THE HOLLYWOOD PODCAST: Recent Episodes
Max Geschwind
Welcome to THE HOLLYWOOD PODCAST, hosted by Max Geschwind. THP covers the latest in film, television, streaming and social media while featuring interviews with actors, directors, screenwriters, social media content creators and more to offer a retrospective on their careers while discussing specific and significant events in their lives that led them to where they are today. Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/max-geschwind/support
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.
Gersha Phillips is the costume designer of the Paramount+ film Star Trek: Section 31 starring Academy Award winner Michelle Yeoh.
Gersha's previous credits include House of Cards, My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2, The Woman King and several of the previous Star Trek shows including Star Trek: Short Treks, Star Trek: Discovery, and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.
Luke Dunkley is the BAFTA-nominated editor of the Peacock series DAY OF THE JACKAL starring Eddie Redmayne and Lashana Lynch.
Dunkley's past credits include American Animals, Patrick Melrose, The Third Day, Solos, Slow Horses.
Udo Kramer is the BAFTA-nominated production designer of the second season of Nine Perfect Strangers, now streaming on Hulu.
His previous credits include the Netflix series DARK, 1899 and BLACK MIRROR.
Costume designer Virgina Johnson discusses her work on the Netflix limited series AMERICAN PRIMEVAL. Her previous credits include Patriots Day, Mile 22, Hillbilly Elegy, and The Parenting.
Three-time Emmy winner and Grammy nominated music supervisor Robin Urdang discusses her work on Amazon Prime’s Étoile. The series is about dancers and artistic staff of two world-renowned ballet companies - one in NY, the other in Paris - who embark on an ambitious gambit to save their storied institutions, by swapping their most talented stars.
Robin’s past credits include The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel; Challengers; Queer; Call Me By Your Name; Palm Springs; Wild Mountain Thyme; and more.
BAFTA-winning & Emmy-nominated cinematographer Chris Ross discusses his work in the Peacock spy thriller series DAY OF THE JACKAL starring Eddie Redmayne and Lashana Lynch.
His previous credits include Terminal, Yesterday, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, FX/Hulu's Shogun, and the Paramount+'s The Agency.
Jacob Dickey is a part of the ensemble of the Broadway musical Sondheim’s Old Friends playing now at the Samuel J Friedman Theatre at the Manhattan Theater Club until June 29th. The show is a musical revue showcasing the work of the late Stephen Sondheim. Dickey's previous credits including playing the titular character in Aladdin on Broadway & on tour as well as the Sondheim classic Company in its’ Broadway revival and national tour.
8-time Emmy winning production designer KEITH RAYWOOD recently wrapped his 40th year working on SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE - working on the landmark 50th anniversary season as well as the concert & live three-hour special that went along with this milestone year.
Charlene Akuamoah is the costume designer of the new Netflix series BET based on a popular Manga series. The show is about a transfer student from Japan, Yumeko, who is a skilled gambler & challenges the established hierarchy and the school's power structure at St. Dominic's Prep, an exclusive private boarding school where underground gambling dictates the social order. The series is now streaming on Netflix.
BAFTA-nominated production designer Richard Bullock discusses his work on the Peacock series DAY OF THE JACKAL starring Eddie Redmayne and Lashana Lynch.
Richard’s past credits include Frank, the Peaky Blinders tv series, Terminal, the Netflix series War of the Worlds and Blind.
Oscar-nominated director/writer Jessica Sanders, writer Avi Rothman (PALM ROYALE, BARB & STAR, WONDER WOMAN 1984), and actor Vivian Bang (ALWAYS BE MY MAYBE, THE PARENTING) is the team behind the Tribeca-selected short film I WANT TO FEEL FUN which is set to have its’ world premiere at the festival. The short - along with Vivian and Avi - stars Simon Rex and Esther Povitsky, and is about one day in Los Angeles in search of connection, love and Nicki Minaj.
Ernesto Dìaz Espinoza, Scott Adkins, and Marko Zaror is the team behind the new action thriller film Diablo, now playing in limited theaters and available to rent & buy on digital.
In the film, Adkins stars as Kris Chaney, a warrior who seizes the daughter of a Colombian gangster to fulfill a noble promise to the young girl’s mother. When her father enlists both the criminal underworld and the terrifying psychotic killer El Corvo (Marko Zaror) to exact his revenge, Kris will need to draw upon everything he has ever learned -- in and out of lockup -- to stay alive and keep his word.
Espinoza is the director of the film.
Toni Barton is the production designer behind the Peacock original miniseries “FIGHT NIGHT: THE MILLION DOLLAR HEIST" based on the 2020 podcast of the same name fictionalizing an actual armed robbery at an Atlanta party on the night of Muhammad Ali's October 1970 comeback fight after being stripped of his boxing license in 1967 for being a conscientious objector to fighting in the Vietnam War. The series stars Kevin Hart, Taraji P. Henson, Samuel L. Jackson, Don Cheadle, and Terrence Howard.
Toni’s past credits include Luke Cage, Jessica Jones, Person of Interest, The Big C, Girls, & Daredevil.
8-time Emmy winner Jodi Mancuso is the hair department head for Saturday Night Live. She's been with SNL for 24 years.
10-time Emmy winner Louie Zakarian is the make up department head for Saturday Night Live. He's been with SNL for 30 years.
In this interview, they share insights into working on the landmark 50th season of SNL, the anniversary concert & three-hour special, and the political nature of the season given the litany of political characters featured amidst the unprecedented 2024 election.
Composer Gavin Brivik recently scored MAX's series The Pitt, starring Noah Wyle. In addition to scoring the show, Gavin also co-wrote the end credit song, “Fail Forward” with singer/songwriter Taji. The 15-part drama explores the challenges facing healthcare workers in today’s America with each episode following an hour of the Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Hospital emergency room’s chief attendant’s 15-hour shift.
His past credits include Neon's How to Blow Up a Pipeline; Wild Indian, which premiered at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival; The Secrets of Playboy; the Paramount/Blumhouse film The Visitor, directed by Justin Lange; and more.
Craig Perry is the producer of FINAL DESTINATION BLOODLINES, the latest installment in the FINAL DESTINATION franchise. The film has broken box office records as having the highest grossing opening at the box office in the franchise as well as the biggest opening for an R rated horror film since the pandemic. Craig's other credits include the all of the other Final Destination films, the American Pie films, Cats & Dogs, and Little Black Book.
Rob Lowry has cemented himself as one of the most sought-after music supervisors in the industry today, with credits including The Lost City, the black comedy slasher Freaky, Sundance darling Cha Cha Real Smooth, Netflix doc Hal & Harper, and Max’s cultural sensation Gossip Girl. In 2025, he continues to push boundaries with films like Companion (New Line), Heart Eyes (Spyglass/Sony), Novocaine (FilmNation/Paramount), Drop (Universal) and Friendship (A24).
Antonique Smith is a Grammy-nominated singer, actress & activist. You may know her from Notorious (as Faith Evans) or as Mimi in Rent on Broadway.
She has kicked off 2025 with a reimagined version of the anthem, Love Song to the Earth, which is now streaming. The track, originally released in 2015, features stars like Sir Paul McCartney, Sean Paul, and Jon Bon Jovi, and highlights Antonique’s commitment to climate change activism. This version aligns with her nonprofit, Climate Revival, which empowers communities of faith and people of color to address environmental issues through storytelling and art.
Elisabeth Vastola is the costume designer of the new Amazon supernatural series THE BONDSMAN starring Kevin Bacon. "The Bondsman" follows a resurrected bounty hunter, who is tasked by the Devil to capture and return demons escaping Hell, while also seeking a second chance at life, love, and his musical career.
Elisabeth’s other credits include “Daredevil,” “Jessica Jones” and “Twisted Metal.” Next up, Elisabeth’s work will be seen in Season 2 of “Twisted Metal."
Political journalists & authors Amie Parnes and Jonathan Allen are out with their fourth book together, FIGHT: INSIDE THE WILDEST BATTLE FOR THE WHITE HOUSE, which chronicles the unprecedented 2024 presidential election. Putting you in the room of the Biden, Harris & Trump campaigns, Parnes' & Allen's extensive reporting includes over 100 interviews with campaign officials focusing on the disastrous Biden debate performance in June 2024, the Trump assassination attempt in July 2024, and the final months & week of the Harris-Trump showdown.
Amie is a senior correspondent for The Hill while Jonathan currently serves as a senior political analyst and reporter for NBC News.
Actor Page Kennedy - most known for his past film & television roles in The Meg franchise, Weeds, and Desperate Housewives - is now out with his latest film, A BREED APART. The film is about a woman named Violet who accepts an invitation to a private island with some of the world's most famous social media influencers. However, she soon becomes part of her own horrific reality show when the guests find themselves in a fight for their lives against the island's legendary man-eating dogs.
A BREED APART is now available to rent and buy on VOD.
Actor John Ortiz is best known for his roles in films such as Fast & Furious, Fast & Furious 6, Alien v Predator: Requiem, Silver Linings Playbook, Kong: Skull Island, Bumblebee, American Fiction, and Promised Land.
Now, he’s out with his latest project - the documentary THE DIAMOND KING now available on VOD. The film is a tribute to America’s Baseball pastime and the legacy of trailblazing Latino artist Dick Perez, a pioneering sports artist renowned for his iconic baseball portraits. From his Donruss Diamond Kings series to Hall of Fame exhibitions, Perez’s work captures the heart of America’s pastime, immortalizing legends and preserving baseball’s legacy through his vivid, emotive art.
Actor Brandon T Jackson discusses his latest film I’M BEGINNING TO SEE THE LIGHT, now available to own or rent. The film is about a journey of self-discovery where a once-renowned jazz trumpeter’s life (played by Jack Huston) unravels after a tragic loss. Jackson stars alongside Huston, Abbie Cornish, Lucy Punch, Jamie Chung, and Mark Boone Junior.
Jackson's previous credits include Roll Bounce, Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief, Big Momma's House: Like Father, Like Son & the hit BET series The Family Business: New Orleans.
Actress Jamie Chung, known for her roles in films such as Grown Ups 2 and The Hangover Part II as well as TV shows like Once Upon a Time and Dexter: Next Blood, is now out with her latest film I’M BEGINNING TO SEE THE LIGHT, now available to own and rent. The film is about a journey of self-discovery where a once-renowned jazz trumpeter’s life (played by Jack Huston) unravels after a tragic loss.
Chung co-stars with Huston, Abbie Cornish, Brandon T. Jackson, Lucy Punch, and Mark Boone Junior.
George Stevens Jr is a writer, director, producer, playwright, and author whose dedication to the preservation & celebration of American film spans over the last 60 years. He is the founder of the American Film Institute, creator of the AFI Life Achievement Award, and co-creator of the Kennedy Center Honors. George is the recipient of an Honorary Oscar, two Peabody Awards, 14 Emmys, and 8 WGA Awards. Earlier this year, President Biden awarded George with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.
George will be adding another accolade to this already-long list of awards as he'll be receiving receiving Turner Classic Movies’ Robert Osbourne Award at this year’s TCM Classic Film Festival for his work in preserving the cultural heritage of classic film for future generations.
Hair & make up designer Helen Magelaki's previous credits include The Great Gatsby, Mad Max Fury Road, Thor: Love and Thunder, Late Night with the Devil, Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes and how she’s out with her latest project, the Netflix limited series APPLE CIDER VINEGAR which is based on a true story about two young women who advocate for wellness remedies to cure deadly illnesses, and in doing so their lives unravel unknowingly - and knowingly - as they mislead the world. The series is now streaming on Netflix.
Acclaimed singer-songwriter Leroy Sanchez, whose presence on YouTube has amassed over 600 million views and 4 million subscribers, is now out with his brand new debut album "Sorry For The Chaos” featuring his hit single NUCLEAR.
With a soulful voice and captivating performances, Sanchez has captivated audiences worldwide and earned a dedicated fan base. Hailing from Spain, Sanchez first broke onto the music scene in 2015, posting heartfelt covers on YouTube. His renditions of music’s biggest hits garnered an incredibly large following of 4.36M followers on YouTube with another 750K on Instagram. His previous work has garnered widespread acclaim, leading to a headlining tour, a performance at the 2017 Teen Choice Awards with Clean Bandit, and an opening set for James Arthur, and an opportunity to release his original song “Una Señal,” which was featured in the hit Disney animated feature film, “Strange World,” released in 2022. Sanchez also worked on “SloMo,” the debut song from Cuban-Spanish artist Chanel, which hit #1 on Billboard’s Spanish Songs chart and finished in third place in the 2022 Eurovision contest. "NUCLEAR," out now on all platforms, represents a thrilling new chapter in his illustrious career.
Director Peter Segal discusses the milestone 30th anniversary of his 90s classic buddy comedy film TOMMY BOY starring Chris Farley and David Spade. Farley & Spade make up one of cinema’s funniest on-screen pairings as two drastically different personalities on a hellish road trip to save a family business. Produced by Lorne Michaels, TOMMY BOY has now achieved cult status as it continues to attract young fans all these years later. In honor of it’s 30th, the film has now been remastered and re-released in 4K.
Segal has also directed other iconic modern comedy classics such as Anger Management, 50 First Dates, the Longest Yard, and Get Smart.
Director James Griffiths and writers & stars Tom Basden & Tim Key are out with the new film THE BALLAD OF WALLIS ISLAND playing now in theaters. The film is about eccentric lottery winner Charles (played by Tim) who dreams of getting his favorite musicians back together (played by Tom and Carey Mulligan). The fantasy becomes real when the bandmates/former lovers agree to play a private show at Charles’s home on Wallis Island but in doing so, old tensions between the two resurface.
The Ballad of Wallis Island is now Playing in Select Theaters, Everywhere April 18.
Jonathan Gruber who is the director of the new documentary 'Centered: Joe Lieberman' which chronicles the remarkable career of Senator Joe Lieberman. The film highlights, how, as a bipartisan public servant, he navigated the tumultuous world of American politics from his early days in the CT State Senate to being Attorney General to being in the Senate and almost becoming the first Jewish Vice President.
Luna Sophia Miranda stars in the 5-time Oscar-winning film Anora directed by Sean Baker. She plays Lulu, a friend of Anora’s at the strip club where they both work. Winner of 5 Oscars including Best Picture, Best Director for Baker, and Best Actress for Mikey Madison, the film also won the DGA, PGA, and WGA Awards.
For our pre-Oscars episode, Variety's Jenelle Riley joins me to discuss our final predictions going into Hollywood's Biggest Night.
Riley is the Deputy Awards and Features Editor at Variety. She has received two Emmy Awards for her work on Variety/PBS’ “Actors on Actors” series. She regularly hosts Q&As for Academy & guild members during awards season.
Newly-minted Oscar nominated filmmakers Hossein Molayemi & Shirin Sohani are nominated for their animated short IN THE SHADOW OF THE CYPRESS. The film is about a former army captain living in an isolated house by the sea, & suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder which leads to him struggling to connect with his daughter who he lives with.
Director Cindy Lee and producer Darwin Shaw are Oscar-nominated in the category of Best Live Action Short for their film THE LAST RANGER which explores rhino poaching and conservation efforts in the Eastern Cape of South Africa.
Filmmaker Kim A. Snyder is nominated for Best Documentary Short Film for her film DEATH BY NUMBERS. The film chronicles school shooter survivor Sam Fuentes from the Parkland School shooting in 2018 as she prepares to confront her assailant in a poetic journey of empowerment while also reckoning with existential questions with how she’ll live the rest of her life coping with that terrible day.
Writer/ director Nicola Keppens & producer Brecht Van Elslande are Oscar-nominated for Best Animated Short for their film BEAUTIFUL MEN. The film is about three brothers who travel to Turkey to each get hair transplants. The film explores the brothers' insecurities and dynamics as the day of the transplant approaches, putting to the test their own brotherhood.
Filmmaker Nebojša Slijepčević is Oscar-nominated for Best Live Action Short for his latest film THE MAN WHO COULD NOT REMAIN SILENT which dramatizes the true events of a passenger train stopped by paramilitary forces in Bosnia as part of an ethnic cleansing operation. As they haul off innocent civilians, just one man out of 500 passengers stands up on behalf of everyone innocently on that train.
Producer Trent is nominated for Best Live Action Short for his film I’M NOT A ROBOT. The film is about music producer Lara who, after repeatedly failing those CAPTCHA tests on the internet, becomes obsessed with a disturbing question about whether she could be a robot.
The writer/director duo of David Cutler-Kreutz and Sam Cutler-Kreutz are nominated for Best Live Action Short for their film A LIEN. The film showcases a young couple confronting the immigration process on the day of their green card interview.
Writer/director Loïc Espuche is nominated for Best Animated Short at this year's Oscars for his film "Yuck!". The film is about a 7 year old boy Leon who initially finds couples kissing as gross and laughs at them, but later learns that he wants to give kissing a try, particularly with a girl at the summer camp that he’s in.
Eric Barba is an Oscar-winning visual effects artist. His past film credits include Zodiac, The Fifth Element, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button (for which he earned his Oscar for), Tron: Legacy, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Oblivion, Gone Girl, Terminator: Dark Fate and The Killer. He’s now nominated for his second Oscar for his work in Alien: Romulus directed by Fede Alvarez.
Emmy & Oscar-winning producer Mark Nielsen (Toy Story 4) and newly-minted Oscar nominated director Kelsey Mann (Pixar short Party Central) are both nominated this year for Best Animated Feature Film for Pixar’s INSIDE OUT 2.
Erik Winquist is an Academy Award- and BAFTA Award-nominated visual effects supervisor. His film credits include The Lord of the Rings: The Twin Towers & Return of the King, King Kong, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Avatar, Rampage, and the Planet of the Apes trilogy. His contribution to “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes” (2014) was recognized with an Academy Award® nomination for best achievement in visual effects and a BAFTA nomination for best special visual effects. He is now nominated for his second Oscar for Best Visual Effects for his stunning work in Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes.
Michael & Bre are currently starring in the national touring production of DEAR EVAN HANSEN. The show will be stopping at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts on Feb 14 at 8pm, Feb 15 at 2p & 8p, and Feb 16 at 2p.
For tickets, please visit the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts' website athttps://ccpa.cerritos.gov/
Calvin Leon Smith is currently on Broadway as Clifford Bradshaw in the hit musical revival Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club now playing at the August Wilson Theater in New York.
He previously co-starred in the Pulitzer Prize-winning play Fat Ham on Broadway, following an acclaimed run at the Public Theater. Television credits include Barry Jenkins’ award-winning Amazon series “The Underground Railroad,” HBO’s “The Deuce,” and the acclaimed anthology series “High Maintenance.”
Ruka Johnson is the costume designer of the new HBO crime drama series GET MILLIE BACK, which is about a former Scotland Yard detective Millie-Jean Black who returns to Kingston to work on missing persons cases. The series is now streaming on Max.
Werner Pretorius is the special effects makeup designer of Osgood Perkins' LONGLEGS, the NEON indie horror hit from this last summer starring Nicolas Cage. Werner's previous credits include ELYSIUM, ROBOCOP, STAR TREK BEYOND, SWAN SONG, YELLOWJACKETS, THE ADAM PROJECT, BATWOMAN, SUPERMAN & LOIS, GOOSEBUMPS, and SNOWPIERCER.
Composer Batu Sener discusses his latest project - Michael Gracey’s highly anticipated Robbie Williams music biopic titled BETTER MAN. Better Man is a satirical musical based on the true story of the meteoric rise, dramatic fall, and remarkable resurgence of British pop superstar Robbie Williams who is portrayed as a chimpanzee in the film.
Writer and producer Brian Donovan has debut his latest project, the new Amazon/Blumhouse true-crime inspired TV series THE STICKY, starring Emmy winner Margo Martindale, which he co-created, writes and executive produces. This darkly comedic thriller—executive produced by Jamie Lee Curtis, Jason Blum and Jonathan Levine—is now streaming on Amazon Prime.
Two-time Oscar nominated production designer Jess Gonchor was nominated for his work in two Coen Brothers films: True Grit and Hail Caesar. His other film credits include Capote, The Devil Wears Prada, No Country for Old Men, Burn After Reading, A Serious Man, Moneyball, Inside Llewyn Davis, Foxcatcher, Little Women, A Quiet Place Part II and so much more.He’s now out with his latest film, SATURDAY NIGHT, about the chaotic & stressful 90 minutes that led up to the series premiere episode of Saturday Night Live on October 11, 1975.
I’m so excited to be joined by Tony-nominated director/co-writer Kristin Hanggi and Emmy-winning composer/lyricist/co-bookwriter Ben Decter who have recently debuted their new musical IT’S ALL YOUR FAULT, TYLER PRICE!, which is now running at the Hudson Theatre in Los Angeles through Dec 15. The show follows Jackson, a middle school boy who gets in trouble after punching his bullying classmate, Tyler Price, for mocking Jackson's sister, Lucy who has epilepsy. To avoid expulsion, Jackson's principal insists he explain himself to the entire school which he does in the form of a heartfelt musical using music from his composer dad but without his knowledge.
Lincoln Jones is the artistic director and choreographer of the American Contemporary Ballet. He discusses the innovative, immersive and popular Nutcracker Suite show that ACB has put on during the holiday season.
Actor Dash Mihok is known for films and TV series over the years such as Ray Donovan, Romeo + Juliet, The Thin Red Line, The Day After Tomorrow, I Am Legend, Silver Linings Playbook, Before I Wake and now he’s out with his latest film ARMOR which is about a father-and-son duo of armored truck drivers tasked with delivering a suspicious package who must outwit and outgun a team of thieves while trapped on a bridge. The film, which co-stars Sylvester Stallone, is now available to rent/own on all platforms.
Whistleblower, health-care advocate and NYT Best-Selling author, Wendell Potter, is the leading national advocate for major reforms of the health insurance industry.After having a “crisis of conscience” in 2008, Potter left his executive position at CIGNA, to blow the whistle on the insurance industry’s unfair and corrupt business practices. He’s testified multipel times before the House & Senate and played an integral role in making huge advances in our country’s health care system, primarly with the passage of the Affordable Care Act and the Inflation Reduction Act, specifically the provision that caps prescription drug out-of-pocket expenses at $2,000 a year for Medicare beneficiaries and the price of insulin at $35 a month.I’m happy to have him on the show now to discuss how Hollywood has portrayed these stories of people navigating our problematic insurance industry that he has witnessed throughout his career, as well as how creatives in the industry can continue to ensure an authentic portrayal of these real-life situations.
Gabriel Mann is the composer of season 4 of the hit Netflix series Emily In Paris, starring Lily Collins.Mann’s notable television and film credits include ABC's award-winning hit comedy series Modern Family; ABC/Hulu’s A Million Little Things; Disney+’s High School Musical: The Musical: The Series; and Cheryl Strayed/Hulu’s limited series Tiny Beautiful Things.
Known for his iconic breakout role as Damian in the film MEAN GIRLS, Daniel Franzese recently starred in “Blood/Love” a vampire rock popera musical experience at the Crimson Club in Hollywood which tells a tale of love, friendship, heartbreak, and redemption centering on a vampire on the brink of despair who falls in love with a mortal rock superstar.
Emily Koch is currently starting as Aunt Debra in the national touring production of the Tony-winning Broadway musical “Kimberly Akimbo”. Previously, Emily was on Broadway in hit musicals such as Wicked, Waitress, as well as Kimbely Akimbo.Kimberly Akimbo is currently playing at the Hollywood Pantages Theatre through November 3rd. The show will be in Costa Mesa next year at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts starting January 21st.
Anand Tucker is the director of the British period thriller THE CRITIC, starring Sir Ian McKellen. Written by Oscar-nominated screenwriter Patrick Marber (NOTES ON A SCANDAL, CLOSER), the film is about a powerful London theatre critic who lures a struggling actress into a blackmail scheme that has deadly consequences. Tucker’s previous directing credits include LEAP YEAR, SHOPGIRL, and HILARY & JACKIE.
Over the last few years, the immersive theatrical production company, JFI Productions, has quickly risen to prominence in producing one of the must-do haunted experiences in LA during Halloween time. This year, JFI is bringing back their iconic CREEP show, this time collaborating with CBS to theme the experience to the world of the network’s hit series GHOSTS. During the hour-long journey through the GHOSTS mansion, guests explore various ghost stories, spirits, & representations of the afterlife. You can get your tickets to CREEP LA: GHOSTS at CREEPLA.com.
