The Playlist Podcast Network

The horror genre is notorious for having some of the worst sequels to ever grace the big screen. Most of the time, these sequels are studio-driven cash-grabs that fail to live up to the original film and quickly dash the hopes of eager fans. But sometimes, just sometimes, a sequel to a horror hit is great. And on this episode of The Playlist Podcast, a George A. Romero classic, an influential slasher, and maybe Sam Raimi’s most ridiculous film are all discussed as some of the best horror sequels of all time.

When Daniel Craig was announced as the sixth James Bond, the media had a field day. He wasn't tall enough, good looking enough, lackluster, underwhelming, a "Blond Bond?" Rubbish. In the mind of a vocal minority that was blown way out of proportion, Craig did not fit the traditional stereotype of what a Bond actor should look like and took a thrashing for it. Nevertheless, he held his head high because he knew the work they were doing on "Casino Royale" was something special and would immediately shut down the naysayers. Sure enough, it did and that was the first time Daniel Craig subverted the Bond expectations. Perhaps it's therefore fitting that the man who was unlike anyone who came before would go on to continue reinventing and revitalizing the almost 60-year-old franchise culminating in the most Ian Fleming, yet least traditional Bond film"No Time To Die." Over five movies and fifteen years, Daniel Craig pushed the boundaries of not just what a James Bond movie should be, but what it can be. He proved to a world inundated with cheap, monotonous looking blockbusters that you can recruit people like Sam Mendes, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Cary Joji Fukunaga, Roger Deakins, Javier Bardem, Naomi Harris, Lea Seydoux, Jeffrey Wright, Christoph Waltz, Hans Zimmer, and countless others - the best artists in the world - to make these films. To prove that while not every film is guaranteed to be a "Skyfall" or "Casino Royale," you shouldn't settle for anything less than the very best. Blockbuster cinema can be prestige cinema if you try. With each of his five films, Craig, and to their credit EON Productions, helped bolster the artistic value that all modern blockbusters should have. Die" picks up after the events of "Spectre" with Bond and Madeline (Lea Seydoux) living in tranquility before it's all uprooted. Five years later, living peacefully in retirement, Bond is thrust back into the world of international espionage after his friend and colleague Felix Leiter (Wright) calls for his aid. While so much care is put into physically crafting these films, what separates Craig's tenure from the rest is the equal amount of care that goes into character and story. It wasn't always the plan to make each of Craig's five films interconnected, but as the series progressed, it felt inescapable to ignore the natural progression of the character. In so doing, Craig managed to get to the heart of Ian Fleming’s iconic superspy mining the psychology of the character, comprehending the prose in Fleming’s words, and having a fearless vision that says, within the trappings of a Bond movie, anything is possible, and it shouldn’t be beholden to the exact same things that have come before. The way Craig interrogated the character and made bold choices that serviced his arc as a human being, thrusting him into our world, whether popular or not, is what resonates. see the status quo challenged, the changing landscape of our world represented on screen and the different ways in which we as humans choose to engage with it. These stories and these characters allow us as audience members to learn and grow from their experiences because we know and understand them. We trust them as Wright puts it. No Time To Die" hits theaters October 8. Additional reporting by Brody Serravalli

"Cult classic" is a term that gets thrown around quite a bit nowadays. There are even films that purposefully hope to earn that title as if there’s some formula to attain the status. But true cult classic films are created with the best intentions and through the sheer will of the fans, they become something greater than anyone could ever imagine. The 1986 BMX film, “Rad,” is one of those films. And on this episode of The Playlist Podcast, we talk to the star of “Rad,” Bill Allen, as the unlikely hit celebrates its 35th anniversary.

Lee Pace has done plenty of TV over the years. From his cult favorite series, “Pushing Daisies,” to the criminally underrated “Halt and Catch Fire,” the actor has never shied away from the silver screen. That said, even with his extensive experience, Pace has never worked on anything on TV as massive as his new Apple TV+ series, “Foundation.” And on this episode of The Playlist Podcast, Pace joins the show to talk about “Foundation” and the freedom TV allows for storytelling.

