SnarkMonkey

At long last we get the Snarkers back together from their respective Monkey Cages to chime in on some of the bingeing they've been doing, including some new release movies that have been made available for streaming while also "in theaters" (whatever THAT means.) We talk "The Witches", "Tenet", "Borat Subsequent Movie Film", "Bill & Ted Face The Music", "Enola Holmes", "The Trial of the Chicago 7" and a chilling little indie called "Fear PHarm." And that ain't even it! Like...what the heck is Blaseball? Settle in for the first - and maybe last??? - Zoom edition of SnarkMonkey, with your host Larry Morgan and regulars Trey Callaway, Mark S. Allen, Michael Ambers, Chris McGahan and Alexander Morgan. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Who better to talk movies on Star Wars Day than the voice of Obi-Wan himself - James Arnold Taylor! Besides Star Wars: The Clone Wars you've heard him as Ratchet (Ratchet & Clank), Tidus (Final Fantasy X), Johnny Test and many many others. But do we talk Star Wars for comfort food movies? No! It's Albert Brooks' delightful romantic comedy from 1991, "Defending Your Life" co-starring a little-seen, barely-known Meryl...I wanna say...Streep? Go back to a long time ago in a decade far, far away (the '90s!) as well as hear James' other Go To Movie recommendations during this weird time. Enjoy! (And May The Fourth/Force Be With You.)

It's a socially distant discussion with frequent SnarkGuest, director Peter Segal as we discuss his "Go To" Movie for comfort and joy during this quarantine; the 1978 comedy-fantasy-semi-sports movie "Heaven Can Wait" starring Warren Beatty.  We also hear how COVID-19 has directly impacted his life with the upcoming digital premiere of his new action-comedy "My Spy" which WAS scheduled to be in theaters right now. Check out the trailer here Also, we celebrate the 25th anniversary of his beloved comedy "Tommy Boy" which will have an online viewing party Saturday 4/18 at 8pm ET/5pm PT - join in here  Follow Pete on Twitter @pete_segal  on Instagram @petesegal

What's the best awards show this weekend? No...not that one. It's the Independent Spirit Awards! It's a treasure trove of riches (...lots of "Uncut Gems" of cinema, if you will....see what I did there?...hmmm, do you?) and I talk once again with the President of Film Independent, the organization behind the Spirities (???) Josh Welsh. We get DEEP into great indie movies from the past year, and make right some snubs from those other awards shows. (Hmmph. HMMPH, I say!)  Watch the Independent Spirit Awards - hosted by Aubrey Plaza - Saturday, 2/8/2020, starting at 2pm PST/5pm EST on IFC or worldwide on Twitter. Get more information at filmindependent.org  

After 17 years (25 after the first one!) WIll Smith and Martin Lawrence are back as those wise-crackin', rule-breakin' Miami cops. They're older...they're slower...but are they still funny? Does the chemistry hold up? Do things blow up real good? Join Larry Morgan with Chris McGahan, Jason E. Kelley, and first-time Snarker (and actually real live lady person) Teo Ashenafi as they answer all of the above - and more; including breaking down Will Smith's extraordinary appeal, Martin Lawrence's comeback (of sorts) and celebrate a couple of new directors on the scene who have a ton of promise. Follow Larry on Instagram Follow Chris on Twitter and Instagram Follow Jason on Instagram Learn more about Teo's nonprofit The Peg Effect here

As everybody else is honoring and awarding movies from 2019 (that is SO "last year" of them), Monkeys Larry Morgan and Chris "The McGahan" McGahan and I look ahead to the movies of the future! Including "Bad Boys For Life" with Will Smith and Martin Lawrence (opening this Friday), the next thing from Christopher Nolan, the new Bond, the new Ghostbusters, the new Marvel and DC stuff, and a few wild cards that could be interesting.  Find Larry on instagram @thelarrymorgan And Chris McGahan on Twitter @themcgahan and Instagram @themcgahan

THE DEAD SPEAK! As in...SnarkMonkey is BACK from the dark recesses of space to inexplicably reappear to bring you the final SnarkFest of the decade as Larry Morgan, Trey Callaway, Jason E. Kelley, Chris McGahan, Michael Ambers, newbie Jessica Ambers and Alexander Morgan get geeky and granular on the final chapter in the final trilogy of the Star Wars Skywalker saga. Or....is it? Did J.J. pull it off? Could it have been done better? Is there any chance all of us will attempt to rewrite the whole damn thing? And what's ahead for the Star Wars franchise. Also, how does Gremlins 2 fit into all this??? Listen and find out. WARNING! SPOILERS! LANGUAGE! DEEP DIVES INTO NERDOM!

Larry Morgan and an all-star Snark Crew gather together for the first big Marvel release since "the blip" of Avengers: Endgame to see how the web-slinger is holding up since the death of a mentor. Plus, he's got more than radioactive spider blood coursing through him right now, ifyaknowwhatImean.... Join writer/producer Trey Callaway, musician/podcaster Alexander Morgan, actor/curmudgeon Chris "The McGahan" McGahan and the Monkey-In-Chief for this swingin' episode.  CONTAINS SPOILERS starting about the 14 minute mark.

