Story Matters with Curt Mega

In episode 48 of the podcast, we have an honest and candid conversation about the struggle to prioritize creativity when life and work seem to constantly to get in the way. Then, we continue our exploration of the musical biopic with a retrospective on the 2004 film Ray starring Jamie Foxx in an Oscar winning performance. How does the film hold up 14 years later? What similarities and tropes does it use from the biopic genre and how do these compare to our two previous entries of Bohemian Rhapsody and Walk the Line? You can find all episodes of the podcast at www.storymatterspodcast.com!

ARTICLES:

• Jamie Foxx Was an ‘Embarrassment’ During ‘Ray’ Oscar Season, Until Oprah and Sidney Poitier Intervened

Curt, Kim, and Mike, along with special guest Eric Carroll, continue their exploration of the MUSICAL BIOPIC with an in-depth retrospective on the Johnny Cash biopic Walk the Line starring Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon. We compare and contrast this 2005 biopic classic alongside last week’s film focus of Bohemian Rhapsody and examine the similarities and tropes that both films share. We also take a look at the 2007 comedy masterpiece Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story and examine how it deconstructs the biopic genre with both reverence and scathing sarcasm. You can find all episodes at www.storymatterspodcast.com!

WHAT WE'VE BEEN WATCHING:   Kim - Private Life (streaming Netflix) Mike - Mad Men (streaming Netflix) Eric - The Office (streaming Netflix) Curt - Young Adult (streaming on Amazon)

Articles: -"DRUGS AND JUNE CARTER’ – JOHNNY CASH’S FIRST WIFE REVEALS WHAT RUINED THEIR MARRIAGE"

-"Johnny Cash's first wife tells of romance, heartbreak"

-"Johnny Cash's Daughter Storms Out of 'Walk the Line' Premiere Over Portrayal of Mother"

-"THE UNPOPULAR OPINION: WALK THE LINE"

-"Walk the Line Movie Review & Film Summary (2005) | Roger Ebert"

We launch our November exploration of the MUSICAL BIOPIC genre by taking a deep dive into Bohemian Rhapsody, the Freddie Mercury/Queen biopic from 20th Century Fox. We also ask the question of what makes a good biopic? What is the moral responsibility the storyteller has to tell the story exactly as it happened versus creating under the banner of “based on a true story”? When does artistic license cross the line into assassination of character? You can email us your feedback, questions and comments to [email protected]! You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Overcast, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts! Please rate and review this podcast on iTunes and tell your friends, your family and your fellow storytellers!

Article link: New Rules for "Based on a True Story" by Ann Hornaday | Washington Post

We are OVERHAULING THE SHOW in a major way and are very excited to share the details about this new format with you in this episode. We also discuss our ongoing creative projects, examine the the value of reprioritizing and simplifying your life to better achieve your creative goals and talk about the power and freedom that comes from learning to FINISH PROJECTS. In our WHAT WE'VE BEEN WATCHING SEGMENT, we talk about The Amazon original series Forever, the new Drew Goddard film Bad Times at the El Royale, the new Netflix horror series The Haunting of Hill House, the new horror film by Luca Guadagnino Suspiria, the 2018 Halloween lega-sequel starring  Jamie Lee Curtis. You can email us your feedback, questions and comments to [email protected]! You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes/Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Overcast, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts! Please rate and review this podcast on iTunes and tell your friends, your family and your fellow storytellers!

In this episode of the podcast, we take a look back on the summer movies of 2018 and the films that most impacted us, disappointed us, excited us and made us fall in love with the cinema all over again. We also take a hard look at the trend of sequels and prequels and the fact that the top 10 grossing films of 2018 are ALL tied directly to a previously existing franchise. Then for our deep dive, we explore the rise and fall of MoviePass and its impact on the movie-going experience as a whole and ask the question of what exactly defines a "cinematic experience". You can listen to all episodes of the podcast at [email protected] and leave us a review on Apple Podcasts by visiting us on iTunes!

