The Cold Open Podcast

The Cold Open #60–The Superman 2025 Edition

In the Cold Open #60, Robert Sickels [https://whitmanfms.wordpress.com/meet-dr-robert-sickels/] and special guests Kalani Buchl and Tallulah Sickels have a spoiler heavy conversation about writer/director James Gunn’s new Superman film, his first as the Co-Chairman and CEO of DC Studios. They discuss his updating of Superman, Lois Lane, and Lex Luthor for our contemporary moment, his characteristic use of humor and color, the fine line he walks between respecting DC’s long history and his desire to do something new, its real life political and cultural parallels, the various reasons the film is doing boffo business in America while struggling in foreign markets, and, ultimately, if it’s the best Superman movie ever. Our intro for this edition is Noah and the Whale’s “5 Years Time” and our outro is Teddybears and Iggy Pop’s “Punkrocker,” both of which are on the Superman Original Motion Picture Soundtrack [https://open.spotify.com/album/5NrArmSSCpQg2eDq7vqRyA?si=RjB5gNXtT2CJuUvtz2VA4A]. The Cold Open Podcast [https://whitmanfms.wordpress.com/category/podcasts/] is available on Apple Podcasts [https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/whitman-college-podcasts/id807571575] and Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/7MMsLfIXqAOPFB0lj37lVp], so please subscribe!

The Cold Open #59–The Materialists Edition

In the Cold Open #59, Robert Sickels [https://whitmanfms.wordpress.com/meet-dr-robert-sickels/] and special guests Alicia Nevarez and Tallulah Sickels discuss Celine Song’s second feature, Materialists. Over the course of their conversation, they cover the film’s intentionally deceptive marketing campaign, the casting and performances of the film’s respective players, Song’s emerging authorial touches, and a deep dive into the ways the film depicts the transactional elements of contemporary dating culture. Our intro for this edition is Baby Rose’s cover of the Velvet Underground’s “I’ll Be Your Mirror” and our outro is Japanese Breakfast’s “My Baby (Got Nothing at All),” both of which are on the Materialists Original Soundtrack [https://open.spotify.com/album/20fuKKdQbvoDR93W19PtYf?si=ojE8qxqRT9i_P7_9YlbdsA]. The Cold Open Podcast [https://whitmanfms.wordpress.com/category/podcasts/] is available on Apple Podcasts [https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/whitman-college-podcasts/id807571575] and Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/7MMsLfIXqAOPFB0lj37lVp], so please subscribe!

The Cold Open #58–The Phoenician Scheme Edition

In the Cold Open #58, Kynde Kiefel [https://www.whitman.edu/academics/sheehan-gallery/gallery-staff/kynde-kiefel] & Robert Sickels [https://whitmanfms.wordpress.com/meet-dr-robert-sickels/] dissect Wes Anderson’s 12th feature film, The Phoenician Scheme, about which they are unexpectedly divided. The intro and outro for this edition are snippets of “The Trans-Mountain Locomotive Tunnel,” from Alexandre Desplat’s Phoenician Scheme Original Score [https://open.spotify.com/album/17OcTjBgMqen816ttO7qGG?si=kiiWm7ELT7mr8Q8LvF2qyA]. The Cold Open Podcast [https://whitmanfms.wordpress.com/category/podcasts/] is available on Apple Podcasts [https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/whitman-college-podcasts/id807571575] and Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/7MMsLfIXqAOPFB0lj37lVp], so please subscribe!

The Cold Open #57–The Black Bag Full of Unicorns Edition

In the Cold Open #57, Robert Sickels [https://whitmanfms.wordpress.com/meet-dr-robert-sickels/] and special guest star Lee Ackerman begin with a spoiler heavy deep dive into two new mid-budget films, Steven Soderbergh’s Black Bag and writer/director Alex Scharfman’s debut feature, Death of a Unicorn. They then veer into a discussion on Gen Z’s movie consumption habits. Our intro and outro are David Holmes’ “Black Bag” and “Feet First” from the Black Bag Soundtrack [https://open.spotify.com/album/0paOAjGiUFAX9AEKQCfi3z?si=rJmY-KQpTVCxev9g8F5IoQ]. The Cold Open Podcast [https://whitmanfms.wordpress.com/category/podcasts/] is available on Apple Podcasts [https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/whitman-college-podcasts/id807571575] and Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/7MMsLfIXqAOPFB0lj37lVp], so please subscribe!

The Cold Open #56–The Mickey 17 Edition

In the Cold Open #56, Kynde Kiefel [https://www.whitman.edu/academics/sheehan-gallery/gallery-staff/kynde-kiefel], Robert Sickels [https://whitmanfms.wordpress.com/meet-dr-robert-sickels/] , and Matt Reynolds [https://www.whitman.edu/academics/majors-and-programs/art-history/faculty/matthew-reynolds] discuss their wildly disparate responses to Mickey 17, Bong Joon-Ho’s new film. Our intro and outro are “Set Off” [https://open.spotify.com/track/0eFBSjjtZql9vdFGPpZk7T?si=7442d9ad82194e0a] and “Bon Appetit with Strings” [https://open.spotify.com/track/0FVpavYbfS8d2fRW9EG8y0?si=fd0abee2edc24b57] from Jung Jaeil’s Mickey 17 soundtrack [https://open.spotify.com/album/21x9V1HMfhP15q0ev6NVhP?si=Drq4uApbTx-1CbWEpJLh7w]. The Cold Open Podcast [https://whitmanfms.wordpress.com/category/podcasts/] is available on Apple Podcasts [https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/whitman-college-podcasts/id807571575] and Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/7MMsLfIXqAOPFB0lj37lVp], so please subscribe!