Podcasts about Denis Johnson

In this episode, we review the 2025 American period drama film Train Dreams, directed by Clint Bentley, who co-wrote the screenplay with Greg Kwedar. The film is based on the 2011 novella by Denis Johnson and stars Joel Edgerton, Felicity Jones, and William H. Macy. We discuss whether this story showcases one of Joel Edgerton’s best performances, and we debate whether the film lives up to its nomination for Best Picture at the Academy Awards.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The latest film from the writer and director Clint Bentley, “Train Dreams,” is nominated for four Oscars, including best adapted screenplay. The movie is based on Denis Johnson's 2011 novella of the same name and tells the story of Robert Grainier, a logger in the Pacific Northwest, in stream-of-consciousness, nonlinear prose. This week, Gilbert Cruz talks with Bentley, who wrote the screenplay with Greg Kwedar, his longtime collaborator, about how he went about translating Johnson's work into a visual medium. Bentley first read “Train Dreams” just after college, long before he ever thought of making it into a movie. When producers with rights to the book approached Bentley, he was suddenly worried. “Going back and reading the book again,” Bentley said, “I was like, Oh, maybe this thing is unadaptable.” Set on capturing the spirit of the book, Bentley and Kwedar focused on “the vastness of this small little life,” he said. “We very rarely have an understanding of our lives in the moment we're actually living them,” Bentley said. “We only start to understand them when it's too late.” Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Everything is a spoiler-heavy podcast. We talk about all aspects of whatever we are discussing and do not announce or avoid spoilers in any way.In this episode of Everything, Justin and Keith talk about the Denis Johnson novella, “Train Dreams” and the Netflix adaptation. After that, they discuss a smorgasbord of movies including, Demon Lover Diary, Ham on Rye, and Akira Kurosawa's High and Low.Music by Johnny Hawaii.

Send a textIn this episode of the podcast, we dive deep into Train Dreams, the long-awaited adaptation of the acclaimed novella by Denis Johnson. Set against the rugged backdrop of the early 20th-century American West, this haunting and intimate story follows a solitary laborer navigating love, loss, and the sweeping changes of a transforming nation.We break down the film's performances, direction, cinematography, and how faithfully it captures the quiet emotional power of Johnson's original work. Does Train Dreams live up to its literary roots? And how does it stand on its own as a cinematic experience?

What does the future hold for sterile fill-finish CDMOs in a rapidly evolving market? In this sponsored episode of The Top Line, Denis Johnson, CEO of Grand River Aseptic Manufacturing, discusses the capacity crunch facing U.S. sterile manufacturing and what it means for healthcare stakeholders. As acquisitions reduce available capacity, Annex 1 drives preference for isolator technology, and companies reshore production, competition for specialized sterile fill expertise is intensifying. Johnson explains why segmentation and specialization are becoming critical differentiators in the CDMO space, particularly as biologics pipelines expand and product launches accelerate. He also shares how GRAM is investing in new facilities, high-volume syringe and cartridge capabilities, and workforce development to stay ahead of client demand while maintaining compliance and flexibility. For B2B healthcare professionals, marketers and payers seeking clarity on supply chain resilience and manufacturing strategy, this episode delivers timely insight. Listen now to explore how leading CDMOs are preparing for the next wave of sterile manufacturing demand.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week's pick is Train Dreams: a quiet, meditative Netflix drama adapted from Denis Johnson's novella, following the life of Robert Grainer (Joel Edgerton) — a logger and railroad worker drifting through early 20th-century America. It's the kind of film that feels like a memory: sparse dialogue, heavy atmosphere, and a sense of time moving faster than any one person can keep up with.The opening sets the tone immediately: rail tracks, a tunnel, Will Patton's voiceover, and an image that pays off later — boots nailed to a tree, slowly swallowed by nature. From there it's a whole life in fragments: brutal work camps, quiet domestic joy, sudden violence, and the long, haunted aftermath of loss.What we talked aboutA “Western” that isn't really a Western — frontier vibes at first, then you realise you're watching the world modernise around one man who can't.Work as a lifetime trap: logging season, railroad labour, the “build it for someone else” feeling, and the way corporations just roll on regardless.The Chinese labour thread and the early sequence where a Chinese worker is taken and thrown from the bridge — and how that moment sits with Grainer for decades.William H. Macy as the old explosives guy: funny, weary, and then brutally, pointlessly lost.The wildfire: Grainer racing home, the cabin gone, wife and daughter gone off-screen — and the film refusing to give closure, so you feel the same unresolved grief he does.The recurring motif of time erasing everything: the boots, the forest reclaiming, bridges made obsolete, progress moving on without sentiment.The late-film whiplash into modernity: Grainer seeing spaceflight on a shop-window TV, then taking a plane ride — an old man briefly touching the future.Nick Cave over the end credits, and how the score and natural lighting carry the whole thing.VerdictA beautifully shot, melancholy life-story film: quiet, heavy, and surprisingly moving. Joel Edgerton is superb, and the movie's best trick is making the audience feel the scale of time — and the smallness of one person inside it.Strong recommend, especially if you're in the mood for something reflective rather than plot-driven.You can now text us anonymously to leave feedback, suggest future content or simply hurl abuse at us. We'll read out any texts we receive on the show. Click here to try it out!We love to hear from our listeners! By which I mean we tolerate it. If it hasn't been completely destroyed yet you can usually find us on twitter @dads_film, on Facebook Bad Dads Film Review, on email at baddadsjsy@gmail.com or on our website baddadsfilm.com. Until next time, we remain... Bad Dads

Welcome back to the 2026 Oscar Best Picture Nominee Marathon here on Tina's Tea!This episode I am joined by my mom again, as we review and discuss the American period drama, Train Dreams!Train Dreams is directed by Clint Bentley, who co-wrote the screenplay with Greg Kwedar, based on the 2011 novella by Denis Johnson.This is the third of the 10 2026 Oscar best picture nominees we will watch and discuss here on the podcast.Enjoy ;)

A quiet, meditative film about the Pacific Northwest’s logging and railroad industry at the turn of the 20th century is this year’s sleeper hit, accumulating four Oscar nominations including Best Picture. Train Dreams tells the story of Robert Grainier, played by Joel Edgerton, as he helps expand the nation’s railway system, clearing forests alongside nomadic characters. As the film progresses, the audience is transported to the changing landscape of the West, the visuals dreamy like sifting through memories. The film is an adaptation of the novella of the same name written by Denis Johnson. On FilmWeek, Larry Mantle speaks with Train Dreams’ director and co-writer Clint Bentley, who is nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay alongside co-writer Greg Kwedar, and the film’s director of photography, Adolpho Veloso, who is nominated for Best Achievement in Cinematography. Train Dreams is nominated for four Academy Awards including Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Achievement in Cinematography, and Best Achievement in Music (Original Song). Train Dreams is available to stream on Netflix.

