Pop Culture Tonight with Patrick Phillips

Patrick welcomes William B. Davis back to Pop Culture Tonight to discuss ‘The X-Files’, his iconic role as ‘The Smoking Man’ and how things are shaping up in season 11!

THE X-FILES originally premiered in September 1993. Over the course of its nine-season run, the influential series went from breakout sci-fi favorite to massive global hit, and became one of the most successful television dramas of all time.

The show, which earned 16 Emmy Awards, five Golden Globes and a Peabody Award, follows FBI special agents Scully and Mulder, as they investigate unexplained cases – “X-Files” – for which the only answers involve paranormal phenomena.

VISIT William’s website!

Patrick welcomes talented actor Sam Huntington into Pop Culture Tonight to discuss his new film Second Nature, and previous roles in Superman Returns, Being Human and Fanboys!

About Sam Huntington:

Sam began his career in the entertainment industry as an actor on stage, at the prestigious Peterborough Players in his native, New Hampshire, where he performed over four seasons in such roles as ‘Jem’ in “To Kill a Mockingbird”, opposite James Rebhorn.

At the age of 13 he moved to New York where he landed his first feature film, starring alongside Tim Allen and Martin Short in Disney’s “Jungle 2 Jungle.”  Huntington then moved on to such roles as ‘Jam’ in New Line Cinema’s “Detroit Rock City”, ‘Ox’ in Columbia Pictures “Not Another Teen Movie”, and ‘Dinkadoo Murphy’ in Thomas Hayden Church’s “Rolling Kansas.”

In 2006 Sam starred as Daily Planet cub reporter ‘Jimmy Olsen’ in Bryan Singer’s long-awaited take on the Man of Steel, “Superman Returns.”  Additionally, Sam has made several memorable television guest appearances including “Law and Order”, “CSI: Miami”, “CSI: New York”, and “Veronica Mars.”

In 2009 Sam starred as ‘Eric’ in the Weinstein Company’s “Fanboys”, opposite Kristen Bell and Jay Baruchel and starred opposite his Superman co-star Brandon Routh in “Dead of Night”. He is well known for his role as werewolf/tortured soul ‘Josh’ on the SyFy channel’s critically acclaimed hit series, “Being Human”.

This fall Sam stars in “Second Nature” a film about a woman and man who compete in an unusual race for mayor when gender roles magically reverse.

For more information on his new film Second Nature click here!

NEW THIS WEEK!
Thursday, November 16th 8/7c

LIVE STREAM THE SHOW! 

Patrick interviews voice actor Kevin Conroy about 25 years of voicing "Batman".

About Kevin Conroy

Born in Westbury, New York, Kevin Conroy moved to Westport, Connecticut when he was about 11 years old. He moved to New York in 1973 when he earned a full scholarship to attend Juilliard's famous drama division, where he studied under actor John Houseman. While there, he almost ended up living with future Superman actor Christopher Reeve, but ended up rooming with Robin Williams who was in the same group as both Kevin and Kelsey Grammer. In 1978, after graduating from Juilliard, he toured with The Acting Company, Houseman's acting group, and, in 1979, he went on the national tour of Ira Levin's Deathtrap.

Vocally, Kevin Conroy is best known to audiences for his role as Batman in Batman: The Animated Series. Conroy continued to voice-play Batman in the subsequent series The New Batman Adventures, Batman Beyond, Justice League, and Justice League Unlimited. His tenure in the role also includes the DCAU films Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, Batman & Mr. Freeze: SubZero, Batman Beyond: Return of the Joker, and Batman: Mystery of the Batwoman. He also voiced Batman for the character's guest appearances in Superman: The Animated Series, Static Shock and The Zeta Project. Apart from the DCAU, Conroy has also voiced Batman in the DC Universe Animated Original Movies Batman: Gotham Knight, Superman/Batman: Public Enemies, and Superman/Batman: Apocalypse.

Conroy is well remembered by fans for being the first person in animation to use two distinct voices to portray Bruce Wayne and Batman, which was Conroy's idea. In a tally of performances that include every episode, movie, and guest appearance made as Batman, Conroy has portrayed the superhero longer than any other actor in either live-action or animation.

