Because of some crazy travel plans (London! New York! Tokyo!), the next three episodes of YOUR Chillpak Hollywood Hour promise to be unusual even by our standards! This week’s topics include a forthcoming Broadway revival of “Glengarry Glen Ross”, the crazy, big screen experience Megalopolis, the lineage of Longlegs director Oz Perkins (and a bit about one of the film’s stars), and a “smart house” thriller from Canada, Red Rooms. The North American tour of (“the Modfather”) Paul Weller becomes “The Live Event of the Week”. The deaths of master stone carver Simon Verity, best-selling mystery novelist Nelson DeMille, beloved actor James Earl Jones, and the utterly peerless legend of the stage and screen Maggie Smith all get discussed. Art, architecture, mythology, philosophy, movies, television, music and more on this week’s show – in other words, something for everyone, right?

The best thing about being podcast-only (again) is that for the first time in years, Dean and Phil can produce shows of whatever length tickles their fancy. Indeed, this week’s Chillpak Hollywood Hour gives you more than 10% more “hour”! The show begins with a cold open, wherein Phil reveals that he is not the only filmmaker who gets upset when other filmmakers don’t follow the rules they themselves have set up for a particular movie. In this instance, it’s Quentin Tarantino taking a much-loved modern horror classic to task. Then, Phil briefly revisits his recent travels to Catalina and Dean’s forthcoming travel plans, revealing that Dean has added a NYC trip to the mix in order to see a little-known, conceptual gem of a gallery. Phil previews where he will be spending Independence Day this year, and how a re-watch of Jim Jarmusch’s early classic Mystery Train has him jazzed to visit Memphis (and Graceland!) again this November. Standing ovations at Cannes, the impending financial train wreck that is Kevin Costner’s multi-part big-screen Horizon: An American Saga, and Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two all get discussed. Phil then reveals the latest news regarding a potential defamation lawsuit against Netflix and “Baby Reindeer” and explains why he is willing to now give the show and its creators the benefit of the doubt. After discussing the brilliance of actor Dabney Colemna and how Phil once ruined a birthday party for the 9 to 5 star, the “Funniest Man in America” and a groundbreaking recording engineer get remembered before “Celebrity Deaths” turns into a quiz testing Dean’s cultural/show biz literacy. Finally, after a brief musical interlude, Dean re-joins the festivities, this time from London, where he files a “boots on the ground” report. Phil concludes by previewing next week’s show, including an extraordinary adventure he took to the Integratron!

On this week’s brand new installment, friend of the show and great music journalist Yoshi Kato joins Phil to celebrate the life and legacy of the brilliant composer, musician and actor Ryuichi Sakamoto, who died at the age of 71. Then, Phil and Dean welcome back Eric Mark, who gives a full report on this year’s Sundance Film Festival, regales with stories of performing on “the game show circuit”, and tells all about the popular sci-fi podcast he co-produces and acts in, “Broken Road”.

 

Happy 2023, everybody! Dean and Phil get the year off to a good start by regaling each other (and you) with their respective holiday week road trip adventures. Dean drove all the way back to Detroit and Phil explored the two-lane back roads of Maryland, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, as well as the mean streets of the Big Apple. Because it’s “in with the new”, your friends in broadcasting and podcasting will reveal their resolutions for 2023. They will also say goodbye to a couple of notables who left us in December 2022, including a key David Lynch collaborator, the “Hollywood Cat” and an editor with whom Phil was working. All in all, a very inspiring and personal and irreverent installment of YOUR Chillpak Hollywood Hour is on tap!

The heartfelt and the hilarious are both in abundant supply this week. For Phil Leirness and Dean Haglund, one of the best things about co-hosting YOUR Chillpak Hollywood Hour these past (almost) 14 years has been the friendships they have enjoyed because of the show. And these friendships are very much on their minds. Sure, there is the latest show biz-related Covid-19 news, a great joke about people’s reaction this past week to Dr. Seuss books, reviews of movies both recent and classic, fun with movie ads from the year 1986, “Celebrity Deaths” featuring two great reggae artists, and the return of “What We’re Reading”, but there will also be special birthday wishes, the celebration of a good friend’s new music, tales from a friend’s memoir, lessons learned from a friend’s work as a podcaster, and more. Dean will also discuss the show he did this past week with his good friend Gary Jones, and Phil will preview the two new podcast series he will be producing!

Dean and Phil compare hilarious notes on their Thanksgivings, Phil shares tales of his birthday adventures, updates on his sister’s medical status, and relays what a birthday card he received from a loyal listener and friend to the show inspired. Phil quizzes Dean on a few ad lines from movies to see if Dean can guess the films they describe. In “Celebrity Deaths”, a groundbreaking TV executive, a chart-topping doo-wop singer, a beloved voice actor, a civil rights trailblazer, a former mayor of New York, and a fascinating pop culture icon get remembered. David E. Kelley has a new television series mired in controversy and that controversy will lead to a discussion of “Law and Order” and Q Anon! Finally, Dean and Phil share a couple of their favorite all-time episodes of television, one from “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” and the other from “Homicide: Life on the Street”.

Your friends in podcasting connected via Skype on Christmas Morning to slide down your virtual chimney and stuff your audio stocking full of podcasty goodness! Topics include comic book cataloging, engagement party advice, the role of the arts in the heart of a nation, travel guardian angels, an all-time great voice, a punk rock pioneer, and two actresses-turned-directors who are big reasons why we don’t need to say “female directors” any more. We can just start calling them “directors”. Happy Holidays! We think you will really enjoy this festive, 68 minute installment of YOUR Chillpak Hollywood Hour!

It’s the first Top Ten show of year 11! After years of celebrating Live Events of the Week, your friends in podcasting count down their Top Ten All-Time Favorite Live Events, starting with a healthy and diverse list of “honorable mentions” … Musical concerts are NOT included. Those must be saved for another show! THIS episode is a fun and fascinating look into what your friends in podcasting find memorable and into what inspires them.