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The Hollywood BeatLisa Johnson Mandell & Tandy Culpepper Review Two TV Comedies: "The Residence" & "And Just Like That"Netflix’s limited series The Residence flips the White House on its side—and its head—with a juicy comedic whodunnit set not in the Oval Office, but in the West Wing’s lesser-seen cousin: the Executive Residence. Forget policy briefings and press secretaries—this is a murder mystery among the maids, butlers, and florists, with just enough political spice to keep things bipartisan.Tandy Culpepper adored it. “A deliciously wicked mashup of Knives Out, Veep, and Downton Abbey—if Downton had better lighting and a body bag,” Culpepper raved. The star of the show...2025-07-2736 minThe Hollywood BeatPamela Skjolsvik & Tandy Culpepper Talk 2 Journo Rena Pederson Re: True-life "The King of Diamonds"The King of Diamonds chronicles the audacious jewel-theft spree that silenced Dallas’s elite from the late 1950s into the 1960s. The mastermind—nicknamed the “King of Diamonds”—slipped into lavish homes during social events or late-night hours, pocketing high-value jewels (an estimated $6 million in today’s dollars) while occupants slept or were Pederson conducted over 200 interviews with detectives, victims, neighbors—even strippers—crafting a rich mosaic of sources. Beyond the crimes, the book paints 1960s Dallas atop its oil-fueled social hierarchy—complete with country clubs, debutante balls, and clandestine gambling ring connections.With numerous suspects dra...2025-07-1237 minThe Hollywood BeatLisa Johnson Mandell & Tandy Culpepper Review 2 TV Dramas Told In Unortodox Fashion: "Adolescence" & "Disclaimer"In this episode of The Hollywood Beat, Lisa and Tandy offer their takes on two dramatic limited series that push the envelope in that they used unconventional story-telling techniques.The first, Adolescence, runs only four episodes, and—wait for it—each episode is shot in one take. Let that sink in. There are no edits, and it will blow your mind. The story is from an original series of scripts : A 13-year-old boy is accused of committing a violent murder. The British cast may not be familiar to American audiences.Repo...2025-05-1239 minThe Hollywood BeatReba Merrill & Tandy Culpepper Review 2 Films: The Mystery "Holland" & The Comedy "You're Cordially Invited" In this episode of The Hollywood Beat, Reba and Tandy tackle two films with actors who have demonstrated themselves to be durable stars both on the large and small screens. And both are led by strong women who not only starred in these films but also served as producers on their projects with the involvement of their individual production companies. You’re Cordially Invited is an over-the-top comedy starring Reese Witherspoon and Will Ferrell. The plot in a nutshell: Two families book a charming, but small, wedding venue for the same...2025-04-1732 minThe Hollywood BeatTandy Culpepper Talks To Actor Carlos Diehz About The Film Conclave & His Astonishing Hollywood Cinderfella TaleWhat if someone told you that, in spite of never having been in a movie of any kind, you would be co-starring with acting heavyweights such as Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, and Isabella Rossellini in a film that would be nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards?That’s what happened to 54-year-old Carlos Diehz, a Mexican architect who turned to acting as a hobby after his last child flew the nest for college.Diehz, who moved to Canada, first to Winnipeg before settling in Vancouver 12 years ag...2025-04-0242 minThe Hollywood BeatReba Merrill & Tandy Culpepper Review 2 Netflix Thrillers: "Interceptor" & "Leave the World Behind" In this episode, Reba and Tandy review two Netflix films that both touch on matters of national security.The first, Interceptor, was produced from an original screenplay by Australians Matthew Reilly and Stuart Beattie from an original story by Reilly. Reiily also directed the film, which had a budget of 15 million dollars.Elsa Pataky stars as an American Army Captain who has a dream job in the nation’s capital. When she reports that she has been the victim of sexual harassment, her complaint is...2025-03-2926 minThe Hollywood BeatReba Merrill & Tandy Culpepper Review 2 Netflix Thrillers: Interceptor & Leave the World Behind In this episode, Reba and Tandy review two Netflix films that both touch on matters of national security.The first, Interceptor, was produced from an original screenplay by Australians Matthew Reilly and Stuart Beattie from an original story by Reilly. Reiily also directed the film, which had a budget of 15 million dollars.Elsa Pataky stars as an American Army Captain who has a dream job in the nation’s capital. When she reports that she has been the victim of sexual harassment, her complaint is...2025-03-2727 minThe Hollywood BeatPamela Skjolsvik and Tandy Culpepper Review Percival Everett's Latest Novel, "James," Winner of the National Book Award for Fiction Starting with this episode of The Hollywood Beat, I’m beginning an ongoing series of book reviews interspersed with author interviews along with Dallas, Texas, librarian Pamela Skjolsvik.Pamela and I met some years back in the MFA Creative Nonfiction program at Goucher College in Towson, Maryland. This first installment includes a discussion of what each of us has read of late capped off with our review of the 2024 National Book Award winner for fiction, novelist Percival Everett’s most recent novel, James. 