Ever wonder how some of your favorite songs in films and TV shows are chosen? This week, Sean sits down with Music Supervisor Matthew Hearon-Smith, who has selected songs for the award winning films Tangerine and The Florida Project and also has curated the soundtracks for various television shows including Viceland's My House. We discuss his process for finding the right song for the right moment and how he collaborates with directors and showrunners to create the mood for specific scenes.
Then, we share some of our top picks for popular songs that have been featured in films and TV programs that have been embedded in our brains ever since.
Plus, Amita gives her rating and review of Sean's Big Sell- Fantastic Negrito's latest album, Please Don't Be Dead and big sells an honest and revealing interview from "The Good Place" actress Jameela Jamil about the standard of beauty that women have been held up to and how she's trying to rise above to help women love themselves for who they are, as they are.
Links:
Matthew Hearon-Smith's IMDb
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3262011/
Matthew Hearon-Smith's Website
https://www.matthewhearonsmith.com/
Matthew Hearon-Smith's Twitter
Sense8's use of the song- "What's Up?"
Blue Velvet's use of the song - "In Dreams"
Blue Velvet's use of the song - Blue Velvet
Captain Fantastic's use of the song- "Sweet Child o'Mine"
Little Miss Sunshine's use of the song- "Super Freak"
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September has arrived and Fall is right around the corner! (Yeah, we said it, FALL! Where does the time go!?)
So, we're getting you ready for the Fall TV season with special guest Norman Baker- who, as a self-proclaimed 'Pop Culture Genius', utilizes his entertainment prowess every day as a Senior Producer on The Wendy Williams Show. We find out what it takes to put together the Hot Topics segment of the popular daytime talk show and what inspired Norman to get into television production.
Then, Norman shares which new Fall TV shows he is looking forward to checking out including ABC's A Million Little Things, CBS's Murphy Brown and The CW's All American and then we discuss who will win and who should win Best Comedy and Best Drama at this year's Primetime Emmy Awards.
Plus, in this week's Big Sell, Sean gives his rating and review of Ibeyi's "River" music video and shares a new album by soul/rock artist, Fantastic Negrito, who also performed at this year's AfroPunk festival.
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If you've ever been struck by the beauty that fills the screen while watching a particular film or television show you have the cinematographer to thank. The cinematographer - or Director of Photography - is responsible for helping the director achieve their vision; and whether the goal is to create an eye catching effect or to simply make natural light look 'natural' on film, the cinematographer commands a unique combination of creative intuition and technical expertise to achieve success.
This week- Amita and Sean speak with Graham Willoughby, the cinematographer of a number of incredible documentaries including the Oscar winning 20 Feet from Stardom and the hit doc of the summer, Won't You Be My Neighbor? Graham discusses the road that led him to be one of the most sought after non-fiction DPs working today. He also discusses television projects he has worked on (Abstract, Wyatt Cenac's Problem Areas) and how he manages to work in a number of different genres including music, biography and comedy.
And in the latest Big Sell, Amita reviews the Frank Ocean-centric podcast Dissect and Big Sells Sean a song and video combo by the group Ibeyi.
Check out Graham Willoughby's Official Site
Follow him on Instagram @nationalpleasure
Check out Sean's overly precious, non-collaborative Afropunk Warm Up 2018 Playlist
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If you love Television, our report on the 2018 TCA Summer Press Tour is a must!
This week, the TCA (Television Critics Association) gathered to hear all of the major networks break news with casting announcements, plot line revelations and promises that their new and returning shows will be the peak-iest in this era of Peak TV.
We discuss the highlights of the TCA tour and breakdown what all of this news means for the television industry, and for fans of the medium. We'll answer all of your binge-worthy burning questions including:
Whether you're geeking out over Sir Patrick Stewart's return to the captain's chair in Star Trek or cheering Alex Garland's reboot of a classic miniseries, this episode is for you!
