This week Sam sits down with singer-songwriter Brenton Wood. Throughout most of is career, Wood was cheated out of the money and rights to the songs he wrote. In this interview, he and Sam talk about this and how he's been able to remain happy throughout the years despite it all. Brenton's music is infectious and positive, as he is himself. Plus, you get to hear Sam sing with Brenton a bit--and they don't sound all that bad. ------------------------------------------------- Music for the show pr...
Mar 08, 2017•1 hr 8 min
This week Sam sits down with renowned actor, Philip Baker Hall. Best known for his work with director Paul Thomas Anderson, Hall is a captivating presence on and off the screen. Sam and Philip talked for a long time and got into detail on so much of Philip's life. In this episode we learn more about his work with P.T.A., his falling out with Robert Altman, and his thoughts on death. ------------------------------------------------- Music for the show provided by @Vanilla and @jinsangbeats. Origi...
Mar 02, 2017•1 hr 34 min
This week Sam sits down with fellow podcaster, Andrea Silenzi. She is the host of the electrifying Panoply show “Why Oh Why,” which explores the intricate worlds of love, relationships, and feminism. She and Sam delve into all of these topics in this conversation, dissecting the difference between behaviors of men and women in relationships, the pressures women face, and the fact that Sam is twenty two. ------------------------------------------------- Music for the show provided by @Vanilla and...
Feb 22, 2017•1 hr 15 min
This week Sam sits down with director Roger Ross Williams. Williams started out by directing and producing for networks such as NBC, ABC, and CNN, then moved on to directing his own films. As you will hear in the show, Williams rejects settling in one's work and his passion comes through in everything that he does. He and Sam talk about his complex family life, learning how to show emotions, and much more. ------------------------------------------------- Music for the show provided by @Vanilla ...
Feb 14, 2017•51 min
This week Sam sits down with cult-critic Andy Greenwald. Andy is best known for his writing at Grantland--however he has done a plethora of work outside of this, including his writing for Spin and being a published author. In this interview, Sam and Andy talk about his work while also delving into the personal. They talk about how he met his best friend Chris Ryan, reading TV Guide as a kid, and the act of constantly reevaluating one's life. ------------------------------------------------- Musi...
Feb 08, 2017•1 hr 24 min
This week Sam sits down with stand-up comedian, actress, and writer Kate Berlant. The New York Times profiled her as a "magnetic improvisational comic" and this could not be more true. Kate and Sam discuss art's place in the world of Trump, her upbringing as an only child, her new show "555," and the intricacies of improv. ------------------------------------------------- Music for the show provided by @Vanilla and @jinsangbeats. Original illustrations by Krishna Shenoi: www.krishnabalashenoi.co...
Jan 31, 2017•1 hr
This week Sam sits down with actress, director, and writer Noël Wells—who is best known for her character Rachel on the hit Netflix show, Master of None—at the Sundance Film Festival. Wonderfully forthcoming, Wells tells Sam a number of honest opinions, including the affects of social media on today’s political climate, coming to terms with oneself, and the benefits of psychedelics. ------------------------------------------------- Music for the show provided by @Vanilla and @jinsangbeats. Origi...
Jan 25, 2017•42 min
We're back! This week, Sam sits down with comedian Brett Gelman. You probably recognize him from films such as The Other Guys and 30 Minutes or Less and television shows like Man Seeking Woman, Another Period, and Fleabag. Back on screen in Lemon, which premieres at Sundance later this month, Brett came on to discuss today's political climate, trying to walk the line between self-awareness and self-criticism, leaving Adult Swim, and his minor feud with Eric Andre. -------------------------------...
Jan 18, 2017•1 hr 18 min
Merry Christmas, everybody! We're closing out 2016 with a very special bonus episode of Talk Easy looking back on the year that was in cultural, politics, and art. To help us work it all out, we've invited back some of our favourite guests from Talk Easy episodes past, including Matt Zoller Seitz, Mackenzie Davis, Zazie Beetz, Wesley Morris, and more. Consider it a gift for the holiday season, and keep an eye out for the return of the show in January. Thanks for listening, and have a wonderful n...
Dec 26, 2016•1 hr 35 min
On this week's show, comedian Reggie Watts joins Sam to talk about finding comedy and music in improvisation, keeping those creative juices flowing, and finding the space to be creative at all. Plus, Reggie shares his thoughts on racism in America today, and considers the election of Donald Trump. All that, and a whole lot more. ------------------------------------------------- Talk Easy is sponsored by MUBI. Get your 30-day free trial at http://www.mubi.com/TalkEasy. For more information about ...
Dec 14, 2016•1 hr 6 min
This week on Talk Easy, journalist Jay Caspian King joins the show to talk about his career writing and editing at noteworthy publications like Grantland, The New Yorker, New York Times Magazine, and Vice. Sam and Jay also discuss his 2010 article about his own gambling addiction, his recent aversion to everything fiction and popular culture, and the belief buried beneath the cold cynicism of most people in journalism. All that and much more. ------------------------------------------------- Tal...
