Longtime listeners know that Dean Haglund and Phil Leirness care about your health and the health of society. This week’s episode gets started with a discussion of Phil’s eyesight loss, the NBA Finals, the catastrophic injuries that marred the NBA Finals, and the pressure everyone feels, not just athletes, to get back to work as quickly as possible, even if they are injured or if their health is compromised. Then, Dean discusses the latest about his streaming improv web series “Gravity Hole”, the conspiracy-themed live comedy performance he will be giving in July, before he and Phil dig into some of the great comedy series and how they reveal the truth. Finally, Phil brings up the recent implosions at the box office before singing the praises of a recent superhero release, a silent classic and a brand new Zombie comedy. The show closes with part 2 of Phil’s conversation with actress-singer-producer Chase Masterson and her profound efforts to build a healthier society through her anti-bullying Pop Culture Hero Coalition

Phil is back from Washington, D.C. with stories of the 75th anniversary of D-Day, Civil War Re-enactments, and high school baccalaureates. Dean is back from X-Fest 2, which was like a high school reunion for him, “X-Files” style. He has tales of being reunited with his fellow “Lone Gunmen” with “Spender”, with “Krycek” and with Frank Spotnitz. He also discusses Legos and his graphic novel as well as future plans to explore Chicago. Then, actress-singer-producer-activist Chase Masterson joins Phil for part 1 of their conversation.

On this week’s episode, Phil discusses the reason behind his sudden trip to the nation’s capital and Dean reveals details of his two forthcoming comedy X-Files conventions. Then, your friends in podcasting episode celebrate the lives of a whole lot of show business folk who have departed in recent weeks: Monkee Peter Tork, tough guy actor Jan-Michael Vincent, Prodigy front-man Keith Flint body-positive model and advocate Elly Mayday, actress Liza Sheridan, Talk Talk lead singer Mark Hollis, “Love Boat” creator Jeraldine Saunders, character actor Morgan Woodward, pioneering transgendered singer Jackie Shane, wrestling legend King Kong Bundy, bluegrass giant Mac Wiseman, former teen heartthrob Luke Perry, and the last great director from Hollywood’s golden era, Stanley Donen.

Dean is back in Detroit, Phil is back in the swing of things and your friends in podcasting connect via Skype to discuss the backlash over the recent Oscars, the death of “Star Trek” on the big screen (after the cancellation of the 4th film in the JJ Abrams “Kelvin” timeline), and the rebirth of Trek on the small screen (with the revelation of the story-line for the forthcoming “Picard” series). There is a “Lawsuit of the Week” involving the long-running series “Bones” and there are a bunch of “Celebrity Deaths”. Among those being celebrated are one of the all-time great comedic actresses, a legendary whistleblower, a World War II hero immortalized in a classic film, and a four-time Oscar-winning composer, arranger, conductor (and father-in-law of Woody Allen!).

The biggest night of the year in Hollywood turns into one of the biggest podcast episodes of the year! Obviously, from the awards to the acceptance speeches, from the snubs to the (lack of a) host, the entire Oscars 2019 is fair game for Dean and Phil to dissect, analyze, critique and poke loving (?) fun at … They also discuss NON-Oscar movies, including a terrible animated sequel and a rather terrific Liam Neeson-starring remake of a Norwegian dark comedy. Plus, they tackle their long-teased conversation about remakes and reboots vs. long-delayed sequels. All that, plus, a boatload of celebrity deaths, including character actors, presidential candidates, and more!

It’s the penultimate episode of the Australian Era of YOUR Chillpak Hollywood Hour and your friends in podcasting are offering something for everyone on this particularly nourishing and personal installment. First Dean Haglund shares a bit about what he will miss about being “Down Under” and regales with descriptions of some of his favorite places in Australia. Then, Phil Leirness shares an email from a loyal listener like you (yes, YOU) about editing techniques, a continuation of a discussion about how editing affects actors’ performances that began on last week’s show. Somehow both fascism and democracy get discussed in the context of film editing! From there, Phil celebrates the 25th Anniversary of “The X-Files” by asking Dean about his favorite episodes and who his favorite character is (other than “Langley”, of course). Dean’s answers might just delight you! Then, Dean and Phil weigh in on how the show’s influence is still being felt on television today in shows as disparate as Vince Gilligan’s “Better Call Saul” and NBC’s sitcom “The Good Place”. The final “Lawsuit of the Week” of the intercontinental era is a re-visitation of Shari Redstone’s efforts to re-merge CBS with Paramount and what the failure to do so means for the companies and for their flagship franchise, “Star Trek”. The show concludes with a fascinating discussion of prolific television writer, producer and show-runner Gregory Berlanti’s hit feature film Love, Simon. The film’s themes are celebrated, and what the film’s style says about the state of, and future of, big-screen storytelling is questioned.

This week, we promise that Dean will NOT spend half the show working on home construction while on the microphone! He will regale us with tales of his final iprov comedy performance in Sydney prior to his move back to the USA. Then, your friends in podcasting discuss “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee”, NBC’s “The Good Place”, Patrick Stewart’s return to “Star Trek”, Q Anon (no, not the villain in “Star Trek: The Next Generation” – at least we think not) before turning their attention to movies. Such releases as Marvel’s Ant-Man and the Wasp the elephant documentary Love & Bananas, the coming-of-age Eighth Grade, the sci-fi mind-bender The Endless, the award hopeful Leave No Trace and the early Denis Villeneuve films Incendies and Enemy all get discussed.

 

This week’s installment of YOUR Chillpak Hollywood Hour comes at you a little bit later than we like, though it’s definitely worth the wait and boasts almost 15% more “hour”! During their intercontinental connection, your friends in podcasting discuss Dean’s trip to Melbourne, where he hosted Melbourne WebFest, an award show honoring the best in web series. Finally, at long last, Dean also talks about his work (as Iago!) on the award-winning web series “Shakespeare Republic”. After that, it’s time for “Celebrity Deaths” where a noted futurist and a music family patriarch are remembered. There is some more feedback on their “Top Ten Comedies of All Time” episodes, Phil asks Dean about the 1930’s comedy team of Wheeler & Woolsey. Then Phil sings the praises of HBO’s “Westworld”, which leads to he and Dean waxing rhapsodic about the brilliance of Jeffrey Wright, before they turn their attention to movies. Kingsman: The Golden CircleOcean’s 8Won’t You Be My NeighborFirst ReformedUpgrade, and Hereditary all get (spoiler free) reviewed and discussed.

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.

 

This week’s show is an interesting one that your friends in podcasting recorded together in Los Angeles. It starts with Dean describing two “Live Events of the Week” – a production of Something Rotten! and the debut Maurice and Paul Marciano Art Foundation exhibit at the Scottish Rite Masonic Center on Wilshire – and Phil describing the truly horrible Office Christmas Party and the terrific The Trip to Spain. The show continues with Dean’s interview of one of the creative souls behind “The X-Files: Deep State” game. Then, Dean and Phil roll up their sleeves to figure out what’s right with “Star Trek: Discovery”, what’s wrong with it, and why viewers seem to hate it so much! All that plus a legendary broadcaster and a peerless singer are remembered in “Celebrity Deaths”. The first episode of YOUR Chillpak Hollywood Hour in 2018, wherever good podcasts can be found!