Episode 36: Let it Play/Let's Switch with Sasha Spielberg
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Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving! Upon my return, I sat down with the lovely Sasha Spielberg…a marvelous musician, writer extraordinaire and all-around goof. We chat about her band Wardell and their west coast tour with Ryan Adams, what it’s like to pioneer a new media format with Literally Can’t Even on Snapchat, and why our generation might forget to procreate.
Episode 34: Red Bull, Sugar Free with Stan Zimmerman
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This week I get to chat with Stan Zimmerman, known for writing/producing on such television programs as Roseanne, Gilmore Girls, The Golden Girls, Rita Rocks, such feature films as The Brady Bunch Movie, A Very Brady Sequel and such plays as Meet and Greet and Suicide Notes: In Their Own Words.We talk about how being a writer in television has evolved, what it means to be a violet and solving toilet troubles with the high school theater department bathroom.
Stan’s upcoming projects include:
Gilmore Girls – that’s right! Lauren Graham and Alexis Bledel return in Netflix’s revival of the popular series and what better way to keep the good times going by making sure some of the original writers and producers like Stan are around.
Suicide Notes – Stan isn’t necessarily all comedy. At last year’s Hollywood Fringe Festival, Stan presented this powerfully moving piece featuring the last words of celebrities and everyday people alike, encouraging the audience to take a good hard look at a tough to talk about topic. The play is still in development and continues to grow and shape as he reaches out to more venues to present the evolving piece.
Skirtchasers – starring Barry Bostwick and Elizabeth Keener, this web series (available at Tello Films) explores the difficulties a not-so-perfect father has with trying to mend his lesbian daughter’s broken heart.
Secs & Execs – currently in post-production (and to be also made available at Tello Films), this web series starring Sandra Bernhard features the differences (and not so differences) between the high-powered execs and those who serve under them.
Episode 33: Sometimes Magic Happens with Naomi Grossman
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The latest episode of SideKickBack Radio features the incomparable actress Naomi Grossman, whom you might recognize (with some difficulty) as Pepper from American Horror Story. We chat about her high school reunion, the difference between “making it” and “doing it,” and large Argentinian hats.
This episode was recorded on September 9th, my wonderful, proud Jewish mama’s birthday! My gift to her this year was an hour of questioning her cryptic and often times mumble-mouthed son on his life. Eye-rolling was kept to a minimum…Highlights include my experience at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2006, getting my acting career going as the Cowardly Lion, and what I really learned in high school.
Episode 31: The Power of Belief and the Desire to Belong with Justin Kelly
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This week’s episode features Justin Kelly, the writer and director of I Am Michael (starring James Franco and Zachary Quinto). We chat about the years of work it takes to climb the film-world ladder, Michael Glatze’s reaction to a film about his life, and the oddities of airplane gasoline.
Justin’s upcoming projects include King Cobra (also starring James Franco, Christian Slater, and Molly Ringwald), Welcome the Stranger (starring Riley Keough and Abbey Lee) and JT Leroy (starring Kristen Stewart).
Stay up-to-date on all of Justin’s projects by following his IMDb page here!
Episode 30: What's in his Lungs? with Victor Levin
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This week I get to sit down with Victor Levin, writer/director of the marvelous film, 5 to 7 (starring Anton Yelchin and Bérénice Marlohe). We chat about the lost art of writing letters, the realities of running a TV show and the French view on relationships. 5 to 7 is now available on VOD and iTunes!
Episode 29: The Meat in the Cotton Candy with Robin Riker
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I am joined this week by veteran actress Robin Riker, who appeared in such series as Brothers, The Bold and the Beautiful and my personal fanboy geekout, the Disney Channel Original Movie Brink! We chat about her new book A Survivor’s Guide to Hollywood, steering clear of “soul-eaters” and the necessity of champagne.
Episode 28: A Fight Against Boredom with Johnny 3 Tears aka George Regan
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This week George “Johnny 3 Tears” Regan of Hollywood Undead stops by for another Highway to Havasu episode. We chat about the hate/hate relationship between band and record label, his approach to writing lyrics, and how his doomsday preparations are going.
Although known for his music, J3T has got some pretty great acting chops. In the upcoming Spring Break comedy Johnny plays Jonathan/Ronathan, two frighteningly weird unrelated guys, a tow-truck driver and a boat rental shop owner respectively. It was a blast to work with George, errrr Johnny 3 Tears…he’s the kind of guy that cracks open a beer before we go for a take and man can he give one menacing stare down that will make you crap your pants.
This week my guest is Highway to Havasu producer and music supervisor Tony Lovato of the pop punk band MEST. We chat about growing up on the south side of Chicago, the challenges of life on tour, and I get his opinion on cheetahs. MEST is hitting the road with Hawthorne Heights and The Ataris! Check out the dates here!
Episode 25: Looking for Instinct with Kyle Patrick Alvarez
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This week I sit down with the brilliant, award-winning director Kyle Patrick Alvarez, whose films include C.O.G., Easier with Practice and most recently The Stanford Prison Experiment (starring Billy Crudup, Ezra Miller, Michael Angarano and Tye Sheridan) which opens July 17th. We chat about the realities of directing an independent film in today’s market, Jewish/Cuban relations, and how he accomplished the seemingly unaccomplishable, securing film-rights to a David Sedaris story.
