Ep. 52 - Max Azulay on 5 Doctors, Carmen and Moony & Mel Brooks

Actor, writer and director Max Azulay leveraged his obsession with filmmaking to create unique, irreverent films armed with his comedic sensibility. The influence of the legendary Mel Brooks seeped in early on in his Suburban upbringing, which happened to take place 40 minutes from New York City, and helped inspire his young creativity. Finding his community of like-minded comedic cinephiles led to several short films which channelled his interests. He moved to Los Angeles to attend Occidental College, after transferring from Sarah Lawrence, his parents’ alma mater, and made a number of short films which led to 5 Doctors, his first feature film. Robert Altman would be proud of the film’s tone, which captured fundamental aspects of Max’s own life, including his high school, a thematic undertone of anxiety, and members of his family. He co-directed the film with frequent collaborator, Matt Porter. In addition to starring in the film, the pair wrote the screenplay alongside Phil Primason for an ensemble cast, including Bobby Moynihan, Jeremy Shamos, Peter Friedman and Eddie Pepitone among several others. In addition, Max has directed and written several short films with his collaborators, including Xander; Lenny; One Mutual Friend; and Carmen & Moony, the latter starring his partner Kate Adams, with whom he is developing his next feature. In our conversation, we discussed growing up near the big city; the influence of Borscht Belt comedy; the path towards his first feature; kleptomania; WiFi; and the through-line of family which runs through his catalogue.

Opening Credits: John Lopker - Embryo Murder I CC BY 4.0 DEED; Caleb Lemon - A Road in the Country I CC BY-NC 4.0 DEED; Jangwa - Jupiter Czar I CC BY 4.0 DEED; Closing Credits: Piki - Clear Blue I CC BY 4.0 DEED.

Ep. 51 - Elisha Lawson on Syncing Ink, Chicago Improv and Marlon Brando

Elisha Lawson has acted in a number of projects through the years, including Boardwalk Empire, Shades of Blue, NCIS: New Orleans, and Group. In addition to his work on television, he has worked on several plays such as productions of A Raisin in the Sun and To Kill A Mockingbird, where he first met fellow Group cast-member, Ezra Barnes. His latest play, Syncing Ink, was created by playwright NSangou Njikam and will begin performances May 7, with an official opening set for May 19, at the Apollo Theater in New York City. In our conversation, we discussed his German upbringing; the importance of faith in his life’s journey; his improvisational roots as part of Chicago City Limits; the influences of Denzel Washington and Marlon Brando; working with Kara Young on his latest project; and exploring the naturalism of his performances facilitated by meticulous preparation.

Opening Credits: Masteredit - Contemplation I CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED; Masteredit - Reverie I CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED; Closing Credits: Nangdo - Intro I CC BY 4.0 DEED

