promoting his film, “Sharper,” which follows multiple con men and women in New York City who are all in search of the perfect mark and the biggest take. The A24 film hits Apple TV+ on February 17th and stars Sebastian Stan, Julianne Moore, John Lithgow, Justice Smith, and Briana Middleton.
During the chat, Caron talks about his love of con man films and ultimately deciding to make “Sharper” his feature film debut due to the surprising nature of the script.
Last week, the long wait for news about what James Gunn and Peter Safran had up their sleeves with the new DC Studios film and TV slate was over, as the duo presented a total of 10 projects that will bring to life a new era of the DCU. Characters like Superman, Batman, Supergirl, and the Green Lanterns are all expected to factor heavily into the plans moving forward, but is that enough to compete with the likes of Marvel Studios, and more importantly, is it enough to turn the tides of a failing superhero brand? That’s what we discuss in this new episode of The Playlist Podcast.
Have you ever thought what it would be like to see something like “Ghostbusters” but through the eyes of filmmaker Joe Cornish? If so, you’re in luck! “Lockwood & Co.” is a new Netflix series about people busting ghosts, but in an alternate grim version of London. Best of all, Joe Cornish is the showrunner of the new series. And in this episode of The Playlist Podcast, Mr. Cornish sits down to discuss his new show, as well as what’s to come in the future with a new “Attack the Block” sequel and more.
In today’s episode of Bingeworthy, Mike DeAngelo explores the post-apocalyptic landscapes of HBO’s latest prestige hit, “The Last of Us.” Adapted from the popular video game series and created by Craig Mazin (“Chernobyl”)and Neil Druckmann (“The Last of Us” video game series), the show follows Joel Miller (Pedro Pascal), a hardened survivor of a fungal pandemic apocalypse, who is charged with keeping a 14-year-old girl (Bella Ramsey) alive, as she may be humanity’s last hope of survival. The show also stars Gabriel Luna, Anna Torv, John Hannah, Nick Offerman, Melanie Lynskey, and more.
Joining Bingeworthy to discuss the show is Emmy-winning co-creator, showrunner, and producer Craig Mazin. During the chat, Mazin shared how he succeeded in pitching his idea to video game creator Neil Druckmann and getting the story to the screen after so many had failed.
In today’s episode of Bingeworthy, our TV and streaming podcast host Mike DeAngelo cries tears of joy for Apple TV+’s new dramedy, “Shrinking.” Created by Bill Lawrence (“Scrubs,” “Ted Lasso”), Brett Goldstein (“Ted Lasso,” “Thor: Love and Thunder”), and Jason Segel (“Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” “How I Met Your Mother”), the show follows Jimmy (Segel), a therapist who has gone off the deep end after the death of his wife. Ignoring the advice of colleagues, his schooling, and common sense, Jimmy decides to make big changes to the way he practices and lives his life, resulting in huge victories and even more drama. The series also stars Harrison Ford, Jessica Williams, Luke Tennie, Michael Urie, Lukita Maxwell, Christa Miller and more.
Joining Bingeworthy to discuss the show is co-creator and writer, Brett Goldstein. During the chat, Goldstein shared how the idea for “Shrinking” came from multiple sources that were then Frankenstein-ed together.
Will Forte is entering a new era of his acting career. After becoming a dad for the first time a couple of years ago, he’s not just excited about comedies such as “MacGruber” and “The Last Man on Earth.” He’s also ready to portray sweet dad characters in projects such as “Sweet Tooth” and his new film, “Aliens Abducted My Parents and Now I Feel Kinda Left Out,” which we discussed on this episode of The Playlist Podcast and is celebrating its world premiere at this year’s Sundance Film Festival.
Every now and then, a film comes along that proves word-of-mouth marketing can be a powerful tool. Even though we are just beginning 2023, we already have an example of a film that has earned so much buzz without a hint of marketing, the indie horror film, “Skinamarink.” And in this episode of The Playlist Podcast, I got the chance to speak with Kyle Edward Ball, the writer-director of what some people are calling the scariest film of all time, “Skinamarink.”
When people talk about fighter pilot movies from the past year, many will probably think about “Top Gun: Maverick.” And though that film is great, there’s another fighter pilot film out now that might actually be, dare I say, better? That movie is “Devotion,” directed by J.D. Dillard. And in this episode of The Playlist Podcast, I got the chance to talk to Dillard about his new film and working with breakout superstar, Jonathan Majors.
The Yellowstoners, Mike DeAngelo and Rodrigo Perez, have returned to break down another episode of “Yellowstone.” Along the way, they’ll also welcome guests from the show to discuss what makes the series so popular, their favorite characters and moments, and tease what’s to come.
On this podcast episode, our hosts break down their thoughts on the mid-season finale, which aired this past weekend and was followed by an immediate announcement that part two of Season 5 will return after a long hiatus in the summer of 2023.
After our hosts discuss where they stand on Season 5 so far, Young John Dutton himself, actor Josh Lucas (“Sweet Home Alabama,” “Hulk,” “Ford v. Ferrari”) joins the podcast to share his long journey to joining the series as a younger version of Kevin Costner’s John Dutton.
Here at The Playlist, we’ve written quite a few year-end, Best Of lists to close out 2022. Everything from Best Films and Best TV Series (obviously) to Best Posters, Best Cinematography, Best Scores, and even Guilty Pleasures. And to put the bow on the Best Of lists, we have one more to share with you, in podcast form, no less — The Breakthrough Directors of 2022.
For this episode of The Playlist Podcast, we have compiled a list of 20 (well, 21, technically) filmmakers who have had breakout projects this past year. This is a list that covers nearly every genre, from horror to family drama, to cringe comedy, and even crime thrillers. By the end, you will have 20 recommendations of projects you should definitely check out as soon as possible.
The Yellowstoners, Mike DeAngelo and Rodrigo Perez, have returned! This time, instead of breaking down the latest episode “Yellowstone,” the hosts turn their attention to the latest “Yellowstone” spin-off series, “1923.”
Also created by Taylor Sheridan, “1923” follows Jacob Dutton (Harrison Ford) and Cara Dutton (Helen Mirren) who have taken over the land for the Dutton family and are trying to raise a ranching empire in the 1920’s amidst potential range wars, prohibition, and the Great Depression. The show also stars James Badge Dale, Marley Shelton, Robert Patrick, Brandon Sklenar, Aminah Nieves, and more.
On today’s podcast, our hosts wrestle with the latest spin-off and it’s ties to the greater “Yellowstone” universe, and afterwards, cast members, Harrison Ford, James Badge Dale & Marley Shelton stop by to chat about becoming a part of this amazing multi-generation-spanning story that creator Taylor Sheridan is bringing to life. As to why everyone seems to be jumping on board the “Yellowstone” train, Ford suggests the answer is fairly straightforward, despite himself saying in past interviews that he was unlikely to make the jump to television.
Unless you’ve been living under the proverbial rock, you’ve probably heard that there is drama in the DC film universe. But, of course, when is there not? Recently, it was announced that James Gunn is writing a new “Superman” film, which would focus on the character’s earlier days. That was followed up by news that Henry Cavill isn’t coming back as Superman. That news came on the heels of Patty Jenkins being told her pitch for “Wonder Woman 3” no longer fit in the new direction for the superhero franchise. All of this led to a ton of speculation about the dreaded R-word – reboot. In this episode of The Playlist Podcast, we discuss all of the recent drama and where this might lead as we enter 2023 and beyond.
In today’s episode of The Discourse, host Mike DeAngelo puts on his tin foil hat to sit down and talk sci-fi with one of the genre's most beloved figures, David Duchovny (“The X-Files,” “Californication,” “Twin Peaks”). The actor/writer/director is currently out promoting a couple of projects dropping around the same time. First, his film, “The Estate,” in which two sisters, played by Toni Collette and Anna Farris, attempt to win over their terminally ill aunt in hopes of becoming the beneficiaries of large estate. Duchovny plays a seedy, perverted cousin, Dick, who also shows up with similar motives. The film also stars Dean Craig (“Death at a Funeral”), Kathleen Turner, Rosemarie DeWitt, Ron Livingston, and and more.
During the chat, Duchovny shared that he requested a certain true story from his life be added to the film to really emphasize who his character truly is. He also spoke about potentially returning to the "X-Files" (it really depends) and talked about his new graphic novel, 'Kepler.'
As we close the chapter on another year in film, it’s hard not to recognize just how omnipresent the superhero film genre has become. Sure, it’s been growing steadily over the past decade, but 2022, despite a couple of years of COVID slowdowns, has been the biggest year yet for the genre, especially when you consider the huge number of projects arriving on TV screens. So, with that in mind, The Playlist Podcast is here to breakdown 2022’s superhero offerings to see if it was a good year for fans or did “Morbius” ruin it for everyone?
In today’s episode of Bingeworthy, our TV and streaming podcast host Mike DeAngelo gets pulled back into Apple TV+’s London-based spy series, “Slow Horses.” Based on the Mick Herron novel of the same name, the show follows Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman), the slovenly, irascible, insubordinate leader of Slough House —a destination for all of British Intelligence’s misfits and career f*ck-ups. In the second season, which premiered its first two episodes last week on Apple TV+, the derogatorily dubbed “Slow Horses” stumble into another far-reaching case when a former colleague of Jackson Lamb’s is found dead on a bus.
Returning to Bingeworthy to discuss the show are cast members Gary Oldman, Saskia Reeves, and Jack Lowden. The cast took a break from shooting seasons three & four back to back to discuss season two. During the interview, Oldman revealed that he may have based a piece of Jackson Lamb on a famous former colleague, Anthony Hopkins.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
The Yellowstoners, Mike DeAngelo and Rodrigo Perez, have returned to break down another season of “Yellowstone” like Beth’s bottle over some poor woman’s head. Along the way, they’ll also welcome guests from the show to discuss what makes the series so popular, their favorite characters and moments, and tease what’s to come.
On this podcast episode, our hosts throw their ropes around episodes four and five, entitled “Horses in Heaven” and “Watch ‘Em Ride Away,” respectively. The latter premiered yesterday on Paramount Network. Afterward, Thomas Rainwater himself, Gil Birmingham, sits down to talk about hearing about "Yellowstone" almost before everyone else due to his long working relationship with creator Taylor Sheridan.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
In today’s episode of Bingeworthy, our TV and streaming podcast, host Rodrigo Perez steps inside “Echo 3,” Apple TV+’s new ten-part drama mini-series from Academy Award-winner Mark Boal (“The Hurt Locker,” “Zero Dark Thirty,” “Detroit”).
An action-packed thriller set in South America, “Echo 3” is essentially a family drama, a military espionage actioner, and a kidnapping drama with political intrigue. The series follows Amber Chesborough (Jessica Ann Collins), a brilliant young scientist who is the emotional heart of a small American family. She’s also married into a larger, more connected, and well-to-do military family. When Amber goes missing along the Colombia-Venezuela border, her brother, Bambi (Luke Evans), and her husband, Prince (Michiel Huisman)—two men with deep military experience and complicated pasts— struggle to find her in a layered personal drama set against the explosive backdrop of a secret war.
Boal, of course, has spent most of his award-winning career connected to Kathryn Bigelow, but he broke out on his own for "Echo 3." So we spoke all about this new series, his past work with Bigelow, and 'Triple Frontier,' a film he wrote that was made but was nothing like the version he worked on but does illuminate his fascination with setting stories set in Latin America. We also spoke about a Showtime series he wrote called "Intelligence," about the 2016 election, which he admitted he met Christopher Steele about- the Trump dossier intelligence officer, and while that’s not really happening, he hopes it comes around one day.
In today’s episode of Bingeworthy, our TV and streaming podcast, host Mike DeAngelo steps inside “Welcome to Chippendales,” Hulu’s new eight-part drama mini-series from Producer Robert Siegel (“Pam and Tommy”), which follows Somen “Steve” Banerjee, a fledgling Indian-American entrepreneur who decides to open an all-male strip club in the 1980s. The show also stars Murray Bartlett, Annaleigh Ashford, Juliette Lewis, Andrew Rannells, Dan Stevens, and more.
Joining our host to discuss the show is producer and star of the series, Kumail Nanjiani, who you may know for his more comedic roles in “Silicon Valley,” “The Big Sick,” Marvel’s “Eternals,” “Stuber,” and more. Being a primarily comedic actor is why Nanjiani turned the story of “Welcome to Chippendales” down when originally approached for the role of Somen "Steve" Banerjee.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
The Rogue Ones: A Star Wars Andor Podcast returns for one last episode with hosts Mike DeAngelo and The Playlist’s Editor-In-Chief, Rodrigo Perez. As with the previous episodes, each week, our hosts will recap and review the latest “Andor” episode and welcome cast members and creatives from the show to discuss all things “Andor” and all the intrigue and machination of the “Star Wars” galaxy.
In the latest episode of The Rogue Ones, our hosts break down their thoughts on the season one finale of “Andor,” entitled “Rix Road,” which dropped on Disney+ today. After the discussion, Andor showrunner himself, Tony Gilroy (“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” “Michael Clayton”), joins the podcast to further break down the themes and goals of season one, including the finale and some teases for season two.
For more 'Andor,' read our review on ThePlaylist.net, and don't forget to listen to all our episodes of the Rogue Ones, where we talk to Diego Luna, Andy Serkis, Adria Adjona, Kyle Soller, Fiona Shaw, and many more.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
In today’s episode of Bingeworthy, our TV and streaming podcast hosts Mike DeAngelo, and Rodrigo Perez set their sights on the new mob dramedy from Paramount+, “Tulsa King.” The Sylvester Stallone-led show centers on Dwight “The General” Manfredi, a New York Mafia capo who just completed a 25-year prison sentence and is exiled by his bosses to start his own territory in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The series also stars Andrea Savage, Martin Starr, Jay Will, Garrett Hedlund, and Domenick Lombardozzi.
Joining our co-host, Rodrigo Perez, to discuss the show is writer/showrunner Terence Winter, who made his name on other famous mobster shows like “The Sopranos” and “Boardwalk Empire,” also writing Martin Scorsese's "Vinyl" series and "The Wolf of Wall Street." The series is created by Taylor Sheridan (“Yellowstone”), who also wrote the pilot episode, but handed over the reins to Winter, who attested that he made the show his own with little outside input - even from Sheridan himself.
Winter was super generous with his time and told us everything about the show, but two things stand out. One debunking a report earlier this summer that the show would tie in to "Yellowstone" and telling us just how much freedom he had from Sheridan who let him do what he wanted with the show after he had written the pilot.
The Yellowstoners, Mike DeAngelo and Rodrigo Perez, have returned to break down another season of “Yellowstone” like Beth’s bottle over some poor woman’s head. Along the way, they’ll also welcome guests from the show to discuss what makes the series so popular, their favorite characters and moments, and tease what’s to come.
For the uninitiated, the top-rated series follows John Dutton (Kevin Costner), a powerful rancher in Montana, as he struggles to keep his ranch and family together by any means necessary — all while being besieged by land developers, surrounding native tribes, and America’s first national park. The highly popular Taylor Sheridan show stars Kevin Costner, Kelly Reilly, Wes Bentley, Luke Grimes, Cole Hauser, Gil Birmingham, and more.
On this podcast episode, our hosts throw their ropes around episode three, entitled “Tall Drink of Water,” which premiered yesterday on Paramount Network. Afterward, Jamie Dutton himself, Wes Bentley, sits down to talk about what drew him to “Yellowstone” beyond just the great script.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
Over the past 12 years, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross have become two of the premier names in the world of film scores. The musical duo shot out of a cannon back in 2010 with the release of “The Social Network,” with a score that would win an Oscar. From there, they released a number of acclaimed scores and even earned another Oscar. So, even though we were already excited about the release of Luca Guadagnino’s “Bones and All,” the idea that Reznor and Ross were working on the score for a romantic drama about two young cannibals in the ‘80s, seemed too good to be true. And in this episode of The Playlist Podcast, I got the chance to speak with Reznor and Ross about their surprising new score and how their sound has evolved over the years.
In today’s episode of Bingeworthy, our TV and streaming podcast, host Mike DeAngelo falls in love with, divorces, and falls in love again with FX and Hulu’s new modern divorce drama, “Fleishman is in Trouble.” The show, which premieres today only on Hulu, follows Toby and Rachel Fleishman (played by Jesse Eisenberg & Claire Danes, respectively) as they navigate the murky waters of divorce in their 40’s when it comes to dating apps, sharing custody of their children, old returning friendships, and their professional lives – when, suddenly, one of them goes missing. The eight episode limited series stars Jesse Eisenberg, Claire Danes, Lizzy Caplan, Adam Brody, Josh Radnor, and more.
READ MORE: The Best TV Of 2022… So Far, ‘The Bear’ & More
Joining our host to discuss the show are principle cast members Claire Danes, Jesse Eisenberg, Adam Brody, Lizzy Caplan, and Showrunner Taffy Brodesser-Akner. During the chat, Jesse Eisenberg talked about what drew him to this very particular story.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
In the latest episode of The Rogue Ones, our hosts break down their thoughts on Episode 11 of “Andor,” entitled “Daughter of Ferrix,” which dropped on Disney+ today. After the discussion, Andor himself, Diego Luna (“Narcos: Mexico,” “Y Tu mamá también”), joins the podcast to discuss his journeys with the show and its characters. Luna's passion for the show, what it's saying about the world, and working with showrunner, writer, and creator Tony Gilroy is palpable. He clearly is deeply proud of this show and this new perspective they have brought to "Star Wars."
Also on this episode, we're joined by actor Duncan Pow (“Black Mirror”), who plays Melshi, a character who also has a significant role in “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”). But what's interesting is that Pow tells us his Melshi character was a creation of Tony Gilroy's 'Rogue One' reshoots. It seems Gilroy loved the actor enough to also want to include him in 'Andor.'
For more 'Andor,' read our review on ThePlaylist.net, and don't forget to listen to all our episodes of the Rogue Ones, where we talk to Tony Gilroy, Andy Serkis, Adria Adjona, Kyle Soller, Fiona Shaw, and many more.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
We're back! The Yellowstoners, Mike DeAngelo and Rodrigo Perez, have returned to break down another season of “Yellowstone” like a brand-new horse at the Dutton Ranch. Along the way, they’ll also welcome guests from the show to talk about what makes the series so popular, talk about their favorite characters and moments, and tease what's to come.
On this return podcast episode, our hosts throw their ropes around the first two episodes of season five, which premiered yesterday (Sunday, November 13) on Paramount Network, and afterward, we’re going to have a bit of a rewind with some interviews from this past summer with Beth & Rip themselves, Kelly Reilly and Cole Hauser.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
There were a lot of questions going into the release of Marvel Studios’ “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.” How would the sequel deal with the sudden passing of Chadwick Boseman, the leader of the franchise? Who is going to suit up as the new Black Panther? And do we really need a villain with pointy ears and winged ankles? Thankfully, Ryan Cooger and his amazing cast have once again delivered a “Black Panther” film that answers all those questions a whole lot more. Like, for real, there’s a lot of movie here. That’s where this episode of The Playlist Podcast comes in.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
On program! In the eighth episode of The Rogue Ones, our hosts break down their thoughts on episode ten of "Andor," entitled “One Way Out,” which dropped on Disney+ today. After the discussion, actor Andy Serkis (“Lord of the Rings,” “War for the Planet of the Apes,” “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” “The Batman”) joins the podcast to talk about re-joining the Star Wars universe as another character, Kino Loy.
During the interview, Andy Serkis detailed his reluctance to rejoin the "Star Wars" universe if only because of the fan theories it would spawn, but he obviously got passed that quickly.
For more 'Andor,' read our review on ThePlaylist.net, and don't forget to listen to all our episodes of the Rogue Ones, where we talk to Tony Gilroy, Adria Adjona, Kyle Soller, Fiona Shaw, and many more.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
In the seventh episode of The Rogue Ones, our hosts break down their thoughts on episode nine, entitled “Nobody’s Listening,” which dropped on Disney+ today. After the discussion, director Toby Haynes (“Sherlock,” “Black Mirror,” “Brexit”) joins the podcast to talk about COVID changing the production, working with Andy Serkis, and more.
During the interview, Toby Haynes talked about speaking with showrunner Tony Gilroy and producer Sanne Wohlenberg about directing one to three episodes, which completely changed after the pandemic lockdown. The original plan was for Tony Gilroy to direct the first episodes of the series, but COVID made that nearly impossible. Haynes ended up directing many more episodes than he thought he would and broke it all down for us in this engaging new episode of 'The Rogue Ones.'
For more 'Andor,' read our review on ThePlaylist.net, and don't forget to listen to all our episodes of the Rogue Ones, where we talk to Tony Gilroy, Adria Adjona, Kyle Soller, Fiona Shaw, and many more.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
In today’s episode of The Discourse, host Mike DeAngelo puts on his accordion and talks about The Roku Channel’s latest release, “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story,” with the director Eric Appel (“Son of Zorn,” “Funny or Die Presents…”) and star Daniel Radcliffe (the “Harry Potter” films, “Swiss Army Man,” “Miracle Workers”). The parody film follows Weird Al’s life from weird, polka-obsessed child to world-renowned rockstar to depraved, alcoholic, Madonna-loving Sex God.
During the chat, director Eric Appel discussed why the journey from parody trailer to parody film took nearly a decade, how Daniel Radcliffe prepared for the role, and much more.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
If there are two things you probably know about Taran Killam, it’s that he is a really funny guy and he absolutely loves Los Angeles Rams football. Lucky for him, he’s able to use both of those skills and passions for his new show, “The NFL Pile On.” And in this episode of The Playlist Podcast, I was able to talk to Killam about poking fun at the NFL on his new show, his undying LA Rams fandom, and a little bit about that old show he was on, something called “Saturday Night Live” or whatever.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
War films hold a special place in the history of film. Nearly since the beginning of the medium, filmmakers have been using film to show the horrors of war. These are, sadly, timeless stories that are always relevant. Enter Edward Berger and his new film, “All Quiet on the Western Front.” Based on the novel of the same name, which is regarded as one of the finest war stories of all time, ‘All Quiet’ is just as relevant today as it was nearly 100 years ago when it was released. And Berger joins The Playlist Podcast to talk about making this film, being the first German filmmaker to tackle the story, and more.
In the sixth episode of The Rogue Ones, our hosts break down their thoughts on episode eight, entitled “Narkina 5,” which dropped on Disney+ this week. After the discussion, editor John Gilroy (“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” “Nightcrawler,” “Michael Clayton”) joins the podcast to talk about being brought on as a “fixer” for “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” with his brother and Andor showrunner, Tony Gilroy, and his experience editing “Andor” for Disney+.
During the interview, John Gilroy discussed being brought in to re-cut “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” with his brother. Many a rumor has been reported about that time, some saying the Gilroys completely re-cut the movie, others saying director Gareth Edwards still had control. Gilroy was hesitant to go into detail on the experience but was happy to comment on how much was changed.
“We were REALLY changing things,” Gilroy said with a laugh. “I don’t know how much I’m supposed to say about that, but it was really changing things and using all of the tricks in your bag as an editor to make scenes work. However, you need to make them work, you make them work.”
For more 'Andor,' read our review on ThePlaylist.net, and don't forget to listen to all our episodes of the Rogue Ones, where we talk to Tony Gilroy, Adria Adjona, Kyle Soller, Fiona Shaw, and many more.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
On this week's episode of The Fourth Wall podcast, Krysty Wilson-Cairns joins us to discuss her new Netflix film, "The Good Nurse." Directed by Tobias Lindholm ("A Highjacking," "A War"), centers on a nurse (Academy Award-winner Jessica Chastain) who becomes uspicious that her colleague (Academy Award-winner Eddie Redmayne) is responsible for a series of mysterious patient deaths. Risking her own life to uncover the truth, she is at the center of an anxious, gripping thriller based on true events.
Adapted by Wilson-Cairns, she is known for the Sam Mendes-directed 2019 war film "1917," which earned her her first Academy Award nomination for Best Original Screenplay. Wilson-Cairns began writing for "Penny Dreadful," and has since written "Last Night in Soho" with Edgar Wright and is currently collaborating with Taika Waititi on an untitled "Star Wars" movie. But as of this moment, she has "The Good Nurse" opening on Netflix this week, so she stopped by on the podcast to talk all about this moral thriller.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
Paul Feig is a household name in the genre of comedy. From creating series such as “Freaks and Geeks” to directing massive hit films like “Bridesmaids” and “Spy,” Feig has really become one of the best comedic directors of the past couple of decades. Well, he’s beginning to explore other genres such as fantasy with his new film, “The School for Good and Evil.” And in this episode of The Playlist Podcast, I got a chance to sit down with Feig to talk about the difficulties of the fantasy genre, deconstructing fairy tales, and why a horror project he’s developing has turned into his passion project.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
‘The Rogue Ones: A Star Wars Andor Podcast’ returns with hosts Mike DeAngelo and The Playlist’s Editor-In-Chief, Rodrigo Perez. As with the previous episodes, each week, our hosts will recap and review the latest “Andor” episode and welcome cast members and creatives from the show to discuss all things “Andor” and all the intrigue and machination of the “Star Wars” galaxy.
In the fifth episode of The Rogue Ones, our hosts break down their thoughts on the "cagey" episode seven, entitled “Announcement,” which dropped on Disney+ this week. After the discussion, Composer Nicholas Britell (“Moonlight,” “Succession,” “Cruella”) joins the podcast to talk about joining the “Star Wars” universe for the first time and breaking the rules of the franchise instantly.
During the interview, Britell discussed the interesting challenges that “Andor” presented, which required him to start working on the project over two years ago. He spoke about his favorite 'Star Wars' musical pieces, potentially meeting 'Rogue One' halfway musically in season two and the three volumes of 'Andor soundtrack that will soon be released, the first one coming out this Friday, October 21.
For more 'Andor,' read our review on ThePlaylist.net, and don't forget to listen to all our episodes of the Rogue Ones, where we talk to Tony Gilroy, Adria Adjona, Kyle Soller, Fiona Shaw, and many more.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
We said we wouldn’t do it. When we sat down and watched the entire “Halloween” franchise (12 films!) in a week to rank them before “Halloween Ends,” we said we didn’t need to discuss the finale because it was probably going to be just fine and exactly what we expected would happen. Laurie kills Michael. Evil dies tonight! You know the drill. Well, David Gordon Green zigged when we thought he would zag and turned in what we think might be one of the worst “Halloween” films of all time. This warrants a discussion.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
Found footage filmmaking is now one of the pillars of the horror genre. This Halloween season, Joseph and Vanessa Winter are a filmmaking duo with not one, but two brand-new found footage horror films arriving on screens, with their directorial debut, “Deadstream” and a segment in the recent anthology, “V/H/S/99.” And in this episode of The Playlist Podcast, I got the chance to speak with the directors about the literal blood, sweat, and tears that went into bringing these projects to life.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
‘The Rogue Ones: A Star Wars Andor Podcast’ returns with hosts Mike DeAngelo and The Playlist’s Editor-In-Chief, Rodrigo Perez. As with the previous episodes, each week, our hosts will recap and review the latest “Andor” episode and welcome cast members and creatives from the show to discuss all things “Andor” and all the intrigue and machination of the “Star Wars” galaxy.
In the fourth episode of The Rogue Ones, entitled “The Eye," our hosts break down their thoughts on the fabulous episode six, which premiered this week Disney+ this week. After the discussion, actress Genevieve O’Reilly, who plays Mon Mothma on the show and has since Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, joins the podcast to discuss bringing such gray area and lush detail to her character, what the sets represent for Mon, and, finally, teases what’s to come in the first season of Andor.
For more 'Andor,' read our review on ThePlaylist.net, and don't forget to listen to all our episodes of the Rogue Ones, where we talk to Tony Gilroy, Adria Adjona, Kyle Soller, Fiona Shaw, and more.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
In today’s episode of Bingeworthy, our TV and streaming podcast, host Mike DeAngelo sinks his teeth into Showtime’s new vampire series, “Let the Right One In.” The show follows a father and a 12-year-old girl who traditionally live a closed-off life after the daughter is turned into a vampire as they return home to New York City and the lives they once had. The series stars Demián Bichir, Madison Taylor Baez, Anika Noni Rose, Grace Gummer, Nick Stahl, and more.
READ MORE: The Best TV Of 2022… So Far, ‘The Bear’ & More
“Let the Right One In” showrunner Andrew Hinderaker joins the podcast to discuss how and why he had to get involved with the long-form adaptation of the beloved novel and pair of films.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
‘The Rogue Ones: A Star Wars Andor Podcast’ returns with hosts Mike DeAngelo and The Playlist’s Editor-In-Chief, Rodrigo Perez. As with the previous episodes, each week, our hosts will recap and review the latest “Andor” episode and welcome cast members and creatives from the show to discuss all things “Andor” and maybe a few other “Star Wars” properties.
In the third episode of The Rogue Ones, our hosts break down their thoughts on episode five that dropped on Disney+ this week entitled, “The Axe Forgets.” After the discussion, actress Fiona Shaw (“Killing Eve,” the “Harry Potter” series, “True Blood”) joins the podcast to discuss entering a galaxy far, far away, the mature writing from Tony Gilroy and his team, her first experience seeing “Star Wars” in a theater, what’s coming up in the future, and more.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
No matter your thoughts on the horror genre as a whole, most people can agree that John Carpenter’s 1978 film, “Halloween,” is a classic. But what about the 11 other films in the franchise? Are they worth your time? The PlaylistPodcast is here to tell you which ones to watch and which ones to skip as you prepare for the release of “HalloweenEnds.”
Filmmaker Tony Gilroy, the writer and mountain sherpa on 'Rogue One,' if you will (he helped rewrite, direct, supervise and "fix" the film), is back in the galaxy far, far away. Gilroy is the creator/writer/showrunner of 'Andor,' a prequel to 'Rogue One,' which centers on one of its lead characters, Cassian Andor, played by Diego Luna. This new Lucasfilm series, airing on Disney+ is a spy thriller, the likes of which you've never really seen in 'Star Wars,' a political thriller that really considers the age of oppression, life during wartime and what it's like to be on the ground as a member of the rebel alliance and as a member of the Imperial army. Going even deeper, 'Andor' really examines what it's like for everyday people struggling under oppression. Cassian Andor when we first meet him, isn't even in the resistance. He's a man of self-interest about as far away as possible from the hero and leader you see in 'Rogue One.'
The series is about the evolution of a man and how an apathetic person just looking to survive finds a purpose in joining a cause. It's also a big ensemble piece that features what Gilroy calls "the original maniacs of the Rebel Alliance," but also a big symphony of players on the side of the rebellion, civilians caught in the middle, and the Empire.
It's a pretty good interview, so strap in and get ready to become hooked on 'Andor.'
For more 'Andor,' read our review on ThePlaylist.net and don't forget to listen to episode one of 'The Rogue Ones' where we talk to supporting 'Andor' cast members Adria Arjona & Kyle Soller.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
Man vs. beast movies often make for electric Hollywood skirmishes, but Alaskan settings heighten the conflict even further. On today's Be Reel, Chance and Noah discuss "The Edge," "The Grey" and "Hold The Dark"—a trio of films about how outsiders to The Last Frontier find their lives (and masculinity) threatened by howling winds and howling wolves. (We would like to dedicate this episode to Bart the Bear and saying "Charles" without pronouncing the 'r'.)
A new “Star Wars” show is upon us. That’s right, with the release of the first three episodes of Disney+’s “Andor,” Editor-In-Chief of The Playlist, Rodrigo Perez and Co-Host Mike DeAngelo dust off their blasters and launch into a galaxy far, far away with a brand-new podcast dedicated to what the hosts are calling “the evolution of Star Wars.” On what we're officially called 'The Rogue Ones: A Star Wars Andor Podcast,' each week our hosts will recap and review the latest “Andor” episode and welcome cast members and creatives from the show to discuss all things “Andor” and maybe a few other “Star Wars” properties.
For the uninitiated, “Andor” serves as a prequel to “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” which itself was set just before the events of “Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope.” The series follows Cassian Andor (Diego Luna) five years before he meets Jyn Erso and the gang, as he finds himself thrust into the middle of a budding rebel cell that has plans to put a stick in the Empire’s eye. The show also stars Stellan Skarsgard, Genevieve O’Reilly, Adria Arjona, Kyle Soller, Fiona Shaw, and more.
In the first episode of The Rogue Ones, DeAngelo and Perez break down their thoughts on the initial three episodes that dropped today on Disney+. After the discussion, two stars from the series, Kyle Soller (who plays the Imperial adjacent Syril Karn) and Adria Arjona (who plays Cassian Andor's ally Bix Caleen), drop by to chat about getting their roles, what sets “Andor” apart from other “Star Wars” shows and films, and their favorite films in the “Star Wars” canon.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
Letitia Wright has been in some of the biggest films of all time, playing a superhero for Marvel Studios. But her role in the new film, “The Silent Twins,” might have been one of the most intense productions she has experienced in her career, thus far. And in this episode of The Playlist Podcast, I had the opportunity to talk to Wright about her role in “The Silent Twins,” as well as one of the most anticipated films of the year, “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.”
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
In today’s episode of The Discourse, host Mike DeAngelo puts on his “investigative reporter of some repute” hat and talks Miramax’s latest release, “Confess, Fletch,” with the director Greg Mottola (“Superbad,” “Adventureland”) and star Jon Hamm (“Mad Men,” “Top Gun: Maverick”) In the film, Fletch (Hamm) finds himself as the prime suspect for a murder investigation, requiring him to revive his own investigative skills in order to track down the real murderer and his new girlfriend’s art collection.