Plus in this week's Big Sell - Sean loves Chaka Khan - but how does he feel about the new song Amita Big Sold last week? Plus find out why he is Big Selling a podcast that combines info about trills, Gregorian chants and Frank Ocean.
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San Diego Comic Con is the epicenter of genre fandom, the 'make it or break it' launching pad of potential box office blockbusters and the most intensely overwhelming adventure a fan of pop culture can experience. In this episode, we bring you a report straight from the convention with entertainment journalist and Editor-in-Chief at Den of Geek US- Mike Cecchini.
No matter what you're interest- Mike has you covered with inside info and insight including:
Follow Mike Cecchini and Den of Geek:
Mike's interview with James Wan and Jason Momoa from Aquaman
Plus in the latest installment of The Big Sell - Amita rates soul singer Jacob Banks and sells Sean a new song from an iconic diva.
Links:
Inside Pop's Episode on the Divas Who Defined Us (Episode 67)
Jacob Banks Sings Unknown (To You) Live
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This week, we speak with Tony Ducret who works in the story department at DreamWorks Studios / Amblin Partners. Tony speaks with us about the path that brought him to DreamWorks via a an early career as a producer and showrunner in unscripted programming; a writer and director in the independent film world and a student at the prestigious Peter Stark Producing Program at USC. Tony talks to us about how he uses his diverse background to contribute to the story department at one of the most successful studios in Hollywood.
We chat about the current state of development in Hollywood and the journey a script makes from submission to greenlit film. Do smaller budget films have a better chance of getting produced than larger budget projects? How do studios choose from the thousands of submissions they receive each year? What are the hardest movies to make in 2018? Tony tackles all of these questions and we also get his take on his favorite current TV programs including The Handmaid's Tale, Barry and Love is__.
You can follow Tony @DucretMedia on Twitter and Instagram.
Plus in this week's Big Sell- Sean reviews Amita's Movie Montage from our last episode and recommends a new singer who will be performing at this summer's AfroPunk Fest in Brooklyn aka two days of musical nirvana!
Please note that this episode of Inside Pop is NOT sponsored by Netflix despite the fact that we're celebrating the network's content throughout the half hour!
First up - we examine the Strong Black Lead promo Netflix released at the beginning of the week. We discuss its impact, what iconic photo inspired it, who created it and yes - how it caused some controversy.
Then, Sean says good-bye to one of his favorite series of all time in a completely non-objective review of the Sense8 series finale. Sean will answer the following questions:
Did the cluster's final synchronized bow meet all of his expectations? Did the finale provide a sense of closure? When is an orgy more than an orgy?
Plus Amita reviews Sean's Big Sell from last week and sells him on a (say it like Oprah) MOOOVIE MOOOONTAGE!!!!
Links:
Find our more about A Great Day in Hollywood HERE
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We're heading straight to Harlem for this special Luke Cage edition of Inside Pop. We've seen the second season of Marvel's Luke Cage and we're bringing you an exclusive preview of the first two episodes. We'll also provide some fascinating behind the scenes info about the show's music and production crew and theorize why vocal fans of the first season may have inspired the more volatile Season 2 Luke Cage. Plus, we question why we're anti-shipping Mariah and Shades.
Then, Amita reviews the new documentary, Won't You Be My Neighbor, about legendary children's TV host Fred Rogers.
Plus, we have a brand new Big Sell that tackles one of the ugliest, and sadly most prevalent problems in Hollywood.
Fans of Luke Cage will want to check out our interview with showrunner Cheo Hodari Coker.
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We're celebrating Pride Month in this episode by highlighting some of our favorite queer pop culture.
First up, we've had an advanced look at the second season of Queer Eye on Netflix and we're giving you an exclusive preview of the series that consistently gives everyone the feels. We'll tell you how the series is breaking even more new ground than ever before.
