Today's Guest: Scott Cooper, director, Crazy Heart Order 'Crazy Heart' [Blu-ray] directed by Scott Cooper, available from Amazon.com by clicking on the book cover above! (2009) When a movie director surrounds himself with talent, it makes the first day of shooting a lot more pleasant. So imagine being director Scott Cooper when principal photography began on his new film, Crazy Heart. His top line featured not one but three stars: Jeff Bridges, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Robert Duvall. And it left the writer of the film feeling pretty confident, too—and that was also Cooper. It probably didn’t hurt that two of his stars, Mr. Duvall and Mr. Bridges, are also producers of Crazy Heart. SCOTT COOPER audio excerpt: "Jeff Bridges is a better person than he is an actor, and that's saying a lot... In between 'Action!' and 'Cut!', it's revelatory what he can do. He's so facile...so sublime in the picture. He spoiled me. It's an embarrassment of riches." So how did this serio-comic story about a broken-down country music singer—that would be Bridges—turn out? If you can’t wait for the movie to open on Wednesday, December 16, let’s see what the director can tell us. Scott Cooper Facebook • IMDB • Order Crazy Heart from Amazon.com Kicking Through the Ashes: My Life As A Stand-up in the 1980s Comedy Boom by Ritch Shydner. Order your copy today by clicking on the book cover above!   The Party Authority in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland!

Today's Guest: Tim Pilcher, editor, Erotic Comics: A Graphic History from Tijuana Bibles to Underground Comix Order 'Erotic Comics: A Graphic History from Tijuana Bibles to Underground Comix' edited by Tim Pilcher, available from Amazon.com by clicking the book cover above! Tim Pilcher has a dirty mind! That’s what some people think, no doubt. He did just publish the second edition Erotic Comics: A Graphic History and it is filled with cartoon images of men, women, aliens and even a cat dancer engaged in all manner of physical intimacies. (If you have sensitive ears or are under the age of 18, please stop here. You might be offended by some of the content of this interview.) Volume 2 picks up where Volume 1 left off and examines how the form has become an international publishing phenomenon by showcasing artwork that has inflamed desires, incensed censors, and caused controversy. Order 'Erotic Comics 2: A Graphic History from the Liberated '70s to the Internet' edited by Tim Pilcher, available from Amazon.com by clicking on the book cover above! TIM PILCHER podcast excerpt: "It's a natural progression of growing up for comics readers. Erotica is a fact of life. But anytime you put 'comics' and 'sex' together, people go, 'Oh!' Erotic comic is a genre, just as westerns, sci-fi or superheroes are. It hadn't really been written up; it's sort of a secret history." Fully illustrated with rare art by Howard Cruse, Gengoroh Tagame, Melinda Gebbie, Hunt Emerson, Howard Chaykin, Giovanna Casotto (whose work graces the cover), Tom of Finland, Milo Manara, Junko Mizuno, this book covers everything: the erotic comics explosion in America in the mid-’80s; the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender comics scene; UK and European erotic comic creators since the ’70s; and the Japanese hentai phenomenon. Tim Pilcher Blog • Twitter • Facebook • Order Erotic Comics Order 'Will Eisner: A Spirited Life' (2nd Edition) by Bob Andelman, available from Amazon.com by clicking on the book cover above!   The Party Authority in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland!