Daril Fannin is the co-founder of the interactive streaming service KINO, a new innovative app that is revolutionizing how consumers and filmmakers experience film, providing an interactive digital cinema experience.
Debbie De Villa is the production designer of M. Night Shyamalan’s newest thriller TRAP, starring Josh Hartnett. TRAP is about Cooper (Josh Hartnett) and his teen daughter Riley (Ariel Donoghue) who attend a pop concert only to realize they've entered the center of a dark and sinister event. When Cooper notices and inquires about the heightened police presence at the concert, a venue employee informs him that the entire concert was put together as one enormous trap to catch a serial killer dubbed “The Butcher.” Little did that venue employee know, he just tipped off The Butcher himself, and now the killer is on to their scheme.
Best known for his performances in films such as ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’, ‘Never Been Kissed’ and, of course, the bumbling police deputy Dewey Riley in the ‘Scream’ franchise, David Arquette is now out with his latest film ‘The Goof Half’ directed by Robert Schwartzman. The film is about Renn Wheeland (Nick Jonas) who returns home to Cleveland, Ohio, for his mother's funeral. Once there, he forges new relationships while healing old ones, before confronting his problems and trying to face his grief. Along with Arquette and Jonas, the film also stars Alexandra Shipp, Elisabeth Shue, Brittany Snow, and Matt Walsh.
Emmy-nominated costume designer, Carol Case, discusses her creative approach to designing the wardrobes for “FARGO” Season 5. Carol is nominated for ‘Outstanding Contemporary Costumes For A Limited Series or Anthology Series or Movie’ for her costumes on Episode 4, “Insolubilia.”
Composer Graham Reynolds recently scored Richard Linklater’s HIT MAN, starring Glen Powell and Adria Arjona, which is now available to stream on Netflix. Called “the quintessential modern composer” by the London Independent, Austin-based composer-bandleader- improviser Graham Reynolds records and performs music for film, theater, dance, rock clubs, and concert halls. Notable credits include Happy Jail (Netflix), Stop Hitting Yourself (Lincoln Center Theater), Out of Her Mind (BBC), POE / A Tale of Madness (Ballet Austin), and a multi-year commission from Ballroom Marfa, The Marfa Triptych, culminating in his Creative Capital Award winning project Pancho Villa from a Safe Distance.
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Director Chris Nelson's latest film, REUNION, is coming out on June 28 on digital across all major platforms. The film is a take on the classic “whodunnit” mystery set during the aftermath of a twenty-year high school reunion when an obnoxious popular student is murdered and his former classmates are left to figure out who among them is responsible.Lil Rel Howery (GET OUT), Billy Magnussen (GAME NIGHT), and Jillian Bell (22 JUMP STREET) star in a wild ride of twists and turns where a high school reunion gets cut short by murder. Trapped in a snowbound mansion, they race to uncover which one of their old classmates is the killer before they're all iced out for good. Also starring Jamie Chung (GROWN UPS), Michael Hitchcock (BEST IN SHOW) with Nina Dobrev (THE OUT-LAWS) and Chace Crawford (THE BOYS).
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Music Supervisor Maggie Phillips discussed her work on FX's Fargo and Max’s Our Flag Means Death.
She is also the music supervisor on Netflix’s mini-series All the Light We Cannot See; Hulu’s adaptation of best-selling novel Black Cake; Paramount+’s mini-series Fatal Attraction; The CW’s Walker; Apple TV+’s High Desert; Amazon Prime’s Bosch: Legacy; and Upload. Her upcoming projects include Amazon Prime’s mini-series’ Blade Runner: 2099; and FX’s Alien.
Some of her notable past credits include FX’s Kindred and Snowfall; Hulu’s The Great, The Dropout and Normal People; Sam Esmail’s psychological thriller Leave the World Behind; Matthew Lopez and Ted Mawler’s adaptation of Casey McQuiston’s best-selling novel Red, White & Royal Blue; Starz’ Gaslit; Hulu's Rosaline; Apple TV+’s Shining Girls; and For All Mankind; Raven Jackson’s All Dirt Roads Taste of Salt; Shawn Levy’s Netflix sci-fi film The Adam Project; HBO Max’s Somebody Somewhere; and more.
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Sarah Hicks is a orchestral conductor who has guest conducted for some of the most iconic symphony orchestras including the Philadelphia Orchestra, Chicago Symphony Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, Boston Pops, and of course, Los Angeles’s own LA Philharmonic both at the Hollywood Bowl and the Walt Disney Concert Hall.She will next be conducting the 30th Anniversary live-to-film concert event of the animated “The Lion King” featuring the original 1994 film roaring from the Bowl screens, live orchestra, fireworks, showstopping vocal performances of award-winning songs from the film, special celebrity guests, including cast members from both the classic 1994 animated and 2019 films: Billy Eichner, Bradley Gibson, Ernie Sabella, Heather Headley, Jason Weaver, Jeremy Irons, Lebo M. Nathan Lane, plus special guests North West and Jennifer Hudson! And for the first time ever at the Hollywood Bowl, select performances from the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical.
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Costume designer Ann Foley's latest project is the new television adaptation of “THE SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES” which follows the coming-of-age story of the Grace Family, as they move from New York to Michigan and into their family’s ancestral home. Upon arrival, the family not only uncovers mysteries hidden inside their great grandfather’s Spiderwick Estate, but also discovers a secret, fantastical world around them. The series is now streaming on The Roku Channel.Ann's past credits include Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and She-Hulk: Attorney at Law as well as films like Skyscraper and Godzilla vs. Kong.
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Oscar- and Emmy-nominated costume designer Danny Glicker is out with his latest project, HBO’s new historical spy thriller/dark comedy series “THE SYMPATHIZER”. The series is based on the story of the Captain, a North Vietnam plant in the South Vietnam army who is forced to flee to the United States with his general near the end of the Vietnam War. While living within a community of South Vietnamese refugees, he continues to secretly spy on the community and report back to the Viet Cong, struggling between his original loyalties and his new life.Glicker's previous credits include Transamerica, Milk, Up in the Air, This is the End, Love and Mercy, Mother, Bad Times at the El Royale, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, and The Whale.
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BAFTA-nominated hair and makeup designer Lynda Armstrong shares what it was like designing the looks behind the period drama miniseries "We Were the Lucky Ones", which is now streaming on Hulu. The series centers on a Polish Jewish family, The Kurcs, who are separated at the start of World War II and are determined to survive and reunite.Armstrong's past credits include films such as Little Shop of Horrors, Empire of the Sun, A Fish Called Wanda, Batman, 101 Dalmatians, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, as well as shows like Atlanta, All The Light We Cannot See, and Stranger Things.
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Nikki Crawford is a Tony-nominated actress who is now performing at the Geffen Playhouse Los Angeles through May 11 in the show FAT HAM, a modern, Pulitizer Prize-winning take on Shakespeare’s Hamlet. The show came direct from Broadway, where Nikki earned her first Tony nomination for Best Featured Actress in a Play.
FAT HAM is about Juicy, a young, queer Black man whose dead father’s ghost shows up at his family’s BBQ wedding reception demanding his murder be avenged. Juicy then faces the dilemma of whether he should do the deed, or be true to his principles and who he is.
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Grammy Award-winning composer, and drummer of the iconic alt-rock band They Might Be Giants, Marty Beller recently scored season 2 of American Rust: Broken Justice, starring Jeff Daniels and Maura Tierney, now streaming on Prime Video.
Marty’s composer credits include HBO’s In Treatment; Fox Television’s Gracepoint; Showtime’s Cradle of Champions; Netflix’s Tiger King; and more.
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Oscar winning make-up artist Lois Burwell is being honored this year by TCM for her outstanding make-up & prosthetic work in film over the course of her career. Her notable credits includes Lincoln, Saving Private Ryan, The Princess Bride, Catch Me if You Can, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Mission: Impossible, The Last Samurai and Green Mile. In 1996, she won the Academy Award for Best Make-Up for her work on Braveheart.
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Billy Dee Williams, whose appeared in over 100 film and television roles over the course of six decades in his career, is being honored this year by TCM at their annual film festival.
His notable credits include Brian's Song, Lady Sings the Blues, Mahogany, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, and Batman.
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Prajakta Koli is known around the world as one of India’s most influential content creators, activists and actors leading her generation. She has amassed a combined social media audience of over 15 million, with her videos discussing issues such as mental health, body positivity, climate change and women’s education which have caught the attention of global leaders including Bill Gates, Michelle Obama, Priyanka Chopra and Ed Sheeran, who have all called on her for collaborations to help amplify their own initiatives.
As a prominent advocate for social change, Prajakta recently attended the COP28 UN Climate Summit in Dubai, where she had been in conversation with global leaders to bring awareness to climate issues and solutions being addressed within the summit.
Previously, she has spoken at the World Economic Forum at Davos, attended the UN General Assembly with the Clinton Global Initiative and has been featured in Michelle Obama’s Emmy Award-winning docuseries, YOUTUBE’S CREATOR OF CHANGE, among lending her voice and influence to countless other initiatives.
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Isabella Gomez is best known for starring in Netflix’s One Day at a Time, a remake of the iconic Norman Lear sitcom. She’s gone on to star in shows such as the Head of the Class revival on HBOMax, The Goldbergs, and last year’s film Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe where she co-starred with Eugenio Derbez and Eva Longoria.
Nico Greetham broke out about 10 years ago as a contestant on So You Think You Can Dance and from there went on to star in shows such as The Thundermans and Power Rangers Ninja Steel. More recently, he’s starred in Hulu’s Love, Victor as well as both American Horror Story as a series regular on Double Feature and American Horror Stories.
They’re now both performing together on stage at the Pasadena Playhouse in One Day at a Time creator Gloria Calderón Kellett's new play “One of the Good Ones”. One of the Good Ones follows what happens when a Latina daughter (Isabella Gomez) brings her boyfriend (Greetham) home to meet the parents (Lana Parrilla and Carlos Gomez) for the first time and her family’s biases and preconceptions are put on full display.
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Emmy Award-nominated Composer James Levine and Music Supervisor Mark Wike discuss their work on Apple TV+'s new series THE NEW LOOK, starring Ben Mendelsohn, Juliette Binoche, Maisie Williams and John Malkovich.
This series reveals the shocking story of how fashion icon Christian Dior and his contemporaries including Coco Chanel, Pierre Balmain, and Cristóbal Balenciaga navigated the horrors of World War Il and launched modern fashion.
Levine's past credits include FX Networks’ American Horror Story, for which he received an Emmy Award-nomination for “Outstanding Music Composition for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special (Original Dramatic Score)” in 2014; Nip/Tuck; and Damages; TNT’s The Closer; Rizzoli and Isles; Fox’s Glee; Netflix’s Bloodline; USA Network’s Royal Pains; NBC’s The Blacklist; CBS’s NCIS: Los Angeles; The CW’s Katy Keene; and TriStar Pictures’ Running With Scissors, directed by Ryan Murphy.
Mark Wike’s music supervision credits include Hulu’s Emmy Award-winning series by Steven Spielberg,
Animaniacs; Twentieth Century Fox’s The Greatest Showman, directed by Michael Gracey; and The Sitter, directed by David Gordon Green; FX Networks’ Damages; Netflix’s Bloodline; CBS’s NCIS: Los Angelesand Instinct; HBO’s Hung; Lionsgate’s, Captive State, directed by Rupert Wyatt; and Apple TV+’s The Mosquito Coast.
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Michael Brandt is the screenwriter of the new adventure film Arthur the King, starring Mark Wahlberg and Simu Liu. The film is an adaption of adventure racer Michael Lindnord’s 2016 memoir where he shares the story of how he befriended a wounded stray dog named Arthur, who then goes on to accompany the team on a grueling 435-mile (700-km) endurance race through the Dominican Republic. Arthur the King is now playing in theaters.
Michael is perhaps best known as the creator of the NBC series Chicago Fire as well as being a producer and writer on Chicago PD and Chicago Med. Previous writing credits include Wanted, 3:10 to Yuma, Catch the Kid, and 2 Fast 2 Furious.
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Max Burkholder stars as the lead of Peacock’s new series TED, which premiered on January 11. It’s a prequel series to the Seth MacFarlane films, and he portrays the character that Mark Wahlberg played. Most fans know Max from his role on PARENTHOOD, in which he raised awareness while portraying a young boy with Aspergers. He has now ascended into his first leading role.
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Dr. Ernest H. Harrison is the music director and conductor of the Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles.
Now in its' 45th year, the GMCLA is putting on their annual spring concert which this year is entitled WE LOVE BOY BANDS!, a pop music extravaganza featuring hits from charting-topper boy bands who melted the hearts of countless fans from The Jackson 5 and *NSYNC to the Backstreet Boys and One Direction. There will be two performances of the show, on Mar 23 and 24, at the Saban Theater in Beverly Hills. You can buy tickets at GMCLA.org.
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Sean Albertson is the editor and co-producer of the supernatural horror film IMAGINARY produced by Jason Blum of Blumhouse and directed by Jeff Wadlow. IMAGINARY is about a woman who returns to her childhood home only to discover that the imaginary friend teddy bear Chauncey that she left behind is very real and unhappy that she abandoned him.
Sean’s previous credits include FANTASY ISLAND, TRUTH OR DARE, THE VAMPIRE DIARIES, THE EXPENDABLES 3, ROCKY BALBOA, and RAMBO.
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The 96th Oscars are just days away, meaning it's time for our now-traditional chat with IndieWire's Anne Thompson as we prognosticate what will win on Hollywood's biggest night.
One of the top Oscars prognosticators in film journalism, Anne is the editor-at-large of IndieWire and the founder of the Thompson on Hollywood blog. She's previously written for publications such as Entertainment Weekly, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, and the LA Weekly. She co-hosts IndieWire's Screen Talk podcast, which releases new episodes every Friday.
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Filmmakers Kris Bowers and Ben Proudfoot are Oscar-nominated this year for their short documentary The Last Repair Shop, which showcases a few devoted craftspeople tasked with keeping over 80,000 student instruments in good repair for kids going to school in the LA public school system. They’ve previously been nominated for A Concerto is a Conversation, with Proudfoot winning in 2022 for directing The Queen of Basketball. Bowers is noted for composing the scores for film and TV series including Green Book, King Richard, The Color Purple, Bridgerton and Dear White People. In addition to his two Oscar nominations, he’s been nominated for a Critics Choice Award, two Grammys, and has received an Emmy.
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Chris Burdon, James Mather, Chris Munro, and Mark Taylor make up the sound team behind Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part One. The team is Oscar nominated for their work in the film for Best Sound.
Sound mixer/engineer Chris Munro is a 2-time Oscar winner for Black Hawk Down and Gravity in addition to his nominations for The Mummy and Captain Phillips.
Sound mixer/engineer Chris Burdon won the Oscar for Best Sound last year for Top Gun: Maverick and was previously nominated for Captain Phillips.
Sound mixer Mark Taylor is 2-time Oscar winner for 1917 and Top Gun Maverick. He's also been nominated for Captain Phillips, The Martian and No Time to Die.
Sound editor James Mather won and Oscar for last year's Top Gun: Maverick and was nominated the year before for Belfast.
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Nicky Bentham is the producer of the Netflix short film The After, directed by Misan Harriman and starring David Oyelowo. Nicky is nominated in the category of Best Live Action Short Film for her work on the film. The After tells the story of a grieving rideshare driver (played by David Oyelowo) who. after losing family members to a violent crime. picks up a passenger who helps him confront the past.
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David Hemingson is the screenwriter and producer of the Oscar-nominated film The Holdovers, directed by Alexander Payne.
This film is about a curmudgeonly instructor at a New England prep school who remains on campus during Christmas break to babysit a handful of students with nowhere to go. He soon forms an unlikely bond with a brainy but damaged troublemaker, and with the school's head cook, a woman who just lost a son in the Vietnam War.
The Holdovers is nominated for 5 Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Actor for Paul Giamatti, Best Supporting Actress for Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Best Original Screenplay for David Hemingson, and Best Film Editing.
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Michelle Mizner is the Oscar-nominated producer and editor of the documentary feature 20 DAYS IN MARIUPOL. The film tells the story of the twenty days that Mistyslav Chernov spent with his colleagues in besieged Mariupol after Russia began its invasion of Ukraine. Chernov compiled footage that he collected in Mariupol together with the team from Frontline and the Associated Press (AP).
20 DAYS IN MARIUPOL is nominated for Best Documentary Feature at this year's Academy Awards.
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Neil Corbould is a two-time Oscar winning visual effects artist who previously won for Gladiator and Gravity and also nominated for Superman Returns, Snow White and the Huntsman, Rogue One. This year, he has the unique and historic distinction of receiving three nominations in the Visual Effects category. Along with Mission: Impossible - Dead Reckoning Part 1", he is also nominated for The Creator and Napoleon.
Joining Neil is fellow visual effects artist Jeff Sutherland who has finally earned his first Oscar nomination for working on the latest installment in the Mission: Impossible franchise after a career of working on some of the biggest blockbuster films like the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, Transformers, Iron Man, Star Trek, The Avengers, Jurassic World, The Last Jedi, A Quiet Place and No Time to Die.
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Lasse Noer is the director and writer of the short film KNIGHT OF FORTUNE which has now been nominated at the Oscars for Best Live Action Short Film. The film tells the story of a man who arrives at a chapel to say goodbye to his recently deceased wife, but has trouble bringing himself to open the casket and acknowledge his loss.--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/max-geschwind/support
Stéphane Ceretti is the visual effects supervisor of the Marvel film Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, the last installment of the popular trilogy within the larger Marvel Cinematic Universe.Ceretti has received his third Oscar nomination for Best Visual Effects for his work in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3. His previous nominations were for Doctor Strange and the first Guardians of the Galaxy. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/max-geschwind/support
Sound editor Erik Aadahl discusses his work on his latest film, the futuristic sci-fi action thriller The Creator, directed by Gareth Edwards. Set in 2070, 15 years after artificial intelligence (AI) set off a nuclear detonation in Los Angeles, which started a war of humans against AI, an ex-special forces agent is recruited to hunt down and kill the "Creator," who has developed a mysterious weapon with the power to end the war.
Erik's work in The Creator has earned him his fourth Oscar nomination for Best Sound. His previous nominations were for Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Argo, and A Quiet Place.
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Peter Sohn is the director of Pixar's latest animated film Elemental. Set in a world inhabited by anthropomorphic elements of nature, the story follows fire element Ember and water element Wade, who spend time together in the city while trying to save a convenience store owned by Ember's father, Bernie.
Elemental has earned Sohn his first Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature Film. Peter’s been with Pixar dating back to Finding Nemo over 20 years ago and has previously directed the Pixar short Partly Cloudy in 2009 and the feature The Good Dinosaur in 2015.
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For this episode, we are joined by director Sean Wang and producer Sam Davis, who just received their first Oscar nomination for the film Nǎi Nai & Wài Pó. The film is nominated for Best Documentary Short.
The film features Wang's elderly grandmothers as he films them going about their daily lives. Yi Yan Fuei, Wang's paternal grandmother (nǎi nai), is 94 years old, while Chang Li Hua, his maternal grandmother (wài pó), is 83. They are both Chinese immigrants who live together in their home in Northern California sleeping in the same bed and spending their day together.The film is currently streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.
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Dave Karger is an award-winning TV host, interviewer, journalist, and film expert. He is a host on Turner Classic Movies and has been the Oscars expert on NBC’s TODAY since 2000.
He's now out with his new book "50 Oscar Nights" which includes Karger's interviews with 50 Academy Award winners as they take us behind-the-scenes of their Oscar wins and tell never-before-told stories of Hollywood's biggest night.
Some of the interviewees include Meryl Streep, Julia Roberts, Nicole Kidman, Steven Spielberg, Jennifer Hudson, Jane Fonda, Elton John, Martin Scorsese, Halle Berry, John Legend, Rita Moreno, Clint Eastwood, Michael Douglas, Mel Brooks, Olivia Colman, and Whoopi Goldberg.
Karger also provides his predictions on the 96th Oscars on March 10th and provides us with a sneak peak of the upcoming TCM Classic Film Festival in April.
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Laurent Sénéchal is the editor of the 5-time Oscar nominated legal drama Anatomy of a Fall. In addition to Sénéchal's nomination for Best Film Editing, ANATOMY OF A FALL is also nominated for Best Original Screenplay, Best Actress for Sandra Hüller, Best Director for Justine Triet, and Best Picture of the Year.
The film is about a woman who is suspected of her husband's murder, with their blind son facing a moral dilemma as the sole witness.
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Vincent René-Lortie is the writer and director of the Oscar-nominated short INVINCIBLE. Inspired by a true story, INVINCIBLE recounts the last 48 hours in the life of Marc-Antoine Bernier, a 14-year-old boy on a desperate quest for freedom.
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Sean Ono Lennon, the son of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, co-wrote and executive produced an animated short film "War is Over! Inspired by the Music of John and Yoko" featuring the iconic peace anthem "Happy Xmas (War is Over)". The film has now been Oscar nominated for Best Animated Short Film.
Dave Mullins is the director of the film, as well as a co-screenwriter with Ono Lennon. Brad Booker served as the film's producer.
Set in an alternative WWI reality where a senseless war rages on, "War is Over!" is about two soldiers on opposing sides of the conflict who play a game of chess via carrier pigeon as the fighting escalates. Neither soldier knows his opponent as the game and the war builds to its climactic final move.
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Costume designer Vera Chow's latest project, the action comedy series THE BROTHERS SUN starring Michelle Yeoh, is now streaming on Netflix. The series follows a Taipei gangster, Charles Sun (Justin Chien), who's settled into his life as a ruthless killer. But when his father is shot by a mysterious assassin, Charles must go to L.A. to protect his mother (Michelle Yeoh) and utterly-unaware younger brother Bruce (Sam Song Li).
Vera previously worked on The Walking Dead and The Many Saints of Newark.
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Oscar nominated editor Kevin Tent is known for teaming up with director Alexander Payne on every one of his feature films the past 30 years including Citizen Ruth, Election, About Schmidt, Sideways, The Descendants, Nebraska, Downsizing. His latest collaboration with Payne has earned him his second Oscar nomination for Best Film Editing for THE HOLDOVERS. In addition to Editing, THE HOLDOVERS is nominated for Best Original Screenplay, Best Supporting Actress for Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Best Actor for Paul Giamatti, and Best Picture of the Year.THE HOLDOVERS which is streaming on Peacock.--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/max-geschwind/support
Editor and producer Matthew Barber’s recent credits include Disney+’s The Right Stuff, Amazon’s Panic and Showtime’s American Gigalo. His latest project, the British crime drama series Sexy Beast based on the Jonathan Glazer film of the same name, is now streaming on Paramount+. Serving as a prequel series to Jonathan Glazer’s 2000 cult British gangster movie, Sexy Beast follows the origin story of rising thieves Gal Dove and Don Logan.--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/max-geschwind/support
Actress Susan Gallagher is recently known for her portrayal of Homeless Lynn in the Netflix series Cobra Kai, as well as Lamentian Homesteader in the Disney+ series Loki. She’s now coming out in her latest project, Merry Good Enough, now available on VOD. She also shares her experience working opposite Pierce Brosnan and James Caan (in his final film role) in the upcoming action thriller Fast Charlie. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/max-geschwind/support
Emmy Award-winning co-composers Robert Lydecker and Kevin Lax scored the brand new DreamWorks Animation film ORION AND THE DARK, directed by Sean Charmatz, now streaming on Netflix. The film is about a kid named Orion whose greatest fear in the world is the dark. When the embodiment of his worst fear pays a visit, Dark whisks Orion away on a roller-coaster ride around the world to prove there is nothing to be afraid of at night.
Robert Lydecker’s notable credits include Marvel/Netflix’s Iron Fist; Fox/Warner Bros’ Lethal Weapon; ABC’s Designated Survivor; and the Fox series Sleepy Hollow. Kevin Lax’s notable credits include Apple TV+’s See and Foundation; Netflix’s The Witcher: Blood Origin; ABC’s Agents of Shield; AMC’s Walking Dead; Netflix’s Juanita; Universal Pictures' The First Purge; and more.