2025-03-2434 minThe Hollywood BeatLisa Johnson Mandell & Tandy Culpepper Review TV: The Good Fight & The Gilded Age & An Actress Named Baranski When it comes to capturing the attention of television audiences — whether they’re bingeing corseted costume dramas or corporate legal sizzlers — the actress Christine Baranski is the veritable gift that keeps on giving.The indomitable Baranski, 72, enjoys a well-wrought reputation for her work on the New York stage, but it is the small screen that has given the versatile performer the most recognition by consumers of American television programming. Baranski portrayed the same character on two TV dramas. Her character Diane Lockhart appeared first on the CBS nighttime legal dra...2025-03-2443 minThe Hollywood BeatA Lisa Johnson Mandell / Tandy Culpepper TV Review: All Things Taylor SheridanWesterns. The public has an insatiable appetite for them, and the television industry has served up a plethora of them.These are but a few: The Lone Ranger. Wagon Train. Bonanza. Gunsmoke. The Rifleman. Have Gun, Will Travel and Rawhide. Bonanza ran for 14 years, but the longest running series of all is Gunsmoke which aired for 20 years. My personal favorite was The Wild Wild West. I had a big crush on Robert Conrad back then.Oh, and let’s not forget the weirdly fascinating WestWorld.But if you look up the word pr...2025-03-1531 minThe Hollywood BeatA Reba Merrill/Tandy Culpepper Movie Review: "Dune Part 2" and "Gladiator II" In this episode of The Hollywood Beat, Reba and Tandy discuss two films that both are sequels: Dune Part Two and Gladiator II. But of these two films, only one – Dune Part Two – has been the recipient of critical praise.Dune Part Two was nominated for Best Picture as well as four more at the 2025 Academy Awards, while Gladiator II was nominated in only one, that of best costumes.Reba and T...2025-03-0427 minThe Hollywood BeatA Lisa Johnson Mandell / Tandy Culpepper TV Review: "Masters of the Air" and "Baby Reindeer" In this episode of The Hollywood Beat, Tandy Culpepper welcomes Critics Choice Association member Lisa Johnson Mandell to begin a regular series of TV reviews. Lisa has been an entertainment film and TV critic for some 25 years. She brings a rare, insightful perspective to all things entertainment. Lisa has reported across an array of media including broadcast (radio and television) as well as online. Plus, if you’re curious about how the stars live, Lisa gives you an inside look at the homes of Hollywood’s rich and famous on her website AtHome...2025-02-2733 minThe Hollywood BeatReba Merrill and Tandy Culpepper Look at Two Remarkable Films Based on True Events: A Revelation in "The Apprentice" and a Nailbiting Thriller in "September 5"In this episode of The Hollywood Beat, Reba and Tandy look at two films that have nothing in common other than that they both skirt the fringes of politics, and both are rooted in fact. The first film is the origin story of a young man who comes under the tutelage of a ruthless lawyer who molds his charge into an equally ruthless businessman. The second film depicts a terrorist attack at the world’s preeminent sporting venue.The Apprentice from Iranian director Ali Abasi is the story of D...2025-02-1631 minThe Hollywood BeatEntertainment Journalists Reba Merrill and Tandy Culpepper Offer Their Take on the Films "The Substance" and "I'm Still Here"In this episode, Reba and Tandy discuss two films starring two much-lauded actresses. One film makes a strong statement about the way society objectifies women before tossing them aside as they age. The other film is based on a real woman living in Brazil under a military dictatorship.The Substance stars Demi Moore as an actress of a certain age who desperately wants to look younger. She discovers something that will do just that, but the repercussions are horrific. The film was written by the film’s director, Coralie Far...2025-02-1331 minThe Hollywood BeatReba Merrill and Tandy Culpepper Look at the Films "Anora" and "The Brutalist"In this episode of The Hollywood Beat, Tandy and Reba look at two films — one, the stark, dramatic story of a Polish immigrant who survived a concentration camp, the other, the often madcap of a stripper of Russian descent who befriends the son of a Russian oligarch.The Brutalist is true to its title. The original screenplay from writer-director Randy Corbet unfolds in a film that runs some 3.5 hours not including a ten-minute intermission. The title refers to a kind of clean-lines architecture style.Adrien Brody portrays architect Laszlo, a Po...2025-02-1324 minThe Hollywood BeatReba Merrill and Tandy Culpepper Look at the Films "Sing Sing" and "A Real Pain"In this episode of The Hollywood Beat, Tandy and Reba look at two low-budget, indy films – one set entirely in a prison, the other briefly in New York, but chiefly in Poland.A Real Pain stars Kieran Culkin and Jesse Eisenberg, who also wrote and directed the film. The plot centers on two American cousins who reunite to embark on a tour of Poland. Their intent is to honor their grandmother who survived a Polish concentration camp and afterward emigrated to the United States. Her grandsons’ travels take them to the death camp...2025-02-1335 min
The Hollywood BeatEntertainment Journalists Reba Merrill and Tandy Culpepper Discuss the Films Conclave and MariaOver the course of their careers, Reba Merrill and Tandy Culpepper have been internationally-syndicated entertainment journalists. In this episode, they discuss the films Conclave and Maria.Conclave is the Focus Features film based on Robert Harris’s 2016 novel by the same name. The screenplay was written by Peter Straughan. The film was directed by Edward Berger. The story, a work of fiction, chronicles the papal conclave following the unexpected death of the Pope. The film is awash in well-known actors including Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, and Isabella Rossellini.Maria...2025-01-2740 min
The Hollywood BeatEntertainment Journalists Reba Merrill and Tandy Culpepper Discuss the Films A Complete Unknown and Emilia Perez In this episode, entertainment journalist Reba Merrill and Tandy Culpepper discuss the films Conclave and Maria.Conclave is the Focus Features film based on Robert Harris’s 2016 novel by the same name. The screenplay was written by Peter Straughan. The film was directed by Edward Berger. The story, a work of fiction, chronicles the papal conclave following the unexpected death of the Pope. The film is awash in well-known actors including Ralph Fiennes, Stanley Tucci, John Lithgow, and Isabella Rossellini.Maria, the Netflix feature written by Steven Knight and directed by Pa...2025-01-2740 min
