Awards Chatter

The VP of original documentary and comedy programming for the world's leading streaming service discusses how she came to the company when it was still in the DVD-by-mail biz, how docs and comedy have evolved since and the stories behind her most lauded projects — including four doc features ('Chasing Coral', 'Icarus', 'One of Us' and 'Strong Island') and two doc shorts ('Heroin(e)' and 'Ram Dass, Going Home') that have been Oscar-shortlisted this season. But first: Alison Brower, THR's deputy editorial director, joins Scott to discuss her path to journalism, her prior work at women's magazines and THR's coverage of President Trump and Hollywood's sexual misconduct scandal. Credits: Hosted by Scott Feinberg, recorded and produced by Matthew Whitehurst. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The dashing Oscar nominee looks back on 25 years in the biz, from kid parts ('City Slickers') to teen roles ('Donnie Darko') to his first grown-up characters ('Brokeback Mountain'); lessons learned from the flop of 'Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time'; and how recalibrating his approach led to a streak of great performances ('Source Code,' 'End of Watch,' 'Prisoners,' 'Nightcrawler,' 'Southpaw,' 'Nocturnal Animals' and 'Stronger'). But first: Lynne Segall, EVP and group publisher of The Hollywood Reporter and Billboard, joins Scott to discuss THR's history and brand, how awards season impacts ad sales and what it was like following Tichi Wilkerson and Katharine Graham into publishing when few other women were in positions of power in media. Credits: Hosted by Scott Feinberg, recorded by Ryan Gabos and produced by Matthew Whitehurst. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the most powerful and influential people in the history of the music industry — a producer, A&R executive and record label chief who has been nicknamed "The Man with the Golden Ear" — reflects on his "epiphany" at the Monterey Pop Festival 50 years ago; discovering Janis Joplin, Bruce Sprinsteen and Whitney Houston, among many others; and how, at 85, he remains cool and in-tune with the culture. But first: Bryan Fogel, the director of the Oscar-shortlisted Netflix doc 'Icarus,' joins Scott to discuss how a movie about super-sizing himself morphed into an expose of Russian sports doping — and compelled the International Olympic Committee to ban Russia from the 2018 winter games in Pyeonchang. Credits: Hosted by Scott Feinberg, recorded and produced by Matthew Whitehurst. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Arguably the finest screen actress of her generation reflects on her unlikely journey to 'Titanic' — in which she played her first leading role, at 21 — and the massive celebrity that came with its success; why, seven years later, 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind' proved a career game-changer; and why she despised Harvey Weinstein long before the revelations about his sexual misconduct. But first: Dr. Ross Melnick, an associate professor of film and media studies at UC-Santa Barbara and and an expert on film exhibition (he's one of two 2017 Academy Film Scholars), about recent acquisitions of movie theater chains, closings of art-house movie theaters in America and how MoviePass actually works. Credits: Hosted by Scott Feinberg, recorded and produced by Matthew Whitehurst. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The woman who has co-produced every James Bond film of the last 22 years, with her step-brother and EON Productions partner Michael G. Wilson, grants a rare interview about the origin and evolution of the 007 franchise, how her own contributions to the films have grown over the years and why she spent 31 years fighting to produce her latest film — an adaptation of Peter Turner's memoir about his relationship with the actress Gloria Grahame — which was made on a far smaller scale than any Bond film, but means every bit as much to her. But first: Jeffrey Mantor of Larry Edmunds Bookshop and Nadine Vassallo of Book Soup join Scott to discuss the best Hollywood-related books of 2017 — and of all time. Credits: Hosted by Scott Feinberg, recorded and produced by Matthew Whitehurst. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the occasion of his first foray into directing, the greatest screenwriter of the last 25 years — for screens small ('The West Wing') and big ('The Social Network') — opens up about his unlikely journey from actor/bartender to writer, dissects his strengths (dialogue) and weaknesses (story) and opens up about past controversies (drugs, the Sony hack) and criticsms (how he handles female characters). But first: THR reviews editor Jon Frosch joins Scott to discuss critics' feelings about 2017 films, including how he and other members of the Los Angeles Film Critics Association recently arrived at their picks for the 43rd LAFCA Awards. Credits: Hosted by Scott Feinberg, recorded and produced by Matthew Whitehurst. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the most famous, accomplished, beautiful and enigmatic women in the world opens up about her love-hate relationship with acting (and how her choice of roles has been impacted by her rollercoaster of a personal life), her gravitation toward directing (her fourth directorial effort, a Khmer-language drama, is Cambodia's entry in this season's best foreign-language film Oscar race) and why being a mom — of six — and a humanitarian means more to her than anything else. But first: 91-year-old Marcia Nasatir, who, in 1974, became the first female VP at a Hollywood studio, reflects on the progress that women in film have made since then, the causes and effects of sexual abuse in the business and why she urged United Artists to make 'The Star Wars' years before Fox did. Credits: Hosted by Scott Feinberg, recorded and produced by Matthew Whitehurst. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Mexican auteur reflects on the supernatural experiences that shaped him, lessons he learned from films that got derailed and why his latest work — "a musical-thriller-drama Douglas Sirk version of a monster movie" about "outsiders" striving to save "a filthy thing that came from South America" — is not only his favorite but "me, in my totality." But first: Annette Insdorf, a professor in the Graduate Film Program of Columbia University's School of the Arts, joins Scott to talk about her new book Cinematic Overtures: How to Read Opening Scenes, great opening scenes of 2017 films and the differences between Academy members in New York and LA. Credits: Hosted by Scott Feinberg, recorded and produced by Matthew Whitehurst. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The biggest star in Hollywood opens up about the evolution of her career and feelings about celebrity, the phone hack that left her feeling "gangbanged by the fucking planet" and her work with Darren Aronofsky on the most grueling and controversial movie of her career ("I kind of made it and broke it"). But first: Sid Ganis, the former president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, joins Scott to talk about the organization's expulsion of Harvey Weinstein, the Disney-LA Times standoff, Ganis' favorite movies of 2017 and the new music doc he executive produced, 'BANG! The Bert Berns Story.' Credits: Hosted by Scott Feinberg, recorded and produced by Matthew Whitehurst. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The multi-talented, enigmatic artist reflects on juggling filmmaking with college, graduate and Ph.D studies; how an epiphany during the making of 'Pineapple Express' made possible his Oscar-nominated performance in '127 Hours'; and why he's drawn to eccentrics like the one he played in 'Spring Breakers' and Tommy Wiseau. But first: Will Arnett, the popular comedy actor, joins Scott to talk about Louis C.K.'s fall from grace, voiceover acting, 'Arrested Development' and the animated feature 'The LEGO Batman Movie,' in which he voices Bruce Wayne/Batman. Credits: Hosted by Scott Feinberg, recorded and produced by Matthew Whitehurst. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 27-year-old Aussie, who catapulted to international stardom through 'The Wolf of Wall Street,' discusses her conflicted feelings about fame and her 'bombshell' image, why she formed her own production company and how, through it, she helped to bring to life a dramedy about Tonya Harding that features the best performance of her career. But first: Kim Masters, a THR editor-at-large who has been on the Hollywood sex abuse beat for years, joins Scott to talk about the latest developments and what might happen next. Credits: Hosted by Scott Feinberg, recorded and produced by Matthew Whitehurst. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the smartest and funniest people in show business — heretofore best known as half of the comedy team Key & Peele, which was at the center of an Emmy-winning Comedy Central sketch show of the same name from 2012 through 2015 — reflects on his path to writing and directing a $4.5 million film that grossed more than $250 million worldwide upon its release in February and remains 2017's most critically acclaimed release. Credits: Hosted by Scott Feinberg, recorded and produced by Matthew Whitehurst. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the most revered and influential composers of the past century reflects on the 'minimalism' style for which he's famous, collaborations with everyone from David Bowie to Martin Scorsese and scoring Brett Morgen’s terrific new documentary about the early work of primatologist Jane Goodall. But first: Ashley Cullins, a THR staff reporter specializing in legal coverage, joins Scott to discuss the stunning downfall of Harvey Weinstein and what may come next. Credits: Hosted by Scott Feinberg, recorded and produced by Matthew Whitehurst. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

An unassuming director and his precocious leading lady reflect on their unlikely journeys — through iPhone movies and kiddie casting calls — to a collaboration that resulted in one of 2017's most acclaimed films. But first: THR's film critic and chief theater critic David Rooney joins Scott to dissect the first half of the 55th New York Film Festival. Credits: Hosted by Scott Feinberg, recorded by Ryan Gabos and produced by Matthew Whitehurst. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Lakers legend reflects on his hardwood career, how 'Black Mamba' saved him, why he retired via a poem that he's turned into an acclaimed animated short — plus who he considers the greatest NBA player ever, how he feels about National Anthem kneeling and more. But first: Veteran Academy members Alec Lorimore and Arnold Schwartzman look back on the David vs. Goliath battle that ultimately resulted in the creation of a documentary branch of the Academy. Credits: Hosted by Scott Feinberg, recorded and produced by Matthew Whitehurst. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The legendary stage and screen actress, who made her professional debut 60 years ago, reflects on landing her first great film role at 63, earning all seven of her Oscar noms (one of whihc resulted in a win) over the 20 years since and why she may or may not have Harvey Weinstein's name tattooed on her bum. But first: THR's film editor Gregg Kilday joins Scott to recap the last week in the awards race. Credits: Hosted by Scott Feinberg, recorded and produced by Matthew Whitehurst. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One of the most exciting actors of his generation, who made his name on TV as a 21st century Sherlock Holmes and in films ranging from 'The Imitation Game' to 'Doctor Strange,' reflects on the appeal of acting, experiencing sudden celebrity and playing real people, most recently Thomas Edison. But first: Toronto International Film Festival artistic director Cameron Bailey and CEO Piers Handling join Scott to recap the 42nd Toronto International Film Festival. Credits: Hosted by Scott Feinberg, recorded by Adam Clark and produced by Matthew Whitehurst. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The trailblazing Pakistan-born comedian, writer and actor — one of the few brown men ever to play a lead in an American movie — reflects on coming to America at 18, falling in love with stand-up and making the most emotionally vulnerable period in his life the center of a movie that now has grossed more than $50 million worldwide and is the second best-reviewed release of 2017 so far. But first: THR's editorial director Matthew Belloni joins Scott to discuss the 42nd Toronto International Film Festival. Credits: Hosted by Scott Feinberg, recorded by Eric Taylor and produced by Matthew Whitehurst. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The 32-year-old Israeli who played DC Comics’ most iconic female character in the first big-studio superhero film ever to center on a female protagonist — the hit of the summer — discusses her unusual road to Hollywood, her champions and trolls ("They had a lot to say about the lack of boobs and the lack of booty") and her film's critical, commercial and social success. But first: THR's executive editor (features) Stephen Galloway joins Scott to discuss the 42nd Telluride Film Festival. Credits: Hosted by Scott Feinberg, recorded and produced by Matthew Whitehurst. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This year's Golden Globe winner for best actress in a comedy series discusses what it was like growing up as Diana Ross' daughter, why her current show and character are socially significant and why she has mixed feelings about the accolades that she's been racking up, of late. Credits: Hosted by Scott Feinberg, recorded by Dennis Schweitzer and produced by Matthew Whitehurst. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices