American film director, screenwriter and actress
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24 episodes with gerwig
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3 episodes with gerwig
3 episodes with gerwig
2 episodes with gerwig
3 episodes with gerwig
2 episodes with gerwig
2 episodes with gerwig
3 episodes with gerwig
It's all led to this. Over a hundred episodes of action movies, science fiction movies, crime lesbian movies, and Gerwig movies has to our apotheosis: LADY BIRD. Why did Kev redefine their life about this movie? Why was Rowan terrified about how close to home it would hit? Why was special guest/new co-host (kinda) Christy Admiraal excited to join us? How astonishing is this cast? How great are the core performances? How did Greta Gerwig manage to make "liking Crash by the Dave Matthews Band" into the emotional climax of an all-time great film? All these questions and more -- including what the fourth season of TOTAL MASSACRE will entail -- on this massive sweeps week episode!
Gerwig month continues with Mistress America, a film about what happens when you get the coolest step-sister of all time who's also a total loser but then the film isn't actually about her, it's about you, and you don't like what you find out about yourself. Plus girlbossing, and tweets! Rowan and Kev are joined by Mistress America superfan Grace Robertson to talk what happens when it all goes wrong but it's also very funny.
This episode is the audio for a YouTube TeamStream that initially ran on March 11, 2025. TeamStreams run live every Tuesday at 9 pm on the WOJM YouTube channel, barring unforeseen circumstances or holidays. Please take a moment and help us out — even if you don't watch us there, subscribe to our YouTube channel today! This week, Mark Gerwig of Mark2Design is back to give us the lowdown on what's up at the GI Joe 3D Printing Podcast! But first, we roll out the latest round of Classified pre-orders from Hasbro Pulse and get you ready for their livestream on March 18! Plus more news and loads of shenanigans! LISTEN TODAY! You can watch this episode at: https://youtube.com/live/YT5jELEx6UQ?feature=share Get caught up on your reading without all that pesky reading! Listen to Banned Camp — the comedy podcast that looks into why classic books get banned! You can find them wherever you listen to podcasts! Remember, that's Banned with two N's!
TOTAL MASSACRE is going through a rough time. Our best friend Carli got other things to do in life instead of hanging out with us all time (congrats Carli!) Fiasco month didn't get us hired for the Christmas show. We've had to turn to our comfort films. That's right, after action, after science fiction, it is time for GRETA GERWIG MONTH (early). We begin with FRANCES HA, written by and starring the lady herself, and man is this script great. Jeez is this acting great. And the editing! Well that wasn't her but everything is great. It's already a fav of Rowan and Kev, but special guest Jon Arthur watched it for the first time for the show and then immediately watched it again.
Looks like Daniel Craig might be swapping espionage for enchantment! The former James Bond has reportedly been offered a role in Greta Gerwig's The Chronicles of Narnia adaptation for Netflix. While Craig hasn't officially signed on, speculation is rife about whether he'll voice the mighty Aslan, play the wise Professor Kirke, or surprise us with another iconic role. Gerwig, fresh off her Barbie success, is helming two Narnia films, set to hit theaters in IMAX on Thanksgiving 2026 before streaming on Netflix at Christmas. Oh, and pop star Charli XCX is rumoured to be playing the White Witch!
Great news for Greta Gerwig's Narnia movie and Dexter is back in action! We'll talk about everything in the #MikeJonesMinuteCon.
Did you see the news about The Chronicles of Narnia? After years of negotiation, director Greta Gerwig has closed a deal to have her Narnia movie hit theaters on November 26, 2026 before streaming on Netflix that Christmas. It's pretty exciting! We love C.S. Lewis' Narnia here on Geeky Stoics. The best available information out there points to Gerwig starting her Narnia series with the chronological first book, The Magician's Nephew. In this video, I explain the significance of Narnia's return AND summarize all of The Magician's Nephew in less than 5 minutes. Enjoy and have a restful Sunday. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.geekystoics.com
Kelsi and Trey dive into the coming of age world of Little Women, comparing Gillian Armstrong's beloved 1994 adaptation with Greta Gerwig's 2019 reimagining. We unpack how each version interprets Louisa May Alcott's classic novel, from Armstrong's heartfelt, linear approach that leans into nostalgia and emotional honesty to Gerwig's two-timeline structure, which reframes the story as a reflection on memory, ambition, and the relationship between commerce and art. We also explore the performances—Winona Ryder's fiery Jo versus Saoirse Ronan's restless, modern take—and debate Laurie's evolution, Amy's redemption arc, and how both films portray love, art, and community. The Extra Credits YouTube Channel Become a member of The Extra Credits+ on Patreon here How to link Patreon to Spotify and Apple Letterboxd: The Extra Credits TikTok: The Extra Credits Reddit: r/TheExtraCredits Instagram: @theextracredits Twitter: @theextracredits Send requests, questions, and thoughts to our email: extracreditspod@gmail.com
Show NotesSaoirse Ronan, Timothée Chalamet, Laura Dern & Greta Gerwig Break Down a Scene from 'Little Women' (Vanity Fair)Why Greta Gerwig's Little Women is The Best (Thomas Flight)SynopsisLittle Women is an adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's classic novel, following the lives, of the four March sisters—Jo, Meg, Beth, and Amy—as they navigate personal growth, family bonds, and societal expectations in Civil War-era Massachusetts.Starring Soairse Ronan and directed by Greta Gerwig, Little Women was released Dec. 7, 2019.Where to watch Little WomenScene : [25:10 - 33:22]RecommendationsTim: Klaus (Pablos, 2019) — where to watchTay: Spencer (Larrain, 2021) — where to watchFollow: SSC on Instagram Tim on Letterboxd
Today we discuss the health benefits of having your body in alignment with Dr. Dan Gerwig from @alignedintegratedhealth.
Show NotesSaoirse Ronan on her career (Vanity Fair)Stanley Tucci, nominated for an OscarSynopsisLady Bird, a coming-of-age story, stars Saoirse Ronan as the eponymous unsatisfied and strong-willed teenager trapped in boring Sacramento. Written and directed by Greta Gerwig, Lady Bird was released Sept 1, 2017.Where to watch Lady BirdScene : [18:20-22:15]RecommendationsTim: Snack Shack (Rehmeier, 2024) — where to watchTay: Ghost World (Zwigoff, 2001) —where to watchFollow: SSC on Instagram Tim on Letterboxd
A visit with Sun Belt Coach of the Year, Brian Gerwig!
This month on Unabridged, we're thrilled to share our Patreon discussion about Greta Gerwig's Little Women with you all. In this beloved adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's classic novel, Gerwig brings a fresh, nuanced perspective to the March sisters' journeys, exploring themes of independence, ambition, and sisterhood in ways that resonate with today's audiences. Whether you're a longtime fan of Little Women or discovering Gerwig's take for the first time, this episode is full of insights that will deepen your appreciation for the film. Join us on Patreon to have access to our back catalog of more film adaptation discussions like this one! Also, just a reminder that this season, we now have a shop on Patreon where you can purchase book discussion guides and other resources. We appreciate your support so much. Visit the Unabridged website for our full show notes and links to the books mentioned in the episode. Interested in what else we're reading? Check out our Featured Books page. Want to support Unabridged? Follow us @unabridgedpod on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. | Join our Unabridged Podcast Reading Challenge. | Visit our curated list of books at Bookshop.org. | Become a patron on Patreon. | Check out our Merch Store. | Visit the resources available in our Teachers Pay Teachers store.
Lots going on! Joaquin Phoenix talked about being offered eath Ledger's role in The Dark Knight and feeling he missed out. Neve Campbell never called Melissa barrera after she was fired. Gerwig's Narnia coming to IMAX? Jumanji 3 is coming in 2026. This and more on the live show with Kristian and Roxy. #macu #marvel #dc #dcu #thedarkknight #batman #nolan #narnia OUR SPONSORS: VILLA: Try VIIA! https://bit.ly/viiakristianharloff and use code KRISTIAN! BILT: Earn points by paying rent right now when you go to http://www.joinbilt.com/BIGTHING HELLO TUSHY It's time to ditch toilet paper and finally feel shower-fresh with Hello TUSHY! For a limited time, our listeners get 10% off their first bidet order when you use code BIGTHING at checkout. That's 10% off your first bidet order at http://www.HelloTUSHY.com with promo code BIGTHING
Order of Battle Podcast episode 128 Mark Gerwig (Mark2Design) sat down with Jason to talk about Joelanta 2024. It was the same weekend as the horrendous Hurricane Helene and the boys wanted to chat about the surreal moment of being at a toy show while the South East dealt with the weather. Joelanta is the late summer/fall version of the main Toylanta show, in March. This year was impacted by weather, but the boys still had a great time. Mark2Design: https://www.facebook.com/marktwodesign/ Joelanta: https://www.joelanta.com/ Website: www.orderofbattlepod.com Email: orderofbattlepod@gmail.com Twitter: @orderofbattlepd Instagram: @orderofbattlepod #gijoe
Send us a textIn this episode of iCritic LIVE, we dive deep into the recent controversy surrounding Greta Gerwig and Netflix's adaptation of *The Chronicles of Narnia*. With creative differences reportedly causing friction, we explore why Gerwig's vision may have clashed with Netflix's plans, and how much responsibility the acclaimed director bears in the dispute. Tune in as we break down the drama, the stakes, and what this could mean for Narnia's future on screen.