The Hollywood BeatEntertainment Journalists Reba Merrill and Tandy Culpepper Discuss the Films Babygirl and QueerOver the course of their careers, Reba Merrill and Tandy Culpepper have been internationally-syndicated entertainment journalists. This review of movies offers Reba and Tandy’s take on two films:Queer was distributed by A24 and penned by Justin Kuritzkes. The film was directed by Luca Guadagnino and was adapted from the semi-autobiographical novella of the same name by writer William S. Burroughs. It follows the character William Lee who’s living in post-World War II Mexico City. There Lee encounters a young U.S. Navy veteran, Eugene Allerton (Drew Starkey). Lee pu...2025-01-2741 minThe Hollywood BeatEntertainment Journalists Reba Merrill and Tandy Culpepper Discuss "Conclave" and "Maria"Reba Merrill and Tandy Culpepper look at two films garnering considerable Oscar buzz. Reba Merrill is a veteran entertainment journalist who was an internationally-syndicated journalist , an Emmy winning talk show host, and is also a voting member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, popularly known as the folks who bring us the Oscars each year. Tandy Culpepper is a veteran broadcast journalist and internationally-syndicated correspondent for CNN’s Turner Entertainment Report.This first review of movies offers Reba and Tandy’s take on two films:Conclave, the Focus Featur...2025-01-2629 minThe Hollywood BeatTandy Culpepper Talks To Aerial Cinematographer Dylan Goss About Capturing Those Stunning Bird's Eye View Movie Magic MomentsDune. The Fall Guy. Matrix Resurrections. Those are just three of the many movies that benefited from the filmmaking skills of aerial cinematographer Dylan Goss. Those breathtaking shots that give moviegoers spectacular bird's eye views? Those are the handiwork of specialists like Goss who go up in helicopters with intricate cameras to capture stunning images audiences have come to take for granted. It’s all part of the magic of making movies.Born in New York, Goss grew up in Los Angeles, the son of a father who wor...2024-09-061h 03The Hollywood BeatTandy Culpepper Talks with Environmental Activist Craig Rosebraugh about His Memoir "Burning Rage of a Dying Planet: The FBI vs. The Earth Liberation Front"There are climate and environmental activists. And then there are people like Craig Rosebraugh. At the turn of the century, the Portland, Oregon, native was involved in an animal rights movement called the Animal Liberation Front which morphed into the Earth Liberation Front.The ELF consisted of non hierarchical cells located around the country, cells involved in often destructive environmental activism. For a time Rosebraugh became the de facto media spokesman for the movement.Rosebraugh participated in numerous protests and was arrested at minimum a dozen times. He was subpoenaed b...2024-08-2946 minThe Hollywood BeatTandy Culpepper Talks With Veteran Entertainment Journo Steve Kmetko About His New Podcast, "Still Here Hollywood"In the nineties and early aughts, Steve Kmetko was arguably the preeminent entertainment reporter in Hollywood. Upon arriving in Los Angeles in the eighties, he began work as a general assignment reporter at KNXT-TV, now KCBS-TV, before becoming the station’s entertainment reporter.Subsequently, Steve was hired to be co-anchor of E! News Daily. There, he traveled the world covering major international events such as the Cannes Film Festival. Domestically, he covered such award shows as the Golden Globes, the Oscars, and as well as others.Bu...2024-08-0756 minThe Hollywood BeatTandy Culpepper Talks To Country Music Singer-Songwriter James Robert Webb About His New Single And EP "Ride or Die"Country music singer-songwriter James Robert Webb is a man on the rise. In 2022 Nashville's Music Row Magazine named him Country Breakout Awards' Independent Artist of the Year. The following year, Webb was a New Faces nominee by the Texas Regional Radio Report Music Awards. If that wasn’t enough, several of Webb’s singles on his latest EP. Ride or Die, have charted — and are climbing those charts. In fact, his singles, Lovesick Drifting Cowboy and Gentlemen Start Your Weekends are charting numbers...2024-07-242h 18The Hollywood BeatTandy Culpepper Talks With Singer-Songwriter Susannah B About Music, Motherhood, Her New Album POV & More She’s the daughter of a renowned Broadway composer and lyricist and the mother of two grown children, but now, at long last, singer-songwriter Susannah B is coming into her own.She’s busy working on POV, her first album since 2008. Says Susannah, “I called the album POV because I’m now openly celebrating my age, feeling blessed to stand in solidarity with other late bloomers and to have enjoyed such a diverse career, with time off in between phases to become a devoted mom,”Her mother, Carol Hall, wrote the iconic seventies’ children’s so...2024-07-241h 05The Hollywood BeatTandy Culpepper Talks to Author William Keck About His Hollywood Memoir, "When You Step Upon a Star: Cringeworthy Confessions of a Tabloid Bad Boy"William Keck is a veteran entertainment journalist who has seen it all – not necessarily by invitation – and who has interviewed many of the denizens of Hollywood — again, not always by invitation.Confused? Don’t be. Two words: National Enquirer. If the name of that supermarket tabloid makes you cringe, well…that’s the point. As with so many other starry-eyed twenty-somethings, Keck came to Los Angeles seeking that often-elusive goal — breaking into show business, because, well, as goes that brassy, hoaky tune, there’s no business….Keck’s big dream? Sc...2024-07-1546 minThe Hollywood BeatTandy Culpepper Talks with Laurence Leamer about His Nonfiction Book "Capote's Women" and the Resulting TV Miniseries "Feud: Capote vs. the Swans"Before Laurence Leamer became a best-selling author of nonfiction books, he wore many hats in widely divergent locales. Journalist in Iowa and at Newsweek. A coal mine in West Virginia. Peace Corps in Nepal. Covering a civil war in Bangladesh. Researching a novel hanging out with a cocaine trafficker in South America. Over time, he settled into a career as an author of nonfiction books covering a wide range of subjects: Arnold Schwarzenegger. The Kennedys. Palm Beach. The Reagans. Johnny Carson. His book Capote’s Women was optioned by producer Ryan Murphy, and this year (2024), the TV adaptation, Feud: Capote vs. the Swans, dropped on FX, His most rece...2024-07-0436 minThe Hollywood BeatTandy Culpepper Talks To Historian Donald L. Miller About His Nonfiction Best-seller "Masters of the Air" and Its Adapted TV ShowTo say that Donald L. Miller is a brilliant academic is the understatement of all understatements. The John Henry McCracken Professor emeritus at Pennsylvania’s Lafayette College has authored seven notable books, among them Supreme City: How Jazz Age Manhattan Gave Rise to Modern America. The book chronicles the events and people who shaped the New York City Manhattan enclave’s growth in the twenties.Aside from his work at Lafayette College, the University of Maryland alum has taught at the City University of New York, Cornell University, and Oxford Univ...2024-06-2146 minThe Hollywood BeatTandy Culpepper Talks With Country Music Singer-Songwriter Dionya Marie About Her Latest Single, "Miss You So Mad"She’s as versatile a singer-songwriter as you are ever likely to meet. Dionya Marie has drawn comparisons both to Shania Twain and to Karen Carpenter. It should come as no surprise, then, that she capitalized on those similarities by headlining tribute acts to both performers.But the versatile songstress has thrown her hat squarely in the country music ring, though try as she might, there’s no denying her crossover appeal is very much still there.Her latest single, Miss You So Mad, is proof of t...2024-05-1222 min
