The Ankler

Peter Farrelly on 'I Play Rocky,' Sylvester Stallone and Its Oscar Chances | The Rushfield Lunch

854 views · 4d ago · 45:59

How did a screenplay that nearly everyone in Hollywood passed on become one of the most talked-about films at the Toronto International Film Festival? Farrelly also reflects on his career making comedy classics with his brother Bobby, including 'Dumb and Dumber' and 'There's Something About Mary,' his transition to Oscar-winning drama with 'Green Book,' and whether Hollywood could still make the outrageous comedies that defined his early career.

Topics: Peter Farrelly on 'I Play Rocky' and the original 'Rocky' · How Farrelly's daughter's ex discovered the 'I Play Rocky' script · The underdog stories behind 'I Play Rocky' and 'Dumb and Dumber' · Peter Farrelly's connection to Sylvester Stallone · Stallone's request and casting Anthony Ippolito · Developing the 'I Play Rocky' screenplay and supporting cast

Who Can Save Netflix Films? Richard Rushfield Has Two Names | Ankler Agenda Podcast

1.5K views · 4d ago · 28:15

How do you solve a problem like Netflix Film, and who is best positioned to figure it out? “As currently constructed, it’s an impossible job,” Richard Rushfield tells Elaine Low and Sean McNulty on this week’s pod. The problem? Netflix wants to churn out 30-plus movies a year, deliver the next KPop Demon Hunters, compete for Oscars and somehow make films that actually become cultural events. And it’s increasingly failing at that last part.

Topics: Who will be Netflix's next head of film? · Why Dan Lin exit leaves a tough job · Is it an impossible job? Quality vs. quantity · From Scott Stuber to Dan Lin: how the role evolved · Netflix's marketing problem · What business is Netflix in? Peter Rice's mandate

Supporting Actor Power Rankings with Erik Anderson and Ryan McQuade, Ruth Madeley on Being Heumann

2.7K views · 6d ago · 1:32:30

Guests: Erik Anderson, Being Heumann

Our acting race deep dives return with Awards Watch’s Erik Anderson and Ryan McQuade joining to wonder which Odyssey contender is the strongest, which Oscar winners might be in the hunt for round two, and how to make sense of Robert Pattinson’s role in the race.

Topics: Inside A Busy Awards Week · A Wide Open Supporting Race · The Case For Steve Buscemi · Tom Holland's Odyssey Push · Elliot Page's Hades Scene · Skyler Gisondo's Big Moment

‘Clayface’ Opens to $24M: Is Low-Budget Horror the Future of Superhero Movies? | Weekend Box Office

855 views · 1w ago · 15:55

Guest: Weekend Box Office

After Warner Bros.' $170 million 'Supergirl' opened to just $38 million over the summer, DC's 'Clayface' is offering a different path forward for superhero movies. The R-rated horror thriller earned $24 million in its opening weekend against a $30 million production budget, drawing an audience that was 73 percent under 35.

Topics: 'Clayface' Opens to $24 Million · Why 'Clayface' Is a Win for DC and Warner Bros. · Can Lower Budgets Save Superhero Movies? · 'You Can See Everything' Grows in Weekend Two · Could 'You Can See Everything' Miss Best Documentary at the Oscars? · More Box Office Results and the Halloween Weekend Outlook

'Just Look Up' Filmmakers on Climate Activism | Documentary Spotlight

146 views · 1w ago · 14:17

Guest: Documentary Spotlight

At The Ankler and Pure Nonfiction's Documentary Spotlight, Hershey, Wall and Climate Defiance founder Michael Greenberg discuss the film with host Thom Powers. Greenberg recounts the group's confrontations with Biden administration officials, including John Podesta, and the subsequent conversations with the White House over liquefied natural gas exports.

Topics: Why the 'Just Look Up' Filmmakers Chose to Work With Climate Defiance · Michael Greenberg on Whether Direct Action Works · Filming Climate Defiance's Confrontational Protests · Why Climate Activists Wanted a Feature Documentary · Maintaining Journalistic Independence · Climate Defiance Under the Trump Administration

‘Time and Water’ Captures Iceland’s Vanishing Glaciers | Documentary Spotlight

116 views · 1w ago · 13:16

Guest: Documentary Spotlight

Director Sara Dosa discusses 'Time and Water,' her documentary inspired by Icelandic writer Andri Snær Magnason and his reflections on the country's disappearing glaciers. At The Ankler and Pure Nonfiction's Documentary Spotlight, Dosa speaks with host Thom Powers about her fascination with Iceland and the film's use of archival footage from Magnason's family, whose grandparents were among the first to photograph and film the country's glaciers.

