The Playlist Podcast Network

Charlie Chaplin lampooning Hitler’s bombast and fragility in “The Great Dictator” (1940) marked one of film comedy’s all-time “truth to power” moments. But 80 years after WWII, how best to laugh at fascists when they seldom don the brownshirt? With the release of Taika Waititi’s “Jojo Rabbit”—a would-be charming comedy about a Hitler youth whose imaginary friend is der Führer—Chance and Noah ask themselves why, how, and when skewered Nazis are funny. After reviewing “Jojo,” Chance and Noah duck back to “The Producers” (1967) and “Top Secret!” (1984) to examine how Nazis became a source of irony and camp for filmmakers like Mel Brooks and the ZAZ trio. As always—down with Hitler; all the way down.

"The Bourne Legacy," "Jason Bourne," and "Treadstone" producer Ben Smith joins me for Episode 9 of The Fourth Wall to talk about expanding the World of Jason Bourne in the Bourne spin-off series. Making for the perfect blend of "24" meets "Heroes," the series marks an almost decade long journey for Smith as he's had his heart set on expanding the world that Robert Ludlum created. Perhaps much of this influence comes from the involvement of "Heroes" creator Tim Kring, who Smith discussed collaborating with, and stunt coordinator from "The Bourne Ultimatum," but at the heart of it, what excited Smith the most was the opportunity to explore the mythology of not only the films but Ludlum's novels in order to tell very personal and interconnected stories that were affected by the geopolitical landscape of today. "The base that Ludlum created is very rich," said Smith, "and I think it's a perfect fit for television. You just have a lot more real estate to dive into a lot of different characters which is what we've done on 'Treadstone.'" For those unaware, "Treadstone" tells the origins of the secret government organization that led to the birth of Jason Bourne. Taking place in 1973 and present day, the series follows these sleeper agents from the Cicada Program (another program under the Treadstone umbrella) as they mysteriously begin to awaken around the globe ten years after audiences meet Jason Bourne in "The Bourne Identity." The prospect of crossing over "Treadstone" with Matt Damon's Jason Bourne or even Jeremy Renner's Aaron Cross is certainly something that would excite fans of the franchise and even Smith himself, however, it all comes down to what the story requires. "What's happening in the world of Bourne is independent of what's happening right now in 'Treadstone,'" said Smith. "There is crossover mythology, but there is no planned tie-in today." During my conversation with Smith, we discussed the long journey to creating "Treadstone," balancing character storytelling with that signature Bourne action, the work that went into the stunt choreography, his relationship with Ludlum's novels and the Bourne franchise as a whole, and actors he'd like to see play in the expansive Bourne sandbox.

We speak to director/producer/actor/dancer Carolina Monnerat about Brazil and the movies she's made, including the new "Queen of Lapa."

Prepare for #MaximumDiscourse, and set phasers to stun. "Joker" - the Todd Phillips-directed dark superhero drama based on Batman's most iconic nemesis - is finally here, and there are certainly thoughts to be had. On this episode, Ryan is joined by Chris Evangelista (/Film) to unpack the controversial film, and tackle the overall discussion happening in the film community at large. 0:00-32:05: “Joker” Review (Non-Spoiler) 32:06-End: ***SPOILER DISCUSSION***

Andy Muschietti joins me for Episode 8 of The Fourth Wall to discuss "IT Chapter Two" in full spoilers! Andy first garnered the attention of many with his 2013 debut "Mama." The film was based on his three minute short of the same name which also piqued the interest of Guillermo del Toro who went on to executive produce the feature. Muschietti's work and success on "Mama" proved him to be a real emerging talent in the horror genre and it's easy to see why he was brought on for the adaptation of Stephen King's "IT." Embarking on a massive undertaking, Muschietti brought to life King's novel for a new generation amassing both critical and commercial success as 2017's "It" became the highest-grossing horror film of all time. It's only fitting that "IT Chapter Two" is hot on its heels as the film already has the second-highest horror movie opening of all time. While the adult portion of "IT" has always been notoriously divisive, Muschietti understood that in order for it to work, he needed to cut out some of King's more outlandish material and maintain focus on the Losers and their journey. For this, the director looked to classics that had an impact on him at an early age such as "The Neverending Story" and "E.T." for inspiration. During our conversation, we not only discuss how Muschietti managed to create such a satisfying conclusion but we also get into how he crafted some incredibly seamless and inventive scene transitions, the challenges of making a two hour and forty-five-minute horror epic, reinventing the character of Ritchie, and, in relation to the film's meta-commentary about creators who can't properly end their stories, his favorite movie that couldn't quite nail the ending (his answer may surprise you).

