Shows
The Vocalist PodcastHow to Move Forward From "No's" in the Performing Arts and How to Come Home to Yourself with Analisa LeamingAnalisa Leaming is a Broadway actor, performance coach, voice teacher, and creator of A Balancing Act podcast. It is a true honor to have Analisa on The Vocalist Podcast. In our conversation, we chat about, how to process the "no's" that are inevitable in our industry. We touch on how to come home to yourself through practices like meditation and journaling, and why that is so important. We dive into how to hold both your goals and dreams that we are working towards, and how the most important step is knowing you are enough no matter the outcome. This...
2022-01-3121 minThe Vocalist PodcastHow to Move Forward From "No's" in the Performing Arts and How to Come Home to Yourself with Analisa LeamingAnalisa Leaming is a Broadway actor, performance coach, voice teacher, and creator of A Balancing Act podcast. It is a true honor to have Analisa on The Vocalist Podcast. In our conversation, we chat about, how to process the "no's" that are inevitable in our industry. We touch on how to come home to yourself through practices like meditation and journaling, and why that is so important. We dive into how to hold both your goals and dreams that we are working towards, and how the most important step is knowing you are enough no matter the outcome. This...
2022-01-3121 minThe Vocalist PodcastBecoming a Musical Theatre Professional with Baldwin Wallace University's Victoria BussertVictoria Bussert is the Director, Music Theatre at Baldwin Wallace University. I felt so motivated coming out of this chat, and I am very excited for you to listen in. We discuss the importance of knowing what an equity rehearsal process is like before entering into the professional world. Victoria expands on what it means to do the work, and how to bring that work into an audition. One of my favorite moments, however, is when Victoria brings home that there is no such thing as an overdone song. This ep. is filled with applicable tips. Enjoy! *Thi...
2022-01-1023 minThe Vocalist PodcastBecoming a Musical Theatre Professional with Baldwin Wallace University's Victoria BussertVictoria Bussert is the Director, Music Theatre at Baldwin Wallace University. I felt so motivated coming out of this chat, and I am very excited for you to listen in. We discuss the importance of knowing what an equity rehearsal process is like before entering into the professional world. Victoria expands on what it means to do the work, and how to bring that work into an audition. One of my favorite moments, however, is when Victoria brings home that there is no such thing as an overdone song. This ep. is filled with applicable tips. Enjoy! *Thi...
2022-01-1023 minThe Vocalist PodcastHow to Get Through the Biggest Hurdles as Young Actors with Ryan Scott Oliver!Ryan Scott Oliver is an award-winning New York City composer-lyricist, and co-founder of Actor Therapy. We are so lucky to have him on The Vocalist Podcast. Actors, you are going to want to tune into this one. Ryan and I touch on; the biggest hurdles as young actors and how to work through them, how to approach character work and real application of that work, how we must use the voice as an instrument, and so much more! It is rare that we as singers and actors get to interact with the people who are writing the music we g...
2021-12-1321 minThe Vocalist PodcastHow to Get Through the Biggest Hurdles as Young Actors with Ryan Scott Oliver!Ryan Scott Oliver is an award-winning New York City composer-lyricist, and co-founder of Actor Therapy. We are so lucky to have him on The Vocalist Podcast. Actors, you are going to want to tune into this one. Ryan and I touch on; the biggest hurdles as young actors and how to work through them, how to approach character work and real application of that work, how we must use the voice as an instrument, and so much more! It is rare that we as singers and actors get to interact with the people who are writing the music we g...
2021-12-1321 minThe Vocalist PodcastHow to Be Intentional in Your Auditions and How We are Dismantling the Idea of "Type" with Boston Conservatory at Berklee's Jermaine HillJermaine Hill is the Assistant Chair of the Theater Division at Boston Conservatory at Berklee. You will not want to skip this one, we dive in deep with this conversation. In this episode we chat about how at Boston Conservatory at Berklee, they are working on dismantling the antiquated ideas of "type" and "the triple threat". Jermaine gives his insight into what he does not want to see in the audition room, as well as what he loves to see in the audition room. Press play and get ready to learn about how to be a beautifully intentional actor.
2021-12-0623 minThe Vocalist PodcastHow to Be Intentional in Your Auditions and How We are Dismantling the Idea of "Type" with Boston Conservatory at Berklee's Jermaine HillJermaine Hill is the Assistant Chair of the Theater Division at Boston Conservatory at Berklee. You will not want to skip this one, we dive in deep with this conversation. In this episode we chat about how at Boston Conservatory at Berklee, they are working on dismantling the antiquated ideas of "type" and "the triple threat". Jermaine gives his insight into what he does not want to see in the audition room, as well as what he loves to see in the audition room. Press play and get ready to learn about how to be a beautifully intentional actor.
2021-12-0623 minThe Vocalist PodcastHow to Bring Joy Instead of Perfection to You College Musical Theatre Audition! with Nancy Allen of Belmont UniversityNancy Allen is the Coordinator of the Musical Theatre Program at Belmont University. In this episode we have a great conversation about how to bring yourself and your joy into the audition room, instead of your biggest notes and desire for perfection. We also chat about the incredible performance opportunities at Belmont and within Nashville, and about what makes Belmont truly different. You don't want to miss this one! Come join in the conversation and pull back the curtain on the college audition process!Share the love and don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe to...
2021-11-0819 minThe Vocalist PodcastHow to Bring Joy Instead of Perfection to You College Musical Theatre Audition! with Nancy Allen of Belmont UniversityNancy Allen is the Coordinator of the Musical Theatre Program at Belmont University. In this episode we have a great conversation about how to bring yourself and your joy into the audition room, instead of your biggest notes and desire for perfection. We also chat about the incredible performance opportunities at Belmont and within Nashville, and about what makes Belmont truly different. You don't want to miss this one! Come join in the conversation and pull back the curtain on the college audition process!Share the love and don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe to...
2021-11-0819 minThe Vocalist PodcastHow to Find Your Artistic Success Loop and Get Out of Artistic Ruts!! Find the Way to Move Forward in your Musical Theatre Auditions and CareerToday we are going solo with yours truly! Have you felt like you're in an artistic rut? Have you felt like auditions, classes, etc. aren't going the way you had hoped? Have you started to have negative self talk around your art? I am here for YOU. Together we are going to turn that negative cycle into a Success Loop with actionable steps. On this episode you will receive the keys to rewrite your own story on your artistic journey! Come join in the conversation and pull back the curtain on the college audition process!S...
2021-11-0114 minThe Vocalist PodcastHow to Find Your Artistic Success Loop and Get Out of Artistic Ruts!! Find the Way to Move Forward in your Musical Theatre Auditions and CareerToday we are going solo with yours truly! Have you felt like you're in an artistic rut? Have you felt like auditions, classes, etc. aren't going the way you had hoped? Have you started to have negative self talk around your art? I am here for YOU. Together we are going to turn that negative cycle into a Success Loop with actionable steps. On this episode you will receive the keys to rewrite your own story on your artistic journey! Come join in the conversation and pull back the curtain on the college audition process!S...
2021-11-0114 minThe Vocalist PodcastWhat College Professors Want to Learn About You in the Audition Room! with NYU Tisch's Shanga ParkerShanga Parker is the Arts Professor at NYU Tisch. In this episode we talk about how professors in the audition process are not looking for a perfect audition, they are looking at the future student holistically. We find out what the professors want to hear from you in the interview portion of the artistic review process. Come join in the conversation and pull back the curtain on the college audition process!Share the love and don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe to The Vocalist Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts. It means the world!
2021-10-2518 minThe Vocalist PodcastWhat College Professors Want to Learn About You in the Audition Room! with NYU Tisch's Shanga ParkerShanga Parker is the Arts Professor at NYU Tisch. In this episode we talk about how professors in the audition process are not looking for a perfect audition, they are looking at the future student holistically. We find out what the professors want to hear from you in the interview portion of the artistic review process. Come join in the conversation and pull back the curtain on the college audition process!Share the love and don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe to The Vocalist Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts. It means the world!
