Chillpak Hollywood Hour

Chillpak Hollywood Hour #172

Phil Leirness — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 02:12:36 +0000

It’s the end of Summer. It’s the Emmy Awards. It’s “Mad Men”. It’s “Breaking Bad”. It’s SAG vs. Aftra. It’s Membership First vs. Unite For Strength. It’s Billionaire Paul Allen vs. EVERYBODY. It’s remakes vs. originals. It’s steadicam vs. shaky hand-held cam. It’s Dean Haglund and Phil Leirness. It’s YOUR Chillpak Hollywood Hour!

Chillpak Hollywood Hour #171

Phil Leirness — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 21:38:52 +0000

Dean performed competitive improv comedy on Saturday night and he’s here with all the details. Phil’s been seeing movies and making one, and he’s here with much thought-provoking analysis on comic book movies in general, Kick Ass and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World in particular, marketing and movie trailers. Then, there’s just enough time to revisit the controversies surrounding the mosque being built near “Ground Zero” and the same-sex marriage debate in California. Finally, Dean hits us with the disturbing possibility that conspiracy theories themselves might be the conspiracy! All this week, on YOUR Chillpak Hollywood Hour!

Chillpak Hollywood Hour #170

Phil Leirness — Tue, 17 Aug 2010 22:03:01 +0000

Phil Leirness is playing hurt. That’s why this show is coming at you one day late. Migraine hell can only keep him down for so long, however, and he joins his partner in podcasting, Dean Haglund, for another freewheeling hour of internet entertainment adventure. This week: The Las Vegas “Star Trek” convention, Claudia Christian, Stieg Larsson’s “Millennium” trilogy, the arrest and incarceration of one of the experts in Dean and Phil’s The Truth Is Out There, the death of Alaska Senator Ted Stevens (and an ex-NASA chief), Salt, Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, Animal Kingdom, Broken Embraces, Get Low, California’s Proposition 8, Phil’s fondness for television shows about fashion, plus questions from listeners.

All that, and more, on YOUR Chillpak Hollywood Hour!

Chillpak Hollywood Hour #169

Phil Leirness — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 20:50:04 +0000

Your friends in podcasting pre-recorded one of their best interviews ever, with special guest Claudia Christian (star of “Babylon 5″, the forthcoming Showtime series “Look” and Dean’s frequent improv comedy partner at the conventions around the world). It proved to be hilarious, educational, irreverent and informative … AND IT NO LONGER EXISTS.

As soon had Claudia left the offices of Rational Exuberance, Dean irretrievably deleted the file that would be converted into this week’s show … So, Dean and Phil altered their respective travel plans and they bring you a brand new show full of the engaging, free-wheeling analysis and discussion you’ve come to expect from the “Thelma and Louise of podcasting”.

Dean discusses his trip to Puerto Rico, including making friends with a big-wig in TSA. He also previews his trip to Las Vegas for the annual “Star Trek” convention (the largest in the world!). Phil describes some of the ways he’s becoming Dean Haglund – Seeing the opera “Carmen” at the Hollywood Bowl and taking an interest in the Impro Theatre Los Angeles, home of L.A. Theatre Sports.

Then, Dean and Phil delve into the latest, most intriguing show business news, starting with “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo”, the entire Millennium trilogy, the forthcoming American remakes, and Noomi Rapace (lead actress in the European productions), as well as the lawsuits surrounding the as-yet-unreleased fourth book by Stieg Larsson. They follow that up with an analysis of the new television series “Aftermath with William Shatner” (where the former Captain Kirk, T.J. Hooker, and Denny Crane tackles controversial interview subjects starting with the Subway Vigilante).

Plus full reports on what movies Dean and Phil have seen. It’s all this week on YOUR Chillpak Hollywood Hour (NOT featuring an appearance by Claudia Christian).

Chillpak Hollywood Hour #168

Phil Leirness — Mon, 02 Aug 2010 18:36:09 +0000

A Chillpak Hollywood Hour first! An entire show dedicated to music, the music business, music distribution and music journalism. Eminent music journalist Yoshi Kato has seen a great deal of change in his twenty years of professional writing as well as in his current capacity at iTunes. He joins your friends in podcasting for an hour of fascinating conversation BEFORE turning the tables on Dean Haglund and Phil Leirness and putting to THEM three probing questions. Trust us, you won’t want to miss it! And why would you? It’s YOUR Chillpak Hollywood Hour, after all!

