The Playlist Podcast Network

As we enter the most fraught back-to-school season in recent memory, Be Reel looks back at Hollywood’s conception of underserved students and the inspirational educators who rescue their learning. This week, it’s “Stand and Deliver” (1988), “Lean On Me” (1989), “Dangerous Minds” (1995), and “Precious” (2009). Joining us are Dr. Micia Mosely and Kia Walton from Black Teacher Project to discuss 2020 classrooms, ideas for improved and updated teacher movies, and their organization’s mission to develop and sustain more Black teachers (36:55). Learn more and donate at BlackTeacherProject.org.

For a screenwriter, to be featured on the coveted annual Black List is a tremendous accomplishment that’s jumpstarted the career of many of the industry’s hottest writers. If you’re Mattson Tomlin, you’ve not only been featured on that list six times in the past four years, but you’ve done so before the age of thirty. Like the most accomplished athletes, Tomlin regularly exercises his creative muscles averaging anywhere from 8-12 scripts a year. While the writer himself acknowledges many of those scripts aren’t pitch worthy, they have led to the creation of projects such as Netflix’s latest film “Project Power.” Set against the backdrop of New Orleans, “Project Power” is an original “real world” superhero story that centers around the use of a pill that gives the user unpredictable abilities for five minutes. The story follows a teenage dealer (Dominique Fishback), a local cop (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), and an ex-soldier (Jamie Foxx) as they try to take down the organization responsible for creating the drug and releasing it onto the streets. With “Project Power,” Tomlin confidently establishes himself as a writer who’s a true fan of comic books, graphic novels, and all the titans of pop culture many of us grew up obsessing over even stating that he considered turning his screenplay into a graphic novel had it not gotten picked up. Perhaps that’s precisely why the film is the perfect precursor to the slew of high profile projects Tomlin is attached to; namely, Matt Reeves’ “The Batman” and the upcoming “Mega Man” movie. While Tomlin might be attached to some of the hottest upcoming blockbusters, he remains accessible and active on social media and, especially, Reddit eager and willing to pay his good fortune forward. He understands all to well the struggle of being an aspiring screenwriter and wants to give real, honest, and useful advice (no bullshit) while he still can to help the next generation of writers carve out their own path. During our conversation with Tomlin, we also discussed the responsibility on screenwriters to be honest in their depiction of film’s in the “cop genre” in 2020, the upcoming “Mega Man” movie, the greatness of “Batman: The Animated Series,” “The Batman,” how Bryan Singer’s “X-Men” influenced “Project Power,” why David Fincher’s “Zodiac” is one of the greatest films of the 2010s, and MUCH more.

Only in a career as pioneering and storied as Gordon Parks' could an achievement like "first Black Hollywood director" fall into the second paragraph. Yet Parks' significance as a photographer and renaissance man does often overshadow a film career that saw him direct "The Learning Tree" (1969), "Shaft" (1971), and "Leadbelly" (1976). This week, Be Reel revisits these too-forgotten cinematic portraits of Black life, joined by director/producer Craig Laurence Rice to discuss the years he spent with Parks making the Emmy-nominated documentary "Half Past Autumn" (2000).

Ryan Oliver and Jenny Nulf (Austin Asian American Film Festival, Austin Chronicle) discuss five of the new releases that came out across various platforms this last weekend, including "The Old Guard," "Palm Springs," "First Cow," and more. 0:00-24:14: "The Old Guard" 24:15-43:30: "Palm Springs" 43:31-01:13:50: "Relic" and "The Beach House" 01:13:51-End: "First Cow"

When it comes to being an on-screen mariner, Tom Hanks takes his orders from no one. To celebrate his recent birthday and the release of the new WWII submarine movie "Greyhound" (2020), Chance and Noah dive into the boat-bound roles of Hanks’ storied career. That means “Splash” (1984), “Sleepless In Seattle” (1993), “Cast Away” (2000), “Captain Phillips” (2013), and then “Greyhound.” Can the guys craft a coherent thesis as to why Hanks keeps choosing the water as his co-star? Permission to come aboard. * * * To support the causes of justice and equity for our Black colleagues, friends, neighbors, and fellow citizens, please consider donating to: -The AAR Diversity Internship Initiative-- aaronline.org/page-1795315 -Don't Shoot PDX -- www.dontshootpdx.org/tag/donate/ -The Family of James Scurlock -- www.gofundme.com/f/for-james-scurlocks-family

