As the years pass it’s clear that the impact of one of the biggest music stars of the latter half of the 20th Century is starting to fade. Ask anyone under 30 who Tina Turner is and unless they are a pop culture connoisseur they’ll probably just recognize the name. Maybe they’ve heard “The Best” in their neighborhood supermarket or at a sporting event. For anyone else, Turner was the epitome of the great American comeback.

Continue reading ‘Tina’ Directors On Crafting The Definitive Tina Turner Documentary [Podcast] at The Playlist.

If you’re searching for a filmmaker who has seen every part of the industry for over forty years, look no further than Agnieszka Holland. She shot films and TV movies in her native Poland during the Cold War. She directed a classic Oscar-nominated drama, “Europa Europa.” She worked on studio films in the ’90s and ’00s (including Leonardo DiCaprio‘s one gay role, “Total Eclipse“).

Continue reading Agnieszka Holland On Her “Urine” Oscar Movie ‘Charlatan,’ ‘The Wire’ & More [Podcast] at The Playlist.

Many might describe “Boys State,” the critically acclaimed and Sundance Film Festival award-winning documentary by Jesse Moss and Amanda McBaine as timely. Especially as the United States finds itself once again in a divisive presidential election. A more accurate description may be “timeless,” because everything the doc captures has happened before and is destined to happen again.

READ MORE: “Boys State” offers both hope and despair for the uncertain future of American politics [Sundance Review]

Moss and McBaine chronicled the 2018 Texas session of Boys State, a summer conference held in different states across the nation for high school juniors that centers on government and politics (there is a Girls State as well).

Continue reading ‘Boys State’ Filmmakers On Their ‘Dazed & Confused’ Inspiration [Podcast] at The Playlist.

To be fair, when it all comes down to it, we’re pretty neutral when it comes to Emmy winner preferences. Sure, we might root for a performance here or there, but we’re certainly not using our media pulpit to campaign for a nominee. That being said, are we completely out of line by suggesting Emmy voters watch HBO’s fantastic and uplifting reality program “We’re Here” before casting their votes?

READ MORE: “Watchmen,” “We’re Here” and “Unbelievable” among 2020 TCA Awards nominees

Nominated in the Unstructured Reality Category, the first-time contender’s biggest competition comes from Netflix’s “Cheer” which somehow isn’t in the Documentary or Nonfiction Series (yes, eyebrows are raised).

Continue reading ‘We’re Here’ Producers On Tackling A Second Season During COVID [Podcast] at The Playlist.

In recording over 50 episodes of the Four Quadrant podcast, this writer has rarely been so surprised you could categorize it as “shocked.” That wasn’t the case when speaking to actor John Magaro last week. The “Not Fade Away” and “Carol” star admitted he didn’t have one, not one, oily cake on the set of Kelly Reichardt’s “First Cow.” How can you say no to what is essentially a fried donut when you’ve made them all day on set?

Continue reading John Magaro On Never Eating An Oily Cake, Making ‘First Cow’ & The Prospect Of ‘The Many Saints Of Newark’ [Podcast] at The Playlist.

Did you know on the set of “The Mandalorian” they referred to The Child (or Baby Yoda as fans have christened) as “Baby?” That was one of the biggest revelations to at least this writer when Bryce Dallas Howard joined the latest episode of the Four Quadrant podcast. Howard was a guest not only to discuss her experiences directing an episode of both the first and upcoming second season of Disney Plus’ monster hit but her feature documentary debut, “Dads.”

READ MORE: Jon Favreau says “The Mandalorian” season 2 is still on track for October

Acquired by Apple TV+ after debuting at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival, “Dads” premiered on the streaming service appropriately on Father’s Day.

Continue reading Bryce Dallas Howard On ‘Dads’ & Returning For ‘The Mandalorian’ Season 2 [Podcast] at The Playlist.

In this era of Peak TV, you’re going to get a lot of filler content. It’s just impossible to avoid. There are tons of shows that simply were rushed into production in the streaming wars race or are just, well, badly made. That’s the case for a number of teen shows in particular, but on the flip side there have been series such as “Sex Education,” “Dickinson,” “The End Of The F**king World,” “Pen-15” and “Big Mouth” that at times seem more poignant and entertaining for adults than the tween set.

Continue reading ‘Never Have I Ever’s Maitreyi Ramakrishnan Talks Starring In Mindy Kaling’s Bingeable Teen Series [Podcast] at The Playlist.

Unlike many people in the entertainment industry, Tim Blake Nelson is already back at work. The “Ballad of Buster Scruggs” and “Syriana” star is currently in Arkansas producing and starring in the independent production “Ghosts of the Ozarks.” But when he looks back over the past 12 months, what will likely pop the most is the euphoric reaction to “Watchmen,” a program that literally was close to home.

Continue reading Tim Blake Nelson Expected Another Season Of ‘Watchmen’ [Podcast] at The Playlist.