Summary - In this all Back of Beyond Books edition of Radio Book Club, hosts David Everitt, Olivia Stacey, and Nat Smith perused the latest best-sellers and dug into the books they've been enjoying recently. Coming-of-age novels took center stage, with a variety of books that capture the multifaceted experience of adolescence, be it disgusting and horrifying or magical and epic. A couple of highly recommended short story collections and a peek into possible dystopian futures rounded out the discussion. Books we reviewed - Half His Age by Jennette McCurdy Chlorine by Jade Song Tom's Crossing by Mark Danielewski The Future of Truth by Werner Herzog Brawler by Lauren Groff American War by Omar El Akkad Jesus' Son by Denis Johnson

It's not often that it happens, Slushies, but it's always a treat when it does. We're switching to fiction for the day with “Colfax,” a flash story from Patricia Q. Bidar, author of the short fiction collection Pardon Me for Moonwalking. Spoiler alert: read the story first in the show notes or listen to the story in full at 41:50 before our discussion ruins it for you. Something about the story's theme and concision reminds Sam of Louise Glück's prose poems in her late collection, A Faithful and Virtuous Night. Sam also appreciates how the story allows a female character the same kind of recklessness found in Denis Johnson's Jesus' Son. Jason shares his surprising childhood connection to Vacaville, CA, one of the story's locales. And in his role as bad cop, Jason raises a question about uncanny children. Tune in to find out what he means by that. While we're all bracing for winter storms, we're happy to dwell, for a moment, in California Central Valley's humid and fertile atmosphere. As always, thanks for listening! At the table: Tobi Kassim, Samantha Neugebauer, Jason Schneiderman, Kathleen Volk Miller, Lisa Zerkle, and Lillie Volpe (sound engineer) Bio:        Patricia Q. Bidar is a western writer and Port of Los Angeles native. Her novelette, Wild Plums (ELJ Editions), was published in 2024 and collection of flash fiction, Pardon Me for Moonwalking (Unsolicited Press), in 2025. Patricia's work has appeared in Waxwing, Wigleaf, SmokeLong Quarterly, The Pinch, and Another Chicago Magazine; in the Wigleaf Top 50, and in many anthologies including Flash Fiction America (W.W. Norton), Best Microfiction, and Best Small Fictions. Visit patriciaqbidar.com   Website www.patriciaqbidar.com   Facebook         https://www.facebook.com/patriciaqbidar Instagram        https://www.instagram.com/patriciaqbidar/ Bluesky              patriciaqbidar.bsky.social     Colfax Cristina swallows the last of the loose pills from Julian's glove box. Within a few minutes, fresh energy blooms and fizzes within her; the sensation is of tumbling backward into space.  Julian: a drug dealer so giant and peevish the floor mats on the driver's side are bunched and ruined. Underneath his criminal veneer, Julian is just a mundane mammal who's driven Cristina, an animal woman, to flight.  Half an hour later, she's reached Colfax. In this heat, this fecund place. The car has mashed against the gas station's cashier hut. Years ago, when Cristina was growing up here, this was a drive-in theatre, with a massive image of a vaquero on a rearing steed. Sweltering nights, Cristina would watch movies with her lonely mother, car windows open wide, clasped in the smell of tomatoes, melons, and insecticide.  Rain begins to pepper the hood. Cristina rises into vegetal air. She doesn't recall opening the door.  The window to the hut is dirty and rain spattered. She peers between cupped hands at the empty stool inside, the bank of cigarette packs. Lightning cracks; after a few seconds, thunder rumbles. Cristina presses her hand over her heart. Is she alarmed? Are the pills goosing her pulse? But she feels calm. The sky is a tight lid. It was a mistake, stealing Julian's car. Julian, who took her in. Identified and claimed her after Cristina finished her time and was so adrift and alone.  Cristina was working as a server in a West Sacramento brewery. Her last customer on a slow Tuesday night was a black-haired guy in a cowboy hat. Stiff-looking jeans and a pearl-buttoned shirt. A face that seemed not to match the hair. “Lady,” he said so low she had to incline her head. “You think no one sees you. I do. I do.” She joined Julian that very night on one of his quests. He was what her mother would have called a peeping tom. He wanted her to wear nylon hose, like he did. Why not? No one was getting hurt. It was simply watching. Watching women. Women when they were themselves and unaware they were being observed. In a word: seen. Julian was no Rawhead, no Slenderman. Not one of those serial killers roving California freeways in the nineteen-seventies, the ones Cristina's mother had been obsessed with. Now she imagines someone peering in through the car door and seeing her, Cristina, slumped behind the wheel. People idealize farmland, farm girls as wholesome. Green, yellow, and blue.  The sky is cobalt now. Fifty feet away is a bus shelter, sagging and white. A small form is hunched inside. Lightning again, and then, immediately following, that bass sky-rumble. Cristina runs. Inside, a child of about nine swings its legs. Windbreaker, hood up.  "Hello there?" Cristina ventures. "I'm studying these ants," the kid returns. A girl. "Would you like a churro?" Cristina cannot see the girl's face but is struck by the way she sits. A bell buried deep inside of her tolls. "Is this the bus stop for town?" Cristina asks. The churros smell nice; hot grease and cinnamon. Cristina used to make them for her little sisters. She thought she might become a baker one day. At least, when anyone asked, this was what she had answered. She should be hungry. "That's my car, in case you were wondering,” Cristina says. Nothing. She crouches down beside the girl. “Dead at the service station. Lucky, I guess.” The child considers this. "Well, not really." She speaks patiently, the way Cristina used to speak to adults at her age. As if they were her younger sisters or the kids in the slow class at school, or the witless ladies in the school office. “On second thought, I'll take one of those churros." Cristina says. But the girl has returned to her task: surveilling a line of ants. Cristina's mind unspools the types. Velvet ants. Pharaoh ants. Argentine ants. Thief ants. The odorous house ants, and then — wasn't there a sugar ant?  The smell of water-heavy crops and soil and chemical fertilizer thickens the air. All of the choices Cristina has made in life have led her to this place. "There's nothing left," she says aloud. "It depends on how you see it," the girl returns, pushing her eyeglasses up into place with a forefinger. Cristina squints at the obscured face. Then the girl daintily lifts and lowers her hood. And bares the side of her left pinky finger. The small oval scar is exactly like Cristina's.  “Did your mother tell you that people with six fingers and toes are giants sired by angels and human women? Something apart from God,” Cristina said. Those surgeries when she was four.  “She says I'm a monkey.” Cristina remembers a long-ago birthday party, her ninth, attended by zero children.  She feels the sky drawing her up, then. At the same time, the inverted bowl of sky pushes down. It is like that optical illusion where you can't tell if the black horse is headed toward you or walking away. Hail pounds the roof of the shelter. The discs of ice flash under the bright lights of the gas pump island. The girl returns to dropping pinches of dough onto the ants. Obeying their internal imperative: a perpetuation of their kind.  Cristina sees Julian preparing for bed. Applying his eye cream. Clapping twice to extinguish the bedside light. He refers to himself as cerebral. But what is so deep about dealing painkillers during the afternoon shift at the One Stop Spy Shop in Vacaville? Life with Julian had amounted to a slow and downhill slide, and that was for sure. “We live our lives with our ancestors as witness,” the girl says at last. Her words hang in the air like wet almond blossoms.  Cristina has to ask. “Am I that? Am I alive?” And a roar consumes the sky. A silver bus is careening toward them from behind blue oaks. And a metal monster slips from the asphalt. Rolls end over end. Sky-blotting. Deafening. Images rise and blend and collapse. The blanched face of the driver. The silhouettes of passengers. One of whom is standing. Julian? Something blooms and expands in Cristina's head. But there is no bus. No careening crash. Only a fecund silence. And the girl tears a piece of the churro, nudging Cristina's lips with the sugar and cinnamon confection. It is absolutely delectable and somehow still warm. Like the corner of a golden kitchen in bygone evenings. A humming mother, changing her dressings. An iron stove and a gray kitten, satisfied and warm.  Cristina really, finally, is free. She has made it back to the beginning.  Apart from time, the girl and Cristina stand in the little windbreak like gingerbread children or figures in a Frida Kahlo painting. The girl takes her hand. And then it is she and Cristina and the animal female chain, extending into and past the vanishing point: Girl Girl Girl Girl Girl Girl Girl.