Most recently, they both scored Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight which earned both of them their Emmy.
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Jane Levy is most known for playing the titular character in NBC’s musical dramedy Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist which earned her a Golden Globe nomination in 2021. Her other notable credits include ABC’s hit series Suburgatory, Hulu’s Castle Rock and the incredibly successful horror films Evil Dead and Don’t Breathe. Jane is now marking her live musical theater debut in Los Angeles at the Geffen Playhouse in the play POTUS which opened on Broadway in 2022 and is now making its’ West Coast premiere. The show centers around a PR nightmare for the White House while seven women try to keep the President out of any further trouble that he’s already created for himself. Jane plays Dusty, one of these seven women who visits the White House in light of her pregnancy due to her affair with the president.--- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/max-geschwind/support
Mateo Londono is the cinematographer of the film RADICAL, starring Eugenio Derbez. The film takes place in a Mexican border town plagued by neglect, corruption, and violence, where a frustrated sixth grade teacher (Derbez) tries a radical new method to unleash the curiosity and potential of his students.
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Sonia Kennebeck is the director of the documentary "Reality Winner" based on he incredible true story of Reality Winner in her own words. Filmed over five years, this is the only documentary about the young NSA whistleblower who exposed Russian interference in U.S. elections and went to jail for it. With exclusive access to Reality Winner and the media outlet involved in her arrest, this film also reveals FBI evidence never before released.
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Screenwriter Ilana Wolpert’s debut feature film, Anyone But You, starring Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell, is now playing in theaters. Ilana’s love of both romantic comedies and theater motivated her to write Anyone But You, which is based on her favorite Shakespeare play, Much Ado About Nothing. As a passionate fan of the rom-coms of the 1990s and 2000s, Ilana shares how those classics inspired her in writing Anyone but You.
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Richa Moorjani plays Scandia Deputy Indira Olmstead in the latest installment of FX's Emmy-winning series Fargo. The season has been nominated for the Golden Globe and Critics Choice Awards for Best Limited Series. Moorjani shares what it was like to get involved in the popular Fargo franchise, the historic nature surrounding her character with portraying a South Asian character in a Fargo story, and what it was like acting opposite Jennifer Jason Leigh.
Before Fargo, Moorjani played Kamala in the hit Netflix series Never Have I Ever, created by Mindy Kaling.
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Kristian Sensini is the composer of the award-winning independent animated film My Love Affair with Marriage. The film follows Zelma on her 23-year quest for perfect love and lasting marriage set against a backdrop of historic events in Eastern Europe. Told from a woman’s point of view, the film blends historical, biological, societal, and emotional arcs with a lively sense of humor and musical numbers. This animated film for adults tackles the issues of love, gender norms, domestic violence, fantasies and toxic relationships to propel a woman's journey toward independence and liberation.
Film composer, pianist, flutist and music producer, Sensini’s credits include Baumane’s award-winning animated feature films My Love Affair with Marriage and Rocks in my Pockets, for which he received the Colonne Sonor Award for "Best Soundtrack"; Domiziano Cristopharo’s Hyde’s Secret Nightmare, for which he received a Global Music Award for "Best Original Score”; Rai 1’s series The Teacher, which he composed alongside Pino Donaggio and Paolo Vivaldi; Chi Lee’s mystery/thriller The Frog in the Stone; Andrej Kosak’s drama All Against All (Vsi Proti Vsem); and many more.
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DUE JUSTICE, a heart pounding thriller, is about a former marine Max (Kellan Lutz) who experiences a devastating loss when his beloved wife and daughter are brutally murdered in a cold blooded act of violence. Consumed by grief and driven by revenge, Max embarks on a relentless mission to hunt down those responsible.The film stars Kellan Lutz (Extraction, The Expendables 3, The Twilight franchise), Jeff Fahey (“Lost,” Wyatt Earp, The Lawnmower Man) and Efren Ramirez (Satanic Hispanics, Casa de mi Padre, Napoleon Dynamite).
Max discusses with Kellan how this project came to him, what gravitated him to wanting to play Max, and the preparation he underwent in portraying a former marine experiencing tragedy who's driven by revenge.
Later, Max chats with Efren on portraying the detective character of Santiago, how the role is against the typical comedic performances we're used to seeing from him, and his thoughts on an upcoming Napoleon Dynamite sequel.
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Giovanni Lipari is the costume designer of the new AppleTV+ series The Buccaneers. The series tells the story of a group of American women who arrive in 1870s London society resulting in a cultural clash where centuries of tradition is being threatened.
Giovanni's past credits include the AMC series Into the Badlands, Paramount+ series Halo, and the recent Netflix film Love in the Villa.
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Dominic Sessa is making his feature film debut in THE HOLDOVERS, directed by Oscar winning filmmaker Alexander Payne.
THE HOLDOVERS follows a curmudgeonly instructor (Paul Giamatti) at a New England prep school who is forced to remain on campus during Christmas break to babysit the handful of students with nowhere to go. Eventually he forms an unlikely bond with one of them -- a damaged, brainy troublemaker (Sessa) -- and with the school’s head cook, who has just lost a son in Vietnam (Da’Vine Joy Randolph).The film is nominated for three Golden Globes including Best Picture, Best Actor for Giamatti, and Best Supporting Actress for Joy Randolph. It also has been named as one of the top 10 films of the year by the American Film Institute and the National Board of Review. Sessa is nominated for Best Young Actor at the Critics Choice Awards, in addition to its' nominations for Picture, Director, Actor and Supporting Actress among several others.
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Lesli Margherita (Broadway’s Matilda the Musical, You I Like at Pasadena Playhouse) and George Salazar (Broadway’s Be More Chill, Head Over Heels and Little Shop of Horrors at Pasadena Playhouse) are performing in the Pasadena Playhouse Holiday Spectacular, a new Playhouse tradition co-created by Head Over Heels co-director Sam Pinkleton and Randy Blair, playing December 14 through December 23.
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A Christmas Story, The Musical, based on the 1983 movie, is playing at the Ahmanson Theatre in a newly expanded production mounted for Los Angeles. It runs until December 31.
The musical, which is about young Ralphie Parker’s childhood in 1940s Indiana as he tries to get an official Red Ryder toy BB gun for Christmas, opened on Broadway in 2012. It has a score by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, the Tony- and Oscar-winning songwriting team of Dear Evan Hansen and La La Land, and a book by Joseph Robinette.
Chris Carsten, who has previously toured in musicals such as Legally Blonde and My Fair Lady, plays Jean Shepard in A Christmas Story.
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The American Contemporary Ballet's artistic director/choreographer Lincoln Jones and performer Madeline Houk (Sugar Plum Fairy) discuss the innovative, immersive and popular Nutcracker Suite show that ACB has put on during the holiday season.
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Singer/songwriter NERIAH's latest 18-track album, CAUSE OF DEATH is out now. The deluxe 24 track version was also recently released on November 17. Through her vulnerability and openness of past relationships, Neriah’s music consistently inspires a message of female empowerment to her listeners and followers who have been enjoying her music over the past few years since her first EP came out. She’s performed at some iconic venues such as The Troubador here in LA, two iHeart Festivals, and has recently wrapped her first nationwide tour earlier this year.
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Powell Robinson is a cinematographer whose known for shooting music videos for major artists such as Doja Cat, The Weeknd, Kelsea Ballerini, OneRepublic, Youngblud and many others. Outside of music videos, he’s known for his passion for dark, genre films with his latest one, APPENDAGE, streaming now on Hulu. The film premiered at this year’s SXSW and is about a young fashion designer with debilitating self-doubt that sprouts into a ferocious demon-like creature growing on her body.
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Emmy & DGA nominated and BAFTA winning filmmaker Sean McNamara is known for his years as a filmmaker with a keen eye for family film and television entertainment. You can just look to the commercially successful film Soul Surfer, or his work on several shows on Disney Channel including Even Stevens, That’s So Raven and several others. He's widely credited with discovering now-household names including Shia LaBeouf, Hilary Duff, and Jessica Alba.
His latest directorial project marks a tone shift in what we’re used to seeing from him. The new edge-of-your seat horror film Vindicta, now streaming on Paramount+, is about a city that is terrorized by a sadistic serial killer. As a result, a seasoned detective and a newly recruited paramedic discover the key to stopping the bloodshed lies in unlocking the truth of their own haunted pasts.
The film stars Elena Kampouris known for the My Big Fat Greek Wedding films and the Netflix series Jupiter’s Legacy, Emmy winner Jeremy Piven of Entourage fame, and Sean Astin from Stranger Things and The Lord of the Rings films.
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Sam Catlin is an Emmy Award winning writer and television producer whose credits include Breaking Bad, Preacher and the upcoming Apple + series Sugar starring Colin Farrell.
Now he's out with a new play, SEA OF TERROR, starring John Ales (HBO‘s Euphoria, Neflix’s Painkiller), Julie Dretzin (Broadway’s The Sisters Rosensweig, Hulu’s The Handmaids Tale), Paul Schulze (HBO’s The Sopranos, Showtime’s Nurse Jackie), and Amy Scribner (London Calling, The Musical at the Hudson Backstage Theatre; Suburban Blight at the McCadden Place Theatre). SEA OF TERROR is a dark comedy for anyone who has made plans they wish they could cancel.
Produced by Joanna Colbert and Dretzin, the limited engagement begins performances September 29 and runs through October 29, 2023. SEA OF TERROR will play at the Hudson Mainstage Theatre (6539 Santa Monica Blvd.) in Hollywood.
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Israeli-American Matthew Mishory, (WHO ARE THE MARCUSES?; ARTUR SCHNABEL: NO PLACE OF EXILE; ABSENT; JOSHUA TREE, 1951: A PORTRAIT OF JAMES DEAN) discusses his newest film “Fioretta” which tells the story of famed litigator, Randall Schoenberg (memorably portrayed by Ryan Reynolds in feature film Woman in Gold) who takes his 18-year-old son on a journey throughout Europe in search of the gravesite of their oldest known relative “Fioretta,” as they seek to reclaim 500 years of their family history as descendants of the great composer Arnold Schoenberg.
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FOE, based on the novel by Iain Reid, is a sci-fi pyscological thriller about the lives of a married couple (Saorise Ronan, Paul Mescal) that are turned upside down when a stranger arrives at their farm and informs the husband he will be sent to a large space station, and his wife will be left in the company of a robot. FOE is directed by Garth Davies, who previously directed the Oscar nominated film LION.
Matyas Erdely is the cinematographer on FOE. One of his best known films is the Hungarian drama Son of Saul which won Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars and the Grand Prix at Cannes in 2016.
Park Jiha is a Korean composer and multi-instrumentalist. She serves as a co-composer on FOE along with Oliver Coates. FOE is her feature film debut as a composer.
Patrice Vermett is the production designer of FOE. His previous credits include The Young Victoria, Prisoners, Enemy, Sicario, Arrival, Vice, Dune, and the upcoming Dune: Part Two. Vermett received the Oscar for Best Production Design for his work in Dune and was nominated for The Young Victoria and Arrival.
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Michael Donovan is a critically-acclaimed casting director based in Los Angeles and president of the non-profit Foundation for New American Musicals. FNAM is dedicated to educating, mentoring and showcasing the next generations of creators of musicals for stage, screen and media. Michael is the recipient of 9 Artios Awards presented by the Casting Society of America for Outstanding Achievement in Casting. Michael has cast over 1,000 theatre productions, including shows produced at the Hollywood Bowl, the Ahmanson, Pasadena Playhouse, Laguna Playhouse, ICT, La Jolla Playhouse and many more. In addition, he has numerous film, television and commercial credits.
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Susanna Fogel is the director of CAT PERSON, based on the acclaimed New Yorker short story by Kristen Roupenian. When Margot, a college sophomore (Emilia Jones) goes on a date with an older man named Robert (Nicholas Braun), she finds that IRL Robert doesn’t live up to the Robert she has been flirting with over texts. CAT PERSON is a razor-sharp exploration of the gender divide, the quagmire of navigating modern dating and the dangerous projections we make in our minds about the person at the other end of our phones.Fogel recently completed directed episodes for the WWII-set limited series SMALL LIGHT for NatGeo and Disney+ starring Bel Powley and Liev Schreiber. Prior feature work includes cowriting the hit comedy BOOKSMART, for which she was nominated for a BAFTA and a WGA Award, directing and cowriting Lionsgate's THE SPY WHO DUMPED ME starring Mila Kunis and Kate McKinnon, and directing and cowriting Magnolia Pictures' LIFE PARTNERS, which she developed at the Sundance Lab. On the television side, her directing credits include the pilot episode of the HBO Max series THE FLIGHT ATTENDANT, for which she won a DGA Award and was nominated for an Emmy, the pilot of the Amazon series THE WILDS, episodes of Gillian Flynn’s remake of UTOPIA, and an installment of Steven Spielberg’s AMAZING STORIES. Most recently, she wrapped production on WINNER, a feature biopic of American whistleblower Reality Winner starring Emilia Jones, Connie Britton, Zach Galifinakis, and Kathryn Newton. Among other projects, Susanna is currently developing a 1970s Moscow-set television series for Peacock and an action movie for Sony.
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Matthew Patrick Quinn plays Hades in the national touring cast of the Tony-winning Broadway musical Hadestown. The show will have a limited two week engagement at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles ending on October 15.
Quinn also was part of the national touring casts of shows including The Complete Works of William Shakespeare Abridged and Finding Neverland. He originated several villainous roles for Disney Cruise Line
such as Scar, Jafar, and Captain Hook.
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Cinematographer Nick Matthews discusses his work on SAW X, the latest installment in the popular horror franchise SAW. From working with the film's director Kevin Greutert to shooting in Mexico and bringing back several stylistic and visual choices reminiscent of the earlier SAW films, Nick talks about the expansive visual language the newest installment in the franchise takes on.
SAW X is now playing in theaters.
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Ben Biscotti is the co-founder and CEO of the event services & production company 1iota which specializes in thousands of annual live events that give fans direct access to shows that include Jimmy Kimmel Live, The Tonight Show, The Late Late Show, The Voice, The MTV Video Music Awards and The Oscars, among many others.
Since 2018, Biscotti has produced the popular Halloween attraction Nights Of The Jack which has quickly solidified itself as the go-to immersive Halloween experience in LA for all ages. The experience illuminates the King Gilette Ranch in Calabasas with thousands of hand-carved jack o’lanterns as you walk along the trail. In its' short time in existence, Nights of the Jack is already known for hosting noted individuals such as Billie Eilish, Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus, Kim Kardashian, Kylie Jenner, Hailey Bieber, Demi Lovato and many more. From photo ops to food trucks to the “Spookeasy Bar”, Nights of the Jack has quickly risen to the top of the list as one of the must-do attractions during Halloween in LA.
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Emmy winning costume designer Timothy Wonsik discusses his work on the new Focus Features film My Big Fat Greek Wedding 3, the latest installment in the film franchise about the Portokalos family. Some of his past credits include Tomb Raider, Lady and the Tramp, and several Marvel films such as The Avengers, Iron Man 3, Thor: The Dark World, Guardians of the Galaxy and Ant-Man.
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Composer Andrew Lockington's past credits include films such as Journey to the Center of the Earth, City of Ember, Frankie & Alice, Journey 2, Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters, San Andreas, The Space Between Us, Rampage and televison series such as American Gods and Mayor of Kingstown. Now he’s out with his latest project, the spy thriller series SPECIAL OPS: LIONESS created by Taylor Sheridan, now streaming on Paramount+. The series stars Zoe Saldana, Nicole Kidman, and Morgan Freeman. Force Recon Marine Cruz Manuelos is tasked with befriending the daughter of a suspected terrorist who is being surveilled by the CIA.
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Costume designer Liz Vastola discusses her work on the Peacock action/comedy original series TWISTED METAL, based on the popular video game franchise. A few of her previous credits include the dystopian political horror film THE PURGE ELECTION YEAR, Marvel television series DAREDEVIL and JESSICA JONES, and the Disney+ movie SECRET SOCIETY OF SECOND BORN ROYALS.
Based on the classic PlayStation game series, Twisted Metal is a high-octane action comedy about a motor-mouthed outsider offered a chance at a better life, but only if he can successfully deliver a mysterious package across a post-apocalyptic wasteland. With the help of a badass axe-wielding car thief, he’ll face savage marauders driving vehicles of destruction and other dangers of the open road, including a deranged clown who drives an all too familiar ice cream truck.
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Christina Flannery is the costume designer behind season 3 of the Max original series The Righteous Gemstones, now streaming. Her past credits include the Netflix film All My Life, the Showtime series The Chi, the Hulu original film Fresh, and the Paramount+ series Players.
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Christopher Lennertz is a highly acclaimed composer known for his versatile and captivating compositions. His work includes films such as Horrible Bosses, Think Like A Man, Identity Thief, Ride Along, Bad Moms, Baywatch, Pitch Perfect 3, Barb and Starr Go To Vista Del Mar, and television shows such as The Boys and Supernatural. He has received two Emmy nominations, a Grammy, and twenty BMI awards. Lennertz has also written for esteemed artists such as Kelly Clarkson, Janelle Monae, and Nick Jonas. He also wrote the music for Marvel/Disney's Rogers: The Musical that is currently being performed at Disney's California Adventure Park.
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Emmy Liu-Wang shares her experience starring in the new Disney Channel Original Movie "The Slumber Party", now streaming on Disney+. Liu-Wang is best known for starring in “Raven’s Home” on Disney Channel opposite Raven-Symoné, and also has a musical theater background and appeared in the Broadway Center Stage production of “The Music Man” at The Kennedy Center.
"The Slumber Party", a coming-of-age comedy based on the popular YA novel by Jen Malone, is about a birthday slumber party gone wrong where the morning after, best friends Megan and Paige, along with soon-to-be step-sister Veronica wake up with no memory of what happened the previous night. They are determined to retrace their steps to find the missing birthday girl, Anna Maria.
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A legend in modern musical theater, Tony- and Grammy-winning actor-singer-songwriter Gavin Creelhas performed in some of Broadway's most popular shows such as Hair, The Book of Mormon, Hello Dolly (which he won his Tony for), and Waitress. For over the last year, he has been playing the Wolf and Cinderella’s Prince in the Broadway revival of Into The Woods which was nominated for 6 Tonys including Best Revival of a Musical and which earned Gavin a Grammy for Best Musical Theater Album. The production of the revival has now hit the road and is currently performing at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles until July 30.
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John Marquis is the supervising sound editor of THE FLASH, the latest installment in the DC Cinematic Universe. His past credits include Godzilla, Transformers: Age of Extinction, Trolls, Pacific Rim: Uprising, Crazy Rich Asians, Pokemon: Detective Pikachu, In the Heights, Sonic the Hedgehog 1 and 2, Jungle Cruise, and Renfield.
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Dajia Milan is the costume designer for the supernatural horror film INSIDIOUS: THE RED DOOR, the latest installment in the successful horror franchise of Insidious. In this interview, Milan discusses recreating the looks of the original cast members, working with the franchise's star and first-time director Patrick Wilson, and designing the costuming for the new characters in this latest Insidious film. Milan's past credits include Wu-Tang: An American Saga, Pose and Flatbush Misdeameanors.
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Emmy-nominated cinematographer Benji Bakshi shares his insight into creating the several distinct visual worlds of the latest season of the Paramount+ series Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Bashki's past credits include Bone Tomahawk, Comedy Bang Bang, Elementary, The Rookie, and Prodigal Son.
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Joshua Petersen is the production designer of the new Peacock comedy series Supkis, loosely based on the life of comedian Pete Davidson. Petersen has previously designed sets for shows such as Amy Schumer’s comedy series “Life & Beth,” the Freeform series "Everything's Trash", and "That Damn Michael Che".
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Multi-Emmy winning director Sylvia Caminer (Great Hotels, Passport to Europe, Passport to Latin America, Samantha Brown’s Places to Love) is now out with her feature narrative debut FOLLOW HER. The story follows an aspiring actress named Jess who responds to a mysterious classified ad and finds herself trapped in her new boss's twisted revenge fantasy. The film is now available to stream on video on demand.
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Tony-nominated theatre producer Lou Spisto currently serves as the executive director and producer of the Gay Men's Chorus of Los Angeles, a choral group of gay men in the Los Angeles area formed in 1979. The chorus has gone on to appear on several films and television shows including Will & Grace, Six Feet Under, Mad TV, and Access Hollywood. Additionally, GMCLA has performed at awards shows such as the Oscars and the Independent Spirit Awards, as well as for two U.S. presidents (Clinton and Obama).
Now, GMCLA's biggest show of the year is coming up, Disney Pride in Concert, where 50 songs from Disney films and the parks will be performed by the 200-member choral group at the Walt Disney Concert Hall on June 24 and 25. Accompanied by a 25-piece orchestra and video projections, the concert will include songs from classic Disney films such as The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, and Mary Poppins.
Tickets are still available and can be purchased at www.gmcla.org/disneypride.
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Costume designer Bernadette Croft discusses her process designing the many different worlds through her costuming work in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.
STAR TREK: STRANGE NEW WORLDS is based on the years Captain Christopher Pike manned the helm of the U.S.S. Enterprise. The series follows Captain Pike, Science Officer Spock and Number One in the years before Captain Kirk boarded the U.S.S. Enterprise, as they explore new worlds around the galaxy.
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Audrey Fisher is a costume designer whose previous credits include True Blood, Girlboss, Destroyer, Camping, Barry, and the Amazon series I Know What You Did Last Summer. Now she is out with her latest project, the Max miniseries Love & Death based on the true story of Wylie, TX housewife Candy Montgomery who was accused of the brutal axe murder of her friend Betty Gore in 1980.
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Nick Bassett is the production designer of the newest installment of the Evil Dead film franchise, EVIL DEAD RISE. Nick's past credits include AVATAR, the TV series SPARTACUS, ASH VS. EVIL DEAD, and Netflix series SWEET TOOTH.
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Hair and Makeup Department Heads Lorna Reid and Amy Sparks chat about their latest project, Searchlight Pictures’ QUASI, a new historical satire by the Broken Lizard comedy troupe.
QUASI follows a hapless hunchback who yearns for love, but finds himself in the middle of a murderous feud between the Pope and the king of France when each orders the hunchback to kill the other.
QUASI is now streaming on Hulu.
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Costume designer Colin Wilkes discusses her work on the new AppleTV+ sci-fi comedy series "The Big Door Prize" starring Chris O'Dowd. Based on M.O. Walsh’s novel of the same name, “The Big Door Prize” tells the story of a small town called Deerfield that is forever changed when residents discover a mysterious, yet magical, destiny-predicting machine in their grocery store, promising to reveal each resident’s true life potential.Wilkes' past credits include "Little Woods" starring Lily James and Tessa Thompson; "Support the Girls" starring Regina Hall and Haley Lu Richardson; and "Palm Springs" starring Andy Samberg and Cristin Milioti. Her next feature film, "Dust", tells the story of a young mother haunted by the past who becomes convinced that a mysterious presence in dust storms is threatening her family and takes extraordinary measures to protect them. The film, starring Sarah Paulson and Annaleigh Ashford, is due to release later this year on Hulu.
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Two-time Emmy winning producer/director Michael Pressman (Picket Fences, Chicago Med, Law and Order SVU) has made his live musical theater directorial return with the Los Angeles premiere of the intergalactic love story COME GET MAGGIE. This is the story of a brilliant, but socially awkward, Maggie - a physicist who’s out of place in 1950’s post-war suburbia where gender roles are rigidly defined. But when Maggie is abducted by Aliens, she finds love and hope for a more expansive, inclusive humanity.
Pressman is partnering on this project again with three-time Emmy winning writer Diane Frolov (both collaborated recently on Chicago Med) as well as John Perrin Flynn, who produced Pressman’s last Los Angeles play, Finks, which was nominated for two Drama Desk Awards and was a New York Times Critic’s Pick.
