Today on the show, I’m joined by one of cinema’s most distinctive and uncompromising performers — Crispin Glover. From his unforgettable turns in Back to the Future, River’s Edge, The People vs Larry Flynt, & Alice in Wonderland to his own groundbreaking directorial projects like What Is It? and It Is Fine! Everything Is Fine., Crispin has built a career exploring the outer edges of character, performance, and storytelling.
His latest role — in Tallulah H. Schwab’s surreal new film Mr. K — places him in a strange, Kafkaesque hotel where nothing is as it seems. Glover plays a traveling magician whose attempt to check in becomes a descent through bureaucratic absurdity, dream logic, and existential unease. The film has been described as eerie, hypnotic, and visually stunning — and at its center, Glover delivers a performance that’s both hauntingly restrained and deeply human.
Today on the podcast, I’m joined by Emmy-winning composer Trevor Morris — a creative force behind some of television’s most powerful scores, including The Tudors, Vikings, and The Borgias. Over the years, Trevor has built a reputation for crafting music that elevates emotion and tension in every frame. Now, he’s stepping behind the camera for the first time as a director with his feature debut, Butterfly on a Wheel.
Hello everyone, thanks so much for tuning in. Today’s I’m so excited to be joined by musical theater legends Norm Lewis and Sandy Bainum who are lending their talents for a great cause for a one-night only concert of the Tony Award–winning musical comedy Woman of the Year, at the Broad Stage in Santa Monica. It’s all to benefit FNAM’s ShowSearch program, which mentors high school and college writers as they develop new original musicals.
Norm Lewis is a Tony, Emmy, Grammy, and SAG Award nominee whose career has spanned the very best of Broadway and beyond. He’s been seen in The Phantom of the Opera, Les Misérables, The Gershwins’ Porgy & Bess, and Chicken and Biscuits. He’s now taking on the role of Sam Craig — the quick-witted cartoonist whose life collides with a TV news anchor in Woman of the Year.
Sandy Bainum is an accomplished Broadway performer, cabaret artist, and recording star who made her debut in 42nd Street and has since appeared in Mame, The Music Man, Mamma Mia!, and more. On screen, you’ve seen her in Game Change, Criminal Minds, and The 12 Days of Christmas Eve with Kelsey Grammer. In Woman of the Year, she’s stepping into the role of Tess Harding — famously played by Lauren Bacall on Broadway.
Today on the podcast, I’m joined by two of the most fearless voices in documentary filmmaking: Billy Corben and Jen Gatien. Billy is the director behind cult-classic docs like Cocaine Cowboys, The U, and Screwball. Jen Gatien is a veteran producer and director whose work spans narrative and nonfiction, such as Holy Rollers, For Ellen, Limelight, Jack & Diane, and Midnight Sun. Together, they’ve teamed up on a gripping new film called Men of War, which chronicles the astonishing true story of Operation Gideon—the failed 2020 coup attempt in Venezuela—and the covert network of ex-generals, mercenaries, and political operatives behind it.
I'm joined today by Emmy nominees Hilary Winston and Rob Letterman, the showrunners behind Goosebumps: The Vanishing, the newest season of the Disney+ series inspired by R.L. Stine’s iconic books. Hilary brings her sharp storytelling background from shows like Community and My Name Is Earl, while Rob, known for directing the film Goosebumps (2015) and Detective Pikachu, brings his signature mix of humor and heart. Together, they’ve crafted a darker, more emotional chapter in the Goosebumps universe.
First-time filmmaker Jordan Murphy Doige and actor Archie Yates, known from the Oscar-winning Jojo Rabbit, discuss their work on the Oscar-qualified short film CLOUT. The film is a timely, darkly comedic look at the dangers of online fame and the lengths people will go to for attention.
Director Mercedes Bryce Morgan her latest film - Bleeker Street's Bone Lake - now in theaters. The film is about a couple’s romantic getaway to a secluded lakeside estate which ultimately gets upended when they are forced to share the mansion with a mysterious other couple.
Academy Award-winning director Robert Port, whose 2002 film Twin Towers won the Oscar for Best Documentary Short, discusses his latest film, Twin Towers: Legacy, which revisits one of the most defining moments in American history with fresh perspective and emotional depth.
This new film builds on the story he began in Twin Towers, but it’s not just a look back—it’s a conversation about remembrance, resilience, and what it means to carry forward the stories of 9/11 in today's world.
Today on the podcast, we’re joined by acclaimed composer Will Bates, whose work spans film, television, and beyond. HIs previous credits include Dumb Money, The Estate, Immaculate, I Origins, Hulu’s Call Me Alex, Netflix’s Unbelievable,
Most recently, he’s brought his unique sonic signature to two very different but equally compelling projects: the highly anticipated NCIS: Tony & Ziva, a spinoff that revives one of television’s most beloved duos; and Stiller & Meara: Nothing is Lost, a deeply personal documentary exploring the legacy of the iconic comedy duo through the eyes of their son, Ben Stiller.
