We talk about lava, character wounds, and emotional storytelling ALL THE TIME on the show, but it&#8217;s important to remember: there&#8217;s more to good storytelling than an emotionally juicy character. Today, Oscar-winner (and friend-of-the-show) Michael Arndt discusses this, along with trends he is noticing in the evolving world of 21st century cinema. GREAT RESOURCES FROM…

176 | Michael Arndt on Balancing Plot & Emotional Storytelling

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Fleetwood Mac’s “Tusk” w/ Hanif Abdurraqib

787: The Food Writer to Romance Novel Pipeline with Eliza Dumais & Julia Turshen

Linda Perry

953. – Shaad D’Souza

Your favorite musicians, filmmakers, and other creative minds one-on-one. No moderator, no script, no typical questions. The Talkhouse Podcast offers unique insights into creative work from all genres and generations. <a href="https://pod.link/Talkhouse" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Subscribe now</a>, and explore more illuminating shows on the <a href="https://talkhouse.com/category/podcast" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Talkhouse Podcast Network.</a>

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John Cameron Mitchell’s 2006 film <a href="https://shortbus.oscilloscope.net/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Shortbus</a>, which he wrote and directed, is being re-released in theaters by Oscilloscope from January 26. He co-created and starred in the stage/film musical Hedwig and the Angry Inch, for which he won Best Director at the 2001 Sundance Festival, four Tony Awards, and a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor. He also directed the films Rabbit Hole (2010), featuring an Oscar-nominated performance by Nicole Kidman, and How to Talk to Girls at Parties (2017). He appears on TV in Hulu’s Shrill and in 2022 will be seen in Netflix’s Sandman and in the title role of Peacock Channel’s Joe Exotic adapted series. His musical podcast series Anthem: Homunculus starring Glenn Close, Patti Lupone, and Cynthia Erivo, was just rereleased as a free podcast. In 2020, he put out the collaborative album New American Dream and his ongoing The Origin of Love World Tour resumed in December 2021. (Photo by Matthew Placek.)

John Cameron Mitchell

Sook-Yin Lee Talks with John Cameron Mitchell on the Talkhouse Podcast

Ep. 301 | The Shakespearean Level Stakes of NEMESIS w/ Courtney A. Kemp

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Kyra Sedgwick is an Emmy Award®- and Golden Globe®-winning actress, producer and director who can currently be seen in the romantic crime thriller <a href="https://www.carolinacarolinemovie.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Carolina Caroline</a>, opposite Samara Weaving and Kyle Gallner, which is in theaters now. Sedgwick&#8217;s feature Family Movie, a horror-comedy co-directed with Kevin Bacon and starring their children Travis and Sosie Bacon, had its world premiere at the 2026 SXSW Film Festival, and she recently starred alongside Kevin Bacon and Judd Hirsch in the feature film The Best You Can. Sedgwick’s previous directing credits include the feature films Space Oddity starring Kyle Allen and Alexandra Shipp, Story of a Girl, which earned her a DGA Award nomination, and Girls Weekend, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. Sedgwick has contributed her directing talents to notable series such as Ray Donovan, City on a Hill, Grace and Frankie, and others.

Kyra Sedgwick

Film

Three Great Things: Kyra Sedgwick

Formed in Omaha in the early 2000s by Stephen Pedersen following his departure from Cursive, Criteria has always lived in the space between melody and weight, control and collapse, moving only when there was something real enough to justify it. Criteria’s latest record SEIZE! reflects a period of profound personal and professional change: relationships dissolving, chapters closing, and attention turning toward the fragile beauty of the present. It’s out now on Spartan Records. 
(Photo Credit: Audrey Hertel)