Interview with Michael Glover Smith, director of Hekla (2026)

One Last Score: Widows (2018) with filmmaker Caitlyn Johnson

Jeremy and Paco are joined by filmmaker https://www.sirichilukuri.com/Caitlyn Johnson to discuss Widows (2018), directed by Steve McQueen. Check out Caitlyn’s newest short film, Candy Girl [https://www.instagram.com/candygirlfilm/].  This is the eighth episode in our miniseries, One Last Score, where we're going through different heist and bank robbing movies set in Chicago. The next and final episode in our miniseries will be about⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1106860/] Heist 88 [https://letterboxd.com/film/heist-88/].⁠ [https://letterboxd.com/film/widows-2018/]  Art by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lily Bacon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://lilybacon.com/] Music by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ newest_latest⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/@newest_latest] Suggestions, comments, complaints, hate mail, and all other correspondence can be sent to chicagopodfilmcast@gmail.com. Jeremy’s Recommendations Adolescence of Utena [https://letterboxd.com/film/revolutionary-girl-utena-the-movie/] (1999) dir. Kunihiko Ikuhara Paco’s Recommendation ⁠The Odyssey [https://letterboxd.com/film/the-odyssey/] (1997) dir. Andrei Konchalovsky Sources and further reading: * ‘Widows’ and ‘The Chi’ Found the Secrets of Chicago, Hiding in Plain Sight [https://www.indiewire.com/2018/11/widows-chicago-steve-mcqueen-movie-the-chi-1202021132/] | Ben Travers, IndieWire * ‘Widows’ director, cast offer a fresh slant on Chicago, its rich and poor parts [https://chicago.suntimes.com/2018/11/10/18457341/widows-director-cast-offer-a-fresh-slant-on-chicago-its-rich-and-poor-parts] | Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun-Times * The Blunt-Force Power of Widows, in One Scene [https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2018/12/ride-through-chicago-most-important-shot-widows/579010/] | David Sims, The Atlantic * Chicago Transportation Infrastructure and Politics Got Their Close-up in “Widows” [https://chi.streetsblog.org/2019/05/23/chicago-transportation-infrastructure-and-politics-got-their-close-up-in-the-film-widows/] | John Greenfield, StreetsBlog Chicago * “Widows,” shot at Parkway Gardens and Daley’s restaurant debuts this weekend [https://chicagocrusader.com/film-shot-at-parkway-gardens-and-daleys-debuts-this-weekend/] | Chicago Crusader * Viola Davis, Gillian Flynn and Steve McQueen enter Chicago underworld with 'Widows' [https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/movies/ct-mov-widows-mcqueen-viola-davis-1111-story.html] | Michael Phillips * Steve McQueen on Bringing a “Small Element of Chaos” to a Chicago Heist in ‘Widows’ [https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/steve-mcqueen-bringing-chaos-a-chicago-heist-widows-1161983/] | Caroline Giardina, Hollywood Reporter * Widows Director Steve McQueen on Why He Wanted to Adapt a 35-Year-Old TV Series [https://slate.com/culture/2018/11/steve-mcqueen-interview-widows-director-trump-metoo.html] | Sam Adams, Slate * Steve McQueen and Viola Davis on Hollywood, Race and Power [https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/15/movies/steve-mcqueen-viola-davis-widows.html] | Reggie Ugwu, New York Times * Director Steve McQueen Goes from Art House to Multiplex with Heist Thriller Widows [https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2018/11/widows-director-steve-mcqueen-interview] | Nicole Sperling, Vanity Fair * Making of ‘Widows’: How Steve McQueen Went Mainstream for a $40M Heist Movie [https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/making-widows-how-steve-mcqueen-went-mainstream-1160326/] | Kate Kilkenny, Hollywood Reporter * Steve McQueen on “Widows”: “It is an emotional awakening for these women” [https://www.salon.com/2018/11/17/steve-mcqueen-on-widows-it-is-an-emotional-awakening-for-these-women/] | Andrew O’Hehir, Salon * Aldermanic privilege steeped in power, politics — and prejudice, critics contend [https://infoweb-newsbank-com.chipublib.idm.oclc.org/apps/news/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info%3Asid/infoweb.newsbank.com&svc_dat=NewsBank&req_dat=C23BE832E46446E3AEC1CCAEBDEAF5AE&rft_val_format=info%3Aofi/fmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Actx&rft_dat=document_id%3Anews%252F16FBF6290BD90CF0] | Mark Brown, Chicago Sun-Times * Aldermanic Prerogative Fuels Segregation and Violates Black, Latino Chicagoans’ Civil Rights: Federal Officials | Heather Cherone, WTTW [https://news.wttw.com/2023/11/28/aldermanic-prerogative-fuels-segregation-and-violates-black-latino-chicagoans-civil] * Federal investigation into affordable housing, aldermanic prerogative in Chicago fizzles | Brett Chase, Chicago Sun-Times [https://chicago.suntimes.com/city-hall/2025/07/08/hud-affordable-housing-aldermanic-prerogative-discrimination-brandon-johnson]