In this episode, Curt, Mike and Kim sit down with actor Wesam Keesh (MTV's Awkward, ABC's For the People and more) to tackle the recent headline news of The Cosby Show's Geoffrey Owens' candid discussions on the realities of the jobs we take to pay our bills while trying to pursue a career in the arts. In this roundtable episode, we talk openly about the craziest side-hustles we've all had to work to pay the bills, the societal stigma and shame that seems to be applied to people working regular day-jobs to support their art, the discipline of training like an athlete even when it comes to creativity, and the value of trying new things that scare the living daylights out of you. 

You can find all episodes at www.storymatterspodcast.com. Be sure to subscribe to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Play Music or wherever you listen to podcasts and leave us a review and rating and let us know how the show has inspired you in your storytelling journey! 

About Wesam Keesh: Wesam was raised most of his life in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He attended Union High School and followed up the rest of acting, theater, and film study at the University of Tulsa. He spent a summer in London at Imperial College focusing on theatre and the arts. Wesam moved to Los Angeles immediately after college to begin his professional film and television career. For more info on Wesam or to see some of the amazing projects he's worked on, check out his IMDB at https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3967234

It's the 10 year anniversary of Christopher Nolan's genre changing super hero crime drama The Dark Knight! In this episode, Curt, Kim, Mike and Eric take a deep dive into the 2nd installment of Nolan's Batman trilogy and examine the influence the film has had on the super hero genre as an art form, explore Heath Ledger's brilliant performance as The Joker and examine how the film holds up 10 years after its release. 

We take a look at the life and legacy of Fred Rogers and break down our reactions and thoughts to Morgan Neville's latest documentary Won't You Be My Neighbor, an in depth look at the the life, philosophy and heart of Fred Rogers. We also talk about Mister Roger's Neighborhood and the impact it had on our lives as both children and adults and its call to action for our modern age. In our What We've Been Watching segment, we dive into HBO's brilliant documentary Spielberg, Season 2 of the harrowing Hulu original series The Handmaid's Tale, and the poignant and essential manual for aspiring writers Letter's To a Young Novelist. You can find all episodes of the podcast at www.storymatterspodcast.com! If you like what you hear, head on over to iTunes and leave us a review! 

In this SUPER episode of the podcast, we take a look back at Pixar's groundbreaking 2004 film The Incredibles to discuss what influences it's had on the superhero genre as a whole and examine how it holds up 14 years later upon a rewatch. Then, we then delve into an in-depth, spoiler-filled roundtable conversation on Incredibles 2 to discuss our reactions, thoughts and takeaways on the super-sized super sequel 14 years in the making!

You can find all episodes of the podcast at www.storymatterspodcast.com! If you like what you hear, head on over to iTunes and leave us a review! 

Join the Story Matters Community: Patreon.com/storymatters Facebook: www.facebook.com/storymatterspodcast Instagram: @storymatterspodcast Twitter: @storymatterspod 

In this SUPER-SIZED episode of the podcast, Eric Carroll joins Curt and Mike to remember the amazing storytelling that Anthony Bourdain brought to the world. We also talk about the incredible new horror/drama film Hereditary. Then we delve into the delicate and controversial waters of toxic tribalism, specifically in reference to the backlash of The Last Jedi and the fallout of bullying on social media. Is the pop culture we consume a substitute for virtue and what is the right way to approach criticism over a particular franchise, fandom or story? LINKS: WHY TOXIC TRIBALISM IS DESTROYING OUR SOCIETY AND WHAT TO DO ABOUT IT https://medium.com/@zaiderrr/why-toxic-tribalism-is-destroying-our-society-what-to-do-about-it-e05c3391d143 You can find all episodes of the podcast at www.storymatterspodcast.com! If you like what you hear, head on over to iTunes and leave us a review! 

Join the Story Matters Community: Patreon.com/storymatters Facebook: www.facebook.com/storymatterspodcast Instagram: @storymatterspodcast Twitter: @storymatterspod