ScreenFish

Directed by Steve Pink, THE LAST REPUBLICAN follows Republican Congressman Adam Kinzinger, a politician who sacrificed his career by taking a stand against Donald Trump's role in the January 6 insurrection. As Kissinger speaks publicly and demands accountability, the film opens our eyes to the ways that he was abandoned by his party for not toeing the line. In this 1on1, we speak to Kissinger and Pink about the line between people and politics and extending hands across the aisle.

Long live the king! With the release of MUFASA: THE LION KING in theatres, Disney continues the epic story of their iconic characters by taking us back to the beginning. Featuring younger versions of Mufasa (Aaron Pierre) and Taka (Kelvin Harrison Jr.), we finally see the beginning of the Lion King's reign and how these two brothers are torn apart. In this 1on1, we speak to Pierre and Harrison Jr. about what it means to be a great leader and the power of loving the strays.

The halls have been decked and the reindeer have completed their pre-flight checklist! It's the holiday season and, once again, we let SF Radio get into the Christmas cheer with Dwayne Johnson's RED ONE. While the film crashed at the box office, it's flying high on Prime Video. But is it really an early gift? Or just another lump of coal? This week, Heather Johnson and Chris Utley return to dig into Santa's sack of horrors and discuss what defines Christmas movies and what it takes to get off the naughty list.

Jesse Cowell hates office culture and now, he's ready to show the world. Premiering at Dances with Films NYC '24, the new short BITCH, I'M EARLY tells the story of two women, a generation apart, who get caught up in the battle for a promotion in their company. Determined to be first into work to show their dedication to the job, the two women engage in an all-out race to prove their worth. In this 1on1, we speak to Cowell about how office culture de-humanizes us and being caught up in blame.

Michael Clowater is ready to tell his family story. Based on the true story of his grandfather, DRIVE BACK HOME tells the story of Weldon (Charlie Creed-Miles) as he and his family mourn the death of their father. Shortly after, Weldon receives a call from the Toronto police. They have arrested his older brother, Perley (Alan Cumming) for having sex with a man in a public park and Weldon is the only number that he gave them. At his mother’s insistence, Weldon begins the 1000 mile trek to Toronto in order to pick up his brother. But family reunions aren’t always easy and, with awkwardness in the air, the two men begin the difficult ride home together. In this 1on1, we speak to Clowater about moving forward when you could go back and looking for God.

At the height of the pandemic, everyone's lives existed in a wild moment of pause. In THE HEIRLOOM, we're dropped into the home of Eric and Allie, a couple whose relationship is on the brink during the lockdown. However, when they decide to adopt a rescue dog, they believe they could never have anticipated the way that their new family member would change the home, for better and for worse. Directed by Ben Petrie, THE HEIRLOOM is a hilarious and harrowing entry into their home--quite literally, in fact, as Petrie and his partner not only star but base the script on their own personal experiences. In this 1on1, we speak to Petrie about showing his relationship onscreen, living in the pandemic & the problems of being 'pack leader'.

This holiday season has gone WICKED! With the release of Jon M. Chu's musical, WICKED, the box office is thriving with the classic re-visiting of Baum's WIZARD OF OZ. Featuring strong performances by Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, the film truly lives up to the legacy of a stage play that has dominated Broadway for 20+ years. But what is it about this play that still works?This week, Raevin Larue and Riley Lovering Spencer fly by to talk about why the story continues to resonate and talk about whether or not we think someone is truly 'wicked'. (Spoiler Alert: We loved it so much that we didn't even Screen It/Skip It!) 

D'Arcy Carden has gone from a GOOD PLACE to THE GUTTER. In her brash new comedy, THE GUTTER, Carden has unleashed her dark (and hilarious) side. As the alcholic bowler Skunk, Carden teams up with Walt (Shameik Moore), a young man in need of cash fast. Together, Walt and Carden enter the local bowling league with prize money on their mind, but they need to defeat the living legend Linda Cursen (Susan Sarandon) who stands in their way. In this 1on1, we speak to Carden about her love of Skunk and how we manage complicated relationships our parents.

HERETIC introduces us to Sister Paxton and Sister Barnes (Chloe East and Sophie Thatcher), two young Mormons who are out on their prescribed evangelical mission to convert unbelievers. When they approach the home of Mr. Reed (Hugh Grant), they ring the bell with optimism. (After all, he reached out to them with an interest to hear more.) However, after entering the home, they soon discover that Mr. Reed’s call is motivated by his own religious distaste, leading to a game of spiritual cat-and-mouse that could prove deadly for them both. This week, Steve welcomes ScreenFish'rs Raevin Larue and Seun Olowo-Ake back to the pod to talk about the toxicity of religion and the nature of control.

There's something about live television. For 50 seasons, Saturday Night Live has been a cultural institution of political satire. Now, in SATURDAY NIGHT, Jason Reitman attempts to take us behind the scenes of the very first show in 1976. With 90 minutes on the clock, the film shows the chaos that can happen with live tv and the battles they have to fight along the way. In the season premiere of SF Radio, Timothy Rideout (TheMindReels.com) and Dave Voigt (InTheSeats.ca) return to talk the magic of live television (and SNL itself) and whether we're ever really in control.