Do you know what Stan Lee’s real name was and why he changed it? Did you know that during the 1940’s and 50’s conservatives weren’t just on a witch hunt against suspected communists but against superhero comic books as well? Join your friends in podcasting as they remember the comic book giant in “Celebrity Deaths” and discuss his cultural impact, his legacy and the controversies in which he found himself. Then, Phil sits down in the woods with filmmaker Ilana Rein, to discuss her narrative feature debut Perception. Long-time listeners might recall that Ilana served as Dean and Phil’s co-host during their 26 hour Mayan podcastathon, back in 2012. So, it’s great to finally have her back to discuss her work. Then, Dean and Phil get into a fascinating discussion about how much films can change from script to screen, using the upcoming Netflix post-apocalyptic action epic Bird Box movie as a case in point. Finally, the joy of still having so many amazing movies from the past to discover and enjoy gets celebrated, with an awesome little mystery film from the late 1970’s taking center stage. YOUR Chillpak Hollywood Hour. Enjoy!

On the agenda in another action-packed installment of YOUR Chillpak Hollywood Hour is a full report on Dean and Phil’s movie The Lady Killers  at the historic BAL Theatre, and a full report on what makes that theater so darn historic, the aftermath of the devastating California fires, Orson Welles’ The Other Side of the Wind, movie pacing, and in “Celebrity Deaths”, an innovator in motion picture title design, a country music and television icon, a screenwriting legend, a beloved television villainess, and a Shakespearean actor who gave one of the all-time great big screen performances without actually appearing on-screen are all remembered.

Seven important notes about this week’s show:

1) It’s our 600th episode!
2) It features a brand new version of the theme song appropriate to Dean’s relocation to the Motor City.
3) A horrible recording problem leads to a few choppy transitions at the start of the show and to an extremely bad electronic hum during the first 25 minutes or so of the show.
4) We have done the best we can to get rid of the hum and to at least make these first 25 minutes listenable, and you will want to bear with us as those minutes contain very personal conversation between Dean and Phil about things they love lost in the current SoCal fires, what they love that is seriously threatened by those fires, and about a great Canadian actor of Dean’s acquaintance who died this month. There is also a great story about baby diapers!
5) Several amazing movies get discussed – including the Sandra Bullock starring post-apocalyptic, action-horror vehicle Bird Box, the Coen Brothers rather amazing Western anthology feature The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, Alfonso Cuaron’s seminal black-and-white memory piece Roma and Dean and Phil’s very own The Lady Killers, which Dean has finally seen!
6) The show is 72 minutes long, with about 45 minutes of that boasting clean audio!
7) We wish you all a “Malkovich Hug”!

“From a secret location somewhere in America …” Dean Haglund is in temporary digs somewhere in his new home state of Michigan. So, when he and Phil Leirness recorded this week’s episode, it wasn’t the official start of YOUR Chillpak Hollywood Hour’s Motown Era. Nevertheless, we learn about Dean’s early D-Town and Michigan discoveries, as well as about the road trip he took from D.C. this past week. Meanwhile, in Los Angeles … Celebrations in anticipation of Phil’s upcoming nuptials have begun with an engagement party. Shocking stories and a hangover ensued! The bulk of this week’s show focuses on a handful of fascinating “Celebrity Deaths” and a slew of great movies. As for the former, a Norwegian World War II hero, a terrific filmmaker, one of the greatest character actors, a tech giant and philanthropic billionaire, and perhaps the most mysterious figure of the 20th and early 21st centuries are remembered. In the latter discussion, two classic horror films and a recent, groundbreaking documentary are recommended and four new cinematic releases are analyzed, including The Old Man & the GunBad Times at the El RoyaleGreen Book and your friends in podcasting’s very own The Lady Killers! Dean and Phil’s dark comedy has been described as “exactly the kind of film we need right now” and it’s available on demand across a variety of platforms in the U.S. and Canada. Learn more at http://theladykillersmovie.com and on this very podcast!