On today's show, Richard and Alison hop on a boxcar and stare wistfully as the 20th century passes them by with Best Picture nominee Train Dreams. They discuss director Clint Bentley's lush, if somewhat sanded-down take on Denis Johnson's novella about a lumberman haunted by his past, starring a very quiet Joel Edgerton. Train Dreams is one of Netflix's Best Picture nominees this year, but the film was not an original production. It was acquired by the streamer at last year's Sundance Film Festival. On the occasion of this year's festival (which is happening as we speak) we also discuss how Sundance works, and what, exactly gives a movie that ineffable Sundance flavor we have come to associate with small-scale American indies like Little Miss Sunshine.  We also discuss Netflix's seemingly endless quest to win Best Picture, why the Academy is so resistant to giving them the big prize, and why the most popular streamer in the world is so desperate for Academy validation in the first place. Sign up for Check Book, the Blank Check newsletter featuring even more “real nerdy shit” to feed your pop culture obsession. Dossier excerpts, film biz AND burger reports, and even more exclusive content you won't want to miss out on. Join our Patreon for franchise commentaries and bonus episodes. Follow us @blankcheckpod on Twitter, Instagram, Threads and Facebook!  Buy some real nerdy merch Connect with other Blankies on our Reddit or Discord For anything else, check out BlankCheckPod.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode is brought to you by Basecamp, the world's simplest, most effective project management platform. Check them out at https://basecamp.com and tell them David Perell sent you. Clint Bentley and Greg Kwedar are the two brilliant minds behind Train Dreams, the Oscar-nominated adaptation of Denis Johnson's novella. Their film is emotionally devastating in ways that stay with you long after the credits roll. In this interview, I wanted to understand how that kind of film actually gets made. We talk about how they taught themselves filmmaking by building a mental archive of films, how a single frame can unlock an entire scene, and why adapting a book spirit often requires stepping away from its words. This How I Write episode is an exploration into how two directors think together, and how a deeply human story becomes something monumental. About the host Hey! I'm David Perell and I'm a writer, teacher, and podcaster. I believe writing online is one of the biggest opportunities in the world today. For the first time in human history, everybody can freely share their ideas with a global audience. I seek to help as many people publish their writing online as possible. Follow me Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/how-i-write/id1700171470 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@DavidPerellChannel Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2DjMSboniFAeGA8v9NpoPv X: https://x.com/david_perell Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 181 January 15,  2026 On the Needles ALL KNITTING LINKS GO TO RAVELRY UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED.  Please visit our Instagram page @craftcookreadrepeat for non-Rav photos and info     Succulents 2025 Blanket CAL by Mallory Krall, Hue Loco DK in Hens & Chicks– DONE!! And started joining!    Tentacula Cowl by Jenny Noto, Jems Luxe Fibers Monstrous Minis in Scylla –DONE!   Gnandad's Grand Adventure by Sarah Schira, Little Squirrel Yarn Oak Sock in Gnandad's Adventure (skis!)-- DONE!!   Gnot Just Another Gnome by Sarah Schira, KnitPicks Stroll Fingering in Hollyberry, KnitCircus Opulence in Badger Tracks Stripes, Sanguine Gryphon Skinny Bugga in Blue Emperor Dragonfly– DONE X2!   Avena by Jennifer Steingass, Yarnaceous Fibers Brontosaurus DK in Starbies and Cup of Cheer minis   Clapotis ‘24 by Kate Davies, Three Irish Girls Adorn Sock in Ainsley (original 23.8K, sharon mcmahon 3IG)     On the Easel 12:16   Art travel kit–kit for the chaos. 100-Day composition studies Daily Joys Calendar mailing snafu?! On the Table 23:54 Simon Seared Sweet Potatoes With Chermoula Recipe   Luxurious Pomodoro in a flash from Simple Pasta by Odette Williams   Charred gai lan with black eyed peas and chile crisp vinaigrette from Linger   Baechu Doenjang Guk (Cabbage and Doenjang Soup) from WaPo/Korean Vegan   Key lime pie FIASCO (use the NYT recipe for frozen key lime pie, BUT bake for 15 minutes at 350F before refrigerating).   Hot Honey tofu for rice bowls, etc.   Chicken Meatballs from Smitten Kitchen–subbed out pancetta for MUSHROOM bouillon!! On the Nightstand 37:29 We are now a Bookshop.org affiliate!  You can visit our shop to find books we've talked about or click on the links below.  The books are supplied by local independent bookstores and a percentage goes to us at no cost to you!   Noel Nook: Christmas People by Iva-Marie Palmer The Nightmare Before Kissmass by Sarah Raasch  Christmas is All Around by Martha Waters   The Isle in the Silver Sea by Tasha Suri Mortal Follies by Alexis Hall The Geographer's Map to Romance by India Holton Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman Nine Goblins by T. Kingfisher Welcome to Murder Week by Karen Dukess And Still I Rise by Maya Angelou Train Dreams by Denis Johnson (audio) Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett (audio) On the Calculation of Volume III by Solvej Balle trans by Sophia Hersi Smith and Jennifer Russell Flashlight by Susan Choi   When Elodie grinned like that, shenanigans were almost certainly to ensue…   The Wolf King by Lauren Palphreyman The Art Thief by Michael Finkel The Book of I by David Grieg On the Horizon 57:37 2025 Needles: 10,608 yards in 33 projects  ✔Succulents blanket CAL, ✔Colorwork cuff club    Table: Great British bake off bakes   Read: 181 books   Repeat Read the World and Tacoma Extreme! Australia: ✔ Everyone in my family has killed someone Belgium ✔ War & Turpentine China ✔ Half a Lifelong Romance Egypt ✔ If an Egyptian cannot speak English Iceland:  ✔? the Night Guest Kenya Malaysia Mexico  ✔You Dreamed of Empires The Netherlands ✔The Discomfort of Evening The Philippines 2026 Needles: charity hats? Use yarn/patterns already have.  Use stash patterns in general . year of dishcloths! Table: use stash cookbooks Nightstand: read stash books? Storygraph reads the world, genre, 52 books Afghanistan Albania Bulgaria Croatia France Iraq Morocco Senegal Sweden Thailand  A short story collection in translation  A nonfiction book about Indigenous history A queer historical romance novel   A translated classic  A young adult novel by a Latinx author  A biography about a Black historical figure A crime novel set outside of the US, UK, or Canada  A nonfiction book about philosophy A literary or contemporary debut published in 2026  The first book in a fantasy series    Cortney's 2026: SEEK JOY theme Easel, etc. Paint my curiosities + stickers + paper newsletter?? Sewing: “museum outfits Table: joyful recipes, healthy, colorful, textural. Nightstand: more JOYFUL reads, maybe one a month, and plan ahead?

In front of an audience at the SAG-AFTRA Foundation, the Australian actor/writer/director reflects on how he wound up in George Lucas' second 'Star Wars' trilogy, his memorable turns in art house standouts like 'Warrior' and Loving,' and the challenges and rewards of giving a largely dialogue-free performance in Clint Bentley's adaptation of Denis Johnson's 2011 novella about a laborer in the early 20th-century American West. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A inicios del siglo XX, un leñador estadounidense experimenta el amor, la pérdida, la soledad, la ilusión y la resiliencia en Sueños de trenes (Train Dreams, 2025), una adaptación de la novela homónima de Denis Johnson, en la que el director Clint Bentley nos lleva por hermosos paisajes y una historia conmovedora sobre la búsqueda del sentido de la vida. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

At a special Little Gold Men live event at the Regent Santa Monica Beach, the Australian actor revealed that he had tried to get the rights to Denis Johnson's book four years earlier. But, he tells John and Rebecca, the wait was worth it to make Clint Bentley's version of the story, which explores fatherhood. "Robert, for me, felt like some version of myself and that felt like a worthwhile thing to do at that time in my life," says Edgerton, who also spoke about how directors like Baz Luhrmann have influenced him and what he thinks about the current state of the industry, including the possible Warner-Netflix merger. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

Production Designer Alexandra Schaller joins me to talk about crafting the haunting world of TRAIN DREAMS, the Netflix adaptation of Denis Johnson's novella.We unpack how the cabin became a full character, why the fire tower and logging camp were such ambitious builds, and how shooting almost entirely with natural light and candles shaped every design choice. Alexandra shares how she worked with the director, DP, set decorator, props, greens, and scenic teams to make Washington's landscape feel intimate, mythic, and deeply emotional. Topics include:Turning landscape into storyBuilding and rebuilding the cabin across timeDesigning the fire tower and logging environmentsColor as emotion, especially Gladys's yellowPlanes, trains, and giant trees on an indie budgetThe reality of remote locations, weather, and limited resourcesListen if you love production design, set decoration, indie films, Netflix originals, and craft-forward conversationswith the people who build the worlds on screen.