Pressman, who started his career in feature film comedy, has worked primarily in dramatic long form and series television in recent years. His two recent stage productions, like COME GET MAGGIE, were also set in the 1950’s and featured themes that continue to be relevant. His Broadway revival of Come Back, Little Sheeba, which received six NAACP Theatre Award nominations and garnered its star, S. Epatha Merkerson, a Tony Award Nomination, as well as Finks, the westside hit spotlighted issues at the forefront of 1950’s America’s social and political struggles.
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Kristina Wong is a performance artist, actor, comedian, writer and elected representative in Koreatown Los Angeles. Following its highly acclaimed premiere at New York Theater Workshop, "Kristina Wong, Sweatshop Overlord," was a New York Times Critics Pick. Wong was then named a Pulitzer Prize finalist in Drama (2022). “Kristina Wong, Sweatshop Overlord” also garnered a veritable awards sweep this year including The Drama Desk Award, The Lucille Lortel Award and The Outer Critics Circle Award.The story of "Kristina Wong, Sweatshop Overlord" begins on Day 3 of the COVID-19 pandemic, where Kristina began sewing masks out of old bed sheets and bra straps on her Hello Kitty sewing machine. Before long, she was leading the Auntie Sewing Squad, a work-from-home sweatshop of hundreds of volunteers—including children and her own mother—to fix the U.S. public health care system while in quarantine. As the demand for masks abated and we began to return safely to space, Pulitzer Prize finalist Kristina began to put her life together post-pandemic cult leadership. With hilarity and boundless generosity, she invited the audience in on her work building community in isolation, while reflecting on what we’d been through and imagining what we wanted to become.
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Writer/director Michael Maren's latest film A LITTLE WHITE LIE, starring Michael Shannon and Kate Hudson based on the book SHRIVER by Chris Belden, is currently playing exclusively in theaters. This is his second feature, which comes a decade after his first film A SHORT HISTORY OF DECAY. Before becoming a filmmaker, Maren was a journalist for much of his life serving as a foreign correspondent based in Africa writing for publications such as The New York Times, The Village Voice, Newsweek, and GQ.
The film is about Shriver (Michael Shannon), a down-on-his-luck handyman who has never read a book in his life, who is mistaken for a famous writer that has been in hiding for over 20 years. With nothing to lose, he accepts an invitation to attend a college literary festival and finds himself surrounded by adoring fans and an English professor (Kate Hudson)who captures his heart. Shriver must do whatever it takes for his shot at love in this fish-out-of-water comedy.
In addition to Shannon and Hudson, other cast members include Don Johnson, Peyton List, Zach Braff, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Kate Linder, Wendie Malick and M. Emmet Walsh.
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The 95th Oscars are just days away, meaning it's time for our third annual chat with IndieWire's Anne Thompson as we prognosticate what will win on Hollywood's biggest night.
One of the top Oscars prognosticators in film journalism, Anne is the editor-at-large of IndieWire and the founder of the Thompson on Hollywood blog. She's previously written for entertainment publications such as Entertainment Weekly, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, and the LA Weekly. She co-hosts IndieWire's Screen Talk podcast, which releases a new episode every Friday.
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Rebecca Pruzan is the Oscar-nominated producer of the live action short film "Ivalu". The film is about a girl named Pipaluk, who lives in a Greenlandic settlement with her father and older sister Ivalu. Pipaluk is not happy because Ivalu has disappeared and her father does not care. At night, Pipaluk dreams of a raven that leads her to Ivalu.
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Academy Award winning filmmaker Domee Shi is the writer and director of the Pixar film "Turning Red", inspired by Shi's own upbringing of the awkward years coming into adolescence. Shi shares when she realized her personal childhood was worthy of being shared on the big screen, the challenges she faced in pitching a culturally specific and authentic story to the studio, and the importance of highlighting a mother-daughter relationship during this difficult part of a young person's life.
Additionally, as the creative vice president of Pixar Animation Studios, Shi shares her hopes for audiences coming back to theaters after seeing a slew of Pixar's recent titles go straight to the Disney+ streaming service.
Shi received an Oscar for Best Animated Short Film for her 2018 film "Bao". She has now received her second Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature for "Turning Red".
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Oscar nominated hairstylist Camille Friend shares her cultural and creative inspiration behind designing the African and Indigenous hairstyles in "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever". She also shared the challenges of designing hair for actors completely under water, the research she undertook in creating authentic portrayals of Indigenous people, and what it was like continuing on the project after Chadwick Boseman's passing.
Friend's previous credits include "Dreamgirls", "The Pursuit of Happyness", "The Help", "The Hunger Games - Mockingjay Parts 1 & 2", "Captain America: Winter Soldier", " Captain America: Civil War", "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol 2", "Black Panther", "Captain Marvel", "Django Unchained", "The Hateful Eight", "Detroit", and "Tenet".
Friend has received her first Oscar nomination for Best Makeup and Hairstyling for her work in "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever".
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Production designer Maya Sigel shares her process and inspiration behind envisioning the mid-century modern world of the 1950's as well as the futuristic space settings in the new Apple TV+ series Hello Tomorrow!, starring Billy Crudup and now streaming.
In a retro-futuristic world, charismatic salesman Jack Billings (Emmy® winner Billy Crudup) leads a team of fellow sales associates determined to revitalize their customers’ lives by hawking timeshares on the moon. Full of great talent and ambition, Jack’s unshakable faith in a brighter tomorrow inspires his coworkers and desperate customers, however, threatens to leave him dangerously lost in the very dream that sustains him.
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From writer and director, Alice Rohrwacher, and Academy Award® winning producer, Alfonso Cuarón, “Le Pupille” is a tale of innocence, greed and fantasy. This live action short is about desires, pure and selfish, about freedom and devotion, and about the anarchy that is capable of flowering in the minds of girls within the confines of a strict religious boarding school at Christmas.
Rohrwacher, in addition to Cuarón, have been nominated for Best Live Action Short Film at this year's Oscars.
Alice Rohrwacher's past credits include Heavenly Body, The Wonders, and Happy as Lazzaro. Her next film, La chimera, stars Isabella Rossellini and Josh O'Connor and is due out sometime later this year under the NEON distribution company. She has received the Gran Prix and Best Screenplay awards at the Cannes Film Festival.
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Oscar nominated cinematographer Florian Hoffmeister shares what it was like collaborating with auteur filmmaker Todd Field on Tár, as well as the observant cinematography he employed during the shooting of the film, and offers keen insight into some of the standout scenes in the film.
Nominated for six Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay, Best Actress for Cate Blanchett, Best Film Editing, and Best Cinematography for Hoffmeister - Tár is now streaming on Peacock.
Hoffmeister's past credits (which include working with filmmakers such as David Koepp, Scott Cooper, and Terence Davies) includes The Deep Blue Sea, In Secret, A Quiet Passion, Official Secrets, and Antlers.
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Brian d'Arcy Jamesis a actor known for his work across film, television, and the stage. He most recently starred as THE BAKER in the star-studded Broadway revival of INTO THE WOODS, which he received a Grammy nomination for Best Musical Theater Album.
James also recently starred in the Mubi drama film THE CATHEDRAL, where he earned a Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Supporting Performance. This marks the first nomination he has received for an individual performance in a film.
His upcoming 2023 projects include the David Yates directed “Pain Hustlers,” opposite Emily Blunt and Chris Evans for Netflix, the crime pic “Where All Light Tends to Go,” directed by Ben Young, with Billy Bob Thornton, Robin Wright and Jackie Earle Haley, the Rebecca Miller dramedy “She Came to Me” opposite Anne Hathaway, Peter Dinklage and Marisa Tomei, the upcoming Apple TV+ series “Dear Edward” from Jason Katims and the HBO Max’s Candy Montgomery miniseries “Love and Death” with Elizabeth Olsen, produced by Nicole Kidman and David E. Kelley.
Prior stage credits include HAMILTON, THE FERRYMAN, SHREK THE MUSICAL, SOMETHING ROTTEN!, and MACBETH.
James' past film credits include the Oscar-winning film “West Side Story,” from Steven Spielberg, “The Kitchen” opposite Melissa McCarthy, the Damien Chazelle directed “First Man,” opposite Ryan Gosling,” the Simon Kinberg directed, X-Men: Dark Phoenix,” Aaron Sorkin’s “Molly’s Game,” opposite Idris Elba and Jessica Chastain, and the Danny Strong directed JD Salinger biopic “Rebel and The Rye,” starring Nicholas Hoult.
Other television credits include “Evil,” Marvel’s “Hawkeye,” “The Comey Rule,” “13 Reasons Why.” “Manhunt: Unibomber,” “The Big C,” and “Smash.”
Brian d'Arcy James has received three Tony nominations for his Broadway work in Sweet Smell of Success, Shrek the Musical and Something Rotten!. He has also received two Grammy Award nominations for Best Musical Theater Album. James is the recipient of a Screen Actors Guild Award, a Critics' Choice Award and the Robert Altman Award at the Independent Spirit Awards - all for his work in the Oscar-winning film Spotlight.
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Film producer Jonathan Yunger joined Millennium Films in 2011 and has worked on more than fifty films during his tenure at the company, including The Expendables franchise, Olympus Has Fallen, London Has Fallen, Angel Has Fallen, The Hitman’s Bodyguard, and Mechanic: Resurrection. Presently, Yunger is the Co-President of Millennium Media.
Yunger's latest release is the horror film The Offering, about a family struggling with loss only to find themselves at the mercy of an ancient demon. In addition to his producing role, Yunger also played a major role in originating the story for The Offering with his collaborator, screenwriter Hank Hoffman.
Millennium Media titles currently in production include Dirty Angels with Eva Green, Ruby Rose, and Maria Bakalova. Recent releases include Jolt with Kate Beckinsale and Stanley Tucci, Till Death with Megan Fox, The Protege starring Michael Keaton, Samuel L. Jackson and Maggie Q, and The Enforcer with Antonio Banderas, Kate Bosworth, 2 Chainz. Millennium Media’s upcoming releases include The Offering with Paul Kaye, The Bricklayer with Aaron Eckhart and Nina Dobrev, The Piper with Charlotte Hope and Julian Sands, and the 4th installment of The Expendables franchise. They recently wrapped on the highly anticipated comic book adaptation, Red Sonja starring Matilda Lutz, Wallis Day, and Robert Sheehan.
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Theatrical producer/director/writer Jonathan Rockefeller of Rockefeller Productions is the creator of the new show Winnie the Pooh: The New Musical Stage Adaptation. Co-produced by Disney Theatrical Group, Winnie the Pooh takes audiences on a journey through the Hundred Acre Wood with life-sized puppets of the titular character, Eyeore, Piglet, Owl, Tigger, Kanga, and Roo along with Christopher Robin. While sharing an entirely new story in the world of Winnie the Pooh, the show also features the storied musical score of the Sherman Brothers.
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Hair department head Jaime Leigh McIntosh and Make-up department head Heba Thorisdottir share what it was like creating Old Hollywood looks of the 1920s in the new Damien Chazelle-directed epic period film BABYLON. The film, starring Margot Robbie and Brad Pitt, tells the story Hollywood's transition from silent to sound films in the late 1920s as well as all of the decadence and depravity that consumed early Hollywood.
Thorisdottir's previous credits include The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Bridesmaids, and Don't Worry Darling. She's also noted for her longstanding collaboration with Quentin Tarantino (on films such as the Kill Bill movies, Inglorious Bastards, Django Unchained, The Hateful Eight, and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) as well as her work on Marvel films (including Ant-Man, Spider-Man: Homecoming and Spider-Man: Far From Home).
McIntosh's previous credits include King Kong, The Lovely Bones, Avatar, The Hobbit films, Blade Runner 2049, Black Panther, Us, Captain Marvel, Ad Astra, Bombshell, The First Lady, The Gray Man, Don’t Worry Darling and Blonde. McIntosh is the recipient of a Primetime Emmy Award nomination earlier this year for her work on The First Lady.
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Mitchell Travers, costume designer of the Showtime miniseries "George & Tammy" which chronicles the intertwining careers of country musicians George Jones and Tammy Wynette, shares how he designed the looks of Jones and Wynette to convey their tumultuous relationship. Travers also shares what it was like working with Jessica Chastain, who pays Wynette, not only as an actor but also as a producer on the project.
Travers' past credits include Eighth Grade, Hustlers, Late Night, In The Heights, and The Eyes of Tammy Faye. His next projects include the romantic action comedy Shotgun Wedding starring Jennifer Lopez and Josh Duhamel (releasing on Amazon Prime in January) and Neon's Mothers' Instinct starring Jessica Chastain and Anne Hathaway due out sometime next year.
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Actors Jon Jon Briones and Rizwan Manj play Maurice and LeFou, respecticaly, in the new 30th anniversary special “Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration.” This two-hour animated and live-action blended special pays tribute to the original Disney Animation’s “Beauty and the Beast” and its legacy by showcasing the original film, along with new never-before-seen musical performances, brand-new sets and breathtaking costumes inspired by the classic story. “Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration” is available to stream on Disney+.
Briones can be seen as Dr. Richard Hanover in the show Ratched on Netflix. Some recent Television appearances include Ariel Augustus,The Grand Chancellor of the Warlocks on American Horror Story: Apocolypse., Modesto Cunanan in American Crime Story: The Assassination of Gianni Versace as Modesto Cunanan, and an appearance on All Rise. In his recent stage career, he was on Broadway with the transfer of London's West End Revival of Miss Saigon playing the Engineer. On Broadway he was nominated for a Drama Desk Award and was given a Theater World Award. He can next been seen in the upcoming supernatural horror film "The Last Voyage of the Demeter" which is adapted from a chapter of the original 1897 Bram Stoker novel Dracula.
Manji is a Canadian actor, known best for his portrayal of Ray Butani on Schitt's Creek and Rajiv Gidwani in the NBC Universal TV series Outsourced. He also appeared in seasons 2-5 of The Magicians, a fantasy television series on SyFy. In 2019, he starred in the NBC comedy Perfect Harmony as Reverend Jax. He is currently working on the film Shazam! Fury of the Gods, set to premiere in 2023.
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American Contemporary Ballet's artistic director/choreographer Lincoln Jones and performer Paige Wilkey (Sugar Plum Fairy, Mother Ginger) chat about the innovative, fresh and immersive Nutcracker Suite show that ACB has put on during the holiday season.
Long characterized as the quintessential ballet to see every year during holidays, the American Contemporary Ballet - under the leadership of Jones - has employed an interactive and fantasy-like twist on the well-known ballet. From pre- and post-show receptions featuring popcorn and glasses of champagne to being surrounded by snow on the walls and floors, ACB's The Nutcracker Suite offers something new and more adult to the typical child-friendly show.
In this interview, Jones shares his inspiration for wanting to put an immersive twist on The Nutcracker and the various winter wonderland-inspired elements that make you feel part of the show. Wilkey, who's performed in a production of The Nutcracker every year, shares why ACB's refreshing take on the ballet allows her to fully showcase her talents while successfully reinventing the show to be more exciting and impactful.
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Proudlycelebrating 20 spectacular years in the community, The Grove’s annual tree lighting ceremony returned this past Sunday in partnership with CBS for the taping of its annual holiday special, the “24TH ANNUAL A HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS AT THE GROVE” hosted by Gloria Estefan.
The special will feature performances by artists including Estefan, Andy Grammer, Little Big Town, DavidFoster and Katharine McPhee as well as uplifting stories of adoption from foster care, raising awareness of this important social issue. It will be broadcast Friday, Dec. 23 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT), on the CBS Television Network and available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+.
We had the opportunity to chat with McPhee, Foster, and Guyton on some of their holiday traditions and what it means to ring in the holiday season at Los Angeles' most popular Christmas tree lighting ceremony.
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For this week's episode, Max is chatting with actress Mena Suvari, who we all know and love from her past work such as Six Feet Under, American Horror Story, the American Pie franchise and American Beauty, the latter for which earned her a SAG Award and BAFTA nomination for Supporting Actress. Also joining Mena is director Kevin Lewis who most recently directed Willy’s Wonderland with Nicolas Cage.
Now, they’re out with their latest film The Accursed which follows a young woman who is hired by Mena’s character Alma to take a temporary caregiver job for an elderly patient living alone in the woods. It does not take long before she realizes that this woman harbors a demonic presence hiding inside of her.
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Production designer Kathrin Eder - whose past credits include Big Time Adolescence, The Night House, and Three Months - discusses her work in the Hulu original film Hellraiser, a reboot of the popular horror franchise.
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Putting an end to our 29 year-long wait, screenwriter Jen D'Angelo is responsible for penning the script for Hocus Pocus 2, the much anticipated sequel to the classic Halloween film. In her interview, Jen chats about how Disney asked her to write a script for a potential sequel, her own obsession with Hocus Pocus during her upbringing, and working with the iconic actresses Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy and Sarah Jessica Parker who embody the Sanderson Sisters.
Although Hocus Pocus 2 is her feature writing debut, D'Angelo's past writing/producing credits include TV series such as Workaholics, LA to Vegas, and Young Rock. Her next project is an untitled comedy film centered around two sisters, played by Sandra Oh and Awkwafina, set to be released on Hulu in 2023.
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Emmy-nominated hair/makeup department heads Jaime Leigh McIntosh and Tina Roesler Kerwin share what it was like physically transforming Ana de Armas into the iconic Marilyn Monroe in Andrew Dominik/Netflix’s BLONDE.
Kerwin's previous credits include The Mask, Boogie Nights, The Wedding Singer, Magnolia, Punch Drunk Love, Spanglish, Fun with Dick and Jane, He’s Just Not That Into You, A Christmas Carol, Beginners, Mud, End of Watch, Dirty Grandpa, Killing of a Sacred Deer, Top Gun Maverick, and The Gray Man.
McIntosh's previous credits include King Kong, The Lovely Bones, Avatar, The Hobbit films, Blade Runner 2049, Black Panther, Us, Captain Marvel, Ad Astra, Bombshell, The First Lady, The Gray Man, and Don’t Worry Darling.
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Adapted from Oscar-winning filmmaker Dustin Lance Black’s 2019 memoir “Mama’s Boy: A Story from our Americas,” MAMA’S BOY centers around the upbringing of the “Milk” screenwriter. Traveling back to the places where he grew up, Black explores his childhood roots, gay identity and close relationship with his mother, who overcame childhood polio, abusive marriages and Mormon dogma, while becoming Black’s emotional rock and ultimately, the inspiration for his activism. With a wealth of personal photographs and candid memories from Black’s family, colleagues, and friends, MAMA’S BOY embraces the personal to tell a universally hopeful tale of resilience and reconciliation through the power of love and shared stories.
MAMA'S BOY is directed by Laurent Bouzereau who shares what propelled him to adapt Black's memoir into a feature documentary, his collaboration with Black, and the parallels in lived experiences he shared with Black that made working on this documentary a passion project.
MAMA'S BOY is streaming on HBOMax.
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Academy Award nominated screenwriter and director Peter Hedges is out with his latest film THE SAME STORM, which takes place during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, giving an intimate look into the lives of twenty-four characters as they journey through the spring and summer of 2020. The film is released in select theatres October 14th.
Hedges previous directing credits include Ben is Back, The Odd Life of Timothy Green, Dan in Real Life, and Pieces of April. He's also written What's Eating Gilbert Grape and About a Boy, the latter of which earned him his Oscar and BAFTA nomination for screenwriting.
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Emmy- and DGA-winning director/writer Walter Hill returns to his Western roots with the new film DEAD FOR A DOLLAR, starring Christoph Waltz, Willem Dafoe, Benjamin Bratt, Rachel Brosnahan, and Warren Burke. The film is about a veteran bounty hunter named Max Borlund who is deep into Mexico where he encounters professional gambler and outlaw Joe Cribbens – a sworn enemy he sent to prison years before. Max is on a mission to find and return Rachel Kidd, the wife of a wealthy businessman, who as the story is told to Max, has been abducted by Buffalo Soldier Elijah Jones. Max is ultimately faced with a showdown to save honor.
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The Youth Governor centers on California's long-standing Youth in Government program where, in the halls of the state's capitol building, 4,000 teenagers run a fully functioning government complete with legislators, party bosses, and elections. Over four months, three candidates emerge in the race for the 72nd Youth Governor. With their peers watching their every word, these young candidates put together the unique mix of ambition, confidence, shamelessness, and pure motivation it takes to win.
Participants of the program themselves in their adolescence, directors Jaron and Matthew Halmy are an Emmy- and PGA-winning brother team. In tandem, they have experience in documentary filmmaking, commercial, and non-fiction filmmaking.
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The face of a new generation of aspirational adventurers and natural history filmmakers, 29-year-old National Geographic Explorer Bertie Gregory takes viewers on epic and nail-biting journeys that push into the most spectacular and secretive corners of our wild world! Armed with leading-edge film technology, the Disney+ original series EPIC ADVENTURES WITH BERTIE GREGORY, from National Geographic, breaks the mold of the traditional natural history program by telling extraordinary, real-life animal stories and taking viewers with him for every beat of the action. For weeks at a time, the BAFTA Award-winning cinematographer immerses himself into the animals’ lives to capture the untold stories of iconic creatures living in some of the harshest environments on our planet. This season, we see Bertie braving the icy worlds of Antarctica in search of the biggest gathering of whales ever filmed and coming face-to-face with specialist buffalo-hunting lions in Zambia. In this multipart adventure series, he will take audiences on an ambitious odyssey across the globe, showcasing the natural world at a time when it faces its greatest challenges.
Bertie Gregory, a wildlife filmmaker and photographer in his twenties, channeled his childhood obsession with wildlife into photography. Early in his career, photos from this obsession earned him recognition, including being named a National Geographic Young Explorer, Youth Outdoor Photographer of the Year, and Zenith Scientific Exploration Society Explorer. He began assisting legendary big cat photographer Steve Winter on assignment for National Geographic after graduating with a zoology degree from the University of Bristol in 2014. Bertie has since shot documentaries for Nat Geo WILD (Mumbai's urban leopards and caiman hunting jaguars) and BBC Planet Earth. Gregory's first solo assignment for National Geographic, tracking and filming the elusive coastal wolf on Vancouver Island's west coast, became the basis for Nat Geo WILD's first digital series, wildlife. Bertie has recently completed work on a new National Geographic digital series set in South Georgia.
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Nicole Galovski is the showrunner, executive producer, and a director of the new Disney+ hybrid docuseries "Growing Up". Created by Brie Larson and Galovski's company Culture House, “Growing Up” explores the challenges, triumphs, and complexities of adolescence through ten compelling coming-of-age stories. The series uses narrative, experimental, and documentary filmmaking to follow one young person each episode, ages 18-22, as they tell their story. They represent a wide range of lived experiences, giving audiences emotionally powerful narratives that offer an engaging look at teenage-hood and the diverse social, familial, and internal obstacles young people face on their path to self-discovery and acceptance.
Along with serving as a showrunner on "Growing Up" under the Culture House banner, Galovski is also producing a Netflix docuseries about race and gender in America, and is the producer of 2022 Tribeca premiere “Of Medicine and Miracles” about Dr. Carl June's ground-breaking cure for childhood leukemia. Feature film credits include NYTimes critic pick “All Creatures Here Below” (Samuel Goldwyn) and Tribeca premiere “Poor Boy” (Indican Pictures). Credits also include Showtime Documentary “Tough Guys,” and Jon Stewart’s Emmy Nominated HBO special “Night of Too Many Stars.”
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Four time Emmy-nominated cinematographer Mark Doering-Powell discusses his work on the Freeform series Grown-ish. Nominated for Outstanding Cinematography For A Single-Camera Series (Half-Hour) at this year's Emmys, Doering-Powell was also nominated for his work in Grown-ish last year - the series' first-even Emmy nomination! Doering-Powell also shares what it was like reuniting with Grown-ish creator Kenya Barris on the upcoming Netflix film You People, starring Eddie Murphy, Jonah Hill, Nia Long, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, David Duchovny, Rhea Pearlman, Molly Gordon, Deon Cole, La La Anthony, Bryan Greenberg and many more.
He was also previously nominated twice for his cinematography on Paramount+'s Everybody Hates Chris. Some of his other credits include Workaholics, Growing Up Fisher; Jane by Design; My Boys; Glory Daze; Hindsight; the Kenan Thompson pilot, directed by Chris Rock, as well as 4 seasons of Just Add Magic for Amazon Prime.