Lessons From Barbie for When a Project Absolutely MUST Succeed - Mike Cohn I finally watched Barbie. I enjoyed it, which doesn't surprise me. It had to be good. Barbie was a must-succeed project. If the movie had flopped, it would probably be a decade before anyone could try again to make a Barbie movie. But a successful movie would serve as a platform for sequels. While watching Barbie (and singing along to “I'm Just Ken”) I was struck by a few important lessons that apply to any must-succeed project. The first tip for successful project management is to solicit and act on as much fast feedback as you can get on preliminary versions of your product. For Barbie, the filmmakers ran test screenings in multiple cities, analyzed feedback, and ran more test screenings. In our words, they iterated toward making a great movie. The second tip for managing projects successfully? Leave things out. Not every scene that's filmed makes it to the final movie. During test screenings of Barbie, the filmmakers performed what product development teams call A/B testing. Different versions of the movie were shown to different audiences to see which were best received. They used this feedback to remove scenes or shots that weren't necessary to the flow or humor of the film. Not every feature a team builds should remain in the product. The sunk cost fallacy often clouds our judgment—when we spend time building that feature, we think we might as well leave it in just in case someone wants it. But no. Unneeded and rarely used features clutter the user interface just as unneeded scenes can ruin a movie. Third, have a visionary who keeps the project focused but engage others for increased creativity. Greta Gerwig was that visionary for Barbie. She directed the movie and co-wrote the script. Her vision drove what we experience when watching the film. Agile projects have product owners who should act as visionaries for their products. They should see the future and guide others toward it. But no visionary, even an auteur filmmaker such as Gerwig, does it alone. The best welcome creativity from others on the project (including stakeholders and developers). During the production of 2001: A Space Odyssey, director Stanley Kubrick used a novel idea from his team. It was critical that HAL, the spaceship's onboard computer, overhear that crew members Poole and Bowman were going to disconnect him. Kubrick brainstormed ideas of how HAL could overhear those private conversations but could find no good solution. The solution came from his associate producer, Victor Lyndon, whose job had mostly been filing insurance paperwork for the film. Lyndon casually suggested that HAL can read lips. The vision for the film adaptation of Arthur C. Clarke's story remained very much Kubrick's, but he knew to use great ideas without regard for their origin. Finally, if you are working on a project that absolutely must succeed, include Ryan Gosling and Margot Robbie as team members. OK, their coding, design, and database skills are probably lacking, but they were perfect as Ken and Barbie. Project Success Tip 1: Solicit Feedback as Early as PossibleProject Success Tip 2: Leave Some Features OutProject Success Tip 3: Have a Visionary But Find Good Ideas AnywhereProject Success Tip 4: Have the Right Team How to connect with AgileDad: - [website] https://www.agiledad.com/ - [instagram] https://www.instagram.com/agile_coach/ - [facebook] https://www.facebook.com/RealAgileDad/ - [Linkedin] https://www.linkedin.com/in/leehenson/
This episode is the audio for a YouTube TeamStream that initially ran on September 17, 2024. TeamStreams run live every Tuesday at 9 pm on the WOJM YouTube channel, barring unforeseen circumstances or holidays. Please take a moment and help us out — even if you don't watch us there, subscribe to our YouTube channel today! Mark Gerwig of Mark2 Design (and the GI Joe 3D Printing Podcast) is back to help the team run back the news, reveals, and preorders from Hasbro's Pulse Con, recap his time since getting back from JoeFest, and tell us all what he's got cooking for Joelanta and Assembly Required -- your own personalized, laser-scanned action figure head! Plus Community Calendar, a look around Mark's workshop, and all the shenanigans! LISTEN TODAY! You can watch this episode at: https://youtube.com/live/AyO6mGwmky8?feature=share Get caught up on your reading without all that pesky reading! Listen to Banned Camp — the comedy podcast that looks into why classic books get banned! You can find them wherever you listen to podcasts! Remember, that's Banned with two N's!
Ransomware attacks are on the rise across the world. How are U.S. companies being impacted and what can the government do about it? Bill Whitaker speaks with former NSA Director of Cybersecurity Rob Joyce and Las Vegas publisher Anthony Curtis. As the American wealth gap continues to widen, correspondent Jon Wertheim reports on an unlikely effort to get more money in the hands of rank-and-file workers. Pete Stavros is an executive at one of the biggest private equity firms in the country, KKR. His industry is famously cutthroat, but Stavros has emerged as a leading advocate for the concept of employee ownership, which takes the same incentives that have long helped the C-suite get rich and applies them to people working factories, flatbeds and farms. Wertheim travels to rural Illinois to find out how this model has impacted workers, and whether it's good for business. Sharyn Alfonsi profiles the brains behind BARBIE - filmmaker Greta Gerwig, whose outside-the-box blockbuster smashed box office records this summer. Alfonsi speaks with Gerwig about pulling off a delicate balancing act: giving voice to the iconic Barbie doll while appealing to her fiercest critics, and details Gerwig's journey from indie darling to billion-dollar director.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
In this episode of the Headache Doctor podcast, Novera patient Jefferson shares his 15-year battle with exercise-induced migraines following a soccer-related head injury. After trying various medications and remedies, he discovered Novera and received personalized care that addressed the root cause of his migraines, leading to significant relief and a return to his active lifestyle. Jefferson's story highlights the importance of specialized treatment and perseverance.Novera: Headache Center
Hello, wrestling fans! It's time for Episode #129 of Shut Up and Wrestle, with Brian R. Solomon! This week, Brian welcomes to the show Herb Gerwig, the son of Killer Karl Kox! Herb discusses the life and legacy of his dad, one of the most accomplished and respected wrestlers of the heyday of the territorial … Continue reading Episode 129: Herb Gerwig → The post Episode 129: Herb Gerwig appeared first on Shut Up And Wrestle with Brian Solomon.
durée : 00:49:53 - Certains l'aiment Fip - Plongée en musique dans la filmographie de l'actrice, scénariste et réalisatrice californienne tout juste auréolée du succès planétaire de "Barbie" et nouvelle présidente du jury du Festival de Cannes.
May 31, 2024 - Please enjoy this chunky Whatcha-Been-Up-To episode in which Preston and Batmatt discuss everything they've done since we heard from them last. Also, you can hear their thoughts about Barbie and Oppenheimer. Which was your favorite?Don't forget to subscribe and follow us!iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/just-us-losers/id1241054006?mt=2Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0vICUJjEJL5NDV66fJ9gjg?si=eHuOPj52QBWSYsB762uVwgFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/JustUsLosersPodcast/Twitter: https://twitter.com/JustUsLosersPod Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/justusloserspod/?hl=en Email: JustUsLosersPod@gmail.comYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCk_xEkEnx9xqhg_qpI9o8kwREM Homepage: https://remproductions.net/
In this edition of arts24 from the Cannes Film Festival with Eve Jackson, we explore glamorous fashion on and off the red carpet. With dresses and outfits each more stunning than the last. Greta Gerwig in Prada, Cate Blanchett in Jean-Paul Gaultier, Demi Moore in Schiaparelli and Selena Gomez in Saint Laurent are just a few examples. During the festival, the Croisette is transformed into an open-air fashion show. And, as you'll see, the stars aren't the only ones playing the game ... Also on the programme: an apartheid documentary about an unsung hero photographer in "Ernest Cole: Lost and Found", directed and written by Raoul Peck and narrated by US actor and rapper Lakeith Stanfield.
With its heartfelt message of self-acceptance and dazzling visuals, Barbie is sure to capture the hearts of audiences of all ages. Greta Gerwig has once again proven herself a fantastic storyteller, and the film further evidences her talent and vision.
Greta Gerwig's "Little Women": A cinematic marvel that delicately stitches together the threads of sisterhood, ambition, and love. Gerwig's adaptation dances between past and present, breathing life into Louisa May Alcott's beloved characters. Saoirse Ronan's portrayal of Jo March is a symphony of passion and vulnerability. With its bold choices and luminous storytelling, "Little Women" invites us to ponder our own dreams against the backdrop of history.
Gerwig's semi-autobiographical script captures the essence of adolescence—the yearning for independence, the clash with parental expectations, and the search for identity. Lady Bird's journey feels real, raw, and deeply personal. Exceptional performances, hyperrealism, quirky characters, and a nostalgic soundtrack make this film a must-watch. It's a reminder that even in the ordinary moments, there's extraordinary beauty waiting to be discovered
The actual Oscars may have already happened, but it's still Oscar Month on the pod! This week's Best Picture nominee - Greta Gerwig's Barbie! Ben, Andy, Aquielle, Jeffrey, and Kate discuss 2023's highest-grossing movie. Directed by Greta Gerwig, screenplay by Gerwig and Noah Baumbach, starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling, and featuring America Ferrera, Michael Cera, Kate McKinnon, Issa Rae, Rhea Perlman, and Will Ferrell.
This episode is the audio for a YouTube TeamStream that initially ran on [DATE]. TeamStreams run live every Tuesday at 9 pm on the WOJM YouTube channel, barring unforeseen circumstances or holidays. Please take a moment and help us out — even if you don't watch us there, subscribe to our YouTube channel today! Mark Gerwig of Mark2Design is back to talk about the JoeFest custom class, which will allow its attendees to turn a Classified Sgt. Slaughter into the fearsome COBRA Warlord! We've also got a huge week's worth of news, which included pre-order reveals from Hasbro Pulse's Leap Day GI Joe: Classified livestream and Renegade Game Studios' 10th Anniversary Virtual Con! Plus Community Calendar and more! LISTEN TODAY! You can watch this episode at: https://www.youtube.com/live/ex-pA2JcjcI?si=V7YlANf2cUInNnH- Get caught up on your reading without all that pesky reading! Listen to Banned Camp — the comedy podcast that looks into why classic books get banned! You can find them wherever you listen to podcasts! Remember, that's Banned with two N's!
