Episodes
Back to School (1986) with Mike Wirth
Muralist and illustrator, UX and AR designer Mike Wirth talks about why Back to School is the perfect antidote to the End of the Summer Blues, and why teachers, instructors, and professors should give it a watch, or a re-watch.
Dead Poets Society (1989) with Bill Childs
Bill Childs, accomplished marketing leader, author, designer, and mentor, talks about his journey to becoming a teacher and why Dead Poets Society means so much to him.
Back to School this Season [Jason monologuing]
Sure, back to school means shopping for the nifty pens and pencils, dusting off your backpack, packing lunch, and seeing friends again. But the gun violence needs to end. Some organizations and individuals who are taking a stand include Everytown, Mad Dads, Moms Demand Action, Sandy Hook, and Hollywood directors too. Listen to this episode, and see its notes, to learn more about fighting to end gun violence and creating safer schools.
Snoopy Presents: A Summer Musical (2025) with Erik Wiese
Snoopy Presents: A Summer Musical is a brand new Peanuts story, released on Apple TV+ in 2025. Characters created by Charles M. Schulz that we know and love, Charlie, Snoopy, Woodstock, Sally, Lucy, Peppermint Patty, Marcie, and so many more, sing and dance their way through summer camp with music by Ben Folds. Whether you’re a fan of the Peanuts from way back when, or a first-time viewer, you’ll be entertained by this incredibly moving story, directed by Erik Wiese. He joins the show to discuss how design plays a role in his work, and how Snoopy Presents: A Summer Musical honors Charles Schulz and Schulz’s development as an artist.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975) with Sam Beddoes
Sam Beddoes of FreakZone Games talks about The Rocky Horror Show (1974), the original stage musical that became the movie The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975). Going in depth, explaining the differences between each production, he also talks about how he made The Rocky Horror Show Video Game. We also discuss Brian De Palma, The Office, Dead Poets Society, Labyrinth, Sweeney Todd, Jennifer’s Body, Robin Hood, Dracula, and The Naked Gun, although not in that exact order!
We're back for a 2nd Season!
We’re back! Season 2! More great guests, more great movies, more great discussions. Have a question or guest recommendation? You want to be a guest? Have a movie review? Call our hotline, 704-681-6880, leave a voicemail. Remember! Subscribe AND provide a review wherever you listen to podcasts!
Summer 2025: Superman anticipation
About two weeks away from the release of Gunn’s Superman, we hear from Tom Muller, Giovanna Chung, and Jen Hood who are all super excited for the new movie.
Summer 2025: Superman and The Fantastic Four with Matt Stevens
In a prior episode, designer and illustrator Matt Stevens talked about why 2022’s The Batman is such a great movie and how it has some elements from David Fincher’s Se7en plus inspirations from various Batman sources, creating a unique vision. Matt does something similar in his own work. His latest project, Good Movies as Old Books from Chronicle Books reimagines films as vintage book covers. In that prior episode, Matt also talked about taking risks, going out on his own, leaving the agency world behind, and various side projects. Here, Matt discusses how maybe, sometimes a side project that looks and feels fun may not be a success but the momentum and direction it gives you could still have value. He also shares his opinions about two summer movies, Superman and The Fantastic Four.
The Batman (2022) with Matt Stevens
Matt Stevens, designer and illustrator, talks about The Batman, a unique take on the Bruce Wayne and Batman mythology brought to life by Matt Reeves and starring Robert Pattinson, Zoë Kravitz, Jeffrey Wright, Colin Farrell, Paul Dano, and Andy Serkis. This 2022 version has less of the comic-y qualities that Joel Schumacher instilled in the 90s versions, but has a gritty, frightening ambiance closer to David Fincher's Se7en. In addition to The Batman, Stevens also talks about Good Movies as Old Books which reimagines movies as book covers.