And then we bring you a special rainbow colored Big Sell in which we recommend some under the radar pop culture with an LGBTQ focus that you will definitely want to put on your must watch/must listen list.
Big Sells:
Bronski Beat - The Age of Consent
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This week, we are serving all sorts of pop culture realness - starting with our first impressions of the new Ryan Murphy series, Pose, on FX. Amita shares how Viceland's My House influenced her viewing experience of Pose and Sean comments on why both shows are helping bring a piece of LGBTQ culture to the masses.
Then, Amita shares her thoughts and honest critique about Kanye West's new 7 song album, Ye, and revealing that he is bipolar.
Plus, we discuss if the idea of a Roseanne spinoff is smart or problematic.
And Sean gives a rare high rating to Amita's big sell from last week- a TED Talk by Tracee Ellis Ross.
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We've been waiting for months and it's finally here! The Queen Sugar Season 3 Premiere aired on Tuesday night and we have an exclusive interview with the director of the hit OWN series- DeMane Davis.
We had the privilege of watching the Season Premiere in advance of our interview with DeMane so be warned, there will be spoilers in this podcast! We chatted with DeMane about the unique way she connected with Ava DuVernay to get the opportunity to work on the series, her approach to directing the premiere episode, being the newly appointed Producing Director and learned about the many hats she has to wear in that role. And of course, we talked about how she shot the paternity test reveal scene that everyone is talking about!
Plus, Amita gives her rating and review of Sean's Big Sell from last week- Angelique Kidjo's cover of the Talking Heads hit- "Once in a Lifetime" and sells a powerful TED Talk from Tracee Ellis Ross in the midst of the #MeToo movement.
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We have an embarrassment of pop culture riches this week!
First up, Amita provides a spoiler free review of the box office record breaking Deadpool 2. Sean hasn't seen the film yet, but it doesn't stop him from asking deep probing questions (you guessed it - Josh Brolin's physique is a point of discussion!).
Then, Sean and Amita discuss Janet Jackson's appearance at the Billboard Music Awards. They rate her red carpet look and give what may be considered a surprisingly objective review of her performance.
The Pop Insiders also discuss their time at the two-day pop culture celebration in New York City known as Vulture Festival. They share the inside info they heard at panels featuring the stars of RuPaul's Drag Race, Younger, Queer Eye and Queen Sugar.
And in The Big Sell, Sean rates Madison McFerrin's song, "Insane," and sells a new cover song by the one and only Angelique Kidjo.
Plus - a surprise announcement about an appearance the Pop Insiders are making this summer!
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This week, we're talking about the recent announcement of TV cancellations and renewals- which shows were chopped (Quantico, Rise) and which ones were surprisingly revived by another network (Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Last Man Standing?!) and the one show that Sean may just start a Twitter campaign to save.
Then, we discuss the two unique songs that Andre 3000 recently released that are dedicated to his late mother and father and what we think of his new sound.
And Sean shares his experience at a recent Florence + The Machine concert.
Plus, Amita reviews and rates last week's Big Sell, the Japanese Anime series on Netflix, Aggretsuko and sells Sean a new R&B acapella artist, Madison McFerrin.
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Links:
The Andre 3K interview Sean mentioned.
From the visceral imagery to our initial reactions- we discuss and try to decode the video that everyone is talking about- Childish Gambino's "This Is America". We give our thoughts and praise to Donald Glover's latest music video/artistic statement.
Then, we discuss what films are big screen worthy and which films you can watch at home. Amita shares her thought process on how she determines which films pass the big screen test.
And finally, Sean gets brutally honest about last week's Big Sell and suggests a new Netflix Japanese anime series, Agretsuko.
Links:
5 Things to know about 'This Is America"
We've witnessed and survived a huge week in pop culture and are here to tell the tale!