Welcome to the daily304 – your window into Wonderful, Almost Heaven, West Virginia. Today is Tuesday, March 5, 2024. Learn more about programs offered through the WV Economic Development Authority. Book a cozy cabin stay at a WV state park or forest. And a local craftsman's leap pays off when he lands a deal on The Property Brothers…on today's daily304. #1 – From WV EDA – The West Virginia Economic Development Authority is made up of a team of expert loan officers and financial specialists knowledgeable in streamlining processes to help West Virginia businesses succeed. Programs offered through the WV EDA include direct loans, loan insurance, broadband loan insurance, industrial development bonds and foreign trade zones. Learn more: https://eda.wv.gov/programs/ #2 – From WV STATE PARKS – Are you yearning for a tranquil escape surrounded by the beauty of nature? Look no further than West Virginia's state parks and forests, where over 300 cozy cabins await to make your getaway truly unforgettable. These cabins strike the perfect balance between rustic charm and modern comforts, providing an ideal setting for making cherished memories with your loved ones. Whether you're planning a romantic retreat for two or a family vacation, West Virginia State Park cabins cater to every need. Accommodations include rustic Pioneer cabins, charming Legacy cabins that were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps, modern Classic Cabins, and, for larger groups, Vacation Cabins. You can also book a stay in the historic Company Houses at Cass Scenic Railroad. Visit www.wvstateparks.com to learn more and book your Almost Heaven cabin experience! Read more: https://wvstateparks.com/cozy-cabin-stays-for-your-bucket-list/ #3 – From WV LIVING – Woodworker, entrepreneur, and Braxton County native Doug Gerwig isn't afraid to take chances, and sometimes, it pays off big. G2 Handwerker Designs, Gerwig's handmade furniture and woodworking business, has become known through its relationship with the popular HGTV show Property Brothers—the result of a chance Gerwig took. “We were sitting around one evening watching TV, and I asked, ‘How cool would it be to be on Property Brothers?'” He found contact information for the WVScott Brothers Entertainment team and shot them an email offering to supply his handcrafted items for their show. They responded immediately and soon accepted his proposal of partnership. He's since supplied pieces for four seasons of the show and become a juried artist at Tamarack, all while raising a family and traveling the country roads he grew up on. Read more: https://wvliving.com/returning-home-for-good/ Find these stories and more at wv.gov/daily304. The daily304 curated news and information is brought to you by the West Virginia Department of Commerce: Sharing the wealth, beauty and opportunity in West Virginia with the world. Follow the daily304 on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram @daily304. Or find us online at wv.gov and just click the daily304 logo. That's all for now. Take care. Be safe. Get outside and enjoy all the opportunity West Virginia has to offer.
One Handshake Away: Peter Bogdanovich and the Icons of Cinema
After Peter Bogdanovich passed away, Guillermo del Toro felt compelled to help the late director finish his final project. In this episode, del Toro interviews Greta Gerwig about Howard Hawks, a director who's modern style and sensibility was very influential to Gerwig as a filmmaker. Please follow this link for a transcript of this episode: https://bit.ly/OHA-GG-Transcript To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Hey guys, it's Levi here with another jam-packed episode of What are We Doing. This week we're covering everything from Biden's latest gaffe to mass layoffs at Sports Illustrated and beyond. Let's kick things off with President Biden's speech at a brewery in Wisconsin, where he made a few unfortunate verbal stumbles that had people online questioning his cognitive health. As I'm sure you've seen by now, Biden mumbled something about "brew beered here" that came out as total nonsense. Cue the predictable pile-on from critics saying he's not fit to lead. My take? The man is 80 years old - give him a break! A few tongue twisters don't mean he's unfit for office. At the same time, it's probably best for Biden and the Democrats if he doesn't run again in 2024. Time to pass the torch. Shifting gears, we've got to talk about the ridiculous Oscars snubs for Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie. Both were overlooked for their work on the hit movie Barbie, which is up for Best Picture. Total insanity if you ask me. The Academy is clearly biased against comedies and female directors. Not nominating Gerwig for directing is absurd. And Robbie absolutely deserved a Best Actress nod. The Oscars should be ashamed. In wacky crime news, a Pennsylvania man was allegedly stabbed to death by his neighbor for - get this - snoring too loudly. Tragic and bizarre. The neighbor claims the snoring kept waking him up at night, so he went over there and confronted the guy, ending in violence. Senseless violence over something so trivial. My heart goes out to the victim's family. Okay, onto the media world. Big, bad news over at Sports Illustrated where mass layoffs are underway after a licensing dispute. The company that owns SI revoked the license from the publisher, which triggered immediate job cuts. Around 100 staffers were laid off this week across the publisher's properties. Morale is apparently very low at SI. Such a storied brand now struggling to stay afloat in the digital age. I hate to see talented journalists lose their jobs like this. That's just a sample of the stories we'll dive into on this episode. We've also got AI-related updates, the latest with X, and more. So tune in for my unfiltered take on the week's news. And as always, let me know what YOU think! Sound off in the comments or on social media. Thanks for listening, folks. ************************************************************* ✅GEL BLASTERS - 10% OFF YOUR ORDER https://wawdpod.com/blaster ************************************************************* ✅BLUECHEW - FIRST ORDER FREE Only $5 Shipping https://wawdpod.com/blue ************************************************************* ✅DUDEROBE - PROMO CODE: WAWD 20% OFF https://duderobe.com - promo code: WAWD ************************************************************* ✅THE PERFECT GIFT FOR ANY OCCASION!! IT's ONLY $3 https://wawdpod.com/cameo https://wawdpod.com/cameo ************************************************************* ✅ CUT YOUR PHONE BILL IN HALF - WITH VISIBLE WIRELESS Visible by Verizon is making it EASY to pay for wireless service once again. With UNLIMITED plans starting at $25 a month, what are you waiting for? WAWD Podcast listeners will get $20 OFF their first bill. Saving you HOW MUCH MONEY? https://wawdpod.com/visible ************************************************************* ✅ REPURPOSE YOUR VIDEOS - Upload to 1 service & we'll handle the rest. Distribute your podcast, clips, shorts, reels, TikTok, and more with Repurpose-io Sign up today: https://wawdpod.com/repurpose ************************************************************* ✅ 17 Hats - 50% OFF YOUR YEARLY SUBSCRIPTION Save time & run your business the smart way! https://wawdpod.com/17hats --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/what-are-we-doing-pod/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/what-are-we-doing-pod/support
Despite scoring 8 Oscar nominations (including one for Ryan Gosling as Ken), Margot Robbie and director Greta Gerwig were snubbed. And now Hollywood is angry and Gosling has to basically apologize. But was the Barbie movie really THAT good or is it about "the message?" ➡️ Tip Jar and Fan Support: http://ClownfishSupport.com ➡️ Official Merch Store: http://ShopClownfish.com ➡️ Official Website: http://ClownfishTV.com ➡️ Audio Edition: https://open.spotify.com/show/6qJc5C6OkQkaZnGCeuVOD1 ➡️ Gaming News: https://open.spotify.com/show/0A7VIqE3r5MQkFgL9nifNc Additional Context: The situation surrounding the Oscar nominations for the "Barbie" movie has stirred up significant discussion and controversy in Hollywood. The film, featuring Ryan Gosling as Ken, secured eight Oscar nominations, including one for Gosling's performance. However, notable omissions in the nominations were Margot Robbie, who played Barbie, and Greta Gerwig, the film's director. Their exclusion from the Best Actress and Best Director categories, respectively, has led to widespread disappointment and criticism within the industry. Ryan Gosling expressed his dismay at the snubs, emphasizing the importance of both Robbie and Gerwig to the success and creation of the "Barbie" movie. He stated, "There is no Ken without Barbie, and there is no ‘Barbie' movie without Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie, the two people most responsible for this history-making, globally-celebrated film." The controversy highlights deeper issues within the film industry, particularly regarding gender politics, which the "Barbie" film itself critiques. The film's portrayal of Barbie's and Ken's journeys through gender stereotypes and societal expectations has been praised for its insightful and subversive approach. However, the Academy's decision to recognize Gosling's supporting role while overlooking the leading contributions of Robbie and Gerwig has been perceived by many as indicative of ongoing gender biases in Hollywood. This situation raises questions about the criteria and biases that may influence Oscar nominations. While the "Barbie" movie received critical acclaim and performed well at the box office, the discussion has shifted to whether the film's quality or its message about gender roles and expectations in society played a more significant role in its reception and the subsequent Oscar nominations. About Us: Clownfish TV is an independent, opinionated news and commentary channel that covers Entertainment and Tech from a consumer's point of view. We talk about Gaming, Comics, Anime, TV, Movies, Animation and more. Hosted by Kneon and Geeky Sparkles. Disclaimer: This series is produced by Clownfish Studios and WebReef Media, and is part of ClownfishTV.com. Opinions expressed by our contributors do not necessarily reflect the views of our guests, affiliates, sponsors, or advertisers. ClownfishTV.com is an unofficial news source and has no connection to any company that we may cover. This channel and website and the content made available through this site are for educational, entertainment and informational purposes only. These so-called “fair uses” are permitted even if the use of the work would otherwise be infringing. #Barbie #Oscars #News #Commentary #Reaction #Podcast #Comedy #Entertainment #Hollywood #PopCulture #Tech
It's Hollywood's biggest morning! We had a great time discussing this year's Oscar nominations with our viewers on our annual YouTube livestream. In case you missed it, here's our hour-long awards discussion in podcast form. "Oppenheimer" got the most nominations with 13, followed by "Poor Things" with 11, "Killers of the Flower Moon" with 10 and "Barbie" with eight. (And we were just as shocked as you were that Greta Gerwig was left out of best director and Margot Robbie didn't get a best actress nomination; to borrow from another Gerwig movie, it's the titular role.) What are you most excited about? Who got robbed in your opinion? Let us know, and keep an eye out for our Oscar predictions livestream closer to the March 10 ceremony.
Happy Wine Wednesday! Lauren returns to the podcast this week to discuss the Barbie movie. We talk character arcs and our surprise about the film being named Barbie and featuring so much Barbie . . . and Ken. That said, there's no denying that Ryan Gosling was the perfect fit for the role. And Margot Robbie was born to play Barbie. it's WILD to think that anyone other than Robbie was ever considered for the role - looking at you, Amy Schumer. Congrats to America Ferrara and Ryan Gosling for their Oscar nominations! Of course we talk about Ferrara's big speech and whether or not it worked for us. Her delivery of the speech was riveting, but we both wish that Gerwig had trusted her audience a little more with the film's messaging.This movie was such a visual delight, so of course we get into favorite Barbie outfits and favorite set from the film. I also asked Lauren to tell me who her Barbie would be and what she would wear. We also applaud the film's inclusiveness, but would have loved a lot more LGBTQ+ representation.Thanks so much for listening! Friendly reminder - we drink, we know things, we use adult language, and we have a great time. Find and follow Lauren on social media here.Don't miss recent episodes on Found, Spartacus, The Tudors, and Rome. Until next time!Support the showFollow the pod on IG, Twitter, and Tumblr.Send longer feedback to morewinepod@gmail.com.Find our full catalog of past episodes at morewinepod.buzzsprout.com.