The Hollywood BeatTandy Culpepper Talks With Griefcat's Louisa Hall & Annie Nardolilli About Their New Album & Upcoming TourIn 2019, that halcyon year before we found ourselves seeking shelter from the storm known as covid, musicians of every stripe were putting the finishing touches on albums and looking forward to hitting the road to promote them. Such was the case for a female singer-songwriting duo that met at a music festival and found that they shared a similar quirky outlook when it comes to songwriting.Louisa Hall and Annie Nardolilli joined forces and a zany pairing was born. One indicator of their somewhat skewed outlook on life is the name t...2024-04-2142 minThe Hollywood BeatTandy Culpepper Talks With Singer-songwriter Leo Sawikin About His Upcoming Album & TourSinger-songwriter Leo Sawikin, like many other emerging recording artists, is busy making up for lost time. He wrote the material for his first album, Row Me Away, in 2019. The album was released two years later in 2021 — one year into the covid pandemic. Promoting that album in front of a live audience wasn’t possible.But that was then. Sawakin has been back in the studio recording tracks for a follow-up album to be released in the fall. Seven new singles are already out. Leo is gearing up for numerous tour dates that...2024-04-2051 minThe Hollywood BeatTandy Culpepper Talks With Griefcat's Louisa Hall & Annie Nardollilli About Their Album "Late Stage Capitalism"In 2019, that halcyon year before we found ourselves seeking shelter from the storm known as covid, musicians of every stripe were putting the finishing touches on albums and looking forward to hitting the road to promote them. Such was the case for a female singer-songwriting duo that met at a music festival and found that they shared a similar quirky outlook when it comes to songwriting.Louisa Hall and Annie Nardolilli joined forces and a zany pairing was born. One indicator of their somewhat skewed outlook on life is the name t...2024-04-2042 minThe Hollywood BeatTandy Culpepper Talks With Singer-songwriter Leo Sawikin About His Upcoming Tour & AlbumSinger-songwriter Leo Sawikin, like many other emerging recording artists, is busy making up for lost time. He wrote the material for his first album, Row Me Away, in 2019. The album was released two years later in 2021 — one year into the covid pandemic. Promoting that album in front of a live audience wasn’t possible.But that was then. Sawakin has been back in the studio recording tracks for a follow-up album to be released in the fall. Seven new singles are already out. Leo is gearing up fo...2024-04-2051 minThe Hollywood BeatTandy Culpepper Talks With Griefcat's Louisa Hall & Annie Nardolilli About Their Album "Late Stage Capitalism"In 2019, that halcyon year before we found ourselves seeking shelter from the storm known as covid, musicians of every stripe were putting the finishing touches on albums and looking forward to hitting the road to promote them. Such was the case for a female singer-songwriting duo that met at a music festival and found that they shared a similar quirky outlook when it comes to songwriting.Louisa Hall and Annie Nardolilli joined forces and a zany pairing was born. One indicator of their somewhat skewed outlook on life is the n...2024-04-2042 minThe Hollywood BeatTandy Culpepper Talks with Griefcat's Louisa Hall & Annie Nardolilli About Their New AlbumIn 2019, that halcyon year before we found ourselves seeking shelter from the storm known as covid, musicians of every stripe were putting the finishing touches on albums and looking forward to hitting the road to promote them. Such was the case for a female singer-songwriting duo that met at a music festival and found that they shared a similar quirky outlook when it comes to songwriting.Louisa Hall and Annie Nardolilli joined forces and a zany pairing was born. One indicator of their somewhat skewed outlook on life is the name...2024-04-2044 minThe Hollywood BeatTandy Culpepper Talks To Susan Bartz Herrick About Her Gripping Mother-Son Memoir, "Slow Dancing With The Devil"In 2021 alone, more than 60 thousand of the 80 thousand overdose deaths in the United States were due to opiods. One of those who died was 30-year-old Robert “Luke” Paschal, whose mother, Susan Bartz Herrick, has penned the mother-son memoir, Slow Dancing with the Devil: A Son’s Substance Use Disorder, A Mother’s Anguish.In it, Herrick chronicles a catastrophic car crash that very nearly killed her son, Luke, who was airlifted to a hospital where he underwent emergency surgery to repair both his crushed chest and broken back. Numerous internal organs were also damaged...2024-03-3155 minThe Hollywood BeatTandy Culpepper Talks To Susan Bartz Herrick About Her Gripping Mother-Son Memoir, "Slow Dancing With The Devil"In 2021 alone, more than 60 thousand of the 80 thousand overdose deaths in the United States were due to opiods. One of those who died was 30-year-old Robert “Luke” Paschal, whose mother, Susan Bartz Herrick, has penned the mother-son memoir, Slow Dancing with the Devil: A Son’s Substance Use Disorder, A Mother’s Anguish.In it, Herrick chronicles a catastrophic car crash that very nearly killed her son, Luke, who was airlifted to a hospital where he underwent emergency surgery to repair both his crushed chest and broken back. Numerous internal organs were also dama...2024-03-3155 minThe Hollywood BeatTandy Culpepper Talks To Brian K Pagels of Duo Brian K & The Parkway about Debut Album "Killing the Bear"Brian K. Pagels is one half (along with partner Stephen Russ) of the musical