5AM RealTalk is a 5AM StoryTalk plog where I discuss the highs and lows of my life as a screenwriter/novelist and human being.
On the itinerary today: 'Sinners', at last — Denis Villeneuve agrees with me — are scripts just blueprints, or can they be literature? — what artists and magicians have in common — the limits of the screenwriting form — what I’ve learned from Walter Hill, William Goldman, and Celine Song — but also, Terrence Malick, Christopher Nolan, J.C. Chandor, and Richard Linklater and Kim Krizan — writing pilot scripts — TV creator and showrunner Emma Frost gives me a panic attack — the role of Nick Cave’s lyrics and David Bowie’s ‘Diamond Dogs’ in my screenwriting evolution — everyone’s favorite poet-curmudgeon, Alan Moore — and cinema as visual poetry.
SUBSCRIBE TO THE '5AM STORYTALK NEWSLETTER'
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A free subscription the 5AM StoryTalk newsletter gets you access to hundreds of arts, screenwriting, and writing articles. A paid subscription gets you access to all episodes of this podcast – including exclusive bonus episodes in which my guests discuss seminal pieces of art from their lives. Ask questions in the comments section there, too!
SUBSCRIBE TO THE '5AM STORYTALK PODCAST' AT APPLE
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/5am-storytalk/id1807437928
A paid subscription at Apple will get you access to all of my bonus episodes in which my guests return to break down a seminal artwork from their lives.
TIP JAR
Not up for a paid subscription but appreciate the work that’s gone into making this podcast happen? You can “buy me a coffee” here: https://buymeacoffee.com/colehaddon
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Email:
5AMStoryTalk@gmail.com
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5AM StoryTalk would like to acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on which this podcast is recorded, the Djarra people of the Kulin Nation and pay respects to Elders past and present.
This podcast's music is provided by my brilliant friend Cary Brothers.
Author - screenwriter - podcaster - and trailblazing journalist. Today on the 5AM StoryTalk Podcast, I’m joined by EMILY ST. JAMES and we’ll be talking about her transition from beloved TV critic to the 'Yellowjackets' writers’ room, the fluidity of memory when it comes to our childhoods and relationships, and her beautiful new novel 'Woodworking' (which left me bawling and cautiously hopeful). This conversation moved me in unexpected ways I wasn’t quite prepared for, and I hope it does the same to you.
A BONUS EPISODE with Emily is available via Apple Podcasts or at Substack. In it, she and I discuss a foundational piece of art from her life — the “X-Files” Season 3 episode, 'Jose Chung's From Outer Space'. Many people - including us - believe it's one of the best eps of TV ever produced. In it, we'll continue to dig into the role of memory in narrative and her novel, 'Woodworking'.
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/5am-storytalk/id1807437928
Substack: https://colehaddon.substack.com/p/bonus-episode-emily-st-james-talks
SUBSCRIBE TO THE '5AM STORYTALK NEWSLETTER'
https://colehaddon.substack.com/
A free subscription the 5AM StoryTalk newsletter gets you access to hundreds of arts, screenwriting, and writing articles. A paid subscription gets you access to all episodes of this podcast – including exclusive bonus episodes in which my guests discuss seminal pieces of art from their lives. Ask questions in the comments section there, too!
SUBSCRIBE TO THE '5AM STORYTALK PODCAST' AT APPLE
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/5am-storytalk/id1807437928
A paid subscription at Apple will get you access to all of my bonus episodes in which my guests return to break down a seminal artwork from their lives.
TIP JAR
Not up for a paid subscription but appreciate the work that’s gone into making this podcast happen? You can “buy me a coffee” here: https://buymeacoffee.com/colehaddon
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5AM StoryTalk @ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/5amstorytalkpodcast/
Cole Haddon @ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colehaddonwashere/
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Threads: https://www.threads.com/@colehaddonwashere
5AMStoryTalk@gmail.com
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5AM StoryTalk would like to acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on which this podcast is recorded, the Djarra people of the Kulin Nation and pay respects to Elders past and present.
This podcast's music is by Cary Brothers.
A lawyer who has helped transfer $5.5 billion from corporations to their victims - an author - the co-founder and chair of Digital Rights Watch. Today, I'm joined by LIZZIE O'SHEA and we'll be discussing her digital rights activism, (which impacts the rights of artists), the value of art in changing political conversations, and how to fight back against everything in the 21st century. I dare you not to be inspired to action by this episode.
