Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso

Kelly Reichardt, Director known for unique and beautiful filmmaking with a subtle sentimentality, discusses the minimalism and expressive nature of her movies, her reluctance to talk about certain topics, and her role as a professor. They also explore the value of immersing oneself in unfamiliar experiences, the balance between academia and filmmaking in Los Angeles, and the presence of sentiment in film. Kelly reflects on her time working in a mail room and the challenges of post-college life.

This week on Talk Easy, Sam talks with hip hop artist/musician/producer extraordinaire, Ringgo Ancheta, aka @Mndsgn. In their conversation, Mndsgn shares how he landed on his distinct musical style, the elusive story behind his own origin, and the role of psychedelics in his music and his life. All that and more. Music for the show provided by @Vanilla. Original illustrations by Krishna Shenoi: http://krishnabalashenoi.com/. Learn more about the show at http://talkeasypod.com  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Multi-hyphenate jazz star Esperanza Spalding stops by Talk Easy to talk about her career, being an inconsistent person, developing that into creative energy, and the artistic value of being attentive to others. See Esperanza Spalding on tour: http://www.esperanzaspalding.com/tour/ Music for the show provided by @Vanilla. Original illustrations by Krishna Shenoi: http://krishnabalashenoi.com/. Learn more about the show at http://talkeasypod.com  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Legendary documentary filmmaker Steve James joins the show to talk with Sam about his extraordinary career, his masterpiece "Hoop Dreams," his film about the late Roger Ebert, his new film, "Abacus: Small Enough to Jail," as well as his intimate approach to making films about complex subjects. UCLA's 'Kartemquin Films at 50': https://www.cinema.ucla.edu/events/2016/kartemquin-films-at-50 Music for the by @Vanilla. Original illustrations by Krishna Shenoi: http://krishnabalashenoi.com/. Learn more about the show at http://talkeasypod.com  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week on a special TIFF 2016 edition of Talk Easy, Sam sits down with Chicago Tribune film critic Michael Phillips at the Toronto International Film Festival to trade friendly barbs over sushi while talking about Michael's long career in criticism, his experience taking over the reins of At the Movies, his role as a white middle-aged man in an ever more modern and diverse cultural environment. Plus, Sam shares the story of his first interaction with Phillips as a budding writer in high school. Music for the by @Vanilla. Original illustrations by Krishna Shenoi: http://krishnabalashenoi.com/. Learn more about the show at http://talkeasypod.com  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This week's guest, comedian Lauren Lapkus is known to most people from her roles in 'Orange is the New Black' and 'Jurassic World', but she made her name as an outstanding impressionist and improviser, gaining attention on 'Comedy Bang Bang' and her own podcast, 'With Special Guest, Lauren Lapkus'. She's most recently featured in Netflix's sketch comedy series, 'Characters'. Lauren joins Sam for a discussion of her career, staying sane online, and just how she's able to embody so many hilarious characters in her comedy. Music for the by @Vanilla. Original illustrations by Krishna Shenoi: http://krishnabalashenoi.com/. Learn more about the show at http://talkeasypod.com  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Think of any great comedy project in the last decade and Ben Schwartz probably had something to do with it. Jean-Ralphio on Parks and Recreation, Clyde on House of Lies, Rutabaga Rabitowitz on BoJack Horseman. He was even a voice consultant for BB-8 in the new Star Wars film. On the show Ben talks to Sam about his roots in the Bronx, the enduring genius of the late Gene Wilder and Harris Wittels, being a hustler in Hollywood, and the best advice his father ever gave him. Music for the by @Vanilla. Original illustrations by Krishna Shenoi: http://krishnabalashenoi.com/. Learn more about the show at http://talkeasypod.com  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

On this week's show, Sam is joined by the great and talented actress Melanie Lynskey. Hailing from New Zealand, Lynskey got her start at 15 in Peter Jackson's 'Heavenly Creatures', co-starring a young Kate Winslet. She has since gone on to play roles on everything from 'Two and a Half Men' and 'Shattered Glass' to 'Up in the Air' and 'Happy Christmas'. In the episode, Lynskey shares revealing stories from growing up in New Zealand, getting engaged to a man she only knew for three weeks, working with Charlie Sheen and Ed Norton, navigating a career as a character actress, and getting to act in a Steven Soderbergh movie. Music for the show by Vanilla @vanilla. Original illustrations by Krishna Shenoi http://krishnabalashenoi.com/.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Charlene deGuzman made waves on the internet three years when her short film, "I Forgot My Phone," which she wrote and starred in, went viral. Now she's back with a new, much bigger project, trying to fund her first feature film "Unlovable," on Kickstarter. The film—which was conceived by herself and Mark Duplass, and has the backing of Patton Oswalt—is about a young woman coping with sex and love addiction. It's an affliction deGuzman has been dealing with personally for much of her life, and in this interview she talks with Sam about her experiences in sex work, bad relationships, and finding solutions to the problem of sex and love addiction. Plus, she shares what it's like for a video to go wildly viral, and how smartphones and the internet have made life harder and better at the same time. If you'd like to help Charlene get "Unlovable" made, please head to the project's Kickstarter page and donate what you can: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/603048956/unlovable?ref=filmpress Music for the show by Vanilla @vanilla. Original illustrations by Krishna Shenoi http://krishnabalashenoi.com/.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ira Sachs is the acclaimed director of films like 'Love is Strange' and 'Keep the Lights On'. Now he's back with the beautiful film, 'Little Men', inspired in part by his own youth. Ira sat down with Sam to talk about 'Little Men', his own upbringing in the South, coming out to his parents as a teenager, navigating a career on the indie film scene, and the difficulty of crossing different social streams. Music for the show by Vanilla @vanilla. Original illustrations by Krishna Shenoi http://krishnabalashenoi.com/.  Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.