Podcasts by Shoot This Now

The Anti-'Citizen Kane': How Art Beal Built Nitt Witt Ridge, a House Made of Trash in the Shadow of Hearst Castle from 2019-07-23T23:30:27

Fifteen miles south of Hearst Castle, home of "Citizen Kane" inspiration William Randolph Hearst, is perhaps a more impressive dwelling: Nitt Witt Ridge, the house that former garbageman Art Bea...

The Story of Public Enemy's "Fight the Power," and Spike Lee's "Do The Right Thing," 30 Years Later (feat. Dart Adams) from 2019-07-13T00:45:52

In 1989, Public Enemy broke up -- just after recording their signature song, "Fight the Power," and just before it became the musical centerpiece of Spike Lee's "Do the Right Thing." The reason ...

Sacheen Littlefeather Speaks: When Marlon Brando and John Wayne Fought for the Soul of the 1973 Oscars from 2019-06-20T19:37:51

Marlon Brando didn't attend the 1973 Oscars, but he did enlist Native American actress and activist Sacheen Littlefeather to reject his Oscar for The Godfather.

This week, we talk ab...

Meet Nakano Takeko, Female Samurai from 2019-06-14T19:50:58

Nakano Takeko was a 21-year-old martial arts instructor who came to lead a battalion of women against the Emperor of Japan's Imperial Army, 150 years ago.

On this week's episode of "S...

Starlite from 2019-06-07T20:10:33

Maurice Ward was a British hairdresser and amateur inventor who was inspired by a horrific plane disaster to invent a material that could withstand fire, nukes, and perhaps even the sun. His inv...

BONUS: Listen to 'Inside Star Wars' Revisit Day 1 of Shooting 'Episode IV: A New Hope from 2019-05-29T23:28:36

It was March 22, 1976 -- the first day of shooting "Star Wars." As Mark Ramsey's new "Inside Star Wars" reimagines that day in the Tunisian desert, it included hours of falling droids, an unlike...

Carrie Fisher Didn't Want to Be an Actor. She Became an Icon (Featuring Inside Star Wars' Mark Ramsey) from 2019-05-17T20:16:52

This week, Mark Ramsey joins us to preview "Inside Star Wars," which debuts Wednesday, May 29 and which you should subscribe...

When Santa Cruz Had Two Serial Killers from 2019-05-10T22:01:34

There aren't enough content warnings in the world for the story of Ed Kemper and Herbert Mullin, two serial killers who simultaneously stalked Santa Cruz in 1972 and 1973.

Kemper pose...

His Parents Destroyed His Porn, So He Sued Them from 2019-04-25T22:28:02

You may have read news stories - or heard jokes - about the Indiana man who sued his parents this month for destroying his massive collection of porn. But his backstory is more complex and nuanc...

When the Irish Were Starving, the Choctaw Tried to Feed Them from 2019-04-09T22:33:13

The Irish famine killed a million people of Ireland, and scattered the islands hungry people across the world. It received a woefully inadequate response from the British Crown -- yet somehow dr...

The Twins Who Tricked the 1984 Olympics from 2019-03-22T05:42:24

In the 1984 Summer Olympic Games in Los Angeles, Puerto Rico’s Madeline de Jesus was injured in the long jump, and found herself unable to run in the 4×400-meter relay. Fortunately she had a sec...

It's Weird That Michael Jackson's 2005 Trial Hasn't Gotten the 'People v. OJ Simpson' Treatment from 2019-03-12T23:55:48

It's fitting that Michael Jackson's 2005 trial ended with a woman releasing white doves -- one for each count on which he was acquitted. Doves are a traditional part of many magic shows, and Jac...

Angela James' Life Story is the Black Lesbian Hockey Movie America Needs from 2019-02-26T00:50:12

Born in Toronto to a black father and white mother, Angela James went from defending herself from bullies in the projects to becoming one of the first women ever inducted into the Hockey Hall of...