A BONUS EPISODE with Lizzie is available via Apple Podcasts or at Substack. In it, she discusses a foundational piece of art from her life - Gustave Courbet’s perpetually controversial 1866 painting, L'ORIGINE DU MONDE (THE ORIGIN OF THE WORLD, in English). This is a brilliant conversation about the freedom of expression and censorship over the past 160 years.
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bonus-lizzie-oshea-talks-gustave-courbets-lorigine/id1807437928?i=1000733645524
Substack: https://colehaddon.substack.com/p/bonus-episode-lizzie-oshea-talks
SUBSCRIBE TO THE '5AM STORYTALK NEWSLETTER'
https://colehaddon.substack.com/
You'll gain access to both the 5AM StoryTalk newsletter and all episodes of this podcast – including exclusive bonus episodes in which my guests discuss seminal pieces of art from their lives. Ask questions in the comments section there, too!
SUBSCRIBE TO THE '5AM STORYTALK PODCAST' AT APPLE
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/5am-storytalk/id1807437928
A paid subscription at Apple will get you access to all of my bonus episodes in which my guests return to break down a seminal artwork from their lives.
TIP JAR
Not up for a paid subscription but appreciate the work that’s gone into making this podcast happen? You can “buy me a coffee” here: https://buymeacoffee.com/colehaddon
LINKS
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Follow Cole/5AM StoryTalk at…
5AM StoryTalk @ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/5amstorytalkpodcast/
Cole Haddon @ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colehaddonwashere/
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/colehaddon.bsky.social
Threads: https://www.threads.com/@colehaddonwashere
5AMStoryTalk@gmail.com
-
5AM StoryTalk would like to acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on which this podcast is recorded, the Djarra people of the Kulin Nation and pay respects to Elders past and present.
This podcast's music is by Cary Brothers.
5AM RealTalk is a 5AM StoryTalk plog where I discuss the highs and lows of my life as a screenwriter/novelist and human being.
On the itinerary today: finding my characters’ voices fast with a writing trick you might want to try – breakfast with musician Tim Rogers (front man of Australian rock band YouAmI) – why artists need artists in their lives – how I answered when my therapist asked me what gives my life meaning – what art and church have in common – writing is rewriting – Paul Thomas Anderson’s ‘One Battle After Another’ – Charles Lane’s ‘Sidewalk Stories’ – Studio Ghibli’s ‘Grave of the Fireflies’ – and Rick Rubin and the practice of being an artist.
SUBSCRIBE TO THE '5AM STORYTALK NEWSLETTER'
https://colehaddon.substack.com/
You'll gain access to both the 5AM StoryTalk newsletter and all episodes of this podcast – including exclusive bonus episodes in which my guests discuss seminal pieces of art from their lives. Ask questions in the comments section there, too!
SUBSCRIBE TO THE '5AM STORYTALK PODCAST' AT APPLE
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/5am-storytalk/id1807437928
A paid subscription at Apple will get you access to all of my bonus episodes in which my guests return to break down a seminal artwork from their lives.
TIP JAR
Not up for a paid subscription but appreciate the work that’s gone into making this podcast happen? You can “buy me a coffee” here: https://buymeacoffee.com/colehaddon
LINKS
Social Media:
Follow Cole/5AM StoryTalk at…
5AM StoryTalk @ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/5amstorytalkpodcast/
Cole Haddon @ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colehaddonwashere/
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/colehaddon.bsky.social
Threads: https://www.threads.com/@colehaddonwashere
Email:
5AMStoryTalk@gmail.com
-
5AM StoryTalk would like to acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on which this podcast is recorded, the Djarra people of the Kulin Nation and pay respects to Elders past and present.
This podcast's music is provided by my brilliant friend Cary Brothers.
'The Haunting of Emily Rose' - 'Sinister' - 'Doctor Strange' - 'The Gorge' - 'The Black Phone' and 'Black Phone 2'. Today, I'm joined by SCOTT DERRICKSON, the director of these horror and action blockbusters and more. He co-wrote many of them, too. I think it’s safe to say this is his most candid and revealing interviews ever; it’ll change how you understand so much of his work.
A BONUS EPISODE with Scott is also available via Apple Podcasts or at Substack. In it, he breaks down the first 20 minutes of a seminal piece of art from his life - Dario Argento's classic 1977 horror film SUSPIRIA, which provides a kind of secret origin to Scott's filmmaking identity. It's also an opportunity to hear a horror master interrogate another horror master's work.