Actor Javier Muñoz is best known for his work in the hit Tony-winning Broadway musical Hamilton, where he made a huge impact as both the alternate and lead for Alexander Hamilton. But today, we’re focusing on his latest film, Brownsville Bred. The film takes place In 1980s Brownsville, Brooklyn, where Elaine is on the cusp of becoming a teenager. She wrestles with her mother’s resilience, the father she resents, and the chaos outside her window—while discovering her Puerto Rican roots and the courage to forge her own path.
Actress Mia Barron is currently starring in the Tony-winning play EUREKA DAY at the Pasadena Playhouse through October 5th.
She has appeared on Broadway in Tom Stoppard’s Tony-winning production of The Coast of Utopia and in premieres of new plays at Off-Broadway theatres including at The Public Theater, Manhattan Theatre Club, and Lincoln Center. She has worked at multiple regional theatres across the country including: the Mark Taper Forum, Geffen Playhouse, the Williamstown Theatre Festival, and La Jolla Playhouse.
Television work includes roles on Grey’s Anatomy, Get Shorty, NCIS, Law and Order: Criminal Intent, Shameless, The Newsroom, Elementary, Blue Bloods, Medium, Numb3rs, Bones, Modern Family, and Glee.
For her work Off-Broadway, she has received two Obie Awards, a Lucille Lortel Award and a Drama Desk Award.
Actor Jade Croot discusses her work in the haunting new psychological thriller Rabbit Trap—a slow-burn, atmospheric film that follows a couple retreating to the countryside for a fresh start where they are suddenly visited by a mysterious child who appears to have ill intentions for them. Rabbit Trap is now in theaters.
Croot is known for her previous work in The Watch and The Accident.
Emmy-nominated composer Ruth Barrett has two new much-anticipated streaming series out now. The first is the psychological thriller series The Girlfriend, starring Robin Wright, Olivia Cooke, Laurie Davidson and Waleed Zuaiter. The series is about Laura's idyllic life that gets shattered when her son's new girlfriend seems suspicious. Determined to protect him, Laura's actions spiral out of control. The series is streaming on Prime Video beginning September 10th.Ruth also recently scored Prime Video’s action thriller series The Terminal List: Dark Wolf, starring Chris Pratt and Taylor Kitsch, which is streaming now. A prequel series to The Terminal List (2022), Dark Wolf follows Ben Edwards' journey from Navy SEAL to CIA operative.
Some of Ruth's past credits include PBS’ Victoria; Netflix’s drama series Bodyguard; NBC’s Law & Order: Organized Crime; Victoria Mahoney's The Old Guard 2; and Prime Video's The Terminal List.
Carolyn (Cal) Loucks is the set decorator of HBO’s “Dune: Prophecy." She is nominated in the Outstanding Production Design For A Narrative Period Or Fantasy Program category at this year’s Emmys.
Carolyn’s previous credits include Hulu’s Black Cave, Netflix’s Thai Cave Rescue, HBO Max’s Station 11, as well as the films Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Fifty Shades Freed, Fifty Shades Darker, Batman v Superman, RoboCop, Total Recall, Red, Resident Evil: Afterlife, Orphan, and The Incredible Hulk.
Paul Del Gesso and Christopher Salerno are editors for Saturday Night Live, where they've both worked for six years. They each recently received their second Emmy nomination for their work on the Physical Comedy montage as part of the three-hour SNL 50 Anniversary Special earlier this year.
Writer/director Kate Beecroft and actors Tabatha & Porshia Zimiga discuss their work in the latest Sony Pictures Classics film “East of Wall” now playing in theaters.
EAST OF WALL is about a young, tattooed, rebellious horse trainer named Tabatha who wrestles with financial insecurity and unresolved grief while providing refuge for a group of wayward teenagers on her broken-down ranch in the Badlands.
Composer Dominic Lewis just received his first Emmy nomination with Apple TV+’s Your Friends & Neighbors in the “Outstanding Original Main Title Theme Music” category.
His previous credits include Karate Kid: Legends & Love Hurts from earlier this year, the AppleTV+ series Dope Thief, The Fall Guy, Bullet Train, Violent Night, The King’s Man, the Peter Rabbit films, and F Gary Gray’s Lift.
Emmy Award-winning and Grammy-nominated composer Jeff Russo scored Noah Hawley’s highly anticipated new series, Alien: Earth. Serving as a prequel set two years before the events of the first Alien film, Alien Earth is set to be released Aug 12 on Hulu and stars Sydney Chandler, Alex Lawther, and Timothy Olyphant.
His previous credits include the Fargo series, Netflix’s Ripley, Paramount+'s Star Trek: Section 31, FX’s Legion & Snowfall, Netlix’s The Umbrella Academy and more recently, the shows UNTAMED and BALLARD.
In this episode, cinematographer Jonathan Nicholas discusses his work on season 2 of the hit Netflix docuseries America’s Sweethearts: Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders which just received an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Reality Program. The series follows the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders from auditions to training camp and the NFL season as they chase their dreams and a coveted spot on the squad.
Sophie Brooks is the writer & director of "Oh, Hi!", a new romantic comedy starring Logan Lerman and Molly Gordon set to be released in theaters on July 25. The film tells the story of a new couple, IRIS (Gordon) and ISAAC (Lerman), who are seemingly in a perfect relationship but soon things turn unexpectedly once Isaac reveals he’s not interested in a serious relationship.