Bearchinski: Poochinski (1990) and The Bear season 5 (2026)

Jeremy and Paco discuss the event of the summer, the Chicago TV show everyone is talking about: Poochinski [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2lH8Td_yLo], the unsold 1990 NBC pilot starring Peter Boyle about a cop who becomes a dog. And also some show called “The Bear” just released its final season, so they talk about that too.  Art by⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lily Bacon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://lilybacon.com/] Music by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ newest_latest⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/@newest_latest] Suggestions, comments, complaints, hate mail, and all other correspondence can be sent to chicagopodfilmcast@gmail.com. We're recommending stuff at the end of the podcast now! Paco’s recommendation: Hunger (2008) [https://letterboxd.com/film/hunger/] dir. Steve McQueen Jeremy’s recommendation: ⁠Materialists (2025) [https://letterboxd.com/film/materialists/] dir. Celine Song (yes, seriously) Sources and further reading: * TV`s kind of town [https://www.chicagotribune.com/1990/04/15/plane-talkor-not-in-my-back-yard/] | Chicago Tribune * The Inside Story of ‘Poochinski,’ the Sitcom in Which a Dead Cop Is Resurrected into a Crime-Fighting Bulldog [https://www.cracked.com/article_37367_the-inside-story-of-poochinski-the-sitcom-in-which-a-dead-cop-is-resurrected-into-a-crime-fighting-bulldog.html] | Brian VanHooker, Cracked * Dunning Discovery [https://www.chicagotribune.com/1990/07/09/dunning-discovery/] | Chicago Tribune * Aldermen's legal fees debated [https://chipublib.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/newspapers/aldermens-legal-fees-debated/docview/282940630/se-2] | R. Gibson, Chicago Tribune * Ken Griffin pulling Citadel out of Chicago [https://chicago.suntimes.com/business/2022/6/23/23180173/ken-griffin-citadel-leave-chicago-miami] | David Roeder, Chicago Sun-Times

One Last Score: Dhoom 3 (2013) with journalist Siri Chilukuri

Jeremy and Paco are joined by journalist Siri Chilukuri [https://www.sirichilukuri.com/] to discuss Dhoom 3 (2013), directed by Vijay Krishna Acharya, as well as the rest of the Dhoom franchise. Check out Siri’s great reporting on data centers in the Chicago Reader [https://chicagoreader.com/author/siri-chilukuri/]. Siri previously joined us on our second episode ever to discuss My Best Friend’s Wedding [https://open.spotify.com/episode/2TQ5lWly0s4gJ3bI0to0Xo?si=vQX5ltfaSaCTZCNEW8RLnA]. This is the seventh episode in our miniseries, One Last Score, where we're going through different heist and bank robbing movies set in Chicago. The next episode in our miniseries will be about⁠ [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1106860/] Widows (2018). [https://letterboxd.com/film/widows-2018/]  Art by⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lily Bacon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://lilybacon.com/] Music by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ newest_latest⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/@newest_latest] Suggestions, comments, complaints, hate mail, and all other correspondence can be sent to chicagopodfilmcast@gmail.com. We're recommending stuff at the end of the podcast now! Jeremy’s Recommendations No Fear, No Die (1990) [https://letterboxd.com/film/no-fear-no-die/] dir. Claire Denis The Holy Mountain (1973) [https://letterboxd.com/film/the-holy-mountain/] dir. Alejandro Jodowrosky  Paco’s Recommendation The Odyssey (1968) [https://letterboxd.com/film/the-odyssey-1968/] dir. Franco Rossi Sources and further reading: * Taking stock of chicago TV, film [https://chipublib.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/newspapers/taking-stock-chicago-tv-film/docview/1241887170/se-2] | Nina Metz, Chicago Tribune * Combating Criminals With Flash [https://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/23/movies/dhoom-3-is-a-bollywood-thriller-set-in-chicago.html] | Rachel Saltz, New York Times * Chicago River set for Bollywood film [https://www.loopnorth.com/news/bollywood0916.htm] | Loop North News * Banks shed foreclosures, reap benefits: Charities vow to use homes to help poor but often don't deliver. [https://chipublib.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/newspapers/banks-shed-foreclosures-reap-benefits/docview/1469609345/se-2] | Jackson, D., & Marx, G., Chicago Tribune