During the chat, Hamm discussed how they got the project off the ground when so many before them had failed miserably to do so, and obviously, both of them talked about the decision to move on without the great Chevy Chase.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
In today’s episode of The Discourse, host Mike DeAngelo sets his sights on Searchlight Pictures latest release, “See How They Run” with the star of the film, and Academy Award Winner, Sam Rockwell. In the film, Rockwell plays Inspector Stoppard, who, along with a rookie partner (Saoirse Ronan), must investigate a murder that just so happens to take place within a production of an Agatha Christie play. The often funny, meta who-done it film is directed by Tom George and also stars Ruth Wilson, Adrien Brody, David Oyelowo, Harris Dickinson, and more.
During the chat, Sam Rockwell shared the reason he decided to take the role of Inspector Stoppard, talked a bit about resisting his Marvel role, and appearing in Rockwell can be seen next in director Matthew Vaughn’s latest spy movie, “Argylle.”
In today’s episode of The Discourse, host Mike DeAngelo goes back in time to explore all of the nooks and crannies of filmmaker Joe Dante’s film career with the director himself, who is currently out promoting his Scream Factory and Shout Factory TV takeover entitled, “Joe Dante’s Film Inferno.” During the takeover, Dante will introduce and guide you through 7 underrated classic feature films from the Shout Factory/Scream Factory catalog, including films like Roger Corman’s “Attack of the Crab Monsters,” William Castle's “House on Haunted Hill,” and more.
Dante discussed the origins of "Gremlins" (meant to be a low-budget horror at first before Steven Spielberg got eyes on it) and a bunch of projects that almost happened, like his unproduced “Jaws” sequel, his “Halloween III” and even his version of “Batman” before Michael Keaton and Tim Burton were brought on.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
One of Hollywood’s foremost chroniclers of obsession and a legendary obsessive himself, David Fincher has made serial killers and their pursuers centerpieces of his career in “Se7en” (1995), “Zodiac” (2007) and “The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo” (2011). Ahead of Fincher's 60th birthday, Be Reel investigates all the absurd kinship, crippling loneliness and gallows humor at the dark heart of Fincher’s career-defining murder mysteries.
In this episode of The Discourse Podcast, we talk to actress Alison Brie (“Community”) and director Jeff Baena (“The Little Hours”), both of whom are currently out promoting their latest project that they co-wrote together, “Spin Me Round.” It's their third collaboration following "The Little Hours" (2017) and "Horse Girl" (2020), the latter of which Brie starred in and co-wrote.
“Spin Me Round” stars Alison Brie as a manager of a well-known Italian chain restaurant who wins an all-expenses-paid getaway to the restaurant’s “institute” outside of Florence, Italy. While there, she meets and has a brief romance with the charismatic owner of the chain and slips into a potentially sinister unraveling of her trip. The film has a jam-packed cast filled with comedic heavy-hitters like Aubrey Plaza (who happens to be Baena's wife), Fred Armisen, Tim Heidecker, Molly Shannon, Debby Ryan, Tricia Helfer, and Alessandro Nivola.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
Way before the Marvel Cinematic Universe showed that superheroes and kids franchises could be record-breaking box office hits. Even before “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” showed that film adaptations of children’s toys and cartoons could work. Hell, predating Tim Burton’s world-changing “Batman,” there was “Masters of the Universe.” The 1987 box office bomb starring Dolph Lundgren was a Hollywood attempt to capitalize on a famous cartoon and toy line doomed by a low budget but filled with a ton of heart. And though it isn’t often brought up as a cult classic of the late-‘80s, The Playlist Podcast is here to say that it should. Well, kinda.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
In today’s episode of Bingeworthy, our TV and streaming podcast, co-host Mike DeAngelo launches into one of the best sci-fi series currently on television, “For All Mankind.” The show began as an alternate history version of the 1969 space race in which the Soviet Union beat the United States to the moon, kicking off an increasingly different reality that keeps the space race running towards new goals for decades. Season 3 has seen the race to Mars in the 1990s amidst the continued tensions between the Soviet Union and the United States. The show stars Joel Kinnaman, Shantel VanSanten, Jodi Balfour, Wrenn Schmidt, Krys Marshall, Cynthy Wu, and more.
READ MORE: The Best TV Of 2022… So Far, ‘The Bear’ & More
“For All Mankind” writers, co-creators, and showrunners, Matt Wolpert and Ben Nedivi join the Bingeworthy podcast to discuss creating the show with Ronald D. Moore (“Battlestar Galactica,” “Outlander”).
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
Cringe comedy is a tough genre to crack. If you go too far, you can make an audience lose interest and not laugh at the absurdity. But if you do it just right, such as in the new film, “I Love My Dad,” you can bring audiences along on a ride that will make them laugh, possibly cry, and definitely feel a bit uncomfortable, but in the best possible way. And in this episode of The Playlist Podcast, I have a recent interview I conducted with actor Patton Oswalt and actor-writer-director James Morosini, from the film, “I Love My Dad,” and we talk about that tightrope walk that is cringe comedy.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
In this episode of The Discourse Podcast, we talk to actor Dylan O’Brien, who you may know from his many stand-out roles in MTV’s "Teen Wolf," "The Maze Runner" films," Love and Monsters," and much more. He’s currently out promoting his latest film, “Not Okay,” from Writer/Director Quinn Shephard (“Blame”).
The film stars Zoey Deutch as Dani Sanders—an "unlikeable," fledgling influencer working for an online publication called Depravity in New York City. In a desperate move for attention, Dani decides to pose as a victim of a terrorist attack in Paris, creating a whirlwind of events that spins Dani’s life out of control.
Dylan O’Brien sat down with host Mike DeAngelo to discuss his role in the film as an influencer named “Weed Boi Colin” and putting together the character.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
Character-acting icons Wes Studi ("The Last of the Mohicans") and Dale Dickey ("Winter's Bone") join Chance to talk about an on-screen opportunity they've never had before despite their combined 250 screen credits: playing soft-spoken, vulnerable romantic leads. Director Max Walker-Silverman's "A Love Song" makes the most of both actors' skills with weathered naturalism, but Studi and Dickey also have plenty to say about their storied careers, how people talk about their unmistakable faces, and their upcoming TV projects like "Reservation Dogs" (S2) and "A League of Their Own."
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
Some might know him as the Fire Guy, or just Ryan Howard. However, B.J. Novak is much more than just one of the stars of “The Office.” And in this episode of The Playlist Podcast, Novak stops by to talk about his new dark comedy, “Vengeance,” which marks his feature directorial debut.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
In today’s episode of Bingeworthy, our TV and streaming podcast, co-host Mike DeAngelo cooks his way through FX and Hulu’s buzzy series, “The Bear,” which stars Jeremy Allen White, Ebon Moss-Bachrach, Ayo Edebiri, Abby Elliot, and more. The show follows a young chef, Carmen ‘Carmy’ Berzatto (Jeremy Allen White), as he returns home after working at one of the best restaurants in the world to take on saving his family's fledgling Chicago sandwich shop. It's easily one of the year's best new series and has taken the internet by storm over the past month.
"The Bear" series star Jeremy Allen White stopped by the Bingeworthy podcast to discuss getting involved with the series despite his reluctance to start another Chicago-based, family-centric series after his eleven-year stint on the hit Showtime series, “Shameless.”
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
In today’s episode of Bingeworthy, our TV and streaming podcast, co-host Mike DeAngelo dives into Apple TV+’s “Black Bird,” which stars Taron Egerton, Paul Walter-Hauser, Greg Kinnear, Ray Liotta, Sepideh Moafi and more. The series follows Jimmy Keene, an imprisoned midwestern drug dealer who agrees to enter a maximum-security prison to befriend a serial killer, Larry Hall (Paul Walter Hauser), and elicit a confession for the FBI, effectively ruining Larry’s chance for appeal.
Writer/Showrunner, Dennis LeHane (“Mystic River,” “Gone Baby Gone,” “The Wire,” “Boardwalk Empire”) stopped by the Bingeworthy podcast to discuss his long, illustrious career as a novelist, TV writer, and now showrunner for “Black Bird,” which he was drawn to for different reasons than some might think.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
After being disappointed with most of the films in Marvel Studios’ Phase 4, The Playlist Podcast is here to talk a bit more positively about the MCU with “Thor: Love & Thunder.” With the return of Taika Waititi behind the camera, Chris Hemsworth’s God of Thunder is back with more laughs, more adventures, and more Thors.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
Episode 4 of Marvel Studios’ “Ms. Marvel” series was a change of pace for the show. Not only did it bring the world of Pakistan to the MCU, but it also serves as an introduction to director Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, who is the woman helming both episodes 4 and 5 of the new series. And in this episode of The Playlist Podcast, I got a chance to talk to Obaid-Chinoy about working on the MCU show and including the sights and sounds of her hometown of Karachi.
In today’s episode of Bingeworthy, our TV and streaming podcast, co-host Mike DeAngelo sets his sights on Prime Video’s “The Terminal List,” which stars Chris Pratt, Constance Wu, Taylor Kitsch, Jai Courtney, and more. The series follows a Navy Seal officer who is sucked into investigating why his entire platoon was ambushed during a covert mission overseas. The entire eight-episode series drops on Prime Video on July 1st.
The show is a dark, psychological rumination on the treatment of U.S. military veterans through the lens of an action-revenge thriller. Also, on today’s Bingeworthy episode, director Antoine Fuqua (“Training Day,” “The Equalizer”) and “The Terminal List” showrunner David DiGilio sat down with co-host Mike DeAngelo to discuss how they came to the show.
The acclaimed new Greek film "Apples" imagines a world in the grips of an amnesia epidemic. Director Christos Nikou swings by Be Reel to remember the origins of his sci-fi debut, what he learned from working with Yorgos Lanthimos on "Dogtooth," and why he thinks Charlie Kaufman movies are "one million times" harder to write than "Citizen Kane."
"Apples" is out now in New York and LA and rolls out around the country in July.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
For the 10th anniversary of “Magic Mike,” Be Reel makes it rain critical reflection on Channing Tatum’s career-defining role and other standouts of the male stripper sub-genre like “The Full Monty” (1997) and “Chocolate City” (2015). Suffice it to say, if this episode had a stage name, it would probably be “Cash Rich” or “Threatened Masculinity.”
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
After nearly 20 years of anticipation, fans of “Star Wars” were excited to welcome back Ewan McGregor in the new Disney+ series, “Obi-Wan Kenobi.” Upon its debut, the series instantly became one of the biggest hits in the short history of the streaming service and earned plenty of love from critics and fans alike. But now that all six episodes have been released, did the show live up to the hype? That’s what we’re here to discuss in this episode of The Playlist Podcast.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
If you’ve listened to The Playlist Podcast consistently over the past couple of years, you know I’m a huge fan of “Mayans M.C.” Yes, the biker drama on FX that is a “Sons of Anarchy” spinoff. In fact, I think it might just be the best series on TV today. So, as is now becoming a tradition, I am welcoming back ‘Mayans’ co-creator, Elgin James, to join The Playlist Podcast to talk about Season 4 and what was going through his mind when crafting one of the most devastating seasons of TV in recent memory.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
In today’s episode of Bingeworthy, our TV and streaming podcast, co-host Mike DeAngelo dives back into “Under the Banner of Heaven.” The show follows a devout Mormon detective Jeb Pyre (played by Andrew Garfield) whose faith is tested as he investigates a brutal murder seemingly connected to an esteemed Utah family’s spiral into LDS Mormon fundamentalism and their distrust in the government. There’s a terrific supporting cast involved too, including Gil Birmingham, Sam Worthington, Daisy Edgar-Jones, Denise Gough, Wyatt Russell, Billy Howle, Chloe Pirrie, Adelaide Clemens, Rory Culkin, and more.
Of the many stand-out performances on the show, Wyatt Russell’s Dan Lafferty stands out as a particularly warped yet human take on how religious fundamentalism can lead to a dark moral-bending spiral and, ultimately, a complete loss of decency. Wyatt Russell sat down with host Mike DeAngelo to discuss getting this particularly dangerous role.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
We catch up with director Jim Archer, who's made a new comedy called "Brian and Charles" about a kooky inventor (David Earl's Brian) who builds a 7-foot-tall robot (Chris Hayward's Charles) anxious to learn all it can about the Welsh countryside and this world of ours. Jim discusses some of the film's documentary inspirations, shopping for mannequin heads and how to direct an actor who's inside a box. "Brian and Charles" is in theaters now, from Focus Features.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
If you haven’t jumped on the “Yellowstone” train just yet, now might be the time to do so. The hit modern western meets prime time soap opera is hitting its popularity apex, it’s finally getting awards attention, and, more importantly, it’s actually really damn good.
For the uninitiated, the highly popular series follows John Dutton (Kevin Costner), a powerful rancher in Montana as he struggles to keep his ranch and family together by any means necessary — all while being besieged by land developers, surrounding native tribes, and America’s first national park. On today’s episode of Bingeworthy, our podcast devoted to all things television and streaming, Kelly Reilly, who plays the fan-favorite Beth Dutton, is on the show to talk about getting the character that changed her career.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
In this episode of Bingeworthy, our podcast dedicated to all things TV and streaming, we talk to screenwriters Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick. Known for being the writers behind the "Zombieland" and "Deadpool" franchise, Reese and Wernick's latest movie is "Spiderhead," an adaptation of a George Saunders dystopian sci-fi short story directed by Joseph Kosinski for Netflix.
The is dystopian sci-fi, so yes, dark, with moral and ethical considerations about technology, humanity and the exploitation of both. The film centers on a near-future where convicts are offered the chance to volunteer as medical subjects to shorten their sentences. One such subject for a new drug capable of generating feelings of love begins questioning the reality of his emotions. But, starring Chris Hemsworth and Miles Teller, the film also has a wickedly twisted sense of humor; the perfect assignment for writers known for their satirical black humor.
We dove into all things "Spiderhead," the making of the movie, but also "Deadpool 3," a film they are writing now, and vow will remain R-Rated, won't change, and won't be Disney-fied in the Marvel era is now lives under. "Spiderhead" comes out June 17 on Netflix. Take a listen to the full conversation here.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
In this episode of The Bingeworthy—our podcast dedicated to all things television, streaming, what we watch in those mediums and how we watch it—Elle Fanning dropped by to talk about not only Hulu's “The Great,” recently finishing its second season and about to shoot its third, but her excellent and absorbing Hulu mini-series, “The Girl From Plainville.” Both series have garnered great acclaim and received terrific accolades for Fanning’s performances, but for very different reasons.
Fanning talked about working with "The Great" showrunner/writer Tony McNamara (who wrote Yorgos Lanthimos' "The Favourite"), working with 'Great' partner Nicholas Hoult--who she said was instrumental in helping her get the rhythms down to this hyper-specific ratatat comedy and finding her voice as a producer on the series.
For "The Girl From Plainville," a radically different series about a true-life case of "texting suicide," Fanning discussed her ethical obligations to playing real-life people who are still alive and have families that are still grieving. While the show has fantasy segments and blurs reality and fantasy, she was sure--again as a producer too--the show couldn't be exploitative. It's a great conversation with Elle Fanning who is such an amazingly versatile actor.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
On this episode of the Deep Focus podcast, host and Playlist Editor-In-Chief, Rodrigo Perez talks to writer/director Colin Trevorrow & writer Emily Carmichael about “Jurassic World: Dominion,” which is the sixth and potentially final chapter in the dino-action series that began with Steven Spielberg’s beloved, “Jurassic Park.”
“Jurassic World: Dominion” picks up four years after the events of “Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom” in which Isla Nublar was destroyed in a volcanic explosion. Dinosaurs now live and hunt alongside humans worldwide, proposing the question — who is the world’s apex predator?
During the conversation, Trevorrow talked about his thoughts on the Jurassic franchise being a specifically science-focused sci-fi franchise with real-world considerations, bringing back legacy characters, the 'Bourne'-style action moving him away from the legacy of Steven Spielberg and all the thoughtful human texture they tried to inject into the franchise.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
Just over a month after the release of “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” and merely weeks removed from the end of “Moon Knight,” Marvel Studios is back at it and has unveiled its latest project, “Ms. Marvel.” And in this episode of The Playlist Podcast, we discuss the new series and why its one of the best offerings (so far) from Marvel in a while. We also share an interview with Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, the directors behind the first and final episode of the series.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
This week marks the physical release of one of the year’s best and most visceral films, “The Northman.” Directed by Robert Eggers, the film follows Viking Prince Amleth (Alexander Skarsgård) on a lifelong journey of revenge against to man who killed his father, stole his mother, and threw his life into ruin. "The Northman," is a primal, visceral action movie, a meditative somber journey on the nature of revenge and a psychedelic art film all rolled up into one and it's easily one of the best movies of the year.
In celebration of the Blu-ray/DVD release this week, we’ve decided to share our contributor, Elena Lazic’s interviews with director Robert Eggers and Producer/Actor Alexander Skarsgård, who both worked tirelessly to make sure the film look and feels as realistic as possible. You can listen to both of our interviews with the two in this podcast conversation. Enjoy.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
Like it or not, city-folk, “Yellowstone” has officially gone mainstream. That’s right, after years of being relegated to underground middle American word-of-mouth, Taylor Sheridan’s modern western series is finally getting its due. The coasts are taking notice and award shows are beginning to include them in nominations – oh, and the show is shattering network TV records with each passing season and spin-off.
For the uninitiated, the highly popular series follows John Dutton (Kevin Costner), a powerful rancher in Montana as he struggles to keep his ranch and family together by any means necessary – all while being besieged by land developers, surrounding native tribes, and American’s first national park. On today’s episode of Bingeworthy – our TV/Streaming Podcast, Cole Hauser, who plays Rip on the show, stops by to discuss what drew him to the part of Rip, rather than one of Costner’s sons.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
Adam Sandler is back with another Netflix film. However, his upcoming feature, “Hustle,” isn’t your typical Sandler Netflix comedy. This is a film that not only showcases the actors comedic chops but also gives him a chance to flex his dramatic muscles. And in this episode of The Playlist Podcast, we’re sitting down with Jeremiah Zagar, the director of “Hustle,” as he talks about what makes Adam Sandler such a special actor to work with.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
Fans of Prime Video’s hit series “The Boys” know what to expect by now – crazy amounts of R-rated superhero action & gore covering an apt and scarily realistic look at modern America’s current political and social climate. Well, fear not fans! Season 3 is here to crank the volume up on all of the above to wonderful effect.
For the uninitiated, the irreverent series follows a team of normal, everyday humans who are hell-bent on exposing the dark underbelly of the seemingly wholesome Justice League-esque superhero team known as The Seven, who are secretly vapid, self-obsessed celebrities that care more about their popularity than saving human lives. On the latest episode of Bingeworthy, Jack Quaid stops by to discuss playing Hughie Campbell, who has traditionally been on the run throughout the series but is actually in a place of contentment when the third season begins.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
Will Poulter’s career trajectory has been going nowhere but up in recent years, starting with standout roles in “Black Mirror: Bandersnatch,” “Midsommar,” “Dopesick,” and “The Maze Runner” films. The upcoming years seem that they’ll be no different, as he’s recently been cast as Adam Warlock in the upcoming Marvel Studios film, “Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3.” But before he’s launched into superstardom, Poulter decided to try his hand at a musical crime-thriller with the upcoming independent film, “The Score.”
The film is directed by Malachi Smyth and follows a duo of small-time crooks (played by Poulter and Johnny Flynn) who drive out to a secluded café for one big score and features music written by Johnny Flynn, himself. It’s a unique genre-blending film that works as a showcase for the charisma of Will Poulter, who was instantly drawn to the project.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
It’s Memorial Day Weekend in the US, and you know what that means— Summer Movie Season is upon us. Kicking off the first true summer of film since 2019, we have Tom Cruise’s “Top Gun: Maverick.” But the highly anticipated sequel is far from the only major blockbuster getting released over the next three months. And in this episode of The Playlist Podcast, we go through the major films being released this summer to preview the highs and lows of what should be an interesting season.
Rap our knuckles if you must, but we watched three irreverent nun movies on a new Be Reel. From the musical-comedy of “Sister Act” (30 years old this week) to the demonic possession of “The Nun” (2018) to the perverse wonderment of “Benedetta” (2021), these sisters play by their own rules in the face of retribution and damnation. This episode has everything: Whoopi, Valak and Paul Verhoeven making us talk dirty. Forgive us, listeners, for we have reappraised.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
We are certainly living in a new golden age of television – and even a golden age of character-driven dramas tinged by sci-fi elements. Prime Video has certainly started to dip their toe into these proverbial waters with shows like the brilliant “Outer Range” and now their latest series, “Night Sky.” The show follows Franklin and Irene York, played by the incomparable J.K. Simmons and Sissy Spacek, a couple who years ago discovered a chamber buried in their backyard which inexplicably leads to a strange, seemingly deserted planet.
Writer/Creator Holden Miller and Writer/Executive Producer Daniel C. Connolly sit down on the Bingeworthy Podcast to discuss the series, which started as a passion project for Holden Miller.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
Fans of Steven Moffat and David Nutter would be quick to point out that the two are no strangers to a good bit of time travel, being creatives behind great episodes of “Doctor Who” and “The Flash,” but their new series, “The Time Traveler’s Wife” is a whole new proverbial ball of time-slipping wax.
The new series follows a love story between two characters, Henry DeTamble (Theo James) and Claire Abshire (Rose Leslie), with one small hitch: Henry involuntarily slips through time and meets Claire again and again throughout her life. The show premiered this past weekend on HBO Max and will contain six episodes. Director David Nutter and writer Steven Moffat stopped by the Bingeworthy Podcast to chat about bringing the popular book to the screen as a series rather than another film adaptation.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
Ben Schwartz is one of the funniest people working in Hollywood today. And after years of guest-starring in various shows and providing more than a decade of voice-over work, the actor is finally getting his due in recent years thanks to the insanely popular “Sonic the Hedgehog” film franchise and a starring role in the recent Apple TV+ series, “The Afterparty.” And in this episode of The Playlist Podcast, Schwartz talks about those projects, as well as much more.
If you’re anything like The Playlist crew, the pandemic gave you the chance to catch up on a lot of shows that you’ve been missing, and two of the shows that saw the biggest jump in popularity over the past couple of years are Taylor Sheridan’s “Yellowstone” and the spin-off “1883,” both putting up massive numbers for The Paramount Network and Paramount+.
At the heart of “1883” is an outstanding performance by relative newcomer, Isabel May, who plays Elsa Dutton, the Great Aunt of John Dutton (played by Kevin Costner in “Yellowstone”) and the lead character of the series (read our review of the series here). For the uninitiated, “1883” follows the Dutton family, led by James and Margaret Dutton (played by Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, respectively), setting off on a journey along the Oregon Trail to lay claim to a home they can call their own. Isabel May, who plays the daughter of James and Margaret Dutton, recently joined The Bingeworthy Podcast to discuss getting the life-changing role of Elsa Dutton.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
There’s no denying it. “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” is a bonafide hit with fans and at the box office – as if anyone had any doubt in the Marvel machine continuing to rake in money. The film has already taken in over $500 Million worldwide in less than a week and has revived the nerd world's interest in director Sam Raimi all over again.
However, the film wouldn’t be anywhere without the talented writing of “Loki” writer Michael Waldron, who joined The Playlist's Editor-In-Chief Rodrigo Perez for a spoiler-filled conversation about all things Marvel and how he got involved with the Doctor Strange sequel originally to help the existing script across the finish line. They discussed "Wandavision" and how it tees up the events of 'Multiverse Of Madness,' the film's cameos, 'Loki' season two which Waldron is only exec-producing this year, and the "Star Wars" movie that he is writing for Marvel's Kevin Feige.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
In today’s episode of Bingeworthy, our revitalized TV and streaming podcast co-hosts Mike DeAngelo and Rodrigo Perez treat themselves to the new true-life murder series, "Candy." Based on a true story, the Hulu show follows Candy Montgomery (Jessica Biel), a housewife in 1980s Texas that finds her life spinning out of control after her neighbor and friend, Betty Gore (Melanie Lynskey) is found murdered in her own home. The show premieres on Hulu on May 9th and also stars Pablo Schreiber ("Halo") and Timothy Simons ("Veep") (read our review here).
After our hosts discuss the show, stars, Jessica Biel and Melanie Lynskey stop by to talk about what drew them to this particular story in the age of the murder mini-series.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
It’s the first week of May, and you know what that means, right? The Marvel Studios machine has pumped out another feature and is ready to take over the world yet again. This time, we get “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” and boy, oh boy, The Playlist Podcast has some thoughts.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
In today’s episode of Bingeworthy, our revitalized TV and streaming podcast co-hosts Mike DeAngelo and Rodrigo Perez dive into HBO Max’s new true-life murder series, “The Staircase.” Based on the much-buzzed-about documentary of the same name, the show follows the true story of Michael Peterson, a crime novelist accused of killing his wife Kathleen after she is found dead at the bottom of a staircase in their home, and the 16-year judicial battle that followed. The show premieres on HBO Max on May 5th and stars Colin Firth, Toni Collette, Michael Stuhbarg, Sophie Turner, Dane Dehaan, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Parker Posey, Juliette Binoche, Odessa Young, and more. (read our review here).
After our hosts discuss the show, writer/director/showrunner Antonio Campos stops by to talk about why he had to make the series and shed more light on the story of Michael and Kathleen Peterson.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
In today’s episode of Bingeworthy, our revitalized TV and streaming podcast, co-hosts Mike DeAngelo and Rodrigo Perez dive into Hulu’s new mystery series, “Under the Banner of Heaven”. The show follows a devout Mormon detective Pyre (played by Andrew Garfield) whose faith is tested as he investigates a brutal murder seemingly connected to an esteemed Utah family's spiral into LDS Mormon fundamentalism and their distrust in the government (read our Season 3 review here).
After our hosts discuss the show, writer/director/showrunner Dustin Lance Black stops by to chat with Rodrigo about making the series and the very personal reasons he chose to adapt the famous Jon Krakauer book of the same name.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
It’s difficult to believe that “Toy Story” debuted almost three decades ago, as so many of us have grown up watching the lexicon of Pixar films that it helped spawn. Some of us who were fortunate to be of an age to remember the first time we saw a fully computer-generated film have now had the opportunity to pass the Pixar magic off to our children or the next generation. Yet there is something poetic about the animation powerhouse coming full circle and giving beloved character Buzz Lightyear his own solo adventure in this summer’s highly anticipated “Lightyear."
In this episode of The Fourth Wall podcast, director Angus McClane and producer Galyn Susman, stop by to discuss their upcoming Pixar film. Both veterans of Pixar, the filmmakers knew with absolute certainty that this new "Lightyear" could stand on its own, giving audiences a modern twist on the character, while still taking audiences on the ever-constant emotional ride the studio and its films are known for. Susman sums up why this character has remained perennial for 27 years; “[Buzz] is aspirational, and funny, and goofy. I think all of us like to think that we can be funny and goofy and try our best and be loved for just that, even if we completely get it wrong. That's the connection, and people love that.”
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
“Mayans MC” recently debuted its fourth season with what might be the best episode of the series to date. The acclaimed FX drama, which follows the story of the SoCal motorcycle club of the title, is one of the most brutal and emotional series on TV right now and is criminally overlooked around awards season. And in this episode of The Playlist Podcast, ‘Mayans’ star, Clayton Cardenas, joins the show to talk about what makes the “Sons of Anarchy” spinoff series so damn good.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
In today’s episode of Bingeworthy, our revitalized TV and streaming podcast co-hosts Mike DeAngelo and Rodrigo Perez dive into HBO Max’s beloved series, “Barry” from Bill Hader and Alec Berg. The show follows a hitman named Barry (Bill Hader) who stumbles into an acting class on the job and finds a real passion for theater. As the lines between his life as a hired killer and as an actor begin to blur, Barry must do all he can to keep his new life afloat without anyone finding out about his dark past and other, more deadly life (read our Season 3 review here).
After our hosts discuss the show, actor Anthony Carrigan stops by to discuss bringing everyone’s favorite Chechen mobster, Noho Hank, to life. Anthony went as far back as shooting the pilot when recalling how he knew the character was working.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
In today’s episode of Bingeworthy, our revitalized TV and streaming podcast co-hosts Mike DeAngelo and Rodrigo Perez dive into Showtime’s new sci-fi sequel/reboot series, “The Man Who Fell to Earth” from Alex Kurtzman (“Fringe,” “Alias,” “Star Trek: Discovery”) and Jenny Lumet (“Star Trek: Discovery,” “Rachel Getting Married”). Based on the classic 1976 sci-fi movie from director Nicolas Roeg starring David Bowie, this new “The Man Who Fell to Earth” is essentially a legacy sequel and centers on Faraday (Chiwetel Ejiofor), an alien who comes to Earth with a mission to enlist the help of a human scientist (Naomie Harris) to save his species and, in turn, humanity (read our review here). Bill Nighy takes up David Bowie's alien role in the series too (yes, the character is still alive).
After our hosts discuss the show, writer/director/producers Alex Kurtzman and Jenny Lumet stop by to discuss heading up a reboot/sequel of a beloved, nearly 50-year-old sci-fi cult classic and the surprisingly personal reasons they chose to do it.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
Countless movies capture the exhilaration and horror of high school, but only a select few resurrect those qualities for high school reunions. On this episode, Chance and Noah reminisce on this delightful and harrowing subgenre, featuring “Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion” (1997), “Peggy Sue Got Married” (1986) and “Central Intelligence” (2016). There's one universal takeaway: even one night of reliving high school sends people off the deep end.
Director Tom Gormican and co-writer Kevin Etten found themselves suddenly out of work when their sitcom “Ghosted” ended up on Fox’s cancellation chopping block. Determined to work together again, the pair began brainstorming ideas for what they could possibly do next. Shortly thereafter, “The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent” was born unto the world, thus granting us all a chance to revel in the career of Nicolas Cage together.
The film follows a fictionalized version of Nicolas Cage (played by Nic Cage) who is in a bit of a slump in his career and at home when he receives a $1 million offer to attend a wealthy fan’s (Pedro Pascal) birthday party. During a conversation on “The Discourse,” director Tom Gormican shared how the project started from just a small idea that made him smile.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
In today’s episode of Bingeworthy, our revitalized TV and streaming podcast, co-hosts Mike DeAngelo and Rodrigo Perez dive into Prime Video’s new western sci-fi mystery drama, “Outer Range” from creator/writer/showrunner Brian Watkins. “Outer Range'' centers on Royal Abbott (played by Josh Brolin), a rancher fighting for his land and family, who discovers an unfathomable mystery at the edge of his property that’s nestled in Wyoming's wilderness. After an incident with a rival rancher family, Royal and his family are plunged into an ever-mysterious metaphysical tale that examines how we as humans grapple with the unknown. The show also stars Imogen Poots, Lili Taylor, Tamara Podemski. Lewis Pullman, Tom Pelphrey, Noah Reid, and Will Patton. (read our review here).
After our hosts discuss the show, creator/showrunner Brian Watkins stops by to discuss writing a western about the unknown, working with Josh Brolin, and having literally no other credits on IMDB due to him being predominantly a playwright.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
After months of waiting, following the major announcement back in May 2021, Warner Bros. has officially merged with Discovery, creating the aptly titled new company, Warner Bros. Discovery. And as you might expect whenever there is a big corporate merger, the new CEO is ready to shake things up, which appears to have major ramifications for the folks at DC Entertainment. And in this episode of The Playlist Podcast, we discuss how the Warner Bros. Discovery merger is going to greatly affect the superhero films and TV series from DC.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
In today’s episode of Bingeworthy, our revitalized TV and streaming podcast, co-hosts Mike DeAngelo and Rodrigo Perez dive into Hulu’s Theranos/Elizabeth Holmes biotech catastrophe mini-series, “The Dropout.” Based on the true story, the TV series chronicles Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes' attempt to revolutionize the healthcare industry after dropping out of college and starting a technology company for which the technology does not actually exist and is in no way possible (read our review here).
At the top of the episode, our hosts discuss their thoughts on the limited series, the outstanding bits of nuance that are integrated into the story, Amanda Seyfied’s Emmy-worthy performance, and more.
After the conversation, Writer/Showrunner Elizabeth Meriwether stops by to discuss what made her want to tell the story of Elizabeth Holmes and Theranos.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
In today’s episode of Bingeworthy, our revitalized TV and streaming podcast, co-hosts Mike DeAngelo and Rodrigo Perez dig into Apple TV+’s latest London-based spy series, “Slow Horses.” Based on the Mick Herron novel of the same name, the show follows Jackson Lamb (Gary Oldman), the leader of Slough House – a destination for all of British Intelligence’s misfits and screw-ups. In the series the derogatorily dubbed “Slow Horses” find themselves wrapped up in a political kidnapping plot that may have more to it than meets the eye (read our review here).
At the top of the episode, our hosts profess their love of the first six episodes of the series, the dirty John le Carré-esque nature of the show, and the wonderful performances from Gary Oldman and Jack Lowden.
After the conversation, stars of the show, Gary Oldman, Jack Lowden, Olivia Cooke, and Saskia Reeves stop by to discuss putting a new spin on the British spy genre.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
In today’s episode of Bingeworthy, our revitalized TV and streaming podcast, co-hosts Mike DeAngelo and Rodrigo Perez dig into Disney+’s latest Marvel Cinematic Universe, “Moon Knight.” Based on the Marvel Comic of the same name, the show follows a mild-mannered museum gift shop employee, Steven Grant (Oscar Isaac), who finds himself lost in the difference between reality and waking life nightmares, waking up in insanely dangerous situations, and eventually finding himself entangled in a mysterious plot involving powerful Egyptian Gods and charismatic cult leaders (read our review here).
