CC2K’s Podcast Spotlight, Vol. 2
This month’s edition of CC2K’s Podcast Spotlight is available now for your listening pleasure.
“The Black Cloud with Zazie Beetz”
Justin Simien, creator and director of the film turned Netflix television series Dear White People, sits down with Zazie Beetz to have a candid conversation on her struggle with anxiety, insecurity, representing her heritage as a rising biracial actor and much more. Simien builds such a great rapport with his guests which makes for very sincere and open discussion about life, the creative process and navigating through the industry. Beetz showed up on a lot of people’s radar in the last two years with her outstanding work on FX’s Atlanta and Deadpool 2, when she played the fortunate Domino. Next year, Beetz has an opportunity to show how gifted she is when she appears in the highly anticipated Joker movie alongside Joaquin Phoenix. -Cesar Perez
“Egyptology (Ancient Egypt) with Kara Cooney”
Ever wonder about what all the obscure, unheard of “ologies” are about? If you do, Alie Ward is equally as fascinated about these sciences and niche professional areas of research, and in this episode she talks with Dr. Kara Cooney, an Egyptologist. You’ve heard of Cleopatra and King Tut, but you’ll get a deep dive into the cultures and myths surrounding these monarchs. You hear about the classism of coffins and suddenly you realize this bit of listening has been more engrossing than that entire college course on World Civilizations you took! You’ll also hear about how fascinating the customs of sarcophaguses, cats, and even the timelines of notable female kings were! Dr. Kara Cooney’s latest book When Women Ruled the World: Six Queens of Egypt comes out November 6, so get a head start on this wildly entertaining topic with Alie’s exceptional podcast. -Jessica Peña
We know A24 as the people behind great films such as Hereditary, Eighth Grade and Lady Bird. With their domination of the indie film scene, it seems natural that they would venture into the world of podcasts. The A24 podcast is relatively new, kicking off in February 2018 and they promise to bring listeners conversations between filmmakers and other audio experiments. Directors like Barry Jenkins and Greta Gerwig discuss their inspirations between Moonlight and Lady Bird, revealing the process behind shooting each film.
The latest episode is a conversation between actors Ethan Hawke and Alia Shawkat, regarding their new film Blaze, which Shawkat. stars in. Hawke discusses his inspiration behind the film and how he found the process of directing actors. We also discover what Hawke gets up to on his vacation away from Hollywood, and how he unwinds from the stresses of show business. A24’s podcast is fascinating to listen to, as it’s the closest one can get to knowing what truly goes on behind the scenes. If you love their movies, subscribe now and get A24 in your eardrums. -Bianca Garner
“Dr. Strangelove (1964) w/ Special Guest Ian Herrin Ep. 21”
It’s always a good time to dive into a Stanley Kubrick production. Host Max Baril and comedian Ian Herrin take an extensive look into Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. An ingenious dark comedy and a provocative political satire, there is no doubt Dr. Strangelove is a cinematic masterpiece. A film with layers upon layers, there is a bevy of topics to chew over and Baril and Herrin do a wonderful job breaking down the superb performance from Peter Sellers while also exploring Dr. Strangelove’s themes of extreme masculinity and warfare. Listen to this episode and revisit a classic, and just in case you forgot, there’s no fighting in the war room. -Cesar Perez
“Doug ‘Pound’ Lussenhop”
Alexi’s podcast is a home for comfortable, raw, unabashed conversations. Her natural curiosity to ask questions and make her guests feel like friends who go waaaay back is a nice switch of pace in a podcast queue. Guests aren’t afraid to open up and talk life, love, sex, relationship culture, and personal longevity. In this episode, Alexi sits down with comedian and editor of Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!, Doug “Pound” Lussenhop. Having just attended Burning Man, him and Alexi talk about this euphoric, maybe overwhelming, experience among other topics. They leave no discussion off-limits, as they dissect the highest of couple highs and the qualities of intimacy, letting no insecure topic escape them. Get in tune with your personal side, as mimicked by the sharp, perceptive insights from Alexi and this week’s guest Doug. -Jessica Peña
What happens when you bring legendary American Enterprise Institute scholar Christina Hoff Sommers and contributing editor to the Huffington Post Danielle Crittenden together? You get the Femsplainers podcast! Sommers and Crittenden promise to bring listeners a weekly girl’s night out with some of the most fascinating and fabulous women on the planet. They discuss everything from #metoo and sex to, well, doing the dishes. No topic is off-limits – unless it’s boring. T
heir latest episode is a discussion with sexual neuroscientist Dr. Debra Soh on gender neutral parenting, an interesting topic currently being discussed in the media. The ladies bring on some interesting guests, even those who you wouldn’t necessarily want to have on, but they always respect and listen to what every guest has to say. And what is Femsplaining? As the femsplainers say ‘’It’s the gossipy, smart, witty conversation you’d have if all of your girlfriends (and some of your guy friends too!) were experts on the hot topics of the moment.’’ If you like to listen to engaging conversations on topics such as feminism, parenting, gender and sexual harassment you should check this out. Best enjoyed with a cocktail! -Bianca Garner
“Episode 154: Bad Boys”
If a podcast claims to put hair on your chest, you listen to it. On Cult 45, hosts Bdemdown and Random Randy Savage celebrate the foolishness and share their affinity for B-movies and cult classics. Before everything completely fell off the rails for Michael Bay, he made his directorial debut in 1995 with Bad Boys. On this episode, Bdemdown and Random Randy Savage get into the flashy and entertaining action film that channel the spirit of Miami Vice but have the wisecracking personalities of Will Smith and Martin Lawrence. Set aside 1 hour and 20 minutes to listen to the episode, and then another 2 hours after that to revisit the world of Miami detectives, Marcus Burnett and Mike Lowrey. Taking down drug lords never looked so badass. -Cesar Perz
Saving the World with Barry and Lucas
“Talking About the Lighter Side of Depression and Suicide with Dave Ross and Hampton Young”
Think about death. It may unsettle you or stray you away, but what if you came to look at it in a…funny way? Maybe the utter reality that we as humans have an off switch is darkly ironic, and it’s okay to lighten up the discussion around it. Barry and Lucas welcome guests Dave Ross and Hampton Young and dive into a subject many of us would be speechless about: suicide and depression. Dave and Hampton host the podcast Suicide Buddies, and here on Saving the World, they bring their discussion to light. The guys talk depression, their own experiences with it and how holding on to hope has made them feel the most alive. They make a joke of things, death included, but it’s not the taking of one’s life that’s the butt of it; it’s the dark humor of life as a construct. The episode goes in to the talk of whether comedians should be sad, they play Barry and Lucas’ lightning round segment, and remind us that we matter. -Jessica Peña
The Adam Buxton Podcast is a light-hearted and comedic conversational podcast created by and starring English comedian, writer and actor Adam Buxton. You may recognize Adam from films such as Hot Fuzz, Stardust, and Son Of Rambow as well as a variety of TV shows in the UK. Since 2007 he hosts BUG, a live show that combines music videos and comedy that became a TV series on Sky Atlantic in 2012. Buxton talks with interesting people such as Charlie Brooker, Wes Anderson and Jon Ronson. The rambly conversations are sometimes funny, or sometimes serious but with a slight sprinkle of comedy thrown in for good measure. Adam records the intros and outros for most episodes while walking with his dog friend Rosie in the East Anglian countryside where he lives with his wife and three children. In his latest episode Adam talks with Australian comedian Laura Davis and Canadian musician Mac DeMarco (who plays a couple of songs). If you like comedy and great discussion then this is the podcast for you. -Bianca Garner