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Emmy-winning television director, writer and producer Greg Garcia is behind some of network television's most successful shows. From My Name is Earl to Raising Hope, Garcia has been on staple of network comedy series. Now, he is out with his latest comedy series Sprung, now streaming on Freevee.
Sprung tells the story of Jack (Garret Dillahunt) who, after spending nearly three decades in prison, is released and has to figure out where to live now. His determination not to reenter a life of crime is challenged when his former cellmate Rooster (Phillip Garcia) offers a room at his mother Barb's (Martha Plimpton) house, with the stipulation that Jack join their criminal enterprise.
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Coming to the end of it's nearly year-long North American tour, the Broadway show "The Prom" is now in Los Angeles performing at the Ahmanson Theatre until September 11!
Emily Borromeo, who plays Angie Dickinson, has previously performed on Broadway and as part of the National Tour of School of Rock. TV credits include serving as host of Sunny Side Up, a preschool series (Emmy nom.; Sprout/NBCUniversal), Tell Me a Story (CBS), Sneaky Pete (Amazon), The Jim Gaffigan Show (TV Land), and The Sing-Off (NBC).
Bud Weber, who plays Trent Oliver, has previously performed in shows such as The Book of Mormon (Broadway, 1st National Tour, New Zealand), Something Rotten! (Broadway), Aladdin (Broadway), Wicked (Broadway, 1st National Tour).
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Cinematographer Anka Malatynska discusses her latest project, the newest spin-off series of the Pretty Little Liars franchise titled Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin, now streaming on HBOMax. In this interview, Malatynska shared how she created a different visual language for this series compared to the original series, how her previous work on I Know What You Did Last Summer helped inform her work on this show, and an upcoming project she just finished working on.
Malatynska's previous credits include Hulu's Monsterland, OWN's Delilah, Amazon Prime's I Know What You Did Last Summer and the upcoming Steve Buscemi directorial feature The Listener starring Tessa Thompson.
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THE ANDY WARHOL DIARIES is a breathtakingly expansive, six-part portrait written and directed by Andrew Rossi which chronicles the life of Andy Warhol from the intimate vantage point of the artist’s own posthumously published diaries. Beginning with his childhood in Pittsburgh, the series traces Warhol’s almost unbelievably diverse journey, fluidly moving between mediums and through eras as an artist —both revered and reviled — director, publisher, TV producer, scene maker, celebrity and much more. While he was a larger than life figure, Warhol was intensely private regarding his personal life. This series reveals much about the very complex man through his own words — and in his own voice through the use of cutting-edge AI techniques— and those who worked, created, and played alongside him from the subversive to the mainstream, from John Waters to Rob Lowe.
Rossi has received three Primetime Emmy nominations for his work on THE ANDY WARHOL DIARIES: Outstanding Writing for a Nonfiction Program; Outstanding Directing for a Documentary/Nonfiction Program; and Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series
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Claudia Castello is the editor of Hulu's new original film PREY which serves as a prequel to the popular PREDATOR franchise. A frequent collaborator with director Ryan Coogler, Castello's past credits include FRUITVALE STATION, CREED, and BLACK PANTHER.
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Emile Hirsch is best known for his breakthrough performance in Into the Wild, directed by Sean Penn, which received worldwide acclaim, garnering him a SAG Award nomination. Emile can be seen in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood opposite Margot Robbie, Leonardo DiCaprio, and Brad Pitt, as well as the action comedy The Comeback Trail, with Robert De Niro, Tommy Lee Jones, and Morgan Freeman. Hirsch starred in the psychological sci-fil thriller Freaks and Never Grow Old opposite John Cusack, directed by Ivan Kavanaugh. In 2013, Hirsch starred in the critically acclaimed box office hit Lone Survivor opposite Mark Wahlberg, Taylor Kitsch, and Ben Foster. Now, Hirsch can be seen in the upcoming psychological thriller The Immaculate Room.
The Immaculate Room is about Mike (Emile Hirsch) and Kate (Kate Bosworth), a seemingly perfect couple, who join a psychological experiment to compete for five million dollars if they can last 50 days in a sleek, white room in complete isolation. No phones, no family – only the Voice of the Immaculate Room keeping them in check if they think of straying. But as the clock ticks down, the Room becomes more than it seems, putting them through cruel tests to break their resolve and resurfacing private demons which they may not survive.
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Rickey Minor is an Emmy-winning music director, composer and record producer. He was the musical director and bandleader on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno from 2010 to 2014. He also served as music director for numerous tours of superstars including Whitney Houston, Christina Aguilera, Ray Charles, Alicia Keys and Beyoncé. Some of the television productions Minor has worked on as a music director include the Grammy Awards, the Tony Awards, the Oscars, the Kennedy Center Honors, American Idol, the Peoples Choice Awards, the Billboard Music Awards, and the Primetime Emmy Awards. He is nominated for two Primetime Emmys this year for Outstanding Music Direction; for the 43rd Kennedy Center Honors and the 44th Kennedy Center Honors.
Minor has received twelve Primetime Emmy Award nominations for Outstanding Music Direction, winning two of them, for Taking the Stage: African American Music and Stories That Changed America (2017) and The Kennedy Center Honors (2020).
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Johnnie Burn is the supervising sound editor, sound deisgner, and re-recording mixer on the new Jordan Peele science fiction horror NOPE, while Nicholas Monsour served as the editor. Together, they shared how the collaborated with each other and with Peele to create the cinematic spectacle of the summer.
Nicholas, who also edited Peele's last film “US,” discussed how was able to meet demands of the novel technical aspects while keeping his editing in the style of the director. Johnnie shared how he used sound to push the story forward and create that ‘on-edge’ feeling for both the characters and the audience to experience together.
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Faye (Dale Dickey) is a lone traveler biding her time fishing, birding and stargazing at a rural Colorado campground as she awaits the arrival of Lito (Wes Studi), a figure from her past who is navigating his own tentative and nomadic journey across the rugged West. Like the country music that has traditionally channeled the heartbreak and resilience of Americans in search of themselves and others, A Love Song weaves a lyrical and ultimately joyful refrain out of the transformative act of being alone —and reminds us that love can nourish and mystify at any age.
A Love Song is written and directed by Max Walker-Silverman.
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Kevin Bacon plays Owen Whistler in this slasher horror film set at an LGBTQIA+ conversion camp. Several queer campers, led by iron-willed Jordan (Theo Germaine) and Alexandria (Quei Tann), join Whistler for a week of programming intended to “help them find a new sense of freedom”. As the camp’s methods become increasingly more psychologically unsettling, the campers must work together to protect themselves. When an unidentified killer starts claiming victims, things get even more dangerous.
Max spoke with (in order of interviews) Kevin Bacon, Carrie Preston, three-time Oscar nominated screenwriter/director John Logan, Quei Tann, Boone Platt, Hayley Griffith, Anna Lore, Monique Kim, Austin Crute, Darwin del Fabro, Cooper Koch and executive producer Scott Turner Schofield.
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The political campaign documentary A RUN FOR MORE is about a corporate executive, political campaigner, military spouse, and proud Latinx daughter of immigrants, Frankie Gonzales-Wolfe, who decides to campaign as the first trans woman to run for city council in her hometown of San Antonio, Texas, facing a different kind of challenge—and this time it’s personal.
Filmed over the course of three years, this moving documentary follows Frankie as she embarks on her 2019 campaign, drawing on the strength she needed when recovering from a pre-transition assault. Now happily married to a loving, supportive husband and surrounded by a loyal team of volunteers and friends, Frankie takes on the fight of her life. Shot in intimate cinema-vérité style, A Run for More follows Frankie’s political and personal journey of discovery over the course of her historic campaign, and what she uncovers about herself along the way is as eye-opening as the reactions she receives from the community she hopes to represent.
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As part of the 40th anniversary of Outfest, artist, actor and filmmaker Lio Mehiel (WeCrashed, Apple+) presented a three-part pop-up art presentation titled Ancient Futures at the Directors Guild of America in West Hollywood, from July 14 - 24 to highlight trans bodies.
The exhibition celebrates trans beauty, expressed through a single-channel video installation, a photo essay, and a sculpture series by British multidisciplinary artist Holly Silius (recent collaborators include Pussy Riot, KKW and Mr Wash). The centerpiece of the presentation is four stone sculptures modeled after Emmy-nominated actress Rain Valdez (Razor Tongue), actor Sydney Mae Diaz (Generation, HBOmax), photographer and artist A.Klass and Lio Mehiel.
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ALL MAN: THE INTERNATIONAL MALE STORY is a journey across three decades of the International Male catalog's lasting impact on fashion, masculinity, and gay rights. With revenues at its peak of $120 million and circulation of over 3 million, the catalog successfully appealed to both gay and straight audiences, and helped transform conservative notions of American masculinity towards a more carefree, cosmopolitan, and confident expression. Directed by Bryan Darling and Jesse Finley Reed, written and produced by Emmy- and Peabody Award-winning filmmaker Peter Jones, and narrated by Matt Bomer (MAGIC MIKE, THE BOYS IN THE BAND, etc…), ALL MAN is a character-driven portrait of a band of outsiders who changed the way men looked and how the world looked at them.
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Wayne Pashley is the re-recording mixer, sound designer and supervising sound editor of the new Baz Luhrmann biopic ELVIS, depicting the life and career of Elvis Presley.
ELVIS is an epic, big-screen spectacle directed by Oscar-nominated filmmaker Baz Luhrmann that explores the life and music of Elvis Presley, starring Austin Butler and Tom Hanks. Elvis’s story is seen through the prism of his complicated relationship with his enigmatic manager, Colonel Tom Parker. The film delves into the complex dynamic between the two spanning over 20 years, from Presley’s rise to fame to his unprecedented stardom against the backdrop of the evolving cultural landscape and loss of innocence in America.
Wayne discusses how he collaborated with Baz to immerse us into the symphonic world of Elvis' life and music. He also shares how he was able to go through Elvis' career timeline, weaving cross-cultural musical soundscapes, while enhancing the mystery of the relationship between the two main players. He also discusses how he got the crowds to feel like a real live audience and his creative use of vintage microphones to foster a seamless transition between stage dialogue and singing vocal performances.
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halfsies tells the story of five half-brothers, who come together after their sibling's mysterious death and are inadvertently launched on a quest to find the truth behind his murder when his ghost shows up at the wake. In addition to Des, it stars Wade Allain-Marcus (INSECURE) and Devere Rogers (HONK FOR JESUS, SAVE YOUR SOUL), among many other talented folks.
Des Moran is a Producer on Peacock's QUEER AS FOLK reimagining and a Supervising Producer on Hulu’s upcoming adaptation of Cheryl Strayed’s National Bestseller, TINY BEAUTIFUL THINGS. Previously he worked on seasons three and four of Freeform's hit comedy GROWN-ISH, and seasons one and two of NBC/Netflix's GOOD GIRLS. In features, Des is writing a musical for Warner Brothers, executive produced by Cynthia Erivo, Josh Gad, and Rideback.
Brad Klipfel is a Writer and Director who splits his time between Portland and Los Angeles, and originally hails from St. Louis. As a Director, his short, KALEIDACORP has screened at Cannes, Las Vegas, and Miami International Film Festivals, among others. Recently, his prestige limited docuseries project sold to Hulu in a competitive situation. As a Producer, his work has been profiled as VIMEO Short of the Week. As a Screenwriter, his scripts have placed in various competitions and festivals, including the Nicholls Screenwriting Fellowship, Sundance Screenwriter’s Lab, and others.
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Starring Golden Globe nominee Sarah Hay (Flesh and Bone) and Matthew August Jeffers (New Amsterdam), the Outfest Centerpiece feature Unidentified Objects is surreal sci-fi tinged comedy that follows a curmudgeonly gay dwarf (Jeffers) and his free-spirited neighbor (Hay) who hit the road in search of an alien abduction on a trip that will alter their relationship—and their sense of reality—forever. Along the way, their friendship will be tested by shroom-addled survivalists, overzealous cosplayers, and the painful realization that we possibly may be alone in the universe.
Unidentified Objects directorJuan Felipe Zuleta is a Colombian film-maker based in New York City. Starting his career at NYU, he has directed content for brands like Comcast, Budweiser, and Major League Baseball, as well as music videos for top artists like multi-platinum star Russ. His creative honors include support from the Richard Vague Production Fund, a Cannes Silver Lion, and being shortlisted as a Cannes Young Director. Juan’s second feature film project was accepted into the Frontières International Co-Production Market.
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As Director of Festival Programming Mike is in charge of programming Outfest Los Angeles and ensuring the highest experience of filmmakers and audiences at all Outfest festivals. He has over a decade of experience in the finance, production and distribution aspects of the industry. Mike joins Outfest after five years as Acquisitions and Distribution Executive at Radiant Films International, and five years prior to that as a Creative Executive at Hyde Park Entertainment. Since 2014, he has been the Director of Programming for the Indian Film Festival of Los Angeles (IFFLA) and is an Associate Programmer for AFI FEST.
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Ximena García Lecuona is the screenwriter of the upcoming Amazon Prime original film Anything's Possible. Serving as the directorial debut of Tony, Grammy, and Emmy-winning actor Billy Porter, Anything's Possible tells a modern Gen Z coming-of-age story of a trans high school student, Kelsa, as she navigates her senior year.
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BAFTA-nominated make-up and hair designer Lynda Armstrong chats with THE HOLLYWOOD PODCAST on her latest work in the Hulu original movie, THE PRINCESS, starring Joey King. Armstrong discusses how she created the characters'' medieval looks and her sources of inspiration in doing so. She also touches on the symbolism behind Joey King's fiery red hair and the challenges of styling hair and make-up for characters constantly performing in fighting sequences.
Armstrong's previous credits include Little Shop of Horrors, Empire of the Sun, A Fish Called Wanda, Batman, 101 Dalmations, Troy, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, season 3 of the FX series Atlanta, and the final season of the Netflix series Stranger Things.
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Production designer Liz Toonkel discusses the fictional, miniature world she created within our own in the newly released A24 film MARCEL THE SHELL WITH SHOES ON.
Based on the viral YouTube videos from several years ago, Marcel is an adorable, 1-inch-tall shell who ekes out a colorful existence with his grandmother, Connie, and their pet lint, Alan. Once part of a sprawling community of shells, they now live alone as the sole survivors of a mysterious tragedy. However, when a documentary filmmaker discovers them, the short film he posts online brings Marcel millions of passionate fans, as well as unprecedented dangers, and a new hope of finding his long-lost family
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The coming-of-age teen dramedy Hulu series Love, Victor comes to a sweet and satisfying conclusion with the release of its’ third season this past week. Serving as a spin-off television series to Love, Simon, Hulu’s Love, Victor has tackled a few of the many issues teens face, especially young LGBT people. From coming to terms with your sexual identity to having your first romantic relationship, Love, Victor has captivated young audiences around the globe through the realistic portrayals of high school students from different walks of life.
This season finds Victor going on a journey of self-discovery – not only deciding who he wants to be with, but more broadly, who he wants to be. With their post-high-school plans looming, Victor and his friends are faced with a new set of problems that they must work through to make the best choices for their futures.
Michael Cimino and George Sear discuss what working on Love, Victor has meant to them the past several years, how it’s blazing a trail for LGBTQ stories in television, and the biggest lesson they’ve learned from working on the series that they’ll take with them to future projects.
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Oscar-nominated production designer Laurence Bennett (THE ARTIST, IN THE VALLEY OF ELAH, SHOW ME A HERO, THE WIZARD OF LIES, BILLIONS) discusses how he designed the never-before-seen story of making one of the greatest films in cinematic history, The Godfather, in Paramount+’s new series, THE OFFER.
THE OFFER follows Oscar-winning producer, Albert S. Ruddy (Miles Teller), throughout his journey towards the development and production of Francis Ford Coppola’s (Dan Fogler) landmark NYC gangster film The Godfather. The miniseries is based on Ruddy’s extraordinary, never-before-revealed experiences of producing one of the greatest films of all time; a film that was almost never made.
Laurence discusses how he designed the entire production in Los Angeles and how he overcame the challenge of selling 1968-1973 New York City, Los Angeles, Sicily and more while being on set in Los Angeles as well as staying true to the real-life events of the behind-the-scenes true events of the making of The Godfather.
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Emmy-winning production designer Todd Fjelsted, whose past work you may know from series such as LOOKING, NOW APOCALYPSE, GLOW and HELSTROM, is kicking off 2022 with a bang with two already-popular series now streaming.
The first, Showtime's THE FIRST LADY, chronicles the lives of three influential first ladies; Michelle Obama (Viola Davis), Betty Ford (Michelle Pfeiffer) and Eleanor Roosevelt (Gillian Anderson). The other is AppleTV+'s ROAR, a feminocentric anthology series created by Liz Flahive and Carly Mensch (GLOW).
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It's likely that cinematographer Simon Dennis, BSC has shot some of your favorite shows over the last several years. From the popular British crime drama PEAKY BLINDERS to his deep portfolio of work on Ryan Murphy projects including POSE, AMERICAN CRIME STORY, RATCHED, THE POLITICIAN, and HOLLYWOOD, Simon has delighted, entertained, and frightened audiences with his camera work over the several popular shows he's worked on. Now, Dennis is out with Hulu’s new true crime miniseries CANDY, which just premiered earlier this month.
The five-episode series is set in 1980s Texas and follows the true story of killer Candy Montgomery (Jessica Biel), a housewife and mother, who murders her best friend, Betty Gore (Melanie Lynskey).
Simon discusses how he captured the 1980s time period associated with the series and the research he undertook into studying the real-life community of Wylie, Texas during the time of this crime. Additionally, Simon spoke about his ongoing working relationship with Ryan Murphy over the years, especially the most recent Murphy project IMPEACHMENT: AMERICAN CRIME STORY.
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Executive produced by Oscar-winning actor Joaquin Phoenix and Oscar-nominated actress Rooney Mara, The End of Medicine exposes the link between emerging health threats, such as pandemics and antibiotic resistance, and the role of animal exploitation. Told through the lens of industry whistleblowers, government advisors, medical experts, and leading scientists, The End of Medicine sounds the alarm few have heard.
Alex Lockwood is a BAFTA award winning documentary filmmaker from Birmingham, UK. He won a BAFTA in 2019 for his short film 73 Cows. The film premiered at Raindance Film Festival and was screened at European Parliament in order to provoke change in agricultural law. He founded his own film production company which initially focused on low-budget corporate films for local businesses but now only produces projects which aim to shed light on issues of ethics and sustainability.
Dr. Aysha Akhtar, M.D., M.P.H., is a double-board certified neurologist and preventive medicine specialist, with a background in public health, and is a U.S veteran. Currently, she is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the Center for Contemporary Sciences (CCS). As an accomplished author, she has published two books, added her expertise to peer reviewed journals and is a Tedx speaker. Dr. Akhtar is a Fellow of the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics.
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In this episode, cinematographer Eric Koretz discusses his work on the final season of the popular Netflix drama series "Ozark" starring Jason Bateman, Laura Linney, and Julia Garner. Eric shares how he joined the Ozark team during the final season and how he maintained the look and aesthetic of the series while also tailoring it to his own unique style of filmmaking. Additionally, Eric discusses his working collaboration with Jason, who was a director on one of the episodes he worked on, and what it meant for him personally to work on a show he's been a fan of for years.
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Gigi Gaston is the director and writer of the new crime thriller 9 BULLETS. This film is about a former burlesque dancer turned author (Lena Headey) who discovers a second chance at life and redemption when she risks everything to rescue her young neighbor after he witnesses his parents murder. Now on the run from the local crime boss (Sam Worthington), who happens to be her longtime ex, she makes a desperate attempt to get the boy to safety.
Gigi discusses her real-life inspiration behind telling this story, films of the past with adult-child journeys that influenced her in telling this story, and what it was like working with a stellar cast that includes Headey, Worthington, Cam Gigandet, La La Anthony, and Barbara Hershey.
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In this episode, Max chats with make-up artist of the new Showtime anthology drama series "The First Lady," Carol Rasheed. Starring Michelle Pfeiffer as Betty Ford, Gillian Anderson as Eleanor Roosevelt, and Viola Davis as Michelle Obama, "The First Lady" tells the stories of these three First Ladies through personal & political lenses and the obstacles they confronted on their way to the White House. Carol discusses the photographic research she underwent in capturing authentic looks of Roosevelt, Ford and Obama as well as the increased difficult of working on the series during the pandemic.
Carol also hints at her upcoming work in one of 2023's most anticipated musical films "The Color Purple" starring Fantasia Barrino, Colman Domingo, Taraji P. Henson, Corey Hawkins, Danielle Brooks, H.E.R., Ciara, Halle Bailey, Louis Gossett Jr., David Alan Grier, Aunjanue Ellis, Elizabeth Marvel, and Jon Batiste.
Carol's previous credits include Monster, 2 Fast 2 Furious, I Can Do Bad All by Myself, The Family That Preys, Footloose (2011), Prisoners, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, Dirty Grandpa, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, and All Eyez on Me.
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In this week's episode, Max chats with Ireland-based actor Ryan McParland who stars in the new sci-fi action series HALO from the Microsoft video game franchise of the same name. HALO premiered on Paramount+ on March 24th.
In this episode, Ryan shares how he got involved in the project, what it was like working with show creators Kyle Killen and Steven Kane, and his process in developing his character which is new to the HALO world.
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With the 94th Oscars just two days away, it's time to make final predictions for who will win on Hollywood's biggest night!
To help me out, I'm happy to have Anne Thompson of IndieWire join me. One of the top Oscars prognosticators in film journalism, Anne is the editor-at-large of IndieWire and the founder of the Thompson on Hollywood blog. She's previously written for entertainment publications such as Entertainment Weekly, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, and the LA Weekly.
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Newly-minted Oscar-nominated production designer Tamara Deverell (NIGHTMARE ALLEY) chats with Max on how she was first approached by acclaimed director Guillermo del Toro to work with him on this neo-noir psychological thriller based on the 1947 film and novel of the same name.
Tamara also shares the unique difficulty she faced in designing the sets in the midst of the COVID pandemic, where she went to research the traveling carnival show culture of the late 1930s/early 1940s and the locations she visited in Buffalo in creating a historically authentic atmosphere to the film. Lastly, Tamara shares her design process behind some of the most celebrated set designs in the film including the office of Lilith (played by Cate Blanchett) and the entire first half of the film set in the traveling carnival show of Clem (played by Willem Dafoe).
Lastly, Tamara also hints at her work in the upcoming Netflix anthology horror series CABINET OF CURIOSITIES where she'll be reuniting with del Toro.
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The Tragedy of MacBeth production designer Stefan Dechant shares how he was approached by writer/director Joel Coen to work on this film, the time crunch he had in designing the sets as he was brought on just two months before shooting commenced, and his masterful collaboration with multi-Oscar nominated cinematographer Bruno Delbonnel (Amelie, Inside Llewyn Davis, Darkest Hour) in creating the breathtaking shots, angles, and lighting that made his sets look epic in scale and scope.
Stefan also shares his reaction to receiving his first Oscar nomination of his career for Best Production Design for his work in this film. Stefan ends the interview by hinting at what we have to look forward to from his work in his next film, the Disney live-action remake, Pinocchio streaming on Disney+ this September. Pinocchio is directed by Robert Zemeckis and stars Tom Hanks, Cynthia Erivo and Luke Evans.
Stefan's other credits include Lady in the Water, Avatar, Alice in Wonderland, True Grit, The BFG, Kong: Skull Island, and Pacific Rim: Uprising.
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Emmy-nominated songwriters Thomas Mizer and Curtis Moore are an accomplished composing and storytelling team whose work has appeared on stages and screens around the world. Most recently, they returned for another season as official songwriters for the Amazon Prime Video series The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel — composing three new original songs (and a few other surprises) featured in the fourth year of the award-winning hit.
In this interview, Mizer and Moore share how they were approached by creator Amy Sherman-Palladino to work on Maisel, their creative collaboration with her, and the research they undertook to make their work sound like the music of the 1960s era in which the show is set in.
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Production designer Michael Perry is starting the new year off with a bang with two big films: Texas Chainsaw Massacre now streaming on Netflix and I Want You Back now streaming on Amazon Prime.
