This week’s show begins with “What We’re Reading” and continues by asking such big questions as: Is the John Wick franchise the best action franchise ever? Is “Andor” the best iteration of Star Wars ever? Is “Severance” one of the best television series ever? Was there anything memorable from last week’s Oscar telecast? Are the prosecutors in the Alec Baldwin Rust shooting case arriving to work each day in a clown car? Was comic strip “Dilbert” a victim of cancel culture? Are the edited versions of the James Bond novels coming out an effort to get ahead of cancel culture or a shameless money grab? Both? Is Peacock’s “Poker Face” Rian Johnson’s remake of “Columbo” or “The Fugitive”? Or both? All that gets discussed and three popular actors get remembered in “Celebrity Deaths”.

Last week, Dean and Phil discussed the ten films nominated for the Best Picture Oscar, the ten films released in 2022 that earned the most revenue at the domestic U.S. box office, and the ten (or twelve) or so films the critics have come to consensus on as the best of the year. This week, it’s Dean and Phil’s turn! They will revel their Top Tens, as they count down what might be the films they consider the best, the most groundbreaking, the most important, or just their favorites of the year. 

This week’s show begins with Phil trying to surprise Dean with details of a very famous person who lived in what is now Dean’s hometown of Birmingham, Michigan, and then, Phil tries to stump Dean with a vintage movie ad (from 55 years ago!). Then, because they have been falling behind in discussing “Celebrity Deaths”, Dean and Phil will open the Chillpak morgue to discuss the huge amount of notables who shuffled off their mortal coils in the past week! In part 2, Dean and Phil discuss Ingmar Bergman’s Persona, the latest awards season news (including the SAG, DGA and Producers Guild nominations), and then they conclude with reviews of several films including The Kitchen Brigade, After Yang, Crimes of the Future and Bones and All.

Recorded late last week from a certain “historic building in downtown Los Angeles”, this episode begins with Phil doffing his cap about what Dean got right in discussing Sarah Polley’s Women Talking a few weeks back AND wagging his finger at what Dean got wrong while discussing Netflix’s “Wednesday” this past week. Phil then hails Joel de la Fuente (of “Man in the High Castle” and most recently “The Mysterious Benedict Society”) as his favorite actor. At that point, Dean and Phil switch gears for a show ten years in the making, analyzing the just-released, decennial Sight and Sound poll of all-time greatest films! What Dean and Phil were expecting and what surprised them leads to what promises to be an ongoing conversation about re-contextualization and the importance of learning how works of art resonate with different groups and different cultures.

Help your friends in podcasting celebrate 14 years of changing the way people listen to the internet! On this week’s show, Dean and Phil look back to the origins of the show, they discuss the recent increase in UFO sightings, the lack of show business news, Red Vines (!), getting body parts and physical features insured, and they remember a whole bunch of entertainment notables in “Celebrity Deaths”. They also enjoy another really fun round of their vintage movie ad games!

The first half of this week’s show is all about the art and craft and future of podcasting! Storyteller Dave Pickering joins us from his home in Lancaster in the north of England to talk about his brilliant podcasts (“Getting Better Acquainted”, “Down to a Sunless Sea”, “The Family Tree” and more), about college lectures he gives about podcasting, about where he sees the art form at present, and what he thinks the future might hold. Actress Lily Holleman drops by in the second half of the show to reveal her Screen Actors Guild Awards ballot and to discuss what she looks for in performances. A whole bunch of great movies and performers get discussed. Great podcasts and great movies – truly two of our favorite things!

This week’s show picks up where last week’s left off, with Dean and Phil discussing their favorite Canadian films of all time, including a title by one of the most brilliant filmmakers working today. Then, your friends in podcasting celebrate the life and career of another towering filmmaker in “Celebrity Deaths” before focusing on three noted writers, which in turn, inspires the return of “What We’re Reading”.

One of the things Dean Haglund and Phil Leirness mean when they call it YOUR Chillpak Hollywood Hour is that they enjoy discussing the things you want them to talk about! This week’s show is a perfect example, as they share four messages they have received from listeners like you (yes, YOU!) on topics ranging from influential comedians, to a famous London cat, to a music show on Sky TV! They will also follow up on last week’s discussion about the greatest year for movies by discussing the greatest Canadian films of all time! Of course, you can come for the comedy, the camaraderie and the classic cinema, but you’ll stay for the “Celebrity Deaths”. This week, a country rock legend, and one of the greatest all-time film composers get remembered, and a member of the Chillpak family who died way too young will get celebrated as well. All that, plus Dean’s trip to D.C., thoughts on the USA’s relationship with death, and the comedy audio pilot “SleeveTalkers” (which you can enjoy at https://succotash.libsyn.com/succotash-shut-in-epi209-special-presentation-sleevetalkers-pilot) get discussed.

What other show covers such a wide range of topics as Doberman puppies, road trips, swimming with dolphins, “Cancel Culture”, movie theater mask-wearing, data mining, internet “cookies”, iconic World War II singers, legendary actors, surrealist cinema, silent movies, the language of dreams, stage fright, and does so in less than an hour?! It’s what longtime listeners have come to expect from YOUR Chillpak Hollywood Hour!

Lily Holleman joins Dean Haglund and Phil Leirness for 80 minutes (plus!) of wedding talk, wine, Time’s Up, the 4 Percent Challenge, BAFTA Awards and a no-holds-barred, highly competitive round of “Celebrity Deaths”!