At the top of the episode, our hosts discuss their differing opinions on the first four “Moon Knight” episodes (as spoiler-free as possible), what makes a good hero and a good villain, and finally dissect Marvel’s plot-heavy formula.
After the conversation, directors Mohamed Diab, Justin Benson & Aaron Moorhead stop by to discuss the difficulty of pulling together multiple genres to create a signature “Moon Knight” feel. They also discuss the possibility of "Moon Knight" season two and Benson and Moorehead talk vaguely about working on "Loki" season two.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
In this episode of The Playlist Podcast, the hosts celebrate the 20th anniversary of “Panic Room” by talking about the film and how Hollywood and filmmaking have changed since the 2002 release. Would “Panic Room” make $200 million worldwide in 2022, as it did 20 years ago? Would it be sent directly to a streamer, and perhaps turned into an event series? And is “Panic Room” an underrated film in the pantheon of David Fincher features?
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
In today’s episode of Bingeworthy, our revitalized TV and streaming podcast co-hosts Mike DeAngelo and Rodrigo Perez dig into Paramount+’s long-gestating sci-fi epic, “Halo.” Based on the video game franchise of the same name, the show takes place in the 26th century amidst a war between humanity and an alien race called The Covenant. At the center of the story is Master Chief (Pablo Schreiber), a genetically enhanced super-soldier who uncovers an artifact that changes the course of his life, and potentially all life as he knows it.
At the top of the episode, our hosts discuss the ups and downs of the first two "Halo" episodes that were screened for critics, as well as the epic journey of adapting the popular video game title for a modern television audience. After the conversation, Pablo Schreiber stops by to discuss taking on the role of Master Chief and having to audition after thinking he had the role already.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
In today’s episode of Bingeworthy, our revitalized TV and streaming podcast co-hosts Mike DeAngelo and Rodrigo Perez dig into the rise and trend of tech grifter television which is all the rage at this very moment. Specifically, we discuss Apple TV+’s new series “WeCrashed,” which tells the true story of Adam and Rebecca Neumann (played by Jared Leto and Anne Hathaway, respectively), founders of WeWork, which grew from a single co-working space in New York to a global brand worth $47 billion in under a decade — until disaster struck. It's a hilarious, but also genuine and empathetic look at the hubris and greed of the WeWork grifters, their questionable-at-best business practices, and the love story that drives them to great heights (read our review)
We also discuss a similar series currently airing on Hulu, “The Dropout,” which stars Amanda Seyfried as Elizabeth Holmes, founder of Theranos. In a similar vein to “WeCrashed,” it tracks the rise and fall of the Theranos brand, which touted the development of groundbreaking healthcare technology that would save lives, but oops, forgot what tiny major detail of it all: the technology they assumed they could create quickly, proved to be much more unfeasible and didn't actually exist yet. Talk about the horse before the cart arrogance. (read our review)
After the conversation, writer/showrunners Lee Eisenberg and Drew Crevello stop by to talk about bringing “WeCrashed” to the screen, not only because it was an interesting story, but because there was a love story dynamic in the middle of it that really made it stand out beyond the start-up rise and fall series that were already out there.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
On our latest episode of Bingeworthy, co-hosts Mike DeAngelo & Rodrigo Perez dig into Showtime’s new anthology series, "Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber," which tells the story of one of Silicon Valley’s most successful and most destructive unicorns, Uber. The season pivots on Travis Kalanick (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), Uber’s hard-charging CEO who was ultimately ousted in a boardroom coup, and his sometimes tumultuous relationship with his mentor Bill Gurley (Kyle Chandler), the plainspoken, brilliant Texan venture capitalist who bets his sterling reputation on Uber’s success – and then has to live with the consequences.
After the initial intro and discussion of the series, writer/showrunners Brian Koppelman, David Levien, and Executive Producer Beth Schacter (BILLIONS) stop by to discuss the show and why these stories, like Travis Kalanick of Uber, keep popping up out of Silicon Valley. "All of this comes from Steve Jobs," Koppelman says and Jobs legacy really looms large over all these tech stories.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
Director Shawn Levy and actor/wise-ass extraordinaire Ryan Reynolds have become a bit of a magic pairing. First collaborating on last year’s original sci-fi hit, “Free Guy,” the two have been singing each other’s praises in interview after interview, all usually while talking up what was going to be an even better movie, their next original sci-fi collaboration entitled, “The Adam Project.”
The film follows a pilot from the future named Adam (Ryan Reynolds) who jumps back in time and teams up with his younger self (Walker Scobell) and his father (Mark Ruffalo) to save the world from a person who has used time travel for their own nefarious purposes. During a conversation on The Discourse, director Shawn Levy shared how the project came to be, discussed his bff working relationship with Ryan Reynolds (and those "Deadpool 3" rumors), and a little bit about "Stranger Things" season four, the series that he is an executive producer of and sometimes acts as a director too.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
The Bingeworthy buds, Mike DeAngelo and Playlist Editor-in-Chief Rodrigo Perez, are back to talk about all of the TV news and shows that are worth your time. This week finds our hosts digging into one of the new HBO series, “Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty.” After the discussion, writer/showrunner Max Borenstein, writer/executive producer Rodney Barnes, and actor Quincy Isaiah, who plays the charismatic Magic Johnson, stop by to discuss how the show became the prestige show that it is.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
On this episode of the Deep Focus podcast, host and Playlist EIC, Rodrigo Perez talks to Reid Carolin, the co-director and co-writer of "Dog" which he made with co-writer/co-director and star Channing Tatum. Tatum's been absent from the live-action big screen for nearly four years-- the actor needed a break after his divorce and was feeling disillusioned with the industry. But part of the reason he was gone for so long, in addition to his personal life, was trying to write, direct, produce and star in the 20th Century Fox, "X-Men" spin-off "Gambit.' The film was a big passion project to Tatum, but eventually fell apart after Fox was bought by Disney and absorbed into the greater Marvel brand.
But all that prep work prepared them for "Dog," a much-much different film, and a two-hander buddy comedy about a man and his... well, not-quite-best-friend yet. Tatum stars as a U.S. Army Ranger, battling PTSD and brain trauma, who is tasked with taking a military dog to the funeral of his handler. It's also a road trip film, a soulful life-affirming drama as well as the quirky comedy of all the detours it takes. Think Hal Ashby if he listed to Jack Johnson while taking gummies.
In this episode, we get to all things "Dog," but we also dive into a lot of "Gambit," since that was the film that lead to dog, and also the "Magic Mike" series. Carolin and Tatum are the architects of the "Magic Mike" franchise and they've brought back original director Steven Soderbergh to helm, "Magic Mike 3: The Last Dance." Carolin talks about Soderbergh's mentorship to the two burgeoning filmmakers and gives us a taste of 'The Last Dance,' suggesting this is the closest Steven Soderbergh has ever gotten to making a full-blown musical.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
After years of development, more than a year of delays, and an absolute ton of marketing, “The Batman” is finally upon us. You’ve seen the rave reviews already, but on this episode of The Playlist Podcast, we dive deep into the film to really figure out if Matt Reeves delivered the quintessential ‘Batman’ film or not.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
Academy Award Winner Taika Waititi is no stranger to mixing intimate workplace comedies with genres you wouldn’t necessarily expect like, Vampires, Indigenous Kids, Musicians, etc. Well, now he and writer/showrunner David Jenkins have teamed to bring you a humorous and heartfelt tale of pirates with their new show, “Our Flag Means Death,” which premieres March 3rd on HBO Max. Now, Taika Waititi and Rhys Darby stop by The Discourse to talk about their new series and how they got involved.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
Matt Bettinelli-Olpin and Tyler Gillett aka Radio Silence made a name for themselves with the excellent 2019 original horror hit, “Ready or Not.” From there, as they say, the horror world was their gory little oyster. So, what did the up-and-coming team decide to take on next? A “Ready or Not” sequel? Hogwash! It turns out that the duo was basically gifted a much more enticing prospect in the form of a “Scream” sequel — the first that wouldn’t involve the late Wes Craven.
While at first, they were skeptical—not a huge fan of horror sequels— ultimately they relented when they discovered that the producers wanted to make a thoughtful horror film that avoided the trap of bad horror films. "You never want to be the outlier. And especially because it’s movies that we love and we also just don’t want to ruin that legacy. It just matters too much. Luckily Guy and Jamie are also mega-fans, so we knew it was going to be treated with love and respect.”
And the rest, as they say, is history. “Scream” (2022) was a big hit and the sequel was immediately greenlit when critics and fans responded positively. The duo is hard at work on breaking the story of the next “Scream” film and admitted they might even be developing another sequel when asked about their first hit, “Ready or Not.”
All this and more on this week's episode of the Discourse brought to you by host Mike DeAngelo and The Playlist Podcast Network.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
The Yellowstoners, Mike DeAngelo and Rodrigo Perez, have returned to discuss the final two episodes of the hit Paramount+ prequel spin-off series, “1883,” entitled “Racing Clouds” and “This Is Not Your Heaven.” Suffice it to say, *spoilers follow,* for what was a very bold, shocking, and impressive, season finale, from writer/director/showrunner Taylor Sheridan.
Sheridan showed his hand with the finale of “1883,” and what the show was ultimately all about, and, boy, was it a heart-wrenching, brutal take on the journey that led the Duttons to their hallowed home and ranch. Ultimately, as predicted by former U.S. Army Captain/wagon master Shea Brennan (Sam Elliott), the cost of that journey was high as possible, with nary a soul left standing. If you were looking for huge emotional stakes, "1883" over-delivered on its promise of showing the heartless and savage side of nature along the Oregon Trail in the late 1800s.
In the final Yellowstoners episode of the season, we break down the events and emotions that came along with the final two episodes, what this means for the recently green-lit season two of “1883,” and how this reflects on the "Yellowstone" empire overall.
The question is less, “Who actually dies?!” and more, “Who actually lives?” Either way, the answer likely shocked viewers this past weekend, leading to a potential tissue shortage, at least in our homes. Let's just say this, Sheridan wasn't f*cking around and isn't afraid of killing off all your favorite characters. Less horsing around and more drama.
This episode is something of a goodbye for now. "Yellowstone" probably won't return until summer 2022, so consider this something of a hiatus until then.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
The Bingeworthy boys, Mike DeAngelo, and Playlist Editor-in-Chief Rodrigo Perez, are back to talk about all of the TV news and shows that are worth your time. This week finds our hosts digging into one of the new HBO series, “Our Flag Means Death” which premieres on March 3. After the discussion, writer/showrunner David Jenkins stops by to discuss how the show came into being just by hearing the true story of the real Stede Bonnet.
Remember to check out more stories, news, reviews, interviews, and more at ThePlaylist.net, subscribe to our newsletter, and check out more of our Playlist Podcast interviews here.
On this episode of the Bingeworthy podcast, The Playlist's TV podcast dedicated to what we watch and how we watch it in the accelerated streaming age, we speak to multi-hyphenate super thread Lake Bell, an actress, filmmaker, writer, producer, and voice actress, who recently was tapped to directed some crucial episodes of Hulu's series, "Pam & Tommy," about the Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee '90s sex tape scandal. While Bell is known for her acting career first and foremost, she turned to creating her own stories with 2013's acclaimed Sundance film, "In A World," that she starred in, wrote and directed. She followed that up with 2017's "I Do... Until I Don't" comedic treatise on marriage and then co-created the ABC comedy "Bless This Mess" with Elizabeth Meriwether, in which she starred in, and directed and wrote on.
Her latest directing gig is joining Craig Gillespie and a talented crew of filmmakers on "Pam & Tommy." Chronicling the marriage between actress Pamela Anderson and Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee, played by Lily James and Sebastian Stan, the Hulu series tells the tale of how their home-movie sex tape was stolen from their home, and eventually screened and sold to the whole world, a massive invasion of privacy that strained their marriage and arguably tanked Anderson's career. Moreover, this personal, private tape which they had no intent on selling, let alone showing to anyone was a massive violation and invasion of privacy, that shamed, humiliated, and made Anderson the butt of cultural jokes for years.
While "Pam & Tommy" starts out rock n' roll, funny and vibrant, it eventually gets pretty dark when the sex tape is stolen-- an act of twisted "karma"-- as Anderson is shocked and emotionally devastated about this violating exposure.
Bell is there to direct the key fourth, turning-point episode "The Master Beta," right after the tape is stolen and begins to leak and spread, illustrating the emotional panic the couple feels when they learn it was stolen (Seth Rogen plays a disgruntled carpenter who took a safe that had the tape). She also returns for the penultimate and seventh episode, which airs March 2 on Hulu and further gets into the darker turmoil of this story and how Anderson is put through the wringer as she is exposed to the world.
While "Pam & Tommy" is entertaining, it's also the story of reclaiming Pamela Anderson's narrative and reminding the world she was a real victim in this story, caught between the warring of two stupid men (her husband and the carpenter he refused to pay), grifters trying to make a buck (Penthouse, the porn industry, the burgeoning online industry), lawyers and judges who make neanderthal-like decisions against her privacy and agency, and a culture all too willing to not see her side of the story-- a clear violation of her privacy--and just cruelly mock her.
This is really the meat of what Bell digs into in this podcast, telling Anderson's story, trying to reclaim her narrative, and digging deep into still-relevant topics of privacy, agency, and lack thereof, violation, and the horror of feeling helpless. Bell herself was a victim of a 2014 cyberattack that exposed private photos of herself and dozens of other celebrities and she speaks about that violation of her own privacy for the first time as well, candidly talking about that humiliation and how it helped her relate to Anderson's story.
Bell also speaks about her solo directing career (at least two new projects on the way, that she wrote), working for Marvel as the new Black Widow on Disney+'s "What If?,? voicing Poison Ivy on the animated "Harley Quinn" and much more.
Jeb Stuart is a name that has been around Hollywood for quite a while as a writer on such classics as “Die Hard,” “The Fugitive,” and “Another 48 Hrs.” After a long break from the industry, he has found a niche as a television showrunner for projects like Netflix’s “The Liberator,” and his latest, “Vikings: Valhalla,” which drops on Netflix on Friday, February 25th.
In the wake of "Death On The Nile," Be Reel peers through its spyglass at that classic sub-sub-genre Nautical Murder Mysteries. Along for the pleasure cruise is Mashable illustrator Bob Al-Greene, who's currently working on the first-ever graphic novelization of an Agatha Christie mystery. We talk Poirot, Branagh, and distracting CGI before diving into our other nautical murder mysteries: "Dead Calm" (1989) and "Murder Mystery" (2019). Did the skipper do it? Listen in.
Nearly 50 years after the original was released, Netflix is ready for a whole new generation to discover “Texas Chainsaw Massacre,” with a new sequel arriving today. And on this episode of The Playlist Podcast, filmmaker David Blue Garcia joins to talk about the latest entry in the history of ‘Chainsaw’ films.
The Bingeworthy boys, Mike DeAngelo, and Playlist Editor-in-Chief Rodrigo Perez, are back to talk about all of the TV news and shows that are worth your time. This week finds us discussing the big Paramount investor day presentation news and digging into the depths of HBO Max to uncover a hidden gem of a show called “Painting with John.”
The Yellowstoners, Mike DeAngelo and Rodrigo Perez, have returned to discuss Episodes 7 and 8 of the hit Paramount+ prequel spin-off series, “1883.” They also have multiple new "1883" and "Yellowstone" creator, Taylor Sheridan, shows to discuss, as it was reported earlier this week that Captain Yellowstone himself, Mr. Taylor Sheridan, has had 5 series greenlit for the Paramount+ streaming service that will all premiere over the next year or so, including a new "Yellowstone" spinoff series, "1932."
Bingeworthy has returned—the relaunch of a fairly-long dormant Playlist TV podcast that will no longer stay asleep! We’re in and have been in, a new age of streaming - the uber years beyond Netflix. Everyone has their “+” subscription service and, hell, Disney+ only launched at the very end of 2019 with Apple, Paramount, Peacock, and many others will follow in their footsteps.
This episode, #1 as we consider it a total reboot, relaunch, focuses on Lucasfilm's "The Book Of Boba Fett," an extremely hit and miss show and arguably the worst Lucasfilm series to date. Written by Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni, the head's of "Star Wars" on TV these days, and directed and executive produced by Robert Rodriguez, "The Book Of Boba Fett" went something like this: terrible, boring, then more interesting when it decided it was no longer at all concerned with its title character. "The Book Of Boba Fett" became "The Mandalorian" 2.5, and while that was more interesting, it was also very strange for a show to just abandon its lead character, pivot to Mando, and oh yeah, slather us with fan service cameos while they were at it.
Favreau discussed in the past and teased how different this show would be, saying that it was influenced by "Game of Thrones," but if interweaving A, B, C, D, E, and more storylines were the goal-- just like uhhh... all television that juggles multiple storylines, it was a major failure. While it wasn't a total wash and there were interesting things within it, we'd love if Lucasfilm could figure out their "interconnected" storytelling world with a bit more finess.
You’ve probably seen the endless TV spots and trailers for Roland Emmerich’s new disaster film, “Moonfall.” And while that film looks appropriately dumb and ridiculous, it’s unlikely going to be one of the best disaster films of all time, right? Thankfully, The Playlist Podcast is here to give you a few recommendations in this particular world-ending subgenre to explore if you’re content with skipping “Moonfall” this weekend.
The hosts discuss all the spoiler-y "1883" details, that major episode 5 death scene, more big cameos, and their predictions and hopes for the rest of the season, and, afterward, LaMonica Garrett stops by to talk about playing Thomas on "1883," the rarity of finding positive representation for Black characters in Westerns, working with Sam Elliott, and his new show "The Terminal List" that's coming to Amazon Prime Video later this year also starring Chris Pratt.
While 2020 kept so many families painfully apart, three acclaimed indies from last year made the opposite case: "Why do I see these people again?" Playing a little 2021 catch-up, Chance and Noah drop by to visit "Spencer," "Shiva Baby," and "The Humans" to explore how families—be they English royalty or middle-class Americans—banter, bristle, covet nostalgia, push buttons, and flirt with genuine horror. But hey, just look at that spread.
Adrien Brody is an Academy Award-winning actor known for his extreme commitment to his roles and projects throughout his career, but what many may not know is that he’s also a producer and a musician. With his latest project,“Clean,” he’s able to flex all of those muscles simultaneously as he not only stars in and produces the film, but he also co-wrote the script and composed the score.
Ashley Lyle and Bart Nickerson are a husband-and-wife writer/producer team from shows like "The Originals," "Narcos," and "Dispatches From Elsewhere." In this episode of The Discourse, the duo sat down with host Mike DeAngelo to talk about putting together one of the biggest hits of the season, Showtime’s "Yellowjackets."
To celebrate the 80th birthday of the eternal G.O.A.T., Chance dives deep into Muhammad Ali's cinematic legacy. Morgan Campbell of CBC Sports joins to discuss the unwavering supply of Ali documentaries and films, plus the necessity of preserving context around Ali's life and legacy as an activist athlete. Then, to finish, Chance runs down his three favorite Ali films—from Michael Mann's biopic to "When We Were Kings." Happy birthday, champ.
Last year, the world was introduced to James Gunn’s “The Suicide Squad.” The film might not have had a huge box office, due to a variety of reasons, but fans and critics seemed to really enjoy what the filmmaker brought to the DCEU franchise. Now, not even six months later, he’s ready to keep it going with his first HBO Max series, “Peacemaker,” a spinoff of the aforementioned superhero film. But is “Peacemaker” worthy of an 8-episode series? In this episode of The Playlist Podcast, that question is answered, and the conclusion might surprise you.
The Yellowstoners, Mike DeAngelo and Rodrigo Perez, have returned to see how it all shook out in Season 4 of Paramount Network’s money-maker, “Yellowstone.” During the podcast, the hosts discuss the Season 4 finale of “Yellowstone,” and the third episode of the prequel, “1883.”
The hosts discuss all the spoiler-y details, that major death scene, and Season 5 predictions, and, afterward, Eric Nelsen stops by to talk about playing the charismatic charmer cowboy, Ennis, on 1883, living 10 minutes from their shoot, the sweet nature of Sam Elliott, and how soap opera acting prepared him for his new role.
As we look towards the final hours of 2021 and hope beyond all logic that 2022 will bring forth nothing but good fortune for everyone around the world, it’s time to vent the last bit of frustration we have about the past 365 days in a new episode of The Playlist Podcast focusing on the Most Disappointing Films of the year.
No, we’re not talking about the absolute worst films in the year. We all know there are plenty of straight-to-streaming pieces of trash that arrive all the time. But the 10 films that grace our Most Disappointing year-end list are chosen because of their unfortunate mixture of high expectations and absolutely dreadful results.
As a sample of what you can expect, we discuss at least one Marvel Studios film (probably won’t be difficult to figure that one out), a couple of horror films, a Tom Holland film not called ‘Spider-Man,’ a prequel to a legendary TV show, a Taylor Sheridan bomb in a year where “Yellowstone” dominated TV, and much more.
But it’s not all exasperated film fans talking about bad movies. We also go over some of our favorites for the year to end the podcast on a high note and to hopefully keep our optimism high as we enter a new year.
Welcome back to the Deep Focus podcast. My guests this week are a duo: Jim Cummings and PJ McCabe, the co-directors, co-writers and co-stars of IFC Films’ “The Beta Test,” and let me say that yes, this conversation is well-overdue. "The Beta Test" came out in late November, but hey, it’s on VOD and more importantly, in a little teaser of what’s to come: you will see "The Beta Test" on our upcoming list of the Best Films Of 2021 That You Didn’t See.
If that feels like a backhanded compliment. It's not meant to be. The film is just sorely overlooked and we urge people to see it. "The Beta Test" is about a married Hollywood agent—played by Cummings—who receives a mysterious letter for an anonymous sexual encounter and becomes ensnared in a big web of deceit, lies, and twist and turns. It's a dark, satirical look at Hollywood, cancel culture, the woke age of empathy and how that's really just terrified a lot of white men. Cummings and McCabe also talk about one of their indie heroes David Gordon Green who they have worked with a little bit and tease two more indie films they have in the works and suffice to say they are very ambitious.
Welcome back to the Deep Focus podcast (like our new logo?) My guest this week is none other than Alan Haim from the rock group HAIM, but more importantly, she is the star of Paul Thomas Anderson’s latest film “Licorice Pizza.” "Licorice Pizza" is Anderson’s latest throwback, vintage, nostalgic look at the 1970s San Fernando Valley, his old stomping grounds, and the place he loves to keep returning to. In a recent Q&A I attended with PTA, the filmmaker said unapologetically about “Licorice Pizza,” and his return to his roots, “if nostalgia is a disease, well I guess I have it.” "Licorice Pizza" is unabashedly throwback, but it's still very different from "Boogie Nights" and "Magnolia." More importantly, Haim, in her debut screen performance is just terrific in the movie. She told me all about making it, working with PTA and the uber-secretive, circuitous way he pitched the movie to her--an mysterious email with an attachment sent to her in the middle or the night.
The Yellowstoners, Mike DeAngelo and Rodrigo Perez, are back and there’s an absolute rip roarin’, rootin’ tootin’ ton of "Yellowstone" developments to discuss. During the podcast, the hosts discuss Episodes 7 and 8 of "Yellowstone," and the premiere episodes of the prequel, "1883," and finish off with an interview with actor-musician Tim McGraw.
What came first, the chicken or the egg? And in the case of “The Matrix Resurrections,” was the film conceived purely as a way for Lana Wachowski to tell an epic love story, or was the meta sequel the result of boardroom discussions and urging from the studio? When you watch the film, you can’t really tell, as ‘Resurrections’ truly feels like a film at war with its own existence. But would you expect anything less from a ‘Matrix’ sequel? In this episode of The Playlist Podcast, we discuss “The Matrix Resurrections” and see if the film will be enough to satisfy skeptics and those who have a rocky history with the franchise.
If there are two things American moviegoers love most, the first is football, and the second is a good underdog story. This Christmas, the two are being combined for a touchdown reception on the big screen in the appropriately titled “American Underdog,” starring “Shazam!” himself, Zachary Levi, as Kurt Warner, the talented and dedicated quarterback who fought his way into the NFL in the ‘90s. Warner’s efforts paid off with a twelve-season career that included winning Super Bowl XXXIV, and being named MVP of both that game, and the season as a whole.
"Our journeys are multi-layered and dynamic, and one of the coolest things about Kurt's story is how he's been out in the wilderness,” said Levi, as he sat down to talk about the film and its parallels to his own rise as an actor. Born in Louisiana and having made his stage debut at the age of six, Levi first made a name for himself on the stage of the Ojai Art Center, with starring roles in productions of “Grease,” “Oklahoma!,” and “The Wizard of Oz,” to name but a sampling of his early work.
Levi became so accustomed to the sensibilities of the stage, that when he finally broke through to the screen in the mid-2000s, he had to make broad adjustments to his craft. “In theater, everything is way bigger, you're projecting and your diction needs to be clearer so people can understand what you're saying,” said Levi, whose breakthrough role came in 2007, when he was cast as the titular character in “Chuck,” going on to lead the spy-comedy series for five seasons. “Transitioning into film and television, you gotta learn how to chill that out. If you're giving a musical theater animated face, that doesn't work on camera. You have to learn how not to force it."
Between his time on stage and his rise on screen, however, Levi was no stranger to the financial realities of being a performer. In many ways, Levi’s work ethic and determination to always make ends meet, mirrors Warner’s rise to the NFL against various pitfalls, such as when he didn’t make the 1994 Green Bay Packers’ team, but continued to push for his dream, joining the Arena Football League and working at a supermarket in order to provide for himself.
Levi’s star launched permanently out of orbit, however, when he joined the DCEU as Shazam, a role he got through a chain of events that began when he auditioned to play Star-Lord in “Guardians of the Galaxy.” And, of course, I couldn’t let Levi go before asking about the sequel, “Shazam! Fury of the Gods,” which is currently slated for release in June of 2023, and what we can expect from it.
During our conversation with Levi, we also discuss the importance of kindness and humility in Hollywood, what impression the actor hopes he has left on people with his brand, and more!
"American Underdog" is now playing in theaters.
Finally, after what seems like a decade of speculation, leaks, rumors, and general social media debate, “Spider-Man: No Way Home” is in theaters. And with that, it’s time that people know the truth about the latest film in the Sony/Marvel Studios partnership—it’s actually really great… or maybe it’s just yet another legacy sequel that hopes nostalgia will help gloss over some glaring flaws? The Playlist Podcast is here to dive deep into all aspects of ‘No Way Home’ to hopefully give a definitive answer.
I’m not going to lie, this is a nerdy interview episode of The Playlist Podcast, as legendary comic book creator, Todd McFarlane, joins to talk about the release of “Venom: Let There Be Carnage” on VOD and Blu-ray. Why is Todd McFarlane talking about ‘Venom?’ Well, if you don’t know, McFarlane is one of the co-creators of the character, and in the interview, we talk about the process of creating the character who has now dominated the box office in multiple films, as well as creator’s rights in the film and TV realm, and, of course, “Spawn.”
Stellan Skarsgård is an actor that has popped up in nearly every recent major franchise. Whether it’s the beloved Eric Selvig of the Marvel Cinematic Universe or the dreadful and ominous Baron Harkonnen in "Dune," you’ve likely seen his face on your screen rather recently. In this episode of The Discourse, Stellan Skarsgård sits down to talk about his latest film "Last Words," which features Stellan as a reluctant leader of the last human community at the end of the world.
Writer/producer/director Simon Kinberg has been able to play in some truly massive sandboxes over the course of his career, with the biggest perhaps being his time working on 20th Century Fox’s 'X-Men' universe. Recently, Kinberg has co-created his own universe in Apple TV+’s series, "Invasion," which recently got picked up for a second season and is airing its first season finale on December 10. In this episode of The Discourse, Simon Kinberg talks about bringing that project to life.
In this episode of The Playlist Podcast directing duo, Bert & Bertie, join to talk about their most recent work on Marvel Studios “Hawkeye.” For those unaware, “Hawkeye” is the new Disney+ series featuring the title character played by Jeremy Renner, who finally is getting the spotlight for his own project. Previously, I spoke to Rhys Thomas, who directs episodes 1, 2, and 6, which is the finale, but crammed in between are episodes from Bert & Bertie, who work on 3, 4, and 5. In the interview, we talk about how the duo got the Marvel Studios gig and why “Hawkeye” is the project they resonated with the most. They also talk about Episode 3, titled “Echoes,” which sees the introduction of Maya Lopez, aka Echo, played by newcomer Alaqua Cox.
The Yellowstoners, Mike DeAngelo and Rodrigo Perez, are back to break down another brand-new episode of "Yellowstone!" With the season beginning to take shape in Episode 6—cowboys being stabbed, women being threatened in the Dutton kitchen, and sons being broken by their fathers—there's a lot to break down.
The hosts discuss all the spoiler-y details and predictions, and, afterward, Jefferson White stops in to talk about playing Jimmy on Yellowstone, the brilliance of Taylor Sheridan, and launching the official "Yellowstone" Companion Podcast, which drops its first episode on December 9.
The Yellowstoners, Mike DeAngelo and Rodrigo Perez, are back after a week off to catch up on the latest episodes of Season 4 entitled “Winning or Learning” and “Under a Blanket of Red,” respectively.
As with the previous episode, Rodrigo continues to struggle with waiting on the season to unravel and ramp up after binging the first three seasons back-to-back, but that’s not to say that Yellowstone isn’t starting to plant some serious seeds for the high-end, soap opera quasi-Shakespearean drama that it’s known for.
People seem to enjoy the latest reboot-quel, “Ghostbusters: Afterlife,” which takes the beloved franchise, adds some younger actors, brings back the originals, and tells a slightly remixed story. So, in honor of that film, why not figure out what other franchises are gathering dust on the shelf and should be looked at for potential revivals? That’s exactly what happens in this episode of The Playlist Podcast.
For years, George MacKay has been one of the most fascinating and versatile actors working out of the U.K. Having made his acting debut in 2003, in P. J. Hogan's magnificent adaptation of "Peter Pan," MacKay quickly went on to give diverse, but invariably gripping performances in films such as "Defiance," "The Thief Lord," "The Boys are Back," and "Private Peaceful," all before he turned 20. More recently, MacKay electrified the screen with two top-tier performances in 2019 and 2020, first as Lance Corporal Schofield in Sam Mendes' groundbreaking "1917," and then as Ned Kelly in Justin Kurzel's Australian Western "True History of the Kelly Gang."
MacKay's latest project, Nathalie Biancheri’s "Wolf," sees the actor play Jacob, a boy who believes himself to be the titular animal, contending with his own visions and beliefs at the same time that he receives psychiatric treatment for his condition. "Wolf" is a stunning, deeply unique film with a central performance from MacKay that allows him to dive deep into his craft, as he howls and prowls around while being torn back and forth between his fantasy wilderness and the cold reality of the clinic that is treating him.
MacKay sat down with us to talk about “Wolf” and the ways in which he inhabited Jacob. "Over the last few years, so much socially and personally is being redefined by us questioning how we've been in the past as a species, to each other, and how we speak about that," said MacKay. "We look to animals because I think, at the end of the day, so much of what we're kind of discussing at the minute are articulations of very primal wants and needs to survive, very human versions of those primal desires or requirements."
MacKay also discussed the artistic intent of the film, including its bold style and unconventional sensibilities, and why it was important that they be played straight. Finally, upon reflecting how "Wolf" aided his growth as a performer, MacKay added, "I realized [before] how much I'm in my head, how I've almost revered thoughts. I stand by that in certain times. I think everything needs a lot of thought and discussion, but sometimes the noise in your brain can get in the way. The calm of being in your body, being a little less in your thoughts, is something I'll definitely take away from [making 'Wolf']."
During our conversation with George MacKay, we dive deep into all things "Wolf," including the moment MacKay found the physical cadence of Jacob, his experience working with movement coach Terry Notary, and more!
"Wolf" hits theaters on December 3, 2021.
Interview conducted by Kaleena Steakle (@ShutUpKaleena)
Hawkeye has a bit of a stigma in comics and in the MCU. He’s the dude that shoots arrows. He’s not a god. He’s not a super-soldier. And he doesn’t have a billion-dollar suit of armor protecting him. He has three kids, a wife, and a quiver of trick arrows. That’s all. Well, he also has a new Disney+ TV series, aptly titled, “Hawkeye.” And in this episode of The Playlist Podcast, we got a chance to speak with Rhys Thomas, one of the directors of “Hawkeye,” to talk about what makes the archer such a great MCU character.
After many Thanksgivings spent recording supersized podcast episodes, Noah and Chance finally do the sensible thing and just cover films about Turkey Day itself. The trio of “Planes, Trains and Automobiles” (1987), “Home For The Holidays” (1995) and “The Ice Storm” (1997) explores the great lengths to which families go to gather, despite cornucopias of evidence that perhaps they shouldn’t. To all those surviving delayed flights and cooking for too many people this year, this one’s for you.
Benedict Cumberbatch has a real knack for playing unique, oftentimes misunderstood egomaniacs. Whether it’s Doctor Strange, Sherlock Holmes, Patrick Melrose, Julian Assange, or Khan, the actor finds a way to ground his oftentimes sociopathic characters in a real emotional truth. Enter, Phil Burbank, Cumberbatch's character from the upcoming Netflixfilm, “The Power of the Dog” – and a whole new level of depraved bully that the actor had to find a way to humanize. In this episode of The Discourse, Benedict Cumberbatch talks all about bringing his latest Oscar-worthy performance to life, and by going “method,” no less.
