Mindschmootz's Podcast

I am very lucky; I get to engage in conversation with some pretty amazing people. The topics of conversation can range from the political world, to the entertainment world, to the wonderful world of science. Sometimes I am fortuitous enough to wrap all those conversations into one. My interview with Michelle Paradise is one such exchange.

A few weeks ago, simply by happenstance, I mentioned to my partner in life (and in crime) that I saw a tweet announcing Michelle Paradise is writing for a new CW series, The Originals. Having been a vocal fan of Paradise's earlier projects, The 10 Rules, and the offspring of that award winning short, Exes & Ohs, I was intrigued by the change of creative pace from quirky, female, comedy ensemble to dark, brooding, vampire/witch drama. But as I write this, and knowing females as I do, that kind of sounds somewhat similar given the situation and the proportional need for chocolate...or wine. My better three-quarters, being the proactive, pushy type (it's ok, she knows it), says to me, "Wanna talk to her?" And the rest as they say is history and a testament to the gracious nature of this talented actor, writer, and producer.

In this episode, we certainly talk about the new series, The Originals, which Vampire Diaries fans will recognize as a spinoff of that very popular CW series, and the untimely end to Exes and Ohs, but we also forage along the periphery of politics (which in the end was edited out because it's so damn depressing), nip at the intellectual titillation of science porn, and pretty much anything else that happens to come to mind. And yes, my better three-quarters makes her podcast debut...though by the end, you will see she is losing her better-than-half-fraction status. Say goodnight, Gracie

So, download this conversation at your leisure. I'm sure you will enjoy it as much as I did. After all, how often do I get to mention Lucy, the humanoid Australopithecus, in the context of lesbian dating rules, and my guest not only understands, but expounds on the fact? OK, don't answer that...just listen.

There is nothing I like more than sitting down to a conversation with a smart, funny woman. Ok, add wine and maybe I would like it more. That being said, the time I spent chatting with Vivian Bang, one of the stars of the TBS comedy, Sullivan & Son, ranks right up there with some of my favorite interviews. Vivian is delightfully witty, a quick come-back, and she kept me laughing throughout the exchange. We talk about what it takes to play Susan, an Asian-Irish (yes, Irish) character on Sullivan & Son (Daughter), the dysfunctional family dynamic including mothers and daughters, and what social networks have done to/for our dating lives and relationships...and, yes, a mime(?).

So, sit back and enjoy. I know I did. Oh, and grab a glass of wine; it only get better.

Yes, long before Jillian Michaels began losing it, I have been captivated with that sultry, raspy-voiced, blues siren, Beth Hart. Just look at the picture a couple of lines above this text, and the reason is obvious, right? In the most superficial of ways, yes, but what draws me to Beth is the nostalgia her music conjures. When I was fourteen, I began frequenting the underground, back-room blues clubs of my native Deep South. On any given Saturday late-night, the smoke was thick, the bourbon was flowing, and blues legends, both male and female, appeared without notice and poured out their souls to the audience. Those were gut wrenching songs of betrayal and lies, heartache and loss, and yet in momentary personal defeat, their eventual triumph.

Just as in the music performed in the clubs of my youth, Beth’s inspiring journey is personified in her songs. In this episode we talk about her many recent successes, both professionally and personally, and what she had to overcome to get there. What I took personally from our conversation is that when exorcising private demons, you have to look the devil in the eye, but never lose the “spirit of God”.

Yes, in singing the pain out of the blues there lies hope, and in that hope, Hart.

I met Alec Mapa about ten years ago at a charity fundraiser. He performed a stand-up set that left me in pain; I laughed so hard my side hurt. Rare is the occasion that giving to charity not only exercises your heart, but also works your abdominals. As I sat down with Alec last week, I am happy to report nothing has changed. Baby Daddy is Alec's Kickstarter campaign to produce a documentary based on his latest stand-up tour of the same name. Listen as Alec reveals the journey of a loving couple's decision to adopt a child out of America's foster system. As Alec puts it, as a celebrity and a bit of a material girl, you really don't have to go out of this country to adopt a black child!

Want a half an hour just to laugh? Then listen to Alec bribe your donation buck with homemade cookies (yes, he bakes them himself), a follow on social media, updates that will leave you smiling all day, and much, much more. Any one man can be a father, it's simple science, really. It takes someone special to be a daddy. Hey, we've all heard the saying before, right, but Alec is the phrase personified. Listen, and then buck it:

Katherine Bailess will premier Monday, May 27th on VH1 as Kyle Hart in the new scripted drama, Hit the Floor, about the Los Angeles Devil Girls, the dance team surrounding the city's professional basketball team. "Kyle" is the tough talking Southern girl that uses what she's got to get what she wants, and she's not afraid to kick a little dance-girl ass in the process. But don't let that tough, six-packed, exterior fool you, Kyle is not without heart and humor. The series stars Charlotte Ross and Dean Cain, and also the beautiful squad of Taylor Paige. Logan Browning, and Valery Ortiz. And if that's not enough, Kimberly Elise. Basketball team, what basketball team?

Get ready for a little Southern hospitality

I have reached the point where I have to ask myself, why am I so drawn to entertainment that is dark and depraved yet decidedly humorous? At any given moment I’m yelling at my television, “Oh my God!”, and then in the next moment guffawing, “Oh, my side.” How do I justify these acts of murder and mayhem in a moral sense when applied to the dead, the undead, and the deadly? My answer, it’s simply Being Human.

