This week, Dean and Phil go deeper into the life and career of the brilliant Tom Lehrer before opening the Chillpak morgue and remembering astronaut Jim Lovell, actor Alfie Wise, WKRP star Loni Anderson, wrestling superstar Hulk Hogan, heavy metal icon Ozzy Osbourne, and beloved “Cosby Show” star Malcolm-Jamar Warner, in “Celebrity Deaths”. These discussions lead to several unexpected and fascinating topics. After that, Phil describes how the 1980s are alive and well in Montecito, California, sharing stories about Dennis Miller, Christopher Lloyd and Kenny Loggins in the process. Finally, two superhero films receive analysis: Superman and The Fantastic Four: First Steps.

Dean and Phil commence the proceedings with a cold open wherein they address a fantastic voice message they received from a loyal listener in Germany. Then, after finding out when Dean expects to no longer be living in his one-room art studio above the garage, Phil dedicates the rest of the show to celebrating movies from around the world and from across the decades! The recent blockbuster Sinners, the current blockbuster Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, and the current limited release A Vanishing Fog from Columbia (the country, not the studio) all get reviewed. One of the great films of the 21st century, a 2000 masterpiece from Taiwan entitled Yi Yi, and the legendary capper to the “Apu” trilogy – Apur Sansar (aka The World of Apu) – from the great Indian filmmaker Satyajit Ray both get celebrated. Finally, Phil shares stories of Alexander Payne, and regales with the history of perhaps the single greatest influence on Payne’s work, Preston Sturges, both in light of re-watching the hilarious and surprisingly rousing 1944 wartime comedy Hail the Conquering Hero. So, butter up that popcorn, epic Year 19 Episode 4 of YOUR Chillpak Hollywood Hour is going to the movies!

Our last show before our 18th Anniversary is also our last show to be recorded via Skype! It’s also an action-packed 72 minutes that boasts the return of “Lawsuit of the Week”, where Dean and Phil get down and dirty discussing the Paramount merger with Skydance, the fate of CBS’ long-running “60 Minutes”, DEI initiatives, the FCC and Trump advisor Stephen Miller. Several films get discussed in depth, including Easter Parade, Diary of a Mad Housewife and Meshes of the Afternoon – each of which leads to discussions about husband-wife creative teams. In “Live Event(s) of the Week”, the delightful TCM host Ben Mankiewicz and the super-talented “Medicine Woman” Veronica Osorio both get celebrated. “Celebrity Deaths” this week is a lightning round quiz edition featuring remembrances of a game show host, a child star, a TV cowboy, a Canadian movie director, an Emmy Award-winning dramatic actress who starred in and co-created one of the most legendary dramas of all time, a Tony-winning composer and lyricist, a rock drummer, and a neo-expressionist painter. Finally, Dean discusses the Seth Rogen-starring Apple TV+ series “The Studio”.

This show runs the gamut geographically from the U.K. to Detroit, and from Los Angeles to Laguna Beach. And it features a wide array from topics, including the supposed demise of radio in general, the new hopes for one station’s programming in particular, the death of a great actress, the acquisition of a legendary Hollywood company, and the latest (and final?) news in the prosecution of Alec Baldwin. There are also a slew of TV and movie reviews, including “Tulsa King”, MaXXXine, Remembering Gene Wilder, I Used to Be Funny and Janet Planet. Join Dean Haglund, Phil Leirness and special guests Alex Lewczuk and Lily Holleman as they bring you the insightful, the irreverent, the inspiring and the deeply felt. And if you are so moved, please visit https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/witham-radio/. Donate if you can and share if you will.

