KFOG Podcast

Dayna sits down with Mary Magee & Sasha Cuttler, who are in the new documentary film, "5B"... which chronicles when San Francisco General Hospital opened the first HIV/AIDS patient ward in the 1980s.

On the heels of the film Booksmart screening at the SF Film Festival, Dayna sat down with Director Olivia Wilde, Writer Katie Silberman, and the stars of the film, Beanie Feldstein, Kaitlyn Dever, Mason Gooding, & Nico Hiraga. 

Check out Booksmart, in theaters now.

Dayna interviews legendary Brat Packer Emilio Estevez, to talk about his film "The Public" which he wrote, directed and starred in.

Echo In The Canyon celebrates the explosion of popular music that came out of LA’s Laurel Canyon in the mid-60s as folk went electric and The Byrds, The Beach Boys, Buffalo Springfield and The Mamas and the Papas gave birth to the California Sound. It was a moment (1965 to 1967) when bands came to LA to emulate The Beatles and Laurel Canyon emerged as a hotbed of creativity and collaboration for a new generation of musicians who would soon put an indelible stamp on the history of American popular music. Featuring Jakob Dylan, the film explores the beginnings of the Laurel Canyon music scene. Dylan uncovers never-before-heard personal details behind the bands and their songs and how that music continues to inspire today. Echo in the Canyon contains candid conversations and performances with Brian Wilson, Ringo Starr, Michelle Phillips, Eric Clapton, Stephen Stills, David Crosby, Graham Nash, Roger McGuinn and Jackson Browne as well as contemporary musicians they influenced such as Tom Petty (in his last film interview), Beck, Fiona Apple, Cat Power, Regina Spektor, and Norah Jones. This is my interview with Echo in the Canyon director Andrew Slater and Jakob Dylan.  For tickets and info: https://sffilm.org/event/echo-in-the-canyon/

I've watched Mr. Robot, and at no point in that show did I think "wow, this guy could play Freddie Mercury." And yet, Rami Malek took on the role of Freddie Mercury in a way that wholly convinced me he was the part. Watching his attention to detail in bringing Freddie to life on screen, down to his every nuanced movement, in the performance nearly brought me to tears, if I'm honest. I told Rami Malek this when I spoke with him at the screening of Bohemian Rhapsody at the Castro Theater, right before I spoke with Gwilym Lee (who played Brian May) and Joseph Mazzello (who played John Deacon). Check out the complete interview here.

Nineteen-year-old Ben Burns unexpectedly returns to his family's suburban home on Christmas Eve. Ben's mom, Holly, is relieved and welcoming but wary of her son's drug addiction. Over a turbulent 24 hours, new truths are revealed, and a mother's undying love gets put to the test as Holly does everything in her power to keep Ben clean.

I had the honor and pleasure of talking to screenwriter Peter Hedges (What's Eating Gilbert Grape?​) a few weeks before the release of this movie and I'd have to call the experience cathartic. First of all, I am a recovering addict. For me to put my stamp of approval on any film dealing with addiction can only mean one thing: they got it right. Right down to codependency within the family to the portrayal of the vicious beast that lives inside all addicts who can only be arrested, never eliminated. Lucas Hedges did an amazing job showing the many terrifying facets that make up the addicted self. And I don't even have the words to talk about how amazing Julia Roberts is as a mother who is driven to save her son from this insidious disease. What I can say is this: BEST ACTRESS 2019. 

The holidays are hard for all families, but especially for ones with addiction issues. Do yourself a favor and see this movie. I feel totally comfortable saying that it's the most important movie I've seen all year.

Ben Is Back is currently playing in theaters nationwide.