• Podcasts

Why Do So Many Movies Fall Apart at the End? – Episode 19

• November 20, 2014
• Tagged as: argo, carrie, dawn of the planet of the apes, dead again, enemy, friends, grease, ocean's eleven, ocean's twelve, rise of the planet of the apes, signs, sunset boulevard, the manchurian candidate, the road, the two gentlemen of verona, the wizard of oz, the x-files, white collar, xena: warrior princess

It seems like a lot of movies and books with great potential fall apart in the final act or descend into cliche. Why is that so common? Brent and Erik look into this—unfortunately—all-too-common phenomenon. Your Hosts…

• Podcasts

Are Artists Doomed to Die Alone? – Episode 018

• November 6, 2014
• Tagged as: black swan, fatal attraction, king lear, the essays of eb white

Do we expect (and maybe even encourage) artists to be depressed or otherwise eccentric? Does standing on the outside of society and holding up a mirror mean you will always be disappointed, frustrated, and (metaphorically) alone? Brent…

• Podcasts

Will Writing a Play Make You a Better Novelist? – Episode 017

• October 22, 2014
• Tagged as: a midsummer night's dream, art, bullets over broadway, cats, cyrano de bergerac, geography club, proof, the glass menagerie, the phantom of the opera, three tall women, waiting for godot, wit

Should novelists also write for the stage? What can you learn from the act of writing a play, and from observing an audience watch it? We look at the benefits (and economics) of writing drama. Your…

• Podcasts

What Does It Mean to be a Man in Movies and Television? – Episode 016

• October 8, 2014
• Tagged as: about time, arthur beautyman mysteries, breaking bad, casino royale, chef, desperate housewives, edge of tomorrow, home improvement, honeymoon, louie, mad men, married with children, modern family, sex in the city, spirits, the good wife, the sopranos, the winter soldier, up in the air

Over time, the portrayal of men has changed substantially in movies and television, including sitcom dads, action heroes, character leads in cable dramas, and more. How are men portrayed and characterized? What direction is the going? Your Hosts…

• Podcasts

How Do You Launch a Book? – Episode 015

• September 30, 2014
• Tagged as: the lead cloak, the thing i didn't know i didn't know

Brent and Erik go into detail about the marketing steps they take to launch a book. This episode also contains an offer to be a beta reader from Brent for his next book! Your Hosts…

• Podcasts

Should You Write What You Know? – Episode 014

• September 18, 2014
• Tagged as: bird by bird, game of thrones, the marinara murders, the thing i didn't know i didn't know

“Write what you know” is common advice to new writers. But is it always a good idea? Brent and Erik take different sides and look at what it means for writers and for the stories…

• Podcasts

What Comes After Paranormal? – Episode 013

• September 10, 2014
• Tagged as: back to the future part III, bridget joness diary, divergent, gone girl, harry potter, lonesome dove, march of the penguins, the dark tower, the hunger games, the martian, the maze runner, the string diaries, twilight

Paranormal romance has been the “it” genre in publishing for years now. How long can it last? And what comes next? We look at some of the biggest recent genres (paranormal romance, zombies, chicklit) and…

• Podcasts

Is Movie Sex Actually Sexy? – Episode 012

• August 26, 2014
• Tagged as: bound, brokeback mountain, carnal knowledge, come undone, fast times at ridgemont high, game of thrones, ghost, mulholland drive, notorious, sin city, spartacus, splice, storytelling, summertime, the dreamers, the graduate, the last picture show, the lead cloak, the thomas crown affair, wall-e, wild reeds

Is movie sex actually sexy? We ask the question, and look at why some scenes are sexy (and why some are terrible), why there is sex in movies at all, and why there are so few gay…

• Podcasts

Is Nicholas Cage a Good Actor? – Episode 011

• August 13, 2014
• Tagged as: adaptation, leaving las vegas, matchstick men, moonstruck, national treasure, pulp fiction, raising arizona, red rock west, the last seduction, the weather man, the wicker man

Is Nicholas Cage a good actor? This is the question that has haunted America (and Abed) for years. We delve into this important question from both sides (Erik thinks he’s great; Brent thinks he’s terrible)….

• Podcasts

Should Writers Self-Publish? Part II – Episode 010

• July 29, 2014
• Tagged as: geography club, the dark tower, the elephant of surprise, the lead cloak

Should writers self-publish? Brent Hartinger and Erik Hanberg continue the discussion from Part I by talking about their decisions to traditionally publish or self-publish their books. Your Hosts Brent Hartinger Erik Hanberg Media Consumed This Episode Geography Club (book)…