At a special Little Gold Men live event at the Regent Santa Monica Beach, the Australian actor revealed that he had tried to get the rights to Denis Johnson's book four years earlier. But, he tells John and Rebecca, the wait was worth it to make Clint Bentley's version of the story, which explores fatherhood. "Robert, for me, felt like some version of myself and that felt like a worthwhile thing to do at that time in my life," says Edgerton, who also spoke about how directors like Baz Luhrmann have influenced him and what he thinks about the current state of the industry, including the possible Warner-Netflix merger. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

There have been a lot of good to great films released this year - serious films, films with urgent political underpinnings, films that mix satire, pathos, and artistic ambition with such style that it salves my damaged psyche with a hope that there will be a light at the end of this dark tunnel in which we currently find ourselves. While there is a mordant undertone to many of these transmissions, there is also an implicit message from these artists that life will go on, and there is always love, joy, and gratitude to celebrate at the end of the year.TRAIN DREAMS is such a declaration. Based on a novel by Denis Johnson, the film is a metaphysical meditation on ragged survival through unimaginable grief, and it encompasses all of life and death throughout its dreamscape of primeval imagery. Following the trail of tears of a misbegotten railroad logger, Joel Edgerton delivers the performance of a lifetime, and in the cameo of a wizened old timer-philosopher in the camp, William H Macy transforms to such a degree that he caps his distinguished resume with an Oscar worthy supporting performance.  The Splendid Bohemians nominate this darkhorse masterpiece for film of the year, and would like to honor it today by playing Nick Cave's Train Dreams theme, along with 2 versions of Jackson Browne's Shadow Dream Song  (by Gregg Allman and Tom Rush), and Tom Wait's Innocent When You Dream. 

Tonight's triple feature looks at a very specific corner of modern prestige filmmaking: Netflix as patron of adult drama, literary seriousness as cover, and awards viability as the quiet horizon. Jay Kelly, Train Dreams, and A House of Dynamite aren't united by genre or tone—they're united by intent.Train Dreams, adapted from Denis Johnson's novella, arrives pre-validated by literature, favoring memory, mood, and interiority over conventional narrative drive. Its restraint, casting choices, and visual language are calibrated for seriousness, festivals first and awards second. Jay Kelly occupies the character-study lane—films built around lived-in performances and social environments rather than plot mechanics, relying on actors who can suggest entire lives with minimal exposition. A House of Dynamite fits Netflix's newer pattern: ambiguity as a feature, not a bug—projects that provoke discussion without ideological hand-holding, often breaking through via critics' groups or screenplay recognition.The through-line is simple: Netflix is betting that seriousness still carries cultural capital. These films aren't chasing mass audiences—they're chasing legitimacy. Whether that turns into Oscar nominations isn't just about quality; it's a test of whether the awards ecosystem still recognizes quiet ambition in a noise-driven industry.Disclaimer: The following may contain offensive language, adult humor, and/or content that some viewers may find offensive – The views and opinions expressed by any one speaker does not explicitly or necessarily reflect or represent those of Mark Radulich or W2M Network.Mark Radulich and his wacky podcast on all the things:https://linktr.ee/markkind76alsohttps://www.teepublic.com/user/radulich-in-broadcasting-networkFB Messenger: Mark Radulich LCSWTiktok: @markradulichtwitter: @MarkRadulichInstagram: markkind76RIBN Album Playlist: https://suno.com/playlist/91d704c9-d1ea-45a0-9ffe-5069497bad59 

This work might only be 116 pages, but it feels enormous--in the very best of ways. You could study it for years and not fully comprehend its unique structure, its strange atmosphere and the uncanny originality of this prose. Listen in now to find out why Johnson is held as one of the best American writers of all time.

In this special episode of the podcast, recorded live at Zibby's Bookshop in LA, three extraordinary guests celebrate the acclaimed new film Train Dreams: writer-director Clint Bentley, actor Joel Edgerton, and Black Bear CEO (and Zibby's brother!) Teddy Schwarzman. The conversation dives into the art of adaptation, the creative journey behind Train Dreams, and the deeply human themes at the heart of Denis Johnson's beloved novella. From the challenges of translating a 116-page, time-jumping story for the screen to the emotional resonance of portraying an ordinary life with extraordinary dignity, this insightful discussion offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at filmmaking, storytelling, and collaboration.Purchase on Bookshop: https://bit.ly/4q7EJnzShare, rate, & review the podcast, and follow Zibby on Instagram @zibbyowens!** Follow @totallybookedwithzibby on Instagram for listening guides and more. **(Music by Morning Moon Music. Sound editing by TexturesSound. To inquire about advertising, please contact allie.gallo@acast.com.) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is our NEW RELEASE review podcast, ONE HOT TAKE.Synopsis:Based on Denis Johnson's beloved novella, Train Dreams is the moving portrait of Robert Grainier, a logger and railroad worker who leads a life of unexpected depth and beauty in the rapidly-changing America of the early 20th Century.BILGE EBIRI IS A FILM CRITIC/WRITER/EDITOR AT NEW YORK MAGAZINE. HE HAS CONTRIBUTED TO PUBLICATIONS SUCH AS L.A. WEEKLY, THE NEW YORK TIMES AND THE VILLAGE VOICE (RIP). BILGE IS ALSO A WRITER AND DIRECTOR, KNOWN FOR NEW GUY (2003), PURSE SNATCHER (2006) AND THE BARBER OF SIBERIA (1998).TWITTER: @BILGEEBIRI WEBSITES: THE VILLAGE VOICE ARCHIVE, ROTTEN TOMATOESOne Heat Minute ProductionsWEBSITE: oneheatminute.comTWITTER: @OneBlakeMinute & @OHMPodsMERCH: https://www.teepublic.com/en-au/stores/one-heat-minute-productionsSupport this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/one-heat-minute-productions/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Here we are in mid-December, which means that along with all of the other year-end lists we produce and avidly consume at this time each year, The New York Times Book Review's staff critics are also looking back on everything they read in 2025, and toasting the books that have stayed with them.On this episode, host Gilbert Cruz talks with Dwight Garner, Alexandra Jacobs and Jennifer Szalai about their standout fiction and nonfiction of the past 12 months.Books mentioned:"What We Can Know," by Ian McEwan"Flesh," by David Szalay"The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny," by Kiran Desai"Playworld," by Adam Ross"When the Going Was Good," by Graydon Carter"I Regret Almost Everything," by Keith McNally"When All the Men Wore Hats," by Susan Cheever"Notes to John," by Joan Didion"A Flower Traveled in My Blood," by Haley Cohen Gilliland"38 Londres Street," by Philippe Sands"Wild Thing," by Sue Prideaux"Crumb: A Cartoonist's Life," by Dan Nadel"Class Clown," by Dave Barry"Electric Spark: The Enigma of Dame Muriel," by Frances Wilson"Flagrant, Self-Destructive Gestures: A Biography of Denis Johnson," by Ted Geltner"Shadow Ticket," by Thomas Pynchon"Selected Letters of John Updike," edited by James Schiff"Troublemaker: The Fierce, Unruly Life of Jessica Mitford," by Carla Kaplan"More Everything Forever, AI Overlords, Space Empires, and Silicon Valley's Crusade to Control the Fate of Humanity," by Adam Becker Subscribe today at nytimes.com/podcasts or on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. You can also subscribe via your favorite podcast app here https://www.nytimes.com/activate-access/audio?source=podcatcher. For more podcasts and narrated articles, download The New York Times app at nytimes.com/app.