Nobody tells you about the bonus round after the million-dollar question—the one where we ask, "Why have we obsessed for 70 years over the TV game show in all its inherent fakeness, exploitation, and only a lottery ticket's chance of paying the common person their money?" This week, BE REEL is buzzing in, to reappraise "Quiz Show" on its 25th anniversary, "Slumdog Millionaire" one decade after it took home the Oscars' highest honor, and "The Running Man" because it's a very silly movie that clearly set the stage for "American Gladiators." Press play; you might win something!

Bill Hader is one of the most exciting creatives working in Hollywood and today, we welcome him to Episode 7 of The Fourth Wall! Bill became a comedic icon entering people’s homes every Saturday night during his eight-season run on Saturday Night Live birthing such beloved characters as Stefan and numerous impressions ranging from Vincent Price, Al Pacino, Alan Alda, James Carville and more. His SNL performances garnered him an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series in 2012 making for the first male cast member nomination since Eddie Murphy in 1984. After leaving SNL, Hader went on to stretch his creative muscles even further creating and starring in HBO’s hit series “Barry.” His work on “Barry” earned him an Emmy for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series along with back to back nominations for Outstanding Comedy Series, Outstanding Directing for a Comedy Series, and Outstanding Writing for a Comedy Series. Hader’s latest work is playing the adult version of Ritchie in Andy Muschietti’s horror epic “IT Chapter Two,” on which the actor speaks about the alterations made to the character, getting injured on set, and the similarities and differences between horror and comedy. We also dive into his work on “Barry,” transition into becoming a filmmaker, directing a new feature film, his relationship with Kombucha and why exactly, “Hader loves the booch.”

Ryan Oliver and Jenny Nulf (No Excuses) look back on Summer 2019: the up's, the down's, the winner's, the loser's, and the existential dread about what theatrical moviegoing will look like over the next couple years. The two discuss a myriad of titles that did not get a proper review on The Discourse over the summer, starting with films they both saw, then moving to ones only one of them saw. 0:00-14:00: Thoughts on the Summer Movie Season 14:00-56:12: Films We Both Saw John Wick: Chapter 3 Always Be My Maybe Plus One Non-Fiction Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark Ready or Not 56:13-End: Other Films We Saw Jenny: The Souvenir The Last Black Man in San Francisco The Third Wife Tigers Are Not Afraid Invader ZIM: Enter the Florpus Yesterday Late Night The Lion King Ryan: Dark Phoenix Men in Black: International The Dead Don’t Die Stuber The Peanut Butter Falcon Good Boys Brittany Runs a Marathon Sword of Trust

For Episode 6 of The Fourth Wall, we head to the studio of composer Bear McCreary to discuss his diverse body of work! From the age of five, Bear developed an incredible passion for film and film music which started him on the path to becoming a film composer eventually leading him to become one of the final prodigies of Hollywood legend Elmer Bernstein. Bear's distinct blending of traditional and modern film scoring sensibilities is what sets him apart from other composers along with his drive to innovate. You'd be hard pressed to find another composer who's catalogued such a wide variety of projects with such diverse instrumentation ranging from "Battlestar Galactica", to "Outlander," to AMC's "The Walking Dead", to "10 Cloverfield Lane," to 2018's video game smash hit "God of War." 2019 might be Bear's biggest year yet as he's the musical genius behind two beloved franchises in the "Child's Play" reboot and massive summer blockbuster "Godzilla: King of the Monsters." During our conversation, we discussed growing up as film fans, his work on "Godzilla" and "Child's Play," how he managed to revitalize a classic Blue Oyster Cult B-Side track, and much more!

Ryan Oliver and Playlist Editor-in-Chief Rodrigo Perez dedicate the entire episode to the Disney/Sony fallout regarding Spider-Man in the MCU, and contextualize it to show that there are no villains in this story: it's just business.