2021-10-2518 minThe Vocalist PodcastThe Key to Successful Musical Theatre Auditions - Land Your Dream RolesToday is a solo episode with actor and founder, Christine Toole. In this episode I am talking about the three keys to consistently successful musical theatre auditions. If you have found yourself in an audition rut, where you are consistently not getting callbacks, this is the episode for you! I am breaking down these three steps into very actionable tips that I guarantee will set you up for success and growth like you have yet to experience. Share the love and don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe to The Vocalist Podcast wherever you listen to your p...
2021-10-1818 minThe Vocalist PodcastThe Key to Successful Musical Theatre Auditions - Land Your Dream RolesToday is a solo episode with actor and founder, Christine Toole. In this episode I am talking about the three keys to consistently successful musical theatre auditions. If you have found yourself in an audition rut, where you are consistently not getting callbacks, this is the episode for you! I am breaking down these three steps into very actionable tips that I guarantee will set you up for success and growth like you have yet to experience. Share the love and don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe to The Vocalist Podcast wherever you listen to your p...
2021-10-1818 min
The Vocalist PodcastHow to Follow Your Heart In College Auditions! with Eric Weiss from Emerson CollegeEric Weiss is the Director of Programming in the Department of Performing Arts at Emerson College. In this episode we talk about how to follow your intuition in college auditions, the importance of making your own artistic work, the key to a successful college audition, and so much more!Share the love and don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe to The Vocalist Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts. It means the world! Visit thevocalistworkshop.com for more information and to book lessons!Follow Christine Toole and The Vocalist on social media:
2021-10-0518 minThe Vocalist PodcastHow to Follow Your Heart In College Auditions! with Eric Weiss from Emerson CollegeEric Weiss is the Director of Programming in the Department of Performing Arts at Emerson College. In this episode we talk about how to follow your intuition in college auditions, the importance of making your own artistic work, the key to a successful college audition, and so much more!Share the love and don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe to The Vocalist Podcast wherever you listen to podcasts. It means the world! Visit thevocalistworkshop.com for more information and to book lessons!Follow Christine Toole and The Vocalist on social media:
2021-10-0518 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsEp. 173 - Mudbound; Dark (Netflix) - Movie ReviewsTitanic turns 20; Edward Norton on streaming models in conversation with Goldman Sachs; Woody Allen celebrates his 82nd birthday with the release of Wonder Wheel; what would happen if Aaron Sorkin were to reboot The West Wing; Season 2 of The Crown drops December 8 on Netflix.
It's then on to two of Netflix' latest offerings:
At 12:55: A movie carried by Carey? Hollister reviews Mudbound (starring Carey Mulligan & Mary J. Blige).
18:22: O'Toole binges on the 10-episode offering of Dark, Netflix' first original German series - an atmospheric-supernatural-time-travelly-family drama-psycho thriller. Jawohl!
27:38: In honor of Dark, this week's #ListofSix: Our 6 Favorite Movies About Germany. Learn more about y...
2017-12-0733 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsEp. 172 - Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri - Movie ReviewAn American classic (with a majority non-American cast) turns 75; Hollister revisits Pride and Prejudice (2006); O'Toole reveals which Downton Abbey star performs the audiobook version of Murder on the Orient Express.
At 7:35: Leaving last week's meditation on kindness (Wonder) far behind, this week it's all about Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri. Written and directed by Martin McDonagh; starring Frances McDormand, Woody Harrelson (LBJ; The Glass Castle), Lucas Hedges (Lady Bird, Manchester by the Sea) and Sam Rockwell. One of us thought it was a stark but beautiful tale of forgiveness; the other says it left a stain on her soul.
36:23: This week...
2017-11-3042 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsEp. 170 - LBJ; Lady Bird; Alias Grace - Movie & TV ReviewsO'Toole bumps into her favorite celebrity; the 300th episode of Grey's Anatomy; Julianna Margulies returns to the small screen; Hollister weighs in on Kevin Spacey.
At 12:48: Oh Canada! Margaret Atwood (The Handmaid's Tale) is back with Alias Grace. Adapted by Sarah Polley; starring Sarah Gadon (A Royal Night Out; Indignation), Edward Holcroft (London Spy), and Anna Paquin (the first millennial to win an Oscar).
23:23: Glee meets Juno? O'Toole on Lady Bird, written and directed by Greta Gerwig (20th Century Women; Mistress America; Maggie's Plan). Starring Saoirse Ronan (Brooklyn), Laurie Metcalf, Tracy Letts (Indignation; The Lovers), and Lucas Hedges (Manchester by the...
2017-11-1643 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsEp. 165 - Victoria and Abdul; Honoring Julie Andrews; #HIFF25 - Movie ReviewsScreen Thoughts broadcasts from the 25th annual Hamptons International Film Festival, with special guest Diane Barrett. On red carpets; Itzhak Perlman; The Divine Order (“Die göttliche Ordnung”); and women's suffrage.
At 7:45: Line judges: listeners did not love-love Hollister’s comments about Emma Stone playing Billie Jean King?
11:50: Hollister and Diane review Earth: One Amazing Day (narrated by Robert Redford), and at 16:02: Fry Day, a short by Laura Moss.
22:16: Mrs. Brown returns as Victoria and Abdul? Directed by Stephen Frears; starring Dame Judi Dench, Ali Fazal, and Adeel Akhtar (The Big Sick); based on the book by Shrabani Basu.
36:03: This week's...
2017-10-1244 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsEp. 163 - Brad's Status - Movie ReviewsHollister takes Baby Driver for a spin; why JLaw dropped out of The Rosie Project; some very active Downton Abbey alumni; and... is Stephen King putting clowns out of work?
More from our literary Hollywood dealmaker: click here for Big Little Lies and 20 More Books on Reese Witherspoon's Must-Read List.
At 7:44: A nuanced, soulful, cringe-worthy comedy, or a paean to privilege? Hollister and O'Toole debate Brad's Status, written and directed by Mike White (Beatriz at Dinner); starring Ben Stiller and Austin Abrams as a college-campus-touring father-son duo.
30:48: Inspired by a Screen Thoughts listener, this week's #ListOfSix: 6 Movies People Would Be Surpri...
2017-09-2736 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsEp. 162 - Mother! Movie ReviewA big night at the Emmys - and comments from our amazing listeners: click here for Apartment Therapy's take on Nancy Meyers' best kitchens. And... the WSJ commissions touchdown dances? Click here to see what La La Land choreographer Mandy Moore came up with - a Charleston for the end zone.
At 9:00: Joy meets Misery? Darren Aronofsky teams with JLaw (Joy) to bring us his environmentally-inspired Fever Dream: Mother! Co-starring Michelle Pfeiffer, Ed Harris, and Javier Bardem; with cameos by real-life brothers Domhnall Gleeson (Brooklyn) and Brian Gleeson and a late-stage appearance by Kristen Wiig (The Martian). Hollister & O'Toole weigh in...
2017-09-2138 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsEp. 161 - Home Again - Movie ReviewWishing all our listeners safe havens; from cancellations to Emmy noms - is it the end of networks? One optimistic trend in 2017’s YTD box office tally.
9:32: Like Mother, like Daughter? Hollister & O'Toole debate Home Again, written & directed by Hallie Meyers-Shyer; produced by romcom powerhouse Nancy Meyers. Starring Reese Witherspoon (Big Little Lies), Candice Bergen, Lake Bell, Pico Alexander (Indignation), Nat Wolff, Jon Rudnitsky, and Michael Sheen.
26:02: This week's #ListOfSix - 6 things we love about Nancy Meyers. Cheesecake, anyone? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2017-09-1432 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsEp. 160 - Marjorie Prime; Tulip Fever - Movie ReviewsOn the dangers of bingeing; a plethora of trailers inspired by real-life stories; a Homeland brouhaha; Wonder Woman objectified?
At 8:38: Love-love? Hollister on how best to train for Battle of the Sexes, starring Emma Stone as tennis - and equal-rights legend - Billie Jean King.
10:34: Back to the future? O'Toole on the stage-to-screen adaptation of Marjorie Prime, a Sundance winner - starring Lois Smith, Geena Davis, Tim Robbins - and Jon Hamm as a hologram (a Holohamm). Play by Jordan Harrison; adapted for the screen by director Michael Almereyda (Experimenter).
20:05: Flowery praise? Hollister on Tulip Fever. Written by Deborah Moggach (who...