A 27-Year-Old Is Suing His Parents Because He Didn't Consent to Be Born (feat. Trey Williams) from 2019-02-09T01:11:26

Six months ago, Raphael Samuel informed his mother over breakfast that he planned to sue his parents for bringing him into existence without his consent. His story should be a movie, obviously.<...

Let's Talk Halston With "Halston" Filmmakers Frédéric Tcheng and Roland Ballester from 2019-02-01T02:48:46

Frédéric Tcheng's Sundance doc "Halston" is about an Iowa boy turned fashion icon who went from making hats for Jackie Kennedy to ruling Studio 54 to making clothes for J.C. Penney. No one in fa...

Move Over, Fyre Festival: Woodstock '99 Was the Worst Festival Ever from 2019-01-25T00:36:18

If the "Fyre" and "Fyre Fraud" documentaries made you think the Fyre Festival was the worst music-fest ever, may we introduce you to the nightmare that was Woodstock '99.

Characterized by...

Texas Delight: Meet the Man Who Made Millions Telling People They Could Lose Weight in Their Sleep from 2019-01-11T00:35:43

Harry Siskind is a photographer-turned-entrepreneur who made a lot of promises about his weight-loss company, Body Solutions -- including that it could help you lose weight as you slept.

...

How Tekashi 6ix9ine Became a Human Meme (feat. New York Times Reporters Joe Coscarelli and Ali Watkins) from 2018-12-08T03:33:59

Rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine, aka Daniel Hernandez, Tekashi 69 and just 6ix9ine, is what The New York Times' Joe Coscarelli and Ali Watkins call a "human meme." This week, we talk about his journey fr...

'Surviving Y2K' Host Dan Taberski on the Real Raiders of the Lost Ark, Richard Simmons and What He's Doing Next from 2018-12-01T03:23:05

In the beautiful "Surviving Y2K" podcast, Dan Taberski talks about how a few incredibly compelling people prepared for what they thought would be Armageddon. And how his own life changed dramati...

How C. Delores Tucker Became the Most Hated Woman in Hip-Hop from 2018-11-16T23:20:53

In the 1960s, '70s and '80s, C. Delores Tucker was best known as a politician, feminist, and Civil Rights activist who was friends with Rosa Parks and marched with Martin Luther King. But by the...

We Pitched Emily Ratajkowski and Aaron Paul a Couple Movie Ideas from 2018-11-08T07:14:27

This week, we pitched Emily Ratajkowski and Aaron Paul two ideas for stories we think should be movies: one about Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger, and one about Maud Gonne, the Irish ...

We Need a Movie About Harry Eastlack, the Man With Two Skeletons from 2018-11-02T18:36:59

Harry Eastlack was only a child when he broke a bone that wouldn't heal. Instead, his skeleton began to grow abnormally, his bones doubling over one another, until he suffocated from his own bon...

Karen Gillan on a Witch Story, Avengers 4 Secrecy and 'The Party's Just Beginning' from 2018-10-26T23:02:35

This week we talk with Karen Gillan (star of "Jumanji," "Guardians of the Galaxy" and the new "Avengers" films) about her debut as a writer-director, the comedy-drama "The Party's Just Beginning...

'Watergate' Director Charles Ferguson on 'How We Learned to Stop an Out-of-Control President' from 2018-10-19T00:08:51

This week: Oscar-winning director Charles Ferguson talks about his film "Watergate, or How We Learned to Stop an Out-of-Control President." We talk about why John McCain wanted to talk with him, al...

Tom Arnold Talks Trump Tapes and Mark Burnett from 2018-10-13T02:40:35

This week, Tom Arnold joins us to talk about Viceland's "The Hunt for the Trump Tapes." And we pitch him on why his producer's trip to her home country, in search of a "golden showers" tape that ha...

Jeff Bridges Talks 'Bad Time at the El Royale,' 'Starman,' and Saving the World One Change at a Time from 2018-10-03T23:37:06

This week, Jeff Bridges (!) joins us to talk about his new films "Living in the Future's Past" and "Bad Times at the El Royale" -- and about "Crazyheart," "Starman," and why birds fly in formati...

