Studio 360 with Kurt Andersen

Investigative journalism isn't sexy or glamorous. It’s making lots and lots of phone calls to strangers — and to people who don't want to talk to you. It's reading endless boring documents. It's working on stories that don't pan out, or even when they do, often go unnoticed. Which makes the movie “Spotlight” all the more remarkable. It’s about the discovery by a team of investigative reporters at The Boston Globe of pervasive sexual abuse of children by Roman Catholic priests in Boston, the church’s attempt to cover up that scandal, and the eventual realization that this story went way beyond Boston.

“Spotlight” is up for six Oscars, including best original screenplay and best director. Tom McCarthy wrote the screenplay and directed the film. In this extended conversation with Kurt Andersen, McCarthy explains how he went from actor to writer and director, and compares his time playing a crooked reporter in “The Wire” to interviewing the real investigative journalists that broke the Globe’s story.

From “The Revenant” to “The Martian,” why do so many of this year’s most celebrated films hark back to a genre we thought was long gone — the Western? Plus, we hit the streets of Boston to find out why so many actors find a certain Northeastern accent so hard to pull off. Wendell Pierce of “The Wire” and “Selma” gives the Academy some pointers to fix their #OscarsSoWhite problem. And we finally find out what the heck a gaffer does.

Emma Donoghue’s 2010 novel "Room" tells the uncomfortably real story of a young mother and her 5-year-old son held captive in an 11-by-11-foot room. The boy narrates the book, and not only does he not understand that he and his mother are prisoners — he has no knowledge about the world beyond their four walls. The novel was a finalist for the Man Booker Prize before it even came out, and became an instant bestseller. Now Donoghue has adapted her book into a movie starring Brie Larson and Jacob Tremblay, directed by Lenny Abrahamson. “Room” is up for 4 Academy Awards — including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay. In this extended conversation with Kurt Andersen, Abrahamson and Donoghue explain how writing this film was like working on a nature documentary — and how the right collaboration is a lot like marriage.

Where do you turn when you’re heartbroken in the dead of night? Delilah, of course — her radio call-in show pairs romantic advice with the perfect song. Plus, we discover the surprisingly sweet couple behind one of history’s naughtiest gag gifts: edible underwear. And Canadian songwriter Basia Bulat used a broken heart to propel her from subdued folk to floor-stomping pop.

Back when Jimmy Carter was president, an Australian director named George Miller made his first, super-low-budget movie. It starred a little-known Australian actor named Mel Gibson. “Mad Max” was a hit, and Miller’s vision became the blueprint for post-apocalyptic cinema. Now, at 70, Miller has resurrected the franchise he invented. In "Mad Max: Fury Road," a warrior played by Charlize Theron runs from a tyrannical warlord. Like all the "Mad Max" films, it’s high on epic action and low on dialogue. “Fury Road” is up for 10 Academy Awards — including Best Picture and Best Director. In this extended conversation with Kurt Andersen, Miller explains how he created some of this year’s most thrilling action scenes with very little CGI — and why "Mad Max" would be better in black-and-white.

George Miller launched his directing career with the first “Mad Max” movie — and 40 years later, “Mad Max: Fury Road” is his most acclaimed yet. Also, the singer Lorely Rodriguez has her mother to thank for becoming the pop sensation Empress Of. Plus, the writer Terence Winter on HBO’s new series about 1970s rock ‘n roll, “Vinyl.”

Adam McKay has made his mark on comedy many times over. But the director of “Anchorman” and “Talladega Nights” switched gears in his latest movie, “The Big Short,” which is about the financial collapse of 2008. Sure, CDOs and synthetic CDOs might seem a little arcane, but McKay says it’s not really that complicated. “You’re really moving money and debt around and then they give it strange names and act like no one should understand,” says the director. “The Big Short” is up for 5 Academy Awards – including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay. In this extended conversation with Kurt Andersen, McKay explains how great characters can make anything compelling to watch – and how he and Will Ferrell almost broke the internet with the help of his then two-year-old daughter.

When Malcolm X was assassinated at 39, his life story nearly died with him. Today “The Autobiography of Malcolm X” — a favorite of President Obama and Justice Clarence Thomas alike — stands as a milestone in America’s struggle with race. The autobiography is also a Horatio Alger tale, following a man’s journey from poverty to crime to militancy to wisdom. Muslims look to Malcolm as a figure of tolerance; a tea party activist claims him for the political right; Public Enemy’s Chuck D tells us, “This book is like food. It ain’t McDonald's — it’s sit down at the table and say grace.” (Originally aired September 24, 2010)

When Samantha Hunt needed a fictional cult for her new novel, “Mr. Splitfoot,” she invented her own — she even wrote its scripture. Plus, the members of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band make their first-ever trip to Havana, and discover the Cuban connection to New Orleans jazz. And singer-songwriter Walter Martin plays songs from his concept album on a very unlikely subject: art history.

The director Alejandro González Iñárritu explains why filming “The Revenant” under punishing conditions made it the film that it is — a box office smash nominated for 12 Oscars. Also, we hear the story behind the stand-up album that made absurdist comedy mainstream: Steve Martin’s “A Wild and Crazy Guy.” And we say goodbye to the great David Bowie.