Larry Morgan is joined by his SuperSnark Crew Jason E. Kelley, Chris McGahan, Mikey Ambers and new Snarker, a real, live actual lady, Emily Doyle to pick apart the biggest movie of our lifetime (...I mean, right?!) AVENGERS: ENDGAME.  WARNING: The first half contains some mild spoilage, but no major plot points. At the 30-minute-ish mark though we give you a heads up and reveal major plot points. So, Snarkers Assemble...let's do this! *Special appearance by Mary-Alice!

The Independent Spirit Awards are this Saturday (February 23rd, 2019) and some amazing films and filmmakers are nominated and highlighted. K-Earth's Larry Morgan welcomes Film Independent's Josh Welsh to talk about the nominees, the show, the state of independent film, how we watch movies in general and more!  Learn more about the awards and Film Independent here, watch live this Saturday on IFC or Facebook Watch. You can follow Film Independent on Twitter @filmindependent

K-Earth's Larry Morgan & The Monkey Crew is ready to throw poop at the Academy Award nominations - as well as predict winners and give some love to deserving pictures and performances. And we can't help but slide into some Comic Book Nerd territory with a big push for "Black Panther" as Best Picture. AND Shawn alerts us to the Great Brit Infiltration conspirary. Join Larry,Mark S. Allen, Shawn Edwards and Chris "The McGahan" McGahan for some serious, cynical snarking.    

You know Emmy-nominated Sharon Lawrence from...oh, let's say "NYPD Blue", "Shameless", "Grey's Anatomy", a thousand other movies and tv shows, and maybe the recent original Lifetime movie "Poinsettias for Christmas." She was recently honored by the Cancer Support Community of Los Angeles with a Gilda Award for her support of breast cancer awareness and research. She's lovely, funny, delightful, and can really belt out a Pat Benatar tune. You can keep up with Sharon on Twitter @sharonlawrence, on Instagram and learn more about the local cancer support community at csclagala.org Watch the Lifetime movie "Poinsettias for Christmas" on demand now at MyLifetime. -Larry Morgan

Larry Morgan is joined by co-Snark-host, writer/producer Trey Callaway as they visit the home of singer/songwriter/producer/multi-instrumentalist Roger Joseph Manning, Jr. We are both huge fans of this man's body of work, from the legendary and influential power pop band Jellyfish to his projects with Imperial Drag, his contributions to many other artists and solo work, including his latest EP "Glamping." Find out more about RJM, Jr. on his PledgeMusic page here, or follow him on Twitter @rogerjmanningjr.  

We welcome Seth Sherwood ("Leatherface") back as one of the writers of the new movie "Hell Fest" (in theaters NOW) and we take a deep dive into the evolution and success of the horror film and his crusade to put the FUN back in the genre. We talk about Seth's vision for the film, break down the ups and downs of fandom, and get geeky about "Star Wars" for a minute. Follow Seth on Twitter @SethMSherwood Check out the trailer for Hell Fest here and the super cool throwback 80s version here.

The LA Film Festival kicks off THIS WEEK (Sept. 20-28) and we snag the delightful Jennifer Cochis, the director of the fest, to come in the MonkeyCage to give us some insight into what to expect. The lineup this year sounds amazing, and of particular interest to K-Earth listeners, opening night features the music doc "Echo in the Canyon" about the Laurel Canyon music scene borne in the 60s and its impact on musicians to this day. For info on the full lineup, as well as pass and single event/screening ticket purchaes go to filmindependent.org. Support independent film! Support your local 

Director Paul Feig (Freaks & Geeks, Bridesmaids, Spy, The Heat, Ghostbusters) joins Larry Morgan in the MonkeyCage to talk about his new film "A Simple Favor" (opening Friday, 9/14) as well as his always-fashionable look, why directing a thriller was a natural step for him, why the casting director is the unsung hero of cinema, why "The Blues Brothers" is a Perfect Movie (Paul's words...no kidding) and much more! Follow Paul on Instagram here, on Twitter here, and check out the trailer for "A Simple Favor" here.

In what may be the most adorable SnarkMonkey episode yet, the whole Morgan family (Larry, Charla & Alex) saw M:I6 together...and reviewed it together! So how's Tom Cruise holding up? Is it the best of the series? Is it one of the best action movies ever? Can you follow this crazy plot? You may not care what we think, but listen anyway because...well...adorable.

Terri Nunn and Berlin will play this weekend (7/27-28) at the Microsoft Theater in Downtown L.A. as part of the 80s Weekend #6 lineup! Terri just recently reuntied with original Berlin band members David Diamond and John Crawford and they join me backstage from a few months ago before a private K-Earth 101 show. They talk about the feeling of playing together after all these years, reminisce about a big show they played with The Police in '83 and how SnarkMonkey MAY have influenced the name of their new album....????  Go to berlinpage.com or follow Terri on Twitter @RealTerriNunn

Larry Morgan is joined by fellow nerds Trey Callaway, Michael Ambers and Chris "The McGahan" McGahan for another cool summer dip back into the Marvel Universe. "Ant-Man and the Wasp" made a sweet $76 mil in its opening weekend...but is it good? Better than the first one? And what is its place in the MCU as a whole? And will Ant-Man show up in the next Avengers movie? And will Michael Pena get his own spin-off!  MILD SPOILERS contained in this rollicking romp of a review.

The all-star, (primarily) all-female cast of "Ocean's 8" won the box office over the weekend, so interest was high -- but was it any good? We let you know, with a rare appearance by non-male reviewer in the MonkeyCage; joining Larry Morgan is his lovely wife Charla to give her thoughts!