In this interview, Michael discusses how he designed Leatherface’s gruesome return by building the fictitious town of Harlow, Texas in Bulgaria for Texas Chainsaw Massacre. He also shares how much he drew from the original film as inspiration for the look of this film and how his research process in nearby real towns in Texas played a role in his designing of Harlow. For I Want You Back, Michael shares how he drew inspiration from the old school rom-coms from the ‘90s and early 2000s to design a charming and nostalgic contemporary film that uplifts singles and couples alike.
His work can next be seen in The Georgetown Project, starring Russell Crowe, Sam Worthington, and Chloe Bailey. His work in this film is something that he's remarked as his greatest accomplishment yet in his decades-long career in production design.
Michael's previous credits include Promising Young Woman, Hell Fest, It Follows, and Under the Silver Lake. He was nominated for an Arts Directed Guild Award in 2021 for his work on Promising Young Woman and a Primetime Emmy Award nomination in 1994 for his work on The Stand.
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In this episode, Max chats with costume designer Luis Sequeira on his visually dazzling work in the recent Guillermo del Toro-directed neo-noir psychological thriller Nightmare Alley, nominated for 4 Academy Awards including Best Picture. Luis is nominated for the Best Costume Design Oscar, his second nomination following his work in The Shape of Water, also directed by del Toro.
Luis shares how he was approached by del Toro to work on the film, what it was like collaborating with a creative visionary like del Toro, the contrasts in fashion sensibilities between the carnival segments and the upper-class Buffalo segments of the film, the research involved in studying the styles of the late 1930s/early 1940s, and his experience designing costumes for Bradley Cooper, Cate Blanchett, and Rooney Mara.
Luis's other credits include Love and Monsters, It - Chapter Two, The Christmas Chronicles, The Thing, and Mama.
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On this episode, cinematographer Shawn Peters discusses how he captured the aesthetic of the new Apple TV+ series, THE LAST DAYS OF PTOLEMY GREY, premiering March 11th.
Based on the novel of the same name, The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey follows Ptolemy Grey (Samuel L. Jackson), a 91-year-old man forgotten by his family, by his friends, by even himself. Suddenly left without his trusted caretaker and on the brink of sinking even deeper into a lonely dementia, Ptolemy is assigned to the care of orphaned teenager Robyn. When given the tremendous opportunity to briefly regain his memories, Ptolemy uses this precious and fleeting lucidity to solve his nephew's death, beginning a journey toward shocking truths about the past, present and future.
Shawn shares how his partnership with series director, Oscar-nominated filmmaker Ramin Bahrani (99 Homes, The White Tiger), was integral in informing the aesthetic and the overall worldbuilding of the series. Additionally, Shawn shares what the experience was like working on-set with Samuel L. Jackson and the challenges in shooting across multiple time eras. Prior to this series, Shawn's work was seen mainly in shorts and music videos, featuring the talents of artists such as Alicia Keys, Common, H.E.R., and Solange. He was also the cinematographer on the this past year's Oscar-nominated documentary feature Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised).
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In this episode, newly-minted Academy Award nominated make-up artist and hairstylist Nadia Stacey shares what it was like working on the Disney live-action film Cruella, starring Emma Stone and Emma Thompson. Nadia discusses the research she undertook into 1970s London punk scene in bringing a culturally accurate mood to the the film, collaborating with director Craig Gillespie in bringing his vision to reality, and what it was like working with Emma Stone. She also shares the thought process behind some of the most signature looks in Cruella from Stone and Thompson.
Nadia also previewed a few of the many upcoming, much-anticipated films that she has in store for audiences to see including: Poor Things, directed by Yorgos Lanthimos and starring Emma Stone, Willem Dafoe, Mark Ruffalo, Margaret Qualley, Ramy Youssef, and Kathryn Hunter; the Sundance film Living starring Bill Nighy; See How They Run with Saorise Ronan, Sam Rockwell, Adrien Brody, Ruth Wilson, and David Oyelowo; and The Almond and the Seahorse directed by longtime Clint Eastwood cinematographer Tom Stern in his feature film debut starring Rebel Wilson.
Nadia also shares that she is currently working on the long-awaited Disney live-action remake Snow White starring Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen and West Side Story breakout Rachel Zegler at the titular lead.
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In this episode, Tick, Tick...Boom! editors Myron Kerstein and Andrew Weisblum discuss how they worked together to incorporate a theatrical, but naturalistic editing style throughout the film, based on the musical written by the late Jonathan Larson. Kerstein and Weisblum share their experiences worked with Lin-Manuel Miranda on his feature directorial debut, the challenges of working during the pandemic, and offered insight into editing some of the most complex musical sequences in the film.
Kerstein's previous credits include Camp, Garden State, Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist, Wish I Was Here, Girls, Crazy Rich Asians, and, most recently, In The Heights. He will next work on the much-anticipated musical adaptation Wicked, starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo and directed by Jon Chu.
Weisblum, known for his collaborations with directors Wes Anderson and Darren Aronofsky, has previously worked on The Darjeeling Limited, Chicago, The Wrestler, Fantastic Mr. Fox, Moonrise Kingdom, mother!, Black Swan, Noah, Isle of Dogs, The OA, The French Dispatch, The Eyes of Tammy Faye. Weisblum received an Academy Award nomination in 2011 for his work in Black Swan. His upcoming projects include the Aronofsky-directed The Whale, starring Brendan Fraser and Anderson's upcoming films Asteroid City and The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar.
Kerstein and Weisblum are nominated for the American Cinema Editors Award for Best Edited Feature Film - Comedy or Musical for their work in Tick, Tick...Boom!. Weisblum has a second nomination in the same category for his work in The French Dispatch.
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Recreating the visually dazzling costumes of one of cinema’s most celebrated musicals may have been an intimidating task for many, but for Tony-winning costume designer Paul Tazewell, it was a craftsperson’s dream come true.
Tazewell, known best for his costuming work in Broadway musicals such as Hamilton and In the Heights, has recently transitioned his talents to film where one of his first big screen projects was working on the critically-lauded Oscar contender West Side Story, directed bySteven Spielberg. In this interview, Tazewell shares the excitement he had in working on a reimagining of one of Broadway’s most celebrated stories, how Spielberg found out about his work, and the decision making behind the stark visual contrasts between the Sharks and the Jets.
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In this episode, cinematographer Romain Lacourbas to discusses how he brought grand medieval fantasy worlds to life in season two of THE WITCHER, now streaming on Netflix.
Romain shares how he worked with the series' directors, Stephen Surjik and Ed Bazalgette, in translating their visions through his own eyes by utilizing various colors, contrasts and lenses to create the many fantasy worlds the audience is taken to throughout the season. Romain also talks about the importance in his collaboration with the visual effects department and how they worked together to design the epic action sequences that fully capture the imagination of the storyline.
Romain has been nominated for an American Society of Cinematographers Award in 2016 for his work in the Netflix original series MARCO POLO.
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Dawn Ritz has designed costumes across the music, television, and film industries for several years. In this interview, Ritz discusses her creative approach in her costuming work for some of the most popular television series and music icons we all know and love. Over the course of her career, Ritz has worked for musical artists such as Selena Gomez, Ariana Grande, Bella Thorne, Elton John, Timbaland, Nick Jones and Glen Campbell. She's also worked on popular shows including AMERICAN HORROR STORY, AMERICAN CRIME STORY, NEW GIRL, INSECURE, PARADISE CITY, and EUPHORIA. Ritz has been nominated for three Costume Designers Guild Award nominations for her work on the ELTON JOHN: TINY DANCER farewell tour video in 2018, SELENA GOMEZ: BOYFRIEND music video and TIM BURTON HALLOWEEN THEME PARTY in 2021.
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In this episode, Max chats with costume designer Avery Plewes about her work in Warner Bros' 8-BIT CHRISTMAS, now streaming on HBO Max.
Plewes discusses the creative approach she brought to this holiday film in designing the 1980s costuming. Based on the book of the same name by Kevin Jakubowski, 8-Bit Christmas takes place in an idyllic Chicago suburb in the ’80s, centering around a 10-year-old’s epic quest to get the Christmas gift of his generation - a Nintendo Entertainment System. The film switches back and forth between past and present as adult Jake Doyle (Neil Patrick Harris) tells his daughter the story of the unforgettable Christmas where he and his friends did everything they could to get their hands on the latest and greatest video game system.
Plewes chatted about her inspirations while designing the colorful and graphic period costumes, while making sure the costumes would appeal to kids watching the film, as well as bring nostalgia to adults who also grew up in that decade. She can also discusses the challenges of designing costumes for film during the lockdown period of the entertainment industry, and how it gave her the opportunity to build a significant wardrobe without the help of clothing stores.
Plewes' other credits include Everything, Everything, Ready or Not, Sex/Life, and the upcoming series Painkiller starring Matthew Broderick and Uzo Aduba.
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muti-Emmy Award winning production designer James Pearse Connelly currently stars as a judge on season 2 of HBO Max’s crafting competition show CRAFTOPIA, which just dropped four winter spectacular episodes on November 18th. The Halloween and holiday themed season follows master crafters compete in “Quick Craft” and “Master” challenges to see who can create the most complex and visually stunning crafts to be crowned champion. His company designed the set and he is now stepping in front of the camera as judge.
James’ production designs can be seen in top-rated iconic shows such as THE VOICE, THE KELLY CLARKSON SHOW, THE MASKED SINGER, TOP CHEF, MTV’s VIDEO MUSIC AWARDS, the brand new KIDS TONIGHT SHOW, the upcoming FOODTASTIC on Disney+, and many more. His success has led to the creation of his own full-service design company, JPConnelly, that specializes in pre-visualization and environment design for television, special events, residential and commercial projects.
He has been nominated for 13 Primetime Emmy Awards, most recently for his production design work on THE MASKED SINGER. He won in 2009 for MTV’s VIDEO MUSIC AWARDS. He has also won a Daytime Emmy Award for his work on THE KELLY CLARKSON SHOW and has received 8 Art Director’s Guild Award nominations.
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Directed and written by Clint Bentley, JOCKEY is about aging jockey Jackson Silva (Clifton Collins Jr.), who hopes to win one last title for his longtime trainer (Molly Parker), who has acquired what appears to be a championship horse. But the years – and injuries – have taken a toll on his body, throwing into question his ability to continue his lifelong passion. And the arrival of a young rookie rider (Moises Arias), who claims to be his son, and whom he takes under his wing, further complicates the path to fulfilling his dream. JOCKEY has played at the Sundance Film Festival, AFI Fest, Stockholm Film Festival, and Zurich Film Festival. It was named one of the top 10 independent films of 2021 by the National Board of Review and is nominated for Best Male Lead (Clifton Collins Jr.) and the John Cassavetes Award at the 2022 Film Independent Spirit Awards.
Max chats with the film's lead, Screen Actors Guild Award winning and Emmy nominated actor Clifton Collins Jr, on how he prepared for both the emotional and physical transformation in playing Jackson, what it's like finally being the lead of a feature film after years in the film industry, and the real-life jockeys he interacted with to help in his research for the role. Clifton is best known for his previous work in TRAFFIC, CAPOTE, STAR TREK, HONEY BOY, THE MULE, ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD and the HBO series WESTWORLD. He's also starring in the Guillermo del Toro-directed film NIGHTMARE ALLEY.
Also on this week's episode is SAG and Emmy-nominated actress Molly Parker who plays Ruth Wilkes, Jackson's trainer. Molly spoke about the wisdom she received from a real-life trainer who helped inform her character of Ruth, working with a director like Clint who was raised in an atmosphere of jockeys on a ranch, and the deeply intimate scenes with Clifton that showed their chemistry. Molly's previous work includes MADELINE'S MADELINE, PIECES OF A WOMAN, HBO series DEADWOOD, Netflix series HOUSE OF CARDS and LOST IN SPACE, and Amazon Prime series GOLIATH. She'll next be seen in the upcoming Disney+ film PETER PAN & WENDY where she'll be playing Wendy's mother Mrs. Darling, and the sci-fi Netflix film THE MOTHERSHIP, where she'll be working alongside Halle Berry.
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Tracey Scott Wilson is the screenwriter of the Aretha Franklin biopic RESPECT, starring Aretha Franklin as the Queen of Soul. The film, which was released by MGM in August, takes one of the most famous women in the world and tells the little-known story of her journey to find her own iconic voice.
In approaching the daunting task of telling the story behind the icon, Tracey focused on creating a character-driven script which provides a deep look at the childhood, hardships and early achievements of one of the most successful music artists in history. She created a script which looks at the humanity of Aretha, a notoriously private woman, which resulted in a film that is entertaining, moving and joyous.
While RESPECT is Tracey’s feature film debut, she has an extensive resume across television and theater. On the TV side, Tracey served as a co-executive producer and writer on the critically acclaimed limited series FOSSE/VERDON at FX and THE MORNING SHOW for Apple TV+. Before that, she was a co-executive producer on FX’s award-winning series THE AMERICANS, where she wrote for four seasons and received two WGA awards, two Peabody awards and a Golden Globe. Tracey is also a renowned playwright, and her plays include BUZZER (Guthrie Theater, The Public Theater), THE GOOD NEGRO and THE STORY (both at The Public Theater and the Goodman Theater).
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Hannah Chaddha was one of the 16 houseguests from this summer's season of the CBS reality series Big Brother, finishing in fifth place. In this interview, Hannah opens up about her time in the Big Brother house, deciding to apply because of CBS's recent casting diversity initiative, her superfan-based knowledge of the game, the strategy she had going into the house & how it evolved and the significance of the historic Cookout alliance.
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Derek Frazier was one of the 16 houseguests from this summer's season of the CBS reality series Big Brother, finishing as runner-up. In this interview, Derek opens up about his time in the Big Brother house, his initial thoughts on his fellow houseguests, the strategy he had going into the house & how it evolved and the significance of the historic Cookout alliance.
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Emmy-winning costume designer Helen Huang discusses how she brought a true story to life through her work in the new dark comedy, THE SHRINK NEXT DOOR, premiering November 12th on AppleTV+.
The miniseries is inspired by The Shrink Next Door podcast on Wondery about power, control and turning to the wrong person for help. The dark comedy explores the bizarre, alarming and co-dependent relationship between celebrity psychiatrist Dr. Isaac “Ike” Herschkopf (Paul Rudd) and his longtime patient Martin “Marty” Markowitz (Will Ferrell). Over the course of their relationship, the all-too-charming Ike slowly inserts himself into Marty’s life, even moving into Marty’s Hamptons home and persuading Marty to name him president of the family business. The series explores how a seemingly normal doctor-patient dynamic morphs into an exploitative relationship filled with manipulation, power grabs and dysfunction at its finest.
Helen discusses how she designed three decades worth of costumes, starting in the early 1980’s. She also shares her creative approach, inspirations and color palettes when designing costumes that reflect the tone and mindset of the characters.
Huang's work can previously be seen in American Horror Story, The Night Shift, Birds of Prey, Get Shorty and 9-1-1. She received a Primetime Emmy Award for her costuming work in American Horror Story in 2016.
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Simon Helberg stars in legendary director Leos Carax’s new Amazon Prime film, Annette. Co-starring with Oscar winner Marion Cotillard and Oscar nominee Adam Driver, Helberg holds his own in this three-hander where he plays Marion’s conductor, whose character is the true heart of the film. Deadline, rightfully so, points out that “Helberg nearly steals the film, particularly in a sequence where he is conducting the orchestra while reeling off dialogue, turning it all into a thrilling musical sequence, the film’s highlight for me.” Indiewire noted “The movie’s actual comic relief comes from Simon Helberg, in a hilarious deadpan turn as Anne’s accompanist (“The Conductor”), whose best scene comes as he tries to stuff in some expository dialogue in between composing an orchestra as the camera swirls around his face.”
While Helberg is widely known for his work on perhaps the biggest comedy in the world, The Big Band Theory, Annette is a departure for him. He most recently starred opposite Meryl Streep in Stephen Frears’ Florence Foster Jenkins for which he received a Golden Globe nomination along with the Virtuosos award at the Santa Barbara Film Festival. Helberg has also recieved a Critics' Choice Television Award and six Screen Actors Guild Award nominations for his performance in The Big Bang Theory.
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Britini D'Angelo was one of the 16 houseguests from this summer's season of the CBS reality series Big Brother, finishing in 11th place as juror #1. In this interview, Britini opens up about her time in the Big Brother house, taking us week-by-week on the alliances, strategy, and events that unfolded in the weeks leading up to her eviction. Britini also shares what it was like living in the jury house, opening about about her autism diagnosis live on finale night, and what she's been up to since the season ended.
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Descanso Gardens’ unique take on Halloween, Carved, has returned, featuring exciting new displays and experiences.
Carved is a family-friendly event for all ages. For three weeks in October, thousands of carved pumpkins will line a 1-mile walk through the Camellia Forest and Oak Grove. Along with pumpkins, there will be exciting new oversized sculptures made of sticks and other natural materials. Pumpkin carving demonstrations, the ever-popular pumpkin house, a hay maze, and themed food & beverage will all help to create a fun harvest festival ambiance.
Tickets for Carved are currently on sale. Timed tickets are required for everyone. Carved hours are 6:30pm-10pm, October 11-31, 2021. Members tickets are $25-$28, and non-members, $32-$35 and can be purchased at descansogardens.org
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Nate Weber and Allison Weber are the co-founders of the immersive theatrical production company 88 Twenty Group. Together, they developed the first-ever virtual interactive live theatre experience, QuaranSCREAM Live, a sold-out limited run online show featuring live, isolated actors and cinematic sequences.
Now, they're gearing up for their first in-person production HOLLYWOOD & VAMP, an immersive theatrical show experience like no other -- taking audiences into the unsettling underworld of vampires and depravity, Hollywood Queen Vamp, Theda Bara and her sultry staff as they welcome you to their bar where vampires and humans co-exist. This fantastic new show is a tongue-in-cheek blend of pop culture, Hollywood and Halloween. This unique adult production will be showing for four nights only - October 19/20 and 26/27. It features an all-star cast from Rock of Ages Hollywood and veteran immersive theatre performers sharing scenes with each other and the audience in an innovative blending of rock opera and immersive haunt experience. HOLLYWOOD & VAMP is one-part immersive theatre experience and one-part rock show, but together it's an experience unlike anything else.
A sexy/campy send-up to Halloween, HOLLYWOOD & VAMP appears at Hollywood’s popular performance venue, The Bourbon Room, which also serves as home to the hugely popular Rock of Ages show. From the team that created 2020’s acclaimed "Quaranscream Live,” a blend of live theatre and film, done virtually during the pandemic, 88Twenty Group proudly returns for 2021 with a nearly all female production to deliver a live in-person show.
More information and tickets are now available online at www.hollywoodandvamp.com or at The Bourbon Room, priced at $75, which includes full access to the show and a specialty cocktail, to get the fun started.
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Freeform put a spell on fans in Los Angeles with their annual Halloween Road immersive experience. The event was a spooky event to kick off Freeform’s 31 Nights of Halloween programming which airs Oct. 1-31, which offers the opportunity to celebrate Halloween all month long at home with our favorite classics. The outdoor, immersive event featured the worlds of “Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas,” “Hocus Pocus,” “The Addams Family '' and other spooktacular surprises filled with games, photo moments, live entertainment and prizes! This year, Hyundai joined in on the fun as a presenting sponsor to make Halloween Road come alive with tricks, treats and a haunting photo opp.
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Justin Fix is the founder & executive director of his industry-leading entertainment production company and creative development incubator JFI Productions which produces several interactive entertainment experiences every year but is most known for CREEP, a critically acclaimed original interactive theater production.
Known for reimagining and redefining the theatre-going experience, JFI Productions proves this year will be no exception-- even during the ever-changing post-pandemic climate. CREEP 2021 is filled with intimate moments, deep connections and soul-shaking chills and thrills. This year, guests will find themselves in a multitude of surprising worlds including a lush and sultry bar, a desolate town-square populated with odd characters, and a world-warping haunted house with a mind of its own.
CREEP L.A. intertwines nuanced and in-depth shocking storytelling with hands-on audience interaction, fostering emotional connections and unforgettable moments. Equal parts beautiful and terrifying. Since 2015, Creep has been selling out its runs while reaching an audience of over 20,000 and receiving rave reviews for its groundbreaking approach to the genre. Utilizing 8,000-15,000 sq/ft spaces, upwards of 30 cast members, and a creative team with diverse backgrounds, Creep LA has solidified its place as LA’s go-to Halloween event.
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Jasen Smith is the CEO of Experiential Supply Co., an award-winning company to which the Hollywood film industry turns when it comes to creating large-scale, immersive experiences for such big budget movies as IT: Chapter 2, Ready Player One, The LEGO Movie, Smallfoot, and more. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Smith created the first Experiential Supply original event HAUNTOWEEN LA, offering families in Los Angeles an interactive and thematic adventure to celebrate the holiday at a time when so many of the traditional haunted experiences were cancelled at the time. HAUNTOWEEN turned out to be a huge success for the company, and now it's back for a second year where families can visit, now car-free!
HAUNTOWEEN LA is back and will be open nightly from October 1 through October 31, from 5:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. PT, at 6100 Topanga Canyon Blvd., Woodland Hills, CA. Tickets can be purchased at SoCalHauntoween.com
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Emmy and NAACP Image Award nominated directors Deondray and Quincy Gossfield – known for being the couple behind the GLAAD Media Award-winning series, The DL Chronicles, that paved the way for Black queer storytelling, as mentioned by The Advocate. Now they’re out with their latest project Smoke, Lilies and Jade which is a short film adaptation from writer/painter Richard Bruce Nugent’s short story about the life of Alex (Xavier Avila), a poetic artist who encounters Beauty (Ernesto Reyes), a Latino man, while cruising Harlem during its famed Queer Renaissance during the 1920s. Beauty quickly becomes the object of Alex’s desires. Emmy, Grammy, and Tony Award winner Billy Porter serves as narrator and also stars Alexandra Grey who’s been named one of Hollywood’s biggest stars on the Rise by Out magazine.
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Inspired by true events, Everybody's Talking About Jamie follows Jamie New (Max Harwood), a teenager from Sheffield, who dreams of life on stage. While his classmates plan their livelihoods after they leave school, Jamie contemplates revealing his secret career ambition to become a fierce and proud drag queen. His best friend Pritti (Lauren Patel) and his loving mum (Sarah Lancashire) shower him with endless support, while local drag legend Miss Loco Chanelle (Richard E. Grant) mentors him toward his debut stage performance. But Jamie also has to contend with an unsupportive father (Ralph Ineson), an uninspired careers advisor (Sharon Horgan), and some ignorant school kids who attempt to rain on his sensational parade. In rousing and colourful musical numbers, Jamie and his community inspire one another to overcome prejudice, be more accepting, and to step out of the darkness into the spotlight.
Jonathan Butterell makes his feature film directing debut with Everybody’s Talking About Jamie. Butterellis a stage director and choreographer who has worked in London, New York and around the world. As well as developing and directing the stage show of Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, further theatre director credits include: Alone Together; Floyd Collins; Peter Pan; and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. Butterell created the musical staging for the Tony® award-winning shows The Light in the Piazza and Assassins, as well as the revival of Fiddler on the Roof and the musical staging for the original workshop of Sondhiem’s musical Wise Guys with Nathan Lane and Victor Garber at New York Theatre Workshop, directed by Sam Mendes. Butterell also choreographed the Tony award-winning Nine, starring Antonio Banderas and Chita Rivera on Broadway (and further productions in London, Buenos Aires, and Tokyo, all directed by David Leveaux).
Newcomer Lauren Patel will make her screen debut in Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, the feature film adaptation of the hugely successful West End Musical of the same name. Lauren will play “Pritti Pasha,” a modern Muslim girl who is Jamie’s best friend and ally. Originally from Bolton, Lauren was cast as “Pritti” after responding to an open call for the film, while still studying at college.
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Emmy-winning producer/director Chris McKim is known for his executive producing work over the years for RuPaul’s Drag Race. In 2017, he won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Class Special for the TV documentary Out of Iraq. He also won the 2020 Freedom Award at LA Outfest for the film Freedia Got A Gun. His newest film Wojnarowicz is an autobiographical portrait of the life of noted New York artist, writer, photographer, activist David Wojnarowicz.