Dec 07, 2016•1 hr 6 min
This week on Talk Easy, NY Magazine TV critic and RogerEbert.com EIC Matt Zoller Seitz joins Sam to talk about the state of film criticism. They also discuss director Oliver Stone, whose the subject of Seitz latest book The Oliver Stone Experience, a rollicking compendium of essays, interviews, and analysis that took five years to write. The wide-ranging conversations hits on the legacy of Roger Ebert, raising children, and some advice Matt gave Sam about a year ago that changed his life. ------...
Nov 30, 2016•1 hr 4 min
This week on Talk Easy, emerging actress Mackenzie Davis ("Halt and Catch Fire") joins Sam to talk about...well, yeah, the election. At least for a little bit. After working through some grief and trying to find a way forward, they discuss Mackenzie's work in films like "What If," "The Martian," and "This Awkward Moment." They also dive into her early twenties, managing friendships, and, everyone's favorite subject, death, prompted by her great episode in "Black Mirror." ------------------------...
Nov 23, 2016•54 min
On this week's show, actress Zoe Kazan joins Sam for a conversation about growing up with screenwriter parents, going off to be an actress, finding the right therapist, the stress of making the film 'Ruby Sparks' with her boyfriend, the pain of being reduced to a single movie trope, and some thoughts on Donald Trump and the election, recorded before the results last Tuesday. All that, plus some thoughts at the top from Sam himself, reflecting on those election results. --------------------------...
Nov 16, 2016•1 hr 14 min
On this week's show, our guest is one of the inspirations for this very podcast. Max Linsky, co-host of the 'Longform' podcast, which features excellent in-depth interviews with many of the best journalists in the field. Max is also the co-founder of Pineapple Street Media, a podcasting and media company, as well as the host of the 'With Her' podcast, the official podcast of the Hillary Clinton campaign. That's right, Max co-hosts a podcast with Hillary Clinton herself. Sam and Max discuss Hilla...
Nov 01, 2016•55 min
Zazie Beetz is a great rising young actress, who has recently gained rightful attention for her fantastic work in the FX series "Atlanta" and her role in Joe Swanberg's Netflix anthology series "Easy." Zazie sat down with Sam to talk about her unique upbringing, speaking multiple languages, trying to make the world better for women, finding solace in not being important, and overcoming the often crippling anxiety of life. Music for the show provided by @Vanilla. Original illustrations by Krishna...
Oct 26, 2016•1 hr 6 min
He's back! W. Kamau Bell, the second ever guest on Talk Easy, makes his triumphant return to talk about this crazy election, the madness of Donald Trump, doing those crazy panels on CNN, and maintaining sanity through his family. But mostly the crazy election stuff. Buy Kamau's new comedy special, "Semi-Prominent Negro," at Kill Rock Stars: http://www.killrockstars.com/kamau/ Music for the show provided by @Vanilla. Original illustrations by Krishna Shenoi: http://krishnabalashenoi.com/. Learn m...
Oct 21, 2016•54 min
Margaret Brown is the talented documentarian behind "Never Trump," a short doc from the New York Times, about hardcore conservatives who have come out against Donald Trump. In a wide-ranging conversation, Sam and Margaret touch on everything from the state of American politics headed into this election, the power of documentary filmmaking, and finding the right balance between work and living. Watch "Never Trump" on the NYT website: http://www.nytimes.com/video/opinion/100000004694111/never-trum...
Oct 20, 2016•58 min
This week on the show, "Certain Women" director Kelly Reichardt joins Sam for a conversation about her unique and beautiful filmmaking, the loneliness of directing, the subtle sentimentality at the heart of her work, and talking to the neighbor's cat. All that, plus her early days working in a mail room, first picking up a Super8 camera, and much more. Music for the show provided by @Vanilla. Original illustrations by Krishna Shenoi: http://krishnabalashenoi.com/. Learn more about the show at ht...
Oct 11, 2016•1 hr 1 min
This week on Talk Easy, Sam talks with hip hop artist/musician/producer extraordinaire, Ringgo Ancheta, aka @Mndsgn. In their conversation, Mndsgn shares how he landed on his distinct musical style, the elusive story behind his own origin, and the role of psychedelics in his music and his life. All that and more. Music for the show provided by @Vanilla. Original illustrations by Krishna Shenoi: http://krishnabalashenoi.com/. Learn more about the show at http://talkeasypod.com Learn more about yo...
Oct 04, 2016•56 min
Multi-hyphenate jazz star Esperanza Spalding stops by Talk Easy to talk about her career, being an inconsistent person, developing that into creative energy, and the artistic value of being attentive to others. See Esperanza Spalding on tour: http://www.esperanzaspalding.com/tour/ Music for the show provided by @Vanilla. Original illustrations by Krishna Shenoi: http://krishnabalashenoi.com/. Learn more about the show at http://talkeasypod.com Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.ihea...
Sep 27, 2016•1 hr 14 min
Legendary documentary filmmaker Steve James joins the show to talk with Sam about his extraordinary career, his masterpiece "Hoop Dreams," his film about the late Roger Ebert, his new film, "Abacus: Small Enough to Jail," as well as his intimate approach to making films about complex subjects. UCLA's 'Kartemquin Films at 50': https://www.cinema.ucla.edu/events/2016/kartemquin-films-at-50 Music for the by @Vanilla. Original illustrations by Krishna Shenoi: http://krishnabalashenoi.com/. Learn mor...
Sep 20, 2016•54 min
This week on a special TIFF 2016 edition of Talk Easy, Sam sits down with Chicago Tribune film critic Michael Phillips at the Toronto International Film Festival to trade friendly barbs over sushi while talking about Michael's long career in criticism, his experience taking over the reins of At the Movies, his role as a white middle-aged man in an ever more modern and diverse cultural environment. Plus, Sam shares the story of his first interaction with Phillips as a budding writer in high schoo...
Sep 13, 2016•36 min
This week's guest, comedian Lauren Lapkus is known to most people from her roles in 'Orange is the New Black' and 'Jurassic World', but she made her name as an outstanding impressionist and improviser, gaining attention on 'Comedy Bang Bang' and her own podcast, 'With Special Guest, Lauren Lapkus'. She's most recently featured in Netflix's sketch comedy series, 'Characters'. Lauren joins Sam for a discussion of her career, staying sane online, and just how she's able to embody so many hilarious ...
Sep 07, 2016•1 hr 1 min
Think of any great comedy project in the last decade and Ben Schwartz probably had something to do with it. Jean-Ralphio on Parks and Recreation, Clyde on House of Lies, Rutabaga Rabitowitz on BoJack Horseman. He was even a voice consultant for BB-8 in the new Star Wars film. On the show Ben talks to Sam about his roots in the Bronx, the enduring genius of the late Gene Wilder and Harris Wittels, being a hustler in Hollywood, and the best advice his father ever gave him. Music for the by @Vanill...
Aug 30, 2016•1 hr 2 min
On this week's show, Sam is joined by the great and talented actress Melanie Lynskey. Hailing from New Zealand, Lynskey got her start at 15 in Peter Jackson's 'Heavenly Creatures', co-starring a young Kate Winslet. She has since gone on to play roles on everything from 'Two and a Half Men' and 'Shattered Glass' to 'Up in the Air' and 'Happy Christmas'. In the episode, Lynskey shares revealing stories from growing up in New Zealand, getting engaged to a man she only knew for three weeks, working ...
Aug 23, 2016•1 hr
Charlene deGuzman made waves on the internet three years when her short film, "I Forgot My Phone," which she wrote and starred in, went viral. Now she's back with a new, much bigger project, trying to fund her first feature film "Unlovable," on Kickstarter. The film—which was conceived by herself and Mark Duplass, and has the backing of Patton Oswalt—is about a young woman coping with sex and love addiction. It's an affliction deGuzman has been dealing with personally for much of her life, and i...
Aug 17, 2016•49 min
Ira Sachs is the acclaimed director of films like 'Love is Strange' and 'Keep the Lights On'. Now he's back with the beautiful film, 'Little Men', inspired in part by his own youth. Ira sat down with Sam to talk about 'Little Men', his own upbringing in the South, coming out to his parents as a teenager, navigating a career on the indie film scene, and the difficulty of crossing different social streams. Music for the show by Vanilla @vanilla. Original illustrations by Krishna Shenoi http://kris...
Aug 09, 2016•48 min
You probably know Kate Micucci from somewhere, whether it was her role in 'Scrubs,' or 'How I Met Your Mother,' or 'The Big Bang Theory,' or 'When in Rome,' or 'Rules of Engagement,' or countless other TV series and indie films she's appeared in. Of course, Micucci is even better known as one half of the comedy music duo "Garfunkel and Oates," which spawned a series of YouTube videos, albums, and even a TV series for IFC. Now Micucci co-stars in a new film from director Mike Birbiglia and produc...
Aug 02, 2016•51 min
Alan Arkin has been acting in movies since the 1960s, delivering decades worth of great and memorable performances, including indelible turns in 'The Russians are Coming, The Russians are Coming', 'Glengarry Glen Ross', 'The In-Laws', and 'Little Miss Sunshine'. Arkin sat down with Sam for a conversation about his career, being called to the House Un-American Activities Committee, the problems with modern American filmmaking, and his fears of a Trump presidency, and his friendship with J.D. Sali...
Jul 27, 2016•55 min
