Salt Lake Dirt

Today I welcome bandleader and composer Skip Heller to the show. We talk about his new album Dark Passages by the Hollywood Film Noirchestra ( Killer Kern Records ) and how the project came into existence. We also chat about Louis Armstrong, Jerry Stahl, and his love for classic film. I had a blast talking to Skip. I was scrambling to write down his recommendations and interests! He is like the co...

Today I welcome Joseph Fasano to the show. His latest novel The Swallows of Lunetto came out on Maudlin House this past November. It’s the story of a young couple's escape from Italian fascism at the end of the Second World War. An incredible book and beautifully written! If you have a book club this is a novel that I think would spark some fascinating conversations. If you go to the Maudlin House...

Abbey George (director/producer) and Maddie Lucas (producer/actress) join me to talk about their short film Jesus Would Have Loved Punk Rock which will have its world premiere at the 2023 Mammoth Film Festival (March 2-6, 2023). I stumbled upon the film's poster somewhere online and it completely grabbed my attention. I absolutely fell in love with it once I had the chance to see it. Sign up for t...

D.T. Robbins joins me to talk about his new collection of short stories Birds Aren't Real . Absurdist, funny, dark... everything I love in a book.  Use PROMO Code: saltlake to get 10% off your purchase of Birds Aren't Real on the Maudlin House website . --- Book Synopsis: "Meeting minutes from a Satanic cult. Werewolves with orgasmic origins.  Homemade puzzles made from human body parts....

Stephen Jay Schwartz returns to Salt Lake Dirt for our 100th episode. Stephen was actually our guest back on episode one so I'm thrilled he could return for this special episode. I asked Stephen back in 2020 to be on the show because I’m a huge fan of his work. I love his novels Boulevard and Beat (Hayden Glass LAPD detective series). His nonfiction collection Hollywood vs the Author is not to be...

Rounding out our coverage for the 2023 Berlin International Film Festival is the film Sweet As . Filmmaker Jub Clerc talked with me about the making of the film and its close autobiographical ties. Wonderful performances from an incredible, young cast! Check it out. Thanks for listening! Kyler @saltlakedirt --- SYNOPSIS : Sweet As (Australia, 2022) "Everyone and everything is a story, but what abo...

Today I speak with filmmaker Zhi Wei Jow . His new film Tomorrow is a Long Time has been playing at the 2023 Berlin International Film Festival this past week. I really enjoyed the film. It is visually stunning and hits on some heavy themes including family and survival. Plus, there is a great Bob Dylan Easter Egg! Check it out! Thanks for listening! Kyler @saltlakedirt --- SYNOPSIS : Tomorrow is...

Today I welcome filmmaker and novelist Sonja Heiss to the show. Her new film When Will it be Again Like it Never Was Before has been playing at the 2023 Berlin International Film Festival [Berlinale] . I absolutely loved the film! It's one of the best movies I've seen in awhile (film festival or otherwise) - set your Google alerts!  Thanks for listening! Kyler @saltlakedirt ---  FILM SYN...

Today on the show I welcome two incredible writers and artists. They go by the monikers Fortunus Games and Tete DePunk . Fortunus Games is the host of the podcast The Nuts and Bolts of Writing and is the creator of the graphic novels Sam in New York and The Book of Joel . Both are all available for free online. Tete DePunk is a writer who has an epic novel in the works called 70 Fierce Years . The...

Today I welcome actor, filmmaker, playwright, and novelist Tim Blake Nelson to the show. Tim is one of the great character actors of our time. Like a lot of people, I first became aware of him in the Coen Bros film O Brother Where Art Thou . Tim’s novel is called City of Blows and it just came out on Unnamed Press . It didn’t click with me that Tim was actually the writer of this incredible book u...

J.D. O'Brien is on the show today. His debut novel Zig Zag comes out 2/7/23 on Schaffner Press.  I absolutely loved Zig Zag. It's high on my recommendation list this year. A big thanks to Duncan Birmingham for making me aware of it. Thanks for listening! Kyler -- Synopsis for Zig Zag: Capri Dall has a foolproof plan to knock over the marijuana dispensary where she works. But when her boyfriend bot...

Today I’m very excited to welcome a guest I’ve been wanting to have on the show for awhile now. Arthur Dark is a filmmaker and the host of Hollywood Graveyard. If you haven’t come across his YouTube channel, check it out. If you are a fan of my show, chances are Arthur’s films and videos will interest you. Arthur Dark created Hollywood Graveyard as a way to keep the memory of the world's greatest...

We are continuing our 2023 Slamdance coverage with a hilarious episodic film. Who's Annie? creator/director Sophia Peer and co-writer Annie Sicherman join me to talk about the film. I highly recommend you keep an eye out for this one, I know I will. Screenings: Sunday Jan 22 at 9:45pm (Episodes) Thursday Jan. 26 at 11:30am (Episodes) -- LOGLINE:   After jail-time, 12-step programs and five ma...