Chillpak Hollywood Hour #167

Phil Leirness — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 19:51:44 +0000

Phil gets his geek on, discussing such Comic-Con panels as The Expendables, Cowboys and Aliens, The Other Guys, Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, and Drive Angry (Shot in 3D).

Dean answers questions about that large scar on his forehead, about the seminars the FBI conducts with screenwriters, and about why he says, “Huzzah!”

Dean and Phil analyze and debate why cable television has Emmy Award advantages over network television, whether The Secret Supper by Javier Sierra is a good book, and whether the paintings of Da Vinci qualify as art or as propaganda. Taking on Da Vinci? Who, but your friends in podcasting would dare do that?!!

Finally, several big movies are discussed: SALT, Inception, Cyrus, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice and Restrepo.

It’s your Chillpak Hollywood Hour.

Chillpak Hollywood Hour #166

Phil Leirness — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 21:23:57 +0000

It’s the sequel of the summer! This week, Dean and Phil follow up on last week’s blockbuster by revisiting (and going deeper into) the legal fate of Roman Polanski, the furor over The Hulk re-casting, ageism in Hollywood, the “simulation argument” posed by listener Anthony Kilna, and the film school reference book recommended by listener Effie Dee. Of course, like any good sequel, new characters and topics are tackled. This week, your friends in podcasting offer rather staggering, surprising and insightful analysis into the troubles in which former A-Listers Mel Gibson and Wesley Snipes find themselves. All that, plus they weigh in on Despicable Me, Winter’s Bone and Departures.

Chillpak Hollywood Hour #165

Phil Leirness — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 05:54:52 +0000

Nobly serving their countries (and the world) through fine pieces of podcasting, Dean Haglund and Phil Leirness come out of the gates with guns blazing and hit you with this action-packed extravaganza. You won’t want to miss this one if you enjoy or care about any of the following: World Cup, the National Gallery (in D.C.), Monet, Manet, Picasso, Van Gogh, Leger, Toulouse-Lautrec, Diego Rivera, Renoir, the Library of Congress, Carl Jung, Thomas Jefferson, Virginia, The Homestead, Washington and Lee University.

Want Hollywood news and analysis? Dean and Phil tackle the controversies surrounding Roman Polanski, The Last Airbender, The Incredible Hulk, and James Bond. They analyze the recent Emmy nominations for excellence in television, heaping cheers and/or jeers onto Mad Men, Breaking Bad, Lost, Glee, Modern Family and Conan O’Brien. They offer exciting remake news and answer a listener question about television directors. It is YOUR Chillpak Hollywood Hour, after all, and that’s why they discuss a VERY interesting email sent to them by a listener concerning “simulated realities”. Finally, your friends in podcasting discuss the books they’ve been reading and offer a strong book recommendation from a loyal listener.

Now, if you’ll excuse us, we’ve already heard the show once and we can’t wait to listen to it again!

Chillpak Hollywood Hour #164

Phil Leirness — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 14:52:46 +0000

It’s the day after Independence Day here in the USA, and your friends in podcasting are celebrating the “independents”. An hour dedicated to independent film, filmmaking, film festivals and the many and varied paths film artists take to get where they are going. Dean and Phil welcome special guest Josh Mandel, a Slamdance film festival programmer, a documentary filmmaker, an eloquent, enthusiastic, informative speaker, and a darn stylish fellow!

Chillpak Hollywood Hour #163

Phil Leirness — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 22:59:37 +0000

Dean Haglund and Phil Leirness really get around. We know this. That’s why they’ve been dubbed the “Thelma and Louise of Podcasting”. So, it’s only appropriate that they open this week’s show by (re)visiting the “Saudi Arabia of lithium deposits”. From there, it’s off to Mexico for the murder investigation of a “Survivor” producer’s wife, and outer space for the return of “Futurama”. Along the way, they discuss ageism, violence against women and children, Disney films, Jerry Bruckheimer, Leonardo DiCaprio, Christopher Nolan, Inception, the Oscars, Betty White, Tom Cruise, Knight and Day, Toy Story 3, Current TV and Al Gore. This week the U.S. celebrates its Independence Day and YOUR Chillpak Hollywood Hour is providing the fireworks!

