We’re entering the peak season for high profile prestige movies that may end up on critics year end lists or nominated for various awards. So, this week, J. McVay, Jacqueline Soller and Charles Hinshaw discuss three such movies out in theatres now:

‘Shoplifters’ - directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda and winner of the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year.

‘Widows’ - directed by Steve McQueen and starring Viola Davis, Michelle Rodriguez, and Elizabeth Debicki, Cynthia Erivo, Colin Farrell, Brian Tyree Henry, Daniel Kaluuya, Jacki Weaver, Robert Duvall, and Liam Neeson.

‘The Favourite’ - directed by Yorgos Lanthimos and starring Olivia Colman, Rachel Weisz, Emma Stone, and Nicholas Hoult.

And we’ll take an exclusive early listen to a performance by Brooklyn band The World’s Greatest Detective, from their upcoming BTR Live Studio session.

Music composed by and show edited by Hansdale Hsu.

00:00 - Intro

01:31 - Movie Review: Charles Hinshaw on ‘Shoplifters’

03:24 - Movie Review: J. McVay on ‘Shoplifters’

03:44 - Movie Chat: Charles Hinshaw + J. McVay (spoiler alert)

16:41 - 1st Person: Carlo // On His First Relationship

20:10 - Movie Review: J. McVay on ‘Widows’

21:48 - Movie Chat: Jacqueline Soller + J. McVay (spoiler alert)

39:53 - "Prize Spider" (BTR Live Studio, 2018) - The World's Greatest Detective

44:50 - Movie Review: Jacqueline Soller on ‘The Favourite’

46:41 - Movie Chat: Jacqueline Soller + J. McVay (spoiler alert)

61:59 - Outro / Credits

62:47 - Finish.

This week, we have a conversation between contributor Matt Ruby and guest, Dr. Jonathan Fader. They discuss Dr. Fader’s experience as a performance psychologist and in coaching people in high performance settings such as sports and business

Later in the episode, Winston Cook-Wilson and J. McVay discuss the new movie, Jonathan, directed by Bill Oliver and starring Ansel Elgort, Suki Waterhouse, and Patricia Clarkson.

And we take an exclusive early listen to a performance by avant-pop artist, Farao, from their upcoming BTR Live Studio session.

Music composed by and show edited by Hansdale Hsu.

00:00 - Intro

01:17 - START /// Matt Ruby chats w/ Dr. Jonathan Fader about performance psychology / building relationships w/ athletes, etc.

06:30 - “Joining” / getting a team on your side

09:10 - Macho cultures & resistance to therapy/psychology / the warrior class

11:32 - Professionals + mental focus / competitiveness / response to unwanted results / being driven by negatives

18:17 - Help them be better people, win, or reflect? / constant scrutiny

26:23 - fueled by grievances vs. positive psychology

29:30 - Rising mental health awareness in sports

32:56 - How does working with athletes compare with working with others? / Common issues among people in the warrior class

36:47 - Public speaking

38:13 - Who do you admire or emulate? / wrapping up /// END

40:02 - 1st Person: Uddhava // Thoughts On Spirituality

43:48 - Movie Review: Winston Cook-Wilson on ‘Jonathan’

45:06 - Movie Chat: Winston Cook- Wilson + J. McVay (spoiler alert)

57:16 - "Lula Loves You" (BTR Live Studio, 2018) - Farao

61:56 - Outro / Credits

62:44 - Finish.

This week, we have a conversation between contributor Matt Ruby and guest, Luisa Díez. Both an anthropologist and a comedy booker, Diez views the comedy world with the mindset of her training in anthropology…

Later in the episode, Jacqueline Soller and J McVay discuss the recently released movie, Can You Ever Forgive Me?, directed by Marielle Heller and starring Melissa McCarthy and Richard E. Grant.

And we’ll take an exclusive early listen to a performance by Alabama folk-pop band, The Underhill Family Orchestra, from their upcoming BTR Live Studio session.

Music composed by and show edited by Hansdale Hsu.