Kelsi and Trey discuss the Oscar nominations for the 96th Academy Awards, led by Christopher Nolan's 'Oppenheimer', Yorgos Lanthimos' 'Poor Things', Martin Scorsese's 'Killers of the Flower Moon', and Greta Gerwig's 'Barbie'. We explore all the surprises and talk about what the greatest snubs were! Become a member of The Extra Credits+ on Patreon here Patreon link: https://patreon.com/TheExtraCredits?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=join_link Send requests, questions, and thoughts to our email: extracreditspod@gmail.com Letterboxd: The Extra Credits Instagram: @theextracredits Twitter: @theextracredits Tik Tok: The Extra Credits
"Barbie" became a cultural phenomenon in 2023, becoming the year's highest-grossing film and the highest-grossing film ever directed by a woman. Greta Gerwig may have already had a devoted fanbase following "Lady Bird" and "Little Women," but her success and impact on the industry truly exploded with her latest film. Gerwig was kind enough to spend some time talking with Ema Sasic about the film. Ema also spoke with the film's costume designer, Jacqueline Durran. Also, Dan Bayer got to interview the film's editor, Nick Houy, and Hair & Makeup Supervisor, Ivana Primorac. We hope you enjoy this behind-the-scenes look at the film. Please check out the film, which is now available to stream on Max and is up for your consideration in all eligible categories at this year's Academy Awards. Thank you! 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
On this episode, we conclude our director's spotlight for Michael Mann with his newly released film, FERRARI.
On this episode, we continue our director's spotlight for Michael Mann with COLLATERAL. Starring Tom Cruise and Jaime Foxx.
Greta Gerwig is a woman who stars and directs film where the characters are dealing with an existential crisis, or rather, dealing with their identities and questioning life and our pupose in it. "Barbie" is the film that was meant for her to direct and what a way to put that life concept on a doll that has influenced modern culture and it continues to. This is one best films of the year that can probably win multiple awards including "Best Picture". I strongly believe it will definitely win "Best Screenplay" but comparing it to "Oppenheimer", I think "Oppenheimer" has a better chance winning "Best Picture". Overall, I dig "Barbie" for many reasons such as Gerwig's stage direction, the cinematography, and the production design that automatically hooks you in and displays an obvous fake world that slowly unwinds and further warps as the characters literally touch reality. It's unavoidable, the subject of thinking about death and how we certain mediums to communicate with not only our ownselves but the physical people we're trying to reach. Its great that Gerwig was able co-write a screenplay such as this BUT i really don't like the use of the crossing over different universes where one doesn't affect the other. It's a bit hard for me to grasp how Barbie can actually become a real person because afterall how the first act plays out, we are subliminally watching a grown woman playing with Barbie but it's more visually cinematic. I dig the cast in the film especially Will Ferrell's character, the president of Barbie, and Ryan Gosling playing Ken who he has a crisis of identity that plays to the notion that EVERYONE goes through s**t and for all the people who are condemning the ffilm to be sexist towards men, y'all are f***ing trippin'. What film did you see? What makes the film is the dialogue, where the ideas and concepts are deeply shared such as our pupose in life and who were should be, and it does stay with the audience even after the film, it's very relatable but it doesn't really tame the plot. I kind of wish it could have been more about the mom and her connection to her daughter rather than catering it to primarily to Barbie even though she is the title character. Sometimes it's more powerful to have that support the reason why she even exists in the first place.Three and a half out of four tokes.#barbiereview #barbiefilm
Bill Whitaker witnesses pro-Palestinian and pro-Israel student rallies at Columbia University and department-led campus forums at Dartmouth in response to the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks and ensuing Israeli bombardment of Gaza. Whitaker speaks with Jewish and Palestinian students, and Middle East Studies professors, about the antisemitic and Islamophobic rhetoric that has raged across campuses, the continuing situation unfolding and a path forward. Scott Pelley reports on the pioneering technology of quantum computing, a new kind of computer that could answer impossible questions in physics, chemistry, engineering, and medicine. Pelley travels to California to see Google's quantum lab, visits one of the first quantum computers outside the lab at Cleveland Clinic, and gets a first look at IBM's newest quantum computer, its most advanced to date. Sharyn Alfonsi profiles the brains behind BARBIE - filmmaker Greta Gerwig, whose outside-the-box blockbuster smashed box office records this summer. Alfonsi speaks with Gerwig about pulling off a delicate balancing act: giving voice to the iconic Barbie doll while appealing to her fiercest critics, and details Gerwig's journey from indie darling to billion-dollar director.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Join us for laughs and love as we walk and talk together through the beautiful Little Women story and find the beautiful virtues in this epic holiday tale mini-episode. If you love this book or movie, you'll love leaning in with us as we go type by type in this lighthearted conversation, covering Jo, Meg, Amy, and Beth, along with Professor Bhaer and Theodore Lawrence. We hope this episode brings a burst of joy to your holidays as we remember the joys and sorrows of life, love, legacy, and family together right here! Watch on YouTube! Also, join us for the "Enneagram in Marriage" 5-week course this Jan and use the code BLACKFRIDAY to get half off through Saturday right here! Grab Christa's new book on sale! www.BakerBookHouse.com for 40% off and free US Standard Shipping with the code EMBOOK40
On this week's episode, I discuss the differences between writing for TV versus film and the differences in the development phases. We also go into ways to create your own material and what to really focus on. Tune in for much more!Show NotesFree Writing Webinar - https://michaeljamin.com/op/webinar-registration/Michael's Online Screenwriting Course - https://michaeljamin.com/courseFree Screenwriting Lesson - https://michaeljamin.com/freeJoin My Watchlist - https://michaeljamin.com/watchlistAutogenerated TranscriptMichael Jamin:If you write something great, the actors will come out of the word work to be in it, and you don't even have to pay 'em because they're getting footage and they're also being involved in something that could be really great and could blow up and could make their careers. But if the script's no good, you're going to have to beg 'em to do it because what's in it for them other than bad footage that they can't use? It'sListening to Screenwriters. Need to Hear This with Michael Jamin.Hey everyone, it's Michael Jamin. Welcome back to another episode of Screenwriters. Need to Hear this. I'm here with Phil Hudson again. Hello, Phil.Phil Hudson:Hey everybody. Good to be back.Michael Jamin:Hello, everybody. Today we're going to talk about something, well, something I think is very important. How about that? The question is, should you write for film or tv? I think a lot of people, at least from social media when they leave comments, I think a lot of people really aspire to be film writers because they have their story and maybe they think it's more prestigious. Maybe they like the idea of going to walking down a red carpet and seeing their work on a large screen. And so I just thought I talked to you about my feelings about film versus TV and why I greatly prefer working in television. And I think anybody who works in film is crazy. So it's not that they're crazy, but it's just like, wow. I see a lot of advantages for working in film. And to be clear, I am a TV writer, but I have sold a couple of movies and after selling those movies I was like, I don't want to do that again. I'd rather work in television, but I definitely see the appeal that people have. So I thought I may shed a little light on what my perspective is. That sounds good with you, Phil.Phil Hudson:I think this is an exciting topic and we were just talking before we started recording, the industry's changed even since I started studying this craft. Seriously, back then there was a viable feature market and it seems like it's gone the wayside, and I've seen the transition over the last decade with filmmakers and screenwriters coming into tv. I think because the money's better, there's more work, there's more creative freedom, and I'm sure you'll talk about it, but there's that saying of the director runs the film set and the writer runs the TV set.Michael Jamin:Yeah, if you want creative control, we have lots to talk about, but if it's creative control that you want, then you want to be in TV because the writer's in charge. If you want to be in charge in a film, then the director's in charge. Often the writer's not even invited to set. The writer has no say that will be rewritten. The director might hire multiple writers to rewrite. So if you think if it's about your vision, unless you are shooting yourself, forget it. You are really an afterthought. And like you said, they are making far fewer movies now than they were even 15, 20 years ago, probably a third as many. And when you look at the titles being released, you got a lot of remakes. You got a lot of sequels, you got a lot of reboots. Yeah, I mean, so they're makingPhil Hudson:Another, it's largely IP based material too. So it's other books that have blown up and they buy the rights to that. They then make that.Michael Jamin:So it is because they're easier to market, which is why you have Fast and The Furious 13, everyone knows that and it's why you have it, Indiana Jones five, because everyone knows it's just easier to market. And even Barbie, I don't know if it's Greta Go's Dream to make, when she was approached to write Barbie, she's probably Barbie, do I have to Barbie? What about my original idea? So obviously she wrote the Barbie movie and turned it into something very unique and special. But I can't imagine as a child, she grew up thinking, I want to write a movie about Barbie. They came to her with an offer and she turned into something unique and creative, but I don't think she came, maybe I shouldn't speak, but I can't imagine she brought the Barbie idea to them. I think they had to move the ip and yeah,Phil Hudson:I'm certain that's the case, but even then because of the success of Barbie, now Mattel is talking about creating their own cinematic universe,Michael Jamin:Right? Right. So get ready for more gi whatever it is. I don't know. Is that your dream? Now, indie filmmaking, by the way, is a completely different topic. Maybe we can brush on it a little. My area of expertise is definitely not independent filmmaking, but that's a whole different,Phil Hudson:But that's what I went to film school for and that's the Sundance world that I kind of been in. So I'm familiar with that. And there's a bit of a merge there. And we can talk about tko. Waititi is a really great example of that because he came out of the indie film world. He was a Sundance kid, and then he started doing more prolific stuff. And while I was touring for quasi handling social media for the broken lizard guys, that's one of the conversations we had with their, one of the Searchlight VPs of publicity. And she was like, yeah, Tika, he does one for us, we do one for him. You do Thor, you want to do Thor? Awesome. We'll make invisible Hitler. And it's a way for them to incentivize. But I would say Clin Eastwood, I would say even look at Christopher Nolan, that's the way it works. You get this deal at these big studios, I'll make your billion dollar film, and then they let you make the film you want to make, and one is going to make a ton of money, may win some awards, the other one's going to win some awards because they have the talent.Michael Jamin:So if it's your aspiration for me, just the thought of working film, you go, okay, I'll write a film and maybe I can sell it. But then, okay, then how many times are you going to sell a, it is hard to sustain that career. Whereas in television, oh, I know there's a TV show and maybe they have whatever, 10 or 13 episodes a season that sounds like you can make a living that sounds like you're working more steadily. And when I broke in, by the way, it's 22 episodes, so I was like, oh, okay, these people work all the time. And for 10 seasons, that sounds to me that was the lure of a steady paycheck was in television, maybe less so today, but certainly more so than being a filmmaker.Phil Hudson:Yeah, that's fascinating. One thing that's standing out to me from this conversation really just echoes what you've been saying throughout the history of the podcast, and we're approaching two years of this podcast, and that is you have to get out and do it yourself. Nobody's going to do it for you. You can't rely on anybody else. You have to get up and do it. And even the gre Gerwig, the Tiger Boy, tee Tees, they had a name for themselves as filmmakers before the big studio came with the big bag of money. They were the value, and that's where they came to take advantage of them, right? Yeah. Greta Gerwig has the way to