Month: January 2019

Steven Soderbergh talking with Bill Simmons is a fascinating conversation

/ Ian Casselberry / 1 Comment

soderbergh_camera

Tastes may vary when it comes to Bill Simmons and his podcast, but I don’t think he gets enough credit as an interviewer. Even if you don’t like his sports opinions, Simmons shows great taste in who he brings on his show, particularly with writers and directors.

The most recent example of this is his chat with director Steven Soderbergh, who was at the Sundance Film Festival to promote his new movie, High Flying Bird, and was probably the best guy Simmons could’ve talked to about the current state of filmmaking and how that content can find an audience.

But the interview is also an opportunity to talk about Soderbergh’s 30 years of filmmaking — which began with Sex, Lies and Videotape showing at Sundance — and everything he’s learned about the industry during that span. The conversation begins at the 28:45 mark:

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Amusement Park Podcast 023: The Punisher, the Oscars, and Glass Misses the Mark

/ Ian Casselberry / Leave a comment

punisher_s2

On the latest Amusement Park Podcast, we respond to the first half (six episodes) of The Punisher and the Oscar nominations, which include a Best Picture nod for Black Panther and Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse being nominated for Best Animated Film. (How many Oscar nominees do you get a chance to see where you live?)

We also dig into what Netflix joining the MPAA means, briefly review Glass, and share what we’re enjoying this week.

https://soundcloud.com/casselberry/the-punisher-the-oscars-and-glass-misses-the-mark

— Show notes for Ep. 23 are available at The Amusement Park Podcast website — 

Please leave us review on iTunes! One listener broke the seal, so hopefully you’ll join in with your own comments.

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Overzealous Recycling 003: They’re not all first editions, guys

/ Ian Casselberry / 1 Comment

Hop in for a free ride with

Am I already falling behind on 2019? (Falling into old bad habits is more like it.) I’ve been pretty good with eating less (and better), reading more, and keeping up with TV shows. I’ve been obsessive about doing the New York Times crossword puzzle, though I still can’t get past that Wednesday hurdle. (The mini puzzles on the app, however, are totally addictive brain candy.)

But my resolve to write more can’t slide, man. So Overzealous Recycling is back after a week’s absence. Did you even notice?

Mahershala Ali as this week’s featured image seemed only appropriate. He’s starring in Season 3 of True Detective, which thus far promises to be a return to form for Nic Pizzolatto and his bizarre crime anthology. Ali also earned a Best Supporting Actor nomination for his role in Green Book (a movie I inexplicably still haven’t seen yet) and looks like a strong favorite to be a repeat winner in that category. He’s also in Alita: Battle Angel, coming out in a few weeks. It’s already a good year for him.

— 2019 Oscar Nominations: Who was snubbed? Who are the favorites? — 

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2019 Oscar nominations: Who was snubbed? Who are the favorites?

/ Ian Casselberry / 1 Comment

panther_trio

The Academy Award nominations are always an exciting morning, but the 2019 Oscars seem to have a bit less juice than in previous years. Maybe because there’s not one clear front-runner that many fans are rallying around? No clear critical darling?

Also, I think there are a lot of movies that people either simply haven’t seen. That’s always the case (and Oscar nominations can change that), but feels like it’s even more so this year. Also, one of the favorites was made for Netflix, an idea people will have to get used to.

Since I typically write something about the Oscars, I figured I’d do a quick overview of the big categories, picking the favorites and noting the snubs. And there were a lot of notable snubs this year.

I’ve seen five of the eight Best Picture nominees, but there are several contenders I need to watch. (That’s one reason why I dragged my ass on putting together a Best of 2018 list.) Those include Green Book, The Favourite, Roma, Shoplifters, Can You Ever Forgive Me and The Wife. (I know!) So my opinions on any of these could change before Feb. 24. If so, maybe we’ll have some predictions.

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Amusement Park Podcast 022: Spider-Man: Far From Home, True Detective and Netflix. Get Excited!

/ Ian Casselberry / Leave a comment

spidey_thumbs

On the latest Amusement Park Podcast, we respond to the first Spider-Man: Far From Home trailer which dropped this week. We also dig into the Season 3 premiere of True Detective (Chris is a newbie to the show) and discuss Netflix’s price increase for subscribers.

With news of Jason Reitman’s Ghostbusters movie, the two of us also briefly debate whether Hollywood has run out of ideas. Personally, I think that’s a tired argument. But maybe you agree with Chris.

https://soundcloud.com/casselberry/spider-man-far-from-home-true-detective-and-netflix-get-excited

— Show notes for Ep. 22 are available at The Amusement Park Podcast website — 

Please leave us review on iTunes! The seal is broken, so hopefully you’ll join in with your own comments.

You can subscribe to the Amusement Park Podcast everywhere you find podcasts:

Thank you for listening! Please give us a like on our Facebook page to help boost our signal. You can also give us feedback at amusementparkpod@gmail.com and find us on Twitter and Instagram. We’d love to hear from you!