Ep. 50 - Andromeda Turre on From the Earth, Growing up Jazz and Charlie Parker

Jazz is not only a second language for vocalist, composer and SiriusXM radio personality, Andromeda Turre — it’s her mother tongue. She grew up in a world raised by two of the finest Jazz OGs, world-renowned cellist Akua Dixon and legendary trombonist Steve Turre, and formed formative relationships with Dizzy Gillespie, Max Roach and Wynton Marsalis (a.k.a. the Jazz Pilgrims). Formal piano instruction with the phenomenal Sonelius Smith began at age four. Next emerged Andromeda’s training as a dancer in the cultural renaissance of Harlem (or Washington Heights), before she shifted to the medium of theater (The Boston Conservatory) and later, vocal performance, at Berklee College of Music. While at Berklee, Andromeda performed at the 2003 commencement concert with Dianne Reeves and Steven Tyler of Aerosmith, and recorded on Michael Justiz’s film Cafe and Tobacco." Soonafter, Ray Charles hired Andromeda to be the last Raelette, and she toured with him until his untimely passing. In 2007, Andromeda starred in the acclaimed Off-Broadway musical based on Woody Allen vignettes, “Murder Mystery Blues." She reigned as the "Queen of the Blues," at Tokyo Disney and headlined a plethora of music festivals before releasing her debut album, Introducing Andromeda Turre, in 2008, which featured an array of jazz standards, latin flavors, Japanese tributes and originals “Let Me” and “Lonely Holiday.” Shine followed in 2018 which opened with her cover of the seminal Monk standard, ‘Round Midnight. She started Growing Up Jazz, a powerful keynote that teaches Black history through the lens of Jazz, for which she was awarded the 2022 Women of Distinction Award from New York State Senate. Andromeda latest album, “From The Earth,” will be released on July 19, 2024 and aims to shed light on the disproportionate impact of climate change on BIPOC and connect communities. Andromeda hosts her own show on SiriusXM on Real Jazz every Saturday and Sunday from 12pm-5pm EST. In our conversation, we discussed the chaotic underpinnings of Shine; Billie Holiday; her SNL daycare; and the recent trip to Iceland which inspired her latest work.

Opening Credits: Thomas Paul - The Name Of The Star I CC BY-NC 4.0 DEED; Jangwa - Wigs I CC BY-NC 4.0 DEED. Closing Credits: Giacomo Forte - Country fields (Ispiration, Emotional, Sentimental, Folk, Acustic, Soft, Calm) I CC BY-NC 4.0 DEED.

Ep. 49 - Todd Louiso on Hello I Must Be Going, Love Liza and High Fidelity

Todd Louiso has acted in several notable projects over the years, such as films which include Scent of a Woman, Apollo 13, The Rock, Jerry Maguire, and Thank You for Smoking. He has made guest appearances on television shows like Fraiser, Silicon Valley, House, Angie Tribeca and Married. While his presence on-screen has always made sense, Todd’s freedom of expression behind the camera can be felt through his palpable, strong character-driven films. Love Liza, starring Phillip Seymour Hoffman, is among them — a gripping, subtle portrait of grief through the eyes of an emotionally vulnerable man — which won the Waldo Salt Best Screenplay Award at the Sundance Film Festival. After writing and directing the high school singing-themed satire, The Marc Pease Experience, starring Ben Stiller, Jason Schwartzman and Anna Kendrick, he explored the effect of depression, the complications of connection and being understood in Hello I Must Be Going, which his wife, Sarah Koskoff wrote, and starred Melanie Lynskey in what ended up being one of her most pivotal roles as a leading woman. For his directorial efforts, Todd was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance. He co-wrote the film adaptation of Macbeth, which starred Michael Fassbender and Marion Cotillard, and recently acted in the dramatic film, Raymond & Ray, with Ewan McGregor and Ethan Hawke. In our conversation, we discussed the origins of The Fifteen Minute Hamlet, which he adapted through a chance encounter with Tom Stoppard; how Martin Breast and Stephen Frears informed his approach toward acting and directing; a unique meeting with Chris Farley when Todd was interning at Saturday Night Live; and collaboratively building emotionally-raw character pieces from the ground up.

Opening Credits: Viscid - Closed Loop I CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED; Jangwa - Regola I CC BY 4.0 DEED. Closing Credits: Thomas Paul - That Thing I CC BY-NC 4.0 DEED.