make her film stand out in her way and her style, and that's why it's a big hit. I don't think it's largely because it's Barbie, it's because of what she did with Barbie that made it work. But that's something she has honed and developed over years and years and years of hard work before she hit it big.Michael Jamin:And also my friend Chrissy Stratton, who I'm going to have back on the podcast at some point, we had her run before. So I met her on King of the Hill. She's a writer on King of the Hill. But then she went on to a very long career, almost as long as mine, working in various TV shows. She might be just one or two years behind me, pretty much equal. And she works all the time in tv, but she had this film that she's been dreaming about for whatever, 10 or 15 years and then decided, you know what? I'm just going to make a short. And so on her own dime. And she raised the money. She's a successful TV writer, but in film, she's the no one. So she started from scratch and she called in a lot of favors and shot a movie on by raising her own money, real low budget.And we'll talk more about this journey and why she's doing it, but it's not like, even though she's big in tv, she's a no one in film. So it's kind of a level playing field. And one of the thing, well, I know I'm jumping around, but I just so you're aware, as I mentioned about creative control in film, well, lemme tell you about the experiences that I went through. So my writing partner and I, we wrote a writing sample, a feature sample. I was dreaming it was going to get sold, but he was like, it's not going to get sold, whatever. But I was like, maybe it will. We wrote a sample, our agent shopped it around, no one bought it as predicted, but there was a producer who was very interested in working. He's like, this is great. We can't it, but let's try coming up with some ideas together and sell those.And so we worked with this producer and we wound up selling two more ideas, but every step of the way, it was kind of exhausting. We're coming up with ideas, we're writing drafts, we're giving it to him. He's got notes we're not getting, and you're doing, it's called free revisions. You're doing notes after notes. We sold it to the studio, but the producer is basically the gate. So until the producer's happy with the draft, the studio will never see it. And so this is what free revisions is. So you're doing constant rewrites for the producer.Phil Hudson:This is a big deal for the W G A, by the way. It's a very big deal. It's part of the strike too.Michael Jamin:Yeah. I don't know what's going to obviously happen with it. And you're doing a lot of free work, which you're not getting paid obviously, and the studio's not seeing any of it. And then you get finally the producer's happy, you give it to the studio and then the studio has notes and then, okay, now you're again. So they say, do a revision. And again, you go back, you start doing the revision, you've turned into the producer and the producer's like, eh, I don't think it's good enough fellas. I need to do more work and more work. And then finally you turn that revision to the studio. I was at one point producer who I liked quite a bit, really good guy, but he also had development people working under him. So at one point his development person left, he brought in a new one, and now this new person has a new direction that we're going, oh my God.It was like, this is a never ending hell. That's how I felt. It's just a never ending hell because you have to please them. And I understand this is how the game is played, but I was like in tv, it doesn't work this way in tv, if I'm a writer on staff, I turn in my draft to the showrunner. If I'm not the showrunner, the showrunner has notes, great. Turn in another draft, we're done. Shoot, we're going to shoot it. And of course the network will have notes, but it's so much more streamlined because you have a timetable, we have to shoot this thing on Friday, so you can't keep this up in development hell for a year, which is what happens if you're doing film. You could be in hell forever on this. I was like, work done. And that'sPhil Hudson:The term too. It's development health, what you said. That's an industry term for what that is.Michael Jamin:And the money, in terms of the money, I got paid way more in TV than I do in film. SoPhil Hudson:That's what I was about to say. I just said, we talked about the podcast, that experience I had where that guy signed the script, signed the contract to write a script for that thing, and it kind of fizzled out, but the numbers on it were, it's like $160,000 to write a screenplay. Well, the average I understand is about six months to go through the whole process to write a script more than that. But then you have the notes and you have the feedback and you got all that stuff. So you're going to do one, maybe two of those a year. Well, you can go get an M B A and then go get a six figure paycheck that's going to pay you more than that. AndMichael Jamin:Just so you know, the movie's not getting made and it has nothing to do with you or it's just like it's a miracle movies. It's a miracle when a movie gets made. So if you want to see your work on the screen, even if it's been rewritten to death, forget it. Most movies just do not get made. So you're okay, but you used to make a good living writing movies that never got made. Maybe it's less so now because they're making because they're buying fewer. But back in the day, you could be a very successful screenwriter and never have a word of yours onscreen. But in TV it's different.Phil Hudson:One question that comes to mind for me, Michael, when you talk about free revisions and development, hell, you also advocate that writers write and they write for free. And if you don't want to write for free, don't do this because that's what this job looks like.Michael Jamin:Yeah.Phil Hudson:Right. What's the difference between the experience with the free revisions and the notes with the producer versus your definition of free writing?Michael Jamin:I mean, we're talking about two things. We're talking about improving your craft to write, to learn how to write. And so a lot of people just write one script and they think, well, I'm going to sell it and I'm done. Give me a paycheck. And my point is then you put it down and write another one and then write another one. And you'll notice that script number five is vastly better than script number one simply because you're getting better at writing. But the free revisions I'm talking about for these producers, when you become a professional at some point, I got to take home money. This is not a hobby for me. This is how I make my living. So I just didn't enjoy the process. I just thought like, ugh, it is no fun. It takes the joy out of it.Phil Hudson:Yeah, no kidding. So we have to write. We have to write. That's part of writing. Being a writer is writing. But what the WGA is fighting for is that writers should be paid for all of the professional rioting where other people are making money off of the sweat of their back. They're taking advantage of that situation because a bit of a power dynamic there where the producer has control and obviously they want to maintain their relationship and they want to make it as good as they can be. So I'm not saying it's a negative or a nefarious approach to it, but it's still a writers are sitting there not getting paid.Michael Jamin:I understand the producers are protecting their brand and they have a closer relationship with the studio. I get it. But they're not the ones doing all that work for free. So I just like, this is not appealing to me. I'd much rather work in television. Like I said, you have more creative control. You're onset. And again, in features, what would've happened had these two features of ours been made. It didn't come to this and I didn't expect it to, but we sold two features and at both times we're finally done. We give both final drafts to the studio. The studio is happy with it. The studio executive were working with happy. They'd given all our notes and revisions. They were very happy with the script. Now they give it to their boss who has the green light, they have the power to green light. And the boss reads it over the weekend, not interested.It was like, it's over. It's it. It was almost on a whim. Nah, what else you got? And it's like there's no argument. There's no more convincing them, it's dead because they just don't want to make that movie. And often they don't want to make that movie simply because the movie that did well that weekend was an action movie and your movie's a comedy and they want to make more action movies now, or it's as simple as that. Or someone put out a comedy movie that weekend that bombed and forget it. We're not doing comedies anymore. And so it could have nothing to do with the quality of what you wrote. This is what the marketplace suddenly changed and now it's dead. So this is how it is.Unless you are making your own movie. And if you make your own movie, that's great, but do it on a dime. On a dime. I say I had a nice conversation with someone, someone asked me to, it was a couple of days ago, they wanted to book some time with me for a consultation, which I occasionally do. And he really nice guy, but he had self-financed some projects and I was like, you spent too much money on that. Don't put so much money into your own projects in the beginning until you really get spend a couple thousand. That's what you can do it on. That's what I recommend.Phil Hudson:And in the indie film side of things, the goal is to not spend your money. It is actually to find investors. And the question is, why would people invest in an indie film maker who's made no money? A lot of people are looking for tax write-offs and they want to be involved in Hollywood. They want to feel like they are producing being part of that because they probably have that desire, that dream, and they chased the paycheck rather than their art. And so now that they've got the money, they would rather invest in another artist to be a part of that. And so my friend's dad is just this awesome guy, and he just texted me out of the blue two years ago and he had a bunch of stocks vest and he cashed out and he was like, Hey man, if you ever have something you want to make, let me know. I've got some cash lying around. I'd love to put towards that.Michael Jamin:Oh wow.Phil Hudson:But that comes out of a relationship of trust that I have with the guy. It alsoMichael Jamin:Is, and it might come with strings attached. It mayPhil Hudson:Be, and it probably will,Michael Jamin:It may be, and this is not how it works in TV and tv. So in film you might have a ton of executive producers because they help chip in for 5,000 bucks. You can become an executive producer of my movie. People do that and TV doesn't work that way. Tv, that's all financed by the studio. So it's not that kind of model. But in film, you write a check for 5,000, or if you write a bigger check for 50,000 and the person says, I'll give you 50,000 if you cast my daughter as the lead, or if you make these changes to the script, do you want to do it or not? That's up to you. How much do you want that money?Phil Hudson:I think that's really where the question of art versus craft comes into play, because in that situation it might be a little bit more art, it might be a little bit more of your decision. Well, that's going to ruin my vision for what I have or destroy the theme of this piece, and I'm doing it myself because it is an expression of myself, and that is art. And you might turn down the money out of integrity for the art there, but you might also take the paycheck because you've got kids who need diapers,Michael Jamin:Right? And so some people, sometimes people are very naive about the whole thing and they're like, you writers suck, or This is the garbage. Do you know how hard it's to get something made? And do you understand that I also need to make money?Phil Hudson:Oh man, we do the webinars every month and we do, we started to do this v i p q and A after, and we were testing it out, but we had a member of your group she joined and she was telling us about how she has made two or three indie films and she had put up this money and she was going to shoot it in the forest. And the film, the films that got shut down because of wildcat or a cougar, like a mountain lion or something, came in and ruined the whole thing. None of the actors want to come back. And she knew this was a thing that could happen. And so she was asking the question about hobbling together, her footage to make something producible. And it's just heartbreaking because a good story, you can't really do that. The story should mean something.And that's someone who's in there doing it. I think they're doing it on their own dime, and that's just heartbreaking to hear. But I've got other experience where my buddy Rich, he's produced a bunch of any stuff. He's done stuff with Michael Madson, done some stuff with major players, knows a bunch of people, and he was telling me about this film that he was working on for years and years and years. And they shot the whole film and then it got locked down in post because one of the executive producers who wrote the check wouldn't sign off on the final cut. And so it could getMichael Jamin:Final cutPhil Hudson:And it got stuck and they were arguments and they had to work through and it was like five years. And the end result they got out of it was a worst film because the producer had too much say and wanted edits. So understanding story structure, you look at it, it is a hobbled together