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/scott-derrickson-talks-suspiria-1977/id1807437928?i=1000732588425
Substack: https://colehaddon.substack.com/p/bonus-episode-scott-derrickson-talks
-
Aside from the personal, you should expect a lot of amazing craft insights in this episode, -about Scott’s creative process, themes that show up in his work, and his third acts. You’re also going to learn a ton about how he’s maintained his independence in Hollywood since he directed 'The Day the Earth Stood Still' in 2008 – which informs how he ended up directing the psychologically personal film Sinister and ultimately walked away from directing 'Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness'.
I’ve described some of my conversations as master classes in storytelling – but none of them compares to this one with Scott Derrickson.
Subscribe to the 5AM StoryTalk Newsletter: https://colehaddon.substack.com/
Get access to this podcast episode and hundreds of other arts and culture articles, essays, and educational resources.
Tip Jar
Not up for a paid subscription but appreciate the work that’s gone into making this podcast happen? You can “buy me a coffee” here: https://buymeacoffee.com/colehaddon
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5AM StoryTalk @ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/5amstorytalkpodcast/
Cole Haddon @ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colehaddonwashere/
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/colehaddon.bsky.social
Threads: https://www.threads.com/@colehaddonwashere
Email:
5AMStoryTalk@gmail.com
-
5AM StoryTalk would like to acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on which this podcast is recorded, the Djarra people of the Kulin Nation and pay respects to Elders past and present.
This podcast's music is by Cary Brothers.
Since I was little, all I wanted was to do was grow up to write stories for the screen. But when my first TV series was green lit to series, it was a gut punch almost as bad as finding out someone I love had died. Find out why in the exciting, soul-crushing conclusion of the four-part podcast story "The Horror of 'Dracula': The Unbelievable True Story of the 2013 TV Series".
What you're about to listen to is a cautionary tale for screenwriters – and artists, in general – about what can happen when all your dreams come true. There's a reason why 'DRACULA' (2013), which starred Jonathan Rhy Meyers and a boatload of other brilliant actors, became infamous in two different countries' TV industries.
If you haven't listened to Part 1, start there: https://open.spotify.com/episode/73yAzyPeOP0eQXmR30GgVB?si=b055bf9239da4acb
Here's Part 2: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6yokwT6qMuSVFV97N2hmuk?si=c0b20765c03a4629
And here's Part 3: https://open.spotify.com/episode/1zBxLqkdssV0RsnC6TbXTA?si=9be4fd173b274139
Subscribe to the 5AM StoryTalk Newsletter: https://colehaddon.substack.com/
Get access to this podcast episode and hundreds of other arts and culture articles, essays, and educational resources.
Tip Jar
Not up for a paid subscription but appreciate the work that’s gone into making this podcast happen? You can “buy me a coffee” here: https://buymeacoffee.com/colehaddon
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5AM StoryTalk @ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/5amstorytalkpodcast/
Cole Haddon @ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colehaddonwashere/
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/colehaddon.bsky.social
Threads: https://www.threads.com/@colehaddonwashere
Email:
5AMStoryTalk@gmail.com
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5AM StoryTalk would like to acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on which this podcast is recorded, the Djarra people of the Kulin Nation and pay respects to Elders past and present.
This podcast's music is by Cary Brothers.
What could lead me to try to REPEATEDLY try to quit the first TV series I ever created - 'DRACULA' (2013)? If you thought things went to a dark place in Part 2, you ain't seen nothing yet!
Today brings you Part 3 of a four-part real-life horror story I often describe as a cautionary tale for screenwriters – and artists, in general – about what can happen when all your dreams come true.
I'm talking about the unbelievable true story of the development and pitch, sale, pilot script, and greenlight for NBC and Sky's 2013 series 'Dracula' starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers and a bunch of brilliant actors. A story so terrifying it became infamous in two different countries’ TV industries.
If you haven't listened to Part 1, start there: https://open.spotify.com/episode/73yAzyPeOP0eQXmR30GgVB?si=b055bf9239da4acb
Here's Part 2: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6yokwT6qMuSVFV97N2hmuk?si=c0b20765c03a4629
Part 4 will be published in two days.
Subscribe to 5AM StoryTalk here at Spotify so you don't miss out on the rest of this horror story's gory details!
Subscribe to the 5AM StoryTalk Newsletter: https://colehaddon.substack.com/
Get access to this podcast episode and hundreds of other arts and culture articles, essays, and educational resources.
