Muhf***as I Know

This week on the Crizzlecast, I'll be talking to a couple of independent ladies whose intelligence, savvy and beauty can leave a brotha all flummoxed! First up is Asya Shein, the head of the Fusicology marketing and promotion empire. This convo was recorded right before she took off for SXSW in Austin, and given that she was doing three to four things while I was talking to her, she did manage to speak on her early days promoting raves in Toronto, finding her way into the States to promote shows and artists and her thoughts on popular music today. By the way, Shein has very captivating hair. I had to ask what she used for it near the end.

For our final Dan Week guest on the Crizzlecast, I speak with Danny Baldwin -- no, not the actor. Baldwin is a San Diego film critic, best known for his work in Bucket Reviews and, now, Critic Speak. We actually begin talking about other critics, specifically Armond White and previous Crizzlecast guest Victor J. Morton. Eventually, we get into Baldwin's life as a film critic as well as how much of a pain it is watching a decently-projected movie in San Diego. We eventually talk about Daniel Baldwin, and how people get disappointed when they find out Danny's not him. Yeah, I don't understand it either! 

It wasn't until last night that I realized I recently interviewed two men named Dan. So, screw it -- let's have Dan Week on the Crizzlecast! First up is Dan Sallitt, a former film critic, film blogger, film lister and, more importantly, filmmaker. We discuss how he went from reviewing movies to making them. And we also delve into the making of his latest film, The Unspeakable Act, which I like to call the saddest, least creepiest movie about incest you'll ever see.  Basically, if you want to hear expert indie-filmmaking advice from a bona-fide indie filmmaker, I suggest you give this episode a listen.

You wouldn't know it from looking at the photo, but this white boy knows a lot about R & B. Today on the Crizzlecast, I speak to one of my colleagues in the Triangle film-critic circle, Neil Morris (aka the Marquee Marquis). Along with talking about his career in film criticism, we discuss his love for '80s R & B as well as action heroes from that same decade. This sets off a weird-ass debate we have about how the movie stars of today ain't got nothing on Stallone and Schwarzenegger.  By the way, somewhere in the beginning, he makes a crack about giving his age. Before our conversation, I mentioned how some of my previous guests didn't want to disclose their age on the podcast. Don't worry -- I didn't rat anyone out. I just bring that up so past guests won't get pissed and call me up. 

Believe it or not, today's Crizzlecast also doubles as a therapy session for me. I speak with Andrew Johnson, who's not a therapist, but a film blogger and fellow podcast host. I talk to him about growing up in Central and South America, going to college in North Carolina and his days reviewing movies for the college paper. Later on in the episode, Johnson talks about how he used to catch me at movie screenings all sullen and what not. I proceed to tell him there was a reason for that -- and that's when all the deep. dark stuff comes out. Let's just say if you've ever wanted to find out what makes me unbelievably uncomfortable, you need to listen to this ep.

You know when I begin a Crizzlecast singing the Gap Band's "Yearning for Your Love," you know it's gonna be a good episode. And that's exactly what I did when I spoke to today's guest, Monica Castillo. Another film critic from the Boston area, I talk to the lovely and vivacious Castillo about growing up seeing movies in Florida, her eventual move over to reviewing movies in Beantown and how she aided in launching the Boston Online Film Critics Association. We also get into her side hustle as -- a ballroom dance instructor! By the way, she also co-hosts this podcast that I've been on a couple of times. On Tuesday, I'll talk to the other host of that show.

Sometimes, it's hard as hell being a film critic. Just ask today's Crizzlecast guest, Brett Michel. The first film critic from Boston I'll be speaking to this week, Brett and I chop it up about the exhausting ups and downs a freelance critic (especially one from Boston, where attending a movie screening can sometimes be a painful experience) has to go through. Of course, we also get into why he became a film critic in the first place and how serious he takes seeing a movie properly on the big screen. I jokingly said near the end that this episode should be dubbed "Tears of a Critic." Listen to today's episode and see if I'm not far off. 

I'm just gonna say this: I'm was pretty much in a dark place when I interviewed New Jersey artist Jim McHugh for today's Crizzlecast. Another freelance illustrator I've worked with, I managed to plow through with the convo even though I was feeling quite despondent and the whole thing was flanked with technical difficulties. Nevertheless, I did get to know more about Jim and his career as an illustrator for hire. We also get into his influences, his side hustles (one has something to do with Star Wars) and how he feels living in Chris Christie country. Since this talk, I feel slightly better. But I should refrain from interviewing people when I have dark days.

This week on the Crizzlecast, I'll be talking to two illustrators I've worked very closely with over the years. The first one out the box is Baltimore artist Alex Fine. He's a well-known freelancer whose work has been seen in countless publications. We talk about how he's gotten his work in those publications as well as his influences. We also talk about certain celebs he's illustrated that screwed him over. (Yeah, you definitely wanna listen to that!) And near the end, I bring up 2 Broke Girls, which sends my boy off on a rant that definitely has to be heard to be believed. Hey, the man's an artist -- homeboy's got standards!

We close out Muriel Awards Week (I recently wrote a piece over at the official blog) here with a convo with Muriels voter Philip Tatler IV. We talk a lot about old and new movies, especially movies that Tatler, a Tennessee-based, reality-show film editor and cinephile, feels has some remarkable editing. We also discuss the sort of reality shows he has no choice but to edit. We close it out with Tatler and I sifting through Film Comment's Top 50 of last year and seeing which films we thought were Muriels-worthy. By the way, for all those Best Show on WFMU fans, we also talk about unfortunate-yet-sidesplitting moment when I called into the show and got "Bad Companyed" by none other than Tom Scharpling. 