2017-09-0734 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsEp. 159 - The Midwife; Icarus - Movie ReviewsComments from our listeners; and, New York City, one story at a time: Brandon Stanton's blog sensation and inspiration behind 2 bestselling books, Humans of New York, to air as a video series on Facebook's new Watch platform.
At 6:52: Calling all Francophiles: O'Toole on The Midwife (Sage femme), a tale about forgiveness, starring the iconic Catherine Deneuve (Persepolis) & Catherine Frot (Marguerite - a French take on Florence Foster Jenkins). Vive le cinéma!
14:50: Hollister flies too close to the sun: Icarus, a doping doco - and winner of a Special Jury Prize at Sundance (after a historic sale, now available on Net...
2017-08-3030 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsEp. 158 - Wind River; Whitney: Can I Be Me - Movie ReviewsShaken, not stirred - on 007 and Hollister's not-quite-undercover in-theater experience.
At 5:57: Grim statistics: murder on a Native American reservation: Taylor Sheridan (Sicario) writes and directs Wind River. Starring Jeremy Renner (Arrival), fellow Oscar-nominee Graham Greene, Julia Jones, and Elizabeth Olsen.
24:20: Hollister reports on her sneak preview of Whitney: Can I Be Me, a new documentary by Nick Broomfield and Rudi Dolezal.
33:48: Divide and conquer: This week's #ListOfSix: Our 6 Favorite Biopics. O'Toole looks at docos; Hollister at narrative films. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2017-08-2338 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsEp. 157 - The Glass Castle; What the Health - Movie ReviewsWhat's coming and going on the big and small screens - and which role made Dustin Hoffman cry (you might be surprised).
At 8:24: "I was sitting in a taxi, wondering if I had overdressed for the evening, when I looked out the window and saw Mom rooting through a Dumpster." So begins Jeannette Walls' bestselling memoir-turned-movie: The Glass Castle. Starring Oscar-winner Brie Larson (Room), Woody Harrelson, and Naomi Watts (Gypsy).
25:33: Bad habits as our birthright? The link between diet and disease examined by the team who brought us Cowspiracy: What the Health, a new documentary on Netflix.
34:23: Before Hollister & O'Toole run of...
2017-08-1739 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsEp. 156 - The Sinner; Blind; Marie Curie - Movie & TV ReviewsGuess who's in and what's out on This Is Us; adaptations are no longer a novel-ty for Reese Witherspoon; Will & Grace borrow the sunglasses from Men in Black to make their series finale disappear.
At 4:58: The Path meets Orange is the New Black? Jessica Biel stars in The Sinner, an 8-part "Whydunit" on USA. Co-starring Bill Pullman as a tortured detective.
10:35: Jessica Biel inspires this week's #BlastFromThePastFilm: Noël Coward's Easy Virtue (2008).
11:50: Michael Mailer makes his directorial debut with Blind, starring Alec Baldwin, Demi Moore, and Dylan McDermott.
23:26: O'Toole radiates affection for Nobel Prizes: Marie Curie: The Courage of Knowledge.
29:20: It's ba...
2017-08-1039 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsEp. 154 - Ozark; Dunkirk - Movie & TV ReviewsMoovision? Julia Roberts' first forays into television; Annette Bening (20th Century Women) to head the world's oldest film festival; Robert Redford (A Walk in the Woods) and Jane Fonda (Grace and Frankie) to star in their 4th joint feature.
At 5:08: An anti-morality tale travelogue? Hollister & O'Toole weigh in on Netflix' new series Ozark. Starring Jason Bateman and Laura Linney (The Dinner); written by Bill Dubuque (The Accountant).
19:02: A gender divide? Christopher Nolan's visual tale of WW2 communal heroism: Dunkirk. Cinematography by Hoyte Van Hoytema; score by Hans Zimmer. Starring Oscar-winner Mark Rylance (Bridge of Spies), Kenneth Branagh, and marking the acti...
2017-07-2750 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsEp. 153 - The Bold Type; Friends from College - Movie & TV ReviewsTwo new series take a look at friendship: is one "The Big Chill" of the social media generation?
Hollister opens with a Burning Question.
At 5:58: The Bold Type (Freeform). 3 millennials finding their way at a women's magazine called "Scarlet". Created by Sarah Watson; inspired by (and Executive Produced by) former Cosmo editor Joanna Coles. Starring Katie Stevens, Aisha Dee, Meghann Fahy and Melora Hardin as their positive role model boss.
19:38: From Scarlet to Crimson: Friends from College (Netflix). 6 Harvard friends regroup 20 years later. Created by Harvard alumni (and husband and wife) Francesca Delbanco and Nicholas Stoller. Starring Keegan-Michael Key (Don't Think...
2017-07-2052 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsEp. 151 - The Beguiled; Gypsy - Movie & TV ReviewsHollister was right: this guy can sing, dance, and, apparently, drive a car. Baby Driver's Ansel Elgort.
At 2:44: The new season 3 of Broadchurch looks crime-filled and promising; how Reese Witherspoon was cast in Home Again; why O'Toole wants to be cast as the next Aunt May in the Spider-Man franchise.
5:40: Cold Mountain meets The Others? Sofia Coppola remakes The Beguiled, based on the book by Thomas Cullinan. A Gothic tale starring Nicole Kidman, Kirsten Dunst (Hidden Figures), Elle Fanning (20th Century Women), and Colin Farrell (The Lobster).
22:40: Has any other monarch inspired so much screen time? Our #BlastFromThePastFilm: The Young Victor...
2017-07-0650 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsEp. 150 - The Wedding Plan; Glow - Movie & TV Reviews150 episodes - and Hollister & O'Toole are still speaking!
At 0:57: Hollister revisits National Geographic's Genius, starring Geoffrey Rush as Albert Einstein.
4:24: Will Oscar-record-holder Daniel Day-Lewis' newest retirement really stick?
7:47: Downward Dog (it's not about yoga).
10:16: It's my wedding; I'll go alone if I want to: O'Toole on The Wedding Plan, written and directed by Rama Burshtein.
16:40: Hollister on The Perfect Family (2011) - does it conjure up The Real O'Neals? Starring Kathleen Turner, who inspires this week's #BlastFromThePastFilm - Body Heat (1981).
19:48: More original programming from Netflix: Glow. Starring Alison Brie (How To Be Single), and Hair That Is High. Does Hollister give it a G...
2017-06-2937 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsEp. 149 - The Book of Henry; Beatriz at Dinner; Catfight - Movie ReviewsShe.T.? Hollister hits the Spielberg vs. Banks punching bag.
At 6:45: Thelma & Louise with a life insurance premium? O'Toole on Wild Oats, starring Shirley MacLaine and Jessica Lange (Feud: Bette and Joan).
8:08: Score: A Film Music Documentary is released. Our bonus podcast here.
9:00: In honor of Wonder Woman's personal trainer, and House of Cards' Resident-in-Chief, this week's #ListOfSix: Our 6 Favorite Things about Robin Wright.
14:03: Pay it Forward with a crime? Hollister on The Book of Henry.
18:20: Healers embracing their Inner Killers? O'Toole on Beatriz at Dinner, starring Salma Hayek, Connie Britton (Me and Earl and the Dying Girl), and John Li...
2017-06-2233 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsEp. 148 - Megan Leavey - Movie & TV ReviewsHollister & O'Toole strike a power pose, while our listeners weigh in on Wonder Woman.
At 4:26: Our discussion of the renewal of Luther for a 5th season (BBC), inspires this week's #BlastFromThePastFilm - which is actually another British TV series: Helen Mirren as DCI Jane Tennison in Prime Suspect.
7:56: In honor of Father's Day, this week's #ListOfSix: Our 6 Favorite Screen Dads.
Then our podcast goes to the dogs?
13:31: Kate Mara (House of Cards) stars as real-life Marine corporal Megan Leavey, who shares a special bond with her military combat dog. Co-starring Oscar-winner Common (Selma), Bradley Whitford (Get Out) and Edie Falco.
2017-06-1529 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsEp. 147 - Wonder Woman; The Hero; House of Cards - Movie & TV ReviewsThis week it's all about heroes (and a few anti-heroes).
Hollister on House of Cards Season 5 (click here for Hollister's written review of Season 4), fake documentaries, and Shakespeare's gender.
