SUBJECT : FEAR A baseline for many. That timeless of motivators; back and forth. Such thins line, though, as fear continually masquerades as hate (and "phobia"). Hamed Sinno of Mashrou' Leila has been banned, labeled, censored, cursed, followed, chased, reviled, revered, applauded, lauded, targeted and blamed; yet, never silenced. Fearless. Well, maybe a fear or two has crept (and crawled) in along the way. No one is immune, entirely.
Murmur 72 : Ben Bruce "It Takes An Expat"
SUBJECT : THE EXPAT We're all from somewhere else, no? If one were, however, to sketch-out the concept of "The Outsider", know that those who make-home in a country/community/culture outside of their birthplace, can potentially reflect, contribute, protect, nurture, extol, farm, and touch a world in ways no "insider" ever could. Asking Alexandra's Ben Bruce has no fear of the Expat. Here, he explores both the currency and privilege of living a life somewhere else; and why he's continually drawn to a life naturally impervious to homesickness.
Murmur 71 : Joshua Oppenheimer "The Scarecrow's Dilemma"
SUBJECT : INTELLIGENCE The two edges of "Intelligence" -- one, steeped in curiosity, humility, and understanding; the other, in fear, judgement, and power. Which will you choose and how will you apply it? Here, filmmaker Joshua Oppenheimer carves us a path; including the taxonomy of "genius", "master", "masterpiece"; and whether or not art can in fact increase one's "Intelligence".
Murmur 70 : Phil Elverum (Mount Eerie) "Our Own Bag Of Hammers"
Don't be a tourist, be a traveller... or, so they say. But do they also say that to musicians? If so, then why do most musicians continue to "tour"? Is it a means of rebooting? Surviving? Seeking? Erasing? Healing? Communing? Curing? Phil Elverum (Mount Eerie) has utilized movement as a agent for all of the above; as well as a conduit for lessons he continues to pass on. Lessons co-promised both in art and in love.
Murmur 69 : Mike Francesa "Mondays at 1"
Most pioneers are dead. So when we have one on the show, it’s humbling. Especially one we grew up listening to Monday-Friday for five-and-a-half hours a day; once for 24hours straight. As Mike Francesa has left his weekly radio show and “power chair” after 30 years, we (and he) finally get our lives back. So, let’s talk about it with the man, himself -- A teacher without students. An artist without a brush. The icon who now seeks a new audience.
Murmur 68 : Jock "A Fistful of Mondo"
SUBJECT : MONDO There is a word that signifies a perpetual state of fandom. A state that artists never surrender to, no matter how accomplished or revered their work. The word... Mondo. Edison, Welles, Kubrick were Mondo; so was Picasso. Jock is a modern master of this über-genre; an artist whose singular DNA can be seen in his best-selling posters for Carpenter’s “The Thing”, Del Toro’s “Pan’s Labyrinth” & Deodato’s “Cannibal Holocaust”; as well as in Ava/"Ex Machina" and an Aurebesh Easter Egg he left for his son in “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” (a small, indie film in which Jock served as Costume Concept Artist.)
Murmur 67 : Jeff Bridges "The Actor From Scratch"
SUBJECT : THE ART OF THE ACTOR There is an internal, human art to acting, independent of the technical execution of craft. Which human elements feed that mechanism? Or, as Brando once said, are we all “merely actors, everyday”? For Jeff Bridges it begins and ends with two gifts; one from his mom (his “first acting teacher”) and one from his dad -- we’ll give you a hint... Time and Love. Five years in the making, Jeff joins us to cover the Art of the Actor, up to and including the art of retirement. Rage on.
Murmur 66 : Anthony Bourdain "Artist For A Day"
SUBJECT : THE ART OF LIFE Is there an Art to life? An approach to how we live that could be considered Art? Anthony Bourdain - inveterate Storyteller, unreliable Narrator, and Professor Emeritus of The Modern School of Film - joins us to untie & regift the notion of Existence-as-Art; and, how fairness, freedom, luck, timing, nepotism, narcissism, location, faith, kindness, risk, Yakuza tattoos, feigned smiles, and French & Italian Cinema, all factor in.
Murmur Meta : Dan Ariely "Just Say 'Maybe'"
Professor of Psychology & Behavioral Economics, NY Times bestselling-author, and founding member of the Center for Advanced Hindsight, Dan Ariely sits with us for a MurmurMeta. Spoiler alert: by chat's end we've bared our soul at the altar of Dan's singular brilliance, which leads to some homework; namely, one of Professor Ariely's celebrated experiments. Have a listen, then watch this space for the results...
Murmur 65 : Torquil Campbell "What Difference Doth It Make?"
SUBJECT : CHARACTER The notion and definition of Character feels up for grabs right now - politically, professionally, geographically, nationally, sexually, artistically - so let’s take a look at it. Rather, let’s ask an artist of multiple personae - writer/actor/co-lead singer of STARS - Torquil Campbell to help us understand what underpins Character and what needs and choices have shaped his. Also, in the true spirit of American Thanksgiving, we’ll clear-up some Canadian myths, once-and-for-all. All in our own diplomatic manner, of course.