First, we share our SPOILER FREE thoughts about the latest chapter in Marvel's Avengers series- Avengers: Infinity War, and find out if the superhero filled sequel succeeded in meeting our expectations
Then, we're all about Janelle Monae's latest album, Dirty Computer, and the accompanying emotion picture. We predict the songs we want to be the next single and chat about her musical evolution from her first album to this new offering.
Plus, we had the privilege to see a Tribeca Talk featuring Alexander Payne and legendary talk show host Dick Cavett.
And Sean gives his thoughts on Kanye's latest public statements.
And of course, The Big Sell. Amita shares the musical journey she went on with Sean's three tiered Prince video project and shares an EP from a young jazz/soul/pop singer from New Zealand named Wallace.
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On this episode, Sean discusses his thoughts and predictions about Westworld Season 2 and shares a helpful NYTimes Season 1 recap to refresh Amita's memory on the sci-fi fantasy series. Then, Amita has an exclusive sit down with Sean about his latest project, the new Viceland follow doc series, My House which chronicles the lives of performers in the NYC vogue ballroom scene.
And the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival has started and we had the privilege to watch a couple of music focused documentaries- Howard and Blue Note Records: Beyond the Notes.
Plus, Sean gives his 2 cents and rates last week's Big Sell, an intimate NPR Tiny Desk Concert from the R&B/pop group, Rhye.
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This week it's all about Black (Overachieving) Excellence!
Beyonce Knowles Carter descended from the uppermost level of Heaven and bestowed us with the gift of her life changing performance at Coachella - or as it shall now be forever known . . . BEYCHELLA. We'll share our reactions to the performance and our reactions to the reactions of her performance.
Kendrick Lamar made history this week by becoming the first Hip Hop artist to win the Pulitzer Prize. We'll discuss why this is a huge deal for hip hop and the culture at large.
Shonda Rhimes and Kerry Washington end the sensational and soapy groundbreaking series, Scandal this week. We'll discuss the relevancy of one of television's most diverse and jaw dropping shows.
And the Big Sell shines a light on an amazing music/video/fashion collaboration featuring singers Karen O and Michael Kiwanuka; director Ana Lily Amirpour and fashion house Kenzo.
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This week we have a proverbial pop culture hat trick with a trifecta of TV, Film and Music covered in our episode.
It may seem like there was not a time before you knew Cardi B existed - but she's just released her debut album, Invasion of Privacy, and we're telling you what we think of it- plus sharing our thoughts on her SNL performance (and her SNL 'announcement').
We review the number one movie of the week, A Quiet Place and the broadway revival of Children of a Lesser God and discuss how each portrays its hearing impaired characters.
And Amita talks about the swinging time she had with P!nk at Madison Square Garden.
Plus the Big Sell!
And we tell you why the time is NOW to become a member of the Maximum Fun podcast network!
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In honor of the Max Fun Drive- we are proud to present our Spring Pop Culture Preview! We'll share some inside info on the highly anticipated TV, Film and Music due out this Spring. And to help us out- our special guests - the hosts of Long Distance POPcast and JoJCast also share their picks!
Spring is no longer the season to bide your time while you await the big summer blockbusters and concert tours. Some of the most innovative and surprising pieces of pop culture are about to slide into your earbuds and onto your television and movie screens and we'll tell you what cannot be missed!
Spring is also the time to support your favorite podcasts by becoming a member of Maximum Fun! We'll tell you the glory (and gifts) that await you if you decide to become a member or renew your membership.
For links and a full list of our Spring Preview recommendations visit us at: www.insidepoppodcast.com and https://www.maximumfun.org/shows/inside-pop
We have more pop culture stuffed into this episode than RuPaul has catchphrases. Almost!
This week we sashay our way into the world of RuPaul's Drag Race. We discuss the show's increasing popularity and shed some light on the surprising demographic that has made the show bigger than ever after ten seasons on the air.
Then, we react to the new Deadpool 2 trailer - Amita's here for the humor and action; Sean's here for the MCU's first openly bisexual hero (and the ensuant fantasies he provokes).