At 6:18: Paradise Island? Wonder Woman, directed by Patty Jenkins (The Killing), breaks all kinds of records. Starring Gal Gadot, Robin Wright, Chris Pine (as Lois Lane?), Connie Nielsen, and Lucy Davis.
22:25: Lie detector tests and bondage? What O'Toole learned about the creator of Wonder Woman from The Secret History of Wonder Woman by Jill Lepore.
And click here for Amy Cuddy's TED Talk on the real-life benefits of doing Wonder Woman's "...
2017-06-0845 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsEp. 146 - War Machine; Catastrophe 3; The Keepers; The Lovers; Year by the Sea - Movie & TV ReviewsNotes from our listeners - which war films we missed in last week's #ListOfSix.
At 3:35: Hollister takes aim at Brad Pitt in Netflix' War Machine.
6:42: O'Toole on Season 3 of Amazon Prime's Catastrophe, and saying goodbye to Carrie Fisher all over again.
8:42: A search for the truth: Hollister on The Keepers, a 7-part docuseries on Netflix.
15:38: O'Toole on The Lovers, starring 3x-Oscar nominee Debra Winger and Pulitzer winner Tracy Letts (Indignation).
25:04: Hollister on Year by the Sea, based on the book by Joan Anderson; starring Karen Allen and S. Epatha Merkerson.
28:00: This week's #ListOfSix: Our 6 Favorite Summer Blockbusters. Learn more...
2017-06-0134 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsEp. 145 - Paris Can Wait; Anne with an E; The Wizard of Lies - Movie & TV ReviewsThe latest from La Croisette: which Oscar winner has four movies screening at the Cannes Film Festival this week; and which film was the first to be booed (and why).
At 5:28: In honor of Memorial Day, this week's #ListOfSix: Our 6 Favorite War/Soldier/Veteran Movies.
11:27: Eleanor Coppola makes her narrative feature debut at the age of 80. O'Toole on Paris Can Wait (starring Diane Lane, Alec Baldwin, and Arnaud Viard).
Paris Can Wait inspires this week's #BlastFromThePastFilms: Cairo Time (2009), Unfaithful (2002) and A Walk on the Moon (1999).
17:39: Then it's on to Anne with an E, Netflix' adaptation of the beloved children's book...
2017-05-2538 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsEp. 144 - Snatched; Genius; Becoming Warren Buffett; Relocation, Arkansas - Movie & TV ReviewsGuess which Oscar winner will be fêted at the Hamptons International Film Festival this year. (Hint: she might arrive via umbrella.)
At 4:44: Either Hollister was kidnapped, or she snuck out and saw Snatched. Is the Amy Schumer-Goldie Hawn vehicle a Trainwreck?
9:34: O'Toole picks Cactus Flower (1969) - and Goldie Hawn's Oscar-winning turn - as this week's #BlastFromThePastFilm. Don't miss this clip - a dance scene with Goldie Hawn and Ingrid Bergman (yes, that Ingrid Bergman).
Then it's on to pure genius (the non-dancing variety).
10:06: This week's #ListOfSix: Our 6 Favorite Math/Science Movies.
20:45: National Geographic's first foray into dramatic programming: Genius, a...
2017-05-1849 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsEp. 140 - Girls; Ingobernable; Gifted; A Place to Call Home; The Last Word - Movie & TV ReviewsAfter 6 years on HBO, Lena Dunham brings Girls to a close.
At 7:47: Original Spanish-language programming from Netflix: Ingobernable, starring Kate del Castillo as the indomitable on-the-run First Lady of Mexico.
12:35: Gifted, starring Chris Evans, Mckenna Grace, Lindsay Duncan (Le Week-End), and Octavia Spencer (Hidden Figures). Directed by Marc Webb (500 Days of Summer).
18:21: Oprah Winfrey to star this coming week in The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks on HBO.
19:10: "The Down Under Downton": A Place to Call Home. O'Toole says this show is going to turn her acorn.tv subscription into an oak. Marta Dusseldorp and Noni Hazlehurst (Truth) star (and spar...
2017-04-2039 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsEp. 138 - RRIFF; Big Little Lies; The Zookeeper's Wife - Movie & TV ReviewsNothing could be finer: we're recording live from Winston-Salem, North Carolina, home for many years to one of O'Toole's heroes: Maya Angelou.
This week's #ListOfSix: Our 6 Favorite Things About the 19th Annual RiverRun International Film Festival - can we limit ourselves to just six?
At 7:18: Hollister on Amazon v. Netflix at your local cineplex.
And then it's Books to Screen:
10:10: The much buzzed-about conclusion of the 7-part HBO series Big Little Lies (based on Liane Moriarty's bestselling novel).
And at 28:24: The Zookeeper's Wife - based on the book by conservationist Diane Ackerman - which itself was based on the diary of A...
2017-04-0644 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsBONUS EPISODE - 4-1-17 - RRIFF - Score: a Film Music DocumentaryIt has been said that music is the emotional language of a film. This bonus Screen Thoughts podcast discusses Matt Schrader's Score: A Film Music Documentary, screened at the RiverRun International Film Festival in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Rob Davis, the festival's new executive director, shares a Bette Davis anecdote - and Hollister & O'Toole agree: Rob deserves his own theme song. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2017-04-0216 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsEp. 136 - Striking Out; Grace and Frankie; The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel - TV ReviewsHollister hangs her head in shame over last week's #ListOfSix; Netflix' "shock and awe" spending.
At 3:36: It just doesn't get Bette-r than this: O'Toole on the Divine Miss M back where she belongs: on Broadway.
5:55: This week's #ListOfSix: Our 6 Favorite Movies Based on Broadway Musicals.
9:40: Halt and Catch Fire on Netflix.
11:20: Grace and Frankie Season 3.
17:23: Ireland's new #1 drama: Striking Out (on acorn.tv).
24:28: The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. Amy Sherman-Palladino (Gilmore Girls) captains a new pilot - hopefully Amazon will give this stand-up series lift-off.
33:18: A Red Nose Day special: Love Actually 2. Learn more about your ad choices...
2017-03-3035 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsEp. 135 - Beauty and the Beast - Movie ReviewAt 2:02: Does The Eagle Huntress soar?
4:08: In honor of Beauty and the Beast, this week’s #ListOfSix: Our 6 Favorite Remakes.
6:04: O’Toole caps off her Sabrina dispute with Hollister (see www.screenthoughts.net/beauty-and-the-beast for the Harrison Ford visual).
11:59: A Tale as Old as Time: the Disney marketing machine strikes again. Find out who Emma Watson took to the premiere; how her star power caused a UN website to crash; and why Dan Stevens (Downton Abbey) had to read 148 novels in 8 months.
Hollister brings a feminist critique: does Belle’s love for the Beast romanticize the Stockholm syndrome? O’Toole’s response...
2017-03-2347 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsEp. 133 - Table 19; Get Out; I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore - Movie ReviewsHollister claims to have the attention span of a flea, but she breezed through this year's Oscar-winning doco: OJ: Made in America (runtime: 7hrs 47 mins), the longest film ever nominated.
At 4:04: Lena Dunham's Girls: exhibitionism or feminism?
6:24: This week's #ListOfSix honors Women's History Month - some of our choices might surprise you.
17:20: A governor's pardon: Hollister warns O'Toole not to get in to Get Out.
21:58: Two Peter Jackson alums: Melanie Lynskey and Elijah Wood team up for some vigilante action in I Don't Feel at Home in This World Anymore, now available on Netflix. Podcast extra: Melanie Lynskey in her own word...
2017-03-0938 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsEp. 132 - Feud: Bette and Joan; Oscars Redux; Hacksaw Ridge; Toni Erdmann - TV & Movie ReviewsAnd the Oscar goes to...
At 5:48: Hollister shares her thoughts on 6x-Oscar-nominee Hacksaw Ridge - directed by Mel Gibson; starring Andrew Garfield. Congrats to Kevin O'Connell, who finally won his Oscar for Best Sound Mixing - after a record-breaking 21 nominations.
11:09: O'Toole finally sees the German film Toni Erdmann - and thinks it has one of the best cinematic hugs in screen history. Guess who'll be starring in the Hollywood remake?
21:40: Ryan Murphy's latest TV venture: Feud: Bette and Joan - with Susan Sarandon and Jessica Lange as screen legends Bette Davis and Joan Crawford collaborating on the horror film What Ever...
