Happy Sad Confused

Jerrod Carmichael doesn’t need you to laugh at everything he says. For most comedians that might seem antithetical to their very existence, but Carmichael has different ambitions— as you might expect if you’ve seen his unique work. This week, we find out what’s on the mind of this brilliant young comic as he’s set to unveil his new stand-up special, “8” (debuting Saturday night at 10pm on HBO).  Taped only weeks after the election, Carmichael’s set is raw and real and yes, provocative at times. And here he’s all of the above — not to mention hysterical too — as he delivers his take on Trump, a culture he thinks is a little too whiny, and why so much comedy today doesn’t do it for him. Plus, Carmichael gives a sneak peek at season 3 of his critically hailed NBC sitcom, “The Carmichael Show,” why he wanted to make a network show in the golden age of cable, and what it’s like to be in a Transformers movie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

At this point, Anna Kendrick is close to achieving full-time cohosting status on “Happy Sad Confused.” She visits Josh this week for a record fourth time, this time bringing a friend along in filmmaker Jeffrey Blitz. Kendrick and Blitz first teamed up for the Sundance hit "Rocket Science" a decade ago. They reminisce with Josh about how that film jump-started each of their careers and talk about why it took them so long to reteam. Their new film, Table 19, opens this week.  Also joining the podcast this week is Stephen Dorff, making a bold left turn in his career with his country-western movie and album "Wheeler" (now available on-demand). Dorff talks about being known as that “e-cig guy,” and living down "Blade" almost 20 years later.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s “Happy Sad Confused,” we find Allison Williams in crisis. The final season of "Girls", the show that launched her career, is airing right now; her new (and first!) film, "Get Out", is opening in theaters this week; and she’s not doing well with the news that Monopoly is doing away with the thimble. So yeah, not exactly earth-shattering, disturbing developments, but still, Allison is ready to let loose in this episode, from her unlikely obsession with "Pearl Harbor" (and Josh Hartnett), to her fear of ventriloquist dummies, to why she can’t bring herself to watch the "Beauty and the Beast" trailer. Speaking of the forthcoming Disney flick, Josh welcomes the Beast himself, Dan Stevens, on this episode as well. Dan reflects on "Downton Abbey," the show that launched his career; the way his Downton character was initially written out of the show; his new critically acclaimed FX show, "Legion"; and why he felt like “a crash test hippo on stilts” making his new movie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you’ve seen Dane DeHaan’s work, you might think he’s a tortured angst-ridden teenager, prone to moodiness and ripping a bully at school’s teeth out (okay, that just happened in “Chronicle”, the movie that launched his big screen career). The reality is DeHaan is a pretty even keel guy, and yes a fully functional well adjusted adult. He’s 31, happily married (to actress Anna Wood), and expecting his first child this year, all while juggling two major films he’s the lead in. The first of these, “A Cure For Wellness” (opening this week) puts DeHaan through the paces (if you fear the dentist, drowning, or car crashes, you’ve been warned). On this episode of “Happy Sad Confused”, DeHaan reveals he’s been through worse, almost getting his head cracked open on the set of “Chronicle”. But enough about near death experiences, this conversation is filled with fun, from the actor geeking about his forthcoming sci-fi film, “Valerian”, to what his Match.com profile would look like (spoiler: do NOT touch his feet). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to podcasting history. This week “Happy Sad Confused” welcomes two April fools babies as Josh’s guests, surely a first in the annals of the medium.  First up is Taran Killam, whose eclectic career has included six memorable seasons on “Saturday Night Live”, a surprising appearance in “12 Years a Slave”, and now a Broadway run in “Hamilton”.  Killam lives up to his nerd reputation in this conversation that goes deep into “Star Wars” (including the tongue in cheek audition tape he made for the Han Solo movie), how to properly imitate Christoph Waltz, what it’s like to direct Arnold Schwarzenegger, and a detailed pitch for the superhero movie he desperately wants to star in.  Later in the show David Oyelowo visits Josh to talk about his starring role in the true life romantic drama, “A United Kingdom” (out this Friday). Oyelowo also talks about his remarkable performance in “Selma”, why Idris Elba has his vote to be the next James Bond, and even sings a little power ballad, just to show off his range. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the exciting byproducts of visiting a film festival like Sundance is getting a sneak peek at the next big thing, whether it be a filmmaker or an actor. Certainly this year was no exception with relative unknowns like Chante Adams (“Roxanne Roxanne”) and Danielle Macdonald (“Patti Cake$”) breaking through in a big way.  Then there’s the young talent, already established, but still on the rise. That’s what this week’s “Happy Sad Confused” delivers with four conversations with some of the best and the brightest actors working today, each making a splash at Sundance this year. Tavi Gevinson is only 20 years old, but already boasts an eclectic list of accomplishments, from writer and fashion maven to magazine editor. It’s her acting career however that is the focus of this conversation, from her stage work in “The Crucible” to her Sundance debut, “Person to Person”. Returning to the podcast on this episode is the charming and self-deprecating Dave Franco, whose Sundance flick “The Little Hours” teams him up with Aubrey Plaza, John C. Reilly, and real-life fiancé Alison Brie. Franco talks about his absurdly awkward sex scenes, being objectified, and still finds time to rib Josh for never having seen “The Room”.  Another returning guest and Sundance veteran at just 25 is Logan Lerman, starring in the ambitious drama, “Sidney Hall”. Lerman again proves he’s the real deal in this heartbreaking story of a young writer grappling with success, fame, and his own demons.  Finally, Josh welcomes a newcomer to “Happy Sad Confused” in Zoey Deutch, making her Sundance debut with two films, “Rebel in the Rye” (she stars as Oona O’Neill opposite Nicholas Hoult’s JD Salinger) and “Before I Fall”, a sort of dramatic “Groundhog Day” by way of YA that’s garnered great reviews in advance of it’s March 3rd opening.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"Happy Sad Confused" (in the person of Josh Horowitz) has hit the road this week to take you to the Sundance Film Festival. So don't worry about scoring a ticket or trekking to Utah we've got you covered with three conversations straight from the historic launching pad of indie films. First up, it's Woody Harrelson, who memorably plays the title character in the Daniel Clowes adaptation, "Wilson". But we couldn't let Woody go without talking a little Star Wars (he was recently cast in the forthcoming Han Solo film). Josh finds out if Woody knows what kessel run is and discovers why the actor stays away from urinals at all costs.  Surprisingly Star Wars was also on the mind of Jack Black in this episode (find out how he ranks all the films here). Black made a triumphant return to Park City, starring in the hilarious fact based comedy, "The Polka King". Finally, we welcome two newcomers to the show but they're veterans of Sundance, Melanie Lynskey and Elijah Wood. Josh chats with the pair about their new black comedy for Netflix, "I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore". Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