Tip Jar
Not up for a paid subscription but appreciate the work that’s gone into making this podcast happen? You can “buy me a coffee” here: https://buymeacoffee.com/colehaddon
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5AM StoryTalk @ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/5amstorytalkpodcast/
Cole Haddon @ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colehaddonwashere/
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/colehaddon.bsky.social
Threads: https://www.threads.com/@colehaddonwashere
Email:
5AMStoryTalk@gmail.com
-
5AM StoryTalk would like to acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on which this podcast is recorded, the Djarra people of the Kulin Nation and pay respects to Elders past and present.
This podcast's music is by Cary Brothers.
In today's plog, we discuss: how the writing muscle changes (negatively?) with age - my failed first novel - the importance of carving out thinking time amongst everything we juggle as artists and human beings - am I a workaholic? (thanks, Dad!) - springtime in Australia - Samantha Harvey's novel Orbital - Soviet director Sergei Bondarchuk and his four-part War and Peace films - Mosfilm on YouTube - and David Milch and fighting for our mass culture.
5AM RealTalk is a 5AM StoryTalk plog where I discuss the highs and lows of my life as a screenwriter/novelist and human being - what I'm struggling with in my work, what's inspiring me, what's causing me to lose sleep.
Subscribe to the 5AM StoryTalk Newsletter: https://colehaddon.substack.com/
You'll gain access to both the 5AM StoryTalk newsletter and all episodes of this podcast – including exclusive bonus episodes in which my guests discuss seminal pieces of art from their lives. Ask questions in the comments section there, too!
Subscribe to the 5AM StoryTalk Podcast at Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/5am-storytalk/id1807437928
A paid subscription at Apple will get you access to all of my bonus episodes in which my guests return to break down a seminal artwork from their lives.
Tip Jar
Not up for a paid subscription but appreciate the work that’s gone into making this podcast happen? You can “buy me a coffee” here: https://buymeacoffee.com/colehaddon
Links:
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Follow Cole/5AM StoryTalk at…
5AM StoryTalk @ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/5amstorytalkpodcast/
Cole Haddon @ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colehaddonwashere/
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/colehaddon.bsky.social
Threads: https://www.threads.com/@colehaddonwashere
Email:
5AMStoryTalk@gmail.com
-
5AM StoryTalk would like to acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on which this podcast is recorded, the Djarra people of the Kulin Nation and pay respects to Elders past and present.
This podcast's music is provided by my brilliant friend Cary Brothers.
What could lead me to try to quit the first TV series I ever created - 'DRACULA' (2013) starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Oliver Jackson Cohen, and Jessica De Gouw?!
Today brings you Part 2 of a four-part real-life horror story I often describe as a cautionary tale for screenwriters – and artists, in general – about what can happen when all your dreams come true.
A story so terrifying it became infamous in two different countries’ TV industries.
I'm talking about the unbelievable true story of the development and pitch, sale, pilot script, and greenlight for NBC and Sky's 2013 series 'Dracula'. If you've ever aspired to work in Hollywood, this is a must listen. Maybe it'll help you avoid the fate that befell me when I finally "made it".
If you haven't listened to Part 1, start there: https://open.spotify.com/episode/73yAzyPeOP0eQXmR30GgVB?si=b055bf9239da4acb
Parts 3 and 4 will be published next week.
Subscribe to 5AM StoryTalk here at Spotify so you don't miss out on the rest of this horror story's gory details!
Subscribe to the 5AM StoryTalk Newsletter: https://colehaddon.substack.com/
Get access to this podcast episode and hundreds of other arts and culture articles, essays, and educational resources.
Tip Jar
Not up for a paid subscription but appreciate the work that’s gone into making this podcast happen? You can “buy me a coffee” here: https://buymeacoffee.com/colehaddon
Links:
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Follow Cole/5AM StoryTalk at…
5AM StoryTalk @ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/5amstorytalkpodcast/
Cole Haddon @ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colehaddonwashere/
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/colehaddon.bsky.social
Threads: https://www.threads.com/@colehaddonwashere
Email:
5AMStoryTalk@gmail.com
-
5AM StoryTalk would like to acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on which this podcast is recorded, the Djarra people of the Kulin Nation and pay respects to Elders past and present.
This podcast's music is by Cary Brothers.
How could a straight-to-series greenlight go so wrong for the first TV series I ever created?!