Ep. 48 - Mark Pellington on The Severing, I Melt with You and Nada Surf

Mark Pellington’s pioneering influence on music videos as a modality to convey emotion, story and feeling will never be forgotten. From Leonard Cohen to Linkin Park, Michael Jackson to Public Enemy, Foo Fighters and Alice in Chains to Chelsea Wolfe and Bruce Springsteen, MP had penultimate foresight in constructing some of the most memorable portraits of love, war, loss, spirit and activism. His feature films each brought a tenet to the medium of storytelling. From 1997’s Going All The Way (Ben Affleck, Jeremy Davies, Rachel Weisz, Rose McGowan), to the Grand Prix/Saturn Award-nominated Arlington Road (Jeff Bridges, Tim Robbins, Joan Cusack, Hope Davis); to The Mothman Prophecies, an intriguing parapsychological adaptive tale starring Richard Gere and Laura Linney; the dramedy, Henry Poole is Here; a story of friendship and loyalty in I Melt With You (Jeremy Piven, Thomas Jane, Christian McKay, Rob Lowe); the subtle poetry of grief, The Last Word; Nostalgia, with Catherine Keener and Jon Hamm headlining an ensemble cast; and the dance-expanse, The Severing, in 2022. His latest book, The Visualist, is an essential memoir surveying 40 years of shape-shifting filmmaking experiences. In our conversation, we discussed his approach towards film and music videos; his journey to New York City; the significance of archive; and his recent Director’s cut release of Going All the Way.

Opening Credits: M33 Project - On y va I CC BY-NC 4.0 DEED Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International; Jangwa - Losing Ground I CC BY-NC 4.0 DEED Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International. Closing Credits: M33 Project - Orange Blues I CC BY-NC 4.0 DEED Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International.

Ep. 47 - Jonathan Parker on Carol Doda Topless at the Condor, (Untitled) and The Architect

Jonathan Parker writes, directs and produces films which blend together the aspects of art he gravitates toward, including architecture, music, storytelling and intricate attention to detail. The Northern California native grew up in an artistic family, and studied English at Stanford. It was when he joined a New Wave band, and directed their first music video that he discovered film’s nature of acting as a matrix for his artistic interests. After directing several short films, Jonathan wrote and directed his first feature film — Bartleby —an adaptation of Herman Melville’s short story: Bartleby, the Scrivener: A Story of Wall Street. The film marked the first of several feature film collaborations with Catherine DiNapoli, with whom he co-wrote the screenplay. He included a satirical bent relevant to his time and place (just as Melville did in the 1850s) in his adaptation, which starred David Paymer, Glenne Headly, and Crispin Glover playing the eponymous character. He continued this philosophy as he embarked on his next film — The Californians — an adaptation of Henry James’s The Bostonians. The film, which starred Noah Wyle, Ileana Douglas, Kate Mara and Keith Carradine, premiered on Showtime and surveyed the conflicted love-triangle between an idealistic real estate developer (Wyle); his environmentalist sister (Douglas); and the protest folk singer who comes into their lives (Mara). Jonathan’s own experience as a real estate developer informed the film’s scenic undertone, the characters’ diverse perspectives and their motivations. This theme of incorporating personal experience into narrative film carried into his next project — (Untitled) — which starred Adam Goldberg, and followed an experimental musician’s plight into the New York City art scene; and in The Architect, starring Parker Posey, Eric McCormack and James Frain, which explores the confluence of a couple who’s vision of “the perfect home” is in diametric opposition and an eager, theoretically-motivated architect as he attempts to construct their dream home. The former was scored by David Lang, who won the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Music. His latest work is the documentary film Carol Doda Topless at the Condor, which premiered at the Telluride Film Festival in 2023 and navigates the rise to fame of an influential San Franciscan topless dancer in 1964. Jonathan co-directed the film with Marlo McKenzie, while Lars Ulrich serves as a producer. The film analyzes Doda’s impact on the sociocultural narrative of feminism, free speech, fashion and politics in the United States. In our conversation, we discussed Jonathan’s journey into music and film; imbuing each of his projects with his own personal experiences; and the unique story of Carol Doda’s plight in San Francisco.

Opening Credits: 1st Contact - Cavemen I Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0); The New Mystikal Troubadours - A Cinematic Influence I Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US). Closing Credits: The Agrarians - Hey, Augusta I Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US).