The Yellowstoners have returned to get high on that sweet Montana ranchin’ drama! This week Mike DeAngelo and Rodrigo Perez check in on the latest episode of "Yellowstone" entitled, “All I See Is You,” which follows our beloved Dutton crew still reeling from the aftermath of the attempted hit that was placed on the family at the end of last season.
Will John Dutton get to the bottom of who gave the order for the hit? Will Jimmy become a man? Will Jamie even show up? Will Beth and Rip mess their newly semi-adopted kid up so badly that he murders the entire cast? Episode 3 does nothing but deepen those questions – and perhaps raise more questions.
When you log into Disney+, you’re typically greeted by huge banners and ads for the latest, greatest releases from popular brands like Marvel Studios, “Star Wars,” Pixar, and whatever is coming out of Disney Animation. But what you might not see are the films and TV shows that lurk in the bowels of the streaming platform—hidden gems ready to be found and enjoyed. In this episode of The Playlist Podcast, we grab our gear and go spelunking through the depths of Disney+.
Netflix has decided to step into the blockbuster business, and it's spending all the money. Well, $200 million to be more exact. The film it's spending it on is a globe-trotting action comedy titled, “Red Notice,” which stars Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Gal Gadot, and Ryan Reynolds. In this episode of The Discourse, writer-director Rawson Marshall Thurber joins the podcast to discuss helming the streamer’s latest foray into blockbuster moviemaking.
The names Kaz Firpo and Ryan Firpo are probably not names you recognize right off the bat. But somehow, these relatively unknown screenwriters were able to land one of most sought-after gigs scripting one of the biggest films of 2021, Marvel Studios' “Eternals.” And in this episode of The Playlist Podcast, the writing duo talks about their incredible “Hollywood dream story” and some spoiler-y tidbits about the creation of “Eternals.”
Welcome to "Yellowstoners," a new podcast from The Playlist Podcast Network dedicated to the one and only "Yellowstone," Paramount Network's most-watched show and the most popular drama series on cable TV. Surprised we watch, and care enough to do a whole podcast dedicated to "Yellowstone?" Well, so were we. But the cowboy ranchers in Montana show is pretty damn addictive, y'all.
Created by macho Mid-Westerner writer/director/showrunner Taylor Sheridan ("Sicario," "Hell Or High Water"), the appeal of "Yellowstone" feels head-scratching until you figure out the gist of it. It's essentially "The Godfather" set in Montana or a Mid-Western version of "Succession." So that means, family empires, dynasty, greed, money, struggle for power and control within the moral milieu of trying to navigate family while you also cross criminal lines you can't uncross. There's a cost on the soul and a cost on the family. "Yellowstone" is also a little bit of "Breaking Bad" in that sense (the cross between family and crime and how the two never mix) and "Game Of Thrones," (everyone trying to claim the throne of power). Only on this show, like "Succession," Kevin Costner and the Dutton family already sit on the throne, but every single day, there is some kind of contender trying to get their main prize title: the precious and lucrative land they own. Sheridan's films and TV series are always about men in their environments and how the environments shape the men who live in them. In "Wind River," set in Wyoming, it's a cruel and merciless environment of freezing temperatures and hostile weather that makes for a milieu of cruel humanity around it. In Sheridan's upcoming series, "The Mayor of Kingstown," it's the prison industrial complex of Michigan, and the limitations it places on a town with no other hope, that informs the men there. And in "Yellowstone," it's nostalgic men and family trying to hold onto the legacy of what they own and trying to fight against the progress around them that wants to dismantle that old cowboy way of life.
"Yellowstone" ain't perfect, but it's got a terrific cast and it's super watchable and intriguing. From here on out, we should be plodding about every episode. But in this debut episode, we break down what "Yellowstone" is for newbs, what the appeal is, and dig a little deeper into the season four premiere that debuted recently on Paramount Network.
A new Marvel movie is upon us – and the drama is high! “Eternals,” the third film in Marvel’s Phase Four and 26th (!!!) overall, releases today and it’s already causing a good amount of debate between critics and fans alike. Is this another Marvel hit? Is this Marvel’s first big miss? On this episode of The Playlist Podcast, host Mike DeAngelo is joined by Jeff Zhang of Strange Harbors to talk about those very questions and so much more.
Edgar Wright has made a career of mashing up genres and bringing an absurd level of energy and charm to his films like “Shaun of the Dead,” “Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World,” and “Baby Driver.” In this episode of The Discourse, Edgar Wright and writer Krysty Wilson-Cairns join host Mike DeAngelo to talk about doing a straight-up, wicked thriller in “Last Night in Soho,” which is in theaters now.
Sequels are a tough sell in the horror genre. While there are some great ones every once in a blue moon, most of them are pretty terrible, including the recently released “Halloween Kills.” So, in honor of the terrible sequel issue, this episode of The Playlist Podcast is devoted to talking about horror films that didn’t get a sequel (and didn’t need a sequel) because they’re perfect just how they are.
“Dune” is upon us. After a long delay, Denis Villeneuve’s adapation of Frank Herbert’s iconic novel is hitting theaters (...and HBO Max, sigh) this week. Well, Villeneuve’s adaptation of the first half of the novel, to be more specific. And in this episode of The Playlist Podcast, we discuss whether or not “Dune” is worth your money (spoiler alert: it is), and also, if you should skip the theaters and just watch it on HBO Max instead (spoiler alert: you shouldn’t)?
Shamier Anderson is an up-and-coming actor who you may recognize from the show “Wynonna Earp” and films like “Race” or Netflix’s “Stowaway.” He’s been steadily building a following a is seemingly ready to break out over the course of the next year with some high-profile projects. In this episode of The Discourse, Shamier Anderson joins host Mike DeAngelo to talk about his role in the Apple TV+ series “Invasion.”
Bill Hader has become a go-to voice for animation houses and features to utilize for big and small parts, with his work in the “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” series to “Sausage Party,” to “Inside Out” and much more. It seems that no animated part is too big or small for Hader to jump into and consistently knock out of the park. In this episode of The Discourse, Bill Hader joins the show to talk about his role as Cyrus Strange in “The Addams Family 2.”
By Wes Craven's third decade reinventing Hollywood horror, the "Nightmare on Elm Street" creator found himself asking, "What's the point of all this slashing?" He embarked on a third act of socially critical and self-reflexive scary movies: "The People Under The Stairs" (1991), "New Nightmare" (1994) and "Scream" (1996). With two of those three titles celebrating anniversaries this autumn, welcome to your "Be Reel" Halloween special.
Michael Myers is back! And this time, he’s going to...well, kill a bunch of people. You guys know how the “Halloween” franchise works, right? This weekend, Blumhouse returns with another addition to the John Carpenter-created horror franchise with “Halloween Kills.” And on this episode of The Playlist Podcast, we discuss if David Gordon Green is able to follow his 2018 surprise hit with yet another scary classic or if “Halloween Kills” is added to the laundry list of unnecessary slasher sequels?
In this episode of The Playlist Podcast, Anthony Michael Hall joins us to talk about his role as Tommy Doyle in “Halloween Kills,” the highly-anticipated sequel to David Gordon Green’s massive “Halloween” from 2018. Over the course of the interview, it’s clear Hall is jazzed about joining the beloved “Halloween” franchise and doesn’t take any of it for granted. He also talks about his decades-long career that includes a legendary run of films with John Huges, which he dubs his “Puberty on Film” trilogy.
The horror genre is notorious for having some of the worst sequels to ever grace the big screen. Most of the time, these sequels are studio-driven cash-grabs that fail to live up to the original film and quickly dash the hopes of eager fans. But sometimes, just sometimes, a sequel to a horror hit is great. And on this episode of The Playlist Podcast, a George A. Romero classic, an influential slasher, and maybe Sam Raimi’s most ridiculous film are all discussed as some of the best horror sequels of all time.
When Daniel Craig was announced as the sixth James Bond, the media had a field day. He wasn't tall enough, good looking enough, lackluster, underwhelming, a "Blond Bond?" Rubbish. In the mind of a vocal minority that was blown way out of proportion, Craig did not fit the traditional stereotype of what a Bond actor should look like and took a thrashing for it. Nevertheless, he held his head high because he knew the work they were doing on "Casino Royale" was something special and would immediately shut down the naysayers. Sure enough, it did and that was the first time Daniel Craig subverted the Bond expectations. Perhaps it's therefore fitting that the man who was unlike anyone who came before would go on to continue reinventing and revitalizing the almost 60-year-old franchise culminating in the most Ian Fleming, yet least traditional Bond film"No Time To Die." Over five movies and fifteen years, Daniel Craig pushed the boundaries of not just what a James Bond movie should be, but what it can be. He proved to a world inundated with cheap, monotonous looking blockbusters that you can recruit people like Sam Mendes, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Cary Joji Fukunaga, Roger Deakins, Javier Bardem, Naomi Harris, Lea Seydoux, Jeffrey Wright, Christoph Waltz, Hans Zimmer, and countless others - the best artists in the world - to make these films. To prove that while not every film is guaranteed to be a "Skyfall" or "Casino Royale," you shouldn't settle for anything less than the very best. Blockbuster cinema can be prestige cinema if you try. With each of his five films, Craig, and to their credit EON Productions, helped bolster the artistic value that all modern blockbusters should have.
Die" picks up after the events of "Spectre" with Bond and Madeline (Lea Seydoux) living in tranquility before it's all uprooted. Five years later, living peacefully in retirement, Bond is thrust back into the world of international espionage after his friend and colleague Felix Leiter (Wright) calls for his aid.
While so much care is put into physically crafting these films, what separates Craig's tenure from the rest is the equal amount of care that goes into character and story. It wasn't always the plan to make each of Craig's five films interconnected, but as the series progressed, it felt inescapable to ignore the natural progression of the character. In so doing, Craig managed to get to the heart of Ian Fleming’s iconic superspy mining the psychology of the character, comprehending the prose in Fleming’s words, and having a fearless vision that says, within the trappings of a Bond movie, anything is possible, and it shouldn’t be beholden to the exact same things that have come before. The way Craig interrogated the character and made bold choices that serviced his arc as a human being, thrusting him into our world, whether popular or not, is what resonates.
see the status quo challenged, the changing landscape of our world represented on screen and the different ways in which we as humans choose to engage with it. These stories and these characters allow us as audience members to learn and grow from their experiences because we know and understand them. We trust them as Wright puts it.
No Time To Die" hits theaters October 8.
Additional reporting by Brody Serravalli
"Cult classic" is a term that gets thrown around quite a bit nowadays. There are even films that purposefully hope to earn that title as if there’s some formula to attain the status. But true cult classic films are created with the best intentions and through the sheer will of the fans, they become something greater than anyone could ever imagine. The 1986 BMX film, “Rad,” is one of those films. And on this episode of The Playlist Podcast, we talk to the star of “Rad,” Bill Allen, as the unlikely hit celebrates its 35th anniversary.
Lee Pace has done plenty of TV over the years. From his cult favorite series, “Pushing Daisies,” to the criminally underrated “Halt and Catch Fire,” the actor has never shied away from the silver screen. That said, even with his extensive experience, Pace has never worked on anything on TV as massive as his new Apple TV+ series, “Foundation.” And on this episode of The Playlist Podcast, Pace joins the show to talk about “Foundation” and the freedom TV allows for storytelling.
The list of names of those who have had a greater impact on television than David Chase is exceedingly short, if such a list exists at all. Chase made his debut in the medium in 1971, as a one-off writer for "The Lawyers," penning the episode "In Defense of Ellen McKay." Chase went on to work as the story editor for the influential horror-thriller series "Kolchak: The Night Stalker," and then as a writer and producer for four seasons of "The Rockford Files," where he won his first Emmy. Chase built a career over more than 20 years as an efficient and professional producer on several successful shows, and by the mid-1990s, he was a highly coveted showrunner.
Enter "The Sopranos." Drawing heavily from his personal life, Chase wrote what was originally a feature film screenplay about "a mobster in therapy having problems with his mother," which in 1995 he adapted into an idea for a television series. Four years later, "The Sopranos" made its debut on HBO, and changed television forever. Centered around the late James Gandolfini's masterful portrayal of Tony Soprano, "The Sopranos" ran for six seasons, with Chase officially credited as a writer on 30 episodes, but having contributed to all 86. Heralding a new "Golden Age" of television, "The Sopranos" has been cited by Vince Gilligan as a direct inspiration for "Breaking Bad," and by Matthew Weiner - who worked on the show in its latter two seasons - as having changed his approach to "Mad Men." This is to name only two of the best shows to come out in the 21st century which have been influenced by "The Sopranos."
Now, 15 years after the series finale, Chase is returning to the world of his iconic New Jersey crime family with "The Many Saints of Newark," set roughly 30 years before the first season of the show. The film stars Michael Gandolfini playing his father’s iconic character in his late teens, caught up in a tumultuous time of change, and in his idolization of his uncle Dickie Moltisanti (Alessandro Nivola). It’s a film that demands being seen on a big screen, and David Chase has refused to mince words about the film’s hybrid release. “I’m so glad you said [to see it in a theater] so I don’t have to,” said Chase, when I sat down to chat about the film with him. “It’s a different experience and worth the effort. Seeing it in a theater for the first time was a delight.”
During our conversation with Chase, we also discuss why it’s important for audiences to see “The Many Saints of Newark” in theaters, the origins of the film dating back to right after graduating film school, meditations on faith and parenthood, and much more!
“The Many Saints of Newark” hits theaters on October 1st, 2021, and will simultaneously make its streaming debut on HBO Max for one month.
Apparently, to make a great thriller, you just need 11 days, one location, Jake Gyllenhaal as your lead, and Antoine Fuqua behind the camera. Pretty simple, right? Well, obviously, there's sarcasm there, but that doesn't take away from the incredible feat that is "The Guilty." And in this episode of The Playlist Podcast, Gyllenhaal and Fuqua sit down to talk about their new Netflix thriller and the uphill battle they faced getting it made.
David S. Goyer is a filmmaker who is well-known to a certain segment of the film-going population. But those who know him from his superhero work will be shocked when they watch his latest TV series, “Foundation.” And Goyer recently joined The Playlist Podcast to talk about his new show, as well as his legacy as the comic book film writer.
Frank Grillo returned to The Playlist Podcast to talk to the boys about a Grillo-Pad (our chosen name for Grillo’s fan group) could ever want. During the conversation, Grillo also spoke about a possible return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Crossbones or perhaps an alternate universe version of The Punisher, "The Purge," which he spilled some new scoops, "The Raid," and much more.
James DeMonaco is the writer, director, and overall creative mastermind behind “The Purge” franchise. And over the past decade or so, the filmmaker has focused on his massively popular thriller franchise. However, his new film, “This is the Night,” is something completely different, but it also might be his most personal to date. And on this episode of The Playlist Podcast, DeMonaco joins the show to go deep about his new film, as well as the future of “The Purge.”
What does it mean to be the last man on Earth? What would happen if everyone with a Y chromosome suddenly died? These are the questions explored in the new FX on Hulu series, “Y: The Last Man.” And on this episode of The Playlist Podcast, showrunner Eliza Clark joins to talk about her new series and its long road to production.
Gavin O’Connor has no shortage of successful film and TV projects in recent years - whether it’s “Mare of Easttown” (which he serves as Executive Producer), “The Way Back,” or “The Accountant” – all have been embraced by critics and fans alike. But perhaps his most overlooked film, “Warrior,” starring a then-unknown Tom Hardy and Joel Edgerton, is seeing a groundswell of appreciation. And on this episode of The Playlist Podcast, O’Connor joins the show on the film’s tenth anniversary to deep-dive on the film.
Destin Daniel Cretton isn’t the first name you’d think about when imagining filmmakers that would make the leap to superhero features. However, with “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” Cretton is the latest young indie filmmaker that has been snatched up by Marvel Studios to helm a $200 million blockbuster. And he joins The Playlist Podcast to talk about that transition, what he hopes people get out of ‘Shang-Chi,’ and much more
After all the hype from the Marvel Studios marketing machine, it’s finally time for the world to be introduced to “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.” It’s been a little while since Marvel has introduced a brand-new character in a feature film, and the studio is hoping people fall in love with Simu Liu and the Master of Kung-fu. But did Marvel succeed in ‘Shang-Chi’ or is it another middle-of-the-road superhero story? On this episode of The Playlist Podcast, Charles and Mike are joined by Jeff Zhang of Strange Harbors to talk about that very question.
Recently, Amy Ryan joined The Playlist Podcast to talk about her role in “Worth,” starring opposite Michael Keaton and Stanley Tucci, the film’s depiction of 9/11 and its aftermath, the chances of “The Office” returning, as well as her next project with filmmaker Ari Aster, "Disappointment Blvd."
Bassam Tariq joins The Playlist Podcast to talk about “Mogul Mowgli,” which marks the filmmaker’s narrative feature debut. We talk about the extensive editing process, the director’s relationship with Riz Ahmed, and what led to them working together on this film. And yes, we definitely do talk about Tariq’s upcoming project, the new “Blade” reboot from Marvel Studios starring Mahershala Ali. While he can’t give us many details, he does talk about his surprise at landing the gig and what he hopes to bring to the franchise.
The ‘80s were a wonderful era if you were a film-loving child. Studios were less concerned with coddling children and decided to release a stream of films that truly traumatized young people. We’re not talking about R-rated features, either. Back in the ‘80s, a PG film could be a fun romp suitable for all ages, or it could be a scary, dark, twisted film that seemed okay for children but ended up not being appropriate at all. For this episode of The Playlist Podcast, Charles conned Mike and Brian into watching the 1986 animated film, “Transformers: The Movie" and to discuss the era of kids films that left lasting scars on them.
It should be a point of pride for any filmmaker who can be credited for “saving” a cinematic franchise. However, Martin Campbell sits in the singular position of having achieved this twice: when the James Bond franchise awoke from a six-year hiatus where there was no longer a Cold War to fight, and the interest in the character was uncertain, Campbell introduced the world to Pierce Brosnan in 1995’s “GoldenEye,” which went on to be a smash hit at the box office, and remains frequently cited as a fan favorite Bond film. The exact same can be said of 2006’s “Casino Royale,” which rebooted the series, solidified that a Bond film can be many different things, made Daniel Craig a cinematic icon, and was as much of a hit at the box office and among fans as any of the best Bond films.
Campbell, a New Zealand native, came up in London as a television director in the ‘70s, including credits on five episodes of the crime-action drama “The Professionals.” His best-known work, however, came in 1985 with the massively acclaimed miniseries “Edge of Darkness,” starring Bob Peck and Joanne Whalley. Still to this day regarded as one of the greatest pieces of British television ever aired, “Edge of Darkness” earned Campbell the BAFTA TV Award for Best Director. Campbell also helmed one of the great episodes of American television with the first season “Homicide: Life on the Street” episode “Three Men and Adena.” Since “GoldenEye,” Campbell has maintained a steady resume of work in film, from “The Mask of Zorro,” to “Vertical Limit,” to a 2010 American adaptation of “Edge of Darkness.” Campbell’s latest film, “The Protégé,” stars Maggie Q as Anna, an assassin raised by another killer, Moody (Samuel L. Jackson). After her mentor and surrogate father is killed, Anna tracks down Rembrandt (Michael Keaton) to avenge his death, in the process confronting her own history as a killer.
Campbell discussed his latest action thriller, which is in cinemas now, as well as what keeps the director going after more than 40 years directing action sequences that always feel like they’re something new. Given that he is also the de facto master of introducing a new Bond to audiences, and with Daniel Craig’s swan song, “No Time to Die,” on the horizon, we had to get Campbell’s thoughts on what the next Bond could look like, and what type of scenarios he might be placed in today.
During our interview with Martin Campbell, we dive deep into the propulsive fight sequences that “The Protégé” revels in, how the director utilized Bulgaria as a facsimile for the streets of Vietnam, and more!
“The Protégé” is in theaters now.
Additional reporting by Brody Serravalli
Jonathan Levine admits that he’s typically known for directing comedy features. However, when you watch his new limited TV series, “Nine Perfect Strangers,” you are going to see the filmmaker spread his wings a bit more by taking on his most ambitious project to date. And in this episode of The Playlist Podcast, Levine talks about taking on his first major TV gig for the Hulu series and why “Nine Perfect Strangers” was far from a simple story to tell.
This week on the podcast, we have the filmmaker Neill Blomkamp, the director of “District 9,” “Elysium,” “Chappie,” and his upcoming IFC Midnight film, “Demonic.” In this episode, Blomkamp tells us all about the creation, conception, and shooting of “Demonic,” his attempts to bring “Alien 5” to the screen—he thinks it's deader than Dillinger, by the way— a little bit about “Robocop” and touches upon perhaps more films in the “Elysium” universe, but also a sequel to “District 9” which he is now actively working on. All that in more in a conversation that spans about 40-some minutes. Enjoy
HBO’s “Westworld” with her husband, Jonathan Nolan. Having now guided the dystopian sci-fi series through three critically acclaimed seasons, Joy found herself in the director’s chair for the first time, directing the season two episode “The Riddle of the Sphinx.” “I learned a lot about my directorial style,” said Joy about her work on the episode, “which is, before I even start prep, I normally have the whole [episode/movie] cut together in my head. When I walk the crew through a location, I act out and pre-block everything, and I also tend to talk about, not the technical aspects, but the emotional feeling and intent behind the scene.”
It was only a matter of time before Joy’s talents saw her at the helm of a feature film, and she got to do just that with this year’s “Reminiscence,” from a Blacklist-certified screenplay written by Joy, and purchased all the way back in 2013. Placed firmly in Joy’s established wheelhouse of science fiction, “Reminiscence” stars Hugh Jackman as Nick Bannister, a private investigator of the mind in Miami, who helps clients recover lost memories using a machine that brings the memories themselves to life. With an eight-year gap from the screenplay’s purchase to the release of the final product, there’s potential for the script to radically change, but in the case of “Reminiscence,” it was “not that much, except some of the worldbuilding,” according to Joy.
“Memory is lovely, it’s a way of time travel that we can all experience, but we can’t live there, the spaceship does not hold,” said Joy. “Maybe that’s a good reason why memory does organically fade, why the machine does not exist. We cannot hold ourselves in a perfect simulation of the past. And I think that if you are experiencing a perfect simulation of [your] past, it’s probably a sign that you are making something up. That you have overly idealized a moment so much that you have turned it into a story.”
“Reminiscence” will also provide “Westworld” fans with more thought-provoking sci-fi as they eagerly await the fourth season of the hit HBO series, the latter of which Joy was able to provide a brief, but encouraging update on. “[Jonathan] isn’t here and he’s always like ‘don’t say this or say that,’ so I have to be very careful,” said Joy. “I will say we know how ‘Westworld’ ends, but right now I’m focusing on the fourth season, and there will be some new world situations coming on that I’m very excited about. I might get in trouble [for saying that], but I’m married to the person who would be mad at me, so there’s really not much he can do.”
During our insightful conversation with Lisa Joy, we get into the philosophy and making of “Reminiscence,” her directorial debut on "Westworld," how she taught herself guitar and became pen pals with some of her favorite writers during the lockdown, which cut of “Blade Runner” she may or may not prefer, and much more!
“Reminiscence” arrives in theaters on August 20th, and will make its one-month streaming debut on HBO Max on the same day.
On this episode of The Playlist Podcast, we’re joined by filmmaker Ferdinando Filomarino, the director of the new Netflix thriller, “Beckett," starring John David Washington and Alicia Vikander. You can hear us talk more about “Beckett,” the underrated skills of Boyd Holbrook, and the future of the theatrical experience in our discussion.
"Y’all wanna hear a story about why me & this bitch here fell out? It’s kind of long but full of suspense.” On this episode of The Playlist Podcast, we have on writer, director and actor Janicza Bravo, who directed and co-wrote A24's Sundance indie "Zola." Delayed by a year because of the pandemic, "Zola" finally came out earlier this summer and now, the film arrives on DVD and Blu-ray (plus Digital) on August 14. If you don't know "Zola," it is an insane ride that's nightmarish yet entertaining. Based on the viral 148-tweet Twitter thread from Detroit waitress A’Ziah “Zola” King about her wild road trip to Florida, "Zola" centers on that title character (newcomer Taylour Paige), a Detroit waitress, strikes up a new friendship with a customer, Stefani (Riley Keough), who seduces her to join a weekend of dancing and partying in Florida. But that glamorous trip full of “hoeism” rapidly transforms into a 48-hour journey into something much darker. "Zola" arrives on DVD and Blu-ray™ (plus Digital) September 14 from Lionsgate and Playlist contributor Sharronda Williams spoke to Bravo about the ins and outs of her complex, dark and comical movie.
There are few performers who manage to maintain a high profile in the public eye, and who are perpetually coveted by filmmakers, in the way that Joseph Gordon-Levitt has. Having started as a child actor in hit films like “A River Runs Through It” and “Angels in the Outfield,” Gordon-Levitt came into adulthood while starring in the iconic sitcom “3rd Rock from the Sun” and the fan-favorite rom-com “10 Things I Hate About You.” It was in the 2000s where his star rose into the stratosphere, turning in widely acclaimed work in films such as “Mysterious Skin,” “Inception,” and his frequent collaborations with Rian Johnson, including the lead roles in “Brick” and “Looper.” This is all without mentioning his Golden Globe-nominated performances in “(500) Days of Summer” and “50/50,” or his directorial debut firestorm, “Don Jon,” which Gordon-Levitt also wrote and starred in, or the fact that Gordon-Levitt is as talented a musician and singer as he is a performer and filmmaker.
With a huge resume of beloved films under his belt, Gordon-Levitt has been somewhat absent from our screens recently, with his biggest acting credits in the past few years being “Snowden,” “Project Power,” and “The Trial of the Chicago 7.” The actor also began to shift more of his efforts towards ramping up operations on HITRECORD, a collaborative media platform owned by Gordon-Levitt that fosters collaboration between its users as well as Gordon-Levitt himself. For example, one user might create a short animation, which can then be “remixed” by another user who adds original music, a third user who does voiceover narration, and so on, until the original submission has turned into a collaborative, complete project. HITRECORD now boasts a user base of over 80,000 people and pulls in about 1,000 pieces of original, user-created media every day. However HITRECORD isn't the sole reason for Gordon-Levitt's absence from the silver screen and it just so happens to serve as the genesis for his latest venture, "Mr. Corman:" parenthood.
Writing, starring in, and even directing eight episodes of the 10-part miniseries which streams on Apple TV+ this summer, Gordon-Levitt, now 40, reflects on his life and the new perspective that comes with fatherhood through the lens of an alternate reality. He plays Josh Corman, a middle school teacher in San Fernando who struggles with a crisis of conscience when he considers what might have been if he had pursued a musical career instead of becoming a teacher.
You can hear all about “Mr. Corman”, including why it was essential to bring additional writers on board, how the arrival of COVID-19 affected the show’s scripts while it was already in production, and how becoming a real-life father directly influenced the inception of the show.
The first two episodes of “Mr. Corman” are available now on Apple TV+, and the remaining episodes will debut on the platform weekly, beginning this Friday, August 13th.
The folks behind Marvel Studios' first animated series, "What If?" (head writer A.C. Bradley and director Bryan Andrews) join The Playlist Podcast to talk about their new multiverse series, why they didn't know anything about "Loki" before working on the show, and how other Marvel Studios filmmakers helped them shape their stories.
Surprise, surprise! HBO put together yet another prestige show with outstanding performances, cinematography, and direction. The recent remake of "Perry Mason" didn’t so much as show up to thrill us, but confront us with simultaneously beautiful and abhorrent dread, and at the center of that is a masterful lead performance by none other than Matthew Rhys ("The Americans"). Matthew recently sat down with The Playlist Podcast for an interview on the Emmy nominated role and what to expect for Season 2.
In this episode of The Playlist Podcast, we’re once again joined by Rodrigo Perez to talk about the latest film in the DCEU, “The Suicide Squad.” Did James Gunn succeed where David Ayer couldn’t? Are you going to believe Polka-Dot Man and Ratcatcher 2 are two of the best characters in modern superhero films? We dive deep into the new film and talk about all that and much more.
What is a soul? Where do souls come from? And is life even worth living if everything feels hopeless? These are questions that are tackled in “Nine Days,” the debut feature from filmmaker Edson Oda. And helping answer those questions are the two leads, Zazie Beetz and Winston Duke, who joined The Playlist Podcast to talk about the new film, plus their Marvel experiences.
Writer Michael Waldron is one busy guy lately. Not only did he lead the writer’s room for "Loki" and the upcoming Starz series "Heels," but he’s also writing the upcoming "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" and producer Kevin Feige’s upcoming "Star Wars" project. On the latest episode of The Playlist Podcast, Michael Waldron sat down with Mike and Brian to talk a little about every one of those projects.
A great comic book movie requires a lot of elements to fall into place. You need a great special effects team, at least one compelling hero or antihero to rally behind for two hours, and a snappy script peppered with engaging action. However, most of all, you need a fearless and endlessly inventive director bringing all of the other pieces together. Without fail, the greatest comic book films have had extraordinary creatives at the helm, whether it be Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight Trilogy Sam Raimi with “Spider-Man,” James Mangold with “Logan”...or James Gunn when he successfully brought the Guardians of the Galaxy to life catapulting them from obscure to iconic in the public eye overnight instantly becoming MCU fan favorites.
Seven years later, Gunn has done it again with his quasi-reboot of the big-screen version of DC’s Suicide Squad, “The Suicide Squad.” Putting the definitive article at the front of his title is no mistake; by extracting Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie) and a handful of other characters from previous films and transplanting them into a new story with an otherwise completely blank slate cast, Gunn’s latest film finally gives the enduring antihero franchise the explosive, violent, dark cinematic representation that it truly deserves. Set after, but also separate from, 2016’s “Suicide Squad,” the film centers on a group of inmates in Belle Reve Penitentiary, including Quinn, Bloodsport (Idris Elba), Peacemaker (John Cena), and King Shark (Sylvester Stallone). Inducted into Task Force X in exchange for reduced/suspended sentences and other arrangements, the Suicide Squad are sent to a laboratory on Corto Maltese in order to destroy it, bury government secrets, and find themselves in conflict with Starro, a giant alien starfish.
“What separates this movie from Guardians of the Galaxy is that [in Guardians] at the beginning we know they’re probably good guys,” said Gunn on how the process of crafting a film around not-so-good-guys differs from when you craft one around a group of heroes. “When Rocket says he’s gonna shoot Drax’s face off, we don’t really believe him, but when someone says they’re gonna kill someone in this movie, they might, and sometimes do.”
When it comes to how Gunn attached himself to such a different group this time around, it was easy for him. “There’s a lot of loss here,” said Gunn. “Some of these characters are redeemable and some are not. We don’t know who’s going to show some heart, who’s going to die, who’s going to live. And it is those stakes that make it exciting for me to tell this story.” Elaborating further on the bond he creates with his characters, Gunn added, “I feel having compassion for those characters, even villains, is important, [and] if I’m not having fun with a character, finding their voice, I’m writing them out of the picture.”
During my conversation with James Gunn, we dive deep into all things “The Suicide Squad,” more details on the upcoming Peacemaker series, why Rick Flag (Joel Kinnaman) and his convictions make him so endearing, the meteoric rise of Harley Quinn, and why we all love her, and how working on “The Suicide Squad” ended up being the first time Gunn truly enjoyed the shooting process.
"The Suicide Squad" hits theaters and HBO Max this Friday, Aug. 6.
Before even turning thirty, Alicia Vikander had already starred in the sci-fi thriller “Ex Machina,” teamed up with Matt Damon in “Jason Bourne,” was in pre-production as the lead in the reboot of the action franchise “Tomb Raider,” and had won an Academy Award for her performance in “The Danish Girl.” Whether it be the three projects she has coming out this year, her marriage to fellow actor (and former co-star) Michael Fassbender, or time spent enjoying life’s simple pleasures, Vikander remains one of the busiest and most underrated gems in the industry. Continuing to showcase her range, the actor switches gears for her latest film, “The Green Knight.” Based on the poem and Arthurian legend, “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight,” this medieval fantasy follows Dev Patel as Sir Gawain, the nephew of King Arthur, as he goes on an epic quest in pursuit of the Green Knight. The film challenges many themes laced in lore, such as honor, nobility, questions of identity, and worthiness to become a legend. Vikander plays dual roles as Essel and The Lady and is treated to a showstopping monologue that makes for one of the film’s greatest moments.
Vikander had long been a fan of the film’s director, David Lowery, and had met him prior to being offered a part. But when she was sent the script, she wasn’t asked by Lowery to read for any specific part. It wasn’t until the end of the casting process that she was asked to play two roles. At that time, he introduced her to the legend of Sir Gawain and the modifications he made to the original material, namely, Vikander’s soliloquy about the color green.
The film not only takes on the challenge of modernizing a 700-plus-year-old poem but manages to capture the essence of a great adventure movie through Lowery’s direction. Vikander views it as a coming-of-age story. While it’s not without its Arthurian hallmarks, there is a meditative and cerebral approach to the philosophy of morality (Lowery regulars are all too familiar) that aids in putting a unique spin on the genre. This question caused Vikander to reflect on her own life and status.
One of Vikander’s earlier breakout roles was in Guy Ritchie’s sleek spy flick, “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” While packing a star-studded cast, including Henry Cavill and Elizabeth Debicki, and vibrant, kinetic spy action, the film, unfortunately, struggled to find an initial audience tanking its franchise potential. Since then, the film has gained quite a cult following, with fans expressing interest in a sequel. Vikander looks back fondly on making the film and loved how it captured the look and feel of the 60s. While a follow-up remains up in the air, she’s happy that people are finding it and enjoying it, even if it’s years later.
During my conversation with Vikander, we also get into the magic of 80s fantasy films and how “The Green Knight” recaptures that magic, her love of genre, “Ex Machina,” and much more!