Today brings you the first part of a four-part real-life horror story I often describe as a cautionary tale for screenwriters – and artists, in general – about what can happen when all your dreams come true.
A story so terrifying it became infamous in two different countries’ TV industries.
I'm talking about the unbelievable true story of the development and pitch, sale, pilot script, and greenlight for NBC and Sky's 2013 series 'DRACULA' starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers and a boatload of other brilliant actors. If you've ever aspired to work in Hollywood, this is a must listen. Maybe it'll help you avoid the fate that befell me when I finally "made it".
Part 2 will be published in two days and parts 3 and 4 will be published next week.
Subscribe to 5AM StoryTalk here at Spotify so you don't miss out on the rest of this horror story's gory details!
Subscribe to the 5AM StoryTalk Newsletter: https://colehaddon.substack.com/
Get access to this podcast episode and hundreds of other arts and culture articles, essays, and educational resources.
Tip Jar
Not up for a paid subscription but appreciate the work that’s gone into making this podcast happen? You can “buy me a coffee” here: https://buymeacoffee.com/colehaddon
Links:
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Follow Cole/5AM StoryTalk at…
5AM StoryTalk @ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/5amstorytalkpodcast/
Cole Haddon @ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colehaddonwashere/
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/colehaddon.bsky.social
Threads: https://www.threads.com/@colehaddonwashere
Email:
5AMStoryTalk@gmail.com
-
5AM StoryTalk would like to acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on which this podcast is recorded, the Djarra people of the Kulin Nation and pay respects to Elders past and present.
This podcast's music is by Cary Brothers.
'100 Bloody Acres' - 'Scare Campaign' - 'Late Night with the Devil'. Today, I'm joined by Australian writer-directors of these fantastic horror films - THE CAIRNES BROTHERS. We're going to discuss their unique blend of horror, comedy, and drama, growing up in the 80s on a mix of Hollywood and Ozploitation films, the breadth of what a horror film can be today in part because of Aussie filmmakers, and what the brothers describe as the genre renaissance taking place in Australian cinema today.
A BONUS EPISODE with the Cairnes Brothers is also available via Apple Podcasts or at Substack. In it, Colin and Cameron discuss a seminal piece of art from her life — the film THE STUNT MAN (1980).
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bonus-episode-the-cairnes-brothers-talk-the-stunt-man/id1807437928?i=1000728350318
Substack: https://colehaddon.substack.com/p/bonus-episode-the-cairnes-brothers
Subscribe to the 5AM StoryTalk Newsletter: https://colehaddon.substack.com/
Get access to this podcast episode, the bonus episode, and hundreds of other arts and culture articles, essays, and educational resources.
Tip Jar
Not up for a paid subscription but appreciate the work that’s gone into making this podcast happen? You can “buy me a coffee” here: https://buymeacoffee.com/colehaddon
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5AM StoryTalk @ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/5amstorytalkpodcast/
Cole Haddon @ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colehaddonwashere/
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/colehaddon.bsky.social
Threads: https://www.threads.com/@colehaddonwashere
Email:
5AMStoryTalk@gmail.com
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5AM StoryTalk would like to acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on which this podcast is recorded, the Djarra people of the Kulin Nation and pay respects to Elders past and present.
This podcast's music is by Cary Brothers.
This week on the 5AM StoryTalk Podcast, we’re joined by KAREN HORNE — DEI pioneer and former Senior VP of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion North America for Warner Bros. Discovery. Karen and I are going to dig into her life, how she became such a voice for representation and DEI in Hollywood, and the economics of diversity behind and in front of the camera. Let’s throw out the political hyperboles and outright lies and try to understand this issue — and what’s at stake — better together.
A BONUS EPISODE with Karen, exclusive to 5AM StoryTalk’s superstar paid subscribers, is also available via Apple Podcasts or at Substack.
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bonus-karen-horne-talks-the-cultural-economic-impact/id1807437928?i=1000724941764
Substack: https://colehaddon.substack.com/p/bonus-episode-karen-horne-talks-the
In it, we skip discussing a seminal piece of art not from Karen’s life (which is what I usually do with such bonus content), and instead take a look at the cultural and economic impact of three seminal pieces of diverse art in Hollywood’s history that she selected — ‘A Different World’, Barbie, and Sinners. Of course, we’ll touch on many more, from ‘The Cosby Show’ to ‘Fresh Off the Boat’ and Black Panther. How did/does centering non-cishet white characters and themes impact the success of these films and TV series?