'Slow Burn' Host Leon Neyfakh on Linda Tripp's Sandwiches... and President Gore from 2018-09-20T22:36:52

"Slow Burn" host Leon Neyfakh tells us how he made the Clinton-Lewnisky scandal feel fresh, found common ground with Linda Tripp, and the possibility of a "Slow Burn" TV show. We also imagine wh...

How a 30-Year-Old's Eviction By His Parents Turned Into an Attack on Millennials from 2018-09-14T23:52:39

In May, a 30-year-old man named Michael Rotondo got evicted – by his parents. They took him to court as he pleaded for more time. 

In some corners, his story turned into a referendum on m...

His Teenage Parents Put Him Up for Adoption. Decades Later, He Reunited Them from 2018-09-07T19:28:35

This week, we talk about a New York Times wedding story that needs to be a movie: The story of a man, put up for adoption by high school sweethearts, who reunited them after nearly 40 years... a...

'Better Call Saul' Boss Peter Gould Almost Made a Clinton-Lewinsky Movie With Puppets from 2018-08-28T04:01:32

This week we're joined by Peter Gould, one of our favorite writers. The co-creator of "Better Call Saul" talks about a project he almost made with HBO years before he joined the "Breaking Bad" w...

Payne Lindsey Talks "Up and Vanished" Season 2 and "Atlanta Monster" from 2018-08-24T06:33:08

Every week we talk about stories that should be made into movies. This week, Up and Vanished and Atlanta Monster host Payne Lindsey explains why Up and Vanished Season 2 is so cinematic - and wh...

We're Suckers for Special Guest Paul Scheer's Movie Pitch About Con Woman Bertha Heyman from 2018-08-17T06:17:07

Paul Scheer ("The League," "How Did This Get Made," "Unspooled," "The Disaster Artist") shares his amazing idea for a movie: The story of 19th century female con artist Bertha Heyman.

Eve...

Let's Talk About Jobriath, the Openly Gay '70s Rocker Who Inspired Morrissey and Def Leppard from 2018-08-10T23:15:59

Jobriath was a '70s glam-rocker who, like David Bowie, Elton John and Freddie Mercury, sang songs about space. But unlike any of them, he was openly gay in the 1970s - long before the people of ...

In 1969, Native Americans Took Over Alcatraz - and Held It for 19 Months from 2018-08-03T19:23:40

in 1969, Native American activists took over Alcatraz and held the island for nineteen months. Though the famous former prison was known worldwide, they argued that they had "discovered it" - ju...

'Supertrain': NBC's 1979 Trainwreck of a Show - With The Industry's Dan Delgado from 2018-07-27T22:58:48

In 1979, NBC spent millions to produce a series that was supposed to save it from last place. Instead, it produced "Supertrain," a disaster of a drama that mixed railroads and disco. It baffled ...

The Nazi Titanic: The Most Expensive Propaganda Film in History from 2018-07-20T17:49:24

In 1943, Nazi Germany made the world's most expensive propaganda film: "Titanic." The story of the Nazi Titanic ends even more tragically than the story of the real Titanic.

We relied on ...

Gaslit Nation's Andrea Chalupa Tells Us About Ira Aldridge, the Black Shakespearean Who Tore Down Racism from 2018-07-14T00:05:50

Thirty-three people are honored with plaques at the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon, but only one of them, Ira Aldridge, is an African-American. At a time when the United Sta...

Theme From Atlanta Monster (Bonus) from 2018-07-09T17:25:16

Because of our past episodes about the "Atlanta Monster" podcast, we've been given this opportunity to share with you the first track from the upcoming "Atlanta Monster" soundtrack.

This ...

'The King' Director Eugene Jarecki: America Is in the Fat Elvis Stage from 2018-07-06T22:26:38

Eugene Jarecki's Elvis Presley documentary "The King" argues that America in its Fat Elvis stage. He tells us why Chuck D of "mother--- him and John Wayne" fame was the film's key interview.

The Making of Steven Spielberg, With 'Inside Jaws' Host Mark Ramsey from 2018-06-29T20:31:23

"Inside Jaws" isn't just the story of the first summer blockbuster - it's also the story of how Steven Spielberg found his voice and his courage.