2017-03-0233 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsEp. 131 - The Good Fight; Big Little Lies; A United Kingdom - Movie & TV ReviewsIt's the Big Screen vs. the Little Screen.
At 1:54: This week's #ListOfSix: Our 6 Favorite Spin-offs.
7:44: Hollister makes a Supreme case for Loving, a narrative film highlighting the 1967 landmark civil rights decision Loving v. Virginia. Starring Joel Edgerton (Jane Got a Gun) and Oscar nominee Ruth Negga as the couple (and plaintiffs), whose marriage (and case) invalidated laws prohibiting interracial marriage.
11:44: An epic love? A United Kingdom. Starring David Oyelowo (Selma; Queen of Katwe) and Rosamund Pike (Gone Girl) as Prince Seretse Khama of Botswana and his wife, Englishwoman Ruth Williams (parents of Botswana's current President). Directed by Amma Asante (Belle...
2017-02-2338 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsEp. 130 - The Founder; A Dog's Purpose; Fifty Shades Darker - Movie ReviewsWhoopi Goldberg has 159 credits to her name - but there's one scene she's never played.
At 4:24: Two Roberts give a press conference: Robert De Niro and RFK, Jr.
5:21: Our #ListOfSix: Our 6 Favorite Movies with Animals in Them. Will PETA be coming after Hollister & O'Toole?
11:58: Hollister reminisces about her first hamburger - and reviews The Founder, starring Michael Keaton as Ray Kroc, the man behind McDonald's.
18:21: O'Toole talks A Dog's Purpose. Directed by Lasse Hallström (The 100-Foot Journey); written by Maya Forbes (Infinitely Polar Bear), et al; starring Dennis Quaid, Peggy Lipton, and at least 4 canine pros.
26:53: Hollister sneaks in Fifty S...
2017-02-1636 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsEp. 124 - Jackie Movie ReviewNatalie Portman takes on an icon in Pablo Larraín's Jackie (9:45); Hollister shares some personal recollections. Podcast extras include an excerpt from the real Jackie's Emmy-winning White House Tour.
This week's #ListOfSix: 6 Strong Female TV Characters (2:06).
O'Toole pays homage to Fred & Ginger (1:10); Hollister discusses The Jinx (7:26).
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2017-01-0534 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsEp. 120 - Allied; This Is Us (NBC) - Movie & TV ReviewsWW2 and contemplating a world without villains.
At 3:01: #ListOfSix: 6 Movies That Surprised Us.
10:10: Allied, starring Brad Pitt & Marion Cotillard. O'Toole thinks it's Mr. & Mrs. Smith as a period piece. Written by Steven Knight (Burnt; The Hundred-Foot Journey); directed by Robert Zemeckis (Forrest Gump; Back to the Future).
20:26: Hollister welcomes Season 14 of Top Chef.
20:48: NBC's hit This Is Us. Starring Mandy Moore, Milo Ventimiglia, and Sterling K. Brown. Created by Dan Fogelman (Crazy, Stupid, Love); executive produced by Ken Olin (Thirtysomething). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2016-12-0833 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsEp. 119 - Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life - Gilmore Girls podcastBuskers & Burning Questions. Trivia & Tributes. 9 years after the original Gilmore Girls series (2000-2007) wrapped, Netflix sponsors a trip back to Stars Hollow. Hollister & O'Toole review this 4-part series - to quote Carole King: Winter, Spring, Summer & Fall. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2016-12-0148 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsEp. 117 - Good Behavior - TV & Film ReviewsAnna Kendrick on her first book tour: #ScrappyLittleNobody. At 2:58: #ListofSix 6 Favorite Songs from Movies. 9:50: O'Toole finally experiences Hannibal the Cannibal in Hollister's favorite film: The Silence of the Lambs. 17:24: Hollister revisits her custody arrangement with the HBO/Sarah Jessica Parker vehicle Divorce. 18:36: Anna will never find her: Downton Abbey's Michelle Dockery goes down, down, downstairs in TNT's new series Good Behavior. 25:33: SHO releases Season 3, Ep. 1 of The Affair on YouTube. 28:23: Spielberg's collaboration with China. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2016-11-1731 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsEp. 115 - Certain Women; Black Mirror; Inferno - TV & Movie ReviewsFrom Hollister's favorite serial killers to what O'Toole thinks Hugh Grant has in common with Bob Newhart - we start off with this week's #ListOfSix: Our 6 Favorite Shrinks.
At 7:30: The final season of The Fall (starring Gillian Anderson and Jamie Dornan) - does it still have its Fear Factor?
At 9:40: Still recovering from the pilot episode (a British PM and a pig, anyone?), Screen Thoughts dares to take another look at Black Mirror - Netflix' Nosedive episode - a bleak commentary on Social Media. Starring Bryce Dallas Howard; directed by Joe Wright (Atonement); written by Rashida Jones. Hollister reveals her...
2016-11-0334 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsEp. 114 - Orphan Black; Christine; Denial; Aquarius - TV & Movie ReviewsOur first #ListofSix: 6 Books That Should Be Made Into Movies. At 6:22: in honor of Tatiana Maslany's well-deserved Emmy win, Screen Thoughts finally takes a look at Orphan Black. Hollister & O'Toole then split their realities, taking independent looks at 2 movies based on true stories: at 10:05, Christine (starring Rebecca Hall as troubled 1970s TV reporter Christine Chubbuck) and at 15:38, Denial (Rachel Weisz as historian Deborah Lipstadt - doing battle with a Holocaust denier). At 21:58, a film that ignited a firestorm: a look at the Brazilian film Aquarius, starring Sonia Braga. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm...
2016-10-2724 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsEp. 111 - East Side Sushi; Woody Allen's Crisis in 6 Scenes - Movie & TV ReviewsMore Fall T.V. pilots (ABC's Designated Survivor; and OWN's Queen Sugar), and Hollister's sushi kick continues - this time with East Side Sushi (5:39). Hollister & O'Toole also take a look at Woody Allen's first foray into television: Amazon's Crisis in Six Scenes (15:03). Starring 2x-Oscar nominee and comic legend Elaine May, as well as Miley Cyrus, Joy Behar, and John Magaro. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2016-10-0633 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsEp. 109 - Bridget Jones's Baby; The Hollars - Movie ReviewsDear Diary,
15 years since the first installment (terrifying slide into immortality), 3 books (Yesssssss!), 3 movies (v.g.), 4 Oscar-winning actors (v.v.g). Irresistible Sex Goddess facing geriatric pregnancy (what is the point?), but with convincing British accent. Hurrah!
Our favorite Singleton is back In Bridget Jones's Baby. Starring Oscar winners Renée Zellweger, Colin Firth, Emma Thompson, and Jim Broadbent (London Spy) - along with Patrick Dempsey (Grey's Anatomy) and Gemma Jones.
Next up in Hollister & O'Toole's look at comedic dysfunction: The Hollars - directed by and starring John Krasinski, along with Margo Martindale (The Good Wife), Richard Jenkins, Sharito Copley, and Anna K...
2016-09-2234 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsEp. 107 - The Light Between Oceans - Book and Movie Review (LitLovers selection)It's hard to believe M.L. Stedman started out as a lawyer. The years-long New York Times bestseller The Light Between Oceans (2012) was her debut novel - which has since been translated into 30+ languages.
Director Derek Cianfrance (Blue Valentine; The Place Beyond the Pines) adapted the book for the big screen.
A LitLovers selection, Hollister & O'Toole discuss both the book and the movie - starring Oscar winners Alicia Vikander (The Danish Girl) and Rachel Weisz (The Constant Gardener) as well as 2x-Oscar nominee Michael Fassbender (Steve Jobs; 12 Years a Slave).
As M.L. Stedman herself put it: "A lighthouse automatically...
2016-09-0826 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsEp. 106 - Don't Think Twice Movie ReviewAn insider's glimpse into the world of improv comedy. Don't Think Twice is the second feature film written and directed by Mike Birbiglia - who stars in the film, along with comedic talents Keegan Michael-Key, Gillian Jacobs, Kate Micucci, Tami Sagher, and Chris Gethard.
Did Hollister & O'Toole like the film? Yes, and... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2016-09-0125 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsEp. 105 - Equity Movie ReviewHollister & O'Toole discuss Equity, which bills itself as "the first female driven Wall Street movie".
