Let Me Watch Your Movie With You

Jonah drops out of the air vents to watch Toy Soldiers with actor Wil Wheaton!

By the time he turned 18, Wil had spent half of his life acting, but the abuse he suffered on and off set left him disillusioned and depressed. Then he joined a cast of fellow young actors in Toy Soldiers and his interest in filmmaking was renewed.

Wil tells Jonah about making connections via punk rock, the dangers of fake bullets, aborted helicopter rides, quitting (and later returning to) show business, and ethical guidelines for the parents of child actors.

LinksFind out where you can watch Toy SoldiersWil interviews the cast of Star Trek: Discovery every week on The Ready RoomWil recaps the competitive AI reality show Rival Peak on Rival SpeakJonah plays Say Anything and Epic Spell Wars on Wil's web series TabletopWil was interviewed for our friend Alex Winter's documentary Showbiz KidsFollow Wil on InstagramThank you to Allie Goertz for our theme song and Perry Shall for our artwork.

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It's a bloody free-for-all as Jonah watches Pooka Lives! with actor Malcolm Barrett, actor/Executive Producer Felicia Day, and director Alejandro Brugués! They talk about making every shot count on a low-budget film, why actors should never eat in a scene, having trouble hitting your marks, being from Brooklyn, and tearing down walls (literal and metaphorical.)

LinksFind out where you can watch Pooka Lives!Watch Going Live With Malcolm With Malcolm, Malcolm’s streaming talk showFollow Malcolm on Twitter and InstagramSubscribe to Felicia's Twitch channelFollow Felicia on Twitter and InstagramListen to our Juan of The Dead episode with AlejandroFollow Alejandro on Twitter and InstagramThank you to Allie Goertz for our theme song and Perry Shall for our artwork.

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This week, Jonah watches The Big Sick with dear friend and Academy Award-nominated screenwriter Emily V. Gordon!

In 2006, when Emily and actor Kumail Nanjiani were newly dating, she developed a sudden life-threatening illness and was placed in a medically induced coma. After a lengthy recovery period, Emily and Kumail adapted that harrowing experience into The Big Sick.

Emily chats with Jonah about molding their story into a version that works for the screen, the unique scenes women identify with most, how her background as a therapist helps her figure out characters' motivations, when to take notes and when to stick to your guns, combatting writer's block, and how award nominations become an unexpected second job.

LinksFind out where you can watch The Big SickStream Emily's series Little America on Apple TV+Read Emily's book Super YouFor writing advice, Emily and Jonah recommend Save The Cat! by Blake Snyder, Dan O'Bannon's Guide to Screenplay Structure, The Secrets of Story by Matt Bird, and Michael Arndt's free lectures on Beginnings and EndingsFollow Emily on Twitter and InstagramThank you to Allie Goertz for our theme song and Perry Shall for our artwork.

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Jonah grabs an oar and dives into Juan of The Dead with writer/director Alejandro Brugués!

Alejandro grew up in Havana during the Cold War, but his parents' work as diplomats gave him access to an outside world—including American movies—unavailable to most Cubans. He tells Jonah about writing a zombie movie for an audience that had never seen zombie movies, filming social commentary under close government scrutiny, paying homage to his cinematic heroes, and the opening scene of a hypothetical Juan sequel!

LinksFind out where you can watch Juan of The DeadStream Pooka Lives! on HuluFollow Alejandro on Twitter and InstagramThank you to Allie Goertz for our theme song and Perry Shall for our artwork.

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Jonah ventures into the woods to watch 2009's Friday The 13th with actor Derek Mears!

Despite his imposing stature, Derek actually came up in improv comedy, but it was a theme park job that opened the door to his dual career in acting and stuntwork. His intense preparation and dependability have earned him a number of iconic roles, including Jason Voorhees.

Derek chats with Jonah about the responsibility of playing a beloved character, terrifying the crew with his strength, the extremes his co-stars were willing to go to, on-set injuries, and the dream projects he's now pursuing.

LinksFind out where you can watch Friday The 13thStream DC's Swamp Thing for freeDerek's Hollywood Undead Rockin' Roundtable part one and part twoThe Resistance, Derek’s improvised action comedy live showFollow Derek on Twitter and InstagramThank you to Allie Goertz for our theme song and Perry Shall for our artwork.

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Jonah is joined by Bill S. Preston Esq. himself, actor Alex Winter, to watch Bill & Ted's Bogus Journey!

From his start as a child actor on Broadway to his prolific career as a documentary filmmaker, Alex has forged a path through sheer hard work. He discusses how Bill and Ted evolved for the sequel, how he and Keanu Reeves fleshed out their characters' friendship, clever visual effects, abandoned storylines, and why they all decided to return to the series 30 years later.

LinksFind out where you can watch Bill & Ted's Bogus JourneyGet Bill & Ted Face The Music on Blu-ray or VODWatch Alex's documentary ZappaFollow Alex on Twitter and InstagramThank you to Allie Goertz for our theme song and Perry Shall for our artwork.

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On the premiere episode of Let Me Watch Your Movie With You, Jonah sits down with writer/director Mick Garris to watch his sci-fi horror comedy Critters 2: The Main Course!

They chart Mick's evolution from a teenage journalist interviewing Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin to a director working with Steven Spielberg and Stephen King. Along the way, they talk teamwork, explosive malfunctions, making movie magic on a budget, handling disappointment, and advice for aspiring filmmakers.

LinksFind out where you can watch Critters 2Listen to Post Mortem with Mick GarrisStream Symphony for A Million Mice, Mick's prog rock album 50 years in the makingFollow Mick on Twitter and InstagramThank you to Allie Goertz for our theme song and Perry Shall for our artwork.

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Each week Jonah Ray Rodrigues watches a movie with someone who helped make it, to learn more about their career, creative process, and behind-the-scenes dirt!

Thank you to Allie Goertz for our theme song and Perry Shall for our artwork.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.