Another movie to avoid, Francis Ford No-polla, a dumb thought on ratings, don't go chasing waterfalls, a small time likable noir, a crackerjack unmissable thriller, and the genius and madness of Denis Johnson. Stuff mentioned: Jay Kelly (2025), Kicking and Screaming (1995), Sullivan's Travels (1941), The Godfather (1972), Apocalypse Now (1979), Peggy Sue Got Married (1976), Megalopolis (2024), Megalopolis Unbound (2026?), Megadoc (2025), Leaving Las Vegas (1995), It's a Wonderful Knife (2023), Stone Creek Killer (2025), Relay (2025), Hell or High Water (2016), Avatar (2009), Dwight Garner "A Writer Who Dazzled on the Page but Lived for the Margins" (The New York Times, December 2, 2025 https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/01/books/review/denis-johnson-flagrant-self-destructive-gestures.html), Denis Johnson Jesus' Son (1992), The Velvet Underground & Nico "Heroin" (1967), and Jesus' Son (1999).

Episode Description: In this episode, Christopher Schnese and Stephen David Miller bring you a review of Train Dreams (2025). Directed by Clint Bentley. With Joel Edgerton, Clifton Collins Jr., and Felicity Jones. Based on Denis Johnson's beloved novella, Train Dreams is the moving portrait of Robert Grainier, a logger and railroad worker who leads a life of unexpected depth and beauty in the rapidly-changing America of the early 20th Century. Show Notes Hosts: • Christopher Schnese and Stephen David Miller Featured Review: • Train Dreams (2025) The Verdict: • Stephen: Must See • Christopher: Wait for Rental Music for this Episode: • Forest Fire by Louis Island Contact the show: • email: fans@thespoilerwarning.com Listener Survey: • Please help us by taking our survey

Episode Description: In this episode, Christopher Schnese and Stephen David Miller bring you a review of Train Dreams (2025). Directed by Clint Bentley. With Joel Edgerton, Clifton Collins Jr., and Felicity Jones. Based on Denis Johnson's beloved novella, Train Dreams is the moving portrait of Robert Grainier, a logger and railroad worker who leads a life of unexpected depth and beauty in the rapidly-changing America of the early 20th Century. Show Notes Hosts: • Christopher Schnese and Stephen David Miller Featured Review: • Train Dreams (2025) The Verdict: • Stephen: Must See • Christopher: Wait for Rental Music for this Episode: • Forest Fire by Louis Island Contact the show: • email: fans@thespoilerwarning.com Listener Survey: • Please help us by taking our survey

RSS/iTunes/Spotify Check out all the episodes of CINEMA SMORGASBORD SELLS OUT right here. All aboard! We choo-choo-choose you on this episode of CINEMA SMORGASBORD SELLS OUT and we’re checking out the 2025 drama TRAIN DREAMS starring Joel Edgerton, with Felicity Jones, Kerry Condon, and William H. Macy! Based on the beloved novella Denis Johnson, we follow 80 years of the life of Robert Grainier, a logger (and later hermit) who faces love, loss, triumph and tragedy at the turn of the 20th century. BUT IS IT ANY GOOD? I guess we’ll talk about it until we reach a conclusion.The post Episode 303 – Cinema Smorgasbord Sells Out – Train Dreams (2025) first appeared on Cinema Smorgasbord.

Un leñador que sueña con llevar una vida tranquila, debe enfrentar una tragedia familiar en medio de grandes cambios en el Estados Unidos de principios del siglo XX. Basado en la novela homónima de Denis Johnson, este es el segundo largometraje del director Clint Bentley, con que está generando muy buenos comentarios entre la crítica y el público. Mientras suma nominaciones y premios y suena fuerte para los Oscar, esta película refuerza la necesidad de hacer y ver cine, dice el crítico Joel Poblete. Ya disponible en Netflix.

Awards season may be driving Earth's Mightiest Critics loco, but we're moving full steam ahead with Clint Bentley's Train Dreams!Joel Edgerton stars as Robert Grainier, a logger and railroad worker adjusting to change in early 20th Century America. This adaptation of Denis Johnson's novella has been compared to the work of Terrence Malick. But does that mean its an artful, easygoing meditation on life--or pretentious celluloid Ambien? Join us as we forge a path to the answers in spoilerific detail, AND take your questions, comments, and SuperChats!Train Dreams is now streaming on Netflix!Support Kicking the Seat on Patreon, subscribe to us on YouTube, and follow us at:XLetterboInstagramFacebookShow LinksWatch the Train Dreams (2025) trailer.As mentioned in the show, Joe Engleman of the Chicago Reader wrote an enlightening review of Train Dreams--which formed the backbone of this conversation. Read it here! Support all of Earth's Mightiest Critics at their various outlets:Keep up with Jeff York's criticism and caricatures at The Establishing Shot and Pipeline Artists.Check out Mark "The Movie Man" Krawczyk's The Spoiler Room Podcast.Get seated with The Blonde in Front!Follow David Fowlie's film criticism at Keeping It Reel.Get educated with Don Shanahan at Every Movie Has a Lesson…...And Film Obsessive...and the Cinephile Hissy Fit Podcast.Keep up with Annie Banks at The Mary Sue....and We Got This Covered.Make Nice with Mike Crowley of You'll Probably Agree.And save your celluloid soul with Dave Canfield's Substack, "Creature Feature Preacher".