One Last Score: Ca$h (2010) with Supporting Actresses host Dane McDonald

Jeremy and Paco are joined by Dane McDonald, host of Supporting Actresses (FKA Chasing Amy Adams), to discuss Stephen Milburn Anderson’s Ca$h (2010), a movie that’s definitely real. Check out Dane’s wonderful podcast [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/chasing-amy-adams/id1819782629], including Jeremy’s episode on Trouble With The Curve [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/trouble-with-the-curve-with-jeremy-marder/id1819782629?i=1000748006379] (2012).  This is the sixth episode in our miniseries, One Last Score, where we're going through different heist and bank robbing movies set in Chicago. The next episode in our miniseries will be about https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1106860/Dhoom 3 (2013) [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1833673/].  Art by⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lily Bacon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://lilybacon.com/] Music by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ newest_latest⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/@newest_latest] Suggestions, comments, complaints, hate mail, and all other correspondence can be sent to chicagopodfilmcast@gmail.com. We're recommending stuff at the end of the podcast now! Paco’s recommendation: Union Dues [https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/john-sayles/union-dues/9781560257301/?lens=bold-type-books] | John Sayles Jeremy’s recommendation: Three Noirs by Jacques Tourneur on the Criterion Channel [https://www.criterionchannel.com/three-noirs-by-jacques-tourneur] Sources and further reading: * Film, TV flourishing [https://chipublib.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/newspapers/film-tv-flourishing/docview/89121739/se-2] | Chicago Tribune  * Exclusive Interview With Ca$h Director Stephen Milburn Anderson | Paul Young, Screen Rant [https://screenrant.com/exclusive-interview-cash-director-stephen-milburn-anderson/] * Chicago ‘CA$H’es in on indie film scene [https://columbiachronicle.com/arts-culture/50b7a92c-9ebb-504c-8e32-c549d9435961/] | Luke Wilusz, Columbia Chronicle * Is a Cinematic New Wave Cresting? [https://www.nytimes.com/1992/12/13/movies/film-is-a-cinematic-new-wave-cresting.html?searchResultPosition=6] | Janet Maslin, New York Times * $20 million in loans to felons [https://chipublib.idm.oclc.org/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/newspapers/20-million-loans-felons/docview/417995903/se-2] | Jackson, D., Chase, J., & Gibson, R., Chicago Tribune  * Giannoulias bank seized [https://www.politico.com/story/2010/04/giannoulias-bank-seized-036288] | Harry Siegel, Politico

Interview with Michael Glover Smith, director of Hekla (2026)

Jeremy and Paco interview local director Michael Glover Smith about his new film, Hekla. You can catch Hekla, featuring a Q&A with Michael and star/co-writer Elizabeth Stam, at FACETS on June 4 at 7:00PM. Get your tickets here: https://facets.org/programs/hekla/ The NYC premiere will be on June 8 at Spectacle Theater [https://www.spectacletheater.com/hekla/]. The West Coast premiere is on June 23 at the TCL Chinese Theatre [https://danceswithfilms.com/2026-hekla/]in Los Angeles during the Dances With Films festival. Art by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Lily Bacon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://lilybacon.com/] Music by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ newest_latest⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.youtube.com/@newest_latest] Suggestions, comments, complaints, hate mail, and all other correspondence can be sent to chicagopodfilmcast@gmail.com.