Muhf***as I Know

Yes, folks -- I'm back! For one time only, I've decided to dip back over to my dormant podcast and drop this ep, which is really a homemade audio commentary I made for one of the most astoundingly gawdawful movies I saw last year. So, if you want to hear me drunkenly, profanely ramble during a whole movie for an hour and 40 minutes, oh boy, are you in luck!

The following Crizzlecast is one of two I did with Dylan Otto Krider, a journalist/writer and one of my former editors at the Houston Press. As some of you know, I've taken some time off from doing this podcast to deal with other matters. So, I've had this one on the shelf for quite some time. Just recently, I heard that Krider suffered a stroke in the left side of his brain, due to a spontaneous carotid artery dissection that resulted in a blood clot.  He recently had surgery, which was successful, but he is suffering from right side weakness/numbness and is having difficulties speaking and understanding things. This episode was done sometime last summer. We talked about many things. But, more importantly, we talked about the experiences we had working together. He was a great editor and someone I still continue to call my friend. I wish him good luck on his recovery. 

We'll talk about why I haven't posted here in a few months at another time. It's time for me to post a Crizzlecast I've actually held on to because the guest asked me to do so. As you'll listen to this ep, you'll understand why. I talk to filmmaker/actress Marya Murphy, who certainly dispensed a lot more than I expected her to. She first starts off talking about being a victim of stalking. (Wasn't expecting that.) Then, she speaks on the pitfalls of divorce, as she was severing ties with her filmmaker husband at the time. Then, we finally talk about the films she's worked on and what she wants to accomplish as a filmmaker. Yeah, this was certainly a surprising, revealing hour that I'm glad to finally put out there. She gave me the go-ahead yesterday, so here it is.

On this lively edition of the Crizzlecast, I Skype over to LA to talk to multi-talented vocalist Karina Nistal. Nistal and I go way back, when I used to see her dance at a monthly club night back in Houston. We talk about those early days, along with her transition into singing, her years working with her jeweler father as a teenager (and the horrific event that made her leave the business) and how she's handling living in Los Angeles. She also compliments me like crazy during the episode, which I don't know how to handle. And, remember, if you enjoy the episode -- DONATE TO THE PODCAST, DAMMIT!

Yes, after a month of quiet slumber, the Crizzlecast returns! Today's episode has me talking with New York-based filmmaker Jesse Epstein. After several false starts, not to mention her taking care of her newborn baby, we get into talking about her short films, what got her filmmaking, how she's handling life as a mother and, for some reason, my man-titties.  If you would like to hear me talk about my man-titties more, please donate to the podcast so I can keep this going.

I head back over to Brooklyn -- hipster country -- to holla at another Crizzlecast guest. Today, I'll be speaking with Lance Scott Walker, the former Houstonian who wrote for a lot of Houston-based publications before heading over to the East Coast to make it as a writer and musician. We talk about his great moments in Houston freelancing, his musical side project the White Papers and the two books he'll be releasing on Houston hip-hop. Yes, sir -- he's an accomplished author, musician AND he's married to the chick from Elysian Fields. Thank God he lives in Brooklyn -- I have this incredible urge to hit him with a brick just for having it so good! Ah well. 

Today, I head back to Houston (via Skype) and talk to one of my former music-journalism colleagues over there, Kwame Anderson. A former rapper-turned-schoolteacher, we discuss how he still dabbles in music writing for Free Press Houston, which of course slides into what he's hating the most about music today. We also discuss his days dropping rhymes in groups Seeds of Soul and Freedom Sold. He also reminds me that he and I went to college together. (Didn't have the heart to tell him that I forgot all about that.) Kwame also comes up with the term "snowconing them hoes." If that doesn't end up in a rap song, then I have not done my job as a podcaster.

For today's Crizzlecast, I fiberoptically venture out to Brooklyn, the hipster capital of the world, to talk to guest Nathan Gelgud. A film critic I share column space with over at INDY Week, the man is also quite the illustrative artist. I talk to him about the various doodles he has done for others as well as on his own website. Of course, we also chop it up a bit about film and film criticism, which we both agree has made us quite tired and jaded even though we're in our thirties.  It's another one of those beautiful episodes where I find a kindred spirit in the most unexpected of places. Enjoy.

For today's Crizzlecast, I take it all the way up to Sundance country to talk to today's guest. I speak with Scott Renshaw, the head film critic over at the Salt Lake City Weekly. We talk about the Sundance Film Festival as well as his early days reviewing films in high school, what's it like reviewing movies in Utah, his hilarious Twitter page and why it's such a pain in the ass to get a press screening for Star Trek Into Darkness. Talking with film critics is always hilarious. You'll see why when you take a listen to this.

It's another Crizzlecast where I talk to an old high-school classmate. This time around, it's Jennifer Kabay Barnett, a lady who often busted my chops back in the day. We delve into that rather uncomfortably, as well as her new career as a published author, her rampant love of Paul McCartney and anything British and why she feels her Texas home is haunted. By the way, she also break my balls a bit about not reading her book. So, if you want to hear that in all its awkward glory, take a listen.

