The A24 Podcast

Filmmaker Lee Isaac Chung and author Viet Thanh Nguyen discuss career trajectories, making art for oneself, Hollywood stereotypes and the impact of the Vietnam War. They also touch on the artistry of Minari and the importance of every immigrant story being considered an epic.

Kelly Reichardt and Kenneth Lonergan discuss following Todd Haynes to Portland, cattle politics, the nature of the American Experiment, the challenges of making period films, lessons from Lyndon Johnson, the randomness of art, and the actor/movie star dichotomy.

Topics covered include: the purity of poetry, radical okay-ness, alternate life as a straight man, power of saying no, learning to choose yourself, exoticism of suburbia, upside of being small, letting artist expand vision through adaptation, and writing as a miracle.

Tim Heidecker, John C. Reilly, Fred Armisen, and Jonathan Krisel discuss Zoom culture, the challenges of pitching a show to streaming platforms, their experience making Moonbase 8, band names through the decades, diving in the Pacific, movies in the future, COVID-19 vaccine timeline, and character development in a hilarious and entertaining podcast.

Topics covered include: embracing your animal essence, what high school is really like, the Euphoria chili scene, learning cinematography from reality TV, the secret to acting like Nathan, fairy portals, approaches to cat parenting, the kindness of strangers, and crying so hard you laugh.

Nicholas Braun and Nicholas Britell discuss performance anxiety, living in character, the Gathering of the Juggalos, and the importance of collaboration in their creative processes.

Janicza Bravo and Joi McMillon, film director and screenwriter, and film editor respectively, discuss finding creative collaborators, editing as the final draft of a script, the Sundance party scene, and the challenges faced by black female professionals in the film industry.

Topics covered include: hot mics, shooting in airports pre-9/11, "movie star grapes," Josh seeing Sandler in Punch Drunk Love at age 18, writing a script that feels like there is no script at all, His Royal Highness Darius Khondji, the firecracker scene in Boogie Nights, the feeling when it all works artistically, post-filmmaking blues, losing the Ziegfeld theater in NYC, and why it just makes sense to ship a precious gem inside of a fish.

Filmmakers Ari Aster and Robert Eggers discuss their admiration for each other and the influence of Ingmar Bergman on their work. They explore aspect ratios, lighting techniques, and the influence of Tarkovsky on cinema. They also discuss their collaboration on 'Midsommar' and 'The Lighthouse', highlighting the work of production and costume designers.

Topics covered include: chasing the Bergman closeup, preferred aspect ratios, why Hereditary is unabashedly a horror movie, talking to press while intoxicated, the “trick” of Midsommar, the scene from Carrie that still gives Ari nightmares, dealing with the consequences of an A24 marketing stunt you did not consent to, the silver lining on a ‘D’ Cinemascore, why films are meant to be watched more than once, and the magic of being in dialogue with other filmmakers across history—and becoming more yourself in the process.