Topics: Sara Dosa's Fascination With Iceland · How 'Time and Water' Began · Filming Iceland's Glaciers and Using Family Archives · Capturing the Sounds of Glaciers · Sara Dosa on Climate Change and the Loss of Home · The Emotional Experience of Filming Disappearing Glaciers

'The Eyes of Ghana' Filmmakers on Rediscovering Lost History | Documentary Spotlight

249 views · 1w ago · 12:09

Guest: Documentary Spotlight

'The Eyes of Ghana,' directed by two-time Oscar winner Ben Proudfoot, tells the story of Chris Tsui Hesse, the personal cinematographer to Ghana's first president, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, who preserved more than 1,000 rolls of footage documenting the country's history and independence.

Topics: Nana Adwoa Frimpong on Rediscovering Ghana's History · Kwame Nkrumah's Legacy and the Man Who Documented It · Why Higher Ground Backed 'The Eyes of Ghana' · Recovering 60 Years of Lost Archival Footage · Seeing Ghana's History Through a New Lens · Why 'The Eyes of Ghana' Partnered With IShowSpeed

'A Fox Under a Pink Moon': An Afghan Refugee Films Her Own Escape | Documentary Spotlight

108 views · 1w ago · 14:32

Guest: Documentary Spotlight

'A Fox Under a Pink Moon' follows Soraya Akhlaghi, a young Afghan artist who lived as a refugee in Iran, as she attempts to escape an abusive marriage and reunite with her mother in Austria. At The Ankler and Pure Nonfiction's Documentary Spotlight, Akhlaghi and Iranian filmmaker Mehrdad Oskouei speak virtually with host Thom Powers about their collaboration, which began when Oskouei met Akhlaghi as a teenager.

Topics: How Soraya Akhlaghi Began Documenting Her Life · Soraya Akhlaghi's First Meeting With Mehrdad Oskouei · Why Mehrdad Oskouei Wanted to Tell Soraya's Story · Soraya Akhlaghi's Life Today and the Film's International Reception · The Challenges of Traveling With the Film · Mehrdad Oskouei on the Power of Film to Cross Borders

Pegah Ahangarani on 'Rehearsals for a Revolution' | Documentary Spotlight

320 views · 1w ago · 14:11

Guest: Documentary Spotlight

Iranian actress and filmmaker Pegah Ahangarani discusses 'Rehearsals for a Revolution,' her documentary tracing Iran's history from the 1979 revolution to the present through personal memories, family archives and the stories of people whose lives were affected by political repression.

Topics: Pegah Ahangarani on Growing Up With Cinema in Iran · Why Pegah Ahangarani Left Iran · The Family Photograph That Inspired 'Rehearsals for a Revolution' · The Meaning Behind 'Rehearsals for a Revolution' · Telling the Stories of Five People Erased From History · How Recent Events in Iran Changed the Film

'Seized' Filmmakers on the Fight for Local Journalism | Documentary Spotlight

114 views · 1w ago · 12:24

Guest: Documentary Spotlight

'Seized' examines the 2023 police raid on the Marion County Record, a small-town Kansas newspaper, and the resulting controversy over press freedom, community trust and the First Amendment. At The Ankler and Pure Nonfiction's Documentary Spotlight, director Sharon Liese and producer Sasha Alpert discuss the HBO documentary with host Thom Powers. Liese explains how she first heard about the raid, traveled to Marion and began documenting the town's response.

Topics: How Sharon Liese Discovered the Marion Newspaper Raid · Why Sasha Alpert Wanted to Produce 'Seized' · Gaining the Trust of a Divided Kansas Town · Getting Both Sides of the Story · Portraying Small-Town America · What 'Seized' Reveals About Local Journalism

Inside 'Bernstein's Wall,' the Leonard Bernstein Story Told in His Own Words | Documentary Spotlight

128 views · 1w ago · 13:36

Guest: Documentary Spotlight

Director Douglas Tirola discusses 'Bernstein's Wall,' his archival documentary about composer and conductor Leonard Bernstein, whose music, political activism and personal life reflected his belief in the power of art to bring people together.

Topics: The Meaning Behind 'Bernstein's Wall' · Working With Leonard Bernstein's Family · Telling Bernstein's Story in His Own Words · Discovering Rare Leonard Bernstein Footage · Using Bernstein's Personal Letters · Why 'Bernstein's Wall' Was Held Back After Tribeca