Chillpak Hollywood Hour #162

Phil Leirness — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 21:20:38 +0000

Those of you who follow our Blog on MySpace (wherin we preview the coming Monday’s show) know that occasionally Dean and Phil get so wrapped up in discussion that they completely forget to cover some (or all) of what they promised to discuss! This is one of those shows … And it’s all the richer for it. Hilarious, thought-provoking, inspiring, insightful. It’s YOUR Chillpak Hollywood Hour. This week: the latest on their movie, their feelings about apologies, the idea that words are cheap, personal responsibility to our own unique creative potential, Toy Story 3, Russell Crowe, Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert Downey, Jr., Alfonso Cuaron, the World Cup and the Los Angeles Lakers.

Chillpak Hollywood Hour #161

Phil Leirness — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 02:42:07 +0000

Dean flew back from Austin, Texas (on United), and Phil flew back from New York City (on JetBlue) just to bring you this evening’s installment of YOUR Chillpak Hollywood Hour. They begin the show by regaling you with tales of airline awfulness, before holding court on the sights, sounds and tastes of their weekend adventures. Such artists as Benini, Judy Chicago and Rene Magritte get discussed and such locales as Highline Park, the Brooklyn Esplanade and the West Hills of Texas get described. Global issues are tackled as well, from the World Cup to a remarkable discovery in Afghanistan, from the BP oil spill to urban renewal. Your friends in podcasting still discuss show business, of course, and this week they tackle The Hollywood Reporter, the Creative Artists Agency (CAA), Steven Seagal, remakes from the 80’s and ill-advised sequels and remakes on the horizon. It’s a pretty darn hilarious hour. How could it not be when Dean and Phil are reunited and it feels so good?!

Chillpak Hollywood Hour #160

Phil Leirness — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 20:26:56 +0000

Film Schools. Film Distribution. Marketing. Censorship. Primary election. BP. James Cameron. The Cove. Japan. Jim Carrey. John Wooden. Sex and the City. Amtrak. World Cup. Dragon-con 2011. Dean Haglund. Phil Leirness. Your Chillpak Hollywood Hour.

Chillpak Hollywood Hour #159

Phil Leirness — Mon, 31 May 2010 22:07:29 +0000

Dean Haglund and Phil Leirness open this fast-paced installment of YOUR Chillpak Hollywood Hour by discussing the pilot episode of Dean’s new web series, “Paranoia Will Destroy ‘Ya”. Then, they turn to a discussion about severed hands and a follow-up on last week’s conversation about “right speech” before welcoming their special guest, actor and film critic Luke Y.Thompson. What ensues is a free-wheeling crowd-pleaser covering such topics as the career of Dennis Hopper, what summer movies to see (and which ones to avoid) and the importance of seeking out and reading the reviews of critics with whom you DISagree! Finally, Phil offers an insight into the philosophy of Ludwig Wittgenstein. If that doesn’t convince you that this installment is a rollercoaster thrill ride of the summer, nothing will!

Chillpak Hollywood Hour #158

Phil Leirness — Mon, 24 May 2010 19:59:30 +0000

Season Four got off to a bit of a slow start last week. The Thelma and Louise of podcasting were exhausted from their constant travels and rusty after several weeks of pre-recorded and edited shows. This week, Dean and Phil are truly BACK and dare we say … BETTER. THAN. EVER!

From a spoiler-free discussion of the “Lost” finale, to an analysis of the disappointing box office showing by SHREK, to the many creative endeavors of Dean Haglund, this week’s show gets off to a flying start. Starting Wednesday, Dean will have a new web series, “Paranoia Will Destroy ‘Ya”, available at TheRoomLive.com, and he just sold two artworks thru ebay as part of the Doodles for Charity program. Plus, he updates us on his 100 Paintings in 2010 project, and on the editing of his “Hell Gigs” comedy/reality show/documentary project.

