The Playlist Podcast Network

This week, on The Playlist Podcast, we speak to Sam Levinson, the writer-director of “Malcolm & Marie,” as well as the creator of HBO’s award-winning “Euphoria,” about his new film, his hit show, and his legendary father, Barry Levinson. 

Explore the cinematic genius of Alan J. Pakula, who masterfully unraveled conspiracies in 1970s America. Delve into the haunting visuals and psychological complexity of 'Klute,' featuring Jane Fonda's iconic performance. Unpack the chilling atmosphere of 'The Parallax View,' with its striking imagery and unsettling narrative. Discover the dark twists in 'Presumed Innocent,' showcasing Harrison Ford's muted portrayal. Celebrate Pakula's lasting impact on mystery films and his unique storytelling style.

In this episode of The Playlist Podcast, Charles, Mike, and Brian discuss the new film," Saint Maud," from A24 and speak with Morfydd Clark, the unbelievable star of the film. She also talks about the upcoming "Lord of the Rings" TV series and what the future might hold. 

We're back. On this episode of the Deep Focus podcast, our guest is writer/director Aaron Sorkin known for writing "The Social Network," "Moneyball," "A Few Good Men," "The West Wing," and many more. The legendary screenwriter has shifted his focus to directing and returns with his second feature-length film following "Molly's Game." Originally a Steven Spielberg project, nine-some years in the making, the filmmaker eventually gave Sorkin his blessing to make the movie after seeing the accomplished "Molly's Game" with Jessica Chastain. In the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests last year and the civil unrest, and even the recent Capitol insurrection, "The Trial Of The Chicago 7," couldn't be more relevant today. It features an all-star cast and captures this moment of civil uprising and protest and the recent splintering in the Democratic party-- the so-called, "radical left," and the more conservative centrists. Sorkin talked about all this, working with Spielberg, his mentor William Goldman, his household of influential lawyers (he loves a courtroom drama), the mooted 'Social Network' sequel he'd love to write if David Fincher were game, and a little tease about his now-announced Lucille Ball project, which now stars Nicole Kidman.

This episode is a callback return to summer 2020 when Rebecca Hall joined the podcast to talk “Tales From The Loop.” Now that her directorial debut “Passing” is about to make its debut at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival, I wanted to revive and excerpt our 20+ minute conversation about “Passing”—as it’s the part that’s stayed with me the most—and really let her feelings on the matter take center stage. Based on Nella Larsen’s acclaimed 1929 Harlem Renaissance novel, “Passing” is about two African American women who can “pass” as white and they have chosen to live on opposite sides of the color line. Now, their renewed acquaintance threatens them both. Hall’s parents came from bi-racial ancestry and had similar stories that she tries to unpack in this movie about identity and representation.

With “Brothers by Blood” arriving in theaters this weekend, Joel Kinnaman spoke with The Playlist Podcast and discussed his new crime drama. He also spoke about David Ayer’s Director’s Cut of “Suicide Squad,” what James Gunn brings to “The Suicide Squad,” and years later, the things he’d do differently if he made a new “RoboCop” film. 

On this special episode of The Playlist Podcast, Charles and Mike speak with acclaimed filmmaker Ramin Bahrani about his latest feature, “The White Tiger." And unfortunately, as we discuss, the film has taken on new meaning in the era of the pandemic and rampant wealth inequality. In addition to the film, Bahrani also talks about a project he was developing about the Silicon Valley that fell apart, why he turned down a major studio about a franchise film that might involve superheroes, and his years-long friendship with Roger Ebert. 

The Marvel Cinematic Universe makes its triumphant return to the public with “WandaVision.” And not only does the new streaming series mark the return of the MCU after being gone for over a year, but it also establishes itself as the beginning of Marvel Studios’ run on Disney+. On this episode of The Playlist Podcast, Charles, Mike, and Brian breakdown the new series and whether it lives up the hype, and then they look ahead to the other offerings from Marvel in 2021.

The most exciting filmmakers are those who meticulously curate the tone and craft of their work. Directing every episode of a television season, as “WandaVision” executive producer Matt Shakman recently did, enables an artist to have a level of control over their work that television rarely provides. “WandaVision” is the first project in Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and Marvel Studios’ first plunge into the world of streaming. Taking place after “Avengers: Endgame,” Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) and Vision (Paul Bettany) attempt to live a normal life, only to find themselves traveling through the decades in various sitcom-esque scenarios. It’s fitting that Shakman should find his way back to the world of sitcoms given his days on the “Growing Pains” spinoff, “Just the Ten of Us,” but an added advantage is his accomplished career as both a stage and television director for nearly 20 years. From “Mad Men” to “Succession” to “Game of Thrones,” Shakman has directed some of the most acclaimed episodes of several of television’s greatest shows across multiple genres, most notably “Spoils of War” from “Game of Thrones” Season 7. His collaboration with Kevin Feige and screenwriter Jac Schaeffer on “WandaVision” perfectly align with his desire to utilize and experiment with the genre-blurring nature of the stage in combination with complex tonal material. “WandaVision’s” modulating tone isn’t only what makes it such a unique venture. The craftsmanship behind its loving recreation of the classic sitcoms that inspired it, including “I Love Lucy,” “The Dick Van Dyke Show,” and “Bewitched” is also a remarkable accomplishment. Shakman spoke about the research that went into doing this. Our conversation with Shakman goes even deeper into the way “WandaVision” was constructed, as well as what it was like to work with Olsen and Bettany portraying familiar characters in a wildly unfamiliar setting, and an important lesson Dick Van Dyke taught him about getting authentic reactions from a live sitcom audience. Have a listen to hear from one of the key creative voices behind “WandaVision”, Matt Shakman. "WandaVision" hits Disney+ January 15

On this episode of The Playlist podcast, we have an in-depth conversation with Rolando Rodriguez, the CEO and President of Marcus Theatres. Marcus Theatres is the fourth-largest cinema chain in the US and fifth-largest in North America with more than 1,100 screens. And with 2021 upon us, we thought this would be the perfect time to speak with an expert on the theatrical release business about the struggles of 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as what the exhibition industry is going to do to make sure it survives and thrives in 2021, especially with the rise of streaming services like Netflix, Disney+, and HBO Max.