Subscribe to the 5AM StoryTalk newsletter: https://colehaddon.substack.com/
Get access to this podcast episode, the bonus episode, and hundreds of other arts and culture articles, essays, and educational resources.
Tip Jar
Not up for a paid subscription but appreciate the work that’s gone into making this podcast happen? You can “buy me a coffee” here: https://buymeacoffee.com/colehaddon
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Email:
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5AM StoryTalk would like to acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on which this podcast is recorded, the Djarra people of the Kulin Nation and pay respects to Elders past and present.
This podcast's music is by Cary Brothers.
In today's plog, we discuss: white supremacist marches around the world - Charlie Kirk's assassination - Karen Attiah getting fired for directly quoting Kirk - Jimmy Kimmel canceled by the U.S. government and a cowardly corporation - the risk to artists for speaking up IRL and in their work - what's the point anyway? - Amazon 'reconstructing' Orson Welles' 'The Magnificent Ambersons' using AI - Paolo Sorrentino's 'Parthenope' - French expressionism at the National Gallery of Victoria in Melbourne - and how much my kids (and I) love 'KPop Demon Hunters'.
5AM RealTalk is a 5AM StoryTalk plog where I discuss the highs and lows of my life as a screenwriter/novelist and human being - what I'm struggling with in my work, what's inspiring me, what's causing me to lose sleep.
Subscribe to the 5AM StoryTalk Newsletter: https://colehaddon.substack.com/
You'll gain access to both the 5AM StoryTalk newsletter and all episodes of this podcast – including bonus episodes. Ask questions in the comments section there, too!
Subscribe to the 5AM StoryTalk Podcast at Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/5am-storytalk/id1807437928
A paid subscription at Apple will get you access to near-weekly exclusive bonus episodes with my guests in which they break down seminal pieces of art from their lives.
Tip Jar
Not up for a paid subscription but appreciate the work that’s gone into making this podcast happen? You can “buy me a coffee” here: https://buymeacoffee.com/colehaddon
Links:
Social Media:
Follow Cole/5AM StoryTalk at…
5AM StoryTalk @ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/5amstorytalkpodcast/
Cole Haddon @ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colehaddonwashere/
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/colehaddon.bsky.social
Threads: https://www.threads.com/@colehaddonwashere
Email:
5AMStoryTalk@gmail.com
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5AM StoryTalk would like to acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on which this podcast is recorded, the Djarra people of the Kulin Nation and pay respects to Elders past and present.
This podcast's music is provided by my brilliant friend Cary Brothers.
HOW DO WE SURVIVE AS ARTISTS TODAY? Not just in 2025, but going forward, too, as the world’s creative industries become ever more perilous places to forge careers thanks to fun things like AI, corporate greed, and fascism. How do you keep on keeping on despite all the uncertainty that comes with an artist's life? How do you become the artist you want to be given such terrible odds?
To help, I'm going to give you FIVE ESSENTIAL FINANCIAL AND LIFESTYLE TIPS that I wish someone had provided me with when I decided I would become a professional artist. These tips will take you from your first job to financially, emotionally, and creating enduring the increasingly difficult life of an artist in the 21st century.
Subscribe to the 5AM StoryTalk Newsletter: https://colehaddon.substack.com/
You'll gain access to both the 5AM StoryTalk newsletter and all episodes of this podcast – including bonus episodes. Ask questions in the comments section there, too!
Subscribe to the 5AM StoryTalk Podcast at Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/5am-storytalk/id1807437928
A paid subscription at Apple will get you access to near-weekly exclusive bonus episodes with my guests in which they break down seminal pieces of art from their lives.
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5AM StoryTalk would like to acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on which this podcast is recorded, the Djarra people of the Kulin Nation and pay respects to Elders past and present.
This podcast's music is by Cary Brothers.
Historian of science, monster consultant, and author of the brilliant new book 'Humans: A Monstrous History'. Today I'm joined by DR. SUREKHA DAVIES, and we'll talking the perception of category breakers as monsters in history and storytelling and how our relationship to these 'monsters' helped invent race, gender, and nations along the way. This conversation couldn’t be more relevant to our world today – from migrant crises, to trans rights, to Gaza.
A BONUS EPISODE with Surekha is also available via Apple Podcasts or at Substack. In it, Surekha discusses a seminal piece of art from her life — the iconic 'Star Trek: The Next Generation' episodes, 'THE BEST OF BOTH WORLDS' Parts 1 and 2, which involve one of her favorite fictional monsters…the Borg.
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bonus-dr-surekha-davies-talks-star-trek-tngs-the-best/id1807437928?i=1000723059163
Substack: https://colehaddon.substack.com/p/bonus-episode-surekha-davies-talks
Subscribe to the 5AM StoryTalk Newsletter: https://colehaddon.substack.com/
Get access to this podcast episode, the bonus episode, and hundreds of other arts and culture articles, essays, and educational resources.
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Not up for a paid subscription but appreciate the work that’s gone into making this podcast happen? You can “buy me a coffee” here: https://buymeacoffee.com/colehaddon
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5AM StoryTalk @ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/5amstorytalkpodcast/
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5AM StoryTalk would like to acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on which this podcast is recorded, the Djarra people of the Kulin Nation and pay respects to Elders past and present.
This podcast's music is by Cary Brothers.
5AM RealTalk is a 5AM StoryTalk plog where I discuss the highs and lows of my life as an artist and human being - what I'm struggling with in my work, what's inspiring me, what's causing me to lose sleep.
In today's episode, we get to know each other a little better, I muse about the artist's "waiting game" and the anxiety that brings, I talk about some personal stuff that's leading to something like writer's block (or rather, sluggishness), and I celebrate the release of my sister Kam Redlawsk's children's book Yumi and the Monster. Links for everything below.
5AM StoryTalk would like to acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on which this podcast is recorded, the Djarra people of the Kulin Nation and pay respects to Elders past and present.
This podcast's music is by Cary Brothers.
Become a subscriber to the 5AM StoryTalk newsletter
You'll gain access to both the 5AM StoryTalk newsletter and all episodes of this podcast – including bonus episodes otherwise exclusive to paid supporters. Ask questions in the comments section there, too!
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Today I'm joined by KELLY FREMON CRAIG – screenwriter and director of coming-of-age films 'The Edge of Seventeen ' (2016) and the Judy Blume adaptation 'Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret' (2023). Her direction is never showy, and yet always specifically her; her dialogue and character work is always authentic and crackling and very often unexpectedly moving; and her screenplays are a legitimate joy to read. Enjoy this conversation about her filmmaking craft, how she writes with her body not just her head, and her quest to write something true.
A BONUS EPISODE with Kelly is also available via Apple Podcasts or at Substack: In it, Kelly discusses a seminal piece of art from her life — 'BROADCAST NEWS' (1987), which was written and directed by her mentor James L. Brooks. I’m thrilled with her pick, as it’s a comedy-drama the likes of which I wish Hollywood would make more of (kind of like Kelly’s work).
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/bonus-kelly-fremon-craig-talks-broadcast-news/id1807437928?i=1000723997400
Substack: https://colehaddon.substack.com/p/bonus-episode-kelly-fremon-craig
Subscribe to the 5AM StoryTalk newsletter: https://colehaddon.substack.com/
Get access to this podcast episode, the bonus episode, and hundreds of other arts and culture articles, essays, and educational resources.
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Not up for a paid subscription but appreciate the work that’s gone into making this podcast happen? You can “buy me a coffee” here: https://buymeacoffee.com/colehaddon
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5AM StoryTalk would like to acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on which this podcast is recorded, the Djarra people of the Kulin Nation and pay respects to Elders past and present.
This podcast's music is by Cary Brothers.
I’m Cole Haddon - screenwriter, novelist, and comic book writer - and this is a trailer for Season 2 of 5AM StoryTalk! If you're as confused by the 21st century as I am, then you've come to the right place. Every week at this podcast, I'm going to be joined by some of the world's biggest artists and intellectuals so that we can try to make sense of what's going on in our culture. I’m talking where we've been, where we've ended up, and where we're going – all through the lens of art and storytelling.
This season’s guests include filmmakers Kelly Fremon Craig, Scott Derrickson, Radio Silence, Cinco Paul, and the Cairnes Brothers, cyborg anthropologist Amber Case, digital rights activist Lizzie O’Shea, DEI pioneer Karen Horne, screenwriter, author, and podcast host Emily St. James, historian and author Dr. Surekha Davies, and actress and dear friend Erin Cahill – who’s going to pop up around the holidays to help me make sense of why Hallmark Christmas movies have become so important to so many.
The conversations don’t just end when these episodes do, though. Every 5AM StoryTalk interview is accompanied by a bonus ep in which my guests return to discuss at length a seminal piece of art from their lives. I like to think of each of these as mini-master classes, though what they teach you isn’t always as obvious as what the subject matter might suggest.