***SPOILER ALERT***If you have not seen “Split,” do NOT read this or listen to the accompanying podcast. You have been warned!  ***SPOILER ALERT***  M. Night Shyamalan, so celebrated for his early films like “The Sixth Sense” and “Signs” has essentially reinvented himself in recent years, abandoning big budgets, to work on his own terms for psychological thrillers that could at times almost pass as black comedies. “The Visit” scored with critics and audiences alike and now he continues the trend with “Split”, starring James McAvoy as a man with DID (dissociative identity disorder). It’s all totally new territory for Shyamalan. Right? Not quite. If you’ve seen the film, (and if you haven’t this your last chance, get out of here!) you know the big secret at the heart of “Split”. This is the long awaited continuation of “Unbreakable”, complete with a return of Bruce Willis as David Dunn. Fans of “Unbreakable” have clamored for a sequel virtually since the film’s release in 2000. And while the filmmaker has teased a possible return to the universe at some point, no one anticipated it would happen this way. Talking at length in this exclusive conversation with Josh Horowitz specially for a spoiler-centric “Happy Sad Confused” podcast, Shyamalan reveals a lot—from the origins of “Split” in the original “Unbreakable” script to his plans for the 3rd installment of the story, a film that will bring together David Dunn (Willis), The Horde (James McAvoy) and Mr. Glass (Samuel L. Jackson), a film the director intends to make next. There’s a ton of juicy details in the conversation below. If you’re an “Unbreakable” fan, prepare yourself!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bryce Dallas Howard’s busy 2016 (there was her memorable SAG nominated turn in “Black Mirror” and the underrated “Pete’s Dragon”) may be over but 2017 has a lot in store for her as well. In this return visit to “Happy Sad Confused”, Howard talks about co-starring with Matthew McConaughey in next week’s “Gold”, and how one memorable scene almost led her drinking the first alcohol in her entire life. Plus, Howard looks ahead to returning to “Jurassic World” for the sequel (her next shoot), confirming there is a title, and explaining why new director JA Bayona was “the one who got away” before he signed on to the film. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In his eleven seasons on “Saturday Night Live,” Fred Armisen appeared in over 800 sketches, proving to be the most versatile oddball utility player the storied late night show could hope for. Since leaving the show in 2013, rather than setting his sights on film, as many of his fellow ex-SNL-ers have, Armisen has found a groove on TV. His Peabody winning show, “Portlandia” has just entered it’s 7th season on IFC. That channel is also home to his deliciously specific documentary spoof series, “Documentary Now”. And most nights you can find him leading the band on “Late Night with Seth Meyers”. All of these busy jobs come up on this week’s conversation on “Happy Sad Confused” but you may delight most in the tangents. From Armisen’s lamenting the end of the nerd era to his creepy plans for his own funeral (he plans to have his tombstone read “Buried Alive. 666”), it’s all uniquely Fred. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices