Podcast appearances and mentions of Erika Alexander

This week on One Song, we're sharing a new podcast from our friends at Hartbeat: ReLiving Single. It's the official, unofficial rewatch podcast for the iconic sitcom that changed the game. They dive into the episode's drama, the show's unforgettable characters, and why Living Single and other Black-led shows dominated the '90s. In this first episode, real-life besties Erika Alexander and Kim Coles revisit the Living Single pilot, “Judging by the Cover,” where Regine's new man comes with one big red flag: a whole wife. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Living Single was so iconic that there's a new podcast about it called Reliving Single starring Erika Alexander and Kim Coles. They came by to talk about the cultural importance of of Living Single and the fun things that happened behind the scenes. And the drama… Toure Show Episode 478 
 Host & Writer: Touré Executive Producers: Ryan Woodhall and Ashley J. Hobbs Associate Producer: Adell Coleman Booker: Rae Holliday Engineer: Desta Wondirad Photographers: Podstream Studios The House: DCP Entertainment Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

American Fiction is a 2023 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Cord Jefferson, in his feature directorial debut. Based on the 2001 novel Erasure by Percival Everett, it follows a frustrated novelist-professor who writes an outlandish satire of stereotypical "black" books, only for it to be mistaken by the liberal elite for serious literature and published to both high sales and critical praise. It stars Jeffrey Wright, Tracee Ellis Ross, Issa Rae, Sterling K. Brown, John Ortiz, Erika Alexander, Leslie Uggams, Adam Brody, and Keith David.

In this episode Truth talks with Don Capria – author, filmmaker, and artist manager. We talk briefly about the theatrical debut of his new horror movie, “Director's Cut” – but we will have him back on to talk more about that!  In this episode we focus mainly on his book, “Colombo: the Unsolved Murder” – and talk about his theories on the Colombo killing, organized crime in NYC, FBI / CIA involvement in conspiracies, COINTELPRO, working with Anthony Colombo on the book, Colombo's involvement with getting the movie “The Godfather” made, and more!  This episode will hit hard for fans of true crime and organized crime Mob / Mafia content!   From his bio: Don Capria is most known for his true crime biography, Colombo: the Unsolved Murder (2015) based on the life of mob icon Joe Colombo. In 2014, Don Capria wrote and directed his award winning short film, Eulogy, and shortly after returned to work in music as an artist manager. He continued to direct and produce music videos and other short form content. In 2019 he filmed the pilot for his scripted TV series, Abaddon, starring Erika Alexander. In 2021 he wrote and directed his award winning short film, Anecdota, a post apocalyptic horror starring 11-year old newcomer, Bella Grace. Now, Capria has written and directed, Director's Cut, a horror / slasher that follows a young band going to shoot their first music video with a mysterious director. The film opened in over 100 theaters nationwide on Halloween and is set to hit streaming and VOD in early 2025.    For more info: IG: @doncapria / @colombobook WEB: http://www.colombobook.com   As always, please hit the subscribe button if you like and support what we do! You'll get early access to new episodes! Also please leave a review!   Follow us on IG: @bigtruth TikTok: @bigtruthpodcast YouTube: @thebigtruthpodcast   For feedback, questions, sponsorship info contact: bigtruthpodcast@gmail.com For more info: http://www.bigtruthpodcast.com To support the show: http://www.patreon.com/bigtruth     The Big Truth Podcast is proudly sponsored by: - Choppahead Kustom Cycles (IG: @choppahead / www.choppahead.com) - Tattoo Flash Collective – www.tattooflashcollective.com – use promo code: BIGTRUTH for 10% off your order - Omerta (IG: @omertamia / www.omertamia.com) - use code: BIGTRUTH at checkout for 20% off your order! - Heavy (IG: @heavyclothing / www.heavy.bigcartel.com)

In this episode of “The Pulse”, Actress Erika Alexander joins Bill Anderson.  You may know Erika as Maxine from Living Single but that is only part of her story.  Erika talks to Bill about her 40-year career and the impact her hometown of Philadelphia has had on her life.  Erika also talks about what it was like to have a street named after her in Philly.  “The Pulse” has welcomed names like Marlon and Tito Jackson, Michael Rapaport, Hank Azaria, Sarah Silverman, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Lewis Black, Ruben Studdard, Clay Aiken, Jeff Ross, New Edition, Macy Gray, DJ Jazzy Jeff, Donnell Rawlings, Vivica A. Fox, Bill Bellamy, Michael Blackson, Gavin Rossdale, Sheila E., Jay Mohr, Jerry O'Connell, Star Jones, Mo'Nique, Craig Ferguson, Darryl McDaniels, Kenny Lattimore, Tommy Davidson and more. In addition to the Podcast The Pulse airs on TV in Philadelphia every Monday night at 6:30pm on FOX 29 as well as airing every Monday on FOX Soul.

Clearwater mayor talks impact of Hurricane Milton; Better Call Brian: Latest on the Menendez brothers and Diddy case; Erika Alexander on increasing voter eligibility awareness Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Clearwater mayor talks impact of Hurricane Milton; Better Call Brian: Latest on the Menendez brothers and Diddy case; Erika Alexander on increasing voter eligibility awareness Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A few spoilers for the 2023 film American Fiction. Inspired by a recent viewing of American Fiction, Dr. Jemar Tisby is joined with EP Beau York to discuss the pitfalls that progressive white liberals fall into when attempting to separate themselves from racism. American Fiction is a 2023 American comedy-drama film written and directed by Cord Jefferson in his feature directorial debut. Based on the 2001 novel Erasure by Percival Everett, it follows a frustrated novelist-professor who writes an outlandish satire of stereotypical "Black" books, only for it to be mistaken for serious literature and published to high sales and critical praise. The film stars Jeffrey Wright, Tracee Ellis Ross, Issa Rae, Sterling K. Brown, John Ortiz, Erika Alexander, Leslie Uggams, Adam Brody and Keith David. Support this podcast at patreon.com/passthemic Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today on a special 800th Episode of Too Opinionated, actor Seth Gilliam drops in for a visit. Gilliam's film career began in the early 1990s. He has starred in award-winning films such as Still Alice. His other film credits include Sergeant Sugar Watkins in the 1997 action film Starship Troopers and Sergeant Steven Altameyer in the 1996 film Courage Under Fire. Gilliam has had a number of recurring roles on television, including during the seventh season of The Cosby Show as Aaron Dexter, boyfriend of Erika Alexander's character, and as Alan Deaton on Teen Wolf.  His most prominent role has been on The Wire. In 2008, he attracted attention for criticizing the show being overlooked for Emmy nominations despite its critical success.  He has had a number of guest roles in other shows such as CSI: Miami, Nurse Jackie, Skins, Person of Interest, and The Good Wife.  He played Clayton Hughes on Oz. In May 2014, Gilliam was cast as Father Gabriel Stokes in the fifth season of AMC's The Walking Dead.  Along with Chad Coleman and Lawrence Gilliard Jr., he is the third The Wire alum to join the series.   Want to watch: YouTube Meisterkhan Pod (Please Subscribe)

Welcome to Dreaming in Color, a show hosted by Darren Isom, a partner with The Bridgespan Group, that provides a space for social change leaders of color to reflect on how their life experiences, personal and professional, have prepared them to lead and drive the impact we all seek. In this episode, we welcome Erika Alexander, an actress known for iconic roles like Maxine Shaw in Living Single, Detective Latoya in Get Out, Cousin Pam in The Cosby Show and many others. Outside of acting, Erika wears many hats including activist, entrepreneur, creator, producer, and director. In 2017 Erika founded Color Farm Media, a media company dedicated to building an ecosystem that fosters greater equity, inclusion, and diversity in media and that empowers and elevates voices who are underrepresented, overlooked, and undervalued. Some of Color Farm's social impact films include John Lewis: Good Trouble and The Big Payback, about the reparations movement. Join this conversation as Darren and Erika discuss the significance of her iconic character Maxine Shaw from Living Single and how that led to the so-called “Maxine Shaw Effect” which inspired many young women to pursue careers in leadership and law. Listen as we explore the intersection of storytelling and electoral politics and examine how narratives shape public perception and policy reinforcing the need for philanthropy and the social sector to support storytellers and create spaces for diverse narratives to thrive. This is Dreaming In Color. Jump straight into: (00:25.7) Introducing Erika Alexander: Actress, Producer, Director, and Founder of Color Farm Media.(03:36.4) Erika's early beginnings in the Southwest.(05:25.9) We explore the early ideas of futurism spreading through the words of pastors, clergy & teachers. (06:08.5) The Maxine Shaw Effect - how Erika's portrayal of Maxine Shaw inspired leaders like Stacey Abrams, Ayanna Pressley, and Mayor de Blasio (9:58.1) American Fiction and creating complex narratives for Black characters in media. (12:14.6) Erika delves into the work of ColorFarm Media.(13:48.8) We dive into the influence of storytelling in politics and Erika's work on Capitol Hill. (18:33.5) Architecting the third reconstruction: building new narratives and shedding old ones. (20:46.4) Building a society around the sustainability of storytellers.(22:27.6) Fusion politics, people being oppressed simultaneously and how we have the power to retell stories of the past through a different lens. (23:16.5) Erika references the dark underbelly of the silent investors in media. (25:36.7) Going within, how coping mechanisms turned darkness into light, into Black Futurism. Episode ResourcesKeep up with Erika on Twitter, Instagram, & FacebookLearn more about Erika through her websiteLearn more about Color Farm Media at their websiteListen to Erika's podcast “Reparations: The Big Payback” on Apple Podcasts

Erika Alexander continues her incredible QLS interview with a candid conversation about how executives treated Living Single as compared to other popular 1990s sitcoms. Erika also speaks about her astonishing recent run, including a dazzling role in American Fiction and memorable performances in Get Out and Wu-Tang: An American Saga. This conversation is pure joy.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Actress Erika Alexander joins Questlove Supreme for a special two-part interview. In the first half, Erika recalls an unusual upbringing that brought her from a childhood in a motel room along Route 66 to the city of Philadelphia. She details making a powerful impact on Camille Cosby to land a part in a beloved sitcom and how that experience prepared her for a definitive role on Living Single. Erika is an incredible storyteller who speaks with heart and draws from experience.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You're not mistaken, @EchoChamberFP https://www.instagram.com/echochamberfp/ is back this week, and we have a 'TWO Parter' for you!!! In 'Part ONE' we have a couple of films that have just hit Prime Video. A recent Oscar winner from MRC & Orion Pictures, and a new comedy from MGM Studios, VicScreen. We also have two from Signature Entertainment, one's a book adaptation from Vertical Entertainment & Thomasville Pictures and the other is an Australian spiritual tale from Dirty Films & Screen Australia. Netflix also has a new fantasy yarn from Roth/Kirschenbaum Films, & PCMA Management and Productions. In 'Part One' we have: American Fiction Watch Review: Here. https://youtu.be/K-EpzGyhtNc 48th annual Toronto International Film Festival: 8th September 2023 US Theatrical Release Date: 15th December 2023 UK Theatrical Release Date: 2nd February 2024 US Digital Release Date: 6th February 2024 UK Digital Release Date: 8th March 2024 Director: Cord Jefferson Cast: Jeffrey Wright, Tracee Ellis Ross, Sterling K. Brown, Leslie Uggams, John Ortiz, Erika Alexander, Issa Rae, Adam Brody, Keith David, Okieriete Onaodowan, Myra Lucretia Taylor, Raymond Anthony Thomas, Miriam Shor, Michael Cyril Creighton, J. C. MacKenzie, Patrick Fischler, Ryan Richard Doyle, Skyler Wright Running Time: 117 min Cert: 15 Trailer: Here. https://youtu.be/5_4RlHpqVWM?si=s7dMRi2OvcaX0yWV Website: Here. https://www.mgm.com/movies/american-fiction ------------ Ricky Stanicky Watch Review: Here. https://youtu.be/UUUYH2w6wG0 Digital Release Date: 7th March 2024 Director: Peter Farrelly Cast: Zac Efron, Jermaine Fowler, Andrew Santino, Lex Scott Davis, Anja Savcic, John Cena, Jeff Ross, William H. Macy, Jane Badler, Nathan Jones, Debra Lawrance, Heather Mitchell, Daniel Monks, Marta Kaczmarek, Ryan Shelton, Jim Knobeloch, Zen Gesner, Marc Rebillet Running Time: 114 min Cert: 15 Trailer: Here. https://youtu.be/WXpBN_31-Cw?si=_Pkn7wx7EA9PWL4m Website: Here. https://press.amazonstudios.com/us/en/original-movies/ricky-stanicky -------------- Damsel Watch Review: Here. https://youtu.be/WcwYc8R_pTo Digital Release Date: 8th March 2024 Director: Juan Carlos Fresnadillo Cast: Millie Bobby Brown, Ray Winstone, Angela Bassett, Brooke Carter, Nick Robinson, Robin Wright, Milo Twomey, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Patrice Naiambana, Nicole Joseph, Tasha Lim, Brogan Mcfarlane, Sonya Nisa, Esther Odumade, Margarita Ren, Eloise Shephard Taylor, Szofia Sallia, Matt Slack Running Time: 110 min Cert: 12a Trailer: Here. https://youtu.be/iM150ZWovZM?si=xYTL4kLj7jv0gRbf Website: Here. https://www.netflix.com/tudum/articles/damsel-release-date-photos ------------ Fast Charlie Watch Review: Here. https://youtu.be/EEn5g4ScFeU Mill Valley Film Festival (MVFF): 7th October 2023 Theatrical Release Date: 8th December 2023 US Digital Release Date: 8th December 2023 UK Digital Release Date: 15th March 2024 Director: Phillip Noyce Cast: Pierce Brosnan, Morena Baccarin, James Caan, Gbenga Akinnagbe, Christopher Matthew Cook, David Chattam, Toby Huss, Fredric Lehne, Sharon Gless, Brennan Keel Cook, Susan Gallagher, Lindsey G. Smith, David Kallaway, Stephen Louis Grush Running Time: 90 min Cert: 15 Trailer: Here. https://youtu.be/QxbCWJhdSB8 Watch via Apple TV+: Here. https://tv.apple.com/us/movie/fast-charlie/umc.cmc.5tn9hphmcpb3r90p3cpxidag6 ---------------- The New Boy Watch Review: Here. https://youtu.be/ZG3A9NsbW54 76th Cannes Film Festival: 19th May 2023 OZ Theatrical Release Date: 6th July 2023 UK Theatrical Release Date: 15th March 2024 Director: Warwick Thornton Cast: Aswan Reid, Cate Blanchett, Deborah Mailman, Wayne Blair, Shane McKenzie-Brady, Tyrique Brady, Laiken Beau Woolmington, Kailem Miller, Kyle Miller, Tyzailin Roderick, Tyler Rockman Spencer, Andrew Upton, Tyson Pawley Running Time: 116 min Cert: 15 Trailer: Here. https://youtu.be/iocVR6vqv4w Website: Here. https://thenewboy.info/ ---------------- *(Music) 'Da Joint' (Instrumental) by EPMD - 2020 --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/eftv/message

Chris and Taylor review the 2023 comedy drama film, American Fiction, written and directed by Cord Jefferson, in his feature directorial debut. Based on the 2001 novel Erasure by Percival Everett, it follows a frustrated novelist-professor who writes an outlandish satire of stereotypical "Black" books, only for it to be mistaken by the liberal elite for serious literature and published to both high sales and critical praise. It stars Jeffrey Wright, Tracee Ellis Ross, Issa Rae, Sterling K. Brown, John Ortiz, Erika Alexander, Leslie Uggams, Adam Brody, and Keith David.Follow us on:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepotentialpodcast/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thepotentialpodcastTwitter: https://twitter.com/thepotentialpodSupport us on Patreon:patreon.com/thepotentialpodcastThanks to our sponsors:Let'sGetChecked: Get 25% off your health test at trylgc.com/potential and enter promo code POTENTIAL25 ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

For the past 17 years, Essence has presented their Black Women in Hollywood Awards during Oscar week. Well, they showed up and showed out again this year. Zendaya, fresh off of that big opening for "Dune," was a fashion icon as she dazzled another red carpet and debuted her stylish new bob haircut. Black love was in full display with B.E.T.'s "Sistas" and "Zatima" actor DeVale Ellis and his wife Khadine Ellis sharing some touching moments on the carpet. "American Fiction" star Erika Alexander joined with fellow actress Kim Coles and uber-producer Yvette Lee Bowser on the carpet. They delved into some nostalgic memories from "Living Single," which recently hit a 30-year milestone. Do you believe it? Oh, time's going too fast. Honoree Danielle Brooks received a standing ovation as she sang the gospel melody, "I Won't Complain" to accept her award. That was something else. You got to check that out. I'm so sure we're going to see a lot of these same folks, especially Danielle Brooks, who is nominated for "The Color Purple" on the Oscar red carpet Sunday. Now, whatever you do, you've got to log in to Instagram on Sunday. We're on at 1 p.m. PT, 4 p.m. ET. We will be live on the red carpet at the 96th Academy Awards. And whatever you do, you really want to check it out. We're going to be out there with everybody, and there's a lot of folks coming through. Before the big show, it is Daylight Savings, so set the clock forward and tune in to the Oscars. It's on ABC and Jimmy Kimmel is hosting again. That's at 7 p.m. ET and of course 4 p.m. here on the West Coast. Don't want to miss any of this all day on Sunday. We'll be there with you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Your mother and I have something we want to talk with you about. A family sits down to discuss one thing. But then the true purpose of the meeting emerges. (9 ½ minutes)Act 1: For one kibbutz-dwelling family in Israel, the decision of where to land after the October 7th attacks goes back and forth… and back… and forth. (28 minutes)Act 1: For one kibbutz-dwelling family in Israel, the decision of where to land after the October 7th attacks goes back and forth… and back… and forth. (28 minutes)Act 2: An excerpt from “Belles Lettres," a short story by Nafissa Thompson-Spires from her book Heads of the Colored People. It's performed by actors Erika Alexander and Eisa Davis, with a cameo from our colleague Alvin Melathe. (14 minutes)Transcripts are available at thisamericanlife.org

Ben & Rob get cancelled for ‘American Fiction'; the utterly hilarious 2024 Best Picture nominee that has every white person second guessing if they've been the wrong kind of ally to minorities! With an all star cast that features Jeffrey Wright, Sterling K Brown, Issa Rae, Erika Alexander and Lesie Uggams, ‘American Fiction' challenges the culture of positive discrimination with equal parts hilarity and drama. When writer Thelonius ‘Monk' Ellison's cliche-ridden satire of a “black” novel is hungrily gobbled up by publishers and Hollywood, his private and professional life are thrown into turmoil as he is forced to deal with the falling apart of his family.Undoubtedly the funniest of this year's Oscar contenders, do its themes of racially charged annoyance help or hinder its hilarity? Is this tale of commercial success too subtle to really matter when it comes to race issues in contemporary America? Or is this in fact one of the most incisive, delicate comedies to have been released all year? CONSUUUME to find out all this and much, much more!PLUS! We have a YouTube with EXCLUSIVE content just for you - click the link below!Find us on your socials of choice or watch this episode at www.linktr.ee/everymovieeverpodcast

This week, we close out Black History Month with the 2024 BAFTA winning Earth Mama (2023), directed by Savanah Leaf and starring Tia Nomore, Erika Alexander, and Doechii. In this episode, we continue our discussion on Black womanhood, this time with an expanded conversation on adoption, the struggles of being a young mother looking for a support system, and what the life would be like if America actually supported reproductive rights. Our recommendations: The Florida Project (2017), Juno (2007) + stick around til the end of the episode for some BHM faves by Britney Watch The Heart Still Hums (2020): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8jFwsqu3sk&t=845s&pp=ygUUdGhlIGhlYXJ0IHN0aWxsIGh1bXM%3D Read "Born From My Memories: A Note From Savanah Leaf": https://a24films.com/notes/2023/07/a-note-from-savanah-leaf Support us on Ko-fi! https://ko-fi.com/blackgirlfilmclub Check out the rest of our socials: https://linktr.ee/blackgirlfilmclub

Queen Latifah is joining Drew to talk about the 30th anniversary of “Living Single” and playing a special round of Final Five with questions from former co-star Erika Alexander. Plus, she's telling Drew about the Kennedy Center Honor she received and the new season of “The Equalizer.”See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Happy Wednesday boys and girls! For the start of the Reel Film Nerds 7th year we chat about a musician biopic, Bob Marley: One Love starring Kingsley Ben-Adir  and Lashana Lynch. Bonus topics include legal marijuana, accents are difficult, and we have another amazing giveaway! Next week your podcast trio continues to catch up with the Best Picture nominees with American Fiction starring Jeffrey Wright, Tracee Ellis Ross, and Erika Alexander. Don't forget to stay to the end for Ma Hinshaw Loses Her Cookies Episode #51. Thank you for listening and we will chat with you next week! If you have a film you would like Matt and Mike to review, email us at nerds@reelfilmnerds.com You can find us on all things social such as YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.  Why not join our Facebook Fan Group so you can yell at Mike and Matt from the comfort of your keyboard while talking about films. We also have an old fashioned website where you can watch trailers, read the host's bios, listen to the podcast, and get a ton more info on the movies we review.  http://www.ReelFilmNerds.com Thank you for liking, subscribing, rating, reviewing, and telling your friends about our podcast. Finally go out and catch as many movies as you can!

In this episode of He Said, She Said Movie Reviews, your hosts, April and Tim take a look at the movie American Fiction. A satirical look at being “Woke”. April and Tim share their love of movies and each other with their listeners. A pair of movie fanatics, having seen over 3,500 movies together, April and Tim bring their unique perspective and that of their genders to their movie reviews. What started as movie reviews for family and friends has grown in the He Said, She Said Movie Reviews Podcast.  Because Streaming movies are now included in all the major awards, we look at both theatrical and streaming releases, this includes movies and series on Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Prime, Disney+, AppleTV, HBO and Showtime.  Genre: Comedy, Drama Director: Cord Jefferson Writers: Cord Jefferson & Percival Everett Staring: Jeffrey Wright, Tracee Ellis Ross, John Ortiz, Erika Alexander, Leslie Uggams, Adam Brody, Keith David, Issa Rae & Sterling K. Brown Runtime: 117 minutes Rated R: for language throughout, some drug use, sexual references and brief violence Let us help you make the right movie decision. If you have not already done so, go out to http://hesaidshesaidmovies.com/subscribe/   and subscribe to our podcast (it's totally free to do) so you'll never miss an episode. Also, if you would like us to review a movie on one of the streaming services listed above, drop us an email at tim@hesaidshesaidmovies.com  and we will watch your movie and give it a review. Follow us on Social Media Twitter - @HeSaidSheSaidMo - https://twitter.com/HeSaidSheSaidMo  Instagram - HeSaidSheSaidMovies - https://www.instagram.com/hesaidshesaidmovies  Facebook - @HeSaidSheSaidReview  - http://fb.me/HeSaidSheSaidReview  YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwRoqqJj_HbEpYllzQCtaKg/featured     

This week we continue our Oscars series discussing American Fiction! Directed by Cord Jefferson and based on the 2001 novel Erasure by Percival Everett, this film follows a writer who authors an over-the-top satire of stereotypical "black" books. His work is viewed as genuine literature by society and garners critical and commercial acclaim. Starring Jeffrey Wright, Tracee Ellis Ross, John Ortiz, Erika Alexander, Leslie Uggams, Adam Brody, Issa Ray, and Sterling K. Brown, this film explores how, and by whom, stories are told in America. It has been named one of the top 10 films of 2023 by the American Film Institute, has won numerous awards this awards season, and has been nominated for 5 Academy Awards... But Is American Fiction Good?If you'd like to suggest a film or film franchise, or if you'd just like to say hello, you can reach us at biigpodcast@gmail.com, @biigpodcast on Twitter, or @butisitgoodpodcast on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode I speak about season 6 of Black Mirror on Netflix, the final season of Jack Ryan on Amazon, the movie American Fiction and another addition to our GOATs doing GOAT $hit segment!   The Spun Today Podcast is a Podcast that is anchored in Writing, but unlimited in scope.  Give it a whirl.    Twitter: https://twitter.com/spuntoday Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spuntoday/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@spuntoday   Website: http://www.spuntoday.com/home Newsletter: http://www.spuntoday.com/subscribe   Links referenced in this episode:  Black Mirror season 6: https://www.netflix.com/title/70264888   Jack Ryan series finale: https://www.amazon.com/Jack-Ryan-Season-4/dp/B0BYT9NB1G   Tom Clancy writers: https://rare.us/rare-life/tom-clancy-books/ https://tomclancy.com/author/grant-blackwood https://tomclancy.com/categories/jack-ryan-novels https://tomclancy.com/categories/jack-ryan-jr-novels   American Fiction: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt23561236/?ref_=ttfc_fc_tt   Joe Rogan's new Spotify deal: https://www.wsj.com/business/media/joe-rogan-podcast-spotify-deal-28eb5f74 https://apnews.com/article/joe-rogan-spotify-deal-76fa0e2c9d4b137f510428528ea6226b   Get your Podcast Started Today! https://signup.libsyn.com/?promo_code=SPUN (Use Promo code SPUN and get up to 2-months of free service!)   Check out all the Spun Today Merch, and other ways to help support this show! https://www.spuntoday.com/support   Check out my Books Make Way for You – Tips for getting out of your own way FRACTAL – A Time Travel Tale Melted Cold – A Collection of Short Stories http://www.spuntoday.com/books/ (e-Book, Paperback & Hardcover are now available).   Fill out my Spun Today Questionnaire if you're passionate about your craft.  I'll share your insight and motivation on the Podcast: http://www.spuntoday.com/questionnaire/    Shop on Amazon using this link, to support the Podcast: http://www.amazon.com//ref=as_sl_pc_tf_lc?&tag=sputod0c-20&camp=216797&creative=446321&linkCode=ur1&adid=104DDN7SG8A2HXW52TFB&&ref-refURL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.spuntoday.com%2Fcontact%2F   Shop on iTunes using this link, to support the Podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewTop?genreId=38&id=27820&popId=42&uo=10   Shop at the Spun Today store for Mugs, T-Shirts and more: https://viralstyle.com/store/spuntoday/tonyortiz   Background Music: Autumn 2011 - Loxbeats & Melody - Roa   Outro Background Music: https://www.bensound.com   Spun Today Logo by: https://www.naveendhanalak.com/   Sound effects are credited to: http://www.freesfx.co.uk   Listen on: iTunes | Spotify | Stitcher | Pocket Casts | Google Podcasts | YouTube | Website   Download Episode Transcript [00:00:00] What's up, folks? What's going on? Welcome to the Spun Today podcast, the only podcast that is anchored in writing, but unlimited in scope. I'm your host, Tony Ortiz, and I appreciate you listening. This is episode 254 of the podcast. And in this episode, I speak about. Season six of Black Mirror on Netflix, the final season of Jack Ryan on Amazon, the movie American Fiction, and another addition to our goats doing goat shit segment. Stick around for all that good stuff. But before we get into the episode, I wanted to tell you guys about a quick way you can help support this show if you so choose. Then we'll jump right into the episode. Black Mirror season six was released in 2023. For those of you who don't know, don't follow the show. It is an amazing watch. One of my favorite shows for sure. And it has six seasons available [00:01:00] on Netflix. And if you haven't seen any episode, don't worry. It's not like one of those types of shows where you have to follow specific characters or like watch it from, you know, episode one through to the latest episode. Each season, each season is like a, it's an anthology. So it's like these individual stories, individual short stories, if you will. And each one is kind of like its own movie. Think of it that way. So you can literally go in, check out the descriptions, see which ones you might, might be interested in and like, and it just started that way. That's what I did initially years ago. When I, when I first got put onto the show. And since have watched every single episode. I think every single episode, actually. I was Well, reading up and refreshing my memory on a few of these episodes, I went back and noticed like one or two episodes that I either don't remember or [00:02:00] maybe never even saw. But yeah, and it's not a lot of episodes per season. Some seasons only have three episodes, for example. Some have six, some have five, some have four. This latest season, season six, has five episodes. All of which are really cool. I would say two to three are awesome. Two are awesome. One is really good. And a couple of them I could were my favorites. But they were worth the watch either way. Because it really is a good show. Very well done. And here's the official synopsis of the show. Black Mirror is featuring stand alone dramas, sharp, suspenseful, satirical tales that explore techno paranoia. Black Mirror is a contemporary reworking of The Twilight Zone, with stories that tap into the collective unease about the modern world. In the synopsis for this specific season is twisted tales that span eras and terrors. Deliver a [00:03:00] myriad of surprises in this game changing anthology series. Most unpredictable season yet. And as we like to do here on the Spun Study Podcast, wanted to shout out the folks that make it all possible. The writers. Black Mirror was created and is mainly written by Charlie Brooker. And there was one episode here in season six that was written by Bisha K. Ali, shout out to the writers of this amazing series and awesome season.[00:04:00] So the very first episode of the season is called Joan is awful. And the summary is that an average woman discovers a global streaming service has adapted her daily life and her secrets into a drama starring A list actress Salma Hayek. The name of the streaming service is Streamberry. It's similar to think of like Netflix for example. And this lady is essentially, you know, going through her life. Goes to work. Has certain conversations at work. She has a husband or, or at least a fiancé or live in boyfriend or something like that. That they depict their relationship kind of as like very routine, very going through the motions. And she Gets a text from like an [00:05:00] ex boyfriend or an old flame and says that he's in town and just wants to meet to say hi for a drink or something like that and she hesitantly goes Winds up going. I think they wind up kissing or something like that. And then they she leaves and goes home then they are about to Have dinner her and her boyfriend and They put on the TV and they say, Oh, Oh, look, there's a new show called Joan is awful the hell. And her name is Joan and they start playing it and watching it. And it's going through pretty much everything that happened to her that day. So it shows her like in the show, it shows some high, which plays her character going through the motions with a boyfriend, goes to work, shows a very similar conversation that she has. Her assistant is very similar and quirky and shows like what she said behind the back of someone that she fired and almost [00:06:00] identical to like what happened to her in real life. So she's watching it like, wait, what? What the fuck? Is this a joke? Like, what are you doing? What is going on? And then the boyfriend, he's just like, well, what are you talking about? You know, just like a show. But then he even starts catching on like, wait, this is very similar to, this seems like us. And then he sees in the show that she gets a text from an old boyfriend and then she's like, wait, that didn't happen. That's not true. And then, you know, she wants to stop watching for obvious reasons. He wants to keep watching for obvious reasons and so on and so forth. In long story short, the world of this main character like falls apart. And in almost real time, it's showing this on the show, like in the next episode of Jonah's Awful, and just highlighting how she's like a bad person and she's like flipping out and going to, she goes to a lawyer, she tries to sue Streamberry, [00:07:00] she loses her job, and all of this is being depicted on the show as well, right? Like, like a beat behind what's actually happening in real life, and she's like, how the fuck is this happening? And then the lawyer winds up letting her know that in signing the terms and conditions, you know, like the, those like pages and pages worth of terms and conditions that we all just like click the checkbox on and click accept, which I believe South Park did an episode of like years ago, but the lawyer explains how in the terms and conditions, one of the things you signed off on was giving your likeness, right? Signing over your likeness to StreamBerry and it's completely legal and they could do what they're doing. And from a company perspective in StreamBerry, they're using some sort of like AI and like high level tech to enrich their algorithm such that it gives the user, like the [00:08:00] watcher, the most targeted experience possible, which I can totally see a corporation doing. Like something like that through like algorithmic optimization and just like focusing on the bottom line, you know what I mean? Like an evil corporation that just wants to increase profit quarter after quarter after quarter and losing sight of the damage that it's doing otherwise. And then there's another layer to the episode where it gets into this like quantum computing baseline reality versus fictive reality. Type of thing as like the, the Joan is awful, the main character that we see that we think is the real Joan. She starts investigating the company and, and you know, taking matters into her own hands, tries to break into the company and figure out where they have this super computer that's facilitating all this. And she finds out that there's layers and layers and layers to this Joan is awful character. Where she's seeing Salma Hayek, this famous actress, playing her life. [00:09:00] There's, she is the. Actress that somebody else in a different layer or a different level of reality is watching her in a similar way on her streaming service, watching the Joan that we think is the real Joan, they're watching her on TV and so on and so forth. So she's like, wait, she's like contemplating mine, like, not even real. Am I like CGI? Am I like AI or something like that? And then it gets into the question of what's real. What's what are people quote unquote. What if we do create like AI or like sentient AI? Do they really have feelings and thoughts and are they real? Should they have rights, et cetera? It's really, really interesting. It's like a mind bending, when you think you know what the episode is about, it winds up opening up like all these other layers and inevitable questions. And that was definitely either my favorite or tied for favorite [00:10:00] episode of this season, Joan is awful. The second episode of Lock Henry is the one that I would say is like my tied to tied as my favorite episode of the season. And the summary for it is that while filming a nature documentary in a sleepy Scottish town, a young couple catches wind of a juicy local story with ties to shocking past events. Now in this episode, what stood out to me was first of all, like the way it was shot. It's very scenic. It's very beautiful looking the acting is great Everyone in it from like the main character his girlfriend his mother his best friend like stole a show. He was like the comedic relief and It follows this couple that goes Back home to, to the guy, the guy's hometown and the mother's meeting his, his girlfriend for the first time. And this town is really beautiful, but it's like [00:11:00] dead, like almost nobody's around. It's kind of eerie and creepy in that sense, but it's so beautiful and the girlfriend's even even notices that and she's like, what's going on here? Like, you would think that, you know, especially with this weather and this time of year that. This would be like a pop in place, you know what I mean? like a vacation spot for folks and She even asked this to The guy's friend Which is running a family Restaurant slash pub and the friend tells him wait, you didn't tell her about Ian Adar And remember, they're, they're like these film school kids that are, like, home from college to do this like, nature documentary. And that's what they're into. Or to do a documentary period, and they chose to do it about nature, a nature documentary. And, the kid is like no, no, no I didn't wanna, like, speak about that or whatever. And she's like, wait, who's Ian Adar? And [00:12:00] The friend or he and the friend but mainly he, the main character, he starts telling his girlfriend the story of Ian Adar. And this is probably like the scene that, that made the episode for me was his telling of the story of Ian Adar was like perfect spot on storytelling. Like it was just enough. Detail for like listeners and like watchers of the show to like add their own color and the visuals that they showed during his telling of Who Ian the Dar was definitely helped as well But it's absolutely like what roped me into to the episode But essentially this Ian the Dar character was a local guy who's kind of like a loner creepy guy that used to like go into the the pub and drink and and get drunk and Lived in a house down the road with a farm and [00:13:00] the, the main characters father in present time had passed away, but he used to be a police officer and they tell this very suspenseful story of how there was like a one day he got really drunk to see in the dark character after a couple that was on vacation because it used to be a really popular spot, this place. Which ties to the, the girl's expectation of, you know, why isn't this like a more popular place? It used to be. And then this couple went missing. And they couldn't find them. And then one day Enidar is in the pub and got really drunk. And then winds up going home and there's a disturbance in his house. And somebody calls the cops. The father of this kid goes and winds up getting shot by Enidar. As the telling of the story not killed, but then we find out that later on from his like wounds and like stuff like that, he got sick [00:14:00] and it was never the same and then wound up dying. So the mother and, and like the family blame Inidar for the father's death, but ultimately they found like this hidden dungeon in the house and like the remains of these people that were missing. And this Inadar character was some sort of like serial killer guy. And since then, the town became like a ghost town. Hence the state that it's currently in. Now the girl, she's like, We're not doing a fucking nature documentary anymore. We have to do a documentary about this. This is the story. We have to tell the story. And you know, they're film buffs and he's reluctant to do it. Doesn't want to open up like old wounds of you know, the family and the father dying and The story and stuff like that. The friend wants to, wants them to tell the story as well to see if it brings like more popularity back to the town and more tourists and stuff like that. And the girl's [00:15:00] really pushing for it. And even the mother says that she, it's important to tell the story. So then the kid gets on board and they start, you know, investigating and going into the house that was boarded up and going into that dungeon and taking videos and pictures and all this stuff. And the mother's this very like proper, you know, buttoned up lady. And the, like the kids are walking on eggshells around her. Don't want to make so much noise. And you know, she's nice, but very like buttoned up and proper. And long story shorter as they're investigating and the girlfriend is in the house by herself for some reason, like the, The guy went to visit with his friend or something like that. I forgot where he went, but she's just like rewatching some of the footage that they shot that day. And they were recording on top of an old VHS tape of some sitcom show that the mom used to watch and the father. And she finishes watching the footage and, but [00:16:00] the leaves the tape playing while she's like writing something down or something like that. And then the, this other footage comes up. All of that same dungeon area in the house, but it's like old footage. And she pretty much sees the couple that went missing and the mother of the guy and the father, and they're into this like eyes wide shut style, sex torture thing. And the girlfriend is watching this like, what the fuck? And then realizes that the mother and the father, the cop were the ones that killed that missing couple. And they were, you know, they did it again in this like Eyes Wide Shut style, like sex play, torture, craziness. And she like stops it and then right there there's like a knock at the door or the mother opens the door and she's like, Oh, dinner's ready. And she, and she, you know, she's trying not to freak out. And she's like, Okay, I'll be right there. And then winds [00:17:00] up going upstairs and saying that she's going to get some air or something like that. And it's night time, but ultimately she goes, she winds up getting out the house. The mother realizes, you know, goes back to the room, realizes what she saw, and then tries to find the girl. She drives and catches up to her. Then the girl, like, runs into into, like, a wooded area, like, down by a river and tries to hide. Winds up, like, slipping and banging her head, and pretty much she drowns in the river and dies. Then the mother just had another added twist to everything. The mother winds up going back to the, to the apartment, taking out all the VHS tapes and footage and stuff and set and write a letter to her son, which still isn't home by the way, and explaining to him everything and what she was involved in. And what his father was involved in and that with the footage that's on that tape, he'll make [00:18:00] like an amazing documentary and then she winds up hanging herself, which is sick and unexpected. And then the story goes on to, to show the kid, you know, being the film buff that he is, but also reluctant to like the whole thing. He winds up putting out this documentary, the town blows up with like tourism and stuff like that. It like fast forwards, like a year or two later and he winds up winning like all these like awards and, you know, like Emmys, Grammys, whatever it is that you went for this, but it's like that type of event and he's like pretty much miserable. Like, he has obviously what he wanted with this, like documentary filmmaking fame, he brought back life to his hometown, but obviously lost his girlfriend and his mother and is completely mind fucked with what happened. So. Dope, dope episode. Lock Henry. Now the next three, I'll go a little quicker. We have beyond the sea, which was a really good episode. It starts my [00:19:00] guy Jesse from breaking bad. And he and he plays this astronaut, he and another character and it says in an alternative in 1969, two astronauts on a perilous high tech space mission. Grapple with the fallout of an unfathomable tragedy back on earth. And essentially they're these astronauts that are in like in deep space. But they have these only two were made state of the art, like physical bodies back on earth. And they're able through some sort of technology laid down in a pod for like in their like spaceship or wherever they are in space. And It puts them to sleep, but like beams their consciousness into this body that's back on earth and they could do it for, I don't know, five hours, eight hours a day or something like that, or every so often, you know, and while one does it, the [00:20:00] other one has to, you know, be in the spaceship, you know, man, the spaceship and, and everything and the other, you know, does that to spend time with their family, both of them are like married, they have a kid or two. So And They take turns doing this every day and then the rest of the day, you know, they're working out in space and doing the research and work that it is that they do. Then one day, one of them goes back and I forget exactly how it happened, but it was, Oh, I do remember how it happened. The somebody breaks into their house and, it's like this think of like the Sharon Tate style murders. But it's like a religious cult thing that this is like you know ungodly You know, you're like an abomination here on earth. You're not really human It's like that type of mentality that drove these folks to like break into the house. They wound up tying tying up the guy [00:21:00] and He you know his body it that's not his real body But he's you know, he he's beamed in and then they top his wife his kid And they wind up killing his wife and, and child in front of him while he's watching, and he can't do anything about it. And then they, you know, they can't kill him because it's not really his body, but they fuck up the, that machine, robot, AI, whatever, body so he can't ever, like, beam down again. Then he beams back, obviously he's in, in real life, you know, he's in outer space. Not in real life, but, you know. And he's completely distraught. It's a, you know, story blows up. It's pretty much going crazy. And then his other astronaut buddy friend is, finds out about it. And then he, you know, they, they speak back to like space command or whatever it's called. And they try to give the, the friend you know, pointers and things to speak to him about. And, you know, they try to [00:22:00] like keep tabs on him. To see what's going on, you know, don't fuck up like the mission and then, you know, he has to deal with him coming back to his family and his life, but knowing that he left this unstable person up there that just lost his entire family and they think of like he and his wife think of, you know, like once he's like a little bit more settled, you know, They offer him to use his body. So Jesse's character offers him to use his body to go down, you know, to beam down. Just so he could feel the air again and be around people. And he winds up doing this. They wind up doing it every so often. It's apparently, it's helping him. But then he and the wife kind of hit it off a little bit. And he's into painting and they get a little flirty.[00:23:00] The wife you know, pushes back on the whole thing eventually. But then Jesse's character finds out about it, gets upset, tells him that he's not going to let them, you know, beam down anymore. You know, they're not supposed to be doing that anyway. Cause it like breaks protocol. And then the guy convinces him to do it. One more time. Just so he could apologize to the wife and he reluctantly agrees. Then he comes back and then the next time Jesse beams down, he beams down and he sees blood everywhere. He's like, what the fuck? And then he realizes the guy beamed down that last time and wound up killing his wife and kid. And he has no other option but to like beam back up. You know, he beams back up and the story ends with them. Him just like flipping out, but then him telling him to like, take a seat. He's like completely calm and fucking psycho, but tells him, you know, take a seat. Now, now we're even basically, I lost my family. You lost yours. You can't tell anybody about it. Cause you know, there's [00:24:00] nothing anybody can do. We weren't even supposed to be beaming in each other's bodies or whatever the hell. That was a really good episode. Now, the last two that I'll mention Maisie day. The main character is played by Zazie Beetz from Atlanta. Great actress. It wasn't my favorite episode. It's a troubled Hollywood starlet who goes to great lengths to escape packs of invasive paparazzi as she deals with the aftermath of a hit and run. And yeah, it didn't really, it wasn't a favorite episode of mine. She plays a paparazzi that's like in the paparazzi game and wants out, wants a different life. But they're tracking this like super popular actress who's trying to like hide out in rehab because she has like a drug problem. And then there's like this, I don't know, felt like lazy twist unexpected. I don't know, not maybe not lazy, but. Because it got me like I was interested in the episode just because [00:25:00] of like the acting and the writing in general and the characters in it. And it was. Somewhat suspenseful, but like the what happened at the end. I was like, ah, come on which was pretty much the The starlet that they were tracking down Was in this like rehab place and like tied down and they they wound up trying to save her Because they pretty she pretty much went into this rehab place and they like tied her down To, you know, like fight off the, the drugs and, you know, she was going to get sick and throw up and stuff like that. And they didn't want her like breaking out and getting drugs or anything. So it would be like an easier time for her if she was just tied down. So the paparazzi, Zazie Beats, and a couple other folks, they track her down. They try to get a picture of her because it's worth a lot of money in the rehab place. But then they realize that she's tied down. And when they go, they go to free her and she winds up turning into a werewolf. So, and she winds up killing a couple of the [00:26:00] paparazzis as he beats, gets away. And then at the end, I think winds up killing her as well. But yeah, that was a little, just like a little far fetched in my opinion, but that thing was great. And the last one is called Demon 79. This is Northern England, 1979. A meek sales assistant discovers she must commit terrible acts to prevent an imminent disaster. This was another one that was good. It keeps you roped in because you want to know if it's true or not, what she's going through. And it's this Indian girl in 1979. She's a she sells shoes. She works at like a malls department store selling shoes. And the people she works with and, you know, her boss and coworker and stuff like that, they all treat her different and they say, oh, you have stinky food and, and, you know, she's treated, she's very othered, you know, her neighbors or the people treat her [00:27:00] like very differently. And then this like demon appears and that only she can see in here and tells her that she has to essentially kill three people or the entire world would end. So they're showing this and you as the, as the viewer are like, is this real or not? Is she like a schizophrenic imagining demons and shit? Or is this like really happening within this world? And she's going through those same emotions. She's like, she thinks she's going crazy, but then ultimately is convinced of this and winds up going through the motions and doing things with the, with the demon. And the demon tries to like aggro on and, and. And, you know, motivate her to, to kill people and forget what it was. If it had to be only good people, it couldn't be bad people because bad people would be too easy. It has to be like three innocent people or something like that. Or if it was the other way around, if it had to be bad people and couldn't be innocent people and she wound up killing [00:28:00] like an innocent person, I think that's what it was. It's one of the killing an innocent person. That person didn't count. So she wound up killing like an extra person. And then at the end, she winds up getting caught like in the act and is, you know, there's like a cutoff time. It's like midnight at, you know, you know, three days later or something like that. The world was going to end and she's like in the interrogation room with the cops and they're writing her off as fucking crazy. The clock strike struck 12, nothing happened. And then she's like coming to the realization, holy shit, I killed these people. I am crazy. It's 12 o'clock and nothing happened. And then like three or four minutes later, you hear sirens going off and like the towns, like fog horns and everyone in the precinct is like going to the windows and you just see like bombs and fire and plague and just like everything going to shit. And then she comes to the realization of, Oh, I'm not crazy. [00:29:00] So she's happy about that, but then at the same time, oh, but the world is ending so There is that But yeah, Black Mirror Dope series, like I said in the beginning of this little recap and review Go back to see all the seasons all the episodes Some of them are fucking amazing. A lot of them are great most of them are either great or really good and there's like a I could count on one hand, less than one hand, probably just two or three that even, even the ones that, like I mentioned in, in this season six, the last two episodes weren't my favorite, but they were, you know, it wasn't like, Oh, why'd I watch that? You know what I mean? And that is my little recap and review of black mirror season six available on Netflix testing, testing one, two, one, two. Tom Clancy's, Jack Ryan, created by Carlton Qs and Graham Roland. Based on the characters by novelist, Tom [00:30:00] Clancy had its series finale last year in 2023. Very quick aside, because I don't wanna forget Tom Clancy, I, I looked them up like when I, when I'm into like a show or a movie or, or like a book, and I may not know the author or the writer or the creators. I look them up usually like to follow them on, on Twitter or Instagram and just to see like what they're up to, what they're working on currently. And I did that with Tom Clancy being that this is a character that he developed, that he created and has like a bunch of, of novels about him. And I found out that he died in 2013. And since, since he died, he's put out more content, whether it be films, Shows like this one and books and at first I'm kind of like, yeah, that's I guess it kind of sort of makes sense if you, you know, you create certain characters and you have like a, [00:31:00] a large backlog, you know, your state or something can like license out the content and one of your older books could be adapted into a movie or TV show, et cetera. I thought it was like that type of deal. But then I found out that's not the case and that he's since he's. Past again in 2013. He's put out over a dozen new books. We're not he is like physically impossible but He built out such a well known IP in like his name tom clancy and all the characters that he's created and Like Jack Ryan, for example, but also different, like, series of, like, movies and shows, like, The Hunt for Red October, starring Sean Connery and Alec Baldwin Patriot Games, starring Harrison Ford, etc., that his name alone is the Tom Clancy name, like, it became an entity, essentially. And The publishing house [00:32:00] has other writers that since his death have written under the Tom Clancy banner, if you will, but under the Tom Clancy name. So it'll be a new book by Tom Clancy, but it's really written by Grant Blackwood, Mark Cameron, Dick Couch, Mark Greeney. And Mike Madden probably amongst others by now. I thought that was so fascinating and interesting and just a testament to something that I like to highlight and underscore the importance of owning your content, owning your IP. At whatever level you're on from zero listenership and readership to millions and millions and millions of listeners and or readership, because ultimately, if something does pop off in the direction of being financially viable, why not have your situation set up in a way where you didn't give away the rights, you didn't sell off the [00:33:00] rights for a one time fee or, you know, the short term bag, but you've created something valuable. That can and will go on for decades after you're gone and your kids and maybe even your kids kids Could benefit from it Like why not set it up that way, you know what I mean, but to each their own. Anyway, Jack Ryan is a dope series and The official synopsis is of the show is up and coming CIA analyst Jack Ryan is thrust into dangerous field assignments and it stars John Krasinski From the office, which when I first saw the show, I was like that, like, I know him as like Jim from the office and it's a comedy. And this is like a serious, you know, CIA analyst guy, but it totally works. And it just shows like his range as an actor, in my opinion. Also starting Wendell Pierce, shout out to Wendell Pierce, shout out to the wire [00:34:00] and Michael Kelly. It was a great, like character actor. I think that's what you call a character actor. Shout out to a house of cards where he played Doug. And as we'd like to do here on the sponsored a podcast, because if we don't do it here, then who will let's shout out the writers. First and foremost, Tom Clancy, of course, based on the characters that he created Carlton Kuse, Graham Roland, Joe Griscoviak, Jeff Kempler, Jada Nation, Aaron Rabin, you name it. Vaughn Wilmot, Stephen Cain and Robert David Port. Shout out to each and every one of the writers that, and creators of the series that put together this final fourth series finale.[00:35:00] So like the synopsis says, if you're not familiar with the show, it all revolves around this genius. CIA analyst. He's kind of like a desk analyst research guy that winds up going into the field and then you start finding out that, Oh, he can, he can do the field as well. He has like a background being like a Navy seal, I think, or just like one of those like superhero type characters in, in shows, you know, they could do it all smartest guy in the room, toughest guy in the room. And I love shows like that. Cause I could finally relate to someone, you know what I mean? Let me stop. But definitely, I definitely do enjoy those shows. You kind of like vicariously live through characters like that. And this season, this final season, [00:36:00] had to do with a drug cartel teaming up with a terrorist organization. And how that type of matchup would combine unlimited resources with Like unbridled terror and hate, which is obviously a dangerous combination, especially when, and if it's aimed towards the U S for example, Michael Pena is a big part of this final season as well. Another great actor. If you don't know him by name, he's, he's the, the Spanish guy that is like in everything. When you see him, you'd be like, Oh yeah, I know that guy. And in the very first episode, actually, Ends with a really dope scene where he is in Jack Ryan's apartment. When Jack Ryan gets home with his girlfriend and they get home [00:37:00] from some event that they were at and she's going to go take a shower or something. He's going to the fridge and Michael Peña just points a gun to his head and tells him to turn Pluto back on. So at this point. The story. Basically, Jack Ryan has ascended and he's like assistant to the head of the CIA like sec second line. And they're getting a lot of pressure from, from the Senate to be more transparent and highlight programs within the CIA, like covert operations and stuff like that because there had just been a coup slash murder of a president in a country in Africa and. You know, conspiracy theorists and folks were blaming the CIA as them having something to do with it. So a way that Jack Ryan and Director Wright chose to deal with that was to turn off the funding for all these [00:38:00] programs that you couldn't trace or like where the money was going to and stuff like that. And one of these programs was Pluto, codenamed Pluto. And Michael Peña just shows up, puts a gun to Jack Ryan's head. Remember, Jack Ryan's like the badass, you know, handles everything, knows everything that's going on at all times. And here's this guy, apparently within the CIA as well, in his apartment with a gun to his head, telling him to turn the shit back on, turn the money back on for that operation. And we see Michael Pena's character in Mexico. Like they show a few scenes of him there and like being a bit like a bad ass there. And as the viewer, we're kind of like, wait, is he CIA? Is he part of this cartel? Is he like a double agent? Like what's up with him? And ultimately we find out that he is in the CIA, but he's being used by the folks that are running the Pluto program that are working with This either the drug cartel and or [00:39:00] the terrorist organization side to try to facilitate what they have going on and they're pretty much being paid off. That's essentially what this season is all about. It has great fighting scenes, very suspenseful, like scenes with a helicopter. Oh, I'm sorry, with a plane that they're finally getting away. Jack Ryan's character is and. Mike November's, which is Michael Kelly's character and Kathy Mueller, which is John Krasinski's Jack Ryan's girlfriend played by Abby Cornish and Michael Pena's character. They're all like getting away from a situation that they're in that they're flying out of to take a chow fa the head of this drug organization or not the head. He was like the higher up about to become the head, but he, he was turning against the organization. And like speaking to the CIA to be able to get his family, his wife and daughter out. So they're in this situation where [00:40:00] they are about to get out of the country on this private plane. They load everybody up, but then Jack Ryan and Michael Pena themselves have to stay behind so the plane can go, can fly off. With Jack Ryan's girlfriend, Chao Pha's wife and daughter. Cause you have like a ton of just like jeeps and jeeps and with heavy machinery machine guns and a bunch of soldiers just like coming at them. So the plane can take off. They stayed down to like, you know, give them a cover pretty much and like shooting back at them. And then Michael Kelly's character, Mike November just comes with a fucking helicopter and like mows down all the. Like at the last second when you're like, how the fuck are they gonna get out of this? They're like in this open field completely surrounded or fucked and Mike November shows up in this helicopter and with enough like weaponry to like hold them off [00:41:00] and allow Jack Ryan and Mike and Michael Peña's character to get in the helicopter and get the fuck out of there. It's like dope scenes like that. Acting director writes characters from Queens. Shout out to Queens. There's some dope scenes towards the end of the series where Jack Ryan actually gets captured and he's being tortured, you know He's like tied up. He's being electrocuted fucking whipped and just like fucked up like a sick torture scene and to John Krasinski's Credit did a phenomenal job. It was like so believable and it's like a sick scene and Michael Pena is In this like bunker place where they have Jack Ryan, he like broke into it to save Jack Ryan and there's a part where he, all he has is a spear gun because that's what he couldn't buy in terms of weaponry from like a villager that lived [00:42:00] close by and he gets into this facility and there's a, you know, there's this guy guarding a door and he's walking, you know, he hears something, he's walking around with a gun And Mike Pena fucking spear guns him in the dark, it was such a sick scene. And just wound up like fucking everybody up one by one like John Wick style to ultimately free Jack Ryan. And I like this show in particular because it's not like the bad guys in the show. They make you not relate to them, but they're written in such a way where I don't want to see you empathize with them. But they humanize them a bit, you know, they're not like over the top just like evil for evil's sake type bad guys I think the the best villains in stories there's like something about them that you could relate to or at least that you can sympathize with their Rationale whether you agree with it or not for like doing certain things and there's a few of those characters Within this season within the show in general, but within this season, especially like the ex CIA guy [00:43:00] that felt wronged and he was like a, a hitman for hire basically for, for the bad guys. Chau Fa's character, which was the head of this drug organization and was doing it to get his wife and daughter out. And he killed his brother in law who was like on to him. So on and so forth. But yeah, really good show. It's definitely a fun watch. There's four seasons available on Amazon if you're interested. It's one of those that are just like action and entertaining and well written, in my opinion. And that is Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan. Available on Amazon. American Fiction. So a few weeks back, prior to the health related issues that I mentioned that My family's going through right now. My wife and I wanted to do one of our favorite things, which is go to the movies. It's one of the things we really enjoy doing together. And We saw American Fiction. Which was [00:44:00] so, so good to me. On a few different levels. It's about a novelist who This is the official summary. It's about a novelist who's fed up with the establishment, profiting from black entertainment. And he uses a pen name to write a book that propels him into the heart of the hypocrisy and madness he claims to disdain. Before we get into my little recap, let's shout out the writers, as we do here on the Sponsored A Podcast. Because if we don't, who will? American Fiction was written by Cord Jefferson and Percival Everett. Shout out to them for putting this together. It was also directed by Cord Jefferson. Now it has a great, great all star cast starting with the main protagonist, Thelonious Monk Ellison played by Jeffrey Wright, Lisa Ellison, his sister played [00:45:00] by Tracy Ellis Ross, Arthur, who is the publisher of Thelonious character played by John Ortiz. Coraline, who plays a love interest of Thelonious, played by Erika Alexander. Issa Rae is in it, she also plays a writer. Cintara Golden, Keith David, plays Willy the Wonker. It's like a funny little like parody scene within the movie itself. I really like the Myra. Lucretia Taylor plays Lorraine. She's like that housekeeper slash caretaker for, for the mother. Agnes Ellison, played by Leslie Uggams. It's such a good film. So it follows Thelonious Monk Ellison, who's a writer, and he plays like this jaded writer that is a little snobby about his writing. You know, he's respected by his peers, but he definitely doesn't make money, or at least not a lot of it.[00:46:00] And he's snobby towards the genre of writer that seems to just be writing to the market. Issa Rae's character, Sentara Golden, is one of these writers, which makes a beautiful case for it. And like there's a scene where they have a dialogue with each other. And back and forth and makes a strong understandable case for writing to the market because there are writers like that, right? There are writers and creators like that, that literally only write to and for a specific market. There are podcasters like that as well that, you know, they'll do Google trending searches, for example, and say, Oh, X, Y, and Z is trending. Let me do a podcast episode about that. Or writers that write to, Oh, what's popular now, vampires. Made of glitter that also own a knitting factory. Okay, let me write a story about that and they'll literally write a novel, a book, a short story or whatever about that. That's called like writing to the [00:47:00] market. And then you have other folks that write for the art of it, that write what they want to write, whether it's popular or not. I think I would fall more into that camp and they speak about what they want to speak about. So on and so forth. And it's not passing judgment on either. You know, both are, you know, The creator's prerogative, but Monk's character is one that has disdain for the folks like Issa Rae's character, Centaur Golden, who is literally just writing for the market and her case was essentially, you know, if there is a market, if there are people that want to read this type of stuff that you call, you know, trash or like fast food, for example, in fast food type of writing, and I'm able to create that for them to fill that demand. And make a living while doing it. Why is that, you know, like, why are you shitting on that? What's wrong with that? And the answer to that is essentially, [00:48:00] there is nothing wrong with that. That's, you know, the choice of that creator, that writer, and also the choice of that consumer. To consume whatever the fuck they want to consume, right? But what I love for it from a this like writing, you know, This, like, shining the light on this, like, area of like writing and creating Is that the type of, like, story she's writing are Like thought to be like racist and like over the top and highlighting like stereotypes of African Americans And like she's doing a reading for example, and she's you know, speaking normally and then You know being interviewed and then she's reading an excerpt from her story and then she's like, oh, yeah. Sure I would love to read an excerpt. Let me share this passage here. And then she starts reading quote Hey, yo, Sharonda use pregnancy again and not at 19 years old What is that, your eighth baby mama? You know, like, shit like that. She's like, writing in the book. And then Thelonious Monk's character is like, has like such disdain and grossed out and [00:49:00] like, what the fuck, how is this selling? So he as like a kind of to like shit on his certain publishers that don't want to like publish him anymore. And Arthur, by the way, is not his publisher, it's his agent. The character played by John Ortiz. He decides to write this like over the top hood, like spoof almost, and submit that to the publishers that don't want to publish his, his other work. Cause again, it's not selling and the publishers are in the market of, or in the business of making money. So they're like the embodiment of creating for the market, minus the creating part, you know, they're just like peddling, but I digress. He submits it as kind of like a fuck you to them. And then, and they wind up loving it. And they wanna, and he, he submits it like under a pen name. And Arthur, his agent calls him, he's like, yo, they wanna publish it. And he's like, really? They wanna publish my book? He thinks it's his, like, other book that, that he wrote. The more, you know, like, [00:50:00] snooty writing and, you know, the shit that he's into. His literary fiction, if you will. And John Ortiz's character, Arthur, he's like, no, no, the The other book that you sent me over under the pen name and they want to give you a 250, 000 advance or something like, I forget the exact number. That might be it. But he's like, what? He's like, I'm not, I'm not, I'm not going to do that shit. What are you fucking crazy? That was supposed to be a joke. But monks characters in a situation where this is a, another layer of the story where it really resonated with me. His mother, Agnes is elderly. Her memory is starting to slip. They take her to. And they confirmed that it's like early stages of dementia. My father, as I mentioned here in the pod has dementia. So that definitely resonated and as well as him and Tracy Ellis Ross, which is his sister. And they have a third brother Clifford Ellison [00:51:00] played by Sterling K. Brown. But they're like between siblings, they're dealing with the fact of balancing the responsibilities of taking on the fact that their parents are getting older, that their parents are getting sick. And what, how are they going to balance that? And what's that going to mean moving forward? And who's taking on which responsibilities? How are they going to tackle all of the issues that need to be tackled and taken care of? And that's something that definitely hit home. And something that we all inevitably deal with to one degree or another. So he's in this situation where he, they need the money to confront you know, like the changing and added responsibilities in, in, in their lives with their mom being sick. And he's out to a lunch with his sister and, you know, they're speaking about these things, trying to iron out certain details and, you know, speaking about how money's tight.[00:52:00] All around and then his sister right then and there literally has a heart attack while they're having lunch out of the blue Tracy Ellis Ross's character which sucked that she she like died like spoiler alert so early in the story Which just threw a another curveball and an added need for him to get money because the other brother He's like going through a divorce with his family kind of like a midlife crisis coming out the closet like type of thing he's like selfish and doing drugs and more of a burden than a help, you know what I mean? So it all kind of falls on Jeffrey Wright's character. But then he, you know, he has this dilemma where he definitely really needs the money, which Arthur, his agent, is highlighting to him to take care of his mom. But also, his creative beliefs and what he feels about like his integrity, his creative integrity, is being thrust into this situation as well, right? He doesn't want to publish that. But ultimately he does. [00:53:00] Begrudgingly and at the same time, I felt that that situation does a great job of, of being like social commentary for what's wrong with the virtue signaling. And you have these two agents from the publishing company who are white and just like thrilled to speak to the writer, which again was under pen name. And he just kept playing it up and making it more absurd. He was like, yeah, I'm an ex, I'm an ex con. I don't do interviews cause I'm still running from the law. I'm running from the man and this and that or whatever. And they were just like eating it up and they're like, Oh my God, this is so authentic. This is so real. And it was like cool to see like that highlighting of that type of like hypocrisy of what happens when, you know, writing to a market or just like doing something ultimately for financial gain alone. Like when that runs amok, like. [00:54:00] Just highlighting all that is wrong with that type of mentality. And not to be mistaken with that, that is all wrong. But what could be wrong with only thinking that way. Lorraine's character, she was so sweet. Played by Myra Taylor. She is the like, home health aid caretaker of the mom. And has obviously like been with the family for like years. So to the point that she's like family. She was like such, such a sweetheart. And I felt like the ultimate, like, full circle moment for him, for Monk's character was a couple of things. Like, on a personal level, you know, being more open, being, you know, letting your guards down a bit, letting people into your life, letting them love you. He was very guarded, very cagey. Pushed people away. Which is not an uncommon trait for a writer or some types of creatives You know, you're kind of sort of always in your own head and you wind up doing[00:55:00] Things like that even without noticing at times. I know I definitely have and then from a professional level the full circle for for his character was That ultimately he always wanted he wanted And needed money, but also wanted the validation that comes with the recognition of all your peers and being thought of as this amazing writer and he kind of sort of came to the realization that these are two different worlds and it's okay you know i mean it's not like an either or type of situation it's the ideal circumstance that you can do like your artsy fartsy type of writing and everybody and their mother would love it and it would be mainstream and niche at the same time and You'd be a literary hero and a millionaire simultaneously at the same time like sure but very unlikely that Would ever be the type of situation [00:56:00] that you would be in as a creative But there is a happy medium with come again coming to terms with the fact that maybe not always but often it would be a separate different type of approach to to creating and that part of the charm if you will of being on a creative journey is a Finding that medium of the happy medium where you are able to create without compromising your artistic integrity, if you will, and also make some money while doing so, which will help facilitate you being able to do more of what it is that you love to do, which is the writing and creating. And if sometimes you wind up sliding to the left of that spectrum a little bit, and going more towards the making money side, and then sliding back to the right a little bit, and going more towards the doing what you [00:57:00] love side, then so be it. As long as you ultimately stay within that happy medium, which should be the place where you're most happy, I think is the ultimate creative. goal. At least I feel like that's what it is for me. Anyway, tons and tons and tons of that I related to in this movie. I highly recommend it. American fiction. Check it out. Goats doing goat shit. This is the spun today segment where I like to highlight extraordinary individuals that do extraordinary things. Even when, and especially when They don't have to this episode's installment of a go to doing goat shit is none other than Joe Rogan who has made the list before this is probably his third if not fourth time and the reason why as originally reported by Spotify's blog and picked up by the Wall Street [00:58:00] Journal Associated Press and others which I will link to in the episode notes is because in February of 2024 this month Joe Rogan inked yet another Multi year licensing deal with Spotify for those of you who don't know one of the other reasons actually when Rogan initially made the go to doing goat shit list was because he inked a 100 million licensing deal to take his podcast, the Joe Rogan experience exclusive with Spotify for three years. I want to highlight again, it was a licensing deal, which I love harping on and highlighting here on. The podcast, because there's a huge difference between selling something and licensing something. When you license something that you create, you can license it for X amount of dollars, sometimes, and usually less than what you would make if you just sold it outright. But what's great about a licensing deal [00:59:00] is that once that license is up, you still own everything and you can license it out all over again. So Joe Rogan did a licensing deal for 100 million, three years ago that recently expired. And because it was such a lucrative deal for Spotify and its shareholders, which saw many, many, many times that hundred million dollars in stock profits as soon as the news broke. But Rogan since again, maintained ownership of his show was now able to license it yet again. And this time the deal has a few interesting caveats. First and foremost, it's another multi year licensing deal. The number of years I'm not clear on. I'm assuming it's around 3 to 5. But I haven't found actual reporting on the number of years. But it's a 250, 000, 000 licensing deal. Shout out to the [01:00:00] podcast, The Goat. So not only did he make 100, 000, 000 over 3 years with the original deal, Now he's making another 250 million, which includes, by the way, upfront guarantee as well as revenue sharing on his ad sales. But the sickest part, in my opinion, is that it's no longer exclusive with Spotify. This deal was so lucrative with Spotify that they didn't, they didn't even hold on to that part of it. That part of the deal. It said Rogan and team negotiated that. The podcast will once again, go wide, it'll be available everywhere. So if you want to listen to it on Apple, you can, it's already actually on Apple. And there will be a video version available on YouTube as well. Which is interesting because back in the day, before the Spotify deal, Rogan's Pod was wide, you know, it was available on every podcatcher. And the video versions were [01:01:00] exclusively on YouTube just because YouTube had the that's where videos would be seen, you know what I mean? It wasn't by virtue of any deal with YouTube, but that's just where video podcasts were viewed. Part of when Rogan went to Spotify, part of the deal that was negotiated was that Spotify had to develop the capability. Of streaming video as well as audio, and they developed this entire video capability through their app because of Rogan which other podcasters and, and content creators obviously have benefited from as well. But now that the deal is going wide again, or the show rather is going wide again, we will once again be able to watch the podcast episodes on YouTube, not just the video versions on Spotify. But it does seem, for example, that Spotify is keeping, aside from YouTube, seems to be keeping, at least as of the recording of this episode, [01:02:00] the video rights with Spotify, because you can still watch the videos obviously on Spotify, but on Apple, for example, where the podcast is already on YouTube. Available it's audio only so Spotify does seem to be retaining that I would imagine that the video versions of the podcast will be available on YouTube as they stated but probably on some sort of like delayed release like maybe a week later the video will be on on YouTube or something like that but that's just my personal speculation on that shout out once again to Rogan the undisputed heavyweight champ of podcasting goats you For not only having one of the dopest and most important essential outlets on the planet Where folks from any and all walks of life? Can come and share their art and discuss their thoughts and share their [01:03:00] expertise with the world but also for doing it right always doing a show with integrity and honor and giving other podcasts everywhere including myself A template for how to do it right and not just in caring about what you do, loving what you do, pursuing your passions, striving to be a better person, wanting to help others, but in realizing that there's different ideas and thoughts out there, and that it's okay that they coexist. It's okay that they're differing opinions are shared and explored. It's essential, but also in just the integrity that comes with the whole financial aspect of things. And in doing things right and correctly where he was very much the architect of not just selling ads on his podcast back way before the Spotify deal, way before the whole thing blew up when he only had one sponsor, shout out to Fleshlight, where He, again, was very much of the architect of not just [01:04:00] selling shit to sell it, but only selling things that you believed in or that at least you tried and you liked and not, you know, just doing McDonald's ads just because they came with the bigger bag. Having that level of integrity and foresight clearly snowballed all these years later into the 250 million more than doubled up from the previous 100 million deal. So shout out again to Joe Rogan and to Spotify for inking this deal and for making yet another appearance on the Spun Today goats doing goat shit segment. And that folks was episode 254 of the Spun Today podcast. Thank you very, very much for taking the time to [01:05:00] listen. It really does mean a lot and I hope that you all are taking away gems from the episode. And, or it's just helping you pass the time and whether you're at work or at the gym or whatever it is that you do while you're listening to this driving. I hope it can help you pass the time. I hope it finds you and yours in a good, healthy place. Maybe even motivates you and inspires you to do something creative on your end, which I'm definitely a proponent for. If you have another minute or two, please stick around to listen to a few ways you can help support this show if you so choose. And I'll catch you guys next time. Peace.

We are here with Erika Alexander and she is the moment! You Might Know Her From American Fiction, Get Out, Earth Mama, Black Lightning, Insecure, The Long Walk Home, Mama Flora's Family, The Cosby Show, 54, Wu Tang: an American Saga, and Living Single. We got to talk to Erika about sporting her signature NRAY locks while she's on the awards circuit for her Indie Spirit-nominated performance in American Fiction. We also covered a potential Living Single reunion, the beautiful moment Cicely Tyson gave her on set, and her meta cameo on Issa Rae's Insecure. All that plus, genre work in Get Out, her Harvey Weinstein story, and her multi-hyphenate work as a writer, producer, and director. Get into Erika Alexander, the artist.  Follow us on social media: @youmightknowherfrom || @damianbellino || @rodemanne Discussed this week: Amen starring Anna Maria Horsford (her episode of YMKHF)  Damian deep in Barbra's (audio) book, My Name is Barbra Who else is on the Barbra tier of singer/actor/arTISTE? Aka larger than life but also relatable. Judy Garland, Whitney Houston, Diana Ross, Beyonce, Lady Gaga?!? What about Cher, Meryl Streep, Goldie Hawn, Liza Minnelli, Bette Midler, Brandy? Jennifer Hudson? Emma Stone? If Jennifer Lawrence could sing? WHOOPI GOLDBERG coulda  Real audio tracks of Jennifer Lopez singing In What's Up Doc, Barbra is sexy and weird Truth or Dare is an incredible documentary. Is Madonna on the list?!  Madonna: should we watch Swept Away Anne is an Madonna as Evita (1996) apologist Nominated for best supporting actress Indie Spirit Award for American Fiction Has used the stylist Debra Hare-Bey and her yarn locs (NRAY locs) since before Living Single  Worked with Whoopi Goldberg in The Long Walk Home (1990) The C.R.O.W.N. Act was a big legislative win for Black women Earth Mama starring Tia Nomore and directed by former volleyball player, Savanah LeafErika was discovered in an acting program to play opposite James Earl Jones in My Little GirlErika played young Cicely Tyson in Mama Flora's Family and one of the producers threatened her  Felt like 4th wheel as Maxine Shaw on Living Single Worked closely with Hillary Clinton as her surrogate while working on Queen Sugar when she got Get Out Yvette Lee Bowser cast Erika and Les Moonves went to bat for her  End of Living Single left bad taste in her mouth bc wasn't able to shake Maxine  Did a meta bit on Insecure (had already agreed to do Awkward Black Girl when it was on YouTube) Played cousin Pam on seasons 7 & 8 of The Cosby Show. Had great scene with Charmaine played by Karen Malina White Go watch Malina White in Dahmer Appears in Toni Braxton's “You're Making Me High” with Vivica A. Fox and Tisha Campbell Produced the documentaries, Finding Tamika, Good Trouble Erika's Buffy comic with Joss Whedon Erika's spec script for Mad Men (Don Draper meets a black ad man) Erika testified in front of Congress on the importance of diversifying the entertainment industry Fathers and Sons with Jeff Goldblum Was Ciel who ran coat check in 54 (1998) Salma Hayek told her she needed to ask why they moved her trailer and of course it's Harvey Weinstein Porn star, Ron Jeremy asked Erika if she wanted to party Her brother worked at Studio 54! Plays Perenna on the CW DC series, Black Lightning Oh no, Anne went basic and bought an Owala water bottle Anne riding bikes and Damian making hemp milk from scratch now  

IT'S TIME TO TALK ABOUT THE MOVIES OF JANUARY… and Argylle. - JANUARY Night Swim- dir. Bryce McGuire; Wyatt Russell, Kerry Condon, Amélie Hoeferle, Gavin Warren American Fiction- dir. Cord Jefferson; Jeffrey Wright, Leslie Uggams, Erika Alexander, John Ortiz, Sterling K. Brown All of Us Strangers- dir. Andrew Haigh; Andrew Scott, Paul Mescal, Jamie Bell, Claire Foy Fallen Leaves- dir. Aki Kaurismäki; Alma Pöysti, Jussi Vatanen, Janne Hyytiäinen, Nuppu Koivu The Zone of Interest- dir. Jonathan Glazer; Christian Friedel, Sandra Hüller, Medusa Knopf, Daniel Holzberg, Ralph Herforth, Maximilian Beck FEBRUARY Argylle Lisa Frankenstein The Promised Land Out of Darkness Madame Web Winnie the Pooh: Blood and Honey 2 Bob Marley: One Love Drive-Away Dolls --------------------------------------------------- iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/movies-are-reel/id1082173626 Google Play: https://podcasts.google.com/feed/aHR0cHM6Ly9mZWVkcy5zb3VuZGNsb3VkLm NvbS91c2Vycy9zb3VuZGNsb3VkOnVzZXJzOjIwMzkxNjE4OC9zb3VuZHMucnNz Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2VE15E5fS0ZWtESo9bUWhn?si=e983275eb550499c&nd=1 Jurge - twitter: twitter.com/jcruzalvarez26 Letterboxed: letterboxd.com/jcruzalvarez26/​ Ryan- twitter: twitter.com/MrPibbOfficial Letterboxed: letterboxd.com/filmpiece/​ Karrie - twitter: twitter.com/kar_elyles Letterboxed: letterboxd.com/karrie/