Today's Guest: Tim Pilcher, editor, Erotic Comics: A Graphic History from Tijuana Bibles to Underground Comix Order 'Erotic Comics: A Graphic History from Tijuana Bibles to Underground Comix' edited by Tim Pilcher, available from Amazon.com by clicking the book cover above! Tim Pilcher has a dirty mind! That’s what some people think, no doubt. He did just publish the second edition Erotic Comics: A Graphic History and it is filled with cartoon images of men, women, aliens and even a cat dancer engaged in all manner of physical intimacies. (If you have sensitive ears or are under the age of 18, please stop here. You might be offended by some of the content of this interview.) Volume 2 picks up where Volume 1 left off and examines how the form has become an international publishing phenomenon by showcasing artwork that has inflamed desires, incensed censors, and caused controversy. Order 'Erotic Comics 2: A Graphic History from the Liberated '70s to the Internet' edited by Tim Pilcher, available from Amazon.com by clicking on the book cover above! TIM PILCHER podcast excerpt: "It's a natural progression of growing up for comics readers. Erotica is a fact of life. But anytime you put 'comics' and 'sex' together, people go, 'Oh!' Erotic comic is a genre, just as westerns, sci-fi or superheroes are. It hadn't really been written up; it's sort of a secret history." Fully illustrated with rare art by Howard Cruse, Gengoroh Tagame, Melinda Gebbie, Hunt Emerson, Howard Chaykin, Giovanna Casotto (whose work graces the cover), Tom of Finland, Milo Manara, Junko Mizuno, this book covers everything: the erotic comics explosion in America in the mid-’80s; the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender comics scene; UK and European erotic comic creators since the ’70s; and the Japanese hentai phenomenon. Tim Pilcher Blog • Twitter • Facebook • Order Erotic Comics Order 'Will Eisner: A Spirited Life' (2nd Edition) by Bob Andelman, available from Amazon.com by clicking on the book cover above!   The Party Authority in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland!

Today's Guest: Lea Thompson, actress, Back to the Future trilogy, "Caroline in the City"   Back to the Future Trilogy on Blu-Ray, starring Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson. Order now by clicking on the DVD cover above! Actress Lea Thompson, perhaps best-known for starring in the NBC sitcom “Caroline in the City” and the Back to the Future movies with Michael J. Fox, is swallowing her pride and appearing on Mr. Media Interviews! Here is the Evelyn Wood version of Thompson’s career, courtesy of IMDB.com: Her first role was in the movie Jaws 3-D (1983) as a water ski bunny, although she couldn’t swim or ski—and still can’t. Her next role was in All the Right Moves (1983) in which she worked opposite Tom Cruise. Order 'Howard the Duck (Special Edition)' starring Lea Thompson, available from Amazon.com by clicking on the DVD cover above! Thompson’s big break came from the first Back to the Future (1985). It was the biggest hit of 1985, and Thompson was suddenly a wanted actress. Director Howard Deutch offered her a part in his next movie, Some Kind of Wonderful, but she initially refused it. Instead she made Back to the Future II (1989), but made Deutch a happy man by marrying him—and starring in Back to the Future III (1990). From 1995-99, Thompson starred in the NBC-TV sitcom, “Caroline in the City,” the saga of a popular cartoonist with wacky friends. She most recently starred in the “Jane Doe” mystery series on the Hallmark Channel and is in pre-production on three new movies for 2009: Prettyface, Rock Slyde and Splinterheads. And, of course, she starred in Marvel's first movie based on a comic book, Howard the Duck. Lea Thompson IMDB • Twitter • Dancing with the Stars on ABC-TV • Facebook • Order Caroline in the City: Season 1 from Amazon.com Order 'Caroline in the City: Season 1' starring Lea Thompson, available from Amazon.com by clicking on the DVD cover above!     Kicking Through the Ashes: My Life As A Stand-up in the 1980s Comedy Boom by Ritch Shydner. Order your copy today by clicking on the book cover above!     The Party Authority in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland!