Niecy Nash, if you’re not booked, Alex Newell has a gig for you. The star of “Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist” says he wants the Emmy-winner to play the mom of his character Mo on the NBC series. And if Nash can’t sing, well, they’ll figure it out. That was just one topic of conversation when Newell joined the Four Quadrant podcast in an episode taped on June 11, 2020, when, frankly, there were more pressing matters.

Continue reading Alex Newell Wants Niecy Nash To Play Mo’s Mom On ‘Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist’ [Podcast] at The Playlist.

You probably don’t know Stephany Folsom’s name off the top of your head today but give it a few years and it might be instantly recognizable.  The screenwriter has had a banner few years contributing to “Thor: Ragnarok,” co-writing Pixar’s critically acclaimed blockbuster “Toy Story 4,” tackling the first two episodes of Amazon’s secretive “The Lord of the Rings” episodes and spearheading her own series, “Paper Girls,” also set for Prime Video. 

Continue reading ‘Toy Story 4’ Screenwriter Stephany Folsom On Forky’s Journey, ‘Lord of The Rings’ & ‘Paper Girls’ [Podcast] at The Playlist.

You probably have not heard of Minhal Baig...yet.  If you check out her IMDB you’d see she’s written on the celebrated Hulu TV series “Ramy” and “BoJack Horseman.”  But, Baig’s calling card will be “Hala,” a very personal drama that premiered at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival and was released in theaters in November before debuting on Apple TV Plus earlier this month.  To say she’s a talent is an understatement.

Continue reading Director Minhal Baig On Jada Pinkett Smith Giving ‘Hala’ Life [Podcast] at The Playlist.

After 25 years of navigating the global film market, Karim Ainouz knows how hard it is to get a movie made.  And as a filmmaker working primarily in Brazil, he knows that many productions would not get off the ground without assistance from the Brazillian government.  Like many parts of the world, however, things are currently tenuous in South America’s most influential republic.  To say the administration of recently elected Brazillian president Jair Bolsonaro is not friendly to the arts is something of an understatement.  

Continue reading ‘Invisible Life’ Director On Why An Oscar Nod Is So Important For Brazil [Podcast] at The Playlist.

There have been many films with legendary tales of extreme conditions.  Movies that lost their sets to dust storms in the desert or numerous other natural disasters. It’s rare, however, that you can feel that visceral danger the cast and crew were experiencing on screen.  Director Alejandro Landes would likely insist no one was actually in “danger” shooting “Monos” in the vast extremes of Columbia, but speaking to the Four Quadrant podcast he admits jumping from the high altitude mountains to the hot and humid jungle wrecked havok on everyone involved, including himself.

Continue reading Alejandro Landes Was Carried On A Stretcher Out Of The Jungle Making ‘Monos’ [Podcast] at The Playlist.

Sometimes you meet a filmmaker and you just get it.  In just a few minutes it’s obvious why they are as successful as they are in what they do.  “Fosse/Verdon’s” Thomas Kail is one of those creative forces.  Behind his genuine smile, he’s a bundle of energy. And when he talks, his passion, self-deprecating humor and smarts shine through. You might find this hard to believe, but it’s a set of traits only a few in this business have.  

Continue reading Thomas Kail’s Legend Keeps Growing As He Jumps From ‘Hamilton’ To ‘Grease: Live’ To ‘Fosse/Verdon’ [Podcast] at The Playlist.

You may not recognize their names immediately, but if you’ve been a regular television watcher the past 15 years you’ve likely seen the work of Brian Peterson and Kelly Souders. They rose from writers to executive producers on “Smallville” and have produced and written for programs such as “Political Animals,” “Beauty and the Beast,” “Under the Dome” and “Salem.” Most recently they were consulting producers on the first two seasons of NatGeo’s “Genius.” Now, they have reunited with the new Disney network for “The Hot Zone,” a six-episode mini-series based on the best-selling non-fiction novel by Richard Preston which screens over three nights beginning Monday, May 27 at 9 PM.

Continue reading ‘The Hot Zone’ Producers On Julianna Margulies, Adapting Non-Fiction & Those Clunky Suits [Podcast] at The Playlist.

It’s tough to say goodbye to something you love, but Timothy Simons has a pretty good perspective on the final season of “Veep.”  That’s one of the takeaways from our conversation about his last go around playing the desperately power-hungry Jonah Ryan.  A character that has gone from lowly White House laison t0 New Hampshire congressman to unlikely, but potential Presidential nominee.

READ MORE: Julia Louis-Dreyfuss and Will Ferrell to star in “Force Majure” remake “Downfall”

Simmons joined the Four Quadrant podcast where he discussed the origins of Jonah, how the year-long break between seasons six and seven made him appreciate the show, the differences in the show under the auspeces of showrunners Armando Iannucci and David Mandel, the hilarious change in Anna Chlumsky‘s Amy this season and what he’s working on next.