The list of names of those who have had a greater impact on television than David Chase is exceedingly short, if such a list exists at all. Chase made his debut in the medium in 1971, as a one-off writer for "The Lawyers," penning the episode "In Defense of Ellen McKay." Chase went on to work as the story editor for the influential horror-thriller series "Kolchak: The Night Stalker," and then as a writer and producer for four seasons of "The Rockford Files," where he won his first Emmy. Chase built a career over more than 20 years as an efficient and professional producer on several successful shows, and by the mid-1990s, he was a highly coveted showrunner. Enter "The Sopranos." Drawing heavily from his personal life, Chase wrote what was originally a feature film screenplay about "a mobster in therapy having problems with his mother," which in 1995 he adapted into an idea for a television series. Four years later, "The Sopranos" made its debut on HBO, and changed television forever. Centered around the late James Gandolfini's masterful portrayal of Tony Soprano, "The Sopranos" ran for six seasons, with Chase officially credited as a writer on 30 episodes, but having contributed to all 86. Heralding a new "Golden Age" of television, "The Sopranos" has been cited by Vince Gilligan as a direct inspiration for "Breaking Bad," and by Matthew Weiner - who worked on the show in its latter two seasons - as having changed his approach to "Mad Men." This is to name only two of the best shows to come out in the 21st century which have been influenced by "The Sopranos." Now, 15 years after the series finale, Chase is returning to the world of his iconic New Jersey crime family with "The Many Saints of Newark," set roughly 30 years before the first season of the show. The film stars Michael Gandolfini playing his father’s iconic character in his late teens, caught up in a tumultuous time of change, and in his idolization of his uncle Dickie Moltisanti (Alessandro Nivola). It’s a film that demands being seen on a big screen, and David Chase has refused to mince words about the film’s hybrid release. “I’m so glad you said [to see it in a theater] so I don’t have to,” said Chase, when I sat down to chat about the film with him. “It’s a different experience and worth the effort. Seeing it in a theater for the first time was a delight.” During our conversation with Chase, we also discuss why it’s important for audiences to see “The Many Saints of Newark” in theaters, the origins of the film dating back to right after graduating film school, meditations on faith and parenthood, and much more! “The Many Saints of Newark” hits theaters on October 1st, 2021, and will simultaneously make its streaming debut on HBO Max for one month.

Apparently, to make a great thriller, you just need 11 days, one location, Jake Gyllenhaal as your lead, and Antoine Fuqua behind the camera. Pretty simple, right? Well, obviously, there's sarcasm there, but that doesn't take away from the incredible feat that is "The Guilty." And in this episode of The Playlist Podcast, Gyllenhaal and Fuqua sit down to talk about their new Netflix thriller and the uphill battle they faced getting it made.

David S. Goyer is a filmmaker who is well-known to a certain segment of the film-going population. But those who know him from his superhero work will be shocked when they watch his latest TV series, “Foundation.” And Goyer recently joined The Playlist Podcast to talk about his new show, as well as his legacy as the comic book film writer. 

Frank Grillo returned to The Playlist Podcast to talk to the boys about a Grillo-Pad (our chosen name for Grillo’s fan group) could ever want. During the conversation, Grillo also spoke about a possible return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Crossbones or perhaps an alternate universe version of The Punisher, "The Purge," which he spilled some new scoops, "The Raid," and much more.

James DeMonaco is the writer, director, and overall creative mastermind behind “The Purge” franchise. And over the past decade or so, the filmmaker has focused on his massively popular thriller franchise. However, his new film, “This is the Night,” is something completely different, but it also might be his most personal to date. And on this episode of The Playlist Podcast, DeMonaco joins the show to go deep about his new film, as well as the future of “The Purge.”

What does it mean to be the last man on Earth? What would happen if everyone with a Y chromosome suddenly died? These are the questions explored in the new FX on Hulu series, “Y: The Last Man.” And on this episode of The Playlist Podcast, showrunner Eliza Clark joins to talk about her new series and its long road to production.