Hopefully you enjoyed last week’s bizarre audio walking tour of downtown Los Angeles with your friends in podcasting. On this week’s installment of YOUR Chillpak Hollywood Hour, Dean and Phil treat you to a sequel of sorts. It begins with a skyline view from outside the top floor of the city’s iconic city hall. then moves inside the presentation room, where several films get discussed, a brilliant character actor gets remembered, a rock ‘n roll lawsuit gets analyzed. All that plus a ton of laughs, a preview of Dean’s potential future enterprise in Detroit AND a major update on his long-awaited graphic novel!

A long-promised “Top Ten” show proved to be so fascinating to your friends in podcasting that they turned it into a 2-part epic! Boasting films from (almost?) every decade of feature filmmaking, this week’s installment will begin the countdown of Dean and Phil’s All-Time Top Ten Comedy Films! There are bound to be crowd-pleasing favorites, silent classics, independent gems and studio blockbusters. So, keep those Netflix queues handy!

It’s Memorial Day here in the USA, so this episode is coming out about 12 hours later than we like. Nevertheless, Dean and Phil remember a wonderful actress, the artist who designed so many classic movie posters, a pop artist whose sculpted work is iconic, a movie actor and television star from the Golden Age of Hollywood, and a prolific and controversial award-winning novelist. Following “Celebrity Deaths”, your friends in podcasting will weigh in on the criminal charges filed against former mogul Harvey Weinstein and his lawyer’s rather shocking public defense of Weinstein’s actions. Then, it’s time to dig into the latest “Star Trek” news and a handful of recent cinematic releases a half-dozen or more current or recent cinematic releases, including a new “Star Wars Story”, two superhero movies, and an indie comedy. All that, plus a Memorial Day-inspired re-appraisal of Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds.

 

A show ten years in the making …

The tenth “Top Ten” show of year ten …

It’s our 10th Anniversary Show!

Join Dean Haglund and Phil Leirness as they count down their Top Ten Most Memorable episodes of YOUR Chillpak Hollywood Hour. Featuring special appearances by Erynn Petrulis, Jamie Kaler, Gary Anthony Williams, Suli MCullough, Alexandra Barreto, Ilana Rein, Tom Braidwood, Bruce Harwood, Vince Gilligan, Jon Lawlor, Tucker Smallwood, Philip Newby, and Lily Holleman, there is truly something for EVERYONE in this action-packed trip down memory lane. In fact, SHARE THIS SHOW with your family, friends and colleagues, so that they can hear for themselves why and how your friends in podcasting continue to change the way people listen to the internet!

The world really took it on the chin this week with abominable violence in Brussels and the deaths of a groundbreaking rapper, a gentleman actor-turned-union leader, and one of the most influential figures in the history of comedy. Your friends in podcasting will try to make sense of all of it, while celebrating new voices in comedy, a great new sci-fi film, and challenging their own industry to send bolder, more clear messages that discrimination anywhere will not be supported.

Dean Haglund and Phil Leirness – When the world is at its worst, they tend to be at their best.

We’re only two episodes away from the end of year 8 and only five episodes away from Dean Haglund’s move to Australia, yet your friends in podcasting have more to discuss than ever before! From a full report on the preview screening of their new dark comedy, to the latest news regarding Sci-Fest, from the latest rumblings about the return of The X-Files to Phil’s heartfelt thank you and farewell to a film critic who played a major role in his development as an artist, this week’s installment is quite personal to Dean and Phil.

There is a ton of talk about current television (like Mad MenDaredevil, and the countdown to David Letterman’s final show) and future television (an Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. spin-off, the Twin Peaks reboot, and perhaps the most exciting new show to be announced in AGES!). There is also much attention paid to forthcoming movies, including ill-advised remakes and reboots, and maybe a film or two worthy of optimism!

Dean and Phil follow up on their (enormously popular) discussion of female-driven films (episode #413), with a discussion of two emerging female musical artists. All that, plus the latest dirt Phil has learned about Scientology AND not one, not two, not three, but FOUR emails from listeners like you! Want to learn about IMDb? Want to learn about Dean and Phil’s favorite cookies? Then, stop reading and start enjoying this thrilling installment of YOUR Chillpak Hollywood Hour!