Ep. 46 - Dito Montiel on A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints, Son of No One and Reagan Youth

Dito Montiel’s upbringing in Astoria was filled with so many unique characters which affected him on a lot of different levels. His memoir, A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints, is a collage of these visceral experiences and how they shaped how he sees the world through music, writing and film. He wrote and directed the seminal film adaptation of his novel which won the Dramatic Directing Award at Sundance and received an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best First Screenplay. Since then, his directorial efforts and ensuing filmography have expanded to include a number of interesting films including Fighting, Man Down, Empire State, The Clapper — based on his novel — Son of No One, featuring performances from Al Pacino and Ray Liotta; and Boulevard, starring Robin Williams in his final film role. In our conversation, we discussed the process of conceiving Saints and how the film was developed; being part of the New York Hardcore scene, particularly as a member the bands Major Conflict and later, Gutterboy; the influence of the Sundance Institute on his directing and writing techniques; and collaborations and friendships with Channing Tatum, Robert Downey and Tracy Morgan.

Opening Credits: Jan-Michael Hökenschnieder x Fachhochschule Dortmund - Driving I Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0); Lemon Knife - Girl With the Cat Eyes I Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0). Closing Credits: by 22 - Windy Dazed Days (ALIENBOYYYMUSIC) I CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication.

Ep. 45 - Ezra Barnes on Group, Jessica Jones and Count Basie

Film, television and theatre are each modalities in the performing arts Ezra Barnes has been directly immersed into, both as an actor and director. Using performance as a curiosity valve for the preservation of ideals, such as imagination and spirited curiosity, are an important element of Ezra’s foundational goals as an actor. Since joining a secret film club in fourth grade, Ezra instinctively knew he was going to be an artist. And going to the theatre starting from an early age, with encouragement from both of his parents, who were heavily invested in the arts, helped lay some of the groundwork for the ideals Ezra became drawn to as a performer. Some of his notable theatre productions as an actor include Fraser Grace's Breakfast With Mugabe, which he also produced; To Kill a Mockingbird, as Atticus Finch; and several productions of the Shakespearean canon. He has directed productions of The Diary of Anne Frank; One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest; Julius Caesar; As You Like It; and A Midsummer Night’s Dream. In the meantime, Ezra has appeared in several film and television projects, including Bored to Death; Law & Order; Jessica Jones; Orange is the New Black; and Motherless Brooklyn, opposite Edward Norton. Additionally, he runs the Young Actors Workshop in Brooklyn to inspire the next generation of theatre. In our conversation, we discussed the origins and film adaptation of Group, the group psychotherapy series in which he plays Frank, and its relevance to the present day; the influence of Count Basie on his idea of performance; directing theatre; inspiring curiosity from knowing the script, but not actively thinking about it in the moment; and how height influences the perception of life. His upcoming projects include Birth/Rebirth, the Sundance/IFC horror film which will be released in theaters, and available to stream on August 18; as well as Can’t Let it Go, a comedic film on the emotional hangover in the aftermath of the 2016 election starring Mario Cantone.

Opening Credits: Plaga de baile - I WAS A MOD (pero ya no) I Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US); HoliznaCC0 - April Showers I CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication. Closing Credits: Cousin Silas / Black Hill - Black Hill - South I Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)

