The Playlist Podcast Network

To remember the recently passed John le Carré and his 60-year writing career, Be Reel starts 2021 with a super-sized episode revisiting six film adaptations of the master spy novelist, including "The Spy Who Came In From the Cold" (1965), "The Constant Gardener" (2005), "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" (2011) and more. Happy new year. And rest easy, Mr. Cornwell.

With 2020 finally coming to a close, The Playlist Podcast adds one more Best Of list to the pile. Well, not so much a Best Of, but instead, Charles, Mike, and Brian talk about the only list that “New Mutants” might find itself on this year, the Most Disappointing Films of 2020.

It’s finally here! After months of delays and the announcement that it would be arriving on HBO Max the same day as in theaters, “Wonder Woman 1984” is upon us. And this week’s episode of The Playlist Podcast features Charles Barfield, Mike DeAngelo, and Sharronda Williams are here to discuss the good, the bad, and the campy in one of the most anticipated films of the year. 

If you thought Pixar’s resume couldn't get any more impressive, “Soul”—the studio’s upcoming release about passion, music, and a soul-in-training—will prove you wrong. That’s no small task. After all, Pixar already boasts a repertoire of celebrated works. “Toy Story”, “Monster’s Inc.”, “Finding Nemo”, “The Incredibles”, “Cars”, and the list goes on. The team at Pixar has shown beyond doubt their ability to tell great stories and to do so year in and year out. Pixar’s diverse blend of creative minds produces an authenticity that rings true to real life. Kemp Powers, the co-director of "Soul" and a New York City native, emphasized this authenticity in the context of the animated cityscape. To ensure a life-like portrayal of the city—which would have to pass the scrutiny of a long-time New York City commuter in Kemp Powers—the Pixar team brought in cinematographer Bradford Young as a lighting consultant. Beyond authenticity, it is these deeper statements that make "Soul" the movie Pixar has been building toward. By inspecting a struggling musician’s life-purpose and connection to his true self—his soul—Pixar’s latest aspires to a depth not often seen in animation. It takes chances in the same way "Inside Out" did in dealing with taboo emotion. It’s daring in the same way "Coco" was in confronting death. So sure, in watching "Soul" when it’s released on Christmas Day, you’ll be engrossed in a story worthy of Pixar’s record. But you’ll also be challenged. You’ll be made to think and feel, and you’ll leave the film with a new perspective and, maybe, a new purpose. Think that’s a tall order for Pixar? My conversation with Pete Docter, Kemp Powers and Dana Murray might convince you otherwise. "Soul" hits Disney+ December 25.

As we end a truly bizarre movie year, Chance and Noah dive back into the work of seven directors who made their marks and cemented their voices in 2020. Happy holidays, one and all. 3:00- Leigh Whannell (“The Invisible Man”) 9:45 - Kitty Green (“The Assistant”) 17:20 - Jason Hehir (“The Last Dance”) 25:15 - Garrett Bradley (“Time”) 36:40 - Sean Durkin (“The Nest”) 44:30 - Eliza Hittman (“Never Rarely Sometimes Always”) 57:20 - Josephine Decker (“Shirley”)

In this episode of The Playlist Podcast, Charles Barfield, Mike DeAngelo, and Brian Farvour tackle "The Stand," the new CBS All Access streaming series that is co-created by Benjamin Cavell. The hosts actually speak to Cavell about the process of adapting a 1,200-page epic and some of the major changes that had to be made. In addition, the hosts are joined by writer/King expert Warren Cantrell, who lends his knowledge in explaining all things "The Stand."  0:00 - 40:00 - Warren Cantell joins to breakdown "The Stand" 40:01 - 69:00 - Showrunner Bejanmin Cavell Interview