Continue reading Timothy Simons Says Goodbye To ‘Veep’ & Jonah Ryan [Podcast] at The Playlist.

When Rachel Lears was chronicling the election campaigns of four progressive Democrats trying to upend the status quo she was very aware that all of the primary candidates could lose their races. Amy Vilela was trying to earn the nomination for a Las Vegas area congressional seat long controlled by the vaunted Harry Reid machine. Cori Bush was attempting to overcome one family’s hold on a St. Louis congressional seat for almost 50 years.

Continue reading ‘Knock Down The House’ Director Chronicles The Incredible Journey Of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez [Podcast] at The Playlist.

Sometimes good things come to those who wait.  For Steven Canals, an idea that sparked in 2004 while he was a college student at the University of Binghamton came to roost 14 years later.  He’d just seen the landmark documentary “Paris is Burning” and was intrigued by the idea of a TV series centered on two competitive ballroom houses.  Last year that dream came to fruition with the debut of “Pose,” an FX drama series that earned critical accolades such as being named to AFI’s Top 10 series of 2010.

Continue reading Steven Canals On The Long Journey To Strike That ‘Pose’ [Podcast] at The Playlist.

There is still a slim chance, but it doesn’t look promising for Debra Granik to earn her first Oscar nomination for Directing.  The New York-based filmmaker helmed one of the most critically acclaimed films of the year, “Leave No Trace,” but the Bleeker Street title has been overshadowed by larger studio fare in a season where small indies, for the most part, have been curiously overlooked.  Don’t fret for Granik though, she can still celebrate the film’s three Spirit Awards nominations including Best Director, Best Feature and Best Supporting Actress (Thomasin McKenzie) as well as her stellar Los Angeles Film Critics Association win for Best Director.

Continue reading Debra Granik On Finding That Right Ending For ‘Leave No Trace’ [Podcast] at The Playlist.

When you sit down and chat with director Anne Fletcher you immediately recognize the energy that fueled her first three box office hits, “Step Up,” “27 Dresses” and “The Proposal.”  Her last two films didn’t quite work out, but now she’s back with “Dumplin’,” an independently financed dramedy that Netflix acquired and debuted on the service last weekend.  And while critics have given it mixed reviews, it’s been completely embraced by fans of the service who had the film trending on twitter.

Continue reading ‘Dumplin’s’ Anne Fletcher On Dolly Parton, Self-Empowerment & Drag Queens [Podcast] at The Playlist.

There’s no need to be afraid, the latest Indie Beat is ready to be played. Today we have on Blair McClendon, filmmaker, and editor.

McClendon began his film studies at the New York University graduate program and it was there that he met some of his current collaborators. He soon found himself experimenting by repurposing video, taking other forms of media, remixing and rearranging or adding other elements to change their meaning and context entirely.

Continue reading Director Blair McClendon Talks ‘America for Americans’ [Indie Beat Podcast] at The Playlist.

It would be disingenuous to not acknowledge that it’s often off putting when you see a movie and your fellow critics don’t react with the same enthusiasm.  After seeing “Sicario: Day of the Soldado” a few weeks ago I left the theater impressed with Stefano Sollima’s English-language feature debut, a sequel to Denis Villeneuve‘s 2015 thriller, “Sicario.”  And a number of critics and writers I respect felt the same way.  

Continue reading Stefano Sollima On The Controversial Opening Of ‘Sicario: Day Of The Soldado’ [Podcast] at The Playlist.

After watching the first season of “The Handmaid’s Tale” you probably weren’t a big fan of Serena Waterford (Yvonne Strahovski), the icy wife Commander Waterford (Joseph Fiennes) and one half of the couple who are basically the legal captors of June/Offred (Elisabeth Moss).  And, frankly, you’d be justified.  During the second season, however, series creator and show runner Bruce Miller has turned Serena into, arguably, the most well rounded character on the critically acclaimed program.  

Continue reading ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’s’ Yvonne Strahovski: I Cry When I Read The Scripts [Podcast] at The Playlist.

Continue reading Craig Johnson On Why ‘Alex Strangelove’ Isn’t Like Other Coming Out Movies [Podcast] at The Playlist.

If you haven’t watched the first season of “Counterpart” you honestly don’t know what you’re missing. Easily the best continuing show on Starz (“Howard’s End” may trump it as a limited series) not only is “Counterpart” a triumph for star J.K. Simmons but a simmering and compelling thriller that often leaves you with more questions than answers in the best way possible.  And while executive producer and pilot director Morten Tyldum deserves credit for setting the cinematic tone for the series, creator and showrunner Justin Marks deserves even more kudos for shepherding a very complex narrative.

Continue reading Justin Marks Teases What’s Next On ‘Counterpart’ Season 2 [Podcast] at The Playlist.