Jaws (1975) with Lisa Lake
Jaws, directed by Steven Spielberg, turns 50 this month. Chief Brody, played by Roy Scheider, is pulled in multiple directions after a fatal shark attack, and subsequent murders, none of which the town’s local leaders take seriously. When Hooper, played by Richard Dreyfuss, comes into the picture, the two of them unite with the hope of getting to the bottom of the situation, with factual, scientific accuracy in mind. Hooper and Brody as outsiders, not locals, eventually team up with Robert Shaw’s Quint to hunt down the shark, and end the terror. Lisa Lake, a killer designer, awesome photographer, and drone pilot, vividly remembers seeing Jaws in the theatre and hadn’t seen it since then, but she re-watched it for this episode.
Challengers (2024) with Erin Prus [more thoughts]
Erin Prus, a design leader living in the heart of the Midwest, focuses on the ways words, and their systems and styles, shape design, along with UI design elements, accessibility, and more. Erin shares more thoughts about Challengers, starring Zendaya, Mike Faist, and Josh O'Connor, analyzing its romance, conflicts, parenting scenes, memorable action on the tennis court, compression of time and flashbacks, sponsorships, and also, how Applebee’s factors into the story.
Pee-wee as Himself (2025) review
The HBO Original two-part documentary Pee-wee as Himself, directed by Matt Wolf, debuts Friday, May 23 (8pm ET) with both parts airing back-to-back on HBO and available to stream on Max.
Challengers (2024) with Erin Prus
Erin Prus is a design leader living in the heart of the Midwest, focuses on the ways words (and their systems and styles) shape design, and impact UI design elements, accessibility, and more. She returns to the show to talk about Challengers, directed by Luca Guadagnino and written by Justin Kuritzkes, starring Zendaya, Mike Faist, and Josh O'Connor. Is Challengers the horniest tennis movies ever? What about the sweaty, rainy scenes? And how does it compare to 9 1/2 Weeks or Basic Instinct?
Pump Up the Volume (1990) with Ian Smile [more thoughts]
Pump Up the Volume stars Christian Slater as a high schooler who moonlights as an underground radio personality. In addition to the movie, Ian Smile talks about music, media, craft, and the importance of messaging and content.
Pump Up the Volume (1990) with Ian Smile
Throughout his career, Ian Smile has been a graphic designer, creative director, community builder, and is currently a principal UX designer building digital products for media management and distribution for pro sports & entertainment industries. Ian and I discuss Pump Up the Volume, starring Christian Slater as a high schooler who moonlights as an underground radio personality, he's a voice for the students and somebody they relate to, even look up to. We also talk about Generation X, the punk ethos, and old school media.
Pee-wee as Himself [Jason monologuing]
HBO’s trailer for Pee-wee as Himself recently debuted, a walk down memory lane, full of familiar faces, funny stories, and some hard truths. The two-part TV series debuts May 2025.
Pee-wee's Big Adventure (1985) with Ben Shown
Ben Shown is equal parts design nerd and creative mentor, bringing a playful curiosity to complex challenges and a love of user-centered everything. As Head of Design at Blink UX, he helps shape the vision for industry giants like Amazon, Expedia, Microsoft, NASA, and The New York Times. When it comes to movies, Ben considers Pee-wee’s Big Adventure a North Star, a pillar, and for all the right reasons. It has comedy, drama, surprise, shock, whimsy, and even some horror, with memorable scenes and quotable lines that to this day are iconic.
Death and Taxes [Jason monologuing]
Benjamin Franklin famously wrote, “In this world, nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.” When it comes to movies about taxes, finance, banking, scheming, bros, lying, corruption, cheating, and selling, here are a few of my favorites, from comedies to dramas, to the completely outrageous and obscene.
Midnight Run (1988) with Bill Childs
Accomplished marketing leader Bill Childs comes back to the show. After thirty years of working as a graphic designer, copywriter, art director, illustrator, marketing director, and creative director, Bill shares his insights in the book Childs Play which serves as a field guide for anyone who works creatively, or manages people who work in a creative capacity. Bill talks about why the high-octane comedy Midnight Run is a perfect movie, from Grodin’s improvisations to De Niro’s commitment to the character, with Yaphet Kotto, John Ashton, Dennis Farina, Joe Pantoliano, and Philip Baker Hall in supporting and memorable roles.