Directed by Meera Menon; screenplay by Amy Fox; starring Anna Gunn ("Breaking Bad"), as well as Alysia Reiner ("Orange is the New Black") and Sarah Megan Thomas (who also produced the film).
Most of the film's financial backing came from real-life women of Wall Street - who assure us that Equity (which premiered at Sundance, where it was acquired by Sony) will indeed turn a profit. Because, after all, they "like money". Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2016-08-2525 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsEp. 103 - Woody Allen's Café Society - Movie ReviewHollister and O’Toole discuss Woody Allen's 46th film, Café Society, which opened this year's Cannes Film Festival (but was not in competition - as Woody Allen puts it, competition is fine when it comes to sports, but he doesn't believe in it when it comes to the arts).
Starring Jesse Eisenberg (The End of the Tour), Kristen Stewart (Still Alice), Blake Lively (The Shallows), Steve Carell, Corey Stoll (House of Cards), and Parker Posey. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2016-08-1025 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsEp. 102 - Bad Moms; Little Men - Movie ReviewsHollister & O'Toole review Bad Moms - brought to us by the writers of The Hangover; starring Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell, and Kathryn Hahn - as well as Ira Sachs' latest offering: Little Men - starring Greg Kinnear, Jennifer Ehle, and introducing an actor-to-watch: Michael Barbieri. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2016-08-0425 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsEp. 101 - Remembering Garry Marshall; Philip Roth's Indignation - Movie ReviewHollister & O'Toole pay tribute to the late, great Garry Marshall, whose amazingly successful 56-year Hollywood career in both television (The Odd Couple, Happy Days, Mork & Mindy, Laverne & Shirley) and film (Overboard, Beaches, Pretty Woman, The Princess Diaries) helped catapult the careers of such A-list actors (and future directors) as Ron Howard, Robin Williams, Julia Roberts, Anne Hathaway, and, of course, his sister Penny.
As Bruce Weber at the New York Times (and star of the documentary OBIT) put it, "Mork and the Fonz are weeping".
We also share our thoughts on the film Indignation - which we screened at the Provinceto...
2016-07-2828 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsEp. 100 - The Lobster Movie Review & Thirteen (BBC Miniseries)Hollister & O’Toole celebrate their 100th episode with two selections which have our listeners talking: The Lobster (a dystopian parable - and Cannes Jury Prize Winner) and BBC's Thirteen (a TV miniseries about an escaped girl held captive in a basement for 13 years).
Our back-up plan was... cake. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2016-07-2133 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsEp. 99 - Mon Roi (My King) Movie ReviewHollister & O'Toole ring in Bastille Day with a look at the French film Mon Roi (My King) - an intense tale of an amour fou, nominated for 8 César Awards.
Starring Vincent Cassel (Black Swan) and Emmanuelle Bercot - who not only took home a very well deserved Best Actress Award at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival for this film (tying with Rooney Mara for Carol) - but who also wrote & directed the festival's opening night film, Standing Tall.
Mon Roi is the fourth feature film written & directed by Maïwenn (whose prior film Polisse - co-written by Emmanuelle Bercot - won the Jury Pri...
2016-07-1327 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsEp. 98 - Dark Horse Movie ReviewThis week we cheer on the underdog - or, perhaps more appropriately, the underhorse.
Dark Horse is the inspiring documentary (and Sundance Audience Award Winner) about a group of Welsh villagers who pool their resources and breed Dream Alliance, a come-from-behind racehorse.
Hollister thinks the movie could have been called Pride & Patience. O'Toole would have pitched it as Billy Elliot - as a horse. Or perhaps as a tale of the Hooves vs. the Hoove Nots.
Directed by Louise Osmond (Deep Water); starring Dream Alliance and the villagers as themselves.
Also discussed: The Horse Whisperer and Buck. As well as Sully, R...
2016-07-0629 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsEp. 97 - Our Kind of Traitor & Adapting Books To ScreenThis week it's all about adaptation.
First Hollister & O'Toole discuss Our Kind of Traitor - based on the 22nd novel by John Le Carré (The Night Manager; Most Wanted Man).
Film directed by Susanna White; starring Ewan McGregor, Damian Lewis, Stellan Skarsgård and Moneypenny - a/k/a Naomie Harris (Spectre).
Then hear from the authors of The Danish Girl; Still Alice; and The Finest Hours - a fascinating Book to Screen panel @ #PIFF2016.
How having your book adapted is like selling your apartment; the difference between sympathy and empathy for your characters; and, of course, tales from the Oscars (yes, ther...
2016-06-3035 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsEp. 96 - Cynthia Nixon, Ang Lee and #PIFF2016Hollister & O'Toole podcast from the 18th annual Provincetown International Film Festival - making "P-Town" P(odcast)-Town!.
Inspired by its location on the very tip of Cape Cod (P-Town is America's oldest art colony), the festival celebrates filmmakers "on the edge".
Hear about this year's honorees: Cynthia Nixon (a 2x-Emmy, Tony, and Grammy winner) and 3x-Oscar winner Ang Lee (Sense and Sensibility, Brokeback Mountain, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon).
O'Toole also touches on 3 docos seen at the festival (Sonic Sea, OBIT, and Sundance favorite Sonita), as well as the beautifully animated film Long Way North.
Hollister gives additional shout-outs to OITNB Season 4...
2016-06-2126 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsEp. 95 - Maggie's Plan Movie ReviewWhat is the best thing that could ever happen to your unpublished novel? Your friend Rebecca Miller asks if she could adapt it for the big screen.
Rebecca Miller (yes, daughter of Arthur) helms her 5th feature as both writer & director in Maggie's Plan - a quirky, academic romance set in NYC with ficto-critical anthropologists, a pickle entrepreneur, and some sensible (and not so sensible) shoes. Loosely based on a story by Karen Rinaldi (which, in turn, was grounded in her real life).
Starring Greta Gerwig (Mistress America), Ethan Hawke, and Oscar-winner Julianne Moore (Still Alice).
Co-starring Bill Hader (Trainwreck), Maya Rudolp...
2016-06-1624 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsEp. 94 - Me Before You - Book and Movie Review (LitLovers selection)Get ready to weep.
Jojo Moyes' 9th novel, Me Before You, became a runaway bestseller, selling over 5 million copies around the globe. As Vanity Fair put it: “It’s an existential work that’s masquerading as a beach read.”
Now the author of 13 novels, the film version of Me Before You marks a first: Jojo Moyes' very first screenplay - the naturally visual writer adapted her own novel for the big screen (and by all accounts, thoroughly enjoyed the process).
A LitLovers selection, Hollister & O'Toole discuss both the book and the movie - film directed by Thea Sharrock; starring Emilia Clarke (Game of T...
2016-06-0927 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsEp. 93 - Love & Friendship - Movie ReviewDirector Whit Stillman, Kate Beckinsale & Chloë Sevigny (The Last Days of Disco) reteam in this film adaptation of Jane Austen's novella Lady Susan (which the author herself never submitted for publication).
Given their usual sense and sensibility, Hollister & O'Toole needed no persuasion - they were both sure they would love Love & Friendship. Alas, only one declared a victory for Austen Powers.
Was one too proud - or the other too prejudiced?
Podcast extras include: excerpts from Steven Spielberg's 2016 Harvard Commencement Address. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2016-06-0225 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsEp. 92 - The Nice Guys - Movie ReviewHollister & O'Toole are at opposing wits' ends in this week's podcast - one calls the film brilliant; the other thinks that Nice Guys, well, finish last.
An ode to Abbott & Costello? Or a film that makes How To Be Single look like Ms. Magazine?
Listen in - and let us know what you think! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2016-05-2635 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsEp. 90 - A Bigger Splash - Movie ReviewOscar-winner Tilda Swinton (Michael Clayton; Trainwreck) and director Luca Guadagnino (I Am Love) re-team in A Bigger Splash, an adaptation of the 1969 French film La Piscine. Can Hollister & O'Toole crack the film's symbolism?
Co-starring Ralph Fiennes (The English Patient), Dakota Johnson (How to be Single; Fifty Shades of Grey), and Matthias Schoenaerts (The Danish Girl).
