This weekend, Dean and Phil got together in-person on the “American Riviera” for a fascinating discussion inspired by a loyal listener like you (yes, YOU!). The conversation involves the importance of awards not only recognizing and rewarding great work, but also rewarding the great stories surrounding the making of that work! Somehow that inspires Phil to reappraise the entire filmography of James Mason. That great Belgian sleuth, Hercule Poirot, gets more time in the spotlight, as Dean and Phil take a little more time giving both a doff of the cap and a wag of the finger to Kenneth Branagh’s Death on the Nile and Phil, who took the time during the week to unearth the final Peter Ustinov performance as Agatha Christie’s protagonist, has some thoughts about Appointment with Death from the infamous Cannon Film Group. Finally, in a riff on their usual “Celebrity Deaths” section, Dean and Phil discuss three non-celebrity friends who died recently.

It’s a Chillpak Hollywood Hour first! Your friends in podcasting, Dean Haglund and Phil Leirness, have covered filmmaking from many different angles, but they’ve never done a show all about post-production sound. Until now. Garrard Whatley is a sound design genius and runs the boutique post-production sound facility RocketWerks in Santa Monica, CA. RocketWerks is the best friend independent filmmakers could ever have. And Garrard Whatley is one of the most engaging and fun people you could possibly meet. And just in case you think this show won’t be entertaining, Sean Connery drops by at the end to share in the laughs …. This week on YOUR Chillpak Hollywood Hour!

Philip Newby was an incredibly gifted actor-writer-performer, and the first guest Dean and Phil ever welcomed to Chillpak Hollywood Hour (27 August 2007, episode #17, back when we were still “From the Heart of Hollywood”). Philip killed himself this past week. Phil and Dean share memories of their friend and try to put this deeply felt loss into some sort of perspective.

Always grateful for the feedback from their listeners, Dean and Phil share some thoughts about their film Spectres sent to them by loyal listener Erynn and answer a couple of filmmaking-related questions and The Sicilian. Finally, Dean and Phil go over the Academy Award nominations with a fine-tooth comb.