Don’t miss “The Green Knight” when it hits theaters on July 30.
Before the DM or chatroom, if you wanted to connect with a stranger pseudo-anonymously, you bought a personal ad. This week, Be Reel seeks three films with classified ads as inciting incidents: “Desperately Seeking Susan” (1985), “Single White Female (1992) and the now 20-year-old “Ghost World” (2001). Romance, murder and vicarious living abound, plus the story of Chance and Noah once answering an ad.
On this episode of The Playlist Podcast, we talk about the recent news about the big box office drop from "Black Widow" and a theory that perhaps Marvel Studios is its own worst enemy when it comes to the poor box office showing. Is NATO correct in blaming Disney+ Premier Access for taking away from box office earnings? Is COVID the reason that the recent Scarlett Johansson-led superhero film is underperforming? Or maybe Marvel Studios is teaching fans bad lessons thanks to “WandaVision,” “Falcon and the Winter Soldier,” and “Loki,” leading to a new trend where the event films aren’t all that exciting anymore?
On this episode of The Playlist Podcast, actor Alex Wolff joins us to chat about his roles in “Old” and “Pig” – both movies dropping within a week of one another this summer. During the conversation, we talked about how "Old" director M. Night Shyamalan gets a bad rap for being dark and mysterious, what it's like working with Nicolas Cage for "Pig," and the legacy of "Hereditary."
In the long, storied history of TV hosts, Anthony Bourdain is an iconic figure, as he basically redefined the idea of what a celebrity chef could be and what a travel series should look and sound like. Of course, that all came to a tragic end in 2018, after Bourdain died by suicide. And in this episode of The Playlist Podcast, Oscar-winning filmmaker Morgan Neville talks about the legacy of Anthony Bourdain as we discuss his latest documentary, “Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain.”
Though she hasn't been around for 50 years, the filmography of actress Alexandra Daddario is quite extensive. She's done everything from prestige TV ("True Detective") to franchise films ("Percy Jackson") to action blockbusters ("San Andreas") and much more. Her latest project is a new dramedy series for HBO, "The White Lotus." For this episode of The Playlist Podcast, we're joined by Daddario as we talk about her new series.
Netflix's “Gunpowder Milkshake” harkens back to the classic assassin films of yore while also throwing a little Tarantino flavor and color in the mix to create a fun, ultraviolent adventure with a feminist spin. Director Navot Papushado joined The Playlist Podcast for a discussion on the film and his other previous and upcoming projects.
It’s July 2021 and instead of talking about “F9,” “Black Widow,” or any of the summer blockbusters from this year, The Playlist Podcast is going back to the ‘80s to talk about two cult classic summer films, “Escape From New York” and “Big Trouble in Little China.” Why? Because they’re both celebrating big anniversaries. Oh, and because John Carpenter is one of the best filmmakers of all time and Kurt Russell is a national treasure.
R. L. Stine is back on our screens in top form with Netflix's “Fear Street” trilogy, based on the author’s massive and iconic book series of the same name. The trilogy comes after years of will-they-won’t-they development rumors, the collapse of an original distribution deal with 20th Century Fox, and are respectively set in three distinctive years: 1994, 1978, and 1666. Leigh Janiak is the director and co-writer of all three films and comes to the project with a deep-seated love of, and experience with, horror and a captivating ability to command an audience's attention and investment.
Janiak is most well-known for her 2014 directorial feature debut “Honeymoon,” as well as for directing episodes of “Outcast” and MTV’s “Scream” television series. Off of these experiences with dramatic, harder-edged horror stories, Janiak found herself faced with the opportunity to helm “Fear Street,” crafting the loosely bespoke adaptations from the ground up. Set in the town of Shadyside across the three time periods, and told largely from the perspective of teenage lead characters, “Fear Street” shows us the town first as a Gen X utopia in the throes of grunge and neon, then during a "Friday the 13th"-esque summer camp escapade at the end of the 70s, and finally as a colonial village in the time of witch trials and bloodletting. A curse 300 years in the making, Shadeyside continues to fall victim to a history of violent trauma.
Having been a fan of the books when she herself was a teen, Janiak looked for the nuances of that period of life in order to create an authentic and relatable experience. The effort to create authenticity extends beyond the characters, however, into every aspect of capturing each movie’s unique time period. “One of the things I thought about a lot was, ‘how do we hit the sweet spot of nostalgia without it becoming parody,’” said Janiak. “We were lucky because the 90s, the 70s, and the 1600s folklore, have clear tropes that can be revisited and used, [but] telling it now in 2021, I could tell a story about characters that didn’t exist in [past] movies because that just wasn’t the lens that was embraced by film of the time.”
Another source of Janiak’s inspiration for the trilogy comes from an unexpected source for a horror film: Terrence Malick, and more specifically his 2005 film “The New World.” “[There’s also] ‘The Village,’ ‘The Crucible,’ ‘The VVitch,’” said Janiak, “but I’m a huge Malick fan, I love ‘The New World’ probably more than anyone else. I watch it at least once a year. I feel like it does this amazing thing where you see pre-Colonial America, this beautiful space and organic, alive world, with characters that are living. And then these settlers come and they just destroy it, and it’s so gross. I thought it was this beautiful depiction of how something pure can become rotten.”
The first film in the “Fear Street” trilogy, “Fear Street Part One: 1994,” is currently streaming on Netflix. “Part Two: 1978” drops this Friday, July 9th, and “Part Three: 1666” will arrive on the platform one week later on July 16th. Check out our interview with Leigh Janiak below, where the director also discusses crafting the ideal “Fear Street” soundtrack, embracing and acknowledging the diversity of horror audiences, the possibility of letting the “Fear Street” trilogy loose in cinemas to create an epic murder movie marathon and much more.
Additional Reporting by Jenny Nulf
In honor of "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" turning 50, Be Reel has constructed a podcast category about bizarro adults and their puzzling worlds. After unpacking the general discomfort of watching candymen, goblin kings and world-builders covet innocent children for mysterious ends, we plunge into the alternate realities of “Willy Wonka” (1971), “Labyrinth” (1986) and “Tomorrowland” (2015).
On today’s episode of The Playlist Podcast, we got to sit down with director Chris McKay and actress Yvonne Strahovski to discuss Amazon’s latest acquired action blockbuster, “The Tomorrow War,” which stars Chris Pratt as a science teacher drafted into an alien war in the future.
The wonderfully talented Betty Gilpin has seen a bit of a surge in her career since her show-stealing role in Netflix’s “Glow,” but now she’s trading body slams and piledrivers for tender moments with Chris Pratt in Amazon’s upcoming alien invasion blockbuster, “The Tomorrow War,” which hits Amazon Prime on July 2. Betty Gilpin joined The Playlist Podcast for a discussion on the film and her other previous and upcoming projects.
So says every warden on today's podcast, Alcatraz was the most secure prison ever constructed. Film directors, of course, took that as a challenge and gave us movies about prisoners with dreams too big for the famous San Francisco jail. These legendary inmates will try and escape one way or another. We watched "Birdman of Alcatraz" (1962), "Escape From Alcatraz" (1979) and "The Rock" (1996).
This week on the Deep Focus podcast we have the great and legendary Abel Ferrara, the director of “The Bad Lieutenant,” “The Addiction,” “The King Of New York,” and his most recent film, “Siberia” with Willem Dafoe. The 69-year-old director is a quintessential New York filmmaker, but he left the U.S. for Italy almost 20 years ago. In this career-spanning conversation, Ferrara talks about his early films, his New York days, working with Dennis Hopper, and there's a hilarious little bit about “The King of New York” and Quentin Tarantino, and lol, Ferrara remains totally unphased.
The iconoclastic filmmaker also talks about getting sober, his underseen "Mary" film with Juliette Binoche playing Mary Magdalene, and his upcoming film “Zeros and Ones” which sounds trippy and stars Ethan Hawke. Ferrara's latest, "Siberia," a hypnotic thriller is available now in limited release, Blu-Ray/DVD, and all places where you can rent films digitally. Thanks for listening to this episode guest-hosted by film critic Charles Bramesco. Please share, rate and subscribe to our podcast wherever you listen to it. We greatly appreciate it.
Comedian Iliza Shlesinger had a weird thing happen to her some years back: she basically got fooled into a relationship with a complete fraud. Now, while most people would crawl into a hole and have a good cry, Shlesinger did that but also decided to turn her shocking situation into a feature film, “Good On Paper,” which she discusses on this episode of The Playlist Podcast.
Unless you’ve been living under a proverbial rock, you’re probably well aware of the name Billie Eilish. The young singer has become one of the biggest names in the music industry and has a legion of devoted fans around the world. But even if you’re completely unfamiliar with the work of Eilish, you’ll still probably really enjoy the recent documentary, “Billie Eilish: The World’s A Little Blurry.” And in this episode of The Playlist Podcast, filmmaker R.J. Cutler joins us to talk about his new film about the musical superstar.
With his latest film, “False Positive,” director John Lee takes the always thrilling genre of psychological horror and combines it with his signature dark comedy to construct a commentary on pregnancy, and a woman’s right to her own bodily autonomy. Written by Lee, Ilana Glazer, and Alissa Nutting, “False Positive” stars Glazer as Lucy, who - along with her husband Adrian (Justin Theroux) - has been trying and failing to get pregnant. It’s only after they find the fertility doctor of their dreams, Dr. Hindle, that the couple achieves success, learning that they are going to have a baby girl. However, Lucy detects something sinister about the doctor, and in investigating it, unravels the truth about him and her pregnancy.
The character of Dr. Hindle, with his effortless charm that turns into something dark and mysterious, requires an actor who can play both sides; the charismatic hero but also the disturbed villain. In steps Pierce Brosnan, James Bond himself, to weave the character and his arc back and forth across that line. Brosnan is of course most famous for Bond and other dashing heroic roles, but his resume is also filled with ambiguous or fully antagonistic turns as well ranging from his antihero hitman in “The Matador,” or corrupt bureaucrats in “The Tailor of Panama” and “The Foreigner.”
"False Positive's" straddling of tonal lines is also something that naturally fits into Lee’s sensibilities as a filmmaker. Having been a key creative voice behind shows such as “Wonder Showzen,” “Superjail!,” and “The Heart, She Holler,” Lee would often contrast pleasing aesthetics and upbeat tonalities with morbid, oftentimes grotesque, and controversial humor. Between that background and his conviction in not mincing words as a creator, it allows him to convincingly craft a horror vehicle with teeth, while also strengthening the confronting messaging inherent in a film like “False Positive.”
We spoke with Lee and Brosnan about "False Positive," particularly regarding its social and political relevance in a world where so much emphasis is put on women having children, but not providing them with a proper set of resources once they do get pregnant.
Of course, in between talking about “False Positive,” we had to sneak in at least one Bond question. It’s been nearly 20 years since Brosnan portrayed the iconic spy, and we were curious what differences there would be in his interpretation of the role today.
You can listen to the rest of our exciting conversation with Pierce Brosnan and John Lee below and check out A24's "False Positive" when it hits Hulu on June 25th.
Additional reporting by Brody Serravalli
In honor of the recent Season 4 finale of “Snowfall,” the series’ creator/showrunner Dave Andron and writer/producer Leonard Chang join The Playlist Podcast to talk about the incredible drama series, “Snowfall,” and how it seems to keep getting bigger and bigger each season, thanks to people (like us) finding it on FX on Hulu. Plus, we discuss that in-development "Justified" spinoff that sees Timothy Olyphant return to FX.
Indie filmmaker Hannah Fidell is circling back to her roots. While she has made relationship dramas like "6 Years," the Netflix comedy, "The Long Dumb Road," and directed TV ("Casual," "Sorry For Your Loss"), her latest project is the most ambitious of her career. It’s a remake and reimagining of her own work, her 2013 directorial debut “A Teacher,” about a female teacher who has an affair with one of her students, and the implosion of those events. 2020’s “A Teacher,” now a 10-part FX series is much different. Influenced by the events of #MeToo and her own personal experiences, “A Teacher,” changes the perspective and point of view of the film and reconfigures it to also give space to the victim, in this case, Nick Robinson. Starring Kate Mara as the teacher, “A Teacher” also expands the story, in Fidell’s view, more of a proper beginning, middle, and end, but also with a long epilogue about consequences and the impacts of abuse.
In this Deep Focus episode, we spoke to Fidell about “A Teacher,” the ways she wanted the audience to feel complicit in the relationship, a new political series that she is writing she calls a cross between “Euphoria” and “House of Cards” and she tells us about directing on the upcoming Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee sex tape mini-series for Hulu.
Who are Sparks? What are they about? That’s exactly what Edgar Wright’s new documentary "The Sparks Brothers" tries to unpack and demystify. Because Sparks is not only a band (chiefly brothers, Ron and Russel Mael) but they’re a highly eclectic, trailblazing artpop group that's fairly elusive and mysterious to a lot of people. As Beck says in the documentary, one of the many famous admirers, the highly influential Sparks are likely your favorite band's favorite band.
They’ve released 25 albums, been around for 5 decades since the early '70s, and they began as an eccentric glam rock band that was a little bit like a cross between T-Rex, Roxy Music, and Queen, with a little David Bowie thrown in too. But Sparks has covered every style under the sun, pioneered synthpop, and they're massively important, yet mostly still unknown. Edgar Wright ("Shaun of The Dead," "Hot Fuzz"), says he made the documentary, in part, in a kind of way to save time at dinner parties. Instead of a 90-minute explainer, he's created a whole thrilling, deeply compelling documentary about the band, and it's one of the best movies of the year, frankly. As a big fan of Sparks and Edgar Wright, this 40-minute-ish conversation with the trio, Edgar, Ron, and Russell, was a huge treat for me. "The Sparks Brothers" hits theaters June 18 via Focus Features, make sure to catch it.
If you’re a regular reader of The Playlist, then it’s likely you’re a fan of Luke Wilson. From his debut in the incredible film, “Bottle Rocket,” to his later collaborations with Wes Anderson, to his highly underrated and sadly prescient “Idiocracy,” Wilson is an actor that has been in a number of iconic films over the past three decades. And in honor of his new film, the feel-good drama, “12 Mighty Orphans,” Luke Wilson joined The Playlist Podcast for a discussion about the football feature and his previous filmography.
Rob McElhenney is one of the hardest-working guys in TV right now. Not only is he one of the main stars of the history-making FX sitcom, “It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia,” which is about to begin production on episodes for Season 15, but he’s also the co-creator, co-writer, director, and star of the Apple TV+ series, “Mythic Quest.” And on top of that, he took the time out of his busy day in the writers room for ‘Sunny’ to join The Playlist Podcast.
Kate Herron isn’t quite a household name when it comes to filmmaking. And as she discusses in the new episode of The Playlist Podcast, it’s that reality that drove her to create a 60-page pitch document that helped her land the biggest gig of her career, “Loki.” She also talks about her influences in this sci-fi love letter and why she has her eye on Spider-Man as a dream project.
In this episode of The Playlist Podcast, Dane DeHaan joins us to talk about his new Apple TV+ series, “Lisey’s Story.” He goes deep about getting into the mindset of a dark character and how he honed those amazing yo-yo skills. In addition, he explains why he's not interested in returning to the Marvel film world in a new 'Spider-Man' film.
Somewhat shockingly, it appears that 2021 will actually have a summer filled with big franchises, surprising indies, and original films. And on this episode of The Playlist Podcast, we break down the summer films including "Black Widow," "F9," "Candyman," and many, many more.
With theaters around the U.S. either open or on that path, today's BE REEL explores films that hinge on the theatrical experience, narratively speaking. From “The Last Action Hero” (1993) to “The Majestic” (2001) to “The Blob” (1958), today's episode pays tribute to how films depict movie houses for magical purposes, nostalgic ambiance and self-aware carnage. See you back at the theater soon. We'll be ones toasting ginger ales and Narragansetts.
Whether you love his films or not, there's no denying that Zack Snyder is one of the boldest, most unashamedly stylistic filmmakers of all time. His resume speaks for itself. From “Dawn of the Dead,” to “Watchmen,” to “300,” to “Batman v Superman,” Snyder has spent over 15 years bringing audiences some of what they crave most: genre thrills coated in glorious slow-motion and served with a side of top-tier special effects making for a product so distinct, its as though it was ripped out of the pages of a graphic novel. He’s unafraid of spectacle, but his critics seem to focus solely on that, almost obtusely ignoring his ability to craft emotional and thematically rich character stories, particularly when dealing with the notion of parenthood and family.
Enter “Army of the Dead.” Coming off of the tumultuous production of “Justice League,” and an immense personal tragedy, Snyder brings us his latest take on the zombie genre with his directorial hallmarks aplomb. Set in Las Vegas after the zombie apocalypse ravages the city - and ONLY that city - “Army of the Dead” stars Dave Bautista in a knockout role as a hard-edged mercenary who is leading a crew into Vegas to steal $200 million before the city goes up in a nuclear blast, partly so that he can secure his future, but primarily so that he can rebuild his relationship with his estranged daughter (Ella Purnell).
"Army of the Dead" is a special film for Snyder as he not only wrote and directed the project but got back behind the lens serving as its director of photography and sole cameraman. “There’s no sitting down, like, I banned chairs from the set,” said Snyder, “but the nice thing is, it’s really intimate. I can just talk to the actors right there, I’m not back in a monitor across the room. It was definitely the most purely engaged I’ve been making a movie.”
With the hype generated by Snyder’s return to the zombie genre, there’s already work being done on at least two spin-offs: an animated series, and a prequel starring Matthias Schweighöfer as Ludwig Dieter, a safecracking genius from the main film. “We’re in the middle of the animated series, and [the sequel] about Dieter’s character in Germany,” said Snyder. “It’s kind of a romantic comedy about him being drawn into this international crime syndicate. It’s a pretty low-budget movie, but it’s pretty big feeling. They go all over Europe and they’re being chased by Interpol.” The fact that the “Army of the Dead” universe is being expanded like this is sure to please “Dawn of the Dead” fans who never got the sequel or expansion that they desired from that earlier film.
Those who missed out on “Dawn of the Dead” during its initial release were probably introduced to Snyder through “300”, the semi-fantastical historical epic recounting the Battle of Thermopylae. Though the film enjoyed a Snyder-produced sequel with 2014’s “300: Rise of an Empire,” a third entry never came to fruition. “You know, we did talk about it a lot, a whole bunch of different iterations for '300 Part III.' And who knows, maybe there will be still? I couldn’t really get my teeth into it. I [tried to write] the final chapter, but I actually [ended up writing] a different movie. I was writing this thing about Alexander the Great, and it just turned into a movie about Hephaestion and Alexander. It didn’t really fit as the third [“300”].”
During our conversation with Zack Snyder, we also discussed his long-rumored George Washington film, his upcoming King Arthur adaptation, crafting an instantly iconic opening title sequence for "Army of the Dead," zombie carnage and mayhem, and much more!
Timur Bekmambetov joins The Playlist Podcast to talk about “Profile” and how he utilized Screenlife to tell a story that he feels could only be told this way. He also discusses the possibility of making a "Wanted" sequel and why Mark Millar has to get involved.
When it began its run a few years ago, “Mayans MC” was “Sons of Anarchy” with a Latino flair. Sure, the cast was all new and the story didn’t pick up where ‘Sons’ left off, but with Kurt Sutter at the helm, “Mayans MC” felt like “Sons 2.0.” Well, with Sutter gone and Elgin James the sole showrunner, the FX drama moves further away from its ‘Sons’ past in Season 3, and it’s actually much, much better because of it.
Elgin James recently sat down for an extended interview on The Playlist Podcast, where he talked about the massive changes that happened in Season 3 of “Mayans MC” and goes deep into his overall goals for the series now that co-creator Kurt Sutter is no longer involved. And since we also share a common love of punk, hardcore, and the straight edge movement, we also talk quite a bit about how that culture has affected his storytelling in “Mayans.”
In this May the Fourth episode of The Playlist Podcast, Charles, Mike, and Brian are once again joined by The Playlist Editor-in-Chief Rodrigo Perez to talk about “Star Wars.” More specifically, the guys talk about where the franchise is right now (seemingly at a crossroads) and what this means for the future.
John Woo’s unparalleled directing career is best known for blazing barrels, shadow selves and slow-motion “heroic bloodshed.” To celebrate the Hong Kong legend’s 75th birthday, we talk Woo's full arc with University of Houston film scholar Karen Fang. From there, we focus on a sweet spot in Woo’s oeuvre, when he maxed out his Hong Kong street operas with "Hard Boiled"(1992) and transitioned to inimitable American shoot-em-ups “Hard Target” (1993) and “Face/Off” (1997).
In this interview, we speak with Stefano Sollima, who is probably best known as the director of “Sicario 2: Day of the Soldado,” about his work on “Without Remorse,” what he prefers realistic action to "John Wick"-style gun-fu, and the possibility of a greater Amazon Tom Clancyverse, with a potential John Krasinski appearance down the line.
In this spoiler-filled episode of The Playlist Podcast, director Kari Skogland talks about "The Falcon and the Winter Soldier," that new role for Anthony Mackie, the importance of Sebastian Stan’s Winter Soldier in Sam’s story, the political themes that are present, and of course, the recent news about “Captain America 4.”
“The Falcon and the Winter Soldier” has ended its six-episode run, crowning a new Captain America and drastically changing the status quo for a number of Marvel characters. And in a new episode of The Playlist Podcast, we’re finally discussing Marvel Studios' latest Disney+ series, “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.”
In this episode of The Playlist Podcast, we got a chance to speak with Eric Heisserer, the man behind Netflix's “Shadow & Bone,” as well as someone that has had his hands in a number of cinematic universes, including the failed Dark Universe and the current Valiant superhero film universe. And believe us, he knows a thing or two about quality world-building in cinema and TV.
For action film fans, the name Joe Taslim is already iconic. In “Mortal Kombat,” Taslim brings his action movie skills to a highly anticipated, big-budget video game adaptation. In this episode of The Playlist Podcast, we speak to none other than Joe Taslim about “Mortal Kombat,” “The Raid” ten years later, and why he’s not quite sure a Hollywood remake of Gareth Evans’ classic can actually be any good.
Video games are incredibly difficult to adapt into films and TV series. So, with the latest attempt by a major studio to break the video game film curse coming next week, “Mortal Kombat,” this episode of The Playlist Podcast offers up some ideas for adaptations that should actually get made, including a “Grand Theft Auto” anthology series, a “Dick Tracy”-esque “Punch-Out!!” and a hard-R “Super Mario Bros.”
On this episode of The Playlist Podcast, Charles, Mike, and Brian spend some time talking films with Ben Wheatley, the writer-director of the new horror film, “In the Earth.” He talks about making a horror film during lockdown, why he thinks "The Meg 2" is going to be great, and what forced him to step away from the upcoming "Tomb Raider 2."
If you don't know Henry Selick by name, you certainly know his puppets. The Stop Motion guru behind "The Nightmare Before Christmas" (1993), "James and the Giant Peach" (1996) and "Coraline" (2009) has been capturing children's imaginations—and perhaps lovingly scarring them, too—for 30 years. On today's show we're joined by sculptor and constant Selick collaborator Damon Bard to reflect on a one-of-a-kind career.
In this episode of The Playlist Podcast, Charles, Mike, and Brian go down the list of every DC superhero film that is currently on the release schedule, in development, or previously discussed. This includes sequels for “Wonder Woman,” “Aquaman,” and “Shazam!” as well as brand-new franchises like “The Batman,” “Batgirl,” “Blue Beetle,” and various films/TV shows that JJ Abrams is overseeing. Needless to say, it’s an extensive list and there are some clear highlights, as well as some obvious stinkers.
In this episode of The Playlist Podcast, Charles, Mike, and Brian speak with writer-director Tim Sutton about “Funny Face,” and how he aims to reclaim the superhero story for the common people, as well as the negative critical response to his previous feature, "Donnybrook," and what it's like making a Western with Machine Gun Kelly.
After years of building up these characters through multiple films in the new Monsterverse franchise, Legendary Pictures is finally ready to show you the payoff in “Godzilla vs. Kong.” But the real question is whether or not you should even bother watching the film? And in this episode of The Playlist Podcast, Charles, Mike, and Brian discuss that very topic.
In this episode of The Playlist Podcast, we talk to Rachel Sennott, the breakout star of "Shiva Baby," from first-time writer-director Emma Seligman. Over the course of the interview, Sennott discusses “Shiva Baby,” how the film might be the scariest comedy of the year, why it’s great for bisexual representation, and how doing stand-up comedy via Zoom is terrible.
In this episode of The Playlist Podcast, director Ilya Naishuller stops by to talk about his new action film, “Nobody,” which stars Bob Odenkirk as a suburban dad that has been keeping a secret from his family about who he really is. And when a home burglary happens to his family, this timid dad unleashes the kickass beast within, leading to lots and lots of dead bodies. All of this brought to you from the director of “Hardcore Henry,” and the writer and producers behind the “John Wick” franchise.
Being able to make shameless creature thrills explode off of the screen takes a distinct eye and an unabashed imagination. Ever since Gareth Edwards roared into the monster genre with “Godzilla” back in 2014, every subsequent entry in Legendary’s MonsterVerse has felt like an effort to recapture that same magic. Luckily, by bringing in Adam Wingard to helm “Godzilla vs. Kong,” Legendary seems to have found the type of voice they needed in order to give us just as memorable a cinematic monster experience as we had seven years ago.
“Godzilla vs. Kong” is the fourth installment in the MonsterVerse following Michael Dougherty’s “Godzilla: King of the Monsters” and tasks Wingard with bringing these two iconic titans of cinema together on film for only the second time; a responsibility as mammoth as the characters themselves. “We’re kind of taking two of the biggest icons of all time,” said Wingard, “and putting them in a movie together. This has only happened once, and so there’s a lot of expectation and legacy that you’re really hanging on to.”
In the film, as Kong escorts an expedition of scientists to the Earth’s core, they find themselves in Godzilla’s warpath as he wreaks havoc on the Earth, instigating an epic clash between the two monsters. On paper, that already sounds like a dose of cinematic adrenaline, but Wingard’s vision is what really solidifies “Godzilla vs. Kong” as an unforgettable movie-going experience. Wingard made his name - and proved his ability to create visually innovative and impactful thrills in the horror genre from his debut “Home Sick” all the way to “You’re Next” and “The Guest”, two subversive and broadly acclaimed additions to the modern horror canon. Next up for Wingard after “Godzilla vs. Kong” is a sequel to John Woo’s bombastic triumph “Face/Off”, showing Wingard to be a director unafraid of stretching his wings into different types of genre thrills.
“‘Face/Off’ is one of my favorite films of all time,” said Wingard. “It’s like one of those reference movies that I’ve always used when I’m working on a film.” Despite being able to work on the “Face/Off” sequel, as well as having been a fan of Godzilla from childhood - right down to having a strong opinion of who would truly win in a Godzilla vs. Kong fight - Wingard has adopted a philosophy of being a fan vs. being a filmmaker. “You have to sometimes separate yourself from the fan and from the creator,” said Wingard, “and not just saying what would be cool, if [the characters] did this or that, but actually working through it.”
During our conversation with Adam Wingard we get into “Godzilla vs. Kong”, the impact the big screen spectacle of the film had on him, the importance of bringing levity and pulp to Godzilla in the wake of COVID, why it was essential that the power duo of Nicolas Cage and John Travolta make a possible return for the “Face/Off” sequel, and clarifies the rumors surrounding the post credit scene for "Godzilla vs. Kong."
"Godzilla vs. Kong" hits theaters and HBO Max on March 31st
Eddie Huang joins The Playlist Podcast to talk about his new film “Boogie,” which is currently in theaters and heading to VOD later this week. The writer-director clearly poured his heart and soul into the making of “Boogie,” and talked about the hard-hitting family relationships at the center of the film, as well as how his entire career has built to this point.
On this episode of The Playlist Podcast, Robert Kirkman stops by to discuss “Invincible,” how animation is easier than live-action for some comic book stories, an update on “The Walking Dead” films, his upcoming film with Lee Daniels, that "Dracula" re-imagining, and his thoughts on superhero storytelling in general.
After four years of social media campaigning, Zack Snyder and his legion of fans are celebrating the release of the “Justice League” Director’s Cut, aka the Snyder Cut. Clocking in at four hours long, this is a superhero epic unlike anything else before it. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s any good...
In the amnesia puzzler's pre-9/11 heyday, blank-slate protagonists from Christopher Nolan, David Lynch and Shane Black rewrote their own stories. In every case, their histories ended up rosier and nobler than the depraved violence just beneath the surfaces of "Memento" (2001), "Mulholland Drive" (2001) and "The Long Kiss Goodnight" (1996). So let's retrace our steps through this forgetful subgenre, shall we? Surely, we'll find out we're good people.
For years, the word “threequel” has sent shivers down the spines of film fans. A sequel is tough enough, but a sequel to a sequel? Hardly ever turns out great, right? Well, Michael B. Jordan is hoping to break that curse as the star and director(!) of “Creed III.” And to help, The Playlist Podcast is discusing three films that are some of the best threequels to ever grace the big screen--- “Back to the Future Part 3,” “Die Hard with a Vengeance,” and “War for the Planet of the Apes.”
Decades before he carried Batman's breakfast and launched a thousand Cockney impersonations, Michael Caine mostly played transgressors. In late-60s and early 70s films like ALFIE, GET CARTER, THE ITALIAN JOB and THE MAN WHO WOULD BE KING, Caine brought a streetwise intelligence to a gallery of anti-social rogues: philanderers, killers and colonialists. Ahead of Caine's 88th birthday, Noah and Chance dive into the first act of the English legend's storied career.
This week, on The Playlist Podcast, Frank Grillo joins Charles, Brian, and Mike to talk about “Boss Level,” his recipe for a quality action film, what’s going on with that remake of “The Raid,” why he's sad about not coming back to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and much, much more.
So, we already know that it was Agatha all along. And Wanda’s unchecked trauma and grief are the reasons behind the Hex and the key to fixing the problems of Westview. But with one episode left, how is “WandaVision” going to end? Well, that’s where The Playlist Podcast comes in to save the day. We don’t have any insider knowledge or anything, but we have theories!
At 70-years-old, filmmaker Sam Pollard has had a massive career spanning five decades. But it's arguably just getting its due in a major way and unlike never before (“The phone’s been ringing off the hook,” he said). Pollard— a director, editor, and producer— is an Oscar nominee (Spike Lee's “4 Little Girls” doc, which he co-produced and edited), has been nominated for seven Emmys and has won three different times (two wins for the Spike’s incredible Katrina doc, “When The Levees Broke”) and has also been honored with a Peabody Award (for Spike's second Katrina doc, (“If God Is Willing And The Creek Won't Rise.” So behind the scenes, he's known and is a giant in the world of documentaries, but thanks to the one-two punch of “MLK/FBI,” the IFC Films documentary released in January and “Black Art: In The Absence of Light,” the critically-acclaimed HBO doc about contemporary Black art in the United States that came out earlier this month, Pollard is finally getting some major name recognition. He's a veteran and an elder statesman of film and documentaries and was recently given another major honor with a lifetime achievement honor from the IDA Documentary Awards. I talked to Pollard about 'MLK/FBI,' 'Black Art,' his seminal work with Spike Lee, and a lot about his entire career. Please take a listen to the words and wisdom of filmmaker Sam Pollard.
In a new episode of The Playlist Podcast, we talked to Craig Brewer, the director of “Coming 2 America,” about taking the reins of the huge sequel to "Coming to America." And trust us, the filmmaker is well aware of the hype surrounding his film and the worry that he will be responsible for ruining a classic film by adding a subpar sequel. He also has an idea for an Eddie Murphy Cinematic Universe!
On this episode of The Playlist Podcast, we speak to Jermaine Fowler about his breakout role in “Coming 2 America,” what it’s like stepping into one of the most anticipated comedy sequels of all time, why he’s really trying to get a ‘Fifth Element’ spinoff film in development, his love of Tim Burton shit, as he puts it. Needless to say, our conversation runs the gamut.
Former actor Kasi Lemmons has charted her own cinematic path since tiring of "best friend" roles in mid-90s. The director of "Eve's Bayou" (1997), "Talk To Me" (2007), and "Harriet" (2019) has gradually cultivated a fascinating directorial career. To discuss this pioneering Black female filmmaker and versatile dramatist, we're thrilled to be joined by Professor Christina N. Baker, author of "Kasi Lemmons: Interviews."
Action films from the ‘90s are an interesting breed. Some are glorious. Others are downright horrible. But, boy, oh boy, did studios sure love VR, pastel colors, and martial arts. And now that Hollywood has decided to go ahead and make an ill-advised sequel to “Face/Off,” the guys from The Playlist Podcast have a few ideas for films from the ‘90s that are ripe for remakes, sequels, or reboots, such as "Double Impact," "Virtuosity," and "Money Train."
In a new interview with The Playlist Podcast, the director of the Nicolas Cage horror-comedy, “Willy’s Wonderland,” Kevin Lewis talks about his love of genre films, the mystique that surrounds Cage, and his recent near-death experience battling COVID.
“Raya and the Last Dragon,” the upcoming action-adventure from Walt Disney Animation Studios, features set pieces and genre thrills that feel wholly unique among their 59 film animated catalog. Starring Kelly Marie Tran as the titular warrior, “Raya” is set in the mythical world of Kumandra, where humans and dragons once lived together in harmony. Sadly, that harmony was short-lived when the Druun, sinister monsters, threatened the land, and the dragons sacrificed themselves to save humanity. 500 years later, Raya must find the last dragon, Sisu (Awkwafina) to defeat the Druun for good.