Clint Bentley's Train Dreams uses gorgeous imagery of the natural world, combined with an omniscient narrator quoting from the Denis Johnson novella the film adapts, to speak for a taciturn protagonist who struggles to understand, much less articulate, his place in the world. That approach has earned it the Terrence Malick comparisons that informed this pairing, but Train Dreams uses its own distinct lens to contemplate the ineffable and ephemeral nature of human existence. So after talking through our responses to the film's big-picture ideas and small, telling details, we place Train Dreams alongside Days of Heaven to discuss the two films' contrasting approaches to their overlapping elements, from persistent voiceover and big beautiful vistas, to man's presumed dominion over nature and the biblical infernos that suggest otherwise. Then for Your Next Picture Show, Keith offers a Days of Heaven-inspired recommendation for very different film featuring a similarly memorable performance from Linda Manz, 1980's Out of the Blue Please share your thoughts about Days of Heaven, Train Dreams, or anything else in the world of film, by sending an email or voice memo to comments@nextpictureshow.net, or leaving a short voicemail at (773) 234-9730. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ao entrar no elevador para fazer entrevistas sobre o filme “Sonhos de Trem” (Netflix), a primeira coisa que ouvi de um jornalista americano foi: “Qualquer frame do filme dá um quadro maravilhoso”. Ele não sabia que o diretor de fotografia era brasileiro, mas sem perceber, acabou me dando a manchete e resumiu exatamente o que tantos profissionais têm repetido sobre o trabalho de Adolpho Veloso.  Cleide Klock, correspondente da RFI em Los Angeles O nome de Veloso circula nas principais publicações de Hollywood, entre os favoritos na corrida ao Oscar na categoria de Melhor Fotografia. Nesta última semana, ele já apareceu na shortlist do Critics' Choice Awards, premiação da principal associação de críticos de cinema dos Estados Unidos. Veloso, que mora em Portugal e carrega o Brasil na memória e no olhar, veio a Hollywood para participar do lançamento do filme e das campanhas de premiações. E parece ainda se surpreender com essa repercussão. “É muito louco. Você nunca imagina, quando está filmando, que isso vai acontecer. Não é uma coisa que faz muito sentido, ao mesmo tempo, é tão surreal que eu prefiro nem pensar tanto. E é um ano extremamente difícil, com muito filme bom, acho que é um dos melhores anos do cinema nos últimos tempos”, contou à RFI. Ele confessa que, como muitos artistas, vive crises profundas durante o processo. “É incrível ter esse reconhecimento, principalmente pela quantidade de crises que a gente tem filmando, que você acha que nunca mais vai filmar na vida. A primeira vez que assisti esse filme no cinema, pensei: ‘Meu Deus, isso está horrível, nunca mais vou conseguir trabalho'. E ver essa reação agora, que é o completo oposto, dá forças para seguir”. Memórias e naturalismo Em “Sonhos de Trem”, dirigido por Clint Bentley e inspirado na novela de Denis Johnson, acompanhamos Robert Grainier (Joel Edgerton), um lenhador do início do século XX, que vive longos períodos longe da família. A atmosfera é de recordações borradas, sensações e silêncios, algo que nasceu de forma muito consciente entre Clint e Adolpho. “A gente queria muito que, ao assistir ao filme, parecesse que você estivesse vendo as memórias de alguém, quase como se encontrasse uma caixa com fotos antigas e tentasse entender a vida daquela pessoa, às vezes meio fora de ordem, e você tenta entender quem foi aquela pessoa por aquelas fotos”, explica. Um brasileiro nos anos 1920 Filmado inteiramente no estado de Washington em apenas 29 dias, um feito raro para um longa de época, o projeto exigiu uma maratona por florestas intocadas, vales, zonas devastadas e cenários naturais extremos. A natureza no filme é praticamente uma personagem. “Num filme de época, às vezes é difícil para quem o assiste se conectar, porque tudo é tão diferente. Então queríamos trazer mais realidade, mais conexão. Filmamos só com luz natural e uma câmera bem orgânica, como se você estivesse lembrando de algo que viveu”. Veloso, que nasceu em São Paulo e hoje vive em Portugal, encontrou na história de Grainier uma identificação imediata. “Quando o diretor me mandou o roteiro, pensei: essa vida é basicamente a minha. Esse cara que fica meses longe de casa, trabalhando com gente que talvez nunca mais vai ver… é assim para quem faz cinema. Voltar para casa sempre é estranho, leva dias para sentir que você pertence de novo. Tem as questões de perda, de imigração, da gente ser estrangeiro numa terra diferente, e isso tem consequências”. Olhar brasileiro encontra caminho em Hollywood A trajetória até Hollywood foi, como ele mesmo diz, “aos poucos”. Começou filmando no Brasil, trabalhou com Heitor Dhalia, assinou filmes e documentários, entre eles “On Yoga”, que chamou a atenção de Clint Bentley. Quando Bentley preparava “Jockey” (2021), buscava justamente alguém que transitasse entre ficção e documentários. Encontrou Veloso e o contactou por e-mail. Anos depois, “Sonhos de Trem” se tornaria o segundo filme da dupla. Além de estar nas previsões de Melhor Fotografia para o Oscar, a produção, que já está disponível na Netflix, aparece com possíveis indicações de Melhor Filme, Melhor Ator (possivelmente para Joel Edgerton) e Melhor Roteiro Adaptado. O Brasil que sempre volta Quando lhe pergunto se leva algo do Brasil para seus filmes, a resposta vem quase antes da pergunta terminar: “O nosso jeitinho.” Não no sentido estereotipado, mas na criatividade diante do impossível, no drible às burocracias rígidas de sets americanos. “Aqui tudo é muito engessado e a gente não está acostumado com isso. Aqui, você tem uma ideia e já ouve um não: isso custa tanto, precisa disso, daquilo. E às vezes não precisa de tudo isso. Digo, e se a gente só fizer assim? E funciona.” Reconhecimento Conto a ele que vários jornalistas comentaram comigo espontaneamente sobre a fotografia do filme, sem saber que ele era brasileiro. Veloso abre um sorriso tímido, um pouco surpreso, um pouco orgulhoso. É o tipo de reconhecimento que o Brasil inteiro deveria ouvir. E talvez ouça, quem sabe, no palco do Oscar.

Ao entrar no elevador para fazer entrevistas sobre o filme “Sonhos de Trem” (Netflix), a primeira coisa que ouvi de um jornalista americano foi: “Qualquer frame do filme dá um quadro maravilhoso”. Ele não sabia que o diretor de fotografia era brasileiro, mas sem perceber, acabou me dando a manchete e resumiu exatamente o que tantos profissionais têm repetido sobre o trabalho de Adolpho Veloso.  Cleide Klock, correspondente da RFI em Los Angeles O nome de Veloso circula nas principais publicações de Hollywood, entre os favoritos na corrida ao Oscar na categoria de Melhor Fotografia. Nesta última semana, ele já apareceu na shortlist do Critics' Choice Awards, premiação da principal associação de críticos de cinema dos Estados Unidos. Veloso, que mora em Portugal e carrega o Brasil na memória e no olhar, veio a Hollywood para participar do lançamento do filme e das campanhas de premiações. E parece ainda se surpreender com essa repercussão. “É muito louco. Você nunca imagina, quando está filmando, que isso vai acontecer. Não é uma coisa que faz muito sentido, ao mesmo tempo, é tão surreal que eu prefiro nem pensar tanto. E é um ano extremamente difícil, com muito filme bom, acho que é um dos melhores anos do cinema nos últimos tempos”, contou à RFI. Ele confessa que, como muitos artistas, vive crises profundas durante o processo. “É incrível ter esse reconhecimento, principalmente pela quantidade de crises que a gente tem filmando, que você acha que nunca mais vai filmar na vida. A primeira vez que assisti esse filme no cinema, pensei: ‘Meu Deus, isso está horrível, nunca mais vou conseguir trabalho'. E ver essa reação agora, que é o completo oposto, dá forças para seguir”. Memórias e naturalismo Em “Sonhos de Trem”, dirigido por Clint Bentley e inspirado na novela de Denis Johnson, acompanhamos Robert Grainier (Joel Edgerton), um lenhador do início do século XX, que vive longos períodos longe da família. A atmosfera é de recordações borradas, sensações e silêncios, algo que nasceu de forma muito consciente entre Clint e Adolpho. “A gente queria muito que, ao assistir ao filme, parecesse que você estivesse vendo as memórias de alguém, quase como se encontrasse uma caixa com fotos antigas e tentasse entender a vida daquela pessoa, às vezes meio fora de ordem, e você tenta entender quem foi aquela pessoa por aquelas fotos”, explica. Um brasileiro nos anos 1920 Filmado inteiramente no estado de Washington em apenas 29 dias, um feito raro para um longa de época, o projeto exigiu uma maratona por florestas intocadas, vales, zonas devastadas e cenários naturais extremos. A natureza no filme é praticamente uma personagem. “Num filme de época, às vezes é difícil para quem o assiste se conectar, porque tudo é tão diferente. Então queríamos trazer mais realidade, mais conexão. Filmamos só com luz natural e uma câmera bem orgânica, como se você estivesse lembrando de algo que viveu”. Veloso, que nasceu em São Paulo e hoje vive em Portugal, encontrou na história de Grainier uma identificação imediata. “Quando o diretor me mandou o roteiro, pensei: essa vida é basicamente a minha. Esse cara que fica meses longe de casa, trabalhando com gente que talvez nunca mais vai ver… é assim para quem faz cinema. Voltar para casa sempre é estranho, leva dias para sentir que você pertence de novo. Tem as questões de perda, de imigração, da gente ser estrangeiro numa terra diferente, e isso tem consequências”. Olhar brasileiro encontra caminho em Hollywood A trajetória até Hollywood foi, como ele mesmo diz, “aos poucos”. Começou filmando no Brasil, trabalhou com Heitor Dhalia, assinou filmes e documentários, entre eles “On Yoga”, que chamou a atenção de Clint Bentley. Quando Bentley preparava “Jockey” (2021), buscava justamente alguém que transitasse entre ficção e documentários. Encontrou Veloso e o contactou por e-mail. Anos depois, “Sonhos de Trem” se tornaria o segundo filme da dupla. Além de estar nas previsões de Melhor Fotografia para o Oscar, a produção, que já está disponível na Netflix, aparece com possíveis indicações de Melhor Filme, Melhor Ator (possivelmente para Joel Edgerton) e Melhor Roteiro Adaptado. O Brasil que sempre volta Quando lhe pergunto se leva algo do Brasil para seus filmes, a resposta vem quase antes da pergunta terminar: “O nosso jeitinho.” Não no sentido estereotipado, mas na criatividade diante do impossível, no drible às burocracias rígidas de sets americanos. “Aqui tudo é muito engessado e a gente não está acostumado com isso. Aqui, você tem uma ideia e já ouve um não: isso custa tanto, precisa disso, daquilo. E às vezes não precisa de tudo isso. Digo, e se a gente só fizer assim? E funciona.” Reconhecimento Conto a ele que vários jornalistas comentaram comigo espontaneamente sobre a fotografia do filme, sem saber que ele era brasileiro. Veloso abre um sorriso tímido, um pouco surpreso, um pouco orgulhoso. É o tipo de reconhecimento que o Brasil inteiro deveria ouvir. E talvez ouça, quem sabe, no palco do Oscar.