Every year, there is this thing that goes on in the online film-critic community known as the Muriel Awards. (This year's winners are being announced over here.) One of the guys who started this loose and wacky alternative to the Oscars (which I've been a voting member of for several years) is Paui Clark, aka today's Crizzlecast guest. Of course, we discuss how the Muriels came to be, but we also discuss Clark's love of movies and his unorthodox method of rating them. We also delve into how life is treating him now that he's a stepdad and family man. We also learn that movies are likes is referred to as "Paul movies" by his family. Man, that's messed up.

Oh yes -- it's another Crizzlecast where I talk to one of my old spoken-word colleagues from H-Town. Today, I talk to Marie Brown, perhaps one of the most dramatic spoken-word artists I know. We discuss our history as H-Town poets, as well as the poetry scene in Houston, of course. We also get into how Marie found the inspirations for her most powerful poems. She also discusses how one poem I used to do reminds her of this heifer that she works for. Check it!

Since Valentine's Day is coming up, I thought it would be nice if I talked to a couple of lovebirds for a pre-VD show. I found the perfect couple. On today's Crizzlecast, I talk to Amber Nimocks (one of my former editors at the N & O) and her husband, Josh Shaffer (a star columnist over at the N & O). We talk about what has made their marriage persevere for so damn long. We also bring up their careers in journalism, and the head-butting me and Amber used to get into back when we worked together. So, why don't you curl up with that special someone, pop open a bottle of Riunite and listen to me talk to a married couple for an hour or so. Happy Valentine's Day, gotdammit!

William Holden, Tommy Lee Jones, Gerard Butler, Sir Ben Kingsley, Al Pacino -- what do these men all have in common (apart from being movie stars, of course)? They were all interviewed by today's guest on the Crizzlecast, Lewis Beale. Over a few drinks, I talk to the veteran entertainment journalist about all the good and bad experiences he's had chopping it up with celebrities. We also talk about how he still continues to talk to the stars, as well as persevere as a freelance journalist, while living in North Carolina. 

So, this happened. Somehow, someway, I got film and TV actress (and object of many men's desires) Adrienne Barbeau to be a guest on the Crizzlecast. (Yeah, it baffles me too.) We go through all the bullet points of her career: her time as a Broadway stage actress, her time on the sitcom Maude, her period where she was married to John Carpenter and she was his on-screen muse. We also talk about her life as a mom and her new career as a novelist.  And, for those of you who follow me on Twitter, yes, we do get into that night where I drunkenly tried to make Adrienne Barbeau a hashtag.

Today, Kenji Week on Muhf***as I Know comes to a close with this convo I had with film writer Kenji Fujishima. An avid arts and culture junkie, I talk to him about Lena Dunham (which seems to be a constant topic on this podcast), his days growing up in New Jersey, his job at the Wall Street Journal and his new gig as editor-in-chief for In Review Online. We also seem to bond over two things only film nerds can bond over: Werner Herzog and the movie Spaceballs. Don't ask me how we got to that point. Just be glad I got it all for your listening pleasure. 

It's Kenji Week here at Muhf***as I Know, where basically I talk to muhf***as I know named Kenji. The first Kenji up is Kenji Jasper, an accomplished author whose books I've sadly have not read. We talk about how that's a common thing, as well as the current state of book publishing. We also talk about his days writing for Vibe, getting to be the first guy to put groups like OutKast on the map. He also mentions that he's thinking about getting in brunch-making business. Didn't know that was a business, but that's something we get into a taste. (Get it?)

Here's another lovely Crizzlecast that actually left me floating on a cloud.  I go back to my Houston hometown to talk to an old friend, Jeffrey Thames, better known as "the king of grief." A pop music connoisseur, he hosts the Sound Awake program over at KPFT. Of course, we talk about music -- specifically pop music, the Beach Boys, his old days playing in a stage band, his love of karaoke and the spots in H-Town where he bought records in his younger days.  Believe it or not, I also try to convince him that there is still decent, contemporary music out there. And, somehow, some way, we start talking about tranny hookers. But, basically, it's just two music nerds shooting the shit. Go nuts!

For today's Crizzlecast, I went to a friend's house to talk to the guests for this particular episode, Indy Week staff writers Vernal Coleman and Will Huntsberry. As we all gathered around a table, drinking Maxwell House vanilla caramel international coffee with some Evan Williams bourbon in it, we pretty much lost our gotdamn minds. Just here are some of things we discussed: journalism, women, raccoons, smoking crack, cross-dressing, the meaning of the term "caking," Keith Carradine, Dallas, New Journalism, New Orleans, light-skinned black people vs. dark-skinned black people, messing up on-camera, race and a particular actress who may or may not be a guest on this podcast soon. At some point, the actual owner of the house showed up at the end to throw in his two cents. I did this one just a couple of days ago, and I couldn't wait to post it. You'll hopefully find out why. Yeah, this episode is pretty epic!

I'll admit this Crizzlecast isn't one of the better-recorded ones I've done. First off, I did it at the Dunkin' Donuts next to the strip club again. Secondly, there were some loud-ass old people who apparently wanted to make it known this is THEIR Dunkin' Donuts and felt the need to talk as loud as they possibly could. (Unfortunately, I wasn't drunk, so I didn't tell them to shut their asses up!) Nevertheless, I managed to have a nice convo with Corbie Hill, contributing writer to the Independent Weekly, Creative Loafing Charlotte and other publications as well as guitarist for the band Alpha Cop. We talk about how he juggles writing about music with doing music, along with being a family man.  But, bottom line, I'm not doing a podcast over at that Dunkin' Donuts next to the strip club again.