duo, Brian K. & The Parkway. He and Russ formed the band in 2021. Pagels describes the duo’s music as “coastal heartland rock.”Their first album, Killing the Bear,” was preceded by two singles — Wind the Clock and Straight Through. On the latter, Pagels is joined by singer-songwriter Cat Popper, known for – among other things — her group Puss N Boots with Norah Jones. How did Pagels get an established performer such as Popper perform with him on his debut outing? P...2024-03-2938 minThe Hollywood BeatTandy Culpepper Talks to Brian K Pagels of Duo Brian K & The Parkway about Debut Album, "Killing the Bear"Brian K. Pagels is one half (along with partner Stephen Russ) of the musical duo, Brian K. & The Parkway. He and Russ formed the band in 2021. Pagels describes the duo’s music as “coastal heartland rock.”Their first album, Killing the Bear,” was preceded by two singles — Wind the Clock and Straight Through. On the latter, Pagels is joined by singer-songwriter Cat Popper, known for – among other things — her group Puss N Boots with Norah Jones. How did Pagels get an e...2024-03-2938 minThe Hollywood BeatTandy Culpepper Interviews Singer-Songwriter John Ondrasik About Antisemetism & His Searing New Anthem"OK"John Ondrasik, known by his stage name Five for Fighting, rose to fame with the 2002 Grammy-nominated single Superman (It’s Not Easy). The song charted at number 14 on the Hot 100 and reached number 1 on Billboard’s Adult Top 40. Music aficionados considered it an anthem following the attacks on the World Trade Center on 9/11. On his third album, The Battle for Everything, the single 100 Years rose to the number 1 spot on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart. It remained there for 12 non-consecutive weeks. Partnering with Broadway composer Steven Schwartz, John, along with Steven, Steven developed a TV show ca...2024-03-2030 minThe Hollywood BeatTandy Culpepper Talks With Singer-Songwriter John Ondrasik About His Searing New Music Video & AntisemitismJohn Ondrasik, known by his stage name Five for Fighting, rose to fame with the 2002 Grammy-nominated single Superman (It’s Not Easy). The song charted at number 14 on the Hot 100 and reached number 1 on Billboard’s Adult Top 40. Music aficionados considered it an anthem following the attacks on the World Trade Center on 9/11. On his third album, The Battle for Everything, the single 100 Years rose to the number 1 spot on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart. It remained there for 12 non-c...2024-03-2030 minThe Hollywood BeatTandy Talks To Dana Richie & Francesco Lucarelli About Post-Pandemic Documentary "Unlocked"Covid-19 infections exploded across the globe in 2020. By the end of the year, statistics were staggering. In the United States alone, estimates put the number of infections at 20 million. Of those, some 340 thousand people died. Worldwide, nearly 84 million people had been infected resulting in more than 1.8 million fatalities. The World Health Organization (WHO) designated the virus a pandemic on March 11. Two days later, President Trump declared a national state of emergency. On March 19, California became the first state to issue stay-at-home orders.In the earliest days of the pandemic, confusion reigned...2024-02-1138 minThe Hollywood BeatTandy Culpepper Talks to Dana Richie & Francesco Lucarelli About Their Post-Pandemic Documentary "Unlocked"Covid-19 infections exploded across the globe in 2020. By the end of the year, statistics were staggering. In the United States alone, estimates put the number of infections at 20 million. Of those, some 340 thousand people died. Worldwide, nearly 84 million people had been infected resulting in more than 1.8 million fatalities. The World Health Organization (WHO) designated the virus a pandemic on March 11. Two days later, President Trump declared a national state of emergency. On March 19, California became the first state to issue stay-at-home orders.In the earliest days of the p...2024-02-1138 minThe Hollywood BeatTandy Culpepper Talks Earthquakes & Volcanoes with Volcanologist & Geologist Jess PhoenixJess Phoenix wears many hats. The history undergrad major took a geology class on a lark and found herself instantly hooked. Soon enough, she earned a master’s degree in geology at California State University, Los Angeles. Her thesis is a mouthful: Lava Flow Morphologies and Structural Features Along the Axis of the South Rift Zone of Loihi Seamount, Hawaii.Jess’s expertise in volcanology and seismology has made her a darling of media outlets — especially in recent weeks as volcanoes in both Iceland and Hawaii have exhibited increased activity and threatened public safety. 2024-01-0946 minThe Hollywood BeatTandy Culpepper Talks Volcanoes & Earthquakes with Volcanologist & Geologist Jess PhoenixJess Phoenix wears many hats. The history undergrad major took a geology class on a lark and found herself instantly hooked. Soon enough, she earned a master’s degree in geology at California State University, Los Angeles. Her thesis is a mouthful: Lava Flow Morphologies and Structural Features Along the Axis of the South Rift Zone of Loihi Seamount, Hawaii.Jess’s expertise in volcanology and seismology has made her a darling of media outlets — especially in recent weeks as volcanoes in both Iceland and Hawaii have exhibited increased activity and th...2024-01-0846 minThe Hollywood BeatTandy Culpepper Talks to Filmmaker Vishavjit Singh about His Animated Short Film, "American Sikh"In the Republic, the philosopher Plato notably penned that “Our need will be the real creator.” A rephrasing of those words survives to this day: Necessity is the mother of invention. And so it is. Just ask filmmaker Vishavjit Singh, a cartoonist, performance artist, and public speaker. Singh is a member of the religious sect Sikhism, a worldwide spiritual movement that has its roots in India. Singh was born in Washington, DC, where one of his parents was a member of the delegation at the Indian embassy. In his teens, his family moved back to Indi...2023-12-2441 minThe Hollywood BeatTandy Culpepper Talks with Filmmaker Vishavjit Singh about His New Animated Short Film "American Sikh"In the Republic, the philosopher Plato notably penned that “Our need will be the real creator.” A rephrasing of those words survives to this day: Necessity is the mother of invention. And so it is. Just ask filmmaker Vishavjit Singh, a