Larry Morgan and writer/producer/showrunner Trey Callaway team up like the Han & Chewie of podcasting to break down "Solo: A Star Wars Story." Plus...Trey gets to do some belated "Avengers: Infinity War" bashing in a Bonus Super Snarky Segment.

Richard Blade (KROQ, SiriusXM) comes in the Monkey Cage to talk about how Dick Shepherd, from a quaint coastal town in England, became the radio/TV/film personality we know today. We talk musical influences, European adventures, and his favorite movies all time (and get ready for a pretty in-depth dissertation on the 1964 epic "Zulu" and the Battle of Rorke's Drift. Richard's book "World In My Eyes" is available now on Amazon and everywhere books are sold. Get more info at richardblade.com, follow him on Twitter @richardblade 1a

SNARKVENGERS ASSEMBLE! The biggest movie in the world is getting the full-on nerd post-mortem, and we are no different. Join Monkey-in-Chief Larry Morgan along with Jason E. Kelley, Eric Schwartz and Chris "The McGahan" McGahan as give the film our rating, the need-to-pee test, The Good, The Not-So-Good, and some wild speculation about what the hell is gonna happen in the NEXT chapter. Agree? Disagree? Have better/different theories? Let us know in comments here, on Twitter @TheSnarkMonkey or on the SnarkMonkey Facebook page. ***SPOILERS!!!*** at about the 20 minute mark.

Karen Mason is a star of on-and-off Broadway, a recording artist and cabaret performer of renown, and currently can be seen as Madame Giry in the touring production of Andrew Lloyd Webber's "Love Never Dies"...the sequel to "The Phantom of the Opera." Karen does the big pitch on why we need that sequel...why I should see it...and we delve into the history of a creative "freak" who knew early on that singing and performing in front of an audience was where she was meant to be. Plus we're joined by guest Lara Scott who has seen the show and shares her thoughts. "Love Never Dies" is currently at the Pantages theater in Los Angeles (through April 22, 2018) and moves to the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa (April 24-May 5) and will continue touring the country; get more info and tickets here and learn more about Karen and her latest collection of music "It's About Time" at karenmason.com

Now that the hit movie Marvel's Black Panther has been in theaters for a week - and breaking all sorts of box office records - is it really living up to the hype? This group of snarky nerds let you know, as writer/producer Trey Callaway, actor/writer/etc. Jason E. Kelley, producer/writer Michael Ambers, and actor/comic enthusiast Chris McGahan join SnarkMaster General Larry Morgan in the MonkeyCage to break it down. Agree? Disagree? Let us know in comments below, on Twitter @TheSnarkMonkey, or on the SnarkMonkey Facebook page... 

SnarkMonkey returns with a very cool, rockin' ep with the band No Small Children! If you happened to stay through to the end credits of this past summer's Ghostbusters reboot (see previous Snarkisode with director Paul Feig) you heard a cover of the original Ray Parker, Jr. theme covered by these three ladies. As is says on their website - "rockin' chicks by night, school teachers by day." Yep...they actually do teach at the same school in Southern California, but the seeds of the trio were planted during recess and...well...just listen. Lisa, Nicola & Joanie will be using their summer break to travel around the country and play their particular brand of pop-y, punk-ish, energized rock while, mostly likely, wearing matching dresses. It's what they do. Super-inspiring and super-fun, enjoy NO SMALL CHILDREN! -LM Get more info about NSC and where they'll be playing on their website - follow them on Facebook or Twitter @NoSmallChildren - and check out the latest single "Radio" as well as some of their videos below... RADIO by No Small Children

It's become an annual holiday tradition - the gathering of friends, family & Snarkers to geek out on the latest addition to the Star Wars canon. A stellar group of manboys relaunch the group SnarkCast for a round table discussion (it's actually more oblong-ish) of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. I'm joined by writer/producer Trey Callaway (CSI: New York and the forthcoming Fox series A.P.B.), entertainment reporter Mark S. Allen (Extra Butter on ABC-TV), musician/actor Alexander Morgan (album For The King available on iTunes/Spotify) and actor Jason E. Kelley (Murder In The First and every other commercial on TV). Part 1 of the podcast is SPOILER FREE - Part 2 definitely contains SPOILERS (we give you plenty of warning to pause, but come back to it and see how your opinion lines up with ours) - and in Part 3 we talk about the things that got our monkey going in 2016 and what we look forward to pop culture-wise in 2017. The Snark Is Back, monkeys! And so much more to come in the new year. Follow SnarkMonkey on Twitter @TheSnarkMonkey and on Facebook Follow Larry Morgan on Twitter @Larry_Morgan and on Instagram Follow Trey Callaway on Twitter @TreyCallaway and watch A.P.B. on FOX-TV, premiering February 6th! (trailer below) Follow Mark S. Allen on Twitter @tvmarksallen and on Facebook and watch Mark talk Rogue On on his movie show Extra Butter here Follow Alexander Morgan on Twitter @amorganmusic and on Instagram and check out his music, where he's playing live, and get updates on new tunes in 2017 at alexandermorganmusic.com  Follow Jason E. Kelley on Twitter @jkelley72 and he's got something cool coming up, he just can't tell us about it yet.