Additionally, he also voiced Batman in the video games The Adventures of Batman and Robin, Batman Vengeance, Batman: Rise of Sin Tzu, as well as the 2001 revamp of Batman Adventure - The Ride, located at the Warner Bros. Movie World theme park in Queensland, Australia. Conroy also voiced the Phantom Stranger and an alternate Batman in Batman: The Brave and the Bold, another animated series unrelated to the DCAU.

Most recently, Kevin returned to voice the iconic Batman role in a trilogy of blockbuster video games, Batman: Arkham Asylum, Batman: Arkham City, and the upcoming Batman: Arkham Knight. The first two games released in the series have sold over 10 million copies combined.

Conroy's hobbies include traveling, running, cycling, and painting. In his spare time, he also does work with foster kids. He has two brothers and one sister, as well as a chocolate Labrador named Bear.

LISTEN NOW to my ALL NEW Christmas Special! 

We’re tracking Santa Claus w/ Royal Canadian Navy Lt. Marco Chouinard from NORAD & I’ll interview Karolyn Grimes who played Zuzu Bailey in the 1946 holiday film It’s A Wonderful Life!

TRACK SANTA CLAUS NOW WITH NORAD!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

Zack Ward was born in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, the son of actress Pam Hyatt. He is known for his character Dave Scovil (Titus’s stoner half-brother) on the FOX show Titus and as the bully Scut Farkus in the 1983 perennial Christmas movie A Christmas Story. He also has guest roles on popular television series such as NCIS, Lost, and Crossing Jordan. Ward has had roles in film such as Almost Famous, Transformers and Anne of Green Gables.

He has appeared in the horror films Resident Evil: Apocalypse and Freddy vs. Jason. Ward also has leading roles in BloodRayne II: Deliverance and Postal. Ward can also be seenin Alone in the Dark II and The Devil’s Tomb.In 2014 Ward co-founded the film production company Grit Film Works with James Cullen Bressack. The first two films which he co-produced with Grit Film Works were the thriller Bethany and the horror film Restoration.

VISIT ZACK’S WEBSITE!

Elmo Shropshire — a.k.a DR. ELMO — is best-known for his recording of “Grandma Got Run Over By A Reindeer,” the Christmas classic which has sold more than 11 million copies since it was first broadcast by a San Francisco radio station in 1979. In December of 2012 “Grandma” was once again #1 on Billboard’s Chart. Consistently the most requested holiday song of the past three decades, “Grandma” has secured its place in American pop culture and made Dr. Elmo the king of comedy carols.

Each December, radio stations throughout the country call Dr. Elmo for his Christmas commentary and live on-air renditions of “that Grandma song.” With the quirky sing-a-long as centerpiece, a radio visit from Dr. Elmo has become part of the nation’s holiday tradition.

VISIT DR. ELMO’S WEBSITE!

Rick Goldschmidt His first book, THE ENCHANTED WORLD OF RANKIN/BASS: A PORTFOLIO (TIGER MOUNTAIN PRESS) has sold out of several editions. THE MAKING OF THE RANKIN/BASS HOLIDAY CLASSIC: RUDOLPH THE RED-NOSED REINDEER (MISER BROS PRESS) also sold out of it’s first edition. In the Fall of 2011, Rick wrote a book on his favorite RANKIN/BASS feature film MAD MONSTER PARTY (MISER BROS PRESS). 

It quickly sold out of two printings and was beautifully designed by Wes Garlatz. In 2012, Arthur Rankin, Jr., Wes Garlatz and Rick decided to celebrate the 15th ANNIVERSARY of THE ENCHANTED WORLD OF RANKIN/BASS:  A PORTFOLIO with a lavish, high quality, expanded, large hardcover coffee table edition, which is the ultimate celebration of Arthur Rankin, Jr. and Jules Bass’ films.