cartoonist, performance artist, and public speaker. Singh is a member of the religious sect Sikhism, a worldwide spiritual movement that has its roots in India. Singh was born in Washington, DC, where one of his parents was a member of the delegation at the Indian embassy. In his teens, his f...2023-12-2441 minThe Hollywood BeatTandy Culpepper Talks The Color Purple & More with Actor, Filmmaker and Author Aba ArthurAba Arthur is an actor, playwright, filmmaker, and author. This multi-hyphenate woman knew what she wanted her future to look like from day one. A cast member of Wakanda Forever, the sequel to Black Panther, she now can be seen in the new musical motion picture, The Color Purple, a revisiting of the 1985 film adapted from Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by the same name. There's more on the near horizon: In the Spring of 2024, Arthur joins Vi...2023-12-2142 minThe Hollywood BeatTandy Culpepper Talks with Actress, Filmmaker, & Playwright Aba Arthur about The Color Purple Musical Film & MoreAba Arthur is an actor, playwright, filmmaker, and author. This multi-hyphenate woman knew what she wanted her future to look like from day one. A cast member of Wakanda Forever, the sequel to Black Panther, she now can be seen in the new musical motion picture, The Color Purple, a revisiting of the 1985 film adapted from Alice Walker’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel by the same name. There's more on the near horizon: In the Spring of...2023-12-2142 minThe Hollywood BeatTandy Culpepper talks to filmmaker Neer Shelter about short film, "Perspectives"Tandy Culpepper talks with Australian filmmaker Keer Shelter, the man behind the live action short film, Perspectives. The film has qualified for consideration by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences — the folks that bring you the Oscars every year. Perspectives' storyline involves a female Israeli soldier who finds herself on a bus with a Palestinian man she suspects may be a suicide bomber. The film is semi-autobiographical for Shelter.: in addition to holding Australian citizenship. Shelter holds Israeli citizenship. Like the protagonist in the film, Shelter served in the Israeli military.2023-12-1336 minThe Hollywood BeatTandy Culpepper Talks with Australian Filmmaker Neer Shelter about his Award-winning ShortFilm, "Perspectives"Tandy Culpepper talks with Australian filmmaker Keer Shelter, the man behind the live action short film, Perspectives. The film has qualified for consideration by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences — the folks that bring you the Oscars every year. Perspectives' storyline involves a female Israeli soldier who finds herself on a bus with a Palestinian man she suspects may be a suicide bomber. The film is semi-autobiographical for Shelter.: in addition to holding Australian citizenship. Shelter holds Israeli citizenship. Like the protagonist in the...2023-12-1336 minThe Hollywood BeatTandy Culpepper Talks with Singer-Songwriter John Ondrasik AKA Five For Fighting: Ukraine & Afghanistan & MoreYou may know him as John Ondrasik. You may know him by his stage name Five for Fighting. No matter. By any name, this acclaimed singer- songwriter is recognized throughout the music industry as one of America’s greatest balladeers. Think Superman and 100 Years.Last year, Ondrasik set out on an arduous and perilous journey. After Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine, John sat down at his piano and composed Can One Man Save the World. It’s a paean to Ukraine and a soaring anthem that begged for an orchestral accompaniment.R...2023-11-0846 minThe Hollywood BeatTandy Culpepper Talks with Acclaimed Singer-Songwriter & Activist John Ondrasik AKA Five For Fighting: Ukraine & Afghanistan, Music & MoreYou may know him as John Ondrasik. You may know him by his stage name Five for Fighting. No matter. By any name, this acclaimed singer- songwriter is recognized throughout the music industry as one of America’s greatest balladeers. Think Superman and 100 Years.Last year, Ondrasik set out on an arduous and perilous journey. After Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine, John sat down at his piano and composed Can One Man Save the World. It’s a paean to Ukraine and a soarin...2023-11-0846 minThe Hollywood BeatTandy Culpepper Talks Israel-Hamas War with Veteran Journalist and Author Don DahlerI’d been trying to schedule an interview with veteran broadcast journalist Don Dahler (most recently of CBS News) for weeks. We finally found a good date in October, and looking back, I realize had we conducted the interview in September, I would have missed out on his valuable observations regarding the Israel-Hamas war. Earlier in his career — as a war correspondent with ABC News — Dahler was embedded with American forces during the second Gulf War. That experience informs much of this episode as he provides insights into the major players in the current armed confli...2023-11-0643 minThe Hollywood BeatTandy Culpepper Talks Israel-Hamas War, Writing & More with Veteran Journalist and Author Don DahlerI’d been trying to schedule an interview with veteran broadcast journalist Don Dahler (most recently of CBS News) for weeks. We finally found a good date in October, and looking back, I realize had we conducted the interview in September, I would have missed out on his valuable observations regarding the Israel-Hamas war. Earlier in his career — as a war correspondent with ABC News — Dahler was embedded with American forces during the second Gulf War. That experience informs much of this episode as he provides insights into the major players in the...2023-11-0643 minThe Hollywood BeatTandy Culpepper Talks with The Christian Science Monitor's Francine KieferFor several months, I had been trying to pin down journalist Francine Kiefer for an interview regarding her award-winning work as West Coast bureau chief for The Christian Science Monitor. My efforts were complicated by unforeseen circumstances not of our making. Kiefer had been asked to assume the role of interim national news editor pending results of a search to fill the position long term. I caught up with Francine the second week of October, a time in which news from overseas was dominated by events taking place in Israel and the Gaza Strip. On the home...2023-10-2038 minThe Hollywood BeatTandy Culpepper Talks Israel, Hamas, Congress, Cali