This week’s installment of YOUR Chillpak Hollywood Hour is part 1 of a 2 part special episode as Suli McCullough and Marc Hershon return to the show to participate in a panel discussion with Dean, moderated by Phil! Dean, is, of course, known the world over for “The X-Files” and “The Lone Gunmen”. In addition to his many and varied pursuits, he is a veteran of the Vancouver Theatre Sports League, is a renowned improv comic, and has toured the world with his one man improv comedy shows. Marc is a teacher of improv comedy, he has run comedy clubs, he is the creator “Succotash”, the now long-running Comedy Soundcast Soundcast, he has reviewed comedy podcasts for both the Huffington Post and Splitsider, he is the writer of a trio of made-for-TV movies, he is the co-author of “I Hate People” (the guide for getting along in the workplace), and he’s the award-winning editorial cartoonist for the Half Moon Bay Review. Suli has been a stand-up comedian for more than 30 years. As an actor, he has appeared in such movies as the popular spoof Don’t Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood and on television in a recurring role on “The Jamie Foxx Show”. He has both written and produced for television, boasting such behind-the-scenes credits as “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno”, ESPN’s “ESPY” Awards, “Lopez Tonight”, the MTV Music Awards, the BET Awards, “Last Comic Standing” and “Def Comedy Jam”. He recently appeared discussing the legacy and influence of Garry Shandling in the Emmy winning documentary, “The Zen Diaries of Garry Shandling” and he produced the documentary feature film about stand-up, Dying Laughing. In part 1, the three men field questions about, and compare notes on, pursuing careers in comedy. They discuss their influences, and reveal when it was that they knew comedy was the life for them!

12 years ago this week, your friends in podcasting were recording their first show in stereo (rather than the two channel mono that was absolutely bonkers) and were discussing Gary Oldman’s sex appeal and The Last Mimzy. A clip from that discussion opens week’s show before Phil provides an update on his recovery from AND preparation for eye surgery, and Dean provides an update on some very interesting live comedy shows he is doing. One is his improv episode of “The X-Files” and you can see it this month in Detroit! Then, the gents move this week’s episode into the Chillpak morgue, where a maverick U.S. Presidential candidate, an all-star pitcher who became a controversial author and a successful actor, one of the greatest character actors of all time, a legend of Italian cinema, and a star of the original “Willy Wonka” all get remembered in “Celebrity Deaths”. A couple more thoughts related to last week’s discussion of what approach will most likely lead to creating great television get shared. Then, Dean and Phil discuss the controversy surrounding the American Cinematheque and the landmark Egyptian Theatre. Finally, they compare notes on Alfred Hitchcock’s fascinating Rope and the recent releases Us from Jordan Poole and Under the Silver Lake from David Robert Mitchell.  

The holidays are rapidly approaching, so it’s only appropriate your friends in podcasting gift you with one of their most heartfelt shows of the year as they welcome special guest Suli McCullough. Suli is an accomplished, talented and hilarious writer, producer, actor and stand-up comic who has written for “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno”, acted in such films as Don’t Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood and is currently producing a documentary about stand-up comedy featuring the biggest names in the business. Suli and Phil grew up together, so in addition to fascinating and irreverent stories of show business adventures, this week’s episode will boast thoughtful and moving discussions about race, art, culture and communication. Even after more than 7 1/2 years of free, weekly podcasty goodness, Dean Haglund and Phil Leirness keep coming up with new and ever-more nourishing helpings of YOUR Chillpak Hollywood Hour!

 

It’s the USA vs. Canada, Thelma vs. Louise, Batman Begins vs. The Dark Knight, the 3-D Avatar vs.the black and white The White Ribbon … Dean and Phil are back from Laughlin, Nevada, where they attended the UFO Congress and interviewed David Sereda and Jordan Maxwell. Along the way, they tried to visit Baghdad and got stopped for felony speeding! All that, plus what harmonic bowls can teach us about the end of the Mayan Calendar, what it means to be over forty and interested in writing for television, and the return of Jay Leno on this free-wheeling installment of YOUR Chillpak Hollywood Hour!