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Written and directed by Luke Willis, Pool Boy is the tender love story which follows a conflicted young man who must reconcile his growing feelings for someone he never expected against the face he shows the world. GLAAD-award winning actor/filmmaker/activist River Gallo stars in the titular role, opposite Tim Torre. Pool Boy made its world premiere at BFI Flare: London LGBTIQ+ Film Festival in August and also screened at the Outfest Los Angeles Film Festival. A highlight of the festivals, it was was hailed by critics and audiences, including a ringing endorsement from actor and writer Stephen Fry, who called the short "superb".
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Actress/composer Brittany Allen is known for her Emmy-winning portrayal of Marissa Tasker in the soap opera All My Children, along with her performances in horror films such as Extraterrestrial, It Stains the Sands Red, Jigsaw and What Keeps You Alive. She also starred in a recurring role on the popular Amazon Prime superhero series The Boys. More recently, she has taken a step behind the scenes working as a composer for film & television, including the CW series Two Sentence Horror Stories and the new FX on Hulu series American Horror Stories.
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Peruvian writer/director/producer Javier Fuentes-Leon most recently served as the director and executive producer of the first Colombian Netflix original series Wild District telling the story of a guerrilla fighter who moves from the jungle to Bogota after the signing of the Peace Treaty. Now, with his newest film The Best Families, Fuentes-León shares the story of a long-hidden secret which flips generational hierarchies upside down at a huge birthday celebration. Encompassing an important message on Latin American class relations, The Best Families has screened at the Miami Film Festival and the Outfest Los Angeles Film Festival. Fuentes-León’s films have screened and won prizes at festivals such as the aforementioned Outfest & Miami Film Festival, as well as the Sundance Film Festival. His 2010 film Undertow received a Goya Award nomination was the official Peru entry for Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars in 2011. Fuentes-León shares with Max upcoming projects he's working on including a Netflix sports drama series, a rock musical, and more.
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Two-time Emmy winning hair stylist Lawrence Davis is known from his work on a variety of notable films and television series such as J Edgar, Bessie, Green Book, Watchmen, True Detective, Lovecraft Country, and The Underground Railroad. Now, his work can be seen in the new Aretha Franklin biopic Respect, starring Jennifer Hudson. Davis has worked with Hudson for several years, and was tasked with creating different hairstyles across the multiple decades that the film is set in. On top of relying on his own heavy research, Lawrence was pleased to have the Franklin family on set as well, ensuring that Aretha’s character was portrayed as authentically as possible.
Davis also served as the hair department head on the critically-acclaimed HBO original limited series Mare of Easttown starring Kate Winslet, Jean Smart, Julianne Nicholson, and Evan Peters. For his work, Davis has received his fourth Primetime Emmy nomination this year for Outstanding Contemporary Hairstyling.
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Since 2002, Cinespia has grown to become the preeminent destination for the outdoor theatrical experience that brings movie magic to life with screenings of classic films throughout the year to an audience of hundreds of thousands from all around the world, including some of Hollywood’s most famous faces. With over 30 events per year, Cinespia hosts dazzling screenings under the stars at iconic venues throughout Los Angeles, primarily at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. The 2021 season, presented by Amazon Studios, marks the 20th anniversary of the first and longest running outdoor screening series in Los Angeles. John Wyatt is the founder of Cinespia.
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Johnny (Tre Ryder) loves his babysitter Melanie (Colby Minfie), and he’s heartbroken that it's her last day with him before she transitions into being a full-time doula. He discovers a YouTube video that teaches him about Free-Spirit Meditation, a practice by which you can send your spirit out of your body and into someone else’s body. Johnny sends his spirit into Melanie. He can see through her eyes and operate her body from the inside out. From there, the pressures of pretending to be someone else stack up fast. In this charming Freaky Friday meets Being John Malkovich fantasy, writer/director Joseph Sackett explores gender expression with pure wonder through a fresh and whimsical lens in his hilarious and touching feature debut.
Colby Minifie stars in Homebody as Melanie, the babysitter whom Johnny's spirit inhabits her body. Appearing on Broadway, television and film over the years, Colby is perhaps best known as playing Ashley Barrett in the superhero Amazon Prime original series The Boys. She's also appeared in the Amazon Prime original series The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, the Netflix original film I'm Thinking of Ending Things, and the AMC series Fear the Walking Dead.
Joseph Sackett is an award-winning filmmaker who has written, directed, and produced projects that have screened in competition at the Festival de Cannes, Slamdance, OutFest, the Atlanta Film Festival, and the Rooftop Films Summer Series among others. He received his MFA in Screenwriting and Directing from NYU Graduate Film, and is the recipient of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association Grant. He is currently in post-production on his second feature film Cross Pollination.
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Jump, Darling stars Cloris Leachman, who recently passed away at the age of 94, in her final starring performance, praised by critics in this worthy swan-song from the late Oscar-winning Hollywood legend.
Written and directed by debut filmmaker Phil Connell, Jump, Darling follows a rookie drag queen (played by newcomer Thomas Duplessie) reeling from a breakup who moves in with his declining grandmother (Leachman) to protect her from the local nursing home. The supporting cast of Jump, Darling includes Linda Kash (Best in Show), Jayne Eastwood (Chicago) and cameos from well-known drag queens Tynomi Banks (featured recently on Canada’s Drag Race), Fay Slift and Miss Fiercalicious. The film showcases six on-screen drag performances against a pop soundtrack including Robyn, Allie X, Rough Trade, Years & Years and more. The film is produced by Katie Corbridge (An Acquired Taste), Executive Produced by Karen Harnisch (White Lie) and Allison Black (Giant Little Ones).
Cloris Leachman won both an Academy Award and a BAFTA Film Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in The Last Picture Show and holds the record for the most Primetime Emmy acting nominations in history – 22. She is best known for her role as Phyllis on The Mary Tyler Moore Show, played to such great success that it led to her own television series spinoff, Phyllis.
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The timely, news-breaking documentary Gemmel and Tim, about the deaths of two black men in connection with this week's recently convicted political donor Ed Buck in West Hollywood - from award winning director, Michiel Thomas. In 2017 and 2019 respectively, Gemmel “Juelz” Moore and Timothy “Tim” Dean, two gay black men, both died of a meth overdose at the now-infamous Laurel Street apartment of Ed Buck, a once influential Democratic donor, businessman and animal, LGBTQ+, political activist. The deaths sent shockwaves through LA’s LGBTQ+ community and particularly West Hollywood, LA’s gay mecca. The ensuing media circus cooked up a spicy concoction of sex, drugs, race and politics, but had no appetite for the in-depth human stories of who Gemmel and Tim truly were. This documentary looks at Gemmel and Tim’s parallel walks of life through the eyes of their extended families.
Belgian native Michiel Thomas (35) is a documentary filmmaker based in Los Angeles, CA. His debut film Game Face was distributed by Netflix in 2016, screened at more than 50 film festivals worldwide and won 12 awards, including the Audience Award at Frameline 2015. His next feature doc That’s Wild (2020) was sold to PBS and AMC Networks, screened at 30+ film festivals and won 4 awards.
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Based on a true story, Firebird is an intense cold war thriller set in the 1970’s Soviet Air Force. A dangerous love triangle forms between Sergey, a troubled conscript, his best friend Luisa, a charming and ambitious secretary to the base Commander, and a daring young fighter pilot Roman. Driven by curiosity, they embark on a fatal affair of forbidden love and deception, navigating the precarious line between love and friendship. Sergey is forced to face his past as Roman’s career is endangered and Luisa struggles to keep her family together. As the walls close in they risk their freedom and their very lives in the face of an escalating KGB investigation and the multiple perils of an all-seeing Soviet regime.
Tom Prior (The Theory of Everything, Kingsman: The Secret Service) plays the role of Sergey, and leads an international cast including Oleg Zagorodnii and Diana Pozharskaya. The film is directed by University of Southern California and Harvard alumni Peeter Rebane (Robbie Williams – Live in Tallinn), written together with Prior.
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Chris Wagner, founder & CEO of White Label Productions, speaks about the evolution of unscripted television – particularly how productions have changed in the last year.
Wagner is an Executive Producer and EIC with 20 years of experience in all genres of television across all platforms around the world. As Founder & CEO of White Label Productions, Wagner has overseen high-profile series such as The Masked Singer for FOX, Impractical Jokers: Dinner Party for TruTV, Celebrity Show-Off for TBS, Miss Universe 2019, Savage X Fenty Show (Vol. 1 & 2) for Amazon Prime Video, and Encore! for Disney+. Over the last year, Wagner’s White Label Productions has produced Can’t Cancel Pride 2020 for iHeart and Hulu, Unicorn Hunters, and HBCU: Meet Me On the Yard for YouTube, and this year will produce Savage X Fenty Show Vol. 3, Miss Universe 2021, and Can’t Cancel Pride 2021. His work has received Emmy nominations for Season Three of The Masked Singer and the syndicated edition of Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader?. He also received a Producers Guild Award earlier this year for The Masked Singer.
Wagner has overseen more than $2.5B in TV budgets and has helped run companies as well as starting three of his own, focusing on production services. Chris has offered his partners a competitive deal structure at an unbeatable price point for the networks. He built these companies from the ground up, providing the infrastructure that includes office space, legal, insurance, accounting, negotiating all deals, all union signatory entities, overseeing the key staff and crew hires from a crew of 50 to 3,000, all while being a liaison within the network.
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Emmy-nominated cinematographers John Behrens and Jonathan Pope discuss the unique roles they played in capturing the existential threats of social media in their Netflix documentary-drama hybrid film THE SOCIAL DILEMMA.
The film is set up into two unique portions, blending documentary investigation and narrative drama to unveil the potential threats posed behind most popular social media and search platforms. With the film being broken up into two portrayals, each cinematographer had a very distinct and individual role to play while shooting the hybrid film. The documentary portion of the film was shot by John Behrens, while the narrative portion of the film was shot by Jonathan Pope.
The Social Dilemma is now available to stream on Netflix.
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Damien S. Navarro is the executive director of Outfest, the world's leading organization that promotes equality by creating, sharing and protecting LGBT stories on the screen. Outfest builds community by connecting diverse populations to discover, discuss and celebrate stories of LGBT lives. For nearly four decades, Outfest has showcased thousands of films from around the world, educated and mentored hundreds of emerging filmmakers, and protected more than 40,000 LGBT films and videos.
This year's 10-day long Outfest Los Angeles LGBT Film Festival kick's off on August 13th with their Opening Night Gala featuring the Amazon Studios film Everybody's Talking About Jamie. is ten days of world-class films, panels, and parties. The global program slate features over 50 international films and 15 languages representing countries like South Korea, Nigeria, Mexico, Cuba, Israel, and Croatia. Los Angeles continues to be a trailblazer for multicultural LGBTQIA+ representation in entertainment. Additionally, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, nearly every film in this year's festival line-up will be available for streaming.
To learn more about Outfest and purchase tickets, you can visit outfestla2021.com
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Celebrated horror master Jon Braver announces the return of DELUSION, the overwhelmingly popular Los Angeles interactive attraction. Returning for the 2021 season, the all-new show ushers’ guests back to its horror roots, with ‘Reaper’s Remorse.’ Inviting you to ‘play your part,’ the 2021 edition of this now-renowned attraction will open September 16, inhabiting the delightfully dilapidated Phillips Mansion in Pomona, CA. Adding even more excitement to the DELUSION experience in 2021, the first-ever ‘Open World’ accompaniment to the attraction will continue the immersive experience. All tickets entitle guests to wander the ‘Open World’ and explore multiple narrative threads within a whole new adjacent event area, featuring food, drinks and more. Like that of an eerie scavenger hunt, the experience will help further shape the story and is available before or after the main attraction. This fantastic new addition continues the already twisted tale for hours of scary fun! You can visit enterdelusion.com to purchase tickets. Other frightful additions to DELUSION include “Her Private Collection: VIP Experience,” allowing guests to continue their mansion visit in a secluded 2nd floor of terror and the private ‘Dark Arts Bar & Lounge’ where more fun awaits with entertainment and perhaps a chance encounter with the mansion’s strange, magical and eccentric resident.
A film and theatre director, action coordinator, and Disney Imagineering consultant, Jon Braver’s extensive career has run an exciting path. His love for the fantastical and experience working with some of the top directors in the business has helped to shape his unusual range of talent and keen ability to deliver a unique vision. He began work on his Delusion Universe in 2011 and continues to shepherd the property as it continues to expand to new audiences and formats. In a new era of storytelling, Delusion (#playyourpart) remains one of the most popular interactive events with an absolute commitment to quality and originality. Delusion began in 2011 as a passion project for creator Jon Braver and for seven seasons has captivated sold-out audiences, thrusting them into an otherworldly adventure where they must play their parts in order to move the story forward. Live actors, creature effects, stunts, elaborate set design, and an original score weave together a tale unlike any other. Learn more at www.enterdelusion.com.
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Quei Tann is a recurring guest star on Tyler Perry’s “Bruh,” airing on BET+. Quei plays Officer Darla Grills on the series, which is about the lives of a group of 30-something Black men as they explore the world of dating, careers and friendship in present-day society. Season 2 of “Bruh” premiered on May 27. She is also awaiting the release of the Bella Thorne-executive produced short film “Jelly,” where she stars as ‘Edith,’ opposite Harley Quinn Smith. She has previously starred opposite Viola Davis on the ABC series How to Get Away with Murder and had a recurring role on the Netflix series Dear White People.
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Inspired by the phenomenal popularity of the superhero genre, Digital Sky and veteran creator Scott Zakarin have developed Superhero Diaries, a hilarious new comedy web series parody that officially debuted July 21 on YouTube. Uniquely celebrating the superhero boom, this action-packed new bi-weekly series presents a fantastic mash-up of comedy, fights and campy satirical situations, turning the multiverses upside down as never before. It features a fantastic cast, including Phil LaMarr (voice of the animated Green Lantern), veteran actor and improv favorite Patrick Bristow, Don Jeanes (Budweiser Super Bowl commercials), Disney Channel’s Hannah Kat Jones (Austin & Ally) and many more from across the world of improv and comedy. Putting the camp back into the multiverse, viewers will get a total of 30 episodes over 10 weeks.
You can watch Superhero Diaries at https://www.youtube.com/superherodiaries
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Duvar is a short drama film based on actual events of one man's experience grappling with an unjust criminal justice system while attempting to save his daughter's life. Taking place in Mesquite, Texas in 2009, the film is an examination of the American justice system and how media can influence public perception. Duvar has recently been showcased at several film festivals across the world including the Paris Independent Film Festival, Phoenix Shorts Film Festival, Cift Film Festivan in Toronto, Georgia Shorts Film Festival, and the Diversity in Cannes film showcase. It will also be competing at the Queens World Film Festival, an Oscar-qualifying festival.
Director/Writer Brittney London is a multi-hyphenate creative that has worked across, film, theatre, and new media mediums. After graduating from the University of North Texas with a B.A in Theatre, Brittney went on to work in regional theaters in Atlanta, and off Broadway in New York. Later, Brittney was accepted into an acting intensive at the Stella Adler school in Los Angeles. Eventually, she took her talents to Beijing, China where she worked as a teaching artist and voice actor. She's since worked across the country in various capacities and recently in Cape Town, South Africa. Brittney currently resides in New York City and wrote her first pilot Compromised, which was an official selection in The Portland Comedy Film Festival, a semi-finalist in HCF’s screenwriting competition and nominated for Best Romantic Comedy Short Screenplay at the Atlanta Comedy Film Festival & the Women’s Comedy Film Festival. You can follow Brittney on Instagram @blondon_87
Producer Alex Geschwind was born in New York City and raised in Northampton, Massachusetts. Alex began dancing at the age of four and appeared in many shows associated with The Commonwealth Opera, Hampshire Performing Arts and the Pioneer Arts Center of Easthampton. Alex moved to Los Angeles at 16 and finished her senior year at Hollywood High's performing arts magnet. She has appeared in several national commercials including Nissan and Ford and television shows which include Shameless and Mixology. She recently received her B.A. from The New School in New York City where she studied screenwriting and producing. Currently, she's writing/producing a short psychological horror film which is set to shoot later this year. You can follow Alex on Instagram at @alexgeschwind
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This week, we chat with Bill Steele and Taylor Umphenour from the Hollywood Legion Theater where they've launched the only drive-in cinema on the West Coast of the United States to run 35mm film projectors. On July 1st, the Legion Theater Drive-In kicked off their "Summer of Celluloid" screenings series, sponsored by Kodak Motion Picture and Entertainment, with the brand-new film projectors.
Umphenour, the theater's creative director and chief projectionist, shares what some of the obstacles were toward securing and installing these very costly projectors and the uptick in popularity the theater has experienced due to this novel outdoor cinematic experience. Steele, the theater's director, expresses optimism for the positive experience and appreciation audiences will leave with at the Legion Theater as well as his hope that 35mm drive-in's are here to stay post-pandemic.
Films being shown as part of the theater's Summer of Celluloid drive-in screening series include Purple Rain, Inception, Boogie Nights, and The Dark Knight. For more information and to buy tickets, visit https://www.hollywoodlegiontheater.com/drive-in/showtimes
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Writer/director/actor Thales Corrêa (BATHROOM STALLS & PARKING LOTS—now streaming on Peacock; Cannes shorts MILVIO and PARENTS) was a member of the Second City Writing Program, where he co-developed the series concept "Poly People" with classmate Melissa Girard. Thales, in turn, engaged his fellow Brazilian production partner Anthony Moore, who, in the throes of a pandemic and unemployment-induced depression, saw the job as therapy and agreed to work on it right away.
That was in August 2020. Two-and-a-half SAG-AFTRA safety protocol-following, coffee-fueled production days later, the team wrapped principal photography on Poly People, a seven-episode mockumentary about the daily life of four people in a polyamorous relationship. While each of the four main characters: non-binary-identifying Cuddelz (Corrêa); bisexual Abigail (Andrea Flowers); lesbian Lez (Ilona Kulinska): and hetero but curious Tucker (Moore) have different sexual identities, they fall in love and take one another as lovers and partners, and form a domestic unit.
Poly People is available to view on YouTube and is qualified for the 2021 Primetime Emmy® Awards, eligible in Outstanding Short Form Comedy Series and Best Actor in a Short Form Comedy Series.
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Michael Simon Hall stars in the upcoming independent noir thriller "Women" released on May 28th from Gravitas Pictures both in theaters and VOD. From Islandic filmmaker Anton Sigurdsson making his US debut, this story is about a small-town detective who while investigating the disappearance of a local woman comes across an unassuming Sociology Professor (Hall) who leads a double life. And how far would you go to survive? The film also Anna Marie Dobbins, Anna Maiche and Adam Dorsey.
After a life in the theater, Michael recently started breaking through on screen, quickly rising from having several short films at Tribeca, Sundance, MoMA and on PBS to appearing in HBO’s “I Know This Much is True,” with Mark Ruffalo, Season 2 of Netflix’s “The Politician,” HBO’s “The Leftovers,” and “The Life and Death of Robert Durst,” the feature film “The Dark End of the Street,” from Kevin Tran, and more.
You can check out his work on his website at MichaelSimonHall.com and follow him on Instagram and Twitter @MichaelSimonHall.
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Amy Duddleston is the editor of the new critically-acclaimed HBO limited series Mare of Easttown. Amy chats with Max on the challenges shooting a series with several characters, ensuring the audience was following an incredibly complex murder case, and collaborating with creator Brad Ingelsby and director Craig Zobel.
Starring Kate Winslet as the titular character, a detective named Mare Sheehan in a Philadelphia suburb investigates the recent murder of a teenage mother while trying to keep her own life from falling apart. Mare is a local hero, having been the star of a high-school basketball championship game 25 years ago. She has also been unable to solve the case of another missing young girl for a year, leading many in the community to doubt her detective skills. Her personal troubles include a divorce, a son lost to suicide, and an ex-heroin addict former daughter-in-law battling for custody of Mare's grandson.
Amy's previous credits include the television series Hunters, Vida, American Odyssey, Dexter, In Treatment, The Killing and Big Love. Her past film credits include Nothing Like the Holidays, High Art, Things You Can Tell Just by Looking at Her, Laurel Canyon, and Gus Van Sant's Pyscho.
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Ben Cavell is the showrunner, co-creator and executive producer of the CBS All Access miniseries The Stand, adapted from Stephen King’s seminal novel of the same name. THE STAND, which features an all-star cast including Whoopi Goldberg, Alexander Skarsgård, James Marsden, Odessa Young, Jovan Adepo, Greg Kinnear, Nat Wolff, and Amber Heard, follows an apocalyptic vision of a world decimated by plague and embroiled in an elemental struggle between good and evil. The miniseries released during a time that is eerily relevant given the real-world COVID-19 pandemic we've lived through over the last year.
Ben has an extensive career in television as writer and producer on critically acclaimed shows including JUSTIFIED, HOMELAND, SNEAKY PETE and SEAL TEAM, on which he also served as Creator. THE STAND and SEAL TEAM are both available to stream on Paramount+, formerly known as CBS All Access.
Ben has been nominated for a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Drama Series for Homeland in 2016, and a Writers Guild of America Award for Best New Series for Justified in 2011.
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Actress/singer/songwriter Darcy Rose Byrnes currently stars as Harper on the Disney+ series "Big Shot". In addition to starring in the series, Darcy Rose also wrote five original songs that are showcased throughout the season.
In her chat with Max, Darcy Rose shares how she got the part of Harper, her immediate connection with on-screen love interest Tisha Custodio, what it was like portraying an LGBT relationship for a Disney series, writing five original songs for the show, her experience working with TV veterans like John Stamos and Yvette Nicole Brown, and what she has in store for us next.
Darcy Rose's previous on-screen credits include Desperate Housewives, How I Met Your Mother, The Young and the Restless, and The Bold and the Beautiful. She's also known for providing her vocal talents to animated shows such as The Legend of Korra and Sofia the First.
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Katori Hall is the creator, showrunner, executive producer and writer of the STARZ original series P-Valley, which made a huge splash with its first season premiere last July and quickly becoming a major critical and audience hit for the network. The series—which was immediately renewed for a second season, now filming—is produced by Lionsgate Television, with whom Hall subsequently signed her first overall deal last December. Under the new deal, she will continue to executive produce P-Valley and also develop and produce new scripted content across Lionsgate broadcast, cable and streaming platforms.
P-Valley—based on Hall’s acclaimed play Pussy Valley—focuses on the lives of strip club dancers working in the Dirty Delta of Mississippi. In creating the show, Hall made it a priority to hire a team that represented, both onscreen and off, the same diversity she aims to depict in the series, including a writers room made up almost entirely of women, including people of color and LGBTQ+ writers, as well as a diverse set of all women directors, and multiple women and people of color as department heads. P-Valley also has no shortage of breakthrough performances, with star-making turns from Nicco Annan, Brandee Evans, J. Alphonse Nicholson, Elarica Johnson and more.
Hall's groundbreaking work on Season 1 led to the series being named to countless ‘Best of 2020’ lists including Entertainment Weekly, Hollywood Reporter, Indiewire, New York Times, New Yorker, NPR, Time Magazine, TV Guide, Variety, Vulture, and more. It also received nominations from the Gotham Awards; Film Independent Spirit Awards; an ‘Outstanding Drama Series’ nomination from the GLAAD Media Awards; and six NAACP Image Award nominations, including two for Hall in the ‘Outstanding Breakthrough Creative (Television)’ and ‘Outstanding Writing in a Drama Series’ categories.
The past year, Hall also received two Tony Award nominations for ‘Best Musical’ and ‘Best Book of a Musical’ as a producer and the writer of the smash hit Broadway musical, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, which received 12 nominations overall.
Currently, Katori appears as a talking head in HBO’s hit documentary film, Tina, offering her unique observations on the legacy of the icon alongside such contributing luminaries as Oprah Winfrey, Angela Bassett, and more. Her upbringing in the same Memphis area where Tina Turner came of age greatly informed Katori’s writing of the musical, and her observations throughout the documentary further confirm how beautifully she connected with Turner’s life story. Unsurprisingly, she brings the same authenticity to her work on P-Valley.