Who does Fooly Cooly's Haruko, Final Fantasy XII's Ashe, Star Wars: The Clone Wars' Letta, Rick and Morty's Jessica, and Super Robot Monkey Team Hyperforce Go!'s Nova have in common? Also Kagami in Lucky Star, Tigress in Kung Fu Panda: Legends of Awesomeness, Saber in Fate/Zero, Suzy in Phineas and Ferb, Chloe in The Fairly OddParents...well, this could go on for a while. It's THIS lady! Kari Wahlgren is (or should be) well-known as the voice of every female character you've ever loved in anime, video games and animated series ever. It's an Over The Rainbow kind of story (Kansas to Hollywood...follow my analogy here) after establishing herself onstage in regional theater in her home state. But it started even earlier when she somehow had an innate knowledge of how voice acting worked, that there were actual people behind these imaginary characters, and fulfilled her destiny as a constantly-working professional voice actor (as well as on-screen on occasion.) Kari is funny, candid, often inappropriately sarcastic (her dark streak DOES make an appearance) and gives some inspirational and practical insight into what is a very specific, odd, and often rewarding aspect of the entertainment biz. She also debuts the "Kari Fart." Enjoy! -LM Follow Kari on Twitter @KariWahlgren - kari_wahlgren on Instagram - and check out kariwahlgren.net

Photo credit: Larry Horricks Director Paul Feig has been battling the internet naysayers for months, ever since his reboot of Ghostbusters was announced. That reaction was fueled even further when his all-female cast was revealed and it has continued through the release of the film's trailers right up to its release weekend. In our candid conversation we touch on how he has handled this outpouring of negativity, why he was hesitant to take on the project in the first place, and what convinced him he was the one to ultimately try a fresh, new take. But, we also delve into his past - before the initial success of Freaks & Geeks and well before his worldwide hits Bridesmaids, The Heat & Spy - and try to glean where he honed his chops and why he was tagged by Hollywood as the go-to guy to direct women in comedy. Paul Feig pointing at Larry Morgan's bow tie...hilarity ensues... Part of that journey is reminiscing a bit about the heady days of USC's 80s-era film school environment with host Larry Morgan (hey...that's ME, writing about myself in the third person! Cool...) Meanwhile the internet troll collective may have to slink back into their mom's basements and shut the hell up as the new-era GB is garnering largely positive reviews (as of this writing a 76% "fresh" rating from Rotten Tomatoes) and looks to make a pretty decent impact on the weekend box office. Listen before you judge...then go see it anyway, ya big dummy...and enjoy this very special, big-time Hollywood edition of SnarkMonkey. You can follow Paul on Twitter @paulfeig Here's some collateral 'stuff' we reference in our conversation about Cinema 466 at USC...

Stand-up comic Brad Williams is super funny, not particularly politically correct, really smart and, oh yeah, he's a dwarf. Brad has successfully avoided using his size as a gimmick and, instead, has found a way to be unique, relatable and even inspiring. We get into some serious nitty-gritty of comedy including how edgy material doesn't necessarily have to be offensive, how being on stage means being in complete control, and how being smaller than average doesn't define his material (or him). We also hear about his brief stint in radio, about one of the several (!) times he's been mugged, and even touch on his relationship with the much-maligned Carlos Mencia. You've probably seen Brad perform, but if you haven't seen his latest Showtime special Daddy Issuesyou gotta check it out. Follow Brad on Twitter @funnybrad, like him on Facebook here and check out where Brad will be performing near you at bradwilliamscomedy.com.

Ian Bagg has been a working comedian for some time now, but got a little bump in exposure after getting into the top 5 of last year's Last Comic Standing. So...who is this Ian Bagg fellow? What's his deal? Why does he talk kinda funny, eh? Well...turns out he's Canadian and grew up in an isolated area of British Columbia, worked in a gold mine (a literal gold mine) and was on the verge of studying Blasting Engineering when he instead decided to take the much more dangerous route of telling jokes on stage in front of people. Ian's story starts out sounding a little like maybe David Lynch wrote it, but being of hearty Canuck stock and apparently with no fear, Ian's path includes a wild swing across North America from honing his skills in Vancouver, surviving in a youth hostel in New York, and finally figuring out where it's warm ALL the time after moving to Los Angeles. We cover a lotta ground in this hour-plus, including a little hockey talk, why Ian's style of comedy can throw some audiences off,what the hell Weetabix is (see below) and there's a generous dose of conversation about monkeys. You'll see. Ian Bagg is performing at the Irvine Improv this weekend (6/16-19) where he will be recording his as-yet-untitled special. Get more tour info on Ian's website ianbagg.com, follow Ian on Twitter @IanBagg and like his Facebook page here.

Christopher Titus is probably best known for his half-hour show Titus which aired on FOX-TV between 2000-2002. but he's been an established stand-up doing dark, edgy, personal storytelling on stage for years. It was his one-man show Norman Rockwell is Bleeding - which dealt with being "raised by a raging alcoholic and a mentally ill mother" - that not only set him on a different path with his material, but got him the TV deal. The show was critically acclaimed and performed relatively well, but a fateful meeting with the network president resulted in cancellation and those wounds have yet to completely heal. Titus gets deep into the nuts-and-bolts of his comedy path, including how he evolved on stage, and why every comic needs to discover how to "spew your pure truth." We also talk Richard Pryor, George Carlin, Peter Farrelly and why he is such a huge Prince fan. No...really...a HUGE Prince fan. Chris Titus is at the Brea Improv as of this posting (June 9-11, 2016) and will be filming his special "Born With a Defect" on July 9th at the Central Theatre in Escondido. For more tour dates go here. Check out Titus Podcast here, on iTunes or Podbay.. (They'll be live at Flappers in Burbank on August 16th!) Follow him on Twitter @TitusNation; like his Facebook page; and get all the info you need at christophertitus.com. Here's a teaser for his upcoming film "Special Unit"...