00:00 - Intro

01:18 - START /// Matt Ruby chats w/ Luisa Díez about her anthropological view of comedy / “Comedy is the most interesting artform” / Temporality: Statues vs. Paintings vs. Jokes / The feedback loop

07:32 - A lot of comedians don’t like comedy

12:34 - Interests as a curator

15:08 - Intentionality / “Post-comedy”

24:25 - Comedy is like a bottle fly / When is art finished?

30:00 - Why is comedy considered a lower artform? / The Gatekeeper Problem

37:52 - Are there artists in the fine art world with the mindset of a comedian?

40:05 - 5 types of “idol breakers”

48:29 - Diversity in comedy / “Me Too” in comedy / Louis CK /// END

55:53 - 1st Person: Carol // Her Childhood Home in Argentina

59:03 - "Chickasaw Fields" (BTR Live Studio, 2018) - The Underhill Family Orchestra

64:04 - Movie Review: Jacqueline Soller on ‘Can You Ever Forgive Me?’

65:35 - Movie Chat: Jacqueline Soller + J. McVay (spoiler alert)

77:05 - John Knefel // The Dangers of Gender Based Violence

79:02 - Outro / Credits

79:50 - Finish.

This week, J is joined today by contributors Rena Karefa-Johnson and Matt Ruby to discuss the recent attempted mail bombings of Trump critics, the shooting at a Pittsburgh synagogue, and whether President Trump’s rhetoric makes him responsible for others’ actions

Later in the episode, Jacqueline Soller and J discuss the recently released movie, Burning, directed by Lee Chang-dong and starring Yoo Ah-in, Steven Yeun, and Jeon Jong-seo.

And we have an exclusive early listen to a performance by Adeline Hotel from their upcoming BTR Live Studio session.

Music composed by and show edited by Hansdale Hsu.

00:00 - Intro

01:20 - START /// Trump’s Rhetoric & Responsibility w/ Rena Karefa-Johnson + Matt Ruby

03:12 - At what point does someone's rhetoric (and/or policies) make them responsible for other peoples' actions? / defining responsibility

07:07 - A white man killed two black people in Kentucky then said “whites don’t kills white”

09:18 - “They both talked about the same thing, and one of them is violent and one of them is the President and that’s f*cking weird.”

11:49 - Trump as accelerant (a recurring theme) / Actual white supremacist or opportunist?

15:53 - If you want to be a leader, you have to take the good with the bad / underlying societal problems

19:39 - “Extraordinarily violent assertions of white supremacy, especially at places of worship, are not new.” / “This is white terrorism that has been happening in this country for a long time more than this is Trumpism.”

23:48 - Trump represents an obnoxious, virulent minority / “We should all make t-shirts that says ‘white people are fine’ and just move on with our lives.”

27:00 - Bringing it back, is Trump responsible for others’ actions? / Donald Trump as Michael Scott? We’re all Dunder Mifflin? /// END

29:39 - “Solid Love” (BTR Live Studio, 2018) - Adeline Hotel

34:40 - Movie Review: Jacqueline Soller on ‘Burning’

36:20 - Movie Chat: Jacqueline Soller + J. McVay (spoiler alert)

52:54 - John Knefel // Homeland Security’s Border Threat

54:52 - Outro / Credits

55:40 - Finish.

Jacqueline Soller, Charles Hinshaw, and J. McVay all attended the recently concluded 2018 New York Film Festival and share their thoughts on their favorite performances, directors, and more. Among them:

PEOPLE:

Elisabeth Moss, Joanna Kulig, Yalitza Aparicio, Kathryn Hahn, Kiki Layne, Robert Pattinson, Tomasz Kot, Paul Giamatti, Stephan James, Willem Dafoe, Olivia Colman, Juliette Binoche, Steven Yeun, Regina King, Brian Tyree Henry, Kayli Carter, Tom Waits, Zoe Kazan, Bill Heck, Carrie Mulligan, Agyness Dean, Gayle Rankin, Dan Stevens, Marina de Tavira, Jake Gyllenhaal, Sakura Ando, Tao Zhao, Sunny Suljic, Na-Kel Smith, Olan Prenatt, Vincent Macaigne, Alfonso Cuarón, Barry Jenkins, Claire Denis, Paweł Pawlikowski, Lee Chang-dong, Alex Ross Perry, Hirokazu Koreeda, Olivier Assayas, Tamara Jenkins, Coen Brothers, Jonah Hill, Tom Waits

