PROFILE
FROM Kaitlin Parker
Kristoffer Polaha on Hallmark movies; Netflix's Lisa Nishimura In 2015, actor Kristoffer Polaha booked what he thought would be a one-off gig in a Hallmark TV movie. Now, he’s got 5 Hallmark films under his belt. He tells us how he and the Hallmark Channel fell in love. Then, KCRW's Matt Holzman sits down with Netflix's Lisa Nishimura. The head of original documentaries and comedy programming for the streamer tells us how she decides what will become a Netflix original.
Golden Globes nominations and the Oscars find a host...for now The Golden Globes have once again left people puzzled by some of their nominations. And the Oscars finally found a host in Kevin Hart, but there are already issues.
‘Beat Bugs’ & ‘Motown Magic’ creator on his passionate pursuit of music rights For his Netflix kids show ‘Beat Bugs’, Josh Wakely worked a miracle: he got the rights to use Beatles music in the series. Never afraid of going big, Wakely now has a new animated show on Netflix called ‘Motown Magic,’ which features another set of iconic songs and Smokey Robinson as the music supervisor. Wakely tells us about his years-long pursuit of the rights to some of the world’s most famous music.
Thanksgiving leftovers from memorable guests Sometimes our guests have so much good stuff to say that we can’t fit it all into one show. So let out your belt a notch. This week we’re bringing you delicious leftovers from Ethan Hawke, George Tillman Jr., Kathy Griffin, and Aneesh Chaganty and John Cho. Plus, some early Oscar forecasting.
Doc director Matthew Heineman on his first narrative film, 'A Private War' In his career as a documentary filmmaker, Matthew Heineman has criss-crossed the country, followed Syrian activists in exile and embedded with vigilantes fighting Mexican drug cartels. His newest film, ‘A Private War’ is an adventure of a different kind--a narrative feature about war correspondent Marie Colvin. He tells us about using techniques he learned doing documentaries to make his first narrative film.
Awaiting judge's ruling on CNN's lawsuit against the White House CNN sued the president, press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders and others over the confiscation of reporter Jim Acosta's press pass. Other news networks--including Fox--have expressed support for CNN.
The Document: ‘Free Solo’ This week, while Kim Masters is out of town, we’re sharing an episode of the KCRW podcast, The Document. Our colleague Matt Holzman talks to married filmmaking couple Jimmy Chin and Chai Vasarhelyi about why and how they made their dizzying new film, ‘Free Solo.’
HBO still dark on Dish The carriage dispute between HBO and Dish Network that left Dish subscribers without the network known for 'Game of Thrones' since November 1 is still ongoing, and the rhetoric ramps up, as both parties blame the other.
Producers Frank Marshall & Filip Rymsza on ‘The Other Side of the Wind’ When he was just starting his career, ‘Indiana Jones’ and ‘Jurassic Park’ producer Frank Marshall got a job with Orson Welles on what would be the legendary director’s last film. It was still unfinished when Welles died in 1985, but Marshall was determined to see the job through. He and fellow producer Filip Rymsza tells us about the decades-long quest to finish ‘The Other Side of the Wind.’
Netflix cracks a window The rule with Netflix had always been, if you make a movie with them, it might get a small theatrical release, but it would come out in theaters the same day it was available to stream. Now, with a possible best picture nominee on their hands, Netflix is adjusting their policies.
Kathy Griffin on self funding her world tour & life after the photo When comedian Kathy Griffin posed for a photo holding what appeared to be the blood-covered head of Donald Trump, she became a pariah overnight. So she did the only thing she could do to keep her career alive: turned her story into an act, and took it around the world.
A showdown between Megyn Kelly and NBC A year ago, Megyn Kelly was a very expensive new host for NBC's morning lineup. This week, Kelly said blackface for Halloween costumes was OK when she was growing up. Blowback was swift, and now Kelly is out at the 'Today' show and possibly at NBC altogether.
George Tillman Jr. on his career evolution and ‘The Hate U Give’ Director George Tillman Jr. felt called to make ‘The Hate U Give’--about a black teen who divides her time between her mostly white high school and her mostly black neighborhood. He wasn’t daunted by the fact that the film was based on a novel for young adults. He tells us how made sure his movie avoided YA cliches and reflects on his career--from directing 'Soul Food' to producing the 'Barbershop' movies.
Endeavor ending $400 million deal with the Saudi government Following the apparent murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, most likely ordered by Saudi crown prince Mohammed bin Salman, Endeavor--the parent company of WME--is backing out of a huge $400 million deal it had made with the Saudi government.
Justine Bateman on her new book, ‘Fame: The Hijacking of Reality' What’s it like to be suddenly famous at 16? Justine Bateman found out when she was cast as Mallory in the hit NBC sitcom ‘Family Ties.’ More than 30 years later, she has a lot to say about fame--so much, in fact, that she’s written a book on the subject. 'Fame' explores having it, losing it, and the country's undying obsession with it.
Recommended
Cher, fashion icon; Designing RBG’s early career; a Culver City mystery “The Cher Show” is a celebration of the rocky but triumphant life of Cher -- and 600 of her spectacular outfits created by the legendary designer Bob Mackie. Also, a production designer shares the decorating tastes of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. And a mid-century concert hall gets restored, and with it a design mystery is solved.
Katharine Weber: Still Life with Monkey Dramatic, emotional, and philosophical, Katherine Weber’s, Still Life with Monkey, is a profound book written in the old style, with depths orchestrated by the author.