Senate with The Christian Science Monitor's FrancineFor several months, I had been trying to pin down journalist Francine Kiefer for an interview regarding her award-winning work as West Coast bureau chief for The Christian Science Monitor. My efforts were complicated by unforeseen circumstances not of our making. Kiefer had been asked to assume the role of interim national news editor pending results of a search to fill the position long term. I caught up with Francine the second week of October, a time in which news from overseas was dominated by events taking place in Israel...2023-10-2038 minThe Hollywood BeatTandy Culpepper Talks with Singer-Songwriter Lauren Calve about her Debut Long-form Album, "Shift" Recently I had the opportunity to interview the D.C. based singer-songwriter Lauren Calve. By her own wry admission, she’s something of a late bloomer. In fact, one of the tracks on her debut long-form album, Shift, bears that very title. The ten track collection was released the first week of September. Calve recorded the LP in Nashville – and, boy, howdy, did she have heavyweight musicians in the studio with her. From her website LaurenCalve.com:(Shift) was recorded in Nashville at 3Sirens Music Group with producer, engineer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Dex Green (Margo Price, Aaron Lee Tasjan, Alli...2023-09-2129 minThe Hollywood BeatTandy Culpepper Talks with Singer-Songwriter Lauren Calve about her New Long-form Debut Album, "Shift" Recently I had the opportunity to interview the D.C. based singer-songwriter Lauren Calve. By her own wry admission, she’s something of a late bloomer. In fact, one of the tracks on her debut long-form album, Shift, bears that very title. The ten track collection was released the first week of September. Calve recorded the LP in Nashville – and, boy, howdy, did she have heavyweight musicians in the studio with her. From her website LaurenCalve.com:(Shift) was recorded in Nashville at 3Sirens Music Group with producer, engineer, songwriter, and m...2023-09-2129 minThe Hollywood BeatTandy Culpepper Talks with Singer-Songwriter Lauren Calve about her Debut Long-form Album, "Shift" Recently I had the opportunity to interview the D.C. based singer-songwriter Lauren Calve. By her own wry admission, she’s something of a late bloomer. In fact, one of the tracks on her debut long-form album, Shift, bears that very title. The ten track collection was released the first week of September. Calve recorded the LP in Nashville – and, boy, howdy, did she have heavyweight musicians in the studio with her. From her website LaurenCalve.com:(Shift) was recorded in Nashville at 3Sirens Music Group with producer, engineer, songwriter, and m...2023-09-2130 minThe Hollywood BeatTandy Culpepper Talks with Singer-Songwriter Lauren Calve about Her Debut Album, "Shift" Recently I had the opportunity to interview the D.C. based singer-songwriter Lauren Calve. By her own wry admission, she’s something of a late bloomer. In fact, one of the tracks on her debut long-form album, Shift, bears that very title. The ten track collection was released the first week of September. Calve recorded the LP in Nashville – and, boy, howdy, did she have heavyweight musicians in the studio with her. From her website LaurenCalve.com:(Shift) was recorded in Nashville at 3Sirens Music Group with producer, engineer, songwriter, and m...2023-09-1903 minThe Hollywood BeatTandy Culpepper Talks with Judy Lev about her Groundbreaking New Memoir, "Our Names Do Not Appear"Judy Lev (the pen name for Judy Labensohn) is an American-Israeli writer whose new memoir -- Our Names Do Not Appear -- breaks new ground for the genre. One book critic referred to it as a "hybrid memoir." After reading it, I must opine that hybrid is an accurate description for the book. Judy mixes creative nonfiction with elements of fiction, and she does so with a deft hand. The story mines memories from a traumatic childhood event that the author carries with her for many years until she faces the same sort of dilemma after becoming a young...2023-08-1926 minThe Hollywood BeatTandy Culpepper Talks with Judy Lev about her Groundbreaking New Memoir, "Our Names Do Not Appear"Judy Lev (the pen name for Judy Labensohn) is an American-Israeli writer whose new memoir -- Our Names Do Not Appear -- breaks new ground for the genre. One book critic referred to it as a "hybrid memoir." After reading it, I must opine that hybrid is an accurate description for the book. Judy mixes creative nonfiction with elements of fiction, and she does so with a deft hand. The story mines memories from a traumatic childhood event that the author carries with her for many years until she faces the same sort of...2023-08-1926 minThe Hollywood BeatTandy Culpepper Talks Psychoanalysis with Psychologist and Hypnotherapist Dr. Nancy IrwinDr. Nancy Irwin is a Los Angeles-based clinical psychologist and hypnotherapist. A longtime mutual friend thought I’d enjoy interviewing Dr. Irwin, and our friend was right. She came to this profession by way of an interesting journey . Can you imagine a stand up comic who morphs into a shrink? Well, Dr, Irwin traveled that road. I talk to Dr. Irwin about why people — including Hollywood celebrities — seek her services.2023-08-1331 minThe Hollywood BeatTandy Culpepper Talks Psychoanalysis with Psychologist and Hypnotherapist Dr. Nancy IrwinDr. Nancy Irwin is a Los Angeles-based clinical psychologist and hypnotherapist. A longtime mutual friend thought I’d enjoy interviewing Dr. Irwin, and our friend was right. She came to this profession by way of an interesting journey . Can you imagine a stand up comic who morphs into a shrink? Well, Dr, Irwin traveled that road. I talk to Dr. Irwin about why people — including Hollywood celebrities — seek her services.Support the show2023-08-1331 minThe Hollywood BeatTandy Culpepper Talks Menopause and Vampires with Pamela Skjsvik, Author of "Forever 51"Pamela Skjolsvik and I met in 2008 at Goucher College where we both were enrolled in the Creative Nonfiction MFA program. We’ve kept in touch over the years. When Pamela decided to try her hand at fiction, she settled on a topic guaranteed to raise eyebrows. The novel is Forever 51, a dark comedy about a menopausal vampire named Veronica. Pamela’s protagonist is forever condemned to a life of irritability and hot flashes. The idea for the high-concept