Jimmy is a long-time standing-up comedian (his words) who would have a similar story to many successful comics with one big exception - as a pioneer (my words) in the podcast world, Jimmy started Never Not Funny in 2006 when people had no idea what the hell what that was. Now ten years later it is one of the most downloaded comedy podcasts with a loyal following who actually pay good, American dollars to listen AND watch on video as Players Club members. Hear Jimmy's journey from the rough-and-tumble streets of Chicago's South Side to a brief flirtation with an acting school in Pasadena - along with stints working in a record store, working in the record business - all the while honing his comedy stylings on club stages everywhere. We cover his affection for radio, his passion for the band Chicago, his love of music and much, much more. A fast-moving, super-fun episode...enjoy! Find out where Jimmy will be in your area on his website, jimmypardo.com - if you aren't already hooked, check out his podcast Never Not Funny at pardcast.com (or on iTunes...duh) and you can follow him on Twitter @jimmypardo or Facebook here. 

Kira is a super funny comedian, TV personality, mom and wife whose stand-up special You Did This To Me - which she did while 7 months pregnant! - is now streaming on the world wide web and is great! Despite having a nine-month-old baby who still isn't sleeping all night, Kira comes in to the MonkeyCage guns-a-blazin' to catch us up on life after Baby #2. We also get some backstory from her early life as a Russian refugee, as a teenager in San Francisco, as a Jew that may or may not have horns, and how her 5-year-old is possibly a spy from another dimension...and much, much more. Kira totally brings the Snark, so hang on to something... Kira's stand-up special You Did This To Me is available on Amazon Instant Video and iTunes and almost anywhere you can stream funny stuff.  Plus Kira can be seen in the new GSN game show WInsanity hosted by Donald Faison starting June 9th. Follow Kira on Twitter @kiracomedy - on Facebook here - check out her website at kiracomedy.com and watch her fascinating (...ahem...) jogging adventures on Periscope.

Nina Tassler is best known as the former President and then Chairman of CBS Entertainment, shepherding the network to great success and high ratings with hits like the CSi franchise, How I Met Your Mother, The Good Wife, Mom and many others.  We knew Nina loved monkeys! No longer holding that particular lofty position (but still very much involved in the industry) she has now released a book as a gesture for her daughter but also available to the world called "What I Told My Daughter: Lessons from Leaders on Raising the Next Generation of Empowered Women." A self-proclaimed feminist, Nina was raised in New York state by progressive-minded parents who ran summer camps - she gained a love for theater after seeing shows on Broadway - studied at Boston University - and thus began her particular circuitous route to becoming one of the most powerful and successful television executives ever. Oh...and it just so happens that she is a woman. Our conversation is inspiring for anyone who aspires to be creative, and also a must-listen for any young women who struggles with their place and identity in the modern world. What I Told My Daughter from Simon & Schuster is available now wherever books are sold. For more information go here.

The game Ratchet & Clank was introduced in 2002 followed by multiple releases over the years and now, the Ratchet & Clank movie is (finally) in theaters in 2016! And two of the voice actors who have been part of the R&C universe for that loooong journey enter the MonkeyCage to talk about how they created their characters, what other familiar voices they're identified with, and give some practical advice and guidance to aspiring voice actors. There's also a lot of silliness and tomfoolery and Paul Giamatti fighting with Paul Giamatti. Ratchet & Clank is in theaters now! James Arnold Taylor (Ratchet) returns to SnarkMonkey (hear his amazing personal story in SnarkMonkey #1) and can be seen, heard, followed and stalked on Twitter @JATactor, on Facebook here, on his website and his YouTube channel. (See some of James' behind-the-scenes footage of our podcast session, below...) Jim Ward (Captain Qwark) is on Twitter @JimWardVoices and Facebook here and can be heard as a lot of different people on The Stephanie Miller Show.

Barnet Kellman is most closely associated with being part of the creative team of the groundbreaking TV series Murphy Brown directing every episode of the first three seasons of the series (in addition to the series finale.) But he's done so much more and his journey to get there included displaying pure chutzpah at Colgate University to working in small theaters in daytime drama in New York to becoming a go-to name in Hollywood for directing TV pilots; a first episode that (presumably) sets the template for what is to come. (And, to his credit, those pilots included Mad About You, Suddenly Susan, The George Lopez Show and many others.) In fact, we get some insight into what can make a television pilot special enough that viewers will want to spend seasons/years with the people in that world. Now he's imparting much of this wisdom to the young, creative minds of tomorrow as a Professor of Cinematic Arts at USC, as well as going back to his roots in the theater this summer directing Judith Ivey and Estelle Parsons in Israel Horovitz's play "Out of the Mouths of Babes" Off-Broadway at the Cherry Lane Theater. A smart, funny, talented man - great storyteller - fantastic conversation - enjoy Barnet Kellman! Also, indulge me for a few minutes as I share a few words about Prince and seeing him live in 1981 opening for The Rolling Stones.  Things did not go well for him that day - but it obviously didn't seem to hold him back any. -LM