The new film from the team behind JOCKEY and SING SING is a lyrical life story starring Joel Edgerton. We've got casting director Nicole Arbusto with us to discuss this, and take on a Hotline question asking for professional shoutouts. Plus our annual Turkeys of the Year and the first post-Thanksgiving Christmas Movie Minute!What's GoodAlonso - magazinesDrea - Buzz Ballz/BeatBox/Cutwater cocktail challengeNicole - LA cloud formations latelyKevin - “books I haven't even cracked open”Staff PicksDrea - All That's Left of YouAlonso - Jesus' SonNicole - A Little PrayerKevin - Zero Dark ThirtyPick up Have Yourself a Movie Little ChristmasLeave a message for the Hotline!Get some Maximum Film! merch Follow us on BlueSky, Facebook, Instagram, or LetterboxdWithKevin AveryDrea ClarkAlonso DuraldeProduced by Marissa FlaxbartSr. Producer Laura Swisher

Something Wicked this way comes as Dana, Steve, and guest host Dan Kois gather round their proverbial cauldrons for an all-movie edition of the Gabfest. First up, of course, is Wicked: For Good the green/pink-hued conclusion to the alternative history of Oz. This sequel, which reunites Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande as witch besties/mortal enemies, goes to surprisingly dark places. Next, they discuss Train Dreams, the contemplative and grandeur-filled adaptation of Denis Johnson's novella directed by Clint Bentley. Finally, they sit down for a long, rich conversation between friends in Peter Hujar's Day, a chamber piece by Ira Sachs about art, friendship, and how much can happen in a single day. In our bonus episode for Slate Plus subscribers, Julia hops on the call to continue our recap series of Pluribus. The hosts get into all the details of Pluribus episode 5 “Got Milk.” We're still taking submissions for our call-in show. If you've got a burning cultural question or topic you'd like our hosts to tackle, call and leave us a message at:  347-201-2397 Endorsements: Dan: Matching Minds with Sondheim by Barry Joseph, a whole book about Stephen Sondheim's love of puzzles. Steve: The jazz album Mal/4 by Mal Waldron Trio and Tim (Let it Bleed Edition) by the Replacements. Dana: The Broadway production of Waiting for Godot that reunites none other than Bill and Ted with stars Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter. Email us your thoughts at culturefest@slate.com.  Podcast production by Benjamin Frisch. Production assistance by Daniel Hirsch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Something Wicked this way comes as Dana, Steve, and guest host Dan Kois gather round their proverbial cauldrons for an all-movie edition of the Gabfest. First up, of course, is Wicked: For Good the green/pink-hued conclusion to the alternative history of Oz. This sequel, which reunites Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande as witch besties/mortal enemies, goes to surprisingly dark places. Next, they discuss Train Dreams, the contemplative and grandeur-filled adaptation of Denis Johnson's novella directed by Clint Bentley. Finally, they sit down for a long, rich conversation between friends in Peter Hujar's Day, a chamber piece by Ira Sachs about art, friendship, and how much can happen in a single day. In our bonus episode for Slate Plus subscribers, Julia hops on the call to continue our recap series of Pluribus. The hosts get into all the details of Pluribus episode 5 “Got Milk.” We're still taking submissions for our call-in show. If you've got a burning cultural question or topic you'd like our hosts to tackle, call and leave us a message at:  347-201-2397 Endorsements: Dan: Matching Minds with Sondheim by Barry Joseph, a whole book about Stephen Sondheim's love of puzzles. Steve: The jazz album Mal/4 by Mal Waldron Trio and Tim (Let it Bleed Edition) by the Replacements. Dana: The Broadway production of Waiting for Godot that reunites none other than Bill and Ted with stars Keanu Reeves and Alex Winter. Email us your thoughts at culturefest@slate.com.  Podcast production by Benjamin Frisch. Production assistance by Daniel Hirsch. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

THIS IS A PREVIEW PODCAST. NOT THE FULL REVIEW. Please check out the full podcast review on our Patreon Page by subscribing over at - https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPicture For this week's third podcast review, Dan Bayer, Megan Lachinski, and Will Mavity join me to review and discuss the latest film from Clint Bentley, "Train Dreams," starring Joel Edgerton, Felicity Jones, Clifton Collins Jr., Kerry Condon, and William H. Macy. Based on the 2011 novella of the same name by Denis Johnson, and co-written with fellow Academy Award-nominee Greg Kwedar, the duo are back following "Sing Sing" last year with another beloved independent film that has had passionate supporters ever since it premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival to universal acclaim. Please tune in as we discuss the themes, Joel Edgerton's leading performance, the cinematography, Bentley's direction, its awards season prospects, and more in our SPOILER-FILLED review. Thank you for listening, and enjoy! Check out more on NextBestPicture.com Please subscribe on... Apple Podcasts - https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/negs-best-film-podcast/id1087678387?mt=2 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/7IMIzpYehTqeUa1d9EC4jT YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWA7KiotcWmHiYYy6wJqwOw And be sure to help support us on Patreon for as little as $1 a month at https://www.patreon.com/NextBestPicture and listen to this podcast ad-free Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Megan fills Dave in on WICKED: FOR GOOD (4:07), the conclusion of the film adapation of the Broadway musical which is an adaptation of the novel Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West by Gregory Maguire. Verdict: Megan liked it, but didn't love it the way she loves WICKED (click here for a reminder). Then Dave and Megan talk about TRAIN DREAMS (20:34), director and co-screenwriter Clint Bentley's adaptation of the Denis Johnson novella. With gorgeous cinematography, a quietly deft screenplay, and a beautiful central performance from Joel Edgerton, Megan and Dave both see TRAIN DREAMS ending up on their year-end best-of lists. Over on Patreon, we watch the 2015 psychological horror film THE INVITATION, directed by Karyn Kusama and starring Logan Marshall-Green and Tammy Blanchard.