"Inside Jaws" host talks to us about Jaws...

The Bruce Lee Story With "Bruce Lee: A Life" Author Matthew Polly from 2018-06-22T21:57:17

We need a proper Bruce Lee biopic, one that addresses his profound influence on race relations and celebrity. This episode, "Bruce Lee: A Life" author Matthew Polly talks about Lee's influence o...

Who is Teal Swan? The Gateway's Jennings Brown and Jessica Glazer on the Mysterious YouTube Guru from 2018-06-15T05:54:48

Teal Swan is an internet guru who finds followers largely online. She presents herself as a healer, but critics say she is playing with fire and has dangerous ideas about treating people who may...

The Bank-Heist Bromance That Gave 'Stockholm Syndrome' Its Name from 2018-06-13T20:24:26

In 1973, a robber who looked like Bill Skarsgard took hostages in a Swedish bank. He demanded money, a fast car, and the release of a "pop gangster" prison buddy who looked like Armie Hammer. Th...

The "Dear David" Victory-Lap Episode (feat. Beatrice Verhoeven) from 2018-06-07T21:59:55

In February, we talked about why "Dear David," BuzzFeed writer Adam Ellis' internet ghost story, should be a movie. This week, we found out it's going to happen.

Special guest Beatrice Ve...

Anna Delvey, the 'It' Girl Who Duped New York from 2018-06-01T19:05:17

Neff Davis met Anna Delvey when Anna gave her $100 for a restaurant recommendation. Anna soon drew Neff into a moneyed game of trying to conquer New York City. Imagine if the Great Gatsby passed...

Prison Angel: Sister Antonia's Story Is 'Troop Beverly Hills' Meets 'Dead Man Walking' from 2018-05-26T01:18:23

Antonia Brenner wasn't the most likely woman to become a nun, much less a nun who moved into a Tijuana prison: Born into a wealthy family in Beverly Hills, she was a twice-divorced mother of sev...

Call Me By Your Name (With Demons): Aleister Crowley's Sex Magic from 2018-05-19T00:50:51

Every week on "Shoot This Now" we talk about a different story that should be a movie. This week: That time "wickedest man in the world" Aleister Crowley and poet Victor Benjamin Neuburg to brin...

Atlanta Monster's Payne Lindsey and Donald Albright Talk About Talking With Wayne Williams (Bonus Episode) from 2018-05-11T21:47:20

In this special bonus episode, we talk to "Atlanta Monster" host and co-creator Payne Lindsey and co-creator Donald Albright about the odds of an "Atlanta Monster" TV show, the frustrations of t...

Gwyneth Paltrow Meets Drunk Christopher Walken from 2018-05-08T22:21:02

In this, our name-droppingest episode ever, we discuss Gwyneth Paltrow and Blythe Danner's Goop Podcast discussion of the time 19-year-old Gwyneth shared a stage with a drunken Christopher Walke...

'Django Unchained' Meets 'Ocean's 11' from 2018-05-02T23:21:28

Every week we talk about stories that should be movies. This episode: TheWrap film reporter Trey Williams tells us about 23-year-old slave Robert Smalls, who seized a Confederate ship to free hi...

The Stride of Pride from 2018-04-18T00:35:36

We talk about stories that should be movies. This week, Matt and Tim have a healthy, no-dumb-jokes discussion about a "This American Life" episode in which menstrual blood almost gets a woman in...

Sean Hannity: The College Years from 2018-04-11T01:51:12

Sean Hannity got Jimmy Kimmel to apologize this week for homophobic jokes, but Sean Hannity was fired for homophobic comments from his first radio gig as a DJ at UC Santa Barbara. The result was...

What Facebook Can Learn From the Tylenol Murders from 2018-04-04T23:25:39

We talk about stories that should be made into movies. This week: How the Tylenol murders offer a masterclass in crisis PR -- one  Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg should study.

Plus: Why we ...