"Raya" sees Disney veteran Don Hall team up with Indie breakout Carlos López-Estrada to co-direct the project. Hall's previous work in the House of Mouse included "Big Hero 6" and "Moana," for which he won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature for the former. Meanwhile, Estrada is best known for directing the critically acclaimed and criminally underseen "Blindspotting," and for his extensive work in music videos. "Raya" co-writer Qui Nguyen (who wrote the screenplay alongside Adele Lim) is an artistic director for the Vampire Cowboys Theatre Company, and an accomplished playwright, with some of his work including "Vietgone," "Living Dead in Denmark," and "She Kills Monsters". Nguyen has also had a successful career in television, working on AMC's "Dispatches from Nowhere" and "The Society."
As mentioned during the Early Press Day panels, "Raya" is through and through an action movie. It was important for the team to take bold creative swings ensuring the film stood out from Disney's other animated films but also felt like part of the family. "That was a thing we were really looking for," said Estrada. "How can we present this film that feels like something you may have seen before, an epic adventure, [but with] our own little spin, and how can it feel and sound? Every time it felt like we were doing something traditionally, we would just try to give it a little bit of a twist, which is what makes the movie feel so different."
Hall emphasized that, while the action of "Raya" is important, what was paramount was not sacrificing the story in its favor. "Every [action] scene carried narrative," said Hall, "we tried to [give] each a different profile, flavor, tempo, and even musical structure. They all are different and all are trying to accomplish different things story-wise. Some are more comedic, some not at all, and everything in between."
There were some rumors floating around about the potential R-rated violence in the action scenes of "Raya," but the group was quick to clarify. "We sort of said that in jest," said Hall, "a couple of our [storyboard] artists really indulged themselves, but we knew we were gonna back off on certain things like blood. There is a particular sword fight that is crazy intense. I don't think we held back in terms of visceral impact, [and] I think that comes because you care about the characters." Nguyen added, "Just as a credit [to Disney], some of the themes and ideas do feel adult and do feel heightened and real, and honestly, we never got [pushback] because everything is so grounded in story and feels very deliberate and necessary."
What these other projects may or may not be aside, "Raya and the Last Dragon" looks to be a stellar addition to Disney's animated legacy. During our conversation, we also discuss "Raya's" filmmaking influences such as Danny Boyle, Edgar Wright, and Taika Waititi, the film's timely themes, and much more.
"Raya and the Last Dragon" hits theaters and Disney+ March 5th.
For many people, the name Cathy Yan automatically brings to mind “Birds of Prey.” That makes sense, considering for years, that is the only film that the young filmmaker has released. But you see, “Birds of Prey” isn’t her first film. No, that distinction belongs to the Sundance award-winning satire, “Dead Pigs,” which is finally getting distributed three years after its festival debut. And the filmmaker is happy to finally discuss her true directorial debut on this week’s episode of The Playlist Podcast.
On Valentine's Day, "The Silence of the Lambs" celebrates 30 years of haunting imaginations and changing serial-killer cinema forever. On this week's Be Reel, Noah and Chance appreciate the many inimitable qualities of Jonathan Demme's 1991 classic, including its lack of genre fealty, its simultaneous intensity and restraint, and getting the best out of Jodie Foster and Anthony Hopkins. From there, Be Reel dives into the wider world of Thomas Harris adaptations, discussing Michael Mann's icy-veined "Manhunter" (1986), the gore carnival of Ridley Scott's "Hannibal" (2001), and the bizarre origin story attempt "Hannibal Rising" (2007).
This week, on The Playlist Podcast, we speak to Sam Levinson, the writer-director of “Malcolm & Marie,” as well as the creator of HBO’s award-winning “Euphoria,” about his new film, his hit show, and his legendary father, Barry Levinson.
Alan J. Pakula was an under-celebrated voice in 1970s American cinema. Most famous for “All the President’s Men," Pakula built a career focused on rule-breakers and the vast conspiracies they untangle. With Criterion Collection releasing “The Parallax View” (1974) this month, Be Reel takes the opportunity to dive into Pakula’s conspiracy/mystery standouts, focusing on “The Parallax View,” “Klute” (1971) and “Presumed Innocent” (1990).
In this episode of The Playlist Podcast, Charles, Mike, and Brian discuss the new film," Saint Maud," from A24 and speak with Morfydd Clark, the unbelievable star of the film. She also talks about the upcoming "Lord of the Rings" TV series and what the future might hold.
We're back. On this episode of the Deep Focus podcast, our guest is writer/director Aaron Sorkin known for writing "The Social Network," "Moneyball," "A Few Good Men," "The West Wing," and many more. The legendary screenwriter has shifted his focus to directing and returns with his second feature-length film following "Molly's Game." Originally a Steven Spielberg project, nine-some years in the making, the filmmaker eventually gave Sorkin his blessing to make the movie after seeing the accomplished "Molly's Game" with Jessica Chastain. In the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests last year and the civil unrest, and even the recent Capitol insurrection, "The Trial Of The Chicago 7," couldn't be more relevant today. It features an all-star cast and captures this moment of civil uprising and protest and the recent splintering in the Democratic party-- the so-called, "radical left," and the more conservative centrists. Sorkin talked about all this, working with Spielberg, his mentor William Goldman, his household of influential lawyers (he loves a courtroom drama), the mooted 'Social Network' sequel he'd love to write if David Fincher were game, and a little tease about his now-announced Lucille Ball project, which now stars Nicole Kidman.
This episode is a callback return to summer 2020 when Rebecca Hall joined the podcast to talk “Tales From The Loop.” Now that her directorial debut “Passing” is about to make its debut at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival, I wanted to revive and excerpt our 20+ minute conversation about “Passing”—as it’s the part that’s stayed with me the most—and really let her feelings on the matter take center stage. Based on Nella Larsen’s acclaimed 1929 Harlem Renaissance novel, “Passing” is about two African American women who can “pass” as white and they have chosen to live on opposite sides of the color line. Now, their renewed acquaintance threatens them both. Hall’s parents came from bi-racial ancestry and had similar stories that she tries to unpack in this movie about identity and representation.
With “Brothers by Blood” arriving in theaters this weekend, Joel Kinnaman spoke with The Playlist Podcast and discussed his new crime drama. He also spoke about David Ayer’s Director’s Cut of “Suicide Squad,” what James Gunn brings to “The Suicide Squad,” and years later, the things he’d do differently if he made a new “RoboCop” film.
Dolly Parton is a genuine American icon. For her 75th birthday, Be Reel revisits the country superstar and EGOT nominee’s three most significant film roles in “9 to 5” (1980), “The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas” (1982), and “Steel Magnolias” (1989). Also, thank you for funding the Moderna vaccine, Dolly; we will alwaaaaaays love you.
On this special episode of The Playlist Podcast, Charles and Mike speak with acclaimed filmmaker Ramin Bahrani about his latest feature, “The White Tiger." And unfortunately, as we discuss, the film has taken on new meaning in the era of the pandemic and rampant wealth inequality. In addition to the film, Bahrani also talks about a project he was developing about the Silicon Valley that fell apart, why he turned down a major studio about a franchise film that might involve superheroes, and his years-long friendship with Roger Ebert.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe makes its triumphant return to the public with “WandaVision.” And not only does the new streaming series mark the return of the MCU after being gone for over a year, but it also establishes itself as the beginning of Marvel Studios’ run on Disney+. On this episode of The Playlist Podcast, Charles, Mike, and Brian breakdown the new series and whether it lives up the hype, and then they look ahead to the other offerings from Marvel in 2021.
The most exciting filmmakers are those who meticulously curate the tone and craft of their work. Directing every episode of a television season, as “WandaVision” executive producer Matt Shakman recently did, enables an artist to have a level of control over their work that television rarely provides. “WandaVision” is the first project in Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and Marvel Studios’ first plunge into the world of streaming. Taking place after “Avengers: Endgame,” Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany) attempt to live a normal life, only to find themselves traveling through the decades in various sitcom-esque scenarios.
It’s fitting that Shakman should find his way back to the world of sitcoms given his days on the “Growing Pains” spinoff, “Just the Ten of Us,” but an added advantage is his accomplished career as both a stage and television director for nearly 20 years. From “Mad Men” to “Succession” to “Game of Thrones,” Shakman has directed some of the most acclaimed episodes of several of television’s greatest shows across multiple genres, most notably “Spoils of War” from “Game of Thrones” Season 7. His collaboration with Kevin Feige and screenwriter Jac Schaeffer on “WandaVision” perfectly align with his desire to utilize and experiment with the genre-blurring nature of the stage in combination with complex tonal material.
“WandaVision’s” modulating tone isn’t only what makes it such a unique venture. The craftsmanship behind its loving recreation of the classic sitcoms that inspired it, including “I Love Lucy,” “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” and “Bewitched” is also a remarkable accomplishment. Shakman spoke about the research that went into doing this.
Our conversation with Shakman goes even deeper into the way “WandaVision” was constructed, as well as what it was like to work with Olsen and Bettany portraying familiar characters in a wildly unfamiliar setting, and an important lesson Dick Van Dyke taught him about getting authentic reactions from a live sitcom audience. Have a listen to hear from one of the key creative voices behind “WandaVision”, Matt Shakman.
"WandaVision" hits Disney+ January 15
On this episode of The Playlist podcast, we have an in-depth conversation with Rolando Rodriguez, the CEO and President of Marcus Theatres. Marcus Theatres is the fourth-largest cinema chain in the US and fifth-largest in North America with more than 1,100 screens. And with 2021 upon us, we thought this would be the perfect time to speak with an expert on the theatrical release business about the struggles of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as what the exhibition industry is going to do to make sure it survives and thrives in 2021, especially with the rise of streaming services like Netflix, Disney+, and HBO Max.
To remember the recently passed John le Carré and his 60-year writing career, Be Reel starts 2021 with a super-sized episode revisiting six film adaptations of the master spy novelist, including "The Spy Who Came In From the Cold" (1965), "The Constant Gardener" (2005), "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" (2011) and more. Happy new year. And rest easy, Mr. Cornwell.
With 2020 finally coming to a close, The Playlist Podcast adds one more Best Of list to the pile. Well, not so much a Best Of, but instead, Charles, Mike, and Brian talk about the only list that “New Mutants” might find itself on this year, the Most Disappointing Films of 2020.
It’s finally here! After months of delays and the announcement that it would be arriving on HBO Max the same day as in theaters, “Wonder Woman 1984” is upon us. And this week’s episode of The Playlist Podcast features Charles Barfield, Mike DeAngelo, and Sharronda Williams are here to discuss the good, the bad, and the campy in one of the most anticipated films of the year.
If you thought Pixar’s resume couldn't get any more impressive, “Soul”—the studio’s upcoming release about passion, music, and a soul-in-training—will prove you wrong. That’s no small task. After all, Pixar already boasts a repertoire of celebrated works. “Toy Story”, “Monster’s Inc.”, “Finding Nemo”, “The Incredibles”, “Cars”, and the list goes on. The team at Pixar has shown beyond doubt their ability to tell great stories and to do so year in and year out.
Pixar’s diverse blend of creative minds produces an authenticity that rings true to real life. Kemp Powers, the co-director of "Soul" and a New York City native, emphasized this authenticity in the context of the animated cityscape.
To ensure a life-like portrayal of the city—which would have to pass the scrutiny of a long-time New York City commuter in Kemp Powers—the Pixar team brought in cinematographer Bradford Young as a lighting consultant.
Beyond authenticity, it is these deeper statements that make "Soul" the movie Pixar has been building toward. By inspecting a struggling musician’s life-purpose and connection to his true self—his soul—Pixar’s latest aspires to a depth not often seen in animation. It takes chances in the same way "Inside Out" did in dealing with taboo emotion. It’s daring in the same way "Coco" was in confronting death. So sure, in watching "Soul" when it’s released on Christmas Day, you’ll be engrossed in a story worthy of Pixar’s record. But you’ll also be challenged. You’ll be made to think and feel, and you’ll leave the film with a new perspective and, maybe, a new purpose.
Think that’s a tall order for Pixar? My conversation with Pete Docter, Kemp Powers and Dana Murray might convince you otherwise.
"Soul" hits Disney+ December 25.
As we end a truly bizarre movie year, Chance and Noah dive back into the work of seven directors who made their marks and cemented their voices in 2020. Happy holidays, one and all.
3:00- Leigh Whannell (“The Invisible Man”)
9:45 - Kitty Green (“The Assistant”)
17:20 - Jason Hehir (“The Last Dance”)
25:15 - Garrett Bradley (“Time”)
36:40 - Sean Durkin (“The Nest”)
44:30 - Eliza Hittman (“Never Rarely Sometimes Always”)
57:20 - Josephine Decker (“Shirley”)
In this episode of The Playlist Podcast, Charles Barfield, Mike DeAngelo, and Brian Farvour tackle "The Stand," the new CBS All Access streaming series that is co-created by Benjamin Cavell. The hosts actually speak to Cavell about the process of adapting a 1,200-page epic and some of the major changes that had to be made. In addition, the hosts are joined by writer/King expert Warren Cantrell, who lends his knowledge in explaining all things "The Stand."
0:00 - 40:00 - Warren Cantell joins to breakdown "The Stand"
40:01 - 69:00 - Showrunner Bejanmin Cavell Interview
"Mad Men" star Jon Hamm seeks creative fulfillment in more places than the alpha-male, womanizing life of Don Draper. Whether he’s in budget giants like the upcoming "Top Gun: Maverick" or festival titles like "Lucy in the Sky," he gravitates toward projects he’s passionate about. In the world of television, too, he prioritizes creative alignment over adherence to a consistent personal brand, landing recurring roles in shows like "30 Rock," "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt," and "Saturday Night Live." As the distinction between TV and film has grown more and more blurred, Hamm’s versatility has been an important asset.
The new landscape of entertainment has freed Hamm to pursue a variety of roles. More importantly, however, it has freed him to work with people he admires, like John Patrick Shanley, director of Hamm’s latest film, "Wild Mountain Thyme."
Of his and Shanley’s creation, Hamm says: "It's got all of the elements that make Shanley, Shanley. It's got this beautiful, magical realism. Ireland is a fanciful place. It takes place out of time. It doesn't need to be in the 60s, or the 40s, or the 20s. It has no cynicism. It has no snark. It's the perfect antidote to 2020."
In addition to exploring rural Ireland’s natural romanticism in Hamm’s newest film, our conversation ranged from being the unofficial mascot of the St. Louis Blues, to the exciting "volleyball scene 2.0" in "Top Gun: Maverick," and more. Have a listen to hear from the Mad Man himself, Jon Hamm.
Charles Barfield, Mike DeAngelo, and Brian Farvour return to discuss the massive news dropped by Disney during its 2020 Investors Presentation. The multi-hour presentation saw Disney unveil about 60 new projects including new films from Marvel, "Star Wars" and Pixar, as well as dozens of TV shows coming to Disney+. There's A LOT to cover.
0:00 - 5:30 - Disney+ numbers & the future
5:31 - 23:00 - Star Wars films & TV projects
23:01 - 61:00 - Marvel films & TV projects
61:01 - 88:00 - Other Disney projects & FX series
As a special bonus to our listeners, we're premiering the fourth episode of the new(ish) podcast "Fun City Cinema," which looks at the history of New York City, the history of New York City movies, and their intersection. "Fun City Cinema" was co-founded by Playlist contributor and reviewer Jason Bailey.
In this special holiday episode, hosts Jason Bailey and Mike Hull are joined by special guests Mark Asch, Jillian Mapes, Sarah Marshall, and Anya Stanley to look at the 1992 hit "Home Alone 2: Lost In New York," which somehow leads to Rudy Giuliani, Donald Trump, “Broken Windows,” the Central Park Five, and 9/11. Happy Holidays!
If you're a sports fan, there's nothing quite like the rush of watching a half-court buzzer-beater or a Super Bowl-winning touchdown in the final seconds of the game. There's just something remarkable about a group of individuals uniting to accomplish something greater than themselves. It's a trait that's inherently cinematic, however, simply recreating the excitement of game day for a feature film isn't enough. All the best sports movies understand that the power and impact of their story represent more than a game. For almost 20 years, producer Mark Ciardi ("The Rookie," "Invincible" and "Miracle") has lived by that philosophy delivering some of Disney's most poignant character dramas through the lens of popular athletic contests as a means for sparking a larger conversation. The former baseball player turned producer now takes his talents to Disney+ to deliver the story of 18-year-old Ray-Ray McElrathbey (Jay Reeves) who fights to not only keep his Clemson football scholarship but, most importantly stepping up to care for his 11-year-old brother Fahmarr (Thaddeus J. Mixson) after their mother enters rehab in "Safety."
Ray's story is one many young athletes can relate to, yet, it's a story rarely represented on the big screen. Learning how to divide one's time and balance both athletics and academics is enough of a challenge. However, when you factor in a troubled home life, it becomes an almost impossible task to rise to. Ray and his little brother, Fahmarr, understand that all too well, but, hope that their story can give some encouragement to young athletes looking for guidance.
While "Safety" has been in development since 2010, Mark Ciardi understood the importance of getting it made delivering encouraging messages of family, maturity, and parenthood as he continued to advocate for it. Even when given the green light, Ciardi wanted to make sure he captured the proper emotions of Ray's moment as the crew headed to Clemson to film in Memorial Stadium for a live football game.
You can listen to the rest of our conversation with Mark Ciardi and Ray-Ray McElrathbey and check out "Safety" when it hits Disney+ on Dec. 11.
This interview was conducted by Ronal E. Smith (@Just_Ron10)
Discussing films about real screenwriters on this episode of Be Reel, we dig into David Fincher's "Mank" (2020)—the new Netflix film about Herman Mankiewicz and the origins of "Citizen Kane." Then, we leap to the 21st century to reappraise Charlie Kaufman fictionalizing and splitting himself in "Adaptation" (2002) as he labors to adapt Susan Orlean's "The Orchid Thief." Finally, it's Dalton Trumbo's quest against the Hollywood Blacklist in "Trumbo" (2015). Each film comes with its own indulgent, even seductive spin on history, but isn't that what Hollywood does anyway? Now, we're just watching the mythologizers get mythologized. Oh, and don't forget to take a whiskey break between cigarettes.
In this episode of The Playlist Podcast, Charles, Mike, and Brian discuss two new films, "Nomadland" and "Another Round," both hoping to collect trophies this awards season. One is an incredibly emotional look at a woman hitting the open road and searching for connection wherever she can find it, while the other is a Danish film that shows that Mads Mikkelsen can do more than just play a villain. He can also dance!
This special episode of The Playlist Podcast features our new interview with director Darius Marder, the man behind the awards-contending feature, “Sound of Metal." Marder talks about his film, its unique origin story, and the painstaking process it took to make "Sound of Metal" an immersive film experience.
On this episode of The Playlist Podcast, Charles Barfield, Mike DeAngelo, and Brian Farvour are joined by Rodrigo Perez to talk about "The Mandalorian," as the series enters the second half of Season 2. With 12 total episodes released of this "Star Wars" live-action TV series, the group asks whether or not this is actually a good series or a show without purpose?
Ahead of Bruce Lee’s (would-be) 80th birthday, we marvel at the flying kicks, unforgettable shrieks, and star wattage of the global icon. This week, Be Reel dives into the Dragon’s life, many afterlives, and three of his major films—“Fist of Fury” (1972), “Way of the Dragon” (1972), and “Enter The Dragon” (1973)—with the help of biographer Jeff Chang and professor/martial artist Lory Dance.
As we entered 2020, there was arguably no actor poised to have as monumental of a year as Alison Brie. With an already diverse body of work ranging from period dramas to comedies, animation, video games, indie darlings, and more, this year especially feels like a snapshot of everything she's strived for her entire career thus far. She has four acting credits across such films as "Horse Girl," "The Rental," "Happiest Season," and "Promising Young Woman" while also spending time behind the camera directing an episode of the Disney+ docuseries "Marvel 616" and producing and co-writing the script for "Horse Girl." Since her dueling breakout performances in "Mad Men" and "Community," we've always known Brie was someone who refused to be put into a box, and it's that exact drive that's made her such an excitingly unpredictable talent on screen and a force of versatility. However, simply being original and different isn't enough for the 37-year-old actress. At this point in her career, it's imperative that the projects she selects stand for something and helps spark a conversation that reaches as many people as possible while advocating for progress.
"I definitely feel like I want my work to be about something important," says Brie. "But at the same time, you want it to go down easy. I know I have a better time processing information often when it's also entertaining."
Brie's latest, "Happiest Season," definitely falls into that category being the first Holiday romantic comedy centered around a gay couple. The film follows Harper (Mackenzie Davis) and Abby (Kristen Stewart) as they venture to Harper's family home for the holidays. Along with meeting her partner's parents for the first time, Abby is planning to propose. However, complications arise when Abby discovers Harper's not only kept their relationship a secret but her sexuality as well. For all of it's Yuletide camp and charm, "Happiest Season" is a rather earnest exploration of family acceptance and being true to who you are, something that wasn't lost on Brie when joining the project.
While "Happiest Season" makes for essential festive viewing this time of year, Brie will close out 2020 with Emerald Fennell's bold and ferocious Oscar contender, "Promising Young Woman." As Brie puts it, "it's a Me Too revenge thriller, but it just has such a dark but fun sense of humor." Since its premiere at Sundance back in January, the film has been garnering a passionate response from audiences and is sure to lead the charge in having a larger conversation about the sexist culture that turns a blind eye to the mistreatment of women. It's a project that, as soon as I mentioned, Brie was visibly eager to discuss.
During my conversation with Alison Brie, we not only discuss "Happiest Season" and "Promising Young Woman," but also what Christmas with her family is like, the future of Netflix's "GLOW," and much more.
On this episode of The Playlist Podcast, Charles Barfield, Mike DeAngelo, and Brian Farvour discuss the shocking news that "Wonder Woman 1984" is being released on HBO Max on the same day as theaters. In addition, filmmaker Sean Durkin joins to talk about "The Nest," his award contending drama starring Jude Law & Carrie Coon. Finally, "Sound of Metal" arrives in theaters and the hosts dive deep into Riz Ahemd's incredible, awards-worthy performance.
0:00 - 19:00 - Intro & 'Wonder Woman 1984' news
19:00 - 36:30 - 'Sound of Metal' discussion
36:00 - 69:00 - 'The Nest' discussion & Sean Durkin interview
In this episode of The Playlist Podcast, Charles Barfield, Mike DeAngelo, and Brian Farvour discuss the new films "Freaky" and "Fatman" while preparing for the release of "Mank" by digging into three of their favorite David Fincher films. Yes, there is some "Alien 3" discussion.
0:00 - 22:00 - Intro & "Freaky" discussion
22:00 - 43:15 - "Fatman" discussion
43:15 - 74:00 - David Fincher recommendations
In honor of both the late Sean Connery and the 25th anniversary of "GoldenEye" (1995), Be Reel looks back at the debuts of every actor to play 007: Connery (“Dr. No”), Roger Moore (“Live and Let Die”), Timothy Dalton (“The Living Daylights”), Pierce Brosnan (“GoldenEye”) and Daniel Craig (“Casino Royale”)—with a courteous nod to George Lazenby, too. Don't worry, folks, we don't try too many impressions.
In this episode of The Playlist Podcast, Charles, Mike, and Brian talk about the latest thriller from Kevin Costner and Diane Lane, titled "Let Him Go." They also discuss the bare-knuckle boxing film, "Jungleland," with director Max Winkler.
0:00 - 16:30 -- "Let Him Go" discussion
16:30 - 25:15 -- "Jungleland" discussion
25:15 - 48:30 -- Max Winkler interview
48:30 - 59:00 -- This Weeks "Recco's"
The Playlist Podcast returns with a Halloween episode where The Playlist Managing Editor Charles Barfield is joined by co-hosts Mike DeAngelo and Brian Farvour to talk about the horror facing movie theaters during the pandemic, as well as discuss three new spooky films, "The Craft: Legacy," "Spell," and "Kindred."
0:00 - 18:00 - Movie Theaters, the pandemic, and James Bond
18:00 - 27:00 - Kindred
27:00 - 38:15 - Spell
38:15 - 60:00 - The Craft: Legacy
60:00 - 72:00 - Horror recommendations for Halloween
It’s Halloween week, and nobody embodies the committed glam and eerie camp of the holiday quite like Tim Curry. This week on Be Reel, Chance and Noah celebrate and reappraise the British legend’s iconic costumed roles: “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” (1975), “Legend” (1985), and “It” (1990). We also make a brief return to “Clue” manor (1985). Recorded deep in the Vermont woods, this episode also features Noah's girlfriend, Lucy, and their mutual friend Brie, who have come prepared with indispensable "TC Fun Facts."
You may recognize Mark Webber as the talent, the creep, or the kid from cult favorites like “Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World,” “Green Room” or “Broken Flowers.” What you might not know is that the well-traveled character actor has embarked on an ambitiously self-interrogative directing career as well, culminating in his latest film: “The Place of No Words.” This week, Webber talks with Chance about acting with his children in movies they can’t watch, the stewardship of Jim Jarmusch, and leafing through bittersweet set photos from “Green Room.”
For the 30th anniversary of "To Sleep with Anger" (1990), we dive into the films of principal "L.A. Rebellion" director Charles Burnett. Part of the first generation of Black directors to come out of American film school, Burnett brought a daring cinematographer’s eye and watchful activist’s pen to films like "Killer of Sheep" (1978) and "The Glass Shield" (1994). Of course, one can’t talk about Burnett without discussing how underappreciated he’s been compared to white directors of his era with similar influences and indie bonafides. So let’s appreciate, dammit.
In addition, Be Reel would like to continue directing you to causes that support Black artists and creators. This week, please consider a donation to the “Our Stories Our Lives” response fund from the Portland nonprofit Open Signal. It’s turning donations into hundreds of stipends supporting Black filmmakers in the Northwest. Thank you for supporting their work.
https://secure.givelively.org/donate/open-signal/our-stories-our-lives-black-media-maker-response-fund
Being the son of one of Canada's most heralded genre filmmakers casts a large shadow often resulting in tired comparisons between their respective works that might not have been drawn otherwise. The desire for film fans to group filmmakers together due to familial ties isn't exactly a new concept (even if it is unfair), however, it is something Brandon Cronenberg has had to grapple with his entire filmmaking career. It's fair to acknowledge an overlap of interests given both he and his father, David Cronenberg, have a knack for practical effects-driven body horror. However, that's where the comparison should stop. David is more interested in creating something visually and/or viscerally arresting first and uses that to propel you through the story, whereas Brandon seems more interested in allowing the world of his films to breathe and develop using that to crescendo to a bloody fever dream. With Brandon's latest film, "Possessor," many will be quick to quote "like father, like son" (in a positive sense I might add), however, it's clear the budding filmmaker is personifying the conflict and torment of his own personal identity crisis to say something more.
In "Possessor", Tasya Vos (Andrea Riseborough) works for a secret organization with brain-implant technology, allowing agents to inhabit other people's bodies and commit assassinations for affluent clients. The years of becoming someone else has taken its toll on her as she begins to lose any semblance of her former self. Her latest mission requires her to slip into the consciousness of Colin Tate (Christopher Abbott) as the lines between who she is and who she wants to be are blurred.
Brandon Cronenberg's directorial debut, "Antiviral," was the product of the filmmaker's own sickness as he obsessed over the idea of someone else being inside of you via the transmission of disease. Continuing this exploration of existentialism, Cronenberg's sophomore effort was birthed out of his experience on the press tour for "Antiviral" during which he struggled with the idea of creating a media persona detached from "David Cronenberg's son" and living life as different people day-to-day.
"[While I was making the film] it was very much a personal experience," said Cronenberg. "Traveling with a film for the first time is incredibly surreal because you're constructing a public persona and you're performing this other version of yourself, this new, media version of yourself that runs off and has its own life without you. That experience and a few other things led me to feel like I was waking up in the morning and sitting up into someone else's life and having to madly construct some kind of character who could operate in that context. So I wanted to write a film about somebody who may or may not be an imposter in their own life as a way of talking about how we build characters and narratives in order to function as human beings. Of course, we perform for other people, but we also perform for ourselves. I don't think the way we see ourselves represents the true version of who we are. I think we have our own self-image and personal mythologies as well."
During our conversation with Cronenberg, we also discussed Canadian existentialism in horror, how his previous artistic ventures in fine art and music eventually led him to film, practical vs. digital effects and why he thinks filmmakers stray away from the former, wanting to adapt Phillip K. Dick, and much more.
A novelist, performance artist and film director, Miranda July is a genre of her own—quite literally—this week on Be Reel. We're talking about the just-released "Kajillionaire" (2020), "Me and You and Everyone We Know" (2005) and "The Future" (2011). In each of July's feature films, the writer-director introduces us to human connections familiar but strange, where chat rooms, taboos and family arrangements both create and bridge the gaps between the world's loneliest people.
God loves a terrier and probably the directorial work of Christopher Guest, too. On the latest Be Reel, we watched “Waiting for Guffman” (1996), “Best in Show” (for its 20th anniversary), “A Mighty Wind” (2003), and “For Your Consideration” (2006)—all currently streaming on Hulu. Let’s dive in to ask what these movies tell us about today’s documentary craze for wild subcultures and whether there’s anything funnier than Parker Posey freaking and Fred Willard yapping.
As we enter the most fraught back-to-school season in recent memory, Be Reel looks back at Hollywood’s conception of underserved students and the inspirational educators who rescue their learning. This week, it’s “Stand and Deliver” (1988), “Lean On Me” (1989), “Dangerous Minds” (1995), and “Precious” (2009). Joining us are Dr. Micia Mosely and Kia Walton from Black Teacher Project to discuss 2020 classrooms, ideas for improved and updated teacher movies, and their organization’s mission to develop and sustain more Black teachers (36:55).
Learn more and donate at BlackTeacherProject.org.
For a screenwriter, to be featured on the coveted annual Black List is a tremendous accomplishment that’s jumpstarted the career of many of the industry’s hottest writers. If you’re Mattson Tomlin, you’ve not only been featured on that list six times in the past four years, but you’ve done so before the age of thirty. Like the most accomplished athletes, Tomlin regularly exercises his creative muscles averaging anywhere from 8-12 scripts a year. While the writer himself acknowledges many of those scripts aren’t pitch worthy, they have led to the creation of projects such as Netflix’s latest film “Project Power.”
Set against the backdrop of New Orleans, “Project Power” is an original “real world” superhero story that centers around the use of a pill that gives the user unpredictable abilities for five minutes. The story follows a teenage dealer (Dominique Fishback), a local cop (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), and an ex-soldier (Jamie Foxx) as they try to take down the organization responsible for creating the drug and releasing it onto the streets.
With “Project Power,” Tomlin confidently establishes himself as a writer who’s a true fan of comic books, graphic novels, and all the titans of pop culture many of us grew up obsessing over even stating that he considered turning his screenplay into a graphic novel had it not gotten picked up. Perhaps that’s precisely why the film is the perfect precursor to the slew of high profile projects Tomlin is attached to; namely, Matt Reeves’ “The Batman” and the upcoming “Mega Man” movie.
While Tomlin might be attached to some of the hottest upcoming blockbusters, he remains accessible and active on social media and, especially, Reddit eager and willing to pay his good fortune forward. He understands all to well the struggle of being an aspiring screenwriter and wants to give real, honest, and useful advice (no bullshit) while he still can to help the next generation of writers carve out their own path.
During our conversation with Tomlin, we also discussed the responsibility on screenwriters to be honest in their depiction of film’s in the “cop genre” in 2020, the upcoming “Mega Man” movie, the greatness of “Batman: The Animated Series,” “The Batman,” how Bryan Singer’s “X-Men” influenced “Project Power,” why David Fincher’s “Zodiac” is one of the greatest films of the 2010s, and MUCH more.
Only in a career as pioneering and storied as Gordon Parks' could an achievement like "first Black Hollywood director" fall into the second paragraph. Yet Parks' significance as a photographer and renaissance man does often overshadow a film career that saw him direct "The Learning Tree" (1969), "Shaft" (1971), and "Leadbelly" (1976). This week, Be Reel revisits these too-forgotten cinematic portraits of Black life, joined by director/producer Craig Laurence Rice to discuss the years he spent with Parks making the Emmy-nominated documentary "Half Past Autumn" (2000).
Ryan Oliver and Jenny Nulf (Austin Asian American Film Festival, Austin Chronicle) discuss five of the new releases that came out across various platforms this last weekend, including "The Old Guard," "Palm Springs," "First Cow," and more.
0:00-24:14: "The Old Guard"
24:15-43:30: "Palm Springs"
43:31-01:13:50: "Relic" and "The Beach House"
01:13:51-End: "First Cow"
When it comes to being an on-screen mariner, Tom Hanks takes his orders from no one. To celebrate his recent birthday and the release of the new WWII submarine movie "Greyhound" (2020), Chance and Noah dive into the boat-bound roles of Hanks’ storied career. That means “Splash” (1984), “Sleepless In Seattle” (1993), “Cast Away” (2000), “Captain Phillips” (2013), and then “Greyhound.” Can the guys craft a coherent thesis as to why Hanks keeps choosing the water as his co-star? Permission to come aboard.
