This week’s show runs the gamut culturally, from a production of “Uncle Vanya” in “Live Event of the Week” and a discussion about whether the play is a comedy, to stories of jury duty prompted by a “Lawsuit of the Week”, from an excellent documentary recommendation by a loyal listener like you (yes, YOU!) to a deep dive analysis of the U.S. box office (including a quiz!). The success of Where the Crawdads Sing gets paid particular attention, as does the “Mission: Impossible” franchise. The once-every-ten years Sight and Sound poll of the greatest films ever made leads to a discussion of the Daniels, Edgar Wright and Roy Andersson. Finally, great stories about the making of David Lynch’s Dune, Blue Velvet and The Straight Story get shared.

After a cold open in which Dean Haglund and Phil Leirness celebrate the fact that YOUR Chillpak Hollywood Hour becomes a teen-ager this week, they launch into what they do best, trying to make sense of a (Covid-19) world gone wild with humor, insight, irreverence and inspiration. In the return of “Wingnut of the Week”, Dean and Phil offer a wag of the finger at Covid-19 conspiracy theorists and a doff of the cap to UFO “truthers”. In “Celebrity Deaths”, they pay tribute to a true titan of comedy publishing and filmmaking, an international star who broke big in both Bollywood and Hollywood, a character actor-turned-casting director, an influential folk singer, and the musician who turned Hugh Grant into a pop star! Then, your friends in podcasting tackle how Covid-19 will affect the up-coming television season, and how it will affect the Oscars, before turning their attention to what years in cinema might rival 1962 as the best year ever for movies! 

Yesterday was Labor Day in the USA and poolside barbecues are an end-of-summer holiday tradition …

As loyal listeners of this show know, your friends in podcasting have been producing a brand new feature film, The Lady Killers and yesterday was the film’s wrap party – a poolside barbecue no less!

So, grab your water wings, your sun screen and your funny bone and pull up a deck chair …

Dean Haglund and Phil Leirness welcome two of the loveliest actresses, one of the funniest actors and one of the best character actors (and teachers) working in the business today.

It’s coming to you a day late, but it’s well worth the wait. It’s one of the best episodes yet of YOUR Chillpak Hollywood Hour!00

It’s a Chillpak Hollywood Hour first! Your friends in podcasting, Dean Haglund and Phil Leirness, have covered filmmaking from many different angles, but they’ve never done a show all about post-production sound. Until now. Garrard Whatley is a sound design genius and runs the boutique post-production sound facility RocketWerks in Santa Monica, CA. RocketWerks is the best friend independent filmmakers could ever have. And Garrard Whatley is one of the most engaging and fun people you could possibly meet. And just in case you think this show won’t be entertaining, Sean Connery drops by at the end to share in the laughs …. This week on YOUR Chillpak Hollywood Hour!