The Playlist Podcast Network

Indie Beat - Patrick Wang by The Playlist

Joe and Erik dig into their favorite films and cinematic moments of the year, listing their top 10s and also digging in more depth to review the glorious new film If Beale Street Could Talk.

Ryan, Editor-in-Chief Rodrigo Perez, and Managing Editor Charles Barfield rundown The Playlist's collective picks for the Best Breakthrough Directors of 2018.

On this episode of BE REEL, Chance and Noah look back at the comedy films of 2018, examining different branches of the industry tree via specific titles: BLOCKERS for traditional studio fare (14:20), EIGHTH GRADE for the upstart indie (32:15), and SET IT UP for Netflix's full-on foray into rom-coms (48:00). Finally, they name their five favorite comedy performances of the year from films like GAME NIGHT, SORRY TO BOTHER YOU, and more (1:04:30). This episode is brought to you by Converse College MFA program and California College of the Arts MFA in Writing program.

Lebanese actor/filmmaker Nadine Labaki speaks with our Chance Solem-Pfeifer about her new film “Capernaum,” out Dec. 14 in some US cities. The Golden Globe-nominated drama follows a 12-year-old boy trying to preserve his biological and chosen families amid Lebanon’s refugee crisis. Press play to hear Labaki discuss how her young star is dealing with the movie’s reception and how life and art intersected when one of the “Capernaum” actors was arrested during the shoot.

It's not often you get to meet the director of one of your favorite films of all time, and it's equally as gratifying to discover that they are exactly as you imagined. Peter Jackson is a man who needs little to no introduction being the master world builder that he is and the visionary filmmaker behind the "Lord of the Rings" Trilogy. He also has managed to place himself at the forefront of cutting-edge technological filmmaking innovations such as his founding of special and visual effects company WETA, his work with performance capture, and his recent plunge into Augmented Reality Storytelling to name a few. Acting as the Producer and Co-Writer on the latest big-budget fantasy film 'Mortal Engines,' the rights to which Jackson originally purchased back in 2009, the filmmaker had the delightful privilege of watching one of his young prodigies, director Christian Rivers, tackle his first feature film - something Jackson proudly discussed in our interview. “Mortal Engines” depicts a post-apocalyptic, steampunk version of our world where once great cities now operate as giant predator machines on wheels. Narrowing in on London, the story focuses on a mysterious young woman named Hester Shaw (Hera Hilmar) as she joins forces with a dangerous outlaw and an outcast to lead a rebellion against the evil Thaddeus Valentine (Hugo Weaving). We spoke with Jackson about his recent WWI Documentary, "They Shall Not Grow Old," which has been turning heads on the festival circuit, along with his involvement in Amazon's 'Lord of the Rings' series, an update on 'Tintin 2' and where he sees the future of AR Storytelling. "Mortal Engines" is directed by Christian Rivers and hits theaters December 14th, 2018. Be sure to catch our previous interview with the villain of "Mortal Engines", Hugo Weaving and stay tuned for our conversation with the film's composer, Junkie XL.

Joe and Erik connect their HOLD UP pick (Spike Lee's 25th Hour) with the new release Vox Lux.

Hugo Weaving is one of the most versatile actors working today, and one thing’s for certain: he sure makes a damn good villain. Having cemented himself in pop culture with such iconic roles as Agent Smith in The Matrix trilogy, Elrond in The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies, V in V for Vendetta and the Red Skull in Captain America: The First Avenger, the 58-year old Australian actor continues to be at the forefront of fandoms everywhere. It also sure helps that he's fortunate enough to have collaborated with some of the most visionary filmmakers of our time including Peter Jackson, The Wachowski’s and Mel Gibson. With this year’s Mortal Engines, Weaving not only find’s himself reuniting with Peter Jackson, who Produced and Co-Wrote the script but find’s himself back in the pocket playing the film’s main antagonist, Thaddeus Valentine - though notably more likable and charming than some of his past villains. We spoke with Weaving about some of his favorite literary works, continued collaborations with Peter Jackson, a possible John Wick Matrix reunion, and whether he wants in on some future Bond villain action.

In the Playlist debut of "Be Reel," genre-hopping podcast hosts Chance Solem-Pfeifer and Noah Ballard dive into the career of screenwriting titan William Goldman, who passed away last month at age 87. They revisit his major works like “The Princess Bride,” “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid” and “All The President’s Men,” and Slate’s Marissa Martinelli joins the program to discuss the far deeper world of Goldman’s “The Princess Bride” novel.

Indie Beat - Jourdain Searles by The Playlist