Five-time Emmy Award-winning composer Laura Karpman joins guest host Jon Burlingame to discuss her first Academy Award® nomination for the music of “American Fiction.” Karpman took a rather unique approach to composing this “jazzy” score, by thinking of the actors' voices as musical instruments themselves.“There's a lot of dialogue. And the way the score is constructed is using the actors — particularly Erika Alexander, who plays Coraline, his love interest, and then Jeffrey [Wright], who plays Monk — using their voices as musical instruments. Jeffrey has a great tenor sax vibe, and Coraline has got this sexy alto. And so when they speak, it's under a rhythm section. And then the saxophones and Elena Pinderhughes on flute will come in to kind of move around that. But I did think of the actors as part of the jazz combo, with a rhythm section backing them up.”—Laura Karpman, Composer, “American Fiction”Be sure to check out “American Fiction” ahead of the Academy Awards, live from the Dolby Theatre® on March 10th!For more awards season coverage, please subscribe to The Dolby Creator Talks Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.You can also check out the video for this episode.Learn more about the Dolby Institute and check out Dolby.com. Connect with Dolby on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn.

We catch up with Cord Jefferson's Oscar-nominated comedy that's about more than you might have guessed. Then, we've got new nominees for the Hall of Excellence: Best Fictional Books!What's GoodAlonso - Barbara Streisand's memoirDrea - Mom's Dave confusionEllie - new season of True DetectiveIfy - clear spheres/foggy balls ITIDICGodzilla Minus One Inching Towards a Near-Record Box Office RunSundance Concluded With Some Big SalesOscar Nominations Came out Last Week…Staff PicksAlonso - Household SaintsDrea - Plus OneEllie - The Zone of InterestIfy - Beetlejuice [also showing at Vidiots on 2/3/24]Follow Ellie Foumbi on InstagramLeave a message for the Hotline!  Follow us on BlueSky, Twitter, Facebook, or InstagramWithDrea ClarkAlonso DuraldeIfy NwadiweProduced by Marissa FlaxbartSr. Producer Laura Swisher

We take a break from the never ending parade of white saviors to talk about a movie we actually liked, American Fiction. Written and directed by Cord Jefferson, and starring Jeffery Wright, Sterling K. Brown, Erika Alexander, and Traci Ellis Ross, it recently was nominated for 4 Academy Awards.  We talk about the amazing cast, our thoughts on the message of the movie, parallels to Bamboozled and 40 Year Old Version and much more!  Do yourself a favor and run out to see this movie, definitely lives up to the hype! And if you have seen it, let us know what you think at @white_pod on Twitter and at whitepeoplewontsaveyoupod@gmail.com    

Comedian Jacqueline Novak is joining Drew and Ross Mathews at the news desk to hit the headlines including the debate over whether hosting awards shows is a thankless job and the woman who went viral for using AI to make an ex jealous. “American Fiction” star Erika Alexander is telling Drew about working on her new film and her hometown honoring her with a street named after her. Plus, she's celebrating the 30th anniversary of “Living Single” and she's playing a special round of Final Five with questions from her co-star Queen Latifah.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

You like us! You really like us. We're back–just us–to break down this year's Oscar nominations: the good (Da'Vine Joy Randolph!), the weird (Diane Warren and Chester Cheetah), the snubs (Greta Gerwig, Margot Robbie, Fantasia Barrino, Willam Dafoe), and our own wishful thinking (Greta Lee, Rosamund Pike, Erika Alexander). This maniacal breakdown also brought to you by the other parts of personalities in 2024: Barbra Streisand's memoir, the reality show The Traitors, and Sara Ramirez being ousted from And Just Like That!  Follow us on social media: @youmightknowherfrom || @damianbellino || @rodemanne Discussed this week: 2024 Oscar nominations are out Snubs; Greta Lee, Willam Dafoe, Greta Gerwig, Fantasia Barrino!  Things we need to see: Past Lives, All of Us Strangers, Anatomy of a Fall, Zone of Interest Willam Dafoe red carpet moment Anne Hathaway “calma” Former guest Da'Vine Joy Randolph should play Pearl Bailey  Halle Berry won best actress in 2003 and is still only black woman who has ever won Jodie Foster Nyad Oscar clip @ 1:39 mark is wild a la Melissa Leo in The Fighter Helen Mirren as Golda Meir in Golde Will Barbra Gypsy ever happen?! Can they “Irishman her face”?! Barbra's sister Roslyn Kind is also a singer We love Erika Alexander and Rosamund Pike Sara Ramirez says they were dropped from And Just Like That bc of stance on Palestine Melissa Barrera fired from Scream franchise for speaking out We blame Michael Patrick King We are high on Traitors US and Traitors UK's host, Claudia Winkleman and her signature look.

The Filmlosophers and Intern Amy receive some timely advice and hard truths with their latest viewing of Cord Jefferson's latest film, American Fiction.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

GOP presidential candidates make their closing arguments in Iowa three days away from the first 2024 votes of the Nation, amid concerns that subzero temperatures could affect turnout. Our panel of experts grade the strategies the hopefuls are using. Plus, an overview of Trump's legal battles in his 50-year mission to discredit the justice system. And, the US launches new attacks against Houthi Rebel targets in Yemen. Also, actress Erika Alexander joins to discuss her new movie “American Fiction”. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

GOP presidential candidates make their closing arguments in Iowa three days away from the first 2024 votes of the Nation, amid concerns that subzero temperatures could affect turnout. Our panel of experts grade the strategies the hopefuls are using. Plus, an overview of Trump's legal battles in his 50-year mission to discredit the justice system. And, the US launches new attacks against Houthi Rebel targets in Yemen. Also, actress Erika Alexander joins to discuss her new movie “American Fiction”. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Episode 87, Pete and Paul review "The Beekeeper", the new Action flick from David Ayer, starring Jason Statham.Next, Pete reviews "Night Swim", the new Blumhouse horror film based on the short film.Then, Paul reviews "American Fiction", the Golden Globe nominated dramedy starring Jeffrey Wright, Erika Alexander, and Sterling K. Brown.Next, Paul reviews the musical remake of "The Color Purple", also Golden-Globe nominated and starring Fantasia Barrino, Taraji P. Henson, and Sofia Brooks.Then, Pete and Paul review "Society of the Snow", Spain's International Oscar Nominee about the 1972 Uruguay Airplane crash in the Andes Mountains.And finally, Paul reviews "Origin", Written & Directed Ava DuVernay, starring Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Jon Bernthal, and Niecy Nash, about Author Isabel Wilkerson's journey to write the book "Caste".To listen on Apple Podcast:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/aaaction-podcast/id1634666134To listen on Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/1L78fn3C6RlKKdUihtiLyR?si=f31450db95724290Please make sure to like and subscribe to the Aaaction Podcast:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzJFoiUHvdbaHaiIfN37BaQ#aaactionpodcast #podcast #film #movie #moviereview #moviepodcast #newmovie  #amc #amctheatres #alist #amcpass #thebeekeeper #jasonstatham #actionmovies #nightswim #blumhouse #horror #americanfiction #goldenglobes #thecolorpurple #musical #societyofthesnow #oscars #origin #caste 

Deborah Roberts sits down with Gypsy Rose Blanchard; New law in effect to improve maternal health in Arkansas; Erika Alexander talks role in 'American Fiction' Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Deborah Roberts sits down with Gypsy Rose Blanchard; New law in effect to improve maternal health in Arkansas; Erika Alexander talks role in 'American Fiction' Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Taryn welcomes Erika Alexander to talk about her new film American Fiction, and gets real about what is owed to Black actors in Hollywood. But first, Taryn breaks down three stories she looks forward to saying "I know that's right" to in 2024.Follow Taryn: @_TARYNitUP Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this week's episode of the Black Girl Nerds podcast, we welcome actor and entertainer Erika Alexander. Erika currently is starring in the film American Fiction due for wide release in theaters January 5th.  She is currently nominated for an Independent Spirit Award for Best Supporting Actress. Erika is also a director, producer, activist, and entrepreneur. Her company, Color Farm Media, develops and produces scripted and non-scripted content for film, television, streaming, and podcast platforms. She has had such an illustrious career on and off screen, from acting roles such as Living Single and Get Out to creating and producing such documentaries as John Lewis: Good Trouble under her Color Farm Media banner. Host: Jamie Music by: Sammus Edited by: Jamie Broadnax

Since becoming a fan favorite on Living Single more than 30 years ago, Erika Alexander has remained a constant fixture in Hollywood. In recent years, she's shifted her focus to the fight for equality, specifically, the push for reparations. She joins Dear Culture to discuss her current TV and film projects and her dedication to positively impacting culture.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ronald Young Jr. reviews American Fiction with Glory Edim, The Well-Read Black GirlRYJ and Glory Edim discuss being black in the literary space and what it takes to be successful Glory Edim - 5 of 5 starsRYJ - 4.25 of 5 starsFollow me on IG, Threads,Twitter, and TikTok - @ohitsbigronFollow Glory Edim on IG - @wellreadblackgirlFind out more about Well-Read Black Girl by checking out Glory's website hereAvailable in TheatersStarring Jeffrey Wright, Tracee Ellis Ross, Issa Rae, Sterling K Brown, Erika Alexander, John Ortiz, Keith David and Adam BrodyWritten and Directed by Cord JeffersonFor more information about American Fiction check out this linkSupport Leaving the Theater on Patreon using this link

Director: Cord Jefferson Writers: Cord Jefferson, Percival Everett Starring: Jeffrey Wright, Tracee Ellis Ross, John Ortiz, Erika Alexander, Leslie Uggams, Adam Brody, Keith David, Issa Rae, Sterling K Brown Runtime:  1 Hour 57 Minutes Synopsis: Starring Jeffrey Wright in one of his most beautifully nuanced performances, American Fiction is both a wickedly smart satire about the commodification of marginalized voices and a bittersweet portrait of an artist forced to re-examine the terms of his integrity. Thelonious “Monk” Ellison (Wright) is a respected author and professor of English literature. But his impatience with his students' cultural sensitivities is threatening his academic standing, while his latest novel is failing to attract publishers; they claim Monk's writing “isn't Black enough.” He travels to his hometown of Boston to participate in a literary festival where all eyes are on the first-time author of a bestseller titled We's Lives In Da Ghetto, a book Monk dismisses as pandering to readers seeking stereotypical stories of Black misery. Meanwhile, Monk's family experiences tragedy, and his ailing mother requires a level of care neither he nor his trainwreck of a brother (Sterling K. Brown) can afford. One night, in a fit of spite, Monk concocts a pseudonymous novel embodying every Black cliché he can imagine. His agent submits it to a major publisher who immediately offers the biggest advance Monk's ever seen. As the novel is rushed to the printers and Hollywood comes courting, Monk must reckon with a monster of his own making. Adapted from Percival Everett's novel Erasure, Cord Jefferson's directorial debut is a wildly entertaining send-up of our hunger for so-called authenticity. Featuring stellar supporting turns from Issa Rae and Erika Alexander, and a string of cheeky cameos, American Fiction is a timely reflection on the fictions we tell ourselves about race, progress, and community. Out of all the films at the Toronto Film Festival, American Fiction seemed like the one that would be a setup for disappointment.      Several big name actors (Jeffrey Wright, Sterling K Brown, Issa Rae, etc). It just reeks of the type of film to draw an audience in but disappoint them. Thankfully, Cord Jefferson does not fall into the trap and makes a very smart, nuanced film that is both funny, serious and insightful all at the same time.  American Fiction succeeds where other films like it have failed because it does not try to run away from the point it's trying to make by trying to over-explain its point or cater to the wrong audience. It's a very refreshing take on black art and black family. While some will look at the obvious, over-the-top and quite frankly, funny plot of the film, there is a very nuanced, subtle plot that revolves around the complexities of a black family. American Fiction tackles topics like: Black families and acceptance (or not) of homosexuality in their family Black male anger that is directed inward instead of expressed safely How the "Black experience" can be the same regardless of income and social status Respectability politics in Black Art and so many more issues This is the film that so many think they're making when they want to tackle some of these concepts but fail. American Fiction manages to sneak in a lot of complex issues while masking it under superficial which is very meta for the plot of this film. This is definitely a must see film. Follow more of our Toronto Film Festival 2023 Reviews and Coverage on our Press Page Page: https://press.mtrnetwork.net Follow us on Social Media: MTRNetwork MTRNetwork @InsanityReport @TheMTRNetwork