We revisit, and update, our conversation with Trey Callaway as his show Rush Hour debuts TONIGHT on CBS... --- Writer/Producer Trey Callaway comes into the MonkeyCage with some good talk about being a working creative type in Hollywood - and, wow, what a wide range of stuff this guy has done; a Teen Slasher Movie (the script for I Still Know What You Did Last Summer), a Sci-Fi Medical Drama (Mercy Point), a Police Procedural (CSI: New York), an Action-Adventure Drama (Revolution) and the series that just had its untimely finale after one season, The Messengers. He's also a professor at the USC School of Cinematic Arts imparting his wisdom to young creative minds. Trey's journey has taken lots of interesting twists and turns; coming out of radio, of all things, in his hometown of Tulsa, Oklahoma where he was inspired by Star Wars to the training ground of USC's film school, to a short-lived career in advertising and being a part of the Corman B-movie canon. We cover a lot of ground in this hour-plus conversation, but you'll get some great insight into the value of seeking variety in your creative life and Trey's enthusiasm for how he approaches his work (and life) is inspiring and infectious. He also makes a pretty darn good pitch for why the new series he's working on - the TV reboot of the Rush Hour film series on CBS - will be worth watching. Enjoy! -LM You can follow Trey on Twitter @TreyCallaway

Lisa Yee is a popular writer of Young Adult fiction (including Millicent Min, Girl Genius. The Kidney Hypothetical: Or How to Ruin Your Life in Seven Days and many others) as well as the American Girl, 2016 Girl of the Year books. Lisa's admitted geekiness has served her well with the release this week of the first DC Super Hero Girls novel, Wonder Woman at Super Hero High. An early love for Batman (specifically a childhood crush on Robin) made her well-suited to enter the world of super heroes - but the path there is a circuitous one, including an early inclination to study law. And even once the decision was made to become a writer, it took years of writing copy, commercials, slogans and even Red Lobster menus (not kidding) before a touch of luck (and wizardry) set Lisa on her creative way... You can learn more about Lisa on her website LisaYee.com and follow her on Twitter @LisaYee1 Learn more about the DC Super Hero Girls here and the American Girl 2016 Girl of the Year books here.

Phil Hendrie is a brilliant maniac who has carved out a very unique space in the world of entertainment - for years as a terrestrial broadcaster and now a podcaster - creating an entire universe of characters that all come from one brain and out one mouth hole. (He's a pretty accomplished voice and on-screen actor, too.) Part Jonathan Winters, part Robin Williams, part insane person, Phil Hendrie took a childhood passion for local radio which became a transient career and then became...well, something totally different. Big comedy, subtle commentary and true humanity shine forth in Phil's work which is unlike anything else being created these days.  Take a listen to how this wonderful world was borne as well as Phil (and my) take on the past, present and future of traditional radio and how technology is opening the way for this to be a Wild West of Creativity. Phil's smart, really funny, tells a great story...it's all good.  Enjoy! -LM Check out The World of Phil Hendrie at philhendrieshow.com - follow Phil on Twitter @realphilhendrie - and on Facebook here.

Sarah Tiana is a very funny comedian who had a huge 2015; multiple appearances on @midnight on Comedy Central, a great gig on a CMT show, opening for arena acts like Brad Paisley and Aretha Franklin while still going up in clubs across the country constantly, plus gaining a reputation as a great joke writer and Roast Mistress. Girl's on a roll, yo. It was not an overnight process. Coming from a small town in Northern Georgia Sarah wasn't even thinking about being a comic when she made a move to L.A. in her 20s and started the long, laborious process of standing up in front of strangers on a crappy stage and telling jokes. This is one of those great stories of discovery, tenacity and what it means to be fearless when all the odds seem against you. And notice how I didn't qualify Sarah as a "female" comedian...we talk about the bias of being a woman in a male-dominated form, and how she used that to her advantage. Sarah in the MonkeyCage rockin' the Waffle House gear... We also take a quick tour of her hometown Calhoun, Georgia, talk Waffle House gear, accents and breakdown the mechanics of a really great insult that won't get you punched in the face. Check out where Sarah is performing near you on her website, sarahtiana.com Follow Sarah on Twitter @SarahTiana or on Facebook here

It's a rare repeat appearance from a previous SnarkMonkey guest - SNL cast alum, actor, host, advertising exec and congressional hopeful Gary Kroeger is BACK in the MonkeyCage just in time for the Iowa caucus hootenany (which just so happens to be his home state and, yes, they DO call it a hootenany. I mean...it's Iowa...) In our last conversation (10/28/13) we determined that Gary was politically outspoken, but running for office wasn't necessarily in the cards.  Well, things have obviously changed and now Gary is running for the hotly contested Democratic nomination for Iowa’s 1st District House seat. Gary gives us some real insight into the political process - what it takes to run and win - and shares his very candid viewpoint on what we really need in government now. Agree or disagree, you can't help but admire his passion and commitment. SNL 40th Anniversary - McCartney, Carvey, Crystal...Kroeger! But, we also cover his adventures backstage and in the audience at SNL's much-ballyhooed 40th anniversary show (where he had an awesome-yet-awkward moment with Paul McCartney.) And a lot more... Check out Gary's congressional site at garyforcongress.com and read his writing on the socio-political blog garyhasissues.com and follow Gary on Twitter @KroegerIA01