Cristin Milioti is the definition of an entertainer. She’s a musician, singer/songwriter, stage performer, Broadway star, and actress - and that’s just what we know. She won a Grammy and was nominated for a Tony Award for her breakout performance in the musical adaptation of “Once.” She collaborated with Martin Scorsese on “The Wolf of Wall Street,” and, in television, has had pivotal (in some cases, awards-worthy) roles in “How I Met Your Mother,” “Fargo,” and “Black Mirror.” Milioti has worked hard to ensure the only thing you can expect from her is to be unexpected with the projects she chooses. Typecasting is the last thing the 34-year-old performer wants, and while, early on, some have tried, Milioti has remained steadfast pivoting using her natural talents and diverse skillset. Milioti's latest film is The Lonely Island's 2020 Sundance smash hit "Palm Springs." The film was one of the most talked-about movies at the festival and even broke records selling to Neon and Hulu for $17.5 million and 69 cents, making it the biggest Sundance sale ever. The film follows two strangers, Nyles (Andy Samberg) and Sarah (Milioti), who attend a wedding at Palm Springs only to get stuck inside a time loop unexpectedly. Re-living the wedding day over and over again, the two not only begin to form a budding romance but embark upon an introspective journey. Being a musician first and then actor, Milioti often finds herself thinking musically when it comes to developing her characters. She creates playlists for each of them and believes the kind of music someone listens too can tell you a lot about a person. During our conversation with Cristin Milioti, we discuss her work on the stage, songwriting, the nervousness that comes with singing in front of an audience, "Russian Doll," how never seeing "Groundhog Day" gave her a fresh perspective on "Palm Springs" and much more.

"Cane River" (1982), a recently unearthed debut from late writer/director Horace Jenkins, is now, after a year of remastering, available for streaming. Part love story, part critique of colorism in Louisana, "Cane River" is a moving examination of how cinematic romances can't escape history. Critic and writer Tiana Reid joins Noah and Chance to unpack the concept of the "Black outdoors" and review some of Peter Metoyer's poetry. Read Tiana's tremendous review of "Cane River" here: www.nybooks.com/daily/2020/06/20/…e-black-outdoors/ * * * To support the causes of justice and equality for our Black colleagues, friends, neighbors, and fellow citizens, please consider donating to: -The AAR Diversity Internship Initiative-- aaronline.org/page-1795315 -Don't Shoot PDX -- www.dontshootpdx.org/tag/donate/ -The Family of James Scurlock -- www.gofundme.com/f/for-james-scurlocks-family

Most actors wouldn't consider leaving a role as one of the most popular and beloved characters on one of the most acclaimed BBC costume dramas in it's prime. However, most actors aren't Dan Stevens. To avoid being typecast, the "Downton Abby" alum boldly exited the series in 2012 to pursue a career in American cinema. Since then, Stevens has strived to diversify his filmography. He's had great success in genre films such as "The Guest" and "Colossal" and even lent his musical talents to Disney's live-action "Beauty and the Beast" as The Beast. He also helped challenge cable television and the comic book genre with his titular role in Noah Hawley's thought-provoking series "Legion." All of this is to say that Dan Stevens is a performer with range and someone who's imagination knows no bounds. This summer, Stevens not only returns to the paranoia driven psychological thrillers he's so fond of but lends his charisma and charm to the first-ever Eurovision movie. In Dave Franco's directorial debut, "The Rental," Stevens stars opposite Allison Brie in this timely thriller following two couples who rent an Airbnb for a weekend getaway. Shortly after arriving, they suspect the owner is spying on them. What follows will make audiences reconsider before booking their next Airbnb (if COVID-19 hasn't already). "Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga," sees Will Ferrell reteam with "Wedding Crashers" director David Dobkin and former SNL writing partner Andrew Steele. The film tells the story of an Icelandic duo (Ferrell and Rachel McAdams) competing in the world's largest international song competition. While the movie is full of entertaining performances, Stevens steals the show with his turn as the suave and eccentric Russian billionaire Alexander Lemtov. Stevens has an attuned ear when it comes to dialect. In fact, the 37-year-old actor revealed that if he converses with someone for long enough, he'll start unintentionally adopting their speech pattern. More often than not, Stevens' entry point into a character is in how they speak, and his attraction to dialect has informed some of his other career decisions. Many may be unaware, but Dan Stevens is a rather accomplished audiobook narrator with credits ranging from Agatha Christie's "Murder on the Orient Express," to "The Illiad" and "The Odyssey," to "Frankenstein," "War Horse," and Ian Fleming's "Casino Royale." Perhaps much of his fascination with audiobooks stems from his love and degree in literature. However, there's something to be said about how Stevens is drawn to words and the endless creativity they inspire when a camera isn't around. Over the course of our conversation with Dan Stevens, we discussed Eurovision, ambitions of pursuing more voice acting, his time doing stand-up comedy, collaborating with a first-time actor turned director on "The Rental," and more.