Plus, we preview the new Vanity Fair profile of writer/producer/actor Lena Waithe and discuss what her current success says (or doesn't say) about the future of Hollywood.
And it's a musical Big Sell as Sean sees Amita's Kali Uchis Sell and raises her one Leon Bridges.
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This episode is the ultimate pop culture to do list for the week!
DO listen to our review of the second season of Donald Glover's series, Atlanta. We discuss whether the show overcomes the dreaded sophomore season slump.
DO hear our reaction to the latest trailer for Marvel's Avengers: Infinity War. Who will live and who will die? We share our guesses and also estimate how much screen time Doctor Strange will get since he is sharing the screen with 8,000 other heroes.
DO NOT feel any jealousy as Sean tells you what it was like to attend a taping of Saturday Night Live.
DO wonder whether Amita will enjoy Sean's Big Sell from last week - the new podcast, Wolverine: The Long Night. And also find out which heroes they think should be next to have their own podcast. The inspiration for Sean's answer can be found in this amazing comic written by Greg Pak.
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This week’s episode of Inside Pop has the following Inclusion Rider: Our 114th episode must celebrate the creativity and diversity of women in film, music and television.
The show begins with a review of Ava DuVernay’s epic adaptation of A Wrinkle in Time. Amita discusses what she most loves about the film and Sean questions whether the film's box office performance and overall reception was affected by the phenomenon that is Black Panther. Amita also shares some of the insight she got from Ava herself at DuVernay's Times Talk last week.
Then, Amita and Sean rejoice over Sade’s new song, 'Flowers of the Universe' (Amita loves this remix of the song).
Next, the Pop Insiders move on to TV and Sean provides a spoiler free review of the second season of Marvel's Jessica Jones. Will he convince Amita to give the show a try? Stay tuned.
The co-hosts also review Meshell Ndegeocello's new new album of covers, Ventriloquism, which touches their Gen-X hearts with innovative and emotional covers of songs from the 80's and 90's including Prince's "Sometimes it Snows in April", Force MD's "Tender Love" and Janet Jackson's "Funny How Time Flies (When You're Having Fun)".
Plus, Sean talks about seeing the new revival of the musical Carousel on Broadway starring Renée Fleming and Joshua Henry (his Instagram is a must follow if you love soulful acoustic versions of songs from Hamilton and of course you love that) and discusses the challenges of enjoying a musical from the 50's that has domestic abuse as a main plot point.
And the Big Sell returns from its month long sabbatical with a bang! Hear Sean’s review of Vulfpeck. And guess which new podcast he’s selling to Amita? The answer will NOT surprise you!
As promised - Sean's favorite Mama tribute song.
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Inside Pop's annual Oscars wrap up is here! Listen to get our take on the fashion, the snubs, the rightful victories, the highlights and the awkward moments. We'll rate Jimmy Kimmel's performance as host and also discuss our favorite musical performances of the night.
Who was the presenter that left Sean speechless? Which acceptance speech made Amita stand-up and cheer? Listen to this special Oscars episode to find out!
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In this special Producer to Producer episode, we interview friend of Inside Pop James Barker about one of the most popular shows currently on television, Netflix's reboot of Queer Eye. James produced multiple episodes of this season and he gives us a behind the scenes look at the making of this pop culture phenomenon.
Listen to hear:
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We can't help but discuss Black Panther again- from the shattered box office records to the worldwide reaction-
Wakanda Forever!
Plus, Christmas came early with the 30 second teaser trailer for Janelle Monae's latest 'emotion picture' Dirty Computer. We speculate on when we'll get new music from Monae, and some of the themes in the trailer.
Then, we discuss musicians who became actors- some successfully and some...not so much.
And Amita gives her review of the Atlantic article about Black Panther Costume Designer Ruth Carter and sells Sean on a feel good funk album from the band, Vulfpeck.
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