After a cold open about the founder of Hollywood’s Magic Castle and about the greatest professional football player of all time, this week’s show gets started with Dean discussing upcoming “X-Files” convention appearances. And, thanks to an email from a loyal listener like you (yes, YOU!), Dean will share one of the most hilarious behind-the-scenes stories about the making of “The X-Files”. Another email from friend of the show Maurice Terenzio might just be the funniest Dean and Phil have ever received! It will get shared in all its glory. Movies are foremost on Phil’s mind this week and such titles as Armageddon Time, Renfield and the documentary Lynch/Oz will get discussed, as will a wonderful comedy-horror film called Evil Sublet. The current SAG-AFTRA negotiations with the producers will get touched upon as those negotiations relate to the “Salkind clause”, AI, and soap operas.

This week’s show begins with a cold open wherein Dean and Phil discuss Phil’s 4th wedding anniversary, 100 years of Disney, and 16 years of Chillpak, while also celebrating the life and cultural legacy of Burt Bacharach. Dean then reveals his plans to see 80 for Brady (!) before he and Phil compare notes on Pearl, the sequel to X. Phil then sings the praises of a little-known noir-ish detective story starring Lucille Ball and directed by Douglas Sirk, and the jazzy 1966 exercise in style, Tokyo Drifter. After that, it’s time to open the Chillpak morgue for a handful of truly fascinating “Celebrity Deaths” as screen icon Raquel Welch, Award-winning director Hugh Hudson, former child star Austin Majors, and one of the greatest production designers of all time, Eugene Lee, get remembered.

After a cold open that involves a fascinating horror film from the UK in the 1940s (a rarity at the time) and the scientific theories it helped spawn, Phil reveals the horrific travels he undertook since he last convened with Dean on YOUR Chillpak Hollywood Hour! In “Celebrity Deaths”, the political cinema of Jean-Luc Godard gets analyzed, and the lives and careers of five performers and a jazz master get celebrated. Then, it’s back to the movies, with Dean recommending a current horror film and Phil revealing the two mysteries currently in theaters he is dying to see, before he and Dean sing the praises of several “Stranger Things” cast members and then try to figure out what went so right with one Ryan Reynolds vehicle from director Shawn Levy, and what went so wrong with another Ryan Reynolds vehicle from director Shawn Levy!

After a whirlwind, emergency trip to Turlock, Phil is back in Los Angeles. Dean Haglund is in Northern Virginia. They hook up via Zoom for a first half that covers the great new, Oscar-nominated film Another Round, and its director, Dogme 95 co-founder Thomas Vinterberg. They discuss the controversy that brought destruction to the annual Ovation Awards, honoring the best in Los Angeles theater. They play two rounds in their weekly vintage movie ad game and they celebrate the lives of a great character actor and a great funk musician, both of whom died this past week. All that, plus we find out if Dean ever went by the moniker “Dean E” or “Deanie”. In part 2, Dean interviews film and television critic, friend of the show, and fellow Michigander Mattie Giles. They discuss dogs, great bookstores, binge-watching “E.R.”, the D.C. Universe movies, why Dean can’t actually watch anything in one sitting and more!

Pop quiz: What do an Oscar-winning writer-editor, four dead actors, the story of how William Shatner became a star, 3 hilarious movie ads from the 1980s, anti-trust lawsuits pitting writers against actors, the Screen Actors Guild Awards, the Independent Spirit Awards, a graphic novel, and the brother of presidential assassin James Wilkes Booth have in common? They are all a part of this week’s episode of YOUR Chillpak Hollywood Hour!

Dean and Phil discuss holiday decorating, sitting in Santa’s lap, and the importance of celebrating ALL holidays before discussing more hilarious movie ads from the 80’s and 90’s as well as Michael J. Fox’s new memoir. In “Celebrity Deaths”, they remember a brilliant comedic performer, a man who was once upon a time the world’s greatest athlete, a big-screen villain from down under, and a star of TV’s “Falcon Crest”. Then, a new Oscar hopeful from Netflix about the writing of “Citizen of Kane” get analyzed in detail. Movies, holidays, thoughtful insight, irreverence and a lot of laughs – it’s YOUR Chillpak Hollywood Hour!