FILMS:

Her Smell, Cold War, Roma, Private Life, If Beale Street Could Talk, High Life, At Eternity’s Gate, The Favourite, Non-Fiction, Burning, The Ballad Of Buster Scruggs, Shoplifters, Wildlife, The Other Side of the Wind, Asako I & II, mid90s, Ash Is Purest White, Searching for Ingmar Bergman, Diamantino

ADDITIONAL TOPIC:

Netflix and other streaming services’ potential effects on the production of movies -- especially international cinema and mid-budget dramas.

And we’ll take an exclusive early listen to a performance by Jane Church from their upcoming BTR Live Studio session.

Music composed by and show edited by Hansdale Hsu.

00:00 - Intro

01:09 - START /// fav performances, directors, and more at the 2018 New York Film Festival

02:04 - Our favorite lead performances

08:36 - Our favorite supporting performances

14:27 - Our favorite overall casts

15:50 - Our favorite directors

22:50 - Other things that impressed us (cinematography, editing, screenplay, scene/moment, etc)

31:50 - Overarching themes and other observations at the festival / Netflix/streaming and the future of movies /// END

48:43 - 1st Person: Julian // Life As A Photographer

52:29 - “Bleed” (BTR Live Studio, 2018) - Jane Church

57:14 - Outro / Credits

58:02 - Finish.

Jacqueline Soller, Charles Hinshaw, and J. McVay all attended the recently concluded 2018 New York Film Festival and share which films they enjoyed the most. Among them:

AT ETERNITY’S GATE // directed by Julian Schnabel

BURNING // directed by Lee Chang-dong

COLD WAR // directed by Paweł Pawlikowski

HER SMELL // directed by Alex Ross Perry

HIGH LIFE // directed by Claire Denis

IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK // directed by Barry Jenkins

mid90s // directed by Jonah Hill

MONROVIA, INDIANA // directed by Frederick Wiseman

ROMA // directed by Alfonso Cuarón

SHOPLIFTERS // directed by Hirokazu Kore-eda

Charles Hinshaw and J. McVay also discuss in full the newly released movie, mid90s, directed by Jonah Hill and starring Sunny Suljic, Lucas Hedges, Na-kel Smith, and Olan Prenatt.

We’ll also hear from Radio Dispatch’s John Knefel with his take on how Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is effectively targeting the poor...

And we’ll take an exclusive early listen to a performance by The Duke of Surl from their upcoming BTR Live Studio session.

Music composed by and show edited by Hansdale Hsu.

00:00 - Intro

01:09 - START /// Our favorite films at the 2018 New York Film Festival

02:23 - Charles Hinshaw on ‘At Eternity’s Gate’

03:33 - Jacqueline Soller on ‘Cold War’

04:11 - J. McVay on ‘Cold War’

05:27 - Charles on ‘If Beale Street Could Talk’

06:11 - Jacqueline on ‘Burning’

06:54 - J. McVay on ‘High Life’

08:40 - Charles on ‘Shoplifters’

10:09 - Jacqueline on ‘If Beale Street Could Talk’

11:45 - J. McVay on ‘If Beale Street Could Talk’

14:09 - Charles on ‘mid90s’

16:00 - Jacqueline on ‘Her Smell’

17:20 - J. McVay on ‘Monrovia, Indiana’

18:18 - Charles on ‘Roma’

19:35 - Jacqueline on ‘Roma’

20:03 - J. McVay on ‘Roma’

20:42 - ‘Roma’ on a big screen vs. home / Netflix release / general discussion

28:33 - SPOILER ALERT: our favorite scenes from ‘Roma’ /// END

34:20 - “You've Got To Get Home (When Your Baby's Alone)” (BTR Live Studio, 2018) - The Duke of Surl

39:20 - Movie Review: Charles Hinshaw on ‘mid90s’

41:27 - Movie Chat: Charles Hinshaw + J. McVay (spoiler alert)

60:36 - John Knefel // McConnell Targets The Poor

62:30 - Outro / Credits

63:18 - Finish.