Phil has been hard at work logging selects for the documentary feature film THE TRUTH IS OUT THERE and he takes time out to talk about what’s “right” about the conspiracy theories they’ve documented. He also ties this in with a discussion on the Buddhist philosophy of “right speech”, part of the Noble Eightfold Path to end suffering in the world. What follows is a heartfelt, illuminating discussion about not only suffering and speech, but laughter, freedom and human beings’ abilities to either consciously or unconsciously co-create the world around them.

Listen for only a few minutes and you’ll know it’s YOUR Chillpak Hollywood Hour, where WE conspire to INSPIRE!

Chillpak Hollywood Hour #157

Phil Leirness — Mon, 17 May 2010 22:17:09 +0000

It’s the first episode of Season 4 and your friends in podcasting are finally back in Los Angeles bringing you a brand new hour of heated conversation. Phil has been completely immersed in logging selects from the footage Dean and he shot over the past ten months for their documentary The Truth Is Out There, and he’s realized something quite important about conspiracy theorists … A secret he shares on the show. Adventures at an archery range, at the Getty Villa, and at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory are also discussed, as is the recent furor over a Newsweek blogger declaring Sean Hayes “too gay to play straight” as well as the loss of Phil’s favorite NYC restaurant. All that, plus a screenwriting question from a loyal listener, advice on going into designer chain coffee stores locked and loaded and what Dean and Phil are reading … It’s YOUR Chillpak Hollywood Hour.

Chillpak Hollywood Hour #156

Phil Leirness — Tue, 11 May 2010 00:02:41 +0000

Three years in the making! From the art deco masterpiece that is the Eastern Columbia Building, high stop the historic core of the fashion district in downtown Los Angeles, all the way to London’s Lyceum Pub, Dean and Phil celebrate the third anniversary of YOUR Chillpak Hollywood Hour on both sides of the pond! In L.A., your friends in podcasting discuss interviews they conducted (for their documentary) with Reg Presley (lead singer of The Troggs) and journalist Mark Bennett. They also introduce clips recorded in London where the Thelma and Louise of podcasting, along with special guests Graham Hancock (a renowned scholar and author who specializes in ancient mysteries) and Robin Tudge (who co-authored The Rough Guide to Conspiracies) participated in a panel discussion on conspiracy as part of the Sci-Fi-London Film Festival. Then, Dean and Phil hop over to a cozy booth in a favorite pub across town to toss back a couple dozen pints and to swap inappropriate jokes and filmmaking stories they’ve never shared. From crop circles to Cameron Diaz, from knowledge of lost civilizations to naughty nun jokes, there’s something for everyone. Eavesdrop on the conversation and enjoy! And please help us make the fourth year of the show, the best year yet!

Chillpak Hollywood Hour #155

Phil Leirness — Mon, 03 May 2010 06:51:12 +0000

Dean Haglund is Canadian. There’s no denying it and no getting around it. Just because he’s always been Canadian doesn’t mean he will always BE Canadian, however! In fact, Dean has plans to take his U.S. Citizenship exam in the not-so-distant future. Phil Leirness helps him prepare by doing his best Alex Trebek impersonation (ALSO a Candaian!) in an hour of pop quiz questions from a sample citizenship exam. Play along at home and compare YOUR score to that of TV’s Dean Haglund in such categories as U.S History, the U.S. Constitution, The Bill of Rights, the U.S. Government, The Supreme Court and the Judicial System. Filled with biting irreverence and hilarity, it’s YOUR Chillpak Hollywood Hour!

Chillpak Hollywood Hour #154

Phil Leirness — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 04:19:46 +0000

It’s part two of Dean and Phil’s look at their all-time favorite books. This week, from show business biographies to the poetry of a Sufi master, from the Biology of Transcendence to the mysteries of a quantum universe, it’s an entire hour dedicated to non-fiction. History, science, biography, essays, poetry and yes, even anthologies of jokes are included. It’s YOUR Chillpak Hollywood Hour, where reading is sexy!

And to all of our listeners who will be in the London area NEXT Monday (3 May), the Thelma and Louise of podcasting will be appearing on a panel at the Sc-Fi-London Film Festival. For information, visit Maybe They ARE Out to Get You!

Chillpak Hollywood Hour #153

Phil Leirness — Mon, 19 Apr 2010 15:49:42 +0000

Your friends in podcasting have treated you to many delightful theme shows during the (almost) three years they’ve been on the Farpoint Media Network. And though Dean and Phil have attempted to be diligent in discussing “what they’re reading”, and though they’ve even had authors on the show, they’ve never dedicated an entire episode to the subject of books.