piece of crap that has a couple big names in it,Michael Jamin:Right? Yeah. I don't even think you need, well, I don't want to talk about big names, but, and I felt bad for this woman in the v I b talk. But here's the thing, I also think you need to figure, be cautious on how producible is this movie you want to make. You didn't have to do a movie, write a movie that take place in the mountains. You could have written a movie that takes place in someone's apartment, and if you think I'm nuts, go watch the whale, which takes place in someone's crappy apartment and was amazing and beautiful because their writing was beautiful and the acting matched it, but the set was ugly. And anyone could have shot that in their own apartment. And that's on you as the writer is like, you don't have to write a movie. I would be cautious about writing anything with kids, because kids are really hard to have on set first of legally. You need to have tutors, you want to bend the rules. Kids can only work a certain amount of hours. And what you do on your independent film, that's your business, but to be up and up, that's the truth. And kids, they get tired, they lose focus, and they want to horse around. So I would be careful about having kids. I'd be careful about doing anything that requires characters getting wet because costume changes are bitch, when you're wet and at exterior locations, the same thing. Back noise, street noise, people being disruptive, a leaf blower.But you can write something very compelling in a controlled set where you don't have to worry about any of this stuff as long as the writing is good. It's all about the writing.Hey, it's Michael Jamin. If you like my videos and you want me to email them to you for free, join my watch list. Every Friday I send out my top three videos. These are for writers, actors, creative types. You can unsubscribe whenever you want. I'm not going to spam you and it's absolutely free. Just go to michaeljamin.com/watchlist.Phil Hudson:I'm having a flashback. So my thesis film that I did, I took a crew, we rented a van, we took our equipment, we drove to Utah, negotiated all these things because of relationships. I had to get it cheap, shooting in friends' houses, borrowing a friend's truck, doing all of these things. Flew in a couple of indie actors from LA to be in my project. And while we were going through, you just start getting hit with every single thing you have planned, start shifting based off of, there's cloud cover now because you're outside, it's starting to snow. Lots of beautiful things happen. Like we're shooting on a pump jack, which an oil deck, an oil derrick is, what you think about 'em is pump jacks that big swinging arm pump. It's a training school that agreed to let us shoot on theirs that was donated. And there's moving in the background, makes the production value go through the roof, what we had.But then at the same time, while we're driving, a deer jumps out and my friend's truck when my actor's driving hits the deer, and then we're driving the next day to go to the set to shoot the exteriors. And we need that truck. And then it blows part of the engine and we can't use the truck anymore. And I'm rewriting on the fly and my friend's daughter is casting this role using their house, and she's just this sweet little girl and she has two lines and she gets stage fright and she can't do it. And so we have to put her sister in who's too young. And so I have to scrap those lines and rethink how do I get this emotional moment across? And then at the end, when we're done filming, the little girl comes up and says, I'm ready now.Michael Jamin:Yeah, great.Phil Hudson:And they're heartbreaking. Heartbreaking because we're done.Michael Jamin:And that said, whatever, I would take inventory if you decide to do this Indio thing, because as a way of getting discovered, as a way of breaking in, which is great. I would just take inventory of what you have that's in your control. If you're a truck driver and you have a Mack truck, alright, maybe you're shooting the truck. I mean, that's an interesting set.Phil Hudson:Well, it's your life that ties in the right what you know, you can add reality veracity to that.Michael Jamin:If you have a storage locker, the same thing. If you're allowed to shoot there, you're probably not. But what little you have could be interesting. You don't think it's interesting because it's your life, but we think it's interesting. We don't live your life.Phil Hudson:While you were talking, I was just thinking of Robert Rodriguez, who's arguably one of the biggest directors on the planet. And he came from this in world where he did on mariachi. He documents all of this in a great book, the Rebel Without a Crew. And he donated his body to science to fund it. And he went to the small town in Mexico. He went in for clinical trials for a, to get the money, borrowed a camera that didn't have audio. Went to a town in Mexico where he would summer, borrowed friends and family and a best friend to play the roles, did the whole thing. And then stayed up at night in an editing bay at a local TV station to edit his film and did it and blew up because he thought, and all he wanted to do was to sell it to a Spanish language channel and ended up selling it to Sony or whoever, Sony Columbia or something.Michael Jamin:And now you can make it for a fraction. You could edit it all on your laptop, you canPhil Hudson:Edit it on your phone. You shoot the whole thing on yourMichael Jamin:Phone.Phil Hudson:But the story was good. Why did it sell? Why was it a big deal? It's because he knew how to tell a compelling story, and he just used what he had to do thatMichael Jamin:Job. So we're in agreement here. If you want to do an indie film, great. Just don't spend a lot of money. Also, you don't have, if you write something great, the actors will come out of the word work to be in it, and you don't even have to pay 'em because they're getting footage and they're also being involved in something that could be really great and could blow up and could make their careers. But if the script's no good, you're going to have to beg 'em to do it, because what's in it for them other than bad footage that they can't use?Phil Hudson:I dove headfirst into this stuff when I was first starting, and I would write a script, do one version of it, one draft, and then I would shoot it, do a casting call. People would show up, they'd want to be in it. We'd be on set. And they'd very quickly realized I had no idea what I was doing and I didn't, but I just had the gumption to make it happen. And I remember my lead calling me out one time or shooting this shot, and he's like, dude, what are you doing? We're here. You're not even using light to help add subtext and value. And he's talking about how when you're walking up the stairs, well, if you shot it this way through here, there's a cage and a shadow being cast on my face and emotionally, my character's going through this inner turmoil with his relationship and there's all this.And I was like, I have no idea what you're talking about, because I had no clue. And I wasted time and energy and money doing it, and I was a valuable learning experience for me, and I got that lesson out of it. So yeah, your point, do it as cheap as you can because learning, you're just learning. And that is the school of hard knocks, not the school of theory and philosophy. It's get it done. You're going to learn. You're going to make a lot of mistakes. You're not going to sell the first thing. It's probably not going to win any awards. And if you do, awesome, you did it now, but you're most likely not. And that's okay. It's reps, reps, reps, reps.Michael Jamin:Yes. And I have a lot of respect for people who do it. And even if they come up with something terrible and crappy, well, guess what? They did it. Guess what? They put a lot of energy and work into something and their next piece will hopefully be better. And most people just dream of it. And most people will just say, here's my script. Make my dream come true. But the other people say, here's my script. I'm going to make my dream come true. And it may take long, a long process, but it's putting the work in so good for them.Phil Hudson:Yeah. My first class I went in, I had some credit transfer credits from when I was first in college. So when I went to film school, I was up, maybe I was basically a year ahead when I got there, and I had to take a couple of freshmen film classes because they were requirements. And I remember intro to film, film 1 0 1, we're in this big IMAX theater on our campus, and Peter Grendel, our professor my age is teaching. And his big point from the first lesson was the percentage of people who say they want to be filmmakers versus the people who make films is very different. It's like 0.0001% make a film. He said, so even if you put in all the time, energy, and effort needed to make an indie film that does nothing goes nowhere, you have still done something most people will never do. But most people talk about doing, and that's something to take pride in.Michael Jamin:My daughter shot a little scene in college. She got a scene, a little film that someone wrote, and it was just two people. It was short. It was like three minutes of a young woman. She was the girl and a boy sitting on a staircase talking about something, and it was too short to go anywhere. But I was like, that's interesting. You could have done something. It's easy to shoot. You're just two angles and a master on a staircase. If they had spent a little more time with the script, I go, there's something there for sure. It's something compelling about a boy and a girl who are dating and whatever they were talking about. I was like, it's something small. And the writing, it's about the writing. It's not about anything else as far as, and the acting. But yeah, I mean, just as an experiment, can I write something compelling about two people on a staircase talking about something? And we've seen this stuff. Here's a good one. Mount is a good example, but in Pulp Fiction, when Samuel Jackson and Travolta in that car are talking aboutPhil Hudson:The crown royale with cheese,Michael Jamin:That's interesting. That's interesting. Fun dialogue. You still need a story on top of that. But it's rich, and we all remember it because, or the scene or that small little scene, if you had shot that small scene where Samuel Jackson's talking about, he's in that guy's, there's young guy's house. He breaks the first scene where there's five college kids or whatever that they're threatening. They owe them money. And Samuel Jackson's talking about he's clearly a killer, but he's reformed. He's found Jesus, and he's struggling though. He's struggling to do the right thing. If you shot that one scene and it's an apartment building, that's it. You have a couple guy on a couch and a guy and two guys holding fake guns, that one scene is very interesting and compelling. If that's your movie you made, I want to see more. And it doesn't cost a fortune to write that scene. There's no special effects, I guess in the end had some fake bullets or whatever. But that's it, that that's all you need, A thug, a street thug who's a murderer, but he found Jesus and he's trying to do the right thing. Yeah.Phil Hudson:Yeah. That's great. That whole scene is fascinating. And that's for anybody listening, wanting to learn how to write great dialogue or understand characters. The fact that what's so interesting about that cheeseburger conversation is they are killers, and they're not talking about when we get there, we're going to shoot 'em in the face, or here's how we're going to dispose the body. They've done this so many times that this just, we can talk about why they put cheese on a burger. It's stabs quo. And the story's there because they're talking about the wife and the foot massage and all that stuff as they're standing in the hallway and it just happens and they kick the door and they know let's beat thugs. Right? ButMichael Jamin:How easy are both those scenes? I mean, the first one's a little harder in a car, but they're both very easy in terms of shooting, that wouldn't cost neither one of those scenes cost a fortune. It's all about the writing and the acting will support the writing.Phil Hudson:Yeah. I mean, that's Tarantino like Reservoir Dogs. It's a warehouse. It's a warehouse with some flashbacks outside. The whole thing takes you in one room,Michael Jamin:But even let's say reservoir drugs, which obviously was the one that really made him. But the point I'm trying to make is just write, because you don't have to write a whole movie, just write one compelling scene that promises something really on its own. You're like, I'm hooked. And maybe there's more to it.Phil Hudson:That ties back to your fractals podcast too, which has really stuck with me. And I think about it every time I sit down to write, when I'm structuring scenes and acts and I'm structuring my story, if you can't do a scene, well, how could you do a short, well, if you can't do a short, well, how could you do a full blown act or a TV pilot if you can't do that? Well, how can you do a two hour feature?Michael Jamin:We shot that episode, that podcast episode a long time, probably over a year ago, but it was called something about fractals. I think it wasPhil Hudson:Just called fractals.Michael Jamin:Yeah. And the point I was making is anybody who knows anything about fractals, they're patterns that repeat nature. So if you see a tree, it has a trunk in branches, but if you look at the leaf on the tree, the leaf has a trunk in branches, and then if you look at