Also mentioned: saying goodbye to the 7-year gift of The Good Wife (*sigh* slap-slap), and saying hello to Season 2 of Grace and Frankie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2016-05-1225 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsEp. 89 - A Hologram For The King (LitLovers selection) - Book and Movie ReviewTom Hanks reteams with director Tom Tykwer (Cloud Atlas) in A Hologram for the King, based on Dave Eggers' acclaimed novel, a 2012 National Book Award finalist.
Co-starring Alexander Black, Sarita Choudhury (Learning to Drive), and Sidse Babett Knudsen (Borgen) - with Ben Whishaw (Spectre, London Spy) as the hologram.
A LitLovers selection, Hollister & O'Toole discuss both book and movie. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2016-05-0524 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsEp. 85 - The Catch, The Real O'Neals, Crowded - TV reviewsScreen Thoughts turns its lens on 3 new network TV offerings: Shondaland's latest - The Catch (ABC); The Real O'Neals (ABC); and Crowded (NBC). Find out who feels no shame in indulging a guilty pleasure, and where Hollister & O'Toole stand on sitcoms. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2016-04-0729 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsEp. 81 - Whiskey Tango Foxtrot Movie ReviewHollister & O’Toole, or, in keeping with the title’s NATO Phonetic Alphabet, Hotel & Oscar debate the merits of Tina Fey’s latest offering: Whiskey Tango Foxtrot.
Directed by Glenn Ficarra & John Requa (Crazy, Stupid, Love). Cinematography by Xavier Grobet. Screenplay by Robert Carlock; based on a fictionalized account of Kim Barker’s book "The Taliban Shuffle: Strange Days in Afghanistan and Pakistan”*. Produced by Tina Fey and Lorne Michaels.
Also starring Margot Robbie, Martin Freeman, Alfred Molina, Christopher Abbott, and Billy Bob Thornton. Cameos by Josh Charles (Will lives!) and Cherry Jones.
*Though the film is based on Kim Barker’s b...
2016-03-1029 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsEp. 80 - Oscars 2016Hollister and O’Toole weigh in on the 2016 Oscars.
O'Toole is fascinated by the history behind the Academy Awards: whose idea they were; who gave them their nickname; and what happened in 1941 to cause the first female president of the Academy to resign in frustration.
As for this year's ceremony, hear which acceptance speech was Hollister's favorite, what she thinks of the Best Picture winner, and what her hopes are for the future. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2016-03-0327 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsEp. 79 - How To Be SingleA singular critique of Hollywood’s take on How to Be Single (loosely based on the book by SATC writer and co-author of He’s Just Not That Into You, Liz Tuccillo). Starring Dakota Johnson and Rebel Wilson.
Find out what Hollister identifies as the common thread running between this film, Lena Dunham’s Girls, and Judd Apatow’s new series Love. Hear which movie O’Toole touts above all others as truly depicting How to Be Single and what she has to say about the passing of Harper Lee, who brought us To Kill a Mockingbird and Atticus Finch (who, by th...
2016-02-2428 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsEp. 78 - 45 Years, Happy ValleyTaking a look at an actress known for The Look: Dame Charlotte Rampling, in her Oscar-nominated turn in 45 Years - a haunting and intimate look at the potential fragility of a long and stable marriage. How well does one really know one's own spouse? Co-starring Tom Courtenay; written and directed by Andrew Haigh; based on the short story "In Another Country" by David Constantine.
Also, hear what Hollister & O'Toole think of the BBC series Happy Valley (re-teaming the creator and star of Last Tango in Halifax); which movie Hollister watched on Valentine's Day; and how 45 Years reminds O'Toole of Liane...
2016-02-1825 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsEp. 76 - Scandal, St. Augustine Film Festival#TGIT! Hollister & O'Toole return to Shondaland with a look at Scandal - a show that still has America talking, averaging about 300,000 Tweets per episode. Also: Hollister discusses American Crime Story's upcoming The People v. O.J. Simpson and the Gilmore Girls re-boot, while O'Toole reports from the St. Augustine Film Festival. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
2016-02-0432 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsEp. 72 - Mozart In the Jungle, Concussion, Elaine Stritch: Shoot MeThis week Hollister & O'Toole discuss Amazon Prime's Mozart in the Jungle, recently nominated for 2 Golden Globes: Best Comedy/Musical and Best Actor, Gael García Bernal (Y Tu Mamá También; The Motorcycle Diaries). The cast alone is music to our ears: Broadway legend Bernadette Peters, Lola Kirke, Saffron Burrows, Malcolm McDowell, Debra Monk...
Also, hear what Hollister has to say about Will Smith's new movie Concussion, while O'Toole pays homage to the late, great Elaine Stritch, truly one of the Grande Dames of American Theatre (the self-proclaimed "existential problem in tights") with the doco Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me. Fun fac...
2016-01-0724 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsEp. 71 - Movie Reviews: Joy, The Big Short, Le Week-EndIn this week's podcast, Hollister & O'Toole take a look at the latest David O. Russell-Jennifer Lawrence-Bradley Cooper-Robert De Niro offering: Joy. Learn who loved Silver Linings Playbook, who didn't like Silver Linings Playbook, and who was willing to take the Joy out of Christmas. (Clue: O'Toole says she's always tonally suspect when a movie's gone through 4 editors.) Hollister does her best to enlighten O'Toole, claiming the movie was about much more than the Miracle Mop.
Also discussed: The Big Short and Le Week-End. With some New Year's Resolutions thrown in for good measure.
Auld lang syne! Learn...
2015-12-2933 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsEp. 69 - Golden Globe nods; Carol; The LettersThis week Hollister and O’Toole cover a lot of territory:
Robert Loggia.
Carol.
The documentary shortlist for the Academy Awards.
The Golden Globe nominations.
Comments from our listeners – including some great news shared by director Joseph Castelo (The Preppie Connection).
The Peanuts Movie (O.K., O.K., O’Toole snuck that one in there).
And, in honor of this week’s annual awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize, our feature review: The Letters – starring Juliet Stevenson as Mother Teresa – who once told us “If you judge people, you have no time to love them.” (We’re really hoping Mother Teresa would have...
2015-12-1438 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsEp. 68 - McLeod's Daughters - interview with writer-creator Posie Graeme-EvansO'Toole got to live out a fantasy: a trip to Tasmania to have coffee and Tim Tams with creative powerhouse Posie Graeme-Evans - producer of countless award-winning T.V. shows, author of 6 bestselling novels, and, of course, the mastermind behind the beloved, long-running Australian T.V. series McLeod's Daughters. Tune in to discover what Posie has to say about cows, composers, Claire and the cliff - and, of course, what she's dreaming up next. Trust us, you'll want to live in any world PGE creates.
For O'Toole's video of her visit, click here: https://vimeo.com/154381319 Learn...
2015-12-0531 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsEp. 64 - Spotlight Movie ReviewHollister and O’Toole (and, later, special guests Bill Harts and Melissa Cohn, who very generously hosted us at the 23rd annual Hamptons International Film Festival) turn the spotlight on Spotlight - the much-touted film about the Boston Globe’s Pulitzer-Prize-winning coverage of two terrible evils: the child molestation scandal - and the subsequent cover-up of the same - within the local Catholic Archdiocese.
O’Toole would like to give a special shout-out to the journalists who actually broke the story before the Globe - including Kristen Lombardi of the now-defunct Boston Phoenix - who broke the story 9 months before the Sp...
2015-11-1019 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsEp. 62 - Sicario Movie ReviewHollister and O’Toole discuss Sicario (which, as we know from the trailer, means “hitman” in Mexico). Directed by Québec native Denis Villeneuve; written by Taylor Sheridan; starring Emily Blunt, Josh Brolin, and Benicio Del Toro. Cinematography by Roger Deakins (a 12x Oscar nominee).
The cross-border drug cartel theme leads to comparisons with Steven Soderbergh’s film Traffic and the FX series The Bridge (which starred Diane Kruger and Demian Bichir).
Hollister loved the acting, the script, the direction, the cinematography. For her part, O’Toole can’t help but wonder how Sicario would have turned out had it been edited b...