Film Maker/Producer Arthur Rankin, Jr. passed away January 30, 2014 at his home in Bermuda. He created such television classics as Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman, Santa Claus is Comin’ to town, The Little Drummer Boy and The Hobbit. The weekend after his passing, Rankin/Bass historian/Biographer Rick Goldschmidt and his partner Wes Garlatz discovered what was Arthur’s original scrapbook kept at Dentsu studios in Japan from 1959-1961, when he began his first Animagic production of The New Adventures of Pinocchio (A syndicated TV series in the same stop-motion animation style of Rudolph) In this book, you get the entire never-before-seen scrapbook complete with RARE behind-the-scenes photographs, articles (some in Japanese), clippings, notes and even Arthur’s original Videocraft International business card.

If you have Rick’s other three books on Rankin/Bass Productions, you will want to add this one! It celebrates the life of Arthur Rankin, Jr. from beginning to end.

This week Patrick chats with authors David J. Hogan and Linda S. Godfrey about UFO’s and other unexplained phenomena.

Linda S. Godfrey’s new book “Monsters Among Us” is a meticulously researched and thrilling exploration of the otherworldly will challenge your idea of reality. Mysterious wolf-people, sentient mists, and UFOs…if you’ve ever heard a curious bump in the night, caught a glimpse of a strange-looking someone (or something) out of the corner of your eye, or seen an unusual craft dart across the sky before it vanishes without a trace, there’s only one person to call: Linda S. Godfrey. An expert in strange creatures and lore, she has offered reporting on bigfoots, werewolves, strange energy forms, and other bizarre beings for years.

David J. Hogan’s new book “UFO FAQ” features material from a treasure trove of UFO/Project Blue Book archives declassified in 2015. UFO FAQ is an all-inclusive guide to UFO lore – hard science and hoaxes, sightings and abductions, noted UFO proponents and skeptics, and sanctioned research and purported government cover-ups. Readers will meet cultists and explore worldwide UFO “hot spots.” They’ll learn about UFOs in World War II, the Cold War, and the age of terrorism. And they’ll zip along with UFOs in movies, comics, TV, and other popular media.

They’re creepy and they’re kooky, Mysterious and spooky, They’re all together ooky, The Addams Family!

 

This week on episode 2 of this year’s MONSTERS OF POP CULTURE Patrick welcomes the actor inside the legendary costumed character “Cousin Itt” from The Addams Family… Felix Silla!

 

Halloween News Segment: 

 

Halloween myths and urban legends, debunked

 

About Felix:

 

Felix Silla trained as a circus performer and toured with the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus. His many talents took him to Hollywood where he became a stuntman. He has portrayed dozens of iconic characters in popular franchises like Star Trek, Star Wars, Batman and Buck Rogers, but is perhaps best known from his role as “Cousin Itt” on the long-running TV series, The Addams Family (1964).

 

Visit Felix’s website!

This week on part one of "Monsters of Pop Culture", Patrick welcomes Kenny Caperton, a horror-movie fan who built and now lives in a replica of the infamous Michael Myers house from John Carpenter's 1978 horror classic HALLOWEEN.

Kenny Caperton has been fascinated with all things Halloween since childhood, and grew up watching 80s slasher flicks on late night cable television, but the blank pale face of serial killer Michael Myers stuck with him the most.

Kenny's favorite film is still the original HALLOWEEN from 1978.  In 2008, at the age of 26, he reached a point in his life where he was ready to find a place of his own and stop paying rent.  During the process of house hunting, he just so happened to plan a vacation to Los Angeles, California, which included a mandatory pilgrimage to visit the original Myers House in South Pasadena (yes, it's still standing!). 

As a lifelong fan of the HALLOWEEN series, seeing this infamous house in all its sinister glory at this moment in time gave Kenny an insane idea... thus, the creation of The Myers House NC!  So what could have been just another cookie cutter starter home became a life-sized homage to a classic horror movie.

Learn more!

Halloween 2017: The 5 best and worst states to go trick-or-treating

Emmy-nominated Brannon Braga was a key creative force in one of the most enduring and well-known science fiction franchises as a creator, writer and executive producer of more than 300 episodes of the Star Trek television series.

For more than 13 years collectively, he worked on Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Enterprise. His film credits include Mission: Impossible II, Star Trek: Generations and Star Trek: First Contact. In 1990, Braga received the prestigious Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Internship, which led to his involvement with Star Trek.