the cells, so it's about these repeating patterns. And so my point is, for movie, you have to want to write a compelling movie, right? But break down the movie into acts, and each act has to be compelling. Then break down each act into scenes, and each scene is compelling. And then each line has to be compelling. And so you're really just repeating patterns over and over, but on a larger scale. And so if you point out, if you can't write a compelling act, if you can write a compelling scene, how are you going to write a compelling act? Just start with writing a scene. That'sPhil Hudson:It. Yeah. Write the scene, write the scene, write the scene over and over and over again. You can churn out scenes. Even if you just took a week and just focused on one scene, how much better is that going to be than taking a week and powering through 50 pages?And I'm not advocating by the way that you shift your writing style, and it's not necessarily what you teach as the process that we do in Hollywood, and we've seen in TV rooms. What I'm saying is as a writing exercise, getting in your reps to practice the craft of writing, you're going to get faster return. Drilling. This thing, and I talk about this all the time, it's Josh Watkin's making bigger, small circles bigger. So how do you pull back and zoom in on something and focus on the detail work inside of that thing? And in Jujitsu's transitions in this, it's how do I get into a scene fast? How to get out of a scene fast? How do I display things through subtext? How do I have people say things without saying things? What's the thematic thing? What's the energy coming in? And the energy come out? That's all the detail. That's just a film condense. So focus, just do that while you're doing the other stuff.Michael Jamin:That's a good point. And I was going to also say, I'm guilty of this too. When I'm writing my, well, I finished my book, but when I was writing it, I'd have a scene in my mind. I wanted to get to the next scene where also some great stuff was going to happen. And then I kind of just got a little lazy in my transitions. And then when I'd read it again, I'm like, what's going on in this transition? Can I make this transition interesting? Do I have to be lazy and sloppy? Is there a goal to be found in the transition? And then I'd realize, oh, that's kind of where there's some interesting stuff is, so I'm guilty of it too. But you have to be aware. It's not just about a race, and you're not just racing to get to the next scene you are whenPhil Hudson:We talk about enjoy the journey and enjoy the process. This is what we're talking about. You have to love doing this because it ends up getting you somewhere better than where you were before. And the other quote, I believe I've said on the podcast who really stood out to me was an interview with Kobe Bryant, and he just said that nothing he does on the court, he hasn't practiced a thousand times, right? So he's in there practicing, practicing, practicing. He shows up, and you hear this all the time in interviews with other players from the Lakers, they say that they would show up their first day and they'd want to show up early to put in the work. And Kobe Bryant was already there practicing free throws, practicing free throws.Michael Jamin:You're talking about the greatest player or one of the greatest players in the N B A hasty was already there, was acting as if he was a rookie who had never taken a shot in a basketball court.Phil Hudson:All the money, all the skills, all the fame, known name, 70 hour work weeks, just putting in the work.Michael Jamin:If the greatest player has to do it, why do you think you don't have to do it?Phil Hudson:LeBron James, he makes what? A hundred million a year off of all of his endorsement deals. I read, I think in Sports Illustrated, it's like 9 million a year goes into taking care of his body just in trainers massage therapy.Michael Jamin:Wow.Phil Hudson:Why? Because that's his tool. That's his instrument. Your tool is your keyboard or your typewriter, your pad and paper and pen, and you don't need, here's the cool thing. You can write a lot of things without needing a fancy computer or fancy software. You can just sit down and practice this with a pad of paper and a Panama napkin.Michael Jamin:What's your commitment to getting better at the craft? And I get why people just want to, they want fast results, but it's not a fast result kind of game. I don't know how we got here from, should you be a TV writer or a film writer?Phil Hudson:Well, I think we're talking about indie film, we're talking about the process of indie film versus features, but all of this relates it's skillset. And I know you talked about for you, you liked TV writing, and I think with the time we have left, I'd love to hear what are the benefits that you found in TV writing? And I think they tie directly into this, which is there's more work, there's more time to sit, and you do this more than writingMichael Jamin:A feature. But not only that, I feel like TV writing, being a TV writer has helped me improve my writing all around because every week, including writing novels. Including writing films, because every week you have to come up with a new story, and it's the repetitiveness, the repetition of, okay, let's break a story. This week we got to break a story. Next week, we got to break a north story next week. And constantly coming up with new stories, even though they're half hour as opposed to an hour and a half. It's that repetition that really makes you really good. And that's why I feel, and I'm not the only one who thinks this way, if you want to watch a really good comedy, you watch tv, you don't turn to film, although there are some really funny films, pound for pound, you go back to tv.It's that action. That's where the good writers really get good. I'll see a comedy. I don't even know how many come. I tried watching one of these streamers, I'm like, oh, comedy, I'll watch this. And it's terrible. This is terrible. From some unknown, have they spent some time in a TV writer's room? They would know, no, this is not acceptable dialogue. That's not an acceptable joke. You just learn so much by being in television, I feel. And then you could go to TV or a film if you have an opportunity. But the learning ground, I feel, is in tv.Phil Hudson:Yeah. Have you seen The Bear?Michael Jamin:I saw the Pilot. I haven't watched the Rest. DudePhil Hudson:Blew my mind, and it feels like one of the most dramatic films, TV shows I've ever seen. It's short form. It's a comedy, it's a sitcom. It's got all the enemies for these comedy, and it makes you laugh, it makes you cry. It's all those notes, and you just look at it, and I looked up the creator and it's like, man, this guy has produced some of the greatest standup comedians in history. Chris Rock, just tons of people. And it's like, yeah, you're learning this from being around and doing the work. And then that translate into what I think is one of the best comedies on tv,Michael Jamin:AndPhil Hudson:It's great.Michael Jamin:I got to watch it. The problem is Cynthia's already seen it, and so I got to watch it alone, make time to watch it alone.Phil Hudson:I get it. I'm married. I understand.Michael Jamin:Yeah. But there it is. I hope that helps. Yeah.Phil Hudson:One thing I just wanted to add to this conversation was when I first got into this, the advice was really centered around, is this a TV IT idea or a film idea? Not necessarily are you a film writer or a TV writer? And I just wanted to get your thoughts on this. I hear this advice all over the place. The question was, is this something that could end or is this something that could continue? Is this the kind of idea that there's a clear defined ending to this, right?Michael Jamin:I feel likePhil Hudson:TV might've changed that now with our long form, eight to 10 minute, like a TV series ends up being a longer form film. But at the same time, I think there's some weight in that, which is something you tie back to in comedy. Your character doesn't really change at the end. They reset. I'd love your on that.Michael Jamin:Yeah. So if you're coming with a film, is this a TV idea or a film idea? If the character goes on a complete journey, Rocky and Rocky finally wins or goes the distance. It's not a TV show because he's not going to go. It's not a fight of the week. It's just like you take a street bum and you turn into, he went the distance, so it's done. That's it. They made sequels. Sure. Each sequel is basically a remake of the first one, and none of them are as good as the first one because you took a character. The only reason they did sequels is because they, Hey, we can squeeze some more money out of this. The story was over, I'm sorry, the story was over. It was a beautiful story, but it's not like a world of Rocky and Nikki and the gang hanging out that would be hanging out at the training facility at the boxing club. That would be sunny. It's always sunny in Philadelphia, which is fine. That's a TV series. They're just hanging out, people hanging out. So is it a world you're creating, or are you taking a character on a full emotional journey?Phil Hudson:Yeah, and that's an interesting, John Wick one is just great. It's great. It's a great film. John Wick two, I kind of like more than John Wick one because we get into the world, but I wouldn't want John Wick two if I hadn't seen John Wick one and felt like it was satisfying at the end, and you're kind of bummed. The other thing, this is just my thing as a writer, I really hate when characters suffer to the nth degree of suffering and just wrecking, this guy just got his life back and now you're going to ruin his life in the second film. It's a bit of a bummer.Michael Jamin:Yeah. But yeah, so that's what I ask, Yousef, are you creating a world, especially in sitcoms, this is your family. I think of it as, cheers. Do I want to hang out with these people week in and week out? Do I want to let them into my living room? Is that what it is? Because I certainly don't want to let some movies, no. Some movies, no, I don't want to The quiet place quiet. I don't don't want to let them into my living room week after week. That's unsettling to me. Great movie, not a TV show.Phil Hudson:Children are men. Children are men. One of the most impactful films I've ever seen. Haven't watched it again, so many,Michael Jamin:Right? It's enough. Right, right, right. GotPhil Hudson:The lesson. Move on.Michael Jamin:Right. Yeah.Phil Hudson:Great answer, Michael. Thank you. Bye. It was great.Michael Jamin:Alright, everyone, thank you so much. Phil and I have more to talk about. We have some exciting stuff to talk about coming up in future episodes, but thank you so much and for what are we going to talk about, Phil? We got to promote, we have a watch list, our newsletter,Phil Hudson:We got all about it. So you can go to michaeljamin.com/newsletter to join the watch list. You can also go to /watchlist. A lot of people know that one, but you've got that. It's a weekly newsletter. You've got the free lesson. It's the first full free lesson. You've broken into three parts. AMichael Jamin:Screenwriting lesson,Phil Hudson:Right? A screenwriting lesson. If you want to learn more about the very first lesson you ever taught me as a mentor about screenwriting, which I think you were taught, and I think you've taught lots of other people, is what is the definition of a story. So go get that michael jamin.com/free. I think we get three to 500 people a week sign up forMichael Jamin:That thing. Oh wow. That's crazy. We also have, we've been doing free webinars and now right now the schedule's up. We're doing it every three weeks instead of every four weeks. So you can come to that michaeljamin.com/webinar and it's free. Come sit in and thenPhil Hudson:Touring for a P orchestra. That's going to be coming up, I think, at some point, right?Michael Jamin:Yeah, hopefully. But we're hoping that our book, my book is going to drop. I'm really happy with the way it's coming up, but we're doing the audio book now, and so maybe we'll talk a little bit more about that. Maybe we will talk more about that in a different episode. Yeah, if you want to come see me on tour or be notified when my book drops as an audio audiobook as well, Michaeljamin.com/upcoming, and the audiobook is really nice. It's really because I got some music. I have a composer on it. We'll talk about it now. I guess. Anthony Rizzo, who is the composer on Maron, well, I'll talk about it in the next episode. We'll open up, talk about that. So go there, michaeljamin.com/upcoming if you want to see me on tour or be notified me the bookPhil Hudson:Drop. And for everybody watching this, this is going to be a bit out of order, so it'll be the next episode that I'm in. Right? Because the next one, I think you got Steve Lemi comingMichael Jamin:Up. Yeah, Lemi is coming up for episode 100 from Broken Lizard. Alright, everyone, thank you so much. Until next time, keep writing. Thank you, Phil.Phil Hudson:Thank you.This has been an episode of Screenwriters. Need to Hear This with Michael Jamin and Phil Hudson. If you're interested in learning more about writing, make sure you register for Michael's monthly webinar @michaeljamin.com/webinar. If you found this podcast helpful, consider sharing it with a friend and leaving us a five star review on iTunes. For free screenwriting tips, follow Michael Jamin on social media @MichaelJamin,writer. You can follow Phil Hudson on social media @PhilaHudson. This podcast was produced by Phil Hudson. It was edited by Dallas Crane Music, by Ken Joseph. Until next time, keep writing.