Wakanda Over Everything (Special 'Low Key' Podcast Preview) from 2018-03-29T23:53:40

We have a special treat: A bonus episode of "Low Key," the new podcast Tim is making with Aaron Lanton and Keith Dennie. Our first journey with the crew explores the key themes of "Black Panther...

Angela Davis: The Anti-Forrest Gump from 2018-03-21T20:35:15

Angela Davis was a Black revolutionary professor catapulted to the national stage when California Gov. Ronald Reagan fired her from UCLA in 1969. A year later, she became the third woman ever on...

Make THESE Comics Into Movies (feat. Umberto Gonzales, aka El Mayimbe) from 2018-03-15T01:20:29

This week, we talk about comics that deserve to be movies with TheWrap's comic maestro, Umberto Gonzales - aka @ElMayimbe.

We talk about why Ninjak, Ann Nocenti's X-Men spinoff "Beauty an...

Bonus: 'RuPaul's Drag Race' Secrets With Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman from 2018-03-06T23:16:33

Every episode, we talk about stories that should be movies -- except this time. Because our special guest, Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman, has guested on "RuPaul's Drag Race," and reveals to us how they...

'UnREAL' Star Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman Talks MTV's 'Real World' Season 3: Puck v. Pedro from 2018-03-06T21:30:11

On this, our best episode, we're joined by Jeffrey Bowyer-Chapman, star of "UnREAL" and host of "JBC Presents Conversations With Others." On "UnREAL" he plays a reality show producer, so we talk...

Slenderman Meets 'Black Mirror' from 2018-02-28T04:57:10

This week's episode is inspired by the Slenderman case and "Black Mirror." How do you sentence kids who commit crimes because they can't tell the internet from real life? And is there still a di...

Not OK, Cupid (feat. Brian Welk) from 2018-02-23T01:21:15

Though Tim messed up the intro this week (sorry), "Shoot This Now" is the podcast where he and Matt talk about stories that should be movies. This week we're joined by Brian Welk, who talks abou...

The Dear David Story (feat. Beatrice Verhoeven) from 2018-02-14T22:38:05

We talk about stories that should be movies, and this week, Beatrice Verhoeven joins Matt Donnelly and Tim Molloy to tell us about one that haunts her. Former BuzzFeed reporter Adam Ellis says h...

Cheat On Your Spouse at My House from 2018-02-09T06:29:51

This week on "Shoot This Now" (where Matt Donnelly and Tim Molloy talk about stories that should be movies), we talk about a very strange ad Matt discovered on Craigslist:

Listen

The Nod's White Jeans Story from 2018-02-02T03:18:46

Each week, TheWrap's Matt Donnelly and Tim Molloy talk about stories that should be made into movies - now. This episode, we talk about a wonderful story about a life-changing pair of jeans, fro...

The Barry Rothbart Nudist Videographer Story from 2018-01-26T01:33:39

Each week, TheWrap's Matt Donnelly and Tim Molloy talk about stories that should be made into movies - now. This episode, special guest Barry Rothbart talks about the time he was a (nude) videog...

And Tom Hanks as The Antichrist from 2018-01-19T07:31:52

Have you ever said "This should be a movie?" Yes, you have. So have TheWrap's Matt Donnelly and Tim Molloy, and with "Shoot This Now," they focus every week on a different story they think want ...

The Atlanta Monster Sinatra Story from 2018-01-17T02:33:04

Have you ever said "This should be a movie?" Yes, you have. So have TheWrap's Matt Donnelly and Tim Molloy, and with "Shoot This Now," they focus every week on a different story they think want ...

The Anti-Hitchcock Story from 2018-01-11T07:02:06

Have you ever said "This should be a movie?" Yes, you have. So have TheWrap's Matt Donnelly and Tim Molloy, and with "Shoot This Now," they focus every week on a different story they think want ...

The John Mayer Story from 2018-01-08T22:48:13

Have you ever said "This should be a movie?" Yes, you have. So have TheWrap's Matt Donnelly and Tim Molloy, and with "Shoot This Now," they focus every week on a different story they think want to ...