* * *
To support the causes of justice and equity for our Black colleagues, friends, neighbors, and fellow citizens, please consider donating to:
-The AAR Diversity Internship Initiative-- aaronline.org/page-1795315
-Don't Shoot PDX -- www.dontshootpdx.org/tag/donate/
-The Family of James Scurlock -- www.gofundme.com/f/for-james-scurlocks-family
Cristin Milioti is the definition of an entertainer. She’s a musician, singer/songwriter, stage performer, Broadway star, and actress - and that’s just what we know. She won a Grammy and was nominated for a Tony Award for her breakout performance in the musical adaptation of “Once.” She collaborated with Martin Scorsese on “The Wolf of Wall Street,” and, in television, has had pivotal (in some cases, awards-worthy) roles in “How I Met Your Mother,” “Fargo,” and “Black Mirror.” Milioti has worked hard to ensure the only thing you can expect from her is to be unexpected with the projects she chooses. Typecasting is the last thing the 34-year-old performer wants, and while, early on, some have tried, Milioti has remained steadfast pivoting using her natural talents and diverse skillset.
Milioti's latest film is The Lonely Island's 2020 Sundance smash hit "Palm Springs." The film was one of the most talked-about movies at the festival and even broke records selling to Neon and Hulu for $17.5 million and 69 cents, making it the biggest Sundance sale ever. The film follows two strangers, Nyles (Andy Samberg) and Sarah (Milioti), who attend a wedding at Palm Springs only to get stuck inside a time loop unexpectedly. Re-living the wedding day over and over again, the two not only begin to form a budding romance but embark upon an introspective journey.
Being a musician first and then actor, Milioti often finds herself thinking musically when it comes to developing her characters. She creates playlists for each of them and believes the kind of music someone listens too can tell you a lot about a person.
During our conversation with Cristin Milioti, we discuss her work on the stage, songwriting, the nervousness that comes with singing in front of an audience, "Russian Doll," how never seeing "Groundhog Day" gave her a fresh perspective on "Palm Springs" and much more.
"Cane River" (1982), a recently unearthed debut from late writer/director Horace Jenkins, is now, after a year of remastering, available for streaming. Part love story, part critique of colorism in Louisana, "Cane River" is a moving examination of how cinematic romances can't escape history. Critic and writer Tiana Reid joins Noah and Chance to unpack the concept of the "Black outdoors" and review some of Peter Metoyer's poetry.
Read Tiana's tremendous review of "Cane River" here:
www.nybooks.com/daily/2020/06/20/…e-black-outdoors/
* * *
To support the causes of justice and equality for our Black colleagues, friends, neighbors, and fellow citizens, please consider donating to:
-The AAR Diversity Internship Initiative-- aaronline.org/page-1795315
-Don't Shoot PDX -- www.dontshootpdx.org/tag/donate/
-The Family of James Scurlock -- www.gofundme.com/f/for-james-scurlocks-family
Most actors wouldn't consider leaving a role as one of the most popular and beloved characters on one of the most acclaimed BBC costume dramas in it's prime. However, most actors aren't Dan Stevens. To avoid being typecast, the "Downton Abby" alum boldly exited the series in 2012 to pursue a career in American cinema. Since then, Stevens has strived to diversify his filmography. He's had great success in genre films such as "The Guest" and "Colossal" and even lent his musical talents to Disney's live-action "Beauty and the Beast" as The Beast. He also helped challenge cable television and the comic book genre with his titular role in Noah Hawley's thought-provoking series "Legion." All of this is to say that Dan Stevens is a performer with range and someone who's imagination knows no bounds. This summer, Stevens not only returns to the paranoia driven psychological thrillers he's so fond of but lends his charisma and charm to the first-ever Eurovision movie.
In Dave Franco's directorial debut, "The Rental," Stevens stars opposite Allison Brie in this timely thriller following two couples who rent an Airbnb for a weekend getaway. Shortly after arriving, they suspect the owner is spying on them. What follows will make audiences reconsider before booking their next Airbnb (if COVID-19 hasn't already).
"Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga," sees Will Ferrell reteam with "Wedding Crashers" director David Dobkin and former SNL writing partner Andrew Steele. The film tells the story of an Icelandic duo (Ferrell and Rachel McAdams) competing in the world's largest international song competition. While the movie is full of entertaining performances, Stevens steals the show with his turn as the suave and eccentric Russian billionaire Alexander Lemtov.
Stevens has an attuned ear when it comes to dialect. In fact, the 37-year-old actor revealed that if he converses with someone for long enough, he'll start unintentionally adopting their speech pattern. More often than not, Stevens' entry point into a character is in how they speak, and his attraction to dialect has informed some of his other career decisions.
Many may be unaware, but Dan Stevens is a rather accomplished audiobook narrator with credits ranging from Agatha Christie's "Murder on the Orient Express," to "The Illiad" and "The Odyssey," to "Frankenstein," "War Horse," and Ian Fleming's "Casino Royale." Perhaps much of his fascination with audiobooks stems from his love and degree in literature. However, there's something to be said about how Stevens is drawn to words and the endless creativity they inspire when a camera isn't around.
Over the course of our conversation with Dan Stevens, we discussed Eurovision, ambitions of pursuing more voice acting, his time doing stand-up comedy, collaborating with a first-time actor turned director on "The Rental," and more.
Much like it's vampirical antagonist, AMC’s summer horror fare, "NOS4A2" recently began its second life. The show, based on Joe Hill's novel of the same name, about a 1938 Rolls Royce Wraith symbiotically linked to succubus Charlie Manx (Zachary Quinto) and his battle against Vic McQueen (Ashleigh Cummings), a young woman who has superpowers of her own, had its second season premiere last week and is once again available as a full season stream to those with the AMC Premiere subscription.
However last year, its future wasn't so certain. The premiere of season one garnered significant interest, with over 2 million viewers watching live, streaming, or watching through DVR, but as the season progressed, viewership was almost cut in half. The show's mixed reception slowly affecting return viewership, and the remaining fans were uncertain if they would ever see the conclusion of Vic's battle with Manx. However, that fear was quickly put to rest, as AMC decided to put season two into production before season one had even completed airing on cable.
So with newfound confidence, showrunner, and creator, Jami O’Brien knew she and her cast and crew had a rare opportunity to really dig into Hill’s work and begin expanding the mythos.
“The big difference with season two is that there is no mystery," said O'Brien. "[In season One, Vic] was learning what her powers were, what she could and could not do, she was learning who Charlie Manx is, [and] the audience was learning all these things along with her.” Perhaps this explains the mixed reception of Season 1. Often it could suffer from slower, but nevertheless important, episodes that had to explain these rules. O’Brien promises season two will excite on a regular basis. “With that mystery gone, it just means the show, right off the bat has more gas in the tank." Having screened the first five episodes, I couldn't agree more.
Shows can often find their legs in the second season. Many believe it's the perfect time for them to find their real voice with that first season of exposition out of the way, and the core audience established. O’Brien also knows that she and her writers were given a great opportunity to really focus on the shows’ strengths, and that includes catering the characters to the talents of "NOS4A2’s" (arguably) underrated cast.
“[In Season 1] we had most of the scripts written before anything was cast,” said O'Brien as she focused on one of the major draws of the show, the always charming, often twisted Zachary Quinto, as Manx. “Zach is amazing and explosive whenever he’s on-screen in season one. But at the end of the first season I [realized], we have the amazing Movie star/Broadway star, Zach Quinto… let’s put him to work”
Season 2, really finds its footing in the second episode, and the first two episodes are excellent companion pieces that reveal how layered the crux of the show can be. They feature excellent performances by Quinto and Cummings. It is a great reminder of why the show was renewed, and how those two can carry it for the remainder of its run (along with a terrific supporting cast). This season promises enough expansion, twists, and turns and fun-filled-horror that AMC and "NOS4A2" are known for, and let’s hope the audiences will return in greater numbers to pump some blood into the heart of the show for future seasons.
During our conversation with O'Brien, we discuss getting to the heart of Hill's original novel, the challenge in bringing iconic moments from the book to life, being selective with scares, why comparisons have been drawn between the show and Peter Pan, and much more.
Additional reporting by Michael Winn Johnson
"It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" co-creator and star Rob McElhenney talks with Chance Solem-Pfeifer about 14 seasons of changing yet not changing Mac, answering constant questions about his physique, and the new quarantine episode of his Apple TV+ comedy "Mythic Quest: Raven's Banquet." Plus, there's George RR Martin talk and McElhenney's overall advice for staying sharp and responsible as an artist.
"Chicken Run" (2000) turns 20 this week, and to celebrate, Chance and Noah are looking back at the filmography of Nick Park, the chief creative voice of Aardman Animation through its heyday. To understand the origins of Park's droll but heartfelt world, we rewind to the original, Academy Award-winning "Wallace & Gromit" shorts and discuss all the hallmarks of tactility—exploding fruit, precocious critters and nightmarish “steam folk” machines—that made Aardman movies so singular. After a full-scale celebration of “Chicken Run,” we also review “Wallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit” (2005) and “Early Man” (2018).
* * *
To support the causes of justice and equality for Black Americans in these times, please consider donating to:
Kathryn Hahn is having a sustained ongoing moment and it's arguably been happening since 2013. That year, she starred in Jill Soloway's "Afternoon Delight," and while the response to that Sundance indie was muted, it arguably transformed her career, taking her out of supporting "crazy lady" comedic roles and into the place of lead in complex comedic dramas about female identity, desire and the yearning for much more. Hahn has become something of a muse for many female filmmakers and "Afternoon Delight" lead to terrific turns in Soloway's "Transparent," the overlooked, but short-lived series, "I Love Dick," and lead roles in Tamara Jenkins' "Private Life," and HBO's "Mrs. Fletcher" series from director Nicole Holofcener and author Tom Perrota (known for writing the novels of "Election" and "Little Children"). Hahn's latest two projects couldn't be more different. One is HBO's "I Know This Much Is True" from director Derek Cianfrance alongside Mark Ruffalo. The other is "Central Park," an animated AppleTV+ show from the makers of "Bob's Burgers." In our hour-long chat, we parsed all these topics, most of Hahn's entire career, and even touched a little upon "Wandavision," the upcoming Disney+ Marvel series that she has a role in.
Ryan Oliver is joined by Nick Allen (RogerEbert.com, Vulture, MEL Magazine, The AV Club) to look back on the directorial debut of Judd Apatow, starting from "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" all the way to his latest film, "The King of Staten Island."
All shows and episodes are a part of The Playlist Podcast Network—which includes The 4th Wall, Be Reel, Indie Beat, and more—and can be heard on iTunes, AnchorFM, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spotify, and iHeartRadio. To listen on this page, you can stream the podcast via the AnchorFM embed below or up top. Follow us on iTunes, and you’ll get this podcast as well as our other shows regularly. Be sure to subscribe, and drop us a comment or a rating as we do appreciate it. Thanks for listening.
On this episode, Ryan Oliver is joined by Kathia Woods (Cup of Soul Show, Philadelphia Tribune, Awards Watch) and Ronda Racha Penrice (Zora, NBC THINK, Atlanta Journal Constitution) to discuss the latest Spike Lee joint - "Da 5 Bloods" - while spending the bulk of the discussion looking back at the more underrated and under-appreciated films in Lee's four decades of filmmaking.
0:00-23:13 - "Da 5 Bloods" Review
23:14-End - The Underrated and Overlooked Films of Spike Lee
"School Daze"
"Get on the Bus"
"4 Little Girls"
"When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts"
"Summer of Sam"
"Miracle at St. Anna"
"Red Hook Summer"
"Da Sweet Blood of Jesus"
"Pass Over"
All shows and episodes are a part of The Playlist Podcast Network—which includes The 4th Wall, Be Reel, Indie Beat, and more—and can be heard on iTunes, AnchorFM, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spotify, and iHeartRadio. To listen on this page, you can stream the podcast via the AnchorFM embed below or up top. Follow us on iTunes, and you’ll get this podcast as well as our other shows regularly. Be sure to subscribe, and drop us a comment or a rating as we do appreciate it. Thanks for listening.
Some cinematic properties are lost in production-limbo for ages, and yet, when the films are finally released, the timing could not have worked better for them.
The Creator and author of "Artemis Fowl," Eoin Coffer, has jokingly stated that the film would be finished two years after his death. Luckily, he didn’t have to wait that long.
But while the film took almost twenty years to make; those twenty years were very kind to the project. Disney was able to secure the rights, the studio was able to distance itself from Harvey Weinstein, and there was a change in director from Lawrence Guterman to the legendary Sir Kenneth Branagh. Finally, because of a delay due to the Disney/Fox merger, and with recent complications arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, the film will hit Disney+ Friday, June 12th, in what is perhaps the perfect platform for this movie.
"Artemis Fowl" stars Ferdia Shaw (grandson of the great Robert Shaw) as the title character, Lara McDonnell, Nonso Anozie, Colin Farrell, and returning to work with Branagh after "Murder on the Orient Express," Josh Gad and Judy Dench. It follows the story of a wunderkind, a self-proclaimed child-criminal genius who must breach the barrier between the world of man, and the world of Irish mythology to save his father from magical peril.
Perhaps "Artemis Fowl" being an adaptation of Eoin Colfer's beloved fantasy novels is precisely why Branagh is a great choice to direct. He is no stranger to literary classics turned cinematic, and not simply because of the myriad of Shakespearean adaptations. The filmmaker has "Frankenstein," "Cinderella," "Murder on the Orient Express," and even more contemporary literature like "Thor" that help comprise his filmography. It's apparent that Branagh has a deep love for literature of all kinds and it's what helps fuel his adaptations.
What's even more distinct about Branagh's adaptations is how he strikes a balance between traditional folklore ("Thor," "Artemis Fowl") and the contemporary. "Artemis Fowl," specifically, thrives on introducing this fabled world all while making it more accessible and relevant to its target demographic. However, audiences of all ages will be able to find something in this adventure they’ll enjoy, and it will undoubtedly speak to children everywhere, even if they have never read a single page of the novels.
During our conversation with Kenneth Branagh, we not only discussed his love of literature and adaptations but his collaborations with Christopher Nolan and Kevin Feige, how he fostered a welcoming set for "Artemis Fowl's" child actors Ferdia Shaw and Lara McDonnell, how he selects which of his directed projects to star in, what we can expect from his upcoming "Death on the Nile" and much more.
Additional reporting by Michael Winn Johnson
Rebecca Hall talks about her role as an emotionally closed-off physicist in Amazon Prime's humanist sci-fi series "Tales From The Loop" with the Deep Focus host Rodrigo Perez. Hall is also making her directorial debut with the upcoming film "Passing," starring Tessa Thompson and Ruth Negga. It's an adaptation of Nella Larsen's 1920s Harlem Renaissance novel, which explores the practice of racial passing, a term used for a person classified as a member of one racial group who seeks to be accepted by a different racial group. But for Hall, it's a complicated story for her to reckon with the legacy of her own complicated family -- a bi-racial grandfather and mother who grappled with some of the same issues of identity. We also talked about her approach to acting, her career, her many roles, working with Christopher Nolan, and much more. It's a long, hour-long podcast, so buckle in, and hopefully, you'll enjoy it.
Like everything, it's been a strange world for the film industry in the midst of COVID-19. On this long-belated episode, Ryan Oliver is joined by Playlist Managing Editor Charles Barfield, and the former hosts of Playlist Podcast Adjust Your Tracking - Erik McClanahan and Joe von Appen - to discuss the state of theatrical moviegoing. We speculate on if theaters will hit their proposed July release date, in time for Christopher Nolan's "Tenet," and if it's the right thing to do. We also discuss how the industry is adapting amidst the pandemic (such as PVOD and selling titles to other streaming services) and further cementing co-existence between theatrical and digital. It's a broad topic with no easy answers, but the discussion remains thoughtful.
If you have the means, please consider donating to Black Lives Matter (https://blacklivesmatter.com/) and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund (https://www.naacpldf.org/), among other organizations.
All shows and episodes are a part of The Playlist Podcast Network—which includes The 4th Wall, Be Reel, Indie Beat, and more—and can be heard on iTunes, AnchorFM, Soundcloud, Stitcher, Spotify, and iHeartRadio. To listen on this page, you can stream the podcast via the AnchorFM embed below or up top. Follow us on iTunes, and you’ll get this podcast as well as our other shows regularly. Be sure to subscribe, and drop us a comment or a rating as we do appreciate it.
He’s been called the Lizard King, the Iceman, the Dark Knight, and is perpetually applying for the post of your Huckleberry. Val Kilmer is one of the most fascinating and elusive screen presences of the last 40 years. In the wake of Val's new memoir, Noah and Chance chronicle the highlights of a roller-coaster career from 1985 to present. The questions are as high-minded and dire as Kilmer’s work: was Val the most talented actor of his generation? And if that’s true, why was he done making relevant work by age 45? We certainly acknowledge there are far more important things in the world right now, but we hope you’ll come along with us when you can, at least from "Real Genius" to "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang."
Over the last decade, you’ve undoubtedly seen both Sam Hargrave and his work without even knowing it. In fifteen years, he has racked up 80 credits working as either a stunt performer or stunt coordinator in both television and film. He's doubled for Hugh Jackman, Chris Evans, and Justin Timberlake, along with many others; and is responsible for staging some of the biggest and most exciting action sequences in recent years. Hargrave served as a stunt coordinator on "Avengers: Endgame," "Deadpool 2," "Captain America: Civil War," "Atomic Blonde," and all but the first film in the "Hunger Games" franchise, just to name a few.
While stunt performance allowed Hargrave to make a name for himself, his true passion always lied with directing. In April, he was finally able to turn that passion into a reality with his directorial debut with "Extraction." "Extraction" is a Netflix Original action film written by Joe Russo, produced by the Russo Brothers, and starring Chris Hemsworth and David Harbour. The film tells the story of a mercenary sent in to extricate the son of an international crime lord from the clutches of kidnappers. When Hemsworth’s character (Tyler Rake) is double-crossed, he faces enemies on all sides as he battles to protect the boy and escape town.
"Extraction" was an instant hit for Netflix. According to the streaming service, the film "is well on its way to becoming the biggest-ever film premiere on Netflix — with a projected 90 million households getting in on the action in the first 4 weeks." The movie appears to have been the right movie at the right time. While movie theaters are shut down and virtually all theatrical releases have been postponed, Netflix offered an exciting action film produced by the directors of the biggest movie of the past decade, featuring one of today’s leading men, and directed by one of the premier stunt coordinators in the business. People seemed more than willing to tune in.
Perhaps much of this has to do with a yearning for more mid-budget action movies. The filmmaker himself even cited the works of Jackie Chan and John McTiernan along with "Rambo" as works that impacted his filmmaking sensibilities.
During our conversation with director Sam Hargrave, we discussed not only "Extraction," its success, and the already announced sequel (and whether he’ll be involved), but also action movies in general, as well as Netflix as a vessel for more niche films to be made and seen. We also learn what action films inspired him as a director and filmmaker, and find out what he has been watching while stuck at home during the pandemic.
American independent film lost a guiding light this month with the sudden passing of Lynn Shelton. From 2006 to 2019, Shelton created a multi-film roadmap for considering the dimensionality of place (often Seattle) and deep personal meaning from simple conversation. This week, Be Reel looks back at "We Go Way Back" (2006), "Humpday" (2009), "Your Sister's Sister" (2011), "Laggies" (2014) and "Sword of Trust" (2019) to celebrate an aspirational career, cut tragically short.
Hollywood and Bollywood both suffered an incalculable loss last month with the untimely passing of actor Irrfan Khan. Known to American audiences for his character work in "Life of Pi" and "Jurassic World", the icon in India spent 30 years embodying quiet masculinity in chameleonic performances. Today, Chance and Noah look at some of his most notable Bollywood films: "Paan Singh Tomar" (2012), "The Lunchbox" (2013), and "Piku" (2015). To start the show, Chance is joined by Vulture contributor Mallika Rao to discuss Khan's career and her tremendous remembrance of the actor, which you can read below.
https://www.vulture.com/2020/05/the-undefinable-something-of-irrfan-khan.html
A candid and affable Josh Trank ("Chronicle") gets on the line to get candid about his "Fantastic Four" failures, his fruitful collaboration with Tom Hardy (which may yield more films) and his latest movie, the surreal fever dream that is "Capone" (or "Fonzo" as he still refers to it), starring the aforementioned "Mad Max" star. For the belatedly returning (?) podcast show Deep Focus very-infrequently hosted by The Playlist Editor-in-Chief Rodrigo Perez.
This week in the ever-flowing slipstream, Be Reel hosts Chance Solem-Pfeifer and Noah Ballard turn their sights to Ryan Murphy's Netflix original miniseries "Hollywood," a send-up/revisionist history of postwar... Hollywood. Over seven hour-long episodes, we follow the cast and crew of the fictional film "Meg" (Laura Harrier, Darren Criss, Samara Weaving, and more) as they rewrite American movie lore and vanquish countless obstacles for LGBTQ artists and artists of color. But is "Hollywood" an alluring political reverie or anachronistically reductive mumbo-jumbo? Well ... action.
Episode Discussion Times:
While Apple TV+'s first wave of content was met with a lukewarm response, it hasn't stopped the tech company from continuing to collaborate with A-List talent. The tech company has already joined forces with such talent as M. Night Shyamalan, Steven Spielberg, Jason Momoa, Jennifer Aniston, Reese Witherspoon, Kumail Nanjiani, Octavia Spencer, and countless others. However, the top tier collaborations don't stop there. In Apple TV+'s latest drama, "Defending Jacob," Academy Award-nominated director, Morten Tyldum ("The Imitation Game," "Passengers"), assembled an all-star team to bring to life an adaptation of the bestselling novel. The show has quickly become a topic of weekly television discourse.
Starring Chris Evans, Michelle Dockery, Jaeden Martell, and Pablo Schrieber, "Defending Jacob" follows an assistant DA (Evans) and his family as their lives are uprooted following the shocking accusation that his son may be a murderer. The series not only features A-List talent in front of the camera but behind the camera as well. "Dawn of the Planet of the Apes" and "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" screenwriter, Mark Bombock, pens the script while Tyldum directs all eight episodes of the series.
While Tyldum has had great success with his feature films, he's no stranger to television. The director helmed episodes of Amazon Prime's "Jack Ryan" and Starz's "Counterpart" and excels at bringing a cinematic sensibility to the format. That sensibility proved to be critical in constructing the visual language "Defending Jacob." Using the atmosphere to emphasize character drama, Tyldum specifically looked to some of his favorite adult thrillers and one of cinema's most influential voices.
It's easy to get wrapped up in the atmosphere and mystery Tyldum crafts in "Defending Jacob," as it's immediately the first thing that hits you. However, Tyldum still wanted to ground the story as much as possible. Chris Evans' experience in live performance gave him exactly what he was looking for as it helped anchor the drama in reality.
During our conversation with Tyldum on episode eighteen of The Fourth Wall, we talk about the importance of casting Chris Evans in the lead and why his lack of experience in roles like this is precisely why Tyldum wanted him. We also discuss the key to a successful book adaptation, taking creative liberties with the source material, THAT surprise casting choice, whether he prefers the binge model vs. week-to-week, the future of the theatrical experience, and much more.
Additional reporting by Zach Pope
Heading into 2016, no director showed more promise than Justin Kurzel. After shocking audiences with his disturbing and intimate examination of the Snowtown Murders in 2011's "Snowtown," the filmmaker instantly became one of Australia's exciting new voices. This excitement only amplified following his striking adaptation of Shakespeare's "Macbeth" starring Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard. Personifying the playwright's own words of "sound and fury" with fire and blood, Kurzel created a visual mood poem that solidified his mastery over cinematic grammar. Kurzel's continued exploration of "outlaws" paired with "Macbeth's" astonishing visuals and primal action sequences positioned him nicely for a successful adaptation of the popular video game franchise "Assassin's Creed." Sadly (while I enjoyed and defend that film), the film was met with harsh criticism. At the time, Kurzel was living in London and the failure of "Assassin's" paired with a detachment from Australia caused the filmmaker to feel a bit lost. It was during this period of soul searching and missing home that Kurzel found Peter Carey's novel, "True History of the Kelly Gang."
"True History," both the novel and Kurzel's film, tells the story of famed Australian bushranger turned legend Ned Kelly (George MacKay) and his gang as they oppose British rule and flee from the authorities during the 1870s. As opposed to more historical examinations of Kelly, "True History" is a fictitious interpretation told through the perspective of the infamous outlaw himself. It's precisely this lens that grabbed hold of Kurzel in a way the legend from his childhood hadn't before allowing him to return to his filmmaking roots.
During my conversation with director Justin Kurzel, we not only discuss his relationship with Ned Kelly but delve into his fascination with morally gray characters. We also discuss how Kurosawa, Béla Tarr, Gus Van Sant's "Elephant," and Scorsese's originally storyboards for "Raging Bull" helped shape his filmmaking sensibilities, how Ted Kotcheff's "Wake in Fright" influenced "True History," his experience making "Assassin's Creed," why "Joker" inspired him, and much more.
To celebrate Al Pacino’s 80th birthday, Be Reel zeroes in on one of the acting legend’s favorite archetypes—the ragged police detective. Today, we trace Pacino’s investigative methods all the way from iconic “Serpico” (1973) to controversial “Cruising” (1980) to charged “Sea of Love” (1989) to unimpeachable “Heat” (1995) to perhaps underrated “Insomnia” (2002), all the way to VOD schlock like “Hangman” (2017). It’s a trajectory that reveals Pacino's groundbreaking subtlety transforming into meme-able gravitas and intersects with some of the absolute best directors of the last half-century. Join us; there’s definitely a gold shield in it for you.
This week, Chance and Noah decipher the back half of Alex Garland's “Devs.” With the help of sci-fi writer Tochi Onyebuchi, the guys examine the exciting, loose-end-tying, head-scratching, quantum-defying final episodes of the FX on Hulu series.
Be Reel gives many thanks to this episode’s sponsors: Podcorn and California College of the Arts’ Writing MFA program.
-PODCORN: Explore sponsorship opportunities and start monetizing your podcast by signing up at podcorn.com/podcasters.
-California College of the Arts: Start your journey toward a writing MFA at CCA.edu/writingmfa.
For much of the late-20th century, Barbra Streisand was a ubiquitous star of stage, album, and screen. And the EGOT winner’s artistic vision was never clearer than in her three forays into directing, producing and starring in her own movies: "Yentl" (1983), "The Prince of Tides" (1991) and "The Mirror Has Two Faces" (1996). Each film features a touch of Streisand’s cross-medium talents: a little musicality, a little slapstick comedy, a little Judaism and feminism intermingling to define the persona of an underexplored icon.
* * *
-You can find "The Prince of Tides" newly added to the Criterion Collection:
https://www.criterion.com/films/29571-the-prince-of-tides
-BE REEL is brought to you by California College of the Arts’ Writing MFA Program. Learn more about their wonderful work at cca.edu/writingmfa.
With theaters closed indefinitely, 'Be Reel' hosts Chance and Noah sink into the existential blur of the FX/Hulu limited series "Devs." The new show from Alex Garland ("Ex Machina" and "Annihilation") unravels the mind-bending and violent workings of a quantum computer company. Episode discussion time stamps are below:
0:00 - Show Overview
16:50 - Episode 1 Spoilers
26:00 - Episode 2
38:40 - Episode 3
52:10 - Episode 4
When it comes to contemporary sci-fi, Alex Garland sits at the highest level of Hollywood writers/directors/creators. Whether penning original ideas about humanity’s undoing (“Ex Machina,” “28 Days Later,” “Sunshine”) or adapting bestselling books (“Annihilation,” “Never Let Me Go”) to his own specifications, Garland has had a hand in several of the most intriguing sci-fi and horror films of the past 20 years. This week, Be Reel studies most things Garland, with an emphasis on his screenwriting, leading to our forthcoming recap of his new Hulu/FX show "Devs.” Keep your eyes peeled for that shortly.
Before the entire world shut down, there was an extremely good Kelly Reichardt movie ("First Cow") halfway into theaters. Now it's shelved indefinitely, but our career-spanning look at the American independent stalwart continues. Known for their lived-in detail, complex female leads and incisive social commentary, Reichardt titles like "Wendy and Lucy" (2008), "Meek's Cutoff" (2010) and "Night Moves" (2013) examine the age-old cracks in the Pacific Northwest's rebellious mythology. Of course, the guys also discuss what they've been watching in this time of social distancing, and Chance shares a telling bit from his recent interview with Reichardt.
Who do you become when no one can see you? Today’s Be Reel category doesn’t take a rosy view of how already powerful dudes would use the power of invisibility. In light of the new "Invisible Man" film starring Elisabeth Moss and directed by Leigh Whannell, we rope in and review an additional trio of invisible pictures, including "The Invisible Man" (1933), "Memoirs of an Invisible Man" (1992) and "Hollow Man" (2000). Timestamps below!
0:00 -- The Invisible Man (2020) Spoiler-Free
16:00 -- Spoilers for The Invisible Man (2020)
26:00 -- James Whale's The Invisible Man (1933)
40:15 -- John Carpenter's Memoirs of an Invisible Man (1992)
54:10 -- Paul Verhoeven's Hollow Man (2000)
"The Invisible Man" may only be his third directorial effort, but Leigh Whannell has been terrorizing audiences for years. From "Saw," to "Dead Silence," to the "Insidious" franchise, Whannell (and his frequent collaborator James Wan) is one of the masterminds behind some of the 21st Century's most iconic and effective scares. His latest film reinvents the classic Universal monster for a modern audience through a chilling tale of a woman (Elizabeth Moss) who believes she is being stalked by her supposedly deceased abusive partner. While the writer/director evoked fear through his timely analogy of the gaslighting ghouls of today, he also looked to the past to draw from a lost genre.
The rise of big-budget superhero blockbusters over the past two decades has minimized the frequency of mid-budget genre films. Outside of the "John Wick" franchise, you'll only really find them under the Blumhouse banner. Whannell's second feature, "Upgrade" (a Blumhouse production), showcased his reverence for the bygone era as it harkened back to the John Carpenter sci-fi action body horror films of the 80s and 90s. With "The Invisible Man," Whannell once again returns to the mid-budget well to revitalize 90s adult thrillers featuring A-List talent.
Outside of David Fincher, not many filmmakers are successfully recapturing the magic of those mid-budget genre pieces. Perhaps this is why Whannell's latest was not only inspired by Fincher's work but why Fincher himself is somewhat of an aspirational figure to Whannell.
Aside from the works and people that inspired "The Invisible Man," Whannell discussed the state of horror, weaponizing an audience's cinematic knowledge, his collaborations with Jason Blum and James Wan, his favorite LA sushi hotspot and much more.
"The Invisible Man" is now playing in theaters everywhere.
With the restoration and re-release of Elem Klimov's underappreciated war epic "Come and See," Chance and Noah steel themselves to revisit the film's famously immersive, brutal, even dangerous portrayal of the WWII Eastern Front. (A child actor's hair literally turned white, folks.) Listen as we dive back into the Russian film’s production history, myth, canonization, and assess the lines between majesty and gratuitousness. The 2k restoration from Janus Films opens this month in New York City.
We lost an icon earlier this month with the passing of Kirk Douglas at the age of 103. But what made him such an era-defining star in classics like "Spartacus"? That indomitable chin? That triangle torso? No, there’s something deeper and cannier to how the heartthrob-turned-super-producer cemented his own role as a prophet in the mid-century American movie religion. This week, Be Reel looks back at five movies that defined Douglas' career: “Ace in the Hole” (1951), “The Bad and the Beautiful” (1952), “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” (1954), “Paths of Glory” (1957) and “Spartacus” (1960).
Whether their torment is played for laughs, cold shivers, or #MeToo rage, assistants get a raw deal on screen. This week, as Kitty Green’s incisive new drama “The Assistant” rolls out around the country, Chance and Noah look at the role of assistants in cinema and real life, also revisiting “The Devil Wears Prada” (2006) and “Secretary” (2002). They're thrilled to be joined by Daily Beast writer Cassie Da Costa to discuss her essay on "The Assistant" and recount her own experiences with a troubling film industry internship.
Fans of Indie Beat, rejoice... we have returned.
On this episode we spoke to filmmaker Alexander Jorgensen.
Jorgensen, originally hailing from Canada, has made a number of films since planting himself in the US of A. He started off focusing most of his time exploring various visual ideas via indie music videos while also paying the bills by picking up random cinematography or post-production gigs here and there. But personal things were brewing. He mounted number of short films -- he worked twice with San Francisco actor Geo Epsilanty, once for an engrossing portrait-doc titled "Self-Diagnosis" and followed that with the somber absent-father narrative "Only Blood" -- and also completed the comedic genre piece "Reasons to Kill" about a hitman interviewing potential clients.
But it was his documentary "Uncomfortable Truths" that really crept in and took hold of Jorgensen's mind. This short film followed a few of the personalities who hang around Ground Zero in New York City, spreading the gospel that the World Trade Center attacks on September 11th were, in fact, an inside job. It's a really charged, energetic film, focusing on people that, let's be honest, most of us tend to walk quickly away from. Jorgensen lets his subjects do the speaking for themselves, often letting the camera linger as they use their best arguments to convince passers-by about the many mysteries surrounding Building 7. The movie climaxes showing the repetitive, cyclical nature of their work -- a masterful stroke with two potential takeaways. Is Jorgensen asking if they are just continually beating the same dead horse to no avail, or is he showing how dedicated people can be when they have such passion for a political project, regardless of what that activist subject is?
This short received a great response and, seeing as the same people were out there nearly every weekend of the year, Jorgensen went back and continued to shoot. He also expanded the idea, incorporating television news footage and also interviewing one of the directors of your stoner college roommate's favorite movie next to "Waking Life," "Loose Change." The resulting feature documentary, "Truther Or: I Am Not A Conspiracy Theorist," is an engaging portrait of the various facets of the truther movement, showcasing the community they've made for one another and even displaying the fractions amongst the movement. Their may be one or two fights or minced words: you'll just have to see for yourself! The film can be streamed now on both Vimeo and Amazon Prime.