Director: Cord Jefferson Writers: Cord Jefferson, Percival Everett Starring: Jeffrey Wright, Tracee Ellis Ross, John Ortiz, Erika Alexander, Leslie Uggams, Adam Brody, Keith David, Issa Rae, Sterling K Brown Runtime:  1 Hour 57 Minutes Synopsis: Starring Jeffrey Wright in one of his most beautifully nuanced performances, American Fiction is both a wickedly smart satire about the commodification of marginalized voices and a bittersweet portrait of an artist forced to re-examine the terms of his integrity. Thelonious “Monk” Ellison (Wright) is a respected author and professor of English literature. But his impatience with his students' cultural sensitivities is threatening his academic standing, while his latest novel is failing to attract publishers; they claim Monk's writing “isn't Black enough.” He travels to his hometown of Boston to participate in a literary festival where all eyes are on the first-time author of a bestseller titled We's Lives In Da Ghetto, a book Monk dismisses as pandering to readers seeking stereotypical stories of Black misery. Meanwhile, Monk's family experiences tragedy, and his ailing mother requires a level of care neither he nor his trainwreck of a brother (Sterling K. Brown) can afford. One night, in a fit of spite, Monk concocts a pseudonymous novel embodying every Black cliché he can imagine. His agent submits it to a major publisher who immediately offers the biggest advance Monk's ever seen. As the novel is rushed to the printers and Hollywood comes courting, Monk must reckon with a monster of his own making. Adapted from Percival Everett's novel Erasure, Cord Jefferson's directorial debut is a wildly entertaining send-up of our hunger for so-called authenticity. Featuring stellar supporting turns from Issa Rae and Erika Alexander, and a string of cheeky cameos, American Fiction is a timely reflection on the fictions we tell ourselves about race, progress, and community. Out of all the films at the Toronto Film Festival, American Fiction seemed like the one that would be a setup for disappointment.      Several big name actors (Jeffrey Wright, Sterling K Brown, Issa Rae, etc). It just reeks of the type of film to draw an audience in but disappoint them. Thankfully, Cord Jefferson does not fall into the trap and makes a very smart, nuanced film that is both funny, serious and insightful all at the same time.  American Fiction succeeds where other films like it have failed because it does not try to run away from the point it's trying to make by trying to over-explain its point or cater to the wrong audience. It's a very refreshing take on black art and black family. While some will look at the obvious, over-the-top and quite frankly, funny plot of the film, there is a very nuanced, subtle plot that revolves around the complexities of a black family. American Fiction tackles topics like: Black families and acceptance (or not) of homosexuality in their family Black male anger that is directed inward instead of expressed safely How the "Black experience" can be the same regardless of income and social status Respectability politics in Black Art and so many more issues This is the film that so many think they're making when they want to tackle some of these concepts but fail. American Fiction manages to sneak in a lot of complex issues while masking it under superficial which is very meta for the plot of this film. This is definitely a must see film. Follow more of our Toronto Film Festival 2023 Reviews and Coverage on our Press Page Page: https://press.mtrnetwork.net Follow us on Social Media: MTRNetwork MTRNetwork @InsanityReport @TheMTRNetwork

Hello Friends,I am offering this replay of an episode from a few summers ago in memory and celebration of Coach Erika Alexander who we lost way too soon. Please take a listen.With Gratitude,Carey

Happy Black Joy Friday! We're all about spreading more Black Joy today. Amanda kicks things off news of French Montana spreading joy in Nigeria with his #Canoes initiative. Followed by a Public Seales Announcement about America, and we dive into your voicemails with #ThingsILearnedThisWeek. Amanda shares her weekly insights in "Things I Learned This Week," and Jeremiah takes on "The People Versus," featuring TI's son, King Harris. Steph and Aeysha Curry join in on spreading Black Joy with their efforts in schools and giving back. Plus, it's a special Word Game of the Week and more stories of Black Joy, including the Dream Exchange and Black businesses thriving. Don't miss the Word Game showdown and a Random Fact of the Day. We also highlight actress Erika Alexander and her contributions to Homecoming. Amanda delves into the best Hip Hop collaborations in The Blackspin segment. Thanks for tuning in to The Amanda Seales Show, where every day is a day for Black Joy! It's time to Listen, Laugh and Learn with the Amanda Seales Show! FOLLOW ALONG AS WE COVER:   1:45 – FRENCH MONTANA IS SPREADING JOY IN NIGERIA. #CANOES 3:38 – It's a Public Seales Announcement. #AMERICA 5:52 –We'll Check the Voicemail.. #ThingsIlearnedThisWeek 8:57 – Happy Black Joy Friday! We're spreading more Black Joy plus Amanda Shares Things I Learned the Week, and Jeremiah has, The People Versus. 10:12 – Steph and Aeysha Curry are spreading Black Joy! #Schools #GivingBack 12:00 – Jeremiah's The People Versus… TI's Son King Harris. 15:38 – Amanda's Things I Learned This Week! 20:05 – We'll Check the Voicemail. #Glimmers 24:04 – TGIF! It's Black Joy Friday! Coming up, we're spreading more Black Joy, and the Word Game of the Week! 25:31 – A Story of Black Joy! #DreamExchange #BlackBusiness 27:21 – The Word Game of the Week! 31:26 – Who will win the Word Game this Week?! 35:19 – We'll Check the Voicemail. 39:47 – Random Fact of the Day! 42:06 – A Story of Black Joy. #Actress #ErikaAlexander #Homecoming 43:51 – The Blackspin Amanda's talks about best Hip Hop Collaborations. 47:56 – Thanks for listening to the Amanda Seales Show! FOLLOW THE SHOW ON ALL SOCIALS: @Sealessaidit @Amandaseales @Jeremiahlikethebible If You Have A Comment Leave Amanda A Message At 1 855-Amanda-8 That's 1-855-262-6328See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Since becoming a fan favorite on Living Single more than 30 years ago, Erika Alexander has remained a constant fixture in Hollywood, both in front of and behind the camera. And in recent years, she's shifted her focus to the fight for equality, specifically, the push for reparations. She joins Dear Culture to discuss her current TV and film projects and her dedication to positively impacting culture.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

‘Black Thought' Trotter on his origin story: “I think often in the case of heroes or of a character, a protagonist who sort of rises to greatness there is some trauma Yeah. And you know my life is was no different.”Today's Summer School episode from the IBI Archive is episode 12 with a man who needs no introduction, but I'm going to introduce him anyway: Tariq Luqmaan Trotter, better known as Black Thought, lead MC and co-founder of the hip-hop band, The Roots. Born and raised in Philadelphia, Tariq faced some early hardships– losing both of his parents to homicide before the age of 16, but he found his path in the arts, attending Philadelphia's High School for creative and performing arts, also known as ‘the fame school of Philly', notable alumni include Boys to Men, Erika Alexander, Leslie Odom Jr., Joey de Francesco, Jasmine Sullivan, and many more. While immersed in this brilliant world of musicianship, Black Thought encountered yet another now-famous alum and co-founder of The Roots, Questlove.Emerging from the Philly soul scene in the late eighties and early 90s, The Roots created a space for themselves that didn't exist during that era: A live, hip hop band. Known for their jazzy and eclectic approach to the genre, their debut album Organix was released and sold independently and were quickly signed to DGC/Geffen. Today, they serve as the house band for the Tonight show, while still touring extensively, and producing projects both collectively and individually, including an upcoming Broadway musical, “Black NO More”, penned by today's guest, Mr. Trotter.Here are some highlights…On His Origin Story: “That's, that's sort of my, my origin story is I am, you know, I grew up in Philadelphia, I lost my father at a very, very young age before I was two years old, and, you know, to murder to homicide in the streets of Philly and I lost my mother to the same at 15 or 16. So, yeah, I feel like that is my origin”On Trauma being a motivating factor in his life: “It's the ways in which we allow that internalization to, you know, compel us, and sometimes you're compelled to, you know, to quit, or in that pause to, you know, to give up, or sometimes it becomes a huge motivating factor for you. And, in my experience, that's, that's, you know, the purpose that it has served is as a, as a motivator”On The Notorious Roots Jam Sessions: “I remember John Legend, you know, he was a student at the University of Penn, he would come and, you know, try and get into our jam sessions and would often be turned away, for whatever reason, like, you know, go figure. I wasn't at the door had I been at the door, that would never have been the case, but I know people who remember turning him away, and I feel like that was a motivating factor for him and you know, that that's part of what propelled him to greatness”Links we mention in the episode:Tariq's Instagram: @blackthoughtLink to "Black No More" info: deadline.comThank you for tuning in! Please don't forget to rate, comment, subscribe and SHARE with a friend.Visit us on IBI Digital at blackimagination.com Watch other episodes on YouTube at The Institute of Black Imagination.Connect with us on Instagram at

"Earth Mama" had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival earlier this year and received strong reviews for writer and director Savanah Leaf making her directorial debut and the performances from the cast, notably Tia Nomore and Erika Alexander. All three of them were kind enough to spend a few minutes with us discussing their work on the film, what the story means to them, what the experience was like working on a first-time film, and more! Please take a moment to listen to the interview and check out the independent film, which is being released in theaters by A24 on July 14th. Thank you, and enjoy! Check out more on NextBestPicture.com Please subscribe on... SoundCloud - https://soundcloud.com/nextbestpicturepodcast 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 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Writer / Director Savanah Leaf and star Tia Nomore discuss their new film, Earth Mama, the importance of found family, media representation, and the challenges of recreating an Oakland sideshow. More about Earth Mama With two children in foster care, Gia, a pregnant single mother pitted against the system, fights to reclaim her family. In her close-knit Bay Area community, she works to make a life for herself and her kids, in this singular debut feature from filmmaker Savanah Leaf. A glowing breakout at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. Starring Tia Nomore, Erika Alexander, Doechii, and Dominic Fike. More about Savanah Leaf Savanah Leaf is an Olympian and award-winning filmmaker, whose work weaves magical realism with poignant social commentary. Her latest film The Heart Still Hums (2020) is a short documentary following the stories of five women as they fight for their children through the cycle of homelessness, drug addiction and neglect from their own parents. The film won Best Documentary Short at the Palm Springs International ShortFest, BlackStar Film Festival and Nashville Film Festival and was released with Fox Searchlight Shorts. Her music video ‘This Land' for Gary Clark Jr. was nominated for Best Music Video at the 2020 Grammys. Other recent films include: ‘What's Going On', a film made for Marvin Gaye's 1971 hit song, commissioned by Universal Music's ‘Never Made' series, ‘Dream', a film set to Nikki Giovanni's poem and Flying Lotus' music, commissioned by the 2020 Biden/Harris campaign; ‘We Matter Too', a Webby and Shots award-winning animated visualization of phone calls she conducted with incarcerated people during the COVID-19 Pandemic, commissioned by rapper Common, the ARC and ACLU. More about Tia Nomore Coming up in cypher circles and freestyle battle arenas, Tia Nomore forced her entry into hip-hop's boys club. The 28-year-old's claim as Oakland rap's little sister started as a teenager when she would jump into her older brother's rap circles and ditch class to record G-funk- inspired hyphy music. Now a fully realized artist and experienced Oakland emcee with three records under her belt — 2019's Level, 2018's Gooney Tunes (alongside Bruh from Last Night and MVCK) and 2016 Halloween— Tia's fiery wits, lyrical dismantling and command for respect, continue to bring her to new bold artistic territory. The past two years have seen her sharing stages with Princess Nokia and Smino, and releasing singles “DRIP” and “Skirmish,” two addictive collaborations with fellow Town girl and rapper Stoni. Earth Mama is in theaters now. Find us at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.werewatchingwhat.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or instagram.com/werewatchingwhat THEDHK can be found at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠instagram.com/thedhk ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠twitter.com/thedhk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠facebook.com/thedhkmovies⁠