tale came to Pamela as the result of a question posed by her young son. Hear the question in this interview. Pame...2023-08-0928 minThe Hollywood BeatTandy Culpepper Talks Vampires and Menopause with Pamela Skjolsvik, Author of "Forever 51" Pamela Skjolsvik and I met in 2008 at Goucher College where we both were enrolled in the Creative Nonfiction MFA program. We’ve kept in touch over the years. When Pamela decided to try her hand at fiction, she settled on a topic guaranteed to raise eyebrows. The novel is Forever 51, a dark comedy about a menopausal vampire named Veronica. Pamela’s protagonist is forever condemned to a life of irritability and hot flashes. The idea for the high-concept tale came to Pamela as the result of a question posed by her young son. H...2023-08-0928 minThe Hollywood BeatTandy Culpepper Talks Painting and Poetry with Chris Arvidson, Author of "The House Inside My Head"I caught up recently with a woman who, like me, graduated from Goucher College's MFA program in Creative Nonfiction. She and I have been Facebook friends, but we spoke by phone for the first time only in the last month. I came across one of her posts in which she shared that she had just come out with a poetry collection titled The House Inside My Head. In this episode of THB, she tells us about her new book, about how she became a poet, why she took up painting, and workshops she conducts in something called ekphrastic writing...2023-07-2455 minThe Hollywood BeatTandy Culpepper Talks Vampires and Menopause with Pamela Skjolsvik, Author of the Novel "Forever 51"Tandy Culpepper talks with Pamela Skjolsvik, author of the novel, Forever 51. It's a dark comedy about a menopausal vampire named Veronica, who's forever condemned to a life of irritability and hot flashes. Pamela discloses how she came up with the idea for the story. Pamela plans a trilogy. The second in the series will be called Wasted on the young.Support the show2023-07-2414 minThe Hollywood BeatTandy Culpepper Talks Painting and Poetry with Chris Arvidson, Author of "The House Inside My Head"Tandy Culpepper talks with writer, editor, painter, and poet, Christine "Chris" Arvidson, about her most recently released collection of poetry titled The House Inside My Head. Active in the arts in and around her Charlotte, North Carolina, home, Arvidson conducts workshops in ekphrastic writing -- that is to say writing inspired by works of art. Think the poet John Keats's "Ode on a Grecian Urn."Support the show2023-07-2455 minThe Hollywood BeatTandy Culpepper Talks with Writer, Painter and Poet Chris Arvidson, Author of The House Inside My HeadTandy Culpepper talks with writer, editor, painter, and poet, Christine "Chris" Arvidson, about her most recently released collection of poetry titled The House Inside My Head. Active in the arts in and around her Charlotte, North Carolina, home, Arvidson conducts workshops in ekphrastic writing -- that is to say writing inspired by works of art. Think the poet John Keats's "Ode on a Grecian Urn." Chris has written poems inspired by her own paintings.2023-07-2355 minThe Hollywood BeatTandy Culpepper Talks with new Grammy Member, Dr. James Michael StevensDr. James Michael Stevens is a professor of music and chair of the music department at Welch College in Gallatin, Tennessee. Stevens is also a composer and a prolific one at that. By his estimation, he has some 8,000 compositions to his credit, mainly for piano but also for organ and choral groups. The chorale composition Without Love We Have Nothing– written with Joseph M. Martin – has been performed and recorded all over the world, particularly in South Korea. Last month, Dr. Stevens was invited to join the Recording Academy as a voting member of the Grammy Awards. In this epis...2023-07-2243 minThe Hollywood BeatTandy Culpepper Talks with new Grammy Member Dr. James Michael StevensDr. James Michael Stevens is a professor of music and chair of the music department at Welch College in Gallatin, Tennessee. Stevens is also a composer and a prolific one at that. By his estimation, he has some 8,000 compositions to his credit, mainly for piano but also for organ and choral groups. The chorale composition Without Love We Have Nothing– written with Joseph M. Martin – has been performed and recorded all over the world, particularly in South Korea. Last month, Dr. Stevens was invited to join the Recording Academy as a voting member of the...2023-07-2243 minThe Hollywood BeatReba Merrill Talks with Tandy Culpepper about her Stellar Career as a Journalist in HollywoodTandy Culpepper talks with author, lecturer, and broadcast journalist Reba Merrill. This is a woman one Hollywood wag dubbed "The Queen of the Hollywood Press Junket." Merrill came to Los Angeles and sought to build a brand in entertainment journalism at the unheard of age of 47 -- unheard of because, for a woan at that time, 47 was over the hill. So after assorted trials and tribulations, she beat the odds and overcame both misogyny and ageism. Now, her lengthy career has been capped off with a major honor: the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences nominated Merrill for...2023-07-1137 minThe Hollywood BeatHollywood Doyenne Reba Merrill Talks with Tandy Culpepper about her Stellar Career as an Entertainment Broadcast JournalistTandy Culpepper talks with author, lecturer, and broadcast journalist Reba Merrill. This is a woman one Hollywood wag dubbed "The Queen of the Hollywood Press Junket." Merrill came to Los Angeles and sought to build a brand in entertainment journalism at the unheard of age of 47 -- unheard of because, for a woan at that time, 47 was over the hill. So after assorted trials and tribulations, she beat the odds and overcame both mysogyny and ageism. Now, her lengthy career has been capped off with a major hor: the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences nominated Merrill...2023-07-1137 minThe Hollywood BeatTandy Culpepper Talks with Clinical Psychologist and Hypnotherapist Dr. Nancy IrwinTandy Culpepper talks with Dr. Nancy Irwin , a Los Angeles-based clinical psychologist and hypnotherapist. She came to this profession by way of an interesting journey . Can you imagine a stand up comic who morphs into a shrink? Well, Dr, Irwin traveled that road. It's an interesting exploration about why people — including Hollywood celebrities — seek her services.Support the show2023-07-0912 min