2015-10-2729 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsI Am Malala / He Named Me Malala - Book and Movie ReviewScreen Thoughts is thrilled to announce a special collaboration with LitLovers.com: each month, Hollister and O'Toole will review one movie inspired by a book. To start us off, the no. 1 book on LitLovers.com: I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban (by Malala Yousafzai and journalist Christina Lamb) and the newly-released documentary He Named Me Malala by Oscar-winning filmmaker Davis Guggenheim (An Inconvenient Truth).
Hollister and O'Toole saw the documentary last week at the 23rd annual Hamptons International Film Festival - where they were joined in the audience by many...
2015-10-1929 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsJane The Virgin TV reviewHollister & O'Toole discuss "Jane the Virgin" - the first show in the history of The CW to earn a Golden Globe nomination. As O'Toole puts it: it's as though "Gilmore Girls" and "Ugly Betty" had a love child. Based on the Venezuelan Telenovela "Juana la Virgen" (don't be deterred by the title's English translation).
The Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Comedy or Musical (2015) did go home with shining star Gina Rodriguez, who deserved every ounce of it.
And now, go Meet Jane. Who believes in Family. God. And grilled cheese sandwiches. What...
2015-10-0520 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsMistress America movie reviewThis week Hollister and O'Toole discuss the latest Noah Baumbach-Greta Gerwig creation: "Mistress America" (which many say is a follow-up to their previous collaboration: "Frances Ha"). Good thing Hollister brought her NYC decoder ring, because sometimes O'Toole is convinced she needs to be European to understand movies shot in her adopted (and beloved) City.
Find out which famous literary work Hollister is sure inspired the plot; what O'Toole would like for Christmas; and help us decide: Is art possible without betrayal? Was "Mistress America" a comedy, a dramedy, or something else altogether?
And if Tracy (Lola Kirke) and Brooke (Greta...
2015-09-2127 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsBorgen - Danish TV series reviewFrom the Danish creators of "The Killing" comes the international hit "Borgen" - a TV drama about Denmark's first female Prime Minister. In a serious case of life imitating art (or perhaps showing just how influential this show has been), Denmark really did elect its first female Prime Minister at the conclusion of season 1.
After airing in 70 countries around the globe, Borgen has finally made it to the U.S. (care of iTunes).
In honor of Denmark's Parliament, Hollister and O'Toole vigorously debate the themes of the show, the merit of subtitles, and last but not least, the state of...
2015-09-1537 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsLuther - BBC TV Series ReviewThe BBC has done it again – in this crime series (an inverted detective story) created by 2x-Emmy nominee Neil Cross.
Hollister says she couldn’t watch Luther without checking under her bed. O’Toole says he’s her fallen-angel-cerebral-superhero – she thinks the series is really all about love.
Idris Elba (The Wire) won a Golden Globe for his portrayal of tragic-hero DCI John Luther. Ruth Wilson (Golden Globe winner, The Affair) plays the brilliant killer – who lends her unflagging support when it comes to solving cases and staying alive. O’Toole calls her a pathological guardian angel. Hollister takes issue.
And that’s jus...
2015-08-3121 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsInfinitely Polar Bear movie reviewScreen Thoughts was present for the opening night of the 24th annual Woods Hole Film Festival – which featured the Sundance hit "Infinitely Polar Bear". The autobiographical film marks the directorial debut of Writer/Director (and 4x Emmy-nominee) Maya Forbes. Hollister and O’Toole discuss the genesis of the film (it actually involves Wes Anderson), its themes (bipolar disorder), and the music (including a song by Maya’s sister China Forbes – of Pink Martini fame).
Starring Mark Ruffalo, Zoe Saldana, Ashley Aufderheide, and Imogene Wolodarsky (Forbes’ real-life daughter).
To hear in Maya Forbes’ own words how she came up with the title of her...
2015-08-0422 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsTrainwreck movie reviewThis week Hollister and O’Toole discuss the latest Judd Apatow offering: "Trainwreck". Semi-autobiographical screenplay by Comedy Central star Amy Schumer. Starring Amy Schumer and SNL’s Bill Hader.
Supporting cast includes Oscar-winner Tilda Swinton ("Michael Clayton") & fellow SNL alum Colin Quinn – as well as some towering sports figures: LeBron James (who scores some of the film’s biggest comedic points), wrestling champ John Cena (“I look like Mark Wahlberg ate Mark Wahlberg”) and tennis legend Chris Evert.
Find out how Hollister thinks "Trainwreck" can reinvigorate the modern rom-com, and, on a matter of perhaps even greater significance: how O’Toole really f...
2015-07-2026 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsPretty Woman - 25th Anniversary PodcastHollister & O’Toole dedicate this special 25-minute podcast to the 25th anniversary of “Pretty Woman” – which to this day remains one of the most successful rom-coms of all time.
“Pretty Woman” and its morals speak to Hollister’s Inner Businessperson – Hollister can probably quote the entire movie verbatim. She tries to explain it all to O’Toole, who has been baffled by the enduring appeal of this movie (businessman falls for a hooker with a heart of gold – and a great dental plan) for 2.5 decades. If O’Toole thinks the movie is devoid of life lessons, well, then, as Hollister says: that’s a “Mistak...
2015-07-0725 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsLearning To Drive - podcast movie reviewHollister & O’Toole were completely charmed by “Learning to Drive” at this week’s Provincetown International Film Festival – where it rightfully took home the @hbo #AudienceAward. (At the Toronto International Film Festival audiences ranked it second only to “The Imitation Game”.)
It is a simple story of two very different lives intersecting, at just the right moment. As Hollister says, it’s not just about Learning to Drive – it’s really about Learning to Live.
Featuring the indomitable re-pairing of Ben Kingsley (yes, our Oscar-winning “Gandhi”) and Oscar-nominee Patricia Clarkson (and two-time Emmy winner for “Six Feet Under”). Directed by Barcelona’s very talented Is...
2015-06-2321 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsThe Standbys - Screen Thoughts podcast reviewIn honor of the 69th annual Tony Awards (did you know the Tonys are named after a woman?), Hollister & O’Toole salute Broadway with a review of the documentary: The Standbys.
Do you know the difference between an understudy and a standby? What about a swing? What all three certainly have in common: their dedicated pursuit of the Broadway dream.
Come walk through the stage door and experience a world to which few ever gain access.
Podcast extras include:
– The Standbys trailer
– Tony hosts Kristin Chenoweth (who was on Hollister’s favorite show The West Wing) and Alan Cumming (from O’Toole’...
2015-06-0926 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsNetwork (1976) - podcast reviewWarning: while Hollister & O’Toole certainly believe in the power of TV to inform and inspire, this week they acknowledge the dark side – dipping into the archives with a look back at Network (1976).
Whether satire or reportage, the film firmly lands on the American Film Institute’s list of 100 Greatest Movies of All Time. Network was nominated for 10 Oscars (including Best Picture) – winning four (Best Screenplay; Best Actor; Best Actress; Best Supporting Actress).
Written by 3x Oscar winner Paddy Chayefsky.
Starring Faye Dunaway, Peter Finch, William Holden, Robert Duvall, Beatrice Straight, and Ned Beatty.
Directed by the late, great Sidney Lumet (“...
2015-05-2629 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsNora Ephron TributeLast week, while in NYC for the Tribeca Film Festival, Hollister & O’Toole were podcasting from the Beacon Hotel. When they turned off their mics and finally looked out the window, they realized that Hollister’s room had a stunning view of the Apthorp - a building in which Nora Ephron famously spent 10 years “in a state of giddy delirium”.
O’Toole figured it was a sign - a very big sign. It was time for Screen Thoughts to do a tribute to the late great Nora Ephron (1941-2012).
Hollister, who slots “When Harry Met Sally” into the Top 10 Greatest Movies of the...
2015-04-2831 min
Her Screen Thoughts - Movie & TV ReviewsWoman In Gold - review and legal analysisGustav Klimt. Helen Mirren. The same director who brought us “My Week with Marilyn”.
Hollister & O’Toole were asked to moderate a panel of experts (weighing in on the art, the legal issues, and the movie itself) in conjunction with a special premiere screening of “Woman in Gold”. The panel was so informative, we wanted to share some of that information with our listeners.
So Jerry Forman, Esq. was kind enough to join us in our studio – Jerry is well-known in legal circles for his work on seeking restitution for Nazi crimes – he also happens to be the author of Graphic Histor...
2015-04-1434 min