Today's Guest: David Spaltro, indie filmmaker, ... Around Filmmaker David Spaltro I get pitched on an awful lot of potential interviews. This one caught my attention: Order from Amazon.com by clicking the DVD cover above! "My name is David Spaltro and I'm an independent filmmaker and producer from NYC. Last year I completed my first feature film ... Around. It was a labor of love about a young man with a dual life 'living' out of Penn and Grand Central Station while going to film school, based on my own personal experiences a few years ago in this city. 21 shooting days, 190 locations all over the city, self-financed and done for $175,000 on 40 credit cards... no, seriously. I may have caused the fiscal crisis. Sorry. "I'm writing you because I'd love to send you a screener DVD. I think, as someone who is an avid lover of film, the story will really hit home... I think because of the struggle to make the film, the whole DIY approach with no previous experiences or resources, to fund, make, and distribute a feature film in 2 years and now to see it out there and in these rough economic times what the story stands for would make for an interesting and inspirational piece, especially concerning the two lead actors, current LA transplant Robert Evans and NYC actress Molly Ryman, two amazing talents who are on their way to breaking through..." Then I watched the movie. It’s a little rough around the edges, but undeniably endearing and as personal a film as one can imagine. Which brings us to this moment. David Spaltro Facebook • Twitter • IMDB • TIDU on Facebook • Things I Don't Understand website • Order ...Around on DVD from Amazon.com • David Spaltro's second appearance on Mr. Media (2012, Video)   Kicking Through the Ashes: My Life As A Stand-up in the 1980s Comedy Boom by Ritch Shydner. Order your copy today by clicking on the book cover above!   The Party Authority in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland!

Today's Guest: Nathan Fillion, actor, "Castle," "Firefly" Order 'Castle: The Complete First Season' starring Nathan Fillion, available from Amazon.com by clicking on the DVD cover above! (EDITOR'S NOTE: Unfortunately, this was not one of the show's better moments, technically speaking. I'm a big fan of Fillion's work and everything that could go wrong here, did. It was Firefly fail times a thousand.) Nathan Fillion has paid his dues and, I suspect had a good time doing it. He’s the guy you know and recognize when you see him—oh, yeah, you think—that guy! He was last seen on “Desperate Housewives” as Dana Delany’s beaten-down, much younger husband, Dr. Adam Mayfair. But before that, you’ve seen him in everything from Joss Whedon’s late, lamented sci-fi series “Firefly” to the online sensation, “Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog.” He also co-starred in the movie Waitress with Keri Russell. Order 'Firefly: The Complete Series' [Blu-ray] starring Nathan Fillion, available from Amazon.com by clicking on the DVD set above! Now it appears Fillion has met the role that could be a perfect match for him. He is novelist Richard Castle, the lead character in the new Monday night ABC series “Castle.” The show, which may remind viewers of a certain generation—mine—of “Moonlighting” and younger viewers, perhaps, of “Bones,” airs at 9 p.m. Nathan Fillion Twitter • Facebook • Order Castle: The Complete First Season on DVD from Amazon.com Listen: Mr. Media's interview with Ruben Santiago-Hudson, co-star of Castle (2009) Listen: Mr. Media's interview with Summer Glau, co-star of Firefly, The Cape (2011) Order 'Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog' [Blu-ray] starring Neal Patrick Harris, Nathan Fillion and Felicia Day, available from Amazon.com by clicking on the DVD above!   Kicking Through the Ashes: My Life As A Stand-up in the 1980s Comedy Boom by Ritch Shydner. Order your copy today by clicking on the book cover above!   The Party Authority in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland!