The night started with such promise for the MonkeyDad and his young padawan... The long-awaited, much-anticipated, heavily-hyped return of...SNARKMONKEY...is here! And no better time than now to resurface with an extensive conversation about a little movie called; Star Wars: The Force Awakens - because you don't have enough white, nerdy males talking about Star Wars in your life. Join Matt Johnson, Mike Ambers, Alexander Morgan and me for an extensive, geeky, nitty-gritty breakdown of J.J. Abrams, new characters, old characters, The Force, insta-bread and other MAJOR SPOILERS!!!!!!  ***Seriously - if you have not seen SW: TFA and plan on it, DO NOT LISTEN TO THIS until afterwards. Then we also do some major conjecture and relate some rumors associated with future chapters of the saga. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! And then leave comments about how wrong we are.***  You will also hear about the death-defying and harrowing adventure that Monkey-In-Chief Larry Morgan and his Monkey Offspring had in the attempt to attend the movie opening night.  It is not for the faint of heart... Hard tickets were acquired and celebratory beers were consumed... Like Matt Johnson's New Frequency page on Facebook here Follow Mike Ambers' Blind Reviews on Twitter @blindreviews Follow Alexander Morgan @AlexMorganMusic and listen to his new album "For The King" now on iTunes here Nerdy discussion ensued... And that's when the descent into movie-going hell began....

photo courtesy Arsonhouse Entertainment Comedian Jerry Rocha's stand-up special "Gabriel Iglesias Presents: The Gentleman Jerry Rocha" airs TONIGHT (10/17/15) on Fuse (check your local listings) and, hopefully, will air again or be available on-demand or streaming somewhere. However you see him, check out this terrific comic's work and see why he's being touted as one of the hottest up-and-comers on the scene. Jerry and I get in-depth about his Texas upbringing, being Latino in a diverse neighborhood, how he found his funny via Eddie Murphy, Dana Carvey, Paul Rodriguez and the late Mike DeStefano and how big an influence "Weird Al", Hulk Hogan, Star Wars, his 5th grade teacher and Optimus Prime had on him. It'll all make sense...trust me. Fast, funny, dark but lovable - this is a true gentleman, Jerry Rocha.  Enjoy! -LM Get more info at jerryrochacomedy.com; follow Jerry on Twitter @rochacomedy

Director Michael Lehmann immediately made a name for himself with his feature-length debut in Hollywood - the dark, quirky, decade-defining Heathers in 1988. Then three years later he also helmed the much-maligned Bruce Willis vehicle Hudson Hawk. It was a one-two Hollywood Punch, and could have been a high-profile Fall From Grace, but instead Michael persevered and his particular and unique directorial vision graced a few more box office efforts and a ton of episodic television. (Like what? Like...oh, The Larry Sanders Show, The Comeback, Big Love, Nurse Jackie, The Big C, Bored To Death, American Horror Story, Dexter, True Blood, Californication...basically any good show you've ever seen, ever, he's had a hand in.) Most recently Michael has been involved with the HBO series The Brink and the Patrick Stewart series on Starz, Blunt Talk. And, who knows, he may have directed another twenty episodes of something new since I had this conversation with him two days ago. The high points of Michael's path include growing up with eclectic cinema tastes and doing community radio at KPOO in the San Francisco Bay Area to studying art at Columbia in New York and philosophy in Germany to being the receptionist at Zoetrope Studios (via Francis Ford Coppola's babysitters) to pushing boundaries of convention at USC's cinema championing something called Beaver Gets a Boner...and beyond. Michael is gracious, intelligent, quietly passionate and has unique insight into this so-called "Golden Age of Television" as he just happened to transition into the small-screen world with uniquely fortuitous timing, even if it included some personal resistance. Enjoy! -LM Follow Michael on Twitter @docstrangelove

The band The Motels was perfectly suited for the New Wave music scene in the late 70s, as well as visually perfect for the MTV era a few years later. With hits like "Only the Lonely" and "Suddenly Last Summer" they secured enough of a following to put them on the road and in the studio for years to come. But the path to that success was by no means overnight or easy - especially for the voice, chief songwriter and, ostensibly, the face of the band - Martha Davis. Martha comes in to the MonkeyCage to share her remarkable journey in the music business at the same time she is celebrating the release of a live concert film "The Motels Live at the Whisky a GoGo 50th Anniversary" which will premiere tonight (9/21/2015) at the Regent Theatre in downtown Los Angeles (tickets still available as of this posting). The red carpet starts at 8pm, screening shortly thereafter, there will be a Q&A session with Martha, Emmy winning cinematographer Roy H. Wagner and director Denise Faye, the choreographer of "Burlesque" and the co-director of Cher's current tour. (And while you're downtown, check out Beelman's Pub, as they have been a very kind sponsor for this event.) The DVD and Blu ray of "The Motels Live at the Whisky a GoGo 50th Anniversary" will be released nationwide on Oct 23. Thanks, also, to Nicholas Johns, a current member of The Motels lineup, for giving us his perspective as well! Follow Martha and The Motels on Twitter; @TheMotels on Facebook here and on their website themotels.com