This week, J is joined by contributors Jacqueline Soller and Charles Hinshaw to discuss 1) ‘A Star Is Born,’ directed by Bradley Cooper and starring Cooper, Lady Gaga, and Sam Elliott and 2) ‘Private Life,’ directed by Tamara Jenkins and starring Kathryn Hahn, Paul Giamatti, Kayli Carter, and Molly Shannon.

And we have an exclusive early listen to a performance by by Brooklyn soul singer Joanna Teters from their upcoming BTR Live Studio session.

Music composed by and show edited by Hansdale Hsu.

00:00 - Intro

01:09 - Movie Review: Jacqueline Soller on ‘A Star Is Born’

02:38 - Movie Review: J. McVay on ‘A Star Is Born’

04:03 - Movie Chat: Jacqueline Soller + J. McVay (spoiler alert)

27:49 - 1st Person: Haley // Chasing Adventure

30:28 - Movie Review: Charles Hinshaw on ‘Private Life’

32:24 - Movie Chat: Charles Hinshaw + J. McVay (spoiler alert)

53:01 - “So Easy To Love” (BTR Live Studio, 2018) - Joanna Teters

58:47 - John Knefel // #MeToo After Kavanaugh

60:51 - Outro / Credits

61:40 - Finish.

This week, J is joined today by contributors Rena Karefa-Johnson and Matt Ruby to discuss the latest developments in the Senate Judiciary Committee hearings on the nomination of Judge Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court. They also delve into the imbalance of power in the Senate and SCOTUS toward the politics held by the minority of the people.

Later in the episode, Winston Cook-Wilson and J discuss the recently released movie, The Old Man & the Gun, directed by David Lowery and starring Robert Redford and Sissy Spacek.

And we have an exclusive early listen to a performance by a band from Richmond, Virginia, called Spooky Cool from their upcoming BTR Live Studio session.

Music composed by and show edited by Hansdale Hsu.

Mentioned in the episode:

‘PACK THE SUPREME COURT’ // The Inctercept

00:00 - Intro

01:10 - START /// Kavanaugh, SCOTUS, Senate w/ Rena Karefa-Johnson + Matt Ruby

01:55 - A review of Kavanaugh’s history and confirmation process so far

04:26 - Reaction to coverage of the hearings and the way the Democrats and Republicans have handled it

13:59 - Kavanaugh’s sense of entitlement, temperament, etc.

18:17 - Politics in SCOTUS and judicial bodies generally / legal fictions revealed / Ivy league white men

23:10 - Jeff Flake’s deal for an FBI investigation / “No currency in compromise.”

25:56 - A system of minority rule that forces unnecessary compromise / “It’s only ever Democrats who want to compromise.” / Debating… Obama?

33:49 - A reactionary electorate / Senate Judiciary Committee Dems didn’t compromise / Republican hypocrisy

37:27 - “Court Packing” or “Court Balancing” to make SCOTUS better reflect the will of the people

44:24 - “I’m advocating no longer letting the status quo be used as an excuse to keep certain people down… which is the history of this country.” / Term limits? / “Have respect for your elders…” “I do, I just don’t want them in charge of me.”

48:04 - Should further action be taken against Kavanaugh? / Restorative justice

51:05 - Rena attended Yale and knows what Kavanaugh’s frat is like /// END

51:29 - Movie Review: Winston Cook-Wilson on ‘The Old Man & The Gun’

52:51 - Movie Chat: Winston Cook-Wilson + J. McVay (spoiler alert)

74:27 - “Old Hair Mine” (BTR Live Studio, 2018) - Spooky Cool

79:40 - Outro / Credits

80:27 - Finish.