We discuss the box office sensation - 'Barbie'Directed by Greta Gerwig, Writen by Gerwig & Noah Baumbach, Starring Margot Robbie Issa Rae & Ryan Gossling - Barbie suffers a crisis that leads her to question her world and her existence.What did you think of the movie? Did it live up to the hype? Are we dumb?BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE...We discuss - Vacations, Where to shave & MUCH MORE!Join the conversation on Twitter: @MACandGUpodcast
Despite having three daughters, I can't say I ever expected to discuss the theological implications of a movie based on Barbie dolls. And yet, Barbie is dominating headlines, not only for bringing in a whopping 155 million dollars on its opening weekend, but also for garnering thought-pieces on the deeper meaning of its plot and for its cultural implications about the identity and value of women. A Vox article, for example, compared its plot to the biblical account of the Garden of Eden, with a primal couple living in a paradise before newly discovered knowledge about good and evil taints the world with corruption. Whether or not director Greta Gerwig intended that particular angle, her “Barbie” not only engages with contemporary discussions about feminism but also the biggest of worldview questions, such as “What's the meaning of life?” “What has gone wrong with the world?” and, “What will fix the world?” In the process, Barbie tells a story of the world that, beneath its shiny colors and self-aware snark, more closely reflects the tenets of postmodernism than the truths of Scripture. In Barbieland, the meaning and purpose of life is to be happy, and happiness means a woman-run society of libertine freedom and unhindered expression. Lines repeated throughout the film include “Barbie is every woman, and every woman is Barbie,” and “Barbies can be anything, so women can be anything.” In this view, to be empowered is to be free of restraint and responsibility. Something that is also communicated in its view of motherhood. Both Christian reflection and common sense betray what's wrong with this subjective view of happiness. If happiness is what life is all about, and our experiences of happiness swing on such an extreme pendulum of circumstance, freedom, and expression, how can anyone be happy for long? True happiness, as C.S. Lewis taught, is a byproduct of a life well lived, rather than the goal. Happiness requires that we are connected to something larger than ourselves, ultimately God. We belong to the One who made us for Himself, and, in Him, we find true joy. Barbie's answer to the question, “What's wrong with the world?” is, well, men. When she is cast into the “real world,” she discovers that its brokenness is due to the actions and attitudes of men, primarily against women. As one character proclaims, “We can only agree on one thing. We all hate women. Men hate women, and women hate women.” This is both an astute observation and an odd complaint in a society unable or, more accurately, unwilling, to say what a woman is (other than as a “non-man”). In the world of this movie, every man is both oppressive and oblivious. Barbie can outsmart them all while Ken only “slows her down” and “gets into trouble.” Rather than accept the female-ruling class of Barbieland, Ken longs to emulate the powers of middle-aged white men in the “real world.” So, he introduces his own brave new world, “Kendom.” But in the world of Kendom, the ultimate obstacle to happiness and freedom is men. They are not good. Women are. This is, of course, the same framing of reality that shaped second- and third- wave feminism. In the biblical account, sin is disobedience and the longing for autonomy. What's wrong with the world is the conflict, pain, and death that resulted. Sin has infected the world ever since and has turned the sexes against one another. Men have screwed up the world. So have women. Both were created good by God. Both are not good because of sin. In the film, Barbieland is fixed by expelling the patriarchy. Barbie calls on one of the “real” women from the “real” world to preach the gospel of oppression to brainwashed Barbies. The unthinking Kens turn against themselves. The Barbies are given a Barbie-fied version of Betty Freidan's Feminine Mystique: Women are victims of oppression and can never win. They are even victims of their own bodies, shaped as they are by the design of motherhood. On this point, the movie is not subtle. In a scene from the film's first two minutes, young girls, bored with their baby dolls, smash them on the ground until their heads explode. A pregnant Barbie is also hinted at as being “creepy” and is discontinued. In the end, Barbieland is made new, restored to the paradisical, women-run society it once was. The Kens “find themselves” too, but apart from Barbie. In other words, men and women were not made for each other. Or were they? Much of the film's discussion has to do with the final scene, in which Barbie chooses to not live in the restored Barbieland utopia, but in the real world of humanity instead. As such, there's a not-so-subtle acknowledgement of the reality of human bodies, especially the female body. It's not clear if Gerwig intended this final scene as a sort of undermining of the subjective portrayal of Barbieland. What is clear, whether she intended it or not, is that this is a world of objective realities, and the answers to life's biggest questions can only be found by first acknowledging that. This Breakpoint was co-authored by Michaela Estruth. If you're a fan of Breakpoint, leave a review on your favorite podcast app. For more resources to live like a Christian in this cultural moment, go to breakpoint.org.
Of course Katey is on vacation for the Barbie episode. This week, Da7e, David, and Patches jump into the War Room to talk about the trajectory of actor/director Greta Gerwig’s films before jumping into a review of Barbie and the various reactions to the massive hit of a film that is also a Mattel ad. […]
In making “Oppenheimer,” which opens in theatres this weekend, the director Christopher Nolan relied on a Pulitzer Prize-winning 2005 biography of the father of the atomic bomb, “American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer,” by Kai Bird and the late Martin J. Sherwin. Bird is credited as a writer of Nolan's movie, and he spoke with David Remnick about the ambivalence that the scientist expressed publicly about the use of the bomb, which led to a McCarthyist show trial that destroyed his career and reputation. “What happened to him in 1954 sent a message to several generations of scientists, here in America but [also] abroad, that scientists should keep in their narrow lane. They shouldn't become public intellectuals, and if they dared to do this, they could be tarred and feathered,” Bird notes. “The same thing that happened to Oppenheimer in a sense happened to Tony Fauci.” Plus, Greta Gerwig talks about her path to directing. Like “Barbie,” Gerwig's two previous films as a director and writer are concerned with coming of age as a woman. Once criticized as a “bossy girl,” Gerwig recalls, she tamped down her instinct to direct, focusing early in her career on acting and then screenwriting. She told David Remnick how she finally gave herself permission to be a filmmaker.
The biggest movie weekend in years is finally here. Sean and Amanda discuss the theater-going experience surrounding Greta Gerwig's ‘Barbie' and Christopher Nolan's ‘Oppenheimer' (1:00), including the order and circumstances in which you should see them. Then, they dig into their feelings on ‘Oppenheimer' and where Nolan stands in Hollywood (17:00), before pivoting their focus to ‘Barbie' and what it signals about Gerwig's ambitions and desires as a filmmaker (52:00). This episode makes an effort to be spoiler-free of plot points in both ‘Barbie' and ‘Oppenheimer,' but does feature in-depth discussion of Sean and Amanda's reactions and feelings about each movie. Hosts: Sean Fennessey and Amanda Dobbins Senior Producer: Bobby Wagner Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
In episode 1491, Miles and guest co-host Blake Wexler are joined by comedian and host of Cold Brew Got Me Like, Chris Crofton, to discuss… DeSantis' Twitter Event Was a Predictable Disaster, The Barbie Movie Finally Gives People What They Want: Aqua's Barbie Girl and more! DeSantis' Twitter Event Was a Predictable Disaster Ron DeSantis gambled on Elon Musk and went bust The Barbie Movie Finally Gives People What They Want: Aqua's Barbie Girl Barbie Movie Trailer Fan Edit Adds Iconic Aqua Song and It's Fantastic ‘Barbie Girl' Turns 25: Aqua Opens Up on Song's Legacy and Absence From Movie Mattel Sues Aqua Over “Barbie Girl” ‘People Probably Want to Kill Us': The Oral History of Aqua's ‘Barbie Girl' Mattel Loses ‘Barbie Girl' Lawsuit Justices Refuse to Hear Mattel's ‘Barbie Girl' Lament LISTEN: Rock Steady (Alternate Mix - Young, Gifted and Black Outtake) by Aretha FranklinSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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