Today's Guest: David Spaltro, indie filmmaker, Things I Don't Understand, Around... Mr. Media is recorded live before a studio audience of seriously depressed social zombies with nothing to fear but fear itself… in the NEW new media capital of the world, St. Petersburg, Florida!   Molly Ryman stars in the new David Spaltro indie film 'Things I Don't Understand.' Filmmaker David Spaltro was one of my smartest finds of 2009. His first independent production, …Around, was stitched together on dozens of credit cards and a peanut-butter-and-jelly budget. It made for a great backstory and an even better film. I was delighted to interview David on this show back then and couldn’t be happier to welcome him back with a new film. DAVID SPALTRO audio excerpt: "I had a kamikaze mission for my first film, ... Around. I had a six-month plan that if we finished the film, I'd juggle all the credit card debt... If it didn't work out, I'm young, I'm stupid, I'd figure it out. The only way to protect the film was to sign it away to my producers for $1. But what I did was transference fraud so I couldn't file for bankruptcy. The only way to deal with it was to not exist for two years. It was a long, long journey."  Lisa Eichhorn's stars in 'Things I Don't Understand' Even better was the opportunity to see more of actress Molly Ryman, who co-starred in …Around and is central to Things I Don’t Understand. In the new drama, she plays a detached grad student who forms a cathartic bond with a terminally ill girl she's interviewing for her thesis. That would be plenty of grist but she’s also falling for the damaged bartender downstairs with a mysterious past, even as she faces eviction from the home she's built for herself with her artist roommates. Order David Spaltro's first film from Amazon.com by clicking the DVD cover above! For me, one of the marked differences between Spaltro’s first and second films is the lighting; I remember …Around as being dark and dingy – no doubt in deference to limited resources – while Things I Don’t Understand, despite its dark topics, is actually brighter and more appealing to the eye. You can get a taste for Things I Don’t Understand at the film’s official website and watch for it to possibly debut later this year at SXSW or the Tribeca Film Festival. David Spaltro Facebook • Twitter • IMDB • TIDU on Facebook • Things I Don't Understand website • Order ...Around on DVD from Amazon.com • David Spaltro's first appearance on Mr. Media   Kicking Through the Ashes: My Life As A Stand-up in the 1980s Comedy Boom by Ritch Shydner. Order your copy today by clicking on the book cover above!   The Party Authority in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland!

Today's Guest: Maulik Pancholy, actor, "30 Rock," "Whitney," "Weeds" Mr. Media is recorded live before a studio audience of Kabletown personal assistants vying to replace Jonathan for Jack Donaghy’s… attentions… in the NEW new media capitol of the world… St. Petersburg, Florida!   Maulik Pancholy's '30 Rock' character Jonathan is not done with Alec Baldwin yet. (Photo by: Ali Goldstein/NBC) As trade-ups go, it’s hard to beat Maulik Pancholy’s change of scenery. He’s just graduated from recurring character Jonathan on “30 Rock” to Neal, a sensitive renaissance man on the new NBC sitcom “Whitney, starring comedian Whitney Cummings. It airs on Thursdays at 9:30 p.m., sandwiched tightly between “The Office” and “30 Rock.” WHITNEY -- Season:1 -- Pictured: (l-r) Maulik Pancholy as Neal, Rhea Seehorn as Roxanne, Zoe Lister-Jones as Lily, Whitney Cummings as Whitney Cummings, Chris D'Elia as Alex Miller, Dan O'Brien as Mark (Photo by: Mitchell Haaseth/NBC) MAULIK PANCHOLY audio excerpt: "Both shows are NBC shows so there's a really good chance you're going to see Jonathan back on '30 Rock.'" It’s worth noting that he’s also moved from one of the few network sitcoms created and produced by – and starring – a strong woman. At “30 Rock,” it was Tina Fey, now it’s Whitney Cummings. He also appeared on “Weeds” a few years ago selling pot for Mary Louise Parker’s character. It’s nice to see the kid from Tampa’s Berkley Preparatory School continue his upward march to world domination. This is Maulik’s second visit to Mr. Media. (Check out his first Mr. Media interview, November 11, 2010!) Maulik Pancholy Twitter • Order 30 Rock Season 5 DVD • Order Whitney Season One from Amazon.com • Berkeley Preparatory School, Tampa More 'Whitney' cast interviews: Zoe Lister-Jones • Chris D'Elia Kicking Through the Ashes: My Life As A Stand-up in the 1980s Comedy Boom by Ritch Shydner. Order your copy today by clicking on the book cover above!   The Party Authority in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland!

Robert Schimmel: Life Since Then. Order your copy today by clicking on the DVD cover above!   Today's Guest: Robert Schimmel, comedian, author Cancer on Five Dollars a Day (chemo not included): How Humor Got Me Through the Toughest Journey of My Life Order from Amazon.com by clicking the book cover above Comedian Robert Schimmel was my guest on Mr. Media recently and despite an hour of conversation, I felt like we barely began talking when time ran out. And based on listener response, it seems many of you felt the same way, so I’ve invited Robert back to pick up where we left off. So please welcome back to Mr. Media one of the best stand-up comedians in America and the author of Cancer on $5 a Day, Robert Schimmel. Robert Schimmel Wikipedia • IMDB • New York Times obituary • Order Cancer on $5 a Day via Amazon.com WATCH! Geri Jewell interview with Mr. Media about her friend and roommate Robert Schimmel Kicking Through the Ashes: My Life As A Stand-up in the 1980s Comedy Boom by Ritch Shydner. Order your copy today by clicking on the book cover above!   The Party Authority in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware and Maryland!