Until today!

Buckle up for the excitement caused by Dean and Phil discussing their all time favorite works of literary fiction. And keep those Kindles handy! You might want to immediately start downloading the titles discussed on this week’s installment of YOUR Chillpak Hollywood Hour.

Chillpak Hollywood Hour #152

Phil Leirness — Mon, 12 Apr 2010 21:19:45 +0000

Comedy is serious business. Dean and Phil treat it as such by discussing the death of Dixie (”Designing Women”) Carter, the significance behind Tina Fey’s new movie “failling” to be #1 at the box office even though it was far and away the most attended film in the nation and by analyzing the careers of such performers as John Cusack, Vince Vaughn, Bill Murray, Chevy Chase and … Crispin Glover! Even though comedy is on their minds, your friends in podcasting also take time to comment upon and compare the two television series that have established the contemporary Gold Standard for drama. Finally, the Thelma and Louise of podcasting answer an important question from a loyal listener regarding the role – or lack thereof – debunkers might play in their documentary The Truth Is OUt There, which concludes filming this month in the UK!

Chillpak Hollywood Hour #151

Phil Leirness — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 20:37:27 +0000

Dean. Phil. Earthquakes. Easter. Spring. God. Star Wars. Consciousness. Society. Rules. 3D. Alice. Dragons. Trotsky. Stalin.

Your. Chillpak. Hollywood. Hour.

Chillpak Hollywood Hour #150

Phil Leirness — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 21:20:35 +0000

The Thelma and Louise of podcasting are out the door to Arizona, where they’ll be interviewing physicist Bill Tiller for their documentary The Truth Is Out There before bum-rushing the University of Arizona’s consciousness lab in Tucson hoping to learn about something called The SOPHIA Project. Before they go, they’re giving reports on such disparate films as Hot Tub Time Machine, The Ghost Writer, and 1962’s Burn, Witch, Burn! Also, Lily Holleman’s acceptance speech while receiving the Method Fest’s Rising Star award and the death of Robert Culp both inspire Dean and Phil to revisit their “Is acting important” debate. Meanwhile, your friends in podcasting try to make heads or tails of the ANGER and VITRIOL surrounding the health care debate. The future of 3D movies and 3D televisions are debated, future episodes of YOUR Chillpak Hollywood Hour are previewed, and the truth behind the Swastika found on the moon is revealed. Now, if you’ll excuse us, we’ve got load up the car and burn rubber out of downtown L.A.’s historic core.

Chillpak Hollywood Hour #149

Phil Leirness — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 21:26:16 +0000

This week’s show begins with a quote from Albert Einstein and ends with a quote from playwright Martin McDonagh. In between, Dean and Phil wade around in the deep end of the pool, discussing such topics as the weight of the human soul, the mysterious lights that recently appeared (for eight nights in a row) over Lake Erie, the Spiral that opened in the skies of Norway in November, how artists might be responsible for the events of 9/11, why your friends in podcasting have a hard time believing all this “freedom is dead” talk they’ve been hearing, and why Phil has heard just about enough religion-bashing. Plus Phil reports on his trip to the Big Apple, including the three plays he saw and the two meetings he had with loyal Chillpak Hollywood Hour listeners.

Chillpak Hollywood Hour #148

Phil Leirness — Tue, 16 Mar 2010 15:45:53 +0000

On the road again … This week, on YOUR Chillpak Hollywood Hour, Dean Haglund and Phil Leirness, the Thelma and Louise of podcasting, head north of San Francisco, to podcast from a tepee, high above the rolling hills of Petaluma, at the Institute of Noetic Sciences, where they shot an interview for their documentary with Institute President and CEO Marilyn Schlitz. Your friends in podcasting discuss the consciousness-expanding work being done by Noetic scientists and how it fits in with what Dean and Phil have learned thus far about the world of conspiracy. They also weigh in on the deaths of actors Peter Graves and Corey Haim. And there are tear-filled farewells as Dean heads back to Los Angeles and Phil splits for the Big Apple. Something for everyone! So, join us in the sweat lodge and tell a friend!