This week’s show gets started with Dean providing an update on his graphic novel and a review of “Star Trek: Discovery” Season 3. Phil then shares a message from a loyal listener about their film The Truth is Out There. This leads to further discussion about such topics as conspiracy theories, cults, fear, how to recognize the truth, and “alienation of affection”. In “Celebrity Deaths”, Dean and Phil remember one of the greatest writers of television mysteries and an iconic voice of the British Invasion. Dean and Phil share a new review of their dark comedy feature film The Lady Killers and celebrate the fact that now everyone in the world can see it! Finally, a whole bunch of movies get discussed and reviewed, including Spike Lee’s critically-acclaimed Da 5 Bloods, Kelly Reichardt’s award-winning First Cow and a disappointing Tom Hanks western from director Paul Greengrass. Graphic novels, sci-fi TV, great new movies, conspiracy theories, celebrity deaths and more, all in one hour!

 On this week’s show, a Back to the Future actress, a legendary comic who helped launch the careers of numerous other comics, a game show legend, and a comedic actress who was one of Mel Brooks’ favorites all get remembered in “Celebrity Deaths”. Your friends in podcasting will pick up last week’s conversation comparing Superhero movies to westerns, extending the comparison to television. They will further dig down into the danger of taking anything too seriously, as well as the danger of “fast food”, as they examine the ways we consume information, entertainment, and express our political preferences. Then, after the break, Dean and Phil will discuss two new Sacha Baron Cohen films and two Bill Murray films. Finally, in “What We’re Reading”, Dean will discuss ice cream and Phil will discuss published works by two ladies in his life!

On this week’s episode, the Queen of Technicolor, a World War II hero, an iconic magician and a couple of musical legends get remembered in “Celebrity Deaths”. Dean and Phil will follow up on last week’s discussion of their favorite bookstores with a couple more favorites, including one New York landmark facing a crisis. Phil will ask Dean his thoughts about recent comments made by Chris Carter about Gillian Anderson that have not been sitting well with fans. Phil and Dean will also try to make sense of the spectacular (and spectacularly expensive) failure that was Quibi. All that, plus your friends in podcasting will be weighing in on season 3 of “Star Trek: Discovery”, HBO’s exploration of the NXIVM cult, “The Vow”, and Spike Lee’s joint of “David Byrne’s Utopia”.

One of the things Dean Haglund and Phil Leirness mean when they call it YOUR Chillpak Hollywood Hour is that they enjoy discussing the things you want them to talk about! This week’s show is a perfect example, as they share four messages they have received from listeners like you (yes, YOU!) on topics ranging from influential comedians, to a famous London cat, to a music show on Sky TV! They will also follow up on last week’s discussion about the greatest year for movies by discussing the greatest Canadian films of all time! Of course, you can come for the comedy, the camaraderie and the classic cinema, but you’ll stay for the “Celebrity Deaths”. This week, a country rock legend, and one of the greatest all-time film composers get remembered, and a member of the Chillpak family who died way too young will get celebrated as well. All that, plus Dean’s trip to D.C., thoughts on the USA’s relationship with death, and the comedy audio pilot “SleeveTalkers” (which you can enjoy at https://succotash.libsyn.com/succotash-shut-in-epi209-special-presentation-sleevetalkers-pilot) get discussed.

The sad, the irritating, the hilarious, the ridiculous and the sublime – It’s all fair game on YOUR Chillpak Hollywood Hour in the age of Covid-19! On this week’s show, Dean discusses the steam room he is building, and Phil explains why the pandemic is making him sad and how people’s under-reaction and over-reaction to the pandemic along with bad puns in jokey emails by elected officials are pissing him off! Phil went down a rabbit hole, researching what in 1952 were considered the greatest movies ever made and in so doing, he discovered an amazing, and long-since forgotten, horror: Louisiana Story. Then, Phil poses the question in honor of what would have been the late Toshiro Mifune’s 100th birthday: Was Mifune the greatest movie actor of all time? The discuss that ensues is terrific. Dean and Phil then weigh in on how movie theaters and movie release schedules will be altered once there ARE movie theaters and movie releases again. Finally, Dean and Phil preview next week’s discussion of “Star Trek: Picard” and the year in cinema 1973 before paying tribute to several notable figures in “Celebrity Deaths”, including a jazz giant, a country music great, a soul legend, a popular sitcom actor from the 90s, a soap opera star, and a much beloved children’s book author.

As loyal listeners know, Phil darn near went blind. As a result, he and Dean have not discussed books in a long time! Well, Phil’s eyesight is back, thank you very much, and so is “What We’re Reading” on this week’s show! In fact, Phil’s selection ties in very much to TWO conversations Dean and Phil will have this week. One about Buster Keaton’s “The General” (which will re-visit last week’s theme of “failure”). The other about what television your friends in podcasting are watching right now. Comedy, drama, mystery and the paranormal are all on the small screen menu! And before your friends in podcasting depart from the small screen, they discuss the current SNL controversy surrounding the firing of a recently-hired performer. 

A couple weeks back, the world, and especially lovers of documentary movies, mourned the death of the great filmmaker D.A. Pennebaker. This week, your friends in podcasting celebrate the career of this cinematic giant and also explore the history of documentary filmmaking itself and they are joined in this effort by documentary film professor Robert Nichols. The result is one of Dean and Phil’s best interviews ever and one of the most fascinating installments of YOUR Chillpak Hollywood Hour!

Because this show was recorded early Sunday morning, before America awoke to the horrific news of a 2nd mass shooting in a handful of hours, your friends in podcasting only address their thoughts concerning the El Paso shooting – thoughts that concern conspiracy theories, their film The Truth is Out There and more. 12 years ago, Dean and Phil were discussing the “dog days” of summer, “slow news weeks”, the stars that Entertainment Weekly were in love with, a true-life nightmare plane flight, and great sci-fi movies. All those topics get revisited, and a clip of CHH #14 gets shared, in an hilarious segment. Dean and Phil finally answer two emails from listeners, one about an interesting documentary and the other about the lost (?) art of long-form conversation on TV as well as the “rebirth” of Detroit, and the rebuild of one of that city’s icons. All that, plus a great voice performer and a Broadway legend (perhaps THE Broadway legend) get remembered in “Celebrity Deaths”. 

Your friends in podcasting begin with an update on what is being done to restore Phil’s eyesight, and the advice Phil has for those dealing with medical and insurance bureaucracies. They then dig into more than an hour of 20th century history, celebrating Doris Day, novelist Herman Wouk, comedian Tim Conway, architect I.M. Pei and the Arizona mining town of Bisbee.

Year 13 of YOUR Chillpak Hollywood Hour gets underway with Phil providing an update on his battle to regain his vision. He and Dean discuss some press they recently received for their film The Lady Killers  as well as the latest progress on part 2 of their documentary The Truth Is Out There. Doris Day gets a few words of remembrance, though Peggy Lipton, Barbara Perry and Jim Fowler get the full “Celebrity Deaths” treatment. David Lynch gets debated (again), especially in light of how much he and Dean have in common! Some news and views on Avengers: Endgame and one excellent, Oscar-nominated film, and two really disappointing 2018 releases get reviewed. Join the Chillpak Mod Squad for year 13!