We had Jorgensen on the pod to talk about this new film and also his time spent staying up late in haunted houses for work, documentaries in the streaming age, and much more!
After years of cratering in Noah's office Oscars pool, we've dispensed with the official bubbling and brought in a third voice to make sense of Hollywood's biggest (and often obtusest) night. Acclaimed "Sweet & Low" author Nick White returns to BE REEL to predict and critique the 2020 favorites. Highlights include Noah's surprise anointing of "The Irishman" for Oscars glory, Chance's historical theories re: "1917," and Nick's fury over the J-Lo / “Hustlers” win that will never be.
As always, IndieBeat is part of The Playlist Podcast Network—which includes The 4th Wall, Be Reel, The Discourse, and more – and can be heard on iTunes, AnchorFM, Soundcloud, Stitcher, and now on Spotify. To listen on this page, you can stream the podcast via the AnchorFM embed below or up top. Follow us on iTunes, and you’ll get this podcast as well as our other shows regularly. Be sure to subscribe, and drop us a comment or a rating as we do appreciate it. Thanks for listening and check out Indie Beat on Facebook.
"Bad Boys, bad boys / whatcha gonna do / whatcha gonna do when we rate and review?" It’s 2020, and Columbia Pictures has dug deep into its intellectual property vault for a 17-year dormant Will Smith franchise with no meaningful reason to continue. Perhaps more surprising, the latest installment—"Bad Boys For Life"—is a hit. For those who know the Bad Boys franchise only as one big exploding car, Noah Ballard and Chance Solem-Pfeifer are on the case for a full review of the trilogy.
With December all but gone, Noah and Chance reflect on the year in film with a series of semi-original accolades. What was their favorite 2019 performance with no awards potential? Biggest in-theater laugh? Favorite shot? Steepest letdown? What movie will be talked about differently in 2029? In the end, they give their Top 10 lists and bid the year in movies a fond farewell. Happy new year!
Happy Holidays, and Happy New Year from The Discourse! On the final episode of 2019, Ryan is joined by Oktay Ege Kozak (Paste Magazine, DVD Talk) to count down their Top 10 Films of 2019.
This week, Chance and Noah dare to ask a question posed by many conned, spurned and murdered Patricia Highsmith characters: "Who are you, Tom Ripley?" As we celebrate the 20th anniversary of Anthony Minghella’s seminal Matt Damon vehicle "The Talented Mr. Ripley," we seek out the character’s origins in the acclaimed Highsmith novels and the many resulting film adaptations. In addition to the 1999 American hit, we're watching 1977's "The American Friend" (directed by the great Wim Wenders) and 2002's "Ripley's Game," starring John Malkovich. If you like your con artists with a side of sexual frustration and sun-soaked coasts, press play.
Ryan Oliver is joined by Lindsey Romain (Nerdist, Heylo Reylo) and Playlist Editor-in-Chief Rodrigo Perez to discuss "Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker," the ninth - and final - film in the "Star Wars" saga.
0:00-31:34: “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” Review
31:35-1:43:16: “Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker” ***SPOILERS***
1:43:17 - End: The Grab Bag
Lindsey: “Little Women”
Ryan: “Cats,” “6 Underground”
It’s less than two weeks until Christmas, so it’s only fitting that The Fourth Wall’s fifteenth episode, an interview with the impassioned and intelligent “Uncut Gems” composer Daniel Lopatin, also known by his music persona Oneohtrix Point Never, would be preceded by a mini-tailspin of manic energy more stressful than the click-clack of going shopping at the mall a few days before the holiday – a fitting anxiety-induced morning that mirrors the adrenaline assault of Lopatin and the Safdie Brothers latest cacophony of emotions.
We had a phenomenal chat with Lopatin, a man whose love for artistry ooze out of him once he gets going on a subject. His relationship with the Safdies has kept the same creative treadmill running since their previous collaboration; following their success with “Good Time,” the trio just kept on “tumbling,” as Lopatin put it. Their shared love for movies being part of what lets their collaboration sing, and their inspiration as artists willing to push the envelope is only growing.
The Safdies assemble a temporary audio cut for the composer that’s often stitched together pieces of records. “They cut it up so finely that it totally destroys the linearity of the original song, and they’re really just using it to show you beats, and spikes, and dynamics,” Lopatin said. Their direction providing a conduit to deliver the color and texture for the film, tethering that color to a sense of character." The apotheosis moment of a collaboration between myself and the Safdie Brothers is when we're in the studio and they’re reacting to a particular sound, not a melody, not any kind of musical progression, but a texture of feeling, a sound that they want me write with. It’s about finding those tools, those colors, and presenting those colors to see if they perk up."
If you’ve seen “Good Times” or “Uncut Gems” already (which, we recommend you do before listening to this episode) it makes perfect sense why this approach lends itself so well to the brother’s style. “The scores work in a similar way,” Lopatin concedes. But the composer is always looking to coax different feelings out of his synthesizers. Sometimes, that involves looking back at history, and letting go of the futurist elements to his music.
We truly had an awesome chat with the composer (Lopatin is a gentleman and a scholar) diving deep into his process and discussing certain song choices. He also told us a great story about watching the underrated hitman movie “Murder By Contract,” (one of Martin Scorsese’s favorite pictures) with the Safdie Brothers.
Uncut Gems is now playing in NY/LA. This interview was conducted by Andrew Bundy.
t's hard to imagine someone who radiates love and positivity as much as Sterling K. Brown. As I entered the room to speak with the "This Is Us" star about his latest film "Waves" for Episode 14 of The Fourth Wall, he was glancing at his phone all giddy, cheering with excitement. Naturally, it being a Saturday, I simply assumed his college football team scored, however, it was something far more heartwarming that spoke to the essence of who he is. Brown was receiving updates on his son's flag football game and got word that his son scored a touchdown. His reaction was the support of a proud father celebrating the achievements of his child as if his team just won the Super Bowl. So yes, I suppose you could say Brown is as family-oriented and fatherly as Randall Pearson makes him out to be.
Brown lost his father at a young age, but was so "profoundly affected" and "wholely loved" by him that he anticipated being able to do the same for his own children someday. Being a parent has not only given him a great purpose in life, but it has also influenced how he approaches parental roles in film and television, specifically the character of Ronald in "Waves." Brown spoke to the fact that he strongly understands and empathizes with a father who is scared for the well-being of his children, even when unfortunately making decisions for them out of fear. The actor specifically touched on the pressures of raising a young African American boy in such an unforgiving climate.
"You're raising a young Black boy in Florida and you know that life may not be appreciated the same way in the form of a young Black boy that it is appreciated in other people," said Brown. "So you want to keep him safe and more than anything you want to give him the tools to be excellent otherwise people may write him off as being not worth the investment and so you say you gotta be twice as good to get just as far."
The actor continued on the unfair pressures of Black excellence and how it should be addressed. "My wife had a very astute observation, so credit to Ryan Michelle Bathe," said Brown. "Real success for a community is when they are given the ability to fail, and other people are still given opportunities after them. The openness and ability to fail and still get a second chance, that feels like a really good place to begin from in terms of what does it mean to move beyond that idea that I have to be twice as good to get just as far."
During our conversation, Brown delves deeper into this topic, fatherhood, his own upbringing, wisdom imparted onto him by his children, "Waves'" banger soundtrack, and much more. And yes, Brown's son ended up winning that flag football game.
There’s a way of reading Martin Scorsese’s first-person mob epics—“Goodfellas” (1990), “Casino” (1995), and “The Irishman” (2019)—as three stages of criminal life. So on a new Be Reel, Noah and Chance look back through this spiritual trilogy for its groundbreaking style, the sometimes goofy repetitions of that style, and the shadow history of America created by 10 hours of mafiosos, teamsters and their middlemen. Oh, and Chance's dad—a Vegas craps dealer circa 1978—stops by for a lightning round of questions about “Casino," so happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.
"There has to be a sense of what the angst of the city is," says Black Panther star Chadwick Boseman. The actor contemplates the ingredients that make up a successful depiction of New York City while joining me to discuss his new film "21 Bridges" for Episode 13 of The Fourth Wall over a cappuccino.
"We don't get to feel the pedestrian level of New York because this movie's [21 Bridges] moving too fast for that, but you need to feel the pressure, that intensity. When a crisis happens in New York, it's a bigger thing. But I want to do some other New York movie's where it's all about the food [laughs]. Like, 'that's my spot on Washington and Brooklyn, right by the park.' Like you want to feel that, but this movie is about movement." Boseman is no stranger to life in the concrete jungle, having spent several years living in Brooklyn before moving out to Los Angeles. As he discussed evoking the authenticity of New York, I could tell he had a sincere reverence for the city. It's precisely this reverence that led him to studiously examine life as an NYPD cop to deliver an honest portrayal.
Not many performers consistently commit to every role in the way Boseman does. One need not look further than his portrayals of Jackie Robinson, James Brown, Thurgood Marshall, and T'Challa to get a sense of Boseman's dedication to truthful performances. While all daunting tasks, Boseman manages to embrace each challenge often going above and beyond what is required of him, and it's evident in his work. What's even more fascinating, however, is the actor may have been destined to play these characters, specifically T'Challa.
During our conversation, we also discussed the creative differences between biopics and original works, the original concept for "21 Bridges' and how he helped change that, "Black Panther 2," what we can expect from Spike Lee's "Da 5 Bloods," and more.
The Russo Brothers produced "21 Bridges" hits theaters this Friday, November 22nd.
With over a hundred acting credits to his name, you'd be hard-pressed to find a more productive actor in the business than Willem Dafoe. From superhero blockbusters to prestige pictures, to anime adaptations, to video games, to a nautical descent into madness, Dafoe has done it all, and now the actor joins me for this special episode of The Fourth Wall to discuss his incredible year between "The Lighthouse" and "Motherless Brooklyn."
It was only last year that Dafoe garnered awards recognition by way of a Best Actor nomination for his portrayal of Vincent Van Gogh in "At Eternity's Gate" and Best Supporting Actor the year prior for his work in "The Florida Project." While the 2020 Awards Season is still young, Oscar Buzz has been circling the actor yet again for his salty Shakespearean lighthouse keeper in Robert Eggers' "The Lighthouse" ever since it's premiere at Sundance earlier this year. There's no doubt that Dafoe's proven ability and desire to select distinct and interesting projects has allowed him to deliver some of his best work to date as of late. However, what's truly captivating about the 64-year-old as a performer is his unabashed love of the art form. It's precisely this passion that seeps into each of Dafoe's performances and is what's driven the actor to remain consistently active as he broadens his horizons.
During our conversation, we discussed Dafoe's love of acting, his drive to remain busy, creative differences between playing characters based off of existing source material vs. wholly original ones, his process for delivering "The Lighthouse's" epic monologues, working with both Edward Norton the director and actor, his excitement for collaborating with Guillermo del Toro on "Nightmare Ally" and much more.
Writer/Director Trey Edward Shults joins me for Episode 12 of The Fourth Wall to talk about his third feature "Waves" (my FAVORITE film of the year) discussing the critical moments in his own life that directly inspired the events of the film.
As A24's "Waves" comes crashing into select theaters this Friday, it's astounding to think that such a profoundly human, visceral, and heartwrenching tale is the work of a filmmaker on their third feature film, however, not every filmmaker is Trey Edward Shults. The Houston native, who's previous two works, "Krisha" and "It Comes at Night," both garnered praise for their craftsmanship and intimate exploration of family, puts forth his most personal venture yet cementing his utter mastery over the art of filmmaking. He’s a storyteller who thinks with emotions first and how he can let those feelings take flight in a way that allows audiences to experience what he so deeply feels. Perhaps his prowess over the visual grammar of filmmaking originated during his time working on Terrence Malick movies possessing the same cerebral tendencies as the master above. However, there’s something distinctly provocative about how Shults captures the human experience, and nowhere is this more apparent than in"Waves."
Across all three of his feature films, Shults has explored a constant thematic through-line of complicated family relationships to which the director himself admits inherently seeps its way into his work. Much of this stems from his upbringing and turbulent relationship with his biological father who's impact has been the subject of exploration across Shults' feature films with "Waves" harkening back to the pivotal final moments he spent with his father in autobiographical fashion. By boldly utilizing direct experiences from his own life, Shults understands the innate power in being open and honest with an audience. During our conversation, it became clearer that the filmmaker is someone who will always speak from the heart through personal experiences. This openness comes in the form of a wrestling injury, a pivotal conversation he had with his stepfather, a road trip he and his girlfriend took, and most importantly, his friendship with Kelvin Harrison Jr. as they bonded and meditated over "Waves" to Frank Ocean's "Blond" and "Endless." Shults recalls and interweaves these specific exchanges in such vivid detail, conveying his mastery of human emotion and understanding the relatable power these personal experiences will have in allowing an audience to connect. Those moments truly come alive, however, through the use of a perfectly curated soundtrack that was formative in the creation of the film and an interactive scripting process. During our conversation, we also discuss the first time Shults listened to Radiohead's "Moon Shaped Pool," his use of aspect ratio, color, movement, and how he discovered his cinematic voice.
With “Parasite” poised to become 2019's highest-grossing foreign film within the US and already among the year's most lauded features, Be Reel is taking this week for an episode entirely focused on Bong Joon-ho and his two decades of routinely stellar work. In addition to the "Parasite" deep-dive, longtime listeners might notice the Be Reel guys breaking a cardinal rule: they once swore to never discuss “Snowpiercer” on the podcast because of the unrest it caused their friendship in 2013. Buckle up. Then, “The Host” rounds out today’s main trio of genre pictures that are not anything that they seem. Finally, Chance stumps for the elusive "Memories of Murder" and Be Reel asks, "Why do Director Bong's observations on Korean culture seem to resonate so strongly with American cinephiles? (**Please note: "Parasite" spoilers commence hard between 15 and 36 minutes.)
"Motherless Brooklyn" marks a twenty-year journey for writer, director, producer, and star Edward Norton and Norton joins me to discuss the film on Episode 11 of The Fourth Wall.
Norton is truly one of the great talents of our generation whose diverse body of work has spanned across films such as “Primal Fear” and “American History X,” both of which earned him Academy Award Nominations, “Fight Club,” “The Incredible Hulk,” and “Birdman” just to name a few. In the mere twenty-some minutes we chatted, it became clear that not only is Norton a massive fan of cinema, more specifically film noir, but is riveted by projects that have something to say about our current societal moment. He's a firm believer in Joseph Campbell's concept of transparency and that the most potent art is that which reflects our own image back at us. For all the "Chinatown" callbacks and reverence for classic film noir, it was precisely this concept that allowed Norton to get to the heart of his take on "Motherless Brooklyn."
During our conversation, we go deep into the films that excite and inspire Norton along with how growing up the grandson of a community builder helped shape his approach to "Motherless Brooklyn" and why movies like "The Big Sleep" and "Chinatown" were so influential. "Motherless Brooklyn" hits theaters this Friday, November 1st.
1991's "Terminator: Judgement Day" is finally getting a proper sequel in the highly anticipated "Terminator: Dark Fate," and my guest for Episode 10 of The Fourth Wall is the film's director Tim Miller.
Tim has become somewhat of a rising star given the breakout success of 2016's "Deadpool." While the filmmaker sadly departed the sequel due to creative differences (see Tim's original plan for "Deadpool 2"), a new opportunity arose in the form revamping the Terminator franchise. A veteran of the visual effects industry, Tim became acquainted with James Cameron while Blur Studio (Tim's visual effects, animation, and design company) completed work on "Avatar." From there, and with the help of several abysmal Terminator sequels, the cogs began to turn, and the notion of a proper sequel to "T2" started becoming a reality. It's easy for many filmmakers early in their career to buy into their own hype (especially coming off of one of the most profitable R rated films of all time), however, with Tim the idea of openness and collaboration is something he very much encourages and stems from the environment he's fostered at Blur.
During our conversation, Tim's desire to genuinely make a good movie that audiences will not only enjoy but that he himself is proud of became apparent, and many of "Dark Fate's" key contributions came from members of the cast to which Miller praised to no end. We also discussed the film's prominent Latinx representation, working with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Linda Hamilton, how Hamilton wanted to go even darker with Sarah Conner this go around, emerging filmmaking technologies that excite Tim the most, and much more.
Charlie Chaplin lampooning Hitler’s bombast and fragility in “The Great Dictator” (1940) marked one of film comedy’s all-time “truth to power” moments. But 80 years after WWII, how best to laugh at fascists when they seldom don the brownshirt? With the release of Taika Waititi’s “Jojo Rabbit”—a would-be charming comedy about a Hitler youth whose imaginary friend is der Führer—Chance and Noah ask themselves why, how, and when skewered Nazis are funny. After reviewing “Jojo,” Chance and Noah duck back to “The Producers” (1967) and “Top Secret!” (1984) to examine how Nazis became a source of irony and camp for filmmakers like Mel Brooks and the ZAZ trio. As always—down with Hitler; all the way down.
"The Bourne Legacy," "Jason Bourne," and "Treadstone" producer Ben Smith joins me for Episode 9 of The Fourth Wall to talk about expanding the World of Jason Bourne in the Bourne spin-off series.
Making for the perfect blend of "24" meets "Heroes," the series marks an almost decade long journey for Smith as he's had his heart set on expanding the world that Robert Ludlum created. Perhaps much of this influence comes from the involvement of "Heroes" creator Tim Kring, who Smith discussed collaborating with, and stunt coordinator from "The Bourne Ultimatum," but at the heart of it, what excited Smith the most was the opportunity to explore the mythology of not only the films but Ludlum's novels in order to tell very personal and interconnected stories that were affected by the geopolitical landscape of today. "The base that Ludlum created is very rich," said Smith, "and I think it's a perfect fit for television. You just have a lot more real estate to dive into a lot of different characters which is what we've done on 'Treadstone.'"
For those unaware, "Treadstone" tells the origins of the secret government organization that led to the birth of Jason Bourne. Taking place in 1973 and present day, the series follows these sleeper agents from the Cicada Program (another program under the Treadstone umbrella) as they mysteriously begin to awaken around the globe ten years after audiences meet Jason Bourne in "The Bourne Identity." The prospect of crossing over "Treadstone" with Matt Damon's Jason Bourne or even Jeremy Renner's Aaron Cross is certainly something that would excite fans of the franchise and even Smith himself, however, it all comes down to what the story requires. "What's happening in the world of Bourne is independent of what's happening right now in 'Treadstone,'" said Smith. "There is crossover mythology, but there is no planned tie-in today."
During my conversation with Smith, we discussed the long journey to creating "Treadstone," balancing character storytelling with that signature Bourne action, the work that went into the stunt choreography, his relationship with Ludlum's novels and the Bourne franchise as a whole, and actors he'd like to see play in the expansive Bourne sandbox.
We speak to director/producer/actor/dancer Carolina Monnerat about Brazil and the movies she's made, including the new "Queen of Lapa."
Prepare for #MaximumDiscourse, and set phasers to stun. "Joker" - the Todd Phillips-directed dark superhero drama based on Batman's most iconic nemesis - is finally here, and there are certainly thoughts to be had. On this episode, Ryan is joined by Chris Evangelista (/Film) to unpack the controversial film, and tackle the overall discussion happening in the film community at large.
0:00-32:05: “Joker” Review (Non-Spoiler)
32:06-End: ***SPOILER DISCUSSION***
After a brief hiatus while Ryan was on paternity leave, The Discourse is back! On this episode, Ryan is joined again by Jenny Nulf (Austin Chronicle, Austin Asian American Film Festival) to talk Fantastic Fest 2019, the films in September that we missed ("It: Chapter Two," "Hustlers," and more), and dedicate the main review segment to "First Love," the latest film from Takashi Miike.
0:00-5:38: Intro/Ryan’s Penance for Losing at Fantasy Football to Griffin
5:39-18:16: Fantastic Fest Recap
18:17-31:36: “First Love” Review
31:37-End: September Round-Up (“It: Chapter Two, “Hustlers,” “Ad Astra,” “The Day Shall Come,” “One Cut of the Dead”)
Andy Muschietti joins me for Episode 8 of The Fourth Wall to discuss "IT Chapter Two" in full spoilers!
Andy first garnered the attention of many with his 2013 debut "Mama." The film was based on his three minute short of the same name which also piqued the interest of Guillermo del Toro who went on to executive produce the feature. Muschietti's work and success on "Mama" proved him to be a real emerging talent in the horror genre and it's easy to see why he was brought on for the adaptation of Stephen King's "IT." Embarking on a massive undertaking, Muschietti brought to life King's novel for a new generation amassing both critical and commercial success as 2017's "It" became the highest-grossing horror film of all time. It's only fitting that "IT Chapter Two" is hot on its heels as the film already has the second-highest horror movie opening of all time.
While the adult portion of "IT" has always been notoriously divisive, Muschietti understood that in order for it to work, he needed to cut out some of King's more outlandish material and maintain focus on the Losers and their journey. For this, the director looked to classics that had an impact on him at an early age such as "The Neverending Story" and "E.T." for inspiration. During our conversation, we not only discuss how Muschietti managed to create such a satisfying conclusion but we also get into how he crafted some incredibly seamless and inventive scene transitions, the challenges of making a two hour and forty-five-minute horror epic, reinventing the character of Ritchie, and, in relation to the film's meta-commentary about creators who can't properly end their stories, his favorite movie that couldn't quite nail the ending (his answer may surprise you).
Nobody tells you about the bonus round after the million-dollar question—the one where we ask, "Why have we obsessed for 70 years over the TV game show in all its inherent fakeness, exploitation, and only a lottery ticket's chance of paying the common person their money?" This week, BE REEL is buzzing in, to reappraise "Quiz Show" on its 25th anniversary, "Slumdog Millionaire" one decade after it took home the Oscars' highest honor, and "The Running Man" because it's a very silly movie that clearly set the stage for "American Gladiators." Press play; you might win something!
Bill Hader is one of the most exciting creatives working in Hollywood and today, we welcome him to Episode 7 of The Fourth Wall! Bill became a comedic icon entering people’s homes every Saturday night during his eight-season run on Saturday Night Live birthing such beloved characters as Stefan and numerous impressions ranging from Vincent Price, Al Pacino, Alan Alda, James Carville and more. His SNL performances garnered him an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in 2012 making for the first male cast member nomination since Eddie Murphy in 1984. After leaving SNL, Hader went on to stretch his creative muscles even further creating and starring in HBO’s hit series “Barry.” His work on “Barry” earned him an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series along with back to back nominations for Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series, and Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series. Hader’s latest work is playing the adult version of Ritchie in Andy Muschietti’s horror epic “IT Chapter Two,” on which the actor speaks about the alterations made to the character, getting injured on set, and the similarities and differences between horror and comedy. We also dive into his work on “Barry,” transition into becoming a filmmaker, directing a new feature film, his relationship with Kombucha and why exactly, “Hader loves the booch.”
Ryan Oliver and Jenny Nulf (No Excuses) look back on Summer 2019: the up's, the down's, the winner's, the loser's, and the existential dread about what theatrical moviegoing will look like over the next couple years. The two discuss a myriad of titles that did not get a proper review on The Discourse over the summer, starting with films they both saw, then moving to ones only one of them saw.
0:00-14:00: Thoughts on the Summer Movie Season
14:00-56:12: Films We Both Saw
John Wick: Chapter 3
Always Be My Maybe
Plus One
Non-Fiction
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark
Ready or Not
56:13-End: Other Films We Saw
Jenny:
The Souvenir
The Last Black Man in San Francisco
The Third Wife
Tigers Are Not Afraid
Invader ZIM: Enter the Florpus
Yesterday
Late Night
The Lion King
Ryan:
Dark Phoenix
Men in Black: International
The Dead Don’t Die
Stuber
The Peanut Butter Falcon
Good Boys
Brittany Runs a Marathon
Sword of Trust
For Episode 6 of The Fourth Wall, we head to the studio of composer Bear McCreary to discuss his diverse body of work! From the age of five, Bear developed an incredible passion for film and film music which started him on the path to becoming a film composer eventually leading him to become one of the final prodigies of Hollywood legend Elmer Bernstein. Bear's distinct blending of traditional and modern film scoring sensibilities is what sets him apart from other composers along with his drive to innovate. You'd be hard pressed to find another composer who's catalogued such a wide variety of projects with such diverse instrumentation ranging from "Battlestar Galactica", to "Outlander," to AMC's "The Walking Dead", to "10 Cloverfield Lane," to 2018's video game smash hit "God of War." 2019 might be Bear's biggest year yet as he's the musical genius behind two beloved franchises in the "Child's Play" reboot and massive summer blockbuster "Godzilla: King of the Monsters." During our conversation, we discussed growing up as film fans, his work on "Godzilla" and "Child's Play," how he managed to revitalize a classic Blue Oyster Cult B-Side track, and much more!
Ryan Oliver and Playlist Editor-in-Chief Rodrigo Perez dedicate the entire episode to the Disney/Sony fallout regarding Spider-Man in the MCU, and contextualize it to show that there are no villains in this story: it's just business.
The new Cate Blanchett/Richard Linklater film "Where'd You Go, Bernadette" launches Noah and Chance into a Be Reel category about mothers who reject motherhood. All in vastly different life situations, the protagonists of "Bernadette" (2019), "Ricki and the Flash" (2015) and "Second Act" (2018) find a common bond in pursuing much more than what society (real or imagined) tells them they deserve. If that sounds overly serious, well, Meryl Streep growls Springsteen, Jennifer Lopez hurls a man into a Christmas tree, and Cate Blanchett rips Seattle a new one. Let's go.
Aisling Franciosi stars in "The Nightingale," which is the summer's bravest drama or toughest watch depending whom you ask. It could be both, which is fitting of Franciosi's character, Clare, a very complicated woman out for justice against British Army officers in 1825 Australia. In this interview with Chance Solem-Pfeifer, Franciosi discusses how 'Nightingale' director Jennifer Kent would push her actors on set (and get pushed back, sometimes literally). Plus, a quick story about the day Franciosi got the call to play Lyanna Stark despite knowing nothing about "Game of Thrones."
Episode 5 of The Fourth Wall is a special one as we welcome famed James Bond composer David Arnold! Arnold recently received two Emmy nomination for his work on the BBC and Amazon adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s “Good Omens” which features some of the composer’s most unique and diverse orchestration to date. Arnold is no stranger to working with the BBC and showrunner Steven Moffat as he also scored four seasons of the acclaimed series “Sherlock” and is currently working on music for their upcoming “Dracula” series. His film compositions range from 1998’s “Godzilla,” John Singleton’s “Shaft,” and “Independence Day,” however, Arnold is most revered and beloved for his exceptional work on five James Bond films – “Tomorrow Never Dies,” “The World is Not Enough,” “Die Another Day,” “Casino Royale,” and “Quantum of Solace.” Having been hand selected by the legendary Bond composer John Barry after a rocking Bond cover album, Arnold is considered by many fans to be the gold standard when it comes to the music of 007 - second only to Barry himself. During our conversation, we not only gushed over our love of Bond, but discussed his working relationship with Neil Gaiman on “Good Omens,” “Sherlock,” some slight tidbits on the music of BBC’s “Dracula” and much more.
Robert Daniels (812Reviews, MediaVersity) returns to The Discourse this week to join Ryan Oliver in discussing two difficult, yet worthwhile films slowly expanding through the month of August: Jennifer Kent’s “The Nightingale” and Julius Onah’s “Luce.”
0:00-3:23: Recommendations
Robert: “The Angry Birds Movie 2”
3:24-11:40: “The Nightingale” Review
11:41-20:10: “The Nightingale” ***SPOILERS***
20:11-32:23: “Luce” Review
32:24-End: “Luce” ***SPOILERS***
Check out this interview with filmmaker Christopher Good, director of the films "Crude Oil" and "Brad Cuts Loose" and various music videos including Mitski's "Nobody."
After smaller roles in shows such as "Endeavor" and "Medici" and films such as "Fury" and "The Imitation Game," actor Jack Bannon is taking DC Television by storm as Alfred Pennyworth in the new Epix Original Series "Pennyworth." Bannon just also happens to be my guest on Episode 4 of The Fourth Wall. During our conversation Jack talked about the daunting task of joining the likes of Michael Caine and Jeremy Irons as he shaped his version of Alfred, getting to play inside the incredibly detailed and somewhat heightened version of 1960s London, approaching a character with PTSD and much more!
Every so often a "Be Reel" category arises that makes us wonder if we didn't unknowingly orchestrate the films ourselves, solely to podcast about them later. Today we discuss three films all from 1989 about deep-sea divers encountering alien life. While James Cameron's technically unparalleled "The Abyss" is the headliner (happy 30th this week), "DeepStar Six" and "Leviathan" may have their lower budget charms as well. In addition to evaluating all the mining teams and goofy beasts of this genre, Chance and Noah often ask, "What the hell were you thinking, 1989?"
As most of you know, the "Fast and the Furious" franchise is all about family. So on the latest episode of The Discourse, Ryan Oliver is joined by an amazing family of film critics - Robert Daniels (812FilmReviews, Mediaversity), Alisha Grauso (Atom Insider), and Griffin Schiller (FilmSpeak, The 4th Wall Podcast) - to discuss the first official spinoff in the nearly twenty-year-old "Fast and the Furious" series.
***Note: There is no spoiler bumper on this episode, and while none of the things we discuss we feel are spoiler-y, those more adversed to spoilers and want to go in fresh should likely wait until after seeing the film. Enjoy the episode!***
He's been the stunt double for Brad Pitt, Jean-Claude Van Damm, and his stunt credits span across a multitude of films including "The Matrix Trilogy" and "V for Vendetta." He was a co-director on 2014's "John Wick," directed film such as "Atomic Blonde" and "Deadpool 2," and now, David Leitch joins the "Fast & Furious" franchise with "Hobbs & Shaw." Leitch is my guest on Episode 3 of The Fourth Wall and during our conversation we discussed going bigger with the fast and furious spinoff movie, he breaks down the film's climactic action set piece, reveals an alternate opening, talks some scene stealing cameos and much more!
Ryan Oliver and Lindsey Romain (Nerdist) dedicate the entire episode discussing the ninth - and supposedly penultimate - film from Quentin Tarantino: "Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood."
0:00-14:00: "Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood" Review
14:01-End: ***SPOILERS***
Joe and Erik say goodbye on their last episode of Adjust Your Tracking. We look back and forward, discussing how movies will be seen in the future but also reflecting on what got us here. We make time for several movies and focus most our attention on Nicolas Winding Refn's new giant movie or show Too Old To Die Young.
Legendary voice actor Tom Kenny joins us for Episode 2 of The Fourth Wall! The man who is the iconic voice of SpongeBob on Nickelodeon's SpongeBob SquarePants is set to reprise the character again in next year's live action film The SpongeBob Movie: It's A Wonderful Sponge. During our conversation Kenny reflects on the SpongeBob's 20th Anniversary, discusses how his time doing stand up and sketch comedy led the role of the iconic character, breaks down the recording process and comedy of SpongeBob and much more.
On a new Be Reel, hosts Chance Solem-Pfeifer and Noah Ballard examine the ample evidence against trying to save a marriage with a movie. This week, they check in with “Eyes Wide Shut” (1999) as the infamous Stanley Kubrick-directed interrogation of Tom Cruise and his marriage to Nicole Kidman turns 20. They also look back at the lovechild of “Liz” Taylor and “Dick” Burton, “Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” (1966) and the honeymoon-cum-couples therapy “By The Sea” (2015), which self-analyzes Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt's sinking ship of a union. New York Magazine's Lila Shapiro joins Be Reel to discuss seeing "Eyes Wide Shut" 100 times and what it taught her about how we discuss sexual politics.
Ryan Oliver and Matthew Monagle (Austin Chronicle, Film School Rejects) discuss two vastly different sophomore features from promising filmmakers that made their debuts on the festival circuit in 2019: Lulu Wang’s “The Farewell” and Riley Stearns’ “The Art of Self-Defense.”
0:00-6:33: Recommendations
Matthew: “Crawl”
Ryan: “Ali Wong: The Milk and Money Tour”
6:34-26:30: “The Farewell” Review
26:31-46:51: “The Art of Self-Defense” Review
46:52-End: “The Art of Self-Defense” SPOILERS
World renowned film composer Hans Zimmer joins us for the first episode of The Fourth Wall. The Oscar and Grammy Award Winning musical genius discusses returning to The Lion King after over 20 years and his initial reservations, how his live show came to influence his approach to scoring, collaborating with Christopher Nolan, and some insight into his process for scoring next year's Denis Villeneuve Dune remake.
Ryan Oliver and Meagan Navarro (Bloody Disgusting, Consequence of Sound) dive into "Crawl," the latest film from Alexandre Aja ("High Tension," "The Hills Have Eyes"), and to celebrate the occasion, discuss their five favorite animal attack horror films.
0:00-6:55: Recommendations
Meagan: “The Boys,” “Under the Silver Lake”
Ryan: “Night Killer”
6:56-17:00: “Crawl” Review
17:01-23:30: “Crawl” SPOILERS
23:31-End: Top 5 Animal Attack Horror Movies
On this episode of The Discourse, Ryan Oliver is joined by Jenny Nulf (Austin Asian American Film Festival, No Excuses) to dedicated the bulk of their discussion to "Midsommar," directed Ari Aster's follow-up to his much-lauded "Hereditary." They also find time at the beginning to discuss "Spider-Man: Far From Home."
0:00-16:27: "Spider-Man: Far From Home"
16:18-28:46: "Midsommar" (Non-Spoilers)
28:47-End: "Midsommar" ***SPOILERS***
En liten tjänst av I'm With Friends. Finns även på engelska.