Yeah, this Crizzlecast is definitely an emotional one. For this episode, I talk to Pam Nelson, former copy editor for the News & Observer, grammar maven and an old colleague of mine. We discuss how she got into journalism and her wild-and-crazy college days. And, then, we get into the deaths that we've had in our family -- and that's when things get really real. Take a listen, but you may want to have some Kleenex nearby.

Here's another "emergency" ep of the Crizzlecast for all you hungry listeners out there. This episode has me rapping with John Munson, who runs the art-house side of Raleigh's Ambassador Cinemas. We delve into his long career playing movies at theaters. We also spend huge chunks of time venting about what's wrong with the movies (publicists, talky audiences, bad movies, etc.) So, take a listen and I promise that, next week, the Crizzlecast will be back to its regular schedule. 

I know, I know -- where the hell have I been? To put it short, I've been going through things, which I'm sure I'll devote a whole Crizzlecast. But, until then, here's a special "emergency" episode for all my muhf***as who listen to this. Today's ep has me talking with Toby Leonard, the all-too-cool proprietor of the Belcourt Theatre, the even-more-awesome art-house theater and performance venue, in Nashvile. We talk about how he got to run and program movies at this place as well as his visits to film fests such as Sundance and Toronto in order to see what he's gonna book in his theater. We also discuss the time I visited the Belcourt and introduced a film there. Let's just say, according to Leonard, they still talk about to this day!

Today's Crizzlecast is special: it's the one where I have a mini-meltdown.  Of course, I wasn't expecting to have one -- nor have it recorded for people to listen to -- but considering how things have been going for me, I decided to get some things off my chest near the end of this ep. I guess I should also mention I spoke to film critic James Frazier for today's show. We talk about seeing films in the Iowa town where he resides, his politics and how he started Critic Speak with former Crizzlecast guest Danny Baldwin. When we start talking about what it's like being a freelancer, that's when things get a bit too real for me. This wasn't my finest hour -- but enjoy it anyway.  

Here's the deal with today's Crizzlecast. Last fall, I interviewed Matt Zoller Seitz, film critic, TV critic, video essayist, blog founder -- whatever you wanna call him. Anyway, we discussed the differences between reviewing movies and reviewing TV, his experiences reviewing movies along with Godfrey Cheshire and Armond White, his love for Spielberg, how hectic it is writing about television these days, the death of 35mm film, seeing 48 Hours with his daughter, that time I stayed at his place during the New York Film Festival -- the whole schmeer. Here's the problem: I had so many other things I wanted to talk with him about, but he had to cut it short because he had to go back to work. At the end of this episode, we agreed to do a second Crizzlecast. To make a long story long, it's April and that still hasn't happened. So, here is what I'm gonna do: I'll post this episode today, and if you want to hear more, please badger and harass Matt about doing a part two with me. I'd appreciate it. 

Sorry for the delay but if you listened to Tuesday's Crizzlecast, you know how things have gotten, well, unfortunate for me lately. But I just had to drop this ep where I spoke to LA buddy Adam Villani. It starts off rather vanilla, with the former blogger discussing his life with a wife and a new baby. But then, he starts talking about black people and swimming -- and that's when the podcast really gets bugnuts crazy. Also, in the middle of it, he discusses his experiences being a contestant on both Jeopardy! and Win Ben Stein's Money. So, there's that.

Yeah, things aren't going well for me these days. Thank God I have a pal like Andrew Dignan, who hasn't exactly been living the good life either, to be there for me to vent. We spend the bulk of this Crizzlecast kvetching about how broke and unemployed we are. But it isn't all woe-is-me stories. We also reminisce about the time I went to Los Angeles and visited him for a few days. We also discuss his on-again, off-again career as a film blogger and his experiences working on a movie starring a ubiquitous, Oscar-winning movie star. Hope you enjoy the episode -- and if you do, for the love of God, please donate to the podcast. I'm dying over here!

Rounding out Aaron Week on the Crizzlecast is a rather lively one-on-one with San Antonio film scribe/video essayist Aaron Aradillas. We talk about how he started out interviewing film critics, how he sees movies with limited vision and what's it like seeing films in the Lone Star State. We also get into some weird territory when he recalls how much he loathed an African-American linguistics teacher back in college. He also tears Jeffrey Wells a new one. Enjoy.

Hey, I've spent weeks talking to guys named Kenji and Dan. Now, it's time to spend a week talking to a couple of guys named Aaron. First up is Aaron Hillis, a well-known film critic and writer who knows a thing or two about distributing and programming movies. We talk about his new hustle as owner and proprietor of New York video store Video Free Brooklyn, as well as discuss his days distributing indie films through Benten Films.  We also discuss what exactly are mumblecore films -- and I don't know if we figured it out. Take a listen and see if we did.

I once again holla at an old, high-school chum for today's Crizzlecast. I actually Skype all the way to Argentina to talk to Paula Lifschitz, a former classmate of mine who is now based in her Buenos Aires homeland. We talk about our former teenage selves as well as the rocky road she traveled to get to where she is today. We also discuss her career as a burgeoning artist. We also break down the differences between England and France that I hope my listeners over there (yes, I do have international listenere) will not take offense to.