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Send us Fan Mail Ariel sits down with Bahraini filmmaker Amna al Hawaj, a woman on a mission to create change through popular cinema. She has worked on productions as varied as Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen to the Cannes Grand Prix-nominated Dègradé. She shares her industry insights as well as the view from her window on the world. She clearly articulates the best argument we've ever he...

Send us Fan Mail Ariel and Zoya discuss two legendary women who died a week apart - Dame Diana Rigg and Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, both of whom could be called feminist icons, but neither of whom fully embraced the title when advocating for pay equity or gender equality. Dame Diana tackled gender stereotypes in her roles from Emma Peel in The Avengers to Lady Olenna on Game of Thrones, while the...

Send us Fan Mail Ariel sits down with Australian film scholar Alison Taylor, author of Troubled Everyday: Aesthetics and the Everyday in European Art Cinema, to discuss the abstract and immersive experience that is Zulawski's Possession (1981). The discussion ranges from Communist ideology to feminist reflections on the film and Isabelle Adjani's powerhouse of a performance. Support the...

Send us Fan Mail For the 25th episode, a tribute to the BBC's enduring radio show, Just a Minute, and its host, Nicholas Parsons. Ariel is joined by Kieran Cowan to discuss the enduring appeal of the show, and guests Dan, Megan, and Miriam stop by to play a tribute round of the game with Kieran as host. It's an episode of silliness and froth about a game that means so much to so many aro...

Send us Fan Mail Ariel and Monica talk all things AnteBellum, the film dubbed by many critics to be "the worst film of 2020." They discuss what the critics got wrong, what the film has to say about the status quo, and why people should be watching this film, and engaging with it.  Warning: Spoilers aplenty are ahead! Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Ariel, Kim, Maggie, and Amy gather to discuss the various adaptations of Pride and Prejudice, faithful, fanciful, and modernized. They discuss why the work is so enduring and so endlessly translatable to different contexts, and go in depth into favorite characters and what each adaptation reveals about their psychology. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Danielle, Irina and Ariel share their origin stories for the final part in our CRIP CAMP series. This series would be incomplete without a sense of the deeply personal experiences that have informed the perspectives shared on disability rights and activism.  Warning: Explicit language throughout, references to medical trauma and assault, and frank discussion of sexuality. Support...

Send us Fan Mail Ariel is joined by Kern Wheeling, of Cinema Etc., to discuss Antonio Campos' adaptation of Donald Ray Pollock's The Devil All the Time, a film now available on Netflix, starring Tom Holland and Robert Pattinson. Additionally, they discuss favorite films of 2020 so far, the landscape of moviegoing, and all the feelings. WARNING: The discussion includes heavy spoilers for...

Send us Fan Mail In part 2 of the critical conversation series structured around the film Crip Camp, Ariel is joined again by disability activists Danielle Dass and Dr. Irina Greenman to discuss issues affecting the disability community. The conversation begins with a frank discussion of special education. Warning: Contains explicit language. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Ariel, Kristina, and Rob dish over a shared passion for the HBO horror-drama Lovecraft Country, and its accompanying podcast. We discuss the impact of the show's writing on our understanding of black culture, and how it challenges assumptions in meaningful ways. We talk though the monsters, the performances, and our crazy theories for what happens next. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Ariel is joined by disability activists Danielle and Irina to discuss the Netflix documentary Crip Camp, and the way it portrays the stories of people with disabilities, questions of disability rights, and disability activism. This episode is part of an ongoing series of critical conversations with disability advocates responding to themes presented in the film. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Writer/Director Jai Jamison is currently one of the writers on the new CW series, Superman and Lois, but is also responsible for the profound and affecting short film Slave Cry, set in Richmond, VA against the backdrop of the Confederate Monuments. The conversation ranges from a deep love of Richmond, to Black representation in the arts, to the messaging of the monuments, and thei...

Send us Fan Mail Ariel, Alex, and Brian discuss N.K. Jemisin's The City We Became, a book that features characters embodying each of the boroughs of the city of New York. We discuss the characterization of New York City, and what the book has to say about diversity and inclusion, while also getting into the nuts and bolts of the good/bad binary of racism. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Ariel, Alex, and Dan discuss the horror-action superhero flick Blade in all its glory, from Wesley Snipes' amazing stunts, some of the backstory behind production, to the movie's influence on vampire lore in TV and film. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Ariel sits down with Zack Quaintance, the brains behind the popular comics review site, Comics Bookcase, as well as an up and coming writer in the comic book world. They discuss his upcoming original graphic novel Next Door, neighborly behavior in the midst of the pandemic, and plans for future projects as both a writer and contributor to comic book analysis and discussion on his...

Send us Fan Mail Ariel, Alex, and Rashida sit down to talk about the book Kindred, a 20th century slave narrative about a woman who is transported back in time to the slave plantation of her ancestors. They discuss the book and the author, the MacArthur Fellow and science fiction legend, Octavia Butler, and the importance of the hard work of confronting history. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Ariel talks with science nerds Ellen and Maria about Amazon's science fiction series, Tales from the Loop, a ten-episode series, set in a retrofuturistic landscape. Our trio talks about the unique design of the show, the perfection of the circle/sphere, conspiracy theories, and how it all really ties back to Minecraft.  Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Ariel, Kim, and Heather talk about the new film Miss Juneteenth (on virtual streaming now), a directorial debut from Channing Godfrey Peoples celebrating the relationship between mothers and daughters, the attempt to live out deferred dreams through the next generation, and the power of having something that is your own. Our discussion ranges from the marginalization of and within...

Send us Fan Mail Ariel, Megan, and Dan break down their shared love for Sondheim's A Little Night Music (1973). They examine the classic show lyrically, musically, dramatically, and thematically, while comparing it to the source material, Ingmar Bergman's film, Smiles of a Summer Night (1955). Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Ariel sits down with cinematographer Kuni Ohi to talk about his work in the film industry, both in times of strong creative collaboration and now, in the time of COVID. As one of few filmmakers currently working, he shares his experiences from the field, in-depth discussion of the creative process, and his hopes for the future, discussing the movement to include more people of col...

Send us Fan Mail A continued look at the music of MC PHZ-SICKS, and a conversation about his love of wrestling, Black trauma, and the media's role in the protests and violence against Black bodies. Features the songs Brim Low, DX/NWO, and Riot in My Memory. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Our first segment in a new series, Movers and Shakers, where we interview creators who make a difference in the world about their work. We talk with MC PHZ-SICKS about his music and the progression of his work in the hip-hop genre. This conversation ranges from the influences that have shaped him, to his quest to tackle misogyny in his work, to the processing of black trauma.  War...

Send us Fan Mail Ariel, Bryan, and Kris close out Horror Week by chatting about Jordan Peele's masterwork of horror, Us, both in its original crafting and through the lens of this moment. Warning: Explicit language and spoilers for the film are included in this episode. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Ariel, Kim, and Dan dish about Tales from the Hood, discussing the relevance of the film to the current conversation about police brutality, issues with the ways Black people are portrayed in the media, and the use of coded racist language in politics. WARNING: Contains explicit language and spoilers for the film. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Horror Week! Ariel, Sean, and Alex discuss Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror and bring you an overview of the horror tropes, while discussing the power of representation, and the movies and roles that have mattered most to us. Please note: This conversation does contain spoilers for many horror films, but we feel these are essential to the conversation. Support th...