I discuss some of my takeaways from my conversation with Garrett and then I comment on some of the films and TV shows that I watched to prepare for the interview. Some of the discussion topics include

• Working within a community to gain traction in the industry
• How filmmakers can get actors to adjust their performances
• Sex and violence on screen and how its depictions in Magic City influenced me
• Why so many Hollywood purveyors of violence seem so outspoken on the gun debate
• The kinds of assumptions I sometimes make about a director behind any given project
• Why setting a good example on screen and in reality can make a difference.

In case you missed it, you can play my interview with Garrett below. Show notes for that episode are here:

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Some of the team from Fable House and I will be doing a special live podcast on March 14 at SXSW 2018. If you plan to attend the festival, we hope you’ll join us!

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Email: podcast@nsavides.com.

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Related Things

Garrett in Shakespeare on the Range, my favorite performance of his

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Films & Shows Mentioned

• 99 Homes
• Bonnie & Clyde (2013)
• Braveheart
• Deepwater Horizon
• Devil’s Acid
• Godfather
• Little Shop of Horrors
• Mad Men
• Magic City 
• Mr. Right
• My Big Fat Greek Wedding
• The Iceman
• Shakespeare on the Range
• The Shape of Water

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Books Mentioned

• Crime and Punishment
• Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption 
• A Tale of Two Cities

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Spotify

The post Crime, Violence, and Community Influence: Garrett Kruithof Commentary appeared first on NICKSAV Film & Music SHOW.

Hope shared a lot of great insights, so rather than try to cut down the interview’s length, I decided to do my commentary on a separate episode. It would also give me the opportunity to think more about Aaron Sorkin’s work and to delve more deeply into The Newsroom, which I watched all the way through for the first time in preparation for the interview.

While The Newsroom came out in 2012, it still feels relevant in today’s political landscape. It dares to imagine what the news could be like if more of its practitioners were focused on telling the truth, and not merely entertaining for the sake of ratings or succumbing to the pitfalls of partisan politics.

It’s a big vision, but does the show live up to its potential and its own ideals? What if anything can we take away from the show as we try to navigate the often polarizing waters of today’s current events?

That’s what I set to examine in my commentary. The Newsroom involves a number of political discussions, so I couldn’t see a way to thoughtfully discuss the show without touching on its political outlook. My podcast is not primarily a political one, but I do believe it is important to address challenging issues on occasion, even if they do touch on politics.

I understand that politics can be polarizing, so I was hesitant to dive in, but the stakes felt substantial enough, and just because certain terrain is tricky to navigate doesn’t mean we should avoid it entirely. On the contrary, it can be important to engage and to do so in a civil way. Otherwise only the most belligerent and extreme voices will be heard.

My perspectives might be a little different than how you see things or what you might expect based on other film and TV commentaries, but they are earnestly offered.  Regardless of where you fall in the political spectrum, I’m hoping that you’ll consider my outlook and that we can continue the conversation in a thoughtful and considerate way.

Let’s work together to make things better, shall we?

The Newsroom includes ongoing references to Man of La Mancha, a musical that has also meant something to me over the years. I discuss it in the commentary and briefly mention it in my prior discussion with Steve Kaplan, Hollywood’s go-to comedy consultant. Check out the interview with him below to get a better sense of how comedy works and why it matters.

Show notes for that episode are here:

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Films & Shows Mentioned

• 500 Days of Summer
• I, Tonya
• Man of La Mancha
• Molly’s Game
• The Newsroom
• On the Waterfront
• The Post
• Thank You For Your Service

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Books Mentioned

• Elia Kazan: A Life
• Kids These Days: Human Capital and the Making of Millennials

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spoti.fi/2nSw4bY

The post Commentary: Hope Hanafin, The Newsroom, & Impossible Dreams appeared first on NICKSAV Film & Music SHOW.