You’re going to have to become a paid supporter to listen to this bonus material, though.
Over at Apple, you can also become a paid subscriber at the 5AM StoryTalk Newsletter, where you’ll also get access to all of my podcast episodes days, sometimes weeks early, as well as hundreds of arts and culture articles, essays, and educational resources I’ve published there: https://colehaddon.substack.com/
The 5AM StoryTalk Podcast is hosted, written, and produced by Cole Haddon. Cary Brothers provides soundtrack; you can learn more about him and listen to and buy his music at his website here: https://www.carybrothers.com/
5AM StoryTalk would like to acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on which this podcast is recorded, the Djarra people of the Kulin Nation and pay respects to Elders past and present.
Tip Jar
Not up for a paid subscription but appreciate the work that’s gone into making this podcast happen? You can “buy me a coffee” here: https://buymeacoffee.com/colehaddon
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Today, I'm joined by MIKE JACKSON, co-founder of the Get Lifted Film Co. (with John Legend and Ty Stiklorious), the Emmy-winning producer of films and TV series like ‘Underground’, ‘Rhythm + Flow’, ‘Jingle Jangle: A Christmas Journey’, ‘Southside with You’, 'Atlanta's Missing and Murdered: The Lost Children', 'Stand Up & Shout: Songs from a Philly High School', the 2019 ‘Jesus Christ Superstar Live and Concert’ event, and so many more, and the host of a great podcast of his own called Why Not Me? (which you can find a link to below).
Mike's films, TV, and documentaries are almost all socially conscious, very often preoccupied by social justice, and, with just a few exceptions, explore the entirety of the Black American experience — good, bad, beautiful, painful, joyous.
5AM StoryTalk would like to acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on which this podcast is recorded, the Djarra people of the Kulin Nation and pay respects to Elders past and present.
A BONUS EPISODE, exclusive to 5AM StoryTalk’s bad-ass paid subscribers, is also available via Apple Podcasts and Substack: https://colehaddon.substack.com/p/bonus-episode-mike-jackson-talks
In it, Mike discusses two seminal pieces of art from his life — Kwame Brathwaite’s photographs of the Jackson 5 and Muhammad Ali, both taken on the coast of Africa in 1974. Brathwaite popularized the term “Black is beautiful” during the Civil Rights Movement, and I assure you by the end of this bonus chat, you’ll understand what he meant by that — and why Mike has embraced that message his whole life.
Subscribe to the 5AM StoryTalk newsletter: https://colehaddon.substack.com/
Get access to this podcast episode, the bonus episode, and hundreds of other arts and culture articles, essays, and educational resources.
Tip Jar
Not up for a paid subscription but appreciate the work that’s gone into making this podcast happen? You can “buy me a coffee” here: https://buymeacoffee.com/colehaddon
Show notes. Mike and I discuss the following and much more:
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Today I'm joined by SOPHIE HYDE, one of my favorite contemporary Australian filmmakers – director of numerous documentaries, short films, and TV series and feature films such as ‘52 Tuesdays’, ‘Animals’, ‘Good Luck to You, Leo Grande’, and the upcoming ‘Jimpa’ starring Olivia Coleman and John Lithgow and ‘The Ideal Wife’ starring Emilia Clarke. Her filmmaking is deeply collaborative, structurally challenging, and very often transgressive. We’re going to dig into how she developed her unique narrative instincts in this craft-intensive and yet incredibly intimate conversation.
5AM StoryTalk would like to acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on which this podcast is recorded, the Djarra people of the Kulin Nation and pay respects to Elders past and present.
A BONUS EPISODE, exclusive to 5AM StoryTalk’s bad-ass paid subscribers, is also available via Apple Podcasts or at Substack: https://colehaddon.substack.com/p/new-podcast-episode-q-and-a-director
In it, Sophie discusses a seminal piece of art from his life – the iconic 1975 film THE ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year.
Subscribe to the 5AM StoryTalk newsletter: https://colehaddon.substack.com/
Get access to this podcast episode, the bonus episode, and hundreds of other arts and culture articles, essays, and educational resources.
Tip Jar
Not up for a paid subscription but appreciate the work that’s gone into making this podcast happen? You can “buy me a coffee” here: https://buymeacoffee.com/colehaddon
Show notes. Sophie and I discuss the following and much more:
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