Much like it's vampirical antagonist, AMC’s summer horror fare, "NOS4A2" recently began its second life. The show, based on Joe Hill's novel of the same name, about a 1938 Rolls Royce Wraith symbiotically linked to succubus Charlie Manx (Zachary Quinto) and his battle against Vic McQueen (Ashleigh Cummings), a young woman who has superpowers of her own, had its second season premiere last week and is once again available as a full season stream to those with the AMC Premiere subscription. However last year, its future wasn't so certain. The premiere of season one garnered significant interest, with over 2 million viewers watching live, streaming, or watching through DVR, but as the season progressed, viewership was almost cut in half. The show's mixed reception slowly affecting return viewership, and the remaining fans were uncertain if they would ever see the conclusion of Vic's battle with Manx. However, that fear was quickly put to rest, as AMC decided to put season two into production before season one had even completed airing on cable. So with newfound confidence, showrunner, and creator, Jami O’Brien knew she and her cast and crew had a rare opportunity to really dig into Hill’s work and begin expanding the mythos. “The big difference with season two is that there is no mystery," said O'Brien. "[In season One, Vic] was learning what her powers were, what she could and could not do, she was learning who Charlie Manx is, [and] the audience was learning all these things along with her.” Perhaps this explains the mixed reception of Season 1. Often it could suffer from slower, but nevertheless important, episodes that had to explain these rules. O’Brien promises season two will excite on a regular basis. “With that mystery gone, it just means the show, right off the bat has more gas in the tank." Having screened the first five episodes, I couldn't agree more. Shows can often find their legs in the second season. Many believe it's the perfect time for them to find their real voice with that first season of exposition out of the way, and the core audience established. O’Brien also knows that she and her writers were given a great opportunity to really focus on the shows’ strengths, and that includes catering the characters to the talents of "NOS4A2’s" (arguably) underrated cast. “[In Season 1] we had most of the scripts written before anything was cast,” said O'Brien as she focused on one of the major draws of the show, the always charming, often twisted Zachary Quinto, as Manx. “Zach is amazing and explosive whenever he’s on-screen in season one. But at the end of the first season I [realized], we have the amazing Movie star/Broadway star, Zach Quinto… let’s put him to work” Season 2, really finds its footing in the second episode, and the first two episodes are excellent companion pieces that reveal how layered the crux of the show can be. They feature excellent performances by Quinto and Cummings. It is a great reminder of why the show was renewed, and how those two can carry it for the remainder of its run (along with a terrific supporting cast). This season promises enough expansion, twists, and turns and fun-filled-horror that AMC and "NOS4A2" are known for, and let’s hope the audiences will return in greater numbers to pump some blood into the heart of the show for future seasons. During our conversation with O'Brien, we discuss getting to the heart of Hill's original novel, the challenge in bringing iconic moments from the book to life, being selective with scares, why comparisons have been drawn between the show and Peter Pan, and much more. Additional reporting by Michael Winn Johnson

"It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia" co-creator and star Rob McElhenney talks with Chance Solem-Pfeifer about 14 seasons of changing yet not changing Mac, answering constant questions about his physique, and the new quarantine episode of his Apple TV+ comedy "Mythic Quest: Raven's Banquet." Plus, there's George RR Martin talk and McElhenney's overall advice for staying sharp and responsible as an artist.