Ep. 44 - Dana Kuznetzkoff on Omara, Forrest Gump and The Wire

As a versatile producer and assistant director, Dana Kuznetzkoff has worked on legendary projects which include Forrest Gump, 2 Days in the Valley and The Wire. Dana wears several hats in the film industry, and her approach toward selecting projects has a lot to do with the value of the collaboration to take place. The Bronx native was in the midst of taking a significant role in the world of advertising when a chance encounter, one that didn’t go so well, veered her off onto a different path in a different industry — Film and Television. And through the years, Dana moved up the ranks from DGA trainee, when she worked on Jonathan Demme’s Something Wild, to being head of the first unit. Along the way came important experiences on The Equalizer, Law & Order and Ron Howard’s Far and Away. 1993 saw the first of several collaborations Dana has had with Robert Zemeckis, which, in addition to Gump, included Death Becomes Her; and Flight, the latter on which she was First Assistant Director. In television, Dana has worked as unit production manager of shows like Fringe, This is Us, and Monk, and has produced shows like The New Yorker Presents and the Steven Spielberg executive-produced Smash. In the non-fiction world, Dana has produced several impactful documentaries with a social activism bent; these include Thread, which surveys the life of female entrepreneurs in Afghanistan; and Tolerance and Acceptance, which takes place in the context of educating inner city kids in South Central, Los Angeles and East London. She serves on the Producers Council of the PGA, and is a member of NY Women in Film and Television and the DGA. Dana also recently taught at Columbia School of the Arts as an Assistant Adjunct Professor of Film. In our conversation, we discussed the climate of movie theaters and streaming; the WGA strike; the freelance film and television lifestyle; her favorite Jonathan Demme film; and why you should visit the Bronx Zoo. We also discussed her new documentary, Omara, about the surviving Cuban lead female vocalist of the Ry Cooder-produced Buena Vista Social Club.

Opening Credits: Plastic Flowers - Lucy I Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0); A Banda de Joseph Tourton - #3. Closing Credits: So Cow - Front Row Seats I Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0).

Ep. 43 - Janet Grillo on The Warm Season, Spanking the Monkey and Hip Hop Culture

Janet Grillo’s latest directorial effort — The Warm Season — is a testament to being conscious in a changing time. It is true the landscape of film has evolved over the years; however, it’s the consistency of Janet’s track record as a multifaceted filmmaker which exudes the contrast between black and white; open or closed; and aware vs. uncertain. After graduating from Wesleyan and NYU-Tisch, the New Jersey native joined the Playwright’s Workshop Lab at the Circle Repertory Company, where she continued to develop her eye for taste as Assistant Literary Manager. She joined New Line Cinema in the mid-eighties, where she rose through the ranks from Story Analyst to Senior Vice President of East Coast Production and earned her reputation as a force in the world of film production and development. From discovering director Reggie Hudlin (Marshall; Django Unchained; Sidney) and developing the game-changing House Party franchise with him (the first of which grossed $25M and received the Audience Award at Sundance); to producing and developing hip hop classics like Hangin’ with the Homeboys (John Leguizamo’s film-lead debut which received the Waldo Salt Screenwriting Award), Pump up the Volume, and the directorial debut of Ted Demme — Who’s the Man — Janet sensed the sentiment she was feeling on New York City subways and helped give a voice to hip hop culture using the medium of film. A chance encounter with David O. Russell at Sundance led to a flurry of incredible film projects, including Spanking the Monkey, his feature film directorial debut which won the Audience Award at the same festival; Flirting with Disaster; Three Kings and I Heart Huckabees, the latter of which she also acted in. Other filmmakers Janet developed include Seth Tsvi Rosenfeld (Brother’s Kiss), Alan Taylor (Palookaville), Myra Paci (Searching for Paradise) and the intriguing Frank Whaley in his writing and directing debut — Joe the King. Janet’s impact as an activist for autism awareness can be traced to her role as Executive Producer of the esteemed documentary Autism: The Musical, the subject of which was entitled “The Miracle Project.” The film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2007; was subsequently picked up by HBO, and led her to win an Emmy Award for Best Non-Fiction Feature the following year. It can also be seen in her feature film directorial debut, Fly Away, starring Ashley Rickards and Beth Broderick; and Jack of the Red Hearts (AnnaSophia Robb; Famke Janssen; Taylor Richardson). We discussed living in upstate New York; her approach toward developing some of the most incredible filmmakers in Hollywood; translating personal experience into her own directorial projects; and the state of independent film in the landscape of streaming.

Opening Credits: The Underscore Orkestra - Blue Draggish I Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US); Dee Yan-Key - Aimless I Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0); Closing Credits: The Underscore Orkestra - Versipelllis I Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 United States (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 US).