Today on the show I welcome writer, director and puppeteer Emily Morus-Jones . Her short film Diomysus is playing at the 2023 Slamdance Film Festival . I absolutely loved this film. I've never seen anything like it! There will be two screenings of Diomysus at the festival. Friday the 20th of January between 3pm and Monday the 23rd at 3pm. If you are not able to get to Park City you can find Diomys...

Today I welcome filmmaker Brendan Geraghty to the show. His documentary film Motel Drive is playing at the 2023 Slamdance Film Festival and will premiere at the Treasure Mountain Inn Sunday Jan 22 at 1:15PM. A Second Screening will take place Thursday Jan 26th, 2:45 PM. Motel Drive is one of my top picks this year from both Slamdance and Sundance - I encourage you to check it out. If you are not a...

Today I welcome filmmaker Peter Kimball to the show. Peter’s short film Millstone will be playing at the 2023 Slamdance Film Festival. Millstone is made with an entirely deaf cast and is shot completely in American Sign Language. One of the most interesting things about it is that the story has absolutely nothing to do with deafness. The film plays as part of the Slamdance Unstoppable . Wed, Jan 2...

2023 SLAMDANCE FILM FESTIVAL Today I welcome filmmaker Cameron S. Mitchell to the show. Cameron’s documentary short film Elsa will be playing at the 2023 Slamdance Film Festival . Elsa is about a deafblind fencer and author. It's an incredible film. I did an interview with Cameron a couple of years ago when his film The Co-Op played Slamdance 2021. The Co-Op was one of my favorite shorts from that...

Today I welcome filmmaker Jillian Corsie to the show. Jillian’s short film Tooth will be playing at the 2023 Slamdance Film Festival . I loved this film even though it gave me nightmares after I watched it. It’s amazing. I even hear there will be human sized teeth walking up and down Main Street in Park City letting people know about the film. Forget the celebrities, come up to Park City to see th...

Today on the show I talk to the filmmakers behind the incredible documentary The Mad Writer . We have director Zachary Kashkett, producer Jon Webb, and the man himself L’Orange . The film is having its world premiere at Slamdance 2023 on January 20th at 2:45 pm . The documentary follows the musician L’Orange as he deals with a health condition that jeopardizes his hearing. I love when I find docum...

Today I welcome filmmaker and author Todd Hughes. His new book Lunch with Lizabeth chronicles his friendship with noir movie icon Lizabeth Scott. I loved the book and had a great time talking with Todd. As of this writing there are still signed copies of the book over at Larry Edmunds Bookshop . Check it out and thanks for listening! Kyler --- SIGNED Copies of Lunch with Lizabeth [at Larry Edmunds...

Today I welcome Hollywood legend Nancy Olson Livingston to the show. Nancy is probably best known for her role as Betty Schaefer in Billy Wilder's 1950 classic Sunset Boulevard . I was thrilled to speak with Nancy about her new memoir A Front Row Seat: An Intimate Look at Broadway, Hollywood, and the Age of Glamour . Thanks for listening! Kyler  ---  PURCHASE: A Front Row Seat SIGNED COP...

Today on Salt Lake Dirt I welcome back Bruce Wagner. If you listened to our last episode with Bruce you know that he is one of my favorite authors. He was kind enough to return to talk about his latest novel ROAR: American Master, The Oral Biography of Roger Orr. ROAR recently came out on Arcade Publishing and it's the kind of book that I didn't want to end - it is simply that good. I highly recom...

Today on Salt Lake Dirt I welcome one of my favorite non-fiction writers. Sam Quinones joins me to talk about his latest book The Least of Us: True Tales of America and Hope in the Time of Fentanyl and Meth (out now in paperback). I became a fan of Sam's work after reading Dreamland: The True Tale of America's Opiate Epidemic . His writing is powerful and informative. Check it out. Great conversat...

On this episode of Salt Lake Dirt I talk with the filmmaker Doron Drew Feldman . His new short film Pivot Pals will have its world premiere at Dances with Films in New York City (Sunday December 4, 2023 - Shorts Block #6 at 1:15pm ET).  Doron has many projects in the works including a tv series adaptation of New York Times best-selling author Yossi Klein HaLevi’s book Like Dreamers. He is als...

Today on Salt Lake Dirt I welcome writer Daniel Paisner. We had a great time talking about his new novel Balloon Dog, his career as a ghostwriter, and his part-time residence in Park City, Utah. Great book, great chat! Thanks for listening! Kyler --- For more on Daniel's work: www.danielpaisner.com As Told To: The Ghostwriting Podcast FB: @danielpaisnerbooks Twitter: @DanielPaisner --- Listen to S...