A renowned playwright, Katori won an Olivier Award in 2010 for ‘Best New Play’ for The Mountaintop, which fictionalizes the last night in Martin Luther King Jr.’s life and is based on her own mother's experiences in Memphis during that time. The play opened Broadway in October 2011 in a production that memorably starred Samuel L. Jackson and Angela Bassett.
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Rachel Lee Goldenberg is the writer and director of the critically acclaimed HBO Max Original film Unpregnant, co-starring Haley Lu Richardson and Barbie Ferreira. The film is now a top Emmy contender for Outstanding Television Movie and the directing and writing categories for TV movie.
Based on the 2019 novel of the same name by Ted Caplan and Jenni Hendriks, Unpregnant follows a pregnant teen whose decision to get an abortion leads her on a 1000-mile hilarious road trip to New Mexico over three days with her ex-best friend, where they discover sometimes the most important choice you’ll make in life is who your friends are. The film was produced by Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter and Erik Feig and released on the platform September 2020.
Rachel previously won a Primetime Emmy award for “Outstanding Short-Format Live-Action Entertainment Program” for producing Between Two Ferns with President Obama in 2014. Prior to Unpregnant, she directed MGM’s Valley Girl, a musical remake of the 1983 cult classic, and she can next be seen directing and executive producing Minx, an upcoming comedy series from HBO Max, which will follow an earnest young feminist (Ophelia Lovibond) who joins forces with a low-rent publisher to create the first erotic magazine for women.
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Danielle Brooks stars as the iconic gospel legend and civil rights activist Mahalia Jackson in Lifetime's latest biopic "Robin Roberts Presents: Mahalia".
The Tony Award nominee, SAG and Grammy Award-winner also serves as Executive Producer on the film. Directed by Tony Award-winner Kenny Leon premiered on Lifetime on April 3, Mahalia ranked as cable’s #1 telecast for the night with Brooks now considered a top contender for Best Actress in Limited Series or Movie at this year's Primetime Emmy Awards.
Brooks spoke with Max on how she prepared for the role of Mahalia Jackson, what it was like working with Robin Roberts, and shares her experience currently filming the upcoming DC Comics series/Suicide Squad spin-off Peacemaker & co-starring with John Cena. Peacemaker is created, executive produced, written, and directed by James Gunn. Peacemaker will be premiere January 2022 on HBO Max.
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Tisha Custodio stars in the new ABC/Disney+ series "Big Shot" where John Stamos plays a temperamental basketball coach who is fired from his current job and ends up in an elite girls private high school. The show's cast also includes Yvette Nicole Brown and Jessalyn Gilsig. Custodio plays Carolyn "Mouse" Smith, one of the players on the basketball team at the high school. Custodio chats with Max on what it was like working with Stamos and the other cast members, how she got the part of Mouse, and what she learned about acting that she'll take with her to future projects.
Big Shot was created by David E. Kelley, Dean Lorey, and Brad Garrett and is streaming now on Disney+
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Film and television costume designer Lizz Wolf chats with Max on her new Netflix superhero series Jupiter's Legacy, which premiered on the streaming service this past Friday.
Based on the original comic book series by Mark Millar and Frank Quitely, Jupiter's Legacy is about three superheroes - The Utopian (Josh Duhamel), Brain Wave (Ben Daniels) and Lady Liberty (Leslie Bibb), known as the first generation of superheroes - who have kept the world safe for almost a century. They are stepping down, as their children take on the role of living up to their potential and legacy. This epic drama is spanning multiple decades through the trials and tribulations of family, power and loyalty.
Wolf chats about what it was like designing costumes of superhero characters for the first time, planning looks across the multiple time periods of the show, and what it was like working with Millar, Quitely, and recurring collaborator Steven DeKnight (director/executive producer). Wolf's previous credits include The Expendables film franchise, Creed II, and Pacific Rim: Uprising (also directed by DeKnight).
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Award-winning producer Matthew Perniciaro is making his directorial debut with the Amazon Studios/IMDBtv original docuseries MOMENT OF TRUTH: THE KILLING OF JAMES JORDAN. The series tells the never-before-seen story behind the murder of Michael Jordan’s father, James Jordan, in 1993. Fans of last year’s THE LAST DANCE may recall the horrible story of Jordan’s murder, but MOMENT OF TRUTH explores the circumstances surrounding the murder further by exposing the rampant corruption in the small North Carolina town where the heinous crime and subsequent trial occurred.
Perniciaro's previous producing credits include Madeline's Madeline, Her Smell, Native Son, The Fight, Disclosure, The Truffle Hunters, and the HBO series Betty. He currently resides in Los Angeles, California.
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Max chats with TCM hosts Alicia Malone, Dave Karger, Jacqueline Stewart, and Eddie Muller on what we can expect from this year's TCM Classic Film Festival; Golden Globe winning actress Jacqueline Bisset on one of her earliest films Bullitt, which is featured in the festival; and the Oscar winning actor George Chakiris and Oscar nominated actor Russ Tamblyn on commemorating the 60th anniversary of West Side Story with TCM and offers their thoughts on the upcoming Steven Spielberg remake.
Max also chats with the TCM staff on the decision to have the festival this year go fully virtual and the collaboration with HBO Max.
Order of interviews:
West Side Story stars Russ Tamblyn and George Chakiris – TCM Host Ben Mankiewicz
Bullitstar Jacqueline Bisset – TCM Host Eddie Muller – TCM Host Alicia Malone
TCM Host Jacqueline Stewart – TCM Host Dave Karger
TCM General Manager Pola Changnon, Festival Director Genevieve McGillicuddy, SVP of Programming Charlie Tabesh
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Anne Thompson, editor-at-large of IndieWire, chats with Max on her final predictions for the 93rd Academy Awards. Anne is one of the most well-known & -respected awards prognosticators in film journalism today. Before writing for IndieWire, her work has appeared in The Washington Post, The New York Times, Variety, The Hollywood Reporter, The Observer, Wired, Film Comment, and the LA Weekly. She's also the creator of her blog Thompson on Hollywood, which can be read on IndieWire.
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Production designer Donald Graham Burt and set decorator Jan Pascale spoke with Max on their work in the Oscar-nominated biographical drama Mank, directed by David Fincher and starring Gary Oldman as the titular lead of famed Hollywood screenwriter Herman Mankiewicz. Mank is nominated for 10 Oscars - the most of any film this year - including Best Picture, Best Director for Fincher, Best Actor for Oldman, and Best Supporting Actress for Amanda Seyfried.
Burt and Pascale are both nominated for Best Production Design for their work in the film. This is each of their second nominations for an Academy Award. Burt's first nomination was for a previous David Fincher film, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button in 2009, which he went on to win. Mank is Burt's sixth film collaboration with Fincher, having previously worked with him on Zodiac, Gone Girl, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and The Social Network. Other credits include Donnie Brasco and The Joy Luck Club.
Pascale was previously nominated for another black-and-white film; the George Clooney-directed Good Night, and Good Luck in 2006. Her previous credits include Training Day, Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Argo, Sicario, and Vice. Her work can next be seen in the upcoming Tom Cruise-led Top Gun: Maverick.
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Breakout writer/director James Sweeney chats with Max about his new indie comedy Straight Up. The film, inspired by personal experiences, is about a young gay brainiac with OCD named Todd (played by Sweeney) who fears loneliness and, while trying to leave his ghosts behind, he meets Rory, a young woman with insecurities, fears and frustrations. He enters a romantic - yet non-physical - relationship with Rory as he begins to question his sexual identity.
Sweeney has been nominated for Best First Screenplay for Straight Up at this year's Film Independent Spirit Awards. Past recipients of this award have included David O. Russell, Darren Aronofsky, Charlie Kaufman, Tom McCarthy, Diablo Cody, Dustin Lance Black, Lena Dunham, and Bo Burnham. Although not an original on the streamer, Straight Up is now available to stream on Netflix.
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Oscar-nominated songwriter Savan Kotecha is known for writing some of the most popular songs of the century so far including Ariana Grande's "God is a Woman", "Love Me Harder", "Problem", The Weeknd's "Can't Feel My Face", and One Direction's "What Makes You Beautiful". Other notable collaborations with music superstars include Demi Lovato, Katy Perry, Ellie Goulding, Britney Spears, and more. His prior work has garnered him three Grammy nominations and a Golden Globe nomination.
Now, Kotecha is nominated for his first Oscar nomination for Best Original Song for the song "Husavik (My Hometown)" from the Netflix film Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga starring Will Ferrell and Rachel McAdams. Koetcha spoke with Max on the process for writing "Husavik", his collaborations with director David Dobkin & screenwriters Will Ferrell and Andrew Steele, and what the Oscar nomination for the song means to him and the people of Husavik.
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Eryn Kreuger Mekash and Matthew Mungle are make-up artists nominated at this year's Oscars for Best Make-Up and Hairstyling for their work in the Ron Howard-directed Netflix film "Hillbilly Elegy" starring Amy Adams and Glenn Close. Mekash was the makeup department head of the film while Mungle was the prosthetic designer for Close.
Aside from Hillbilly Elegy, Mekash is a frequent collaborator with Ryan Murphy on his celebrated television shows. Some of her credits include Nip/Tuck, Scream Queens, Glee, Feud: Bette and Joan, American Crime Story, 9-1-1, Hollywood, and American Horror Story. She also serves as a producer on several of these shows, along with Ratched and The Politician. Mekash is the recipient of 11 Make-Up Artist and Hairstylists Guild Awards, eight Primetime Emmy Awards, and a Producers Guild Award. Her Oscar nomination this year for Hillbilly Elegy is her first.
Mungle is one of the most celebrated make-up artists in film and television today. In a career spanning over four decades and 250 credits, Mungle has been nominated for 26 Emmys (winning 6), 5 Make-Up Artist and Hairstylist Guild Awards (winning 3), 3 BAFTA nominations, and 5 Oscar nominations (winning one for 1992's Dracula). Some of his most celebrated work includes Schindler's List, Ghosts of Mississippi, Albert Nobbs, Frida, Red Dragon, Edward Scissorhands, The Polar Express, W., August: Osage County, Lee Daniels' The Butler, and The Irishman. His Oscar nomination for Hillbilly Elegy is his fifth.
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Sound mixers Beau Borders & David Wyman and sound editor Warren Shaw are nominated for the Academy Award for Best Sound on behalf of the AppleTV+ original film "Greyhound" starring Tom Hanks. The Oscar-nominated sound team is being recognized in a historic year at the Academy Awards in which the typically separate sound categories of Best Sound Mixing and Best Sound Editing are now combined into one overall sound category.
This is Borders' second nomination, following 2013's Lone Survivor. His previous credits include The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King, Transformers, Captain America: The First Avenger, and Foxcatcher.
This is both Wyman and Shaw's first nomination apiece. Wyman's previous credits include Grown Ups, X-Men: First Class, Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, Star Trek Into Darkness, The Big Short, and Deepwater Horizon. Shaw's previous credits include The Hours, Revolutionary Road, Young Adult, Beauty and the Beast, and Uncut Gems.
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BAFTA-nominee Anthony Willis is the composer of the five-time Academy Award nominated film "Promising Young Woman". The film is actress-turned-filmmaker Emerald Fennell’s directorial debut, starring Oscar-nominated actress Carey Mulligan and Bo Burnham. The film's six Oscar nominations include Best Picture, Best Director for Fennell, Best Actress for Mulligan, Best Original Screenplay also for Fennell, and Best Editing. Willis recently recieved a BAFTA nomination for Best Original Music for his work on "Promising Young Woman".
A protege of Oscar-nominated composer John Powell, Willis is a sought after talent in the world of film composing. His credits include Amin Matalqa's upcoming animated adventure Hump,starring Simon Pegg and Gaten Matarrazo; Universal Pictures’ silent film 4k restoration of What Happened to Jones?, part of Kino Classics’ Reginald Denny Collection; Dreamworks Animation’s Annie Award-winning short How to Train your Dragon: Homecoming; Seasons 6 thru 8 of the video game sensation Fortnite; Michelle Morgan's Sundance Selection comedy: It Happened in L.A.; Sony Playstation's BAFTA nominated video game Knack II; David Yarovesky's horror thriller, The Hive; and more.
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Actor Wilson Cruz's latest special project is his participation in Amazon Original Stories, Currency Collection which is a series of digital books where he narrates one of the stories in the collection by a prominent gay author. Wilson is one of the eight prominent people narrating fictional stories for Amazon in their new digital platform. Wilson was asked to audio narrate a powerful short story entitled Crewelwork, by Justin Torres (the author of We The Animals) that illustrates the story of a young artist. Wilson also chatted with Max about currently filming season 4 of Paramount+'s "Star Trek: Discovery", the launch of "My So-Called Life" on Hulu, and his thoughts on doing a revival of the 90's teen drama.
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Academy Award nominated actor Damián Bichir (A Better Life) is set to star in the upcoming monster film "Godzilla vs Kong". The film's release follows a recent string of major film releases in the last several weeks including the George Clooney-directed space film "The Midnight Sky", the Robin Wright directorial debut of the intimate indie drama "Land", and the Tom Holland/Daisy Ridley dystopian flick "Chaos Walking". In his interview with Max, Demian shares what it was like working on Godzilla vs. Kong, playing the film's antagonist Walter Simmons, and what his experience was like working with Wright on the set of "Land".
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Ilya Naishuller is the director of the upcoming action-thriller film "Nobody" starring Bob Odenkirk. Odenkirk plays Hutch Mansell, a suburban dad, overlooked husband and neighbor, who feels like he's "nobody." When two thieves break into his home one night, all the rage he's kept pent up inside emerges and propels him on a brutal path that will uncover dark secrets he fought to leave behind. Universal Pictures is releasing the film in theaters on Friday, March 26.
Ilya is best known for his debut feature HARDCORE HENRY, an action-packed, immersive experience told completely from the point-of-view of a cyborg named Henry. Ilya is also the front man and guitarist for the Moscow indie rock band Biting Elbows. The band’s groundbreaking, irreverent video “Bad Motherfucker,” which he directed, became a viral sensation, catching the attention of fans around the world, including Darren Aronofsky and Ridley Scott, and attracting over 100 million views. Ilya has continued his love of filmmaking and music, directing, amongst others, the graphic and exhilarating music video for The Weeknd’s single “False Alarm,” that has been watched by over 200 million, and Leningrad’s music video for “Kolshik” that went on to win several awards, including two Cannes Lions.
Ilya's next project will be adapting the New York Times bestseller "Leaving Berlin" into a feature film.
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Bryan Fogel is an Academy Award-winning documentarian, producer and human rights activist. In 2018, Fogel received the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature for the Netflix film Icarus. In his follow-up to Icarus, Fogel decided to take on the 2018 assassination of Washington Post journalist Jamal Khasshogi and the effort on the part of Saudi Arabia to control dissenting speech with his new film The Dissident. Fogel spoke with Max on what drew him to look into Khashoggi’s murder and the international ramifications, the hesitancy Netflix and other streamers had in distributing it, and why it’s resonating with audiences now.
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Bina Daigeler is a German costume designer for film and television. Recently, she received an Academy Award nomination for Best Costume Design for her work in the film "Mulan". She has also received a Critics' Choice Award nomination and Costume Designers' Guild nomination for her work on the Disney film. Last year, Daigeler contributed her costuming talents to the FX series "Mrs. America" for which she received a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Period Costumes as well as a Costume Designers' Guild nomination for Excellence in Period Television. Her previous credits include "Volver", "Biutiful", "Hitman: Agent 47", "Snowden", "The Zookeeper's Wife", and "Dumplin'".
In her interview with Max, Daigeler shared the creative journey she took in studying authentic Chinese costuming from the Tang Dynasty, working with director Niki Caro, and the inspirations behind some of the film's most memorable costumes.
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Fernando Frias is a Mexican documentary filmmaker, screenwriter, and director. His latest film, I’m No Longer Here, became the official Mexican entry for Best Foreign Language Film for this year’s Oscars. Recently, I’m No Longer Here was announced as one of the 15 films Oscar-shortlisted for Foreign Language Film. Additionally, Frias received a Directors Guild Award nomination for Outstanding Directorial Achievement of a First-Time Feature Film Director. In his interview with Max, Frias shares his inspiration behind the story, the research into the Mexican subculture of the cholombianos, and what the critical praise and global attention means to him for this film.
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Andrew Dunn is the cinematographer of the new Hulu Original film The United States vs. Billie Holiday, which recently won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress - Drama for Andra Day. Dunn’s previous credits include The Bodyguard, Practical Magic, Gosford Park, Sweet Home Alabama, and The Perks of Being a Wallflower. He also worked with director Lee Daniels previously on Precious and The Butler. He also discusses his upcoming projects including the Sony Pictures' Cinderella retelling with Camila Cabello as the titular lead, a new film set in the world of Gosford Park, and a romantic drama titled Text for You starring Celine Dion and Priyanka Chopra.
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For nearly his entire career, Frank Stallone has nearly always been known as one thing: Rocky’s brother.
However, a brand new documentary seeks to uncover why one of the “least known famous faces in Hollywood” – with his multi talented range in music, acting, and boxing – never seemed to climb to the top of the mountain peak in reaching ultimate Hollywood stardom. From his breakout song Take You Back in Rocky, Golden Globe- and Grammy-nominated song Far From Over in Staying Alive, famous boxing match with Geraldo Rivera, and expansive acting portfolio including Tombstone and cult hit Barfly, “Stallone: Frank That Is” goes behind the scenes of Hollywood’s elite told by Frank and those who knew him best including brother Sylvester Stallone, mother Jackie Stallone, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Talia Shire, Joe Mantegna, Burt Young, Billy Zane, Danny Aiello, and many more.
In this interview, Frank chats with Max about how the idea for this documentary came to be, why he never reached ultimate Hollywood success, and rails against his Oscar snub for the song Far From Over while connecting it to his own brother’s surprise loss for best supporting actor in Creed in 2016.
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Cheryl Guerriero is the writer and executive producer of the new AppleTV+ Original Film "Palmer", directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Fisher Stevens and starring Justin Timberlake. Cheryl chats with Max on the inspiration behind writing the story of Palmer, casting Justin Timberlake, and discovering breakout star Ryder Allen. She also discusses upcoming projects she's currently working on.
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AwardsRadar's Joey Magidson chats with Max about creating his new awards predictions website "Awards Radar", what it's like covering Oscar season during the pandemic, and offers his take on the state of the Oscar race after the Golden Globe, SAG, and Critics' Choice nominations were announced.
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The Hollywood Reporter's Awards Columnist Scott Feinberg chats with Max on his career in entertainment journalism and covering awards seasons over the last several years while providing his thoughts on this year's Oscars race.
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Lorenzo Yearby can be seen as ‘Lucky’ in Vertical Entertainment’s newest film, The 24th, available to stream VOD on August 21st. The film tells the true story of the Houston Riot of 1924, and stars Trai Byers, Aja Naomi King, Mo McRae and Thomas Haden Church. Producer Alexandra Milchan says Lorenzo is “the heart of the film” and this breakout role has been compared to that of Lupita Nyong’o’s in 12 Years A Slave.
Lorenzo is also a screenwriter and director. The Miami-born actor currently resides in Atlanta.
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Gerald Isaac Waters began his career in acting first on the stage at Los Angeles City College’s theater academy. While working as a theater actor, he also appeared in roles for the NoHo Theatre and Fringe Festival. Gerald has also modeled in campaigns with Target, Zappos, Bank of America, and participated in the New York Fashion Week. In 2018, Gerald made his television debut with a guest spot in the TBS comedy Angie Tribeca starring Rashida Jones and created by Steve and Nancy Carell. He portrays the character of Chad Fox in Netflix’s new film "All Together Now" based on Matthew Quick’s book Sorta Like a Rock Star, which premiered on August 28th. In this film, he was featured by Director Brett Haley (I'll See You In My Dreams, The Hero, Hearts Beat Loud) alongside well-known actors Auli'i Cravalho, Carol Burnett, Justina Machado, Judy Reyes, and Fred Armisen.
Next, Gerald will head to Seattle in 2021 to take the stage in the theatrical production of “The Cost of Living.”
Gerald is a Tennessee native who now resides in Los Angeles.
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Patrick Dougall is a Los Angeles based freelance, Theme Park, Entertainment, Travel and Food Blogger. Although, he considers himself more of an interactive storyteller - combining his passion for Pop Culture & Entertainment with his various skills of writing, photography, & videography into an informative yet engaging format. Patrick has over 200,000 TikTok followers, over 53,000 Instagram followers, 85K YouTube subscribers with almost 20 million views across all of his videos, and 16,000 Twitter followers. You can follow Patrick's Disney content, movie reviews, and theme park updates at his social media handle at @PatrickADougall.
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Ben Milliken executive produced and stars in Paramount’s "Mighty Oak", alongside Janel Parish, Raven-Symoné, Alexa PenaVega, and Carlos PenaVega. It was the first original film to hit theaters during the pandemic, and is currently streaming on Amazon Prime. Ben can also be seen in "Sonora: The Devil's Highway" which was recently nominated for 10 Ariel Awards (Mexico’s equivalent to the Academy Awards). The movie can be streamed on Pantya, and internationally on Netflix.
Ben is known for his role as ‘Carter’ in season 5 of Amazon Prime's “Bosch”and ‘Tim’ in "Blue Crush 2". He also directed the feature film "Lake Alice", which starred Brando Eaton and screened at Sundance in 2017. Ben was born in Manchester, England but grew up on Sydney’s Northern beaches. He was also an amateur boxer for ten years. Ben currently lives in Los Angeles.
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Two-time Screen Actors Guild Award winner Caroline Aaron currently stars as Shirley Maisel in the Emmy-winning comedy The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel (Amazon Prime Video). Before Mrs. Maisel, Caroline has appeared in over 100 films and television shows stretching over a nearly forty year-long career in the entertainment industry. She is best known for her performances in films such as Heartburn, Crimes and Misdemeanors, Alice, Edward Scissorhands, Sleepless in Seattle, Deconstructing Harry, Primary Colors, and 21 Jump Street as well as starring roles in television on shows like Curb Your Enthusiasm, Transparent, Madame Secretary, and The Good Fight .
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Elex Michaelson co-anchors FOX 11 News weeknights at 5 p.m., 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. with Christine Devine. He co-hosts the "FOX 11 Special Report" on the COVID-19 pandemic with Dr. Drew Pinsky weeknights at 7 p.m.
He also hosts and produces the political talk show The Issue Is, which airs on stations throughout the state of California.
Elex is an Agoura Hills native and his first job in broadcasting was as a FOX 11 intern. He’s a self-described “political junkie” who has conducted one-on-one interviews with nearly every key political figure including Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Joe Biden, Al Gore, Gavin Newsom, and more. He’s reported live from the Republican and Democratic National Conventions, multiple Presidential Inaugurations and debates.
Michaelson is the winner of 6 Emmy Awards and 13 nominations. From 2010-2017, he was a reporter and fill-in anchor at KABC-TV in Los Angeles. Prior to that, he served as a weekend morning anchor and weeknight reporter at XETV in San Diego. He graduated first in his class from the Annenberg School of Journalism at the University of Southern California. He earned Summa Cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa honors while picking up dual degrees in broadcast journalism and political science.
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Our second episode features my guest co-host, fellow entertainment lover and best friend Ayesha Rahman! We discuss how film drew us together, some of our favorite movies, and offer our first take on this year's Primetime Emmy Awards!
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For THE HOLLYWOOD PODCAST's inaugural episode, Max interviews social media content creator Markian Benhamou. Markian is a third culture kid and aspiring entrepreneur. He’s the creator of the Smile Squad which brings together other talented young digital creators in putting on comedy sketch videos across social media platforms that highlight relatable scenarios centering on cultures, personality traits, relationships, body image, and college life among others. The goal of Smile Squad is to do just that - make people smile through their light-hearted, meaningful content whether that be comedic skits or uplifting vlogs. Markian has almost 6 million Facebook followers, nearly 900K Instagram followers, about 500K followers on TikTok (along with 3.8 million likes), and almost 750K YouTube Subscribers with three-quarters of a billion views across all of his videos.
Hosted and Produced by Max Geschwind
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