Coming up on today's Movie Show, Andy and Rachel review  - Wicked: For Good - Elphaba, the future Wicked Witch of the West and her relationship with Glinda, the Good Witch of the North. The second of a two-part feature film adaptation of the Broadway musical. They will also review Rental Family, Arco, Sisu: Road to Revenge, Sentimental Value, and Jay Kelly.  Andy and Rachel will mention the Netflix movie, Train Dreams - Based on Denis Johnson's beloved novella, Train Dreams is the moving portrait of Robert Grainier, a logger and railroad worker who leads a life of unexpected depth and beauty in the rapidly-changing America of the early 20th Century. They will also review Champagne Problems(Netflix), The Age of Disclosure(Prime Video), and Thoughts & Prayers on HBO.  In addition, they will look at streaming series like  The Mighty Nien on Prime Video and A Man on the Inside Season 2 on Netflix.  Here are some honorable mentions:       

Actor Joel Edgerton on his role as an itinerant lumberjack in 1900s Idaho, in Clint Bentley's Train Dreams, an adaptation of a novel by Denis Johnson which is being tipped for Oscar success.The Harris in Preston and Poole Museum in Dorset recently threw their doors open after multi million pound refurbishment projects. We hear how these museums have been transformed and how local communities are responding to their reopening. Photographer Craig Easton tells us about his project An Extremely Un-get-atable Place in which he reflects on the time writer George Orwell spent on the island of Jura in the 1940s. And from South Georgia in the South Atlantic, artist Michael Visocchi joins us to talk about the physical and emotional demands of installing a permanent sculpture to over 100,000 whales slaughtered by the whaling industry. Presenter: Kirsty Wark Producer: Mark Crossan

Zapraszam do wysłuchania rozmowy o "Aniołach" Denisa Johnsona. A rozmawiam o niej z tłumaczem - Krzyśkiem Majerem. Uwaga: rozmowa zawiera największą możliwą dawkę spoilerów.

Opowieść o dwóch Amerykach – tej ze snu i tej z koszmaru.Dwóch pisarzy, na wskroś amerykańskich i na wskroś różnych: Francis Scott Fitzgerald i Denis Johnson.Ameryka Fitzgeralda pulsuje w rytmie jazzu, z kieliszkiem szampana w dłoni, spogląda na pnące się do nieba drapacze chmur i wierzy, że marzenia o sukcesie i dobrobycie się spełniają.Ameryka Johnsona nadchodzi dekady później – jest biedna, pozbawiona marzeń, bez szans. Nikt jej nie widzi i nikt jej nie słucha.Co opowieść tych dwóch pisarzy mówi nam o współczesnej Ameryce?Zapraszamy na dyptyk amerykański w „Raporcie o książkach”.W tym odcinku porozmawiamy o debiutanckiej powieści Denisa Johnsona „Anioły”, która po 42 latach od pierwszego amerykańskiego wydania została przetłumaczona na język polski przez Krzysztofa Majera.W przyszły poniedziałek porozmawiamy o nowym przekładzie Macieja Świerkockiego najsłynniejszej powieści Fitzgeralda – „Ten Wielki Gatsby”.Prowadzenie: Agata KasprolewiczGość: Krzysztof MajerKsiążka: „Anioły” Denisa Johnsona / Wydawnictwo Karakter / przekład: Krzysztof Majer---------------------------------------------Raport o stanie świata to audycja, która istnieje dzięki naszym Patronom, dołącz się do zbiórki ➡️ ⁠https://patronite.pl/DariuszRosiak⁠Subskrybuj newsletter Raportu o stanie świata ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠➡️ ⁠https://dariuszrosiak.substack.com⁠Koszulki i kubki Raportu ➡️ ⁠https://patronite-sklep.pl/kolekcja/raport-o-stanie-swiata/⁠ [Autopromocja]

Out from behind the paywall, an evergreen core episode from November 2023 initially served to patrons only. Brad covers the life and work of the great American author of Jesus' Son: Denis Johnson. Get this and other core episodes ad-free on Patreon or Substack. And get the After Dark episode and more at patreon.com/artofdarkpod or substack.com/@artofdarkpod. twitter.com/artofdarkpod twitter.com/bradkelly twitter.com/kautzmania Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Victor Lodato joins Deborah Treisman to read and discuss “The Largesse of the Sea Maiden,” by Denis Johnson, which was published in The New Yorker in 2014. Lodato is a playwright and the author of the novels “Edgar and Lucy,” “Mathilda Savitch,” the winner of the PEN USA Award for fiction, and “Honey,” which came out in 2024. He has been publishing fiction and nonfiction in The New Yorker since 2012. Learn about your ad choices: dovetail.prx.org/ad-choices

How do poets write about place, and how does place shape a poet? Play along as the queens place these poems!Please Support Breaking Form!Review the show on Apple Podcasts here.Aaron's STOP LYING is available from the Pitt Poetry Series.James's ROMANTIC COMEDY is available from Four Way Books.SHOW NOTES: Poems/Poets mentioned in this week's show include:Traci Brimhall, "Shelter in Place." Visit Brimhall's website here. And you can watch her craft talk on revision here (1 hour). José Olivarez, "Eat the Rich." Watch Olivarez read his poem "Guapo" here. And visit him online: https://joseolivarez.com/Jayne Cortez, "I Am New York City"Peter Oresick, "When in 2009 the G20 Summit Convened in Pittsburgh"James Wright, "Autumn Begins in Martin's Ferry, Ohio"Adrian Matejka, "16 Bars Poetica." Listen to a fascinating reading and talk Matejka gave at Bread Loaf in 2024 on his newest book, Last on His Feet, a graphic novel about the boxer Jack Jackson. Matejka's website is https://www.adrianmatejka.com/ Megan Pinto, "Tonight it is Snowing in Rome." Megan Pinto is the author of Saints of Little Faith (Four Way Books, 2024). Visit her online at https://www.meganpinto.com/. And watch her give a reading for Massachusetts Review.Ezra Pound, "In a Station of the Metro"Denis Johnson's "Now" Watch Johnson read in 2016 at Cornell here (~40 min).Naomi Shihab Nye, "Jerusalem"

I read the title poem from a 1994 Denis Johnson collection.

We started 2024 with an archival recording of Denis Johnson from the first ever Tin House Writers Workshop in 2003. That episode was a three-part episode: Denis Johnson reading from the manuscript of his novella Train Dreams, then being interviewed by Chris Offutt, and finally, Denis, Chris and Charles D'Ambrosio performing the first act of […] The post Tin House Live : Denis Johnson : 2004 appeared first on Tin House.

Review of Jesus' Son by Denis Johnson---Become part of the Hermitix community:Hermitix Twitter - ⁠⁠⁠⁠ twitter.com/hermitixpodcast⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Support Hermitix:Patreon - ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠www.patreon.com/hermitix⁠⁠Donations: - ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.paypal.me/hermitixpod⁠⁠⁠⁠Bitcoin Donation Address: 3LAGEKBXEuE2pgc4oubExGTWtrKPuXDDLKEthereum Donation Address: 0x31e2a4a31B8563B8d238eC086daE9B75a00D9E74