Jan 14
How to Build a Profitable Media Company in 3 years, with Semafor’s Justin Smith
News is a tough business. So how did Semafor, the news startup founded by Ben Smith and Justin Smith, figure out how to turn a profit in their third year of business? Excellent journalism certainly helps. But it’s really because the company made two key decisions: Focusing on eve ... Show More
39m 32s
Jan 7
Inside Bari Weiss’s Rise: LA, Sun Valley, and the Mogul Network
How, exactly, did Bari Weiss become the head of CBS News? We know that David Ellison, who bought Paramount last year, hired her — and bought The Free Press, the publication she started a few years earlier. But how did she get on Ellison’s radar? And why are so many media moguls, ... Show More
40m 4s
Dec 31
Craig Finn on Friendship, Fans and The Hold Steady’s Second Life
Craig Finn makes music — as the head of the Hold Steady, and on his solo records — about grown-up lives and bad decisions. Back in 2017, we talked about his life as a working rock musician — and how touring actually works, how the band found a second life, and why fans and friend ... Show More
48m 49s
Sep 2025
ABC Suspends Jimmy Kimmel, Why You Should Check Out Netflix’s ‘Black Rabbit’, and ‘Alien: Earth’ Episode 7
Chris and Andy talk about ABC’s decision to indefinitely suspend Jimmy Kimmel and what it means for the media space (1:18). Then, they take a moment to remember Robert Redford and his outsized impact on film in the wake of his passing (11:58). Later, they break down the penultima ... Show More
1h 18m
Dec 2024
SYNECDOCHE, NEW YORK — Charlie Kaufman’s movie of a lifetime
<p>When screenwriter <b>Charlie Kaufman</b> started making his epic, heartbreaking directorial debut <b>SYNECDOCHE, NEW YORK</b>, he was the toast of Hollywood. Then it flopped, put a pause on his career, and arguably marked the end of the heady “indiewood” era of the oughties. H ... Show More
35m 37s
Aug 2022
Getting your movie greenlit by a studio with Yariv Lerner producer and Exec producer of Expendables, Rambo: Last Blood, Hellboy & The Dare !
Today, our host Giles Alderson welcomes a very special person to the podcast: The man who greenlit his debut feature film, Yariv Lerner. Now, not only does Yariv run Nu Boyana Film Studios, the biggest film studio in Eastern Europe, but he is also the executive producer or produc ... Show More
1h 1m
Aug 2024
Cine-world cup, 1984: the BEST film of the best year for cinema, evs
This week we put all the heavyweights from cinema’s best year – 1984 – into the ring, and see who comes out victorious. Think Terminator, Dune, Stop Making Sense, Beverly Hills Cop – I mean, there’s nowhere near enough space to list them all. But who will win...? Mark also gives ... Show More
54m 27s
Feb 2025
‘Captain America: Brave New World’ Is Marvel’s Rock Bottom. Now What?
Sean and Amanda are joined by Chris Ryan to review the utter mess that is ‘Captain America: Brave New World.’ They discuss its various rewrites, the ways the movie shows its seams, why Harrison Ford is even interested in taking roles like this, and what it means for the end of Ph ... Show More
1h 8m
Aug 2024
Apple’s Movie Strategy, the ‘Saturday Night’ Trailer, and Small Screen Recommendations With Sean Fennessey
Andy is joined by Sean Fennessey to talk about all things movies. They discuss the trailer for the new Alfonso Caurón series, ‘Disclaimer’ (1:00), and the strategy for Apple TV+ more broadly since the announcement that the Brad Pitt and George Clooney movie ‘Wolfs’ will now get o ... Show More
1h 14m
Have you seen Extraction? More than 90 million Netflix viewers have, making the violent thriller the service’s most popular original movie to date. Stuntman-turned-director Sam Hargrave, sits down with Recode’s Peter Kafka to discuss his action movie starring Chris Hemsworth. Hargrave talks about learning how to make action movies on the set of Marvel’s Aven ... Show More