"Mad Men" star Jon Hamm seeks creative fulfillment in more places than the alpha-male, womanizing life of Don Draper. Whether he’s in budget giants like the upcoming "Top Gun: Maverick" or festival titles like "Lucy in the Sky," he gravitates toward projects he’s passionate about. In the world of television, too, he prioritizes creative alignment over adherence to a consistent personal brand, landing recurring roles in shows like "30 Rock," "Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt," and "Saturday Night Live." As the distinction between TV and film has grown more and more blurred, Hamm’s versatility has been an important asset. The new landscape of entertainment has freed Hamm to pursue a variety of roles. More importantly, however, it has freed him to work with people he admires, like John Patrick Shanley, director of Hamm’s latest film, "Wild Mountain Thyme." Of his and Shanley’s creation, Hamm says: "It's got all of the elements that make Shanley, Shanley. It's got this beautiful, magical realism. Ireland is a fanciful place. It takes place out of time. It doesn't need to be in the 60s, or the 40s, or the 20s. It has no cynicism. It has no snark. It's the perfect antidote to 2020." In addition to exploring rural Ireland’s natural romanticism in Hamm’s newest film, our conversation ranged from being the unofficial mascot of the St. Louis Blues, to the exciting "volleyball scene 2.0" in "Top Gun: Maverick," and more. Have a listen to hear from the Mad Man himself, Jon Hamm.

Charles Barfield, Mike DeAngelo, and Brian Farvour return to discuss the massive news dropped by Disney during its 2020 Investors Presentation. The multi-hour presentation saw Disney unveil about 60 new projects including new films from Marvel, "Star Wars" and Pixar, as well as dozens of TV shows coming to Disney+.  There's A LOT to cover.  0:00 - 5:30 - Disney+ numbers & the future 5:31 - 23:00 - Star Wars films & TV projects 23:01 - 61:00 - Marvel films & TV projects 61:01 - 88:00 - Other Disney projects & FX series

As a special bonus to our listeners, we're premiering the fourth episode of the new(ish) podcast "Fun City Cinema," which looks at the history of New York City, the history of New York City movies, and their intersection. "Fun City Cinema" was co-founded by Playlist contributor and reviewer Jason Bailey. In this special holiday episode, hosts Jason Bailey and Mike Hull are joined by special guests Mark Asch, Jillian Mapes, Sarah Marshall, and Anya Stanley to look at the 1992 hit "Home Alone 2: Lost In New York," which somehow leads to Rudy Giuliani, Donald Trump, “Broken Windows,” the Central Park Five, and 9/11. Happy Holidays!

If you're a sports fan, there's nothing quite like the rush of watching a half-court buzzer-beater or a Super Bowl-winning touchdown in the final seconds of the game. There's just something remarkable about a group of individuals uniting to accomplish something greater than themselves. It's a trait that's inherently cinematic, however, simply recreating the excitement of game day for a feature film isn't enough. All the best sports movies understand that the power and impact of their story represent more than a game. For almost 20 years, producer Mark Ciardi ("The Rookie," "Invincible" and "Miracle") has lived by that philosophy delivering some of Disney's most poignant character dramas through the lens of popular athletic contests as a means for sparking a larger conversation. The former baseball player turned producer now takes his talents to Disney+ to deliver the story of 18-year-old Ray-Ray McElrathbey (Jay Reeves) who fights to not only keep his Clemson football scholarship but, most importantly stepping up to care for his 11-year-old brother Fahmarr (Thaddeus J. Mixson) after their mother enters rehab in "Safety." Ray's story is one many young athletes can relate to, yet, it's a story rarely represented on the big screen. Learning how to divide one's time and balance both athletics and academics is enough of a challenge. However, when you factor in a troubled home life, it becomes an almost impossible task to rise to. Ray and his little brother, Fahmarr, understand that all too well, but, hope that their story can give some encouragement to young athletes looking for guidance. While "Safety" has been in development since 2010, Mark Ciardi understood the importance of getting it made delivering encouraging messages of family, maturity, and parenthood as he continued to advocate for it. Even when given the green light, Ciardi wanted to make sure he captured the proper emotions of Ray's moment as the crew headed to Clemson to film in Memorial Stadium for a live football game. You can listen to the rest of our conversation with Mark Ciardi and Ray-Ray McElrathbey and check out "Safety" when it hits Disney+ on Dec. 11. This interview was conducted by Ronal E. Smith (@Just_Ron10)