This week, we’ll hear a conversation between contributor Bryan Bruchman and guest Kyle Hurst, one of the founders of BIG aLICe BREWING Co. -- a brewery in Long Island City, NY, with a unique approach to how it brews and sells beer.

Later in the episode, Jacqueline Soller and J. McVay discuss the newly released movie, All About Nina, directed by Eva Vives and starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead and Common.

We’ll hear a 1st person story from Michele about how he gained his independence by working summers as a teenage.

We’ll also hear from Radio Dispatch’s Molly Knefel with her reflections on the first year of the Me Too movement and whether we may be standing on the edge of a world in which hurting women may finally be a dealbreaker.

And we’ll take an exclusive early listen to a performance by Brooklyn band A Deer A Horse from their upcoming BTR Live Studio session.

Music composed by and show edited by Hansdale Hsu.

00:00 - Intro

01:08 - START /// Bryan Bruchman interviews Kyle Hurst about Big aLICe Brewing Co.

03:21 - Brewery size and scaling

04:29 - CSA-style brewery (“the original CSB”) / Long Island City breweries

06:18 - Why Long Island City?

07:02 - Naming the brewery / branding

10:38 - Source materials + NY’s farm brewing law

15:20 - New York hops / beer trends / Why are IPAs so popular?

20:10 - Tasting: Fistful of Rubies

23:05 - The explosion of beer culture

25:00 - Untapped and other beer review apps

28:14 - Homebrewing to professional brewing

29:28 - Deciding what to brew when

34:52 - Lack of space in NYC vs. elsewhere

36:48 - Tasting: Queensbridge IPA / beer labels, bottling style, etc.

41:50 - News: new 2nd location coming soon /// END

43:24 - 1st Person: Michele // On Gaining Independence

47:15 - Movie Review: Jacqueline Soller on ‘All About Nina’

48:50 - Movie Chat: Jacqueline Soller + J. McVay (spoiler alert)

69:11 - Molly Knefel // A Year Of #MeToo

71:26 - "Cold Shoulder" (BTR Live Studio, 2018) - A Deer A Horse

75:10 - Outro / Credits

75:59 - Finish.

This week, we’ll hear a conversation between contributor Matt Ruby and guest, Dan Lerner, a speaker, author and instructor whose NYU course, ‘The Science of Happiness,’ focuses on positive psychology.

Later in the episode, Charles Hinshaw and J. McVay discuss the recently released movie, White Boy Rick, directed by Yann Demange and starring Richie Merritt and Matthew McConaughey.

We’ll hear a 1st person story from Hao about the small village where she grew up in China

We’ll also hear from Radio Dispatch’s John Knefel with his take on how the the left has evolved from the Occupy movement of 2011 to this election cycle’s victories for the Democratic Socialists of America.

And we’ll take an exclusive early listen to a performance by Brooklyn band Navy Gangs from their upcoming BTR Live Studio session.

Music composed by and show edited by Hansdale Hsu.

00:00 - Intro

01:07 - START /// Matt Ruby interviews Dan Lerner about Positive Psychology

01:27 - The Science of Happiness

03:05 - The Science of Wellbeing

05:55 - Taking pause

07:44 - Buddhism and Zen concepts?

09:28 - Wellbeing vs. Happiness

11:13 - Societal values + capitalism / meaning vs. materialism

13:37 - Individual happiness or shared values?

18:03 - Reversion to tribalism

19:13 - Background in music

23:05 - Successful careers vs. family life

29:40 - Different approaches for different people

35:15 - Negative emotions /// END

38:48 - 1st Person: Hao // Nostalgic For A Lost Village

43:00 - Movie Review: Charles Hinshaw on ‘White Boy Rick’

45:05 - Movie Chat: Charles Hinshaw + J. McVay (spoiler alert)

59:48 - John Knefel // The Left Evolves

61:51 - "Housekeeping" (BTR Live Studio, 2018) - Navy Gangs

65:37 - Outro / Credits

66:24 - Finish.