Phil is back from his continental adventures and he and Dean actually got together in person on the mean-streets (and rooftops) of Los Feliz to have lunch and record this week’s show! Hear all about Dean’s epic improv performance in San Jose, Popeye Village in Malta, the Blue Lagoon in Comino, jellyfish stings, the movies Showing Up and Five Nights at Freddy’s, and learn why Dean and Phil think the recently negotiated SAG-Aftra contract might not get ratified by the actors and what they think will happen if it doesn’t. All in all, it’s a truly hilarious, free-wheeling, globe-trotting installment of YOUR Chillpak Hollywood Hour!

Dean (in Detroit) and Phil (in Los Angeles) celebrate the lives of three amazing women: Performer-turned-novelist Echo Brown, Pilot-turned-architect Beverly Willis, and Detroit’s very own screen legend Piper Laurie. The latest implosion in the negotiations between the actors and the studios gets discussed, analyzed, and what it means for TV and Film production gets predicted. Where television is concerned, your friends in podcasting and broadcasting offer up thoughts on the recent social media furor surrounding Martin Short, and the merits of “Only Murders in the Building” season 3, “Reservation Dogs” season 3, and “Our Flag Means Death” season 2. Where movies are concerned, Dean checks in with a review of The Creator, while Phil weighs in on William Friedkin’s final film and Wes Anderson’s brand new Roald Dahl adaptations for Netflix.

The riddle: What show covers the best film of 2023 (thus far), one of the best films of the 21st century (a movie from Hungary), the 11th greatest film of all time (according to the Sight and Sound poll), AND one of the worst films of all time (a musical version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde), in addition to drag shows in Florida, the charms of Santa Catalina Island, the Japanese American National Museum, Dobie Doodle puppies, and several fascinating (quasi) “Celebrity Deaths”?

The answer: Why, this show, of course!

We hope you enjoyed last week’s special episode celebrating the cinematic legacies of two of Hollywood’s greatest actor/producers – Kirk Douglas and Burt Lancaster. This week is part 2 of that conversation, and covers the years 1960-1990. Some great movies, some horrible but (unintentionally) hilarious movies, and some fascinating stories of acting and filmmaking will get discussed.

This week, year 17 gets underway in style with the first part of a special two-part theme show where Dean and Phil discuss the cinematic legacies of two of the biggest stars of all time: Kirk Douglas and Burt Lancaster. This episode focuses on these famous actor-producers’ careers though the year 1960. And it also involves discussions of many other notable screen artists, from filmmakers like Billy Wilder, to performers like Barbara Stanwyck. So keep those chosen “watchlists” and/or “queues” handy as you will doubtless learn about a title or two (or a dozen) of movies you will want to enjoy or re-visit!

After a brief cold open about Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas, Dean and Phil switch gears from the Holiday Season to “Awards Season” as they tackle a handful of this year’s award hopefuls, including Tár, Don’t Worry Darling, The Menu, Cate Blanchett and Ralph Fiennes. There is a brand new “Lawsuit of the Week” AGAIN involving the tragic Alec Baldwin-starring western Rust. An email from a loyal listener like you (yes, YOU!) about a celebrity death will be followed by … “Celebrity Deaths”! A versatile actor, a comedy impresario, and a legendary prop comic have their lives and legacies celebrated. All that, PLUS Phil shares a hilarious account of a recent 50th high school reunion.

Dean is back from the UK and reports on his travels. Phil has been availing himself of classic movies and has thoughts on an indie gem from the 1980s, a mind-bending oddity from Joseph Losey, and a 1960 epic about the founding of Israel. The episodic series “Space Force”, “Barry” season 3, “Our Flag Means Death”, “Hacks” season 2, “The Book of Boba Fett”, “Obi-Wan Kenobi” and season 2 of “The Mandalorian” get discussed. Four giants of the music industry and 3 beloved character actors get remembered in “Celebrity Deaths”. Finally, Dean and Phil explain why Tom Cruise was probably the perfect person to produce and star in a brilliant sequel 36 years after the original, and Phil shares some inspiring words relating to Asian American Pacific Islander Heritage Month.

If you have listened to our last few episodes, you know that conversation has really started to focus on great movies, great directors AND on silent film being appreciated as its own art form. On this week’s show, Dean and Phil really drill down into each of these topics by focusing on the careers, artistry and legacies of two formative giants of the motion picture industry: Mack Sennett and Charlie Chaplin. Even if you don’t like silent movies or know much about them, trust us, this episode is a blast!

After two weeks of special “theme” shows, your friends in podcasting return to what they do best this week: Making sense of a world gone wild! From absurdities to atrocities, from freedom of speech to bad behavior, from consciousness to conspiracy theories, Dean and Phil will offer up a hearty and healthy helping of insight, irreverence and inspiration. Then, in “Celebrity Deaths”, they will remember a prolific movie director, a British Invasion star, a World War II hero, the last Civil War widow, a “Charlie’s Angel”, a castaway on “Gilligan’s Island”, a break-dancing superstar, a controversial educator immortalized on film, a pioneer of Space Age style design, and the father of fiber optics. Finally, Dean and Phil celebrate one of the best miniseries of all time before celebrating that at long last, English-speaking viewers outside the USA can enjoy their disturbing, dark comedy feature film The Lady Killers! 

 

In some ways this week’s episode is a continuation of last week’s show, with more hilarious, puzzling, controversial or just plain delightful movie ads from the 80’s or 90’s, and an email from a loyal listener like you (yes, YOU!) following up on last week’s remembrance of David Lander and his death from Multiple Sclerosis. There is also another email that contains a job offer for Dean, who will update us on his ice cream making and on his graphic novel. Phil wants to discuss caramel, Captain Morgan’s spiced rum and an apparently controversial Uber Eats advertising campaign. Two new documentaries available on Showtime, must viewing for those interested in comedy, movies, music and culture, will get discussed. The controversial decision by Warner Brothers to release their entire 2021 theatrical slate directly to HBO Max will get analyzed. Two indelible actors, a giant of espionage and of spy fiction, a Country Music Hall of Fame inductee, and one legendary, military maverick get remembered in “Celebrity Deaths”.