Being Human is the Syfy Channel series that although originated in the UK, has taken on an afterlife of its own here in the States. Three very unlikely heroes, a vampire, a ghost, and a werewolf, form a supernatural support group hell bent on protecting each other from a society dead set on exorcising them from its ranks. Forced into this other world by no choice of their own, they are now forced to “live” out their new existence all the while trying to fit in and be human...or as humanly possible as they can.

The series just completed its third, and in my opinion, best season with a finale that leaves each character in limbo. No wait, limbo was the season two finale. In any case, take my word for it that the season three end is an absolute killer. As a result, I sought out one of the writing team to try and get a little insight into what makes Being Human so incredibly thought provoking and yet so darkly entertaining. The embedded podcast is a record of our conversation.

Sit back, grab a snack, and get ready to laugh, yes laugh. Never has blood, black magic, and being uniquely human been quite this humorous.

As much as I make fun of social networks, I have to admit, had it not been for Twitter and my better three-quarters boasting all the time about her Tweet-ship with two insiders on the set of The Good Wife, I never would have gotten the chance to chat with Danielle and Carlton. In that I’m much more fascinated with the behind the scenes workings of the magic of television, I find the work of a series stand-in fascinating. As Danielle puts it, they are not just a hand here and a back of a head there (and a butt and a belly), they are efficiency experts that keep the cameras rolling where most needed. Hmm, that’s a good point to ponder, but if you are like me, you are probably just as interested in the interactions between what is Will and what is not.

Sit back, grab a snack, and get ready to laugh. God knows, I did.

I remember in 2004 when my entertainment crack dealer hooked me up with the news that a network pilot from UPN/WB was in the works about two New Orleans police detectives who not only work together by day, but play together by night. Addicting? Hardly, until I discovered the undercover work was was done by two females played by Christina Cox and Liz Vassey. Yeah, I know.

Honestly, though I was very excited to hear that an American television network was courageous enough to make this statement of inclusiveness, I knew that the climate of George W. Bush’s second-term campaign was not warming socially. The threat of a constitutional amendment protecting “traditional” marriage was prominent in the 2004 State of the Union address. Listen here: The Defense of Marriage Act Realistically, I couldn’t see this brave experiment going forward…and it didn’t.

Lucky for us, as part of Wikileaks (again, I know, but prove it) the pilot mysteriously appeared on YouTube and the rest is fanfic history.

Building on the momentum, creator Nancylee Myatt procured the characters and resurrected her original concept reminiscent of the light-hearted mystery/detective series of her past – Hart to Hart, Moonlighting, and recently, Castle – and is taking it to the web.

As we all know, raising a web series takes a village, so an Indiegogo fundraising campaign has been set up. Go there and take a look at who is involved, season one’s expectations, and other ways you can help. No contribution is too small, whether monetarily or in kind.

To get a better feel of the web series and a sample of the special chemistry it takes to pull off those bantering romantic private-eye leads historically seen in the Nick and Nora films of the 1930′s, Liz and Christina agreed to a conversation with me regarding The N & N Files.

Episode 13 of the ‘Schmootz On podcast is part two of my conversation with Ali Liebert and Charlotte Hegele of the award winning WWII drama series, Bomb Girls.

In Part 2 of the podcast, Ali and Charlotte expound on the complicated, war-time relationship that is Betty and Kate, what we can expect from their characters in Season 2, the very special soundtrack and Charlotte's role in song, and what we can expect from the two of them in other projects.

Enjoy, and then check out Bomb Girls. A catch-up marathon of season one will air in the US on REELZ channel (check your local listings) Wednesday, March 27, starting at 12:00 PM EDT/9:00 AM PDT. Season 2 will premier March 27 with two new shows starting at 8:00 PM EDT/5:00 PM PDT. On Canada's Global TV, Season 2 resumes March 25 at 9:00 PM E/PT

*The conversation with Ali and Charlotte is so informative, that I couldn’t bring myself to edit any more than what I did. Lucky for us all, I have divided the pod into parts 1 and 2.

Episode 12 of the ‘Schmootz On podcast is with Ali Liebert and Charlotte Hegele of the award winning drama series, Bomb Girls, about the Canadian women who risked their lives in a munitions factory building bombs for the Allied Forces during WWII. Long before there was Rosie the Riveter, the women of Canada stepped up to serve their country in factories such as the fictional Victory Munitions by providing a crucial workforce. They played their own necessary part in winning the war against the legitimate Axis of evil. War is hell on the home front, too, as the trials of these women reveal deep, personal strengths that push past their inner insecurities. All are running from something both literal and figurative, in that they run into each other, gives this diverse band of sisters an unlikely solidarity in Victory.

Ali portrays Betty, the tough-talking girl from the rural prairie with a hard cynical skin honed from years of hiding her personal truths. Closeted in more ways than the obvious, Betty dons her protective battle dress in the form of a barbed, impatient tongue that keeps strangers at a safe distance…until she meets Kate.

Kate (Marion), played by Charlotte, is on the run from an abusive, fanatical father that utilizes the evangelical cloth as a ligature to keep his family bound to him and his street ministry. The Canadian selective service and the associated work in the bomb factory provide a timely escape from a life of violence and persecution. Through Betty, she finds her champion, and through her singing, her voice.

Ali and Charlotte (Ali calls her Charlie, which is so damn cute) were gracious enough to speak with me about their characters, what we can expect from season two, and about what is so special about Bomb Girls as a whole.

Enjoy, and then check out Bomb Girls. A catch-up marathon of season one will air on REELZ channel (check your local listings) Wednesday, March 27, starting at 12:00 PM EDT/9:00 AM PDT.