Today's Guest: Robert Schimmel, comedian, author, Cancer on Five Dollars a Day (chemo not included): How Humor Got Me Through the Toughest Journey of My Life Order from Amazon.com by clicking the book cover above (APRIL 2008) I tried my hand at stand-up comedy twice in college, once as a freshman at the University of Miami and again a year later at the University of Florida. And no, I wasn’t so bad at Miami that I was asked to leave. They were a lot more subtle than that. Anyway, I gave up that dream early. It’s a tough, humiliating life, not for me. Now, Robert Schimmel, on the other hand, is one of the best stand-up comedians of his generation. He, like Richard Belzer before him, is the guy other comedians watch and measure themselves against. He is naturally funny and naturally crude, rude, and not recommended for listeners under the age of 18. That’s my way of saying if you’re too young to drink or if you’re easily offended, tune out now. The button-down mind of Bob Newhart this definitely is not. These days, Schimmel is still out doing his job making people laugh, but there is a twist. In 2000, when his career was reaching new heights, he was diagnosed with Stage III non-Hodgkins Lymphoma, cancer. Not good. But he underwent aggressive therapy and routed the disease, even discovering a new source of material for his act in process. And he’s written a book, Cancer on $5 a Day: Chemo Not Included, How Humor Got Me Through the Toughest Journey of My Life. ROBERT SCHIMMEL audio excerpt: "I did find humor in it. When you’re in the hospital and you lose all your hair and everything, and your doctor comes in and says, “Would you be interested in a wig?” And he has like an 8 x 10 like a binder, a notebook with different headshots with wigs on them. I said to the guy, “Do you have one for my crotch?” And the guy says, “As a matter of fact, we do,” and he showed me pictures. I almost fell out of the bed. And he said, “Robert, they’re virtually undetectable,” and I’m thinking, Undetectable? I don’t have one eyelash, and then I’m gonna have a shrub between my legs, and that’s not gonna be detectable?"  BOB ANDELMAN/Mr. MEDIA: Robert, I’m kind of curious. You’ve written your first book. What was it like to see your material in such a permanent format? You’ve done CDs, and, subject matter aside for the moment, it’s Robert Schimmel’s voice on paper. What was that like for you? ROBERT SCHIMMEL: It was hard. I never had any intention of writing a book before because I have friends that are comedians that have books out and basically what their book is is it’s like their stand-up act that’s been transcribed and put into a book. And I never wanted to do anything like that because I know that there are some jokes that you can tell live on stage, and maybe it’s your delivery or your timing, your personality where all those things play into the way the joke works, and you look at it on a piece of paper, and it’s not the same thing. I used to write for “In Living Color.” There were sketches that you’d write that you knew were funny, but other people read them on a sheet of paper, and they go, “Naah, we’ve got to punch it up a little bit,” and it was perfect the way it was the first time. Robert Schimmel: Life Since Then. Order your copy today by clicking on the DVD cover above! I had somebody help me write this book. I’m not gonna deny that because I respect writers, and they usually don’t get any credit for when they help somebody else, but I have a picture of the guy in the inside flap of the book. His name is Alan Eisenstock, and the reason why I chose to have him help me was twofold. One, he interviewed me in 2000 when I was on top of the world career-wise for a Father’s Day issue of Variety magazine, and as we spoke, it wound up us getting kind of close, and he found out that I’d lost a son in 1992, and I found out that he lost a son. So when they offered me the book this year, I wanted to find someone that could help me because I...