Piecing It Together

An All Points West Podcast

SPECIAL EPISODE – Set Lusting Bruce

On this Special Episode of Piecing It Together, I repost a guest appearance I recently did on the Set Lusting Bruce Podcast. Set Lusting Bruce is a podcast all about Bruce Springsteen. I was a guest for two episodes, the first was a general conversation about music, podcasting and Bruce, but the second was a countdown of the host, Jesse Jackson and my favorite movie music moments. It’s a great movie talk and I thought it would be something you’d all want to hear.

Episode 38 – Widows

On the 38th episode of Piecing It Together, returning co-host Kris Krainock and I get into what was apparently Steve McQueen’s life-long passion project, the female heist thriller Widows. Written by Gillian Flynn and featuring buzz-worthy performances from Viola Davis and Daniel Kaaluya, Widows has not disappointed many in the film community. But it disappointed us. Puzzle pieces include the Ben Affleck trio of Gone Girl, The Town and Live By Night, as well as Set It Off.

Wildlife (Review)

When young Joe asks his mother Jeanette what happens to the wild animals during a forest fire, she responds matter-of-factly that they adapt, and that it’s not worth crying over. This sums up actor Paul Dano’s directorial debut, Wildlife, based off the novel by Richard Ford.

Episode 37 – Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald

On the 37th episode of Piecing It Together co-host Chad Clinton Freeman and I discuss the newest entry in the never-ending Harry Potter universe, Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald. I come at this episode as a complete beginner to the Harry Potter Wizarding World, but while Chad has only recently dived into this universe, he actually helped put on a giant festival around the fandom called Ironton Wizardfest, so he was uniquely positioned to talk about this one. Puzzle pieces include Star Wars, Transformers, Pokemon and Batman.

Episode 36 – Bohemian Rhapsody

On the 36th episode of Piecing It Together, new co-host Luella Chavez of the Vegas Playground podcast joins us to discuss Bohemian Rhapsody, the controversial biopic of Queen front-man Freddy Mercury. Despite huge box-office success, the movie has been maligned by bad reviews since its release with critics generally praising Rami Malek’s performance as the late singer, but trashing the rest of the film… Luella and I liked it like general audiences did… Even if we recognize the film’s many flaws. Puzzle pieces include Rock Star, Love & Mercy, The Wolf of Wall Street and Wayne’s World.

Episode 35 – mid90s

On the 35th episode of Piecing It Together, returning co-host Kris Krainock and I discuss a24’s mid90s, the directorial debut from Jonah Hill. mid90s is a slice of life… 1990’s skateboarder life to be precise. With virtually no known actors except Lucas Hedges, it shows the life of a young kid as he tries to make friends with a bunch of skaters. The authenticity on screen is somewhat of a nostalgia overload, but Jonah Hill does an amazing job of balancing it into a touching, funny film. Puzzle pieces include Kids, Clerks, Barry Lyndon and the NES Classic.

Episode 34 – Never Goin’ Back

On the 34th episode of Piecing It Together, returning co-host Josh Bell and I discuss a24’s Never Goin’ Back, a funny, crazy new comedy about the misadventures of two young female stoners. It’s about youth, friendship, drugs and bodily functions. We had a great time talking about it. Puzzle pieces include Beavis & Butthead, Ghost World, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off and a bunch of other a24 films.

SPECIAL EPISODE – In Memory Of – Eric Stanze Interview

On this Special Episode of Piecing It Together, we follow-up Episode 18’s In Memory Of with an interview with the film’s writer/director Eric Stanze. In Memory Of is a wild independent film and was brought to me by Chad Clinton Freeman, who knows his stuff when it comes to these kinds of crazy, unique movies, so I was really glad that we got to cover it on the show. It’s been a long while since Episode 18 but I’ve always wanted to go back and talk to Eric Stanze about the puzzle pieces Chad and I discussed and I’m glad to finally get a chance to do it.

Breaking It Apart 3 – Frankenstein

On the 3rd episode of the special episode series called Breaking It Apart, co-host Chad Clinton Freeman and I discuss the 1931 classic Frankenstein! This film and its creature have not only influenced hundreds of films, but pop culture in general. The hardest part of this episode was narrowing down all the movies we had to choose from! Puzzle pieces include Chappie, Edward Scissorhands, Alien, and Ex-Machina.

Episode 33 – Bad Times at the El Royale

On the 33rd episode of Piecing It Together, returning co-host Ryan Daugherty and I discuss Drew Goddard’s Bad Times at the El Royale. Ryan and I are obsessed with Goddard’s Cloverfield series so we jumped at the chance to cover this mystery about a group of strangers who converge on an old motel located on the California-Nevada border… And while we weren’t The Cloverfield Paradox level disappointed, we didn’t exactly love our stay at the El Royale. Puzzle pieces include every Quentin Tarantino movie, Lost, Smokin’ Aces, and No Country for Old Men.