Jack Epps had a hand in writing some very big hit movies in the 80s (Top Gun, Legal Eagles, The Secret of My Succe$s, Turner & Hooch) but getting those hits involved taking quite a few swings and dealing with quite a few misses. Jack talks about the tenacity and discipline it takes to be a screenwriter, including setting a high standard for your own work and the knowledge, going in, that your first draft is probably gonna suck. And that's okay. We also delve into the dynamic of writing with a partner, how television has seen a resurgence, and there's an Ethel Merman reference. (You have to listen.) Jack is now teaching his craft at the USC School of Cinematic Arts and his forthcoming book Screenwriting is Rewriting will cover similar ground and will be required reading for anyone who wants to know what it really takes to get your amazing movie (or TV) idea into shape for mass consumption. (Hint: your butt is involved. You have to listen.) Also, hello to fellow podcasters and attendees of the 2015 Los Angeles Podcast Festival - thanks for checking us out here in the MonkeyCage.  Enjoy!  -LM

Three great improvisers from L.A.'s Upright Citizens Brigade sit down and get serious about funny stuff. Billy Merritt, Joe Wengert and Jim Woods come from different parts of the country, different backgrounds and different sensibilities but came together when the New York-based UCB founders started a theater on the West Coast to be members of one of the mainstay teams/shows known as The Smokes as well as several others.  All three have also taught the school curriculum and coached teams while watching the UCB become a pipeline for talent into the entertainment industry. We talk about how improv, and UCB in particular, has transformed the current comedic paradigm...if there is such a thing. I don't know, I just made that up and it sounded pretty awesome. Oh, and Billy gets a gold star for bringing monkey facts. Yay!  -LM Follow Billy and Joe on Twitter here; @BillyMerritt@joewengert

We catch up with a previous SnarkMonkey guest to get an update on his life now that Straight Outta Compton has made it into theaters as well as revisit our conversation from back in April on his circuitous path through showbiz... --- One of the writers of the NWA biopic, Straight Outta Compton, Alan Wenkus has taken a circuitous path from the comedy clubs of New England, a wacky 80s teen comedy starring a young Johnny Depp, morning radio in New York, writing syndicated comedy bits in the Valley, and now being a big part of a major Hollywood release. Hear how tenacity, rolling with the punches and keeping your sense of humor (at all costs) can pay off in the long run. AND we'll figure out how one of the most Caucasian guys you ever met could write about one of the most groundbreaking rap bands ever.  -LM Follow Alan on Twitter @alanwenkus

Yakov Smirnoff came to the United States from Russia in the 70s and, landing in Los Angeles, literally lived at The Comedy Store in Hollywood where he began to develop his stand-up act. Rocketing to fame in the 80s Yakov was everywhere - The Tonight Show, in movies, his own sitcom and in commercials. But with the fall of the Berlin Wall and the cooling of the Cold War, Yakov's Russian-in-America act and persona began to lose its relevance and impact. In the process of reinventing himself a faltering marriage drove him to learn more - about love, laughter and how those things go hand-in-hand. Yakov's journey includes revitalization in, of all places, Branson, Missouri, getting a degree from an Ivy League school, becoming a professor  and now regularly going up at his old "home" The Comedy Store and bringing a new act and new perspective to appreciative audiences. To hear more about his early years a great companion piece to this podcast would be Marc Maron's WTF conversation with Yakov, which you can get here as a subscriber, or listen on YouTube here. Yakov will be appearing at The Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills on August 16th, as well as heading back to his 2000 seat theater in Branson in late September through early December, and will be shooting a PBS special, "Happily Ever Laughter" to air in early 2016. Get more info about Yakov and his performing schedule at Yakov.com and you can follow him on Twitter @yakov_smirnoff Enjoy! -LM Yakov was everywhere in the mid-80s...even in a Miller Lite commercial...

For American audiences the 80s band Spandau Ballet seemingly came out of nowhere, but in the U.K. they had achieved a reputation for marrying soulful, beat-driven music with a sense of fashion and style as part of the New Romantics scene. Thanks largely to MTV, American audiences - and the rest of the world - embraced their massive hits "True" and "Gold" which sent them on tour around the world, including a high-profile spot on stage at Live Aid in 1985.  But tension began to creep in. Their 1989 album Heart Like A Sky was a disappointment. Chief songwriter/guitarist Gary Kemp and his brother, bass player Martin Kemp, went off to shoot a high-profile film based on the real-life British gangsters The Krays. The band called it quits. Chatting with Gary Kemp, John Keeble Years later a court case over royalties drove an even bigger wedge between them.  But in 2009 all five members put aside their differences and, after almost twenty years, re-formed to make new music and go on tour. with John Keeble, Steve Norman Their fascinating journey from the earliest days coming out of a punk and disco club scene in London in the late 70s to feeling stronger than ever about their music as they each reach their mid-50s is documented in the fascinating film Soul Boys Of The Western World. Here, Gary Kemp, drummer John Keeble and multi-instrumentalist Steve Norman (the man responsible for that sweet sax solo in "True") sit down to reminisce and look forward.  Enjoy! -LM Go to SpandauBallet.com - follow them on Twitter @SpandauBallet - Like 'em on Facebook Above, trailer for the excellent doc about the band Soul Boys of the Western World and, below, my personal fave Spandau song... "Gold" We reference in the podcast a new film starring Tom Hardy as the infamous British gangsters, but in 1991 it was Gary and Martin Kemp who portrayed The Krays in this excellent film...