Episodes

Gigi Rios New is one of the writers on The Garcias, which was just released on HBOMax. It features the characters from the Nickelodeon teen sitcom The Brothers Garcia, which ran from 2000 to 2004 and was the first English language comedy with an all Latin cast and creative team (including Gigi) . We talk about: – Getting from VCU to LA – Why she left acting – Her first screenplay – Working on The Brothers Garcia – The TV series that almost got made with a big star – Writing for the charact...

After 22 years as an anchor at WRIC, Juan Conde has moved on to a new opportunity. I chat with him and his new business partner Chris Francoise about: – How he got to RVA – Some of the most cherished moments at RIC – Why he’s getting into real estate now – Their new venture, Titan Property Advisors – What Juan will miss about being on TV – His fiancée The Titan Property Advisors website is not up yet, but you can contact them at 804-49-Lease (495.3273)

Cryptozoo is a Sundance Award Winning animated film that was created right here in Richmond by Jane Samborski & Dash Shaw. We talk about: – Their RVA background – Why they moved to New York, then back to Richmond – Getting stars as voice actors – Details of creating Cryptozoo LINKS Dash’s Vimeo Page Cryptozoo website (Includes rental options) Cryptozoo on Hulu (Also available on other paid sites) My Entire High School Sinking Into the Sea (Amazon Prime Video rental) Windsor McKay’s 1921...

David Crank is a production designer and art director who’s also a Richmond native. His resume includes design from films including Hannibal, The New World, John Adams, There Will be Blood, Knives Out and News of the World, for which he was Nominated for an Oscar for Best Production Design. We talk about: – His experience at last year’s Oscars – How he feels about his category getting minimized this year – How he got into designing for film – His work on: The New World John Adams Knives O...

Kevin Willmott is best known as the screenwriter for Spike Lee’s Chi Raq, Da 5 Bloods and BlackkKlansman (for which he shared an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay). He also wrote and directed C.S.A.: The Confederate States of America, a satirical documentary that imagines our country if the South had won and slavery was still legal. We’ll talk about: – How he got into film – How Monument Avenue reflects the nation – Virginia’s historical part in his doc – Working with Spike Lee – Insights ...

The big Saturday nite film at this year’s French Film Festival will feature the first Native American Rock Opera, entitled Something Inside is Broken. Jack Kohler, the creator of the film and the musical behind it will talk about: – The history behind the story – Mounting the musical – Creating the film version – Challenges still facing Native Americans today – Why it’s at the French Film Festival LINKS: Something Inside Is Broken trailer Something Inside Is Broken Facebook The French Fil...

Plan 9 from Outer Space is considered by many to be the worst movie ever made (and a fun watch). Katharine Coldiron wrote a monograph about the movie. She’ll also be at Plan 9 Records for a book signing. Then, guest reviewer Victor Koressel joins me to discuss OSCAR SNUBS. Katharine talks about: – Her connection with the record store – Why write a book about this movie – What’s a monograph – Why bad movies are good – Some of her unique insights into the film Victor Koressel and I discuss:...

In this podcast, Hamilton Glass, Matt Lively & Pam Hervey discuss creating Mending Walls: The Documentary, including: – How the concept came about – How conversations between Matt & Hamilton changed their perspectives – How Pam got involved in producing the documentary – How the project grew to 16 murals – The mural that Ham and Matt created – The challenges of creating the doc – Push back from the community – Ham & Matt sing! LINKS Mending Walls: The Documentary Fuel Creative / 19RED ...

We meet part of the team for the new VPM News Focal Point: – Angie Miles explains the origin of the show – How it’s different from the previous show, Virginia Currents – The subject of the first show – Keyris Manzanares spotlights Virginians who have made an impact – Roberta Oster explains the scope of the show Michael Perry is a Production Designer in LA. We discuss: – The diff between a Production Designer and an Art Director – His Virginia connection – Shooting in Bulgaria for the ne...

Shoniqua Shandai is one of the stars of HARLEM, an Amazon Prime series that has been called the Black Sex and the City (here’s my review titled Is Sex Better Uptown?). Shoniqua was also raised in Richmond. We talk about: – Her character on the show and how it echoes her personality – Meeting Whoopi Goldberg (who’s also on the show) – Getting to be on Broadway (sort of) – Growing up in Richmond and acting at Henrico HS – What’s next for her – A surprise guest! LINKS Harlem Shoniqua’s YouT...

THE REAL DIRTY DANCING is a new dance competition that celebrates the iconic film’s 35th anniversary, much of which was shot in Virginia’s Mountain Lake Lodge. Heidi Stone (from MLL) and Daniel Martin (series showrunner) discuss: – How the show started in Austrailia – Events to celebrate the movie at MLL – How the contestants work to re-create the movie’s classic scenes – The biggest challenges of producing the show during a busy tourist season – Surprises in upcoming episodes To hear abou...

This show features 2 local film events with a Charlottesville background. First is the producer/director of a new indie, then the 2 UVA grads who are mounting a shorts festival. Ty Cooper talks about his new film AMANDA, which screens at Movieland on 2/5: – How he moved from promoting concerts to become a filmmaker – Why he chose Richmond to shoot – How Miss Virginia got involved The creators of Sly Dog Creative, Phineas Alexander & Graham Barbour, tell us about THE LOOK CLOSER FESTIVAL: –...

After 40 years at NBC12, Jim Duncan retired last year. We discuss: – How he got interested in weather – How he got to RVA – Stories from the station – What he’s up to now – Plus a special guest visitor Then, Mike Jones updates us on the 27th annual James River Short Film Showcase, VA’s oldest juried film competition. It’s screening Jan 28-30. Jim Duncan’s website Link to Jim’s Washington Post article (there is a paywall) James River Short Film Showcase link

This show features 2 foreign film opportunities: Katrina Nousek (Assistant Professor of German Studies, University of Richmond) tells us about the German Film Series that plays at a unique downtown venue. Leslie McGuigan (Director of Cultural Arts, Weinstein JCC) fills us in on this year’s Israeli Film Festival Jonathan Gruber discusses the film at the festival he produced and directed, Upheaval, The Journey of Menachem Begin. LINKS: 12th Annual Israeli Film Festival. Here’s a link to the ...

Jai grew up in RVA and now lives in LA, where he’s a staff writer on Superman and Lois. We’ll cover: – A behind-the-scenes exploration of the writers’ room and how that process works – His strategy for getting hired in Hollywood – What inspired him to get into writing and film – The projects he’s written and/or directed – What he had for lunch The 2nd season of Superman and Lois is now on The CW (here’s the link) and streaming on the app. After the season is over, it’ll be streamed on HBOM...

Andy’s the Director of the Virginia Film Office. We talk about: – His 80s music video. Click here to watch it. – Interesting connections he’s made with filmmakers that keep them coming back to Virginia – A teaser on what might be coming soon – And more. LINKS My review of: Dopesick Unhinged

This first show is just a sample. The weekly show will be 30ish-minutes and starts January 5, 2022.